Tasmania SuperSprint

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Flag of Tasmania.svg Tasmania SuperSprint
Symmons Plains Raceway (Australia) track map.svg
Race Information
Venue Symmons Plains Raceway
Number of times held50
First held1969
Race Format
Race 1
Laps42
Distance100 km
Race 2
Laps42
Distance100 km
Race 3
Laps42
Distance100 km
Last Event (2023)
Overall Winner
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Brown Erebus Motorsport
Race Winners
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Brown Erebus Motorsport
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Broc Feeney Triple Eight Race Engineering
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Brown Erebus Motorsport

The Tasmania SuperSprint (formally known as the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint) is an annual motor racing event for Supercars, held at Symmons Plains Raceway in Launceston, Tasmania. The event has been a regular part of the Supercars Championship—and its previous incarnations, the Australian Touring Car Championship, Shell Championship Series and V8 Supercars Championship—since 1969.

Contents

Behind Sandown Raceway, which has most commonly hosted the Sandown 500 and Sandown SuperSprint, Symmons Plains has hosted the most events in championship history with 49 as of 2022. [1] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the only hiatus for the event was between 2000 and 2003 during which the circuit received a A$3 million upgrade. [2] The event is seen as one of Tasmania's largest sporting events, providing a variety of benefits to the local economy. [2]

Format

The event is staged over a two-day weekend, from Saturday to Sunday. Two thirty-minute practice sessions are held on Saturday, then a three-part qualifying session is held which decides the grid positions for the following 100 kilometre race. Two separated fifteen-minute qualifying sessions are held on Sunday, which decide the grid for the following 100 km races. [3]

History

When the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) was first held over a series of races in 1969, Symmons Plains was included on the calendar as the final race of the series. The race would decide the championship that year, as Alan Hamilton could take the title from Ian Geoghegan if he won the race and Geoghegan failed to score. Geoghegan's car failed to start at the one-minute signal and his pit crew push started the car. This was not allowed under the regulations of the time and Geoghegan was disqualified. Hamilton ended up finishing the race in second place behind Norm Beechey, losing the title to Geoghegan by a single point. [4] After again hosting the final round in 1970, Symmons Plains became the home of the opening round, hosting the first event of the ATCC every year from 1971 to 1981. Allan Moffat and Peter Brock were the most successful drivers at the event in this period, taking seven of the eleven possible victories between them. John Harvey also scored his only two ATCC victories at the event, winning in 1976 and 1979. [5]

In 1985, Robbie Francevic won his and Volvo's first round victory, winning again in 1986. [6] Between 1988 and 1990, Dick Johnson joined Moffat as the only two drivers to win three consecutive rounds at the circuit. In 1993, 1980 Formula One World Champion Alan Jones won his first ATCC round, despite a clash with Mark Skaife which led to a confrontation after the race. [7] In the late 1990s, Holden Racing Team dominated the event with four consecutive round wins from 1996 to 1999. During this period, the Symmons Plains event remained in the early part of the ATCC calendar until 1999, when it was moved to August. The Government of Tasmania didn't renew the event's contract after 1999 and the race dropped off the calendar in 2000. [2]

Following the completion of a circuit upgrade in 2004, which included the construction of permanent pit lane facilities and a resurfacing of the track, a new deal was struck to bring the event back onto the calendar in November of the same year. [8] Tasmanian driver Marcos Ambrose went into the 2004 event attempting to seal a back-to-back championship victory, until an engine failure in the third and final race of the weekend delayed his coronation as champion. David Besnard and three other drivers benefited from a fortuitous late-race safety car to jump to the front of the field, before the four drivers were then demoted to the back of the field at a subsequent safety car due to confusion regarding the standings. Several days later, Besnard was credited with the win, the only win for WPS Racing. [9] Initially on its return, the event was generally held towards the end of the season, often as the penultimate event, until a move to the early stages of the championship calendar in 2012.

Between 2007 and 2015, Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight Race Engineering dominated the event with six wins. This has seen Whincup surpass Brock as the most successful driver in the event's history. In 2013, Fabian Coulthard won Brad Jones Racing their first championship round, winning two races with team-mate Jason Bright winning the other. In 2017, the Saturday race was suspended after two laps due to a twelve car pile-up in wet conditions. While the race later briefly restarted under safety car, no championship points were awarded due to the short distance completed, however Shane van Gisbergen was still credited with a race victory. [10] In 2018, a three-stage knockout qualifying system was introduced to the championship at Symmons Plains to reduce the risks of traffic. [11] Craig Lowndes won the round, his last round win as a solo driver, and his first at the circuit since 1998. [12]

The 2020 event was postponed until November to the COVID-19 pandemic, before later being cancelled altogether. [13] [14] [15] [16]

