Perth track surface a 'big unknown'

Wanneroo Raceway’s circuit conditions remain a major unknown, says David Reynolds.

This weekend’s Bunnings Trade Perth SuperNight will be Wanneroo’s first since 2019.

The 2.4km circuit was resurfaced over the 2018-19 summer, for the first time since 2004.

Grip levels usually fall year-on-year, given the track surface's exposure to sunlight and sand.

Wanneroo Raceway is characterised by its high-degradation nature, although the new surface made for lesser-than-normal degradation in 2019.

However, the current condition of the surface some 1092 days after Supercars' last track action remains to be seen.

“Every driver and engineer’s thinking it; it's a pretty big unknown,” Grove Racing driver Reynolds told Supercars.com of track conditions.

“We don’t know much the track has degraded since it was resealed in 2019.

“It’ll be a question until we walk the track on Friday, then we won’t answer it until Practice 1 on Saturday.”

Drivers will run solely on Dunlop’s Soft tyre compound.

The two-day event will be headlined by a Saturday night sprint, with two races to be held under sunshine on Sunday.

Track ambient will change from day to night, only adding to engineers' ice cream headaches.

Additionally, passing winds blow sand onto the circuit.

Where the surface has changed won’t be uncovered until Friday’s track walk, although the first real signs will be revealed in Saturday practice.

“You’ll see some cars do race runs so they can figure out the deg,” Reynolds said.

“In 2019, there was basically no deg, but we had two longer races at night.

“Where that track is located, with the sand around and the harsh climate, there’s no doubt it has degraded somewhere.

“It depends on what level it has degraded.”

Supercars will first hit the track on Saturday, with Race 10 to be held under lights.