Barbagallo Raceway
Track

Barbagallo Raceway

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Wanneroo Raceway, located in Neerabup approximately 50 km north of Perth in Western Australia, is a 2.411 km motorsport circuit built by the WA Sporting Car Club. It is the premier motorsport venue in Western Australia and has hosted Australian Touring Car Championship rounds since 1973, making it one of the longest-serving venues on the national touring car calendar.

The circuit opened in March 1969, initially known as Wanneroo Park. Its early years were defined by a 6-hour Le Mans-style race for sedans and sports cars, but production car racing gradually became the dominant discipline. A landmark moment came in 1979, when the Australian Grand Prix was held at Wanneroo for the first and only time, coinciding with the opening of new pit and paddock facilities. South Australian driver Johnnie Walker won the race in a Lola T332 Formula 5000, becoming the last driver to claim the Australian Grand Prix in a Formula 5000 car.

In 1992, a short circuit was constructed by linking Turn 5 to the back straight, creating a 1.760 km inner configuration. The project was funded by prominent West Australian motorsport figure Alf Barbagallo, and in recognition the circuit was renamed Barbagallo Raceway. The short circuit expanded the venue's programming significantly, enabling truck racing and night events. It remained in use until 2018, when its licence was not renewed following track changes.

The venue has since undergone multiple name changes reflecting various naming rights partnerships. It reverted to the Wanneroo Raceway name in 2020, operated as CARCO.com.au Raceway from August 2022 to November 2025, and became MotorMall Wanneroo Raceway in December 2025.

The circuit measures 2.411 km and earned a reputation as one of the most demanding tracks in Australia on tyres, owing to the abrasive surface that developed over time in the region's sandy environment. A comprehensive resurfacing in 2004 resulted in almost all lap records being broken within months.

Major infrastructure works began in earnest from 2011 onward. The old control tower was demolished in July 2011, marking the start of a programme that widened the circuit, replaced the pits with a new facility in the circuit infield connected by a bridge, improved lighting and safety barriers, and upgraded spectator amenities.

Motorcycle racing presented a particular safety challenge at the venue. Following several fatalities in motorcycle events, the discipline was banned in November 2016 pending safety upgrades. A government-commissioned assessment known as the Hall Report recommended modifications including a motorcycle-specific chicane at turn 3 and new barrier walls. These changes were implemented in January 2017, and Motorcycling Australia relicensed the circuit in March 2019 after a further resurfacing. The safety modifications, however, contributed to the retirement of the short circuit's racing licence.

Wanneroo Raceway's signature event is the Supercars Championship Perth Super 440, one of the largest annual sporting events in Western Australia, regularly attracting over 50,000 spectators across a three-day weekend.

The Australian Touring Car Championship has been contested at Wanneroo since 1973, with Craig Lowndes holding the record for the most round victories at the circuit with six wins. Dick Johnson Racing is the most successful team at the venue with seven round victories. The inaugural ATCC race at Wanneroo in 1973 was won by Allan Moffat driving a Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III.

The circuit has hosted a wide variety of national and international categories over its history, including the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Drivers' Championship, the Australian Formula Ford Championship, the Australian Superbike Championship, the GT World Challenge Australia, and the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia. A notable one-off event was the 2010 inaugural Australian Festival of Speed, which featured a demonstration by Formula One team Red Bull Racing and driver Mark Webber, though the event did not return.

Wanneroo Raceway occupies a central place in Western Australian motorsport culture. Its longevity as a venue on the Australian touring car circuit, combined with its history of hosting international categories and a Formula One demonstration, has established it as the heartbeat of motorsport in the state's northwest. The 1979 Australian Grand Prix remains a touchstone moment — the only world-level single-seater grand prix held at the circuit and a marker of its international aspirations.

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