Another Gen3 Supercar has lost a wheel while cutting laps at Sandown, this time during the post-event ride day.
Less than 24 hours after Garth Tander crashed a Grove Racing Mustang when he lost a left-rear wheel as he negotiated the esses, Speedcafe has learned that a wheel parted company from a Chevrolet Camaro today.
According to an eyewitness, the car went straight ahead at Turn 2 while the errant wheel bounced over the sound barrier at Turn 4.
While the incident caused an interruption to proceedings of approximately half an hour, whatever damage the car might have incurred was presumably minor in nature, considering it is back on-track now.
Nevertheless, the development is a concerning one considering the unknowns surrounding the Tander incident.
Grove Team Principal David Cauchi told Speedcafe on Sunday night, “It was a loose wheel nut, or the wheel nut came off.
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“So, we’ve got to look into that a little bit further and try and understand why.
“But yeah, unfortunately, another wheel nut.”
A Grove Mustang also lost a wheel during shakedown running in February, an incident which preceded a series of revisions to the spec of the new-for-2023 nuts, which are a control part.
Cauchi assured Speedcafe that it was not a team error which contributed to its Sandown drama.
“It’s not finger trouble as such,” he stated.
“The guys followed the process. The nut was torqued and it was marked – we can see all of that – so, exactly why it’s come undone, we honestly don’t know right now.”
Speedcafe is aware of which team was involved in today’s incident, but has chosen not to name it for the time being, on the basis that the cause is presently unknown.
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