Since the closing of Surfers Paradise International Raceway following the 1987 Winternationals, the popular event, one of the largest drag racing festivals in the southern hemisphere, moved to the circuit in 1988.
[3] Since the early 1980s, a group of racers led by Dennis Syrmis John Winterburn had been concerned about the long-term viability of the Surfers Paradise venue and its unsuitability for drag racing and had spent four years planning and building a dedicated drag racing track at Willowbank with their first events held on the weekend of 28–29 September 1985.
[4] Drag racer Kent Rogers was killed on 28 September when his car left the track while moving at over 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) and hit a bank.
[4][7] On 22 July 1990, dragster driver Louie Rapisarda was killed when a mechanical explosion released oil under the tyres sending the car skidding and hitting the safety barrier.
[14][15] On 7 January 2023, Sam Fenech lost control of his car at speed of about 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph), causing the vehicle to roll over and crash into a camera tower.