SupercarXtra Magazine Issue 115

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ISSUE 115

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ISSUE 115

6 ANALYSIS: FORD VS HOLDEN, MUSTANG VS COMMODORE The legendary rivalry that reignites in 2020.

8 ANALYSIS: THE DARK HORSE Kelly Racing’s potential with its two Mustangs.

10 ANALYSIS: HAMPTON DOWNS SUPERCARS DEBUT The new home for Supercars’ New Zealand event.

12 ANALYSIS: SUPERLITE RIDE SHARE How Supercars’ ride-share program works.

14 WINTERBOTTOM COLUMN Mark Winterbottom on Team 18’s goals for 2020.

SUPERCARXTRA.COM.AU

16 LOWNDES COLUMN Craig Lowndes previews the new season.

22 FEATURE: WHAT’S NEW The changes for the 2020 Supercars season.

24 ENTRY LIST: TEAMS & DRIVERS The 2020 Supercars entry list.

26 FEATURE: THE CONTENDERS Team previews for the 2020 entrants.

32 FEATURE: EVENT GUIDES Event guides for the 2020 season.

40 FLASHBACKS: AS THE DECADES ROLL ON...

Looking back on the decade-on anniversaries in Australian touring cars.

44 FEATURE: LIKE A RED RAG TO A BULL The ongoing rivalry between Triple Eight Race Engineering and DJR Team Penske.

50 FEATURE: EXPANSION & CELEBRATION Brad Jones on his team’s expansion and 20th anniversary.

56 FEATURE: JACK BE QUICK Profile of Brad Jones Racing rookie Jack Smith.

58 FEATURE: BETTING ON 18 Scott Pye on his move to the expanding Team 18.

64 SHOOTOUT: CHAMPIONSHIP RUNS The top 10 most dominant championship runs by drivers in Australian touring cars.

SUPERCAR XTRA

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/SupercarXtra @SupercarXtra @SupercarXtra

CAN ANYONE STOP MCLAUGHLIN?

S

cott McLaughlin’s record-breaking run in the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is now in the history books. The 2020 season presents a fresh start with McLaughlin gunning for a third consecutive title and his opponents looking to dethrone the champ.

Off-season parity measures and a big shake-up of the grid with half of the drivers in a new entry or car adds to the fresh-start feel of 2020.

This issue of SupercarXtra Magazine is your definitive guide to the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, including a rundown of what’s new and the changes from last season, the entry list, a team-by-team preview and event guides.

With the Australian Touring Car Championship/ Supercars celebrating its 60th

anniversary in 2020, we also look back at the history of the decade-on seasons since that first championship in 1960.

Elsewhere, we profile the rivalry between DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight Race Engineering that’s set to define another championship battle and the Brad Jones Racing team that celebrates its 20th anniversary in the category in 2020.

We also meet Brad Jones Racing rookie Jack Smith and profile Scott Pye and his move to Team 18 as we begin our coverage of the movers and shakers of 2020 that will continue throughout the year.

The print edition of this issue also includes a pullout poster featuring the Supercars class of 2020, perfect for collecting their autographs throughout the season, and a commemoration of the Holden Commodore racers from the last four decades

ahead of the retirement of the model.

Our Shootout section ranks the most dominant championship runs in Australian touring cars along with a look at the latest developments in Supercars in our Analysis section, while Craig Lowndes and Mark Winterbottom share their thoughts in their columns.

We look forward to covering the season ahead and adding to your enjoyment of all the action.

Visit us at SupercarXtra. com.au to follow the latest news as the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship gets underway and to shop at our online store, or keep in touch with us on our social media channels on Twitter and Instagram (both @SupercarXtra) and on Facebook (Facebook.com/SupercarXtra).

See you at the track in 2020!

– Adrian

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Scott McLaughlin is the driver to beat once again in 2020.

4

Material in Supercar Xtra is protected by copyright laws and may not be reproduced in full or in part in any format. Supercar Xtra will consider unsolicited articles and pictures; however, no responsibility will be taken for their return. While all efforts are taken to verify information in Supercar Xtra is factual, no responsibility will be taken for any material which is later found to be false or misleading.

The opinions of the contributors are not always those of the publishers.

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FORD VS HOL D

MUSTANG VS COMM O

After seven seasons competing against other manufacturers, the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is once again the exclusive domain of Ford and Holden in 2020. And with further parity measures and two more Ford Mustangs on the grid, the battle reignites this season.

N

issan, AMG Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have come and gone in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship between 2013 and 2019, leaving Ford and Holden to continue the duopoly they had for the preceding two decades in 2020.

Kelly Racing switches from

6

Nissan Altimas to Ford Mustangs this season, resulting in a return to the two-horse race of Ford versus Holden in the second consecutive season of the Mustang against the Commodore.

With the Australian Touring Car Championship/ Virgin Australia Supercars Championship celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2020, the

milestone season will be contested between the two manufacturers that have been at the cornerstone of the category over the last six decades.

Ford claimed a clean sweep of the 2019 championships courtesy of DJR Team Penske and Scott McLaughlin.

DJR Team Penske features an unchanged line-up of McLaughlin and Fabian

Coulthard, while Tickford Racing continues to run four Mustangs in 2020.

With the addition of Kelly Racing’s two Mustangs, driven

by Rick Kelly and André Heimgartner, the number of Fords on the grid increases to eight.

Holden’s charge will once again be led by factory team, Triple Eight Race Engineering, featuring Shane van Gisbergen

SUPERCAR XTRA

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L DEN

M ODORE and Jamie Whincup.

There is a total of seven Holden teams filling the grid, including Erebus Motorsport, Walkinshaw Andretti United, Brad Jones Racing, Team 18, Matt Stone Racing and Tekno Autosports.

Brad Jones Racing expands from three to four cars, while Team 18 and Matt Stone Racing expand from one to two cars.

Off-season parity measures follow a number of in-season tweaks in 2019, designed to achieve better parity

“WITH THE AUSTRALIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP/VIRGIN AUSTRALIA SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATING ITS 60TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2020, THE MILESTONE SEASON WILL BE CONTESTED BETWEEN THE TWO MANUFACTURERS THAT HAVE BEEN AT THE CORNERSTONE OF THE CATEGORY OVER THE LAST SIX DECADES.”

between the Mustang and ZB Commodore. A reduction of downforce by approximately 12 percent, the introduction of a control damper package following on from the implementation of a new linear spring damper and transaxle in 2019, and horsepower and engine rebuild caps will also add to the challenge for teams.

While Ford teams race the Mustang in its second season in Supercars, the Holden entrants field the ZB Commodore in its third season

amid uncertainty over the future of the model.

Holden announced in late 2019 that it will retire the Commodore model, prompting questions over the brand’s long-term future in Supercars.

“Holden recently re-committed to racing in Supercars through until the end of 2021, and that will happen with the currently homologated ZB Commodore race car,” said Daniel Cotterill, general manager of communications for GM Holden.

“Racing is a strong part of Holden’s brand identity and we will assess our options as Supercars continues to evolve its rules for the next generation of cars currently due to be introduced in 2022.”

Supercars is working on what’s being dubbed its Gen3 car/rules for 2022. While Ford and Holden battle it out on the race track in 2020, the off-track focus will be on the future of the category and whether it remains the exclusive domain of the Blue Oval and the General.

The Mustang won it all in 2019. Will the Commodore reclaim supremacy in 2020?

SUPERCAR XTRA

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16/1/20 12:39 pm

In a season of massive driver change, Kelly Racing is the only team to switch manufacturers. Now equipped with the Ford Mustang, the streamlined two-car team shapes as a real dark horse this season.

G

etting two Ford Mustangs onto the grid for the start of the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship will have been a win in itself for Kelly Racing. Then the team that’s previously run Holden Commodores and Nissan Altimas will be determined to turn all that hard work into results on the race track.

The Victorian-based team switches from the Altima to the Mustang in addition to downsizing from four to two entries in 2020. Despite the contraction, the off-season

workload increased with the build of the new Mustangs in addition to an in-house Ford engine program.

Kelly Racing will build three Mustangs for this season for drivers Rick Kelly and André Heimgartner in addition to a spare car. The engine package has been based on a 2012-specification Stone Brothers Racing Ford powerplant, used as a test mule for Kelly Racing.

While all teams will have to deal with the reduction in aerodynamics in the offseason, it’s the engine package that will prove the test for

Kelly Racing, which will hope its experience developing the Nissan VK56DE V8 powerplant has come in handy.

“It really only comes down to whether we nail the engine in our first attempt or not, and we won’t know until we hit the race track in Adelaide,” says team co-owner Todd Kelly.

“We’ll need to get around other cars properly with proper sector times and feedback from the drivers and all that to know where we sit.

“If we don’t nail it on rollout, I’m confident we’ve got the ability to take the information from Adelaide,

keep developing it and get on top of it within the first few rounds.

“There’s no reason why, if we get everything right, we won’t be where the guys deserve to be.”

Rick Kelly and Heimgartner enter their third season as teammates at Kelly Racing, buoyed by the potential of the Mustang.

If Kelly Racing has no major problems with its new engine package, then the Supercars paddock expects the newest addition to the Mustang brigade to be challenging for race wins in 2020.

André Heimgartner’s new Kelly Racing Ford Mustang livery.

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HAMPTON DOWNS SUPERCARS DEBUT

A late change to the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship calendar will see Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in New Zealand host a round of the championship for the first time in 2020.

T

he Virgin Australia Supercars Championship moved the ITM Auckland Super400 from September to April to slot into the ANZAC Day long weekend in 2020, though that would ultimately necessitate a change of circuits for the event.

The 2020 ITM Auckland Super400 relocates from Pukekohe Park Raceway as a result of changes in the Auckland Unitary Plan, which restricts motorsport noise at Pukekohe on ANZAC Day. Therefore, the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship heads to Hampton Downs Motorsport Park for the first time for its annual trip to New Zealand, which will still be held from April 24 to 26.

“Sincere apologies to our fans and partners for any inconvenience caused by the venue change, but we’re going to be just 15 minutes from Pukekohe at one of the world’s best facilities and most demanding tracks. It’s going to be great for everyone involved,” says Supercars CEO Sean Seamer.

Hampton Downs Motorsport Park opened in 2009 and is considered the most state-of-the-art facility in New Zealand, featuring hospitality suites above the pits, a go-karting circuit, business park and apartments, including an industrial unit of the Bruce McLaren Trust.

The track has been designed

10

Supercars will follow the lead of the Australian GT Championship in racing at Hampton Downs.

for FIA Level 2 usage and features three circuit layouts, with Supercars racing on the longest 3.8km International Circuit.

“We are delighted to be the host circuit of the ITM Auckland Super400, bringing Kiwi Hampton Downs from above.

race fans their motorsport highlight of the year,” says Hampton Downs chief operating officer, Josie Spillane.

“To be hosting the first Supercars event at Hamptons this year is an achievement

our team is immensely proud of, and we can’t wait to see who is crowned the inaugural champion on the circuit in April.”

The event will remain named and branded around Auckland, despite moving 30km further away from the city than Pukekohe.

“Despite the change in venue, we are confident that the Auckland region will receive the bulk of the economic benefit from being the main hub for suppliers, accommodation and off-site activities for visitors,” says ATEED general manager of destination, Steve Armitage.

The ITM Auckland Super400 is set to return to Pukekohe Park Raceway in 2021.

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Matt Stone Racing is the first team to sign up to Supercars’ new ‘SuperLite’ program, allowing rookies Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki to share driving duties of the #34 Matt Stone Racing Holden ZB Commodore in 2020.

M

ultiple drivers will now be able to share the one entry across the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship season under the new ‘SuperLite’ concept.

