56-726: The Adelaide Street Circuit (also known as the Adelaide Parklands Circuit ) is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the Adelaide central business district in South Australia , Australia . The 3.780 km (2.349 mi) "Grand Prix" version of the track hosted eleven Formula One Australian Grand Prix events from 1985 to 1995, as well as an American Le Mans Series endurance race on New Year's Eve in 2000 ( Race of
112-402: A city , town or village , used in motor races . Airport runways and taxiways are also sometimes part of street circuits. Facilities such as the paddock, pit boxes, fences and grandstands are usually installed temporarily and removed soon after the race is over but in modern times the pits, garages, race control and main grandstands are sometimes permanently constructed in the area. Since
168-673: A Thousand Years ). Between 1999 and 2020 and again from 2022, a shortened 3.219 km (2.000 mi) version of the circuit has been used for the Adelaide 500 touring car race. It is also being used by the Adelaide Motorsport Festival. During Adelaide's era hosting the Australian Grand Prix, the circuit hosted annual non-championship races for the Australian Touring Car Championship . From 1999 until 2020 ,
224-559: A back to back event win. In October 2020, the event was cancelled, with the South Australian Tourism Commission announcing that the contract would be terminated one-year early and no renewal will be sought. The COVID-19 pandemic , increased costs and declining public interest due to the discontinuation of Australian-manufactured Ford Falcons or Holden Commodores in the competition were cited by Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall as reasons for
280-459: A deal which continued until 2017. After the 2018 race was held with no major naming rights sponsor, it was announced that broadband provider Superloop would take over as title sponsor for the next three years. The event had an agreement to appear on the calendar until 2021. The event originally usually took place in February and March, contributing to what locals term "mad March", along with
336-490: A pre-qualifying session held, in the week leading into the event, at Mallala Motor Sport Park due to capacity and scheduling constraints at the Adelaide 500 event. Holden had dominated the event from 1999 to 2003 , with three wins to Skaife and one each to Bright and Tander following Lowndes' inaugural event victory. It wasn't until 2004 that a Ford driver won the event, with Marcos Ambrose winning both races, repeating
392-401: A race, it does not count as the lap record. The fastest officially recorded lap of the 3.219 km (2.000 mi) Supercars circuit is 1:16.0357 set by Aaron Cameron on 24 November 2023 driving a Rogers AF01/V8 in 2023 S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship . As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Adelaide Street Circuit are listed as: The fastest recorded lap of
448-564: A shortened form of the Adelaide Street Circuit , the former Australian Grand Prix track. The event is still colloquially known as the Clipsal 500 or simply "Clipsal" after its former longtime sponsor. With attendance at around 250,000 in 2023, the Adelaide 500 is the most attended Supercars Championship race. The event previously took place in February and March, contributing to what locals term "mad March", along with
504-600: A small valley on the Brock Straight, and a slight incline on Jones Straight, while the run-up Wakefield Road from turns 3 to 4 also has a slight incline. All of these sections of the track run in an east–west direction. The elevation ranges from 36–53 m (118–174 ft). During the Formula One and early V8 Supercar eras the Victoria Park Racecourse, a horse racing track, was located at
560-523: Is a fast right-hand sweeper named after the Kent Town Brewery that opens onto Dequetteville Terrace. The Dequetteville Terrace straight (named after Jack Brabham for Formula One and Peter Brock for the Adelaide 500 ) was a 900 m (980 yd) stretch where the over 1,000 bhp (746 kW; 1,014 PS) Formula One cars in the turbo era (1985–88) were reaching speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h) making Adelaide easily
616-470: Is a right hand hairpin turn (at the Britannia Roundabout ) that directs the driver back onto Wakefield Road. After accelerating out of the hairpin the driver faces a left turn and a 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
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#1732797545572672-465: Is no larger wildlife in the parklands, as they are heavily developed. These concerns seem to have been proven unfounded, as spectators often watch magpies 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
