The 2017 Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint was a

motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...

event for the Supercars Championship, held on the weekend of 7 to 9 April 2017. The event was held at

Symmons Plains Raceway Symmons Plains Raceway is a motor racing circuit in Australia, located about south of Launceston, Tasmania. Since the closure of the Longford circuit in the 1960s it has been Tasmania's premier motor racing facility. The circuit is one of the ...

in Launceston,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, and was scheduled to consist of one race of 120 kilometres and one race of 200 kilometres in length. It was the second event of fourteen in the

2017 Supercars Championship The 2017 Supercars Championship (formally known as the 2017 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship) was an FIA-sanctioned international motor racing series for Supercars, which prior to July 2016 had been known as V8 Supercars. It was the ninet ...

and hosted Races 3 and 4 of the season. The event was the 45th running of the

Tasmania SuperSprint The Tasmania SuperSprint (formally known as the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint) is an annual motor racing event for Supercars, held at Symmons Plains Raceway in Launceston, Tasmania. The event has been a regular part of the Supercars Champions ...

Report

Background

Shane van Gisbergen Shane Robert van Gisbergen (born 9 May 1989) is a New Zealand racing driver in the Supercars Championship racing in the Number 97 Holden ZB Commodore car for Triple Eight Race Engineering. With three Supercars Championship wins ( 2016, 2021, ...

entered the event as the championship leader ahead of

Fabian Coulthard Fabian "Fabs" Coulthard (born 28 July 1982) is a British-born New Zealand professional race car driver, currently competing in the Repco Supercars Championship, driving as an endurance co-driver for Chaz Mostert with Walkinshaw Andretti United. ...

and

James Courtney James Anthony Courtney (born 29 June 1980) is an Australian racing driver competing in the Repco Supercars Championship. He currently drives the No. 5 Ford Mustang GT for Tickford Racing. Courtney won the 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series ...

Race 3

Race three began in damp conditions. Polesitter

Scott McLaughlin Scott Thomas McLaughlin (; born 10 June 1993) is a New Zealand racing driver. He currently competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He previously raced in the Supercars Championship, in which he won ...

had a slow getaway from pole position and was rounded up by Chaz Mostert and

off the start. On lap two,

made contact with

Rick Kelly Rick Kelly (born 17 January 1983) is an Australian professional racing driver who previously competed in the Supercars Championship. He last drove the No. 15 Ford Mustang GT for Kelly Racing. Previously, he drove for the HSV Dealer Team with w ...

on the exit of turn three, slowing up

Garth Tander Garth Tander (born 31 March 1977) is a multiple-championship winning Australian motor racing driver competing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship's Enduro Cup, co-driving the No. 97 Holden ZB Commodore for Triple Eight Race Engineer ...

(who was behind Kelly), who in turn was hit by

Cameron Waters Cameron Waters (born 3 August 1994) is an Australian motor racing driver who competes in the Repco Supercars Championship. He currently drives the No. 6 Ford Mustang GT for Tickford Racing. He is the cousin of Australian Superbike champion J ...

and subsequently spun, causing a chain reaction crash involving

Tim Blanchard Tim Blanchard (born 30 June 1987) is an Australian racing driver. Blanchard has raced in several other motor racing series, including the British Formula Ford Championship, and was the winner of the 2007 Australian Formula Ford Championship. ...

Will Davison William 'THE SOOK' Davison (born 30 August 1982) is an Australian professional racing driver. He currently drives the No.17 Ford Mustang GT for Dick Johnson Racing in the Repco Supercars Championship. Davison is a two-time winner of the Bathur ...

, Simona de Silvestro,

Taz Douglas Taz Douglas (born 11 February 1984) is a part-time Australian race driver. Douglas came 2nd at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 with James Moffat in 2014 Douglas was born in Frankston, Victoria, Australia. Having scored numerous karting titles ...

, James Moffat,

Nick Percat Nick Percat (born 14 September 1988) is an Australian racing driver who currently races in the Repco Supercars Championship, driving for Walkinshaw Andretti United in the No. 2 Holden ZB Commodore. He won the Bathurst 1000 at his first attemp ...

Scott Pye Scott Robert Pye (born 8 January 1990) is an Australian professional racing driver. He currently competes in the Repco Supercars Championship, and drives the No. 20 Holden ZB Commodore for Team 18. Racing career Early days Pye started out in ...

Alex Rullo Alexander Rullo (born 15 June 2000) is an Australian racing car driver. He currently drives in the TCR Australia Series for Kelly Racing. He is also co-driving with Simona de Silvestro in the No. 78 Nissan Altima in the Pirtek Enduro Cup. In ...

and

Tim Slade Tim Slade (born 3 August 1985) is an Australian racing driver who competes in the Repco Supercars Championship. Slade currently drives the No. 3 Ford Mustang GT for Blanchard Racing Team. Early career Slade first appeared at a national leve ...

. The race was immediately red-flagged and of the cars involved only Coulthard, de Silvestro and Waters returned to the grid (Coulthard and Waters) or the pit-lane (de Silvestro). The race was suspended for 45 minutes before the field completed two more laps under the Safety Car before the race was declared under time-certain conditions, with van Gisbergen winning the race after passing Mostert before the incident occurred. McLaughlin finished down in 14th having accidentally driven into the pit-lane as opposed to the grid in the red-flag period. Points were initially awarded to the fifteen classified finishers but were later rescinded.

Results

Race 3

Qualifying

Race

As the completed race distance was less than 75% of its original designation, no points were awarded.

Race 4

Qualifying

Race

References

{{ATCC rounds 2010–2019 Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint Motorsport in Tasmania Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint