The racing format for V8 Supercar race provides the fans with lots of exciting drama. First, there are two basic types of races: sprints and endurance. All rounds include some type of practice, qualifying events and the actual race. However, the type of race does determine specifics, and sometimes certain races have specific requirements that might distinguish it from others.
Practice
All races allow for some type of practice. For example, a sprint race will generally permit a driver to get in a single practice over a two hour period. On the other hand, an endurance race sets aside varying times. There may be two sessions of 30 minutes each or four sessions of varying lengths. As for warm-ups – only the endurance race uses this as a part of the format and then generally for only 20 minutes.
Qualifying
Qualifying for a race can be almost as exciting as the race itself. In general there are two to three stages to a qualifying event. The first involves all 30 drivers and lasts for 20 minutes. The second takes 20 drivers and pits them against each other for another 15 minutes. This can determine the pole position for the actual race. In an endurance qualifying event, there is a “Top Ten Shoot-out.” The top ten drivers get one lap to set their fastest time. This is used to determine starting position.
Sprint Races
Over the course of a weekend, sprint races will see drivers competing in two races over 200 km each. However, because sprint races are much shorter than endurance races, they have specific rules that apply to them. For one thing, there is generally no mandatory pit-stop. However, considering the fact that racers must put in 50 liters each race, it would be impossible to make it a full race without refuelling at some point. Racers also may use up to 12 tyres per race.
Endurance Races
Of course, endurance races are much longer. Some of the marquee events in this category include the L&H 500, the Bathurst 1000, Clipsal 500, and the Desert 400. Frequently, these races have rules that are specific to them. For example the L&H 500, is a single day race that requires mandatory pitstops for tyres and fuel. The Bathurst 1000 has the same rules but also allows for break pad changes. Some races, such as the Gold Coast 600 even allows for two drivers per car.
The Grand Finale
Thanks to AVESCO (Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company) there is also a grand finale to the season. Originally, this was the 13th championship and was held late in November at the Eastern Creek Raceway near Sydney, Australia. Since then it has been moved to various venues including in 2005 to Phillips Island, in 2008 to Oran Park Raceway, and in 2009 to Sydney Telstra 500.
For fans of the V8 Supercar races, there’s nothing more exciting than watching one of these races. Even the practice sessions and warm-ups can offer a certain thrill as the fans watch their favorite drivers perform. For those who get a chance to see a sprint race or an endurance race such as the Desert 400 in Bahrain, there’s just nothing like it.