Supercars Championship facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Supercars Championship

Category	Touring car racing
Country	Australia New Zealand
Inaugural season	1997
Drivers	24
Teams	11
Constructors	Chevrolet • Ford
Tyre suppliers	Dunlop
Drivers' champion	Brodie Kostecki
Makes' champion	Chevrolet
Teams' champion	Erebus Motorsport
Official website	www.supercars.com
Current season

The Supercars Championship, also known as the Repco Supercars Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a top-level car racing series in Australia and New Zealand. It follows rules set by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), which is the world's main motorsport group.

Supercars races happen in all Australian states and the Northern Territory. They also usually have an international race in New Zealand. In the past, races have been held in places like China, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. A special Supercars event also takes place during the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The races have different formats. Some are short "sprint" races, while others are longer "street races". There are also "endurance races" at famous tracks like Sandown and Bathurst, where two drivers share one car. More than 100,000 people usually attend each event. The Adelaide 500 is the biggest Supercars race in Australia, with over 250,000 fans attending each year.

The race cars look a bit like regular cars you see on the road. However, they are custom-built using special parts. Only some body parts are the same as road cars. The rules make sure all cars are technically "equal". This means that teams and drivers using any of the approved car models have a fair chance to win.

All cars currently use powerful 5.4-liter or 5.7-liter V8 engines. For many years, only Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores raced. But new rules in 2013 allowed more car makers to join. Nissan was the first new brand, followed by Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. By 2020, it was back to just Ford and Holden. Ford replaced the Falcon with the Mustang in 2019. Holden stopped racing in 2022, and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 took its place for the 2023 season.

History of Supercars Racing

Early Days: Group 3A Racing

The idea for a racing series focused on V8-powered Fords and Holdens started in 1991. New rules were planned for 1993. The main motorsport group in Australia, CAMS, worked to create fair rules.

In November 1991, the new rules for the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) were announced. They said that V8 cars would be much faster than smaller-engined cars. In 1992, CAMS tried to make the cars more equal. But Ford and Holden teams didn't want their V8s to be beaten by smaller cars.

By June 1992, the car classes were set:

• Class A: Australian-made 5.0-liter V8 Fords and Holdens.
• Class B: 2.0-liter cars following international rules.
• Class C: Other two-wheel drive cars (only for 1993).

Both the Ford Falcon EB and Holden Commodore VP used American-made engines. These engines had limits on their speed and power. Holden teams could use an older 5.0-liter Holden V8 engine. But from 1994, the main Holden teams had to use the more expensive Chevrolet engine.

The V8 cars first raced in 1992 endurance events. They had special aerodynamic parts, like large front and rear spoilers. These parts helped them compete against the powerful Nissan Skyline GT-Rs.

The new rules meant that powerful cars like the turbocharged Nissan Skyline GT-R and Ford Sierra were not allowed in 1993. Cars like the BMW M3 could race, but they had extra weight added.

In 1993, cars from all three classes raced together. But for scoring points, they were split into two groups: "Over 2,000 cc" and "Under 2,000 cc". At first, the smaller 2.0-liter cars had their own race. But this changed after only a few cars showed up for the first race.

The new rules aimed for "parity", meaning all cars should be equal. But Holden teams complained that Fords had an advantage early on. After five races, Holden cars were allowed new front and rear wings. BMWs also got new parts. Making Fords and Holdens equal remained a challenge for several years.

From 1995, the 2.0-liter cars raced in their own series. This meant that the Australian Touring Car Championship and big endurance races like Sandown and Bathurst were only for the 5.0-liter Ford and Holden V8s.

The V8 Supercars Era

In 1996, a new company called AVESCO was formed to run the series. This helped the series grow a lot in the following years. The racing category also changed its name to 'V8 Supercars'. A new TV deal was made with Network Ten and Fox Sports.

In 1997, a new company called SEL was formed. TEGA (the teams' group) owned 75% of AVESCO, and SEL owned 25%. TEGA managed the rules and cars, while SEL handled TV rights, sponsors, and events.

The series started to expand in 1998 with a race in the Northern Territory. In 1999, a new street race in Adelaide became a big festival-style event. This type of event became very popular. Australia's capital, Canberra, hosted its first race in 2000. In 2001, a championship race was held in New Zealand for the first time. In 2002, the V8 Supercar race at the Gold Coast Indy 300 also became a championship event.

