Industry source: Future supercars events in SA are in jeopardy without Superloop 500

Premier Steven Marshall has defended the decision to scrap the Superloop 500. But an insider has detailed why the Adelaide snub could hinder all racing in South Australia.

Motorsport fans could be left without a marquee race event in South Australia, with an insider warning that Supercars are not interested in hosting an event at The Bend without an Adelaide event.

Premier Steven Marshall defended the decision to scrap the Superloop from Adelaide after more than 20 years, after a recommendation from the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC).

Mr Marshall and SATC chief executive Rodney Harrex blamed a mix of rising costs, falling crowds, declining commercial interest and COVID-19 for the demise of the Superloop 500. The pair also threw their support behind The Bend as the home of motorsport in South Australia.

But an industry source close to the negotiations has told The Advertiser there is no love for The Bend without the Superloop, previously known as Clipsal.

The insider said the decision placed future Supercars events at The Bend in jeopardy.

Supercars management was expected to confirm next week the Adelaide race would be shifted to November 2021 as part of continuing negotiations to expand the event.

The insider said Supercars management had worked with the SATC on a range of ways to “breathe new life into the event”, including providing recommendations and working with the NSW Government to co-ordinate the race season so that Adelaide could host the final event of the year.

Adelaide would have also hosted the “best and fairest” – the Barry Sheene Medal – instead of at a gala event in Sydney, the insider said.

The Advertiser understands Supercars recognised the challenge COVID presented for next year but the “event of international significance” should have stayed in Adelaide for the future.

The source said Supercars management was frustrated by suggestions that the popularity of the sport was in decline after it had just announced a new naming rights partner, TV deals and the Camaro as next generation car.

The Bend Motorsport Park owner Sam Shahin said yesterday he was still planning a Supercars event at the Tailem Bend facility next year. “The Bend has one more year (2021) to run on its contract with Supercars,” Dr Shahin said. “Beyond that, anything can happen.”

An SATC spokeswoman said the event’s core motorsport fans might have been in decline but did not comment on the patronage of other events across Australia.

“Events are changing, and the way we deliver them are changing,” she said.

“We remain committed to motorsport in South Australia and to delivering events more broadly, and to working with Supercars.”

Earlier, Mr Marshall said savings from the event would be redirected into a suite of new events to be rolled out across the year.

“We’ve seen an increase in cost, we’ve seen a reduction in the amount of corporate support and then when we layer over the top of that the implications of living in this COVID environment – this event has become unviable,” he said.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said the decision “will be a gutting blow to the tens of thousands of South Australians who attend the race and the thousands of workers and businesses which benefit from this iconic event”.

“In the midst of a recession, we need a government which is investing in major events and tourism which generate millions of dollars of economic activity – this is terribly shortsighted,” he said.