2013 Silly Season (Merged)

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Well HRT did reset when first Mr Skaife took 'ownership' then Mr Walkinshaw 'bought' back the farm... so in terms of length of contract with the same entity, they are probably right..

ok techinical point, but fair enough

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by AFR 20/2/12 P42 MARKETING & MEDIA

by John Stensholt

Nissan's V8 plans get hearts racing

Nissan Australia sales and fleet executive general manager Ian Moreillon got exactly the reaction he was hoping for earlier this month when the car manufacturer announced it would race in the V8 Supercars motor racing category.

After two decades of only Ford and Holden having a presence in the V8 competition, Mr Moreillon said many Nissan fans had "come out of the woodwork" and expressed their joy at Nissan taking part in the most popular car racing series in Australia.

"We knew it would create a high level of engagement with the public and the media when the announcement was made, " he said.

"There's been a lot of positive reaction on websites and just talking to people there is a lot of excitement about it. All of a sudden, there are a lot of Nissan fans coming out and saying they will be supporting us."

Nissan will participate in the V8 series with drivers Todd and Rick Kelly, who now race on Holden Commodores. Kelly Brothers Racing will have one more season of racing in Holdens before making the switch to Nissan for the 2013 season.

By then, Mr Moreillon said, Nissan would have an advertising and marketing campaign under way leading into the season.

"We're not exactly sure which car we will race, but its fair to say there will probably be a new model that we will certainly put into the market place after we start to race the car," he said.

"So that will be part of the pre-activity marketing strategy for us, as we will be racing before that new model is available to the general public."

Althouh Mr Moreillon believed the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" mantra was not as applicable to car racing and selling as it was a decade or two ago, he said being part of the V8's would boost the interest in the Nissan brand.

"We've done our research and besides the 2 to 3 per cent of hard core fans for V8's, you'll find there are a lot of white-collar people with fairly high incomes and a lot of female fans," he said.

"These are the sort of people we want to attract. We see our brand as exciting, which we think V8 racing is, too."

Before the advertising campaign, Nissan will have a marketing presence in big V8 races such as the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide in early March and the Bathurst 1000 in October. It has also taken out advertising signage for the races.

Nissan would also provide the safety car for this year's series, which leads the field around the track at a slower speed if there has been an accident.

"That means we'll be front and centre and leading races this year before we're actually racing in 2013," Mr Moreillon said.

Nissan had a stellar, if controversial, history in Australia's touring car racing category. Its four-wheel-drive, twin-turbo-charged GTR car dominated the then Touring Car Championship, the predecessor to the V8 series, in the early 1990's when Jim Richards and Mark Skaife won three consecutive championships.

But the car was not popular with the hardcore Holden and Ford fans that are so important to the V8's, with Mr Richards famously calling Holden and Ford fans "a pack of ar seholes" when they booed him as he was collecting the trophy for winning the 1992 Bathurst 1000 race.

The car was then banned by authorities, which paved the way for the introduction of the Holden and Ford two-make V8 formula that led to the boom in popularity for the sport in Australia.

That changes in 2013 under the V8's "car of the future" strategy, which has been a centrepoint of chairman Tony Cochrane's vision for the series, included expanding overseas and bringing in more manufacturers. Industry rumours have Chrysler following Nissan into the competition, potentially followed by a Korean car maker.

Mr Cochrane has run V8 Supercars since 1997. He became a shareholder in May this year when Sports & Entertainment Ltd sold its 25 per cent share of the business and private equity firm Archer Capital bought 60 percent for $180 million.

The V8 teams sold down their shareholding from 75 percent to 35 percent, and Mr Cochrane took up a 5 per cent stake.

Some fans have not been happy with media reports saying the Kelly brothers have received abusive messages from Holden fans regarding their switch to Nissan.

Mr Moreillon said the media reports were exaggerated and "there are plenty of fans that support the Kelly brothers [and] who will follow them over to Nissan." He said popular V8 driver Craig Lowndes had switched from Holden to Ford and back over the last decade and still maintained his popularity with fans.

As to whether Nissan can dominate the V8 competition, Mr Moreillon did not hedge his bets.

"We want to win race one in 2013," he said. "By race two, we need to win. That's what I've told the Kelly brothers and they're professionals who are racing to win"

So... what do we learn:
- The Fin Review can definitely put together a great article about the sport!
- That the noise and Chrysler and "a Korean car maker" are clearly solid enough to publish in their august journal.
- That Nissan is genuinely excited to be joining V8Supercar!
- That Nissan plan to leverage the heck out of their racing involvement at the circuits themselves, and within more mainstream media activity
- That Nissan feels they have given the Kelly Bros the appropriate resources to supplement the existing ones in order to deliver success.
- That success means winning... which Nissan want to do from Day One!

Here's hoping they are able to achieve success by their standards.

Its a Nissan. That's My Car!

[peckstar]

Not arguing with anything you said GTR, but if Chrysler and a korean (cough Kia cough) car maker enter, wont they also be wanting to win from race 1.

just a thought

[Pro Racer]

and won't Holden & Ford want to bully the new kid in the sandpit and keep winning from day 1 2013?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by peckstar

Not arguing with anything you said GTR, but if Chrysler and a korean (cough Kia cough) car maker enter, wont they also be wanting to win from race 1.

just a thought

Everybody want to win, Holden and Ford want to win.

Nissan have been very strong in their conversations with the media, telling anyone who will listen how the V8Supercar experience will create a positive connection to their brand, that they will back themselves to be successful.

