Winton Motor Raceway

Winton Motor Raceway
Location Winton, Victoria
Coordinates 36°31′6″S 146°5′15″E / 36.51833°S 146.08750°E / -36.51833; 146.08750Coordinates: 36°31′6″S 146°5′15″E / 36.51833°S 146.08750°E / -36.51833; 146.08750
Owner Benalla Auto Club
Opened November 1961
Major events V8 Supercars, Shannons Nationals
Winton National Circuit
Length 3.0 km (1.864 mi)
Turns 12
Lap record 1:14.3401 (Christopher Anthony, Gilmore racing Motorsport formula 3 2.0 litre, 2016, formula 3)
Winton Club Circuit
Length 2.03 km (1.261 mi)
Turns 11
Lap record 0:52.9900 (Mark Larkham, Reynard 90D Holden, 1992, Formula Brabham)

Winton Motor Raceway is a motor racing track in Winton, near Benalla, Victoria, Australia.

History

The Benalla Auto Club began planning for a permanent racing track around 1958, as a replacement for their existing track at Barjarg.[1] In 1960 it was decided to build the track at Winton Recreation Reserve and the track was completed in twelve months. The circuit hosted its first race meeting on 26 November 1961.[2] The circuit was immediately popular - a March 1965 meeting featuring the Neptune touring car and the Victorian Formula Two championship drew a crowd of approximately 10,000 spectators.[1] The circuit length was extended prior to the 1997 round of the V8 Supercar championship and the upgrade included a new pit complex.

The circuit

Racing at Winton Motor Raceway is always exciting and close because the circuit has a combination of long fast straights and twisty and tight bends. It is also known as "Australia's Action Track".[3] Dick Johnson once described the circuit being 'like running a marathon around your clothes-line'.

The original circuit (now called the Winton Club Circuit) is 2.03 km in length and comprises 11 turns. The circuit was lengthened to 3.0 km with the cars turning left prior to the esses and a series of right hand turns added before the extension rejoins the original track at the esses. The long circuit is called the Winton National Circuit.

Layouts

V8 Supercars

Main article: Winton Super Sprint

The track is currently used as a round in the V8 Supercar series, hosting the Winton Super Sprint. The track is one of the more popular tracks in the series with spectators, especially those who live in the area. Easy access to the track and the fantastic viewing from one of the many areas around the track makes it very popular. It attracts some of the biggest crowds of any of the permanent race tracks in the series.

Although the circuit held various rounds of national championships such as the Australian Drivers' Championship and the Australian Sports Car Championship, Winton was not awarded a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship until the start of the Group A era in Australia in 1985. The first ATCC race was won by then triple-Bathurst 1000 winner Jim Richards in his JPS Team BMW 635 CSi. That race holds its place in ATCC/V8 Supercar history as not only the first all-Group A race in Australia, but the first ATCC win by BMW and the only race in history in which there were no Holdens on the grid.

Richards holds the record for most ATCC round wins at Winton with four, having won in 1985 and 1986 for BMW, while winning in 1990 and 1991 for Nissan.

Australian Drivers' Championship

Winton has played host to 19 rounds of the Australian Drivers' Championship since 1980.

Year Driver Car Entrant
Australian Formula 1
1980 Australia Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 Chevrolet Porsche Distributors
1982 Australia Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 Ford Porsche Cars Australia
1983 Australia Alfredo Costanzo Tiga FA81 Ford Porsche Cars Australia
Formula Mondial
1984 Australia John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford Chris Leach Racing
1986 New Zealand Ken Smith Ralt RT4 Ford Watson Motor Racing Pty Ltd
Formula Holden
1989* Australia Rohan Onslow Ralt RT20 Holden R.J.Macarthur Onslow
1989* Australia John Briggs Ralt RT21 Holden John Briggs
1990 Australia John Briggs Ralt RT21 Holden John Briggs
Formula Brabham
1992 Australia Mark Larkham Reynard 90D Holden Larkham Motor Sport
1994 Australia Paul Stokell Reynard 90D Holden Birrana Racing
Formula Holden
1997 Australia Jason Bargwanna Reynard 92D Holden SH Racing
1999 New Zealand Simon Wills Reynard 94D Holden SH Racing
2000 Australia Tim Leahey Reynard 92D Holden Greg Murphy Racing
2001 Australia Paul Stokell Reynard 94D Holden Birrana Racing
2002 Australia Will Power Reynard 94D Holden Ralt Australia
2003 Australia Paul Trengove Reynard 95D Holden CPA Australia
2004 Australia Rob Nguyen Reynard 97D Holden Hocking Motorsport
Australian Formula 3
2009** Australia Tim Macrow
United Kingdom Joey Foster		 Dallara F307 Mercedes-Benz
Dallara F307-Mercedes-Benz		 Scud Racing
Team BRM
2011 United Kingdom James Winslow Dallara F304 Spiess-Opel R-Tek Motorsport

