Oran Park Raceway
Oran Park Raceway at a glance
- Location
- Oran Park (near Narellan), New South Wales
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 2.62 km (1.628 mi)
- Turns
- 12
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1962
- Owner
- Greenfields Development Company and Landcom (site redeveloped as Oran Park Town)
- Capacity
- 3,000
Track map and layout
Oran Park's original 1962 layout was a simple circuit on Camden farmland, but the track earned its reputation after a 1974 extension added a north loop and a crossover bridge, creating the 2.62 km, 12-turn Grand Prix Circuit, one of the few figure-eight configurations used in top-level motorsport anywhere in the world. Cars and bikes climbed away from the pits, swept through the undulating South Circuit, then crossed under the Yokohama Bridge onto the tighter North Circuit before rejoining for the run to the line. A fast, sweeping right-hander known simply as the Sweeper and a tight closing hairpin were the circuit's signature features, rewarding commitment over one clean lap but punishing mistakes on a track with little run-off. Shorter South and North circuit configurations were used for club racing, driver training and support categories throughout the venue's history.
Named corners and sections
- Yokohama Bridge. The crossover bridge linking the North and South circuits that created the Grand Prix Circuit's distinctive figure-eight shape.
- The Sweeper. A fast, high-commitment right-hand corner regarded as the circuit's signature turn.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit | — | 1985-2010; the combined North/South layout used for touring cars, Superbikes and the 1974 & 1977 Australian Grand Prix |
| Motorcycle Grand Prix Circuit | — | 1974-2010; near-identical to the Grand Prix Circuit with a minor variation for bikes |
| South Circuit | — | 1964-2010; the original loop, used alone for club and support racing |
| North Circuit | — | 1974-2010; the shorter loop added with the bridge extension |
| Original Circuit | — | 1962-1963; the first, one-mile layout before any extensions |
Events and race weekends
Oran Park's last full race meeting was the Australian Touring Car/V8 Supercars round in late 2008, and the venue closed for good in January 2010; nothing on the current calendar races there because the circuit no longer physically exists. In its 48 active years it hosted the Australian Grand Prix for Formula 5000 cars in 1974 and 1977, 65 V8 Supercars/ATCC races, the Castrol 6 Hour production-car endurance classic, and rounds of the Superbike World Championship in 1988-89, one of which was won by a young Mick Doohan.
Getting there and parking
The site sits within the modern suburb of Oran Park, on the Northern Road corridor about 55 km southwest of central Sydney and a short drive from Narellan and Camden. There is no circuit to navigate to; the former track's footprint is now covered by the streets, parks and shops of Oran Park Town, and the closest thing to a landmark is the road pattern itself, where Peter Brock Drive and Dick Johnson Drive trace parts of the old racing line. Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport is the nearest major airport.
- Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport (SYD) · about 55 min drive
Parking
Not applicable: the raceway no longer exists. Street parking is available throughout the Oran Park Town suburb built on the site.
Look for Peter Brock Drive and Dick Johnson Drive, two streets named after racing legends that now run across the old circuit footprint, if you want to see roughly where the track used to be.
Hotels and camping near Oran Park Raceway
There is no racing venue to plan a trip around, so visitors are really sightseeing a former circuit that is now suburban streets. Anyone wanting to stay nearby would look at Camden or Narellan, both a few minutes' drive away and well served by motels and chain hotels, or the broader Campbelltown area, which has a wider range of accommodation and is about 15 minutes east.
Where to look
Camden and Narellan have the closest motels; Campbelltown offers a larger choice of hotel accommodation a short drive to the east.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
There is no track to drive: Oran Park Raceway was demolished after its January 2010 closure and the land is now entirely residential and commercial. No public track-day or driving-experience programme exists on the former site.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (Grand Prix Circuit) | 1:01.6718 | Tim Leahey | Reynard 92D (Formula Holden) | 2000 |
| Formula Mondial | 1:03.900 | John Bowe | Formula Mondial car | 1984 |
Spectator guide
Spectating is no longer possible; the grandstands that held around 3,000 fans, plus the informal hillside vantage points that were popular with the 33,000-strong crowds Oran Park drew for its biggest touring car meetings, were removed when the circuit was demolished for housing.
