2023 Supercars Calendar and the Debut of Gen3

The final 2023 Supercars calendar is finally here!  And we must say, the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet. Get all the details on upcoming events for 2023 and the thrilling debut of Gen3 below.

What’s new in 2023?

• This will be the introduction of Gen3.
• All Ford teams will upgrade to the Mustang GT S650.
• Most Holden teams will switch to Chevrolet Camaro from Holden Commodore.
• The Newcastle 500 will return as the season opener after a three-year absence and the Adelaide 500 will be the Finale.
• Pukehoke Park Raceway will close.
• Gen3-compliant tyres will be used.

What cars will race in Supercars 2023?

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will feature the newest Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs. Currently, 14 Camaros and 11 Mustangs will make up the championship grid.

Brad Jones Racing, Erebus Motorsport, Team 18, Matt Stone Racing, Triple Eight Race Engineering and PremiAir racing will campaign Chevrolet Camaros replacing Holden Commodores. Meanwhile, Tickford Racing, Dick Johnson Racing, Grove Racing, Blanchard Racing Team and Walkinshaw Andretti United will stick with the Mustang.

How much different is the new Mustang GT S650?

The 2023 Ford Mustang GT Gen3 Supercar is a race-modified version of the new S650-generation Mustang. The pony car was created from the ground up to be a racing powerhouse, thanks to some help from Dick Johnson Racing and Ford Performance.

The new Mustang will be powered by a 5.4L version of Ford’s Coyote DOHC V8 engine. Then not only does it feature dual throttle bodies fed by dual air intakes, but the engine also gets other enhancements.

On the outside, although it looks similar to the regular Mustang GT at first glance, a closer inspection reveals several revised body panels and slightly larger front air intake grill. The initial reaction from the fans has been positive.

Will Holden fans become Chevrolet fans with Gen 3 Racing?

General Motors (GM) has announced that the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will replace the Holden Commodore as its Supercars racer when the Gen3 rules come into effect for 2023. Consequently, Chevrolet Racing will officially replace Holden Motorsport as the motor racing brand.

Camaro ZL1 is the most powerful and fastest Camaro ever made. It is powered by a 5.7-litre supercharged V8 engine that produces 485kW of power and 881Nm of torque.

With all supercar teams already pledging allegiance to their preferred manufacturers, the next question to ask is: how will the changes impact Holden fans?

GM definitely expects existing fans to convert to Camaro-supporting fans. Anyway, it’s incorporating Chevrolet Racing into GM’s Australian and New Zealand business units. This move also signals a continuation of 50 years of successful Holden motorsport ventures. In other words: existing fans can still enjoy the same great racing under the new name.

But that depends on the fans themselves and how that flies for the die-hard Red Army is yet to be seen. So, we’ll have to wait and see if there’s many Chevy flags waving trackside as the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship unfolds.

Will Camaros, like the Commodores, beat Mustang overall?

It’s impossible to predict the future, but one thing’s for sure: the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will be exciting and may well see a changing of the guard!

With the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang duking it out on the track, we can expect some fierce competition. If you believe the owners of Triple Eight Racing, the best teams remain at the top based on their professionalism and experience rather than the car brand or model. It also helps when you have drivers like Shane Van Gisbergen who is very aggressive and makes few mistakes

Either way, we can’t wait to see how the teams sharpen their new weapons and see how the new look muscle cars battle it out!

V8 Supercars 2023 Calendar

Thrifty Newcastle 500

When: 10-12 March 2023

Where: Newcastle Street Circuit, Newcastle

Format: Two 250 km Races

2022 Winner: NA

Newcastle 500 was set to open last year’s Supercars Championship but was delayed due to the pandemic. The event will now open the 2023 season–after three years of absence–with two 250 km races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. You can use your March 2022 Newcastle 500 tickets for the 2023 event.

