The SuperUtes Series (promoted as the V8 SuperUte Series) is an Australian pickup truck racing competition that was launched in 2018 as a successor to the V8 Ute Racing Series. The series' events are held as a support category to Supercars Championship events throughout Australia.
Background
Ryal Harris (Mazda BT-50) was the inaugural SuperUtes Series winner
The V8 Ute Racing Series, which ran from 2001 to 2017, used utility vehicles based on the Ford Falcon Ute and Holden Ute models. However, with production of the two models finishing in 2016 and 2017 respectively, utility vehicles were no longer being mass produced in Australia, which led to investigations into a new platform for the Utes series as far back as the early 2010s. While an initial plan was proposed to continue with a generic utility chassis, the Supercars Championship purchased the series in 2015 and pursued a move to a production-based series which would move away from the traditional formula.[1] After several delays, it was announced in 2016 that SuperUtes, based on production dual-cab diesel-powered utilities, would be introduced in 2018.[2][1]
The new series drew some criticism due to the small field sizes and slower lap times than V8 Utes.[5] The higher centre of gravity also saw some SuperUtes roll over, most notably at the Queensland Raceway round in 2018 and Adelaide Street Circuit in 2019, where two vehicles rolled during each event.[6][7] This led to various technical upgrades for the cars during the 2019 season, including lowered ride heights and a move to a race-specification Yokohama tyre.[8][9]
The series announced further changes for the 2020 season, with the turbo diesel engine to be replaced by a LS3 V8 Engine in an attempt to reconnect with fans of the V8 Utes era. The ownership of the series also transferred from Supercars Championship to the team owners themselves.[10] However, the 2020 season was then cancelled and the series did not re-launch in its new guise until May 2021 at The Bend SuperSprint.[11][12]
