Supercars will roar once again around Phillip Island.
A venue loved and missed by fans and drivers alike, the news has been met positively among the Supercars fraternity, with the sport having undergone wholesale change since the last Phillip Island event in 2019.
So, with a new-look sport and key backing for Phillip Island's Supercars revival, what can we expect come 2027?
Five-year deal for Phillip Island
Supercars returning to Phillip Island isn't just going to be a one-off, with a bumper five-year deal announced. Not only does it provide the chance for Supercars to return to a venue that is fondly remembered by fans, but it also provides the chance for the fast and flowing circuit to become a staple of the calendar once again.
Phillip Island back as Finals round
Phillip Island has pedigree of hosting pivotal rounds at the end of the championship trail, but it will never have had an event quite like a Finals round. While Phillip Island held the Grand Finale in 2005, 2006, and 2007, in its new guise it will either make or break the championship aspirations of Finals Drivers. Phillip Island will likely be the round that whittles down seven to the final four that will fight for the title in Adelaide. The grand prix circuit also provides a point of difference to the current Finals bullrings at the Gold Coast, Sandown, and Adelaide.
Phillip Island 500 name revived
Confirmation also came on Friday that the revived Phillip Island event will be known as the Phillip Island 500. While the final format is yet to be announced, it brings back a historic touring car name rich with history. Between 1960-62, the Phillip Island 500 was the precursor to what has now morphed into the Bathurst 1000, with the 500km enduro also revived between 1971-77, and 2008-11 for Supercars. Twin 250km races formed the most recent iteration of the Phillip Island 500 in 2017 and 2018.
Government, AGPC support and promotion
Following the departure of MotoGP to Adelaide, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation will support and promote the revived Phillip Island Supercars event, in conjunction with the Victorian Government. As anyone who has been to either of the Australian Grands Prix on two or four wheels can attest, AGPC know how to run a great event both on and off track, and could give Phillip Island the extra spark it needs to become a genuine marquee event.
Tantalising Gen3 prospect
Since its debut in 2023, the Gen3 cars have only raced at one Eurpoean-style grand prix circuit, namely the Albert Park Street Circuit on the Australian Grand Prix undercard. While the older Gen2 specification cars struggled to follow closely due to aero wash in Phillip Island's most recent Supercars event in 2019, the Gen3 cars have proven to have far better raceability. With a new wave of young, hungry drivers, the Gen3 product could turn on the best Supercars racing ever seen at Phillip Island, with major championship consequences for anyone who gets it wrong.
