MOTORSPORT: Six-event S5000 series for 2020

A field of 20 cars is expected to fight for the first Australian S5000 Championship in 2020.

A successful debut last month at Sandown Park, to be followed by a second hit-out at The Bend in South Australia in late November, has laid the foundation for a born-again top-level wings-and-slicks single-seater series.

There are even hopes that the CAMS Gold Star, traditionally awarded to Australia’s Drivers Championship but withheld since 2014, will be brought out of mothballs as the top prize for the series.

The S5000 championship will open at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in March and then roll through Sydney Motorsport Park in March, Winton in Victoria in May, The Bend in June, Phillip Island in August and Sandown in September.

There is also a provisional event listed for Bathurst, for a non-championship race that is expected to run in December at the recently-confirmed fifth Bathurst meeting for 2020.

Several rounds have question marks, mostly around commercial arrangements for the Shannons Nationals series that will host the S5000 series, but the series promoter is not expecting any troubles.

The Australian Racing Group, which promotes both S5000 and the new carsales TCR Australia Series for 2.0-litre touring cars, says it is only waiting to tie up the details.

“At the moment there is no reason not to make preparations and power ahead,” ARG director, Matt Braid, tells carsales.

He is also reacting to speculation that the S5000 cars might be too fast for Bathurst, which is yet to get a safety sign-off from CAMS and the FIA in Paris.

“We’re working through the process with CAMS, making sure everything is right with the circuit. We are moving ahead with the event, and with S5000s.

“As far as we are concerned it’s a go. It’s more a case of making sure everything is ticked off.”

In testing at Phillip Island, the new V8-powered single-seat racers achieved a best lap time of 1:24.0 – around six seconds faster than Supercars and three seconds faster than the best GT3 racers.

Braid also reveals that ARG is talking to CAMS about reviving the Gold Star, which had been awarded from 1957 and has one of the longest histories in Australian motorsport.

Among the past winners of the open-wheeler award are legendary drivers Lex Davison, Stan Jones and Len Lukey from the 1950s and Formula 5000 racers Kevin Bartlett and Frank Matich.

More recently, Mark Skaife was a three-time Gold Star winner and Indianapolis 500 winners Will Power and Scott Dixon took the award before heading to the USA to race.

“We’ve had discussions with CAMS. We believe having the Gold Star associated with S5000 would be a logical fit,” says Braid.

Meantime, construction of another six S5000 cars will soon begin at Garry Rogers Motorsport in Melbourne after strong demand for cars at the AGP meeting.

“At the moment we have 14 cars. There is scope to add more,” says Braid.

“I think the Grand prix could be 20 cars. Based on current interest, I think that’s a reasonable number.

“There is scope and appetite to build more, but at the moment I think 20 is a reasonable number to expect on the grid. Twenty cars is completely feasible.”

“Based on current interest, 20 cars is completely feasible.”

2020 Australian S5000 Championship Calendar:
Round 1: Australian F1 GP, Albert Park, March 12-15
Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, March 27-29
Round 3: Winton, May 1-3
Round 4: The Bend Motorsport Park, June 12-14
Round 5: Phillip Island, August 21-23
Round 6: Sandown, September 11-13
Non-championship: Mount Panorama, December TBC