Superloop Adelaide 500: Hilltop Hoods end night on a high but Holden fans’ hearts break
At the end of a week in which Holden was officially declared extinct, Ford managed to inflict just that little bit more pain by taking out race two in the Superloop 500. Fortunately, Adelaide band the Hilltop Hoods were anything but painful, ending the night on a high note. See the pictures.
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It ended with a whimper rather than a roar.
At the end of a week in which Holden, the famous Australian icon and its Lion badge was officially declared extinct, Ford managed to inflict just that little bit more pain by taking out race two in the Superloop 500.
In a hectic, mess of a race, Holden Red Bull Racing Team’s Shane van Gisbergen seemed to have the race in his control, but a pit lane blunder cost him and allowed Shell V Power Racing’s Scott McLaughlin to take the honours. Making Holden fans feel a little better, Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert took second place.
McLaughlin acknowledged van Gisbergen had the faster car and “should have won that race’’ but wasn’t complaining.
“For Ford to win, it was awesome,’’ he said. But the question for Holden fans remains – what happens next?
Nathan Waters has been to every V8 race at the Adelaide circuit since it started in 1999 and has been a Holden fan even longer. “Adelaide is a Holden town,’’ he said. “It’s always been Holden versus Ford rivalry, it’s that atmosphere that brings you here. It’s like State of Origin (in rugby league), red versus blue,’’ he said.
Waters paid $300 for his four-day pass, and is an optimist that somehow when he comes back again next year a Holden or two will still be on display and not just as part of the old-time classic car displays. “I’m confident Holden will be taking part next year but I’m not sure what will happen.’’
Numbers were down across the week, with yesterday’s attendance of 66,000, down from last year’s Red Hot Chili Peppers-influenced 91,500. The four-day total of 206,350 was the lowest number since 2002.
The Hilltop Hoods headlined Sunday night’s post-race concert, returning to perform at the event for the first time since 2017. They appeared to be a roaring success – the crowd’s enthusiasm for the local-grown group making up for the lower numbers.
Premier Steven Marshall said all aspects of the event would be reviewed “in the coming weeks and months’’ and acknowledged more had to be done to attract younger fans. “The challenge for the sport is to engage the next generation of fans,’’ Mr Marshall said.
For some, it's the sport itself that is the attraction, no matter who is racing. And you can see why. The deep rumble of 24 V8 engines rattles the guts, and the nose-to-tail action at 250km/h is thrilling to watch. If it lacks the glamour of Formula One, it makes up for it in accessibility and connection with the fans.
Dionne Tyson and Steven Gunner made the trip from Mildura for the race. Ms Tyson is a regular, this being her fourth trip to Adelaide, dragging along her partner for his first.
“I’m loving it, the atmosphere is great,’’ Gunner said from his spot on a platform along Brock Straight.
Ms Tyson is a Holden fan but the race will bring her back, no matter what. She said, under all the badges, the paintwork and the ads, V8 cars had a lot in common.
“It’s all V8 Supercars, it does not matter what’s on the top,’’ she said. “Basically the cars are the same, it’s just the shells that are different.’’
Still, even some Ford fans are sad to see the end of the Holden era. Simon Harvey brought along his five-year-old son Mayson, who also loves the car racing, and said it was “sad to see the end of an Australian icon”.
He said he hoped General Motors, which owns the Holden brand, could find a replacement for the Commodore in the same way that the Mustang replaced the Falcon when production stopped in Australia.
“Hopefully, they can come up with something that has the Holden badge on the front,’’ he said.