Double Duty For Darwin

Supercars will race twice in Darwin to boost the northern swing in the 2020 championship.

The planned visit to Hidden Valley on August 8-9 will now be followed a second meeting a week later.

Confirmation of the updated dates comes with significant question marks around the rest of the year, from the planned event at Sandown to spectator attendances everywhere from this weekend’s event at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The double-header in Darwin emerged in recent weeks as the best way to maximise the racing during the extended road trip for Victorian teams, who are already facing weeks away from home at their temporary race bases on the Gold Coast.

Confirmation of the dates comes despite tightening restrictions in the Northern Territory, which now enforces mandatory quarantine for anyone arriving from a southern-state COVID-19 hotspot.

“Darwin has never hosted more than one weekend of Supercars racing per year, and to have two on the calendar is great news,” says Tim Watsford, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Territory Major Events.

“We are the safest place in Australia right now, and one of the safest in the world. This doubleheader of Supercars racing is testament to that.”

There is no indication yet on the format for the second meeting at Hidden Valley, or the tyre allocation.

But fans will be welcomed in Darwin, with 4500 tickets for each the four days of Supercars action.

The revised calendar now runs:

August 8-9 – Hidden Valley, Darwin
August 15-16 – Hidden Valley, Darwin
August 29-30 – Townsville, Queensland