V8s will race hard in 60/60 sprints

V8 SUPERCARS has unleashed its version of cricket's Twenty20 format.

V8 SUPERCARS has unleashed its version of cricket's Twenty20 format, with the motorsport championship announcing a dramatic change to its race formats for next year.

Six of the 16 events in the 2013 championship will feature "60/60 Super Sprint" races on the Saturday, breaking the action into two 60km "halves" with a 15-minute break between.

Qualifying will determine the grid for the first of the 60km races and the finishing order will be the grid for the second.

Points and positions will be assigned after the second 60km race, which will feature a rolling start similar to American NASCAR racing.

Next year's rounds in Tasmania, Perth, Darwin, Ipswich, Winton and the Phillip Island 400 will feature the new Saturday format, designed to promote hard racing and eliminate refuelling concerns or tyre preservation tactics.

The changes add to what will be a vastly different season in V8s with the introduction of Nissan and Mercedes to the grid while each driver will be competing in a newly built vehicle.

"These are the most significant changes we have made to our formats in the history of the sport," V8 Supercar chief operating officer Shane Howard said yesterday.

"These changes are purely designed for the teams and drivers to race hard and have a real go."

AAP