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GEN3 SHAKE-UP

Moves to make next-gen Supercars more appealing to manufacturers - Photo: LAT

By Bruce Williams

Moves to make next-gen Supercars more appealing to manufacturers - Photo: LAT

Moves to make next-gen Supercars more appealing to manufacturers – Photo: LAT

Variable wheelbases are back on the Gen3 agenda to ensure the widest possible appeal to potential new manufacturers in Supercars.

By MARK FOGARTY

Amid widespread dissent among team owners, a move from a fixed wheelbase dimension to a flexible figure is being considered.

The head of the Gen3 working group, senior Supercars executive John Casey, confirmed that to allow different shapes and sizes of cars, an adjustable wheelbase is a possibility.

“Our intention with Gen3 is to allow OE dimensions,” said Casey, referring to ‘original equipment’ manufacturer specs.

The idea of a variable rather than fixed wheelbase is to allow smaller two-door coupes like the Toyota Supra to comply.

Gen3, due to be introduced in 2022, is aimed at a big reduction in the costs of building and running cars, and also facilitating two-door coupes to retain the look of the donor road car.

Supercars wants to avoid the compromise that corrupted the Ford Mustang shape to fit the existing chassis.

According to Casey, “work is progressing” on Gen3 following a pause during the initial coronavirus crisis.

“The group reformed,” he said.

Triple Eight technical director Jeromy Moore is overseeing the chassis design study, while DJR Team Penske’s chief boffin Ludo Lacroix is in charge of operational and component savings.

Supercars’ engine consultant Craig Haystead is investigating cheaper control motor options.

According to Casey, who is working with Supercars head of motorsport Adrian Burgess and team bosses Roland Dane and Ryan Story on the Gen3 project, all the recommendations are subject to “peer review”.

He also maintained that at the forefront of the cost-cutting effort was a mandate to retain as much of the existing running gear as possible.

“We’re trying to build in as much redundancy protection as possible with the chassis,” Casey said.

He emphasised that Supercars owns all the IP related to Gen3, again dismissing persistent claims that Dane is pushing a Triple Eight control chassis design as “complete crap”.

Dane has also denied he is angling to manufacture all Gen3 chassis, yet the perception remains among other teams that T8’s design work is self-interested.

Despite Casey’s stance that Gen3 planning is proceeding smoothly, team owners with whom Auto Action has spoken report disagreement.

“There’s a bit of a war going on with Gen3,” a team boss said.

Among the concerns is that the changeover will cost up to $2 million for a two-car operation.

“The teams can’t afford a new car yet,” another team chief declared, with others questioning whether Supercars will help fund the switch, as it did with Car Of The Future in 2013.

The situation is complicated by the potential sale of Supercars by disinterested owner Archer Capital.

There is also talk of an interim Gen2.5, updating current cars to ease the transition.

Most teams accept that a control engine is inevitable, delivering potential savings of up to $150,000 a season.

One heavily invested team owner opposed a move to a flexible wheelbase, maintaining newcomers should accept altered dimensions to fit a standard platform.

He was particularly scathing of efforts to accommodate the short-wheelbase Supra, asserting “stretch it or don’t run it”.

Others are campaigning for a modular chassis with easily – and cheaply – repairable front and rear sections.

“A modular chassis can be built for $40,000 with much lower repair costs,” a disgruntled team boss told AA.

Most teams are also sceptical that Gen3 can be introduced in 2022 given this year’s COVID-19 economic collapse, suggesting 2023 at the earliest – and then only with Supercars subsidies.

“It needs funding to get it over the line and there’s no easy solution to that,” a team boss observed.

Also outstanding are IP agreements with GM for a Chevrolet Camaro-look Supercar and a renewal of Ford’s approval for the Mustang, which is due for a major facelift of the current road-going model next year.

Walkinshaw Andretti United co-owner Ryan Walkinshaw is clear on what he thinks Gen3 needs to deliver.

“My view on this hasn’t changed,” Walkinshaw said. “We need a much cheaper car that has a lot less aero and which requires a lot less data and analysis that’s quicker to turnaround between sessions and race weekends and fewer people to work on the cars.”

He expanded: “Cheaper to build, cheaper to run and, most importantly, have a shape that allows for multiple different manufacturers with multiple different body shapes to enter the category without having to go and spend $2 million or $3 million on a development program for carbon parts and aerodynamic testing in order to get parity.

“We need to have a car that for 500 grand, for example, a manufacturer can enter the category with any team up and down pit lane and not have to worry about all the difficulties that are currently in place if you want to be competitive.”

Walkinshaw asserted that Gen3 had to adjust to the worldwide reality that multi-million dollar manufacturer support of racing was over.

“The days of having manufacturers coming in and spending $3 million-$5 million to go racing in our category probably won’t return,” he said.

“If we get the cost to entry for a manufacturer down to a reasonable level – by which I mean sub-$1 million – I think that will open to door for a lot of emerging automotive brands in Australia to dip their toe in the water with a Supercars program, without spending a significant proportion of their potential marketing budget on one platform that may or may not work for them.”

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