The Fall of V8 Supercars: Why Australia’s Top Racing Series is Struggling

[@lukebrennan5780]

"Supercars" are irrelevant to Australians. It's that simple. There are NO local manufacturers. Zero reason for Australians to watch. Bathurst of the 1970's had a huge audience. Wonder why?

[@purwantiallan5089]

Audience in 1970s alone is way higher than V8 Supercar audiences in 2024.

[@StevenMilne-sm4fk]

@@purwantiallan5089I doubt school kids fight over who’s the best these days, like I did?

[@riverracer]

My reason for loosing interest is that most of the races are not on "free to air" tv anymore... they show a 1hr "highlights" package at 1am in the morning. They then sometimes show the same highlights at 2pm on the monday after the race weekend, you know, when people are at work... In these times of financial hardship, not everyone can afford kayo/foxtel etc. this includes the base core of followers on lower incomes.

[@gbw28]

This killed it for me too. Stopped watching when it went to pay tv in NZ. Tried to get back into it about a year ago but my enthusiasm for the series is dead.

[@BrettJones27]

This killed Supercars, which wasn't a huge passion of mine, along with any chance of following Cricket. The budget is tight in many households, and paying for TV sport can be one of the first things to go.

[@boatymcboatface666]

Totally agree!

[@apostlestumpy]

Exactly.

[@richardwassom1591]

Totally agree. I used to be a massive Supercar fan but since the move to pay TV I've lost interest. TBH, the British Touring Car Championships and the various TCR championships have far better racing.

[@exF3-86]

I'm involved in the industry in other categories. I still have very old racing and officials licenses. I hear the chat and rumours from Supercars personally and on the grapevine: 1. The tyres are rubbish (as SVG alluded to) but no one will publicly say it because bad tires work better than no tyres. Australia motorsport is a small market for them, so that company's spec tyres, no matter what category, have never been well received generally. Add in they're big heavy awkward cars and you're in tyre conservation mode right from the parade lap. It doesn't help the racing. 2. Gen3 is a spec kit series with a choice of standard bodywork and standard engine. There is no real room for innovation or engineering excellence. The quest for parity has taken away any gains. The cars are all the same under the skin, in the engine shop and in the wind tunnel, and that means boredom. HOWEVER, Aussie Racing Cars are a spec series with a spec engine and choice of bodywork and they do mighty fine because as in all lower categories (e.g. Porsches) there's still a spread of talent that lets people shine. 3. Supercars is up against the two main football codes for much of their season, who soak up most of the national sponsorship dollar, air time and media interest pools. FFS Oscar Piastri hardly gets a mention! 4. Historically the series, going all the way back to the Group N days, had some sort of visual relevance. They went from cars you could buy in the showroom to cars like you could buy in the showroom to they look like cars you can buy in the showroom to caricatures of cars you might see on the road. Now I can't even see them in the car dealerships. And Toyota coming on board is ambitious to say the least- I don't know how relevant a Supra is. 5. Motorsport generally: the media isn't helping by restricting access and when they do they concentrate on one or two categories. There's little in the way of feeder interest for spectators or sponsors/partners. It's only the top category and as that's gotten boring, interest in motorsport generally is waning. 6. Which means tracks are getting fewer. In the time I've raced, we've lost Amaroo, Oran Park, Wakefield Park, and Homebush and Newcastle street circuits in the general Sydney area alone. SMS has issues too. Then there's Calder, Lakeside, AIR. Wanneroo has issues. Property is worth more as houses. OTOH FIA circuit licensing requirements these days mean that the older tracks probably wouldn't qualify to hold a supercars race. Fun fact: Bathurst's license doesn't qualify for F1 (or S5000 open wheelers...) and to bring it up to that license standard would take away what makes it Bathurst. 7. Supercars management and Motorsport Australia are both locked into a path and know best. Ask them. They'll tell you. We think they're getting very stale, because- One thing is common across all the major sports in Australia- when they look for entertainment for half time at the football finals, or the gigs after say Surfers Paradise Supercars, it's clear someone threw a dart into their dusty 80s and 90s CD collection, and said "Book 'em". There's no connection with what the spectators and public want TODAY

[@exF3-86]

Someone asked why S5000 were at Bathurst a couple of years ago. They had a special dispensation once they were detuned to get below the power/weight limit of the circuit license. It's also a reason why Supercars control the engines - imagine if they couldn't race at Bathurst because the power/weight ratios exceeded the license... Here's the Wiki on circuit licensing. You really don't want to read FIA Appendix O... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_motor_racing_circuits_by_FIA_grade

[@boatymcboatface666]

Best comment here, thank you! We struggling, here in NZ too. Mind you, Lawson has been all over the news, we'll see for how long. For me, at the moment, I prefer watching the Improved Production Series, relevant cars and the completion is awesome. Yes OK was originally Jordan Cox that drew me in but loving the show!

[@geoffheard5768]

It's the natural progression of things when corporate interests take over the running, not just the support of motor racing. Good things always decline and fall when profit is the only driving force. And they never get it til it's too late.

[@crazyhorse2995]

I agree,my go to is mainland muscle,love the rawness of it.​@@boatymcboatface666

[@har234908234]

I agree with 2-7. As for #1 - as someone who hasn't read too much into the complaints of SVG, and without any personal interest - motorsport would be far more entertaining if the tire sucked but *were* consistent... marbles get in the way of passing, and if the desire of parity is that the best drivers rise to the top, then the best drivers will need to adapt to the tire and they'll do well with the extended offset of their performance against the less competent drivers. Demographically, I'd bet the owners of 80s CD collections now have the most disposable income... It might not be doing them any favours long term but they might know what they're doing for today. A bit of a tangent: lots of blokes are ripping AFLW (because it really does suck as a product) but as far as the long term viability of a niche sport, the AFL might know what they're doing. More than anything, the sport lacks the star power it once had. I remember the old hand going for #10... the heroes and villians were in half a dozen teams... Skaiffe and Lowndes at HRT and the hero LP using all the cunning as a privateer. There's no way to get that back. The sport has strived for parity so anyone who puts a car on the road can win, but the fans have to have an appreciation of that... You can't rewind the clock.

[@Fiasco3]

Not having anything actually made in Australia. The whole Supercar platform was built around locally produced cars whether they be Holden or Ford. Whilst other manufacturers competed in the class they were seen as guests to the main show Holden vs Ford. Certain versions of the race cars were sold in small qualifying numbers to the public (around 200). It's now all American connection no Australian connection and people have left, including longtime die-hard fans.

[@HarrisonCarter-b5n]

it has no real market purpose either. used to be who was winning was the car you bought. you cannot even buy new cameros in Australia anymore

[@billweston6579]

I’ve stopped watching V8 Supercars a few years ago. Their rules have just become ridiculous and Mark Skaife has way too much say and his views are not healthy for the sport. With a relatively small population for the size if the country it is not economically viable to run every weekend. Plus the racing is boring.

