Australian Illegal Gravity Racer Federation

Race 44, Baker's Delight

2012-01-18T13:04:00.012+11:00

October 2011 and the start of season 5, believe it or not. It's good to see that we are still attracting new racers, like this beautiful all-stainless steel creation, Spirit...

The racing itself was as intense as ever, the bright conditions making for some dramatic views along the track...

Risking life, limb and helmet-cam to get that esential close-up footage at the finishing line...

Kymbo won (unusually!) and its driver salutes the crowds before being devoured by a huge dog:-

Official Results:

1. Kymbo

2. Toecutter

3. Dogmatic

4. Spirit

5. Chariot of the Dogs

5. Snake Eyes

See the Race 44 film here, then join us in thanking the road crew once again for keeping us on the road as we enter our fifth year of gravity racing...

Race 43, Grandus Maximus Bitumus

2012-01-06T13:04:00.017+11:00

September 3rd, 2011 - Back to the biggest road we race for our season finale, and this time with a special guest from California, known to all as Mr Joustin' Jay...

He's used to racing 11 mile long roads over there, but we managed to give him plenty of entertainment on the day.

Liddle Pig made a rare appearance, and so did stable-mate Rock On, an old cart but new to us:

Jay (left) survived the racing and got to take home a delightful souvenir plate...

Official Results:

TBC

Thanks to crew for supporting us again, see you next time!

See the Race Film here

Race 42, Tallowood Lodge

2011-10-28T12:56:00.018+11:00

Meet Herman's Revenge - it looks like a big slab of wood on wheels, and that's basically what it is – and it's quick, too, as we found out at Tallowood Lodge back in June.

Pleasant enough racing on the day, nothing spectacular. Might have been, though, if Snake Eyes' parachute had opened. But it didn't.

Never mind, we went back down the hill a couple of times, then went for breakfast.

But we got another team photo and enough footage to make a race film, of course...

Official Results:

1. Herman's Revenge

2. Kymbo

3. Chariot of the Dogs

4. D-Maxx

5. Snake Eyes

See the AIGRF Race 42 film here...

Race 41, Meet the Flintstones

2011-10-18T12:50:00.012+11:00

April 2011, damp weather but not dampened spirits. Usual suspects in attendance and a new devilish cart too - it looks suspiciously like a go-kart with the engine removed, but hey, you've got to start somewhere!

A rare sight in recent months, The Force flew in for a run or two...

Dogmatic is now sporting some shiny bits and this is the view everyone else got of it...

And here is everyone else (well, their transport, that is). Now remember how High Roller fell apart last race – now what's left of its running gear is wearing Paddles' bodywork, as it begins its metamorphosis into Snake Eyes (front right):

Talking of transport, this is how you should turn up to a race in Australia...

Official Results

1. Dogmatic

2. Toecutter

3. Chariot of the Dogs

4. The Force

5. Snake Eyes

6. Bezlebub

Thanks crew, supporters etc. View the Race 41 movie here...

Race 40, Snappy Hour

2011-10-05T12:47:00.002+11:00

Eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted this alarmingly dramatic footage during the new title sequence of our Season 4 films... well, this is the race it came from.

Sunday February 20th 2011 started off pleasantly enough, with Toecutter revealing new body and paint...

And we were visited by a real hot rod, its owners had been following the SFVISBF on the internet and discovered us from there...

They enjoyed the spectacle and vowed to return with carts of their own.

Meanwhile back to the race, and to the only track we have with a significant amount of off-road surface...

Here's the view from Chariot of the Dogs just as High Roller decided to go even more off-road!

It gets worse (for the driver) or better (for the spectators) depending on your point of view...

That's some pretty severe damage, and in fact the end of High Roller as we know it (its driver will be back, though!)

Look closer, that's a rock embedded in the wheel - not easy to do!

Official Results:

1. Chariot of the Dogs
2. Toe Cutter
3. Ton 'O' Fun
4. High Roller
5. Paddles

Race 40 film here now.

Race 37 film online, also

2011-06-15T13:10:00.003+10:00

Admittedly it was a poor turnout and not much footage resulted from it, but somehow we've conjured up another mini-filmic masterpiece... enjoy! See it here...

Race 39 film is online, folks...

2011-05-25T17:01:00.002+10:00

See Race 39 now... thrills, spills, and all the rest! See movie here.

Film time again...

2011-05-06T08:46:00.007+10:00

The movie of Race 38 is now on the world wide web. Race 37 isn't yet, but soon will be. So will Race 39. Enjoy! See Race 38 here.

From our Brazilian correspondent

2011-04-28T17:01:00.010+10:00

Well then, our friend in Brazil has been out and about testing his pride and joy, and there's a vid on YouTube to prove it...

Good luck with it – we hope he finds someone to race against! The original is here.

Race 39, Grizzly Adams

2011-03-28T13:04:00.018+11:00

November 2010 - carts-a-plenty, including two debutants...

First up, we have TOE CUTTER (if you know the Mad Max films, you'll recognise the name); a worthy successor to Death Machine.

It's looking a little skeletal so far, but bodywork is in progress, we hear. Next up we have LIDDLE PIG, can't imagine why it's called that!...

Some people thought it was a joke. But they weren't laughing when it flew past them on the track...

Oh, all right, they were laughing - when they saw that to drive the thing, you had to be a contortionist...

Of sh*t! forgot to bring the steering wheel...

Kymbo turned up on possibly the biggest trailer we have ever seen...

Art of the cart... homemade T-shirt and a sneak peek at the next incarnation of Chariot of the Dogs (maybe!)...

Official Results:

1. Kymbo
2. Paddles
3. High Roller
4. Liddle Pig
5. This-a-way
6. Toe Cutter
7. D-Max
8. Chariot of the Dogs
9. Inspiration
10.Obsession

Of course big thanks to our faithful crew! Movie soon.

Race 38, Baker's Delight

2011-03-07T13:21:00.017+11:00

An annual favourite, raced this time in October, a beautiful morning and a good turn out. And if you look closely you'll see Death Machine, making a welcome comeback after months away from the action.

Here we are at the start, let them wagons roll!

But at the bottom, it's a different story – Kymbo arrives at the line, all alone...

Everyone else gets there eventually...

Official Results:

1. Kymbo

2. Paddles

3. High Roller

4. Chariot of the Dogs

5. Death Machine

6. DMax

Thanks, supporters, followers, helpers...

Race 38 film coming soon...

Race 37, The Hamptons

2011-02-28T13:07:00.016+11:00

Ok, we need to bring things a bit up to date a bit, whilst race films are being made. So, back in September 2010 we raced The Hamptons – well, three of us did! It was going to be the Season 4 opener at the mighty Bakers Delight, but due to various unexpected circumstances no-one else turned up, so we decided to save that track 'til next time instead... meanwhile, Chariot of the Dogs recorded it's first ever win, but it was a hollow victory with only two carts to beat...

So anyway, what we did after the official race, was to each drive the other two carts and try them out - and quite a nervewracking experience that was - they all handle very differently, and not all go (or stop) as you'd expect...

Not sure what this is, but it fell off High Roller, half way down...

Official Results:

1. Chariot of the Dogs

2. High Roller

3. Paddles

Official Race Film here!

In the pipeline (6)

2011-02-11T13:10:00.006+11:00

Here we have a progress report on the cart introduced to us from "in the pipeline 1", a few weeks ago. Wooden in construction, but not performance, we expect... our spies tell us it is just about ready to race - should see it in action in a week's time, then!

In the pipeline (5)

2011-02-01T17:03:00.009+11:00

Well, they just keep coming! Here's a radical makeover-in-progress for Dog Bandit or Dog House or whatever it's called... this one looks almost ready to race.

On the other hand, this thing (below), looks far too good to ever risk on a the kind of tracks we're used to... but wow! doesn't it look impressive!?

In the pipeline (4)

2011-01-18T13:09:00.011+11:00

Well, what have we got here, then? One of our eagle-eyed racers came across this creation on YouTube, and a hugely impressive piece of engineering it is. We don't know the gentleman responsible for it, but he name-checks us – hope we get to see it in real life, real soon!

Here's some more pictures from his film, (below) or you can see the whole thing for yourselves at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8RN4DFAndU

Happy New Year

2011-01-12T14:32:00.004+11:00

Well, there's no race this January but there's plenty going on behind the scenes.

We are gradually closing the gap between races taking place and films being posted (and blog updates going out).

Coming up in the next month are films for Races 37, 38 and 39. And still more carts are in the pipeline, we'll be keeping you up to date with these too...

