2025 began at One Raceway with the arrival of the Motor Event Racing crew for “Blueys Roundup”, a two-day budget endurance event focused on fun and more importantly, raising money for charity.
Sunday would see the field race the former Wakefield Park circuit in reverse, the first time ever that the track has been run in the anti-clockwise direction. This new layout has been affectionately named the Shelley Circuit after the rejuvenated facility’s new owner, Steve Shelley. In a rather significant moment for all in attendance, Shelley himself was on-hand with a Porsche GT3 Cup Car to lead the first ever laps around the circuit which bears his name.
In an interview following the first laps, Shelley highlighted the amazing work by so many to get the circuit to this stage with the capacity to run in both directions “at the press of a button”. Going both directions is part of the circuit’s initiatives to aid noise reduction after the circuit was shut in 2022 for noise and other related issues. Shelley went on to explain how “racetracks are few and far between” in Australia, stressing the significance of providing another unique circuit layout for drivers to enjoy.
On-board vision is obviously limited at this stage, however, early footage from Blueys Roundup competitors made it abundantly clear just how right Shelley was. The Shelley Circuit presents a wildly different challenge, featuring braking zones mid corner, technical corner-to-corner transitions and a whole new perspective on the elevation changes through the top end of the track.
