888 cars are under investigation.

[Damo]

Here we go, the inevitable grumbling about the 888 Falcon's has started.....

The all-conquering V8 Supercars of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes are facing investigation over a part which some rivals claim is illegal.

Whincup, who leads the championship, and Lowndes have dominated this season's racing, winning all six races between them.

But they could face penalties, including loss of points or fines, after V8 scrutineers at Winton this weekend raised concerns over the front air splitters of their Ford Falcons and launched an "official review".

The team has strenuously denied any wrongdoing - team principal Roland Dane saying he was confident both Team Vodafone cars complied with V8 Supercar regulations.

"If you're getting beaten all the time, you're probably going to try to invent reasons for your sponsors," Dane told AAP.

"We've been using the same system for four years.

"They've just got to make up their minds whether they're happy for us to run it or not. There's no rule against it at the moment.

"We're happy to accept a clarification to the rule either way if they want to make one."

While no rival team is believed to have made an official protest, several were grumbling privately about Team Vodafone's front splitter - a part which aids the car's aerodynamics.

The issue, involving how flexible the splitter is, arose overnight at Winton Raceway when the cars were officially scrutineered following the fifth race of this year's series.

The governing body is now looking at clarifying the rules to ensure there are no grey areas.

Complicating matters is Team Vodafone's cars are not the only ones on the grid with the suspect part.

Triple Eight Engineering, which builds the cars, also supplies vehicles for other Ford teams.

A ruling is expected before the next event in Tasmania from May 29 to 31.

Team Vodafone decided to change their front splitter set-up for Sunday's qualifying session and 66-lap race to the more conventional system to avoid any further problems.

It made little difference to their speed, with both cars qualifying first and second and Lowndes winning the race as the sport's benchmark team continued their 2009 dominance

 

[TS-50]

Well it is typical, that the grumbling has started as Tander gets on the podium and says we'll beat them one way or another, this whole thig stinks of TW and the pathetic lot that regulate this series on his behalf.

Lets hope common sense prevails.

 

[Timmy]

Well for **** sake. What the V8SCA need to say to the rest of the field is pull your fingers out and get to work on fixing your own cars instead of trying to slow down the others.

 

[ROB17]

Sounds like a bit of a beat up more than anything. It takes four race meetings for this?
I reckon it's sour grapes...smells a bit like haggis actually [rt]

 

[Poita]

They have been given the all clear now.

 

[Donut King]

Wonder will the tricky watts linkage they developed be the next thing protested?

 

[Timmy]

quote:Originally posted by Poita

They have been given the all clear now.

Thats good news

 

[ROB17]

Was always going to be the case!!!

 

[Gerry]

This was just absolutely clutching at straws by Tasman and others.
888 have used the same mounting system for 3-4 years!!!!!

 

[TS-50]

quote:Originally posted by Gerry

This was just absolutely clutching at straws by Tasman and others.
888 have used the same mounting system for 3-4 years!!!!!

Yeah, but the concern is that with 888 engineering supplying quite a few of the top running Fords, that they will all be getting some kind of an advantage, . . . . It's not like it was a traction control system or anything?[jk]

 

[Gerry]

quote:Originally posted by TS-50

quote:Originally posted by Gerry

This was just absolutely clutching at straws by Tasman and others.
888 have used the same mounting system for 3-4 years!!!!!

Yeah, but the concern is that with 888 engineering supplying quite a few of the top running Fords, that they will all be getting some kind of an advantage, . . . . It's not like it was a traction control system or anything?[jk]

Well it is a traction control of sorts!
Particularly if it doesn't break off as easily as those Holdens!!

[thumb]

 

[Nascar12]

Hey, just maybe there is a tiny loop hole for 888. They don't run Fords. They run a 888 engineered race car. That's 888's official name of their car.
So , if its not a Ford, what rules govern it???


Interesting....

 

[TS-50]

It sounds like the front of the splitter is made from a more flexible compound, and that might allow it to run on the ground and give more front end stability, ok I'm sumising, but I guess that might make them a little quicker

 

[Racin Jason]

TS, from what I understand it isn't the construction of the splitter itself but more to do with the way it is mounted. Apparently 888 have come with a mounting system which allows the splitter some flexibility in the event of an "off". I think it just allows the splitter to move up and down in relation to the rest of the car. Whether or not it does that when aerodynamic pressure is applied to it or not is another thing. It didn't seem to make much difference when 888 fixed them solid to the front of the cars overnight.

 

[Donut King]

Sounds to me like the splitter is attached with a deflectable mounting bracket rather than a solid bolt, this allows some degree of movement when it is forced in an abnormal direction to avoid breakage.

Problem is it could also conceivably be used to allow a lower ride height at the front without grinding through the splitter and detaching the undertray, as when it hits the deck under braking for example it moves rather than grinding itself away, or at least lessening the amount of wear it attracts.

Typically the teams regularly need to patch this area of the splitter back up, I recall seeing WPS putting splitters out in the sun to cure with carbon fiber to replace lost material at the BIMF a few years back. Eventually you end up adding so much weight in repairs to the splitter that it ends up being junked.

