Mitre 10-year partnership over for Larkham
20/12/2000 16:04 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - One of Australian Motorsport’s most enduring partnerships has come to an end, with Hardware giant Mitre 10 announcing it won’t be renewing its ties with Supercar star Mark Larkham.
In a spin: Larkham's 2001 plans have been dealt a cruel blow after the withdrawl of Mitre 10
Pic: Michael Shaw
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Online magazine V8X broke news of the long-mooted split yesterday, which ends a decade-old alliance that took Larkham from Formula Holden battler to one of the leading lights of V8 Supercar racing.
A change in management brought about the review of Mitre 10’s sponsorship program, of which Larkham was a victim.
A philosophical Larkham told V8X the loss of the team’s principal backer would not alter the team’s plans for next season.
“Obviously we are never happy to see the end of a strong association with a naming rights sponsor, however we must realise that this is simply a case of a sponsorship coming to an end of its natural course,” the 36-year-old Queenslander said.
"We will definitely be running one car for Mark Larkham next year and I wouldn’t think we will be any less competitive than this year, perhaps even better with some of the people we have recruited,” he said.
Auxiliary sponsors Ford and Karcher have both reaffirmed their commitment to Larkham for the 2001 season. Nonetheless, Larkham will shop for a new major sponsor over the summer.
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