Gearing up for its annual trip to New Zealand and coming up on the first anniversary of its maiden event in North America, V8 Supercars continues to ponder international expansion.
But the 2014 schedule is the first since 2009 not to feature an event outside Australasia. While New Zealand’s event is well established at the recently redeveloped Pukekohe Park Raceway thanks to a big Kiwi presence in the series, V8 Supercars has struggled to solidify its international events.
China, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi fell by the wayside after mixed successes, while last season’s event at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, was suspended this year with track officials unable to agree on a race date.
The Australian body, though, remains committed to overseas races for several reasons: the ability to expand internationally in contrast to other Australian sports, greater exposure for manufacturers and sponsors, and expansion of the calendar beyond limited Australian opportunities with few suitable local tracks not currently on the schedule.
With races running over the Australian winter (March to December), the schedule is elongated to avoid key footy code dates and racing in the southern states in the middle of winter. Unless the series considered a summer move, international events help fill the winter void.
So V8 Supercars is promising the addition of a minimum of one and a maximum of three international events on the calendar in 2015, with four years left on the contract with the Circuit of the Americas.
Pairing it up with a second event in North America is the obvious option as freight cost is the biggest hurdle to international events, so squeezing two events in the space of a fortnight makes it commercially viable.
There are no shortage of great North American road courses to consider: Laguna Seca, Road America (Elkhart Lake), Sonoma, Sebring and more.
Circuit of the Americas had a healthy crowd for its event last year, but having two standalone events so close together is too tough a task to promote and attract sustainable crowds.
V8 Supercars should be looking to pair up with an established event for its second race in America. Pairing with June’s Detroit GP as a support category to the IndyCar series makes sense, as it will showcase V8 Supercars at a race meeting with a ready-made crowd.
With American racing giant Roger Penske – currently the head of the Detroit event – looming as a potential V8 Supercars team boss, speculation suggests it could be a goer. And a street circuit event in the home of Ford and General Motors certainly would be a great fit for V8 Supercars.
North America makes the most sense for international ambitions. The country has a strong racing culture across multiple categories and is home to the most successful stock touring car series, NASCAR.
While the NASCAR giant is so strong it could scare potential rivals away, its limited running on road and street courses and oval-centric schedule allows for a point of difference.
Organisers are also looking beyond North America. Five other countries are reportedly in discussions, though the series’ base and majority of events will remain in Australia.
Pairing up with Formula One events in Asia and the Middle East is a dubious option given the limited track time and harsh commercial terms, but motorsport cultures are being developed in Asia, close to Australia geographically and with a big influence in our automotive sector.
As V8 Supercars grapples with the impending end of Australia production for Ford and Holden and their uncertain futures in the category, racing overseas will help the international growth of the series and attract new manufacturers to chase championship glory.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Le Mans would have to be the full circuit to really do it justice. That's unlikely. It's reserved for the 24 Hours. The Bugatti circuit isn't the same, unfortunately.
Robert
Guest
V8 super cars should also look into Canada. We have some very good street circuits in Toronto, Calgary, and a couple of other cities and of course the Villeneuve circuit in Montreal.
William
Guest
Le Mans and Spa. As they would be shown live in prime time which could be shown on FTA
db
Guest
How aboutt racing another street event at Hamilton in N.Z. Always good event at Hamilton. Or maybe one of the supertouro's tracks like Hampton down motorsport park N.Z
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Is there another track up to the standard? I thought there wasn't, hence the return to Pukehoke after some serious refurbishment.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
I'd prefer Long Beach before Detroit. Hard to fit another series in, with sports cars and IndyCars already racing a double header. As far as other North American venues...Road Atlanta, Road America, Watkins Glen, Laguna Seca
MJ
Guest
What's wrong with another NZ round somewhere?
