 | |
| Category | Touring car racing |
|---|---|
| Country |  Australia New Zealand |
| Inaugural season | 1997 |
| Drivers | 25 |
| Teams | 11 |
| Constructors | Chevrolet • Ford |
| Tyre suppliers | Dunlop (Goodyear) |
| Drivers' champion | Will Brown |
| Makes' champion |  Chevrolet |
| Teams' champion | Triple Eight Race Engineering |
| Official website | www.supercars.com |
 Current season | |
TheSupercars Championship, currently known as theRepco Supercars Championship under sponsorship, is atouring car racing category in Australia and New Zealand, running as an International Series underFédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australian states and theNorthern Territory,[1] with theAustralian Capital Territory formerly holding theCanberra 400.[2] Usually, an international round is held in New Zealand, with events previously being held in China, Bahrain,[3] the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.[1][4] TheMelbourne SuperSprint championship event is also held in support of theAustralian Grand Prix. Race formats vary between each event, with sprint races between 100 and 200 kilometres (62 and 124 mi) in length, street races between 125 and 250 kilometres (78 and 155 mi) in length, and two-driverendurance races held atSandown andBathurst.[5][6] The series is broadcast in 137 countries[7] and has an average event attendance of over 100,000.[8] With over 250,000 in attendance annually, theAdelaide 500 is the most attended Supercars race inAustralia.[9][10]
The vehicles used in the series are loosely based on road-going cars. Cars are custom made using a control chassis, with only certain body panels being common between the road cars and race cars. The cars are controlled for "technical parity" - ensuring that teams and drivers using any of the homologated cars have a chance to build and drive a winning car.
All cars currently use either a 5.4L or 5.7LNaturally aspiratedV8 engine. Originally only forFord Falcons andHolden Commodores, the new generation V8 Supercar regulations, introduced in 2013, opened up the series to more manufacturers.[11]Nissan were the first new manufacturer to commit to the series with fourNissan Altima L33s[12] followed briefly byErebus Motorsport withMercedes-Benz E63 AMGs[13] andGarry Rogers Motorsport withVolvo S60s.[14] The series returned to a Ford andHolden duopoly in 2020 with the departure of Nissan, while Ford replaced the Falcon with theMustang in 2019.[15] Holden announced its final year of competition in 2022, to be replaced by theChevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2023 season.[16][17] Starting in 2026,Toyota will make its debut in the championship, competing with theGR Supra.[18]
The concept of a formula centred aroundV8-enginedFords andHoldens for theAustralian Touring Car Championship had been established as early as mid-1991. With the new regulations set to come into effect in1993, Ford and Holden were both keen to know the details of the new formula by the end of 1991, putting pressure on theConfederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) to provide clarity on the matter. However, CAMS was waiting to see what theFIA did with its proposed international formula for 2.5- and 2.0-litre touring cars.[19]
The new rules for the ATCC were announced in November 1991 and indicated that the V8 cars would be significantly faster than the smaller-engined cars. In 1992, CAMS looked at closing the performance gap between the classes, only to have protests from Ford and Holden, which did not want to see their cars beaten by the smaller cars. In June 1992, the class structure was confirmed:[20]
Both theFord Falcon EB andHolden Commodore VP ran American-based engines, which were restricted to 7,500rpm and acompression ratio of 10:1. The Holden teams had the option of using theGroup A-developed 5.0-litreHolden V8 engine, although this was restricted to the second-tier privateer teams from 1994 onwards, forcing the major Holden runners to use the more expensiveChevrolet engine. The V8s were first eligible to compete in the endurance races of1992. The distinctive aerodynamics package, consisting of largefront andrear spoilers, was designed partly with this in mind, to give the new cars a better chance of beating theNissan Skyline GT-Rs in those races.[20]
The new rules meant that cars such as theturbocharged Nissan Skyline GT-R andFord Sierra RS500 Cosworth were not eligible to compete in 1993, while cars such as theBMW M3 were. However, the M3 received few of the liberal concessions given to the new V8s and also had an extra 100 kilograms (220 lb) added to its minimum weight, so[22] with the Class C cars eligible for 1993 only, the German manufacturer's attention switched to the 2.0-litre class for 1994.
Cars from all three classes would contest the1993 Australian Touring Car Championship, as well as non-championship Australian touring car events such as theBathurst 1000. However, for the purposes of race classification and points allocation, cars competed in two classes:
Originally, the 2.0-litre class cars competed in a separate race to the V8s. This was changed for the second round of 1993 after only nine entrants were in the 2.0-litre class for the first round atAmaroo Park.[22]
With the new regulations intended to be aparity formula, protests by the Holden teams indicated that the Fords had an aerodynamic advantage after they won the opening three rounds, beating the Commodores comprehensively. After round five atWinton, Holden was granted a new front and rear wing package. The BMWs were also allowed new splitters and full DTM-specification rear wings.[23] Disparity between the Fords and Holdens continued to be a talking point during the next few years, with various concessions given to each manufacturer to try to equalise the two cars.[24]
From1995, the 2.0-litre cars, now contesting their own series assuper touring cars, became ineligible for the Australian Touring Car Championship. They did not contest the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst, leaving these open solely to the 5.0-litre Ford and Holden models.
