Track Marks

Venues like Amaroo Park and -- soon -- Oran Park are becoming distant fond memories in drivers minds.  So the launch of the Marulan Driver Training Centre (MDTC) is timely.

Based 20 minutes from Goulburn, the MDTC gives drivers the chance to push their cars hard in a very inviting and safe setting. 

The track is so tight that you won’t get into the higher cogs… but if you think never getting out of second gear isn’t fun, you need to give this a try. 

The track is just one kilometer long, so the 12-minute sessions allow at least eight laps each … something unheard of at larger settings.  Not having to worry about changing gear so much also lets you concentrate on what you’re there for -- improving your driving.

The track has just about every type of turn, angle, and run you will ever experience on a track or on the street.  Off-camber corners, sharp downhill turns, crests leading into double S-bends, a hairpin, and a main straight right in front of the pits.  Race driver instructors are on-hand all day to give you pointers.  Don’t want to take your own car?  A group of race-prepared MX5s are available for hire there. 

The design of the track is no accident.  Garry Willmington and his family built the facility, starting in 1991 and drawing on more than 30 years of race knowledge, including multiple Bathurst belt-notches to Willmington’s credit.  

A final resurfacing allowed the venue to open in August last year.  Yes, close to 20 years since conception.  One can only shudder at the thought of all the red-tape Willmington went through… and the persistence and determination it required

The first event at the MDTC was organised by Circuit Club – a non-CAMs affiliated group that asks for no member fees.  The members are the drivers who turn up on the day.  No strings attached.  And this attitude allowed a variety of drivers to enjoy a particularly well organised day free of pressure.

Drivers in a range of cars from stock-standard Astras to full race-spec Civics and Turbo MX5s put their skills to the test.  All up, the track saw a field of 60 different cars over the weekend. All the organisers served as marshals, keeping everyone safe and answering any questions.  I was also treated to a hot lap in Circuit Club director Narada Kudinar’s S2000, and a very nicely tuned Lotus Elise. 

An organization like this brings a level of experience and professionalism to first-time drivers, so Circuit Club has given me an experience that was out of my reach till now, and one that no one should be afraid of exploring.

Being my first track day, my nerves were on edge.  It’s well know that motorsport has risks -- not only to the driver, but to the car.  And my beloved Nissan Skyline is a car I have worked on for the past two years, carefully preparing it for this day: its track baptism. 

With this in mind, the organisers gave me, and all the other novices, a helping hand through the day.  A slow and steady approach was encouraged to start with.

By the end of the day my trusty steed had pulled through with flying colours, with my newly-installed suspension keeping me well planted on the road all day. 

By the fourth session a hunger hit me for just one thing...  grip.  Until you start pushing your car to the limit, you can’t grasp how much you still have to learn about driving and how poor your `performance’ tyres really are.  So it’s straight off to eBay for me, hunting down a nice set of semi-slicks for the next outing. 

Yes the track bug has bitten, and bitten hard.  Do yourself and your car a favour and head out to a Circuit Club event.  Trust me, its love at first drift.