12/7/2023 0 Comments V8 supercars holden replacement![]() There’s no question 2022 marks the most important rule change for the sport since the beginning of the V8 era. But increasing the number of eyes on the telly and bums in the grandstand is just a small portion of Supercars’ ever-growing to-do list. It is understood a pay element could remain. However, a new deal is being negotiated which is likely to result in a greater free-to-air television presence, lowering the barrier of entry for television eyeballs. For the last five years Australians have had to pay to watch the category live. The second area for improved fan engagement is the television deal. Supercars has stated it intends to oversee all future body homologations (perhaps in conjunction with a manufacturer), and absorb the associated cost internally. Part of this plan is limiting the amount of technical freedom in the body homologation process, something exploited to great success by Ford. Wheels spoke to several manufacturers rumoured to be considering joining Supercars and they all said they had zero intention of doing so. At a time when the world economy is contracting and car brands are laying off thousands of staff, dropping big bucks on a racing program is unlikely to be a priority. “It will literally just be the approval to represent their product on track.”Īt face value, this makes sense. “I think we need to be asking for approval to run their car on the track but not asking them for money to do so,” says Casey. ![]() Supercars has been bullish in its intention to reduce the reliance on manufacturers, but it does have a plan to entice new brands to the sport without the need to invest millions of dollars. Who better to deliver a dose of reality than former insiders with no vested interest and nothing to lose? A step removed from the sport, they offer independent balance to the rose-tinted enthusiasm of pit lane regulars. Tempering the voices of those that spend their time at the coal face is Tony Cochrane, the iron-fisted ex-Supercars czar, and Barry Rogers, director of Garry Rogers Motorsport which left the grid at the end of last year, and son to the eponymous Garry. They both know what it takes to run a successful race team. Ryan is one of the most outspoken team bosses in pit lane and comes armed with radical ideas that challenge the status quo. Kelly is a technical guru, and his experience as a driver, team owner and engine builder makes him about as informed as they come. While they aren’t directly involved in the Gen3 working group, Todd Kelly and Barry Ryan are two of the team bosses that will have to adapt to the new rules. ![]() Located in the US, Mark Rushbrook is Ford’s head of global motorsport, and personally controls the manufacturer’s involvement in the category. Triple Eight Engineering head honcho Roland Dane is arguably the most influential team boss in pit lane and directly involved in any discussion of significance. John Casey is Supercars’ chief strategy officer, and the man in charge of penning the Gen3 rulebook. These are the men that have a direct influence over the future of the category. These are the three very different sets of voices that Wheels spoke to about how Supercars should go forward with Gen3, each laying their vision for the future on the table. ![]() Supercars has created a Gen3 working commission to develop the new rules involving stakeholders from within the business and pit lane.īut not everyone is included in the inner sanctum. However, creating a whole new set of technical regulations isn’t the work of a minute.
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