Jamie Whincup of Red Bull Racing Australia leads the pack out of Turn 1 at the Austin 400Four-time V8 Supercars Champion Jamie Whincup continues his lead in the Drivers Championship by clenching the first two wins at the Austin 400 race at Circuit of The Americas on Saturday.

Racing for Red Bull Racing Australia in a Holden Commodore VF, Whincup's unofficial Race 13 time was 44:20.8482 for the 27 laps, with a fastest lap time of 1:34.4744. Red Bull rounded out the top two finishes with Whincup's teammate Craig Lowndes finishing the race in 44:21.7512 with a fastest lap time of 1:34.6090.

Fabian Coulthard, who started Race 13 on pole position after qualifying, finished third on the podium but was closely trailed by Jonathon Webb, Shane van Gisbergen, Mark Winterbottom, Scott McLaughlin, Rick Kelly, Will Davison and James Moffat rounding out the top ten.

Starting on pole position for Race 14, Whincup went on to win the second race of the day as we saw a repeat podium with Red Bull Racing Australia's Lowndes in second and Coulthard in third. Finishing the top ten winners were van Gisbergen, Webb, Kelly, Davison, Premat, McLaughlin and Moffat.

// Click HERE to see all images from the Austin 400!

But the action doesn't end there: on Sunday COTA will host the next two races of the Championship, Race 15 and Race 16. Tomorrow's schedule is:

7:30AM - Gates Open
8:15-9:15AM - Pirelli TC/TCB Race 3
9:30-10:00AM - Porsche GT3 Cup Race 2
9:30-10:00AM - V8 Supercars Autograph Session (Paddock)
11:05-11:20AM - V8 Supercars Qualifying (Race 15)
11:30-11:45AM - V8 Supercars Qualifying (Race 16)
12:00-12:30PM - Pit Lane Walk (Access from Paddock)
1:05-2:05PM - Pirelli GT/GTS Race 2
2:15-2:45PM - Porsche GT3 Cup Race 2
3:15-4:00PM - V8 Supercars Race (Race 15)
5:00-5:45PM - V8 Supercars Race (Race 16)
5:50-6:20PM - Fan Track Invasion (Access from Main Grandstand East and West sides)
7:00PM - Gates Close 

SP Tools Racing's Maro Engel pilots his #9 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG V8 Supercar in Austin on Saturday.

// Friday's Practice Sessions

The 28 Australian V8 Supercars drivers have warmed up (literally) and are ready to race in the Austin 400 at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas this weekend. With increasingly warming temps, fans sought out shade and cold drinks as they welcomed the Australian Sportscar series to American soil for the first time.

The fastest lap time on Friday was set by Red Bull Racing Australia's Craig Lowndes #888 in his Holden Commodore with a lap time of 1:32.9042 in Practice 4. Lowndes was the fastest of the day and the first driver to get his lap time down to the "32s" on the shorter "National" track setup for the Austin 400. After Friday's practice session, Lowndes shared:

We spent three sessions redesigning the car a little, going up and down in spring rates but we ended up with a pretty happy balance. In session four we were debating whether to run a second set of tires but we tried it and the car was really hooked up. I made a couple of little mistakes but we're still learning the track. The car was sensational on that second set. The way the tire hooks up here to the track is very different to what we've had in the past.

Setting the fastest paces in Practices 1-4 on Friday were:

Practice 1: Fabian Coulthard #14, in a Holden Commodore for Lockwood Racing: 1:34.3942

Practice 2: Scott McLaughlin #33, in a Holden Commodore for Fujitsu Racing GRM: 1:34.2269

Practice 3: Shane Van Gisbergen #94, in a Holden Commodore for Tekno Autosports: 1:34.5358

Practice 4: Craig Lowndes #888, in a Holden Commodore for Red Bull Racing Australia: 1:32.9042

// Click HERE to see a gallery of images from Friday's practice sessions

// Saturday's Qualifying Results

After a morning of Porsche GT3 Cup Practice and Qualifying and Pirelli TC/TCB Races, the V8 Supercars returned to the track on Saturday for two 15 minute qualifying sessions, Qualifying Q4 and Qualifying Q5. These sessions determine the drivers' respective starting positions for Race 13 and Race 14 of the V8 Supercars series.

Fabian Coulthard qualified to start on pole for Race 13 and had this to share:

To start the first race here at the Austin 400 on pole is a pretty awesome feeling. There’s not much pace left to find. It’s all about how many sets of tyres you use to set your time. We went out on old tyres for the start of the second session, just didn’t even worry about it and used one set of tyres. So we have a pretty good tyre allocation left so a bit of strategy there as well. It is obviously going to be about a race of whose tyres last the longest and you are going to have to have a good pit stop too. So it’s anybody’s race.

