Drivers bracing for 'brutal' 300km Sydney races

Drivers are set for a unique challenge when the new season opens in Sydney next weekend.

The Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight, which will open the 2022 season, will be headlined by dual 300km races.

The March 4-6 event will feature two 77-lap races; one on the Saturday night, and another on the Sunday afternoon.

It’s a step up from the dual 250km, 500km total rounds that have opened seasons since the advent of the Adelaide 500.

A 300km race in Sydney will go for approximately two hours, with Race 1 starting after seven o’clock on the Saturday night.

Drivers will then have to back it up on the Sunday, making for a stern test on driver fitness and car performance.

Backing it up will prove a challenge, unlike in 2018 when drivers completed a single 300km night race at SMSP.

"A race that long around SMSP is going to be pretty full-on, then doing it again," Tickford Racing driver Cam Waters told Supercars.com.

"The different tyre compounds really spiced it up last year, but the races are longer again.

"100 per cent it’s going to be brutal on the body, especially opening the season."

The Adelaide 500, for the best part of 20 years, was noted for opening new seasons with gruelling races in hot conditions.

Western Sydney looms to be no different, and the 300km races will make for a dramatic spectacle as drivers battle for opening-round honours.

Critically, the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight will also feature mixed tyre compound racing.

The Safety Car could have its hands full next weekend

Drivers will have to balance fatigue with possible tyre and fuel preservation in the 150-point-paying races.

That proved the case in November last year, when SMSP staged an all-time classic with mixed compounds under lights.

"It takes your mind and body a while to adapt when you start a new season," Waters said.

"To rock up at SMSP and do two 300km races will be a real test for the drivers.

"With fatigue, there’ll be a few mistakes for sure. But it’s going to be really entertaining to watch."

Exactly 90 days will have passed since cars crossed the line in Bathurst when Race 1 commences next Saturday.

For Anton De Pasquale, trying to keep the off-season as short as possible with off-track activity will only aid his preparation for the taxing races.

"You never know what you’re going to get at the start of a new season," the Shell V-Power Racing Team driver told Supercars.com.

"We’ve got a decent car there, so we have a good chance to start the season well.

"How everyone will prepare will be interesting. It feels like it has been a short off-season."

The Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight will open the new Supercars season on March 4-6. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets.