Sydney Motorsport Park (known until May 2012 as Eastern Creek International Raceway) is a motorsport circuit located on Brabham Drive, Eastern Creek (40-kilometres west of the Sydney CBD),[1] New South Wales, Australia, adjacent to the Western Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by the New South Wales Government and is operated by the Australian Racing Drivers Club. The circuit is one of only two permanent tracks in Australia with an FIA Grade 2 license[2] and is licensed for both cars and motorcycles.
The development of circuit was approved in 1989[3] and construction began soon after. However, construction was delayed by poor weather and debates over land ownership. A test race open to Superbikes was held in July 1990 and the circuit was officially opened by then-New South Wales Minister for Sport Bob Rowland-Smith on 10 November 1990 with the running of the Nissan Sydney 500 endurance race for Group A touring cars. In 1991, the consortium formed to fund the circuit suffered financial problems and the complex was purchased by the New South Wales Government.[4] The pit facilities provide fifty garages with direct access to the paddock area and a covered 4,000-seat grandstand overlooks the finish line, providing a view of the majority of the circuit. Events are held at the circuit on most weekends during the year.
On 11 August 2006, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Ron Dickson, the A1 Grand Prix circuit designer who also designed the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit, suggested that Sydney Motorsport Park was not up to modern standards and needed to be upgraded.[5] On 28 April 2008, it was announced that Apex Circuit Design Ltd. had been commissioned to perform a $350,000 feasibility study on upgrading the track to suit more purposes and hold larger events such as the Australian Formula One Grand Prix,[6] however nothing came of this proposed upgrade.
In early 2011, the circuit received funding for a $9 million upgrade, with the New South Wales Government providing $7 million and the Australian Racing Drivers Club funding the other $2 million.[7] The upgrade reconfigured the circuit into four layouts, with two able to be operated at the same time, with a total length of . The upgrade also included an additional pit lane facility to cater for the new configuration, a new race control tower and new amenities buildings. Work on the upgrades began in June 2011, with a new piece of road joining turns four and nine.[8] This link road, finished in October 2011, created the new "Druitt Circuit", also known as the North Circuit.[9] The 830-metre extension on the south-eastern part of the circuit was completed in May 2012 to create the new "Amaroo Circuit" (or South Circuit). On 21 May 2012, the circuit was renamed from Eastern Creek International Raceway to Sydney Motorsport Park.[10] Construction of the new pit lane between turns four and five also began at this time.
Following the circuits' reconfiguration, a number of corners were named. At the circuits' re-opening, turn five was renamed "Brock's 05" in reference to Peter Brock and the number with which he was associated, whilst in October 2017 the first two corners were renamed "Moffat Corner" and "Bond Bend" respectively.[11] [12]
After the first Australian motorcycle Grand Prix held at Phillip Island in 1989, there was a conflict over advertising between the Victorian Government and the tobacco industry, who were major sponsors of the Grand Prix teams. The New South Wales Government saw this as an opportunity to bring the race to Sydney and in October 1990, a deal was made for the Grand Prix to be held at what was then known as Eastern Creek International Raceway from 1991 to 1993. The race remained at the circuit until 1996 before returning to Phillip Island in 1997.
The circuit has also hosted rounds of the Australian Superbike Championship.
The Australian round of the A1 Grand Prix championship was held at Sydney Motorsport Park from the 2005–06 season to the 2007–08 season. During the 2006–07 event on 4 February 2007, German driver Nico Hülkenberg set the outright lap record for the original circuit layout with a 1:19.142 lap time in the A1 Team Germany prepared Lola-Zytek.[13]
| Year | Driver | Car | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 |  Nicolas Lapierre | Lola A1GP-Zytek | A1 Team France |
| Nicolas Lapierre | Lola A1GP-Zytek | A1 Team France | |
| 2006–07 | Nico Hülkenberg | Lola A1GP-Zytek | A1 Team Germany |
| Nico Hülkenberg | Lola A1GP-Zytek | A1 Team Germany | |
| 2007–08 | Loïc Duval | Lola A1GP-Zytek | A1 Team France |
| Adrian Zaugg | Lola A1GP-Zytek | A1 Team South Africa | |
See main article: Sydney SuperNight.
The first touring car event at the circuit was the 1990 Nissan Sydney 500, an endurance race which was the final round of both the 1990 Australian Endurance Championship and the 1990 Australian Manufacturers' Championship. In the early 1990s, the circuit also hosted the Winfield Triple Challenge, an event which featured Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) teams and drivers alongside Superbikes and drag racing.
