Race Tracks Near Brisbane
Brisbane and the Gold Coast sit inside a compact but busy motorsport corridor. Queensland Raceway at Willowbank, less than an hour south-west of the city, shares its precinct with Willowbank Raceway drag strip, home of the ANDRA Winternationals. Lakeside Park, reopened after years of closure, gives club racers and historic categories a track on Brisbane's northern side, while Morgan Park near Warwick serves the Darling Downs a little under two hours out. Every October the Gold Coast turns its Surfers Paradise streets into a temporary circuit for the Supercars' Gold Coast 500, one of the category's signature events. Archerfield and Toowoomba run weekly dirt speedway, Coolum hosts motocross on the Sunshine Coast, and karters have clubs at Ipswich and Morgan Park. A hillclimb at Mount Cotton adds a different discipline close to the city, while Southport, the original Surfers Paradise International Raceway and Lowood — all now closed — are reminders of south-east Queensland's earlier motorsport map.
14 venues listed across 7 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Brisbane
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensland Raceway | Willowbank, QLD | 50 min | 3.12 km | Flat, technical circuit near Ipswich that shares its precinct with Willowbank Raceway drag strip; used for national categories, club racing and driver training. |
| Lakeside Park | Kurwongbah, QLD | 35 min | 3.4 km | Historic Brisbane circuit north of the city, reopened for club and demonstration racing after years of closure. |
| Morgan Park Raceway | Warwick, QLD | 1 h 50 min | 3 km | Darling Downs circuit with an adjoining kart track, used for state and national club racing. |
| Mount Cotton HillclimbSeasonal | Mount Cotton, QLD | 40 min | 1 km | Bayside Brisbane hillclimb venue used by local sporting car clubs for speed events. |
Ovals and speedways in Brisbane
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archerfield SpeedwaySeasonal | Archerfield, Brisbane, QLD | 20 min | 0.4 km | Inner-Brisbane dirt speedway running weekly sprintcar, sedan and modified programs through the season. |
| Toowoomba SpeedwaySeasonal | Kingsthorpe, QLD | 1 h 30 min | 0.4 km | Darling Downs dirt speedway hosting regular club and state-level meetings. |
Drag strips in Brisbane
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willowbank Raceway | Willowbank, QLD | 50 min | 0.402 km | Queensland's premier drag strip, sharing its precinct with Queensland Raceway; home of the ANDRA Winternationals. |
Motocross and off-road in Brisbane
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolum MX Park | Coolum, QLD | 1 h 30 min | — | Sunshine Coast motocross track running club and state championship rounds. |
Karting in Brisbane
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich Kart Club | Ipswich, QLD | 45 min | 1 km | West Brisbane club kart circuit running regular sprint racing. |
| Morgan Park Kart Circuit | Warwick, QLD | 1 h 50 min | 1 km | Kart track adjoining Morgan Park Raceway, used for state and club kart racing on the Darling Downs. |
Street circuits and temporary in Brisbane
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfers Paradise Street CircuitSeasonal | Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, QLD | 1 h 10 min | 2.6 km | Temporary street circuit through Surfers Paradise, transformed each October for the Supercars' Gold Coast 500. |
Closed and historic in Brisbane
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfers Paradise International RacewayClosed | Carrara, QLD | 1 h 10 min | 3.4 km | Gold Coast permanent circuit that hosted national racing from 1966 before closing in 1987 and being redeveloped. |
| Southport CircuitClosed | Southport, QLD | 1 h 5 min | 3 km | Early Gold Coast road circuit used for racing in the 1950s before closing. |
| Lowood CircuitClosed | Lowood, QLD | 1 h 5 min | 3.2 km | Airfield road circuit west of Brisbane used for racing in the 1960s-70s before closing. |
Major race weekends in Brisbane
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Coast 500 | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit | October | Supercars |
| ANDRA Winternationals | Willowbank Raceway | June | ANDRA drag racing |
| Lakeside Festival of Motorsport | Lakeside Park | Various | Historic and club racing |
| Queensland Raceway national test days | Queensland Raceway | Various | Multi-category |
Track days and driving experiences in Brisbane
Queensland Raceway and Lakeside Park, both under an hour from Brisbane, host regular HPDE, club-racing and track-day sessions run by local sporting car clubs and commercial track-day operators. Morgan Park, about two hours south-west on the Darling Downs, adds a full-day open-lapping option for those willing to drive further. Expect roughly AU$250-500 for a full track day depending on venue and category, more for instructed sessions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest race track to Brisbane?+
Lakeside Park, about 35 minutes north of the city, and Queensland Raceway at Willowbank, about 50 minutes south-west, are the two closest circuits.
Where does the Gold Coast 500 run?+
On a temporary street circuit through Surfers Paradise, about 70 minutes from Brisbane, held every October as part of the Supercars Championship.
Where can I do a track day near Brisbane?+
Queensland Raceway and Lakeside Park are the main venues close to the city, with Morgan Park near Warwick offering a further option about two hours out.
Does this guide include horse racing tracks like Eagle Farm or Doomben?+
No — Eagle Farm, Doomben and other thoroughbred racecourses are horse racing venues, not motorsport tracks, so they're excluded from this guide.
Is Willowbank Raceway the same place as Queensland Raceway?+
They're separate tracks that share one motorsport precinct near Ipswich — Queensland Raceway is the road course, Willowbank Raceway is the adjoining drag strip.
What happened to Surfers Paradise International Raceway?+
The permanent Gold Coast circuit that hosted national racing through the 1970s and 1980s closed in 1987 and was redeveloped; the modern Gold Coast 500 runs on a different, temporary street circuit through Surfers Paradise.
Venue list checked against 6 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.
Track guides within 120 miles of Brisbane
Lakeside Park Circuit
Address: Lakeside Rd, Kurwongbah QLD 4503, Australia Website: http://qldraceways.com.au/lakeside-park Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 1300 72...
Queensland Raceway
Address: 103 Champions Way, Willowbank, Ipswich QLD 4306, Australia Website: https://qldraceways.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +61 ...
Surfers Paradise Street Circuit
Address: Gold Coast Hwy, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217, Australia Hotels Near Surfers Paradise Street Circuit Track History Located on the beautiful Gol...
Morgan Park Raceway
Address: 228 Old Stanthorpe Rd, Morgan Park, QLD, 4370, Australia Website: https://www.morganparkraceway.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Phone Numb...