Only 28 Entries for Bathurst This Year

The Fujitsu Series team advised V8 Supercars Australia (V8SA) of its withdrawal last week, and V8SA Executive Chairman Tony Cochrane said the team will not be replaced.

“We’ll run one less, it’s too late now,” he said.

Sonic was keen to take part in the enduros, but withdrew because financial constraints would not allow the team to properly campaign a car.

The endurance field will also be slightly smaller from the main game side of things, with Cochrane confirming that V8SA had recouped the 30th licence from Team IntaRacing.

He said the team had fallen into an "insolvency event" and therefore V8SA was entitled to take back the REC.

“That applies to every single team up and down pitlane and IntaRacing is no different,” he said of the team which is rumoured to still owe $2 million.

Team IntaRacing received two $150,000 fines for failing to compete at the Dunlop Townsville 400 and the Norton 360 Sandown Challenge.

Cochrane said V8 Supercars Australia is obligated to take back a REC if any team hits an insolvency event.

“They’ve lost the right to go racing in our category. They know that going in, it’s in the REC very clearly and they signed the REC.”

Cochrane said the V8SA Board shared his view that the field should be reduced to 28 cars. He said the 30th REC will probably never see the light of day again.

“I don’t believe so, but you should never say never,” he said.

“The Board 100 per cent shares my view. It will be kept. I do not believe we will put that REC back out there, I believe we will reduce (the field) to 29 cars from this race meeting on and in time I hope that we reduce to 28.

“Certainly the board and the team owners are very much of the view not to put it back out there.”

Cochrane is confident that V8 Supercars does not need a larger grid.

“Other than a few old boys who think that motorsport only works when you’ve got a thousand cars on the circuit, we don’t need more than 28 cars out there.

“Of all of the major world motorsport championships, I cannot think of any other that has more than 28 cars, with the exception of Nascar.”

Sonic’s withdrawal, along with the demise of Team IntaRacing, means a total of 32 cars will line up for the L&H 500 at Phillip Island in September and October’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Source: www.v8supercars.com.au