Symmons Plains Raceway
Symmons Plains Raceway at a glance
- Location
- Longford, Tasmania
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 2.411 km (1.498 mi)
- Turns
- 7
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1960
- Owner
- Motorsports Tasmania
- Address
- Midland Highway
Track map and layout
Symmons Plains is a short, tight 2.411-kilometre, seven-turn road course on flat farmland about 30 kilometres south of Launceston, and it runs counter-clockwise. Cars accelerate hard down the main straight before diving into the fast, wide Turn 1-2 complex, then work through a mid-section that funnels into Brambles, a notoriously tight second-gear hairpin that is the circuit's signature corner and its best overtaking spot alongside the left-hander onto the back straight. Because there is so little run-off and so few corners, mistakes are punished quickly and grip built up over a lap counts for a lot. There is no separate short configuration in current use - Supercars, support categories and club track days all share the same full layout, which keeps the lap simple to learn but genuinely hard to master at speed.
Named corners and sections
- Brambles. A tight, slow second-gear hairpin that is the circuit's best-known corner and its main overtaking point.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full Circuit | 2.41 km | The circuit's only current layout, used by Supercars, support categories and club track days alike |
Events and race weekends
Symmons Plains' marquee weekend is the Repco Supercars Championship's Tasmania Super 440 each May, the largest annual sporting event in Tasmania and a fixture on the calendar in most years since 1969, with the 2026 running marking the venue's 100th Supercars race. Support categories on that weekend have included SuperUtes, Aussie Racing Cars and Touring Car Masters. The circuit has also hosted Australian Superbikes and TCR Australia as part of separate Race Tasmania meetings, alongside a full year-round programme of Motorsports Tasmania club racing and state-level events.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tasmania Super 440 | Repco Supercars Championship | May | Tasmania's biggest annual sporting event; 2026 running was the venue's 100th Supercars race |
| Race Tasmania | Australian Superbikes / TCR Australia | — | Multi-category club and national meeting held separately from the Supercars weekend |
Getting there and parking
Symmons Plains sits beside the Midland Highway roughly 30 kilometres south of Launceston and about 10 kilometres from Longford, making it an easy drive for anyone flying into northern Tasmania. Launceston Airport is the closest gateway and is actually slightly closer to the circuit than Launceston's CBD, so many Supercars weekend visitors drive straight from the airport to the track without detouring into the city.
- Launceston Airport (LST) · about 15 min drive
Book flights and accommodation for Tasmania Super 440 weekend as early as possible - Launceston has limited hotel stock for a regional city and rooms sell out well ahead of the May Supercars round.
Hotels and camping near Symmons Plains Raceway
There is no public accommodation at the raceway itself beyond limited self-contained motorhome camping on race weekends, so visitors base themselves in Launceston, about 20-30 minutes north, or in the small township of Longford and the historic village of Evandale, both a short drive from the gates. Launceston has the widest range of hotels, motels and serviced apartments and is the practical choice for most visitors, while Longford and Evandale suit those wanting a quieter, closer base with B&Bs and heritage cottages. Rooms in the area book out well ahead of the Tasmania Super 440 weekend in May, so early booking matters more here than for most Tasmanian trips.
Where to look
Launceston CBD (widest choice of hotels and apartments, 20-30 minutes away), plus Longford and the historic village of Evandale for B&Bs and cottages closer to the circuit.
Camping
A large grassed area near the circuit is opened for the Supercars weekend, but it is restricted to fully self-contained motorhomes and caravans on a self-issued permit through Motorsports Tasmania; tents and camping in cars are not permitted and there are no on-site facilities, with a maximum stay of 48 hours.
RV
Self-contained RVs and caravans can book a spot in the trackside overnight area for Supercars weekend via a Motorsports Tasmania permit; space is limited to roughly 60 vehicles and is reached via a gravel access road.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Symmons Plains runs public track days in an open-pitlane format - no timed sessions or grouped rotations, just unlimited laps in your own road car (or a hire car) from roughly 9am to 4pm. Drivers need an AASA General Speed Licence, obtainable in advance or on the day, and must be at least 17. Commercial operators package these sessions as drive days for people without their own licence or car, and Motorsports Tasmania also runs the circuit for club-level car and motorcycle racing through the year.
