Brodie Kostecki to race on home track in May 2024
Another WA rookie out to make a name for himself in front of home fans
Four support categories confirmed for 2024 Perth SuperSprint
Tickets go on sale this afternoon for the 2024 Perth SuperSprint, where Brodie Kostecki will race in front of home fans for the first time since being crowned the Repco Supercars Champion.
The Perth-born 26-year-old wrapped up his maiden Supercars title on the streets of Adelaide in November, and from May 17-19 next year, will race on his home circuit in WA as the defending champion and driver to catch in 2024.
The Erebus racer arguably put his name on the radar as a true championship contender with his performance in Perth in 2023, where he went door-to-door with three-time Supercars and Bathurst 1000 champion Shane van Gisbergen in the race of the season.
Kostecki walked away with three podium finishes from all three races of the event to set up his run at the 2023 crown.
Big names and a new WA talent on the grid
Next year’s Supercars Championship is anticipated to be one of the tightest ever, with Kostecki and fellow young guns Broc Feeney, Will Brown, Anton De Pasquale, Cam Waters, Andre Heimgartner and rising star Matthew Payne set to do battle against Bathurst winners like Chaz Mostert, David Reynolds, Mark Winterbottom and Will Davison among the 24-strong Championship field.
Two rookies will be out to make a name for themselves in Perth, including Ryan Wood, the highly-rated winner of the 2023 Dunlop Super2 Series round in WA.
The other rookie on show in Perth in May is the latest WA-talent to join the Supercars ranks, Blanchard Racing Team’s Aaron Love.
Love first raced at the famous WA circuit as a 12-year-old in the Formula 1000 class. In 2024, after stints in Europe, the Porsche Carrera Cup and the Dunlop Super2 Series, Love will make the step up to full-time driving in the Repco Supercars Championship in a BRT Ford Mustang.
WA ready to welcome back state's favourite motorsport event
WA Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism, the Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA, said that she was very excited to welcome back the biggest annual motorsport event on WA’s calendar: "For more than 50 years the Supercars Championship has been coming to Perth to excite fans at the CARCO.com.au Raceway, where it has a passionate following.
“We look forward to seeing homegrown champion Brodie Kostecki defend his title against other local and national talent, and I encourage motorsport fans across the country to grab a ticket and get down to this supercharged weekend of racing next May.
"Hosting national drawcard events like the Perth SuperSprint as part of the wider Supercars Championship helps attract visitors from out-of-state, boost our tourism and hospitality industries and stimulate local economies."
Pit lane rule change
Fans in Perth will be among the first to see how the new-look Live Pit Lane rule change has its impact on racing and strategy.
Teams will, for the first time in WA, be placed in the pit garages based on their points allocated through the opening two rounds of the 2024 Championship, rather than overall 2023 performance.
With pit stops critical in SuperSprint racing, the new positioning of teams in pit lane could be one of the key factors to success at the event.
Format includes 90-minute practice on Friday
Supercars will be on track on all three days of the 2024 Perth SuperSprint, starting with a single practice session on Friday 17 May. Drivers will get plenty of time to acquaint themselves with the WA circuit before qualifying begins on Saturday, and fans will be able to catch plenty of laps at the same time.
On Saturday 18 May, there will be a three-part qualifying session for Supercars:
Q1 will be a 10-minute session where the 20 fastest cars from the session will be able to progress through to Q2.
Q2 will be a 10-minute session where the ten (10) slowest cars from the session will be eliminated and will be confirmed to start from positions 11-20 accordingly for Saturday afternoon race.
Q3 will be a 10-minute session where drivers will compete for pole position and all other positions from 1-10. Once finished based on lap times the grid will be set for the start of Saturday race.
The race on Saturday afternoon will run for 60 minutes of duration, the first under the new rules for SuperSprint formats. Drivers will have a minimum requirement of stopping for two tyres to be changed during the race.
The exact same format will be used on Sunday 19 May for qualifying and the second race of the Perth SuperSprint.
History of the venue
2024 will be the 45th time the Australian Touring Car Championship/Repco Supercars Championship has visited the Western Australian permanent circuit, currently known as CARCO.com.au Raceway.
The first round was held in 1973 and since 1978 it has hosted a round of the championship every year bar 2010, 2020 and 2021. The WA venue holds the mantle as the circuit to have hosted the most races in Supercars/ATCC history and in 2024 will rack up races 96, 97 and 98.
Support categories joining the show
The combined Dunlop Super2 and Super3 Series will return to Perth in 2024 and will feature ZB Commodores and Ford Mustangs driven by up-and-coming stars of the sport.
Three other support categories will make up a packed line up for fans to watch on track including the popular Touring Car Masters Series, Aussie Racing Cars and Radical Cup Australia Series.
Ticketing information
All ticketing options including corporate, grandstand and general admission for the Perth SuperSprint are available through Supercars.com from today.
Tickets for the 2024 season opening Thrifty Bathurst 500 which is part of the Bathurst SuperFest along with the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour are also on sale through Supercars.com and Ticketek.