Supercars calendar release delayed as teams split over TRC negotiations

Supercars is facing a calendar crisis for 2027 and beyond, with a proposed 14-round schedule currently stalled as team owners split over lucrative Team Racing Charter (TRC) financial negotiations. Speedcafe reported that Public release of the 14-round calendar is awaiting resolution to the TRC discussions, which have been ongoing for the bulk of the year, as Supercars owner RACE struggles to balance extra-event payments against unviable revenue metrics.

Revenue Metrics Create Dispute over Future Payouts

The core dispute centers on the contract agreed when RACE acquired the business in late 2021. That agreement guarantees a base payment to teams for 12 rounds, alongside additional monies for extra events up to a total of 15 rounds. However, the calculation baked into the TRC relies on revenue-based metrics that RACE contends will demand unviable payouts for extended seasons from 2027 onward.

Negotiations initially moved through an elected four-man team panel comprising Brett Ralph (DJR), Matt Stone (MSR), Brad Jones (BJR), and Ryan Walkinshaw (Walkinshaw TWG). Nine months of back-and-forth discussions ultimately produced an offer of approximately $900,000 per TRC per season, representing an uplift of around $100,000 compared to the 2026 arrangement.

Team Fractures and Legal Representation

While the four-man representative group accepted the offer, it received a mixed response from the remaining team grid. Speedcafe reported that TRC holders Triple Eight, Grove Racing, Erebus Motorsport, PremiAir Racing, and SCT Motorsport rejected the proposal. These dissenting squads, backed by prominent business figures, have escalated discussions directly with RACE, operating largely through a legal representative.

RACE requires a 75 percent supermajority of TRC holders to approve any contractual amendments. The five dissenting teams insist that RACE must secure the necessary funding through financial instruments to cover the projected cost—said to exceed $1.2 million for a 14-round season. Conversely, other team squads have expressed frustration, arguing that accepting the current table offer provides a solid financial uplift without crippling the championship’s ownership group.

Internal Division Delays the Calendar Rollout

Supercars chairman and acting CEO Barclay Nettlefold acknowledged at Bathurst that the internal division is directly holding up the calendar rollout. There’s a majority that have approved in principle what we’ve positioned and we’re still working with a minority group that are wanting more clarity around the data and information, Nettlefold told Speedcafe. It’s all amicable and we expect we’ll get to an agreed position with all teams any time soon.

Shrinking the championship down to 12 rounds remains a scenario that industry stakeholders view as a severe blow to a series fighting for momentum in a crowded entertainment market. Anything below 14 rounds would also trigger financial payback obligations to broadcast partner Fox Sports. Nettlefold insisted that a compromise will be reached, noting that a board-approved calendar is already in place ahead of a targeted submission window in the coming weeks.