Future racetracks

[mac]

During and after the Barbagallo round, there was talk that unless Perth built a street circuit, they would lose a round of the championship.

This begs the question, are street circuits the way to go for the future? I know Ray doesn't think so. What does everyone else think?

I believe a mixture is healthy. Maybe 2 or 3 street circuits (not including Bathurst) is adequate.

One reason for this trend could be that so many actual racing tracks are not up to handling the V8s. Have a look at some of the tracks:
Willowbank - Dull, boring track (I don't know what the facilities are like).
Lakeside - Good track. Ordinary facilities (I know they're going to be improved).
Oran Park - Great track (the only one I have driven on). No facilities (including the pits).
Eastern Creek - OK track. Probably the best facilities. Poor race day access.
Wakefield Pk - Nice track. Not up to V8s. No facilities.
Calder - Not really a terribly suitable track for V8s. Reasonable facilities.
Winton - Not a wonderful track for V8s. Ordinary facilities.
Sandown - Dull track. Pretty good facilities.
Phillip Island - Great track. Reasonable facilities.
Mallala - Can't handle V8s. Ordinary facilities.
Hidden Valley - Pretty unexciting track. OK facilities.
Barbagallo - OK track. Terrible access. Dusty facilities.

Now I know we can't have every race meeting at Grand Prix standard tracks. However, the current allotment of circuits are ordinary.

Will this and should this encourage the increase in V8 "supercar" street races?

PS. I'm willing to design any future circuits.

[Buckshot]

Oran Park are in the process of completing a new pit building complex which will be ready in time for this years V8 Supercar round.

Been following the progress of this building on Speedweek every week and it's looking good.

[Rob29]

You Aussies are lucky to have 4 active street circuits,and 2 more planned? The only one in UK lasted only 5 years (Birmingham) due to lack of public interest in F3000.Adelaide & Canberra certainly look more exciting than the 'bush' tracks which could be anywhere.

[mac]

Rob - We are forced to race on streets as our permanent tracks (Oran Park and Phillip Island excluded) are so ordinary.

The problem with that, as Ray has often stated, is that while all these races on street circuits are sprouting up everywhere, the local racetracks are becoming more and more worn out, there is no incentive to upgrade them, and will, more than likely disappear in the future. This would be a sorry state of affairs for motorsport at a grass roots level.

I enjoy watching street races as much as the next bloke. Adelaide, Gold Coast and Melbourne are fine as they allow (some) room for V8s. Tracks like Canberra aren't suitable. If the organisers continue to favour street races, they must also look after the permanent circuits.

[Ray Bell]

Barbagallo... dusty facilities?

Well, let me assure you that Barbagallo's promoters are going into debt each year against the following year's V8 Supercar meeting's projected income to do what AVESCO demand for this year!

Thankfully Shell demand a round in each state... but... what, no Symmons Plains on your list?

Another circuit which has had enormous sums expended to upgrade it and loses out in the end...

[Amaroo Park]

It is not a question as to weather the tracks are up to the cars but weather the cars are up to the track. All these street races are becoming a bit of a ****. I t seems that AVESCO want a Bathurst like atmosphere at every round HA. You can not have 13 glamour events. As for the tracks not being up to standard I agree with Oran Park it is a discrace and has been for the last 10 or 15 years but people like Clem Smith at Malalla have spent a lot of money on up grading there tracks which by the way are GOOD enough for V8's. The big picture is that while the Touring Cars keep using street curcuits no or not very much money is getting spent on the permant tracks as they have very little revenue coming in and that is affecting Club Level motor sport which is after all part of what CAMs and AVesco are about.

[mac]

Colin, that is my point. These street races are killing the permanent tracks. OK, so I may have exaggerated a little in terms of the tracks, to get my point across. But the point was still there.

But the majority of tracks in Australia seem to be a little boring. It's almost as if most of the tracks were designed without any imagination or creativity. However, I doubt any permanent track is as boring as the Canberra street race.

Also, it is AVESCO (Cochrane) that are constantly stating the fact that these circuits are not meeting the ever-increasing demands of the V8s.

Ray - I'm very sorry I forgot about Symmons. Seems to be a common theme with that part of the world
Why was it dropped exactly?

