Street circuits, or public roads converted into race tracks during motorsport events, are common around the globe. In fact, there are over a hundred registered street circuits, the most popular of which is the Circuit de la Sarthe where the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place, as well as the Circuit de Monaco, the home of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix.
Mount Panorama is one of these street circuits. Located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, it's the home of Bathurst 1000 motor race and Bathurst 12 Hour event.
Just like other street circuits, Mount Panorama is a public road that's open to everyone when there isn't any event. However, one BMW 3 Series driver was oblivious of that fact and got caught speeding on the thoroughfare, as reported by the New South Wales Police Force on its Facebook page.
The Bimmer was caught running 119 kilometres per hour (74 miles per hour ) one Sunday afternoon, which was way over Mount Panorama's speed limit. Of note, the road's limit is set at 60 km/h (37 mph).
Police and car chases:
When caught, the driver said that he thought Mount Panorama was a race track. While not necessarily false, we think that the driver's a motorsport fan who isn't aware of the concept of street circuits. Or maybe the driver's just trying to get away with a silly excuse, which obviously didn't work.
Apart from paying a fine of 2,500 AUD (around £1,365) and six demerit points, the driver's license has also been suspended and seized on the spot for six months. The car's number plates were also confiscated and will be with the police for three months.