New lights on the future of motorsport in NSW.
The NSW Government has committed a $33 million package to the Western Sydney motorsport precinct — permanent circuit lighting at Sydney Motorsport Park, and Australia’s only Motor Sports Centre of Excellence.
Today’s announcement by the NSW Government of a strategic multi-million-dollar investment at Sydney Motorsport Park — in permanent circuit lighting, and in the establishment of Australia’s only Motor Sports Centre of Excellence — has been overwhelmingly welcomed by the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club, operators of the venue since 1997.
The news is part of an all-encompassing $33 million package of Government initiatives for the broader Western Sydney motorsport precinct, which also includes work to find a new operations site for Motorcycling NSW and improvements to the adjacent Sydney Dragway.
What the package covers
The investment is not a single line item. It spans the precinct: permanent lighting for the circuit, a Motor Sports Centre of Excellence, a new operations base for Motorcycling NSW, and works at Sydney Dragway next door. Taken together it treats Eastern Creek as one motorsport district rather than four separate tenants.
ARDC President Andrew Leithhead commented “The ARDC views this additional Government investment in Sydney Motorsport Park as an important continuation of the Club’s long-standing commitment to excellence within the Australian motorsport industry.”
For a venue that is owned by the NSW Government and operated by a not-for-profit club, that continuation matters. Sydney Motorsport Park is Sydney’s only permanent race track, and one of just two permanent circuits in Australia holding an FIA/FIM Grade 2 International Licence.
A record of co-investment
The ARDC has a proven record of co-investing with Government in the venue. In the last eight years well over $23 million has been invested back into the Park — the not-for-profit Club contributing over $16 million of its own funds, combined with a 2012 Government contribution of $7 million towards the Brabham circuit extension.
Each year the Club invests well over $1 million in track maintenance and development, and that is set to continue and grow.
What the package comes to.
- $0M NSW Government package for the Western Sydney motorsport precinct
- 0% Projected increase in venue access capacity
- 0 Visitors a year across ARDC events
- 0+ Major events each year, plus grassroots and club racing
Circuit lighting now opens the doors for substantial opportunities to further grow the Western Sydney night economy, local tourism, as well as significantly expanding the existing on-site programs.
What lighting unlocks
The Club projects a 40% increase in access capacity at what is a perennially booked-out Government venue. Not more land — more usable hours on the land already there.
A newly expanded calendar allows for strong increases in the level of innovative, high-demand Tier 1 motorsport events, headlined by Supercars Championship night racing.
A second phase, and a Sydney team
“This is a great step forward in our plans for Sydney,” said Sean Seamer, Supercars CEO.
“The 2018 night race was a fantastic proof of concept and since then, Glenn Matthews and his team have done a wonderful job to secure these significant upgrades which will establish Sydney Motorsport Park as an elite, 24/7 motorsport facility. We look forward to the SuperNight format returning in 2020 and moving on to the second phase of our partnership with the ARDC and NSW Government, which is to establish a Supercars team in Sydney, based at SMSP.”
Seamer said a Sydney-based team would have the advantage of calling the booming western corridor home, along with the premium facilities offered at the venue.
“This initiative will provide a manufacturer, team and their partners with immediate access to an international race track, premium function facilities for major corporate events, vehicle launches, drive days, vehicle appreciation sessions, product R&D and conferences.
“This also provides the catalyst to link Supercars’ technology, education and training with Western Sydney’s strong tertiary education and engineering communities.”
What the venue gets back
- 01 A projected 40% lift in access capacity. More usable hours at a venue that is already perennially booked out.
- 02 Tier 1 night racing as a fixture. Headlined by the Supercars Championship, with the SuperNight format returning in 2020.
- 03 A Western Sydney night economy. Local tourism and evening trade built around a venue that no longer closes at dusk.
- 04 Room for education and technology. Expanded on-site programs in performance engineering, training and innovation.
Australia’s only Motor Sports Centre of Excellence
The second half of the announcement is not asphalt at all. Locating the national Motor Sports Centre of Excellence at Sydney Motorsport Park puts technical development, training and research on the same site as the circuit.
ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews noted “We have a long-held, strong working relationship with the Confederation of Australian Motorsport. The location of the new Motor Sports Centre of Excellence at Sydney Motorsport Park is fantastic, and we certainly don’t underestimate the opportunities that will arise from working more closely with CAMS and key industry partners such as Supercars.”
“It’s important that together we have been able to break the dominance of Melbourne and the Gold Coast as the sole location of technical development in Australia. The new Centre of Excellence is a standout example of the high regard the NSW Government, CAMS, Supercars and other key players hold both the venue, and the ARDC Club.”
Already on site
Sydney Motorsport Park is already the permanent home of motoDNA TECHNOLOGY, the research and development division of the motoDNA Group, as part of the Club’s emerging SMSP Motorsport Institute and Innovation Hub. It uses its close association with the ARDC and immediate access to the circuit to advance rider-safety research, work recently embarked upon in conjunction with Yamaha Australia.
The model has a precedent. The Hub is drawn from the United Kingdom’s Silverstone Park University Technical College and Innovation Centre — co-locating the auto industry, technical education and the exhibition sector on one motorsport site.
From proof of concept to permanent.
-
2018
The night race that proved it
Supercars runs a night race at Sydney Motorsport Park under temporary lighting — described by Supercars as “a fantastic proof of concept”.
- Proof of concept
- Temporary rig
-
Feb 2019
The $33M package is announced
Permanent circuit lighting and Australia’s only Motor Sports Centre of Excellence, within a wider Western Sydney precinct commitment.
- Commitment
- $33M precinct package
-
2020
The lights go on
The permanent array is delivered and first lit in anger for the Supercars in July. Sydney Motorsport Park becomes Australia’s only permanently lit circuit, running 24/7.
- Delivered
- Permanent array
-
Since
A calendar that no longer ends at dusk
Championship night rounds, ride nights and track nights run into the evening. The lights are simply part of how the venue works.
- Current state
- Running 24/7
Permanent, not temporary
The distinction the 2019 announcement turned on is the word permanent. A temporary rig can light one weekend a year. Fixed towers change what the venue is for the other fifty-one.
Investments like these, the Club argued at the time, leverage the region’s wider infrastructure — Western Sydney Airport among it — to deliver more jobs, investment and visitors to Western Sydney.
The circuit after dark.
Who is quoted
- Andrew Leithhead President, Australian Racing Drivers’ Club
- Glenn Matthews Chief Executive, Australian Racing Drivers’ Club
- Sean Seamer Chief Executive, Supercars
Roles as at February 2019, when the announcement was made.
About
The Australian Racing Drivers’ Club
The ARDC has promoted motorsport in NSW for over 67 years. Commencing in 1952 at Parramatta Park, the Club has conducted events for cars and motorcycles at Mount Panorama Bathurst, Mt Druitt, Castlereagh, Catalina Park Katoomba, Amaroo Park and at its current home, Sydney Motorsport Park.
About the ARDCSydney Motorsport Park
Originally known as Eastern Creek International Raceway, SMSP officially opened in 1990 and is owned by the NSW Government. It has been operated by the ARDC since 1997. It is Sydney’s only permanent race track and one of just two in Australia holding an FIA/FIM Grade 2 International Licence.
About SMSPAbout this article
Published as an ARDC media release on Saturday 23 February 2019 and updated in July 2020, when the permanent array was first lit for a national championship round. Figures and quotations are as published by the Club at the time of the announcement. Dates move, results get amended and figures get restated after an audit — where that happens we update the article and note it here rather than republish it quietly.
