» V8s: Changes for next year’s Clipsal 500

V8 Supercars organisers have announced some exciting changes for next year’s season-opening Clipsal 500 at Adelaide, as part of the official launch for the hugely popular street race, which will be held on the first weekend of March.

One of the biggest changes – and no doubt a great incentive to pull more crowds over the four-day event – is the announcement that Race 1’s qualifying sessions (the full-field qualifying and Top-10 Shootout) will now be held on Friday.

Saturday’s running will feature the first 250-kilometre race, while Sunday’s festivities will see a separate full-field qualifying session before the second 250-kilometre race.

With the event launched in grand style under a new slogan of ‘The Race That Rocks’, organisers also announced details for four nights of music entertainment that would be free to all ticketholders.

And it’s a stellar list of music acts, including INXS, The Living End, Sneaky Sound System, Spiderbait, Mark Seymour & The Undertow, You Am I, Wynter Gordon, The Potbelleez, Zoe Badwi, Tonite Only, Mr Wilson, and Slicker Cities.

On top of this organisers have also confirmed that over half of the Adelaide street circuit’s grandstand ticket prices have remained the same as the 2011 prices, or even reduced.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.clipsal500.com.au.

[Image via SportsNet; video via V8 Supercars]