News

2012 July to December Eastern Creek dates are live!

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:14:25 +1000

The Eastern Creek Ride Days Team is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 event dates between July and December. Bookings are now open online so you can start salivating.

For those members who have provided a current postal address you should be receiving your hard copy of the July to December 2012 calendar next week at your allocated postal address. In addition to the latest dates on offer you’ll also see details on the new Ride Rewards (RR) Program – formerly the Member Rewards Program (MRP) – which will be launched on July 1, 2012.

The thinking behind the Rider Rewards (RR) Program is simple; we want you to come back! As part of (Motorcycling Events Group Australia) M.E.G.A.'s RR Program, every time you complete a ride day with either Phillip Island Ride Days or Eastern Creek Ride Days you take one step closer to receiving greater rewards. Rider Rewards is a program that has significant benefits from your very first ride. In fact if you complete 20 ride days in one financial year your rewards could tally up to an impressive $2,200.00 in discounts and freebies.

There are no fees or ongoing obligations, just become a Rider Rewards Member by tapping the JOIN NOW button and keep doing what it is you love to do – ride! If you’re already a member of Eastern Creek Ride Days you’re already a member of the Ride Rewards Program, we’ve done it all for you. So what are the rewards?

After completing your:

1st ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount plus a
10% California Superbike School Level 1 Discount
4th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
5th ride day you receive a Unlimited Free MADAZ tyre fitting service on tyres purchased through MADAZ
6th ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount
9th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
10th ride day you receive a Free Suspension evaluation and tuning
11th ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount
14th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
15th ride day you receive a Free Ride Day
16th ride day you receive a 10% Ride Day Discount
19th ride day you receive a 50% Ride Day Discount
20th ride day you receive a Free Full Face Helmet

In addition, as of July 1, 2012, you will be able to see how your Rider Rewards are tracking after each event by simply visiting your own personal Rider Rewards status page. More details to follow, but in short on your personal status page you will find all your available rewards which you can use there and then to make you next booking online.

To celebrate the relaunch of the rewards program any member rewards accumulated from January 1 to June 30, 2012 as part of former Member Rewards Program will automatically transfer over the new Rider Rewards Program. When you factor in that the new Rider Rewards Program runs between July 1 to June 30 period, rather than the calendar year, you’ll have a whopping 18 months to accumulate more rides and as a result more rewards!

You can use your full Rider Reward discounts as you receive them or tally them up and use them in one hit up to the value of 100% off your next ride day. You just need to ensure you use your reward points by the end of each financial year. To start the benefits just get to the track and do exactly what it is you love to do… Ride!

If you want to make sure you don’t miss a date click here to download ECRD dates to your outlook calendar and set those reminders!

To secure your place click here or call 1300 793 423 and let one of our friendly staff manage the booking for you.

Eastern Creek Track Construction Update

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:46:19 +1000

With the final base course of asphalt laid and safety walls with tyre barriers in place the Eastern Creek South Circuit is back on track to meet its June completion date.

The final race surface material will be laid in late April. This work will be followed by the construction of run off areas, the planting of trackside grass and the placement of flag points.

It is hoped the new South Circuit section will be first used in conjunction with the existing full circuit at the NSW Motor Race Championships on June 9 & 10, 2012.

Official ARDC News Release

Download 2012 ECRD dates to Outlook!

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 15:12:46 +1000

Add 2012 ECRD dates to your Outlook calendar!

> Right click on the file and select "Save Link As..."
> Save the file
> Open the file, check the box and click "OK"

And voila!

ECRD Office Xmas holiday dates

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:20:33 +1000

With the weather improving and the festive season just around the corner the Eastern Creek Ride Days (ECRD) team is looking forward to a short break over Christmas and New Year’s. As a result the office will be closed from the 22nd of December until the 3rd of January.

Any bookings with this period can be completed online.

The ECRD team wishes you a very Merry Xmas and a wonderful New Year. We thank you for sharing your passion for motorcycling with us and we'll see you at the track in 2012!

The Creek is the full length and flowing!

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:31:04 +1000

Well when you think you have it all figured along comes another spanner, but this time it works to your advantage. Eastern Creek Ride Days (ECRD) has just been provided with yet another update to the construction works saga, which has created numerous disruptions for our members and up-coming ECRD dates in recent weeks.