The Australian Vee Eight Super Car Company (AVESCO) – a joint venture between the Touring Car Entrants Group of Australia (TEGA), sports promotersIMG and the Australian Motor Sports Commission – was formed in November 1996 to run the series. This set the foundation for the large expansion of the series during the following years. The category also adopted the name 'V8 Supercars' at this time,[25] though the cars themselves were much unchanged. A new television deal withNetwork Ten andFox Sports was organised, although this hadfollow-on effects for theBathurst 1000 later in the year.[26]
In February,Tony Cochrane and James Erskine left IMG. Together with David Coe, they formed Sports and Entertainment Limited (SEL) in April 1997.[27] TEGA would have a 75% share in AVESCO, with SEL owning the other 25%. TEGA was responsible for the rules and technical management of the series and the supply of cars and drivers, while SEL was responsible for capturing and maintaining broadcasting rights, sponsorship, licensing, and sanction agreements.[28]
The expansion of the series began in1998, with the first round to be held in the Northern Territory taking place atHidden Valley Raceway. In1999, anew street race on a shortened version of theAdelaide Grand Prix Circuit became one of the first festival-style events, which would become common in later years. Australia's capital city,Canberra, hosted itsfirst event on theCanberra Street Circuit in2000. In2001, a championship round was held in New Zealand for the first time, atPukekohe Park Raceway.[29] In2002, the V8 Supercar support event at theIndy 300 on theGold Coast became a championship round, having been a non-championship event since 1994.[30]
Major format changes were made for 1999, with the incorporation of the endurance races into the championship. Control tyres were used for the first time, withBridgestone selected as the supplier. The series was also renamed from the "Australian Touring Car Championship" to the "Shell Championship Series", by virtue ofShell's sponsorship of the category.[31] Reverse-grid races were introduced for multiple rounds in 2000[32] before being confined to just the Canberra round for 2001. Also in 2001, compulsorypit stops were introduced at certain rounds and the Top Ten Shootout was used at all rounds.[33] The control tyre supplier changed from Bridgestone toDunlop in 2002 and the series name was changed to the "V8 Supercar Championship Series" after Shell discontinued their sponsorship.[34]
Discussions about parity had returned in 2000, with 100 millimetres (3.9 in) trimmed from the front spoiler of the Commodore after Holden, in particular, theHolden Racing Team, had dominated in 1998 and 1999. This was in response to the 300 millimetres (12 in) removed from the Falcon in previous seasons, and coincided with a 10 millimetres (0.39 in) trim from the Falcon's rear spoiler. The small reduction for the Holden teams was quickly addressed with both cars receiving the same front splitter shortly afterwards, but the Falcon's rear wing remained trimmed. Ford had threatened to withdraw from the series, but nothing came of this.[35] After Holden again dominated in 2001 and 2002, a new set of regulations, dubbed "Project Blueprint", was introduced in2003 to close the performance gap between the Commodore and the Falcon,[36] thus creating closer, fairer racing.[37] Project Blueprint was developed by Paul Taylor and Wayne Cattach, who spent two years designing a formula which would eliminate most of the differences between the Fords and Holdens.[38]
Project Blueprint had the chassis pick-up points,wheelbase,track, and driving position become common across both manufacturers. The Holdens were now able and required to usedouble-wishbone front suspension, similar to that of the Falcon, rather than theMacPherson struts used previously, and a Watts link at the rear rather than a Panhard. The aerodynamic packages were comprehensively tested and revised and differences in theporting of each of the manufacturers' engines were also removed.[36][39] The performance of the newFord BA Falcon andHolden VY andVZ Commodores was fairly even for the next four years, with Ford winning the championship in 2003,2004, and2005 and Holden winning in2006.[40] Reverse-grid races were used at certain events in 2006 before unpopularity with the drivers, teams, and fans saw them abolished halfway through the season.[41]
TheHolden VE Commodore caused controversy when it was introduced in2007. The production model was longer, wider, and taller than the rivalFord BF Falcon and outside of the limits set by Project Blueprint. As a result, the VE race car was granted custom bodywork – namely shortened rear doors and a lowered roofline to meet the regulations.[42] Despite this, the VE was approved for use in the series, along with the BF Falcon, after several months of preseason testing.[43]Sequential gearboxes were introduced in2008 and became compulsory by the end of the year.[44] In2009,E85 (a fuel consisting of 85%ethanol and 15%unleaded petrol) was introduced in an effort to improve the environmental image of the sport. Carbon dioxide emissions decreased by up to 50%, but fuel consumption was increased by 30% to produce the same power as before.[45] 2009 also had the introduction of a soft compound tyre at certain events to try to improve the quality of the racing and create different strategies.[46][47]
In 2005, AVESCO changed its name to V8 Supercars Australia (VESA).[25] The series continued to expand during this time, with races held outside ofAustralasia for the first time. The series travelled to theShanghai International Circuit inChina in 2005, originally on a five-year agreement,[48] however the promoter of the race dropped their support and the series did not return thereafter.[49] 2006 saw the series travel to theMiddle East, with an event held at theBahrain International Circuit inBahrain.[3] Multiple new street circuits appeared on the calendar in 2008 and 2009, with new events held inHamilton inNew Zealand,[50]Townsville inNorth Queensland and atSydney Olympic Park.[51] The series' Middle East expansion continued in 2010 with a second round held at theYas Marina Circuit inAbu Dhabi.[4] In November 2010, the series was granted international status by the FIA for the2011 season, allowing the series to race at up to six international venues each year. As a result, the series name was changed to the 'International V8 Supercars Championship'.[52]