Here's a little teaser from Race 39 – say hello to "Liddle Pig" and "Toecutter"...

In the pipeline (3)

2011-01-04T16:42:00.004+11:00

From Mr Walsh:-

"Here is another sketch of light weight cart that is in the pipeline as well.

It has wheel chair wheels I had Charlie machine for bigger bearings and disc brakes on rear. He machined up some front steering components too. Haven't any pics of real thing yet. Keep ya posted..."

Race 36, Grandus Maximus Bitumus

2010-12-22T16:58:00.024+11:00

August 15 2010 – back to everyone's favourite location, the longest and roomiest track we have. No need for tacky commentary, the pics and film speak for themselves...

Eventually it was time to pack up and go for breakfast...

And, being the last race of the season, there were trophies... unique, handmade and to be treasured for evermore...

There are lots of weird animals in Australia, but this thing trotted up to the BBQ and I have no idea what the hell it is...

Official results:

Kymbo
This-a-Way
Obsession
Old 47
High Roller
Chariot of the Dogs
Inspiration
Paddles

Thanks friends and followers... see you next time! Check the movie here!

Race 35, The Hamptons

2010-12-16T13:29:00.018+11:00

Back in july we raced The Hamptons again, no carts ended up in a tree this time and a decent turn-out enjoyed a fine morning's racing.

Meet Spacy (above), new resident on the bonnet of Chariot of the Dogs. Despite some ferocious potholes, he was still there at the end of the morning.

Yes madam, 'tis the Ace - take your place at the start of the race.

Hmm, now which one will I use today? That's a truckload of terror...

Cameras on - there's a film to be made...

These new-fangled "lipstick" cameras are catching on nowadays, especially good for doubling up as door handles.

Go get 'em, Spacy...

Everyone's made it down - now the arguing over finishing positions can begin.

Treat it with care, you'll need it again next month...

Official results:

Obsession
Chariot of the Dogs
This-a-Way
High Roller
Paddles

Thanks crew, lonely job but much appreciated! Check the movie here !

In the pipeline (2)

2010-12-14T13:24:00.005+11:00

In a backyard somewhere in Port Stephens, a sister cart to "Old 47" is taking shape... no other details are known, but judging from the pictures this one is – thankfully – smaller than a house. Looks almost ready to race, too...

From our Brazilian correspondent

2010-12-10T09:01:00.009+11:00

This post will make more sense if you've watched the Race 34 film. In summary, we received an email back in March 2010 from a fellow in Brazil who has been enjoying our "work"; we used this in the intro to the film, and now he has come back to us with this:

That looks like a pretty spectacular corner of the world, doesn't it - and just look at those hills! We look forward to seeing that smart cart in action, too...

In the pipeline (1)

2010-12-02T13:11:00.006+11:00

A lot of you did woodwork at school, right? Probably made a pencil case, something like that. Well, our friend Mr Walsh stuck with it and now he's building this...

It's kind of a rebuild of White Lightning, which came to grief on Mt Sugarloaf many moons ago, and should be ready to join the fray pretty soon, according to our sources. Expect it to look like this (below) and go like the wind...

Race 34, Skippy's Revenge

2010-11-24T13:26:00.018+11:00

Back in the Australian winter, it was a freezing cold morning and only four die-hards made it to the track. But the carts were evenly matched and some close and competitive racing ensued...

Chariot of the Dogs is finally starting to get some bodywork, and a bit of protection for its driver:High Roller has to follow suit, soon, you'd think...
Did we say "close"? Bit of a convoy happening here...Ton o' Fun wonders what happened, as Paddles pipped it at the post...Conquest, War, Famine, Death... the Four Cartmen of the Apocalypse:

And on it goes, another race, another sticker, another piece of history...

Official results:

Paddles
Ton o'Fun
High Roller
Chariot of the Dogs

Check the movie here!As usual, massive thanks to our crew (all two of them).

Race 33, Tallowood Lodge

2010-11-19T13:15:00.018+11:00

We know it's only a chihuahua, but it's the hardest looking chihuahua we've ever seen, thanks to its very lovely AIGRF coat:

Meanwhile, back on track, here's a new machine about to meet the public:

It's name is Allegra, and it's very streamlined - unlike the driver - looks like a bit of a tight squeeze in there...

Why bother constructing fancy brakes, when all you need is an old oven glove?

No hiding from it, it was a meagre turnout for this race - so we experimented with different start points, including up at the top of this dirt road - Allegra didn't have the ground clearance for this one and struggled to get up and away...

Not enough clearance for the pilot either, also struggling to get up and away - he actually has to take his boots off to get in and out of the cockpit! (It did win, though!)

High Roller all-a-blur; think that's due to dodgy camerawork, not actual speed...

Proud of their work... and why not?

Official Results:
1) Allegra
2) DMax
3) Chariot of the Dogs
4) High Roller

And thanks again to crewmen and women. You can watch the movie here!

Race 32, Baker's Delight

2010-11-16T13:18:00.003+11:00

Steepest, longest, fastest race of the season and this turned up:

Unfortunately, its steering wouldn't turn and its brakes broke, so it never got over the start line – who knows, we may see it again one day, though...

Meanwhile the rest of the racers got off to a flying start (that's The Force's rocket engine in the foreground):

Catch 'em if you can...

But try and stay on the track... The Force nearly enters another dimension, one with lots of trees...

Back in the hangar, the cause is revealed...

It's a big win for a big car... trophy time for the Ton o' Fun

Bootylicious had parked up and the driver gone for breakfast before High Roller made it down!

Amazing what you can find dumped in the trees... expect to see some of these items put to good use in the coming months...

Official Results:

Ton 'O' Fun
Bootylicious
Chariot of the Dogs
High Roller
The Force
Paddles

Appreciation goes to road crew, film crew, supporters and spectators – see you next time! Watch the movie.

The 6th Steel On Wheels Derby

2010-10-26T14:08:00.000+11:00

Check it out here.

AIGRF in the USA!

2010-10-21T07:51:00.000+11:00

Check out what our fine AIGRF representatives have been doing in the home of outlaw soapbox racing! Many thanks to VULGR, SCISR and SFVISBF for showing them a good time.

Race 31, Meet the Flintstones

2010-10-11T01:25:00.001+11:00

As befits a road to a quarry, the surface used to look a bit like this...

But since we were last here, it looks like one of these has been down this way:

And there was new metalwork on display too... Quicksilver has been replaced by High Roller (left), without bodywork yet, and (right) That-a-way, with bodywork-a-plenty...

Many hours of supreme craftsmanship have gone into this - too bad the huge window steamed up and the driver couldn't see out - could have been a winner otherwise...

Some old favourites made a reappearance too - so plenty of good racing on the day.

There's aerodynamic, and there's Bootylicious...

The spectator's-eye-view - might be a good idea to get out of the road, though:

Hell that was good, let's do it again...

Official Results:

Midnight Special
Kymbo
Ton o' Fun
Paddles
This-a-way
Bootylicious
DMax
High Roller
Chariot of the dogs

And thanks again to crewmen and women. You can watch the movie here!

Race 30, Snappy Hour

2010-10-10T08:37:00.006+11:00

Another bright sunny morning and we're back to the ocean's edge - and it's a steep and scary drive down there!

Pleasantries are exchanged before hostilities commence...

As regular readers know, this track is part tarmac, part dustbowl and all thrills:

Paddles and Quicksilver almost lock wheels as they gather momentum:

Dmax takes a close look at some free publicity:

Chariot of the Dogs hot on the heels of Quicksilver – can the Silver One hold that lead?

Of course not – sideways on to the track, Quicksilver fails to make it first to the finish line:

A contingent from the local Roller Derby League came to have a look at us – think they'll be sticking to 8 wheels each, though...

Hometime – and it doesn't get much more Australian-looking than this, you can almost feel the heat:

Official Results:

Dmax
Paddles
Chariot Of The Dogs
Bootylicious
Quicksilver

And thanks again to crew and cameras – plenty of good footage for the race film. Check the movie here!

Merchandise

2010-09-05T23:57:00.000+10:00

Friends in High Places

2010-07-28T13:31:00.000+10:00

In the Austrian Alps, no less.

Race 29, Grizzly Adams Had A Beard

2010-01-19T00:18:00.020+11:00

Ah, good old Grizzly... following the shock retirement of team Death, only four carts made it out to the hills for this race, and two of those didn't survive the day. Here, Obsession is streaking away from Chariot of the Dogs...

But the pink peril is hot on his tail... Bootylicious hits the lead and stays there!

For some, it's less about the winning, and more about the fashion...

Chariot is winning nothing, if it can't stop its tyres from exploding...

