What Is Your Favorite Aus Race Track And Why

[DJRIFT]

Ok so theres three parts to this.

First what is your personal favorite race track in Aus and most importantly why. eg. its close to home. or it has the best street simulation.

Second is. Im kind of new to Proper motor sport and im not real familiar with what the lay out of most of our tracks are. So i stated doing some research and found this helpful site. http://www.autosource.com.au/motorsport-circuit-tracks.php . as it put the track names with a link to that tracks home page and also what state it was in.

Third is. i have a keen interest in traveling to some of these tracks to probably first check them out then to take my car over for some fun. My car at the moment isnt really built to any class of national motor sport so i figured i would have to just go along to a club day or somthing similar. which once a track is selected i will have to research to find out who is holding them and if i can drive there. Hopefully i can utilise one of the SAU track days at one of these tracks.

Ok so ill start. i live in tassie so i have only driven at Symmons and Baskerville. i have club raced at Symmons but have pretty much only drifted on Baskerville which has had many National Drifters rate it as the Best drift track in Aus as the track its self is very undulating with a fairly big climb up a hill then back down onto a long straight that has a further drop half way along it. this track thoe has poor facilities and is poorly sealed with many different patches which lead to constantly changing Grip levels making it very street like. Symmons on the other hand has grate facilities and is only half hour from my door. it has been upgraded recently to get the V8 super taxis back which makes for a good surface. it is however a bit booring as the track layout makes for 2 big long drag strips with a hair pin at one end and a sweeper at the other with a few twists in between.

From my current research eastern creek would have to be the pick of them all as i like the way it undulates and the basic lay out of it. but the fact it is in NSW would make it a fair hike for me. Oran Park would have to be second but unfortunately i wont be making it before it is closed.

Winton is most likely to be the first track i visit due to drifting.

please feed my interest

[sav man]

you left out lakeside.

I've only driven on Symmons and Bakerville. I like them both for different reasons, Symmons is all about bravery under brakes, and carrying high speed through the sweepers. Baskerville is a technical track on a rubbish surface. I need to get down to Baskerville more, but there arn't as many events down there, and Symmons is only a 30min drive for me too. So Baskerville would be my favorite that i've driven on.

I'd like to go and have a run on Phillip Island, and of corse Bathurst.... but Bathurst would be 10k+ after entry fee's, and transport up there.

[evil_weevil]

Only done some of the NSW ones..

OP GP, OP south and OP north,

Wakefield

EC

And half of Bathurst LOL (so cant comment on full track )

Marulan

But OP GP takes the cake

Just wish it wasnt closing

[NISMO]

Oran Park GP for me.

Have driven Wakie and Eastern Ck as well and EC is great but personally i think you need a more all out track car to really explore it.

[nismoman]

1. Oran Park GP for the win!

2. I've driven Wakefield, Eastern Creek, Oran Sth and Oran GP. Without a doubt I love Oran Park GP because it's so much like a roller coaster with little rest.

It askes you to push it over the flip flop and begs you to not brake through the kink. It's a very rewarding track and I wish it wasn't closing down either.

3. Want to go drive Phillip Island as I've only heard good things about it. I've visited and taken the tour, watched a club super sprint, but haven't driven it.

[hrd-hr30]

Lakeside.

Have driven Oran Park GP, Eastern Creek, Wakefield, Morgan park and all 4 of QR's layouts (yawn). Don't rate any of them in the same league as Lakeside.

Lakeside has greater elevation changes than Oran, plus a few camber changes mid corner or half way through the exits where you are trying to put power down. A tricky double apex corner, a blind high speed sweeper and the highest average speed of any track in the country. Awesome track.

[Beer Baron]

you left out the best of them all... bathurst...

Of the few in aus I have driven (Eastern Creek, wakefield, Oran Park GP, Oran Park Sth, Oran Park Nth and Phillip Island) I would rate Oran Park GP as my favourite. Have not done a full lap at bathurst and it's not a full time circuit but it's really number 1.

Eastern creek:

fairly convenient location in sydney. nice high speed turn 1 and with an open exit onto a straight can carry good speed there. has some ok elevation changes and is not bad. a bit of a 'power circuit' and can get a bit boring. pit facilities are ok, good compared to most aus tracks. food is shithouse. spectating points are shit too. surface is quite good, and has some astro turf which effectively widens how much track you can now use at a few key points (courtesy of A1 GP running there).

