Tasmania Preview
5 Apr, 2018
A new qualifying format is on the agenda for the Tasmania SuperSprint event this weekend.
It will put a great emphasis on the Friday practice sessions, as these results will impact the qualifying sessions. There are three, ten minute, back to back, elimination style qualifying sessions that will work as follows.
The bottom 16 cars in Friday practice will start qualifying session 1 on Saturday, with only the top 6 going through to qualifying session 2. The top 10 fastest cars in Friday practice will go straight through to qualifying session 2. Then the top 10 progress to qualifying session 3 to determine the first five rows of the race.
This allows all cars to get their own space to put in their best qualifying performance possible. Everyone will be vying to make it into qualifying session 3. With such a small track that only has three corners – one of those being the slowest corner on the Supercars circuit, there is no room for error here. Qualifying will be as important as ever at Symmons Plains.
All sessions will be LIVE on Fox Sports across the weekend.
TRACK TIMES
Friday 6th April
11:30-12:15 – Practice One
15:00-15:45 – Practice Two
Saturday 7th April
11:05-11:25 – Practice Three
12:55-13:05 – Qualifying Part One
13:10-13:20 – Qualifying Part Two
13:25-13:35 – Qualifying Part Three
16:45-17:40 – Race Seven – 120kms / 50 Laps
Sunday 8th April
9:55-10:15 – Practice Four
11:05-11:15 – Qualifying Part One
11:20-11:30 – Qualifying Part Two
11:35-11:45 – Qualifying Part Three
14:05-15:30 – Race Eight – 200kms / 84 Laps
FAST FACTS
- Track Length – 2.410km // Direction – Anti-Clockwise // Fastest Speed – 270km/h // Average Speed – 167km/h
- Qualifying Lap Record – 50.9676s, Jamie Whincup, Triple Eight, 2014, VF Commodore
- Race Lap Record – 51.4370s, Jamie Whincup, Triple Eight, 2017, VF Commodore
- Only twice has a Symmons Plains ATCC/VASC race ever been red-flagged. Last year’s Saturday race was red-flagged and suspended on lap two after a serious multi-car accident in wet conditions.
- Tim’s father John Blanchard competed in the 1993 ATCC round in a BMW M3, finishing 14th & 13th
- The last time a Symmons Plains round was competed without the Safety Car appearing all weekend was 1998.
- Both Tim & his father John have competed at Symmons Plains in the Formula Ford Championship.
- The Brad Jones Racing team had a clean sweep of the 2013 Symmons round, and after a strong showing at the recent Melbourne 400, they could shine at Symmons again.
MEET TIM
Friday 6th April
13:15-13:30 – Team CoolDrive Stand @ Merchandise Alley
Saturday 7th April
9:10--9:40 – Super Track Walk @ Starting Grid
14:15-14:30 – Team CoolDrive Stand @ Merchandise Alley
14:45-15:15 – Supercars Autograph Session @ Back of Team Garages
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