How Supercars has changed since the last Ipswich races

In a sport where evolution is always at the forefront, it's no surprise that that has been a heap of change since the 2019 Century Batteries SuperSprint, held from July 26-28.

But the amount of change seen has left a sport that looks completely different to the one that last visited Queensland Raceway, with new cars, teams, and drivers changing the face of Supercars.

Only one driver who was on the grid in 2019 remains with the same team six years later, namely Cam Waters at Tickford, whist the other 10 drivers who return next weekend all featured at different teams.

Introducing Gen3

The most obvious physical change with the Repco Supercars Championship has been the seismic shift to Gen3 that came about in 2023. Gone from the main game was the Holden Commodore (though they live on in Super2), and in came the Chevrolet Camaro to partner a redesigned Ford Mustang that more closely resembled the roadgoing version. The competition now is the closest it's ever been, as evidenced by two of the three closest ATCC/Supercars finishes occurring this year alone, and Ipswich could be well suited to the Gen3 package.

All-time greats have departed

Some of the biggest names in the sport's history were on the grid last time Supercars visited Ipswich in 2019. Former champions Jamie Whincup, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Mark Winterbottom, and Rick Kelly have all since departed the full-time scene, with Whincup and Winterbottom the only active co-drivers. There are also five race winners who are no longer full-time competitors, namely Fabian Coulthard, Tim Slade, and Scott Pye. Lee Holdsworth and Todd Hazelwood have added their names to the winners list courtesy of Bathurst wins post their full-time driving days.

New generation of stars

Whilst the likes of Chaz Mostert and Cam Waters are still boxing on at the head of the field, a new generation has well and truly arrived. Will Brown had only one Enduro Cup assault under his belt by Ipswich 2019, and wouldn't make his full-time debut until 2021. Broc Feeney was a 16-year-old phenom contesting Super3 that weekend, whilst the likes of Brodie Kostecki, Matt Payne, and Ryan Wood were all several years away from making their full-time debuts.

New teams on the block

The movement hasn't just been restricted to the drivers either, there have been plenty of team changes. Garry Rogers' eponymous team pulled out of Supercars at the end of 2019, whilst the short-lived 23Red Racing outfit was a victim of COVID. Tekno's morphing into Team Sydney lasted just two seasons, whilst the Kelly family also sold out of the sport entirely after 2021. Those two teams have now become PremiAir Racing and Penrite Racing.

A new home in New Zealand

There have been big changes over the ditch in New Zealand as well. After a COVID-enforced hiatus in 2020 and 2021, Pukekohe returned for an emotional farewell in 2022, before the track was dismantled to make way for expansions of the racecourse. Another hiatus in 2023 led to a triumphant return in 2024, this time in the central Waikato town of Taupō, whilst next year will play host to a historic double island Double Header across Taupō and Christchurch.

Adelaide was cancelled, then revived

The Adelaide 500 played host to it's traditional season opener in 2020, weeks before the world was plunged into chaos. As a result, the event was scrapped by the former South Australian government, with any potential revival unlikely. Fast forward to 2022, and the event was brought back, led by then-newly elected Premier Peter Malinauskas. Adelaide has become a season-ending festival like no other, and this year plays host to the bp Adelaide Grand Final, a gruelling 600km test to end the inaugural Repco Supercars Finals Series.

A pandemic

Perhaps the weirdest period in ATCC/Supercars history, the COVID pandemic played havoc with the Supercars schedule for two straight seasons. 2020 saw the championship become a travelling roadshow in the second half of the year, culminating in the Bathurst 1000 being run in front of just 5000 fans. Whilst doubleheaders became part and parcel in 2020, few could've anticipated four straight rounds in Sydney in 2021, though fortunately the Bathurst finale returned to some form of normality.