Horseracing on the site of Sandown Park Raceway dates back to 1888 and Australia’s first motor race was held here in March 1904. Abandoned in 1931, Sandown was the country’s most expensive circuit to build when it reopened in February 1962, enclosing a horseracing track with which it shared a 10,000-seater grandstand. Well-maintained with a smooth track surface, it was quick and had a reputation for flamboyant promotion that rival venues lacked in the 1960s. It was a mainstay of the Tasman Cup and hosted the Australian Grand Prix on six occasions. Graham McRae was a three-time winner of the race during the Formula 5000 years. It was redeveloped in 1984 with a new infield section to comply with FIA circuit length regulations which ruined its fast nature. Sandown twice held a round of the World Sportscar Championship that decade before the overly twisty international loop was abandoned to restore its fast character. The infield loop is now destroyed, and Sandown has returned to being a national circuit with Australia’s V8 Supercars being the annual highlight.
