Huge support card ready for 2020 AGP

Wednesday 11 March, 2020

Photo: Edge Photographics

The Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix is just around the corner with Melbourne to be taken over by the biggest category in world motorsport across four action packed days.

Outside of the headline act, there will be four categories forming a very impressive support card with long time Australian Grand Prix regulars in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship and Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup once again part of the line-up.

The event will welcome two new additions for 2020 with the TCR Australia and the VHT Australian S5000 Championship both making their Albert Park debuts.

Ahead of the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, motorsport.org.au previews all the support categories.

Virgin Australia Supercars Championship

The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship enters its second round for the year after the popular Superloop Adelaide 500 launched the 2020 season.

Reigning champion Scott McLaughlin ended the weekend on top after securing a second place and race win, while Jamie Whincup backed up his recent career extension announcement with a win in the opening race.

Photo: Edge Photographics

Chaz Mostert enjoyed his Walkinshaw Andretti United debut with a second place in race two, leaving him third on the standings after Triple Eight Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen suffered heartbreak in the final stages of the second race.

Last year’s Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix appearances saw McLaughlin claim three wins out of the four races. The New Zealander only missed out on success in the fourth race after getting hit in the formation lap. McLaughlin’s premature exit saw Mostert win the race in an epic.

The Entry List

#2 Holden Commodore ZB - Bryce Fullwood

#3 Holden Commodore ZB - Macauley Jones

#4 Holden Commodore ZB - Jack Smith

#5 Ford Mustang - Lee Holdsworth

#6 Ford Mustang - Cameron Waters

#7 Ford Mustang - Andre Heimgartner

#8 Holden Commodore ZB - Nick Percat

#9 Holden Commodore ZB - David Reynolds

#12 Ford Mustang - Fabian Coulthard

#14 Holden Commodore ZB - Todd Hazelwood

#15 Ford Mustang - Rick Kelly

#17 Ford Mustang - Scott McLaughlin

#18 Holden Commodore ZB - Mark Winterbottom

#19 Holden Commodore ZB - Alex Davison

#20 Holden Commodore ZB - Scott Pye

#22 Holden Commodore ZB – Chris Pither

#23 Ford Mustang - Will Davison

#25 Holden Commodore ZB - Chaz Mostert

#34 Holden Commodore ZB - Jake Kostecki

#35 Holden Commodore ZB - Garry Jacobson

#55 Ford Mustang - Jack Le Brocq

#88 Holden Commodore ZB - Jamie Whincup

#97 Holden Commodore ZB - Shane van Gisbergen

#99 Holden Commodore ZB - Anton De Pasquale

Beaurepaires Supercars Melbourne 400 Schedule

Thursday 12 March

11:55-12:25 First Practice Session

13:35-14:05 Second Practice Session

16:10-16:20 Race #1 Qualifying Session

16:30-16:40 Race #2 Qualifying Session

Friday 13 March

10:10-10:20 Race #3 Qualifying Session

10:30-10:40 Race #4 Qualifying Session

13:50-14:40 Race #1

Saturday 14 March

12:00-12:45 Race #2

15:20-16:05 Race #3

Sunday 15 March

13:00-13:45 Race #4

carsales TCR Australia Series

After a strong debut season in Australia last year, TCR Australia begins its 2020 campaign on the biggest stage in Australian motorsport with a special international round as part of the Asian Pacific Cup.

A number of the category’s regular drivers will be on hand for the meeting, including inaugural series winner Will Brown and outright contenders Nathan Morcom, Dylan O'Keeffe, Aaron Cameron and James Moffat – all of whom will use the event as preparation for the carsales TCR Australia Series’ season opener later this month as part of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships.

The category will also welcome a number of international TCR superstars including Japanese driver Takuya Shirasaka from, Dutchman Stan Van Oord, Rene Munnich from Germany, France’s Julien Briche and Kiwi Jack Milligan.

There will be a few new faces competing in one of Australia’s newest categories with state Hyundai Excel champion Michael Clemente behind the wheel of a Honda Civic and Jason Bargwanna in the Peugeot 308 TCR.

