Tasmania Supercars Preview: Symmons Plains Set to Deliver the Usual Mayhem
The Repco Supercars Championship heads south to Symmons Plains Raceway this weekend for what promises to be a hard-fought, no-margin-left racing brawl across three sprint-style contests.
The Tasmania Super 440 is always one of the tightest and most technical rounds of the season – and given the layout of this compact 2.4km circuit, it tends to reward the brave and punish the greedy.
Format & Tyre Strategy
The weekend features three races – two 120km contests on Saturday and a 188km closer (not 200 as first planned) on Sunday. Friday hosts two practice sessions to give teams a crack at finding the perfect balance for a circuit that’s light on corners but big on braking zones, especially the infamous Turn 4 hairpin.
Qualifying for Races 11 and 12 will be run on Saturday, followed immediately by the two shorter races. On Sunday, qualifying will feature a Top Ten Shootout to set the grid for the 200km Race 13.
Tyre-wise, both the Dunlop Super Soft and Soft compounds are in play, adding another strategic wrinkle. Unlike Taupo, and despite what you have read elsewhere, the tyres have been flipped around, with 28 Super Soft tyres to be used in Races 11 and 13 of the Championship, and eight Dunlop Softs for Race 12.
Qualifying will then again present the challenge to the teams of having only a few minutes between sessions to make any changes required for the different tyres, and no change to run the Soft before the session. The element of uncertainty could again spin the qualifying results around.
2024 Supercars at Symmons Plains: Waters and Percat Share the Spoils in Tasmania
The 2024 NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint, held from August 16–18 at Symmons Plains Raceway, featured two 200km races for the weekend.
Race 17 (Saturday): Percat’s Strategic Victory
Nick Percat clinched his second win of the season in Race 17, showcasing Matt Stone Racing’s has a magic set-up for this track. Starting from fourth, Percat executed an overcut during the pit stop phase, emerging ahead of early leader Broc Feeney. Chaz Mostert mounted a late charge to finish second, while Feeney settled for third. Championship leader Will Brown faced challenges in qualifying but recovered to seventh, seeing his points lead over Mostert trimmed to 63 points.
Race 18 (Sunday): Waters Capitalises Amidst Chaos
Cam Waters secured his third season victory in a drama-filled Race 18. After overtaking pole-sitter Thomas Randle at the start, Waters maintained his lead through two safety car restarts. A late-race incident saw Randle penalised for contact with Feeney, allowing Bryce Fullwood to claim his second career podium in third. Brown finished second, extending his championship lead, while Mostert recovered from a challenging qualifying to finish fourth.
Matt Payne won the weekend in New Zealand, but Symmons Plains hasn’t been a happy hunting ground.
Who to watch
Will Brown – The Hunter and the Hunted
The championship leader has been both fast and smart across the opening rounds. Red Bull Ampol Racing’s lead man has shown he can win from pole or fight through traffic. With a car that’s clearly strong over a race distance, Brown’s biggest challenge at Symmons Plains might come from inside the garage and just down pit lane.
Cam Waters – Tasmania Specialist
Waters has always gone well at Symmons Plains — a circuit where his smooth, aggressive style shines through. With a Mustang that’s improved in traction zones and Tickford clearly finding more consistency, he’s a real threat and looking to climb back on top of the points.
Broc Feeney – Searching for a Statement
It hasn’t been a bad start to 2025 for Feeney, but he needs a dominant weekend to put pressure on Brown and claim some momentum inside Triple Eight. Fast at Symmons Plains in the past, Feeney has the pace — now it’s about execution. A pole and a win would flip the narrative.
Matthew Payne – Dark Horse No More
Penrite Racing’s young Kiwi has been punching above his weight and sits fourth in the standings for good reason. He was superb in Taupō and has looked more confident in traffic and qualifying. But Symmons Plains has not been a happy hunting ground for the Grove Mustangs, and that will need to turn around if he’s going to be better than a mid-fielder as he was last year.
Chaz Mostert – Time to Fire
Mostert’s been thereabouts all year without quite cracking the top step. WAU’s form has improved, but qualifying remains the issue. Symmons Plains is a place where strategy can help claw forward, and Chaz knows how to make the most of his race craft. If he’s on the front two rows, he’ll be dangerous.
Brodie Kostecki – Can the Champ Reignite?
Now three rounds into his Shell V-Power Racing career, Brodie is shaking off the rust. Symmons Plains could suit his sharp braking style and aggressive race management. If the car is there, Kostecki is a podium and win threat… it is really just a matter of time.
Cam Hill – Underrated and On the Move
Cam Hill has quietly impressed in 2025. He’s now a race winner and you can see his attitude is different, and with Matt Stone Racing’s secret Tasmanian sauce he could do anything this weekend.
Nick Percat – Surprise Packet
A winner here last year, Percat will be looking to regain the ascendancy inside his own team and will be looking at a W to his name for the season. MSR cars are good here, and he will be right in it.
Anton De Pasquale – Ready to Rebound
Fast but inconsistent so far in 2025, Anton remains an enigma. Symmons Plains has treated him well in the past, and if he gets on top of qualifying, he could easily be in the mix.
Thomas Randle – A Rough Diamond
Randle started the Sunday race on pole last year, but the races were a disaster. But he’s learned a lot since then, so if Tickford hits the ground with the speed of last year he could be in the hunt for his first win.
