A mid-week night Supercars spectacular has moved closer to reality after a successful night test at Sydney Motorsport Park.
DJR Team Penske's Fabian Coulthard and Nissan Motorsport import Simona De Silvestro completed a night test at the Eastern Creek circuit on Thursday night.
It's all part of series chief James Warburton's dream to add an Australian night race to the calendar for the first time in 20 years.
"As we imagined, the cars under lights looked absolutely spectacular," he said.
As part of the test, the series has identified their preferred lighting for any night racing - mega-strength LED lights used in the mining industry.
But the drivers - who have given their in-principle support for a night race - have also identified other issues to fix.
"It's a new spectacle and it's a great circuit to do it. It's good viewing for the fans and I think the cars look fantastic under lights. I think it (a night race) will be a great spectacle," Coulthard said.
De Silvestro, who has raced under lights in the US-based IndyCar series, said drivers would adapt and revel in a mid-week race.
"In IndyCar the first time you do a night race the scariest part was the sparks ... in the day you don't notice them at all and then suddenly it seems like the car in front is on fire!" she said.
"Once you're under the lights it doesn't really feel that different."
Brake markers on the side of the road may also need to be coloured to improve visibility, while Coulthard called for improved headlights and an altered dashboard.
"(The dashboard) was a bit of a Christmas tree ... it's a bit overpowering," he said.
While there's still work to do, Warburton said they were yet to encounter a reason to call the concept off.
"There was a real buzz with the test, and no doubt we have moved further towards achieving the goal," he said.
"The test did, however, show we have a fair way to go, but we are determined to keep progressing."
Share
