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Whilst the ongoing trials and tribulations affecting the local motorsports scene have been painfully exposed in recent weeks at Bathurst and, only days ago, in Tasmania, it was very refreshing indeed to be able to witness the triumph that was the AMF last weekend.
Adelaide is, surely, the only city in Australia that can host this type of event on a long-term basis. Of course, some people will argue that the recent copy-cat event in Canberra can challenge the AMF. It can’t and it won’t. In just the same way as others in the UK tried, and failed, to replicate the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Adelaide Motorsport Festival will win the day.
And that’s for one massive reason. So many of the good folk of South Australia simply love motorsports. They are deeply knowledgeable, respectful, and committed fans. These attributes were never better reflected than at the weekend in Victoria Park. Let’s not pretend that the federal capital city can duplicate that.
That’s not to say that an event in Canberra can’t work at some level, but not on the same level as the AMF.
What has really helped make the AMF the success story it has become is timing. Running it a week before the Australian Grand Prix has really enhanced the international flavour. That must continue and be unencumbered by others who may try to muscle in on this part of the seasonal calendar. Beds have been made…
The timing makes it possible to have the increasingly big array of international names attend the event. This year was headlined not only by Valtteri Bottas once again, but also Damon Hill (with a very interesting Adelaide F1 history of course), Guenther Steiner, Paddy Lowe, Liam Lawson, and David Croft. Mind you, Lowndsey more than held his own with the fans even against these big guns!
The crowds turned out in force on both Saturday and Sunday in pretty hot conditions, and flocked to the various stage events. And that’s where the fans really showed their knowledge of, and respect for, the sport and its luminaries. It was so good to witness and be a small part of that.
REPLAY: Adelaide Motorsport Festival Sunday
In fact, ticket sales were some 40 percent up on 2023 with over 40,000 attendees plus a huge crowd for the Friday evening street party on Gouger Street in the heart of the city.
Meanwhile, the sheer array of both two- and four-wheeled machinery on show was stunning. Modern to classic, F1 to rallying, exotica to electric, there was huge variety. The accessibility of the cars and bikes as well as the crews who looked after them was special.
My personal highlight was meeting the local king of classic bikes in this country, Brisbane-based Tom Dermody. Tom, of Irish heritage like so many worthy Aussies, is nuts about bikes and also rallying. The collection of racing motorcycles that he had on show at the Festival, including a Suzuki RG500 and a couple of Yamaha YZR500s, was actually overshadowed by the cast of motorcycle racing legends who were fettling the bikes – people such as Jeremy Burgess, Dickie Smart, Stu Avant, and Kevin Magee. I think that just the smell of two-stroke engines drew them to Adelaide.
But it wasn’t only older folk like me that were drooling over the cars and bikes on show. There was an incredibly diverse crowd in Victoria Park that covered all age groups, and, in my humble opinion, they were pretty much all aligned in having little time for the various electric car exhibits with the huge exception of the latest Ford SuperVan. Whatever your opinion of electric road cars, the SuperVan, in the hands of Liam Lawson, was a sight to behold both statically and whilst on track. Absolutely bonkers and a great addition to the Festival this year.
There was talk at the weekend of introducing some actual racing to the AMF in the future.
All I can say is DON’T. The event would immediately cease to have the relaxed flavour it enjoys under the current set-up. There was almost no damage to machinery at the weekend, no one was under pressure, and there was no timing, which meant that those who wanted to insure their cars to take part in demonstrations could do so very cheaply.
There’s no need for racing. There are other great events for that, like the Phillip Island Classic.
The AMF can continue to build year on year, hopefully with sustained support from the South Australian Government, by maximising the timing and calendar positioning and, whilst that’s what increasingly helps attract the big international names, it would also benefit from having the new, young breed of local Supercars stars in attendance with some of their cars.
Half a dozen Supercars along with the likes of winners such as Broc Feeney, Matt Payne, Will Brown, and (whisper it) Brodie Kostecki would add to the event. Australia has an incredible Touring Car history and that should be on show from past to present as much as possible in front of those international guests.
I honestly believe that there’ll be a waiting list of folk wanting to take their car and bikes to Adelaide in 2025 and that it’ll fast become an honour to have a slot in the paddock there. Hopefully the show can grow into a full three- or even four-day event so that as many people as possible can enjoy the AMF, it doesn’t become too elitist, and continues to be truly accessible.
How good is it to be writing a truly positive story about the local motorsports scene these days! Congratulations to Tim Possingham and his team plus the SA Government for their hard work and commitment.
