The third round of the 2021 Supercars season at Symmons Plains will be postponed by one week from April 10-11 to April 17-18.
This is in response to a COVID-19 outbreak in Queensland that has closed the greater Brisbane area and a number of other states are conducting border controls.
Tasmania is one of those states. The border is now closed to anyone who has visited local government affected areas in Queensland.
Triple Eight, based in Brisbane, is directly affected by this boundary policy.
All three Queensland teams will cross the New South Wales border today.
These include Dick Johnson Racing from Gold Coast and Matt Stone Racing, who, while not currently affected by the border regulations, will take to the streets as a precaution.
The date change means these three teams can spend the next 14 days in New South Wales before heading to Tasmania on the Wednesday before the Symmons Plains event.
Will Davison, Dick Johnson Racing Ford
Photo by: Mark Horsburgh, Edge Photographics
“In view of the current COVID-19 situation in Brisbane, Supercars has taken a precautionary decision to postpone the upcoming Beaurepaires Tasmania SuperSprint for a week,” said a statement from the series.
“The event will now take place on the weekend of April 17-18. All tickets already purchased for the event will remain valid and will be postponed to the new event dates.
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“As has been the case since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Supercars employees and racing teams will comply with all applicable official regulations when traveling to and carrying out the event.
“Supercars would like to thank all fans for their continued patience and apologize for the inconvenience. We look forward to welcoming everyone to a safe event in Tasmania in the coming weeks.”
The three Queensland teams may not return home immediately after the Tasmania SuperSprint.
South Australia has border protocols similar to Tasmania in relation to the greater Brisbane area, sparking rumors that teams will have to stay on the road until after The Bend on May 8th and 9th.
Supercars has been grappling with intricate border controls for the past 12 months, with Victoria-based teams taking a more than 100-day road trip last year as Melbourne dealt with its fatal outbreak.
The 2020 Darwin double-headed ball was also postponed for a week amid fears that an outbreak could occur in Queensland that never occurred.
