Opinion
Night racing in Sydney has been a staple of the Supercars championship since 2018 and it never disappoints. Delivering exciting and energised racing, with glowing brake rotors and flames spitting from the side exhausts of the cars.
The 2023 Sydney SuperNight was no different, with plenty of drama under the lights of Sydney Motorsport Park and silly season news to digest. Here are the key talking points from the weekend.
Brodie Kostecki took his first win since the Australian Grand Prix support round in April, claiming victory in an eventful Race 18 under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Notching up a third career win, Kostecki who came into the weekend having lost the points lead to teammate Will Brown in Townsville, concluded the opening night of the Sydney event with a 14-point lead.
Starting on the front-row next to Andre Heimgartner who was on pole position for Brad Jones Racing, Kostecki leapt into the lead with a sensational start. Heimgartner’s by comparison was far from optimal – dropping to fifth by the end of Lap 1.
Brown and Cameron Waters in the Monster Energy Mustang were in pursuit of the leading Coca-Cola Camaro in the opening phase of the race, while the Matt Stone Racing duo were in behind with rookie Cameron Hill as high as fourth.
The leaders began their pit-stops on Lap 17, as Brown and Waters boxed. Tickford were able to jump the Erebus Camaro for track position, while Kostecki kept his effective race lead when he pitted on Lap 19.
Lap 33 saw David Reynolds crash out, with the Safety Car triggered on Lap 35. Waters took this opportunity to make his second stop, however was released into the path of Broc Feeney in the Red Bull Camaro. This saw the Tickford driver penalised 5-seconds, which’d eventually see him lose his top three spot.
Kostecki remained unchallenged to the chequered flag, while chaos ensued behind him for the remainder of the podium places. Chaz Mostert scythed his way to a welcome second; his best result since Newcastle, while van Gisbergen and Brown scrapped for third.
There was nose-to-tail contact from van Gisbergen on Brown on the final lap at Turn 8, which saw the Red Bull Camaro penalised 5-seconds for and dumped off the podium despite passing Brown.
Both Waters and van Gisbergen received separate penalties during Race 18, which saw their prospective podium finishes stripped from them, as controversy ensued around Sydney Motorsport Park.
The Monster Energy Mustang was hit with a 5-second time penalty for an unsafe release, following their pit-stop and being released into the path of Feeney who as the stewards reported – braked ‘firmly’ to avoid contact.
Tickford team principal Tim Edwards remarked to Speedcafe that the penalty ‘defies belief’ and that there was ‘no contact’, between Waters and Feeney. However the stewards constitute a breach in that the Red Bull Camaro had to brake harder to avoid the other car.
Waters, who finished third on the track but was relegated to sixth with the penalty, also let his feelings be heard on team radio and shouted, “they wonder why all their drivers want to f—en leave [Supercars],” in the heat of the moment.
Reigning Supercars champion van Gisbergen would’ve been elevated to third as a result of the Waters penalty, though the Kiwi was also hit with a 5-second time penalty for contact with Brown on the last lap.
Shane van Gisbergen (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
There was nose-to-rear contact at Turn 8 from van Gisbergen on the Coca-Cola Camaro which eventually claimed third place. Given it was on the final lap, there was confusion amongst the Triple Eight ranks as to whether it was an in-race penalty or post-race.
Team Manager Mark Dutton during the broadcast asked for clarity, as if it was a post-race penalty the team would have the right to protest it. Not something Erebus Team Principal was here for, as Barry Ryan in the broadcast shared his thoughts laden with expletives.
“Shane – he can’t keep f—ing doing that, it’s bullshit. He hit him up the arse and he passed him – you can’t do that. We’re just going to make sure he gets done this time and not let off, because we’re sick of it.”
Ryan was fined $5000 by the stewards for his tirade, with half of the sum suspended till December 31 on the proviso he engages in community service.
Reigning Supercars champion van Gisbergen claimed his fourth win of the season and first since the Perth SuperSprint in May. The Kiwi saw off a challenge from compatriot Heimgartner and cruised to a 79th career win.
