84-531: Matt Stone Racing is an Australian racing team competing in the Supercars Championship with two Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s . Cameron Hill drives the No. 4 car, while Nick Percat drives the No. 10 car. They are also competing in the second-tier Dunlop Super2 Series with Aaron Seton and Ryal Harris . Matt Stone Racing moved up into the Supercars Championship for 2018 with Todd Hazelwood. The team started in
168-474: A Ford FG X Falcon previously owned by DJR Team Penske before switching to their Super 2 winning Holden VF Commodore from The Bend onwards. In 2019 the team upgraded to an ex- Triple Eight Racing Engineering ZB Commodore . Having leased a Racing Entitlement Contract (REC) from Jason Bright for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In 2020 the team expanded to two cars having purchased RECs from Garry Rogers Motorsport and Kelly Racing . The new for 2020 number 34
252-494: A compression ratio of 10:1. The Holden teams had the option of using the Group A -developed 5.0-litre Holden V8 engine , although this was restricted to the second-tier privateer teams from 1994 onwards, forcing the major Holden runners to use the more expensive Chevrolet engine. The V8s were first eligible to compete in the endurance races of 1992 . The distinctive aerodynamics package, consisting of large front and rear spoilers ,
336-666: A new street race on a shortened version of the Adelaide Grand Prix Circuit became one of the first festival-style events, which would become common in later years. Australia's capital city, Canberra , hosted its first event on the Canberra Street Circuit in 2000 . In 2001 , a championship round was held in New Zealand for the first time, at Pukekohe Park Raceway . In 2002 , the V8 Supercar support event at
420-420: A 60% share and TEGA the other 40%. A new board of directors was appointed, with two TEGA representatives and two AMRP representatives. In 2011, Archer Capital purchased a 65% shareholding in the series with the teams owning the other 35%. In December 2021, both Archer Capital and the teams sold their shareholdings to Race Australia Consolidated Enterprises. In the middle of 2008, a project led by Mark Skaife
504-557: A 75% share in AVESCO, with SEL owning the other 25%. TEGA was responsible for the rules and technical management of the series and the supply of cars and drivers, while SEL was responsible for capturing and maintaining broadcasting rights, sponsorship, licensing, and sanction agreements. The expansion of the series began in 1998 , with the first round to be held in the Northern Territory taking place at Hidden Valley Raceway . In 1999 ,
588-640: A Ford and Holden duopoly in 2020 with the departure of Nissan, while Ford replaced the Falcon with the Mustang in 2019. Holden announced its final year of competition in 2022, to be replaced by the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2023 season. Starting in 2026, Toyota will make its debut in the championship, competing with the GR Supra . The concept of a formula centred around V8-engined Fords and Holdens for
672-682: A VF Commodore after the Perth round. During the first 3 rounds the Commodore was raced by Tyler Greenbury and Jaie Robinson respectively. For 2019 Ash Walsh will contest the full season. Abbie Eaton entered the first round and Joel Heinrich entered rounds one and two for the team, David Russell would contest the Bathurst round. Walsh finished 9th for the year. For 2021 MSR has signed Glenn Seton 's son Aaron Seton . For 2022 MSR has signed 2x SuperUtes Series champion Ryal Harris alongside Aaron Seton . For
756-469: A five-week period. This included mud buggy, stock car, and sports car races. Eaton and Professor Green were the most successful pairing, staying out of the eliminator night race and making it through to the final round. Eaton and Professor Green were crowned champions in the last episode. Eaton appears as the test driver from the second series onwards of the British motoring show The Grand Tour , replacing
840-545: A front spoiler and splitter ,and a rear wing . The aerodynamics package for each manufacturer is homologated after a series of tests which ensure that the different body styles produce near-identical downforce and drag numbers. By modern racing vehicle standards, Supercars have relatively low amounts of downforce. This is intended to make it easier to follow other cars, and make the handling more similar to road cars. The Gen 3 cars were originally reported to produce about 140 kg of downforce at 200 km/h, similar to
924-509: A mid-mounted gearbox; the repositioning of the fuel tank to in front of the rear axle to improve safety; replacing the windscreen with a polycarbonate unit; and a switch from 17 inches (430 mm) to 18 inches (460 mm) wheels. In 2011, it was announced that the Car of the Future would not be introduced until 2013 . In February 2012, Nissan confirmed that they would enter the series under Car of
