Ford Teams Face Speed Deficit at Darwin Triple Crown

Ford’s racing teams encountered a performance gap at the Darwin Triple Crown, sparking discussions about vehicle parity. Concerns over straight-line speed put the spotlight on engine performance, which impacted the competitiveness of the Ford Mustangs.

Straight-Line Speed Concerns Surface

The Darwin Triple Crown race weekend raised engine performance questions for the Ford teams. Driver Ryan Wood, driving for WAU, expressed worry early on, even after topping the first practice session. Supercars responded by permitting an in-event parity adjustment before Saturday’s action.

Ford frustration over Darwin ‘skull cap’ saga speedcafe.com/supercars-news… #Supercars pic.twitter.com/someImage

— Speedcafe (@speedcafe) June 9, 2025

This adjustment involved makeshift heat shielding on the engine. The goal was to replicate a ‘skull cap,’ an OEM part on the Chevrolet V8. However, the changes didn’t completely alleviate Ford teams’ concerns, with the official post-event note referencing parity.

“All the Ford teams are doing a magnificent job with what they’ve got. But engine performance was no different to any other event,”

—Carl Faux, WAU team principal

Ford teams’ straight-line speed lagged, averaging 2 km/h slower than their rivals. In 2024, Chevrolet dominated, winning 21 races compared to Ford’s 11, highlighting a potential performance imbalance (Supercars).

Team Perspectives and Analysis

David Noble, the CEO of Dick Johnson Racing, Ford’s homologation team, mentioned that they are still waiting on a comprehensive analysis of the Fords’ overall competitiveness. He noted there was still some uncertainty about the vehicles’ performance levels.

Despite these concerns, Ford drivers secured five podium positions throughout the Darwin Triple Crown. Broc Feeney won the event in his Triple Eight Camaro, but Cam Waters and Matt Payne finished second and third in Race 1. Kai Allen secured a podium finish in Race 2, and then in the finale.