About Melton Motorsports Complex

About

The Melton Motorsports Complex is managed by Peter Freckleton who has been instrumental in establishing jet sprint boat racing at Melton and in Mildura. To expand the use of the complex, in April 2006, Peter and the Australian Tractor Pullers Association (ATPA) joined to bring the awesome sport of Modified Tractor Pulling to Melton. The first event was a successful collaboration, in spite of the weather keeping crowd number down. We are looking for additional sponsorship, offering unique opportunities for organisations to invest in this fantastic facility as well as to support unique motorsports such as V8 Jet Boat racing and Modified Tractor Pulling. Please contact Peter (0408 502 921) to find out how you can become involved. We would like to invite you to work with us in making this unique facility a success. Support a unique event and promote your organisations services/products as part of our advertising campaigns and to the public attending the events.
Our History V8 Jet Boat Sprinting originated in New Zealand and within the last ten years has become an exceptionally popular motor sport in Australia. Australia embraced jet sprinting in 1987 with the world's first permanent course being built in South Australia followed by nation-wide expansion. Five years later the sport was introduced to America where the expansion continued, and since that time there has been significant growth both in competitor numbers, international standard facilities and spectator numbers.
In the early years temporary tracks were created by moving hundreds of tons of riverbed metal with heavy machinery to create the necessary channels for racing, and at the end of the event the machinery was brought back in to restore the river to its original configuration. Engines got bigger and more powerful, hulls and jet units were refined, and with the significant improvement in boat performance came a progression of stringent safety rules - racing seats, fireproof clothing, safety harnesses, roll cages and fire extinguishers became mandatory. New Zealand's unique rivers served the sport well in the initial years, but when jet sprinting expanded to other countries stadium-like purpose-built tracks changed the face of the sport. Thanks to television exposure jet sprinting continues to grow globally, the first track has been established in England and opportunities are being explored to introduce the sport to Europe.
Modified Tractor Pulling The first Australian Tractor Pull was held at Elmore (Victoria) Field Days in 1976. The following year saw Tractor Pulling begin in the Victorian rural town of Quambatook. It has developed over the past 30 years into a highly competitive and technical sport, where the difference between first and last place may be as small as one or two metres. Often the top tractors are separated by mere centimetres. The Australian Tractor Pullers Association (ATPA) is a non-profit organisation that governs Tractor Pulling in Australia. Our events (Tractor Pulls) are held in conjunction with a promoter. This is often a local school, sporting, service or community club (for example; Apex, Rotary, Lions, Netball, Cricket, Football) who use the event as a fundraiser. Tractor Pulls are held in locations throughout Australia, predominantly in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales. In the west there are two associations affiliated with the ATPA, the Western Australian Tractor Pullers Association (WATPA) and also the Perth Tractor Pullers.

The ATPA is focused on actively promoting this spectacular sport and working with communities to not only establish a unique annual event, but more importantly to assist communities financially through the influx of spectators, sponsors and promotion. The Competition
	V8 Jet Sprint Boats have a driver and navigator who negotiate the channels in a pre-determined order that involves 25-30 directional changes in a run that takes less than a minute to complete - it's the ultimate test of man and machine against a sophisticated electronic timing system, a test where the difference between winning and losing is often within hundredths of a second. Each competitor has three qualifying runs. For Group A, the 16 crews progress to the "sudden death" elimination rounds. Now there are no second chances as the field is halved in each round, reducing from 16 to 8 to 4 down to the two crews who will contest the Final. In the Top 8 and Final 4 rounds the boats run from slowest to fastest, but for the Final the faster driver has the option of running first or second.
For the 350 Restricted class, only 8 crews progress to the "sudden death" elimination rounds. It's a thrill a minute racing, where split seconds are the difference between hero to zero. The competition concept remains as boats running individually against the clock on a course within full view of the spectators to create an unparalleled visual spectacle. Reaching speeds of 130kph in 2.5 seconds. The "sudden death" racing format in the elimination rounds is unique, and a major factor in the sport's popularity with competitors, spectators and a worldwide television audience. The Modified Tractors are divided into classes and comply with either ‘Limited’ or ‘Open’ rules. The classes are Open Modified, Super Modified, Limited Modified, Open Mini Modified, Limited Mini Modified, Pro Stock (diesel) and Two Wheel Drive Trucks. The distinction between classes is determined by the overall maximum weight, engine modifications, fuels and physical size. Not satisfied with the power and noise generated by big engines like a Chevrolet 454 and 560 cubic inch motors, which may produce in excess of 1000 horse power, tractors pullers have devised methods of coupling two or even three of these engines together. Others have gone for a more exotic flavour and sourced their power from Chieftain tanks, WW2 Fighter Aircraft and even Jet Aircraft. The events are held on two x 100 metre tracks, running in parallel. The Mini Tractors on one track and the Big Tractors on the other. This layout ensures that there is non stop action throughout the day, with a competitor commencing their pull at the completion of a pull on the other track. The pit areas are opened during interval to allow the spectators to have a closer look at the tractors and to chat with the drivers and crews. Tractor Pulling is a family orientated motor sport. There is a friendly atmosphere between all the members and their families. The sport is open to both women and men, the only restriction being that competitors must at least hold a current Learner Driver’s Permit. A puller does not have to go faster than the competitors, only further. Should more than one competitor clear the 100-metre mark, then the sled has more weight added and the tractors who ‘Full Pulled’ competes again to determine an outright winner. Competition for the last event is as keen and determined as for the first. All competitors earn points which culminate in the "Puller of the Year" which is awarded at the Annual General Meeting Presentations Evening each year.