on 20 Oct 2023
Six support categories featuring diverse race vehicles will continue the on-track action between Supercars sessions this November.
The call from fans for more racing has been answered, with a full complement of support categories scheduled, ensuring there is something to see on track from soon after gates open until dusk.
From the grunt of V8 engines and open-wheelers to the flair of GT sports cars and race cars of yesteryear, the undercard provides something spectacular across the day for any motor racing fan.
DUNLOP SERIES
South Australian young gun Kai Allen will battle Zak Best for the 2023 Dunlop Series Super2 championship on the streets of Adelaide.
The Dunlop Series is made up of two categories - Super2 and Super3 – which are both development grounds for Supercars stars of the future.
Heading into the final round in Adelaide, Allen, 18, from Mount Gambier, is 30 points shy of Best, with a maximum 300 points up for grabs across two races held over the weekend, he will be hoping to make the most of the home-ground advantage to secure the title in his first season in the category.
The Super3 title fight is not as close, with Jobe Stewart almost 200 points ahead of his main rival, Jett Johnson.
PORSCHE PAYNTER DIXON CARRERA CUP
Two championships will be on the line in the one-make category of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Type 992) cars at the finale at the VAILO Adelaide 500.
Heading into the penultimate round on the Gold Coast in late October, just 6 points separate Callum Hedge and Jackson Walls in the Pro class, while Dale Wood, SA’s Max Vidau and Dylan O’Keefe round out the top 5.
In the Pro-Am class, SA’s Sam Shahin has a 28-point lead over Adrian Flack.
The Gold Coast is renowned for being a bruising circuit for race cars, thanks to the concrete walls of the street circuit, but so is Adelaide, meaning nothing is certain until the final chequered flag is waved in November.
S5000 TASMAN SERIES
The fastest cars in Australian circuit racing smashed long-held Adelaide street circuit lap records at the 2022 event and could do so again in 2023.
The open-wheel race vehicles are powered by a thunderous 5-litre (5200cc) V8 engine that can produce 560bhp and speeds of up to 300kph.
At the category’s first appearance at the VAILO Adelaide 500 in 2022, two drivers broke all-time lap records that had been held since 2014.
Aaron Cameron became the fastest driver ever, setting a time of 1:15.4972 in qualifying, and Joey Mawson broke the race lap record with his time of 1:16.8707.
With both drivers expected to contest the Adelaide round, fans should keep a close eye on the time sheets.
Up for grabs in Adelaide will also be the Tasman Cup, which will be awarded to the driver who obtains the highest total points from three races to be held over the weekend.
GT WORLD CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA
The 2023 title will be fought between Porsche and Audi drivers as the GT sports car racing category finishes one of its closest ever seasons at the VAILO Adelaide 500.
Just 7 points separates championship leader Liam Talbot and main rival Geoff Emery, who each race Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II vehicles.
However, the driver pairing of Yasser Shahin and Garnet Patterson, who share racing duties in the Porsche 911 GT3R (Type 991.2), are only 22 points behind, with a maximum of 50 points available over the weekend.
If they can take victory, it will be the first time since 2016 that a race vehicle other than an Audi has won the GT World Challenge Australia championship.
TOURING CAR MASTERS
Legendary Australian race car driver John Bowe will appear for the final time as a full-time driver in the category, which has become a firm crowd favourite.
Touring Car Masters has showcased some of motorsport’s most iconic pre-1981 race cars since it launched in Adelaide in 2007, but it also showcases many former top-level touring car drivers, including Bowe.
Bowe has raced at the Adelaide Street Circuit at Victoria Park/Pakapakanthi every year since its creation in 1985 and is believed to be the only driver to have done so.
The category holds its penultimate round at the Bathurst International on November 10-12, just two weeks before the VAILO Adelaide 500 finale.
Bowe’s Holden Torana is likely to be out of championship contention, but the Toranas of Ryan Hansford and Andrew Fisher as well as the Ford Mustang driven by Steven Johnson and Valiant Pacer of Cameron Tilley are all expected to be in the mix.
V8 SUPER UTES
The SuperUtes return to Adelaide for the first time in its V8 engine-powered era for an inaugural competition guaranteed to have all drivers battling like they never have all year.
With the 2023 V8 SuperUtes championship concluding on the Gold Coast, the category has created the Go Sunny Tradies Cup for the Adelaide event’s four ute races.
It means previous results mean nothing and the cup can be won by any driver of the dual-cab race utes, although SA drivers George Gutierrez and Adrian Cottrell will likely be the most motivated to claim it while at their home event.
The cup will be awarded to the highest points scorer across the weekend.
Go ALL IN this 23-26 November at the 2023 VAILO Adelaide 500.
Tickets on sale now via Ticketek.
Share
