Jamie Whincup and the Red Bull Holden Racing Team have combined to land the first blow on the streets of Newcastle, with the seven-time champion ousting Cameron Waters and teammate Shane van Gisbergen in a hotly-contested Practice 2.
Whincup launched to P1 late in the 30-minute session to set a session-best 1:10.3173s – but Waters’ #5 Monster Energy Mustang was just 0.0057s down the road, with van Gisbergen a further 0.0549s down.
The top eight were separated by a scant 0.1301s, with Practice 1 fast man Scott McLaughlin fourth in the session, just 0.0666s down on Whincup’s lap.
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David Reynolds – who brought out an early red flag due to an off – was fifth in the #9 Penrite Racing ZB Commodore, ahead of Mark Winterbottom (#18 IRWIN Racing ZB Commodore), James Courtney (#22 Walkinshaw Andretti United) and Fabian Coulthard (#12 Shell V-Power Racing Mustang).
Todd Hazelwood continued his strong Friday pace to drop the #35 SS Signs ZB Commodore into ninth, with Lee Holdsworth (#5 The Bottle-O Racing Mustang) rounding out the top 10.
The tight margins, although skewed somewhat by the changeable weather conditions, have set up the top two teams for a weekend-long battle for the teams’ championship.
McLaughlin has already sealed the drivers’ title, but just 116 points separate Shell V-Power Racing and the Red Bull Holden squad, with 576 points on offer.
Whincup admitted there’s more in his car, but was happy to set the fastest time on his final lap.
“My car didn’t feel that flash then on good tyres, but it’s clearly quick,” said Whincup.
“I think our drive is okay, we’re just struggling with a bit of turn.
“We’ll work on getting them to turn through that change of direction a little bit faster.
“If we can do that, I think we’ll improve for tomorrow.”
Supercars and the Northern Territory Government have agreed to push back the historic Hidden Valley double-header.
The Darwin Triple Crown had been set to go ahead this weekend; that will now take place on the August 15-16 weekend, with the CoreStaff Darwin SuperSprint moved to a to-be-confirmed date later in the month.
The decision comes following extensive talks between relevant health authorities, the NT Government and Supercars.
The NT Government and health authorities ultimately made the call, with Supercars supporting that direction.
Team personnel will arrive in Darwin later today and those who have visited areas deemed hotspots by the NT Government will be managed in hotel isolation until early next week.
At that point, those people will be allowed to finish their quarantine period provided they return a negative COVID-19 test.
“Following intensive discussions over recent days and at the direction of the NT Government and the relevant health authority, the decision has been made to postpone this weekend’s event for seven days,” said Supercars CEO Sean Seamer.
“This decision has been made to ensure we protect the health and wellbeing of all of our people and the wider community in the Northern Territory ahead of the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown.
Percat wins Sydney Supercars
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“We would like to thank the NT Government and health authorities on working with Supercars on developing a plan that allows us to move forward with the northern leg of our championship.
“I would also like to thank our teams and fans for their ongoing flexibility to accommodate this year’s championship.
“This is a decision Supercars supports to ensure the health and wellbeing of all Territorians.
“This announcement will have no bearing on our plans for any future events including the Townsville SuperSprint.”
The Townsville SuperSprint is scheduled for August 29-30.
Before then, the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown will become the third Supercars event to run since the COVID-19 shutdown, following two rounds at Sydney Motorsport Park in June and July.
Scott McLaughlin’s chances of creating a 60-year first in Supercars/Australian Touring Car Championship history have just become a whole lot more real.
The Shell V-Power Racing Team star’s form either side of the COVID-19 lockdown has placed him well in pursuit of a rare third straight title.
Already, he has opened up a 107-point lead in the standings, with Jamie Whincup his nearest challenger.
Chaz Mostert is the only other driver within 200 points of McLaughlin’s tally, while his perennial title rival Shane van Gisbergen is just seventh overall.
The #17 Mustang driver’s sizeable buffer comes as he heads to the site of a remarkable success last year.
McLaughlin in 2019 became the first ever driver to win the prestigious Darwin Triple Crown, taking top spot in the Top 10 Shootout and both races.
Sweeping the 2020 edition of the Darwin Triple Crown might be a little tougher given new tyre regulations to mix up the action.
Either way, if McLaughlin keeps up his dominant form – both of late, and at Hidden Valley Raceway – it would go some way towards putting him in a club of one.
The club? Never before has a driver turned their maiden title into a three-peat.
With back-to-back Top End events, he could foreseeably have tightened his grip on the trophy by the time he leaves the Northern Territory for the following round in Townsville.
Hamilton JUST claims GP
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It comes as Motorsport Australia publicly outlines its requirements for a legitimate championship, indicating that Supercars will be in a good position when it comes to its 2020 title:
“Motorsport Australia’s Championship policy states that this Championship should be contested over a minimum of six rounds per calendar year in no fewer than four states or territories, subject to exceptional circumstances (such as force majeure) or if otherwise approved by Motorsport Australia.
