Mallala Motorsport Park
Encyclopedia
Mallala Motor Sport Park is a 2.6 km (1.6 mi) bitumen motor racing circuit near the town of Mallala
in South Australia
, 55 km north of the state capital, Adelaide
.
. The land was purchased from the Royal Australian Air Force
at public auction in 1961 by a group of enthusiasts seeking to create a replacement for the Port Wakefield Circuit
. South Australia had been allocated the 1961 Australian Grand Prix
on the state by state rotational system that applied at that time but the organisers had subsequently been informed by CAMS
that the Port Wakefield venue was not suitable for the event. The opening meeting for the new venue was held on 19 August 1961 with Bib Stillwell winning the main event in a Cooper Climax. The 1961 Australian Grand Prix
featuring at the second meeting. The original lap distance of 3.4 km (2.1 mi) was reduced to 2.6 km (1.6 mi) in late 1964 when Bosch Curve was moved closer to the Dunlop Curve Grandstand , thus removing the north eastern leg of the circuit.
Mallala served as South Australia’s home of motor sport throughout the sixties and it hosted a round of the Australian Drivers' Championship
each year from 1961 to 1971. The Australian Tourist Trophy
was held there in 1962 and 1968 and the single race Australian Touring Car Championship
was staged in 1963 as were annual rounds of the same championship after it changed to a series format in 1969. In 1971 the property was bought by Keith Williams, constructor of the new Adelaide International Raceway
The circuit was closed in that year and a covenant preventing any motor sport activities was placed on the property.
The circuit was initially issued with a “B” track license, thus excluding the staging of championship level racing. This restriction was later lifted and the circuit hosted a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship
each year from 1989 to 1998. When that championship evolved into the V8 Supercar Championship Series in 1999, the Mallala round was replaced by the Clipsal 500, held on the Adelaide Street Circuit
. A round of the second tier V8 Supercar Development Series was held at Mallala Motor Sport Park each year from 2000 to 2006.
Currently the main meetings held annually are the Mallala Historics each Easter and a round of the Shannons Nationals later in the year. Drifting now takes place on a regular basis in the form of the G1 Drift Competition and Drift Supercup which runs from turn 8 to turn 2. Supertruck Racing is no longer staged at Mallala due to the deteriorating surface of the track, the final weekend being in late 2009. Major meetings at Mallala are run by the Sporting Car Club of SA
and other clubs that regularly use the circuit include the Adelaide Superkart Club, Marque Sports Car Association of SA, and the MG Car Club of SA. Since its re-opening, the Mallala circuit has also been used for private driver training courses and the South Australia Police
use the circuit for driver training and assessment.
The Mallanats is an annual car show event held at the circuit. The weekend includes burnout competitions and exhibition events. 2009 was the first time the Mallanats were held and it is set to return late in 2010.
The Elfin Mallala
sports racing car was named after the circuit, having competed in its first race there.
Mallala, South Australia
Mallala is a small town about 58 kilometres north of Adelaide in South Australia. The name Mallala is thought to be derived from the local Aboriginal word 'madlola' which supposedly meant 'place of the ground frog'. At the 2006 census, Mallala had a population of 737.In 1939 the Royal Australian...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, 55 km north of the state capital, Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
Mallala Race Circuit (1961 to 1971)
The Mallala Race Circuit, as it was originally known, was established on the site of the former RAAF Base MallalaRAAF Base Mallala
RAAF Base Mallala was a Royal Australian Air Force base located at Mallala, South Australia.-History:The base was built in 1941 as the home of No. 6 Service Flying Training School during World War II...
. The land was purchased from the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
at public auction in 1961 by a group of enthusiasts seeking to create a replacement for the Port Wakefield Circuit
Port Wakefield Circuit
Port Wakefield Circuit was the first purpose built motor racing facility built in Australia after World War II, and only the second in Australian history...
