baypark race track?

**cowpoos** · 9th October 2007, 20:33

has anyone got any pic's of the baypark race track or a track map...I'm just curious as to what it looked like??

and why was it shut?? anyone race there?

**Goblin** · 9th October 2007, 20:54

No map sorry....coupla pics tho! First was the only right hander and Aaron Gillespe(sp?) going down.
It was shut to make a retirement village.

I got another pic of someone on a Britten but i cant post it

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...7&postcount=83

**Grumpy** · 9th October 2007, 21:31

Yeh, raced there a fair bit in our superkart. Nothing fancy but a fun track to race on. Start finish straight led into a lefthand sweeper then onto the back straight. Not that long. Was about 145mph I think with the gearing we used to run. Tightish lefthand hairpin into a short straight, into righthand infield corner. Quick burst upto a lefthander into front straight again. Not too challenging.

The writing was always on the wall though. As you walked up the pit road all the streets that backed onto the track just ended. It was obvious that they planned to get rid of the track one day. Shame. They used to have some good racing there.

**forkoil** · 9th October 2007, 21:45

Layout as Grumpy said. Crashed heavily on the sweeper on brand new Suz GS550ET, bent front end, bent frame, rear subframe demolished. One good thing about Bay Park was that the pits were in the middle of the track with a tunnel under the track as access. Only thing was that the tunnel left a slight rise in the track that put the front end into quite a twitch just as you were setting up for the high speed sweeper!! Said sweeper is very much like the one at the old section of the track at Taupo.
Also saw someone sit up too early at the end of the back straight first lap of the 250 proddies, a girl (Joanne Micklejohn?) went smack up his arse and went down and her helmet came off, fortunately no real damage done!!
But was a great track, very rider friendly, pity they got rid of it.

**Cleve** · 10th October 2007, 10:18

Baypark was my first race track, and as such a bit like my first love (or first fuck

). What happened to Baypark?! Have you seen Mt Maunganui these days!!??

**Masterchop** · 10th October 2007, 10:51

I raced at Baypark,from memory the sweeper was a very long flat corner.

My worst memory of the place was hard braking at the end of the back straight,burst fork seal,no brakes all of a sudden,sailing straight off into the sand dunes, No damage or injuries luckily.
Went to the pits ,cleaned up the oil and continued racing.

**Masterchop** · 10th October 2007, 10:53

Originally Posted by Goblin

No map sorry....coupla pics tho! First was the only right hander and Aaron Gillespe(sp?) going down.
It was shut to make a retirement village.

I got another pic of someone on a Britten but i cant post it

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...7&postcount=83

That second picture looks like F3,I recognise some of those bikes.

**Fooman** · 10th October 2007, 12:04

Circuit layout here:

http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/Austr...d/baypark.html

Cheers,
FM

**Goblin** · 10th October 2007, 16:15

Originally Posted by Masterchop

That second picture looks like F3,I recognise some of those bikes.

Yeah that would have been about '91. Paul Thomas, #10 was in F3 at the time.
I never got to race there(didnt have the balls) but I did get to have a few laps when an acquaintance hired the track and wanted someone to practice with. Unfortunately my bike had stuffed steering head bearings so it wasnt much fun. I used to go and watch a lot of racing there tho.

**Masterchop** · 10th October 2007, 16:27

Originally Posted by Goblin

Yeah that would have been about '91. Paul Thomas, #10 was in F3 at the time.

Yup 91 would be about right,
No.14 could be Nathan Spargo and No.8 I think is Richardson

**one-speed** · 10th October 2007, 16:44

Originally Posted by Cleve

Baypark was my first race track, and as such a bit like my first love (or first fuck

). What happened to Baypark?! Have you seen Mt Maunganui these days!!??

well what happened to baypark?
my understanding was there were three owners of the land,two wanted
to sell up and one did'nt and then one day one past away and now it's an
old folks homestead

**Waylander** · 10th October 2007, 16:48

Originally Posted by blackbird2

well what happened to baypark?
my understanding was there were three owners of the land,two wanted
to sell up and one did'nt and then one day one past away and now it's an
old folks homestead

Damn old people. Always gotta ruin things don't they.

**Taz** · 10th October 2007, 16:54

It's not old people who ruin things. It's greedy developers. I had a couple of two wheels club days at bay park. Remember running off the end of the straight on my XJ600 after out braking a ZX10...... I know now why he braked earlier than me.