Nissan GT-R and V8 Supercars part ways
June 23, 2009 by Karl Peskett
It’s only been four rounds, but Nissan’s heroic GT-R is no longer the safety and course car for the 2009 V8 Supercar series.
Buried in the bottom of a press release for the Hidden Valley round, the statement was very vague in its reasons. We understand, however, that it was alcohol branding which raised the ire of Nissan.
It refused to place signage on the car, and that was that. The statement read:
“V8 Supercars Australia and Nissan Australia have reached an agreement to end their partnership, in which Nissan provided the official Safety Car for the Championship Series.”
“Nissan fielded the world class Nissan GT-R as the official Safety Car for the first four events of the 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series with great success and exposure for both brands.
“The decision to discontinue the partnership was amicable and taken in the best interests of both parties. The two companies look forward to exploring other partnerships in the future.”
As yet, a replacement hasn’t been found. But that’s hardly surprising, isn’t it? V8 Supercars has slipped off the radar of many motoring enthusiasts.
Surely, if the sport was as big as head honcho Tony Cochrane makes out, then manufacturers should be falling over themselves to have their car at the head of the field. Surely the exposure is worth every cent spent.
And surely they wouldn’t have a problem with alcohol signage put on their car, would they?
Let us know what you think in the comments.
Print it: 
Richo and Andrew M, you are right is some ways. Yes in the 70’s and 80’s there was only a couple of teams that were trully professional in the series. You then has a group of second tier drivers (such as Janson, Grice, Morris) heck even Dick Johnson was not a pro driver until about ‘82. But to say that there was only 1 or 2 drivers that could win a race is a bit short of the mark. Remember Moffat, Johnson, Bartlett (on the right track) Grice, Morris were all regular race winners. Sure HDT were probably the most succefull team and almost certainly the best preparred, but read some of the history and Brock admits that even they were stretched financialy at times. Also the comment about nine Bathurst wins. If Jamie Whincup hangs around long enough and doesn’t get bored and bugger off overseas, he is the man that could do it. Look at his age and he already has 3 wins. Unless something dramatic happens, it will be 4 in a few months. My final comment is on Group A. Read June’s Aussie Muscle Car mag. There is a write up on the VN Group A Commodore. Read it and you will see why every manufacturer around the world wanted out of Group A. The costs of homologating a car were horrendous and that is what killed it. Improved production racing is also not poular with manufacturers as it shows weakness’s with the car (brakes and transmission) and the manufacturers hate seeing their cars fail in public. It’s why V8 SC got the nod from Ford and Holden. In silhouete they look vaguely like our road cars but are purpose built and virtualy bullit proof race cars.
ah… i don’t really care
sounds all a bit NASCAR to me
more makes, more common parts, car of the future….
I’m surprised noone picked this up yet but Tommo, Kev’s Camaro was a Group C car not Group A. I personally thought Group C was a great Formula even though im too young to have seen it.
Ok on topic why the big fuss over alcohol signage on the datsun? It does not promote drink driving or irresponsible behaivour. It promotes a product and its up to the consumer to be responsible, if they can’t maybe they shouldn’t be drinking. These bloody do-gooders assume everyone is brainless and can’t think for themselves. They banned tobacco sponsorship but when i 1st started following racing i was 5 and watch cars with cigarette sponsorship and i have never smoked ever. I must be the exception.
V8 Supercars, at the moment has as much appeal as Kevin Rudd in a Bikini.
Ben Larden, oh my god, that is a bad visual!
Probably a good thing that they employ a safety car that is slower and a worse handler than the actual race cars anyway.
I think it a crying shame Nissan has had to pull out, but I tip my hat to them for sticking by their morals.
As for the V8SC?? one word for them, Boring!!
Before you flame me, I used to be a huge V8 supporter, and prior to that the ATCC and Group A.
It’s a hame to see a sport where NO ONE with less than a couple of million spare can get into the sport…..long gone are the days of race on Sunday, buy on Monday….V8’s are heading towards the style of NASCAR (redneck racing), tin bodies that all look the same and have nearly the same running gear….thats not tin top racing in my book!
