Directory

Heritage Sites

Lowood Motor Racing Circuit (1948-66)

Description

New use for old WWII aerodrome

After Lowood RAAF aerodrome at Mt Tarampa was decommissioned, it became a car and motorbike racing circuit. It was first used in June 1948.

In June 1951 the Australian T.T. motorbike championships were held at Lowood Circuit, the first time the national titles had been held in Queensland.

               

Queensland's No 1 motor racing venue

Over its first decade only occasional meetings were held at the circuit. In 1956 the Queensland Racing Drivers' Club took over and Lowood Circuit then became Queensland's premier racing venue.

A 4.54 km anti-clockwise track was created, with the main straight utilising the former 6000 feet aerodrome runway.

Rounds of the Australian Drivers' Championship were held there from 1957 to 1962. The Australian Tourist Trophy, the nation's premier sports car race, was held there in 1959 and 1963.

Lowood hosts 25th Australian Grand Prix

On 12 June 1960 Lowood hosted the 25th Australian Grand Prix, won by Alec Mildren in a Cooper-Maserati T51 after 36 laps of the circuit.

 

In 1961 Lowood circuit hosted the second Australian Touring Car Championship. The Lowood 4 Hour Race for production sedans was staged 1964-66 and the Australian Formula 2 Championship was held here in 1964.

End of an era

The Queensland Racing Drivers' Club sold the race track in 1966 and moved to Lakeside north of Brisbane. Lowood circuit was subdivided into small farms. 

There are plaques commemorating Lowood aerodrome and the 1960 Australian Grand Prix at the junction of Forest Hill-Fernvale Road and Daisy Road, site of the original runway.