Muscle Car Masters Returns in 2026 And This Time It’s on Free-to-Air TV

For Australian muscle car fans, the wait is finally over. One of the country’s most beloved heritage motorsport events is roaring back to life and for the first time in its history, you’ll be able to watch the whole thing live on free-to-air television. The Apex Steel Muscle Car Masters is confirmed to return to Sydney Motorsport Park this August, bringing with it a stacked field of V8-flavoured racing categories and a broadcast deal that puts classic Australian touring cars back in the national spotlight.

If you grew up worshipping Group C and Group A touring cars, or you simply love the sound of a thundering five-litre V8 attacking Eastern Creek, this is the news you’ve been waiting for. Here’s everything we know.

A Crowd Favourite Comes Home

The Muscle Car Masters isn’t a new idea it’s a revival of one of the most cherished events on the Australian historic motorsport calendar. Launched in 2006, it built a devoted following among enthusiasts, competitors and families before evolving into the Sydney Masterblast in 2019. COVID-19 disruptions and a tough economic climate then forced the event off the calendar, with its last running in 2023 marking its 17th outing.

Now, under the Apex Steel banner and organised by the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC), the event returns for its milestone 18th running. For the people who run it, the appeal has always been about more than just lap times. As ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews put it, the Muscle Car Masters has always been about the cars, the culture, and the people who shaped Australian motorsport and bringing it back gives both long-time fans and a new generation the chance to experience the legendary machines that made it iconic.

17 Hours of Live TV A First for the Event

The biggest story isn’t just that the event is back it’s how you’ll be able to watch it. For the first time ever, the Muscle Car Masters will receive an extensive live broadcast, with 17 hours of coverage spread across two days and a mix of free-to-air, subscription and live streaming platforms.

Free-to-air coverage of the Sydney Motorsport Park meeting will be carried by SBS, across both linear television and the SBS on Demand streaming service. Motorsport heavyweights Fox Sports and Kayo will also broadcast the event for subscription viewers. That combination means virtually every Australian fan whether at the track, on the couch, or watching on a phone will be able to follow the action.

Broadcast Schedule

Saturday’s headline window runs from 1pm to 9pm, meaning racing will run into the night on the Western Sydney circuit a genuine treat for fans, with V8s howling under lights. Sunday’s primary broadcast runs from 1pm to 5pm. For the dedicated, additional streaming coverage kicks off even earlier via Motorsports.TV and the ARDC’s YouTube channel, and a two-hour post-produced highlights show will air later on SBS’ Speedweek.

The Racing: A V8 Lover’s Dream Card

The on-track program is exactly what the Muscle Car Masters name promises a celebration of heritage and V8-powered machinery across multiple categories. The confirmed line-up is a roll-call of everything Australian touring car fans love.

Touring Car Masters is the marquee category and the star of the show the series that most directly channels the spirit of the golden age of Australian touring car racing. Combined with the Group C & A Heritage Touring Cars (the very machines that did battle at Bathurst in the 1970s and ’80s), it’s a card designed to deliver maximum nostalgia and maximum noise.

Why This Matters for Australian Car Culture

The return of the Muscle Car Masters is about more than one weekend of racing. It’s a signal that there’s still enormous appetite in this country for heritage V8 motorsport the cars, the sound, and the shared history that built Australian car culture in the first place. At a time when the locally built V8 hero has disappeared from showrooms, events like this keep the flame burning and connect a new generation to the machines their parents idolised.

The free-to-air broadcast deal is especially significant. Putting Group C and Group A touring cars back on national television, in primetime, introduces these legendary machines to households who might never buy a ticket to a historic race meeting. It’s exactly the kind of exposure the Australian heritage racing scene needs to thrive into the next decade.

How to Be There

The Apex Steel Muscle Car Masters takes place at Sydney Motorsport Park, Eastern Creek, on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026. For fans who want to experience the cars in person to feel the V8s rather than just hear them through a TV nothing beats being trackside. Keep an eye on the official Muscle Car Masters and ARDC channels for ticketing, schedule and entry-list details as the event draws closer.