Kiwi Graham
26th July 2009, 18:52
I attended the Circuit tour today and here’s ma report;
Got there a little early and met Chris Watson (recovering from a broken leg) in the circuit reception, this is set up in one of the apartments overlooking the circuit.
He gave a brief out line of the development and from our vantage point was able to show the layout of the ‘three’ circuits.
At 1 O’clock we assembled outside the ‘hut’ adjacent to the pedestrian bridge waiting to be put in place for our ‘briefing’. Quite a large crowd of people were there swollen by a petrol headed group of hot rod enthusiasts.
Here we met Tony Roberts, he and Chris are the brains (and money) behind the whole project. It was their vision back in 2003 (I think) that made them purchase the two farms that the circuit now occupies.
He gave a 20 min talk on what they have achieved to date and approximate timings for the future. Namely National circuit sealed by September and events held in October, Club circuit sealed together with the links for the International circuit sealed by March next year.
They have done extensive research on surface material (can’t remember the technical mumbo jumbo) and have chosen a surface that will last ten years or more and wont do ‘a Taupo’ on us.
We walked the circuit, (National 2.8km);
The front start/finish straight……It isn’t straight! It’s more of a gradual curve that crests in the middle. This falls away to T1 a tightening downhill right hander, this is going to load the front big time and soak up heaps of suspension.
This pulls out onto a gradual down hill straight section to T2 (leaving the International circuit) a constant radius right hander that I don’t see posing any issues other than the braking dice that will lead into it.
Then the circuit starts to rise and crests on T3 the first left hander and quickly drops away, this is going to be a real challenging corner to get right!
Then it’s flat out to T4 a tight right hander and another out braking opportunity.
Once out of the corner the circuit rises again towards T5, it crests just on the ‘tip in’ for this tight as fook, tightening, down hill hairpin (the front is going to be pushed real hard again here). A little hard to judge but you might be tipping into this corner blind! Then its down the longest straight to T6, a constant radius right hander, this is going to be one ballsy corner!!
Apart from the out braking that’s going to go on into it the nature of the corner means corner speed and first on the power gets the hole shot on the up hill drag to the finish line.
I think this circuit is going to be a challenge to set the bike up for with the rises and falls etc. Its fookin wide too and appears to have decent run off in all the important places.
No one has sole rights to run track days there, the circuit is open to any one with the cash to rent it. Currently 4k for a week day and 5k for a Sat or Sun.
Having had a lap of the circuit I for one can’t wait for it to be operational, I hold the current lap record of a suicidal 36 mins 23 seconds in ‘hot as’ bike clobber!! This record cannot be beaten until the next circuit tour held on 30th August.
Got there a little early and met Chris Watson (recovering from a broken leg) in the circuit reception, this is set up in one of the apartments overlooking the circuit.
He gave a brief out line of the development and from our vantage point was able to show the layout of the ‘three’ circuits.
At 1 O’clock we assembled outside the ‘hut’ adjacent to the pedestrian bridge waiting to be put in place for our ‘briefing’. Quite a large crowd of people were there swollen by a petrol headed group of hot rod enthusiasts.
Here we met Tony Roberts, he and Chris are the brains (and money) behind the whole project. It was their vision back in 2003 (I think) that made them purchase the two farms that the circuit now occupies.
He gave a 20 min talk on what they have achieved to date and approximate timings for the future. Namely National circuit sealed by September and events held in October, Club circuit sealed together with the links for the International circuit sealed by March next year.
They have done extensive research on surface material (can’t remember the technical mumbo jumbo) and have chosen a surface that will last ten years or more and wont do ‘a Taupo’ on us.
We walked the circuit, (National 2.8km);
The front start/finish straight……It isn’t straight! It’s more of a gradual curve that crests in the middle. This falls away to T1 a tightening downhill right hander, this is going to load the front big time and soak up heaps of suspension.
This pulls out onto a gradual down hill straight section to T2 (leaving the International circuit) a constant radius right hander that I don’t see posing any issues other than the braking dice that will lead into it.
Then the circuit starts to rise and crests on T3 the first left hander and quickly drops away, this is going to be a real challenging corner to get right!
Then it’s flat out to T4 a tight right hander and another out braking opportunity.
Once out of the corner the circuit rises again towards T5, it crests just on the ‘tip in’ for this tight as fook, tightening, down hill hairpin (the front is going to be pushed real hard again here). A little hard to judge but you might be tipping into this corner blind! Then its down the longest straight to T6, a constant radius right hander, this is going to be one ballsy corner!!
Apart from the out braking that’s going to go on into it the nature of the corner means corner speed and first on the power gets the hole shot on the up hill drag to the finish line.
I think this circuit is going to be a challenge to set the bike up for with the rises and falls etc. Its fookin wide too and appears to have decent run off in all the important places.
No one has sole rights to run track days there, the circuit is open to any one with the cash to rent it. Currently 4k for a week day and 5k for a Sat or Sun.
Having had a lap of the circuit I for one can’t wait for it to be operational, I hold the current lap record of a suicidal 36 mins 23 seconds in ‘hot as’ bike clobber!! This record cannot be beaten until the next circuit tour held on 30th August.