Supercars crack 4000km of wind tunnel testing
Supercars
11 Dec 2023
Supercars clock over 4000 kilometres of running in testing
Mammoth numbers compare to 1600km achieved in 2022 VCAT
Supercars, team and Windshear staff complete three 18-hour days
A bumper three days of wind tunnel testing in the United States has produced over 4000 kilometres of running, with data now set to pave the path to parity.
Two Gen3 Supercars were subject to three, 12-hour days of wind tunnel testing at Windshear Full Scale Rolling Road Automotive Wind Tunnel in Concord, North Carolina.
The Camaro, owned by Chevrolet homologation team Triple Eight Race Engineering, set the initial baseline before being followed in the tunnel by the Ford Mustang.
The Mustang is owned by Blue Oval homologation squad, Dick Johnson Racing.
The first day was centred on baseline running, before the second day saw different aero parts attached and moulded to both cars in the effort to accrue and compare data.
In all, both cars combined to total approximately 4200km, a vast difference to the combined 1600km achieved at the VCAT (Vehicle Control Aerodynamic Testing) at Toowoomba’s Wellcamp Airport in November 2022.
Supercars CEO Shane Howard hailed the program, saying the testing helped deliver on the pressure to achieve parity.
"It is a relief. There is a lot of pressure and a lot of tension, there’s a lot at stake here,” Howard told Supercars.com.
“There’s such a significant difference in the amount of information between a runway test and being here at this amazing facility here at Windshear.
"For example, at a VCAT test, we did 700 to 800 kilometres [per car] in one week. Here, we’ve done over 4000.
"At a runway test, we’re assessing on three or four different points on a car on downforce and drag. Here, they’re assessing it on over 50 different properties.
"It was fantastic to be part of, to be honest. Really exciting stuff, but there’s always the pressure to get it right.”
New General Manager of Motorsport Tim Edwards added: "It was really a collaborative effort, this whole thing. It's been a huge week.
"The last six days have been 18 hours, every single day. We’re leaving 4:30 in the morning, everyone’s worked so hard.
"We’ve had 4200 kilometres of running, which is a massive amount."
Pre-season testing will commence in the first week of February ahead of the season-opening Thrifty Bathurst 500 on February 23-25. Tickets are on sale now.
