Supercars is “very excited” about the proposed mega-track near Melbourne as Sandown’s future beyond 2024 remains unclear.
It’s being designed as an all-encompassing venue for major car and motorcycle racing.
Supercars supremo Shane Howard sees the track as a potential new Melbourne-region home for the V8 championship once Sandown is closed for residential redevelopment.
“Yes, exciting news,” Howard told Speedcafe in reaction to the recent announcement of the Avalon super-circuit proposal. “It’s always good news to have new race tracks developed because they don’t come along every day.
“So, yes, we’d be very excited to have a look at those opportunities that come from having a venue like that in Victoria. It’s obviously very early days, but, hopefully, we will get the opportunity [to race there] down the track.”
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The return of the Sandown 500 is locked in this year and next, but Supercars has no indication – much less a deal – to continue at the historic southeast Melbourne suburban venue.
Owner of the 60-year-old horse and car racing course, the equestrian Melbourne Racing Club, is looking to sell the site for urban development.
MRC’s plans have been delayed by local council resistance, fearing the conversion will overwhelm local infrastructure.
But, long-term, Sandown is doomed as MRC plans to consolidate its activities at Caulfield racecourse in inner Melbourne, reaping a windfall from Sandown’s sale.
The logical replacement for motorsport is the proposed Avalon circuit, located close to Victoria’s ‘second city’ Geelong and within easy reach southwest of Melbourne.
It is targeted to be ready by early 2027, with hopes Sandown will survive until at least ’26.
Driven by Motorsport Australia, the Avalon plan is to build a full-facility car and motorcycle racing track of between four and five kilometres to full Formula 1 and MotoGP safety spec.
It would be the centrepiece of a planned motorsport, driver training and automotive testing precinct on federal government-owned land next to the Linfox-operated Avalon Airport, ultimately creating a combined racing, driving skills, technology and transport hub.
The circuit would cater for all levels of car racing from grassroots to top-level national events, with Supercars a main target, as well as international categories like World Endurance Championship sportscars and Formula E.
Motorcycle Australia is also involved, making it suitable for rounds of the Australian and world Superbike championships and other major two-wheel racing events.
There is no plan for the Avalon complex to take over the F1 Australian Grand Prix from Albert Park on the edge of Melbourne’s CBD, which is locked in through 2037 anyway, nor the Australian Motorcycle GP at Phillip Island, which is owned by Linfox.
It is understood that the transport and property giant, which also operates the Anglesea automotive proving ground complex southwest of Geelong, will not be involved in running the Avalon track beyond releasing use of leased land next to the airport it runs.
An initiative of reforming Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca, the governing body’s envisaged ‘home of motorsport’ at Avalon still has hurdles to overcome despite government support.
Initial funding of project planning and track design has been approved – and Speedcafe understands both are well-advanced.
All going well, final sign-off from Spring Street and a commitment to full start-up state support will happen late this year if feasibility studies stack up.
It looks promising, but politics could still derail the ambitious project once it comes to the financial crunch.
But as a major regional development project, the Avalon motorsport complex is likely to go ahead, supported by the benefits of developing the site of Victoria’s second, under-developed gateway.
Meanwhile, Supercars has only two more events left at suburban Sandown in Melbourne.
CEO Shane Howard confirmed September’s return of the Sandown 500 two-driver enduro will be followed by a 60th anniversary celebration of long-distance touring car races at Sandown next year.
“I’m really looking forward to Sandown, going back to an enduro precursor to Bathurst,” he said. “I think it’ll be very special, particularly with the new Gen3 cars as a form guide prior to Bathurst.
“I think it’ll be really well-supported. And then the next year being the 60th anniversary, it’ll be great.
“And then we’ll see what happens after that. But we’re at Sandown for at least two more events.”
Sandown’s first touring car endurance race was the Six Hour in 1964, evolving into the September pre-Bathurst 500 in the late ‘60s and surviving through other iterations until reclaimed by Supercars in 2012.
The last time the 500 was held was 2019.
The Covid pandemic recast Sandown as sprint race events in 2021 and ’22.
Confirmation that Sandown is back as the pre-Bathurst enduro next year comes as Supercars looks to expand the series again beyond 12 events, adding a return to NZ and also Winton and Queensland Raceway.
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