2 wheels bad, 4 wheels good?...

Yeah, likely...

Something's gone wrong here - important bits have fallen off, and the camera has decided to go in a different direction from the rest of the cart...

No, no, please don't make me go down that steep hill again...

Official Results:

Bootylicious
Obsession
Chariot of the Dogs
Quicksilver

Check the movie here!

Thanks as always to camerafolk and crew members - see you next time!

Race 28, The Hamptons

2010-01-05T00:44:00.015+11:00

Is that the sound of banjos duelling in the background?

Yup, its The Hamptons again...

Not a huge turnout, but an eventful race – check out the film asap!

Now, that looks like a wheel... but wait – there's no cart attached? We'll get to that soon, but first the race itself; a narrow strip and two big wide vehicles together on the grid – what could possibly go wrong?

Alright then, this is what happened...

Gravity makes us go, but trees seem to make us stop, apparently...

Whatever it takes, you're not in the official results unless you cross the finish line...

Found it! (eventually)... just stick it back on and it'll be right!

Official Results:

Bootylicious
Paddles
Obsession
Chariot of the Dogs
Quicksilver
Ton O' Fun (helped with crash)
Inspiration
Old 47 (crashed, pushed across line)

Thanks again to those brave souls who film and help out - the infamous road crew. See you next time...

Race 27, Tallowood Lodge

2009-12-08T13:35:00.037+11:00

So, another beautiful summer Sunday morning, and a brand new track - quite straight, not too steep, nothing remarkable but enjoyable enough...

Eleven carts out and about today, but plenty of room on this smooth country road.

A bit congested at the finish line though, maybe because the sunlight was so bright, maybe because some drivers insist on finishing sideways?

Has Ferrari built a billycart? No, it's Paddles with smart new bodywork and wheels - don't expect it to stay this clean for long, though.

Coming through... did we say plenty of room before? Not when you've "got me a car as big as a whale"...

Get a grip, man! Oh well, everything else is illegal, might as well include the tyre tread.

Make the logo bigger! (in-joke for graphic designers).

Clearly, gravity racing is strictly a sport for finely-honed athletes...

After the race, it was down to the lake for breakfast. An old-time bush poet came over and entertained us with a few verses - that's what you can hear at the end of the race film, by the way.

What you don't usually see in the race vids, is the way our trophies keep getting added-to inbetween races. Here's a pretty good likeness of Death Machine, gracing the wooden spoon.

Official results:

Old 47
Kymbo
Death Ray
Obsession
Trollywood
Chariot Of The Dogs
Ton 'O' Fun
Paddles
Bootylicious
Death Machine
Quicksilver

Check the movie here.

Cameras and crew, we salute you! See you next time...

Race 26, Stiffy's Beach

2009-12-08T13:35:00.026+11:00

October 18 2009… so, the new estate by the lake still isn’t built, which means our track is not yet out of bounds. A short but demanding dash to the water’s edge, with twisty corners and a rain-soaked surface – this could be interesting…

The ground-rattling leviathan known as Old 47 sports a wide-angle vidcam mounted high at the back, you can see it below, and the photo above is what it sees. If you’ve seen the race movie, you’ll have seen the full effect…

Did we mention the rain-soaked surface? Quicksilver hangs on, for now…

Death Machine, however, doesn’t...

It soon becomes a familiar sight, though…

Even the normally cautious Chariot of the Dogs goes walkies in the bush…

D-Max has learnt something from the previous race… don’t worry about pedestrians, perhaps?

Oops, I did it again… not a lot of tread on them fancy looking tyres, then…

Keep your eyes on the road, gentlemen…

41kph, stopping distance 20m – you do the maths…

Yeah, thought so…

It’s like déjà vu all over again…

Everyone makes it eventually, and the industrial espionage gets underway…

Official Results:

Obsession
Enterprise
Dmax
Ton 'O' Fun
Bootylicious
Paddles
Death Ray
Old 47
Chariot of the Dogs
Trollywood
Quicksilver
Death Machine

Check the movie here!

AIGRF remains indebted as always to friends and supporters for setting up, clearing up and recording the event for posterity. See you next time…

Season 3 Opener – Race 25, Baker's Delight

2009-12-08T13:34:00.006+11:00

September 20 2009: back to one of our favourite tracks, and the now–traditional venue for a new season curtain-raiser. That’s right, it’s the fabulous and fearsome Mount Sugarloaf downhill drop, as AIGRF enters its third year of mechanised madness…

Luckily the laws of gravity haven’t changed since last season, well maybe they have for D-Max, seen here heading for the bush on the first corner… and no, those boots were not made for walking…

Yes, it’s a quick one, and straight into the early morning sun…

With steep drops on both sides, it’s good to see those safety barriers along the way. It looks like a miniature metal hut on wheels, but Dogmatic hits top speed on the long straight stretches…

As usual, the sibling rivalry continues for Bootylicious and Ton o’ Fun; you can be sure they’ll still be neck and neck at the finish line…

… that’s if anyone can see what’s going on in this light. As if steep slopes and breakneck speeds weren’t scary enough:

Ah, there’s the line – or it was, until Death Machine got there:

On the second run, Quicksilver had a guest driver. Maybe some-one should have showed them how to use the brakes. Or the steering wheel…

Some racers like a sleek, ground-hugging, low-drag aerodynamic body shape to help them down the hill. Some don’t…

It might be from the future and employ hitherto undiscovered technologies somewhere in its fabrication, but The Force is not immune to that curse of the 21^st century – the punctured tyre…

Official results:

Kymbo
Death Ray
Ton 'O' Fun
Bootylicious
Dmax
Death Machine
The Force
Enterprise
Dogmatic
Chariot of the Dogs
Quicksilver

Check the movie here!

Gratitude as ever to our loyal pit crew, camera-folk and protectors of small fluffy creatures (see the race movie).

Race 24, Grandus Maximus Bitumus

2009-12-08T13:32:00.009+11:00

It was awesome!

Race report soon!

Race movie soon!

Race 23, There Goes the Neighbourhood

2009-12-08T13:31:00.018+11:00

We sort of put 'Australian' in our name as a joke, figuring why just have a local name when we could claim the whole country? Well, our claim has slightly more justification now as we've attracted our first interstate competitor!

The Other Woman and its pilot and crew travelled the 10+ hours from Queensland just to race with us! And you check it out, that's a pretty impressive cart, a pretty impressive distance and a pretty impressive effort. It was literally the first time out for this cart, so there where naturally some technical difficulties that resulted in a less than stellar official result, but as far as we're all concerned it was obviously the star of the day.
It took a while to get it off the trailer, and things didn't get any better for Obsession, finishing way further down than normal in ninth.
See? No wheels! The Force still found the going pretty bumpy though and floated into a top ten finish.
Doesn't look aerodynamic enough, does it? It wasn't, Dogmatic came in a disappointing eighth.
Quite often it's all or nothing for Death Machine, but this time it finished in a respectable sixth place. Not bad for one of the original carts!
Just proves size isn't everything. Here's Inspiration getting overtaken by a whippet of a cart.
The Chariot of the Dogs took a top five placing, even though it's sometimes dwarfed by the superkarts.
But here it is in turn being overtaken by the superior Enterprise. An impressive effort indeed.
Faced with a big, slow, silver roadblock in front of her at the start, Bootylicious took the only course of action available to her: she rammed it. It was just the boost Quicksilver needed to avoid last place...
And Booty scored some cool battle scars on her way to an impressive third place.
This is the view from Old 47 as he deftly weaves through traffic on his way to second place. It's a big cart and those are some small gaps but years of experience, a nimble mind and speed make all the difference.
In night vision mode we catch a glimpse of Kymbo hurtling to another first place finish. The longer track allowed it to stretch its legs and it was unbothered by the 90˚ corners, still able to retain speed and regather momentum.

Official results:

Kymbo
Old 47
Bootylicious
Enterprise
Chariot of the Dogs
Death Machine
Inspiration
Dogmatic
Obsession
The Force
Quicksilver
The Other Woman

Check the movie here!
As usual, massive thanks to our crew who start us and stop everyone else, even in the dark in the middle of Winter. And to our cane-toad visitors, we salute you! We look forward to travelling north when you're up and running. In the meantime, we'll visit you here.

Queensland – beautiful one day, perfect the next...

2009-09-14T01:55:00.003+10:00

Want to race against this?
In Brisbane? Then it's your lucky day! Check this out!

