Kiwis cool on Supercars move to summer
Kiwi drivers like the current Supercars series format and would need to be convinced before accepting a radical plan to move to a summer series.
Speedcafe this week reported the series is considering a move to summer to avoid the NRL and AFL, codes many Supercars fans follow.
The report suggested moving the current March-November season to September-May.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s New Zealand round, 2016 champion and current series runnerup Shane van Gisbergen wanted to avoid the summer heat.
“I don’t enjoy that — we have too many hot races as it is,” the Red Bull Holden racer told the Weekend Herald. “I try and spend the least time in Australia as possible at that time of year because it’s too hot.
“We already struggle through those races but that’s a selfish reason. The big wigs will make those calls and we will deal with it.”
Nissan Motorsport’s Andre Heimgartner is open to change if it significantly improves the product, although he thinks the current format works well.
“They seem to have a formula at the moment that works, but if they can figure out a better way, then great,” Heimgartner said.
“It’s one of those things where they need to be careful not to make it too compact for the teams to operate.
“Even as it is, some of the rounds we have, teams don’t really have enough time to prep the cars and get ready for the next race. I don’t mind the schedule as it is now.”
The current season begins on the streets of Adelaide before a string of races in the southern part of Australia in autumn.
The series then moves to tropical destinations such as Darwin, Townsville and Ipswich in winter.
While that works from a weather standpoint, it puts stress on teams — half are based in Melbourne and half in Queensland.
“For us, at the start of the year, it was tough with Melbourne and all the southern races and across to Perth,” van Gisbergen said.
“But the Melbourne teams are struggling now, so it all evens out. It’s quite a condensed calendar now but I think it’s managed pretty well.”