Breaking News: Newcastle 500 Scrapped for Next Year’s Supercars Championship
In a recent announcement, the Supercars Championship declared the cancellation of the Newcastle 500, leaving the city out of next year’s racing program. This decision was confirmed by Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes in a conversation with Supercars’ chief operating officer Shane Howard, emphasizing the crucial need for local state support for an event of such magnitude.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp opposed the race continuation, citing city disruption as his primary concern. Mayor Nelmes acknowledged Crakanthorp’s stance, emphasizing the necessity of local state representatives’ backing for an event of this scale to proceed.
Echoing community sentiment, a recent survey initiated by the City of Newcastle indicated that 59% of online respondents opposed the event’s return for the next five years. This revelation follows NSW Premier Chris Minns’ call for the council to reach a conclusive decision on the event’s future. While the NSW government had committed to funding a one-year extension, discussions for a longer-term agreement were left pending.
Efforts to obtain a statement from Supercars regarding the development are underway.