Huge shake-up for Calder Raceway

[Silver 3]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

They do a lot of drifting there these days, not much else.

That may have something to do with those who paid deposits to the previous incumbent for events this year (insisted on to secure a date) and the now incumbent refusing to recognise either deposits paid or bookings!!

mmmm!!

[Umai Naa]

A small workshop has been able to secure various dates this year, particularly on the Thunderdome, for the purposes of drifting.

How this fits into the grand scheme of things, I haven't the foggiest.

[Mixer]

I'll admit its been a while but with the bumpy state of the Dome last time I saw it I can't imagine drifting on it would be much fun?

[Bevan-L]

Who currently owns it?

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by Mixer

I'll admit its been a while but with the bumpy state of the Dome last time I saw it I can't imagine drifting on it would be much fun?

It looks very post-apocolyptic these days.

From what I've seen, they're using pitlane and the front straight, making their own track configurations out of that.

Bevan, Rodney Jane owns it now.

[rich07]

Last time Aus Drit GP were there the grandstands weren't open as they were deemed unsafe.

[Bevan-L]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Bevan, Rodney Jane owns it now.

Ahhh okay cheers!

Hypothetically.. If someone was to say purchase the place, given its current condition, (i was last there in 2010 - not sure if things have gotten worse) would it be cheaper to tear down the place and rebuild or is the track salvageable?? Not so much the Thunderdome, but more the road course?

[Umai Naa]

Rich, grandstands were portable units that the organisers of ADGP provided. This will continue into the forseeable future.

As for the other drifiting activities held on the 'Dome of late, it appears that spectators are forbidden, but the driver can bring a 'plus 1' as pitcrew.

Bevan, I'm pretty certain the road course is ok, but their focus seems to have shifted towards drag racing, with concrete barriers lining the inside of the front straight for a considerable length. Meaning anyone on the road course needs to make a tour of the pitlane to complete a lap.

If I were taking the joint over, I'd find a new home for the drag strip, tear down the majority of buildings and replace as necessary, put a proper 34 car pit building in on the front straight, and give the place a bloody good clean-up.

It'd cost a bit, but it'd go a long to bringing the place into the 21st century.

[Mixer]

Its really sad, Calder is where I got my CAMS license and cut my teeth so to speak, its also where I took a photo of M Skaife spinning off that ended up over the boardroom table at Gibson Motorsport

Sooner or later its all gonna get turn up and after that I guess I'll have to just drive it on rFactor!

[Umai Naa]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Its really sad, Calder is where I got my CAMS license and cut my teeth so to speak, its also where I took a photo of M Skaife spinning off that ended up over the boardroom table at Gibson Motorsport

Sooner or later its all gonna get turn up and after that I guess I'll have to just drive it on rFactor!

Did virtual Amaroo ever get properly sorted out?

[Bevan-L]

Ahh okay cool!

It would be a shame to see it go..... I really hope someone steps up and turns the place around and turning it into a modern day circuit/facility...

Really hope they dont just let it die into the ground beyond repair and the land gets sold off for some residential area....

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Did virtual Amaroo ever get properly sorted out?

I'm not sure, but I've had a lot of fun racing the virtual Oran Park, rFactor is starting to show its age a bit but the community content is a big part of the appeal.

Also thinking about Calder, so many moments I saw there, the night race in '96, debut of the VT in '98, Lowndes huge crash in '99.

I also had some big moments racing there, career highest finish of 8th position in the wet there, made more interesting by hitting the VHT that was always there on the straight!!!

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

I'm pretty certain the road course is ok

Not sure the run off at the end of the back straight is large enough these days as it was filled in with dirt prior to the Crusty Demons thing years ago and I don't think it was ever restored.

[rik]

Bob, Laree and Rodney are at it again!

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/bo...508-2j7dn.html

[peckstar]

Bob Jane accused of owing $1.3m in unpaid taxes

In the latest action the State Revenue Office has asked the Supreme Court to wind up two of the Jane family companies.

Court documents allege Bob Jane Properties Pty Ltd and Calder Park Raceway Pty Ltd are both liable for $1,317,728.37 in unpaid tax.

interesting!

