A CRUCIAL test is underway to rescue Supercars’ steering woes before next month’s gruelling Sandown 500.
V8 Sleuth revealed that a post-event test would take place at The Bend, with Triple Eight’s involvement focusing on a steering rack fix.
Triple Eight knows as well as any team the issues being experienced, given Shane van Gisbergen endured a troubled OTR SuperSprint at The Bend.
“We have done five steering racks this weekend, we’ve run out,” van Gisbergen told the Fox Sports broadcast on Sunday afternoon.
“We got one off PremiAir (Racing, Triple Eight customer) for that last race.
“They all just feel so different. It’s a real shame, it’s a worry for Sandown, that’s for sure, for everyone.
“We’re not the only one having these problems but I just struggle to drive it.
“Andrew (Edwards, engineer) and my team, they have done a great job trying to make the car as good as possible.”
Triple Eight team principal and co-driver Jamie Whincup is playing a pivotal role in today’s program.
“We have got a few test racks that we’re going to run through and give (Supercars) as much data as we can to hopefully make some gains in that area for everybody, so fingers crossed we can find some gains,” Whincup told V8 Sleuth.
“I’ll be driving. I’ve done a few laps in these cars to know what’s good and bad, so hopefully we can find a silver bullet.”
Asked to clarify whether the chassis or steering rack was at the heart of the problem – noting that van Gisbergen moved into the team’s wildcard car prior to Sydney – Whincup conceded there is an element of mystery.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a Triple Eight issue, it’s a category-wide thing where we’re all not happy with the steering,” he said.
“It’s the steering system, whatever that is.
“We’re going to try to get some more info on what it is: is it the pump? Is it the rack? Is it the column?
“We don’t actually know so we have just got to do some proper testing to work out what’s the issue between the steering wheel and the front wheels, including the pump, what’s the issue there and then nut it down.
“I’m sure we can make some big inroads which is going to help everybody.”
Van Gisbergen is second in the drivers’ championship, with Triple Eight also second in the teams’ standings.
