Ahead of the AirTouch 500 at The Bend, the Supercars paddock is once again buzzing with parity talk. Speedcafe understands Supercars and General Motors representatives are still in discussions over a last-minute fix for the underperforming Camaro.
The trigger was a disappointing outing at the Ipswich Super440 last weekend. Not a single Chevrolet driver made it into Sunday's Shootout, prompting fresh complaints from drivers. GM is known to have pushed for aero changes to its Camaro, following the lackluster results.
This isn't the first time the Camaro has received adjustments. Earlier this season, the car got an aero balance tweak ahead of Ruapuna, which was further refined before the next round at Symmons Plains. Supercars initially waved away subsequent parity triggers, but is now said to be committed to acting before the cutoff for changes ahead of the endurance races.
Unsurprisingly, the news hasn't gone down well with the Ford camp. Jamie Whincup, boss of Ford homologation team Triple Eight, labeled any further changes to the Camaro as “outrageous.” “The results aren't what they are because of [a lack of] parity. 1000 percent it's not that,” he told Speedcafe.
Whincup said his “blood was boiling” after Chevrolet was allowed two changes earlier this year, just months after multi-million dollar wind tunnel testing was run. The reintroduction of a results-based parity trigger system this year appears to have blurred the line between sporting and technical parity. A trigger requires Supercars to launch an investigation, but action can only be taken if a quantifiable technical discrepancy is found.
Triple Eight switched from Chevrolet to Ford this year, taking over homologation duties for the Blue Oval, with Team 18 stepping in on the GM side. Supercars works with its CFD partner Dynamique, as well as manufacturer and homologation team representatives, on any in-season changes.
Interestingly, this aero debate is a reversal of what happened 12 months ago, when Ford teams received sign-off for parity changes just days before The Bend. Those adjustments were aimed at reducing drag, but also altered the Mustang's balance. Mustang runners subsequently swept the podium at The Bend, won a wet Bathurst 1000, and took the drivers' title in the inaugural Finals Series. Now, will history repeat for the Camaro? We'll find out soon.
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