After a few weeks break, we are heading West to Wanneroo Raceway for Round 3 of the 2023 Supercars Championship.
The team has been hard at work since the Grand Prix rebuilding Nick Percat’s car in preparation for the three sprint races in Perth.
Format
Perth SuperSprint is held over three days with three 100km sprint races, kicking off on Friday with one 90-minute practice session in the afternoon.
On Saturday, there is a three-part knockout qualifying session, Qualifying part 1 (Q1) will determine starting position for P21-25, Q2 will determine P11-20 and Q3 will determine P1-10 for Race 7 which takes place in the afternoon.
Sunday starts off in the morning with two back-to-back 15-minute qualifying sessions which will determine grid positions for the remainder two 100km races.
The Track
Wanneroo Raceway is a tight and tricky racetrack, at just 2.4kms per lap. The car must be set-up to flow through the corners of the first half of the lap, but you also need a strong braking package to pull the car up into the last corner.
Previously, this track has been the highest degradation circuit on the calendar before it was resurfaced in 2019 which saw some improvements to degradation. It is critical to focus on tyre life towards the end of the race as this track is brutal on tyres.
Tyres
We are on the Dunlop Soft Tyre for all three races this weekend.
Pitstops
As this weekend consists of three SuperSprint races there is no refueling required, just a minimum of one pitstop with a four-tyre change per race.
Weather
The weather looks sunny this weekend, with temperatures in the low 20’s.
How to Watch
Every session, every lap will be live on Foxtel and Kayo throughout the weekend.
Nick Percat
“A massive thanks to the team who have rebuilt the Mobil 1 NTI Racing No. 2 car over the last few weeks.
“Heading West is always awesome. It’s going to be really interesting to see how the Gen 3 car reacts to the surface.
“The Grand Prix was tough, but there were some really positive signs throughout the weekend which we will take into this weekend that’s for sure.”
Chaz Mostert
“I love going to Perth, the track is fast and physical which makes it a lot of fun to drive as well as entertaining for the fans.
“The hour and a half practice session on Friday will be an awesome opportunity to get an understanding of how the Gen 3 car reacts to this track.
“The Grand Prix was a bit of an up and down one, we learnt heaps about the Mobil 1 Optus No 25. car, we have regrouped, and we are ready to go again in Perth.”