Supercars and TCR ‘can’t be mashed together’

The Australian Racing Group has no desire to mash some of its categories together with the Repco Supercars Championship, according to CEO Matt Braid.

It has been a turbulent period in recent weeks between Supercars and ARG, with tensions bubbling to the surface.

Speedcafe.com revealed last week that ARG co-founder Brian Boyd had sold his shareholding in Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises (RACE), the consortium which owns Supercars.

RACE Chairman Barclay Nettlefold confirmed the recent sale of shares in a statement, also advising that the organisation could in fact move to buy ARG and is currently conducting due diligence on that.

It’s what a RACE takeover of ARG would look like, that is the unanswered question.

ARG CEO, Braid, believes the two can co-exist under the same ownership with opposing commercial partners, though separation from competing at the same events is key.

“The ARG categories, TCR for example, has grown to a point where it’s got its own broadcast partner and naming rights partner distinctly in competition with Supercars’ partners,” Braid told selected media, including Speedcafe.com.

“The ability to actually merge those two together is probably not there.

“Realistically you could have two strong series; TCR is not going to overtake Supercars any time soon, that’s really never going to happen.

“From a point of view of existing on its own, standing on its own two feet with its own fan base, broadcast partner, and sponsor group, that’s already happening.

“It’s just never simple to mash it all together in one with the whole of sport approach,” he added, referring to a RACE acquisition strategy.

“It’s actually approaching the sport as one, rather than putting it all together as one.

“It’s bringing the industry more aligned together as one to make it better, rather than making the entries intertwined.”

Braid pointed out there is no interest from ARG’s parties to close the gap between Supercars and TCR, should a RACE take-over happen.

“I can’t see that being a proposition, even if there was desire,” he said.

“And at the moment I don’t think there’s a desire, certainly not from our point of view, none of our competitors, or manufacturers.”

Differences aside, Braid says ARG’s relationship with Supercars is ‘very good’, despite the recent shareholder tension.