Supercars 2024: Supercars wants a return of the three-round Enduro Cup to reward the most successful driver pairing
The Supercars endurance season gets underway this week with the Sandown 500, but the series is looking into a big change to the enduros for 2025.
Supercars is investigating a revival of the Enduro Cup to reward the most successful driver pairing across a three-event mini-championship within the season.
As teams prepare to kick off this year’s endurance campaign at the Sandown 500 next week, it can be revealed Supercars is pursuing sponsors to back the return of the three-round Cup.
The Enduro Cup was last held in 2019 and rewarded the highest point-scoring duo from the Bathurst 1000, Sandown 500 and Gold Coast 500 events.
Next year, The Bend in South Australia is locked in to host its first endurance event on the 2025 Supercars calendar, alongside the iconic Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.
The Gold Coast event could again come into the picture as a possible third endurance round if the Cup was to return with the future of the Sandown facility uncertain.
It’s understood some teams are lukewarm on the idea of reviving the Enduro Cup due to the cost of a third endurance round, including travel and additional co-driver payments. But Supercars is set to chase a number of high-profile sponsors to back the plan to revive the Cup as early as 2025.
The series is yet to confirm its plans for next season with the 2025 calendar still being finalised.
“Supercars remains committed to exploring opportunities that enhance the competition and bring value to our fans, teams, and partners,” a Supercars spokesperson said.
The Enduro Cup was held from 2013 to 2019 before it was scuppered by the pandemic.
Supercars only returned to two endurance events last year when the Sandown 500 was revived.
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Seven-time Supercars champion-turned Triple Eight team boss Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes claimed the last Enduro Cup in 2019.
Lowndes is a three-time winner of the Enduro Cup, the most of any driver, having won alongside Warren Luff (2013), Steven Richards (2018) and Whincup (2019).
Whincup and Triple Eight young gun Broc Feeney will return to the Sandown 500 next week as defending champions as the Supercars title fight heats up in the heavily-weighted enduro races, each worth 300 points.
Originally published as Supercars 2024: Supercars wants a return of the three-round Enduro Cup to reward the most successful driver pairing
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