Subaru rejects Protecnica support

[Bigguy]

I understand Subaru Australia has rejected the very modest request from Protecnica. This proposal was for token support to give the team at least a nod of recognition for their continuing successful GTP efforts, including bringing Subaru its first track victories in Australia. The team would have been prepared to scrape up the ante to put Boaty back in a second car if Subaru had been the least bit interested, but this was the final blow...

I for one am extremely disappointed, and look forward to the team moving to another brand where their efforts would be appreciated. I just hope they don't move to V8s instead.

A sad day indeed.....

[Dirk]

I can see a Black Ban coming on. Thats disgraceful especially after Boaty has been flying the flag for Subaru.

[Onlooker]

It hasn't occured to anyone that Subaru don't really care about racing on the black stuff????I don't even think they mention it on all there Tv adverts.It is possible that the company are quite happy to stick to rally and if people want to use there product for other classes will assist in a small way but that is all.
Maybe Boaty should go with another manufacturer and watch as the WRX sales plumet with the lack of GTP exposure

[Dirk]

I will be forwarding a letter of disgust to the management of Subaru!

[Onlooker]

What stateing your disgust in the companies refusal to contribute to somebodys decision to use there product in a way in which they had no intention for it to be used.???
Go ahead but I doubt they give a toss,who knows they may send you a complimenty seat belt shoulder pad

[Growling Ferret]

Originally posted by Onlooker

Maybe Boaty should go with another manufacturer and watch as the WRX sales plumet with the lack of GTP exposure

WRX Sales plummet due to a lack of GTP exposure? Now Onlooker, really isn't this a touch exaggerated.

WRX's sell due to
a) being about the fastest car you can get for $45k
b) being technologically interesting and complicated
and maybe
c) Subaru's WRC and Aus rally involvement

I would be surprised if a single person has ever seen a WRX win a GTP event and change their mind on a new car purchase...

[Onlooker]

My point excatly,
I was going to include one of these but with my tounge pressed so hard into my cheek my vision goes all blurry and I can't focus on the screen

[Growling Ferret]

Ahh, the old missing smiley....

[grumpy1]

Given Subaru's attitude world wide to black top racing that response doesn't surprise me at all.

The Grumpy1

[GROUPA]

Easy answer...put Boaty in the R32 Golf with Stokell

[Bigguy]

Originally posted by GROUPA
Easy answer...put Boaty in the R32 Golf with Stokell

Or the Lambo, or a GTR, or a BMW or a....

[pete55]

How many Subaru buyers buy their car because it is a WRC ( talking Australia here). Most of the WRX's sold would never go off bitumen roads.
I think the decision stinks and will no longer support Subaru.

[Onlooker]

But when you think of a WRX you instantly think of rally don't you.

[GTRMagic]

I somehow dont think the car protecnica built for Boaty was only $45k worth of kit.... its an STi-spec unit to start with, and a load of development and testing, updates to the new body shape prior to the 24hr....

[pete55]

Why think of it as a rally car when as i said most of them are never driven off the bitumen. I know if i bought one it wouldn't be because it's a rally car but a sporty road car. The new EVO 8 Lancer is a more attractive and effective car now in my opinion anyway.

[Crash Test]

Originally posted by pete55
I think the decision stinks and will no longer support Subaru.

Ey? Isn't it good that Subaru at least get behind something? I suppose if they had a bottomless pit of money they could pour money in the direction of every man and his dog. Subaru has taken a stand and have put their money in one place and that is their decision. I find it more puzzling that Subaru pretty much went out of their way not to help Simon Evans in the past, even though he spent most of the season nominated for manufacturer points... now that one might bite them on the bum not that Simon is top of the pops!

What do you think of manufacturers like Nissan who don't support anyone in any form of motorsport?

Does it stink that companies such as Ford or Holden don't spend any money on rallying?

[Bigguy]

Originally posted by GTRMagic
I somehow dont think the car protecnica built for Boaty was only $45k worth of kit.... its an STi-spec unit to start with, and a load of development and testing, updates to the new body shape prior to the 24hr....