The new rule has allowed Matt Stone Racing to enter Dunlop Super2 Series graduates Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki in the #34 Matt Stone Racing Holden ZB Commodore entry. The rookies will split the driving duties across the season and team up in the PIRTEK Enduro Cup events at The Bend Motorsport Park, Bathurst and the Gold Coast.

The SuperLite concept is to further open the pathway for young drivers into the main game of Supercars, finding a supportive proponent in team owner Matt Stone.

“Supercars see the concept of the way I see the concept and are very supportive of what we’re trying to do,” says Stone.

“I can understand that some other team owners are a bit sceptical, because it’s something a little bit different, but I have full confidence this pathway is going to help young drivers.

“I’d like to see after we trailblaze it for a year that others see the value in it and copy the program.

“If going into 2021 there are two or three more RECs 12

Jake Kostecki and Zane Goddard.

running a SuperLite program, it’d create an unofficial rookie championship within the championship.

“In my opinion, that’d be a great thing to help make sure the champions of the future end up in Supercars, rather than overseas.”

Stone’s focus is on

developing young drivers in Supercars, with Goddard and Kostecki rewarded for strong showings in 2019 with the opportunity at the expanded team.

“They’ve both done two or three years of Super2, and it’s very easy to end up doing five years, because from your third

year to your fifth year you’re just waiting for an opportunity,” says Stone.

“They’re the perfect candidates for our program; it’s all about taking guys that have got some mileage and could go around again in Super2, but they’re not really learning anything new.

“They need that fresh challenge, and I think both of these young guys really fit the mould of what we’re trying to do.”

Goddard will race at Adelaide, Symmons Plains, Pukekohe, Winton and Sydney Motorsport Park and Kostecki will race at Albert Park, Perth, Townsville, Hidden Valley and Sandown.

Newcastle will be allocated after the pair team up for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup.

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EXPERT INSIGHT

BEYOND THE WHEEL Column by Mark Winterbottom

AIMING HIGHER

W

e aimed for the top 10 in the championship standings in 2019. And though we ended up finishing in 13th place, we gave it a good crack and can look back, learn and grow from our first season working together at Team 18.

To score a pole position and two fourth places was overall a fantastic start in our first season. Now we enter the second of our three-year journey ready to make further gains.

Getting into the top 10 in the championship and claiming podiums are our goals for 2020, in what will be a big season for the team with the

14

expansion to two cars and the addition of Scott Pye as my teammate and James Golding and Dean Fiore as our respective endurance co-drivers.

I had 13 seasons at the one team and I signed with Charlie Schwerkolt for the long-term to help turn his team into a race-winning one, because I still think I have got a lot I can give and I still feel like I am driving really well.

History shows that I don’t chop and change like some other drivers do. In reality, this team will be it for me.

When you’re not getting results, you kind of know when it’s you or when it’s not.

Charlie is really good to race for, and I enjoy my racing with him. It’s not a chore going to the track or

“NOW WE ENTER THE SECOND OF OUR THREE-YEAR JOURNEY READY TO MAKE FURTHER GAINS.” working with the team, as he’s such a good guy to race for. He’s inspiring and I feel there are a lot more years left.

I’m desperate to turn his team into a success because he deserves it, so I’ll keep working hard with him to achieve that.

There’ll be a point where I’ll transition to co-driving, but I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near that stage yet.

When you’re up at the higher end of age in the category, people look to you for that sort of transition.

But I believe I was racing at my best level last season.

Age is just a number, but you have got to enjoy it and have the team around you.

And I have got that, so there’s still plenty left in the tank.

The team is heading in the right way, especially with the move to two cars, which means we will be in control of our own destiny at pitstops.

Also, there’s the addition of new members to the team plus an improved pitlane position for the season. It’ll help us aim higher in 2020.

– Frosty

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EXPERT INSIGHT

RIGHT ON TRACK

Column by Craig Lowndes

THE BATTLE AT THE TOP

T

he 2019 Supercars championship ended with better parity between the Ford Mustang and Holden ZB Commodore, which meant it was about who extracted the most performance on any given day.

Heading into the 2020 season, everyone starts afresh with additional parity tweaks as part of wider technical changes. And with so many new team and driver combinations, it’s going to be an exciting start to the season.

DJR Team Penske and the Red Bull Holden Racing Team will have an early-season advantage given the continuity in terms of their driver and technical line-ups. They can carry their direction from last year into this new season and will still be the teams to beat.

In saying that, though, some of the drivers who switched teams in the off-season needed a fresh start, and they will be determined to hit the ground running.

The fact that DJR Team Penske has a championshipwinning driver and the two Red Bull Holden Racing Team drivers are so evenly matched could again prove to be decisive in the championship battle.

The first rule for any driver is to beat your teammate, so the battle between Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen will be huge. On the other hand, Fabian Coulthard will also be looking to reinvigorate the rivalry.

Chaz Mostert will be one to watch at Walkinshaw Andretti

16

United. He has a battle on his hands in getting used to a new team in addition to a new manufacturer/car.

The good thing is he’s bringing his engineer Adam De Borre with him, so there will be continuity in terms of that relationship. But there are challenges, especially, in my mind, the fact he is Queensland based and the team is in Victoria.

Kelly Racing’s switch to Ford Mustangs and the downsizing to two cars looks to be a

good move. With the proven race-winning potential of the Mustang and the support from Ford, and without the pressure of developing the Nissan Altima by themselves, it’s shaping as a contender.

Team 18 is another team to watch with its expansion to two cars. Mark Winterbottom and Scott Pye form a strong driver line-up with the team also benefitting from not only its technical alliance with Triple Eight Race Engineering but also the experience of

Steven Richards moving into a managerial role with the team.

For the other movers, it’s critical they get on top of things as soon as possible as Supercars is a cut-throat business and you can’t afford to have too many lean years; you need to keep progressing.

While DJR Team Penske and the Red Bull Holden Racing Team will be the teams to beat, the changes throughout the rest of the grid will make for an exciting season.

– Craig

“THE FACT THAT DJR TEAM PENSKE HAS A CHAMPIONSHIP-WINNING DRIVER AND THE TWO RED BULL HOLDEN RACING TEAM DRIVERS ARE SO EVENLY MATCHED COULD AGAIN PROVE TO BE DECISIVE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE.”

SUPERCAR XTRA

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PRE-ORDER YOUR MODEL TODAY

November 2017 - Order Form No Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID________________________

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Rep Name_______________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

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Item No.

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18644

1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior

18654

1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat

Scheduled Production

Due

750

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1,000

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W/S $

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The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 20 ITEM NO.

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SX115 p21 Season Preview starter-v2.indd 21

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19/1/20 11:43 am

WHAT’S NEW

teamS

Kelly Racing switches from Nissan Altimas to Ford Mustangs and downsizes from four to two entries.

Brad Jones Racing expands from three to four entries.

Team 18 expands from one to two entries.

Matt Stone Racing expands from one to two entries.

Tekno Autosports expands from one to two entries.

DRIVERS

Chaz Mostert moves from Tickford Racing to Walkinshaw Andretti United.

Scott Pye moves from Walkinshaw Andretti United to Team 18.

James Courtney moves from Walkinshaw Andretti United to Tekno Autosports.

Jack Le Brocq moves from Tekno Autosports to Tickford Racing.

Garry Jacobson moves from Kelly Racing to Matt Stone Racing.

Todd Hazelwood moves from Matt Stone Racing to Brad Jones Racing.

Jack Smith joins Brad Jones Racing.

Bryce Fullwood joins Walkinshaw Andretti United.

Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki join Matt Stone Racing, sharing the one entry.

Sydney Motorsport Park returns to the schedule in 2020.

22

SCHEDULE

Sydney Motorsport Park returns after a one-year hiatus.

Queensland Raceway and Phillip Island are left off the calendar.

The Bend Motorsport Park replaces Sandown as host of the 500km endurance event.

The 500km enduro moves to the start of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup. Sandown switches to the sprint-round format.

Hampton Downs replaces Pukekohe Park Raceway as host of the ITM Auckland Super400.

SUPERCAR XTRA

SX115 p22-23 What's New.indd 22

19/1/20 11:43 am

✚

ABOVE: The change to the SuperSprint format means there’ll be more racing kilometres in 2020, despite one less event.

BELOW: The number of Ford

Mustangs on the grid increases to eight with Kelly Racing’s switch from Nissan to the Blue Oval in 2020.

FORMAT

The Saturday races at the SuperSprint, SuperNight events and the Darwin Triple Crown extended from 120 kilometres to 200 kilometres.

For all the latest news and features visit SUPERCARXTRA.COM.AU

The SuperSprint format renamed to Super400 to reflect the longer race distances.

Melbourne 400 changes from two 70 kilometre and two 130 kilometre races to four 100 kilometre races.

TECHNICAL

Reduction of downforce by approximately 12 percent on the Ford Mustang and Holden ZB Commodore.

Maximum rear wing angle reduced from 18 degrees to 12 degrees, while the front splitter undertray tunnel angle is reduced from 11 degrees to three degrees.

Introduction of a control damper package.

Engine rebuilds capped at three per season.

Teams face grid penalties of 10 places if they do not achieve the engine mileage target of 4000km between rebuilds.

Peak engine figures reduced by 15bhp.

Drive-by-wire throttle activation, as opposed to a mechanical cable, optional for teams.

Supercars tyres rebranded to ‘hard’ and ‘soft’, rather than ‘soft’ and ‘super soft’.

SUPERCAR XTRA

SX115 p22-23 What's New.indd 23

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19/1/20 11:43 am

ENTRY LIST

VIRGIN AUSTRALIA SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP #

Driver

Team

Car

17 12 88 97 5 55 6 23 9 99 25 2 8 14 4 3 15 7 18 20 35 34 19 22

Scott McLaughlin

DJR Team Penske

Ford Mustang

Fabian Coulthard

DJR Team Penske

Ford Mustang

Jamie Whincup

Triple Eight Race Engineering

Holden ZB Commodore

Shane van Gisbergen

Triple Eight Race Engineering

Holden ZB Commodore

Lee Holdsworth

Tickford Racing

Ford Mustang

Jack Le Brocq

Tickford Racing

Ford Mustang

Cameron Waters

Tickford Racing

Ford Mustang

23 Red Racing/Tickford Racing

Ford Mustang

David Reynolds

Erebus Motorsport

Holden ZB Commodore

Anton De Pasquale

Erebus Motorsport

Holden ZB Commodore

Chaz Mostert

Walkinshaw Andretti United

Holden ZB Commodore

Bryce Fullwood

Walkinshaw Andretti United

Holden ZB Commodore

Nick Percat

Brad Jones Racing

Holden ZB Commodore

Todd Hazelwood

Brad Jones Racing

Holden ZB Commodore

Jack Smith

Brad Jones Racing

Holden ZB Commodore

Tim Blanchard Racing/Brad Jones Racing

Holden ZB Commodore

Rick Kelly

Kelly Racing

Ford Mustang

AndrĂŠ Heimgartner

Kelly Racing

Ford Mustang

Mark Winterbottom

Team 18

Holden ZB Commodore

Scott Pye

Team 18

Holden ZB Commodore

Garry Jacobson

Matt Stone Racing

Holden ZB Commodore

Zane Goddard / Jake Kostecki

Matt Stone Racing

Holden ZB Commodore

James Courtney

Tekno Autosports

Holden ZB Commodore

TBA

Tekno Autosports

Holden ZB Commodore

Will Davison

Macauley Jones

Entries correct at the time of printing. TBA - to be announced. For the latest news visit SupercarXtra.com.au 24

SUPERCAR XTRA

SX115 p24 Entry List.indd 24

19/1/20 11:44 am

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Customer___Pole Position P/L

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Item No.

DON’T MISS O UT

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Classic Carlectables Description

PRE-OR DER

18644

1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior

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1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat

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The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 20 ITEM NO.

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1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

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Rep Name__________________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date________________________

SCALE 1:18 Item No.

