Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Archive

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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
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Now that it's confirmed, I can say this: I think he's an idiot. Why would you go to Erebus? The cars look great and sound even better, but what did it take to convince Davison that trundling around in 18th position would somehow be good for him?
 
Premat announces GRM departure.
Alex Premat has confirmed that he will not be driving for Garry Rogers Motorsport this season.

The Frenchman, who has driven for GRM for past two seasons, has notified the team that he will be exploring other opportunities to continue his motor racing career this season.
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A statement from Premat published on the Garry Rogers Motorsport Facebook page read: “After examining my driving options both here and overseas and having had discussions with Garry I have decided to explore other avenues and I have informed Garry that I will not be driving for GRM in season 2014.”

The identity of the second driver to partner the already confirmed Scott McLaughlin at Volvo Polestar Racing GRM remains unclear.
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prisonermonkeys
to convince Davison that trundling around in 18th position would somehow be good for him?
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Well personally I think Erebus and Davison will do a bit better than 18th this year. :lol: Still it is a bit of a strange move for someone who's still in the prime of his career to leave a top tier team like FPR. Who knows why?
 
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Premat would do better to try DVS or PORSCHE CUP if he is staying in Australia. Other than that, WEC or GT3 may be the best route for his career.

Good move by Davo. Slade was quick all season and could have won at QR. He tuned the E63 best on the team. Will is probably quicker still and seeing the improvements Erebus made, I think he'll outpace Lee. Johnson showed how quick the No.9 could be too. It was only the first season plus a few months. And true,
who knows what is going on in his head.
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I wonder who the main sponsor on his car will be.
 
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NuStart Financing, that dodgy start-up money lending business he endorses?
 
Premat: I'm not turning my back on V8's.
Alexandre Premat says he does not intend to abandon future V8 Supercars plans following his split with Garry Rogers Motorsport.

The Frenchman formally announced this week that he will no longer drive for the GRM team despite being contracted with the outfit until the end of the 2014 season.

Instead, he will end his two-year stay in V8 Supercars early and move back to Europe in a bid to resume his sportscar racing career.
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“There are no seats available for 2014 or 2015 really.

“It is not my goal or my aim to comeback to the full V8 Supercar series in 2014 or 2015 but I definitely want to come back to do the enduro events.

Premat also admitted that the GRM team’s transformation into the all new Volvo Polestar Racing entry for 2014 played some part in his decision to leave.
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He expects the team will have a challenging year as they develop the all-new S60 V8 Supercar.

“I’m not really sad to miss the 2014 V8 Supercar season with Volvo this year because it will be a hard year for the team,” added Premat.

“We have seen with Nissan and Mercedes (Erebus), who have been pretty strong in Europe, they found it pretty difficult to perform in Australia in V8 Supercars last year.

“To have a third year and another really hard year wouldn’t benefit me.”
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Well... this isnt hand-to-hand contact sport like NBA, NFL, FIFA. They practice all the time whether it be a last place team or championship team. These seats are scarce and any race driver would take ANY seat if it means they get to race in this series. HRT struggled for a bit last season. Nissan narrowed their woes to too much aero in addition to lack of power. Thats a silly excuse by Premat. I'd love to see him stay but, he looses half a point for his comment.
 
prisonermonkeys
Now that it's confirmed, I can say this: I think he's an idiot. Why would you go to Erebus? The cars look great and sound even better, but what did it take to convince Davison that trundling around in 18th position would somehow be good for him?
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It is a bit strange but I guess the only logical answer is because Erebus are closer to home? Davo lives on the Gold Coast and probably will benefit him better

05XR8
Well... this isnt hand-to-hand contact sport like NBA, NFL, FIFA. They practice all the time whether it be a last place team or championship team. These seats are scarce and any race driver would take ANY seat if it means they get to race in this series. HRT struggled for a bit last season. Nissan narrowed their woes to too much aero in addition to lack of power. Thats a silly excuse by Premat. I'd love to see him stay but, he looses half a point for his comment.
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I think its a valid point by him.. The guy is 31. He is no gun driver but at the same time he probably doesnt want to spend the next few years starting from the bottom again
 
WANT. Maybe when I win the lottery.
 
Dustone
I think its a valid point by him.. The guy is 31. He is no gun driver but at the same time he probably doesnt want to spend the next few years starting from the bottom again
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I feel hed have a good chance staying with the factory Volvo squad. If they get the aero right and are even close in hp to what Nissan are, they could be top 10 pretty soon. At GRM, he only had to learn the tracks and car in his first season. Last season he had a few hiccups that harmed his campaign. He wasnt at the bottom at all(Scotty Mac proved the capabilities of the car). Of course the real test will be Clipsal just like last year. Actually, the real "oops" that hurt him, was the coming together at Albert Park. He missed a chunk of seat time and a good opportunity for a confidence boosting podium that weekend.

Oh, and I'll have three of those Erebus E63's please.
 
prisonermonkeys
NuStart Financing, that dodgy start-up money lending business he endorses?
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Just saw Will's updated NuStart Finance ad. He's wearing his Erebus race suit at a circuit.
 
Nice. 👍 All we need now is a date for the official unveiling of the car and sponsor. Apparently HRT's launch is going to be on the 27th, so hopefully we won't have to wait too much longer for GRM's.
 
