January 032023.
REPCO SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
Several drivers will celebrate significant milestones in the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship.
Of the 25 contracted drivers, 17 are set to celebrate significant milestones throughout the year.
By the end of the 2023 season, 21 of the 25 drivers will have made 100 or more race starts.
One driver will become just the third to the 600-race milestone, with another cracking 500 starts.
Drivers will also crack 400 starts and 300 starts, while four young guns will bring up 100 starts.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle on March 10-12.
Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
600 races
Mark Winterbottom’s seventh start of the year — set to be in Perth — will be his 600th. He will become just the third driver, after Craig Lowndes (675) and Garth Tander (642) to start 600 races. He will also pass Rick Kelly into third all-time for round starts, and will end the year on 275 round starts. Winterbottom’s debut came in the 2003 enduros for Stone Brothers Racing.
550 races
The 22nd race of the year, which is set to be at The Bend, will be James Courtney’s 550th start. Only seven drivers — Lowndes (675), Tander (642), Russell Ingall (588), Rick Kelly (580), Jason Bright (577), Winterbottom (593) and Jamie Whincup (554) — have started 550 or more races. Courtney debuted in the 2005 enduros for the Holden Racing Team.
500 races
Shane van Gisbergen will become just the ninth driver to start 500 races when he makes his 17th start in 2023. It is set to come in Townsville, where he has won 10 races. Van Gisbergen debuted as a teenager for Team Kiwi Racing at Oran Park in 2007.
400 races
Tim Slade’s first start with PremiAir Racing, on the streets of Newcastle, will be his 400th career race start. He will be the 20th driver to start 400 or more races. Slade debuted for Paul Morris Motorsport in 2009.
300 races
Both Walkinshaw Andretti United drivers will join the ‘300 club’ in 2023. Chaz Mostert’s 300th start will come in Race 4 (Albert Park) before Nick Percat chalks up the same milestone in Race 12 (Tasmania). Mostert debuted in 2013, and Percat in 2010.
250 races
Cam Waters brought up 100 round starts and 200 race starts in 2022. In 2023, he will make his 250th race start, which is set to come in Adelaide. Waters debuted as a teenager at Mount Panorama in 2011.
150 races
Macauley Jones will celebrate his 150th race start in Race 4 at Albert Park. Jones debuted in the 2015 enduros.
100 races
Three young drivers are set to bring up 100 race starts in 2023 — James Golding, Jake Kostecki, and Will Brown. Second-year PremiAir driver Golding’s ninth start in 2023 will be his 100th start. The 17th race of the year, in Townsville, will be Jake Kostecki’s 100 start. Brown will record start No. 100 in Race 26 on the Gold Coast.
100 rounds
Andre Heimgartner will celebrate his 100th round start in Perth. He scored his first Brad Jones Racing podium at the Wanneroo circuit in May last year. Heimgartner debuted in the 2014 enduros in a Super Black Falcon.
50 rounds
Heimgartner’s BJR teammates Jack Smith and Bryce Fullwood will both bring up 50 round starts. Smith will hit 50 rounds in Sydney, and Fullwood at The Bend — the scene of his sole Supercars podium in 2020. James Golding will record his 50th round start in Perth.
50 races
The two 2022 rookies — Thomas Randle and Broc Feeney — will record their 50th race starts in 2023. Randle will hit 50 in Perth, with Feeney to hit the number in Darwin.
ATCC/Supercars race starts for full-time 2023 contracted drivers
593: Mark Winterbottom 528: James Courtney 518: Will Davison 483: Shane van Gisbergen 404: David Reynolds 399: Tim Slade 312: Scott Pye 296: Chaz Mostert 288: Nick Percat 223: Cam Waters 216: Andre Heimgartner 170: Jack Le Brocq 159: Todd Hazelwood 154: Anton De Pasquale 146: Macauley Jones 105: Jack Smith 101: Bryce Fullwood 91: James Golding 83: Jake Kostecki 74: Will Brown 71: Brodie Kostecki 42: Thomas Randle 36: Broc Feeney 1: Matt Payne, Cameron Hill
ATCC/Supercars round starts for full-time 2023 contracted drivers
263: Mark Winterbottom 233: James Courtney, Will Davison 215: Shane van Gisbergen 187: David Reynolds 184: Tim Slade 137: Scott Pye 130: Chaz Mostert 129: Nick Percat 105: Cam Waters 96: Andre Heimgartner 78: Jack Le Brocq 71: Todd Hazelwood 67: Anton De Pasquale, Macauley Jones 48: James Golding 43: Jack Smith 42: Bryce Fullwood 34: Jake Kostecki 32: Will Brown 28: Brodie Kostecki 22: Thomas Randle 15: Broc Feeney 1: Matt Payne, Cameron Hill
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