Few thought a V8 Supercars Sydney Olympic Park would ever eventuate, yet the punishing street circuit around the site of the 2000 Olympics has become a fixture as the season finale on the V8 Supercars schedule since 2009.
Seven years into the event, though, it seems V8 Supercars is ready to walk away from Sydney Olympic Park after a failed bid to rework and shorten the circuit in a bid to revitalise the event and save money.
As a result, reports have emerged that V8 Supercars is in talks with the New South Wales government to back a street race in Gosford on the Central Coast, as a potential replacement for Sydney Olympic Park in 2017.
V8 Supercars reportedly loses $4 million a year on the Sydney Olympic Park event, not helped by dwindling crowds year on year. While other street-circuit events in Adelaide, Townsville and Gold Coast have been able sustain a certain level of crowd numbers, Sydney has gone backwards at a noticeable rate.
The decreased interest in Sydney is puzzling. Sure, the event has done away with the post-race concerts that are a regular fixture at the other street circuits and the exhibitions in the pavilions have diminished since the inaugural event.
But Sydney Olympic Park has adequate public transport, free to use for those with a ticket to the event. It has clean air away from other major sporting events, away from the NRL, AFL and Big Bash League. It has the prestige of being the championship-deciding event.
It is a punishing street circuit that always produces drama and is a family-friendly event with so many non-racing attractions throughout the precinct.
So it makes no sense that the crowds have fallen away so dramatically, in total contrast to other street-circuit events, until you factor in Sydney’s notorious fickleness when it comes to sporting events.
Sydney’s fickle sporting crowds are often blamed on poor public transport options to their stadia spread across the often hard to navigate city, a high cost of living compared to other cities and the lack of a strong membership culture relative to the likes of Victoria. Though these factors don’t directly correlate with the Sydney Olympic Park V8 Supercars event, they might help explain a Sydneysiders’ mentality when it comes to not attending sporting events.
Combined with the high cost of staging the event and the difficulty V8 Supercars has had in negotiating to a shorter more cost effective layout with the Sydney Olympic Park Authority, it appears the event is doomed. Given the lack of support from the masses, Sydneysiders will only have themselves to blame.
Gosford, like Townsville, will no doubt support the event – a regional centre with little else in the way of major events. Sydney’s loss will be Gosford’s gain. And any talk of Sydney replacing Melbourne as the host of the Australian Grand Prix should end with the lesson of Sydney Olympic Park’s V8 Supercars event.
Grant Smythe
Guest
Now some will read this and see prejudices, while others will shout racial discrimination etc. But, fact is, it is about Race. Not motor racing either. I'm a 63 yr old car enthusiast that's built cars from the ground up, got my hands dirty with the best of them over the decades. But I'm also a solid Sudney-wider that's been here all his life. Originating out of Western Sydney. And now an inner city dweller, I've seen what I call a growing change in citizens attitudes to events around the city, and its outer laying suburbs. Over the decades, we've had a growing number of people coming to our wonderful country. And that's excellent. It gives us diversity and cultural growth. But that growth also goes against many aspects of the cities ever changing metropolis. Due to that multiculturalism changes, there's been a lessening of what Aussies would fall our real bread and butter sports. One of the biggest being, motorsports, and especially the great V8 Supercars series. In the greater Sydney area, we have so many nationalities that know very little about the sport. Their sports are different, and font have a backbone in building cars in your garage after work and on the weekends. Sure, there's groups that build cars that cost more than your average Sydney house. But these are not the people that want to go to events for a weekend of family fun. One suburb as an example can have upwards of in excess of 60-70 various nationalities, religions and ethnic do likes and dislikes. Most of those do NOT include our "bread and butter" weekend passions. That us, building our ultimate weekend warriors.. Add all,those cultures to a city that's already overcrowded, to an expansion that's only going to explode in the near future, and it's little wonder that these people aren't going to go to a weekend, or even a day of petrol filled mayhem. Albeit great fun for those of us that love the sport. Now, after all that, we add the high prices of just a single day ticket for ONE person, and you can see why those newer citizens don't see the value in spending over a full weeks rent on just one ticket, let alone trying to shell out for a complete weekend ticket. I just purchased tickets for the Sydney Motor Park Super Sprint this weekend. I thought I'd see what tickets might be to go check out the races in my own back yard at Sydney's Homebush Street Circuit. I was knocked back to see that he cheapest, single day ticket at a spot I could