The circuit first hosted a championship round of the ATCC (now known as V8 Supercars) in 1992 and held a round every year, excluding 1998 and 2006, until 2008. Further to this, the circuit hosted the season-ending Grand Finale in 2003 and 2004, with Marcos Ambrose winning the round and the championship title on both occasions.[14] In 2009 the circuit was dropped in favour of the Sydney 500 on the Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit.[15] The circuit returned to the V8 Supercars calendar in 2012 after V8 Supercars failed to secure a second international event.[16] After another year off the calendar in 2013, the circuit has returned to the calendar from 2014 onwards.
The official pre-season V8 Supercar test day was held at the circuit in 2011 and 2013 to 2015. The 2013 test day was the first time that the four Car of the Future manufacturers appeared together at a public event.[17] The 2015 test day clashed with the 2015 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, preventing V8 Supercars drivers from competing in the race.[18]
Between 1992 and 1995, the circuit hosted a non-championship Triple Challenge event in late January consisting of touring cars, Superbikes and drag racing. The event was backed by the Winfield cigarette brand, to promote their sponsorship of all three categories of racing. Glenn Seton Racing, sponsored by rival cigarette brand Peter Jackson, won the touring car element of the event in all four years, with eponymous team owner/driver Glenn Seton winning three.[19] In practice for the 1995 event, the Winfield-backed entry of Mark Skaife had a major accident at Turn 1, hitting concrete drag racing barriers which resulted in injuries that forced him to miss the first round of the 1995 Australian Touring Car Championship.[20] The event concluded with the ban of cigarette advertising in Australia at the end of 1995.
| Year | Driver | Car | Entrant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 |  Glenn Seton | Ford Sierra RS500 | Glenn Seton Racing | |
| 1993 | Glenn Seton | Ford EB Falcon | Glenn Seton Racing | |
| 1994 | Glenn Seton | Ford EB Falcon | Glenn Seton Racing | |
| 1995 | Alan Jones | Ford EB Falcon | Glenn Seton Racing |
An event organised and promoted by Australian Muscle Car magazine, the Muscle Car Masters is held on Father's Day every year. The event includes races and demonstration laps featuring Australian muscle cars and ex-race cars from the 1950s to the 1990s. Regular racing classes include Group N, Group C, Group A and Touring Car Masters while different car clubs have their cars on display each year and take part in demonstration laps. Historically significant cars in Australian motorsport are also present and complete laps of the circuit. While the main focus is on the history of Australian touring car racing, other classes, such as Formula 5000, have also appeared.
In the 1990s, the venue held a number of rock concerts and music festivals including Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, the Alternative Nation festival and the Colossus 2 dance festival. Music festivals returned to the circuit in 2009 and 2010 when it hosted the Soundwave Festival for both years.[21]
Daniel Ricciardo drove a Red Bull RB7 Formula One car during the Top Gear Festival at the circuit in March 2014 and set the unofficial lap time record with a time of 1:11.2330. However, as this time was not recorded during a race, it does not count as a lap record.[22] As of August 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Sydney Motorsport Park are listed as:[23] [24] [25]
| Class | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner Grand Prix Circuit: 3.910 km (May 2012–present)[26] | ||||
