The 2016 International V8 Supercars Championship (often simplified to the 2016 V8 Supercars Championship and known from 1 July as the 2016 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship) was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars. It was the eighteenth running of the Supercars Championship and the twentieth series in which Supercars have contested the premier Australian touring car title.
Cameron Waters replaced Chaz Mostert at Prodrive Racing Australia after winning the 2015 V8 Supercars Dunlop Series for the team. Waters had previously raced for the team in the main series as a substitute for Mostert while the latter recovered from an injury.[10]
Mid-season changes
Lee Holdsworth was injured in a heavy crash at the start of Race 13 at the CrownBet Darwin Triple Crown. His team, Team 18, originally planned to use its endurance co-driver, Karl Reindler, to replace Holdsworth at the Townsville event. However, as the team's car could not be fixed in time for the event, a deal was made with Dunlop Series driver Kurt Kostecki, with Kostecki to race for the team at the Townsville and Ipswich events using his own chassis.[36] The team completed the build of a new car ahead of the Sydney SuperSprint and Reindler drove the car at the event,[37] with Holdsworth making his racing return at the Sandown 500.[57]
Aaren Russell and his sponsor Plus Fitness split with Erebus Motorsport prior to the Coates Hire Ipswich SuperSprint. He was replaced by Craig Baird, one of the team's endurance co-drivers, for the event.[26] Dunlop Series racer Shae Davies, who was scheduled to contest the Enduro Cup events with the team,[58] was announced as the full-time replacement for Russell.
Calendar
The 2016 calendar was released on 8 September 2015.[59] On 1 October 2015 the calendar was revised, with Tasmania and the non-championship Australian Grand Prix races switching dates due to an updated 2016 Formula One calendar.[60] A further revision was made on 22 March 2016, with the Sydney 500 being moved back one week to avoid clashing with other events at Sydney Olympic Park.[61]
The series was scheduled to visit Malaysia for the first time, with a round of the championship to be held as part of the Kuala Lumpur City Grand Prix.[62] However, the event was cancelled following a legal dispute involving the event promoters.[63]
Format changes
The two 60 kilometre races held on the Saturday of SuperSprint events were replaced by a single 120 km race, with a compulsory pit stop to change tyres.[64]
The Sydney 500 reverted to its original two race format, with a single 250 km race held on each of Saturday and Sunday, after a pair of 125 km races were held on Saturday in 2014 and 2015.[64]
Soft tyres were used at all events except for the Bathurst 1000 and Phillip Island SuperSprint, with the season allocation increasing from 324 to 400 soft tyres per car.[64]
The compulsory pre-season test was scrapped. Teams were allowed three test days, one of which had to be used before the season commences. Rookie drivers and drivers who had not competed in the series for over three years were allowed an additional three days of testing.[66]
Scott Pye took his first pole position in the series in qualifying for the first race in Adelaide.[67] He would only finish the race in twelfth place, however, after a slow pit stop. Jamie Whincup won the race after starting from second place, ahead of James Courtney and Shane van Gisbergen.[68]Chaz Mostert, in his first race meeting since being injured at the 2015 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, took pole position for the second race.[67] Courtney won the race after a close battle with Whincup, while Mostert finished third. Chris Pither crashed at Turn 8,[69] with the car sustaining enough damage to rule it out of the third race.[70] The third race was marred by heavy rain and controversy over the start of the race and fuel regulations. Nick Percat took his first solo victory in the series, having completed only 48 of the scheduled 78 laps. Polesitter Fabian Coulthard and his teammate Pye finished second and third on the road, but were given a one-minute penalty each as neither had taken on 140 litres of fuel during the race as required by the regulations. Michael Caruso inherited second place ahead of Garth Tander. Caruso left the event with the championship lead ahead of Whincup and van Gisbergen.[71]
