All-new V8 Championship To Join British F3/gt

[Redlake27]

The key to making any high profile 'touring' car series a success is manufacturer involvement. Like V8Star in Germany, this will not get manufacturer support.

I'd be happy to be proved wrong, but why would Alfa, or Peugeot et al want to be associated with 'replicars. The only exception is MG Rover. With the launch of their RWD ZT V8 imminent, they could stick their own fibreglass shells on these Rouse chassis and turn it into the ultimate one make challenge to market their ZT V8

[scoop]

This seems to have created a lot of reaction, from both ends of the spectrum. So here's my bit, for what it is worth.
Quite a few of the above comments seem to miss some of the basic principles. It is not designed to rival the BTCC in any way, nor is it seeking manufacturer entered teams. Quite the opposite. Check out MN: "we are not inviting manufacturers to enter. However, if they wish to use the series as a marketing tool, then we would welcome their involvement."
Take a look at the 16 suggested cars in MN, and very few are the subject of active motorsport programmes, either racing or rallying. So, just as Alan Gow says, "it will have no impact on the BTCC at all." So, all you BTCC fans, calm down and don't worry any further. It is an entirely different beast.
However, take a look at it from another angle. British motorsport needs spectators through the gate, and this surely has the potential to get people interested in going to race meetings. If it can attract new fans, just some of them could become new club racers or even new marshals; that must be good news, surely?
If the circuits are making money, they will survive, if not, they won't. And with the current situation at Brands Hatch Circuits, we all need the circuits to be doing well on the balance sheet, or we face losing some of them.
If the 2004 racing calendar is sensibly worked out, and Alan Gow has already got it off to an excellent start, the two main racing shows can happily co-exist. If BTCC is at Brands one week, and SCV8/F3/GT is at Croft the next week, and so on, where is the problem? After all, we are still only talking about 20 major race meetings per 32-week season. Hardly overkill.
The potential of another decent pay day for the circuits is good news for everyone, most of all the club racers who just want to race at their chosen venues. Big crowds also encourage gradually improving facilities that everyone can use all year round.
If SCV8 takes off, everyone in British motorsport could benefit, most of all the teams. From what has been announced, they get to be a part of the whole SCV8 package through a franchise, which gives them security. The people behind this are in motorsport for the long term, this is not the ISC all over again. When the ISC was allowed to happen, it hurt a lot of people badly, some teams went under as a result. SCV8 looks to be built on very different foundations.
Equally, if nothing new ever happens in the sport, it will surely wither and die. Half-baked under-funded ideas have done no one any good in recent years, but I reckon that SCV8 is built on a very different platform.
I say give it time and see what happens (sorry to have gone on so long, you can all wake up now…)

[ascarracinguk]

another thing tho...it cost £350,000 AT LEAST a year to race in.....ASCAR costs a third of that if your having a BAD year

[JR Ewing]

£350K, don't think so...

ASCAR is nothing like it though is it. I might as well drive round and round a roundabout all afternoon...

[ascarracinguk]

check this weeks autosport. andy rouse is in it saying that the cars cost 200k and 150k to maintain a year..

as for ASCAR....DUH ITS OVAL RACING!!!! theyre meant to go around. just remember its only been 2 years since the first race....Boring cars werent built over 2 years...NASCAR was built over 50 years. with time and more tracks next year it WILL be big

[neil_davidson2]

Originally posted by scoop
However, take a look at it from another angle. British motorsport needs spectators through the gate, and this surely has the potential to get people interested in going to race meetings. If it can attract new fans, just some of them could become new club racers or even new marshals; that must be good news, surely?

I agree - as a spectator, and for a few years now as a marshal what I enjoy seeing are cars that I don't see hacking down the M4 every day.

The BTCC V6 supertourers may have looked like normal cars but they certainly didn't sound or behave like them. While the last couple of years racing has been decent it doesn't hold the appeal that it used to.

Both British and European GT series were emasculated with the removal of GT1 and a move towards more "standard" road-going versions. And as a result have become tedious. The most enjoyable GT race I've marshalled in recent years was a visit by the ALMS series - simply because the cars were spectacular.

All the series I mention were tightened up in the name of cost saving, but if the measures result in the series folding due to lack of interest then surely they've failed (or have they simply achieved the ultimate in cost saving?? !) ).

I hope this V8 series works (or alternately ASCAR comes to tracks with both types of corners!)

[JAG]

Agree about British and FIA GTs. They were badly hit when GT1 was scrapped.

