Supercars’ return to Canberra has suffered a blow after a proposal to establish a new event in the city was rejected by Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
As reported by Speedcafe, a consortium has been in dialogue with the ACT government as well as Supercars for a number for years for a possible return to the capital, which hosted a street race there from 2000 to 2002.
Turcin Avis submitted the proposal, led by Angelo Turcin, Russell Avis and Andy Philpott.
The proposal looked to use the EPIC (Exhibition Park In Canberra) in the suburb of Watson, to the north-east of the Canberra CBD, that is currently undergoing significant government investment.
EPIC is currently used for a multitude of events, including Summernats, and has hosted motorsport events including a stage of Rally Canberra back in 2000.
As reported in The Canberra Times, Barr told a senate estimates committed yesterday that he would not support the proposal.
“The assessment from the directorate was that it didn’t stack up,” Barr is quoted in The Canberra Times, the minister adding that “tens of millions of dollars” would be required to make the race viable.
For comparison, the funding for the original Canberra Supercars street race included $4.5 million from the ACT Government.
“It would have required a significant investment from the territory government in infrastructure at Exhibition Park that we were not in a position to make.”
Turcin Avis’ proposal surmised that the event would be cost neutral within three years, with Russell Avis saying that the event is “not dead yet”.
“Yes, there would be up-front infrastructure costs involved but our intention was to leverage commitments that had already been made to upgrade the road network and the new Exhibition Park facility,” said Avis.
“These [races] are big events in other states and territories; they bring in millions of dollars.
“This event really deserved a more considered study than we believe it was given; we had tried a number of times to get that sit-down meeting with the Chief Minister to walk him through what was proposed but we couldn’t get time in his scheduled, which is. Really unfortunate”
The event comes following calls for more Supercars events, with only 12 rounds in the 2023 season, which has seen drivers and commentators seeking more seat-time.
That has seen Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning NASCAR win in Chicago, Chaz Mostert’s drive at Spa as well as Brodie Kostecki who will make his Cup Series debut next month.
Mark Skaife joined the chorus for more Supercars events, saying, “I would love to be able to get a Canberra race up in the ACT – we should be able to go to every state and territory,” during the Fox Sports broadcast at the Tasmania Supercars round in May this year.
Former Supercars CEO, Sean Seamer, had already publicly supported a race in the ACT, stating in 2021 that it was in Supercars’ ‘medium-term horizon’ and that he was ‘dead keen’ for a race in Canberra.
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