Scheduled Production

Classic Carlectables Description

18644

1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior

18654

1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat

Due nd

750

2 Qtr 2018

1,000

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149.00

259.00

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Customer___Pole Position P/L

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Rep Name__________________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

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Classic Carlectables Description

18644

1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior

18654

1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat

Orders can be made by: Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

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Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

November DELIVERIES

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W/S $

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VISIT STORE: Shop 2 / 30 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY November DELIVERIES

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2 Qtr 2018

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017 CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

Due

750

1,000

Orders can be made by:

Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

ITEM NO.

Scheduled Production

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017

ITEM NO.

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

AVAILABILITY

AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY 18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

11/11/19 6:55 pm

THE CONTENDERS

The entrants for the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard will defend the trio of titles held by DJR Team Penske.

DJR TEAM PENSKE CARS Ford Mustangs DRIVERS Scott McLaughlin, Fabian Coulthard DJR Team Penske will defend its championships with an unchanged driver line-up in the second season running the Ford Mustang.

The Queensland-based team took the drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ championship wins, in addition to the Bathurst 1000, in 2019. While the controversy around team orders and technical infringements at Bathurst and the speed of the Mustang pre-parity changes overshadowed the team’s success, there can be no denying DJR Team Penske’s place at the top of the Supercars pecking order.

Scott McLaughlin defended his championship with a record-breaking run in 2019 and is gunning for a third consecutive drivers’ title in 2020. With the expectation he will venture to North America to expand his racing horizons with Team Penske, McLaughlin is at the peak of his powers in Supercars with the added determination of remaining on top before he departs.

McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard are teammates for a fourth consecutive season, with Coulthard entering his fifth season with the team. Coulthard won two races in 2019, though often struggled to keep pace with McLaughlin. He will need to match his teammate on a more regular basis if DJR Team Penske is to defend its teams’ championship against stronger opposition.

After a dominant start to 2019, DJR Team Penske went without a win over the last three rounds of the season. Parity measures helped rejuvenate the opposition with Triple Eight Race Engineering shaping as a more formidable opponent in 2020.

DJR Team Penske faces a real test in defending its championships this season, though the combined might of its Mustang package, stable driver line-up and strong engineering team holds it in good stead entering 2020.

TRIPLE EIGHT RACE ENGINEERING CARS Holden ZB Commodores DRIVERS Jamie Whincup, Shane van Gisbergen

fifth consecutive season in 2020, with Whincup bringing up his 15th season with the team. While van Gisbergen has finished one place ahead of Whincup over the last two seasons, there’s little separating the championship-winning drivers.

With the Triple Eight Race Engineering entrants expected to be challenging for the championship in a stronger position than last season, the teammate battle for supremacy could be vital in the early Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup pose the biggest threat to DJR Team Penske.

The team known as the Red Bull Holden Racing Team may have lost the championship and the Bathurst 1000 in 2019, but it ended the season as the form team with seven wins from the final seven races.

The ongoing parity changes saw the ZB Commodore get on more of a level playing field with the Mustang as the season went on, allowing Triple Eight Race Engineering to get back to winning ways. Following further parity changes in the off-season, the Queensland-based factory Holden team will be looking to hit the ground running on par with DJR Team Penske.

Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen are teammates for a 26

SUPERCAR XTRA

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✚

For all the latest news and features visit SUPERCARXTRA.COM.AU

stages of the season, particularly if Scott McLaughlin continues to hold sway as the number one at DJR Team Penske.

Triple Eight Race Engineering has been strengthened by the return of Jeromy Moore, the former race engineer who takes on the role of technical director following a five-year stint with Porsche.

With stability in its driver line-up, a bolstered team and a car better equipped to challenge the Mustang right away, Triple Eight Race Engineering is in a strong position to rival DJR Team Penske in 2020.

TICKFORD RACING & 23 RED RACING CARS Ford Mustangs DRIVERS Lee Holdsworth, Cameron Waters, Jack Le Brocq, Will Davison

Jack Le Brocq replaces Chaz Mostert at Tickford Racing.

Tickford Racing relinquished manufacturer-build responsibilities to DJR Team Penske in the transition from the Falcon to the Mustang in 2019, while also losing further ground to the other Ford team last season.

While DJR Team Penske took the new Mustang to a sweep of championship wins in a record-breaking season, Tickford Racing managed just one race win courtesy of Chaz Mostert in a season beset by teammate tangles and mechanical troubles.

With Mostert heading to Walkinshaw Andretti United, Cameron Waters becomes the team’s longest-serving driver for what will be his fifth full-time season with the Victorian-based outfit. Waters has proven he can be a front-running contender, but he and the team need to find the consistency to do so on a regular basis.

Lee Holdsworth remains with the team for a second season, looking to build on a strong end to 2019 that saw him score a podium placing and a finish inside the top 10 in the championship standings. With Mostert’s departure and Waters’ youth, Holdsworth’s experience will be important to the team.

Replacing Mostert is Jack Le Brocq, who returns to a team who he raced for in the Dunlop Super2 Series and in the PIRTEK Enduro Cup in 2016. After two challenging seasons at Tekno Autosports, the move to Tickford Racing in proven equipment is a chance for Le Brocq to reset and get amongst the front-end of the field.

The Phil Munday-owned 23 Red Racing entry will be run out of the Tickford Racing stable for a second season in 2020, with Will Davison aiming for a first win for the entrant following breakthrough podium finishes last season.

With Kelly Racing joining the Mustang ranks, Tickford Racing must hold its place amongst the Ford teams and be more of a threat to DJR Team Penske in 2020.

EREBUS MOTORSPORT CARS Holden ZB Commodores DRIVERS David Reynolds, Anton De Pasquale Erebus Motorsport was once again the second-best Holden team in 2019, with continuity the key in its bid to challenge DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight Race Engineering at the front of the field.

The Victorian-based team retains the services of David Reynolds and Anton De Pasquale for a third straight season. While Reynolds has been signed to a long-term deal that locks him into the team for the next decade, De Pasquale is expected to be a key player in the upcoming silly season.

Reynolds was unable to win a race last season, following on from his Bathurst 1000 win in 2017 and three race wins in 2018, though he was once again a regular on the podium and often challenged the championship contenders.

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19/1/20 11:45 am

THE CONTENDERS

David Reynolds and Anton De Pasquale team up yet again at Erebus Motorsport.

De Pasquale broke through for his first podium finish in 2019, as he edged closer to Reynolds in his second season in Supercars.

He will be gunning for his first race win to confirm his promise as a contender of the future.

With stability in the driver line-up and team structure, Erebus Motorsport will be first aiming for a return to the top of the podium and then a concerted challenge to DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight Race Engineering in 2020.

WALKINSHAW ANDRETTI UNITED CARS Holden ZB Commodores DRIVERS Chaz Mostert, Bryce Fullwood Walkinshaw Andretti United enters its third season under the current ownership structure with an all-new driver line-up.

James Courtney and Scott Pye vacate the two entries following three seasons as teammates, with just one race win between them in that period.

Joining the team is Chaz Mostert, the 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner who was a regular frontrunner for Tickford Racing. Mostert will race a Commodore for the first time in 2020, taking the leap to Walkinshaw Andretti United to help the team become a contender once again.

Reigning Dunlop Super2 Series champion Bryce Fullwood also joins the team for his fulltime main game debut, following a standout 2019 season that not only saw him claim the 28

second-tier title with apparent ease but also impress in his PIRTEK Enduro Cup campaign with Kelly Racing.

The mix of race-winning experience with young talent is without doubt a strong combination, but much will depend on the development of the cars. While Walkinshaw Andretti United ended 2019 strongly, including a third consecutive podium at Bathurst, it proved to be another inconsistent season.

If DJR Team Penske set the standard for Walkinshaw Andretti United to follow, with the former challenging for the championship in the third season with Team Penske as its majority owners, then the Andretti Autosport and United Autosports co-owned Holden team needs to be winning races in 2020.

With the combination of Mostert’s talent and Fullwood’s potential, the team needs to be making significant gains this season.

Chaz Mostert joins Walkinshaw Andretti United.

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✚ BRAD JONES RACING & TIM BLANCHARD RACING CARS Holden ZB Commodores DRIVERS Nick Percat, Todd Hazelwood, Jack Smith, Macauley Jones Brad Jones Racing celebrates its 20th anniversary in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship with an expansion to four cars in 2020.

The Albury-based team acquired the Racing Entitlement Contract owned by Jason Bright and leased to Matt Stone Racing for the last two seasons, which means it joins Tickford Racing as the only team fielding more than two cars in 2020.

Tim Slade departs following four seasons with the team, leaving former Bathurst 1000 winner Nick Percat as the unofficial team leader and most experienced driver for what will be his fourth season with Brad Jones Racing. Percat has scored three podiums for Brad Jones Racing with a championship best of ninth in 2019, entering 2020 with a new car.

Todd Hazelwood (pictured right) replaces Slade after two seasons in the main game at Matt Stone Racing. It’s a homecoming of sorts with Hazelwood having raced in the Brad Jones Racing-run Tim Blanchard Racing entry in the 2017 PIRTEK Enduro Cup. Macauley Jones enters his second full-time season in Supercars in the Tim Blanchard Racing entry following a character-building rookie season, while Jack Smith will drive the team’s new fourth entry following four main-game wildcard entries with Brad Jones Racing and an endurance campaign with Matt Stone Racing in 2019.

The pressure is on Brad Jones Racing to justify its expansion to four cars, with consistency the key for the team and its young driver line-up.

For all the latest news and features visit SUPERCARXTRA.COM.AU

KELLY RACING CARS Ford Mustangs DRIVERS André Heimgartner, Rick Kelly After seven seasons fielding Nissan Altimas, Kelly Racing moves on and switches to Ford Mustangs in 2020.

The Victorian-based team will also downsize from four to two entries, farewelling Simona De Silvestro and Garry Jacobson with André Heimgartner and Rick Kelly retained to drive the two Mustangs.

It’s been a busy off-season for the team, preparing two Mustangs and reworking the team structure without the pressure of manufacturing and developing the Altima on its own. The team will be hoping its experience with the Altima will help maximise its potential with the Mustang, which proved so quick out of the box in 2019.

The departure of former team manager Scott Sinclair comes at an awkward time given the downsizing and change of manufacturers, adding to the pressure on team co-owners Todd and Rick Kelly.

The latter races a Ford for the first time in his Supercars career, following 12 seasons in Commodores and seven with the Altima. The change to the Mustang gives the former Supercars champion and two-time Bathurst 1000 winner the chance to show he still has the speed to compete with the front-runners.

Heimgartner began his Supercars career in a Ford at Super Black Racing and also raced a Commodore before his stint in the Altima, proving over the last two seasons that he is a driver with the potential to lead Kelly Racing into the future.

The streamlined team now equipped with a proven race-winning Mustang is a dark horse for 2020, with the potential to challenge for podiums and race wins on a regular basis if its hard work in the off-season was on the right track.

André Heimgartner gets a new car and sponsor for 2020.

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19/1/20 11:45 am

THE CONTENDERS

Garry Jacobson leads Matt Stone Racing.

MATT STONE RACING CARS Holden ZB Commodores DRIVERS Garry Jacobson, Zane Goddard/Jake Kostecki Matt Stone Racing enters its third full-time season in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship with an expansion to two cars.

After leasing its Racing Entitlement Contract from Jason Bright for the past two seasons, Matt Stone Racing purchased licences from Garry Rogers Motorsport and Kelly Racing to cement its future in Supercars.

With former Dunlop Super2 Series championship winner Todd Hazelwood heading to Brad Jones Racing, Matt Stone Racing has secured the services of another former second-tier series champion in Garry Jacobson.

Jacobson moves across to the Queensland-based team from Kelly Racing and will drive a Holden Commodore in the main game for the first time in 2020, after starting out in a Tickford Racing Ford Falcon and then a Nissan Altima over the last two seasons.

