Driver Breakfast to kick off Thrifty Newcastle 500 weekend

On the eve of the official debut of Supercars in the Gen3 era, race fans will have the chance to interact with all their favourite drivers and take in exclusive experiences at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 Driver Breakfast.

With the stunning beachside section of the scenic street circuit in Newcastle’s east as a backdrop, the Charity Breakfast, which had been a feature of previous editions of the Newcastle 500, will take place on the morning of Thursday, 9 March at the trackside Sports Lounge, located at the bottom of Shortland Esplanade.

All 25 Repco Supercars Championship drivers will be on hand for the event, where guests can meet the stars of Australian motorsport just hours out from the first race event of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship season.

A range of Supercars items will be auctioned off, including race event tickets, team memorabilia, at track experiences including hot laps of the iconic Newcastle street circuit, and a one-of-a-kind Thrifty Newcastle 500 painting, which will be created live at the breakfast by Novocastrian artist, Mitch Revs.

Proceeds from the auction and ticket sales will be donated directly to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, the official charity partner of the Thrifty Newcastle 500.

“Just as we are thrilled to see the Supercars Championship return to the Thrifty Newcastle 500, we are delighted to also see the return of the Newcastle Driver Charity Breakfast,” said Supercars CEO Shane Howard.

All drivers will take part in the Breakfast

“The breakfast has been a fantastic way to kick off one of the most exciting race events on our calendar, and bringing it back to open the very first event of the Gen3 era of Supercars will make for a memorable morning to start a very memorable weekend.”

“Not only will the full grid of Supercars drivers be on hand, but attendees will have the chance to take home a number of exciting auction items available for the taking that will make any race fan’s day. All proceeds from the event benefit the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service that does such incredible work, so it really will be a fantastic way to kick start our 2023 season in one of the most picturesque places in the country.”

Just a day after the breakfast, Supercars drivers will next see the Sports Lounge from behind the wheel of their Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang as they barrel through Turns 4, 5, and 6 with the Pacific Ocean in the background.

Tickets for the Charity Breakfast are now available and can be purchased at www.rescuehelicopter.com.au/events for $89.95 per person.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service provides lifesaving aeromedical response to communities across Northern NSW, from the Hawkesbury in the south to the Queensland border and throughout the New England North West.

Flying in excess of 1500 missions each year, every primary mission carries a NSW Ambulance Critical Care Paramedic and NSW Health Doctor and as needed, specialised nursing staff, on board a state of the art AW139 ‘flying ICU’ helicopter.

Tickets for the Thrifty Newcastle 500 are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.