The category has returned to the high-tech facility in North Carolina to homologate the Toyota Supra, which is being tested alongside a refined Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro.
Supercars is working with homologation teams Walkinshaw Andretti United (Toyota), Triple Eight (Ford) and Team 18 (Chevrolet) at the rolling road tunnel, testing at up to 300km/h.
Edwards reported “pretty good progress so far” with “no surprises” following extensive preparation work in CFD and information from the category’s previous visits in late 2023 and early 2024.
“When we leave here we will have aero parity,” he declared.
“There’s a lot of work between now and when we finish, it’s a huge program, they’re long days.
“Every minute in the tunnel is valuable time. Every change, it’s all hands on deck.
“The one car that’s in the tunnel, mechanics from all three teams are in there working on it because there’s only one car that’s being focused on at that time. Every second matters.
“We will 100 percent have aerodynamic parity on all three cars in 2026.”
The Camaro was the first car in the tunnel late last week and has completed its duty as the baseline.
“It’s important, we haven’t been here for two years, just to understand where it is and make sure that the tunnel hasn’t changed,” explained Edwards.
“So it’s here and it gives everybody good confidence that we have got the right datum that we’re working to.
“It will be subtly different, no two cars are ever the same. If we got all eight, 10, 12 Camaros and put them in the tunnel, they’d all give you a fractionally different reading.”
The Mustang has undergone updates, including to its front undertray, at the request of Supercars in conjunction with new Blue Oval HT Triple Eight.
“There’s a few changes we’ve made to that at our direction because we want to try to commonise some areas that aren’t really seen from the public under the car, just so there is never a question mark over them, so there’s standardisation going on there,” said Edwards.
The Toyota, however, is where the bulk of the work is taking place in a bid to match it with the Camaro and Mustang.
The Supra is likely to look significantly different in its final homologated specification, with changes including revisions to its distinctive front facia.
“We have done the best job we could have balancing that in CFD, which is basically a computer version of the wind tunnel, but the proof is in the pudding when you actually put it in a 300km/h rolling road wind tunnel,” said Edwards.
Images from the wind tunnel released by Supercars have provided the first glimpse of WAU’s second Supra, which has been finished in grey at the behest of the category.
WAU’s first car was on track at Winton on Tuesday for more engine testing, with race drivers Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood turning their maiden Toyota laps.
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