Huge milestones, new race formats headline full 2024 Supercars calendar

The Repco Supercars Championship will celebrate key milestones at Sandown, Gold Coast and Adelaide in 2024, including the 60th anniversary of the famous Sandown 500.

The calendar for 2024 has been released and features 12 Championship rounds between February and November.

As announced last month, the Championship will begin with the Bathurst SuperFest at the iconic Mount Panorama circuit. The Bathurst SuperFest will give fans almost two weeks of celebrations at the spiritual home of racing in Australia, beginning with the Bathurst 12 Hour and ending with a Bathurst 500.

The jewel in the crown, the Repco Bathurst 1000 will remain in its traditional place on the calendar and will be held on Sunday 13 October.

Melbourne’s most historic venue, Sandown, will be home to some of the biggest celebrations of the year, with the 60th anniversary of the Sandown 500.

Celebrations will pay respect to the 1964 running of an international six-hour race which evolved into the Sandown 500. It will also be the 50th anniversary of the first Sandown endurance event for the Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars.

The party will go to a new level at Queensland’s biggest annual sporting event, when the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 runs from 25-27 October. The 2024 event will celebrate 30 years since Supercars first raced on the iconic Surfers Paradise street circuit and John Bowe celebrated victory for Dick Johnson Racing.

End of season celebrations will see the VAILO Adelaide 500 celebrate its 25th anniversary from 14-17 November. The event was inducted into the Supercars Hall of Fame in 2005 and world motorsport icon Murray Walker once declared it "the best touring car event in the world".

Other events to be celebrated in 2024 for their own major milestones will be North Queensland’s 15th anniversary of the Townsville 500 and Tasmania’s 55th anniversary of Supercars racing at Symmons Plains.

Both Sydney Motorsport Park and Darwin will see Supercars race on their circuits for the 75th time, while Townsville’s Reid Park will rack up its 40th street race.

Events from 2023 not included on the 2024 calendar are the Newcastle 500 and OTR SuperSprint at The Bend. 

While The Bend will not host a Supercars round in 2024, it can be confirmed that the Repco Supercars Championship will return to the South Australian venue in 2025, where it will host an Endurance Round for the first time ever.

Race formats have also been confirmed for 2024, which include new-look time allotted SuperSprint races at the Perth, Darwin and Tasmanian events. 

The SuperSprint events will feature two races over the weekend, both races being 60 minutes long on either day. The Melbourne SuperSprint at the Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix will feature four Championship races and drivers will compete for the coveted Larry Perkins Trophy.

There will be a new Super400 format for the Taupō and Sydney events. Races in New Zealand and the only night event of the year will feature 200km races on either day, with refuelling mandatory for either race of the event. Sydney will be the only night race of 2024.

The 500km format of two 250km races with refuelling and Top Ten Shootouts on either day of racing will continue at the Bathurst 500, NTI Townsville 500, Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 and VAILO Adelaide 500, while traditional endurance formats for the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 and Repco Bathurst 1000 will stay in place, featuring co-drivers.

The combined Dunlop Super2 and Dunlop Super3 Series which will feature ZB Commodores racing against Car of the Future Ford Mustangs will race on the support card at the Bathurst 500, Perth SuperSprint, NTI Townsville 500, Penrite Oil Sandown 500, Repco Bathurst 1000 and VAILO Adelaide 500.

Foxtel and Kayo will broadcast every practice, qualifying, Shootout, and race of the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship live and ad free. The Seven Network will broadcast six marquee events live: the Bathurst 500, betr Darwin Triple Crown, NTI Townsville 500, Repco Bathurst 1000, Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, and VAILO Adelaide 500.

Supercars CEO Shane Howard said: "2024 is already shaping up as one of the biggest in our sport’s history. The celebrations at Sandown will be unique and pay homage to some of the greatest races ever seen in Australian motorsport.

"The Bathurst SuperFest will give fans close to two weeks to celebrate some of the best drivers in the world, taking on Mount Panorama. We thank the NSW Government and Bathurst Regional Council for supporting our vision to bring something new to fans.

"Following discussions with management at The Bend, both parties have agreed that the best outcome is to focus on 2025, where the South Australian venue will host an endurance event for the first time.

"The circuit has produced incredible moments on track since 2018 and is well-suited for Supercars endurance racing. We’re all excited to see what happens on track when endurance racing debuts at The Bend in 2025.

"Next year we will see a new crop of drivers taking to some of the toughest circuits to race on in the world, with all states and the Northern Territory once again represented on the calendar, maintaining our national footprint.

"We cannot wait to begin a new chapter of racing in New Zealand in April. Our debut at Taupō will be one of the highlights of the year and already teams are planning their own celebrations for our trip across the Tasman."

South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas said of next year’s 25th anniversary of the VAILO Adelaide 500: "The VAILO Adelaide 500 has once again firmly established itself as the best street race in the country and a fitting climax to the Supercars season.

"We can’t wait to welcome thousands of Supercars fans to Adelaide for this incredible event."

Repco CEO Wayne Bryant said: "The 2024 Repco Supercars Championship calendar is an absolute cracker.

"Two big events at Mount Panorama is an absolute bonus. It's the best racetrack that we have in this part of the world, so starting the championship there is huge, and of course, the Repco Bathurst 1000 in October is the race that every driver wants to win.

"Returning the championship to New Zealand is huge for the sport and for our Repco family and fans across the ditch. After a year off, our crew is excited to welcome the cars to Taupō.

"And of course, the championship visits all of our favourite races across every state of Australia. This is a truly Trans-Tasman title fight and one that we can't wait to see unfold."

Jeremy Hill, Dunlop Tyres, Sales & Marketing Director ANZ said: "Dunlop Tyres is looking forward to 12 exciting rounds of Supercars racing in 2024.

"As we embark on our 23rd consecutive year as the Official Control Tyre of the Supercars Championship, our dedication to advancing performance tyre technology continues, with a focus on helping deliver unmissable racing action across Australia and New Zealand."

Winton and Queensland Raceway will be used as testing circuits for teams for the 24 Gen3 Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros that will compete in the 2024 championship. Fans are welcome to attend all test days.

Tickets for each event on the calendar will go on sale in due course. The final event of the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship begins in just over a fortnight, the VAILO Adelaide 500 from 23-26 November.

2024 Repco Supercars Championship calendar

Download the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship calendar here

^ Event will feature Dunlop Super2 and Super3 Series on Support Card

* Event will feature at Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix

Event formats and dates are subject to change. Correct at time of release