Wilson Security Sandown 500 preview

The 2013 International V8 Supercar championship season is reaching its crescendo. This weekend, Sandown Raceway in the outer suburbof Melbourne will host the first leg of the inaugural PIRTEK Enduro Cup. After six months of frenetic sprint events, the drivers must now adjust to long, arduous stints behind the wheel, and the teams ought to focus attention on precise preparation for each gruelling race.

Qualifying for the 500 kilometre event will commence on Saturday afternoon, with a slightly altered format to determine the all-important grid for Sunday afternoon’s race. A regulation 20 minute session will kick off qualifying proceedings on Saturday, before two 20 lap sprint events determine the final grid positions for the Wilson Security Sandown 500. One qualifying race will feature the full-time V8 Supercar drivers, and the other will include all co-drivers for the event. If last year was anything to go by, expect fireworks before the main event even starts on Sunday.

The Track

Sandown Raceway is located approximately 25 kilometres south of the Melbourne CBD. The venue was originally constructed as a horse racing facility in the 19th century, however a bitumen circuit was built around the outside of the horse racing track in 1962. A number of different configurations have been implemented throughout the 51 year history of the circuit, with the current layout listed at 3.104 kilometres in length. In its current configuration, Sandown is very much considered a “power track” because of the two long straights, and plays into the hands of drivers with a higher top speed at their disposal.

The key to a competitive lap time at Sandown Raceway is achieving a clean exit onto the two long straights, which allows a higher top speed and a faster lap time overall. It’s also important to have a stable car under heavy braking, with turns 1, 9 and 11 requiring the drivers to jump on the brakes at the last possible moment. Garth Tander holds the current V8 Supercar lap record at Sandown Raceway after lapping the circuit in a time of 1.09.85 in 2009.

The Form Guide

The 2013 V8 Supercar season has become increasingly unpredictable over the past two months. When the category departed Texas, all and sundry rightly believed that Jamie Whincup would merrily stride toward another championship title in his Red Bull Racing Australia Commodore. However, the title race has since been blown wide open with both Lowndes and Whincup struggling to find the whirlwind pace that saw them dominate the opening half of the season.

There are three stand-out drivers in the field exhibiting unbelievable form at present, including Pepsi Max Crew’s Mark Winterbottom. After a nightmare start to his 2013 campaign, the 32 year-old has turned the championship on its head with an unrivalled run of high-points finishes since the category left American soil. Winterbottom has scored two wins from the past four rounds and crossed the line inside the top-10 in 9 of the past 11 races. Subsequently, the FPR pilot lies just 70 points behind Whincup and will share his Falcon with exceedingly capable two-time Bathurst winner, Steven Richards, over the next three rounds.

Holden’s answer to Mark Winterbottom is James Courtney, who continues to spearhead the revival of the Holden Racing Team. The 2010 series champion has been remarkably consistent throughout the entire season; however since Hidden Valley, the 33 year-old has stepped up his pace and notched up a breakthrough win in the final race at Winton last month. Courtney is now a genuine contender to add another championship title to his name, and sits a manageable 160 points behind Whincup heading into the endurance season. Adding a further string to his bow is the fact that Courtney will be partnered by four-time Bathurst winner, Greg Murphy, behind the wheel of the #22 HRT Commodore.

Chaz Mostert is the third driver displaying white-hot form in recent times. In his rookie year, the Dick Johnson Racing pilot currently occupies 18th position in the standings even after missing the opening three rounds of the season. The 21 year-old has been simply superb over the previous two rounds, achieving a breakthrough win at Ipswich as well as a podium finish during the most recent round at Winton Motor Raceway.

Predictions

The form of Triple-Eight has been suspect in recent times; however the Queensland-based outfit has traditionally performed well at Sandown Raceway. Last year, Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff steered the #888 Commodore to the top step of the podium, while Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell were stiffly denied second position after a desperate lunge by Mark Winterbottom in the dying stages. Traditionally speaking, the team from Banyo aren’t off their game for long, and it would be a brave man to count both cars out this weekend.

All cogs are in motion at Ford Performance Racing, with the factory-backed outfit looming large in the mirror of Triple Eight Race Engineering. Working in favour of the four car operation this weekend will be the impressive top speed of the FG Falcon, which will be given the opportunity to stretch its legs along the two lengthy straights at Sandown Raceway. The combination of David Reynolds and Dean Canto was the surprise packet of last year’s endurance events, and both will be eager to go one better this year after a strong run at Sandown was halted by a pit-stop problem in last year’s race. Will Davison and the ever-consistent Steve Owen are capable of a podium result this weekend, as are their Pepsi Max Crew counterparts in Mark Winterbottom and Steven Richards.

After a painful winless drought, the tide is turning at the Holden Racing Team. All three Walkinshaw Racing Commodores are perpetually improving, and the expected engine upgrades will only strengthen the Melbourne-based team’s chances of a victory at the power-orientated circuit. On paper, a victory appears most likely to come from the exciting combination of James Courtney and Greg Murphy; however it cannot be forgotten that Garth Tander and Nick Percat won the Bathurst 1000 less than two years ago. Will we see one final stand from Russell Ingall at Sandown? This is his best opportunity at a track which should suit the enforcer’s Supercheap Auto-backed Commodore and with the exceptionally capable hands of Ryan Briscoe sharing the wheel.

Garry Rogers Motorsport will be targeting one last triumph for Holden over the final rounds this season before the Melbourne-based outfit switches to Volvo power for the 2014 season. The combination of Scott McLaughlin and Jack Perkins may well be the dark horse this weekend; however Alex Premat has plenty to prove and could string together a stirring result alongside the highly experienced Greg Ritter. Tekno Autosports’ pace has tapered off somewhat in recent times, and with two relatively inexperienced co-drivers in Marc Lieb and Jeroen Bleekemolen, the odds are stacked against an upset result by either of the VF Commodores from the Gold Coast-based outfit.

After an impressive year under the new regulations, Brad Jones Racing will be targeting another victory to add to their fruitful 2013 campaign. Team BOC’s Jason Bright will share his VF Commodore with Andrew Jones, while Fabian Coulthard’s Lockwood Racing entry will have the services of Luke Youlden. Dick Johnson Racing’s hopes will primarily lie in the hands of Chaz Mostert and Dale Wood, while assistance from Triple Eight at a recent test session at Winton may prove beneficial for Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport heading into this weekend’s 500 kilometre event.

The Nissan Motorsport Altimas are likely to be at a significant disadvantage on the long straights at Sandown, which will make all four entries vulnerable under braking into turns 1, 9 and 11. Meanwhile, Erebus Motorsport is a relative unknown this weekend; however inferior horsepower is less of an issue for the three-car operation.

The V8 Supercars hit the track for the opening trio of 40 minute practice sessions today. Tomorrow, another practice session will take place before qualifying is held to determine the order for Sunday’s event. The 500 kilometre endurance race will kick off at 1.35pm local time on Sunday.