Supercars great Mark Skaife admits the 2020 season may not resume until at least late July but says a full schedule can be completed with back-to-back, two-day meets – even if it has to run into next year.
Supercars CEO Sean Seamer has pencilled in a June return at Winton after calling off racing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Supercars completed only one round – February’s season opener in Adelaide – before health concerns cancelled the next event at Albert Park after just one day of action.
Government restrictions including border closures and banning mass gatherings of more than 500 people forced Supercars to rule out TV-only events and the campaign came to an abrupt halt until at least June, suspending rounds in Tasmania, New Zealand and Perth.
Supercars rounds usually extend to three days and have two to three-week breaks between them.
But Skaife believed the schedule could be completed with some tinkering, especially after a six-week break scheduled for the now postponed Tokyo Olympics was no longer necessary.
« I am thinking late July, early August is the earliest (season start), » he told Fox League Mornings.
« If we do that we can put some local meetings together and run them back-to-back, as two day race meetings.
« I think that will be the smart way to get going. »
Skaife believed the season could move through to early 2021 and lead into next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
« Because Supercars promote the 12 Hour in early February we can run past Christmas and finish our season off (ahead of) another special event at Bathurst (12 Hour) – let’s see what happens, » he said.
Former Bathurst 1000 champion David Reynolds was unfazed by the prospect of racing into next year but lamented the loss of the Albert Park round which may be replaced by an event at Phillip Island when racing resumes.
« When it starts again we are going to be so busy trying to fit in all those rounds that we have missed, » he said.
« I don’t think we will get the grand prix (Albert Park round) because that is going to be hard to set up again but the rest of the rounds we can tailor to make it fit.
« If it goes into January I am looking forward to it. »
All Supercars drivers are preparing to contest online E-series race events that will start on April 8 and run for 10 weeks.
https://www.espn.com/v8-supercars/story/_/id/28966907/skaife
