Kelly Racing is not expecting a significant gain from the latest parity tweak to the Altima aero package ahead of this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
The Altimas will feature an outboard extension to the boot lid in addition to an extended Gurney flap across the boot area.
According to team manager, Scott Sinclair the changes are expected to provide a gain through a small drag reduction while maintaining the car’s overall downforce figure.
The aero tweaks were briefly tested during the teams’s pre enduro test last week.
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“We are not expecting it to be anything significant. We had some challenges at New Zealand but hopefully this will be something back in our favour and we are looking forward to heading to Bathurst,” Sinclair told Speedcafe.com.
“We circuit tested it at Winton and couldn’t see a thing so we are expecting a minuscule adjustment but nonetheless it all helps.
“The balance hasn’t changed. All the running we did at Winton, the drivers couldn’t feel it at all. The first change we did for Tailem Bend was a significant shift to the rear.
“This one doesn’t change (that) but maintains the same overall downforce.
“There is a little bit of a drag reduction which will either allow us to run a bit more wing to make it stable across the top (of the mountain) or if the car is stable we will be able to pull a bit of wing off.
“It just gives us a bit more of a tuning tool, it is certainly not bolt on speed.
“We did a few back-to-back (tests) on one car and it did prove to be fruitful. It was what we were expecting.
“Hopefully as the speeds increase we will see a little bit of a performance gain but it is what it is, so we have got to get on with it.”
While boosted by the aero adjustment that follows tweaks made to the Holden Commodores last time out at Pukekohe, Sinclair is fully aware his team will continue to face a stern challenge at Mount Panorama.
Although, the squad heads to Bathurst buoyed following a decision to alter its Great Race preparations.
“If you look at the season as a whole we are going to have a bit of work to do there is no doubt about that,” Sinclair added.
“We are not shying away from that and we have got to do all the things right.
“Some years the race comes to you if you do all the things right, but as we saw a few years ago if the quick guys don’t have any issues, then the race is a little bit out of reach all day. We can only control what we do, that is the reality.
“We are focussed on the little things and we feel like we have had really good preparation. We have done a few things a bit differently this time around.
“We have changed the way we go about our preparation and we feel that has helped us up to this point. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
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