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26 Aug 2006, 08:48 (Ref:1691940)
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#1 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,387
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Catalina Park Today
My new found interest in the Tasman Series of the '60s and '70s sent me to Catalina Park today to see the remnants of what would have once been a daunting and challenging circuit. Before I show you the photos, here's a little bit of background.
Catalina Park is located in Katoomba, NSW about 80 kilometres from Sydney. The tight and twisty 2.1 kilometre layout features tight turns, followed by long straights with plenty of hilly drops and climbs. Top speeds probably featured somewhere in the 180 -200 km/h mark, but I'm not entirely sure. Today Catalina still exists, but as a road overgrown with grass, surrounded by fences, overhanging trees and the local swimming complex. Part of the road has fallen away due to water seepage, and is fenced off. Whether or not they plan to replace the road is unknown to me. Where the paddock once stood now stands only a toilet block, which appears to have been built after the circuit was built. The area is now a dog excercise area, where happy mutts are allowed to roam without a leash. If you are game enough to challenge the long arm of the law there is a way to sneak in to the track and burn some rubber around the track. So here it is, the once great Catalina Park Circuit.
Picture 1: The Start/Finish Line.  Picture 2: The Entrance To Dunlop Corner.  Picture 3: The Circuit Dips Before It Approaches Craven A Corner.  Picture 4: Looks Can Be Deceiving...  Picture 5: Heading Through Castrol Curve...  Picture 6: ...Straight into Bosch Corner.  Picture 7: Energol Corner And The 'Tunnel Of Love'.  Picture 8: Onto The Main Straight To Finish A Lap Of Catalina Park.  So that's Catalina Park! I have plenty more pictures plus some 'signs' of times gone by, PM me if you want any more information!  Last edited by Chatters; 26 Aug 2006 at 08:50. |
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__________________
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting." - Steve McQueen 
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26 Aug 2006, 09:31 (Ref:1691955)
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#2 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,269
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Nice pics, Chatters!!!
If i won a few mill on powerball, Catalina would be on my purchase list, for sure! After seeing some of the uncle's tapes form the era, I am certain the track would still provide some AWESOME racing accross the categories! |
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26 Aug 2006, 12:25 (Ref:1692747)
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#3 | ||
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Rookie
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 62
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Where about in Katoomba is Catalina Pk? What Rd? I would love to go and have a look
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__________________
Why cant all our dreams come true! Go Lowndes, Show us the fire still burns as bright as ever
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26 Aug 2006, 12:33 (Ref:1692756)
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#4 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 308
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Apart from a few weeds it looks the same as last time I drove there.We could only use it as a one lane track.You drove down the middle of the track go off line and the leaves and moss offered no grip.
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__________________
Proper race cars don't have mud guards
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26 Aug 2006, 13:19 (Ref:1692780)
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#5 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,387
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Wazzi, in answer to your question to get to Catalina All you have to do is find the Aquatic Centre, it is right behind that. Literally.
Monaro when you last visited was the track falling away at Castrol Curve? |
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__________________
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
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26 Aug 2006, 17:03 (Ref:1692907)
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#6 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,040
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Did you walk the rallycross track?
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__________________
"The Great Race" 22 November 1960 - 21 July 1999
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26 Aug 2006, 23:43 (Ref:1693166)
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#7 | |
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Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,885
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Thanks chatters for making the effort to go out there and get some pictures.
It appears as though the pavement is still in good condition. It seems you could restore the place if you really wanted to. I'll have a look when I am next in Australia. |
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__________________
Wolverines!
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27 Aug 2006, 01:21 (Ref:1693204)
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#8 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,387
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racer69 I didn't get much of a chance to walk the rallycross track, mainly because it is getting so overgrown I couldn't see the path through the trees and shrubs.
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__________________
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
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27 Aug 2006, 02:44 (Ref:1693241)
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#9 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 10,040
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Yeah she's abit hard to follow ( the path that roughly follows the rallycross track). There are still the odd remnants of the dirt circuit in the middle, the odd guardrail and tyre stack.
If you look at roughly the middle of Picture 1, you can see where the rallycross track left the main circuit, and on Picture 6 you can clearly see where the rallycross track rejoined the main circuit. Some nice pictures Chatters, though one note, i see you mention your interest in the Tasman Series brought you to Catalina Park, whilst the track is featured on the Tasman website, Catalina never actually hosted a Tasman event. A pity the day you went there wasn't a function on. Sometimes they open up the access gate to allow people to use the old paddock area for parking, thats how i snuck on for a lap a few months back Totally luck of the draw though
Last edited by racer69; 27 Aug 2006 at 02:46. |
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__________________
"The Great Race" 22 November 1960 - 21 July 1999
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27 Aug 2006, 04:06 (Ref:1693253)
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#10 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,387
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No I didn't think it held a Tasman race... But cars of that equivalent would've once raced around there, that's good enough for me
 .Edit: Here's a picture with a better shot of the entrance to the rallycross track. 
