Bushy Park Circuit

Bushy Park Circuit at a glance

Location

St. Philip

Type

road course

Length

2.012 km (1.25 mi)

Turns

11

Surface

asphalt

Opened

1971

Owner

Mark Maloney

Address

Gaskin, St. Philip

Website

bushyparkbarbados.com

Track map and layout

Bushy Park's full International Circuit runs 2.012 km over 11 turns to FIA Grade 4 standard, one of several configurations sharing the same St. Philip parish site. A shorter 1.280 km, 9-turn National Circuit was added in 2018, and the grounds also include multiple kart-racing layouts, a dedicated rallycross track and an eighth-mile drag strip, making it the most complete motorsport complex in the English-speaking Caribbean. The original 1.3 km circuit, built by hand by sugar cane plantation workers in 1971, was fully reconstructed from 2013 and reopened in 2014 to modern safety standards.

Configurations

Events and race weekends

Following its 2014 reconstruction, Bushy Park opened with the Top Gear Festival Barbados featuring a round of the Global RallyCross Championship, then hosted the prestigious Race of Champions later that same year, bringing Formula One and rally stars to the Caribbean for the first time. Global RallyCross returned for a double-header in 2015, and the venue has since become a regular stop for Rally Barbados and the Barbados Festival of Speed, alongside karting, drifting and drag events on its various layouts.

Getting there and parking

Bushy Park is in St. Philip parish in the south-east of Barbados, within easy reach of Grantley Adams International Airport, the island's main gateway. Most visitors fly directly into Grantley Adams and take a taxi or rental car to the circuit, which is a short drive from the airport given Barbados's small size.

• Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) · about 15 min drive

Because Barbados is a compact island, most accommodation across the south coast is within a reasonably short drive of Bushy Park, so visitors don't need to base themselves right next to the circuit.

Hotels and camping near Bushy Park Circuit

Visitors commonly stay along Barbados's south coast, such as St. Lawrence Gap or Oistins, which combine a wide choice of hotels with easy road access to St. Philip, or near Bridgetown for a wider range of options. There is no trackside camping or RV facility at Bushy Park itself.

Where to look

South coast areas such as St. Lawrence Gap and Oistins, or the Bridgetown area, both a reasonably short drive from the circuit.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

Bushy Park Barbados offers public karting and driving experiences on its various layouts, alongside its role hosting club racing, drifting and drag events organised by local motorsport bodies. Visitors can typically book karting or driving experiences directly through the venue rather than needing a separate third-party operator.

Who runs days here

• Bushy Park Barbados Driving Experiencesboth

Spectator guide

As the region's leading circuit-racing facility, Bushy Park has hosted major crowds for events like the 2014 Race of Champions and Global RallyCross, with general viewing areas and event-specific grandstands set up around the International Circuit for headline race weekends.

Weather

• Dec-Apr (dry season): warm and mostly dry, highs around 28-30°C, the most popular months to visit Barbados
• Jun-Nov (wet/hurricane season): hot and humid with a higher chance of rain and tropical storms

History of Bushy Park Circuit

Built by hand on a sugar plantation

Bushy Park's motorsport story began in 1971, when sugar cane plantation workers in St. Philip parish built a 1.3 km circuit by hand, giving Barbados its own home for club racing on the island's south-eastern side. For more than four decades this original layout hosted grassroots Barbadian motorsport, evolving informally as a community venue rather than an internationally certified facility.

A modern rebuild

Reconstruction of the site began in earnest in 2013 under property developer Mark Maloney, transforming Bushy Park into a modern, internationally certified motorsport complex. The rebuilt circuit reopened in 2014 with a new 2.012 km, 11-turn International Circuit graded FIA Grade 4, alongside a rallycross track, an eighth-mile drag strip and multiple kart layouts — by far the most complete motorsport facility in the English-speaking Caribbean.

An international stage in the Caribbean

The reopened venue wasted no time attracting global attention. Its first event was the Top Gear Festival Barbados, featuring a round of the Global RallyCross Championship, and later in 2014 Bushy Park hosted the prestigious Race of Champions, bringing Formula One world champions and top rally drivers to the island in a made-for-television head-to-head format. Global RallyCross returned for a double-header round in 2015. A 2016 legal dispute over the circuit's grading led to a downgrade from its initial FIA Grade Three rating, and a shorter 1.280 km National Circuit was added in 2018 to complement the full layout. Bushy Park remains the anchor of Barbadian motorsport today, hosting Rally Barbados, the Barbados Festival of Speed and regular karting and driving experiences for visitors.

Frequently asked questions