Winton Motor Raceway National Circuit CW
Winton Motor Raceway National Circuit CW Notes:
The Winton Motor Raceway sits in the homonymous town of Winton, Victoria, on a two-and-a-half-hour ride from Melbourne, in Australia. The 1.86-mile (2.99-km) road course has an intricate and highly technical layout consisting of 12 tight angle turns and several straight segments. The combination of the natural ups and downs with the curvy disposition of the track restricts visibility for the racers, making it harder to react and maneuver accordingly at a higher speed. The circuit has just turned 60 years old as it opened on November 26th, 1961. The climate on the road course is warm and temperate, with an even distribution of rainfall throughout the year, so checking the weather conditions and preparing in advance is a must.
The Winton Motor Raceway starts in the middle of its longest straightaway, the Kitome straight. Turns one and two are 90-degree corners and go in opposite directions into the BP Ultimate straight. The Honda and Nissan corners form the northern rectangle and lead into the Fott Waste Straight and, from there, into turn number five, the only fast-paced sweeper in the circuit. Corners six to nine are a real challenge for driver's maneuverability and speed control, leading into a couple of straights and 90-degree turns before closing the loop.
National Circuit CW Notes:
Winton Motor Raceway's National Circuit clockwise configuration reverses Australia's Action Track across 3.000 kilometers through 12 technical turns, located near Benalla in rural Victoria where the 1997 $1.1 million National extension added one-kilometer section transforming the original club circuit into longer layout. This CW direction reverses the traditional counterclockwise flow used by Supercars Championship and national series, creating opposite-direction challenge where tight twisty corners linking short straights all work backwards from standard reference points. The clockwise routing particularly affects the circuit's 90-degree corners, BP Ultimate Straight approach, and technical Esses combination where reversed direction creates different brake markers and apex selections across Victoria's premier club racing venue known as 'Australia's Action Track' for delivering close competitive racing on compact technical layout.
The National CW configuration's character emerges from complete reversal of Supercars-optimized geometry designed for counterclockwise racing. The 12-corner layout compressed into 3-kilometer distance means direction changes arrive rapidly when reversed, demanding constant recalibration of brake zones and turn-in points throughout the tight rural circuit. The Kitome Straight, BP Ultimate Straight, and various technical sections all require fresh approach when traversed clockwise versus the standard CCW flow internalized by regular Winton competitors. Victoria's temperate climate creates year-round racing opportunities with moderate temperatures, though summer heat can produce track temperatures affecting tire strategy on the compact surface where constant cornering stresses compounds. The National Circuit's 1997 addition extended the original shorter layout, creating the current 3-kilometer configuration that Supercars utilizes for close racing where overtaking requires precision setup. The clockwise variant sees minimal use compared to traditional CCW, serving primarily as novelty variation for track day groups and driver development programs. The configuration particularly challenges experienced Winton regulars who've internalized every CCW brake marker across thousands of laps, forcing reliance on visual cues and chassis feedback rather than muscle memory across Victoria's tightest national-series venue where 12 technical corners pack more direction changes per kilometer than most Australian circuits.
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