The move to the Gen3 regulations in 2023 brought an end to the days of Triple Eight being able to sell upgraded parts to rival teams in the name of performance.
However, the fact the cars are now of a control specification has put a premium on the value of setup data and information.
Triple Eight sells customer support packages to PremiAir Racing, Matt Stone Racing and Brad Jones Racing, which joined the program midway through 2024 in a bid to improve its form.
A full Triple Eight support package is believed to cost close to $200,000 per year.
Speaking on the Drivers Only Podcast, Brown likened the Triple Eight data sharing system to that used in junior categories such as Super2.
In that case Supercars sends out basic data channels from the fastest car in each session for all others to learn from.
“That’s kind of what we do, but we supply a lot of our stuff, they get everything, setup, tyre pressures, everything, and we get that [from all customers] in return,” Brown explained.
That means data from 10 Camaros flowing into Tripe Eight and the information from its own cars being fed back out.
It’s a system that undoubtedly benefits Triple Eight, as well as those paying for the service.
“I feel like Triple Eight maybe back in the day, it wasn’t so much of an advantage for them,” Brown continued.
“It was about the money and about getting paid and they’d give out their setups.
“But now you’ve got people like [Nick] Percat, Cam Hill, even Richie [Stanaway] and [James] Golding are doing good jobs on the weekend, so you can look at their stuff and go ‘hey, where did they get us?’
“I think that’s even making the field closer because how many Triple Eight cars do you have out there now with Triple Eight setups?
“BJR now buy our set ups as well, I guess Team 18 has dropped off, but you’ve got a lot of guys out there rolling around with the same setup now.”
Triple Eight’s move from Chevrolet to Ford will break its existing customer relationships at the end of the 2025 season.
GM is planning to implement its own program in its place, stressing a more equitable system whereby the information is pooled by the manufacturer as an independent party.
MSR, PremiAir, Erebus Motorsport and Team 18 are set to be the only GM teams next year, with BJR off to Toyota.
Jones has hinted at a data tie-up with Walkinshaw Andretti United that will have both teams on equal terms, rather than what he dubbed the “master/slave type relationship”.
Whether Triple Eight picks up data customers on the Ford side is yet to be seen, although Brown hinted the Blue Oval squads may continue to go it alone.
“I would assume that they’re not going to do that now, I think that will die off a little bit,” he said.
“I think it affects us a little bit, because you look at the results Cam Hill and Nick Percat and that have had with our setup, would they be in the same scenario if Triple Eight weren’t supplying them?
“I don’t own the team, but you want the money coming in but you’re losing a few points from giving setups to other teams, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do next year.
“I haven’t exactly heard but I’d say they’re not going to sell to as many teams.”
With Tickford Racing, Grove Racing and Dick Johnson Racing operating independently, the only current tie-up on the Ford side is WAU’s support of the Blanchard Racing Team.
That tie was forged midway through 2024 and a strengthening of it, including the addition of guidance during the race weekend, was named as key to BRT’s improved form in Tasmania.
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