Supercars Bins Bathurst

The ambitious plan for a Bathurst double-header in the 2020 Supercars season is dead.

The classic Bathurst 1000 will go ahead as normal in October but the second event at Mount Panorama in early 2021, planned as a grand finale to replace the Newcastle street race, is not going to happen.

The final calendar for the stalled 2020 season is now expected to finish entirely this year, with a string of casualties.

The Bend in Adelaide is believed to have lost its slot in the series, either as a sprint event or an enduro, with big question marks over New Zealand.

If Supercars can make it happen, and work on the track’s new lighting system is complete, this year’s championship will now wrap at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Deliberations over the calendar have been subject to change since the first impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is still very fluid with some state borders still closed and no indication when they will re-open.

Supercars is also wrestling with the challenge of getting spectators into events.

Rumours are running rampant without any confirmation of Calendar 2.0, although Supercars confirms to Race News that extra work is underway on the dates and events.

“Supercars can confirm that, since the release of the draft revised calendar in May, talks have been held with teams, state government authorities and broadcast partners about further alterations to the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship calendar,” a Supercars spokesperson says.

“These talks are ongoing and the calendar remains subject to change. These times are unprecedented for our sport, which is why we have to remain flexible with our calendar arrangements and if required, we will make significant changes.”

With Bathurst in the bin and South Australia set to lose its second event, Supercars is touting the potential plans for its end-of-season event in Sydney.

“All options are being discussed, including a series finale under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park in December,” the spokesperson says.