The 2018 Supercars Championship (known for commercial reasons as the 2018 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship)[1] was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars. It was the twentieth running of the Supercars Championship and the twenty-second series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title. Teams and drivers competed in thirty-one races at sixteen venues across Australia and New Zealand for the championship titles. Scott McLaughlin won his maiden title at the final race in Newcastle,[2] while Red Bull Holden Racing Team won the Teams Championship[3] at Pukekohe.[4]
The 2018 season saw the introduction of the first Gen 2 Supercars, which opened up the category up to a wider variety of body shapes and engine configurations. The championship saw the introduction of the hatchbackHolden ZB Commodore, marking the first time since 1994 that a car with a body shape other than a four-door sedan has competed.
The Holden ZB Commodore was homologated, making it eligible to compete in the championship.[19][20][21][22] All existing Holden teams commenced the season with the new car, either new chassis or reskinned VF Commodores.[23][24][25][26][27]Triple Eight Race Engineering, who oversaw the development and homologation of the ZB chassis were also developing a V6 twin-turbocharged engine for Holden cars ahead of a full introduction in 2019.[28] However, the programme was put on indefinite hold in April 2018.[29] Triple Eight team were proposing to debut the V6 powerplant with a number of wildcard entries, however the discontinuation of the project resulted in this being scrapped.[30]
Will Davison moved from Tekno Autosports to the newly-formed 23Red Racing team.[41] Davison's place at Tekno Autosports was filled by Super2 Series driver Jack Le Brocq.[42]James Moffat left Garry Rogers Motorsport at the end of the 2017 championship and joined Tickford Racing for the Enduro Cup.[43] Moffat's place at Garry Rogers Motorsport was taken by James Golding, who drove for the team in the Enduro Cup in 2016 and 2017.[44]
The Melbourne 400 event featured four races. All four were longer than the races that were run as part of the Australian Grand Prix support event in previous years, before it was granted championship status. Two of the races were run at twilight and included mandatory pit stops, while the other two were shorter sprint races run in daylight hours.[48][49]
Sydney Motorsport Park hosted the Sydney SuperNight 300, which consisted of a single 300 km race held under lights.[50] It was the first night race since the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi hosted the opening event of the 2010 season. The event consisted of two 30 minute practice sessions and a 20-minute qualifying session ahead of a 300 km race. The race included three compulsory pit stops.[51]
A new qualifying format was introduced for the Symmons Plains, Barbagallo and Sydney Motorsport Park events.[53][54] The system uses three stages similar to the system used in Formula One and was introduced as a response to the shorter layouts of the Symmons Plains and Barbagallo circuits which drew criticism about congestion as drivers on flying laps would encounter slow-moving cars preparing to start their own laps.[53] The system was later added to the Sydney SuperNight 300 after proving popular during its trials at the Symmons Plains and Barbagallo events.[54]
The "wildcard" programme introduced in 2017, which allowed teams from the Dunlop Super2 Series to compete in the Supercars Championship, continued in 2018. Entries were open for the Winton, Hidden Valley, Ipswich and Tailem Bend events,[45] while the Barbagallo event was discontinued after the 2017 edition failed to attract wildcard entries. The Bathurst 1000 was open to wildcard entries, but was separate to the wildcard programme for Super2 teams. No entries were received for the latter.
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) adjusted the eligibility requirements of the licensing system used by the championship. The revised requirements were designed to make it easier for Super2 drivers to qualify for a racing licence.[55]
Points were awarded for each race at an event, to the driver or drivers of a car that completed at least 75% of the race distance and was running at the completion of the race. At least 50% of the planned race distance must be completed for the result to be valid and championship points awarded.
Points format
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
Standard
150
138
129
120
111
102
96
90
84
78
72
69
66
63
60
57
54
51
48
45
42
39
36
33
30
27
24
21
Endurance
300
276
258
240
222
204
192
180
168
156
144
138
132
126
120
114
108
102
96
90
84
78
72
66
60
54
Melbourne (long)
100
92
86
80
74
68
64
60
56
52
48
46
44
42
40
38
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
Melbourne (short)
50
46
43
40
37
34
32
30
28
26
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
Standard: Used for all SuperSprint and street races, including the Gold Coast 600.
Endurance: Used for the Sydney SuperNight 300, Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
Melbourne (long): Used for Race 1 and 3 of the Melbourne 400.
Melbourne (short): Used for Race 2 and 4 of the Melbourne 400.
^For points-scoring purposes, Tickford Racing is divided into two teams: one which is made up of car #5 and #55, and another consisting of car #6 and #56.[8]
^For points-scoring purposes, Triple Eight Race Engineering is divided into two teams: "Red Bull Holden Racing Team", which is made up of cars #1 and #97, and "Autobarn Lowndes Racing",[9] consisting of car #888.
^Tim Blanchard Racing is a satellite team of Brad Jones Racing; Tim Blanchard Racing own the Racing Entitlement Contract for car #21, while Brad Jones Racing runs the car and oversees trackside activities on their behalf.
^Since the Tasmania SuperSprint event, Erebus Motorsport has contested with Erebus Motorsport badges rather than Holden badges. However, the team was still recognised as being a Holden team for the event.[10]
^For points-scoring purposes, Nissan Motorsport is divided into two teams: one which is made up of car #7 and #15, and another consisting of car #23 and #78.
^Jason Bright competed with the Racing Entitlement Contract (REC) he owned under the Britek Motorsport banner, which was operated by Prodrive Racing Australia as a satellite team. Although this REC was leased to Matt Stone Racing, Prodrive replaced it with an REC owned by Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport. Stanaway effectively replaced Bright despite the restructuring of the teams.
^Race 27 was suspended due to torrential rain and could not be re-started. As less than 50% of the race distance had been completed when the race was abandoned, no points were awarded.
^Shane van Gisbergen was the winner of Race 30, but received a post-race penalty for a pit stop infringement and was reclassified as finishing fifth. Scott McLaughlin was recognised as the eventual race winner.
^Howard, Tom (19 December 2017). "Prodrive confirms Tickford Racing name change". Speedcafe. Retrieved 19 December 2017. Tickford Racing will field four Falcon FG-Xs for Mark Winterbottom, Chaz Mostert, Cameron Waters and new signing Richie Stanaway next year.