Next year’s Supercars season-opener on the streets of Newcastle will not go ahead as planned, the city’s mayor has confirmed.
That’s due to the New South Wales Government and Newcastle City Council reaching an impasse due largely to local opposition surrounding the event.
Rumours have circulated for months that the 2024 edition of the event would not happen after a survey found the majority of residents in the area opposed the race.
On Wednesday, the New South Wales premier Chris Minns urged the local council to make its mind up.
Now it would seem Supercars has made the call itself to cancel the Newcastle event and move ahead with back-up plans in Bathurst.
Speaking on ABC Newcastle radio, city mayor Nuatali Nelmes confirmed she has sided, if begrudgingly, with Newcastle member of parliament Tim Crakanthorp’s view that the event shouldn’t progress.
“An event of this size and scale would have to be supported by local state MPs for it to ever go ahead, so the decision really does rest with the NSW government,” said Cr Nelmes.
“Tim has come out quite clearly not supporting the event (following) the consultation that we have done in his particular area and we absolutely respect … his decision.
“And there is no way we’ll be going ahead with an event of that size and scale when your local state representatives don’t support it.”
Next year’s Supercars season-opener is instead expected to take place in Bathurst at Mount Panorama, flanking the Bathurst 12 Hour in what will be a 10-day-long motorsport festival across February 16-25.
That’s expected to be a band-aid solution for 2024 with work reportedly underway to have the Newcastle event return in 2025 as part of a new five-year deal. Whether that materialises remains to be seen with local opposition potentially a sticking point.
Supercars issued a statement in the wake of Cr Nelmes comments, confirming the Newcastle event’s cancellation.
“Supercars held productive discussions with Newcastle City Council earlier this week, regarding the future of the event,” it read.
“As part of that discussion, it was mentioned that in the event Newcastle cannot proceed in 2024, alternative options have been explored.
“We express our gratitude to the NSW Government for their continuous support and understanding.
“Supercars would like to confirm its commitment to racing in Newcastle in the future, and conversations in that regard are already underway.
“Regarding the 2024 season-opening event, Supercars will provide information when all details are confirmed.”
It would mark the second instance in recent years that Supercars has opened its calendar at Mount Panorama.
In 2021, the Newcastle 500 was cancelled due to issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a result, Supercars opened its season in Bathurst, effectively replacing the 12-hour GT3 race there that was cancelled due to travel restrictions.
The 2024 Bathurst 1000 will go ahead as planned despite Supercars opening its season at the same circuit next year.
