What’s On at the VAILO Adelaide 500

The VAILO Adelaide 500 is all warmed up for two big days of Supercars and support category racing, Speedway and Supercross events as well as off-track activities.

There is so much to see and do but these are some of our favourite highlights.

ON-TRACK HIGHLIGHTS

 

SUPERCARS

 

Two drivers are fighting to win the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship.

22 other drivers have no care other than winning the prestigious VAILO Adelaide 500.

Two Top Ten Shootouts will be held at 12.35pm on Saturday and Sunday, providing nail-biting qualifying excitement that sets the top half of the grid, including pole position.

Then, the two 250km races on the Adelaide street circuit this weekend are set to provide fans with some of the most edge-of-your-seat competition held this year.

Will Brown leads his Red Bull Ampol Racing teammate Broc Feeney in the championship standings coming into the first of the two races on Saturday.

But Brown has been bitten by the concrete walls that line the track before – and Feeney has previously won the event – meaning the championship is far from being locked in.

Meanwhile, 2023 Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki enters the round in hot form, with two wins from the two previous rounds in his Chevrolet Camaro; while Cam Waters and Chaz Mostert also have been flying the flag up the front of the field for Ford Mustang.

Will all drivers be able to successfully navigate the chicane, the hairpin and the notorious Turn 8 for each of the 76 laps per race? Or will a crash or a run-in with a competitor damage their car and ruin their prospects?

The best way to see the stories unfold is to be at the track.

 

SUPPORT CATEGORIES

 

An array of support categories are racing from soon after gates open through to the start of the Supercars races.

The Trico Trans Am Series gets fans revved up first on both Saturday and Sunday, with their loud V8 engines in their American-style race vehicles sure to get hearts pumping early.

The Tyrepower V8 SuperUtes Series follows, and with championships on the line in both categories, drivers will be going all out to leave Adelaide with the win.

The Paynter Dixon Porsche Carrera Cup brings European flair to the circuit before the rough-and-ready Stadium Super Trucks take to the track – and the sky – with their raucous racing over strategically placed jumps.

The Dunlop Series, meanwhile, will give the SST category a run for its money for entertainment value as the up-and-coming drivers showcase highly spirited racing.

 

SUPERCROSS

 

After a day of practice for Australia’s top supercross riders on Friday, the custom-built track will really come alive on Saturday.

Up and coming riders in the SX3 and 85CC categories will have their turn to practise racing on the tight lines and jumps during the day, but from 5.30pm, the action heats up.

The Boost Mobile AusX Supercross Sprint doubles as round 4 of the Fox Australian Supercross Championship, with top Australian and international dirt bike riders competing in SX1 and SX2 categories under a unique sprint race format.

Will hometown hero Brett Metcalfe take the win in his last competitive race in Adelaide before retiring? Or will SX1 leader Joey Savatgy extend his lead?

See the VAILO Adelaide 500’s two-wheeled motorsport action from a seat in the Heritage Grandstand.

 

NAPA SPEEDWAY

 

The NAPA Sprintcar Invitational may have been run and won over Thursday and Friday nights but the purpose-built speedway track at CBC Oval still will feature sprintcars in action over the weekend.

Sprintcars, Wingless Sprints and Street Stock race vehicles will be tearing up the dirt track from 10.30am on Saturday and Sunday ahead of the Supercars races.

The NAPA Speedway has been a popular addition to the VAILO Adelaide 500 schedule, so don’t miss your chance to see what the spectacle is about.

 

OFF-TRACK HIGHLIGHTS

 

AIR FORCE FLYOVERS

 

Two types of Air Force displays will grace the skies above the VAILO Adelaide 500 circuit over the weekend – the Roulettes and the F/A-18F Super Hornet.

The acrobatics of the Roulettes planes will be the highlight of both mornings, scheduled at 10.30am on Saturday and 10.45am on Sunday.

Then ahead of both Supercars races, as the cars take to the grid, the F/A-18F Super Hornet will fly over the track – closely followed by the roar of its engines.

 

PUB IN THE PARK

 

A new precinct this year, open to all ticketholders, is Pub in the Park.

Located near Gate 1 and close to the Concert Stage, historic Supercars are on display and Supercars legends are being interviewed on the 25 Year Stage during the day.

Tommy Tequila and TOM N ROSE are providing the musical ambiance while fans can enjoy tasty treats from a variety of food and beverage vendors.

Make it the place to catch up with your mates.

 

AFTER RACE CONCERTS

 

Two legendary bands headline the After Race Concerts on Saturday and Sunday nights, supported by many big names from the Australian music scene.

When the race track goes cold on Saturday, the Concert Stage heats up with J-Milla, Meg Mac and Ocean Alley performing before Crowded House sets off race fans in a giant singalong.

Once the champagne has been popped in pit straight on Sunday, Tonic, The Superjesus and The Cruel Sea will keep the party going, ahead of Cold Chisel wrapping up another epic weekend with what’s set to be a truly epic performance.

 

V8 NATION

 

Some of the finest V8 vehicles you’ll ever see have been collected for the V8 Nation display.

Ranging from a Ford Flathead V8 Hot Rod to some of the last Holden Commodores that rolled off the Elizabeth factory’s production line, there is a V8 for every taste.

US custom car builders Dave Kindig and Kevin Schiele have returned to the VAILO Adelaide 500 this year specifically to meet with more fans and will conduct signing sessions in the V8 Nation precinct at 9.30am on both Saturday and Sunday.