Supercars evaluating calendar revisions

The Supercars Championship is evaluating a move towards a more summer-based calendar with work ongoing to try and finalise a 2020 schedule by the middle of this season.

The calendar for the following year is usually released towards the end of the season, but officials are keen to try and put together a schedule that will provide an opportunity to compete in more favourable weather conditions and to avoid clashes with football during the winter.

Consultations with broadcasters, local governments and other partners will be key to any potential changes, with a desire to make the decision early because two Racing Entitlement Contracts will be up for tender ahead of 2020.

An early decision on any potential calendar changes will therefore give teams seeking to secure an entry needing time to finalise their plans.

“We’re working towards June because then that fits into entries and all of those other processes for the entry deadline,” Supercars CEO Sean Seamer told the official series website. “The calendar and the summer series is very important. Racing in a better weather window, whether you call it a summer series or some other variation of that.

“We are very much looking to race in the better weather windows with the events that aren’t in what we would believe optimal spots throughout the year, and are keen to reduce overlap with AFL and NRL and some of the sports.

“If we can find a better space, get better weather, we’re going to do that.”

Despite plans to try and start the season earlier in the calendar year, Seamer added that it was still vital to ensure that teams were able to take a break over the Christmas period.

“Obviously we’ve got to be careful that we’re giving people time off over Christmas,” he said. “There needs to be some things around forced shutdowns in both the series and the teams so that people are getting time for family over Christmas.

“The last thing you want is having guys getting ready for next January and having to run all through Christmas, because it’ll kill people and make it harder to retain and recruit talent. Both with Supercars and the teams, there’s a heightened awareness of that.”

The current season is due to end in late November with the season finale in Newcastle.