TO the delight of motorsport lovers, the dismay of many East End residents, and the bemused curiosity of the broader public, the on-again, off-again controversy that has been the Newcastle Supercars race returns for the first time since November 2019 as the 2023 season opener from March 10 to 12.
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Tickets are on sale online.
A grandstand pass will set you back $347, a three-day general admission is $132 and a Saturday and Sunday $125, with concessions available and children 12 and under free.
Many would say those prices are not cheap, as far as entertainment goes, but the suburban street circuit does allow spectators to get awfully close to their high-speed heroes.
For those who enjoy the fun of the fair, it presents a great three days' entertainment.
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Even so, the feeling that Supercars was dumped on the residents of Newcastle East as a fait accompli remains a strong one, as does the belief that the event has cost ratepayers more than is obviously apparent from a perusal of the council's finances.
There is no doubt the race is an intrusion on many who live in the race zone.
And as a track, it is far from the drivers' favourite, with overtaking opportunities limited. This in turn impacts on the spectacle presented to racing purists.
But for all of the criticisms levelled at it, Supercars has made a place for itself as one of the various jigsaw puzzle pieces that fit together to showcase the modern, 21st century version of Newcastle.
Negotiations are yet to be finalised for an extension of the original five-year contract, so there's a chance we may be coming to the end of the Supercars era.
But an exercising of the original five-year option remains likely, meaning the race may remain a drawcard for much of this decade.
Motorsport has always been a noisy pursuit. Fans love the roar of the engine. For others it's a major turnoff.
Electric cars, as we know, are all but silent. Supercars has made noises in recent years about "hybrid" vehicles, but many would say the time has come to integrate fully electric vehicles into the top tiers of the motor racing calendar.
We could even push for a fully electric race of some sort from 2024.
That way Newcastle would be more than a Supercars host. It could set an example in leading motorsport away from the gas-guzzlers.
This would be quite a feather in our cap, and help us move beyond the fossil fuel industries that are still our bread and butter.
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