Despite the annual sojourn to Albert Park in support of the Australian Formula One Grand Prix, the Supercars championship at last resumes south of the mainland in Tasmania.
The very short 2.4kms of Symmons Plains Raceway will be the battleground for the resumption of the title challenge and despite its unassuming nature – it has been the scene of much drama over the years.
Reigning series champion Shane van Gisbergen will arrive in Tasmania, having won both races at the season opening Clipsal 500. His tally of points stand at a perfect 300, while his nearest rival in Fabian Coulthard sits 51 points adrift.
While many write-off the Australian Grand Prix support round as being a waste of time, offering no championship points, it has over the past two seasons been indicative of what to expect moving forward in the season.
DJR Team Penske consolidated its strong pace from Adelaide in the visit to Melbourne, having won their first race in the category since they aligned with American motorsport giant Roger Penske in 2015.
In fact, the Ford squad won three of the four races that weekend, leaving their benchmark rivals at the Red Bull Holden Racing Team watching closely in their rear-view mirrors.
Symmons Plains has been a circuit that the Red Bull outfit has dominated in recent history. The last eight races at the venue have been won exclusively by Triple Eight prepared Holdens, including the victory by customer team Tekno in 2016 with Will Davison.
The last time a Ford chassis actually won in Tasmania, was back in 2012 with Davison himself claiming the honours for FPR (now Prodrive).
What will make DJR Team Penske and their drivers in Coulthard and Scott McLaughlin such a threat to the Red Bull Holdens will be the supposed ‘silver bullet’ being their new chief engineer Ludo Lacroix.
The Frenchman, who long served the Triple Eight organisation has carried over vital set-up information that could potentially provide put the Falcon FG Xs on par with the VF Commodores.
Many rivals in the past have been unable to crack the winning formula that Triple Eight has at this event and now DJR Team Penske may have had the eureka moment.
McLaughlin is yet to appear on the podium at Symmons Plains, though his current form may prove to rewrite that statistic come the conclusion of both sprint races.
Coulthard meanwhile has won two races here, back in 2013 when he did claim his maiden Supercars win with Brad Jones Racing.
Another key note that was taken away from non-championship Formula One event, was the revival of Jamie Whincup, who was hapless in Adelaide.
Being already 96 points in arrears of his teammate van Gisbergen, the six-time series champion and 11-time race winner in Tasmania, will rely on his past success here to strike back at the Kiwi.
Dark horses to watch over the weekend will be the likes of Chaz Mostert for Prodrive and Craig Lowndes, operating from the Triple Eight stable in his Team Vortex Holden.
Mostert enjoyed a strong run at the Australian Grand Prix, having won his first race (albeit non-championship) since 2015. The results at Symmons Plains however leaves little to be desired, with only one podium having been gleaned since 2014.
Sitting fourth in the standings, Mostert has been the standout driver for Prodrive thus far in the championship, with the onus now on his teammates in Mark Winterbottom and Cam Waters to also push towards the class leaders.
The same can be said about Lowndes, who sits a lowly 132 points in deficit to his stablemate van Gisbergen. Not having started his 2017 campaign in the way that is accustomed to the triple-series champion, Symmons Plains is a place where the veteran has had immense success and can be expected to be up near the top of the order.
Such a short circuit often spells close margins in qualifying and with 26 drivers in the mix, it is best to expect the unexpected as is par for the course on the Australian touring car scene.
With a host of variables set to drive the 2017 edition of Supercars into an intriguing battle for the championship, it is with bated breath that we await the duel between Red Bull and DJR Team Penske in Tasmania – a classic Holden versus Ford contest.
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Ricciardo was forced to retire after the Aston Martin driver slammed into the back of his car during a safety car restart but Stroll…
It’s time that serious questions are asked of his Lance Stroll and his future in the team.
Five-years is a long time in motorsport, let alone the general state of the world – especially given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic…
Red Bull and Max Verstappen vaulted right back to the top of the charts with a win in Suzuka, after his DNF in Melbourne.
Japan Grand Prix has been the most entertaining of the season to date, but Max Verstappen was back to his winning ways.
This season is only four races old, but Fernando Alonso needs to decide on his future beyond this year sooner rather than later. Formula…
