Fast Facts For The Coates Hire Newcastle 500

Stuff To Know


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The Supercars have descended on Newcastle for this weekend's grand finale to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

Here's some stuff to know ahead before we go racing.


1. It's a brand spanking new circuit. The 32nd in fact to ever host a championship round of Supercars/V8 Supercars/Touring Cars in Australia.

2. It's the 12th place to host the final round of the championship and succeeds the Sydney event which wrapped up last year at Olympic Park.

3. Jamie Whincup leads the points and could win his seventh title in the last ten years. History's also in his favour with driver on top heading into the final round crowned champion for the last nine years in a row.

4. Whincup's Red Bull Holden Racing Team are a chance to win an eighth straight championship crown if they can claw back the 105 point deficit to the Shell V-Power Racing Team.

5. Seven drivers can boast about winning a race in 2017 - Scott McLaughlin (seven), Shane van Gisbergen (five), Fabian Coulthard (four), Jamie Whincup (three), Chaz Mostert (three), Cameron Waters (one) and David Reynolds (one).

6. Only two drivers have finished all 24 races this year - Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes.

7. Shell V-Power Racing's Fabian Coulthard will make his 350th championship race start on the Saturday in Newcastle.

8. The new Newcastle street circuit has 14 turns over its 2.63 kilometre run, taking in Newcastle Beach and Nobby's Beach Reserve.

Practice starts at 12.10pm (AEDST) on Friday.

Sean Maynard

22 November 2017

Article by:

Sean Maynard




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