Photos: Edge Photographics Following a dramatic round at Albert Park, the Repco Supercars Championship returns on 28-30 April with the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint.
Taking place at CARCO.com.au Raceway, a busy schedule awaits the nation’s premier racing category for the third round of its 2023 season, along with a mouth-watering line-up of support categories.
After an entertaining start to the season, there is plenty to look forward to this weekend as Supercars teams and drivers gear up for three 42-lap races spread across Saturday and Sunday.
One of the most notable differences to the previous two rounds will be the return of the knockout qualifying session ahead of Saturday’s sole race.
The first of five events to utilise the Formula 1 inspired qualifying method, three rounds will make up the session with all 25 drivers to feature in the first 15-minute part, before five are eliminated for the second part.
The field will then be split in half for the final part of the session, with the remaining 10 to fight it out for the first five rows.
While the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint will utilise a new qualifying format for the first time this year, it will also welcome a brand-new change on the Gen3 Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros.
For the first time, new MoTeC-designed LED panels will be fixed on the front windscreen on the passenger side of each vehicle displaying a driver’s track position.
Of course, both the above factors are secondary to what is one of the biggest milestones of the weekend, as Mark Winterbottom makes his 600th Australian Touring Cars Championship/Supercars career start.
Becoming just the third driver in history to ever achieve the milestone, Winterbottom joins an elite club made up of Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander.
Whether the 2015 champion can salute at the venue on this historic occasion is up for debate, with a mixed record at the West Australian circuit.
Although he has stood on the podium in WA 16 times, six of which have been on the top step, it’s been quite a while since he experienced success there with his last podium being in 2018.
Winterbottom isn’t the only driver looking for an extra reason to pick up a win, with Shane van Gisbergen keen to celebrate his recent contract extension with Triple Eight with a trio of wins.
The reigning champion would fancy his chances too after he won two of the three races in last year’s visit to WA, but the circumstances have dramatically changed in 12 month – the most obvious being the new Gen3 cars and the fact van Gisbergen finds himself in unfamiliar territory not leading the Championship.
That honour belongs to Brodie Kostecki, who sits on top of the Supercars summit for the first time in his career, as well as keeping Erebus Motorsport on top of the Teams’ championship for the first time.
Tickets for the event are still available for purchase, with a free and extensive event program now online.
The Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint takes place at CARCO.com.au Raceway on 28-30 April.
Schedule
Friday 28 April
2:25pm-3:55pm: Practice
Saturday 29 April
11:25am-11:40am: Qualifying 1 – Race 7
11:45am-12:00pm: Qualifying 2 – Race 7
12:05pm-12:20pm: Qualifying 3 – Race 7
3:45pm: Race 7
Sunday 30 April
9:25am-9:40am: Qualifying – Race 8
9:50am-10:05am: Qualifying – Race 9
11:55am: Race 8
3:45pm: Race 9
*All times are in AWST
Championship standings
Brodie Kostecki – 514 points
Chaz Mostert – 482
Shane van Gisbergen – 428
Andre Heimgartner – 386
Will Brown – 383
Cam Waters – 369
Broc Feeney – 368
David Reynolds – 325
Jack Le Brocq – 325
Bryce Fullwood – 275
Support Categories
Dunlop Super2/Super3 Series
SuperUtes
Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia, Powered By AWS
WA Historic Touring Cars
Entry List
Walkinshaw Andretti United
#2 Ford Mustang GT – Nick Percat
#25 Ford Mustang GT – Chaz Mostert
Tim Blanchard Racing
#3 Ford Mustang GT – Todd Hazelwood
Brad Jones Racing
#4 Chevrolet Camaro – Jack Smith
#8 Chevrolet Camaro – Andre Heimgartner
#14 Chevrolet Camaro – Bryce Fullwood
#96 Chevrolet Camaro – Macauley Jones
Tickford Racing
#5 Ford Mustang GT – James Courtney
#50 Ford Mustang GT – Cameron Waters
#55 Ford Mustang GT – Thomas Randle
#56 Ford Mustang GT – Declan Fraser
Grove Racing
#19 Ford Mustang GT – Matthew Payne
#26 Ford Mustang GT – David Reynolds
Erebus Motorsport
#9 Chevrolet Camaro – Will Brown
#99 Chevrolet Camaro – Brodie Kostecki
Dick Johnson Racing
#11 Ford Mustang GT – Anton De Pasquale
#17 Ford Mustang GT – Will Davison
Team 18
#18 Chevrolet Camaro – Mark Winterbottom
#20 Chevrolet Camaro – Scott Pye
PremiAir Racing
#23 Chevrolet Camaro – Tim Slade
#31 Chevrolet Camaro – James Golding
Matt Stone Racing
#34 Chevrolet Camaro – Jack Le Brocq
#35 Chevrolet Camaro – Cameron Hill
Triple Eight Race Engineering
#88 Chevrolet Camaro – Broc Feeney
#97 Chevrolet Camaro – Shane van Gisbergen
Keyword: Perfect Perth weekends beckons for Supercars