Lakeside Raceway
Lakeside Raceway is located 30km North of
Brisbane Australia. It was a fast, sweeping circuit that hosted the 1966 and
1969 Australian Grand Prix. More recently it hosted a round of the V8 Supercar
Touring Car championship, up until 1998. By 2001 the circuit had fallen on
hard-times and went bankrupt. It was purchased by the local council for
$AUD600,000 (approx. $US490,000), who on account of a handful of
noise-complaints, closed the circuit. The circuit had been around since 1961 ...
the noise complaints were from people who moved to near the circuit AFTER it was
opened.
Finally, 6 years later common-sense has prevailed, and the circuit is looking
like it will undergo a re-development. However, local land-owners are again
getting in the way. They are trying to delay the re-opening until 2010, when the
circuit will no longer be heritage listed and can be demolished.
Since it closed in 2001, the circuit has basically been left to deteriorate.
Lakeside in Better Days
Some dodgy photos I took at the track at its last major meeting in 2001:
Onboard lap of the circuit with Dick Johnson in 1985:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5TuBhEZ5XP8
Photos of the circuit in its prime:
http://www.friendsoflakeside.com/gallery/
Urbex
I live 5km down the road from Lakeside. I used to go there back before it
closed, and could hear the noise from my house. As a rev-head it was superb.
This afternoon I went down and had a look at the track for the first time in a
few years. It is in quite bad condition. The surface is breaking up in places,
the buildings have been badly vandalised, the catch-fencing is gone... it is a
ghost-track.
On to the photos:
Race Control. This is where the commentators used to sit, as well as event grand
marshalls and so-forth. The building has been bordered up.
Inside the scrutineering building. This is where cars would be checked to make
sure they complied with the regulations. Now it's just home to bird feces,
spider skins and broken glass.
Even though the track only shut in 2001, technology is stuck in ... 1981 ...
The famous Grand Prix Jaguar bridge. This thing was full of pigeons and appears
to have sustained some damage.
Looking at the advertising boards is a snapshot into the past, with old logos
and now non-existent companies featured.
The whole place is over-grown. Someone needs to bring in a lawn-mower.
The pitlane garages.
Looking down towards the first few corners from the top of the control tower.
Looking up towards the Eastern Loop. When I was there one weekend back in 2000 a
bloke in a historic car of some sort, maybe a Jaguar, had a fatal heart-attack
during the warm-up for a race.
Lakeside - once the playground of racers - now a hangout for youths with nothing
to do.
More photos here:
http://cfm.globalf1.net//?page_id=169
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