Symmons Plains Raceway

Last updated

Symmons Plains
Symmons Plains Raceway (Australia) track map.svg
Full Circuit (1960–present)
Location Launceston, Tasmania
Coordinates 41°39′34″S147°15′10″E / 41.65944°S 147.25278°E / -41.65944; 147.25278
FIA Grade 3
OwnerMotorsports Tasmania
OpenedMarch 1960;65 years ago (1960-03) [1]
Major eventsCurrent:
Supercars Championship
Tasmania Super 440 (1969–1999, 2004–2019, 2021–present)
SuperUtes Series (2022, 2025–present)
Aussie Racing Cars (2005, 2008, 2011, 2013–2015, 2017, 2019, 2021–present)
Former:
Trans-Am Australia (2021–2025)
TCR Australia (2021–2024)
S5000 (2021–2023)
Stadium Super Trucks (2021)
Australian Superbike Championship (1991–1994, 1996, 1998, 2006–2011, 2013, 2015)
Tasmanian Super Prix (2006–2008, 2010)
Australian GT (1982, 2007)
Full Circuit (1960–present)
Length2.411 km (1.498 mi)
Turns7
Race lap record0:48.5598 ( Flag of Australia (converted).svg Joey Mawson, Ligier JS F3-S5000, 2022, S5000 )

Symmons Plains Raceway is a 2.411 km (1.498 mi) motor racing circuit in Australia, located about 30 km (19 mi) south of Launceston, Tasmania. Since the closure of the Longford Circuit in the 1960s it has been Tasmania's premier motor racing facility. The circuit is one of the longest serving circuits of the combined history of the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Supercars Championship. Since 2004 it has hosted the Tasmania Super 440 for Supercars Championship.

Contents

In 2004, the facility received a A$3 million upgrade which included some modifications to the layout of the track, including moving the start/finish line back to a more conventional location opposite the pits. It had previously been on a curve (which is now located just after the first corner), unusual for a road course. Symmons Plains is also known for its extremely tight hairpin bend, known as Brambles Hairpin[ citation needed ], at the end of the old front straight.

The circuit

Symmons Plains Raceway is 2.411 km (1.498 mi) long and is very hard on brakes. The banking at the hairpin is a unique opportunity to overtake. The other overtaking opportunity is the left hander at the end of the back straight. [2]

Supercars Championship

The circuit has hosted rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship and Supercars Championship since 1969. The circuit was left off the Supercars Championship calendar in 2000 before returning in 2004 after the upgrades were completed.

Events

Former

Lap records

From 1980 to 2021, Alfredo Costanzo held the outright race lap record by setting a time of 0:50.16 seconds with Lola T430 Formula 5000. The closest anyone had come since 1980 was British driver James Winslow who set a time of 0:50.5036 seconds on 1 April 2012 while driving a Dallara F307.

Then, that outright lap record was broken in 2021 by driver Joey Mawson. Driving a Ligier JS F3-S5000, the Australian driver set a time of 0:49.7242 seconds. In 2022, the record was improved again by himself, by setting a time of 0:48.5598 seconds. [3]

The 'Tassie Tin Tops' category included below is a combined closed car category not built to any specific set of regulations, it usually runs at major national meetings bringing together a collection of vehicles that usually compete in specific categories at Tasmanian State Championship race meetings, it usually includes Sports Sedans, Improved Production and Sports GT category vehicles.

As of May 2025, the fastest official race lap records at Symmons Plains Raceway are listed as: [4]

