History

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Formula One Heritage

The circuit was created in 1985 for a round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, bringing Grand Prix racing to Australia for the first time.

In its eleven-year history as a Grand Prix circuit, the Adelaide event was the scene of some of the most dramatic moments in motor sport...

  • Keke Rosberg's win in the inaugural race
  • Nigel Mansell's tyre blowing loss of the World Championship in 1986
  • The rain-soaked victory of Thierry Boutsen in 1989
  • Piquet's victory at the 500th Grand Prix in 1990 in front of former World Champions Fangio, Stewart, Hulme, Hunt and Brabham
  • The shortest Grand Prix in history with 14 laps of 'ice-skating' in 1991 with victory to Senna
  • The clash between Mansell and Senna taking both men out in 1992 with victory to Berger; Prost's last race in 1993
  • The Hill-Schumacher clash in 1994 giving the World Championship to Schumacher and race victory to Mansell
  • And the sell-out final Grand Prix in 1995 with victory going to Damon Hill are among the many highlights.

Awards & Recognition

The Clipsal 500 Adelaide has been recognised on four occasions as the winner of the 'Major Festivals & Events' category at the Australian Tourism Awards (2003/04, 2005, 2007 and 2008), demonstrating the event is more than a motor race, comparing with the best the country has to offer in the fields of the arts, sports, or once-off spectaculars.

In addition to winning numerous South Australian and Australian Tourism Awards during its thirteen year history, the Clipsal 500 Adelaide has been awarded the V8 Supercars Australia "Promoter of the Year" trophy for seven consecutive years (1999-2005) and in 2005 was inducted into the V8 Supercars Australia "Hall of Fame". This is the first time an individual event has been granted this prestigious honour - it has previously been the domain of champion drivers.

V8 Supercar Racing

The heritage created by its Grand Prix past has well and truly been upheld with the introduction of V8 Supercar racing in 1999 with the original circuit being reduced in length from 3.78 kilometres to its current 3.22 kilometre form.

  • The Australian V8 Supercar Series is arguably the best Touring Car Championship in the world, with 5-litre V8 cars that are super fast, super spectacular and super competitive.
  • The technical regulations have achieved a parity of performance that sees the top 20 cars qualify hundredths-of-a-second apart, with the entire field covered by a mere one to two seconds.
  • The Clipsal 500 Adelaide is held as two 250-kilometre heats, providing fans with twice the action on the demanding 3.22 kilometre street circuit.

Off Track Action & Entertainment

Entertainment is paramount at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide.

Another major component of the event is the air displays with top line military aircraft from the Australian Defence Force.

Formation flying and spectacular parachute flag drops are also the order of the day.

As a benefit of Adelaide's unique circuit with its combination of near downtown city streets and parkland areas, the atmosphere of the event flows over to adjacent entertainment precincts.

At Clipsal 500 time, Adelaide is party town with street parties and other forms of entertainment, all of course with a motor sport flavour.

The totality of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide is a week-long kaleidoscope of some 90 individual events including a Ladies Day Luncheon, charity luncheons with V8 Supercar drivers, driver autograph sessions, beach and fashion parades, exotic vehicle displays, sideshows, family entertainment and much, much more.

Significant Upgrades

In 2009 over $20 million worth of circuit upgrades, including shade for all grandstand fans and a new pit building.

For the 2010 event over 30,000 grandstand seats and 129 corporate facilities were booked, including the 500 Club - a huge marquee structure erected behind the main Barry Sheene Pit Straight Grandstand, provided high quality seated dining and entertainment for 800 patrons each day.

Superscreens will be located in prime vantage points around the race circuit providing full coverage for spectators in all areas.