When the Supercars Championship heads to Hidden Valley Raceway for the Darwin Triple Crown on 18–20 June 2021, the Stadium Super Trucks will tag along. On Tuesday, the Northern Territory Government’s Major Events department announced “full speed ahead” for the 2021 Triple Crown, with series like SST and the Australian Superbikes serving as support classes.
“The 2021 event is promising a high-octane weekend packed with world-class racing, exciting support categories and a live concert,” read a statement from the Major Events agency. “The Stadium Super Trucks, an American-style off-road racing event, will also make an appearance next year.
“The beefed-up Super Trucks will provided a different type of entertainment in a jam-packed weekend, with drag-racing spectacular Nitro Up North kicking off the weekend on Friday, 18 June.”
Supercars CEO Sean Seamer described Darwin as “such a special event for the Championship and a real favourite of the teams, drivers and fans. This fantastic announcement that Supercars will be joined by Superbikes and Stadium Super Trucks will ensure the event will thrill fans of all ages. We look forward to working with organisers to put on an amazing show for fans of both two and four-wheels.
“I want to thank Chief Minister Michael Gunner, and the Board and team at Northern Territory Major Events Company for their vision and passion in making this event an exciting addition to the 2021 calendar.”
2020 was to be a year of growth for SST as the series introduced an Australian championship—the Boost Mobile Super Trucks led by 2017 champion Paul Morris—that would run its own races in conjunction with the Supercars. The Boost Mobile Super Trucks made their début during the 2019 season finale at Gold Coast, the trucks’ first race in Australia in over a year.
The two divisions kicked off their season together at the Adelaide 500 in February, where American champions Robby Gordon and Matt Brabham, as well as Aussie newcomer Shae Davies won the three races. The Boost Mobile series hoped to run an eight-round schedule, including the Triple Crown in July, with two more combination races alongside the American counterparts.
However, the international proliferation of the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into those plans. Although the American side was able to hold two races at Road America in August with the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the Australian championship has not seen any action since as Supercars ran a revised schedule.
With the pandemic still ongoing but the 2021 Triple Crown seven months away, it is not yet known if American drivers will be allowed to take part. The series’ lone race weekend at the Northern Territory circuit was in 2017.
“Yeah, so, go away COVID as we have races to run in Australia (and the States) in 2021,” tweeted the SST account. “Can’t wait to return to Darwin!”
The full 2021 schedule has not been revealed, though it is confirmed that the trucks will return to the Grand Prix of Long Beach in April. With the exception of the cancelled 2020 edition, the street course has been on the SST calendar every year since the series’ inaugural season in 2013.