Beaurepaires Melbourne 400 – Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

When: 30 March – 2 Apr 2023

Where: Albert Park GP Circuit

Format: Four 100 km Races

2022 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

2023 will be a significant year for Formula 1, given the high probability of a Melbourne-born driver on the grid. Oscar Piastri is expected by many to end up with a McLaren race seat next season, which would make him only the third Australian to compete in his home race during the Melbourne era after Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo.

Perth SuperSprint

When: 28-30 April 2023

Where: Carco Wanneroo Raceway

Format: Three 110 km Races

2022 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

The WA 2022 event was a momentous weekend for Holden, with Shane van Gisbergen and Will Davidson finally winning after long droughts and no event during the Covid- affected 2002/21 seasons. This event was a favourite hunting ground for Craig Lowdnes with a remarkable 16 race wins, before Scott McLaughlin dominated from 2017-19. It’s a traditional circuit and a real driver’s track, so it will be interesting to see if Van Gisbergen can go back-to-back and start to dominate the West also.

Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint

When: 19-21 May 2023

Where: Symmons Plains Raceway

Format: Three 110 km Races

2022 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

The first large-scale Gen 3 test outside of Queensland Raceway was held at Symmons Plains. Does any advantage go to the drivers who tested the Gen3 cars at this racetrack and will a May date with the colder and moisture conditions in Tassie make it harder to predict? We’re rugged up and keen to find out!

Darwin Triple Crown

When: 16-18 June 2023

Where:  Hidden Valley Raceway

Format: Three 110 km Races

2022 Winner: Anton de Pasquale

From the southern tip to the northern tip of Australia is a long haul for the teams. Every year in June, The Darwin Triple Crown becomes one of the Northern Territory’s premier events. The event draws a huge number of visitors looking for winter sun and the track design, especially turn 1 always creates plenty of drama.

NTI Townsville 500

When: 7-9 July 2023

Where: Reid Park Street Circuit

Format: Two 250 km Races

2022 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

The Townsville 500 is one of the most popular events on the Supercars calendar. The event featured 2 rounds back to back due to Covid, but next year it returns to two 250 km races, one run on Saturday and the other on Sunday. The event usually attracts a large crowd, so make sure you get your tickets early!

Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight

When: 28-30 July 2023

Where: Sydney Motorsport Park

Format: Two 300 km Races

2022 Winner: Chaz Mostert

The Sydney SuperNight is back for its fourth year. It’s had some calendar changes over the past three years–held twice in 2020, held four times in four weekends in 2021 and back to regular programming in 2022. Regardless of these changes, Sydney’s incredible lighting is the best in the Southern Hemisphere (Singapore is 137 km north of the Equator), and SuperNight is always a treat with plenty of racing action under lights. Expect even more drama, with mid-winter night potentially making for very slippery track conditions.

The Bend OTR Supersprint

When: 18-20 August 2023

Where: The Bend

Format: Three 120 km Races

2022 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

The OTR Supersprint is the latest addition to the 2023 Supercars calendar. It was a long wait for Australian motor racing fans, but it’s finally here! The event will be held at the 4.9-km International Circuit of The Bend Motorsport Park, which is home to the second-longest permanent circuit in the world. Last year we saw Shane van Gisbergen take home the win in a thrilling finale, so next season should follow suit. So don’t miss out on this one!

Sandown Supersprint

When: 15-18 September 2023

Where: Sandown Raceway, Melbourne

Format: Three 110 km Races

2022 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

The winner of last year’s event is looking to add another victory to his impressive track record at Sandown. Who can forget the SVG heroics in 2021 winning the race from 17th position with a broken collarbone. But with many drivers eager to prove themselves, and possibly the clock ticking on the number of Sandown 500s left, it will be hotly contested.

Bathurst 1000

When: 5-8 October 2023

Where: Mount Panorama Racing Circuit

Format: One 1000 km Race

2022 Winners: Shane van Gisbergen & Garth Tander

Many people around the world consider the Bathurst 1000 to be one of, if not THE most difficult races due to ‘The Mountain’ circuit. The Bathurst Round is an Australian sporting institution and the 1000 always delivers drama and damage. With safety cars down to the last hour generally resulting in a thrilling race until the flag drops, that’s why it’s called ‘The Great Race’… and it’s as hard to pick the winner as the Melbourne Cup!

Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500

When: 27-29 October 2023

Where: Surfers Paradise Circuit

Format: Two 250 km Races

2022 Winner: Shane van Gisbergen

The recently concluded Gold Coast 500 was one of the most eventful races in recent memory, attracting a massive crowd of just over 200,000 spectators, and showing the Supercars and live sport is as popular as ever in Australia. With plenty of on-track action and incidents, the 2023 event is sure to be as exciting as ever.

VALO Adelaide 500

When: 23-26 November 2023

Where: Adelaide Street Circuit

Format: Two 250 km Races

2020 Winner: Scott McLaughlin

The event, known for many years as ‘The Clipsal’, after its long-term sponsor, was traditionally in February and March, often as the first championship round before the Melbourne GP. However, being added back into the calendar as the last round for 2022, in 2023 it remains the season ender in late November and it’s sure to pull a massive crowd of V8 loving South Australians.

What to expect from the debut of Gen3

In 2023, the Repco Supercars Championship will see the introduction of the Gen3 Supercar regulations. There’s been a lot said about Gen3 and it seems to have taken forever to arrive. The new regs were originally slated to debut in 2022 but were pushed back a year due to supply chain issues and the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s what’s in store for the 2023 season:

All cars will be required to use the new Gen3 control tyre, which will be supplied by Dunlop

Roland Dane is leading an argument for the teams having fewer tyres for sustainability and cost reasons and it will be interesting if he’s a voice on his own or the herald for the category. What we do know is the new wet tyre for 2023 will be able to clear away huge volumes of water, making it effective even in heavy rain. This upgrade will give drivers more control on wet tracks and it may affect pit lane strategies.

The Gen3 cars will look more like a road car than a race car

With an aim for increased road relevance and improved racing, Gen3 cars will bear a closer resemblance to street cars in appearance. This decision is brought about by feedback about supercars being too dissimilar to what’s available to general consumers. The current Mustang, for example, was modified heavily to accommodate the Gen2-mandated roll cage, which is why it was referred to as a “sports sedan”.

The Gen3 rules allow the race cars to look more like road cars, increasing their purchase appeal and requiring more skill to control them at speed. The objective is to have as many panels on the race car match those of the production version. So, a Mustang GT S650 road will look similar to its Supercar chassis car on the racetrack.

To save costs and reduce downforce, both Camaro and Mustang will now use a common rear wing—albeit still large. Supercars’ goal is to cut down downforce by at least 65 per cent. This should make the cars more challenging to drive, which means the race will rely more on driver skills than car setups.

The engine capacity will increase

The other big change is the introduction of a new engine formula. 5.4L DOHC V8s will replace the current Coyote 5.0L V8 engines for Mustang and 5.7-litre for Camaro. But the target is to cap the power output at 485kW to 447kW.

Are the cars faster or slower?

The new cars may be slower than the current ones. But with less downforce and more power, they should be more challenging to drive, which is what the series aims for. It will be interesting to see if any lap records are broken in 2023.

V8 Supercars 2023 TV Schedule

The broadcast details for the 2023 Supercars championship have also been confirmed!

• Foxtel will broadcast every practice, qualifying, Shootout and race of the 2023 Supercars Championship live and ad free.
• Kayo will livestream each practice, qualifying and race of 2023.
• The Seven Network will broadcast six rounds live, including the Thrifty Newcastle 500, Darwin Triple Crown, NTI Townsville 500, Repco Bathurst 1000, Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 and VALO Adelaide 500. These events will all be streamed live on 7plus, with delayed highlights packages available for the other rounds.

Experience the thrill!

The 2023 season is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated in recent memory. So make sure you mark the date in your diary and prepare for some exciting racing.

Meanwhile, come experience the thrill of V8 race car drive experiences and hot laps yourself or buy a gift experience for a friend. Group discounts are also available.