Bob Barnard Track Engineering

BPM became a one event company. After all the approaches after the F1 GP and the events of 1987, we were to be obsessed with the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, AMGP. The calls about other events stopped too, did others see us rival promoters now, or just too engaged on the AMGP and PI to be able to work on anything else? It was the downfall of BPM that when the AMGP stopped with Barfield, BPM stopped too, there having been no other cash flow to keep it going.

But that was all in the future, right now what mattered was securing the Holy Grail, our own grand prix. Di and I arrived back in Melbourne on Tuesday January 19^th and we went straight into discussions, Rod Wallbridge and Chris Hall having come over from Adelaide also to attend. We met the Camerons in the afternoon and basically set out a deal. I should explain that they consisted of Fergus, the young brother and the driven one, Donald, and their sister who was married to Ian. They each had their own farm on the island and also owned some nice other pieces. They were still trying to buy out their partners in Placetac, the company that owned the circuit property, but were not to be successful in this. Placetac was a partnership between the majority shareholder, Dr. Peter Henderson, an eminent eye surgeon, the Cameron family, and a Mr. Hill. In any event we agreed terms that we thought would be acceptable for the lease of the property. We had found a shelf company, Barfield, to be the vehicle that would hold the loan for the cost of upgrading the track and stage the GP as the means to repay it. Barfield would disperse the profit to BPM and the Camerons as equal shareholders and be basically a non-profit company. The Camerons would maintain and run the track on a day-to-day basis for a fee, and BPM would manage the GP and other major events, obviously also for a fee.

So we had a deal on the property provided the Camerons could obtain the lease, which seemed almost certain. Now we had to win the race. I should explain that in 1988 the FIM did things very differently to today. There was no company managing the commercial rights, and it all went through the Road Race Commission, CCR, of the FIM, headed by Luigi Brenni and with Joe Zegward as his Deputy. The FIM inspected circuits and we requested an inspection for Phillip Island although we knew it was not going to pass at this stage. It would at least let the FIM have a look at the layout and give us a list of things that had to be done to obtain a license. Joe was selected to do the inspection and we had to pay for his time and travel of course, but several other tracks took advantage of him coming so we split the cost. In Victoria both Sandown and Calder, Bob Jane’s track, how convenient, were to be inspected, and I think he went to Oran Park in Sydney.

Then the ACCA had to apply for a Grand Prix date, not the promoter. The FIM only dealt with their National bodies. That application had to be in before the February FIM meeting in Geneva the year prior to when the race was requested. The CCR voted on the applications and a provisional calendar was published. The race was only official after the October General Assembly meeting approved it. So you had a few chances to be approved and then not approved, as we found out with the ISDE. This went on each year, so there was no guarantee that even if we got a race in 1989 we would have it the next year. It was subject to the whim of the sixteen men sitting around that table, and the politics of who votes for whom. It is well to note here that not one of these men on the CCR has a dollar invested in the sport, but here they are making decisions that are life and death to some companies. They have spent their time in meetings and politicking to be elected. Not the best basis on which to launch a multi-million dollar upgrade as the man from Yugoslavia was to find out. This uncertainty haunted us whenever we tried to find a basis for funding this event. We felt comfortable that with Gardner, Magee, Doohan and Beatty all potential champions for years to come, and our confidence that Phillip Island would be a world class track, now proven to be correct, and our ability to stage an event such as they had never seen before, would ensure our continuity. As events have proved we were correct in that belief as the race has been held every year since.

To make matters worse the TV rights were sold by each promoter separately, so if Channel Nine wanted the whole season, as they obviously would, they had to talk to each race individually and bid for it. This led to the crazy situation in 1988 that SBS covered some races and Channel Nine others, not good for building an audience. 

Now we heard on the grapevine that John Thomson wanted to submit an application without nominating the track, I suspect so he could do a switch for his mate at Calder. I strongly suspected that would not be acceptable to the Road Race Commission, we needed to get our act together. So that Tuesday night we arranged with David White and Darryl Hiddle, the two Victorian Councilors, to meet with John and pressure him into a decision. We told John outright that if he went to the FIM without selecting us we were out. The ACCA procedures were as arcane as the FIM, and a vote at a regular meeting is usually required, but that meeting was not going to happen in time, so we convinced John to use their method for urgent business which was a “rotary letter.” ACU of Victoria would draft the letter to all the other State Councilors requesting the vote, and another letter nominating Phillip Island. That letter went out on the 21^st January supported by a letter from Mike Trimby of IRTA, the representative of the Grand Prix Teams.

The next day we went down to the Island with Robbie Phillis, one of top National riders, Bruce Newton from Motor Cycle News, MCN, and a representative from the ANZ Bank’s Cowes Branch, Cowes being the main town on the Island. We showed everyone around the circuit and explained our proposed improvements. We had a Melbourne draftsman draw up plans for what we proposed to take to Geneva if we were nominated. At this time, we estimated that we would spend around $2m on the track, mainly on the resurface, access tunnel, and pit building. From our experience we planned to use temporary facilities for everything else as no other event during the year could warrant permanent ones.

Thursday we met with our friends from Emoleum and decided to use two coats of asphalt over the existing spray seal pavement rather than go with a whole new pavement. Friday saw us talking to CAMS about reopening the track, and they said we can have everything except a Touring Car Round, they were running a closed shop on that at the time where you had to get all the other promoters within 200 kms to agree to you having a race, good luck with that.

Saturday we met the local MP who said he would approach the Deputy Premier for us, and we were trying to work out what we wanted from the Victorian Government. After my experience with Adelaide as little as possible was my view, but that was naïve as an event this size cannot help but be political. We decided we would not ask for money, but we would like an official invite from the Premier, John Cain, to the FIM, and a promise of support for the event in terms of police and other Government services. We put together a submission that we gave to Bob Hogg, the Premier’s adviser that laid out the anticipated economic benefits to the State, which were actually way lower than what was to eventuate. I also made it abundantly clear that most of the Grand Prix Teams were sponsored by tobacco companies, and that we would almost certainly have a beer sponsor for the race. I knew the Victorian Premier’s views on tobacco and wanted it out on the table from the start. On that basis Hogg obtained the letter we wanted from the Premier. We had already talked to VicTour and the Department of Sport, and the Police.

We got word on the 29^th that the Western Australian Government were interested in the GP and willing to put up a bunch of money, the Western Australian delegate was wavering, but the NSW delegate liked what we sent him, so he wasn’t just going to support his home State for the race. Monday 1^st February David White told us there were six votes for us and one against so far, looking good. Then Tuesday the shoe dropped. I went to Traralgon to meet Jim Coffey, the ANZ Bank Regional Manager who told me to go get the race, he would back us. The story was a bit different now we were actually asking, he needed security, ask the Government. Well as with all banks if I had the security I would not need the loan.  Down on the Island things were going OK with the lease agreement, so that was something.

Wednesday the third and John Thomson starts playing games as he is to do throughout this saga. The 7^th vote we need to clinch it is not yet in and John is going back to wanting the executive to meet rather than the letter vote. Finally at 8 pm the vital vote for us is in from Tasmania and the honorary secretary, Allan Wallis says he will push John to move now. Friday I talk with Ian Spangler from Sport and get the first indication on what is to come with tobacco. Ian tells me that sponsorship is not a problem, Victorian Health Promotion i.e. the anti-tobacco lobby, could provide the “total” sponsorship. In the meantime, my buddy John Kroeger is telling me that the Government is going to announce support for the GP to be at Sandown!

Meanwhile John T has called us to say Victoria has the vote and will ask ACUV which track, which will be PI of course. John is moving finally and wants to meet on the contract details, schedule for track work, and arrange a press conference for next week. Our Australian Minister for Tourism is offering to help with the Victorian Premier, and Tony Skelton is talking to PBL about marketing the race. Things are moving fast. We book the hotel in Geneva, and the Hyatt for the press conference in Melbourne. My friend Dr. David Vissenga, the Chief Medical Officer for the Adelaide Grand Prix, agrees to do the same for us at the Island so we can make sure we have the best medical services. Our not so friendly bank manager is making less positive noises though.

Wednesday 10^th we stage the ACUV press conference to announce the selection of Phillip Island for the bid. We fly to Sydney and meet with PBL who want us to make sure they have the bike GPs in ’88, price around $7-10,000 per race. We discuss the expected crowd and Tony thinks 60,000 at a ticket price half of the car GP, and they suggest an all-inclusive marketing deal for 35% of the revenue. We did not finalize a deal, but we did get a letter from Channel Nine that they would cover the race as it was part of our responsibility to provide a broadcast signal free of charge.                

The next few days saw a lot of radio and print interviews about our plans, and people were even talking to us about producing the program, amazing what a big event will attract rather than have to go to them. We had more discussions to agree a contract basis with the ACCA which largely focused on two areas. We were concerned that the ACCA was run without a permanent office and staff, Alan Wallis being an honorary Secretary, and as good as Alan was, we needed someone available to talk to the FIM as we could not do it directly. So we offered a fee to establish an office and a staff. Secondly, I knew our success would depend upon young Australian riders having an opportunity to develop and to win GP’s, so we promised to support a rider each year to race at the Oz GP and go to Europe. Now this may sound all self-serving, and it was, but it would help the sport, and I knew what we were going to do for the sport would be worth immeasurably more. I’m sure that once John and the boys saw the results they believed that we should be paying them more, but they did not have to risk a dime to put this on.

