Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Location	Phillip Island, Victoria
Time zone	GMT +10
Coordinates	38°30′11″S 145°14′11″E / 38.50306°S 145.23639°E / -38.50306; 145.23639
Owner	Linfox
Opened	31 March 1928 (Road circuit)[1] 15 December 1956 (modern circuit)[2] Re-opened: 7 April 1989
Closed	1940 (Road circuit)[1] 1978 (modern circuit)
Major events	Australian Grand Prix Australian motorcycle Grand Prix Superbike World Championship Australian Manufacturers' Championship Australian Touring Car Championship V8 Supercar Championship Series Australian Drivers' Championship
Modern
Surface	Asphalt
Length	4.445 km (2.762 mi)
Turns	12
Lap record	1:24.221 (Simon Wills, Reynard 94D Holden, 2000, Formula Holden)
Road (1928–1935)
Surface	Gravel
Length	10.6 km (6.5 mi)
Turns	4
Lap record	4:49.4 (Bill Thompson, Bugatti Type 37A, 1932)
Road (1936–1940)
Surface	Gravel
Length	5.3 km (3.3 mi)
Turns	4

The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.

History

Road circuit

Motor racing on Phillip Island began in 1928 with the running of the 100 Miles Road Race, an event which has since become known as the first Australian Grand Prix. It utilised a high speed rectangle of local closed-off public roads with four similar right hand corners. The course length varied, with the car course approximately 6 miles per lap, compared to the motorcycle circuit which was approximately 10 miles (16 km) in length. The circuit was the venue for the Australian Grand Prix through to 1935 and it was used for the last time on 6 May 1935 for the Jubilee Day Races.^[3]

Other significant events staged at the Phillip Island road circuit included the Victorian Centenary Grand Prix of 1934.

A triangular circuit utilising one leg of the original rectangular course was subsequently mapped out and used for racing ^[4] from 1936 to 1940.^[5]

Important dates

The Phillip Island circuit is a racetrack located on the island of Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. Each year receives the Grand Prix Motorcycling Australia Motorcycling World Championship, the World Superbike Championship and the V8 Supercars. 4,445 meters long, the lap record of Philip Island is 1'24 .221 in the hands of Simon Wills at the wheel of a Formula Holden.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the island had hosted motorcycle racing circuits of speed routers. The current circuit opened in 1956, but various problems closed and reopened twice in 1966 and 1989. World Championship was run for the first time in 1989, and the first World Superbike in 1990.

• 1951: A historically significant meeting of six local businessmen decided to re-establish motor racing at Phillip Island.
• 1952: A steering committee formed and the Phillip Island Auto Racing Club (PIARC) developed with a dream "to build Australia's first international grand prix circuit".The current site was purchased in that year. PIARC calls for 7000 subscriptions at 10 pounds each to assist in the development of the circuit and building work begins. An Alfa was used to measure the three-mile distance required for international certification as an International Circuit.
• 1956: Between 1952 and 1956 the building of the circuit had met with major engineering hurdles and PIARC had to call for more money from its shareholders. The grand open meeting was held with much acclaim in December 1956.
• 1957: Phillip Island stages numerous trophy races including the Australian Motorsport Magazine Trophy Race 1957, the Formula Libre race of 1958 and the Phillip Island Trophy race of 1958.
• 1960: Bathurst enduro. The race was won by Frank Coad and John Roxburgh driving a Vauxhall Cresta. They completed the race in eight hours 15 minutes. It was a David & Goliath achievement, because the unknown Vauxhall pilots beat the highly fancied pairing of Bob Jane and Harry Firth in a Mercedes.
• 1963:Len Lukey purchases the Phillip Island circuit with a view to redevelopment.
• 1966: The circuit reopens for racing in April 1966 in the heyday of sportscar racing.
• 1975-79: Due to extensive track damage, racing declined at Phillip Island, with the property farmed by its owners.
• 1985: Phillip Island Circuit purchased by Placetac Pty Ltd, with the view to re-introducing racing to the famous facility.
• 1990: Phillip Island hosts its first round of the Superbike World Championship. Phillip Island continues to host a round each year.
• 1996: Australian superbike rider, Troy Corser, wins the Superbike World Championship on board a Ducati at the October race at Phillip Island. Australian Touring Car Championship changes its name to V8 Supercars and Phillip Island continues to host an annual round.
• 2004: The property is purchased by the Linfox corporation with a view to compliment the world famous circuit with world class facilities such as an 18 hole Greg Norman designed championship golf course and a luxurious 5 star hotel.

Grand Prix Circuit

In 1951, a group of six local businessmen decided to build a new track. About 2 km away from the original circuit, it still bears the corner name signs of the original circuit. As the piece of available land was on the edge of the coast, the track is known for its steep grades – the highest 57 metres – which caused cost overruns and delays in track opening. The new track was opened in 1956 ^[4] and in 1960 the first Armstrong 500 production car race was held at the circuit. Extensive damage resulted from the running of the 1962 Armstrong 500, and, with the circuit owners unable to finance repairs, the circuit was closed and the race was moved to the Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst in New South Wales.

