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Organisers of the Phillip Island Circuit have recognised the need to improve on V8 Supercars' 500 kilometre enduro race over the next 10 years.
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Managing Director, Fergus Cameron, believes the race is no longer regarded as the category's second best race after the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, but he said plans are on the drawing board to address that situation.
“The 500 in recent years as a race in terms of importance has gone backwards, I think, and there's quite a lot of rebuilding with that event to get it back to what it used to be,” Cameron said.
Phillip Island hosted the 500km race for the first time last year, and V8 Supercars Australia (VESA) later announced that the event had signed a deal to continue the race there until 2018.
Almost $10 million has been spent on upgrading the track since Linfox bought it in 2004.
These improvements included upgrading existing pit buildings, catering upgrades and the addition of a replica kart track on the site.
Recent improvements include the new 2000-square metre 'expo' building, which was used at the L&H 500 last year as a merchandising area and replaces the costly portable marquees erected for track events once or twice a year.
“A lot of it's associated with looking at temporary infrastructure that comes in here for events two or three times a year and saying ok, let's redirect that recurring expenditure that's going into those sorts of facilities and putting it into better facilities and pay it off over four or five years,” Cameron explained.
One bugbear for fans attending the L&H 500 last year was that empty grandstands set up for the Australian MotoGP were not available for them to use.
Cameron said he has already taken that feedback on board.
“V8 Supercars and VESA recognise what the challenges are going forward and feel we know what the issues are there,” he said.
“Phillip Island has been one of those circuits for the V8 Supercars where the patrons are absolutely used to the idea of coming in their car, parking up against the fence and pulling out the barbecue and that's how they expect Phillip Island to be.
“We are in the process of demonstrating to those fans that there's a lot more they can do and enjoy rather than just doing that.
“Yes, we will be able to introduce stands at some point in time, but we have gone about providing undercover areas such as the big expo building and they really took that on board during the V8 Supercars last year in terms of somewhere to visit.”
The 2009 L&H 500 is scheduled for the weekend of September 11-13.
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Managing Director, Fergus Cameron, believes the race is no longer regarded as the category's second best race after the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, but he said plans are on the drawing board to address that situation.
“The 500 in recent years as a race in terms of importance has gone backwards, I think, and there's quite a lot of rebuilding with that event to get it back to what it used to be,” Cameron said.
Phillip Island hosted the 500km race for the first time last year, and V8 Supercars Australia (VESA) later announced that the event had signed a deal to continue the race there until 2018.
Almost $10 million has been spent on upgrading the track since Linfox bought it in 2004.
These improvements included upgrading existing pit buildings, catering upgrades and the addition of a replica kart track on the site.
Recent improvements include the new 2000-square metre 'expo' building, which was used at the L&H 500 last year as a merchandising area and replaces the costly portable marquees erected for track events once or twice a year.
“A lot of it's associated with looking at temporary infrastructure that comes in here for events two or three times a year and saying ok, let's redirect that recurring expenditure that's going into those sorts of facilities and putting it into better facilities and pay it off over four or five years,” Cameron explained.
One bugbear for fans attending the L&H 500 last year was that empty grandstands set up for the Australian MotoGP were not available for them to use.
Cameron said he has already taken that feedback on board.
“V8 Supercars and VESA recognise what the challenges are going forward and feel we know what the issues are there,” he said.
“Phillip Island has been one of those circuits for the V8 Supercars where the patrons are absolutely used to the idea of coming in their car, parking up against the fence and pulling out the barbecue and that's how they expect Phillip Island to be.
“We are in the process of demonstrating to those fans that there's a lot more they can do and enjoy rather than just doing that.
“Yes, we will be able to introduce stands at some point in time, but we have gone about providing undercover areas such as the big expo building and they really took that on board during the V8 Supercars last year in terms of somewhere to visit.”
The 2009 L&H 500 is scheduled for the weekend of September 11-13.