Eastern Creek Raceway General Manager Geoff Arnold has announced that as of today, Monday the 5th of December, all construction at the Eastern Creek Raceway has been placed on hold and works will resume from the 9th of January 2012. The specific reason for the delay is related to additional permit requirements, but the great news is that all ECRD dates from today until the 9th of January will now be run on the original full layout.

With all the confusion in recent weeks the ECRD team has decide that even though days between 5th of December and 9th of January will now be run on the full track – not the shorter North Circuit – the prices will remain unchanged. This means you will get to ride the original full track at the same short track rate – $169 weekdays, $199 for weekends – for this period.

Our advice, take advantage of the opportunity as there is still some uncertainty when the extension will be completed.

Eastern Creek Raceway CEO Glenn Mathews has informed ECRD that, weather permitting, the original full circuit should be available for use from the beginning of February 2012 and the new full circuit – including the 600m extension – looks set to be operational by March.

However, as there is still some uncertainty in relation to February dates, ECRD has opted to close all bookings for February until an accurate update is provided on the project status early in the New Year.

MEGA Managing Director Steve Brouggy had this to say on the matter, “It was good to meet with Glenn and Geoff and impress on them the importance of having the full story to pass onto everyone who rides Eastern Creek. They both acknowledge that there needs to be a better flow of information regarding the improvements being made to the track and has put in place a structure to allow that to happen more successfully in the future.

“We’re hoping the most current information we have will be what we end up with. I’ll be monitoring this personally on a weekly basis to ensure that if anything should interfere with our scheduled Eastern Creek Ride Days, we’ll know about it earlier and be able to pass the information along quickly.

“I appreciate everyone’s ongoing patience in dealing with this situation. I can’t thank our team here in the office enough, they have been (literally) working around the clock to try and get every rider booked into their preferred dates.”

Due to the disruptions ECRD sales team has been inundated with nearly 3000 calls to reschedule and book in new dates in the past 2 weeks. With this backlog still to be completed bookings for December dates can only be made via e-mail.

E-mail bookings@easterncreekridedays.com.au (click the e-mail address) and priority will be provided in order of receiving the e-mail for all December dates.

No phone or website bookings will be accepted for December dates. The exception is for Friday the 9th of December, these can be booked online here.

All other bookings can be completed via the website as usual by clicking here.

So summarising the latest situation:
December 2011

• Friday 9th December              $169 (Original Full Circuit) Book Now
• Friday 16th December            $169 (Original Full Circuit) Filling Fast
• Saturday 17th December       $199 (Original Full Circuit) Filling Fast
• Sunday 18th December         $199 (Original Full Circuit) Filling Fast
• Monday 19th December         $169 (Original Full Circuit) Filling Fast

January 2012

• Saturday 7th January              $199 (Original Full Circuit)
• Sunday 8th January               $199 (Original Full Circuit)
• Saturday 21st January           $199 (North Circuit)
• Sunday 22nd January            $199 (North Circuit)

February 2012 (bookings to be reopened in January)

• Saturday 4th February            $249 (Original Full Circuit)
• Sunday 5th February             $249 (Original Full Circuit)
• Saturday 18th February          $249 (Original Full Circuit)
• Sunday 19th February            $249 (Original Full Circuit)

March 2012

• Monday 5th March $219 (New Full Circuit)
• Tuesday 6th March $219 (New Full Circuit)

Original Full Circuit (above)

North Circuit (above)

New Full Circuit (above)

Construction disrupts Eastern Creek Ride Days dates

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:13:20 +1000

Eastern Creek Raceway has announced the completion of the new circuit extension has fallen behind schedule. As a result Eastern Creek Raceway CEO Glenn Matthews has announced that the south section of the circuit will be closed from December 5th to January 31st to avoid any further delays in completing the project.

Despite the setback Eastern Creek Raceway will remain operational during the December to January period, utilising the remaining 2.8km North Circuit layout for any events within that period.

The news comes only weeks after the announcement that the new extended 4.5km layout would be completed and available for hire as of January 2012. The circuit was initially scheduled to be fully operational at the beginning of December – on the original full 3.9km circuit – and the new extended circuit was to be operational from the beginning of the New Year.

