The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship returns to Hidden Valley for the second week in a row, following Jamie Whincup’s Darwin Triple Crown victory just days ago.

 

Ahead of this weekend’s CoreStaff Darwin Supersprint, motorsport.org.au looks at some of the key Supercars news between rounds.

 

With the Northern Territory state election and Saturday night’s AFL match taking place in Darwin on Saturday, there has been a change to the regular Supercars schedule.

 

It will be an early start for crews on Saturday morning with the first practice session running from 8:20am ACST, before qualifying gets underway at 11.30am. Just over three hours later, all track action will be wrapped up, with teams to begin preparing for Sunday.

 

Another difference between this weekend’s round and the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown will be the addition of a special support category made up of local competitors, with the category to have a race on both days, as well as a practice and qualifying session on Saturday morning.

 

Before Supercars ran the first of two rounds in Darwin last weekend, Jamie Whincup had his eyes set on another record to add to his already impressive list of achievements – the most race wins at Hidden Valley Raceway.

 

Having entered the Triple Crown on six wins already, Whincup was just two behind the current holder in Mark Skaife, who enjoyed an incredible career of his own.

 

After winning the final race of the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown, the 2017 Supercars Champion moved into second place alongside his endurance co-driver Craig Lowndes on seven each, but he still has the opportunity to surpass Skaife this weekend.

 

Needing just one win to equal the record, Whincup will have three opportunities to achieve the feat during the round, and in a season where a variety of drivers have been winning races, anything is possible.


Race 13

Pole: Scott McLaughlin

Winner: Anton De Pasquale 

Runner-Up: James Courtney 

Third: Scott Pye


 

Race 14

Pole: Scott McLaughlin

Winner: Scott McLaughlin

Runner-Up: Jamie Whincup

Third: Fabian Coulthard

 

Race 15

Pole: Scott McLaughlin

Winner: Jamie Whincup

Runner-Up: Scott McLaughlin 

 

Scott McLaughlin – 1024 points

Jamie Whincup - 923

Chaz Mostert – 814

Shane van Gisbergen - 753

David Reynolds - 736

Cameron Waters - 733

Mark Winterbottom - 706

Nick Percat  - 705

Fabian Coulthard - 682

Lee Holdsworth – 675

 

#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

#25 Holden Commodore ZB - Chaz Mostert

#34 Holden Commodore ZB – Zane Goddard

#35 Holden Commodore ZB - Garry Jacobson

#44 Ford Mustang – James Courtney

#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

 

Saturday 22 August

8:20-8:40am – Rookie-only practice

8:55-9:25am – Practice 1

10:05-10:35am – Practice 2

11:25-11:35am– Qualifying Part 1 Race 16

11:45-11:50am – Qualifying Part 2 Race 16

12:00-12:30pm – Top 15 Shootout Race 16

1:50-2:48pm – Race 16 

 

Sunday 23 August

10:20-10:30am – Qualifying Race 17

10:35-10:45am – Qualifying Race 18

12:00-12:58pm – Race 17 

2:25-3:23pm – Race 18

 

(All times are marked as local Australian Central Standard Time)