Townsville 500 Fast Facts
- In the past we’ve seen this event run over two 200km races as the Townsville 400. Not this year! It’s time to mix it up and this weekend will see the event run the same format as the Clipsal 500, with two 125km races on Saturday and one 250km mini marathon on Sunday.
- Of the 10 races that have been run in Townsville since its inception in 2009, Triple Eight have won five of them, all with Jamie at the wheel.
- Speaking of J-Dub, after equalling Peter Brock’s record of 57 pole positions at the last event in Darwin, he now has the opportunity to break that record and hold the title for the most career poles in ATCC/V8SC history.
- Although he’s only been on the podium twice in Townsville, Lowndesy’s been in the top 10 eight times. It’s going to be a crucial weekend to bank valuable points and rein in that championship lead.
- Our boys have been on fine qualifying form recently and fingers crossed it’ll take them to the Top Ten Shootout, which makes its return to the championship on Sunday after its last showing in Adelaide earlier this year.
Red Bull Racing Australia in Townsville
| CRAIG | JAMIE | |
| Qualifying R1 | 12th | 16th |
| Race 1 | 4th | 7th |
| Qualifying R2 | 5th | 15th |
| Race 2 | 7th | 11th |
What the Drivers Say
Lowndesy: “I’m still feeling confident coming into Townsville. The format is going to be more difficult than in the past, but the 250km race on Sunday is always difficult. The two shorter races on Saturday will mean that we’re able to push harder as they’re more like sprint races.
“I prefer the longer races so I’m looking forward to Sunday. We had a couple of good races in Darwin on the Saturday with the hard tyre, so I’m confident we can get those points back to the lead.
“It’s always a great atmosphere up in Townsville. It’s always very well received by the whole town and the people, so I’m looking forward to heading back there.”
J-Dub: “We’re feeling good coming into Townsville. We’ve come off the back of a good test day and a good round in Darwin.
“We’re really aware that we had a tough run there last year so while we think those demons are behind us we still can’t take anything for granted, but we’ll stay focused on what we’re doing and make sure we put our best foot forward.
“I’m a fan of the new format and changing it up to benefit the Townsville fans so they get to see two shorter races plus an endurance race. It mixes it up, which is a good thing.
“It’s almost like a home round for us really. We’re the closest team to Townsville so I almost feel like it’s a home race for us and I always try and put in my best performance.”
Drivers Championship Standings
Mark Winterbottom – 1451
Craig Lowndes – 1290
Jamie Whincup – 1265
Fabian Coulthard – 1204
James Courtney – 1120
Teams Championship Standings
RBRA – 2580
FPR – 2390
BJR – 2085
HRT – 1998
Norton Hornets – 1604
