Mon
Aug
14
2006
A day at the races
Saturday just gone was a very pleasant day at the races. Not the horse-type races, but the “V8 Supercar Championship”: http://www.v8supercars.com.au round here in Sydney at the venerable Oran Park circuit.
It was something of a group outing, with son Sam, a couple of guys from church, and another minister whom I’ve worked with in the past.
The weather was just magnificent – classic late winter Sydney day (see image below), not to hot, not too cold. We had a great spot on the hill above turn 11, the last corner before the straight, and directly opposite a big truck-mounted screen that showed us the action from the rest of the circuit (which we could see, but in the distance).
We brewed up several batches of fresh coffee (plunger), while the neighbouring crowd sunk uncountable tinnies of another kind of brown liquid.
There’s a lot of other action to be had in between the V8’s outings – the Aussie Racers very cute little single seaters, built to look like Holden’s and Fords, but weighing only 450Kg and sporting a 100Kw 1.2 litre donk.
Then there’s the classic Formula Ford – small open wheelers that are the training ground for many of the current and up and coming V8 Supercar drivers.
To top it off, the “B” grade Fujitsu V8 Supercar series is a good watch, being very close in quality driving to the main event.
V8 Supercars are a uniquely Australian thing. They resemble the sporty models of Holden and Ford’s v8 road going cars. But of course, in reality, it’s only a passing resemblance. Nevertheless, the deep, deafening crackling of 30-odd, 600bhp v8’s on the start grid is an awesome sound.
Oran Park has bags of character. The circuit goes back to the early sixties in it’s current format – and it looks every bit of it! Crumbling out buildings of corrugated iron, a couple of concrete stands with little or no shelter, and the only sealed road is the track itself! But it is a wonderful place, and it’s sad to think that within a few years it will just be part of another outer-Sydney housing estate.
It was a fine day enjoying each other’s company – and a good out for Sam just before some big exams.
A quick look at the circuit as stitched by Sam is here (click for a BIG version):
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So, did Ford or Holden win?
— David Corless · Aug 15, 09:14 AM · #
So, when’s your night at the opera?
— Gary · Aug 15, 09:19 AM · #
@Dave: Todd Kelly had a great victory in Race 1, after Skaife pulled out with gear selector failure (he had a 6 second lead too!). Kelly win was great to watch, with a few biffs with Loundes in the last few laps. ;-)
@Gary: I’ll give the Opera a miss, but will settle for time “At the circus” :)
— NeilA · Aug 15, 11:17 AM · #
It must be 20 years since I last went to the races at Oran Park. I always used to sit on the ‘dogleg’ about 200m up the track from where you were.
Those were the days before V8 Supercars. There were, of course, V8s – but also interesting things like Mazda RX7s that were so loud you could feel them shaking deep down in your guts.
And a swarm of Formula Vees starting off always made a great sound!
These days, I occasionally fly over OP in a glider (it’s only a couple of kilometres from Camden Airport). I wasn’t flying this weekend, but one of our club pilots was, and he took a great photo of the Holden blimp and OP. I’ll put it up on flyingnerd.com.
(By the way, I also used to go to the races at Amaroo Park – and that really IS a housing estate these days. We had a favourite viewing position two-thirds of the way up the hill – right on the fence line. We missed a meeting once – and on that day a Formula Pacific car hurdled the fence and killed a spectator exactly where we would have been… It was 3 Aug 86, and the driver was the very likeable Peter Hopwood.)
— Richard · Aug 15, 07:55 PM · #
Careful Richard, we’re starting to sound like two old fogies!
(“When I were young…”)
In another age, I raced go-karts at Amaroo (and at Catalina – another really nice track at Katoomba), and drove Corolla’s at Toyota Car Club days at Oran Park.
These were (and still are in the case of Oran Park) great tracks, and I wonder where all the action happens as they close? Eastern Creek just has no character!
The Holden blimp was really interesting – for the fact that most of one side of the things was a giant display screen, used to advertise the new VE Commodore (I’m comes in about 3 weeks!). I’d love to know the technology that powered that screen.
Will post more images…
— NeilA · Aug 16, 04:32 AM · #
As a kid, I used to love watching Rallycross from Catalina Park. Never saw any live action there, but the circuit still exists at Katoomba. I’ve walked about half way around – but have always been too pressed for time to make the whole journey.
And speaking or racing circuits, around 10 years ago my (then) employer flew us all to Monaco for a ‘World Trade’ sales conference. The event was a real drag, but I walked the entire distance of the GP circuit (which was in use for regular traffic at the time – in February). Now that was a blast!
— Richard · Aug 16, 10:55 AM · #
“We brewed up several batches of fresh coffee (plunger)”
I’m glad you put the “plunger” bit in there Neil – I was almost thinking you’d taken Morris and a big long extension lead or something!! :-)
— AndrewR · Aug 22, 06:35 AM · #