Adelaide Street Circuit
Encyclopedia
Street circuit
A street circuit is a racing circuit composed by temporarily closed-off public roads of a city, town or village, used in motor races. Facilities such as the paddock, pit boxes, fences and grandstands are usually placed temporarily and removed soon after the race is over but in modern times the...
in the East Parklands adjacent to the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of the city of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
The track has hosted eleven Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
events from 1985 to 1995 as well as an American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
endurance race on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
in 2000 (Race of a Thousand Years) on the long form (3.78 km) of the track. This was the only race of a nine year contract and the last race to be held on the long form of the circuit.
V8 Supercars
Since 1999, the track has hosted an annual V8 SupercarV8 Supercar
V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
race called the Adelaide 500
Adelaide 500
The Adelaide 500 is an annual motor racing event for V8 Supercars, held on the streets of the east end of Adelaide, South Australia on a shortened form of the Adelaide Street Circuit, the former Australian Grand Prix track...
, currently known as the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, (2x250km) on a shorter (3.22 km) variant of the track. Cars race clockwise around the circuit.
Memorable F1 moments
- 19851985 Australian Grand PrixThe 1985 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held in Adelaide on November 3, 1985. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1985 Formula One season....
: Niki LaudaNiki LaudaAndreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
raced his last Grand Prix before retiring in the lead. It was also the last win for Keke RosbergKeke RosbergKeijo Erik Rosberg , nicknamed "Keke", is a Finnish former racing driver and winner of the Formula One World Championship. He was the first Finnish driver to compete regularly in the series. Rosberg grew up in Oulu and Iisalmi, Finland...
. - 19861986 Australian Grand PrixThe 1986 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 October 1986 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide, Australia. It was the last of 16 races in the 1986 Formula One season...
: Nigel MansellNigel MansellNigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
blew a tyre on Brabham straight, destroying his world title chance. He managed to drive the car to safety and avoid a heavy impact with the wall. Alain ProstAlain ProstAlain Marie Pascal Prost, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur is a French racing driver. A four-time Formula One Drivers' Champion, Prost has won more titles than any driver except for Juan Manuel Fangio , and Michael Schumacher . From 1987 until 2001 Prost held the record for most Grand Prix...
won the title after his first victory in Adelaide. - 19911991 Australian Grand PrixThe 1991 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 3, 1991 at the Adelaide Street Circuit. It was the 16th and final race of the 1991 Formula One season. Torrential rain resulted in the race being stopped after 16 of the scheduled 81 laps had been completed. Confusion...
: In the shortest race in Formula 1 history, the race was stopped after 14 laps. Race winner Ayrton SennaAyrton SennaAyrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
had waved furiously from his cockpit that the conditions were too wet to race. - 19931993 Australian Grand PrixThe 1993 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Adelaide on November 7, 1993. It was the final round of the 1993 Formula One season....
: Ayrton Senna's last Grand Prix win and the last Grand Prix for Alain Prost. - 19941994 Australian Grand PrixThe 1994 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 13, 1994 at the Adelaide Street Circuit. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1994 Formula One season. The race is remembered for an incident involving the two title contenders Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher which...
: The World Championship was decided in Adelaide for the second time after Damon HillDamon HillDamon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
and Michael SchumacherMichael SchumacherMichael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
collided on lap 35 at turn 6. Both drivers were unable to complete the race and Schumacher won the drivers' championship, with Hill finishing in second place. - 19951995 Australian Grand PrixThe 1995 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on November 12, 1995 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide. It was the seventeenth and final race of the 1995 Formula One season...
: Mika HäkkinenMika HäkkinenMika Pauli Häkkinen is a Finnish racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion...
suffered a tyre failure during free practice at the high speed Brewery Bend between Jones and Brabham Straights. He crashed heavily into the wall and required an emergency tracheotomyTracheotomyAmong the oldest described surgical procedures, tracheotomy consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea...
, which was performed by the side of the track. Hill won the final Grand Prix held at the circuit, lapping all the finishers by at least two laps.
