Fix mooted for ‘scary’ Supercars wheel issue

Interlocking wheels has been a problem throughout the Gen3 era thanks to the aggressive spoke design that allows rims to catch on each other during battle.

The issue has grown in prevalence this year given the series has moved to free up its racing rules and promote harder, door-to-door battles.

Brodie Kostecki shone a light on the wheel matter after his bruising encounter with Chaz Mostert in Taupo that left both cars with wheel damage, and Kostecki’s Mustang with significant suspension damage as well.

While a more sensible design may seem like a simple solution, the sheer cost of enough replacement rims to cover the entire category is a significant sticking point.

That has led to Kostecki suggesting an interim fix – buying enough re-designed rims to use in races, while practice and qualifying takes place on the current rims.

“I’ve been very vocal about [the rim design],” Kostecki told the Drivers Only podcast.

“Ever since Bathurst last year when we had that meeting… when the [Finals] format got announced, I was pretty vocal about that.

“And I think I got told that the team owners won’t want to do it because it’s going to cost them like 40 or 50 grand.

“But every time there’s a wheel to wheel contact, there’s a car on the jig.”

Kostecki continued: “Whether or not they bring some new wheels in and just use them for racing, so we can qualify or practice on the old ones and race on the new ones.

“Especially with this new format, the Super 440, where there’s such tight turnarounds.

“That race I had with Chaz, we had to replace every single suspension arm and Chaz was missing three spokes, my wheel was missing the whole edge, it tore a clevis out of the chassis and all sorts of stuff.

“We’d have more side-by-side racing if the wheels were better.”

Triple Eight driver Broc Feeney agreed that the current wheel situation doesn’t work.

“It’s pretty scary when you come out of a corner and you’re next to someone,” he said. “You’re sort of just hoping…

“You’re waiting for the wheel just to explode on you.”