Big changes happened in 1999. The long endurance races became part of the championship. All cars started using the same brand of tires, with Bridgestone as the first supplier. The series name also changed from "Australian Touring Car Championship" to the "Shell Championship Series" because of Shell's sponsorship.

In 2000, "reverse-grid" races were introduced for some events. These races started with the fastest cars at the back. In 2001, mandatory pit stops were added, and the "Top Ten Shootout" was used at all races. The tire supplier changed to Dunlop in 2002. The series name became the "V8 Supercar Championship Series" after Shell stopped sponsoring.

Project Blueprint: Making Cars Equal

By 2000, talks about "parity" (making cars equal) came up again. Holden cars had been very dominant in 1998 and 1999. So, their front spoiler was made smaller. Ford had threatened to leave the series, but they stayed.

After Holden dominated again in 2001 and 2002, new rules called "Project Blueprint" were introduced in 2003. The goal was to make the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore cars perform more equally. This would create closer and fairer races. Project Blueprint was designed over two years to remove most differences between the cars.

Under Project Blueprint, many parts of the car became the same for both manufacturers. This included the chassis, wheelbase, track width, and driver's seat position. Holdens were now required to use a different type of front and rear suspension, similar to the Fords. The aerodynamic parts were carefully tested and changed. Differences in the engines were also removed.

The new Ford BA Falcon and Holden VY and VZ Commodores were very evenly matched for the next four years. Ford won the championship in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Holden won in 2006. Reverse-grid races were used again in 2006 but were stopped halfway through the season because drivers, teams, and fans didn't like them.

The Holden VE Commodore caused some debate when it arrived in 2007. The road car version was bigger than the Ford BF Falcon. This meant the VE race car needed special bodywork to fit the rules. Even so, the VE was approved after many tests.

In 2008, sequential gearboxes were introduced, becoming mandatory by the end of the year. In 2009, E85 fuel (85% ethanol) was brought in to make the sport more environmentally friendly. This cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 50%. However, cars used 30% more fuel to make the same power. Also in 2009, softer tires were introduced for some events. This was to make races more exciting and allow for different race strategies.

In 2005, AVESCO changed its name to V8 Supercars Australia (VESA). The series continued to grow, with races held outside Australia and New Zealand for the first time. In 2005, a race was held in China. In 2006, the series went to the Middle East, with an event in Bahrain.

More new street circuits appeared in 2008 and 2009. These included races in Hamilton (New Zealand), Townsville, and Sydney Olympic Park. In 2010, a second Middle East race was held in Abu Dhabi. In November 2010, the FIA gave the series "international status" for the 2011 season. This meant the series could race at up to six international places each year. Because of this, the series name changed to the 'International V8 Supercars Championship'.

In 2008, the boards of VESA and TEGA merged into one board. This new board was fully in charge of the series. In 2011, a company called Archer Capital bought a 60% share of V8 Supercars, with TEGA owning the other 40%. In December 2021, Archer Capital and the teams sold their shares to Race Australia Consolidated Enterprises.

New Generation V8 Supercar

In 2008, a project led by Mark Skaife began to plan the future of the sport. The main goal was to cut costs to $250,000 per car by using common parts. It also aimed to make it easier for new car manufacturers to join. They needed to have a four-door sedan car that was widely produced.

The new rules, called "Car of the Future", were planned for 2012 or later. The plan was shown to the public in March 2010. It included many changes to the car's inner workings. The chassis, cooling, fuel, and electronics systems would all use common parts. Changes were also planned for the engine, gearbox, rear suspension, wheels, and brakes. Car safety was also improved.

Important changes included switching from a solid rear axle to independent rear suspension. The gearbox moved to the rear of the car. The fuel tank was moved to the front of the rear axle for better safety. The windscreen changed to a lighter material. Wheels changed from 17-inch to 18-inch.

In 2011, it was announced that the Car of the Future would start in 2013. In February 2012, Nissan confirmed they would join the series. Later in 2012, Erebus Motorsport announced they would race Mercedes-Benz cars. In June 2013, Volvo announced they would enter in 2014. In November 2013, the "Car of the Future" name was changed to "New Generation V8 Supercar".