Qualifying Q4 results, which determine the drivers' starting positions for Race 13, scheduled to start at 3:15PM CDT on Saturday:

1. Fabian Coulthard - 1:32.5934
2. Jamie Whincup - 1:32.7371
3. Craig Lowndes - 1:32.8524
4. David Wall - 1:33.0229
5. Will Davison - 1:33.1045
6. Jonathon Webb - 1:33.2232
7. Mark Winterbottom - 1:33.2757
8. Garth Tander - 1:33.3920
9. Shane Van Gisbergen - 1:33.4124 - EXCLUDED Penalty Applied
10. Rick Kelly - 1:33.4769
11. Alexandre Premat - 1:33.5534
12. Russell Ingall - 1:33.6122
13. Tony D'Alberto - 1:33.6742
14. James C0urtney - 1:33.6799
15. Scott McLaughlin - 1:33.7006
16. James Moffat - 1:33.7009
17. Todd Kelly - 1:33.7171
18. Alex Davison - 1:33.8066
19. David Reynolds - 1:33.8392
20. Chaz Mostert - 1:33.9123
21. Jason Bright - 1:34.1838
22. Maro Engel - 1:34.2590
23. Dean Diore - 1:34.2973
24. Scott Pye - 1:34.3187
25. Michael Caruso - 1:34.3837
26. Tim Slade - 1:34.5404
27. Lee Holdsworth - 1:34.9838
28. Tim Blanchard - 1:35.2216

Van Gisbergen was later excluded from Qualifying Q4 results because his team worked on his car outside of the allowable timeframe. Qualifying Q5 results, which determine the drivers' starting positions for Race 14, scheduled to start at 5:00PM CDT on Saturday:

1. Jamie Whincup - 1:32.0311
2. Craig Lowndes - 1:32.2909
3. Fabian Coulthard - 1:32.3257
4. Shane van Gisbergen - 1:32.6266
5. Jonathon Webb - 1:32.7499
6. Rick Kelly - 1:32.9020
7. Will Davison - 1:32.9060
8. Alexandre Premat - 1:32.9244
9. Scott McLaughlin - 1:33.0050
10. James Moffat - 1:33.0305
11. David Wall - 1:33.0403
12. Mark Winterbottom - 1:33.0937
13. Tony D'Alberto - 1:33.3394
14. Michael Caruso - 1:33.3425
15. David Reynolds - 1:33.3427
16. Todd Kelly - 1:33.3947
17. Chaz Mostert - 1:33.3956
18. Jason Bright - 1:33.4067
19. James Courtnery - 1:33.4558
20. Scott Pye - 1:33.5435
21. Garth Tander - 1:33.5554
22. Russell Ingall - 1:33.8197
23. Alex Davison - 1:33.8232
24. Lee Holdsworth - 1:33.9573
25. Maro Engel - 1:34.3014
26. Tim Blanchard - 1:34.3039
27. Dean Fiore - 1:34.4308

Just a reminder that a total of four V8 Supercars races will be run at the Austin 400 race at COTA this weekend: Races 13 and 14 on Saturday and Races 15 and 16 on Sunday. The Austin 400 will also be broadcast on SPEED TV on Sunday, May 19 at 8AM and 3PM CDT, on Thursday, May 23 at 7:30PM CDT, and on Friday, May 24 at 11AM and 9PM CDT.

// Click HERE to see a collection of images from Saturday's Qualifying Sessions

This weekend, May 3^rd and 4^th, the V8 Supercars are in Perth, Western Australia, competing in the last races Down Under before they pack their bags (and two Jumbo Jets’ worth of cars and equipment) and head to the Austin, Texas, y’all.  In two short weeks from now, Circuit of The Americas will host the Thunder from Down Under in the Austin 400 on May 17^th-19^th.

The V8 Supercars organizers tailor the race format at every event to suit the venue and the anticipated crowd, and here in Austin they have decided on a couple of details to maximize the action for the American audience.

First, and most obvious, is the decision to run the short “National” circuit.  At 2.3 miles per lap, vs. the full “International” lap of 3.4, the organizers reckon the cars should be running around 90 seconds per lap, thus ensuring that everyone gets to see the cars more often.  This will be the first time the short track configuration has been run, so the V8’s will be breaking new ground when they turn left after Turn 5 and cut across – via  a tight left-right chicane – to rejoin the main track about ¾ of the way down the back straight, and turn left again towards Turn 12.

The other decision is in the format of the race weekend.  The Austin 400 will actually comprise four completely separate 100km races – which by my calculations will make them 27 laps each – and the cars will be required to pit for tires at least once per race.

Because of the way that the series numbers its races, these will be rounds 13 thru 16 of the 2013 Championship.  Each race will be scored separately, and each will have its own separate qualifying session, so we could very well see four completely different starting grids.  V8 qualifiers are a short, sharp, and intense 15 minutes each.

