Drivers bracing for wild ride at The Bend
FANS say for added excitement in Supercars, just add water.
That is 95 per cent guaranteed on the weather forecast for the first day of the Repco SuperSprint at The Bend Motorsport Park, providing drivers with an added challenge at a track they already find tough with its sweeping corners and windswept pit straight.
With three rounds to go in the Supercars championship and two drivers still in the hunt to win it, conquering The Bend Motorsport Park in the wet will be key to their success.
Ford driver Scott McLaughlin is 143 points in front of Holden’s Jamie Whincup.
Whincup, from Red Bull Holden Racing Team, said he was “hanging in there” behind McLaughlin in the annual standings.
He hoped to remain in striking distance at the end of the back-to-back Bend rounds for the finale, to be held at Bathurst.
“This next fortnight is critical,” he said.
McLaughlin, from Shell VPower Racing Team, said the rain would be “a wildcard”.
“The weather is always a mixed bag, especially at a place like this where there’s a lot of wind,” he said.
“It’s the same conditions for everyone and we’ve got to try and make the most of it.
“If we can walk out of the two Bend events with the same points gap, it’s been a good job.”
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast up to an inch of rain for the Murraylands region on Saturday, the heaviest falls expected during the practice and qualifying sessions.
Race 25 of the Supercars championship begins at 3.10pm.
South Australian driver Todd Hazelwood, from Brad
Jones Racing, predicted the weather would lead to an action-packed day.
“Speaking to the locals here, the track is very slippery when the rain comes down,” he said.
“There seems to be a lot of standing water, it looks like glass and is aquaplaney.
“In a Supercar, it’s going to be wild and create some interesting racing.”
He said the rain could also affect Sunday racing, when sunshine is forecast, as teams would be qualifying for two races “completely blind” with no dry-running data.