{"id":173040,"date":"2025-12-08T03:41:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T03:41:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/173040\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T03:41:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T03:41:12","slug":"supercars-news-2026-test-dates-and-key-rule-changes-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/173040\/","title":{"rendered":"Supercars news: 2026 test dates and key rule changes revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Supercars
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Toyota Supra testing at Queensland Raceway in October. Image: Richard Gresham <\/p>\n

Supercars will again condense testing into two compulsory days next year, with the pre-season hitout to take place on the Wednesday prior to the season-opening Sydney 500.<\/p>\n

That\u2019ll make for a busy start to the year for anyone also tackling the Bathurst 12 Hour the weekend prior.<\/p>\n

A pre-Enduro Cup test is slated for Queensland Raceway on August 25, which is the Tuesday after the Ipswich Super440 that ends the Sprint Cup portion of the championship.<\/p>\n

That scheduling proved polarising this year, with some interstate teams eager to have the test take place prior to the round.<\/p>\n

The key dates have been communicated to teams alongside minor tweaks to rules that govern tests for rookies, wildcards, driver evaluations, new car shakedowns, ride days and more.<\/p>\n

\"Sydney<\/p>\n

Action from the pre-season test in 2025. Image: InSyde Media<\/p>\n

Rookie days continue to cater for first year (two days) and second year (one day) drivers, while evaluation days are permitted for any compliant drivers.<\/p>\n

Supercars has notably clamped down on teams using the various days for pit stop practice.<\/p>\n

Pit practice is now banned at driver evaluation days, demonstration days, new car shakedowns and ride days, while pit booms and fuel towers\/churns are prohibited during rookie days.<\/p>\n

Wildcard testing rules have also been adjusted with those entered in one or two endurance events now afforded one day, rather than two.<\/p>\n

Rules for those entering a single non-enduro wildcard (one test day) or one non-enduro and two enduros (two test days) remain unchanged.<\/p>\n

Supercars, however, retains the right to grant additional days at its discretion.<\/p>\n

Supercars facing \u2018huge challenge\u2019 at US wind tunnel test<\/a><\/p>\n

Homologation team test days have meanwhile now been scrapped, having been deemed no longer applicable.<\/p>\n

A provision has also now been added enabling Supercars to grant a Super2 primary driver permission to drive a car from outside their team or group at event or corporate ride days.<\/p>\n

That issue came to light at Sandown last month, when several youngsters were prevented from enjoying an early start with their 2026 teams during a post-event ride day.<\/a><\/p>\n

It was an unintended consequence of a clampdown on Supercars drivers swapping between teams during test days<\/a>, as Triple Eight had previously orchestrated for its customers.<\/p>\n

Multiple Supercars teams will run driver evaluation days this week ahead of the off-season testing ban kicking in on December 13. The ban lifts on February 2.<\/p>\n

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