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Do we really want parity?

2K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  MITS 
#1 ·
Do we really want parity in V8 Supercars?

Now before you all reply with "of course we do Yellow Fire what sort of idiot are you?" hear me out.

To me motorsport has always been a nice mix of driver skill and mechanical engineering. Being able to build a car that performs better than the opposition is worthy of as much respect as the ability to drive it faster than the opposition in my opinion. As we all know V8 Supercars can be traced back to production racing. When Holden brought out the GT beating Monaros at Bathurst did Ford complain about parity? No. They just went & built a better GT for next year. This continued for a few years until one day some sneaky Japanese managed to build a car that put both the Ford and Holdens of the day to shame. Instead of trying to beat the Japanese at their own game, a new series was born that banned them along with anything like them.

Pretty simple so far. Now we're left with the two most popular cars in the country battling it out in a series that still somewhat resembled production racing. It was a long way from what the ATCC started as, but the race cars still had unique features between each make.

In 2004 we have cars with control tyres, wheels, diffs, gearboxes, fuel tanks, suspension points and only resemble road cars in a very loose sense. Even the link between the road car engine is gone with neither make offering a 5 litre pushrod engine for sale.

Now to the point of this long winded post:

How far down the road of "parity" will V8 Supercars go before you lose interest?

Just say that within the next 5 years rules are put in place that remove the small differences that remain between the cars. Aero kits are actually tested to prove that the front and rear downforce and drag of both cars is identical at all speeds. A control set of heads, intake, and exhaust system is made mandatory so that both the Ford and Holden 5 litre engine makes exactly the same power.

Would anyone watch this?

Would anyone still cheer for the "Ford" over the "Holden" when in reality they are the same race car?

The solution?

I have no idea. Production based racing simply would not work in 2004. We're so used to seeing the best drivers in the country racing 600hp beasts that putting them in stock GTs or GTOs would be like watching traffic in comparison.

Of course its possible that I'm totally wrong, but I wouldn't watch a Ford vs Holden series when all I'm cheering for is a badge.

Opinions?
 
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#2 ·
good point. when is enough really enough? they way its going there will really be no point of even having a manufactures badge on the car coz as you said they will be the same thing anyway but just look different.
 
#3 ·
The history of the ATCC points to major changes in 'formula' about every 10 years. Time's up!!
Personally, the issues raised concern me for the future Aussie motorsport; all the eggs in too few baskets. Having said that there is certainly an attraction to the 'tribal' nature of the current series.
 
#5 ·
I totally agree with what has been said. I still watch the key races ( bathurst, indy, sandown etc ) but rarely take the time to watch the rest of the series. I'd prefer to watch production car racing, however with all the rules and laws of today it wouldnt work, itd be like the old days where ford and holden try to make the fastest car, not necessarily the better one
 
#6 ·
I would still watch the V8's even if everything was the same underneath the bodyshell of the 2 makes. Reason? close racing...

Lets say we went back to production spec (or close to it) and Ford dominated for an entire year, the next year Holden hit back and build a better mousetrap and then they dominate all year. Who wants to see that?

These days motorsport has to compete with all the other sports for bums on seats, if the racing isn't close and with a fairly even playing field people will switch off.

It is also a myth that the touring cars of the 70's and 80's were production cars. Sure they were closer to it than todays Supercars, but it has been over 30 years since we had TRUE production car racing in the ATCC, parity racing has been with us for a long time and it will continue. Who remembers the bickering and politics of the 80's when each and every manufacturer thought THEY were hard done by and whinged until they got what they wanted. Cams were trying to please everyone but the fans, it was a mess

For me these days it's not so much Ford vs Holden, it's team vs team. Sure I like Ambrose winning 'cause he's in a Ford, but my main support goes to my chosen team (DJR) and I even, dare I say it, like to see certain Holden teams do well

Bottom line is, I'm a MOTORSPORT fan and like to see good hard racing, no matter who wins and I believe the current formula gives us that

Thats just my (long winded) opinion anyway
 
#7 ·
ZH_302 said:
For me these days it's not so much Ford vs Holden, it's team vs team. Sure I like Ambrose winning 'cause he's in a Ford, but my main support goes to my chosen team (DJR) and I even, dare I say it, like to see certain Holden teams do well
I think this is the way the series will end up. Just like NASCAR where the individual driver and his pit crew are the focus rather than any manufacturer. All cars are created equal & the best crew on the day wins.

There's nothing wrong with this, but it would make a mockery of the "Ford vs Holden" rivalry that the series is built on and advertised as.

I bet the heads of motorsport from both manufacturers can't wait until this is the case. If I was the guy at Ford writing the cheques for the V8 teams I'd be a hell of a lot happier knowing that each car has an equal chance of winning regardless of what the factory does.
 
#8 ·
Really you barrack for the teams??? I don't care which Ford team wins as long as it isn't BJR. With that said I prefer drivers over teams such as i'd rather Lowndes win over Seaton or Ambrose over Ingall ect but i'd still prefer a Ford driver over a Holden driver no matter what team.
 
#9 ·
very good points by all...

My opinion... i love it the way it is, we are seeing the best racing in the series in a long time, it's extremely competetive and also extremely difficult to dominate for a length of time because the way the series is designed, enables teams to catchup in a sense if they are lagging.

If it went to an open slather series right now, then you can say good by to all teams expect two, HRT and FPR, that is ofcourse if Holden and Ford were serious about the series, and we know they are. Let me tell you, Holden and Ford would be rubbing their hands together if it were go that way as they know they would be the only ones with the $$$ to do what they want.

Open slather breeds formula 1, and how many people really love the racing in F1 these days??? and it was only until recently that F1 has started to implement tighter rules and regulations to try and make it more competetive for all teams and entertaining for fans.

Leave it as it is i say...

then again... Ambrose, in a ford... is leading the champ looking a 2 in a row... why would i want a change!

:)
 
#10 ·
JEM said:
Open slather breeds formula 1, and how many people really love the racing in F1 these days??? and it was only until recently that F1 has started to implement tighter rules and regulations to try and make it more competetive for all teams and entertaining for fans.

:)
Some would agrue its the number of rules in F1 that's the problem at the moment, with too little variation allowed.
 
#11 ·
Devil_Racer said:
I don't care which Ford team wins as long as it isn't BJR.
What Wrong with BJR ????

When I started watching Motorsport at the Age of 5 I followed Dick Johnson because he was the best Ford runner and my Dad was a Ford Man,

Over the years as I followed DJR, my favourite Driver was JB, when he left for CAT I lost my love for DJR and Pretty Much the series.

A few years later I end up working for a company that sponsors JB, and that has re-ignited my love for the V8's. Having said that, life is a great deal easier when a car with a Blue Oval Crosses the line first.

To the Technical Regulations question, V8 supercars has been built along Tribal Lines and that is fine, most have said they would like the manufacturers have more input and distinctiveness in the cars, but to put it simply, V8 Supercar is going the way of NASCAR’s. These cars are built to run equal. The More standard components we get in V8supercars (is it a standard shock provider now) the more it comes down to driver skill. It is like Formula Ford, the team with the Best preparation and the most skilful driver will get out in front.

To the point though, the main thing we are barracking for is Engines and Areo.
Ford and Holden Design the areo for the cars, they also supply the Major engine components.

The engine heads/ blocks will never become standard because this is truly were the heart of the series lies.
 
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