[@jmilne5751]

Mark Skaife was/is so in love with Jamie Whincup... You could hear him drool EVERY time he spoke about him. It made for boring commentary, especially since he reckons Whincup NEVER did anything wrong...

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@jmilne5751Crompton and Skaife basically flirting towards Lowndes and Whincup since 2012.

[@sergiotafe]

Boring is not enough, soporific!!!

[@TomMetcalf-r6c]

Not a level playing field

[@jmilne5751]

@@TomMetcalf-r6c As long as they let the big teams spend the most money to produce the best car & win championships, then it's gonna die pretty quickly...

[@robcasson]

As an Australian I go to Bathurst for the GT3 12 hour race every year. I love watching the Mussle Car masters - older cars that are actually recognisable . I haven't watched the Supercars for years - too boring.

[@powderskier5547]

So have to agree with you, 45 years following Australian V8's and its simply so boring, it's rubbish

[@purwantiallan5089]

​@@powderskier55472023 and 2024 Bathurst 1000 also truly shows to be the WORST EVER BATHURST 1000.

[@squiz1982]

stop watching v8 supercars when Australian cars left the series

[@johnzapper1652]

Agreed

[@digitalmaxism]

You could say they left long before Holden did. The last Supercars Holden always looked exactly like the Opel Insignia. (Bonus for Euro people: Just change the badge and you have imported a Holden to the EU!)

[@boatymcboatface666]

It literally was imported from Germany. The last actual Commodore rolled off production in 2017 😢

[@paulheywood2116]

Same boring cars now

[@stevenfoote8512]

If you were an actual motorsport fan then you'd still be watching regardless of the make. You are missing out on a great series if you think it's because an Australian manufacturer isn't represented. Also the ownership hasn't been Australian for decades.

[@fixitmakeit]

never thought they could regulate the soul and greatness out of Bathurst, then 2024 snoozefest happened. So sad.

[@mintoxace5571]

You hit the nail on the head mate. Once Holden got closed down, it lost the appeal to the everyday fan. The cars used to resemble what we drove on the road every day. Now they’re cars that the every day fan could never afford.

[@ThoBar130]

This. ^ ^ I'd rather see Mercs and BMW racing, as I see more of those around than Camaros and Mustangs. If V8SCs isn't able to garner the interest of those manufacturers... well, it says a lot. Add in the fact that (as many others have said) they are not unique underneath, and have no resemblence to an actual road-car anymore, what's the point? GT3 is now by far the more interesting category.

[@paulmartin3340]

I used to watch V8 supercars religiously every weekend they were on... especially the Bathurst 1000 ! Now it's almost predictable! I barely even watch the Bathurst 1000. It's a shame that we here in Australia don't have our car industry anymore. Being 59 years old I've seen the good ole days dissapear. 😢

[@mintoxace5571]

Me too mate. I grew up watching Aussie Touring Cars and Bathurst and now I don’t even watch unless there’s nothing else on and it’s Bathurst. The cars suck, the drivers suck, the commentary sucks. It all sucks.

[@paulmartin3340]

@@mintoxace5571 I remember watching the big GT's and GTS MONARO'S round up the little mini coopers on the straights and then those little bricks with their wheels on backwards to get a wider track would take the V8's in the corners. Bloody good ole days for sure. What won on Sunday sold on monday was the saying !

[@jonathanparle8429]

I'm an Aussie who started to lose interest in local racing when we went to a V8 formula to begin with from 1994 (we went exclusively V8s from 1994 - in 1993 we still allowed the BMW E30 EVOs to race and there was also a 2 litre class but it was principally V8s). Prior to 1993 the racing allowed for incredible variety of vehicles and they absolutely had to be heavily based on the road car equivalents. You could say that they were extensively modified homologated road cars rather than race cars based of the imaginings of a road car. 1985 to 1987 were arguably the best years because unlike the Sierra years and Nissan GTR years, you never had any idea of what car would win - it often came down to setup and tyre nuances and the weather favouring one particular car and driver over the rest. I did "put up" with the later V8 racing for a few years but the first few years of V8 racing was actually pretty good despite the lack of variety. But once the good guard retired, we were effectively left with a sanitised sport with drivers who really did not have personalities like the old guard did. By the time we went to spaceframes when the whole thing was completely fake (relative to road cars) apart from badges and mirrors, I had had enough. I stopped watching and have not watched it for over 26 years. I do not miss it either. But I sure miss the old days. It certainly did not help either that the sport went to Pay TV and become expensive to watch even during the good financial times. In the current economy, it would be the first thing I'd be ditching even if I was still a fan.

[@purwantiallan5089]

I basically only recently, in 2024 that i lose interest on watching V8 Supercars Championship.

[@davidewhite69]

Group A was wonderful from 85-86, then in 87 the woefully inadequate turbo factor reared its head, completely made a mockery by the RS500, and even when they bumped it from 1.4 to 1.7 in 88 it was still a turbo fest. They could have fixed it by restricting the turbos to their road going boost, but sadly they didnt

[@sdx3918]

I just hope with Toyota showing up soon Supercars don't make the same mistake around 6ish years ago where they basically treated the foreign OEMs (Nissan, Volvo, and Mercedes) as complete afterthoughts. IMO Supercars need to let go of the whole "GM Vs Ford" thing as its main selling point and instead treat it as an extra (major) bonus of the league.

[@benjamindeloney]

Toyota is gonna join the Supercars? Man, they really are trying to be like us😅

[@SSinister_Grin]

​@@benjamindeloneyToyota wants to compete against GM and Ford Mo Co.

[@fasterout777]

@@benjamindeloney It's even more important here in Australia where Toyota have been the dominant market leading brand with nearly 30% market share for over 25 years.

[@thestarlightalchemist7333]

​@@benjamindeloneyit's not Supercars' idea, it's Toyota's

[@dawso2o2]

Toyota was supposed to come in 2013 with Lexus . Let’s see if BMW follow in because it only be a fount end and barge charge. Toyota is coming in this next season I thought ? The old hdt signed a deal

[@67JLBlues19]

V8 Supercars paddock is notoriously toxic. Nobody says it out loud but many people alluded to it. Everybody just seems to be way too intense and on the edge all the time. I mean you've got drivers fighting in the post season gala ceremony of all places and a team co-owner who is so tactless that he manages to piss off his own driver champion so bad that he would sit out half of the season

[@girlsblouse7866]

And then theres Charlie. The way Frosty got treated was disgraceful. Frosty is a good bloke.

[@blackjacktrial]

Supercars is trying to become the feeder series to NASCAR in a buyout. Only thing that makes sense to me.

[@joshanderson9391]

The other big problem is population, or lack of it. Australia has less people than Texas but is about the same size as the whole lower 48 of the US. That means travel costs are insane and there just isn't the people in those areas to make up the dollars. Even if NASCAR is a long way from the most popular in the US these days it still pulls around 2.5-3 million viewers per race. Australias most popular sports league brings just around a million viewers on average per match and that's the top sport. Supercars would be lucky to be in the top 7 most watched sports in Australia now. This wasn't as much of a problem in the past as the cars were much cheaper to run but as time has gone on the costs have gone way up while the viewers have dropped way off, not a recipe for financial success. Also while the whole world's car culture is definitely declining Australia's has declined much quicker. Its hard to find people interested in cars at all, and for the few who are F1 is what people gravitate toward as there's been at least 1 Aussie in F1 for the last 25 years, and all 3 have won a few races so there was and is hype around them here. I really thought Supercars was genuinely on it's deathbed which is why it shocked me when Toyota joined recently, so hopefully there's some life left.

