Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia

Additional co-driver practice at Bathurst likely

Supercars is likely to increase the amount of dedicated co-driver practice sessions at this year's Bathurst 1000.

Alexandre Premat, DJR Team Penske Ford

Alexandre Premat, DJR Team Penske Ford

Dirk Klynsmith / Motorsport Images

Co-driver milage will be well down heading into the 2020 running of the Great Race, with most not having driven a Supercar since the pre-season test in February thanks to test and co-driver sessions having been canned due to the pandemic.

Race miles in general are down for the co-drivers as well, thanks to limited running for the likes of TCR Australia, Super2 and Carrera Cup.

Supercars has looked to partly rectify that with a limited co-driver inclusion at this weekend's second round at The Bend. The short rookie session before Practice 1 can be used by co-drivers who have made less than three Bathurst starts.

None of the Melbourne-based drivers will be able to take part, however, as they begin quarantine procedures to get access to New South Wales.

Read Also:

To help level the playing field it's expected that more of the practice time during Bathurst week will be limited to co-drivers.

Last year there were two hour-long dedicated co-driver sessions from a total of seven practice hit-outs, with that number likely to grow this time around.

According to seven-time series champion Jamie Whincup, the amount of pre-race running at Bathurst should give co-drivers time to prepare.

"The saving grace is that there's seven hours of practice, including warm-up and everything, before we get to the race," he said. "And in the race there's six hours.

"From what a birdie told me there'll be a few more co-driver sessions, maybe three or four of that seven hours will be co-driver only. So they'll get heaps of running at the circuit they're going to race at before the big race.

"While most co-drivers haven't done anywhere near the amount of laps they would normally do in a normal year, they'll probably get a little bit more at Bathurst."

Whincup added that the primary drivers will be able to sacrifice some practice running at Bathurst, thanks to a hectic schedule that has included six race weekends over seven weeks.

"We'll be more ready than ever," he said. "We've done more racing in the last couple of months [than normal], so we'll be race fit come the Mountain. So it's probably a good idea to give the co-drivers a bit more time."

The majority of the 2020 Bathurst 1000 field has been set, with the remaining confirmations expected in the coming days.

2020 Bathurst 1000 entry list

Team Driver #1 Driver #2 Car
Walkinshaw Andretti United Bryce Fullwood Kurt Kostecki Holden Commodore ZB
Walkinshaw Andretti United Chaz Mostert Warren Luff Holden Commodore ZB
Brad Jones Racing Macauley Jones TBC Holden Commodore ZB
Brad Jones Racing Jack Smith Jack Perkins Holden Commodore ZB
Brad Jones Racing Nick Percat Thomas Randle Holden Commodore ZB
Brad Jones Racing Todd Hazelwood Jordan Boys Holden Commodore ZB
Tickford Racing Lee Holdsworth Michael Caruso Ford Mustang GT
Tickford Racing Cameron Waters Will Davison Ford Mustang GT
Tickford Racing James Courtney Broc Feeney Ford Mustang GT
Tickford Racing Jack Le Brocq James Moffat Ford Mustang GT
Kelly Racing Andre Heimgartner TBC Ford Mustang GT
Kelly Racing Rick Kelly Dale Wood Ford Mustang GT
Erebus Motorsport David Reynolds Will Brown Holden Commodore ZB
Erebus Motorsport Anton De Pasquale Brodie Kostecki Holden Commodore ZB
DJR Team Penske Fabian Coulthard Tony D’Alberto Ford Mustang GT
DJR Team Penske Scott McLaughlin Tim Slade Ford Mustang GT
Team 18 Mark Winterbottom James Golding Holden Commodore ZB
Team 18 Scott Pye Dean Fiore Holden Commodore ZB
Team Sydney Alex Davison Jonathon Webb Holden Commodore ZB
Team Sydney Chris Pither Steve Owen Holden Commodore ZB
Matt Stone Racing Zane Goddard Jake Kostecki Holden Commodore ZB
Matt Stone Racing Garry Jacobson David Russell Holden Commodore ZB
Triple Eight Race Engineering Shane van Gisbergen Garth Tander Holden Commodore ZB
Triple Eight Race Engineering Jamie Whincup Craig Lowndes Holden Commodore ZB
Garry Rogers Motorsport Tyler Everingham Nathan Herne Holden Commodore ZB

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article No quarantine hub for Bathurst 1000
Next article TCR ace to make Bathurst 1000 debut

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia