Phillip Island is a missed venue on the Repco Supercars Championship calendar, but has endured a turbulent history prior to its 1988 rebirth.
Although it hasn’t featured on the Repco Supercars Championship calendar since 2019, Phillip Island still remains a favourite of drivers due to its fast flowing nature and undulations making it one of Australia’s premier circuits.
Holding a strong history since the first street course was used in 1928, before a circuit was built by six local businessmen on the location of the current facility and completed in 1952.
The precursor to the Bathurst 1000 – the Armstrong 500 – was held for production cars at Phillip Island from 1960 until 1962.
Finance was not forthcoming for track repairs after the surface broke up in 1962 leading to the race moving to Bathurst.
After the circuit closed for a brief period, it was re-opened in 1967 by land owner Len Lukey and held the marquee Phillip Island 500 endurance event as part of the Australian Manufacturers’ Championship from 1971 to 1977. It was also a feature on the Australian Touring Car Championship calendar in 1976 and 1977, but the track surface again deteriorated to an extent racing stopped again.
The facility was then farmed by its Lukey’s family, with some stuck in history avoiding cows to complete a lap for old times sake
Part of the reason for the poor track condition was the bridge connecting the island and mainland at San Remo, which was not suitable to carry heavy vehicles to resurface the circuit. A cold mix was used and it broke up easily.
On the strength of Wayne Gardner’s 1987 success in the World 500cc Motorcycle Championship, it was decided to bring the circuit to standard to host a round of the title.
Bob Barnard was integral to the circuit being rebuilt as just $5 million was spent on getting the circuit up to scratch for the first Australian 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Rebuilt in an altered configuration by reducing the length to Honda, the new circuit proved a success, plus a tunnel to access the infield pits.
Gardner won the first two World 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix held before switching to four-wheels.
The ATCC circus returned in 1990 before returning in 1993 for the first Group 3A season and held a round all the way up to 2019. These included the Grand Finale from 2005 to 2007 and the 500km pre-Bathurst endurance event from 2008-2011.
Safety upgrades have been made at the venue progressively since its relaunch, but massive incidents have occurred including John Bowe and Craig Lowndes in 1996, Greg Murphy in 1997, while Glenn Seton had a large crash in testing during the 2000 season.
Gregg Hansford in the opening Super Touring round of 1995 and Volkswagen factory driver Stewart McColl during the PROCAR event in 2003 passed away after incidents at the circuit.
Phillip Island has little use now for four-wheel categories, with the SRO Motorsport Series racing there once this season though and the Victorian State Series visiting multiple times, it is still a regular testing or driver training venue for most of the year.