BATHURST FINALE OFFICIAL

Bathurst finale official – Photo: InSyde Media

Supercars has confirmed the coronavirus-disrupted season will end at Bathurst, which will be run a week later than scheduled.

By MARK FOGARTY

The Bathurst 1000 will, as anticipated, be delayed until October 18 and wrap up the championship.

Supercars has also announced that Bathurst will be preceded by a double-header at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia on September 19-20 and September 26-27.

The changes were confirmed at the end of the post-race ‘Supercars Trackside’ show on Fox Sports.

The early finish to the championship at Bathurst is the result of uncertainties caused by the continuing COVID-19 crisis.

Border closures ruled out planned rounds in November at Wanneroo Raceway in Perth and Symmons Plains in Tasmania.

The need to finish the championship and get non-Queensland teams home after what will be three-and-a-half months away also ended hopes of a second return to Sydney Motorsport Park for night-time finale in early December.

The Bend is back on the schedule after being dropped twice.

In the original pre-coronavirus calendar, the Tailem Bend track was due to host a 500 km pre-Bathurst two-driver endurance race.

It was dropped from the second revised calendar and replaced by a rescheduled round at Sandown, which subsequently was ruled out by Melbourne’s Stage 4 lockdown, which is due to end on September 14 without any guarantee of major sporting events allowed to resume.

With the border between SA and Queensland remaining open, plus difficulties arranging a double-header at Queensland Raceway next month, The Bend has been reinstated for back-to-back sprint rounds.

It is also understood the track offered significant financial incentives to host the pre-Bathurst double-header.

Along with the run of double-headers at Darwin, Townsville and Tailem Bend, finishing the 2020 Supercars championship with the Bathurst 1000 will fulfill contractual obligations to main broadcaster Fox Sports.

The Bathurst finale will also satisfy the requirement that the series be decided in NSW.

The Bathurst 1000 has been delayed a week to give teams an extra week to prepare for the biggest race of the year, which will also be the year’s only two-driver event.

The move also keeps Bathurst clear of the AFL and NRL Grand Finals, which are set to be held on October 24 and 25 respectively.

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