Short Bend layout being considered for Supercars
The shorter West circuit layout at The Bend Motorsport Park is being considered as part of next month's Supercars double-header at the venue.
The South Australian track is a late addition to the truncated 2020 Supercars schedule, with a double-header now locked in for next month, ahead of the season-ending Bathurst 1000.
Given the facility boasts a number of layouts, organisers are now assessing the feasibility of using different circuits across the two weekends.
Initially there was talk the 4.9-kilometre GP circuit would be paired with the 7.7-kilometre track, which would have been the longest lap on the Supercars schedule by some margin.
However Motorsport.com understands that plan is now off the table, The Bend officials currently looking at splitting between the GP layout and the 3.41-kilometre West circuit.
The shorter layout still services the main straight and pit building, but turns right instead of left at Turn 6 and re-joins the GP track on the run to Turn 14.
It would be the first time the West circuit has been used for Supercars, the series running exclusively on the GP circuit since first joining the calendar for the first time in 2018.
The Bend's inclusion on the revised schedule ends an on-again, off-again saga that's been in play throughout the pandemic, the facility dropped in favour of Sandown on an earlier version of the coronavirus-affected calendar.
The two rounds are scheduled to take place on September 19-20 and 26-27, the venue trumping Queensland Raceway for the pre-Bathurst slot.
The three-race sprint format is expected to be used across the two weekends.
A limited ticket allocation is now on sale for both events, with around 10,000 fans per day likely to be allowed access to the venue.
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