DOUBLE DUTY FOR TIN TOPS AT THE BEND

Double-headers are back in fashion as Australian motorsport re-schedules to cope with Covid-19.

The Australian Racing Group is committed to a twin-top weekend at The Bend in South Australia following the back-to-back Supercars events at Townsville and ahead of a two-pronged approach to the climax of the Australian Rally Championship in Coffs Harbour.

The Bend will host two rounds of ARG’s showcase classes, led by the SuperCheap TCR Australia series, on the weekend of October 15-17.

The re-mix and re-tune of the championships, including Trans Am and Touring Car Masters, comes following the cancellation of the planned event at Sandown in Melbourne in September.

“Having to drop Sandown from the calendar of our categories was one of the hardest decisions that we have had to make during these recent times,” says Matt Braid, CEO of ARG. “We feel for fans of our categories who have been anticipating a return to racing at the Melbourne.

“However, the creation of a ‘two-in-one’ race meeting at Tailem Bend is going to be one of the most exciting race weekends that Australian motorsport fans have seen in some time.”

As yet, race formats and the weekend timetable are still to be finalised. But it promises to be a packed weekend. Apart from TCR, TCM and Trans Am, the weekend will include the GT3 and GT4 sports cars of the Fanatec GT World Challenge which will race as usual in the Motorsport Australia GT Endurance Championship in a three-hour, two-driver race.

In addition to action at The Bend, South Australia will be hosting two other major motorsport events in a back-to-back drive.  The Australia Rally Championship and the SXS Motorsport Australia Championship will be held in forests outside Adelaide on October 22-24, one week after The Bend.

“With back-to-back weekends . . . it promises to be two events that cannot be missed,” says Michael Smith, director of motorsport operations at Motorsport Australia.