A CHANGE to the race distance for this Sunday’s race at the Tyrepower Tasmania Super440 at Symmons Plains should, if history is any guide, have one team licking its lips together.
Last week it was announced that Sunday’s 78-lap race (187.2-kilometres) would be extended to 84 laps (201.6-kilometres).
“The change comes after discussions with Supercars and teams around fuel consumption,” it was confirmed on Friday via Supercars’ official website.
“Discussions surrounded the ability to complete the original Sunday race distance with just two fuel churns, with the race initially requiring two compulsory pit stops.
“Supercars had previously reduced the race distance to 78 laps to ensure teams could complete the race with just two churns.”
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The race – Race 16 of the 2026 season – will now have three compulsory pit stops to be completed within the 84-lap distance, rather than two.
One team has proven to be the kings of 84 lap races at Symmons Plains over time: Triple Eight Race Engineering.
The Brisbane-based team has won seven of the nine 84 lappers held at the track between 2009 and 2019, including the first (won by Jamie Whincup’s TeamVodafone FG Falcon) and most recent won by Shane van Gisbergen’s Red Bull ZB Commodore.
All 84 lap races have been held on the Sunday of the Tasmanian rounds with four wins to Whincup (2009, 2011, 2012, 2015), two to Craig Lowndes (2014, 2018) and one to van Gisbergen (2019).
Will Davison’s win for TEKNO Autosports in 2016 means that eight of the nine races have been won by Triple Eight-built cars; his VF Commodore’ chassis was built by the Brisbane-based team.
The only non-Triple Eight-connected 84 lap race winner in Tasmania over that period was Mark Winterbottom, who took the 2010 Sunday win for Ford Performance Racing.
Practice for the Tyrepower Tasmania Super440 starts on Friday at Symmons Plains.
Jamie Whincup on his way to winning in Tasmania in 2009. His Sunday win was the first in an 84 lapper at Symmons Plains. Photo an1images.com / Scott Wensley.