One of the more pressing issues in the Australian Supercars Championship leading into the 2017 season is a lack of overseas races, with the only trip away from home being to New Zealand.
The Supercars, either in their current form or any previous have a chequered history going overseas, but it’s something they badly need to make work.
2001 was the first time the Supercars went overseas, to Pukekohe Park Raceway in New Zealand. While there has always been strong support for the category across the ditch, with legend of the sport and proud Kiwi Greg Murphy leading the charge by winning the first race, support around the rest of the world hasn’t been so strong.
Pukekohe is a name synonymous with the Supercars championship. There have been plenty of races held there, on a fast flowing circuit that always allows for some aggressive racing.
While Pukekohe has missed out some years, it will once again hold the second last round of the season in 2017, and there is little question the track deserves it.
However, no other venue that the Supercars Championship has travelled to over the years has made a mark on fans, locals, drivers or officials and been scrapped shortly after.
That’s not to say there hasn’t been any good racing overseas. Travelling further than New Zealand began in 2005, with a trip to Shanghai in China. Todd Kelly, racing alongside Mark Skaife in the Holden Racing Team Commodore, took out the round, but the competition has never been back to the Formula One circuit.
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Following the Shanghai adventure, there have been attempts to get some international rounds up and running, 2010 being the best for it with trips to both Bahrain and Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi.
It was the fourth visit to Bahrain and the first to Yas Marina, with a further two to follow in 2011 and 2012, before the Supercars last trip overseas, to the famous Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas, during the 2013 calendar.
Despite television coverage of the series in all of those localities, it just never got off the ground. Traction was never made in local fan-bases, while other issues – some legal, some financial – have stalled the series in getting away from Australia again.
Unfortunately for the Supercars, low crowds is a trend that, unless we are talking about Sandown or Bathurst, has followed it around like a bad smell.
It’s not as if motorsport as a whole needs expansion, but Supercars certainly does. It needs to reinvigorate the format, get a different type of series going and involve more countries to do it.
This will, believe it or not, benefit the mainland broadcast deals and fan support. At the moment, every round is done in either Australia or – in the case if Pukekohe – in New Zealand. It means there is a lot of racing, much of it feeling a little needless in the sprint round format in Australia.
It leads to lower crowds and lower interest from media and fans. What sending races overseas does – even if it was to be just three races per year – means the only way people in Australia will be able to watch them is by switching on the TV.
What’s more, it increases exposure in some racing hotspots overseas and means the Australian calendar is a little more spread out. Australians love an event, and that’s where going overseas a few times per years, with a purpose comes into the fold.
Looking at the TV ratings, most of the big numbers come from events. State of Origin is always a key breaker, as are grand finals of the football codes, or the final of the Australian Open, for example.
While it’s not thought the Supercars Championship could reach those numbers simply by going overseas, it will certainly help because it has a special event feel to it.
What the Supercars administrators can’t afford to do, though, is send them overseas with the sprint round format. While it’s another discussion for another article, the shorter races simply aren’t drawing numbers in crowd or TV because there is no time for the excitement of a race to build.
A race lasting 100 or 125 kilometres simply isn’t long enough. 250 kilometres should be the bare minimum for a race anywhere, and nowhere is that truer than overseas.
While it might cost the category more in the short term to get away from Australia, it needs to be done. It’s not a last resort to save the struggling series, but it’s an attempt to increase exposure.
Options to go overseas, through cost and legal issues seem a little limited at the moment. Malaysia has often been talked about as the go-to option, and with the facilities to cover it, you wouldn’t be surprised to see the V8s over there in 2018.
Asia is an important ground for the Supercars, and along with an extra race in New Zealand needs to be explored heavily. America seems a little out of the question, while seeing the Supercars race around some of the famous European tracks – Brands Hatch, Nurburgring and Le Mans to name a few would be fascinating but unlikely.
Start local and expand from there needs to be the motto for the Supercars, but one way or another, it needs to be done.
