Heart Of The Beast Revealed
This is the future of Supercars.
It’s the first Gen3 chassis for the new-age race-cars that are planned to hit Australia’s racetracks in 2022.
Developed in secrecy at Triple Eight Race Engineering in Brisbane, in a separate program that has been fire-walled from the on-track efforts of Red Bull Ampol Racing, it ticks the boxes for the coupe-style competition that will drive Supercars deeper into the 21st century.
It currently looks like a Lego kit of bars and plates, much like the existing frame below the current Mustang and Commodore racing in Supercars.
But the critical difference – before the arguing about paddle shifters and single-specification engines – is the dimensions for the design.
Supercars said the chassis “allows for more road car look and feel to be included in the race car’s design, and features a number of key upgrades, including a tubular chassis design, removable front and rear clips, and lower roof lines”.
The dimensions have also been revised to allow for a lower roofline and greater flexibility if other body shapes eventually join the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro on the grid.
Supercars also believes the changes will cut costs.
“Front and rear sections of the chassis are removable, meaning accident repairs on the front and rear of the car can be more quickly executed. Critically, this will provide teams with a greater chance of keeping cars on track over a race weekend, especially after significant accidents.
“Additionally, there are a number of key safety developments; notably, the driver will be further away from the door than the previous car and there will be a small hatch in the roof to allow medical crews to treat a driver through an access point in the case of a serious accident.”
With questions about the timing of the Gen3 roll-out, with track testing originally promised for June, Supercars CEO Sean Seamer is predictably upbeat about the chassis reveal.
“We’re excited to present this latest milestone in the Gen3 program,” Seamer said.
“We’re proud of the developments with regards to safety and repairability, which was a key objective of the program.
“Considerable work has also gone in to the design and styling of the cars, they look incredible, and we can’t wait to release details and images soon.”