The Entry List

#1 Hyundai i30N - Will Brown

#2 Volkswagen Golf GTI - Chelsea Angelo

#7 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce - Michael Caruso

#9 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce - Jay Hanson

#10 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce - James Allen

#11 Hyundai i30N - Nathan Morcom

#15 Honda Civic Type R - Michael Clemente

#17 Peugeot 308 TCR - Jason Bargwanna

#18 Peugeot 308 TCR - Aaron Cameron

#22 Audi RS 3 - Jack Milligan

#33 Renault Megane RS - Dylan O'Keeffe

#34 Renault Megane RS - James Moffat

#35 Volkswagen Golf GTI - Alexandra Whitley

#49 Honda Civic Type R - René Münnich

#51 Honda Civic Type R - Takuya Shirasaka

#75 Audi RS 3 - Garth Tander

#77 Audi RS 3 - Stan Van Oord

#97 Audi RS 3 - Liam McAdam

#100 Audi RS 3 - Hamish Ribarits

#110 Honda Civic Type R - Zac Soutar

#308 Peugeot 308 TCR - Julien Briché

#777 Volkswagen Golf GTI - Declan Fraser

carsales TCR Asia Pacific Cup schedule

Thursday 12 March

11:25-11:45 First Practice Session

14:15-14:35 Second Practice Session

16:50-17:10 Qualifying Session

Friday 13 March

9:40-10:00 Race #1 Qualifying Session

Saturday 14 March

11:25-11:45 Race #2

Sunday 15 March

10:40-11:00 Race #3

Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup

Another category running for the second time in 2020 after an epic opener at the Superloop Adelaide 500 in February, which saw Cooper Murray claim maximum points across the three races.

It was a dominant display from the second-year driver who led the field all weekend after securing pole position, although he still had to fend off challenges from the other podium placers in David Wall and Aaron Love.

The youngster will head into the round as favourite with Wall, Love, Dale Wood and three-time Supercars champion Craig Lowndes to contest for top honours in the round. Lowndes will be making his debut in the one-make series after signing with Grove Racing.

It will be a special weekend for the series as it introduces a new 45-minute Endurance race on Thursday afternoon, as well as celebrating Michael Almond and Nick McBride’s 50th Carrera Cup race – a feat achieved by only eight drivers in the category’s history.

The Entry List

#4 - Stephen Grove

#6 - Tim Miles

#8 - Nick McBride

#9 - Marc Cini

#12 - Harrison Jones

#13 - Sam Shahin

#22 - Dean Cook

#23 - Roger Lago

#30 - David Ryan

#34 - Duvashen Padayachee

#35 - Indiran Padayachee

#36 - Cooper Murray

#38 - David Wall

#68 - Greg Ward

#77 - Michael Almond

#78 - Aaron Love

#80 - Max Twigg

#10 - Dale Wood

#11 - Scott Taylor

#77 - Max Vidau

#88 - Craig Lowndes

Schedule

Thursday 12 March

12:35-12:55 Practice

15:40-16:00 Qualifying Session

17:20-18:05 Race #1

Friday 13 March

14:55-15:20 Race #2

Saturday 14 March

13:00-13:25 Race #3

Sunday 15 March

12:15-12:40 Race #4

VHT Australian S5000 Championship

This weekend marks a historic moment for Australian motorsport as the brand new s5000 open-wheel category marks its first official round as a new championship.

The category ran during two Shannons Motorsport Australian Championships rounds in 2019, but has since turned into a national championship and gained a new sponsor in VHT after last running at The Bend Motorsport Park in November.

There will be 15-cars featuring part of the round with a number of international superstars, including former Formula 1 stars Rubens Barrichello and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Other notable drivers include reigning Bathurst 1000 champion Alex Premat, rising international stars Jack Aitken and James Davison, 2019 Australian Formula 4 champion Luis Leeds and Dunlop Super2 Series star Thomas Randle.