Symmons Plains isn’t about long corners or big aero — it’s about rhythm, brakes, and guts. One Safety Car can flip it all, and one bold move can make the difference. If you want to pick a bolter, circle Hill or Randle. If you want a safe bet, back Waters or Brown.
The Weather
| Day | Forecast | High (°C) | Low (°C) | Conditions |
| Friday | Partly sunny | 17°C | 5°C | Dry and cool; light winds |
| Saturday | Mostly cloudy, clearing in arvo | 18°C | 7°C | Mild with patchy sun |
| Sunday | Cloudy early, sunshine developing | 17°C | 7°C | Stable and dry |
Note: Earlier severe wind warnings are expected to ease before the weekend begins, but fans and teams should still prepare for cool mornings and variable cloud cover. This forecast is accurate as of 6 a.m. on Wednesday, 7 May, and is subject to change.
Supercars Schedule
Friday, May 9
- 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM: Supercars Practice 1
- 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Supercars Practice 2
Saturday, May 10
- 9:10 AM – 9:20 AM: Supercars Qualifying Part 1 – Race 11
- 9:30 AM – 9:40 AM: Supercars Qualifying Part 2 – Race 11
- 9:50 AM – 10:00 AM: Supercars Qualifying Part 1 – Race 12
- 10:10 AM – 10:20 AM: Supercars Qualifying Part 2 – Race 12
- 12:05 PM: Supercars Race 11 – 50 laps (approx. 120 km)
- 3:55 PM: Supercars Race 12 – 50 laps (approx. 120 km)
Sunday, May 11
- 9:40 AM – 9:50 AM: Supercars Qualifying Part 1 – Race 13
- 9:55 AM – 10:05 AM: Supercars Qualifying Part 2 – Race 13
- 11:55 AM – 12:25 PM: Supercars Top Ten Shootout – Race 13
- 2:45 PM: Supercars Race 13 – 78 laps (approx. 188 km)
Support Categories
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- Dunlop Super2 Series
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Will Brown at Taupo in 2025, he did just enough on a tough weekend to retain the championship lead. Image: Supplied
2025 Drivers’ Championship – Full Standings
| Pos | # | Driver | Wins | Poles | Pts |
| 1 | 1 | Will Brown | 1 | 0 | 651 |
| 2 | 6 | Cam Waters | 3 | 3 | 617 |
| 3 | 19 | Matthew Payne | 2 | 1 | 605 |
| 4 | 88 | Broc Feeney | 1 | 4 | 590 |
| 5 | 25 | Chaz Mostert | 1 | 0 | 565 |
| 6 | 38 | Brodie Kostecki | 0 | 2 | 540 |
| 7 | 4 | Cameron Hill | 1 | 0 | 450 |
| 8 | 18 | Anton De Pasquale | 0 | 0 | 429 |
| 9 | 55 | Thomas Randle | 0 | 0 | 427 |
| 10 | 08 | Andre Heimgartner | 0 | 0 | 426 |
| 11 | 17 | Will Davison | 0 | 0 | 389 |
| 12 | 2 | Ryan Wood | 0 | 0 | 378 |
| 13 | 31 | James Golding | 0 | 0 | 317 |
| 14 | 10 | Nick Percat | 0 | 0 | 309 |
| 15 | 9 | Jack Le Brocq | 0 | 0 | 299 |
| 16 | 26 | Kai Allen | 0 | 0 | 272 |
| 17 | 12 | Jaxon Evans | 0 | 0 | 239 |
| 18 | 7 | James Courtney | 0 | 0 | 219 |
| 19 | 14 | Bryce Fullwood | 0 | 0 | 217 |
| 20 | 96 | Macauley Jones | 0 | 0 | 210 |
| 21 | 20 | David Reynolds | 0 | 0 | 206 |
| 22 | 62 | Richie Stanaway | 0 | 0 | 197 |
| 23 | 99 | Cooper Murray | 0 | 0 | 168 |
| 24 | 3 | Aaron Cameron | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| 25 | 3 | Aaron Love | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| 26 | 35 | Cameron Crick | 0 | 0 | 55 |
2025 Teams’ Championship – Full Standings
| 1 | Red Bull Ampol Racing/Triple Eight Race Engineering | 1241 |
| 2 | Monster Castrol Racing/Tickford Racing | 1044 |
| 3 | Mobil1 Truck Assist & Mobil1 Optus Racing/Walkinshaw Andretti United | 943 |
| 4 | Shell V-Power Racing Team/Dick Johnson Racing | 929 |
| 5 | Penrite Racing/Grove Racing | 877 |
| 6 | Dabble & Bendix Racing/Matt Stone Racing | 699 |
| 7 | R&J Batteries & Shure Racing/Brad Jones Racing | 643 |
| 8 | DEWALT & Tradie Energy Racing/Team 18 | 635 |
| 9 | PremiAir Racing/PremiAir Racing | 514 |
| 10 | Erebus Motorsport/Erebus Motorsport | 467 |
| 11 | SCT Motorsport & Pizza Hut Racing/Brad Jones Racing | 449 |
| 12 | CoolDrive & Snowy River Racing/Blanchard Racing Team | 377 |
| 13 | Dormer HVAC Racing by MSR/Matt Stone Racing | 55 |
