Motorsport in Australia

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Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the sanctioning body, see Motorsport Australia.
CountryAustralia
Governing bodyMotorsport Australia
National team(s)no national team
The Bathurst 1000.
Jack Brabham is the most successful Australian driver in Formula One history. Brabham also set up his own team, the Brabham Racing Organisation, and won one of his world titles with them.

Motorsport is a popular spectator sport in Australia, although there are relatively few competitors compared to other sports due to the high costs of competing. The oldest motorsport competition in Australia is the Alpine Rally which was first staged in 1921 followed by the

open wheel racing), Superbikes, as well as various forms (cars and bikes) of speedway
racing.

Australia hosts a round of many major international series, including the Australian Grand Prix, a round of the

Champ Car
have held events in Australia.

Open-wheel racing

Formula One

The most popular event is the

Albert Park in Melbourne. It is attended by more than 300,000 spectators per year and attracts free-to-air metropolitan television ratings, of over 1 million viewers,[citation needed] and is televised internationally
as part of the Formula One World Championship.

The Australian Grand Prix has been run continuously (with the exception of 1936 and 1940–46 due to

Albert Park Circuit, replacing Adelaide as the host city. The move to Melbourne also changed the race's position in the calendar, with the Grand Prix becoming the opening round of the championship, a position it held until the pandemic
(with the exception of 2006 and 2010).

No Australian driver has won the Australian Grand Prix since

Williams FW07B-Ford, and no Australian has finished on the podium since John Smith finished second in 1983. Since becoming a round of the World Championship in 1985 only 5 Australian drivers have actually raced in the Australian Grand Prix. They are Alan Jones (1985–1986), David Brabham (1990, 1994), Mark Webber (2002–2013) Daniel Ricciardo (2012–2022) and Oscar Piastri
(2023–).

Two Australians have won the World Driver's Championship:

McLaren F1 Team
) is the only starting Australian driver in Formula One. Of the 14 Australians who have driven in Formula One, only Brabham (14), Jones (12), Webber (9) and Ricciardo (8) have won a Formula One Grand Prix.

Formula Three

Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
for the first time in 2001. Following the withdrawal of national championship status, an Australian Formula 3 Premier Series was contested in 2016.

Formula Four

The

Australian Formula 4 Championship is an Australian motor racing series for open-wheel cars complying with FIA Formula 4
regulations. The inaugural championship was contested in 2015. Formula 4 has been developed and certified by the FIA as the pre-eminent open-wheel development category across the globe; the critical step between elite junior karting, Formula 3 and ultimately Formula 1. Cameron McConville is the Category Director, with Karl Reindler as Driver Coach and Driving Standards Observer for the championship.

Formula Ford

The

CAMS
sanctioned and called the Australian Formula Ford Championship.

Karting

Karting in Australia is undertaken on bitumen, dirt and speedway circuits. Consequently kart racing has a variety of administration bodies each holding their own national, state or local competitions. Karting is sometimes seen as a stepping stone to other classes of motorsport however it is also a class of motorsport pursued as a career because it is the most affordable, pure and fun form of motorsport.

Defunct series

IndyCar

Australia hosted the Gold Coast Indy 300 at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit from 1991 to 2008. The race was part of the CART series from 1991 until its final season in 2003, and part of the Champ Car World Series, the successor to CART, from 2004 to 2007. The final race to date at the circuit was an exhibition race under the sanctioning of the IndyCar Series, which had merged with the Champ Car World Series shortly before its 2008 season began. Australian Will Power is a two-time champion in the IndyCar Series, having won in 2014 and 2022. Ryan Briscoe drove in the IndyCar Series from 2005 to 2015, winning eight races, including the final race at Surfers Paradise.

A1GP

Eastern Creek Raceway
for the first three A1GP seasons.

Superspeedway

From 1987 until 2001, the Australian Superspeedway series was held with both

Calder Park Thunderdome in Melbourne, the first NASCAR style high banked oval track built outside of the United States. Initially races were held only at the high speed, 1.801 km (1.119 mi) Calder Park track, but soon also used the ½ mile Speedway Super Bowl located at the Jane owned Adelaide International Raceway
as well as various road racing circuits on Australia's east coast. The NASCAR and AUSCAR series proved popular with crowds over the summer months with capacity attendances of up to 45,000 at Calder and 15,000 in Adelaide. AUSCAR ran from 1987 to 1999 while NASCAR series ran from 1989 to 2001.

Circuit racing

Touring cars

In

Holden Commodore.[1] The other round was an on-off 500 km race held on a combined road/oval course at the Calder Park Raceway
in Melbourne.

Supercars Championship

The Supercars Championship (known as the Repco Supercars Championship for sponsorship purposes and often shortened to just Supercars or its long-standing name V8 Supercars) is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations.

Supercars events take place in all Australian states and the Northern Territory,

Gold Coast.[6] The series is broadcast in 137 countries[7] and has an average event attendance of over 100,000, with over 250,000 people attending major events such as the Adelaide 500.[8]

The vehicles used in the series are loosely based on road-going cars. Cars are custom made using a control chassis, with only certain body panels being common between the road cars and race cars. To ensure parity between each make of car, many control components are utilised. Starting in 1993, all cars were required to use a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine. Originally only for Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores, the New Generation Supercar regulations, introduced in 2013, opened up the series to more manufacturers.