| World Time Attack Challenge | Barton Mawer | Porsche 968 | 1:17.860[27] | 2 September 2023 |
| Formula 3 | Nick Foster | Mygale M08 | 1:22.6290 | 13 July 2013 |
| Formula Libre | Dean Tighe | Dallara F395 | 1:22.7328[28] | 16 October 2022 |
| S5000 | Aaron Cameron | Ligier JS F3–S5000 | 1:25.4355[29] | 30 July 2023 |
| Radical Australia Cup |  James Winslow | Radical SR8 | 1:25.7027 | 14 July 2013 |
| Supersports/Sports Racer | Adam Proctor | Stohr WF1 | 1:26.7160 | 13 July 2014 |
| F5000 | Alex Davison | Lola T332 | 1:26.8987 | 7 June 2015 |
| GT3 | Geoff Emery | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | 1:27.4001 | 30 July 2023 |
| Superkart | Warren McIlveen | Stockman 115 Honda | 1:28.1133 | 5 July 2015 |
| Sports Sedan | Jack Perkins | Audi A4 | 1:28.1783 | 15 November 2015 |
| Superbike | Josh Waters | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:29.001[30] | 25 March 2023 |
| Supercars | Jamie Whincup | Holden ZB Commodore | 1:29.8424[31] | 4 August 2018 |
| Formula 4 | James Piszcyk | Tatuus F4-T421 | 1:30.1767 | 4 August 2024 |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | Harri Jones | Porsche 911 (992) GT3 Cup | 1:30.2193[32] | 20 July 2024 |
| Supersport | Tom Toparis | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 1:31.484[33] | 23 March 2024 |
| GT2 | David Crampton | KTM X-Bow GT2 Concept | 1:31.8609 | 30 July 2023 |
| Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge | Aron Shields | Porsche 911 (997) GT3 Cup 3.8 | 1:32.0288 | 29 July 2023 |
| Super2 Series |  Tyler Everingham | Nissan Altima L33 | 1:32.2390 | 20 November 2021 |
| Trans Am Australia | Owen Kelly | Ford Mustang Trans Am | 1:33.7815[34] | 1 May 2021 |
| Super Touring | Cameron McLean | BMW 320i | 1:33.8642[35] | 7 June 1998 |
| Super3 Series | Blake Fardell | Holden VE Commodore | 1:34.4490 | 20 November 2021 |
| Formula Ford | Cameron Hill | Mygale SJ10A | 1:34.5519[36] | 5 July 2015 |
| TCR Touring Car | Will Brown | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 1:34.8437[37] | 19 May 2019 |
| Group A | Carey McMahon | Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R | 1:37.8622 | 6 September 2015 |
| GT4 | Mark Griffith | Mercedes-AMG GT4 | 1:38.1408 | 29 July 2023 |
| Touring Car Masters | John Bowe | Holden Torana SL/R | 1:38.8846 | 29 May 2022 |
| F1 Sidecar | Colin Buckely/ Robbie Shorter | LCR-Kawasaki ZXR-RR 1000 | 1:38.930 | 19 March 2016 |
| Moto3 | Dylan Whiteside | Honda NSF250R | 1:39.157[38] | 10 September 2017 |
| Improved Production | Adam Poole | Holden Monaro | 1:37.7787 | 17 June 2023 |
| Group 3E | Simon Hodge | BMW M4 | 1:40.7772 | 7 August 2022 |
| Aussie Racing Cars | Tom Hayman | Mustang-Yamaha | 1:41.9789 | 1 May 2021 |
| Supersport 300 | Jesse Stroud | Kawasaki EX400 | 1:43.120[39] | 22 March 2024 |
| F2 Sidecar | Jamie Crass/ Lee Menzies | Windle-Suzuki GSXR 600 | 1:43.879 | 6 July 2024 |
| SuperUtes Series | Cameron Crick | Ford Ranger | 1:44.8170 | 19 July 2024 |
| Group Sc | Geoff Morgan | Porsche 911 Carrera | 1:45.8382 | 7 June 2015 |
| Porsche 944 | Chris Lewis-Williams | Porsche 944 | 1:45.9016 | 20 May 2012 |
| Saloon Cars | Ben Grice | Holden VT Commodore | 1:46.0023 | 5 July 2015 |
| Formula Vee 1600 | Dylan Thomas | Stinger 015 IX | 1:46.5806 | 23 June 2013 |
| Toyota 86 Racing Series | James Lodge | Toyota 86 | 1:46.7657 | 20 July 2024 |
| Group Sb | Kevin Luke | Shelby Mustang GT350 | 1:49.6999 | 7 June 2015 |
| Formula Vee 1200 | Mathew Pearce | Lepton V79 | 1:50.7942 | 27 July 2014 |
| Brabham Extended Circuit: 4.500 km (May 2012–present) | ||||
| Formula 3 | Nathan Gotch | Dallara F307 | 1:48.4905 | 9 April 2016 |
