Chaotic crashes create stunning Supercars Shootout history

THE chaotic crashes late in qualifying for the first race of this year’s VAILO Adelaide 500 have opened the door to some Supercars Championship history.

Saturday’s opening 250-kilometre race of the Hall of Fame event is set to mark the first time in the history of the Australian Touring Car/Supercars Championship that every driver in the field has previously competed in a Top 10 Shootout.

Prior to this weekend’s round, Aaron Love and Jaxon Evans were the only drivers yet to compete in a Supercars Championship Shootout, however, both were among the fastest 10 cars when the session was stopped due to the accidents of Cam Hill and David Reynolds at Turn 8.

Love’s previous best qualifying this season in his rookie year in the CoolDrive Mustang for the Blanchard Racing Team is 13th at Symmons Plains.

Evans’ best qualifying this year in the SCT Camaro is 15th, most recently at the Repco Bathurst 1000.

Also among the fastest 10 on Friday in Adelaide was Evans’ BJR stablemate Macauley Jones, who is also making his first appearance in a Top 10 Shootout.

However, the Pizza Hut pilot isn’t a total newcomer to the single-lap Shootout format – he started in two of the Top 15 Shootouts held at Sydney Motorsport Park in the COVID-affected 2020 season.

The Top 10 Shootout will be held in Adelaide at 12.35pm local time (1.05pm AEDT) prior to Race 23 of the championship at 3.20pm local time (3.50pm AEDT).