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#17328770514251008-467: A minor sponsor, conflicted with SBR's Ford sponsorship. McLaughlin went on to win the series. In 2013 , the team entered three Falcon FGs with Michael Hector, George Miedecke and Ashley Walsh driving. In 2014 , the team again fielded three FGs with Todd Hazelwood , Michael Hector and Ashley Walsh driving. Steven Johnson drove a fourth car at the Townsville and Queensland rounds. Ryal Harris drove
1092-459: A racing driver. Eaton lives in Northampton , England, along with her pets. Her father, Paul Eaton, is also a racing driver. She came out as a lesbian at the age of 17, and was previously in a relationship with fellow British racecar driver Jessica Hawkins . She is a Driver Ambassador for Racing Pride , an LGBT rights charity working in the motorsport industry to promote inclusivity across
1176-463: A rear wheel drive Mazda MX-5 Cup car. After a tough season where she missed several rounds due to a lack of budget, Eaton managed to achieve eleven top-ten finishes and a third place qualifying position. Eaton competed in a handful of races in the 2012 Mazda MX-5 Cup, but had to withdraw owing to family circumstances. In 2013, Eaton raced in the last three races of the Mazda MX-5 SuperCup with
1260-440: A road-registerable Porsche 911 GT3 RS . Revisions in 2024 are stated to produce about 20% more downforce. The minimum weight of each car is 1,335 kilograms (2,943 lb) including the driver and excluding the fuel, with a minimum load of 725 kg over the front axle. The minimum weight for the driver is 95 kg and includes the driver dressed in a full racing suit the seat and seat mountings and any ballast needed to meet
1344-574: A second round held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi . In November 2010, the series was granted international status by the FIA for the 2011 season , allowing the series to race at up to six international venues each year. As a result, the series name was changed to the 'International V8 Supercars Championship'. 2008 saw the separate boards of directors of VESA and TEGA merge into a single board that
1428-475: A six-piston caliper, while the rear discs are 355 millimetres (14.0 in) diameter and have a four-piston caliper. The cars use 18-inch (460 mm) control wheels, produced by Rimstock and supplied by Racer Industries, and control tyres from Dunlop. Supercars are provided with Soft, Supersoft, and Hard slick tyres as well as grooved wet tyres for each event, The requirement to use varying compounds and how many tyres need to be changed per race are dependent on
1512-533: A win, two second places, one third and one fourth. She also raced in the Autumn Challenge and achieved two second places. In 2014, Eaton returned to the British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) Mazda MX-5 Supercup Championship for the last time. Despite car troubles early in the season, Eaton went on to achieve five wins, seven podium finishes, six fastest laps, two pole positions, and a new lap record. She
1596-473: Is a "parity formula" which attempts to ensure that competitors using any of the available car models compete on an equal basis. In this aspect, it is similar in philosophy to the NASCAR Cup Series .The category's current rules, and the charter between organisers and teams state that "..to the extent that it is possible, Competition will take place between the different makes and models of Cars as equalised by
1680-677: Is a qualified racing instructor and a performance driving coach. In October 2021, Eaton broke her back in an accident during a W Series race at the Circuit of the Americas , requiring rehabilitation and a break from racing. She returned to race in the W Series in 2022. Eaton began kart racing at the age of ten in the Comer cadet class, gaining invaluable track craft along with numerous podiums and wins. She then resumed kart racing for three more years, moving up into Minimax and then Junior Max, competing in
1764-593: Is broadcast in 137 countries and has an average event attendance of over 100,000. With over 250,000 in attendance annually, the Adelaide 500 is the most attended Supercars race in Australia . The vehicles used in the series are loosely based on road-going cars. Cars are custom made using a control chassis, with only certain body panels being common between the road cars and race cars. The cars are controlled for "technical parity" - ensuring that teams and drivers using any of
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#17328770514251848-736: Is held in New Zealand, with events previously being held in China, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. The Melbourne SuperSprint championship event is also held in support of the Australian Grand Prix . Race formats vary between each event, with sprint races between 100 and 200 kilometres (62 and 124 mi) in length, street races between 125 and 250 kilometres (78 and 155 mi) in length, and two-driver endurance races held at Sandown and Bathurst . The series
