Round 4 - ITM Christchurch Super 440 Discussion (with spoliers)

[muz]

Kicking off this weekend's action discussion with one observation. Ruapuna Raceway looks like a ****ing ****hole!

https://speedcafe.com/photos-supercars-arrive-in-christchurch/

[skaifeman]

Is it the Super 440 or Super 560?

Not too dissimilar to Wakefield from what I can see. Will be interesting to see how the racing is.
I understand it to be aggressive on tyres? Looks like T4 and T11 will be the only passing opportunities?

Any NZ'ers on here to shed some more light? Undertaker, Bloopy?

[mikeamerica84]

I can recall watching the NZ V8 Super Tourers last decade over the internet.  They raced at Ruapuna but I cannot recall a thing about the place.  I remember Taupō, Pukey, and Hampton Downs way more.

And god, let us not forget the street circuit at Hamilton for the Supercars.   

[Bloopy]

I suppose they're not real racers if they don't enjoy somewhere more grassroots. The SuperTourers races at Ruapuna were fun enough (a few videos on YouTube to refresh the memory).

I'm just happy for Supercars that they're going there and not Highlands. I recall the ST races at Highlands being particularly boring - longer, faster-flowing track, almost no passing. Plus the concrete wall at the final corner was a bit of a car destroyer.

[mikeamerica84]

Any weather updates for this weekend?

Back to Hamilton, the one thing I will always remember was that they made the track, put up the barriers, and there was one guy whose house was on the inside of all the barriers and he could not cross the track for the three days it ran.  There was no crossover foot bridge.

He had cats.  He got the promoters to put his cats up in a cattery for the weekend and I think they even paid for him to live in a motel. 

The next year, the same thing - trapped inside.  Only this time they just gave him free tickets to the races.  His response was something like, "I don't even WATCH the races and if I did I could just sit on my PORCH."

But yeah.  Weather update please.  It is wet and rainy herein the States where I live.  It is pretty much always like this in April.

[muz]

https://speedcafe.com/supercars-news-2026-christchurch-super440-new-pit-lane-rules-double-stacking-safety-car-procedure-update-details/

Look, I am not against the circuit at all if it throws up good racing. But it looks below standard for the series and surely needs an upgrade.

This article alone - a team will get penalized for having 2 cars in the lane at the same time, not even for doible stacking!

[mikeamerica84]

Excerpt from the aforementioned link:

"There have been suggestions that race control will wait two laps between calling the Safety Car and sending it out onto the circuit to give teams time to pit both cars.

However, there has been no official confirmation of that procedure."

That would equalize things, I guess.

When NASCAR races at Sears Point/Sonoma, which they have been doing for 40 some years, the pits could not accommodate the full field.  Subsequently they created a second pit lane, inside of the last corner vice outside where the actual pits are for the back marker qualifiers.  The alternate pit lane was much shorter so each team entering had a time penalty for parity reasons prior to exiting.  They called this alternate pit lane Gilligan's Island.  I do not know if they still use it or have upgraded the existing pit lane, but one would think Supercars could have noted an option  of the sort prior to the round being scheduled.

Just a bit of Yank insight and history here.   

[Trevor]

what is the point of a SAFETY car if not for safety, why would they wait 2 laps? Sometimes they do dumb sh!t

[skaifeman]

I think they'd be under VSC rules though? Similar to Sandown a few years back?


Well done Kai. You could tell he was going to nab one after his SMP drive.

[AlbertM]

https://speedcafe.com/supercars-news-2026-christchurch-super440-new-pit-lane-rules-double-stacking-safety-car-procedure-update-details/

Look, I am not against the circuit at all if it throws up good racing. But it looks below standard for the series and surely needs an upgrade.

This article alone - a team will get penalized for having 2 cars in the lane at the same time, not even for doible stacking!

I guess this weekend is a toe in the water. If successful some resources will be thrown at upgrades.

Got some good racing in the mid pack for R10

[AlbertM]

Anyone else think WTWG have Wood off the leash while Mostert develops the car?

[Sonic]

so has anything of interest happened first 2 days? believe we've had 3 races already and it's dead quiet...

[Trevor]

No idea Phil, I have more important things to do, however if it was on 'free to air . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[AlbertM]

Grove not shaken given the staff changes. First 1-2 finish.

Feeny takes the JR Trophy

I was thinking Mostert was just in development mode. Seem he is just struggling and frustrated.

ADP and Team18. It ain't the car.

Feel bad for Wood and Kostecki.

[Mechz]

Mostert driving like a sore loser, hitting everything last weekend and this one.