The tribalism of rugby league’s showpiece event, State of Origin, is one of the most enduring success stories in Australian sport. And it’s without doubt unique to the code.
The Ford versus Holden rivalry is the closest version of head-to-head tribalism within Australian motorsport, but the intensity and importance of that rivalry has faded in recent times.
With the end of Australian manufacturing on the horizon, V8 Supercars has opened up the series to other manufacturers and the fan-base has embraced the likes of Nissan, Volvo and AMG Mercedes-Benz.
Even when Ford and Holden had exclusivity in the series, team and driver defections between the two brands eroded the rivalry over the last decade –Triple Eight’s defection from Ford to Holden in 2010 taking star drivers Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes across the manufacturer divide.
Australian touring cars’ most recent golden era saw Peter Brock in a Mobil 1 Holden, Dick Johnson in a Shell Ford, Larry Perkins in a Castrol Holden etc. Sure, there were brief defections even among these household names, but they became synonymous with one brand.
As the brand alliance has waned, there’s been an increased emphasis on team and driver support – sticking with a team/driver irrespective of the brand they race.
But in a bid to place greater emphasis on driver support, should V8 Supercars stress the State of Origin of its drivers to build a greater bond with fans and attract wider support?
As an Australian-based league, the majority of drivers originate from Australia. And unlike AFL, NRL and other codes, teams aren’t based on geographical entities, so a driver’s origin could play a more important role than in the footy leagues.
Any extra bond that can be created between the heroes of the sport and fans should be pursued. And given there are events in most states and in the Northern Territory, drivers from those particular regions could be used to heavily promote their hometown races.
Taking the concept one step further, perhaps implement a ‘State of Origin’ champion at the end of each season to the state of the driver that has amassed the most points.
Perhaps this is too removed from what motorsport is about. But when you consider how motorsport’s mainstream popularity is so shaded by the footy codes, borrowing or embracing some of their more successful concepts can’t be a bad thing.
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