RACING: Aussie SGP leaving Melbourne

Melbourne's Etihad Stadium will no longer host the Australian round of the Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) series – but there's a chance the event could still remain Down Under.

Despite Etihad Stadium signing a five-year contract to host the SGP series, a lack of support has ultimately spelt the death knell for the round after three years – but it was a tremendous swansong in 2017 with Aussie Jason Doyle winning the world title.

The managing director of the SGP series, Torben Olsen, is hopeful a new venue for the Australian round will be found “in the not too distant future” – but whether it will be with enough haste to host a 2018 round is still unclear.

And the man who Torben’s world speedway team has linked up with is Paul Sergeant, who was the CEO of Etihad Stadium when the deal was done to bring the SGP back to Australia after a 13-year absence. He was also CEO of Cardiff’s Principality Stadium – home of the British SGP – and served as commercial and stadium director of Wembley Stadium.

Sergeant now runs an eponymous company called Paul Sergeant Events, and the collaboration with PSE and Olsen has already seen a number of positive discussions take place with potential venues and host states.

With fans keen to hear news on where and when the event will take place, Olsen insists BSI Speedway and PSE are both determined to find a new home for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix series in Australia.

Olsen said: “We are confident that we will have news on another venue for the Australian SGP that will satisfy speedway and sports fans alike in the not too distant future.

“Many Australian fans enjoyed the fantastic venue at Etihad Stadium, and we are keen to follow with a destination and stadium that embodies the strong heritage the country has in the sport.

“We’ve had messages from many Australian fans via social media, keen to find out what’s happening with the event. All I can do is thank them for their patience and say we’re working very hard to bring them much more SGP racing and ensure our great series remains Down Under.

“Please continue to follow SpeedwayGP.com and @SpeedwayGP social media and we will bring fans more news as soon as we can.”

Etihad Stadium CEO Michael Green said: “We’ve really enjoyed hosting the Australian Speedway Grand Prix at Etihad Stadium for the last three years and whilst the event won’t be with us in 2018, we wish all the best to everyone involved or following this year’s series.”

PSE managing director Paul Sergeant said: “The PSE team has a rich and passionate history with the SGP both here in Australia and in Great Britain. We will be working through a structured selection process with our partners at BSI to identify a potential location and venue for the Speedway Grand Prix without delay."