Stanaway throws support behind more night racing

Supercars

17 Jul 2024

"It’s something I think we should do a lot more of, I think it's great to change it up"

2 mins by James Pavey

Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight

Sydney SuperNight

Sydney

...

Richie Stanaway throws support behind more night races
Sydney to host only night racing round this weekend
19 races have been held under lights in Supercars history

Richie Stanaway has called for more night racing in Supercars, as the championship readies to race under lights in Sydney this weekend.

The Panasonic Air Conditioning Sydney SuperNight will be the only night racing round of the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship.

Both Sydney races this weekend will be held under lights, with Saturday’s Race 15 to be preceded by pyrotechnics and spectacular driver introductions, adding to the ‘rockstar’ flavour of the event.

Night racing has been a fixture of the championship since 1980, when Calder Park staged the first championship race after dark.

However, just once in history — in 2022, at Sydney and Perth — have two different circuits hosted night racing in the same season. It nearly happened in 2020, with night races scheduled for the Perth, Sydney and Gold Coast events before COVID-19 led to an overhaul of the calendar.

Bathurst winner Stanaway, who has an extensive background in endurance racing at night, wants more night racing in Supercars.

“The sensation of speed is very different at night,” the Penrite Racing driver told Fox Sports News.

“It feels like you’re travelling a lot quicker, you’ve got a lot more reference points during the day. It’s something I think we should do a lot more of, I think it's great to change it up, and race under lights.

“It’s something I really enjoy, and really looking forward to this weekend.”

Formula 1 has since staged night races on street circuits in Saudi Arabia and Las Vegas, adding to the popular Singapore night race which debuted in 2008.

Before COVID-19 intervened, plans for a night race on the Gold Coast were announced ahead of the 2020 season, with the original plans including 489 light towers around the Surfers Paradise circuit.

Darwin could become the next circuit to stage night racing, with Hidden Valley Raceway set to receive significant upgrades following investment by the Northern Territory Government.

Part of the Darwin plan, to be funded in the future, will include on-track lighting to allow for night races to be held at the venue.

Matt Payne was also keen for more night racing, saying: “It definitely spices up the action, just makes everything feel a lot faster.

“It’s cool, I really enjoy racing at night, I think it's possibly something that that’s going to get really popular in the future.”

Sydney action will commence on Friday, with 200km races to be held on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are on sale now. International viewers can follow all the action on Superview.