Ford and Chevrolet teams have shared the honours on a controversial opening day of practice at the Bathurst 1000 in New South Wales.
Late in the evening prior to the 26 cars taking to the Mount Panorama track last-minute changes were approved for the Ford Mustangs in the event, which have caused some comments and finger-pointing in the pitlane.
Supercars conducted some assessments at its engine shop in the week prior to the teams and advised the three Supercars homologation teams – Team 18 (Chevrolet), Triple Eight (Ford) and Walkinshaw WTWG – that the Ford motor was deemed to suffer a loss of as much of 12 horsepower (on a 630-640hp output) at altitude.
So Supercars ordered a change be made for Mount Panorama, with its air restrictor made 2mm bigger and a ECU-driven change to camshaft timing, before a reset to the previous specification for the next round on the Gold Coast later in October.
The Chevrolet Camaro has also undergone a recent parity adjustment but to the ballast carried on the cars’ rollcage, with a 0.8kg/1lb weight replacing the previous 4.4kg/8lbs weight.
With a change so late in the buildup to on-track action there were some harsh comments, in particular from Team 18 team manager Adrian Burgess.
“It’s a little bit disappointing to be honest, seeing we were having this conversation 12 months ago and it’s 9:20 the night before we’re on track that we receive the first bit of information,” he said.
“So it’s all I can really say at the moment. There’ll be further meetings going on… but no idea on resolution, outcomes or anything like that yet.”
Once the cars took to the track, honours were shared between the makes and Ford and Chevrolet. Kai Allen topped the first session in Grove Racing’s Ford Mustang with a time of 2m05.8586s, before Lochie Dalton went within 0.02s of matching it in the second, co-driver only session in the Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro.
On a dusty and what some drivers described as a dirty Mount Panorama circuit, teams mostly focused on getting miles for the co-drivers and bedding in brakes, as the track grips up in the coming Practice and Qualifying sessions on Friday.
Allen was well clear of the opposition in the opening session, almost a quarter-second ahead of the Chevrolets of Jayden Ojeda (PremiAir Racing) and veteran David Reynolds, who waited until the end of the session to fit grippier rubber to the Team 18 Camaro.
In the afternoon session Dalton, in his second appearance in the race, just shaded the vastly experienced due of Scott Pye (Triple Eight) and Tim Slade (Grove Racing). Ford Dalton it was a meritorious effort, as he is also driving in the second-tier Super2 events at the track but in a Ford Mustang, for the Blanchard Racing Team.
James Courtney was fourth fastest in the Reynolds Camaro, ahead of teammate in former race winner Lee Holdsworth.
It was a difficult day for the Toyota teams, with the GR Supra making its Bathurst 1000 debut in the event. In neither session did any of the Toyotas make it into the first half of the field, with the lead Chaz Mostert/Fabian Coulthard Supra 17th and nearly two seconds away as the team deal with a green track.
The second session was little better, with Jordan Boys best of the Toyota drivers in 15th ahead of Brad Jones Racing teammate Bryce Fullwood. The WTWG cars of Coulthard and Jaxon Evans were well back as the team dealt with a number of issues, including some brake problems with the two cars.
The cars will be back in action Friday, with two more Practice session and the all-important 40-minute Qualifying session.
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