Australian V8 Supercars

Not very reassuring that - V8SA thinks fans would rather see the podium than actual racing action??
 
For those who missed it...

For those who missed it...

Brad Jones: The Time has come for me to Step Aside.

Release Date: 14/05/2007

Team BOC?s Brad Jones has competed in his last V8 Supercar Championship round. After 105 championship starts, the Albury based driver has hung up the racing boots and will not compete in this weekend?s round at his home track, Winton Raceway.

?The time has come for me to step aside,? reflected Jones.

After a difficult start to the 2007 championship, Jones, who was competing in his eighth V8 Supercar Championship Season, will still play an active role in testing and compete at Sandown and Bathurst as an endurance driver, but will now have more time to focus on the business of running the V8 Supercar team he co-owns with his brother Kim.

?I have thought for a while that this would be my last year driving a V8 Supercar full time, I just made the decision to move the date forward.?

?We had a team meeting on Wednesday last week, having tested several drivers on Monday and Tuesday, and it was clear we needed a change. My brother was keen for me to stay on until after Winton and look at it again then, but in reality I felt it was only going to prolong the inevitable, so I have decided to retire now.?

After a long and illustrious career, spaning over 20 years, in over five different categories and having won 9 national titles in AUSCAR, NASCAR, Super Touring and Production Car racing, 47 year old Jones will now focus on driving his team forward from the sidelines.

?V8 Supercar, and motorsport in general, is my life. I have said from the outset that I want what?s best for my team. Brad Jones driving career and Brad Jones Racing are two quite different entities. I want Team BOC to be the most successful team in the game so I need to be making decisions for Brad Jones Racing, not just Brad Jones. I also need to think about the 20 odd guys who work for me so there is no way I will be walking away from the sport or BJR.?

The #14 Team BOC BA Falcon will be driven for the remainder of the season by New Zealander, Simon Wills.

Jones? decision to retire will not mean that this larger than life character of the paddock will not be lost to V8 Supercars. He will still attend every V8 Supercar round, taking on a more hands on roll in running the race team that bares his name. He will also continue in his roll on the Bigpond Panelbeaters program alongside long time friend, Neil Crompton.

Source
 
Its about time but I didn't expect him to do a mid-season "g'bye". He has seriously struggled for many years consecutively so it was bound to happen. He is top bloke though - always liked him as a personality, a real buff-head and I say that in a nice way.

Best memory of him would have to be the run to the finish of the Bathurst 1000 of 2001. Classic race with a nail biting finish.

Now...Simon Wills...wasn't he apart of that Team Dynamik? The dirty team?? Or was that someone else...
 
He probably should've retired before the start of the season to be honest. But that aside, he seems a nice guy, so hopefully some young blood in the driver's seat will start to push the team up the grid.
 
Wills was from Team Dynamik. They sold a car at the start of last season I think and caused controversy. He's quick though. Good to see BJ still having a go at Bathurst. Both Seton and himself deserve to win it one day.

Im getting bored of V8's though. No real competition this year for the HSV team.
 
V8 Supercar drivers get the green thumbs-up

Release Date: 18/05/2007

V8 Supercar drivers used their green thumbs for the environment when they teamed up with the students of Benalla East Primary School as part of the ?V8 Racing Green? program in Victoria today.

Turning up the soil was Ford Performance Racing?s Steven Richards, Britek Motorsport?s Alan Gurr, WPS Racing?s Max Wilson and Team BOC?s recently retired Brad Jones. The drivers also addressed the school assembly, talking to the students about the importance of the V8 Racing Green program and how everyone can become environmentally pro-active.

V8 Supercars Australia CEO Wayne Cattach said the program is a joint initiative between V8 Supercars, BigPond and Future Climate Australia which aims to highlight the issue of climate change.

?The program includes visiting schools at every race venue to educate our younger generation on climate change, donate and help plant trees,? Mr Cattach said.

The program initially launched in Canberra by Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year, coincided with the first event for the V8 Supercar calendar the Clipsal 500.

