The Supercars championship’s northern expedition continued, with the streets of Townsville enjoying dwelling to the sixth spherical of the 2023 collection and likewise marking the midway level within the season.

Reid Park has been one other standard hybrid circuit, providing the technical challenges of a avenue observe – with some quick, flowing everlasting sections from the parklands. There was a lot to unpack from the Townsville 500 and listed below are the speaking factors.

Factors lead for Brown with Race 16 win

Will Brown commanded the opening leg of the Townsville 500, successful Race 16 from pole place and taking the lead of the championship from Erebus Motorsport teammate Brodie Kostecki.

It was Cameron Waters who led initially, with an fascinating squabble between Brown, Shane van Gisbergen and David Reynolds on the opening lap. Brown off pole took van Gisbergen huge at Flip 2, opening the door for Waters.

Van Gisbergen ended up making contact with Jack Le Brocq at Flip 8, taking the Purple Bull Camaro out of rivalry early in proceedings, whereas Kostecki had a gamut of mechanical points which plagued the previous factors chief to a Nineteenth-placed end.

Brown had regained the lead from Waters on Lap 23 at Turns 10 and 11, with their first pit-stops approaching Lap 30. A second cease got here for Brown on Lap 59 and after the stops filtered out, he returned to the lead.

There was a late Security Automotive with Todd Hazelwood’s Cooldrive Mustang out of the race in between Turns 2 and three. This compressed the sector and put the likes of Chaz Mostert in place together with his daring three-stop technique to problem for the rostrum.

The Coca-Cola Camaro of Brown crossed the road with a 3.3-second margin over Broc Feeney, who was up 4 positions from the place he began. Mostert overhauled van Gisbergen and Waters for a much-needed podium.

A sixth-placed end in Race 17 for Brown, whereas Kostecki returned to the rostrum in second nonetheless noticed the Saturday winner retain the factors lead – with a seven-point hole between the Erebus teammates.

De Pasquale breaks by way of for DJR and Ford

On paper, Waters was the primary Ford driver to win within the Gen3 period again on the Newcastle 500 following the disqualification of each Purple Bull Ampol Racing vehicles, however it’s taken until Townsville for the primary on-track win for the beleaguered Mustang.

Anton De Pasquale bounced again after a dismal Saturday and Race 16 retirement, in addition to a lacklustre 2023 thus far to assert his first podium and victory of the season on the finish of 88 laps on Sunday.

Beginning sixth by way of the top-10 shootout, De Pasquale short-fuelled in his first cease popped out within the lead forward of polesitter Waters, Feeney and James Courtney within the Snowy Rivers Caravan Mustang.

The presence of the Security Automotive after Cameron Hill’s Truck Help Camaro shed particles from its diffuser, noticed De Pasquale lead the second spherical of stops. By Lap 41 the Shell V-Energy Mustang was again into the lead after which cruised dwelling forward of Kostecki and Andre Heimgartner.

Behind the highest three was an entertaining change between the 2 Purple Bull drivers, as van Gisbergen in his five hundredth Supercars race from twentieth on the grid and being spun by Declan Fraser on the opening lap, was hounding teammate Feeney for fourth. Whereas the Kiwi acquired forward in fourth and was unable to problem Heimgartner forward, Feeney was pleading for his teammate to return the place so he’d take the spherical win off Brown.

This was De Pasquale’s first win since Darwin in 2022 and Dick Johnson Racing’s first since teammate Will Davison successful in Pukekohe late final 12 months. The factors from the victory did vault the 27-year-old from a lowly twentieth within the standings to sixteenth.

Parity changes made for Ford

Following the parity set off having been pulled after the Darwin Triple Crown, changes had been made to the Ford Mustang for the Townsville 500 after it was discovered there was a “minor distinction in rear-wing downforce.”

That what the official assertion from Supercars learn, figuring out that the Mustang had a deficiency on the rear-end going into braking zones. This was one thing in Darwin that grew to become extra evident, notably in longer runs the place Mustang’s rear tyre life was considerably shorter than that of the Camaro.

The modifications carried out have been a modification of the rear-wing’s place, span and angle – in addition to elevated dimension of the boot spoiler.

Instantly, the affect of the modifications was seen by way of De Pasquale’s win in Race 17 which ended up being the primary on-track win for a Mustang in 2023. Waters, in the meantime, had the pole for that race.

