15 Events in 38 Weeks for 2009

V8Supercars Australia is making changes to its 2009 calendar – and those fans wanting a shorter season will be delighted.
V8SA Chairman Tony Cochrane confirmed that the season would shrink next season and that the 15 events (14 championship rounds plus the Australian Grand Prix supports) would take place in 38 weeks.

“We’re very delighted to be in this position,” he said to ENews. “It’s not perfect. Perfect would be 34 weeks, but 15 events over 38 weeks is a pretty good effort.”

Three weekends are already confirmed; the nonchampionship AGP supports on March 26-29, and as first reported in eNews, the maiden Townsville round on July 10-12, and the Indy 300 on October 22-25.

Due to the late start of the Formula 1 season at Albert Park, it looks that the Adelaide 500 will be moving to mid-March, most likely 12th-15th. following on from the success of the first Hamilton 400 this year, the 2009 race looks set to run three weeks after the GP, on April 17-19.

Bathurst will run the now-traditional weekend after NSW’s Labour Day holiday on October 8-11, and that would place the lead-up enduro at Phillip Island on September 4-6.

It is likely that Hidden Valley will maintain its traditional late June/early July spot, but we expect that the changes may involve Winton, which is likely to move from its current early August date to autumn, probably May, and Sandown, which we believe will be in August and the last of the ‘sprint’ rounds prior to the enduros.

Providing the Clipsal date is accurate, a 38 week season places the final race of
the championship – at Homebush? – on the first weekend in December.