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The series this week took stock of chassis ARC-888-134 ahead of the Gold Coast 500 where the mini Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros will race.
The deal will allow the series to leverage Triple Eight’s engineering know-how out of its Banyo base, north of Brisbane.
“At Triple Eight, we specialise in advanced manufacturing and take pride in our long history in the motorsport industry,” said Triple Eight team principal Jamie Whincup.
“Race car chassis design and construction are at the heart of what we do, and we truly enjoy the challenges that come with it.
“Working with Brad and the talented team at ARC has been a fantastic experience.
“We collaborated closely to reverse-engineer their current design, ensuring that we produced a product that meets the highest standards of quality and performance.
“Looking ahead, we’re excited about the prospect of continuing our partnership with Brad and ARC.
“While Supercar components represent only a small part of our work today, we’re actively exploring opportunities in various other sectors.
“That said, our passion for motorsport remains strong, and it’s always a pleasure to contribute to this vibrant industry.
“We can’t wait to see where our journey takes us next!”
Aussie Racing Cars CEO Brad Ward revealed he spoke with series owner Tony Quinn – who is a shareholder in Triple Eight – about how the series could innovate.
Now in its 24th season, the series has remained relatively unchanged with silhouettes the only fundamental change to the motorbike-powered single-seater.
The Triple Eight-built chassis is built largely to the same specification as the existing Aussie Racing Cars machines but to Supercars standards.
“With strong demand for new Aussie Racing Car vehicles and in light of record grid numbers, Tony and I knew it was becoming more important than ever to review our product, look at ways to refresh it while ensuring that we secured the world’s best suppliers to support us,” said Ward.
“Triple Eight is by far the leader in engineering excellence and has the capability to support us with world-class design and fabrication expertise.
“The team’s Banyo facility is incredible. They’ve got some of the best machinery and the best minds in the business and when the idea of getting them to engineer and manufacture our chassis surfaced, I just knew we had to do it.”
Triple Eight Race Engineering opened a workshop on Depot Street in recent years to expand its capacity.
“It’s been an exciting few months working with George Murray (head of advanced manufacturing) and James Xiberras (head designer) as they worked through the reverse engineering piece, designed and built the chassis jig and constructed the first T8 ARC chassis,” said Ward.
“While the T8 chassis is by and large built to the same spec as existing ARCs, the team were able to incorporate improved accuracy into the build process and utilise technology such as advanced 3D modelling and even robotic welding techniques – and all of these improvements will translate into a direct on track benefit for teams who transition to the new chassis.
“I’m really proud and excited to work with Jamie and the T8 team and I’m looking forward to rolling out further T8 components in the coming year.”
