Tweaks were made ahead of Ruapuna and Symmons Plains in the name of shifting the aerodynamic balance of the Camaros rearward.
Supercars declared more changes could yet be made ahead of Darwin as it attempts to reduce the size of the ‘balance parity box’ that all models must fit into.
After initial frustration that the Ruapuna changes had not gone far enough, Team 18 praised the package run in Tasmania and is cautious about any further changes.
Team 18 put in a competitive showing on the Apple Isle, with David Reynolds on the podium in Race 1 and Anton De Pasquale finishing all three races inside the top six.
“We’re not gonna be greedy,” Burgess told Speedcafe.
“Yes, if you use their parity system, it triggered again this weekend. But I wouldn’t say we were uncompetitive.
Click here to find out how.
“The areas in the race [on Sunday] where we could have done a better job are our problems, they’re not their problems, so to speak.”
The changes to the Camaro were made after its performances across the first three rounds triggered the new parity review system that uses lap times and race results.
That new system allows Supercars to continue to refine any changes during the subsequent two rounds after being implemented.
“The parity number is a tricky one,” added Burgess.
“On Saturday [Matt] Payne put two on tyres, some of us put four on. The system shows there that he was driving to a number, just not really showing the true pace in the car.
“So it’s really hard to pick out whether there’s a parity problem or not, but at the moment, I wouldn’t say there is.
“I’d say we’ve just got to keep on improving now, we’ve got a package that is what we were after in the first place.”
The Camaro’s revised aero balance was signed off following off-season wind tunnel testing involving the modified Ford Mustang and new Toyota Supra.
Although the number was still inside the ‘balance parity box’, it seems neither Supercars nor Team 18 realised the impact the change would have on track.
Burgess said he empathised with Supercars’ position and its decision to only allow a partial change at Ruapuna.
“People are nervous about overshooting, understandably so,” said Burgess, who joined Team 18 in 2024 following a five-year spell as its head of motorsport.
“There’s maybe history that people overshot in the past, so they try not to do it again, but that didn’t help us.
“We knew the solution we needed and we presented the right evidence and the right CFD to back that up, but we didn’t get it because they were just conscious of getting it wrong.
“I understand. I’ve worn the white shirt [of Supercars management]. I know the pressure they’re under there, I know how the system works.
“We’re just happy now that we’ve finally got a car that feels right to the driver and our setups from the past sort of seem to have come back into play a little bit.”
Sixth-placed De Pasquale is currently the only GM driver in the top 10 of the championship standings, with next-best Jack Le Brocq of Matt Stone Racing down in 11th.
Discussion about this post