Sandown 500 date change announced by Supercars

The traditional Bathurst 1000 curtain-raiser will now take place on September 13-15, a week earlier than the date it held on the original 2024 calendar, in a move which also affects Round 4 of the Dunlop Super2 Series.

A statement issued by Supercars explains, “The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has recently advised Supercars that Sandown cannot meet the operational needs of a Supercars event at the date originally announced as part of the 2024 calendar.

“Supercars while working with the MRC have agreed to bring the 60th celebrations of the Sandown 500 forward a week to September 13-15.

“The date change provides the greatest opportunity for Supercars to deliver the best possible event that showcases the rich history of the Sandown 500.”

The shift of the first enduro of the year helps even out that part of the calendar, with there now being four weeks (Sunday to Sunday) from Symmons Plains (Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint, August 16-18) to Sandown and then another four to the Repco Bathurst 1000 (October 10-13).

Furthermore, the Sandown 500 still avoids a direct clash with any AFL Finals Series matches in Melbourne given it will fall on Semi-Finals weekend, when matches will be played on Friday and Saturday night only.

While Sandown hosted Supercars events in 2021 and 2022, the 2023 season marked the return of the 500km enduro to the calendar, and also to its traditional home and time of season.

This year’s 60th anniversary running of the Sandown enduro, though, could be the last as the MRC investigates a possible sale of the site, which is considered prime development land.

Supercars has already committed to next year holding an enduro at The Bend, which missed out on a berth on the 2024 calendar.

However, it has not ruled out the prospect of also holding the Sandown 500 in 2025, if indeed the venue remains open to motorsport.

Triple Eight Race Engineering won the 2023 Sandown 500 in what was a first enduro victory for Broc Feeney and a sixth in the event for Jamie Whincup, moving the latter to equal second-all time.

Whincup is tied with Allan Moffat and Craig Lowndes on six Sandown enduro wins (including three-hour, 250mi, and 400km formats), while Peter Brock stands alone on nine.

The Repco Supercars Championship also races in the Victorian capital next weekend, on the support card for the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.

The MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint, Event 2 of 12 this year, takes place at Albert Park on March 21-24.