Sunday saw the track inspection by Joe Zegward. He went to Sandown and Calder in the morning and came down to the Island mid-afternoon. Now Gardner and the Honda team had been testing at Calder, who knows why there, except we were not open yet. Anyway, they had Sunday off so the Michelin tire guys decided to drive down to look at PI as they had heard about our bid for a GP. Three very Gallic gentlemen drive in while we are waiting for Joe, and ask if they can drive around for a look. Of course, go ahead, and after a couple of trips they stop next to us and get out. “This is a very fast track” they say, “have the FIM seen this track?” No, I say, we are waiting for the inspector now. “They are very old men at the FIM.” Nothing more said, get in the car and drive away. Message understood, the FIM will never agree to this track, it is too fast!

There was a cast of thousands at the inspection when Joe finally arrived. John Thomson, David White, Alan Wallis, Wig Willoughby, Arthur Blizzard from NSW, Barry Smith, and Rod Troutbeck from CAMS. It seems the FIM were not such old men as Joe’s only suggestions apart from the obvious was to move pit entry to before the last corner and the start line back to the flat section on pit straight. During the inspection Bob Jane’s helicopter flew around, which annoyed Joe no end, one up to us. We all had dinner and Joe went off to look at Oran Park in Sydney which was to host a World Superbike race.  

First test passed I think. There were many more to come. Fergus was asking for proof of financial ability to do the upgrades to the track for the lease negotiations and I’m sure that came from Dr. Henderson, he was paranoid about us tearing up the concrete pieces and not be able to put them back. He was afraid he would be left without a race track, but what he did not realize was he did not have one now. Anyway we did not feel inclined to give them that, and beside we had wrongly expected the Camerons to put their land up as collateral. The ACCA also wanted a schedule for the upgrades so they could monitor progress, and some guarantees. Everyone wanted us to guarantee everything so we were the only ones taking a risk. It is a good job we did as this would never have happened. That is why PI had sat there so long as a sheep farm.

Tuesday 16^th and David White mentions the “A” word for the first time, Isaac Apel, a lawyer that Sport and Recreation have recommended to John Thomson to work on the contract. Remember, we do not even have a race yet and they are lining up to screw us, as David puts it. I’m sure Mr. Apel was working in the best interests of his client as he saw it, but approached his work with the opinion we must be a bunch of crooks from what I saw. He obviously thought someone else promoting the GP would be better for his client. Anyway John agreed to the draft contract and proposed a meeting with Apel to draw up a letter of intent to be in place if the FIM granted Australia a race. The next day we hear from Don Powney at Sport and Rec that John is still paying games, but John finally tells Bob Hogg that PI has been selected.

Thursday we still do not have anything from Apel, but we are arranging for Honda to lend us Wayne Gardner’s Championship winning bike for a Bicentennial Parade down Cowes Main Street at the invitation of the Island Council. It was totally wild to be allowed to just drive out of Honda’s Melbourne Headquarters with this priceless bike, and the float was a huge success. Everyone on the Island had GP Fever, if only it had lasted. Friday I was up in Bundaberg meeting with the Federal Member of Parliament about resort sites and possible funding for a 4000 acre beachfront parcel south of town. Back in Melbourne our solicitor was trying to get Apel to produce something, even a “Heads of Agreement” before we left for Geneva. Planes were booked for us and David White, with John prophetically going his own way. The Australian Consul was arranging a cocktail party on the Friday evening in Geneva to support the bid and the revised video and presentation package had been finalized.

Sunday 21^st and John Thomson is promising to give me the letter of intent when we get to Geneva, nice one John. SBS is talking to me about TV for this year and for the GP. Amazing, usually you have to beg to get TV interested. Monday we fly to Sydney with the latest plans, tapes, proposals, and Tuesday 23^rd we flew to Geneva. True to his word John gives me a letter confirming that the ACCA had agreed to contract with us should the FIM grant us a GP, but left the door open for changes to the agreement as it had to be ratified by the full Council, and the solicitors for the Council, interesting that last line. Who is working for who here? It also asks us to prepare a submission to the FIM when we had already left, fortunately with the submission.

We met up with John and David on the Friday, and Colin Young had arrived the day before. We had brief meetings with Mr. Brenni and Joe Zegward at the hotel and the reception was that evening where we showed the video we were to present to the Road Race Commission, CCR, the next day. The actual vote was on Sunday, a nervous time. The Members each produce a list of the tracks they are voting for out of all the applicants and the Secretary reads them out one by one, so you are trying to keep count as they go. We are allowed to watch, but other than the presentation, not speak. The vote is in, we have a Grand Prix! Poor old Yugoslavia is lying on the conference table crying and slashing his wrists, “but I did all the work you asked me to do on the circuit, and now I do not have a race!” We wanted to dance around the room, but had to keep some decorum.

We meet with Mr. Brenni after to go over the plans and he wishes us well. He is a Swiss Engineer so I think he empathized with us and loved the circuit. He was not well and was to be replaced by Joe Zegward, which was not a good move for us. We met Steve McLaughlin who wanted to talk about moving the World Superbike round to PI in ’89, but we told him to see us later. We went off to celebrate with very expensive champagne at the Hilton with Paul Butler of Kenny Roberts Team and IRTA who wanted to book the track for testing and could we find them a good hotel. We were on the way.

Monday Di and I went off to London for a couple of days R&R. Noel and Chris Hall went over to Melbourne from Adelaide where Noel met with the Victorian Economic Development people who declined any support or guarantees, so off to see the ANZ again. John Thomson flew straight home and was trying to get Sport and Rec to put on a press conference, presumably before we were back. The head of ABC Sport called me in the middle of the night in London to tell me they wanted the TV rights so do not sell them until we talk to them. Again amazing, if you go for the biggest risk then they will come to you. Tuesday I met with Andrew Marriott from CSS about a proposal for marketing the Grand Prix. David White went off to Rugby and we had drinks with the Victorian Agent General in London, a good day all round. I tried talking to Bernie about the GP while I was there, but only got as far as Herbie Blasch and promised to send him information. Thursday we met the Victorian Tourist people about packages to the GP, and did an interview with Mike Doodson. Friday I caught up with my brother Tony, and Sunday headed home.

Back in Melbourne the assault started. Don Breedon started making noises about me not designing Adelaide, and other circuits were making noises about the lack of accommodation on the Island. We arranged an office in St Kilda Road for the GP thinking that most people would not want to drive the two hours down to the Island, but closed it after six months as everyone wanted to go see the track and “kick the dirt.” These were in a suite rented by the Camerons lawyer, Peter Rawlings who was working on the lease documents and also with Apel on the ACCA contract. This was probably a mistake to use Peter, but relations with the Camerons were good in those early days.

Our draftsman, Geoff Lannigan, was organizing final survey of the track and drawings to follow. We started booking toilets and talking to potential sponsors. Fergus said Henderson was OK with starting work on site. Winter was coming and we had to have a track to inspect six months prior to the race, so September. We had selected a local earthmover, Peter Blomb, to do the work on the track, and had a “spun on site” tunnel, large enough for haulers to go through one way, purchased from a Humes subsidiary. This was around 5 meters in diameter and “spun” from strips of metal into about twenty-foot lengths and stored ready to go in.

We meet with Fergus and their accountant, Mike Cusack, about an “unsupported” guarantee by the Cameron family. Whatever that means? That meant renegotiating the roles of BPM and them, but I do not see what difference that really made. Thursday we started in earnest, set out the new pit entry and located where the entry tunnel was going to go. We removed the guard rail and drained the dam at Turn one, but Fergus was still trying to get Henderson’s Ok to start moving dirt and to open up the bad sections of the track to see what needed to be done to fix.

The concerns about access to the Island started with the Road Traffic Authority, RTA, and we met with the Dept. of Sport to bring them up to date on progress and agreed that they would be our point of contact for the other Govt. Departments. We followed that with a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with the ACCA and their lawyer which seemed to go well. Mr. Apel was to produce another draft, and John Thomson is already looking to increase the fees after year five.

Wednesday 16^th we met Emoleum on site and they agreed to put an on-site plant for the top layer of asphalt to ensure the quality of the surface which would be the same mix as we used on Dequetteville Terrace the second year of the Adelaide GP. The first equipment arrived on site to start earthworks which would be approved by Henderson tomorrow. Thursday arrives and we start earthworks, meet the local airport operator, and tell Apel enough was enough as far as fees go. A big day.

We had set up shop in an office in the old control tower. This was a real control tower from Fishermans Bend airport in Melbourne and had been taken to pieces by the club and moved to the Island after the airport closed. It was in a bad way, infested by starlings, and clad with asbestos sheet, but the steel frame was great and would be moved and rebuilt to suit the new start/finish. It was not only cheaper, but historic, as was the whole Island with its long history with racing both cars and motorcycles. I could see that being a great marketing opportunity. When asked about why Phillip Island, there is only a two-lane bridge, I answer that the Isle of Man is the most famous motorcycle race, and that has no bridge at all.