728-766: Is used each November for the Sporting Car Club of South Australia 's annual John Blanden's Climb to the Eagle . This event commenced as part of the 1985 Formula One with many well known racing identities taking part. The event sees up to 600 sports and exotic cars lined up on the starting grid before leaving to drive to Eagle on the Hill in the Adelaide Hills on the Friday of the weekend when the F1 Grand Prix
784-587: The 2012 season before switching teams to Tekno Autosports over the off-season. In 2014 , Volvo rejoined the series and made an immediate impact with Scott McLaughlin fighting off Whincup on the final lap to finish second in the newly introduced second 125 km race on Saturday. On the Sunday, Jason Bright rolled his Brad Jones Racing car at the Senna Chicane, thirteen years after team boss Brad Jones rolled his car at Turn 8. James Courtney won
840-653: The Adelaide Festival , Adelaide Fringe , WOMADelaide and Adelaide Writers' Week , but after a hiatus in 2021, it returned in 2022 as the season finale in late November or early December. The Adelaide Street Circuit was used for the Formula One Australian Grand Prix from 1985 to 1995 . Supercars, then known as Group A (1985 to 1992) and Group 3A Touring Cars (1993 to 1995), had competed in support races at each of these Grands Prix although these races did not count towards
896-546: The Adelaide Festival , Adelaide Fringe , WOMADelaide and Adelaide Writers' Week . In October 2020, it was announced the South Australian Tourism Commission would withdraw support for the event, putting the event on hiatus. It returned from the 2022 season as the season finale in late November or early December. The 1999 event saw Craig Lowndes win the Saturday race, only to be disqualified due to his involvement in an accident with Danny Osborne, and made to start from
952-420: The 1.4 km (0.87 mi) Victoria Park Sprint circuit is 0:42.5753 set by Ivan Capelli on 2 December 2018 driving a March CG891 car from the 1989 Formula One season . 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 birds and possums living in them. There
1008-541: The 1993 AGP, Tina Turner had an impromptu visitor in the form of the race winner and triple World Champion Ayrton Senna. Although she had already performed the song earlier, as a tribute to Senna, Turner again sung her hit song " The Best ". The stadium section also hosted the Pedal Prix and a prologue stage of the Classic Adelaide Rally and the replacement Targa Adelaide Rally. The pit straight
1064-437: The 250 km mark. When a significant portion of high-profile cars retired in the first leg, the regulations were changed overnight to allow those cars to start the Sunday race. The inaugural event also proved a challenge to the fitness of the drivers, with both Paul Radisich and John Faulkner requiring medical assistance due to dehydration. The 2000 event once again saw a last-to-first drive, with Mark Skaife winning
1120-576: The Adelaide 500 should his party win government. Malinauskas committed to reinstate the race in the leadup to the 2022 South Australian state election at which he was elected premier. The Adelaide 500 returned as the final round of the 2022 series , taking place late November or early December. South Australian-based manufacturer of LED lighting and digital displays for sports, then known as VALO, acquired naming rights for three years, as chief commercial sponsor. After changing its name to VAILO in May 2023,
1176-671: The Adelaide 500 was the opening round of the championship. It lost this position in 2010 and 2011, with the Yas V8 400 in the United Arab Emirates opening the series. From 2012 , Adelaide returned to being the opening round. The 2012 Clipsal 500 provided one of the event's most memorable finishes when Whincup chased down and overtook Will Davison on the final lap of the Saturday race. Whincup had made an additional pitstop and gained enough ground to take advantage when Davison's car began to run out of fuel. Davison went on to win
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#17327975455721232-536: The After Race Concert series, the November 2024 event featured headline acts Cold Chisel , The Cruel Sea , The Superjesus , Crowded House , Ocean Alley , and Meg Mac , along with local South Australian acts including hip hop artist J-MILLA and electronic/ indie /pop group TONIX. The Adelaide 500 was recognised on several occasions as the winner of the "Major Festivals & Events" category at
1288-788: The Australian Tourism Awards in 2003/04, 2005, 2007 and 2008. The event won best event of the series every year from 1999 to 2004. In 2005 it was inducted into the Supercars Hall of Fame and it has also been inducted into the SA Tourism Hall of Fame. In 2011 the Clipsal 500 was named Best Event of the Year (of 14) at the V8 Supercars annual awards, after an hiatus, for the 8th time. (After being put into
