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NT election provides Supercars conundrum

3 minute read

Supercars fans are likely to see a midweek round of the championship due to the postponement of this weekend's Darwin Triple Crown.

Supercars bosses are considering rescheduling the championship's second Darwin round to a midweek twilight timeslot to avoid a clash with the Northern Territory election.

The Darwin Triple Crown, the first of back-to-back rounds at the Hidden Valley circuit, was due to begin on Saturday but it has been pushed back to August 15-16.

Moving the Darwin Supersprint back a week isn't so simple with Territorians going to the polls on August 22.

With COVID-19 cases under control in the Northern Territory, crowds of up to 4500 each day will be allowed to attend the dual top-end events.

Adding to the scheduling complications is that the series will quickly move to Townsville for another round on August 29.

Some drivers and crews are isolating in Darwin until at least Monday after the NT government last Friday declared certain areas of southeast Queensland as COVID-19 hotspots.

All Supercars teams have been based in and around the Gold Coast since last month's Sydney round.

It is the latest chapter in a turbulent 2020 for Supercars, with the category already reeling from the Holden brand's looming retirement just weeks before the coronavirus pandemic started.

After leaving Townsville, Supercars drivers are meant to be racing at Sandown in outer Melbourne, but the September 19-20 event will need to be cancelled with Victorians currently in a COVID-19 lockdown.

That is the last scheduled round before the Supercars' premier event, the Bathurst 1000, from October 8-11.

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