1932-676: Is intended to extend to aerodynamics, engine performance, and handling characteristics. In practice, achieving technical parity has proven difficult and contentious, with a number of changes for the 2023 and 2024 season to aerodynamics and engines. The body of each car is based on its corresponding production car in Right Hand Drive and with homologation requirements. The bodies of both models are aerodynamically balanced through these homologations requirements, along with general balancing upon entering Composite and Exotic materials are generally not permitted. The tail lamps are carried over from
2016-457: The 2012 season . The plan was publicly unveiled in March 2010 and was shown to incorporate several key changes to the internal workings of the car. The chassis and the cooling, fuel and electronics systems would all be changed to control parts, with changes to the engine, drivetrain, rear suspension, wheels and the control brake package. The safety of the cars was also to be reviewed and improved. While
2100-446: The 2019 TCR Australia Touring Car Series the team would enter 2 Volkswagen Golfs in collaboration with former supercars driver Jason Bright known as Alliance Autosport. The 2 drivers would be Bright and New Zealand based Australian Alexandra Whitley. Bright would win the opening race at Sydney and would win another race at round 5 at Winton. Whitley would have more mixed results with only 3 top 10's. The team would hand over running of
2184-600: The 2023 Bathurst 1000 , the fastest Supercars qualifying lap recorded was 2:04.664 by Brodie Kostecki . On the same race weekend, the fastest qualifying lap recorded by the Carrera Cup cars was 2:04.6672. Abbie Eaton Abigail Eaton (born 2 January 1992) is an English racing driver from the East Riding of Yorkshire , England. She starred as the test driver for the second and third series of The Grand Tour , an Amazon Prime Video -exclusive motoring series. Eaton
2268-668: The Australian Touring Car Championship had been established as early as mid-1991. With the new regulations set to come into effect in 1993 , Ford and Holden were both keen to know the details of the new formula by the end of 1991, putting pressure on the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) to provide clarity on the matter. However, CAMS was waiting to see what the FIA did with its proposed international formula for 2.5- and 2.0-litre touring cars. The new rules for
2352-656: The British GT Championship in a Maserati Granturismo MC GT4, the first time that Maserati had been in the British GT for over 20 years. She shared driving duties with Marcus Hoggarth, and their team placed second in the Pro/Am Championship and fourth overall. In 2017, Eaton began with a year out, and was then offered a one off drive for the 2017 Blancpain GT Series in a Ferrari 488 GT3 run by AF Corse. This
2436-561: The Indy 300 on the Gold Coast became a championship round, having been a non-championship event since 1994. Major format changes were made for 1999, with the incorporation of the endurance races into the championship. Control tyres were used for the first time, with Bridgestone selected as the supplier. The series was also renamed from the "Australian Touring Car Championship" to the "Shell Championship Series", by virtue of Shell's sponsorship of
2520-741: The Repco Supercars Championship under sponsorship, is a touring car racing category in Australia and New Zealand, running as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) regulations, governing the sport. Supercars events take place in all Australian states and the Northern Territory , with the Australian Capital Territory formerly holding the Canberra 400 . Usually, an international round
2604-618: The Super 1 series. Eaton completed her first season racing cars in 2007, in the SAXMAX Championship at various tracks around the United Kingdom with a highest position of fourth place. In 2008, Eaton returned to the SAXMAX championship and led for most of the year but ended in fourth place, with three podiums and two fastest laps. In 2009, Eaton moved into her first year of adult car racing in
Matt Stone Racing - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-428: The final drive ratio are fixed with drop gears at the front of the transaxle allowing the teams to alter the overall transmission ratio for different circuits. The cars use a triple plate clutch. The cars run on E75 fuel with a fuel tank capacity of about 130 Litres An electronic control unit (ECU), provided by MoTeC, is used to monitor and optimise various aspects of the engine's performance. Numerous sensors in
