This weekend sees the resumption of the V8 Supercars championship at the Hidden Valley raceway in the Northern Territory. I had almost forgotten the season was still on, with the last event – at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria – having taken place on May 17.
For a series struggling to gain traction in the mainstream Australian media of Bathurst, with a majority of coverage on Foxtel, a break of over a month between events is a massive no for both the short and long-term success of the series.
It derails whatever small amount of momentum and interest the series has been able to pick up over the first couple of rounds.
With the endurance season rolling around and the series pinnacle, the Bathurst 1000, not far off, will free-to-air television ratings and crowds be there in strength again?
At this time of year, the Australian sporting calendar is absolutely packed with events. The NRL’s State of Origin is on, as is the Super Rugby finals, while Wimbledon is just around the corner, to name a few. With the majority of public interest and column inches going to other sports, V8 Supercars can ill afford to have a break between races as long as they have done.
However, it is not only the length of the break that will hurt the popularity and publicity of the V8 Supercars, it is the mere location where the season is resuming – Darwin.
Holding a race in Darwin after a month-long break is questionable for driving interest among the majority of the sporting public, along the eastern seaboard.
From a series standpoint, the break may have been warranted. Drivers need to rest, teams need to re-assess their strategies, and authorities and officials need to sort out any early season problems. However there has to be a better way to do it than with a month off.
In the lead-up to the series’ biggest races – the Sandown 500 and the Bathurst 1000 – the chance for the series to pick up momentum is being limited by horrific scheduling decisions from the governing body, with three-week breaks.
Breaks between races should be limited to two weeks, with the schedule condensed, as the series doesn’t need to run all year. Once a race finishes, people want to start looking forward to the next one, not find out it is three weeks away.
Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution. Drivers and teams feel the breaks are warranted, given the demanding nature of race car driving, machinery needs to improve, and cars often need to be fixed. However these overly long breaks are affecting the series negatively.
V8 Supercars management say they will shorten and tighten the season next year – that can’t come soon enough. V8 Supercars need to cut down on these breaks, drum up interest in the media and public, earn a free-to-air TV deal, and put the series back on the Australian sporting map.
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