V8 Supercars have announced a new 10-year deal to race at Melbourne's Sandown circuit.
In one of the longest agreements between the category and an individual circuit, V8s will be racing at Sandown until at least 2020 in a deal which will also see the track's paddock and pit lane refurbished.
V8 Supercars chief executive Martin Whitaker said the deal tied in with this year's plans to celebrate 50 years of the Australian Touring Car Championship at the Sandown event to be held from November 19-21.
"It's a great day for motorsport in Victoria to have this fantastic commitment to the circuit which has been very much a part of the DNA of Australian touring cars," Whitaker said.
"Some of the greatest moments in Australian motor sport history have taken place at Sandown and this great circuit has hosted the greats of the sport from Stirling Moss to Jamie Whincup in the modern day.
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"We are working on a number of concepts for the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge to incorporate all that is so great about Australian touring cars, the V8 Supercar Championship Series and its rich history."
Melbourne Racing Club manager Wade Calderwood says the new deal will bring in more than just sporting benefits to the region around Sandown.
"The level of economic benefit brought in to the Dandenong area, which is also the base for several V8 Supercar teams, should not be underestimated with the signing of this long term announcement," Calderwood said.