only see a car every lap rather than have a decent vantage point. Was going to cost MORE than my weekly rent. Now,,add that,,to the aforementioned cultural changes Sydney is now experiencing, and one can see WHY the event is just looking money hand over fist every year. There are no longer the racing enthusiasts that once filled Sydney and the greater Sydney precinct. Multiculturalism is the cause of the change in attendance, combined with staggering cost for a single ticket, even for a pensioner,who gets a messily $5-$8 discount...seriously! And you wonder why the older revjeads don't attend, and choose to watch it on their 65-75" LCD/LED. UHDTVs.... While I'd LOVE to yo, and take my 40 yr old don, it's just WAY too expensive to even contemplate. That's my thoughts on the matter. Oh, and PLEASE do not think I don't like different cultures, I do. My best friend is a Leabonese lady, and their entire family are my dude family. I lived in Malaya fir a few years and loved it. But others cultures are not the cultures that support these events. And now, these cultures dominate the entire Hreater Sydney Region. OZ - Grant
Ace
Guest
It's pretty simple - complete rip off and very poor treatment of fans. 1 Day ticket with pit access will set you back $130 and 2 days costs $155. I knew about 10 people that would have loved to attend for one day, but not one was willing to pay $130 for one day, unless you're a die-hard fan. Not everyone can spend 2 days at the event (due to commitments) in an effort to get some value for money. 2. Almost every corner vantage point is blocked by sponsorship signs!! It's a slap in the face to fans. We have to peek through signs, peoples shoulders and other infrastructure just to see a car travel about 15m without obstruction.
Catherine
Guest
Sydney's street race is not so exciting as the track is too narrow and uninteresting. I don't know how the drivers keep coming back to it.
nordster
Guest
And the new central coast circuit is largely privately driven ...though they will have their hand out for public money at some point i imagine:(
nordster
Guest
Ha indeed! They even have absurd median house prices to prove it to themselves eh;)
Darryl
Guest
My daughter and I have been every year to Homebush but regret to say this has been our last. We have always paid the premium price for grandstand seats but the stand has been made smaller every year so we are looking now through two barriers to see the action in the pits and from the top row this year could only see down to the wheel achers of the cars. A total waste of nearly $600.
CG2430
Guest
Aye, Wakefield Park is the only other car racing circuit (as distinct from karts) in the state, though the Cenny Coast itself is looking like getting a new club-level circuit: http://www.casarpark.org.au/ As for SMP, I don't mind the place and I attend V8 events there, but on the shuttle bus option - no one in their right mind wants to end up in Blacktown (nearest train station).
CG2430
Guest
How dare you suggest the NSW Government should give a toss about anything north of Berowra, south of St George, and west of Penrith! Sydney is the best city in the world according to people from Sydney, and don't you forget it!
Leesh
Guest
The other point that hasn't been raised yet is the timing of the event. The first week of December starts the silly season and families are looking at Christmas presents and seeing family and friends than going to V8 event. Mind you, I went on the Sunday and loved it! But were concerned about the lack of people and catching a shady spot that was close to the track.
Damo
Guest
This. I been to a few V8 events around the country and as a Motorsport fan, the value for the finale at Olympic Park is non existent. Sure it's a great exciting track for racing but that's useless if you can't see it form anywhere. As a live attendee, gimme Darwin, Bathurst, Townsville, Phillip Island and even Perth anyday compared to this.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
It was such an epic few early years with Cold Chisel and Hunters & Collectors reforming. They had The Living End, Farnham and Noiseworks in that timeframe, too. The fact that you could watch the race AND get to see a full concert was incredibly appealing!
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Spot on Pioneer, it is hot with terrible sight lines. Great to come in and 'soak up the atmosphere' or 'feel the noise' but not good enough to sustain a day long commitment to come and watch.
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Hi Andrew Agreed I volunteered on a number of occasions at SOP for the V8s and the biggest race days were the ones leading into Cold Chisel and Guns and Roses. Same point as Jamesb has made below. With the ticket prices, they are pretty cheap if you are happy to go General Admission to sit in the sun and not see anything. But yes, if you actually have an intention to watch the race you really need a Grandstand seat which is pretty costly. The big plus it has/had it that you get very VERY close to the cars, some of the spots on the exits to corners were breathtaking. Not enough to sustain the event though
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
I have never been to a race of any sort and I don't think i ever would. You miss so much that you can see on tv. TV is also much cheaper.