[racer69]

I wonder why goverments spend all the money on a street track which can only be used once a year when all the money can be spent on existing tracks, which can be used all year. One street race is tolerable, probably Adelaide because of its history, but no more. It would be better if the WA Government put all the street race money into access roads and better facilities at Wanneroo, and if the SA goverment want a Adelaide street race, they should be made to make a sizeable investment to get Mallala up to standard, or even better get Adelaide International raceway back up and running. After all, wouldn't the Lites series also benefit if permanent circuits were of a higher standard.

Also, what happened to the proposed new permenant circuit which was rumoured to be going to be built in Perth for a Le Mans Series Sportscar Race.

[mac]

Bite my head off here but, could you guys be being a tad selfish here. Just a tad. I was watching RPM yesterday and they made a very good point. If a street race gets more people to the races, surely that must be a good thing. I know channel 10 are not going to want to upset AVESCO, but I can't see a negative of more people attending race meetings. Maybe everyone's views here are influenced by the fact that they participate in club racing etc. Just a thought.

Tracks like Canberra are not in the interests of fans, but if it can be done correctly.....

Having said that, I do realise that the permanent tracks and grass roots motorsport definitely do need greater financial support. As a former participant in the ultimate grass roots motorsport (karting), I can completely recognise the need for more money.

Seeing as street races are SO cheap, and they attract SO many more fans (according to AVESCO), thus making more money - perhaps some of the money made from such races could go into the funding of racing at lower levels and permanent circuits? Ha! I'd like to see that Mr Cochrane.

[Crash Test]

Can you imagine what would happen to the top level of the sport if there was nothing below it??

Anyways, why do government's spend money in street races? For one, it is a big ad for which ever city the race is in. Secondly, they hear events like Indy and the AGP bringing in $X million dollars to the community.

But how about Eastern Creek, Hidden Valley, Queensland Raceway, and now Lakeside. They have all had government input at various levels, and with various amounts of success.

I hope and pray that they don't ditch Winton....after they have done everything possible to keep the show in town, by spending $$$$$$$...

[marcus]

I hope they dont drop Winton either ..i have seen how much effort they have put into the track and facilities for the drivers..now all they need to do is cater for the public better (ie ..working toilets) and better car parks and they will have a top notch show..the track is brilliant and always produces close and exciting races.

as for having more street tracks...you dont want to overdo it ...i hate canberra (as a track and a city) and dont think it deserves a race at all and there has even been plans for a street track in my home town of Albury ..which i would support if it happened but hope that it doesnt because we dont need anymore street races and if a race in Albury happened then it would surely hurt winton (only 1 hour down the road)


we need the permanent race tracks to survive for the lower catorgories and and for once I am going to agree with Ray V8 supercar is not the be all and end of of Australian motorsport. the lower fomulae are just as important if not more important because without them we will have no V8 supercar drivers.

[The Hrt Kid]

Albury will not and never have a v8 race. Im 99% certain on that one.

[racer69]

I have to say that i prefer to watch racing on permanent tracks than street circuits. I'm only just out of school this year and am saving up for my license, and when i race i'm gonna have more fun racing around sandown or oran park than canberra or adelaide, plus if i go off i'm not gonna instantly cause myself a large repair bill. Do you think if race one of the Adelaide 500 was run with the same intensity at Mallala, would Radisich have had as much damage on his car as he did, and permanent circuits produce better racing, because the drivers can take more risks

[Crash Test]

Re: Mallala- remember back to the 1996 ATCC round?

I think reverse grids work half alright at Canberra because of its tightness. The drivers wont take any silly risks because they know that the possibilities of them pulling the move off are minimal. I've seen many a reverse grid race at permanant circuits turn to manure quick smart because people try too hard to make moves, which they wouldn't attempt if there was a big concrete wall waiting for them..

[RaceTime]

Having come into this a bit late, will address a few things in one go.

Why street circuits? Because when the current government in that state/city changes or re-prioritises there money, they can drop the race without losing or shutting down a permanent facility. Panoz ring any bells here?

Also you will notice that IMG is tied up with just about every street race currently being run. Hmmm IMG, SEL - means more profit back into the organisers pockets. Hey, hang on a minute - permanent circuits then channel this money back into motor sport. Street circuits don't - so the BIG loser here is motor sport in general.