Punting cars around a track is, without a doubt, as addictive as cigarettes laced with heroin. So to lose one of my main suppliers is a big deal…
I’ve been coming to Oran Park, on Sydney’s south-western outskirts for about 15 years in a competitive sense, and today I did my last lap ever of the old girl; the bulldozers will fill it in at the end of January. It was a track that represented a proportion of my life where I’ve grown and progressed both personally and professionally, and that last lap of the GP circuit (a 1min 29.5sec effort in our heavily modified Swift Lifer) distilled it nicely. Here’s the little Swifty screaming down the main straight.
My first laps as a greenhorn car journo and wannabe racer were terrifying and exciting and insane and so charged with adrenalin I thought I was going to pass out. Even now, even if I’m going to a launch of a motor scooter at any track anywhere in the world, or even just to watch, I get butterflies in my stomach from about 3km out…
OP opened in 1962 and has hosted races continuously since then. I won’t bore you with motorsport stuff, but losing it is like losing the SCG for motorsport buffs. It hasn’t changed much in its 40 years – the owners knew how to keep it running, keep the Supercar guys sweet and that’s about it – but the full-length circuit (known as the Grand Prix circuit) is one of the toughest tracks in Australia. Sweeping off the Yokohama bridge and down into Suttons can either be the greatest piece of car control you’ll ever execute in your life, or the most nightmarish white-knuckle 20 seconds you’ll ever experience. And the blind flip-flop… as the kids say, OMG.
With the rozzers and the PC do-gooders wrecking back-road fun for all of us, track days are the best outlet for your inner Lowndesy or Webber. And, as proved by my young cohort Kurt, anyone can pick up the baton and have a crack.
I’ve driven things as diverse as Ford Fiestas and Nissan GT-Rs at speed, and they were both as fun as each other. Would you take your daily driver out? Have you already done it? And should Oran Park be rebuilt somewhere else?
And on a side point: you can read more on the adventures of Captain Swift in the March issue of TopGear Australia magazine.
The track day I had there was nothing short of the best thing I’ve ever done without another person involved.
A deadset tragedy that it is going. The track was there on purpose to be away from housing, and the people who moved closer and closer should not have the right to complain.
I guess it was worth more as a housing estate.
Its sad when old tracks are closed down-suburbia is a ever moving monster that takes everything in its path,,
Our Lakeside track nearly went the same way but now due to historians and some really perswasive car nuts it is being restored for classic/and club raceing-and once again you will be able to pay a fee and flog your ride to death.
Long live motor sport
Amen..
I grew up with plans to be an F1 world champion… kinda fell short on that dream.
One of my favourite racetracks from my karting days was bulldozed a few years back for some more suburbs. Its really sad, i went there a year ago and couldnt recognise it.
That was the place i had my first major racing incident involving a trip in the ambo, Where i raced against real other talents who these days seem to be winning v8SC championships or something.
One of the saddest parts about it is these places are bulldozed, but not replaced. how are future generations going to learn to drive road cars on the limit? on the streets i presume.
the most important thing to the suburbia bozo is to turn every place in to a scumville suburbia,its called the culcutta syndrome,soon the local council will realise that they have just created another bogun slum suburb.
I’m only a teenager, but i’m a huge fan of cars, and one of my many dreams is to race around on a racetrack, but if there gonna be bulldozed then how the hell will i achieve that.
With every rac track demolished, a little part of me dies.
One day i will race round a track, even if it means having to make one myself (probably made from dirt, on a big plot of land wich i would get, somehow…….)
sub zero – depends where you live but you can get a drive on a track with most circuits haveing some sort of “race experience” you can get a few laps in v8 at qld raceway for about $200-iv done it and its a hoot!
eastern ck has one too/ not sure about the others.
Barbagallo does it. So does Sandown I believe.
Shame about Oran park. Like most good things it must come to an end. One of the best tracks for racing on any calendar & the fat cats decide there is nowhere else to build a few new houses & a shopping complex. Typical stupidity.
Yeah when i finish the upgrades on my car i’m going to take my car down to Barbagello to see what kind of a time i can get should be fun.
The other really good thing about the original OP circuit (south/short circuit) is that the entire track could be seen from the grandstands. How many other circuits can you say that about?
QR. Oh… That’s right, I forgot. Tony the Tosser has taken care of that one to.
I wish as deep as humanly possible, everyday, that an Australia Nurburgring be made. At least 20km of winding, escarpment-hop-scotching tarmac be laid somewhere along a deserted part of Australia’s coastline. It would allow keen enthusiasts to vent some of their urges, attract and promote more awareness towards better driving, and, as Nazi as it sounds, kill off a few hooligans that have no idea, relieving the society of danger on the streets.
But it’ll never happen. Too many OH&S geeks. Not enough money to be made, by the government, from opening such a fun field. Not to mention the lack of funds required to build it in the first place.
Oh well, back to blowing out candles, throwing coins into fountains and snapping more chicken bones for me then… either that, or I move to Quiddelbach.
That will never happen Bertus,road accidents and hooning around create a lot of employment and revenue,like tobacco and alcohol,no government will want to lose that revenue stream.
Im finally on my l’s (passed first time, was just lazy and now regret not doin it earlier!) and when i buy a car, im takin it to a track and goin for some laps. But if this keeps happening, not only will i have nowhere to drive without lookin at my speedo every 5 seconds, but many motor races will be no more. And its just sad thinkin about it. So long OP!
pw4: Queensland race way you can see the whole track.
Update – our little trip was actually the very last-ever organised track day. Word on the grapevine is that the track gets ripped up early next week…
sad day,the street racing is going to out of control around there,more deaths i guess,but thats what the goverment wants,but why dont they turn national parks in suburbs,the damage done to the society would have a smaller impact.
My understanding is the owner of Oran Park is keen to build a replacement but our State Govt wont approve a site.
If that’s the case then they should carve the stupid view-blocking mountain out of Eastern Creek and add some spectator facilities on the south side of the track… oops no, we had Homebush with those $$$ instead.
As someone who lives within ear shot of the track, I used to love waking on a Sat or Sunday morning to Oran Park alive and buzzing. In the last 12 months I would grab my camera and head out, fire off 1000 photos and enjoy the variety of machines.
My fastest time round there is a 1:29.5 in VW Polo GTI. My uncle used to race Sidecars there in the mid 80’s, Flash Flood was his nickname around the paddock. He had a big accident one day and slid all the way from just before the flip flop all the way up the hill and crashing into the wall on the straight.
poppop, while I share in the loss of the race track. I can tell you that Oran Park Town wont be anything like the Bogan suburbs you believe it to be. Don’t mistake it for Macq Fields or Claymore. Whilst yes it is Landcom property, just up the road is Harrington Grove, with a very lavish country club and property nudging the $1m mark. I dare say that the new inhabitants will be less bogan then some that have raced at OP over the years, including myself
Oh and after driving past it this morning along Northern Road. I can tell you that the pit sheds are gone and so sadly is the big white admin building
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My son and I drove his old EH Holden 380km to Oran Park on the 14th, and home again. It was his first track day and his first day at Oran Park. I hadn’t been there for 30 years. He might not have been the fastest, but I doubt if anyone had more fun that day. Thanks for the memories Oran park.