Circuit
The pitPit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
straight is inside the Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Adelaide
Victoria Park, also known as Park 16, is a park located in the Southeastern Parklands of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It is bordered by Fullarton Road, Greenhill Road, East Terrace and Wakefield Road...
horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
track. The buildings and grandstands are temporary and removed so that spectators can see the whole horse racetrack during the rest of the year. At the end of the straight, drivers negotiate the Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
Chicane
Chicane
A chicane is an artificial feature creating extra turns in a road, used in motor racing and on city streets to slow cars to lower speeds.- Motor Racing :...
and a left turn to go uphill on a short straight on Wakefield Road to East Terrace
East Terrace, Adelaide
East Terrace marks the eastern edge of the city centre of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is one of the main north-south thoroughfares through the east side of the city...
. They then have a series of right angle turns along East Terrace. The short form of the track has three of these, followed by another right turn onto Bartels Road back across the parklands. Then the track follows the turn 8 sweeper. This corner was reconfiguered in 2009 and it produced some protests from the many of the teams. The long form continues with another left-right-right to Jones
Alan Jones (Formula 1)
Alan Stanley Jones MBE is an Australian former Formula One driver. He was the first driver to win a Formula One World Championship with the Williams team, becoming the 1980 World Drivers' Champion....
Straight (known as Rundle Road for the rest of the year). Then there is a fast right-hand sweeper (known as Brewery Bend) onto the longest straight, Brabham
Jack Brabham
Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE is an Australian former racing driver who was Formula One champion in , and . He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name....
Straight, on Dequetteville Terrace. The short form of the track rejoins halfway down this straight, so the Bartels Road straight is longest on that layout. In 2007 this was re-named Brock
Peter Brock
Peter Geoffrey Brock, AM otherwise known as "Peter Perfect", "The King of the Mountain" or simply as "Brocky" was one of Australia's best-known and most successful motor racing drivers. Brock was most often associated with Holden for almost 40 years, although he raced vehicles of other...
Straight. At the end of Brabham Straight is a right hand hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
(at the Britannia Roundabout
Britannia Roundabout
The Britannia Roundabout is an infamous roundabout intersection near the city centre of Adelaide. Many minor accidents have occurred over the years at this traffic black spot.....
) onto Wakefield Road, then a left turn and long sweeping right hand curve back into Victoria Park behind the pit area. The lap concludes with another right-hand hairpin (Racetrack Hairpin) onto the pit straight.
The track is essentially flat except for small valleys as one travels east-west.
When the idea of holding a Grand Prix in the parklands was first raised, there was some opposition from people concerned about environmental damage, as the parks have a number of mature trees with bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s living in them. There is no larger wildlife in the parklands, as they are heavily developed. These concerns seem to have been proven unfounded, as spectators often watch magpie
Australian Magpie
The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...
s and rosellas when there is nothing happening on the track. Indeed, the total road traffic during race weekend is significantly less than there is any other day of the year.
The race meetings have the feature race, but also a number of races for "lesser" categories, making four days of entertainment for the crowds of spectators, without long periods of boredom that could occur if only practice and qualifying for the main event preceded it. Many of the events also have after-race concerts on a stage erected for the purpose on a playing field in the middle of the track.
The stadium section also hosts the Pedal prix
Pedal prix
The Australian HPV Super Series is an annual championship held in South Australia. The series exclusively features HPV's racing around enclosed circuits for 6 to 24 hours. It is the largest event of its kind in the world, attracting teams from around Australia and the World...
and a stage of the Classic Adelaide Rally.
See also
- V8 Supercars
- Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
- Australian Grand PrixAustralian Grand PrixThe Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
- Melbourne Grand Prix CircuitMelbourne Grand Prix CircuitThe Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit is a street circuit around Albert Park Lake, only a few kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a racetrack for the Australian Grand Prix and associated support races.-Design:...
