Mick Hone and Snag belt two very different Daytona models around the Calder Park Thunderdome banking.
Between 1988 until 2001, the Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne’s thistle-belt was a seething cauldron of fabulous oval track motorsport. Up to 46,000 fans would cram to watch the wild racing the Auscars and Nascars provided, in the latter stages under lights. Thrills galore.
That was then.
Now, nature is reclaiming it. It’s like a piece built for a Tarantino movie. Tumbleweeds and dry hot winds whistle around the 24 degree banking. It’s 1.8km Tri Oval a reminder of those heady days.
All is not lost however, with a push to renovate the Thunderdome. Yep, there may be life in the old gal just yet.
So, before this all takes place, Snaggy and Mick Hone took their respective Daytonas to try their hands at negotiating the steep banking that defines the ‘Dome.
Mick’s wonderful 1965 Daytona Coupe belts out 500 horsepower. The car is all carbon fibre and weighs 1000kg. Quick. You think?
Snag’s Triumph Daytona 1200 is good for 270kmh. It’s a flagship of John Bloor’s achievements in the 1990s. Big, bold and supersonic.
We have to own up; all that is academic, because the boys took it pretty easy. But we get a look at a great example of a bike that defined the Hinckley Triumph outfit and put it firmly on the track to its remarkable success and a car that is jaw-dropping in its detail and performance.
All at the remarkable Thunderdome.
Let’s see how it all went down. Watch the video here.
Snag’s career in motoring journalism spans 29 years with stints at major bike mags Australian Road Rider, Motorcycle Trader and AMCN along with contributions to just about every other outlet worth a hill of beans. He was editor of Unique Cars magazine and hosts his legendary podcast ‘Snag Says’ when he gets off his date.
