Team Sydney will conduct its pre-season test day at Queensland Raceway after travel restrictions forced a change of plans.
The entire Supercars field was initially slated to hit the track at Sydney Motorsport Park, where the Jonathon Webb-owned outfit is based, on February 14 before a COVID resurgence around New South Wales’ capital complicated matters.
With restrictions still applicable to the Blacktown local government area in which the SMP precinct sits, Supercars confirmed this week it would instead run split tests.
That will involve Shell V-Power Racing, Red Bull Ampol Racing, Matt Stone Racing and now Team Sydney heading to QR on February 12, with the remaining teams circulating at Winton Motor Raceway four days later.
Team Sydney is understood to be packing its transporter today to make the trek up to Queensland over the weekend.
The squad’s long-time truck driver Mick Shortus will travel from Brisbane to Newcastle, where he will take over at the wheel of the transporter for the journey north so as to remain out of any COVID hotspots.
Team Sydney will temporarily move into its associated Tekno headquarters at Yatala, returning to Eastern Creek following the test.
Running at QR avoids any headaches for spearhead driver Fabian Coulthard, who lives on the Gold Coast and thus would have faced the potential need to quarantine on return home from SMP.
Queensland-based personnel – including lead engineer Geoffrey Slater – will be on the ground at QR, with Sydney-based staff remaining home.
The 2021 Repco Supercars Championship marks the second season for the operation under its Team Sydney moniker, following a rebranding from Tekno Autosports.
Coulthard and Jacobson have replaced 2020 drivers Chris Pither and Alex Davison.
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