Posted: 08.07.2008 09:41
The V8 Supercar series has been flooded with new news as of late including possibility of another manufacturer entering the series as Ford pulls funding on V8 Supercar teams.
Toyota Motorsport Manager, Todd Connolly has commented that he has had regular meetings with the V8 Supercar board for discussions about Toyota entering the world of V8 Supercars. Many V8 Supercar personalities including Ford Motor Sport Manager Ray Price and Holden’s Mark Skaife have also gone on record for saying a third player in the series is inevitable. With Ford announcing that they will be pulling funding from all but two V8 Supercar teams, Team Vodafone has even gone into talks with Toyota for future involvement in the series.
When interviewed, Team Vodafone boss Roland Dane tiptoed around suggestions that Triple 888 Racing could be seen in Commodores in future series, potentially putting Craig Lowndes behind the wheel of a Commodore once again in future seasons.
“We’re committed to running a package that we’re already working on for next year and that won’t change, Dane commented”
“It will definitely be a Triple Eight built Supercar,” he said without stating weather it would be a Ford or a Holden.
Britek owner Jason Bright has said that Ford pulling funding on his out fit was not a surprise, and was coming for a while.
“I got the unofficial word in the last week (that Britek would not be funded), so it was sort of expected,” he said.
“It’s (the funding cuts) been coming for a while so it didn’t come as a shock. We’ll just cop it on the chin and keep racing.”
“We’ve got way too much money invested in Ford engines and other parts (to run Commodores). I’m pretty committed to continuing running Fords and we are well under way as far as going to the FG,” he said.
“At the moment I’m committed to running Fords next season and (after that we) will take each year as it comes.”
Perhaps the most hit from Ford’s announcement was the Johnson Jim Beam racing outfit which is desperately attempting to find sponsors now that some $2million a year has been slashed from the team budget. Johnson has been a loyalist to Ford with over 30 years experience racing with the brand which has now suffered a near fatal blow.
“We will hopefully be able to fill that (sponsorship) gap. I would hate to think that it would be the straw that breaks the camels back,” Johnson said.
“In 1980 I thought it was all over and I have been through a few of those times since and this is just another one of those times. But we have always managed to find our way through it and we’ll manage to find our way through this one.”
“Disappointment is probably not a strong enough term to sum up what I feel,” he added.
“At first I really didn’t feel an awful lot and then as the hours passed things started to sink in – what has the last 35 years meant? Especially when you bear in mind that Dick Johnson Racing as a team has won more Championships in this category for Ford than any other team in the history of motor racing in this country.”
While Johnson has started he will remain loyal to the brand despite the massive kick in the teeth, charging sides are not out of the realm of possibility.
With the disastrous news now have come Skaife’s comments for opening up the series to more marques, up to four possible manufacturers.
“Holden has its eyes open about a third, fourth, or however many more, new manufacturers coming in…looking at the NASCAR model there has been other manufacturers come into that category and at this point it hasn’t hurt that series,” Skaife said.
“I think it would make the pie bigger.”
With only FPR and SBR now receiving the full Ford backed support, many punters feel the tides could change and Holden run away with the flag once again before the implementation of the heavily publicised ‘Project Blueprint’ back in 2001/2002.
