2021 Repco Supercars Championship - Repco Mt. Panorama 500

Supercars Championship is never the same and it's no longer the motorsport Aussies are familiar with, well not really, because even with Repco now became the title sponsor of the 2021 season of the Supercars Championship, the Supercars Championship we are familiar with feels a bit empty on the inside now that Holden is gone for good following General Motors' decision to ax the Australian car brand.

Anyway, with familiar faces and machines in store for the "new normal" Supercars season, the iconic Bathurst track became their first battleground for this year's title fight for the two-race Repco Mt. Panorama 500 event. 

Originally, they would have start racing at the venue of the Australian Grand Prix but COVID-19 reshuffled their race calendar and made their opening battleground set to Bathurst.

Screengrab from Supercars / Fox Sports AU

Onto the two-part season opener; the incident-packed first race of the season saw Shane Van Gisbergen of Red Bull Ampol Racing claimed his first win of the season while Chaz Mostert finished 2nd and Will Davidson finished 3rd. In the second race, meanwhile, SVG completes the weekend sweep with the win while Cameron Waters, moving on from his Race 1 incident, finished 2nd and Mostert finished 3rd.

The next event of the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship will be the Penrite Oil Sandown SuperSprint on the 20th to 21st of March, 2021.

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

The 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship concludes with the big one, it's this year's Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, where all of Supercars' finest are preparing for the ultimate race in Australian motorsport history. It's the venue where Holden drivers giving their Commodore machines the biggest send-off as part of saying farewell to the Holden brand at the end of the year. As history comes full circle, this year's Bathurst 1000 is the closure this season gets.

Screengrab from VASC

The last 1000 kilometers of this season, the last 1000 kilometers for the Holden Commodore racers, really means so much for everyone involved in the Supercars season in the midst of the new normal. It has been one heck of a ride since the season resumed and with Holdens enjoying their final day at Bathurst, this has become the finale that forever changed the Supercars landscape.

From unpredictable weather conditions, dramatic crashes, and tense fights, the season-ending Bathurst 1000 really sums it up spectacularly.

In the end, Shane Van Gisbergen and Garth Tander gave the Red Bull Holden racecar the biggest sendoff they've pulled after winning the Bathurst 1000 while Cameron Waters and Will Davidson finished 2nd and Chaz Mostert and Warren Luff finished 3rd.

The 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is over. With McLaughlin won his third title and SVG delivered the ultimate Holden tribute with his Bathurst 1000 win, this season really is special in the midst of the new normal. The Commodore racing machines will continue to race for next year without factory support until they are replaced by the Chevrolet Camaro as part of Gen3 rules for 2022.

Until then, see you next season!

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - OTR SuperSprint at The Bend

The VASC continues at The Bend for the OTR SuperSprint and this is the very event that will answer the biggest question of all; will Scott McLaughlin claim his third Supercars Championship title?

Screengrab from VASC/Fox Sports AU

The Bend comes alive for the second time this season and this event is the big one because this three-race weekend will decide whether if Scott McLaughlin will claim his third championship title. As all eyes are on the said Kiwi, this is going to be the weekend to remember for the fans.

In the first race, McLaughlin managed to fend Shane Van Gisbergen to score another win, which is great because McLaughlin's win signaled another manufacturer's title for Ford. In the second race, McLaughlin scored another win, bringing him a stone's throw away to his third championship title. And in the third race, McLaughlin is now officially a three-time Supercars champ after placing 2nd place behind winner Cameron Waters.

McLaughlin is now officially this season's champion but this season's got one last event left and it's the big one because they will be at Mount Panorama for the ultimate Australian race; the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. It's happening on the 15th to 18th of October. Don't miss it.

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Repco SuperSprint at The Bend

The Bend comes alive for the next event of the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, the Repco SuperSprint at The Bend, where the tables just keep on turning for the drivers fighting for the top.

Screengrab from VASC/Fox Sports AU

Incident-filled is what sums this action at The Bend up. With rain-filled practice, dramatic clashes, desperate incidents, and disasters to name a few, all the action at The Bend is by no means dramatic at all angles.

