Quote3. Hughes. outstanding driver, and with a GM contract already in another series. GM should demand that one of their teams run him next year.

As I suggested on another thread previously.

Good on GM and two co-operative GM teams for giving an outstanding driver a go.

With the latest gift by Supercars powers-that-be to the Ford teams, we may see an improved outcome this year.

After all, the Mustang only had pole position in 2025 with their underpowered engine, so maybe it will do better this year.  

After all. the Mustang only took the top step of the podium in the 2025 race, again with an engine disadvantage. Maybe they can do better this year.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-08/bathurst-1000-supercars-kai-allen-fastest-practice-thursday/107244458

QuoteBarometric pressure testing before last year's Bathurst 1000, and again before this weekend, found the Ford engine lost power at high altitude.

A change to the engine, developed by Triple Eight Race Engineering, which is Ford's homologation team, has been approved by Supercars to level the playing field this weekend.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/motorsports/bathurst-fiasco-as-drivers-forced-to-take-test-requiring-flawless-score/ar-AA2dIw39?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6ac5e43bae1e47c28afd2185dc93f748&ei=68

QuoteDrivers gearing up for this year's Bathurst 1000 faced a unique hurdle before even hitting the tarmac.

They had to complete a mandatory 31-question regulation test that proved so bizarre, multiple drivers reportedly turned to ChatGPT to get them through.

Motorsport Australia mandated the driver theory refresher for every driver competing at Mount Panorama, requiring a flawless 100 per cent score before anyone was cleared to race.

BUT!

QuoteWhile the test was standard across the Bathurst 12 Hour, Bathurst 6 Hour and the Bathurst 1000 event, it proved to be a significant roadblock in the paddock.

One driver in this weekend's field reportedly failed the exam three times, as others turned to artificial intelligence to secure their perfect scores.

Maybe they need to lock the drivers in a room with an invigilator and ban cheating.

I have to agree with the DUDE.

Simpler cars would make parity easier, and more testing allowed for aspiring od newcomer drivers would help with Driver Parity.

Paul Morris weighs in on Supercars testing restrictions, Gen3 complexity

I note that Supercars have made provision for Cooper Barns to test Mom and Dads newly acquired ex DJR Gen 3 in preparation for 2028 racing.

Is this normal or special?  It will certainly give him a jump on the Super2 Driver Parity.

Cooper Barnes' plans for ex-Dick Johnson Racing Ford Mustang Supercar prior to 2028 Dunlop Super2 Series

Quotehttps://speedcafe.com/supercars-news-2026-bathurst-1000-brodie-kostecki-jamie-whincup-ford-engine-v8-reliability-failures/

Brodie seems to be blaming 888 and Jamie for not fixing the Ford engines.

It would be interesting to know if the engines are still using timing chains of DJR specification.

QuoteAnother pathetic call. BRT have had both cars DSQ'd as their main drivers did not reach the required minimum laps. Why? Because the race was called time certain.

It has been said that those who disregard history are doomed to repeat the mistakes.

Some will call it nostalgia, but I believe it is history directly relevant to the disqualification.
Paul Morris was robbed of a Bathurst win due to a similar miscalculation by the team manager. Maybe some of the current hotshots should be looking at History.

It shows the error of relying on computers (rubbish in = rubbish out) instead of doing it with pen on paper and double checking or triple checking between the relevant engineers and the team manager. ALL teams were well aware of the race length regulations.

Having been part of the QMSC promoting team at Lakeside a lifetime ago, I can only wonder at and applaud the Application of wealthy genuine motorsports enthusiasts in building the bend to this stage and beyond.

Well done.

I can only wonder if the creditors of QMSC had voted with the unanimous QMSC committee to hand the Lakeside promotion to the wonderful Bob Jane.  Would Lakeside now be prospering in the hands of his descendants.

I really further wonder just how long GM will even need a Homologation Team in Australia.

The GM choices are shrinking with Cadillac locally a sales disaster and in England too. Cadillac and possibly GM may simply drop right hand car manufacture. They even gave the DCM to their Aussie boss.

If Supercars wants more than Toyota and Ford playing in their private Circus, it seems that BYD, MG or similar will have to be encouraged to join. Would they even consider racing a V8 just for the publicity.

Any team thinking of entering for the publicity, might consider that Supercars consider the Bend endurance race as unworthy of broadcast. At least we get a short summary of Sunday's racing on FTA TV on Monday. Channel 7 still shows the usual Saturday summary times covered by TBA listings.

Supercars might need to turn one of the existing V8 engines into a category engine for new players.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/motoring/electric-cars/cadillac-future-in-australia-hits-first-speed-bump/ar-AA2bHAop?ocid=BingNewsSerp

It is a shame politicians will disrupt city streets rather than use an existing world class track nearby.

They are upsetting the tree huggers, the residents, the disrupted businesses and motorsport fans who see money wasted on a short-term venture instead of supporting a year-round facility that aids driver training and lower-level racers.

Oh, we shouldn't forget the disruption to the poor Adelaide residents needing to sleep on the street and in parks.

With Grant McPherson starting his GM employment assisting all the GM teams, thing may improve.

I have to agree that the GM parity problem is that they haven't got ANY genuine top drivers. The one most touted as the best has seriously underperformed at three teams now even though he gets an occasional good result.

There are a lot of sub optimum or even genuine backmarkers in Ford and Toyota Teams backed by family or personal sponsors which explains why they still have a drive.

With only a handful of genuine consistent drivers in the serious, one has to wonder where GM is going to recruit some front runners.

I live not far away, and although the BOM still shows no rain today, some mysterious water has been falling from the sky.

It might liven up the racing.

someone, somewhere on the forum suggested that the way to get parity is to have 888 race one Mustang, one Camaro and one Toyota.

As it turns out, 888 haven't even been able to achieve parity between two Mustangs.

Considering that almost all drivers in Supercars are actually pay drivers, either through family money or payments from personal sponsors to get the gig, it is likely that both drivers are not getting a free ride from GRM.

Even the very few drivers retaining drives through talent, got there via other classes that required cash contributions or even fully paid drives with professional providers.

Herne is a great example. On the one hand, he seems to be racing with family support, but his father points out that the family support can't even stretch to Super2.

Quote from: muz on July 14, 2026, 01:34:41 PMI thought the circuit and venue looked a bit tatty. Might just need a freshen up too.

As you wish, so be it. 

https://www.v8sleuth.com.au/reid-park-to-undergo-multi-million-dollar-resurface/

I felt that coverage of the shootouts was very poor with too many windscreen shots from within the car offering little worthwhile vision.