Virgin Australia Supercars Championship - Archive

[Spacegoat]

Really good race, I hope Caruso can hold on to win.

Edit: Oh nevermind Lowndes is in the lead now.

 

[DRIFT4EVA]

Oooooh yes it's going to come down to the last race. The way it should be. Just like last season. Fan-*******-tastic! WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! Go Lowndes!

 

[Prince.M5]

Damn that last corner shunt from Van Giesbergen onto Caruso was crazy! Also that gutsy overtaking by Whincup was just absolutely unimaginable!

Bizzare race, if I'm not mistaken it sounded like there could be rain tomorrow? This is blender!

 

[CAMikaze]

Just imagine if you have your own V8 Supercar series with a calendar like this (in no particular order):

- Infineon Raceway
- Laguna Seca
- Circuit of the Americas
- Barber Motorsport Park
- Indianapolis Road Course
- Homestead-Miami Road Course
- Watkins Glen
- Mid-Ohio
- Miller Motorsport Park
- Portland
- Road Atlanta
- Sebring
- Elkhart Lake
- Long Beach
- Port Imperial

What about the Daytona ROad Course and/or NJ Motorsports Park?

It's getting tense now in Sydney! Whincup is out of race 1 with a broken damper.

Oooooh yes it's going to come down to the last race. The way it should be. Just like last season. Fan-*******-tastic! WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! Go Lowndes!

Uh oh, here come the 'Team Orders'?

 

[DRIFT4EVA]

Uh oh, here come the 'Team Orders'?

If THAT's the case I will put on my 'big boy pants' and write a letter voicing my disappointment and send it with a torn up, burnt and used for a doggie bed triple eight shirt, because that kind of behaviour is not cool. I lost respect for Ferrari when they did that in Formula 1

 

[prisonermonkeys]

What about the Daytona ROad Course and/or NJ Motorsports Park?

What about them? I could only pick fifteen. Though if I could add any, I'd pick the RFK Stadium circuit in Washington:

It was a very, very tricky circuit, but it only hosted on ALMS race because of noise complaints from locals.

Besides, the Daytona Road course contains extensive amounts of banking, which the V8 Supercars would not respond well to. And the idea was to distance the series from oval racing, because it would be competing with NASCAR.

It was only for demonstration purposes, anyway.

Uh oh, here come the 'Team Orders'?

It won't happen. Whatever happens today, a Team Vodafone driver will be crowned champion. Shane van Gisbergen and Mark Winterbottom are over five hundred points behind them. The team will let both drivers race however they want to race.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Spoiler

And, Jamie Whincup is champion. Again. I was very disappointed with the race - while Craig Lowndes fought his way through the filed, Whincup drove ulta-conservatively the moment he was in the position he needed to be in in order to secure the title.

Anyway, Tekno Autosports has confirmed that it will expand to a two-car operation next year, picking up one of the Paul Morris RECs.

And we've also got photos of IRWIN's fan-designed livery for Lee Holdsworth next year:

 

[DRIFT4EVA]

I entered that competition... didn't even get a look-in haha Entering another comp. Designing the livery for the Triple Eight transporter and trailor

 

[Dustone]

Well the series has been run and won! Awesome racing in the last two races and was very close in the end!! Bring in 2012!

 

[Spacegoat]

And we've also got photos of IRWIN's fan-designed livery for Lee Holdsworth next year:

It looks better than this years livery, but it's still rather plain in my opinion

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I followed the Team Vodafone transporter up the highway today ...

 

[prisonermonkeys]

With Mark Skaife claiming a new manufacturer will join the series in 2013 (even if none have signed up as yet), I'm trying to think of the kind of cars we might see. Here are a few ideas:

• Lexus LS (rebadged as a Toyota)
• Hyundai Genesis
• Kia Cadenza

I can't think of any more, mostly because I can't see European manufacturers wanting to enter the series.

 

[Sharky.]

Ford
Holden
Kia

One of these things does not belong, can you pick it?