1344-634: The Mustang nameplate since Allan Moffat at Oran Park in 1972 , while McLaughlin's team 's co-owner Dick Johnson had also won a non-championship race at the Adelaide Street Circuit in a Ford Mustang GT in 1985. In the week leading into the 2020 Adelaide 500 , General Motors announced that the Holden brand, which was founded in Adelaide and has competed in every edition of the championship since its inception, would be retired by
1400-563: The Sunday race after starting 38th due to a DNF on Saturday. Despite this, the event win was awarded to Garth Tander , the only occasion in which the Sunday winner was not awarded the event win. In 2001 Clipsal 500 , Craig Lowndes won his first race for Ford since his defection from the Holden Racing Team to a Gibson Motorsport Ford. After winning the Saturday race, he was again in contention on Sunday until an incident with his former teammate Skaife ended his charge. In 2002,
1456-642: The annual Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC). The state of South Australia had also previously hosted championship rounds of the ATCC at Mallala Motor Sport Park in 1963 and between 1969 and 1998 and at Adelaide International Raceway from 1972 to 1988. On 1 September 1998, the Government of South Australia announced the conclusion of successful negotiations with the Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company (AVESCO) for
1512-400: The back of the grid for race two on the Sunday. Lowndes passed every car in the field to also win race two and thus become the first winner of the Adelaide 500, in what remains his only event victory. Lowndes' disqualification from race one was later overturned. The 1999 race was also controversial, as the original regulations stated the race was one 500 kilometre race with an overnight break at
1568-594: The buildings and grandstands are temporary and were removed each year due to ongoing campaigning by the Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association Inc. At the end of the straight, drivers negotiate the Senna Chicane , so named after triple World Champion Ayrton Senna following his death at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix . Senna had sat on the pole for the first Adelaide Grand Prix in 1985, and would go on to take
1624-451: The circuit are purpose-built for the racecourse, and remain in place year-round, but are not otherwise utilized by public traffic. active circuits in bold Adelaide 500 The Adelaide 500 , since 2023 known as VAILO Adelaide 500 after its chief sponsor, is an annual motor racing event for Supercars held on the streets of the east end of Adelaide , South Australia between 1999 and 2020 and again from 2022 . The event uses
1680-491: The circuit where the sweeping left-right-right (turns 7, 8 and 9) were made it necessary to actually move turns 7 and 8 approximately 100 metres to the south. While not affecting the overall length of the full circuit, it would made the run from turn 6 shorter and the run to turn 9 longer. The sweeping bends were also known as Banana Bend due to its location adjacent to the Adelaide Fruit Markets. Brewery Bend
1736-538: 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. Some of the artists who have performed the concerts either at the Grand Prix or the Clipsal 500 include Cher , Paul Simon , Tina Turner , Daryl Braithwaite , INXS and Kiss . During her concert following
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1792-422: The end of the year. The factory Holden team, run by Triple Eight Race Engineering, won the first race of the weekend with winner Jamie Whincup dedicating the win to Holden. Whincup's team-mate van Gisbergen was leading the Sunday race until he was forced to make an additional pitstop for fuel due to a team error and then later suffered a mechanical failure and did not finish. This granted 2019 winner McLaughlin with
1848-525: The event and in 2015 became the fourth driver to win the Clipsal 500 back-to-back, after Skaife, Ambrose and Whincup. In doing so he also provided the Holden Racing Team with a record sixth and seventh event wins, two ahead of Triple Eight, who scored their fifth victory in 2017 with van Gisbergen. The intervening event in 2016 was disrupted by thunderstorms and heavy rain on the Sunday with Nick Percat eventually taking his first solo win and
1904-445: The event was branded VAILO Adelaide 500 in 2023. The event is held over a four-day weekend, from Thursday to Sunday. A thirty-minute practice session is held on Thursday, then another thirty-minute practice session is held on Friday. Friday features a fifteen-minute qualifying session succeeded by a top ten shootout a day later, with a fifteen-minute practice session is held between them on Saturday. The combined results of which decide