Friday will see the cars on track for four practice sessions for the drivers to find their way around the track and dial in the cars, but all the qualifying and race action will be evenly divided between Saturday and Sunday, with two qualifying sessions each morning and two races each afternoon.  Furthermore, there is very little down time between the sessions, so we may see some frantic pit action as teams rush to patch their cars back together between sessions.

And the action doesn’t end with the V8 Supercars!  Supporting the Aussies will be the Pirelli World Challenge, with three classes of cars ensuring there will something happening on track pretty much all day, every day.

It should be a fabulous weekend, so if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, head on over to www.circuitoftheamericas.com and get in the game!

Oh, and one final incentive – the V8 Supercars have an “open pit” policy similar to that of the Grand Am series, so the paying public – that’s you! – get to see the cars, drivers, and teams up close and personal.  They even have a rule that prevents them from closing the back doors of their pit garages, so if you’re a fan of automotive engineering, you can watch the crews working on the cars right in front of you.

V8SC hot lap (HD) from The Austin Grand Prix on Vimeo.

Well over 600 horsepower in a car that weighs 3100lb – including the driver – makes for an exciting ride.  A full field of 28 of these fire-breathing monsters from Down Under makes for a weekend you won’t want to miss.

V8 Supercars – the premiere racing series in Australia and New Zealand – has expanded its horizons overseas in recent years, and next month they will race on US soil for the first time ever, at Circuit of The Americas on May 17-19.

To generate some buzz among the spectators and motoring media, the V8 Supercars controlling body sent one of their cars to COTA several weeks ago – in fact, those of you that attended the MotoGP race last weekend have seen it turning a few demonstration laps between bike sessions.  And once the motorcycle crowds had gone home, they invited the media to the track to meet the car, the organizers, and a couple of the regular championship drivers: James Courtney and Fabian Coulthard.  (Yes, Fabian is related to that other Coulthard – he and David are second cousins.)

Some of you may have seen these cars on TV before.  SPEED TV has been showing highlights packages of each round for the last couple of years, and I understand they will actually be broadcasting the “Austin 400” live from Austin.  But if you haven’t had the pleasure, take a look at this highlights package from the 2012 season to get some idea of what we can expect to see:

For more than a decade, the series has been the exclusive realm of Ford and GM, represented by the Ford Falcon and the Holden Commodore respectively, but this year the series has once again been opened up to other manufacturers, and Nissan and Mercedes have already joined the fray with their Altima and E63 AMG.

US enthusiasts may recognize the Holden Commodore as the basis for the Pontiac G8 of a couple of years ago, and it will be making its reappearance in American showrooms later this year as the new Chevrolet SS.  The rivalry between the two brands is ingrained in Aussie enthusiasts – you’re born Red or Blue and you stay that way for life, and fans have reacted with outrage and disgust if a driver “defects” from one camp to the other.

In recent years the cars have only used a few common components – most notably the transmissions and live rear axles – but for 2013 the category has moved to a more standardized platform in an attempt to reduce costs and increase competition.  They call it the Car of the Future, and it utilizes a single common chassis, engine management system, drive train, independent rear suspension, brakes, and tires.  The teams then graft on a modified production four-door body shell, and drop in a 5 liter (305 cu.in.) V8 motor from their respective manufacturer.

Limited to 7500 rpm by the spec Motec ECU, the official horsepower estimates are 625bhp, but it’s widely accepted that most of them are pumping out more like 650.

With the major components tightly controlled, the cars all perform very similarly.  Indeed, at one of the most recent rounds in Australia, the entire field qualified within 0.8 seconds of the pole sitter.  The organizers work hard to maintain this sort of parity, and have the ability to tweak the aero packages if necessary.  However, unlike the British Touring Car Championship, there is no “success ballast” added between races.

With cars that closely matched, the emphasis is placed squarely on the drivers, and these guys are not afraid of a little bump and grind.  It’s close, full-contact racing from flag to flag, guaranteed to keep to on the edge of your seat or on your feet.

In a nod towards the environment, the entire field runs on a spec BioEthanol E85 race gas produced from the molasses which is a byproduct of Australia’s extensive cane sugar production.  We noticed that this gives the cars a very distinctive exhaust smell.  The fuel is tightly controlled, and around 4,000 gallons have already landed in Houston en route to Austin for the race weekend.

The cars and equipment travel in two 747 freighter planes, and the teams and travelling media circus comprise around 400 people.   Also descending on Austin will be an estimated 3,000 fans making the trip from Down Under for the race, so expect to hear a lot of “far south Texas” accents in town that weekend.  There’s no organized downtown festival like there was for Formula 1, but Aussies know how to have a good time – it’s in their DNA – so watch out for some hard partiers on Sixth Street.  Say “G’day,” but don’t challenge any of them to a drinking competition!

Australian V8 Supercars are coming to Austin!

// Check out a gallery of Jon's photos by clicking HERE.