EXPECT to see teams quickly converge in how they set up a Gen3 Supercar – that’s the prediction of 2010 champion James Courtney.
Competitors have already been keeping a close eye on one another throughout pre-season, even as simply as allocating personnel to time rivals’ laps at private tests.
Although Supercars’ move to more controlled parts means less scope for major differences between cars, there still may be some copycat efforts to come.
“I don’t think anyone could predict anything or have any real understanding of what the form guide is going to be until we get to Newcastle and have a couple of races,” Courtney told V8 Sleuth ahead of testing today at Winton.
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“But even then, I think after the first couple of rounds everyone is going to be watching very closely what everyone else is doing and copying each other with set-ups and what they can eyeball engineer.
“That’s going to be interesting to see and also tyre wear with the new car and refuelling now and with the wheel nut issues we have got with the pitstops is going to be interesting when we get to Newcastle as well.
“There’s a lot that’s going to be playing out not only over the next couple of weeks but throughout the season.”
Courtney is joined at Winton today by teammate Declan Fraser, as well as two cars from each of Walkinshaw Andretti United, Grove Racing and Team 18.
It’s an important day for the Tickford duo, Courtney having missed a chunk of dry running at Sydney Motorsport Park last week due to a power steering failure and Fraser having been absent altogether due to illness.
As well as performance lessons, Courtney says there are still plenty of finer details to tidy up.
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“There’s little things like drink buttons on the wrong side that we’re trying to get transferred over to the other side so that whilst we’re racing we can drink,” he said.
“Because you need your left hand to change gears in a straight so you can’t activate the drink button.
“It seems like an insignificant sort of issue at the moment but 230km into the first race on Saturday after hanging onto these things – they’re a lot harder to drive – you’re going to be pretty thirsty so hydration is going to be pretty important so that you make the right conscious decisions and not tear any cars up.
“We’re addressing all of those little things.”