1960-507: The event with a win on Sunday, his first since joining Ford Performance Racing . The 2013 event was the first of the Car of the Future regulations, which saw Nissan and Mercedes-Benz join the series as the first manufacturers outside Ford and Holden since 1993 . The Sunday race was won by Shane van Gisbergen in the aftermath of his controversial decision to announce his retirement during
2016-410: The event's demise. The Supercars category released a statement shortly after the announcement stating its regret at the decision and willingness to return to Adelaide should the government decide to hold the event again. South Australian Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas launched a campaign via a South Australian Labor Party petition platform to restore the event, and indicated an intent to return
2072-418: The fastest street circuit of the time as the only others were the much tighter Monaco , Detroit and Phoenix circuits. The short form of the track rejoins Brabham Straight two-thirds of the way down, so the 640 m (700 yd) long Bartels Road straight is longest on that layout. In 2007 this section of track was renamed Brock Straight after touring car driver Peter Brock. At the end of Brabham Straight
2128-527: The feat in 2005. Ford's turn of fate was signified by a sweep of the top four in the Saturday race of the 2005 event. Jamie Whincup then made it three in a row for Ford in 2006 with his first event win in Supercars in his first appearance for Triple Eight Race Engineering . The 2007 event brought about the first instance of the driver who scored the most weekend points not winning the event. Brothers Todd Kelly and Rick Kelly won one race each across
2184-424: The grid for the following 250-kilometre (160 mi) race. Sunday features another fifteen-minute qualifying session succeeded by a top ten shootout, the combined results of which decide the grid for the following 250 km race. Between 2014 and 2016 the event consisted of two 125 km races on the Saturday and one 250 km race on Sunday. In 2017 the organisers switched back to the original format due to
2240-497: The history of the event included the Super2 Series , Super5000 , SuperUtes Series , Touring Car Masters , Australian GT , and Australian Carrera Cup amongst others. The event also includes evening concerts featuring big international and local names. Past performers have included Kiss , Mötley Crüe , Santana , The Doobie Brothers , Rob Thomas , Hilltop Hoods , Keith Urban , and Robbie Williams . Now known as
2296-403: The lap record in a March CG891 . The event was returned on March 24–26, 2023; and was also held on March 15–17, 2024. The fastest ever recorded lap of the original 3.780 km (2.349 mi) Grand Prix Circuit was 1:13.371 by triple World Champion Ayrton Senna driving a McLaren MP4/8 Ford during qualifying for the 1993 Australian Grand Prix . However, as this was in qualifying and not
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2352-483: The low popularity of the 125 km races from both fans and drivers. Although the results of all races counted towards the Supercars Championship, the winner of the final race was normally declared the winner of the event, regardless of the results of the first race. The rest of the four days were filled with practice, qualifying, and support races for a number of other racing categories, which over
2408-504: The only for Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport amidst a delayed start, confusion surrounding the fuel drop regulations and a red flag. Van Gisbergen swept the 2017 and 2018 editions of the event, taking four poles and four race victories in a return to the two by 250 km format. The 2018 victory, in the twentieth running of the event, was the first victory for the Holden ZB Commodore in its debut appearance. 2018 also saw
2464-485: The park, though has since been removed. Between 2014 and 2018, an annual Adelaide Motorsport Festival ran on the Victoria Park Sprint Circuit, a shortened 1.4 km (0.87 mi) layout. The layout turned right along Wakefield Street after the Senna Chicane and then rejoined the main circuit for the final corners. The event had attracted older Formula 1 machinery, with Ivan Capelli holding
2520-408: The pole in Adelaide 6 times in 9 races, while winning in 1991 (the second shortest race in Formula One history due to torrential rain, after the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix ), as well as his last career victory in 1993. After the chicane the cars take a fast left turn to go uphill on a short straight on Wakefield Road to East Terrace . The first of a series of three 90 degree corners. The first corner
