Murky form guides, stars on the rise: What to watch in Super2's Darwin debut

DUNLOP Super2 Series

After an unusual opening round, it's hard to get a read on Super2 in 2026

4 mins by Zac Dowdell

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After a long early-season break, the DUNLOP Super2 Series returns at the betr Darwin Triple Crown for their second of six events this season.

Four months after the opening round, it's been difficult to get a read on the state of play in 2026 given we've only had two races at what was an opening round surrounded by extraordinary circumstances.

Regardless, it's still two races of 12 to be held this season, and every race matters with such little racing throughout the season.

So, what should you be looking out for as the next generation of Supercars superstars make their cases for a main game promotion? Supercars.com gives you the lowdown of what and who to keep an eye in Darwin.

What happened in Round 1?

Back in February at Sydney, the season started with a Brad Vaughan masterclass, the #80 Brad Jones Racing Commodore romping home to a four and a half second victory from the front row in the opening race. However, Vaughan started deeper in the pack for the second race, which saw 2025 series runner-up Lochie Dalton start life as a Blanchard Racing Team driver with a victory, and a round win on countback. Dalton and Vaughan are level on points after the opening round, both recording a first and a fifth, with Tickford's Reuben Goodall three points off the pace in third following finishes of second and fourth.

Is there a form guide?

The overarching story of the opening round was a bizarre switch track layouts midway through the weekend, necessitated by parts of Sydney Motorsport Park breaking up. With weekend plans completely thrown up in the air, it was hard to get a real read on some, notably Tickford's Nash Morris, who many considered to be one of the pre-season favourites for the title. Darwin could be the first real indicator of who's who in the zoo, however trying to get a read from Darwin could also come with an asterisk. Despite that, usual contenders from 2025 such as Dalton, Vaughan, and Goodall remain at the front.

Who to look out for

Of the 20 drivers to tackle Hidden Valley, seven are set to feature on the Repco Supercars Championship grid before the season is out. Tickford duo Reuben Goodall and Ben Gomersall are both set to pilot solo wildcards for Tickford before Goodall teams with Thomas Randle for the enduros, and Gomersall takes the wildcard entry to the AirTouch 500 at The Bend. Eggleston Motorsport rookie Bayley Hall will saddle up alongside Craig Lowndes in the enduros, and will debut with Team 18 at Ipswich in a solo wildcard beforehand. Lochie Dalton, Nash Morris, and Zak Best are also confirmed for enduro rides, whilst joint series leader Brad Vaughan is widely thought to be returning to Brad Jones Racing's enduro roster.

Voyage into the unknown

For the vast majority of the field, Darwin makes a leap into the unknown as Hidden Valley becomes the 17th different circuit to host a round of the DUNLOP Super2 Series. That's not to say there's no Hidden Valley racing experience on the grid, Territorian Rossi Johnson making his debut in the series on home soil, whilst Zak Best made a main game appearance as a wildcard for Tickford in 2022. Save for pre-2023 main game data, there is little to no historic form guide for this weekend. A completely new event is the perfect place for the underdogs to spring a major upset, and potentially play themselves into early title contention.

Feeling hot, hot, hot

Dual 40-minute races right in the heat of the day are set to place a big test on drivers over the course of the weekend, especially if races run green throughout. The final race in Sydney was held in stifling conditions, which is comparable with conditions traditionally seen in Darwin, however that was some four months ago. Local hope Johnson believes that the conditions will place a strain that will be too much for some: "I think the biggest challenge will be keeping concentration up... I think you'll find that there could be a few guys who will struggle with the heat."

When are Super2 on track?

The stars of tomorrow are on track a total of six times over the course of the weekend. Two practice sessions on Friday are followed by a Boost Mobile Qualifying session and a 40-minute race on each of Saturday and Sunday.