2772-661: The 2.0-litre class cars competed in a separate race to the V8s. This was changed for the second round of 1993 after only nine entrants were in the 2.0-litre class for the first round at Amaroo Park . With the new regulations intended to be a parity formula, protests by the Holden teams indicated that the Fords had an aerodynamic advantage after they won the opening three rounds, beating the Commodores comprehensively. After round five at Winton , Holden
2856-686: The ATCC were announced in November 1991 and indicated that the V8 cars would be significantly faster than the smaller-engined cars. In 1992, CAMS looked at closing the performance gap between the classes, only to have protests from Ford and Holden, which did not want to see their cars beaten by the smaller cars. In June 1992, the class structure was confirmed: Both the Ford Falcon EB and Holden Commodore VP ran American-based engines, which were restricted to 7,500 rpm and
2940-632: The Australian Touring Car Championship. They did not contest the endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst, leaving these open solely to the 5.0-litre Ford and Holden models. The Australian Vee Eight Super Car Company (AVESCO) – a joint venture between the Touring Car Entrants Group of Australia (TEGA), sports promoters IMG and the Australian Motor Sports Commission – was formed in November 1996 to run
3024-633: The Car of the Future moniker was dropped in favour of the name "New Generation V8 Supercar". The series continued its international expansion in 2013, with the first event in North America held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin , Texas . In 2015, five drivers took part in a series of demonstration races at the Kuala Lumpur Street Circuit as part of the KL City Grand Prix . This
3108-560: The Class C cars eligible for 1993 only, the German manufacturer's attention switched to the 2.0-litre class for 1994. Cars from all three classes would contest the 1993 Australian Touring Car Championship , as well as non-championship Australian touring car events such as the Bathurst 1000 . However, for the purposes of race classification and points allocation, cars competed in two classes: Originally,
3192-464: The Falcon, rather than the MacPherson struts used previously, and a Watts link at the rear rather than a Panhard. The aerodynamic packages were comprehensively tested and revised and differences in the porting of each of the manufacturers' engines were also removed. The performance of the new Ford BA Falcon and Holden VY and VZ Commodores was fairly even for the next four years, with Ford winning
3276-405: The Future regulations with Kelly Racing . Later in 2012, Australian GT Championship team Erebus Motorsport announced they would be running Mercedes-Benz cars in the championship, taking over Stone Brothers Racing . In June 2013, Volvo announced it would enter the series in 2014 in a collaboration with its motorsport arm, Polestar Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport . In November 2013
3360-621: The Gen 3 regulations were introduced for the 2023 Supercars Championship . The main aim was to create closer racing, to reduce costs and to increase road-relevance for the manufacturers. To do this, sweeping aerodynamic changes were made to cut the generated downforce . This reduced the amount of "dirty" air created, and made the cars more challenging to drive. The regulations continued previous changes to ensure technical parity between cars, helping to keep power, downforce and drag levels identical. Engines were also changed, to increase longevity and decrease
3444-602: The Mustang) is a 5.4L V8 with four camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. These engines were designed to be cheaper and have a higher longevity compared to previous engines, along with being more road-relevant. The Toyota engine (for use in the GR Supra) introduced in 2026 is a 5.0L V8 with DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder. Power is transferred from the engine to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transaxle with an integrated spool differential . The individual gear ratios and
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3528-499: The Pro Masters class, taking another race win. In 2019 Gomersall would enter only select race, electing to instead focus on his debut in the 2019 Kumho Super 3 Series . He would enter 8 races, taking 2 podiums on his way to 8th in the Pro Masters class. In 2016 and 2017 Matt Stone Racing collaborated with Miedecke Motorsport to run Aston Martins in GT3 configuration. The highlights for
3612-491: The Pro Masters class, taking his first outright win at Winton. Beale would win the Pro Sports category, with Wisely finishing 3rd in Pro Sports despite missing a round, and failing to start the final two races at Bathurst after retiring from the first. For the 2018 Season the team would downsize to running Gomersall as their only full time entrant. Beale would contest only a single round. Gomersall would again finish 4th overall in
