Category | Touring car racing |
---|---|
Country | Australia New Zealand |
Inaugural season | 1997 |
Drivers | 24 |
Teams | 11 |
Constructors | Chevrolet • Ford |
Tyre suppliers | Dunlop |
Drivers' champion | Brodie Kostecki |
Makes' champion | Chevrolet |
Teams' champion | Erebus Motorsport |
Official website | www.supercars.com |
Current season |
The Supercars Championship currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship under sponsorship, is a touring car racing category in Australia and New Zealand, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport.
Supercars events take place in all Australian states and the Northern Territory,[1] with the Australian Capital Territory formerly holding the Canberra 400.[2] Usually, an international round is held in New Zealand, with events previously being held in China, Bahrain,[3] the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.[1][4] The Melbourne SuperSprint championship event is also held in support of the Australian Grand Prix. Race formats vary between each event, with sprint races between 100 and 200 kilometres (62 and 124 mi) in length, street races between 125 and 250 kilometres (78 and 155 mi) in length, and two-driver endurance races held at Sandown and Bathurst.[5][6] The series is broadcast in 137 countries[7] and has an average event attendance of over 100,000.[8] With over 250,000 in attendance annually, the Adelaide 500 is the most attended Supercars race in Australia.[9][10]
The vehicles used in the series are loosely based on road-going cars. Cars are custom made using a control chassis, with only certain body panels being common between the road cars and race cars. The cars are controlled for "technical parity" - ensuring that teams and drivers using any of the homologated cars have a chance to build and drive a winning car.
All cars currently use either a 5.4L or 5.7L Naturally aspirated V8 engine. Originally only for Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores, the new generation V8 Supercar regulations, introduced in 2013, opened up the series to more manufacturers.[11] Nissan were the first new manufacturer to commit to the series with four Nissan Altima L33s[12] followed briefly by Erebus Motorsport with Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs[13] and Garry Rogers Motorsport with Volvo S60s.[14] The series returned to a Ford and Holden duopoly in 2020 with the departure of Nissan, while Ford replaced the Falcon with the Mustang in 2019.[15] Holden announced its final year of competition in 2022, to be replaced by the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2023 season.[16][17] Starting in 2026, Toyota will make its debut in the championship, competing with the GR Supra.[18]