The series continued to expand internationally in 2013. The first race in North America was held in Austin, Texas. In 2015, some drivers did demonstration races in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was meant to lead to a championship event in 2016, but it was cancelled due to legal problems.

Gen2 Supercar: New Car Styles

In December 2014, Supercars announced details for the future. New rules, called Gen2 Supercar, started in 2017. These rules allowed two-door coupe cars and turbocharged four- or six-cylinder engines. However, no teams chose to build cars with these different engines. Cars still had to be based on front-engined, rear-wheel drive, four-seater production cars sold in Australia. The chassis and control parts were kept from the New Generation V8 Supercar rules. Engine and aerodynamic equality were also checked.

Supercars Championship Name Change

In April 2016, the series changed its name to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on July 1.

For the 2021 season, the name changed again to the Repco Supercars Championship. This was part of a 5-year deal, which was extended to an 8-year deal at the end of 2022.

Gen 3 Supercar: The Latest Cars

The Gen 3 rules were announced in 2020 and started in 2023, after a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The main goals were to make racing closer, lower costs, and make the race cars more like road cars.

To do this, big changes were made to the aerodynamics. This reduced the "downforce" (the force pushing the car onto the track). Less downforce makes it easier for cars to follow each other closely. It also makes the cars more challenging to drive. The rules continued to ensure that cars from different manufacturers had equal power, downforce, and drag. Engines were also changed to last longer and cost less to rebuild.

Supercar Specifications: What Makes Them Go?

The current Gen 3 rules are a complete update from the previous generation. The cars racing now are the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

You can find all the detailed rules on the Supercars website.

Fair Play: Parity in Racing

Supercars uses a "parity formula". This means it tries to make sure that all different car models compete on an equal level. It's similar to how NASCAR Cup Series works. The rules say that competition should be fair between different car makes and models.

However, the rules also say that the series is not about making drivers or teams equal. It's up to each driver and team to race their best under the "technical parity" rules.

Parity aims to make aerodynamics, engine power, and handling characteristics equal. But making everything perfectly equal has been hard. There have been many changes to aerodynamics and engines for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Car Body: Strong and Safe

The body of each race car is based on its road car version. The bodies of both models are made aerodynamically balanced. This is done through special approval processes. Most composite and exotic materials are not allowed. The tail lights are from the road car, but the windscreen is made of a special lightweight material. The cars also have cameras for TV broadcasts.

The car bodies are built around a special chassis provided by approved builders. These include some race teams themselves. For example, Triple Eight Race Engineering builds the Chevrolet Camaro chassis. Dick Johnson Racing builds the Ford Mustang chassis.

Many safety features protect the driver in a crash. The fuel tank is placed in front of the rear axle. This stops it from being damaged in a rear crash. The driver sits towards the middle of the car. Extra strong bars are used on the roll cage on the driver's side. This helps prevent injuries in side crashes. Cars also have a steering column that collapses in a crash and a fire extinguisher system.

Aerodynamics: Cutting Through the Air

All Supercars have special aerodynamic parts. These include a front spoiler, a splitter, and a rear wing. These parts are tested to make sure different car models produce almost the same "downforce" (pushing the car down) and "drag" (air resistance).

Compared to many modern race cars, Supercars have less downforce. This helps cars follow each other more easily. It also makes their handling feel more like regular road cars. The Gen 3 cars were first reported to have about 140 kg of downforce at 200 km/h. This is similar to a high-performance road car like a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Changes in 2024 are expected to increase downforce by about 20%.

Weight: Keeping it Light (But Not Too Light)

Each car must weigh at least 1335 kg. This includes the driver but not the fuel. At least 725 kg must be over the front wheels. The driver must weigh at least 95 kg. This includes their racing suit, seat, and any extra weights needed. Some other parts, like the engine, also have a minimum weight.

Engine and Drivetrain: Powering the Cars

All Supercars must have the engine at the front and power sent to the rear wheels. They use V8 engines chosen by Supercars. These engines are balanced in power and weight. The Chevrolet Camaro uses a 5.7L V8 engine. The Ford Mustang uses a 5.4L V8 engine. These new engines were designed to be cheaper and last longer. They are also more similar to engines in road cars.

