Brisbane-based Triple Eight and the Gold Coast’s Dick Johnson Racing, Matt Stone Racing and PremiAir Racing are all impacted by the approaching weather system.
Teams would typically aim to have their preparations completed and transporters packed for the event by Saturday morning before departing for Melbourne on Sunday.
All have expedited the truck pack process but are taking different departure tactics.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been forecast to arrive as soon as today but is now not expected to hit until Saturday morning.
Triple Eight, based in Banyo in Brisbane’s north, has elected to dispatch its truck early this afternoon to avoid any risk of getting trapped by the cyclone or flooding in its aftermath.
PremiAir decided on Thursday afternoon to also depart early, with its truck set to head from the Gold Coast to PremiAir’s Sydney depot during the evening.
DJR and MSR trucks are packed and ready to go but are currently sticking to a Sunday departure plan, pending further weather updates.
If coastal roads are flooded in the wake of the cyclone, teams are confident they will be able to send their trucks to Melbourne via inland routes.
Supercars team trucks are scheduled to bump-in and unload in the Albert Park paddock area on Tuesday ahead of the first track action on Thursday.
Teams can opt to utilise two truck drivers if they need to, allowing a South-East Queensland to Melbourne travel time of under 20 hours.
Early truck packs mean team staff will not have to attend workshops on Friday.
Supercars, which has an office in the Gold Coast suburb of Southport, yesterday instructed staff to work from home today and Friday.
Queensland Raceway today postponed this weekend’s QRDC opener due to the cyclone, while Triple Eight boss Jamie Whincup pulled out of the Race of Champions to remain with his family.
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