Winton Motor Raceway
Winton Motor Raceway at a glance
- Location
- Winton, Victoria
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 3 km (1.864 mi)
- Turns
- 12
- Direction
- counter-clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1961
- Owner
- Benalla Auto Club
- Phone
- +61 3 5760 7100
- Website
- wintonraceway.com.au
Track map and layout
Winton is a short, tight National Circuit of just 3.000 km packed into a compact site in the undulating hills at the base of the Strathbogie Ranges, which is why five-time Bathurst winner Dick Johnson once described racing there as "like running a marathon around your clothes-line." The 12-turn lap, run counter-clockwise, mixes hard braking zones with a fast sweeping section through The Esses, and the northern loop through Honda Corner and Nissan Corner sits close enough to the pit straight that spectators can watch several corners without moving. Winton's original 1961 Club Circuit still exists as a shorter, tighter 2.028 km layout used for entry-level events and driver training alongside the National Circuit. The track's nickname, "Australia's Action Track," reflects the density of overtaking opportunities packed into such a small footprint.
Named corners and sections
- The Esses. A fast, flowing sequence where the extended 1997 National Circuit rejoins the original 1961 layout.
- Honda Corner. A corner in the northern part of the lap, named for a long-time circuit sponsor.
- Nissan Corner. Sits alongside Honda Corner forming the tighter northern section of the National Circuit.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| National Circuit | 3.00 km | Current 12-turn layout, extended from the original circuit in 1997 |
| Club Circuit | 2.03 km | The original 1961 10-turn layout, still used for club and entry-level events |
Events and race weekends
Winton was a regular Supercars Championship venue from 1985, hosting the Winton SuperSprint most years until 2022, but the round was dropped from the calendar from 2023 onward. The circuit remains busy without Supercars: it hosts national categories such as the Australian Formula Ford Championship and AU4 Championship, the VHRR's Winton Festival of Speed historic meeting (the Race Winton touring car event was cancelled in 2025), and a full club racing and track-day calendar run by owner-operator the Benalla Auto Club.
| Event | Series | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winton Festival of Speed | Historic and club motorsport | July | Historic racing meeting run by the Victorian Historic Racing Register (VHRR) |
Getting there and parking
Winton Motor Raceway is in north-east Victoria, about 15 minutes from Benalla, an hour from Albury-Wodonga and roughly two and a half hours' drive from Melbourne via the Hume Freeway. There is no direct rail service to the circuit; the closest regional rail stop is Benalla, from which visitors need a car or taxi. Melbourne Airport is the nearest major airport for interstate visitors.
- Melbourne Airport (MEL) · about 150 min drive
- Albury Airport (ABX) · about 60 min drive
Parking
General on-site parking is available for most events and is typically included with ticket prices; access roads around Winton are minor country roads, so organisers advise allowing extra time on the biggest club and historic meeting weekends.
Because Winton is well away from any major city, most visitors either camp on site or base themselves in Benalla rather than attempting a same-day round trip from Melbourne.
Hotels and camping near Winton Motor Raceway
Winton's own campground, right alongside the circuit, is the default option for most race weekends, with well over 700 unpowered sites and its own amenities including the Turn 10 Tavern. Visitors who prefer a bed generally stay in nearby Benalla, about 15 minutes away, which has the area's main concentration of motels and hotels; rooms there can book out for the biggest events on the calendar, such as historic and touring car festival weekends.
Where to look
Benalla, about 15 minutes from the circuit, has the closest motels and hotels; Wangaratta and Albury-Wodonga, both under an hour away, offer a wider range for visitors happy to drive a little further.
Camping
Winton Campground offers over 700 unpowered sites directly beside the circuit, pet-friendly (dogs on leash), with toilets, showers, an RV dump point and a covered seating area known as the Turn 10 Tavern.
