Supercar officials say Tasmanian round will go ahead – the only questions is when

As major sporting events and competitions around the country are cancelled, organisers have decided whether the Tasmanian round of the Supercars championship will be held.

The Supercars will be racing at Symmons Plains this year, organisers have confirmed, but it is not yet known when the event will be held. Picture: MARK HORSBURGH

TASMANIA’S round of the Australian Supercars championship will go ahead at Symmons Plains this year.

Officials will reveal this week if it is as scheduled on April 3-5 and whether or not to enforce a fan lockout.

Symmons Plains is one of the Supercar championship’s oldest circuits, sitting second on the all-time list of events held at a single venue with 47.

With the City to Casino fun run the latest casualty of the coronavirus, being cancelled for the first time since 1972, a spokesperson for Australia’s premier motorsport series said round three in Tasmania still had the green light, whether it is held in three weeks or rescheduled for later in the season.

“We are still in discussions about it but at this moment we are still on,” said Supercars head of communications Felicity Hamblin.

“There is going to be an event in Tasmania as far as we have discussed so far.

“There are a lot of conversations going on at the moment. We are continually getting updates on health advice.”

Pit lane during qualifying at Symmons Plains. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Last year’s Symmons Plains event attracted a crowd of 55,000 people over the three-day event, but with the Federal Government banning gatherings of more than 500 people, allowing spectators into the circuit has thrown a spanner in the works.

“A decision on the Symmons Plains round won’t be made immediately as to how that will look,” Hamblin said.

“But there will definitely be a Tasmanian event this season.

“We’ve got a lot of options open to us. There is talk of holding the event but not having crowds, as other events have done.

“Given there are so many broadcoast options available to us, that is certainly an option they are looking at.”

Spectators at Symmons Plains. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

So far, only the opening round – the Adelaide 500 – has been raced, following the cancellation of the second round at the Melbourne Grand Prix last weekend.

It left teams shocked and slightly confused after the drivers had contested four rounds of qualifying on the Thursday, only to be sent home minutes before their opening race was scheduled to take place on Friday.