DRIVE THROUGH
Supercars’ bold calendar plan to complete championship
MOTORSPORT: Supercars drivers could be still be fighting for the 2020 crown into next year as the series finds a way to complete a 14-round championship in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
And Supercars chief executive Sean Seamer has not ruled out holding television-only events when racing eventually resumes if restrictions on large gatherings are still in place.
Supercars officials are working on plans for a new-look calendar for the second half of the year, which at the moment, will have to factor in four postponed events.
The Melbourne 400 was abandoned when the Formula One Grand Prix was cancelled and Supercars has postponed the Tasmania, New Zealand and Perth rounds.
As it stands, the first race back is scheduled to be Winton in early June, but that will be dependant upon what government restrictions are still in place.
Seamer said the series was committed to completing a 14-round championship and was prepared to race on into the new year to do it.
“We’ll continue to discuss it with the teams, but right now if we have to go deep into summer or even early into next year then we are prepared to do that at this point in time,” Seamer said.
“Things are changing very frequently. But we have got a plan, the teams are all aligned. Now it’s just a matter of working through different scenarios and seeing how soon we can get back out there.
“We are committed to getting back out there and even if that means having to do some TV only rounds at the start.”
Supercars preference is to schedule postponed events around existing ones, especially the sport’s marquee event, the Bathurst 1000, and the street races that require big track builds, such as the Gold Coast 600 and Newcastle 500.
Seamer said moving Bathurst’s traditional October date would only be contemplated as a last resort.
“Every track has its own nuance. Bathurst, you move that last under the most dire of circumstances, but we are not contemplating that and it’s mid-October already,” Seamer said.
Victorian taxpayers may not know for weeks if they have to foot the bill for the Melbourne Grand Prix being cancelled
Seamer could not yet reveal where the replacement race for the abandoned Melbourne 400 would be held, saying it could come down to which state’s borders were open.
“We are working through discussions with all of our partners at the tracks and discussions options with them, but again a lot of this could potentially come down to which states have which borders open at which time,” he said.
While on-track racing is on hold, Seamer said the series was focused on engaging its fans with its 10-week online eSeries, which will start on April 8.