Darlington Park Raceway - Closed Permanently

[Dave]

klyent, I really can't see the HRCC being too interested in drags.

I think you will be right.

[lukevl]

I don't want to step on anyone's toes but I believe the sale of Darlington park was a financial one due to a family fued over the assets. Lots and lots of things got auctioned off like earthmoving equiment etc to keep everyone happy. The father was a nice bloke but the rest are rich pricks grappling for money so I've heard.
I have also heard that previously they wanted $50M for the place but that was before old man died.

[Q]

I asked around, ....apparently it HAS been sold.
...So they ARE feeding us BS

[Madhatr]

Madhatr, there was a targa type event proposed around the GC & Sunnie coast a couple of years ago but it never got off the ground.

Yeah, there was also going to be another track built in the hinterland too, our council and stupid locals pretty much canned it, just like everything else ever put forward. Thats what i was saying, its a pitty that these things dont go ahead, some great roads up here, you could pretty much drive from the border right through the ranges up to tamborine village. Id really like a full blown crack at some of the roads around here, some of them are just begging for that type of event.

[Jim]

I've seriously been thinking of going karting simply because the nearest track is 15 mins as opposed to the nearest race track being 4 hrs away

[fro]

it does though (being serious). street events hold more interest for me to watch and participate in.

Really. I love me a good rally, but street circuits bore me to tears, are inherently dangerous, tend to inconvenience a bunch of people, and leave no resource for people to access at other times (like for practice days, or OLTs, or advanced driver training). Oh, and the previously mentioned horrendous PLI.

Street circuits are officially teh suck.

[Madhatr]

yeah.

You drive for 3 hours to the complex with the last 10 km's taking over an hour because local roads can’t handle the traffic. Line up for parking which takes nearly a half hour to reach the main gate only to have it cost $8-$12 for entry to drive through a field and park next to some fool who will most likely put a dent in your door. After leaving the car open and all windows down, because, lets face it, you might as well let the talent less bastards search through your car rather than smash your window to break in, you queue up at long ticket gates in 35 degree, 80% humidity weather to pay $30 for track entry. Walking through the gates and surveying the scene, the best vantage areas are long taken, grandstand entry costs you double your ticket price, so you wander about for an hour looking for somewhere to park your crap all the while feeling light headed because you haven’t eaten a thing since last night because you had to leave at 5am to make it to the track before ‘the traffic set in’.

Dumping your gear down in an empty, ant ridden, rubbish filled, tuft of what was once grass, you head for the drink line right away. Lining up in a queue which stretches half way around the track, the first race begins to start, you wonder; do you run back to your patch of grass (where you will see nothing) or stay in line and hope to god you don’t pass out before a) you are served or b) your choice beverage is sold out. After purchasing your drink you have a sudden flash of brilliance that food might be in order, realising the line is longer than the one you just queued up for, and that your choice of food is either soggy chicken and chips, various fried muck or sandwiches that look like left over supplies from world war II, something exciting happens on the track. Of course, you can’t see a damn thing from your miserable spot of grass, you wish everyone would sit the fuck down so you can actually get a look at a tiny spot of asphalt in a vain attempt at spotting your favourite driver out on the track. Not having much luck you turn towards the big screen tv that may be situated somewhere along the track only to find that the 11 am sun is bouncing off the iron roof of the food van, directly across your line of sight and straight onto the big screen rendering it useless. Then the unthinkable happens, nature calls.

