2006 V8 Supercar Calendar

[Big Trev]

from www.racenews.com.au

AVESCO
6 SEP 05
V8 Supercars next International location: Bahrain fast-tracked for 2006

The Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series has continued its rapid international foray with the announcement tonight that it had fast-tracked an event to be held in Bahrain in November 2006.

The Bahrain round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series will be held at the Bahrain International Circuit from November 22-24. It will be hosted by the King of Bahrain, His Majesty, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The event will be held from Wednesday November 22 through Friday November 24 in order to respect the religious beliefs of the people of Bahrain.

“This is a momentous occasion,” Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company (AVESCO) Chairman Tony Cochrane told a packed dinner function at Crown Casino in Melbourne via satellite from Bahrain.

“History is being made yet again by the Championship after the incredible successes of our event in Shanghai in June of this year. To take this Australian sporting product to the world is an outstanding achievement.

“V8 Supercars are showcasing a unique Australian icon to the world. Our sport is a highly sought after product by these International locations as being of world class standard.”

The agreement with the BIC is for five years. The BIC, like the Shanghai International Circuit, also hosts a round of the Formula One series and is regarded as one of the best Motorsport facilities in the world.

“The Australian V8 Supercar Series is recognised worldwide as being the pinnacle of Touring Car racing and we are enthusiastically anticipating the first race in Bahrain next year,” said BIC’s Director of Public Relations and Governmental Affairs, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

“The Series has an immense following throughout the Gulf and its full blown, flat-out, frills racing characteristics will generate a huge pull on spectators across the region.

“The Championship also allows the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain to showcase the impressive facilities that we have here at Bahrain International Circuit to a completely new television audience.”

It was originally thought that the Series would make its debut in Bahrain in 2007 but negotiations were so successful that it emerged the event could in fact be brought forward to 2006.

“As the ‘Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’ we are continually striving to ensure that we have an attractive portfolio of world-class racing,” said BIC Chairman, Talal Al Zain.

“The Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series is a leading example of the type of event that we are able to bring to the region and ideally compliments our other activities, including the FIA Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, which put Bahrain at the forefront of motorsport competition throughout the World.

“On behalf of the whole team at BIC I am looking forward with immense pride to welcome the drivers, teams, sponsors and organisers involved in the Series to the Kingdom of Bahrain.”

BIC General Manager Martin Whitaker said V8 Supercar Racing was the best touring car category in the World and would be an instant hit in the Middle East.

“The Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series epitomises everything great about motor racing. No other racing series features such vibrant and dynamic qualities and the muscle car event with its no-holds-barred competition and thunderous noise is bound to be an enormous draw for every race enthusiast in the region,” Whitaker said.

“The series has generated an immense following throughout the Gulf and we are enthusiastically anticipating the first race at Bahrain International Circuit where spectators will get the chance to witness at first hand the sights, raucous sound and colour that characterise the Series.

“Bahrain's geographical location at the crossroads between East and West will have an instant appeal to thousands of enthusiasts who would not normally get the opportunity to watch an Australian V8 Supercar Series race live.

“The chance to experience the Australian Series at its closest point outside Australia and at one of the World’s leading Grand Prix circuits, is one that we believe will be too good to miss and we are anticipating a flood of hardened followers from all over the world to make the trip to BIC.”

For Cochrane the race is another International event to add to Australia’s export portfolio.

“We proved in China that this category is now a very important Australian International export ready to go anywhere in the world,” Mr Cochrane said.

“With the strong support of the Bahrain and Australian Governments this all came together more quickly than anticipated so we decided not to delay for another year what is possible in 2006.

“We did Australian sport and Australia proud in China. Now we will do it again in Bahrain.”

The decision to race in Bahrain meant that one round in Sydney was dropped from the 2006 calendar. Oran Park Raceway will host the only Sydney round from August 11-13.

V8 Supercars return to the Shanghai International Circuit from June 9-11.

The 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series will begin with the traditional opener of the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 23-26. In 2006 this precedes the non-Championship Australian Grand Prix from March 30-April 2.

The Series returns to China from June 9-11 although at the time of announcement this date was still subject to approval from the FIA and Chinese Motorsport authorities.

