2025 SUPERCARS & Supports: **Round 1 this weekend 21-23 Feb**

[Everso Biggyballies]

Bottom post of the previous page:

In other (UNCONFIRMED) news that seems to have been leaked is that .....

.... Craig Lowndes to split with T888 in favour of staying with Chevrolet / GM.

Claims are Lowndsey's impending split with Triple Eight will be announced as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday March 11).

The swing to Ford from Chev seems to be far from the seamless transition JW expected with the team already facing the loss of KRE Engines, who have chosen to remain exclusive suppliers to GM, plus T888 Technical Director Jeremy Moore who has confirmed he will be taking up a senior role within GM in the USA. T8 had envisaged that KRE would follow T888 to become the official Ford Supercars engine builder.

Lowndes’ decision to remain with GM is the latest repercussion of Triple Eight’s return to Ford from next year.

The switch has already cost the powerhouse team its longtime alliance with engine-builder KRE – also sticking with GM – and technical director Jeromy Moore, moving to a senior racing role at GM in the USA.

Lowndes has been a fixture at Triple Eight since 2005, winning six Bathurst 1000s in Falcons and Commodores until his fulltime retirement in 2019.

He then co-drove in the enduros with Jamie Whincup for three years before heading the Supercheap Auto-backed wildcard entries from 2022.

Now 50, Lowndes remains the most recognisable and popular figure in Supercars, acclaimed for his fan-friendly personality as well as his achievements over nearly two decades.

He won ATCC crowns with HRT in 1996/98/99, plus the Bathurst 1000 in ’96, then triumphed a further six times in The Great Race with Triple Eight (’06/07/08/10/15/18).

Lowndes has been a Holden/GM ambassador for several years and has re-signed for an extended period.

He will also continue as a Supercars enduro co-driver, shutting down speculation of an imminent retirement from racing.

The hot tip is that Ceaig will join Premiair Racing, favourite to become the GM homologation team and lately advised by ex-T8 boss Roland Dane.

Dane is still a big fan of Lowndes, who he lured from FPR in ’05 and has often credited with securing the commercial foundations of Triple Eight.

Losing Lowndes also casts into doubt Supercheap Auto’s backing of T8’s wildcard program after this year.

Lowndes’ decision to stick with GM, while unsurprising, is just another blow to the Jamie Whincup-run Supercars superteam.

What Whincup expected would be a seamless, uncontentious transition from racing Camaros to Mustangs has become a major battleground, inciting GM to fight back with increased commitment and investment.

https://supercarxtra.com.au/news/shock- ... th-bowtie/

[Everso Biggyballies]

In other (UNCONFIRMED) news that seems to have been leaked is that .....

.... Craig Lowndes to split with T888 in favour of staying with Chevrolet / GM.

Claims are Lowndsey's impending split with Triple Eight will be announced as soon as tomorrow (Tuesday March 11).

**CONFIRMED** Lowndes to leave Triple Eight after 21 seasons

Lowndes, 50, has this morning announced his impending split from Triple Eight after 21 years, having informed the team’s management on Monday afternoon.

A statement from the Lowndes camp notes that “Craig will continue to compete at a professional level in his career, with plans for 2026 and beyond to be announced in due course.”

It’s understood that Lowndes has elected to stick with General Motors and will likely race on in the Supercars endurance events for at least another year.



The Lowndes/Triple Eight relationship netted huge success including six Bathurst 1000 victories as he played a key role in transforming the operation into a Supercars powerhouse.

However, with its looming switch from General Motors back to Ford, Lowndes is set to remain loyal to the brand for which he is an ambassador.

[Everso Biggyballies]

New Look for Erebus #99 Cooper Murray car

Sadly the lovely Chico Rolls predominance is gone (it remains, albeit on a lower scale of prominence)

The #99 is on a rolling sponsorship program for the season with Young Timer’s Garage taking over from Chiko as the major backer for the Australian GP.

The deal is a growing of ties between YTG and Erebus, with YTG having hosted the squad’s pre-season launch.

