Supercars drivers Slade, Percat to hit the road with Adelaide 500 protesters
Holden and Ford fans remain united in their stand to save the Adelaide 500 – and now some star power is on the way to join their campaign.
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Ford and Holden drivers and fans have joined forces in a rare show of unity to save the Adelaide 500 event.
And in a special treat for fans, they can meet and take to the road in a protest cruise this Sunday behind Ford Supercars driver Tim Slade and Holden’s Nick Percat.
The two SA drivers have flown in especially for the event at the invitation of MP Frank Pangallo and cruise organisers the SS Owners Club of SA.
The route of the cruise will be announced on the day but will start and finish at Cafe De Vili’s, Manchester Road, Mile End South from 9.30am.
SS Club President Ian Barlow said it would include as much of the Adelaide street circuit as possible as well as a symbolic pass of Parliament House to protest the axing of the event.
Despite being the most well attended V8 race in Australia, the Adelaide 500 was axed by the State Government with funding to be redirected to tourism.
Mr Barlow said fans who backed any marque of car were welcome to attend.
“We’ll combine it with a bit of fun for the fans to stretch their legs up the freeway and everything has been checked off with the police,’’ he said.
“All drivers need to bring is a full tank of fuel and a belief that this great race needs to be reinstated.
“It started as a very informal thing and then MP Frank Pangallo, who has been a big supporter, organised Percat and Slade to be there.”
Tim Slade said as a Ford driver it was satisfying to see fans of many marques rallying for the cause.
“The event for me has a lot of significance and memories going right back to when I was a kid and they ran the F1 on the circuit,” he said.
“Everyone was shocked by the decision to cut the race because it was a big successful event.”
The State Government has no plans to reinstate the race, and is pointing to the private-sector funded alternative Supercars round at The Bend from May 7-9.
Mr Barlow said the next protest would be held in March and the club was keen to keep the issue in the public eye because the Opposition and promised to bring the race back if it wins the 2022 state election.
In the Supercars championship, SA’s Slade drives for CoolDrive Auto Parts Blanchard Racing Team and Nick Percat for Brad Jones Racing.
Mr Pangallo said a state government panel had so far failed to come up with events to replace the annual Adelaide 500 crowd of around 200,000 people.
“They will need to be darn good events to get anywhere near the standing the Supercars had over the course of about 20 years and the economic boost it provides the state each year,’’ he said.
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