Supercars to clamp down on event curfews

The championship introduced a curfew initially with the return of racing at Sydney Motorsport Park after the COVID break in 2020, for reasons of infection control, before it was added to the Operations Manual and hence became a permanent part of the regulations in 2021.

Unlike Formula 1, which allocates a fixed number of ‘exceptions’ to the ‘restricted periods’ with the intent that they cover for the possibility of repairs (but are sometimes used more strategically), Supercars teams are granted permission for such work at the discretion of the General Manager of Motorsport.

Rule E2.1.2.2 of this year’s Operations Manual states, “The Team must provide reasoning and obtain prior written approval of the GMM to obtain an extension of the designated curfew hours defined in Rule E2.1.2.1,” that being the period between ‘VCS Paddock Open’ and ‘VCS Paddock Closed’ times in the supplementary regulations.

However, it would appear that at least some teams were allowed to abuse that allowance, based on a ‘reminder’ email sent out by Supercars’ Motorsport department this week.

Said email advises that “Supercars will be enforcing this rule strictly for the remainder of the year” and that “Extensions will no longer be permitted for all requests (i.e. minor bodywork damage).”

Notably, Rule E2.1.2 is not prescriptive as to the work which a team may be granted permission to undertake outside curfew, except a single example of “transaxle change.”

See below for rule in full

That same example is used in the aforementioned email, which also states that any permission to breach curfew “is not open-ended approval to work on both Cars,” a passage which is underlined for emphasis (presumably).

While the purpose of the curfew in Supercars has not ever been explained, it is reasonable to assume that it is to save teams from themselves by prohibiting crew members from working all night for incremental performance gains.

Formula 1 operates to that philosophy, having reduced the number of ‘exceptions’ over the years to compensate for the expansion in the calendar.

Both championships also restrict the number performance personnel at an event, in Supercars’ case to 14 people (with a larger allowance at enduros) for reasons of cost.

The Supercars Championship paddock is open this weekend at the NTI Townsville 500 on Friday from 07:30-20:00, on Saturday from 07:00-20:30, and on Sunday from 07:00.

Supercars Operations Manual: Division E Excerpt

2.1.2 Team Curfew Hours:

2.1.2.1 The Event Program designated as VCS Paddock Open and VCS Paddock Closed for each Event will define the Team Curfew hours, which each Team must abide.

2.1.2.2 The Team must provide reasoning and obtain prior written approval of the GMM to obtain an extension of the designated curfew hours defined in Rule E2.1.2.1.

a) The GMM at their discretion will consider an extension of curfew to include a period of time prior to the designated VCS Paddock Open time, the next day.

b) Only the duties requested by the Team to extend the curfew are permitted to be undertaken e.g., transaxle change.