The Australian Racing Group owner has long taken umbrage at driver eligibility requirements which effectively quarantine the top tier of Supercars to those who have completed at least a season in Super2, or established foreigners.
Following a swirl of uncertainty around S5000’s future in the latter half of 2023, Rogers has told Speedcafe that the V8-powered open-wheelers will not be racing until there is a change to Supercars Championship eligibility.
“I think we’ve been pretty public in what we’ve said; until the licence matter is sorted out, it’s just going to sit there,” he declared.
“We’ll see what happens as the year unfolds, but we’re not prepared to put the cars out there and have fields again of eight, nine and 10; that’s not what it’s about.
“The biggest restriction on it is the young guys; you know, there’s no incentive for them to race them.
“When we originally built [the S5000 cars], that wasn’t the rule and that rule’s changed.
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“Young guys and their parents – and fair enough – ask, ‘If we race these, can it get you to Supercars?’ and the answer is no.
“Supercars is the pinnacle of our sport in the country, which is fantastic, but it’s a bit of a closed shop as to how to get there, and until that matter’s resolved, those cars [S5000] sort of sit where they are.
“It’s not feasible to run them with what’s there, and the biggest restriction is the licence issue.
“So, that’s not doing motorsport any good, what’s going on with that licence, but I’ve spoken enough about it and I don’t really want to speak about it anymore, to be honest.”
S5000 and a number of other ARG categories originally did not pay Motorsport Australia Superlicence points and hence were not a formal part of the Supercars pathway.
Then, when they were granted points in 2021, another change to the system cemented Super2 as the main pathway to the Supercars Championship.
Even when the latter tweak was reversed by Motorsport Australia, Supercars continued to impose its own eligibility criteria, and they remain in place despite the governing body’s Superlicence being abolished this year.
While a report has now emerged regarding the possibility that Supercars will be forced by the FIA to back down on its eligibility rules, Speedcafe enquiries have revealed that the chances of such a development are slim, at least in the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, if there was to be a change which reduced the significance of Super2 in the pathway, then Rogers, who has previously threatened to sell the S5000 cars overseas, could revive the category.
“We’ve got 12 months ahead of us [and] we’re only in January; it’s not to say that in the second half of the year, something could be put together,” he said.
“I mean, there’s all sorts of things that can happen; it’s just a matter of what happens with the licence.
“If you said, ‘100 percent, are they parked for the year?’ no, that’s not true.
“But, I can’t be any clearer than the fact until that licence matter’s sorted… And whether it is or isn’t, who knows?”
Rogers, who remains a shareholder in Supercars’ parent company, RACE, argues that the Super2 requirement will damage the sport in the long run.
“Let me tell you, it’s not doing motorsport any good in this country,” he added.
“We all try and make a living off motorsport and if you’re going to have this closed shop, it might work for you for a short period of time, but long term-wise, you’ll kill the sport.
“If AFL came out tomorrow and said you can’t play for an AFL club unless you go and do an elite football programme at a private school and your parents can spend a few hundred grand on you going through private school…
“Any kid who can pull on a pair of footy boots and play AFL or NRL – whatever state you’re in – they can get to the top without a bag full of money.
“In motorsport, there’s as enough restrictions from the start and this closed shop that’s going on is not good for motorsport. It’s as simple as that.”
After debuting with two exhibition rounds in 2019 and then being parked due to COVID restrictions in 2020, S5000 has struggled to deliver double-digit grids ever since.
Rogers’ revelation that it is a non-starter for 2024 come as he also confirmed that another ARG property, the V8 Touring Cars Series, has been put on ice due to small fields.
Meanwhile, Touring Car Masters is set to be bought out by competitors and SRO has taken full control of GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS.
Going forward, then, the active elements of the ARG portfolio are the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, National Trans Am Series, and the three events which it promotes, although the Bathurst 6 Hour has left the Shannons SpeedSeries platform and reverted to standalone status.
The SpeedSeries season starts at Sandown on February 9-11, with TCR and Trans Am both racing at the Melbourne circuit that weekend.
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