The Portland & District Karting Club was formed in the early 1960’s, with the track being sealed in 1965 at Portland’s Yarraman Park. The original layout was 560 metres long and an extension added in the 2000’s to bring it to 752 metres and widened to 8 metres with a new hot mixed surface to bring it to modern standards.
In 1997 Portland held its first annual Street Grand Prix. In 2001 Ford Racing Australia became the naming sponsor and AGP Corporation was the major sponsor. The Portland Street Grand Prix was one of Australia’s most prestigious events held annually.
At a time when karting was struggling to maintain numbers the Portland Street Grand Prix provided the sport with a significant boost in profile through a state-wide TV advertising campaign and a heavy print and radio media campaign within the region.
