Start your engines: Ultimate guide to the 2023 VAILO Adelaide 500
The wet weather racing across Adelaide on Thursday was not enough to dampen the enthusiasm of thousands of fans and visiting schoolkids.
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Not even persistent rain could keep away thousands of keen motorsport fans and school students from the opening day of the VAILO Adelaide 500.
More than three thousand pupils from across the state were trackside to watch a number of action-packed practice sessions, including the V8 Supercars and the S5000 Tasman Series.
Grace Lewis, 10, was lucky enough to be among them after she won a competition to design a Supercar for driver Macauley Jones.
“I got the inspiration from the Pizza Hut logo and the writing,” the Adelaide Hills student said. “Macauley Jones is my favourite driver because he likes pizza.”
Mum Leah Carr was attending the event in uniform as part of the Fire and Rescue Services.
She said it was an “unreal experience” to see her daughter’s design being brought to life on a real-life Supercar.
“I had spotted the competition on Facebook and showed the girls and Grace went and got the pencils and paper and I said, ‘OK this is the design of the car, you have to use the logo’ and she played around with ideas and off she went.
“It was a lot of effort, a lot of time put into it.”
Grace and her 13-year-old sister Madyson got to attend the event as part of the winning prize, including grid walk tickets.
“I just love how you get to see the cars go around.”
The four-day event will culminate in the main race on Sunday with British superstar Robbie Williams to take the stage at the end.
The renovated grandstand was just one of the welcome upgrades.
“The roof goes out further, which will be good – we were in the sun last year and around 3pm it just gets so hot,” said Jace Falkenberg, who was never going to miss out on the opening day.
“It’s quieter, so that’s the day to get merchandise – they got rid of Holden, so it’ll be Chevrolet on the shirts this year.”
Gran Turismo addicts Tyler Gligora, 14, from Munno Para West and Isaac Sutton, 12, from Two Wells were at the track at 9am, not missing a moment of the skids and slides, while several of the drivers took time adjusting to the wet track.
VAILO Adelaide 500 chief executive Mark Warren said a record number of students were trackside for this year’s Schools Day, which was an encouraging sign for the future of the sport. “Engaging students is an important part of capturing the hearts and minds of the next generation of motorsport fans and goes a long way in setting up the future success of our great event,” he said.
Proud mother, Leah Lewis, was attending the event in uniform as part of the Fire and Rescue Services.
Ultimate guide to the Adelaide 500
By Kitty Barr
Are you heading to the city to the VAILO Adelaide 500 this year? We’ve created the ultimate guide of all the things you need to know.
The event is attracting revheads from all across the country and runs from November 23 to 26.
The Adelaide 500 is Australia’s largest domestic ticketed motorsport event and is world renowned.
The 3.219km circuit has played host for the Adelaide 500 Supercars event since 1999 to 2023, noting the event was cancelled in 2021.
What is happening?
The four-day event has two main races as well as plethora of other events.
Thursday:
There will be Airtime Freestyle Motocross at the Traction Zone at 9.25am, The Gulf Western Touring Car Masters Qualifying on the track at 11.10am, the Tyrepower V8 Superute Series Qualifying on the track at 2.15pm, the Drag Start Ups near Gate 10 at 2.35pm and there will be the Repco Supercars Practice at 3.45pm.
Friday:
The Drag Start Ups near Gate 10 at 10.15am, the Repco Supercars Championship Practice 2 on the track at 12.35pm, the Boost Mobile BMX Freestyle Invitational at the Traction Zone at 1.50pm, the Supercars Autograph Session 1 at 3.30pm and Carl Cox & Eric Powell’s Mobile Disco at the concert oval will be held at 6pm.
Saturday:
The Kindig Q&A and autograph signing session at the Traction Zone will be held at 11.25am, the Supercars Top Ten Shootout on the track at 12.05pm, the Repco Supercars Championship Race 27 on the track at 2.50pm, the Boost Mobile BMX Freestyle Invitational UCI Final at the Traction Zone at 5.20pm and Icehouse plus more at the concert oval from 6pm.
Sunday:
The Supercars Autograph Session 2 at the Traction Zone at 8.45am, Kindig Custom Car Show Presentation of Trophies at the Street Elite Marquee at 9.35am, the Top Ten Shootout on the track at 12.05pm, the Repco Supercars Championship Race 28 on the track at 2.45pm, and Robbie Williams plus guests at the concert oval from 5.45pm.
Entertainment
The Adelaide 500 is known for their post-race events, and this year has a spectacular line up.
Friday will see Carl Cox & Eric Powell’s Mobile Disco from 6pm, Saturday is Icehouse plus guests from 6pm, and the legendary Robbie Williams will take to the stage on Sunday after the race.
There will also be a HomeStart Family Zone, a maii Pedal Circuit for the kids, a Hot Wheel’s Display and a Motorsport Hub.
How to get tickets and what do they cost
Single day, weekend and four-day general admission ticket options are still available, starting from $29 plus with a one-off $6.95 booking fee per transaction, up to $169 for a four-day adult pass, available on the official website, adelaide500.com.au, or through Ticketek.
A range of reserved seat grandstand tickets are also available around the track. Prices vary.
How to get there
Adelaide 500 ticket holders will ride for free on all Adelaide Metro bus, train and tram services over the four day race.
There will also be additional bus, train and tram services including O-Bahn services operating across the event, including following the After Race Concerts.
Those attending the race will also have access to a free VAILO Adelaide 500 shuttle bus with a CBD route of over 17 stops to key gates around the event, looping to the Adelaide Railway station.
The shuttle will operate from approximately 8.30am to 7pm on Thursday and 8am to midnight on Friday and over the weekend.
What will the weather be like?
Rain and thunderstorms are forecast fro Adelaide leading into the event. Thursday will start off sunny, with clouds increasing in the afternoon – which will turn into showers and thunder in the evening. The maximum temperature will be 28 degrees.
Showers will become more likely and more frequent after midnight, turning to rain on Friday morning. The maximum predicted temperature on Friday is forecast as 24 degrees, with the likely rainfall range between three and 20 millimetres.
The maximum temperature for both Saturday and Sunday is 21 degrees, with some clouds and showers predicted for Saturday.
Luckily, it looks as though Sunday will be mostly dry.
Road closures
Here are a list of the road closures before, during and after the event.
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