Adelaide Motorsport Festival
The Adelaide Motorsport Festival was an annual motorsport event held between 2014 and 2018 using a shortened [1.6 km (0.87 mi)] form of the former 1985 Australian Grand Prix (in Adelaide from 1985 to 1995) and the 1999 -2020 Adelaide 500 touring car race track within Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi a park located in the South Eastern Parklands of the South Australian capital of Adelaide. History. The Adelaide Motorsport Festival was created and run by event director Tim Possingham, a motorsport fan and competitor with a strong focus on Formula One cars. The inaugural event was held 12–13  April 2014 then it generally took place in late November or early December, at a similar time when the Australian Grand Prix had run in Adelaide. Using the section of the track within Victoria Park / Pakapakanthi, which includes the Pit Straight and Senna Chicane, a section of Wakefield Road was used to create a 1.6 km circuit. The surrounding park lands contained the pit paddock area, static vehicle displays, catering and VIP areas operated by prestige car brands including Ferrari, Audi, BMW, Aston Martin and Porsche. The first event in 2014 attracted a small crowd of 1800 people, which grew  to in excess of 45,000 in 2018. The event did not run after 2018 due to state government funding cuts. In the run up to the 2022 South Australian election opposition leader Peter Malinauskas announced that the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and the Adelaide 500 will be revived if he is elected as state premier. After winning the March election, Mr Malinauskas stated the popular Adelaide Motorsport Festival would return from 23–27 November 2022 and include the car parade (Peak Hour of Power) through the city streets for the Gouger Street Party. Format. The Festival consisted of a Super Sprint Competition , demonstration track events and displays of collectable, historic and vintage cars and street party. It also included the Adelaide Rally, a four-day tarmac rally through the Adelaide Hills and surrounding areas with community event lunch stops. Victoria Park Sprint. On the Saturday and Sunday, the Victoria Park Sprint ran on the track, which measured 1.6 km. Up to 14 categories of vehicles took part in the competition, ranging from former Formula One cars to historic touring cars, super sedans, time attack, open wheelers and others. Each category was on track for ten minutes, with cars released at 30 second  intervals in a super sprint format in which they raced against the clock. Most notably, the 2018 event featured drag races between three different cars, each racing against a Red Bull Air Race aeroplane. The Adelaide Rally. The Adelaide Rally has the largest field size of any event of this type in the Southern Hemisphere. The event comprises Competitive and Touring Tarmac Rally elements. In 2017 the Rally Legends demonstration featured classic World Rally Car, Group B and Australian Rally icons perform at speed on the Victoria Park Sprint circuit. It includes several challenging rally stages in the Adelaide Hills  and regions of South Australia. Shannons Adelaide Rally is a predominantly nostalgic, classic themed motoring event that is supported by The South Australian Tourism Commission and the Adelaide Hills Council. The 2022 Shannons Adelaide Rally has a course covering more than 220 competitive kilometres across 40 closed road stages with lunch stops and dedicated spectator zones. Displays. Some of the greatest classic cars with rich motor racing heritage as well as selected modern categories have been displayed as part of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, many with interesting histories. Approximately 12 Grand Prix cars were sourced to attend the Adelaide Motorsport  Festival in 2015 including cars driven by Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, Jack Brabham and Alan Jones Parades and street parties. The Gouger Street Party has been a fixture on the Adelaide Rally calendar since 1997. At the end of the Friday night, the Rally field with as many as 21 priceless vehicles — including vintage and Adelaide-era Formula 1 cars headline the motor parade from Victoria Park to Gouger St. Converging on the city's popular restaurant precinct, enthusiasts can stroll the street to check out the crews and cars, plus enjoy live music, pop-up bars and dining along  the restaurant strip. Gouger Street is also adjacent to the famous Adelaide Market and Chinatown East End Finale: After the intense competition and spirited touring from the Adelaide Rally, the entire field converge for the East End Finale for a free street party taking in Rundle Street East, East Terrace, Rundle Street and Rymill Park. This as actioned in 2019 and 2021 due to the Adelaide Motorsport Festival site within Victoria Park not being used due to government funding cuts/ At the Rally Finale, rally winners are lauded with a podium presentation, surrounded by vehicle displays, automotive brand activations, drone  racing, free kids' activities and 500 cars on display. Spectators also talk with the drivers and navigators. Notable cars and drivers. Drivers. Formula One drivers attending the Adelaide Motorsport Festival include: A number of Australian touring car and V8 Supercars drivers took part in the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, including: Notable cars. Formula One cars and other open wheelers, Can Am and Le Mans cars, World Rally Championship cars and various types of Australian touring cars have appeared to the Festival. Adelaide Motorsport films. Adelaide Motorsport Festival gained international attention in 2017 with its first promotional film shot at night with  the assistance of South Australia Police. Recognition, attendance, impact. The Adelaide Motorsport Festival proved to be a popular event. In 2018, a total of 25,787 people attended the Victoria Park Sprint. 14,720 people attend the Gouger Street Party and 6600 people engaged with the Adelaide Rally along the route. The total number of spectators engaging with the Adelaide Motorsport Festival in 2018 was 47,107, up from 43,376 in 2017. Total economic benefit derived from the event for the state of South Australia was in excess of AU$8M.