Super2 talking points: Will double duties impact the title fight?

The second half of the 2024 Dunlop Series will headline the undercard at the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 this weekend.

Kai Allen is on track to defend his Super2 crown, but Aaron Cameron, Zach Bates, and Max Vidau are all within a rounds' worth of points heading into the business end of the season.

A 25 car Dunlop Series field will take to the suburban Melbourne circuit, made up of 21 Super2 entries and four Super3 competitors.

The Super3 field will feature a little bit of a retro flavour, as Antonio Molluso debuts in an ex-Stone Brothers Racing FG Falcon for Image Racing, whilst Tony Auddino also returns in his VF Commodore.

AIM Motorsport announced their withdrawal from the Super2 Series after Townsville, whilst Matt Chahda and Cameron Crick will both step aside.

Porsche Sprint Challenge young gun Aron Shields makes his Super2 debut this weekend in place of Chahda, whilst Eggleston Motorsport are yet to confirm who will drive the #38 Commodore.

Supercars.com looks at some of the storylines to keep an eye on as the 2024 Dunlop Series begins the run to the finale at the VAILO Adelaide 500.

Double duty distraction

Of the 21 Super2 drivers in the Dunlop Series field this weekend, six will be doubling up their development series duties with co-driver roles in Sunday’s Sandown 500. Series leaders Kai Allen and Aaron Cameron will both be co-piloting Mustangs for Dick Johnson Racing and Blanchard Racing Team respectively. Brad Vaughan, Jack Perkins, Cooper Murray, and Cameron McLeod will also feature in Sunday’s 500km classic, whilst Cameron Crick and Matt Chahda will both sit out to focus solely on Supercars commitments. Whilst Perkins and Allen have experienced double duties before, it will be interesting to note how the other four drivers handle their first taste of Supercars double duties.

Will no double duty be an advantage for Bates?

On the flip side, being able to focus solely on Dunlop Series duties at Sandown and Bathurst could be just what Zach Bates needs to claw back more ground on Kai Allen and Aaron Cameron ahead. There are 900 points up for grabs over the final six races of the season, and with a 153-point margin to Allen, there is little wiggle room for any further slip ups for the Walkinshaw Andretti United young gun. However, the Walkinshaw Commodores were an extremely competitive package last year, particularly with Ryan Wood, whilst Bathurst and Adelaide were Bates’ best rounds of his rookie season. Bates also showed great pace at Bathurst in February, but lost valuable ground after tipping Cooper Murray into the wall at The Cutting in Race 2. 

Can Perkins back up Townsville round win?

After confusion surrounding Jack Perkins’ Super2 eligibility as a main game co-driver, the Blanchard Racing Team Mustang will be back in the field this weekend after receiving dispensation on Monday. Perkins made his first appearance of the season in Townsville, with the car Aaron Love drove to a win at Bathurst last year resplendent in a retro livery paying tribute to his father Larry Perkins and Peter Janson’s runner-up finish at the 1979 Bathurst 1000. Perkins promptly starred, scoring pole and the win on Saturday and third on Sunday to claim his first round win since Sandown 2019. This weekend will be the final Dunlop Series appearance for the 38-year-old this season, and with no title considerations, could very well find himself playing spoiler at the top of the tree once again.

Can Murray string together a complete weekend?

Of all drivers who have competed in all three rounds of the 2024 Super2 Series to date, Cooper Murray has the second highest average qualifying position (3.83), only behind Zach Bates (3.67). However, races have been an absolute disaster for the Melburnian, having only been classified in two out of six races this year. Such has been the struggle for the 23-year-old that Jack Perkins is now 45 points ahead after his sole weekend of the season. However, Erebus Motorsport have pounced on the young gun to replace reigning Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki, the announcement coming after Murray starred in his wildcard appearance in Darwin. Now that his future is secure, will that take the pressure off Murray for the remainder of the season, and can he finally convert his strong pace into strong results?

Who is on the verge of a breakthrough?

Whilst the four-way title fight has been the major talking point of the season, there are several drivers who are getting closer to breakthrough results. Max Vidau is the top rookie in fourth position, and is 204 points away from series leader Kai Allen. The former Carrera Cup star has two podiums from the past three starts, and has proven to be a more than adequate successor to Zak Best at Anderson Motorsport. Brad Vaughan's season has been a similar story to Cooper Murray's; fast but caught up in incidents, whilst Tickford teammate Lochie Dalton returns with a Supercars wildcard debut under his belt in Sydney. PremiAir co-driver Cameron McLeod has been starting to show glimpses of his supreme 2023 Super3 form in the Coca-Cola Commodore, whilst Jarrod Hughes has also been clean and consistent in his rookie season. Victorians Mason Kelly and Jordyn Sinni could also be ones to watch this weekend.