With Volvo Joining GRM For 2014, What Next For V8 Supercars? Night Racing In Oz?

V8 Supercars. (C)

    The first half of the 2013 V8 Supercar season is now consigned to history, and with the season's endurance races lurking just over the horizon, it would be safe to conclude that the new V8 Supercar "Car Of The Future" (COTF) has to date been a resounding success.
    Success can be measured from a number of perspectives. Common components improves manufacturing turnover, quality control and replacement techniques. Driver safety has no doubt also improved. Both these points are reinforced by the fact that we've seen drivers walk away relatively unscathed from some horrific shunts, and majority of the time, their car is ready for the next day's hostilities. The teams are simply turning the cars around quicker between sessions, allowing them to focus more on set up and strategy. 
    Parity across the field regarding downforce levels, horsepower and the like has also been achieved, as evidenced by there regularly being little more than 1 sec. after qualifying across the entire grid. 
    New manufacturers were encouraged to join the traditional Ford vs Holden rivalry, of which Nissan and Mercedes obliged. Now we have Garry Rogers Motorsport welcoming Volvo into the fray for 2014. V8 Supercars must now be considered a viable avenue for these marques to utilise to promote their respective brands. 
    V8 Supercars has done a stellar job in promoting its brand. COTF has enticed new combatants, crowd numbers at events are strong, TV ratings are performing well, and the Nascar loving Texans seemed to really embrace V8 Supercars during their recent junket to Circuit Of The Americas. Now there's talk of bringing V8 Supercars into prime time viewing hours by staging some twilight and night races under lights. Question is, where? Our temporary street circuits Down Under are second to none, and there have been suggestions that events such as Adelaide's Clipsal 500 or Surfer's Paradise's Gold Coast 600 could be constructed to incorporate lighting for night racing. But would the extra cost involved to accommodate lighting in addition to the usual expenditure involved erecting and dismantling the catch fencing and other necessary infrastructure be too difficult to sustain? Would it be more feasible to light an existing, permanent circuit? That way, installation only takes place once, as does the cost, and the circuit can host all sorts of night time motorsport events.
    Would V8 Supercar night racing prove to be commercially viable? With the working week starting on Monday, would crowd numbers be affected by staging a Sunday night race or would the race itinerary need tweaking? Would you be more inclined to attend an event or watch it on TV if the racing's at night? Let us know what you think. Send us an email at : [email protected] or simply leave a comment.
    Sure be cool to see V8 Supercars under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park or the Sydney 500 though....

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