The remainder of the truncated 2020 season has now been officially locked in, with October’s Great Race set to close out the season for the first time in two decades.
As part of the late calendar re-shuffle the Bathurst 1000 has also been pushed back a week, with a four-day event now scheduled for October 15-18.
What remains to be seen is whether crowds will be allowed through the gates.
There have been limited crowds allowed at Supercars events since July’s second Sydney Motorsport Park round, with numbers creeping up to almost 10,000 per day for the ongoing Townsville double-header.
The double-header at The Bend in September will also have a ticketing allocation, however there is still a big question mark over the Bathurst 1000 thanks to the precarious COVID-19 situation in New South Wales.
The state is still recording low levels of community transmission, particularly in Sydney. While there has been crowds allowed at events in the state capital, such as a 30 per cent capacity allowance for last night’s A-League Grand Final, it could be that Bathurst city officials won’t want the risk of an influx of people from around NSW.
Both ticket sales and camping spots for the 1000 were put on hold some time back, with Supercars confirming today that the ticketing situation is a “work in progress”.
“Supercars will continue working closely with NSW Health, Bathurst Regional City Council, emergency services, broadcasters and the NSW Government on planning for the 2020 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000,” said series CEO Sean Seamer.
“We will meet all COVID-19 safety requirements necessary to ensure this year’s Great Race goes ahead.”
Seamer also confirmed that, as expected, the driving force behind cutting the season short was to get Victorian teams home to their families after a long stint on the road.
“We looked at all options beyond Bathurst as well as the best options for our Victorian teams, who will have been on the road for over 100 days by the completion of the event,” he said.
“Getting those drivers, team personnel and officials home to loved ones was at the forefront of this decision.
“The October 18 date change was made to allow all teams adequate time to prepare for the biggest event of the year.
“We will now start planning for our first-ever grand finale at our most iconic circuit, a fitting farewell for our 60th year of racing.”