Lockdown is over, motorsport is resuming and the GWR Australia squad is all set to explode back into action this weekend, running a mammoth 11-car attack in the NSW Supersports races supporting the Bunnings Trade Sydney SuperNight Repco Supercars Championship race meeting at Sydney Motorsport Park.
In what will be the highest-profile race meeting ever attended by the state-based category, a large contingent of motorsport-deprived drivers are ready to blast back into action after being off the track since the last Supersports round at Wakefield Park in May.
Peter Paddon and Stephen Champion will both be in attendance in their brand-new Radical SR3 XXs, while the rapid Chris Perini will be a force to be reckoned with in his SR3 RSX.
Also in the field will be the powerful Radical SR8s of Peter White and Steve Roberts, the experienced Phil Anseline and the always enthusiastic Paul Braico, who returns to the driver’s seat after a little while away.
There will also be a couple of females in the GWR stable, with the smiling face of Sue Hughes to be joined by the talented Brianna Wilson.
After an impressive rookie campaign in 2020, Michael Donnellan is back in his SR3 while the GWR line-up is completed by the only non-Radical in the squad, Darren Barlow in his Stohr.
Speaking on this week’s Inside Motorsport podcast, GWR Australia team owner Garth Walden said this weekend marks the start of an unbelievably hectic period for the Sydney outfit.
“We’re about to engage in one of the busiest times GWR Australia has ever had – there’s so much going on in such a short period,” Walden said.
“This weekend might be a state-based event for Supersports and we don’t normally have quite as many of our national RA Cup drivers cross-pollinating with the state category, but with such a long break since our last event, everyone just wants to go racing, which is why we’ve ended up with 11 cars.
“It’s a logistical challenge but fortunately we’ve had three months to come up with a game plan. Staff is the biggest factor with running so many cars and it can be tough to find people, especially with the borders closed. Fortunately, it’s only sprint racing so the demands on crew are not as high as they would be for an endurance race.”
Walden said the opportunity to compete on the support card for Australia’s premier motorsport category is a huge benefit for the Supersports drivers.
“A lot of our state level drivers don’t get the chance to race at such a high-profile race meeting, so for them to race in front of all the Supercars teams and to get coverage on FOX Sports is going to be a huge thrill for them,” he said.
Supersports will stage two practice sessions and qualifying on Friday, two races on Saturday and the final race on Sunday.
NSW Supersports Schedule
Friday, 29 October
Practice 1 – 1:30pm (20 min)
Practice 2 – 4:35pm (20 min)
Qualifying – 6:10pm (20 min)
Saturday, 30 October
Race 1 – 1:00pm (11 laps)
Race 2 – 3:00pm (11 laps)
Sunday, 31 October
Race 3 – 1:55pm (11 laps)