2008 saw the separate boards of directors of VESA and TEGA merge into a single board that was solely responsible for the administration of the category. The new board of directors was composed of four TEGA representatives, two members from SEL and two independent directors.[53] In 2011, TEGA and SEL entered a sale agreement with Australian Motor Racing Partners (AMRP), which had significant financial backing fromArcher Capital. This agreement saw SEL lose its 25% stake in V8 Supercars, with Archer Capital taking up a 60% share and TEGA the other 40%. A new board of directors was appointed, with two TEGA representatives and two AMRP representatives.[54]
In 2011, Archer Capital purchased a 65% shareholding in the series with the teams owning the other 35%.[55] In December 2021, both Archer Capital and the teams sold their shareholdings to Race Australia Consolidated Enterprises.[56]
In the middle of 2008, a project led byMark Skaife was organised by V8 Supercars to investigate future directions for the sport. The project had the primary objective of cutting costs to$250,000 per car through the use of control parts and to create a pathway for new manufacturers to enter the series, provided that they have a four-door saloon car in mass production. The new formula, called "Car of the Future", was scheduled to be introduced before or during the2012 season. The plan was publicly unveiled in March 2010 and was shown to incorporate several key changes to the internal workings of the car. The chassis and the cooling, fuel and electronics systems would all be changed to control parts, with changes to the engine, drivetrain, rear suspension, wheels and the control brake package. The safety of the cars was also to be reviewed and improved.[57] While the plans were well received by all of the teams, Holden Motorsport boss Simon McNamara warned potential new manufacturers to stay out of the championship just hours after the plans were released, claiming that they would "gain nothing" from entering the series.[58]
Major changes were revealed to include a switch from alive rear axle toindependent rear suspension; the use of arear transaxle instead of a mid-mounted gearbox; the repositioning of thefuel tank to in front of the rear axle to improve safety; replacing the windscreen with apolycarbonate unit; and a switch from 17 inches (430 mm) to 18 inches (460 mm) wheels.[57] In 2011, it was announced that the Car of the Future would not be introduced until2013.[59] In February 2012,Nissan confirmed that they would enter the series under Car of the Future regulations withKelly Racing.[12] Later in 2012,Australian GT Championship teamErebus Motorsport announced they would be runningMercedes-Benz cars in the championship, taking overStone Brothers Racing.[13][60] In June 2013,Volvo announced it would enter the series in2014 in a collaboration with its motorsport arm,Polestar Racing andGarry Rogers Motorsport.[14] In November 2013 the Car of the Future moniker was dropped in favour of the name "New Generation V8 Supercar".[61]
The series continued its international expansion in 2013, with the first event inNorth America held at theCircuit of the Americas inAustin, Texas.[62] In 2015, five drivers took part in a series of demonstration races at theKuala Lumpur Street Circuit as part of theKL City Grand Prix. This was intended to be a precursor to the series holding a championship event at the circuit in 2016, in a push from CEOJames Warburton to build series exposure in Asia.[63] The event was later cancelled due to legal issues affecting the circuit.[64]
In December 2014, Supercars released details concerning the future of the category. New regulations, dubbed Gen2 Supercar, were introduced in2017 to allow the use oftwo-door coupé body styles andturbocharged four- or six-cylinder engines. However, no teams elected to build cars to these alternate engine specifications. Cars were still required to be based on front-engined, rear-wheel drive, four-seater production cars that were sold in Australia. The chassis and control components were carried over from the New Generation V8 Supercar regulations, while engine and aerodynamic parity was reviewed. WhereHolden ZB Commodore made a debut in 2018 and later,Ford Mustang S550 in the 2019 debut as the only Two-door coupe Gen2 specifications and also the successor ofFG X Falcon, which been discontinued at the end of 2016.
In April 2016, the series reached an agreement withVirgin Australia to rename the series to theVirgin Australia Supercars Championship on 1 July.[65][66]
For the 2021 season, this changed to the Repco Supercars Championship on a 5-year deal, extended to an 8-year deal at the end of 2022.[67]
After being first announced in 2020, and after being delayed for a year due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Gen 3 regulations were introduced for the2023 Supercars Championship. The main aim was to create closer racing, to reduce costs and to increase road-relevance for the manufacturers.[68][69] To do this, sweeping aerodynamic changes were made to cut the generateddownforce. This reduced the amount of "dirty" air created, and made the cars more challenging to drive. The regulations continued previous changes to ensure technical parity between cars, helping to keep power, downforce and drag levels identical. Engines were also changed, to increase longevity and decrease the cost of a rebuild.[68]
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The current Gen 3 regulations are a complete refresh of the previous generation,[68] with the cessation of volume car production in Australia being a major factor.[70][71] The current cars are theFord Mustang GT and theChevrolet Camaro ZL1.
The full list of regulations, Sporting and Technical, can be found on the Supercars website in the operations manual[1].
Supercars is a "parity formula" which attempts to ensure that competitors using any of the available car models compete on an equal basis. In this aspect, it is similar in philosophy to theNASCAR Cup Series.The category's current rules, and the charter between organisers and teams state that "..to the extent that it is possible, Competition will take place between the different makes and models of Cars as equalised by the technical parity mechanisms enshrined in the Rules.".[72]
However, the rules go on to state that "The Category is not about equalisation of the abilities of participating Drivers and/or Teams (such equalisation could be, and is in some categories, defined as sporting parity). It is up to individual Drivers and/or Teams to Compete to the best of their abilities under the principle of technical parity."
Parity is intended to extend to aerodynamics, engine performance, and handling characteristics.
