Sydney Supercars cancellation explained

The four-week Sydney Motorsport Park swing came to a controversial end on Sunday when the final race was called off due to the weather.

Persistent rain all day left the track waterlogged by the time the 250-kilometre race was set to start.

The field completed five laps behind the safety car before being called back to pitlane where they sat for 35 minutes before the race was declared.

The decision split opinion among drivers, polesitter Nick Percat among those critical of the call, indicating on social media that he wasn't consulted about the conditions.

Motorsport Australia, which runs race control for Supercars events, has moved to explain its decision.

According to race director Tim Schenken the primary factors were the safety of the drivers and trackside officials.

However the compact Supercars schedule also played its part in the decision, with the Bathurst 1000 less than a fortnight away and the Queensland teams unable to return to their bases due to border complications.

“Like everyone watching on, we were extremely disappointed that we were unable to go racing on Sunday however the decision to declare the race was the right one,” said Schenken.

“There were a number of factors that went in to the decision to call the race, including the lack of visibility for drivers and trackside officials because of spray, as well as the many rivers of water that were evident around the circuit, given the location and layout of Sydney Motorsport Park.

“Race control spoke to a number of drivers and received overwhelming feedback that the conditions were not appropriate for racing.

“The hard working volunteer officials were certainly front of mind also, given the overwhelming majority of officials had been out on track and in the elements across the four weekends of racing.

"We are also wary that about 75 per cent of those officials involved at Sydney Motorsport Park are expected to be officiating at an extended Repco Bathurst 1000.

“While it was not the single major factor in the final decision, the Supercars schedule and restricted movement of teams was also part of the overall considerations, noting some teams would be unable to return to their workshops between the Sydney race and the next round at Mount Panorama should any major repairs be necessary.”

Supercars today confirmed that ticket holders for last Sunday will have their money refunded.