Race 22, Grizly Adams Had A Beard

2009-08-09T22:20:00.022+10:00

Back to one of our favourite tracks this season, and no-one called the law this time. It's a good, long road with a terrific gradient and some great curves ending at a bridge that has a troll living under it.
You can't see the troll, but she's down there.
Despite being jammed in the centre of the starting grid, Kymbo methodically overtook everything and blasted into first place. Cameras are too slow to catch it. Lucky for him, Quicksilver didn't race this month.
A shiny new yellow paint job and straight into the lead for Chariot of the Dogs. It was soon hunted down by the heavier supercarts. Looks cool but.
Obsession flies straight and true, overtaking Inspiration with it's sights firmly set on Bootylicious and Ton O' Fun to second place.
Inspiration is the sister cart to Obsession, but 67 times its size. It's bigger than the real car used to transport Chariot of the Dogs. However, it seems to handle and go brilliantly in the skillful hands of its pilot.
That bridge is narrow, and Inspiration is massive! Deft driving by the ladies meant impressive footage but no incident.
Pink as ever, Bootylicious had a great race and was just pipped for fifth in a very tight finish.
The Force debuted at this track the first time we ran it, so is fully aware of its nuances. Nothing fell off it this time, which is always a good sign.
This is where Old 47 usually hangs out. Like a 747 in an aircraft hanger.
And this was it on the track. It missed the previous race even though it was there, when it blew a tyre while still on its trailer. No such problems this time though, although seventh is a bit further back than it's used to.
Some good maneuvering got Enterprise out of a tricky grid position and into some open space to run a strong race to get a top four finish. Those big rear vision mirrors were certainly full...
...mostly of Death Machine. This track suits DM and a top five finish off the front row of the grid was a certainty.
This didn't fool anybody.
Ton O' Fun was back after a break and ready for business. From the last row on the grid it stormed into an impressive third place, leading a tight pack of four behind the first two.
This track is in a remote, heavily forested area notorious for drop bears. Unfortunately one of these fearsome creatures performed its signature attack from a mighty eucalypt over-hanging the road, right in front of Dogmatic and Flash. Flash crashed as a result (nothing to do with the swinging front axle) and it was only the quick thinking of Dogmatic's pilot headbutting the terrifying beast as he went past and scaring it back into the dense bushland that saved both their lives. Unfortunately, this tricky manoeuvre cost valuable speed and is the reason for Dogmatic's uncharacteristic low placing.
Official results:

Kymbo
Obsession
Ton O' Fun
Enterprise
Death Machine
Bootylicious
Old 47
Inspiration
Chariot of the Dogs
The Force
Dogmatic
Flash (DNF – Crashed)

Awesome job by our dedicated support crew – thank you as always! Check out the movie here.

Race 21, The Hamptons

2009-08-05T23:29:00.021+10:00

A brand new track, in a nice secluded spot, mostly tar (rough in places), finishing in gravel.
Perfect!
This is the view from Kymbo as he took first place and crashed into the grass embankment at speed. Some would say 'driver error'? Others would say 'gravel finish-line'.
As you can see this bent the wheel a bit for the next races, but didn't seem to effect top speed at all. It was still bloody quick.
This was almost Dogmatic's day, except for getting caught up on the start line. A quick rescue by Death Ray and he was off into second place!
However, by the second race things weren't going so well and for the want of a split-pin, a wheel was lost and it was time to get out and go home.
Trollywood got away to a great start and led for quite a way until being reeled in by Kymbo. It still managed to hang on to third. That's damn good for a loner cart!
Pretty in pink Bootylicious positively hooked down the hill to storm into fourth place. The track seemed to suit it off the line and the big balonies helped the handling.
Death Ray was back and in-form to pick up a top five finish. It's team mate, Death Machine, did not fare nearly so well.
This track didn't seem to suit it and it struggled to get up to speed. A knock at the finish didn't help and it ran the next races seemingly without brakes. Not that he uses them anyway...
Chariot of the Dogs couldn't improve on its previous standing but enjoyed the outing and featured in some close back of pack duels that are a big part of what makes this racing so much fun.
Despite reaching a top speed of 54km/h...
...Enterprise couldn't make it to the pointy end of the field. However, the wheels all stayed on this time which is more than can be said for some other carts. Development is coming on nicely and it's only a matter of time before results improve.
As usual, Quicksilver did a mostly ceremonial race. But in a dramatic turn of events in the second run, its pilot was momentarily blinded by the dust at the finish line and stomped on the anchors to produce a spectacular spin. Unfortunately, he's not used to anyone being behind him...
...and so took out The Force who was minding his own business having a leisurely turn at a more sedate speed.
Of course The Force is well engineered and quite robust so escaped unharmed and will live to race another day. And maybe even win.
Official results:

Kymbo
Dogmatic
Trollywood
Bootylicious
Death Ray
The Force
Chariot of the Dogs
Enterprise
Death Machine
Quicksilver

Thank you to all our support crew who trekked out to the middle of nowhere to set us on our way, drive us back to the top of the hill, and take some awesome footage while they were going. Watch the fruits of their labour here.

Race 20, Skippy's Revenge

2009-06-16T21:28:00.015+10:00

Thank you to our support crew. Every race they start us off, take good footage and most importantly, keep us safe. It's early, cold, sometimes wet and doesn't carry the same glory the pilots get. But without them, we'd be going nowhere. We appreciate their effort, especially when semis are involved.
We were going to race somewhere else this month, but the weather and some roadworks made that track a bit dumb, so it was off to old reliable Skippy's Revenge. It's not super-fast or super-steep (that's why we run it when the weather's bad), but it can prove deceptive if you haven't run it before and the 90° left hand turn to finish at the base of the hill in the wet is always fun.
And so there are some surprises. This is the official view the other competitors had of The Force, winner of the first place trophy. Some others may have been faster, but to finish first, you must first finish. There was a touch of Steven Bradbury to this result. This track has always finished around the corner and you need good brakes and steering to pull it off.

Official Results:

The Force
Death Machine
Paddles
Chariot of the Dogs
Flash (Crashed – pushed over line)
Bootylicious (Missed corner – pushed over line)
Enterprise (Missed corner – pushed over line)
Trouble Maker (Two flat tyres, but got there eventually)
Whispering Assassin (Missed corner)
Midnight Special (Crash – DNF)

Paddles was a bit miffed to get beat by a "novelty cart", but that's racing. As you can see, there is the start of some new bodywork, which may help in the aerodynamic department.
Don't be fooled by the body moulded contour seat, Chariot of the Dogs is built for speed. Perfectly balanced, lightweight and nimble, it picked up a respectable fourth place.
Although it did get a bit amorous and try to mount Death Machine. Bad dog! DM powered on to a worthy second place with it's ability to turn corners like it's on rails and a good build up of speed on these longer runs.
Enterprise hasn't raced this hill before so missed the corner in the first race to take a disappointing seventh, but was doing warp factor five when it crossed the line in the second race. So great was the heat generated that the front right wheel bearing melted into oblivion causing catastrophic vehicle steerage failure resulting in a massive crater. That means lots of work in the shed, because it's sister car...
...Flash made it's AIGRF debut. Nice red paint, good brakes, but the 90° left hand turn to finish at the base of the hill in the wet proved too much for the traditional rope billycart steering.
And Flash went crash!

Yet it still managed to beat this. After being parked for a few months, Trouble Maker is back with a new paint job. The last time this cart was white with red scallops, it didn't end well. It didn't start well this time with the front tyres going flat overnight meaning a very s-l-o-w run. Went better later when they were pumped up. Even though the pinstripes are outstanding, I liked it better when it was grey with teeth.
Bootylicious had a temporary pilot who missed the corner and just missed a top 5 finish. It got down the hill plenty quick though.
Midnight Special hadn't raced this track before either and so probably wasn't expecting the last corner to come up so fast. It should have – everything comes up fast in this thing. In spectacular fashion it spun out and mounted the gutter sideways, smashing both left wheels. Luckily there were no injuries and we look forward to seeing it back, hopefully to have more than one run with us.
The Whispering Assassin showed it had the pace, but after witnessing Midnight Special's pirouette á la gutter it decided discretion is the better part of valour and declined to take the 90° left hand turn to finish at the base of the hill in the wet and lived to race another day.

Watch the movie here.

Race 19, Meet the Flinstones

2009-05-12T23:03:00.023+10:00

It was time to go to Bedrock again and Meet the Flintstones. Sadly, the council has not seen fit to resurface the road and we are a couple of cameras poorer because of it.
Seriously, they shook right out of their extensively engineered mounts!

