Open up the stationary cupboard, because we are headed back to the paperclip.
Queensland Raceway in Ipswich, affectionately known as ‘the paperclip’ due to its shape and layout, will play host to round 9 of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.
On paper, the track layout looks simple. Six corners, 3.2km in length, and a flat terrain from a distance. Simple right?
A mix of high speed and low speed corners combined with a few bumps to rock and roll the cars means it’s a technical little circuit.
The 12m wide surface means there are four genuine passing opportunities as well, so don’t be surprised to see JC or Scotty fire it down the inside, with enough room to run four-wide in spots.
After a disappointing Townsville round, the team has been eager to get back into it and make amends. The positive to take from the last round was both cars qualifying for the top-10 shootout on Sunday, the first time that has happened since Scott Pye joined at the start of 2017.
That direction gives us more to work with heading into this round; it was an important step forward as we aim to continue to improve our qualifying package.
This weekend is a SuperSprint round, meaning a 120km race Saturday, and a 200km race on Sunday, all on the super-soft tyre.
Warren Luff and Jack Perkins will join us behind the wheel as preparations for enduro-season ramp up. They will be the first in the car on Friday at 10:10am in the co-driver session.
JC and Scott will jump back in at 12:00pm for the first of their two practice sessions.
Scott Pye
“I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel. Townsville wasn’t what we hoped for, but the beauty is we have another chance this weekend.
“The track itself its quite unique. There isn’t much grip and turn 1 is pretty bumpy so it’s a tricky lap.
“Hopefully it’s a typical Queensland winter, so Luffy can cut some laps in the dry, unlike the last session he had at Winton.
James Courtney
“I love the Queensland races. Staying in my own bed is another positive, so I can’t wait for this weekend.
“We made some noticeable gains during the event in Townsville, especially in qualifying on Sunday, so we need to continue that into this weekend when we roll out of the truck.
“We didn’t have the best event here last year, so it will be good to highlight the improvements we have made as a team.”