David Coe Passes

V8 Supercars has paid tribute to David Coe, the founding Chairman of Sports Entertainment Limited (SEL), who played an instrumental role in the success of V8 Supercars, following his sudden death in the US. Mr Coe died of a suspected heart attack whilst holidaying in Colorado.

Mr Coe was an SEL business partner and great friend of former V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane, and James Erskine and Basil Scaffidi. It was SEL that secured the rights to V8 Supercars in 1996 and then built it into the sport it is today.

“It’s been a massive shock,” Mr Cochrane said. “David played a massive part behind the scenes in the success of V8 Supercars. He was an outstanding mentor to me personally, a dear friend and a great bloke to many. He will be very sadly missed.”

Mr Coe was more recently a renowned philanthropist and widely respected businessman. In 2008 his company Allco was one of the hardest hit by the global financial crisis.

Many of his philanthropic interests were as former chairman of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. He was also on the board of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation and the National Gallery of Australia Foundation.

He is survived by wife Michelle and three sons.