RV
The campground has an RV dump point and takes campervans and caravans on unpowered sites; visitors requiring power generally use a generator or base themselves in Benalla instead.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Winton runs an extensive public track program directly through the Benalla Auto Club: Weekly Test & Tune Days, Winton Fun Days, Racecar Test Days and Monthly Track Days for cars, plus Monthly Open Pit Lane sessions, making it one of the more accessible circuits in Australia for regular lapping outside of major events.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 3 | 1:14.3058 | John Magro | Dallara F311 | 2019 |
| Supercars Championship | 1:19.7092 | Fabian Coulthard | Ford FG X Falcon | 2016 |
| Formula Ford (Duratec) | 1:24.7731 | James Piszcyk | Mygale SJ13 | 2022 |
Spectator guide
Winton's compact footprint is one of its biggest draws for spectators: because the National Circuit is so tightly packed, fans can walk between vantage points overlooking several corners in a short distance, something few larger circuits allow. The northern loop through Honda and Nissan Corners and the fast run through The Esses are traditionally among the most popular general-admission viewing spots.
Seating
A grandstand overlooks the pit straight and start-finish line; general-admission mounds cover much of the rest of the compact lap.
Best places to watch
The Esses and the Honda/Nissan Corner sequence in the northern loop give good views of cars carrying speed through the circuit's more flowing sections, within easy walking distance of the main straight.
Weather
- Winter club/historic meetings: North-east Victorian inland climate: cold, foggy mornings are common, with daytime highs often only in the low-to-mid teens (°C)
- Summer meetings: Can be very hot, with regular days over 30°C and the risk of total fire ban restrictions affecting some activities
History of Winton Motor Raceway
From country club circuit to national venue
Winton traces back to the Benalla Auto Club's earlier Barjarg circuit of the late 1950s before the club built a permanent circuit at Winton, holding its first meeting on 26 November 1961 on what is now known as the Club Circuit, a tight 2.028 km, 10-turn lap. The track quickly became popular with country Victorian racegoers, drawing crowds of around 10,000 to meetings through the 1960s.
Extension and the Supercars era
A major extension in 1997 added a new outer loop that rejoined the original circuit at what became known as The Esses, creating today's 3.000 km, 12-turn National Circuit. Winton joined the Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars calendar as a regular round from 1985 and hosted the annual Winton SuperSprint for decades, valued by teams for its compact, technical layout squeezed into a small country property.
A calendar without Supercars, but still busy
The Winton SuperSprint was run for the last time as a Supercars Championship round in 2022 and was dropped from the calendar from 2023 onward, part of a broader trend of Supercars trimming smaller regional venues from its schedule. Rather than falling quiet, Winton has kept a full program under the Benalla Auto Club's own management: national categories such as Formula Ford and AU4, historic racing through the Winton Festival of Speed (Race Winton, its Touring Car Masters meeting, was cancelled in 2025), and one of Australia's most active public track-day and test-and-tune calendars, which keeps the venue busy with grassroots motorsport most weeks of the year.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Winton Motor Raceway?+
The National Circuit is 3.000 km (1.864 mi) with 12 turns, run counter-clockwise; the original, shorter Club Circuit (2.028 km, 10 turns) is also still in use.
Does Supercars still race at Winton?+
No. The Winton SuperSprint ran on the Supercars Championship calendar most years from 1985 to 2022 but was dropped from 2023 onward.
Can the public drive Winton?+
Yes. The Benalla Auto Club runs its own frequent Test & Tune Days, Fun Days, Racecar Test Days and Monthly Track Days directly, making it one of the more accessible circuits in Australia for public lapping.
Is there camping at Winton Motor Raceway?+
Yes, the on-site Winton Campground has over 700 unpowered sites right beside the circuit, with its own amenities and the Turn 10 Tavern.
Where do people stay for a Winton race weekend?+
Most either camp on site or stay in Benalla, about 15 minutes away, which has the closest concentration of motels and hotels.
What is the Supercars lap record at Winton?+
1:19.7092, set by Fabian Coulthard in a Ford FG X Falcon in 2016 on the National Circuit.
Other tracks nearby
- Calder Park Raceway · 174 km · road course & oval (Thunderdome dormant)
- Albert Park Circuit · 178 km · street circuit
- Sandown International Motor Raceway · 179 km · road course
- Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit · 233 km · road course
- Wakefield Park · 375 km · road course
- Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst · 465 km · street circuit
Facts checked against 5 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.