Supercars 2021 schedule revealed: dates, Bathurst events, Gold Coast return
After this year’s COVID-hit championship, the 2021 Supercars calendar has been revealed with two big changes to start and finish the season.
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After this year’s COVID-hit V8 series, the 2021 championship will begin with a roar at the newly-introduced Mount Panorama 500 from February 26-28.
The race will run in conjunction with the iconic Bathurst 1000, which will retain its traditional place on the Supercars schedule in October (7-10).
After being cut in a shortened championship this year, the Gold Coast street race returns to provide a bumper stage for the season finale from December 3-5.
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Supercars on Thursday released its 12-round draft calendar for 2021, which will see racing return to Tasmania, Perth, Victoria and New Zealand after COVID restrictions forced changes to this year’s schedule.
“We’re thrilled that next year we can deliver two events at Mount Panorama, including the season opener in February,” Supercars chief executive Sean Seamer said.
“It’s important to us to ensure the 2021 calendar features as much certainty for fans as we can provide given the current COVID-19 restrictions in each state and territory.
“We are still working with all government partners on fan limits for each event, but we are confident of strong crowd numbers across Australia and New Zealand, in line with the current loosening of COVID-19 restrictions.”
Despite the heavy blow dealt by the South Australian government’s axing of the marquee Adelaide 500, the Supercars championship will for the first time conclude with a finale on the streets of Surfers Paradise.
The Newcastle event will not feature on the 2021 calendar, but it will host the opening event of the 2022 Supercars championship.
After the round was abandoned after qualifying this year, Melbourne is the second race on the calendar at the Australian Grand Prix (March 18-21), followed by a return to Symmons Plains in Tasmania. Winton is also back on the schooled in late May.
There is a planned six-week break around the Tokyo Olympics, before Supercars returns underlights at Sydney Motorsport Park on August 20-22.
Sandown is not scheduled on the calendar for 2021, but is a “flex option” for the category with multiple bookings during the year should other events be cancelled.
Teams will begin preparations for the 2021 championship with testing at Sydney Motorsport park on February 14.
This year’s COVID-hit season was reduced to 10 completed rounds, ending with the Bathurst 1000, which was won by Red Bull’s Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander.
Originally published as Supercars 2021 schedule revealed: dates, Bathurst events, Gold Coast return
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