Power goes from the engine to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. This gearbox has a special differential that locks the rear wheels together. Teams can change the gears to suit different tracks. The cars use a special triple-plate clutch. They run on E75 fuel and have a fuel tank that holds about 130 liters.

An electronic control unit (ECU) from MoTeC monitors the engine's performance. Sensors in the car collect information. This data is sent to the team. They can check things like tire wear and fuel use. This helps them find problems with the car. Officials also use the ECU to check the cars. During a race, it can also limit a car's speed automatically.

Suspension: Smooth Riding and Handling

All cars must use a "double wishbone" setup for the front suspension. They also use independent rear suspension. Both the front and rear suspension systems have adjustable shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar. With the Gen 3 rules, the anti-roll bar cannot be adjusted from inside the car during a race.

Brakes: Stopping Power

The cars use disc brakes from AP Racing on both the front and rear wheels. The front discs are 395 mm wide and have a six-piston caliper. The rear discs are 355 mm wide and have a four-piston caliper.

Wheels and Tyres: Grip on the Track

The cars use 18-inch control wheels made by Rimstock. These are supplied by Racer Industries. The tires are control tires from Dunlop. Supercars are given Soft, Supersoft, and Hard slick tires. They also have special grooved wet tires for rainy conditions. The rules for which tires to use and how many to change depend on each race event.

Performance: How Fast Are They?

The fastest speed ever recorded by a Supercar is 300.5 km/h. This happened on the downhill Conrod Straight at Mount Panorama Circuit. It was set by Shane van Gisbergen during qualifying for the 2023 Bathurst 1000. The 2024 cars are expected to be about 10 km/h slower.

Supercar lap times are very similar to Porsche 992 GT3 Cup cars. At the 2023 Bathurst 1000, the fastest Supercars qualifying lap was 2:04.664. On the same weekend, the fastest Carrera Cup car lap was 2:04.6672. This shows how close their performance is.

While Gen 3 Supercars and NASCAR Cup Series cars have never raced on the same track, their performance against Carrera Cup cars gives us a clue. At the Circuit of the Americas, Cup series cars are more than three seconds slower per lap than Carrera Cup cars. But Supercars almost match Carrera Cup cars on tracks where they both race. NASCAR Cup Series cars are built for different types of tracks, like oval courses.

Compared to other modern race cars, V8 Supercars are powerful. But they have less downforce and mechanical grip. This makes them challenging for drivers to control.

Cost: The Price of Racing

The Gen 3 Supercar rules aimed to reduce the cost of building a car (without the engine) from about $450,000 to $250,000. The cost of an engine was supposed to drop from $120,000 to $50,000. However, the actual cost of a new Supercar is now estimated to be around $600,000.

The cost of competing in the championship is much higher than just buying a car. There is no limit on how much teams can spend. One estimate says it costs "1.2 to 3 million (Australian) dollars per car" per season for a team.

Series Structure: How the Races Work

Teams and Drivers

To race in the Supercars Championship, drivers need a special racing license. Each car entered must have a Teams Racing Charter (TRC). This is a contract between Supercars and a team. It explains what the team can do and what it must do. TRCs can be rented out for up to two years. After that, the owner must use it or sell it. Each TRC has a racing number linked to it. The defending champion can use the number 1.

The TRCs were first given out in 1999. There were different levels based on how much a team raced. The system changed over time. By 2011, there were 28 TRCs. Supercars bought some TRCs to reduce the number of cars in the field to 28.

Teams usually have one to four cars. Smaller teams often work with bigger teams for technical help. Only TRC holders can race at each event. However, "wildcard" entries are sometimes allowed for endurance races. Up to six extra cars can join these races. Both Supercars and Development Series teams have entered wildcard cars. In 2014, the first wildcard for a sprint race was given to Dick Johnson Racing for Marcos Ambrose.

Teams must have a second driver (co-driver) for the two endurance races. This is because the races are very long. Until 2010, full-time drivers could team up in one car. But then a rule change made full-time drivers stay in their own cars and be joined by a co-driver who doesn't race full-time.