Eastern Creek Raceway Track Alert (Official release)
The Australian Racing Drivers Club, operators of Sydney's Eastern Creek Raceway have relocated all on track activity from December 5 2011 through to January 31, 2012 from the main long track to the new 2.8 km North Circuit.

A rescheduling of the starting time for major earth works on the South Circuit is the catalyst behind the move.

Eastern Creek Raceway CEO Glenn Matthews deeply regrets the disruption and provided the insight into the delay, "We had an unexpected hold up with our development application due to departmental changes within the government. This was compounded by a bad run with weather. The double trouble has caused the project to be reprogrammed, we apologise for any inconvenience."

The work has been commissioned to create four track configurations. A 2.8km North Circuit which has been completed, a 1.8km South Circuit, the original 3.9km main circuit and a 4.5km long circuit incorporating the original main layout along with new additions of the South Circuit.

Following the upgrade Eastern Creek Ride Days will be conducted on the new long circuit.

The disruption will affect a total of 9 Eastern Creek Ride Days (ECRD), between December 5th and January 31st, which will now run on the North Circuit at a reduced rate, $50 below the full circuit hire rate.

The affected dates listed below:

Friday 9th December $169 (North Circuit)
Friday 16th December $169 (North Circuit)
Saturday 17th December $199 (North Circuit)
Sunday 18th December $199 (North Circuit)
Monday 19th December $169 (North Circuit)
Saturday 7thJanuary $199 (North Circuit)
Sunday 8th January $199 (North Circuit)
Saturday 21st January $199 (North Circuit)
Sunday 22nd January $199 (North Circuit)

Eastern Creek Raceway’s North Circuit

Bookings are now open to ride the unique North Circuit layout, an opportunity limited to these dates only. Please visit www.easterncreekridedays.com.au or call our friendly staff on 1300 793 423 to secure your place and experience Eastern Creek from a fresh perspective.

For those of you who completed their booking prior the 17th of November on one of the affected dates, you will be contacted by the ECRD sales team in regards to any refund/compensation in the coming days. Or feel free to contact us on 1300 793 423 and we’d be happy to manage any concerns.

2012 Eastern Creek Ride Day dates released!

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:37:41 +1000

Eastern Creek Ride Days is pleased to announce the release of the 2012 calendar dates between January and June. Bookings are now being taken for upcoming ride days within the first six months of the 2012 season.

For those members who have provided a current postal address you should be receiving your hard copy of the 2012 calendar this November in your letterbox.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss a date click here to download ECRD dates to your outlook calendar.

To secure your place click here or call 1300 793 423 and let one of our friendly staff manage the booking for you.

New Marketing Manager

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:48:28 +1000

The Eastern Creek Ride Days (ECRD) team is pleased to announce the appointment of our new Marketing Manager, Martin Port. A long time motorcycle enthusiast, Martin brings a wealth of experience to the team in both motorcycle marketing and event management.

The name may sound familiar for those who used to read Australian Motorcycle News between 1995 and 2000, at which point Martin was the chief sports bike test rider and Sports Editor.

Martin has since spent the past 10 years in Europe, initially in the MotoGP World Championship as Marketing and Communications Manager at Yamaha Motor Corporation, before moving into the field of event productions – executing international product launches for key manufacturers in the motorcycle industry.

The ECRD team would like to welcome Martin to the team and look forward to seeing what his contribution will bring.

Q&A
A quick interview with Motorcycling Events Group Australia’s (California Superbike School, Phillip Island Ride Days, Eastern Creek Ride Days) new Marketing Manager…

So you’re a bike enthusiast, give us a little background on your riding experience?
Yeah, well where to begin. I started riding bikes back when I was 12-years-old, for fun with my mates out the back paddock. I think mum thought it would keep me out of trouble… ah if she only knew. I fooled around on dirt bikes in that way up until I was 18, when I went and passed my motorcycle licence.

One of my first big bike trips was down to the 1990 Grand Prix at Phillip Island to see Wayne Gardner take the win ahead of Mick Doohan, Wayne Rainey and Eddie Lawson. It was from that moment I fell in love with motorcycle racing and knew I had to give it a go.

