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Sandown Park is line to receive a major boost as the bosses of the Supercars series in Australia and New Zealand push ahead with plans for a 13-round calendar in 2025.
Uncertainty about the future of the iconic racing venue had sparked talk that it could be omitted from next season’s championship in favor of Queensland Raceway.
However, Supercars executives are reportedly eager to continue racing at Sandown and are set to hand the venue a new November date in the 2025 schedule.
Sandown traditionally stages horse racing and motorsports, but it is currently under threat as Melbourne Racing Club ponders whether to redevelop or sell the site.
Members of the Sandown Racecourse Advisory Committee have recently overseen a series of hearings which will ultimately determine the venue’s future. Numerous prominent trainers including Amy McDonald are eager for Sandown to be retained as a racing venue given the economic benefits it generates for the region.
Bettors have also joined the clamour for Sandown to remain untouched as it classed as one of the safest and fairest tracks on the Australian horse racing scene.
Aussie punters who search for reliable Sandown Park tips can do so safe in the knowledge that the layout of the track allows horses to produce their best form on every run.
With a final decision on Sandown’s future is expected in November, several respected people in motorsports have backed the calls for the track to be saved.
They include Triple Eight Engineering co-driver Scott Pye, who recently ended his long wait for a Supercars victory by winning the Sandown 500 alongside Will Brown. He has subsequently been heavily linked to a full-time return with PremiAir Nulon Racing, but has yet to confirm whether he will head down that route next season. Regardless of his decision, Pye says he will be extremely disappointed if this year’s Sandown 500 proves to be the last time Supercars are able to race at the track “Being able to race here so many times, it’s one of my favourite tracks,” Pye said. “When you track walk, you look at how much the circuit’s deteriorated, but it’s one of the things that adds character here.
“Even for the spectators, I think it’s a really cool circuit. There’s a great view. But ultimately, it has been here a long time, and things do come to an end, so I’m not sure what the future holds. “I’d love to see it stick around for as long as we can drive cars here, but ultimately it’s not up to us.”
While Supercars bosses are yet to confirm Sandown will be part of the 2025 schedule, the timing of their upcoming announcement adds an intriguing layer to proceedings. Next year’s championship calendar is scheduled to be released at the Bathurst 1000, which is due to be staged on October 10-13.
If Sandown is included on the 2025 itinerary, this would be a strong indicator that the venue will continue to host racing in the short term. While a complete sale of the site cannot be ruled out, a partial redevelopment is an alternative
option which has backing from within the racing community.
McDonald recently said that the user-friendly nature of the venue and the positive effects it has on the horse racing industry outweigh any proposed development.
However, she acknowledged there are significant pockets of land on the property which are underutilised and could be sold to developers while leaving the racing portion intact.
