![]() ![]() The idea is that the advantage goes to the best driver, not to the most expensively built car, and the rules for customising the cars guarantee that no one car or make of car will dominate the event. The ‘ Car of the Future ’ is based on a standardised platform which will ensure the technical equivalency between vehicles remains. And in 2013 as the new generation of cars takes over, it’s set to get even tighter. Using standardised parts the two different makes (Holden and Ford) were constructed as similar as possible within the rules in weight, aerodynamics, engine power and handling ability. The introduction of ‘Project Blueprint’ in 2003 truly put the cars on a truly level playing field. These high-performance V8 monsters are so closely matched there is more over-taking and side-by-side racing than most other motorsports series. Not only is it the best touring car category in the world, but it’s also the most competitive too. The rivalry on track is another endorsement of why V8 Supercars is well and truly in great shape. The highest standard of competitive racing Fans now have their favourite drivers and teams, while many of the teams and drivers have also made the switch between manufacturers. Exposure to more brands and other international motorsport events in Australia has meant the tribal aspect has become a lot more diluted. The Holden versus Ford rivalry still remains, but other manufacturers have muscled in on the Australian automotive market replacing Holden and Ford as the best sellers. ![]() Despite some initial aversion, these new players are vital to the sport’s future direction and should help assure its long-term expansion and viability. New “Car of the Future” regulations have revolutionised the sport and opened the door to new manufacturers other than Ford and Holden.Ģ013 has seen the introduction of a new era of V8 Supercar with a factory-backed Nissan team and a privately funded AMG Mercedes-Benz E-Class team competing against the Holden and Ford teams, with Volvo confirmed taking to the grid too from 2014. The year is 2013 and for the first time in 16 years, the Ford and Holden stranglehold is over. That incredible rivalry spawned one of the legendary clashes of the Australian sporting world and truly captured the hearts and minds of Australian motorsport fans. This unique rivalry between the two marques, both off and on the circuit, immediately appealed to motor racing fans and the battle of red versus blue etched itself into the social fabric of Australia with a clear line drawn – you were either for the red lion of Holden or the blue oval of Ford. In 1995, the rules were then changed to specify that only two makes of cars could contest the Series – the (Australian built) Holden Commodore and the Ford Falcon. However, after Nissan won the last of its three straight titles in 1992 with the Skyline GT-R, the governing body decided to go back to basics, shifting strictly to V8 power. Since its beginnings in 1960 when it was known as the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), there have been many different Championship winning marques, including Jaguar, Chevrolet, Mazda, BMW, Volvo and Nissan. To most people V8 Supercars was (still is) Holden versus Ford. While 2013 sees a new set of contenders, Ford and Holden shaped and divided a nation over more than two decades. So what makes this championship series so special to have survived this long and to have grown where others have fallen away? The Battle of Red versus Blue Speak to an Australian and they won’t be the least bit surprised at this, they’ll just ask “what took you so long to catch on?!” A further 19 million watched on television in Australia alone, while the sport was broadcast into 137 countries around the world, with a potential reach approaching 500 million households. Almost 1.9 million attended the 15 Championship rounds in 2012, some events drawing crowds of over 200,000 over the course of the race weekend. It’s reckoned that only Formula One and NASCAR now have a larger global audience. It has transformed itself from an Aussie provincial attraction to a truly global phenomenon, and it’s still growing. Over the last decade the sport has seen an explosion of popularity. Plain and simple, V8 Supercars is the number one touring car series in the world. Phrases like competitive, fierce, action packed and heart pounding get thrown around far too often in motorsport, but the Australian V8 Supercars Championship series deliver everything it promises, everything motorsport should be … and then some! It really is some of the closest, intense and entertaining racing you’ll ever see. ![]()
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