V8 Supercars faces a severe identity crisis
Columnist By Adrian Musolino, 2 Aug 2009 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Craig Lowndes, Ford, Holden, Motorsport, peter brock, triple 8, V8 Supercars
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Garth Tander of the Holden Racing Team wins round 8 at Winton Raceway, Round 08 of the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series at the Winton Raceway, Winton, Victoria on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008. AAP Image/EDGE Photographics, John Pryke
Craig Lowndes defecting to Holden is one of the biggest V8 Supercar news stories since Craig Lowndes defected to Ford. As Triple 8, the most successful Ford team in recent times, makes the move to Holden next season, a major flaw for the category is once again exposed.
The defection highlights the danger of V8 Supercars reliance on the Ford V Holden rivalry to promote the sport.
Craig Lowndes has now moved between the two manufacturers twice and for fans of the brand, the team and the driver, their loyalty is being tested.
Who are fans to follow?
As one Triple 8 fan emailed to me during the week, “I cannot continue to support them if they have red badges next year.”
V8 Supercars faces a severe identity crisis.
Too much of the sports promotion has been on the manufacturer battle and this has deflected attention away from the rivalry between individual drivers and teams.
Even then, when there is so much movement of sponsorship and changing identities amongst the teams, it is difficult for fans to build an association with a particular team.
Unlike in the football codes, there is no geographical connection to individual teams, rather commercial identities with limited appeal to the wider community.
V8 Supercars has, in recent times at least, publicly acknowledged the decrease in importance of the Ford V Holden dualism, but many of the sports older fans are still grounded in that rivalry while potential fans simply don’t care either way.
Fans have varied reasons for following an individual driver, team or manufacturer.
Some prefer to follow individual drivers who they have built a relationship with or likewise with a team, while some still pledge their allegiance to either red or blue.
Of those three options, not one stands out as having the most appeal.
There is probably a split between all three options and in cases such as the Triple 8 defection, fans whose loyalties overlap between the three can find themselves divided and being forced to make tough choices.
It also means V8 Supercars struggles to find a way to promote its protagonists, hence the inability to replace the Ford V Holden mantra with any new conflict, especially as no one driver or team rivalry has emerged out of this incredibly competitive new generation of V8 Supercars.
This hasn’t been helped by the huge generational change that has happened in the last decade or so with the likes of Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Larry Perkins, the old guard who were intrinsically linked with one manufacturer, sponsor and team for the majority of their careers, replaced by a variety of young drivers who have hopped from one team/sponsor/manufacturer combination to another.
This is why it is time that V8 Supercars dropped one of these variables, the Holden and Ford rivalry by opening up the category to different manufacturers, a move that will only strengthen the series at a time when Ford and Holden are forced to cut the budgets to many of non-factory teams.
Forget Holden V Ford as it’s outdated.
Back a driver or team, no matter the brand they’re in.
Adrian Musolino is editor of V8X Magazine, and has written as an expert on The Roar since 2008, cementing himself as a key writer who can see the big picture in sport. He freelances on other forms of motorsport, football, cycling and more.
The Crowd Says (10) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
- Explore:
- Craig Lowndes, Ford, Holden, Motorsport, peter brock, triple 8, V8 Supercars
August 2nd 2009 @ 10:54am
macavity said | August 2nd 2009 @ 10:54am | Report comment
I have never understood how people could barrack for a company – whether it be valvolene, vodafone or holden.
August 2nd 2009 @ 1:01pm
megatron said | August 2nd 2009 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
Good point. Strongest bonds are built with drivers like Lowndes and Brock
August 2nd 2009 @ 5:18pm
Joe said | August 2nd 2009 @ 5:18pm | Report comment
There is no doubt in my mind that Craig Lowndes has been the best driver in Australian touring cars since the Brock-Moffatt era. As a Holden man I first cheered him when he first came on the scene with Holden then cursed him when he switched to Ford. In no way did his defection cool my interest in the sport, it just gave me reason to hate Ford even more. Now that he’s back with Holden (with Whincup) with the best team in the competition bar none, I will be cheering like hell for him. Having said that I will be hoping they fail dismally for the rest of the year in the touring car championship and the big one at Bathurst. However I would not be betting against them claiming 4 in a row at Bathurst, unfortunately.