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PAPAPEPE123
Hey guys. GRM have confirmed they will be unveiling their new driver next thursday, 16th of January
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I reckon it's going to be an international. There is no-one out of a drive that I would promote to a factory seat, and the promising Dunlop Series drivers like Ash Walsh are a) already spoken for, and b) would need a year in the premier category to get some experience before being promoted to a factory drive. That leaves internationals, and Robert Dahlgren has pointed out that Thed Bjork would be the man for the job - he has driven an S60 built to Solution F regulations in Sweden, and he jumped into a Volvo for the Shanghai round of the WTCC last year and was immediately on the pace.

So I am guessing it will be Bjork, or maybe someone from the DTM. V8 Supercars are far more powerful than most regular touring cars, so it makes more sense to recruit out of a series like DTM.
 
prisonermonkeys
I reckon it's going to be an international. There is no-one out of a drive that I would promote to a factory seat, and the promising Dunlop Series drivers like Ash Walsh are a) already spoken for, and b) would need a year in the premier category to get some experience before being promoted to a factory drive. That leaves internationals, and Robert Dahlgren has pointed out that Thed Bjork would be the man for the job - he has driven an S60 built to Solution F regulations in Sweden, and he jumped into a Volvo for the Shanghai round of the WTCC last year and was immediately on the pace.

So I am guessing it will be Bjork, or maybe someone from the DTM. V8 Supercars are far more powerful than most regular touring cars, so it makes more sense to recruit out of a series like DTM.
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I agree, an international driver is almost certain. I know it wont happen but would love to see Dean Canto back at GRM or at least get a full time drive. In my opinion, he is one of, if not the best co driver out there.

Edit: What about Mattias Ekstrom. was really fast at Bathurst and is Swedish. I guess we will just have to wait until Thursday
 
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PAPAPEPE123
I agree, an international driver is almost certain. I know it wont happen but would love to see Dean Canto back at GRM or at least get a full time drive. In my opinion, he is one of, if not the best co driver out there.

Edit: What about Mattias Ekstrom. was really fast at Bathurst and is Swedish. I guess we will just have to wait until Thursday
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As awesome as that would be, Ekstrom is an Audi factory driver, and I can't see them letting him go to Volvo. I also can't see Ekstrom leaving, as with Audi he can do DTM, and then have a spot in any sportscar races he wants to do. (Like the Nurburgring 24, or Spa 24)

I agree that it's probably an international though, I originally thought it would be Perkins but he was grabbed up by Schwerkolt.
 
PAPAPEPE123
Edit: What about Mattias Ekstrom. was really fast at Bathurst and is Swedish.
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He's committed to DTM. I would not be surprised if GRM brought him over for the enduro races, though. Putting him with McLaughlin would be a stellar combination.
 
@aarror @prisonermonkeys
True, i didnt even think about that. As for sponsor, what does everyone think. It's probably a longshot but i would love to see ikea on the cars. the Polestar blue with a bold yellow IKEA down the side would look fantastic
 
Another HRT teaser.

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Can't wait to see the whole thing. I've really liked what I've seen so far.
 
Looks like we shouldn't be worrying about the V8 Supercars coverage on free-to-air TV in 2015. Whether that coverage will be live or not remains to be seen but hope has been restored!

The media rights deal from 2015 to 2020 is a joint arrangement between Fox Sports and Channel 10 in a deal worth $241 million across six years, which is seen as a massive financial benefit for the series and its teams.


But concerns have been raised that Fox Sports will have exclusive rights to the majority of V8 Supercars events, leaving fans without pay television missing out on coverage of the series.


Sources had suggested that Channel 10 would simulcast only six marquee events, including the Bathurst 1000, Clipsal 500, Gold Coast 600 and Sydney 500, with Fox Sports showing all practice, qualifying, races and support categories live in HD on Fox Sports.


However, a spokesperson for V8 Supercars told media news service Mumbrella that "there will be more on free-to-air television than there has been this year and last year" on current broadcaster Channel Seven, rubbishing claims of a significant decrease in free-to-air coverage.


"I wouldn't believe any speculation at all. It's quite the opposite. That's only speculation being driven by inaccurate reporting.


"We can assure our fans that there will be more free-to-air and more pay television, so more content in total."


V8 Supercars has yet to finalise its scheduling program from 2015, which will reveal the coverage balance between Fox Sports and Channel 10.


Channel Seven's broadcast schedule for 2014 will be announced in early February.
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SOURCE: http://www.v8x.com.au/index.php/news-rss-feed/1145-free-to-air-question-marks-remain-from-2015
 
Got my EMC Membership :)

That model will be the next thing to get.

Hopefully 2014 lives up to the hype it has built on it.
 
Second Volvo driver will be announced in a few hours.

Speedcafe reckon a 25-car grid is likely for this season.
 
prisonermonkeys
Second Volvo driver will be announced in a few hours.

Speedcafe reckon a 25-car grid is likely for this season.
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Sure it was 32 just what, 4 seasons ago?
 
It was 32, but VESA pulled four RECs because they felt the grid was too big and that some of the smaller teams were not up to the standard they expected. It did not help that one of them, IntaRacing, got caught up in the IntaBet affair; the whereabouts of the company owner, Daniel Tzvetkoff, are unknown, but it is believed that he became a key witness in a federal case into the influence of organises crime in the online gaming industry and that he was sent into witness protection.

Anyway, if there is another cull of RECs, then it looks like Triple F Racing (who have already handed theirs back) and Lucas Dumbrell Racing will be the ones to close up, although Speedcafe have tipped Russell Ingall to do a Shane van Gisbergen and have a three-month retirement; apparently he has been talking with LDM since the Sydney 500 about driving one of their cars.

As for the other cars, Robert Dahlgren is expected to be Volvo's second driver despite his endorsement of Bjork, and Dale Wood has been suggested as the most likely replacement for David Wall.
 
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