Supercars still investigating September options

With the season set to end at the Bathurst 1000 in October, Supercars is known to be eyeing a fourth straight double-header in mid-September as part of a packed run home.

Queensland Raceway has long been considered the favourite for the September race, given the five Melbourne teams and two New South Wales teams are effectively working from bases in south-east Queensland due to border restrictions.

Racing at QR would require temporary upgrades to be made to the circuit, as it doesn't hold a permanent Motorsport Australia licence – a surmountable, but not insignificant, challenge.

Should Supercars not be able to strike a deal to race at the Ipswich venue, there are some back-up options.

The Bend in South Australia is still in the frame for the September date, following an on-again, off-again saga with the series this season.

The circuit was originally meant to host a 500-kilometre enduro as the Bathurst warm-up this year, and was retained as a mid-September sprint round on the initial revised calendar after the coronavirus-induced shutdown.

However a second revised schedule saw The Bend replaced by Sandown, prompting circuit owner Sam Shahin to write a scathing open letter to Supercars.

There was then talk The Bend would return once Melbourne went back into lockdown, before the current plan built around the Queensland hub took shape.

There are currently no border restrictions in place between Queensland and South Australia, which means teams would be free to travel to The Bend after the Townsville double-header.

They would also be free to return to Queensland before the Bathurst 1000, which may well be shifted back a week to October 18 to give teams more time to prepare.

A third and fourth round at Sydney Motorsport Park is also an option for mid-September, although border restrictions between Queensland and New South Wales would likely mean teams wouldn't be able to return to the hub before the Bathurst 1000.

September 19-20 and 26-27 are the expected dates for those TBA rounds, which would leave two weeks after the two Townsville legs, the first of which takes place this weekend, and either two or three weeks to Bathurst, depending on what happens with that date.