The 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series Calendar:

March 23-26 Clipsal 500 Adelaide

March 30-April 2 Australian Grand Prix Melbourne*

April 21-23 Placemakers V8 International New Zealand

May 12-14 V8 300 Perth

June 9-11 Shanghai Round China**

June 30-July 2 Sky City Triple Crown Darwin

July 21-23 Queensland 300 Ipswich

August 11-13 Oran Park Sydney

September 8-10 Betta Electrical 500 ` Melbourne

October 5-8 Super Cheap Auto 1000 Bathurst

October 19-22 V8 Supercar Challenge Gold Coast

November 10-12 Ferodo Triple Challenge Launceston

November 22-24 Bahrain International Circuit Bahrain

December 8-10 Grand Finale Phillip Island***



*Denotes non-Championship event

**Denotes date subject to final FIA and Chinese Motorsport approvals

***Denotes provisional

[VSTrev]

Hey Big Trev... Familiar name mate, well the second part of it

I can't believe they have dropped Eastern Creek. Two years ago we had two rounds their which even us die hard fans thought was a bit stupid, but now to abandon it completely, and for Barhrain, Not happy.

On top of that Oran Park will be going soon. Its not looking good for Motor Sport in NSW.

My thoughts on it all...
Keep a NZ round, i think the kiwis deserve 1 round, seeing as there are plenty filling the seats in the V8s, and have 1 other over seas round. I think they should put it up for bids though, offer it to countries who want it, however puts up the best deal gets it and send our show around the world, a different place every year.

But keep the sport in Australia, Please.

[perkins]

No one showed up at the creek this year, I think that may have had some impact on the decision. There's talk of the owner of Oran Park rebuilding the track in another location as the Supercars apparently enjoy the track immensley. The word is though, that as well as Bathurst, AVESCO want Homebush as the other NSW round once Oran Park is gone. I don't think you'll have less than 2 rounds, just like all the other major capital cities. We went from 4 in Vic (Sandown, Calder, Winton and Phillip Island), back to only 2 and I think it's fairer to the other capitals for it to be this way.

[VSTrev]

I agree prerkins it does need to be spread around the country as evenly as possible.

However, If there was no one at Eastern Creek why did it take us 2 hours to get out of there. There were people there its just that the track is fairly large (Compared to Oran anyway), and it would take a monstor crowd to fill the place as the spectator areas are so very open.

How can they move Oran Park, it won't be the same, it will loose all of its charm and history.

[Big Trev]

I understand th eowners of Oran park are building a new track at Wilton

[perkins]

...If there was no one at Eastern Creek why did it take us 2 hours to get out of there. There were people there its just that the track is fairly large (Compared to Oran anyway), and it would take a monstor crowd to fill the place as the spectator areas are so very open

I only go by the published figures, and apparently this year Eastern creek was well down on it's past performances in ticket sales etc, not based on how much space was filled out. This opinon has also been in the media since that round.

How can they move Oran Park, it won't be the same, it will loose all of its charm and history.

The guy that owns the track owns land elsewhere and is considering rebuliding it to the exact same specs as the current track, so while it may be a new track in a new location it will have all the old tracks character, plus an added bonus will be improved spectator facilities. Oran Park is one of the tracks that is pillored each year by divers, teams and the public for it's poor spectator facilities.

[MOTIV8]

I think it's great to see a couple of rounds being contested at overseas tracks.

The world is globalising and that momentum is slowly starting to pick up pace so it make sense to make the move into the world scene rather then see other race series get in and become more prominent. Nothing worse then playin catchup.

Also I like seeing how the V8 supercars do on tracks that other race spec cars compete in such as comparisons between a supercar and an F1 on a flying lap etc.

I reckon there is room for at least one more round to go overseas if the interest and money are there.

[minux]

Shanghai Date is being changed

[Big Trev]

I think the China date is gone and rumour has it that AVESCO is trying to decide between 2 Aussie tracks.

[ucwepn]

The AGP should be a proper round not just a demonstration race. It has been run there for years now I think its time to make it a championship round.

The F1 guys are always facinated when they hear the v8's roar past so that should give some indication of the interest that is generated and also allot of fans go just to watch the V8's at the AGP

[MOTIV8]

I agree that the AGP round should be a championship round. With the global audience that the Grand Prix attracts and the amount of people that attend the track there is really no reason why it shouldn't be.

[VSTrev]

Bernie Ecclestone would never allow it.

[Big Trev]

Latest rumour has the owners of OP trying to buy Wakefield Par at Goulburn, not sure if it tru or not, I reckon it is too far out to too successful, but then again, Winton............