In practice, achieving technical parity has proven difficult and contentious, with a number of changes for the 2023 and 2024 season to aerodynamics and engines.[73][74]
The body of each car is based on its corresponding production car inRight Hand Drive and with homologation requirements. The bodies of both models are aerodynamically balanced through these homologations requirements, along with general balancing upon entering[75] Composite and Exotic materials are generally not permitted. The tail lamps are carried over from the road car, while the windscreen is replaced by a polycarbonate unit. The cars also carry cameras for broadcasting.[76]
The bodies are built around a chassis provided by official accredited builders, including certain race teams. Currently,Triple Eight Race Engineering homologate theChevrolet Camaro andDick Johnson Racing homologate theFord Mustang.[77] The new for2026Toyota GR Supra will be homologaged byWalkinshaw Andretti United.[18]
Many safety features are utilised to protect the driver in the event of a crash. The fuel tank is positioned in front of the rear axle to prevent it from being damaged or ruptured in a rear end impact. The driver is seated towards the centre of the car and extra reinforcement is used on the roll cage on the driver's side to lessen the risk of injury in a side-on collision. The cars also feature a collapsible steering column and a fire extinguisher system.[11]
All cars have an aerodynamics package consisting of a front spoiler andsplitter,and arear wing. The aerodynamics package for each manufacturer is homologated after a series of tests which ensure that the different body styles produce near-identicaldownforce anddrag numbers.[68][75]
By modern racing vehicle standards, Supercars have relatively low amounts of downforce. This is intended to make it easier to follow other cars, and make the handling more similar to road cars. The Gen 3 cars were originally reported to produce about 140 kg of downforce at 200 km/h, similar to a road-registerablePorsche 911 GT3 RS.[78] Revisions in 2024 are stated to produce about 20% more downforce.[79]
The minimum weight of each car is 1,335 kilograms (2,943 lb) including the driver and excluding the fuel, with a minimum load of 725 kg over the front axle. The minimum weight for the driver is 95 kg and includes the driver dressed in a full racing suit the seat and seat mountings and any ballast needed to meet the minimum weight.[80][81] Some other components also have a minimum weight, such as the engine and the front uprights
All cars must befront-engine, rear-wheel-drive, and powered by aV8 engine designated by Supercars for use in the respected model of car, and balanced in power and weight.[82] Currently, the GM engine (for use in the Camaro) is a 5.7L V8 with a single camshaft and two valves per cylinder. The Ford engine (for use in the Mustang) is a 5.4L V8 with four camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. These engines were designed to be cheaper and have a higher longevity compared to previous engines, along with being more road-relevant.[68] The Toyota engine (for use in the GR Supra) introduced in 2026 is a 5.0L V8 withDOHC with 4 valves per cylinder.[18]
As of the Gen3 Supercars, all engines for a given car model are built by a single engine builder - Herrod Performance Engines for the Mustang and KRE Race Engines for the Camaro.[83] Each engine is tested on adynamometer before delivery to ensure the power and torque characteristics are to specification, and engine allocation is randomised to preclude more powerful engines being allocated to a specific team.[83] Engines are sealed upon delivery, and modifications are prohibited. Engine servicing is only permitted under strict conditions and after minimum distances completed with the engine. Teams are only permitted two new engines per car, per year.[84]
Power is transferred from the engine to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transaxle with an integratedspool differential.[85] The individualgear ratios and thefinal drive ratio are fixed with drop gears at the front of the transaxle allowing the teams to alter the overall transmission ratio for different circuits.[86] The cars use atriple plate clutch.[85] The cars run on E75 fuel with a fuel tank capacity of about 130 Litres[87]
Anelectronic control unit (ECU), provided by MoTeC, is used to monitor and optimise various aspects of the engine's performance. Numerous sensors in the car collect information which is then transmitted to the team, allowing them to monitor things such as tyre wear and fuel consumption and find potential problems with the car. The ECU is also used by officials during the scrutineering process.[88] During the race it can also serve functions such as to automatically limit a car's speed.
All cars are required to use a double wishbone setup for the front suspension and independent rear suspension. Both the front and rear suspension systems feature adjustableshock absorbers and ananti-roll bar which, as of the introduction of the Gen 3 regulations, can not be adjusted from inside the car[89]
The cars usedisc brakes supplied byAP Racing on the front and rear, with the master cylinders provided by AP Racing or former control brake supplier Alcon. The front discs have a diameter of 395 millimetres (15.6 in) and a six-piston caliper, while the rear discs are 355 millimetres (14.0 in) diameter and have a four-piston caliper.[85][90]
The cars use 18-inch (460 mm) control wheels, produced by Rimstock and supplied by Racer Industries, and control tyres from Dunlop. Supercars are provided with Soft, Supersoft, and Hard slick tyres as well as grooved wet tyres for each event, The requirement to use varying compounds and how many tyres need to be changed per race are dependent on the event[91]
The highest speed recorded in a Supercar of any generation is 300.5 km/h on the (downhill) Conrod Straight on theMount Panorama Circuit, byShane van Gisbergen in qualifying for the 2023 Bathurst 1000.[92] 2024-spec cars are expected to be about 10 km/h slower.[79]
Supercar lap times are similar to the992 GT3 Cup cars running in thePorsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship. At the2023 Bathurst 1000, the fastest Supercars qualifying lap recorded was 2:04.664 byBrodie Kostecki.[93] On the same race weekend, the fastest qualifying lap recorded by the Carrera Cup cars was 2:04.6672.[94]
While Gen 3 Supercars andNASCAR Cup Series cars have never raced on the same circuit, their relative performance against Carrera Cup cars gives some indication of how they might compare on the same track. AtCircuit of the Americas, the Cup series lap record is more than three seconds per lap slower than Carrera Cup, whereas the Supercars virtually match the Carrera Cup car performance at circuits where they both race. NASCAR Cup Series cars are designed to race onsuperspeedways and short-track oval courses as well as road circuits.Cam Waters, after driving a Cup series car in preparation for his first NASCAR race, said that the latest-generation NASCAR cars "...feel fairly similar in some ways to the Supercars back home..Fairly heavy, the gearboxes are similar, the brakes are similar, a bit more power(in the Cup Series car)".[95]
Compared to other modern circuit racing vehicles, V8 Supercars are quite powerful, but have relatively little downforce and mechanical grip, making them challenging to drive.[96] The spool differential, which is very uncommon in modern racing vehicles, also requires a specific driving style unique to the series and makes it hard for drivers used to other categories to adapt quickly.[97]
The Gen 3 Supercar regulations were intended to reduce the cost of building a car (without engine) from around$450,000 to $250,000. In practice, this did not occur, with teams reporting that rather than reduced costs, building and running costs increased by approximately 30% from Gen2 to Gen3 as of 2023. The increased costs were partly attributed to time pressures getting the cars ready while dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21, and the broader impact on materials costs of that period.[98]
