Who will drive #88 in 2022 & beyond?

[GTRMagic]

Mr Whincup is changing roles.. who will drive the second 888-mobile?
With poll..

[Kingair]

What about Fabian Coulthard?

[Sandgroper]

Originally Posted by Kingair

What about Fabian Coulthard?

Oh no no nooooooooooooooooo!

[Matt K]

Coulthard will never race in a top team again. Why would Triple 8 hire him? I'd say it could be Brodie Kostecki alongside SVG. There were some rumours that Cam Waters may join the team but I'd doubt it can happen. Although this could do him good as he won't be able to fight with 888 with Tickford.

[GTRMagic]

Mr Goddard didnt do his chances any harm at the weekend either..

[Umai Naa]

Mr B Kostecki, Mr Hazelwood and Mr Feeney are probably the most likely candidates.

A reunification of the Hazelwood/McDougall/Triple Eight chassis combination would be pretty strong.

[Mixer]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Mr B Kostecki, Mr Hazelwood and Mr Feeney are probably the most likely candidates.

Any of those 3 I really like. Good blokes, seem like they have the right stuff, seem to have had enough background to not do anything silly, and seem pretty polished with the media.

I have to say that maybe Hazelwood has gotten a bit lost at BJR but there's no doubting the sponsor value with him is well beyond the TV time. If you had him MCing your events or something under the radar he'd deliver in spades.

For me the one who has leapt up this year is Brodie Kostecki. It did seem a bit crazy for Erebus to go with two rookies but Brodie has done very well, and I thought really hit the mark with the sponsor plugs and saying all the right things. One wonders what his contractual position is...

Broc is certainly talked up by Paul Morris, but maybe you'd say a year behind Brodie. But if he smashes out a quick time or surprises everybody with a smart result at Bathurst he would probably edge out the other two.

[Sandgroper]

Im concerned Hazlewood may get lost in the BJR web
Not many have done much down there.

[Umai Naa]

The place is known to be a bit of a career killer.

He'd want to be looking further up pitlane sooner rather than later.

[Matt K]

Roland Dane says there are 6 names on their list, Feeney on it. Any guesses who might be as well?
Feeney, Kostecki, Waters, Bamber, Hazelwood, Pye?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Roland Dane says there are 6 names on their list, Feeney on it. Any guesses who might be as well?
Feeney, Kostecki, Waters, Bamber, Hazelwood, Pye?

I thought Cam Waters was tied to Tickford certainly for next year and perhaps 2023. Did they not last year confirm an extension?

(I understand that contracts these days seem to be flexible with situations like Reynolds at the end of last year after just one year of a ten year contract)

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Roland Dane says there are 6 names on their list, Feeney on it. Any guesses who might be as well?
Feeney, Kostecki, Waters, Bamber, Hazelwood, Pye?

And Mr Campbell..

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by E.B

I thought Cam Waters was tied to Tickford certainly for next year and perhaps 2023. Did they not last year confirm an extension?

(I understand that contracts these days seem to be flexible with situations like Reynolds at the end of last year after just one year of a ten year contract)

My prediction concerning Cam is based only on AutoAction's reports. Waters himself claims he's not going to leave Tickford but we all know how it is with contracts and denying rumours....

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

And Mr Campbell..

Matt?
Supercars will be a big stepback to his Porsche-Deal. Unlikly.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

Matt?
Supercars will be a big stepback to his Porsche-Deal. Unlikly.

A stepback? Don't think so. Depends on what are your priorities.

[Racing Harz]

Originally Posted by Matt K

A stepback? Don't think so. Depends on what are your priorities.

He is factory driver und is likely one of the biggest candidates for the Porsche LMDh-Program in FIA WEC and IMSA. Supercars is only a national series...

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Matt K

A stepback? Don't think so. Depends on what are your priorities.

A factory Porsche driver on the cusp of being one of their lead drivers for their return to top level Sportscar racing in 2023, how is coming back to Australia to race tin tops NOT a step back.

Given all the effort he’s put in to get where he is, I don’t see why he’d come back here now given Porsches plans for the next few years.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

Matt?
Supercars will be a big stepback to his Porsche-Deal. Unlikly.

