MALLALA MOTORSPORT PARK CELEBRATES 60TH BIRTHDAY

Today (August 19) marks the 60th anniversary of South Australia’s treasured Mallala Motorsport Park.

The venue was founded in 1961 and is currently the longest-serving circuit in the state.

To celebrate the event Mallala Motorsport Park will host the ‘Mallala Masters’ an event from August 28-29 to celebrate the milestone, it will feature several categories of racing and off-track displays.

On-track entertainment will include various Super Sprint categories, a Combined Sedans field and Prototypes as well as the Ryan Pannowitch Memorial Trophy event for a packed field of Hyundai Excels.

Classic displays of Mallala-specific vehicles and RAAF/aviation displays provided by the SA Aviation Museum will complement the racing.

Sought as a replacement for the Port Wakefield Circuit, Mallala Motorsport Park was transformed from a World War Two airbase into a motorsport facility 60 years ago to combat a ban on road racing in South Australia.

Originally a 3.38km circuit, Mallala welcomed the 1961 Australian Grand Prix as its second ever event, won by Lex Davison ahead of Bib Stillwell and David McKay.

What we now know as the Supercars Championship visited the venue 1963, in the form of a single race Australian Touring Car Championship.

The circuit in its current layout was set out at 2.6km in 1964, remaining nearly identical since.

There have been challenges to the iconic venue since its inception, however.

The circuit was closed to motorsport in 1971 and was not re-licensed for racing until 1982 under new owner Clem Smith.

After that point, momentum picked up for the track based 55km north of Adelaide.

Mallala was South Australia’s home of the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1989, fans watching on as Dick Johnson was triumphant in his Shell Ford Sierra Cosworth.

The history books will also note that the legendary Nissan GT-R ‘Godzilla’ made its Australian racing debut there in 1990.

Over the years Colin Bond, Mark Skaife, Glenn Seton, Craig Lowndes and Greg Murphy all won Mallala Touring Car titles, while Tony Longhurst, Brad Jones, Geoff Brabham and Paul Morris put their names on the two-litre ‘Super Touring’ honour board.

Nine-time Bathurst winner Peter Brock’s final South Australian event drew the venue attendance record, 30,500 spectators filled the complex for his 1997 retirement tour.

The final ATCC round at Mallala was held in 1998, before the series moved to the Adelaide Street Circuit.

In all, the circuit hosted the Australian Grand Prix and 14 Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars rounds.

Managing Director of The Bend Motorsport Park & Mallala Motorsport Park Sam Shahin promised a fitting celebration for the venue which is close to his heart.

“I first visited Mallala in the 1980s as an avid Motorsport fan, in awe of the facility that was one of the best in its heyday,” Shahin said.

“There were grandstands full of spectators and a genuine buzz that left me dreaming of being part of that exciting world one day.

“Mallala is a special venue to South Australian Motorsport fans, and we are going to celebrate that in the best possible way this August.”

Smith, who was renowned as a driver, car collector and the saviour of Mallala owned the circuit through to his passing in 2017.

The circuit is now owned by the Peregrine Corporation, who oversee a busy calendar of state circuit racing, drifting, practice days and driver training/experiences at Mallala.

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