SUPERCARS’ parity saga is not going away, with Ford and its teams calling for immediate action to give them a shot at Bathurst.
It was all one-way traffic during Friday practice at the Sandown 500, fuelling concerns the Mustangs might be lapped on race day simply due to the Camaro’s superior performance.
A mid-event shift cut change helped the Fords recover some ground down the straights which, combined with set-up gains, made for slightly closer competition.
But there are pleas for change – and not of the band-aid variety – prior to the Repco Bathurst 1000, practice for which starts in 15 days’ time.
Front aero is reportedly on the agenda.
Of the Sandown 500, Ford Australia’s own post-race media release described how Blue Oval drivers “were faced with an uneven contest”.
Fresh from his first career start for Ford, Garth Tander weighed in.
“You can’t pass them down the straight, it’s just as simple as that,” the five-time Bathurst 1000 winner told V8 Sleuth, before adding the following.
“I think it’s evident that there’s a difference between the two cars and there’s still work to be done.”
His Grove Racing team principal David Cauchi declared change must come before Bathurst.
“Exactly what that will look like, I personally don’t know yet, but there’s definitely something that has to change for that event, for sure,” he told V8 Sleuth.
Fellow Ford team principal Tim Blanchard of the Blanchard Racing Team hopes Bathurst will be less Camaro-friendly but admits he’s unsure if that’s just wishful thinking.
“I’m hoping the difference between the cars will be less obvious at Bathurst than (at Sandown),” said Blanchard.
“Hopefully it’s not wishful thinking.
“There’s going to be an issue but hopeful it’s not as severe as what we have seen here.”
Grove Racing’s Matt Payne and Kevin Estre were the best-placed Ford pairing at Sandown in sixth, although misfortune did befall other leading Mustang combinations including David Reynolds/Tander and Cam Waters/James Moffat.
