Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit
Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit at a glance
- Location
- Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 3.42 km (2.125 mi)
- Turns
- 13
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt (public roads through Sydney Olympic Park; a mix of surface types across the lap)
- Opened
- 2009
Track map and layout
The Homebush street circuit threaded a 3.420 km, 13-turn lap counter-clockwise around Sydney Olympic Park's Olympic-era boulevards, principally Australia Avenue, Kevin Coombs Avenue, Edwin Flack Avenue and Dawn Fraser Avenue. Australia Avenue formed the pit straight and was, at the time, the single widest section of race track in Australia, a stark contrast to a much narrower stretch elsewhere on the lap that squeezed Supercars' wide-bodied sedans. Turn 8 carried an unusual negative camber that regularly caught drivers out, and the mix of surface types across the lap, laid over what had recently been Olympic parkland, made grip inconsistent from corner to corner. Building the circuit for its first running in 2009 required felling 140 mature trees and laying kilometres of fresh tarmac.
Named corners and sections
- Turn 8. A corner with an unusual negative camber that caught out many drivers across the circuit's eight-year run.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-2016 layout | 3.42 km | 13 turns; the only configuration used across all eight editions of the Sydney 500 |
Events and race weekends
The Sydney 500 - branded Sydney Telstra 500 in its early years - ran every December from 2009 to 2016 as the final or near-final round of the Supercars Championship season, drawing crowds approaching 185,000 in its debut year. The event replaced the void left by Oran Park Raceway's 2008 closure and Sydney Motorsport Park's thin crowds, and its format shifted over time from a single 250 km race (2009-2013) to two shorter 125 km races under a 'Super Street' format in 2014, before reverting to twin 250 km races for its final two years. Rising costs led Supercars to end the event after 2016 and move the round to Newcastle.
Getting there and parking
Sydney Olympic Park sits about 16 km west of the Sydney CBD and is well served by its own train line: Olympic Park station is a short walk from the old Australia Avenue pit straight, itself now just an ordinary boulevard through the precinct. Sydney Airport is around 25-30 minutes away by car depending on traffic, and most visitors reach the park the same way they would for any other event there, by train, since there is no longer a race to plan road access around.
- Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) · about 30 min drive
Parking
Ordinary Sydney Olympic Park parking and whatever event-day rules apply for other precinct events now govern access; there is no race-specific parking to plan for.
Olympic Park railway station puts you within walking distance of Australia Avenue, the circuit's old pit straight, making the train the easiest way to see what is left of the layout.
Hotels and camping near Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit
There is no event driving demand any more, so accommodation near Sydney Olympic Park is simply whatever suits a visit to the precinct's stadiums and parklands. Hotels such as the ibis and ibis budget Sydney Olympic Park sit within a few minutes' walk of Olympic Park station, with Novotel, Pullman and Quest properties also in the immediate area; central Sydney's much larger hotel market is a short train ride away.
Where to look
Sydney Olympic Park itself holds a small hotel cluster (ibis, ibis budget, Novotel, Pullman, Quest) within walking distance of Olympic Park station and the old circuit; central Sydney offers far more choice a short train trip away.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
The Homebush circuit was a temporary street course built from Sydney Olympic Park's public roads for eight Decembers between 2009 and 2016; it never had a trackday or ride day operator even while the Sydney 500 was running. The roads reverted to normal precinct traffic once the event moved to Newcastle, and although faint kerb paint and a patched section of tarmac near what was Turn 10 survive, none of it can be legally driven at racing pace today.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supercars Championship | 1:27.9481 | Shane van Gisbergen | Holden VF Commodore | 2016 |
Spectator guide
Grandstands lined Australia Avenue's extra-wide pit straight and several of the tighter infield corners, giving fans close-up views of both flat-out running and the negative-camber trap at Turn 8. All of that infrastructure was removed once the event ended in 2016; the precinct's public roads and parklands have long since returned to their everyday Olympic Park use, with no grandstands or spectator facilities left to visit.
Seating
Temporary grandstands once lined Australia Avenue's pit straight and several infield corners; none of this remains today.
Best places to watch
Not applicable - the event is discontinued and no spectator infrastructure exists at the site.
Weather
- Dec: The event always ran in December; Sydney is in early summer then, typically warm with highs around 26-27°C and an afternoon storm risk
History of Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit
Filling a gap on the calendar
Supercars needed a new Sydney round after Oran Park Raceway closed in 2008 and crowds at Sydney Motorsport Park fell short of expectations. Sydney Olympic Park, the site of the 2000 Olympics, was chosen instead, and organisers built a 3.420 km, 13-turn street circuit through the precinct's ceremonial boulevards - Australia Avenue, Kevin Coombs Avenue, Edwin Flack Avenue and Dawn Fraser Avenue - felling 140 mature trees and laying fresh tarmac to create it. The inaugural Sydney 500 in December 2009 drew almost 185,000 spectators over the weekend, an immediate commercial success even as environmental groups criticised the loss of parkland trees and wetland-adjacent space.
Eight years of drama
The event became a fixture of the championship's climax, with a sudden 2010 downpour at Turn 5 collecting title contenders Mark Winterbottom, Jamie Whincup and James Courtney - Courtney recovered to clinch that year's championship regardless. Jamie Whincup won at Homebush in 2013 the same weekend he secured his fifth title, and Mark Winterbottom claimed his own maiden championship there in 2015. Format changes came and went, including a short-lived 'Super Street' split-race weekend in 2014 that was abandoned by 2016, when Shane van Gisbergen won the final race and set the lap record that still stands.
Closure and legacy
Supercars announced in March 2016 that the event would not continue, citing its rising costs, and a NSW Auditor-General report had already found the state had underestimated what running the event actually cost taxpayers. The Newcastle 500 took over the following year. Today Sydney Olympic Park's roads have reverted to everyday traffic, though faint kerb paint at the old Turn 13 and a patched stretch of track near Turn 10 remain visible reminders of the circuit.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Sydney 500 still run?+
No. The event ran every December from 2009 to 2016 and then moved to Newcastle; it has never returned to Sydney Olympic Park.
Can you visit the old Sydney Olympic Park circuit?+
Yes - the roads are ordinary public streets again, though a patched stretch of track near the old Turn 10 and faded kerb paint at Turn 13 are some of the only physical reminders left.
How long was the Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit?+
3.420 km (2.125 miles) with 13 turns, run counter-clockwise, unchanged across all eight editions of the race.
Why did the Sydney 500 end?+
Supercars cited the event's rising costs when it announced in March 2016 that the race would not continue; a state Auditor-General report had already found the government had underestimated what the event cost to run.
Who holds the lap record at the Sydney Olympic Park circuit?+
Shane van Gisbergen, with a 1:27.9481 lap in a Holden VF Commodore during the final race in December 2016.
What is the nearest airport to Sydney Olympic Park?+
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), around 25-30 minutes away by car depending on traffic; Olympic Park railway station is the more common way to reach the precinct.
Other tracks nearby
- Sydney Motorsport Park · 19 km · road course
- Amaroo Park · 25 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Oran Park Raceway · 36 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Catalina Park · 72 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Newcastle East Street Circuit · 122 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst · 147 km · street circuit
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.