VOLVO OUT AT END OF 2016 (NOW CONFIRMED)

[peckstar]

wow.

[Alan52]

I agree that GT3 will never have the mass appeal of V8 Supercars.It's just that the appeal of V8 Supercars as measured either by crowds or TV ratings has been in decline for a while.NASCAR has also seen an even greater decline."Car culture" is in generational decline and this must affect interest in motor sport.There was an excellent article linked on Joe Saward's blog last year pointing out that motor racing was rapidly becoming an old white man's sport.
All the "challenges" faced by V8SA are out of their control.Motor racing as a professional sport in Australia faces a glum future.Motor sport will continue.

[Mixer]

I agree part of the problem is today's youth and the way they get their entertainment, I was taking over my parents bedroom from the age of about 8 to watch Bathurst and I've never missed on since. I've watched religiously on TV, bought merch and magazines, and was discussing the racing in mailing lists before there were forums.

As a step-dad though my kids went straight from Minecraft to Instagram and so on, and the tweens and teens seem to want to have their face buried in a mobile device, checking out the latest posts by the Kardashians...

Yes, I'm old.

[mayhem]

Originally Posted by Alan52

All the "challenges" faced by V8SA are out of their control.Motor racing as a professional sport in Australia faces a glum future.Motor sport will continue.

I agree with almost all you wrote, except this point. There are many "challenges" V8SC face that are in their control, indeed some of their "challenges" are of their own doing.

[Casper]

As bad as Volvo leaving the series is I don't know why everyone is so surprised as they said at least twelve months ago that they were leaving motor sport world wide. A lot of people here thought it would never happen including Gary Rogers but the reality is they meant what they said so there should be no surprise at all. The sad thing is that it is on top of so many other changes that will have a major effect on the series. Motor sport evolves, I can remember when sports sedans were top of the category list and all the gun drivers were building and running stunning cars and tens of thousands flocked to see them. This will sort itself out as changes to categories have done before so don't jump out of the lifeboat just yet.

[GTRMagic]

Garry Rogers Speaks About The Volvo Situation

[Kingair]

Like the good old days of Formula 1, Formula 5000, Formula Ralt, Liverpool Speedway and super sedans, Ford Laser series motorsport always changes and fans come and go.

[Casper]

No one got the memo when Volvo said they were pulling out of motor sport word wide? Hello world, what did you think was going to happen?

[Juarez Jed]

so your definition of pulling out of motorsport worldwide includes participation in the wtcc does it ?

[mayhem]

Pulling out mightn't have been a surprise, but taking their bat and ball and going home was a bit unexpected, surely?

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by Kingair

Like the good old days of Formula 1, Formula 5000, Formula Ralt, Liverpool Speedway and super sedans, Ford Laser series motorsport always changes and fans come and go.

Sort of agree except there are particular problems for motor sport.The proportion of young people even bothering to get a driver's licence is falling significantly and continuously.The increasing urbanisation and traffic congestion in our cities is making driving for enjoyment a foreign concept for those that get a licence.Look around at the crowd at the next motor racing meeting you go to.Compare it to any code of football and it is apparent what a narrow demographic is attending motor racing.

[velly4]

Originally Posted by Mixer

I do find Mazda's comments interesting - what racing are they actually doing anywhere in the world? Or Subaru? I don't feel either of them can really comment on circuit racing - apart from Allan Horsley's skunkworks in the '90s we have not really heard a peep from Mazda in a lifetime. Subaru were great on gravel but apart from maybe Japanese GT have they ever done anything?

People who don't go racing don't go racing.

Anyway I think Richard Craill has smashed the argument with this:

While some of Craillsy's argument is spot on I feel other areas are a little flawed.
I know Sportscars aren't everyone's cup of tea but when you look at it realistically it sure does tick a lot of boxes.

His argument about GTs not attracting crowds even when V8 drivers are in them is slightly flawed as only the die hard tragics know that they are.
I have plenty of mates who are V8 fans but they never have any idea of that kind of thing.
I bet my arse that if all the V8 teams and drivers started running GT3 next year that the crowds will come. Remember a few years ago how many said they wouldn't follow COTF but what do you know? They did.

As for his cost comparison, yes the GTs are starting to get quite expensive to buy but there is one massive fact that is overlooked I feel.
There are no on going development costs for a GT3 car ever. Yes there are upgrades but someone else is doing all the hard work for you. Costs are shared.

I know someone who worked at GRM and he said there are hundreds of thousands of dollars in machined parts on top of the office where most of them have never even seen the race track. Imagine how much money is spent up and down the V8 pitlane each year in development/waste.

Another benefit to GT3 or a formula like it is new teams can come in buy some machinery and have a chance where as V8 Supercars is a very very different story. I'm sure Betty would have spent a fraction of what she has if the format was something like GT3.

