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V8: Holden threaten silhouette pull-out
Holden Motorsport has said it will withdraw from the V8 Supercar championship should the new rules mean cars run in ‘silhouette’ form.
V8 Supercars Executive Chairman Tony Cochrane announced at the recent Skycity Triple Crown at Hidden Valley Raceway that the series would investigate a ‘Car of the Future’, with Mark Skaife chairing a special committee on the project.
While details of the project will only be revealed once the committee has had time to investigate various options, their remit will be to provide technical guidelines for the next generation of Supercars based around a V8 engine and a total cost of less than $250,000.
However, Holden Motorsport Manager Simon McNamara was quick to stress that the manufacturer would not compete if the new car followed the ‘silhouette’ format seen in NASCAR.
“If they get to the point where it’s a silhouette program for example, forget it, we won’t be doing it,” he warned.
“Under no circumstances will we race in that format because it’s not our car.
“These (the current) cars are purpose-built race cars, but they represent a Commodore and a Falcon, they look the same, they’ve got the swinging doors and bonnets and headlights and that sort of stuff that works.
“A significant percentage of the fan base still think of them as SS and XR8 done up which is great, plus with E85 and some other stuff we are getting significant learnings out of it.
“If it turns out that it (the championship) is not a proving ground anymore then you can’t justify doing it, especially in the current (economic) climate.”
Cochrane’s statement last week stressed that the series must reduced costs and attempt to attract new manufacturers as the championship moved forward.
“At the recent team owners forum on the Gold Coast a range of cost reduction initiatives was agreed by all team owners present,” he said. “These are now notified items under the REC and the technical department is preparing the business case for each item. As each item is approved by the Board it will then be added to the rule book as a matter of urgency, because I am determined, and I have a mandate to deliver on real cost reductions to every team in this Championship. We have been criticised in the past for how slowly we have moved on these issues – I intend to change that perception.”
He also admitted that five-time V8 Supercar champion Skaife, who has earned huge respect in the sport having registered 39 wins, 83 podiums and 41 pole positions from his 214 races prior to his retirement last year, will play a leading role in forming the technical regulations for the ‘Car of the Future’ alongside representatives from both existing manufacturers Holden and Ford.
“Mark will be joined on this committee by one Holden and one Ford Director, as well as the CTD and me as Executive Chairman,” said Cochrane. “He will have the power to co-opt additional people to act in an advisory capacity on this committee as he sees fit from time to time. This committee will report back to the Board in September with a view to putting their findings to a team owners’ forum in November.
“This committee has as wide a brief as possible and will talk to as many manufacturers as possible. Our only stipulations going forward is that it has some type of V8 engine as a power plant and that the new COF has a top end price of $250,000 cost to our teams.
“Without increasing the team franchises, indeed I remain a firm supporter of reducing them to 28, the probable increase in manufacturer support and the sharp reduction in the cost of the cars will result in a much stronger financial position going forward for all our teams.
“It is envisaged that the first year of racing with the COF will be season 2012; however an introduction perhaps by some way of phasing it in, could be in place by 2011. The final decision on timing will come in the first quarter of next year.”
Watch V8 Supercar action on Motors TV (Sky Channel 413, Virgin Media 545) including the Hidden Valley races this Sunday (28 June) at 5pm (BST).
Andy Wilkinson
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