V8 Races O.S. - Why? Sorry not bike related

[firko]

Five years ago I used to travel to at least three V8 rounds including Bathurst and watch every other round on the tube. Last year I only went to the Clipsal in Adelaide and watched only Bathurst on the telly. This year is likely to be the same.
I'd avoid the Clipsal as well if I didn't use it as an opportunity to meet up with my god sons who live in Adelaide. If they moved back to Sydney I wouldn't bother.

 In the bid for parity the V8SA have sucked every last bit of individuality and soul out of the cars and by using those awful street circuits have removed any chance of serious passing moves or exciting racing. Races are now more often won or lost in the pits and not on the track.

Nearly everyone I speak to has also gone off the V8s and most of my friends who once followed the sport with rabid intensity now just have a casual passing interest. Where we all agree is that the most exciting series on the calendar is the Utes. The cars are still based on the cars you and I drive, are very close to street registerable, don't have any parity issues but still have that great Holden versus Ford attraction. My cousing has a bit to do with Jack Elsegoods Coopers Falcon utes and I was impressed at how close to stock they are which must make it more approachable for individuals to race. Even Jesus has a car in the series!

Another point that will eventually affect the V8s is the changing demographics of their target audience. As recent as 10 years ago the average young motor racing fan yearned for a V8 Commodore/XR8 Falcon but today they are more interested in owning a WRX Impreza, Mitsubishi Evo, Nissan Skyline or something. They look at the kind of cars their dads like as dinosaurs. Once the fast emerging Gen Y race fans have pushed the Baby Boomer and Gen X V8 fans off the consumer frontline the V8 series could go into a rapid interest decline.

The increased interest in the historic racing Biante series and events like the Muscle Car Masters would indicate that the boomers and Gen Xers are also dissatisfied with the current format and are nostalgic for 'how it once was'. I predict troubled times ahead for Tony Cochrane and his vision for Aussie touring car racing.

[vmx42]

…Where we all agree is that the most exciting series on the calendar is the Utes. The cars are still based on the cars you and I drive, are very close to street registerable, don't have any parity issues but still have that great Holden versus Ford attraction.

Just take an Aussie Legends car, scale it up in size and go racing. They have shown that parity doesn't have to mean dull racing…

Not sure about the Utes though, they sound OK, but sure look slow on TV, a great support class. Much better racing than the V8's but you may as well go production racing - and you know how exciting that is [judging by the crowds their events don't attract].

To my mind, you need to make the cars more of a handful when on the limit [ie. the Aussie Race Cars]. The V8s reward consistency and finesse - great  to challenge the drivers skills - but boring racing from the outside. If they do happen to grab one by the scruff of the neck, its tyres are toast in 3 laps. Give'm more power, less sophisticated suspension and brakes, and tyres that go all day [sure they will moan about the grip, but it will be the same for all] and then the driver will make the difference [not the guy on the lap top in the pits].

That is another thing that gets stuck in my craw - you look through the pits and there are no greasy hands just techies on laptops - thats not motor racing. I know it is supposed to look professional, but the 'no urgency' look is boring as bat s$%t.

Lastly when was the last time you saw somebody take to the boot of a car with an axe during refueling - can't do that with a laptop.

Man I must be getting old…
VMX42

[Lozza]

I predict troubled times ahead for Tony Cochrane and his vision for Aussie touring car racing.

One can only hope so. The current cars are 'undertyred' as opposed to the old Grp C cars that were way overtyred.Most of those had about 400 odd HP today it's 600 odd HP, making them drivable for a full race would LESS power not more.I have yet to see good suspension tear up tyres. That's is excactly what the Aussie Cars have.
Any kind of production racing gets very expensive very quickly when truck loads of OEM parts are needed.

[TooFastTim]

we'll get back to proper Aussie style touring car racing and not have to endure this this cocked up Nascar wannabe.

It was better in the past? How can this be? IMHO Aussie V8's is the coolest formula in the boring world of 4 wheel racing (I'm excluding WRC 'cause that's off road and, therefore, infinitely superior).

[floberts]

I agree with Firko that the cars that are raced should at least resemble the production cars. After all the major marketing and support behind V8 Supercars is the Ford vs Holden thing. The reality is that the only thing they share with road cars is the body shell.

Many people I have spoken to are adamant that the cars run the 6.0L GenIV and 5.4 Boss engines, however last time I checked they were still running 5.0L Chevs and Windsors, pretty close if not the same as NASCAR engines.

To me it is boring to watch and although I still like to see Ford win, I get more out of seeing who wins the latest shootout in Motor/Wheels magazine.

[tony27]

Many people I have spoken to are adamant that the cars run the 6.0L GenIV and 5.4 Boss engines, however last time I checked they were still running 5.0L Chevs and Windsors, pretty close if not the same as NASCAR engines.

When did either manufacturer last sell a 5 litre car, it's my understanding as well that the engines are NASCAR based & have been for the best part of 10 years.

The comments on changing demoghaphics are probably spot on, most younger people couldn't give a toss about a 2 make series running v8's, they'd much rather see & hear turbo &/or rotary cars battling it out

Any time rule makers keep changing rules for parity reasons the spectacle seems to decrease, 1 team guesses right & gets a head start on the rest who struggle to catch them for most of the season so then the rules get changed again. Formula 1 is best example of this closely followed by motogp & their spec class called moto2

Not sure how the average fan can alter this though

[colmoody]

Tony T, I'm surprised you had to watch both those rounds you mention in your original post to come to the conclusion you have.

On another note and maybe I am misunderstanding you but in a subsequent post you have a bit of a dig at Firko for for his Namby Pamby sit on the fence comments and in the very next sentence you agree with everthing he had to say.

As always I will stand corrected.

[firko]

Tony was merely taking the piss Col. A joke. No offence intended or taken.

[mx250]

Car racing hasn't been worth watching since I last saw Stormin' Norm in a 7lt Ford Galaxy get into Creek Corner sideways in front of 2 mini's, a Lotus Cortina, a Jag and two Mustungs. .

Bring back the good old days, that's what I say.

[Curly3]

Boring as Bat Sh#t, bring on the street circuits.

[colmoody]

As always, a bit slow on the uptake.

[colmoody]

As always, a bit slow on the uptake.

[GD66]

But happily, not repetitive ! 

[lukeb1961]

Car racing hasn't been worth watching since I last saw Stormin' Norm in a 7lt Ford Galaxy get into Creek Corner sideways in front of 2 mini's, a Lotus Cortina, a Jag and two Mustungs. .

Bring back the good old days, that's what I say.

No argument from me - THE wildest race I ever saw had to be 1971 at Oran Park when Moffat went nuts trying to get the ATCC title and nearly got the 302 Boss past Bob Jane's ZL1 427 at BP Bend and the crowd went TOTALLY berserk as they crossed the line inches apart. Whew! goose bumps just remembering...
Just think back to Jane, Moffat, Beechey, Geoghegan. wwwooooo!

[firko]

The best racing I've seen over the last couple of years (besides the Utes) has been the Biante series for historic tourers. Seeing Jim Richards in his humble 289 Windsor powered Falcon Sprint sticking it to cars with 200bhp more is wonderful. The variety of cars ranges from  Jims humble Falcon to big block Camaros, Boss 302 Mustangs, 350 Monaros, 351 Falcons, Charger R/T Hemis and even a couple of Rambler Javelins. The racing is tight and close, reminicent of those wonderful days of Jane, Beechey and Geohegan in their Mustangs being nipped at the heels by the Alfa Romeos, Lotus Cortinas and Mini Coopers.