[@richardwood9177]

@@joshanderson9391 Supercars will survive but in what form? Is it a hybrid of NASCAR & Supercars? Let’s face it, the old saying of win on Sunday and sell on Monday doesn’t cut it. You can’t buy a Camaro and Toyota is about to kill the Supra.

[@alexjohnward]

Bit of rubbish, teams once drove the race cars to tracks for a shakedown, Melbourn to Bathurst at fair speed. Should be looking to go back to those days.

[@richardwood9177]

@ Not rubbish and you can’t spell Melbourne

[@alexjohnward]

@@richardwood9177 You can't abbreviate. Kiwi?

[@robertjames1324]

Population didn't affect the ATCC when it was free to air

[@bigkev164]

Supercars has always been a bogan series. It appealed to bogans as they could loosely copy the cars into road cars. Now there is nothing to copy and the racing is trying to move up market. This racing does not appeal to middle class and they are more likely to follow European style cars. Mark Skaife can take a lot of the blame for this. He pushed for street circuits and space framed cars in the name of safety but at the expense of entrainment.

[@bodgiesteve8849]

As a Holden enthusiast, I stopped watching it with the demise of Holden, but I was loosing interest for the previous 10 years. Australian sedan racing was traditionally based around 'Touring Cars'. Standard, or modified road cars that were capable of touring Australia's often horrendous rural roads. The grand tourers GT badge was earnt. Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday. The cars had relevance to what you could buy at the dealership. In the mid 90s, they started a new formula (called 'V8 Supercars') that allowed many more freedoms. By 2000 the teams were assembling their own bodyshells, 2007 started the move away from factory panels. Now the cars had zero relevance to the cars we could buy. Holden died a slow, lingering death, and the new cars are bloody ugly. The way they paint them, they all look the same. Mustangs and Camaros look very similar, until your eyes can focus on a tail light or grill badge. THEY DON'T PUT NUMBERS ON THE SIDES OF THE CARS. They put a little yellow, 6 inch high sticker on the rear side window, so it's hard to keep track. They own the production company that films the events, and the main commentators have stakes in the operation. That'll do. I now have zero interest. Anything before about 95 is cool, But it's down hill after that.

[@jonathanparle8429]

Yes. I think I could say that 95 to 96 were just about the last years where I still followed it with any serious intent but for me the best years were the Group C and Group A days (though admittedly I think the Group A rule makers got it very badly wrong by neglecting to ban 4 wheel drive before any manufacturer even put anything on the drawing board plus the turbo equivalency factor just couldn't keep up with technology - this meant the final years of Group A were not as exciting as, say 1985 to 1989). Having said that, I think aerodynamics were always going to ruin motorsport for me - I followed motorsport because of my fascination of cars, drivers and engineers battling to put power down within the bounds purely of mechanical grip. For me, aero just ruined it.

[@bonjovifan2314]

In my honest opinion, its the lack of hard racing along with the rules and regulations. Sandown (a track I've been to many times) is under threat to build houses on it. Its been on and off with the 500km (312 mile) races over the years

[@taswegian1790]

Grew up watching group A touring cars We had jags bmws sierras mustangs volvos commodores celiac , shittons of everything, depending on the track 40,50,60+ fields . Backmarkers, recovery trucks on the road , broken down cars on the side of the course . The drivers had balls of steel . The racing was a spectacle . Pit stops meant something. The racing now is so boring . Someone farts in his car ,safety car bunch up the field . Nothing happens it’s just a boring procession . I literally watched ten minutes of Bathurst this year , doing laps on my ride on for 5 hrs was more enthralling so I mowed instead .

[@bradwilliams1691]

I haven't watched more than 10 minutes of Bathurst over the last 10 years.

[@DynamicSpace3D]

The touring car series was the best. I recall as a kid watching a camaro and a mini cooper duelling it out at Lakeside. Every lap the cooper overtook in the corners while the camaro got the cooper on the straight...Absolutely rivetting.

[@powderskier5547]

Supercars is as boring as watching dog shit dry in the sun

[@Dylan-180]

Aussie here, The supercars series is dying in the ass

[@digitalmaxism]

I'm not from Australia or the US, but I've been a huge Supercars fan since 2008. I've watched almost every race, and Bathurst day was always reserved for The Great Race. I followed all the drivers, but things changed when the saloon shape was replaced by the Camaro and Mustang coupes. Then Holden left, and many drivers followed. The racing got boring, and the thrill was gone. I started losing interest in 2020, even in Bathurst. Ten years ago, I was sure I'd visit The Great Race one day. Now, I'm not so sure. I went to Le Mans in 2024, and it was awesome! In 2025, I'll be at the Daytona 500, so at least I'll see SVG live once in my life. But still, Supercars is dead to me, and the Toyota Supra with its pony car shape is the final nail in the coffin. RIP my old love.

[@DJ2024-t4j]

I used to LOVE the Australian Touring Car Championship before it became "Supercars" Watching Ford Sierras and Nissan GTR's go against the mighty Holder Commodore was a thing to behold. My Uncle had a group "A" Commodore and it was super close to what raced. Still have a commodore but nothing remotely like it takes part in this new series.

[@purwantiallan5089]

Wish we had R35GTR joining V8 Supercars.

[@CartoonRingoStarr2324]

I never knew Holden went out of business in 2020 until Last year. What I have learned is that it’s not Just GM Ford, Toyota and Mitsubishi all closed their assembly plants in Australia as well

[@stevenkilsdonk2046]

This happened because there used to be import tariffs significant enough that it encouraged the OEMs to produce cars on the continent. As soon as the Australian government made it known they were going to let the tariffs elapse, GM and Ford were quick to announce they were ceasing production there and would instead import all of their cars.

[@Realist-m9c]

I’m pretty sure we also produced Nissans and Mazdas at some point, only a few models or maybe car parts, i can’t remember.

[@Fiasco3]

Yes it was a domino effect, they relied on each other for parts, expertise etc.. When the big guys closed the others had no choice but to go, and the government weren't willing to subsidize them to keep the industry alive. So now a graveyard.

[@Goodkiwibloke]

The key issues fir me 1. Only available on pay TV. This kills any sport by limiting exposure 2. Cars have no relevance to our daily drivers any more - FFS, a camaro hasnt even been sold by GM for how many years now? 3. Rules. Too many, too anal, too many bizarre interpretations 4. Safety cars should be banned. They have turned endurance races into sprint races 5. Cost to compete is too high, limiting the number of teams 6. Safety is way OTT

[@klano8443]

Go back to the days where you had multiple makes with different engines, that's what's lacking.

