A TOTAL 167,197 racegoers flooded this year's Newcastle 500 event marking the biggest crowd since its debut in 2017, according to organisers.
There was action on and off the course at the full-throttle event, with a controversial driver disqualification, a marriage proposal, major prangs and pumping music across the packed foreshore.
All revved-up after a massive three days of hair-raising racing, Newcastle lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said she expects competition from other regions to host the event in 2024.
"Even when we first got the race in 2017 I know Gosford and other places were talking to the NSW government about hosting," she said.
"There's always been competition for events of this size and scale."
While she hopes Newcastle nabs another five-year deal with Supercars, she said there were obvious hiccups with the bump-in that need improvement.
"Road closures also could have been managed better, but overall in terms of the vibe and the sentiment down on the track it is really positive," she said.
"I think people don't realise the benefit from the 2017 race, how quickly it changed the perception of Newcastle overnight.
"We have been very successful at leveraging that imagery of the city. Crowd numbers were fantastic and coming off a few tough years of COVID this is a huge boost to businesses in Newcastle and surrounds."
While business at hotels and accommodation providers boomed across the region, other small hospitality and tourism operators reported an economic loss at the hands of the race.
One shop-owner in the Hunter Street mall told the Newcastle Herald trade was down 30 per cent during the bump-in period and a further 60 per cent across the event.
The council is in the process of community consultation on the event and the results are expected by the middle of the year.
After three years of waiting, 2023 marked an amazing return to the track, Supercars chief executive Shane Howard said.
"The atmosphere track-side was electric across all three days and at the Friday and Saturday night concerts we saw huge crowds fill Foreshore Park to see some of Australia's best acts on stage," he said.
"We want to acknowledge and thank residents for their patience and understanding during the process of organising and delivering this world-class street circuit event.
"This event is about so much more than racing. Fans are the heart and soul of the Newcastle 500 and we're grateful for their support yet again in 2023.
"We hope to see everyone next year and continue to build on this success in the future."
The future of the event in Newcastle lies in the hands of Supercars, Destination NSW and the state government.
To make a submission on the event to contribute to City of Newcastle's community consultation, visit the council's website.
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