Why a NASCAR Track Sits Abandoned In Australia

When NASCAR raced in Australia it was a historic moment in Motorsport. Being the first nascar sanctioned event outside of North America caught the attention of the world and the Calder Park Thunderdome was the perfect venue for the series to race at. The Thunderdome was built thanks to Bob Jane, an Australian Businessman and racing driver with to goal of making oval racing popular in Australia. The track enjoyed a few years of success, but what caused the Thunderdome to become abandoned, and now sit as a relic of NASCAR's past? Enjoy!

#NASCAR

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Australian Advertisement Archive

[nascarnational]

considering the aussie & kiwi invasion of nascar in 2024, revamping this place would be a PERFECT ploy for nascar, as it's rumored to race in mexico or canada to test international reception before a possible race overseas.

it's sad this place is just rotting at the moment

[thepumpboy]

I’ve driven on the Dome on track days. Yes it’s a bit run down and the track is very bumpy but it’s still a buzz driving flat out on the banks. I was there as a kid on opening round of NASCAR so to drive it now fulfilled a childhood dream ❤️

[burbmoto]

We fixed North Wilkesboro here in America after it sat Dormant since 1996. I think there’s still hope for The Thunderdome…

[JWbacca]

Best name for an Australian Nascar track possible

[bigwillotv]

Great video. Should also make mention that recently, Calder Park has been making a bunch of strides in getting the track back up to standard again. There's a bunch of new signage and regular race meetings coming back, so hopefully that's the start of the rebirth of the track as a constant go-to venue in Australian motorsport.

[vaughneaston]

THE TIMING IS RIGHT!!! NASCAR!!!. We lost interest when V8 Supercars took over but now it’s in the toilet! I’ve been more interested in Gizzy’s NASCAR venture this year than the Supercars championship. We are bored and so are our drivers (hint; the rising interest). It would be a dream come true to see NASCAR race the Thunderdome again. And I dare to dream from then onwards: I could see NASCAR race Sydney Motorsport Park or even the streets of Surfers Paradise just like INDY did. Let’s make it a new era in USA/AUS/NZ Motorsport. 1st step; Bring the Thunderdome back to life!

[rocnoir]

Went to a few races as a kid and remember how bloody hot it was but the roar of those engines will never be forgotten. Still have the Calder Park "Nascar Australia's #1 Motorsport" shirt.

[SirDaffyD]

Went to many a race meeting at the Thunderdome. Saw great racing. It was a sad day when racing there stopped. One of the most memorable meetings was when they had truck racing there. That was a blast, with the meeting being cut short after a truck hit the wall on a banking after blowing a tyre and punching a big hole in the wall.
I lived in StAlbans, about 15 minutes pushbike ride away at the time, when the Thundedome was first finished. My mates and I used to ride everywhere. We rode the the Thunderdome and managed to ride our pushbikes around the dome about a week before the first ever meeting there. There was no security, so we just rode it through the tunnel. To say the banking is steep is an understatement! I rode my mountain bike up the banking that day, but it was a struggle. Even drove our cars around the dome a few years later when we went to watch a club track day on the main circuit, and found we could just drive through the tunnel & onto the dome. We were the first that day to work this out, and not long after, other cars started doing hot laps on the dome until we got asked to leave. lol.
Even rode a motorbike around the dome a few years later when I did a defensive rider course with H.A.R.T. (Honda Australia Rider Training) at the dome.
Had many a great time at the Thunderdome in years gone past. I hope this icon of Australian motorsport is fixed up & bought back too life one day, but sadly I don't see happening any time soon.

[asdf]

The second Australian round of the 1987 World Touring Car Championship used the combination road/oval track

[carrerasc]

Bob Jane was an absolute visionary. Forget all the BS about his personal life and business troubles with his ex wife and son. If it wasn't for his determined drive the Thunderdome never would have existed, we owe a huge amount to him.
He was a "take no prisoners" champion race driver, with the vision to bring his fire breathing '69 Chevy Camaro to tracks around Australia just like Allan Moffat with the awesome '69 Trans Am "Coke" 302 Boss Mustang.
I took my late father to the first ever night meeting at the Thunderdome and it was packed to the rafters with over 50, 000 fans what a spectacle !!!
As a young kid Allan was my hero and Bob was the "enemy", that's because I was a one eyed Ford fan.

I met both of them around 10 years ago at the Phillip Island Historics and was fortunate that they both signed a Sandown program cover showing Moffats Mustang just behind Janes Camaro,
Allan spent a quiet 15mins alone at my stand recounting memories of all the different pics / ads I had of him .... real lovely gentleman, and Bob was very obliging as well. A great memory for me.

Sad to see Allan in waivering health and RIP Vale Bob 2 massive Icons in our motorsport.

[UnitSeen]

All we want is life beyond the Thunderdome.

[MrBdog]

This track today would probably race excellent with the next gen cars. The long straightaways plus the very banked corners would put on an awesome show.

[PSMotorsport]

Its like going back in time visiting Calder Park, with most of the infrastructure still the same as when it was built plus the giant weeds growing in between stadium seating its makes for an interestesting aesthetic. Keep it Reet still use the Thunderdome section for their drift events and the Victorian State Race Series returned there for the first time last year and they're back again this year. Its worth checking out if you ever get the chance.

[RealMr_Wonderful]

It also hosted an infamous Guns and Roses concert. Massive crowd on a stinking hot day where they ran out of food and drink real early. A bottle of water was going for 50 bucks by the end. Crazy gig.

[briandavies]

I owned a Bob Jane T Mart at that time & it was to the franchisees detriment that the Thunderdome was built, more & more pressure to sell more so he could get more of his fees to fund it. Some franchisees were even threatened with the loss of their businesses if they didn’t come up to his demands of having no debts to his HQ at the end of the month, never mind the fact that main suppliers were left waiting up to 90 days to have their bills paid. Between the Thunderdome & his personal life he forgot that the T Mart owners were his lifeblood.

[CC-ggoj]

Just stumbled upon this. Brings back the memories from the first 10 years of Thunderdome. Felt like most of my childhood was spent there, went to every meet and drag event, seeing Bob around was a treat. Listening to the spotters at the back of the stands, and the HQ races... the crashes!

[phugemawl]

Back in the days when we had Commodores and Falcons !

[B-A-L]

We had a superspeedway at Rockingham in England that NASCAR never bothered to visit in the 2000s, although Indycar did manage a couple of races. It's just a test track for car manufacturers now. Don't forget though that the first ever banked oval racing circuit was also built in England and that was in 1907 but WW2 put an end to it and the only part that survives is a museum now.

[maxholmgren]

love these odd one-offs, great video!

[gaejohn]

I remember back in 1989 arriving at the thunderdome at just 4 years old hopping out of the back seat of my uncle’s new and evolutionary Holden VN Commodore.
It was a cold sunny day and oh boy was it loud, every time a car came around I’d put my fingers in my ears. It never meant anything to me back then but every time I drive past the thunderdome at 39 years old I remember that nostalgic moment in the good old days.
Damn that VN Commodore felt so ahead of its time and was so fast compared to any other six cylinder.