In the first race, Fabian Coulthard emerged to the top spot after a dramatic fight between Jamie Whincup and Scott McLaughlin for the lead ended in disaster at the start while Jack Le Brocq and Bryce Fullwood tasted their first podium finishes after placing 2nd and 3rd.

In the second race, meanwhile, Kiwis ruled The Bend with Shane Van Gisbergen named the winner while Andre Heimgartner finished 2nd and Scott McLaughlin finished 3rd. And lastly, in the final race, McLaughlin never called quits because he emerged as the winner while Fabian Coulthard finished 2nd and Jamie Whincup finished 3rd.

Next time, the 2020 VASC action at The Bend continues with the OTR SuperSprint on the 26th to 27th of September, 2020.

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Robson Civil Projects Townsville SuperSprint

The city of Townsville continues to feel the roar of the Supercars action with the Robson Civil Projects Townsville SuperSprint as the top drivers decide who will leave Townsville victorious from the start to the end of this race weekend.

Screengrab from Supercars/Fox Sports AU

In the first race, as Shane Van Gisbergen's day at Townsville came to a smoking end, Scott McLaughlin's pole position advantage gave another win in the season while Cameron Waters finished 2nd and Chaz Mostert finished 3rd. In the second race, meanwhile, it's payback time for SVG as he ended this season's winless streak with an impressive win. And in the final race, SVG makes headlines again in a disaster-packed climax with a win.

After the action at Townsville, McLauglin still leads with 1834 points while Jamie Whincup's 33 points behind McLaughlin and Mostert's at third with 1390 points.

Next event is the Repco SuperSprint at The Bend on the 19th to 20th of September, 2020.

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - NTI Townsville SuperSprint

The city of Townsville is under Supercars territory as the best drivers from Down Under come clashing each other for the three-race NTI Townsville SuperSprint event of the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship.

Screengrab from VASC/Fox Sports

In the first race, where we can see Nick Percat's first day at Townsville ended by an engine failure, Jamie Whincup nicked his 11th Townsville win thanks to his Pole Position. In the second race, meanwhile, with the "ridiculous" Turn 2 crash at the opening laps making headlines, Whincup continues his Townsville dominance with a win. And in the final race at Townsville, champion Scott McLaughlin fought back and won.

After Townsville, McLaughlin continues his lead with 1556 points while Jamie Whincup's at 2nd with 1433 points and Chaz Mostert's at 3rd with 1172 points.

Next event is the Robson Civil Projects Townsville SuperSprint on the 5th to 6th of September, 2020.

Forza Horizon 4: Hella Yellah

The last Holden in the Series 25 update is the HSV VS GTS-R, a V8-powered monster saloon that is known to be one of the rarest machines to exist only in the Land Down Under and now that I got my hands on this rare beast, it's time for explanations.



Based on the VS Commodore, the HSV GTS-R is powered by a 5.7L V8 engine, which is a 5.0L engine improved by the folks from Harrop Engineering, producing 215kW of power and 475Nm of torque while mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox and a Hydratrak LSD.

In terms of design, the GTS-R features three-spoke wheels finished in charcoal, rear wing inspired from its V8 Supercar racing machine, carbon-fiber panels, yellow cloth inserts in the interior, and only one exterior color offered in this car: XU-3 Yellah.



With the quick explanation done and since I'm on my well-deserved break from Festival activities, time to take the GTS-R for a little street scene to see what's like to drive one of the rarest Aussie beasts ever existed.

Job well done. There's nothing else I can say.

Enjoy your new ride!

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - CoreStaff Darwin SuperSprint

The 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship continues in Darwin for the CoreStaff Darwin SuperSprint and the race is getting quite historical for Scott McLaughlin because his recent victories here has put him fifth on all-time winners list, overtaking the legendary Peter Brock in it.

Screengrab from VASC

In the first race of the CoreStaff Darwin SuperSprint, McLaughlin achieved this feat after successfully fended off Jamie Whincup and Cameron Waters all the way to the finish line. In the second race, meanwhile, McLaughlin achieved his 50th career win with Shane van Gisbergen placed 2nd and Scott Pye in 3rd. In the final race, McLaughlin completes the three-race sweep in Darwin with Nick Percat in 2nd place and Pye in 3rd.