* The 1989 Australian Drivers' Championship was contested over ten rounds at five race meetings at five different tracks. Although the races were held on the same day both Rohan Onslow and John Briggs are credited with separate round wins.
**The 2009 round saw two heats. Tim Macrow and Joey Foster each won a heat while also finished second on the other heat giving the pair equal points (35) on the day.

Australian Sports Car Championship

Winton played host to a round of the Australian Sports Car Championship on 7 occasions between 1978 and 1985.

Year Driver Car Entrant
1978 Australia Ross Mathiesen Porsche Carrera Ross Mathiesen
1979 Australia Ross Mathiesen Porsche Carrera Ross Mathiesen
1980 Canada Allan Moffat Porsche 930 Turbo Porsche Distributors
1981 Australia John Latham Porsche 930 Turbo John Latham
1983 Australia Bap Romano Kaditcha K583 Cosworth Kaditcha Factory Racing Team
1984 Australia Bap Romano Romano WE84 Cosworth Bap Romano Racing
1985 Australia Terry Hook Lola T610 Chevrolet Terry Hook

Australian Sports Sedan / GT Championship

1980, 1981, 1997, 1998 and 2003 were run for Sports Sedans. 1982-1985 were run for GT style cars.

Year Driver Car Entrant
1980 New Zealand Jim Richards Ford XC Falcon Hardtop Jim Richards
1981 Australia Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet Donald Elliott
1982 Australia Alan Jones Porsche 935/80 Porsche Cars Australia
1983 Australia Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet Donald Elliott
1984 Australia Allan Grice Chevrolet Monza Re-Car Racing
1985 Australia Kevin Bartlett De Tomaso Pantera Paul Halstead / The Toy Shop
1997 Australia Wayne Park Mazda RX-7 Wayne Park
1998 Australia Tony Ricciardello Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet Basil Ricciardello
2003 Australia Darren Hossack Saab 9-3 Aero Chevrolet Darren Hossack

Australian Nations Cup Championship

Year Driver Car Entrant
2002 Australia Paul Stokell Lamborghini Diablo GTR Team Lamborghini Australia
2003 Australia Nathan Pretty Holden Monaro 427C Garry Rogers Motorsport
2004 Australia Nathan Pretty Holden Monaro 427C Garry Rogers Motorsport

Australian Superbike Championship

Winton Raceway is one of the most prominent Superbike races on the Australian Superbike Championship racing calendar. Winton Raceway has seen riders such as Mick Doohan, Kevin Magee and Mat Mladin ride regularly at the venue.

Year Rider Bike
2007 Australia Jamie Stauffer Yamaha YZF-R1
2006 Australia Jamie Stauffer Yamaha YZF-R1

Formula X-treme Motorcycle Championship

Year Rider Bike
2009 Australia Craig Coxhell Honda CBR1000RR
2010 Australia Kevin Curtain Yamaha YZF-R1

Drift Attack

Winton Raceway is one of Australia's most popular Drift circuits. It hosts Australia largest drift event Drift Attack. Drift Attack is promoted by the Victorian Drift Club and offers the largest Prize Pool in Australian Drifting and is contested by Australia's 32 best Drifters in the Pro class and 32 Drivers in the street class.

