SUPER3 Series stalwart Chris Smerdon will become the first driver to start 50 rounds in the category when he lines up on the grid in this weekend’s third round of the 2021 series in Townsville.
The South Australian won the inaugural series in 2008 and has been a mainstay of the class from its roots as the Kumho V8 Touring Car Series through to now running under its current Super3 Series banner.
This weekend’s event is the 67th V8TC/Super3 Series round to be held since the first at Mallala in 2008.
Behind Smerdon on the list of most round starts in the category is Jim Pollicina (43), John Vergotis (27) and Steve Briffa (22), however Brendan Strong is the next in terms of regularly active series drivers (19 round starts).
Smerdon features prominently in the V8 Touring Car/Super3 Series record books. He jointly holds the record for most round wins (six) with Terry Wyhoon and Ryan Simpson and has won 13 races during his time in the class.
He has taken 16 podium finishes (the most in category history) and seven pole positions.
Smerdon currently races an IRWIN-liveried Falcon FG run by Matt Stone Racing. The car was originally built and raced by Stone Brothers Racing, driven in 2010 and 2011 by Alex Davison and Lee Holdsworth in 2012.
He was a regular privateer runner in the Australian Touring Car Championship and V8 Supercars throughout the 1990s, racking up 43 ATCC/V8SC round starts between 1992 and 2000, including the inaugural Sensational Adelaide 500 in 1999.
Smerdon also made five Bathurst 1000 starts; his first came in 1994 alongside Cameron McConville.
The South Australian was a regular Perkins Engineering customer. He started in touring car racing in the ex-Bill O’Brien Everlast Commodore VL and then moved into a brand-new VP Commodore in 1994, below, that was later updated to VR and VS specification.
The full racing histories of both cars, and indeed every PE-built Commodore, is told in the pages of the new book, ‘The Cars of Perkins Engineering. 1986-2008’, a limited edition, hardcover, 400-plus page collectors book available here now to pre-order, available in September/October 2021.
