Supercars to delay introduction of Gen3 chassis

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June 21, 2021 1:53 PM AWST
COVID-19 and supply chain problems push back debut for Camaro and new Mustang by more than six months.

Supercars to delay introduction of Gen3 chassis

Supercars fans will have to wait a bit longer to see the Camaro and new Mustang in action on the track, after the category confirmed that the introduction of the Gen3 Supercars ‘Car of the Future’ has been delayed.

Supercars to delay introduction of Gen3 chassis

Originally scheduled to be ready to race by the start of next year’s season (likely late Feb or early March), Gen3’s introduction has now been delayed until August, 2022.

Supercars to delay introduction of Gen3 chassis
Triple Eight Racing have been heavily involved in development of the Gen3 chassis, unveiling the first prototype in April.

Supercars explained that the delay was due to “challenges with international supply chains and ongoing domestic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Supercars to delay introduction of Gen3 chassis
Unlike the current Gen2 chassis, which was made to suit four-door Falcons and Commodores, the Gen3 chassis will ensure the upcoming Mustang Supercar more closely resembles the road car.

Pushing the debut out to August will ensure “a seamless introduction” of the new platform, according to a Supercars statement released on 4 June, with the additional time used to thoroughly test new components prior to introduction, particularly those sourced from outside Australia.

At time of writing, only two prototype chassis had been completed under the Gen3 programme led by Triple Eight Race Engineering and PACE Innovations, with the second passed on to Shell V-Power Racing (aka DJR) for further development in late May.

Supercars to delay introduction of Gen3 chassis
Prototype Gen3 chassis #2 was completed by PACE Innovations in May and is now with Shell V-Power Racing.

Building of both Mustang and Camaro prototypes will be the short-term focus, with preparation and building of the actual Gen3 race cars to be conducted “as quickly as possible”.

Once the prototype Gen3 cars are completed, the category says they will present them at several Supercars events in the lead up to their racing debut. 

Supercars to delay introduction of Gen3 chassis
Triple Eight will be one of several teams to run the new Camaro in 2022, but it’s unknown if the other eight teams currently running Commodores will carry over to the Camaro.

The Gen3 Committee set up last year to develop the chassis and its application to Supercars racing consists of homologation team representatives Ryan Story (DJR) and Roland Dane (Triple Eight Race Engineering), Supercars Commission representative Tim Edwards (Tickford Racing), Board and Commission representative Brad Jones (BJR), as well as Carl Faux (WAU), and Adrian Burgess and John Casey from Supercars.

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