Many politicians and business interests now view major sports teams and mega- events as important engines of economic growth. Civic leaders argue that it makes good economic and cultural “common sense” to invest public resources in showcase sporting events, which are supposedly essential in projecting a world-class image of their city. One type of major sporting event that is becoming a constitutive feature of image making in cities throughout the world is motorsport events in city street circuits.

The general population typically favourably perceives major motorsport events in city locations, though for many residents the location of the events is a critical consideration in their level of support . City motorsport events are widely regarded as successful event tourism strategies to boost the image of cities involved, to contribute to the local economy and to create “winner” images for the politicians who champion such spectacles.

Despite the widespread acceptance of motorsport in Australian society, this paper argues that it is crucial for research to be undertaken that systematically investigates the environmental and public health impacts of motorsport events held in major urban public spaces. Currently there is a paucity of sustained critical analysis along these lines. Indeed there has been very little critical scholarship that examines the role of motorsport in the broader context of urban space.