What's the track day & PH scene like out there?
Discussion
Hi..
Calling all PH'ers down there..
I'll be moving out to Sydney in November and I'm keen to know what your track-day, karting, motorsport petrol thrills scene is like down there.
I hear the Police are absolute bastards and red hot on the speed limits and points system even worse than the UK.
So what do you do for kick's behind the wheel?
I'm getting conflicting stories about the expence and hasstle of exporting cars. I bought a 3.0ltr BMW Z4 only 4 weeks ago and love it but I'm being advised it's too much of a pain to bring over?
What do you all think?
PS it would be good to hook up at any track activity in a few months too.
CERSA
I'm on the other side of the country so can't help with Sydney specifically.
Decent cars are very expensive here.
Wages generally lower here.
The days of "cheap" houses are long gone.
Don't expect things people complain about in England to be any better here.
Importing your car: You MUST have owned and used it for 12 months, otherwise (if it is a model sold here) you simply cannot import it.
Oh yes, speeding is marketed as the most heinous of crimes, and used ruthlessly as a revenue raiser. Expect well hidden and disguised mobile cameras situated to raise the maximum revenue, ie in relatively safe locations where the speed limit is deliberatly set too low.
Decent cars are very expensive here.
Wages generally lower here.
The days of "cheap" houses are long gone.
Don't expect things people complain about in England to be any better here.
Importing your car: You MUST have owned and used it for 12 months, otherwise (if it is a model sold here) you simply cannot import it.
Oh yes, speeding is marketed as the most heinous of crimes, and used ruthlessly as a revenue raiser. Expect well hidden and disguised mobile cameras situated to raise the maximum revenue, ie in relatively safe locations where the speed limit is deliberatly set too low.
Edited by tim the pool man on Thursday 11th October 01:47
CERSA
You are able to run in many Super sprint series if you wish. To name a few there is the CAMS N.S.W Supersprint series,the C.S.C.A ( Combine Sport Car Association ) series . Plus many car clubs run regular similar events as well. For Track days there is the A.R.D.C. Drive Days operated by Driving Solutions and Events O'Neill. ( at the Eastern Creek circuit )
You are able to also obtain a Wakefield Park licence for there events .
What it comes down to is how much time you have and how much you are prepared to spend .
Cost vary in Supersprints per round depending on where it is run and if it a CSCA S.S or the CAMS S.S. The same can be said if it is the ARDC or a Burrows ( Event O'Neill ) day.
The choice of road circuits for Sydney is Eastern Creek , Oran Park ( for the next 18 months ) and 2 hours out of Sydney is Wakefield Park at Goulburn.
You are able to run in many Super sprint series if you wish. To name a few there is the CAMS N.S.W Supersprint series,the C.S.C.A ( Combine Sport Car Association ) series . Plus many car clubs run regular similar events as well. For Track days there is the A.R.D.C. Drive Days operated by Driving Solutions and Events O'Neill. ( at the Eastern Creek circuit )
You are able to also obtain a Wakefield Park licence for there events .
What it comes down to is how much time you have and how much you are prepared to spend .
Cost vary in Supersprints per round depending on where it is run and if it a CSCA S.S or the CAMS S.S. The same can be said if it is the ARDC or a Burrows ( Event O'Neill ) day.
The choice of road circuits for Sydney is Eastern Creek , Oran Park ( for the next 18 months ) and 2 hours out of Sydney is Wakefield Park at Goulburn.
(CERSA)Chris, I don't think Oz is ready for your trackday skills mate, just wait till I manage to post the vid of you cooking the brakes and missing the corner 
Good question about trackdays though, here in the UK we have a huge amount to choose from and you basically rock up and pay your £100 ($240) and away you go, be it Silverstone, Brands Hatch etc...
Back home (Oz) I recall as a youth I did some trackdays with the honda car club in ACT/NSW and about 5 different days at Eastern Creek & The Island (on a bike) but has it changed much?
How much would it cost and presume you only need a driving license and a 'pink' slip/taxed car (roadworthy)????
Good question about trackdays though, here in the UK we have a huge amount to choose from and you basically rock up and pay your £100 ($240) and away you go, be it Silverstone, Brands Hatch etc...
Back home (Oz) I recall as a youth I did some trackdays with the honda car club in ACT/NSW and about 5 different days at Eastern Creek & The Island (on a bike) but has it changed much?
