Is the V8 Supercar Series losing its appeal?

[surfsup]

I've missed a couple of races this year.
Unlike previous years when I've missed out on a race I've been disappointed and pissed off. But this year it hasn't bothered me. I even deleted the last round before I even watched it!
I've fast forwarded through several races rather than watch the whole thing. I would never have done that in the past.

Is it me or is the series waning?

Are other series satisfying your need for motorsport more than what V8SC is?

 

[JUBJUB]

I'm way more interested in Nascar [Sprint,Nationwide & Truck series] than V8 Supercars these days.I still watch all the races but don't really pay much attention to who is where until the last lap.I never watch qualifying anymore,except the Bathurst Top 10.
This stupid introduction of sprint tyres sucks.Either have them all run it in the same race or don't have it.
Then there's the long breaks between events,which could get worse if Cockroach brings in this mid-season break next year.
There's too many what you'd call "backmarkers" in V8s these days.

 

[bus24]

Blame channel 7 and their appalling coverage, the introduction of the sprint tyre garbage, and the nonsense off this double qualifying bullshit.

Make it 1 race, 1 qualifying for an event. Much more appeal, and a lot less mickey mouse. Guarantee that'd get people more interested.

 

[JUBJUB]

Blame channel 7 and their appalling coverage

Whoops,forgot that.Sunday at 1pm sucks.Go back to late afternoon sunday races.

 

[Bombers42]

7's coverage is apalling, so many add breaks aswell, its hard to get into the race. The format is also flawed, races should be about the overall weekend, not seperated in to days. Whincup & Davison won Qland events when they DNF or finished poorly in one event compared to others like Winterbottom (who i think would have won the round). I still watch most of it, bit of a avid Ford fan. Also am enjoying the NASCAR and WRC at the moment.

 

[Ljp86]

Don't really have time for the V8's anymore due to work and sporting committments. I will look at the results and highlights but that's about it. Way more interested in NASCAR and F1.

It's been this way for a couple of years now. I always watch Bathurst though.

 

[AdelUniCrowFan]

I'd say it has a bit. I do miss the odd race due to weekend work commitments and often just skip through the race to watch highlights. Having 1 dominant team could be a drag for some.

At the moment there is only 1 never miss series and that is the BTCC. Finding an ITV stream and watching the BTCC coverage (which generally runs from 1100-1700/1800 in the UK) which has 3 BTCC races, and 6 or so support races is the best way to spend Sunday nights. Plenty of entertaining racing in all categories including the supports (Ginetta G50s, Ginetta Juniors, Formula Renault, Porsche Cup, Clio Cup). In other major touring car series that V8s still shit on the WTCC and the DTM. The WTCC because the racing has been screwed by SEAT's bitching and the fact that there are only 2x 20 minute races for the weekend, and the DTM because of the manufacturer orders and the generally dull racing.

I do try and watch NASCAR when I can find a stream for the top series, generally only interested in the lower series when Marcos is racing in them, but will watch the Nationwide series semi-regularly on One.

F1 started off the year interesting, but has provided some utter crap lately. Hopefully it picks up at Spa, but unless its wet the racing there is often dull.

My thoughts on some of the V8 issues.

SPRINT TYRE: The sprint tyre is a good concept, as it has improved the racing to some extent, but it has been implemented poorly. For Whincup and those who used up their tyres in Race 1 at Queensland, to have little chance of winning Race 2 is a joke and probably the most damaging thing to the V8 brand this year.

NO ROUNDS JUST RACES: I don't mind each day being treated separately, as it does stop people having their weekend screwed by a bad Race 1. I know the move was done supposedly for the simpletons who thought the winner on Sunday should be the overall winner, but whether or not the round or race winner gets recognition hasn't damaged my interest. I'd guess that most people would prefer the racing run right up to the end of the broadcast with a quick interview with the winners and having the podium only if time permitted for TV.

V8SA would have been happy with the Queensland results though. The weekend podium would have been Winterbottom, Courtney, Whincup. Davison the winner on Sunday finished 11th for the meeting.

QUALIFYING: Hopefully they get this right for next year. I do prefer the past system of progressive grids (Race results setting the grid), but don't mind having 2 qualifying sessions for 2 races. 2 sessions is more preferable than the 1 session they had at Clipsal, and to series that use progressive grids to set their grids even though they class each race as a separate round.

