Track night onboard video
Track and ambient gets cooler therefore faster as the night goes on, lights give so much more focus (I drove with headlights off) and last night had a sprinkle of rain just to evolve the track and give the best mix of conditions possible between dry, damp and wet….
Loved it!
I can't think of many racing circuits in the world where you can do a track session at night time, it is a completely different driving experience.
What I loved most was the relaxed atmosphere, comfortable conditions and it's the perfect alternative to a late afternoon pub session where you can head to the track after work
What is Sydney Motorsport Park like when driving at night time on the track?
Lee took a Lotus Exige supercharged V6 sports car out to the new Eastern Creek Sydney Motorsport Park track night session to see what it was like and this was his reaction
Firstly a bit of perspective, there literally isn’t really that many opportunities to get on a racing circuit at night time around the world. We debated about it in the dealership & even a quick Google didn’t show up too much but here’s a few;
– Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix with its unique transition from day to night at Yas Marina. It was first run in 2009 as F1’s inaugural ‘twilight race’ creating something quite unique. Although you can also do a ‘track day’ at night time on this world famous circuit here
– Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix kicked off in 2008 as the brainchild of Bernie Ecclestone in the heart of the city.
– Le Mans 24 Hour is probably the most famous motorsport event that runs through the night
– Bathurst 12 Hour
– Qatar MotoGP or MXGP
– Knock Hill Car Track Night Open Sessions here
– Calder Park street drags here
So now we can add Sydney Motorsport Park Eastern Creek Track Nights to the list. At first Lee was a little nervous and wondered if there would be enough light to feel safe and drive at speed. Although it only took a couple of corners to adjust & he even left the headlights off. In fact doing an Eastern Creek track night created a greater level of focus because the restricted vision beyond the lit parts of the track mean you are focussed more on what’s in front of you.
Can you drive faster at a track night?
First of all the track and ambient temperatures are lower at night time, so immediately the conditions are more ideal for trying to chase some good lap times while also being more comfortable to enjoy yourself while you are doing it. Lee swears he passed more than 50 cars on the night (although the video evidence suggests otherwise) but the cooler air is a bonus for the supercharged V6 Exige that’s for sure.
How does a track night run?
The Eastern Creek Track Nights kick off at about 6pm and run through to 10pm & you get 5 sessions at about 15 minutes each. So rather than spend a whole day at the track you can head out after work, go for a few runs & be home before 11pm for most people living in Sydney.
There are small groups of 20 cars or less in each session so the track density isn’t too bad and with a bit of timing you can find a nice spot to get some clean runs.
The public groups have mixed vehicles, drivers and experience levels so there can be a big disparity in speeds, but Simply Sports Cars will be running an exclusive group (more details here) so you won’t need to worry about this.
Does a track night suit first timers?
Yes. Lee has negotiated to have selected first timers who book through Simply Sports Cars the chance to arrive at 5pm and be given some exploratory slow laps around the track before doing one of the normal sessions. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the circuit & some expert tips to enjoy your night.