Casually walking towards the toilets you saw on your way in, a slow walk at first with the pace ever increasing as the need to piss continues to build, its then you reach the line which is double the size of the beer van and food van lines combined. Standing in line the first race ends, you are stuck behind a ford fan raving to his mate about some useless shit that has nothing to do with what is going on at the track, a casual holden fan is behind you correcting (under his breath) everything the ford fan has to say, all the while you are wondering... why the hell do I need to piss if I've only had 1 beer since bed last night?!. Finally you make your way into what wouldn’t pass for a toilet in a 3rd world malaysian outpost, side step a bin, dodge a kid only to have to line up waiting for a urinal while some fat bastard drops the biggest, vilest, most disgusting god awful smelling shit you have ever had the displeasure of experiencing. A plus side is it instantly evacuated the toilet block, but the need for a piss is too great, so you take in a deep breath of rotten stale toilet block air, the aroma of fat bastards toilet disaster invading your nostrils, quickly do your business, then rush for the door like you were Indiana Jones and your last method for escape is a stone door about to seal you forever in this god forsaken tomb.

Reaching the relative safety of the open air, race II is about to start, you have no idea who won race I, where your favourite driver placed, or what the order for the reverse grid in race II will be, but you press on anyway. Wandering back to your patch of grass you find all your stuff has disappeared, including your accomplice, which is a pretty strange notion as the likelihood of her picking up is pretty remote given the fact that she makes Camilla look like a half decent sort. With many possible scenario’s running through your head you set off wandering around the track for what seems like days, weeks, months even, when you suddenly catch a glimpse of your counterpart and race for the safety of your patch of grass never to venture out into the crowds again. Collapsing on your rug, she turns to you "where have you been? found a better place to sit up here", a casual glance actually manages to spy a blue flash, followed by some yellow, maybe even a bit of red, not enough to actually make out the exact vehicle, but at least you can finally see some asphalt. Once again she speaks "would you get me a drink? it's kinda hot out here", suddenly it dawns on you, why the hell didn’t you stay home, kick back with some mates, watch it on your big screen tv and sink a few bourbon and cokes.

Ohh yes, thats right... the old catch cry of the weekend motorsport warrior "It isn’t the same on tv" rings in your head.

[BigMuz]

^^ :D

You forgot the part where you are made feel guilty for three days about why you dragged her to 'your' thing....

And the two hour trip home with dust in your eyes....

Muz

[Nafe]

Do you even enjoy motorsport at all madhatr? :p

[GT R31]

Can someone point me in the direction of some info about the Kilcoy track??

[lukevl]

I've got a map of it around somewhere. May be a little hard to find but it looks interesting

[Madhatr]

Do you even enjoy motorsport at all madhatr? :p

Yes, see previous comment about street circuits

When i say i love speed on tweed, i mean i love it, it's one of the best meets i have ever been to. Scruitineering done on the friday, people get a chance to walk around and look at the cars / chat to owners / catch up with friends, parade through the center of town friday night then the cars park along the main street with everything is closed off for a street party where people can just walk about the place. On saturday after some racing everyone gets together and has a nice dinner at various places along the strip, or bring your own table/chair and dine out in the main street if you cant get a booking (usually some sort of live performance happening saturday too). Sunday is more racing and when its finished you pack up and go home tired, but having had a great long weekend

Much more interaction with you being able to get up close to the vehicles and take some photos/have a chat, you get to see some seriously rare and classic vehicles. The whole atmosphere is great, it's great to make a weekend out of it and stay down there at any of the b&b's or at the hotel, definately one of the events you need to attend on the east coast of australia.

Actually, now i think about it, i had more fun at the wintersun festival at coolangatta than at the last QR V8SC meeting.

[Madhatr]

^^ :D

And the two hour trip home with dust in your eyes....

Muz

LOL, 2 hrs?! ive known it to take 2 hours just to leave the complex and get out onto the motorway

[260BC]

The recent Historics at QR was great. Stopped for a couple of minutes waiting for tickets then drive into the carpark, about one minute walk to the action. So many interesting cars to look at, super cars at QR teh suk

[hungry6]

Looking at the land value of Darlington park, it's not worth even 1/4 of the asking 70m.
I wonder, how this figure was achieved? As it is, the land is under special use. Although with a due dilligent for DA, It might achieve a closer figure to the asking price. But' I'm sure the current OUM management plans has kill that idea off.
But as a track, it's very close and convenient, but abit on the hairy side, down near the pine trees.