Supercars, together with the Homologation Teams representing General Motors and Ford, have agreed that after rigorous assessment and additional validation, the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang Supercars are formally homologated, meaning signed off for racing, for the opening round of the Repco Supercars Championship in Newcastle this weekend.
This mutual achievement is the result of improved processes, robust scrutiny and procedures, clear communication between the manufacturers, and an improved and transparent collaboration among all stakeholders involved.
The transition to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, as part of the Gen3 product plan, is the biggest architectural change in Supercars history, and it has required a significant effort to ensure that technical parity is maintained as a fundamental cornerstone of the success of the sport.
Supercars CEO Shane Howard said: “As part of upholding the integrity of the Championship, all parties will continue to work together to review data and the relative performance of our new vehicles. This is a pre-requisite for the ongoing success of the category, which falls under the parity review system which has been in place for more than 20 years.
“The Homologation teams, manufacturer representatives and Supercars worked in partnership to achieve this goal, resulting in over 2200km of running, undertaken across both brands during the VCAT validation testing last week.
“The Temora testing provided all parties with a high level of confidence, and we now look forward to the Thrifty Newcastle 500 this weekend with a completely reset and re-energised championship."
Supercars has confidence that the battle between the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, as a new generation of rivalry, will provide the thrilling competition for which our category is globally renowned.
Ford Mustang Gen3 Chief Designer, Perry Kapper said: “Our thanks go to Supercars and everyone involved for their commitment and effort in the Gen3 development process. We will continue to work with Supercars throughout the year for any additional updates.”
“The aerodynamic testing last week, and the adjustments made, give us confidence that we can go to the first event in Newcastle with our Ford Mustangs ready to fight, to see the cars grid up and hear the revs rise, before the lights go out on this new chapter in Supercars’ history,” Kapper said.
Triple Eight Race Engineering Technical Director, Jeromy Moore said: “During the entire VCAT validation at Temora, the two Homologation Teams and Supercars staff worked very well together, in an open and collaborative manner, to achieve the common goal.
“With over 70 runs and throughout the four days we have confidence we have come away with cars equal in measured downforce and drag.
“Now it’s time to go racing and may the best team win.”
Supercars would like to extend our gratitude to our manufacturers Ford and Chevrolet, Homologation Teams, all Supercars teams, and the Supercars Australia Motorsport Department, for their tireless efforts over the offseason and cooperation throughout the implementation of our product plan.
Supercars CEO Shane Howard finished off by saying: “We are excited to begin the next chapter of our sport this weekend at the Thrifty Newcastle 500, and building upon our reputation as what is arguably the World’s Best Touring Car Championship.”