. South Australia had been allocated the 1961 Australian Grand Prix
1961 Australian Grand Prix
The 1961 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the newly completed Mallala Motor Sport Park on 9 October 1961. The race had 17 starters....
on the state by state rotational system that applied at that time but the organisers had subsequently been informed by CAMS
Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport , has been the governing body of Australian motorsport since 1953. It is affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ....
that the Port Wakefield venue was not suitable for the event. The opening meeting for the new venue was held on 19 August 1961 with Bib Stillwell winning the main event in a Cooper Climax. The 1961 Australian Grand Prix
1961 Australian Grand Prix
The 1961 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the newly completed Mallala Motor Sport Park on 9 October 1961. The race had 17 starters....
featuring at the second meeting. The original lap distance of 3.4 km (2.1 mi) was reduced to 2.6 km (1.6 mi) in late 1964 when Bosch Curve was moved closer to the Dunlop Curve Grandstand , thus removing the north eastern leg of the circuit.
Mallala served as South Australia’s home of motor sport throughout the sixties and it hosted a round of the Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...
each year from 1961 to 1971. The Australian Tourist Trophy
Australian Tourist Trophy
The Australian Tourist Trophy is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for sports car drivers. The title was awarded for the first time in 1956 and then annually from 1958 until the introduction by CAMS of an Australian Sports Car Championship for 1969...
was held there in 1962 and 1968 and the single race Australian Touring Car Championship
1963 Australian Touring Car Championship
The 1963 Australian Touring Car Championship was the fourth running of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Appendix J Touring Cars, contested over a single 25 lap, 50 mile race at the Mallala Motor Sport Park in South Australia on 15...
was staged in 1963 as were annual rounds of the same championship after it changed to a series format in 1969. In 1971 the property was bought by Keith Williams, constructor of the new Adelaide International Raceway
Adelaide International Raceway
The Adelaide International Raceway is a permanent circuit owned by Australian Motorsport Club Limited under the auspices of the Bob Jane Corporation. It is located on Port Wakefield Road at Virginia, a small town just north of Adelaide, South Australia, and is round the corner from Speedway City...
The circuit was closed in that year and a covenant preventing any motor sport activities was placed on the property.
Mallala Motor Sport Park (1982 to date)
Following the purchase of the Mallala site by South Australia businessman and former racer Clem Smith in 1977, a Supreme Court decision declared the covenant unenforceable. The facility was then redeveloped and was reopened for motorcycle racing in 1980 and for car racing in 1982. It was now known as Mallala Motor Sport Park.The circuit was initially issued with a “B” track license, thus excluding the staging of championship level racing. This restriction was later lifted and the circuit hosted a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship
Australian Touring Car Championship
The Australian Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing award held in Australia since 1960. The series itself is no longer contested, but the title lives on, with the winner of the V8 Supercar Championship Series awarded the trophy and title of Australian Touring Car Champion.-History:The...
each year from 1989 to 1998. When that championship evolved into the V8 Supercar Championship Series in 1999, the Mallala round was replaced by the Clipsal 500, held on the Adelaide Street Circuit
Adelaide Street Circuit
The Adelaide Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in the East Parklands adjacent to the central business district of the city of Adelaide in South Australia....
. A round of the second tier V8 Supercar Development Series was held at Mallala Motor Sport Park each year from 2000 to 2006.
Currently the main meetings held annually are the Mallala Historics each Easter and a round of the Shannons Nationals later in the year. Drifting now takes place on a regular basis in the form of the G1 Drift Competition and Drift Supercup which runs from turn 8 to turn 2. Supertruck Racing is no longer staged at Mallala due to the deteriorating surface of the track, the final weekend being in late 2009. Major meetings at Mallala are run by the Sporting Car Club of SA
Sporting Car Club of South Australia
The Sporting Car Club of South Australia, Australia's largest motorcar club, was founded in Adelaide in 1934, making it one of the oldest in Australia. It has over 1700 members, including many that have been members for more than 50 years...
and other clubs that regularly use the circuit include the Adelaide Superkart Club, Marque Sports Car Association of SA, and the MG Car Club of SA. Since its re-opening, the Mallala circuit has also been used for private driver training courses and the South Australia Police
South Australia Police
The South Australia Police is the police force of the Australian state of South Australia. It is an agency of the Government of South Australia within the South Australian Department of Justice.-History:...
use the circuit for driver training and assessment.
The Mallanats is an annual car show event held at the circuit. The weekend includes burnout competitions and exhibition events. 2009 was the first time the Mallanats were held and it is set to return late in 2010.