[@SportsFotos42]

as a freelance motorsport photographer, the one time I sought accreditation for a Supercar event was the first night race at SMP a few years back, mainly because it was something different. yes, the Supercar series is pretty bland/boring and I spent most of my time that weekend enjoying the support categories and taking a lot more photos of them than the Supercar races, a bit like watching on TV, I'll make sure I can view the supports and only watch maybe the first couple of laps of the Supercars. you are so correct re the TV commentators as everyone knows when the race becomes a bit of a procession they begin waffling on about anything almost proving they are as bored as the viewers.

[@marcelf0252]

It just felt different watching a Holden Commodore race against a Ford Falcon

[@mabeanietalks]

Back when you knew people who drove those things to work every day.

[@NickSamon]

I would like to see if NASCAR will held an event here in Australia. At Melbourne. If that happens, I will pay a full ticket to the xfinity series race there.

[@oldtech8520]

NASCAR used to ho one in Australia in the pass I’m pretty sure at the Thunderdome

[@SSinister_Grin]

​@@oldtech8520 Yeah, it happened in the 80s

[@carisi2k11]

@@oldtech8520 Once for the opening of the thunderdome.

[@deanlaurens2969]

Only one track to have a nascar cup race in Australia is Bathurst end of story .

[@NickSamon]

@@deanlaurens2969 That's my thought. Having the race at Bathurst. but that's in NSW. I was thinking of having it at Albert Park or Sandown.

[@beaunorman3706]

The issue with Supercars is that they have stripped the Team vs. Team engineering out of it. There is no development, skirting the regulations, or reward for innovation. And yes, there are no Australian cars anymore, which also sucks. In saying this, it isn’t just a fall for Supercars, it’s a decline in Australia as a whole. You mentioned things like real estate, etc., and yeah, it's spot on. The category is soulless, as is the country. If I could leave, I would... Oh, our currency has been destroyed. Bugger.

[@jonathanparle8429]

I feel pretty much the same.

[@blast3613]

Sequential shift was the end for me.

[@jeffball6108]

As an 'old fart' who recalls the origins of supercar racing, which really started at the annual Bathurst race back in the 1960's, it has been interesting (and sad) to watch the digression. If I were to sum up the decline in one word it would be 'professionalism'. More professional = more boring. The reason so many people got so enthralled in the event back in those days was it was real cars being punted by (relatively) ordinary blokes (ie they actually worked other jobs). And when the Holden V8 vs Ford V8 tussle started in 68 it went to a level of interest and excitement never seen before, nor since. Sadly, as in all things it became more and more professional, and now it's a drag (as in boring not race). As to why so many Oz & Kiwi drivers are heading to the US? Don't let them fool you mate, it's the money.

[@robertjames1324]

Supercars is a corporate brand. Our current racing comes from and still is the Australian Touring Car Championship. The Copoartion Supercars cars took broadcasting from free too air too pay TV. I said it was an error that will take 10 years to be noticed. All those families with children that couldn't afford pay TV. Gone....There is and has been a total and utter lack of transparency around technical data and parity and a staggering brand biased which still exists. The 888 racing team and Supercars developed the current generation however Supercars was the biggest investor of the 888 Camaro. Supercars refused to acknowledge the parity issue between Camaro and Mustang until after 2023 Bathurst ensuring a GM white wash. Supercars had that tech data for months prior to Bathurst. That was one season without parity. It took the best part of the last season for the engine adjustments to come through. 2 seasons without parity. When the first Mustsng raced and won the entire paddock screamed parity and they made 7 adjustments in one season too the Mustang and then 2 pick me ups to the Commodore. The rule book stays the vehicle with advantage must be bought back to the rest of the feild. The last two seasons adjustments as far as I know have been to the Mustang no Camaro. Every time they adjust it throws any usable data and set up out the window. They were supposed to bring Camaro back by adjusting it....I can go on and on. Supercars stopped listing to the fans 15 years ago and every time the administrator of this series ignored the fan the TV viewing audience and track spectators numbers tumbled. But this time they have really really done it. Drivers gagged teams gagged of course drivers want to race and speak their mind. Yes many would tomorrow if they could

[@julianmckinnon7615]

From my position as a Australian, I simply faded away from it due to scheduling. I'm a father with a 100 other commitments but I could organise myself to keep a few hrs clear every second Sunday to turn on the TV and watch the series. Over the last few years they seem to have a race miss a month race for three weeks consecutively take 3 mths off. Anyway, I just missed more races than I saw and lost interest. It's also ridiculously formulaic. Its amazing how 20 cars qualifying within a second of each other can lead to such dull racing. Also, if I hear a commentator say how costly that crash was and wow how terrible it is two cars hit each other in a race. They look like just a bunch of bars with a plastic cover like a rc toy. They should just race those and put some sound effects on it.

[@NR_88]

Would be funny if a nascar driver went over to supercars and praised the series.

[@TS0713]

Another strange trend is the number of New Zealanders in Indycar. Dixon, Mclaughlin and Armstrong.

[@NurburgringMascotThirstA-is6gl]

Not just Indycar. Van Gisbergen is going to Nascar, Lawson will race at Red Bull F1, Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans are winning a lot in Formula E. The amount of great racing drivers for such a (relatively) small country is astounding!

[@NeilHill-j7q]

you do realise that dixon may live in NewZealnd now Yet was Born to Aussie Parents and Brought up In QLD?? by your standards SVG and Scott are Now Aussies??

[@TS0713]

@@NeilHill-j7q Why are you so upset. He races under the NZ flag.

[@ibd1977]

Supercars took too much drive ability away from Gen3, which detracts from the racing. Drivers used to be able to trim the car during the race by adjusting sway and roll bar as well as brake balance. This enables a driver to adjust the car to the track conditions on the fly, making the car more competitive. Unfortunately, now, if the car is a dog, you are stuck with it until the next pitstop where the pit crew makes the adjustment for you.

[@slartybartfast4213]

Unfortunately I think Supercars is on it's deathbed, the local cars are gone, people don't feel a connection with the gen 3 cars and our best drivers are overseas. We've seen DTM go the way of GT3 cause of costs and either Supercars will adopt NASCAR cars completely or GT3 rules in the next few years. It's a shame cause V8 Supercar racing was the best tin-top racing in the world, close action-packed racing and cars that looked on the edge at all times (WTTC cars looked slow and sounded terrible, DTM and Super GT were too planted and were basically GT cars, and NASCAR look clumsy and too big and heavy on road courses) V8's were the perfect blend of all classes.

[@wazzajack9253]

The parity issue hasn’t helped Supercars in the last two seasons and the 2024 Bathurst race was boring because of it. I love these cars, they look and sound great and close competitive racing is what they can provide. I think something a couple of US podcasters kind of pondered made me think what could generate interest and help both NASCAR and Supercars. Two special co-driver events. One on an American road or street course in a NASCAR and one on a road or street course in Australia with an American NASCAR driver teamed up with a Supercar driver in each. No transporting of cars just drivers. With Toyota added in 2026 even more compatible.