According this latest announcement, the black and gold look is a tip of the hat to iconic F1 cars.

[Everso Biggyballies]

A Middy's free NASCAR look for Fullwood at the GP

Bryce Fullwood will debut an eye-catching, NASCAR-inspired green and purple look at Albert Park this weekend.

Fullwood will enter unfamiliar territory this weekend when he makes his first appearance in Supercars without backing from Middy’s Electrical.

That’s due to Middy’s cutting back its sponsorship for 2025, prompting a rolling sponsorship model for the #14 Camaro.

This weekend it’s famous microphone brand Shure that will back the car with a loud green and purple look. It includes NASCAR-inspired elements such as numbers on the doors and Fullwood’s name on the roof.

The livery will be used for both the Albert Park and Tasmania events.

[Vassago]

As a well-known critic of pink I actually enjoyed the shade used for #14. At least you could spot the car rather easily in the pack as well.

Sadly I won't be able to watch the first two races this week due to work but I promise to be back on the weekend!

[Everso Biggyballies]

AGP Meeting, Supercars P1.

The action for Superccars started earlier in the week toi normal, with Thursday designated as Support Category days. Not F2 and F3, just the local supports for Supercars and Porsche Carrera Supercup..

In the Supercarss this meeting is for the SC a totally different format. Its called a Supersrint meeting for a reason....
There is one race on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, whilst the low amount of tyre degradation experienced on the mandated Soft tyre at Albert Park means that there are no pit stops in any of the four races.

The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday races will all be run over 105km, whilst the race that is a precursor to the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday is run over a distance of just 80km.
Thats the format sorted.....

It was early in the weekend so the track was still very green given it is normally a public road with the usual buses trucks and road car traffic. It will get quicker as more race rubber is laid down. So Supercars P1 was the first timed category and session on track. So what happened?

Wood leads Kiwi one-two in first Melbourne practice

Walkinshaw Andretti United young gun Ryan Wood pipped Kiwi compatriot Richie Stanaway in Practice 1 at the Melbourne SuperSprint.

Dont read too much into it as a number of cars struggled for grip and we had a few more fancied cars running wide and not getting the times they wanted to see.

Also it was a case of as the track evolved who was on the right bit of track at the right time was a major factor and the times and positions at the flag were different to those just a minute prior. Shell DJR Team driver Will Davison briefly stood atop the order with a minute to go but wound up third after the last-minute efforts by Wood and Stanaway.

Golding spent much of the session top but suffered from wrong place wrong time in the final minute. Cooper Murray was another standout for Erebus in the YTG-backed #99 Camaro ahead of James Courtney (Snowy River Racing) and Will Brown (Red Bull Ampol Racing).

Nick Percat, Broc Feeney, and Chaz Mostert occupied seventh through ninth with the top 10 completed by solo Supercars debutant Aaron Cameron.

A new rule for this year with tyres...... Rookies will benefit from an extra set of tyres, a rule introduced by Supercars this year to aid their development. That certainly helped Aaron Cameron in getting his top 10 time.


Results: Repco Supercars Championship MSS Security Melbourne SuperSprint, Practice 1


P2 will for sure have a different look to it and that starts soon at 13:25 local time.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Practice 2 underway and half way through James Courtney has had a massive off and torn the left rear wheel out of the car. RED Flag and that will not make others happy as it will take a bit of cleanup, and with Supercars very much a support category in the F1/2/3 shadows, no favours and the clock is still clicking down on the session.

Replays show JC got loose on entry to Turn 5 and clattered into the left-hand concrete wall. Big damage with the rear axle and suspension very much rearrange. A lot of work for the team with qualifying and a race to do later today.

[Everso Biggyballies]

5 minutes left and the cars are filing out of the support paddock. There will be under 3 minutes left when they get round to start a timed lap.... probably time for maybe some to get to start a second flyer before the flag. As long as there aare no further interruptions

[Everso Biggyballies]

OK as the flag flies and as yet no one has matched the time set right at the start by Golding. A lot have come close including both Red Bulls. Waters doesnt seem to have the advantage he showed at SMP in his round 1 whitewash.