However, due to the fact that the splitter is more or less limited to no upwards movement by the join line of the guards, headlights and the leading edge of the bonnet - I'd suggest it's much ado about nothing. To allow upwards movement in the splitter would also require upwards flex in the guards, headlights bonnet and grille, not to mention the bits you don't see like the ducts to the airbox.

 

[TS-50]

you know it sounds to me like the 888 boys are still worried about being taken out like has occurred in years gone past and were just trying to minimise lost time.

 

[Bigcol]

888's design allows for a small amount of rearward movement, so when it hits something even though the side are fixed it allows enough movement to stop the splitter from shattering.


HRT, FPR and Tasman are the whinging pricks.
888 have been using this system for 4 years.

Seems a bit strange but after the circus goes to NZ and the cars are up on the transport frames this comes out.

One has to wonder who was poking their noses around somewhere they shouldn't have been

 

[JB-17]

Well after watching those 888 cars at Winton on the weekend thats the only way those red wankers will beat them.F#cking Whingers.

 

[Damo]

I believe the real issue that have the other teams worried is the fact that to allow the splitter to move there must be some sort of movement of the panels around it also. There is a rule, apparently, that governs this and states that panels and other parts like grilles and lights etc, must be rigid. I must say also, that i wasn't surprised to see HRT and Tasman named as the whingers, but FPR? Maybe Ford are applying some pressure to Tim Edwards seeing that they are the "factory" team and their results so far have been crap, not to mention getting their ar$e kicked by the most vocal "non Ford" teams out there.

 

[Jaguarstd]

From V8Supercars site

The V8 Supercar field may not be as slow as Roland Dane claims, because the mounting system concept, which is currently being disputed, has been around for at least a decade.

Rival teams have unofficially disputed the legality of Triple 8 Racing?s mounting system used to attach the front splitter to the car.

The part replaces a conventional bolt and TeamVodafone Principal, Roland Dane, said the part stops the splitter from being damaged if it hits a kerb with force.

At Winton Raceway last Sunday, bolts were used instead of the mount to fix the splitters to the seven Triple 8 Falcons in the field and TeamVodafone driver Craig Lowndes went on to win the race.

Dane told BigPond Sport on Sunday that he could not help it if it other teams were ?thick enough? not to invent a similar part for themselves.

But it has been revealed that similar technology has been around for at least a decade.

Kim Jones from Brad Jones Racing confirmed that his team had used a similar mount in the Australian Super Touring Championship.

However the team never requested to use it ? and never did use it ? on their V8 Supercars because they believed it was illegal under V8 rules.

BigPond Sport understands there was another now-defunct V8 Supercar team that had developed similar technology, but it is not known whether it asked to use it.

Teams raised concerns about Triple 8?s mounting system with V8 Supercars Australia at Winton last weekend.

Sprint Gas Racing part owner Tim Miles and Team Manager Jeff Grech along with Ford Performance Racing Team Principal Tim Edwards and Walkinshaw Racing?s Craig Wilson met with V8 Supercars Chief Executive Officer, Cameron Levick, last Sunday.

Grech would not comment; however, it is understood that Sprint Gas Racing was the first to raise concerns with the part.

Edwards said the dispute was not a witch-hunt against Triple 8 or the all-dominating TeamVodafone.

?We?re not even interested in what the performance gains may or may not be,? he said.

?Quite simply, we just want clarification of the rules; in the opinion of 75 per cent of pitlane it?s (the part) not allowed.?

Edwards said other teams would use it if they are allowed and refuted Dane?s comments that the rest of the V8 field was dim.

?There?s some pretty intelligent people up and down pitlane and it?s not a new thing; Kim Jones ran it on their Audi more than 10 years before Roland dreamt it up,? he said.

?We all know how to do it, but our interpretation of the rules suggests you can?t use it.?

There are specific dimensions for bodywork under the V8 Supercars? Vehicle Specification Documents, according to Edwards.

?And clearly if it moves, that dimension changes,? he said.

?Put in simple terms, the majority of the pitlane believes you can?t have any bodywork that is not rigidly mounted.?

But Edwards said Dane was wrong to say the mounting system was a cost-cutting measure because it stopped the splitters from shattering.

?You can stop the splitter damage by not aggressively riding the kerb or by raising the ride height,? he said.

Edwards believes the part is a great idea, but is concerned that if it can continue to be used an ugly precedent will be set for teams to tweak other bodywork parts.

?I think the general feeling along pitlane is we don?t want to use it because of the costs,? he said.

?If we?re allowed to have parts of the car that aren?t rigidly mounted we could all play with things like the boot lid and make it non-rigid and we don?t want teams in the category doing these sorts of things.

?It would spark off a huge development war that goes against everything we are trying to achieve at the moment, and none of us want to be doing that.?

Edwards said this would create a bigger gap between the big budget teams and the smaller budget ones.

A decision on whether the part can be used in the future is expected before the Falken Tasmania Challenge, which takes place from May 29-31.