Supercars 2023: All the news and race results from the Tasmania Supersprint
There’s a new name in second spot of the Supercars championship and Shane van Gisbergen made up ground to salvage his race. See the latest from Tassie here.
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Will Brown has declared Erebus Motorsport’s championship-leading form was “no fluke” after he claimed his second win of the weekend at Symmons Plains to storm to second in the Supercars standings.
After beating teammate and pole sitter Brodie Kostecki off the start line, Brown clinched the final race at the Tasmania SuperSprint on Sunday to take two out of three wins for the round.
Taking his third win of the year, Brown took the victory ahead of Triple Eight young gun Broc Feeney and Kostecki, who held on for third as he struggled with his tyres late in the race.
Feeney’s teammate and defending champion Shane van Gisbergen stormed into fourth from ninth on the grid after Triple Eight raced to fix his car for the final sprint after the Kiwi ace was taken out on the opening lap of the earlier race.
Brown’s win helped Erebus tighten its grip at the top of the Supercars championship after an impressive start to the sport’s new Gen3 era in their Chevrolet Camaros.
Brown now sits second in the standings, 87 points behind his series leading teammate Kostecki, after sitting fourth before the Tasmanian round.
The 24-year-old from Toowoomba, who also finished third in Sunday’s opening sprint race, said Erebus had proven its form was no accident but the team could not afford to get ahead of itself.
“To be sitting second in the championship, Brodie is first and the team is leading the team’s championship this many rounds in as well, it’s obviously not been a fluke,” Brown said.
“You’d love to say (we can keep this up) all year. These Gen3 cars, we have been able to roll out success on each weekend and hopefully we can keep doing that.
“It is pretty cool (to be in this position). But it’s like (Saturday), I got the win and you’re driving home and you think you’d be super excited, but you’re thinking, ‘I hope I don’t f--- it up tomorrow’. That’s what it’s like.
“Everyone is so competitive that each day you have got to be so on it to be up there. I wouldn’t say I’m thinking about the championship right now at all.”
While Erebus came out on top, it was also a successful day for Feeney, who earlier won Sunday’s opening sprint battle to take his third victory of the year.
Feeney, who sits fifth in the championship behind fourth-placed van Gisbergen, felt his own form was building but Triple Eight needed to keep lifting its game to match Erebus.
“I still feel like every weekend I am only getting better, I feel like I keep building and building,” Feeney said.
“But we’ve got to keep lifting our game because both these boys have certainly raised the bar this year and we’ve got to keep hunting them down.”
There was disaster for van Gisbergen in Sunday’s first sprint battle after his Camaro ended up in the wall at turn six on the first lap after contact from David Reynolds forced him wide.
Race control deemed there was no further action to be taken over Reynolds’ contact.
Triple Eight had to work fast to get van Gisbergen’s car repaired in time for the final sprint race, but was able to make the repairs in time.
It was the first time van Gisbergen had recorded a DNF – notwithstanding his technical disqualification from this year’s opening race in Newcastle – since Townsville in 2020.
Feeney took his win ahead of Kostecki and Brown after emerging ahead of the pair after his pit stop on lap 22.
Kostecki had earlier seized back-to-back poles for Sunday’s two sprint races, bouncing back from his disastrous Saturday result when he finished 23rd after being forced into the wall.
“I am pretty happy with today, it was a much better day today than it was yesterday,” Kostecki said.
“I got a really good bag for points and it was good for the team as well.”
SUPERCARS STANDINGS
1. Brodie Kostecki (Erebus Motorsport) 986 points
2. Will Brown (Erebus Motorsport) 899
3. Chaz Mostert (Walkinshaw Andretti United) 820
4. Shan van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) 814
5. Broc Feeney (Triple Eight) 795
6. Cam Waters (Tickford Racing) 757
7. Andre Heimgartner (Brad Jones Racing) 666
8. David Reynolds (Grove Racing) 641
9. Will Davison (Dick Johnson Racing) 634
10. Jack Le Brocq (Matt Stone Racing) 631
Young gun storms home after SVG crash disaster
Triple Eight young gun Broc Feeney stormed to his third win of the year in Sunday’s opening sprint battle at Symmons Plains, but there was disaster for teammate Shane van Gisbergen after he was taken out of the race on the opening lap.
