Oct 24, 2026 · 12 min · 7 segments
Wayne Gardner was there for the first race at Phillip Island, and now he'll be there for the last. He won the first Australian 500cc Grand Prix but his connection to the track is so much more than…
Wayne GardnerGuest
Poppy PennyHost
The main straight is named after you and tomorrow they'll race down it for the final time in a MotoGP.
What did it mean to you to be recognised with that honour? Cause that's pretty phenomenal, isn't it?
I mean, but as I said, I was involved from the very beginning of this place from the grassroots up and, um, So they named the...
Yeah, they've named the straight after me, and also the grandstands, Gardner Grandstand, and all the hospitality units along the main straight here is also Gardner hospitality units, so with a variety of different brands and things.
So, yeah, look, my name's everywhere, which is kind of nice and really good, but it's sad that there'll be no more racing here.
How do you feel about seeing the race leave the island and head across to South Australia? It's there for at least six years.
I'm not happy, to be honest, because of the time and the effort and it's all kind of come to a sad ending.
But it's all about upgrading the circuit and investment into the circuit conditions.
And that's what it's all about, is that the government, they won't give the support to the uh dawner and the fim to build better better facilities here um because everything's grown you know all the electronics the tv and you name it and so there's uh no funding so um the owner lindsay fox doesn't want to invest in it more so uh you know it's a bit of a tug of war between people but it's just disappointing the state government is pulling the plug on it
The main straight is named after you and tomorrow they'll race down it for the final time in a MotoGP.
What did it mean to you to be recognised with that honour? Cause that's pretty phenomenal, isn't it?
I mean, but as I said, I was involved from the very beginning of this place from the grassroots up and, um, So they named the...
Yeah, they've named the straight after me, and also the grandstands, Gardner Grandstand, and all the hospitality units along the main straight here is also Gardner hospitality units, so with a variety of different brands and things.
So, yeah, look, my name's everywhere, which is kind of nice and really good, but it's sad that there'll be no more racing here.
How do you feel about seeing the race leave the island and head across to South Australia? It's there for at least six years.
I'm not happy, to be honest, because of the time and the effort and it's all kind of come to a sad ending.
But it's all about upgrading the circuit and investment into the circuit conditions.
And that's what it's all about, is that the government, they won't give the support to the uh dawner and the fim to build better better facilities here um because everything's grown you know all the electronics the tv and you name it and so there's uh no funding so um the owner lindsay fox doesn't want to invest in it more so uh you know it's a bit of a tug of war between people but it's just disappointing the state government is pulling the plug on it
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