Quote:
Originally Posted by Casper
Do you really think that engine sound alone was the sole cause of the series failure and there was absolutely no other reason?
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If all the top drivers and race teams in Australia (plus plenty of top imports like Magnussen, Vandoorne etc) raced open wheel cars, ones which sound good, I think it could be very successful indeed, and not cost anymore than running a 3A Touring Car for a season.
Of course they would be unable to race at Bathurst because of safety issues, but circuits like Eastern Creek, Phillip Island and The Bend would all be excellent for hosting state Grand Prixs. Heck such a category would be
more than sufficient to headline the South Australian Grand Prix at the Adelaide Parklands, and the Queensland Grand Prix at the Surfers Paradise Circuit.
People love (proper) open wheel racing, it is a lot of fun!
S5000 is a good try but it's not quite there, it's too obvious they are modified F3 cars with Ford small block V8s, and I don't believe the fuel tank capacity (which has not been expanded from the F3) is sufficient to run a 305km Grand Prix.
GP2 regularly produces exceptional close racing, and it only costs $1.5m AUD per car per season (about the same as running a Supercar), so a similar Formula 3000-type class could easily be Australia's (and Australasia's) premier circuit racing category IMO. Races in Malaysia at the world class Sepang circuit, Thailand at the Buriram Circuit,
Indonesia at the Sentul circuit and so on, would only add to the calibre of Australasia's premier open-wheel Grand Prix series.
Formula Holden by comparison was too much of a cut-priced, bare bones minor class -- some of this self-inflicted by running a meagre grid of ancient 8-year-old Reynards with Buick V6s that sound awful -- instead of a flagship premier F3000/Grand Prix series of a higher status, headline 305km Grand Prixs at Adelaide/Gold Coast, and higher commercial relevance than the ATCC.
...Who wouldn't want to watch Hartley, van Gisbergen, Reid, McLaughlin, Whincup, Halliday, Albon, Vandoorne, Magnussen, Winterbottom, Vips, Mostert, de Silvestro and co banging wheels in Australiasia's premier open-wheel class in cars plastered with brands like Penrite, Shell, Red Bull etc!?