Wanneroo Supercars round

{{Short description|Supercars Championship event held in Wanneroo, Western Australia}}

{{V8 supercar race

|flag = Western Australia

|title = Perth Super 440

|circuit = Wanneroo Raceway

|track_map = Wanneroo Raceway Map (2021).svg

|times_held = 47

|first_held = 1973

|last_held =

|race1_laps = 50

|race1_distance = 120

|race2_laps = 50

|race2_distance = 120

|race3_laps = 83

|race3_distance = 200

|last_year = 2025

|last_event_link = 2025 Perth Super 440

|overall_winner = {{flagicon|AUS}} Broc Feeney

|overall_team = Triple Eight Race Engineering

|race1_winner = {{flagicon|NZL}} Ryan Wood

|race1_team = Walkinshaw Andretti United

|race2_winner = {{flagicon|AUS}} Broc Feeney

|race2_team = Triple Eight Race Engineering

|race3_winner = {{flagicon|AUS}} Broc Feeney

|race3_team = Triple Eight Race Engineering

}}

The Perth Super 440 is the current name of the annual motor racing event for Supercars, held at Wanneroo Raceway in Wanneroo, Western Australia. The event has been a regular part of the Supercars Championship and its predecessor, the Australian Touring Car Championship, since 1973.

Format

The event is staged over a three-day weekend, from Friday to Sunday. One single ninety-minute practice session is held on Friday. On Saturday then, a three-stage knockout qualifying session is held which decides the grid positions for the following 100 kilometre race. Two separated fifteen-minute qualifying sessions are held on Sunday, which decide the grid for the following 100 km races.[https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/2023-perth-supersprint-track-schedule-released/ 2023 Perth SuperSprint track schedule released] Supercars 4 April 2023

History

File:Wanneroo Mar 1985 012.jpg won the 1985 event.]]

Wanneroo Park Raceway, as it was then known, hosted its first round of the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) in 1973, with Allan Moffat taking the first of his three event victories over Peter Brock.{{cite news |last1=Dowdell |first1=Zac |title=Perth at 100 races: The best races {{!}} Supercars |url=https://www.supercars.com/news/supercars-news-2025-perth-at-100-races-the-best-races-moffat-brock-perkins-whincup-lowndes-kostecki-van-gisbergen |access-date=8 June 2025 |work=www.supercars.com |language=en}} It was the first ATCC event ever held in Western Australia and featured the only appearance of a Subaru in the history of the ATCC. The championship did not return to Wanneroo until 1978. The event that year consisted of two heats and the Holden Dealer Team scored a rare 1-2-3 finish in the overall results, with Brock taking victory, from 12th on the grid, over team-mates John Harvey and Wayne Negus.{{cite book | title=The official history: Australian Touring Car Championship - 50 Years | last1=Greenhalgh | first1=David | last2=Howard | first2=Graham | last3=Wilson | first3=Stewart | publisher=Chevron Publishing Group | year=2011 | isbn=978-0-9805912-2-4 | location=St Leonards, New South Wales}} Allan Grice won the event in 1980 and 1982 despite only completing partial championship campaigns in each year.

During practice for the 1983 event, Moffat found that his Mazda RX-7 struggled on the rises in the circuit compared to the other cars. To compensate for this, he started the race with the petrol tank only half-filled and made a pit stop during the race. The strategy worked and Moffat took victory, despite almost colliding with Brock when the latter spun in the closing stages.{{cite news | url=http://autoaction.com.au/top-10-touring-car-races-time-part-1/ | title=The Top 10 Aussie Touring Car races of all time – Part one | work=Auto Action| date=30 May 2015 | access-date=8 July 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709123124/http://autoaction.com.au/top-10-touring-car-races-time-part-1/ | archive-date=9 July 2015}} Moffat's Mazda won again in 1984, the final win for the four-time series champion. Under Group A regulations, from 1985 to 1992, the event was dominated by Nissan Skylines and Ford Sierras, with Gibson Motorsport's Nissans taking three wins and Fords of Dick Johnson Racing and Mobil 1 Racing taking four combined. This included Mark Skaife took his first ATCC round victory in the 1991 event for Nissan. Ahead of the 1993 event, the circuit was renamed from Wanneroo Park to Barbagallo Raceway due to a sponsorship from Alf Barbagallo, a name which remained until 2020.{{cite news |last1=Lawrie |first1=Shane |title=West Australian Sporting Car Club returns circuit to its roots |url=https://drivetribe.com/p/west-australian-sporting-car-club-dZxQ7ic4Q8uWvZYrtt2cwg?iid=Anw09c01QDupX48eH98x7A |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=DriveTribe |date=23 January 2020 |language=en}} Alan Jones won the 1994 round on the same weekend that he was fined for throwing a punch at an official.{{cite book |last1=Seton |first1=Glenn |last2=Bartholomaeus |first2=Stefan |last3=Noonan |first3=Aaron |title=Seto: The Official Racing History of Glenn Seton |date=2020 |publisher=AN1 Media |location=Melbourne, Victoria |isbn=978-0-6487863-2-0}}

