Abu Dhabi tipped to join V8 rounds

A Middle-East double-header at the start of the 2010 season has been an open secret for months, with the multi-billlion dollar new Formula One circuit at Yas Marina to join the existing V8 Supercar event in Bahrain.

Teams have still not had confirmation of Bahrain travel details this year, pointing to a postponement to the new double-headed season opener next year.

V8 Supercars gave the clearest indication yet of the Abu Dhabi deal on Monday with confirming that next year's season would be expanded to 16 events, one more than this year. The expansion for 2010 comes in the final countdown to the first running of the Sydney 500, a $17 million gamble by V8 Supercars in the potential for a marquee event in the NSW capital at the site of the 2000 Olympics.

The 2010 calendar will be announced this weekend during the L&H 500 meeting at Phillip Island and is expected to have an earlier start and a significant mid-season break, mirroring the situation in Formula One.

Cochrane is hinting big things, and keen to push for expansion of the V8 Supercar championship. "Once again V8 Supercars is defying global economic trends by getting bigger, not smaller," says Cochrane. "This is a time of incredible growth and boom conditions for V8 Supercars. We continue to add new events, secure new sponsors and have current partners either adding to or extending their current arrangements.

"With new international television opportunities to be announced in October, a record year pending with live crowds and strong increases in all our sectors we have never seen growth in our sport and business like this."