New V8 Touring Car Category 2008

[Kerri]

A new category for old cars (with plenty of grunt) will be at Australia’s premier motor racing circuits in 2008, and the cars will be very familiar to fans.
The V8 Touring Car category grew from the knowledge that AU Falcon and VT/VX Commodore V8 Supercars will soon not be eligible to compete in the V8Supercar Fujitsu Series, so Saloon Car founder and stalwart Les Morrall put the idea forward.
It’s now official, with CAMS approval and the blessing of the V8 Supercar management. Les Morrall’s Tri-State Racing is responsible for overseeing the category, and Shannons Nationals Series chief Rob Curkpatrick has been appointed to manage the category.

“We have maintained a close working relationship with V8 Supercars Australia. They obviously see the benefits in what we are doing and have been very supportive”, said Rob Curkpatrick.
“Shannons Insurance has agreed to sponsor the Series, which is huge vote of confidence and a very positive start for the category”.

Les Morrall has been working on the idea for a while. “There is clearly a big gap between the current V8 Supercar categories and Historic Touring cars, and there are plenty of cars around that are looking to race, so we have created a category to bring them together, to provide competitive racing and a great spectacle.”

The category is based on de-registered Falcon and Commodore V8 Supercars which have been raced at some time since 1997. However, BA Falcons and VY/VE Commodores will not be allowed at this stage. As the cars are former V8 Supercars, the technical regulations are largely based on their respective V8Supercar requirements.
Only Falcon and Commodore vehicles that have a registered history with AVESCO/VESA will be recognised, and documentation will be needed to establish a clear line of history for each car, so obviously no new cars can be built for the Series.

“We have had enquiries from competitors wanting to run them in the original livery too, so there is already interest from a historical perspective” said Curkpatrick.

“Not only will the series provide a home for ‘retired’ and/or historically significant ex-V8 Supercars, it will enable competitors to continue to race these exciting cars, and just as importantly, it will open up another entry point for young drivers to race these iconic race cars.”

It is important to note that the cars cannot be referred to as V8 Supercars. Their CAMS log book will say Sports Sedan, but the cars will be known as V8 Touring Cars and they will run in the Shannons V8 Touring Car National Series.
The cars will run with a new controlled rear wing (same for Ford and Holden), and controlled camshaft, and the rev limiter will reduce the rpm by 500. Existing single stud 17inch wheels will be used with controlled slick tyres.

The category will be subject to strict technical requirements, and will run in the CAMS sanctioned Shannons Nationals Series. Frank Lowndes has been appointed as the category’s Technical Consultant to oversee the development of the technical regulations and to work with the CAMS technical people to ensure that the cars are as they should be.
“In relative terms we want to minimise the cost of running and maintaining the cars, provide a ‘place to race’ in a relaxed but safe environment, and ensure pro-active technical compliance to keep the racing as close as possible”, said Curkpatrick.

The inaugural year (2008) for the Shannons V8 Touring Car National Series currently includes four rounds, but interested competitors are requesting an additional round, so it will most likely be extended to a 5 round series. All rounds will be with the Shannons Nationals to ensure industry support, a stable format and consistency of officials, series personnel, and TV on Speedweek/Fox.

Each round will consist of optional Friday practice sessions, Saturday will be practice, qualifying and Race 1, and Sunday will have two races….and there won’t be a reverse grid race.
“We are very encouraged by the response already, and we haven’t even made it public”, said Curkpatrick. “I have even had a few people looking to buy cars to run in the Series".

2008 Shannons V8 Touring Car Schedule
May 17-18 Mallala
July 12-13 Eastern Creek
August 9-10 Phillip Island
August 30-31 Oran Park
Possible addition:
September 21-21 Symmons Plains
or November 29-30 Sandown

Interested competitors should contact Rob Curkpatrick
0414 294153

[NewsStalker]

Kerri - obviously the thought is there but seriously...another V8 category? and only for old, pre-raced, pre-loved and (dare I say it (pre-wrecked) V8 Supercars being eligible.

How many of these cars are actually in a condition suitable for full-on racing?

Yes - I'll probably get jumped on for saying this - but does the sport need yet another V8 clone category?

[Kerri]

No idea NewsStalker, I'm just the messenger

[Peter Nightingale]

Originally Posted by Kerri

No idea NewsStalker, I'm just the messenger

Don't SHOOT messenger, i am only carrying the news........

[Kerri]

Originally Posted by Peter Nightingale

Don't SHOOT messenger, i am only carrying the news........

Hey PN glad to see you are still about

[Peter Nightingale]

Originally Posted by Kerri

Hey PN glad to see you are still about

Thanks Kerri, yes i am still alive and kicking .....

[dumbrell_fan]

a rivial to the AASA series - Touring Car Challenge? Sure seems like a good idea and will be very interesting to see which cars show up on the grid at round 1.

[888_Fan]

Considering AU's are still allowed in Fujitsu in 2008, I wouldn't expect grids as big as those in 2009.

I think this will really be the category to watch in years to come.

[cptkablamo]

oh joy, another taxi category...how many is that now???? I am with NewsStalker - this is not needed, it will just make the spread thinner and divert money away from other catagories...

