The category has a Triple Eight Ford Mustang, Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro and Walkinshaw TWG Toyota Supra at Mount Panorama and four 30-minute slots in which to run them across Friday and Saturday.
While there’s been much focus on new player Toyota, Supercars’ data gathering is also about ensuring there’s straight line parity between the Mustang and Camaro.
Straight line speed was the big talking point at last year’s Great Race – in particular the ability for Camaro runners to tow up on Mustangs on Conrod in the race.
There was heated debate over whether that was due to engine – and the impact of barometric pressure at Bathurst – or aerodynamic factors.
“It’s a great opportunity to come here and understand where they’re at with the straight line,” Supercars motorsport boss Tim Edwards told Speedcafe.
“Obviously there’s been aero changes to the two incumbent cars and we’ve got a new car, so rather than wait until we come here for the 1000 kay race, we took the opportunity to do some straight line testing here and understand where the top speeds are of the car.
“That’s the main thing we’re here for.”
Triple Eight represented Ford at the Windshear wind tunnel last December as part of its new role as the Blue Oval’s homologation team, and has also taken over the Ford engine supply contract from Motorsport Powertrains.
Edwards said that minor changes to the Ford engine made by Triple Eight, which includes shifting the orientation of the throttle body and re-routing oil lines, are not related to performance.
“The spec of the engine is unchanged. Every performance part is the same,” he said.
While there are many question marks over the Toyota engine amid a rush to get five Supras on track, Edwards exuded confidence the new player will be on the money.
“Engine and aero, from the tools we’ve got in the wind tunnel and the dyno, they’re very close,” he said.
“Now we actually put them on track and see what the results are.”
The Supercars running at Bathurst follows time for all three cars on a rolling road chassis dyno at Matt Stone Racing last Sunday and track time at Queensland Raceway on Monday.
“The Sunday and Monday work was all about the engine deceleration,” explained Edwards.
“You’re wide open throttle up to 7,500rpm, then you back off, and the way the engine decelerates is one of our parity parameters.”
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