V8s boss wants more international rounds
V8 Supercars chairman Tony Cochrane wants at least another two overseas rounds by 2015. Cochrane’s vision came as the 2010 championship got underway in Abu Dhabi, the first time V8 Supercars have begun their year outside Australia.
This weekend’s event is followed by visit to Bahrain the following week, while the series also has a round in New Zealand and has previously had China as an overseas venue.
The decision to start the year overseas and away from the traditional season opener in Adelaide has upset some Australian fans.
But Cochrane says taking the series off shore is the only way for the sport to grow and fans must accept Abu Dhabi is now the opening venue.
“We’re locked in here certainly for the next three years, starting the championship here,” Cochrane told AAP.
“I don’t buy into this weird introspection that because we’re an Australian championship we have to stay in Australia.
“We’ve made it well known now for a long period of time that we see our future in the Middle East, India and Asia-Pacific basin.
“It’s the biggest part of the world in terms of economic growth to be truthful and very much for us, developing strong roots in all of those regions of the world is a big part of our business plan.
“I think by 2015 the championship will be made up of 15-16 rounds of which at least five will be international.”
Attendances at the Yas Marina circuit aren’t expected to be anywhere near those seen at events in Australia, which bring in between 35,000 to 60,000 fans a day, but that’s not the point according to local organisers.
Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management chief executive officer Richard Cregan says the benefit to hosting a V8 Supercar round is all about overseas exposure.
“Our target for this year was between 6000 to 8000 people and we’ll beat that over the weekend,” Cregan told AAP.
“In terms of the series and the people involved, it’s just been great.
“We were very clear in trying to targeting series that had credibility and also, in terms of a global scale, their global reach.
“Obviously the biggest motorsport in the Australia, New Zealand and Asia area is the Aussie V8s and that was the main reason for speaking to the guys and getting them here.
“It’s just fulfilled all of those. We’ve got mega coverage, particularly in Australia, and then we’ve had fantastic coverage really every here possible and that’s exactly what we wanted it to do.
“It’s basically done everything we set out to do.”
Despite the comparatively poor attendance, Holden driver Garth Tander said he was confident as understanding of V8s grows in the United Arab Emirates that more fans would be found.
“Right at the minute, it’s a different start to the year than we’re traditionally used to in Adelaide,” he said.
“It’s a key export market here, the Middle East, so there’s a lot of support for the Holden brand which is fantastic for us and I’m sure as we’ve seen in Bahrain, the category will grow and the awareness of the category will continue growing as we keep coming back to Abu Dhabi.”
© AAP 2012Recommend this story.
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The Crowd Says (5) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
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- Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Motorsport, Tony Cochrane, V8 Supercars
February 21st 2010 @ 7:02am
Rabbitz said | February 21st 2010 @ 7:02am | Report comment
I wonder why they want more O/S exposure? Could it be that Ford have mooted dropping the manufacture of the V8 Falcon? Would more international events open the door to overseas manufacturers?
If so, would the franchise then be based elsewhere and only have some token aussie rounds?
Am I being overly cynical?
Should I go and have my morning coffee?
February 21st 2010 @ 7:29am
Hansie said | February 21st 2010 @ 7:29am | Report comment
I don’t understand the fixation with overseas rounds. What benefit is derived from racing in front of 8,000 fans in Abu Dhabi? I’d like to see more attention paid to reinvesting in domestic circuits.
February 21st 2010 @ 2:43pm
sue said | February 21st 2010 @ 2:43pm | Report comment
I don’t understand either why V8′s need to go overseas. What is wrong with just having an aussie competition. Bring V8′s back to eastern creek so that us ‘everyday’ people can buy a ticket and go and cheer on our favourite drivers. Who wants to see it in abu darbi anyway … there are NO spectators … Spectatular coverage but what the hell is it good for!???? Who’s EGO is it BOOSTING!????????
February 21st 2010 @ 9:33pm
James said | February 21st 2010 @ 9:33pm | Report comment
It’s a disgrace. The are going to cost themselves their Aussie fanbase. The start of this season has completely flown under the radar, then they complain when the V8s get no media attention.
February 22nd 2010 @ 10:06am
Ken said | February 22nd 2010 @ 10:06am | Report comment
Not certain that these overseas rounds are the right move either – can’t doubt Cochrane as something of a visionary though. He’s been the main driving force from turning the V8 series from it’s origin as basically a quick fix category when international Group A died through a huge stage of growth in professionalism, profit and popularity. Even the feeder series (the formation of which was a big step) now has a decent following. Personally my interest has waned since the 90′s but the fact that the concept of ‘how many’ international rounds should be held is being debated is a mark of how fast and how far this category has grown.