VCAT for the Gen3 Supercars has started at Wellcamp Airport, near Toowoomba.
Supercars had already undertaken one VCAT process for the new breed of vehicles which will race in the championship from 2023 at Wellcamp, but that was a validation exercise given the Mustang was still in S550 trim.
Now, with the Ford V8 coupe adorned in its new S650 bodywork, a full-on, five-day programme is underway.
VCAT, or ‘Vehicle Control Aerodynamic Testing’, is a programme which is undertaken either when a new model is set to debut in the category, or when a significant change is made to the shape of incumbent car(s).
In this case, the objective is to achieve aerodynamic parity between the Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which are being homologated by Dick Johnson Racing and Triple Eight Race Engineering, respectively.
Straight-line running is a key aspect of VCAT, hence sending the cars to an airport, which happens to be relatively close to DJR’s and Triple Eight’s South East Queensland bases.
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It is likely that a number of bodywork pieces and aerodynamic settings will be utilised during the process, in order to harmonise the aerodynamic traits of the two vehicles.
One of the stated aims of Gen3 is to slash downforce across the board, in part to make following easier and hence promote passing.
Supercars’ present day passing problem was a point noted by now three-time champion Shane van Gisbergen when he said that he was unlikely to commit his long-term future to the category until he experienced the new breed of cars in competition.
Weather permitting, testing will run through to this Friday, November 11, while the first race event of the Gen3 era will be the Newcastle 500 on March 10-12.
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