The Drivers Championship title goes to the driver who gets the most points over the season. If there's a tie, the champion is decided by who won more races. Teams also compete for the Teams Championship. This is decided in the same way as the Drivers Championship. For scoring points, teams with four cars are split into two two-car teams. Teams with three cars are split into a two-car team and a single-car team. The Teams Championship decides the order of cars in the pit lane for the next season.

The defending driver has the right to use the number 1 the next year. However, Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin chose to keep their usual numbers in some years.

Developing Future Stars: Support Series

A second-level series, the Dunlop Super2 Series, races at some Supercars events. This series helps young drivers gain experience before they race in the main series. It also lets main series teams give their co-drivers more practice before endurance races. Teams in the Dunlop Super2 Series use cars that were previously raced in the main series. Since 2021, the Dunlop Super2 Series races alongside the Super3 Series.

The Super3 Series is a third-level V8 Supercar-based series. It started in 2008. Since 2016, some of its races have been held at Supercars events. It officially became the third-tier series in 2019. In 2021, the Super3 Series joined the Super2 Series as a class. In 2023, the V8 Touring Car Series was brought back. This created an unofficial fourth-level V8 Supercars category. It uses older V8 Supercars that are no longer raced in the Super3 Series.

Qualifying: Setting the Starting Grid

In 2023, there are two main ways to decide where cars start a race: Format 1 and Format 2. Format 1 uses one qualifying session where all drivers race at the same time. Their fastest laps decide their starting spots. Format 2 divides qualifying into three sessions. In Q1, the five slowest cars get the last five starting spots. The faster cars move to Q2. This process repeats in Q2 for the next ten spots. Finally, Q3 decides the top 10 starting positions. This can be a normal session or a "top-ten shoot-out". In a shoot-out, each driver gets one chance to set their fastest lap.

The choice of qualifying format depends on the track, race length, and other factors for each event. This helps keep the competition exciting. It's common for both Format 1 and Format 2 to be used during the same race weekend, especially when there are multiple races.

Race Formats: Different Ways to Race

In 2023, there are three main race formats: SuperSprint, two-race rounds, and endurance races.

In past years, formats also included International SuperSprint and SuperStreet events.

SuperSprint: Fast and Furious

In 2023, the SuperSprint format is used for races like the Melbourne SuperSprint, Perth SuperSprint, Tasmania SuperSprint, Sydney SuperNight, Darwin Triple Crown, and The Bend SuperSprint.

This format usually has three races (four at Melbourne SuperSprint). Each race has its own qualifying session on Saturday and Sunday. Some races use the same qualifying format, while others use different formats on different days.

In previous years, SuperSprint events had practice sessions on Friday and Saturday. Qualifying sessions were shorter. Saturday usually had a 120 km or 150 km race. Sunday had a longer 250 km or 300 km race. The Darwin event also had a top ten shootout on Sunday.

Two-Race Weekends: Longer Battles

The two-race round format is used for races not called SuperSprint or endurance races. In 2023, this format is used for the Newcastle 500, Townsville 500, Gold Coast 500, and Adelaide 500.

This format usually has two races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Each race is 250 km long. Unlike SuperSprint, cars are allowed to refuel during these races.

In previous years, these events had practice sessions on Friday and Saturday. Qualifying sessions were longer and often included a top ten shootout. Each race was 250 km long.

Endurance Races: The Long Haul

In 2023, there are two endurance races: the Bathurst 1000 and the Sandown 500. In past years, the Gold Coast race was also an endurance race.

This format involves a single, very long race. It can be 500 km or 1000 km. Refueling is allowed, and multiple drivers are needed for each car. The Bathurst race takes about six hours to finish. The Sandown race takes about half that time.

In previous years, endurance races had many practice sessions. Qualifying for the Sandown 500 involved two shorter "qualifying races" on Saturday. The results of these races set the grid for the main Sunday race. Co-drivers had to race in one of the qualifying races. The Bathurst 1000 had a qualifying session on Friday and a top ten shootout on Saturday.

The Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 are single races held on Sunday. The Gold Coast 600 used to have two 300 km races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Points System: Who Wins the Championship?

