Surprise snub from Supercars calendar in new era

1 year ago 74

Supercars has revealed it volition revive an iconic lawsuit and suffer different successful 2023 with the merchandise of its caller calendar.

The long-rumoured instrumentality of the Sandown 500 has been confirmed for September 15-17 acting arsenic a precursor to the Bathurst 1000, which volition instrumentality spot connected October 5-8.

Sandown has been an off-again, on-again fixture connected the Australian centrifugal racing calendar since the 1960s.

The contention was past held successful 2019 and was dropped for 2020 successful favour of an endurance contention astatine The Bend Motorsport Park, but that lawsuit ne'er got disconnected the crushed owed to the pandemic.

Now, off the backmost of calls for the iconic contention to return, Supercars has revived the 161-lap, two-driver feature.

Sandown's instrumentality volition nary uncertainty beryllium a welcomed summation to the calendar for Australian fans, but those crossed the ditch volition beryllium reeling astatine the omission of an lawsuit successful New Zealand.

Pukekohe Park's abrupt demise forced Supercars to spell looking for an alternate venue for 2023. However, attempts to contention astatine Hampton Downs were unsuccessful.

Supercars CEO Shane Howard had antecedently spoken astir New Zealand's spot connected the calendar.

"We are inactive successful progressive talks with our counterparts determination for an lawsuit successful the future, nevertheless arsenic they proceed it is successful the champion involvement of each parties progressive to absorption connected 2024 and beyond," said Howard.

"We person each volition to instrumentality to New Zealand and we are assured of an announcement successful the caller twelvemonth regarding a concern with a caller venue."

Kylie Hawker-Green, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment manager of New Zealand Major Events, said a Supercars contention crossed the Tasman is inactive connected their radar.

"Major planetary events make important economic, societal and taste benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand," she said.

"The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has antecedently supported the V8 Supercar events with $2.2 cardinal implicit 5 years from the erstwhile Major Events Development Fund and volition proceed to liaise with lawsuit organisers to see however the authorities could enactment the lawsuit returning to Aotearoa New Zealand successful future."

As antecedently announced, the 2023 play volition unfastened connected the streets of Newcastle connected March 10-12 where the all-new Gen3-specification Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro volition debut.

The title volition past caput to Melbourne for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix astatine Albert Park crossed March 30-April 2.

Perth volition big Supercars connected April 28-30 astatine Wanneroo Raceway, though adjacent year's lawsuit volition not beryllium a nighttime contention arsenic it has been since 2019.

Symmons Plains adjacent Launceston features connected May 19-21.

Darwin's Hidden Valley Raceway volition play big connected June 16-18 followed by the yearly thoroughfare contention successful Townsville connected July 7-9.

The sole nighttime lawsuit takes spot astatine Sydney Motorsport Park connected July 28-30 followed by The Bend Motorsport Park adjacent Adelaide connected August 18-20.

The Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 travel earlier the famed Gold Coast thoroughfare contention astatine Surfers Paradise connected October 27-29.

The play past comes to a adjacent successful Adelaide connected November 23-26, a week earlier than this year's finale.

Outside of Auckland, the different notable omission from this year's calendar is that of Winton Motor Raceway, which has had a regular spot connected the calendar since 1985.

There was speech of Supercars featuring astatine the Singapore Grand Prix arsenic portion of the undercard to Formula 1 though that has evidently not travel to fruition.

Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic-affected seasons of 2020 and 2021, it's the shortest play successful Supercars past since 1998 which featured conscionable 10 events.

2023 Supercars Championship Calendar:

Newcastle 500 - 10-12 March

Melbourne 400 - 30 March to 2 April

Perth SuperSprint - 28 -30 April

Tasmania SuperSprint - 19-21 May

Darwin Triple Crown - 16-18 June

Townsville 500 - 7-9 July

Sydney SuperNight - 28-30 July

The Bend SuperSprint - 18-20 August

Sandown 500 - 15-17 September

Bathurst 1000 - 5-8 October

Gold Coast 500 - 27-29 October

Adelaide 500 -23-26 November

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