While Erebus looked to be on track for another win with pole sitter Brodie Kostecki and Will Brown leading the field mid-way through the race, Feeney emerged ahead of the pair after his pit stop on lap 22.
Feeney held off the Erebus duo to claim his fourth career win, while van Gisbergen’s car was stuck in the garage frantically undergoing repairs.
Van Gisbergen’s fight to get back on top in the championship suffered a major blow after his Camaro ended up in the wall at turn six on the first lap after contact from David Reynolds forced him wide.
The Kiwi ace nursed his car back to the start of pit lane, but was unable to make it all the way to the Triple Eight garage at the other end.
Race control deemed there was no further action to be taken over Reynolds’ contact.
Triple Eight is now racing the clock to get van Gisbergen’s car repaired in time for the final sprint race of the round in Tasmania on Sunday afternoon.
“Yeah, It was a decent hit. I just went around the outside and someone ran us off the track - it happens,” van Gisbergen said.
“I don’t know (if it can be fixed in time). They’re not very good at being repaired, these cars.
“It was a pretty decent hit, but we have the best team here so hopefully they can fix it.”
It is the first time van Gisbergen has recorded a DNF - notwithstanding his technical disqualification from this year’s opening race in Newcastle - since Townsville in 2020.
Van Gisbergen moved up from third to second in the standings after finishing third in the opening sprint race on Saturday, but has now slipped back to fourth.
Starting from second on the grid, Feeney took the win ahead of Kostecki and Brown, who now sit first and second in the championship after the race. Tickford Racing’s Cameron Waters and Dick Johnson Racing’s Will Davison rounded out the top five.
Feeney, whose wins have all fallen on a Sunday, lauded the team’s pace and strategy.
“We came charging through and we had ripper pace,” Feeney said.
“I’m getting a reputation as Mr Sunday at the moment, it was awesome.
“The boys in the pit stops have been working so hard, they have been grinding it out and it’s paying off. Great strategy, but we had a fast car so thanks to the crew.”
Earlier, Kostecki seized back-to-back poles for Sunday’s two Sunday sprint races, bouncing back from his disastrous Saturday result.
Kostecki’s qualifying results gave Erebus a clean sweep of the three poles for the weekend in Tasmania after teammate Will Brown’s pole and victory on Saturday.
There is one remaining 42-lap sprint race on Sunday afternoon.
SVG vows to turn his Brown frown upside down
Erebus Motorsport has enhanced its credentials as a serious title contender after Will Brown converted from pole to win the first race at Symmons Plains, leaving Shane van Gisbergen to lament Triple Eight was not quick enough and needed to “knuckle down and get better”.
Avoiding the early chaos which cruelled the race hopes of his teammate and series leader Brodie Kostecki, Brown claimed his second win for the year to continue the team’s hot start to the Gen3 era with its Chevrolet Camaros.
The 24-year-old delivered the fourth victory of the year for Erebus – to draw the team level on race wins with powerhouse Triple Eight after the opening battle at the Tasmania SuperSprint.
Brown claimed his third career win ahead of Brad Jones Racing’s Andre Heimgartner and defending champion van Gisbergen, who pushed past Tickford Racing rival Cam Waters on the final lap after a back-straight drag race to push onto the podium.
Early drama headlines our first race in Tasmania 💥
— Supercars (@supercars) May 20, 2023
Check out all the action from Race 10 at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint with the @BoostAus Australia highlights! #RepcoSC#Supercarspic.twitter.com/jlLh8cOExI
The win, the first for Erebus in Tasmania, moved Brown up from fourth to third in the driver standings, while van Gisbergen also benefited from Chaz Mostert’s misfortune to move up into second behind Kostecki.
While Brown rejoiced, Kostecki finished 23rd after he was forced wide into the wall at the turn four hairpin on the second lap of the race and was forced back to the pits.
Erebus had been the pacesetter since the cars hit the track early Saturday with Kostecki fastest in both practice sessions before Brown topped the field in qualifying.
It was Brown’s second pole for the year to set up his assault from the front of the grid.
“I knew once I got off the line and saw the guys fighting behind me, I thought that’s what I need to get out in the lead and stay out there,” Brown said.
“Overall, I’m just ecstatic. It’s awesome to get another win and we’re going well this season so it’s great.
“The last two rounds have been great so far. I’ve got to put it together all again (Sunday) and come back strong.
