SUPERCARS is today embarking on the next step in its Gen3 parity program, amid renewed questions about the competitiveness of the Ford Mustang.
As revealed last week, the category is undertaking Centre of Gravity testing at Tickford Racing’s Campbellfield workshop with a range of cars today and tomorrow.
They are understood to include examples from all multi-car teams except Triple Eight customer PremiAir Racing and Matt Stone Racing.
Each has been fitted with a standardised setup for the testing, which had to date only been done in simulation due to the late completion of the Gen3 race cars.
While there has been some suggestion of the Camaros having lighter panels, any CoG difference is expected to be minor due to the spec nature of the overall package.
Action at Albert Park over the weekend though has resurfaced concerns about engine parity from the Blue Oval.
Multiple Mustang drivers commented on a lack of acceleration in high gears compared to the Camaros, which swept the weekend’s silverware.
Five Camaro drivers from three different teams shared each of the 12 podium positions across the weekend, while Sunday’s race was a top-five domination.
A challenging weekend for Ford teams also included dramatic engine fires for drivers Nick Percat and James Courtney on Friday and Saturday respectively.
“Certainly a tough weekend for Ford on several fronts, and one that we will analyse in the coming days,” said Ford’s Product Communications and Motorsport Manager Ben Nightingale.
“We will work with our teams to understand the reasons before we head to Perth.”
Fires aside, an action packed and at times chaotic series of races threw several major challengers at the leading Ford squads.
Chaz Mostert repeated his Newcastle effort to be the highest points scoring Ford driver for the weekend behind Brodie Kostecki, Shane van Gisbergen and Broc Feeney.
The Walkinshaw Andretti United driver though lost the championship lead after struggling with tyre life in the finale.
The weekend had started with pole position for Anton De Pasquale, marking a return to form for Ford’s homologation team Dick Johnson Racing.
Will Davison then crossed the finish line second in the Saturday race, before receiving a time penalty for a pitstop infringement.
“We were reasonable on the soft-compound tyre, but not quite quick enough on the hard tyre – at least compared to the Camaro,” surmised DJR boss Ben Croke.
“We had moments of being the best we could be, in terms of the Fords, including the last race where both cars ran strongly.”
There were few highlights at Tickford Racing, whose boss Tim Edwards noted of parity on Sunday: “Everybody saw what I saw. I don’t really need to say anything.”
A roller-coaster weekend for its spearhead Cam Waters left Thomas Randle its highest Albert Park points scorer; the second-best Mustang and seventh overall.
“We did pretty well in the Mustang Cup. But we’ve got a bit of work to do,” said Edwards.
Tickford has Ford’s only win of the season to date; Waters having been handed the Newcastle Race 1 victory after Triple Eight’s two Camaros were disqualified.
