END OF AN ERA?

END OF AN ERA?

Shane Baxter on the way to another pass in the 6's.

By Mark Humphrey.

With track upgrades expected to start in early December the Calder Park Drag Racing test day scheduled for December 7th could very well be the last ever meet on the 40 + year old track. Lots of memorable moments have occurred on the famous strip of bitumen which no doubt have been etched into the memories of hundreds of thousands of spectators over the years. The string of 4 back to back Nationals is certainly one memory that has stayed with me over the journey along with the 50,000 spectators who packed into Calder for one of those Nationals.

I remember names such as Rachelle Splatt and Romeo Capitanio who were the kings of top fuel racing back in the day. Capitanio was a 3 time champ and Splatt was the first woman in history to break the 300mph barrier. These cars and many others lined up at Calder which at one stage was the fastest bitumen track in the world. Even as late as last October Top Fuel cars were lighting up the Calder strip.

Unfortunately as witnessed at the Southern Nationals earlier this year, the surface had past its use by date. High powered cars found it difficult to get down the track once the heat went out of the surface. The actions of ANDRA to stop the meeting due to safety concerns were basically the nail in the coffin for the iconic drag racing strip. The dedicated enthusiasm of current promoter Peter Pisalidis to run the current Street Outlaws series has at least given Melbourne drag racing fans something to follow albeit somewhat tame compared to competition drag racing.

I find it easy to go down memory lane @ Calder with many many highlights over the years. Even the recent Southern Nationals provided some good moments. Who could forget the trouble the door slammers were having getting down the track then Zappier came out and pedalled his car to within inches of the wall while still keeping the hammer down. Shane Baxter (pictured above) was another who drove the car around the trouble to dip into the 6's. Absolutely memorable driving skills from these guys.

Although the upcoming day is billed as a Street Outlaws qualifier, there are always comp cars out testing. It will be interesting to see who's out for the last ever day on the current strip. Being a daytime event there should be plenty of warmth in the track for cars like Baxter and co to get down the track under full noise. For me there is plenty of interest in seeing who will turn up for the meet just to say they were part of a day in history. You would expect the day to be relaxed with plenty of stories being thrown around about the good ol' days. Who will put down the quickest pass on the last ever day of this current surface? History will tell !!!

For more information on the event go to https://www.facebook.com/calderparkdragracing

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Street meets are a great way to try out drag racing and test the performance of your everyday street vehicle in a safe and legal environment.

Calder Park will be hosting ANDRA sanctioned street meets through the second half of 2013 so you can experience the thrill of Melbourne's own quarter mile.

Entry cost: $65 (includes $5 ANDRA divisional day licence)

Spectator entry: $25

To go racing at street meets, all you need is a street vehicle that passes basic safety checks on tyres, brakes, steering and liquid leaks. If you race a vehicle with a manufacture date of pre 1 January 2008 you can run up to 11.00 seconds without the need for a tech inspection or ANDRA licence. Vehicles manufactured post 1 January 2008 can run to 10.00 seconds without the need for a tech inspection or ANDRA licence. Check www.andra.com.au for specific information on safety and licence requirements.