Seven things we learned from 2026 DNSW Sydney Test Day

The new racing season starts today, but two days of testing could have unearthed a form guide for 2026.

Sydney Motorsport Park came alive with the sights and sounds of Supercars, with all 24 cars rolling out for the Destination NSW Sydney Test Day across Wednesday and Thursday.

New cars and new drivers present a new-look grid, and a young one at that.

So, with race day upon us, what did we take away from two days of track action in Sydney's west?

Triple Eight leaving no stones unturned

Zac: Triple Eight haven't faced this much change heading into a Supercars season since their switch the other way from Ford to GM over the 2009/10 off-season. It's natural that questions were to be asked. Yet, they topped the both the speed and mileage charts on Wednesday, and topped the combined mileage of any team across both days. It's trademark Triple Eight, dotting their I's and crossing their T's. An ominous outing.

Toyota intrigue

James: Testing can often tell a clear story, but often, some teams fly under the radar and run their own show. It was also going to be hard for the Toyota teams to fly under the radar, and while the mileage numbers don't flatter the new Supra, Walkinshaw TWG Racing and Brad Jones Racing didn't show panic. The WTWGR garage was busy with headphones, laptops and the sight of Team Principal Carl Faux flying around, but it was otherwise business as usual. BJR, save for an electrical issue for Andre Heimgartner on Wednesday, stuck to its plan. Boost Mobile Qualifying on Friday be the first genuine gauge of the Supra's performance.

BRT impressive

Zac: We saw the rise of Blanchard Racing Team throughout last season, capped off by a memorable Aaron Cameron cameo in Adelaide. Now armed with Triple Eight support, and a reinvigorated James Golding, both of their cars were well in the mix across both days. Golding's last ditch effort to knock off none other than Broc Feeney last night is a little victory.

Chevrolet not out of the game

James: Matt Stone Racing shone, logging the second most kilometres for teams behind Triple Eight. Rookie Zach Bates was third on Wednesday, while Anton De Pasquale led GM's charge on Thursday. PremiAir Racing also impressed, turning over 800km will also getting its drivers in the mix on lap times. Plenty of early promise, and signs that silverware can be achieved this weekend.

Tickford's quiet show of Sydney strength

Zac: They might not have topped the timesheets on either Wednesday or Thursday, but Tickford look as though they might be primed to be right in the hunt this weekend. Throughout most of yesterday evening's running, Cam Waters and Thomas Randle were parked at the top of the pile. Though they didn't stay there, they didn't fall a million miles away either.

New combinations already gelling

James: There is plenty of change on the grid, and that includes in the driver-engineer ranks. Andre Heimgartner has a new car and a new engineer in veteran Phil Keed, but got the ball rolling. Golding and Tony Woodward, Heimgartner's former engineer, made a fast start to life. Kai Allen and ex-Ferrari Formula 1 engineer Riccardo Corte also got their first days together.

Rookies make solid first account

Zac: It can be a daunting task entering the main game as a rising star eager to make your mark, however initial signs were very promising. Jayden Ojeda, Zach Bates, and Rylan Gray all finished inside the top 10 across the two days, with Ojeda jagging top 10 results across both days, and Bates an impressive third on Wednesday.