Calder Park Raceway |
Calder Park Raceway was founded in the farming community of Diggers Rest and began as a dirt track carved into a paddock by a group of motoring enthusiasts who wanted somewhere to race their FJ Holdens.
The Australian Motor Sports Club hosted their first meeting on a bitumen track on January 14, 1962. The track design back then was very similar to the existing Club Circuit, which is still in use today.
National Circuit: Length 2.280 km / 1.417 miles
National Circuit
The National Circuit is 2.28km in length and also incorporates the shorter Club Circuit which is 1.609 km. There is plenty of seating on the North and East sides of the circuit giving spectators an excellent view of the whole track. The circuit is available for hire for a variety of events including Club circuit days, drifting, testing and large public events.
Thunderdome
CIRCUIT (Thunderdome) LENGTH WIDTH
Pit Lane 384m 22.3m
Pit Straight 384m 17m
Back Straight 430m 25m
Drag Strip
Calder Park's Drag Strip has plenty of spectator viewing at the start line with the times highly visible on the timing boards. It also features lighting for night events.
4WD Track
Calder Park also have a dedicated 4WD Drive Track which is available for hire. This facility is perfect for driver training and for Car Manufacturers to showcase their vehicles. The facility features many different terrains and includes a mud pit to practice vehicle recoveries.
2021 Update
This article is from the March 12, 2021 issue of The Herald Sun Digital Edition.
Bid to bring back the Calder Park thunder CAR enthusiasts are revving up a campaign to breathe life back into Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne's north.
More than 2000 people have signed a petition that calls for the landmark venue to be restored.
Sarah Allen, who started the petition on Saturday, said Calder Park had the potential to be like the famed Bathurst circuit in NSW.
"We would undoubtedly attract a lot of tourists and help stimulate our economy once again, especially since it's fallen into dark times recently from the ongoing stress of COVID-19 which bled most businesses and people dry," she said.
Ms Allen said the complex, which includes a drag strip, a road circuit and the Thunderdome oval, was "sitting abandoned and slowly wasting away on the Calder Freeway" .
"Don't allow this sacred strip of land to be turned into an industrial area, or be converted into more and more of the ever-growing apartment blocks," she said.
Calder Park Raceway's Thunderdome was the first track outside North America to host NASCAR, but has not been used since 2001. Races were held on the drag strip until the end of 2019.
The regular meets were initially put on hold in 2020 for a resurfacing of the track and then delayed further by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Calder Park drag racing website says Friday and Sunday race events are due to resume after Easter.
Motorsport fans have welcomed the push to revitalise Calder Park, created in the 1980s by the late Bob Jane - the former car racer and tyre tycoon who died in 2018.
Cameron Vince said he would like to see Supercars racing return and the complex overhauled to host concerts and music festivals.
"I just think the Thunderdome could be more useful then just a speedway," he said. "It could be an event venue which can draw in people of all interests."
The venue has been used for rock concerts, including Fleetwood Mac and a notorious Guns N' Roses gig in 1993 that drew 75,000 fans and sparked a Victorian Ombudsman's report, due to more than 1000 people being treated for sunstroke, dehydration and hypothermia, and a public transport failure at night.
The complex is still owned by Bob Jane Corporation, run by Bob's son Rodney. The corporation was contacted for comment.
A Motorsport Australia spokesman said the organisation was eager to see more permanent motorsport facilities across Australia.
"While Calder Park itself has not hosted any Motorsport Australia sanctioned events for a number of years, we remain in contact with the venue owners as they consider Calder Park's future," they said.
A Brimbank Council spokesman recognised Calder Park as a "key attraction" with the potential to be a multi-use venue. No recent planning applications have been lodged for the site.
❊ Address ❊
⊜ Calder Freeway Keilor Downs 3038 View Map
✆ Telephone: 9091 0800
❊ Web Links ❊
➼ Calder Park Raceway
➼ www.calderpark.com.au
➼ www.bobjane.com.au
Disclaimer: Check with the venue (web links) before making plans, travelling or buying tickets.
Accessibility: Contact the venue for accessibility information.
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