We are off to the ‘Paperclip’ this weekend for the Ipswich Super 440.
A track that both Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood have had success at in the past, with Chaz having won his first Supercars race there and Ryan securing two podiums there last year.
It’s the final round of the Sprint cup, with Chaz sitting in P8 and Ryan right behind in P9, they are after a solid points weekend to climb further up the standings heading into enduros.
The Track
Queensland Raceway, also known as the ‘Paperclip’, is a 3.13km circuit with just six corners. While its layout may seem simple on paper, it delivers exciting racing and plenty of passing opportunities - particularly into turns 1, 3 and 4.
Since the last time Supercars visited QR, there have been key upgrades made, with turns 3 and 6 undergoing resurfacing. The new surface will offer increased grip and open the door for even more passing action.
Format
Friday: On track action begins with two 25-minute practice sessions which are back-to-back.
Saturday: There are two qualifying sessions for Race 26 and 27 which follow the below format:
- Part 1: Sets the grid for positions 11 – 26
- Part 2: Sets the grid for positions 1 – 10
There will be two 120km races on Saturday afternoon that will see the lights go out for Race 26 at 12:45pm AEST and Race 27 at 4:15pm.
Sunday: There is a three-part qualifying session for Race 28 which will follow the below format:
- Part 1: Sets the grid for P19 – P26
- Part 2: Sets the grid for P11 – P18
- Top 10 Shootout: Determines the top 10 positions for the race
The final race of the weekend will get underway at 3:20pm AEST, for 200km of exciting racing.
Tyres
We will be running both the Dunlop Soft and Dunlop SuperSoft compound tyres. For Race 26 and 28 we will be on the Dunlop Soft tyre and Race 27 we will be on the Dunlop SuperSoft tyre.
Pitstops
There is a minimum for one compulsory pit stop for Saturday’s races, with a minimum of two tyres being changed. On Sunday there are two compulsory pit stops for Race 28, how many tyres are changed all come down to strategy.
Weather
It’ll be a warm weekend compared to what we are use to in Melbourne, with the sun shining and temperatures in the 20s.
Foundation Academy
It’s Round 3 of the Toyota GR Cup for Pip, Liam and Ayce who are ready for a big weekend both on and off track. Friday will see two practice sessions and qualifying, followed by three races across Saturday and Sunday.
On Friday at 12.30pm, all three drivers will join Chaz and Ryan for their first ever signing session, learning how to interact with fans. If you’re at track, you should pop by and say hi.
How to Watch
This weekend will be covered on Fox Sports and Kayo across the entire weekend. For our Kiwi fans, you can catch us on Sky Sports all weekend.
Full broadcast times can be found HERE.
Chaz Mostert
“This is hands down my favourite track on the calendar, it’s only got six corners and with my memory at this age, it’s easy an easy track for me to remember.
“I have a lot of fond memories at this track, I won my first Supercars race here and it’s a home track where a lot of my friends and family come to support.
“It’s the final round of the sprint cup this weekend before we head into enduros, we want to make every race count and collect as many points as we can.
Ryan Wood
“I’m looking forward to heading up to warm Queensland this weekend, it’ll be a nice break from the cold here in Melbourne.
“We had a really strong weekend at QR last year getting two podiums, we want to make sure we have a solid package and maximise our weekend.
“It’ll be good to have Jaxon on the ground with us this weekend, learn more about the car and set-up so we can head into enduros feeling confident.”