P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Supercars investigating wheel nut fix
In recent weeks, there has been renewed attention on the Gen3 wheel nuts due to several incidents of lost wheels. One notable incident occurred during the Sandown 500 race when Garth Tander’s Grove Mustang lost a wheel while in fourth place. Similar incidents were reported during ride days for Triple Eight and Erebus at the Sydney Motorsport Park and Sandown circuits respectively, although the latter was believed to be a hub-related failure rather than a design flaw. Testing is currently underway to find solutions that can enhance wheel retention with the smaller, lighter Gen3 nut and spindle systems. It is possible that a change could be mandated before the Bathurst 1000 race. The potential for a lost wheel at high speeds on the Mount Panorama track, which is lined with walls, could cause significant damage to a car. Brad Jones, the owner of Brad Jones Racing, has proposed a fix that involves a design resembling the older-generation cars, with a built-in central clip to prevent the nuts from completely unwinding even if they become loose. It is important to note that this is not the first time that wheel nuts have posed problems for these new cars, as a redesign was already implemented before the start of the season to retain the nut inside the rim, and changes were made to the stubs on the hub to prevent rims from sticking when hot.
Source: motorsport
