No Newcastle 500 in 2024
The Newcastle 500 will not be a part of the 2024 Supercars Championship season, the city’s Lord Mayor has announced.
City of Newcastle mayor Nautali Nelmes confirmed the news on ABC Newcastle Breakfast on Thursday morning, having recently completed a phone call with Supercars CEO Shane Howard.
Despite a successful return after four years away in March this year, the future of the NSW street race relied on a contract renewal between Supercars, the NSW Government and the City of Newcastle.
Even though both Supercars and the NSW Government threw their support behind the race continuing, the local council were not so keen after completing a Community Consultation Strategy where the majority were not in favour of the racing taking place.
Initially a new five-year deal was being negotiated, before attention turned to a one-year extension for 2024 which also did not materialise.
Racing returned to Newcastle for the first time since 2019 in March. Image: Peter Norton
The announcement comes a day after the NSW Premier Chris Minns called on the City of Newcastle to make a decision on the event’s future, with the Council previously making it clear it would have the “final say”.
Nelmes highlighted how Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp was against the Newcastle 500 continuing due to the disruption it caused to the city as a key factor behind the decision.
“An event of this size and scale would have to be supported by local state MPs for it to ever go ahead, so the decision really does rest with the NSW government,” Nelmes said on ABC Newcastle Breakfast.
The first Newcastle 500 took place in 2017. Image: Daniel Kalisz/LAT Images
“Tim has come out quite clearly not supporting the event (following) the consultation that we have done in his particular area and we absolutely respect his decision,
“And there is no way we’ll be going ahead with an event of that size and scale when your local state representatives don’t support it.”
This paves the way for Bathurst to firm as the season opener with an event likely to be held following the 12 Hour race in February in similar style to the 2021 Bathurst 500.
The Newcastle 500 was first held in 2017, staging one of the most famous and tightest season finales ever, while it also held the closer in 2018 and 2019.
After four years off during the COVID-19 disrupted seasons, the race returned in March as the season opener to begin the Gen3 era.
More about a proposed 2024 Supercars calendar can be found in the latest issue of AUTO ACTION.
Supercars has been contacted for comment.
More to follow
Image: Peter Norton/Epic Sports Photography
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