Surfers Paradise Raceway included a dragstrip along the main straight (a design later incorporated into the Williams owned Adelaide International Raceway), with a very fast right-hander under the Dunlop Bridge leading to a tight corner that turned the track back to a medium-length straight. Then a fast left hander before rushing into a series of rights and lefts that skirted the only hill on the property (commonly known as Repco[2] Hill). A slow right called that opened up brought the track back to the main straight.[3]
The right hand turn under the Dunlop Bridge was widely considered the fastest and most daunting corner in Australian motorsport until the building of the Chase chicane at the Mount Panorama Circuit in 1987, with many top drivers including Allan Moffat, John Harvey and Tony Edmonson all having crashed there over the years.
Within the circuit lay an airstrip and quarter-mile speedway similar to the one that used to sit within the lower part of the Amaroo Park circuit in Sydney. Drag racing commenced at Easter in 1966, with the June meet, the Winternationals, beginning in 1968. The Winternationals became the largest drag racing meet outside the United States.[4][5]
Keith Williams sold the raceway in 1984, and the circuit closed at the end of 1987 after 21 years of operation, with the final meeting held on the 27th of August.[6] At the end of its life, the outright lap record of 1:04.3 was set in 1986 and was held by John Bowe driving the Chevrolet powered Veskanda C1Group A/Group Csports car.[1] The Winternationals moved to Willowbank Raceway in 1988, where the race continues to this day.[7] After years of neglect, it was finally destroyed in 2003. The site has since been redeveloped as Emerald Lakes canal estate.[4][8]
In 1993, after years of neglect, volunteers and police helped get the drag racing strip back to a usable state for "Operation: Drag" to stop hoon drag racing on streets. This involved the Blue Light foundation who helped run the event which was a $10 entry to drag race against someone else in a safe environment instead of on public roads.
Major racesedit
Tasman Seriesedit
With Lakeside well established as a Queensland's round of the Tasman Series it was not until 1968 that the series visited Surfers Paradise. As typified the 1968 series Jim Clark (LotusFord) and Chris Amon (Ferrari) filled the top two positions with Clark's teammate Graham Hill completing the podium. Formula 5000 Tasman Series rounds were also held at the circuit each year from 1970 to 1975.[9]
With the demise of the Tasman Series after 1976, the void was filled with the Rothmans International Series from 1976 to 1979. The first race scheduled for Surfers Paradise on 29 February 1976 was cancelled.
Rounds of various Australian motor racing championship were held at the circuit. Winners of the Surfers Paradise round of a selection of these championships is shown below.
^Walker, Terry (1995). Fast Tracks - Australia's Motor Racing Circuits: 1904-1995. Wahroonga, NSW: Turton & Armstrong. p. 154. ISBN0908031556.
^"Willowbank Raceway celebrates 30 years of history". Willowbank Raceway. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^. Emerald Lakes. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
^. Tasman-Series.com. Archived from the original on 9 January 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2008.
January 01, 1970
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Surfers Paradise International Raceway was a motor racing complex at Gold Coast Queensland Australia The 3 219 km 2 000 mi long circuit was designed and built by Keith Williams a motor racing enthusiast who also designed and built the Adelaide International Raceway AIR in South Australia in 1972 It was located opposite the Surfers Paradise Ski Gardens at Carrara 1 Surfers Paradise International RacewayLocationCarrara Gold Coast City Queensland AustraliaTime zoneUTC 10 00Coordinates28 0 59 S 153 22 34 E 28 01639 S 153 37611 E 28 01639 153 37611Opened1966Closed27 August 1987 36 years ago 1987 08 27 Major eventsTasman Series 1968 1970 1975 Australian Touring Car