Quote:
Originally Posted by mceci1
The rules then were more relaxed and more manufacturers were involved. 1992 was the last time that Nissan ran, so they had to make 21 years catch up in 2013 as a team and factory. Mercedes hadn't run for that or even longer, again they had a lot of making up to do, Volvo in 2014 had about the same.
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What "catch up" did any of them have to do?
Nissan gave their money to GMS in 1992, and gave their money to Kelly Racing in 2013 at the start of a new formula where everyone was starting from scratch. Nissan had nothing to catch up on!
Volvo were giving their money to George Sheppard in 1999 to run their cars, and from 2014 gave their money to GRM. At most the GRM/Volvo partnership was playing a 12 month catchup
The Erebus Merc's were a privateer effort, and always going to be an uphill battle. They weren't a new team though. If they were, then FPR/PRA was a new team in 2013 as well given they got new owners that season.
Also the only factory Mercedes participation in Australian touring car racing in the last 40 years amounts to three races, the 1986 Bathurst 1000, 1986 Sun 300 at Calder, and the 1986 AGP support race at Adelaide. Privateer Merc's with Phil Ward had run as late as 1994 at the Bathurst 1000, and 1995 in the ASTC.