Why Tasmania 'spanner in the works' is journey into the unknown

More laps, more action, more opportunity. The extension of the Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440 finale has thrown a last-minute curveball into what already shaped as a key weekend in the story of the season.

Announced late last week, the final race of the Tyrepower Tasmania Super 440 has undergone two key changes, namely an increase in laps from 78 to 84, and an accompanying increase in compulsory pit stop requirements.

The changes were made due to a slight increase in fuel consumption with the new-for-2026 bp Ultimate Supercars Racing fuel blend, which also saw one lap removed from the final race in Taupō.

Three-stop races have become largely a thing of the past in Supercars, with the 200km Repco Sprint Cup races and the 250km Finals races all having two compulsory pit stops.

In fact, in the Gen3 era there has never been a single driver race where there has been a requirement for three compulsory pit stops.

It's a move that promises more freedom for flat-out racing without the need for fuel conservation, something which reigning champion Chaz Mostert says could make for another Sunday thriller.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been racing, I’ve been itching to get back behind the wheel," said Mostert ahead of the weekend.

“It’s always great fun in Tassie, Symmons Plains is a short and fast track that always throws something at you.

“There are now three compulsory pit stops for Sunday’s race which will really throw a spanner in the works for strategy across the whole field, it’s going to be an entertaining one.”

You have to go back to 2019 to find the last 84-lap affair to be held at Symmons Plains. Only eight drivers from that day remain on the full-time grid.

Another year prior to that was the last three-stop single driver Supercars race, when the inaugural Sydney SuperNight was held over one 300km race. Back then, Penrite Racing, Blanchard Racing Team, and PremiAir Racing weren't even in existence.

We saw on that occasion a ding-dong battle between Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin, the Triple Eight star using a tyre advantage to good use after a late Safety Car.

The addition of an extra stop again provides teams with extra options on the strategy front, which now shapes to be pivotal given how fine the margins are within the 24-car grid.

Last year Penrite pulled a swift one on the field using the now-abandoned Safety Car speed limiter period to complete both of their stops. Despite 48-lap old tyres, Matt Payne managed to hold off a charging Broc Feeney, only just.

At the other end of the spectrum, an additional pit stop will place huge pressure on the teams to execute, and as we've seen on several occasions this season, mistakes can happen just easily in pit lane as they can on-track.

Both PremiAir Racing and Penrite have picked up teams' points penalties for loose wheels in Sydney and Christchurch respectively, with the latter stumble arguably costing Payne a shot at victory in Race 11.

Track action commences on Thursday.