The circuit reopened in October 1967 ^[4] and hosted the Phillip Island 500K endurance race, a round of the Australian Manufacturers' Championship, from 1971 to 1977. But again, due to its testing terrain, the circuit required much maintenance and slowly declined through the 1970s. It was farmed by its owners while closed and was then sold in 1985 in preparation for reopening, but did not do so until 1989 after agreement on a long term lease and rebuild agreement. During the time the circuit deteriorated and finally closed, part of the main problem for its owners was that the main bridge from the island to the Australian mainland reportedly could not carry the heavy vehicles needed to resurface the circuit. This meant that the bitumen surface was a cold mix which easily broke up under the rigours of racing, instead of the standard hot mix which would have allowed a more durable surface. It would not be until the mid-1980s that the bridge would be rebuilt allowing the necessary equipment needed for resurfacing.

The World Motorcycle Championship gave the circuit a grand re-opening in 1989 with a race long dice in the 500 cc division between local favourites Wayne Gardner and Kevin Magee, along with Wayne Rainey and Christian Sarron. The race was won by 1987 World Champion Gardner to the delight of the huge crowd. Gardner would make it two in a row at the Island in 1990 before the race moved to Eastern Creek in Sydney in 1991. The Australian motorcycle Grand Prix would remain at Eastern creek until it returned permanently to Phillip Island from 1997.

Phillip Island hosted its first Superbike World Championship round in 1990, taking over from Sydney's Oran Park Raceway as the Australian round of the series. Local riders Peter Goddard (Yamaha FZR750) and Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750) won the two races for what was Round 12 of the season, with Goddard having secured pole position.

In 1990 the Australian Touring Car Championship returned to the circuit for the first time since 1977, with Dick Johnson winning in his Ford Sierra RS500.

Current status

Casey Stoner in action at the 2010 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

In 2006 and 2007, Phillip Island hosted the grand finale of the V8 Supercars Championship Series, as well as a regular MotoGP and Superbike round. From 2008 to 2011, Phillip Island hosted the L&H 500, replacing Sandown as the host track of V8 Supercar's 500 km race, before returning to Sandown in 2012.

A multi-million dollar re-development was undertaken in late 2006 by the Linfox Group, which now owns the track. The new facilities will also feature a karting circuit.

In the lead up to the 2012 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the circuit's third turn was officially named Stoner Corner, in honour of Australian MotoGP rider Casey Stoner, who had won the Grand Prix for five consecutive years from 2007 to 2011, and would retire following the 2012 MotoGP season. The choice of the third turn was made by Stoner himself, describing it as his favourite corner. He went on to win the 2012 event.^[6]

Lap records

Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Panorama showing turn 12 heading on to Gardner Straight

As of 24 March 2015

Class	Driver	Vehicle	Time	Date
Outright	Simon Wills	Reynard 94D Holden	1:24.2215	13 February 2000
Racing Cars
Formula Holden	Simon Wills	Reynard 94D Holden	1:24.2215	13 February 2000
Formula 3	Tim Macrow	Dallara F307 Mercedes-Benz	1:24.5146	21 September 2013
Superkart	Russell Jamieson	Anderson Maverick-DEA	1:28.1232	21 September 2013
Formula 5000	Chris Hyde	McRae GM1 Chevrolet	1:30.1205	9 March 2008
Formula Ford	Anton De Pasquale	Mygale SJ13a-Ford	1:35.8901	24 November 2013
Touring Cars
V8 Supercars	Jamie Whincup	Holden VF Commodore	1:32.0246	23 November 2013
Super Touring	Geoff Brabham	BMW 320i	1:37.1706	1 June 1997
Group A	Mark Skaife	Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R	1:40.2312	10 March 2013
Sports Cars
Group 2A Sports Cars	James Winslow	Radical SR8 Suzuki	1:25.9294	25 May 2013
GT Sports Cars	Jack Le Brocq	Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3	1:27.1505	26 May 2013
Carrera Cup	Steven Richards	Porsche 991 GT3 Cup	1:31.6230	24 May 2014
Nations Cup	Paul Stokell	Lamborghini Diablo GTR	1:34.1058	10 August 2003
Marque Sports	Steve Owen	Lamborghini Gallardo	1:34.4309	21 November 2009
Aussie Racing Cars	Adrian Cottrell	Aurion-Yamaha	1:47.2815	18 May 2012
Motorcycles
MotoGP	Marc Márquez	Honda RC213V	1:28.108	20 October 2013
500cc Grand Prix	Kenny Roberts, Jr.	Suzuki RGV500	1:32.743	1 October 1999
250cc Grand Prix	Álvaro Bautista	Aprilia RSV 250	1:32.710	5 October 2008
125cc Grand Prix	Álvaro Bautista	Honda RS125R	1:36.927	17 September 2006
Moto2	Alex de Angelis	Speed Up SF13	1:32.814	20 October 2013
Moto3	Jack Miller	KTM RC250GP	1:36.302	19 October 2014
World Superbikes	Eugene Laverty	Aprilia RSV4 Factory	1:31.168	24 February 2013
World Supersports	Kenan Sofuoğlu	Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R	1:33.238	24 February 2013
Production Superbike	Jason O'Halloran	Honda CBR1000RR	1:32.921	1 March 2008
600cc Supersport	Jamie Stauffer	Yamaha YZF-R6	1:35.822	1 March 2008
Sidecar	Steve Webster/ David James	LCR-Suzuki GSX-R1000	1:38.726	18 April 1999

References

Further reading

"The Official 50 Race History of the Australian Grand Prix"

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

• Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit official website