Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Archive

  • Thread starter DRIFT4EVA
  • 13,819 comments
  • 573,045 views

Holden or Ford

  • Holden

    Votes: 209 36.2%

  • Ford

    Votes: 175 30.3%

  • Ford and Holden

    Votes: 64 11.1%

  • Nismo

    Votes: 74 12.8%

  • Erebus

    Votes: 7 1.2%

  • Nismo and Erebus

    Votes: 6 1.0%

  • Volvo

    Votes: 43 7.4%
  • Total voters
    578
Status
Not open for further replies.
FPR Facebook page:

Prodrive Racing (Australia) has parted ways with race engineer Grant McPherson effective immediately. McPherson has left the team to pursue other career opportunities. “We thank Grant for his eight years of service and we part on good terms and wish him well for his future endeavours,” said PRA Team Principal, Tim Edwards
Click to expand...
 
Heh. Look like Frosty's ex-engineer wants a secure job.

Some more quotes from the Volvo news
While Volvo’s STCC contract has only 12 months remaining, Volvo Car Australia’s current deal with Garry Rogers Motorsport continues through to the end of 2016.

Volvo’s performance partner Polestar has confirmed that it is yet to evaluate its position beyond 2016, which coincides with V8 Supercars’ Gen2 rule package, which would allow a move to smaller, more fuel efficient engines.

Volvo’s V8 Supercars program’s architect, Matt Braid, departed his position as VCA MD suddenly in October, ending hopes that the company’s racing effort would be expanded.

Although the outlay on V8 Supercars has appeared high considering Volvo’s small foothold in the Australian market, Braid’s replacement Kevin McCann was quick to publicly back the program upon taking the role.

“I have inherited it and it is a package that is already existing and working and the feedback that I am getting is it is working very well,” he told the V8 Supercars website.

“I think we will continue to look for more and better leverage points to make sure of it.

“I think it is a great way to showcase our product and technology, it is a really wonderful rallying point for our staff and our dealer network, who need the motivation and enthusiasm to continue to work the market.”
Click to expand...
 
Innovation and high tech. Audi would raise their hand for that. :sly:

“I could have one team running GT-Rs and the other team running Altima,” Emery said. “That is one of the ideas we have come up with just shooting the breeze around the office."

This could work with a detuned class. Say the 26 main drivers in 650hp cars and the detuned class of about 10-12 in 580hp cars. Expensive(I'm not saying NISMO would field 4 R36s and 4 V8 Altimas), but could work.

Anyway, Supercars has to be smart about the '17 regs. The racing has to be just as close.
 
Well, I do hope Roland Dane gets Pye in some GT and Porsche Cup drives. He should also send Pye overseas if there are opportunities.

http://www.speedcafe.com/2014/12/18/djr-restructures-for-single-car-penske-assault/

marcos-ambrose-djr-344x227.png

Dick Johnson Racing’s transformation into its single-car DJR Team Penske form has continued with a staff restructure and the ramping up of American engineering input.

Seven staff, including David Wall’s former engineers Chris Stuckey and Jarrod Bowles, will not transition to the new DJRTP entity, which springs to life on January 1.

The team has confirmed to Speedcafe.com that it will run just a single car for Marcos Ambrose while, as previously reported, its second Racing Entitlements Contract will be leased to Super Black Racing.

The move comes after the team proved unable to find the funding to run a second car for Scott Pye, who is now expected to co-drive with Ambrose at the three Pirtek Enduro Cup events.

“2015 will be a building year for us,” a DJR spokesman told Speedcafe.com following the staff changes.

“We will have a one-car program in place with car #17 and Marcos. The current #16 REC will be used by Super Black Racing, subject to all the necessary approval from V8 Supercars.

“Scotty Pye is an outstanding talent and it is extremely disappointing for us that due to other circumstances, we will not be able to accommodate him in a full-time seat for next season.”

Ambrose’s Falcon will be engineered by carryover DJR employee Mark Fenning, while Jeff Swartwout and Nick Hughes continue as team manager and technical director respectively, having been installed by Penske in the back half of this season.

A refurbishment of DJR’s workshop is taking place over the summer which, according to Penske president Tim Cindric, will lift the level of presentation to “Penske standards”.

“You can’t give them (the team) the expectation for everything to be neat, tidy and orderly and not have some way to say this is how we want it, now just keep it that way,” Cindric told Speedcafe.com during a recent visit to Australia.

“You will see some investment there within the infrastructure but it’s not going to be Triple Eight or HRT overnight.

“The focus for us is more on the people than it is on the stuff. The people then become the process.”

The staff restructure has seen an emphasis placed on manufacturing capabilities at the Queensland workshop, while Team Penske’s North Carolina, USA, facility will provide assistance largely in the area of design.

Penske’s US employees are also at work on the team’s engine program, having received a DJR V8 Supercars powerplant earlier in the year while undertaking its due diligence on the category.

Although the current DJR engines sit near the top of the category’s cumulative horsepower limit and have little room for performance development, Penske’s extensive resources will undoubtedly help refine the package.

“The way the rules are there is not a lot you can do, but it’s just a matter of how much resource you have here or there,” said Cindric of the US-based engine program.

“That’s one that we’ve had a little less resource utilised since we went to Ford (in NASCAR from 2013, which brought with it a move to engines sourced externally from Roush Yates), so it’s a matter of combining what makes sense.”

Cindric stressed that transforming DJR into “a Penske team” will take time and is not simply about adding resources.