Pictures of Old 47 are like pictures of Kymbo – rare. They're usually too far in front to be captured, and if they are they're blurry. 'What was that?' 'Dunno. Looked like Flipper.'
Bootylicious scored a top 5 finish, keeping her carefully applied race-face intact at all times.
I don't even know what this big cart was called. Sometimes I don't pay attention.But this is what a lot of us saw of it.
I do know it's a sister cart to the ever fast Obsession, that suffered from a poor grid position and got caught up in a bit of traffic.
If you just glance at this photo it looks like Quicksilver is a competitive cart...
...but sadly, this picture tells a more accurate story.
Despite his best efforts, Death Machine didn't break anything and finished all three runs. Here he is looking back up the track to get some more footage after a trademark end of race spin.
Teammate Death Ray tries to pass on some tactical information before passing Quicksilver. Or maybe he's just saying 'Hey, your front wheel's turning!'
The Force's repulsorlifts were working perfectly, and it positively glided down the hill with it's newly mounted lipstick camera getting some great footage.
Trollywood had a new pilot who held his nerve and got up on two wheels at the finish. He described the handling as 'a bit wobbly...' He'll be back.
Purpose built to compete in the AIGRF, Paddles always has someone new he wants to beat. At the moment that someone is Whispering Assassin, seen here sporting a new hi-tech windscreen. They were both at the pointy end and it was close.
Right behind them was Ton O' Fun. This thing should be the same speed as Quicksilver. It isn't. It's much, much, much, much, much faster. Some say it's something to do with the pilot...

Official Results:

Old 47
Whispering Assassin
Paddles
Ton-o-fun
Bootylicious
Death Ray
Obsession's Sister (or whatever it's called)
Death Machine
Trollywood
The Force
Obsession
Quicksilver

Our support crew rock, even the ones who have to be dragged hungover from their nice warm beds after only 2 hours sleep and then have to be supervised because they're probably still drunk. The sober ones are even better and the racers appreciate their dedication and acknowledge they wouldn't be going anywhere without them looking out for their safety. Thank you!

Watch the movie here!

Race 18, Weekend Detention

2009-03-20T16:01:00.015+11:00

What better detention than to stir up the local suburban streets with 13 karts all pushing for the converted glory of being number one.

After the usual banter and psych up, we’re ready to roll – in literal terms.

Welcome home Blue Bandit. After a few months travelling the world, seeing the sites and searching for new tracks, BB is back with vengeance.

Whether in or out of the seat, Old47 felt at home on this track like a monkey with poo on his finger! It was first or nothing.

Paddles enjoyed a good clean run and worked its way up the leader board.

My God get a tan on those things… Chariot of the Dogs bearing skin in a chance that it may blind enough drivers to crash out.

Kymbo, like gravity, attracts a mass of bodies around it at the start. Don’t be fooled though, when in warp speed – not many can keep up with it.

Showing its mid-rear-end-field dominance, Quicksilver showing others the inside line.

There is nothing like sibling rivalry, with Bootylicious and Ton-o-Fun pushing each other. Champagne for one and tears for the other.

Strong finish for a strong kart, Enterprise had a good run on its maiden trip.

After the near write-off last month, Death Machine had plenty of work to do just to make it back on the track. The repairs must have worked well as DM had another strong race and survived this time without any scars.

Motion blur photography? Nah, it’s just The Force showing its true nature and doing what it does best.

How is that for speed? Death Ray is actually overtaking a car and leaving it as though it was standing still.

DMax and The Force pushing hard to beat the sunrise.

Would you pick this man up at your local bus stop? Wearing a really cool shirt and one hand on the two-way – have a guess which hand!

As always, we would like to thank all supporting crew that help make this happen.

Official results:

Old 47
Kymbo
Ton-o-fun
Death Ray
Death Machine
Paddles
Bootylicious
Chariot of the Dogs
Enterprise
The Force
Blue Bandit
DMax
Quicksilver

Check the movie here.

Race 17, Snappy Hour

2009-01-21T16:01:00.007+11:00

It has been quite a few months since this track has felt our presence - but it hadn’t forgotten us. Last time, the weather had turned, being wet and damp. This time the sun was shining and the dust was flying.

Whispering Assassin focused and ready to go.

With chunky tyres and a broad wheelbase, Ton-o-fun literally ate this run with a well-deserved first place.

Death Machine pushing the boundaries of gravity with a before…

…during…

…and after shots.

With eyes of a great white shark, Bootylicious is looking for its next prey.

Talking about facial expressions, check out this stunned mullet. DMax’s first race went exceptionally well and made it to the bottom without any problems.

Chariot of the Dogs catching its breath and admiring the sunrise. It maybe a whippet in size but definitely has a nasty bite.

Rematch time between the rock wall and Quicksilver. Last time saw the rock wall deliver a crushing blow to Quicksilver however this time QS just pulled its pants down and said "screw you".

Death Ray and Red Rocket pushing hard, in fact a little too hard on the right hander, with Red Rocket rolling...

…and rolling.

Followed by some precision driving by Bootylicious.

Not to be outdone by Booty, Whispering Assassin shows some neat drifting skills to miss traffic.

Dust from the carnage ahead meant that Paddles had to drive blind and hope for the best.

The Rocket shows its ticker and get back on track.

As always, we would like to thank all supporting crew that help make this happen.

Official results:
1. Ton-o-fun
2. Red Rocket
3. Death Ray
4. Paddles
5. Whispering Assassin
6. Bootylicious
7. DMax
8. Quicksilver
9. Chariot of the Dogs
10. Death Machine

Race 16, Tower of Terror

2009-01-21T16:01:00.006+11:00

Tis the month of festivities so why not spread the fun in suburbia by running the Tower of Terror again. A sharp steep drop followed by a nasty left-hander seemed the best way to commence our Christmas cheer. Numbers were low for this race but didn’t mean that the intensity wasn’t there.

Kymbo sporting the Christmas looks and delivers the goods with ease, taking the win with style and grace.

Off and racing. Bootylicious doesn’t mind mixing it up and splitting the boys. In most cases out muscles the men with ease.

More speed in a straight line? Nah, Death Ray proves that going sideways is not an issue and handles it on any course.

Midnight Special taking the lead and on the way to a first place… whoa hang on, would have been first place but ended up carrying too much speed into the left hander, kissed the curb with enough force to retire for the day and also require a few stiches on top of the dislocated knee! Sorry no gore shots!

A veteran runner but sporting a new set of wheels, Chariot of the Dogs made its debut and survived the Tower. Look out in future races for Dogs as it will be there leading the pack.

As one new kart starts, another one retires. Sad to see but Fruit Loop officially retired after this race to greener pastures (to the back shed – to give the red backs something new to play with). The driver will return with a new ball breaker, but not with the same ridiculous paint job though!

Another race, another podium for Ton-o-fun, this time showing the skills of racing in a straight line and only using three wheels. Four wheels are overrated!

Where there’s smoke, there’s the Death Machine. As usual, from the first ever race to now; only ever applying the brakes after the race has finished. Crazy!

The epic battle of all times – Good v Evil – Luke v Vadar, well maybe a slight stretch but the Force is giving Ton-o-fun some serious pressure.

Just cruisin’, Paddles in the overtaking lane about to round up Fruit Loop. Probably the closest two karts on the day with the Loop just managing to scrape home by a whisker.

Check out Whispering Assassin, the body just reeks of speed and proved so with a podium finish even with a flat tyre after hitting a big pothole halfway down the hill. Can’t wait to see its speed on the longer runs.

As always, we would like to thank all supporting crew that help make this happen, especially this time of year when things are most hectic.

Official results:
1. Kymbo
2. Ton-o-fun
3. Whispering Assassin
4. Death Ray
5. Death Machine
6. Bootylicious
7. The Force
8. Fruit Loop
9. Paddles
10. Chariot of the Dogs
11. Midnight Special (D.N.F.)

