Seven members of the vision-impaired community were treated to a special experience at One Raceway today, getting behind the wheel of dual control Minis to turn laps of the Goulburn circuit.
The Vision Impaired Track Day, which raised more than $3,000 for the Canberra Blind Society, was held in a collaborative effort between One Raceway and the Canberra-based Fifth Gear Motoring driver training organisation.
Participants in the track day were speed limited to 40 kilometres per hour, with a professional instructor providing verbal instructions from the passenger’s seat.
For track day participant Lindy Hou, the day represented an opportunity for her to get behind the wheel under controlled conditions, after losing vision 30 years ago.
“It was phenomenal, like being a little kid again,” Lindy said.
“This year marks 30 years since I lost vision and was unable to renew my licence, so it was incredible to be able to drive again.
“My instructor was really good - he was giving me clear instructions on when to accelerate, brake and turn, and by how much… I felt really safe and confident.”
Fifth Gear Motoring operations and PR co-ordinator Tori Newton said the day was well-received by all participants.
“When we invited people to come along to the Vision Impaired Track Day, everyone was really enthusiastic and to see the smiles on their faces when they hopped out of the cars after the first session was very special,” Tori said.
One Raceway head of motorsport Lachlan Mansell said the day enabled the facility to showcase its capabilities while giving back to the community.
“One Raceway’s primary purpose is for motor racing, but it has many other uses as well; today, we were able to provide a chance for people to drive who normally wouldn’t have that opportunity,” Lachlan said.
“Yes, we’re a race track, but there’s so much more we can do with driver training and just providing a controlled environment to conduct these sorts of activities.”
One Raceway switches back to motor-racing mode for one of its marquee events this weekend - the Wakefield 300.
