According to series CEO Sean Seamer, the schedule has been in the works for a few weeks, as Supercars also want to include the introduction of the new Gen3 regulations in the middle of the season.
All that is certain at this point is Newcastle’s return to open the season, which is likely to take place in late February or early March.
The Australian Grand Prix remains a mystery thanks to Australia’s ongoing border restrictions during the pandemic, with a permanent postponement from March to later in the season already on the table.
The trips to Darwin and Townsville will affect the school grounds due to the two weather windows and in the case of the North Queensland event due to the school holidays due to the construction of the racetrack.
The Sydney SuperNight will also take place in August, which has been marked as the first Gen3 race, while the Bathurst 1000 will continue in its early October window.
“I can tell you we have already started,” said Seamer. “We are about three or four weeks preparing for the calendar for next year.
“As expected, we have started to consult with each of the track owners and the relevant state authorities.
“We’re looking forward to starting the season in Newcastle for the first time, which will be good. Additionally, we need to complete a couple of dependencies, namely the AGP appointment.
“We hope that we can publish a draft of the calendar to the teams in the next six to eight weeks and we can get started from there.”
The door is also open for an extension of the Enduro season, as the Supercars Commission is considering starting a second long-distance race with two drivers.
In times before the pandemic, the Endurance Cup always included three events, the Bathurst 1000, the Gold Coast 600 and traditionally the Sandown 500 – although this race has been moved to The Bend for 2020.
However, this has been reduced to Bathurst in the revised 2020 schedule and is the same this season.
“We will certainly discuss that with the Commission and what it might look like in Bathurst,” said Seamer.
“Ultimately, since the launch is so close to Bathurst, it will all come down to the laps of Bathurst and the convenience of preparing for endurance racing on the Gen3 platform.
“Not to speak for the Commission, but it would certainly be a consideration after Bathurst, not before.”
Seamer rejected the idea that an endurance race off Bathurst could provide a valuable opportunity to test the durability of the cars ahead of the largest and most visible race of the season at Mount Panorama.
“These cars, the prototypes, will cover over 10,000 kilometers by then,” he said.
“The teams would have opened an extensive test window at the beginning of the year, so we will have all of our durability tests carried out beforehand.”