Race 15, Grizzly Adams Has A Beard

2009-01-04T20:49:00.027+11:00

Out to the boondocks for this race. You wouldn't think anyone would call the police on us way out here, would you? You'd be wrong.
But they were very nice gentlemen, professional and courteous. Just wanted to make sure we didn't have any motors and weren't doing anything too stupid. We assured them we weren't and we'd finished anyway. Everyone was happy.
Trollywood was the first casualty. A new driver and a bit too much air in the tires saw a blowout, but luckily just a spin and no flip.
Quicksilver did nothing. Went better in the third race of the day when someone else drove it. Obviously nothing wrong with the cart then...
Agent Orange chugged along nicely until Quicksilver's pilot drove it in the third race. Then it needed a push off the line and lost a wheel at the end. Can you see a pattern here?
Trouble Maker has new paint. Not sure why, everyone liked the teeth. It's said to be inspired by the cover of the 2008 Street Machine Hot Rod Annual. Needs work. Performed well enough though.
This race saw the long-awaited debut of The Force, an awesome Luke Skywalker Land Speeder complete with non-functioning thrusters. One of them fell off, but that will never happen again. This cart doesn't actually have wheels, but floats along the ground.
And eighth in its first time out is pretty respectable. The pilot has been with us since the beginning and has been a regular driver of Trollywood. It was worth the wait.
Another debut was Chariot Of The Dogs, replacement for the retired Superkart 3000. Another good first time result, with better sure to come once pilot and machine get used to one another.
Bootylicious was once again towards the front, skillfully avoiding the Trollywood mishap, making up places on the course with some devilish manoeuvres and racing for position until the very end.
Everyone should have an obsession like Obsession. Politness prevents me from revealing the age of the pilot, but I sure hope I'm still that fast and dedicated when I get there.
Death Machine was the sole representative of Team Death this outing and certainly didn't let the side down. The signature hard racing, flourishes of speed and trademark spinout finishes were all there.
Ton O' Fun also provided a spectacular finish, literally disappearing in a cloud of tyre smoke while doing a 540 spin before coming to rest mere millimetres from the guard rail before the bridge at the finishline. The pilot was worried about trolls living under the bridge and decided to stop before it.
Kymbo made a valiant second place finish despite starting at the very back of the field. Shows how fast this thing really is. Sometimes there's not much footage of Kymbo because nobody can get close enough to record it.
Our worthy winner made a big effort to be a part of the AIGRF. Leaving at 3.00am and travelling from out Penrith way to race with us at 6.00am requires dedication. But it paid off, with Midnight Special taking first place in its debut AIGRF race. This thing not only goes like a rocketship, it looks like one too!
The cockpit is fantastic and it rivals The Force in the looks department.
Magnum PI, although unfinished, had a run in the second race. It probably shouldn't have and is now even more unfinished. Oh well.

Official Results

Midnight Special
Kymbo
Ton O' Fun
Death Machine
Obsession
Bootylicious
Chariot Of The Dogs
The Force
Trouble Maker
Agent Orange
Quicksilver
Trollywood (DNF)

Note: Red Rocket raced too, but not in the trophy race.
Big thanks to support crew for big support once again. Movie up here!

Race 14, Who's Your Daddy?

2008-11-11T20:39:00.013+11:00

Who could forget last time?
It wasn't for lack of trying or going extremely hard, but no major stacks this time. Ton O' Fun gave it a good crack. Look at the flex on that! Obviously, keeping that fourth wheel on the ground creates too much drag on high speed corners...
It's a cool hill though, and we had 13 racers ready to have a crack.
Kymbo blitzed it. While some of us were having trouble getting off the start line (we may have started just a little bit beyond the crest), Kymbo was turning 'the corner of death' and on his way to another race win. Writing off White Lightning hasn't dented confidence at all.
Old47 made its AIGRF debut at a blistering pace. It's massive, and that proved a bit of a hassle when it came to getting back up the hill to make a second run. We hear a purpose-built street racer is in the works.
Paddles made a comeback. We all wish we had a quiver of racers we could choose from depending on what track we were running. Especially when they're all guaranteed to finish at the pointy end of the field. Obsession ran strong but was controversially disqualified for a wheelchair push start. I don't think he really minded: he got to fly really fast down a big hill and at the end of the day, that's what it's all about.
Subrid sported some new bodywork, but is still plagued by some technical issues. It's only a matter of time before it starts posting some wins.
Bootylicious also sported some new bodywork in the form of a bright pink racing suit. It's all about coordination, she was the envy of all the boys!
Death Ray has struggled with form recently and only just held out against Trollywood. The old wheels, a new bonnet and scary red eyes should have seen it further up the rankings.
It may have been cautious cornering on those tall wheels that held Red Rocket back this month, but the start position wouldn't have helped either.
But the big race was actually between Quicksilver and the Blue Bandit. History will show BB won in race one, but what happened in the real, real contest in race two when they lined up side by side? Well, history will show BB won that too. But it was close! Quicksilver looks forward to BB coming back in January for a rematch...

Official Results:
1. Kymbo (awarded 1st)
2. Old 47
3. Paddles
4. Ton-o-fun
5. Subrid
6. Bootylicious
7. Death Ray
8. Trollywood
9. Blue Bandit
10. Quicksilver
11. Red Rocket
12. Death Machine (awarded the skunk)
13. Obsession (DQ for wheelchair start)

Race controllers, as always, kept us safe and got us going. We'd be lost without them. Thank you! Awesome movie coming soon!

Race 13, Baker’s Delight

2008-10-15T14:35:00.008+11:00

13 karts for race 13, was this an omen or just perfect planning?

After the previous postponement, we finally were cleared to race the mountain. Not just any downhill run but the Mount Panorama of billy kart in Australia. 3km long and the possibility of 100kph plus!

Not that you could tell by the relaxed state of the drivers…
With the usual chinwagging underway, it was time to pullout the gravity beasts and see some new and improved karts.
Ton-o-fun, with the full body kit looks just as menacing as its master. Can’t wait to see it next to the purposely-built Ferrari, Ton-o-seriously-fast-fun?
Dogmatic, all primed and ready to go, had received a makeover since the last run. After placing a close second last time, will it be enough to get it over the line first this time?
Team Death must have had a special deal on the gas struts. With Death Machine sporting the new boot last race, Death Ray arrives with a new bonnet (or one massive air brake if it comes up mid-race). Wonder if the tradition will be kept alive for the next race and we’ll see another gas strut…
Race time. What a feeling, sitting at the top of the mountain, ready to go and someone yells out "are you shitting yourself?" Hell yes and loving it.
Ton-o-fun and Death Ray battling it out. Experience versus youth. Size against maneuverability. We can see this fight will go for many races to come.
Another bullet like performance, Obsession finding it easier going on the other side of the road.
Over the two races on the day, it was hard to separate Agent Orange and Fruit Loop. On both occasions Agent Orange toppled Fruit Loop, even with a tyre blow out on the last race.
Now please take note of this image and see if you can spot the difference with the next image.
White Lightning cruising in first place, a mile in front (well, mostly likely would have been if it had finished to whole race) had a little dance and a twirl with the asphalt at over 100kph and parked it next to a tree. That’s it unfortunately for White Lightning – rest in peace. You will be sorely missed.
Can that really read 89kph? The impressive figure of Bootylicious clocked an impressive figure on the dial as well, placing it on the podium. Another great Booty drive.
With teammate White Lightning out of the race, Kymbo takes on the competition and finds some breathing space.
On a ride as wide as this one, Trouble Maker luckily didn’t live up to its name and had a trouble-free run. Good to see Agent Orange and Fruit Loop still fighting each other in the background.
Trollywood, now with a regular driver, is making consistently fast runs and threatens the top runners. Imagine a fleet of these at your local shopping centre. Although this driver has his own, very impressive ride near completion so would anyone who thinks they can handle the fame and speed of the Trolly please stand up.
What a track to test a new kart on but this didn’t worry Illusion at all. With a few minor tweaks before the next race, this one will fly.
As always, we would like to thank all supporting crew that help make this happen and remember, you are most welcome to jump into our karts and have a run.

Official results:

Ton-o-fun
Death Ray
Bootylicious
Obsession
Trollywood
Kymbo
Death Machine
Dogmatic
Trouble Maker
Agent Orange
Fruit Loop
Illusion
White Lightening (DNF)

Check out the movie

Magnum PI to race with the AIGRF

2008-10-07T00:00:00.007+11:00

It might not look like much yet...
... but this is going to be one sweet ride!
Imagine, a Ferrari! Racing with us!
And a celebrity too. Cool.
Those blokes at the Ferrari factory could only come up with this:
That's not going to work when we race on dirt roads, is it?

A tale of two competitors

2008-09-20T20:50:00.003+10:00

You may have noticed last months race was moved back a week to the 4th Sunday. That's because on the 3rd Sunday a contingent of AIGRF's finest racers went to the mecca of Australian wheeled racing – Mount Panorama – for the billycart race to end all billycart races.
They blitzed the opposition of course and in true AIGRF style, made a movie about it. It's in two parts, it's awesome and you had better go and watch it.

Part 1 here.

Part 2 here.

Go, now. Quick!

Rules/guidelines for the AIGRF (borrowed from SFVISBF)

2008-09-18T23:05:00.003+10:00

Testing on official hills is forbidden.

