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Super3 Series

Category	Touring car racing
Country	Australia
Inaugural season	2008
Folded	2024
Drivers	Super3 Series: 6 V8 Touring Car Series: 13
Teams	Super3 Series: 5 V8 Touring Car Series: 15
Constructors	Super3 Series: Holden Ford Nissan V8 Touring Car Series: Holden Ford
Tyre suppliers	Super3 Series: Dunlop Tyres V8 Touring Car Series: Kumho Tyres
Last Drivers' champion	Super3 Series: Cody Burcher V8 Touring Car Series: Jude Bargwanna
Last Teams' champion	Super3 Series: MW Motorsport V8 Touring Car Series: Anderson Motorsport
Official website	Supercars.com V8 Touring Cars Series
Current season

The Super3 Series & V8 Touring Car Series (formerly the Kumho Tyres Super3 Series, Kumho Tyres Australian V8 Touring Car Series and V8 Touring Car National Series) were two Australian motor racing competitions for touring cars. In 2019 it became the official third tier series for Supercars competitors, while the series itself remained independently owned and managed from Supercars. The cars must be deregistered cars from official Supercar teams and series, this is mainly as a preventive measure against a team building a brand new car to suit the regulations. In 2023 the V8 Touring Car Series would be revived to create a standalone unofficial fourth tier level V8 Supercars category however it would only last for that year's season. The two defunct series were known by the commercial identities of the Dunlop Super3 Series & Kumho Tyres Australian V8 Touring Car Series.

History

The series came into existence as an acknowledgement that there are many old V8 Supercars no longer eligible or competitive in the second-tier Dunlop V8 Supercar Series and, other than as overweight and uncompetitive Sports Sedans, had nowhere else to race. The series has also attracted competitors from the now defunct Australian Touring Car Challenge which had run on the now collapsed Australian Motor Racing Championships program.

The inaugural series was held in 2008 as a completely new category, running on the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships schedule. The series struggled to find a grid in its opening year, with the low point coming in the second round at Eastern Creek where just three cars were entered. The series has since swollen with the deregistration of the Ford AU Falcon and Holden VX Commodore from the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series, with a number of fresh cars and teams stepping straight out of the second-tier series.

Chris Smerdon, a former V8 Supercar driver, was the inaugural series champion, dominating the 2008 series in an ex-Stone Brothers Racing Ford AU Falcon. The 2009 series saw former Fujitsu Series drivers Adam Wallis and Terry Wyhoon battle with Smerdon for the crown, with Wallis coming out on top over Wyhoon and Smerdon. Another former Fujitsu Series driver, Tony Evangelou, won the 2010 series, being the only driver to compete in all five rounds. Wyhoon won the series in 2011 after a close battle with Smerdon and Scott Loadsman.

In 2019, the series was rebranded to Super3.

In 2020, only two rounds of the series were completed - therefore no champion was awarded.

In 2021 the Super3 Series sat to join alongside the Dunlop Super2 Series for the first time as a class.

In 2023, Car of the Future also known later as New Generation V8 Supercar built cars were set to become eligible in the Super3 Series class of the Dunlop Super2 & Super3 Series alongside Project Blueprint built specification cars purchased from teams in the Super2 Series Class of the Dunlop Super2 & Super3 Series. In the same year of 2023 the V8 Touring Car Series would be revived to create a standalone unofficial fourth tier V8 Supercars category for Pre-Car of The Future Specification built cars to be eligible. However it would only last for that years season in 2023.

In November 2024, Supercars announced the Super3 Series would cease to exist as a stand alone series due to low grid numbers with only as many as two or three cars appearing in the Super3 Series class at rounds in the 2024 Dunlop Super2 & Super3 Series season. Cars built under Car of the Future (Also known as New Generation V8 Supercar) regulations are set to be re-eligible to compete in the Super2 Series in the 2025 year season.

Format

Each weekend consist of two races, the first usually held on Saturday and the second on Sunday. To score points, the driver must complete at least 75% of the race distance and must cross the finish line at the completion of the race. At least 50% of the planned race distance must be completed for the result to be valid and championship points awarded.

Series winners

References

1. V8 Touring Cars to Become Super3 Auto Action 22 October 2018
2. van Leeuwen, Andrew (2022-12-08). "Calendar revealed for new fourth Supercars tier". au.motorsport.com.
3. No more Super3 Auto Action 6 November 2024
4. "Series Points". web.archive.org. January 11, 2024.

External links

• Supercars.com
• Official website

• Recurring sporting events established in 2008
• Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2024
• Supercars Championship
• V8 Touring Car Series
• 2008 establishments in Australia
• 2024 disestablishments in Australia