The iconic Mount Panorama will host two rounds of the coming Supercars series, with the Bathurst 1000 to go ahead in October before the travelling Supercars returns to Bathurst for the season finale next February.

Just what form the racing takes on that weekend remains to be seen, and the calendar is still considered only a provisional schedule at this stage, but it's no coincidence that Supercars has turned to its biggest drawcard for a much-needed boost in a season like no other.

As Australia slowly emerges from its coronavirus hibernation, there are still no guarantees about if, or when, fans might be allowed to attend live sporting events.

That's as much a blow to Supercars as it is to every other professional sporting organisation in the land and they're hoping fans will be allowed back sooner rather than later.

If they're not, though, professional sport will prosper or perish over the next 12 months based largely on their appeal to a television audience. And that's where Bathurst offers Supercars something none of the other rounds can.

Bathurst is the spiritual home of Australian motorsport and is by far the most recognised motorsport brand among the broader Australian public.

While diehard motor racing fans will closely follow every round of the series, Bathurst attracts a much different viewing audience.

The Bathurst 1000 is the Melbourne Cup of the Supercars calendar.

It's an event not just for motor racing fans but for all sports fans, and millions who might not watch another race all year will tune in for hours to watch drivers take on the most revered 6.213km of asphalt in Australia.

So in a year when crowds watching at home might be the only crowds at all, it makes sense for Supercars to wring whatever it can out of the popularity of Bathurst.

And if crowds are allowed at the races, then the economic boost our region will receive from two Supercars rounds will provide a huge leg-up for local businesses also emerging from the coronavirus shutdowns.

Bathurst needs the Supercars as much as they need Bathurst - and that's the mark of a successful relationship.