The endurance season is back.
Okay, it’s only two races, starting with this weekend’s Sandown 500 and ending with the Bathurst 1000 next month. But that’s still double the number of enduros the Supercars series hosted last year. Things are moving in the right direction for those who like their races long and arduous.
And the return of Sandown as a proper endurance test is particularly welcome. Its recategorisation as a sprint weekend in recent years never sat well, and with the future of Sandown Raceway under a dark cloud — but then that’s been the case for an eternity — it’s only right its place is restored.
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But there’s much more intrigue this weekend than simply for the return of an endurance classic. Not only will this be the first time in years most drivers have done 500 kilometres of Sandown — and some have never done it all but — but it’s also the first endurance test for Gen3.
It’s completely uncharted territory, and it’s a massive opportunity to win big — or lose it all.
WILL THE NEW CARS GO THE DISTANCE?
While there’s a broader question about how the all-new cars will behave over the race distance — bearing in mind they’ll be up for double duty in Bathurst — more pertinent is whether they’re mechanically up to the task of going the distance.
Unsurprisingly for a clean-sheet design, the Gen3 machine hasn’t had a season of completely smooth sailing.
There have been those spectacular fires that have torched a few Mustangs as well as chronic problems with steering racks, gear towers, cooling, control parts — all sorts. There are even concerns that the Gen3 car is less easily repairable than previous models, though undoubtedly this has and will continue to improve as mechanics become more familiar with their machines.
None of this is necessarily outside the scope of the sorts of problems you’d expect from such an overhaul of the technical regulations, particularly given the car’s gestation during the pandemic. Most of these problems have been understood and covered.
But the most any car has had to race up to this stage of the season is 250 kilometres. They’ll now be doubling that, and in surprisingly warm conditions for Melbourne too to really test what they’re made of.
Reliability is always a factor in endurance racing — it’s right in the name. Those teams that have best understood their packages, that can best finesse them to go the distance, will have an oversized advantage relative to the rest of the season.
WILL THE PARITY DEBATE REAR ITS HEAD AGAIN?
Hand in hand with reliability are the ongoing rumblings about parity between the Mustang and the Camaro.
Despite Ford’s apparent fightback in Tailem Bend, where Mustang drivers claimed six of nine podium finishes over three races — albeit behind the dominant Camaro of Brodie Kostecki — concerns have remained that the two models haven’t been equalised ahead of the crucial enduros double-header.
Changes were made to the Mustang after a parity inquest was opened earlier in the year following a dire run of results for Ford, and the aerodynamically demanding Bend circuit seemed to positively validate them.
But straight-line speed is still an issue for some Ford team bosses.
Drag was thought to be playing a role, but focus has more recently returned to engines and transmission. In recent months throttle body sizes have been tweaked, which has aided driveability for the Mustang, but the shift-cut delta when changing gears has reportedly been widened in recognition of Ford’s power delivery being underwhelming through the rev range.
Sandown Raceway is defined by two very long straights, which are critical for both lap time and also overtaking. The Gen3 cars are also tipped to crack 300 kilometres per hour at Bathurst again.
There’ll be nowhere to hide around either circuit if there’s a disparity when it comes to drag and power.
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WHICH DRIVER LINE-UPS WILL SHINE?
Part of the fun of endurance season is the way the sport changes from an individual game to one in which the field’s supremely focused one-eyed drivers suddenly have to accommodate a teammate sharing the cockpit with them.
Success requires a different mindset — one that acknowledges compromise is the only way to maximise the overall result.
While there are plenty of good stories throughout the grid’s set of combinations, let’s start with David Reynolds and Garth Tander. It’s a new alignment for 2023 after Tander sensationally defected from Triple Eight and General Motors to the Ford-backed Grove squad.
Tander is the co-driver’s co-driver. Since stepping away from the full-time seat at the end of 2018 he’d won three endurance events from seven entries, including a pair of Bathurst victories with Shane van Gisbergen in the last three seasons. He’s also a Sandown 500 winner with Warren Luff in 2016.
All attention will be on Tander’s first ever outing with the Blue Oval, and partnered with a fellow Bathurst winner in Reynolds, it’s a combination not to be underestimated.
