No decision on Ford, GM until MSR gets Gen3 clarity

Matt Stone Racing says it cannot make a call on whether it will switch to Ford or stick with General Motors until it gets a clearer picture of Gen3.

Supercars was set to debut Gen3 at the start of 2022, though that has been pushed back to midway through the season. There are still some fears in the paddock even that won’t be possible.

As yet, the Gen3 prototype has not begun on-track testing in earnest, though Chevrolet Camaro homologation team Triple Eight Race Engineering has begun testing of the new KRE Race Engines-built 5.7-litre GM engine.

The 5.4-litre Ford engine is a relatively known quantity for Mustang homologation team Dick Johnson Racing and engine builder Mostech Race Engines.

Dick Johnson Racing director Ryan Story recently revealed the engine had the best part of 10 years under its belt having been developed and run extensively.

Earlier this year Matt Stone Racing revealed it was investigating a shock switch to Ford, which could see the reunion of two family names with the Blue Oval. 

For team boss Matt Stone, uncertainty surrounding the Gen3 programme means the Yatala-base squad hasn’t committed one way or the other.

“Unfortunately, all things Gen3 have kind of been put on the back burner a little bit,” he told Speedcafe.com.

“I wouldn’t see us being able to make any decisions around Gen3 until there’s a far clearer picture around it.

“We’ve essentially put all those sorts of things just on hold while we look at what’s in front of us.

“Obviously there’s so much talk about this ownership change and does that change things?

“We’re just kind of going; well, until we can get an idea on some of these things we really can’t make any commitments. I’m sure manufacturers and everyone else is in a similar position.”

As it stands, the team will begin the 2022 season with at least two Holden ZB Commodores.

The team has sought to expand to three cars with a bid for another Racing Entitlements Contract.

However, that process was kiboshed by Supercars who denied the Yatala-based team the opportunity to acquire an additional licence.

The team is still targeting a third Racing Entitlements Contract and is preparing itself for that with the planned conversion of a Super2 Series Holden Commodore from VF to ZB configuration.

Asked what he was waiting on beyond the specification before committing to a manufacturer, Stone replied, “That it’s definitely going ahead as planned.

“There’s obviously a growing number of people who are starting to doubt that, I gather.

“There’s the engine specifications being finalised at a manufacturer level.

“And the big wildcard is the new owner; who are they and what’s their view on Gen3?”

Supercars is targeting an October testing roll-out of its Gen3-specification Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang prototypes.

If Matt Stone Racing does indeed switch to Ford, that could see an almost even split between the Blue Oval and Bow Tie, pending any other manufacturer shifts.