An Action-Packed Sunday

Will Brown won the VAILO Adelaide 500 on the day he was awarded the 2024 Supercars championship in spectacular scenes never before seen at the Adelaide street circuit.

The crowd was treated to one of the most action-packed Supercars races to occur in SA in recent history after enjoying a variety of on-track and off-track attractions from the moment gates opened.

 

ON-TRACK ACTION

 

SUPERCARS

 

The tightest start likely ever seen at the VAILO Adelaide 500 saw the two drivers starting on the front of the grid – Red Bull Ampol Racing’s Broc Feeney and Mobil1 Optus Racing’s Chaz Mostert – race each other side-by-side all the way to Turn 4.

Last year’s VAILO Adelaide 500 winner Matt Payne, from Penrite Racing, was out of contention early, when he got stuck in the tyre bundles at Turn 12, which triggered the race’s only safety car.

Once the race restarted, it didn’t take long for many drivers to start attacking each other for position, with several drivers including Brown, Slade and Kostecki ending up swiping fences.

On lap 49, Feeney and Mostert made their second pit stop – this time tangling together as the two exited pit lane.

Feeney was given a 15-second time penalty for the driving infringement and his desperation to get back in front of Mostert was evident when he tried to pass at Turn 6.

Mostert was pushed into the fence and Feeney streaked 8 seconds up the road. Feeney was given another 15-second time penalty.

With his race car suffering, Mostert was passed for the lead by Feeney’s teammate Will Brown on lap 66 on Brock Straight.

From then on it was smooth sailing for Brown for the 2024 VAILO Adelaide 500 title, just 24 hours after securing the 2024 Supercars championship in the Saturday race.

 

SUPPORT CATEGORIES

 

Adam Marjoram sealed the Tyrepower V8 SuperUte Series championship with a clean sweep of race wins across the weekend, although he just held off second-place getter Cody Brewczynski past the finish line in the Sunday race.

It was a rare safety-car free race for the utes, despite many drivers losing control around corners, as their tyres suffered from the effects of four entertaining races across the weekend.

The Boost Mobile Stadium Super Trucks thrilled fans for seven laps in the category’s Sunday race before a crash forced an early ending.

Fans could sense a big finish between race leader Robby Gordon and his closest on-track rival Shae Davies when Shaun Richardson, in third, raced out of the chicane with a bit too much speed, unable to keep his SST upright on all four wheels.

There was too much damage for his truck to proceed and not enough time left to finish the race under a green flag.

The Trico Trans Am Series took the racing to another level at lunchtime, with the American-style race cars sliding perilously close to Turn 8, hitting tyre bundles and spinning through corners.

James Moffat took the lead of the race from series leader Todd Hazelwood off the start line, with the latter falling to fourth.

Hazelwood recovered two positions when Nathan Herne crashed, which sealed his 2024 championship title.

Paynter Dixon Porsche Carrera Cup was marred by a heavy crash at Turn 8 when Glen Wood then Harri Jones fired into the fence, the damaged cars and debris littering the track so badly the race had to be finished.

Dale Wood took the chequered flag.

The Dunlop Series lived up to its name for exciting racing, as the championship came down to the wire.

Zach Bates beat his main championship rival Aaron Cameron off the start line but Cameron stuck close to the rear of his race vehicle for five laps, until Kai Allen tried to pass at Turn 4 and Cameron was bumped into the wall.

With Cameron driving a damaged car several spots down the field, Bates cruised to victory in the race and the championship.

 

OFF-TRACK ATTRACTIONS

 

DRIVER SIGNING SESSIONS

 

It was the last chance for the weekend for fans to meet their favourite drivers and get autographs on team merchandise and posters – and they took advantage of the opportunity.

Earlybirds to the track lined up soon after gates opened to see drivers including Chaz Mostert and Anton de Pasquale at the Pub in the Park precinct.

Fans also took their last chance to meet Dave Kindig and Kevin Schiele, of US TV show Kindig Customs, who are in Australia especially for the VAILO Adelaide 500, and attended the V8 Nation car display.

 

NAPA SPEEDWAY Sprintcar fans and those eager to see what the excitement was about flocked to the NAPA Speedway track during the day, enjoying a different type of motor racing ahead of the main Supercars race.

Four Sprintcar races were held as well as Wingless Sprint heat races and Street Stock Model laps.

Fans marvelled at the quality of the temporary track, custom-designed for the event and constructed in about a week, as they relaxed in the bleacher seating or took an overarching vantage point from the hill.

 

HOMESTART FAMILY ZONE

 

Children of all ages had a blast at the HomeStart Family Zone, where they could play on the jumping castle, slide down the huge Super Slide and take part in junior motor racing experiences.

The area had a constant stream of families stopping in over the day for the kids to burn off some energy and have some fun away from the loudest parts of the race track.

Next door, at the Defence Force display, the Army vehicles also became a playground for children, who were able to climb on and see how the machinery works.

 

AIR FORCE FLYOVERS

 

The Roulettes and the F/A-18F Super Hornet stopped fans in their tracks when they completed their flyovers in the skies above the circuit.

The Roulettes aerobatic display team soared in from the west in the morning, performing aerial manoeuvres in unison before the six aircraft split into groups.

Then in the afternoon, the Super Hornet shocked some fans who lost track of time, as well as those scanning the sky but facing in the wrong direction, with the loud roar of the superfast aircraft catching them by surprise.

The final quick flyover at the end of the National Anthem was one of those chills-down-the-spin moments.