V8 Supercars has confirmed plans to reschedule its Symmons Plains Super Sprint in order to avoid a clash with the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The original Symmons date of March 17-20 has been taken by the Albert Park meeting amid a reshuffle of the 21-race Formula 1 calendar.
As expected, V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton says that his category’s Tasmanian event will now move to the AGP’s previous date of April 1-3.
Next season sees V8 Supercars continue as a non-championship support act to the Formula 1 race at Albert Park.
“It’s a very simple and neat swap of dates for these two events which won’t affect the rhythm of the revamped calendar for 2016,” said Warburton.
“We believe the 2016 calendar is a major win for fans and the most exciting the sport has seen.
“It delivers consistent and regular events throughout the season and expands the championship into Asia in what is a truly exciting development for the sport.
“We believe it will result in an even bigger following for our sport both locally and overseas with bigger crowds and our expanded television coverage on Fox Sports and Network Ten.”
A clash between V8 Supercars Castrol Edge Gold Coast 600 and the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island remains.
The revised Formula 1 calendar also confirmed that seven weeks will separate V8 Supercars’ visit to Malaysia for the KL City GP and the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix at Sepang.
Sepang’s F1 date, which is a week later than this season, had been the subject of uncertainty as F1 management attempted to separate a previously planned triple header with Singapore and Japan.
Organisers of the KL City GP, which is run in conjunction with Sepang staff, stressed a desire to avoid a close encounter with the F1 event before locking in its August 12-14 date.
V8 Supercars is meanwhile expected to confirm tweaks to its 2016 race formats and tyre allocations as soon as this week.
An increased tyre allocation featuring more soft compound rubber is set to be implemented following widespread criticism of the economy-driven cutbacks this season.
V8 Supercars 2016 Calendar
| Clipsal 500 | Adelaide Parklands Circuit, SA | March 3-6 | Super Street |
| Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix | Albert Park, VIC | March 17-20 | International Super Sprint |
| Tyrepower Tasmania Super Sprint | Symmons Plains Raceway, TAS | April 1-3 | Super Sprint |
| WD-40 Phillip Island Super Sprint | Phillip Island Circuit, VIC | April 15-17 | Super Sprint |
| Perth Super Sprint | Barbagallo Raceway, WA | May 6-8 | Super Sprint |
| Winton Super Sprint | Winton Motor Raceway, VIC | May 20-22 | Super Sprint |
| Skycity Triple Crown Darwin | Hidden Valley Raceway, NT | June 17-19 | Super Sprint |
| Castrol Edge Townsville 400 | Reid Park, QLD | July 8-10 | Super Street |
| Coates Hire Ipswich Super Sprint | Queensland Raceway, QLD | July 22-24 | Super Sprint |
| KL City Grand Prix | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | August 12-14 | International Super Sprint |
| Sydney Motorsport Park Super Sprint | Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW | August 26-28 | Super Sprint |
| Wilson Security Sandown 500 | Sandown Raceway, VIC | September 16-18 | Pirtek Enduro Cup |
| Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 | Mount Panorama, NSW | October 6-9 | Pirtek Enduro Cup |
| Castrol Gold Coast 600 | Surfers Paradise, QLD | October 21-23 | Pirtek Enduro Cup |
| ITM Auckland Super Sprint | Pukekohe Raceway, NZ | November 4-6 | Super Sprint |
| Coates Hire Sydney 500 | Sydney Olympic Park, NSW | November 25-27 | Super Street |
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