The Elfin Mallala
Elfin Mallala
The Elfin Mallala was a sports racing car produced in 1962 and 1963 by Garrie Cooper's Elfin Sports Cars. It had a small run of only five cars. Its first race was at the Mallala Race Circuit which gave its name to the car...
sports racing car was named after the circuit, having competed in its first race there.
Lap Records
As of September 2011| Class | Driver | Vehicle | Time | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright | ||||
| Outright |  Paul StokellPaul Stokell Paul Stokell is an Australian racing driver. Despite never making a significant impact in touring car racing, Stokell has been a race and championship winning driver in open wheel and sportscar racing consistently since the early 1990s and remains so today have won the Australian Mini Challenge in... |
Reynard Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy... 90D Holden |
1:02.57 | 7 August 1994 |
| Racing Cars | ||||
| Formula Holden Formula Holden Formula Holden was an Australian open wheel racing category.-History:Known during its development as Formula Australia, it was initially for chassis constructed from aluminium only, running a 3.8 litre Buick V6 engine as it was then utilised in the new versions of the Holden Commodore... |
Paul Stokell Paul Stokell Paul Stokell is an Australian racing driver. Despite never making a significant impact in touring car racing, Stokell has been a race and championship winning driver in open wheel and sportscar racing consistently since the early 1990s and remains so today have won the Australian Mini Challenge in... |
Reynard Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy... 90D Holden |
1:02.57 | 7 August 1994 |
| Formula 3 Australian Formula 3 The Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship is a motor racing championship for FIA Formula Three racing cars and is now the official Australian Drivers' Championship. Growing out of Australian Formula 2 racing into a series for the first time in 1999, it has grown into the premier Australian... |
Ben Clucas | Dallara F304 Spiess Opel Opel Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929... |
1:04.3218 | 25 June 2006 |
| Formula 2 | Barry Ward |
Reynard Reynard Motorsport Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy... 893 |
01:07.3 | |
| Formula Ford Australian Formula Ford Championship The Australian Formula Ford Championship is a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Ford racing cars. It has been held annually since 1970, originally as a national series, and later as the 'Driver-to-Europe' series... |
Tim Slade Tim Slade Tim Slade in Hornsby NSW is an Australian V8 Supercar racing driver.-Early career:Slade first appeared at a national level racing Formula 3. During the 2004 Australian Formula 3 Championship Slade in his rookie season with Team BRM he won his first race with the team making a one-off appearance at... |
Van Diemen Van Diemen Van Diemen International, Ltd. is a British race car manufacturer based in Snetterton, Norfolk, England.The company has a reputation for high-volume production runs of its cars, the most well-known of which is its series of Formula Ford chassis, which have been at the forefront of that class of... RF04 Ford Ford Duratec engine The Duratec is a range of four, five, and six-cylinder gasoline engines produced by the Ford Motor Company, used in Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Caterham, Morgan, Tiger, Ginetta cars and by specialist engine tuner Cosworth.... |
1:11.4133 | 17 September 2006 |
| Formula Vee Formula Vee Formula Vee is a popular open wheel, single seater junior motor racing formula, with relatively low costs in comparison to Formula Ford or Formula BMW.... |
Ben Porter |
Checkmate | 1:19.7145 | 31 October 2010 |
| Superkart Superkart Superkart is a form of motor racing based around a racing vehicle sized like a kart but with several characteristics more strongly associated with open-wheel racing cars.... |
Gary Pegoraro |
Anderson Anderson Racing Karts Anderson Racing Karts is a manufacturer of open-wheel racing cars, specifically Superkarts. Andersons have won championships in all parts of the racing world and are current holders of European Superkart Championship, as well as titles in Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand.... Maverick FPE |
1:06.3237 | 7 June 2009 |
| Sports Cars | ||||
| GT Australian GT Championship The Australian GT Championship is a CAMS-sanctioned national title for drivers of GT cars, held annually from 1960 to 1963, from 1982 to 1985 and from 2005. Each championship up to and including the 1963 title was contested over a single race and those after that year over a series of races... |
David Wall |
Porsche 911 GT3 Porsche 911 GT3 The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS... |