The reunion of 2021 Bathurst winners Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth will be another one to watch. The pair delivered Walkinshaw Andretti United its first Bathurst triumph in a decade, and with Holdsworth fresh off a full-time season in 2022, they’re tipped to pick up where they left off.
Meanwhile, there’s always the prospect of some co-drivers being on audition for a full-time drive next season. With the grid reducing by one car in 2024, there’s extra pressure to nail the opportunity.
Jake Kostecki and Aaron Love, teaming up in Blanchard Racing Team’s wildcard Mustang, is a line-up piled with pressure.
Kostecki had his career axed last year but is keen to make the case for a second chance.
Love, meanwhile, is already heavily linked to BRT’s second car when the team expands to two entries next year. If there’s any doubt about it, this is his golden chance to blow it away once and for all.
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WHICH TEAM WILL OUTSMART THE OTHERS?
Teams and drivers have become very familiar with the sprint format in recent years, in part thanks to their proliferation during the pandemic years.
A sprinkling of longer format races, like Newcastle and Townsville, have kept the strategists sharp, but Bathurst has otherwise stood alone as a real test of team tactics.
Sandown offers an opportunity for them to stretch their legs before the Great Race.
That’ll be crucial considering — much like uncertainties around possible unreliability — teams can’t rely on experience alone when plotting a route to the flag thanks to the all-new car.
Brake wear as emerged as a potential early curveball, with each car allowed two front brake pad changes in Sandown, although pad changes won’t be mandatory until Bathurst. No-one’s certain whether they’ll be needed or not.
The series has also elected not to enforce a mandatory pit stop number, meaning strategy is completely open bar the 54-lap minimum requirement for co-drivers and the 3.5-hour maximum continuous cockpit time.
The new 133-litre fuel cell could also be theoretically big enough for the full co-driver stint, which in turn could open the door to completing the Sandown 500 with just two stops.
It would be a major strategic gamble given the pit window would be very narrow, meaning badly timed safety cars could up-end the approach — but alternatively a well-timed interruption could see many positions gained.
The lack of compulsory stops is good news on the parity front given it suggests fuel consumption between the two models is similar, but there are still concerns in the Ford camp about driveability and tyre wear, which could be strategically debilitating if it were to be found to be severe.
WILL THE CHAMPIONSHIP BE DECIDED BE THE ENDRUOS?
Finally, while the endurance races present their own sorts of challenges, they remain a part — and a major part at that — of the fascinating 2023 championship battle.
Despite their differing lengths, both the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000 offer 300 points to the winning drivers. These will be decisive rounds, with only 300 points on offer in total at the remaining races in Gold Coast and Adelaide afterwards.
Van Gisbergen crashes out of enduro test | 01:12
Brodie Kostecki stormed to a 137-point championship lead with a flawless weekend in Tailem Bend last time out while all his key title rivals faltered.
Shane van Gisbergen is his closest rival, while Broc Feeney and Will Brown are 228 points and 258 points off the lead respectively. Retirement for any of them from any of the endurance races would be fatal to their championship challenges.
But it’s too early to say Kostecki has one hand on the title trophy. A DNF would be immensely damaging for him too, though it wouldn’t put him too far down to put him out of contention entirely.
But a couple of podiums will put him in very good stead ahead of the final two rounds, especially if it’s not SVG claiming victories, or at least not both of them.
If the season trend continues to the end of the year and no other driver manages to string together multiple good weekends in a row, Kostecki will fancy his chances of sealing the deal after the enduros are done.
He can’t win the championship in Sandown, but a 300-point lead leaving Bathurst would seal the deal.
HOW CAN I WATCH IT?
The Sandown 500 is live and ad-break free during racing on Kayo and Fox Sports.
Friday features three half-hour practice sessions at 10:45am (AEST), 12:40pm and 3:45pm, with the second session open only to co-drivers.
Saturday starts with a final half-hour practice session at 10:45am ahead of qualifying at 1:40pm and the top-10 shootout at 5:20pm.
The warm-up open Sunday’s proceedings at 10:10am, with the 161-lap Sandown 500 commencing at 2:15pm.