In a remarkable transformation, Sydney’s Accor Stadium has been converted into a race track over the course of two weeks, ready to host the Race of Champions (ROC) this Friday and Saturday. This event will showcase 20 elite drivers from diverse racing backgrounds including Formula 1, Supercars, NASCAR, and rallying.
However, the excitement is brief as, immediately following the final race on Saturday, attention will shift to preparing the stadium for its next event—the first NRL match of the season. Organisers have a mere 48 hours to remove the 4,500 tonnes of asphalt and restore the venue, which must be ready by March 27 for the Rabbitohs versus Panthers game.
This swift turnaround is part of the agreement that brought the ROC to Australia for the first time. The task of preparing the pitch falls to the ROC team, which is confident in its ability to meet the deadline. Fredrik Jonsson, ROC co-founder, assured they would dismantle the racetrack in 48 hours, ensuring the stadium staff can re-turf the field after.
Previously hosted in prestigious venues like the Stade de France and Beijing’s Bird’s Nest, the ROC has a history of such demanding setups. The groundwork for this particular event began after a K-Pop concert just weeks prior, with the final layer of asphalt being placed on Sunday.
Jonsson has dreamt of bringing the ROC to Australia for two decades, having previously explored options in Perth. This year’s track is a 1-kilometre circuit entirely within the stadium, featuring six identical cars racing in a side-by-side format. The participating drivers include well-known figures such as Sebastian Vettel, Valtteri Bottas, and Mick Schumacher, alongside Supercars racers like Will Brown and Chaz Mostert.
The competition format will kick off with a ‘Nations Cup’ on Friday, where drivers represent their nations, culminating in an individual winner-takes-all contest on Saturday night. As the engines roar for the Race of Champions, the focus will soon shift to the clock, racing against time to restore the stadium to its original state for the eagerly awaited rugby league match.