Haven't Porsche had a cleanout of contracted drivers and teams and programs in recent years? They do have an embarrassment of riches in the remaining driver pool

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

He is factory driver und is likely one of the biggest candidates for the Porsche LMDh-Program in FIA WEC and IMSA. Supercars is only a national series...

Yes, yes, of course you're right, I just got trapped in looking at it from my perspective - for me WEC or IMSA is nowehere near as exciting as Supercars. But a factory deal is of course a big thing for him. Nevertheless, I believe many Aussie/Kiwi drivers would choose Supercars over GT racing if the latter wouldn't involve big factory deals and programs. We've seen Stanaway for instance who was keen to switch to Supercars from his GT programme. SVG himself said he wouldn't pursue GT career overseas.

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Racing Harz

Matt?
Supercars will be a big stepback to his Porsche-Deal. Unlikly.

Indeed.

His priority is Porsche and they’re about to go back to prototypes again. The odds are in his favour of getting a seat even if Porsche has a full roster of drivers on their books. He’s young fast and highly thought of within the company.

Anyone on the Porsche roster atm wouldn’t want to be going anywhere in the next couple of years in the hope of getting a LMdH seat unless they get dropped by the company. Nick Tandy is the exception to that rule but looks like he wants to do NASCAR so understand him going the GM path via the Corvette programme. He’s won Le Mans with Porsche so ticked that box.

Aussies especially Supercar fans have to realise that Supercars aren’t the be all and end all of motorsport. Take the blinkers off there’s so much more out there to discover and enjoy.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by rich07

Aussies especially Supercar fans have to realise that Supercars aren’t the be all and end all of motorsport. Take the blinkers off there’s so much more out there to discover and enjoy.

Of course there is a world outside Supercars, motorsport is so broad that everyone may find something for them.
But whether you like it or not, Supercars is a very celebrated championship and it is for a reason. It's not the case of taking blinkers off, people just enjoy it. And there are many Supercars enthusiasts from outside Australia or New Zealand (I'm one of them) and for me this is by far the best touring car championship in the world.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by Matt K

But whether you like it or not, Supercars is a very celebrated championship and it is for a reason.

I'd say "was" a very celebrated championship, it is a fairly stale and samey category of comparatively minor interest these days... I can't say I particularly care who wins or if I miss the races.

The Adelaide 500 is gone and the other marquee events are likely to gradually drop off the calendar too.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

I'd say "was" a very celebrated championship, it is a fairly stale and samey category of comparatively minor interest these days... I can't say I particularly care who wins or if I miss the races.

The Adelaide 500 is gone and the other marquee events are likely to gradually drop off the calendar too.

Motorsport in general is in decline so everyone loses audience, that's a sad fact.
You may not care but you're not the majority who does.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Motorsport in general is in decline so everyone loses audience, that's a sad fact.
You may not care but you're not the majority who does.

I used to care, it used to be great with Ambrose and SBR and so on. But it's just a minor interest these days, the technical development in Formula One with the nitty gritty of the aerodynamics and power units is a lot more interesting.

Doesn't it bother you that V8 Supercar teams used to build their own cars, each with different designs and based on real Ford Falcons and real Holden Commodores, but now they just assemble kits from Pace Innovations, they are not allowed to have more power than anyone else, etcetera et al?

All those great stories -- Prodrive Windsor engines arriving on a palette from England, being put in the car and blowing up; 888's Windsor engines likewise arriving on a palette from France^ and also blowing up; 888's racey lightweight suspension components giving up on Mr Radisich who has to trundle back to the pits on three functional corners... All that layer of interest is all gone.

^ Infuriatingly, I can't remember the name of the engine builder, it was one of the well-known French racing engine tuners, popular in Formula 3 and Super Touring. As we know, 888 then adopted SBR Windsor motors for the 2005 season onwards.

[Kingair]

Formula Mercedes aka F1, is as boring as bat pooh these days.

The drivers are all controlled puppets, can’t say anything that is not politically correct or might cause sponsor backlash.

We prattle on about something that gives us a .0003 second gain a lap but has cost big $$$ to develop and makes no difference to racing.

The paying punter just wants to see some hardcore racing, sideways out of a corner, side by side racing, bit of banging wheels, drivers having an opinion, etc.