Nine S5000s for Winton debut

The 2023 Hi-Tec Oils Race Winton on June 9-11, Round 4 of the Shannons Speed Series, will see the same nine S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship entries as at the previous round.

The third round for the V8-powered open wheeler series will be the first time they have raced at the rural Victorian circuit, despite having done many laps in testing sessions.

At the forefront will be two-time champion and current points leader Joey Mawson. The ACM Finance.com driver in the 88Racing/Team BRM prepared machine is set to resume his battle against Versa Motorsport’s Cooper Webster after a hard-fought contest at Phillip Island.

Webster won that round with two race victories to Mawson’s one. Yet Mawson is adamant nothing will change as he looks to extend his lead at the top of the points.

“It’s the same mindset as always. We approach the weekend trying to go for victories, and if you are winning races, then the championship takes care of itself,” Mawson said.

“The approach is always the same. We can’t afford to DNF or take risks and qualifying is crucial to seeing how each weekend will turn out.

“I don’t see myself as being the chaser; Cooper had a very strong round and hats off to him, but at the same time, nothing changes, and I have the same approach. I think I’m in a better position than I was this time last year in terms of points.”

Webster will have two Versa Motorsport teammates which could be seen as an advantage. South Australian Blake Purdie continues his journey in his Nippy’s-backed S5000, while Winston Smith returns after his debut at Phillip Island and was pleased with how much he learned.

“It was a really good experience,” Smith said.

“It was great to meet the new team and they were really helpful throughout the whole process.

“The whole thing was a big learning moment – getting comfortable with the car was the big thing but also adjusting to track conditions and changes in the feeling of the car each race.”

The other squad with three drivers is Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM) with its stars James Golding, Jordan Boys and Aaron Cameron – all of whom can take out a round win and launch into title contention.

Also on the entry list are The Fuzzies Game/Team BRM entry piloted by South Australian driver Mark Rosser and Crown Windows/Hobart Powersports’ Nic Carroll who will be looking to work their way closer to the podium.

The S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship will have practice and qualifying on Friday.

Stan Sport’s live and ad-free coverage will run from 11:00 to 17:00 AEST on Saturday and included Race 1 with Races 2 and 3 part of Sunday’s 9:00 to 17:00 AEST coverage.