 

[ubolt]

i haven't followed the V8's for about 3 years. and i used to rarely miss a race. They bore me to tears. I think Marcos Ambrose said it best in that doco on One recently where he said the difference between NASCAR and V8's are that the V8's go flat out for the first 5 laps, where as NASCAR go flat out for the last 30 laps.

• i got sick of the compulsory pit stops - i have no idea if they still have them, i'm assuming they do - but the idea of having everyone stopping between laps 10 and 15 for fuel and 35-40 for tyres is just dumb. Where is the strategy in that? Let them go for as long as they want and see where they end up.
• I also have a tendency to find that it is follow the leader after about 5 laps, i suppose F1 occasionally has the same thing, but strategy does help that situation.
• Another thing that annoys me is the fact that they send the Safety Car out as soon as someone spins, i know they do it in NASCAR too, but that is a genuine safety factor on the Ovals, but i'm pretty sure they only do it to bunch up the cars and let them start again. Bathurst is a great example of the Safety Cars, I think Lowndes and Whincup won Bathurst by about a second 2 or 3 years ago, and you know why they did? Every 5 laps the Safety Car came out, then with 3 laps to go the Safety Car came out and left them all with a one lap sprint.

Is it losing it's appeal? i dunno, EVERYONE still seems to watch Bathurst. I rarely get to see Bathurst anymore because of cricket commitments, but i'm convinced a serious shake up is needed

 

[bus24]

I'd be more than happy to take over the running over the thing. The knobs that run V8SC couldn't run a chook raffle. Idiots.

 

[roostersgal4eva]

I use to be a massive fan - i still watch it but its more of meh

I cant stand the people who are currently running v8s - us at bigfooty could do a better job.

I would get rid of compulsary pitstops and the option tyre, I would be happpy if we refered back to where u finish in race 1 is where you start in race two and for goodness sake can we have the two enduros as stand alone events and not part of the championship.

Also either tell 7 to shape up or go back to 10...channel 7s coverage is runing the event IMHO

 

[hey shorty]

Cant argue with pretty much everything thas being said here. Ive missed quite a number of races this year whereas previously they were all a "must watch". The series is poorly organised with far too many "gimmicky" type things going on.

I love my motorsport so ill probably always watch but for me its just losing that appeal. Roostersgal is right though.... the enduros HAVE to be left out of the championship proper. Yes they still have the prestige (Bathurst especially) but you just sense guys arent throwing it around on the last few laps in search for a win given that theres serious points to be won or lost..... thats just my opinion though.

 

[Adrian Shelton]

55 car Bathurst would be nice too, and multiple classes and makes, and real floorpans and stuff no 'control' rubbish. Why are they so chicken to let the 'real world' in

 

[roostersgal4eva]

I love my motorsport so ill probably always watch but for me its just losing that appeal. Roostersgal is right though.... the enduros HAVE to be left out of the championship proper. Yes they still have the prestige (Bathurst especially) but you just sense guys arent throwing it around on the last few laps in search for a win given that theres serious points to be won or lost..... thats just my opinion though.

To do that I think there should a gap between the enduros and the sprints/championship so that if someone does crash their car theres time to repare them .

I would have a race every 2 weeks, have a break before enduros and a break after and then the rest of the championship with a race ever 2 weeks. (I hope that makes sence )

oh and I forgot to add

stop being so f*** stubborn and let another manafacuter in!!

 

[Bombers42]

55 car Bathurst would be nice too, and multiple classes and makes, and real floorpans and stuff no 'control' rubbish. Why are they so chicken to let the 'real world' in

It wouldnt be even or competitive with limits, but i agree they could be loosened, just to a lesser extent. Class's are annoying i say no, i even hate them in LeMans races, just have the focus on one main event at a time!

 

[Oaksnaf]

V8 Supercars consume Australian motorsport. They suck it dry.

We already have categories that would interest those who posted in this topic. Like Sport Sedans. Basically anything goes and you have some impressive machinery. Just look at Darren Hossack's Audi. The lap-times it does at Sandown just matches the cars aura. It's a beast! With DTM engineering too.

Some of this garbage starts at CAMS. They wanted Formula Vee to become more 'modern'. So they introduced the 1600 engine. Of course it divided those who are at a hobby level and those who want to compete seriously. 30 car grids in Victoria down to 15. As who wants to fight for....class B in 1200s? No. You want to win. Even if it is a hobby. So you lose interest.


Then it happened to Formula Ford with Duratech. State cars could compete with National cars.... then it disappeared.

