Supercars: Possible 2022 return for Adelaide 500
A pledge has been made to revive the Adelaide 500 as soon as December should the Labor Party win the South Australian state election.
The Adelaide 500, long the Supercars season-opening event, was last held in early 2020.
At an event on Sunday, SA Labor Leader Peter Malinauskas pledged the event will return in December should Labor win the election.
Malinauskas revealed the Adelaide 500 would end the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship on the weekend of December 1-4.
South Australian-born drivers Nick Percat, Todd Hazelwood and Scott Pye joined Malinauskas and fans at the event.
It comes after Malinauskas signed a memorandum of understanding with Supercars in late 2020 to bring the event back to Adelaide.
“When Steven Marshall axed the Adelaide 500, I pledged Labor would bring it back if elected,” Malinauskas said.
“Today’s announcement shows that pledge will be delivered this year.
“If Labor wins next month’s State Election, we will see Supercars returning to the streets of Adelaide before the end of the year.
“The return of the Adelaide 500 would deliver a much-needed boost to CBD hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars and the city economy more broadly.
“The return of the Adelaide 500 is a key plank of my plan for the future of major events in South Australia.”
“We have made no secret that we would love to be back racing on the streets of Adelaide,” Supercars CEO Shane Howard said.
“The Adelaide 500 has played such an important part in making Supercars what it is today.
“We are excited about bringing the event back for our fans.”
Adelaide-born driver and 2016 Adelaide 500 winner Percat echoed Howard’s sentiment.
“This event is the reason so many of us began racing, there is simply nothing like the Adelaide 500,” the Walkinshaw Andretti United recruit said.
“Everyone is passionate about the event and wants it back on the calendar.”