There are set to be tweaks to the Camaro Supercar’s engine installation after an opening-lap prang at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 caused an unusual throttle drama for Macauley Jones.
The Brad Jones Racing driver was one of the innocent victims of a messy, multi-car incident as the field ran through the Turn 4 hairpin for the first time in Race 26 of the Repco Supercars Championship.
Team owner Brad Jones has now explained in his latest tech video that the impact damaged the engine plumbing in a manner which, it is thought, essentially had the effect of jamming the Pizza Hut Camaro’s throttle at least partway open.
That is because Gen3-spec engines predominantly use production/off-the-shelf components, a single throttle body rather than eight individual butterflies, and drive-by-wire instead of a cable throttle.
“What happened with Macauley’s car is, when he got a hit at the front, it bent the rail, and … this is all so rigid,” said Brad Jones.
“Once it takes a hit and it moves all this across, it uncouples all this and lets the air rush in.
“When the air rushes in – and doesn’t go through the restrictor – this sensor starts pouring fuel into the engine, so it gives you the feeling that the throttle’s jammed open.
“I’m not sure that it’s 100 percent [throttle equivalent], but it certainly gives you an increase.”
According to Jones, KRE Race Engines, which supplies all of the Chevrolet teams, is looking at solutions to try and prevent a repeat of the drama.
“It’s a bit of an unusual problem but it’s something that we’re going to be working on in the future and make it so, when anyone does have an accident, they can get the car back to the pits,” he added.
That may yet be something which is looked at on the Ford Mustangs also.
Notably, Macauley Jones reported that the other two cars left stranded in the collision sounded as though they were on-throttle as well, one being the Camaro of Tim Slade and the other being a Mustang driven by James Courtney.