Within a year I had a race bike, a 250cc Proddie and managed that for a few years before moving into the Australian Supersport Championship. Racing opened up so many doors for me on a professional level, more than I could have ever imagined.

It led to me working as a motorcycle instructor for around 4 years, before starting at Australian motorcycle News as their Sports Editor and sport bike test rider.

It wasn’t long after that you moved to Europe and began working in the MotoGP World Championship, what were you doing there and what was it like?
It was 2000 when the family and I moved over to Europe and I began working as the Marketing and Events Manager in the MotoGP World Championship. It was an amazing experience, to rub shoulders every weekend with the best riders in the world, to work closely with them on a day to day basis. It was like a childhood dream come true. But it’s also a very intense environment to work in, the workload and the travel. I think in my first year I’d been on the road for nearly 200 days in one season.

Did you work with Valentino Rossi?
Yes, Vale was one of the riders I worked with on a number of promotional projects and at the track each weekend. He’s an amazing talent, and very focussed when he’s at the track. But once he’s away from the media he’s just a guy who wants to have a little fun, relax with friends. But as you can imagine this isn’t easy for him to do as the media and public interest is unbelievable.

Martin on his way to winning the 2008 Barcelona 24Hour Endurance Race

After working in the MotoGP World Championship you moved on to producing world launches for the motorcycle industry. Tell us a little about that.
It seemed like to logical next step, at least to me. Managing large scale international motorcycle launches required all the skills that I had learnt over the years and encapsulated it in this one role. Most importantly it revolved around what I loved… motorcycles. And I have to admit there were quite a few perks. It was great to be able to see and test the latest products well before they ever hit the market place. I must admit I was very lucky to have found such an opportunity and to have gained the experiences I did.

So why have you joined MEGA and what do you hope to accomplish?
I was looking for a company with a good product and a great team where I could bring my experience in both marketing and events to the table, and see if I can make a difference to help that company take that next step in its development. Finding a business that is also as passionate about motorcycles as I am is a massive bonus.

After spending time chatting with Steve Brouggy (MEGA’s Managing Director) I could see that we shared the same vision for the business. The first step is to understand how Steve operates and why, and then we can consider the next steps. I’m open to all feedback, so if you have anything to share on your experiences with either the California Superbike School, Phillip Island Ride Days or Eastern Creek ride Days please drop me a line at info@motorcyclingeventsgroupaustralia.com.au

Perfect Ride Day Bikes for sale

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:52:26 +1000

Are you looking for the perfect ride day bike or a great road bike? Well look no further, MADAZ has just what you’ve been searching for with a limited selection of well-maintained ‘08 Suzuki GSX-R600s to choose from. Formerly hire bikes for the ride day program, this is what you get:

2008 GSX-R600 liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder DOHC four-stroke
Odometer reading: between 12,000km and 15,000km
Serviced and/or inspected after every ride day
Racers Edge Race fairings fitted
Standard running gear: Engine, exhaust, suspension, gearing etc.
Not registered

Prices start from $8000.00 for the abovementioned track setup, however if you’re interested in taking it to the streets MADAZ also has the original road gear, never been used and still boxed up, for $1000.00 per set with every bike sale.

If you already have a GSX-R600 and are in need of a set of original road fairings, these are available from $1500.00 per set.

A final 2011 Creek date just released, November 15!

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:31:43 +1000

No sooner had we pre-released the January and February 2012 dates, Eastern Creek Ride Days have just received confirmation that Tuesday November 15, 2011 is now also available for bookings. And with such high demand we snapped it up!

This provides one final opportunity to ride the full current and original Eastern Creek circuit before the new $9million extended layout is put into operation in 2012.

So to recap Eastern Creek Ride Days now has the following dates available:
2011 (On the full current and original Eastern Creek Circuit, see layout below)
November
• Tuesday 15th $219

2012 (On the full NEW extended Eastern Creek Circuit, see layout below)
January
     • Saturday 7th             $249
     • Sunday 8th                $249
     • Saturday 21st            $249
     • Sunday 22nd            $249
February
     • Saturday 4th             $249
     • Sunday 5th               $249
     • Saturday 18th            $249
     • Sunday 19th              $249

To secure your place click here or call 1300 793 423 and let one of our friendly staff manage the booking for you.