New Zealand’s round of the 2021 Supercars Championship could be on the move to November to ensure it can go ahead without travel restrictions.
After an amended 2020 series calendar had New Zealand dropped, Supercars CEO Sean Seamer said it was the series’ every intention to have the championship return in April next year.
However, reports from AutoAction are suggesting that due to the ongoing uncertainty of international travel, Supercars have pushed back the round to early November.
A draft 2021 schedule is set to be released over the coming days with the rescheduling of the New Zealand round the reason behind the delay of the announcement.
Both the Australian and New Zealand governments have voiced their desires to fully re-open their borders to each other within the next few months.
Kiwis can travel to New South Wales and the Northern Territory without the need to quarantine for a fortnight. However, no one entering New Zealand escapes the mandatory isolation period.
It, therefore, suggests that a push back of the New Zealand round is to ensure that the event can go ahead without the risk of running into another quarantine dilemma.
There is also yet to be a decision on which circuit will host the Supercars next year.
Last year, Pukekohe Park was unable to host its scheduled round of the championship after falling foul of the Auckland Unitary Plan which banned motor racing at the circuit on ANZAC weekend without sufficient notice.
Hampton Downs then stepped into the vacant slot. But that race was later scrubbed following a calendar revision to minimise the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
No confirmation has been made about which circuit Supercars will choose for its 2021 round, although Hampton Downs is primed as the likely candidate.
The 2021 season is believed to kick off at Mount Panorama in February with a pair of sprint races around the Bathurst circuit.
Darwin is the only round to have a date formally confirmed for next season with its event to go ahead on June 18-20.
The Australian Grand Prix is also scheduled for March 19-21 where Supercars are set to run as a support category.
