Supercars has announced changes can be made to strengthen the Gen3 chassis after some worrying signs emerged from the first two rounds of 2023.
Ever since James Courtney was surprisingly ruled out of race 2 at Newcastle following a Shootout crash, the majority of the paddock has come to the realisation the new Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro chassis are more susceptible to damage than their Gen2 predecessors.
The decision was signed off by the Supercars Commission and Technical Working Group this week, with the changes believed to be optional ahead of round 3 at Perth.
Supercars stated the unspecified changes have been made as a measure for “continuous improvement” of Gen3, which claims is a “similar” experience to the roll out of Car of the Future in 2013.
“The Technical Working Group approved some modifications to the front and rear clips, and chassis, to improve the impacts of damage learnt from the Albert Park findings,” a Supercars spokesperson said.
“This is a process of continuous improvement similar to what the series went through the last time it introduced a new platform.”
The news will be a welcome relief to Tickford team principal Tim Edwards, who said Supercars had to act after the Australian Grand Prix.
“I do not believe we have time to wait on this. We have got to get on top of it now,” he said in the latest issue of AUTO ACTION
“I do not know whether it needs to be stronger or in a slightly different style, but roll the clock back a decade to the first year of Car of the Future we had accidents and changed the wall thickness of some of the tubes in the front.
“There have been multiple accidents and several chassis have been damaged.
“It needs to be looked at sooner rather than later. 2024 is not going to be soon enough.”
James Courtney’s damaged Mustang after meeting the turn 7 wall at theNewcastle 500. EDGE Photography
Courtney was the first to crash test a Gen3 car, hitting the Turn 7 concrete and many were surprised to see car #5 not on the grid for that afternoon’s race.
The worrying signs became clear for all to see at the recent Melbourne SuperSprint where many teams were tasked with extensive repair jobs.
These arrived as early as opening practice where both Tim Slade and Shane van Gisbergen were ruled out of the subsequent session in order to repair the damage.
Van Gisbergen’s was the most surprising having endured a spectacular spin, but avoided major contact with the wall. The Kiwi was seen on the tools himself repairing car #97.
Slade suffered a much bigger crash at Turn 5, with significant damage forcing PremiAir to perform “a miracle” to get his #23 Camaro ready for that afternoon’s race.
“If it looks bad on the outside, it is normally 10 times as worse on the inside.”
Slade found trouble at Turn 5 at practice at Albert Park and sustained heavy damage to the back left rear. EDGE Photographics
Both Slade and van Gisbergen sustained damaged clips, while the likes Macauley Jones, Mark Winterbottom and Jack Le Brocq also suffered the same fate later on during a dramatic weekend.
“I had some contact on Thursday, I got caught out in that first session and hit the wall side on…it wasn’t a huge impact.
“And it didn’t do any damage to any of the arms, or any of the uprights. So it didn’t do any actual damage, and I didn’t do any panel damage. But it had bent the clevis in the rear clip, quite a lot actually!
Teams will be hoping the chassis stay strong at the Perth SuperSprint, which should come as a welcome relief being the first dedicated race track after two concrete-lined street circuits opened the season.
array (
0 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 11,
'name' => 'Latest News',
'slug' => 'latest-news',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 11,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 15537,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 11,
'category_count' => 15537,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'Latest News',
'category_nicename' => 'latest-news',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
1 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 38,
'name' => 'Supercars',
'slug' => 'supercars',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 38,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 5241,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 38,
'category_count' => 5241,
'category_description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'cat_name' => 'Supercars',
'category_nicename' => 'supercars',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
2 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2029,
'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'slug' => 'email',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 2031,
'count' => 6124,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2029,
'category_count' => 6124,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'category_nicename' => 'email',
'category_parent' => 2031,
)),
3 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2031,
'name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'slug' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2031,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 5493,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2031,
'category_count' => 5493,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-RSSFeeds',
'category_nicename' => 'zzz-rssfeeds',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
)
