S5000 to race in August as part of five-round season return
The VHT S5000 Australian Championship and TCR Australia will return in August as part of a revised 2020 Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships calendar.
A revised four-round calendar Motorsport Australia calendar will be part of a six-round Australian Racing Group (ARG) series, with both announced on Tuesday.
The S5000 series completed one day at the Australian Grand Prix before the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic—with state and federal lockdowns preventing any further events.
S5000 will return August 15-16 at Round 1 of the Motorsport Australia Championships, before heading to Sandown and Phillip Island.
ARG Categories S5000 and TCR will then head to Mount Panorama for the Bathurst International, before a new “Festival of Motorsport” in Tasmania.
S5000 will complete its season at Symmons Plains, January 24-26, before a demonstration run at Baskerville circuit.
All S5000 and TCR events will be broadcast by the Seven Network, with the original broadcast agreement apparently unchanged.
Motorsport Australia is open to extending the national Championships series to events in November and December depending on competitor interest.
Although the ARG categories will skip the Motorsport Australia Championships’ visit to The Bend, this round will be supplemented by the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship round in South Australia – with a Super Special Stage also featuring at The Bend on the Saturday night.
CEO of the Australian Racing Group Matt Baird said “it’s been an unprecedented crisis and its effect on motorsport all around the world has been huge,”
“Through it all, we are really pleased that we are able to confirm a condensed, dynamic racing schedule combining fresh new events along with racing at some of Australia’s best circuits, all to be delivered into every Australian home via our broadcast partner, the Seven Network.
“Tasmania is a significant opportunity for ARG and our teams, drivers and sponsors. The roar of world class V8 powered open wheeler racing coupled with TCR and Trans Am all debuting in Tasmania at Symmons Plains and Baskerville will be a fantastic spectacle.
“We’d like to thank our categories and their teams, drivers and sponsors for their support during this trying period. I am sure it’s been both challenging and frustrating at times but I think from this has evolved a truly outstanding calendar and suite of events for 2020.”
Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships Director Michael Smith said “we are really pleased to be able to announce the initial four rounds of the 2020 Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships.”
“It’s understandably been a very difficult year for everyone, but with plenty of light at the end of the tunnel we feel now is the right time to announce our calendar, with four rounds and possibly more to take place in the second half of 2020.
“Together with our various categories, we’ll make sure that all local government restrictions are met and events run according to our detailed Return To Race strategy and follow any advice regarding social distancing and so on.
“We’d like to thank all the categories and circuit managers for their co-operation and hard work to ensure we could get these events up and running and we can’t wait to get back on track with the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships this year.”
The events will be run without spectators, a decision which will be reviewed before each round.
Revised VHT S5000 Australian Championship Calendar
- Sydney Motorsport Park - August 15/16
- Sandown - September 12/13
- Phillip Island - October (TBA)
- Bathurst - November 12/15
- Symmons Plains - January 24-26
