Originally Posted by GTRMagic
Holden has been in whatever the premier series of the day has been, for decades.
That may have shown up as dealer teams or ad agencies funding programs alongside supplier or other sponsors as well. Take a look at how many Bathurst previews were funded by Marlboro, real high production value ones showing off cars & sponsors & drivers...
The real difference is that Holden hasn't always spread support to every team in the series at the same level.
For example, Roadways had 'friends' inside Holden's engineering departments who helped with development bits and pieces, but it wasn't like Holden wrote that squad a cheque to cover the operating budget, despite supplying much of the field of privateers for a lot of years in Group C and Group A, and winning Bathurst in 1986. Holden already had a works team in the HDT, so it wasnt needed at the time to fund another. Makes sense. Perkins was likely a similar deal.
Then come 1987, and HDT is no longer the works squad, Holden creates Holden Motor Sport, to share technical stuff, go support teams, to supply parts & equipment (at some sort of cost) to teams wanting to run Holden product.
Even though Holden secured TWR as the works Holden team , Holden Motorsport still existed (until recently) to supply support whether it be financial sponsorship, technical assistance, parts supply, media and/or marketing support, loan cars/drive cars/show cars... And this stuff can clearly add up to a considerable amount of cost for Holden.
The fun part is that Holden Motor Sport was originally created out of the engineering teams at Holden, Mr Lindell, Mr Borrett and others, whose day jobs included working on product made in Fisherman's Bend or Adelaide. Mr McNamara followed on from that great work, plugging into the Holden & GM systems to create & maintain support for the motor racing programs on an ongoing, long term basis.
Fact is though, there is no car making here any more.
2017 may see the last of Australian assembled shapes racing in the premier class in this country. And the budgets and engineering capabilities of an official motorsports arm are now very different to a few short years ago, when the car maker knew more about their cars and how to satisfy all the needs of the company than the race teams.
In a way, 888 has smashed that idea.. they have the engineering wherewithal to make anything quick, and the budget to put the right people in the pit garages & behind the wheel to get it winning & keep it winning.
So Holden signs a contract with 888 to develop the 2018 Next Gen Commodore. Makes sense given every car in the field, regardless of brand, has 888 IP inside it
And there is now one team focus, not two. And a centralised engine supply model rather than letting all the teams compete for power, spending development dollars individually to travel the same ground.
In some ways, the 888 deal did Mr McNamara & Mr Harker & Mr McDornan & others at Holden Motor Sport out of a gig. For the good of the brand, to maximize the performance, to harness the spend, to be effective.
And the team they chose just keeps on winning.. and selling new & old cars to customers in the main game & Dunlop series fields.
You can't help but think though that even though Holden Motor Sport may not exist in its previously known forms, that there may not be roles in the Holden universe for them, plugged into product planning & commercial leverage of success.
We shall see what shows up next...
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