Supercars to trial revised Safety Car rules at The Bend
Supercars to trial revised Safety Car rules at The Bend
Slow zones, closing pit lane to improve race safety, ensure consistency
Further Commission discussion will take place after the trial
Following Thursday's Commission meeting, Supercars has confirmed that it will trial revised Safety Car procedure rules at next week’s AirTouch 500 at The Bend.
The introduction of slow zones and closing pit lane, mirrors procedures used in endurance racing worldwide, which are designed to improve race safety and ensure consistency in Safety Car procedures.
The revised Safety Car rules will be trialled at Tailem Bend next week. Further Commission discussion will take place after the trial, ahead of the Repco Bathurst 1000 and the inaugural Repco Finals.
How ‘Slow Zones’ will operate:
When an incident occurs, all cars will immediately reduce speed to 80km/h by engaging their Safety Car limiter. Pit Lane will close during this phase, with exceptions only for cars already committed to pit entry or those with damage, punctures, or in need of fuel.
The field will remain at 80km/h for at least one lap to allow response crews to be deployed safely and ensure all drivers can clearly see the incident location.
Once Race Control is satisfied, racing will resume at full speed across the circuit – except in the Slow Zone where the incident occurred, which will remain at 80km/h until declared clear and the pit lane will open. This ensures only the affected sector is neutralised, while the rest of the track remains live for racing and the teams individual race strategies aren’t impacted.
The trial has been planned to improve safety for officials and competitors while also maintaining the spectacle for fans by reducing the amount of time spent under full Safety Car conditions.
“The revised system followed extensive consultation with teams, the Supercars Commission and Motorsport Australia,” Supercars Chief Motorsport Officer Tim Edwards said.
“This trial is about ensuring safety for officials and competitors while also maintaining the spectacle for fans.
“We listened to our fans, worked closely with our teams, and the Commission has acted decisively to plan this trial at The Bend.”
Tickets for all 2025 events, including the upcoming Airtouch 500 at The Bend on September 12-14, are on sale now through Supercars.com.
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