Wanneroo Raceway

Wanneroo Raceway

Location	Wattle Avenue, Neerabup, Western Australia
Time zone	UTC+08:00
Coordinates	31°39′55″S 115°47′29″E / 31.6653°S 115.7913°E / -31.6653; 115.7913
Owner	WA Sporting Car Club
Opened	2 March 1969
Major events	Australian Touring Car Championship Supercars Championship Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Grand Prix (1979) Australian Festival of Speed
Long circuit
Length	2.411 km (1.498 mi)
Turns	7
Race lap record	0:52.2610[1] (Gary West, Lola T88/50 Buick, 2005)
Short circuit
Length	1.760 km (1.094 mi)
Turns	8
Race lap record	0:45.4365[2] (Peter Morley, OMS CF10, 2014)
Website	Official website

Wanneroo Raceway is a motorsport circuit located in Neerabup, approximately 50 kilometres (30 mi) north of Perth in Western Australia. It was built by the WA Sporting Car Club.

The circuit was originally known as Wanneroo Park and the first race meet took place in March 1969. Initially the major race per year was a 6-hour Le Mans style race for sedans and sports cars known as the Six Hour Le Mans. However, as interest dulled in that event, production car racing took over as the major race type. In 1979, the Australian Grand Prix was held for the first and so far only time at Wanneroo Raceway which coincided with the opening of the new pits and paddock area to the west of the circuit. The Grand Prix was won by South Australian Johnnie Walker driving a Lola T332 Formula 5000. Walker was the last driver to win the AGP driving a Formula 5000.

In 1992, it was decided that a short circuit would be constructed by linking Turn 5 on the current circuit to the back straight forming a new 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) long circuit. This extension was funded by prominent West Australian motorsport identity Alf Barbagallo and hence the circuit name was changed to Barbagallo Raceway.^[3] The short circuit allowed for an increase in the types of racing including the inclusion of truck racing and also allowed events to be run at night.

The circuit was completely resurfaced in 2004 and this saw almost all lap records broken in the first few months of 2004. Due to the sandy nature of the area the circuit slowly became more and more abrasive over time and was considered one of the toughest on tyres in the country.

The circuit was resurfaced again in early 2019.^[4] The circuit was renamed Wanneroo Raceway in 2020.

Events[]

The track holds a number of major race meets each year, with the biggest being a round of the Supercars Championship called the Perth SuperSprint. This is one of the biggest sporting events in Western Australia each year with over 50,000 people attending the 3-day event.

The circuit offers patrons drift racing as an occasional spectacle. Some criticism has also come from opponents of drifting, due to damage caused to the track surface, especially heading into Cat Corner at the end of the main straight, where entries of over 100 km/h (62 mph) are not uncommon.

The circuit hosted the inaugural Australian Festival of Speed in 2010. Formula One team Red Bull Racing and driver Mark Webber attended for a demonstration.^[5] The festival never returned to the circuit, having bankrupted the owners.^{[citation needed]}

The circuit also hosts a number of motorcycle racing and training events, including the WA State Championships for Superbikes, Supersport and Sidecars – along with a number of support classes.

Upgrades[]

Due to the removal of the circuit from the V8 Supercar calendar for one year, the state government considered upgrading the track to improve the quality of the track and its facilities.

Many options were considered, which included extending the track to the north which would roughly double the length of the circuit, there were also alternative extension plans which were smaller. The widening of the track was also addressed, which would be needed to extend the track for safety regulations. The plan of the track extension was expensive if all aspects of the plan were considered, this would see this major upgrade of the circuit be postponed until the necessary upgrades are completed.

On 18 July 2011, the track's control tower was torn down, beginning the first stage of upgrades that saw the track widened, and a new pit facility built in the centre of the circuit, with connecting bridge. Improved lighting and safety barriers, as well as upgrades to facilities and buildings within the circuit formed part of the project.

Following a number of deaths Motorcycle Racing was banned from Wanneroo Raceway in November of 2016 until a number of safety upgrades could be implemented.^[6] In June 2016 the WA govermnent released the "Wanneroo Safety Enhancement Options Identification Assessment", also known as the Hall Report, recommending changes to the circuit to allow motorbike racing to return.^[7] These upgrades included the addition of a "Bus Stop" Style turn at turn 3, a barrier wall through the infield area between turns 4 and the back straight and some other minor improvements, and were added to the circuit in January 2017.^[8] The track was relicenced by Motorcycling Australia in March 2019, allowing racing to return.^[9]

Touring Car round winners[]

Wanneroo Raceway has held rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship since 1973. The circuit was left off the calendar from 1974 to 1977 and again in 2010.