After Darwin, McLaughlin continues to reign in the leaderboard with 1324 points with Whincup's 177 points behind and SVG's in third with 979 points.

Next event is the NTI Townsville SuperSprint on the 29th to 30th of August, 2020.

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown

After a week of delay due to COVID-19 precautions, the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown race of the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship kicked off with all of the action, drama, and suspense you'd expect from them in the midst of the new normal.

Screengrab from VASC/Fox Sports AU

"Chaotic" is what this season's BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown sums up in the beginning because of the chaotic opener that caught everyone's attention. Not only that, there's the pitlane collision between Jamie Whincup and Anton De Pasquale, and then there's Scott McLaughlin who breached the restart rule, causing him a penalty. Such misfortunes in the opener made Anton De Pasquale won his first Supercars race with James Courtney finished 2nd and Scott Pye in 3rd.

The next day, we saw Scott McLaughlin defeated Jamie Whincup to won the 2nd race of the event and in the final race of the Triple Crown, Whincup pulled a reversal win against McLaughlin while Shane van Gisbergen finished 3rd.

After Darwin, McLaughlin continues to dominate in the leaderboard with 1024 points while Jamie Whincup's 101 points behind McLaughlin and Chaz Mostert's at third place with 814 points.

Next event is the CoreStaff Darwin SuperSprint on the 22nd to 23rd of August, 2020.

Forza Horizon 4: VL Commodore Group A SV

Forza Horizon 4's tribute to the soon-to-be-axed Australian motoring great, Holden, continues with the second additional car on the Series 25 update; the Holden VL Commodore Group A SV, the car that signaled the birth of Holden Special Vehicles division.



Based on the VL Commodore saloon, the SV is a special model featuring a special bodykit courtesy of TWR, which reduces drag by over 25% over the previous HDT SS Group A. The 5.0L V8 engine, producing 241HP of power, has been improved to withstand racing conditions.

It was limited to 500 units, due to homologation regulations, and it's only available in Panorama Silver exterior color, but due to demand, an additional 250 units were made.

After many failed attempts in racing since its 1988 motorsport debut, a race-spec VL scored a win in the 1990 Tooheys 1000 by Win Percy and Allan Grice, as well as the 1990 Nissan Sydney 500 by Perkins and Tomas Mezera in a privately entered car.



With the quick intro done, let's head to Fortune Island and give this VL Commodore a twist and shout just like the good old days.

Job well done. There's nothing else I can say.

Enjoy your ride!

Forza Horizon 4: HSV E Series 3 GTS

The recent Forza Horizon 4 series update pays tribute to Holden, the Australian carmaker that is set to be disappeared at the end of the year following General Motors' decision to stop selling their cars in the right-hand drive market. The first one on the list is the HSV E Series 3 GTS.

The E Series 3 version of the VE Commodore-based HSV GTS is powered by a Corvette-derived 6.2L V8 engine producing 437hp of power and 405ft-lb of torque, while mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It can get through 0-60mph in under five seconds. The E Series 3 GTS features the same features as the E Series 2 but with added features such as Enhanced Driver Interface, Liquid Propane Injection, and Side Blind Zone Alert. It features the same look as the Series 2 but with a revised interior.

With the quick introduction done, let's give the E Series 3 GTS a quick roar on the meadows to see what's like living with an Aussie great.

Job well done. There's nothing else I can say.

Enjoy your new ride!

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Truck Assist Sydney SuperSprint

The 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship continues at Sydney Motorsport Park for the Truck Assist Sydney SuperSprint, where a new format involves two sets of soft tyres and three sets of hards per driver was introduced and it was quite chaotic from start to finish because as most of the teams, drivers, and officials are relocating to Queensland after the race due to the border closures caused by the pandemic, the craziest moments of the second Sydney race event of the season are the most controversial ones. Controversial aside, the action at Sydney still kicks on as planned.

Screengrab from VASC/FOX Sports AU

The first part of the race, a nighttime one, sees Scott McLaughlin survived through the dead of night to win, while the second part of the race sees Nick Percat nailed his second win of this season while at the final part of the race, thanks to some crazy moments occured, Jack Le Brocq nicked his first ever Supercars win.

