Tassie at 100: The moments that shocked and surprised us
Across 98 races, Symmons Plains Raceway has played host to some unforgettable moments across some iconic eras of Australian touring car racing.
Through various technical regulations and generations of drivers, Tasmania has remained a popular stop on the tour, and has delivered some iconic moments.
Now a staple on the calendar, Supercars is set to notch up 100 races in Tasmania in Race 15 on Saturday afternoon, becoming just the second venue to bring up the milestone following Wanneroo Raceway near Perth last year.
To celebrate, Supercars.com have picked out eight of the most surprising, shocking, and memorable moments from Launceston, dating all the way back to the very first race almost 60 years ago.
Race 1: A dramatic debut
Australian Touring Car Championship competition returned to Tasmania for the first time since 1962, when the championship was held as a single race event at the legendary Longford road circuit. The 1969 title, the first to be held over multiple races, would be decided at Symmons Plains, with Ian 'Pete' Geoghegan's iconic Mustang leading Alan Hamilton's Porsche 911. Hamilton needed a miracle, and got it as Geoghegan's car failed to fire before the start, a push start immediately condemning him to a disqualification. Needing a win to steal the title, Hamilton hounded Norm Beechey's ailing Monaro late, however the clutch-less Holden hung on, handing Geoghegan his fifth and final title.
Race 18: Swedish success
Turbocharged cars began to come to the fore in 1985, as international Group A regulations replaced the locally developed Group C ruleset. Whilst the year was dominated by Jim Richards in his six cylinder BMW, the turbocharged Volvo of Kiwi Robbie Francevic was something of a novelty when it arrived on Australian shores. For a series that had thrived on big V8's from Ford and Holden in the Group C ruleset (but had been introduced to the turbo Nissan Bluebird), the four cylinder Volvo was a rapid departure from what was known to be a reliable and almost unbeatable package in a big V8. Yet, the long straights of Symmons Plains suited the 'Swedish Valiant' down to a tee, with Francevic streaking to a dominant win, Volvo's first of 11 championship wins.
Race 27: AJ takes on Skaifey
Come 1993, and the V8's were back with a bang, with the introduction of the five litre formula that morphed into Supercars. The trip to Symmons was an early indicator to the rough and tumble racing the bullring has provided since, with 1980 F1 world champion Alan Jones going on a wild spree. First, Mark Skaife was dumped out of the lead at the hairpin, before 1987 500cc motorcycle world champion Wayne Gardner was punted around at the final corner. Jones would go on to win the opener, however the fireworks really kicked off post-race, as a fired-up Skaife launched a foul-mouthed tirade at Jones in a heated post-race exchange.
Race 47: Symmons' most surprising winner
Tasmania dropped off the calendar from 2000 to 2003 amid facility upgrades, and when it returned to the calendar in 2004, it delivered one of the most shocking wins in ATCC history. Driving for the backmarker WPS Racing operation, David Besnard started 29th in a 31-car field for the final race of the weekend, and wasn't remotely considered a chance to win. Indeed, as the chequered flag flew, he wasn't the provisional winner, that instead being awarded to Greg Murphy. However, there had been an officiating error made under the race's second Safety Car intervention. A week later, the results were amended, and Besnard rightfully awarded the win.
Race 67: Whincup's spin and win
Jamie Whincup was at the peak of his powers in 2012, and few times was that better on display than in Tasmania in 2012. Running third in the early sages of Race 4, the defending champion snagged the rears into the hairpin and spun. However, the #1 Commodore kept the rotation going by gassing it up, and only lost two spots in the process in a masterful display of driving. What's more, Whincup went on to win the race, in what is the ultimate Supercars spin and win.
Race 79: The Big One strikes Tasmania
Symmons Plains resembled the high banks of Talladega on a sodden Saturday in 2017, when 11 cars were wadded up in the biggest Supercars crash of all-time. Fabian Coulthard squeezed Rick Kelly into the wall at Turn 3 on lap two, stacking up the field behind. Ultimately, Cam Waters would spin Garth Tander across the front of the field, and chaos ensued. Will Davison copped the worst of it, emerging with a broken back after slamming into the side of Kelly's car, whilst James Courtney and Taz Douglas were also ruled out for the remainder of the weekend.
Race 94: Percat shocks, again
Nick Percat experienced a brief career renaissance at Matt Stone Racing in 2024, winning in just his fourth start with the team at the Australian Grand Prix. The form continued throughout the year, and culminated in yet another win for the Bendix Camaro in Tasmania. Unlike Melbourne, it was the MSR pit crew who performed some magic in Tasmania, absolutely braining the heavy hitters in Triple Eight, Walkinshaw Andretti United, and Tickford in pit lane. Such was the track position gained, that Percat was able to hold off a flying Chaz Mostert despite a tyre disadvantage. The win would prove to be Percat's last as a full-time driver.
Race 98: Penrite Racing masterclass
The most recent race in Tasmania was an absolute barnburner, a classic battle of strategy against outright speed. Broc Feeney was the class of the field last year in Tasmania, the start of his electrifying run in the Repco Sprint Cup, and he looked all but nailed on to claim a three-peat of wins. However, a mid-race Safety Car intervention allowed Penrite Racing to tick off both of their compulsory stops for Matt Payne under the controversial speed limit restrictions. Payne drove beyond his years in a mammoth 50-lap stint to the finish, with Feeney charging home with much fresher tyres. The last lap was a nail biter, with the 0.055s margin of victory the third closest finish in series history.