You dont see Holden and Ford doing that in the media at the moment. It seems to be treated as kind of a cost centre as opposed to a driver of foot traffic in showrooms.

There has been some chat around suggesting that Holden and Ford will be energised by this move, and up the ante with their own commitment to teams and to the sport. Mr Skaife & Mr Crompton said as much on V8Xtra last weekend.

But what is more likely is for the two existing players to pick the eyes out of the field.. and leave the rest to their own devices.

And perhaps this is where the new carmakers have the opportunity to step in.

To 'do a Nissan' and select a racing car builder capable of designing, developing, racing every single aspect of their car, with their own proprietary IP, with loads of clever bods, an existing budget that would enjoy being supplemented by factory support...

... someone who isnt getting a lot of love from their existing car manufacturer, and whilst not actively seeking out a new carmaker with the aggression of the Kelly Racing equipe... wouldn't say no to the right opportunity either...

What that might mean for some of the satellite customer teams in the market will be interesting to watch...

We shall see...

[F J Nedos]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Its a Nissan. That's My Car!

Anyone would think you like Nissan...

[mspence]

I'm staggered that they seem genuinely unable to tell what sort of car they intend to race.....

[anthony81901]

The car they will race hasn't been released yet I believe. And it's the oldest marketing trick in the book, don't announce everything at once drip feed information = more coverage.

[buza]

Just thinking out loud, Morris still has REC's.......and a history with BMW, I don't know if that possibly holds any merit but just putting it out there.

[Downoz]

Originally Posted by buza

Just thinking out loud, Morris still has REC's.......and a history with BMW, I don't know if that possibly holds any merit but just putting it out there.

I think that you are spot on there, what chance, Jim Beam BMW.

[anthony81901]

Originally Posted by buza

Just thinking out loud, Morris still has REC's.......and a history with BMW, I don't know if that possibly holds any merit but just putting it out there.

As does BJR with Audi, GRM with Alfa, Honda & Nissan more than a decade later doesn't mean much. Frank Gardner had the relationship with BMW, the Morris family buying a shareholding in the team in the mid 90s. Don't think Paul's driving style in the development series would fit in with BMW's clean cut image.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

You dont see Holden and Ford doing that in the media at the moment. It seems to be treated as kind of a cost centre as opposed to a driver of foot traffic in showrooms.

There has been some chat around suggesting that Holden and Ford will be energised by this move, and up the ante with their own commitment to teams and to the sport. Mr Skaife & Mr Crompton said as much on V8Xtra last weekend.

I think it will spur Holden and Ford to be more competitive with their marketing and their racing efforts. Competition improves the breed and Ford and Holden are not going to want to be upstaged by Nissan as though they are sleeping behind the wheel.

[madman16]

I think Ford and Holden didn't honestly think anyone else would join first off, but now Nissan have and rumours of potentially more, i would be very surprised if they didn't move to lock away their top teams to avoid them being poached by some one new

[mspence]

Originally Posted by madman16

I think Ford and Holden didn't honestly think anyone else would join first off, but now Nissan have and rumours of potentially more, i would be very surprised if they didn't move to lock away their top teams to avoid them being poached by some one new

Or in the case of Ford, just cut their losses and bail.

With another manufacturer involved there could be less impact on them bailing versus when it was a two horse race.

[St00ge]

Originally Posted by madman16

I think Ford and Holden didn't honestly think anyone else would join first off, but now Nissan have and rumours of potentially more, i would be very surprised if they didn't move to lock away their top teams to avoid them being poached by some one new

Doubt that, honestly I didn't see why everyone thought no one else WOULD join and I am out further from the loop than people connected to the circus...

[madman16]

Originally Posted by St00ge

Doubt that, honestly I didn't see why everyone thought no one else WOULD join and I am out further from the loop than people connected to the circus...

Well there was plenty of doubters out there, and the NISSAN deal has come as a bit of a surprise to a lot of people. Maybe more to the point of didn't think anyone would enter so soon or such a big player to upset their apple cart

[JC Ohope]

Mr Lowndes signs with 888 for another 3 years

[GTRMagic]

Headlights Required...

... Clipsal 500 to become a night race in 2013?

[SilverSpeed]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Headlights Required...

... Clipsal 500 to become a night race in 2013?

Wouldn't that be the best way to welcome the new generation of V8 Supercars? New cars, new drivers, new brands and all under lights on a Friday night. Would have be the most anticipated race possibly in V8 Supercars history!

[St00ge]

bring back the old f1 track to fly passed the stag and you're on!!

[Pro Racer]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Headlights Required...

... Clipsal 500 to become a night race in 2013?

Stealthy would love that.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Headlights Required...

... Clipsal 500 to become a night race in 2013?

Sounds like an awesome plan. Glad they are looking into this.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Sounds like an awesome plan. Glad they are looking into this.

I agree. Such a shame the Race of 1000 years was a once off.

Should just go to these things and never assume you can go next year.

[madman16]

With very little fire-breathing these days, the glow of the breaks at night really adds to the effect when you're at the track, i say "Bring it On"

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by madman16

With very little fire-breathing these days, the glow of the breaks at night really adds to the effect when you're at the track, i say "Bring it On"

Who can remember the Calder night round in '96?

I took a killer photo or Skaifey down the esape road in the dust with brakes blowing red... Fred Gibson hung it over the boardroom table at GMS I was told later...