Ex GP rider Jeff Perret had also been signed up to help out and after scratching our heads to come up with a suitable design, the work to get it ready for the Championships began. A D4 bulldozer was used for all the shaping work and a 24 tonne excavator was used to move soil along with a 30 tonne dump truck. To create the material for the obstacles a large hump was shaved from the area that would become the 2003 start straight.

The soil at Gore Basin was without question the best I have ever worked with. In 2005, after running it through his fingers, Budds Creek promoter Jonathan Beasley would come to the very same conclusion. coarse grains of sand were mixed with smaller particles of clay that helped it bind together. If compacted and left to dry it would act like hardpack, but when ripped and watered it would behave like grippy sand. It really was the best of both worlds, not only would it remain firm for the takeoffs but it could easily be softened everywhere else to create a rough and technical track.

The 2003 design had 23 corners and was around 1700 meters in length. 2 massive containers were reinforced with sleepers and used as tunnels for spectator access. They were at opposite ends of the track and placed underneath tabletop jumps. Just 9 takeoffs were on the 2003 layout, less than any other track on the calendar. The addition of 12 skipping whoops however, would assure that the track would not come under fire for being too oldschool. Initially there had been 8 rollers built on this section of track, but due to a peculiar ACU rule they had to be flattened and replaced with a new and far more technical set of whoops. The rule was supposed to regard safety, but it had the effect of replacing a fairly simple section with one that was very tricky indeed. It was hard to tell weather to jump or skip them and at 6 meters from top to top they were incredibly hard to skip. Marc DeReuver was one of many riders who came undone, and several times too. They were certainly a spectator catch however and they also became the number one passing opportunity on the track.

The 2003 race was regarded by many as the best of the year and with the enthusiasm that this created, Rob Bradley decided to put his own money up to run a GP in 2004. Following very positive meetings with the FIM and Youthstream, new site plans were decided on. First of all the paddock needed to be 20,000 sq meters. With no flat areas on site, 2 tiers of 10,000 square meters each were levelled and stoned. This required a different position for the start that would be closer to the new paddock. Its new position in the base of the valley meant that unlike before, the entire crowd could now see the starts. Massive tiers were carved from the hillside overlooking the track for hospitality marquees, and new access roads were laid using a fine reclaimed concrete.

One of the major headaches of the 2003 meeting was the dust. a complete watering system was added with a sprinkler head to cover every 5 meters of track. Over 3000 meters of water pipe was laid and well over 400 sprinkler heads were positioned. YS had specified a width of 10m on the track and a length of 1600m. With the removal of the old start section we came in at 1630m. A number of new jumps were also formed the most spectacular of which was a 90 ft step up. It was positioned in the loop that went up into the main spectator area. On a slight uphill turn and with a massive takeoff it proved to be a great jump for whips and a huge crowd pleaser. The 2003 whoops were moved to create a flat straight for the pitlane and signalling area. On top of the hill a section of 9 rollers were built that lead into a step down tabletop combination.

In total there were 16 take offs and two whoop sections, far more obstacles than were commonly found on most European tracks. At the time it seemed quite a groundbreaking layout and was far more akin to an AMA national than a GP. How times have changed in just 5 years though. Almost every GP track is now loaded with obstacles, so much so that now people are beginning to crave a slightly more natural layout!

With all the key members of the team still involved the work to upgrade the track began in April of 2004 and took around 8 weeks in total. It was undeniably a huge success and praised greatly by the riders. Unfortunately however, the financial sums just didn't add up and although the GP returned with a different promoter in 2005 the outcome was similar. The track at Gore Basin still lies there in the long grass perhaps waiting for a return one day. If you look carefully on google earth you can find it quite clearly. The reaction from the public to the 4 events that were held there was massive and despite the losses, it was a great reward just to be involved.