'There'll be a lot of chess': Champions brace for 'have at it' Semi Final

Strategy, tyre degradation and defensive driving are set to determine which drivers will progress to the bp Adelaide Grand Final from the Penrite Oil Sandown 500.

After two bruising Gold Coast races headlined by wild chicanes and several fancied runners being caught out by the famous concrete canyon, Supercars drivers shift to the historic Sandown Motor Raceway.

Few circuits are as tough on tyres as Sandown, which has multiple track surfaces. The abrasive nature of the low-grip surface is expected to see high tyre degradation, meaning set-up is key.

“You go now to what I call a traditional race track,” Supercars Hall of Fame Mark Skaife said after the Gold Coast finale.

“Although there are some similarities with the corner radiuses and things that are more like a street circuit, you need a different style of race car.

“It’s got a lot of different surfaces, it’s quite a low grip place. The same tyre rules will apply, with the Soft and Super Soft over the weekend.

“I don’t know what to expect. I know now you’ve got a Chaz Mostert who’s got genuine form, but these guys [Triple Eight] are going to bounce back.”

Strategy helped Mostert defeat Broc Feeney in the Gold Coast finale, and 2007 champion Garth Tander believes there will be even more pressure on teams to make the right calls at Sandown.

“I think we’ll have a different type of intensity at Sandown,” Tander said.

“It’s a different surface, it’s very low grip, such a high demand on drive traction.

“The intensity’s going to be here in pit lane. It’s going to be executing really smart strategies if you’re out of position, doing something that’s going to get you back in the game. You can do that at Sandown.

“If you’re fighting at the end, you can drive really defensively. You can drive down the white line down the front straight, defend into Turn 2, defend up the back straight. That’s only going to last for two or three laps before someone moves you out of the way.

“There’ll be a lot of chess being played up and down pit lane, strategy-wise, then the boys will have at it at the end of the race.”

Degradation will ultimately decide which drivers will have enough to fight with at the end of the two 250km races.

Regardless of race length, tyre wear goes a long way to deciding who wins at Sandown. Notably, Shane van Gisbergen put an overcut to use in a 2021 sprint, winning from 17th.

However, the threat of weather will also influence how teams approach set-ups and strategy, with rain forecast for next weekend’s event.

When asked on Supercars’ The Run Home podcast what will define the weekend, two-time Sandown 500 winner Mark Winterbottom said: “Tyre deg and weather.

“Obviously you’ve got to be fast, but we’ve seen guys win from 20th at Sandown through tyre degradation, that was van Gisbergen.

“It’s a tough place. Weather is huge. In the morning, it can be sunny, and in the afternoon, it can be hailing and a completely different narrative."

Tickets for the November 14-16 Semi Final round are on sale now.