We were attracting a lot of political attention with the Deputy Leader of the Opposition calling Donald Cameron for an update, and David White is reporting a strong groundswell of support in the sport. Damien Codognotto who is very active in the local motorcycle community calls to offer his assistance and a meeting with the Metropolitan Transport Commission. Monday 21^st the sheep finally leave. The EPA arrive the next day with Don Powney from Dept. Sport, the Island Council Planners, Joshi and Pirout, who pointed out that the track predated the Planning Act, and were mainly interested in what we were doing around the track with signage and barrier walls. No one mentions noise restrictions or problems with planning and zoning.

One of the key things for me was to open up the track so spectators could walk all the way around without having to double back at a dead end as existed now. So we applied for and received approval to clear some of the small trees and bushes around the circuit and in key run off areas, and built paths over the top of the dams that ringed the bottom end of the track above the cliff. The Lukey family still owned the land on the west side of the track, including the museum, and would not let us move the perimeter fence back at a bad pinch point inside Turn one, but we managed to squeeze a narrow walk way through anyway.   

Thursday 24^th March and Channel Nine/PBL Marketing come to PI in the form of Jim Fitzmaurice and my old pal Tony Skelton, who proceeds to take photos leaning out of the car window as we drive through Cowes. When I ask him why he says, “so I can show people how much glass there was before the motorcyclists turned up.” Nice one Tony. Unfortunately he was not alone in that view of the event. There would be a “riot” at the Bathurst motorcycle races this year that we felt, and research proved, was caused by the NSW Police attitude and actions, and made sure that we talked to the Victorian Police early about planning for the event. Now in Victoria you had to pay for Police presence, so we told them we would handle security on site, you look after the traffic. They were excellent, Brendon Bannon especially, and this cooperation made all the difference to the success of the event from this point of view.

Anyway Jim and Tony say they are here to do a deal for Channel Nine TV coverage tied to marketing by PBL on a different basis than originally offered. Basically it would be a flat fee with a % kicking in over an agreed amount. The problem was that fee increased the more successful we were, so in the end we felt we were working for PBL, but you could argue the support they and Channel Nine gave us earned that money. Channel Seven was also sniffing around, but we knew these guys and what they could do, so we agreed to agree. Colin had talked to Melbourne brewer Fosters about sponsorship, and they said they were interested but tell us when the TV deal is done. I should point out here that by now Kerry packer had “sold” Channel Nine to Allan Bond, who owned Bond Brewing out of Perth.

Meantime Peter Russell and Christine were down on the Island. Christine started to talk to the local hotels, such as there was, and asking everyone to let us control the bookings as they were all going to be full anyway, and that way we could be sure the teams, officials, press and workers were at least accommodated. There were very few hotel beds, but the saving of us was the holiday homes on the island which could all be rented and we worked with a local agent to fill these. Christine did an amazing job with this and rental cars, and almost anything else the teams needed, which seemed to change by the minute right up to the event.

The one thing that does not seem to be moving is the ACCA contract, and oh yes, the money to do this. So far BPM is using the money earned from Sanctuary Cove to start this off while we still try and negotiate a deal with the ANZ. John Thomson promises to chase up Apel. We do not have the luxury of time to wait on either.

 Humes have started making the tunnel sections and Blomb’s boys are moving dirt widening the track out to forty feet. Drainage pipes are going in at Turn One and the dam is being filled with excess dirt. We have demolished the concrete water tanks at Turn Two, Southern Loop, the bull pens’ at the last turn and realigned the Honda Corner, Turn Four, and MG. Turn Four went up to the dam wall before turning and not only was there no run off but the water leaking under the dam caused the track to break up, so I shortened it, tightened it, and realigned the connection to Siberia. This I did with Peter Blomb on the grader setting it out in the field. MG was so steep and so tight Warren Willing had warned me that the 500’s would have no clutch left if it stayed that way.  I had experience with bottoming out the Elfin at that corner, so we raised it and eased the radius at the same time.

It is now the end of March, and the noise issue raises its head, but nothing specific. We meet with the Police, Transport, Tourism, and it all goes well. We outline our program for the event with the main 500 race as the middle of the three races and a concert to spread out the traffic leaving the site. We discuss ferries which are now deregulated so we can use private boats to work between Cowes and the mainland where there is a train terminus. Peter Blomb has started placing crushed rock in the widening strips and has moved a lot of dirt. We ask Henderson if we can remove the concrete patches and are refused. Noel, Rod Wallbridge, Fergus, Mike Cusack, and I go to Traralgon to meet with Jim Coffey, the ANZ Bank man, who is also the Camerons banker. We present the loan application and Jim says that looks OK and we should know in three weeks.

David Austin from Fosters comes to see us, as do Hartwell Motorcycle Club who wants the first race meeting this October. Jim Fitzmaurice has faxed the heads of agreement for the marketing and TV for the event, and Colin still has Channel 7 interested, but Noel and I want PBL and Nine, so meet with them as a courtesy. Colin having worked for 7 naturally wants them to have the TV. Colin and Chris Hall have just returned from the Japanese Grand Prix and report a good reaction to the news about Australia and PI. The rain has held off so far and work is going well. We finally receive Apel’s redraft of the ACCA contract and we have no major problems with it, but one of the clauses he slipped in about assigning the rights in future would turn around and bite us, but who ever thought about selling the rights?

I drive up to Bathurst for the Motorcycle races and brief the ACU NSW Councilors, the press, and riders on progress. Ken Potter from Marlboro tells me he has approval for money for next year’s GP. The news gets even better when I return to Melbourne as I meet with David Austin again and tell him it will be either 7 or 9 covering the race and we agree a number starting at $1m would be the naming rights sponsorship value. This is better than we expected and just maybe we should have taken it.

April 6 and Joshi tells us the tree removal request has gone to the Regional Planning Office, these guys are really helping, and Don Powney calls to tell me everything progressing well from their end and that there was no news from the EPA. Good news? But we did receive a signed copy of the PBL deal, we were in business.  We arranged for me to do an interview on Wide World of Sport on Saturday. We still did not have an offer from Channel 7 so we called them and the ABC to tell them the news about Channel 9. We also informed John Thomson and David White of the good news, and Ian Spengler of the Dept. of Sport, who told us the EPA did not have a problem with the GP. Oh good, that was nice to know, but there was no comment on the rest of the year. David White came down to the Island and we started to discuss officials we would need, especially the Clerk of Course who would need and FIM license. We chose Ross Martin who had less experience than some but a better attitude and he suited me just fine.

Christine was working on trying to solve the hotel problem by talking to cruise lines to be moored at Cowes, but nothing ever came of this after a lot of talking. Kawasaki booked a corporate stand, our first although we have had a few other enquiries.

Henderson is playing hard ball on the concrete and wants a personal guarantee from Fergus, a bond for the cost of rebuilding which seems to double up on the guarantee, and the quotes from Blomb and Emoleum for repaving. Emoleum were scheduled to start paving in May, so this was becoming a serious delay.

We started laying out the stands with our friends from ASS. Now stands are both good and bad. They allow more people to see and we can charge more for the seat than just general admission, but it costs us to have them put up, and if we do not sell them then we lose that money. We anticipate a similar crowd to the F1 GP, but totally misunderstood the motorcycle audience, which Tony Skelton was to describe as the most knowledgeable he had ever dealt with. If they bought a seat it was because they had a specific angle they were trying to see, and would request a change of seat if not quite correct. They also were not very interested in watching the pits, unlike most motor racing on four wheels, and would actually prefer to walk around to look from different vantage points, so at least I got that piece correct. The bottom line was we put too many seats in, and not all the right place. The first event is a learning curve, as long as you get the chance to build on it.

Bill O’Gorman of the Adelaide GP fame raised his head again as he was now working with CSS, and we met with Bill and Andrew Marriott to discuss possible areas we could collaborate on now we had gone with PBL on the marketing. Andrew was to run the media center for us and MC the winners’ rostrum and press conferences, and very well he did it too. In Sydney on the 14^th to give a talk to IBM, and then meet the PBL team the next day to start planning for the event. It seems Mal had been sounding off to them that we were broke, not far from the truth, and the Victorian Government did not want the race on PI, which was partly true as we knew that was Tourism’s opinion. All our team was there for the meeting, and I formalized a deal with Colin Young to work for us on the event for a % of gross revenue, to replace the retainer he had been getting of $1000 a week. That was all I was paying myself which was less than everyone else was getting, my reward would come in the value of BPM, or so I thought.

Reading my diary, I realize that I have not been fair to Tony Cochrane. I thought he had not approached us about other opportunities, but I have a note about promoting the Harlem Globetrotters next tour. No mention of Sinatra though, and I left Noel to talk to Tony.

Back on site and Peter Blomb has started to dig the large trench across the main straight to install the tunnel. Strangely Henderson does not seem concerned by this.

This is followed by the craziest plane flight I ever did. We were members of the Road Race Owners and Promoters Assn, ROPA, and there was a meeting arranged in Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, to discuss the sale of TV rights and Colin and I had to be there to protect our interests, but could not afford the time to leave early and stay overnight, so we took the QANTAS flight to London and booked the same flight later that day to return. The booking clerk thought there had to be a mistake, but that was right. We went first class as the only way to do this, expensive and before we had the QANTAS sponsorship, but we felt it necessary, we had just done a deal with Channel 9 after all. Of course, the flight into London was late, we missed the connection to Amsterdam and arrived as the meeting was ending! Still, we met with the President of ROPA and got to hear what was going on, which was still all the circuits selling their own.

