South Australia is "set to claim a second round of the V8 Supercars championship" from '17 after the planned A$80M ($63M) motorsport complex at Tailem Bend won development approval, according to Scott Walsh of THE ADVERTISER. The "ambitious dream" of Peregrine Corp. Dir Sam Shahin on Wednesday "crossed its biggest hurdle, with a green light from the South Australian Development Assessment Commission" for work to begin on the "world-class motorsport facility" on the corner of the Dukes and Mallee highways. The approval "covered all features of the bold master plan, including a V8 Supercars circuit, drag strip, off-road track, airstrip, hotel, restaurant, caravan park and On The Run service centre." It follows this week's A$7.5M ($5.9M) Federal Government pledge for the project, "mooted as the nation's best purpose-built motorsport complex." Work is planned to start "as soon as next month, and is scheduled to be finished before the middle of 2017." The facility is planned to "be ready to stage its first V8 Supercars event in the second half of that year." Planning and development has "come with consultation from V8 Supercars to guarantee the circuit and complex meet stipulations for safety, pit facilities and spectators" (THE ADVERTISER, 5/21).