The costs of competing in the championship are considerably higher than the purchase price of a car. There is no budget cap, though caps have been proposed. One estimate puts the season cost for teams at "1.2 to 3 million (Australian) dollars per car" per season.[99]
In order to compete in the Supercars Championship, drivers are required to hold aMotorsport Australia Superlicence, earned by success in other high-level Australian circuit racing series (with special eligibility processes for overseas drivers).[100]
Each car entered is required to have a Teams Racing Charter (TRC), formerly known as a Racing Entitlements Contract (REC). A TRC is a contract between Supercars and a team which outlines the team's entitlements and obligations.[101] TRCs may be leased by their owners to another party for a maximum of two years, after which the owner must either use it themselves or sell it.[102] A racing number is tied to each TRC, with teams able to apply for a TRC number to be changed. The defending series champion is entitled to use the number 1, with the original TRC number of that car reserved and not able to be used by another team without the agreement of its owner.[103]
The TRCs were originally issued in 1999. Known as TEGA franchise agreements, they were divided into three categories – Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Twelve Level 1 franchises were issued to those teams that had competed in the series full-time since its inception in 1997:[104]
A thirteenth was later issued toBob Forbes Racing.[105] A Level 1 franchise required a team to race at least one car at all events, and at various times allowed a team to enter up to four cars. Other teams received Level 2 and Level 3 franchises based on their level of participation.[104] The structure was changed a number of times before the present system of 28 RECs was arrived at in 2011. Supercars bought a number of RECs as they became available in order to achieve a long-held desire to reduce the field to 28 cars.[106]
At the end of 2013,Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport,Tony D'Alberto Racing andTriple F Racing each returned a REC to Supercars.[107] These were put up for sale in 2014, but no bids were received.[108] One was reclaimed by Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport in 2015 after a legal fight.[109] At the end of 2014, a further REC was returned byJames Rosenberg Racing.[110] In April 2015, Supercars launched a tender for one REC for the 2016 season, with Triple Eight the successful bidder.[111]
Teams consist of one to four cars, with most one-car teams forming a technical alliance with a larger team.[112] Only the REC holders are allowed to compete at each event, although "wildcard" entries are accepted for the endurance races, with a maximum of six extra cars on top of the regular 28.[113] Both Supercars andDevelopment Series teams have entered wildcard entries in previous years.[114][115] In 2014, the first wildcard entry for a sprint race was issued whenDick Johnson Racing entered a third car forMarcos Ambrose at theSydney 500.[116]
Most drivers in the series are full-time professionals paid by their teams.[117] Exact salaries are not disclosed, but former team ownerRoland Dane stated in 2024 "...the two top Supercar drivers are earning more than all their European based counterparts racing inGT3.".[117]Pay drivers are not unknown, but reportedly make up a small minority of the Supercar field.
Teams are required to employ a co-driver for each car during the two endurance races due to the increased race distance and the need for driver substitutions during the race.[118] Teams were able to pair their full-time drivers in one car until a rule change in 2010 that required each full-time driver to remain in his own car and be joined by a co-driver not competing full-time in the series.[119] The Drivers Championship title is awarded to the driver who accumulates the most points over the course of the season. If there is a points tie for the series win, the champion will be decided based on the number of races won by each driver (if there is still a tie, it is based on second-place finishes and so on). Teams also compete for the Teams Championship, with the champion team being decided in the same manner as the Drivers Championship. For Teams Championship points scoring purposes, teams with four cars are separated into a pair of two-car teams, while teams with three cars are split into a two-car team and a single-car team.[120] The Teams Championship dictates the pit lane order for the following season.
The defending champion driver has the right to carry the number 1 the following year. However,Shane van Gisbergen andScott McLaughlin elected to retain their existing numbers in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022 & 2023.[121][122]
A second-tier series, the Dunlop Super2 Series, is run as a support category to the main series at certain events.[7] Initially for privateers who did not have the funding of the professional teams in the late 1990s, the series now serves the dual purpose of developing young drivers before they compete in the main series and a means for main series teams to give their endurance co-drivers more racing experience prior to the endurance races. Teams in the Dunlop Super2 Series compete with cars previously used in the main series. From the 2021 Season until the end of the 2024 season the Dunlop Super2 Series would compete as a class alongside the Super3 Series V8 Supercars class racing together on track at the same time. In the year 2025 season the Super3 Series would be axed due to low grid numbers in the 2024 season reverting back to a single class of the Dunlop Series.
A third V8 Supercar-based series, theKumho Tyres V8 Touring Car Series, had been run since 2008 until the end of 2024, but had no involvement with the Supercars Championship or Dunlop Super2 Series, instead running on the programme of theShannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.[123] However, since 2016, several rounds have been run as support categories at Supercars events. It would officially become the third-tier series of V8 Supercars starting in 2019 before the category known as the Super3 Series would join as a class alongside Super2 Series Class V8 Supercars starting in the 2021 season. In the 2023 Season the V8 Touring Car Series would be revived to create an unofficial standalone fourth-tier level V8 Supercars category using V8 Supercars sold to teams that are no longer racing in the Super3 Series of the Dunlop Super2 & Super3 Series, however it would only last for that year's season. The Super3 Series would officially be axed in 2025 and become defunct due to low grid numbers with only as many as two or three cars appearing at rounds in the 2024 Dunlop Super2 & Super3 Series season.
In 2023, there are two distinct formats for determining grid positions in races: Format 1 and Format 2. Format 1 uses a single qualifying session where all drivers participate simultaneously to establish their grid positions. Format 2, on the other hand, divides qualifying into three separate sessions. During Q1, the five slowest cars are assigned the last five grid positions, and the faster cars progress to Q2. In Q2, this process is repeated to determine the next ten grid positions. Finally, Q3 decides the top 10 grid positions. This can be done through a standard qualifying session or a 'top-ten shoot-out', where each driver has a single opportunity to set their lap time.[124]
The selection between these qualifying formats is influenced by a variety of factors, including the layout of the track, the length of each race, and strategic considerations unique to each event. This approach allows the championship to adapt to a wide range of racing conditions and maintains a dynamic and engaging competition for participants and spectators alike, however, it is not uncommon for both Qualifying Format 1 and Format 2 to be utilised over the course of the same race weekend, especially during events that feature multiple races.
