Construction of the new state-of-the-art South Australia Motorsport Park circuit at Tailem Bend has begun.

Led by South Australian businessman Sam Shahin, plans have been finalised to build a 7.2km circuit featuring several layouts, which is intended to open in 2017.

The circuit will become Australia’s newest purpose built venue since Queensland Raceway opened in 1999.

SA Motorsport has already staked a claim to host a V8 Supercars event alongside Adelaide’s Clipsal 500, while it has also targeted a possible MotoGP race.

The Federation International de Motocyclisme’s chief safety officer, Franco Uncini, visited the site last month to perform an initial inspection.

SA Motorsport Park’s newly appointed general manager of commercial operations, Damien White, says it’s a momentous occasion to see work begin on constructing the new venue this week.

“I’ve only been on board for a little over a month, yet I already feel a huge sense of pride to be a part of this development,” said White.

“Every day I come in to the office is a thrill. There is a huge amount of work ahead of us, but the place is buzzing with excitement.

“The fact this project has now turned dirt is a testament to the hard working team behind the scenes who, for years, have been doing the hard yards.

“Literally, the hours that have gone into planning and design is immeasurable.

“This initial work is a small glimpse into what will become a mega construction site over the next month or two.

“It won’t be until we’re in full swing that people will get a try understanding of the scale of this project.”