Supercars releases 2017 calendar

Supercars has released its 2017 calendar, which includes two yet-to-be-confirmed dates.

As previously reported the 15-event schedule is largely unchanged from this year following an unsuccessful bid to add new events in Asia.

Newcastle, which replaces Sydney Olympic Park as the season finale, is the only new event, but is currently without a confirmed date.

Supercars CEO James Warburton says that the Australian category is waiting for confirmation of when Rally Australia will fall before locking in its date.

Both events are supported by Destination NSW, with the rally again set to take place in Coffs Harbour.

“Our preferred date for the (Newcastle) event next year is 17-19 November but this won’t be confirmed until the date of the World Rally Championship is known so as to avoid any clash,” said Warburton.

Supercars’ Gold Coast 600 is however destined to clash with Phillip Island’s round of the MotoGP World Championship for the second consecutive year.

A date is meanwhile yet to be confirmed for March’s Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, where the Supercars will again act as a non-championship support.

The F1 event is expected to run on March 24-26, leaving a two-week gap before the following Supercars race at Symmons Plains.

An eight-event Dunlop Series schedule has also been announced.

As reported by Speedcafe.com last week, the 250km Bathurst support race will be a non-points scoring event next year in a bid to attract more wildcards into the 1000.

The calendar also confirms that the second-tier will make its first ever visit to Symmons Plains, which effectively replaces Barbagallo on the schedule.

Sydney Motorsport Park has meanwhile been slotted in to ensure that there remains seven points-scoring events.

The season will conclude alongside the Supercars Championship on the streets of Newcastle.