Drivers on right track after Bend experience

SUPERCARS drivers will head into the OTR SuperSprint at The Bend Motorsport Park this weekend better prepared, in particular for tyre degradation that caught out many teams at the South Australian track last weekend.

It is despite the grid lining up on a different circuit at the multi-configuration motorsport complex for all three races, the penultimate round of the season.

The soft tyre was the big talking point from last weekend’s racing, with those who best managed their tyre set-up and allocation on the highgrip, high-load circuit able to claw their way forward during racing, as those who did not lost significant pace and were overtaken.

It has been a signature feature of the soft tyre during Supercars racing in the 2020 season but exacerbated at The Bend by the relatively new surface.

Mobil 1 Middy’s Racing driver Bryce Fullwood, who finished third in the first race – his best result of his first season in Supercars – said teams had arrived at The Bend with no significant experience on the soft tyre on the track surface, despite some laps being completed at the pre-season test day held at the facility this year.

“No one really knew what we were in for until the first race last weekend,” Fullwood said.

“Whether (this weekend) we see the tyre issues that occurred last weekend … it won’t be as bad but we will still wait and see.

“(The shorter circuit) will change things a bit.

“There’ll be a new passing opportunity at the new Turn 6 which could create a lot of havoc on the starts.”

The OTR SuperSprint will have the same format as last weekend’s Repco SuperSprint, with a Top 15 shootout and one 32-lap race on Saturday and two 32-lap races on Sunday.