New, unique challenges will need to be overcome when the Repco Supercars Championship returns in its traditional support slot at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix on March 21-24.
Cameron Hill and the Matt Stone Racing squad arrive at Albert Park following an impressive start to the season at the Thrifty Bathurst 500 last month.
Commencing his second season in Australia’s top motorsport tier, Hill scored his maiden Top 10 Shootout berth and best career qualifying result of fourth at the year’s opening race. This was followed by finishing fifth in the 250km opener, his best result so far.
Despite a start line incident hampering a repeat result in Sunday’s Race 2, Hill remained upbeat due to the promise displayed across the weekend.
This was further added to by a tour of Hill’s home town with the Tyrepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in tow, culminating in demonstrations at the inaugural Canberra Festival of Speed. Hill fitted in appearances at Canberra Airport and Supaglass during the week as the sound of a Supercar reverberated around the Canberra streets once more.
Ahead of Round 2 of the Supercars Championship, Hill enters the Albert Park event, supporting the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix comfortable and confident as new challenges emerge due to the unique nature of the event.
A busy opening day includes two 30 minute practice sessions, a pair of 15 minute qualifying dashes and the first of four 105km events across the weekend using the soft tyre.
Repco Supercars Championship teams will not be housed in the pit lane facilities adjacent to the F1 pits at Albert Park like in previous seasons, meaning pit stops will not be a feature in the four races as off-track teams will encounter further challenges.
However, this is where Hill believes the Matt Stone Racing crew will shine due to the comradery throughout the squad and is aiming to continue the positive nature of Bathurst.
Hill continues his second Repco Supercars Championship campaign at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix on March 21-24.
QUOTES
Cameron Hill
#4 Tyrepower Racing, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
“It’s been a super busy start to the year,” Hill said.
“We had the Bathurst 12 Hour and the 500 back-to-back, but I think it turned out to be quite beneficial. I rolled out feeling quite sharp for the 500, which was always the reason why we went to the effort to do the 12 Hour. The car was fast, I felt good and I came away with a personal best weekend. There was a little blemish on Sunday, but we’re not going to let that get us down.
"I wanted to be part of the Canberra Festival of Speed and when it was the weekend after the Bathurst 500 it worked out great. The Matt Stone Racing crew was able to get the car down there and we ticked a lot of boxes in a short space of time. We did appearances with Canberra Airport and Supaglass ahead of a big presence at the Festival of Speed, which turned out to be an awesome event with a big turn out. It was well worth the effort.
“I’m feeling more confident in the car now and I think the team is going in a really good set-up direction, so I hope it converts to speed at the Grand Prix.
“The Grand Prix is a bit of an outlier in our championship in terms of format. We have a huge Thursday schedule and if you don’t roll out strong it can be a bit of a nightmare. But I am rolling in a bit more comfortable compared to where I was last year.
“It's going to be challenging that Supercars isn’t in the pit lane this year. Simple things like the set-up patch we use, which takes me back to the Carrera Cup days where we had to go try and find a solid bit of ground due to the temporary flooring of the marquees. The team is going to be faced with a whole lot of challenges we are not normally faced with.
"MSR is very professional, though. I have no fears that either of our cars will be lacking for anything before they hit the track.
“Due to this unique format, tyres will be something we will have to manage with the four qualifying sessions and races we will contest. Having a fast car will be the priority, but how the team and myself deal with these unique challenges is also going to have a big impact on the result.”