If I was a gambling man, I'd put my money on the Toyota Aurion - Australian-made and designed to directly compete with the Falcodores in the AUDM, the model recognition is already partly there. The Lexus LS doesn't have anywhere near the same recognisability as the Aurion, and I think the V8 fans would be more receptive of a car they already vaguely know.

I'm also pretty sure the series rules states that any competing cars must be manufactured in Australia, and neither of the three you suggested are. Mind you, the Aurion (and Cadenza for that matter) is FWD and from what I can make out from the series regs the cars must be identical to the production models so Toyota couldn't just slap an LS drivetrain under an Aurion and call it a day.

Unless one of those restrictions is changed/removed (have to be RWD and Australian-made) it's likely to stay a Ford-Holden championship tbh.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I'm fairly certain that the cars must be rear wheel drive V8 sedans, it was mentioned during the V8 Supercar telecast on Saturday. I'd be surprised if the regulations stated that the cars must be manufactured in Australia, there was no mention of that. Personally, I'd bet on the manufacturers keen on joining the series would be German, namely Mercedes and BMW.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I'm also pretty sure the series rules states that any competing cars must be manufactured in Australia, and neither of the three you suggested are.

I considered that - and moving production to Australia to coincide with entry into the category as a marketing thing makes a lot of sense. The Holden-Ford duopoloy is out-dated, anyway. It was only born out of the two manufacturers being unwilling to compete with other, similar cars.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

FPR are looking at running a fourth entry, possibly for Chaz Mostert or Tim Blanchard:

http://www.speedcafe.com/2011/12/12/fpr-evaluating-fourth-car-for-2012-season/

They're need to secure an REC to do it, though, and the only known candidate is the one being offered by Paul Morris. FPR and DJR could enter a bidding war over it.

 

[DRIFT4EVA]

Havn't read it yet myself, buuuuuuuuut.......... http://www.speedcafe.com/2011/12/13/revealed-ambroses-secret-fpr-test-plan/ Slight addition to prisonermonkeys post above

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I wouldn't read anything into it. If FPR picked up a fourth REC, they would likely be running a second-hand car. Whoever drives it would likely have Winterbottom's or Davison's 2011 car; the could would be used by Rod Nash Racing.

 

[DRIFT4EVA]

"I wouldn't read anything into it." Havn't read it at all haha Could be Fabian Coulthard or has he found a drive?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Coulthard has a drive at BJR.

 

[DRIFT4EVA]

ahhh yes silly me Knew that already. We shall just have to keep an eye on the motorsport news

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Casey Stoner has carried out a test with Triple Eight:

http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/96771

I can only assume that the team burned the car and salted the earth beneath it once he was done.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

David Wall has joined Brad Jones Racing, Karl Reindler to the Kelly garage:

http://www.speedcafe.com/2012/01/18/wall-wilson-security-confirmed-at-bjr/

Wilson Security is his sponsor, so I have no idea what Tony d'Alberto will do.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

So it looks like Chrysler might want in:

The global motorsport boss of Chrysler has confirmed the company’s interest in entering the V8 Supercars championship with the new generation 300C sedan.

Sportsnet
Ralph Gilles, also president and CEO of Chrysler’s SRT (Street and Race Technology) division - the equivalent of HSV and FPV – made it clear that considerations were only at an early stage.

“I am extremely interested (in V8 Supercars). It’s not the first time I have heard of it but I don’t want to let on that we are committing just yet,” he said last week at the Detroit auto show.

“It’s very unique to that market so it may work beautifully in the Australian market, so I am willing to help out if they are wanting to find a way.”

Chrysler becomes the first brand to break ranks and declare an interest in the taking on Holden and Ford in the championship, which enters a new technical phase with the arrival of Car of the Future in 2013.

V8 Supercars’ international expansion also takes off in 2013, including a race scheduled for Austin, Texas.

Gilles support is important because the budget required to contest the championship would have to come from the coffers of Chrysler’s global marketing budget. Chrysler Group Australia would also have to contribute part of the multi-million dollar budget.

Clyde Campbell, the managing director of CGA, confirmed the company’s interest at a local level. He also said there had been approaches from V8 Supercars teams and discussions with V8 Supercars itself.

