History

The first race meeting was conducted on 26 November, 1961. The circuit’s first meeting included the entry of local star Barry Stilo, who still works at the circuit as an official today, who set the track’s very first Outright Lap Record, a now modest time of 1 minute 24.2 seconds in a Faux Pas (today’s lap record for the short circuit is 52.9900s - set by Mark Larkham in April, 1992 in a Reynard 90D).

The first Championship meeting was held on 9 December, 1962 (Victorian Formula Junior Championship). It was the first of many State and National Championship rounds to be held at Winton.

The first motorcycle event was held at the venue on New Year’s Day.

Big events kick up a notch when the famed Neptune Racing Team made an appearance for the first time in a March program that also included the Victorian Formula Two Championship.

Peter Brock was entered for his first race meeting on the 26th of November aboard his wild Austin A30, although reported throttle problems meant the combination apparently didn’t make the race.

The first running of the Rose City 10,000 for F5000 cars was won by Graeme McRae.

Along similar lines to the historic meet at Amaroo, Historic Winton roared into life for its first running on June 25th – 26th. A highlight of that initial event was a series of vintage aircraft aerobatics displays. The event enjoyed an unbroken streak of 43 years through to the pandemic with a popular 2+4 format.

Winton stepped into the limelight when Formula One World Champion James Hunt was enticed to start the Rose City 10,000. After dominating Saturday’s preliminaries aboard an Elfin MR8 B-C, around 10,000 spectators arrived on race day, with Hunt winning the race by almost a lap over local ace Alfie Costanzo. With his heart no longer in it, Hunt would retire from driving following the Monaco Grand Prix the next year, making his Winton victory the final of his storied career.

The Australian Sports Car Championship made its first of seven appearances at Winton, with Ross Mathiesen claiming the win in his Porsche.

The Australian Drivers’ Championship first visited Winton, with Alfie Costanzo winning the opening three events contested at the venue. Another first-time visitor was the Australian Sports Sedan Championship, with Jim Richards victorious in his Hardtop Falcon.

The Australian Touring Car Championship event on the 10th of February was one of firsts. Outside of being the initial visit by the ATCC to the venue, it was the first of the new Group A era, and it was the first to be televised by Channel 7 under its new television deal for the series. Notably, it was the only ever round of the ATCC to not have a Holden face the starter. Winton’s facilities were overwhelmed by the number of spectators who attended the event.

The Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix came to Winton and was won by Kevin Magee aboard a Yamaha FZR750. The event subsequently returned to Bathurst in 1988, before the World Championship circus came to Phillip Island in 1989. Winton was left off the ATCC calendar.

Winton became Nissan country through to 1992 in the ATCC, with George Fury, Jim Richards (twice) and Mark Skaife unbeatable.

The Australian Super Touring Championship stopped by at Winton, with the biff literally being brought back as BMW teammates Tony Longhurst and Paul Morris tangled, with Longhurst subsequently punching the be-helmeted Morris, above.

During the year, $500,000 was invested into the facility, with the circuit’s repave including the widening of some sections of track.

The biggest change in the history of the facility came in the form of a 1km extension and a new pitlane. The works came in at a cost of $1.1million and were commenced after Winton was left off the 1996 ATCC schedule. Larry Perkins claimed his first and only ever career V8 Supercar/ATCC pole position.

The Corporate Hospitality Centre (now called the Showroom) was built at a cost of $500,000 and at the time, the largest single investment so far seating up to 1,000 people.

Pit Lane garages were constructed.

The new 3 story Race Control tower at Pit Lane was completed in July 2000.

5th June Arsonists set fire to the old control tower five weeks before the V8 Supercars round at Winton. The old control tower was rebuilt in time for the event. The culprits have never been found. Glenn Seton claimed his final career V8 Supercars race win.

A two storey media centre near pit exit.

The Benalla Auto Club founded the Australian Auto-Sport Alliance (AASA), an alternate sanctioning body to the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS), now known as Motorsport Australia.

Cam McConville pulled a swifty, passing Rick Kelly for the lead and the win of the Winton 300 Supercars race on the 100th and final circuit of the race.

Winton was dropped from the V8 calendar, and only made a return in 2006 as a late replacement for the cancelled China event.

The 2006 V8 Supercars Winton round was held on the weekend of 2–4 June 200 and consisted of three races culminating in 378 kilometres. It was the fourth round of thirteen in the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series.

The event was notable for Jason Richards' only race win, coming in the reverse-grid heat.

The Benalla Auto Club added Wakefield Park to its portfolio of facilities.

The Winton V8 Supercars round was the first to ever use the Dunlop Soft compound control tyre.

Winton’s chief executive Mick Ronke sadly passed away at the age of 66.

The track received a $723,000 upgrade, including a large bitumen area for additional activities, plus an improved power supply.

History was made when James Moffat broke through for victory in the V8 Supercars event aboard a Nissan, the first win for a car other than a Holden or Ford since 1992.

Mercedes AMG followed in the footsteps of Nissan when it claimed its maiden V8 race win at Winton with driver Lee Holdsworth.

Notably, Scott McLaughlin also registered his first of 76 career Supercars pole positions aboard a Volvo.

In December, the Victorian State Government announced $1 million in funding for a full circuit repave, with the total project expected to inject $3.35 million into the local economy

In February, the track resurfacing was completed. This included ripping up the whole track and re-profiling turns 10 and 12.

Tim Slade broke through for a Winton Supercars sweep.

The Supercars event annually delivered an $8.8 million boost to the local economy.

Rallycross burst onto the scene with Winton hosting a round of the RXaus Championship.

In the week in which Nissan withdrew from the sport, Rick Kelly claimed his last career victory aboard his Altima.

Before the pandemic kicked off in earnest, turns three and four of the circuit received a major overhaul, with the kerbs brought up to modern standard, improving the racing and limiting the chances of cars firing into the turn four fence.

With the works complete, Rubens Barrichello, Giancarlo Fisichella and Jack Aitken tested their S5000 machines at Winton prior to the abbreviated Australian Grand Prix event.

The scheduled Supercars round was postponed three weeks before race day and was later cancelled altogether.

With competitors waiting at the NSW border, the Supercars event was this time cancelled two days before it was set to kick off.

Winton Supercars SuperSprint was held in May 2022.

Launch of the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series

Return of spectators to events at Winton with record levels of attendance at Historic Winton and Winton Festival of Speed.