Barbagallo dumped from V8 Supercars calendar

The Perth leg of the V8 Supercars series has been axed after the motorsport's governing body made good on its threat to withdraw the WA event at Barbagallo Raceway from this season's competition.

The popular three-day fixture had been provisionally scheduled for June 4-6 but has been scrapped after three months of crisis talks between V8 Supercars Australia and the WA Sporting Car Club, which is in charge of the Wanneroo circuit.

The decision, which was first flagged as a possibility only days before last year's race in November, came despite the State Government having committed $5 million for an upgrade of the 2.4km circuit.

The funds were earmarked for track widening and resurfacing along with installing better safety fencing, lighting and communications.

But V8 Supercars cited the need for more money to be spent on improving pit facilities and access to the track.

V8 Supercars acting chief executive Shane Howard said he hoped other regions of WA would approach the organisation about hosting the series at a different venue.

"We are extremely disappointed for all of our fans in WA," Mr Howard said. "As a group we have worked overtime in trying to get this Third World facility revamped so that both the paddock and the pit lane meet basic occupational health and safety legislation.

"Despite a reduced sanction fee of around 25 per cent of the actual cost for us to race in Perth, committing to a long-term five-year deal and offering the services of Mark Skaife and our engineers to design the new circuit at our cost, we still get a lip service response."

WASCC management board chairman Rick Gill said the club had been shocked by the announcement, having been unaware an official decision had been made.

He said the substantial sanction fee to be paid by the club to host the Barbagallo meet had been the sticking point in negotiations - not the need for more funds to upgrade the circuit.

"If this club signed on that contract as presented by the V8 Supercar company, it would have been commercially irresponsible," he said.

"We're disappointed in such a way that I think it's unethical, I think it's bordering on dictatorial."

Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron said the Government hoped V8 Supercars and WASCC could come to an agreement to hold the event at Barbagallo in 2011 and into the future.

Perth V8 Supercar champion Garth Tander said he was disappointed not to have been part of the discussions about the race's future. "I certainly hope that this isn't now political grandstanding as a means to an end to get a result by one party or the other," he said.

Shadow sport and recreation minister Ken Travers said it would leave a big hole in WA's events calendar. He would speak to the Government about the background to the decision.