My beloved bride of 14 years learned this early. Day one of honeymoon in Tasmania- straight to Longford, with it's silent testimony of the crumbling bitumen beneath the viaduct and the faded Shell Oils sign. Likewise a few years later, with newborn #1 on a long trip back from Sydney, stopping at Albury on a fruitless attempt to find remnants of Hume Weir, where Beechey, Brabham and Jane once reigned. Even when at Interlagos in 1996 for the Brazilian GP I noted that our grandstand sat atop the massive 4km long banking of the original turn 1, where Emmo, Peterson, Villenueve and Hunt would be flat out for over 30 seconds at 340km/h, in the days when they cared more about thrill than TV ratings.

Sad to think one day we'll reminisce of Oran Park in much the same way. Perhaps I'll get my my grandkids to push me around in my wheelchair through the bland, sterile new subdivided streets and I'll tell the locals that I was one of many who once screamed through their living rooms at high speed. As you approach Oran Park on the Northern Road in Narellan, it looks like all good circuits should- built on rolling green hills.

So, of the 6 Hyper crew, Mark Wicks and Chris Jewell chose to play race driver and fly over while the rest of us lugged karts up the Hume. Their flight was delayed. Ha. Serves them right. Our accommodation was courtesy of Wayne Horswell and partner/mechanic Shauna from the NSW Club, which was greatly appreciated and gave an added blast to the whole weekend.

Saturday morning began badly for me. Not because I had mechanical dramas or such like, but because I somehow put salt in my coffee instead of sugar. Anchovie-flavoured coffee is never a good start to the day.

It was drizzly when we arrived at Oran Park. Drizzly enough to be annoying on slicks, not wet enough for wets, so learning a new circuit was going to be impeded. Which was a great pity, because even whilst see-sawing at the Hyper wheel madly, I could see this circuit was special. Session 1 was red-flagged early.

Hyper's class of 07.

Session 2 saw the drizzle increase the moment we drove out. The slippery conditions claimed our newly crowned Vic Rotax Heavies...um...winner. Wicksy spun into turn 2, flipped over and got buried up to his neck, literally, in the sand trap. He was awkwardly positioned and a bit stiff later. The kart was mostly straight, but that sand gets in some unwanted places...a bit like a day at the beach but with less fun and glamour.


Misty Saturday qualifying
Photo courtesy Shauna Smith

Which all meant our tip-toeing-rookie laps from session 1 were our qualifying times. I could only manage 1min28, with Dean Crooke and Wicksy in the 25's, local David Brand 1min 24.3, our host Wayne in a very respectable 26's, and Hyper Brothers Shaun Trounson and Chris Jewell in his 2nd race behind me in the low 20's.

Local racer and our generous hostWayne Horswell in the "Bart-mobile"
Photo courtesy Shauna Smith

I would need to find some seconds. But, this Oran Park layout was way too much fun. Even the bumps were fun. From the bridge to the main straight, it's 100 percent pure exhilaration. The esses flow up to meet you and drop away, down and up to the fast left-hander leading towards the frightening dog-leg, where you hurtle over a crest and cannot see where you're going. Then my favourite, the concrete wall-lined final corner, where you brake as hard and as late as you like, pick up the throttle early and see how close to the wall you can get on the way out. I aimed for the "live on milk" sign.

Wayne's other half refuses to be a "motor racing widow". Kudos!!

Driver's briefing was noteworthy inasmuch as we were all reminded to vote. Done. Easy to forget the country was about to come under new management when you're tearing up a memorable track like Oran Park.

Jon: The karts are circulating. So Wicksy, why are you standing here??
Wicks: Oh.....crap!!!
Cade: Well if he doesn't want to drive it I will!
Photo courtesy Shauna Smith

RACE 1

I got my customary dreadful start. But at least I started. Seconds before the green Wicksy signalled wildly of a stall. Sand had crept into the startermotor.

Up front it was David Brand in the Arrow leading Dean, from Alan Dodge with Wayne Horswell back a bit. We were all mixed up with the gearbox karts which was to have varying effects on us throughout the meeting. There were also no weight divisions in Rotax, so I wasn't enjoying the extra 20 kilos. While the front guys cleared off I was left to resume a battle with Chris Jewell much like at the Nationals, except with more position-swapping, while Shaun Trounson joined in. It was a cracking race between the three of us. I came home 5th with a best of 1min23.81

Photo courtesy Shauna Smith

RACE 2

With no fix for Wicksy's startermotor in sight, he was a non-starter. The guy who dominated the Vic Club Series was getting all of the bad luck in one weekend.

With some minor changes I found some extra speed, got a better start and left my race 1 Rotax sparring partners behind to join 80cc Gearbox racer and all-round nice guy Mehmet Sinani. Just as at Wakefield Park 12 months ago, we had a position-swapping race the way 80 g'box and Rotaxes should. I found over 1 sec a lap, dropping into the 1.22's, and finished 4th of the Maxes, 6 sec ahead. Our host Wayne, meanwhile, had dropped an exhaust valve. It was going to be a busy night. My spare motor was pilfered: starter for Wicksy and exhaust valve for Wayne.