In 2023, there are three racing formats: SuperSprint, two-race rounds and endurance.[125]
In previous years, formats included SuperSprint events, International SuperSprint events, SuperStreet events andEnduro Cup events.[126]
In 2023, the SuperSprint format will be used for theMelbourne SuperSprint (previously known as the Melbourne 400), thePerth SuperSprint, theTasmania SuperSprint, theSydney SuperNight, theDarwin Triple Crown andThe Bend SuperSprint.[127]
The format was previously used for thePhillip Island SuperSprint,Winton SuperSprint and theIpswich SuperSprint.[128]
The SuperSprint format generally involves three (at the Melbourne Supersprint four) races, each with separate qualifying sessions, on the Saturday and the Sunday. Some races use the same qualifying format for each race while other use format 1 and 2 on different days.[125]
In previous years, the Phillip Island and Sydney Motorsport Park events featured a single one-hour practice session on Saturday, while all other SuperSprint events have two one-hour practice sessions on the Friday with a fifteen-minute practice session on Saturday. The Winton and Ipswich events featured an extra thirty-minute session on Friday for endurance co-drivers. The SuperSprint format featured a fifteen-minute qualifying session held on Saturday to decide the grid for the race on the same day. A single twenty-minute session was held on Sunday morning to decide the grid for the Sunday race. The Darwin event also featured a top ten shootout (a session where the fastest ten qualifiers complete one flying lap each to determine the top ten on the grid) following the Sunday qualifying session. A single 120 or 150 kilometres (75 or 93 mi) race was held on Saturday with a single 250 or 300 kilometres (160 or 190 mi) race was held on Sunday.[128]
The International SuperSprint format was used at theAuckland SuperSprint.[128]
Three thirty-minute practice sessions are held on Friday, while Saturday and Sunday both consist of two ten-minute qualifying sessions which set the grid for the pair of 200 kilometres (120 mi) races held on each day.[128]
The two-race round format, previously known as the SuperStreet format, covers those races not branded as a SuperSprint or an endurance race. In 2023 the format will be used in theNewcastle 500, theTownsville 500, theGold Coast 500 and theAdelaide 500.[125]
This format generally involves two races on the Saturday and Sunday of the race weekend, 250 km in length. Unlike the SuperSprint, refuelling is allowed.
In previous years, two thirty-minute practice sessions took place on Friday at each SuperStreet event, while a thirty-minute practice session is held on Saturday at Adelaide. The Adelaide event features a fifteen-minute qualifying session on Friday to determine the grid for the Saturday race, while the other events have a single fifteen-minute session on Saturday. All four events feature a twenty-minute session followed by a top ten shootout both on Saturday and Sunday. The Adelaide 500, Newcastle 500, Townsville 500 and Gold Coast 500 feature a single 250 kilometres (160 mi) race on each of Saturday and Sunday.
In 2023, there are two endurance races, theBathurst 1000 and theSandown 500.[125] In previous years, the Gold Coast race was run as an endurance race and the driver who won the most points over the three races was awarded theEnduro Cup.[129]
This format is a singleendurance race over either 500 or 1000 km with refuelling allowed and multiple drivers required. The Bathurst race takes around six hours to complete with the Sandown race taking around half that.
In previous years, the Sandown 500 and the Gold Coast 600 both featured three thirty-minute practice sessions held on Friday, with Sandown having an extra session on Saturday. Practice for the Bathurst 1000 consists of six one-hour sessions held across Thursday, Friday and Saturday.[128] Qualifying for the Sandown 500 involves a twenty-minute session followed by a pair of 60 kilometres (37 mi) "qualifying races" held on Saturday.[130] The grid for the first race is based on the qualifying session; the grid for the second race is based on the results of the first. The results of the second race determine the grid for the main race on Sunday. Co-drivers must compete in the first of the qualifying races while the main driver must compete in the second.[131] The Bathurst 1000 features a single forty-minute qualifying session on Friday afternoon followed by a top ten shootout on Saturday. The Gold Coast 600 had two twenty-minute qualifying sessions, one each on Saturday and Sunday, with the Sunday session followed by a top ten shootout. The Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 both have a twenty-minute warm-up session on Sunday morning.[128]
The Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000 feature single races held on Sunday, at 500 kilometres (310 mi) and 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) in length respectively. The Gold Coast 600 consisted of two 300 kilometres (190 mi) races with one held on Saturday and one on Sunday.[128]
Between the founding of the championship and the current season, many different points scoring systems have been used. In the first few years, the same basic system as Formula 1 was used. Since the 1980s, separate point systems have been developed, some of which were based on the length of the race or which took into account whether there was only one long-distance race or several short races in a championship round. This should give the races a better weighting.
