Hidden clue at Bathurst 1000 tyre change

Supplementary Regulation 5.7.1 grants teams the right to purchase extra tyres for testing and practice as follows:

“In addition to this requirement and prior to the Bathurst 1000, each Team is permitted to order and receive an additional eight (8) new H Control Tyres for each Car, only for the purpose of Testing at a Test Day and/or as pre-marked Control Tyres at an Event.”

See below for full text

As previously reported by Speedcafe, Supercars was poised to change the allocated from the soft compound of Dunlop control tyre to the hard, although the move was not ratified at the time.

That the above supplementary regulation has appeared points to the fact that it now must have been.

The first two Mount Panorama events of the Gen3 era were quite the contrast in terms of how hard drivers pushed.

While there was hardly a glut of passing in either last year’s 1000 or the 250km races which made up this year’s season-opener, the latter event at least produced more exciting conclusions.

Drivers happened to not be conserving tyres, a contrast to what was generally regarded as a dreary Great Race of 2023.

The theory then had been that the softs could cop the reduced weight and corner loads of the new generation of Supercars, and hence should be used to create jeopardy around tyre wear.

Instead, stints became tyre-limited rather than fuel-limited and there was precious little flat-out running, while the extent of ‘marbles’ off-line would have made passing difficult in any case.

Drivers queried by Speedcafe at this year’s Bathurst 500 expressed support for the hard tyre, as did Garth Tander while working as a television pundit.

The production run for the Bathurst 1000 tyres has or will imminently commence, hence there was time to make the change.

Meanwhile, the Further Supplementary Regulations for Wanneroo and Supplementary Regulations for Hidden Valley have reduced the minimum tyre pressure for those events.

Full text pertaining to Bathurst 1000 testing tyres, per Hidden Valley Further Supplementary Regulations including mark-up

5.7.1 At this Event, note the following amendment to Rule D17.7.6:

D17.7.6 Prior to the first Event of the Season, each Team is required to order and receive twelve (12) new H Control Tyres, twenty (20) new S Control Tyres and sixteen (16) new SS Control Tyres for each Car, only for the purpose of Testing at a Test Day and/or as pre-marked Control Tyres at an Event.

D17.7.6.1 All orders must be transacted through the Supercars Portal and full payment is required prior to Dunlop Tyres dispatching.
D17.7.6.2 In addition to this requirement and prior to the Bathurst 1000, each Team is permitted to order and receive an additional eight (8) new H Control Tyres for each Car, only for the purpose of Testing at a Test Day and/or as pre-marked Control Tyres at an Event.