Australian Belly Tank

[Reverend Hedgash]

I'm depressed.

The spirit of sunshine is dark and gloomy.

The cancellation of the event has coincided with a mess of other trivial misses, losses and rudenesses and all combined I am as low as low can be.

Not even reading Landracing cheers me up.

Back on deck soon.

rH-

[Stainless1]

REV, DON'T JUMP... STEP BACK AWAY FROM THE LEDGE, RACING WILL RESUME .... 
 
How'd I do?  Feel better 

[Reverend Hedgash]

Yeah I know... It's not the be-all and end all. Especially when there are so many out there with so much less: less opportunity, less health, less freedom, less blah.

But I was kind of hanging together with everything else in the world by following this dream. When DrG and I started this enterprise we had a chat. Believe it or not it was in an old graveyard in Castlemaine near where we had just inspected and purchased the belly tank, the first step of our journey.

We stopped there because I like graveyards as a recorder of struggle and hope (and of loss) and we discussed why we were entertaining the idea of doing this project. We only roughly knew each other as I had gone out with his cousin for a number of years previously, and another cousin musician of his was a friend, and so here was a chance having just committed financially with the purchase of the first bit to chat about our attraction to the concept.

Interest in mad petrol headed humorous design schemes aside, our discussion revolved around the relative meaninglessness of contemporary Australian life and the desire to make our own meaning.

Australia is probably one of the most secular countries on the planet, with one of the highest suicide rates in both the young and old age brackets, and having suffered the loss of friends from this blight we wondered whether they would have been so keen to go if they simply had a project that they were interested in like this.

Also being social drifters it was a chance to latch onto a project with identifiable rewards within an interesting new community of people. (This forum being an unexpected discovery).

I don't think either of us envisioned being committed to the level of effort that we have over the past four and a half years and believe that we lied to ourselves about (in addition to not fully understanding)  the reality of the project to be able to do it at all. My building relationship with Dr G has lasted a year longer than my longest relationship (the good lady 'gash and I have only been together 3 years).

Throughout this time I have been battling persistent black moods from stress and overwork and the major saving grace has been the dream of the tank. Sunday, tank day, became a ritual to look forward to at the highest emotional level, and even though it has impacted socially over the years it usually takes precedence to most other activities with the promise that we would be running soon and things would calm down and I could then spend more time with family and friends.

So it is not just a race. It is not just a hobby. It has become a foundation for a lot of other things in my life to be able to reside on and hopefully an example for others that you can make dreams come true with a little application.

The not being able to race affects me to my core. But yes, there will be next year, and hopefully one day a grand pilgrimage to Bonneville with the car when it's sorted.

I look forward to these things.

Thanks for your note Robert, I am OK. Just needed to vent amongst those that understand.

rH

[Dr Goggles]

I think I would have struggled to say that better myself.......

It's all true.

We will rock Rev' , just not right now .......

[grumm441]

you should be where i am

Hey Stew

What about using an EH rear window or an austin bonnet strut. they always stay open when you don't want them to
g

[Stainless1]

Rev and Doc, not to worry, I can see by your posts you merely have the addiction that must be fed.  Rev, you expressed it very well, this can and does consume you.  People that have done this for a long time feel your pain, we went raceless in 82-83 and again in 93-94.  The craving for going fast can be all consuming, especially if you build from scratch and want to see what you ended up with.  Committing to this adventure is a way of life, you will never stop thinking of things to try to go faster. 
But that is LSR and luckily this website helps a lot of us get to the next race. 
Your build has helped show a lot of folks that it can be done, and given a lot of folks the opportunity to share experience and experiences.  If you can't race this year, you will have an easy prep for next year, unless of course you dig back in and decide to change things that you feel you can improve.  We had the car ready to race in 93, when the race was cancelled, we spent the week taking the car apart, changed, fixed, painted and updated.  Got it back together for 94, then found the races were canceled a couple of days before, so we tore back into the car and changed a few more things.  In 95, about 6 years after our first run over 200, we put Johnboy (speedlimit 1000) in the club at 221 with a 1 liter fuel motor.  As I have said in previous posts, this sport takes patients  (often mental patients)  to continue.  Yea, I spelled it wrong on purpose, because we have the sickness that keeps us doing this year after year, success or failure.  Yep, you got it too, I can tell 

[JackD]

I guess I could work towards saying something profound but you guys are already finding it yourselves, and sharing it with others.
Isn't that the most satisfying part anyway, and the real lasting objective ?