When I returned we had at last had the approval to knock down the trees, and John Thomson was taking the final contract to Adelaide for the annual ACCA conference. The signed copy is April 23^rd, we had been working two months on an “agreement.” David Austin was now waiting on a proposal on the naming rights from us, which would be PBL. Blomb was working on the pit building pad and track work was going OK, but we still had concrete patches.

A sad occasion interrupted us. John Commerford had passed away suddenly and we attended his funeral. The business was to continue and is still providing seats around Australia and around the world. Equally sad was the news that ANZ had said no. We met with Fergus and Mike Cusack that evening to discuss our options with potentially ESANDA being one, or else going back to Jim Coffey and asking him for the maximum he could approve, just over $1m, and manage the rest from cash flow. Not the best option, but the only one by now. We were absolutely convinced that the event was going to be a success and that we only needed to show the banks that and we would be OK.

More bad news followed when we met with the EPA. They wanted an assessment of noise levels for other than the GP, and said they intended adopting the NSW guidelines. Finally some good news, the ANZ Traralgon will lend up to $850,000 which will get us through the next three months. Honda also called and said they wanted to help and would be down next week.

Peter Russell had been busy designing the pit building and now had the tender documents ready to go, and the tunnel was just about excavated. So started May with a meeting in Melbourne with PBL and Mojo re the event logo, poster, and sponsors. Mojo pulled the usual trick of only showing us two logos, one of which was awful and they knew we would pick the one they liked. Lunchtime we had our monthly meeting with the Victorian Government Departments at which we started talking about promotions in the City during GP week, and a Civic Reception on the Wednesday evening. 5^th May we started to place the tunnel and by the 9^th it was all in and backfill well underway. Peter Blomb was having a problem with Humes over the backfill and they were threatening not to warranty the tunnel unless he sued some ridiculous amount of crushed rock around it. I wrote a very rude letter to them and got a very nice reply that basically said” Oh Bob, it is you, sorry we had not realized, we thought it was just some idiot promoter.” Problem solved.

 I had gone home to Adelaide for the weekend and we had a meeting of BPM before returning to discuss a possible round of the World Superbike. When I got back to the Island I found that Emoleum were getting cold feet, they wanted a letter from the bank guaranteeing the funds before they would start. To make life better I had Don Breedon talking to The Bulletin and threatening court action over the Adelaide track design. I directed The Bulletin to CAMS, Public Works, and Doug Kneebone to get the true story. I still have the plans that went to the FIA for approval, and they are Macmahon/PPK, not Don Breedon.

Tuesday 10^th and our “partners” the Camerons are backing off further from providing any funding, but want to retain equity. We continue to search for other equity partners or sources of funding.   Honda came up with a deal to take the naming rights of Turn Four, hence Honda Corner, with a billboard for three years and they paid us it all up front, about $250,000 which really helped. This would compare very badly to what pittance Honda USA would offer for Kenny’s GP at Laguna Seca later. We were laying a new water main into the property and would add to the power available, but sewer was too far away and the main not large enough when we got there, so we would have to rely on Rex Monahan’s pump outs.

The ACCA Management meeting was held at the Island on the 13^th and they were impressed by what they saw. We finalized the program for the meeting and the officials.  I would bring in the pit lane crew from the Adelaide F1 race as the motorcycles rarely had to deal with that. We also discussed races prior to the GP to shake down the arrangements. I moved into the house on this day and yes it was a Friday. We finally received permission to tear the concrete out at Turn 10, MG, on the basis it would be replaced immediately. The track had a bad seepage problem here, which was why the concrete had been used, so we had to over-excavate and replace and install some drainage, but it went back OK to the revised profile. Peter Blomb gave us his second progress claim for the month of April which Fergus paid, so the Camerons were putting some money in.

The 17^th and Tony Skelton tells me he is working on a major sponsorship, and also talking to QANTAS, JAL, Marlboro, and Honda. We had Ansett Air Freight call about sponsoring a support race, so the news was not all bad. The bids were in for the pit building and a local builder, Wal Purvis, was selected and would start the end of May and take 15 weeks. Our buddy Rex Monahan was not only providing toilets but arranging a supply of old tires for us. I knew we could not afford to install guard rail or a concrete wall as the barrier, except in special situations, and had designed the run off to be excavated to provide an earth bank of the required height. We would use tires to form the usual tire barriers, but also to act as a retaining wall, which was an accepted design. Rex would supply over 20,000 tires. Warren Willing came down to inspect the track and was very happy with it. We discussed the need for an Australian GP Team, as we would many times later, but could never pull it together. The Emoleum asphalt plant also arrived on site, so we were one step closer. We finalized ticket and corporate prices with PBL, including suites on pit roof using aluminium frame tents bolted down to the concrete slab roof that Peter had designed for live load, i.e. people standing and watching. We had our usual fight with the fire authorities about fire rating on the pit building, but won out OK.

The end of May sees the tunnel in and covered, and the arrangements started with Michael O’Berg from Sanctuary Cove concert to put it together with Jimmy Barnes as the main act. This was to be the Saturday evening concert with the Sunday concert with lesser acts just to hold some of the crowd. We restricted ticket sales to GP ticket holders as we did not want more traffic problems, and we wanted to hold people at the track and campsites rather than try and get a drink at the only pub on the Island in Cowes. The campsites were being put together by entrepreneurs who had done deals with the surrounding farmers to set up properly furnished grounds with showers and toilets, food, entertainment, and beer. The last thing we all wanted was 50,000 drunken fans wandering around the Island Saturday evening. The camp sites did well, and we were very grateful to have them as we had enough to do and they were solving the accommodation problem for us. Among the organizers were Damien Codognotto, and Lew Martin of photography fame. Between the camp sites and our parking, the local farmers were to do very nicely out of us, and led to the “Woodstock” of GP’s tag for 1989 that is still used today.

We were getting heavy rain as winter set in, and the soil on the Island is very poor being volcanic in origin. Construction was to suffer, but we battled our way through it and Emoleum started to set up the asphalt plant, and it looked like we were obtaining a loan to cover that cost. The ticket sales were scheduled for 9^th August, with our TV ad going to air the week prior, and what a great ad it was. PBL also said they were progressing well with the naming rights. 

 We started discussions on the transport arrangements for the bikes to and from the event, which is how I got to know Lee Moselle from Laguna Seca. Japan was the race preceding ours by two weeks, and they would cover the cost from Europe to Japan, and Japan to Australia, and we would pay for Australia to the US, and Lee from the US to Europe. We were both glad to have Japan on board. The problem for Lee and I was that the US date was only one week after ours, but it seemed OK as they would gain a day going over the date line. Famous last words. I had brought in my buddy from Adelaide, Bill Gibson, to arrange the handling of the freight and customs from our inbound airport, and the forwarding to the US. This was a great choice not only because Bill and his sons are the best in the business, but we were to have some of the best times during this whole saga when we went overseas to races.

June started with good and bad news. Humes wanted to be paid for their tunnel, not unreasonably, seeing as how it was now in the ground, but Sandringham M/C Club approached us about staging the Swann Insurance Round at the Island in December, which was an International race and would be the perfect shakedown for us and the officials. John Smailes also called to book the track for a Toyota event in October. No problem, track will be paved well before then, won’t it? Michelin booked track time in the New Year for testing, and wanted a presence at the event, all good news. Finance was still a problem as the anticipated funds did not appear, but still, the pit building finally started. Something else to pay for. Temperature and weather were now becoming a major issue for paving, and time was critical. Emoleum were making noises about taking the plant away and we were struggling to find a way to make them comfortable about being paid but Henderson finally gave the OK to pull out the remaining concrete patches.

The whole TV arrangement became confused about this point after Colin was at the Austrian GP to shoot footage for the TV ad. Trimby from IRTA not happy about some of the things he heard, presumably from Colin and had to placate him. The good news was that Channel Nine aired their first motorcycle GP and Gardner won! Motomedia was somehow going to be involved with TV rights in future, but there was not enough detail on how that was going to work for us to offer an opinion. Our deal with PBL/Channel 9 involved them having the rights to our race, which seems to have been the problem, and would be almost to the time of the race. Life was getting more complicated, if that were possible. We had started discussion with the ACCA about assigning our contract as BPM with them to Barfield. John Thomson saw no problem, but of course our friend Mr. Apel would find lots of problems with it a year later.

At last some really good news. PBL had a deal from Swan Brewery, Bond’s Brewery, for three years at $1.5m a year. What a surprise. Fosters had come in with a sliding scale of sponsorship staring at around $1m, but we needed the cash now, and it would keep it all in the “family.” I wonder what would have been the outcome if we had gone with Fosters and used their muscle with the Victorian Government, but I guess we will never know. I do know they were very unhappy, and later in the pit lane in Adelaide I walked up to Peter Bartels, CEO of Carlton Brewing, who as talking to Alan Jones, by now pit lane reporter for Channel 9, and Peter laid into me about us making a very big mistake etc. etc. Poor Alan did not know what he had witnessed and took a few steps back, and I beat a hasty retreat. Not a good enemy to have had I think.

