The historic Sandown Park motor racing observe in Australia has been given a reprieve from the builders.
The observe, which for greater than 60 years has hosted motor racing and horse racing in the identical Melbourne suburban location, has had its medium-term future assured after a change within the make-up of the Melbourne Racing board on Thursday.
John Kanga was voted in as the brand new MRC chairman at a particular board assembly, after the resignation of former vice chairman Nick Hassett. The board oversees the horse racing actions at Sandown and different Melbourne horse racing tracks at Caulfield and Mornington.
Kanga and his new board are against promoting the 112 hectare web site for the event of as much as 7000 new properties within the Melbourne suburb of Springvale. At present homes are positioned lower than 150 metres from the circuit.
These residential improvement plans had beforehand threatened the way forward for the circuit.
As a automotive and motorcyle racing venue Sandown has been on the forefront of the game in Australia since its opening in 1962.
James Golding, PremiAir Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Photograph by: Edge Photographics
Earlier than Formulation 1 got here to Adelaide in 1985, Sandown was outstanding within the Tasman Sequence and first hosted the Australian Grand Prix in 1964, when it was received by Jack Brabham.
In 1968 the Sandown GP winner was Jim Clark, in 1972 and ’73 (each Graham McRae), 1976 (John Goss) and 1978 (McRae). A brief extension noticed the three.1km observe lengthened to three.88km so it may host rounds of the World Sportscar Championship in 1984 and 1988.
The observe has additionally hosted the normal 500km Supercars endurance race, which was received final month by Will Brown and Scott Pye for Triple Eight.
The board adjustments imply Sandown will keep away from the identical destiny because the Pukekohe Park Raceway in New Zealand.
Motor racing actions on the well-known Kiwi circuit ceased in April 2023 after proprietor Auckland Thoroughbred Racing elected to develop its horse coaching actions.
It signifies that New Zealand was absent from the Supercars calendar in 2023, earlier than returning this 12 months with a brand new occasion at Taupo Worldwide Motorsport Park.
