The future stars of Supercars will lead an impressive support card at this weekend’s Newcastle 500, with a healthy field across Super2 and Super3 for the 2023 season opener.
A field of 29 will battle it out on the streets of Newcastle in the combined field, with both competitions looking different in 2023.
Serving as a long-time breeding ground for the Supercars Championship, Super2 will inherit the previous evolution Ford Mustang GTs and Holden Commodore ZBs for the first time.
Early 'Car of the Future' models, such as the FG X Falcon, VF Commodore and Nissan Altima, will now feature in the Super3 grid alongside 'Project Blueprint' FG Falcons and VE Commodores.
As for the entry lists, the Super2 competitors make up the majority of the grid with 20 drivers in total, while the remaining nine are fielded by Super3 participants..
In what is likely to be one of the strongest seasons in recent years is highlighted by the depth of talent all the way through.
Some of the big names to look out for include two-time Super2 Series runner-up Zak Best, former race winner Jay Robotham, Matt Chahda, Zane Morse, and previous TCR Australia Series young gun Jay Hanson.
Fresh from a hugely entertaining Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia title fight last year will be Ryan Wood, who joins Zach Bates in Walkinshaw Andretti United’s grand return to the series.
Walkinsaw isn’t the only Supercars team to be entered in the feeder series - with Tickford Racing, Erebus Motorsport, Brad Jones Racing, Matt Stone Racing and Blanchard Racing Team all having at least one entry in either Super2 or Super3.
Lachlan Dalton (Brad Jones Racing), Aaron Love (Blanchard Racing Team), Jack Perkins (Erebus Motorsport), and both Brad Vaughan and Elly Morrow (Tickford Racing) are among the notable names representing the Supercars outfits in Super2.
Vaughan will be one of a handful making the step up from Super3 to Super2 in 2023, with last year’s winner to be joined by his 2022 title rival Kai Allen, who will be joined by Porsche success story Cooper Murray at Eggleston Motorsport.
As for Super3, the entry list will be led by famous next-generation names as Mason Kelly, Jett Johnson, and Cameron McLeod all look to follow in the footsteps of their highly successful families.
Click here to view the entry list.
The combined series will follow a similar format to its parent series at all six rounds in 2023, with this weekend to see competitors have practice sessions on Friday, race one and qualifying on Saturday and race two and qualifying on Sunday.
Fans will be able to watch all sessions live and ad-free on Fox Sports and Kayo, while both races will be part of Seven's free-to-air coverage.
Tickets for the Thrifty Newcastle 500 are still available for purchase here.
Other support categories making up the schedule include the Gulf Western Oils Touring Cars Masters and Battery World Aussie Racing Cars Super Series.
The Dunlop Super2 and Super3 Series’ first round gets underway on the streets of Newcastle on 10-12 March.
Friday (AEDT)
10:10 - 11:00: Practice 1
12:50 - 13:30: Practice 2
Saturday (AEDT)
10:25 - 10:55: ARMOR ALL Qualifying - Race 1
13:50 - 14:20: Race 1
Sunday (AEDT)
10:25 - 10:55: ARMOR ALL Qualifying - Race 2
13:50 - 14:20: Race 2
2023 Calendar
Round 1: Newcastle 500 – Newcastle Street Circuit - 10–12 March
Round 2: Perth SuperSprint - CARCO.com.au Raceway - 28–30 April
Round 3: Townsville 500 - Reid Park Street Circuit - 7–9 July
Round 4: Sandown 500- Sandown Raceway- 15–17 September
Round 5: Bathurst 1000 - Mount Panorama Circuit - 5–8 October
Round 6: Adelaide 500 - Adelaide Street Circuit - 23–26 November