120 motorists soft lap tested DriveIt NQ’s new 2.8km track

Motor enthusiasts and DriveIt NQ’s biggest supporters have been given the first taste of the long-awaited track. See the video.

CEO of DRIVEIT NQ, Pat Driscoll, testing out the new facility in Calcium for the first time.

Motor enthusiasts and DriveIt NQ’s biggest supporters have been given the first taste of the track at a special event to mark to opening of the Calcium facility.

The 2.8km long track has been a dream of DriveIt chief executive officer Pat Driscoll and board chairman Greg Fitzgerald for almost 20 years.

“Today is a historic occasion,” Mr Driscoll said. “We’ve got a first-class piece of infrastructure here.”

@tsvbulletin 🏎️ Take a turn around Townsville’s newest track with me. #Townsville#DRIVEITNQ#racetrack#motorsport#track#cars#townsvillebulletin♬ Loose Change - Devin Kennedy

As the final part of our track construction process, friends of the project and DriveIt NQ club members were able to help to remove surface treatment on parts of the track by driving “controlled” laps of the track, capped at 130km/h.

It was Mr Driscoll’s first time around the track and he said the experience was “like a drug,” even at the limited speed.

Motor enthusiasts were invited to be the first to take to the track at DRIVEIT NQ’s new, world-class facility.

More than 120 drivers register to soft lap test the facility which in the future will cater to all levels of driving, racing and driver education, including LearnIt where volunteers donate their time every week to help young drivers, up to the age of 21, get their license and therefore a job.

Mr Driscoll claims students who come through LearnIt have a 94 per cent pass rate on their driving test the first time around and that practising on the track is “safer than driving on the road.”

CEO Pat Driscoll claims students who come through LEARNIT have a 94% pass rate, first time round on their learners.

The track cost $9m to build with Mr Driscoll saying they had “delivered incredibly economically.”

The next stage in the track’s development is the proposed Wall of Champions, where the implementation of safety fences will give businesses a chance to secure four a year advertising spot and help fill in the gaps of the project that remain unfunded. Clubs will be able to run events as soon as the wall is complete.

Avid car enthusiasts and motorsports fans are looking forward to events such as; door-to-door racing, sprints, time attack, roll racing, corporate events, product launches, product testing, training and drive days when the precinct opens to the public.

Madonna Simmons said the events would create thousands of spectators and create economic opportunities for the region, from local mechanics, spray painters and tyre suppliers, she believes there is an opportunity to bring new industry to town.

“There are so many layers of industry that support a track such as this,” Mrs Simmons said.

LearnIt NQ is looking for volunteer drivers, for anyone wanting to get involved go to driveitnq.com.au.

Originally published as 120 motorists soft lap tested DriveIt NQ’s new 2.8km track