Championship 1969 1971 1977 1979 1987 Australian Grand Prix 1975 Australian GT 1982 1985 Australian Drivers Championship 1966 1969 1971 1975 1977 Full Circuit 1966 1987 Length3 219 km 2 000 miles Turns7Race lap record1 04 3 John Bowe Veskanda C1 1986 Group C Allan Moffat at Surfers Paradise International Raceway in the works Ford Falcon GTHO Phase II in 1970 71 Contents 1 The circuit 2 Major races 2 1 Tasman Series 2 2 Australian Grand Prix 2 3 Rothmans International Series 2 4 Australian Touring Car Championship 2 5 Endurance races 3 National championship rounds 3 1 Australian Drivers Championship 3 2 Australian Sports Car Championship 3 3 Australian Sports Sedan Championship 3 4 Australian GT Championship 4 See also 5 ReferencesThe circuit editSurfers Paradise Raceway included a dragstrip along the main straight a design later incorporated into the Williams owned Adelaide International Raceway with a very fast right hander under the Dunlop Bridge leading to a tight corner that turned the track back to a medium length straight Then a fast left hander before rushing into a series of rights and lefts that skirted the only hill on the property commonly known as Repco 2 Hill A slow right called that opened up brought the track back to the main straight 3 The right hand turn under the Dunlop Bridge was widely considered the fastest and most daunting corner in Australian motorsport until the building of the Chase chicane at the Mount Panorama Circuit in 1987 with many top drivers including Allan Moffat John Harvey and Tony Edmonson all having crashed there over the years Within the circuit lay an airstrip and quarter mile speedway similar to the one that used to sit within the lower part of the Amaroo Park circuit in Sydney Drag racing commenced at Easter in 1966 with the June meet the Winternationals beginning in 1968 The Winternationals became the largest drag racing meet outside the United States 4 5 Keith Williams sold the raceway in 1984 and the circuit closed at the end of 1987 after 21 years of operation with the final meeting held on the 27th of August 6 At the end of its life the outright lap record of 1 04 3 was set in 1986 and was held by John Bowe driving the Chevrolet powered Veskanda C1 Group A Group C sports car 1 The Winternationals moved to Willowbank Raceway in 1988 where the race continues to this day 7 After years of neglect it was finally destroyed in 2003 The site has since been redeveloped as Emerald Lakes canal estate 4 8 In 1993 after years of neglect volunteers and police helped get the drag racing strip back to a usable state for Operation Drag to stop hoon drag racing on streets This involved the Blue Light foundation who helped run the event which was a 10 entry to drag race against someone else in a safe environment instead of on public roads Major races editTasman Series edit With Lakeside well established as a Queensland s round of the Tasman Series it was not until 1968 that the series visited Surfers Paradise As typified the 1968 series Jim Clark Lotus Ford and Chris Amon Ferrari filled the top two positions with Clark s teammate Graham Hill completing the podium Formula 5000 Tasman Series rounds were also held at the circuit each year from 1970 to 1975 9 Year Winner Car Entrant 1968 nbsp Jim Clark Lotus 49T Ford Team Lotus 1970 nbsp Graham McRae McLaren M10A Chevrolet 1971 nbsp Frank Matich McLaren M10B Repco Holden Rothmans Team Matich 1972 nbsp Graham McRae Leda GM1 Chevrolet Grid International NZ Ltd 1973 nbsp Frank Matich Matich A50 Repco Holden Frank Matich 1974 nbsp Teddy Pilette Chevron B24 Chevrolet Chevron Racing Team VDS 1975 nbsp Johnnie Walker Lola T332 Repco Holden Walker Racing nbsp The track layout used from 1966 to 1987 Australian Grand Prix edit The Australian Grand Prix visited just once in 1975 In torrential rain Max Stewart took his Lola T400 Formula 5000 to victory from John Leffler who was second on a day when the F5000 s were badly out handled by Ray Winter driving his AF2 Mildren Mono Ford Year Winner Car Entrant 1975 nbsp Max Stewart Lola T400 Chevrolet Max Stewart Motors Rothmans