Racers rev up

By Sarah Schwager
THE local drag racing community has forced into light the bid to get a legal venue for the sport.
At a meeting at Tooradin Airfield last week meant for 20 people, more than 700 turned up after an anonymous text message was sent to hundreds of people.
Tooradin Airfield owner Gary Morrison was outraged and even had to call police when cars blocked the South Gippsland Highway last Wednesday night as they attempted to get into the venue for what they thought was to be a drag meet.
“The cars were lined up from the airport to Tooradin, they couldn’t even get in the carpark,” Mr Morrison said.
“That day I was telling people it wasn’t for the public. We could have had 2000 people if I had told everyone.”
He said the meeting could have hindered his chance to get a successful application through Casey Council to use the airport for driver training and as a venue to get hoons off the local streets.
Yet mayor Colin Butler said Tooradin Airfield would never be an option as it was in a conservation and green wedge zone, and therefore against the planning scheme.
“Its impossible to do it there. The zoning down there won’t allow it,” Cr Butler said.
Mr Morrison said while he was furious at the meeting getting so out of control, it did show that there was a lot of community support behind the proposal for a legal venue for hoons, with various venues on the cards, including Sandown Racecourse.
Organiser of the meeting Rick Langoor from Cranbourne West said the small club meeting was simply meant as a discussion point for the next steps that they would be taking.
“But like everything else someone opened their big mouth that there was a drag meet happening which wasn’t true,” he said.
Mr Langoor said it was important to highlight that the venue would be used as an outlet for hoons and not as a drag racing venue.
He said the club was in the process of trying to get State Government support and there was already countless support from the police and local MPs.
But he said the meeting had not worked in the club’s favour as it was trying to follow the normal procedures.
“This is not a car club to have full-on drag cars, we are supporting normal street cars,” Mr Langoor said.
“But, at the same time, 700 people! It shows how desperately this is needed in this area.”
He said at the moment he was more worried about people driving illegally doing burnouts and donuts on the streets of Casey and ruining their case for a legal venue.
“Don’t be idiots. And don’t hoon on the streets, it’s not helping us.
“We’re trying to help the police and council by taking them off the street. They’ve got other things to worry about.”
Mr Morrison said he was in the process of undertaking numerous impact, noise and environmental studies at the airport before an application would be put before the council.
Cranbourne MP Jude Perera said he supported a facility that would get drag racers off the local roads.
“Although the State Government’s Hoon Legislation is very successful in the City of Casey, it would be ideal to house a facility in the City of Casey where drivers can enjoy their cars in a safe and well managed environment,” Mr Perera said.