No WRC in Australia until 2009

By Karl Peskett | October 26th, 2007

Yesterday, following a request by the organisers, the 2008 Australian round of the World Rally Championship was postponed until 2009 at the earliest.

i-METT Queensland Group Pty Ltd, approached CAMS to put off the event, while complete Government approvals were obtained.

The WRC round is part of a major work by i-METT Queensland Group Pty Ltd which includes an international standard motor racing circuit, theme park, hotels, automotive technology park and education facilities.

The overall project is estimated to cost $650 million.

CAMS approached the FIA to submit a formal request for the postponement, and while CAMS is said to view this request as “extremely disappointing”, CAMS believes that the request by i-METT to postpone the first Queensland event until 2009 is in the best interests of the FIA World Rally Championship, Australia’s standing in the eyes of the world’s motor sport community and the long term future of rallying in Australia.

“CAMS will continue to work with all parties to retain Australia’s place in the FIA World Rally Championship calendar and to support the development of a world class motor sport precinct,” said CAMS President Colin Osborne.

arsenalroc

disappointing….a great spectacle that i was looking forward too!
http://navelcontemplation.blogspot.com Supercujo

idiots…

Perth could have held the round of the WRC for the next couple of years until Queensland was ready (if that ever happens).

I have a feeling that the whole Qld WRC effort will go balls up and leave Australia without a round of the WRC. And with the competition to get a round of the WRC quite fierce and Australia’s market being quite small on the world scale, we will not get it back again.
http://www.caradvice.com.au Karl Peskett

Perth could have, but didn’t want to. The state govt of WA basically said that they didn’t see the need to keep forking out to fund it, year after year.

And yes, they “apparently” took into consideration all the money that local businesses made from the event.
Bavarian Missile

I couldn’t believe it when the said no! A backward move I thought! Do they have to make money from everything?

Now with the talk of Barbagello shutting in 2009 where are we going to go for the V8s?

Its not like W.A is tubing it !!!Were one of the richest states out there!
http://www.caradvice.com.au/ alborz

Disaster, here I was planning my trip to the QLD leg.
Andrew M

where in QLD was it planned?

thats right missile i fear we will lose V8 rounds in OZ too if cochraine keeps taking it off shore to more and more places.
we nearly lost the QLD round of V8′s as it wasnt on the calender when they released it but fortunately now it has been added for next year. but how long will it stay?

ah so barbagello gone too? thats such a great track to race on the sony
http://www.importjap.com/blo ImportJap

Bah this is ridiculous! We need more motorsport not less!
Bavarian Missile

Agree totally ImportJap!

Be a different story if it was bloody football or one of those other knuckle dragging sports!
wheelnut

Missile:

AVESCO are fairly keen on more Street Races at the moment so don’t be surprised if WA gets a Street Race closer to or even around the CBD.

Theres a Street TRace arounf Auckland next year

Adelaide has a Stret Race [The Clipsal] However; some local idiots want the track moved to the other side of town where there will be less room; shorter straights and more 2nd gear corners.

Even the NSW govt have put forward a proposal for a Street race around Olympic Park – whilst “the creek” is updated.. The problem being some of the roads are paved yet engineers have said the V8s would produce enough grip to pull them out of the road.
Nik

Where is the Qld WRC round going to be held if it goes ahead?
Andrew M

and also they are pretty close to a townsville street race too wheelnut
Bavarian Missile

Tea time Ill be back!
Bavarian Missile

check your mail holiday boy!!!!!!!!
Andrew M

so where was the QLD round planned?

anyone?
Old_shagger

Just what we need more bloody boring taxi racing.

Get serious.

Mate there a thousands knuckle draggers who follow the V8s.
Andrew M

^^^^^
mate we will just let the stats do the talking there.

its a proven formula, it works and is easily the most competitive. thats why it is so successful

if you dont like it dont watch it and dont whinge
Bavarian Missile

I think his name says it all……..and he calls us knuckle dragger’s!
Andrew M

could someone please tell me where the QLD round was planned to be????????
wheelnut

I see that Tom Gorman is re-evaluating Ford’s involvement in V8 Supercars. Now I doubt that Ford will pull out all together.. it;s more likely that they will just no longer have a “Factory” team.

Apparently he believes the market is changing and as smaller cars are becoming more popular it’s better to focus more on promoting them

Which raises the possibility of a new support category
[to the V8s] consistingof Focus; Fiestas; Toranas and [Opel] Barinas/Vectras… it could even be called the V8 “Lites”.
Andrew M

hey i just posted on this one where did it go?
maddriver

dammed! one round less??? will be in perth end of this year. it seems that there’s a company that rents out older supercar v8s for public use at the tracks. is that true? i’m comming from singapore.
Drive

Andrew M: The 2008 WRC round was to be based in SE Qld with competition stages in the Border Ranges area of NSW near Kyogle.
Andrew M

well that makes it a NSW round then?
thanks for that mate.

what i tried to say before wheelnut but it wouldnt let me post after a few attempts was that ford has already resigned with FPR for another 3yrs i think it was

i cant be bothered re-typing the rest
Andrew M

or do you mean only some stages in kyogle?
Bavarian Missile

No early to bed tonight cause holidays tomorrow!!!

Your plumber mate coming tomorrow! What is a plumbers mate..is that a type tool??

Sorry my husband said he wanted to marry a plumbers mate so I just wondered what they were ???
Watto_cobra

V8 “Lites”. ??? If that does happen it wouldn’t be called that I imagine.
Andrew M

actually missile i forgot i had to go put a bi-fold door in tomorrow that i didnt feel like staying around to do on friday.
ah but thats only a half a day job.

V8 lites was the old name for the development series if we all remember. back when dean canto was racing cars without sponsorship (gee that would have been tough)
Andrew M

also i havent done my BAS yet, so bed late and up early aaarrrrrggggghhhhh