Phillip Island
Phillip Island, Australien
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| Första race: |
1956-00-00 |
| Antal race: |
0 |
| Längd: | 4445 m |
| Bästa tiderna: |
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Om Phillip Island:
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit is a motor racing racing circuit on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. The circuit was opened in 1956.
Motor racing on Phillip Island began in 1928 with the running of the 100 Miles Road Race, an event which has since become known as the first Australian Grand Prix. It utilised a high speed rectangle of local closed-off public roads with four similar right hand corners. The course length varied, with the car course approximately 6 miles per lap, compared to the motorcycle circuit which was approximately 10 miles (16 km) in length. The circuit was the venue for the Australian Grand Prix through to 1935 and it was used for the last time on 6 May 1935 for the Jubilee Day Races.[3]
A triangular circuit utilising one leg of the original rectangular course was subsequently mapped out and used for racing [4] from 1936 to 1940.[5]
Grand Prix Circuit[edit]
In 1951, a group of six local businessmen decided to build a new track. About 2 km away from the original circuit, it still bears the corner name signs of the original circuit. As the piece of available land was on the edge of the coast, the track is known for its steep grades the highest 57 metres which caused cost overruns and delays in track opening. The new track was opened in 1956 [4] and in 1960 the first Armstrong 500 production car race was held at the circuit. Extensive damage resulted from the running of the 1962 Armstrong 500, and, with the circuit owners unable to finance repairs, the circuit was closed and the race was moved to the Mount Panorama Circuit at Bathurst in New South Wales.
The circuit reopened in October 1967 [4] and hosted the Phillip Island 500K endurance race, a round of the Australian Manufacturers' Championship, from 1971 to 1977. But again, due to its testing terrain, the circuit required much maintenance and slowly declined through the 1970s. It was farmed by its owners while closed and was then sold in 1985 in preparation for reopening, but did not do so until 1989 after agreement on a long term lease and rebuild agreement. During the time the circuit deteriorated and finally closed, part of the main problem for its owners was that the main bridge from the island to the Australian mainland reportedly could not carry the heavy vehicles needed to resurface the circuit. This meant that the bitumen surface was a cold mix which easily broke up under the rigours of racing, instead of the standard hot mix which would have allowed a more durable surface. It would not be until the mid-1980s that the bridge would be rebuilt allowing the necessary equipment needed for resurfacing.
The World Motorcycle Championship gave the circuit a grand re-opening in 1989 with a race long dice in the 500 cc division between local favourites Wayne Gardner and Kevin Magee, along with Wayne Rainey and Christian Sarron. The race was won by 1987 World Champion Gardner to the delight of the huge crowd. Gardner would make it two in a row at the Island in 1990 before the race moved to Eastern Creek in Sydney in 1991. The Australian motorcycle Grand Prix would remain at Eastern creek until it returned permanently to Phillip Island from 1997.
Phillip Island hosted its first Superbike World Championship round in 1990, taking over from Sydney's Oran Park Raceway as the Australian round of the series. Local riders Peter Goddard (Yamaha FZR750) and Rob Phillis (Kawasaki ZXR750) won the two races for what was Round 12 of the season, with Goddard having secured pole position.
In 1990 the Australian Touring Car Championship returned to the circuit for the first time since 1977, with Dick Johnson winning in his Ford Sierra RS500.
Casey Stoner in action at the 2010 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
In 2006 and 2007, Phillip Island hosted the grand finale of the V8 Supercars Championship Series, as well as a regular MotoGP and Superbike round. From 2008 to 2011, Phillip Island hosted the L&H 500, replacing Sandown as the host track of V8 Supercar's 500 km race, before returning to Sandown in 2012.
A multi-million dollar re-development was undertaken in late 2006 by the Linfox Group, which now owns the track. The new facilities will also feature a karting circuit.
In the lead up to the 2012 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the circuit's third turn was officially named Stoner Corner, in honour of Australian MotoGP rider Casey Stoner, who had won the Grand Prix for five consecutive years from 2007 to 2011, and would retire following the 2012 MotoGP season. The choice of the third turn was made by Stoner himself, describing it as his favourite corner. He went on to win the 2012 event. Källa: Wikipedia.
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