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by peckstar

Bob Jane accused of owing $1.3m in unpaid taxes



interesting!

Is this the end for Calder Park? Perhaps they will sell out to the property developers to pay the land tax....

[Rob Bailey]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Is this the end for Calder Park? Perhaps they will sell out to the property developers to pay the land tax....

The cost of cleaning up Calder Park,would be more then its value,that land is worth very little in its current state.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by Rob Bailey

The cost of cleaning up Calder Park,would be more then its value,that land is worth very little in its current state.

More than $1.3M though

otherwise i might buy a raceway

[fomoco]

Originally Posted by Rob Bailey

The cost of cleaning up Calder Park,would be more then its value,that land is worth very little in its current state.

I bet a few developers would disagree, as Rodney said, it was leaking money, no profitable, it would open up a lot of land for housing, rail line at the back, freeway at the front, Location Location Location, will it be called North Keilor , South Diggers Rest, East Melton ?

https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=di...&ved=0CIQBELYD

[PVDA]

Haven't been there lately FoMoCo have you??

The amount of dirt that would have to be removed to make the site useable is prohibitive.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by PVDA

Haven't been there lately FoMoCo have you??

The amount of dirt that would have to be removed to make the site useable is prohibitive.

if you get the site cheap enough, more money can be ploughed back into making it inhabitable for new homes & parks & supermarkets and stuff

[inpitlane]

It can't be used for housing due to being directly under the flight path to Tulla.
Also the electricity towers nearby.
The best thing for motorsport is for somebody, perhaps a consortium to buy the joint and redevelop it for motorsport.
Just imagine if someone put forward a plan to build a dragstrip, a cicuit and a NASCAR style oval all less than half an hour from the heart of the Melbourne CBD.
All motorsport fans need to make sure that if there is any move to close Calder we fight hard to prevent it.

[Silver 3]

So what is the $ value of the place as it is ?

[Silver 3]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

It can't be used for housing due to being directly under the flight path to Tulla.
Also the electricity towers nearby.
The best thing for motorsport is for somebody, perhaps a consortium to buy the joint and redevelop it for motorsport.
Just imagine if someone put forward a plan to build a dragstrip, a cicuit and a NASCAR style oval all less than half an hour from the heart of the Melbourne CBD.
All motorsport fans need to make sure that if there is any move to close Calder we fight hard to prevent it.

What was/is ANDRA beef with Calder about? Was it simply with track management?
Or--the strip itself? What would it need to make ANDRA happy?
Re--the Oval--- it needs work to be usable--- is the track a desirable configuration? Were competitors happy with size,shape,banking etc.How does it compare to US ovals ?
Were the competitors happy with the Oval itself?

[Tourer]

Good questions Sliver.

I reckon in ANDRA's case, a lot of the beef was with the track itself - they've recently announced that top level drag racing is coming back to Calder but haven't identified if it is going to be quarter mile, eighth mile etc. The track surface is pretty tired all around the road circuit but particularly down the drag strip - it is badly in need of at least resurfacing and has been so for quite a few years. in comparison to the other main drag venues (Wsid, Willowbank & Kwinana) Calder looks very tired and very, very old fashioned.

The change in management would have made it hard to deal with the circuit in any case - the current circuit manager is Rodney's PA and she's busy enough with her normal responsibilities.

The oval would need a VAST amount of work to have it useable again - there is substantial subsidence in places, vegetation growing up through the tarmac, seating areas that have been removed, others that would not be safe etc. Even if all else was good, the track surface also needs resurfacing at the least, barriers would need to be upgraded to current expectations (incl SAFER barrier) and a whole lot of other work would need to happen. On top of that, any use of the oval would involve starting up the whole local oval racing structure again that Calder originally did back in the day but which has since of course died off.

To my mind, if you were going to redevelop the place, you'd concentrate on the dragstrip and road circuit first as there are competitor bases and events that could be run on them in reasonably short order.

Place needs a huge amount of work though, no doubt about it - all very old and tired now unfortunately.