What a cool name and this appears to be a very cool place to live!
Henry
Surfers Paradise International Motor Circuit
Started by
HistoricMustang
, Dec 19 2008 23:41
13 replies to this topic
#1
HistoricMustang
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Posted 19 December 2008 - 23:41
WOW! Been searching for a couple of hours on this one and still not sure. I believe this may be it modern day. Please help!
What a cool name and this appears to be a very cool place to live!
Henry
What a cool name and this appears to be a very cool place to live!
Henry
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#2
Ray Bell
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Posted 19 December 2008 - 23:51
You got it Henry...
Many memories of that place!
Many memories of that place!
#3
HistoricMustang
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Posted 19 December 2008 - 23:52
Originally posted by Ray Bell
You got it Henry...
Many memories of that place!
Ray, I just edited in a fantastic you tube video, just for you gentlemen across the big pond! Enjoy!
#4
SR781
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Posted 20 December 2008 - 00:29
Originally posted by Ray Bell
You got it Henry...
Many memories of that place!
I am led to believe that the five fastest cars to lap Surfers were
1 Veskanda Sports Car - John Bowe 1min.42
2 Wolf F1 - David Kennedy 1min.47
3 Kaditcha Sports Car - Bap Romano 1min.49
4 Ralt RT4 - Charlie O'Brien 1min.56
5 Kaditcha SR781 Sports Car - Jeff Harris 1min.75
#5
Leo D
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Posted 20 December 2008 - 02:11
Henry,
Surfers Paradiose Raceway was built by Queensland Developer Keith Williams in the mid 60,s. At the same time , he had the Water Ski show across the road on the Nerang River (you can see that in your circuit diagram pic). Later he moved the Ski Show to his other venture on the spit, called Sea World. He was also the developer of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.... Another of the circuits that he built was Adelaide International Raceway... or AIR as it is known, just north of Adelaide in South Australia, which is still in existance.
There were some great events held at Surfers.... Tasman Cup Rounds... Surfers Speed Week... etc. The venue also held Drag Race Meetings as well dirt track speedway meetings. It was sad to see it go.
Unfortunately there were a few big accidents at the track, most notably those of Warwick Brown (Lola T300), Tony Edmonson (Alfetta Sports Sedan), Allan Moffat (Mazda RX7) and I think Niel Allen also had one whilst practicing in his Lola T300.
Surfers Paradiose Raceway was built by Queensland Developer Keith Williams in the mid 60,s. At the same time , he had the Water Ski show across the road on the Nerang River (you can see that in your circuit diagram pic). Later he moved the Ski Show to his other venture on the spit, called Sea World. He was also the developer of Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.... Another of the circuits that he built was Adelaide International Raceway... or AIR as it is known, just north of Adelaide in South Australia, which is still in existance.
There were some great events held at Surfers.... Tasman Cup Rounds... Surfers Speed Week... etc. The venue also held Drag Race Meetings as well dirt track speedway meetings. It was sad to see it go.
Unfortunately there were a few big accidents at the track, most notably those of Warwick Brown (Lola T300), Tony Edmonson (Alfetta Sports Sedan), Allan Moffat (Mazda RX7) and I think Niel Allen also had one whilst practicing in his Lola T300.
#6
cosworth bdg
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Posted 20 December 2008 - 06:59
Your not wrong there, both with F50000 and AF/2 of the era..Originally posted by Ray Bell
You got it Henry...
Many memories of that place!
#7
Barry Boor
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Posted 20 December 2008 - 08:28
And a so much nicer circuit than that 'orrible thing with the same name that they race on these days.
#8
Ray Bell
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Posted 20 December 2008 - 15:47
It was at Surfers Paradise International Raceway that I first heard of Lobethal...
Doug Whiteford, in the autumn of his racing career, was there to drive in the first 12-hour race. I was talking to him between his stints and lamented that it was a shame the circuit was built on the flat ground rather than the rather more interesting-looking hill country just a few miles further inland.
Doug agreed with me, and this led to a discussion about circuits and Doug expressed his views on some of them, in particular Lobethal.
The sequence of events, by the way, with regard to Keith Williams and his circuit building and other developments was somewhat different to what Leo's post implies.
First this circuit, then Williams made plans to build motor sporting venues in each of the major capitals... or nearby, as Surfers was (about 100kms from Brisbane, but in the midst of the tourist area of the Gold Coast).
He located a site in Sydney, another outside Melbourne and then Adelaide. He struck some trouble getting approval for the Sydney site (at Prospect, I think) and even greater problems with the Victorian proposal. But in the middle of all of this he was granted approval for AIR.
He bought Mallala so he could close it down and effectively transfer all road racing activity in South Australia to AIR. When he resold Mallala he put a covenant on it that precluded further racing activity there, something that Clem Smith was later able to beat in the courts after he purchased the property.
And AIR was built, with a drag strip, road circuit and speedway. The latter was a banked bitumen oval in this case, unlike the smaller clay oval (which went unused for years?) at Surfers.
The dream foundered after that, Williams lost interest, then he sold off the properties. I wouldn't be surprised if he was somewhat dejected at the way racing was going in general and how his Queensland circuit was being run in particular... it went to a developer with a long-ish term lease-back for racing. AIR was sold to Bob Jane.
Williams then threw himself into the Hamilton Island development, which caused quite a lot of controversy during its construction.
