Supercars has returned to the United States to complete all-important wind tunnel parity testing ahead of the 2026 Repco Supercars Championship season.
Following a successful visit to the Windshear facility in North Carolina in late 2023, Supercars has returned to the site this week to compare aerodynamic data between the incumbent Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang, and the new-for-2026 Toyota GR Supra Supercar.
Technical staff from Supercars as well as each manufacturer’s Homologation Team, have been in North Carolina since last week preparing for the day-long sessions testing the three different cars.
In 2026, Triple Eight Race Engineering swaps from Chevrolet to Ford homologation duties, with Team 18 taking the baton for Chevrolet, while Walkinshaw Andretti United partners the newcomers Toyota.
In-depth aerodynamic testing has been taken up by Supercars in order to ensure all three cars have equal technical parity, while also maintaining the aesthetic identity of each car’s roadgoing counterpart.
Supercars has made the multi-million dollar investment into transporting race cars and team staff to Windshear to ensure the new Supra matches its rivals’ downforce and drag numbers as closely as possible to ensure the close racing Supercars is known for continues.
Windshear’s facility – used by Formula One, NASCAR, and IndyCar teams – offers tools and systems that allow Supercars technical staff to measure aerodynamic information in more intricate ways.
The three marques for 2026 have all undergone extensive CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulation work, with that data setting the stage for this week’s in-the-flesh testing stateside.
Following the conclusion of the visit to Windshear, body kits will be locked in for the respective Supercars, allowing teams to continue preparations for next season.
2026 is set to be a blockbuster year in Supercars, with 37 races scheduled across 14 events taking place across all Australian states plus the Northern Territory, and for the first time both the North and South Islands of New Zealand.
The 2026 Repco Supercars Championship season begins February 20-22 at the Sydney 500 at Sydney Motorsport Park.
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