The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship under sponsorship, is a touring car racing category in Australia and New Zealand, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australian states and the Northern Territory,[1] with the Australian Capital Territory formerly holding the Canberra 400.[2] Usually, an international round is held in New Zealand, with events previously being held in China, Bahrain,[3] the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.[1][4] The Melbourne SuperSprint championship event is also held in support of the Australian Grand Prix. Race formats vary between each event, with sprint races between 100 and 200 kilometres (62 and 124 mi) in length, street races between 125 and 250 kilometres (78 and 155 mi) in length, and two-driver endurance racesheld at Sandown and Bathurst.[5][6] The series is broadcast in 137 countries[7] and has an average event attendance of over 100,000.[8] With over 250,000 in attendance annually, the Adelaide 500 is the most attended Supercars race in Australia.[9][10]
The vehicles used in the series are loosely based on road-going cars. Cars are custom made using a control chassis, with only certain body panels being common between the road cars and race cars. The cars are controlled for "technical parity" - ensuring that teams and drivers using any of the homologated cars have a chance to build and drive a winning car.
All cars currently use either a 5.4L or 5.7L Naturally aspirated V8 engine. Originally only for Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores, the new generation V8 Supercar regulations, introduced in 2013, opened up the series to more manufacturers.[11] Nissan were the first new manufacturer to commit to the series with four Nissan Altima L33s[12] followed briefly by Erebus Motorsport with Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs[13] and Garry Rogers Motorsport with Volvo S60s.[14] The series returned to a Ford and Holden duopoly in 2020 with the departure of Nissan, while Ford replaced the Falcon with the Mustang in 2019.[15] Holden announced its final year of competition in 2022, to be replaced by the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2023 season.[16][17] Starting in 2026, Toyota will make its debut in the championship, competing with the GR Supra.[18]
History
Group 3A
Mark Skaife's 1994 Holden VP Commodore
Craig Lowndes' 1996 Holden VR Commodore
The concept of a formula centred around V8-engined Fords and Holdens for the Australian Touring Car Championship had been established as early as mid-1991. With the new regulations set to come into effect in 1993, Ford and Holden were both keen to know the details of the new formula by the end of 1991, putting pressure on the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) to provide clarity on the matter. However, CAMS was waiting to see what the FIA did with its proposed international formula for 2.5- and 2.0-litre touring cars.[19]
The new rules for the ATCC were announced in November 1991 and indicated that the V8 cars would be significantly faster than the smaller-engined cars. In 1992, CAMS looked at closing the performance gap between the classes, only to have protests from Ford and Holden, which did not want to see their cars beaten by the smaller cars. In June 1992, the class structure was confirmed:[20]
touring car
noun
a car designed with room for passengers and luggage.
a touring car used in motor racing, as distinct from a racing car.
"the touring car championship"
A "two-driver endurance race" refers to a long-distance motorsports event where each racing car is only driven by two drivers who take turns behind the wheel during the race, allowing for rest periods and driver changes while maintaining continuous speed over the long duration of the competition; essentially, a team of two pilots manage the car throughout the race.
Key points about two-driver endurance races:
Driver rotation:
Each driver takes turns driving for a set period, called a "stint," before pitting the car to swap with the other driver.
Endurance testing:
The long race duration tests not only the car's durability but also the drivers' physical and mental stamina.
Strategy involved:
Teams must carefully plan driver changes, pit stops, and fuel strategy to optimize their race pace.
Example: A classic two-driver endurance race would be a 6-hour race where two drivers alternate driving stints throughout the duration, with each driver likely driving for around 3 hours total.
Engines with more cylinders tend to produce higher power outputs, resulting in improved acceleration and better overall performance, especially in larger and high-performance vehicles.
Most cars have a 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engine.
A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.[1]
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