Craig Lowndes has won the most ATCC / V8 Supercars rounds at the circuit with six wins. The most successful touring car team at Wanneroo is the DJR Team Penske with seven wins.

The first ATCC race held at the circuit in 1973 was won by Allan Moffat driving a Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III for the Ford Works Team.

Lap records[]

As of 4 May 2019.^[10][11]

Rex Meechin Ultrasport206. 54.896 july 2009

Class	Driver	Vehicle	Time	Date
Outright	Gary West	Lola T88/50 Buick	0:52.2610	3 December 2005
Racing Cars
Formula 4	Nick Rowe	Mygale F4 Ford	0:58.4291	6 May 2017
Formula Ford	Ashley Walsh	Spectrum 011b Ford	0:59.5717	24 March 2007
Formula Ford Kent	James Small	Van Diemen 011b Ford	0:59.7669	13 June 2004
Formula Vee 1600	Ryan Simpson	Jacer F2K6 Volkswagen	1:07.9889	14 October 2006
Formula Vee 1200	Jez Hammond	Spook Mk 1 Volkswagen	1:09.6141	9 August 2004
Formula 1000	Nick Percat		0:53.0792	13 July 2019[12]
Sports Cars
Sports Sedan	Tony Ricciardello	Alfa Romeo GTV-Chevrolet	0:54.9563	7 August 2005
Australian GT Championship	Craig Baird	Mercedes-AMG GT3	0:55.4236[13]	8 May 2016
Carrera Cup	Steven Richards	Porsche 997 GT3 Cup	0:56.9816[14]	1 May 2011
Clubman Sports	Terry Smith	Hooper	1:03.8160,	8 April 2006
Historic Sports Cars
Group Sc	Harvey Leys	Porsche 911 Carrera	1:07.1633	26 July 2009
Group Sb	Ted Jordan	Porsche 356C	1:11.8089	18 April 2004
Group Sa	John Rowe	Austin-Healey 3000 MkI	1:14.9372	6 May 2007
Touring Cars
Supercars Championship	Scott McLaughlin	Ford Mustang GT	0:52.8141	3 May 2019
Super2 Series	Zane Goddard	Nissan Altima	0:54.3949	3 May 2019
Group A	John Bowe	Ford Sierra RS500	0:59.04	7 June 1992
Group C	Allan Moffat	Mazda RX-7	1:02.37	1 April 1984
Street Car Racing Association of WA	Andrew Stevens	Nissan 180SX	0:58.9157	24 July 2016
Improved Production	Matt Cherry	Holden Monaro CV8	1:03.5910	22 August 2010
Aussie Racing Cars	Dave Robson	Chevrolet Camaro-Yamaha	1:05.1660	7 May 2017
Mini Challenge	Leanne Tander	Mini Cooper R56 JCW	1:05.6260	11 May 2008
Saloon Cars	Rick Gill	Ford AU Falcon	1:06.7312	20 June 2010
Group 3E Series Production	Graham Stones	Mazda RX-7	1:07.1823	15 August 1999
V8 Ute Racing Series	Grant Johnson	Ford FG Falcon Ute	1:06.4669	1 May 2015
HQ Holden	Tony James	HQ Holden	1:14.1755	11 July 2004
Historic Touring Cars
Group Nc	Paul Stubber	Chevrolet Camaro	1:03.8405	8 May 2005
Touring Car Masters	Michael Almond	Porsche 911 RS	1:02.9005	4 May 2013
Group Nb	Bill Meeke	Ford Falcon Sprint	1:07.2807	19 September 2009
Group Na	Terry Smith	Ford Zephyr	1:20.7941	11 July 2004
Motorcycles
Superbike	Daniel Falzon		0:55.446	5 June 2016
Supersport	Sam Clarke		0:57.184	5 June 2016
250cc Grand Prix	Rip Crocker	Yamaha TZR250	0:58.0500	8 October 1995
Superstock	Cameron Keevers	Honda CBR600RR	0:58.9650	9 September 2007
Sidecar	Steve Abbott Jamie Biggs	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R1000	0:59.4480	29 May 2005
125cc Grand Prix	Josh Brookes	Honda RS125R	1:00.7983	8 October 2000

Oral history[]

• John Hurney^[15]
• Patsie McCrakan^[16]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wanneroo Raceway.

• Wanneroo Raceway