Phillip Island: The Inside Story of Australia’s Fastest Race Track, Our Home of Motorsport

Phillip Island is Australia’s home of motorsport. These are the untold stories of a century of racing.

There is no other motor-racing circuit in the world with the history of Phillip Island. Since 1928 it has hosted the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the World Superbike Championship, the Armstrong 500, and many other races. Today, the Australian MotoGP attracts tens of thousands to the island every year. It is revered as the world’s best MotoGP track and is the second fastest racetrack in the world by just 0.1 km/h. Australia’s champions of motorcycle racing are born here.

As a motor-racing journalist for more than 45 years, John Smailes has had unparalleled access to the island and to the leading motor-racing names who have competed there, both past and present. When Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner won their championships, John was there. He has delved into the rich history of Phillip Island, beginning with Gallipoli hero Captain Arthur Waite, who won the first Australian Grand Prix there, to Australia’s F1 world champions Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones, and the astonishing political and business dealings that have characterised the island over the years.

In Phillip Island, John Smailes delivers us the definitive account of the circuit, featuring interviews with past champions including Valentino Rossi and many others who made it the legend it is today. It’s the gripping and untold story of an island unlike any other.

John Smailes is a journalist, motorsport commentator and publicist. His speciality is the automotive industry and motorsport. He has covered and broadcast rounds of the World F1 championship (Australia, Singapore, India, Monaco), the World Rally Championship (Australia, NZ, Greece), MotoGP, the Le Mans 24 hour race and Goodwood Festival of Speed. John was part of the commentary team for the first live broadcast of F1 in Australia - along with Sir Jack Brabham.