[@martinj2843]

I remember getting up really early to watch the start of Bathurst 500 that took most of the day, now we got Bathurst 1000 its starts at 11 it’s basically a sprint race, cars are so reliable now it becomes boring and the fact that there’s only one class, they should at least add the Dunlop series in with them, why not make things interesting again.

[@alexanderfreeman3856]

I think you nailed it on the head, I just think the reason the cars are not relatable to Australians is the AU-made Falcon and Commodore were less than half the price of remanufactured Mustangs and Camaros we have now, making the vehicles less attainable for fans.

[@paullees5705]

Super car drivers in Australia are becoming bored with the racing here. Our race tracks are slowly disappearing. And the cars have little in common with what we can buy today. Remember, race on Sunday sell on Monday. I think the GT3 12 hour race at Bathurst in February is way more interesting than the V8 super car.

[@deanlaurens2969]

I wish Scotty McLaughlin would be given a drive in a nascar cup race

[@DynamicSpace3D]

The touring car series was the best. I recall as a kid watching a camaro and a mini cooper duelling it out at Lakeside. Every lap the cooper overtook in the corners while the camaro got the cooper on the straight...Absolutely rivetting.

[@damianhartigan4]

The drivers can get paid massive amounts of money to drive in the usa. In v8 supercars. They dont make as much money. I think clearly the holden ford rivery has gone. As it used to be you ould buy that car in the dealership. Sure they where different. But you felt connected because you drove that model car on the street aswell. It was a passion

[@chrisguardiano6143]

I think if Daniel Riccardo heads to Supercars it will revive interest mainly because of how popular he is. This is very likely given how uninterested Riccardo is in returning to F1 & how there is little interest from teams to bring him in.

[@williamford9564]

He is 35 years old and has made MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in F1 ( the last reported salary was $15 million in 2022). He doesn't need the money and why would he start over in a sedan series WHEN HIS ENTIRE CAREER HAS BEEN IN KARTS AND OPEN WHEEL CARS?

[@fasterout777]

I think a Van Gisbergen/ McLaughlin wildcard entry for Bathurst would sell more tickets

[@thomaspiscioneri7917]

As an Australian and Motorsport photographer, the sports gone down in my eyes as some of the traditional tracks like Phillip island or Winton ain’t on the calendar anymore. It’s sad to see but maybe it’s like a hosting fee and they think it’s not worthwhile. But yet Winton attracts a lot of fans as it’s a country town race. I think it’s more money and mangers.

[@jonathanparle8429]

Winton is my local track and I honestly think they ruined the character of it with the extension. It was never intended to be a large scale circuit and it is pretty obvious the extension was only added to increase the length and allow for two longer straights to facilitate overtaking opportunities into the two braking areas. But I always liked what is now simply the "club" circuit. It is a great technical track too (the club circuit) and I have always maintained that if you can set a car up from scratch to work well at Winton then you have the skills to set a car up anywhere.

[@thedon7530]

Aussie touring car fan for the last 40 yrs. Problems with series? Loss of best drivers, too few rounds, irrelevance of the cars. Car models come to the series to die e.g. Nissan ultima, ford falcon, Holden commodore, Chev Camaro and Toyota Supra. The last one will be dead in Oz even before it lines up on the grid for its first race in the series. No easy fix.

[@johnmcdonald8943]

The cars are no longer close to the ‘race on Sunday, buy on Monday’. They race cars that most don’t drive - falcons and Commodores use to be the majority of cars on the road, so I think they need a real re-think - move to 2ltr turbos as most of us are driving 2ltr cards now.

[@SaltyFrosticles]

When Harvick retired, i began following V8 Supercars. It's a shame it going through a downturn.

[@rehehehehehehehehehe]

Mate it’s been on the down for much longer

[@kylemcnaney6217]

The peak for the V8 Supercars formula is late 90's using FIA group 3A rules up to 2012 through the whole Project Blueprint era in 2013 switched to COTF era we are in now its ok but that is the first Generation car to the current Gen III fail car

[@kylemcnaney6217]

Prior to 1997 it was still called the ATCC using FIA group 3A rules I'll quickly add so some of the stuff you should watch like Larry Perkins first bathurst win for his own team 93 is still ATCC but the car he is driving is the beginnings of V8 Supercars drove the Castrol VP Holden Commodore with Holden's own 308ci push rod alloy V8 he personally tunned prior to this 92 91 and going back was dominated by foreign teams and cars like Nissan's GTR really annoying local fans watching Holden getting beaten after being so dominant during the group E era of the 60's (strict production cars no tuning) then group C of the 70's in the the early 80's group C got the nick name BigBangas because of the big aero kits the cars grew and the massive engines they had

[@SaltyFrosticles]

@@kylemcnaney6217 thanks for the info!

[@carisi2k11]

It isn't. Your just listening to the wrong people.

[@vaughneaston733]

We Want Action, but it only happens during Qualifying, then the racing starts and nothing happens. You’ll get probably 3 great races a year but the rest is just follow the leader.

[@smythie27]

I am not a motor head at all,yet I to enjoy watching the Supercars until monaro and Chevy came in and took over the Ford v Holden competition. i m no bored and the races is becoming irrelevant. And with only 13 race weekends per year,it loses its momentum.

[@jsma9999]

Holden and Ford is an Aussie Motorsport thing (The Red Vs Team Blue), In my time off following the Races (1993 to Current) We have lost at least 2 Race tracks to Housing and Lakeside Raceway was replaced by Queensland Raceway in the Early 2000s there Streets have in But Covid have put the Brake on series and think Supercars are going died out but hope not. Full-year racing for the championship and if you get round of two early So be it. The health of Supercars is Bad going to fall

[@neilbeauchamp1924]

Supercars lacks relevance. While Ford and Holden were the only mass-produced V8s in Australia sold in decent numbers there was some relevance. TCR has come along with very competitive racing and a host of makes that we see daily on our roads and it is far more entertaining and engaging for a spectator than watching 2 cars racing each other, only one of which is sold here by its manufacturer. The rules for Supercars have always been in the favour of Holden and now GM with decisions from officials mostly demonstrating bias in favour of particular GM teams. That damages real competition and destroys the credibility of Supercars as a category. Most of the commentary team are Holden drivers and supporters as are most of the officials. Without a real balance of equal representation from both camps the smell of bias and manipulation will not go away.

[@PeterMooney-mo1ut]

There's to much advertising on the cars and it's hard to distinguish between the two

[@hughjazz2890]

I know SuperCars is hoping Toyota's involvement will rejuvenate the series.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

Along with Daniel Riccardo possibly joining the series from F1. This is very likely because he doesn't seem to want to return to the F1 grid & there is little to no interest from teams to bring him in.

[@fasterout777]

@@chrisguardiano6143 Pfft, it's not even remotely likely that Danny Ric will be in Supercars. If he does want to race on he'll take the "open chequebook" offer from Toyota and race in WEC. Personally, I think we'll find hm in the media

[@girlsblouse7866]

He's moving to Margaret River to smoke cones and drink the local Vino. A Bathurst run may appeal to him, but he'll probably just stay home and keep rooting Heidi Berger. I know I would.