3696-625: The Production Touring Car Championship, driving a Vauxhall Corsa SRi-R. She won the class B championship outright with 9/18 wins, sixteen podium positions, and seven fastest laps, finishing second overall in the championship. In 2010, Eaton was without a team when her British GT debut fell through a few weeks before the season was due to start. However, she did manage to make one race in the Mazda MX-5 Mk1 championship, finishing third out of over 90 entries. In 2011, Eaton raced
3780-507: The Stig . A spokesperson for Amazon suggested to Jalopnik of a compromise between the explicitly named "the American" test driver portrayed by Skinner, and being unable to use a completely anonymous driver like on Top Gear . During the first episode of the third series, Jeremy Clarkson referred to her simply as, "Abbie", suggesting that Amazon may have finally made a decision in this matter. During
3864-456: The car collect information which is then transmitted to the team, allowing them to monitor things such as tyre wear and fuel consumption and find potential problems with the car. The ECU is also used by officials during the scrutineering process. During the race it can also serve functions such as to automatically limit a car's speed. All cars are required to use a double wishbone setup for the front suspension and independent rear suspension. Both
3948-589: The cars to Melbourne Performance Centre for rounds 6 & 7. In 2016 the team entered the Touring Car Masters. Team Owner Jason Gomersall was entered in a Holden Torana Coupe for the full season, along with Darren Beale entered for rounds 3 through 8 in a Holden Monaro GTS . Gomersall would go on to win the Pro Am Category. For 2016 the team would keep Gomersall and Beale, adding Bob Wisely for select rounds in another Torana. Gomersall would finish 4th in
4032-654: The category. Reverse-grid races were introduced for multiple rounds in 2000 before being confined to just the Canberra round for 2001. Also in 2001, compulsory pit stops were introduced at certain rounds and the Top Ten Shootout was used at all rounds. The control tyre supplier changed from Bridgestone to Dunlop in 2002 and the series name was changed to the "V8 Supercar Championship Series" after Shell discontinued their sponsorship. Discussions about parity had returned in 2000, with 100 millimetres (3.9 in) trimmed from
4116-411: The championship in 2003, 2004 , and 2005 and Holden winning in 2006 . Reverse-grid races were used at certain events in 2006 before unpopularity with the drivers, teams, and fans saw them abolished halfway through the season. The Holden VE Commodore caused controversy when it was introduced in 2007 . The production model was longer, wider, and taller than the rival Ford BF Falcon and outside of
4200-510: The cost of a rebuild. The current Gen 3 regulations are a complete refresh of the previous generation, with the cessation of volume car production in Australia being a major factor. The current cars are the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 . The full list of regulations, Sporting and Technical, can be found on the Supercars website in the operations manual [1] . Supercars
4284-1055: The crown, Miedecke ended the year 6th. In 2016 the team ran Ryal Harris on a part-time basis, entering 5 rounds and taking 2 race wins along the way. Harris would finish 11th overall in the championship. The following is a list of drivers who have driven for the team in V8 Supercars, in order of their first appearance. Drivers who only drove for the team in an endurance race co-driver basis are listed in italics. 1 Brodie Kostecki 9 Jack Le Brocq 2 Ryan Wood 25 Chaz Mostert 3 Aaron Love 7 James Courtney 4 Cameron Hill 10 Nick Percat 6 Cam Waters 55 Thomas Randle 8 Andre Heimgartner 14 Bryce Fullwood 12 Jaxon Evans 96 Macauley Jones 11 Anton de Pasquale 17 Will Davison 18 Mark Winterbottom 20 David Reynolds 19 Matthew Payne 26 Richie Stanaway 23 Tim Slade 31 James Golding 87 Will Brown 88 Broc Feeney Supercars Championship The Supercars Championship currently known as
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#17328770514254368-469: The driver in the event of a crash. The fuel tank is positioned in front of the rear axle to prevent it from being damaged or ruptured in a rear end impact. The driver is seated towards the centre of the car and extra reinforcement is used on the roll cage on the driver's side to lessen the risk of injury in a side-on collision. The cars also feature a collapsible steering column and a fire extinguisher system. All cars have an aerodynamics package consisting of