However FIA GT has now recovered with the arrival of lots of cars such as the Ferrari 550, Lister and Saleen. Sadly British GTs has not.

The BTCC needs to follow the low cost French Touring cars series (either with the SCV8 cars or there own formula) with powerful, exciting cars.

I'm affraid the current BTCC will never get as popular as the Super Touring days with warmed over rep cars.

The Super Tourers looked like there road going counterparts but sounded powerful and were spectacular both in the pack and on there own, unlike the current cars.

[bacon sandwich]

The one thing about this proposed championship is that Andy Rouse is at the helm. I cannot believe that he hasn't done his homework and found the slot it is going to fit in. Unsuccessful and Andy Rouse don't realy go together and if anyone has the wherewithall to get it off the ground - this man must surely be it.
However I agree with everything already said - in that I can only see it further dividing British motorsport and creating smaller grids. As you say Snapper - where are all these drivers going to come from. I would have thought it can only have a knock on effect on the likes of BTCC and ASCAR and aren't the F3/GT meetings in danger of trying to outdo itself. If this does go to the top of the headlines I would think that the GT's won't bother anymore.
If they can get decent grids though I think it could provide some good watchable racing - but I think iot's a big IF, and no disrespect but showing off the series by displaying a Peugeot 406. Is this really showing it in it's best light ?
My bet - it will last for 3 years until Rouse moves no to something else and will slip into obscurity. Another class for Formula Saloons ?

[Woolley]

This is just a revamp of a series that failed to get off the ground a few years ago. There is a place for big V8s, either the Aussie or Ascar type, on road courses, but not yet. The MSA need to get the massed of similar under-supported classes together and weeded out, and only then work out what type of cars there's a market for. We must stop individual promotors, even those with the skills of Andy Rouse from forming a series as a money making excercise. New series must only be adopted when their benefit to motorsport had been quantified.- Once a suitable form of V8s is identified, then a series can be instigated. and they must be heavyweights as well because in my opinion, most European racing is spoilt by the cars being too light, and so able to use tyres which are too soft, mitigating against decent racing.

[El_Gibleto]

An undersupported class run by an individual promoter to a unique set of rules, sounds a lot like the BMP/Octogan owned btcc! or many of the classes run by the brscc & MCD/BHL/Octagon over the years.

The new V8 series is backed by people with an excellent pedegree of success, both in racing and business and is backed by the BRDC an orgaisation that doesn't, usually, lend it's support to frivalous projects.

[wurzel]

There seems to be a lot of negativity in motorsport at the moment from some of you guys! I think this idea is fantastic,a lot of you are overlooking who set up toca(BTCC) originally.Yes that's right it was Andy Rouse among others,and at the time in 1990/91 there was not a great money or manufacturer support,however this championship grew into one of the best Britain has ever seen.It is only the escalation of cost in developing the cars that made manufacturers reluctant to get involved,as it was not cost effective to them anymore(and it still isnt today).The key to a successful championship is the way it is co-ordinated and promoted,TOCA hit this nail on the head in the mid 90's and if the costs hadn't escalated it would still be strong today.This is why i think SCV8 will succeed as there will be no car developement costs to spiral out of control and with fast exciting racing with the right promotional package and T.V. deal it will lure back the corporate sponsors that in turn will bring the cash injection to teams,circuits and drivers that has been missing in this country for so long,rather than divide the little money that is already there like most of you seem to think it will.

[Steve Wood]

One man's vision,

A radical departure from the norm,

Something new and exciting,

For competitors and spectators alike,

FORMULA PALMER AUDI,

.....Remember that ?

[wurzel]

You cant really compare this to Palmer Audi though because it was only a national single seater championship,and on a national level single seaters never attract the same level of spectators that tin tops do,as they are just a proving ground for drivers trying to get to F1.
Also with SCV,although it is one mans dream,individual teams will run there own cars and take a franchise of the series and therefore have some input into how the championship will be run.This didnt happen in championships like Palmer Audi.

[Steve Wood]

I think you've missed my point, Wurzel.

Forget the fine detail, I'm generalising about big ideas by respected people that hit the tracks with a bang, but don't last.

[wurzel]

surely you cant generalize about concepts that are completely different?

[Steve Wood]

I'm not generalising about concepts that are completely different, I'm generalising about, and I'll say it again, big ideas by respected people that hit the tracks with a bang, but don't last, whether they be single seaters, saloons, or GT cars.

