Wakefield Park

For other uses, see Wakefield Park (disambiguation).
Wakefield Park
Location Goulburn, New South Wales
Time zone UTC +10
Coordinates 34°50′26″S 149°41′7″E / 34.84056°S 149.68528°E / -34.84056; 149.68528Coordinates: 34°50′26″S 149°41′7″E / 34.84056°S 149.68528°E / -34.84056; 149.68528
Owner Benalla Auto Club
Opened May, 1994
Major events Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series
Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships
Length 2.200 km (1.367 mi)
Turns 10
Lap record 0:53.7711 (Ricky Capo, Dallara F307 HWA Team-Mercedes-Benz, 2015)
Aerial view from a flight from Canberra to Sydney.
Race 3 gets underway during Round 2 of the 2008 Mini Challenge.
View from a Race Car at Wakefield Park
Wakefield Park Short Film

Wakefield Park is a 2.2 km (1.4 mi) motor racing circuit located near Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. It is named after Charles Cheers Wakefield, the founder of Castrol Oil.[1] The founder of Wakefield Park, amateur racer and former motor dealer, Paul Samuels felt that Castrol had been so influential in helping amateurs go motor racing that CC Wakefield should be honoured, especially as Samuels' circuit was intended for amateur racers in the likelihood in the 1990s of both Amaroo and Oran Parks closing and amateur racers being unable to afford the daily hire rate at Eastern Creek.

The local arm of Castrol appreciated this and committed to a three-year sum for sponsorship. Consequently, all the buildings, which were all designed by Samuels, were in Castrol colours, an appropriate but subtle recognition of the Company's involvement. However it was then decided that Castrol was not getting any appreciable value from the modest sponsorship, so it stopped.

History

It was the first privately funded circuit built in NSW in the last 35 years and, says Samuels, "when confronting neighbours and the EPA, I can see why". It took him more than a year, despite the help of Goulburn Council and the local member John Fahey, to find a place that finally gained all the necessary approvals. However it took less than eight months from turning the first sod in mid-October 1993 to its first meeting on 8 May 1994. The total cost of the land and work was $1.2 mill.

Goulburn was chosen as it was close to Canberra, the large population areas of the near south coast around Wollongong, was not too far from Sydney and a three-hour easier journey for Victorians than if it had been close to Sydney.

The road racing circuit has hosted the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, the Australian Superbike Championship,[2] the Australian Motor Racing Series, drifting, as well as state and club level racing, also Speed off the Streets and motorcycle ride days.

Wakefield Park operates under a CAMS National Circuit Licence, AASA and also under the Department of Sport and Recreation permit scheme.

The circuit is located two hours drive from Sydney and about one hour from Canberra, and is positioned on Braidwood Road, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Goulburn on 130 acres (0.53 km2) of cleared land. There are no trees or natural obstacles near the track. Safety is paramount and ripple strips, tyre walls and gravel traps have been positioned so as to make Wakefield a very safe circuit on which to run any type of racecar, production car or motorcycle. The track was resurfaced by its new owners, Winton Motor Raceway, in late 2007.

The track is open to the public providing three circuits licensed by the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation, CAMS, and Motorcycling NSW Inc and Australian Karting Association Inc. Commercial "thrill rides" operate there.[3]

There is also a hill climb and short variations of the circuit.

Wakefield Park is the title of a 2010 short film with Micheal Fitzgerald which was filmed at the circuit.

Lap records

As of 13 May 2016.[4]
Class Driver Vehicle Time Date
Outright
Australia Ricky Capo Dallara F307 Mercedes-Benz 0:53.7711 17 October 2015
Racing Cars
Formula 3 Australia Ricky Capo Dallara F307 Mercedes-Benz 0:53.7711 17 October 2015
Formula Race Cars Australia Nathan Gotch Dallara F307 0:56.3360 6 March 2016
Formula 4000/OzBoss Australia Ty Hanger Reynard 95D Holden 0:57.5504 25 February 2007
Formula Ford Australia Paul Laskazeski Spectrum 011 Ford 1:00.1986 6 April 2008
Formula Vee Australia Michael Kinsella Jacer F2K10 1:07.0951 12 April 2015
Sports Cars
Sports Sedans Australia Jack Perkins Audi A4-Chevrolet 0:56.2669 18 October 2015
Nations Cup Australia John Bowe Ferrari 360 N-GT 0:59.9060 1 June 2003
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia Roger Lago Porsche 911 GT3 1:00.7828 3 April 2011
GT Australia Greg Crick Dodge Viper GTS 1:01.5344 5 March 2006
Aussie Racing Cars Australia Ben McCashney Falcon-Yamaha 1:05.6777 5 April 2008
Touring Cars
Dunlop V8 Supercar Australia Steve Owen Holden VZ Commodore 0:59.0351 6 April 2008
V8 Touring Cars Australia Terry Wyhoon Ford BA Falcon 1:00.3279 3 April 2011
Super Touring Australia Paul Morris BMW 320i 1:02.1715 29 October 2000[5]
Improved Production Over 2 Litre Australia David Loftus Toyota Starlet 1:04.7700 12 August 2012
Improved Production Under 2 Litre Australia Jordan Cox Honda Civic 1:05.1999 12 April 2015
Commodore Cup Australia Geoff Emery Holden VS Commodore 1:06.6504 3 April 2011
V8 Utes Australia Kerry Wade Ford BF Falcon XR8 1:09.6544 28 May 2006
Historic Touring Cars
Group A Australia Craig Markland Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R 1:07.0363 1 April 2007
Group N Australia Ross Donnelley Ford Mustang 1:11.6300 20 February 2000
HQ Holden Australia Keven Stoopman HQ Holden 1:15.4440 21 June 2015

References

  1. ↑ https://www.giftsthatthrill.com.au/v8-experiences/wakefield-park-goulburn/
  2. ↑ http://www.goulburnpost.com.au/story/3814497/world-champion-bayliss-on-track-at-wakefield-park-asbk/
  3. ↑ https://www.giftsthatthrill.com.au/v8-experiences/wakefield-park-goulburn/
  4. ↑ http://wakefieldpark.com.au/about/lap-records/
  5. ↑ Natsoft Race Results
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