Supercars expands night running for Sydney's SuperNight format
Supercars has expanded the programme for this year's night round at Sydney Motorsport Park to include under the lights-running on both Friday and Saturday as part of the SuperNight format
The series had originally planned to run its brand new SuperNight format over a single night, mimicking a football match with a full programme packed into a three-hour period on a Saturday.
However Supercars has now tweaked the format to split practice over Friday and Saturday, with running set to kick off with the first session under lights at 6pm local time on Friday.
There will then be a second practice session on Saturday afternoon followed by qualifying at 4:20pm local time, which will utilise the three-part format introduced earlier this season.
The system, inspired by both MotoGP and Formula 1, was initially introduced only for the Symmons Plains and Perth rounds, but will now also be used in Sydney to give the two practice sessions more importance.
The SuperNight round will then finish with a single 300-kilometre race starting at 7:20pm local time on Saturday evening, with the winner taking all 300 championship points on offer.
"We are really looking forward to it," said Supercars CEO Sean Seamer.
"Having cars on track on the Friday night is a huge add-on for the fans and viewers, also giving the teams and drivers valuable track time under [the] lights before we go racing.
"It's important on two counts: firstly to give our drivers and teams the opportunity to drive in the conditions and secondly to give our fans a look at what will be an amazing spectacle.
"We have done a couple of tests in different areas of the circuit which have proven a great success.
"The cars look spectacular at night, the driver feedback has been terrific and it will look amazing on television."
The support card will be made up of both the Australian and Asian Carrera Cup championships, as well as the Australian GT Championship, with all three categories on track both the Friday and Saturday.
Nissan 'never entertained' idea of introducing GT-R in Supercars
Winton Supercars: Kelly gets first Nissan win, Coulthard ends drought
Tanak scores first Puma win in preparation for WRC Rally Sweden
Ott Tanak claimed his first victory driving an M-Sport Ford Puma after winning the Otepaa Winter Rally in preparation for next week’s World Rally Championship round in Sweden.
Ranking the worst Formula 1 cars to win a grand prix
Cars that rarely looked like contenders for victory have occasionally slipped through the net to become winners of world championship Formula 1 races. But which was the worst of the bunch?
Schumacher radio criticism highlighted F1 privacy change for Russell
George Russell says that the way an off-the-cuff radio remark criticising Mick Schumacher last year became a big deal shows how he is more under the spotlight in Formula 1.
Newgarden impressed by Chevrolet on IndyCar's new renewable fuel
Two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden says he’s been impressed with the drivability of his Chevrolet engine following the switch to renewable fuel and has seen no loss in performance.
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2022
The season just gone was a memorable one for many of our staff writers, who are fortunate enough to cover motorsport around the world. Here are our picks of the best (and in some cases, most eventful) from 2022
When Nissan ruled Australia with its 'Godzilla' Group A special
The Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R was the fastest Group A touring car ever. It cleaned up at the Bathurst 1000 and in the Australian Touring Car Championship, and is fondly remembered by the drivers who monstered it to success on the world-famous Mount Panorama
Ranking the top 10 Supercars drivers of 2021
It may have been a one-man title fight in Supercars this season, but behind dominant champion Shane van Gisbergen were some fascinating performances. Autosport picks out the best drivers of the 2021 campaign.
The well-travelled racer now Supercars' elder statesman
James Courtney has been around the block in his motorsport career it's fair to say. After a single-seater career cut short, he's won everything there is to win in Supercars. Following a rocky ride recently in the Australian category, he's found a happy hunting ground with Tickford Racing, as Andrew van Leeuwen explains
How taming his temper shaped Supercars' slow-burn star
His decision to leave Brad Jones Racing was the biggest shock of the Australian Supercars silly season so far. But for Nick Percat, it comes as the culmination of a personal journey that has made him into one of the most rounded drivers in the series, now in search of a seat that can make him a champion
Why replacing Supercars' GOAT with a teenager is worth the risk for T8
On the face of it, picking an 18-year-old rookie to replace arguably the greatest Supercars driver of all time is a risky move. But as Jamie Whincup takes up a team principal role and hands his car to Broc Feeney, it's one that he is confident will be rewarded in the fullness of time - time which wasn't afforded to Whincup in his early days
Can DJR still be a Supercars powerhouse after Penske?
OPINION: Roger Penske's operation helped lift Dick Johnson's faltering Ford team back to the top of Australian tin-tops. But, despite The Captain's departure, along with star driver Scott McLaughlin, there's no reason to expect an imminent decline from DJR
Why Whincup's next move is no calculated gamble
Supercars' most successful team of the past 15 years is set for a radical shakeup next year when Jamie Whincup retires from driving and takes over the reins at Triple Eight. But the team's outgoing boss Roland Dane has full faith that he'll be up to the task
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.