After helping out the AFL, Queensland is also coming to the rescue of Australian motorsport in enabling the Supercars season to continue.

All 10 Supercars teams will head north after this weekend’s Sydney SuperSprint as COVID-19 cases increase in the New South Wales capital.

It will be the second shift in as many weeks for five Victorian crews after they were forced out of Melbourne as the city went back into a coronavirus lockdown.

Supercars teams moving their operations to the Gold Coast for two weeks ensures next month’s Darwin round can go ahead and the already interrupted 2020 championship can remain on track for a December finish.

Supercars chief Sean Seamer said there was a need for all essential personnel to be based in Queensland after the Northern Territory government declared most of Sydney to be a COVID-19 hotspot.

“Being able to prepare and operate out of Queensland enables us to lock in the key northern legs of our championship and give the teams and TV crew the best access to resources for preparation,” Seamer said.

A day after allowing all 10 Victorian AFL teams to relocate to the state, Queensland tourism minister Kate Jones said the government was now looking forward to welcoming Supercars crews.

“Having every Supercars team from around the country relocate to Queensland is even more great exposure for our state at a time we need it most,” she said.

After completing the Darwin Triple Crown on August 9, all teams will head straight to Townsville ahead of the next round on August 29.

Two-time defending champion Scott McLaughlin takes a 49-point series lead into this weekend’s three races, including one under lights on Saturday, at Sydney Motorsport Park.