You test on a course; you raise awareness of what we are doing. This allows angry homeowners to have time to prepare an attack. By testing you’re saying, “hello I’m here” we don’t want that. Some people as you all know have nothing better to do with their time but spoil other peoples fun, these kind of people are everywhere, we race in their neighborhoods.

This has nothing to do with power, we want to keep doing this, the rules are in place to create longevity, and by testing on official hills you jeopardize that. This is not about just you and your fun; it is about everyone’s fun.

If you figure out where the course is, just keep it to yourself. Don't e-mail this information or post it on a website. You can of course invite your friends to come watch or film. The more footage we get the better.

Car Construction

Car construction rules are important for safety reasons and ease of play. Although the AIGRF has a few mandatory rules (listed below), we leave the ins and outs of car construction up to you, as finding out what works best is part of the fun. There are no exact weight or size restrictions, however, keep in mind that the cars we race are built at home not at NASA. This is street racing and we do have some sharp corners so when building your cart please keep that in mind.

Car Construction Rules:

1. All cars must have 4 or more wheels.

Your car must have 4 or more wheels that actually are used in the stability of the car. Things like bicycles that have training wheels or faux wheels are not allowed. Skate boards, luge boards and their wheels are not allowed as well. Trikes simply don’t work well; they have been ran with poor results. Trikes are unstable, prone to washing out, flipping and do not fare well in collisions and friendly bumping that occurs in every race, thus no trikes.

2. Cars cannot have a motor or drive train of any kind.

No gas motors, no electrical, no solar powered, no shifting counterweights, pedals, etc. Nothing. Get it? Gravity is the only source of power and speed attainment that is allowed. Do not get any clever ideas; you can’t be clever because you’re in the AIGRF.

3. All cars must have a braking system of some kind.

You have to have the ability to stop your car at the finish line at least. Braking systems are up to you, simple scrub brakes to 4 wheel disc brakes have been employed, budget and ingenuity will determine what works best for you.

Braking systems must be on a minimum of two wheels. Single wheel brakes are not acceptable.

Types of acceptable braking systems: You must have at least one of these on your car.

Scrub (a plate or pad applied directly to the wheel)
Drum (a drum with a set of shoes that grab the drum)
Disc (a caliper and rotor set up much like a car)
Band (similar to a drum brake, utilizing a band around a braking surface)
Bicycle (drum, disc, V, U, Y, center pull, caliper, coaster)

Types of unacceptable braking systems: You will not be allowed to run with these systems.

Drag (utilizing the ground as the braking surface)
Feet (no Barney Rubble, stay home)
Anchor (a heavy object cast from the car to create drag)

4. Vehicle weaponry of any kind is forbidden.

No spikes, no Ben-Hur chariot style spinners, nothing that shoots or drops stuff, no oil slicks, flour tossers, Paintball guns, ketchup shooters etc. Nothing. You may have bumpers on your car, nerf bars around the wheels etc. It’s just you, your car and the road, that is all that is allowed and all that you will need.

5. Cars can be excluded because they are grossly too big, heavy, have spikes or other weapons, or are obviously unsafe.

The Tech inspector’s job is to make sure that everyone’s car is safe, they check for sharp objects, braking systems, and other unsafe things. If the tech inspector wants to look at your car, you need to pull it out and show him/her. If the tech inspector deems your car unsafe, you can’t race. Refusal to let the tech inspector check your car, you don’t race. Other things that you should not have: Sharp edges or other protrusions that could potentially gash or impale other drivers in a wreck. A driver should be able to load their car unassisted into a truck or van, if you can’t it’s too heavy. Cars should not be excluded just because they are markedly faster, tougher, or cooler than your car. Nor should a car be excluded just because you don’t like the driver, we’re big kids: child-like, not childish. When in doubt, a group vote determines the eligibility of a given car.

6. No deliberate weighting of one’s car is allowed.

You can no longer add weight to your car; it must be run at its natural weight. No ballast. This means, no lead weights, no weight-lifter weights, jugs of water, no sandbags, sacks of potatoes, no pregnant women tied or nailed onto your cart etc. A car with low rolling resistance and a good areo package will carry the day; you do not need a 500 lb behemoth to get to the cones first. This is a safety issue. In a crash little objects can fly this way and that, those objects are often times weights that have been ejected from the car. A ten-pound weight going 40+ mph can pack a wallop. Also, heavier cars will not be able to manage turns well nor will they be able to stop. Do you want 400, 500, or 600 lbs of car and driver plowing into you if they can’t stop? No you don’t.

7. No bullshit.

The no bullshit rule is left to be vague for the guy that is looking for a loophole in the rules to gain an unfair advantage. Just because every possibility was not covered does not mean you should go on and do it. We reserve the right to DQ your car for any reason. We will be fair, Veteran drivers keep in mind your long tenure does not confer any special treatment, everyone is subject to the rules, please follow them.

Race Rules:

1. There shall be no entrance fee to race.

You may pool and or collect money to pay for promotional materials (i.e., flyers, posters, videos, etc.) but no one will pay to simply enter a car and race.

2. Car set up at starting line

Cars will be lined up (can be a few inches apart and still have a clean take off) at the given starting line evenly in a row that will accommodate the most cars. If we have a high number of cars that one row will not suffice, we’ll have to make two or more rows. A pack of ordinary playing cards (handed out at meeting place) will be used to decide pole positions. When we get to the track every body needs to get their carts ready to be lined up asap so that when your number is called you can get your cart in position and ready to roll. Some tracks we race have light traffic and we don't want to sit around any longer than we have to. The quicker we can get unloaded and lined up the more runs we will get.

If everybody is lined up ready to go and you are not there the race will start without you.

After the trophy run (first run) cars can line up however they wish, best to let the guys in the back get up front, it’s only fair, give everyone a chance to get out there. Cars must be lined up straight and the driver must keep their car in place by holding down their brake. You cannot have an outside holder as a holder can easily become a pusher, and pushing is forbidden. You should not have your feet out at the start, as you may get hurt.

3. You cannot have a pusher, nor can you do a “wheelchair start”.

There are no push starts in the AIGRF. No one may assist your car by pushing, nor are you allowed to roll your wheels wheel chair style to gain speed. Gravity and gravity alone is your only source or speed. Each racer must apply their own brake at the starting line and release it upon the completion of the 3-2-1 go count down.

4. All cars shall race at the same time.

There are no time trials, no elimination heats etc. If you broke things up into heats and the police came and broke it up you’d have half the drivers not being able to race, no fun. Everyone races all at once, all together. Racing a stopwatch is boring, too much time is taken up in elimination heats, all the action at once, the most intense experience you may ever have, did I mention it was more fun this way?

5. Starting the race and releasing the brake.

Once your cars are in line the call to race will be given. Everyone should have their brake applied and ready to race. The count is 3,2,1 go letting go of your brake upon the utterance of “go”.

6. Rubbing is Racing.

During the course of the race the adage “rubbing is racing” does apply. It is legal to hit other cars. You engage in this rough trade at your own level. Higher speed courses will spread the group out quickly, but keep your contact with other cars to a minimum unless you want bad accidents, just a suggestion. Lower speed courses contact is less likely to create bad accidents, not saying it has not happened though, be warned.

If a car is passing you, it is the best policy to let them pass. Deliberately cutting off faster cars can cause wrecks and tempers will flare, best not to do it. If someone is faster than you just let them pass, they earned it.

7. The first heat is the trophy heat.

The first race of the morning is the trophy heat. It is this first race that determines the 1st place winner, 2nd place, 3rd place, etc. All proceeding heats are “for fun” heats and trophies are not exchanged. After the first race of the given session, line up and placement for proceeding races are less important as the trophy has been won, so go have some fun and mix things up a bit.

8. Winner is first car to pass the traffic cones.
You must pass in between or over the cones to finish the race. The first car to cross the finish line (traffic cones) shall be declared the winner. last place is given to the last car across the line. If a car doesn't finish then that car is given last place, if there is more than one car that doesn't finish then the car furthest from the cones is awarded last place. If something happens to your cart and you can't roll to the finish line it's ok to drag, kick, throw, carry or push it there to get a place and race completion sticker.

The important thing to remember here is that this is for fun. If you are in this just to win then you are in it for all the wrong reasons.

9. Awarding of trophies.

1st place winner shall keep the winning trophy until the next month’s race where they present it to the next winner. The last place car gets the skunk trophy. The skunk trophy is passed along just like the winner trophy. Each winner and loser is welcome to put some decorations on the trophies.

