V8 Adelaide aims to stay best race

Release date: 27/02/2008 The future is looking bright for the Clipsal 500 with record crowds flocking to the 10th anniversary of the event last weekend and with a proposed $20 million redevelopment planned for the street circuit before the 2009 season it appears this trend will continue.

291,400 fans attended over the three days, toppling the previous record set at the 2007 event by almost 15,000.  The fan base for the Clipsal 500 is one of the biggest on the Australian motor sport calendar and has seen a growth of 129,500 since it was first held in 1999.

Clipsal 500 Publicity Manager Mike Drewer said today the plans cover everything from new temporary structures and shade cover to track upgrades.

“As part of the redevelopment we are going to build a new home for the control tower and media centre,” Drewer said.

“It will be a completely modern design and we are currently looking at possible options coming out of Europe.

“There will also be upgrades made to the team facilities and the race officials and corporate guest lounges on top of the pit building.

“This year we trialled the world’s biggest temporary shade structure over the chicane stand and the plan for next year is to shade the pit straight grand stand at a minimum.  Ideally we want to cover as many of the grand stands as possible by next year”

With some areas of the track, such as the loop in the parklands, in use since the days of the Adelaide Grand Prix, looking at the current conditions of the road surface will also be a top priority.

“In all likelihood the entire track will be resurfaced before the 2009 event,” Drewer said.

The $20 million State Government funding is now available and given the extent of the upgrades, it looks like it will be spent before the next event.

“The South Australian Motorsport Board and the South Australian Government are determined to continue the Clipsal 500’s status as the flagship motor sport event in Australia,” Drewer said.

“The capital expenditure is being used to reinvest in the upgrading of the facility to ensure we can maintain the high standards of the event.”