Super GT (new JGTC/GT World Racing) in Australia

[Wobbler]

Parity and costs are the two big issues though, what other high level series with a lot of different manufacturers are there? You cant tell me a v8 supercar is more expensive to build than any of the british or european touring cars to build.

[CT]

A monaro competes in the UK series of British Sports GT cars.

Strangely enough I was having a chat on this topic with a learned colleaque last weekend. At state level in Oz we have my category - Production Sportscars, then at national level we had Nations Cup (modified international sportscar rules), than at international level we have GT Sportscars. The way I see it is that until you have state and national categories that are aligned so they can lead up to an international series, then bringing the international series over here won't do much for the sport locally (which is my angle). (BTW, GTP and GT Sportscars are different categories)

The cost of Nations Cup cars has surely killed it because of parity (Lambo anyone?), so the GT Sportscars might suffer the same problem. It sure would be good to see a category that already races over here, get an annual chance to race with the worlds best on home turf. Now that I would definitely go and see. Similarly to how the ALMS was the USA national version of the internation races at Le Mans, Sebring and the Nurb.

[Bulgogi]

Something like a CSV Mondo GT would fit the bill for something like Super GT more than a Monaro would.

[Camma]

It sure would be good to see a category that already races over here, get an annual chance to race with the worlds best on home turf. Now that I would definitely go and see. Similarly to how the ALMS was the USA national version of the internation races at Le Mans, Sebring and the Nurb.

Would love to see it run at Bathurst. We had the 24 Hour race but it needed the worlds best over here. For me it wasnt parity that helped the Monaros win so easily, rather well sorted professional team (with factory backing?) working at a familiar track. Where were Ford and the rest? I heard rumours the new GT(40?) was going to make an appearance before the event was canned might have been just talk though.

[260BC]

yea will be good to see somthing diffrent hopefully a network will jump on board and telecast live

Love an optimist More likely it will be 'pay to feature' tv ie how much will the promoters pay to have it on tv. We need more tv networks in this country, just three majors is rubbish.

[RadiuM]

http://www.pimm.org/final.html

Japanese GT, is that the same as JGTC ??

this track has been going ahead for some time now in perth, it got canned at 2 places due to lack of funds (from what i heard) in perth and has now been settled to be built in bunbury (200 odd km's from perth)

Shaun

[Sturmovik]

Parity and costs are the two big issues though, what other high level series with a lot of different manufacturers are there? You cant tell me a v8 supercar is more expensive to build than any of the british or european touring cars to build.

Im not sure about the other touring cars, but remember stuff like diffs, gearboxes, brakes, Engine managment are all shared between the V8 Supercars. And there is only two different engines.

Thats got to reduce costs compared to a series with five or six front running manufacturers.

[vrfour]

I mean speed magazine isnt exactly the most reliable source of info

And this comment is based on what evidence?? You'd rather believe what you hear from the Rhodes scholars on an internet forum??

[floody]

hopefully this will show whoever runs the joke that is v8 supercars that some us love motor racing but can't stand the boring as batshit format they offer.

This is the crap I just can't understand, no offence to you in particular Swifty_Gti.
If anyone thinks V8 supercar is boring, then I suggest you go and buy the JGTC DVD thats out at the moment (aut0barn had it last I looked, from the same people that do the Best Motoring DVD's). I kid you not, it is some of the most unbelievably boring racing I have ever seen. The announcer went on and on about how the races are exciting because of all the last lap passing moves, as though that meant they fight it out to the line... In reality, the whole pack tippy toes around in formation until the final lap, when they all go nuts realising points are on the line and do big desperado moves to up their position. Half the field spins trying these stupid moves, and the top 3 just switch places a bit. VERY boring racing. The only way to make it interesting would be if they were 3 lap races.

Interesting racing doesn't happen because of the variety of parentage in the machinery - it happens because of the way people actually DRIVE them.
From this point of view V8 supercar actually offers a lot of interesting racing, whereas the JGTC and FIA GT etc tend to be a lot more sanitised because people seem to be petrified of knocking a corner off their carbon fibre doorstop-on-wheels.

I'm sick of the whole "V8 supercar sucks because its only two manufacturers" thing, along with the "lets go back to group A days" crap ( yeah, lots of variety in who was winning races in that formula....rose tinted glasses I think). No matter how many manufacturers there are its the drivers and what they do which makes it good to watch.

[Camma]

I'm sick of the whole "V8 supercar sucks because its only two manufacturers" thing, along with the "lets go back to group A days" crap ( yeah, lots of variety in who was winning races in that formula....rose tinted glasses I think). No matter how many manufacturers there are its the drivers and what they do which makes it good to watch.

Fair nuff. I agree with your point about the drivers and the rose tinted glasses (Im a Nissan fan through an through). Ok the Nissans dominated for a couple of years, dont forget it took them 10 years to get there. The Sierras had a time at the top as did the Holdens and Fords.

If my football team wasnt allowed to compete in the NRL Id probably stop watching it, not the best comparison but still...

Its an endless debate. Whats not is that the V8s ARE successful, its just people like me cant handle watching a two make series. An old winger if you will. :p

[Wobbler]

And this comment is based on what evidence?? You'd rather believe what you hear from the Rhodes scholars on an internet forum??

Things like
this

I dont belive everything I read on the intraweb, likewise I dont believe everything that spouted in car magazines

[edo]

Wow, theres a shock...V8supercar bashing in a thread that has nothing to do with them.

A Few facts...at the risk of repeating myself (again).

1.V8 Supercars is great racing, the top 15 cars are very often split by less than a second, they are so much closer than any other touring car racing its rediculous.

2.V8Supercars are CHEAP. $400k to build one that can win, limited testing, many control parts all adds up to about $1mill per year for a 2 car team. For the exposure they get it is cheap. BTCC cars (2 litre) currently cost about 400k too...but thats UK pounds!!! JTCC cars would be insane. (probably why Ambrose is now confirmed at over $1mill per year for the next 3)

3. Nations Cup died because it cost more to build a car & lots more to run a car in an uncompetitive series that had almost zero TV coverage, & what there was was amature garbage compared to ch10.

4. Both Ford & holden V8 supercars share their suspension front & rear, gearbox, wheels, brakes, tyres, diff, crank, rods, pistons, valves etc & their cylinder heads are the same except for stud patterns. One has a chev block, one a ford...they are the same too. Biggest difference in the 2 is the rear wing.

5. If you dont like the V8s then you are in a minority, there was never 100000 people at a group A race...there are at most rounds now.

6. None of you sooks ever voted with your wallet & paid to go to the Procar rounds, a state race round, nor the ALMS race in Adelaide, nor the AGP, nor Indy...youd rather sit around & cry because you dont like V8supercars than do something about the alternatives.

[Stix Zadinia]

i went to quite a few procar rounds, and have only been to Group A Touring cars, back in the apparent "last year of Ford V8s" in a 5.0l Falcon..

Parity is a load of shit and is too overpoliced. Homolgation and a slight amount of parity would make the variety of cars more interesting (register 500 or something then race) JGTC/Nations Cup/GTP all look interesting because of the variety of different body shapes, teams, chassis and components.

V8 Supercars IS interesting racing, however, the fact that they share alot of their componentry and all look the same is boring.

[Saru]

Well said Edo!

It's not like JGTC is any more representative of what's on the roads that the V8 Supercars are. 20b RX-7s? 3SGTE current-shape MR2s?

JGTC in Oz - I'll believe it when I see it.

[Zac]

I've got a couple of mpg videos of JGTC and while the class racing provides variation, it can be a bit boring at times. They don't fall off the road nearly as often as V8 cabbies.