Quit...

[GTRMagic]

Intresting to read this article on RaceNews:

SUPER CHEAP AUTO RACING
25 May 05
SUPER CHEAP AUTO RACING QUIT


Weel to debut new car/Perkins engine at Eastern Creek

Leading V8 Supercar team Super Cheap Auto Racing, which fields two Holden VZ Commodores for four-time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy and Paul Weel, has officially Quit.

In announcing the decision today team director Mark Roworth said Super Cheap Auto Racing had joined with QUIT to promote its 13 QUIT line ahead of next week’s World No Tobacco Day (Tuesday, 31 May).

“Some may consider racing V8 Supercars a dangerous and risky pastime, but it has nothing on smoking and the 13 QUIT line is one of the most important numbers a smoker can know,” Roworth said.

Both Weel and Murphy’s Super Cheap Auto Racing Commodores will carry 13 QUIT signage for the first time during this weekend’s fourth round of the V8 Supercar Series at Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney.

Smoking kills approximately 19,000 Australians every year and countless others are affected by tobacco caused disease.

Todd Harper, Executive Director, Quit Victoria said Super Cheap Auto Racing’s decision to Quit was a decision for the better.

“V8 Supercars is a sport which requires fitness and endurance. To succeed in this sport it is essential to be smokefree,” Harper said.

“The number 13, when combined with QUIT, is far from unlucky for smokers in Australia. In fact, now it will symbolise a lifestyle change for the better.”

NSW Quitline Manager Phil Hull said the he hoped those V8 Supercar fans who still smoke would use the service; a call to 13 QUIT doubling the chance of a successful quit attempt.

“Research shows that up to 80 per cent of regular smokers would like to quit,” Hull said.

“Think of 13 QUIT as a new name for an old and trusted friend. The Quitline itself has not changed; it still provides high quality support and guidance to help smokers wanting to quit.”

Weel, who is currently running fourth in points, has given the ‘thumbs up’ to his ‘new’ SCAR Commodore after testing the car at Phillip Island last Thursday.

Although restricted in the amount of laps he could complete due to a slight oiling problem, the car, which is powered by the team’s first of the new generation Holden Motorsport engines supplied by Larry Perkins’ renowned Perkins Engineering, immediately impressed Weel.

“They say first impressions count and I’m pretty impressed, even after the limited amount of laps we got in,” Weel said.

“The chassis was good straight out of the box, while the engine felt terrific – it pulled right throughout the rev range and you can tell the difference when comparing it to the old Chev engine.

“Our package suits Eastern Creek and I’d be disappointed if we can’t improve on what we’ve already achieved this year, especially with our new car and engine. I quite like being up at the ‘pointy’ end of the points and our goal is to stay there,” he said.

Murphy’s car will retain the Chev engine that he dominated last month’s Pukekohe, though for the first time this year both drivers will be steering identical chassis with Weel’s car having been updated to the latest specifications.

“Eastern Creek has been tough for me personally over the past couple of years, but with the car speed we’ve had this year I’m confident that poor performances there for me are all just that – in the past,” Murphy said.

“After suffering a couple of DNFs in Perth we’re behind in points, but this Super Cheap Auto Racing team is so good and I’ve been in this position before that I know we’ll comeback.”

Practice, qualifying and the top 10 shootout for this weekend’s event will all be held Saturday, while the two 140km (36 lap) races will be run Sunday with both races including a compulsory pit stop for tyres.

Network Ten will televise all of the action from Eastern Creek; check your local guides for details.

The cars were shown on Sports Tonight the other night after the Phillip Island test, with the Quit logos aboard...

... in the space where HSV was...

The shift of the HSV logo seems to coincide with the removal of the HMS-supplied engines, and the installation of the Cousin Larry Aurora specials...

What is also interesting... is that 10 years after anti-tobacco legislation came in to kill the sports sponsorships of Philip Morris and BAT/Rothmans, that a certain state government seems to consider this a strong cause to push, in encouraging smokers to stop, and discourage nonsmokers from starting.

If you thought about it hypothetically, what would stop a Supercar from rocking up in China with tobacco branding on it? The F1 race had plenty of Marlboro signs around, without the health warnings... which begs the question as to whether it might be opportune to approach tobacco purveying organisations in Australia to sponsor cars in one-off deals...

I understand there is some wording in the famed teams agreement stating that AVESCO/TEGA has to approve of the sponsor before they are allowed to join the series as a partner... but since sports sponsorships are difficult to achieve in the home country, what better way for these companies to advertise, but in a series with a zillion at-track crowds.. and beaming into 10 million households locally

Ignoring the moral arguments... I wonder if there are any legal hurdles to making this kind of arrangement happen. If you played the negotiations correctly, perhaps the one-off could help fund much of the season from the one race....

Just a thought....

[paydirt]

Do you EVER stop thinking?

[mayhem]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

If you thought about it hypothetically, what would stop a Supercar from rocking up in China with tobacco branding on it? The F1 race had plenty of Marlboro signs around, without the health warnings... which begs the question as to whether it might be opportune to approach tobacco purveying organisations in Australia to sponsor cars in one-off deals...


Ignoring the moral arguments... I wonder if there are any legal hurdles to making this kind of arrangement happen. If you played the negotiations correctly, perhaps the one-off could help fund much of the season from the one race....

Just a thought....

Methinks GTR that this is more than just a thought, I'm wondering if you are indeed aware of one team already looking at doing this deal already, only to have it knocked back by the team's powers that be?

[pete60]

Is Paul Weel really (weely?) running a new chassis this weekend, or is it the usual PR hyperbole? At last count, SCAR had 4 chassis in the shed. Have they bolted together a brand spanking VZ or is it one of the old cars, albeit with a new Perkins powerplant, being touted as a new car?

I seem to recall Jason Bright running a "new" car for this team last year..if you can call a 4 year old chassis new that is.

[Lowndesfan6]

It's one of the "less old" chassis from the HRT stable.

[Peregrine]

.....and meanwhile the old 18 degree Chev still lives.......

[pete60]

It's the deception of the press release which gives me the irrits. There are 2 or 3 references to Weel having a new car, when this is apparently not the case.

Why do they do it? Why treat the reader like a fool? The Trade Practices Act has something to say about this type of thing.....

In general, I think the teams PR releases are woeful, with the exception of some from HRT. At least HRT gives some useful facts, and generally steers away from the standard " we have tested well and are looking for a podium finish" blather.

[WebberForWDC]

This is strange why do PWR keep rehasing old cars as "new" ones? Shouldn't it be a priority that PWR (especially being more independent than Kelly Racing) get access to the latest dencar spec that HRT have? Even when they owned dencar they only got themselves one new car or something right, it seems strange?

[Crash Test]

I remember when Quit sponsored the QLD Gemini Championship a few years back, but 80% of the field continues to smoke to this day....

[00 XR8]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

The cars were shown on Sports Tonight the other night after the Phillip Island test, with the Quit logos aboard...

... in the space where HSV was...

The shift of the HSV logo seems to coincide with the removal of the HMS-supplied engines, and the installation of the Cousin Larry Aurora specials...

Weren't the Quit logos where the Castrol ones used to be across the front bar?

And the HSV logos still in their usual place either side on the bottom of the front spoiler?

I like the theory though but HSV and SuperCheap seem to be pretty heavily involved on promotions at the moment so I doubt HSV will just cut and run from PWR because they get their engines from Larry now..............................

[GTRMagic]

Last year, all cars running with HMS engines had large HSV logos aboard showing their support from the Symbol organisation. This included Tasman.. who do not have the stickers this year, as they source their own engines from Mr Burns