[@mainstarservices3129]

Toyota are only making the Supra until the end of 2025. Can’t see it lasting long.

[@Mark70609]

Prior to super cars, the cars pretty much stock and available for the cashed up hoon. These cars still pull good money today and are iconic.

[@bradwheeler248]

some free to air races are missed .some races are as boring as bat shit with compulsary pit stops tyre stratgies . just get some good hard races ,10 laps max points for a win . do your 75 laps so we can get hamburger and come back in 45min and watch the finish

[@pammotorsport9743]

Why are they heading to the US, because there’s money to be made and they can do heaps more racing. But your other question about the cars, when people stopped buying sedans and coupe and started buying SUVs things just couldn’t keep rolling along like before. It’s a one make chassis series, the car are all the same under the skin, so the racing gets tighter. Look at the Supercars. You can throw a blanket across the whole field the cars are that close. So what do you do to change it up? Add weight? Restrict intake on winning cars? Reverse grids? It’s all artificial racing yell the punters. What do you do?

[@LTSmash519]

Nascar has more money, more fame, way less toxic. You can build a long career running in the top 20 as opposed to Europe and the Asia Pacific region, which require results in a relativity consistent nature. There is also more racing. it's a little easier to get around with private jets, etc. Something and somewhere different, America is a fun place despite all its problems, you can basically live the way you want and it has a huge motorsport community. Australian racing looks like the USA on the outside, but teams have a European management style. Top teams actually have quite a toxic atmosphere, where low employee numbers work long hours to make up the difference. Race weekends in Supercar are demanding, with a number of races cramed in around non-stop media appearances and mandatory signings, with no downtime to focus and enjoy the competition aspect. Some of the tracks facilities are wanting. The rules of engagement are strict like open wheel racing, which takes away the fun, and teams seem reluctant to growth due to cost. On the other hand, there is a reason why a lot of drivers dont go. History shows that a move overseas is a risk for drivers. We've seen the likes of Montoya, Hornish and Ambrose, top thier own series, make the switch to struggle immensely. Their is also a fact no one talks about but living in the USA on a visa as opposed to Europe and Japan leaves you at the mercy of the system and we saw that with james McFadden this year who was not permitted to enter before the atart of the high limit season. There is also tax issues. Nascar is also for a certain type of person, one who lives to race, as the time for anything else is limited. And we saw that with whincup, who wants to stay in Australia, where he could play on his boats and hang with mates on the many off weekends, to break away from the world of racing. Remember, scott maclughin is married to a US citizen which makes it a bit easier but some may struggle with intergeneration. We heard marcus talk aboit how hard it was for his young family in the USA, which detracted away from his own enjoyment. For Australians and kiwis the US is a ton of fun until you need to live a normal socially supported life, like in the commonwealth countries amd Europe. From my personal experience in the USA, things like private health insurance, sales tax, ownership tax, doing your own tax even, tipping plus finding food that was not processed, finding cheap restaurants that made good home style food, taxis when drinking because there was no metro or safe night transport, was very difficult for me to adjust to, and now living in Europe, its basically the same standard I had in Japan and Australia. supercars is more legitimate. One thing you cannot criticise the series for is being entertaining for the sake of it. I believe a sucessful supercar career is just as gratifying and any nascar career. The series is better presented as well, more in line with FIA rules which makes the easier and more realistic jumps to international GT and sportscar races easier. Oval racing is not for everyone, despite Australia being the second biggest competitors in oval competition, all of it is on dirt, and not many of the current drivers take up the sprint car or super sedan (late model) prefering to go drive sports cars overseas or TCR or whatever. For sure the best drvier for nascar in Australia for NASCAR is Cam Waters, even Van Gisbergan admits it, so if there is no way for him to get over then there is no point for the others to try. I think had shane not won in Chicago, he would still be in supercars. So, actually, none of these drivers are leaving supercars yet. Both brown and kostecki atate they only want to play on the road courses when they get a change and waters has little support to get him over there.

[@carisi2k11]

What a load of rubbish this is.

[@LyallFrankLush]

Your full of immense shit ​@@carisi2k11

[@mattcecil6692]

NASCAR way less toxic. Right, I take it you haven't followed the charter drama this year and the disgraceful way that management have handled themselves. Even Rick Hendrick said the only reason he agreed to sign it was because he was tired of the arguing and general toxicity of NASCAR management

[@LTSmash519]

@mattcecil6692 not NASCAR itself. That's a corrupt organisation, and one of the issues when the promoter also writes the rule book. I meant the teams and crew members. Compared to F1 and WEC teams, which are cut throat. They will tolerate running 20th place for a lot longer than any non nascar team.

[@North-101-Racing]

Fans are toxic

[@KeithDevine-k9q]

I stopped going to Bathurst ,Oran Park,Warwick Farm ,Catalina when they introduced V8 supercars .It was much better when it was production touring cars,also it had an absence of bone head kiwi drivers.

[@metal_guru]

There's a host of reasons for the slow, death spiral of top-line touring car racing in Australia. One is the demographic, market relevance another as others have posted, for better or worse car culture in Australia is not what it was in past decades. There is massive competition for the viewing spectator dollar from stick and ball sports and they will always be king in this country. Going behind a paywall was a massive mistake, I can afford it but others for reasons both philosophical and economic won't pay to watch. Supercars as a motorsport spectacle is truly a niche market, it has little appeal for motorsports enthusiasts like me who follow the sport at all levels from my local hillclimb to club and some national series (other than SC) at permanent tracks here in Qld and the east coast. I've followed motorsports in this country since the mid-70s and until the change of rules in '93 there was pretty much a brand or model for everyone to follow but the big capacity hero cars still ruled and that was fine and the stuff of legends. When the Ford/Holden thing became the only show in town that alienated an entire cohort who either left completely or only engaged casually. Supercars are big and fast and they deserve big, fast circuits. But they don't go to Phillip Island and are only returning to Queensland Raceway this next year but continue to go to single lane goat tracks like Symmons Plains and Barbagello. Why anyone would want them to return to Winton escapes me. Any circuit with a sub- 1 minute lap (or thereabouts) shouldn't be hosting a round. It makes for exceptionally boring, technical racing unless you are just there to see the carnage. Then there are the street tracks. With the exception of Adelaide and Albert Park I struggle to think of one street track that actually promotes good racing, lots of crashes but not a lot of good racing. Hamilton, Canberra, and Newcastle spring to mind as abject failures in terms of racing spectacle. The shortened Gold Coast is just a incident-ridden "jet fighters in a gymnasium" crash-fest. All of that said I have no desire to see the series fail, for better or worse it is the pinnacle of motorsport in Australia but I can see why drivers are looking elsewhere to make a very good living out of the sport they love.

