OFFICIAL RELEASE: Supercars has finalised plans to race under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park next August.
The confirmation follows a lighting test held ahead of the Sydney SuperSprint this year and will mark the first Supercars night race on Australian soil since 1997.
Dubbed the Red Rooster Sydney SuperNight 300, the August 4 event will feature a single 300km race run in a three-hour window from 7-10pm.
“We’ve made no secret we wanted to stage a night race next year and I am delighted to say it is now a reality that we will hold this race under lights in Sydney,” said Supercars CEO James Warburton.
Sydney Motorsport Park CEO, Glenn Matthews, praised Supercars’ determination to make a night race at the venue a reality.
The Supercars event will run with temporary lighting as the circuit continues to lobby the New South Wales State Government for funding to erect permanent lights.
“Sydney Motorsport Park is already open 360 days of the year, and the introduction of circuit lighting and extended operating hours would introduce a whole new level of access for all motorsport and automotive enthusiasts, from after-work racing and spectating, endurance racing, driver and rider safety programs, corporate hospitality, job creation, education, exhibitions, and much more,” said Matthews.
“The Red Rooster Sydney SuperNight 300 is the first exciting step towards making this as a reality.
“Sydney Motorsport Park is one of the busiest sites in Western Sydney, hosting more than 600 events with more than 330,000 visitors coming through our gates annually.
“We want to make Sydney Motorsport Park the premier destination for the industry in Australia – not just for motor racing and motorsport, but for automotive technology, innovation, education, tourism and community engagement.
“We are committed to working with our partners, promoters, and the NSW Government in realising this vision.”
V8
SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK SHINES UNDER LIGHTS
18/08/17: Supercar night-racing at Sydney Motorsport Park could be a permanent fixture, following successful lighting tests at the Eastern Creek venue last night.
Sydney Motorsport Park CEO, Glenn Matthews, said he had held positive discussions with the NSW Government over the installation of permanent floodlights at the park, providing year-round, site-activation and serving a host of motorsport and industry uses, including Supercar racing.
“Last night’s testing highlighted the potential of night-time racing and activities here at Sydney Motorsport Park and we’re very hopeful that this is a sign of things to come,” Mr Matthews said.
“Full-time, permanent lighting will not only add a whole new level of excitement to motorsport racing, and the spectator experience in this country, but open up a range of commercial and tourism opportunities at Sydney Motorsport Park, including driver safety programs, corporate hospitality packages, and more track access for all levels of racing.
“We’ve held some preliminary, and positive, discussions with NSW Government which is supportive of our long-term vision for Sydney Motorsport Park, and we’re looking forward to continuing to collaborate with all of our partners to set the benchmark for Australian motorsport facilities.”
The 92ha Sydney Motorsport Park precinct is one of the busiest sites in Western Sydney, hosting more than 600 events and over 300,000 visitors annually, and is nearly fully booked a year in advance.
Mr Matthews said the Park’s proximity to the proposed Western Sydney Airport, as well as one of the fastest growing populations in the region, are two of its key strategic drivers.
“Our long-term plans are focussed on making the most of our central location and looking at the opportunities to leverage Western Sydney’s growth as a visitor destination, and provide jobs and education for its vast, and diverse skilled labour,” he said.
“We’ve looked closely at the UK’s integrated education, industry and innovation facility at Silverstone and see no reason why Sydney Motorsport Park can’t adopt a similar model – one that’s heavily focussed on partnerships, education and innovation for Western Sydney.”
“The introduction of permanent lights is the first step towards establishing the necessary infrastructure to support our long-term vision for the site, and we’re committed to working with Government and our partners to make it happen.”
For further information, please contact the ARDC on (02) 9672 1000 or email media@ardc.com.au.
V8 Supercars to grid up twice at SMSP in 2014
The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC) is proud to announce that not one, but two V8 Supercar Championship events will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) in 2014. Round nine of the 2014 V8 Supercars Championship Series, the Sydney Motorsport Park 400, will be held at the Eastern Creek circuit on August 22 – 24, joining the Sydney 500 and the Bathurst 1000 as the third NSW venue for the premier touring car series.
