The new-for-Gen3 adjustable pedal box has been a boon for Penrite Racing duo David Reynolds and Garth Tander.
The two Bathurst 1000 winners are sharing the #26 Grove Racing Ford Mustang in this year’s Supercars enduros, while Matt Payne is paired up with Kevin Estre in the sister #19 entry.
Grove only confirmed its exact duos last month, having long signed up both of its co-drivers for the Penrite Oil Sandown 500 and Repco Bathurst 1000.
It had been thought that height might influence its decision, although the introduction of an adjustable pedal box with Gen3 means the tall Tander is not incompatible with the usual #26 pilot.
“It made it made it very easy,” Reynolds told Speedcafe.
“We’re actually using his seat from, like, 2008. It’s a really old seat but I fit in it good.
“It’s a different style material and I jump in, belts on, move the pedal box; grouse.
“He jumps in, moves the pedal box; he’s grouse too. It’s been a very, very easy transition between the two of us.”
A slower fuel fill rate and larger cells will take some of the pressure off in driver change stops but, according to Reynolds, he and Tander were already matching Gen2 times during their recent pre-enduro test.
“Last year, you could do sort of an 18-second average stop; if you do a really fast one, you do fifteens,” he recalled.
“Within two or three goes, we were sort of at that level already so, for us experienced people, it’s pretty easy.”
Pit stops will also look different at Sandown because the air spike must be operated from the fast lane side of the car rather than the garage side.
While that is a first for Gen3, it is an exception which has applied at the circuit in past years because pit lane is on the outside of an anti-clockwise track and hence the car is refuelled from the driver’s side.
Meanwhile Grove Team Principal David Cauchi has explained how the squad arrived at its particular driver combinations.
One pairing boasts a combined six Bathurst 1000 wins while the other has a total of just one Great Race start between the, although it does include a factory Porsche steerer.
“We’ve got two outstanding co-drivers,” Cauchi told Speedcafe.
“To have Garth Tander and Kevin Estre as your co-driver line-up, it ultimately didn’t really matter.
“But I think it’s good to have Kevin with Matt; he brings a fresh international feel and that’s not being disrespectful to Garth at all.
“But, Garth and Dave, obviously that’s a phenomenal combination, and Matt can really learn and a lot from Kevin, and his fresh look on the car and all those kinds of things.
“To be honest, there wasn’t much in it, but that’s how it’s fallen out.”
Practice 1 starts tomorrow at 10:45 local time/AEST.
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