Ahead of next month’s South Australian state election, Labor Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas has committed to returning the popular Adelaide 500 in December this year.
Malinauskas declared his commitment at a rally today at Civic Park in Modbury, with Repco Supercars Championship drivers Todd Hazelwood, Scott Pye and Nick Percat, who has been outspoken in his support for the event’s return.
If Malinauskas is voted into office, the Adelaide 500 is scheduled to take place on December 1-4, placing it as the season finale.
The last Adelaide 500 run was in 2020 and due to the impacts of the global pandemic, it was moved to the finale for 2021, before it was canned in October as current leader Steven Marshall declared the event unviable.
“When Steven Marshall axed the Adelaide 500, I pledged Labor would bring it back if elected,” he 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.”
In the aftermath, Malinauskas flew up to Sydney and signed a memorandum of understanding together with then-Supercars CEO Sean Seamer to mark his commitment to reviving the event.
New Supercars CEO Shane Howard welcomed the announcement.
“We have made no secret that we would love to be back racing on the streets of Adelaide,” said Howard.
“The Adelaide 500 has played such an important part in making Supercars what it is today, and we are excited about bringing the event back for our fans.”
Percat has been vocal about the event’s demise and acknowledged the support the revival had received from local supporters.
“Everyone is passionate about the event and wants it back on the calendar,” said Percat.
“It’s pretty amazing to see how much South Australian fans have got behind the event and I hope we are back here racing in December.”
Further to the announcement, Malinauskas has committed to the re-establishment of the South Australian Motor Sport Board to also return events including the Adelaide Motorsport Festival.