| F5000 | Bryan Sala | Matich A50 | 1:50.2739 | 1 September 2012 |
| Formula Ford | Glenn Welch | Listec WIL013 | 1:50.7955 | 9 June 2012 |
| Superbikes | Glenn Allerton | BMW S1000RR | 1:54.080[40] | 11 November 2012 |
| Formula Ford 1600 | Andrew Gillespie | Spirit WL11 Ford | 2:02.0827 | 10 June 2012 |
| Touring Car Masters | John Bowe | Ford Mustang | 2:03.4282 | 2 September 2012 |
| AF2 | Ron Coath | Cheetah Mk.8 | 2:03.8574 | 18 May 2014 |
| Druitt North Circuit: 2.800 km (2012–present) | ||||
| Sports car racing | Adam Proctor | Stohr WF1 | 0:58.7580 | 21 October 2012 |
| Formula 3 | Nathan Gotch | Dallara F304 | 0:58.8937 | 22 September 2012 |
| Formula Atlantic | Chris Farrell | Swift 014.a | 0:59.6077 | 27 October 2012 |
| Amaroo South Circuit: 1.800 km (2012–present) | ||||
| Sports car racing | Dean Tighe | Dallara-Judd | 0:52.1357 | 10 August 2019 |
| Original Grand Prix Circuit: 3.930 km (1990–2011) | ||||
| A1 Grand Prix | Nico Hülkenberg | Lola A1GP | 1:19.1420 | 4 February 2007 |
| Formula Holden | Tim Leahey | Reynard 92D | 1:22.5131 | 26 March 2000 |
| Formula 3 | James Winslow | Dallara F307 | 1:23.1737 | 16 July 2011 |
| Formula Libre/Historic | Ty Hanger | Ralt RT4 | 1:27.6786 | 5 November 2005 |
| GT3 | Allan Simonsen | Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 GT3 | 1:28.0570 | 28 May 2011 |
| AF2 | Arthur Abrahams | Cheetah Mk.8 | 1:29.3500 | 25 August 1991 |
| 500cc |  Àlex Crivillé | Honda NSR500 | 1:30.359 | 20 October 1996 |
| V8 Supercars | Mark Skaife | Holden VT Commodore | 1:31.7301[41] | 28 March 1999 |
| 250cc |  Max Biaggi | Aprilia RSV 250 | 1:32.084 | 20 October 1996 |
| Group 3A | Greg Murphy | Holden VS Commodore | 1:32.433[42] | 25 May 1997 |
| Formula Xtreme | Kevin Curtain | Yamaha R1 | 1:32.657 | 4 October 2003 |
| Nations Cup | Paul Stokell | Lamborghini Diablo GTR | 1:33.5918 | 18 July 2004 |
| Formula Ford | Jack Le Brocq | Mygale SJ11a | 1:35.3251 | 16 July 2011 |
| Group A | Tony Longhurst | BMW M3 Evolution | 1:35.490[43] | 24 May 1992 |
| 125cc |  Haruchika Aoki | Honda RS125R | 1:36.272 | 20 October 1996 |
| Sidecar | Steve Abbott/ Jamie Biggs | LCR-Suzuki GSX-R1000 | 1:37.420 | 1 May 2005 |
| Clubman Sports | Chris Barry | PRB Clubman | 1:38.7875 | 23 June 2002 |
| Formula Ford 1600 | Rob Storey | Spirit WL07 Ford | 1:38.9196 | 22 September 2007 |
| Central Muscle Cars | Jason Richards | Chevrolet Camaro | 1:41.5119 | 6 September 2009 |
| Group C (Australia) | Jason Richards | Holden LX Torana SS A9X Hatchback | 1:43.0145 | 4 September 2011 |
| Italian Challenge | Andrew Leithhead | Alfa Romeo GTV6 | 1:44.2082 | 24 June 2001 |
| Commodore Cup | Tony Bates | Holden VS Commodore | 1:44.8247 | 17 July 2011 |
| Group Nc | Ross Donnelley | Ford Mustang | 1:46.0209 | 28 November 2003 |
| Group 3E | Bob Pearson | Mazda RX-7 | 1:46.4351 | 7 November 2004 |
| V8 Ute Racing Series | Grant Johnson | Holden VZ SS Ute | 1:50.4062 | 26 November 2006 |
| Group Nb | Bill Trengrove | Ford Mustang | 1.50.5692 | 4 September 2011 |
| Formula Vee 1200 | Jay Hall | Jacer Volkswagen | 1:50.9297 | 25 September 2005 |
| Group Sa | Peter Jackson | Austin-Healey 3000 MkI | 1:51.8841 | 28 May 2011 |
| HQ Holden | Greg King | HQ Holden | 1:58.4667 | 7 December 1997 |
| Group Na | Craig Stephenson | Holden FJ | 2:11.2755 | 22 June 2003 |
| Original Druitt North Circuit: 2.800 km (1990–2011) | ||||
| Group 3A | Craig Lowndes | Holden VR Commodore | 1:00.974[44] | 27 January 1996 |
| Formula Ford | David Whitmore | Spectrum 011 | 1:05.0159 | 22 October 2011 |
| Formula Ford 1600 | Steve Charman | Spirit WL11 Ford | 1:07.2545 | 22 October 2011 |