Walkinshaw TWG trumpeted a Finals-focused approach last year, declaring it had used regular season events as testing for the events that would decide the title.
Triple Eight and its star driver Broc Feeney dominated the bulk of the 2025 season but was overrun by Walkinshaw and its eventual champion Chaz Mostert in the Finals.
Both teams have a new challenge again this year after switching marques in the off-season: Triple Eight from GM to Ford and Walkinshaw from Ford to the all-new Toyota.
Feeney said in the aftermath of a tough round in Darwin that his team needs to focus on the end-of-year events.
“Probably at the stage of the season we need to start using these next events as some test days — get ready for the end of the year,” Feeney said.
“I think we need to start trying some new things and learning a bit more.”
While Feeney was also slowed by a straight line speed issue in Darwin, Triple Eight blamed its lacklustre form on the fact it’s still exploring the Mustang package.
Team manager Mark Dutton stressed to Speedcafe the squad is “still learning the tuning tools” that its fellow Ford squads have already worked out.
Supercars’ move to abolish the already limited private testing last year means all teams must do their learning on race weekends.
“Whilst you obviously want to have your A-game for the Finals, every team is still trying to maximise each weekend, because that’s how you also maximise your learning,” said Dutton.
“So for sure, we definitely have an eye on the end of the season, but we aren’t doing anything massively differently because of that.
“If we get on top of the car now, the sooner the better, so that you are fine-tuning it, not just doing big swings every weekend and then getting to the Finals and saying, ‘OK, now let’s fine-tune it’.
“You want to be fine-tuning well before then.”
Feeney said the team had “stepped out of the box a little bit more” than usual on the Sunday in Darwin in a bid to rescue its weekend.
Dutton confirmed that sentiment but stressed the team’s philosophy remains wedded to maximising results at every circuit.
“It always has to be measured, because you still have to go racing,” he said.
“We don’t throw the kitchen sink at it and do a hero or zero type move. So while we take big swings, they’re always measured.
“Then after the weekend, you do have to dissect everything and really analyse it.
“Inevitably at a weekend, you’ll do multiple setup changes at the same time, which is a necessary evil, but it does mean you do have to try and dissect and understand what each change did.
“Then you know where the sensitivities are and what’s the go-to tuning knobs.”
The season continues this weekend at the NTI Townsville 500 on July 10-12.
Supercars Townsville 500 – Schedule, how to watch, TV times, & more
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