The second entry will be shared by youngsters Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki, also graduates from the Dunlop Super2 Series. Goddard will race at Adelaide, Symmons Plains, Pukekohe, Winton and Sydney Motorsport Park, while Kostecki will drive at Albert Park, Perth, Townsville, Hidden Valley and Sandown. The duo will team up for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup events at The Bend, Bathurst and the 30

Gold Coast, with the season finale at Newcastle to be allocated at a later date.

Goddard impressed in the 2019 Dunlop Super2 Series, finishing fourth in the standings, while Kostecki got his first taste of the main game in the Kostecki Brothers Racing wildcard entry in the 2019 PIRTEK Enduro Cup. Matt Stone Racing will field ex-Triple Eight Racing Engineering ZB Commodores for a second straight season in 2019.

With former solo entrant Hazelwood climbing from 26th to 18th in the standings in the team’s second season, Matt Stone Racing will be hoping its expansion to two cars helps its upward trajectory in 2020.

TEAM 18 CARS Holden ZB Commodores DRIVERS Mark Winterbottom, Scott Pye Team 18 expands to two cars in 2020, for the first time since the Victorian-based team started as an independent entity in 2016.

Team owner Charlie Schwerkolt’s long-stated desire to control his own destiny by not needing to share a garage and pit crew with another team comes to fruition with the purchase of a Racing Entitlement Contract from Kelly Racing.

Mark Winterbottom enters his second season with the team aiming to be in the top 10 on a more consistent basis, having finished in 13th in the championship standings and buoyed by a pole position at Symmons Plains early in the 2019 season.

Winterbottom is joined by Scott Pye, who will drive Team 18’s new entry and joins his fourth team in Supercars following stints at Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport, Dick Johnson Racing/DJR Team Penske and Walkinshaw Racing/Walkinshaw Andretti United.

The one-time race winner has proven he belongs in Supercars, particularly off the back of two runners-up finishes at Bathurst, and will

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Team 18 expands to two cars in 2020.

be hoping to settle in to a long-term home at Team 18.

Team 18 will once again have a close technical partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering, using two of its ex-ZB Commodores with the acquisition of Shane van Gisbergen’s car from 2019 for Pye. Following its best-ever championship finish in Supercars, the goal for Team 18 in 2020 will be a maiden podium as its own entity and to utilise its expansion to two cars to become a more regular frontrunner this season.

TEKNO AUTOSPORTS

winning his title for Dick Johnson Racing in the same season the latter drove the Tekno entry from within the Dick Johnson Racing stable in 2010.

The driver of the second entry was yet to be announced as we went to print, with the team overcoming off-season uncertainty around its move and expansion to enter two Triple Eight Race Engineeringbuilt ZB Commodores.

It’s been a difficult off-season for the team with the delays and complications in the move, meaning this is likely to be a rebuilding season as the team establishes itself in its new home in 2020.

CARS Holden ZB Commodores DRIVERS James Courtney, TBA Tekno Autosports has undergone its most significant transformation since becoming its own entity in 2011, with a planned move from Queensland to Sydney, New South Wales.

The team will relocate and eventually move into a new facility at Sydney Motorsport Park, becoming the only team to be based in New South Wales following investment by the state government and Supercars, rebranding to Team Sydney.

The Jonathon Webb-run operation will be hoping the move provides a much-needed spark for a team that has been on a steady decline in recent seasons, from winning the Bathurst 1000 in 2016 to finishing outside the top 20 in the championship standings in 2019.

Jack Le Brocq departs after two seasons, with James Courtney taking his place. The 2010 Supercars champion joins Tekno Autosports following nine seasons at Walkinshaw Andretti United (and its previous guises).

The soon-to-be 40-year-old has not won a race since 2016 and is eager to prove he still has what it takes to justify his place on the grid. It’s a reunion of sorts for Courtney and Webb, with the former

Tekno Autosports has endured a challenging off-season.

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EVENTS

FEB 20-23

Superloop Adelaide 500

Adelaide Parklands Circuit

MAR 12-15

Melbourne Super400

Albert Park Street Circuit

APR 3-5

Tyrepower Tasmania Super400

Symmons Plains Raceway

APR 24-26

ITM Auckland Super400

MAY 15-17

PIRTEK Perth SuperNight

JUN 5-7

Truck Assist Winton Super400

JUN 26-28

Watpac Townsville 400

JUL 17-19

BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown

AUG 28-30

Sydney SuperNight

Sydney Motorsport Park

SEP 18-20

OTR The Bend 500

The Bend Motorsport Park

OCT 8-11

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

OCT 30-NOV 1

Vodafone Gold Coast 600

NOV 20-22

Penrite Oil Sandown Super400

Sandown Motor Raceway

DEC 4-6

Coates Hire Newcastle 500

Newcastle Street Circuit

Hampton Downs Motorsport Park Barbagallo Raceway Winton Motor Raceway Townsville Street Circuit Hidden Valley Raceway

Mount Panorama Circuit

Surfers Paradise Street Circuit

Dates, circuits and event names correct at the time of printing.

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ADELAIDE 500 FEBRUARY 20-23

9 13

GETTING THERE

The former home of the Australian Grand Prix was shortened from its full length to 3.22km and first hosted a Supercars championship round in 1999. Popular with drivers and fans alike, the Adelaide 500 is the ultimate street-circuit event in terms of challenge and atmosphere and the best place to start the new season.

FORMAT 250km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

14

10

The parklands circuit is on the eastern side of Adelaide’s CBD, a 15-minute drive from Adelaide Airport. It’s better to rely on public transport as there are road closures around the city for the event. It’s often free for fans with event tickets. Book early as accommodation options are limited, with arts festivals also on in the city.

12 11

8

1 2 3

2019 WINNERS

Adelaide

R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) 5 4

6

7

TRACK: Adelaide Parklands Circuit (Adelaide, South Australia) LENGTH: 3.22km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 146km/h TOP SPEED: 251km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:19.2951 (2017) – Shane van Gisbergen, Holden VF Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 1:20.3792 (2019) – Chaz Mostert, Ford Mustang

MELBOURNE SUPER400

TRACK: Albert Park (Melbourne, Victoria) LENGTH: 5.3km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 164km/h TOP SPEED: 256km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:53.8280 (2019) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford Mustang RACE LAP RECORD: 1:55.7280 (2019) – Chaz Mostert, Ford Mustang

MARCH 12-15

A street circuit in the sense that it’s a public road for most of the year but, unlike Adelaide, a fast and sweeping track. The support races for the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix were included in the Supercars championship for the first time in 2018.

FORMAT Four 100km races.

GETTING THERE

Albert Park is a five-minute drive south of Melbourne’s CBD, easily accessed by public transport thanks to a tram stop just outside the circuit. This service is free for those with tickets to the event.

2019 WINNERS R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R3: Chaz Mostert (Tickford Racing) R4: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)

Melbourne 8 6 7 9 10

5

12 13

11

4

15 3

2 1

16

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EVENTS

TASMANIA SUPER400 APRIL 3-5

TRACK: Symmons Plains Raceway (Launceston, Tasmania) LENGTH: 2.4km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 167km/h TOP SPEED: 270km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 0:50.5084 (2019) – Jamie Whincup, Holden ZB Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 0:51.2276 (2019) – Mark Winterbottom, Holden ZB Commodore

GETTING THERE

A short yet fast lap where the majority of time is spent on full throttle. Overtaking opportunities are limited to the Turn 4 hairpin and the Turn 6 left-hander, while traffic congestion is always a factor in qualifying and the races.

FORMAT 200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

Symmons Plains Raceway is a 30-minute drive south of Launceston along the Midland Highway. It’s even closer to Launceston Airport, with the highway easing traffic concerns. Flights, though, tend to be limited from the mainland.

2019 WINNERS R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) 6

7

Launceston

5 1

2

4

AUCKLAND SUPER400

TRACK: Hampton Downs Motorsport Park (Waikato, New Zealand) LENGTH: 3.8km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: N/A TOP SPEED: N/A PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: New circuit for 2020.

RACE LAP RECORD: New circuit for 2020.

APRIL 24-26

Waikato

Hampton Downs fills in for Pukekohe as host of Supercars’ trip to New Zealand in 2020. The move to April allowed the event to be scheduled on the ANZAC Day long weekend, though legislation prevented Pukekohe from hosting motorsport on ANZAC Day. This means Hampton Downs, located in northern Waikato, hosts Supercars for the the first time. It opened in 2009 with Supercars racing on the 3.8 km International Circuit layout.

10

5

3

FORMAT

200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

GETTING THERE Hampton Downs is in northern Waikato, halfway between Auckland and Hamilton on the Waikato Expressway. It’s a 40-minute drive south of Auckland Airport.

2019 WINNERS (PUKEKOHE) R1: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)

9

8

4

7 3 6 1

2

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PERTH SUPERNIGHT MAY 15-17

GETTING THERE

Barbagallo Raceway is a 45-minute drive north of Perth along the Mitchell Freeway, north-west from Perth Airport. Be prepared for traffic congestion into and out of the circuit, though once you’re on the freeway, it’s a smooth drive to Perth. Most teams choose to stay along the coast.

A tight and technical circuit where overtaking is difficult and, therefore, qualifying is key. The track was recently resurfaced for the first time since 2004, resulting in record-breaking lap times in 2019. The circuit hosts a night round for the second season in a row in 2020.

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TRACK: Barbagallo Raceway (Perth, Western Australia) LENGTH: 2.42km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 157km/h TOP SPEED: 252km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 0:52.8141 (2019) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford Mustang RACE LAP RECORD: 0:53.7293 (2019) – James Courtney, Holden ZB Commodore 6

2019 WINNERS

FORMAT

R1: Fabian Coulthard (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)

200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

Perth 5

3

4

2 1 7

WINTON SUPER400

TRACK: Winton Motor Raceway (Benalla, Victoria) LENGTH: 3km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 131km/h TOP SPEED: 225km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:18.5233 (2019) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford Mustang RACE LAP RECORD: 1:19.7092 (2016) – Fabian Coulthard, Ford FG X Falcon

JUNE 5-7

Winton Motor Raceway is a tight circuit where overtaking is difficult and handling is vital in order to qualify well. Overtaking opportunities are limited to Turn 3, a divebomb into Turn 7 and Turn 10 and 11, though they require big commitments on the brakes. It is also the slowest circuit on the calendar in terms of average speed, with a total of 12 corners linked by short straights.

Benalla

FORMAT

9

200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

7

GETTING THERE

Winton is a two and a half hour drive north of Melbourne between Benalla and Glenrowan/Wangaratta and an hour’s drive south of Albury. Camping grounds sit between Turn 10 and 11 and are popular amongst fans. Other accomodation options are available in Benalla, Wodonga, Wangaratta and Albury, with Shepparton at a drivable distance.

2019 WINNERS R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)

8 6

11

5 10

12

4 1

2 3

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EVENTS

TOWNSVILLE 400

TRACK: Townsville Street Circuit (Reid Park, Queensland) LENGTH: 2.86km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 144km/h TOP SPEED: 260km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:11.9908 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:12.9311 (2017) – Nick Percat, Holden VF Commodore 3

4

JUNE 26-28

6 8 9

5

7 13

GETTING THERE

The Townsville Street Circuit, based in Reid Park, is a short walk across Ross Creek, south of the centre of Townsville and 15 minutes east of Townsville Airport.

Townsville’s remoteness from other major cities means flying in for the event is essential, so lock in travel plans early as accommodation and flight options are snapped up quick.

The Townsville circuit combines public roads and a parkland section, so it’s a challenge for drivers from the tight concrete-lined first sector to the fast parklands section, which provides the main overtaking opportunities at the Turn 11 and Turn 13 hairpins. It’s been a popular addition to the calendar since joining in 2009.

