Is the Mc'Donalds in Newtown open 24-hours again?
I hadn't thought about the effects of the new bypass, I assumed that this was a temporary Covid restriction. A 6am opening time gives you 7 hours riding time, so just ride a bit slower!
I suppose that altering the start time to midnight (as it used to be) might make Newtown McDs control more useful for the riders who only need 6 hours to cover that first 150km. I think we moved the start time to 11pm to suit the cafe start (anyone remember Ken's Cafe at Wood Lanes?), and I believe we are this year using Poynton Church for the start. I can't see the ladies from the church wanting to serve teas and coffees for a midnight start.
However, Newtown is the least of the considerations for this year's Plains 300. It looks like Dinky's Dina is not open 24 hours at the moment (any update from locals on this would be appreciated). We have plans to have a pop-up control for brews and snacks here - and if anyone fancies a shift with the kettle through the night, please PM me!
At least McDonalds at Whitchurch is open 24 hours. In the "old days" we used to have to control at the petrol station using the late-night hatch, with the poor attendant dashing about inside fetching rider orders.