The series has elected to shorten the longer Sunday contest from 61 laps to 60 laps, a distance reduction of 3.3 kilometres in a bid to discourage fuel saving.
According to Supercars, the 2026 fuel blend has slightly increased consumption compared to previous years, prompting concerns of drivers needing to save fuel to get to the end of the 200-kilometre.
It is hoped that reducing the race length by a lap will allow drivers to race flat-out to the finish.
“How drivers and teams balance racing and fuel consumption has a big say on what you see on track,” chief motorsport officer Tim Edwards told the offical Supercars website.
“This change offers some margin for the heavier fuel consumption drivers, but will also encourage drivers and teams to be flat out on track and on strategy.
“We love seeing drivers and teams push the limits to chase wins, and we believe this will add another layer of strategic variability to the racing.”
The Taupo event kicks off the historic New Zealand double-header on April 10-12.
Discussion about this post