The Holden Racing Team controlled the event from 1996 to 2000, taking victory in all five years. Craig Lowndes won all twelve races across the 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 events, having missed the 1997 event as he was racing overseas.{{cite news | url=http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/championship/can-we-rename-barbagallo-lowndes-raceway | title=Can we rename Barbagallo 'Lowndes Raceway'? | work=V8Supercars.com.au | last=Crehan | first=Riana | date=30 April 2015 | access-date=8 July 2015}} Brock took his final ATCC round victory in that 1997 weekend despite not winning any of the races during the event. That event included the closest race finish in event history with Larry Perkins holding off John Bowe. Paul Radisich interrupted the Holden Racing Team's success in 2001, winning for Dick Johnson Racing in a dominant weekend that saw him take pole, lead every lap and secure three fastest laps across the three races.{{cite news |last1=Dale |first1=Will |title=HOW REYNOLDS STOPPED TRIPLE EIGHT FROM ACHIEVING RARE FEAT {{!}} V8 Sleuth |url=https://www.v8sleuth.com.au/how-reynolds-stopped-triple-eight-from-achieving-rare-feat/ |access-date=12 July 2021 |work=V8 Sleuth |date=12 July 2021}} In 2002, Jason Bright returned the Holden team to the top step of the podium. Bright won again in 2004 for Paul Weel Racing, before Steven Richards won consecutive events at the circuit in 2005 and 2006 despite only winning one of the six races in the two years. In the second race of the 2005 event, Skaife and Marcos Ambrose, who had started together on the front row, both ended up in the gravel trap at the first turn of the race. While Skaife retired, Ambrose managed to drive out and finished fifth despite a drive-through penalty being issued during the race, before he was then given a further points penalty post-race for the same incident.{{cite news |title=Stewards punish Ambrose after run-in with Skaife |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/motorsport/stewards-punish-ambrose-after-run-in-with-skaife-20050510-gdlahb.html |access-date=5 August 2019 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=10 May 2005 |language=en}}

In this period, discussions were held about moving the event to a street circuit in Perth, and Barbagallo dropped off the 2010 calendar due to dated facilities.{{cite news |title=Barbagallo omitted from 2010 calendar |url=http://www.v8dailydump.com.au/news/8370/Barbagallo-omitted-from-2010-calendar.html |access-date=17 April 2019 |work=v8dailydump.com.au |date=8 February 2010}}{{cite news |last1=Washbourne |first1=Michael |title=Street circuit off the grid for Perth |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/garth-tander-pours-cold-water-on-perth-street-circuit-for-v8-supercars-ng-714cc5c3f15416244664800d114b4756 |access-date=17 April 2019 |work=PerthNow |date=3 May 2012 |language=en}} The Government of Western Australia resisted moving the event and Wanneroo was instead upgraded, with the circuit returning to the calendar in 2011 and a new pit and paddock complex being built for 2012. The 2011 event saw one of the biggest accidents in the history of the championship take place. Karl Reindler, 13th on the grid, stalled at the start and was hit by Steve Owen, who had started 25th and was travelling at 150 km/h. The impact ruptured the fuel tank in Reindler's car, engulfing both cars in flames. Reindler suffered superficial burns to his hands and face as well as smoke inhalation, while Owen escaped serious injury.{{cite news | url=http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/saturday-sleuthing-the-barbagallo-bbq | title=Saturday Sleuthing: The Barbagallo BBQ | work=V8Supercars.com.au | last=Noonan | first=Aaron | date=4 May 2013 | access-date=8 July 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215023602/http://www.v8supercars.com.au/news/saturday-sleuthing-the-barbagallo-bbq | archive-date=15 February 2014 | url-status=dead }} In the same race, Jason Bright took the first championship victory for Brad Jones Racing, the team that also prepared Reindler's entry.{{cite news |title=BJR unveils tribute livery for Bright |url=https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/bjr-unveils-tribute-livery-for-bright/ |access-date=17 April 2019 |work=Supercars |date=9 July 2015 |language=en}}

