Ford’s folly in backing out of V8 Supercars

I thought DTM was a fairly similar formula already?. A standard body, made to look vaguely like a street car, with a v8 engine.

Hey Senna, Thanks bud, that's just the way I see it. I knew I couldn't be alone.

Gary Edwards Top stuff.

Godzilla could destroy youse all if only given the chance hahahahahaha..."parity" lol.....holden vs ford was sooooo same same and u know it! :)

If you drill down why Ford's pulled up stumps, the rot set in when the Liberals and Nationals just allowed American companies the right to sell here under the free trade agreement. All roads lead to the FTA with the USA plain and simple, notice how the Murdoch press conveniently dodges that topic.

Good article Adrian perhaps you should consider writing about rugby too! But wait without any disrespect No please stay here it's not so parochial and openly biased. OK perhaps Bob Graz has actually got the drop on his competitors after all in 2017 there will be no legacy left by Ford Aust where as Holden, well there could be and by legacy I mean lost people and products. Ford teams now know that they'll have to find there own way and go and find a new home/manufacturer time is on there side they can plan well into the future. I think Bob has marketed and timed his Ford product and manpower very well. If you run the ruler over these assets, other teams existing or new would pay top dollar for such quality, would you not agree? Holden on the other hand as I see it will have bleating and lost teams scurrying for buyers and will need to impress- quickly knee jerk reaction here we come. I also think that Penske and Ambrose is well timed by Ford and Penske, and lets face it Penske don't need Ford. But they did need a recognisable figure an Australian to assist in establishing there home base with DJR. It gets them over the who's that, where are they from, lets face it not everyone knows who Penske really is or what he owns and controls. So his entry to V8SC is made on the back of Ambrose and DJR. so slick and so easy and quick recognition and national advertising cheap and effective. The way he sees it is simple but the timing is sublime almost as if he knew ford were pulling out and, probably did: Buy controlling share of DJR a dying Ford team, Ambrose contracted for 2/3 years, no Ford support and Ford may not be Penske ideal from 2017, Advertises his truck rentals and his distribution of truck parts etc and shocks for two years, via V8SC's. Come 2017: Ambrose is told by Penske that they'll be driving X type cars from 2017, you can come along or go your own way. And guaranteed Penske will be a household name and firmly entrenched and as for DJR - archived. And the world will continue to turn and new format of Australain racing will be introduced, but alas. I'll still have this lousy outdated and ineffective key board attachedd to my equally lousy laptop.

Pretty good article that Adrian, it could be that Bob Graz is actually getting the drop on the field, given that from 20127 V8SC's as we know it wont exist. Ford Aust will be have left the scene by some 2 years and left no legacy the same may not be said for Holden and when U

The sooner we move to a more realistic formula with more variety of cars the better. Either we adopt a more widely accepted formula like DTM or the BTCC the better off we will be. The bogans wont be happy but they never are,

If I was considering buying a Ford or a Holden I would not care in the slightest which brand won a V8 supercar race .But then again, my grandchildren might.

V8 racing no longer (and not for a long time) has been asscoiated with 'win on Sunday, sell on Monday' mentality. As the automotive industry becomes even more and more global, and V8 supercars moves further away from commercial vehicles, individual companies will no longer see the value in sponsoring such competitions and events. Ford has all but abandoned Australia, long before this decision with GM (Holden) and Toyota (2017 factory close?) not far away either. The sport will survive with private and corporate money but the big manufacurers will continue to pull their money. Why spend $500,000 (hypothetical) on a 1 car team in a country where V8s barely sell in the market anymore when you can spend that advertising your small vehicle and soccer mum 4WDs that still sell? That's where the money will go.

Whats the point of the v8 supercars without the two major powers

Well perhaps this is a window to the all too near future where Australia as a market will be pretty meaningless with nothing to distinguish it. I understand that Govt's were pumping heaps into sustaining a domestic motor industry - but, in letting it go - we lose the jobs directly and indirectly, we lose the culture and part of that is seen here - and we lose the capacity and that will be felt hard in peripheral industries. I do also ponder just how much of a cost the unemployment will come at with respect to increased crime - the suburbs and towns that have supplied the workforce will be left as economic ghettos. So long as the luxury car buyers are happy I guess then we should all be content. Mebbe just mebbe there might be a 'great Australian car' designed and built locally somewhere in the 21st century but somehow I doubt it - farewell to an era of which 2015 is pretty well the last hurrah on many fronts.

Ford's biggest, monumental, mind-blowing mistake was cutting funding to Triple Eight. Ford fans like myself can only wonder what might've happened had the Ford backing continued. Surely, Whincup and Lowndes would be busy winning races for the Blue Oval still? Whoever made the decision was apparently high?