“The International Sporting Code does not specify that an International Series needs to be conducted over a minimum number of rounds and locations.
“As such, Motorsport Australia expects Supercars will be able to award the 60th Australian Touring Car Championship at the conclusion of its season in 2020.”
The net result is that the 2020 championship will be official at the conclusion of the Darwin double-header the next two weekends.
That’s because the Northern Territory will become the fourth state/territory to host a 2020 event – following South Australia, Victoria and NSW – and six rounds will be completed by that point.
The above includes the short-lived Beaurepaires Melbourne 400, which counts due to the fact qualifying took place before the Grand Prix event was cancelled due to COVID.
With the COVID situation ever-changing around the nation, fluidity continues to be the key word attached to the 2020 calendar.
MotoGP race winner Chris Vermeulen has urged defending World Champion Marc Marquez to sit out this weekend’s third round of the MotoGP season, the Czech Grand Prix in Brno.
The Honda star has undergone a second operation on his broken right arm after the titanium plate initially used to brace his humerus was found to be damaged from ‘stress accumulation’.
“Maybe he should just wipe this weekend and see how he goes turning up to Austria next weekend but it’s Marc Marquez, he’s a multiple world champion … if they declare him fit and he wants to have a go, who’s going to stop him?” Vermeulen said.
“Last time he had surgery and was out of hospital hours later, this time he’s got to stay in for two days so are they (doctors) erring on the side of caution for something else? It’s not straightforward putting a plate in your arm and getting out with everything working.”
Damage to the plate fitted to his repaired right humerus has seen @MarcMarquez93 return to the operating room in Barcelona.
It was another successful operation for the World Champion who is now recovering in hospital.https://t.co/A3ExSDcumg
MotoGP surgeon Dr. Xavier Mir said the initial operation was successful but the plate was insufficient.
“An accumulation of stress in the operated area has cause the plate to suffer some damage, so today the titanium plate has been removed and replaced by a new fixation,” Dr. Mir said.
Honda have not revealed whether Marquez’s attempt at a miraculous return to racing just four days after his crash in the season opening race in Jerez was the cause of the issue or whether the damage was done in his rush to rehabilitate in time for this weekend’s race in Brno.
“The rider has not felt pain during this period. He has always followed the medical advice given and the feeling from his body,” Dr. Mir said.
Marquez shared X-rays of the broken arm – and his titanium plate – in the post below.
A recovery period won’t be determined until midweek but the timing falls poorly for the 25-year-old with back to back races at the Red Bull Ring in Austria following this weekend’s round in the Czech Republic.
The latest setback makes the Spaniard’s attempt at a fifth-straight MotoGP title appear a longshot but Vermeulen won’t write off the eight-time World Champion yet.
“Right at this stage? No it’s definitely not over,” Vermeulen said.
“It all depends on what happens to the other guys too, if Fabio Quartararo is the guy that’s winning and on the podium every week then it’s a lot harder for Marc but if there’s three or four guys that start fighting for the Championship then it makes it a lot easier for Marc to catch up.”
Vermeulen says suggestions the world title is diminished due to Marquez’s early season absence are ‘utter crap’.
“Everyone starts the season fit, everyone starts the season on zero points,” Vermeulen said.
“It’s Marquez that’s put himself in this position, nobody else.”
“As for people saying there’s only 14 rounds, well for Mick Doohan’s first title in 1994 there were only 14 rounds, Giacomo Agostini won when there were only 10 rounds, does that mean they’re not deserving World Champions?”
“They are still the best riders in the world out there, it just happens that the world champion is injured at the moment.”
Quartararo goes back-to-back
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Yamaha’s Quartararo has won the opening two races of the season in Jerez – the first two wins of his MotoGP career – and even if Marquez returned this week and won the remaining 12 races this year, the Frenchman would only have to finish second in each race to win his maiden world title.
Vermeulen though has warned Yamaha’s early season dominance could be short lived with the M1 traditionally not suited to the high-speed Brno and Austria layouts.
The Aussie believes engine troubles could also come back to bite the Japanese manufacturer with riders who exceed their allocated five engines this season forced to start that race from pit lane.
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“It’s early days to be wasting an engine, so it’s not a good sign for Yamaha when they’re the guys that are struggling for horsepower and really need to turn up the RPMs to give themselves a chance to catch the Honda and Ducati’s in a straight line,” Vermeulen said.
Jack Miller dropped to seventh in the standings after crashing out in the second race at Jerez but Vermeulen expects his fellow Queenslander to pick up his first podium of the season in the coming weeks.
“I know Jack well, that won’t faze him, it was a mistake, it’s done,” Vermeulen said.
“I love his comments in Jerez that he really considered himself a championship challenger … he was on the podium in Brno last year and he definitely has the speed and potential to be on the podium in these next few races.”
