Tag: V8SC

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports News

V8 Supercars takes over Bathurst 12 Hour

2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

It’s happened. V8 Supercars will take over the promotional rights to the Bathurst 12 Hour race. Here’s the first few paragraphs of the announcement:

In a landmark agreement for GT Racing in Australia, Supercars Events, in partnership with Bathurst Regional Council, has acquired the rights to manage the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour Event at Mount Panorama from 2016, bringing its specialist major events expertise to the growing fixture.

Supercars Events (operating as a business of V8 Supercars), Yeehah Events and Bathurst Regional Council agreed to the acquisition this week with the collective vision of growing the international race significantly into the future.

“Yeehah Events’ James O’Brien and his team have done a fantastic job to establish the event and we are very proud to be able to add our expertise to take it to the next level,” V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton said.

The Bathurst 12 Hour race has become not only a credible GT3 event attracting an enviable overseas competition base, but just as importantly, it has become a great alternative for motorsport fans not wanting to battle the crowds of the traditional V8 Supercars race in October.

As race fans we just have to hope this is good news and not a threat to the success of the event or a precursor to jacked up pricing.

Most Facebook comments to the V8 Supercars page are less than forgiving:

Tania Fragar Another one bites the dust for the public and FTA. This event is the best car race of the year even without the V8 drivers. It’s one we can afford to go to free pit access and family friendly and has world class cars and drivers.

Gary Jay What about the years after 2016, Supercars, still free to air.? Or will you blow off more supporters for TV cash?

Keith Hellyer Well thats certainly the end of the Bathurst 12hr as we know it. V8’s will do its best to capitalise by putting prices through the roof and amalgamate the 2. I stopped following the v8s because of the way they ruined it over the years. Please dont ruin the 12hr!

On the plus side, here’s a best case scenario:

Mark Pickering The first step towards GT3 becoming the biggest category in Australia – we all know Gen2 is a dog … At least this way Warburton and co and transition to GT3 slowly but surely …

[Source: Bathurst 12 Hour]

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports

V8SC wants Bathurst 12 Hour promotional rights

Nissan GTR GTR wins 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour

A bit over twenty years ago the management of Australia’s premier touring car category banned cars like the Nissan GT-R. In fact, they banned anything that wasn’t a Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore. It now appears that current V8SC management wants to welcome the likes of the GT-R back with open arms and the first step to doing that is to buy the promotional rights for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour race.

A report on Speedcafe suggests James Warburton, V8SC CEO, is willing to buy the rights from current promoters for as much as $4 million.  Currently the promotional rights are shared between James O’Brien (Yeehah Events) and the Bathurst Regional Council.

With the fast approaching demise of local manufacturing V8SC needs to broaden its horizons, and fast. It’s been suggested that V8SC is seeking to accept GT-style racecars as part of its Gen2 rules to be adopted in 2017.

Tensions between V8SC and the Bathurst 12 Hour were heightened this year when a new V8SC broadcast agreement with Foxtel effectively banned its drivers from competing at the 12 Hour, thanks to a compulsory V8SC test session that had been organised for the same weekend.

This arrangement upset a lot of 12 Hour fans, including AUSmotive.

V8SC claims it offered to buy the broadcast rights for the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour in a deal which would have cleared the date clash by combining the pre-season test and the 12 Hour race into a weekend-long event and seen the race telecast live on Foxtel.

Although there’s no quotes attributed to either side, it’s reported that James O’Brien denies this offer was ever made.

As it stands the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour will be held over the weekend of 5–7 February with television coverage on Channel 7.

The increasing success of the Bathurst 12 Hour is a double-edged sword for fans who have followed the race since the introduction of GT3 cars. The bigger the race gets the more it loses its boutique and casual appeal.

Whatever happens in the future and whoever promotes the event, we hope the current charm and appeal of the 12 Hour race is not lost forever.

[Source: Speedcafe | Thanks to Stu for the tip]

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Bathurst 12 Hour Motorsports

V8 Supercars is an inward looking pile of crap

2014 Bathurst 12 Hour

GT racing is better than V8 Supercars. It just is. At least that’s my firmly held opinion.

Watch a GT race and you’ll see it has genuine variety, desirability and access to some of the world’s greatest drivers and certainly access to the world’s greatest tracks. Le Mans, the Nürburgring Nordschleife and Spa are just a few of the tracks you’ll see GT cars competing on.

Ever since the creation of the exclusive Holden v Ford V8 Supercars series it’s been a narrow minded world designed to shield itself from outside influences. Yes, the racing has at times been exciting and there’s no denying the crowds and support has been immense. And, yes, I’ve even enjoyed watching a few races, usually the iconic Bathurst 1000, which has a cultural significance that will last well beyond the life of V8SC.

