Supercars Teams Kick Off Pre-Season with Track Activities and Parity Testing
Supercars teams, including Triple Eight Racing and Dick Johnson Racing, have begun pre-season track activities and rookie tests at Queensland Raceway on February 9-10. These crucial sessions also served as a platform for Supercars officials to conduct parity evaluations across the Ford Mustang, Toyota Supra, and Chevrolet Camaro. Further testing is anticipated at Mount Panorama in the coming weeks.
Supercars officials utilized the February 9-10 sessions at Queensland Raceway to conduct pre-season engine and aerodynamic parity evaluations across the three manufacturer brands represented: Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet.
Pre-Season Track Activities Underway
Triple Eight Racing initiated its first track activity since transitioning to Ford at Queensland Raceway on February 9-10. This milestone followed the Red Bull Ampol Racing squad's new colors launch in Geelong, Victoria, on February 7, marking the initial laps for three new Triple Eight chassis.
February 9 included a rookie day for Jackson Walls, who joins the team in the SCT Motorsport customer entry, driving the #11 car. Red Bull Ampol Racing cars for Broc Feeney (#88) and Will Brown (#888) were also present. The #888 car was scheduled for its shakedown at the same venue on February 10, with additional rookie days featuring Jackson Walls and Zach Bates from Matt Stone Racing. The Queensland Raceway running was accessible to the public.
Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) conducted a shakedown for Brodie Kostecki's new #17 Mustang at Ipswich prior to these sessions. DJR also participated in a rookie test at Queensland Raceway on February 9 with Rylan Gray, who drove the #38 Mustang.
Other teams present at Queensland Raceway for shakedowns and evaluations included Walkinshaw TWG Racing with the #1 Chaz Mostert Toyota Supra and Matt Stone Racing with the #4 Jack Le Brocq Chevrolet Camaro.
Parity Testing and Ford Mustang Homologation
Supercars officials' pre-season engine and aerodynamic parity evaluations took place at Queensland Raceway across the Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet brands. Further comprehensive parity evaluations involving all three brands are scheduled at Mount Panorama during the Bathurst 12 Hour event the following weekend.
The 2026 specification of the Ford Mustang Supercar was finalized after extensive wind tunnel testing and analysis. Triple Eight Racing oversaw adjustments based on collaborative team feedback, ensuring the new design meets performance objectives. Grant McPherson, Grove Racing's technical director, highlighted that numerous parts are changing for the season's start due to the Mustang homologation. He noted that while these changes are not immediately aero-related, they align with valuable team input. Matty Roberts, Tickford Racing team manager, indicated a full understanding of the modifications and anticipated a stable platform for the new season.
Wind Tunnel Car DeploymentDetails regarding the wind tunnel cars used for testing purposes reveal their strategic deployment:
- Triple Eight's new race cars are distinct from the chassis previously sent to the Windshear wind tunnel for development.
- Team 18's wind tunnel car has returned to its Melbourne workshop and is designated for upcoming Bathurst parity testing before serving as the squad's spare and wildcard chassis.
- Walkinshaw air-freighted its wind tunnel car back from the US. This car will be utilized for further parity tests and subsequently become Chaz Mostert's race car for the season.
Manufacturer Representation
For the upcoming Supercars season, Ford is slated to have the highest manufacturer representation with five teams: Triple Eight, Grove Racing, Tickford Racing, Dick Johnson Racing, and the Blanchard Racing Team. General Motors will field four teams, and Toyota will have two.