Open the sport up, bring back the different racing classes and make it fun again!!!
Tommoommo617,
Think about the first 3 lines of your comment particularly
“But that doesn’t stop Ford and Holden pretending that they are relevant to the cars they sell in the shop”
and then based on your thinking ask yourself this..
what does that mean for Honda who used to end every TV add with an F1 car!
ABC – Honda (and for that matter Toyota) would argue that racing in a championship that (until recently) encouraged high technology solutions meant that eventually these new engineering solutions would trickle down to the average joe’s car. It also indicated that they were “the high tech car company”, which was part of their brand identity.
Pushrod V8s with live rear axles (unless I’m very much mistaken) are unlikely to trickle “upwards” into production vehicles any time soon – even Ford and Holden’s road cars have moved on where the race cars haven’t.
Tommo,
Point taken, however regardless what they may argue, an F1 car has no more relevance to a Road Car than a V8SC.
Elitist – So you think your Schmacher now!this elitist thing has gone too your head bro,I think you should give it up.
Slim
I totally agree with you, V8 supercars have become really boring now. I would rather bring the cars back to when they were modified road cars. I don’t care if one team wins every race, I think the cars should at least run the factory engine.
There should be no control aero package, there should be freedom with some aero mods, exhaust setup etc.
MAke the cars fun and relavent again.
my 2 cents worth
These arguments are great, and without the constant interjections of those that I became sneezy at seem far more enjoyable.
V8SC arrived about the same time I came here from UK, and I have enjoyed it heaps. I dont care one way or another about the red or blue, just enjoyable racing.
After reading the recent comments it has made me realise that I dont care about V8SC anymore.
Maybe its part to do with new faces coming along,so that you dont barrak for the same drivers anymore.
Maybe its because the drivers swap from team to team, therefore you dont keep any loyalty to “your man “.
Maybe its the technology that seems to overshadow great driving.
Maybe its the realisation that its just business at the end of the day.
It is not as exciting for me any more, and I agree with lots of comments regarding better representation of various manufacturers.
Also, keeping them relevant to road-going cars makes the fans feel more in touch with the racing.
( I must confess that I used to think the v8’s were more like the road cars they emulate, DUH ! )
Anyhoo, this has been my 2 bobsworth.
Cheers, ATNAM
” I must confess that I used to think the v8’s were more like the road cars they emulate, DUH ! ”
they were in the early days.
If they ran stock engines, they would limit the revs on each vehicle so neither one had a big power advantage.
Thats what they already do in some classes that run factory spec motors.
And if they are going to do that, they may aswell just keep running the same controlled specs that they currently do
At the end of the day, if you dont like it, flick the channel.
Im not a real big fan of AFL (I prefer NRL), but you dont see me sitting here saying they need introduce scrums rather than boundry throws. If AFL doesnt appeal to me, I flick to the version that does. I dont keep harping on about wanting to change it.
Same should be said for those who arent sold on the V8SC formula.
If you arent happy watching the V8SC formula, go and watch one of the many other categories that do play the game in a different manner. Dont sit here and whinge about it.
Richo Says:
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:53 pm
“I don’t care how many negatives I get, I just cannot get over how much of a load of crap this article, as to be expected from Car Advice.”
Perhaps you need to join your friends over at Wheels and leave this site. CA probably posts these articles to get termites like you out of the woodwork.
I don’t doubt the VB and big mac brigade are making this ‘motorsport’ a success, but perhaps respect needs to be paid to the Aussie tax payer keeping Holden and Ford alive.
Let me open a VB and toast the Aussie tax payer!
Tommo – the racing your talking about is indeed still happening, its called the Australian Productino Car Championships, its been running for years, hardly anyone comes out to watch it, so your argument is pretty much 100% defeated right there because you say that that is the kind of racing you want to see, but in actual fact you care so little about it that you didn’t even know that it existed!