Last edited by Chatters; 27 Aug 2006 at 04:10. |
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__________________
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
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27 Aug 2006, 08:05 (Ref:1693319)
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#11 | |||
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Racer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 308
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Quote:
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__________________
Proper race cars don't have mud guards
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27 Aug 2006, 08:25 (Ref:1693332)
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#12 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 355
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Used to go there and watch Rally Cross in the early 70's. We used to park about were you took the pic (#6) on the old circuit, sat on the bonnet of the car and watched the rally cross with our feet resting on the old circuit armco!!! Just wish I had taken some pics back in those days....memories that are hazy are of Brock - dual wheeled Super Charged Torana, VW Beetles, and Mini's all battling in close competition. Thosae were great days.
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27 Aug 2006, 09:22 (Ref:1693389)
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#13 | ||
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Racer
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 347
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http://www.tasman-series.com/misc/lo...talinapark.asp
Some more pics and info from tasman-series.com |
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27 Aug 2006, 10:03 (Ref:1693415)
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#14 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,508
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When I was about 9 or 10 I had a poster on my bedroom wall of Peter Brock in a yellow XU1(?), about 3 feet off the ground going over a jump on the rallycross course at Catalina Park.
That picture more than anything else sparked my interest in motorsport. |
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__________________
Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same. {Oscar Wilde}
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27 Aug 2006, 11:28 (Ref:1693474)
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#15 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 952
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Unless you've got a different picture, the well-known pic of Brock yumping in the yellow XU1 was at Calder Park. Sorry, I'm a pedant and I know it (clap your hands).
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27 Aug 2006, 11:45 (Ref:1693485)
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#16 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,387
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Quote:
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__________________
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
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27 Aug 2006, 11:50 (Ref:1693490)
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#17 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,508
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Quote:
Still a great shot though
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__________________
Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same. {Oscar Wilde}
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27 Aug 2006, 23:30 (Ref:1694189)
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#18 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 605
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Over the last few years it's gone down hill a bit but I'm glad they've kept it as it was last used rather then remove the old reminders of what it once was.
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__________________
What's this for anyway?
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28 Aug 2006, 00:00 (Ref:1694195)
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#19 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,661
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Quote:
Dad took me to Catalina a number of times when I was a little tacker. Can remember bits and pieces but as usual it's hard to know what I actually remember and what I saw on Dad's grainy old Super 8 movies... What I CAN remember. Chris Heyer flinging around an evil Volkswagen. Brockie in that beast of a Torana. Ed Mulligan in a '69 Monaro with a twin rear wheel set-up (ie two tyres on each rear corner...) Bob Watson in a little Renault Gordini screaming its t*ts off. Brian Foley monstering the bigger Jags in a Mini Cooper. God I feel old now. Just call me grandpa... 
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Punters Beer Fest. Indy 02, Clipsal 03, Winton 04, Paperclip 05, Darwin 06, Oran Park 07, Phillip Island 08, Sandown 09, Townsville 10, Symmons 11, Eastern Creek 12, Winton 13. Townsville 14. Paperclip 15, Sandown 16, Symmons 17, PI 18, The Bend 19
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28 Aug 2006, 00:40 (Ref:1694208)
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#20 | |
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Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 626
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have a look in www.autopics.com.au plenty of Catalina photos from 60s and 70s including in 1965 Bob Jane's Mustang on it's roof after tripping over the Armco at the end of pit straight,Pete Geoghegan in 1966 straddling the track after a big lose out of Craven A,Barry Seton hiking a front wheel a foot in the air in his FX Holden punting it out of the same corner in 1963,with Spencer Martin inches behind him.
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28 Aug 2006, 05:01 (Ref:1694259)
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#21 | |||
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 952
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Quote:
remember. Red Mini, black roof, sponsored by P & R Williams. The only Jag still racing by then was Bob Jane's white 4.1 Mk2. (Not counting Bill Burns' red one and John Suttor's blue one that raced occasionally around the rear of the field.)
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28 Aug 2006, 05:11 (Ref:1694262)
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#22 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,885
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Quote:
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__________________
Wolverines!
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28 Aug 2006, 06:07 (Ref:1694267)
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#23 | |||
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Racer
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 355
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Quote:
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28 Aug 2006, 07:03 (Ref:1694277)
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#24 | ||
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 5,387
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I'll add some more photos at the next opportunity I get... Right now my internet is buggering up.
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__________________
"A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing’s important to men who do it well. When you’re racing, it... it’s life. Anything that happens before or after... is just waiting." - Steve McQueen
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