Scott Pye, seen here in action at the 2021 Tasmania Supercars event, is predicting brake fade this weekend at Symmons Plains. Picture: Ross Gibb Photography
Team 18’s Scott Pye believes that brake fade will be a challenge for Supercars drivers at this weekend’s Ned Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint.
The Symmons Plains circuit which will host Event 4 of the Repco Supercars Championship features the slowest corner on the calendar, ‘Brambles Hairpin’, and a hard stop at the end of the back ‘straight’.
For that reason, it has been one of the toughest circuits on brakes, something which Pye expects will continue in the first Gen3 event on the Apple Isle.
“It’s an exciting little track,” he said.
“I think, for a permanently built track, it’s a very cool one for the fans. They can see so much of the circuit and it goes back to the roots of Supercars.
“I think the hairpin is going to be interesting in this new car. It’s a big braking spot into there and it’s one of the tightest corners on the calendar, so that’ll be a new challenge for this car.
“I think as well, us drivers will have our work cut out for us in that first sector over the hump with the car getting light.
“The new balance is certainly something to get used to every time you roll out at a different track, so that’ll be quite cool to experience and hopefully we’re at the pointy end.
“I think brake fade could be an issue over there following other cars.
“The cars this year have felt like in hot air they’re quite difficult to manage tyre wear and brake fade, so I think at Tasmania having such big stops, that could be something to be aware of.
“I think there’s only positives heading into Tasmania. It’s a new opportunity with a new car for us.”
Pye’s comments are consistent with the Further Supplementary Regulations for this weekend’s event, which contain a special provision with respect to brakes.
Supercars stipulates a brake rotor/brake pad set allocation per car for each event of the season, typically one per weekend but more at Bathurst and Newcastle, per Rule D20.1 of the Operations Manual.
In a not unusual change for Symmons Plains, however, each entry will be allowed to use “1 Rotor / 2 brake pad sets”, per Further Supplementary Regulation 1.4.
Supercars has also directed teams to use the taller back-up drop gear this weekend, with cars to run the 1.042 ratio which is used at Hidden Valley and Sandown instead of the 1.074.
The same drop gear is used in the Camaro and the Mustang at any given event and had, until this weekend, been the same from circuit to circuit as last year despite the switch to new engines for Gen3.
Pye’s #20 Chevrolet Camaro will sport a new look at Symmons Plains with backing from East Coast Car Rentals.
Practice 1 for the Supercars Championship field starts on Saturday at 09:00 local time/AEST.