Points are awarded as follows at all championship events. Various different points scales are applied to events having one, two, three or four races, ensuring that a driver will be awarded 300 points for winning all races at any event.[132] Points are awarded to all cars that have covered 75% of the race distance, provided they are running at the completion of the final lap and with a final lap time within 200% of the race winner's fastest lap. At the endurance events, both drivers earn the total points awarded to the finishing position of the car.[133]
| Points Scale | Position | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th | 29th | 30th | |
| Endurance-race 1000 km | 300 | 276 | 258 | 240 | 222 | 204 | 192 | 180 | 168 | 156 | 144 | 138 | 132 | 126 | 120 | 114 | 108 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 66 | 60 | 54 | 48 | 42 | 36 | 30 |
| Endurance-race 500 km (only used in 2019) | 250 | 230 | 215 | 200 | 185 | 170 | 160 | 150 | 140 | 130 | 120 | 115 | 110 | 105 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 60 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 40 | 35 | 30 | 25 |
| Endurance-race 500 km (only used between 2008 and 2012) | 200 | 184 | 172 | 160 | 148 | 136 | 128 | 120 | 112 | 104 | 96 | 92 | 88 | 84 | 80 | 76 | 72 | 68 | 64 | 60 | 56 | 52 | 48 | 44 | 40 | 36 | 32 | 28 | 24 | 20 |
| Two-race | 150 | 138 | 129 | 120 | 111 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 69 | 66 | 63 | 60 | 57 | 54 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| Three-race | 100 | 92 | 86 | 80 | 74 | 68 | 64 | 60 | 56 | 52 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 42 | 40 | 38 | 36 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 |
| Four-race | 75 | 69 | 64 | 60 | 55 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Sprint races (only used between 2009 and 2019) | 50 | 46 | 43 | 40 | 37 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
TheBathurst 1000, also known as the "Great Race" and held in some form since1960, is the most famous race on the Supercars calendar,[134] as well as the longest both in terms of race distance and race time. The race is run over 161 laps of theMount Panorama Circuit, 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) in total, taking between six and seven hours to complete. The event has historically attracted crowds of nearly 200,000 people.[8] ThePeter Brock Trophy, named after nine-timeBathurst 1000 winnerPeter Brock, is awarded to the winners of the race. The trophy was introduced in2006 following Brock's death in a crash at theTarga West rally one month prior to the race.[135]
TheAdelaide 500, also known as the "Clipsal 500" and "Superloop 500" under former sponsorship names, is the premier car race inSouth Australia. It is the largestV8 Supercars race in the country by crowd numbers.[136] Beginning in 1999, the race is held in the eastern streets of theAdelaide CBD, on a reduced version of theAdelaide Street Circuit previously used by theGrand Prix. There was no race in 2021 after the contract was not renewed by Liberal premierSteven Marshall,[137] before it was revived in 2022 with a new contract under by subsequent Labor premierPeter Malinauskas, who had pledged its return during the2022 South Australian state election.[138] Held over four days, the event consists of two 250 kilometre races for theV8 Supercars, and additionary practise and qualifying races. The event has several categories of races throughout the four days, includingSuper2 Series,Formula 5000,SuperUtes Series,Touring Car Masters,Australian GT, and theAustralian Carrera Cup as well as others. The race is accompanied by live music performances, of which the likes ofKiss,Keith Urban andRobbie Williams have previously performed, as well as food, activities, and anRAAFF/A 18A Hornet display each day in the skies above the city.
TheSandown 500 was first held as a six-hour race in1964[139] and has been labelled as the traditional "Bathurst warm-up" race.[140] Like theBathurst 1000, theSandown 500 is run over 161 laps. Due to the shorter track length ofSandown Raceway, the race is only 500 kilometres (310 mi) and runs for between three and four hours. TheSandown 500 was not held for Supercars from 1999 to 2002 and from 2008 to 2011. During these years, the 500 kilometres (310 mi) endurance races took place atQueensland Raceway (1999–2002)[141] and thePhillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (2008–2011).[142]
The series is currently broadcast onFox Sports and theSeven Network.[143] Fox Sports shows all practice and qualifying sessions live along with the races. Seven shows only seven events live which are Adelaide, Melbourne, Townsville, Sandown, Bathurst, Gold Coast and Newcastle with the rest shown as a highlights package after the races have finished. The coverage is produced by Supercars Media, a specialist production company for Supercars Australia.[143] Supercars Media provides the commentary for each race, with former champion and Bathurst winnerMark Skaife as lead commentator, along withNeil Crompton as expert commentator. Both Fox Sports and Seven use their own commentary team for pre- and post-race coverage.[144] Supercars Media records the series in1080ihigh-definition, with many cars carrying four or more onboard-cameras, though HD coverage is available only to subscribers ofFoxtel HD.[145]
Prior to the 1984 Australian Touring Car Champion season, the series did not have a common TV home, splitting between ABC and Channel 7, as the track owners controlled the TV rights for their specific round.
in 1984, CAMS intervened and prevented the track owners from obtaining their own TV rights and instead negotiated a contract with the ABC. The only race that was not shown in 1984 on the ABC was the Calder round, as Channel 7 already had a long term deal with Calder Park.
In 1985, the coverage moved full time to Channel 7. Due to reasons unknown, the first round was missed in certain regions and was shown as highlights at the second round. This was how it was until 1996 except for events were the ATCC was a support act (Australian GP F1 - Channel 9 and Indy Cars - Channel 9 / 10 on the Gold Coast) or non championship race (ie: ATCC Endurance Championship - Sandown 400/500 - ABC). Most races were same day delayed coverage to avoid the emptiness between ATCC and support races.
In 1996, the season was brought forward and the time between events was shortened to avoid conflicting with that years Olympic Games in Atlanta (Channel 7 being the rights holder for the Olympics).
Meaning final round was in June instead of its traditional slot of August / September.
Due to the Olympics, Channel 10 broadcast the Sandown 500 for 1996.
The Bathurst 500 / 1000 was shown exclusively on Channel 7 from 1963 until 1996, and then from 1997 was packaged as part of the AVESCO TV Contract.
The V8 Supercars were broadcast on Network Ten and Fox Sports from 1997 as part of the AVESCO TV Contract.
Select support events for the V8 Supercars were shown live, others were shown in Channel 10's Trackside series, which was broadcast either the following weekend or fortnight after the event.
In 2000, select races (FAI 1000) were produced and broadcast in widescreen (16:9). However, the public was not able to see this feed until it was rebroadcast on Foxtel on their Bathurst channel and when it was released to DVD in the 2020s.
In 2001, as Digital TV arrived in Australia, every race was produced and broadcast in native widescreen (16:9) on Channel 10 Digital.
For analogue TV viewers, they received a letterbox feed (excluding Round 1, which provided analogue viewers with their own feed, which was too demanding, so opted for a letterbox simulcast instead from Round 2 on-wards), while international and Fox Sports users were shown a 4:3 feed. For every Split screen (ie: going for an interview, showing pit stops, pit reporters, going onboard, etc while showing track cameras), the feeds shown were within the 4:3 frame but were in their native 16:9 widescreen format, giving analogue and international viewers a glimpse of what they were missing out on.
For 2001 Clipsal 500 and Bathurst 1000, an interactive feed was available, with the following being broadcast at the 2001 Clipsal 500:
And the following were broadcast at the 2001 Bathurst 1000:
Due to low viewership, this was never repeated after season 2001.
