WINTON Motor Raceway has retained its round of the Supercars next year with the event also being switched to the Queens Birthday weekend in a potential financial bonanza for the circuit.
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The regional venue has held onto its round on a one-year deal on a SuperSprint format with back-to-back 200km races on the Saturday and Sunday with Supercars action also returning to Winton on the Friday in 2020.
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Benalla Auto Club chief executive Chris Lewis-Williams said a long weekend round could attract even more spectators.
"Our preference would have been to go a little bit earlier to try and get into the nicer weather," he said.
"We've made May work for the past four years.
"But with the Supercars back on deck, plus the long weekend, people might sneak away on Thursday night and be ready for three days of Supercars, a nice relaxing night by the fire on Sunday and then pack up and head home on the Monday.
"No Friday this year didn't help us."
The SuperSprint format will also be used at Symmons Plains, Auckland, Darwin and Sandown, with all 200km races to retain the 120-litre fuel drop.
Supercars chief executive Sean Seamer said the reason for changing the SuperSprint format was two-fold.
"If you're someone who can only come on the Saturday versus the Sunday, you pay the same to be there," he said.
"We felt like we needed to make sure that we were delivering a better product on a Saturday at the sprint rounds."
The Supercars switch to the June long weekend will be another major tourism drawcard for the region.
"Our economic impact assessment data shows the Supercars event has major financial benefits for the district," Mr Lewis-Williams said.
Labor member for Northern Victoria and regional development minister Jaclyn Symes said her government was proud to play a role in keeping the Supercars event at Winton.
"We invested $1 million in 2016 to upgrade the Winton track and we've backed the race through the regional events fund for the past three years," she said.
"It's been money well spent."
A spokesman for Ms Symes was unable to reveal the exact amount of money provided by the government to keep the race.
