THE Bathurst 1000 will go ahead on its scheduled October date - that is the message from Supercars chief executive officer Sean Seamer.
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In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Supercars have opted to put the season on hold until June, which means the Tasmania, Auckland and Perth events will all be postponed.
But at this stage that will not mean a switch of dates for the Bathurst 1000, with the 161-lap epic at Mount Panorama set to proceed as originally slated. The event will run from October 8-11.
"Supercars' priority is to deliver the 14 round 2020 championship for our fans and partners, irrespective of the dates," Seamer said in a statement.
"Bathurst will obviously proceed on its scheduled date. We have a plan for how we can make that happen and will begin discussions with all of our stakeholders over the coming days to lock this in.
"We anticipate that we will be able to formalise and communicate this plan within the next few weeks."
While the flexibility within the Supercars' calendar means the Great Race is not impacted, it is not the same scenario when it come to the Bathurst 6 Hour.
It was originally set for April 10-12, but the Australian Racing Group and Bathurst Regional Council have confirmed that it will be rescheduled.
Instead it will now run in conjunction with the inaugural Bathurst International on November 13-15, which will add to an already eagerly anticipated debut of the new Mount Panorama event.
The details of how the 6 Hour will slot into the Bathurst International schedule and what it will mean for all the categories involved are still being finalised.
But Australian Racing Group chief executive officer Matt Braid said the early decision to postpone the 6 Hour will give their organisation, as well as competitors, support crew and others impacted, time to plan.
"The key priority of Australian Racing Group is to the safety of all attending the event and to those in the Bathurst region. ARG also wishes to ensure a minimal amount of disruption as possible to competitors, suppliers, spectators and members of the local community," Braid said.
"A key consideration in the current environment is where possible make a decision and communicate it as early as possible. We appreciate the assistance of the council in working with us to enable immediate confirmation of the revised date in November.
"This early decision will ideally offer all parties committed to the event as much time as possible to alter travel arrangements and their own planning to suit the new date."
Though naturally disappointed to have to put the 6 Hour on hold, Braid pointed out it will be a boost to the Bathurst International.
"The ideal outcome of the date change will be an even larger and more vibrant event in November than initially planned, one that positively enhances the local region and those participating at it," he said.