ClassDriverCarTimeDate
Permanent Circuit: 2.412 km (1960–present)
S5000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Joey Mawson Ligier JS F3-S5000 0:48.5598 [3] 12 February 2022
Formula 5000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alfredo Costanzo Lola T430 0:50.16 23 March 1980
Sports Sedans Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bradley Sherriff Nissan Skyline R34 0:50.198523 March 2025
Formula 3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tim Macrow Dallara F307 0:50.3278 6 April 2013
Supercars Championship Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Winterbottom Holden ZB Commodore 0:51.2276 [5] 7 April 2019
Porsche Carrera Cup Flag of Australia (converted).svg Clay Osborne Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup 0:52.1160 18 August 2024
Tassie Tin Tops Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ben Purtell Nissan 180SX 0:52.271318 August 2024
GT3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bryce Washington Lamborghini Gallardo 0:52.5247 2 September 2007
Super2 Series Flag of New Zealand.svg Chris Pither Holden VF Commodore 0:52.7091 8 April 2018
Superbike Flag of Australia (converted).svg Josh Waters Suzuki GSX-R1000 0:53.387 [6] 13 November 2011
Trans-Am Australia Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kyle Gurton Ford Mustang 0:53.9755 [7] 12 February 2022
Sports GT Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony WarrenMitsubishi Evo0:53.98827 April 2019
Australian Formula 2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jon Crooke Cheetah Mk8 0:54.73 9 March 1986
Touring Car Masters Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steven Johnson Ford Mustang Trans-Am 0:55.1795 [8] 10 May 2025
Formula Ford Flag of New Zealand.svg Richie Stanaway Mygale SJ09 0:55.3004 [9] 31 May 2009
N-GT Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe Ferrari 360 N-GT 0:55.3797 27 April 2003
Supersport Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jason O'Halloran Yamaha YZF-R6 0:55.493 [6] 10 September 2006
TCR Touring Car Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jay Hanson Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021) 0:55.7811 [10] 12 February 2022
Formula 4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Cameron Shields Mygale M14-F4 0:55.8236 8 April 2018
Group A Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Richards Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R 0:55.97 10 March 1991
Improved Production Cars Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jason House BMW M3 (E92) 0:57.063818 May 2024
Super Touring Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham BMW 318i 0:58.2963 [11] 7 May 1995
Group C (Australia) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock Holden VH Commodore SS 0:58.5111 March 1984
Aussie Racing Cars Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kody Garland Ford Mustang (S197) 1:00.2149 [12] 10 May 2025
V8 Superute Series Flag of Australia (converted).svg Adam Marjoram Isuzu D-MAX 1:00.2529 [13] 10 May 2025
125cc Grand Prix Flag of Australia (converted).svg Blake Leigh-Smith Aprilia RSW 125 1:00.681 [6] 4 April 2009
Group Nc Flag of Australia (converted).svg Leon Bell Holden HQ Monaro 1:01.558610 November 2013
V8 Ute Racing Series Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ryan Hansford Ford FG Falcon Ute 1:01.77613 April 2016
Moto3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Bramich Honda NSF250R 1:02.716 [6] 6 September 2015
Improved Production - U2L Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kyle Smith Datsun 1200 1:02.60122 June 2025
Group Nb Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phillip Shepherd EH Holden 1:07.723325 October 2020
Supersport 300 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Isaac Simmonds KTM RC 390 1:07.550 [6] 21 April 2024
Excel Cup Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jackson Shaw Hyundai Excel 1:09.999718 May 2024
HQ Holden Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phil Ashlin HQ Holden 1:11.610325 October 2020
Boost Mobile Super Trucks Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul Morris Stadium Super Truck 1:12.2884 18 April 2021
250cc Production Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lachlan Keogh Kawasaki Ninja 250R 1:13.693 [6] 5 September 2015

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ Terry Walker, Fast Tracks, 1995, p. 156
    2. ↑ "Falken Tasmania Challenge". v8supercars.com.au. n.d. Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
    3. 1 2 "S5000 Series 2022 John McCormack Cup Statistics". 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
    4. ↑ Natsoft Race Results
    5. ↑ "2019 Supercars Symmons Plains Race 2 Statistics". 7 April 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Symmons Plains Raceway Motorcycle Lap Records" (PDF). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
    7. ↑ "2022 Trans-Am Australia AWC Race Tasmania Race 1 Results". 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
    8. ↑ "Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440 - Symmons Plains International Raceway - 2025 Touring Car Masters Series - Race 1". 10 May 2025. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
    9. ↑ "Australian Formula Ford Lap Records" . Retrieved 29 November 2022.
    10. ↑ "2022 TCR Australia AWC Race Tasmania Race 1 Results". 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
    11. ↑ "ASTC 1995 » Symmons Plains Raceway Round 6 Results" . Retrieved 7 May 2022.
    12. ↑ "Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440 - Symmons Plains International Raceway - 2025 Battery World Aussie Racing Cars Super Series - Race 1". 10 May 2025. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
    13. ↑ "Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440 - Symmons Plains International Raceway - 2025 Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series - Race 2". 10 May 2025. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.