From pole, van Gisbergen lost the lead going into Turn 1 with Heimgartner executing his start to perfection unlike on Saturday. The Brad Jones Racer’s time at the front of the field was short lived however, as the Red Bull Camaro retook the lead on Lap 4.
Behind the leaders going into Turn 1, Brown was sent flying across the grass as well as the Penrite Mustang of David Reynolds. Replays showed four cars looking to run side-by-side into the sweeping first corner, with Mark Winterbottom triggering the contact with Anton De Pasquale – before Reynolds and Brown were sent off track.
Brown went on to recover to fourteenth at the end of the 36-lap sprint race, though lost further ground to teammate Kostecki in the standings. Kostecki, lost out in the pitstops to the likes of Feeney, De Pasquale and Bryce Fullwood – who undercut the championship leader by pitting on Lap 15.
Heimgartner pitted on Lap 19, with van Gisbergen in the following lap. Both Red Bull Camaros had an effective one-two lead when the stops filtered through, as De Pasquale who pitted early found himself in podium contention.
The R&J Batteries Camaro displaced De Pasquale for second and was comfortable in building a 10.4-second gap to the Shell V-Power Mustang, who did eventually claim third by passing Feeney on the final lap at Turn 7.
Van Gisbergen’s 5.2-second win over Heimgartner was a welcome boost to the reigning champ’s points tally. Moving back into third, ahead of teammate Feeney and 54-points behind leader Kostecki.
In wake of van Gisbergen’s success in the Cup Series on debut in Chicago, 25-year old Kostecki will now travel Stateside to also debut in the US’s premier stock car racing series.
Kostecki will race for Richard Childress Racing, alongside the likes of Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon in the Verizon 200 event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will take place on the Road Course, on the same weekend as IndyCar.
Not long after confirmation of Kostecki’s plans for the Brickyard, Trackhouse Racing and Project91 announced that van Gisbergen would also be returning to participate there.
Tipped by NASCAR regulars to be a favourite already for the Road Course, given its similarity to Supercars circuits, van Gisbergen looks to be on the cusp of a switch Stateside for 2024.
While having a contract to race for Triple Eight next year, team boss Jamie Whincup made it no secret after the Chicago victory that he wouldn’t stand in the Kiwi’s way. Now also saying he wants an answer from van Gisbergen for 2024 before the Verizon 200 in a fortnight.
As for Kostecki’s debut, the excitement is there to see these fierce rivals from Supercars lock horns in their NASCAR Chevrolet Camaros, at one of the most famous racing venues on the planet.
With all the talk of van Gisbergen going to NASCAR in 2024, there have been murmurings of changes coming up and down the grid to driver lineups as the silly season for Supercars commences.
Red Bull Ampol Racing boss Whincup has put in a deadline for an answer on van Gisbergen’s 2024 plans in the next fortnight. If he goes, then one of the most prized seats in Supercars becomes available.
Enduro co-driver Richie Stanaway is a potential candidate, with the Kiwi having last raced full-time in Supercars for Garry Rogers Motorsport in 2019. Waters was another name being speculated as a suitor to the van Gisbergen seat – however a watertight option to Cam’s contract in Tickford’s favour looks set to be exercised.
Waters staying put at Tickford would also quash any possibility of a reunion with former teammate Mostert at Walkinshaw Andretti United. The Clayton based squad seeming like they’ll be parting ways with Nick Percat, who’s struggled to match Mostert in the two-years spent together.
WAU could promote Super2 young gun and their academy driver Ryan Wood to the main game in 2024, after he impressed at a recent evaluation day. Though the safer bet would be former DJR Team Penske driver and current WAU co-driver Fabian Coulthard.
Reynolds has been another name speculated to possibly move teams, with Grove Racing reportedly not offering the out-of-contract 2017-Bathurst 1000 winner the sort of long-term deal he desires. This might be something the 38-year old may get from Team 18 – who look to no longer require the services of Scott Pye beyond this season.
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