“The uniqueness of our program is not what we are looking to buy, because any team (with money) can buy what you want,” he said.

“What makes us different is the way we go about things. Some like it and some don’t, but everything has a place and you can’t buy that mentality.

“What we see here is a very good core group of people, but what I don’t know is whether or not our environment is going to be right for that core group of people.

“I think it is or we wouldn’t be here, but those are the things that we will try and transition over the next two to three months.”
Click to expand...
 
Maybe I'm reading too much into it. But it sort of sounds like Pye could be Ambrose's co-driver for the enduro's.
 
Last edited:
http://www.speedcafe.com/2014/12/18/mercedes-supply-bathurst-12-hour-safety-car/


Mercedes-Benz Cars Australia will provide the official Safety Car for the Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

The German manufacturer, which supplies safety vehicles to Formula 1 and DTM championships, will confirm the model to be utilised for the Mount Panorama endurance classic in the new year.

Mercedes will be represented by five SLS GT3 machines on the grid for the race held on February 7-8 courtesy of entries from Erebus Motorsport, HTP Motorsport, Rotek Racing and privateer Dean Grant.

“The opportunity for Mercedes-Benz to provide the safety car for the Bathurst 12 Hour is a great honour,” said Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Horst von Sanden.

“There is no more iconic racetrack in Australia than Mount Panorama and the 12 Hour race is the perfect platform to showcase our vehicles.

“The mixture of production and GT3 cars in an endurance format will prove the relevance and excitement of the race.”
Click to expand...

Imagine if MBA supply an E63 safety car for V8s in 2016. That'd be a kick in the face.
 
05XR8
Speedcafe are saying that. I dont know if that's confirmed.
Click to expand...

Nah there's nothing official from the team or from Pye himself yet. I just thought it was interesting the "we will not be able to accommodate him in a full-time seat for next season" bit. Sounds to me like he'll be in a co-driving role for them. Which is fine but disappointing because like Percat, Scott's another talented young guy who deserves a full time gig.
 
Last edited:
And sad to say, Paul Morris would be a good candidate to form a team and grab both those guys.

Makes me wonder how Supercars would work out with a two-driver one car 300km format.
 
http://www.speedcafe.com/2014/12/21/xbox-keeps-2015-v8-options-open/
Leading Microsoft gaming brand Xbox is exploring further opportunities in V8 Supercars.

After one-off backing for Marcos Ambrose’s V8 Supercars return as a wildcard entry for the recent Sydney NRMA 500, Xbox is keeping its options open for future sponsorship in the category.

Alan Bowman, Microsoft’s Asian regional vice president for retail sales and marketing, confirmed the deal did not stretch beyond the Sydney event.

“We only committed to do Sydney, but we are keeping our options open,” Bowman said.

DJR Team Penske is expected to rotate through several primary sponsors for its single-car entry next season, mirroring the model more commonly seen in NASCAR and IndyCar.

Long-time Xbox brand ambassador Mark Skaife expects to be central to any future plans the Microsoft-owned gaming giant is cultivating in V8 Supercars.

The DJR wildcard sponsorship came after Xbox funded a wildcard entry for Triple Eight which ran internationals, Andy Priaulx and Mattias Ekstrom at Bathurst last year.

That campaign promoted its then soon-to-be-released Forza 5 console which gained widespread publicity with the car claiming a top 10 finish at Mount Panorama.

“We had such a great success with Bathurst last year,” Bowman said.

“We really connected with our fans and we wanted to make sure we continued on with that.

“Xbox for us is really the home of racing and providing those great experiences. We put Bathurst in the game last year.”

Skaife masterminded the Xbox sponsorship package for the #66 DJR Ford which saw Ambrose have an exploratory run back in V8 Supercars ahead of his full assault for DJR Team Penske from next year.

“At the start it was my idea to talk to John Crennan when I knew the wildcard thing was coming up,” Skaife told Speedcafe.com

“Because I put the wildcard package together for Triple Eight with Priaulx and Ekstrom this was an opportunity that came out of nowhere with Marcos coming back early.

“This is a good way into Christmas with Xbox so I was immediately on the phone to John and that’s how it started which was in August.”
Click to expand...

Sponsor the series like NEXTEL and Sprint with NASCAR.
 
Percat handed V8 Supercars lifeline.
Nick Percat will continue as a full-time V8 Supercars driver next season after securing a deal to race with Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport.
Click to expand...
The Melbourne-based outfit is currently in the process of building two new chassis after receiving its second Racing Entitlements Contract back from V8 Supercars ahead of the new season.
Click to expand...
 
Good for Nick.

Edit: Pye should be okay in Carrera Cup. Roland Dane will look out for his future.
 
Wilbur
Glad to see someone grab him, he has shown alot of promise!
Click to expand...

Yeah what, 12th in the championship in his first year? Disappointing that he couldn't continue at Walkinshaw but real glad that he's got another opportunity, he'll do a great job for LDM next year no doubt. Interesting to see who will get the second LDM seat now.
 
Last edited:
Spacegoat
Yeah what, 12th in the championship in his first year? Disappointing that he couldn't continue at Walkinshaw but real glad that he's got another opportunity, he'll do a great job for LDM next year no doubt. Interesting to see who will get the second LDM seat now.
Click to expand...

Agreed, granted he has time in the series which has helped BUT he is one of the few who will get even stronger (Scotty and Chaz are just stronger drivers outright).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest Posts

Back