What we learned from Queensland pre-season test
The first genuine hit-out of 2022 was conducted at Queensland Raceway on Wednesday.
Three Queensland-based teams blew out the cobwebs at the Ipswich circuit in pre-season testing.
Red Bull Ampol Racing, Shell V-Power Racing Team and Matt Stone Racing all clocked laps with their full suite of drivers.
Drivers were greeted with overcast skies and low temperatures on Wednesday.
It was a stark contrast to the hot, blustery conditions faced by teams at the same venue 369 days earlier.
PremiAir Racing, which will be based out of the Gold Coast, will test in Ipswich next week.
Ahead of next week's Winton test, here are four things Supercars.com learned from yesterday's running at Queensland Raceway.
SVG already eyeing off SMSP
The focus for defending champion van Gisbergen was getting his car ready for the rigours of Sydney Motorsport Park.
Van Gisbergen won three races at SMSP last year, but was just short on overall pace compared to Anton De Pasquale.
De Pasquale won five races, claimed seven poles and topped a further 10 sessions across the four Sydney rounds last year.
Van Gisbergen is determined not to let De Pasquale skip away again, and used Wednesday to sharpen his SMSP tools.
"First time driving down the back straight going full throttle, it gives you a bit of a shock," he told Supercars.com.
"It’s only been three months, but it’s still a rush when you go flat out.
"We’ll try some stuff to develop the Eastern Creek car… [testing] shows where you’re lacking with the car.
"That’s what we're trying to do today, find some things out… for tracks like Eastern Creek."
Feeney bracing for baptism of fire
Broc Feeney was the only rookie present on Wednesday, and spent much of the morning trying to get comfortable in his car.
By day's end, Feeney was more at peace with his #88 Commodore.
New team boss Jamie Whincup kept a watching brief on Wednesday, and acknowledged Feeney needed to take a big step in getting comfortable at the test.
However, van Gisbergen's focus on Sydney pace will have Feeney on notice for the technical circuit, at which he has only raced at a number of times.
Sky's the limit for MSR
MSR had an up and down 2021, headlined by Zane Goddard's impressive qualifying pace and a Darwin top five for Jake Kostecki.
Recruiting Todd Hazelwood and Jack Le Brocq, along with Truck Assist title sponsorship, has the team geared for better returns in 2022.
The experienced Pete Vale is also the squad's new team principal, and is aiming very high.
Wednesday featured a minor car hiccup for Le Brocq, but both cars progressed through the day, something that impressed Hazelwood.
DJR doubling down
The Shell V-Power Racing Team returns a consolidated force in 2022, with both drivers and race engineers unchanged.
The Ford squad kept a low profile on Wednesday as it quietly prepared for Sydney, where it had a clear pace advantage last year.
Such was the team's smooth running, the Alex Davison got behind the wheel of brother Will's #17 Mustang.
However, although Wednesday was completed without a hitch, there is no room for complacency despite the season starting at a happy hunting ground.
"We know we’ve got a decent car there," De Pasquale recently told Supercars.com of starting 2022 in Sydney.
"So we know there’s a chance to potentially start the year well. But we’re only going there once.
"Where the season opens hadn’t affected our preparation too much."
The 13-event 2022 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Sydney in March. CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets.
