Supercars makes its big return to Queensland Raceway after a six-year absence. And although we might be regulars at the joint, the Paperclip could offer up some of the best racing of the year so far!
So, what’s changed since 2019? Well, almost everything. JDub’s found himself a taller and more important chair to sit in, SVG’s gone to race in circles, and our two Championship points leaders were running around in Super2 and Super3. Our mask wearing is done and dusted (who could forget?), and TQ has jumped in at QR and made the place a real destination for South-East Queensland motorsport. We are also racing a brand-new version of Supercar, not bad.
That’s a few changes. So what makes the return to QR so special? Mainly the obvious – someone will be crowned the inaugural Sprint Cup Champion. We also might be a little biased when it comes to making a pick, but we’ve got a strong feeling the #88 or the #1 will be in with a shot. How exciting! The race to be Sprint Cup champ will be crowned after another busy Super 440 weekend, with two chaotic sprint races on Saturday, followed by the big one on Sunday.
Will Brown
Driver #1 Chevrolet Camaro
Red Bull Ampol Racing
“I can’t wait, it’s my first real home round. I raced Super2 here in about 2017 or ’18. But apart from that, I haven’t raced Supercars around Ipswich, so I’m looking forward to it. Every time I’ve ever been here, the crowd has been massive. So I think it’ll be an awesome turnout, especially after a few years off.”
“Obviously, for us, this is our test track now with Triple Eight. So hopefully, we can be quite strong here and have a bit of a bounce back. I feel like Townsville was a bit stronger on my side – I felt pretty good in the races, so I just need to bounce back around here with qualifying. The racing is going to be interesting – it’s not the most technical track, but it’s still hard to be fast on, and to make passes. So it will be interesting, racing will be the one thing to watch to see if there’s any tyre degradation or how you make passes here. We’ll get out there, get our elbows out and see what it’s like.”
“I only heard the other week that the Superbikes were here, and it’s great to have them back. They were a great addition to our sport a few years back in Darwin, and a lot of people came out to watch. So to have them racing with us, I know I’m keen to watch it as well. And it brings something else to the weekend. There are some bike fans who will come out and also enjoy Supercars, and vice versa. I think I bought 52 Sunday tickets for this weekend, so I’ve got a lot of mates coming out on Sunday. Everyone’s keen to come out, it’s only about an hour down the road for everyone, so they’re all looking forward to it.”
Broc Feeney
Driver #88 Chevrolet Camaro
Red Bull Ampol Racing
“I’m just super excited to be back here. Considering we haven’t been here for six years, and the effort Tony (Quinn) and the team at Queensland Raceway have put into it, I think it’s gonna be a fantastic event. A lot of local fans of the team, as well as friends and family, will finally be able to get here and watch me race. I’m excited; it’s the final round of the Sprint Cup, and I’m looking to wrap that up and go for more wins.”
“For sure, we’re starting to prepare for the enduros. Jamie (Whincup) and I are already starting to work together and plan ahead. But for me, we’ve been on a really good roll, and it’s about trying to keep that going. As I’ve said before, the 25 bonus points that come with the Sprint Cup are huge, and we still want to keep extending our lead and trying to build that points advantage.”
“So the goal is to try and, as per usual, win three races. Darwin’s sort of the only one that we’ve done it, but at all the last three rounds, apart from Darwin, we’ve won two out of three races. It’s been a really strong stretch for us, but I’m looking forward to getting back to QR and trying to go for three more wins.”
There’s plenty to watch and follow across the weekend: Two-wheel action joins the card with the Australian Superbike Championship, a serious spectacle to keep your eyes on as a four-wheel fan! Our young guns hit the track for the 4th round of Super2, followed by a smorgasbord of support category racing!