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Supercars news: Delegation sent to Singapore GP to discuss potential place on night race support card

After one of the biggest announcements in the sport’s history with Toyota joining the grid from 2026, Supercars’ officials are heading to Singapore with eyes on a massive Grand Prix race.

Toyota to join Supercars grid from 2026

Supercars is sending a delegation to the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend as the series steps up its bid to land a spot on the Formula 1 night race’s support card, declaring it could put on a “hell of a show”.

After the sport’s major announcement this week that it had landed Japanese car giant Toyota as a third manufacturer to the grid in 2026, Supercars chairman Barclay Nettlefold, chief executive Shane Howard and chief strategy and revenue officer Mark Pejic will fly to Singapore on Friday to meet with event organisers.

While a place on the Singapore Grand Prix undercard for 2025 is unlikely, as Supercars targets a 13-race calendar with Queensland Raceway as the most probable addition, Howard was hopeful the sport could push for a start at the event in 2026.

Nettlefold has been open about the series’ ambitions to expand overseas and add to its F1 support roles.

Supercars already races as a support category at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Albert Park.

Howard said this week he hoped Toyota’s addition to the grid could help open up the series more to the Asian market and the series would “jump at the chance” to race at Singapore.

Supercars owner and chairman Barclay Nettlefold and Supercars CEO Shane Howard. Picture: Supplied
Supercars owner and chairman Barclay Nettlefold and Supercars CEO Shane Howard. Picture: Supplied

“We have got a number of stakeholders that we will be talking to at the event,” Howard said.

“We would like to foster that opportunity (to be there in 2026).

“It would be fantastic (to be racing there), it’s an amazing event.

“If we could be there, particularly with Toyota coming in and with GM and Ford, I think we could put on a hell of a show.

Toyota is set to go Supercars racing with the Supra in 2026. Picture: Supplied
Toyota is set to go Supercars racing with the Supra in 2026. Picture: Supplied

“We have always said that we would like to be in South East Asia.

“Obviously the primary objective was we needed to satisfy our national presence and New Zealand, but if there are opportunities outside of that, we would certainly jump at the chance for Singapore, or consider a South East Asian event.”

It is a fantastic spectiacal at night. Picture: AFP
It is a fantastic spectiacal at night. Picture: AFP

Supercars made a return to racing outside of Australia for the first time in two years for the April round in Taupo, New Zealand.

Outside of a New Zealand event, Supercars last took a championship race overseas in 2013 to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.

Before that, the series raced at Abu Dhabi from 2010 to 2012 and Bahrain between 2006-2008 and again in 2010. Shanghai hosted the series once in 2005.

There has been speculation linking Supercars to overseas racing in Singapore and Qatar as a support category for Formula 1 in recent years, but commercial factors, specifically the impact of high freight costs, have been a negating factor to the sport targeting more international events.

Originally published as Supercars news: Delegation sent to Singapore GP to discuss potential place on night race support card

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/motorsport/supercars/supercars-news-delegation-sent-to-singapore-gp-to-discuss-potential-place-on-night-race-support-card/news-story/1925885b40d97b79a9bb612459911173