More than 200 team personnel of Victorian- and New South Wales-based Supercars teams will relocate to Queensland next week to set up temporary bases before moving onto to Northern Territory.
Teams, broadcasters and officials will make yet another hasty dash across state borders and will leave Sydney Motorsport Park for Queensland following the final race of this weekend’s Truck Assist Sydney SuperSprint which will then allow a quarantine-free crossing for the next round in Darwin.
The move is a positive step for the sport as it allows the championship to continue despite border restrictions in Victoria and New South Wales.
“I want to thank the Queensland and Northern Territory Governments for their support to continue our 2020 Championship at this time,” said Supercars CEO Sean Seamer.
“Being able to prepare and operate out of Queensland enables us to lock in the key Northern legs of our championship and give the teams and TV crew the best access to resources for preparation.
“I would like to thank all of our Victorian and New South Wales people, teams, drivers and of course their families for their continued support, flexibility and resilience.
“We’ve already seen numerous offers of support from Queensland teams for their interstate competitors, from unlimited access to workshops to accommodation and transport support.
“It’s been an overwhelmingly positive response from within the category to ensure our season perseveres in a year that will continue to challenge us all.”
DJR Team Penske team principal Ryan Story says his team will support those travelling teams in the move to Queensland.
“South-east Queensland is a fantastic part of the world. Dick Johnson Racing celebrates 40 years this year of calling this area home,” Story said.
“We welcome the support of the Queensland state government in creating a Supercars hub in this region. It allows us to keep going racing and entertaining our fantastic supporters right across the country, New Zealand and the world.
“We’ve heard local tourism operators and small businesses saying that it’s like Christmas in July with the state reopening and there’s nothing surer that Queensland is open for business.”
The number of confirmed cases in Victoria today has surged to a grim record high of 317 while New South Wales has confirmed a total of 38 news cases of COVID-19 in the past week.