Motor Racing in Australia - your opinions [Archive]

Justin Fox

16-09-06, 09:04 PM

OK, so many of us have grown up in this fine country of ours that has a soft spot for the automobile, hey, we even have motor sports on the TV every weekend!

Having said that then, here's a question: What do you guys think about motor racing in Australia? I'd be interested to hear your opinions.

rodent

16-09-06, 09:24 PM

I think the popularity of different motor racing categories speaks volumes about the nation itself. Americans love watching brutish overpowered cars drive around an oval, the Europeans are nuts about F1 (and the elitism that comes with it), and us Aussies have our V8 Supercars featuring most prominently on Sunday arvos.

Am I making too many generalisations here? :P

jonno.

P.S. Yeah I think the motor racing scene in Australia is just ace :D

VTECMACHINE

16-09-06, 09:41 PM

i think it's great. The TV coverage is just awsome.. and there are alot of people that are into cars and racing in Australia...

Evan

16-09-06, 10:03 PM

Went down hill when Brock left..
Now it is picking up with a new excitment with drifting.

RX4

16-09-06, 10:58 PM

it dropped with procar.

but grass roots is so much more exciting than v8's.

Babalouie

17-09-06, 02:19 AM

I think what we have in this country is great racing....but it's not necessarily about cars.

The V8s have a NASCAR-like formula which means that they're pretty identical and you mainly barrack for the driver, rather than the car.

Even JGTC where the cars are strictly controlled to make sure that no one make runs away with the series, there is much more variety to the cars/engines/layouts etc. That makes it to me, more interesting to watch.

Many years ago, Group A was terrific, and before that, Group C was great too....Nissan Turbo vs rotary vs V8. Even production car racing in the late 80's to early 90's was great. I remember going to Bathurst for the old 24hr prodcar races, and seeing BMW M5 vs Maserati Shamal vs RX7 SP vs Porsche 911 vs GTR.....imagine that!

So I reckon it's all a shame that, in order to make good watchable racing that is accessible to more than just died in the wool petrolheads, you have to take a lot of the individuality out of the actual cars.

But one thing that IS great, is (as RX4 says) that grassroots racing is going off...the ready availability of big-hitting grey imports, etc has meant that you have some serious firepower at the club/drift/grassroots level. Great to watch, and that's something that is better than ever.

...anyway, my 2c :)

ozstrider

17-09-06, 02:43 AM

I like aussie racing. I always miss the drifting tho =(

I wish i was old enough to appreciate back when the GTRs were still racing.

Alfadog

17-09-06, 10:38 AM

I don't need to post, because Babalouie already said exactly what I'd say...

Justin Fox

17-09-06, 01:39 PM

I think our commentators are pretty crappy. Neil Crompton and Daryl Beattie I'm looking at you lol. MONOTONE, their voices send me to sleep zzzzzzzzz.

RX4

17-09-06, 02:04 PM

from channel 10 crompo's one of the better commentators along with woods.. but with beattie i always feel like pulling my hairs out

the all time worst one had to have been tim smith - what a moron who thought he was funny and laughed at all his jokes on air.

KazeKid

17-09-06, 05:51 PM

I like aussie racing. I always miss the drifting tho =(

I wish i was old enough to appreciate back when the GTRs were still racing.

You're probably going to hate this, but it was on today.

Sp33dY

17-09-06, 06:19 PM

Speed Week FTW !

ozstrider

17-09-06, 06:40 PM

I like aussie racing. I always miss the drifting tho =(

I wish i was old enough to appreciate back when the GTRs were still racing.

You're probably going to hate this, but it was on today.

I KNOOOOOOOW!!! I just saw that before on NS.com. Im spewing now. Sigh...damn....

FAT-GTR

18-09-06, 02:50 PM

i want my 2cents woth lol/////lets really think about it all we really have in this country that is big is the v8 super cars, now lets take that qwote "v8 super cars"i only see 2 types of v8's if they really want this country to blow the worlds mind apart in the racing world wouldnt they put something in like eg ferrari , corvette , bmw , merc's , jag ,etc with the holden and fords as Babalouie said the days of when the gtr was around and so on they were great cause you didnt know what was going to win and what ever won was a surprise.I thiink its all about the aussie market holden and ford wouldnt like it if a gtr won again or even a supra or a honda etc etc lol , THE DRIFTING thing is going really well and if they market it right i think it can become as big as the v8,s.I guess what im trying to say is the v8's are getting boring//////THAT WAS WORTH MY 2CENTS lol

FAT-GTR

18-09-06, 02:51 PM

Sp33dY

18-09-06, 02:57 PM

Ure right .... NASCAR as mentioned is huge in the US, but DRIFTING has grown so much in the US its not funny!

Tom

18-09-06, 06:18 PM

I must say im not a huge fan of V8 supercars, especialy seeing as the simply refuse to let other manufacturers joint the series, i believe Toyota bid to joint last year?? (correct me if im wrong) even continuing the whole V8 thing it would be much more interesting if least one more manufacturer competed. But all other motor racing is awsome, can anyone say "aussie racers" they have to be the most intense races ive ever seen, constant lead changing, 3 wide into a corner, its crazy looking!
Also ralleying is going strong, with there are now four manufacturers and 3 are competetive in the ARC, and the ford focus sounds divine, 2.3Lt NA howl *drool*.
Add to this tarmac ralleying, Targa Tassie and the Dutton series provide great entertainment.
And i havent mentioned Drag racing and Drifting, i think we are lucky to be spoilt with this much competetive motorsport
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i250/that_tom_guy/A00AD176.jpg

RX4

18-09-06, 06:24 PM

especially now with the new spoiler kits for the old body cars, the drafting for all the field is unbelievable to watch

Babalouie

18-09-06, 07:59 PM

I must say im not a huge fan of V8 supercars, especialy seeing as the simply refuse to let other manufacturers joint the series, i believe Toyota bid to joint last year?? (correct me if im wrong) even continuing the whole V8 thing it would be much more interesting if least one more manufacturer competed.

