On the way back from Bowral yesterday, I stopped off at Camden to see what was left of Oran Park.
Camden Valley Way is being extensively rebuilt and will soon be at least two lanes each way. The turnoff to Cobbitty Rd will be a major intersection in a few months, not the little country lane turnoff it used to be.
Cobbitty Rd has been straightened, multi-laned and landscaped just before you reach Oran Park. You now go straight ahead into the Oran Park Town housing development, which is mostly to the east of the old circuit. There has been extensive subdividing and new roads built, and an impressive sales office and display centre built.
To get to the old circuit, you turn left at the Oran Park Town entry and continue down Cobbitty Rd. The old entrance is on the right, 300m before you reach The Northern Rd. The steel pipe gate is padlocked and all race track signs have been removed. I parked the Golf, climbed over the gate and walked up the old entrance road into the old circuit grounds.
All buildings have been demolished. I climbed up a loose dirt slope where the grandstand once was, and took this shot looking across the track. Recaro corner is in the foreground, looking back down the track towards the 'dog-leg'. Only the tarmac, considerably chopped up, still remains.
This photo looks towards the right from the same spot. You're looking up the main straight. We used to start the VW Nationals eighth-mile drag races from about where the tarmac starts to widen.
All the pit buildings, control tower, offices and other buildings to the right of the straight have been demolished. There's nothing left except loose dirt and weeds.
If you look towards the end of the straight, you can see construction work has already begun over the old Coca Cola corner and beyond. The famous Dunlop Bridge has gone. Oran Park was the only Australian racing circuit where the track crossed over itself.
That brings back some memories, Phil. I saw Oran Park track in almost exactly the same condition - about 50 years ago! It was just before they surfaced it for the first time. The initial surface was not hot-mix, but gravel/bitumen. I raced at the second meeting, and still got heaps of stone chips all over the front of the Beetle.
It looks like the clock has been turned back, although there are many good memories to offset the sadness.
Cheers, Greg
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
another one the kiddies wont get to have a go on, im including myself in that since im still yet to finish my car, hell by the time im done there will probably be no tracks left 👎
Volkswagen Drivers Club of Queensland - member 🙂
STIDUB - yep its still a work in progress
Vwdcq club car racing/ and crashing while my bug isn't finished.
what's wrong with the government!!!
they keep coming up with this safety crap and how the racing needs to be taking off the streets blah blah blah.....
where are people going to go when they keep getting rid of tracks..eastern creek is the only one left now in Sydney, (probably won't be long till that's sold off?!!!)
it's a shame to see it like that. Oran Park was a great spectator track.
Cheers
Man that sucks!
Having raced a Superbike around there a few times,it has to be one of the best track layouts around (Not for a Superbike though!)
Scary place when ya tank slapping over the hill down into the final turn then on the gas on the way out sideways trying to steer it off the wall.Great stuff!
Developers and the Government dickheads need a smack in the gob.
I hate 'progress' like this
Flintstones wrote:what's wrong with the government!!!
they keep coming up with this safety crap and how the racing needs to be taking off the streets blah blah blah.....
where are people going to go when they keep getting rid of tracks..eastern creek is the only one left now in Sydney, (probably won't be long till that's sold off?!!!)
it's a shame to see it like that. Oran Park was a great spectator track.
Cheers
Spot on, Flintstones. There are hundreds of footy fields, swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. What is there for car enthusiasts❓,SFA 😬
I'd rather wear a Beetle out by racing it than by polishing it!
I read in the paper this week that Kogarah Jubilee oval has had $80 million + of taxpayer dollars spent on it over the last couple of years. Great for the St George supporters I suppose, but how many times a year is it used? Could that money have been better spent elsewhere? Lakeside in Brisbane closed for nearly 10 years, but managed to re-open. Same with Mallala in SA. It's too late for Oran Park - demolition has already begun and parts of it have already been torn up.
I'm not sure what the story with Eastern Creek is. The V8 Supercars don't want to race there - hence the Homebush street race instead. They are supposed to be looking at expanding or redesigning the circuit to make it more appealing and suitable for larger events but I havem't heard anything recently. Last time I was there, for the CMC day in August, it had a sort of 'run-down' feeling. At least it's next to a tip - no one would want to build high-density villas there.
Oran Park has an interesting history. The original track Greg mentions was just 1.6 km long but was re-graded and extended to 1.9 km in the late '60s. The hills surrounding the circuit that give such a great view are not natural - they were made from land-fill in the 1960s. The main straight used to have a big dip in it but it was filled and graded flat. The 'grand prix' entension and bridge was added in 1974, making a 2.6 km circuit in total. Amazingly, no one ever drove the full grand prix circuit in less than 60 seconds - the absolute lap record is 1 min 1.67 sec, set by a Formula Holden in 2000. Craig Lowndes has the V8 Supercar record, 1 min 8.06 sec. The best Formula Vee lap (1200) was 1 min 21 sec.
I guess we just add Oran Park to the long list of closed race tracks in Sydney and surrounds - Amaroo, Catalina, Mt Druitt, Warwick Farm, Parramatta Park, Castlereagh, Berkshire (Marsden) Park, Gnoo Blas, Maroubra...
Wannavee wrote:Man that sucks!
Having raced a Superbike around there a few times,it has to be one of the best track layouts around (Not for a Superbike though!)
Scary place when ya tank slapping over the hill down into the final turn then on the gas on the way out sideways trying to steer it off the wall.Great stuff!
Developers and the Government dickheads need a smack in the gob.
I hate 'progress' like this
Totally agree Lee!
I did a few quick laps for the launch of the Fiat Punto and Alfa Romeo Brera in Australia. Not the same as on a superbike I know, but coming over the crest of that hill blind then down the hill into the final corner was an awesome experience....something that I will never forget, or experience again (at least in that location anyway).
It is definitely a great shame to see it in this state....what a waste of an awesome motorsports facility.
The Land that was sold by the developer netted him around 700 million dollars
Hands up here anyone who would not have sold it if it was yours
I would have thats for certain.
Well Oran Park was owned by one man and it his right to with it as he pleases. Whilst he may have made quite a bit of money out of the development, running and keeping a race track in good condition is no easy feat when you take into account having to deal with the likes of Tony Cochrane of V8 Super taxi's fame and other promoters, driver associations, not to mention government departments.
I say for those of us lucky enough to have driven on the track at full speed... thanks for the excitement & thrills that only my dry cleaner knew about!!! And for those who have missed out, sorry, but life changes and time to look forward and remember the past with a smile 😵💫