But the V8SC era has never held the appeal to me of the touring cars I grew up with in the 1970s and 1980s, which had greater depth and (to me) much more credibility.

Ironically, in a desperate bid to maintain relevancy, V8SC has had to open its four doors to other manufacturers. And from 2017 onwards you won’t even need a V8 engine to race in V8 Supercars. It is fast becoming an irrelevant series improving its ability to shuffle deck chairs.

Now V8 Supercars is circling its wagons to protect itself from the superior GT classes. And how are they doing that? By stopping the likes of Craig Lowndes and all other V8SC drivers from competing in the Bathurst 12 Hour. And in one fell swoop V8SC management proves itself to be the rednecks we feared they were.

Next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, with its increasingly strong field and international importance, is scheduled for 7–8 February. In response to that V8SC has scheduled a compulsory test session on the same weekend and changed its regulations to make it mandatory for the category’s lead drivers to participate. That is, V8SC has officially banned its drivers from racing in the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Fuck you V8 Supercars, I will never watch another race in your shitty and globally insignificant series again!

[Source: Speedcafe | Pic: Joel Strickland Photographics | Thanks to Wes for the tip]

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Ford Motorsports

Ford confirms V8 Supercars exit after 2015 season

Ford V8 Supercar

It’s now official: Ford will pull out of V8 Supercars after the completion of the 2015 season. It’s a story that’s been on the boil for months and was today confirmed by Ford Australia boss Bob Graziano.

“This afternoon, we will announce we will provide support to teams racing Ford Falcons in the 2015 V8 Supercars series but will not renew our sponsorships after the 2015 season,” Graziano said.

“We are electing to invest our funds to continue expanding and refreshing our product lineup while delivering a leading consumer experience.

“You will hear much more about this investment at our ‘Go Further 2020: Experience the Future Today’ event beginning next week.

“There has already been a lot of speculation and confusion about what this means for Ford going forward. Let me be clear about a few key points:

  • Performance is part of our DNA, and will continue to be, as we increase our vehicle offerings and enthusiasts look for a wider range of performance models such as cars like Mustang, Fiesta ST and Focus ST.
  • Ford is proud to launch the FG X Falcon, including building on our performance heritage by racing the new model in V8 Supercars in 2015.
  • This decision is not a short-term plan as we transform our business.

“We are proud of the teams and our history in the series but have made this decision so we can move forward by focusing all of our attention on our great products and consumer experience.”

So, there you have it. A series originally designed to be a two-man show at the expense of all others, will soon lose one of its leading men.

[Source: Speedcafe]

UPDATE: Prodrive Racing Australia (aka Ford Performance Racing) is considering its options beyond 2015, saying it’s possible it will run the FG X Falcon in 2016.

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Ford Motorsports

V8 Supercars: Ford’s Car of the Past?

Ford V8 Supercar

According to the rumours Ford will pull out of V8 Supercars at the end of the 2015 season. This, despite US powerhouse Penske signing a deal with Dick Johnson Racing. As it stands there will only be six Fords on the grid next year.

The mainstream media is bemoaning the end of the classic Ford v Holden rivalry. To be honest, it was that rivalry, and the organsiers’ pursuit of it post the Nissan GT-R era, that lost me to local touring car racing. It was just too contrived and too insular for me. I liked the variety of the pre-V8 Supercars era. Where I used to follow the local tintops with great enthusiasm I became moderately interested around Bathurst, but that was it.

Preivously, I’ve been sceptical of the Car of the Future concept, but thankfully for fans of the sport manufacturers like Nissan, Mercedes and Volvo have come on board.

Now that Ford looks increasingly likely to pull the pin—a reasonable decision given the lack of local product you would think—I find that my level of interest in this decision is incredibly low.

So, Ford will leave V8 Supercars. Does anyone really care?

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Formula 1 Motorsports Video

2014 Formula 1 sound comparison

Formula 1 sound comparison

Following the world’s first genuine taste of the 2014 Formula 1 at the Australian Grand Prix last weekend much of the discussion has centred around the sound of the new F1 cars. Now powered by V6 power units the turbocharger and energy recovery systems have robbed F1 cars of the high-pitched shriek we became used to with the old V8s and V10s before them.

After spending Saturday at Albert Park we reckon the new cars sound better than we were expecting. Let’s be clear, the 2.4 litre V8s sounded much better, but that’s in the past now and we won’t be hearing those free revving normally aspirated engines anytime soon. So stop wishing those days would come back. They won’t.

