Sydney Motorsport Park, Racing Circuit

Sydney Motorsport Park is the city's only permanent racing circuit, sitting at Eastern Creek roughly 40km west of the central business district. Built and owned by the New South Wales Government and operated by the Australian Racing Drivers Club, it opened in July 1990 as Eastern Creek International Raceway, conceived after a consortium that included Sir Jack Brabham pushed to give Sydney a venue capable of hosting world championship events. The original Grand Prix layout was a considerable step up from anything else in Australia at the time, built to FIA and FIM standards with generous run-off and a famously fast, sweeping opening turn. From 1991 to 1995 it staged the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, and V8 Supercars first appeared in 1992, returning as a calendar regular over the following decades. The A1GP series brought renewed international attention from 2005, with Nico Hulkenberg setting the outright lap record on the original course in 2007. A $9 million government-backed redevelopment from 2011 added linking and extension roads, creating four configurations that can be run independently, and the venue was renamed Sydney Motorsport Park in 2012. The headline Gardner Grand Prix layout honours 1987 motorcycle world champion Wayne Gardner, while the longest Brabham configuration is named for the double Formula One champion. Circuit-wide lighting later allowed night running, and the site has also become a popular concert venue, hosting acts including Guns N' Roses, Bon Jovi and Pearl Jam.

Operated by: NSW Government (operated by Australian Racing Drivers Club)