Manufacturing Delays ZB Commodore Builds

A manufacturing delay has slowed teams building or converting to the new Holden Commodore ZB that is set to run it's first season this year.

ReliveRacing.com has learned that, while kits had originally been scheduled to reach teams last week, they are likely to be received later this week.

All of the 7 Holden teams are set to use the new ZB body kit, with a mixture of new and upgraded cars are being prepared right now.

Erebus Motorsport is constructing a new vehicle for Anton De Pasquale, and upgrading the Bathurst champ David Reynolds chassis, as Walkinshaw United Autosport announced that they will initially work on two of there three cars and then when the season starts will work on the spare car.

Brad Jones Racing announced late last year (2017) that they expected there kit in the

beginning of January, however it is understood that the kit is now expected to arrive on January 18th.

"We've got a few panels. The car's all engine in, wheels are on, waiting for (additional) panels to get on the car and see where we're sitting, so we're just waiting for all the gear at the moment, Preston Hire Racing owner Charlie Schwerkolt told the media.

"It's running a bit late but it's trickling through as we speak, so ideally it would have been better to have it now but I'm sure It'll all start arriving this week."

According to Triple Eight Boss Roland Dane, the delays have come about because of the new cars late approval by Supercars.

"Some of the panels couldn't be signed off until the aero testing was finished." Dane told the media.

"We received the car back from aero testing on December 14th."

"We've then had to make sure that we know what we've got and then go to work and start making plugs and moulds for the composite parts."

Complicating the manufacturing schedule was the holiday period, with Triple Eight now focussing on producing the kits and delivering them.

“Unfortunately time frames are tight, but it is what it is and teams are co-operating with us, and wherever they can they’re combining to – the ones in the south – to combine to help us with transportation,” Dane said.

"We're cracking on to get stuff done as quickly as we can."

"Will it be tight? yeah, it probably will be, it will be for all of us, as it was for the car of the future.

"When the Car of the future came, people were still finishing the day before."

Not all parts of the kit have been held back, and teams have received some components, with a number having already completed preparation work in anticipation of the remaining panels arriving.

“All the bracketry and all the bits that the panels fit onto the car are all from Holden, which we’ve all got on the car and welded on, on our jig,” Schwerkolt said.

“Where the windscreen sits, where the doors sit and all that sort of stuff, we get all that from Holden; and then of the composite panels, 90 percent of them are from Triple Eight.”

The delays have also impacted Garry Rogers Motorsport, who has a license to build the ZB Commodore front splitter for the Victorian teams.

To date they have not produced a complete bumper, though has constructed a number of undertray sections in readiness.

“We’ve got a license with Roland, or Triple Eight, that we’re making the front splitters for the Victorian teams,” Barry Rogers confirmed to the media.

“We’ve made all the undertrays, they’re sitting there made up ready to roll, we’re just waiting on some things out of Triple Eight to prepare the fascias.

“We were hoping to get that last week but there’s been a couple of delays there, but in the next week or so that’ll arrive and we’ll get in and get them made.”

The delays have had a diverse impact on team’s ground work, with some waiting basically to hang the new panels on their cars while others are yet to begin work ahead of the kits landing.

Converting a car from VF specification to ZB requires extensive work to the back end of the car to inaugurate mounting points for the ZB’s rear bumper and boot section.

Once on track, teams are hoping the new Commodore will see aerodynamic improvements over the VF.

Erebus Motorsport’s Alistair McVean proposes that the new car could offer a more consistent aerodynamic package, which will make fine tuning its setup easier than the car it replaces.

“Our data with the VF Commodore shows it to possess a very sensitive aero package that makes it difficult to balance the car out in all phases of the corner,” McVean told the team’s website.

“We are expecting the ZB Commodore to be a step change in this area, and while the category carefully controls the overall downforce and drag potential of the vehicle to ensure parity, we expect to see improvements in the consistency of the aerodynamic platform.

“This should allow us to refine the car setup without having to manage the aero platform so carefully.”

All Holden teams remain confident that they will have their cars ready, in ZB configuration, ahead of the season launch on February 15 at Sydney Motorsport Park, and the pre-season test the following day.

This news was gathered from Speedcafe.com as are most of the post's please go check there website out.