The Virgin Australia Supercars Championships returns this weekend with the first round of the next double header at The Bend Motorsport Park.

Ahead of The Repco SuperSprint at The Bend, motorsport.org.au previews some of the key details for this weekend’s event.

Formats locked in
There is no change surrounding the duration of the three races, with 24 laps for each race as well as five sets of single soft-compound tyres available to teams.

Since the season’s restart in June, drivers have competed in a three-tiered qualifying session for the first race of each weekend, culminating in a Top 15 Shootout. For the two Townsville rounds, that section was reduced to its traditional format of 10 drivers.

At The Bend, Saturday’s qualifying session will see a return to the top 15 shootout, with five drivers to be eliminated in section one and a further five in the middle section.

New Circuit
The drivers will be in familiar territory for the first weekend of their double header at The Bend, with all three races to take place on the circuit’s 4.95km International layout.

Having raced on that circuit in all previous rounds, Supercars decided it would take advantage of the two consecutive weekends and switch to The Bend’s shorter, 3.41km ‘west circuit’ layout the following weekend.

“Whilst it looks shorter, it could potentially deliver us a good little racetrack so we thought while we’re here and we have got the chance to try it, we should try a weekend on it,” Supercars Head of Motorsport Adrian Burgess explained.

“Logistically it’s easy for the teams, it’s easy for TV and things to change from one to the other, so while we’re in town we thought we would give it a go.”

Support Categories
Like last month’s NTI Townsville Supersprint, the Repco SuperSprint at The Bend will feature two support categories throughout the weekend.

After its successful meeting at Townsville, the Aussie Tin Tops will be back in action with three races to run over the course of the weekend, as will the more grassroots inspired Combined Sedans.

The entry list for the Tin Tops is impressive once again, with a number of national drivers confirming their place in the support category. Dunlop Super2 star Thomas Randle headlines the entry list, with the Victorian to run Rusty French’s Bentley Continental Mk1 GT3 in what will be its Australian racing debut. 

Also featuring in the category is Super3 driver, Madeline Stewart. The Kiwi will be running in the same Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car she had planned to run in Asia this year with Earl Bamber Motorsport.

After seeing how strong the competition was in Townsville, with the likes of 2019 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge winner Harri Jones, GT veteran Tony Quinn and Bathurst winner Luke Youlden all running, Stewart decided to take up the opportunity offered to her through McElrea racing for this weekend.

2019 OTR Supersprint results 
Race 1
Pole: Chaz Mostert
Winner: Scott McLaughlin
Runner-Up: Chaz Mostert
Third: Anton De Pasquale

Race 2
Pole: Scott McLaughlin
Winner: Scott McLaughlin
Runner-Up: Will Davison
Third: Chaz Mostert  

Championship Top 10
Scott McLaughlin – 1834 points
Jamie Whincup – 1691
Chaz Mostert – 1390
Cameron Waters – 1369
Shane van Gisbergen  – 1357
Nick Percat – 1281
Fabian Coulthard  – 1172
Mark Winterbottom  – 1166
Lee Holdsworth – 1143
David Reynolds  – 1134

The Grid
#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

Supercars Schedule
Saturday 19 September
9.05-9:25am – Rookie-only practice
9:40-10:10am – Practice 1
10:55-11:25am – Practice 2
12:40-2:05pm – Armor All Qualifying Race 25
3:45-4:48pm – Race 25
 
Sunday 20 September
9:50-10:00am – Qualifying Race 26
10:10-10:20am – Qualifying Race 27
12:25-1:28pm – Race 26
2:55-3:58pm – Race 27

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