10

2019 WINNERS

FORMAT

R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight)

200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

2 1 12

Townsville

11

DARWIN TRIPLE CROWN JULY 17-19

The Hidden Valley circuit features a long front straight and a tight and twisty infield, so there’s a compromise between outright speed and handling. The warm conditions mean tyre conservation and strategy will be critical. The Triple Crown is awarded to the driver who tops the Shootout and wins both races.

FORMAT 200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

TRACK: Hidden Valley Raceway (Darwin, Northern Territory) LENGTH: 2.9km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 149km/h TOP SPEED: 271km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:05.4737 (2019) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford Mustang RACE LAP RECORD: 1:06.5590 (2018) – Nick Percat, Holden ZB Commodore

GETTING THERE

Hidden Valley is a 10-minute drive southeast of Darwin Airport and 15 minutes east of the centre of Darwin, so it’s one of the easier circuits to navigate to and from. But big crowds can cause traffic congestion, though there are publictransport options.

6

1

2019 WINNERS

2

R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)

4

3

7 10

9 8

11

12

5

Darwin

13 14

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10

7

4 3

2

5

SYDNEY SUPERNIGHT AUGUST 28-30

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GETTING THERE

Sydney Motorsport Park opened as Eastern Creek Raceway in 1990 and has undergone various redevelopments since. Supercars returns to Sydney Motorsport Park in 2020 following a one-year hiatus, with a $33 million investment from the state government, including the construction of 150 permanent light towers around the circuit for this night event.

Sydney Motorsport Park is located 40km west of Sydney’s CBD on Brabham Drive/ Ferrers Road at Eastern Creek. It is a 45-minute drive from the CBD or airport on average, with parking options available at the circuit. There is also public transport available with the Blacktown train station nearby.

2019 WINNERS

FORMAT 200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

Not held in 2019.

Sydney TRACK: Sydney Motorsport Park (Sydney, New South Wales) LENGTH: 3.9km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 154km/h TOP SPEED: 265km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:27.9494 (2018) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:29.8424 (2018) – Jamie Whincup, Holden ZB Commodore

THE BEND 500 SEPTEMBER 18-20

Australia’s newest motorsport facilty hosted its first Supercars championship event in 2018. The multi-purpose facility has been built by the Peregrine Corporation and caters to all motorsport discplines. Supercars races on the 4.95km International Circuit, which hosts the 500km endurance event for the first time in 2020 as the opener of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup.

FORMAT 500km race on Sunday.

1

18

GETTING THERE

The Bend Motorsport Park is a one-hourplus drive from Adelaide along the South Eastern Freeway and is located at the intersection of the Mallee and Dukes Highways. Accomodation options in Tailem Bend and Murray Bridge will be limited, so look to stay at one of the towns between Adelaide and The Bend Motorsport Park to the south-east of the capital.

15 2 16

3 5

17

7

9 11

10

12

TRACK: The Bend Motorsport Park (Tailem Bend, SA) LENGTH: 4.95km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 162km/h TOP SPEED: 270km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:47.4959 (2019) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford Mustang RACE LAP RECORD: 1:49.4042 (2019) – David Reynolds, Holden ZB Commodore

Tailem Bend

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2019 WINNERS (SPRINT ROUND) R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)

6

14

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EVENTS

TRACK: Mount Panorama Circuit (Bathurst, New South Wales) LENGTH: 6.213km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 178km/h TOP SPEED: 300km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 2:03.4813 (2019) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford Mustang RACE LAP RECORD: 2:04.7602 (2019) – Chaz Mostert, Ford Mustang 18

17 16

19

15 14

13 12

11

10

9 8

BATHURST 1000 OCTOBER 8-11

FORMAT

The most challenging and popular circuit on the calendar. Constructed in 1938 as a scenic tourist drive, the circuit is characterised by the two long straights up and down the mountain and the twists, turns and undulations of the second sector. The winners receive the Peter Brock Trophy and are honoured as winners of the Great Race. The Bathurst 1000 marks the second event of the twodriver long-distance PIRTEK Enduro Cup.

1000km race on Sunday.

GETTING THERE Bathurst is a three-hour drive west of Sydney along the Great Western Highway.

The circuit lies just south of central Bathurst.

2019 WINNERS Scott McLaughlin/Alexandre Prémat (DJR Team Penske)

7

6 5

2

4 3

20

Bathurst

21 22

1

23

GOLD COAST 600 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 1

A high-speed, concrete-lined street circuit that was shortened for the Gold Coast 600 format in 2010. The temporary street track has created carnage in the past, especially across the kerbs at the Turn 1, 2 and 3 chicane and the back chicane section. It’s hosted a championship event since 2002 and concludes the PIRTEK Enduro Cup in 2020.

FORMAT 300km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

GETTING THERE

The street circuit is right in the heart of the Surfers Paradise precinct, a 30-minute drive north of Gold Coast Airport. You can also fly into Brisbane Airport and use the train service or drive to the Gold Coast, though allow for a couple of hours of travel.

TRACK: Gold Coast Street Circuit (Surfers Paradise, Queensland) LENGTH: 2.96km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 146km/h TOP SPEED: 265km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:09.9179 (2017) – Jamie Whincup, Holden VF Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 1:10.0851 (2011) – Will Davison, Ford FG Falcon 14 15

2019 WINNERS

12

11

13

R1: Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight) R2: Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander (Triple Eight)

10 9

8

7

6

Gold Coast 1 2

3 5 4

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SANDOWN SUPER400 NOVEMBER 20-22

A fast and flowing circuit that was the traditional home of the pre-Bathurst 1000 endurance event before 2019. It switches to November and a sprint-round format for the first time since 2011.

Sandown features two long straights and the fast Dandenong Road Corner, in addition to the tight and twisty sections in the first and third sectors. Recent redevelopments saw safety upgrades made at various parts of the circuit, particularly on the exit of Dandenong Road Corner.

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TRACK: Sandown Motor Raceway (Melbourne, Victoria) LENGTH: 3.1km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 164km/h TOP SPEED: 270km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:07.5425 (2019) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford Mustang RACE LAP RECORD: 1:08.2440 (2019) – Shane van Gisbergen, Holden ZB Commodore

FORMAT

200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

GETTING THERE Sandown Motor Raceway is a 45-minute drive south-east of Melbourne Airport along the M1 and M2 Highway, past the city.

Melbourne CBD to Sandown is about 30 minutes.

2019 WINNERS (ENDURO ROUND) Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight)

Melbourne 6 8 9

7 4

5

10

2

3

11 12 1

13

NEWCASTLE 500 DECEMBER 4-6

Newcastle proved a popular addition to the Supercars schedule in 2017, with big crowds watching the dramatic championship decider. Overtaking is difficult for the drivers, with the Turn 10 hairpin providing the most action in the races. The run down along the beachfront is for the most part one line before drivers position themselves for an attack into Turn 10. Qualifying is vital given the limited overtaking options.

FORMAT 250km races on the Saturday and Sunday.

TRACK: Newcastle Street Circuit (Newcastle, NSW) LENGTH: 2.6km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 124km/h TOP SPEED: 240km/h PRACTICE/QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:09.9065 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:10.6403 (2017) – David Reynolds, Holden VF Commodore

GETTING THERE

Newcastle is a two-hour drive north of Sydney through the Central Coast.

The circuit sits just east of the central business district. Newcastle airport is a half-hour drive north of the CBD. If driving from Sydney, follow the M1 in a northerly direction. The Newcastle 500 will again be popular with fans travelling from within New South Wales or from interstate, so get in early to secure accomodation.

2019 WINNERS

Newcastle

10

11

1

R1: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) R2: Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight)

9

7 5 2

3

8 6

4

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FLASHBACKS

IMAGES Autopics.com.au, Justin Deeley

With the Australian Touring Car Championship/Virgin Australia Supercars Championship celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2020, we look back at the decade-on years in the history of the sport.

1960

The Australian Touring Car Championship was born with a single-race decider at the Gnoo Blas Motor Racing Circuit near Orange in New South Wales on February 1st, 1960.

It marked the first touringcar race run under a set of national regulations, the Appendix J rules, with 40-plus entrants across five classes.

The Jaguar Mark 1 was the car to have with journalist/ racer David McKay leading the trio of Jaguars over the course of the 20-lap race. Bill Pitt and Ron Hodgson rounded out the top-three places, while future

1970

The start of the 1960 Australian Touring Car Championship single-race decider at Gnoo Blas.

champion Ian Geoghegan retired with a blown head gasket in his Holden 48-215.

Also featuring in the race was Bruce McPhee, winner of the Bathurst 500 in 1968, and Kevin Bartlett, who also won

at Bathurst and raced in the championship until 1986.

From that single-race event in 1960, the Australian Touring Car Championship would grow exponentially across the next six decades.

The Australian Touring Car Championship was run on a multi-round format for a second time in 1970, in what was a historic season.

Allan Moffat became the first non-Australian born driver to win a race in the season opener at Calder Park, but it was Norm Beechey who wrestled control of the title race with wins in the following two races.

Beechey secured his second title in the penultimate round at Lakeside, becoming the first driver to win the championship in a Ford and a Holden and the first in an Australian-made car, the Holden HT Monaro

Norm Beechey heading to victory at the Mount Panorama Circuit in 1970.

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GTS350. The title marked the end of the Ford Mustang’s run of five championship wins in a row, which began with Beechey in 1965.

Ford conquered the Bathurst 500 with Moffat winning in the XW Falcon GTHO Phase II, his first win at the event. While Holden had won its first title, Ford had reclaimed supremacy in the endurance stakes. It set the scene for a decade in which the Ford versus Holden rivalry redefined Australian motorsport.

1980

Holden debuted the Commodore in 1980, continuing where it left off with the Torana.

Peter Brock lost the title to privateer Bob Morris in 1979 but scored a crushing win alongside Jim Richards at Bathurst. With Holden pulling its official backing of the team, Brock and the Holden Dealer Team went racing with the new VB Commodore with the support of Holden’s network of dealers.

Brock won the opening three rounds of the championship and claimed seven

Jim Richards overcame the Ford Sierra challengers to give Nissan its first championship win in 1990.

podiums in the first seven of eight rounds to build an unassailable lead, winning his third title by a comfortable margin.

Kevin Bartlett was his closest challenger with two race wins in his Chevrolet Camaro Z28, while Allan Grice and Morris took a win each in a Torana and Commodore respectively.

Brock and Richards made it three wins in a row at Bathurst in an updated VC Commodore, with the Commodore taking the top seven places on its debut at the Mount Panorama Circuit.

While Brock sealed the championship-Bathurst double, the talking point from the race was the emergence Peter Brock gave the Holden Commodore a championship and Bathurst-winning double in its debut year in 1980.

and heartbreak for Ford privateer Dick Johnson, who led in the early stages before crashing into a stray rock. The outpouring of support that followed led to a triumphant return for Johnson in 1981.

1990

Ford’s Sierra RS500 was the car to beat entering the sixth season of the Group A era, but a new challenger had emerged.

Jim Richards won the season opener with the Nissan Skyline HR31 GTS-R and went on to trade wins with Sierra runners Dick Johnson, Colin Bond and Peter Brock over the course of the season.

The four drivers were all in contention for the title entering the season finale at Oran Park Raceway. Richards, having upgraded to the Skyline R32 GT-R, won the race to seal a long-awaited first title for Nissan, dethroning the Sierra in the process.

Bathurst looked set to be a battle between the Sierra and Skyline, though as the contenders fell by the wayside it was the Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV of Win Percy and Allan Grice that emerged victorious.

Holden was mostly uncompetitive in the championship in the Group A era, but the Bathurst win for the newlyformed factory-backed team gave the General a muchneeded boost.

2000

The Holden Racing Team had dominated in the late 1990s and continued that form into 2000, though it marked a changing of the guard in terms of the driver battle.

