The 2019 Supercars Championship (known for commercial reasons as the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship) [1] was the twenty-first running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-third series in which Supercars have contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport. The 2019 championship also included the running of the 1,000th Australian Touring Car Championship race, which was contested at the Melbourne 400. [2]
Scott McLaughlin contested the series as the defending driver's champion. McLaughlin successfully defended his championship title, [3] and in doing so, he broke Craig Lowndes' 1996 record for the most wins in a championship year when he recorded his seventeenth win at Pukekohe Park. [4] [lower-alpha 1] His team, DJR Team Penske, won their second teams' championship. Ford secured the manufacturers' title at the Ipswich SuperSprint. [6]
The following teams and drivers competed in the 2019 championship.
Holden was represented by factory-backed team Triple Eight Race Engineering. [35]
The sixth generation Ford Mustang, the Mustang GT, was homologated for the 2019 championship. The Mustang was a replacement for the FG X Falcon, which was used between 2015 and 2018. [36] [37] Tickford Racing and DJR Team Penske oversaw the development of the car, with Ford Performance providing additional technical support. [38] [39] [40] Ford Australia provided financial support in developing the car, but no team was officially recognised as a factory team. [41] The homologation process required modifications to the bodywork to fit the series' control chassis, but the car continued to use the V8 engine used by the FG X Falcon. [42] [43] The decision to return the Mustang to the series was made as Australia's domestic production of the Ford Falcon ceased in 2016. [44] The Mustang's return marked the first time since 1990 that a Mustang has contested the premier class of Australian motorsport. [45] The car completed the homologation process in December 2018 and was subsequently approved for competition by the Supercars Commission. [46]
Nissan withdrew its factory support from the championship at the end of 2018 as the company elected to change its global motorsport strategy and focus on its Formula E entry. Kelly Racing —who raced under the Nissan Motorsport name between 2013 and 2018—continued to compete with the Altima L33 chassis under licence from the company. [47] [48] Nissan's decision to withdraw from the championship followed the Altima being withdrawn from sale in Australia in 2017. [49]
The number of entries was reduced from twenty-six to twenty-four with both Tickford Racing and Triple Eight Race Engineering returning a Racing Entitlement Contract (REC) to the sport's management. [50] [51] [52] 23Red Racing formed a partnership with Tickford Racing which saw it become a satellite team of Tickford. [53] Matt Stone Racing upgraded from a VF Commodore to a ZB Commodore and are receiving technical support from Triple Eight Race Engineering. [54]
Michael Caruso left Kelly Racing, joining Tickford Racing as an endurance co-driver. Caruso's seat was filled by Garry Jacobson, who made his full time début in the championship with the team. [7] [55]
Craig Lowndes and Tim Blanchard retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2018 championship. [56] Both returned as endurance co-drivers with Triple Eight Race Engineering and Brad Jones Racing respectively. [8] [57] [58] Blanchard's seat at Tim Blanchard Racing was filled by Macauley Jones. [59] Jones made his full time début in the championship, after having previously entered as a wildcard at selected events in 2017 and 2018.
Mark Winterbottom and Richie Stanaway left Tickford Racing. [60] Winterbottom moved to Team 18, replacing Lee Holdsworth. [61] [62] Holdsworth took Winterbottom's place at Tickford Racing, [63] while Stanaway moved to Garry Rogers Motorsport to replace Garth Tander. [26] Tander stepped down from full-time competition, joining Triple Eight Race Engineering as an endurance co-driver. [21]
Richie Stanaway was withdrawn halfway through the Winton SuperSprint and missed the next three rounds, due to a neck injury. He was replaced for the remainder of the round, and the following Darwin Triple Crown by Chris Pither, who had already been nominated as Stanaway's partner for the endurance races. [64] Michael Caruso stepped in for the Townsville 400 and Ipswich SuperSprint, returning to the team for the first time since 2012. [31] Stanaway was stood down halfway through the Gold Coast 600, due to disciplinary reasons. Chris Pither became the main driver for the Sunday race while Super2 and TCR Australia driver Dylan O'Keeffe made his debut with the team.
The calendar was reduced to fifteen rounds in 2019, with the following events scheduled to take place:
The 2019 calendar underwent a radical revision compared to the 2018 calendar. The Sydney SuperNight 300 was removed from the calendar entirely and was replaced by a new night race at Barbagallo Raceway. The change was made with the long-term view to running the Sydney round in January 2020 as part of a proposed move to a "summer series" format that would see the championship run primarily in the summer months. [65]
The Sandown 500 moved to a late-season slot in November, becoming the final round of the Pirtek Enduro Cup, to avoid clashing with the AFL and NRL finals series. The Auckland SuperSprint was brought forward to September, making the Sandown 500 the penultimate round of the championship. [65] Changes to the Formula One calendar meant that the Australian Grand Prix was run earlier in the year than it was in 2018, and thus the Supercars support races was also moved forward. The Adelaide 500 was subsequently brought forward to remain the opening round of the season.
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit event format reverted to a SuperSprint format after two years of two 250 kilometre races known as the Phillip Island 500. [66]
As a cost reduction measure, the use of twin-spring dampers were banned with teams required to use linear spring dampers. [67] A new specification of transaxle developed by Xtrac was introduced. [68]
If a car was released from the pit bay before the fuel rig was decoupled from the car, the car had to be re-raised on its pneumatic jacks and the fuel rig removed before the driver can rejoin the race. [69]
Points were awarded for each race at an event, to the driver or drivers of a car that completed at least 75% of the race distance and was running at the completion of the race. At least 50% of the planned race distance must be completed for the result to be valid and championship points awarded.