Shane van Gisbergen took his first championship race win for Triple Eight Race Engineering in the first race of the Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint, taking victory over his teammate Jamie Whincup. Will Davison scored his first podium finish for Tekno Autosports by finishing third. Mark Winterbottom had qualified on pole position, but finished ninth after a slow pit stop and running off the circuit.[72] Davison was fastest and qualifying for the second race, but was given a two-place grid penalty for impeding James Courtney, which gave pole position to Winterbottom.[73] Van Gisbergen looked set to take victory until late in the race, when oil dropped by Cameron Waters' car caused him to go off the circuit and get stuck in a gravel trap. This allowed Davison through to take victory, with Craig Lowndes finishing second ahead of Winterbottom. Chris Pither suffered another heavy crash, when contact with Nick Percat caused his car to spin into the wall. Davison's win gave him the lead in the championship, with Lowndes moving up to second place ahead of Whincup and Winterbottom.[74]
The Phillip Island event was dominated by Scott McLaughlin, who won both races from pole position. He beat Jamie Whincup by just over one second in the first race, while Fabian Coulthard scored his first podium finish for DJR Team Penske. Chaz Mostert had been on course to finish third before suffering a tyre failure on the final lap, which dropped him to 23rd place. Coulthard's teammate Scott Pye also had a puncture late in the race, causing him to finish last and two laps off the lead.[75] Whincup looked set to again finish second in the Sunday race but went off the circuit after a safety car period late in the race. This allowed Mark Winterbottom to take second place ahead of Pye, with Whincup finishing fourth. As Will Davison struggled across the weekend, Whincup took the championship lead while McLaughlin moved into second place, ahead of Winterbottom and Lowndes.[76]
Cameron Waters took his first pole position in the series in a rain-affected qualifying session prior to Race 8.[77] He would only finish 13th in the race, however, due to poor tyre life. The race started in wet conditions but it was dry enough for drivers to change to slick tyres within the first ten laps. Craig Lowndes utilised a two-pit stop strategy to take his first victory of the season, ahead of his teammates Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup. Chris Pither scored his best result of the season by finishing eighth. Mark Winterbottom had a difficult race, finishing 22nd after going off the circuit and later being spun.[78] He recovered to take victory in Race 9, despite being slowed when Aaren Russell unlapped himself in the closing stages. Scott McLaughlin and Lowndes completed the podium. Whincup finished eleventh, allowing Lowndes to take the championship lead.[79]
Tim Slade won both races at the Winton event, the first of which was his maiden victory in the series. He won the first race from pole position ahead of Scott McLaughlin and Mark Winterbottom. Cameron Waters had a high-speed spin after making contact with James Courtney halfway through the race.[80]Chaz Mostert took pole position for Race 11 but would only finish 20th after clashing with Courtney and suffering a puncture. The incident also damaged Courtney's car and he finished 25th, 14 laps off the lead. Slade took a comfortable victory over Winterbottom, while Fabian Coulthard scored his second podium finish of the season. Waters and David Reynolds both had strong races, finishing fifth and sixth respectively. Winterbottom's two podium finishes elevated him to the championship lead ahead of McLaughlin and Jamie Whincup.[81]
Michael Caruso took his first race win since 2009, and the first for Nissan Motorsport since 2013, in the first race of the CrownBet Darwin Triple Crown. Jamie Whincup regained the championship lead by finishing second, with Mark Winterbottom and Scott McLaughlin finishing ninth and tenth respectively, while Chaz Mostert scored his second podium finish of the season in third place. Shane van Gisbergen had started from pole position but he received a drive-through penalty for a restart infringement which dropped him down the order.[82] The second race of the weekend was marred by two major crashes on the opening lap, the first of which left Lee Holdsworth in hospital with fractures to his pelvis, right knee and two ribs.[83] The second involved Mostert, James Moffat and Fabian Coulthard and left Coulthard's car with significant damage. Todd Kelly led the opening lap but was hit by Winterbottom following a safety restart and fell down the order. Winterbottom received a drive-through penalty for his actions; he would receive another later in the race when he made contact with Aaren Russell. Van Gisbergen won the race, having again started from pole position, ahead of Tim Slade and Craig Lowndes. Whincup finished eighth to maintain the championship lead, with Lowndes in second and McLaughlin in third.[84]