August 2nd 2009 @ 5:28pm
onside said | August 2nd 2009 @ 5:28pm | Report comment
My main frustration when (occssionally) watching V8 races on TV is I cannot tell at a glance
glance a Holden from a Ford. Fortunately manufacturers print the names on the windscreen
in large letters to help people like me.
August 2nd 2009 @ 5:32pm
megatron said | August 2nd 2009 @ 5:32pm | Report comment
Not all of them have that, especially those like Triple 8 who aren’t officially supported by Ford or Holden. Triple 8 doesn’t even have the Ford badge on the front of it’s cars.
August 3rd 2009 @ 11:36am
Dipstar said | August 3rd 2009 @ 11:36am | Report comment
A two brand formula has very little relevance to today’s motorsport fan. There are so many more brands than just Holden & Ford and today’s motorsport consumer (even die-hard Holden or Ford fans) are beginning to realise this. The best racing isn’t between two cars which are almost identical in every way and bear little relevance to the cars being driven on the street. The best racing involves 15 cars which all have different strengths and weaknesses which are exposed on the racetrack for all to see.
Allowing other manufacturers to compete in Australia’s premier Touring Car Championship will re-ignite the current fans interest and even grab the attention of occasional viewers who will tune in to see Australia’s best drivers pushing a variety of cars to their limits.
August 3rd 2009 @ 11:46am
John said | August 3rd 2009 @ 11:46am | Report comment
I think the article highlights a few points.
The transitioning of the older generation supporter that could relate the connection with brand, the road car and the race car, to the new generation where the race car has little relationship to the road car, and car buying habits have changed.
Cast you mind back to the early seventies – mid eighties era when you could buy on Monday what raced on Sunday – not quite, but the race car was similar to what you could buy and drive. As we moved to the V8 supercar era, the cars have changed, but the loyalties in the fan base were strong and a carry over from the previous generation.
That said, some fans still had strong support for the driver rather than the make – remember Brock moved from Holden to BMW and then Ford for a period before his twilight career ending with Holden. The fans remained loyal to the driver, perhaps out of defiance for the way they felt he had been treated by Holden, even if it was his strong will that contributed to the split in the first place.
The current V8 supercar has some visual connection to the road cars, but interestingly not to the performance arms (HSV/ FPV), rather the mainstream Commodore and Falcon, The rest of the car however ids fully fabricated, and the mechanicals are purpose built. As a lot of the newer generation can’t afford the road going versions, and I think buyer habits have changed considerably, I think the newer fan supports the driver and/or team rather than the brand. However outside of the top 6 or so names, to me a lot of the drivers need to develop their profiles and the fan base accordingly. I’m sure if Lowndes or Tander switched to a Nissan or Toyota, the fans would follow, however there are a number of other drivers that have limited following, so the tend to be supported by the brand.
The next few years will be very challenging for the V8 category as the major manufacturers struggle in the markets.
August 3rd 2009 @ 2:18pm
megatron said | August 3rd 2009 @ 2:18pm | Report comment
Agreed. It needs to move on as it isn’t relevant anymore. Irony is though it matters to so many of the hardcores so I think they need to be careful not to alienate them.
August 3rd 2009 @ 11:38pm
Danfpr said | August 3rd 2009 @ 11:38pm | Report comment
Its all about Holden v Ford , nothing else
August 18th 2009 @ 7:10pm
Danfpr said | August 18th 2009 @ 7:10pm | Report comment
Mr Musolino you have no idea, it is all about FORD vsHOLDEN , if you want this to change the i suggest you form your own v8 series , every race day people come to my house to watch the v8 battle, not the same people come every time , but the one thing that dosent change is the rivalry , no one really cares what team is what , its about Falcons and Commodores its ingrained in our dna , i wish minority groups and interfearing people would either enjoy v8 supercars for what they are or jump off a bridge………………….