Supersports Race Car Club of Australia 2022 Industrie Clothing New South Wales Supersports Championship

Anyone who followed Sports Sedans knew of Simon Copping.

Simon forged a long career in Sports Sedans with over eighty three race meetings under his belts, starting in 2005, building a reputation for never racing below eleven tenths, and all in V8 Commodore Sports Sedans.

Simon attacked racing circuits mostly in the New South Wales Sports Sedans Championship, but occasionally appeared in various National Sports Sedans championships and series, reaching his greatest heights in his Industrie Clothing-supported red and white VZ Commodore, steering the 6 litre V8 beast regularly into the top three, and occasionally on the top podium, of New South Wales Sports Sedans.

So it was not a small shock to see Simon’s name not in the Sports Sedans entry list for Round 1 of the 2022 New South Wales Motor Racing Championships at Wakefield Park on the 26th of February, but in with the 2022 Industrie Clothing New South Wales Supersports competitors!

Simon has now swapped his 6 litre V8 Commodore for a sleek and spectacular 1 litre 4 cylinder West WX10 Group 6SR car, which is barely one third the weight of his Commodore.

Its harder to think of more extreme career move for a racing driver!

Formerly driven by Jason Makris, Simon’s west WX10 took out several wins in the Australian Prototype Series in 2016 and 2017, although the because of all the unfamiliar technology, Simon and his team from Race Engineering Services contended with various technical problems early on the Friday practice day which slowed his progress, in particular the unfamiliar paddle gearshift requiring attention and adjustment.

By the end of the final race in Round 1 of the 2022 Industrie Clothing New South Wales Supersports Championship, Simon had come to terms with the neck muscle-tearing cornering and braking power of the West WX10, and posted three race finishes, racing in the pack of experienced Supersports drivers, and with lap times that not only exceeded his expectations for this first-up race meeting.

Having someone of Simon’s calibre unexpectedly and increasingly joining other high profile racers that have been moving into Supersports racing cars is a sign that that Supersports are increasingly becoming the cars that racing drivers from all other classes want to progress into.

For more information on New South Wales Supersports racing and the 2022 Industrie Clothing New South Wales Supersports Championship, contact Darren Barlow on 0439044128, visit Facebook Supersports Racing New South Wales Australia, or visit https://www.supersportsracing.com.au/

Photo – Simon in his unforgettably attired West WX10 Group 6SR car and (inset) Simon’s famous Commodore VZ Sports Sedan