RIP Shanghai

[Vee8]

TC opened his address to the launch of the V8 season this morning by assuring everyone that China really will happen ... then spent the next 5 minutes creating an escape for himself and AVESCO to announce at Eastern Creek that it won't go ahead.

He talked about the difficulties, and that "if" it can't be brought to fruition this year we'll definitely get it for next year ...

Don't go buying your Mandarin phrasebooks yet, people ... dig out your thermals cos we are going back to the Island!

[Panzer]

Well I for one think it would be a pity if the cars don't go to China. It's a good product why not export it.

[Dirk]

No way it is the AUSTRALIAN V8 Supercar Championship, the racing fans in Shanghai couldn't give a stuff about the V8's.

[Panzer]

Wouldn't you like to see an Australian product taken to the world. I'm sure the drivers would like to drive on an international standard race track instead of some of the goat tracks we have here, and it could still be an Australian championship, or who knows mabey expand into an Asain championship. I think that would be great, then we could become professional and get to pay all the drivers, from the increased commercial opportunites.

[Dirk]

I don't think I could name one circuit in the Australian championship that you could label a "goat track"

[bathurst]

Well, Well, Well TC. Here we go. No China YEAH!!! BRING BACK PHILLIP ISLAND! Save Australias Racing Series.

[bathurst]

Your right Dirk. TC got rid of the goat tracks.

[Panzer]

OK... maybe goat track is over the top, but don't you think the sport has outgrown most of the tracks.

[Dirk]

Panzer, I still disagree with you. Go back a few years and look at the state of the race circuits, they had to grow to allow the series to grow. If they didn't they got axed like Phillip Island, Lakeside and Symmons Plains. Don't forget that with out the Australian circuit owners there wouldn't be a championship at the level it is now.

[Panzer]

True Dirk, just would love to see our series overseas.

[Dirk]

Don't worry I would too, but not at the expense of Aussie rounds.

[dayton]

Ok I can handle driver or manufacturer bashing but when I read this thread I had to sign up to add my 2 cents here because I cannot beleive any fan of v8supercars would EVER payout Tony Cochrane!

Bathurst - u talk about saving australias racing series. Did you ever realise that Tony has already done this? Remember when Skaifey was driving a Nissan Skyline at Bathurst and how the attendance and interest dropped cause the majority of people dont want to see non-aussie manufacturers in the sport?! Tony was the one who made the change back to Ford and Holden bathursts to bring the rivalry back and save our favorite sport.

He also has added interesting elements like pitstops and rounds that arent 3x 10 lap races. Without this kind of input the sport wouldnt be one of australias most popular let alone the most popular touring car series in the world.

Dirk - how can you add overseas rounds without removing an australian round? Race 12 months of the year?!

Panzer - you have the right idea. The sport needs 1 or 2 international rounds to show off the sport we are lucky enough to call our own. Plus it gives us the opportunity to go and watch our own Supercars race in other parts of the world. A holiday and our favorite sport, what more could you want?

Hows that for a first post.

[Dirk]

Dayton that is exactly what I am saying, don't take away the Aussie rounds! And do you honestly think that the crowd at Shanghai will all come rushing out to see the V8's? Don't think so, all we will hear is how the V8's were treated like second class citizens just like the Australian GP.

[Ozfords]

V8 Supercars are second or even thrid rate citizens. Radio and Television can't wait to give the latest news from Formula 1 and people like PROCAR because it has exotic vehicles.

Most of Australia still don't see the point of a stock family car racing against another stock family car.

Rugby/Cricket players have done much more disgraceful acts and are still treated like true examples for kids to look up to and are played a sh!tload of cash. In the media most V8 drivers are civilised and should be examples to kids!

Sorry that last paragraph I had to vent.

But still everyone don't seem to understand or snob V8 Supercars.


Ozfords

[dayton]

They are second class at the GP. An F1 cars engine costs more then a superCAR! There are reasons why that round cannot be equal.

BUT the population of china is about 1.2 billion people, thats 60 times Australias population. So if 1 in every 20,000 chinese people were interested in supercars there would still be 60,000 people per day at the race :P

[Vee8]

Comments from the official AVESCO release:

Mr Cochrane said the V8 Supercar Championship still had its race in Shanghai in November on the calendar and was confident it will proceed.

"I am extremely confident that this race will go ahead as scheduled. Certainly we have contingencies in place if there are problems in getting the track ready and some operational matters finalised," he said.

"Should the race not proceed in November we will move the Shanghai event to the front end of the 2005 season. If this is the case we will still race on the same weekend in November at a circuit to be determined."


Sounds like an opt-out coming up to me ...

[Conrod Kieron]

Originally posted by dayton
manufacturers in the sport?! Tony was the one who made the change back to Ford and Holden bathursts to bring the rivalry back and save our favorite sport.

Actually, I don't think TC got involved until 1997ish.
IIRC the beginnings of the current V8 series was with the likes of Dick Johnson and Perkins etc?

[Panzer]

Dayton you have some very good points there.

[dayton]

Ta Panzer, and Conrod I am 99% sure Tony did have a lot to do with re-creating the aussie only bathurst. I will find out though and let you know.

[rustyinsthoz]

Tony Cochrane definantly had nothing to do with the start of the V8 formula in 1993 .

[racer69]

The one's behind the V8 formula being used from 1993 were Shell, Channel 7, Holden and Ford.

Tony Cochrane didn't surface until late-1996, and then his reign of carnage started.

The only thing he had to do with an 'Aussie Bathurst' was start up a competing race at the same track.

[Onlooker]

Well TC just said on TEN that if they are not satisfied with the ability of China to host a round they will pull the pin and re-schedule it for 2005.

[Big Trev]

Originally posted by Panzer
OK... maybe goat track is over the top, but don't you think the sport has outgrown most of the tracks.

You are spot on Panzer. Bring the cars back the nye-on production cars, get rid of blueprint, have XR8's and GT's racing SS's and Clubsports - REAL CARS HAVING A REAL RACE!

I am sure the teams will apreciate the lower costs, it would probably keep them more viable, and not have to chase as much sponsorship dollar.

I know, I have been saying the same thing for a long time - SSSSSOOOOOORRRRYYYY!!

[Just Do It!]

Trev: It wouldn't be much cheaper!

Having had this kick Tony Cochrane thing on here numerous times now, and a few loyalists who won't accept the fact that V8 Supercars is now bigger than any one person, event, or kicker, I have given up on trying to reason or sell the positive side of the story on this forum.

I am going to try once more, possibly in another thread.

You don't have to be a Rhodes Scholar to suss out that Konica is being positioned to take over the mantle of the ATCC as V8 Supercars grows internationally.

[Mattracer]

Originally posted by Panzer
Wouldn't you like to see an Australian product taken to the world. I'm sure the drivers would like to drive on an international standard race track instead of some of the goat tracks we have here, and it could still be an Australian championship, or who knows mabey expand into an Asain championship. I think that would be great, then we could become professional and get to pay all the drivers, from the increased commercial opportunites.

No thanks, The last thing the series needs is pay-driving, no talent never-weres filling the seat when talented but short of dough Aussies-Kiwis could be there.

Last time I looked it was the most professional tiuring car series going around and pretty much the most popular. The commercial opportunites are pretty much loked after now, there's sponsored cars everywhere ypou l;ook, even Thexy has sponsors other than his own businesses on the car.