10. Awarding of Race Completed stickers and AIGRF t-shirts.

Drivers that get their car past the finish line (that means in between the cones) in the first heat get a race-completed sticker. Stickers go to the car, not the driver, one sticker per car per session. If you crash, you have to drag your car to the end if you want a sticker. You cannot truck it down to the end, you crashed, and you push it. A driver that completes two separate sessions, not two races but two different trophy dashes in different months gets an AIGRF DRIVER t-shirt. The reasoning for this is if you race once you’re a fool, if you come back after a month and race again, then you know, thus you’re a driver.

11. No bullshit.

Again, the no bullshit rule is left to be vague for the guy that is looking for a loophole in the rules to gain an unfair advantage. Just because every possibility was not covered does not mean you should go on and do it. Just stop being a pussy and race.

Safety Gear

Drivers must wear a full-skull helmet, gloves, and any other protection they deem necessary. You cannot race without a helmet. More protection can’t hurt; it has been the difference between severe injury and walking away from a wreck. Any part of the car you’re driving that can come in contact with your body in a collision should be padded or you should wear some padding. Leather Jackets, welding jackets, riding leathers, sports pads, Sumo suits, chin guards, all used to useful effect. Only a fool would race without a helmet, there are dumber ways to die but not much. Protect yourself; you’ll be better for it as you can race again.

Race 12, Skippy's Revenge

2008-09-18T21:31:00.010+10:00

So, there we were, at set to take on our longest, fastest race ever as the season closer. Three kilometres of mountain road from the highest point in our fair city. Brakes had been tested, wind cheating bodywork refined and applied, helmets ready, courage mustered.
But. There is a fine line between brave and stupid and racing 'Baker's Delight' after it had been raining the night before falls into the later category. We are of the opinion that it is better to be also able to race again next month, so we decided our super season closer would become our super season opener instead and we hightailed our motley convey over to 'Skippy's Revenge', a somewhat more sedate course, to get our monthly fix of gravity assisted fun.
We had three debuts and a host of mods. First up was Obsession. This cart has been engineered by an engineer. It's wheels run true. It has brakes that work really well. I bet there are drawings of it that were drawn before it was built. It's been measured with a ruler. It's fast. So fast that it sat on the line for a little while, causing a bit of a jam, then flew down to take the win.* Awesome.
Dogmatic seems to have a new nemesis. Dogmatic has a lot of nemesi. It places consistently in the top results, but seems to also get pipped by upstart first timers.
Debut two was Death Proof, sister cart to Death Ray and Death Machine. It will of course be fast when it's dialled in and has the benefit of three other development builds before it. A better grid position would have also helped.
Death Machine got a new boot that does nothing for aerodynamics or speed but looks really cool and opens with a gas strut. We all went 'ooh' and 'aah'.
Death Ray was really out of sorts and struggling to come to grips with new front wheels. It had some other unintentional mods when the bonnet flew off at speed while making the journey down from home base. If you see it, let us know.
White Lightning is sister cart to Kymbo and also made its AIGRF debut. Like Kymbo, it is very quick and looks unreal too. Neither of them made it through the cones, but that was a technicality. They got there plenty quick enough.
Agent Orange has been undergoing some major modifications and showed off extensive new body work and a striking yellow paint scheme. Wait till next time for the orange to return. It's paying off with a big climb up the ladder and a good result in the second race too.
Trouble Maker remained steady, but hasn't seen much improvement with all hands on deck to finish Agent Orange. Expect things to change soon.
Quicksilver stunned the field with a massive reversal of fortune. Work done to the brakes has helped capitalise on the new wheel setup, and the handling improved too. He finally got to use that rear view mirror.
Also with new rear view mirrors is Blue Bandit. They shake a bit though but there wasn't much to see in them anyway. A lift kit has helped handling and stops the bottom scrapping over the reflectors in the road.
Ton O' Fun has a new body! And while it may not yet look wind cheating, it certainly hasn't slowed it down any. Like some other fast carts it missed the corner, but it made up for that by treating us to an unreal power-slide through 180˚. Watch the improvements to this cart keep coming.
Fruit Loop needs some modifications to remain competitive in the field. Sleep deprivation makes that a bit difficult, but once the new baby is a bit bigger he can be put to good use as a test pilot.
Subrid got a bit stuck in the back of the pack in only its second race with us. It seems to have recovered well after that tree attacked it in race 10.
Trollywood again finished higher than a loner cart should. It's wobbly, but fast. Also fast was the Ice Cream Man but missing that last corner cost it bragging rights.
Bootylicious is the quiet achiever of the field. Always fast, always at the pointy end, even with no major mods since the body was put on. This is a well put together, fast cart, skillfully piloted.
Official Results:

Obsession
Dogmatic
Trollywood
Bootylicious
Death Machine
Quicksilver
Agent Orange
Subrid
Trouble Maker
Blue Bandit
Death Proof
Fruit Loop
Death Ray

*OK, so there was some controversy with these results. There were some carts that got down the hill faster than the winner, but they didn't take the final corner and go between the cones. It's not just speed that we hold dear, it's handling, control and the ability to listen to directions. DNF (ie didn't make it around the corner through the cones to officially finish):

Ice Cream Man
White Lightning
Kymbo
Tun O' Fun

Go see the movie here. It's choice.

Race 11, Slow and Steady

2008-07-27T22:15:00.024+10:00

We like to mix things up a bit, you know? So in the penultimate race of the season we thought we might catch our breath on a slightly slower track. Still over a k' in length, but with a bit of a flat section in the middle. To be honest, some of the rockets didn't realise there was a slower spot in the middle and hurled themselves to the finish at break-neck speed anyway. But a few of us felt like we were going uphill...
We had some regulars jet-setting around the globe, but we made up for it with the debut of this cart (that I'm sure has a really cool name that someone will tell me, but for now let's call it the Ice Cream Man) that took the number of starters to 12. Ice Cream Man was quick but had a little trouble with steering that prevented it from running in the other heats. It must have looked pretty good from behind, because the Red Rocket tried to mount it. No injuries ensued, and the wheels were soon pointed in the right direction.
The Red Rocket was also lucky to escape unscathed from this close encounter with the Death Machine, who is not known for pulling punches. High-speed wheel-to-wheel racing is what the AIGRF is all about.
Team Death suffered a little from the flat middle section and weren't up the really pointy end of the field like they have been in the last couple of races. Death Ray saw a little footpath action and Death Machine pulled off some fancy moves for the camera, but both are still fast and determined to add something else to the winners trophy next race.
Agent Orange has had a major rethink, half because it was too slow, half because it wouldn't fit into the new trailer with Trouble Maker. All these problems have been addressed and the Agent finished with a top 10 finish on the driver's 31st birthday. It looks awesome too, and will be even better once the fibreglass body goes on. Check out these trick custom 3D flames!
Trouble Maker had a quite race (only going off-road once), probably because its pilot put so much time and effort into Agent Orange and Quicksilver.
Dogmatic lapped this one up and powered through to second place. Don't be fooled by the small diameter wheels, this puppy flies. He is also determined to make race 12 his, or at least beat Kymbo.
Ahh, Kymbo. This hill was built for this cart. What flat middle section?
This is how some of us want it to race next time. No wheels should even up the field a bit.
But it would still probably beat Quicksilver. The much talked about mods have finally happened. It has new wheels and new bearings all-round. It has dual rear disc brakes. It looks tough.
The rear-vision mirror was probably a bit optimistic. It still came last. But, the axle alignment issue that caused this is easily fixed, so watch it zoom up the ranking next race. Its hard-working crew will not be disappointed.
Trollywood finished higher in the order than a loaner-cart really should. The regulars who get beaten by it every month are starting to get disheartened.
Superkart 3000 continues to confound the other racers by actually making it to the bottom of the hill and doing it in a zippy manner, even though it requires major repairs every time and is now, quite literally, held together with string and I have no doubt, chewing gum.
Maybe the secret to its success is that it wasn't actually built, but that a Toyota Echo gave birth to it after a drunken liasion with a speedboat?
Bootylicious was without its usual pilot, but was steered ably by its builder, a man who obviously knows how to get the best out of it, to a strong 3rd place finish. Then, in a welcome change from some of the more up-tight residents we've found on other hills, a local commandeered it and was happily pushed up and down the street to get a taste of racing. We've made a friend and have no doubt she's busy in the shed building a cart so she can join us.
Official results:

Kymbo
Dogmatic
Bootylicious
Ice Cream Man
Red Rocket
Trollywood
Death Ray
Death Machine
Agent Orange
Superkart 3000
Trouble Maker
Quicksilver

Big thanks as usual to our mighty crew – driving, pushing, filming and stopping traffic. You rock.
Check the movie right now!