SUPERCARS REVISE QUALIFYING FORMAT FOR SHORT TRACKS
By Bruce Williams
Date posted: 20 December 2017
Supercars to adopt new qualifying system for Tasmania and Perth – Photo: Rhys Vandersyde
Virgin Australia Supercars Championship will run a revised qualifying format on it’s shorter tracks in 2018.
The new system, that will be in place for the Symmons Plains and Barbagallo rounds, to resolve traffic issues seen in previous years, will see qualifying separated into three segments, mimicking the system used in MotoGP. It will also place a greater emphasis on practice times.
Combined Friday practice times will determine the field for Q1. Drivers who sit from 11th through to 26th will take to the track during the first Q1 session, with the top ten from practice skipping directly through to Q2. This will set the bottom ten grid spots for the race.
The top six drivers from Q1 will then join the top ten already in Q2 to fight for a spot in Q3. With grid spots 11 through 16 determined in this session.
Q3 will be made up of the drivers with the ten fastest times from Q2 to finalise the top ten spots of the grid.
“We’ve had issues at Symmons Plains and Barbagallo, which have been a function of the circuit length and the amount of cars,” David Stuart, Supercars Sporting and Technical Director told the category’s official website, Supercars.com.
“The aim has been to try and reduce the amount of traffic on track, which lessens the chances of those issues reoccurring.
“We looked at the way MotoGP and Formula 1 do things and we’ve come up with a combination of both.”
If deemed successful, the format could be expanded to other tracks in the future.
For more Supercars news, pick up the current issue of Auto Action Magazine, on sale now. Also make sure you follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or our weekly email newsletter for all the latest updates between issues.
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