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upercars has confirmed it will relocate all of its Victorian and New South Wales (NSW) teams to Queensland next week, as COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise in Victoria and NSW.

The move will see close to 200 people relocated, including broadcasters and officials, on top of the teams and drivers based in Victoria and NSW, with the Queensland teams offering their facilities for those affected.

Supercars CEO, Sean Seamer, said the move comes after the Northern Territory and Queensland both harshened their travel restrictions for anyone out of NSW or Victoria hot spots.

“I want to thank the Queensland and Northern Territory Governments for their support to continue our 2020 Championship at this time,” Seamer said.

“Being able to prepare and operate out of Queensland enables us to lock in the key Northern legs of our championship and give the teams and TV crew the best access to resources for preparation.

“I would like to thank all of our Victorian and New South Wales people, teams, drivers and of course their families for their continued support, flexibility, and resilience.

“We’ve already seen numerous offers of support from Queensland teams for their interstate competitors, from unlimited access to workshops to accommodation and transport support.

“It’s been an overwhelmingly positive response from within the category to ensure our season perseveres in a year that will continue to challenge us all,” he said.

Tourism Minister, Kate Jones, said the Queensland Government will ensure the transition to a Queensland hub system will be as safe as possible.

“Because Queenslanders have done such a great job fighting COVID-19, we can now focus on our economic recovery,” Jones said.

“Before COVID-19, major events pumped more than $800 million a year into our economy.

“These events will be crucial to rebuilding our economy and our tourism industry in months and years to come.

“Having every Supercars team from around the country relocate to Queensland is even more great exposure for our state at a time we need it most.

“Supercars has a huge following throughout Australia.

“We know that thousands of Aussies are planning their first holidays out of isolation.

“Having images of the Gold Coast and Townsville beamed into their living rooms this winter is a great win for our tourism sector,” she said.

To initiate the move to Queensland, Supercars teams will leave NSW early next week after the Truck Assist Sydney SuperSprint this weekend, setting up in South-East Queensland for two weeks before heading to Darwin for an expected double-header event.

The move to Queensland marks the second major sport to relocate the majority of its participants to Queensland with the growing concerns of COVID-19 rises in Victoria and NSW, with the AFL announcing a similar move, relocating all Victorian-based clubs to Queensland, earlier in the week.