Winners

Peter Brock at Symmons Plains in 1982. He would win the event that year. Brock-vc82.jpg
Peter Brock at Symmons Plains in 1982. He would win the event that year.
YearDriver [4] Team/EntrantCarReport
1969 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norm Beechey Norm Beechey Holden HK Monaro GTS327
1970 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim McKeown Shell Racing Team Porsche 911
1971 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Allan Moffat Allan Moffat Racing Ford Boss 302 Mustang
1972 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Allan Moffat Allan Moffat Racing Ford Boss 302 Mustang
1973 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Allan Moffat Ford Works Team Ford XY Falcon GTHO Phase III
1974 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team Holden LJ Torana GTR XU-1
1975 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Bond Holden Dealer Team Holden Torana L34
1976 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Harvey B&D Autos Holden Torana L34
1977 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Allan Moffat Allan Moffat Racing Ford XB Falcon GT
1978 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team Holden LX Torana SLR A9X
1979 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Harvey Holden Dealer Team Holden LX Torana SS A9X
1980 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team Holden VB Commodore
1981 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford XD Falcon
1982 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team Holden VC Commodore
1983 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Grice Roadways Racing Holden VH Commodore
1984 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock Holden Dealer Team Holden VH Commodore
1985 Flag of New Zealand.svg Robbie Francevic Mark Petch Motorsport Volvo 240T
1986 Flag of New Zealand.svg Robbie Francevic Volvo Dealer Team Volvo 240T
1987 Flag of Australia (converted).svg George Fury Gibson Motorsport Nissan Skyline DR30
1988 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Sierra RS500
1989 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Sierra RS500
1990 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson Dick Johnson Racing Ford Sierra RS500
1991 Flag of New Zealand.svg Jim Richards Gibson Motorsport Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R
1992 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glenn Seton Glenn Seton Racing Ford Sierra RS500
1993 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Alan Jones Glenn Seton Racing Ford EB Falcon
1994 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife Gibson Motorsport Holden VP Commodore Report
1995 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Bowe Dick Johnson Racing Ford EF Falcon Report
1996 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Lowndes Holden Racing Team Holden VR Commodore
1997 Flag of New Zealand.svg Greg Murphy Holden Racing Team Holden VS Commodore
1998 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Lowndes Holden Racing Team Holden VT Commodore
1999 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife Holden Racing Team Holden VT Commodore Report
2000

2003
not held
2004 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Russell Ingall Stone Brothers Racing Ford BA Falcon
2005 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garth Tander HSV Dealer Team Holden VZ Commodore
2006 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garth Tander HSV Dealer Team Holden VZ Commodore
2007 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford BF Falcon Report
2008 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering Ford BF Falcon Report
2009 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Davison Holden Racing Team Holden VE Commodore Report
2010 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Winterbottom Ford Performance Racing Ford FG Falcon
2011 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden VE Commodore
2012 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden VE Commodore Report
2013 Flag of New Zealand.svg Fabian Coulthard Brad Jones Racing Holden VF Commodore Report
2014 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden VF Commodore Report
2015 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden VF Commodore Report
2016 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Davison Tekno Autosports Holden VF Commodore Report
2017 Flag of New Zealand.svg Fabian Coulthard DJR Team Penske Ford FG X Falcon Report
2018 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Lowndes Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden ZB Commodore Report
2019 Flag of New Zealand.svg Shane van Gisbergen Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden ZB Commodore Report
2020not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden ZB Commodore
2022 Flag of New Zealand.svg Shane van Gisbergen Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden ZB Commodore Report
2023 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Brown Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro ZL1-1LE

Multiple winners

By driver

WinsDriverYears
7 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie Whincup 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2021
5 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Brock 1974, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984
4 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Allan Moffat 1971, 1972, 1973, 1977
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Johnson 1981, 1988, 1989, 1990
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Craig Lowndes 1996, 1998, 2018
2 Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Harvey 1976, 1979
Flag of New Zealand.svg Robbie Francevic 1985, 1986
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mark Skaife 1994, 1999
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Garth Tander 2005, 2006
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Will Davison 2009, 2016
Flag of New Zealand.svg Fabian Coulthard 2013, 2017
Flag of New Zealand.svg Shane van Gisbergen 2019, 2022

By team

WinsTeam
10 Triple Eight Race Engineering
7 Holden Dealer Team
6 DJR Team Penske 1
5 Holden Racing Team
3 Allan Moffat Racing
Gibson Motorsport
2 Glenn Seton Racing
HSV Dealer Team

By manufacturer

WinsManufacturer
28 Holden
16 Ford
2 Volvo
Nissan
Notes

Event names and sponsors

See also

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References

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