There are not a lot of places where racing draws such a large crowd as in Australia the motor racing circuit known as Calder Raceway in Melbourne, AU plays a large part in the popularity and crowds. Calder Raceway is much more than just a road racing circuit with many different configurations but is also a drag strip and the very popular Thunderdome. The Thunderdome is an oval shaped banked race track where drivers can travel at high speeds and, like NASCAR, is designed for right or left-hand drivers in that they can travel clockwise or counter clockwise. Calder Park Raceway was originally a small dirt track founded in Diggers Rest, a small farming community. A few enthusiastic motoring fans wanted a place to race their FJ Holdens so they carved out a paddock. So successful were their efforts that in 1962, the Australian Motor Sports Club held an inauguration for the track. Bob Jane bought the track in the 1970s.
The design of the original track many years ago is very similar to what is still being used today. Some of the competitors that have contributed at the meetings for this track include John Wood, Norm Beechev, Bob Jane and Peter Manton. The actual construction of the track started in 1983 and was completed four years later at a total cost of $54 million AU, with Bob Jane funding almost the entire amount. It wasn't until 1987 that the Thunderdome was added to the south side of the track. Because the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company were the original sponsors, this 1.12 mile (1.8km) track was originally called the Goodyear Thunderdome. Special features of the track are Turns 1 and 2, which feature 24-degree banking. Some of the many events Calder Raceway has hosted besides the nightly drag strip include Superbike racing, Truck racing, Legal off street drag racing, AUSCAR series to name just a few. This track is even today considered the world's fastest all-bitumen drag strip.
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