We’re headed west (3,448kms west to be exact) for the Perth SuperSprint this weekend, round five of the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.
After a challenging weekend at Phillip Island, the team is hungry to rediscover the speed it showed in the opening three rounds of the season.
With just four working days between the completion of Phillip Island and the truck departing for the Nullarbor it was a tight turn around, but the precious cargo has arrived safe and sound, ready for a big weekend.
At just 2.4kms in length, Barbagallo raceway is a tight and tricky race track. The car has to be set up to flow through the twists and turns in the first half of the lap, but you also need a strong braking package to pull the car up into the last corner.
The coarse surface means it’s one of, if not the highest degradation tracks we go to. In qualifying, the best lap time is the first lap time, and in the race, managing tyre life is critical.
Due to the length of the track, we are back to the qualifying format debuted in Tasmania, the three-stage elimination process.
The 10 who advance directly into stage 2 each day will be determined by Friday and Sunday morning’s respective practice sessions, meaning having a fast car out of the box is going to be extremely important.
The SuperSprint format means a 120km race on Saturday, and a 200km race, all done on the super soft tyre.
The two Mobil 1™ Boost Mobile Racing Commodores hit the track at 11:05am WST Friday morning. Stay tuned.
James Courtney
“I’m really looking forward to getting back out there this weekend. Sunday at Phillip Island was looking strong until the gearbox problem, so I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and turn it around.
“The car has looked after the tyre really well this year, which is going to be really important this weekend due to how abrasive the circuit is.
“The base package we have had this year has been really strong, so hopefully that continues, we can have a good Friday and really set ourselves up for the rest of the weekend.”
Scott Pye
“I love going to Perth. It’s a fast, physical track, that is a lot of fun to drive.
“It’s going to be really important that we roll out of the truck strong like we have done all year, especially when you consider the role Friday’s two practice sessions play in qualifying.
“I’m glad we are using that new qualifying format again, it makes it really interesting for us drivers and for the fans.
“I’m confident heading in, hopefully we have a good weekend and keep moving forward in the championship.”