Sizzling Wheels, Matchbox, Majorette. No matter your alternative, racing toy vehicles on a rug, crafting makeshift cities, and fantasising concerning the excellent race monitor is a childhood reminiscence that many people maintain expensive to coronary heart. However for some, this dream by no means fades; it solely grows larger and louder.
Sam Shahan was one such dreamer. As a younger Palestinian refugee, his creativeness echoed contained in the partitions of his household residence, an previous petrol station in Woodville, South Australia.
Right here, Sam was surrounded by the scent of petrol and the cease begin sounds of engines. Usually it’s suggested to not sniff petrol fumes, but it surely appears for Sam and his siblings, the octane inside sparked a lifetime ardour for vehicles.
And over Sam’s life, that single Woodville household petrol station advanced into the Perigrine Group – Australia’s largest personal vitality community, its largest personal service station chain, and the nation’s most profitable petroleum empire.
I’m a agency believer within the saying ‘cash doesn’t change folks, it simply amplifies their qualities’. Whereas a few of our desires change as we age, The Bend Motorsport Park is proof that that impressed baby nonetheless lives inside Sam Shahan.
From Goals To Asphalt
Risking sounding considerably cliché, The Bend Motorsport Park actually is Sam’s magnum opus, showcasing his lifelong love for motorsport.
Situated an hour’s drive from the tranquility of Adelaide, South Australia’s capital metropolis, The Bend gleams like a jewel within the wilderness. It boasts an astonishing 7.77 kilometre (4.82 mile) monitor – one of many longest full-time circuits on the earth – however belief me, it’s not simply dimension that issues right here.
The ability presents one thing like 34 totally different circuit configurations, every catering to varied motorsport disciplines. It’s a spot that holds the echoes of iconic European and Center Jap tracks, however retains an undeniably Australian really feel about it.
That is motoring on a scale we’re simply not conversant in in Australia. Think about one facility that boasts not solely a world-class circuit, but in addition a drag strip, drift enviornment, karting monitor, rally cross circuit, 4WD journey park, and even a lodge.
It’s like stepping right into a motorsport utopia.
The Final Lap
While looking, I used to be lucky sufficient to be strapped within the passenger seat of a Lotus Evora to expertise the principle GT Circuit up shut.
With fewer landmarks than most tracks for a brand new driver to make use of as brake markers, locking onto the format can be difficult to start with, particularly given the excessive speeds attainable on the longer sections.
However like all issues worthwhile, after follow the monitor flows fantastically when threaded by some skilled palms.
The straights are lengthy, and every set of corners current the driving force with a distinct set of challenges.
These straight sections remind me of Fuji Speedway, the vastly differing nook combos remind me of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and the elevation adjustments of spirited drives by way of the mountains. There is no such thing as a rival for this monitor in Australia.
British readers could chortle, however I’d by no means ridden in a Lotus previous to this; they’re not the commonest issues down beneath.
The Bend was the proper place to showcase and amplify each the Evora’s agility and straight-line energy. What a journey.
Racing In the direction of The Future
With its state-of-the-art design, The Bend is not only one other racetrack. Its sheer dimension is one factor, however the know-how, security measures and foresight embedded into each inch make it a contender for the very best echelon of world motorsport. The ability meets or exceeds each FIA specification and already hosts quite a few worldwide racing occasions.
In fact, Sam and the group behind The Bend would love the chance to someday host the Australian spherical of the System One World Championship. However let’s not get forward of ourselves simply but; we’re simply dreamers, bear in mind? In the meanwhile, the group appear glad to let everyone else stay out their desires and benefit from the world-class facility.
Extra Than Simply Tarmac
The Bend Motorsport Park is greater than asphalt and engines. In an period the place the joys of driving is usually neglected for effectivity and automation, the power stands tall, reminding us of the uncooked pleasure, the adrenaline, and the sheer love for vehicles and racing.
For South Australians, it’s some extent of satisfaction. For guests, each seasoned professionals and curious first-timers, it’s an expertise of a lifetime.
And for Sam? It’s the realisation of a dream that began with diecast vehicles on a rugged flooring.
Matthew Everingham
Instagram: matthew_everingham
matt@mattheweveringham.com