Part of the deal with Swan was a big up-front payment of about $250,000, money we needed badly, but it would not be released until the revised logo and other advertising matters were resolved, and have you tried getting a committee to agree on the design of a logo? This was a frustrating time. Emoleum actually started asphalting some patches in the track, but Swan continued to want to go over little details such as what happens if the FIM take the race away, and who do we invite to the announcement? We did get a check from Honda though for their three-year deal, which included them supplying cars and motorcycles for the event. PBL complained that they had an “exclusive” deal on selling such things, but we were in no mood for this and told them “exclusive” did not mean we could not sell what were our own rights.

We were into sorting out the catering arrangements for the crowd and the corporate and saying no to the logo again much to the annoyance of PBL, but we liked the poster. Friday 8^th and Swan turn up at the track with Tony Skelton. Tony Sernack was the Swan head guy for the GP and told PBL in no uncertain terms to pull their finger out and give him some good assortment of logos to look at and he wanted the deal done next week in Sydney, so did we! He wanted the launch to be in Melbourne and not Sydney, which made sense, why not rub Fosters nose in it. Bond Brewing owned the “Young and Jacksons” Hotel right in the heart of Melbourne and wanted it there. I took them around the track, which still had work going on to fix the patches were the concrete had come out, and we looked at potential signage sites and where to put their hospitality. When we had completed a slow lap with lots of stops they asked if we could do a lap quicker. Silly people, of course we could, this was the Brock. About half way around a very fast lap I noticed Tony Skelton who had heart problems hanging on for grim death, and Tony Sernack saying “I did not mean quite this fast.”

We were also planning what to do with the control tower. We had a new concrete base constructed, and stripped all the cladding off it and cleaned out the starlings, what a mess. The only way to move it without taking it to piece was to use two cranes and pick it up and walk it up the track, something that made me very nervous given the state of the track, the wet weather, and the lightness of the pavement. It went OK though after some “trimming” of the front veranda with a chain saw to balance the structure out, and some deep breaths while the cranes moved and set up. This tower was to be rebuilt for about $60,000 and although a bit small it worked and was a lot cheaper than the half million the Eastern Creek tower was to cost!

July 12^th and I am Sydney with PBL and Swan to finally agree a logo and sign the contract, which we did at 5pm that afternoon as far as the logo was concerned, but they would string out the contract longer, now asking for FIM approval for them to have the naming rights. What else are they going to want? While in Sydney I met with QANTAS about shipping the freight and the people, but they were having trouble grasping the size of this event.  

Peter Russell and I started discussing our options for installing over track signage structures. Part of the Swan package is one at the start line and one other structure, and we want others for the support race sponsors as well, but we have a wide track and it is not easy to build these given the wind in the area coming off the ocean. These would be a big issue for My Joshi and the planners. We could not leave them up as they were visible from outside the track, yes even from the ocean. We managed to get the start/finish to be permanent as it had the start lights on it. So much for the support from the Island. The only actual other signage that could stay up were a couple of signs that already existed that faced the main road.

Swan finally signed the contract on July 18^th and we signed it the next day. The deal was done in BPM’s name as we were the signatory to the ACCA contract which had yet to be assigned to Barfield, which made the Camerons very unhappy. At the same time, we were actually working on developing a small hotel in the paddock above Turn One. We received planning permission very easily, much easier than the poor guy with the ice cream cart who was before us in the meeting. We had started discussions with operators, but all this came to nothing after the fall out with the Camerons. It is interesting that the new owners of the track are now planning to do what we had in mind for the track twenty years ago. We did agree a lease for the Lukey Museum though and worked to find better exhibits for it, including Gregg Hansford’s Kawasaki. Greg was a great guy and a real help to us during this time, how sad he was to die at the Island in a saloon car race.

On the 18^th Emoleum removed the plant from site as they needed it for another project, but a week later informed us it would be back on September 1^st. This is cutting things fine.

More bad news, the State Bank refused us a loan, and John Thomson called to tell us Adrian Veys, the track inspector would be here the last two weeks of September. Then on the 22^nd the ANZ finally agreed to a $150,000 overdraft facility and a $500,000 loan facility. We also moved on an idea to bring in minor shareholders for $50,000 packages, and had a meeting with interested parties on the 26^th. We had met with the Department of Immigration about smoothing the way for the entrants to obtain a visa to Australia, not always the easiest thing to do as my wife Xan found out.

We were still trying to get the ACCA to approve the assignment of the contract to Barfield, and this would go on through August with their solicitors, aka Apel, conducting company searches and requiring all kinds of assurances and agreements that Barfield will perform as well as the know BPM would have. In the end Apel still disputed it had been done, as you will see later.   

Thursday 28^th we launch the Swan sponsorship in Chloe’s bar on the first floor of Young and Jacksons. Honda lend us Gardner’s bike again, and somehow Bill Crouch manhandles it up a small twisting staircase on his own as there is no room for anyone else to get beside him. The bike is vertical as it goes up the stairs, the only way up. There is a great video to the sound of Jimmy Barnes’ “Driving Wheels” and the launch goes great. The next day Di and I, Christine, Colin, and Dr. David Vissenga left for England and the British Grand Prix at Donnington.

This was a promotional tour for the race with the teams, giving them information and discussing their travel and accommodation needs. We were outfitted by David Eckart from Goodsports, an Adelaide company that specialized in team and event merchandise and wanted to sell at our GP obviously. David made shirts and jackets with our logo so we looked professional and people would know who we were, and we all wore them except Colin Young. That told a story right there. We also went to see how one of the best grand prix operated and learned a lot from it, and earned some respect and goodwill with the teams because I do not think anyone had done this before.

We met with Mike Trimby from IRTA and sorted out some details for the event timetable, and agreed the freight for adding the 125cc class to the event. We talked through using QANTAS and that the teams would all book their own tickets rather than us getting in the middle of that with QANTAS nominating agents around Europe. We met with Jaap Timmer from ROPA and sorted out the Channel 9 deal and Motomedia in which Bernie was involved. We met with Bernie on the way home and showed him the circuit, discussed Motomedia and the possibility of staging a World Sportscar round at some stage. He also passed on the Mal had been badmouthing us to him, but said he was not listening. I also met with Wayne Gardner’s manager, Harris Barnett about Wayne possibly being involved through a shareholding, which did not eventuate, but also doing some promotion for us which he did do, and for Swan and their beer commercials. Very dapper he looked too.

On the way back I stopped off in Singapore and met with Pico Exhibits who were involved in events throughout Asia, and were interested in pursuing the Singapore F1 GP again. Andrew Marriott and CSS had arranged the meeting and were involved in a bid to construct a track, but again nothing eventuated.

When I arrived home, I found all was not well on that front. Noel was not happy about the relationship between his wife Christine and Fergus Cameron, a widower, or presumed so. We had learned by now that Fergus was involved with another woman, unbelievably named Beth Barnard, no relation, who had been found murdered in September 1986, and his wife had disappeared that same night. The details are in the book, “Phillip Island Murder” by Vikki Petraitis, and were later the subject of TV documentary. We were in business with someone who potentially was a murderer. This “relationship” was to become a serious problem and Board meetings with them present a real joy. Noel would wait outside a restaurant where they were dining, and when they came out drive his car into theirs. Things were coming to a head. He and Fergus had a sort out at the house one night and Noel taped it, unbeknownst to Fergus, and played it back to me. At one point Fergus threatened to tell him something that would blow this whole thing wide open, and I’m sure it was about my previous relationship with Christine. He never did use that information though I am sure Christine had told him. I never understood what Christine saw in Fergus. It was totally against everything she had seemed or wanted. The farmhouse was far from a palace, Fergus had two sons, and I never saw her as a farmer’s wife, but they are still together so it was for real. Christine carried on her work with us and the event, and assured me that she was still loyal as far as the business went, and perhaps foolishly I believed her. I did hold my breath at times though.

On a better note the ACCA were happy with progress and the potential finished product, little did they know how close to the wind we were sailing. We met with the Island newspaper and agreed on a special daily edition during the event, which was a great hit. I saw recently that Red Bull claimed that they had started this for F1, but it was done at our event long before. The Phillip Island Council set up a committee, don’t they always, to “coordinate” the grand prix. Then on the 24^th we launched ticket sales with a promotion in Melbourne in Burke Street Mall. At last some real cash flow, ticket sales topped $750,000 by 11 am, but we did what a promoter should not, and started spending it on the capital works. I should add some detail here about how tickets were sold in Australia. You could sell your own like we did for Sanctuary Cove, but it was more usual to use an agency like BASS or Ticketek. Ticketek was a Sydney based organization, part of the Packer group, but BASS was a Government owned agency in Victoria. So the Government had their hands in the pie again and could control our cash flow, or stop it all together. In 1989 the State Treasurer guaranteed BASS against us defaulting on the event, which was their fear after a few promoters had done it, so we were being released the money on a weekly basis.

Our first non-race use of the circuit came when it was booked for a triathlon. We had the large dam in the center and they could ride and run the track, probably the only triathlon where spectators could see the whole race. Did not wear out the track either. I also had a group of veteran cyclists who wanted to rent the track, and I immediately presumed that the veteran referred to old motorcycles, but no, they were old cyclists that did not like to race on the road anymore.

Fergus calls me to tell me Noel is writing checks beyond the overdraft limit, which Noel says is true, but due to not depositing a check, but I was having my doubts about Noel, he had some sharp practices, and I was to find out was having an affair with one of the ladies in our office, so who was he to complain about Fergus?