[MPA]

So a guy like Bob Gill has another place to run his AU.

Cool.

[pete60]

Not with its current engine though.

Given the amount of money some of the more historically significant Supercars are now fetching, it seems unlikely that the series will be of much interest to the owners of these cars. I can't see the ex Lowndes green eyed monster coming out to play, for example.

[Suttory]

I rekon if people wanted to run their EL/VS/VT/AU's they would head straight for the Touring Car Challenge.

[NewsStalker]

Originally Posted by Suttory

I rekon if people wanted to run their EL/VS/VT/AU's they would head straight for the Touring Car Challenge.

Are they strill allowing ANY engine size in the TCC or have they finally stopped that?

I still ask, about this proposed 'new category' though - how many of these cars are in a race-worthy condition - by that I mean they haven't been welded, bent, re-welded and then re-bent back into shape - again and again and again and again?

Kerri - I realise you are only the messenger but someone has to be available to 'discuss' this proposed 'new category'

[Kerri]

Originally Posted by NewsStalker

Are they strill allowing ANY engine size in the TCC or have they finally stopped that? No Idea

I still ask, about this proposed 'new category' though - how many of these cars are in a race-worthy condition - by that I mean they haven't been welded, bent, re-welded and then re-bent back into shape - again and again and again and again? Same

Kerri - I realise you are only the messenger but someone has to be available to 'discuss' this proposed 'new category'

I will add info as it is received NS

[inpitlane]

Originally Posted by MPA

So a guy like Bob Gill has another place to run his AU.

Cool.

Bob's car has been so substantially modified it'd cost way too much to convert back. This is one of the reasons for the category that has been in the planning since early last year (there as a post about it here) . There's quite a few cars out there that have been locked away because their owners didn't want to butcher them to fit into Sports Sedan regs.
In fact it's probably Sports Sedans that'll suffer most from this I've already spoken to a Victorian Sports Sedan competitor who's getting out of his current car to run an old Commodore in this new series.

[alfacors]

IMHO
Pros:
- old V8supercars don't get butchered up, they retain their heritage
- even playing field with control tyres and wing
- costs kept lower with reduced revs and different cam (presumably not as wild which will keep maintenance costs down too)
- costs kept down because no one can go out and build a purpose built "V8TouringCar" using all the trick bits etc.
- can be a good starting point for young guys to get a feel for a V8Supercar style racecar without the expense of going Fujitsu or the no-holds-barred racing in the TCC.
- potential for guys to run in authentic liveries for their cars
- attracts more spectator interest in the Shannons Nationals

Cons:
- we do have a lot of V8 based categories already
- *potential* to be filled with gentleman racers
- drives the price of older cars up due to only acceptance of existing vehicles with a race history

[peckstar]

are there that many cars out there available to race in this series, my understanding is that many of the cars were just re-modelled (ie turned from vt to vx etc)

a nymber have been written off

still it could be fun to grab an ef and head out racing (are they allowed)

[WebberForWDC]

Would cars like the green eyed monster (as crashed by Rodney Forbes on several occassions no doubt) really be valuble? Surely an old V8 car can only be worth good money as a racing beast if has been back to the workshop (provided the team still exists) and fitted with newly machined, reliable, in-life parts of 'heritage accurate' specification?

At least it will keep the V8s in better condition than some of Triple Eight's hard work that has progressed to incomplete piles of dusty Vectra bits in sheds across Europe... http://www.supertouringregister.com/gallery/pic/742.php
http://www.supertouringregister.com/gallery/pic/14.php
http://www.supertouringregister.com/gallery/pic/729.php

[pete60]

Originally Posted by WebberForWDC

Would cars like the green eyed monster (as crashed by Rodney Forbes on several occassions no doubt) really be valuble? Surely an old V8 car can only be worth good money as a racing beast if has been back to the workshop (provided the team still exists) and fitted with newly machined, reliable, in-life parts of 'heritage accurate' specification?

At least it will keep the V8s in better condition than some of Triple Eight's hard work that has progressed to incomplete piles of dusty Vectra bits in sheds across Europe... http://www.supertouringregister.com/gallery/pic/742.php
http://www.supertouringregister.com/gallery/pic/14.php
http://www.supertouringregister.com/gallery/pic/729.php

Rodney Forbes NEVER drove the green eyed monster! It was a work of art when built and only ran a few races in Lowndes' hands. Rodney drove the ex Colourscan car and the ex SBR car.

If I had the cash, I'd be collecting Lowndes' cars. One day I suspect they will quite valuable.

[alfacors]

Those links are painful to look at! Why lord why????

[WebberForWDC]

Rodney drove an AU at the 2003 Clipsal 500, surely such a super pilot would be using no less than the best machinery in the workshop???

[mountainstar]

I imagine quite a few of those cars have been rebuilt possibly several times and/or modified. Probably very few are pristine. And those that are probably would be kept that way.

[RotorFan]

Great stuff, more V8s. Thats what we all want, right?

[peckstar]

good program, better than a lot of the boring stuff we put up with now

[MPA]

So the log book will say "Sports Sedan" but you cant run as a sports sedan.

Clear as mud.