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South Australian driver Tim Slade says Supercars is missing a part of its identity without the iconic Adelaide 500.
This weekend, South Australians will go to the polls to decide which party will form the state’s government for the next four-year term.
Should the Peter Malinauskas-led SA Labor overcome the incumbent SA Liberal government headed by Steven Marshall, then the Adelaide 500 has been promised to return.
Should that transpire, the street race will be the final round of the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship on December 1-4.
Slade, who has contested the Adelaide 500 on 11 occasions, said it’s inconceivable to imagine the event never returning.
“Whether you’re South Australian or not, I think everyone in this paddock and industry and in general really hopes that we do get the event back because it is the best event on the calendar,” Slade told Speedcafe.com.
“Being a South Australian, it’s probably a little bit more special for me and the other South Australians because of the history. I’ve been going there since the Formula 1 days with Dad.
“To me, more than anything, it’s just sad to think we [might] never have it again. There’s nothing to me that can replace that.
“The feelings you get around that week there, and Adelaide not being a major city like a Sydney or a Melbourne, it’s a bit more like a big old country town. I feel as though everyone in the town and in the state really embraces the event and gets behind it.
“It’s just such an awesome week in Adelaide and such a good period in Adelaide; Mad March. Obviously, I’m hoping that it works out come election time and we can get the event back.”
After the demise of the Adelaide 500, which was last held in 2020, Supercars has opened the two seasons since at Mount Panorama and Sydney Motorsport Park.
Largely owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Supercars hasn’t been able to commence its calendar on the streets of Newcastle as was planned.
Slade is optimistic that if the Adelaide 500 can’t return as soon as this year, that it could open the 2023 championship.
In the meantime, he believes Supercars season-opener is lacking the grandeur it deserves.
“It’s a massive chunk that got taken away from our sport,” said Slade.
“As much as you don’t want to be negative or talk it down, and I know the circumstances led us back to Sydney Motorsport Park again, but you don’t get anywhere near the feeling that you get of an Adelaide 500 or another street circuit to open the year.
“Hopefully we can get that feeling back. It’d be awesome to have Adelaide back in its normal opening spot, and if we can’t; definitely get back to some sort of street circuit.
“I don’t feel a permanent circuit can bring that same kind of feeling and anticipation for the year ahead.
“It was such a good mix of that party atmosphere and there’s a massive corporate presence there as well being at the heart of Adelaide.
“It’s the perfect event, and if it’s run properly how it used to be when the [South Australian] Motorsport Board existed, I think it can’t really go wrong.”
The South Australian election takes place this Saturday, March 19.
