COMMENT: Sydney let sports fans down at the Race of Champions

A blockbuster contest played out in front of thousands of empty seats suggests something isn’t right in our largest city.

COMMENT: Sydney, where the bloody hell were ya?

You weren’t there when the city’s largest stadium transformed into a racetrack, when some of the world’s best drivers flew into town and when five Australian racing drivers needed your support.

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The Race of Champions is a thrilling test of driving skill. Picture: Supplied

The Race of Champions was a blockbuster event that had the potential to be truly outrageous.

Held in a stadium with the capacity to host 83,500 spectators, the event struggled to attract much more than 30,000 fans across two nights.

It deserved better than that.

It deserves to be hosted by Melbourne, Adelaide or the Gold Coast – regions that understand motorsport and back world-class events.

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The 2025 Race of Champions did not come close to filling Accor Stadium. Picture: David McCowen

But it might never come back to Australia. You can understand why event organisers might be hesitant to invest millions for an event witnessed by near enough to 50,000 empty seats.

In all likelihood, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a $1.5 million track built inside Accor Stadium as part of an event that, by some estimates, cost $5m to run.

When nations went head-to-head on Friday night, Australian Supercars stars Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki beat the odds to defeat motorsport powerhouses such as the US and UK to put us in the final with France.

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There were thousands of empty seats in the stadium. Picture: Supplied

It was a spectacular performance.

It’s rare to hear much support for Queenslanders in the cauldron that hosts State of Origin. But every spectator in the house roared when Toowoomba’s Will Brown beat nine-time World Rally champion Sebastian Loeb in the first of three heats.

But there weren’t enough of those fans. Not by half.

Australia’s fairy tale run to the final was a genuinely special moment that deserved a larger audience.

And the same was true on Saturday night, when Aussies put in giant-killing performances to punch above their weight.

Former Australian rally champion Molly Taylor did us proud to win back-to-back races that put her in a shootout with Loeb – arguably the greatest rally driver of all time.

Australian rally driver Molly Taylor starred in the event. Picture: Supplied

Dakar Rally specialist Toby Price – a man best known for performances on two wheels – also drove his heart out to be one of the final eight drivers, joined by Brown and Chaz Mostert – along with world champions such as Sebastian Vettel.

Mostert, a two-time Bathurst 1000 winner, finished a close second to Loeb in a final that won’t be forgotten by fans who took a chance on a different kind of event.

Too few fans witnessed Taylor’s wins. Picture: Supplied

Sure, Australia – and the Southern Hemisphere – hosted the Race of Champions for the first time, but it’s not as though this is a new concept – it was held for the first time back in 1988.

Sure, Cyclone Alfred would have put the brakes on for some fans.

But the tickets were too expensive for a lot of folks.

2025 Race of Champions in Accor Stadium, Sydney. Picture: Supplied

Decent seats were too dear at $400-odd for the weekend - and don’t get me started on “all access” packages sold for an eye-watering $5990.

There should have been family-friendly options for an event perfect for kids with short attention spans - after all, folks who went on Friday and Saturday got to witness 69 races, with minimal breaks in the action.

Access could have been cheaper, had event organisers not made indulgent choices such as flying in a DJ, stunt driving team, and all their specialist equipment from Europe.

Was the event under-subscribed because the date clashed with the opening round of the NRL season?

Or was it let down by a lack of promotion?

Could it be another case of Sydneysiders failing to get behind major events in their back yard?

Perhaps.

Those who made the effort to attend will tell you that it was a sensational showcase of driving talent, held in an arena that deserved to be packed to the rafters.

And that folks who love motor racing and live sporting events should have been there.

Originally published as COMMENT: Sydney let sports fans down at the Race of Champions