It is September and the asphalt plant is not here, delayed until the 9^th. Peter Blomb was busy finishing off grading runoff areas, and tire walls were being built. Roof was on the pits, and handrail going around.

I picked up Tony Skelton on the 9^th and we went to meet the Victorian Health Promotion Council aka the anti-tobacco lobby. They had approached us early on about buying up the sponsorship and were not thrilled that PBL had not even talked to them. Why should we, they would just frighten all the other sponsors. I wrote in my diary that it was “not a major reaction.” More like a delayed reaction as they would get us in the end. Victoria was in the grip of a very socialist regime at that time, and timing is everything. When John Cain was deposed by a woman as Premier, from his own Labor party, her nickname was “Mother Russia,” so you get the picture, but that was later and she should have deposed John sooner as you will see.

Asphalt plant still not here on the 12^th, and we have the first coordinating meeting with the Council, whoopee. Plant arrives the 14^th and we are pushing Emoleum to start as we are losing credibility, and possibly the Toyota car launch. Sunday 18^th we run a trail mix from the asphalt plant. We started laying at the exit of the Southern Loop on Tuesday, and the paver promptly went through the pavement in a wet patch. I closed my eyes, told them to just keep putting asphalt through it until it walked its way out, which it did and that has never given us a problem since. It is not going quick enough though, so they work extended hours and speed up the plant. At least the track base course is going down, something people have been trying to make happen for years without success. Paving continued, guard rail was going in at Turn Three, tires being set and the builder is cleaning up pit lane. The control tower is being finished, and Honda turn up to inspect the track, the GP Team, and book it for February 9-17th. Track days are filling up.    

Wednesday 28^th and it is FIM track inspection day. The asphalt is not quite closed up, but it is enough. Adrian Veys is here with Kevin Magee as the riders’ representative. They want a gravel trap added to the exit of the Southern Loop, and a better bathroom in the pits for 1990, otherwise all OK, and John Thomson to confirm the top layer of asphalt has been laid by the time of the FIM General Assembly Meeting in Rio in October. We had made that hurdle. 

The next day Emoleum started on the top course of pavement. We were going to have a racetrack. A few of the usual hiccups with plant breaking down and Emoleum wanting payment as they went stretched this out and Toyota were very concerned, as was I, I was getting on a plane to Rio and needed the top course finished. 5^th October we boarded a plane to Rio for some of the scariest days I have ever spent anywhere. We had made a video of the paved track for the CCR to watch, but of course Brazilian TV had its own version of PAL and it would not work. Still I was able to report the top surface completed, which John Thomson confirmed, so the race date was confirmed by the assembly. We were also backing John Thomson to be elected to a seat on the CCR and had Trimby and IRTA join us in that. What fools we were thinking he would be grateful or helpful. We met with Trimby about finalizing travel arrangements, and how the riders could avoid having tax withheld by the Australian Government on their start and prize money. Noel called to reassure me that Toyota was OK as the track was finished, but it had only been finished at the very last minute and late at night, and we had problems with that corner from then on as even the road cars tore the surface it was so green. John Smailes was very complimentary about how we deliver on our promises, and actually I have only ever missed one deadline, but we will come to that.

The week passed with the calendar being confirmed, the Motomedia contract still undecided, Joe Zegward being elected President of the Road Race Commission, and John Thomson joining him on that body. We also met with the World Superbike, WSBK, organizers to put a contract together for a race at PI if Oran Park could not be homologated. We were also part of the discussions about establishing a “Pacific Championship” along the lines of the European Championships being run, which the FIM were agreeable to, and would include Japan, USA, Australia, and New Zealand for a start. Nothing came of this and the cost of travel was probably prohibitive anyway. You cannot drive around the Pacific in a van.

On the way home, we came back via San Francisco at the request of the Victorian Dept. of Sport to check out a potential event for them and give an opinion if it was worth their while bidding for it. We were on good terms with them in those days. While there I took the opportunity to go down to Monterey to Laguna Seca to meet Lee Moselle and look at the facility.

I arrived back in Australia to find the Adelaide GP Office trying to repossess the GP Plate they had given me for the Brock. Lovely people. Fortunately, I knew the head of the DMV in Adelaide and he basically told them go take a hike. How petty can you be?

Suzie Burford gave me an update on the non-race activities. This being our first race we were going all out to make it an event just as Adelaide had been. We had a charity ball in Melbourne Wednesday night after the civic reception, promotions in Melbourne malls, and a major shopping center promotion at a mall halfway down to the Island that won the best promotion in Australia that year. Suzie was all over this stuff, banners in streets except for Cowes, and a large aluminium frame tent, the “star,” on site that would feature fashion shows, dinners, and discos every night. Very adventurous and probably unnecessary, but this was the start of a long-term project and we wanted to show Australia and the world of motorcycling what could be done. We had the Army doing displays for us as it seems the Air Force deemed us to lowly to put on a show like they had done in Adelaide. A fly past of trainers was the best we could get, while the army brought their Pilatus spotter plane that could land inside the track, and the Blackhawk helicopters, their latest toys. Oh yes, and a lot of tanks that they built a mobile bridge to bring over the track and proceeded to put on a show in the infield and in and out of the dam! The army had a great time, and signed up a lot of recruits.

The negotiations with Bernie Ecclestone over the TV rights sales were progressing and Jim Fitzmaurice was dealing with Bernie’s man at FOCA TV, Christian Voght, who was supposed to come down to the Island but cried off at the last minute. The Adelaide Entertainment Center suddenly reared its head again with the SA Government wanting to talk with us, but that did not go anywhere, again.  I went to Adelaide to talk to them and to attend the F1 GP, the race where I met Peter Bartels, but where I also met Bernie and Jim Fitzmaurice to sort out the TV rights for PI, and also talk about sportscars again. I also met with Patrick McNally who offered to buy all the signage rights to the motorcycle GP, but I had a naming rights sponsor with signage rights already, and I had dealt with Patrick in Adelaide and did not fancy having to deal with him again. Patrick told me after the event that he was glad he had not bought the rights as it was so hard to fit signs in camera shot at the track, we will have to move the walls closer! Let me know how you get on with that and the riders Patrick.

Everyone wanted to get on board with us now. Michael Gudinski wanted to promote the Barnes concert, Coke, Rothmans, Arai, Dunlop, 5DN radio, DONPRA Hire, Marlboro and others were all talking sponsorship, signage, and corporate seats. We had created a monster, and the bigger it got the more it cost to stage. Our $2m budget for building the track was long gone, and it would eventually cost around $5m, still ridiculously cheap for a world class track.

Saturday 19^th November saw the first motorcycle race meeting staged by the Hartwell Club. They ran it like a circus, kids running around pit lane, BBQ’s in the garages etc. At the end of the day they were standing around having a beer and congratulating themselves on a good meeting. I walked up and told them what I thought in no uncertain terms, which they took offence to. “It’s only a club race.” Really, and are the 250cc’s going any slower down the main straight? Can people not die at a club meeting? The riders are practicing their skills to join the GP ranks, the club needs to do the same in respect of how you run events. “Where is the switch in your head that you turn when you walk into a GP to do it differently” I asked? With that they got huffy and took their bat and ball home, “do not expect us to help with the Grand Prix.” It all ended well though, as after the GP Hartwell came back after the GP and said, “now we understand.”

On the domestic front the relations with the Camerons was hitting an all-time low. We had designed the over track signs and needed to have them manufactured. When it came to signing off on the cost the Camerons refused, which was pretty crazy seeing as how they were happy to take the money for the signage they would carry, so how did they propose to hang the sign?  So BPM signed the contract and arranged a lease deal for them to the grand prix. This was getting ugly. In a similar vein, it seems the Deputy Premier Steve Crabbe was trying to take the responsibility for the GP away from Sport to his own Department. Politics. It’s true the Minister of Sport, Neil Tresize was a lightweight, and ex-footballer I believe, and that was the only thing he really cared about. During the race he sat in my suite listening to it on his radio.

In fact, the problems created by the Government and Island Council continued. No, we could not have temporary helipads; they had to go through the normal Planning procedures for a permanent one. The Department of Planning inspected the circuit and determined we did not have enough gate width for fire exits. They were using the rules for an indoor venue of course, and I suggested that with 300 acres and only a chain link fence fire exits were unlikely to present a problem. Then there was the requirement in December to erect a six-foot-tall fence around the whole track between the spectators and the barrier. When I asked who came up with this I was told the building inspector. When I asked his qualifications for inspecting race tracks, especially one approved by the international controlling body, they got all shirty and said they did not think that was a fair question.  Well I did not think it fair to make us spend a bunch of money for nothing and spoil the view for the crowd, and in all these sort of silly things only a direct approach to the relevant Minister had them revoked. So much for helping us, but 1990 would be better we were told.  

The first of the over track signs arrived on November 25^th and went up at the start line in time for the Swann Insurance Race meeting on December 4th. This went off OK for a major race on an almost finished race track. We took the opportunity to have various organizing meetings with the sport and the Council to complete details for the GP itself. I had been contacted prior to the race by Yoong Yin Fah from Malaysia about helping Shah Allam obtaining a Motorcycle Grand Prix, a project we were to collaborate on with Andrew Marriott and CSS, and one we succeeded in doing but which we were never paid for. I went up to Malaysia for a couple of days for an initial inspection of the track and meetings with Yin Fah. All seemed good and Andrew was happy with the arrangements. We were both fools, carried away with the chance of managing another GP.