Craig Lowndes had won back-to-back titles in 1998 and 1999 and three championships from three attempts dating back to 1996 (having raced in Europe in 1997). Yet it was

Mark Skaife won the second race in Adelaide on his way to the 2000 title.

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FLASHBACKS

The Holden Racing Team continued its dominant ways in 2000.

Mark Skaife who prevailed over Lowndes in 2000, claiming his third title and first with the Holden Racing Team.

Skaife had a strong run in the middle of the season and teamed with Lowndes to win the Queensland 500. With the Bathurst 1000 included in the championship for a second time, Skaife secured the title with a sixth-place finish at a wet and wild race at the Mount Panorama Circuit.

Garry Rogers Motorsport won at Bathurst with Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna surviving the carnage around them, securing second place in the championship for Tander.

Skaife’s championship win marked the start of a dominant run for him and the Holden Racing Team, which netted championship and Bathurst doubles in 2001 and 2002.

Dhabi and Bahrain, with Jamie Whincup looking on course for a third consecutive championship win.

Triple Eight underlined its supremacy with a one-two formation finish in the Bathurst 1000, with Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife leading home Whincup and Steve Owen.

But reliability issues had cost

Whincup in the championship race, opening the door for Ford rivals James Courtney and Mark Winterbottom.

The three drivers entered the final round in Sydney in contention for the championship. And at a wild finale, which saw all three drivers crash simultaneously on a wet track in the penultimate

race of the season, Courtney prevailed to claim a fairytale title for the beleaguered Dick Johnson Racing Team.

It would prove to be a fitting start to a decade that ended with Triple Eight dethroned by a Dick Johnson Racing team that was reborn as a championship winner as DJR Team Penske.

Dick Johnson Racing’s James Courtney prevailed in a titanic championship battle in 2010.

2010

Triple Eight Race Engineering switched from Ford to Holden entering 2010, in a seismic move for the manufacturer battle.

The team opened the season with crushing wins in the opening two rounds in Abu 42

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WORDS John Bannon IMAGES Peter Norton, Supercars

Triple Eight Race Engineering/Red Bull Holden Racing Team has had a stranglehold on the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship in the last dozen seasons, winning nine out of 12 teams’ championships. But since American motorsport giant Roger Penske teamed up with Ford hero Dick Johnson five years ago, the landscape has changed and set the scene for one of the most gripping Holden versus Ford team rivalries that will continue on into 2020 and set the tone for the championship.

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he Virgin Australia Supercars Championship had no shortage of controversy both on and off the track in 2019. The excitement around the introduction of the Mustang soon turned into questions about parity as the new machine proved to be quicker than the Commodore and Altima. Several parity tweaks later, controversy about DJR Team Penske’s technical and sporting infringements at Bathurst kept fans, media and the paddock on tenterhooks.

Lurking in the background, and often related to these issues, has been the growing rivalry between Triple Eight Race Engineering/Red Bull Holden Racing Team and DJR Team Penske/Shell V-Power Racing Team.

For the preceding three seasons, the drivers’ championship came down to the wire. Red Bull’s Jamie Whincup snatched his seventh championship title from the grasp of Shell V-Power’s Scott McLaughlin in 2017. McLaughlin then returned serve in 2018, leading home Holden driver and fellow Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen. McLaughlin then went on to back up his title in 2019 with DJR Team Penske also claiming the teams’ championship for the second time.

Triple Eight boss Roland Dane doesn’t mince his words when it comes to the challenge posed by the Ford powerhouse.

“Undoubtably, from the minute that Penske said they were coming here to run an operation, I’ve taken it very seriously and expected them to become the principal source of opposition for us,” he says.

“We’ve had opposition over the years from the Walkinshaw organisation under its various guises, the Tickford operation under its various guises, Stone Brothers Racing, Erebus Motorsport, etc. We’ve had plenty of SUPERCAR XTRA

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DJR Team Penske prevailed at a controversial Bathurst in 2019.

opposition over the last 15 years or so, but undoubtably the Penske operation is the biggest competitor we’ve ever faced.”

Dane says his Holden squad has a “natural competitive rivalry” with the Ford outfit in the garage next door.

“That is as it should be; we have a sporting rivalry with them and have had for a few years now,” he adds.

“They are the best resourced team in the paddock by a big margin, and so we have to have our wits about us if we are going to build and compete effectively against them.”

McLaughlin and teammate Fabian Coulthard were less specific about the contest between the two teams when asked if they felt there was a growing rivalry.

McLaughlin offers: “You race who you need to race.”

Coulthard adds: “For us we try and go out there and do the best job that we can on any given weekend.

You worry about the teams’ championship and the drivers’ championship after the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, see how you stack up and what you need to do to win.

You just evaluate it on the run, so I think for us, that is what we did.”

An intriguing aspect of the 2019 teams’ championships is that while just 102 points separated Whincup and van Gisbergen at season’s end, there was a 814point gap between McLaughlin and Coulthard. However, the Shell V-Power Racing Team still claimed the teams’ championship by 155 points, in part thanks to Coulthard picking up a pair of podiums at the final round in Newcastle.

Dane believes the two squads manage their driver situations in different ways.

“THE PENSKE OPERATION IS THE BIGGEST COMPETITOR WE’VE EVER FACED.” – ROLAND DANE 46

“They have made a conscious decision to have a number one and a number two,” he says.

“Race teams all over the world do that; it’s a choice you make. It’s not legal or illegal, it’s a modus operandi, and they clearly put their eggs into Scott’s basket.

We have endeavoured to never do that unless we are fighting someone else in the last throes of a championship when it is in the best interest of the team for a driver to play second fiddle.”

If there is a natural competitive rivalry, without a doubt one of the biggest triggers was when experienced Triple Eight engineer Ludo Lacroix switched to DJR Team Penske at the beginning of 2017 to work alongside their new star driver McLaughlin.

“He has been a massive benefit to Penske because he is smart, he is very experienced and over the course of his 17 years with Triple Eight he learnt an awful lot about processes and procedures, and it was a two-way street, to be honest,” Dane says.

“He was able to take those things to a team which, to be honest, was lacking [in those processes]. It’s been a big gain for them. On the other hand, because of the quality of the people that we have had here, it hasn’t really been a loss to us. So the relationship had probably run its course, and at the end of the day it allowed the people who were here to have more of a voice, to be honest, and we benefited from that.”

Shell V-Power Racing Team owner Roger Penske spoke at Bathurst about the championship-winning squad they’ve assembled. While he didn’t specifically name Lacroix, there’s no doubt the pairing of Lacroix and McLaughlin has been a fruitful partnership for the team.

“We came here [to Australia] back in 2016 when we [Dick Johnson and I] got together,” Penske says.

“We were way back at the back of the grid. The team has been so successful here [in Australia] and I think it was a journey for us.

“It wasn’t going to happen overnight, but we gained the people and the experience and the integrity of our guys and the commitment.”

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ABOVE: The Holden versus Ford rivalry between the two leading teams will be as fierce as ever in 2020.

LEFT: DJR Team Penske scored a sweep of the Supercars drivers’, teams’ and manufacturers’ titles in 2019.

BELOW: The rivalry between the two teams kicked into gear in 2017, when the championship battle went down to the wire.

In a dominant season, McLaughlin claimed 18 victories in 2019, although he was pegged back in the latter half of the year, not claiming another victory after his Bathurst 1000 win.

There was a string of updates throughout 2019 which resulted in a return to form for the Red Bull Holden Racing Team. Some Ford fans have expressed frustration, but Holden team boss Dane says it was important to get the parity right.

“To be honest, without disrespecting the fans, they don’t have the information that Supercars have,” he says.

“There is a legal obligation from Supercars to provide the best possible technical parity in key areas of the car that they can. That is a legal undertaking in the documentation that binds the teams and Supercars together for the purposes of providing a competition and a show.

“So Supercars have the information and they have done what they see fit during the year to make alterations in a way that they haven’t had to do in the recent past, unfortunately, as a result of a substandard aero test at the end of 2018. And, to the credit of Supercars, they have tried to do it in a measured way and responded to the facts, not to emotion, but to the facts as quickly as they feel they have been able to.”

Dane is still unhappy that the Shell V-Power Racing Team was able to retain its Bathurst victory after being pinned by Supercars for car number 12 slowing down too much behind the safety car late in the race and for an engine mechanical infringement for car number 17 during qualifying. For the safety car breach, the Mustang outfit copped a $250,000 fine and lost 300 teams’ championship points. And for the engine breach, car number 17 was disqualified from Bathurst qualifying, fined $30,000 and forced to start from the rear of the grid for the Sandown 500.

“Look, I don’t like what has gone on,” Dane says.

“I think that Scotty McLaughlin fully deserves his title, the drivers’ championship title. I don’t believe that they deserved to win Bathurst and I think their actions have tainted the biggest race of the year, which is a shame for everyone.

“But, on the other hand, Scotty has done more than enough at other races during this year, against people in identical equipment to him, to more than demonstrate that he deserves the drivers’ championship.

“I’ve got no hesitation in congratulating him on that aspect of his season. Unfortunately, Bathurst is another question.”

The Shell V-Power Racing Team has remained tight lipped on what is clearly a sensitive topic.

“As a team, we accepted the penalties that were issued by the stewards,” said team principal Ryan Story in a rare statement.

“But as team principal of DJR Team Penske and leader of the team, I accept full and complete responsibility for what happened at Bathurst.”

Dane responds: “What I find strange is that when clear errors of judgement or whatever have clearly been made at that level, it appears that there has been SUPERCAR XTRA

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The Red Bull Holden Racing Team gained the ascendancy in the latter half of 2019.

no visible action in the team that the rest of the paddock if you like, can say, ‘Okay, yep, it’s happened, they’ve done something about it and let’s move on.’ Unfortunately, we can’t see that.”

McLaughlin (pictured right) concedes that when you win regularly, you disappoint people, and that hasn’t been easy to deal with for a driver who is generally popular with fans and well respected by his peers.

“It’s been hard,” he says. “I felt like we did a really good job. I feel like I drove the best I ever have, but sometimes you can’t win with some people and you’ve just got to accept that. Unfortunately, that is how it is in this sport and you just get used to it. I just hope in 2020 that all of us can come to the sport with a better perspective.

“I felt like we can be better role models.

Banter is great, we all do it, but I hope we can come in with a better perspective and just be professional for not only our sport and the younger drivers coming through but also drivers in other sports and athletes around the world.”

While it’s clear that competition is fierce, one of the real standout moments of 2019 was when van Gisbergen stopped his car on the Gold Coast to check if McLaughlin was all right after a big qualifying shunt.

McLaughlin publicly thanked van Gisbergen for the gesture. Dane compared the incident to when Nick Percat’s car caught fire in the pitlane at Townsville and both 48

Red Bull Holden Racing Team and Shell V-Power Racing Team mechanics worked together to put out the fire.

“Shane said he would have done it for anyone; it has nothing to do with whether it is Scotty Mac in the car or anyone else,” he says, “…whatever goes on in terms of the competition, the reality is we all will at some level in the paddock try and look after each other.”

While that sporting gesture was a highlight, in the lead-up to Newcastle McLaughlin was at the centre of a social media storm involving fellow drivers Scott Pye and Percat.

The pair took issue with comments McLaughlin made at Sandown about the paddock being ‘toxic’ and questioned again whether his title was tainted, which McLaughlin defended.

McLaughlin concedes the post Bathurst period, especially the week of the seasonending Coates Hire Newcastle 500, was one of the toughest periods of his motorsport career.

However, he’s looking forward to putting that behind him moving into the 2020 season.

“I think you go through peaks and troughs throughout any championship year,” McLaughlin says.

“When you are not winning, you’re disappointing people and that’s just how it goes.

“I’m just excited to come back stronger.

I think we can continue this trend and be right at the front again.

