Hume Weir Motor Racing Circuit

The Hume Weir Motor Racing Circuit is a now disused motorsport track built on the Victorian side of the Murray River at Lake Hume near Albury-Wodonga in Australia.

Hume Weir Motor Racing Circuit
LocationLake Hume, Victoria
Time zoneGMT +10
Coordinates36°06′50″S 147°00′50″E
Opened2 November 1959
Closed27 March 1977
Major eventsAustralian Formula 2 Championship
Australian Sports Car Championship
1960-77 circuit
Length1.6 km (1.0 mi)
Race lap record42.7 (Alfredo Costanzo, , 1975)
1959-60 circuit
Length1.29 km (0.8 mi)

History

The circuit was built in a disused quarry left over from the construction of the Hume Weir, which had taken place between 1919 and 1931.

The opening race meeting was held on 2 November 1959.[1] [2] Originally 1.28 km in length, the track was extended to 1.6 km in 1960 and was sealed in the same year.[1]

The final meeting was staged on 27 March 1977.[1] The lap record, set by Alfredo Costanzo driving a Birrana, stands at 42.7 seconds.[1] It was established during the third round of the 1975 Australian Formula 2 Championship on 15 June 1975.[3]

Alpine Rally

After the final race meeting in 1977, the circuit continued to be used for stages of the Alpine Rally during the 1980s and possibly the early 1990s.[4]

Today

The circuit has been in a state of disrepair for many years.[5] Further damage was caused to the circuit in the mid-2000s by construction work on the nearby dam wall which had been undertaken due to concern that the wall may be moving.[4]

Major races

Race Date Winning driver Car
1973 Australian Formula 2 Championship (Round 1) 3 June Leo Geoghegan Birrana 272 Ford
1974 Australian Formula 2 Championship (Round 1) 16 June Leo Geoghegan Birrana 274 Ford
1975 Australian Formula 2 Championship (Round 3) 15 June Alfredo Costanzo Birrana 274 Ford
1976 Australian Formula 2 Championship (Round 2) 13 June Peter Larner Elfin 700
1976 Australian Sports Car Championship (Round 4) 26 September Alan Hamilton Porsche Turbo

References

  1. Pedr Davis, The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, page 226
  2. Albury Motor Races, Australian Motor Sports, November 1959, page 451
  3. Australian Competition Yearbook, 1976 Edition, page 155
  4. AUTOSPORT Bulletin Board
  5. "The Tasman Series 1964-69: Hume Weir". Archived from the original on 2 May 2009.
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