IMHO, I reckon it wouldn't make the V8 Supercars an more interesting if more manufacturers went in...

I reckon that what made the old series like Group A and C interesting were that as a car enthusiast, all the cars sounded different and you could tell that the cornered different (some were more sideways, some really struggled to put the power down, etc) they all went different (eg M3 all over the back of Sierra over the top of Bathurst).

They had character, so you could barrack for the car rather than the driver. A RWD, V8 Camry or Magna is just going to be like a Commodore or Falcon with just slightly different looks...it'll be like Nascar, where all the cars are the same shape just with different stickers for the grille and headlights...

Tom

19-09-06, 07:03 PM

I must say im not a huge fan of V8 supercars, especialy seeing as the simply refuse to let other manufacturers joint the series, i believe Toyota bid to joint last year?? (correct me if im wrong) even continuing the whole V8 thing it would be much more interesting if least one more manufacturer competed.

IMHO, I reckon it wouldn't make the V8 Supercars an more interesting if more manufacturers went in...

I reckon that what made the old series like Group A and C interesting were that as a car enthusiast, all the cars sounded different and you could tell that the cornered different (some were more sideways, some really struggled to put the power down, etc) they all went different (eg M3 all over the back of Sierra over the top of Bathurst).

Ok, yeah your right on with that, only i think that V8 supercars will prolly never ever go back to that and so a third or four manufacturer is within reason and may make it more appealing. Personally i would love to see a revival of Group A racing as being only 20 i missed/didnt appreciate the greater proportion of the category. An i just dont like v8 supercars on principal.. Commodores and Falcons (and even Camry/Magna) are Taxis/Family Sedans, not racecars.
So yeah just an opinion...

FAT-GTR

19-09-06, 07:07 PM

Tom

19-09-06, 07:30 PM

but y do we need camrys and magnas they are not v8 super cars y not throw in a ferrari or bmw or corvette or maybe even a gt40 you know what i mean real v8 super cars that would make it so big here and then no one can bag out the term v8 super cars

Like i said that would be cool but will never happen as V8 supercars has become a vehicle for selling Australian cars and AVESCO would never allow our ozzy tanks to be beaten by superior vehicles/vehicles more suited to racing from overseas

RX4

19-09-06, 07:45 PM

alot of production based cars are NOT race cars. take a look at dtm, your super taikyu series, or where ever else in the world.

the only race bred cars are formula open wheelers bar a few exceptions.

as for the ferrari and marque based cars, they have their place in specific fia categories and homologated accordingly - and rightly so. which is why you have fia gt2, gt3 (hopefully will boost the aust gt series here in oz in the next year or 2). i'm sure no porsche or lambo team wants to battle it out with a "taxi". however having said that, a mix of cars racing on the same track is great in endurance races, but for a series category - no, never.

enough of the 3rd manufacturer debate as it is old re-occuring news. it won't happen. it's more than just adding another manufacturer in - it's also about licences - and there simply are none to go around.

taxi racing has it's place in aust motorsport. but the die hard fans/spectators will also go back to non-taxi racing and support it. as for group a/c racing, there will always be a "wanting" of revival as it was so damn good. but there is the targa/street racing in wa - is the best late model production based racing in oz right now, imho.

Sp33dY

19-09-06, 09:50 PM

I always find watching Production Car Championshp a hoot ...... not too many cars, and big competition in different classes!

RX4

19-09-06, 10:14 PM

pcca is average (personally only because of their numbers), compared to other national level categories. it could do with 10 more cars in the field. but their concept is great like with amrs's prod touring and super touring.

mark greenham in his mazda rx7 - reverse grid race - street/targa class in wa.
http://www.mgr.net.au/scra/spices06.wmv

for a state level competition, this looks better than some of your national level mainstream categories. and its jdm galore.

Babalouie

21-09-06, 08:17 PM

Here's some old-school motor racing, Group C from over 20yrs ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnRCrDIykS8

henrysan

26-09-06, 02:55 PM

good points guys :D

just as an aside i'd like to add that bill woods and greg rust are painful to listen to. they play favourites with certain drivers/ riders.

FAT-GTR

26-09-06, 08:01 PM

thats true

converted

02-10-06, 11:28 PM

Neil Crompton is rude and arrogant. Sorry, but he is the 2nd reason 10 hasn't picked up drag racing. Now they have lost the coverage of V8 supercars, it is expected they will pick up the coverage.

I'm a Drag Racer, 1st and for most. I could sit all day and watch Group 2, (index based racing). As it's not just about the setup of the car, but you have to cut a good light and drive the thing properly, or your out!

The only time I watch V8's now, is bathurst. The rest of the year, it's just no fun anymore. Bring back group A. I was recently at a pedders night, and the most cheers went up, when pictures of the skylines, seirra's and bmw's went up on the big screen.

I cant really get into drifting tho, I'd rather get that power to the ground.

I guess in my case tho, i was screwed up as a kid, my mum introduced me to drag racing and my step dad to circuit racing.

But as for a country as a whole. I think we will never run out of Motorsport, no matter what your tastes are.