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Spring is here, that means the Season of Endurance for the Supercars championship has arrived and in 2018, it could not be more a pivotal series of races for the title.
Sandown, Bathurst and the Gold Coast are the backdrops to the three-pronged endurance spectacle, which offers 900-points across four gruelling long-distance races.
There’s been 15 changes from the 2017 Enduro Cup on the grid as far as co-drivers are concerned, including one for the current championship leader. Here though, are five of the most potent pairings for this year’s season of endurance.
Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell – No.1 Red Bull Holden Racing Team
While they may not have enjoyed the success that their records boast in the past few Enduro Cups, the Whincup and Dumbrell combination remains one of the most experienced and lethal on the grid.
362-points behind his championship-leading teammate Whincup, if in form, can use the Enduro Cup to springboard himself back into championship contention – having dropped off from the battle a bit in recent times.
Dumbrell as always, has been keeping race-fit in the Super2 series and currently leads the standings there. The veteran also will enjoy double duties at the Sandown 500 this weekend and the Bathurst 1000, with support races in the Super2.
This pairings success ultimately comes down to avoiding the mistakes that have prevented them from winning at Sandown over the past two years, or even Bathurst – where Whincup has faltered since 2013.
(AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)
Scott McLaughlin and Alex Prémat – No.17 DJR Team Penske
Having led the championship since Phillip Island, McLaughlin’s form in the past two rounds has taken a downturn and as a result saw the Kiwi yield the lead to Shane van Gisbergen at Tailem Bend.
Partnering up with the reliable Frenchman in Alex Prémat for the second time now at DJR Team Penske, McLaughlin’s Enduro Cup will be a pivotal one in his race towards a maiden Supercars championship.
While Prémat’s race fitness is always under scrutiny, the former full-time Supercars driver has put to rest such questions in the past and his incredible stint at Sandown last year was evidence enough.
It will all come down to whether the young Kiwi can regain his mojo, which has been missing since the Sydney SuperNight and if the demon qualifying speed is present. If this happens then this pairing can definitely hold up the Enduro Cup come the end of the Gold Coast 600.
Shane van Gisbergen and Earl Bamber – No.97 Red Bull Holden Racing Team
The new championship leader and the current form driver on the grid, Shane van Gisbergen has the momentum at one of the most crucial periods of the championship.
A former winner of the Enduro Cup, Van Gisbergen is naturally an endurance specialist – having raced a variety of GT cars in big endurance events around the world.
His new co-driver is also an endurance specialist and is the reigning World Endurance Champion as well as an outright two-time Le Mans 24 hour winner for Porsche. Earl Bamber, despite being a rookie, is a sleeper in this Enduro Cup and his experience at Bathurst from the 12 hour races will be key.
As with Whincup and Dumbrell, the No.97 car’s success will come down to execution from the Red Bull Holden Racing Team and whether they can avoid errors in the pit-lane and from the garages.
David Reynolds and Luke Youlden – No.9 Erebus Motorsport
The reigning Bathurst 1000 champions will come into this Enduro Cup very much as contenders, given Erebus Motorsport’s car performance throughout the 2018 season.
While their car speed hasn’t been as consistent as the likes of McLaughlin or van Gisbergen, Erebus and David Reynolds have been contenders for podiums and wins on a more regular basis than in previous seasons.
565-points adrift of the championship lead it would take a stellar Enduro Cup, which offers a total of 900-points across three events, for Reynolds to bounce back into contention. Though given their speed, Reynolds and Luke Youlden could very well take wins away from the leaders.
Bursting out of the box and being strong in the Sandown qualifying races last year, Reynolds and Youlden brought attention to themselves before their Bathurst triumph and the hope is that the same can be done this time around.
(Photo: VUE Images / Red Bull Content Pool)
Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards – No.888 Autobarn Lowndes Racing
There has been a lot of spotlight on Craig Lowndes in 2018, particularly given that this will be his final full-time season in Supercars and the Enduro Cup will be no different.
Improved car speed throughout 2018 has been encouraging in the #888 Commodore and while Lowndes may not exactly be in title contention, there’s no doubt in these long-distance races this experienced combination will shine.
Sharing ten Bathurst 1000 titles between them, Lowndes and Richards haven’t had the success that their credentials would have liked since their 2015 Bathurst win, though it is impossible not to include them on a list of contenders.
Again, their results may lie with avoiding the errors that have plagued the entire Triple Eight stable in the Enduro Cup, nailing a setup from the outset and qualifying towards the front of the grid.
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