In America and Europe, the concept of housing estates being built around facilities like airfields and car racetracks is nothing new. For example John Travolta has a home in Ocala Florida, which he famously parks his planes at the front door and throughout Europe there are many private racetracks where people live and house their motoring pride and joys.
Although there are several private racetracks as well as racetracks with accommodation here in Australia, and many homes which have airfields on the property, to date a successful housing estate within a car racetrack precinct has never come to fruition, that is until now and it has a twist as this ABC News story reveals:
Former Hunter Valley mine site to be transformed into motorsport park – ABC News
Currently under construction in Wakefield, New South Wales, Black Rock Motor Resort is a $95 million project that will turn Lake Macquarie and its former coal mine into Australia’s first dedicated recreational resort park for motoring enthusiasts. The project includes a 5.25km racetrack, go-kart track, driver training, luxury accommodation and function centre, and café.
With all of the drama going on in California with Laguna Seca and its greedy neighbours, it’s good to see a purpose built housing precinct with motoring at its heart here in Australia. Call me a cynic, but it will be interesting to see how long it takes for the neighbours to try to flex their muscles, however anything must be better than a coal mine surely!
Black Rock Motor Resort is designed by the Tilke Group, known for their work on racetracks around the world like the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, Circuit of the Americas in Texas, and the Red Bull Ring in Austria. It will host driving events, performance car driving experiences, public track days, as well as driver training courses and maybe in the future we’ll see some regular series.
If you’re interested in being a part of this amazing development and have the money, the following realeastate.com.au article has the full sales spiel and information:
Former Coal Mine Transformed into Petrol Head Paradise – realestate.com.au