2002 Race formats and points system

[BJAY]

The fans have spoken! Season 2002 will see significant changes to the race formats of V8 Supercars new twelve round Championship Series.

Due to the phenomenal response from V8 Supercar fans on 2001 race formats, additional pit stops, longer race distances, a revised point score and a twilight race are all on the 2002 V8 Supercar menu.

The forthcoming season sees all former sprint rounds establishing 100km or 150km races with compulsory pit stops. Eastern Creek, Hidden Valley and Barbagallo will include a Saturday sprint race in addition to their Sunday line-up.

The Eastern Creek round has undergone major changes creating a unique Saturday evening event for Sydney-siders to enjoy.

The 20 minute twilight race will provide spectacular racing around the 3.9km circuit while on Sunday team tactics and driver fitness will come into play as the V8 Supercars tackle two 150km races.

The much talked about Barbagallo round has undergone some significant changes to ensure West Australian fans enjoy the entertainment provided by pit stops and longer race distances.

AVESCO CEO Wayne Cattach said the new arrangement with the WA Sporting Car Club and the very generous contribution from Carlton United Breweries would guarantee longer races at Barbagallo.

"Thanks to the fantastic support from CUB and the WA Sporting Car Club the pit lane at Barbagallo Raceway will be lengthened and widened enabling us to conduct races with pit stops.

"Recent research conducted amongst our fans has shown their desire to see longer races featuring compulsory pit stops.

"The new formats focus on teamwork as much as driver ability providing greater entertainment and much closer racing," he said.

The V8 Ultimate Sandown, the final round of the 2002 V8 Supercar Championship Series will see the two Sunday races combine to hold a 300km mini-endurance race with all cars required to stop for tyres and fuel.

AVESCO have introduced a new championship point score system that only rewards placing's down to fifteenth position and is heavily weighted towards the top five positions.

Qualifying entry for V8 Supercar teams will be determined by qualifying positions from the previous round or position by car in the Championship, doing away with the 2001 notional points system.

Mr Cattach said some rounds will retain their double points status while others have been given elevated points to encourage a more even, closely fought Championship.

"AVESCO believes this will enable more drivers to compete for the Championship throughout the season and regain ground they may have lost by a poor result at a double points round."

The 2002 Konica V8 Supercar Series has also undergone some major changes including longer race distances and increased prize money.

The third race at each round will increase from 20 minutes to 35 minutes giving the teams and drivers more experience at managing themselves and tyre usage over longer race distances.

The controversial top-ten grid reversal in race two will remain and the grid for race three will now be determined by combined race one and two results.

"In reducing the series to five rounds we have been able to ensure the series remains as a stand alone category." said Cattach "This will also encourage competitors to compete in all rounds of the Championship and non-championship 30 lap race at the V8 Supercar 1000.

BJ

[elephino]

That sounds a lot like a press release.

P.S. The EC night thing has been done before in 1996.

[racer69]

Tell me, who would go to EC on a saterday night just to see one race, knowing that there would be two more races on sunday, especially in April.

Unfortunatly, i am a little disappointed by that. I thought we were going to have 300km races at most rounds, or something like that. That way the pit stops would be proper stops, not ones done for the sake of it. Also, i thought these double points would be done away with, guess not.

AVESCO go on about not confusing the fans, try telling the average person on the street with only a passing interest in the sport that Ambrose won at Hidden Valley without winning a race. I'm a fan of single races, and as AVESCO try to make V8s seem like them, i'm suprised this approach wasn't taken.

Anyway, my conclusion is that it's not much different and therefore not much better

[RaceTime]

Originally posted by elephino
That sounds a lot like a press release.

P.S. The EC night thing has been done before in 1996.

Night thing at Calder....Brock Classic...

And the press release - you should have seen the original from AVESCO - what a mess - forwarded to everyone (with all email addresses showing!!!) and quoting left on. A real PITA as I had to manually edit the whole bloody message before making it presentable again.

And this came direct from Martine at AVESCO - makes me wonder sometimes.....

Actually I have been thinking of rating media releases this year - best for continuing information would have to go to Steve Ellery and Anne Gigney at Super Cheap racing closely followed by Paul Ryan (CAT Racing, ALMS) and Chris Nixon (ProCar). Shell Helix are a PITA because of formatting (people should realise just because they use a MAC they need to consider others as well...), Caltex you have to search for, Gibson are too far between and inconsistent, Prancing Horse - again have to search for them and HRT - lucky to get them 5 days after the event.

[Crash Test]

It's a shame we've lost Paul Ryan- his media kit for the CAT team was fantastic this year...

[RaceTime]

Just spoke to Paul - he's still doing their PR - what have you heard that he hasn't?

[Crash Test]

He's moving to the US to work for Panoz et al, it mightn't be until the start of next year though..

[sevi]

Originally posted by Crash Test
He's moving to the US to work for Panoz et al, it mightn't be until the start of next year though..

Does Paul know he is going though?

[elephino]

RT, I know it has been done at Calder before (twice by the V8 mob I believe).

[RaceTime]

Originally posted by elephino
RT, I know it has been done at Calder before (twice by the V8 mob I believe).

Only once - the Brock Classic in 96 (??) SATCC, ST's, GT Prod, HQ's amongst others running that night - I remember it well because I finished there after working in the same room as Eastlake and A Jone and then having to drive to Maryborough for the remainder of the 24 hour race up there.

[Crash Test]

In 1996 was the Brock Classic, in 1997 was the ATCC with Gardner and Murph winning. Remember Skaife spinning off, which started Barry on his "ooooooh ahhhhhhhh ohhhhh" crusade, that is only now starting to slow down?

[racer69]

Wasn't the Brock Classic in 1995, the Super Tourers also raced under lights at Calder earlier in the year (middle of winter i think, in victoria). Then 1996 at EC, '97 at Calder and it hasn't been done since, which is a shame, but understandable.

This 20min race under lights at EC won't work because one it is just a short sprint with the longer races the next day, & two it is near bloody winter. In 1996 it was towards the end of January (January 27?)

[Buckshot]

I'm a bit skeptical about these "twilight" races...seems PROCAR suggest they will try them next year and Now TC has jumped on the bandwagon announcing this little attempts next year.

[Crash Test]

They great for the spectators (the QGRA held an unintenionable twilight meeting earlier this year at Lakeside), but they really don't make good TV watching. And like you people are saying, people aren't going to sit there all day Saturday for one race and get frostbitten...

[elephino]

Brock Classic 95, EC 1996, Calder ATCC 97.