Wakefield park:

bloody far away at about 3 hours drive from sydney. bloody cold in winter, bloody hot in summer. any times in between you will most likely get sunburned and rained on in the same day. and the flies. my god the flies. track is ok, fairly safe if a bit boring. quite short, dicky, fiddly little track. facilities are best described as "average to poor"... also a mission to get decent fuel without having to do a 30 min drive each way.

Oran Park GP:

My favourite of the NSW tracks, but it's not here for much longer. has a figure 8 (ie track passes under itself) which is awesome. great elevation changes make it feel like a big roller coaster ride. lots of wall for you to hit and turn 1-2 is a bit of a butt clencher. if you get it right the parts from the top of the bridge through to the end of the straight are quite nice and flowing. the first part of the lap (turn 2 through to the bridge) are a bit dicky, slow turns, hard on the gas, hard on the brakes, turn it in and repeat for a few corners. but once off the bridge it's all good. facilities are a mix. main garages are ok and the pit area is nice. if you're unlucky enough to be in the rest of the paddock area it's crap. the bitumen looks like they dumped it from a helicopter. it's so uneven and coarse. not very conveniently located, 1.5 hours out of sydney. food is shithouse. spectating is excellent with some great vantage points that are nice and close to the track. South layout doesn't do it for me, and nth layout is only good for drifting or go karts. see it while you can.

Phillip Island:

great track with great facilities. goes to show what having a yearly international event does for a tracks facilities. great pit area, nice surface the whole thing is a class act. spectating is ok but not great. nice change of elevation heading up to MG but that's about it. hayshed is a bit of a butt clencher in anything fast. and in anything real fast it's probably no longer flat out. last turn coming onto the straight (actually the last few) is great, bullshit fast, turn 1 is fast too, but as you flow from turn 1 into the braking zone for 2 in some respects I feel you can attack turn 1 eastern creek a little harder as you have a nice long straight between 1 and 2 there. amazing scenery help make for a nice days driving here too. I've done it a few times now and loved it. a lot to learn there though before I'm anywhere near being quick.

need to get to a few more oz tracks while we still have any.

[nismoman]

Eastern Creek is up there also, it's the closest track for me to travel and I love the high speed on the long straight. Turn 1 gets the heart thumping as well.

After Oran Park closes then Eastern Creek will inherit favourite track.

[badhairdave]

I'd rate OP south over OP GP if not for the corner coming off the bridge where i just keep it flat, chuck it in and bounce around the corner because the surface is so bad. I have an NA shit box so long straights between corners take some of the fun out of it for me. The shorter straight of south and the late apex hairpin leading into the esses remove some of that from the circuit. I really enjoy the flip flop leading into the final turn at OP. Basically flat through the flip flop and then line it up, quick stab on the brakes and throw it into the final turn.

EC has a few nice combinations of corners. I really enjoy turns 1 through to 5 as a combination. Again NA shit box so i am flat down the straight, lift and turn in and then feed the gas back in before i hit the apex where i am flat again. Stand on the brakes into the hairpin and turn it in, feed on the power post apex and keep it flat into 3 and down the hill into 4 where i tap the brakes at the 50 and then chuck it in and floor it again though the corner, then another quick stab on the brakes, drop to 3rd and chuck it into 5. The sweeper leading into the second hairpin is also a heap of fun. EC rewards high corner speed as much as power IMHO.

I've done wakefield more than either of the other 2 and as a result i really enjoy it but looking at it critically it's a pretty simple track. It doesn't have the changes of direction and technical nature of OP or EC as there is really only turns 3 and 4 that have a quick change of direction and require you to think beyond the corner directly in front of you. It is forgiving to a poorly set up car unlike the other 2 and a good beginner track.

I really want to have a crack at MDTC while the car is still NA as it's another technical circuit (though not technically a race track)

I'd probably say EC is my favorite of the three atm. Funny considering most would call it a power track and i have 110rwkw

[DJRIFT]

Sorry for leaving out Lakeside, Im not able to edit the poll sorry.

And i totaly over looked Bathurst as its probably out of my own personal reach as a driving track and im also currently looking at these tracks as Club level.

thanks for the detailed replies.