Absolutely. If it costs the team something like $500k pa to run a two car team for a full GTP season, that would be >without< the purchase cost of the cars, Subaru Australia was never going to be asked to provide more than a token support level. While it was SA's right to turn their back on Protecnica, it will probably come back to bite them on the bum just like Simon & Sue Evans are already doing.

Sure other manufacturers/importers could lift their game as well, but I believe this time SA has made a commercial decision which will hurt their bottom line, if the angry reaction I am hearing out there is any indication.

[kmchow]

I believe Subaru is a little more black top racing friendly in Japan. They provide technical assistance to a JGTC GT300 class team. I know some Subaru dealers are backing a production based team that race an Impreza over here in the US. But that's not the Subaru Factory.
Are there enough Subaru dealers to support a team?

[FatBoy]

Boaty deserves better from Subaru in my opinion....
Sure they didn't have an "obligation" as such, but imagine the positive publicity they would have received had they come to the party and supplied even just a new shell.

Just confims that their management can't see a decent opportunity, even when it smacks them in the face...

Cheers,
Paul...

[Onlooker]

But they have not really got any negetive publicity out of it anyway.
A few people on an internet forum and maybe 50% of the readers of AA or MSN hardly matters,in the cold hard light of day they would get more exposure by giving some young hoon a shell to fill with speaker and be plastered accross the cover of "Fast Fours"
I find it suprising that a team would have no back up plan in the event that their car was trashed in the opening round,hardly a full on asault on the championship is it,more a "well lets see how far the money lasts provided nothing goes wrong"
If the team were just looking for a shell and that is the difference between doing the rest of the year then things must be tight,I mean people are saying that it is a 5ook effort to run the 2 cars and a shell is worth say 15k max so where is the big drama????????????

[Bigguy]

Originally posted by Onlooker
But they have not really got any negetive publicity out of it anyway.
A few people on an internet forum and maybe 50% of the readers of AA or MSN hardly matters,in the cold hard light of day they would get more exposure by giving some young hoon a shell to fill with speaker and be plastered accross the cover of "Fast Fours"
I find it suprising that a team would have no back up plan in the event that their car was trashed in the opening round,hardly a full on asault on the championship is it,more a "well lets see how far the money lasts provided nothing goes wrong"
If the team were just looking for a shell and that is the difference between doing the rest of the year then things must be tight,I mean people are saying that it is a 5ook effort to run the 2 cars and a shell is worth say 15k max so where is the big drama????????????

Firstly, the team was not after a shell, but a token deal on spare parts, which they use heaps of during a season.
Secondly, there was nothing worth salvaging from Boaty's wreck, so it was a ground-up job to put a new car together.
Thirdly, even teams who make a serious effort have to juggle their finances... running one car properly could be a better option for them than running a two car team back in mid-field. Blowing up an engine and writing off a car in the first round of a series would challenge most GTP or NC teams...
Fourthly, circumstances of teams can change on a personal level.
Fifthly, chasing sponsorship is a continuing task, and if I was running a team, I would be cautious about spending money based on only potential sponsorship deals.. we have heard from many areas about how deals have been delayed or lost due to the TV issue etc etc. Have a look at the NC situation for confirmation.

[Onlooker]

Well it is unfortunate but maybe they need to look at weather the NC/GTp thing is worth the effort as the sponsorship /TV isues make you very vulnerable given that not to many people or fans give a hoot.

[Mike_Wooshy]

Originally posted by Crash Test

Does it stink that companies such as Ford or Holden don't spend any money on rallying?

dont you have the ford focus there ? its entered in the WRC & over here we can buy the manaro, but as a vauxhall not holden & vauxhall surport rallying with there astra, dont you guys have these cars ?

[BlueBlood]

we have the focus here in New Zealand, had it for 18mths or so in its latest shape. We also have new festiva now. Not sure about Australia, but we both have holden astras down under.

[Onlooker]

Originally posted by Crash Test

Does it stink that companies such as Ford or Holden don't spend any money on rallying?

Doesn't the "Aussie class" have Falc's and Commodores in it??