The Castrol Edge Townsville 400 was dominated by Triple Eight Race Engineering, with two of its drivers, Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen, sharing the race wins between them. Kurt Kostecki made his championship debut, substituting for the injured Lee Holdsworth.[85] Whincup took his first pole position of the season in qualifying for Race 14 and went on to win the race, his first victory since Adelaide. Van Gisbergen finished second ahead of Mark Winterbottom. Scott McLaughlin lost ground in the championship after contact with Dale Wood on the first lap damaged his car, leaving him to finish in 24th place.[86] Van Gisbergen took victory in Race 15 ahead of James Courtney, who used fresh tyres in the closing stages to pass a number of cars. Winterbottom was third after starting from pole position while Whincup finished fourth after using an alternative strategy. Whincup maintained the championship lead, 53 points clear of van Gisbergen, with Winterbottom a further 22 points behind in third.[87]
Aaren Russell and his sponsor Plus Fitness split with Erebus Motorsport ahead of the event; he was replaced by one of the team's endurance co-drivers, Craig Baird.[88]Chris Pither took his first pole position in the series in qualifying for the Saturday race,[89] but lost places early in the race and finished eleventh. Shane van Gisbergen passed his teammates Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes late in the race to take victory, with Mark Winterbottom and Chaz Mostert completing the top five.[90]Nick Percat was disqualified from the race after it was found his car's front bumper was underweight.[91] The Sunday race was won by Lowndes with Whincup and Mostert completing the podium. Van Gisbergen finished twelfth after struggling with the balance of his car. He was also involved in an incident with Rick Kelly and James Courtney which damaged the suspension on Courtney's car, forcing him to retire from the race. Whincup extended his championship lead to 110 points over van Gisbergen while Winterbottom remained in third, a further ten points behind.[92]
Two drivers changes took place ahead of the Sydney SuperSprint. Karl Reindler replaced Kurt Kostecki at Team 18,[93] while Shae Davies was announced as the full-time replacement for Aaren Russell at Erebus Motorsport after Craig Baird filled in at the previous event.[94]Triple Eight Race Engineering further extended its winning streak, with Shane van Gisbergen taking victory in the first race after a close battle with teammate Jamie Whincup. James Courtney completed the podium ahead of polesitter Chaz Mostert.[95] Mostert took his second pole position of the weekend in qualifying for the Sunday race but it was Whincup who took victory. It was his 100th race win in the series, making him the second driver after Craig Lowndes to reach the mark. Lowndes finished second and celebrated a milestone himself, the race being his 600th in the championship, while Mostert completed the podium. Van Gisbergen finished fifth despite being spun by James Moffat in the closing stages; this result saw Whincup extend his championship lead to 137 points, while Lowndes moved past Mark Winterbottom for third after Winterbottom finished both races outside the top ten.[96]
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, up to a maximum of 300 points per event.[97]
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
Short format
75
69
64
60
55
51
48
45
42
39
36
34
33
31
30
28
27
25
24
22
21
19
18
16
15
13
—
Long format
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
Endurance format
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
48
Short format: Used for the first two races at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide and all International SuperSprint races.
Long format: Used for all SuperSprint and SuperStreet races, with the exception of the first two races of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, and for both races of the Gold Coast 600.
Endurance format: Used for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.
^"Preston Hire Racing set for strong debut". V8Supercars.com.au. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2016. Joining Preston Hire Racing for the Pirtek Enduro Cup will be Karl Reindler as Holdsworth's endurance driver.
^"Teams move to fill final 2016 V8 Supercars seats". Speedcafe. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015. Replacing Heimgartner with the Ice Break-backed Pither appears the favoured outcome, with the squad set to stay at Prodrive utilising a Racing Entitlements Contract recently purchased from Walkinshaw Racing.
^Gadeke, Kassie (15 September 2016). "As good as new". supercars.com. Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. Retrieved 18 September 2016.