[sav man]

Well Bathurst isn't a perinent track, and I think we all know it's the best track.

[e240]

Only done Eastern Creek, Wakefield and Oran

and...its Eastern Creek...fast circuit - turn one shits me..

I recently went off on the inside @ turn 1 and missed the inside wall by inches..

For some reason, I hate Oran Park - Just can't seem to find the flow...

[Sydneykid]

Lakeside.

Have driven Oran Park GP, Eastern Creek, Wakefield, Morgan park and all 4 of QR's layouts (yawn). Don't rate any of them in the same league as Lakeside.

Lakeside has greater elevation changes than Oran, plus a few camber changes mid corner or half way through the exits where you are trying to put power down. A tricky double apex corner, a blind high speed sweeper and the highest average speed of any track in the country. Awesome track.

I might to dissagree with Harry, nothing new there.

I believe Philip Island has a higher average than Lakeside. I was with Glen Seton in 1997 and we had data logging that showed PI at 173 kph average and Lakeside at 167 kph average. Glen had the lap record at Lakeside for a V8 SuperCar then and maybe he still does, so his Lakeside time wasn't slow. I don't recall him having the PI lap record though, so that just makes the difference greater if we use V8Supercar lap records as the test.

Since PI has a higher top speed it wouldn't be fair to use the lap times of a top speed limited car, like an F3 for example with it's 26 mm restrictor limiting the KPH far more at PI than at Lakeside. Or a FVee which has a simple horsepower limit. So a V8Supercar, where the top speed isn't artifically limited, may be the best test available. Even if we use SuperTourers, which with 300 bhp and a bit, could be argued to have a limited top speed. PI at 173 kph still has a higher average than Lakeside at 165 kph based on Geof Brabham's and Jim Richards lap records.

As for the best circuit, I rank it Bathurst, then PI and Oran Park together, but I really miss the challenge that was Amaroo Park.

Cheers

Gary

[Neil]

but I really miss the challenge that was Amaroo Park.

Cheers

Gary

Showing our ages Gary. I raced bikes at Amaroo and always loved that track. Honda corner and the stop /go corner were fantastic. Brings back memorys.

Neil.

[hrd-hr30]

I might to dissagree with Harry, nothing new there.

I believe Philip Island has a higher average than Lakeside. I was with Glen Seton in 1997 and we had data logging that showed PI at 173 kph average and Lakeside at 167 kph average. Glen had the lap record at Lakeside for a V8 SuperCar then and maybe he still does, so his Lakeside time wasn't slow. I don't recall him having the PI lap record though, so that just makes the difference greater if we use V8Supercar lap records as the test.

Since PI has a higher top speed it wouldn't be fair to use the lap times of a top speed limited car, like an F3 for example with it's 26 mm restrictor limiting the KPH far more at PI than at Lakeside. Or a FVee which has a simple horsepower limit. So a V8Supercar, where the top speed isn't artifically limited, may be the best test available. Even if we use SuperTourers, which with 300 bhp and a bit, could be argued to have a limited top speed. PI at 173 kph still has a higher average than Lakeside at 165 kph based on Geof Brabham's and Jim Richards lap records.

As for the best circuit, I rank it Bathurst, then PI and Oran Park together, but I really miss the challenge that was Amaroo Park.

Cheers

Gary

Nothing new at all mate. I used the easiest records for me to find - IPRA and Sport Sedans

IPRA

Lakeside Wakefield 808 Wagon 57.45 = 151km/h 1998

Phillip Is R.Ambrose RX7 1:46.03 = 150km/h 1999

Sport Sedans

Lakeside Briggs Honda 51.12 = 169km/h 1996

Phillip Is* Bailley Supra 1:34.84 = 168km/h 1996

*Its now held by Hossack's SAAB in 2008 @ 1:31.86 and 174km/h, but up until 2001 when Lakeside closed and Ricciardello reset the PI record to 1:33.68 (170km/h), this was the valid comparison. I'm sure Hossack's machine would spank Briggs' old Honda's time at Lakeside too.

