2022 Repco Supercars ChampionshipTouring Cars

[Twisteddrift]

The sport as we know it is dead once this season ends. Sure we'll go into new era where hopefully the competition is good and gives us something else to talk about... sensibly.

Jokes aside. Ford vs Holden is gone when the checkered flag falls in Adelaide, and it'll be the end of the this unbelievable era. Sorry to be grim but that's how I see it.

 

[FPV MIC]

Ford vs Holden is gone when the checkered flag falls in Adelaide, and it'll be the end of the this unbelievable era. Sorry to be grim but that's how I see it.

That time started for me with the demise of Ford Australia and ended when the last VFII rolled off the production line. The cars have had little to do with the series I once knew since the demise of the (loosely based on) Aussie built cars were no more. Opeldore vs Mutantstang has not been the same... not even close.

For me it will be remembered as the era when bending the rules was king. I just hope this attitude will be gone with the introduction of Gen 3.

 

[05XR8]

Yeah, just hope the racing is good next season.

 

[ScottPuss20]

That time started for me with the demise of Ford Australia and ended when the last VFII rolled off the production line. The cars have had little to do with the series I once knew since the demise of the (loosely based on) Aussie built cars were no more. Opeldore vs Mutantstang has not been the same... not even close.

For me it will be remembered as the era when bending the rules was king. I just hope this attitude will be gone with the introduction of Gen 3.

So I'm not the only one who thinks that Supercars has lost it's way.

 

[05XR8]

So I'm not the only one who thinks that Supercars has lost it's way.

Part of the reason I sat out these past seasons. I seriously hope Gen3 will begin to right the series. Regardlesss of what team use what car.
The cars have the look. The powers at the top are saying they have the sound. Drivers of the Camaro seem iffy about visibility & comfort levels. There should be no fakery. The c
Camaro is a real Camaro. The Mustang is a real Mustang. Retro liveries will look cool. The grid should have a nostalgic appearance each event. I’ll be more than happy to buy a tv package again, if the racing reminds me of pre-Gen2 era.

 

[Spacegoat]

Retro liveries will look cool.

The old HRT liveries are going to look great on the Mustang.

 

[FPV MIC]

The old HRT liveries are going to look great on the Mustang.

Spoiler: I can picture it already!

 

[Spacegoat]

And official.



Edit: Is it too early to call Gen3 a failure? I mean one of the big talking points about Gen3 was that it was designed to be attractive to new players. Should be a bit concerning that one of the biggest teams on the grid were unable to bring someone new into the series.

 

[05XR8]

I hope Ryn breaks the silence about who WAU were talking to. Maybe Ford’s investment(not too sure of commitment) is too great to pass up. Kia? Hyundai? Genesis? BMW? Jaguar? Maybe those packages weren’t as great as running Fords. I guess this move does put GM on notice. Whether GM care enough or not.

 

[05XR8]

One more thing, with the new GT3 & GT4 Mustangs debuting next year, wonder if Zak Brown will also switch in that category. GT racing are not factory backed programs and he doesn’t need to switch, but it’d be interesting if he did.

 

[Spacegoat]

I hope Ryn breaks the silence about who WAU were talking to. Maybe Ford’s investment(not too sure of commitment) is too great to pass up. Kia? Hyundai? Genesis? BMW? Jaguar?

I'd guess there's probably non disclosure agreements between them and the other manufacturers they talked to. It would be nice to know though.

I guess this move does put GM on notice. Whether GM care enough or not.

Yeah, I'm not sure that they do. It'll be interesting to what happens over the next couple of years, if GM kills the Camaro off. Could be looking at an all Ford grid if no one else wants to join up.

 

[tankuroded]

Yeah, I'm not sure that they do. It'll be interesting to what happens over the next couple of years, if GM kills the Camaro off. Could be looking at an all Ford grid if no one else wants to join up.

Who knows, they could pull a DTM and switch to GT3 by that point.

 

[Spacegoat]

This rules out MSR switching as well.

Ford rules out adding sixth Supercars team

The Gen3 Ford Mustang prototype Matt Stone Racing will not make a long-touted switch to Ford for Supercars’ Gen3 era,

www.speedcafe.com

Who knows, they could pull a DTM and switch to GT3 by that point.

Yeah. They probably should have already gone that way. Either that or GT4.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Who knows, they could pull a DTM and switch to GT3 by that point.

Too many GT3 series already.

 

[ScottPuss20]

And official.



Edit: Is it too early to call Gen3 a failure? I mean one of the big talking points about Gen3 was that it was designed to be attractive to new players. Should be a bit concerning that one of the biggest teams on the grid were unable to bring someone new into the series.

I am disappointed that Walkinshaw couldn't bring a new manufacturer to the grid.

Also:

“If you look at Supercars over the last 10 years, I think there’s only one championship winner in the last 10 years that wasn’t a factory supported team, which is a good indication of the importance of being factory supported if you want to go and win championships,”

Herein lies the problem that the series has had for years now. There shouldn't be any factory-backed teams anymore, it should go down the route of GT3 where you have customer programs. Everyone gets the same car and the same amount of support for the entire season. Manufacturers have had too much of a say for too long and it's time they took a step back for the sake of fairness.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

As promising as Gen 3 sounds, DJR and Triple 8 are always going to have an unfair advantage with the way the manufacturing is setup. The building of the cars really should have been left up to an independent supplier.