4452-558: The event The highest speed recorded in a Supercar of any generation is 300.5 km/h on the (downhill) Conrod Straight on the Mount Panorama Circuit , by Shane van Gisbergen in qualifying for the 2023 Bathurst 1000. 2024-spec cars are expected to be about 10 km/h slower. Supercar lap times are similar to the 992 GT3 Cup cars running in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship . At
4536-526: The fifth episode of the third season, Clarkson presents her at the beginning of a race by noting that the car "is being driven by The Grand Tour's racing driver, Abbie Eaton." In April 2018, Eaton was interviewed by Red Bull about her work on The Grand Tour . Eaton also appeared on Series 2 of the British Reality show Richard Hammond's Workshop as a professional motorsport instructor to teach Anthony Greenhouse (a mechanic at Hammond's workshop) how to be
4620-1056: The first time. The series travelled to the Shanghai International Circuit in China in 2005, originally on a five-year agreement, however the promoter of the race dropped their support and the series did not return thereafter. 2006 saw the series travel to the Middle East , with an event held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain . Multiple new street circuits appeared on the calendar in 2008 and 2009, with new events held in Hamilton in New Zealand , Townsville in North Queensland and at Sydney Olympic Park . The series' Middle East expansion continued in 2010 with
4704-419: The fourth car at Bathurst . Shae Davies replaced Hector for the final round in Sydney . In 2015 , the team only fielded two FG Falcons, with Todd Hazelwood and Shae Davies competing in all of the rounds, finishing the championship in 4th and 8th places respectively. In 2016 , the team purchased a Holden VF Commodore for Hazelwood. Adam Marjoram joined the team and raced in an FG Falcon. Hazelwood finished
4788-428: The front and rear suspension systems feature adjustable shock absorbers and an anti-roll bar which, as of the introduction of the Gen 3 regulations, can not be adjusted from inside the car The cars use disc brakes supplied by AP Racing on the front and rear, with the master cylinders provided by AP Racing or former control brake supplier Alcon. The front discs have a diameter of 395 millimetres (15.6 in) and
4872-399: The front spoiler of the Commodore after Holden, in particular, the Holden Racing Team , had dominated in 1998 and 1999. This was in response to the 300 millimetres (12 in) removed from the Falcon in previous seasons, and coincided with a 10 millimetres (0.39 in) trim from the Falcon's rear spoiler. The small reduction for the Holden teams was quickly addressed with both cars receiving
4956-560: The homologated cars have a chance to build and drive a winning car. All cars currently use either a 5.4L or 5.7L Naturally aspirated V8 engine . Originally only for Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores , the new generation V8 Supercar regulations, introduced in 2013, opened up the series to more manufacturers. Nissan were the first new manufacturer to commit to the series with four Nissan Altima L33s followed briefly by Erebus Motorsport with Mercedes-Benz E63 AMGs and Garry Rogers Motorsport with Volvo S60s . The series returned to
5040-440: The lap and completing the test drive silently. Eaton did not have her name mentioned at all throughout the episode, only being referred to as "she", and her name was only shown in the credits at the end of the episode, credited as "driver". Motor1.com speculated that The Grand Tour would likely be under legal restrictions, and needing to provide differentiation between The Grand Tour test driver and anonymous drivers such as
5124-475: The limits set by Project Blueprint. As a result, the VE race car was granted custom bodywork – namely shortened rear doors and a lowered roofline to meet the regulations. Despite this, the VE was approved for use in the series, along with the BF Falcon, after several months of preseason testing. Sequential gearboxes were introduced in 2008 and became compulsory by the end of the year. In 2009 , E85 (a fuel consisting of 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded petrol )
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#17328770514255208-436: The minimum weight. Some other components also have a minimum weight, such as the engine and the front uprights All cars must be front-engine, rear-wheel-drive , and powered by a V8 engine designated by Supercars for use in the respected model of car, and balanced in power and weight. Currently, the GM engine (for use in the Camaro) is a 5.7L V8 with a single camshaft and two valves per cylinder. The Ford engine (for use in
5292-412: The plans were well received by all of the teams, Holden Motorsport boss Simon McNamara warned potential new manufacturers to stay out of the championship just hours after the plans were released, claiming that they would "gain nothing" from entering the series. Major changes were revealed to include a switch from a live rear axle to independent rear suspension ; the use of a rear transaxle instead of
