The Newcastle 500 roared back into life on the streets of the East End on Friday with an historic name missing from the race grid.
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For the first time in the 30-year Supercars era, the Holden badge was nowhere to be found as parent company General Motors rolled out its Chevrolet Camaro cars to take on Ford's Mustang.
A busy crowd enjoyed a warm autumn day beside the Newcastle harbourfront as the V8s and support categories sped around the 2.6-kilometre street circuit.
Some residents kept up their protest against the disruption the race causes, while others embraced the event and said it was putting Newcastle "on the map".
A Supercars note to residents said they could expect noise levels ranging from an "80-decibel kerbside on a busy day" to a "130-decibel gunshot".
Newcastle East resident Linda Gant said she was more concerned about access to public places being cut off than the noise levels.
"No one is at the beach," she said. "They're trying to promote tourism, but they're shutting a lot of people out."
The mixed reaction extended to business people running cafes, restaurants, shops and pubs in the main disruption zone east of Darby Street.
Some reported brisk trade while others have shut for the weekend, and sometimes longer, to escape the noise and road closures.
"We've been flat out all day," a staff member at 23hundred cafe in Pacific Street told the Newcastle Herald as she and her colleagues packed up at 2pm.
Steve Dobb, owner of Dobby's coffee shop between the Hunter Street Mall and the track, said he had done well during the first morning of the race.
But Porky's Nest homewares and coffee shop and Momo Wholefood Cafe were among businesses to shut their doors.
Cooks Hill cafe owner Anthony Strachan said trade had been slow this week and he expected relatively few customers over the weekend.
Newcastle and Nobbys beaches were virtually deserted as the sun shone down, but grandstands and key viewing points inside the track were busy, if not packed, with spectators.
The crowd is expected to swell considerably on Saturday and Sunday when the two 250km Supercars races kick off the season proper after a day of practice.
Friday's Supercars practice sessions marked the start of the sport's "Gen3" era with new-look cars and the absence of Holden.
Armidale Holden fan Daryl Broadley, wearing the Red Bull Triple Eight shirt of defending champion Shane van Gisbergen, was philosophical about the death of his beloved maker.
"Yeah, a bit saddened, but time moves on," he said.
"We've just got to get on with it. It's still General Motors."
Mr Broadley said the changes had not affected his enjoyment of the series and he was "loving to see the new vehicles here".
The changes have brought a storm of complaints from fans and Ford that the new designs had left the Camaros considerably faster than the Mustangs.
Supercars made last-minute changes to both cars, and Ford Performance Motorsports global director Mark Rushbrook declared himself happy on Friday with the comparative practice times.
The leading drivers in the first practice sessions on Friday recorded lap times about one second slower than the corresponding sessions in 2019.
The Newcastle 500 has returned to the city after a three-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's fourth edition of the race is the first time it has been held in autumn as a season-opener rather than as a season-closing round in November or December.
City of Newcastle and the NSW government say they will gauge the success of the race weekend and the views of the community before deciding whether to extend their contract with Supercars to race in Newcastle for another five years.
Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the event's opening day had been all positive.
"It was wonderful to see so many people in the city today," she said.
"The light rail was full and a very convenient way to travel to the event.
"Everyone I spoke to was loving Newcastle and very happy to see big events like Supercars coming back after the global pandemic.
"In meetings today with Destination NSW and talking to the minister trackside it was great to hear how positive they are about about events and tourism in Newcastle and future opportunities."
Police said on Friday afternoon that the first day of the event had been free of incidents.
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Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