“For sure, there is going to be other people coming to the front, and especially with the shock change and all that sort of stuff, it’s going to be different.

“For me as a person, it has probably made me stronger I guess.

“Definitely, it has been one of the hardest of my career just off-track wise.

“I am proud to get through it and of the person I’ve become through it or tried to stay, and that’s the main thing.”

It sets up another fascinating installment of the rivalry in 2020, as the Red Bull Commodores look to close the gap on the Shell V-Power Mustangs and take the title battle down to another final-round championship showdown. The rivalry will only continue to build.

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BRAD JONES RACING

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WORDS Andrew Clarke IMAGES Peter Norton, James Baker

The 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship marks the 20th anniversary of Brad Jones Racing’s arrival in the category. And the team celebrates the milestone with an expansion to four entries, cementing its place in Supercars as the oldest team not to have had an ownership change since its arrival. rad Jones smiles less than he used to.

He jokes less too. But you can still get the broad smile that lights up his face and sparks the twinkle in the eye of a mischievous young man. Jones turns 60 in 2020, so young is perhaps not the first adjective that comes to mind, but the smile is there when he is told the Brad Jones Racing (BJR) team he started with brother Kim has now been in Supercars for 20 years.

“Really?” he quizzes as he quickly does some sums in his head. 2020 minus 2000, yep 20 years. And what an interesting 20 years it has been, with plenty of highs and lows and, surprisingly, few regrets.

The team originally started in the 1980s with both brothers driving Formula Fords after Brad switched to four wheels from motocross, but then it cut back to just Brad behind the wheel and Kim engineering and running most of the show. Brad says he’s been carrying Kim for all that time, but you know that is not quite true and there is a healthy respect for each other that transcends the bonds of brotherhood.

That team was run out of the back of a panel van with car preparation under a carport in Albury. From the Formula Fords with a few steps here and there it was on to Mitsubishi Starions in Group 3E Series Production Cars. That led to a Bathurst debut with the factory-backed Mitsubishi Ralliart Team in 1985. But that was all a tease for what was to come, which was absolute domination at the Thunderdome with five consecutive AUSCAR titles.

It was one of the pivotal moments for the team.

Oval track racing suited them, and some of the edgy race strategies we see today can be traced back to this

time where they learned all about risk and reward.

But as the Thunderdome began to fade, the brothers needed new challenges. Next they won with Lotus in the Australian Super Production Championship and then Audi in Super Touring, all while Brad had endurance drives at Bathurst with the likes of the Holden Racing Team. But Super Touring was a fading class, and they started to plan an entry in V8 Supercars.

By 2000 they had a Ford AU Falcon ready to go after buying a Racing Entitlements Contract off Tony Longhurst. For the first two years there was just the one Falcon in OzEmail colours, then John Bowe joined and they were off and racing regularly at the front, although it took until 2005 to record their first win in the class (albeit at the non-championship Australian Grand Prix meeting). But they were contenders and perhaps could have and should have won a Bathurst 1000 with a bit of luck.

Now entering its 21st season of Supercars, BJR is expanding to four cars, a sure sign that the sun is shining in Albury. But it won’t necessarily bring that trademark grin and humour out as much as in the past.

“I think it’s a good move; if I thought it wasn’t a good thing, we wouldn’t be doing it,” says Jones.

“It comes down to economies of scale more than anything, and we’ve been running three cars and the wildcard, so I don’t imagine it will be a lot different.

“There are lots of good reasons why if you’re going to run three you want to run four, and sharing a pit boom is one them. We are better prepared for going to four cars than we were for three. But time will tell.”

The 2019 season was pretty tough for the team, with plenty of car damage and niggles blighting the season. At times, though, the pace was good and early in the season it looked like one of the leading Holden teams.

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BRAD JONES RACING

Macauley Jones enters his second full-time maingame season in 2020.

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Brad Jones Racing debuted in Supercars in 2000 with Brad Jones as the sole driver.

“I thought our pace has been pretty good for a lot of the year,” says Jones before reflecting on the lack of smiles of late.

“Things have changed; I’m older, I’m running more cars, I’m on the board and the commission. There’s a lot going on at any one particular time and Kim’s semi-retired, so there’s more responsibility, I guess.

And it’s a much bigger operation.

“It’s very different when you’re a race-car driver; it’s very selfish and it’s very much about you, and that’s the cornerstone of where you’re at and what your expectations are.

“When you have a team, you spend a lot of time thinking about the overall picture trying to work the very best you can with every department to get the most out of them to get the cars the most successful as you can. There’s so much more to it. When I stopped driving, it was a bit of a new lease on life for me, to be honest.

“I still feel like I can see that under the right circumstances on the right day we’ve got a good yard of pace.

Now we have a chance to regroup a little bit and get some stuff sorted out and be good to go again.”

For 2020, Nick Percat and Macauley Jones are retained, but Tim Slade makes way for Todd Hazelwood with Jack Smith driving the fourth entry. What it means on paper is that the average age of the driving group drops, and the experience levels shift down too.

Percat leads the squad, but the rest have at best only two seasons of experience in the main game.

“Tim’s been fantastic for us, but we just needed to make a change,” says Jones.

“It was a very difficult season and a difficult conversation. But I think we needed to do it.

“We’ve run some wildcards with Jack and sponsor

SCT and they were looking around, so it was logical. I feel like Jack has been in Super2 long enough that it’s time for him to step up. You do so much more racing in the main game that you know it’s a struggle when you go into the main series. It takes a couple of years to get the consistency and all the things that they do which makes those guys stand above everyone else.”

For Brad, the first task for the team is to return to its status as the leaders of the second tier in the main game before launching an attack at the top.

“What is frustrating is that when you look back at our success and see how in everything else that we’ve raced, we won at worst and dominated at best,” he says.

“We haven’t been able to do that here, and I don’t like that. I feel like when we get to the point where we’re winning a few races and looking like we’re ready to go, something happens and we have to partly rebuild the team or something else significant. It’s the little one percenters, and a lot of it’s got to do with money.

“The longer things stay the same, the more important the one percenters become. So, once you’ve got everything in place and you focus on those, I feel that’s where you can easily get stretched because somebody could be working on 10 one percenters and we can only afford to work on two.

“That’s not an excuse; we try as hard as we possibly can every time. One of the things I love, and which keeps me driving to work every day, is that we have such a dedicated group of people at BJR. They’re as committed as me, they’re as competitive, and it’s not easy to find people like that. So that’s one of the great things about where we are, and that’s one of the reasons why we do keep on bobbing up through change.

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BRAD JONES RACING

“I go racing to win races, not to make up numbers..

And everything we do is to try and win more races. The other night I left quite late and I wandered through the place and just not for any particular reason and just thought to myself, from a panel van, four jack stands and working under a carport, it’s amazing where Kim and I have landed in the end.

“We’re one of the very few race teams that are a pure race team. You know a lot of the senior people in the businesses have other businesses and other ways of generating income; we don’t, this is it. We are just a race team.

“We started with a load of desire and a dream, and I never envisioned that we would end up where we currently are. But it’s still a work in progress; we’ve still got things to do.”

The good times and bad times have created quite a rollercoaster for the brothers. The tough days were right up there. Mark Porter was a part of the team at Bathurst when he was killed in the Super2 race in 2006. Jason Richards was a part of the team and effectively the family when he was diagnosed with the cancer that claimed his life in 2011. Those things are as tough as life gets. The good days were obviously the wins, Bathurst poles and podiums and the like.

“I feel like time goes so quickly and Macca (Macauley) and I were talking in the car the other day about something, and I know people often say I wouldn’t change anything, and there’s things in my life I would never change because of the outcome, but there’s plenty of things that I probably would,” says Jones.

“But one thing I wouldn’t change is the relationship we have with motorsport. It started from when we were little kids and our dad used to take us to Hume Weir when he was the president.

“It’s funny, I found a picture of Spencer Martin at Hume Weir and Bob Jane was walking beside the car.

I was looking at this picture on the old dummy grid there, and I actually see my dad and my uncle Jack standing there too, and I looked over and there’s an EH parked where Dad used to park his car with a white roof, and it was the old man’s car. And I see this little blonde-haired kid trying to get in and there’s another one inside the car, that clearly locked the door. I was in the car and I had locked Kim out, which was quite funny. So much of our lives have been in and around motorsport, and that is what that picture said to me.

“Honestly, we’ve been so lucky with the life we’ve had and the connections to the people we’ve had over the years.”

Nick Percat becomes the unofficial team leader of Brad Jones Racing in 2020.

“ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE, AND WHICH KEEPS ME DRIVING TO WORK EVERY DAY, IS THAT WE HAVE SUCH A DEDICATED GROUP OF PEOPLE AT BJR.” – BRAD JONES 54

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JACK SMITH

After championship wins in the Kumho Tyre Australian V8 Touring Car Series and New Zealand V8 Touring Cars, three seasons in the Dunlop Super2 Series, four main-game wildcard rounds and a PIRTEK Enduro Cup campaign, Jack Smith graduates into the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship with Brad Jones Racing in 2020.

WORDS James Crocker IMAGES Brad Jones Racing, Peter Norton

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or 20-year-old Jack Smith, the step up to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship grid in 2020 is one that has been in the pipeline for his entire racing career.

Having spent multiple seasons in the various V8 touring-car categories that feed Supercars, winning championships along the way, the time has come for Smith to become a main-game driver.

Jumping into an expanded Brad Jones Racing operation for 2020, Smith continues his partnership with the team that saw them claim a V8 Touring Car title in 2017 and many strong runs in the Dunlop Super2 Series.

Smith’s talent is clear to see. After all, not many drivers have won two national touring-car titles before their 20th birthday. He serves as an advertisement for the development ladder that Supercars has implemented, having gone from V8 Touring Cars/Super3 to Super2 then finally into full-time Supercars for 2020, all at the tender age of 20, whilst also going across the ditch and winning the New Zealand V8 championship on his second attempt.

Smith began his V8 career at Bathurst in 2016 as a 17-year-old, following a promising debut season in the now defunct Formula 4 championship as well as multiple race wins in the Australian GT Trophy. However, his debut was cut short following an enormous accident at The Dipper in qualifying that wrote off the Paul Morris Motorsport Ford Falcon before Smith could take to the grid and left the Smiths with a repair bill of $100,000.

Despite this rocky start to his Supercars career, Smith was undeterred and signed with Brad Jones Racing for 2017. Team boss Brad Jones described Smith as a “very exciting young prospect”.

Smith enjoyed a breakout season, taking home the Kumho V8 Touring Car title whilst recording a solid but unspectacular maiden Super2 campaign. The dual campaign netted valuable experience for the youngster, who was quickly marking himself as a driver to watch in the coming years.

Smith headed across the ditch in 2017 to compete in the New Zealand BNT V8 Championship and was a revelation, claiming rookie of the year and recording multiple podiums and a race win in a field that

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included Bathurst-winner Jason Bargwanna and current Supercars star Andre Heimgartner, which showed his talent and marked him as one to watch in the future.

The following season saw Smith’s Super2 career blossom with his first podium coming at Symmons Plains alongside a few top-10 finishes on the way to 10th in the championship, one below his more experienced Brad Jones Racing teammate Macauley Jones. His Super2 campaign was complemented by a few outings in the V8 Touring Car Series, where he recorded a further six race wins in a part-time campaign.

Smith headed across the ditch once more in the off season and dominated the NZV8 series, recording 10 race wins on the way to his second touring-car title in as many years. Despite some setbacks late in his title run, Smith showed a mature head to close out the title and bring his second major trophy back to Australia. Smith described the racing in New Zealand as “some of the hardest racing I’ve experienced”.

Smith made his main-game debut in 2019, with a Brad Jones Racing wildcard entry at Symmons Plains Raceway.