[@matiusclicarelli700]

0:50 you should have or you didn't mention Marcos Ambrose who was the original Australian Supercars Pioneer

[@seanfatin9917]

Marcos Ambrose is a knob head

[@Stephen-oy7fl]

My history with Supercars goes back to 1969 when they were based on cars you could go into a dealer and buy. I built the Ford factory cars. Ford, Holden, Chrysler all competed and it was hugely popular. Then they started mucking around with the rules to make it a level playing field, but all that does is create a procession. It's the same with Nascar, but at least you get 30 odd races a year. Here there are only 7 circuits good enough. And people can't relate to the cars, and in any case they all have control engines, brakes and suspensions. Ho hum. SVG got out at the right time. But I'm not sure there is anyone on the Supercars roster who could handle Nascar and the schedule. YOu have to give it 100%, 24/7/365. Not once a month like here.

[@rokw9881]

The reason is the USA teams see the extraordinary talent in Australia and throw the dollars around to lure the Aussie drivers over.

[@fordman38]

I gotta say, well done you. Thank you for getting things right. All to often people comment on things from a place of ignorance. You mentioned iconic tracks being closed to make room for housing developments and you show a picture of Oran park. Oran park was a fantastic drivers circuit, I raced there many many time and now it's all gone to make way for another poxy suburb.

[@JakeSimRacing]

I appreciate that! It does hurt from afar seeing a lot of tracks in Australia and NZ close down

[@FundsSeeker-fy5rv]

Unfortunately these are "non cars". They are racing cars made to look like production cars and so no one can really relate to these cars. Now that Holden and local Ford are dead this is even more so. That's why true production racing is the only way to go. There has always been a problem in Australian racing with foreign cars competing but this was always a problem in Australian production racing. Australian cars had issues ever since Alan Moffat started to win using turbo charged Sierras which were imported. Back then the highly exotic supercars were non existent in local racing probably due to cost and the rules. Now the only thing that makes sense is pure production racing. I like watching the current Bathurst production race because you can see which manufacturer builds the fastest showroom car. Also it would be good to see a return of open wheeler V8 racing like the Gold Star series in the 60's and 70s. Now that was real racing using real race cars.

[@anthonycarter8645]

With most V8 Supercars races not on free TV, anymore they are losing a new generation on fans.

[@martinj2843]

Channel 7 is a big part of the problem, taking on to much, selling out to pay tv and because we don’t have a big fan base in Australia, I have kayo but still hardly watch, Camaros are not relevant in Australia, I seen about 5 on the roads since they came to Australia.

[@AverageAussieBloke-r1z]

I want to watch racing cars that are the pinnacle of their engineering. Not the same car with a mildly different outer shell. I'll take GT's, TCR and Trans-Am any day over the Supercars.

[@NurburgringMascotThirstA-is6gl]

Going to the Playoffs is a massive mistake. Iirc the main Argentinian racing series did something similar years ago. But the whole "don't look like the cars on the road" problem is something racing series will have to face. Automakers only want to make awful SUVs now. Road relevance in racing will rarely be a selling point anymore, so racing series better start putting some serious work on the on-track product. The Bathurst 1000 this year was painfully boring. They must do something about the tyres.

[@PaperBanjo64]

Playoffs suck as a now former NASCAR fan.

[@boatymcboatface666]

To be fair, Brown, Waters and Kostecki haven't left SC's. Improved Production Series is WAY better than current SC's.Wonder what GM product will be used, they stopped making the Camaro!

[@mathewkirk1748]

Supercars has been the same old formula for over 20 years. You can get away with this in America due to the sheer amount of people and where patronage is generally secure, but it is still quite niche in Australia and NZ and you have to fight for viewers. Supercars has failed to evolve the product and people are tired of it.

[@troggamer261]

I grew up watching supercars and it used to be an epic grind. Most cars finished races covered in duck tape. Now they are just plastic bumper cars and with no red v blue rivalry the passion just isn't there. I've made the switch to f1 and Indy. RIP supercars 😢

[@Tradie64]

Its true what you said..since losing holden its going down hill..i use to see the holden sign every morning going down from hills.now just a factory..1 day it will be land for houses.i dont even go to our race in adelaide anymore..not same

[@jamiewilliamson3161]

I think part of it is that there is a large fan base for Nascar here, and many drivers would have watched the races and looked up to drivers in Nascar. You only have to look at Daniel Ricciardo taking the number 3 in F1 because Dale Snr was his motor racing hero. Then there's the fact that the oval racing would present a whole new challenge, and there's much more money to be made as a driver. Although, possibly the move Marcos Ambrose made all those years ago opened doors and showed it was much easier to go and race Nascar that it had been in the past. An Aussie legend Dick Johnson had a red hot go in the 90's (i think) and didn't do very well considering his success in Australia, and that may have halted the idea for many that had aspirations for entering the Nascar field around that time. So, i actually think Marco's move helped make it a not so daunting task with contacts, Australian based backing, and most importantly, a general acceptance of drivers from Australia and New Zealand.

[@rodneymcgiveron7494]

I tried watching NASCAR...some of it is great but the predominantly oval track stuff isn't for me ..All Supercars racing is where braking attacks are a huge part of going through the field ..As is cornering and handling for same reasons .. Van Giz was fast but also really attacking under brakes and corners and why he did so well .. Holden was huge here even though I'm a massive Ford fan and the appeal of only Chevy against Ford is very impactful . Toyota joining in 2026 is going to be great ...One positive for Supercars I guess ...

[@morganjones9269]

Used to watch it all now basically just Bathurst

[@F2004FW]

I've been watching supercars less and less over the years and these gen 3 cars have made it unwatchable. But as a New Zealander seeing our guys in top teams in nascar/indy/f1/WEC it's more than enough to compensate for V8's fall off.

[@mabeanietalks]

Tyres sucked last year and this year they're even worse. Why are they taking random drives in NASCAR? Because they can! Kostecki, Brown and Waters took opportunities when they had the budget and time to race in America, but their priorities are in Supercars at the moment. Drivers without the chance to do America are doing other Aussie series like Trans Am and GT3. Maybe SVG really was the ticket to get Americans interested in Supercars drivers.

[@ShaunMitchell-u6j]

SVG summed it up perfectly. The racing is boring now. They just drive around follow the leader waiting for a safety car. Look at Bathurst this year, was the most boring race all year. They have copied America way to much & now Aussies don’t relate to the series

[@PaperBanjo64]

And modern NASCAR is nothing to copy!