After the action at Sydney, Scott McLaughlin still leads the leaderboard with 802 points while Jamie Whincup's at 2nd with 695 points and Chaz Mostert's at third with 610 points.

Next race is the BetEast Darwin Triple Crown on the 8th to 9th of August, 2020.

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - BP Ultimate Sydney SuperSprint

After a long hiatus due to the pandemic plaguing around the globe, the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is back on air at Sydney Motorsport Park for the BP Ultimate Sydney SuperSprint and picking up where the season left off from Adelaide, the best of Supercars are back on the grid, fighting for the championship title, while embracing the "new normal" like every motorsport in the world does.

Screengrab from VASC

In the first race of the Sydney SuperSprint, the reigning Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin managed to fend of Shane Van Gisbergen to snag the checkered flag. In the second race, meanwhile, Nick Percat scored his first win in four years, and in the final race of the event, McLaughlin wraps up the Sydney SuperSprint with a win after his impressive opener and defense against Lee Holdsworth and Jamie Whincup.

The next event of the 2020 VASC will be the Truck Assist Winton SuperSprint on July 18-19.

2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Superloop Adelaide 500

Australia has been faced with numerous good news and bad news lately at the start of the new decade but in the face of all of the current events the Land Down Under's facing so far, the 2020 season of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has been officially kicked off with their opening salvo; the Superloop Adelaide 500, held at the streets of Adelaide.

Screengrab; VASC/Fox Sports AU

This street-racing opening salvo of the 2020 VASC season has been met with all of the thriller, all of the drama, and the hilarious post-race Uber-esque moment at the final race when Cameron Waters lifts Shane Van Gisbergen, who faced mechanical failures that nailed him out of the race, for a ride.

Anyway, in the first race of the Adelaide 500, The Red Bull Holden Racing Team took a one-three finish with Jamie Whincup the winner and Shane Van Gisbergen in third place. Last year's champion, Scott McLaughlin finished in second.

In the second and last race of the event, McLaughlin is back in the game with a first place victory despite strategic error with his crew that could have sent SVG to victory lane but with disaster nailed the end of SVG in race 2, McLaughlin made a reversal and win the race. Chaz Mostert and Cameron Waters placed 2nd and 3rd of course. It's funny to see Waters lifting SVG for a ride back at the pits after the race.

Next race is the Beaurepaires Melbourne 400 on the 12th to the 15th of March, 2020.

2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Coates Hire Newcastle 500

The 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has been one heck of a season for the new Ford Mustang Supercar machines as demonstrated by Scott McLaughlin, who nicked his title with this machine and proved that the Blue Oval is king in the most intense motorsport series ever happened in the Land Down Under. Now, in the finale of the 2019 VASC, which is the Coates Hire Newcastle 500, the streets of Newcastle, located in the bushfire-stricken New South Wales, is jam-packed for the endgame worth remembering for this decade.

Screengrab from Supercars

In the first race of the finale, although Jame Whincup's big trouble cost Red Bull HRT a one-two moment, Shane Van Gisbergen emerged as the winner after beating the two Shell V-Power drivers Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard. Then, in the final race of this decade, Whincup gets his payback as he emerged the winner of the finale after beating Coulthard and Tim Slate, who is now stepping down from BJR after the race.

And that is the end of the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. Congratulations to those who made to victory lane throughout this wild season and to McLaughlin for his dominant season. 

What a way to end a decade with a wild finale to this intense season everyone's talking about. See you in 2020!

2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Penrite Sandown 500

The penultimate race of the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, the Penrite Oil Sandown 500, held at Sandown International Motor Raceway, packs all the drama and the thriller until the very end of the event where the ever-dominant driver, despite never got a podium finish at Sandown, got the championship title in his hands. Who is he? Let's find out.



Saturday's races involved the one with the co-drivers first and then the latter with the main drivers. The former saw Craig Lowndes defeated Will Brown in a chaotic co-driver race while the latter saw Jamie Whincup won the main driver race. In the climactic Sunday race, the #888 Red Bull HRT ZB Commodore, driven by Whincup and Lowndes, made it towards victory lane.

