No tyre bundles at Beach Chicane for Gold Coast 500
By Thomas Miles
Date posted: 18 October 2023
The traditional tyre bundles will not be seen at the Gold Coast 500’s trademark Beach Chicane, having been replaced by sensors.
Tyre bundles have been a common sight at the Surfers Paradise street circuit throughout its existence since 1991, especially at the chicanes which dominate the shorter Supercars layout.
They have long been a hot topic of debate and were brought back in the firing line last year when five cars were wiped out from a sickening crash caused by James Golding striking a tyre bundle at the Beach Chicane.
All drivers were okay from the incident which blocked the track and brought out the red flag, but were quick to voice their concerns about bundles with Nick Percat stating its “disappointing we have a used tyre from a garbage bin and written off five cars” at the time.
James Golding collects the tyre bundle at the Beach Chicane, causing chaos. Image: Fox Sports
Whilst some drivers backed bundles last year too, Supercars is desperate to avoid a similar incident and have removed bundles from the Beach Chicane following consultation with leading drivers and Motorsport Australia.
In their place will be added sensors with one at turn two and four spread across turns seven to 10 on the Beach Chicane located in the middle of the back straight.
In addition to the increased sensors, the kerb strike information itself has received an upgrade with drivers and teams to be notified instantly if track limits have been breached.
Under the previous system the information would initially go to just the teams who would relay it onto the drivers.
The incident left the track jammed and Sunday raced stopped. Photo by Mark Horsburgh / LAT Images)
There will be a solitary tyre bundle which will not depart its respective chicane however, with one still to be placed at turn one.
Last year the tyre at the opening left hander was moved back around 500mm after consultation with the drivers at last year’s event.
The field charging through the Beach Chicane in 2019.image: Supercars
After being received well, it will remain in the same position in 2023.
The introduction of sensors is not the first time Supercars have tried to move on from bundles.
Most infamously in 2011 tyre bundles were replaced by 800mm high floppy bollards, but they became so troublesome and disruptive they did not even last the entire weekend.
Jonathon Webb passes one of the many bollards which replaced tyre bundles at the 2011 Gold Coast 600. Image: Mark Horsburgh
The race was interrupted on multiple occasions as cars regularly kicked them out of place, while the sensors in place 13 years ago also proved highly inconsistent.
The microscope will be on the new sensors to see if they will be up to the test as drivers will be pushing track limits to the nth degree across the penultimate weekend of the championship.
But they created many headaches for drivers and officials alike… Image: Motorsport Images
Brodie Kostecki possesses a 131-point lead over Shane van Gisbergen, who clean swept last year’s Gold Coast 500.
Round 11 of the 2023 Supercars season will be held on October 27-29.
Image by Mark Horsburgh
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