Future
In the middle of 2008, a working group known as the "Car of the Future" project and led by former driver Mark Skaife was organised by V8 Supercars to investigate future directions for the sport. The working group had the primary objective of cutting costs to just A$250,000 per car, with a projected timeline of introducing the new formula for the 2013 season. The plan was unveiled in March 2010 at Crown Casino and incorporated several key changes to the internal workings of the car, with the differential, brakes, cooling and fuel systems all changed to a control - or identical - component for all cars, as well as changes to the rear suspension and engine. Notably, the Car of the Future plan aims to encourage more manufacturers to enter the sport - provided that they have four-door saloon cars currently in mass production. While the plans were well received by all of the teams, Holden chief Simon McNamara warned potential new manufacturers to stay out of the championship just hours after the plans were released, claiming that they would "gain nothing" from entering the series, (which as of 2010 fields twice as many Holdens as Fords).
Along with the release of the Car of the Future plans, V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane detailed plans dubbed "Phase Two", intended to look at the direction of the sport in the first five years of the Car of the Future's introduction. In addition to more manufacturers, Phase Two plans include adding to the sport's international appeal by including races in India, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Africa, as well as two brand-new domestic races.
In addition to the Phase Two plans, the FIA has announced that V8 Supercars will head to the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas in 2013. In August 2011, it was revealed that V8 Supercars Australia was in the process of negotiating to hold a race at Clark International Speedway in the Philippines from 2013.
Nissan later confirmed that they would enter the series under Car of the Future regulations with Kelly Racing. Reactions to the manufacturer's decision to join the category were mixed, with the team reportedly receiving hate mail over their decision to part company with long-time supplier Holden. Stone Brothers Racing, in conjunction with Australian GT Championship team Erebus Racing later confirmed they would be adapating Mercedes-AMG cars to the new regulations.
Read more about this topic: V8 Supercars
Famous quotes containing the word future:
“You have too much of a life yet before you, and have shown too much of promise as an officer, for your future to be lightly surrendered.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“The future is just as much a condition of the present as is the past. “What shall be and must be is the ground of that which is.””
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Today democracy, liberty, and equality are words to fool the people. No nation can progress with such ideas. They stand in the way of action. Therefore we frankly abolish them. In the future each man will serve the interest of the state with absolute obedience. Let him who refuses beware.”
—Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977)