Lost in the blur of a thrilling Reid Park hot lap
A HOT lap of the Reid Park circuit is certainly not for the faint- hearted.
After experiencing the speed of a touring car at the Hidden Valley track in Darwin last month, the two laps, or 150 seconds of breathtaking action, was simply amazing at the Townsville 400 yesterday.
Riding with Supercheap Auto Racing’s Tim Slade, the biggest difference between the Darwin and Townsville tracks is the concrete walls. They’re right in your face and boy it must hurt when your kiss them at 260km/ h.
The opening straight seemed to be over in a flash, the world goes fuzzy in front of your eyes and all of a sudden you think you’re about to go through the windscreen with Slade slamming on his brakes.
Slade’s cornering was superb and the ride of the ripple strips at turns three, seven, eight and 11 is a stomach- turning experience. Luckily I held off on lunch before the joy ride. With such a big crowd around the circuit, you don’t notice any of the fans as you concentrate on the track. Reid Park could be in the middle of nowhere and you wouldn’t know the difference.
Safety is paramount and the measures put in place make the ride as enjoyable as you want it to be I’m actually a fan of the race suit, after I finally got it on.
Sure, there are times throughout the lap you want to close your eyes, but I recommend you don’t. This is a once- in- alifetime experience.