Supercars could be become the major supporting attraction at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix as part of V8 racing's revived international expansion plans.
Fairfax Media has learned that Singapore GP organisers have sounded out Supercars on joining the undercard as the main daytime drawcard at the popular F1 night street race event.
It would force the Sandown 500 in Melbourne to be moved because its traditional mid-September slot in the calendar clashes with the running of the Singapore GP.
Supporting F1 in Singapore is Supercars' latest opportunity in a renewed push to gain a foothold outside Australia and New Zealand, targeting south-east Asia after short-lived forays to China, the Middle East and the US.
Along with the Singapore GP, there is interest in Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia for standalone Supercars events.
At least one international track could be added to next year's V8 championship, which is already scheduled to expand from 14 to 16 events with the inclusion of the Australian GP and a new venue in South Australia.
Under the existing teams' agreement, the calendar is limited to a maximum of 17 events, meaning that low-attendance local tracks like Victoria's Winton and Phillip Island, and Queensland Raceway will be at risk.
The Sydney Motorsport Park round may drop out of the championship to trial a new Big Bash League-style exhibition night racing event planned for next year.
Supercars would have to negotiate a new deal with the teams to accommodate all the potential overseas and local interest while retaining existing events.
The V8 teams are keen to race in Singapore because in addition to the financial windfall of a multimillion-dollar sanctioning fee, racing alongside F1 at the island city-state would appeal to sponsors with interests in the region.
Supercars chief executive James Warburton confirmed that there was serious interest in putting the V8s on the Singapore GP support race program.
"Yeah, love to be there," he told Fairfax Media. "We've had some discussions, but it's a long way from fruition."
Bringing Supercars to the Singapore GP is supported by F1's new rights holder Liberty Media, which backed the long-awaited upgrade of the V8 support races at the Australian GP to championship status from next year.
"They've made it very clear they looking for more entertainment to add to their grands prix," said Warburton, who added that the multimillion-dollar cost of flying the Supercars contingent to Singapore was an issue.
"Supercars is a big-ticket item and it's a lot of money for any promoter. So it's also a securing that. But I think all our teams are keen. It's a brilliant event. I don't think there'd be any resistance."
Next year's Singapore GP, which is subject to a renewed deal, is scheduled for September 14-16, the same weekend as the Sandown 500, which is the traditional warm-up endurance race for the Bathurst 1000.
Supercars would be willing to move the 500 forward to early September to accommodate the trip to the Singapore GP.
"For the right opportunity like Singapore, you'd move it," Warburton said. "It's not impossible to move."
Adding to Supercars willingness to move away from the Sandown 500's traditional dates is the fact that the suburban track's future beyond 2019 is in doubt, with persistent speculation that the Melbourne Racing Club plans to sell the combined horse and motor racing site.
If it happens, the Supercars would contest a series of sprint races on Singapore's Marina Bay street circuit as warm-ups for F1s.
Supercars is also talking with Kuala Lumpur's Sepang circuit, which is hosting the final Malaysian GP this October after ending its F1 contract a year early because of declining crowds.
Warburton also confirmed that hopes to revive a planned government-backed street race event in downtown KL have been abandoned because it is still embroiled in a legal dispute over organising rights. "After two years in court, it's dead," he said.
There have also been approaches from a group proposing a street circuit event in the Thai coastal resort of Hua Hin and the existing permanent circuit at Sentul in Indonesia, which is awaiting an upgrade to host international events like MotoGP and Supercars.
The last time Supercars raced outside Australasia was a one-off appearance at the Circuit Of The Americas F1 track near Austin, Texas, 2013. Since then, the only foreign event has been the annual trip to Pukekohe Raceway, outside Auckland.