Dunlop Series testing rules updated to aid aspiring young guns

Young drivers looking to gain valuable experience behind the wheel of a Supercar have been given a helping hand, with Supercars announcing updated testing rules for the Dunlop Series.

Teams competing full-time in the Dunlop Super3 Series have now been granted an unlimited number of test days. Previously limited to six test days, Super3 teams may now test at their discretion, so long as they do so between 30 January and 8 December, 2023.

Competitors entered on a round-by-round basis are permitted one test day for each round entered, up to six.

Furthermore, the Championship has lowered the minimum testing age for a prospective Super3 driver in an effort to allow young drivers an earlier chance to sample a Supercar.

Drivers as young as 16 will now be permitted to test a Super3 car, the previous minimum age to test was 17.

While the minimum age to race in the Dunlop Series remains set at 17 years, the updated rule will allow young drivers the chance to familiarise themselves with the 600-plus horsepower of a Supercar before charting a full season.

Similarly, teams will be afforded the opportunity to trial young drivers as they scout for potential stars of the future.

Several Repco Supercars Championship teams have established development programs, with five teams entered in the Dunlop Series in 2023.

Fellow teams Dick Johnson Racing and Triple Eight Race also perusing future talent, offering a Supercars test the Australian Formula Ford champion and a leading New Zealand Toyota 86 Series driver, respectively.

Erebus Motorsport, Grove Racing, and Walkinshaw Andretti United have established development programs that reach beyond the Dunlop Series, while Tickford Racing recently signed Toyota 86 Series driver Rylan Gray to a development deal with an eye on a berth in the Dunlop Series in the near future.

The Dunlop Series celebrates the 150th round in its history at the upcoming NTI Townsville 500, the third event of the 2023 season.

Zak Best leads the Dunlop Super2 Series standings by 48 points over rookie Cooper Murray, while WAU’s Ryan Wood sits sixth in the standings after winning both races in Perth in late April.

The battle for the Dunlop Super3 Series lead is fierce, with Erebus’ Academy’s Jobe Stewart leading Cameron McLeod as the pair have swapped wins each race. Third generation driver Jett Johnson is third in the Super3 standings through the first two rounds of the year.