V8Supercar Round #1 in "2014"

[Peddler]

Just reading a few threads and looking at the way people think of the progression of Tony's circus over the last few years.

There are numerous interesting points but what I am interested in, is what-might-be and how AVESCO might be running things IF they are still around in ten years?

What of the cars given the ever increasing costs and speculation about the long term viability of the class as it is... is it going to have to change?

Someone was saying that it costs near $500,000/00 to build a car these days, technologies are only going to change and then get more costly and specialized components as well as god knows what ever else are going to build on the current costs.

Sponsors are obviously changing there train of thoughts about value for money... TV coverage is well frankly shiet-house in my opinion with Channel 7 and State Governments are not going to give the nod to any more Street races given the massive losses of Aussie F1 of over $30million each year.

Chasing the sponsor’s dollar and attempting to develop into an “International” class with NZ, UAE and China might be a buzz for the drivers and teams but doesn’t do anything for the Aussie punters who want to see them at the track! Shhieet isn’t this the premier “Australian” class of motorsport?

So what do you recon, how are the cars going to be different in 2014?

How do you see the series being run?

Do you think in its current format V8Supercars has a long term place or will it have to re invent itself to compete in a super competitive market?

Will it still only be Holden V Ford or will we see other manufacturers?

Will parity always be considered a raw subject?

Maybe we will come back to this thread in ten years time and we will see whose predictions will have come to fruition but i will be very interested to hear your thoughts.

[Average Punter]

Well that's got the brain working...

Hate to say it but seems we are headed down the NASCAR silhouette road. Spaceframe design with bolt-on panels and stick-on headlights... The teams constantly seek cost containment but then spend the dollars anyway. If superiority over the next guy is measured in 100ths of a second, there's always the incentive to spend more to get the advantage. Hard to believe they will ever reduce the costs unless WP preps 16 Holdens and SBR 15 Fords!

Management-wise, my crystal ball says TC will only be around a little while before he cashes in his chips and disappears off into the sunset in a gold-plated 300C. However his legacy will remain and the "sport" will continue to be run as "entertainment". Read an interesting book last week about Bodyline, the infamous cricket series of 1932-33. In it the author makes the point that were Bodyline to be played today, the ratings would be off the dial, and the networks would be making a mint out of advertising. In other words the good of the game could easily be sacrificed for the dollar. Same as the NRL Grand Final being played in the evening.

Unfortunately you can't have "entertainment" and a "level playing field" at the same time. The closer the cars get to being "even" the less "entertaining" they are. Sort of like how the draft in AFL is designed to bring the teams closer together but we lose that wonderful tribalism when your favourite Essendon player turns up next year playing for dirty old Collingwood.

More manufacturers would be great but who would be bothered? Toyota is braining them in the marketplace at the moment and doesn't need the exposure. Mitsubishi is battling with the cardigan-wearing 380 and throwing money at V8SA will do nothing for sales. Chrysler? Surely they're getting their money's worth with the Safety Car program without going racing. BMW? Their sensational V8 M3 is far too high tech to for the boffins at Bimmerland to let it loose with the dinosaurs. Nissan? The Maxima is already looking dated and isn't sold with a V8 anyway.

Looks like a Holden Ford future for mine.

[peckstar]

1.cars will be similar to NASCAR basic chassis but with genuine front doors and mirrors
2. will still be run by TEGA
3. The series is growing and will continue to grow with a homebush round (combined with GP)
4. a forth manufacturer will have joined (much easier because of the common shell)
5. Parity is key, but becuase of common shell much easier to implement

I disagree with your thought on street races thoigh, this year we have seen two new street races signed up, by 2014 we will see two more

[GTRMagic]

The Vectra versus the Mondeo... as the Commodore and Falcon stop being made here....

[F J Nedos]

I dont think a 1 billion dollar investment will mean that holden stops building a commodore here. Kind of gives the impression that they want to invest in future platform engineering ability here. I dont know about ford though...

I reckon you will see one company providing engines to ford, one company supplying engines to holden, the same sequential gearbox to all cars, and maybe the option of choosing a diesel or bio fuel engine. They race diesels in europe now, so 7 years in the future could be a time frame to filter down here.

With engines coming from the one company to each make, it will help reduce costs and there might be a spend cap on the cost of a chassis build.

Maybe singapore, malaysia and new zealand will be the only overseas races. Long shot Laguna Seca (the yanks could take notice if Dale Jr does something in the series and Mar-coas ambrose does anything in the next 7 years.

Roughies, I know...

But I dont think you will see an increase in rim size or tyre width, you wont see any more manufacturers and you wont see nascar style cars. And you wont see bahrain or china on the schedule.

