REVISED SUPERCARS CALENDAR EXPECTED

Supercars Championship CEO Sean Seamer has stated that the 2021 Supercars calendar must consist of at least 12 rounds and the Bathurst 1000 before the season is concluded as AUTO ACTION understands a revised calendar is expected.

AA understands that a radically revised Supercars Championship calendar will be unveiled later on this week without the New Zealand and Western Australian rounds.

It is expected that at least one round will take place in Victoria as the state today has come out of its strict lockdown.

Seamer would not go into much detail about the calendar, but did confirm that the championship must complete 12 events including the legendary Bathurst 1000.

“We are making sure that we deliver the 12 rounds, that is obviously priority number one,” Seamer said in a media conference which included AA.

“(As well as) Delivering the best possible Bathurst 1000 that we can, last year was less than ideal.

“But all options are on the table (for the event) and like I said, we’re focused on delivering the best experience possible.

“The Bathurst 1000 is always non-negotiable. For the fans, our partners and for the sport, for all of those reasons, we all are committed to making the 1000 happen.”

He explained that while last year during the height of the pandemic it was all about rolling out rounds, this year Seamer wants to deliver the best events possible for spectators.

“We want to do it (the championship) in a way whereby we are delivering the best possible experience to fans,” he said.

“We know that it is not just about having the event, it’s about creating a positive experience for the fans, for our sponsors and partners as well, whereas last year we were just trying to get the rounds away.

“What we learned was, that was great, but you can only really do that for one year.

“Making sure we give ourselves every opportunity to get the fans back and deliver the best possible experience is critical to our planning, and that’s why there are a range of different options on the table that we’re working through right now.”

Seamer explained that the championship will avoid forcing teams to quarantine under any circumstances and wants to treat the Victorian and Queensland based teams differently.

“We’re trying to avoid that (quarantining teams) at all costs,” he said. “But like I say, should that eventuality or should that become a possibility in the future between now and the end of the year, that’s something that we’ll work through with all the teams to make sure that they’re being treated fairly.

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