“We are in constant communication with SRT, which is a brand we are trying to build,” Campbell said. “Ralph is relatively new to heading up the SRT brand and he is certainly a motorsport fan.

“SRT stands for Street and Race Technology and the race part of that needs to be borne out and it needs to be borne out in a category that fits the brands that we are trying to retail.

“The Car of the Future concept looks like it would suit in that regard. Certainly we haven’t closed the door, it’s something we are looking at. But at this stage it’s so preliminary we can’t say whether we are in or out.”

Chrysler does have linkage with V8 Supercars via the pace car program it supported for four years with the original 300C SRT8. The new 300C goes on-sale in Australia in June.

Source: http://v8xmagazine.com.au/index.php/9-news/133-chrysler-reveals-v8-supercars-interest

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I can't really seen Chrysler racing in V8 Supercars, though it would be good for the brand trying to break into the Australian market and good for the sport trying to expand into America.

 

[peter_vod69]

I can't really seen Chrysler racing in V8 Supercars, though it would be good for the brand trying to break into the Australian market and good for the sport trying to expand into America.

Why not? It makes a lot more sense selling a RWD car, which is chock-full of bogan-made-good swagger, off the back of some V8Supercar entries than any of the FWD, cardigan-spec cars that Toyota, Hyundai or Kia are selling.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I can't see them doing it because they're not an established marque here the way Ford, Holden and all the other potential entrants are. I get that they want to push into the Australian market and use V8 Supercars as a way to generate awareness of the brand, but at the same time, they're not the first manufacturer that you think of when you think of potential new entries.

 

[peter_vod69]

I can't see them doing it because they're not an established marque here the way Ford, Holden and all the other potential entrants are. I get that they want to push into the Australian market and use V8 Supercars as a way to generate awareness of the brand, but at the same time, they're not the first manufacturer that you think of when you think of potential new entries.

I'd say that it's precisely because they aren't as established as the others that makes them the ideal candidate. Toyota don't need the exposure, nor really, do Hyundai or Kia. The only thing that makes Toyota a possibility is the Nascar engine programme in the US, but other than that they just don't seem interested doing anything other than shifting automotive whitegoods in bulk.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

The only thing that makes Toyota a possibility is the Nascar engine programme in the US, but other than that they just don't seem interested doing anything other than shifting automotive whitegoods in bulk.

Yep. Totally disinterested.

I actually think the most likely candidate for entry would be something that comes under the Volkswagen umbrella. While most of the other car manufacturers around the world suffered during the recession, Volkswagen have got a lot of spare change laying around, and they're spending it on their motorsport programs. They are, after all, developing the Polo R WRC for rallying, might be working on a successor to the R18 TDi, and they were really pushing for inline-fours for the 2014 Formula 1 engine regulations. They've got money to spend, so I think a VAG marque entering V8 Supercars is the most likely candidate for a new manufacturer.

 

[peter_vod69]

Yep. Totally disinterested.

I actually think the most likely candidate for entry would be something that comes under the Volkswagen umbrella. While most of the other car manufacturers around the world suffered during the recession, Volkswagen have got a lot of spare change laying around, and they're spending it on their motorsport programs. They are, after all, developing the Polo R WRC for rallying, might be working on a successor to the R18 TDi, and they were really pushing for inline-fours for the 2014 Formula 1 engine regulations. They've got money to spend, so I think a VAG marque entering V8 Supercars is the most likely candidate for a new manufacturer.

Don't be fatuous, you know I meant Toyota Australia. TTE/Toyota Japan have always found it hard to resist the Le Mans carrot, and it must irk them no end that Mazda won it and they still haven't. But why would they be interested in V8SC? In the comparatively small Aus/NZ marketplace, they are already doing fine, and have no need to go in a different marketing direction. They don't need to peddle excitement, they sell anyway.

The VAG won't enter V8SC because it is almost completely irrelevant to their business activities (pushing TDI tech, 4WD drivetrains, neatly engineered hatchbacks and uber-desirable leather-and-bose cars for accountants and their bosses).