Supercars CEO Sean Seamer has eased concerns that the series’ blue riband event, the Bathurst 1000, will go ahead without any crowds’ present.
While the race itself remains scheduled to be held in the latter stages of the year, exactly when the Australian government will relax mass gathering bans and how these changes will be implemented remain shrouded in uncertainty.
The revised season-opener from Sydney Motorsport Park has already been confirmed as a Supercars-only event which will not have any spectators present.
But for an event which had just shy of 202,000 spectators walk through its gates last year, it becomes unimaginable to picture the hallowed Mount Panorama circuit without an abundance of fans compressed amongst the grandstands nor seated along the banking.
However, in a Q&A session published to the Supercars Facebook page, Seamer admits the series is adamant that spectators will be allowed to return to live motorsport action in time for the great race.
“No one can predict exactly how many people we will be able to have at Bathurst at this point in time,” said Seamer.
“We are looking at the government restrictions on a daily basis and trying to ascertain what that could look like for our event.
“Obviously Bathurst is key for us and we are really encouraged that in the scheduling the government has put out that campgrounds are coming back, so we are definitely expecting people at Bathurst and we are hoping to get as many people in there as possible.”
The revised 12-round calendar is slated to commence on June 27 from Sydney Motorsport Park but unconventionally will conclude with a second trip to Bathurst which coincides with the running of the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Seamer acknowledged that two rounds at the venue may pose the risk of watering down the spectacle that surrounds the 1000.
However, he stressed the series is working on a solution to the predicament and expects the season-finale Bathurst round will not overshadow the famed 1000km enduro in October.
“Obviously Bathurst is a very special place, so we are going to have to be very careful and clever in how we execute and how we innovate around that second Bathurst event,” Seamer added.
“But we are really confident that we can put on a good show and it was important for us to find another event in New South Wales as part of our planning in the revised championship.”