Castrol’s global heritage with motorsport is one of its enduring characteristics and defining beliefs, going back more than a century - and no more so than here in Australia. Castrol has always recognized that the best way to make its products relevant to its customers is to partner with those in the industry to challenge and improve its technology through rigorous testing and application to every-day, real world situations.
A perfect example of this is Castrol’s association of over twenty years with Tickford Racing (formerly FPR) which has produced over 70 race wins, two Bathurst wins, and one Supercars Championship. More broadly, Castrol’s support across the Australia Touring Cars Championship has included support of iconic drivers and teams including Peter Brock, Larry Perkins, and Colin Bond, plus the all-conquering Holden Dealer Team.
Tim Edwards, CEO of Tickford Racing said, “Castrol products and their technical expertise has been integral to all facets of our racing team and business. Everything is about performance - be it engine, drivetrain, power steering or brakes – and there’s no question that our partnership with Castrol has given us a competitive edge over the last two decades.
The challenge for any Supercars team is to keep their engines performing at their optimal level and maximizing the racing miles so as to get the most out of the vehicle between engine re-builds. Matthew Roberts, Tickford Racing’s Crew Chief said “Keeping the engine together with the extremes of both temperature and pressure is critical to the team’s continued success and this is where working with the Castrol technical team is vital.”
“Last year the Castrol EDGE oil that was used across all four Tickford Racing Mustangs was almost identical to that which mechanics put into their customers cars, with only minor fine-tuning by the Castrol technical team to handle the unique characteristics of our engines” he said.
The need for Tickford Racing and Castrol to constantly adapt, innovate and prevail will be on full display with the Gen3 Supercars hitting the track for the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship.
For the fans, probably the most noticeable change is the look of the racing cars. A strong emphasis has been directed towards the cars resembling their road counterparts - the Ford Mustang S550 and Chevrolet Camaro.
This has obvious benefits for the car manufacturers as fans will be attracted to buy these models based on their admiration for the vehicle’s racing pedigree. In time, vehicle mechanics will no doubt see more of these high-performance motorist’s vehicles turning up for regular maintenance and service.
For the Supercar teams however, the past few years have been a steep learning curve as they have come to grips with the myriad of new specs for the vehicles, not least their new engines and drivetrains. The Mustang will be fitted with a 5.4L Coyote DOHC V8 engine, while the Camaro will be powered by a 5.7L Chevrolet Racing LTR V8 engine.
Here, Tickford Racing and Castrol have worked closely together testing and refining the new car’s lubricant requirements from front spoiler to rear spoiler, and everything in between. The outcome? Tickford will utilise an unmodified off-the-shelf Castrol EDGE engine oil in competition use – a testament to its performance credentials.
“The first race of the season is in Newcastle in March so it will be interesting to see how quickly both teams and drivers come to grips with the new vehicle platform,” said Tim Edwards. “We’re incredibly thankful to Castrol for their dedication and input through the Gen3 development process and have the upmost confidence that we’re going to hit the ground running in the new Mustang at Newcastle..”
This article is brought to you by Castrol
