Season of Endurance has begun

02/09/2008 With the Beijing Olympics reaching an end the V8 Supercar Championship Series returns to the most critical juncture of the season for the much anticipated Season of Endurance over the next five weeks.

Following an Olympic sabbatical the country’s premier motor racing category gears up for the newly formatted L&H 500 at Phillip Island and the iconic Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 at the one and only Mount Panorama.

The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was launched simultaneously in Brisbane and Sydney today with the L&H 500 kicking off the Season of Endurance at Phillip Island in 10 days time.

Last year the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 attracted 181,000 spectators and 34,000 campers.

V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane said the tradition of both events assured yet another epic in the history of the sport as the Series turns towards the run home to the 2008 Champion.

“In just over a week’s time we begin the Season of Endurance at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island with a unique qualifying format and the first time we will see the co-drivers in battle. Then we head to the incredible race that is the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000,” Mr Cochrane said.

“Once again we all wait with great anticipation to the twists and turns that this signature event provides. It’s a race where there are no real favourites. A team can dominate from Friday but by Sunday become also-rans.”

The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 is a jewel in the crown for the Seven Network having completed an enormous few weeks in Beijing.

“There is more television hours dedicated to this weekend than in almost every other single sporting event in Australia. I can say without question that it sits comfortably alongside the Melbourne Cup, the respective grand finals and an Ashes Series as this country’s largest sporting occasions,” Mr Cochrane said.

“In 2007 4.7 million Australians in the five major markets watched all or part of Seven’s coverage over the three days. On Sunday last year, 2.8 million Australians in the five major markets watched all or part of Seven’s coverage. The coverage delivered a peak audience 1.964 million viewers in the five major markets on race day.

“Across Australia, there was an average audience of 2.18 million across race coverage, 2.11 million for post-race. In fact more people watched Bathurst than any single program on another network on that day.”

Mr Cochrane said that along with this race, signature events in Adelaide, Darwin, Hamilton (NZ), the Gold Coast and Phillip Island were becoming the norm in the growing Championship. Next year another will be added when the Townsville 400 makes its debut in July.

“And this famous Aussie icon thrives with the sponsorship of Supercheap Auto and all of those companies that back the event year on year. As one of Australia’s home-grown success stories, Supercheap Auto is an incredible event partner,” he said.

“Along with Supercheap Auto are our major Series partners BigPond and XXXX GOLD. There outstanding sponsorships ensure that the sport stands alongside any other in this country.”