Seating
None remain; grandstand seating for roughly 3,000 spectators existed before the 2010 demolition.
History of Oran Park Raceway
From farm paddock to figure-eight
Oran Park Raceway opened on 17 February 1962 on farmland at Narellan, southwest of Sydney, after grazier Dan Cleary made land available and the Singer Car Club, together with organisers George Murray and Jack Allen, built a rough one-mile circuit. It grew quickly in reputation through the 1960s as a venue for touring cars, open-wheelers and motorcycles, and introduced night racing as early as 1966. The pivotal change came in 1974, when a new north loop and a crossover bridge were added, creating a 2.6 km figure-eight-style Grand Prix Circuit that let Oran Park stage genuinely major events, including the Australian Grand Prix for Formula 5000 cars in 1974 and 1977.
Decades as a national venue
Through the 1970s, 80s and 90s Oran Park was a fixture of the Australian motorsport calendar. It hosted rounds of the Australian Touring Car Championship and, from 1997, V8 Supercars, the popular Castrol 6 Hour production-car enduro and, in 1988-89, rounds of the Superbike World Championship, one won by a young Mick Doohan before he moved to Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Drivers such as Allan Moffat, Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Mark Skaife all built part of their reputations there, and its tight, technical layout was regarded as a genuine test of car control rather than pure horsepower.
Closure and a new suburb
By the 2000s, Sydney's growth had surrounded the once-rural circuit, and noise and access issues, combined with the state government's need for land to house a growing population, led to Oran Park's sale for residential development. The final V8 Supercars round was held in 2008, and the circuit closed permanently on 25 January 2010 after 48 years of racing. Bulldozers moved in soon after, and today the site is Oran Park Town, a masterplanned suburb being developed by Landcom and the Greenfields Development Company. Streets including Peter Brock Drive and Dick Johnson Drive were laid out across the old racing line as a nod to the circuit's history, but no trace of the tarmac itself survives.
Frequently asked questions
Does Oran Park Raceway still exist?+
No. The circuit closed on 25 January 2010 and was demolished; the land is now the suburb of Oran Park Town in Sydney's southwest.
Can you visit the site of Oran Park Raceway?+
You can visit the suburb built on the site, but there is nothing left of the track itself. Streets such as Peter Brock Drive and Dick Johnson Drive follow parts of the old circuit's route.
Why is Oran Park Raceway famous?+
It hosted the Australian Grand Prix for Formula 5000 cars in 1974 and 1977, 65 V8 Supercars/ATCC races, World Superbike rounds in 1988-89, and the Castrol 6 Hour endurance classic, and it was one of the world's few figure-eight-style racing circuits.
How long was the Oran Park Grand Prix Circuit?+
The Grand Prix Circuit used from 1985 to 2010 was 2.62 km (1.628 miles) with 12 turns, linking the original South Circuit to a North Circuit added in 1974 via a crossover bridge.
Why did Oran Park Raceway close?+
Sydney's urban growth had reached the once-rural site, and in the late 2000s the land was sold for a major residential development; the last race meeting was held in 2008 and the circuit closed in January 2010.
Are there street names at Oran Park honouring the old raceway?+
Yes. The new suburb includes Peter Brock Drive and Dick Johnson Drive, both named after touring car drivers who raced at the circuit, tracing sections of the former track.
Other tracks nearby
- Sydney Motorsport Park · 26 km · road course
- Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit · 36 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Amaroo Park · 44 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Catalina Park · 51 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst · 125 km · street circuit
- Wakefield Park · 134 km · road course
Facts checked against 6 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.