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S5000 set for first public laps at Newcastle street circuit
The brand-new S5000 race car will make its public debut at the Coates Hire Newcastle 500, supporting the final round of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.
It will be the first opportunity for the public to see the much-anticipated open wheel race car hit the track with demonstration laps each day.
The S5000 race car is set to be Australia’s fastest open wheeler – powered by a specially-prepared 5.0 litre, 560hp V8 Ford Coyote ‘Aluminator’ engine.
Fans at the circuit will get to see the car on track on all three days of the popular street event, completing a number of demonstration laps
Fox Sports commentator and four-time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy will complete laps on Friday. Murphy is no stranger to high-powered open wheel race cars, having won the 1994 New Zealand Grand Prix in a Reynard 90D.
Two-time Australian Driver’s Champion and Supercars Hall of Famer, John Bowe, will jump in the driver’s seat on Saturday and Sunday, thrilling the crowd with its thundering sound and Formula 1-type looks.
The demonstration laps will add to Bowe’s Newcastle duties behind the wheel of his Touring Car Masters Holden Torana entry.
The Newcastle street track demonstration laps will follow the S5000’s official launch, to be held at Sydney Motorsport Park this Monday in a closed event for media and competitors.
Following the Newcastle event, the S5000 car will be taken to Adelaide to conduct more demonstration laps at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival on December 1-2.
The S5000 chassis features the latest FIA-specification carbon-fibre monocoque with strength, safety and cost-effectiveness the main priorities. The car also features the halo protective device, making it the first Australian racing class that will feature the FIA-mandated safety feature.
QUOTES
John Bowe
Australian motorsport legend
“To be one of the first people to drive the S5000 car is really special,” said John Bowe.
“These will only be demonstration laps, but it is really going to give the Newcastle fans a real treat. Big, loud, modern race cars around a spectacular track.
“I grew up in open wheelers, I love them, and the introduction of this category is the best piece of open wheel news in Australia since Formula Atlantic was here in 1981.
“With the new carbon-fibre monocoque, big engine and the cockpit ‘Halo’, it will be an awesome class. The aero will be good but not over the top, and the cars will be quick.
“If we’re ever going to have a chance to breed a race-ready Formula 1 driver in Australia, this will be the car and the category.”
Kurt Sakzewski
Coates Hire Newcastle 500 Event Manager
“The S5000 will be a great spectacle for fans as a fantastic addition to the weekend’s entertainment,” said Kurt Sakzewski.
“This is the first time the Newcastle circuit has hosted an open wheel racer. We are really looking forward to seeing the S5000 in action and how it fares on the tough street layout.”