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S5000 to debut push-to-pass on the Gold Coast
A push-to-pass system will make its competitive debut in the S5000 cars on the Gold Coast this weekend.
Andrew van Leeuwen
Published: Oct 27, 2022, 2:25 AM
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The system was trialled during testing at The Bend Motorsport Park recently and has since been green-lit for competition.
It will debut during this weekend's opening round of the Tasman Series on the Surfers Paradise street circuit.
The electronic system effectively limits throttle position when push-to-pass is off to restrict power, with 100 per cent throttle then available when it has been activated.
Drivers will be limited to six push-to-pass activations per race, the activation ending once the brake pedal is depressed.
Cars will have full power from their V8 engines available during practice and qualifying sessions.
Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Nathan Herne was among the drivers to test the system at The Bend and says it will be a positive for the category.
"It's what the category needs," said Herne. "You don't get much of a slipstream in these cars; they've got a lot of torque so they punch the air pretty well and they are pretty slippery.
"You can't really notice the horsepower is turned down because the cars are still lethal to drive. But once you turn up the wick, you can use the full rev range. You still can without push-to-pass, but for the best torque you shift a bit earlier.
"It should encourage a bit of racing, but the Gold Coast is a pretty narrow track and these things are pretty wide, so it will still be hard to pass."
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Given passing opportunities will be at a premium even with the system, Herne is predicting its use will need to be strategic.
"It's going to be a strategy game," he explained. "You might save them all up for the last lap and go ham and cheese on the last lap, or use them early in the race to build a gap."
This weekend will mark S5000's debut on the brutal Gold Coast layout, while also heralding a return of big-power open-wheelers on a track famous for hosting IndyCar in the 1990s and 2000s.
According to Herne, the iconic Gold Coast kerbs will be a gamble for the drivers as they look to make time but not wreck cars.
"These S5000s are a pretty beasty car. They are very similar to a Supercar in a lot of ways, except we can't take the kerbs," said Herne. "To get around this track fast, you need to use the kerbs.
"It will be a lot of risk versus reward. You can try and hit the kerbs, but as we've seen in the past, these things will bend pushrods and spit you into the fence pretty quickly.
"If you want to risk it, risk ending up in the fence, you can go through the kerbs and gain that tenth or two. I reckon it's going to be a bit of slow and steady wins the race.
"I'll go out in the first session, hit a kerb and see how it lands. The landing is what hurts the cars the most, so we've got to see how they land. Some kerbs we might be able to get two wheels off the ground, but it depends how the car lands.
"It will be a physical race, especially with the bumps. When we raced these cars at Sandown it was hard on the body, and that's a permanent circuit. So coming to a street circuit, that will be physical."
First practice for S5000 kicks off tomorrow at 11:15am tomorrow.
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