In the 1960s, a group of Holden FJ car enthusiasts searched for a place to race. They settled on Diggers Rest located between Melbourne and the Bendigo gold mines. The group included racing legends such as Bob Jane, Norm Beechey, John Wood, and Peter Manton. The official opening date was 14 January 1962.
The facility was a success and quickly transitioned from being a playground for a small group of enthusiasts to a racing destination. Soon it included a dragstrip, upgraded track surface, and infrastructure. The venue also started hosting sanctioned events.
Bob Jane Puts his Mark on Calder!
Bob Jane, a founder, purchased the facility in the 1970s. Jane was a four-time winner of the Australian Touring Car Championship now known as the V8-Supercar Series. With the help of Bill France Jr of NASCAR, Jane started on his dream of building the Thunderdome.
Jane poured millions into building the NASCAR-styled High-banked speedway and even brought in experienced engineers and workers from the States. The first Thunderdome race was a Touring Car event won by John Bowe and Terry Shiel. However, it used portions of the road course. The first race solely on the Thunderdome surface was the 1988 AUSCAR 200 won by 19-year-old female driver Terri Sawyer.
Famed NASCAR Names and Local Legends
The 1988 Goodyear NASCAR 500 was 280 laps (313.35 miles/ 504.28 km). The field included 31 cars with 23 drivers from the United States, six from Australia, one from New Zealand, and one Canadian. NASCAR drivers, including the “Alabama Gang” included Neil Bonnet, Bobby Allison, Micheal Waltrip, Dave Marcus, and Kyle Petty among others.
Richard Petty set an unofficial record of 28.2 seconds with an average speed of 142.85 mph. Australian drivers included Dick Johnson a five-time Touring Car Champion and multiple winner of the Bathurst 1000. Allan Grice, born in New Zealand, won regularly in New Zealand and Australia.
Neil Bonnett won from the pole with his Pontiac Grand Prix with Bobby Allison second in his Buick LeSabre. The race had 11 cautions for 52 laps. Robin Best of Tasmania finished eleventh. Best would win the 1989/1990 and 1990/1991 Australian NASCAR Championships and race in the United States.
The Legacy of the Thunderdome at Calder Park
Sadly, the Thunderdome has lost the glory of those opening races. Reasons for this include the ever-growing popularity of the Supercar Series and road course racing among Australian race fans. The Thunderdome has lost portions of seating, many support buildings, and dedicated infrastructure.
This is the spot where Bob Jane brought the thunder of NASCAR to Australian motorsports fans. He helped ignite a passion for the sport for countless gearheads. Hopefully, that legacy will somehow continue to grow and the Thunderdome will survive.
You can find a more in depth article on the Calder Park Thunderdome at MotorsportArchives.com
