This video has awesome aerial footage of the new Swan Hill Drag Strip, just three and a half hours from Melbourne Australia. If you think that the only way to build a drag strip is with pure cubic dollars, know that while this track is not a cheap endeavor, there is an ass load of stuff that got done on this project the good old fashioned way. How’s that? By getting volunteers and local business to help, that’s how! More than 14,000 cubic meters (think yards) of dirt were moved around by Swan Hill Drag Racing Club members along with Murray Valley Lasers and Graders. Blood, sweat and tears are going into this place, and it’s not just to get a new dragstrip put together that people can play on. This track with have the longest concrete surface in all of Australia! 310 meters to be exact, and they are all down and visible in this cool video. You have to check it out.
Other cool features of this place include track cooling and heating in the first 360 feet or so, ala Bandimere. According to preliminary testing, the temperature control system can heat or cool the surface up to 8 degrees. Oh, and that’s Celsius by the way. That is 46 degrees Fahrenheit folks!
The track is scheduled to be completed in December, and has used funding that is worth mentioning because it flys in the face of what we think of here in the United States. The Victorian Government gave $2 million bucks to this thing, along with $50k from the Swan Hill City Council, and $220k worth of labor from the Swan Hill Drag Racing Club. Swan Hill’s local businesses are reported to also be supporting the track through donations or at cost contributions, like the grass that was donated by Advanced Turf and installed by club members, along with all the sprinkler systems. That sounds like a great community working together to make something cool happen. We are digging this place!
Since so many people are helping out, we don’t want to leave them out at all and are going to list several others below.
Entrance Road Construction: Coburns Earthmoving
The Swan Hill Drag Racing Club also went out and got the temperature control system with support from Elsteel and McKenzies Electrical. They are going to continue working on all the landscaping as well. In fact, if you are an Aussie who would like to help, or a BangShifter that is heading there on vacation and wants to do a good deed while there, then they would love to have you volunteer! Contact Lucas Woodburn at [email protected] if you want to help out.
The concrete walls are going up late this month, and will be completed by SeoVic, a company that specializes in slipform concrete construction. The remaining asphalt for the end of the race track and shutdown area, etc will be done in November so that the warm temps will help with getting the asphalt smooth and strong. It doesn’t like to lay down right if it’s too cold.
Thanks to the Swan Hill City Council for all the info on this new project, and for supporting drag racing. You folks should be commended! Swan Hill Victoria, Australia, and the Swan Hill Drag Racing Club, you are totally BangShift Approved!
