V8 Supercars will pit Volvo’s S60 against Nissan’s Altima L33 and Ford’s Falcon FG this weekend as it completes aerodynamic homologation for the 2014 season.
The three-way straightline test is scheduled to get underway on Friday at the Royal Australian Air Force base in East Sale, Gippsland, Victoria.
V8 Supercars staff and team personnel will today undertake final preparation of the facility and the cars, which must run standardised suspension for the comparison.
The Nissan and Volvo teams have both undergone independent straightline running in recent weeks ahead of the East Sale test.
Volvo’s most recent hit-out occurred at Avalon Airport near Melbourne last Wednesday, where the car ran with its Polestar-developed engine for the first time.
Nissan’s aero kit is meanwhile being re-homologated following the team’s claims that last year’s package was producing more drag than its rivals.
Despite public criticism from the Japanese manufacturer during the season, the 200km/h coast-down aerodynamic testing process is said to remain unchanged from previous years.
Fellow 2013-newcomers Erebus declined an invitation from V8 Supercars to alter its aero package and is focussing on continuing its chassis and engine development at its Queensland factory.
As was the case last year, V8 Supercars’ own Ford Car of the Future prototype is being used as the baseline car for the testing.
The Ford’s package will not be altered as it is already matched against the Mercedes and the Commodore VF, which is not required at the test.
In a statement responding to Speedcafe.com’s enquiries, V8 Supercars general manager of motorsport, Damien White, emphasised the importance of the testing to the category.
“The aero test process is a crucial element of maintaining the technical integrity of the championship,” he said.
“Our testing process allows us to ensure aerodynamic parity.”
The statement added that “the outcomes of the aerodynamic evaluation will be assessed and the appropriate detail released once finalised in the days following the test”.
Teams from all five manufacturers will have representatives attending the test, which V8 Supercars says is closed to both the public and the media.
