Supercars 2023: Mount Panorama firming to host season-opener for 2024 Supercars championship
Supercars is edging closer to the release of its 2024 calendar and there is a surprise event and venue pencilled on for the season-opener.
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Mount Panorama is firming to host the Supercars season opener next year as wrangling over the renewal of the Newcastle event shows no signs of a resolution.
After months of uncertainty, Supercars is forging ahead with plans to kick off the 2024 championship with a second event at the Bathurst circuit.
Unless there is a last-minute backflip from the local government in Newcastle, the Bathurst 500 appears set to open the Supercars championship.
While dates have not been locked in, the opening round is likely to be held in the week after the Bathurst 12 Hour event (February 16-18) in a two-week motorsport bonanza at Mount Panorama.
The future of the Newcastle 500 has been clouded for some time amid local opposition to the event.
The NSW state government had backed a one-year extension of the Newcastle 500 while it worked towards a longer-term five-year deal with Supercars amid budgetary constraints.
However, the local council felt a one-year extension was not in line with the community consulting it had done.
A second event at Mount Panorama will have no bearing on the traditional Bathurst 1000, which will be held in its usual slot in October.
Bathurst opened the Supercars season in 2021 after the Newcastle event was called off due to Covid and was called the Mount Panorama 500.
Supercars is edging closer to the release of the 2024 calendar, which will feature the already confirmed return to racing in New Zealand, but there is not expected to be an appearance at the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix.
A return to Albert Park for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix is also understood to have been locked in.
Sandown is expected to return as a pre-Bathurst endurance event for what will be the 50th anniversary of the Sandown 500.
Supercars is set to meet with this week to outline the calendar plans.
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Originally published as Supercars 2023: Mount Panorama firming to host season-opener for 2024 Supercars championship
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