An air of uncertainty hangs over national level Australian motorsport as categories wait on confirmation of a CAMS buyout of the Shannons Nationals.
Although currently refusing to comment on the matter, the national sporting body is understood to have agreed to purchase Rob Curkpatrick’s 50 percent stake in the Shannons Nationals.
The deal is yet to be communicated to the respective Shannons Nationals categories, but is expected to be announced shortly.
Having previously played a hands-off role in the operation of the Shannons series as a part-owner, CAMS’ move to gain control follows its recently revealed plan to restructure national level motorsport.
Those changes have already cast doubt over the number of rounds that the Nationals will be able to hold next year, as it has traditionally been funded through the participation of a wide array of categories.
All seven classes left with CAMS national championship or series status following the CAMS review race primarily with the V8 Supercars Championship.
Classes now titled ‘CAMS Authorised Series’ that have traditionally run with the Nationals are the Sports Sedans, GT3 Cup, Kumho V8s, Production Cars, Radical/Sports Racers and Formula 3.
Formula Ford, Super Six Touring Cars and Superkarts were left out in the cold completely under the new CAMS structure, which banishes them to state competition, while Formula 3 is set to follow suit in 2017.
Uncertainty also surrounds the future of the Production Car class, for which the category management rights are currently being tendered by CAMS after being handed back by previous manager Curkpatrick.
Curkpatrick is however expected to continue in his other management roles with the Sports Sedan, Sports Racer and V8 Touring Car classes.
Largely loyal to the Nationals, all three categories have run at least one event with the V8 Supercars over the last 12 months.
Whether categories splinter further away from the Nationals under the new CAMS ownership remains to be seen.
Phil Crompton, who co-manages the Sports Sedans with Curkpatrick, is among those hopeful of minimal change to the Nationals under its future CAMS ownership.
“Stability is what we’re about, we just want everything to be stable and continue as is, if possible,” Crompton told Speedcafe.com.
“If CAMS can give us the stability we want then there will be no need to look elsewhere. I’m optimistic that will be the case.
“The only reason we did (run with the Winton V8 Supercars) this year was the dropping of the Mallala (Shannons) round.”
This year’s Shannons Nationals continues at Phillip Island on September 18-20, where the Super Sixes, Kumho V8s, GT3 Cup, Radicals, Sports Racers, Formula 3, IROC Challenge and Superkarts are all on the menu.