Supercars Fill Phillip Island’s Paddock, Ghosting MotoGP’s Empty Lap

The Victorian government announced a five‑year agreement to return the Supercars championship to Phillip Island, a move described by officials as a way to “plug the hole” left when MotoGP left the circuit.

The departure of MotoGP cost the state about $80 million, according to the announcement, and the Supercars deal is intended to help recover that shortfall.

While the V8‑powered machines will once again thunder around the scenic track, the switch also gives fans a louder, slightly less fuel‑efficient soundtrack – a fittingly noisy antidote to the silence that followed MotoGP’s exit.

The government hopes the new series will attract larger crowds and fresh sponsorship, keeping the paddock busy and the state’s motorsport coffers a little fuller, even if the only thing louder than the engines might be the bureaucrats’ applause.