There's always going to be complaints about inequality in this race, isn't there :fraz: : An article from SMH. Apologies if this is a repost.
Holden use the force, say Ford stars
Ford's chances of today breaking a six-year losing streak in the Bathurst 1000 for V8 supercars are made tougher by Holden's advantage in rear downforce, which makes the Commodore easier to drive flat out.
The annual Holden versus Ford stoush on Mount Panorama is not as even-handed as it should be, Ford drivers John Bowe and Glenn Seton say.
V8 supercar rules call for the two brands to race under a parity system, meaning the objective is for them to be as equal as possible.
The Commodore and Falcons have similar design engines, the same weight limit, identical gearboxes and suspensions, and the target of similar downforce front and rear.
But Bathurst has been a Holden playground since 1998, the last time a Ford (Steve Richards/Jason Bright in a Stone Brothers Racing Falcon) triumphed.
Ford star Bowe, a two-time winner of the Bathurst 1000, says Holden have an advantage in one key area - rear-end downforce.
Bowe says the V8 supercar Falcon is really "flighty" in fast corners, with the lack of rear grip making the car a handful around Mount Panorama, where the lap average speed is around 175kmh.
"I'm absolutely adamant that the aero performance on the rear of the Commodore racecar is better than the Falcon," said Bowe, who called for some accurate wind-tunnel testing of the two cars, "so the Ford teams are not disadvantaged in this way again".
The rear wings on both cars are identical except that the Holdens have a small vertical "gurney" flap.
Bowe insists he is not talking through his hat and that his team, Brad Jones Racing, conducted private wind-tunnel testing at Monash University earlier this year and found the current BA Falcon racecar had around 20 per cent less downforce than the old AU model V8 supercar.
Fellow Ford racer Glenn Seton, of Ford Performance Racing, agrees with Bowe. Alluding to Greg Murphy's Bathurst qualifying effort last year, Seton said: "You can't do a [2 minute] six-something around here unless you've got a better mousetrap."
But the Ford teams have no choice but to put their claims of inequity aside and get on with the task of winning the Great Race.
Holden Racing Team's Mark Skaife says success on the mountain is much more than having blinding speed.
"You've got to calculate what sort of economy you're going to get driving flat out," he said, adding that the pace-setting teams will make either four or five scheduled pit stops for fuel.
The V8 supercars have become thirstier as they have been developed to produce more power, Skaife said.
Skaife, who was on the pace right up until crucial qualifying on Friday when a broken rear suspension curtailed his assault on the top 10, will start the race buried in the middle of the 34-car field in 18th spot. His poor qualifying outcome means his task of turning around an ordinary season by winning the race that really matters in Australia is that much harder. He has no option but to take a huge gamble and charge hard.
If he can work his way forward, his team can then think about a strategy for the vital last hour or so.
"This is also a way more strategic race than many people would imagine," he said. "It's all about holding good track position and not being caught out by safety car periods [when the race is neutralised due to weather or crashes]."
Holden use the force, say Ford stars
Ford's chances of today breaking a six-year losing streak in the Bathurst 1000 for V8 supercars are made tougher by Holden's advantage in rear downforce, which makes the Commodore easier to drive flat out.
The annual Holden versus Ford stoush on Mount Panorama is not as even-handed as it should be, Ford drivers John Bowe and Glenn Seton say.
V8 supercar rules call for the two brands to race under a parity system, meaning the objective is for them to be as equal as possible.
The Commodore and Falcons have similar design engines, the same weight limit, identical gearboxes and suspensions, and the target of similar downforce front and rear.
But Bathurst has been a Holden playground since 1998, the last time a Ford (Steve Richards/Jason Bright in a Stone Brothers Racing Falcon) triumphed.
Ford star Bowe, a two-time winner of the Bathurst 1000, says Holden have an advantage in one key area - rear-end downforce.
Bowe says the V8 supercar Falcon is really "flighty" in fast corners, with the lack of rear grip making the car a handful around Mount Panorama, where the lap average speed is around 175kmh.
"I'm absolutely adamant that the aero performance on the rear of the Commodore racecar is better than the Falcon," said Bowe, who called for some accurate wind-tunnel testing of the two cars, "so the Ford teams are not disadvantaged in this way again".
The rear wings on both cars are identical except that the Holdens have a small vertical "gurney" flap.
Bowe insists he is not talking through his hat and that his team, Brad Jones Racing, conducted private wind-tunnel testing at Monash University earlier this year and found the current BA Falcon racecar had around 20 per cent less downforce than the old AU model V8 supercar.
Fellow Ford racer Glenn Seton, of Ford Performance Racing, agrees with Bowe. Alluding to Greg Murphy's Bathurst qualifying effort last year, Seton said: "You can't do a [2 minute] six-something around here unless you've got a better mousetrap."
But the Ford teams have no choice but to put their claims of inequity aside and get on with the task of winning the Great Race.
Holden Racing Team's Mark Skaife says success on the mountain is much more than having blinding speed.
"You've got to calculate what sort of economy you're going to get driving flat out," he said, adding that the pace-setting teams will make either four or five scheduled pit stops for fuel.
The V8 supercars have become thirstier as they have been developed to produce more power, Skaife said.
Skaife, who was on the pace right up until crucial qualifying on Friday when a broken rear suspension curtailed his assault on the top 10, will start the race buried in the middle of the 34-car field in 18th spot. His poor qualifying outcome means his task of turning around an ordinary season by winning the race that really matters in Australia is that much harder. He has no option but to take a huge gamble and charge hard.
If he can work his way forward, his team can then think about a strategy for the vital last hour or so.
"This is also a way more strategic race than many people would imagine," he said. "It's all about holding good track position and not being caught out by safety car periods [when the race is neutralised due to weather or crashes]."
