Calder Park preview

From Drag Strip To V8 Supercar Circuit

July 10, 2001 - Melbourne's Calder Park Raceway will host the 7th Round of the Shell Championship Series for V8 Supercars this weekend using the venue's fast 2.28 km national road circuit.

Many are aware that Calder Park is also one of Australia's best known drag racing venues, but few would realise the extent of the transformation that takes place to the circuit in order to adapt it to V8 Supercar racing standards.

The first 400 metres of the main straight is used as a drag racing strip from August to March each year. In order to provide the grip required for open bracket drag racing, the straight is prepared by combining continuous tyre dragging and the application of a super-sticky substance called VHT.

Tyre dragging is a procedure whereby old Nascar tyres are attached to a heavy weight and dragged behind a tractor up and down the drag strip continously. This mimicks the constant laying down of rubber on the strip by drag racing cars. With every thin layer of rubber placed on the strip by the dragging process, a spraying of VHT follows. This process is repeated until up to 5mm of a combination of the two is gained.

Obviously, this drag strip preparation poses a significant problem for the V8 Supercar race held at the venue each season and must be removed. Calder Park employs the services of CKS Hydro Services who utilise a high pressure spraying unit pulled behind a powerful prime mover equipped with a large water tank.

A combination of bio-degradable detergents and high pressure spray nozzles cleans the track of all rubber and VHT. This process is so gentle to the bitumen surface that when this process was completed for this weekend's Shell Series V8 Supercar round, last year's grid markings did not need to be repainted.

The accuracy and degree of cleaning using this process is second to none.

The cost to modify the Calder Park main straight to V8 Supercar racing configuration is over $20,000 each season. This is the only way of enabling the popular Melbourne motor racing venue to be used as a premier V8 Supercar circuit and drag racing strip all year, every year.

Calder Park V8 Supercar Round, July 14-15 - General Information:

Calder Park Raceway is located 24 kilometres west of Melbourne in an easy drive along the Calder Freeway. Abundant free parking is available at the venue.

Shuttle buses will be operating on raceday, Sunday July 15, from St Albans Railway Station starting at 9:00am, with the last bus leaving Calder Park for St Albans Station at 5:35pm.

Adult tickets are available from Ticketec: Saturday $25 each (plus $10 pit access), Sunday $35 each (plus $15 pit access) with children 13 years of age and under admitted free of charge in line with Calder Park Motorsport policy. Tickets will also be available at Calder Park.

Calder Park Website - www.motorsport.com.au

Calder Park Infoline -1900 937 445

-Marinelli Motorsport