Don't be an April Fool, bid Oran Park adieu

Now in its final year of racing, the glorious 47-year-old circuit in southwest Sydney has hosted some of Australian motor sport’s indelible moments.

Moreover – and more importantly – countless drivers have acquired via expert tuition the basic and life-saving skills on Oran’s circuits, skidpan, dirt track and off-road course that the NSW licensing authorities insanely insist are not necessary.

Others have relished the opportunity to extend themselves and their vehicles in controlled conditions at speeds which cause certain self-appointed road safety spokespeople to say silly things in shrill voices.

It says much for the NSW Government’s contempt for vehicle owners that this invaluable and heritage-rich facility will be bulldozed to make way for thousands of McMansions and Bogan villas – the owners of which will, like most Sydney residents, be forced to drive for want of public transport.

Australia’s biggest city and most populous state will henceforth have only the already massively overbooked Eastern Creek and Goulbourn’s tiny and not readily accessible Wakefield Park for driver education and recreation.

The least that right-thinking can do in recognition of the role Oran Park has played in our city’s life is to send it out in an epic roar of engines, shriek of tortured rubber and an intoxicating odour of octane and oil.

(There are, no doubt, even now moves afoot to make so thinking such thoughts illegal.)

Just such a shindig is happening on April 1 under the auspicious of the bloke who can claim to have lapped the joint more times than any other. One who, when he calls Oran Park his “second home” is probably guilty of understatement.

Ian Luff’s Motivation Australia is hosting its gala Track Attack Drive Day on April 1, a splendid opportunity to get around the Oran Park Grand Prix Circuit.

Since 1983 Luffy and his team have taught god alone knows how many drivers how to enhance their lives behind the wheel.

For everyone of their pupils who has got down that straight at 200km/h, there have been perhaps another dozen who have learned to brake, corner, steer, set their mirrors and even apply their seatbelt correctly (it’s amazing how many don’t).

“Our most successful student is Mark Webber who graduated in 1995,” Luff says.

“He did all our programs from defensive driving through advanced and worked with us as a trainer for 18 months before he took off to the UK. Now he’s a representative on the world stage.”

You needn’t be of F1 ability to play in the Track Attack Drive Day.

“Any licensed driver can attend,” Luff says.

“Cars must be in good mechanical condition and helmets can be provided. The fact that there are no police to slow your progress is a huge plus which allows motoring enthusiasts to push the upper limits of excitement legally.

“It’s a very sad day, very emotional for me. I’ll be driving the very last lap of the circuit in one of my original Mazda RX-7s which has been restored to Allan Moffat Group C race car condition. There’ll be a few tears.

“I was the first person in a sports sedan to break the 43 second barrier on the short circuit. That’s an average of 160km/h.”

Magic moments aside – though no one would begrudge Luff his last hurrah – he says “Sydney is losing something that’s very iconic, that’s irreplaceable.

“”It’s one of those venues where you can see everything. It’s provided opportunities for so many people.

“I believe if you’re not allowing people a facility where they can apply realistic speeds in a controlled environment, it really is allowing young men to race illegally on the street. Which is pretty dumb.

“There are appropriate facilities for every other sport. Racing is only a very small part of race track’s agenda. Where are people going to go to do their one day defensive driving courses, which because of occupational health and safety, they increasingly have to do?”

Ian Luff Motivation Australia Track Attack Drive Day is at Oran Park on April 1. Cost $325. Go to http://www.ianluff.com.au/