Points are given out at all championship events. Different points scales are used for events with one, two, three, or four races. This makes sure that a driver gets 300 points for winning all races at any event. Points are given to cars that complete at least 75% of the race distance. They must also be running at the end and have a final lap time within 200% of the winner's fastest lap. In endurance races, both drivers in a car earn the full points for their finishing position.

Points Scale	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	28th	29th	30th
Single-race	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	42	36	30
Two-race	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	24	21	18	15
Three-race	100	92	86	80	74	68	64	60	56	52	48	46	44	42	40	38	36	34	32	30	28	26	24	22	20	18	16	14	12	10
Four-race	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	12	10	9	7

Famous Supercars Events

The Bathurst 1000: The Great Race

The Bathurst 1000 is the most famous race on the Supercars calendar. It's also known as the "Great Race". It has been held since 1960. This race is the longest in terms of distance and time. Cars race for 161 laps around the Mount Panorama Circuit, covering a total of 1000 km. It takes between six and seven hours to complete. Nearly 200,000 people often come to watch this event.

The winners of the race receive the Peter Brock Trophy. This trophy is named after Peter Brock, who won the Bathurst 1000 nine times. The trophy was introduced in 2006 after Brock passed away in a rally crash.

The Sandown 500: Bathurst Warm-Up

The Sandown 500 first started as a six-hour race in 1964. It is often called the traditional "Bathurst warm-up" race. Like the Bathurst 1000, the Sandown 500 is also run over 161 laps. But because the Sandown Raceway track is shorter, the race is only 500 km long. It usually runs for three to four hours. The Sandown 500 was not held for Supercars from 1999 to 2002 and from 2008 to 2011. During those years, the 500 km endurance races were held at other tracks.

The Adelaide 500: South Australia's Big Race

The Adelaide 500 is the biggest car race in South Australia. It has the largest crowd numbers for a V8 Supercars race in the country. It started in 1999. The race takes place on the streets of Adelaide's city center. It uses a shorter version of the track once used by the Australian Grand Prix.

The race was not held in 2021. But it was brought back in 2022 after a new contract was signed. The event lasts four days. It includes two 250 km races for the V8 Supercars. There are also practice and qualifying sessions. Many other types of races are held during the event. These include the Super2 Series, Formula 5000, and Australian Carrera Cup.

The event also features live music performances by famous artists. There's also food, activities, and an RAAF F/A 18A Hornet air display each day. The last winner of the Adelaide 500 was Matthew Payne in 2023.

Media Coverage: Watching the Races

Television: Live Action at Home

The Supercars series is currently shown on Fox Sports and the Seven Network. Fox Sports broadcasts all practice and qualifying sessions live, along with the races. Seven Network shows seven events live. These include Adelaide, Melbourne, Townsville, Sandown, Bathurst, Gold Coast, and Newcastle. Other races are shown as a highlights package after they finish.

Supercars Media, a special production company, creates the TV coverage. They provide the commentary for each race. Former champion and Bathurst winner Mark Skaife is the lead commentator. Neil Crompton is the expert commentator. Both Fox Sports and Seven have their own teams for pre- and post-race coverage. Supercars Media records the series in high-definition. Many cars have four or more onboard cameras.

In 2020, Seven Network and Foxtel signed a five-year deal worth $200 million. This deal is for televising the Repco Supercars Championship from 2021 to 2025. Seven Network broadcasts six rounds live and shows highlights for other races. Foxtel's deal means it shows all races live and without ads on Fox Sports.

The series has been broadcast on different networks over the years. It was on Seven Network from 1963 to 1996 and from 2007 to 2014. It was on Network Ten and Fox Sports from 1997 to 2006 and from 2015 to 2020.

The TV broadcast of the Bathurst 1000 has won a Logie Award (an Australian TV award) seven times for Best Sports Coverage. Foxtel broadcast the 2018 Bathurst 1000 in 4K resolution. This was the first such broadcast in Australian sport.

