Supercars’ six Victorian teams are set to cross the border today and begin life on the road.
Unlike last year, when they could not return home for more than 100 days, the affected crews have been promised the time away on this occasion will not stretch beyond the Merlin Darwin Triple Crown on June 18-20.
Supercars announced on the weekend they had asked Victorian teams to prepare to depart by today, given the need for two weeks out of the COVID-impacted state before being able to freely enter the Northern Territory.
Per the New South Wales Government’s stay-at-home orders, teams will be required to follow the protocols of their locked-down home state while at their temporary homes north of the border.
Speedcafe.com can confirm squads have selected a variety of locations to spend the next 14 days, with most hitting the road this afternoon.
Tickford Racing had been set to take its four-car personnel (including for wildcard Thomas Randle) to a resort in the Coffs Harbour region but has now opted for the Central Coast, where Walkinshaw Andretti United will also settle.
Nearby, the Blanchard Racing Team is planning on setting up camp in Newcastle.
Kelly Grove Racing is expected to resume its post on the Kelly family farm – where it also stayed last year – on the NSW side of the border near Mildura.
The whereabouts of Erebus Motorsport and Team 18’s temporary homes have not yet been made public.
While a far from ideal situation, many teams took the opportunity to bond as a positive from their extended experience last year.
With last weekend’s scheduled Winton SuperSprint postponed, Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin will now host Round 5 of the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship.
