Symmons Plains Raceway CCW
Symmons Plains Raceway CCW Note:
Symmons Plains Raceway is a 2.411-kilometer (1.498-mile) motor racing circuit located about 30 kilometers south of Launceston, Tasmania. The circuit has been in continuous operation since 1960 and was built on the Symmons Plains Estate owned by the Youl family, after John Youl asked his father Boyce in 1959 for permission to use family land to build a race track. Since the closure of the Longford Circuit in the 1960s, it has been Tasmania's premier motor racing facility. The circuit runs anti-clockwise with 7 turns, an average speed of 167 km/h, and a maximum speed of 270 km/h.
The circuit is known for its extremely tight hairpin bend, known as Brambles Hairpin, and is the shortest track on the V8 Supercar Championship Series calendar. The Australian Driver's Championship came to Symmons Plains for the first time in November 1966, and the Australian Touring Car Championship arrived in November 1969, staying there without interruption until 1999. The V8 Supercar Series returned to the circuit in November 2004. In 1994, a new pit lane was built on the outside of the circuit and the start/finish line was relocated to a more conventional position in front of the new pits. In 2004, the facility received a A$3 million upgrade which included modifications to the track layout. In 2009, the circuit was sold by the Youl family to the Motorsports Tasmania consortium.
CCW Note:
The counterclockwise configuration at Symmons Plains Raceway reverses the standard flow at this historic Tasmanian venue near Launceston, transforming corner approaches across the circuit that has served Australian motorsport since 1953. Running CCW creates different braking references and apex sighting, providing directional variety for events and track day participants. The reversal demonstrates the facility's bidirectional capability serving Tasmania's island motorsport community.
Operating counterclockwise at Symmons Plains provides fresh mental challenges for drivers accustomed to the standard clockwise flow utilized for V8 Supercars events and national championships. Tasmania's temperate island climate creates year-round racing potential. The CCW configuration allows the facility to offer varied experiences preventing over-familiarity for regular users, serving Tasmania's motorsport enthusiasts at the island state's premier permanent road course venue.