“I think there is more pace in the race trim, qualifying was really good, just in the race there the rear tyres started to go towards the end, so we’ll tidy that up overnight.”
It was the second podium finish of the year for BJR’s Heimgartner, which he celebrated in his 100th round in Supercars.
Van Gisbergen, who swept all three races in Tasmania last year, pushed up onto the podium from starting ninth on the grid after his final run in qualifying was thwarted due to yellow flags when Waters ran off the track at the hairpin.
The Triple Eight star admitted Triple Eight needed to catch up to Erebus.
“(We need to) just drive flat out (Sunday) and try and make it faster,” van Gisbergen said.
“The car is obviously not quick enough. These guys (Erebus) are doing a great job and we are a little bit behind. We need to knuckle down and get better.
“We need to find car speed.”
It was confirmed on Friday van Gisbergen would make his NASCAR debut in a July street race cameo in Chicago, but the defending champion said his immediate focus was on improving his Supercars campaign.
This is wild stuff!
— Supercars (@supercars) May 20, 2023
Kostecki is run wide and Mostert and Feeney come together at the hairpin! #RepcoSC#Supercarspic.twitter.com/tMx7fsNqK3
“It’s cool, but I’m trying to keep my head focused on this weekend and I’ll think about that when the time comes,” van Gisbergen said.
“But it’s obviously very special to be able to jump into that top series in a good car, it doesn’t happen too often anymore. I’ve got to get better here first.”
There was chaos early in the race when Kostecki was forced wide by Waters into the wall at the turn four hairpin.
Seconds later, Mostert was then spun by Broc Feeney at the same turn with the damage forcing him back to the pits and out of the race with a broken steering rack.
Kostecki was also forced back to the pits, but was able to rejoin the race.
The incidents were investigated by race control, but no further action was taken.
Motert, who sat second in the championship behind Kostecki coming into the race, was not happy with no action being taken.
“It’s one of those things, (it’s very) early on in the race and some young guys are a little bit keen to get their nose in,” Mostert said.
“(I’m) pretty disappointed to see no further action because I’m out of the race.”
There are two more sprint races at Symmons Plains on Sunday.
HUNGRY MOSTERT READY TO REVERSE SUPERCARS’ ‘ONE-WAY STREET’
Chaz Mostert is hungry to reverse a “one-way street” and lead a Ford fightback at Symmons Plains, knowing he must force his way on to the winners’ list if he is to have any chance of mounting a title assault this year.
Ahead of this weekend’s Tasmania SuperSprint, Mostert is the best of the Mustang drivers, sitting second in the Supercars standings behind series leader Brodie Kostecki, but is yet to taste a win in 2023.
The dual Bathurst 1000 champion is the only Ford driver positioned inside the top five of the championship, sitting ahead of Chevrolet pilots Shane van Gisbergen, Will Brown and Broc Feeney.
While Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters was declared the winner of race one in Newcastle after Triple Eight’s van Gisbergen and Feeney were disqualified for a technical breach, Ford has not had a driver cross the line in first place this year.
The only driver outside of Triple Eight and Dick Johnson Racing to have won at Symmons Plains in the past five years, Mostert was bullish about putting the Blue Oval back in front.
“It’s a bit of a one-way street at the moment, but we’re all definitely hungry on that side to try and deliver more wins to go forward,” Mostert said.
“I am feeling really optimistic for this weekend, it is a pretty good hunting ground for Walkinshaw Andretti United over the last couple of years here.
“I got my first win for the team when I joined forces with WAU, so we know we can be quick around here, but to throw a spanner in the mix, we have got completely different cars and a different manufacturer we are representing.
“Hopefully, we can get up the pointy end and to grab a trophy would be really nice and, if not, just keep grabbing some good points until we get on top of things …. I am hungry for a good result.”
Parity has been a hot topic for the start of the sport’s Gen3 era given the dominance of the Chevy Camaros so far this year.
But a diplomatic Mostert did not want to get involved in any parity debate.
“I’m not going to get into the P (parity) politics with everything that is going on,” Mostert said.
“Supercars are working hard and we’ll just have to go from there.”
Mostert had two second-places to kickstart the Gen3 era in Newcastle – also benefiting from the T8 disqualifications in race one – but has not featured on the podium since.
But the 31-year-old knew he needed to start winning if he was to be a serious title contender.