Lap Records
As of 28 June 2011. Unless stated otherwise, all records are for the V8 Supercars circuit.| Class | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (Grand Prix Circuit) | ||||
| Formula 1 Formula One Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which... |
 Damon HillDamon Hill Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title... |
Williams FW15C Williams FW15C The Williams FW15C was a Renault-powered Formula One car designed by Adrian Newey and built by Williams Grand Prix Engineering. It was raced by Alain Prost and Damon Hill during the 1993 Formula One season.... Renault Renault F1 Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking... |
1:15.381 | 7 November 1993 |
| Outright (V8 Supercars Circuit) | ||||
| Formula 3 Australian Formula 3 The Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship is a motor racing championship for FIA Formula Three racing cars and is now the official Australian Drivers' Championship. Growing out of Australian Formula 2 racing into a series for the first time in 1999, it has grown into the premier Australian... |
 Earl BamberEarl Bamber Earl Anderson Bamber is a motor racing driver and commentator from New Zealand.-Career:Bamber is a young rookie driver with a reputation for suffering from bouts of red mist but has demonstrated race driving talent when progressing through karts and minor single seater series, and in 2008 was... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... F307 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz M271 engine The Mercedes-Benz M271 engine is a straight-4 automobile piston engine family used in the 2000s.All M271 engines are built in Untertürkheim, Germany. The family has a cast aluminum engine block and aluminum DOHC cylinder heads with 4 valves per cylinder and variable valve timing-E18ML:The E18ML is... |
1:18.6011 | 24 February 2008 |
| Racing Cars | ||||
| Formula 3 Australian Formula 3 The Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship is a motor racing championship for FIA Formula Three racing cars and is now the official Australian Drivers' Championship. Growing out of Australian Formula 2 racing into a series for the first time in 1999, it has grown into the premier Australian... |
Earl Bamber Earl Bamber Earl Anderson Bamber is a motor racing driver and commentator from New Zealand.-Career:Bamber is a young rookie driver with a reputation for suffering from bouts of red mist but has demonstrated race driving talent when progressing through karts and minor single seater series, and in 2008 was... |
Dallara Dallara Dallara Automobili is an Italian chassis manufacturer for various motor racing series, being most notable for its near-monopoly in Formula 3 since 1993... F307 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz M271 engine The Mercedes-Benz M271 engine is a straight-4 automobile piston engine family used in the 2000s.All M271 engines are built in Untertürkheim, Germany. The family has a cast aluminum engine block and aluminum DOHC cylinder heads with 4 valves per cylinder and variable valve timing-E18ML:The E18ML is... |
1:18.6011 | 24 February 2008 |
| Formula Holden Formula Holden Formula Holden was an Australian open wheel racing category.-History:Known during its development as Formula Australia, it was initially for chassis constructed from aluminium only, running a 3.8 litre Buick V6 engine as it was then utilised in the new versions of the Holden Commodore... |
Simon Wills |
Reynard Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy... 94D Holden |
1:19.9556 | 8 April 2001 |
| Formula Ford Australian Formula Ford Championship The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series... |
 Cameron Waters |
Mygale Mygale Mygale is a French racing car constructor and contractor that specialises in the production of single seater chassis for use in formula racing. The company was established in 1989 by Bertrand Decoster and its factory is based in Magny Cours.... SJ010a Ford Ford Duratec engine The Duratec is a range of four, five, and six-cylinder gasoline engines produced by the Ford Motor Company, used in Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Caterham, Morgan, Tiger, Ginetta cars and by specialist engine tuner Cosworth.... |
1:26.5441 | 18 March 2011 |
| Historic Formula 1 (1966-1969) |  Pete LovelyPete Lovely Gerard Carlton "Pete" Lovely , was a racecar driver and businessman from the United States. He was born in Livingston, Montana.-Racing career:... |
Lotus 49B Lotus 49 The Lotus 49 was a Formula One racing car designed by Colin Chapman and Maurice Philippe for the 1967 F1 season. It was designed around the Cosworth DFV engine that would power most of the Formula One grid through the 1970s and was the first successful Formula One car to feature the engine as a... Ford Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine... |
1:30.96 | 8 April 2000 |
| Sports Cars | ||||
