Morgan Park Raceway

Circuit History

The circuit's origins begin with the formation on December 14, 1954 of the Warwick District Sporting Car Club. by a small group of motorsport enthusiasts, who began organising rallies before branching out into hillclimb events in the town. In 1965 the club was granted the use of land to the south of the town in Morgan Park and by 1968 a racing course had been graded. Roughly circular in shape and following the basic line of today's Course A, the first event held on the dirt surface was in March 1969.

By the following year the October Rodeo Meeting had achieved significant enough status to warrant an hour's coverage on national television and racing continued through most of the 1970s, despite relatively primitive facilities. By the late 1980s and early 1990s, activities had largely petered out due to waning interest and difficulties in obtaining public liability insurance.

However, the Club persevered, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 1994 with a special dinner where the guest speaker was the late Gregg Hansford. Things began to take a turn in the right direction three years later, when a low interest loan was secured from Warwick Shire Council and the circuit was given a bitumen-sealed surface for the first time, creating a 730 metre permanent circuit. There were few more facilities beyond this, not even a pit lane, but Morgan Park Raceway was on the up.

A further loan in 1998 saw the circuit extended further over Easter to 1.2km, including the creation of sealed-surface pit lane for the first time. Bit by bit the circuit grew in stature, with improvements year-on-year as funds allowed. In 2000, the first stage of pit lane garages were constructed and the track introduced the popular Queensland Super Series for the first time.

Another council loan in 2001 - this time for $250,000 - allowed planning for a further and more significant extension, which would allow a further four circuit variations to be introduced, extending the lap length up to 2.1km. Earthworks commenced in January 2002 and the new surface was laid over the Easter holiday break. In September, the new Morgan Park 'E' Circuit hosted the first round of the Queensland Motor Racing Championships.

Further improvements saw the kink on the start finish straight removed and an extended pit lane introduced in 2004, with the full circuit undergoing a resurfacing in December 2006. As part of the $600,000 upgrade of facilities, the paddock area was given hot mix roads and the Parc Ferme area extended and sealed. Power poles were also installed throughout the paddock area to allow the convenience of electricity to competitors. Around the circuit tyre barriers and gravel traps were extended, while in early May the concrete pit wall was replaced with an Armco barrier along its entire length, featuring a 20-metre long designated signalling area.

In 2007 the track hosted its first national championship races, the Formula Vee Nationals and the Australian Improved Production Nationals. The same year saw Morgan Park host all six rounds of the Queensland Motor Racing Championships.

The Club was not resting on its laurels however, and in 2010 embarked on its most ambitious upgrade, when works to further extend the course began in early January. Completed by April, they saw the full circuit continue straight on at The Flip Flops and head into a new series of sweeping bends to a new medium speed right hander. A new straight then headed back to the old course, connecting to the start-finish straight via a high speed sweeping chicane. Total lap length was now 2.967km, with the alphabet of circuit variations now taken up to version 'K'.

The new layout was first used on the weekend of 14/15 August 2010 for a round of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships. This meeting featured a round of Australia's oldest motor racing championship, the Australian Drivers' Championship, which was visiting Morgan Park for the first time. Run to Formula 3 rules, races 13 and 15 were won by eventual champion Ben Barker, with round 14 falling to Tom Tweedie.

Today the circuit continues to host the Queensland state championships and is also home to Queensland's biggest historic motor racing festival held in July or August, hosted by the Historic Racing Car Club of Queensland. The return of the the rebranded Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships was confirmed for 2020 and had been set to bring with it the burgeoning TCR Australia category for the first time. Sadly, the event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and is yet to see a replacement round scheduled.

The circuit also continues to host sprint events, the WDSCC Southern Downs Challenge and Queensland Super Sprint Championship.

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