Set fairly unremarkably on most weekends in the south east corner of Adelaide is Victoria Race Park. Most days you don't know its there. But starting on Thursday, anywhere you were in the city, the V8 Supercars could be heard. The four day party that is the Clipsal 500 had begun. And on Saturday I went to check it out.
First the bad parts. Its expensive, there aren't great spots to watch from, and the racing is kind of meh.
Now for the rest. Victoria Race Park is a street course and spills out onto some of the surrounding city streets for Clipsal. And much like Lime Rock, its an all day race schedule. There are different classes of cars doing different length races for the whole day. I missed the Mini challenge unfortunately. Also like Lime Rock, its dusty and dirty. I think there is more beer and stuff here though. But of course its also kind of expensive. Not that that should stop most people. Foot bridges cross over the track in varous places and there are different paddocks with varying degrees of entry fee. Here are some cars from the free ones that I got to visit. On second thought, there are a bunch I want to put up. I'll do them separately.
Unfortunately, unlike Lime Rock there was no central hill to watch from. And pretty much all the video monitors were only really visible to people in the paid for grandstands. So, much unlike NASCAR back home, you really only knew what might be happening at your particular stretch of pavement. Also, like Lime Rock, unlike NASCAR, clockwise around the track. I got a pretty good spot to watch from and one of the final numbered turns, just before a hairpin. Prime position for some very loud downshifting. The first race I was there for was some strange Australian midgets or something. But the main event was the first leg of the Clipsal 500. Legs two is on Sunday. Really they are two separate 250km races.
The V8 Supercars are Australia's first tier racing division like Sprint Cup at home. Now Supercars is really a little misleading if you ask me. There are two types, Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons. Neither is very 'super' in my opinion. They are good looking cars, and there are a lot on the road. The race cars even have doors! And real lights! I guess I just associate 'super' with 'exotic.' Nonetheless, Holden or Ford? The answer: Holden. They have the Bundy cars. Bundy being the very popular Australian rum from Queensland, Bundaberg. They also have the Jack Daniels and Jim Beam teams. Yes one of the Bundy cars is #24. But the numbers really aren't important in V8. So the racing was alright from my vantage point. Not a whole lot going on. After the main event there was one more short race.
After the racing, I made my way to the Jim Beam Concert oval. There I listened to some Aussie artists, including the recent winner of Aussie Idol, who sang way to much Beyonce for my taste. He was a little strange. But after the concerts, for 20 minutes I watched probably the best fireworks display I have ever seen. I admit I had a crappy vantage point. The stage was in the way. Really poor planning if you ask me. Have everyone show up for the big concert, then shoot the fireworks off somewhere behind the stage. But I did get to see most of the 'crackers' once they got above it. And on the stage screens was video of the other display going on behind me. Two very large, very good fireworks displays going on simultaneously to a interesting soundtrack. There was lots of pop songs which at least I knew now, unlike the Aussie musicians I had been listening to. Then in what turned out to be the middle, a finale rivaling display to the 1812 overture. After a pause, a strange Michael Jackson montage tribute and then more pop and 'crackers.' A thoroughly impressive display. James and Sam watched one of them from the rooftop patio back at the Village.
A race I didn't get to see was the V8 Utes. Ute being somewhat equivalent to pick up truck, not SUV. But closer to El Camino. Surprise time!
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