[SPARKY]

I feel your---no OUR pain-- --I just don't know what to say-- --but there is the LURE of the next race!!---minimums, weather, track conditions,scruitneers, and WILD Animals---can eventulally be surmounted-- --if we keep the faith and go to the next race PREPARED as best we know how to be!!!!!!!!!!!!  hope to meet you in OZ some day and see you guys and your car in person!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dr Goggles]

Thanks Sparky it'd be great to see you here.....you know I've been thinking a trip to the States could be just what I need after the last two cancellations ......so draw the shades and act like y'all ain't home .

Yesterday one of the local hot-rod mags came out with a feature that went to press days before the cancellation and it has a picture of our tank at the test and tune day in it ....you know" Dr Goggles and Rev. Hedgash's bellytank will make it's debut ...etc"......" Yeah , you beauty , hooray F' " I thought ,"If only!!"...............

[Sumner]

Thanks Sparky it'd be great to see you here.....you know I've been thinking a trip to the States could be just what I need after the last two cancellations ......so draw the shades and act like y'all ain't home ......

Hey what a great idea, I've got room and no shades    .  I'll have to see if I can get Sparky to go over there with me next year,

Sum

[doug odom]

Hey Rev, You will find that it is the journey and not the destination that is important. I've been racing something some where M/C, sports cars, Nascar...etc sense I was 16. Yep 50 years   lol  and I still am looking forward to what I can get done ( bucket list) so you have lots of time left. You will be fine, just think of all the little things you will have time to do right now.
Doug Odom in big ditch

[whitworthsocket]

Members from all over the country are offering suggestions as to alternative venues , there are some probable alternatives but they all have their own particular problems, none are as big and none are close to major towns except one in Western Australia but that's nearly 2000 miles from the East coast where most of the members are and it's only good for a five mile straight.

Hello Dr Goggles & Rev,
I live in WA can you tell me the name/ location of the 5 mile straight. The job I am at
  http://www.fmgl.com.au/IRM/content/project_imagegallery.htm   is supposed to be coming to an end and I would be interested in driving to said location for a look.

I can understand your depresion. I used to go in the Avon descent a weekend 180km down river canoe surfski and small powerboat race. Six months of training five nights a week. We got caught in a rapid my collegue hurt his back and the double ski was badly damaged at about 3/4 distance on the second day. The exhaustion along with the dissapointment was a very bitter pill.

Maybe the old maxim "If it doesnt kill you it will make you stronger" will work


Regards Whitworthsocket

[Dr Goggles]

Hey Whitworth,
The lake I was talking about is Lake Lefroy south of Kalgoorlie . There have been a couple of images posted on the DLRA message board lately.

http://www.dlra.org.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=772&start=45

If there was an event there it would be prohibitive for most of the East coast people unless we shared semi's to get there.Even so if it takes 6000k's to race who am I to complain.

Next week I'm going to go over to Gairdner and also check out Island Lagoon which is just south of Woomera and with a bit of luck do a GPS plot across it so at least someone can say " I drove across it and have the plots for a seven mile straight track".........I just have to go there , I need to see salt , stand on it ....feel like I've been there ...otherwise it just  starts to feel like forever since I've stood on the good stuff.

[Sumner]

..........Next week I'm going to go over to Gairdner and also check out Island Lagoon which is just south of Woomera and with a bit of luck do a GPS plot across it so at least someone can say " I drove across it and have the plots for a seven mile straight track".........I just have to go there , I need to see salt , stand on it ....feel like I've been there ...otherwise it just  starts to feel like forever since I've stood on the good stuff.

Hey you should think about taking the tank and using it to drive across the salt to do the GPS plot  ,

Sum

[Milwaukee Midget]

Next week I'm going to go over to Gairdner and also check out Island Lagoon which is just south of Woomera and with a bit of luck do a GPS plot across it so at least someone can say " I drove across it and have the plots for a seven mile straight track".........I just have to go there , I need to see salt , stand on it ....feel like I've been there ...otherwise it just  starts to feel like forever since I've stood on the good stuff.

Never say die, Dr. G.  Godspeed on your trip - post us some pics when you get back?