Statement on 2020 Newcastle 500

City of Newcastle acknowledges that the 2020 Newcastle 500 will not form part of the revised 2020 Supercars Australia Championship series following the impact of COVID-19.

“The Newcastle 500 is the largest event on the local calendar. The loss of this event in December 2020 and the tens of thousands of overnight bookings, is devastating for accommodation and hospitality providers, who are already under financial pressure from measures required to stop the spread of COVID 19,” Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.

“Hunter Research Foundation found the Newcastle 500 generates $30.1 million annually for the Newcastle economy alone. The $30.1 million benefit of the event would be far higher if the direct economic benefit in neighbouring areas including Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Cessnock were included.

“As the finale of the Supercars Australia Championship series, the Newcastle 500 brings widespread exposure for our city. This 2019 event weekend recorded 344 media stories from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 November, reaching a combined domestic audience of more than 14 million people, with an estimated value of over $2 million.

“According to Supercars Australia the TV audience for Newcastle 500 peaked at more than 1.8 million viewers with an average of 1.3 million people viewing the three-day event.

“We look forward to the return of Supercars to Newcastle.”