As Sandown celebrates 60 years of endurance racing, the future of the iconic Melbourne track remains in the balance.
Changes to the historic venue have been touted for years with thoroughbred body, the Melbourne Racing Club, weighing up whether to sell or redevelop the area.
No matter what happens in that process, the famous Sandown 500 could still be bumped from the Supercars calendar next year.
A decision on the 2025 schedule is imminent, likely next month around the time of the Bathurst 1000, and Supercars is considering increasing to a 13-round season.
But if the category stays at 12 rounds next year, then Sandown will likely be axed in favour of a return to Queensland Raceway, which hasn’t hosted a round since 2019.
Triple Eight co-driver Scott Pye said he’d be disappointed if this weekend’s Sandown 500 was the last time Supercars raced at the track, in Melbourne’s east.
“Being able to race here so many times, it’s one of my favourite tracks,” Pye said.
“When you track walk, you look at how much the circuit’s deteriorated, but it’s one of the things that adds character here.
“Even for the spectators, I think it’s a really cool circuit. There’s a great view.
“But ultimately, it has been here a long time, and things do come to an end, so I’m not sure what the future holds.
“I’d love to see it stick around for as long as we can drive cars here, but ultimately, it’s not up to us.”
Pye’s co-driver, championship leader Will Brown, believes a golden opportunity was missed to make Sandown a retro round.
“The biggest thing for me, it takes sweet f*** all to run a run a retro round,” Brown said.
“I think Sandown’s missing that, it would have been awesome to have that this year.
“Even if Sandown’s off the calendar, I’d love to see it (retro round) come back somewhere else.”
Brown and Pye were second-fastest in Friday’s third practice session for the Sandown 500, only being pipped by Erebus’s Jack Le Brocq and Jayden Ojeda.
The Red Bull Ampol star enters the endurance series with an 81-point buffer in the championship standings over Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert.
“I’d rather be in the lead than anywhere else, that’s for sure,” Brown said.
“We’re in a great position.
“Chad’s done a fantastic job in the last couple of rounds.”
Qualifying will take place on Saturday, with the 161-lap race on Sunday.
Source Agencies
