2022 Supercars Winton SuperSprint session times and preview

This is the category's first visit to the rural Victorian since 2019, plans to race there over the past two seasons scuppered by the pandemic.

Last year the Winton round was cancelled just days out due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in Victoria.

With border closures now a thing of the past in Australia the Winton SuperSprint is clear to return with 27 cars set to take to the circuit this weekend.

That includes the 25 regular entries plus two wildcards, one from Erebus Motorsport/Image Racing for Jordan Boys and one from Walkinshaw Andretti United for Jayden Ojeda.

The rapid-fire two-day format returns with Supercars running restricted to Saturday and Sunday and Friday dedicated to the support categories.

The Supercars actions kicks of on Saturday morning with a pair of half-hour practice sessions.

Three-part qualifying will then determine the grid for the first of three 110-kilometre sprint races on Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday there will be two all-in, 10-minute qualifying sessions ahead of two more sprint races.

Each of the races will feature a mandatory stop for at least two tyres, with the new Dunlop super soft control tyre the only compound in play for the weekend.

Each driver will be limited to five sets of the softest compound control tyre for the beginning of Saturday qualifying onwards.

The two-year break makes the Ford difficult to read heading to Winton. Back in 2019 it was a clean sweep for Scott McLaughlin and what was then known as DJR Team Penske.

McLaughlin's era of dominance may be over, however Dick Johnson Racing, as it is now known, will head to Winton in good form following Will Davison's breakthrough win in Perth last time out.

Triple Eight star Shane van Gisbergen will also head to Winton in sublime form, and with a healthy points lead.

Those two Queensland teams will have to take on the Victorians on their home soil, with most of the Melbourne-based squads having elected to test at Winton last week.

Walkinshaw Andretti United's form will be particularly interesting to watch, the squad having gone from winning races at Albert Park to back-row lockouts in Perth.

Tickford Racing, meanwhile, didn't test last week with all of its cars, but did show front-running form in Perth.

2022 Supercars Winton SuperSprint session times

All times local (GMT +10)

Friday May 20

9:00-9:20 Sports Sedans – Practice 1
9:30-9:50 Formula Ford – Practice 1
10:00-10:20 Aussie Racing Cars – Practice
10:30-10:50 SuperUtes – Practice 1
11:00-11:20 Sports Sedans – Practice 2
11:30-11:50 Formula Ford – Practice 2
12:00-12:25 Carrera Cup – Practice
12:35-12:55 Aussie Racing Cars – Qualifying
13:05-13:25 Sports Sedans – Qualifying
13:35-13:55 Formula Ford – Qualifying
14:04-14:20 SuperUtes – Qualifying
15:05-15:20 Aussie Racing Cars – Race 1
15:30-15:45 Formula Ford – Race 1

Saturday May 21

7:45-8:05 Sports Sedans – Race 1
8:15-8:35 SuperUtes – Race 1
8:50-9:20 Supercars – Practice 1
9:40-9:55 Aussie Racing Cars – Race 2
10:05-10:15 Carrera Cup – Qualifying
10:45-11:15 Supercars – Practice 2
11:30-11:45 Formula Ford – Race 2
11:55-12:15 Sports Sedans – Race 2
12:25-12:50 SuperUtes – Race 2
13:05-13:15 Supercars – Qualifying (Part 1)
13:20-13:30 Supercars – Qualifying (Part 2)
13:35-13:45 Supercars – Qualifying (Part 3)
14:00-14:15 Aussie Racing Cars – Race 3
14:25-14:50 Carrera Cup – Race 1
15:35-17:00 Supercars – Race 1

Sunday May 22

8:35-8:55 SuperUtes – Race 3
9:05-9:25 Sports Sedans – Race 3
9:40-9:50 Supercars – Qualifying (Race 2)
10:10-10:20 Supercars – Qualifying (Race 3)
10:25-11:05 Carrera Cup – Race 2
11:15-11:30 Formula Ford – Race 3
11:40-11:55 Aussie Racing Cars – Race 4
12:25-13:45 Supercars – Race 2
13:50-14:10 SuperUtes – Race 4
14:20-14:45 Carrera Cup – Race 3
15:35-17:00 Supercars – Race 3