NEXT year’s night race at Barbagallo Raceway will serve as a litmus test for Supercars’ future in Western Australia.

Supercars announced Thursday that the Perth round of the 2019 championship will take over hosting duties for the sport’s night race, with the Sydney Motorsport Park event taking a sabbatical before returning in early 2020.

The event’s previous contract - a three-way deal between Supercars, circuit owners and operators the WA Sporting Car Club, and the Western Australian government via Tourism WA - ended after the 2018 edition.

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The 2019 event will run under a new one-year deal between all parties with the aim of securing the race’s future as a night race.

“We’re working on a new model with the West Australian government, we’re testing the night race over there,” Supercars CEO Sean Seamer told media at Thursday’s 2019 calendar launch at Albert Park.

“This year will be a proof of concept, similar to what we did in Sydney.”

Supercars and the WASCC won’t be starting from scratch when it comes time to light the 2.41km Barbagallo Raceway, which is already capable of hosting circuit events after dark.

“We’re still working through it operationally with the WA Sporting Car Club,” Seamer said.

“They’ve got a lot more fixed lighting than we anticipated, and they’re looking at putting more permanent lighting in.

“It’s a natural amphitheatre too, so it casts the light a little bit better. It’s a smaller track than Sydney, so it will be easier to add additional lights.”

As part of the calendar launch, Supercars said a benefit of running the night race in Perth would be the television timeslot the event would fit in on the eastern states. Radio Daze: Perth 2018

With no Daylight Savings in May the west coast sits two hours behind the east; sunset on May 3, 2018 at Barbagallo came at 5:37pm local time, or 7:37pm AEST.

“The big thing for us is for fans on the East Coast that wouldn’t be flying over there, they get to watch this race in prime time,” Seamer said.

“The guys are still working on the exact schedule, but we’re looking at a twilight start running into night.”

The 2019 Perth SuperSprint will take place on May 2-4, and feature a round of the Dunlop Super2 Series.
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