On the 14^th I was in Sydney with my old mate Bill O’Gorman looking at Darling Harbour to see if we could stage a street race for World Sportscars around the Entertainment Center. Would never have worked, but worth the try, and now they have a street race around the Olympic site. Sydney only had Oran Park, a figure eight track with no run off, and Amaroo in an old quarry with even less, so Bill was always looking to see if a new track could be built for World Class races. I spent Christmas back in Adelaide and all seemed well for BPM and its subsidiary companies, but “seemed” is the operative word. BPM were not having Board Meetings in the usual sense and I was way too busy on site to get into the book keeping, I had an accountant as a partner, didn’t I? It became obvious he was leaving way too much to Noel, which included us suddenly owning 1500ha of Queensland south of Bundaberg. The piece we had looked at turned out to be owned by an American who would sell it on owner financing. All looked good though, the Qld Government in the form of their Tourism people were all for it, and wanted something right there at the south end of the Barrier Reef. Our planners did a great job of laying this out as a resort/housing in the vein of Sanctuary Cove, but as a three star rather than a five-star project. We were moving to rezone and obtain all the environmental approvals, but the way we had planned it using the McHarg methods this was seen as no problem.

And so started 1989. If I thought 1988 had been difficult I had no idea how bad 1989 was to be. Colin Young was still on about his fee and he would earn twice what I was paying myself. How stupid can I be? We were presented a new product by ASS to use for the corporate suites on the pit roof. These were a great product built around shipping containers that when assembled looked and felt just like a permanent suite, and had roof top viewing, so we cancelled the tents and hired these. This gave my structural engineer and partner Peter a big dilemma. He had designed the roof for a live load, a spread load of people, not containers that had all their load on four corners. The solution was so obvious to me I said nothing and left him to it, only to find the garages below blocked by steel props. When I suggested that not likely to be an acceptable solution he said he needed to transfer the load from the roof slab down to the floor slab to take the point load. I asked him why he had not timbered the concrete deck to spread the load before it reached the roof slab he said he had not thought of that and walked around for a few days muttering to himself how he could not have done that. It seemed too obvious, as I said, for me to tell him before.   

I was back up in Malaysia in the middle of January meeting with Government Ministers, air lines and TV, and putting together a bid document for both Government support and for the FIM.   

Teams were starting to come down for pre-season testing which gave us a boost in promotions as all the comments were positive, and there were reasons for TV crews to come down each week. The teams were cooperative as we set up a time for all the media to come in and leave once finished, so they were not bothered all week. Bill Crouch was great at looking after the teams and all their little wants. We even had a Formula 3000 car come down from Japan, the Dome, driven by Ross Cheever, Eddie’s brother, which is still the fastest car around PI as far as I know. I asked Ross for some tips, especially how to get through turns 8&9, and he said, “don’t ask me, I’m still trying to work out turn 7.” I did not feel so bad after that. Swan were doing a wonderful job of assisting with the promotion of the event, with a special brochure, “Phillip Island Fever,” going out every couple of weeks on who was testing, quotes, how to get to the race, and other good information.

Not so helpful was the Victorian Liquor Commission. Now a liquor license was not in place for the track on a permanent basis, we obtained one for each event, no problem. Then in mid-January the Commission changed the rules. Leased property had to obtain the written permission of the landowner to be granted a license. I knew immediately what that meant, and so did Henderson, a license to extort more money. The Commission did not understand my dismay at this news, “it’s only because the owner might have objections on religious grounds” they said. Right, just you wait and see. I have a beer sponsor who is already asking about the license. That signature would cost me $100,000, down from an asking price of $150,000, and given just two weeks before the event. They caused all sorts of issues about the sale of alcohol on site and in the camp sites and Cowes. The Police had to step in at the concert to change the rules to avoid a riot.

Remember BASS? Four weeks prior to the race they stopped providing us the ticket sales money, no reason given. It was only because we had a contract that said they had to provide it that we had the cash flow resumed. Shades of things to come. John Cain originally declined my invitation to attend the race, but at the last minute changed his mind, and against the advice of his minders presented the Rothmans Trophy, how about that for a two-faced politician?  

Matters with the Camerons had come to a head, and votes at the Board were tied up three apiece. Fergus was Chairman of Barfield and I was the CEO, but I was advised by my accountant partner that the Chairman had a casting vote, which many companies have in their articles. So we scheduled a shareholders’ meeting, there being a number of small shareholders who had taken packages, to request a vote to remove Fergus as Chairman and install one of the BPM Partners. It was a very ugly meeting as you can imagine, very personal attacks being made, and I am sure the shareholders wondered what they had gotten into. There was no choice for them really, they had to support us, the Camerons were not going to run this race. So we won the vote, only to find the Articles of Association for Barfield did not provide for a casting vote! Nice one my legal eagles. I was so annoyed and depressed by the whole experience that for one of the few times in my life I could not sleep that night. I decided I’d had enough, and sat and wrote a nasty letter to each of them on whatever side, and then the sun came up and I said, “screw it, they are not going to beat me.” I tore all the letters up and got on with running the Grand Prix.     

The situation was impossible and we both looked for ways to resolve it. Fergus offered to take on the track and rent it to us for the Grand Prix each year, but I did not feel comfortable not controlling the track and not knowing its condition when we turned up each year. Beside we all hated and mistrusted each other by now, so there seemed no way out but to buy their shares in Barfield. This cost us about $600,000 from memory and was the last thing I wanted to spend money on, but at least we would be in control, and we had years to make it back. It was pretty stupid really, all we did was to cut loose the Camerons to go off with Peter Henderson and work against us to get the track and the race, with the connivance of others I am sure.

At the end of February, I went off to Geneva to the FIM meeting again, this time to make sure were on the calendar for 1990, which we achieved OK, and to help put the case for the Malaysians, which failed this year but was to succeed and they still have the race.

Back in Australia I met with both Rothmans and Marlboro about buying billboards at the event and quoted a price of $25,000 apiece, which I knew was half what they paid in Adelaide. They said they could buy them cheaper overseas, so I said well, go and buy them overseas. I knew that if I sold them cheap this year, despite my need for cash, then I would never get the price up again. Watch what Bernie does, if he cannot get what he wants he will put a name up that no one knows, but it fills the space and shows someone what they can have next year. I’m glad I stuck to my guns as both came back and bought them, Rothmans buying the 250cc sponsorship with that sign package, and Marlboro bought six boards. We never did sell the over track sign at turn three so we put the Island Tourist slogan on it, and wouldn’t you know it, it received more air time than any of them. You can try and guess what the TV Director is going to do with the cameras, and he will tell you, but once the weekend starts it will change. Somehow Brian Morelli managed to locate a camera to shoot the bikes coming down Lukey Heights to MG and miss a 150 feet long sign!

It is early March now and we are still having “coordination meetings” with the Council and the Government Departments. QANTAS have come on board with sponsorship in the form of an amount of free air travel, and will put a TIAS line on site at the GP to help with the outbound bookings for the teams. Bill Gibson and I fly up to Japan for their GP to make sure the freight gets handled smoothly and Bill knows what is coming in for Customs, and I can sort out any last minute arrangements, which turn out to be what seems every team changing all their travel, hire car and hotel reservations. Bill and I arrive at Suzuki on Wednesday, and the track is owned by Honda and is in a huge amusement park, with several hotels, restaurants, bowling alley and carnival rides. There is a package for me of invitations to dinners and functions, tickets for free meals, which are very expensive, and some Japanese goodies. As they say at Halloween, “Bill got a rock.” He wasn’t fussed though, and we set off to see the track. We kept passing people as we walked through the park who told us it was “good you are here as there is a queue outside your office.” “We do not have an office.” “Oh yes you do,” and we did. The organizers had set up a transportable with desk, phones, fax right down to the white out and erasers, a lounge suite and gas fire with coffee table. Oh, and the name on the door. Next door is the JAL Airlines freight office, so Bill goes off to introduce himself and present them with a Gibson Freight polo shirt. They look at the name and his name. “You are son of owner?” “No, I am the owner,” says Bill. “Oh, you Founder!” That is very big deal in Japan.

Next day they present Bill with a Samurai helmet in a glass case. “Give up” I say, “on that scale of escalation there is nothing you can give that man.” Friday comes and Fred Suginuma, Head of the Japanese Motorcycle Federation tugs my sleeve, “Bobsan, big problem. We did not realize Mr. Gibson Founder. We did not invite him to parties.” What were they to do, big loss of face, and to make it worse if they asked him now Bill would know he was not asked before, and if they did not ask him they would still lose face. I told Fred “don’t worry, Bill’s an Australian surfer, he’s relaxed about all this, ask him and he’ll be fine.” So they ask him to the remaining events, which was a big mistake on their part.

One of the funniest parts of the trip was to see Bill, who speaks good English and nothing else, sitting at the coffee table with a Spanish Team trying to explain to the Japanese freight guy what they wanted. After about three go rounds of this I had to leave it was so funny. Later when the teams were packing up after the race we were going through the garages doing similar facilitation when we got to Erv Kanemoto's pit box. Now Erv is a very tall Japanese-American, so we thought this will be a cinch, and we make a motion for Erv to take over and talk to JAL. Erv turns to us and says are you nuts, I am a (whatever) generation American, I can’t speak Japanese. Back to arm waving.

