SUPERCARS’ move to a longer drop gear ratio at next month’s Repco Bathurst 1000 will improve reliability in the first Gen3 Great Race.
There is plenty of excitement about the new-for-2023 Mustangs and Camaros potentially cracking the magical 300km/h barrier down Conrod Straight, thanks to a mix of factors including decreased drag and the specified drop gear ratio (0.909 instead of 0.931).
Whether the 300km/h number actually eventuates remains to be seen, but what is more assured is that the move will ease the strain on engines.
“Definitely reliability would be a big factor as I assume they think we’d be heavily on the limiter with the original drop gear,” one leading engineer told V8 Sleuth.
“As a by-product you get more top speed but I’m sure Supercars want cars to finish, not break the land speed record at this point in time.”
Another race-winning engineer told V8 Sleuth: “It’s more about reliability than the top speed.
“I guess Supercars is concerned about hitting the limiter and being on the limiter for a long period of time.
“I think with the drag and everything and the reduced torque with that drop gear ratio in sixth gear, I don’t know if you will necessarily run that gear out anyway, so top speed is still questionable, whether or not you will get to what is theoretically the top speed.
“It’s more about keeping the car off the limiter than it is about the top speed.”
Before the Mount Panorama classic (October 5-8) will be the Sandown 500 this weekend.