Lowndes took his 91st career race victory in the ATCC and Supercars Championship during the 2013 event, breaking Skaife's previous record of 90.{{cite news | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-04/whincup-on-pole-for-first-v8-race5c/4669878 | title=Lowndes scores record V8 race win in Perth | work=ABC News | date=4 May 2013 | access-date=8 July 2015}} In 2014, Scott McLaughlin gave Volvo its first race victory in its return to the series, having last competed in 1986.{{cite news | url=https://www.grmotorsport.com.au/grm-Victory_for_Scott_McLaughlin_and_Volvo.php | title=Victory for Scott McLaughlin and Volvo | work=Garry Rogers Motorsport| date=17 May 2014 | access-date=8 July 2015}} Lowndes took his 16th and final Barbagallo race win in the Saturday race in 2016, opting to make an additional pitstop to most other cars and moving up from 22nd at pit exit to take the victory.{{cite web|url=http://www.supercars.com/news/championship/super-strategy/|title=Super strategy|last=Gadeke|first=Kassie|date=7 May 2016|publisher=Supercars.com|access-date=9 May 2018}} The two other Triple Eight Race Engineering entries of Shane van Gisbergen and Jamie Whincup completed the podium in a repeat of the Holden Dealer Team feat of 1978.{{cite news |last1=Noonan |first1=Aaron |title=Fast Facts - Perth SuperSprint |url=https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/fast-facts-perth-supersprint-3/ |access-date=17 April 2019 |work=Supercars |date=30 April 2017 |language=en}} From 2017 to 2019, McLaughlin won three consecutive events, including winning the Sunday race in 2018 from 19th on the grid, a record at the circuit.{{cite web|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/mclaughlin-takes-famous-supercars-win|title=McLaughlin takes famous Supercars win|publisher=Australian Associated Press|access-date=9 May 2018}}

The event was reformatted in 2019 to become a SuperNight event with races on Friday and Saturday night for the first time at the circuit.{{cite web|url=https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/calendar-revealed-for-2019-supercars-championship/|title=Calendar revealed for 2019 Supercars Championship|publisher=Supercars|first=Mitchell|last=Adam|date=11 October 2018|access-date=11 October 2018}} The 2020 event, again due to be held at night, was postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news |title=Supercars postpones three events, launches Eseries |url=https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/supercars-postpones-three-events-launches-eseries/ |access-date=23 March 2020 |work=Supercars |date=17 March 2020 |language=en}} The event was later rescheduled to the end of October, however as a daylight event, before being cancelled altogether in August 2020.{{cite news |last1=Chapman |first1=Simon |title=Supercars releases revised 13-round 2020/21 calendar |url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2020/05/17/supercars-releases-revised-13-round-2020-21-calendar/ |access-date=17 May 2020 |work=Speedcafe|date=17 May 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Chapman |first1=Simon |title=Supercars confirms double-header at The Bend |url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2020/08/30/supercars-confirms-double-header-at-the-bend/ |access-date=30 August 2020 |work=Speedcafe |date=30 August 2020}} The 2021 event suffered the same fate and was again cancelled before the event returned for 2022.{{cite news |last1=Chapman |first1=Simon |title=Supercars confirms new dates in revised 2021 calendar |url=https://www.speedcafe.com/2021/07/30/supercars-confirms-new-dates-in-revised-2021-calendar/ |access-date=30 July 2021 |work=Speedcafe |date=29 July 2021}} From 2023, the event returned to a daytime format.{{cite news |last1=van Leeuwen |first1=Andrew |title=Supercars announces 12-round 2023 calendar |url=https://au.motorsport.com/v8supercars/news/supercars-2023-calendar-12-rounds/10404009/ |access-date=19 May 2024 |work=Motorsport.com}} In 2025, the circuit became the first to host 100 championship races, with the 99th and 100th races won by Broc Feeney.{{cite news |title=Perth Super 440 to Host Historic 100th Supercars Race at Wanneroo {{!}} Sporting News Australia |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/au/tsn/news/perth-super-440-host-historic-100th-supercars-race-wanneroo/25876086c6cb25769e20dc73 |work=www.sportingnews.com |date=6 June 2025 |language=en-au}}

The event is scheduled to be held at Wanneroo for the final time in 2026 with the Western Australian round scheduled to be held at the Perth Street Circuit from 2027.[https://autoaction.com.au/2024/06/16/perth-street-race-confirmed-for-2026 Perth Street Race set for 2026] Auto Action 16 June 2024