The "Need To Know" On The Supercars At Albert Park

It might not be for championship points, but there's plenty riding on this weekend's Grand Prix support races for the Supercar contenders.

For some it'll be a chance to iron out the kinks from the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, while those at the front will be more interested in getting a psychological edge ahead of the next points-scoring round in Tasmania.

Defending series champion Shane Van Gisbergen is no slouch around the Albert Park, having won 6 of the last 12 Supercar races here.

To put that in perspective, the 'Giz' won 3 of the 4 races last year!

In fact, he's been so quick it's put Russell Ingall's record for the most race wins on the Grand Prix track under threat.

The Enforcer boasts 8 wins around the lake, with SVG, Garth Tander and Mark Winterbottom all on 7 wins.

One thing sure to throw up some surprises is the race for pole position.

Four different teams from three different manufacturers have claimed the last four top positions on the grid.

The dark horse could be DJR Team Penske's Fabian Coulthard who's finished in the top five in the last 15 of the 18 races run at Albert Park.

But if there's one man who knows the circuit like the back of his hand it's Craig Lowndes.

The Team Vortex pilot's been coming here for 19 years, competing in 61 races since the very first Australian Grand Prix was held in Melbourne back in 1996.

For the first time in 2017 there'll be separate qualifying sessions held to determine the grid for each of the four races on this weekend's schedule.

Practice begins for the Coates Hire Supercars Challenge on Thursday at Albert Park.