The biggest issue with the current power units is they are so quiet compared with last year’s engines.

After the break we’ve got a couple of videos to help illustrate that fact. The first shows F1 cars compared with Porsche Carrera Cup cars and V8 Supercars. It’s worth noting in this comparison the F1 cars were mostly on out laps at the start of Free Practice 3, while the Porsches and V8SCs were filmed during race conditions.

The second clip is very telling and gives a direct comparison between the 2013 cars against the new 2014 machines.

UPDATE: A third clip of F1 cars has been added filmed from various sections of the track between Turns 4 and 11.

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Motorsports Video Volvo

“I just gave it some jandal and…”

Volvo S60 Polestar V8SC v Holden Commodore V8SC

Young Kiwi Scott McLaughlin has been making waves in V8 Supercars and his dice with Jamie Whincup in Race 2 of the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide yesterday has helped put his new car, the Volvo S60 Polestar on the map.

The final lap of Race 2 saw a balls to the wall fight between McLaughlin and Whincup. And just when you thought it was all over a rookie mistake handed the sport a massive boost going into a new season.

Make sure you tune in for McLaughlin’s post-race interview.

Continue reading ““I just gave it some jandal and…””
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Motorsports Volvo

Volvo confirms entry to V8 Supercars in 2014

Volvo Polestar Racing

Volvo surprised nobody when they officially announced their entry into V8 Supercars today. Volvo Polestar Racing will join Australia’s premier motorsport category in 2014.

The newly created team is being described as a factory-backed outfit, but will draw on the experience of Garry Rogers Motorsport to provide the foundations. Volvo will race two S60 badged creations, conforming to the Car of the Future regulations.

In a prepared statement Christian Dahl, Polestar owner, said: “We are very proud and excited to take on the V8 Supercars together with Volvo Car Australia and Garry Rogers Motorsport, a championship that has grown to become one of the most prestigious and competitive racing championships in the world.”

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Volvo, who won the Bathurst 1000 in 1998 during the 2.0 litre Super Tourer era with Jim Richards and Rikard Rydell. Longtime, or perhaps that should be, ageing Aussie motorsport fans will also recall Robbie Francevic’s 240T, aka ‘The Flying Brick’, which took him to the 1986 Australian Touring Car Championship.

We’ve been critical of the Con of the Future regulations aimed at breaking the Ford–Holden duopoly. With Nissan and Mercedes-Benz already taking the bait, we may need to start eating our words.

Continue reading “Volvo confirms entry to V8 Supercars in 2014”
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Motorsports Volvo

Volvo expected to join V8 Supercars

Volvo S60 Polestar

Volvo is expected to be the next manufacturer to join the new era of V8 Supercars. Motoring.com.au reports Garry Rogers Motorsport will announce a deal to race with Volvo on 17 June.

That date also happens to be the day Volvo will launch the S60 Polestar in Australia. When the S60 Polestar concept was revealed last year it had a mighty 508hp on tap from its turbocharged six cylinder engine, but the production model has to make do with only 350hp.

Of course, we don’t need to let the fact the S60 is a six-pot worry anyone in the latest iteration of V8 Supercars by numbers that is the Con of the Future era.

For their part Volvo is officially denying the deal, but we expect there’s enough meat to this rumour that 17 June will be the day.

GRM has been a long-time campaigner in V8 Supercars and won the Bathurst 1000 in 2000, with Jason Bargwanna and Garth Tander at the wheel.

[Source: motoring.com.au | Thanks to Stu for the tip]

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Ford Motorsports Video

VIDEO: Ford V8 Supercar v Porsche medical car

Shane Van Gisbergen v Porsche medical car

Here’s something you don’t see everyday, a racecar crashing into an official medical car. In this case we’re talking about the Stone Brothers Racing Falcon, driven by Shane Van Gisbergen, who had a steering failure after a minor crash on the opening lap of the Telstra 500 race in Sydney yesterday.

As Van Gisbergen was limping back towards the pits the medical car, a Porsche Panamera, caught the damaged Falcon and started to pass on its left side. At exactly the wrong moment Van Gisbergen’s car lurched to the right and the result is what you see above.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt in the incident and the damage to the Porsche seems mostly cosmetic.

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Motorsports Nissan

2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar revealed

2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar

Nissan Australia and Kelly Racing today unveiled their 2013 Altima V8 Supercar for the first time. It marks a quantum shift for the V8 Supercars category as it moves into the Car of the Future era.

Nissan’s latest Aussie touring car is based on the Altima sedan, revealed in New York earlier this year. The road going model will also be sold locally, with its market launch expected in the latter half of 2013.