Mr Cattach said V8 Supercars is committed to making the V8 Supercars Championship Series carbon neutral.

?The program will plant more than 10,000 trees around Australia to offset the carbon emissions generated by a full season of racing,? he said.

?V8 Supercars are proud to be able to help make a difference with such an important issue as climate change; we recognise the role we can play in reducing carbon emissions and educating the public.?

BigPond CEO Justin Milne said that his company is committed to help tackle this global issue with partners V8 Supercars Australia and Future Climate Australia.

?BigPond is very proud to be involved with the V8 Racing Green program, and we are committed to educating the millions of racing fans in Australia so that they can do their part to tackle climate change, that?s what this program is all about.?

In addition to planting trees to offset carbon emissions from the 2007 racing season ? including the races themselves, transport for racing teams to events, air travel and other activities ? the V8 Racing Green program will help educate millions of racing fans about climate change at each of its racing events.

Other activities include:

? Advocating a carbon trading messages to its millions of fans and encouraging them to return emissions from their everyday lives.
? Working with Future Climate Australia to plant 10,000 trees across the country in 2007.
? Highlight the issue by visiting primary schools around the country and donating, and planting trees.
? Include ?Carbon Calculators? in all schools material at every race event nationally
? Introducing a 5 per cent ethanol blend fuel in every race car across the entire Series for the entire 2007 season.

Source

Your thoughts...
 
It's not a real environmental campaign unless they paint 2 cars up in Earth Livery :p
 
What were Matt and Neil talking about on the coverage before about Ford's future in V8's? Are they thinking of pulling out??
 
Haha, I've had a friend who is a Holden supporter texting me all day about how Ford sucks, and then when it appeared that they were going to get a 1-2 and eventually won in a 1-2, he shut up haha :lol:
 
What were Matt and Neil talking about on the coverage before about Ford's future in V8's? Are they thinking of pulling out??

That's what it sounded like when they first started talking, but then they made it clear that Ford is 100% comitted to motorsport in general, and definitely to V8s.
Ford is apparently just unhappy with certain aspects of the Series (they didn't say which ones). But then the presenters said that that's normal and happens all the time (Holden also has their say about areas they aren't happy with).
 
Ford puts doubt on V8 Supercars campaign
By PETER McKAY - Sun-Herald | Sunday, 13 May 2007

Ford Australia is reviewing its multimillion-dollar outlay on V8 supercars racing in light of shifting consumer tastes and the company's difficult economic situation.

President Tom Gorman said the company's greater emphasis on more compact, fuel-efficient imported cars could threaten its investment in Falcon-based V8 racing.

"We used to be the 'Falcon Car Company' and now we're not - we're expanding the franchise," said Gorman, who announced on Thursday that production of the Fairlane/LTD range would end about the end of this year.

Acknowledging that Ford and Holden aren't reaching all the market through the two-make V8 supercars activities, Gorman said he was constantly questioning Ford's substantial expenditure on its racing teams.

Gorman's reaction to a changing market has revealed the biggest weakness in the two-make philosophy. A potential weakness is exposed when one or both of the manufacturers are not doing well in the new-car showrooms.

And in a 2007 vehicle sales year heading towards record numbers, Ford and Holden are both struggling and looking to cut costs.

In an era of high petrol prices, V8-engined road cars don't have the same relevance or appeal in the marketplace as they did in the past.

With the company again facing another bleak balance sheet, and vehicle sales figures down on those of last year, Ford is looking at some belt tightening.

The best-selling brand in Australia (by a huge and growing margin) is Toyota, which cannot race in the closed-shop V8 supercars.

"Racing is still important to the brand - if leveraged properly," Gorman said, adding that motor sport brings excitement and technology to participating brands.

But although he says the marketers of V8 supercars have done an excellent job of promoting and building the category, he believes there won't be as much passion for V8 racing in the future.