From 2002, the V8 Supercars Greatest Hits Volume 2 (to Volume 4) DVDs and from the 2003 season, the V8 Supercars and Bathurst 1000 highlight DVDs, produced by Sony Music Video, were released in native widescreen (16:9).
At the 2002 Bathurst 1000, a ticker was used to show live positions. It was moved from beside the lap counter to the bottom of the screen in 2003.
In 2003, Bigpond became the exclusive Streaming provider for Bigpond Broadband Customers only.
This included live practice, qualifying and top ten shootouts, ad free racing as well as live onboard and telemetry from your selected driver.
This also included exclusive interviews and highlight packages.
This ended in 2007 when Channel 7 became the tv rights holder.
In 2004, Foxtel Digital was launched and by 2005 was showing races in widescreen.
At the Bathurst 1000 in 2004, Sky Cam, which hovered above the pit lane, was introduced. The camera ran on a wire from the Pedestrian Overpass to Turn 1 and had 360 degree tilt and pan.
The camera would be used in other events after its successful run at Bathurst.
This initial contract with Channel 10 and Fox Sports ended at the conclusion of the 2006 season.
Channel 7 regained the rights from 2007 to 2014.[146]
While Chanel 7 had the rights, Network Ten and Fox Sports continued to broadcast the series once a year for theMelbourne 400 championship races, which are a support category at the Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix, which was broadcast by Ten and Fox Sports. All support category races were tied up with the Formula One Australian Grand Prix broadcast rights as a package.
Then the rights were returned to Network Ten and Fox Sports from 2015 to 2020.[26]
In 2020,Seven Network andFoxtel signed a five-year deal worth $200 million to televise the Repco Supercars Championship from 2021 to 2025. Seven Network will broadcast six rounds live and show highlights for other races it is not able to broadcast. Foxtel's deal remains the same, it will show all races live and ad free on Fox Sports.
Ten's television seriesRPM, which has aired from 1997 to 2008, in 2011 and from 2015 onwards, has covered Supercars, alongside other motorsports. From 2007 to 2014, Seven broadcast a weekly 25-minute show titledV8Xtra on non-racing weekends. The dedicated Supercars program covered news and feature items relating to the series. Since 2015, Fox Sports has broadcast a similar show,Inside Supercars, a weekly one-hour long program featuring a panel led by Rust and Mark Skaife.[147] In the same year, Fox Sports also launched an observational showSupercars Life, featuring behind the scenes footage from race weekends and features on drivers' lives away from the track. In 2018,Inside Supercars was superseded by a new show on Fox Sports,Supercars Trackside. Instead of being filmed in a studio midweek, the show is filmed on the Thursday before and the Sunday after each race meeting at the circuit.[148]
The television broadcast of the Bathurst 1000 has won aLogie Award for the Most Outstanding Sports Coverage seven times (Note: year won is for the prior years coverage and are shown inBold):1979,1985, 1998 (nominated),2000, 2001 (nominated), 2002 (nominated),2006, 2007 (nominated),2008, 2009 (nominated),2010, 2012 (nominated), 2015 (nominated), 2017 (nominated), and most recently won in2018 for the2017 Bathurst 1000.[149]
Foxtel broadcast the2018 Bathurst 1000 in4K resolution, the first such broadcast in Australian sport.[150]
Supercars races are broadcast on the following channels:
| Country | TV network | Free/pay | Coverage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Seven Network | Free | Live/Delayed | Seven events shown live with all others delayed. |
| Fox Sports | Pay | Live | Includes live coverage of practice and qualifying sessions. | |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport | Pay | ||
| Asia | SPOTV | Pay | Live/Delayed | Only races are shown. |
| Catalonia | Esport3 (TVC) | Free | Live/Delayed | Live online (in English), Delayed on TV (in Catalan) |
| Germany | Sport1+[151] | Pay | Live/Delayed | Only races shown. Highlights also on Motorvision.TV. |
| Indonesia | BTV | Free | Delayed | Only races shown |
| Ireland | TNT Sports | Pay | Live | Only races shown. |
| United Kingdom | ||||
| Netherlands | Ziggo Sport | Pay | Live/Delayed | |
| Norway | V Sport | Pay | Live | |
| United States | Speed Sport 1 | Free | Live and on Demand | Includes live coverage of races |
| Worldwide outside Australia and New Zealand | YouTube via SuperView | Pay | Live and on Demand | Includes live coverage of practice, qualifying sessions, and supporting races. |
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The series has its own live streamingpay-per-view service, Superview. The service, which started in 2013, currently shows all races as well as qualifying sessions.[152] In 2021 the service was brought toYouTube which shows complete broadcasts including support races. The service is not available in New Zealand and Australia due to their current broadcasting rights withSky Sport andFox Sports.[152]
The series has its own website, which contains information about the series, drivers, teams and events and news articles, and a radio show, V8 Insiders.[153] News is also featured on motorsport websites such asSpeedcafe[154] and V8Sleuth.[155] A media deal withNews Corp Australia has been in place since 2009.
Supercars have made several licensed appearances invideo games, including inCodemasters'V8 Supercars series in the 2000s andTurn 10 Studios'Forza series in the 2010s. From 2011 to 2014, an online championship, sanctioned by Supercars, was contested oniRacing.[156] In 2017, Supercars launched aneSports competition usingForza Motorsport 6 andForza Motorsport 7, which expanded to six rounds in 2018.[157][158] The Supercars Eseries moved to the iRacing platform in 2019 with championship teams includingTriple Eight Race Engineering andWalkinshaw Andretti United entering teams into the series alongside eSports teams.[159][160] An additional Eseries was held in mid 2020 with all championship drivers competing during the hiatus caused by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[161]
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Jonathan Webb ran as a satellite entry from within the famous Queensland outfit...
...for much of Australia's most famous motor race.
Over the past four years the 500 km race has been staged at Phillip Island...
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