Michael McGuire: The Superloop 500 is not my thing but it deserves to stay in the city

The Superloop 500 is not Michael McGuire’s thing, but the idea of shifting it out of the city and to Tailem Bend is silly and driven by the inherent snobbery of just a few people, he writes.

The Clipsal is not my thing.

Not my thing at all.

And yes, it’s now the Superloop something.

But like the Westpac Tower is always the State Bank building, like AAMI Stadium was always Footy Park, the V8 race is always going to be known as the Clipsal.

Anyway, what is a Superloop? It sounds like an instruction a parent gives to a child who is learning how to tie their shoelaces.

“You make one big superloop, then another, cross them over and then you tie them both together’’.

But that’s not the point.

Whatever you want to call the V8 race this weekend it holds no interest to me.

The last time I went to watch I spent most of the day watching the tractor-pulling. It was much more fun.

Then there’s the music factor. Presumably the Red Hot Chili Peppers were only employed because Cold Chisel or Jimmy Barnes were unavailable this year to fit the Sunday night bill reserved for music relics.

Perhaps it’s because I’m a child of the ’80s and ’90s.

Superloop Adelaide 500. For SAWeekend Diary

I was a Formula One fan. It was the highlight of any Adelaide year.

In 1986, I was on Wakefield St when Nigel Mansell’s left rear tyre exploded on Dequetteville Tce and I saw his car slither into the run-off area at the end of the straight, ending his chances of winning the world championship.

In 1991, I snuck into the gold area and watched a rain-sodden race from under a grandstand at the chicane at the end of pit straight. It was an era of great names such as Senna, Prost, Piquet, Rosberg, Lauda, Jones and it’s possible I have never recovered.

Then there was the sound. The snap and the crack of an accelerating FI engine is one of the great noises.

To me, the V8s are all pale imitation. The fact that the race is held over only half of the old F1 track is emblematic of that.

Yet, I’m not one of those who would banish the race from the city. Even though I’m a resident of the eastern suburbs who works in the city, meaning negotiating LA-style traffic snarls after Bartels Rd is closed down. But it’s only for a week.

Instead of driving, I dust off my bicycle and whiz past stationary cars, giving me a little taste of that superiority complex favoured by most regular riders. Having the race in the city, while the Festival, the Fringe etc are also on, adds to the atmosphere and spectacle of the city.

The idea of shifting it all out to Tailem Bend is silly and driven by the inherent snobbery of a few people who like to object when anybody but themselves are seen to enjoy and populate the parklands.

So, I won’t be there this weekend.

But I’m sure the 280,000 who do turn up won’t miss me in the slightest.