Supercars drivers scope out Perth street circuit

Supercars hopes next year will mark its last visit to Wanneroo Raceway, north of the city, before the street event takes over Perth’s fixture.

The WA Cook Government has announced plans for a $217.5 million multi-purpose facility nestled between the Crown Casino precinct and Optus Stadium.

It’s currently the subject of community consultation amid pushback from local residents and state opposition leader Basil Zempilas.

Drivers Andre Heimgartner, David Reynolds, Anton De Pasquale and Cameron Hill visited the location on Wednesday and sung the virtues of the project.

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“A street track in Perth just makes sense,” said Heimgartner, a New Zealander now based in Perth.

“You’ve got a beautiful river here, lots of park, lots of greenery, amazing bridges, and obviously you have the city in the background.

“I think it’s something that’s really needed. We obviously have the circuit out of Perth, which is great, but it’s amazing to bring it back in here and get that street circuit in the calendar for Perth.

“It just adds so much to the aera and brings so much atmosphere and so much to the city.”

The proposed circuit will use a combination of existing roads and newly added tarmac, with detailed design work currently taking place under the guidance of Mark Skaife.

“I think it doesn’t really matter exactly the layout,” said Heimgartner. “Once you get all of us in there, we create some good racing, and I think the location speaks for itself.”

Mark Skaife details Perth street circuit design

Street races in Townsville, the Gold Coast and Adelaide are among Supercars’ marquee events, with Perth primed to take the opening slot on the calendar from 2027.

While the primary benefit of a street event is the ability to take the sport to the people, Reynolds said they’re also a great challenge for drivers.

“The street circuit brings it back to the driver, a little bit,” he said.

“The big walls, the big crashes, the element of fear you’ve got to combat… when you’re going 250 kays and you see a wall dead in front of you, it’s hard mentally to get around that.

“I love street tracks. It’s easy to get to, the crowd can see a lot more, the crashes are bigger, the battles are bigger, it’s just a whole vibe.”