 

[05XR8]

Since the recent news is making me comment a bit more,…this:

Despite WAU ultimately opting not to partner with a new marque, one of its three directors, Ryan Walkinshaw, believes there’s enough market interest to ensure Supercars does not remain a two-brand series forever.

I’m not even going to speculate(surprised? ) the interested parties. However, I guess it shows those outside, with the new ownership, the series is open to change. Should be good business moving forward.
I wouldn’t mind GT3 as a saviour, but beating the dead horse with a MARC Cars chassis, is still in the back of my mind.

In that same thought, if drivers were having a stink about paddle shifts alone, any other type of car won’t make them happy. The MARC I have stick shifts or paddles. The MARC II and the 2022 MARC GT( the upgrade to the MARC I) use paddles. The MARC I would solve all the current problems, regarding that independent supplier.

 

[FPV MIC]

As promising as Gen 3 sounds, DJR and Triple 8 are always going to have an unfair advantage with the way the manufacturing is setup. The building of the cars really should have been left up to an independent supplier.

Building and testing.

 

[Spacegoat]

Building and testing.

Think it's good at the very least that drivers from other teams have been allowed to participate in the testing. But it makes me wonder when teams will be allowed to start building and testing their own cars.

 

[FPV MIC]

Think it's good at the very least that drivers from other teams have been allowed to participate in the testing. But it makes me wonder when teams will be allowed to start building and testing their own cars.

For sure it's an improvement letting others drive the cars but it doesn't stop either homologation team influencing and designing the cars around their particular drivers style and engineering philosophies. This, to me, is possibly a bigger issue.

It shouldn't have been too hard to get a couple of good overseas test drivers with no GM or Ford affiliation to do the initial testing of both cars before our drivers get a go in the closer to final stages of the build. They could've still even let a few drive it briefly along the way but only have input in the general internal layout.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Given that Supercars owns both cars and those teams are only building/testing them, I don't think they would have much influence with designing the cars around their drivers.

 

[FPV MIC]

Given that Supercars owns both cars and those teams are only building/testing them, I don't think they would have much influence with designing the cars around their drivers.

Not that this is a particular issue because the cars should be able accommodating to all sorts of body shapes but they already have. SVG wasn't happy so they had the seat moved higher and more central and both cars have had to have the chassis modified because of it.

Can you honestly say that Adrian Burgess hasn't been influenced by Roland Dane on the technical developments of the Gen 2 and the aero package a number of times? He shouldn't have been able to but he most certainly did. And while I hope it will I honestly don't think for a minute that will change for Gen 3... not even with JW running T8 now.

I think both of the homologation teams still have plenty of pull when it comes to the direction of the development side of things.

 

[05XR8]

That’s what I was trying to recall about the design discussion getting Giz, Percat and Tander, to fit in the roll cages? The taller drivers?

 

[05XR8]

Grove Racing confirms Bathurst 1000 driver pairings

Brenton and Stephen Grove. Picture: Mark Horsburgh Grove Racing has officially confirmed to Speedcafe.com that Matt Payne and Matt Campbell

www.speedcafe.com

Holdsworth/Campbell seems strong.

 

[Spacegoat]

McLaughlin won't be returning here for Bathurst after all. With Will to team up with his brother once again.

McLaughlin’s Bathurst 1000 return ruled out

Scott McLaughlin. Picture: Joe Skibinski Scott McLaughlin will once again miss the Repco Bathurst 1000 this year, Speedcafe.com can confirm.

www.speedcafe.com

 

[Twisteddrift]

McLaughlin won't be returning here for Bathurst after all. With Will to team up with his brother once again.

McLaughlin’s Bathurst 1000 return ruled out

Scott McLaughlin. Picture: Joe Skibinski Scott McLaughlin will once again miss the Repco Bathurst 1000 this year, Speedcafe.com can confirm.

www.speedcafe.com

I don't think we'll see him race back here anytime soon. Not until he's wins everything over in the U.S.

And I personally believe we won't see him race again in Supercars ever again sadly.

 

[noshog]

I don't think we'll see him race back here anytime soon. Not until he's wins everything over in the U.S.

And I personally believe we won't see him race again in Supercars ever again sadly.

I think you are probably right (or close to it) on the first bit ... Hope you're wrong with the second !

I think we will see him again in Supercars but I think it'll be a few years at least.

 

[24HuresdeLoL]

And I personally believe we won't see him race again in Supercars ever again sadly.

Wasn't there a story not too long ago that he wasn't really looking at Supercars anymore anyway, since the whole paddock was supposedly against him? He was even quoted that if he did Bathurst, it'd be for DJR not Supercars.

 

[05XR8]

Huh?

Gen3 Supercars to undergo straight-line aero testing

The Gen3 Ford Mustang pictured last month at Phillip Island Supercars’ Gen3 prototypes will not make the trek to Winton

www.speedcafe.com

Thought this testing was put in the bin.

 

[Spacegoat]

Not sure how long Percat's contract with WAU is but I hope for his sake at least, that it's for more than one year. Have to say he's been a massive disappointment so far.