5376-458: The previous first series test driver Mike Skinner . James May stated in November 2017 that a large number of drivers had been tested, and that "she was the fastest and the best". Eaton was later introduced to the show in the second episode of the second series, on 15 December 2017, when she was shown testing a green Mercedes-AMG GT R around the Eboladrome test track. In the Mercedes, Eaton says "Right, here we go" to herself, before starting
5460-503: The road car, while the windscreen is replaced by a polycarbonate unit. The cars also carry cameras for broadcasting. The bodies are built around a chassis provided by official accredited builders, including certain race teams. Currently, Triple Eight Race Engineering homologate the Chevrolet Camaro and Dick Johnson Racing homologate the Ford Mustang . The new for 2026 Toyota GR Supra will be homologaged by Walkinshaw Andretti United . Many safety features are utilised to protect
5544-414: The same front splitter shortly afterwards, but the Falcon's rear wing remained trimmed. Ford had threatened to withdraw from the series, but nothing came of this. After Holden again dominated in 2001 and 2002, a new set of regulations, dubbed "Project Blueprint", was introduced in 2003 to close the performance gap between the Commodore and the Falcon, thus creating closer, fairer racing. Project Blueprint
5628-536: The series. This set the foundation for the large expansion of the series during the following years. The category also adopted the name 'V8 Supercars' at this time, though the cars themselves were much unchanged. A new television deal with Network Ten and Fox Sports was organised, although this had follow-on effects for the Bathurst 1000 later in the year. In February, Tony Cochrane and James Erskine left IMG. Together with David Coe, they formed Sports and Entertainment Limited (SEL) in April 1997. TEGA would have
5712-524: The team stepped into the V8 Utes Series, beginning at the 5th round at Sandown. They took over the preparation and running of Reigning Champion, Ryal Harris' Ute. The team scored a win on debut and went on to finish 5th overall for the year. For 2015, Harris Stayed on with the team, and was teamed up with George Miedecke. A third car was run, with rounds split between Grant Johnson, Aaren Russell , Chris Pither , Kurt Kostecki , & Todd Hazelwood. The team won their first championship, with Ryal Harris taking
5796-484: The team were winning the Sydney Motorsport Park 101 as part of the 2016 Australian Endurance Championship and a fourth place in the top-ten shootout of the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour . The team would record a DNF after a crash 75 laps into the race. Additionally in 2016, Matt Stone Racing would enter rounds 3 & 4 of the 2016 GT Asia Series . George Miedecke would contest both races, partnered by Nathan Morcom for round 3, and Ashley Walsh for round 4. In 2014
5880-416: The technical parity mechanisms enshrined in the Rules.". However, the rules go on to state that "The Category is not about equalisation of the abilities of participating Drivers and/or Teams (such equalisation could be, and is in some categories, defined as sporting parity). It is up to individual Drivers and/or Teams to Compete to the best of their abilities under the principle of technical parity." Parity
5964-439: The use of two-door coupé body styles and turbocharged four- or six-cylinder engines. However, no teams elected to build cars to these alternate engine specifications. Cars were still required to be based on front-engined, rear-wheel drive, four-seater production cars that were sold in Australia. The chassis and control components were carried over from the New Generation V8 Supercar regulations, while engine and aerodynamic parity
6048-428: The year in 3rd place, while Marjoram finished in 13th. In 2017 , the team purchased another VF Commodore for Marjoram. Brodie Kostecki joined the team and raced an FG Falcon. Hazelwood won 6 races and was able to win the championship by 95 points. Kostecki finished in 15th, while Marjoram came 18th for the year. For 2018 , Bryce Fullwood joined the team in an ex-DJR Team Penske Ford FG X Falcon , but switched to
6132-678: Was Eaton's first time in a GT3 specification car and first time at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit in Italy. Following ten laps of practice, Eaton entered the race as one of the 52 cars starting, and finished in first position in the Am cup, making her the first female driver ever to win a class in the series. The car was number 961, driven by Eaton, Alex Demirdjian, and Davide Rizzo. Eaton appeared on ITV's Drive in 2015, coaching rapper Professor Green in various racing car challenges over
