Rookie's move to get Tassie head start

Cameron Hill has taken to the simulator to get ahead of the curve before his racing debut at Symmons Plains.

The Matt Stone Racing rookie is one of three drivers, along with Declan Fraser and Matt Payne, to make his Supercars debut in Tasmania.

The 2.4km circuit offers one of the most unique challenges in Supercars, given the infamous hairpin, long straights and cool temperatures.

Sim work has helped Hill form somewhat of an understanding, and given the tight margins up and down the field, any head start could prove valuable.

“Looking back historically at Symmons Plains, it’s always super close,” Hill said.

"I’ve never been there, so it will be a new track for me, but I’ve got all the tools at my disposal to go out there and make the most of it.

"I’ve jumped on the sim and checked it out. Symmons Plains has that tricky hairpin, which looks interesting.

“There are multiple lines you can take and during the racing a concertina effect can occur there.”

Hill leads James Courtney in Perth

Hill, the 2021 Carrera Cup Australia champion, scored a season-best qualifying result in Perth, where all three pole positions were won by less than 0.1s.

The Canberran believes Tasmania will be much of the same, saying in Perth he wants to be on the ‘right side of the sneeze’.

“I think it’s going to be so important to nail a lap,” Hill said.

"If you get one corner wrong and give away a tenth, we’ve seen that could cost 10 positions in Supercars this year.

"It’s exciting because if we get it right and do a great job there’s potential for good results including top 10s.

"You have to look at it as an opportunity and everyone is in the same boat. This is a championship where qualifying is the most important part of the weekend.

"With everyone being so close, track positions key, so there’s going to be a lot of emphasis on getting that right.

“It was great to get my best qualifying result so far in Perth and I feel like we’re getting better each round.

"I’m not rolling into Tassie thinking I’m going to put it on pole or anything, but I think there’s a great opportunity if we do a good job, we can get a strong starting position."

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint this weekend.

Supercars will hit the track for the first time on Saturday for Practice 1 at 9:00am local time.

Tickets for the event are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.