Mark Doust was a key figure in prompting a backflip from Supercars back in late 2020 after it announced that Larkham wouldn’t continue as part of the broadcast team the following year.
An online petition led by Doust amassed 20,000-odd signatures to highlight Larkham’s popularity, undoubtedly contributing to a decision from Supercars to retain Larkham into the 2021 season.
Larkham remains a key figure in the Supercars broadcast to this day.
As revealed by Speedcafe, a new wave of major changes to the Supercars broadcast are coming for 2026.
As it stands, long-time voice of the sport Crompton is set to lose his role as lead caller for the series, while co-caller Mark Skaife is also expected to move out of the commentary box, at least in terms of what has been a permanent role.
That has prompted Doust to launch a new campaign, focussed on Crompton but also including a suggested reprieve for Skaife.
The petition is available here
Unlike in the Larkham case, this campaign is less focussed on stopping change altogether. Rather, it is about giving the two callers the opportunity to bow out in a manner Doust feels is more fitting of their contribution to Supercars.
“I’m worried that Supercars is denying transparency to the fans and natural justice to Neil,” he told Speedcafe.
“The question I have is, was [Crompton] offered a situation that was, ‘look we need to make a change, but we’re looking to do this over a year’s period of time?’.
“Or was it a case of, ‘we’re making the change, and we’re going offer you a little bit, but only a few rounds here and there?’.
“I can understand there’s going to be change. There’s always going to be change. We all get it.
“Neil, I’m sure, would know that too, as would Mark Skaife. There’s got to be change and things have to bring freshened up.
“But you’ve got to manage change and manage it without it creating a crisis.
“I would have thought that it would have been reasonable, and also smart marketing, to say, ‘we’re going to do this over 12 months. Basically a farewell tour to show the respect and appreciation that both of those people deserve.
“And could you imagine, for example, the crowd being any more amped up at Bathurst to see Neil in an AU Falcon and Skaife in a VY Commodore doing laps, commentating with each other?”
The new-look TV line-up for Supercars is expected to be announced during an official season launch on February 17, just three days out from the season-opening Sydney 500.
The late nature of any official communication regarding Crompton’s future is something that doesn’t sit well with Doust.
“With the Larko situation, he made a statement on the day,” Doust added.
“It was transparent. He made it clear it wasn’t his decision and everybody knew what the state of play was.
“In this case there’s been nothing official and I think a lot of the fan base don’t actually believe it’s happening.”
Despite the success of his Larkham campaign, Doust is realistic that lightning striking twice is unlikely.
Still, he hopes the petition will at the very least highlight to Crompton the importance of the role he has played for Supercars over his long career in various roles.
“Neil has spent decades in the category, in various different roles from commentator to driver to what he’s done most recently by helping bring Toyota into the series,” said Doust.
“At that point he was being lauded by Supercars as being instrumental to the category. So to me it makes no sense.
“If nothing else, Neil deserves to know that people do care. If this change is happening, it’s not because he’s not popular with the fans. That’s simply not right.”
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