It was hotter than hell for the drivers and contributors who puzzled what that they had “gotten themselves into”, however 25 years later, the inaugural Adelaide 500 is being celebrated as a catalyst for change throughout the Supercars Championship.
As soon as described by legendary race commentator Murray Walker as “one of the best touring automobile occasion on this planet”, the four-day motorsport carnival is famend for being a spectacle each on and off the monitor.
Greg Murphy drove in 400 Supercar races and received 28 of them, together with 4 at Bathurst.
The official “fanbassador” for this 12 months’s Adelaide 500 got here second within the inaugural occasion in 1999, which was established on the previous Components 1 circuit after the worldwide occasion infamously shifted to Melbourne.
“It had that historical past surrounding it, a legendary icon standing, so for Supercars to then take over the Parklands circuit after which have it as their very own, contemplating it was born for Components 1, that itself was particular” Murphy informed ABC Radio Adelaide.
The race was established on a shortened model of the Components 1 avenue circuit, with 500 kilometres to be raced over two separate days involving 78 laps every.
There was additionally a parc fermé in place, that means there was a curfew and heavy limits on any automobile upkeep or repairs after the primary race on Saturday.
Murphy mentioned when the primary race was held, many puzzled “what the hell we had gotten ourselves into?”
“How somebody might provide you with such an idea simply appeared fully barmy,” he mentioned.
However following the “carnage that ensued on the primary day in Saturday”, he mentioned the thought of a parc fermé was successfully thrown “out the window”.
“The automobiles have been worn out, the brakes had had it, the drivers have been destroyed,” Murphy mentioned.
“It was simply such a studying curve for everyone to do a race distance like that.”
Craig Lowndes received the inaugural Sensational Adelaide 500 for Holden in 1999. (Equipped: Supercars Championship)
He mentioned the circumstances that weekend made it “extremely tough” for drivers.
“It suppose it was about 900 levels within the automobiles,” Murphy mentioned.
“Everybody was on oxygen, making an attempt to get drips put of their arms and dehydration in every single place. It was phenomenal.”
Supercar races at Bathurst and Sandown do contain distances of 1,000km and 500km respectively, however, in contrast to the Adelaide occasion, the automobiles will need to have a number of drivers.
Gaining notoriety
The circuit was tweaked with the elimination of an ungainly chicane to create Flip Eight — a notoriously difficult, 210 kilometres-per-hour righthander that has since claimed many automobiles.
5-time Supercars champion Mark Skaife mentioned it was most likely the “wildest nook in Australian motorsport”.
“Peter Brock used to say that nice racetracks have gotten penalties,” he mentioned.
“That is what this one’s bought — in the event you make a mistake, it bites you and it bites you onerous.
“It is unforgiving, it is bought a hero nook … it is the explanation folks experience massive waves or soar out of planes — we adore it.”
Craig Lowndes, a three-time championship winner who received Bathurst seven occasions, was the winner at Adelaide’s inaugural race in 1999.
He described Flip Eight as a “maintain your breath” nook.
“We will not discuss Adelaide with out speaking concerning the notorious Flip Eight,” Lowndes mentioned.
“Fortunately, I by no means went in there, however teammates have.”
He mentioned Adelaide was the primary race the place drivers realised they wanted to extend their degree of health and psychological energy to achieve success.
“While you stroll again into the paddock on the Sunday morning with blisters in your fingers, sore ft, a sore again, and realizing that you have to one other 78 laps, it is brutal,” Lowndes mentioned.
“Bodily, that is as powerful because it will get for the drivers.”
Holden verses Ford rivalry was an enormous a part of the Adelaide 500 till Holden moved offshore to make the ZB. (Fb: Crimson Scorching Shotz Sports activities Images)
Drawing a crowd
The primary race in 1999 drew what was a report crowd of 158,000 folks for the Australian Touring Automobile Championship.
Rising crowd numbers within the following years prompted organisers to show what was a three-day occasion right into a four-day occasion that attracted greater than 200,000 folks in 2003, and a report of 291,000 in 2008.
However in 2020, when it drew its lowest crowd in 17 years of 206,000 — nonetheless the biggest crowd of any Supercar occasion in Australia — it didn’t impress the South Australian Tourism Fee and former Liberal authorities.
After initially suspending it as a result of COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, the federal government later introduced it was scrapping the race altogether.
It was introduced again by the present Labor authorities to fulfil an election pledge in 2022.
The Adelaide 500 can also be common for its off-rack leisure, equivalent to reside music. (Equipped: Adelaide 500)
Murphy mentioned the Adelaide 500 set a regular that each different occasion in Australia might use as a benchmark.
“We have had different examples that have not labored anyplace close to nearly as good as what this occasion, and this circuit, has,” he mentioned.
“The placement of it to town, the Parklands, the semi-street, semi-permanent circuit it is bought arrange, it is fairly distinctive and simply extremely particular to everybody that is ever come right here.
“Adelaide, South Australia, actually has this wonderful asset that is revered world wide in motorsport.
“It put [Supercars] on the map.”
The Adelaide 500 began on Thursday and finishes on Sunday.
