GM is on the search for a new homologation team to replace Ford-bound Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Though it is not the only team on GM’s radar, it’s understood the US giant approached Grove Racing about becoming the homologation team.
However, the Melbourne-based squad has no interest in cutting its ties to Ford.
Fundamentally, there are several reasons for sticking with Ford. The cost associated with the switch would be exorbitant in Grove’s eyes, whether that’s to Chevrolet or even Toyota.
Grove also sees benefits in Triple Eight making the move to Ford and what impact it’ll have on his team.
Add to that, Ford has certainty in its Mustang platform for the foreseeable future. GM, meanwhile, has a significant question mark attached given the demise of the Camaro platform and no clear replacement looming.
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“There’s been a lot of change and there’s a lot of discussion in pit lane about where teams are going,” Grove told Speedcafe.
“Our allegiance is to Ford and long term we want to continue to grow the relationship.
“I’m super excited about Triple Eight taking on the homologation part of the Ford business.
“That’s good for us. We’ll have the same equipment and we’ve just got to get out there on the weekend and race them as hard as we can.”
Behind the scenes, Grove had grown frustrated with incumbent Ford homologation team Dick Johnson Racing.
He sees the switch to Triple Eight as a positive, despite the added level of competition to be the front-running Ford team.
“We back ourselves – if we do a really, really good job on the weekend, we should be up the front,” Grove explained.
“If they’re up the front, that means that they’ve done a really good job. If they’re not up the front, it means they haven’t.
“They are the benchmark. They’ve been the benchmark for as long as I can remember, so it’s exciting that we can work together, we can help them where we need to help them to get the car where we think it needs to be, and then we can go racing and race as hard as we possibly can.”
It’s understood Grove Racing was looked at by Toyota, but with little in the way of financial incentives to make the multi-million dollar move, the Braeside squad said no.
Nevertheless, Grove is pleased to see GM by way of Chevrolet commit to Supercars long-term and Toyota take a vested interest in the championship.
“The most exciting thing for me is our alliance is with Ford and it’s great with Triple Eight, but it’s so great to have Toyota enter our series,” he said.
“It’s one of the better things that has happened for the last 20 years. It’s great to have another manufacturer and we have GM that have now committed to being in the sport.
“So you know on a Sunday or a Saturday we go racing and we’ve got three manufacturers, so that’s what’s exciting for me.”
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