Drivers back removal of Gold Coast tyre bundles
Tyre bundles replaced by sensors at famous beach chicane
Decision made following consultation with drivers, Supercars and Motorsport Australia
James Golding and Broc Feeney were both taken out in 2022 pile-up
Broc Feeney, James Golding and Anton De Pasquale reiterated their support of the decision to remove tyre bundles from the beach chicane ahead of the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
There will be a notable change to the Surfers Paradise street circuit, with tyre bundles to be replaced by sensors at the famous beach chicane.
The Surfers Paradise Street Circuit features two major chicanes — the Turns 1/2/3 complex and Turns 6/7/8/9/10 along the back straight.
The decision to remove tyre bundles from the beach chicane in 2023 was made following consultation with leading drivers, Supercars and Motorsport Australia.
Tyre bundles came under the microscope last year when Golding tripped over a bundle through the beach chicane, triggering a multi-car accident that also involved Feeney.
“It’s what all drivers wanted to be honest,” Feeney said after joining Golding and De Pasquale with laps of Sundale Bridge on Thursday.
“It does quite a lot of damage to the cars, and you sort of have to hit them to go fast.
“I think it’s a good thing, we’re gonna have to find out and see what the sensors are like. But it’s going to be less carnage, and we look forward to that.”
Golding added that the removal of the bundles will benefit the race itself, given the debris they leave behind from cars.
“These cars are little bit more fragile in the front, so clipping the tyre bundles like we used to wouldn’t really work,” Golding said.
“There’d be a lot of debris and stuff on the track that would slow the race up.
“It’s a change they’ve made and they’ve tried to improve at every race we go to, they’re always looking at things to make it safer, and make the racing better.
“I think it’s in the right direction, and hopefully we put on a show.”
De Pasquale, who finished third at the Repco Bathurst 1000, still believes the Gold Coast streets offer plenty of other places for drivers to find trouble, and still expects drivers to test the limits at the hero corner of the circuit.
“It opens it up, obviously last year the tyre bundle caused a massive accident,” the Shell V-Power Racing Team driver said.
“We still have the sensors, and the regulations, so I don’t think it will change too much… there’ll be repairs going on, the Gold Coast produces crazy racing.
“There are a lot of things to hit around the Gold Coast.”
Track action at the Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500 commences on Friday October 27. Tickets are on sale now.
