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Cessnock City Council has pitched the ‘Wine Country 500’ as a replacement for the Newcastle 500, which was held in the neighbouring local government area a total of four times (2017 to 2019, 2023) but has now been killed off by its council.
For now, the Bathurst 12 Hour weekend has been expanded to a 10-day ‘SuperFest’ in order to accommodate the 2024 Supercars season-opener, but that is unlikely to be a lasting solution nor, arguably, an ideal one.
For the Wine Country 500 concept to come together next year, however, decisions would have to be made relatively quickly, according to Mayor Jay Suvaal.
Asked about next steps and matters such as a business case, Cr Suvaal told Speedcafe, “I think a lot of that relies on what Supercars and Destination South Wales need and what the track design would be.
“But, you would have to think they’d have to be making decisions about it in the early to mid part of this year if you’re going to have the required infrastructure in place [for 2025].
“Because, there need to be contractors and it doesn’t matter what road in the country you run a race on, it’s going to need to be upgraded; normal residential roads are not built to the standards of race tracks.”
The Newcastle 500 was a tri-party agreement between Supercars, the Newcastle City Council, and the New South Wales state government through its Destination NSW (DNSW) tourism/events agency, with the latter providing the bulk of the funding.
That funding had been on the table for a renewal, albeit for just the one year as an interim deal, until Newcastle council dug in its heels for the stated reason that one year was inconsistent with the five-year scenario on which its community consultation was predicated.
Presumably, then, that funding could still be made available if a suitable alternative was found, and Cessnock council has held talks with DNSW and Supercars about just that possibility.
According to Cr Suvaal, the ball is in their court right now, including if a track is feasible.
“We’ve started discussions with Supercars, Destination Sydney Surrounds North, and through Destination NSW as well as the state government to put our location forward,” he explained.
“It’ll be up to Supercars and Destination NSW to consider their preferred next options and where they want to host the race, and we’re more than willing to keep our discussions open with them.”
The primary reason for the Newcastle 500’s failure to establish itself as a fixture of the Supercars calendar was resistance from residents in the vicinity of the circuit, which snaked its way through the city’s historic East End, who made the event a political issue for council.
While Cessnock council has only undertaken “preliminary groundwork” on potential tracks, with no firm indication on whether the circuit would be comprised of suburban streets or more open roads, there is unlikely to be an impact on nearly as many residents as was the case in Newcastle.
Cr Suvaal indicated that open road options which would showcase the region’s vineyards, hence the ‘Wine Country 500’ moniker, would tick multiple boxes.
“We haven’t gone that far; we’re still looking at what they think would be feasible to do,” said Cr Suvaal.
“But, my own thoughts, I would think something more in rural areas, which has less property owners impacts and provides the scenery benefits for the promotion of the region [would be preferable].”
The Thrifty Bathurst 500, which replaces the Newcastle 500 this year, takes place on February 23-25.
