Supercars season finale at Bathurst, The Bend goes back-to-back weekends

A potential final revision of the 2020 Supercars calendar has seen the Bathurst 1000 locked in as the season finale with double-header weekends at The Bend Motorsports Park acting as the last warm-up rounds before The Great Race.

Though a return to Sydney Motorsport Park was initially announced as the last round of the season, Supercars has finally decided on Bathurst being the closer to 2020’s championship season, adding more drama to what already is the biggest race in the Australian motorsports year.

The Bend makes a return to the list of 2020 destinations after initially being slated to play host to the 500km endurance race before Bathurst before COVID-19 hit, seeing the South Australian venue omitted from the schedule.

Following on from this coming weekend’s second race at the Townsville street circuit, the teams will have a one week break before hitting the track again with the first round at The Bend running from September 19-20 with the second iteration going ahead a week after.

With Bathurst playing host to the last round of the year, it marks just the second time in the sport’s 60 year history that the iconic circuit will decide the championship winner, having been the last stop on the tour in 1999 and 2000.

Supercars CEO Sean Seamer says the break between The Bend and Bathurst will give teams time to prepare for the marquee event which will be a fitting way to end the 60th year of the Australian Touring Car Championship.

“This is our marquee event on the calendar and this year it will also be our series decider, making it an even more memorable occasion,” Seamer said.

“We looked at all options beyond Bathurst as well as the best options for our Victorian teams, who will have been on the road for over 100 days by the completion of the event.

“Getting those drivers, team personnel and officials’ home to loved ones was at the forefront of this decision.”

In response to The Bend getting back on to the calendar, managing director Sam Shahin said his team will do their most to put on a good show with only three weeks notice but is happy to see his track back in the championship again.

“In what has been the most challenging year in living memory, I am altogether excited, relieved, and looking forward to The Bend being part of the 2020 championship,” said Shahin.

“It is a credit to drivers, team members, owners, Supercars and the wider motorsport community that the series has been able to navigate the difficult circumstances of the past six months.

“It demonstrates the tenacity and determination of the sport and makes us feel even prouder of being part of this community.

“The task is now in front of us to put on the best events possible in September, essentially cramming what normally takes six months of planning into three weeks, but we love a challenge!”

With Bathurst announced as the finale, this year’s championship will only be 10 rounds long (including the abandoned Australian Grand Prix) and the earliest finish to a year since the inception of Supercars in 1997.