V8 SUPERCARS 2016 SEASON CALENDAR

Round 1 – 5-6 March – Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Adelaide Street Circuit (SA)

Non-Championship Round – 17-20 March – Formula One Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park (Vic)

Round 2 – 2-3 April – Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint, Symmons Plains (Tas)

Round 3 – 16-17 April – WD-40 Phillip Island SuperSprint, Phillip Island (Vic)

Round 4 – 7-8 May – Perth SuperSprint, Barbagallo (WA)

Round 5 – 21-22 May – Winton SuperSprint, Benalla (Vic)

Round 6 – 18-19 June – SkyCity Triple Crown Darwin, Hidden Valley (NT)

Round 7 – 9-10 July – Castrol Edge Townsville 400, Reid Park (Qld)

Round 8 – 23-24 July – Coates Hire Ipswich SuperSprint, Queensland Raceway (Qld)

Round 9 – 13-14 August – KL City Grand Prix, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

Round 10 – 27-28 August – Sydney Motorsport Park SuperSprint, Eastern Creek (NSW)

Round 11 – 18 September – Wilson Security Sandown 500, Melbourne (Vic)

Round 12 – 9 October – Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Mount Panorama Circuit (NSW)

Round 13 – 22-23 October – Castrol Gold Coast 600, Surfers Paradise Street Circuit (Qld)

Round 14 – 5-6 November – ITM Auckland SuperSprint, Pukekohe Park (NZ)

Round 15 – 26-27 November – Coates Hire Sydney 500, Olympic Park (NSW)

BIGGEST CHANGES TO THE 2016 V8 SUPERCARS SEASON

* A shorter season: Breaks between events have been shortened

* Return to Asia: A championship round in Malaysia for the first time

* More strategy: The two unpopular Saturday 60km races at SuperSprint events have been combined for a single 120km race featuring pit-stops

* A bigger grid: Expansion by Red Bull Racing and DJR Team Penske means a grid of 26 cars will start the season at Clipsal

* Team changes: Shane Van Gisbergen joining Red Bull and Fabian Coulthard swapping his Holden for a DJR Team Penske Ford headline the off-season moves.