Something old, something borrowed, something twice...
2/12/2002 1:17 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) -
V8 Supercar governing body AVESCO has failed to deliver many of its promises with the unofficial Sandown Raceway launch of next year’s V8 Supercar Championship Series.
The “new-look” calendar seems strangely familiar. There are no new venues, few new ideas.
The sport’s much-boasted international expansion plans have been put on hold for another year, as have numerous street event proposals currently on the drawing board. Tasmanian fans miss out again, despite talk of a welcome return.
The policy of no return visits has been scrapped, by necessity, with Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway to get a double-dose of V8 Supercar action to make up the 13-round series.
And the planned announcement of a new sponsorship deal was absent from Saturday's launch, with Victoria Bitter now the lone series ‘super partner’.
The Sandown 500 is back from the dead, revived to replace the Queensland 500, which was scrapped from the calendar after a dispute with promoters.
Queensland Raceway remains on the V8 circuit as a mid-season solo event.
Eastern Creek replaces Sandown as Grand Final hosts. The new AVESCO-promoted showcase event will feature a full-grid qualifying shootout and a marathon 400km race. Full details of the event will be revealed next year.
Five events will feature 300km races, at Phillip Island, Eastern Creek, Winton Raceway, Queensland Raceway and Oran Park.
"We are very excited about the introduction of five 300km races to the 2003 schedule," AVESCO CEO Wayne Cattach said.
"Fan feedback was one of the major factors when we made changes to the 2003 race formats. We believe these changes will create a better spectacle for fans and provide a wider variety of race outcomes.”
The revised points system will unashamedly guard against Mark Skaife-like dominance in the future.
"The system has smaller 'steps' between positions and descends by the same gap from position to position," Mr Cattach said, "meaning that point scores through the season will be a lot closer and that the driver who wins will have had to fight very hard to stay in front."
Every starter will earn points, even those who fail to finish but make half-distance.
And only 12 of the 13 events will count for the championship, with each driver's worst-scoring round to be dropped from their tally.
Eight testing days will be permitted next year, cut from ten, with one and a half hours of open practice added to the schedule of four series rounds; Phillip Island, Queensland Raceway, Winton and Oran Park. The sessions will be restricted to two cars per team.
Two new racing categories have been added to the support card: Carrera Cup, for purpose-built Porsche racers, and Aussie Racing Cars, a new sedan formula. Formula Ford, Sports Sedans, Historic Touring Cars, Saloon Cars, Commodore Cup and the MGF Trophy Series will also feature.
2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series schedule: click here.
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