Triple Eight, PremiAir reveal Gen3 testing plans

Triple Eight Race Engineering is set to test its first two Gen3 race cars for the first time on February 9.

A spokesperson for the Red Bull Ampol Racing team (Triple Eight) has confirmed that date to Speedcafe.com after it elected not to use today’s date at Queensland Raceway which Supercars had initially scheduled as the shakedown for Sunshine State-based teams.

PremiAir Team Principal Matty Cook has also advised Speedcafe.com that it will be testing that day at the Ipswich venue.

Both homologation teams, namely Triple Eight for Chevrolet and Dick Johnson Racing for Ford, had ruled out using today’s shakedown date by last Friday, as first reported by Speedcafe.com.

Subsequently, Supercars announced that all teams will be afforded a “flexible testing program” given few, if any, would have had any cars ready to shake down either today or, in the case of southern-based competitors, at Winton on Wednesday.

As it stands, the Shell V-Power Racing Team (DJR) and Truck Assist Racing (Matt Stone Racing) will run Gen3 race cars for the first time on February 7.

Triple Eight and PremiAir, which have been working together on the build of their Chevrolet Camaros at the former’s Banyo facilities, will both head to the Ipswich circuit on February 9, the originally scheduled Queensland test day.

While the very first race track running for a car would ordinarily be a shakedown, and hence limited to 60km per car, Supercars has allowed teams unlimited kilometres for that activity.

The Blanchard Racing Team is thought most likely to make Wednesday’s booking at Winton, with the single Ford Mustang it will field in the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship.

If it does so, it could well be running alone, with none of the other Victorian teams or Brad Jones Racing, which is based across the New South Wales border in Albury, publicly committed.