JJ
Guest
Austin Texas!! austin camping at COTA always fun at rvnightly campgrounds across from the track! some sites have hookups and you can have a campfire too. we love it!!
nordster
Guest
One big weekend per year with DTM, BTCC, V8s, Brazili tourers, WTCC....could the touring car promoters make this happen? World festival of tourers! Some of these new tracks would probably be climbing over each other to host it....Austin one year, Dubai the next, Shanghai to follow, etc etc Better yet get Codemasters to make a game of it! :)
DB
Guest
wy send v8 supercars overseas(except N.Z) why not keep it here ,Its an AUSTRALIAN race. Sending it overseas cost a lot of money. Why not use the money here, no-one watchers race overseas anyway. Who wants to get out of bed at 3 am to watch a race in texes. the tracks are to wide 4 v8s anyway
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
Seen a couple and they have been entertaining from the outset. I see where you're coming from with them sharing a weekend. Could be something to look into.
Zanus
Guest
Having heard rumours of a Mexico event, I must say a back 2 back style Nth American swing looks promising, but my view is there is a future in Europe for our home category... Perhaps a brands hatch or Silverstone event, as a festival of speed weekend alongside DTM and BTCC. Imagine a handicapped showdown as a finale...who's the best? One way to find out.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Tbh I don't see V8 expanding that much. Car racing fans based all around the world have plenty to choose from: F1, Rally, Nascar, WTCC etc and all those comps are already settled in the USA and Europe with some grand prix also in Asia. No one cares/knows about V8 really. The drivers may be stars in Australia but they are completely unknown elsewhere. V8 is imo AFL's equivalent: big in Oz, non existent elsewhere. Don't think the rest of the world would follow another comp. Star drivers like Kimi Raikonen, Sebastien Loeb, Gilles Villeneuve have raced in 2-3 different comps in their career. Never would they have considered V8 an option. Its probably a great comp for aussie fans to enjoy so why think about expanding overseas?
nordster
Guest
May have the opposite effect....seen many DTM races? ;) A round sharing deal of sorts may be a better move. Double header with them over there, return the favour here. That way DTM get something out of it by building their brand in the asia pacific. Alongside another flyaway race in China. More tourer series should do that...showcase their championships in each others countries. Cant be all about whats just in it for the V8s....
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
We should have a go in DTM country maybe. There's great circuits like Hockenheim and the Nurburgring GP layout and it could be a way for Erebus Motorsport to further impress the guys in Stuttgart.
bdozer
Guest
why on earth would australian v8 be of interest in ANY other countries? (NZ apart) the cars are antiquated, with little variety in marques and a majority of local drivers. The racing is inferior to BTCC or DTM, as are the cars. Zero international appeal.
Toby
Guest
What about racing in Europe? Some nice racetracks here: Brands Hatch, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Red Bull Ring or the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Would be great to see V8SC there. They´ll become more popular in Europe.
Johnno
Guest
Le Mans.
Lemming
Guest
With live coverage on BT Sport and Motors TV I would love to see the Craig Lowndes in the UK - preferably at Donington. I have followed the series for many years and remember as a kid (1980's) seeing TWR Jags at Bathurst so there must be others with the interest in the UK. It would knock our tin top racers in the BTCC into a cocked hat.
nordster
Guest
The question should be which country wants the series rather than which country the series wants to go to. I think that explains why the V8s have not gone back to many of the countries they have already gone to. Its a bit of a case of an aussie series wanting to go out into the world to prove itself, for its own reasons more than anything. So if i were them i'd be focusing on one or two close by countries....like New Zealand as they do, maybe Macau alongside the WTCC perhaps, as a support race in Singapore to F1. South east Asia yes, Europe or the Americas no. Although maybe as a support for the Brazilian tourer series which was doing quite well the last i looked. The best way to build any following elsewhere would be to piggy back on some other series, as bad as that may be for the self esteem of V8 promoters! I dont really know how much genuine interest there is among rafts of motorsport fans in other nations for a oz specific motorsport category. On the reverse side, how about inviting the DTMs as a double header with a V8 race? They are looking or maybe even doing now a race in Shanghai to help german car sales in China, so could be a stop off for that race. Pure self interest there though, would love to see them down under. Although they may show up the V8s a little, especially that fake Amg mercedes tank they have going round here.