The postponement of the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight last Thursday leaves the Boost Mobile Super Trucks without a race weekend for the month of August. While the event, held at Sydney Motorsport Park, is not off the books for 2021, it is unknown when it will take place or if the Repco Supercars Championship have a backup date in mind.
“Supercars advises that the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight, scheduled for 20-22 August will be moved to later in the year,” read a statement from Supercars on Thursday. “Due to current and evolving COVID-19 restrictions Supercars has determined a later date will provide a safe and preferable event experience for Supercars teams, spectators and officials. All other events scheduled on the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship calendar will proceed as scheduled.
“Tickets purchased for the event will remain valid for the new running dates, which will be announced soon.”
The capital of New South Wales has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic as July progressed. The day before Supercars postponed the SuperNight, Greater Sydney was placed under lockdown in response to an outbreak in the city. Under the restrictions, entertainment facilities are closed to the public and travellers may not enter Greater Sydney without a “reasonable excuse”, such as returning home if one lives there or if eligible for a vaccination.
On Tuesday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian reported seventy-eight new COVID-19 cases, adding to a total of 1,400 since the first reports of a positive test on 16 June; twenty-seven of those seventy-eight came during the virus’ infectious period. Although Berejiklian stated the number decline is “always pleasing” to see, transmission in workplaces and homes remains an issue.
In April, restrictions to contain the pandemic forced the Boost Mobile Super Trucks’ season opener at Tasmania to be pushed back by a week from its original date. Townsville, the site of the trucks’ most recent race weekend, held a second Supercars weekend to make up for the postponed Winton SuperSprint (which the trucks were not running).
With Sydney out of the picture for now, the trucks will not return until the Bunnings Trade Perth SuperNight at Wanneroo Raceway on 10–12 September. However, Speedcafe’s Connor O’Brien also noted on Thursday that the event and the ITM Auckland SuperSprint at Pukekohe Park Raceway on 5–7 November “appear most at risk” to also be removed due to stricter pandemic orders. On the other hand, the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 in December—scheduled as the trucks’ season finale—is “relatively safe”, per the Speedcafe article. Efforts to restore Sydney to the calendar are also likely a priority as Supercars has an agreement with NSW regarding a certain amount of events to be held there annually.
Sydney Motorsport Park hosted the Stadium Super Trucks for the first time in 2018 under the Australian Motor Racing Series banner after the series was barred from supporting Supercars by what is now Motorsport Australia. Matt Brabham and Gavin Harlien won the weekend’s two races.