2576-466: The record for attendance at the event. By 2017, attendance had been dropping at the event (244,350 in 2017), although television viewing figures remained strong. Robbie Williams played at the 2018 event concert, with attendance reaching attendance 273,500 that year. Attendances in 2017 and 2019 (254,000) were the lowest since 2004 (237,400), and dropped significantly further in 2020 (206,000). Despite declining local attendance, figures in 2020 showed
2632-532: The shortened version of the circuit. The full Grand Prix circuit bypasses the turn onto Bartels Road and continues with a sweeping left-right-right into Stag Turn (turn 9). This leads onto the 360 m (390 yd) long Jones Straight, known as Rundle Road for the rest of the year and named after Australia's 1980 World Champion Alan Jones . In 2017, the building and opening of the O-Bahn Busway access and tunnel running off of Grenfell Street and across
2688-491: The sport's Hall of Fame in 2005, it was ineligible for the best event award for some years). It was also South Australia's biggest ticketed sports event for the 13th year, and by that year had won four Australian Tourism Awards and seven SA Tourism Awards for best major festival or event. In 2008 the Clipsal 500 was attended by 291,400 people, the largest crowd for a domestic motorsport event in Australia, and (as of 2019 )
2744-551: The staging of a Supercars race to be known as the Sensational Adelaide 500 on a shortened version of the Grand Prix track. The race effectively replaced the Mallala round on the calendar. The initial contract was for a period of five years with an option for a further five years. After the conclusion of the 1999 race, Clipsal were announced as the event's major sponsor and it became known as the Clipsal 500 Adelaide,
2800-538: The state of South Australia hosting two championship rounds for the first time since 1977 with The Bend Motorsport Park in Tailem Bend joining the calendar. In the return of the Ford Mustang nameplate to the championship in 2019 , Scott McLaughlin achieved the same feat as van Gisbergen, winning the first championship race and round for the new car on debut. It was also the first race and round win for
2856-446: The track hosted an annual Supercars race, the Adelaide 500 , (in most years a 2 x 250 km race) on a shorter, 3.219 km (2.000 mi) variant of the track. The event became one of the most acclaimed on the Supercars calendar, and is the only event added to the Supercars Hall of Fame . The event returned in 2022. The Adelaide Street Circuit pit straight on Victoria Park is 500 m (550 yd) long and faces northwest. All
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#17327975455722912-491: The track layout received its only modification to date, with Turn 8 being re-profiled to what became known as 'The Sweeper'. The change followed Brad Jones 's roll-over at the previous version of the corner in 2000 among other incidents. The re-profiled corner became one of the most infamous corners in Australian motorsport with several high-profile victims in the first year including Radisich and Glenn Seton . 2002 also saw
2968-467: The track surface is originally planned for normal speeds, race drivers often find street circuits bumpy and lacking grip. Run-off areas may be non-existent, which makes driving mistakes more expensive than in purpose-built circuits with wider run-off areas. Racing on a street circuit is also called "legal street racing". Local governments sometimes support races held in street circuits to promote tourism . In some cases, short segments or connector roads of
3024-419: The weekend however Rick was credited with the event win for his Sunday race victory despite scoring less points in the other race. Whincup went on to win again in 2008 , 2009 and 2011 to be the most successful driver in the event's history to date. The 2008 event was, however, marred by the death of Ashley Cooper following a crash in the second-tier Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series race. From 2002 to 2009,
3080-406: Was notable for the fortunate vantage point of Christian Brothers College . Followed by fourth onto Bartels Road back across the parklands. Then the track follows the fast turn 8 sweeper. This corner was re-configured in 2009 and it produced some protests from many of the teams due to its speed and lack of runoff area. Turn 8 has been the site of many crashes in the various categories that have used
3136-427: Was traditionally held in Adelaide. Another event held in November is the annual Toy Run which features over 1,000 motorcycle riders donating toys for under privileged children. The Toy Run moved to using the pit straight as its starting point in 2012 after previously starting from Glenelg . Street circuit A street circuit is a motorsport racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of
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