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And i went there for day 1 of the opening ceremony with my wife and father in law.
WARNING: LOTS OF PHOTOS!
For videos, check out my YouTube page below. Not all are uploaded as i type this, getting pics sorted first.
www.youtube.com/skylineobsession
Highlands Motorsport Park - best track in Australasia?
Thats what it sounded like a number of people were saying over the PA when we went to the grand opening yesterday. I've really only been to Teretonga (Invercargill) and Levels (Timaru), but it is leagues better than those two (and i still like both tracks...).
Pro race drivers like Jim Richards and Craig Baird etc said that they've been to tracks all over the world but Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Central Otago was a true international class track and Jim said he was almost lost for words when he first saw it in person.
My opinion is that it is an absolutely incredible facility and there is even stuff to do for those who just came along with their partner/parent. Like there is a huge outdoor go-kart track, a cafe, a very fancy National Motorsport/Car musuem (normally would have 30 cars in it, but a few of them are out on the track this weekend), a mini golf course and a kids trike course in the shape of Bathurst.
Took heaps of pics and vids, they be below (not all of them are online, took too many).
Some of the best cars i saw there were;
- McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (only one in the Southern Hemisphere - and was bought exclusively for that track)
- Ferrari 288 GTO (first one i've seen in person)
- Ferrari F430 F1 (first one i've seen in person)
- 2x Ford GT's (first time i've seen any in person)
- Mercedes-McLaren SLR (first one i've seen in person - didn't even think there were any in NZ!)
- R35 Nissan GT-R (first time i've seen one close up)
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in the carpark
- 997 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (lives in Dunedin, seen it a number of times, including on TV racing in Targa NZ)
- Aston Martin GT3 (i don't need to say more, do i?)
And heaps more.
There was always action on the track, so it didn't leave much time to go look around the track/cars but we managed to eventually (missing the superkarts, rally car demonstration and a couple of other things).
It was awesome seeing V8 Supertourers on track too, Angus Fogg and Greg Murphy had a nice wee battle late in the day, and passed the Merc/Mc SLR like it was parked (but i'm guessing the Merc had slowed down for them to pass, as its not exactly short on power). And the R35 GT-R and an EVO 9 (?) had a wee play on the track - the GT-R kept slowing down to let the EVO pass, only for him to pass him back later on.
But yeah. I'll stop blabbering so you can see the pics.
We've got something very special here in Central Otago, sorry Auckland/North Island but you have to lift your standards now.
www.highlands.co.nz
P.S. i've come to the conclusion that this track NEEDS to be in Gran Turismo/Forza.
WARNING: LOTS OF PHOTOS!
For videos, check out my YouTube page below. Not all are uploaded as i type this, getting pics sorted first.
www.youtube.com/skylineobsession
Highlands Motorsport Park - best track in Australasia?
Thats what it sounded like a number of people were saying over the PA when we went to the grand opening yesterday. I've really only been to Teretonga (Invercargill) and Levels (Timaru), but it is leagues better than those two (and i still like both tracks...).
Pro race drivers like Jim Richards and Craig Baird etc said that they've been to tracks all over the world but Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Central Otago was a true international class track and Jim said he was almost lost for words when he first saw it in person.
My opinion is that it is an absolutely incredible facility and there is even stuff to do for those who just came along with their partner/parent. Like there is a huge outdoor go-kart track, a cafe, a very fancy National Motorsport/Car musuem (normally would have 30 cars in it, but a few of them are out on the track this weekend), a mini golf course and a kids trike course in the shape of Bathurst.
Took heaps of pics and vids, they be below (not all of them are online, took too many).
Some of the best cars i saw there were;
- McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (only one in the Southern Hemisphere - and was bought exclusively for that track)
- Ferrari 288 GTO (first one i've seen in person)
- Ferrari F430 F1 (first one i've seen in person)
- 2x Ford GT's (first time i've seen any in person)
- Mercedes-McLaren SLR (first one i've seen in person - didn't even think there were any in NZ!)
- R35 Nissan GT-R (first time i've seen one close up)
- Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in the carpark
- 997 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (lives in Dunedin, seen it a number of times, including on TV racing in Targa NZ)
- Aston Martin GT3 (i don't need to say more, do i?)
And heaps more.
There was always action on the track, so it didn't leave much time to go look around the track/cars but we managed to eventually (missing the superkarts, rally car demonstration and a couple of other things).
It was awesome seeing V8 Supertourers on track too, Angus Fogg and Greg Murphy had a nice wee battle late in the day, and passed the Merc/Mc SLR like it was parked (but i'm guessing the Merc had slowed down for them to pass, as its not exactly short on power). And the R35 GT-R and an EVO 9 (?) had a wee play on the track - the GT-R kept slowing down to let the EVO pass, only for him to pass him back later on.
But yeah. I'll stop blabbering so you can see the pics.
We've got something very special here in Central Otago, sorry Auckland/North Island but you have to lift your standards now.
www.highlands.co.nz
P.S. i've come to the conclusion that this track NEEDS to be in Gran Turismo/Forza.
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