However, in exciting news for Tasmanian fans this week the Australian Racing Group announced the state's two circuits would host the final two rounds of the Carsales TCR Touring Car Championship.

January 24 to 26 Symmons Plains will host not only the penultimate round of the burgeoning 2.0 litre turbocharged cars championship but also the final round of the VHT S5000 championship for 5.0 litre open-wheel cars.

To add to the excitement there will be races for the spectacular TA2 muscle cars reminiscent of the famous American Trans-Am series featuring Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger.

The three-day meeting, on the Australia Day weekend, starts on the Sunday and finishing on the Tuesday public holiday before the teams move south to Baskerville the next weekend.

It's anticipated there will be private practice at Australia's oldest continuously active race track on the Friday, before an action-packed program.

The Festival of Motorsport has been given passionate support by former successful race driver and highly respected race team owner Garry Rogers and son Barry.

Speaking from Melbourne on Thursday the 2015 V8 Supercars Hall of Fame inductee, who grew up at Sulphur Creek, said he wanted to promote and develop the concept "Race back to Tassie".

"This is not just about motor racing but promoting the state in the areas of tourism and hospitality. I have a number of interests in Tasmania and want to see a great future for the state which I have long had a soft spot for."

The TCR cars such as the Hyundai I30N, Renault Megane, Honda Civic Type R, Volkswagen Golf GTi, Audi RS3, Alfa Giulietta, Peugeot 308, Kia Cee'd and Opel Astra develop around 350 horsepower and use a six-speed sequential gearbox.

They will be ideally suited for the tight confines of the southern circuit and equally spectators at Symmons Plains can expect plenty of slipstreaming as they jostle for an advantage.

The S5000 cars are a modern day version of the 5.0 litre V8 Formula 5000s of 40 years ago that produced some spectacular racing.

They were incredibly fast, extremely noisy, dangerous and only a select few drivers could tame them due to their innate skills and courage.

The last time that Tasmania hosted back-to-back rounds of a national championship was in 1980 and ironically it was for the F5000 cars and the prestigious Gold Star, which will be the case next year.

Baskerville hosted round two of the 1980 championship which was won by Jon Davison in his Lola T332 with John Bowe second in the Elfin MR8 and eventual champion Alfredo Costanzo in fifth in his Lola T430.

A week later at Symmons Plains Bowe and Costanzo lapped the field in a thrilling wheel-to-wheel battle lasting the whole 30-lap race with Bowe just getting across the line first.

The S5000 cars also use a 5.0 litre V8 but based on the quad cam Ford Coyote engine producing 560 horsepower at 8000 rpm transmitted through a six-speed Holinger gearbox activated by paddle shift operation.

The cars were designed and are assembled by the Garry Rogers Motorsport operation in Melbourne using a common carbon fibre chassis supplied by Onroak-Ligier and which meets current FIA safety standards.

They only weigh 845kg so power to weight is very competitive and all cars use a control Hoosier tyre.

Symmons Plains will be the final round of the VHT Australian Drivers Championship while at Baskerville there will be cars completing demonstration laps.

The third category to make its Tasmanian debut is the left-hand drive TA2 Trans-Am cars featuring a 6.0 litre V8 engine producing 525 horsepower at 6500 rpm.

All cars must use a four-speed H pattern G-Force gearbox and a common solid rear axle fitted with a quick change differential.

The body panels are mounted on a common tubular space frame chassis and the suspension and brake package is also controlled as are the 15-inch wheels and Hoosier tyres.

As a special incentive for spectators to attend the Baskerville meeting, there will be a "State of Origin" event with seven mainland drivers up against seven nominated Tasmanian drivers in a series of races.

At this stage Rogers was not prepared to nominate which Tasmanian drivers might be considered as it's early days yet but suggested, tongue in cheek, it might be time to put a resume together.

While those three categories will feature at both meetings, local categories on the program will provide non-stop action and no long delays between events.

It's a major coup for Tasmanian motorsport and with the Seven Network televising selected events, a great promotion for the state.