[scoop]

Well, there's an interesting early development. Both Jaguar and Peugeot have given it the green light; not works teams, 'cos that's not what it is about, but manufacturer blessing for teams to runs cars representing two very important players in the British motor industry. Not a bad start, I reckon.
The switched on racing teams will already be figuring out how to attract major sponsors using those two brands.
One week on from launch, SCV8 is already looking pretty encouraging!

[JAG]

Sounds just like the early days of Interactive Sportscars.

Remember the ex DTM and JGTC cas that were supposed to be coming.

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

MANUFACTURERS GIVE POSITIVE RESPONSE TO NEW SCV8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP





Tuesday, July 8 2003. The new SCV8 Supercar Championship announced last week has quickly received very positive feedback from the automotive industry, with two major names – Jaguar and Peugeot – promptly offering support for the series. This 550bhp saloon car category will bring a new dimension in spectator value and is set to join the British Motorsport calendar in 2004.



Jaguar and Peugeot are both perfect fits for the new race series concept. The Jaguar X-Type is a stylish, compact sports saloon. It combines a fresh performance spirit, handling agility and innovative technology with the luxury, craftsmanship and refinement for which Jaguar is renowned and will be an ideal marque for this new Championship. The Peugeot 406, similarly, is a compact sports saloon, with the style and unique design of this quintessentially French brand, which will easily translate into a sporty, saloon track racer.



Peugeot UK Head of Motorsport, Mick Linford, says of the opportunity for Peugeot to be seen in the Championship, “The SCV8 Supercar Championship brings a fresh approach to saloon car racing and is certainly a series that opens up new opportunities to manufacturers. The unique design approach also means that new models can quickly be introduced into the Championship which could add a special dimension to any manufacturers launch programmes, with the car being seen on track at the same time that it is introduced on the road.”



Jaguar also sees the SCV8 Supercar Championship as an appropriate showcase environment for the X-Type brand. "This has the makings of an exciting new saloon car series and we wish it every success," commented Martin Runnacles, Global Marketing Director of Jaguar Cars. "Although of course Jaguar's motorsport focus is directed at F1 and we are very encouraged by the team's performance this year, we would be happy to see the X-Type featuring in the Series, providing it did not take any resources away from our F1 programme.”



Andy Rouse, one of the three founders of the SCV8 Supercar Championship, is pleased with the initial interest shown by Jaguar and Peugeot, and says, “It’s great to have such positive response from key manufacturers so quickly. The enthusiasm and support we’re receiving is overwhelming and we are moving rapidly towards the first race in 2004.”



The new SCV8 Supercar Championship is well advanced in its development with the championship programming pending MSA approval in the near future. The series is planned to add a new dimension to the UK motorsport scene, with sexy cars, professional stars and young talented drivers, and massive horsepower. It is set to quickly establish itself as one of the cornerstones of national racing and build a solid, loyal fan base who will become avid followers of the series.

[ascarracinguk]

this is starting to sound like v8 star in germany!!

[touringlegend]

Um, this is maybe pointing out the obvious but every manufacturer they had listed down as cars that can be run have to give their blessing anyway, so it's hardly a big deal Peugeot UK and Jaguar have said yes you can do that...

[GTRMagic]

So just how serious a series is this??

An Aussie V8 Supercar team running 2 cars properly will cost upwards of $A5m per annum to run for around 8,000km of racing, practice testing etc per car... This is around STG2m for 2 cars.

That is a strong operation with a proper in-house engine program, an in-house suspension program, in-house component manufacture....

The numbers being bandied around here dont give the impression of being within the realms of white hot technical developments

[DSM]

I remember hearing that when the Titanic was going down, some of the stewards were rearranging the deck chairs. Now why did I think of that?

[Sim_Da_BTCC_Man]

Originally posted by DSM
I remember hearing that when the Titanic was going down, some of the stewards were rearranging the deck chairs. Now why did I think of that?

let me guess.

This is just a small peice of the puzzle to cover up the fact motorsport in the UK is dieing maybe?

All this championship will do is confuse people.

[redshoes]

Why does Motorsports News insist on comparing this to the Aussie V8 series. The only similarity between the two is the words 'V8' and 'supercar'

It's a Rouse-built spec chassis with a sealed spec engine. The only 'development' the teams can do is play with damper and spring settings. The only 'Jaguar' or whatever bit is the body panels.

If you are going to compare it to anything it's far closer to the German V8 STAR series.