How new Gen3 pedal box will make 'big difference'

Adjustable pedal boxes will remove a tricky element of driver pairings for endurance races in the Gen3 era.

The Gen3 cars will feature a number of new innovations, and the pedal box change is one of them.

In previous cars, drivers used seat inserts to alleviate the strain of seating positions.

That was the case as recently as last year when Lee Holdsworth was partnered with Matt Payne, who is 20cm taller.

The pedal box is adjusted by a lever, which alters the position in mere seconds.

In a Brad Jones Racing video, Macauley Jones explained the benefits of the new system.

“Where the actual pedal box and seat configuration will go inside the car is actually different,” Jones said.

“The seat itself is more inboard than what the old [cars] were, so that’s a big difference.

“You’ve got more adjustability, and quicker adjustability in these new pedal boxes.

“[The level] is able to move the pedal box forwards and backwards to suit different driver heights.

“That could make a big difference in the enduros where he have different heights of drivers.

“We’re going to be sitting a little bit lower, and a little bit more elevated wth the feet.

“It’s going to be a big difference in a driving feel — it’ll feel like a brand new car, which is really exciting.”

The adjustable pedal box will remove stress for teams trying to find the perfect fit for full-time drivers.

Once Garth Tander was announced at Penrite Racing, he was immediately linked alongside Payne.

However, Tander reiterated that the new pedal box system removes height as a “problem” in driver pairings and driver changes.

“A lot of people have already pencilled me in to share with Matt, given our physical size and that I’ll be mentoring him. But that’s not necessarily the case,” Tander recently told the Castrol Motorsport News podcast.

“You have to remember that with the Gen3 cars, you can move the pedal box in a heartbeat.

“The whole height thing is far less of an issue than it’s ever been before.

“It’s more like a GT car now. The height thing is not a problem.

“A lot of people have dismissed ave me and teaming up because of our heights but that’s not the case at all."

Sandown and Bathurst will host the 2023 season's two endurance races.

The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will commence in Newcastle on March 10-12.

Tickets are on sale on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.