Nissan
were the first new manufacturer to commit to the series with four
Ford Mustang GT, though highly modified. This was the first time the Mustang had competed in the Australian touring car scene in 30 years. As of 2020
, the only models left competing are Ford Mustang GTs and Holden ZB Commodores.

Sportscar racing

The Sandown Raceway in Melbourne also hosted a round of the World Sportscar Championship in both 1984 and 1988. The 1984 race was won by West German driver Stefan Bellof and England's Derek Bell in a factory backed Porsche 956B while the 1988 event was won by Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser and West Germany's Jochen Mass in a Sauber-Mercedes.[13][14] Mark Webber was part of the team which won the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship, alongside Germany's Timo Bernhard and New Zealander Brendon Hartley. Four Australian drivers have won arguably the world most prestigious motor racing event, the 24 Hours of Le Mans held on the Circuit de la Sarthe in France each June. They are Bernard Rubin (1928), Vern Schuppan (1983), Geoff Brabham (1993) and David Brabham (2009).[15]

Motorcycle racing

MotoGP

World Superbike Championship. Australia has produced many top motorcycle riders with Stoner, Wayne Gardner, Troy Bayliss and Troy Corser all having won world championships in various classes, with five time 500cc world champion Mick Doohan
regarded as one of the all-time greats.

Australian Superbikes

The

V8 Supercars, as well as the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix. It has frequently provided wild card riders for the Australian hosted rounds of the Superbike World Championship allowing emerging stars to showcase themselves against world class riders. This has helped in the past Mick Doohan, Troy Bayliss and Anthony Gobert
launch international careers.

In 2010 a split in Superbike racing saw the creation of a rival series called Formula Xtreme, later known as the Australian FX-Superbike Championship. Attempts to merge the two series for the 2012 season broke down.[16] Support for the ASC has declined in favour of the AFSC and manufacturer supported teams (like Yamaha) were amongst the first.

Rallying

World Rally Championship

Australia has hosted a round of the

Kingscliff, NSW. Coffs Harbour
hosted the WRC from 2011 and 2013–16.

Australian Rally Championship

The Australian Rally Championship (ARC) is Australia's leading off-road motor rally competition. A multi-event national championship has been held each year since 1968.

Alpine Rally

The Alpine Rally is Australia's oldest and longest running motorsport event having first run in 1921. It was started as a long-distance event to test the endurance of cars while opening up the North East of Victoria to tourism and was promoted by the state's leading automotive body, the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria. Over the years, the event transformed from an endurance event to a navigational trial and then in the sixties to a full on speed event that saw its inclusion into the new Australian Rally Championship of which it became an integral part of until waning interest saw it downgraded to state level with its last 2 runnings in 1998 and 2000 run as basically a club navigational trial.

In 2001, the Alpine was reinvigorated as a competitive historic car rally that was promoted by the Historic Rally Association with the regulations specifying that cars had to be non turbo, 2 wheel drive and at least 25 years old with the event itself being run as a route charted “blind” rally thereby being in the spirit of the original Alpines. Since 2001, the Alpine has been run on a bi annual basis but attracts over 250 expressions of interest each running with never less than 110 cars running competitively from all states and territories in Australia as well as competitors and cars coming from overseas to compete.

As of October 2019, the Alpine has run 64 times with 25 Australian Rally Champion drivers and navigators having their name on the winners trophy a total of 62 times. Frank Kilfoyle remains the only person to have won the Alpine both as a driver and navigator, having won it 5 times as a driver and once as a navigator. Greg Carr and Geoff Portman hold the record for winning drivers with 6 wins apiece. The most successful navigator / co-driver is Ross Runnalls with an astounding 9 wins.

The Alpine is heavily promoted via a free to air and cable television documentary that screens both in Australia and around the world after each running.

With the centenary Alpine in 2021 being cancelled due to COVID, the centenary Alpine is to be run in early December 2022 from its now traditional base in Lakes Entrance, East Gippsland.

Off-road racing

Australian Off Road Championship

The Australian Off Road Championship (AORC) is an off-road-based rally championship held annually in Australia, with the inaugural event held in 1981. AORC events are defined as ‘long course’ events that are conducted on a track of no less than 15 kilometres in length, but are usually between 75 and 100 kilometres. The courses and tracks used for the AORC vary greatly and can be narrow, twisting and tree-lined, undulating farmland tracks, sand dunes and creek crossings, often incorporating man-made jumps and other obstacles.

Most events run over three days with scrutineering (safety checks on vehicles), prologue (short time trial to determine starting order for event proper) and racing over one to two days (usually split into Sections). Some events also feature a top ten shootout (opportunity for the ten fastest prologue vehicles to prologue again) and a dash for cash where the fastest two vehicles in each class race each other to win prize money. To enter vehicles must comply with regulations determined by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS). There are ten classes for vehicles.

