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Supercars to return to Phillip Island in five-year deal

The circuit's first Supercars round since 2019 is meant to cushion the economic blow of losing the MotoGP to South Australia

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources2 outlets
Supercars will return to Phillip Island from next year after Victorian Major Events Minister Anthony Carbines announced a five-year deal for the circuit to host a Supercars Championship final series round, plugging an economic gap left by the loss of the MotoGP to Adelaide.

Supercars will return to Phillip Island from next year, helping to fill the hole left by the island's loss of the MotoGP to South Australia.

Victorian Major Events Minister Anthony Carbines today announced a five-year deal for the circuit to host a Supercars Championship final series round. It will be the first time since 2019 that the island has hosted Supercars.

Phillip Island will hold its final MotoGP from October 23 to 25. The track has hosted the event since 1989, but lost it after the Victorian government rejected a request to move the race from Phillip Island to Melbourne's Albert Park. The island has also lost the Australian round of the FIM Superbike World Championships, which will be held there for the last time in 2027.

The loss of the two international events has created anxiety in the local business community, which relies heavily on tourism generated by race weekends. Local tourism body Destination Phillip Island says racing is worth $80 million to the local economy.

Phillip Island will also host a Festival of Motoring in March next year, with Labor and the Coalition both promising to back the event. Opposition major events spokesperson David Southwick said the Coalition would provide $100,000 to fund the event if it wins November's state election.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Local businesses on Phillip Island depend heavily on race-event tourism, and the return of Supercars restores a significant annual drawcard after the loss of two international championships.
  • The announcement lands weeks before Victoria's state election, putting major events policy in front of voters in the region.
  • The five-year commitment gives the local economy a planning horizon after a period of uncertainty.

Background

Phillip Island has been a fixture of Australian motorsport for decades, hosting the MotoGP since 1989. The Victorian government lost that international round after refusing to move it from the island circuit to Melbourne's Albert Park, with South Australia securing the event. The island will also lose its World Superbike round after 2027. That left businesses that depend on visitor spending looking for replacement events, a gap the government is now seeking to fill with Supercars and a new Festival of Motoring.

Key Perspectives

Victorian government: Presents the Supercars deal as securing a major annual event and cushioning the economic impact of the MotoGP's departure to Adelaide. Local business community: Has voiced anxiety about the loss of the two international events, given the local economy's reliance on race-weekend tourism. Opposition Coalition: Has pledged funding for the Festival of Motoring and is using major events as a point of difference ahead of November's state election.

What to Watch

  • Confirmation of the exact timing and format of the Supercars final series round at Phillip Island.
  • How the final MotoGP at the circuit, from October 23 to 25, performs as a farewell event.
  • Whether the Coalition's $100,000 pledge for the Festival of Motoring is matched or expanded during the election campaign.
  • Any further events announced to fill the gap left by the World Superbike round's departure after 2027.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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