The Prebrief: Gold Coast 500

Published: 25 October 2023
Chaz and Nick are ready to take on the streets of Surfers Paradise.
Chaz and Nick are ready to take on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

Pictured: Chaz and Nick are ready to take on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

We’re headed to the Coast for the penultimate round of the 2023 Supercars Championship Season!

It’s one of the biggest events on the calendar, so strap yourselves in for a great weekend of racing ahead.

Format

It’s three days of on track action, with cars taking to the track on Friday for two practice sessions.

Both Saturday and Sunday start with a 20 minute qualifying session to set the grid for P11-P25, followed by a Top-10 Shootout into the 85-lap 250km races.

The Track

The streets of the Gold Coast are a 2.96km concrete canyon.

It’s a full commitment track, there is no runoff, no sand, no grass which means if you make a mistake you’ll be in the concrete.

You have to be aggressive into the chicane along the back straight, and the last corner provides a great opportunity to fire it down the inside; keep an eye out for a few moves to be made there over the weekend.

Tyres

We are on the Dunlop Soft Tyre this weekend, so tyre conservation will be key to make sure you’ve got the pace towards the end of the race.

Pitstops

With a 250km race comes two compulsory fuel stops throughout. How much fuel you take, and when, will be the big question.

Weather

There is some rain on the forecast for Friday so we could be seeing the Dunlop Wet tyre for only the second time this year. The rest of the weekend will have the sun shining.

How to Watch

Fox Sports and Kayo will cover every session live, while Channel 7 have you sorted Saturday and Sunday.

Chaz Mostert

“I love racing on the GC, it’s my home race so that makes it extra special to have friends and family there to support.

“I’m pumped for this weekend, it’s such a fun track, there is no room for errors, the smallest mistake and you’re eating concrete for dinner.

“The crowd is always massive and passionate here, it’s got one of the best atmospheres on the calendar!”

Nick Percat

“This round is one of my favourites, the fans come out in full force, the atmosphere is awesome!

“The GC is one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar, it rewards risk, if you make a small mistake you’re in the wall.

“It’s the first time in a Gen3 around here so it will be interesting to see how the cars react to the chicanes.”