After winning yesterday's Clipsal 500, Garth Tander is the only driver who can now win the new "Grand Slam" concept unveiled this weekend by V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane which could see one driver walk away with a bonus cheque of $2 million – one of the richest prizes in Australian sport.
Including the Gold Coast SuperCarnivale, the new-look October spectacular, will be round three of the ‘Grand Slam’ which will also include this weekend’s Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, the Supercheap Bathurst 1000, and the final round of the championship, the Telstra Sydney 500, in December.
While winning the quadrella is a terrific challenge, it is certainly not impossible.
Gold Coaster and current Championship holder Jamie Whincup has gone close in recent years, particularly in 2008 when he won at Adelaide, Bathurst and on the Gold Coast before a rare poor result in the then final event at Oran Park in Sydney when the Championship was already his.
The ‘Grand Slam’ inclusion adds even more prestige to the SuperCarnivale, which has gained terrific momentum since being announced just a few weeks ago. Many more elements of the new-look October 22-24 festival will be announced at an official launch next month.
“It’s a big ask but not impossible, that’s for sure,” said Whincup.
“For the drivers and teams it’s a massive incentive. There’s plenty at stake in winning any race in our sport and this just adds to the stakes at four of the toughest events of the year.
“It would be great to be in a position to win the Grand Slam and then keep the dream alive in front of my home crowd on the Gold Coast at the SuperCarnivale.”
V8 Supercar Australia Chairman, Tony Cochrane, officially announced the new concept in the Clipsal 500 pit lane today.
“These are considered amongst the hardest events of the year to win and the key endurance races of the year,” said Cochrane.
“Now that the Gold Coast SuperCarnivale has become the longest race on the calendar, outside of Bathurst, it is a fitting addition to the Grand Slam format.
“While we have some incredible events each year it’s these four that challenge drivers and their teams the most due to the fatigue of both man and machine, not to mention the strategy involved.”
The criteria for the Grand Slam is as follows:
- The driver, and his respective team, which accumulates the most points for the event will be awarded one (1) Grand Slam win. In the event of two (2) or more drivers scoring equal points at the end of an event, the final order will be determined by the finishing order in the last race.
- The driver, and his team, that wins all four (4) Grand Slam events will be awarded the $2,000,000 cash prize.
- The Grand Slam prize is only open to the 29 regular drivers, and their respective teams, in the Championship Series. Co-drivers at Bathurst, Phillip Island and SuperCarnivale are not eligible.
- Regular Drivers cannot be paired in the same car for Bathurst, Phillip Island or SuperCarnivale.
NB: Individual arrangements between drivers and teams may vary.
The V8 Supercar Championship Series continues with the Clipsal 500 on the streets of Adelaide this weekend after a successful opening two rounds in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain last month. The Gold Coast SuperCarnivale will take place from October 22-24 on the streets of the Gold Coast.
The event will see each regular V8 Supercar team linked with an international driver for the third endurance event of the V8 Supercar Championship Series calendar.
Racing for championship points, the event will see two 300km races complete with driver, fuel and tyre stops held over the Saturday and Sunday of the event, while the rest of the Gold Coast comes alive with entertainment both on and off the track in the tradition of Queensland’s largest motor racing festival.
