2020 Supercars Championship gets back on track

The Supercars Championship is back in action at the racetrack as the 2020 season continues following a 3-month break. DJR Team Penske are close to the top, in 2nd, in the Teams’ Championship and drivers Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard are doing well in the Drivers’ Championship.

The PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge also returns this year at full speed with the Sydney SuperSprint kicking off this year’s event. The competition sees teams compete against each other in the pit lanes to determine the fastest times, highlighting the pivotal role that pit crews play in the Supercars Championship. This year’s event will be held across 4 events on the revised 2020 calendar, with a Grand Final set for the Friday night of the Bathurst 1000 in October.

The competition works with times recorded from pitstops, where it is compulsory for all drivers to stop for a minimum two-tyre change. The fastest crews at each event receives a score of 24, while the slowest receives a score of one point.

Following the completion of the Sandown event in September, the top 4 pit crews will compete for the top prize of $20,000 and the PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge Golden Rattle Gun perpetual trophy live on Fox Sports on the Friday night of the Bathurst 1000.

This year, the teams that finish top three on the ‘regular season’ ladder will win cash prizes of $5,500 (first), $3,500 (second) and $2,000 (third), before moving through to the finals featuring the top four teams who will compete for the grand prize of $20,000.

Supercars CEO Sean Seamer says the competition is a great initiative that fans have thrown their support behind.

“We’re delighted PIRTEK is getting behind pit crews who have had to adapt to changes as part of our return to racing,” Seamer said.

“We’ve altered our rules regarding pitstops, which means crews will have to get everything right during the races to prove they are the best in the business.
“The final at Mount Panorama has been popular among fans at the track and across our Fox Sports broadcast, so we’re very pleased that PIRTEK has continued to back this initiative.”

PIRTEK CEO Stephen Dutton spoke of the event, “PIRTEK is proud to continue our partnership with the 2020 PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge that will reward teams for being the toughest and fastest at the all-important pitstops.”

“A pitstop sees the high-pressure sport utilising many of the super tough products that PIRTEK provides including hoses, adaptors and couplings that need to stand up to the huge demands placed on them by the pit crew teams.”

“The teams get the chance to showcase their skills, even more so now with only two rattle guns as opposed to the usual four, in what has now made the pitstop become one of the most critical parts of the race.”

“We wish all the teams well and look forward to seeing which team will obtain the PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge Golden Rattle Gun perpetual trophy.”

Fans can get the latest results of which teams are the fastest in the pitlanes this year, with the PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge Leaderboard to be published on Supercars.com

This year’s rounds where pit times will be recorded are:

• BP Ultimate Sydney SuperSprint - 27-28 June
• Truck Assist Winton - 18-19 July
• BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown - 8-9 August
• Penrite Oil Sandown - 19-20 September

Grand Finals will be broadcast on Fox Sports’ Pit Lane Live program:

• Friday night of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 - 9 October 2020

We look forward to a great competition ahead in 2020 both in the Supercars Championship and in the PIRTEK Pit Stop Challenge!