The good, bad, and ugly of new Supercars era

1 year ago 75

After a pandemic, 3 delays, and changeless questions astir whether the cars would ever deed the way – finally, the caller epoch of Supercars has begun.

There were plentifulness of tense faces successful pit lane arsenic the new-look Ford Mustang and all-new Chevrolet Camaro rolled retired for the archetypal signifier connected Friday.

The category's CEO adjacent suggested he'd shed a tear.

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The long-awaited, seriously-hyped Gen3 epoch promised a lot, but did its debut unrecorded up to expectations?

Here's the good, the bad, and the disfigured from the Newcastle 500 season-opener.

THE GOOD

ON TRACK: As unusual arsenic it mightiness sound, having each 25 cars connected the Newcastle grid was an accomplishment successful itself.

Right oregon wrong, galore doubted the cars would beryllium acceptable for 2023 amid proviso issues.

Between the concept's inception and its rollout, the satellite went done a pandemic, warfare broke retired successful Europe, unit and philosophies changed, and the outgo of earthy materials and freight skyrocketed, making the $250,000 turn-key racer thought person to 3 times that.

Even if the cars weren't afloat cooked – missing dashboards successful the lawsuit of the Ford Mustang and in-car adjustable anti-roll bars crossed some models – simply getting the cars connected way was crushed capable to celebrate.

Perhaps the biggest ballot of assurance came astatine the extremity of Saturday day erstwhile astir each 25 cars crossed the enactment with nary mechanical issues to talk of.

PARITY: In the lead-up to the event, determination was plentifulness of parity chat. Would the Camaro person an vantage implicit the Mustang, arsenic galore had thought would beryllium the case?

By the extremity of the weekend, the P-word was hardly thrown about, and if it was, it was mostly successful a affirmative airy – albeit, with a tinge of caution attached.

The existent trial volition travel astatine the faster circuits wherever the aerodynamic equilibrium of the 2 cars is enactment to the test.

SHAKEN NOT STIRRED: Coming into the season-opener, galore hoped the pecking bid would get shaken up.

Unsurprisingly, the powerhouse that is Triple Eight Race Engineering ruled the roost, by and large.

However, it was encouraging to spot Erebus Motorsport snag the archetypal rod presumption and bonafide mid-fielders PremiAir Racing contending for apical 5 finishes.

SAME SAME, BUT DIFFERENT: All told, the cars looked bully and sounded bully and were unmistakably inactive Supercars.

Best of all, the cars looked pugnacious to tame. There was plentifulness of process wagging and cars missing apexes thigh aft lap.

The erstwhile Gen2 cars were truthful refined that mistakes were fewer and acold between. Newcastle showed these caller Gen3 cars are a handful, and for the best.

THE BAD

ZIP IT, CHAMP: A unreality has hung implicit Gen3 from the archetypal tests to its rollout.

Among those not keen to remark has been three-time champion Shane van Gisbergen.

Behind the scenes, he's been captious and often hesitant to speech astir the caller cars.

Perhaps reasoning determination was information successful numbers, helium opened up aft Saturday's contention and a fewer shortcomings of a caller car – which evidently didn't spell down well.

Van Gisbergen copped the brunt of a spray from Supercars arsenic did immoderate journalists, who wrote stories perceived to beryllium negative.

TEETHING TROUBLE: With immoderate caller car, digit occupation is an inevitability.

Dick Johnson Racing struggled with recurring clutch issues portion respective different teams struggled to get wheels to spot decently connected the hub, often costing invaluable clip successful qualifying.

PremiAir Racing were deed hardest with podium contender Tim Slade near stranded successful the pit lane during the archetypal contention for much than a infinitesimal with a stuck wheel.

HOT AIR: One of the cardinal goals with Gen3 was to let cars to travel adjacent to 1 different by reducing wide downforce and reduced aerodynamic turbulence.

As champion Shane van Gisbergen explained, the Dunlop tyres inactive endure from overheating erstwhile pursuing a car successful front.

His comments didn't spell down good with Supercars. Reports bespeak journalists were called by Supercars shareholder Mark Skaife, who complained astir antagonistic property pursuing Saturday's race.

Nevertheless, determination were encouraging signs passim the contention with cars capable to travel 1 different astatine adjacent quarters – comparative to the Gen2 cars astatine least.

THE UGLY

DRIVER INTROS: Saturday's effort astatine a grid locomotion that featured operator intros was awkward, to accidental the least.

Ill-timing and drivers mired among each different and the fans made for a messy commencement to proceedings.

The mentation was there, but the execution was poor.

PODIUM NO SHOW: After winning the archetypal race, Shane van Gisbergen was notably absent erstwhile his sanction was called.

Teammate Broc Feeney enactment his limb up arsenic if to hug the shade of van Gisbergen, who was obscurity to beryllium seen. More than a infinitesimal later, helium made his mode up onto the rostrum.

GRAPHICS GLITCH: With a caller car came a caller graphics bundle to the broadcast.

It wasn't each creaseless sailing though. The astir evident glitch made speechmaking names hard initially (pictured above) – an contented that was fixed by the 2nd day.

Other unusual issues included operator names being spelt wrong, having the incorrect shaper adjacent to names, oregon numbers similar "23rd" speechmaking "23th".

Qualifying was peculiarly hard to travel with graphics not registering a caller thigh clip had been set.

Perhaps worst of each was erstwhile the graphics disappeared entirely.

DOUBLE DSQ: Triple Eight's as-yet unresolved disqualification from contention 1 took the radiance disconnected what should person been the solemnisation of the caller Supercars era.

As it stands, Cameron Waters has the contention 1 trophy successful hand, but an entreaty from Triple Eight could spot that silverware returned.

At the precise least, the contention volition support Supercars successful the limelight to a constituent successful the 3 weeks betwixt Newcastle and the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

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