Chris Coulter
Guest
I have been thinking for a long time about the car industry. It's time to put all nations to the test especially when it comes to nations engineers. Australia has seen a total disintegration of people's lives within the Holden and Ford sectors and I think this needs to change with a world event. Regardless of what the negatives suggest like the CEO's, Executives and Politicians have convinced us of. People should be given full transparency about who really are the best manufacturers not taking into account quantity. Quality is the key to changing so many seemingly corruption driven decisions in the past. I have a standard VZ Commodore and there isn't one low quality part on it. Yeah maybe there are parts that need replacing from time to time but isn't that normal without breaking the budget. Yeah we might be all leaving internal combustion motors over the next 20 years. However .... We seriously need to see who is the best once and for all? Please inform me where I should continue this with a conversation on how to achieve what I have mentioned here. I think it's the most important aspect throughout the whole industry. Why should be left to just sit on our hands and curse what has happened.
Robin
Guest
I for one do not have an issue with the Supercars going overseas. However, I feel that the efforts of going overseas should be limited to South East Asia for now. Also as much as allot of people might not like this, but the Supercars might as well evolve in to GT racing, or adopt the same as the new ‘Class One’ regulations as what are planned for the series as Deutsche Tourenwagen Master and Super GT in Japan.
Racing fan
Guest
Naveen, You make some interesting points. However you overplay the role of manufacturers in the success of the supercar series. You may be aware that when the series was constructed manufacturers were specifically banned from owning teams. This is because it was identified that manufacturers tend to be fair weather friends and for the series to be sustainable, teams had to be commercially independent. The series is about entertainment, close racing and the drivers. This is often at odds with the aim of manufacturers. Anyone who has watched international racing will know how good Supercars is as a spectacle. It is fine. Re changing to Gt4 rules, why? It is a category designed for gentleman racers and to sell a few exotic cars. If you want to see a whole lot of drivers cruising around, worried about damaging their car, go to a club race. We have a great Australain category, let's support it.
Racing fan
Guest
Naveen, Supercars were offered the opportunity to chassis share with DTM and Japanese GT. They chose to develop their own chassis. The reason was mainly cost and the ability to maintain ownership of the Ip. As Roland Dane has said it is the best value chassis in world motoring racing, in terms of cost versus mileage. There is obviously an enormous investment in Australia in terms of infrastructure, so why change.
Racing fan
Guest
Matt, Supercars didn't race at the Grand Prix or the Indy Races because they were trying to expand the category overseas. They raced there because they were invited and paid to by the race promotors. The format would have been part of the deal. Supercars is a commercial operation and race for pay. It's not a matter of just saying lets race at Le Mans. Supercars have already said they are negotiating with promotors in South East Asia, which will likely result in three races in the region. This is a good thing as it creates revenue for the teams. This will strengthen the championship as a whole.
Naveen Razik
Roar Pro
And that's the problem with touring cars on an international stage. That's why the World Touring Car Championship is completely pointless. Each series has different regulation and is selling cars tailored to that region. The only real way I could see Supercars being an international championship is an increasing in Asian manufacturers as well as adopting the 'Class One' touring car regulations currently being drafted by the WTTC, DTM in Germany and Super GT in Japan. But would it be worth selling the Australian spirit to create what is a slightly higher profile Asian touring car league?
Naveen Razik
Roar Pro
Holden are introducing a V6 Twin Turbo 2017 Commodore next season. What Nissan and possibly Ford do is another question. V4s are technically possible with the regulations, as well as Wagons and Hatches. The trend for touring cars seems to be cheap hatch back racing. BTTC started it off and TCR is working hard to make it a global formula. But those series aren't perfect. Both have success ballast, which ruins the purity of the racing. Australian's like their cars a little bit more musclier, something which doesn't really gel with manufacturers today. They want efficiency, not excess. It's a difficult one for sure and I think the possibility of a format shift, maybe to GT4 spec may be in order.
