THE 500 CLUB
Plans for a fresh spin on Gold Coast Supercars event
THE GOLD Coast’s annual Supercars race could take on a bold new format if approved by the sport’s commission next week.
The Surfers Paradise event has been known as the Gold Coast 600, consisting of two 300km Supercars races, since 2010, as will be seen next weekend.
However, in 2019 that could change to a single feature 500km race to fall into line with the event format used at Sandown, which is the other non-Bathurst endurance round.
That would mean the race is held on the Sunday, with Saturday action revolving around qualifying, support categories and concerts.
The Bulletin understands it would also mark the longest Supercars race on the Gold Coast in history.
Supercars chief executive Sean Seamer said the format change would help “provide the fans with some consistency across the enduro rounds”.
“You really get to see the co-drivers come into play a lot more,” Seamer explained of the added spectacle a 500km race would bring.
“And it means that for someone sitting at home who watches the Sandown race and then they watch the Gold Coast race – well next year it will be Gold Coast then Sandown – it’s exactly the same format, which makes it a lot easier to follow.
“Keep in mind also that through the year if we learn
things, we’re agile and we’ll make changes if we think it will improve the experience.”
The news comes as Supercars unveiled its 2019 calendar, with the season starting in Adelaide on February 28 to March 3 and concluding in November at Newcastle.
Among the main talking points are the transformation of Perth to become a night race and the omission of Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP), which hosted a night race in August.
SMSP is expected to return to the schedule the following year to pave the way for two 2020 events under lights. The Eastern Creek circuit is chasing permanent lighting to help secure a long-term night race contract.
The Sandown and Auckland events will also swap places on the calendar. Next
year’s Gold Coast event will take place on October 25-27.
Outside of Auckland, there are no other overseas trips despite long-running plans to push into Asia and cash in on that market.
Kuala Lumpur was added to the schedule in 2016 after a trial the year before, but it has been abandoned due to legal issues.
Reigning champion Jamie Whincup previously urged Seamer to consider south-east Asian events.
“Absolutely we do need more international events on the calendar, we’ve put our toe in the water in the US and Abu Dhabi but we’d love to do some racing in Asia,” he said last year.
“It’s relevant, it’s in our time zone so anything north of here would be fantastic.”