Wakefield Park
Encyclopedia
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is named after Charles Cheers Wakefield, the founder of Castrol Oil. The founder of Wakefield Park, amateur racer and former motor dealer, Paul Samuels felt that Castrol had been so influential in helping amateurs go motor racing that CC Wakefield should be honoured, especially as Samuels' circuit was intended for amateur racers in the likelihood in the 1990s of both Amaroo and Oran Parks closing and amateur racers being unable to afford the daily hire rate at Eastern Creek.
The local arm of Castrol appreciated this and committed to a three year sum for sponsorship. Consequently all the buildings, which were all designed by Samuels, were in Castrol colours, an appropriate but subtle recognition of the Company's involvement. However it was then decided that Castrol was not getting any appreciable value from the modest sponsorship, so it stopped.
It was the first privately-funded circuit built in NSW in the last 35 years and, says Samuels, "when confronting neighbours and the EPA, I can see why". It took him more than a year, despite the help of Goulburn Council and the local member John Fahey, to find a place that finally gained all the necessary approvals. However it took less than eight months from turning the first sod in mid-October 1993 to its first meeting on the 8th May 1994. The total cost of the land and work was $1.2 mill.
Goulburn was chosen as it was close to Canberra, the large population areas of the near south coast around Wollongong, was not too far from Sydney and a three hour easier journey for Victorians than if it had been close to Sydney.
The road racing circuit has hosted the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series
Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series
The Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series is an Australian touring car competition, specifically the second tier series for V8 Supercar competitors. Competing vehicles are older than those utilised in the V8 Supercar Championship series and are run by smaller teams with lower budgets...
, the Australian Superbike Championship, the Australian Motor Racing Series, drifting
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
, as well as state and club level racing, also Speed off the Streets and motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
ride days.
Wakefield Park operates under a CAMS
Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport , has been the governing body of Australian motorsport since 1953. It is affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ....
National Circuit Licence, AASA
Australian Auto Sport Alliance
The Australian Auto Sport Alliance is an organisation formed to promote and administer motorsport in Australia. The AASA formed due to dissatisfaction with the governing body of Australian motorsport, CAMS, and organises race meetings independent of CAMS....
and also under the Department of Sport and Recreation permit scheme.
The circuit is located two hours drive from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and about one hour from Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, and is positioned on Braidwood Road, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Goulburn on 130 acre (0.5260918 km²) of cleared land. There are no trees or natural obstacles near the track. Safety is paramount and ripple strips, tyre walls and gravel traps have been positioned so as to make Wakefield a very safe circuit on which to run any type of racecar, production car or motorcycle. The track was resurfaced by its new owners, Winton Motor Raceway
Winton Motor Raceway
Winton Motor Raceway is a Motor Racing track in Winton, near Benalla, Victoria, Australia.-History:The Benalla Auto Club began planning for a permanent racing track around 1958. In 1960 it was decided to build the track at Winton Recreation Reserve and was completed in twelve months...
, in late 2007.
The track is open to the public providing three circuits licensed by the NSW Department of Sport and Recreation, CAMS, and Motorcycling NSW Inc and Australian Karting Association Inc.
There is also a hill climb
Hillclimbing
Hillclimbing is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course....
and short variations of the circuit.
Wakefield Park is the title of a 2010 short film with Micheal Fitzgerald which was filmed at the circuit.