[@sampierce8898]

Aussie here and a pert time Supercars fan never really been into it but had friends and family that where really into it, it’s been going downhill for the hardcore fans it seems from my experience with friends and family since they were closing iconic tracks and stopping or adjusting iconic street circuits, but when they got rid of the Holden commodore and ford falcons towards the end of the 2010s and the commodore in the early 2020s that’s when it really went downhill hill, because the cars here everyone just about Australia wide from your richest fan to your poorest fan had some sort of falcon or commodore (the 4 door v8 sedans the Americans should look them up that read this) but because of the falcon and commodore it still felt a bit more contacted, and that’s been the Supercars rivalry for years, it’s what it was mostly built on, that was the passion for a lot a lot of fan, that’s why generations after generations got into it, it’s what some people only knew Supercars for, but then you rip that all away with cars here like the mustangs and Camaros that because of the price of them over here are deemed as luxury cars in most eyes. So you took something extremely relatable and threw it out the window they didn’t even keep making the falcon or commodore bodies for them, just poof gone because for and gm wanted it/said so, then overall how crappy they started to run race weekends trying to extremely commercialise it and that didn’t go over well either with a lot of fans because Australian culture is in a weird spot, for example overly commercialised American brands like lowes hardware that was masters hardware out here didn’t go well with aussies, Starbucks didn’t go over to well either because our coffee culture for example is more sit down and have a cup in cafe kinda like Europe, so super over the top American commercialisation has never gone to well usually and that’s what they tried to do with fans and squeeze every last dollar out of them that they could As for the drivers with dwindling fans means dwindling sponsors and consolidation of a lot and I mean a lot of companies here’s hear means some less sponsors than there was at races than when I was a kid so that means less sponsors less money and the money is still in America so they go there, and with less fans coming in like peoples kids because more are losing interest or giving it up will mean less people watching at home, less bums on seats at races so less money again than what could be found in America That’s just my 2c but what seems to really have killed it from a outside perspective as a Aussie seems to be ending the ford and Holden rivalry and the falcon and commodore it was even said by a few people that once the falcon and commodore are gone/ford v Holden gone more people where gonna jump ship more drivers would jump ship

[@matross-munro8508]

Ill also ad, so many drivers here in australia try out many different forms of motorsport, from sprint cars to GT3 even hyndai excel racing (think of a geo metro for the US) They just love racing and testing themselves because they are drivers! No one is leaving unless if they tick their boxes like what marcos ambrose, svg, scotty mac, craig lowndes (when he did F3000 in the 90's and then ultimately came back) etcetera.

[@gregy1194]

If it has a future, I think it's in GT4 format.

[@sgtdread4192]

the reason drivers are leaving is for probably the same reason fans are leaving. they're bored! its not a race, it's just a train of cars following each other. no longer watch it cos it's not free to air anymore and I'm not paying to watch the crap

[@stuffedgrubs]

We stopped watching supercars when they started charging us to watch Bathurst on the telly. Going full American just made it easier. Also the car manufacturers, unions,kayo/fox Sports and the government here have a lot to answer for. If it wasn't for that perfect storm we'd still have our iconic Holden and ford rivalries. Sad for Australian racing as a whole. 😢😢

[@Yosh1az]

Bruh, why did they copy the worst championship racing format ever? Every NASCAR fan despises it because it is so convoluted and has controversial results.

[@formulafish1536]

Except for the fact that today it is starting its road back up, minus the finals series. This year saw a lot of upside after the last couple of years going down. It’s the first time in a number of years I’ve felt positive about the series

[@boatymcboatface666]

Check out Greg Murphy lapping the twin turbo 6 cylinder Panel Van, at The Mount, that engine format was an option few yrs back.

[@Tassiephotographer]

You forget the originals who paved the way,like Marcos Ambrose who had a very successful NASCAR stint.

[@harrisionstan3773]

No. The cheating **** barely finished in the top 20 each year the lying, cheating balaclava dodging **** was there. And the **** never won Bathurst. Wouldn't have jagged his championship "wins" with out spineless officials looking the other way as the **** punted and pushed his way to his "wins"

[@nathanainger3916]

The media played big part in svg leaving.

[@Jimmybob-n5f]

Djr fan here it sucked when Scott left and I believe that if your in one series then you shouldn't be in the other also I liked the calendar this year but next year it's making it seam like other sports like the BBL and or the NRL but it will be interesting to see how it goes

[@fasterout777]

The original question in the video asked why the best driving talent in Aus/NZ are leaving?...obviously with a significantly smaller racing ecosystem to NthAmerica and Europe the drivers who make it to the top of Supercars in AUS are genuinely really good. It's competitive and only the best get there. It comes as no surprise that that talent is identified by Nascar/GT3/GTD as well the likely larger salaries on offer. Also, isn't it interesting that of the 20 Formula 1 drivers on the grid in 2025, there are 2 Aussies and one Kiwi. And in recent memory there was also the likes of Danny Ric, Brendan Hartley and Mark Webber also in F1. The USA has produced 1 failure in that time.

[@l1a146]

Back in the 60s, 70s and early 80s Australian Motorsport was all about watching Ford, Holden and for a while Chrysler fighting it out in the locally produced muscle cars. In the 80s we switched to international group A and the crowds died off. In 93 we went to the V8 supercars and the crowds returned. However in the last couple of years with the latest generation of cars the locally made content wasnt there, people lost interest as the hard quality racing waned, iconic tracks disappeared, there was less and less race weekends and legendary drivers retired or left. The playoff style series will be the nail in the coffin. Even if Nascar has similiar issues, at least the racings hard and theres plenty of it. Also I honestly think the car culture in Australia has died down. When I was younger, youd go into the city on a Friday or Saturday night and see iconic cars cruising nose to tail. You just dont see that anymore. Kids dont grow up frothing about cars like they used to.

[@stevenfoote8512]

Apologies Jake but the guys from Australia drive in the US because they get paid more. The V8 SuperCars is outstading and the TV coverage is first class and significanlty better than the coverage for the NASCAR. I watched every V8 SuperCars weekend and every single NASCAR Cup Race and Playoffs. I listen to Actions Detremental every week and The Teardown as well. I also attend to several race meets in Australia (HIdden Valley, Australian F1 GP, Symmons Plains and Sydney Sydney Mototsport Park) I beleive I have a good barometer for comparison and the V8 SuperCars is brilliant. The difference is the CASH and you are correct is saying that the cars are the same. You needed to get a positive opinion to round out your video. DM me when you need that perspective. Also, Toyota Supra is coming to SuperCars in 2026. Also you will have seen iRacing just added the Gen 3 Cars and has its own SuperCars series. The sport is growing, not shrinking.

[@wayned0287]

With the loss of iconic tracks, manufacturers and drivers, it just lost so much of what made it uniquely Australian. I was a big fan since the late 90’s but I haven’t watched a race (aside from Bathurst) for a number of years now. I believe the differential has a lot to do with it, as these cars run a spool centre, which doesn’t really allow for multiple racing lines.

[@martinj2843]

Maybe the formulas they had back in the day was more relevant, win on Sunday buy on Monday, it’s a shame it has come to this.

[@jamesdungan6198]

PARITY is the one word missing in Supercars dictionary

[@RainerTrkulja]

Australian super cars have no Australian sole left.

[@davemurphy9468]

I gave up on the 'V8 Supercars', after the farce in Newcastle at the end of the 2017 season. When Scott McLaughlin lost the title after the deputy chairman of the series called a time penalty on McLaughlin. Not the Race Stewards, the deputy chairman of the series.

[@peterdent7143]

Racing in general gets called bogan these days by people who would rather sit on there phones then go see live events.

[@gone547]

The old Australian adage ...when you're on a good thing, screw it.