While the V8 Supercars were burning around the Armor All Gold Coast 600 street track, a new race layout was making its debut in Australia.
Last weekend, the new Eastern Creek North circuit was christened by the New South Wales Motor Racing Championship classes, including categories like Formula Ford, HQ Holdens, Production Sportscars, Production Touring Cars and more.
The new part of the Eastern Creek track links the circuit between Turns 4 and the Turn 10 hairpin. The link road is similar to the flipflop that was part of the circuit for many years, however, the new link is faster and safer.
The old flipflop was used once in Australian Touring Car racing back in 1996.
Formula Ford competitor John Smith says that the North track changes the dynamic of the shorter version of the track.
“It’s a great circuit,” Smith said.
“It’s a lot faster and it has changed the aspects of the old corners – you get a lot more speed and you have to set the car up a lot different.”
The Eastern Creek track is currently in the midst of a major multi-million dollar restructure, eventually allowing as many as four circuits to operate simultaneously at the western Sydney venue.
To demonstrate the new track, Speedcafe.com has put together this video with onboard footage of the new link road, making up Eastern Creek North.
Production Touring Car driver Rod Thorpe allows us into the cockpit of his Holden Commodore for a (very entertaining) lap of the track.
See below for Speedcafe.com’s Eastern Creek North circuit video.