“I don’t know if you need to win every race, but no doubt about it you need to be winning races in this championship to mount that challenge,” Mostert said.
“The guys that are leading the championship, they are doing it because they are staying in that top three week in, week out.
“So we need to be doing the same stuff and, if not, getting on top of those guys.
“The days of finishing fifth all year …. in the championship are long gone, you have basically got to be getting the trophies week in, week out to mount that challenge to some of these guys.”
Mostert has twice finished third in the Supercars championship, but remains confident he can be a threat this year.
“You can’t really keep using the rookie excuse anymore, I have been in this series for 10 years now,” Mostert said.
“I want to be trying to win championships and I feel like I have got the right team around me to do it, we have just got to keep working extremely hard and try and go after the guys that are genuinely at the front most weekends.
“Gen3 is a really good opportunity for that going forward and I think we have learned a lot already this year, but to beat the guys at the front you have got to be on it from the word go.
“The last two rounds we have not been able to do that, so I am looking forward to seeing if we can do that this weekend.”
Why Kostecki is bullish on title bid in breakout campaign
Supercars series leader Brodie Kostecki admits he is still adjusting to his new status as a championship frontrunner, but is backing his chances of delivering a breakthrough title for Erebus this year.
In an eye-catching start to the new Gen3 era, Kostecki has established himself as an early contender to threaten Triple Eight series king Shane van Gisbergen’s crown by opening up a healthy lead after the first three rounds.
Kostecki will take a 100-point lead over Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert into this weekend’s Tasmania SuperSprint at Symmons Plains, with Supercars’ defending champion van Gisbergen 136 points behind his Erebus rival in third.
The 25-year-old has finished on the podium in all but one race so far this year, claiming two race wins – at the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park – and six podiums.
It has been an impressive start to the 2023 campaign for Erebus, which also leads the teams championship and has Will Brown sitting fourth in the drivers’ standings.
Enjoying showcasing the orange numbers on his car, Kostecki is confident Erebus cannot only contend for, but deliver a championship win this year.
But he was also acutely aware there was still a lot to play out on track this year.
“It would be really cool to lock away a championship and we can definitely do it, we just need to keep our heads down and stay focused,” Kostecki said.
“The team has done a fantastic job. We have been consistent at every track we have been to so far, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed going into Tasmania that it continues along and that we have a good clean round.
“It is cool to have the orange numbers on the car to show that we’re the championship leader and it’s great for the team.
“It’s been a really exciting start to the year for Erebus …. but it’s still really early as well so we’re not counting our chickens.
“We’re just trying to keep our heads down and try to be as consistent as possible and build on the trophies that we have already got this year.”
Entering this year’s championship, the first in the category’s new Gen3 era, Kostecki’s best result in the V8 standings was seventh in 2022 when he finished the year with two podiums.
He has exceeded that after just three rounds and is confident he has plenty of improvement ahead after adjusting to racing at the front of the grid.
“I’m still improving,” Kostecki said.
“Every time I head out there, it’s been a bit of an adjustment for myself running consistently in the top three and trying to win races, every race that we have gone out so far this year.
“It has been really cool and it has been a real challenge for myself and I’ve just been really excited for it and hopefully it continues.”
With the exception of Tickford Racing’s Cam Waters, who was promoted to victory in the first race at Newcastle after Triple Eight’s technical disqualification, only the drivers from Red Bull and Erebus – van Gisbergen, Broc Feeney, Kostecki and Brown – have taken race wins.
Kostecki has enjoyed some spirited battles with van Gisbergen on-track already this year, notably in the opening race in Perth when Erebus protested the champion’s race victory – only to have it thrown out – and Kostecki was hit with a bad sportsmanship flag.
While Kostecki said he had moved on from the Perth tustle, he has relished his duels with van Gisbergen.
“It’s been really cool racing him. He is a really smart racer and really cool to race,” he said.
“I’ve had some pretty good battles with him this year and I’m looking forward to more and I’ve got a lot of respect for him.
“It will be cool to see how it plays out throughout the year.”
Van Gisbergen completed a clean sweep of all three races at Symmons Plains last year, but Kostecki was not expecting a repeat of those results this weekend.
“I think there will be a few of us up there,” Kostecki said.
“It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, but I think it will be a lot different this year to how it has been the last few years.”
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