Revheads flocked to Flagstaff Hill in Wollongong on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of the illustrious Peter Brock Trophy in celebration of the upcoming Bathurst 1000 Supercars race.
This year will mark the 60th anniversary of the first Bathurst enduro in 1963, with V8 fans excited to shake hands with drivers Warren Luff, Scott Pye and Cam Hill.
Long-term fan Dennise Williams from Campbelltown was visiting the Illawarra with family and couldn't believe her luck at stumbling across the free community day.
"I've just booked a four-day holiday for our 42nd wedding anniversary at Bathurst ... and we'll be doing a hot lap," she told the Mercury.
Mrs Williams prefers heading to the theatre, but when it's hubby's turn to choose they check out the V8s and have travelled all over the country to see them.
"I'd love it if it was in Wollongong ... we'd be here every year," she said.
Sadly, Supercars reconfirmed its commitment to Newcastle on Tuesday after reports the Newcastle 500 was destined for the scrap heap because the council's administration declined to recommend councilors approve a one-year extension in the agenda for Tuesday night's monthly council meeting.
"Supercars and Destination NSW are aligned in their shared commitment to host the opening event of 2024 in Newcastle," they said in a statement.
"Discussions are ongoing with Newcastle City Council and we continue to work collaboratively to find a resolution swiftly regarding the long-term future of the event in NSW's second largest city."
But that wouldn't worry Nathan from Wollongong, a keen Holden fan who's been following Supercars for years.
"That would be an amazing sight to see, but I'm not sure if they'd have the resources to put that in down here," he said.
Like many other fans, Nathan loves hearing the raw of the engine and the smell of burnt rubber on the track along with the "raw passion and power behind the drivers".
"Seeing what they do for a living and being able to bring that to the public - and the technology that goes into these cars - is absolutely amazing."
Supercars is expecting more than 200,000 fans to attend this year's event at Mount Panorama from October 5 to 8.
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Desiree Savage
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
