Supercars locked in at Sandown but Phillip Island loses its place on 2020 calendar

The future of Supercars racing at Sandown has been secured but the news isn’t as good for another iconic Victorian track, which has lost its place on the 2020 schedule.

The future of Supercars racing at Sandown has been secured for another three years, but Phillip Island has lost its place on the calendar for 2020.

Ahead of today’s release of next year's Supercars calendar, it can be revealed Supercars has extended its contract with the Melbourne Racing Club to keep the series at Sandown until the end of 2022.

But Victoria will have one less event in the Supercars championship next year with Phillip Island, as expected, losing its place, while it's understood the round at Winton has been retained alongside Albert Park at the Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

Live stream the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on KAYO SPORTS. Every practice, qualifying & race Live & On-Demand in HD. Get your 14 day free trial >

Fabian Coulthard in action at the Phillip Island 500 earlier this year. Pic: Getty Images

A long-time fixture of the Supercars endurance season, the Sandown race will lose its traditional place in the Enduro Cup next year. Sandown will now become a 2 x 200km single driver event with The Bend in South Australia set to take its place as one of the three endurance races.

Sandown, which was traditionally a lead-in endurance event before Bathurst, has been shifted to November this year and will keep the same slot in 2020.

Track upgrades at Sandown's infamous turn six are already well underway for this year's event.

There is the ever-present spectre of the multipurpose racing venue being sold off for development, but Supercars chief executive Sean Seamer was eager to secure the event’s short-term future.

“Sandown is an event steeped in history. It is a truly unique venue in the heart of Melbourne, and one of the last genuine suburban race circuits in the country,” Seamer said.

Supercars is staying at Sandown until the end of 2022. Pic: Getty Images

“We are delighted to bring this event to Sandown for at least another three years. The MRC are fantastic partners who we look forward to working alongside once again.”

Phillip Island has become the casualty of the category's bid to condense the number of races across the championship season.

The fast, sweeping and picturesque Phillip Island circuit is a favourite among drivers from a racing perspective, but it is not a winner commercially for Supercars.

The high cost of hiring the venue combined with the difficulty attracting large crowds due to the distance from Melbourne have not made it financially viable.

But Seamer said the track could return to the series in the future.

“Phillip Island is one of the best permanent circuits in Australia, but with our operational requirements limiting the number of rounds we can complete over 12 months, it was not included in the 2020 calendar,” Seamer said.

“It does not mean that the championship will not return in the future.”

There had also been a cloud over the event at Winton, but it has saved its place as a key regional event.