4th place and I seem to like eachother.

Dean chased by Alan Dodge and David Brand
Photo courtesy Shauna Smith

SUNDAY.

Hot and sticky. Wicksy's run of jinxes continued when he broke Wayne and Shauna's shower taps. Chris Jewell began wondering if, later that day, he really wanted to be sitting next to Wicksy on a big 1000 tonne flying machine travelling at 800km/h 36,000 feet off the ground, propelled by thousands of gallons of exploding chemicals.

My day started a little better- at least I put sugar in the coffee. An extra Max was on the menu today, with NSW regular and sprint karter Graeme Taplin turning up. Like long time BMW racer Luke Searle, Graeme is a Seventh-Day Adventist and doesn't partake in work or sporting activity on Saturdays. I happen to admire that. The problem is, it makes Saturday's results a slight illusion. Graeme is very quick.

RACE 3

Wicksy finally made a start and got up to his old tricks of being fast. Dean Crooke romped in the win, finishing over 7 seconds ahead of David Brand. Not far back was Alan Dodge. I let a recovering Drew Parkes past too easily going into the dog-leg on lap 4, thinking he was a gearbox kart breathing down my neck. He set off after Wicks and nailed him when baulked by an 80 gearbox. I was, unusually, only 3 secs behind the Vic Club Winner/Highest Points Getter/Champ/Whatever, the closest I've been all year. Mehmet Sinani in the 80 Gearbox was right in front of me, Graeme Taplin closing in from behind.

Only 6th place but dropping in to the 21's. Shaun Trounson had some shocking luck, spinning and being collected by 80cc Doug Ward at turn 2, with sufficient damage to the fairing (the bit which Shaun himself has the job of repairing at Hyper).

Oopsie

Can't keep a good man (upside) down. Wicks recovered from a practice rollover to finish 3rd in the final against lighter opposition.
Photo courtesy Shauna Smith

RACE 4

Last race for the year, and I couldn't think of a better place to be having a final fling. The whole weekend, the track, the accommodation, the camraderie... a perfect combination. I had to stuff up something, surely.

And I did. The ample-sized out-grid behind the pits gave me space to practice some starts. Sure enough my start was quite respectable, keeping up with Wicksy and co. But a glut of gearbox karts baulked into turn 1 and I took no risks. 80cc Jason Laker seemed to be having gear selection problems and I simply couldnt get past- the usual problem, where I could pass he sped up, where I couldn't he was slow. Coming out of the fast, left hand uphill turn before the dogleg, he slowed up big time in the middle of the corner and I couldn't avoid giving him a big whack up the rear.

The upshot was it pushed my nosecone downwards, which mean diabolical oversteer. I pushed on for a while, duking it out with the much lighter Dennis Torresan in the Max, with Hyper brother Chris Jewell watching intently from a safe distance (about 0.5 of a second). On lap 4 I passed Dennis around the outside into the dogleg and plunged into my favourite corner, the final turn...

...and spun it right on the apex. Dennis, Chris, Wayne and a couple of 250 inters weaved their way past, while I punched the starter button and swore a lot. It wouldn't start, so I vacated the seat and pushed it down the grassy infield hill out of harms way. Then it started, some grass-tracking ensued and I rejoined at least a lap down.

I've always said- the corner you have the least trouble with is the one which will get you eventually. I was revelling in braking deeper and deeper and nailing the throttle earlier and earlier into the concrete-wall lined final turn. And it got me. Deano cleaned up the win for the race and the meeting, with the previously upside-down Wicksy in third.

NSW Prez Clinton Brown awards Dean the Steven Aaron Memorial Trophy

Dean also scooped the Steven Aaron memorial trophy, a perpetual trophy awarded to the highest points scorer with the most number of opponents. It was a formidable achievement. I could gush on about the circuit, the racing, the fellowship and so on, but I'd only be repeating myself. So we said our goodbyes, to the place as well as the people, and headed back down the Hume. Meanwhile, Messrs. Wicks and Jewell went off to enjoy some wine, cheese platter and a pleasant, short flight. Glad to report that the plane stayed in one piece despite Wicks the Destroyer being on board.

About the time I got near Albury, a wave of sentiment hit me. It was time to try, again, to find another lost racetrack. Exactly ten years ago I'd tried and failed. Perhaps sat nav might help this time. I drove to Hume Weir, and searched and searched, but there was just so little of it left. Only memories.


Beechey, Brabham, Brock and Jane raced here

We returned to reality, and a new government. So, Mr Rudd. Forget Kyoto. How about saving Oran Park?

Comprehensive race results can be found here courtesy of NATSOFT

MORE DELECTABLE PICCIES (click for larger image)

Jewell of the Mile.Chris nails me over the frightening flip-flop

Messing with Mehmet

Either #98 spontaneously grew a big green rear wing, or there's a gearbox kart rounding me up

All Rotax. Dennis Torrenson, me, Chris Jewell, Drew Parkes, Wayne Horswell, Graeme Taplin

Through my favourite- the final corner. Until race 4, that is