Winton rallycross circuit layout revealed

The layout of Winton Motor Raceway’s new rallycross circuit has been revealed ahead of next month’s RXAus Australian Rallycross Championship event.

The Victorian circuit has been added to the championship’s growing schedule with the venue set to host a two-day rallycross meeting for the first time from July 15-16.

A new eight turn 1.3km course will be constructed using sections of the current circuit, while including a new gravel section that utilises the infield.

Drivers will start on the ‘old’ Winton start-finish line, located between turns two and three on the full circuit, and tackle the two right-hand corners first.

The dirt section, on which work commenced this week, will see competitors turn right onto the loose surface just prior to the Winton’s famous turn five sweeper.

Cars will then brake for a left hand corner before a right-hand hairpin.

At approximately 450 metres, the dirt section will include the joker lap before re-joining the bitumen track on the short circuit link road.

“Winton have done a great job with the circuit layout; it’s going to be very wide and I think it will be very fast,” said RXAus Technical Director Will Orders.

“Marulan and Stanthorpe have been very technical circuits but this will be more European in that it’s going to be properly quick in places. It’s going to be a great showcase for Rallycross.

“We visited the circuit on Monday and they started work on the dirt section on Tuesday. It’s going to be a really nice surface and wider than we thought it would be.

“The Winton team couldn’t have been more accommodating and have bent over backwards to make it work and we can’t wait to go and put on a great show.

“It’s going to produce very exciting racing and there’ll be something in it for both all-wheel-drive and front-drive cars.”

Organisers are expecting to attract an entry of more than 30 cars for the meeting.