r/v8supercars 9d ago

Phillip Island could be back next year as a 15th round of the Championship

https://speedcafe.com/supercars-news-phillip-island-return-2027-calendar-latest-update-motogp-australian-grand-prix/
84 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

32

u/hazza3142 Todd Hazelwood 9d ago

They have to do something without motoGP, either cough up the hosting fee or get the fox family to shout one for the benefit of the island.

3

u/xvf9 7d ago

Pretty sure this must only be coming about because the owners have lost the MotoGP cash cow and have to actually offer a competitive hosting fee. Apparently the previous fee made the event completely non-viable for Supercars without a huge investment from the Vic government. 

21

u/HairlessWookiee 8d ago

If they want it in summer, make it the opening round. PI is a hell of a lot more interesting than SMP. Make the SMP round a dedicated night event whenever it can be slotted in.

10

u/lanson15 8d ago

Would easy on logistics as well since round 2 would surely be the F1 GP just up the road

8

u/HairlessWookiee 8d ago

Probably not, since the teams would all go back to their workshops in between rounds. So actually it would be more logistical effort over the same period for the Queensland teams at least since they'd have to drive from SEQ to Melbourne twice rather than to Sydney and Melbourne.

11

u/vaena Chaz Mostert | Ryan Wood 8d ago

MotoGP moving locations remains one of the most baffling racing related decisions I've ever seen made in this country, but if the upside is supercars back at the Island... I'm not mad.

6

u/J-M-Beno 8d ago

From what i understand the owner of thid track fox charges so much more than anywhere else thats why. V8s moved away way back when. And probably why others are to now. My guess is gp leaving made him realise he is charging to much and drop prices

1

u/Adventurous_Day_4579 6d ago

A lack of investment in the facilities is a big part of it, but the reality is MotoGP is now run by liberty media (F1) and they want to commercialize the shit out of it. Unfortunately that means bringing the race to the general public with $$$, vs catering to a handful of diehards that will travel to the middle of nowhere for the race.

6

u/LloydGSR BJR 8d ago

Especially to a street circuit after Marquez's huge one last weekend. I reckon it'll get moved to The Bend, probably one of the most featureless and visually boring tracks in the country.

4

u/vaena Chaz Mostert | Ryan Wood 8d ago

Yeah, the street circuit move is just insane. Not all racing is suited for the streets and that's okay! If they do end up moving it to the Bend they'll begging to go back to Phillip Island the moment the contract is up lmao

The Marquez crash was just sickening. Its fucked to say he was lucky when he broke his neck and collarbone, but he really was so lucky. That wall was right there.

8

u/Alert-Thought6589 8d ago

They'll need more than just one extra event. The season has only just got going and it's fragmented as, going to New Zealand with the big break beforehand and after so early in the season is a mistake, the AFL and NRL just eclipse interest in it before it gets a foothold, basically you forget there's a race coming up with such distances between events, the 4-5 week breaks are a killer.

1

u/Five_Orange77 8d ago

Not really, football ends in Sept, just as the series gets going (Bathurst, GC, Sandown, Adelaide.)

2

u/cult_of_sumac Ryan Wood 8d ago

Fuck yes please

1

u/Sausage_Roll__ Shane Van Gisbergen 8d ago

I used to pray for times like these

1

u/gromodzilla Mark Larkham 8d ago

Hell yeah!

1

u/lynchmar6 Brodie Kostecki 8d ago

yes plz

1

u/Nesbitt_Motorsport 6d ago

They need Winton back