Race Tracks Near Melbourne
Melbourne has two of Australia's best-known circuits within its own limits: Albert Park, which turns city streets into a Formula 1 circuit every March, and Sandown Raceway in Springvale, the traditional home of Supercars' season-ending enduro and still busy with club racing. Calder Park, out toward Melbourne's north-west, combines a road course with a drag strip and the dormant Thunderdome oval under one roof. An hour and a half south-east, Phillip Island's Grand Prix Circuit hosts the MotoGP Australian round on one of the world's most scenic layouts, while Winton Motor Raceway near Benalla, a little over two hours north, runs a full Supercars and club-racing calendar. Drag racers use Heathcote Park and the Ballarat strip, motocross riders head to Wonthaggi and Broadford, and Melbourne's karting scene is dense, with clubs at Port Melbourne, Oakleigh, Emerald and Puckapunyal. A handful of older venues — Fishermans Bend and the Ballarat airfield circuit — have long since closed.
19 venues listed across 7 categories. Venues with a full RaceTrackWorld guide are linked.
Road courses in Melbourne
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandown Raceway | Springvale, VIC | 25 min | 3.1 km | Melbourne circuit historically the season-ending endurance race venue, still used by Supercars and a busy club-racing calendar. |
| Calder Park Raceway (road course) | Calder Park, VIC | 25 min | 1.8 km | Melbourne's oldest continually operating road course, hosting club racing, testing and driving experiences alongside the drag strip and Thunderdome oval on the same site. |
| Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | Phillip Island, VIC | 1 h 40 min | 4.445 km | Fast, flowing coastal circuit that hosts the MotoGP Australian round and Supercars. |
| Winton Motor Raceway | Winton, VIC | 2 h 20 min | 3 km | Regional circuit near Benalla hosting Supercars and a wide club-racing calendar; sits a little beyond a strict two-hour radius but is a well-worn day trip for Melbourne racers. |
| Bryant Park (Haunted Hills)Seasonal | Boolarra, VIC | 1 h 50 min | 1.5 km | Gippsland hillclimb venue running regular speed events for the Latrobe Valley Historic Car Club. |
Ovals and speedways in Melbourne
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon RacewaySeasonal | Lara, VIC | 50 min | 0.4 km | Dirt speedway between Melbourne and Geelong running weekly sprintcar, speedcar and stock car programs. |
| Calder Park ThunderdomeDormant | Calder Park, VIC | 25 min | 1.8 km | High-banked oval built for the 1980s AUSCAR series; largely dormant today, used only occasionally for filming and demonstration events. |
Drag strips in Melbourne
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calder Park Raceway (drag strip) | Calder Park, VIC | 25 min | 0.402 km | Melbourne's main drag strip, sharing the Calder Park precinct with the road course; hosts national and club drag events. |
| Heathcote Park Raceway | Heathcote, VIC | 1 h 25 min | 0.402 km | Regional Victorian quarter-mile strip north of Melbourne running club and state-level drag events. |
| Ballarat Drag Racing Club StripSeasonal | Ballarat, VIC | 1 h 15 min | 0.402 km | Club-run strip west of Melbourne hosting sportsman drag racing through the warmer months. |
Motocross and off-road in Melbourne
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wonthaggi MX Park | Wonthaggi, VIC | 1 h 40 min | — | Gippsland motocross track running club and state-level rounds. |
| Broadford Off Road eXtreme (BORX) | Broadford, VIC | 1 h 10 min | — | Off-road and motocross facility within the Broadford motorsport complex north of Melbourne. |
Karting in Melbourne
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go Kart Club of Victoria (Todd Road) | Port Melbourne, VIC | 15 min | 1 km | Inner-Melbourne club kart circuit, one of the closest motorsport venues to the CBD. |
| Oakleigh Kart Club | Oakleigh South, VIC | 25 min | 0.9 km | South-eastern suburbs club kart track running regular sprint meetings. |
| Emerald Kart Club | Emerald, VIC | 55 min | 1 km | Dandenong Ranges club circuit used for state kart championship rounds. |
| Puckapunyal Kart Club | Puckapunyal, VIC | 1 h 25 min | 1 km | Regional Victorian club track on the army base area north of Melbourne. |
Street circuits and temporary in Melbourne
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Park CircuitSeasonal | Melbourne, VIC | 10 min | 5.278 km | Public-road street circuit around Albert Park Lake, transformed each March for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. |
Closed and historic in Melbourne
| Venue | Town | Drive | Length | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishermans Bend CircuitClosed | Fishermans Bend, VIC | 10 min | 3.1 km | Airfield perimeter road circuit used for Australian Grand Prix races in the 1950s before closing to make way for industrial development. |
| Ballarat Airfield CircuitClosed | Ballarat, VIC | 1 h 15 min | 3.2 km | Former airfield road circuit used for racing in the 1950s-60s before the airport reverted to full-time aviation use. |
Major race weekends in Melbourne
| Event | Venue | When | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Grand Prix | Albert Park Circuit | March | Formula 1 |
| MotoGP Australian round | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | October | MotoGP |
| Sandown Supercars round | Sandown Raceway | September | Supercars |
| Winton Supercars round | Winton Motor Raceway | May | Supercars |
Track days and driving experiences in Melbourne
Sandown and Calder Park, both under half an hour from the CBD, are the default venues for HPDE, club racing and drifting days run by groups such as the Victorian sporting car clubs and Driver Dynamics. Winton and Phillip Island, 1.5-2.5 hours out, host full-day open-lapping events with larger run groups and more track time. Expect roughly AU$250-500 for a full day depending on venue and category, more for instructed or time-attack formats.
Frequently asked questions
What is the closest race track to Melbourne?+
Albert Park Circuit is inside the city itself, though it only runs as a circuit during Grand Prix week each March. Sandown Raceway and Calder Park, both about 25 minutes from the CBD, are the closest venues racing year-round.
How far is Phillip Island from Melbourne?+
About 140 km, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes by road — a comfortable day trip for the MotoGP round or a track day.
Where can I do a track day near Melbourne?+
Sandown, Calder Park and Winton all run regular HPDE, club-racing and drift days; Sandown and Calder Park are the closest to the city, Winton a little over two hours out.
Does this guide include horse racing tracks like Flemington or Caulfield?+
No — Flemington, Caulfield, Moonee Valley and other thoroughbred racecourses are horse racing venues, not motorsport tracks, so they're excluded from this guide.
Is the Calder Park Thunderdome still used?+
The high-banked oval built for 1980s AUSCAR racing is dormant — it's rarely used beyond occasional filming and demonstration events, though the adjoining road course and drag strip remain active.
Is Winton within reach for a day trip from Melbourne?+
Yes, though it's a little beyond a strict two-hour radius at around two hours twenty minutes — still a common weekend destination for Melbourne club racers.
Venue list checked against 6 sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.
Track guides within 120 miles of Melbourne
Albert Park F1 Circuit
Address: 12 Aughtie Dr, Albert Park VIC 3206, Australia Website: https://www.grandprix.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +61 1800 100 0...
Sandown Raceway
Address: 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale, Vic 3171, Australia Website: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SandownRacecourse Email: [email protected] Phon...
Calder Park Raceway
Address: Calder Freeway, Keilor, Victoria 3036, Australia Website: https://www.calderpark.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: 0435 350 91...
Philip Island Circuit
Address: 381 Back Beach Road, Philip Island, Victoria 3922 Australia Website: https://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Phon...
Winton Motor Raceway
Address: 41 Fox St, Winton VIC 3673, Australia Website: https://wintonraceway.com.au/ Email: [email protected] Phone Number: (03) 5760 7100 Hotels ...