REPCO SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
Several drivers will celebrate significant milestones in the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship.
Of the 25 contracted drivers, 17 are set to celebrate significant milestones throughout the year.
By the end of the 2023 season, 21 of the 25 drivers will have made 100 or more race starts.
One driver will become just the third to the 600-race milestone, with another cracking 500 starts.
Drivers will also crack 400 starts and 300 starts, while four young guns will bring up 100 starts.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle on March 10-12.
Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
Mark Winterbottom’s seventh start of the year — set to be in Perth — will be his 600th. He will become just the third driver, after Craig Lowndes (675) and Garth Tander (642) to start 600 races. He will also pass Rick Kelly into third all-time for round starts, and will end the year on 275 round starts. Winterbottom’s debut came in the 2003 enduros for Stone Brothers Racing.
The 22nd race of the year, which is set to be at The Bend, will be James Courtney’s 550th start. Only seven drivers — Lowndes (675), Tander (642), Russell Ingall (588), Rick Kelly (580), Jason Bright (577), Winterbottom (593) and Jamie Whincup (554) — have started 550 or more races. Courtney debuted in the 2005 enduros for the Holden Racing Team.
Shane van Gisbergen will become just the ninth driver to start 500 races when he makes his 17th start in 2023. It is set to come in Townsville, where he has won 10 races. Van Gisbergen debuted as a teenager for Team Kiwi Racing at Oran Park in 2007.
Tim Slade’s first start with PremiAir Racing, on the streets of Newcastle, will be his 400th career race start. He will be the 20th driver to start 400 or more races. Slade debuted for Paul Morris Motorsport in 2009.
Both Walkinshaw Andretti United drivers will join the ‘300 club’ in 2023. Chaz Mostert’s 300th start will come in Race 4 (Albert Park) before Nick Percat chalks up the same milestone in Race 12 (Tasmania). Mostert debuted in 2013, and Percat in 2010.
Cam Waters brought up 100 round starts and 200 race starts in 2022. In 2023, he will make his 250th race start, which is set to come in Adelaide. Waters debuted as a teenager at Mount Panorama in 2011.
Macauley Jones will celebrate his 150th race start in Race 4 at Albert Park. Jones debuted in the 2015 enduros.
Three young drivers are set to bring up 100 race starts in 2023 — James Golding, Jake Kostecki, and Will Brown. Second-year PremiAir driver Golding’s ninth start in 2023 will be his 100th start. The 17th race of the year, in Townsville, will be Jake Kostecki’s 100 start. Brown will record start No. 100 in Race 26 on the Gold Coast.
Andre Heimgartner will celebrate his 100th round start in Perth. He scored his first Brad Jones Racing podium at the Wanneroo circuit in May last year. Heimgartner debuted in the 2014 enduros in a Super Black Falcon.
Heimgartner’s BJR teammates Jack Smith and Bryce Fullwood will both bring up 50 round starts. Smith will hit 50 rounds in Sydney, and Fullwood at The Bend — the scene of his sole Supercars podium in 2020. James Golding will record his 50th round start in Perth.
The two 2022 rookies — Thomas Randle and Broc Feeney — will record their 50th race starts in 2023. Randle will hit 50 in Perth, with Feeney to hit the number in Darwin.
ATCC/Supercars race starts for full-time 2023 contracted drivers
593: Mark Winterbottom
528: James Courtney
518: Will Davison
483: Shane van Gisbergen
404: David Reynolds
399: Tim Slade
312: Scott Pye
296: Chaz Mostert
288: Nick Percat
223: Cam Waters
216: Andre Heimgartner
170: Jack Le Brocq
159: Todd Hazelwood
154: Anton De Pasquale
146: Macauley Jones
105: Jack Smith
101: Bryce Fullwood
91: James Golding
83: Jake Kostecki
74: Will Brown
71: Brodie Kostecki
42: Thomas Randle
36: Broc Feeney
1: Matt Payne, Cameron Hill
ATCC/Supercars round starts for full-time 2023 contracted drivers
263: Mark Winterbottom
233: James Courtney, Will Davison
215: Shane van Gisbergen
187: David Reynolds
184: Tim Slade
137: Scott Pye
130: Chaz Mostert
129: Nick Percat
105: Cam Waters
96: Andre Heimgartner
78: Jack Le Brocq
71: Todd Hazelwood
67: Anton De Pasquale, Macauley Jones
48: James Golding
43: Jack Smith
42: Bryce Fullwood
34: Jake Kostecki
32: Will Brown
28: Brodie Kostecki
22: Thomas Randle
15: Broc Feeney
1: Matt Payne, Cameron Hill