Whilst Smith may have seemed starstruck, commenting “it’s a big deal to join these guys that I’ve been watching race for years”, he looked comfortable out on track. He had a solid but unspectacular opening weekend, despite drawing the ire of multiple drivers such as series winner Scott McLaughlin and Mark Winterbottom, who claimed Smith had cost them by ignoring blue flags.

More wildcard outings for Brad Jones Racing followed, with Smith competing at Winton, Darwin and The Bend Motorsport Park, recording a best finish of 20th, with the longer races providing Smith the opportunity to hone his tyre and fuel management skills and add to his racecraft.

“The Super2 races are much shorter and don’t have the knockout qualifying format you see on some Supercars weekends,” he says.

“In these races you are having to manage tyres a lot more and complete pitstops, which for anyone looking to step up into Supercars are things you need to learn.”

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Smith stepped out of the Brad Jones Racing fold temporarily to partner his 2020 teammate Todd Hazelwood at Matt Stone Racing for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup. The pair endured a rocky Bathurst, with Smith crashing in practice before Hazelwood ended up in the wall and in hospital on race day. The pair finished their endurance campaign with three consecutive 20th-place finishes, but the experience gained for Smith was invaluable as he steps up in 2020.

Having been confirmed in Brad Jones Racing’s fourth entry in 2020, with backing from family business SCT Logistics, Smith joins Hazelwood and the returning Nick Percat and Jones at the expanded outfit.

“I am very excited about 2020, my first year as a full-time Supercars driver,” he says.

“Over the past four years I’ve experienced many highs and lows in various categories, but it’s all been

a lead up to next year, when the real work begins.”

Smith’s familiarity with the Brad Jones Racing operation will be a handy boost for his chances in 2020, as he has been with the team for the past three seasons, calling the team “home”.

“Brad Jones Racing has been my home for the past three years and I feel great about competing in my first full-time year with them,” he adds.

Despite his surprising wealth of experience given his young age, Smith is looking to learn even more from the upcoming campaign.

“There are a lot of aspects of this sport that I’ve learnt, and I’m looking forward to continuing that learning,” he says.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and it’s going to be a big year for myself, family, team and sponsor group.”

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SCOTT PYE

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WORDS John Bannon IMAGES Team 18, Supercars, Peter Norton

Thirty-year-old Scott Pye joins his fourth Virgin Australia Supercars Championship team when he links with an expanded Team 18 in 2020, pairing with Mark Winterbottom in the Charlie Schwerkolt-owned team in his bid to find a long-term home. n emotional first Supercars victory, two Bathurst podiums and a breakthrough seventh-place finish in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship in 2018 were not enough to keep Scott Pye at Walkinshaw Andretti United for a fourth season.

The 2012 Dunlop Super2 Series runner-up was coy when asked why he decided to leave Walkinshaw Andretti United at the end of 2019.

“My reasons for leaving are my reasons for leaving,” says Pye. “The biggest thing I’ve taken out is it gave me the opportunity to get my first race win and my first Bathurst podium.

“These are all things I would have talked about with my old man as a kid and would have aspired to achieve in the sport. So I’m grateful for my time there. I’ve made some really good friends as well, some lasting friends that I’ll carry on after my time there.

“But, yeah, sometimes things come to an end, and I made the decision to let them know as early as I could to give them the best opportunity moving forward as well.”

The seventh place in 2018 was followed by 12th in 2019, one spot behind teammate James Courtney, though the duo ended the season strongly. Now, the former British Formula Ford champion is embarking on a new journey with Charlie Schwerkolt’s Team 18.

“I was weighing up my options, and out of all of them Charlie was the best one,” he says.

“Once I met with him it was pretty clear what his objectives are in the category and what he wants to achieve, and they align well with mine. He is super motivated and driven, and I can see a good future in that team. And, certainly from what Frosty [Mark Winterbottom] has said as well, he’s very happy with

his decision. All the stars aligned and we were able to get a deal done relatively easy, and there was a load of factors. I tried to do my due diligence and Charlie was an opportunity that I was excited about very early.”

The two-time Bathurst runner-up says part of the excitement was the team expansion and the strong partners Schwerkolt has onboard.

“Yeah, I think going to two cars is where the opportunity for me came up, so that obviously helped,” he says.

“But I think the expansion and the partners that he has is a credit to him and the team they’ve got there, and that was one of the big appeals for me. There are some proper brands in that team, ones that I would certainly be proud to represent, and working with Charlie there is a lot I can learn from him. I’m just genuinely excited to go there.”

Schwerkolt has switched from a one-car operation to a two-car team for 2020, after seven years going it alone.

“Supercars is a two-car model; you share one boom for pitstops and all that sort of stuff,” explains Schwerkolt.

“I’ve had four different teams that I’ve partnered with, and so it’s about time we stepped up and did all of that on our own. In this game, you need to control your destiny. We’ve got a good naming-rights sponsor and lots of things in place to transform to a two-car team. It’s going to be a financially good model as well because it is a big investment, and now is the time to do it. We’ve got some great partners, and you know it just makes sense.

“There has been influence from the engineer and team manager, Phil Keed and Steve Henderson. It would make sense to go to two cars. We get double the data. We get all our data from Triple Eight, which is really good but it is after the session.

“We can have one car on one pressure and the other car on the other pressure. We can work out the best pressure on the go, same with springs and set-up and all that sort of stuff. So, it makes sense to do that.

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SCOTT PYE

“I’VE SEEN HIM AND WATCHED HIM. I DON’T THINK HE’S REACHED HIS POTENTIAL AND I THINK WE CAN CREATE A REALLY GOOD TEAM ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN TAKE HIM TO THE NEXT STEP.” – CHARLIE SCHWERKOLT ON SCOTT PYE Pye scored his first Supercars win in Melbourne in 2018.

Ryan Walkinshaw signed Pye following the latter’s departure from DJR Team Penske.

Pye and Warren Luff scored secondplace finishes at Bathurst in 2017 and 2018.

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“There’s no pressure from anyone, but it will make our life easier to go to two cars.”

After seven years in Supercars and four seasons running as an independent entry, the stars have aligned for Schwerkolt with the right backing and technical arrangement with Triple Eight to expand.

“You’ve got to be able to afford to do this; I don’t want to go in to stretching budgets or financially impeding any of my world at all,” he says.

“So you’ve got to be able to afford it; you’ve got to be able to bring on good partners. I’m good at being able to bring really good partners into the sport, and it’s got to be the right time. There is no good doing it and not providing the right resources as well. If you can’t afford to buy a really good car, really good equipment and get the right people, then don’t do it.

“So, in my life, you have to do things properly, do it well or don’t do it at all. It hasn’t been right [previously]; we haven’t been able to afford it before. So it’s got to be right and it’s got to be the right time, and now is the right time.

“We will probably get to 20 people. So it’s not massive numbers, but it’s got to be the right mix of people, the right culture, the right fit and team players that are all on the same page. And we’re building this slowly.

It’s a three-year journey to get to where we sort of want to get. We are in our first year so we’ve still got a long way to go. And it’s all about the team that we’ve got. We’ve got some great crew members, guys and girls, and we’ll just build on this.”

Schwerkolt tasted championship success as a partner in Dick Johnson Racing when Courtney won the title in 2010, so he keeps a close eye on drivers who he believes have the potential to go all the way.

“I look at Scott, he hasn’t reached his peak or his prime yet,” he says.

“He can drive. I’ve seen him and watched him. I don’t think he’s reached his potential, and I think we can create a really good team environment that can take him to the next step. It’s going to be good for Frosty as well. Frosty is going to make a great teammate that can teach him some stuff as well.

“Also, the competitive nature of this game with a two-car model…they’ll be egging each other on, so that will be good as well. I think Scotty has the pedigree to do it. I think he is going to be a great asset to the team.”

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Schwerkolt feels that Pye has certainly done his apprenticeship and is confident the team can provide the right environment for him to succeed in 2020 and beyond.

“He’s had a few rough years, starting off at a growing Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport team and then Dick Johnson Racing,” he says.

“He’s been in a settled environment at Walkinshaw, but I think this will be good steady environment for him and something we can grow with.

“I’m interested in what Scott can do and bring.

I’ve heard some good things about his driving and his feedback. So I think it would be great.”

With Winterbottom taking a pole position and 13th in the championship in 2019, Schwerkolt will be hoping his two drivers will help drive the team up into the top 10 on a more regular basis.

“My big goal is to succeed for all our partners, plenty of exposure, some podiums between the two cars,” says Schwerkolt.

Pye concludes: “I’d like to be winning races and regularly on the podium. If I can get top 10 in the championship in 2020, then I’d like to be contending in the top five. There is going to be a period of growing pains, I guess, going to two cars, but hopefully myself, Frosty and the crew can minimise all of those things and start to get some good success early.”

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SUPERCARS FAST FACTS

DOB: January 8, 1990 FROM: Adelaide, SA LIVES: Melbourne, Victoria DEBUT: 2012 Sandown 500 TEAMS: Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport (2012-2013), Dick Johnson Racing/ DJR Team Penske (20142016), Walkinshaw Racing/ Walkinshaw Andretti United (2017-2019), Team 18 (2020) RACE WINS: 1 PODIUMS: 7 POLE POSITIONS: 1 CHAMPIONSHIP BEST: 7th (2018) BATHURST 1000 BEST: 2nd (2017, 2018) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: British Formula Ford champion (2010), British Formula 3 race winner (2012), Dunlop Super2 Series runner-up (2012)

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SHOOTOUT

CRAIG LOWNDES 8 1998-1999

10

MARCOS AMBROSE 10 2003-2004

Ambrose won two consecutive titles in a Stone Brothers Racing Ford BA Falcon in 2003 and 2004. And his two championships were book-ended by third places in the standings in 2002 and 2005.

9

BOB JANE 1971-1972

Jane had already won two championships in single-race deciders in 1962 and 1963 by the time he went back-to-back once again in 1971 and 1972.

Jane won his third and fourth championships in his own Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1.

Lowndes won the championship in his rookie season in 1996 before venturing to Europe to race open-wheelers in 1997. He returned to Australia in 1998 and promptly won two more championships.

Had he stayed in 1997, would he have won four in a row?

JIM RICHARDS 7 1990-1991

Richards claimed Nissan’s first championship win in 1990, in a tense final-round decider.

He defended the title with the Skyline R32 GT-R in 1991, in a year in which he and Mark Skaife won the Bathurst 1000, before Skaife beat Richards to the title in 1992.

ALLAN MOFFAT 6 1976-1977

Moffat won his second title in 1976 and went on to claim an even more dominant

championship win in 1977. His championship run was followed by a one-two formation finish for his Moffat Ford Dealers at Bathurst in 1977.

DICK JOHNSON 5 1988-1989

Johnson had already won three championships between 1981 and 1984 before he added two more in 1988 and 1989.

Johnson and teammate John Bowe dominated in those two seasons with the Ford Sierra RS500, also taking a comfortable win at Bathurst in 1989.

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN 4 2018-2019

in the 1960s, winning four of them and three in a row between 1966 and 1968. He took his Ford Mustang to a fourth consecutive title in the first multi-round championship in 1969.

JAMIE WHINCUP 1 2011-2014

Whincup equalled Geoghegan’s record of most championship wins in a row with his fourth consecutive title in 2014.

Having won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009, book-ended by narrow defeats in 2007 and 2010, Whincup was at the peak of his powers in this era.

1

McLaughlin narrowly missed out on the 2017 title following a last-gasp incident in the final race of the season. He bounced back with his first championship win in 2018 and backed that up with a record-breaking run to his second title in 2019.

3

8

MARK SKAIFE 3 2000-2002

Skaife began a dominant spell with the Holden Racing Team with the championship win in 2000. He proved unstoppable over the course of 2001 and 2002, taking the Holden VX Commodore to consecutive championship and Bathurst 1000 doubles.

IAN GEOGHEGAN 2 1966-1969

Geoghegan was the master of the single-race championships 64

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