Who runs days here
- Performance Driving Events (Symmons Plains track days)car
- RedBalloon (Track Day at Symmons Plains Raceway)car
Typical cost: Public track days from around A$199-A$250/driver for a full day of open-pitlane laps in your own car; AASA day licences from A$40
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (S5000) | 0:48.5598 | Joey Mawson | Ligier JS F3-S5000 | 2022 |
| Supercars Championship | 0:51.2276 | Mark Winterbottom | Holden ZB Commodore | 2019 |
| Formula 3 | 0:50.3278 | Tim Macrow | Dallara F307 | 2013 |
Spectator guide
Because the lap is so short and compact, Symmons Plains gives fans an unusually complete view of the racing - large sections of the infield and most of the corners can be seen from just one or two vantage points, which is rare for a Supercars venue. General admission is mostly grass-bank viewing rather than fixed grandstands, with the Brambles hairpin and the pit straight the most popular spots for both action and photography. Tasmania's changeable spring weather in May means visitors should be ready for sun, wind and rain in the same day.
Best places to watch
The grass banks around Brambles hairpin and along the main straight give the best combination of overtaking action and photo opportunities.
Weather
- May: Cool late-autumn Tasmanian weather: highs typically around 14-16°C, with a real chance of rain and wind
History of Symmons Plains Raceway
Tasmania's premier circuit
Symmons Plains opened in March 1960, taking over as Tasmania's leading motor racing venue after the famous Longford road circuit's era of national significance began to wind down through the 1960s. Built on flat farmland beside the Midland Highway between Launceston and Longford, the circuit's short, tight seven-turn layout was a deliberate contrast to the long, high-speed Longford course, favouring precision and car control over raw straight-line speed.
Decades on the national calendar
From 1969 to 1999 Symmons Plains held an unbroken run as a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship, the direct forerunner of today's Supercars Championship, cementing its status as one of the sport's most enduring regional venues. A three-million-dollar upgrade in 2004 relocated the start-finish line and reworked parts of the layout, and that same year the reborn Supercars Championship returned to the circuit as the Tasmania round, a relationship that has continued in most seasons since, aside from a short gap from 2020 to 2021.
Present day
Today Symmons Plains hosts the Tasmania Super 440 each May, an event significant enough to be regarded as the largest annual sporting occasion in the state, with the 2026 running marking the venue's 100th Supercars race. Beyond Supercars, the circuit is home to Race Tasmania meetings featuring categories such as Australian Superbikes and TCR Australia, plus a full year-round programme of Motorsports Tasmania club car and motorcycle racing, and public track days that let everyday drivers lap the same tarmac. Owned and run by Motorsports Tasmania, the circuit remains, alongside Baskerville near Hobart, one of the two permanent road-racing venues keeping circuit motorsport alive on the island.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Symmons Plains Raceway?+
The circuit is 2.411 km (1.498 mi) long with 7 turns, and runs counter-clockwise. There is only one layout in current use.
Can you camp at Symmons Plains Raceway?+
Only in a limited, permit-only area for fully self-contained motorhomes and caravans during the Supercars weekend in May, with no tent camping and no facilities on site. Most visitors stay in nearby Launceston, Longford or Evandale instead.
What is the closest accommodation to Symmons Plains Raceway?+
Launceston, about 20-30 minutes north, has the widest range of hotels and apartments. The smaller towns of Longford and Evandale, both a short drive away, offer closer B&Bs and heritage cottages, but book out fast for Supercars weekend.
When is the Supercars round at Symmons Plains?+
The Tasmania Super 440 is held annually in May as part of the Repco Supercars Championship; the 2026 event, held 22-24 May, was the venue's 100th Supercars race.
What is the lap record at Symmons Plains Raceway?+
The outright lap record is 0:48.5598, set by Joey Mawson in an S5000 car in 2022. The Supercars Championship race lap record is 0:51.2276, set by Mark Winterbottom in 2019.
Can the public drive Symmons Plains Raceway?+
Yes. The circuit runs open-pitlane track days where drivers with an AASA General Speed Licence can lap in their own car for unlimited laps across a full day, and several commercial operators package these as drive days.
Other tracks nearby
- Baskerville Raceway · 121 km · road course
- Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit · 391 km · road course
- Sandown International Motor Raceway · 449 km · road course
- Albert Park Circuit · 466 km · street circuit
- Calder Park Raceway · 492 km · road course & oval (Thunderdome dormant)
- Winton Motor Raceway · 580 km · road course
Facts checked against 9 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.