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S5000 CHAMPIONSHIP TO END IN DARWIN

By Dan McCarthy

The S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship will now conclude in Darwin, with the first two rounds of the 2022 Tasman Series also announced.

Previously Darwin was the penultimate round of the S5000 Championship taking place as a support to the Supercars Championship from June 17-19 before the season would conclude at Sandown in late September.

However, following lengthy discussions with teams and Motorsport Australia, the Gold Star will now conclude at Darwin in just over a fortnight’s time.

The late September date of Sandown would have seen a lengthy three-month break between rounds, instead teams have made the decision to avoid the lengthy break.

The mid-year break after Darwin will allow for teams to plan ahead for both the Tasman Series and the 2023 S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, which is in the early stages of calendar planning.

Category organisers have announced the 2022 Tasman series will commence on the streets of Surfers Paradise at the Gold Coast 600 in October, which returns ‘big banger’ open-wheelers to the streets of the Gold Coast for the first time since 2008.

The second round will then be held at the Bathurst International in November two weeks later, with the addition of a third high-profile event still to be finalised, the Adelaide 500 the favoured option to conclude the series.

“Following feedback gathered from teams, we’ve elected to make these changes to the schedule in order to continue the fantastic momentum the category gained from its appearance at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix last month,” said S5000 Australian Drivers Championship category manager Liam Curkpatrick.

“And to provide a better calendar for our key stakeholders, the teams and drivers,”

“This is about positioning the category to take advantage of both the currently scheduled and potential high-profile events later this year, to ensure we have a strong finish to 2022.

“The long break between Darwin and Sandown in September was proving a challenge for our teams and drivers and the overwhelming feedback has been that it’s better for everyone to put in a full stop after Darwin, and return after a break in October for the Tasman Series.”

It is hoped that the cancelation of the Sandown round with assist teams by reducing budgets and improving logistics in what was a long-haul calendar.

With S5000 at some big motorsport events in coming months, it is hoped that the category can continue to build on the capacity grid seen at the Australian Grand Prix.

Reigning Australian Drivers’ Champion Joey Mawson heads into the final round with the series lead, however Tim Macrow, James Golding and Cooper Webster can all stop the former GP3 podium finisher.

Upcoming S5000 rounds”

S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship Round 5: Hidden Valley Raceway (Merlin Darwin Triple Crown) June 17-19

Tasman Series Round 1: Surfers Paradise Street Circuit (Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500) October 29-30

Tasman Series Round 2: Mount Panorama, Bathurst (Supercheap Auto Bathurst International) November 11-13

Tasman Series Round 3: TBC

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