With the cost of a V8 license it limits those who can actually participate. Sure you want the best of the best and the fastest drivers out there competing against one another. But we don't have that. And will never have that due to the money hungry corps out there who run the show.

Team Kiwi were forced to cry out for help from the general public to donate their OWN money to keep the team afloat. Sure they run a dodgy operation. But if the cost of an engine wasn't so expensive, maybe they would have lasted longer.

So howcome is it that NASCAR is a cheaper car than a V8 Supercar?

Everything is out of proportion. Heck they can't even organise the right people to make the BATHURST pit-lane EVEN. Remember when Larrys team had to take an extra pitstop because they couldn't fill the tank right up due to the uneven surface that their pit-bay was on?


It is a farce. V8 Supercars should help and support Australian motorsport as a whole rather than try to consume it. Look at the support categories. The FEE'S they have to pay to race on the V8 calendar is ridiculous. And why is it so expensive? Because the track promoters need something to bring in the cash, as the V8 circus itself doesn't bring in enough of a crowd.... just TV ratings.

Eastern Creek. You could make an echo there.

Unfortuantely there are a lot of things wrong with the sport. Like most categories.

It just needs a change. Get someone else in to run the show. Someone who isn't so money hungry. Or someone who isn't interested in paying some money to Bahrain government officials to attend events like Bathurst.

Concentrate on our little series in our little place called Australia. And NZ too. We like them. But not China or Bahrain or anywhere else.



As for the original post. I use to attend almost every V8 meeting. Now. No.

 

[Bombers42]

I agree, was reading a Wheels magazine about the fall of the GM corporation and it was attributed to the latter CEO's making it about business and earning money rather than manufacturing quality. V8's needs to focus on entertainment value and true racing, not superficial things to gain income.

 

[stmookeyj]

THE REASONS WHY IT'S BORING


- infatuation with street circuits. Boring racing aimed at the chardonnay sippers

- lack of depth in the field. Only about half a decent field with the rest real plodders

 

[Sprechen]

Reading the paper today i noticed in disbeief that Pink will be the face of next years v8 season, well if true, they have lost me for sure....what the???

 

[Bombers42]

Reading the paper today i noticed in disbeief that Pink will be the face of next years v8 season, well if true, they have lost me for sure....what the???

Elaborate? whats this mean?

 

[Oaksnaf]

THE REASONS WHY IT'S BORING


- infatuation with street circuits. Boring racing aimed at the chardonnay sippers

- lack of depth in the field. Only about half a decent field with the rest real plodders

I think you will find that there is a bigger gap in the machinery available and funds at hand from top to bottom than the gap in talent.

 

[jojonalo]

Reading the paper today i noticed in disbeief that Pink will be the face of next years v8 season, well if true, they have lost me for sure....what the???

I can't see a problem with that... as long as it involves more than her face!!

V8's have been the heart beat of this nation for the last 17 years... but what killed of the previous competition was the supporters getting bored and frustrated with the competition.

Bored with european cars dominating the sport, and frustrated with the rules that separated some teams over others. I mean Brock and Moffet in a BMW... are you serious!!!

Now as a country, we have grown up to the idea that foreign stuff is good, and that we should be seeing it in our priemer motor sport catagory.

I still love the V8's, but what annoys me more than anything, is some teams seem to get a ride by AVESCO yet others are given the cold shoulder. 2 manufacturers... should be more... they share parts anyway!

and lastly..

The speed of them needs to be increased... when porsche cup was given the arse (for what I think) for lapping faster than the V8's... and get rid of the anally retentive Mark Larkham

 

[AdelUniCrowFan]

Porsche Cup went bust. They still would have been a support this year if it weren't for that.

 

[JUBJUB]

and get rid of the anally retentive Mark Larkham

No way,adding Larkham is about the only improvement ch7 have done to the coverage.I just hope Greg Murphy doesn't stack the car early in the PI 500 or Bathurst,as then we'd have to put up with the verbal diarrhoea of Mark Skaife.At least with him driving we won't have as much Skaife vd.

Imagine Skaife and Jonathon Leggard commentating a race together.I'd be doing this

 

[Ljp86]

Skaife will probably drive the enduros so you won't have to put up with him.

 

[JUBJUB]

Skaife will probably drive the enduros so you won't have to put up with him.

Ah yes,I mentioned that he's driving with Greg Murphy.What ch7 are going to do is have Skaife set up in the SGR pits to commentate when he's not driving.