The Benalla Auto Club began planning a permanent circuit around 1958 as a replacement for their existing track at Barjarg. The decision to build at Winton Recreation Reserve was made in 1960, and the circuit was completed within twelve months. It held its first race meeting on 26 November 1961. Early meetings attracted large crowds quickly — a March 1965 event featuring the Neptune Touring Car and Victorian Formula Two Championship drew approximately 10,000 spectators.
The circuit was extended prior to the 1997 round of the V8 Supercar Championship. The upgrade added new pit complex facilities and lengthened the layout by routing cars left before the esses and adding a series of right-hand turns before rejoining the original track.
Winton Motor Raceway combines long fast straights with tight and twisty bends, a character that earned its popular nickname. Dick Johnson famously described driving it as "like running a marathon around your clothes-line."
The original layout, now known as the Winton Club Circuit, measures 2.028 km and comprises 10 turns. The extended version, the Winton National Circuit, stretches to 3.000 km. The longer layout has been used for all major national-level events since the 1997 extension.
Winton was not awarded a round of the Australian Touring Car Championship until the start of the Group A era in 1985, despite having hosted various national championships for years before. That inaugural ATCC race was won by Jim Richards in a JPS Team BMW 635 CSi. The race is historically significant as the first all-Group A contest held in Australia, the first ATCC win for BMW, and the only race in the championship's history with no Holdens on the grid.
Jim Richards holds the record for most ATCC round wins at Winton with four: in 1985 and 1986 driving for BMW, and in 1990 and 1991 driving for Nissan.
The circuit hosted the Winton SuperSprint continuously through various championship eras from 1985 until 2019 (with occasional gaps), returning again in 2022. Its accessible viewing areas and close proximity to Melbourne made it one of the most spectator-friendly venues on the national touring car calendar.
Winton has hosted 19 rounds of the Australian Drivers' Championship since 1980, making it one of the most frequently used venues in that championship's history. The 1989 edition was contested over ten rounds at five different tracks, including Winton. The 2009 round produced a shared result, with Tim Macrow and Joey Foster each winning a heat and finishing second in the other, leaving both on equal points for the day.
The circuit has been a venue for a broad range of national categories. The Australian Sports Car Championship used Winton on seven occasions between 1978 and 1985. Australian Superbike Championship rounds have been held at the venue since 1992, with riders including Mick Doohan, Kevin Magee, and Mat Mladin competing there. Winton also hosted a round of the Australian motorcycle Grand Prix in 1987.
Drift competition has become part of the venue's calendar through the Drift Attack event, promoted by the Victorian Drift Club, which is described as Australia's largest drifting event and offers the largest prize pool in Australian drifting, with 32 competitors in both the Pro and Street classes.
The circuit's annual calendar includes Historic Winton in May, the Winton Festival of Speed in July, the Winton 300 in August, and a September round combining multiple national series including the TA2 Racing Muscle Car Series, Australian Formula Ford Championship, and Australian Production Car Series. The David Lowe Memorial is held in November.
Winton Motor Raceway has cemented itself as a cornerstone of Australian grassroots and national-level motorsport. Its combination of challenging layout, accessible facilities, and regional community support have made it durable in an era when many permanent circuits have closed. The circuit's place in ATCC history — as the site of the first all-Group A race in Australia — gives it a particular significance in the narrative of Australian touring car racing.