| "The Home of Australian Motorsport" | |
|---|---|
 Gardner Grand Prix Circuit (2012–present) | |
| Location | Eastern Creek, New South Wales |
| Coordinates | 33°48′15″S150°52′14″E / 33.80417°S 150.87056°E /-33.80417; 150.87056 |
| FIA Grade | 2 (3 layouts) |
| Operator | Australian Racing Drivers Club |
| Broke ground | 1989 |
| Opened | 10 November 1990; 35 years ago (1990-11-10) |
| Former names | Eastern Creek International Raceway (November 1990–May 2012) |
| Major events | Current: Supercars Championship Sydney 500 (1992–1997, 1999–2005, 2007–2008, 2012, 2014–2018, 2020–present) Grand Finale (2003–2004) Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia (2025) GT World Challenge Australia (2005–2015, 2018, 2020, 2023–present) Former: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Australian motorcycle Grand Prix (1991–1996) TCR World Tour (2023) TCR Australia (2019, 2021–2024) S5000 (2021–2023) S5000 Tasman Series (2021) A1 Grand Prix (2005, 2007–2008) |
| Website | http://www.sydneymotorsportpark.com.au |
| Gardner Grand Prix Circuit (2012–present) | |
| Length | 3.910 km (2.430 mi) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Race lap record | 1:17.444 ( Barton Mawer,Porsche 968, 2024,World Time Attack Challenge) |
| Brabham Extended Circuit (2012–present) | |
| Length | 4.500 km (2.796 mi) |
| Turns | 18 |
| Race lap record | 1:48.4905 (Nathan Gotch,Dallara F307, 2016,F3) |
| Druitt North Circuit (2012–present) | |
| Length | 2.800 km (1.740 mi) |
| Turns | 8 |
| Race lap record | 0:58.7580 (Adam Proctor,Stohr WF1, 2012,Sports car racing) |
| Amaroo South Circuit (2012–present) | |
| Length | 1.800 km (1.118 mi) |
| Turns | 13 |
| Race lap record | 0:52.1357 (Dean Tighe,Dallara-Judd, 2019,Sports car racing) |
| Original Grand Prix Circuit (1990–2011) | |
| Length | 3.930 km (2.442 mi) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Race lap record | 1:13.6060 (Mark Webber,RB7, 2013, Top Gear Festival Sydney) |
| Original Druitt North Circuit (1990–2011) | |
| Length | 2.800 km (1.740 mi) |
| Turns | 10 |
| Race lap record | 1:00.974 (Craig Lowndes,Holden VR Commodore,1996,Group 3A) |
Sydney Motorsport Park (known until May 2012 asEastern Creek International Raceway) is amotorsportcircuit located on Brabham Drive,Eastern Creek (40-kilometres west of theSydney CBD),[1]New South Wales,Australia, adjacent to theWestern Sydney International Dragway. It was built and is owned by theNew South Wales Government and is operated by the Australian Racing Drivers Club.
The development of circuit was approved in 1989[2] 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 theNissan Sydney 500 endurance race forGroup Atouring cars. In 1991, the consortium formed to fund the circuit suffered financial problems and the complex was purchased by the New South Wales Government.[3] 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 and the circuit is licensed for both cars and motorbikes.[4]
On 11 August 2006, theSydney Morning Herald reported that Ron Dickson, theA1 Grand Prix circuit designer who also designed theSurfers 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 theAustralian 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 4.500 km (2.796 mi). The upgrade also included an additional pit lane facility to cater for the new configuration, a new race control tower and new amenities buildings.[4] 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). When the extension is added to the existing Gardner GP Circuit, the full length 4.500 km (2.796 mi) circuit is called the "Brabham Circuit" named for Sydney's own triple WorldFormula One Drivers' Champion and still the only person to win the championship in a car bearing his name (1966),Sir Jack Brabham. 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 toPeter 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]
The Gardner, Brabham and Druitt North circuits at Sydney Motorsport Park hold an FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile)Grade 2 license. The circuit also holds an FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) Class B License.[4]
It is the only permanent track in Australia with both the FIA Grade 2 and FIM Class B track licenses.
After the firstAustralian motorcycle Grand Prix held atPhillip Island in 1989, there was a conflict over advertising between theVictorian Government and thetobacco 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.[3]
The circuit also hosts rounds of theAustralian Superbike Championship, currently (as of 2025) running the only night race in the championship series.
The Australian round of theA1 Grand Prix championship was held at Sydney Motorsport Park from the 2005–06 season to the 2007–08 season. During the2006–07 event on 4 February 2007, German driverNico Hülkenberg set the outright lap record for the original circuit layout with a 1:19.142 lap time in theA1 Team Germany preparedLola-Zytek.[13]
The first touring car event at the circuit was the1990 Nissan Sydney 500, an endurance race which was the final round of both the1990 Australian Endurance Championship and the1990 Australian Manufacturers' Championship which was won byLarry Perkins andTomas Mezera driving aHolden VL Commodore SS Group A. In the early 1990s, the circuit also hosted the Winfield Triple Challenge, a pre-ATCC (Australian Touring Car Championship) event for teams and drivers alongsideSuperbikes anddrag racing.
The circuit first hosted a championship round of the ATCC (now known asV8 Supercars) in 1992 and held a round every year, excluding 1998 and 2006, until 2008. Further to this, the circuit hosted the season-endingGrand Finale in 2003 and 2004, withMarcos Ambrose winning the round and the championship title on both occasions.[14] In 2009 the circuit was dropped in favour of theSydney 500 on theSydney 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[16] and 2013 to 2015. The 2013 test day was the first time that the fourCar of the Future manufacturers appeared together at a public event.[17] The 2015 test day clashed with the2015 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 theWinfield cigarette brand, to promote their sponsorship of all three categories of racing.Glenn Seton Racing, sponsored by rival cigarette brandPeter Jackson, won the touring car element of the event in all four years, with eponymous team owner/driverGlenn Seton winning the first three with the last going to his team mate,1980Formula One World Drivers' ChampionAlan Jones.[19] In practice for the 1995 event, the Winfield-backed entry ofMark 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 the1995 Australian Touring Car Championship.[20] The event concluded with the ban of cigarette advertising in Australia at the end of 1995.
An event organised and promoted byAustralian 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 includeGroup N,Group C,Group A andTouring 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 Australiantouring car racing, other classes, such asFormula 5000, have also appeared.
In the 1990s, the venue held a number ofrock concerts and music festivals includingGuns N' Roses,Bon Jovi,Pearl Jam, theAlternative Nation festival and the Colossus 2 dance festival.[4] Music festivals returned to the circuit in 2009 and 2010 when it hosted theSoundwave Festival for both years.[21]
Daniel Ricciardo drove aRed Bull RB7 Formula One car during theTop 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 September 2025, the fastest official race lap records at Sydney Motorsport Park are listed as:[23][24][25]
But A1GP track designer Ron Dickson, who created the Surfers Paradise Indy track, says money needs to be spent on Eastern Creek to bring it in line with today's standards.
