The Repco Supercars Championship and Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series could feature together on blockbuster event line-ups, should the Australian Racing Group be successful in its bid to buy the former.
ARG is a key contender still in the hunt to purchase Archer Capital’s majority share in Supercars, a transaction which is hoped to take place prior to the 2021 Bathurst 1000.
Among categories already in ARG’s portfolio, besides TCR, are the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship, GT World Challenge Australia, Touring Car Masters, the National Trans Am Series, and more.
The company has long had an interest in buying Supercars, having at least once before been unsuccessful, long before Barry Rogers of Garry Rogers Motorsport became its largest shareholder late last year.
But now Archer appears more motivated than ever to end its decade of ownership, with ARG and the partnership between Mark Skaife and TLA Worldwide/TGI Sport the frontrunning candidates to take over.
Both of those bids would be a straight purchase of Archer’s share, which represents approximately 60 percent of the business, as opposed to the Peter Adderton-led consortium’s initiative to also buy out Supercars teams’ collective 35 percent holding.
Speedcafe.com believes that consortium remains an outside hope in the process, while IMG has also been touted as a player.
More specifically to the ARG plan, “synergies” is understood to be a central upside.
Among them, Supercars and ARG already share the same free-to-air broadcast partner in the Seven Network.
There is also a crossover when it comes to driver talent, with the likes of Chaz Mostert and Garth Tander prominent names in both Supercars and TCR/GTWC.
A healthy list of paying competitors in various categories brings the potential for a new revenue stream for Supercars, offering its teams direct profits.
ARG also holds the keys to two major annual Mount Panorama events – the Bathurst 6 Hour and Bathurst International – that could complement the Bathurst 1000.
The Super2/Super3 Series could foreseeably even benefit with an occasional stronger presence at a non-Supercars event.
All up, the prospect could make for a powerful one-stop shop for Australian motorsport.
Even if ARG is unsuccessful with its bid, it’s thought that a change of Supercars ownership could smooth the waters in an at times warring relationship, which could in turn lead to stronger Supercars support cards in any case.
The 2021 TCR Australia season is due to resume at Sandown on September 17-19, two weeks before Supercars’ second half gets underway at Winton.
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