News
Newcastle postoponed, TCM calendar reshuffle planned
THE Repco Newcastle 500 has been postponed following a decision by Supercars to move the event to a later date in 2022.
The event was due to open the 2022 Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters Series on the March 4-6 weekend, marking the return of the category to the city streets for the first time since 2018.
The Supercars Championship will now open on the same March weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park with the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight.
“Given the continuing evolving and unpredictable COVID situation, it has become too challenging to stage a complex multi-faceted event on the streets of Newcastle for tens of thousands of race fans in March,” Supercars CEO Shane Howard said. “Putting on an event of the scale of Newcastle, in the middle of its CBD, requires an enormous amount of work to ensure it runs to a world-class standard.“We have been in consultation with the City of Newcastle throughout January and understand that constructing and operating an event of this size during the current COVID period has caused concern in parts of the community.”
TCM Management is currently in discussions with Supercars regarding both the postponed Newcastle and new Sydney Motorsport Park events.
It is anticipated that the category will remain on the Newcastle 500 support race program on the rescheduled date, pending confirmation of its new placement within the calendar and its alignment with already confirmed TCM rounds.
The series is also in discussions with Supercars to join the Sydney Motorsport Park program to ensure the championship will commence on the March 4-6 weekend as planned.
Previously announced dates remain locked into the 2022 Gulf Western Oil TCM calendar, including rounds at Sydney Motorsport Park (May 27-29), The Townsville 500 (July 8-10), Queensland Raceway (August 6-7), Sandown (September 17-18) and Mount Panorama, Bathurst (November 11-13).