Engineer's SVG education set for biggest test

Andrew Edwards has laid down the gauntlet for Triple Eight to help Shane van Gisbergen break his Perth duck.

Van Gisbergen has never won at Wanneroo Raceway in 28 starts, with a best finish of second coming in 2016.

Edwards arrived in 2022 as the third different voice on the radio in as many seasons for van Gisbergen.

The veteran engineer has so far kept van Gisbergen at the front, with the Kiwi winning at all three events so far this season.

Van Gisbergen leads by 144 points heading to Perth, which hosts its first round since 2019.

The Red Bull Ampol Racing ace has since won 28 races, including a Bathurst 1000, and the 2021 championship.

For Edwards, the task is simple; the Triple Eight engineering group must give van Gisbergen a car capable of doing the job in Perth.

“Obviously Shane is a good driver,” Edwards told Supercars.com.

“But it’s up to us engineers to find the best set-up for this track.

“We need to give him something that he can win in.

“I’m sure if we do that, he’ll win races this weekend.”

Edwards previously spent 17 years with the Brad Jones Racing before he shifted to Triple Eight.

In that time, he featured in BJR’s first ever trip to victory lane in Perth in 2011.

Much has changed since; the abrasive circuit was resurfaced in the 2018-19 off-season.

Three years on, and the track surface will almost certainly have evolved, lending itself to an ice cream headache for engineers.

Having produced a winning car in Sydney, Tasmania and Albert Park, Edwards is confident he can do the same in Perth.

Regardless, Edwards knows this weekend presents the biggest challenge yet for his partnership with the reigning champion.

“We haven’t been here for a few years, so we don’t have any recent data,” he said.

“The track has likely changed since we were last here too.

“If we build on the philosophy we’ve built this year, hopefully that’ll hold us in good stead.

“The car’s in a good window, but we change it round to round and during the weekends.

“We know we’re on a good thread of form, but this weekend will be a solid test for us."

Supercars track action will begin in Perth on Saturday.