Thread: Oran Park - whats the story?

well, i don't know much, but i believe the owner of oran park has it cited for a home development project, and it only survives [i think] until the relevant planning crap goes thru.
this has been going on for ages.
try looking in the historic racing club site.

Yes, unfortunately Oran Park will go soon, either the end of this year or next year. To be redeveloped into housing, like Amaroo Park was.

There will be a few big meetings before the end as a farewell, car and bike so make sure you go along as it may be the last.

The circuit owners want to build a new circuit further away from the urban sprawl, possibly in the Wilton area, with similar characteristics to the current one.

Silverdale hillclimb is gone, I never went there, but some relatives competed there. We went looking once and it appears overgrown. I believe it closed about 15 years ago.

Jeff

yes Quiggers you are right,
a good mate of mine Vince with the chicken farm, lives two streets up from the oran park turnoff , on camden valley way, the developers have been trying to buy up all the acreage and small farms in the area for a few years now, most have resisted according to vince, but time will eventually wear them down, another super suburb/estate in the making.


john

I actually lived just over the river from Silverdale Hillclimb, although after it had closed. Last time I was over there about ten years ago, part of the old track had washed away.
Oran Pk has been owned by the Peireich (sp?) family for a long time now. They operate the large undercover feedlot dairy between Luddenham and Bringelly, and own most of the dairies going out towards Oran Park along the Northern Rd. The whole area has been mooted as a satellite city since Adam was in short pants.
When I last raced there in '95, closure was imminent according to the rumours then.
Amaroo was my favourite track. The place was a buzz to get into a rhythm and get right. I'm very grateful that I had a last fang there 'testing' a customers car weeks before it was closed. Think it was the last time I drove a race car.

I thought Oran Park was in Victoria, dont they have an oval race way of the same name ?

Yeh the Oran park story is in today's SMH. Another track gone..

GP circuit was ok, never liked the south circuit.

Regards
Max P

south circuit was good fun, the GP circuit was a just a few extra squiggly bits to negotiate, although the kink off the main straight was exciting in something with a decent top end. The esses became totally different when coming off the bridge.
I remember talking to a few of the old timers who used to try and go through there flat in the F5000 days when there was a concrete wall on the outside
and you could always tell who the ex-open wheeler drivers were in sedan races on the South circuit. They used a totally different line off the main straight. Stopped any mongrel trying to get inside of you when you angle across at the corner under brakes rather than braking in a straight line.

I better stop now otherwise the board will be flooded with rosy tinted nostalgia from an old fart ex-driver.
..........of course there was the time when I was running third, opening lap and I came down the hill from the dog leg backwards in the middle of the track and there were twenty five Formula Fords coming straight at me, or the time.....

Thanks guys, sad to see it go... did more than few laps around there, on a bike.

Curious how they built a new pit area not so long ago, I spose its all demountable.. to a new Oran Park (near Wilton?). Sydney's endless sprawl will probably be down there, before too long...

33,000 McMansions at Oran Park, how nice

GQ