BATHURST 500 TO START 2021 SUPERCARS SEASON ADELAIDE TO FINISH IT
By Bruce Williams
Date posted: 5 September 2020
Bathurst 500 to open 2021 Supercars season with the Adelaide 500 to finish it – Photo: InSyde Media
A proposed 2021 Supercars championship calendar opens with an event dubbed the Bathurst 500 at Mount Panorama and finishes with the Adelaide 500.
By BRUCE NEWTON
One of a number of draft calendars being worked on by Supercars ahead of a planned release in October, the radical plan is an outcome of the South Australian government’s decision not to bankroll the set-up of the Adelaide parklands circuit early in 2021 because of COVID uncertainties.
It means the 2021 championship could finish with a series of street races at some of its most popular and high-profile events, rolling through the Bathurst 1000, Gold Coast, Newcastle and Adelaide.
While the South Australian decision has only publicly been announced this week, Supercars has been aware it’s been coming for some time.
SA Premier Steven Marshall has now publicly hinted at the plan, telling media today he is pushing for the Adelaide 500 to finish the 2021 season.
“I think it would be absolutely fantastic if we were the final event of the season,” he said.
“It’s still early days in the negotiation.”
If Auto Action sources are correct, then Marshall is jumping on a horse he at least suspects is already a winner. If it’s not across the line then he’s certainly given it a sizable giddyup.
Moving Adelaide also neatly gives Supercars the chance to activate its date at Mount Panorama traditionally used for the 12-hour international GT race that border closures and restrictions have effectively kyboshed for 2021.
In the first revision of the 2020 calendar prompted by the coronavirus, Supercars had planned for the championship to take over from the GTs and conclude at Bathurst on February February 5-7 2021.
That date won’t be used for the new calendar. AA understands It will be late February or early March. It is expected to comprise two 250km single-driver races, with one each on the Saturday and Sunday.
Traditionally, South Australia has the contracted rights to start the Supercars season while NSW finishes it, which it has done most recently with the Newcastle 500 street race.
That event was cancelled this year because of the coronavirus and the Bathurst 1000 becomes the grand final on October 15-18.
Swapping NSW to the start of the 2021 championship and SA to the back-end is a compromise solution it appears both states can cope with.
For more of the latest Supercars news pick up the current issue of Auto Action. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.
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