One may call the V8 Supercars series as an Australian version of U.S. based NASCAR but has been credited by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).The event is based on your common four door sedans, with the vehicles customized to the point that only a few certain elements of the built are common between your average car and V8 supercars race vehicle. The race formats varies between sprint races, which tend to be 100 to 200 kms in length, street races between 125 and 250 kms and endurance tests.
Though, two of the initial participants that had their stake in the series were Australian based Holden with its Commodores nameplate and Ford Falcons, the event has opened up to additional automakers after 2013 saw the New Generation V8 Supercar regulations being introduced.
However, the latest round of regulations have raised some anxiety among fans and existing manufacturers as we wait for the championship’s technical division concentrates to settle on a set of parameters for the amended regulations ahead of its release later this month.
While much of the emphasis circled around V8 Supercars’ capability to hold on to its current makers, none of the executives have presently confirmed their intentions to stay with their respective teams beyond 2016.
Till date, only Lexus (category’s Safety Car provider) have openly voiced their interest in the notion of the Gen2 concept, however is yet to commit to a racing series. Both, Nissan and Holden have announced plans to remain with the series but will only sign off once they have a better understanding of the guidelines surrounding the G2 rules.
Ford Australia has drawn a lot of attention to itself within the circuit, as it announced its imminent departure at the end of last year and has yet to fall for domestic pressure from its dealer network for a reversal. The automakers’ US based motorsport division – Ford Performance – is contemplating including the V8 Supercars in the company’s’ portfolio of global racing efforts.
“I’ll give you the same answer that I basically gave Roger; as Ford Performance, we are assessing our entire racing strategy and portfolio, and understanding what series that we want to actually participate in, and that best support the goals of Ford Performance and the Ford Motor Company,” disclosed by Ford’s Performance director Dave Pericak to Motorsport.
“Whether or not [V8 Supercars] is going to make its way into the overall spend that we want to make, and the contribution to the company, is yet to be seen. We’ll let you know when we have more to talk about.”
According to Pericak, in the end it would always have to be about the specific automotive market and the program’s relevance to it, which would hold key to the subsistence of the V8 Supercar.
“I think there is a good market [in Australia],”
“It’s just whether or not we feel that we can learn from racing, because again this is about learning.
“Racing for us, yes we want to win, yes we go out on the track to win every weekend… but it’s also what can we learn, and how can we put that back in to the products that we put in people’s driveways every day.”
However, V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton was bullish had “no doubt” that the Gen2 regulations will bring new manufacturers to the table, irrespective of how the rules would look like.
“I think everyone is waiting,” said Warburton in an interview with speedcafe.com adding “there’s lots of conversations both at V8 Supercars level and at teams level with manufacturers at varying degrees. We have talked specifically about maintaining existing brands and opening the door for the possibility of new brands as well. But I think we need to roll it (the Gen2 guidelines) out and have all the discussions with something meatier on the table. I have got no doubt that we will attract one if not more new manufacturers, but it’s too early to say if that’s for 2017.”
Regardless of the events might turn up, the current season looks as exciting if not more than before as the V8 Supercars brand aims to spread the word across the nation. For enthusiasts within the Middle East and Africa, the series can be followed live on www.osn.com as it reaches the city of Townsville in the northeastern coast of Queensland, Australia from July 10th – 12th.