Year Driver Car
2009 Luke Fink S14 Silvia
2010 Josh Coote Nissan 180SX

Lap records

Club Circuit

As of 13 July 2016.[4]

Class Driver Vehicle Time Date
Outright Australia Mark Larkham Reynard 90D Holden 52.99 4 April 1992
Racing Cars
Formula Brabham Australia Mark Larkham Reynard 90D Holden 52.99 4 April 1992
Formula Mondial Australia John Bowe Ralt RT4 Ford 53.80 12 August 1984
Formula 5000 Australia Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 Chevrolet 55.80 October 1979
Formula 2 Australia Arthur Abrahams Cheetah Mk 8 Volkswagen 56.96 December 1988
Formula Ford Australia John Blanchard Swift SC92F 1:01.18 April 1992
Formula Vee Australia Adrian Wilkinson Elfin 76 1:07.01 March 1996
Sports Cars
Group A Sports Cars (Under 3-Litre) Australia Bap Romano Kaditcha K583 Cosworth 57.10 14 August 1983
Group A Sports Cars (Over 3-Litre) Australia Peter Hopwood Kaditcha Chevrolet 57.40 14 August 1983
Sports Sedan Australia Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Chevrolet 58.80 12 August 1984
GT Australia Alan Jones Porsche 935/80 59.00 16 May 1982
Clubman Australia Grant Taylor Galloway 59.60 December 1987
Touring Cars
Group 3A Touring Car Australia Glenn Seton Ford EB Falcon 59.65 16 May 1993
Super Touring New Zealand Greg Murphy Audi A4 Quattro 1:00.6255 25 August 1996
Group A Australia Mark Skaife Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 1:01.56 5 May 1992
GT Production Australia Peter Fitzgerald Porsche 911 RSCS 1:02.3751 25 August 1996
Group 3E Series Production Cars Australia Terry Bosnjak Holden VP Commodore 1:09.42 16 May 1993
Motorbikes
Superbike Australia Kirk McCarthy Honda RC45 1:00.7655 May 1995

National Circuit

Class Driver Vehicle Time Date
Outright Australia Christopher Anthony Dallara F311 HWA-Mercedes-Benz 1:14.3401 12 June 2016
Racing Cars
Formula 3 Australia Christopher Anthony Dallara F311 HWA-Mercedes-Benz 1:14.3401 12 June 2016
Formula Holden Singapore Christian Murchison Reynard 95D Holden 1:14.5697 16 July 2000
Formula Ford Australia Jamie Whincup Van Diemen RF01 1:26.2188 18 August 2002
Formula Vee Australia Kieren Glover Checkmate SP-02 1:35.0901 5 July 2015
Sports Cars
Sports Sedan Australia Jack Perkins Audi A4 Chevrolet 1:19.8777 12 June 2016
GT Australia Greg Taylor Audi R8 LMS GT3 1:21.6114 12 June 2016
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia Hamish Hardeman Porsche 911 GT3 Type 997 1:21.8259 12 June 2016
Nations Cup Australia Paul Stokell Lamborghini Diablo GTR 1:23.8403 21 September 2003
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia David Reynolds Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Type 997 1:24.3765 20 May 2007
Aussie Racing Cars Australia Ben McCashney Ford AU Falcon 1:32.3118 2 August 2008
Touring Cars
V8 Supercars New Zealand Fabian Coulthard Ford FG X Falcon 1:19.7092 21 May 2016
Dunlop V8 Supercar Australia Andrew Jones Ford AU Falcon 1:24.5606 18 April 2004
Super Touring New Zealand Jim Richards Volvo S40 1:25.3181 9 August 1998
Touring Car Masters Australia John Bowe Holden LH Torana SL/R 5000 1:28.0049 22 May 2016
GT Performance Australia Bob Pearson Mazda RX-7 Series 8 1:32.6533 21 September 2003
V8 Ute Australia David Sieders Holden VE Commodore SS Ute 1:35.8564 21 May 2016
Appendix J Group Nc Australia Ian Jones Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1 1:37.8448 July 1998
Motorbikes
Superbike Australia Wayne Maxwell Honda CBR1000RR 1:22.287 3 August 2014
600cc Supersport Australia Cru Halliday Yamaha YZF-R6 1:24.724 7 April 2013

References

  1. 1 2 Walker, Terry. Fast Tracks - Australia's Motor Racing Circuits: 1904-1995. Wahroonga, NSW: Turton & Armstrong. p. 184. ISBN 0908031556.
  2. ↑ Winton celebrates 50th birthday today Retrieved from www.speedcafe.com on 27 November 2011
  3. ↑ "Winton Motor Raceway, Victoria". v8supercars.com.au. n.d. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
  4. ↑ Winton lap records
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