FPR ask for FG X weight help

A Ford Performance Racing bid to aid the new Falcon FG X's competitiveness by allowing V8 Supercars to use bonnets made of composite materials and manufactured to a mandated weight has been turned down.

But the factory team hasn't given up on what it calls a "discussion" with the V8 Supercars Commission over category rules that stipulate race cars must use the same material for bonnet and bootlid as the production car they are based on.

The new FG X, which FPR will homologate to race in 2015, has a weight distribution disadvantage because it retains a steel bonnet and bootlid, whereas the Holden Commodore VF, Nissan Altima, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Volvo S60 all use lighter aluminium for at least the bonnet.

Allowing all cars to use a composite bonnet would negate the Falcon's disadvantage.

Panel weights caused controversy last year, prompting the V8 Supercars Commission to raise minimum kerb weights for all cars by 10kg to 1410kg, because the Falcon FG II Car of the Future was struggling to hit 1400kg.

Even with the revised minimum weight, the argument supported by FPR was the other cars still had a performance advantage because they were being ballasted to achieve the minimum and placing the weight lower in the car where it aided handling balance.

FPR team principal Tim Edwards confirmed an approach had been made to the V8 Supercars Commission to allow the introduction of bonnets with a stipulated minimum weight made of composite material, as per front guards and bumpers.

"It is something we would like to change to but we haven't got the powers that be to agree to that yet," said Edwards, who is a V8 Supercars Commission member.

"It doesn't make any sense ... to have a minimum front guard weight of 1.5 kilos and to achieve that we are all attaching penny washers to our front guards. Then, the piece (bonnet) that connects the two front guards that sits above them can vary by five to eight kilos.

"It's not like we are trying to get an advantage there, all we want is equality. We have a minimum front bumper weight, we have a minimum front guard weight, but for the bit that pins all three of those together over the top to vary by such a huge amount doesn't make any sense."

Damien White, V8 Supercars Director - Sport, Operations and Sanctioned Events, confirmed the commission's position.

"Tim obviously sits on the Commission, and as the principal of the Ford homologation team (FPR), it was right for him to present the case, however the submission was rejected," White explained. "The technical department has a voice within that process, however we must apply what is ratified by the Commission."

Meanwhile, Edwards said FPR was on-course to conduct an initial straight-line test of an FG X in December before the official V8 Supercars aero parity process later in the month.

"The date is not set for the actual homologation as such," said Edwards. "But we have to run the car before then just to make sure and we have done different derivatives ... We will turn up on the day and hope from our baseline testing that the derivative we have on the car is the closest one, but if not we have some tuning tools and at least we know which way to go with our tuning tools."

The FG X will be homologated for aerodynamics parity using a testing process that has added more tools after an August V8 Supercars 'health check'.

During the homologation process conducted at the end of 2012 the FG Falcon lost two degrees of maximum rear wing angle and FPR and Dick Johnson Racing have both since commented about the impact that they believe that change has had on the Falcon's handling balance.

Edwards said the new homologation test did not mean those two degrees would be reclaimed.

"V8 Supercars have what they are calling a better toolbox, so obviously it (FG X) will be homologated with their new tools," he said. "We don't know exactly what they are because we are yet to see the result of that aero test ... But we are obviously hoping the new car will be more aerodynamically stable than our current platform.

"You are always looking for the aero balance and different cars have different characteristics under braking and at high speed and we are just looking for what we think will be a better aero balance."