NEWCASTLE“We’ve put a huge amount of work into delivering up
a really good racetrack with great character and great
elevation change, showing off the vista and the beautiful
aspects of Newcastle’s coastline,” says Skaife. “I think
that’s going to be one of the real signature events.”
Supercars’ experiences in Adelaide, Gold Coast and
Townsville highlight how the series has a better chance
of engaging with smaller centres where the competition
from other events is reduced. The Supercars season
finale will be the biggest event on the Newcastle cal-
endar. More than 10,000 people attended a fan day in
Newcastle in April, snapping up the first tickets for the
event and meeting the Supercars field to highlight the
enthusiasm around the Newcastle 500.
“This is a pretty unique town and they love their
sports,” says Novocastrian Aaren Russell, who will race
in the Newcastle 500 for Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport.
“It’s going to be absolutely amazing when it comes
around. I think it’s going to be one of the biggest events
that they’ve had.”
Newcastle takes some of the traits of the other street
circuits: it races into the city centre and a purpose-built
parklands section like in Adelaide; it sits right on the
waterfront for a spectacular backdrop like Surfers Para-
dise; and the final sector and hairpin mirror the one in
Townsville. But, unlike those circuits, there is a signifi-
cant amount of undulation around the circuit.
“It has its own unique twist with the undulations,”
says Russell. “So it brings its own element of challenge
to get that right. There’s going to be a bit of havoc for
some of the drivers that can’t get around it.”
Russell will be the hometown fan favourite at the
Newcastle 500. His father Wayne Russell was the last
Novocastrian to drive in the series on a full-time basis.
Wayne now owns the Go Karts Go go-karting track, the
biggest facility in the Hunter region.
“As soon as they announced it, it was the number-one
focus,” says Russell on locking in his place on the grid.
“It’s amazing to be able to go out and do the first New-
castle 500 in front of my family and my friends.”
While the Russells will be out in force to celebrate
Supercars’ arrival to their beloved Newcastle, they are
also excited to introduce Supercars to the Hunter region.
“Everyone should be staying for an extra week and
going on a holiday as there’s plenty of stuff to do,” says
Russell. “There’s plenty of places along the foreshore to
eat and drink and our awesome beaches. And the great
thing is they are right there next to the track.”“IT’S GOING TO BE
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING
WHEN IT COMES
AROUND. I THINK IT’S
GOING TO BE ONE OF
THE BIGGEST EVENTS
THAT THEY’VE HAD.”- AAREN RUSSELL
NEWCASTLE
DRIVERS
The Plus Fitness-backed
racers in Newcastle:SUPERCARS
Aaren Russell
TOURING CAR MASTERS
Cameron Mason
AUSSIE RACING CARS
Charlotte Poynting