At the end of the Sandown 500 race, despite not placing a podium finish either of these races and with title rival Shane Van Gisbergen out of the way, Scott McLaughlin is crowned the 2019 VASC champion.

McLaughlin is crowned this year's champion but as the saying goes, it ain't over until it's truly over, because there is still one last event of the season and it's the Coates Hire Newcastle 500 happening on the 22nd to the 24th of November, 2019. Don't miss it!

2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Vodaphone Gold Coast 600

The streets of Surfers' Paradise has became a battlefield full of reversal as the Vodaphone Gold Coast 600 saw a quick reversal for the Red Bull HRT and this event was proven to be unlucky for the ever-dominant Scott McLaughlin following an accident before and during the race.

Screengrab from VASC

In the first part of the dramatic two-race weekend at Surfers' Paradise where we can see a wild crash following the Heimgartner-Courtney collision and a penalty for Perkins following the D'Alberto contact, the #888 Red Bull HRT of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes is emerged the winner ahead of the Shane Van Gisbergen-Garth Tander combo of the same team, whereas the second race, with Scott McLaughlin suffered some injury following a terrifying accident during the race, it's the Shane Van Gisbergen-Garth Tander combo's turn to lead Red Bull HRT with a 1-2 finish as well.

With only two events left of the season, the tension at the Supercars Championship is heating up. Next event is the Penrite Sandown 500 on the 8th to the 10th of November, 2019.

2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, the biggest event in Supercars history and also the most extreme challenge drivers have faced as they have been given 161 laps to survive through Mount Panorama until the checkered flag. With so many crashes occurred, the Bathurst 1000 event truly is the most challenging Supercars event ever faced.

Screengrab from VASC

After 1000 kilometers of blood, sweat, and tears poured from the most extreme Supercars event ever faced, the ever dominant Scott McLaughlin, with his co-driver Alexandre Premat alongside, came, saw, and conquered Mount Panorama after fending off Shane Van Gisbergen, with co-driver Garth Tander alongside, in the thrilling final lap everyone's talking about.

That is the Bathurst 1000 of the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship but the VASC action continues at the Vodaphone Gold Coast 600 on the 25th to the 27th of October.

2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - ITM Auckland SuperSprint

Pukekohe's enraptured with all of the action and all of the drama that made the ITM Auckland SuperSprint leg of the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship one of the most controversial races in Supercars history. It's so controversial, no one could predicted the worst outcome yet at the beginning until the endgame came and it turned out to be very exciting at the end.

Screengrab via VASC

The first race turned out to be a rather controversial one as behind Shane Van Gisbergen's win, Jamie Whincup's second place finish was stripped off by a 15-second penalty due to an incident that sent Nick Percat spinning out of the track. With Whincup dropped to 6th, Cameron Waters promoted to second and David Reynolds to third. In the final race, meanwhile, Scott McLaughlin's done it again by scoring his #17 Mustang the 17th win of the year, the most wins in a single season. Meanwhile, Shane Van Gisbergen finished 2nd and Chaz Mostert finished 3rd.

After the drama at Pukekohe, McLaughlin still leads with 3008 while SVG's 598 points behind the leader and Mostert's in third with 2327 points.

Next event will be the big one as the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 kicks off on the 10th to the 13th of October, 2019.

2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - OTR SuperSprint

The Bend is the next stop of the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship and the OTR SuperSprint event is packed with all of the action and all of the drama the best Supercars drivers faced through turn after turn after turn until the winner is named. What a thrilling way to end the month of August with this no-holds-barred motorsport event.

Screengrab via VASC

In this two-race event at the Bend, looks like the new Mustang-bodied Supercar, at the hands of the near-invincible Scott McLaughlin continues to dominate this season with no questions asked. In the first race, McLaughlin beats Chaz Mostert. Then, on the latter race, he nailed his 16th win of the season, the same as what the famous Craig Lowndes did.

After all of the action at The Bend, McLaughlin continues to dominate the leaderboard with 2738 points, 573 points ahead of Chaz Mostert, while Fabian Coulthard's in 3rd with 2152 points.

Next event is the ITM Auckland SuperSprint on the 13th to 15th of September, 2019.