Supercars commission to rule on ‘clip’ fix

A written warning has been issued to Supercars teams this week concerning ‘non-approved’ modifications which doesn’t relate to any performance advantage, but affects teams which have been making a simple fix for what is seen as a structural weakness in one element of the Gen-3 cars.

It concerns the front and rear ‘clip-on’ frames – incorporated to make at-track front or rear crash repairs quicker and simpler, with a damaged ‘clip-on’ simply replaced with another.

However, it seems that, over time, an issue has arisen with some of the tubular bolt-on parts cracking in some joint areas, potentially requiring the clip-on to be replaced as routine maintenance, rather than as accident damage repair – reportedly at up to $10,000 a time.

Several teams have instigated their own solution, by adding a simple gusset to the affected joints to take away the cracking risk.

The front clip of the Gen3 Supercars chassis.

This has come to the attention of Head Office, with Supercars teams this week issued with a warning that ‘unapproved modifications’ risks disqualification.

If this were to be enforced, several teams would be faced with the need to literally cut out the strengthening gussets before the Tasmanian round of the series, for which team transporters will depart in about a week from now.

This newly-raised issue is the latest of a number mechanical problems that have affected the Gen-3 cars since their introduction last year.

AA understands that the ‘to gusset or not’ problem is creating significant debate around the teams, and that a Supercars Commission meeting – these days involving every team on the grid – will be asked to rule on it at a meeting next week.

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