The new Supercars lap records set in 2022

The final season of the COTF/Gen2 era saw some fast times, with six circuits seeing new benchmarks.

Two circuits — Albert Park and Adelaide — now have new race lap records.

Albert Park was reconfigured prior to the 2022 event, while Adelaide was largely resurfaced.

Lap records are normally only set in races, but Supercars also recognises practice/qualifying lap records.

New fastest-ever Supercars laps were set at Symmons Plains, Albert Park, Winton, Darwin, Sandown and Adelaide.

As for other circuits, Perth’s surface had degraded since 2019, and wet weather lashed Tailem Bend and Bathurst.

Given the changes surrounding Gen3, these new benchmarks could stand the test of time.

Supercars.com has broken down the new records set in season 2022.

Symmons Plains

Previous practice/qualifying lap record: 50.492s (Shane van Gisbergen, 2021)New practice/qualifying lap record: 50.345s (Will Davison, 2022)

The Tasmania practice/qualifying lap record fell straight away courtesy of Will Davison in Practice 1 on the Saturday morning. Davison, Shane van Gisbergen (Practice 1, Practice 2 and Qualifying 4) and Andre Heimgartner (Practice 2) all later went faster than van Gisbergen’s 2021 record.

Albert Park

Previous practice/qualifying lap record: 1:53.828s (Scott McLaughlin, 2019)New practice/qualifying lap record: 1:44.838s (Shane van Gisbergen, 2022)

Previous race lap record: 1:55.728s (Chaz Mostert, 2019)New race lap record: 1:46.006s (Scott Pye, 2022)

The practice/qualifying lap record under the previous Albert Park circuit iteration was a 1:53.828s by Scott McLaughlin in 2019. The circuit underwent a number of alterations, wiping nearly 10 seconds off previous lap times. The fastest lap of the entire weekend fell to van Gisbergen, who clocked a 1:44.838s in Practice 2. Scott Pye clocked the fastest race lap of the weekend — a 1:46.006s — in Race 8.

Winton

Previous practice/qualifying lap record: 1:18.523s (Scott McLaughlin, 2019)New practice/qualifying lap record: 1:18.237s (Shane van Gisbergen, 2022)

Winton’s first round since 2019 also featured some fast times, with a pacy van Gisbergen resetting the practice/qualifying lap record. Van Gisbergen set his time — a 1:18.237s — in Q1 during Saturday qualifying.

Darwin

Previous practice/qualifying lap record: 1:04.955s (Will Davison, 2021)New practice/qualifying lap record: 1:04.811s (Will Davison, 2022)

Hidden Valley Raceway’s practice/qualifying lap record was reset in 2021 by Davison — and he did it again 12 months later. Davison blew his rivals out of the water on Sunday morning with a 1:04.811s in Race 18 qualifying. It proved some 0.142s quicker than his record set a year earlier.

Sandown

Previous practice/qualifying lap record: 1:07.542 (Scott McLaughlin, 2019)New practice/qualifying lap record: 1:07.207s (Will Davison, 2022)

Some 0.3s had been wiped off the existing Sandown practice/qualifying lap record by the end of the 2022 event. Davison first clocked a 1:07.481 during Q2 on Saturday, before van Gisbergen took the first Sunday pole with a 1:07.446. Davison — who had been stung by an electrical fire in Race 25 qualifying — amazingly bounced back to clock a 1:07.207s in Race 26 qualifying.

Adelaide

Previous practice/qualifying lap record: 1:19.241s (Chaz Mostert, 2020)New practice/qualifying lap record: 1:18.676s (Chaz Mostert, 2022)

Previous race lap record: 1:20.379s (Chaz Mostert, 2019)New race lap record: 1:20.288s (Chaz Mostert, 2022)

Given the circuit had been resurfaced from Turn 9 to Turn 7, both the practice/qualifying and race lap records were expected to fall in Adelaide. It took until Practice 2 on Friday morning, as van Gisbergen and Thomas Randle both dipped below the existing record. In Friday afternoon qualifying, Chaz Mostert fired in a 1:18.676s to take the practice/qualifying lap record back just as van Gisbergen went off at the final corner. Mostert’s charge to Race 33 victory also included a new race lap record, a marker he also held since 2019.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle next March.

Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.