Stars take a back seat to pollies
ments the wrong way, though.
Rullo is a seriously switched on teenager. He began his own production company last year and is determined to carve out a long, prosperous motorsport career for himself.
He has already made history once, becoming the youngest ever Supercars debutant at just 16 years of age last season.
The year proved to be a character building mission, with the now defunct Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport team unable to provide him with a competitive car.
That hurdle did not slow him down, however. Rullo sidestepped his way into the second-tier Super2 Series for 2018 and is quickly making a name for himself, winning a race in Perth, placing second at Bathurst and sitting fourth in the overall rankings. At this rate, it might not be long before he is back in Supercars on a full-time basis.
“I have got options pretty broad (for next year), not just here but in the UK as well so nothing is decided yet,” Rullo said of his future.
On-track action begins today with practice sessions before 300km Supercars races both tomorrow and Sunday. POLITICIANS could outnumber celebrities when it comes to VIP invites to this year’s Gold Coast 600 race.
While stars including Kelly Rowland, Julian McMahon, Ryan Reynolds and Jarryd Hayne have been spotted trackside in recent years, celeb spotters will have their work cut out this year.
Members of two of the three bands playing Saturday night’s 600 Sounds concert in Broadwater Parklands – Live and Sheppard – plan to head into the race precinct on Saturday afternoon before they take the stage in Southport that night.
Boarder cross Winter Olympian Alex Pullin, world wakeboarding champion Cory Teunissen and former Olympic triathlete turned adventure athlete Courtney Atkinson will attend as guests of Red Bull while Commonwealth Games gold medallist Michael Shelley will watch the race as a guest of Supercars Australia.
The event will give local partners and stakeholders the chance to meet new Supercars CEO Sean Seamer.
Tourism Australia chairman Bob East and Supercars regular, Destination Gold Coast chairman Paul Donovan, will watch from the pit lane grandstand with new Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista.
The growth in demand for corporate suites has seen Supercars Australia halve the size WHO’S COMING
■ Boarder cross Winter Olympian Alex Pullin
■ World wakeboarding champion Cory Teunissen
■ Former Olympic triathlete Courtney Atkinson
■ Commonwealth Games gold medallist Michael Shelley
■ Supercars CEO Sean Seamer
Dora the Explorer executive producer Eugenio Derbez
Getaway presenter Charli Robinson (below)
■ Sky News presenter Paul Murray
■ Sea FM’s breakfast presenters Heather Maltman, Ben Hannant and Dan Anstey and capacity of its VIP lounge overlooking pit lane this year to accommodate more paying customers.
While the stars of Dora the Explorer, currently filming on the Coast, are yet to confirm whether or not they’ll attend, the Bulletin understands the film’s executive producer, Eugenio Derbez, will be trackside.
State Transport Minister Mark Bailey and partner Mea- ghan Scanlon, the member for Gaven, will watch Sunday’s race together as guests of Supercars Australia.
ALP Senator Murray Watt, John-Paul Langbroek and travel buddy Ray Stevens and their fellow LNP MPs Karen Andrews, Michael Hart and David Crisafulli are also expected on track.
Mayor Tom Tate and wife Ruth, Council CEO Dale Dickson, Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, Cr Paul Taylor and Cr Pauline Young will also attend what’s become one of their favourite events on the local calendar.
Media guests include motorsport-mad Getaway presenter Charli Robinson, partner of racing driver Liam Talbot, Ten CEO Paul Anderson and V8s-loving Sky News presenter Paul Murray.
Triple M and its Coast affiliates Sea FM and Gold FM also have a suite overlooking the pits, but local radio’s most famous faces and their VIP mates will be missing in action.
Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt will be trackside for the weekend but most of his colleagues are leaving town. Sea FM’s breakfast presenters Heather Maltman, Ben Hannant and Dan Anstey, workday host Joe Groth and former drive host Luke Bradnam and Gold FM’s Adrian (AJ) Johnston, Bridget Daley and Andrew Very will all race to Melbourne to attend radio’s version of the Logies, the annual Australian Commercial Radio Awards, on Saturday night.