Cameron Hill returns to happy hunting ground

After Tasmania proved a standout round during his rookie season last year, Cameron Hill is aiming to improve on his results for the Repco Supercars Championship’s return to Symmons Plains Raceway.  

At the corresponding event in 2023, Hill qualified inside the top 10 for all three races and scored a season-high result of eighth throughout the weekend.

Having already eclipsed his highest finishing position this year, and become a regular qualifier inside the top 10 displaying the progression made in 2024, the Canberran will enter the annual trip to the Apple Isle full of confidence.

Contributing to his confidence will be his impressive runs up the field in recent rounds, while his Matt Stone Racing (MSR) squad continue to punch above its weight to sit sixth in the standings and second Chevrolet team.

This year’s visit to Tasmania will be held later in the season compared to last, meaning the colder conditions will add further emphasis to the tyre warming procedures - particularly during qualifying.

The shorter Symmons Plains layout ensures clear space is at a premium and the three-segment knockout qualifying format further enhances the pressure on the drivers.

A change compared to last year is the reduction to two races from three, but the encounters have been lengthened to 55 laps each.

The Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint is the final round before the Repco Supercars Championship's endurance events on August 16-18.

QUOTES

Cameron Hill
#4 Matt Stone Racing, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

“I don’t know why Tasmania was our best event last year,” said Hill.

“We rolled out and both cars were really fast, plus it was my first taste of running inside the top 10. It was a good round for us.

“I hope it bodes well for this year, but it’s obviously getting more and more competitive. I think there are a few teams that have lifted their game, so we’re going to have to go over there and work really hard to be at the front.

“MSR has definitely delivered above what other people might expect of us. To be the second Chev team in the standings, we take a lot of pride in that. But the difference between the front and the back is just so small now. Yes, you need to make sure the car set-up side of things is absolutely maximised, but it still comes down to us as drivers to nail the lap. A few hundredths here or there can be the difference between being a hero and a zero.

“It is cool how resourceful the team is, everyone in the squad has multiple jobs. Forgie is in the workshop fabricating and repairing components every day, and he still has the brainpower left to engineer the car, which is awesome. It’s great to see when we get the results it’s through hard work and a bit of resourcefulness.

“We’ll look back at how last year went, as we have data from Gen3 now, so all the teams aren’t going in as blind. The cold conditions are not something we have to encounter often, but my team and I discuss it in detail prior to Tassie. Even though we’re on the Super Soft, which is generally good to go when you drive out of the pits, in Tassie it sometimes takes a couple of laps to get up to temp.

“It’s always a circuit where you need to have a few things line-up in qualifying. There’s a lot of other drivers trying to set their lap at the same time, with maybe 10 or 15 metres between cars. It can mean you’re relying on the driver in front not making a mistake.

“It’s always pretty stressful in the knockout format for qualifying, trying to be perfect three times in a row, you have to be switched on. The track conditions ramp up so much and times can improve a lot, making it a nervous session.

“The points are pretty close in the mid-pack area, but I won’t waste too much energy thinking about the standings. I think if we can have a solid second half to the year, a good championship result is within reach.”