Amid Mark Larkham’s departure from Supercars’ TV line-up, in this week’s Pirtek Poll we want to know if Supercars has the right balance of entertainment versus technical insight in its broadcast
The presenter has been a popular fixture of Supercars broadcasts for over a decade, tasked primarily with providing under-the-skin insight into the championship.
The nature of Supercars and its technical parity formula means discussion often falls on specific aspects of design and engineering.
Suspension, tyres, engines, refuelling, and aerodynamics are pillars of the jargon, all of which are disseminated by the commentary crew.
However, it’s the technical talk that Supercars and its broadcasters Foxtel and the Seven Network supposedly wants to get away from, bringing with it the demise of Larkham.
It remains unclear whether technical topics will remain at the forefront of the telecast or take a back seat in 2021.
His axing comes just months out from the start of the 2021 season, which will be crucial to provide fans with an understanding of the new-for-2022 regulations package, Gen3.
The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be introduced and the Ford Mustang will remain, though the visual aesthetics of the Gen2 Ford to the Gen3 Ford will likely bear little resemblance.
That may need explaining for some fans.
There is, however, an argument to be made that more focus needs to be put upon the sporting side of the championship.
Ultimately, changes to spring rates, ride heights, and rear wing angles may mean very little to some viewers who wish to watch the sport for what it is; racing.
Supercars showed in 2020 that, despite the coronavirus pandemic, it could provide entertaining racing with changes to the sporting side of the equation.
In the end, racing is Supercars’ core business, and what the broadcast needs to be focused on. Everything else is added value.
Does Supercars have the right balance between entertainment and technical insight? Cast your vote in this week’s Pirtek Poll.
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