The Altima V8 Supercar will use a modified 5.0 litre version of Nissan’s 5.6 litre VK56DE engine, which has its production roots in the new Patrol to be launched in Australia early next year. The VK56DE has also been used to great effect in the FIA GT1 category by JRM Racing, playing a big role in the GT-R winning the GT1 championship in 2011.

Speaking at today’s launch Rick Kelly, Kelly Racing’s Commercial Director, said the lure of factory-backing was key to their decision to partner with Nissan. He’ll be pleased also to have the might of Nissan’s motorsport arm, NISMO, on his side.

“2013 will be the first time in my career that I will be a factory driver and it’s a responsibility that I am not taking lightly,” Rick Kelly said. “Our entire team is working harder than ever to ensure that we rise to another level as we transform into Nissan Motorsport for next season. This is the most exciting time in our sport for two decades and it is amazing to think that our team is at the forefront of this change.”

Nissan Australia Managing Director and CEO William F Peffer Jr has big expectations and will be keen for a quick return on his investment. He was also on hand at today’s launch and is happy to see Nissan back in Australia’s premier motorsport category.

“This is a proud day for Nissan and a significant occasion for the sport of V8 Supercars,” said Peffer. “Unveiling our Nissan Altima V8 Supercar, the first new V8 Supercar model in two decades, brings Nissan’s special brand of ‘Innovation and Excitement’ to the V8 Supercars Championship.”

We’ll admit that we’ve been a little cold on the whole Car of the Future direction in the past. But watching the live stream of today’s launch rekindled our memories of the Nissan GT-R and its success from the early 1990s.

Kelly Racing—or more correctly, Nissan Motorsport—will line up at next year’s first race, the Clipsal 500 on the first weekend in March, with four cars hoping that a new era of success awaits.

We wish them well.

Christian Hartung was on hand at the launch today for AUSmtoive and his pics along with Nissan Australia’s full press release can be seen after the break.

Continue reading “2013 Nissan Altima V8 Supercar revealed”
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Ford Mercedes-Benz Motorsports

The feral fallout for Stone Brothers Racing

Erebus Motorsport & Stone Brothers Racing

A quick glance over at the Stone Brothers Racing facebook page gives an insight into some of the least appealing aspects of V8 Supercars. For this author anyway. Here’s a sample of the comments from the Blue oval extremists, reacting to the news Stone Brothers will partner with Erebus Motorsport in Mercedes E Class AMG bodies from 2013:

[LANGUAGE WARNING]

Wayne Williams i hope you fucks cop shit at Bathurst . and i hope FPR and DJR continue on with Ford and seriously embaress you lot next year. and realise there is no room on the Mountain for the fans who support Mercedes or Nissan. this is still our Battle Ground.

Phil Claxton Oh well, might as well unlike now…thats one flag we wont be waving at Bathurst, thanks for the heads up. At least we wont waste any money in your merch shop. Pity your drivers are in the same boat….Boatpeople eh! Bye

Paul Berryman Very disappointed as im sure alot of ford / SBR fans will are. All I can say is….. WHY? . I think V8 supercars should be just Holden and Ford and the other makes should stay in the production class. They had different manufacturers in the 80s with BMW , Volvo, Nissan and VW , where did they all go? I say if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Wayne Williams looks like DJR and FPR have gained some very loyal supporters tonite, after the bullshit that was dealt out to them today. So i guess you are right in that it is all about surviving in business, and from now on the sales of supporter gear at FPR and DJR will skyrocket making there business survive. I hope Betty Klimenko gets greedy and ends up screwing the Stones Bro. over just like the Swarzkoft/DJR fiasco.

Wayne Williams TRUST NO ONE!!!!!

Nickole Prior Loyal supporter for 15 years. Now broken tonight. 🙁
And paul they are losing $$$ as it costs to much to take a family now a days to see a race. The v8s need to stop trying to be like f1.

Tamaoho Charles Lee Christensen-Oketopa I’m a Kiwi, and a STAUNCH FORD FAN… have enjoyed watching our Top Driver and Team do so well… I really hope their is a reason to watch next year…as I will only support FORD…NO EXCEPTIONS…R.I.P SBR…

Tamaoho Charles Lee Christensen-Oketopa All I care about is that lil blue oval, it sucks when your a fan of a driver and team for years, then they switch teams….Death before Dishonour…

John Vogl at least kelly brothers give plenty of notice but you pricks just let hard working people buy your merchendise throwing there money away all year fuckin shit house

Continue reading “The feral fallout for Stone Brothers Racing”