Matt Turner
Roar Rookie
They have tried that a couple of times, with the GC Indy Car and around the Melbourne F1. All we got were shortened non championship rounds as they were. Itching more than a support race. Any fully fledged Motorsport category needs to be able to stand on its own two feet, but outside the US, Supercars has zero relevance. I mean of the 5 makes that have run in the past 3 years, by the end of this year only the Mercedes will offer a variety of what they were running.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Really like that idea Naveen
Scott Pryde
Expert
The same philopsiphy needs to be applied in Australia - no more short races. 250km should be the absolute minimum for a race - means it goes for somewhere near an hour and a half on most tracks and it's easier for fans to be invested in the race when they know there is still a reasonable chunk to go rather than just over half an hour. It's no secret why Clipsal, Sandown and Bathurst are the 3 most popular.
Racing fan
Guest
Overseas races are definitely part of the future. A fact which a lot of people don't understand , is that Supercars were paid to race overseas. That is it all costs were covered and a appearance fee paid by the promoter. There will be more races in Asia over the next couple of years. Again they will be paid by the promoter. In relation to the formula, it is great at the moment and along with DTM and NASCAR the most successful sedan series in the world. In relation to adopting British Touring Cars, pleas don't make be laugh. It is virtually club racing in comparison.
Naveen Razik
Roar Pro
I think V8 Supercars needs to eat some humble pie and consider getting V8s on the support bill at a major race, either in Asia or possibly in the US or UK. Its much easier to introduce the V8s as a support category at a major race meeting. For example, if the V8s were on the bill at Long Beach, alongside Indycar and the IMSA Le Mans series, you'd be able to expose the series to a packed crowd and a live TV audience.
Matt Turner
Roar Rookie
It will be interesting to see where the series heads in the next few years. With car obviously getting smaller, the old "V8" formula is obviously becoming less and less relevant. Could we run a series based around 6 cylinders? Is there a big market left for turbo 6's anymore? Or do we slowly (or possibly quickly) elvolve into something like the British Touring Car Championship? It would be interesting to hear from manufacturers where they would like to spend their money. Obviously Volvo, Ford and Mercedes don't believe the Supercars format is worthy of the money. It doesn't leave too many interest parties. The BTCC has managed to capture the interest of Subaru, MG, Honda, BMW, Vauxhall (Holden), Ford, Audi, VW, Mercedes, Chevrolet (Holden) & Toyota. It's certainly an interesting future for the Supercars brand.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Interesting but some years back when going to the US was announced I could only scratch my head and say "why"? It's not like the US doesn't have its own formats that they love. What on God's earth would entice them to watch an imported race??? Makes no sense what so ever.
Jawad Yaqub
Roar Guru
If indeed they approached overseas events with a much stronger format, I'm sure it'd generate support. Perhaps an endurance race using the same idea the Gold Coast used a few years back with international co-drivers? Texas felt like such a waste, having four tiny sprint races and then having to get up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the live coverage. It would be better to have a 250-400km race, which would've utilized that circuit better. It's going to be an elephant in the room always, overseas races - but it ought to be approached again with a different perspective. Until then, I'll just keep racing those overseas circuits on Forza 6.
Bayden Westerweller
Roar Guru
Supercars must be careful not to compromise the local market in these uncertain times with the long-time manufacturers pulling out in an official capacity and the new regulations which could polarise the fan base, they run the risk of disillusionment. As you state, previous attempts to penetrate various overseas locations - New Zealand aside, have been middling at best, thus Supercars must do its diligence on any desired location's demographics rather than venturing to continent X for the sake of it. If it is executed correctly, there's no reason why an Enduro Cup style event, potentially featuring a local identity with proven credentials wouldn't be feasible.
Billary Swamper
Guest
Other than New Zealand, the V8's should just concentrate locally. It is very costly just to get up to Perth or Brisbane, let alone anywhere else.