SEASON 2025 would not be officially over until the Adelaide Grand Final Notebook was posted – so here it is!
You can catch previous Notebooks here:
Sandown 500 Notebook, Gold Coast Notebook, and the Bathurst 1000 Notebooks:
Tuesday Notebook | Wednesday Notebook | Thursday Notebook | Friday Notebook | Saturday Notebook | Sunday Notebook | Monday Notebook
Coming in hot: your new drivers!
Both the Blanchard Racing Team and PremiAir Racing were very quick to dispose of James Courtney and James Golding, who in 2026 will drive for Team 18 and the Blanchard Racing Team, respectively.
While Courtney was somewhat cooperative with the delivery, Golding went down fighting.
A nice touch from Courtney was tipping a Coopers beer on Golding’s head. Good banter.
Speaking of changes…
While off-season team swaps allow for a clean break, mid-season driver movements have implications beyond the driving seat, including various printed assets at the circuit.
Wall repairs
Multiple sessions and races over the weekend were cut short due to damage to walls, including the opening Supercars encounter on Friday evening.
The first image in the above gallery shows the line of concrete walls at turn 8, which, when hit at the wrong angle, causes the edges of the concrete to break, weakening the integrity of the entire wall system.
The debris from multiple hits was evident behind the first line of protection on Sunday morning, with the final image in the sequence showing the steel reinforcement inside each barrier, plus the loops that hold the uprights supporting the catch fence, which also link the blocks together.
Animals on track
Our ongoing series features this adorable duck family as they safely make their way off the circuit.
We’re just glad this duck wasn’t spotted during the event…
NAPA Speedway
One of the big losers in the wet weather that impacted the event, especially on Friday, was the speedway event, which saw a temporary circuit built on top of the Christian Brothers College cricket oval.
While the Sprintcars went home early when the action could not be moved to Saturday, the junior speedway set ran its final round of races once the rain cleared on Sunday.
Elsewhere motorsporting…
While the event is truly the biggest on the Supercars calendar, outside of the main support acts, there is plenty of motorsport on track and around the precinct.
From a track day for enthusiasts on Wednesday, there were regular drifting and drag racing displays, through to the speed comparison and F1 hot laps, as completed by David Coulthard, Brendan Hartley and Scott Speed.
Another highlight was the Boost Mobile Australian Supercross, which, like the speedway, had to battle against the elements.
The National Motor Museum in Birdwood had a display, while the showcase celebrating 40 years of racing on the Adelaide Parklands was a certified hit.
Even rallying got a look in…
Within the Adelaide Parklands, frisbee enthusiasts can partake in a spot of disc golf, with the 79m par 3 third hole delightfully entitled “Scandinavian Flick”.
Non-motorsport
Away from the circuit, the full scope of activities and activations was seriously impressive.
For the major concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, two identical stages were constructed for Lenny Kravitz (first pic) and AC/DC (second pic), with the differing setup requirements for each show requiring the separate builds.
Elsewhere, the ‘Wanderers Basecamp’ featured an entire outdoors show, with displays focused on caravanning, camping, glamping and accessories, with the area to the north of the circuit also including a temporary 4WD test circuit.
The Australian Defence Force had a major activation on the ground, coupled with numerous flyovers, including the Air Force Roulettes, the Boeing P-8 Poseidon, and the almighty Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.
There was also a family zone with a range of activities for kids, plus the Pub in the Park, which, aside from live music, also hosted all-in autograph sessions.
We weren’t on the Gold Coast anymore…
Rymill House, a heritage-listed building that dates back some 140 years, has for the last 40 years been overlooking motorsport from its location on the inside of the circuit at the corner of East Terrace and Hutt Street, otherwise known as turn 6.
On Google maps, the corner is known as Schumacher Two-Wheeling Co, with reference to the infamous clash between Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill, which decided the tumultuous 1994 F1 title.
The weekend’s encounter between Ryan Wood and Broc Feeney adds another chapter to the story of the otherwise unsophisticated 90-degree right.