And yes, Niel Allen's career-ending crash was at Surfers too, as was Tony Edmondson's fiery disaster, Ross Bond's crash that destroyed the Brock A30 Holden.
Barry... it's not really the same name for the 'modern' street circuit. I would believe it's officially called the 'Gold Coast Indy' circuit. Both are on the same double spread of the street directory, by the way, along with a part of the old Southport circuit, which hosted the 1954 Australian Grand Prix.
Doug Whiteford, in the autumn of his racing career, was there to drive in the first 12-hour race. I was talking to him between his stints and lamented that it was a shame the circuit was built on the flat ground rather than the rather more interesting-looking hill country just a few miles further inland.
Doug agreed with me, and this led to a discussion about circuits and Doug expressed his views on some of them, in particular Lobethal.
The sequence of events, by the way, with regard to Keith Williams and his circuit building and other developments was somewhat different to what Leo's post implies.
First this circuit, then Williams made plans to build motor sporting venues in each of the major capitals... or nearby, as Surfers was (about 100kms from Brisbane, but in the midst of the tourist area of the Gold Coast).
He located a site in Sydney, another outside Melbourne and then Adelaide. He struck some trouble getting approval for the Sydney site (at Prospect, I think) and even greater problems with the Victorian proposal. But in the middle of all of this he was granted approval for AIR.
He bought Mallala so he could close it down and effectively transfer all road racing activity in South Australia to AIR. When he resold Mallala he put a covenant on it that precluded further racing activity there, something that Clem Smith was later able to beat in the courts after he purchased the property.
And AIR was built, with a drag strip, road circuit and speedway. The latter was a banked bitumen oval in this case, unlike the smaller clay oval (which went unused for years?) at Surfers.
The dream foundered after that, Williams lost interest, then he sold off the properties. I wouldn't be surprised if he was somewhat dejected at the way racing was going in general and how his Queensland circuit was being run in particular... it went to a developer with a long-ish term lease-back for racing. AIR was sold to Bob Jane.
Williams then threw himself into the Hamilton Island development, which caused quite a lot of controversy during its construction.
And yes, Niel Allen's career-ending crash was at Surfers too, as was Tony Edmondson's fiery disaster, Ross Bond's crash that destroyed the Brock A30 Holden.
Barry... it's not really the same name for the 'modern' street circuit. I would believe it's officially called the 'Gold Coast Indy' circuit. Both are on the same double spread of the street directory, by the way, along with a part of the old Southport circuit, which hosted the 1954 Australian Grand Prix.
#9
Barry Boor
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Posted 20 December 2008 - 17:07
Really, Ray?
I have the Southport circuit plan in my Autosport Directory 1955 - but cannot see any link between the two.
Tell us more!
I have the Southport circuit plan in my Autosport Directory 1955 - but cannot see any link between the two.
Tell us more!
#10
Ray Bell
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Posted 20 December 2008 - 21:11
Have you misunderstood me, Barry?
If you look at the street directory showing the current track, you'll see almost all of the old Southport circuit on the same page:
And if you flick back a page in the directory (I'm sure it used to all be on facing pages), the SPIMC circuit is shown there, along with another slice of the Southport circuit:
If you look at the street directory showing the current track, you'll see almost all of the old Southport circuit on the same page:
And if you flick back a page in the directory (I'm sure it used to all be on facing pages), the SPIMC circuit is shown there, along with another slice of the Southport circuit:
#12
Leo D
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Posted 21 December 2008 - 00:21
Barry,
That's the old track. The oval that you see at the bottom right hand corner is the horse racing track that is still there, not far from the Bundall Rd/ Ashmore Rd intersection.
If you start at Surfers Paradise International Raceway, and draw a line north east to the spit, it should pass though all of the Gold Coast tracks. Surfers, then Southport then finally the current street circuit on the coast. The newest track is up towards the spit where I mentiond Keith Williams building Sea World.
If you have access to Google Earth, it may give you a better idea of their relative locations.
That's the old track. The oval that you see at the bottom right hand corner is the horse racing track that is still there, not far from the Bundall Rd/ Ashmore Rd intersection.
If you start at Surfers Paradise International Raceway, and draw a line north east to the spit, it should pass though all of the Gold Coast tracks. Surfers, then Southport then finally the current street circuit on the coast. The newest track is up towards the spit where I mentiond Keith Williams building Sea World.
If you have access to Google Earth, it may give you a better idea of their relative locations.
#13
Leo D
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Posted 21 December 2008 - 02:40
Originally posted by Ray Bell
The sequence of events, by the way, with regard to Keith Williams and his circuit building and other developments was somewhat different to what Leo's post implies.
Ray,
I wasn't particularly posting them as a sequence of events..... more a brief recollection of things associated with the place....
Can you fill me in a bit more about Niel Allens accident there? I'm aware it happened, but I don't remember any details. I'm not sure if it was written up at all by the media of the day....
BTW: I think a feature article on Niel would be a great read for those of us that saw him drive.... it'd probably be just as interesting for those not that lucky....
#14
cosworth bdg
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Posted 21 December 2008 - 07:30
A very good idea,,, yes pleaseOriginally posted by Leo D
BTW: I think a feature article on Niel would be a great read for those of us that saw him drive.... it'd probably be just as interesting for those not that lucky....
