Did you notice all the media noise around a possible street race out West, whipped up in the days leading to the recent Supercars event at Wanneroo?
Well, if you did it’s probably only because you were reading Speedcafe or one of the other specialist Australian motorsports sites.
The fact is that there wasn’t any noticeable media in Perth concerning such a possibility apart from a throwaway line from a Channel 7 sports reporter, on the Monday, post event.
And that’s because the idea was just another ‘floater’ from Supercars. They themselves, along with an overly optimistic deputy premier, apparently, are keen on it.
But if there was any real plan to have a race on the streets of Perth (or Fremantle) then there’s one thing you can very sure of; the local mainstream media would have been all over it.
In this day and age, the inevitable disruption caused by any temporary circuit based in a major conurbation is going to mean that there will be those who are opposed to it as well as those who may see a benefit. We’ve all seen this play out.
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That means plenty of debate and consultation before anything can ever get off the ground. Therefore, in the absence of even a whiff of that in WA at the moment means only one thing – there’s nothing to see there.
And that also means any plans that Supercars may hope to push forward with are only a twinkle in someone’s eye right now. If, let’s say, all the hurdles can be overcome to allow the creation of a temporary track in somewhere meaningful, then it’s unlikely to happen especially quickly.
But it’s also the wrong thing to do.
What Supercars should be doing is, in my opinion, using its clout as the premier motorsports category in the country (along with Motorsport Australia) to help to persuade the WA government to invest in a world-class circuit in the region to the benefit of all local motorsports enthusiasts on two wheels and four.
By teaming up with the other vested interests in the West, Supercars can aid and abet the push for a new major circuit in the richest state in Australia. Actually, plans for just such a venue were outlined some two years ago to the south of Perth.
There’s no doubt that Wanneroo is a fabulous little circuit that often creates great racing, but it should be the second track over there, not the premier one. If a new venue was built on the south side of Perth, then surely it would make sense for Supercars to run a double header in WA each season encompassing Wanneroo as well.
A street track Supercars event will come at a net cost to the state government north of $20m to build and dismantle the circuit, compensate those disrupted, plus cover the inevitable Supercars fee, annually. It could be a lot more.
That money would be far better spent as a contribution to the construction of a great piece of new motorsports and training infrastructure that would benefit WA taxpayers the year round. Three years of costs of a street event with nothing to show for it afterwards, versus $60m towards a real legacy is no contest for me.
Street tracks come and, inevitably, go for the most part. We’re very lucky to have three such circuits on the Supercars calendar, four if you include the Australian Grand Prix. Bathurst is a temporary circuit but it doesn’t need to be constructed each year, so doesn’t count in this discussion.
But it took a change of government and a dogged approach from a supportive new premier to reinstate the Adelaide event in Victoria Park. And whilst the Townsville track looks to have long-term legs, it is notable for being in a regional centre rather than a major city such as Perth. That undoubtedly protects it.
Unfortunately, the Gold Coast event is the one that struggles to stack up these days and is not likely to survive the inevitable flight of funding into the Olympics pot at some stage. Sad, as I love the spectacle of cars racing around that track, but probably the reality.
The real way to ensure a sustainable long-term future for both the sport and for Supercars in Western Australia is to work hard to persuade the state pollies to support the creation of a new permanent facility. Given that there’s already a superb speedway track and drag strip, isn’t that something that makes sense?
An FIA Grade 2 motor racing circuit in the state would not only give a great platform for Supercars, but also other potential categories from around the world. After all, Perth is a lot closer to Europe, the Middle East and parts of South East Asia than Australia’s East Coast.
That could make for a much more attractive case to be made when considering the logistical challenges associated with sea freighting cars and infrastructure around the world. Shipping times and air travel times from Singapore and Dubai are both markedly shorter into Perth/Fremantle than Sydney, for instance.
And, if the government over there wants some help in making a dollar go further and getting the biggest bang for their buck, then I suggest a call to Tony Quinn. He’s been there, done that and got the t-shirt in terms of circuit development and ownership.
In other news…
Shane van Gisbergen’s first Xfinity win, at the Portland road circuit, was awesome to watch. It might have been a bit scruffy from time to time, but that’s true of almost every race in the series amongst the top 10 drivers. He got stuck in and gave us a brilliant race to watch.
The only negative has to be the contempt for the audience in Australia shown by Foxtel/Kayo.
We pay, yes pay, good money to watch live and uninterrupted coverage of sport. To have to endure the coverage cutting away to an ad break after two corners of the race was the absolute pits.
If the Americans want to do that, so be it, but keep the feed coming to us even without commentary.
Come on guys, if you want to build an audience around the Antipodean migration to NASCAR then go about it with respect for your customers. At least Stan keeps the IndyCar feed going whilst the Americans nip off for a burger or two every five minutes.
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