The future of professional motorsport at Australia’s oldest permanent race circuit has been assured following the announcement of a new 10-year agreement to stage the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge at Sandown Raceway.
On a day of historic firsts it was also announced that Norton 360 has extended its sponsorship of the race to include the 2011 event.
The deal - between V8 Supercars Australia and Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) - has already seen the commencement of a major refurbishment of the paddock and pit lane at Sandown Raceway to improve spectator access.
Sections of the pit garages are also undergoing a transformation to allow for working areas that are larger and more accommodating for V8 Supercar teams, and the year-round users.
Touring car racing legends Allan Moffat and Dick Johnson marked the announcements by appearing with their sons James and Steve, both of whom will compete at this year’s Norton 360 Sandown Challenge on the track their fathers were synonymous with during their great careers.
“It’s a great day for motorsport in Victoria to have this fantastic commitment to the circuit which has been very much a part of the DNA of Australian touring cars,” V8 Supercars Australia CEO Martin Whitaker said.
Mr Whitaker announced that the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge will become a celebration of Australia’s rich touring car racing heritage.
This year’s race (November 19-21) will celebrate 50 years of the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) with the inclusion of historic race car and memorabilia displays.
In the lead-up to the event, V8 Supercars will announce Australia’s 50 all-time best touring car drivers, as selected by an expert panel.
V8 Supercar fans will vote for the top 10 drivers and the results of that poll will be announced at the Sandown race.
Mr Whitaker said celebrating 50 years of the ATCC was a perfect fit for the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge.
“Some of the greatest moments in Australian motor sport history have taken place at Sandown. This great circuit has hosted the greats of the sport, ranging from Stirling Moss to Jamie Whincup in the modern day,” he said.
“We are working on a number of concepts for the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge to incorporate all that is so great about Australian touring cars, the V8 Supercar Championship Series and its rich history.”
Since the closure of Oran Park in 2008, Sandown has become the oldest permanent circuit in the country and one of the very few permanent circuits in the world within an inner-city area.
It was opened in 1962, has hosted six Grand Prix races and 40 ATCC events each year since 1964.
Melbourne Racing Club Manager – Sandown Raceway, Wade Calderwood, said motorsport was embedded in the history of the venue, which also hosts more horse-racing events than any other metropolitan track in Australia.
“Since taking over the management of motorsport in 2007, we have worked closely with V8 Supercars Australia to bring together a commercially viable outcome which sees benefits to all motorsport participants - for the fans, teams, drivers and officials,” he said.
“We are excited about the future promotional plans V8 Supercars have to lift the profile of the event. With the Club moving its racing calendar to accommodate a mid-November date, the event will be held at a warmer time of year, which falls outside the busy AFL finals and Spring Racing Carnival in Melbourne.”
Norton 360 has embraced the heritage concept in its second year of naming rights sponsorship, following the hugely successful 2009 event.
“In partnership with V8 Supercars, we put a lot of effort into re-invigorating the Sandown event last year,” said Norton’s Pacific spokesperson, Matthew Drake.
“It was very successful event, which enabled us to do something positive for our Melbourne customers and V8 Supercar fans.
“We are pleased to continue our sponsorship for another two years as we partner with V8 Supercars in taking this historic race meeting to the next level.”
Allan Moffat, who won four ATCC races at Sandown during 1970s, is a big fan of the Sandown circuit.
“Sandown was always a challenge because of the high-speed nature of the track - it kept us on our toes,” said Moffat. “Racing at Sandown was always a big occasion, and I have great memories of racing past that packed grandstand filled with cheering fans.”
Dick Johnson, who won six ATCC races at Sandown, describes the circuit as one of the best in the country.
“It’s just such a great race track, I absolutely love it,” said Johnson Snr. “I really hope it stays around for another 40 years at least.
“We won two of the original Sandown 500s there with John Bowe. Some of the touring car races we had there were absolutely enormous back then. It was huge.”
Aside from Moffat and Johnson, the list of multiple Sandown winners reads like a who’s who of Australian motor racing history: Peter Brock, Craig Lowndes, George Fury, John Bowe, Larry Perkins, Jim Richards, Glenn Seton and Mark Skaife.