Where to Watch Supercars Races

Supercars races are broadcast on these channels:

Country	TV network	Free/pay	Coverage	Notes
Australia	Seven Network	Free	Live/Delayed	Seven events shown live with all others delayed.
	Fox Sports	Pay	Live	Includes live coverage of practice and qualifying sessions.
New Zealand	Sky Sport	Pay
Asia	SPOTV	Pay	Live/Delayed	Only races are shown.
Catalonia	Esport3 (TVC)	Free	Live/Delayed	Live online (in English), Delayed on TV (in Catalan)
Germany	Sport1+	Pay	Live/Delayed	Only races shown. Highlights also on Motorvision.TV.
Indonesia	BTV	Free	Delayed	Only races shown
Ireland	TNT Sports	Pay	Live	Only races shown.
United Kingdom
Netherlands	Ziggo Sport	Pay	Live/Delayed
Nordics	Viasat	Pay	Live
Worldwide outside Australia and New Zealand	YouTube via SuperView	Pay	Live and on Demand	Includes live coverage of practice, qualifying sessions, and supporting races.

Other Ways to Follow Supercars

The series has its own live streaming service called Superview. This service started in 2013. It shows all races and qualifying sessions. In 2021, the service moved to YouTube. It shows complete broadcasts, including support races. Superview is not available in New Zealand and Australia due to their TV rights deals.

The series has its own website. It has information about the series, drivers, teams, events, and news. There's also a radio show called V8 Insiders. News is also found on motorsport websites like Speedcafe.

Video Games: Race on Your Screen

Supercars have appeared in several video games. These include Codemasters' V8 Supercars series in the 2000s and Turn 10 Studios' Forza series in the 2010s. From 2011 to 2014, an online championship was held on iRacing.

In 2017, Supercars started an eSports competition using Forza Motorsport 6 and Forza Motorsport 7. This grew to six rounds in 2018. The Supercars Eseries moved to the iRacing platform in 2019. Championship teams like Triple Eight Race Engineering and Walkinshaw Andretti United entered teams. An extra Eseries was held in mid-2020. All championship drivers competed during the break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Supercars Records: Who's the Best?

Driver championships				Driver race wins				Driver race starts				Team race wins				Manufacturer race wins
Pos.	Driver	Titles		Pos.	Driver	Wins		Pos.	Driver	Starts		Pos.	Team	Wins		Pos.	Manufacturer	Wins
1	Jamie Whincup	7		1	Jamie Whincup	124		1	Craig Lowndes	675		1	Triple Eight Race Engineering	250		1	Holden	617
2	Ian Geoghegan	5		2	Craig Lowndes	110		2	Garth Tander	643		2	Walkinshaw Andretti United	188		2	Ford	416
	Dick Johnson	5		3	Mark Skaife	90		3	Mark Winterbottom	611		3	Dick Johnson Racing	147		3	Nissan	31
	Mark Skaife	5		4	Shane van Gisbergen	80		4	Russell Ingall	589		4	Tickford Racing	74		4	Chevrolet	24
5	Bob Jane	4		5	Garth Tander	57		5	Rick Kelly	580		5	HSV Dealer Team	50		5	BMW	17
	Allan Moffat	4		6	Scott McLaughlin	56		6	Jason Bright	578		6	Gibson Motorsport	47		6	Volvo	11
	Jim Richards	4		7	Peter Brock	48		7	Jamie Whincup	555		7	Holden Dealer Team/Advantage Racing	42		7	Mazda	8
8	Peter Brock	3		8	Glenn Seton	40		8	James Courtney	542			Glenn Seton Racing	42		8	Jaguar	4
	Craig Lowndes	3		9	Mark Winterbottom	39		9	Todd Kelly	540		9	Stone Brothers Racing	40		9	Porsche	2
	Scott McLaughlin	3		10	Allan Moffat	36		10	Will Davison	533		10	Allan Moffat Racing	33			Mercedes-Benz	2
	Shane van Gisbergen	3

• Figures are correct as of June 11, 2023 (after Race 15 of the 2023 Supercars Championship).
• Bold text means active full-time drivers, teams, and manufacturers.
• Italics means drivers who are still active, but not full-time.
• These records cover the Australian Touring Car Championship (1960–1998), Shell Championship Series (1999–2001), V8 Supercar Championship Series (2002–2010), International V8 Supercars Championship (2011–2016), and the Supercars Championship (2016–present).

See Also

• Australian Touring Car Championship
• List of Australian Touring Car and V8 Supercar champions
• List of Australian Touring Car Championship races
• List of Australian Touring Car and V8 Supercar driver records
• Supercars Hall of Fame