Sydney 500

Sydney Telstra 500

Venue	Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit
Sydney Olympic Park Street Circuit
Race Format
Race 1
- Laps	74
- Distance	250 km
Race 2
- Laps	74
- Distance	250 km
Last Race (2012)
Winning Driver	Race 29:Craig Lowndes Race 30: Will Davison
Winning Team	Race 29:Triple Eight Race Engineering Race 30: Ford Performance Racing
Winning Manufacturer	Holden

The Sydney Telstra 500 is a V8 Supercar motor racing event held annually at Homebush Street Circuit. The event is the last on the V8 Supercar calendar. The event is sponsored by Telstra and is officially known as the Sydney Telstra 500.

The event is staged over a three-day weekend (Friday-Sunday). Practice is held on Friday with a 35-minute session followed by two 50-minute sessions. Qualifying is held on Saturday, with two 20-minute sessions, the first session determining places 21-29 and session two 11-20. The top ten cars proceeded to the top ten shootout. On Sunday a 20-minute all in session determines the grid. This is to change in 2010 as a 20-minute all in session on each day will determine each days race grid.

Each race is 250 km long, at 74 laps.

Then NSW premier Nathan Rees expected that the 2009 Sydney Telstra 500^[1] would attract over 15,000 visitors from interstate and overseas.^[2] It has an identical format to the Clipsal 500, with two 250 km races, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday.^[3] The Sydney Telstra 500 was launched on 16 May 2009, at Martin Place in Sydney. The launch began with six V8 Supercars driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the morning.

The first Sydney 500 was widely considered a success, and it's been suggested that continued races will serve to further enhance the standing of V8 Supercars in the Sydney market.^[4]

Criticism

Government subsidy

The New South Wales Government of Premier Nathan Rees was criticised for spending $30 million of taxpayers' money to subsidise the V8 Supercar races.^[5]

Critics said the V8 car races would cost the NSW government far more than the amount originally stated. The Olympic Park Authority said "it is clear that in all scenarios the current V8 Supercars Australia budget estimates are too low and/or incomplete." Government involvement in the races was opposed by the Premier's adviser on events, John O'Neill, as well as the government's infrastructure chief, David Richmond^[5]

Federal Labor MP, Laurie Ferguson, said that it's all about "News Limited and Channel Seven - they're trying to please them." News Limited, publisher of The Daily Telegraph, and the Seven Network had lobbied the New South Wales Government for public funding of the V8 cars. The Seven Network is a sponsor of the V8 Supercars, and The Daily Telegraph said that V8 car racing was a good fit with its readers.^[6]

Despite initial reports of success from event organisers, the event has drawn criticism from the media and motorsport fans across NSW after an Auditor General's report was leaked to the public via the Sydney Morning Herald.^[7] The report concluded that economic benefits predicted by V8 Supercar Australia were not met and expenditure was over budget.^{[citation needed]}

Environmental Concerns

Wetlands at Sydney Olympic Park

The conversion of Sydney Olympic Park and the Homebush Bay precinct into a V8 street-car race circuit was widely criticised.

The Total Environment Centre said that the New South Wales Government overrode the threatened species law, as well as the Homebush Bay Authority's planning principals, and would cause social, environmental and economic disruption at Sydney Olympic Park.^[8] Tony McCormick, who led the team that designed Sydney Olympic Park, said "I find it truly a travesty... The site was supposed to be a legacy for generations and we can’t even make it last a decade."^[9]

Event future

In February, 2011, the New South Wales Liberal Party threatened to discontinue the event once they gained government and move the V8 Supercars back to Eastern Creek. This suggested move was met with criticism from the New South Wales' Tourism Minister and V8 Supercars themselves.^[10] Later in 2011, it was announced that the Liberal Party would honour the contract with V8 Supercars and continue to hold the event until 2013. The future of the event beyond 2013 is yet to be announced.^[11]

Past Winners

Year	Driver	Car model	Team
2009	Garth Tander	Holden VE Commodore	Holden Racing Team
	James Courtney	Ford FG Falcon	Dick Johnson Racing
2010	Jonathon Webb	Ford FG Falcon	Tekno Autosports
	Lee Holdsworth	Holden VE Commodore	Garry Rogers Motorsport
2011	Craig Lowndes	Holden VE Commodore	Triple Eight Race Engineering
	Mark Winterbottom	Ford FG Falcon	Ford Performance Racing
2012	Craig Lowndes	Holden VE Commodore	Triple Eight Race Engineering
	Will Davison	Ford FG Falcon	Ford Performance Racing
2013	Jamie Whincup	Holden VF Commodore	Triple Eight Race Engineering
	Shane Van Gisbergen	Holden VF Commodore	Tekno Autosports

References