History
Adelaide International Raceway (AIR) was built by Surfers Paradise businessman Keith Williams in 1972. Williams also owned the Mallala Race Circuit and Surfers Paradise International Raceway. Williams owned the track, which remained in an almost 'raw state' until purchased in 1982 by the Bob Jane Corporation.
The race track can be used in four different configurations. The full circuit is 2.41 km, the short circuit is 1.77 km, the Speedway Super Bowl is 0.8 km and the drag strip is 0.25-mile (0.40 km) long. The track is dominated by its 915 metre long main straight which is also the drag strip and the front straight of the Super Bowl. Like most Australian circuits at its time of construction, AIR raced and still races clockwise. The Super Bowl, with speedway meetings, and NASCAR races in the mid-late 1990s, is the only part of the circuit to run state or national championship races anti-clockwise.
Both the Speedway SuperBowl (commonly referred to as "The Bowl") and the Drag Strip have the capacity to run night meetings due to the lights that run around the Super Bowl and down the circuits main straight. The spectator viewing areas extend from the final turn and all the way down the 915 metre long straight. There are also spectator mounds from turn 3 around to turn 6, and then from the outside of turn 7 (the bowl) and all along the back straight.
Starting in 1994 with the removal of the old stands along the main straight and replacing them with spectator mounds, upgrades have been made through the years in a bid to bring AIR back to being a regularly used national motor racing venue. The old timing tower and VIP facilities were pulled down and replaced with several new buildings, and a paved VIP area for corporate sponsors was added. A spectator mound and a small, uncovered grandstand, located directly behind pit lane, have also been added in recent years.
Adelaide International Raceway is one of the few major motor racing venues in Australia that does not run Motorcycle racing on either the full or short circuit's. It does however run bikes in drag racing with Top Bike and Pro Stock Motorcycle both being regulars at drag racing events.
Read more about this topic: Adelaide International Raceway
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