Dutton pinpoints key Newcastle takeaway
A clean weekend on-track at the Thrifty Newcastle 500 has impressed Red Bull Ampol Racing Team Manager Mark Dutton.
All 25 brand new Gen3 cars made their competitive debuts at the tight and tricky 2.6km Newcastle circuit last weekend.
There were several questions surrounding the reliability of the cars heading into the weekend.
However, the cars were more than up to the task, with Nick Percat’s Race 1 DNF the only headline mechanical issue all weekend.
Drivers ran relatively trouble-free through 184 laps of racing, with the biggest crash of the weekend — for James Courtney — occurring in Sunday’s Shootout.
Courtney's crash, however, was severe enough to rule the #5 Snowy Rivers Caravans Mustang out of Race 2.
The other saw Declan Fraser turned into the pit wall at the beginning of Race 2, with the TRADIE Ford out on the spot.
Dutton's team also nervously watched on as Shane van Gisbergen fought Chaz Mostert hard for the Race 2 win on Sunday.
Both cars reached the flag with little more than a bent rear bumper for van Gisbergen.
Given the three-week turnaround to the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint, Dutton praised drivers and teams for their Newcastle performance.
“Super proud of everyone in pit lane to race hard, but not destroy cars,” Dutton told the Schick Cool Down Lap podcast.
“That’s extra skilful for all the drivers and teams. Congratulations to everyone.”
When asked if Sunday’s action was expected to be more dramatic, Dutton added: “100 per cent.
"We actually accounted for that in strategy, thinking the likelihood for a Safety Car was increased.
“It didn’t happen, but the chance of it happening was increased.
“Everyone had to get to Sunday to let their hair down and drive a little bit harder, a few more risks.”
Albert Park is another challenge again — the Grand Prix circuit has long straights and long-radius corners, and the lap is 2.637km longer than Newcastle.
On the flip side, Supercars will complete four sprint races, with cars to race flat out versus survive for 250km.
Dutton — a title-winning race engineer — said teams are very much still learning their cars cars, but Newcastle has offered somewhat of a form guide for Albert Park.
“[Albert Park is] a completely different track, but you’re starting to learn the sensitivities of the car,” said Dutton, whose team is appealing its Newcastle Race 1 disqualifications.
“What does what, what’s your go-to tool, what’s going to affect the cars the most.
“Here you’re trying to improve on big kerbs, landing and bouncing at a rough circuit, where at the Grand Prix, it’ll be different.
“You still need to know your toolbox, what you have to work with. That information will carry over."
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint on March 30-April 2.
