SUPERCARS is working on a long-awaited new system regarding Safety Car deployments.
Details are being kept private for now given the project is in early stages, but V8 Sleuth understands multiple teams are trialling what is effectively a second pitlane limiter during practice this morning at the Darwin Triple Crown.
Triple Eight reported “finger trouble” with the technology which forced Shane van Gisbergen to spend time in the garage during Practice 1.
It’s believed there’s still plenty to be sorted with the system to force cars to quickly slow to a safe speed (not to be confused with a Virtual Safety Car) but nevertheless, it’s a promising step for the category.
The tendency for full-blown racing (besides overtaking) to take place even after a Safety Car has been called has been a controversial topic for years in Supercars.
Essentially, cars have raced to the pitlane to gain track position before the field eventually is neutralised.
It made for a scare as recently as Race 2 of the 2023 Melbourne SuperSprint, when Jack Le Brocq crashed out – only for rivals to blaze by the stricken Camaro he remained sat in.
“It was pretty full-on to be honest, I didn’t know if the car was going to catch fire, it was quite a big hit,” Le Brocq told V8 Sleuth at the time.
“I actually undid my belts to get out of the car and I started seeing cars come through and I buckled myself back up because cars were coming through there pretty quick.
“Obviously no one hit me but it’s never a nice feeling to be sitting there in that situation.”
Broc Feeney topped Practice 1 at Hidden Valley, which wrapped up a short time ago.
Feeney set the pace with a last-ditch 1:06.5132s to pip David Reynolds by 0.0307s.
Reynolds was among the cars to spear off the track during the half-hour session, running deep at Turn 1 and not missing a recovering Jack Smith by much.
Behind Feeney and Reynolds, Mark Winterbottom, Will Davison and Cam Waters rounded out the top five.
Practice 2 starts at 2:05pm local time (2:35pm AEST).
Results: Practice 1, Darwin Triple Crown
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Broc Feeney | Triple Eight | Chevrolet | 1:06.5132s |
| 2 | 26 | David Reynolds | Grove | Ford | +0.0307s |
| 3 | 18 | Mark Winterbottom | Team 18 | Chevrolet | +0.1549s |
| 4 | 17 | Will Davison | DJR | Ford | +0.2703s |
| 5 | 6 | Cam Waters | Tickford | Ford | +0.3240s |
| 6 | 3 | Todd Hazelwood | BRT | Ford | +0.3319s |
| 7 | 11 | Anton De Pasquale | DJR | Ford | +0.3528s |
| 8 | 99 | Brodie Kostecki | Erebus | Chevrolet | +0.3546s |
| 9 | 19 | Matthew Payne | Grove | Ford | +0.3855s |
| 10 | 35 | Cameron Hill | MSR | Chevrolet | +0.4094s |
| 11 | 9 | Will Brown | Erebus | Chevrolet | +0.4300s |
| 12 | 20 | Scott Pye | Team 18 | Chevrolet | +0.4468s |
| 13 | 2 | Nick Percat | WAU | Ford | +0.4832s |
| 14 | 5 | James Courtney | Tickford | Ford | +0.4943s |
| 15 | 8 | Andre Heimgartner | BJR | Chevrolet | +0.5627s |
| 16 | 55 | Thomas Randle | Tickford | Ford | +0.5737s |
| 17 | 25 | Chaz Mostert | WAU | Ford | +0.5978s |
| 18 | 97 | Shane van Gisbergen | Triple Eight | Chevrolet | +0.6084s |
| 19 | 23 | Tim Slade | PremiAir | Chevrolet | +0.6317s |
| 20 | 56 | Declan Fraser | Tickford | Ford | +0.6923s |
| 21 | 14 | Bryce Fullwood | BJR | Chevrolet | +0.7086s |
| 22 | 31 | James Golding | PremiAir | Chevrolet | +0.7544s |
| 23 | 34 | Jack Le Brocq | MSR | Chevrolet | +0.9292s |
| 24 | 4 | Jack Smith | BJR | Chevrolet | +1.0285s |
| 25 | 96 | Macauley Jones | BJR | Chevrolet | +1.0715s |
| 26 | 888 | Zane Goddard | Triple Eight | Chevrolet | +1.1118s |
