The Supercars calendar has been released for 2025 and the Hunter does not feature on the program.
After the Newcastle 500 was scrapped in 2023, Cessnock council wrote to Supercars to express its interest in hosting a Supercar 500 event in the local government area.
However while the 2025 Supercars calendar has been expanded to 13 events, the only NSW races are the opening round in Sydney in February and Bathurst in October. The 2024 Bathurst 1000 will take place next weekend.
Some racing fans have expressed hope on social media that a new lord mayor and new council could signal the event's return to Newcastle.
While incoming lord mayor Ross Kerridge did not rule out supporting Supercars coming back to Newcastle in some capacity, he said it would need to be in a different location.
"I wouldn't anticipate Supercars coming back in the previous format," he said.
"They would have to come up with an alternative proposal, there would have to be widespread community support and an alternative location."
Newcastle first hosted Supercars in 2017 in the city's east end and went on to hold three more events as part of a previous agreement.
But the race was divisive between motorsport fans and residents and businesses that were affected by weeks of disruptions.
The council conducted a survey in 2023 to help it determine whether the agreement should be renewed, but a majority of people said they did not want the event to return to Newcastle.
The NSW government pitched a one-year extension for the race, which the council rejected saying it was "inconsistent" with community consultation which focused on a new five-year contract.
Work has already been completed to re-install permanent infrastructure in the city's east that was removed for the race, including the roundabout at Watt Street and Wharf Road and multiple pedestrian crossings.
