CAMS has announced that it will strip Formula Ford and Formula 3 of their national titles following the completion of a strategic review.
Following sign-off from the Board, CAMS has now confirmed a revised three-tier national structure for 2016 that sees the Australian Formula Ford Series discontinued.
CAMS is instead proposing a one-off festival to support the ongoing state level Formula Ford championships.
The announcement comes on the eve of the debut of the CAMS-promoted Australian Formula 4 Championship in Townsville on July 10-12.
“Consistent with the FIA open wheel strategy and after a comprehensive review of other motor racing markets, Formula Ford will continue to be a part of the Australian motor racing framework and development pathway as a category eligible for state competition,” confirmed a CAMS statement.
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“CAMS will also look to assist in the organisation and promotion of an annual Formula Ford Festival and provide significant prizes to the winner.”
CAMS has also elected to downgrade the Australian Formula 3 Championship to a series for 2016, after which it will also become a state-level category.
“Formula 3 will remain as an Authorised Series in 2016 before it moves to state competition whilst CAMS works with the FIA to explore the possibility of a regional Formula 3 Championship,” the statement added.
Formula Ford Association chairman John Van Leeuwen has confirmed that the association will assess all available options in order to continue to run nationally next year.
Van Leeuwen expressed disappointment in the review’s outcome and raised concerns at the timing of the move, which has been signed off as CAMS continues to work on filling its grid for F4.
“If there are a group of people nationally, whether they want to run Formula Vees or Fiat 500s or whatever, prepared to commit with their own money and be a part of the motorsport landscape, why CAMS would see fit not to approve them I don’t understand, unless they’re concerned that Formula Ford is a threat to their own series,” Van Leeuwen told Speedcafe.com.
“The fact that the CAMS Board has been able to get this through so quickly makes me think that they are very concerned about the future of F4.”
The Saloon Car and Superkart categories will too become state level competitions, with CAMS declaring it will also support one-off national ‘festivals’ for each.
A statement CAMS added that the “Australian Endurance Championship and the Australian Tourist Trophy will also take on a new look which CAMS will announce shortly”.
CAMS has been consulting with Australian GT Championship promoter Tony Quinn in recent months ahead of a planned GT endurance championship.
Other administrative changes see the Australian Manufacturers’ Championship, which has incorporated the AEC in recent years, reclassified as a Production Car Series.
The Carrera Cup Australia moves from championship to series status, leaving V8 Supercars, F4, GT and the revamped AEC as the only CAMS championships.
The Radical Australia Cup and Sports Racer Series are meanwhile listed as one category, having previously existed separately.
CAMS has also elected to continue the suspension of the Gold Star, for which the future will be debated towards the end of the year.
The new CAMS national championship and series structure
CAMS Australian Championships
CAMS Australian Touring Car Championship (V8 Supercars Championship)
CAMS Australian GT Championship
CAMS Australian Formula 4 Championship
CAMS Australian Endurance Championship (Details to be announced)
CAMS Australian Series
V8 Supercar Development Series
Porsche Carrera Cup Australia
V8 Ute Racing Series
CAMS Authorised Series
Sports Sedans
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia
Kumho V8 Touring Cars
Aussie Racing Cars
Production Car Series
Touring Car Masters
Toyota 86 Pro-Am Racing Series
Radical & Sports Racers Australia Cup
Formula 3 (2016 only after which provision will be made for Formula 3 cars at State Level)
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