[GTRMagic]

The current Commodore and new Orion platforms wont last 7 years....

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

The current Commodore and new Orion platforms wont last 7 years....

I agree

[Pro Racer]

V6 Supercars as it will be known then will consist of Torrana Vs Mondeo new global Alpha is apparently being worked on for GM and badged as a Torrana in this part of the world .

[stmookeyj033]

Some dot points that may or may not answer the brilliant question.


- We possibly may not have a V8 Formula, but perhaps a 5 litre V6 formula instead. Obviously it would be preferential to retain the V8, but would it be profitable????? If we go to a V6 rather than a V8, then we need to keep the category different to say a Super 2000 championship (which may run a seperate series by the time 2014 comes around).

- The cars will run on ETHANOL or other clean fuel, if only to keep Kevin07 and Mr Garrett/Ms Wong happy.

- The current hierachy will run the show, but personnel may even be different, particularly in Marketing.

- TC may still be involved in some capacity, but if the mid-year rumour of him jetting off to ChampCar has legs (and I don't believe it does) then I think he may look to go elsewhere....

- Any sporting business is constantly trying to evolve to ensure that they get market share both at the venue, on TV and nowdays on the internet. Those who don't like the old National Soccer League wither and die. Costs to the fans and working with the promoters of races will be CRITICAL.

- I hope that we don't see too much street racing giving the impression that it's OK to do this thing on our local streets, so hopefully by 2014 there will be no more than 4 street events (Townsville, Adelaide, Hamilton, Gold Coast) with permanent circuits filling the roster.

- I also think that international expansion will stagnate in terms of Asian participation in this series, however I can see plans afoot for an Asian V8 (or V6) Supercar run by one Anthony Cochrane. This will run the Bahrains, the Chinas and the Singapore GPs (thank you Gary Ayres...)

- If we are to go for another overseas round it would be a 2nd New Zealand round, at least we know that they are going as genuine race fans rather than with the curiosity element.

- I also believe in order to keep market share there will be more of a variety of race formats. Some people like myself get bored with the same old format over and over again, just like I did when I watched the Ironman Series (which in it's final Uncle Toby's season had the survival format every Sunday...YAWN)

- There may be up to 5 manufactuers if it goes to a V6 formula particularly with the Korean car market growing all the time and if Japanese manufactuers again find Australia viable. However if it stays V8 then Ford vs Holden it will forever remain. I heavilly doubt that European manufactuers will look at the series seriously.

- I try to keep away from the P word, and I will do so again.


I'm not expecting agreeance on the issues and thoughts that I have, I just think that if I don't throw it out there now and it somehow becomes a reality then I can brag a bit!

[Phase3]

All cars will be holdens run by walkingshaw performance, drivers will be completely eliminated by then, as "the brain" introduced on skaife's car at PI takes over driving duties. Competition is eliminated as All WP cars run to team orders, but no rules are technicaly being broken, so nothing is done......

[F J Nedos]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

The current Commodore and new Orion platforms wont last 7 years....

Why not? They last 7 years now - the VT platform up until last year (97-2006) and the AU platform (99 - present)

Given in 2014 they will be old platforms by then. Maybe the question should be along the lines of new platforms for each car and what they would entail.

[Raglanparade]

The Orion wont be built here past 2010 (2012 at the lastest). FPV will be gone by 2010 as well.

Mondeo is the Ford future.

[Senna05]

*The V car platform traditionally lasts 9 years. 79-88, 88-97, 97-06.

* Holden are arguably making enough from imports to cover most expenses.

* The fact that the Us market have warmed to the V car platorm (Zeta) enough to base their Pontiacs on it is confidence building

* There have been rumblings of the new Orion Falcon being a US Vehicle as well.

*Trends show that petrol prices have gone up and down in fluctuations since the invention of the motor vehicle. Arguably, the prices will plateau with the next wage boom and people will have the confidence in large cars again.

All of this indicates it wont become a Vectra/Signum and Mondeo series to me.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by stmookeyj033

- The cars will run on ETHANOL or other clean fuel, if only to keep Kevin07 and Mr Garrett/Ms Wong happy.

I am hoping that the people who voted for the new 2007 government have evaluated them on their performance by then, and not a slick marketing campaign... and possibly sent them back to their original day jobs if required!

[Phase3]

Originally Posted by Raglanparade

The Orion wont be built here past 2010 (2012 at the lastest). FPV will be gone by 2010 as well.

Mondeo is the Ford future.

Ummmmmmmm, No. Time to take your pills and head back to the ward....