GROVE Racing’s Garth Tander believes some of his Chevrolet rivals did not put their best foot forward on the opening day of the Repco Bathurst 1000.
Race week at Mount Panorama has been dominated by parity discussions, with Ford’s push for use of an upgraded aerodynamic package officially rejected just hours before Practice 1.
Erebus Racing Chevrolet Camaros subsequently topped both Thursday practice sessions, directly followed by a Grove Mustang on both occasions.
In Practice 1, Will Brown recorded a 2:05.9653s to be 0.0071s clear of Grove rookie Matt Payne.
David Russell then set the fastest time of the day in the Practice 2 session for co-drivers only, his 2:05.6826s a hefty 0.6525s quicker than second-placed Tander.
Richie Stanaway was the next-fastest Camaro co-driver in third, 0.7016s from the pace, while his Triple Eight teammate Jamie Whincup was over a second adrift in sixth.
Quizzed on the parity topic in the post-practice press conference, Tander initially played a straight bat.
“We’re going to do exactly what we did at Sandown and focus on our own performance and focus on making our car as quick as it can be, and then see what happens on Sunday,” he said.
When asked if the fact Mustangs were second in both Thursday sessions allays any fears over how competitive the Fords can be at Bathurst, Tander said, “it’s Thursday”.
He then added pointedly: “I think there’s a few of a particular brand of car that are running very, very heavy at the moment.”
While Ford’s aerodynamic change has been rejected, Supercars has altered shift cut timings between the two marques midway through recent events and could do so again at Bathurst.
Tander, though, admitted there’s plenty left to unlock with the setup of the #26 Grove Racing Mustang that he shares with David Reynolds.
Regardless of manufacturer, teams are having to learn what the new lower downforce Gen3 cars and the move to a Soft tyre means for car set-ups.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do with the car, it’s very, very nervous in the rear, so a lot to do to improve the car overnight which hopefully we can do,” he said.
“But the session went well, just learning the aero effect across the top of the Mountain.
“I actually think the cars have got more grip at ‘the tree’ (Reid Park) and the Esses, down through the Dipper.
“I think that’s the Soft tyre working, so just understanding the difference in the tyre compound, how that contributes to lap time versus the lack of downforce.
“(There’s) a lot to look at tonight.”
A further two practice sessions will take place on Friday ahead of qualifying.