International Series edit With the demise of the Tasman Series after 1976 the void was filled with the Rothmans International Series from 1976 to 1979 The first race scheduled for Surfers Paradise on 29 February 1976 was cancelled Year Winner Car Entrant 1976 Race Cancelled Race Cancelled Race Cancelled 1977 nbsp Warwick Brown Lola T430 Chevrolet Racing Team VDS 1978 nbsp Warwick Brown Lola T332 Chevrolet Racing Team VDS 1979 nbsp David Kennedy Wolf WR4 Ford Cosworth Theodore Racing Australian Touring Car Championship edit The circuit hosted rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1969 1971 72 1974 77 and from 1979 until the circuits closure in 1987 Year Driver Car Entrant Improved Production 1969 nbsp Norm Beechey Holden HK Monaro GTS327 Norm Beechey 1971 nbsp Allan Moffat Ford Boss 302 Mustang Team Coca Cola AMR 1972 nbsp Bob Jane Chevrolet Camaro ZL 1 Bob Jane Racing Group C 1973 nbsp Peter Brock Holden LJ Torana GTR XU 1 Holden Dealer Team 1974 nbsp Peter Brock Holden LH Torana SL R 5000 Holden Dealer Team 1975 nbsp Colin Bond Holden LH Torana SL R 5000 L34 Holden Dealer Team 1976 nbsp Peter Brock Holden LH Torana SL R 5000 L34 Bill Patterson Holden 1977 nbsp Allan Moffat Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop Moffat Ford Dealers 1979 nbsp Bob Morris Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback Channel Seven 1980 nbsp Peter Brock Holden VB Commodore Marlboro Holden Dealer Team 1981 nbsp Dick Johnson Ford XD Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1982 nbsp Dick Johnson Ford XD Falcon Palmer Tube Mills 1983 nbsp Allan Moffat Mazda RX 7 Peter Stuyvesant International Racing 1984 nbsp Dick Johnson Ford XE Falcon Palmer Tube Mills Group A 1985 nbsp Jim Richards BMW 635 CSi JPS Team BMW 1986 nbsp Peter Brock Holden VK Commodore SS Group A Mobil Holden Dealer Team 1987 nbsp Jim Richards BMW M3 JPS Team BMW The 1976 and 1977 ATCC rounds at Surfers were the Rothmans 300 endurance races Endurance races edit Numerous endurance races were staged at the circuit most notably the Rothmans 12 Hour events Event Winning drivers Winning car Date Category 1966 Rothmans 12 Hour International Sports Car Race Jackie StewartAndrew Buchanan Ferrari 250LM 21 August 1966 Group A Sports Cars 1967 Surfers Paradise Four Hour Kevin BartlettDoug Chivas Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 9 April 1967 Production cars 1967 Rothmans 12 Hour Bill BrownGreg Cusack Ferrari 250LM 3 September 1967 Group A Sports Cars 1968 Surfers Paradise 4 Hour John French Alfa Romeo GTV 9 June 1968 Production cars 1968 Surfers Paradise 6 Hour Leo GeogheganIan Geoghegan Ferrari 250LM 1 August 1968 Group A Sports Cars 1969 Rothmans 12 Hour Classic Bill GatesJohn Bertram Ford XT Falcon GT 5 January 1969 Production cars 1969 Chevron Paradise 6 Hour Kunimitsu TakahashiYoshikayo Sunago Datsun R380 Mk 2 2 November 1969 Group A Sports Cars 1970 Rothmans 12 Hour Colin BondTony Roberts Holden HT Monaro GTS350 4 January 1970 Production cars 1970 Rothmans 250 Production Classic Allan Moffat Ford XW Falcon GT HO Phase II 1 November 1970 Production cars 1971 Rothmans 250 Allan Moffat Ford XY Falcon GT HO Phase III 7 November 1971 Group E Series Production Touring Cars 1972 Chesterfield 300 Allan Moffat Ford XY Falcon GT HO Phase III 26 November 1972 Group E Series Production Touring Cars 1973 Chesterfield 300 Peter Brock Holden LJ Torana GTR XU 1 12 November 1973 Group C Touring Cars 1974 Chesterfield 300 Colin Bond Holden LH Torana SL R 5000 10 November 1974 Group C Touring Cars 1975 Rothmans 300 Allan Moffat Ford XB Falcon GT Hardtop 9 November 1975 Group C Touring Cars 1976 Rothmans 300 Peter Brock Holden LH Torana SL R 5000 L34 7 November 1976 Group C Touring Cars 1977 Rothmans 300 Allan Moffat Ford XC Falcon GS500 Hardtop 6 November 1977 Group C Touring Cars 1978 Rothmans 300 Peter Brock Holden LX Torana A9X SS Hatchback 5 November 1978 Group C Touring Cars 1979 Rothmans 300 Charlie O Brien Holden LX Torana A9X SS 4 Door 4 November 1979 Group C Touring Cars 1980 Compact Tennis 400 Charlie O Brien Holden VC Commodore 2 November 1980 Group