MOTORSPORT: Top-heavy Ford Mustang takes on Tassie

After two weeks of intense political drama, the Supercars championship returns to the track this weekend in Tasmania with attention rivetted on the performance of the now top-heavy Ford Mustang.

A dominant performer with six poles and wins in the first six races of the season, the Mustangs – all six of them racing in the championship – have been the big loser in newly-introduced centre of gravity technical parity rules.

The V8 coupe has had 28kg of lead ballast shifted from the floor of its cabin to the roll-cage under its roof, raising its centre of gravity a substantial 20mm. The Holden Commodore ZB has had to shift 6.7kg skyward, while the tail-ender Nissan Altima remains unchanged.

The move was made against the Mustang by Supercars because it has been built significantly underweight, allowing the two Ford teams – DJR Team Penske and Tickford Racing – to mount 50kg or more of ballast on the floor. That lowers the centre of gravity and delivers a handling - and therefore lap time - advantage.

But it could only be the start as Ford’s rivals push for the car’s aero package to be trimmed. No changes will be made in the immediate future, but there is a lot of momentum there for it to happen.

The problem with all this is the Mustang was signed off for racing by the ‘VCAT’ aerodynamic parity testing program, which was eulogised back in December for its closeness.

What that ignores is the test is conducted over a narrow range of parameters and pays no attention to cornering aero, where the Mustang’ opponents argue it has an unfair – not illegal, we stress – advantage.

Resolving that could be achieved via Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), according to some people, or needs a wind tunnel according to others. Supercars, it is reported by the motor racing website speedcafe, had considered and now abandoned a plan to get the three cars into the Monash University wind tunnel next week.

Through all this, carsales.com.au understands Ford has been surprised and disappointed by the amount of controversy and negative noise its return to Supercars with Mustang has created.

Meanwhile, just how much impact the CoG changes have on the Mustang and the racing may be cloaked at the tiny Symmons Plains circuit, where there are only seven corners and the Holdens of factory team Triple Eight Race Engineering have traditionally dominated.

So don’t be surprised to see Red Bull Holden Racing Team drivers Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen doing extremely well this weekend.

Mind you, the Mustang hasn’t only been winning because it’s a great race car. In defending Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin DJRTP has an elite talent driving at the peak of his skills.

Only weeks ago team owner Roger Penske called him “one of the great drivers we’ve ever had on our team”. Not bad from a bloke who has had Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and Rick Mears on the roster.

In claiming three poles and winning four races already this year, McLaughlin’s scintillating form has undoubtedly contributed to the added lead in the Mustang’s saddlebags.

But then so has Tickford’s resurgence with Chaz Mostert, Cam Waters and Will Davison all starring after spending the last year of the Falcon FG/X in the doldrums in 2018.

McLaughlin’s making all the right noise leading in to Tassie, vowing to take the fight to the Holden teams and give them a send-off if he wins.

“I plan to go out there and drive the thing 100 per cent and if we win it that’s an absolute bonus and obviously we’ll stick it up a few people,” he said.

While a pleasantly even bloke out of the car, McLaughlin thrives on pressure and the sense of being the underdog. His record at Symmons will help him there, as he has one pole and no wins from six years of racing Supercars there.

“I am actually excited, I love a challenge. I love going there and having a crack … I just have to cop the punches, it’s motorsport politics whatever you want to call it. I’ll be right.”

McLaughlin has a brilliant record at fast and flowing Phillip Island, where the Supercars heads to the following weekend. It may also do more than Tassie to reveal more about how successful the adjustments to centre of gravity have been.

Meanwhile, Supercars has thrown a couple of the spokes in the wheels of the teams in Tassie, bringing back a three-part qualifying system and combining it with a new parc ferme rule. If teams don’t play it right they could find themselves lining up for the races stuck with a qualifying set-up.

One predicted outcome is a quiet track late in qualifying as teams rush to set a time then park their cars and change settings.