Before all this fun though was the Saturday night special dinner for forty important guests, including myself and now Bill. There are 4 or 5 big round tables, and around the walls of the room are bamboo huts representing street stalls with Tempura, sashimi, and other delicacies for an appetizer. Mr. Suzuki, who is the Head of Suzuka, which is owned by Honda, are you following this, explains we are to Kobe Beef for main course. He tells us you only have Kobe Beef once in a lifetime as it is so expensive. Now breakfast was $60, and a dinner around $120 normally, so who knows what “expensive” was? So they serve us a piece each, about quarter of an inch thick and about six to eight inches long, and it is spectacular. You can cut it with a fork. So my mate Bill leans over and says, “I wouldn’t mind another piece of that.” I am kicking him under the table, do not ask. But he does anyway. Well Mr. Suzuki I’m sure wanted the floor to open up and swallow him, or Bill, not sure which. Of course he could not refuse, but neither could he give Bill another piece and not offer everyone in the room another piece. In the end, he just gave up and they brought out platters of it and I think I had four lifetimes and Bill five.

On the way home we meet Mr. Kreisky of “Havoc” video fame at Nagoya Airport. He is an interesting character, amusing for an hour, but no more. We drags us out of the line for booking in and just goes to an unmanned station and calls someone over to attend to us. Now he and his cameramen do not want to book their cameras into luggage, so they are carrying them. We walk on an All Nippon Airways 737 and Kreisky stands in the aisle facing a plane load of Japanese and says, “the first one to mention the bridge over the river Kwai gets thrown off!” You see what I mean? Now this plane has no lockers above the seats, only a shelf. A cameraman puts his camera up there, and is told by the stewardess that is not allowed. He tries unsuccessfully to fit it under the seat. In desperation, he puts it in the seat, does up the seat belt around it, climbs into the luggage shelf and says, “now are you satisfied?” Of course she was not. How we did not get thrown off I do not know, but a German rider who had broken his leg that weekend got on with his crutches, so we all cracked up because we knew what problems he was going to have.

So back to reality, just over a week to go and teams are arriving. The excitement is amazing and ticket sales continue to be great. A French journalist asks me when he sees all the grandstands how many people I expected for the race. I tell him 80,000, and he tells me that is impossible, the record for the French GP is only 70,000 or so. Suit yourself I tell him, I’ve sold 64,000 tickets to date. There are all the last-minute surprises, like the deal with the liquor license, and Bernie, who had the deal to sell all the TV rights by now, trying to get a rights fee out of Channel 9. I knew the details of his deal with the FIM and went back to them to tell Bernie he could not do that, which lead to a late-night phone call from a very irate Bernie, threatening to sell the broadcast to Channel 7, but I was pretty sure 7 would not want it by now and we won, and Bernie probably has not forgiven me since. The Building Inspector turns up on the day before the race and wants to open all the fire hydrants in the paddock to make sure they work. I tell him if he is going to fight a fire in the pits with water let me know so I can run the other way. Then there was the truck load of Michelin tires that turned up late one night when there was only Bill and I there, and they are just stacked on a flat bed. So we start to unload them one at a time, when a couple of the marshals who are camping next door and have been out to dinner are silly enough to wander by. They start to help and around midnight say to me “we shouldn’t be doing this, we are only volunteers.” I replied, “At midnight there are only volunteers.”   

Wednesday finally arrives. We have booked a thirty-seat plane to take us and the dignitaries up to Melbourne for the reception and ball. Halfway to Melbourne we go through a horrendous storm, really frightening in that small plane. We get to Melbourne where the storm has gone through and it is bright sunshine. We are running late and there is an accident on the Tullamarine Freeway. We finally arrive at the civic reception as people are walking out, so straight to the ball, which is great. Big turnout as it is a charity ball in honor of a local hospital, all of Melbourne society is there. Kenny Roberts cannot believe I have got all these people to a motorcycle ball! Wayne Gardner rides the main act into the ballroom, which is on the first floor, and brings the house down. The young female singer has legs that go all the way up and she is riding pillion. Back to Island late and find out about the carnage the storm did. Especially to our security team whose camp site is under water and they have to move into some hall in the middle of the night.

Thursday morning dawns, the first day of racing, and the traffic coming out of the camp ground at the bottom of the side road where the teams were trying to get in was crazy. I take charge at directing traffic, which placates the teams and we will sort it out tomorrow. Where were they all going anyway? It is like people asking for a pass out about five minutes after the gates open, go figure, but they do it. Actually, Trimby and co were in a car with Kel Curruthers, an Australian World Champion, who tells them he bets they will find me at the end of the road sorting it out, and he was right. The morning was a mess due to the late arrival of the security following their late nigh camp adventures. I do not recall that the day got any better. PBL were asking when they could expect a check for their part of the income, and I could not tell them. We had a huge crowd for a first day, around 30,000, and although I do not recall specifics and I was too busy to write notes, I know it was not fun. The rain had softened the parking lots, and Swan’s coaches were getting bogged would be one of them. I do know that come Friday morning I did not want to leave the house. I did not want another day like that, but leave I did, and walked out into a different world. No overnight storms, no traffic jams, everyone doing their job and the world was good again. Around 50,000 this day, and who said that they could not get here.

People had caught the train and ferry to Cowes and were walking the five miles from Cowes.  Others came and camped or rented a holiday house, and stayed, so we did not need to have 80-100,000 come on race day, most of them were here. The racing was good, Channel 9 were happy, and Swan were happy. I and my partners were probably the only ones not happy as we knew we had used the ticket money to pull this off and needed a white knight to come to our rescue once it was over. But surely when they see this success that would not be a problem?

Saturday and first live TV, we were to have ten hours by the end. GP Qualifying, and the Superbike and sidecar support races were sensational. Saturday night was the fashion show and dinner in the “Star” tent, black tie, the Island had never seen this. Glen Shorrock the main act and Suzie did great with the leather fashions. The concert was in full swing, and the whole Island was rocking. We had no trouble of any kind. The motorcycle “clubs” had agreed to not where their colors, and were on their best behavior and self-policing. The Police were doing their part. When the only pub on the Island inevitably overflowed out on to the pavement the Police did nothing, and when they overflowed on the road, they closed it. Trouble makers we heard were passed to each end to be put over the barricade to the waiting police van. Common sense prevailed, no one was raped or murdered, and despite a population with one policeman normally had been invaded by 70,000 on Saturday with more to come.

Sunday dawned cloudy and cool, but no rain. Gardner was not on pole, but we could not have everything. Wayne had said already just how much it would mean if he won it, and he is not Mr. 110% for nothing. The 250cc race is first up, but I do not see much of it as I am entertaining the Premier in my suite for lunch. We go down to the grid for the 500cc race and the crowd is enormous. The police estimate 105,000 and they are standing on toilet blocks and fence posts to get a view. They have cut holes in fences and tried to sneak in overnight where my sleepless security crew has been using the searchlight on the army tanks to discover them. The race is spectacular and still talked about today. Four guys going for it and Channel 9 coverage is amazing, capturing every detail. It is like going to a football match as first Rainey is in front, then Gardner, Sarron, and so it goes on. You can tell who is leading by the fans. I am on top of my box enjoying the race, Gardner’s Father cannot watch, the Swan gofer is worrying about the coaches to get home so I tell a doctor friend to check his pulse as he must be dead if he is not excited by the race.

Gardner wins, the fairy story come true, the crowd rushes on to the track Donna, Wayne’s girlfriend does famous run up the track to meet him. The scenes on the winners’ rostrum are spectacular, half the crowd is on the track below, including Mal Hemmerling totally unknown to me that he is there. John Cain gets booed as he gets up, probably did not do my cause much good, and Bill Widerberg from Swan presents their trophy. Unusually I am called up and accept the plaudits of the crowd, and the champagne dumped on me by Gardner et al. It is a crowning moment, a great achievement, and I savor it for a few seconds, knowing that when I walk off it will all start, how are we going to pay for this?

Trimby and Co. are beside themselves as they cannot see how we can get the crowd off the track. But my last words are to ask the crowd to leave as we have a race to run, and they melt away fast.

I do not see the 125cc race either as we are in the media center for the rider’s interviews. It is all good, Cain promises things will be better, and Bill Widerberg calls out from the back “we’re with you Bob.” “It has exceeded their wildest expectations” Bill is to say, so just maybe this will work out.

Sunday night we are relaxing in the suite, Bill Gibson has the trucks being loaded in pit lane, we have to get them to Melbourne to catch the plane to San Francisco. Unbeknown to us a policeman has been killed by a motorist coming on to the Island, and the road off is shut down for hours while they investigate. The early ones who left got home OK. Others were not so lucky, including Bill’s trucks, and it took ten hours to get off the Island.

Next morning we find that we have knocked the football off the back page of the daily paper, impossible in this football crazy town. They have run a special edition of the paper with a four-page wrap around about the race and print and sell 600,000 copies. The TV wants to do interviews about how well behaved the crowd were, and how much the locals liked it. Perhaps we can survive, but we had not counted on the forces that had watched the success and now wanted it for themselves.