Co-drivers likely to start both Supercars enduros in 2026
2026 Bend enduro to be held on the shorter West Circuit layout
Track action at The Bend commences on Friday September 11
Mark Winterbottom has shed light on how co-drivers must strike a balance between aggression and mechanical sympathy in the two biggest race starts of the Supercars season.
Supercars full-timers are set to hand the keys over to their co-drivers for the race starts at Tailem Bend and Mount Panorama, where races can be made or broken.
The opening lap of this weekend's AirTouch 500 at The Bend offers to be one of the most crucial and dramatic of the season, as co-drivers navigate the new West Circuit's tight right hand Turn 6 for the first time.
Tickford Racing co-driver Winterbottom had the luxury of starting from fourth in last year's Bend race, and second at Bathurst. However, the 2015 Supercars champion insists those starting further down have to play it smart.
“If your main driver qualifies on the front row and puts you in pole position, and you get a clean start, it's a room with a view. You roll down into Turn 1, you brake where you wanna brake, and the mess happens behind you,” Winterbottom said on Supercars' The Run Home podcast.
“But if your driver puts you in the pack, and you're what, fifth, 10th, 15th, whatever that number is, you need to have mechanical sympathy, but you can't lose track position.
“We haven't done a start for 12 months. We're a little bit raw compared to the main guys, and 99% of co-drivers will start. That's just a fact for Tailem Bend.”
Only 15 of the 52 drivers this weekend have raced the West Circuit layout: seven main drivers, and eight co-drivers. A whopping 19 of the 26 main drivers have not raced the layout at all.
“Picture it: you roll into Turn 1, you've had a good start, you're three wide, and do you lift? Do you attack? These are the things going through our mind through a split second," Winterbottom continued.
“And it's not just down at Turn 1. You go through 1, 2, 3, and then we go up now to Turn 6, which is a tight right-hander. They'll be three wide there, and then you'll battle all the way through, and then Turn 11 will be three wide again.
“You get nerves talking about it, because it's a big moment. But Rule 101 for a co-driver, hand the car over with no damage in front of everyone else and give your main the best chance to come home.”
The distance from pole to Turn 1 — at 615 metres — is the second longest of the season, behind Townsville. It's a stark contrast to Bathurst, where drivers have to jostle for position quickly before hitting the brakes for Hell Corner.
“You're going to be more aggressive at Tailem Bend than you do at Bathurst,” Winterbottom said.
“It's a short run to Turn 1 at Bathurst, where Tailem Bend, it's a really, really long run. A good start for a Supercar, 0 to a 100km/h, is 3.6 seconds, give or take. A bad start is 4.5 seconds.
“If you get a bad start, you're in your mirrors, you're defensive. If you get a good start, you're on the attack and aggressive. So how the car launches when the clutch comes out and the Dunlop tyre, whether it chirps up or it, or it bogs down, it can determine your mindset really quickly.
“Don't lose positions, be aggressive but calculated, and get through Turn 1 clean. But Bathurst, narrow track, short run to Turn 1, it's a different mindset. You know that you've got lots of stints to make it back up.
“I think you'll see Tailem Bend is more aggressive, while Bathurst is still aggressive, but a bit more conservative.”
Track action at The Bend commences on Friday September 11.
