Six surprise season opener winners

The first round of a new season is not immune to the odd upset, as history has previously shown.

Considering the long races and tyre format, the upcoming Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight could spring a shock result.

The March 4-6 event will be headlined by dual 300km races, which will feature mixed tyre compound racing.

That was proven to be a successful recipe, with the 250km race in Sydney last November only settled with three laps remaining.

This year, with so much change up and down pit lane, there's every chance there could be another unexpected winner.

With 10 drivers on the 2022 Repco Supercars Championship grid yet to win a race, there is major scope for someone new to stake their claim.

Ahead of the upcoming SMSP round, Supercars.com has picked out six surprise season-opening event winners.

John Harvey, Symmons Plains 1976

Harvey won again in 1979 (pictured) Pic: AN1 Images

The late Harvey won the first round of the 1976 ATCC season in a one-off drive aboard a B&D Autos-sponsored Torana L34.

Harvey took the win at Symmons Plains, and later secured a co-drive with reigning ATCC champion Colin Bond.

Bond left at season’s end, handing Harvey a lead driver role with the Holden Dealer Team.

Harvey famously won the 1983 Bathurst 1000 with Peter Brock and Larry Perkins.

Glenn Seton, 1987

Pic: AN1 Images

Seton made his Bathurst debut in 1983, and had completed a number of ATCC rounds prior to his full debut in 1987.

He won the 1986 Sandown 500 with George Fury, and entered 1987 as a future star.

However, that star made waves immediately, a 21-year-old Seton beating the big names at Calder Park.

Seton’s star continued to grow all season, the young driver steering his Nissan Skyline RS DR30 to second overall behind Jim Richards.

He would later win titles in Falcons for his own team in 1993 and 1997.

Wayne Gardner, 1997

Pic: AN1 Images

When 1997 came around, the championship was now under the ownership of AVESCO, with the V8 Supercars brand replacing the old Group A moniker.

Greg Murphy replaced European-bound Craig Lowndes alongside Peter Brock, with Seton, John Bowe and Russell Ingall the key contenders.

However, few expected former motorcycling world champion Gardner and his cash-strapped Coca-Cola team to deliver a knockout blow in the Calder season opener.

Murphy became just the fourth driver in history to score pole on his ATCC debut, and won Race 1.

Gardner, however, made the most of a poor Murphy start to win the second heat and later claimed overall round honours.

Craig Baird, 2000

Pic: AN1 Images

Craig Baird arrived with British Touring Car Championship experience and a point to prove, and later won many Carrera Cup titles.

In 2000, the highly-rated Kiwi replaced US-bound Jason Bright at Stone Brothers Racing.

He kicked off his time with SBR in style, winning Race 2 of the season-opening round at Phillip Island.

It would be the only race win of his career.

Jamie Whincup, Adelaide 2006

The first of many for Whincup

At the time, few knew of the young Victorian bar his enduro podiums with Tasman Motorsport the year before.

Whincup crossed the line third in the Saturday leg, marking his Triple Eight debut with a bright start.

It got even brighter, Whincup beating his fancied rivals to Sunday victory and the overall Adelaide crown.

He turned out just fine after that.

Nick Percat, Adelaide 2016

Percat embraces Dumbrell

The proud South Australian had already won the Great Race, but 2016 was only his third full-time season in Supercars.

Cue an upset of the ages, with Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport scoring its one and only win.

The 2016 Adelaide 500 finale was twice hit by torrential rain, and the shortened race’s outcome was affected by the application of the fuel drop regulation.

Several front runners were forced to pit for fuel despite running with near-full tanks with only a few laps left of the race.

It left hometown hero Percat to secure a stunning upset victory, which was his last before he scored two Sydney wins with Brad Jones Racing in 2020.