Wind tunnel test success sets up big Supercars battle for 2026
Supercars, homologation teams complete crucial aero testing in United States
Supercars, teams declare aerodynamic parity between Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet
2026 Supercars season commences in Sydney on February 20-22
Supercars and the three homologation teams have achieved aerodynamic parity between the Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet following an intense fortnight of testing in the United States.
On Sunday (AEST), representatives from Supercars, Walkinshaw Andretti United (Toyota), Triple Eight Race Engineering (Ford) and Team 18 (General Motors) completed an exhaustive program of testing at the world-class Windshear facility in North Carolina.
All parties worked 18-plus hour days at Windshear in the effort to remove any discrepancies between the three cars.
Over the weekend, Supercars and the teams agreed aerodynamic parity had been achieved between the new-for-2026 Toyota GR Supra, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.
The fortnight produced over 3000 kilometres of running from more than 50 hours of wind tunnel testing.
It ensures Supercars and the teams can return to Australia with data capture set to deliver aerodynamic parity for the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship, which commences in Sydney on February 20-22.
“We’ve got parity, and we've got three HTs that are very happy with the results,” Supercars Chief Motorsport Officer Tim Edwards said.
“You can almost say it's a minor miracle because we set the bar so much higher than when we came here last time.
“We focused on downforce and drag last time we were here. This time, we added a whole sensitivity band to it, and we managed to achieve that as well.
“We now know we've got aerodynamic parity, and to a much, much finer tolerance than we had when we were here last time.”
The Mustang and Camaro were adjusted throughout the testing to ensure there were no discrepancies between the two existing cars.
However, attention centred on the new Supra, which after more than 24 hours in the tunnel, is now aligned with the Mustang and Camaro aero bases.
The achievement wasn’t lost on WAU Team Principal Carl Faux, who said: “We have parity. All three cars are aligned beyond my expectation.
“I think it's astonishing that three cars of such different shapes and sizes have been able to get within the bounds that Supercars have set out for us, and in the parity box.”
Pre-season testing will commence before the Sydney event, where fans can watch the first race of the new season with free entry.
