Sandown loses endurance race

By Paul Pickering and Shaun Inguanzo
THE iconic Sandown 500 motor race is dead after V8 Supercar organisers last week announced they would move the endurance race to Phillip Island next year.
The Sandown event will be replaced by a sprint race on the V8 Supercar calendar, to be held in June next year.
The race was last held at Sandown late last month and at the time, promoter Jon Davison warned that a lack of investment into improving the motorway would deter fans from flocking to the event.
So important to the V8 Supercar calendar was Sandown that it was chosen as the place where thousands of fans of the late Peter Brock could mourn the loss of the racing legend last year.
But Sandown racecourse manager Wade Calderwood said the loss of the 500 would not threaten the livelihood of the venue.
“It will not have the dire outcome that people have predicted,” he said. “Motorsport fans are going to get a lot more value for money, with three sprint races instead of one endurance race.”
Mr Calderwood said the new Queen’s Birthday weekend sprint event would avoid clashes with Australian Football League and National Rugby League finals fixtures, thereby attracting more fans.
“Motorsport fans love motorsport, so I’m sure they’ll support the Queen’s Birthday event – given that there will be more racing on track,” he said.
Mr Calderwood said spending money to revamp the track for the purposes of the Sandown 500 event was not a priority for the Melbourne Racing Club.
“We took over the venue on commercial grounds and we’re determined to put back into the organisation to support horseracing,” he said.