Albert Park boasts fastest average speed in Supercars
Grand Prix circuit was reprofiled ahead of 2022 event
Albert Park usurped Bathurst as fastest circuit in Supercars
The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship starts with the two fastest circuits on the calendar, with Albert Park and Bathurst boasting the fastest average Supercars lap times of the year.
The MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint will be held on Albert Park's 5.278km circuit, which was redesigned ahead of the 2022 event.
The circuit remained the same between 1996 and 2020, before the Turn 9/10 chicane was removed, creating a long, sweeping back straight.
It created a new average speed of 180km/h, beating Bathurst's 179km/h.
The previous Albert Park circuit, at 5.303km, had an average speed of 164km/h, with a top speed of 256km/h.
Of the 24 different circuit layouts used in Supercars since 2010, 10 have exceeded an average speed of 100mph, or 161km/h.
Both Albert Park layouts, Bathurst, Tasmania's Symmons Plains Raceway, the new defunct Pukekohe Park Raceway, Sandown Motor Raceway, Perth's Wanneroo Raceway, Ipswich's Queensland Raceway, and the International layout at The Bend Motorsport Park all boast an average speed in excess of 100mph.
On the other end of the scale, Winton Motor Raceway has long had the slowest average speed in Supercars at 131km/h, behind the Newcastle Street Circuit.
The latest piece of the speed puzzle will be the introduction of Taupō International Motorsport Park, with Supercars to race on the 3.32km International Circuit configuration.
A technical and tight circuit, Taupō is expected the deliver lap times in the 90-second bracket, meaning it could deliver an average speed of 133km/h.
Supercars will be on track on all four days of the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix on March 21-24.
Fastest Supercars circuits (2010-present)
Circuit | Length | Av. speed | Top speed |
---|---|---|---|
Albert Park (new) | 5.278km | 180km/h | 275km/h |
Bathurst | 6.213km | 179km/h | 300km/h |
Phillip Island | 4.445km | 174km/h | 290km/h |
Tasmania | 2.4km | 169km/h | 270km/h |
Pukekohe | 2.91km | 166km/h | 258km/h |
Sandown | 3.1km | 164km/h | 270km/h |
Albert Park (old) | 5.303km | 164km/h | 256km/h |
Perth | 2.42km | 164km/h | 252km/h |
Ipswich | 3.12km | 162km/h | 255km/h |
The Bend (long) | 4.945km | 162km/h | 270km/h |
The Bend (short) | 3.410km | 159km/h | 270km/h |
Darwin | 2.9km | 156km/h | 271km/h |
Sydney | 3.905km | 156km/h | 265km/h |
Bahrain (long) | 5.412km | 155km/h | 280km/h |
Gold Coast | 2.96km | 152km/h | 265km/h |
Abu Dhabi (long) | 5.554km | 149km/h | 270km/h |
COTA | 3.792km | 145km/h | 240km/h |
Abu Dhabi (short) | 4.730km | 144km/h | 240km/h |
Adelaide | 3.22km | 144km/h | 251km/h |
Townsville | 2.86km | 141km/h | 260km/h |
Hamilton | 3.31km | 141km/h | 240km/h |
Homebush | 3.42km | 139km/h | 248km/h |
Newcastle | 2.641km | 134km/h | 227km/h |
Winton | 3.0km | 131km/h | 225km/h |