The Realist – not even worth responding to that buddy, seems to be though that I have more thumbs up then thumbs down for my comments so maybe, just maybe, i’m not actually in the minority, you are, just minorities are noisy aren’t they…
Realist,
I pay Taxes too, but why is it only the auto industry that is put in negative light when it comes to financial support from the government???
Also, Richo has said that this article is a load of crap because it is totally incorrect. He is not saying it is a load of BS because its not what he wants to hear, the facts of the matter displayed here are indeed very incorrect.
You are only agreeing with it because you wish it were true.
Richo Says:
June 24th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
“The Realist – not even worth responding to that buddy, seems to be though that I have more thumbs up then thumbs down for my comments so maybe, just maybe, i’m not actually in the minority, you are, just minorities are noisy aren’t they…”
I received plenty of thumbs up on another thread where I wrote about Ford and Holden making significant losses throughout the past decade and there being a significant issue with Australian manufacturing… obviously I’m in the majority, using your spell binding logic.
Andrew M Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Realist,
“I pay Taxes too, but why is it only the auto industry that is put in negative light when it comes to financial support from the government???”
Because even with handouts and luxury car taxes and tariffs the locals can hardly make any money. Even at the peak of the economic boom in Oz in 07 and 08 Holden and Ford couldn’t make a profit.
Minerals and Oil & Gas, including where appropriate upstream and down stream processing – that’s where we will make billions in the coming decades. Not by building Falcons and Commodores.
The Realist – you fool, we are talking about the success of V8 Supercars, NOT the financial sustainability of Ford and Holden. Get with the bloody program mate, this article isn’t even about Ford or Holden! Seriously WHAT the hell are you on about? Your just a broken bloody record, taking any chance to have a carry on about ford and holden even when no one else is talking about it, hence why I didn’t bother commenting on your stupid post.
I think part of the problem with the V8 series right now is channel 7’s poor coverage. How many times to we have to cut from a good dice just to see a car (any car!) chugging up pitlane? All pit stops look the same. If only 7 would just use a 1/4 screen (they do some times) and show the racing on the other 3/4. So many times we have a good dice or a pass lost just so we can watch cars chugging along! Makes you screem some times. The ONLY good thing on seven is Skaife and Crompton. The rest are crap and the coverage is worse.
It would also be nice to see some of the front and rear aero taken off the cars so the move around a bit more and maybe it would make overtaking a bit easier. The cars might also be a bit quicker and we might see the magic 300 on Con=rod broken. Read so history and you will find Brocks VK group C Commodore in 184 was as quick on Con-Rod as the current cars. I guess that is do to the larger frontal area and aero kits on the current cars. Imagine 297k’s in a VK minimal aero, smaller brakes and old tech tyres! Big gonads back then!
So er, what about Nissan and V8 supercars parting ways ?
Richo Says:
June 25th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
“The Realist – you fool, we are talking about the success of V8 Supercars, NOT the financial sustainability of Ford and Holden. Get with the bloody program mate, this article isn’t even about Ford or Holden! Seriously WHAT the hell are you on about? Your just a broken bloody record, taking any chance to have a carry on about ford and holden even when no one else is talking about it, hence why I didn’t bother commenting on your stupid post.”
Perhaps V8 Supercars could provide assistance to Holden and Ford, rather than the Aussie tax payer?
now your just being stupid (or should that be more stupid)
Max,
Top speeds down conrod are limited by rev limiters, not aerodynamics.
And don’t forget that conrod straight is shorter since the chase was added.
There have been further developments in V8 Supercars “Cars of the Future” program.
According to a report on the V8 Supercars website the “Cars of The Future” could include small cars such as a Ford Focus vs a Holden Cruze vs a VW Golf etc.
It says that Mark Skaife who heads the “Cars Of The Future” committee has been given the brief that basically the cars must be a V8 and cost no more than $250K to build.
Which means we could end up with a category similar to the Super Sports Sedans “Silouhette” Series from the 80s-90s.
However; it hasn’t been decided whether or not the Cars of the Future will replace the Current V8s or race with them but be in a different category – similar to the Production car series