Did a bit of digging around Natsoft on V8 Supercars. You're right, Seton set the lap record of 51.44 in 1997. That's 169km/h avg according to Natsoft, who must have rounded up - I get 168.6. PI V8 Supercar lap record was set 2 years later by Lowndes at 1:33.43 = 171km/h avg based on 4.445km track length on PI's website - slower than your data logging of Glen's car??? But V8 Supercars were no longer going to Lakeside by the time that record was set so maybe not the most valid comparison with the pace of development in that category. No Natsoft times available for V8 Supercars at PI before 1999 unfortunately.

Apples with apples, Lakeside is the faster track.

and that's before it was resufaced and widened onto the front straight and through the kink at the start of this year.

Edited June 26, 2009 by hrd-hr30

[hrd-hr30]

forget to look at Super Tourers

Lakeside Richards Volvo S40 52.23 (2.41km) 169km/h 1998

Phillip Is Brabham BMW 320i 1:37.17 (4.445km) 164 km/h 1997

Edited June 26, 2009 by hrd-hr30

[hrd-hr30]

it wouldn't let me edit that post for some reason. made an error.

Richo's Volvo avg speed should be 166km/h, not 169. Still faster than PI though

[Roy]

Sandown. Not many people will say so but i love how its a relatively straight forward circuit with big stops and 90deg corners. It means you can muscle cars around the corners and under brakes you can really jump on it and row back through the gears. Its challenging and feasible that you can get majority of the corners nailed and get clsoe to an optimum lap.

In a rwd car its fun challenging trying to get through the corners as quick as you can with a bit of kerb abd muscle then get on the power and get a clean exit....then jump on the brakes for he big stop...you feel as though you can really push on the track

I can understand if you had a well sorted car you would enjoy tracks like EC, Winton and PI more...but when your cars simply gets lost mid corner because it handles like shit then its not fun having to be so careful rather then just enjoy the car. And those higher speed tracks, you jump on the loud pedal and you dotn go any quicker beucase it takes lots of hp to move through the air at over 180km/h

Oran Park is GAY, its closing down Just like Amaroo, two best tracks gone!

[hrd-hr30]

I prefr EC over OP as well, and the standard TT Supra I drove there wasn't exactly high powered.

Oran GP has too many mickey mouse stop-go corners, the kerbs are insane through the esses after the bridge, and it seemed to have a very low grip surface. It has a few good good points as well though, from the bridge to the front straight I like, but the other half of the track sucks.

I prefer the longer, higher speed corners of Eastern Creek.

[Sydneykid]

Nothing new at all mate. I used the easiest records for me to find - IPRA and Sport Sedans

IPRA

Lakeside Wakefield 808 Wagon 57.45 = 151km/h 1998

Phillip Is R.Ambrose RX7 1:46.03 = 150km/h 1999

Sport Sedans

Lakeside Briggs Honda 51.12 = 169km/h 1996

Phillip Is* Bailley Supra 1:34.84 = 168km/h 1996

*Its now held by Hossack's SAAB in 2008 @ 1:31.86 and 174km/h, but up until 2001 when Lakeside closed and Ricciardello reset the PI record to 1:33.68 (170km/h), this was the valid comparison. I'm sure Hossack's machine would spank Briggs' old Honda's time at Lakeside too.

Did a bit of digging around Natsoft on V8 Supercars. You're right, Seton set the lap record of 51.44 in 1997. That's 169km/h avg according to Natsoft, who must have rounded up - I get 168.6. PI V8 Supercar lap record was set 2 years later by Lowndes at 1:33.43 = 171km/h avg based on 4.445km track length on PI's website - slower than your data logging of Glen's car??? But V8 Supercars were no longer going to Lakeside by the time that record was set so maybe not the most valid comparison with the pace of development in that category. No Natsoft times available for V8 Supercars at PI before 1999 unfortunately.

Apples with apples, Lakeside is the faster track.

and that's before it was resufaced and widened onto the front straight and through the kink at the start of this year.

From memory in 1997 we used PI as the test track, so Glen's time may have been not from a race, hence not a valid lap record. Always happened at PI, lousy weather for the race, or the wind changes off Bass Straight and a killer head wind knocks the top speed around. Regardless, having driven at both tracks a number of times I always feel that a lap of PI is faster in a car with plenty of horsepower. The higher top speed for an extended period plus a ~50% longer lap at PI makes it feel faster. I always had trouble adjusting to the speed at PI whenever I went back there after an abscence, something that was never an issue at Lakeside.

Cheers

Gary