Supercars reveals more 2024 dates but still no full…

Supercars reveals more 2024 dates but still no full calendar

While the teams were racing in the Gold Coast 500, Supercars revealed the dates of two events to be held in the state of Queensland next season.

The Townsville 500 will continue on its traditional school holidays date of 5-7 July, while Supercars will marks its 30th anniversary of racing around the streets of Surfers Paradise on the 25-27 October weekend.

Supercars is believed to be awaiting a signed contract before confirming that the season will begin at Bathurst on 23-25 February, a week after the Bathurst 12 Hour event for GT3 cars.

A 10-day ‘Festival of Motorsport’ would appear to expand the program without breaching the circuit’s current limit of five events in a calendar year by extending the already-scheduled 16-18 February 12 hour event (which is run by Supercars) into one of 10 days.

The move would also comply with Supercars’ arrangement with the New South Wales government to start the season in that state, a matter that appeared to be in doubt following the decision by the City of Newcastle not to support a 2024 event.

The Newcastle street race opened the 2023 calendar, following on from season-opening events at Bathurst (in 2021) and at Sydney Motorsport Park (2022). The Newcastle council announced this month that it had declined to support the 2024 event but Supercars has not ruled out a return to the city at some point in the future.

Alongside the two Queensland races the events that have already been confirmed are at the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in March and a debut appearance at the Taupo circuit in New Zealand in April.

Likely dates for 2024 include the traditional late-June round at Hidden Valley in Darwin, a mid-September date for the Sandown 500 following the successful return of the endurance event to the Melbourne circuit last month, and the traditional Bathurst 1000 date (the Sunday after Labor Day) in October.