The Repco Supercars Championship has officially kicked off for 2023 with the season launch having taken place in Sydney this week.
 
From an introduction to four of the new Gen3 cars to the formal event launch on Monday night – the highly anticipated new generation of Supercars has arrived.
 
The launch started off with Supercars stars Chaz Mostert, Mark Winterbottom, Will Davison, and Shane van Gisbergen speaking to media and showcasing their respective Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros at the picturesque Sydney Harbour.
 
With the sun glistening over the top of the four cars, all four stars were able to share their thoughts on the new cars, which marks one of the category’s biggest changes in history.


Mostert, who will pilot Walkinshaw Andretti United’s first ever Ford in Australia, was thrilled with the cars and was looking forward to the challenging uncertainty throughout the season.  

“The cars look fantastic - obviously a new generation of Supercar,” Mostert said.
 
“It’s going to be an exciting process going through this year and trying to learn these beasts, working out where we can make advantages and try and beat all the other teams and drivers along the way.
 
“I am excited for the competition this year.

“It’s also exciting to know there’s a new platform for us to learn.
 
“Put 25 guys on the track with several different teams, we all want to beat each other - it doesn’t matter what we’re driving, so I’m just super-excited [and] they look good.”


van Gisbergen was also ready to get the season underway and to head to Newcastle where he will be behind the wheel of the brand-new Camaro.
 
“There has been a lot of work gone in and huge thanks to my team and all the guys there. There were a few long days, but when we rolled out for our test last week, the cars ran faultlessly and credit to the team. They have done a great job,” van Gisbergen added.
 
“I am looking forward to doing a test and then racing in a few weeks. It’s going to be a tough first race but it’s one of the coolest street tracks we go to.
 
“A lot of years of work have gone into these cars so having them all on the same track at once will be a cool thing for the sport but the real test will be Newcastle.”

 
The cars then made a grand entrance in front of an invite-only crowd in the evening as they roared to life and gave attendees a glimpse of what to expect throughout the season.

Speaking at the formal event, Supercars CEO Shane Howard believed this season would be one of the championship’s biggest in what has been a long and illustrious history.  

“This year will be unforgettable for fans,” Howard said.
 
“With the Camaro vs Mustang debut, the return of the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 and our marquee event, the Repco Bathurst 1000, celebrating its 60th anniversary, 2023 is shaping as one of the most exciting in the history of our sport.
 
“We have seen that excitement and anticipation build around the country as teams, who have worked tirelessly over recent months, unveiled and hit the track with their brand-new Supercars.
 
“Today we are launching not just a new season, but a new era for our great sport.
 
“Under the guidance of our ownership group RACE and our stakeholders, we have set a path for the future of Supercars, and we cannot wait to begin racing these incredible new cars on the streets of Newcastle in just over two weeks’ time.”


 
The 2023 season will have 28 races spread over 12 events around the country with a mix of street and permanent circuits making up the calendar.
 
Of the 25 entries, 14 will be behind the wheel of the Camaro, while 11 will run in the Ford Mustang, which was introduced ahead of the 2019 season.
 
Supercars will have its first and only official test day this week at Sydney Motorsport Park before the season gets underway in Newcastle on 10-12 March.