Points format | Position | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | |
Standard | 150 | 138 | 129 | 120 | 111 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 69 | 66 | 63 | 60 | 57 | 54 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 27 |
Bathurst | 300 | 276 | 258 | 240 | 222 | 204 | 192 | 180 | 168 | 156 | 144 | 138 | 132 | 126 | 120 | 114 | 108 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 66 | 60 | 54 |
Sandown | 250 | 230 | 215 | 200 | 185 | 170 | 160 | 150 | 140 | 130 | 120 | 115 | 110 | 105 | 100 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 80 | 75 | 70 | 65 | 60 | 55 | 50 | |
Melbourne (long) | 100 | 92 | 86 | 80 | 74 | 68 | 64 | 60 | 56 | 52 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 42 | 40 | 38 | 36 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | ||
Melbourne (short) | 50 | 46 | 43 | 40 | 37 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
|
Results count toward the Enduro Cup. |
Bold - Pole position |
|
‡ – Denotes single-car team Results count toward the Enduro Cup. |
The Manufacturers award was won by Ford.
The Sandown 500 is an annual endurance motor race which is staged at the Sandown Raceway, near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from 1964. The event's name, distance – and the category of cars competing in it – has varied widely throughout its history. Most recently, the event was held as a championship event for Supercars from 2003 to 2007 and from 2012 to 2019.
Tickford Racing is an Australian motor racing team which competes in the Supercars Championship. The team currently campaigns two Ford Mustangs, with their current drivers being Cam Waters and Thomas Randle. Tickford Racing also competes in the Super2 Series with Brad Vaughan and Lochie Dalton.
Richard Stanaway is a racing car driver from New Zealand. He currently competes full-time in the Supercars Championship, driving the No. 26 Ford Mustang GT for Grove Racing.
23Red Racing was an Australian motor racing team that competed in the Supercars Championship. It fielded a single Tickford Racing-run Ford, driven by Will Davison. The team had also competed in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia and planned to compete in the Super2 Series.
Chaz Michael Mostert is an Australian professional racing driver competing in the Repco Supercars Championship. He currently drives the No. 25 Ford Mustang GT for Walkinshaw Andretti United. Mostert was the winner of the 2021 Bathurst 1000 with Lee Holdsworth and has also previously won the 2014 Bathurst 1000 with Paul Morris and the 2010 Australian Formula Ford Championship.
The 2014 International V8 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for V8 Supercars. It was the sixteenth running of the V8 Supercars Championship and the eighteenth series in which V8 Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The 2016 International V8 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars. It was the eighteenth running of the Supercars Championship and the twentieth series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The Enduro Cup, was an award given out to the highest points scorers over the three endurance events in Supercars; the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 and the Gold Coast 600.
The 2017 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars, which prior to July 2016 had been known as V8 Supercars. It was the nineteenth running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-first series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
The 2016 Wilson Security Sandown 500 was a motor racing event for Supercars, held from 16 to 18 September 2016 at the Sandown Raceway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and consisted of one race of 445 kilometres in length. It was the tenth event of fourteen in the 2016 International V8 Supercars Championship and hosted Race 20 of the season. It was also the first event of the 2016 Pirtek Enduro Cup. The event was the 46th running of the Sandown 500.
The 2018 Supercars Championship was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twentieth running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-second series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title. Teams and drivers competed in thirty-one races at sixteen venues across Australia and New Zealand for the championship titles. Scott McLaughlin won his maiden title at the final race in Newcastle, while Red Bull Holden Racing Team won the Teams Championship at Pukekohe.
Todd Matthew Hazelwood is an Australian professional racing driver competing in the Repco Supercars Championship.
The 2018 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 was a motor racing event for Supercars, held on the weekend of 4–7 October 2018. It was staged at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia and featured of a 1000 kilometre race. The event was the thirteenth of sixteen in the 2018 Supercars Championship and incorporated Race 25 of the series. It was also the second event of the 2018 Enduro Cup.
The 2019 Melbourne 400 was a motor racing event for the Supercars Championship held as a support event to the 2019 Australian Grand Prix from 14 March to 17 March 2019. It was held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit and consisted of two races of 70 kilometres and two races of 130 kilometres. It was the second event of fifteen in the 2019 Supercars Championship and the second running of the Melbourne 400 event.
The 2020 Supercars Championship was a motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twenty-second running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-fourth series in which Supercars have contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport. Due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of rounds were rescheduled or cancelled.
The 2019 Bathurst 1000 was a motor racing event for Supercars which was held on the weekend of 10–13 October 2019. It was held at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia and featured a single 1000 kilometre race. The event was the eleventh of fourteen in the 2019 Supercars Championship and incorporated Race 25 of the series. It was also the opening round of the 2019 Enduro Cup.
The 2021 Supercars Championship was a motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twenty-third running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-fifth series in which Supercars have contested the Australian Touring Car Championship, the premier title in Australian motorsport. Atlanta-based international auto parts conglomerate Genuine Parts Company, through the consumer auto parts brand Repco, replaced Virgin Australia as naming rights sponsor under a five-year partnership, which was later expanded to eight years at the end of the 2022 prizegiving banquet.
The 2023 Supercars Championship was a motor racing series for Supercars.
The 2023 Dunlop Series was an Australian motor racing competition for Supercars as a support series. It was the twenty-fourth running of the Supercars Development Series, the second tier of competition in Supercars racing. Since joining as a class in 2021 this marks at the same time as the sixteenth running of the Super3 Series, the third tier of competition in Supercars racing.
The 2024 Supercars Championship is a current motor racing series for Supercars.
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