Australasian Safari

The

FIM and the General Competition Rules of Motorcycling Australia since 1999.[17][18]

The event is usually held around the end of August, in the Australian winter, and covers approximately 5500 kilometres, mostly through the Outback in just over a week.[19]

Boost Mobile Super Trucks

The Boost Mobile Super Trucks are the Australian-based championship of the American Stadium Super Trucks. The series consists of off-road trucks competing primarily on street circuits with ramps. In 2015, SST began racing in Australia as a support series to the Supercars.[20] The effort was supported by driver Craig Dontas and Adelaide 500 general manager Nathan Cayzer. In May 2018, the series signed a three-year rights agreement with Boost Mobile that placed Australian operations under Cayzer and Paul Morris Motorsport.[21] Later that year, however, CAMS suspended the series for safety reasons, and SST lost the ensuing legal battle.[22][23]

CAMS ended the ban in 2019 and forged a new commercial rights deal with Gordon to place Australian SST races under the Boost Mobile Super Trucks name.[24] The series began racing in 2020 as a separate championship to the American-based Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks, though the two also shared companion races.[25] The 2020 and 2021 seasons were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in numerous races being postponed or cancelled.[26]

The Boost Mobile Super Trucks' agreement to continue supporting Supercars expired in 2022. While Boost Mobile head Peter Adderton claimed the new Supercars ownership Race Australia Consolidated Enterprises saw little value in the trucks despite their popularity, Supercars CEO Shane Howard argued ATA Carnet import laws might have prevented the trucks from returning.[27][28]

Dirt track oval racing

Speedway bikes

Australia also hosts a round of the

2010
).

Sidecar Speedway

Sidecar Speedway is believed to have originated in Australia and has been popular there ever since with the first

Riverview Speedway in Murray Bridge have involved sidecars since the 1940s. Motorcycling Australia
have also allowed riders from England to compete but no recent success has been recorded. Another big event is the Australian Pairs title, where the best riders from each state pair up and compete against other states. The Australian Pairs championship and the 'individual' championship are usually run on the same track over consecutive days.

Sprintcars

Perth at the now defunct Claremont Speedway
on 1 December 1987.

The

Victoria
. The Australian Sprintcar Title is only open to Australian drivers and is run and sanctioned by the SCCA.

See also

References

  1. ^ Uniquecarsandparts – 1987 James Hardie 1000
  2. ^ a b "V8 Supercars announces 2013 championship calendar". SpeedCafe. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Optus provides V8 power coverage for Canberra 400". Optus. 7 June 2002. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  4. ^ Clarke, Wensley (2007), p. 16
  5. ^ Greenhalgh, Howard, Wilson (2011), p. 503
  6. ^ "V8 Supercars simplify race formats for 2014, introduce three set styles for every event on the calendar". SPEED. News.com.au. 15 September 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  7. ^ "About the V8 Supercar Championship". V8Supercars.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  8. ^ "International V8 Supercars Championship Series". Confederation of Australian Motorsport. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  9. ^ Noonan, Aaron. "The New Generation of V8 Supercars". V8Supercars.com.au. BigPond Sport. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  10. ^ "Nissan confirms Kelly Racing V8 Supercars entry". SpeedCafe. 9 February 2012.
  11. ^ Spinks, Jez (19 September 2012). "Mercedes-Benz AMG racers to enter V8 Supercars". CarAdvice.com.au. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  12. ^ "Volvo confirms entry into V8 Supercars". Auto Action. NineMSN. 17 June 2013.
  13. ^ Racing Sports Cars – 1984 Sandown 1000
  14. ^ Racing Sports Cars – 1988 360 km of Sandown Park
  15. ^ Le Mans Winners history
  16. ^ "AFX-SBK expanding for 2012 after merger with MA breaks down". 16 September 2011.
  17. ^ MotorSM.com – Australia Safari Archived February 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ 2007 Australian Safari Entry Form [dead link]
  19. ^ Motorcycling Australia – Australian Safari, the ultimate off-road adventure [dead link]
  20. ^ "Stadium Super Truck Series heading for Australia in 2015". Racer. October 16, 2014. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  21. ^ "Rights deal signed for Super Trucks in Australia". Speedcafe. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  22. ^ Howard, Tom (20 September 2018). "CAMS suspends Super Trucks on safety grounds". Speedcafe. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  23. ^ Howard, Tom; Herrero, Dan (11 October 2018). "Court upholds Super Trucks suspension". Speedcafe. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  24. ^ van Leeuwen, Andrew (20 August 2019). "Australian ban on Stadium Super Trucks lifted". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  25. ^ Nguyen, Justin (21 November 2019). "2020 Stadium Super Trucks schedule revealed". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  26. ^ Nguyen, Justin (1 December 2021). "SST set for ninth dance at Long Beach in 2022". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  27. ^ O'Brien, Connor (12 January 2022). "Stadium Super Trucks fleet to be shipped back to US". Speedcafe. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  28. ^ Gover, Paul (5 February 2022). "Trucks still might fly". Auto Action. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  29. ^ Sport Australia Hall of Fame – Lionel Van Praag
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