Barbagallo Raceway
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| Location | Wattle Avenue, Wanneroo, Western Australia |
|---|---|
| Time zone | GMT +8 |
| Coordinates | 31°39′46″S 115°47′23″E / 31.66278°S 115.78972°ECoordinates: 31°39′46″S 115°47′23″E / 31.66278°S 115.78972°E |
| Owner | Western Australia Sporting Car Club |
| Opened | 2 March 1969 |
| Major events |
Australian Touring Car Championship V8 Supercars Championship Australian Drivers' Championship Australian Grand Prix (1979) Australian Festival of Speed |
| Long circuit | |
| Length | 2.411 km (1.498 mi) |
| Turns | 7 |
| Lap record | 0:52.2610[1] (Gary West, Lola T88/50 Buick, 2005) |
| Short circuit | |
| Length | 1.760 km (1.094 mi) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Lap record | 0:45.4365[2] (Peter Morley, OMS CF10, 2014) |
Barbagallo Raceway is a motorsport circuit located in Wanneroo, approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Perth in Western Australia.
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. The circuit was also known as Wanneroo Raceway.[3]
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 Wanneroo.[4] 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. The surface changed from an abrasive surface which was renowned for being very hard on tyres to a grippy, smooth surface.
Events
The track holds a number of major race meets each year, with the biggest being a round of the V8 Supercars Championship called the Perth Super Sprint. 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.
Upgrades
Due to the removal of the circuit from the V8 Supercar calendar for 1 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 tracks control tower was torn down, beginning the first stage of upgrades that will see the track widened, and a new pit facility built in the centre of the circuit, with connecting bridge. The first stage upgrades will also include improving lighting and safety barriers, as well as upgrades to facilities and buildings within the circuit.
Lap records
| Class | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright |  Gary West |
Lola T88/50 Buick | 0:52.2610 | 3 December 2005 |
| Racing Cars | ||||
| 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 | Jordan Oon |
Stohr | 0:54.4289 | 23 August 2015 |
| Sports Cars | ||||
| Sports Sedan | Tony Ricciardello |
Alfa Romeo GTV-Chevrolet | 0:54.9563 | 7 August 2005 |
| Carrera Cup |  Steven Richards |
Porsche 997 GT3 Cup | 0:56.9816[8] | 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 | ||||
| V8 Supercar | Jason Bright |
Holden VY Commodore | 0:55.9440 | 13 June 2004 |
| Dunlop V8 Supercar Series | Andrew Thompson |
Holden VE Commodore | 0:57.5276 | 1 May 2011 |
| 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 |
| Improved Production | Matt Cherry |
Holden Monaro CV8 | 1:03.5910 | 22 August 2010 |
| Aussie Racing Cars | James Abela |
Toyota Aurion-Yamaha | 1:05.3837 | 18 May 2014 |
| 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 Utes | David Sieders |
Holden Ute VE SS | 1:07.1837 | 2 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 | Adam Fergusson |
Honda CBR1000RR | 0:55.8580 | 29 May 2005 |
| Supersport | Cameron Keevers |
Yamaha YZF600R | 0:57.5490 | 18 November 2007 |
| 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 |
References
- ↑ http://www.natsoft.com.au/cgi-bin/results.cgi?03/12/2005.BARB.R2
- ↑ http://racing.natsoft.com.au/636465352/object_314285.80U/Result?2
- ↑ Souvenir Programme, Australian Grand Prix, Wanneroo Raceway, Sunday, March 11th, 1979
- ↑ Building the Short Circuit, www.wascc.com.au via web.archive.org Retrieved on 12 July 2014
- ↑ "Mark Webber In Perth For Festival of Speed". www.watoday.com.au. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2010.
- ↑ "Barbagallo Raceway Wanneroo 2.42366 km Long Circuit" (pdf). West Australian Sporting Car Club. 24 August 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ↑ "Lap Records". Motorcycle Racing Club Western Australia. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
- ↑ "Trading Post Challenge - 2012 V8 Supercars — Races 7,8&9 - Barbagallo Raceway Wanneroo - 2012 Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Race 3". National Software. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
External links
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