Maybe, the modifications have come somewhat too late within the season for Ford groups reminiscent of Tickford and Walkinshaw Andretti United, who’d historically have had championship aspirations. It has been famous the re-learning of their equipment required for the Ford drivers, which as emphasised beforehand for knowledgeable and premier championship collection, is subpar.

It’s straightforward to match the state of affairs to 2019’s parity saga the place solely after two rounds, the set off was initiated and Supercars acted to regulate the then new Ford Mustang to deliver it consistent with the ZB Holden Commodore.

Mostert’s daring three-stop technique

Having not been on the rostrum because the season opening Newcastle 500 and really having led the championship within the early rounds, it has been a troublesome run for Mostert and the Walkinshaw Andretti United operation.

Within the first 12 months of the workforce’s historic swap to Ford, a lot of their ache has been documented by the disparities between the Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro. However Race 16 noticed the two-time Bathurst 1000 winner declare an surprising podium.

Utilising a novel three-stop technique, no because of the Mustang – regardless of the rear-end parity modifications – nonetheless chewing by way of its rear tyres in a race stint, had the contemporary rubber when the race resumed on Lap 73 following a Security Automotive to spherical up a number of vehicles en route to 3rd.

“At the moment was the most likely the perfect outcome we might have gotten, for certain – I didn’t even count on to get a trophy as we speak,” remarked Mostert after the race.

“To be sincere, it seems like we don’t actually have a rear-wing, so it’s been a bit hectic on the market. We’re okay within the sluggish, mechanical corners, however the actually high-commitment brake zones after which clearly the high-speed by way of the again part, the automotive simply provides method.”

It was an encouraging outcome for the perfect positioned Mustang driver within the championship, although Race 17 noticed an unravelling for the 31-year-old.

Firstly Mostert’s top-10 shootout was compromised after hitting the wall early in his lap after which a power-steering concern on Lap 4 of the race noticed him fail to complete for the second time this season.

SVG’s historic NASCAR win on debut

Van Gisbergen’s a lot anticipated look within the NASCAR Cup Sequence for the Chicago avenue circuit race was anticipated to be nice alternative for the three-time Supercars champion to market himself Stateside and showcase his nice talents.

Little was it thought that he’d qualify the Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 Chevrolet Camaro third on the grid after which declare victory on debut – changing into the primary driver in 60 years within the Cup Sequence to win of their first race.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 02: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #91 Improve Well being Chevrolet, celebrates with the checkered flag after successful the NASCAR Cup Sequence Grant Park 220 on the Chicago Road Course on July 02, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Picture by Sean Gardner/Getty Photographs)

Racing at a brand new circuit, in a brand new automotive, new workforce and sitting the alternative aspect of the cabin to what he’s used to as properly. The superlatives might simply roll on, to explain the monumental nature of van Gisbergen’s feat. Additionally the actual fact he needed to scythe by way of the sector within the ultimate section of the race which noticed changeable situations, as properly. Wow.

Naturally the hypothesis has been rife over the Kiwi’s future in Supercars. Whether or not he’ll see out 2024 as he’s claimed he’ll with Triple Eight in Supercars earlier than a 2025 swap Stateside, or embrace the problem as early as subsequent 12 months stays to be seen.

Purple Bull workforce boss Jamie Whincup made the remark to Fox Sports activities Information that he “received’t stand of their method.”

“After all, I’m attempting to run the enterprise in addition to a I presumably can and I want the perfect drivers, but when any driver, engineer, worker got here to me and stated, ‘Hey, my dream is to go to the opposite aspect of the world and do one thing else’, I’m not going to face of their method.”

Having been unchallenged for the championship since his rival and compatriot Scott McLaughlin left for Indycar in 2021, van Gisbergen has confronted extra competitors in 2023 with Erebus coming to the entrance – however has additionally been fairly vocal in dissatisfaction with the Gen3 vehicles.

Famously given a dressing down on reside tv by commentator Mark Skaife in Newcastle for “not being an envoy of the game,” van Gisbergen in actual fact has been attempting to ambassador for constructive modifications and giving key developmental suggestions which may solely come from a driver. Nonetheless, if Supercars can’t respect that – SVG’s skills shall be appreciated elsewhere.