Braking News: Future of Adelaide street race revealed, Supercars’ great Darwin hangover
It was one of the biggest and most popular races on the Supercars calendar before it was axed two years ago. Now the future of an iconic street race has been confirmed.
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The Adelaide 500 has been locked in as the Supercars finale for the next five years after the iconic street race was brought back from the dead.
Reviving what had been one of the sport’s biggest and most popular races on the calendar before it was axed, Supercars and the South Australian government confirmed the future of the marquee event in Adelaide on Thursday.
The return of the Adelaide 500 has been locked in for December 1-4 this year – and the following four years – as a blockbuster finale to the Supercars championship.
The Adelaide 500 was last held in 2020 before the previous SA government announced later that year it was scrapping the event.
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But new Premier Peter Malinauskas vowed earlier this year to revive the Adelaide 500 if he won the state election in March.
Supercars chief executive Shane Howard said the event’s return was a win for motorsport fans and this year’s finale would provide a fitting farewell for the Commodore ahead of the sport’s new Gen3 era.
“For the last 18 months, we have worked closely with the Premier and his team to make this happen,” Howard said.
“Motorsport fans spoke loud and clear when this event was axed and we’re thrilled we have locked the Adelaide 500 in for them for the next five years.
“This is so much more than a car race.
“The Adelaide 500 is the only event to hold a place in Supercars Hall of Fame and with good reason – it’s the big show. It is motorsport entertainment at its very best.
“Holden’s history started here in Adelaide and what better way to farewell the Commodore from Supercars than right here in the heart of the (Adelaide) city.”
Before it was axed, the Adelaide 500 had owned a place on the Supercars calendar since 1999 and had traditionally opened to the season.
Many Supercars drivers, particularly South Australian-born Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Nick Percat had been vocal in pushing for the Adelaide 500’s return, previously describing the event as “on a par with Bathurst”.
Supercars will also hold its end of season gala awards night on the Monday following the Adelaide 500 for the next five years as part of its agreement with the SA government.
The return of the Adelaide 500 will complete a blockbuster finish to the Supercars season with the Bathurst 1000, Gold Coast 600 and Adelaide filling the final three rounds.
The Supercars championship resumes in Townsville on July 8-10.
SUPERCARS’ GREAT DARWIN HANGOVER
– James Phelps
Tim Cahill is set to make a shock sporting comeback with the Socceroos legend revealing he is set to go racing in a bombshell career move.
Braking News can reveal Cahill – arguably Australia’s greatest ever soccer player – will return to international sport next year as a race team owner after buying his very own race team.
In a surprise career move that comes just a week after the Socceroos qualified for the World Cup, Cahill has bought a share in an Extreme E series race team.
“I’m really excited to be a part of this team,” Cahill said.
“The combination of thrilling, competitive racing and leaving a lasting, positive impact makes the sport totally unique. We look to bring a significant new audience to Extreme E from within the millions of football fans across the world.”
Part of the XE Sports Group, Cahill and his company will race in season three of the Extreme E series.
Becoming the first Asia Pacific team to be based in Australia, the Cahill backed outfit will race a BYD in the fast growing international off-road series that is limited to electrical powered cars.
The current Extreme E line-up includes teams run by legendary motorsport names including McLaren, Lewis Hamilton (X44), Nico Rosberg (Rosberg X Racing) Jenson Button (JBXE), and Carlos Sainz (ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team).
Best known for his heroics for the Socceroos, the former Everton star revealed himself as a supercar owning revhead.
“I had pictures of a Ferrari and a Lamborghini when I was a little kid,” Cahill said.
“They were my dream cars. I eventually got to the point in my career where I was able to realise that dream and buy a Lamborghini Gallardo. I didn’t end up driving it a whole lot, but it had huge significance to me because it meant that I’d made a childhood goal come true. In football you spend all of your time training, and in the UK I lived 30-40min from the training ground, so being in comfort for that trip was definitely a luxury.”
WHICH WILL FOR DJR
NOT even a public backing by Dick Johnson and a five-star performance in Darwin could kill off the rumour that Will Davison is on the outer at DJR.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph last week, Johnson revealed that Davison was in line for a new deal and that negotiations would begin later this month.
But the statement did not stop tongues from wagging in pit-lane with the whispers about Will Brown replacing Davison at DJR only growing louder.
Davison proved without doubt that he still has a future in the sport by bagging a pole and two podiums in Darwin — but according to some, DJR may still look to the future by poaching next gen star Brown from Erebus.
STARS AND STRIPES
ANOTHER next gen star will head to the US at the end of the year to spend his off-season racing NASCAR like stock cars.
Speaking at the Darwin Triple Crown, Brodie Kostecki revealed he was planning on heading to America at the end of the season to race in a NASCAR feeder series in a bid to stay race-fit.
Kostecki is no stranger to racing in the US having previously competed in the Late Model stock cars series.
And he didn’t do too bad either.
Kostecki scored two poles and clocked a lap record during his stint in the NASCAR feeder series.
DRIVER WANTED
GARRY Jacobson and Chris Pither are reportedly on the outer with PremiAir Racing boss Peter Xibberas allegedly in the market for two new drivers.
We have been told that the rookie team owner has held talks with other drivers and is likely to hire two up-and-comers for the 2023 season.
THE HANGOVER
There were some sore heads in Darwin on Monday morning following Chaz Mostert’s incredible win at Hidden Valley.
Drivers and staff from across the paddock migrated to a farewell party for long time Head of TV Nathan Prendergast, who even had novelty T-shirts made for guests that read “Prenderfest”.
Prendergast has led Supercars Broadcast since 2018 and has been a critical part of the sport’s Logie award-winning broadcast of the Bathurst 1000 in particular.
He has been replaced by long-time offsider David Tunnicliffe, who now takes the reins of the sports renowned TV broadcast team.
MEN OF THE MATCH
IT may not have been a clean sweep for Dick Johnson Racing but the famous team showed they genuinely have the speed to take it to Shane van Gisbergen with a Hidden Valley blitz.
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