How much would it cost and presume you only need a driving license and a 'pink' slip/taxed car (roadworthy)????
There is a big scene for sprints and time trial type events in aus...mainly because everyone can rock up in their road car and stand a chance of setting some decent times. There are some pretty special cars around aus but it seems they dont always come out to play.
There is a decent scene for trackdays to...not like the UK granted but the circuits run something at least once a month and its not uncommon for car clubs to hire the circuit to themselves. There is a bit of an issue with circuits being sold to property developers though but if people dont support their local circuit then these things happen!!
For some trackdays you only need a road license. Some trackdays you need a minimum of a CAMS L2S license....dont panic though!!
CAMS is the aussie version of the MSA or FIA.
L2S means 'Level 2 sprint'...all you do to get this is join a CAMS affiliated motor club (the one I am about to join is $12/year) and hand over your CAMS application (found on www.cams.com.au) and $88 (paid yearly)...you then get a temporary license until your proper one arrives in the post. And thats it!!
Most events where a stop watch is involved insist on an L2S license.
Hmmm on road kicks...if you head out in to the country you will find the odd good driving road. Rest assured though if its a fun road then the local popo will know about it.
You will hear a lot of BS about how owners of modified cars are persecuted...in my experience this is not true. Generally the people that get caught with illegal mods were doing something to get the popo attention in the first place! You will find though that the rules surrounding what you can modifiy on your car are pretty gay.
There is not the range of tuning parts (unless you drive something japanese with a turbo on it), track support or insurance here. Most people with a decent car go through Shannons insurance but if they wont cover you your choices become very limited.
As I am sure you have heard driving standards here are simply shocking. Driver education is at best poor...if you have kids I would get them some decent training in the UK before coming here! The government solution to poor driving is heavier fines and stricter laws.
Speed limits should generally be strictly adheared to...road laws are pretty draconian and motorists are treated like criminals. I wont drone on about it to much suffice to say in the UK you have so much more freedom...hence why the track scene is seeing a surge in popularity.
Unless you get Foxtel (Sky) and buy the English motoring magazines you wont get to see or hear any European motorsport which would be the thing I miss the most about the UK (other than a decent supply of clotted cream).
Top Gear is 2 or 3 seasons old and is cut down to 40mins with adverts in it.
There is a decent scene for trackdays to...not like the UK granted but the circuits run something at least once a month and its not uncommon for car clubs to hire the circuit to themselves. There is a bit of an issue with circuits being sold to property developers though but if people dont support their local circuit then these things happen!!
For some trackdays you only need a road license. Some trackdays you need a minimum of a CAMS L2S license....dont panic though!!
CAMS is the aussie version of the MSA or FIA.
L2S means 'Level 2 sprint'...all you do to get this is join a CAMS affiliated motor club (the one I am about to join is $12/year) and hand over your CAMS application (found on www.cams.com.au) and $88 (paid yearly)...you then get a temporary license until your proper one arrives in the post. And thats it!!
Most events where a stop watch is involved insist on an L2S license.
Hmmm on road kicks...if you head out in to the country you will find the odd good driving road. Rest assured though if its a fun road then the local popo will know about it.
You will hear a lot of BS about how owners of modified cars are persecuted...in my experience this is not true. Generally the people that get caught with illegal mods were doing something to get the popo attention in the first place! You will find though that the rules surrounding what you can modifiy on your car are pretty gay.
There is not the range of tuning parts (unless you drive something japanese with a turbo on it), track support or insurance here. Most people with a decent car go through Shannons insurance but if they wont cover you your choices become very limited.
As I am sure you have heard driving standards here are simply shocking. Driver education is at best poor...if you have kids I would get them some decent training in the UK before coming here! The government solution to poor driving is heavier fines and stricter laws.
Speed limits should generally be strictly adheared to...road laws are pretty draconian and motorists are treated like criminals. I wont drone on about it to much suffice to say in the UK you have so much more freedom...hence why the track scene is seeing a surge in popularity.
Unless you get Foxtel (Sky) and buy the English motoring magazines you wont get to see or hear any European motorsport which would be the thing I miss the most about the UK (other than a decent supply of clotted cream).
Top Gear is 2 or 3 seasons old and is cut down to 40mins with adverts in it.
Edited by deviant on Wednesday 5th December 22:37
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