1:09.7070 | 25 June 2006 |
| Sports Sedan Australian Sports Sedan Championship The Australian Sports Sedan Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of cars complying with Australian Sports Sedan regulations... |
Tony Ricciardello Tony Ricciardello Tony Ricciardello, , is a multiple-championship winning Australian race car driver.Son of Sports Sedan racer and team owner Basil Ricciardello, Tony was brought up into the Western Australian racing scene... |
Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV-Chevrolet Chevrolet Small-Block engine The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block... |
1:05.9536 | 18 May 2008 |
| Porsche GT3 Challenge | Matt Kingsley |
Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Porsche 911 GT3 The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS... |
1:10.0052 | 30 May 2010 |
| Touring Cars | ||||
| V8 Supercar V8 Supercar V8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations... |
 Greg MurphyGreg Murphy Greg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show... |
Holden VS Commodore Holden VS Commodore The Holden VS Commodore, released in 1995, was the ninth model of the Holden Commodore, a large car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors. The VS Commodore served as a mechanical update of the second generation architecture, destined to assist sales before the all-new VT model... |
1:08.1437 | 13 July 1997 |
| Super Touring | Brad Jones |
Audi A4 Quattro | 1:10.3 | 19 July 1998 |
| Improved Production D | Anthony Wallis |
Mazda 808 | 1:14.9796 | 3 May 2009 |
| Improved Production C | James Sutton |
Mazda R100 Mazda R100 The Mazda R100 was the export name for the Mazda Familia Rotary Coupe, an automobile produced by Mazda in Japan from 1968 to 1973. It used the chassis from the Familia and the rotary 0820 engine similar to the one used in the Cosmo Sport Series II. It was a 2 door 2+2 coupé and was produced from... |
1:16.52 | 2 November 2003 |
| Commodore Cup Commodore Cup The Commodore Cup is an Australian motor racing series. The series, a one-make series originally devised by Victorian racers Maurie Platt and David Gittus, is named for the car all competitors must use in competition, the Holden Commodore. Eligibility is limited to specific Commodore models.... |
Marcus Zukanovic |
Holden Commodore Holden Commodore The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model... |
1:18.0369 | 25 June 2006 |
| Saloon Cars | Bruce Heinrich |
Holden VT Commodore Holden VT Commodore The Holden VT Commodore, Berlina, and Calais are the tenth iteration of the Holden Commodore, a full-size car built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors... |
1:18.8580 | 23 August 2008 |
| V8 Utes V8 Utes The V8 Ute Racing Series is an Australian motor racing series for utilities, derived from the Australian Production Car Championship. It was conceived in 2000 by PROCAR chief Ross Palmer and launched March 2001, as V8 Brute Utes, at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide... |
Grant Johnson |
Holden SS Ute Holden Ute The Holden Ute is a coupe utility built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors, since 2000. Before then, Holden had marketed their Commodore-based utility models under the Holden Utility and Holden Commodore utility names, although the term “Holden Ute” was also used in their... |
1:21.4940 | 21 August 2005 |
| Production Cars | Steve Knight |
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 Mitsubishi Lancer The Mitsubishi Lancer is a family car built by Mitsubishi Motors. It has been known as the Colt Lancer, Dodge/Plymouth Colt, Chrysler Valiant Lancer, Chrysler Lancer, Eagle Summit, Hindustan Lancer, Soueast Lioncel, Mitsubishi Carisma, and Mitsubishi Mirage in various countries at different times,... |
1:19.3665 | 17 October 2007 |
| HQ Holdens | Neil Corey |
Holden HQ Kingswood | 1:28.0356 | 15 May 2011 |
| Motorcycles | ||||
| Superbike | Mat Mladin Mat Mladin Mathew "Mat" Mladin is a retired Australian professional motorcycle racer who last raced for Yoshimura Suzuki in the AMA Superbike series... |
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R Kawasaki's ZX-7R, which replaced the more race-oriented ZXR-750, is the company's most recent 750cc class supersports bike. The ZX-7R was first made available to the public in 1995, and remained largely unchanged through its production, which ended in 2003.... |
1:07.8 | 19 November 1995 |
| SuperSport | Kevin Curtain |
Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha's YZF-R6 is a 600 class sport bike motorcycle, first introduced in 1998, updated in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008 and revised in the years in between.-History:... |
1:09.9 | 23 May 1999 |