C Touring Cars 1981 Surfers Paradise International Resort 300 Allan Moffat Mazda RX 7 1 November 1981 Group C Touring Cars 1982 Gold Coast 300 Allan Moffat Mazda RX 7 7 November 1982 Group C Touring Cars 1983 Gold Coast 300 Allan Grice Holden VH Commodore SS 30 October 1983 Group C Touring Cars 1984 Motorcraft 300 Peter Brock Holden VK Commodore 4 November 1984 Group C Touring Cars 1985 Motorcraft 300 Jim Richards BMW 635 CSi 27 October 1985 Group A Touring Cars 1986 BP Plus 300 George FuryGlenn Seton Nissan Skyline DR30 RS 24 August 1986 Group A Touring CarsNational championship rounds editRounds of various Australian motor racing championship were held at the circuit Winners of the Surfers Paradise round of a selection of these championships is shown below Australian Drivers Championship edit Year Driver Car Entrant Australian National Formula Australian 1 Litre Formula 1966 nbsp Spencer Martin Repco Brabham BT11A Climax Bob Jane Racing 1967 nbsp Spencer Martin Repco Brabham BT11A Climax Bob Jane Racing Team 1968 nbsp Kevin Bartlett Brabham BT23D Alfa Romeo Alec Mildren Racing Australian National Formula Australian Formula 2 1969 nbsp Kevin Bartlett Mildren Mono Waggott Alec Mildren Racing Australian Formula 1 Australian Formula 2 1971 nbsp Frank Matich McLaren M10B Repco Holden Rothmans Team Matich 1972 nbsp Frank Matich Matich A50 Repco Holden Frank Matich Racing 1973 nbsp John McCormack Elfin MR5 Repco Holden Ansett Team Elfin 1974 nbsp Max Stewart Lola T330 Chevrolet Max Stewart Motors 1975 nbsp Max Stewart Lola T400 Chevrolet Sharp Corporation 1977 nbsp John McCormack McLaren M23 Leyland Budget Rent A Car System Australian Sports Car Championship edit Year Driver Car Entrant 1969 nbsp Frank Matich Matich SR4 Repco Rothmans Team Matich 1972 nbsp John Harvey McLaren M6B Repco Bob Jane Racing 1982 nbsp Chris Clearihan Kaditcha Chevrolet Chris Clearihan 1983 nbsp Chris Clearihan Kaditcha Chevrolet Chris Clearihan 1984 nbsp Bap Romano Romano WE84 Cosworth Bap Romano Racing 1985 nbsp Chris Clearihan Kaditcha Chevrolet Chris Clearihan 1986 nbsp John Bowe Veskanda C1 Chevrolet Bernard van Elsen Australian Sports Sedan Championship edit Year Driver Car Entrant 1976 nbsp Allan Moffat Chevrolet Monza Allan Moffat Racing 1977 nbsp Bob Jane Holden HQ Monaro Bob Jane 2UW Racing Team 1978 nbsp Allan Grice Chevrolet Corvair Craven Mild Racing 1979 nbsp Phil Ward Holden HQ Monaro Channel 10 NSW Building Society 1980 nbsp Tony Edmondson Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV Repco Holden Donald Elliott Australian GT Championship edit Year Driver Car Entrant 1982 nbsp Alan Jones Porsche 935 Porsche Cars Australia 1983 nbsp Rusty French Porsche 935 John Sands Racing 1984 nbsp Allan Grice Chevrolet Monza Re Car Racing 1985 nbsp Bryan Thomson Chevrolet Monza Thomson Fowler MotorsportSee also edit nbsp Queensland portal Sports on the Gold Coast Queensland Surfers Paradise Street CircuitReferences edit a b Believed to be motor bike racing at the Surfers Paradise International Raceway Carrara ca 1965 National Library of Australia Picture Australia 1965 Archived from the original on 21 August 2009 Retrieved 12 July 2008 Surfers Paradise International Raceway primotipo Galpin Darren Surfer s Paradise GEL Motorsport Information Page Retrieved 1 April 2016 a b Surfers Paradise Venue of the Surfers Paradise International Tasman Series com Archived from the original on 14 February 2003 Retrieved 12 July 2008 Winternationals 2012 Walker Terry 1995 Fast Tracks Australia s Motor Racing Circuits 1904 1995 Wahroonga NSW Turton amp Armstrong p 154 ISBN 0908031556 Willowbank Raceway celebrates 30 years of history Willowbank Raceway 24 September 2015 Retrieved 16 March 2024 Location In the centre of the Gold Coast Emerald Lakes Archived from the original on 19 July 2008 Retrieved 23 July 2008 Tasman Series Tasman Series com Archived from the original on 9 January 2006 Retrieved 27 July 2008 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Surfers Paradise International Raceway amp oldid 1213973299, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
