V8 Supercars calendar grows to 16 events for 2018
The 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship calendar has been revealed. Compared to this year’s calendar, two new rounds are added to form a 16-event schedule.
The additions are the support race at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, which was converted from the non-championship status to points-paying event, and The Bend SuperSprint in South Australia Tailem Bend, which will host the championship for the first time.
The championship will traditionally start with the Adelaide 500 in March and will conclude with the Newcastle 500 in November. The tenth round, the Sydney SuperSprint at Sydney Motorsport Park, will be contested under lights, as the first Supercars night race in Australia since 1997.
The Dunlop Super2 Series will race at seven Supercars events, with Adelaide followed by Symmons Plains, Barbagallo Raceway, Townsville, Sandown, Bathurst and Newcastle. That means the series returns to Western Australia after a one-year absence while Bathurst is also reinstated as a points round.
2018 V8 Supercars Championship calendar
| Round | Event | Race track | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adelaide 500 | Adelaide Street Circuit | Adelaide, South Australia | March 3-4 |
| 2 | Melbourne 400 | Melbourne GP Circuit | Melbourne, Victoria | March 24-25 |
| 3 | Tasmania SuperSprint | Symmons Plains Raceway | Launceston, Tasmania | April 7-8 |
| 4 | Phillip Island 500 | Phillip Island GP Circuit | Phillip Island, Victoria | April 21-22 |
| 5 | Perth SuperSprint | Barbagallo Raceway | Perth, Western Australia | May 5-6 |
| 6 | Winton SuperSprint | Winton Motor Raceway | Benalla, Victoria | May 19-20 |
| 7 | Darwin Triple Crown | Hidden Valley Raceway | Darwin, Northern Territory | June 16-17 |
| 8 | Townsville 400 | Townsville Street Circuit | Townsville, Queensland | July 7-8 |
| 9 | Ipswich SuperSprint | Quensland Raceway | Ipswich, Queensland | July 21-22 |
| 10 | Sydney SuperNight 300 | Sydney Motorsport Park | Eastern Creek, New South Wales | August 3-4 |
| 11 | The Bend SuperSprint | The Bend Motorsport Park | Tailem Bend, South Australia | August 25-26 |
| 12 | Sandown 500 | Sandown Raceway | Melbourne, Victoria | September 15-16 |
| 13 | Bathurst 1000 | Mount Panorama Circuit | Bathurst, New South Wales | October 6-7 |
| 14 | Gold Coast 600 | Surfers Paradise Street Circuit | Surfers Paradise, Queensland | October 20-21 |
| 15 | Auckland SuperSprint | Pukekohe Park Raceway | Pukekohe, New Zealand | November 3-4 |
| 16 | Newcastle 500 | Newcastle Street Circuit | Newcastle, New South Wales | November 24-25 |
Photos: browntrout.com.au,