Is it coincidence that Premi Air are showing such good form this weekend.... given they are being hailed as the favourite team to become the GM Homologation teram in place of the off too Ford Triple 8.

Blanchard Racing will be getting busy on pulling Courtneys car apart and then rebuilding it with lots of new bits. Bear in mind they dont have the fancy garages they are used to. Supercars this weekend are out in the support paddock under marquees. At least BRT are local if they need spares etc.

I cant see the Courtney car making qualy. No way. Thats less than 90 minutes away.. The race itself will be a miracle.... the start is just over 3 hours from now.

Anyway P2 done and dusted ...Golding is fastest from Feeney, Brown, Percat, Payne. What a result for PremiAir off the back of all the noise about homologation teams eh? After Payne comes Heimgartner, Murray, Allen, Reynolds, and Hill.

[Everso Biggyballies]

5 minutes until the 15 minute qualy session astarts and all the drivers suited and booted ready to go out. Except Courtney. His car is still in the garage with the others outside their garages.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Well that didnt last long, the first timed laps just in and then Brodie went straight on at T1 and got beached. A red flag. He had just gone 4th but will lose his best time for causing a red. The clock is winding down still. Brodie has been pulled out of the sand and on his way but down to under 6 minutes left. We will get a restart but maybe they will get 1 flying lap, 2 at best.

Make that maybe 1..... cars leaving pitlane with 3:30 left. One lap for all with traffic. Hopefully no one else has problems on their flyer.

Currently Payne was quickest of those that got early laps in, from Feeney JLB, Cooper Murray. Mostert Brown. with Mostert no where. In fact Waters has now pitted so he will be starting near the back. Brodie lost his time as expected but is now on a flyer.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Crikey, that was quite a decent last minute of qualy and some under pressure quick laps.....

Feeney takes Pole from Brown for this evenings race. Waters 22nd!

So after that frantic do or die lap twith all the pressure on a bit of a pressure run.... it's ended with Feeney from Brown, Cam Hill, JLB, and Kostecki with a great lap in the circumstances. Payne ended up sixth ahead of Stanaway, Heimgartner, Golding, and De Pasquale. Mostert 13th and Championship leader Cam Waters made a mistake on his lap, pitted and starts 22nd.

The cars will be straight out in a few minutes time to run a qualy session for tomorrows 2nd race of the weekend. Another 15 minute session. I doubt if anyone had time to make any changes other than a tyre pressure or click of a roll bar. They will be running pretty much what they had before

[Everso Biggyballies]

Nop surprise that we didnt see Courtney out for the second qualy for tomorrows race. He will be starting both this evenings and tomorrow afternoons race from the back of the grid.

OK well the second qualy session has been run, completely free of interruption, and again some great performances from unexpected names, although no surprise to see Feeney on pole again.

Feeney takes pole for Fridays race from Cam Hill, . Great lap from Hill for a front row

Waters had a better session this time but Mostert didnt. He was running most of the session in the 20's before a final lap saw him him down in 15th. At the pointy end its Feeney, from Hill, Percat, Heimgartner, Brown, Waters, Stanaway, Le Brocq, Kostecki, and Wood

An hour and a half left until todays race starts (17:50 local time), the 4th of the year.


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[Everso Biggyballies]

Courtney wont be taking to the grid for the first rce of the weekend following the short time frame to repair damage from his rather large P2 crash.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Feeney and Brown have taken in the lead, with Brown grabbing 2nd from Hill. A bit of a frantic first few lapsw, a lot of rubbing and bumping and often several cars wide. It didnt take long before it led to an SC as Cameron and Jones escorted each other off the track at T1 with Cameron getting beaached.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Back to green at lap 9. It will be a time certain finish given the delay. Waters has been biffing his way forwards after his dreadfulk qualy. Now up to 14th , make that 13th as he gets Randle.