6216-622: Was crowned the 2014 Mazda MX-5 Supercup Champion. During a race at the Anglesey Circuit, she qualified on pole position eight-tenths of a second ahead of second placed position, and went on to win, set the fastest lap, and then set a new lap record, all within three races. Eaton entered GT Racing via the UK based championship GT Cup. She competed for part of season in a BMW E46 M3 GTR run by Geoff Steel Racing . Eaton achieved one win, eight podium finishes, and three fastest laps. In 2016, Eaton moved to
6300-638: Was designed partly with this in mind, to give the new cars a better chance of beating the Nissan Skyline GT-Rs in those races. The new rules meant that cars such as the turbocharged Nissan Skyline GT-R and Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth were not eligible to compete in 1993, while cars such as the BMW M3 were. However, the M3 received few of the liberal concessions given to the new V8s and also had an extra 100 kilograms (220 lb) added to its minimum weight, so with
6384-402: Was developed by Paul Taylor and Wayne Cattach, who spent two years designing a formula which would eliminate most of the differences between the Fords and Holdens. Project Blueprint had the chassis pick-up points, wheelbase , track , and driving position become common across both manufacturers. The Holdens were now able and required to use double-wishbone front suspension, similar to that of
6468-457: Was given the opportunity to run a former SBR Ford BF Falcon in the 2011 development series with Robert Cregan driving. In 2012 , the team expanded to two Falcon BFs, with Daniel Jilesen and Ashley Walsh joining the team. After two rounds the team expanded to three cars, with the SBR entered Ford FG Falcon of Scott McLaughlin entry transferred to the team after the signing of Mahindra Group as
6552-426: Was granted a new front and rear wing package. The BMWs were also allowed new splitters and full DTM-specification rear wings. Disparity between the Fords and Holdens continued to be a talking point during the next few years, with various concessions given to each manufacturer to try to equalise the two cars. From 1995 , the 2.0-litre cars, now contesting their own series as super touring cars , became ineligible for
6636-450: Was intended to be a precursor to the series holding a championship event at the circuit in 2016, in a push from CEO James Warburton to build series exposure in Asia. The event was later cancelled due to legal issues affecting the circuit. In December 2014, Supercars released details concerning the future of the category. New regulations, dubbed Gen2 Supercar, were introduced in 2017 to allow
6720-521: Was introduced in an effort to improve the environmental image of the sport. Carbon dioxide emissions decreased by up to 50%, but fuel consumption was increased by 30% to produce the same power as before. 2009 also had the introduction of a soft compound tyre at certain events to try to improve the quality of the racing and create different strategies. In 2005, AVESCO changed its name to V8 Supercars Australia (VESA). The series continued to expand during this time, with races held outside of Australasia for
6804-414: Was organised by V8 Supercars to investigate future directions for the sport. The project had the primary objective of cutting costs to $ 250,000 per car through the use of control parts and to create a pathway for new manufacturers to enter the series, provided that they have a four-door saloon car in mass production. The new formula, called "Car of the Future", was scheduled to be introduced before or during
6888-614: Was reviewed In April 2016, the series reached an agreement with Virgin Australia to rename the series to the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on 1 July. For the 2021 season, this changed to the Repco Supercars Championship on a 5-year deal, extended to an 8-year deal at the end of 2022. After being first announced in 2020, and after being delayed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
6972-430: Was solely responsible for the administration of the category. The new board of directors was composed of four TEGA representatives, two members from SEL and two independent directors. In 2011, TEGA and SEL entered a sale agreement with Australian Motor Racing Partners (AMRP), which had significant financial backing from Archer Capital . This agreement saw SEL lose its 25% stake in V8 Supercars, with Archer Capital taking up
7056-458: Was split between Jake Kostecki and Zane Goddard under the new Superlite Program. The two would also drive together for the Bathurst 1000. The 35 car was driven full time by Garry Jacobson, partnered with David Russell for the Endurance race. Jacobson finished 21st in the championship, with Goddard 25th and Kostecki 27th. In 2011 , Matt Stone the son of Stone Brothers Racing (SBR) co-owner Jim,
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