MOTORSPORT: Three Aussie titles still go – for now

Organisers of Australia’s major motorsport events are staying committed to their updated calendars despite the escalating threat from COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures.

Officially, the 2021 Repco Australian Supercars Championship is still set for five more rounds and there are two remaining legs of the SuperCheap TCR Australia Series and three events on the Rally Australia calendar.

All that promises a potential smorgasbord of action and competition, provided the events go ahead.

But Supercars has already been forced to move the Bathurst 1000 back by a month, and bin its planned trips to New Zealand and Perth, while the Australian Racing Group has consolidated its events to focus on the Bathurst International in late November as the rally championship builds to a double-header in Coffs Harbour the same month.

“We are committed to our 2021 season, including racing at our premier event, the Repco Bathurst 1000,” said Supercars in a statement.

But the planned resumption of racing, at Winton in rural Victoria on the first weekend of October, is looking shaky and so too is the planned visit to Phillip Island a fortnight later.

“Supercars is committed to delivering the next five rounds of the 2021 Championship and is working with all relevant governments and health departments to ensure this occurs safely,” the statement says.

“While Supercars shares the ongoing COVID-19 related frustrations of all Australians, particularly those on the east coast, we are working hard to deliver the remaining races and we once again thank our fans for joining us on this journey.”