Drivers predict ‘fascinating, old school’ racing at Taupo

Just one session into the Taupo Super400, drivers are already pumped to go racing with “chaos” predicted for Supercars’ return to New Zealand.

With the twisty 3.32km circuit full of surface changes, it is already clear tyre degradation could be the deciding factor of the weekend across the long 200km races.

Drivers have likened the patchy surface to Wanneroo which has produced many nail-biting finishes with drivers on varying tyre life such as 2012 when FPR and Jamie Whincup battled brilliantly.

Practice leader Chaz Mostert believes “chaos” can be expected 

“This weekend will be super interesting watching as a fan with cars slide around from the start to the end of the stint. It will be chaos and a lot of fun,” he said.

“This race, if it is dry, is going to be interesting so if you are at home, make sure you tune in because there will be so much degradation and great racing.

“The engineers will have their work cut out and I am looking forward to it because it will be like an old school V8 Supercars race which I don’t think we have had for a while. 

“I don’t expect there will be much follow the leader out there, cars will be going everywhere inside and outside with dirt and dust, so it will be about who can protect the tyres the best.”

Mostert, who scored his first FPR win at Wanneroo in 2014, is looking forward to seeing how the “young pups” such as Matt Payne and Broc Feeney will go, not having experienced those style of races in recent times.

“The surface takes me back to the old school Perth and it may be a little bit worse because there is one patch that gives you hope and then all of a sudden you get to the next corner and you are a long way past the apex,” Mostert said.

“I am pretty keen to see the young pups who missed old school Perth when you had to hang onto these things which became sometimes borderline underivable.

“Hopefully they will have their eyes opened up a bit and show a bit more respect to older guys like me.”

Will Davison, who has four wins at Wanneroo believes the 200km races will be a battle.

“The race is going to be something else,” the DJR said.

“Four laps into my first run the way the tyre was dropping off made me think ‘how on Earth am I going to get around this problem 20-30 laps into a stint’.

“It will be fascinating and challenging.

“It will be old school Perth style racing. I have memories from the old Project Blueprint days of massive variation.

“One year “Frosty” (Mark Winterbottom) and I were lapped at Perth and Queensland Raceway and then we had races when we were winning and lapping everyone else.

“There is a huge difference in performance and everyone is going to be in a fair bit of strife in the stints but it will be fun.”

Youngster Payne who was second in the 90 minute session noted the massive disparity of grip from one corner to the next.

“It will be a really interesting weekend with the different surfaces,” Payne said.

“You get to turn 1 thinking I have peak grip and you get to turn 11, the back hairpin and it is Luke you are driving on ice, so it was definitely tricky driving a Supercar today.

“For sure there will be a big disparity of who can hold on, which makes great racing.”

Image: Peter Norton EPIC Sports Photography

Taupo Super400 schedule (all times AEDT)

Friday, April 19

Practice: 1: C. Mostert 1:26.4937 2: M. Payne +0.0318 3: W. Davison +0.0508

Saturday, April 20

Qualifying Race 7: 08.20

Top 10 Shootout: 10.00

Race 7 (60 laps): 13.05

Sunday, April 21

Qualifying Race 8: 08.45

Top 10 Shootout: 10.25

Race 7 (60 laps): 13.05

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Podcast: We’re going to Taupo… Tow Paw… Whatever. Supercars is back!

After a break that feels like months, the Supercars Championship is back and headed across the ditch to Taupo in the middle of the North Island. And yes, Brodie Kostecki will be there! As will the rain.

Somehow, the rain will also be in China for F1’s return to 中国. Philip Island was stunning on the weekend, just gone, if a little cold, but we chatted about whether Supercars should return to the land of penguins.

Plus, there’s more… all the news in the way only the Auto Action RevLimiter can deliver.

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