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I supported Toymods
Location:
Pymble
Registered:
May 2003
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Re: V8s in Homebush
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Thu, 29 May 2003 09:42
 
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Push for V8 race on Sydney streets
By RAY KERSHLER
28may03
THE dream of a V8 Supercar race around the streets of Sydney is behind plans announced yesterday for a spectacular end to the season at Eastern Creek.
V8 officials believe a street race could one day pull a weekend crowd of 250,000 fans and will ram home the point by promoting their own circuit race in November.
Billed as the "Main Event" of V8 Supercars, the season-ending Eastern Creek race will be used to showcase the fastest growing sport in Australia.
With the popularity of V8 Supercar racing increasing every year, organisers see an Eastern Creek extravaganza as a way of drawing the state government's attention to the sport.
An initial plan in 2001 for a street race around the Olympic Stadium site fell on deaf ears with the NSW government believed to have been more interested in trying to organise a Formula One race or a Le Mans-style 24-hour race.
But Melbourne has since renewed its F1 contract and the 24-hour race has been locked into Bathurst's Mt Panorama circuit.
With the Homebush Bay precinct still under utilised since the Olympic Games, the street circuit plan for a V8 championship race was redrawn six months ago and sent to the necessary government departments.
V8 races are usually run by independent promoters but the two-day finale this year will be promoted by the Australian Vee Eight SuperCar company, which runs the championship.
With the final round of a tightly grouped V8 series divided into two races – 150km on Saturday and 250km on Sunday – the championship winner almost certainly will be decided by the last race.
The chairman of Avesco, Tony Cochrane said yesterday he expected a crowd of 40,000 to 50,000, a similar crowd to that which went to the 500cc world motorcycle championships when they were held at Eastern Creek in the '90s.
"Our crowds have been continually growing in Sydney and the city deserves an event like this," Cochrane said.
"This will not just be a race but a spectacular end to what is shaping as the most closely contested championship in the history of the series. The Olympic Games will soon be forgotten and Homebush Bay needs more activity."
Cochrane also maintains motor sport fans are shortchanged by governments when sporting budgets are considered.
"We don't want a large slice but we do want a slice. In fact, just a wafer would do," he said.
Cochrane refused to criticise the current promoters who use Eastern Creek and Oran Park and whose 2002 crowds are officially listed as 36,880 and 34,500 but said: "I don't think, across the board, sport is very well promoted in Sydney."
The V8 championship is currently led by the Team Brock driver Jason Bright although he has not won a race this year.
The points structure was tightened this year after Holden Racing Team driver Mark Skaife ran away with the 2002 championship almost from the first race.
Bright leads fellow Holden driver Steve Richards, with two Ford drivers, Russell Ingall and Marcos Ambrose, just behind the leaders.
Skaife, seeking a record sixth national championship, is joint fourth but struggling so far this year, while his team waits for the successful testing of a new VY Commodore.
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