MOTORSPORT: Race to save 2021 Bathurst 1000

The classic Bathurst 1000 could be run as late as December under contingency plans to save Australia’s Great Race and the rest of the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship.

Bathurst has already been bumped back a month from its traditional October date but Supercars is now scrambling to assemble a workable calendar of races under the latest COVID-19 border restrictions and lockdowns.

The next two events, Winton and Phillip Island, are both scheduled for October but are at Victorian circuits and that gives them almost no chance of running as planned.

Even so, the CEO of Supercars, Sean Seamer, has not given up on cramming five events – including Bathurst – into the final months of this year.

“Everybody wants to get Bathurst done,” said Seamer.

“The priority is the Bathurst 1000 and working backwards from that on plans that we can put in place with a high degree of certainty that we can execute on.

“The way that we have to try and look at this is not dealing with the situation that we find ourselves in now, but looking at all of the data sets to predict where we’re going to be, and right now when we forecast where we see things in November and December, and we have discussions.”

For now, Seamer is ruling out any back-to-back meetings at tracks outside the COVID umbrella, potentially Queensland Raceway and The Bend in South Australia, and said the focus is still on eastern-state events which have not been visited by Supercars.

“All options are on the table. (But) our priority is eastern seaboard. I think what we’re looking for is the highest degree of certainty. For delivering the remaining five rounds, and as it stands right now, we’re able to get more certainty,” he said.

Bathurst is the top priority and Supercars is working with all stakeholders, from teams and officials to the local council and NSW government, on delivering the race.

There may not be spectators, or a limited attendance, but Seamer said there must be a Bathurst 1000 in 2021.

“What we’ve always said is that Bathurst is the one non-negotiable and will ensure that everything gets given the right window to provide maximum attendance and exposure, particularly for our fans,” he said.

“We’ll get the 1000 done at Bathurst. What we need to do is get as many of our fans there as possible.”