Triple Eight Race Engineering managing director Roland Dane believes that becoming the first team to track-test a Car of the Future V8 Supercar underlines the squad’s position as the category’s premier team.
The team, which has won three of the last four championships courtesy of Jamie Whincup, completed a 90 minute shakedown with its first COTF vehicle today ahead of a full test at Queensland Raceway on Monday.
CLICK HERE for Speedcafe.com’s story on the shakedown run
The roll-out of the 2013 specification vehicles has been an increasingly contentious issue in recent months amid continual delays in finalising the regulations.
With other outfits not expected to begin track testing their new cars for at least another month, Dane says that it is important for his team to lead the way.
“This is our first completed chassis and it was important for us to show leadership and be the first to have the car running out on the track,” Dane told Speedcafe.com.
“We will be having a full-blooded test day with this car out at Queensland Raceway on Monday.
“I think other teams out there should be grateful for what we have done because we are helping to validate a lot of the components on the car.”
Triple Eight’s test car features a variety of components that won’t be raced, including the fuel system for which the teams are yet to see a complete design.
Dane, however, fired a broadside at rivals who have vented frustration over the way that the move to the new regulations have been handled.
“Some of the other teams have slagged on over the past few months but we have just knuckled down on got on with the job of building these cars,” he said.
Dane explained the reasoning behind the military-style livery which reflected the team’s special issue of team camouflage gear it released for the Townsville event last year which sold like hotcakes to its fanbase.
“Really we just wanted to have some livery that spells the car is different from what we have already got.”
Triple Eight plans to build nine COTF cars before the start of next season and has played a major role in the design and manufacture of several control areas of the 2013 vehicles, including the independent rear suspension.
