bronzee Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 Well tomorrow the club (this end of the globe) is off to check out/go for a tour around the brand spanking new Hampton Downs Motorsport Park/Racetrack. It's not officially open to race on yet. http://hamptondowns.com/ Will be interesting as it will bring more motorsport down here. There's already a lot, but it will bring even more significant events because of the scale of the track. Have a nosey through the website. There's a Playstation simulation if you want to have quick drive of the circuit. http://hamptondowns.com/Track.wse Will take lots of pics I'm sure and post tomorrow afterwards. Lol, I know a thread is worthless without pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MITZ@CougarStore Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 That looks great, looking forward to seeing the photos… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 Only a few pics, as there are crash barriers and safety fencing everywhere. Fantastic turnout today. Zeds and Zed people, new members to the club, and a good group of our friends from the Mini Club. Even the MX5 club we chatted to whilst at BP Drury have Zed connections, lol their president used to be in the Zed club here. I took a few pics at Hampton Downs, but somehow didn't get any of the Zed's & Mini's before we left BP. Looking anti-clock wise at the far end of pit straight as such, with the motorway in the background. The flocks of people taking the opportunity to walk and create history before the track is opened soon. Looking up the hill towards pit straight. Really gives you a feeling of the actual topography of the circuit. Ditto, but a different angle. Looking northwards across to the of side of the track. Big toys - well the guys hard at work actually laying brand new tarmac as we walked along past them. All in all, I think it will be quite a challenging, technical drive. There's quite a good rise and fall, even coming into one of the hairpins in particular, flicking back on it's self - wicked, but so many people walking around that point you wouldn't have got a good feel for the angle. Can see quite a few points where you would be traveling at warp speed, and then the car will be fully loaded going over a rise. It won't be the highest speed backstraight here, that would be Pukekohe Racetrack, which for high powered cars with massive brakes, you can easily push around 300kms, then extremely hard/stand on the brakes into a hard hairpin. Amused me, with the amount of concrete they are pouring, Hampton Downs has it's very own concrete making machine. For me the best bit was being to walk over the track, thinking about the lines whilst walking it. Fabulous!! Gives a really good appreciation, reminding you to keep it clean, as if stuff it up, and go over barrier, it's into mucky swamps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted September 27, 2009 Share Posted September 27, 2009 F1 for NZ then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted September 27, 2009 Author Share Posted September 27, 2009 F1 for NZ then No not quite yet. Until and if they change or add some bits. It's a class 2 track, so that's up to A1 or Indy cars and the like. We already have A1 here each season, so will be interesting to see if it stays at the current track or moves to this new one. Certainly going to be a wicked track to drive. Certainly some technical bits. Will make it interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choptop Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Are there many race tracks in NZ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Looking Good Immy! Looking up the hill is cool. Think it'll be a good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev-the-Rev Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Looks a cracking circuit Immy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Are there many race tracks in NZ? There are a few given our only just over 4 million population, even if apparently we have the most car clubs per capita of anywhere in the world. * Pukekohe Raceway in Auckland (easy 300kms down the back straight for the Osca's and the extremely high hp cars). * Hampton Downs (about to open) 67kms out of central Auckland - basically half way between Auckland & Hamilton. * Taupo Raceway (Martinmac has one of our Z Tshirts) - which is half way down the North Island (2.5-3 hours from Auckland. * Manfield slightly north of Wellington (bottomish of the North Island). * Ruapuna in the South Island. Plus there are a number of Karting tracks and other smaller not official type tracks and Midget car racing tracks scattered around too, like this http://www.springsspeedway.com/. Looking up the hill is cool. Think it'll be a good one! That's for sure!! Imagine powering up the hill! That hill starts at a nice sweeping corner, the flat knacker up the hill (about 700 metres) then onto pit straight, loading the car up going over that brow. Looks a cracking circuit Immy. It certainly does. It supposed to be one of the widest tracks in Australasia. Up to 25 metres in places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Are there many race tracks in NZ? There are a few given our only just over 4 million population, even if apparently we have the most car clubs per capita of anywhere in the world. * Pukekohe Raceway in Auckland (easy 300kms down the back straight for the Osca's and the extremely high hp cars). * Hampton Downs (about to open) 67kms out of central Auckland - basically half way between Auckland & Hamilton. * Taupo Raceway (Martinmac has one of our Z Tshirts) - which is half way down the North Island (2.5-3 hours from Auckland. * Manfield slightly north of Wellington (bottomish of the North Island). * Ruapuna in the South Island. Plus there are a number of Karting tracks and other smaller not official type tracks and Midget car racing tracks scattered around too, like this http://www.springsspeedway.com/. Had an idea that the airfield at Wanaka (our dream retirement destination ) was used as track? Great place to visit anyway and they have this http://www.warbirdsoverwanaka.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted September 30, 2009 Author Share Posted September 30, 2009 From my understanding a few of small airfields around NZ do get used at a track occasionally. I've been an instructor/driver trainer at one of the airfields in Auckland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam@Z1auto.com Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 looks good, whens the open track day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choptop Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 If I ever get to NZ, I know where I will be going with the Hire Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 looks good, whens the open track day The first official track day is November, bar a few driver training day, which really count. If I ever get to NZ, I know where I will be going with the Hire Car Lol, I'll let you know when we book that track then. Might need something a bit more than electric rollerskate though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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