After a car breaking V8 Supercars Championship event at the Armor All Gold Coast 600 last weekend, the outgoing 17-inch control V8 Supercars wheels have been sold out.
Wheel importer Racer Industries has told Speedcafe.com that the final 120 17 inch wheels that remained in their stockpile have been sold to various V8 teams, with some teams wanting to ensure they have enough wheels to see them through to the end of the year.
The new, higher kerbing at the Surfers Paradise street circuit damaged a large number of wheels.
The use of the 17-inch wheels will be discontinued in the V8 Supercars Championship next year, with an 18 inch wheel being introduced as a new control component in the Car of the Future regulations.
The current 17-inch Team Dynamic-built wheel were phased into the class in 2009, with 1830 wheels sold since then. Each of the forged aluminium wheels retails at $450.
Under the deal between V8 Supercars, Racer Industries and Team Dynamics, the 17-inch wheel will never be made in that guise again.
Despite the loss of many wheels over the Gold Coast weekend, Race Industries owner Ryan McLeod says that teams should have enough stock in reserve to make it through to the end of this year.
“We planned to have enough to get through to the end of the year, so I think the teams will make it through on what they’ve got,” McLeod told Speedcafe.com.
“They’ve got fairly big reserves. I saw a few of the wheels at Surfers, and there was certainly a lot of damage, but there’s not much you can do. I thought the wheel stood up well.”
Teams have already begun to take delivery of the new 18-inch wheels for next season.
