Supercars Season Heats Up with Townsville 500 on Seven – The 2026 Supercars Championship heads to tropical North Queensland, with the NTI Townsville 500 set to screen live and free across Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
Round 7 takes place on Saturday, 11 July and Sunday, 12 July, as the season moves towards the end of its first phase.
The Townsville 500 follows last month’s Darwin Triple Crown, where Cam Waters claimed his first win of the season. Now, teams and drivers will look to build momentum at one of the biggest events on the Supercars calendar.
Preview show returns
Before race weekend begins, Seven will air a new-look Supercars Preview Show on Sunday, 5 July.
Supercars host Matt White will present the program alongside Garth Tander and Mark Winterbottom. The show will look at the latest storylines, results and championship pressure points.
It will also feature guest appearances from Darwin Triple Crown winner Cam Waters and Grove Racing CEO Brenton Grove, representing Penrite Racing.
The Supercars Preview Show airs at 11.00am in Melbourne and 2.30pm in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth on Seven and 7plus Sport.
Townsville takes centre stage
Seven’s coverage of the Townsville 500 will be led by Australian Rally Champion Molly Taylor and veteran reporter Matt White.
They will be joined by experts Garth Tander, Mark Winterbottom and three-time Supercars Champion Craig Lowndes.
The Townsville 500 will feature two 200km two-stop races across Saturday and Sunday. It is also the penultimate event before the first finalist of 2026 is confirmed.
That finalist will be decided when the Repco Sprint Cup is awarded to the driver with the most points from the opening eight rounds of the Championship.
Championship battle tightens
Broc Feeney heads to Townsville with a narrow 15-point lead over Matthew Payne.
Meanwhile, Triple Eight is looking to rebound after a rare slump in Darwin. It marked the first time this season that Triple Eight failed to appear on the podium.
Anton de Pasquale and Team 18 will also be aiming to continue their winning form. De Pasquale recently delivered the first win for himself, his team and Chevrolet since the Sydney 500 in February.
Seven ready for a major race weekend
Seven Head of Motorsport Angela Rampal said Townsville remains one of the key stops on the Supercars schedule.
“Townsville 500 is always a highlight on the Supercars calendar, as tropical North Queensland provides a taste of the first true street circuit of the season, with kerbs, surface changes and concrete walls all set to create the high intensity racing that Supercars is famous for.”
Rampal also said the returning preview show would add to the weekend coverage.
“We’re pumped to have our preview show returning this weekend with an all-star commentary lineup including Matt White, Garth Tander and Mark Winterbottom.”
In addition, Seven and 7plus Sport will offer full replays, highlights and bonus content during race weekend.
Broadcast details
The 2026 NTI Townsville 500 begins from 12.00pm AEST on Saturday, 11 July and Sunday, 12 July.
Saturday coverage includes qualifying and support categories. It airs at 12.00pm live in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on Seven and 7plus Sport, 11.30am live in Adelaide on 7mate and 7plus Sport, and 10.00am live in Perth on 7mate and 7plus Sport.
Sunday coverage includes pre-race and race coverage. It airs at 12.00pm live in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane on Seven and 7plus Sport, 11.30am live in Adelaide on 7mate and 7plus Sport, and 10.00am live in Perth on 7mate and 7plus Sport.
The 2026 NTI Townsville 500 airs live and free from Saturday, 11 July on Seven, 7mate and 7plus Sport.
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