Team engineers will be focused on lap times in the secondary Super2 series if the Newcastle street circuit is wet for this afternoon's season finale.
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Alistair McVain, engineer for Erebus star David Reynolds, said in pit lane on Sunday morning that lap times in the support category immediately before Supercars would determine if teams opted for wet or dry tyres in qualifying and in the main race.
The track was slick this morning after hours of morning drizzle in Newcastle but had dried out by mid-morning.
If the rain returns, a damp circuit could prove a wildcard as DJR Team Penske protect a 143-point lead over Triple Eight in the teams championship.
The rest of the field has little to race for before their off-season break, but McVain said the teams would still be thinking on their feet.
"I think everyone for everyone today is pretty low-stress," he said.
"There's not much up for grabs, so it's a bit of an opportunity to just go out there and have some fun.
"But you're still doing the same amount you normally would."
He said the team engineers watch the Super2 racing to divine how to start the main event.
"Basically the lap times from the previous session will tell you, especially this one it's the Super2 series, so they're pretty close cars, very similar tyres.
"There's not really an algorithm behind it. It's a bit of a black art.
"You know roughly what a dry time should be and what a wet time should be."
Today's qualifying session was conducted in dry conditions before this afternoon's Top 10 Shootout.
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