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Chevy Keeps Winning In Australian Supercars, And Ford Is Mad

The 2023 Australian Supercars season has been a great one for drivers behind the wheel of a Chevy Camaro race car, as The Bow Tie has been absolutely dominant in every race thus far. In fact, last weekend at Hidden Valley Motor Sports Complex in Darwin, Australia, Chevy swept all races on June 16th through 18th, absolutely obliterating the other manufacturers on track. Chevy’s stateside crosstown rival, Ford, has certainly taken notice, and The Blue Oval isn’t happy, according to a recent report from Motorsport.

In Darwin, Chevy race cars accounted for eight of the nine podium slots across three races. The second main event saw Camaros sweep the top nine finishing positions, led by Broc Feeney’s No. 88 Camaro ZL1. Feeney captured the pole, proving his race car was fast before he even took the checkered flag. Meanwhile, the third race had Camaros finish first through fifth, with Jack Le Brocq taking the No. 34 Camaro to Victory Lane for his second career win.

However, it’s been evident throughout the season that the Chevy Camaros have a clear advantage in the Australian Supercars series, particularly when compared to their Ford Mustang equivalents. To start, the Chevys don’t seem to suffer from rear tire falloff like the Fords tend to, while the Camaros appear to be far more agile when it comes to aerodynamics and engine performance. Simply put, the Chevrolet 5.7L V8 engine in the Camaros noticeably outperforms the Ford 5.4L V8 engine in the Mustangs.

Cam Waters, a Ford driver who suffered a mechanical issue at Darwin, commented on the issue.

“I guess all year, and even in the early testing, you could see [the Camaros] have got more rear [grip] and a bigger margin to work in,” he said. Of his team and the other Fords, he added, “We’re struggling.”

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Alexandra is a Colorado-based journalist with a passion for all things involving horsepower, be it automotive or equestrian.

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Comments

  1. LOVE IT anytime you kick Mustang butt! Now we need them to keep it up in the good old USA.

    Reply
  2. So, what does Chevy do? Cancel the Camaro! Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot and helping the competition. Stupid move!

    Reply
  3. In Australia they run a platform similar to the one used in the Cup Series now.
    Ford uses a 5.4 litre Coyote and Chev a 5.7 litre LS and each manufacturer uses a single engine source. Just looking at the engine spec the Ford would be a higher revving unit and have more top end power. The Chev would be lower RPM wise with more low end torque. That’s just the characteristics of the engine design.
    I watch this series and have to say that the engine does not appear to be the problem. Tyre wear would be greater on corner exit which should make the torque an issue, yet the Chev has better tyre life.
    As for cancelling the car again the only issue I have is space utilization. I have a Gen4 as well and the hatch and rear compartment make that a more usable vehicle. The vision issue is questionable as my wife has a 2017 Mazda3 Sport and I find that worse for blind spots. Another issue is advertising, GM has not done much to promote the car which they didn’t with the Gen4 and Gen5 either.
    As far as shooting themselves in the foot, GM has been doing that since the mid 60’s. I say that as having worked in their dealer network for 20 years in parts and service.

    Reply

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