The 24-car field was due to undertake a full day of running on Sydney’s Gardner Circuit today ahead of the weekend’s race meeting on the same layout.
However, urgent track works at Turn 8 – which Supercars was only advised of on Monday – resulted in a rejigged schedule.
Supercars will run on Sydney’s short ‘Druitt’ circuit between 8:30am and 12:30pm today, before completing the second half of the test on the full circuit from 5:30pm to 9:30pm Thursday night.
The compromise was struck so that teams still get some running on the full circuit, but only once the new Turn 8 tarmac has had more time to cure.
Team 18 veteran David Reynolds, though, said the Wednesday running on the 2.8km Druitt circuit, which is normally only used by Supercars for ride days, will be of no value.
“My personal opinion is that it’s a complete waste of time,” Reynolds told Speedcafe.
“You can do Sector 1, but then the last sector you arrive at warp speed and it’s not the track.
“They should have run all day Thursday or given us more practice on Friday to make up for it.
“Years gone past we’ve always had our own test days. We can do it Winton and QR (Queensland Raceway). You are in control of your own destiny.”
Teams with the most to lose are arguably those trying to learn new packages, which includes Triple Eight following its switch from GM to Ford.
Triple Eight star Broc Feeney dubbed the situation “very disappointing”.
“It is obviously a shame, I don’t know how much value there is now doing too much [running today],” said Feeney.
“How much can you learn? Maybe three, four corners, maybe do some process stuff.
“It’s disappointing. You get two days a year, we don’t get to choose where they are now, and we’re on a ride day track.”
Regardless of the value of today’s laps, all eyes will be on the five Toyotas to see how they match up against the field for the first time.
Walkinshaw TWG Racing’s Ryan Wood has had limited running in the Supra to date and suggested today will now largely be about ergonomics.
“As long as I’m comfy in the car, that’ll be the biggest thing, and then we’ll work on developing the set up and everything like that Thursday night when we’re on the full track,” he said.
“Obviously it’s a day later and a couple of hours different, but I don’t think it hurts us too much. We’ll just focus on what we’re doing.”
While Wood and his fellow Toyota drivers are cautious in predicting how their cars will stack up, Feeney expects the Supras to be on the money.
Parity testing involving a Team 18 Camaro, Triple Eight Mustang and Walkinshaw Supra at Bathurst last week included running nose-to-tail for multiple laps.
“It certainly wasn’t slower than us and that’s the first time it’s hit the track,” said Feeney of the Toyota’s performance at Bathurst, where all cars ran with a Supercars-supplied set up.
“I have no doubt they’ll be very competitive. The thing looks fast. It’s very different [to the Mustang and Camaro].
“It’ll be interesting. I feel like we’ve got a huge learning curve, they’ve got an even bigger one, but I’ve got no doubt they’ll be fast to start the season.”
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