| Australian GT Australian GT Championship The Australian GT Championship is a CAMS-sanctioned national title for drivers of GT cars, held annually from 1960 to 1963, from 1982 to 1985 and from 2005. Each championship up to and including the 1963 title was contested over a single race and those after that year over a series of races... |
 Allan SimonsenAllan Simonsen (racing driver) Allan Simonsen is a Danish racing driver.-Career highlights:*Le Mans Series*FIA GT3 European Championship*FIA GT Championship*British GT*Australian GT Championship-24 Hours of Le Mans results:-External links:*... |
Ferrari F430 GT3 | 1:23.6796 | 23 February 2008 |
| Australian Nations Cup Australian Nations Cup Championship The Australian Nations Cup Championship was a motor racing title sanctioned by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport from 2000 to 2004.-History:... |
Allan Simonsen Allan Simonsen (racing driver) Allan Simonsen is a Danish racing driver.-Career highlights:*Le Mans Series*FIA GT3 European Championship*FIA GT Championship*British GT*Australian GT Championship-24 Hours of Le Mans results:-External links:*... |
Ferrari 550 GT | 1:23.1553 | 21 March 2004 |
| Carrera Cup Australian Carrera Cup Championship The Australian Carrera Cup Championship is a sports car racing championship open to drivers of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. First held in 2003, it is administered by Porsche Cars Australia and sanctioned by CAMS as an Australian Championship... |
Alex Davison Alex Davison Alex Davison, born 3 November 1979, in Melbourne, Australia, is best known as a racing driver. Davison currently races for Stone Brothers Racing driving a Ford Falcon in the V8 Supercar Championship Series.... |
Porsche 997 GT3 Cup | 1:23.5366 | 04 March 2007 |
| Supersports Supersports Supersports is an Australian motor racing class designed as a relatively cheap class of sports racing car. While looking like international sports cars the vehicles themselves are smaller and lighter. Engines are liquid-cooled, four stroke, naturally aspirated engines... |
Josh Hunt |
West WR1000 Kawasaki Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R The Ninja ZX-10R is a Kawasaki sport bike, and the follow-up to the ZX-9R. It was originally released in 2004 with minor revisions in 2005. It combines an ultra-narrow chassis, low weight, and radial brakes... |
1:24.5335 | 13 March 2010 |
| Aussie Racing Cars Aussie Racing Cars Aussie Racing Cars is an Australian motor racing category. Essentially a motorcycle powered Silhouette racing car class, it was created by former Touring car racer Phil Ward, influenced by the American Legends category.... |
Paul Kemal |
Falcon-Yamaha Yamaha FJ1200 The Yamaha FJ1100 and FJ1200 are sport touring motorcycles that were produced by Yamaha between 1984 and 1996.-FJ1100:Yamaha released the FJ1100 for model years 1984 and 1985... |
1:33.9252 | 26 March 2006 |
| Touring Cars | ||||
| V8 Supercar V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
James Courtney James Courtney James Courtney is an Australian racing driver who competes in the V8 Supercar Championship. He is the current Australian Touring Car Champion after winning the 2010 title for Dick Johnson Racing.... |
Ford FG Falcon Ford FG Falcon The Ford FG Falcon is a full-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company of Australia since 2008. The FG series is the current model of the Ford Falcon and is the seventh generation of the car... |
1:21.9502 | 14 March 2010 |
| Fujitsu V8 Supercar | Steve Owen |
Holden VZ Commodore | 1:22.9300 | 12 March 2010 |
| Touring Car Masters Touring Car Masters The Touring Car Masters is an Australian motor racing series open to modified touring cars manufactured between 01 January 1963 and 31 December 1976. It evolved out of a previous series for CAMS Group N Touring Cars but with a greater degree of modifications permitted to improve safety, reliability... |
John Bowe John Bowe (racing driver) John Bowe is an Australian racing driver, presently racing a 1969 Ford Mustang in the historic series, Touring Car Masters.... |
Ford Mustang Trans-Am | 1:31.2313 | 14 March 2010 |
| Group N Historic Touring Cars | Paul Stubber |
Chevrolet Camaro SS | 1:37.6254 | 23 March 2003 |
| Production Cars Australian Production Car Championship The Australian Production Car Championship is a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of production cars, which must compete in close to standard specification... |
Chris Alajajian Chris Alajajian Chris Alajajian is an Australian race car driver.In 2004 he won the Australian Production Car Championship, becoming the youngest ever driver to win an Australian championship... |
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Subaru Impreza WRX STI The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities... |
1:32.6755 | 19 March 2005 |
| V8 Utes V8 Utes The V8 Ute Racing Series is an Australian motor racing series for utilities, derived from the Australian Production Car Championship. It was conceived in 2000 by PROCAR chief Ross Palmer and launched March 2001, as V8 Brute Utes, at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide... |
David Sieders |
Ford Falcon XR8 | 1:37.1961 | 19 March 2011 |