Summer Of Sport – Motorsport That Is
With the Laser Plumbing & Electrical HD 500 beginning to disappear in the rear view mirror, all eyes at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park are now focused on the summer. And with track days, driver training days, drift days and epic events such as Mad Mike’s Summer Bash and 4Guys Autobarn Legends of Bathurst, what a summer it promises to be.
Last month saw a mouth-watering grid of supercars take part in the Laser Plumbing & Electrical HD 500 endurance race. With the weather gods throwing up atrociously wet conditions during qualifying, thrills and spills were aplenty and Australian Endurance Championship leaders, Tim Miles and Jaxon Evans aquaplaned on the back straight causing them to crash into the concrete barrier – Kiwi Dominic Storey and Aussie Peter Hackett took to the top of the podium for the race win.
Round 1 of the 4Guys Autobarn Fast & Furious Racing was launched at the HD500 too. Described as 3×3 lap restart racing, Fast & Furious Racing is all about short, sharp action-packed races that are entertaining for spectators and participants alike. Cars line up on the grid for the race start, do three full laps, then pull up behind the safety car to reset the grid before being unleashed for a further three laps by way of a rolling start. It’s a full-on, high-spirited sprint race; as a tightly packed field jostles to win. Round 2 will be at the aptly named Summer Bash.
December 9
MAD MIKE’S SUMMER BASH
On December 9, Hampton Downs, Mazda and New Zealand drift superstar ‘Mad Mike’ Whiddett have joined forces again to bring you another instalment of the very best drift action New Zealand has to offer – it’s Mad Mike’s Summer Bash 2, where Mad Mike & RADBUL will take on NZ’s best!
NZ’s best drifters will again feature in the headline Summer Bash Shootout event, where allcomers will go up against Mad Mike in a racing format similar to last year’s. A star of the show will be Whiddett’s Radbul, a 1200hp, 4-rotor, twin-turbo Mazda MX5, which he will run alongside several other machines that make up Mad Mike’s fleet.
The event format will be the same as last year, with the Triple Threat Team Event and Open Insane Entry rounding out the headline acts. All entrants will enjoy two hours of casual drifting on the International, National and Club Circuits, delivering great value to all participants.
There will be fantastic prizes and trophies up for grabs for all winners and runners up. In addition to this we have the Mazda Skidpan Gymkhana and International track cruise open to the public.
January 13 & 14
4 GUYS Autobarn Legends of Bathurst
Over the weekend of January 13 and 14, Hampton Downs will celebrate all things Bathurst. A host of stars from the past and present will be in attendance and we have confirmed a plethora of Bathurst pedigree cars. All have a special connection to the iconic Australian racetrack – Mount Panorama.
“Bathurst holds a special place in the hearts of everyone involved in motorsport in New Zealand and Australia. Everyone has their favourite Bathurst moment and some of the best drivers in this part of the world made a name for themselves around Mount Panorama including legends of the sport like Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Jim Richards,” owner of Hampton Downs, Tony Quinn, says. “The festival will still celebrate classic cars, but there will be a big emphasis on Ford and Holden and other cars synonymous with Bathurst.”
Add in Karting, hot laps, V8s and corporate events to the above and you can see why Hampton Downs Motorsport Park should feature strongly on your summer calendar.