Earlier this month, V8 Supercars announced that SMSP would continue to hold the official Sydney.com V8 Supercars Test Day until 2016. The Test Day, which precedes the Championship season, is free for all fans to attend, and saw numbers in excess of 18,000 in 2013.
“We are excited and delighted to announce that Sydney Motorsport Park will host a round of the V8 Supercars series next August, in addition to the pre-season test and fan day on February 15,” said Glenn Matthews, CEO of the ARDC.
ARDC President Andrew Leithhead said: “The ARDC is keenly looking forward to welcoming V8 Supercars back to Sydney Motorsport Park for round nine of the 2014 Championship. Our Members and all motorsport enthusiasts will be delighted to have four separate V8 Supercar events in NSW next year, and we anticipate some exciting racing at SMSP.”
Sydney Motorsport Park is owned by the NSW Government and operated by the ARDC, and is the only permanent Australian race facility that holds a FIA/FIM Grade 2 International licence.
In August last year, the V8 Supercar Championship was one of the first major racing events to sample the $11 million track and facility redevelopment undertaken at the Western Sydney circuit, which was completed in May 2012 and jointly funded by the ARDC and the NSW Government.
“The support of the NSW Government has been important to the ongoing expansion of Sydney Motorsport Park’s contribution to economic activity in Western Sydney, in terms of infrastructure, employment and major events.” “We would like to thank Minister Souris and Destination NSW for their support in helping to bring a Championship round to Sydney Motorsport Park,” added Matthews.
“This is yet another great event that we have brought to SMSP, and 2014 will be a very exciting year with these premier events – the two V8 Supercar events, Top Gear Festival Sydney, and more still to come.”
The Championship round is just two weeks before the 10th anniversary of the Australian Muscle Car Masters, which celebrates the heritage of V8 Supercars with a weekend of racing and memorabilia from the glory days of the Bathurst 1000. Other major events on the 2014 Race Calendar at Sydney Motorsport Park include Top Gear Festival Sydney, World Time Attack, the Shannons Nationals, the NSW Motor Race Championships, FX Superbikes, Australian Superbikes, and the HSRCA.
A full calendar will be released shortly on www.sydneymotorsportpark.com.au.
V8 Supercars to run sprint format for Sydney Motorsport Park
The return of V8 Supercars to Sydney Motorsport Park will become a weekend race meeting with a two-race format on the traditional 3.9km Grand Prix layout.
The newly renamed and refurbished Sydney Motorsport Park, formerly Eastern Creek Raceway, will host the V8 Supercar round on August 25-26.
Sydney Motorsport Park was recently upgraded in a $12m investment by the NSW State Government and Australian Racing Drivers’ Club (ARDC).
The two-day meeting format will be trialled at Sydney Motorsport Park, promising a condensed weekend loaded with a full V8 Supercar card and support class action.
The V8 Supercars Sydney weekend will consist of two V8 Supercar 30-minute practice sessions, a qualifying session and 140km race on Saturday, while Sunday will host one morning practice session, qualifying and a longer 220km race.
Teams will use a combination of hard and soft tyres in both races.
CEO David Malone says V8 Supercars is very interested in the new section at Sydney Motorsport Park should the category return after the one-off 2012 event.
“We will be watching the first few race meetings on the extended layout with great interest.
“In the meantime, the 3.9km Grand Prix layout at Sydney Motorsport Park is a proven, known quantity and distance for V8 Supercars and the teams,” Mr Malone said.
“It has been the scene of some amazing events across 20 years, including Marcos Ambrose’s first two championships and the infamous Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall incident in 2003, right back through to the very early days of V8 Supercars.
“Given the standard of the racing and the drama of our two races at the fast-flowing Phillip Island layout last week we are in for a great two days of racing.”
ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews said he was very confident the Sydney V8 Supercars race meeting format will be successful at Sydney Motorsport Park.
“Taking an already exciting race meeting and condensing it into two days can only mean one thing – more on-track action, and more excitement for the fans,” said Mr Matthews.
“We’re very proud of the facility we’ve built here at Sydney Motorsport Park, and the Grand Prix circuit is one of four configurations now available.”
Additional announcements regarding support categories, ticket pricing and on-sale dates will be made in coming weeks.