Adelaide 500 supercars race, end-of-season gala awards night secured for the next five years

The Adelaide 500 has been locked in as the final race of the Supercars Championship for the next five years – along with another prime event.

The Adelaide 500 has been locked in as the final race of the Supercars Championship for the next five years, with Supercars Australia to hold its end-of-season gala awards night in Adelaide on the Monday after the event.

Premier Peter Malinauskas was joined by SA Motorsport Board chief executive Mark Warren, Supercars chief executive Shane Howard, chairman Barclay Nettlefold and director Mark Skaife to sign a historic agreement in Adelaide on Thursday.

The agreement means the race and gala awards night has been secured from this year until at least 2027.

It comes as Mr Warren dismissed doubts the event could be organised before this year’s December deadline.

Jamie Whincup leads the pack in the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in 2016. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Mr Malinauskas said the race and awards would make for a “spectacular end of the year leading into the Christmas period”.

“This is a historic moment for motorsport in South Australia — not only are we locking in the event’s return this year, but we are also securing the race for at least the next five years,” he said.

“I have every confidence hosting the final race in the Supercars Championship will become an integral part of the sport’s calendar in the same way the season opener in Adelaide used to be.”

Mr Malinauskas said there would be “great benefit” to the state’s economy in hosting the final race of the Supercars schedule and taking the event out of Mad March.

The Premier said organisers hoped to crack a crowd of 200,000 at minimum.

“South Australians crave motorsport, Australians are willing to travel for great motorsport events,” he said.

“There is no greater event than the street race here in Adelaide. It’s a race that has history. It’s a race that has a lot of colour and movement and will certainly be here long term.

“We’ve got a great calendar across South Australia in the summer months. Mad March stands on its own two feet, but so does Supercars ... this deserves its own regular slot in South Australia.”

“There won’t be a hotel room free in the city ... our city will be alive again.”

The Premier said negotiations were subject to confidence but the fee paid to Supercars was “small”.

“Compared to what we were paying to not host the event, paying to host the event makes more sense for the state’s economy,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“In a commercial arrangement money is important, but that’s not what matters here. What matters is getting people on a plane, getting them in a car ... we’re just happy an agreement has been reached.”

While a number of names have been thrown around for the musical side of the event, the premier stayed mum on rumours The Killers would be taking the headline slot.

“I’m a die-hard Midnight Oil fan, but I do love The Killers – they’re on my running playlist,” he said.

“But there are a number of acts we’d love to plan in front of a huge crowd in summer in the Park Lands and we’re excited about announcing those acts in due course.”

Mr Howard said the event would showcase South Australia to a huge national and international audience, and would be a fitting finale to the championship season.

“There’s something there for everybody ... the visitation from each state will be enormous. There will be thousands of very happy fans,” he said.