THE LONG WAY TO THE TRACK

We’ve been missing from the world wide web for a while.

There should have been a heap of time to throw a new website together in lockdown. It should have been an opportunity to do more as everybody searched for content on the couch at home. Surely, the time was right to finally put the all ideas for transporter content on (digital) paper.

It didn’t quite work out that way.

Chances are you’ve felt some sort of struggle to muster up motivation in 2020. For Australians, it started with the despair of bushfires across the country. Happening at the same time was the worst of a long, harrowing drought. And when some much-needed rain finally arrived, a pandemic showed up on our doorstep.

If you’re reading this outside of Australia, it wouldn’t have been a walk in the park where you are either. The health, economic and social blows have come one after another, and each has hurt. Sometimes beyond words.

You might be wondering what all this has to do with transporters.

Well, the combination of it all, topped off by a shortage of new content and some other difficult circumstances at home, hit the project hard. Many of you already know Trucks at Tracks a one-man band, and the pressure to create a new website and punch out content for it became too much in the midst of everything else.

For weeks and weeks, it just didn’t happen. No new content, and no new website.

But the support kept on coming.

When posts went live, there were more likes, comments and shares on social media than during the middle of motorsport season. And our followers dug into their own archives to find all sorts of content to keep the project ticking over.

It’s not even slightly comparative to how much a global pandemic, racial inequality, bushfires, drought or economic hardship matter, but if seeing a cool transporter photo, video or story come up on your news feed puts a smile on your face, this is worth the effort. Especially when the going is this tough for so many people.

After months of painfully slow progress, the website you’re reading this on finally came together. Now, you’ll see a new direction for Trucks at Tracks, with different forms of content, and a new look to back it all up. And we’re going to welcome commercial partners so we can afford to do more things to show the logistics behind motor racing.

With all that in mind, here’s what to expect:

Written stories

Yeah, maybe don’t sprout different and exciting forms of content and then lead the way with written stories. But the truth is, this is what it was built on, and the written stuff remains a great way to get information across. It’ll just be a more visual and improved experience to read.

A podcast

This is a step outside the comfort zone, but one that will capture stories told by the people who know them best. We’re starting a podcast to chat with truck drivers and logistics experts behind the world of motorsport. It won’t just be Australians either. We’re going to cover as many continents and categories as we can.

Spotters

The timing wasn’t too kind as motorsport categories hibernated one after another. But this is a longer term vision. The plan is to gather a group of transporter spotters across the world who can photograph and film transporters on the way to, and at the track. And if you’re prepared to sacrifice your time to capture the monsters of motorsport on the move, we’ll make sure it’s worth your effort. More here.

Trucks at Tracks on YouTube

If you’re one of our three subscribers on YouTube, you’ll already know this, but we’re starting to upload a few more videos on there. It’s going to become more prominent as time goes on. And gradually, we’ll build this into a big social media platform with more polished production for you all to enjoy. Watch this space. No, literally, please do subscribe here if you can!

Trucks at Tracks on Facebook

This won’t be anything new to 1073 of you, but we’ve created a group on Facebook so anyone can share transporter photos, videos, articles and thoughts at any time. There’s some great stuff being posted, it’s growing, and everyone is welcome! You can join the crew here.

A sincere thank you to everybody who has supported this project since the first turn of the key. The road to the next race track awaits, but there’s no point travelling it without all of you aboard.

Tristan Clark
Driver - Trucks at Tracks