The large family car segment, in which Falcon and Commodore feature strongly, is losing market share and Gorman says that Ford is now pushing alternative name plates such as the new Mondeo and the smaller Focus and Fiesta models.

Ford is supporting a two-car Fiesta squad in the Australian Rally Championship, though this campaign is largely self-funded. Toyota also participates in the ARC with a two-car factory team.

Gorman warned that V8 supercars racing needed to continue its focus on cost containment and should limit its offshore races to New Zealand.

"We'll always be in racing," Gorman said, "but we have to become more strategic in our approach."

Gorman says V8 supercars racing should be careful of biting the hand that feeds it and that this uniquely Australian form of motor sport should race for its loyal fans in Australasia rather than internationally. The sole race in China was a disaster, and last year's inaugural event in Bahrain was largely ignored by the locals.

The Ford boss is not thrilled that V8 Supercars Australia is threatening not to race in the booming West Australian market because the State Government refuses to back a street race in Perth.

"Going to New Zealand is good," he said. "And I believe the championship events should be held in our five big capitals and a few major provincial cities."

Gorman's mood is probably not helped by the outcome of the first three rounds of the V8 supercars series. Holden drivers have won all eight heat races and the best-performed Ford driver is Jamie Whincup, equal fourth with Mark Skaife. James Courtney, Craig Lowndes, Mark Winterbottom, Steve Johnson and Will Davison have positions six to 10 but the two leading Holden teams look unassailable

Source
 
^ There's some wise words in that article, particularly the comments about limiting the overseas races, cost containment, and perhaps opening the competition up. It's a very touchy subject, since Ford & Holden have invested heavily in getting the series to the point it's now at, and that needs to be recognised.

I don't however place all that much emphasis on relevance to what's happening in the car market - people who want to watch racing (particularly top-level touring car racing) want to see aggressive, fast cars, and close battles. IMHO those fans who want a series that has a connection to what's happening in the marketplace are in the minority.

Having the brands in there is what's important, and perhaps the popular models - what's under the hood doesn't really matter - throw a V8 RWD Camry in the mix and you'll have the Toyota fans happy, it doesn't matter that such a car isn't available. After all - anyone care to show me where I can pick up a five-litre V8 Commodore sedan with a live rear axle?

It's simple - V8 Supercars is an entertainment formula, it's not production car racing - it never was.

Edit: Winton, Race 1 - what a chaotic affair, any news on HRT's new low-range gearbox to help in off-road situations? Courtney received a penalty (pit lane drive-through equivalent) for passing Kelly under yellows - put him back to 17th.
 
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What time do the Eastern States get the V8 coverage?? Cos over here, Footy has priority again and they arent going to show Races 2 and 3 until 10:30pm. Whats happening to Australian Motorsport coverage!!
 
What time do the Eastern States get the V8 coverage?? Cos over here, Footy has priority again and they arent going to show Races 2 and 3 until 10:30pm. Whats happening to Australian Motorsport coverage!!

The races are on right ow in the eastern states, coverage for today is 12:00pm - 3:00pm EST.
 
The races are on right ow in the eastern states, coverage for today is 12:00pm - 3:00pm EST.

Thats just pathetic. It really is.
 
What time do the Eastern States get the V8 coverage?? Cos over here, Footy has priority again and they arent going to show Races 2 and 3 until 10:30pm. Whats happening to Australian Motorsport coverage!!

Wow... that's beyond pathetic. Seven / Cochrane & Co - hand your heads in shame.
 
It's almost as bad as channel 10's F1 coverage.... :mad:

I'm sitting here on a sunday afternoon trying not to find out who won the races or what happened...
 
It's almost as bad as channel 10's F1 coverage.... :mad:

I'm sitting here on a sunday afternoon trying not to find out who won the races or what happened...

Same here!! I mean, who wants to watch Collingwood play on a Sunday afternoon here in Adelaide when theres V8's on. They have given them 10:30pm-12am for the coverage, when they could easily have not shown the Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs game and had V8's on from 3:30-6pm.
 
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