Price and McNamara

Holden Motorsport Manager Simon McNamara claims V8 Supercars Australia is dragging its feet on a request for a parity review.

McNamara said Holden Racing Team’s Mark Skaife requested the parity review after the Queensland Raceway round of the Championship on the basis the BF Falcon had an aerodynamic advantage over the VE Commodore.

“We were hoping to see a parity change before Phillip Island but they are stalling it,” he said.

“Nothing is happening. Our board members, Larry Perkins and Paul Morris, are being very helpful, but we are waiting to hear some sort of outcome.

“We are in an extended break which should have been an opportune time for the change.

“It’s getting a little frustrating because we’re wasting valuable time.”

McNamara said there would be a number of ways the Falcon’s aerodynamics could be adjusted.

“We don’t have a specific recommendation because we don’t have their cars, but it would be easier to do something with the Falcons than the Commodores,” he said.

“I know there’s been a lot of press and a lot of fans are saying there’s not a problem because we are winning the Championship, but at the end of the day it is clear there is a parity issue.

“One has an aerodynamic advantage; we have the proof.”

A request for a parity review is submitted to the V8 Supercar Board, which then makes a recommendation to the technical committee.

“But I’m not even sure a recommendation has been made,” McNamara said.

V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane confirmed to BigPond Sport that the board would not make a recommendation until it meets on September 5.

“I wouldn’t think it (an aerodynamic change for the Falcon) would have a snowflake’s chance in hell (of happening) before Phillip Island,” he said.

Ford Racing Manager Ray Price said Ford would oppose any changes to the BF’s aerodynamics.

“We would oppose it based on the fact an aero test we done on the BF and the VE and was signed off by TEGA,” he said.

“Since then we have worked on the car and so have they, but we have moved forward whereas they have moved backwards.”

Price did not believe there was a parity issue.

“I’d like to understand how there’s an aero advantage in a BF when Garth Tander is currently leading the Championship,” he said.

“And the two best drivers at the moment, and I say that by their current record, is Garth Tander leading the Championship and Mark Winterbottom second.

“If it’s between teams then there is some element to that, but car-to-car, if there was a parity issue we wouldn’t have a blue and a red car running one-two.”

Price has analysed data from the first seven rounds of the 2007 and 2008 Championships to support his argument that a parity review is not required.

“According to the data that I keep, which is based on race podiums, one thing that is different this year is that HSV has only had two race podiums compared to 27 race podiums this time last year.

“It says something about the HSV and HRT operation and the way it was restructured.

“Look what happened to Rick (Kelly) – why has he and HSV got two podiums this year and yet the cars have not changed this year on last year?

“I don’t know what they did but it certainly hasn’t helped them.”

Price said he would be disappointed if V8 Supercars demanded an aerodynamic adjustment for the BF.

“We’d be disappointed given nothing has changed from this year to last year except the results are reversed,” he said.

“Holden dominated the first half of the season last year and this year Ford is getting the results and I’m not sure that is justification for a parity review.”

Price said the Ford teams did not complain when the results were reversed last year.

“We never said one thing, not one thing,” he said.

“We couldn’t work out how the VE was so quick; it was just killing us.”

But McNamara said if the parity adjustment did not happen before Phillip Island, Holden Motorsport would be pushing “100 per cent” to have a change in time for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

“We will push until we have to roll out next year against the FG,” he said.

“We have no concerns with the (Falcon) FG; we have seen information from the aero testing and everything seems pretty good.”

“But there are a number of months and a number of rounds to go this year against the BF.”