As for the actual racing, the 2 Blancpain races I've seen this year have been absolute crackers. Put the best teams and drivers in these cars and they will put on a show no doubt.

I'm not saying they should go with GT3 but something along those lines I feel would be a massive winner for Australian motorsport.

Hell we could even have capacity grids again. Let the same 26 or so have their REC as they currently do and allow x amount of wildcards at each round.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by Juarez Jed

so your definition of pulling out of motorsport worldwide includes participation in the wtcc does it ?

Let's see what happens at the end of the year shall we, getting all cut up about something that has been forecast to happen doesn't seem logical to me. I suppose everyone thought that it would never happen and are now P'd off that it has, is that illogical or what? This should not affect the series and its health or if it does things are really bad.

[Casper]

Originally Posted by mayhem

Pulling out mightn't have been a surprise, but taking their bat and ball and going home was a bit unexpected, surely?

As has been pointed out already Volvo always do that and GR signed a contract agreeing to it so he knew that was part of the deal from day one.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by mayhem

but taking their bat and ball and going home was a bit unexpected, surely?

Not really.

Look at what the did when they pulled out of Australian racing in 1986 and 1999?

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by Casper

Let's see what happens at the end of the year shall we, getting all cut up about something that has been forecast to happen doesn't seem logical to me. I suppose everyone thought that it would never happen and are now P'd off that it has, is that illogical or what? This should not affect the series and its health or if it does things are really bad.

They develop a new car for much million € and exit the WTCC after 1 year?

[chavez]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

They develop a new car for much million € and exit the WTCC after 1 year?

Hardly without precedent in motor sport.

[mayhem]

Originally Posted by one five five

Not really.

Look at what the did when they pulled out of Australian racing in 1986 and 1999?

I'd have thought things might have changed in 20-30 years, but apparently not.

[GTRMagic]

Garry Rogers Committed To Running Volvos in 2017

The team knows how to build up S60s and their aero

And considering the GRM squad dress & maintain their Yamaha V8s, perhaps they know what's under the covers now, and can knock up their own variation

If both of these are true, maybe they dont *need* Cyan or Polestar....

[mayhem]

I get the feeling that Cyan might have something to say in court if they can prove any of the intellectual propery of an S60 Supercar belongs to them.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by velly4

I bet my arse that if all the V8 teams and drivers started running GT3 next year that the crowds will come. Remember a few years ago how many said they wouldn't follow COTF but what do you know? They did.
.

Yeah it was an odd article from Craill. Analogies about cricket & AFL that didn't really link for mine. V8SC supposedly being the big bash equivalent isn't a positive endorsement for the Australian touring car championship.

The other strange part was that on one hand v8sc popularity was down to the drivers, the stars and their public profile being the vital part of the category's success. Yet in the next breath saying that gt3 category and cars didn't have mass appeal to be successful?

All in all GT3 isn't the replacement for v8sc because it's GT Sportscar racing - not touring car racing.

V8SC has issues to solve with or without the GT3 factor

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by mayhem

I get the feeling that Cyan might have something to say in court if they can prove any of the intellectual propery of an S60 Supercar belongs to them.

100%.Volvo don't want to participate.He can't call them Volvo's in the same way Erebus couldn't call their cars Mercedes.Unlike Erebus who had a contract with the performance arm and could call them AMG's he can't call them Cyan's either.
Given the 2018 grid is looking more likely to be 100% Commodore he may as well get a head start.Even if he could legally-and that is highly doubtful-the cost of development on a bespoke motor like the S60's would be much higher than tapping into the Holden program.
Also the people coming down on Volvo seem to not appreciate that Australia is a small country in a big world.To expect manufacturers to support a type of racing category unique to Australia is not feasible.

[Umai Naa]

Sweden are the ones who've knocked it on the head.

Volvo Cars Australia have the funding, and the support from their dealer network (the ones who are seeing the real value in the program), to carry on with it next year. Cyan (nee Polestar) are just doing as they're told, by firstly withdrawing their engine program, and secondly, requesting the chassis be 'returned' to them.

One can only hope that VCA and GRM can convince the mothership, that there are tangiable benefits in the motorsport program, and that Sweden will allow them to persue it on their own.

[Stram_man]

Bear in mind the COTF rules contemplated a control engine (ie Chev) that could be used in a car manufacturers silhouette. This may be an option for GRM.

[Alan52]

In the humour stakes on this topic Mark Skaife opened his interview with Gary yesterday by wondering how Volvo could consider withdrawing after their success at Phillip Island.Does he genuinely think large corporations make long term strategic decisions based on a weekends race results?If so it explains why he was such a "successful" owner of HRT.