Newcastle Street Circuit

The Newcastle Street Circuit was a temporary street circuit around the east end of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. The circuit hosted the Newcastle 500 round of the Supercars Championship in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023 with the 2020, 2021 and 2022 events cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The 14-turn, 2.641 km (1.641 mi) circuit takes in Newcastle Beach and the foreshore around Nobbys Beach Reserve.[2] The Newcastle 500 was last held, with the council deciding not support the event and voting to remove the permanent sections of racetrack.[3]

Newcastle Street Circuit
Map as used in the 2019 Supercars race
LocationNewcastle
Time zoneGMT+10:00
Coordinates32°55′35.25″S 151°47′16.75″E
FIA Grade3
Opened24 November 2017 (2017-11-24)
Closed12 March 2023 (2023-03-12)
Major eventsSupercars Championship Newcastle 500 (2017–2019, 2023)
Street Circuit (2017–2019, 2023)
Length2.641 km (1.640 miles)
Turns14
Race lap record1:10.6403 ( David Reynolds, Holden Commodore VF, 2017, Supercars)

Circuit

Layout

The circuit began on Wharf Road, heading southwest towards the city. It then turned left at Watt Street, crossing over the Newcastle Light Rail tracks before ascending a 1:22 hill up Watt Street, before again turning left onto Shortland Esplanade 500 m (550 yd) after turn one.[4] Once on Shortland Esplanade, the circuit snaked down the beachside road before reaching a 90° left turn at Zaara Street. This was followed by a 90° right turn onto Scott Street and another 90° left turn onto Parnell Place to the fastest stretch of circuit, Nobbys Road down past Fort Scratchley followed by a left-handed hairpin bend in the Camp Shortland carpark. From there a right-hand turn onto Wharf Road completed the lap.

The originally proposed layout featured a section through Pacific Park and a differently-profiled permanent course in Camp Shortland.[5][6] In 2019, the Camp Shortland hairpin bend was altered to improve overtaking. The corner apex moved to where the outside track limit point was initially situated and the corner radius was tightened, giving drivers a longer and deeper braking zone to complete passes.[7]

Construction

Works to prepare the precinct for racing began in July 2017, four months before the first event was held.[8] Significant civil works were undertaken in Foreshore Park to create a pit area, as well as in Camp Shortland and on Nobbys' Road to make the streets suitable for racing. Additional works were undertaken to replace local water and electrical infrastructure, with some services close to a century old.[9]

Two permanent roundabouts were removed to create the circuit, and were reinstalled when the track was decommissioned in 2024.[10]

Criticism

The circuit attracted criticism from residents within the precinct, mainly citing concerns about noise and a lack of access.[11] Some residents took an extremist view of the event, claiming it would encourage hoon behaviour and comparing themselves to victims of persecution.[12] In March 2017, ahead of civil works to prepare the streets for racing, residents staged a protest resulting in clashes with motorsport fans.[13]

Lap records

The fastest official race lap records at Newcastle Street Circuit are listed as:[14]

Class Time Driver Vehicle Event Date
Street Circuit: 2.641 km (2017–2019, 2023)
Supercars – Gen2 1:10.6403 David Reynolds Holden Commodore VF 2017 Newcastle 500 26 November 2017
Supercars – Gen3 1:12.5355 Shane van Gisbergen Chevrolet Camaro Mk.6 2023 Newcastle 500 12 March 2023
Supercars – Project Blueprint 1:12.9790 Brodie Kostecki Ford Falcon FG 2017 Newcastle 500 (support race) 26 November 2017
Touring Car Masters 1:17.9460 Steven Johnson Ford Mustang Mk.1 Fastback 2023 Newcastle 500 (support race) 11 March 2023
Aussie Racing Cars 1:20.8036 Kel Treseder Chevrolet Camaro-Yamaha 2019 Newcastle 500 (support race) 24 November 2019
V8 Utes 1:24.5471 Jeremy Gray Ford Falcon FG Ute 2017 Newcastle 500 (support race) 26 November 2017
Toyota 86 1:26.1035 Declan Fraser Toyota 86 GR Mk.1 2018 Newcastle 500 (support race) 24 November 2018
SuperUtes 1:29.1969 Tom Alexander Isuzu D-Max 2019 Newcastle 500 (support race) 23 November 2019

Notes

    References
    1. "Five-year, $57 million Newcastle Supercars deal confirmed". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
    2. "Date and layout locked in for Newcastle Supercars race". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
    3. Council shifts focus from Newcastle 500 to Wine Country 500 Auto Action 30 November 2023
    4. Supercars to cross tram tracks in Newcastle Speedcafe 27 April 2018
    5. "Changes to Newcastle street circuit as date set". Speedcafe. 13 December 2016.
    6. "Supercars: Newcastle street circuit revealed with changes to initial layout". Fox Sports Australia. 13 December 2016.
    7. "Track tweak to improve overtaking at Newcastle 500". Speedcafe. 15 November 2019.
    8. "BUILD NOTICE 010 - Civil Construction Works" (PDF). City of Newcastle. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
    9. "Newcastle 500 Civil & Overlay Works". iEDM. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
    10. "Watt Street roundabout works in Supercars restoration project". Newcastle Herald. 3 June 2024.
    11. Zhou, Naaman (2 September 2017). "'We essentially live inside a racetrack': Supercars race leaves Newcastle residents fuming". The Guardian Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
    12. "Anti-Supercar Group Slammed Over Nazi Facebook Post". Triple M Newcastle. 19 September 2017.
    13. "Newcastle V8 Supercar race draws protests in East End". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
    14. Natsoft Race Results
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