Ken
Guest
I was just about to write half the same stuff but you've already done it better. I went to the first one there, the sightlines are awful, it was high 30's in a concrete jungle with almost zero shade and it's a fairly tight, flat, boring track. It's like the Gold Coast track minus the beaches, bikinis and party atmosphere, especially now they've stopped the concerts. Maybe I'm just jaded, truthfully I barely keep up with the V8's these days, Bathurst is the only event that holds my attention. I'm sure Gosford would do a great job with a street circuit. Should the F1 move again? Probably not, if Sydney tried to bully it out of Melbourne like Melbourne did to Adelaide it would probably just result in Australia losing the event. There's too many moneyed-up places trying to buy a place on the calendar. If it were ever to happen though it shouldn't go to Homebush, it would have to either be a new street circuit or they'd have to tart up Eastern Creek a bit (for those out of Sydney though, Eastern Creek is 40+km from town and has little accommodation or flashy nightlife in the vicinity.) Truth is, Sydney doesn't really have a facility ideal for major event motorsport events. Bathurst is like Mecca but it's just a bit far away and a little too woolly to consider for modern F1.
Justin
Guest
Whilst the dropping in numbers attending the Supercar finale is an issue, a greater issue is the insistence of Supercars on the use of temporary street circuits. Street Circuits damage motorsports in Australia. They typically make a loss, are used for three days a year and leave no permanent infrastructure for driver training / club / state level motorsport. Sydney now has only one permanent motorsports venue now - Sydney Motorsports Park (SMSP - formerly Eastern Creek). The next closest (by my recollection) is Wakefield Park at Goulburn. When I was younger we had Oran and Amaroo Park as well as Eastern Creek. And in my fathers time there was even more circuits - Warwick Farm, Catalina Park... But apparently SMSP isn't 'cool enough' to host Supercars (yes, I realise there are public transport issues) but it tends to get good crowds for the Muscle Car MAsters and the Barry Sheene Festival of Speed. Perhaps Supercars could use some of the funding they throw at the street circuitt events to pay for free shuttle busses from the nearest rail hub?
pioneer
Guest
"Sydney Olympic Park has adequate public transport, free to use for those with a ticket to the event. It has clean air away from other major sporting events, away from the NRL, AFL and Big Bash League. It has the prestige of being the championship-deciding event." You could add that it's in the geographical heart of the Sydney metro area, meaning that it's right in the middle of the biggest population centre in the country, which adds to the mystery of why it's failed so badly. In my opinion, there's no mystery - it has failed because the paying public has been taken for granted. A general admission ticket (which isn't cheap) gets you into the venue, but that's about it. Good luck seeing ANYTHING - there are almost no decent viewing areas other than the premium priced ones in grandstands, and of course the all-important 'corporate' areas. You could go to any football game of any code, and even at the cheapest seats at least be guaranteed you could actually SEE the action - and also to be able to sit down while watching, rather than have to stand and try to peer over other peoples shoulders. On top of that, at this time of the year at Homebush it's usually very hot - and there's virtually no shade anywhere except in the showground livestock sheds which are used for the pit areas. They say it's a tough event on drivers but it's also gruelling for the spectator. Compared to other events it does not offer value for money.
nordster
Guest
Gosford would lap the event up, whether its the finale or elsewhere in the calendar. Rather than chasing international races, its amazing they havent thought to go to more regional areas like this. The funding aspect is just too attached to government subsidy i guess for most areas regionally. Although this Events NSW mob is meant to be for the whole state. Its not Events Sydney....
jamesb
Guest
"Sure, the event has done away with the post-race concerts that are a regular fixture at the other street circuits" Well, maybe thats the reason why crowds are down. Not puzzling at all. If other street circuits lose their post race concerts, fair chance their crowds will also decrease.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Interesting that they did away with a lot of the sideshow stuff - concerts etc. - that draw casual racing fans to these street race events. It's a strange strategy in Sydney, considering V8SC have the concerts and ancillary events at all their other street race events. Easy to see why Sydney fans feel short-changed. Plus, VERY expensive tickets.