Supercars teams are continuing to distance themselves from the controversial Super5000 series following the official unveil of the new single seater.
The new modern Formula 5000 category remains a divisive issue in the Australian motorsport landscape with the series set to rival the already announced Formula Thunder 5000, created by publisher Chris Lambden.
The project is funded by property developer Brian Boyd from PAYCE Consolidated and sponsor partner Wilson Security, while Supercars maintains intellectual property of the car and the rights to run the series.
Utilising Supercars’ V8 engines and transaxles, with cars estimated to cost in the region of $300,000, the series appears to fit into the remit of current Supercars teams.
Teams were against the idea when it was originally tabled in Townsville last year and the feeling remains after Speedcafe.com canvassed opinion from the Supercars paddock now the car has broken cover.
Triple Eight team owner Roland Dane has been most vocal since the project first emerged and feels Supercars should steer clear of what he labels ‘a waste of time’ and ‘a distraction’ from more pressing matters.
He was also particularly scathing of the look of the Super5000 car.
“I still think it is a complete and utter waste of time and a distraction for Supercars, which is unnecessary,” Dane, who was prepared to go on the record with his views, told Speedcafe.com.
“To be honest Supercars management haven’t got the time to be distracted by this, we’ve got other things to do closer to home.
“I think the car looks like it has been built out of lego and looks like something which is 50 years out of date.
“I’m not a fan of it and never have been and I doubt I will ever be.”
While the the series is yet to win over Supercars teams, the car is gathering interest both in Australia and Asia, according to Supercars CEO James Warburton.
Warburton maintains the project is still in its infancy with the launch designed to see if there is a market for the latest Supercars support category in Australia.
“It’s certainly generated an enormous amount of publicity, so I think there’s quite a bit of interest filtering in, which is obviously being managed by the people that are potentially running the category,” Warburton told Speedcafe.com.
“It’s just registering interest and then, as I’ve always said, the market will decide as to whether or not there’s a category there, full-stop.
“There’s a lot from outside of Australia as well, which is good, so lots of support and enquiry from particularly Asia, which is interesting with our plans to expand there as well.”
Warburton acknowledged the controversy and backlash from motorsport fans the launch created, with Super5000 seen as a direct competitor to Lambden’s Formula Thunder 5000 series.
“It is what it is and you can understand that, but ultimately Chris (Lambden) has every opportunity to run with us,” he said.
“He’s had a couple of years to get his product up and running, so it’s one of those things.
“I mean, it (Super5000) may well amount to nothing, too. It could be a prototype that’s out there that there’s not the interest (in) as well, so we’re realists in terms of all those things.”
The Super5000 car appears likely to make a first public appearance at the Wilson Security Sandown 500 in September, coinciding with Supercars’ retro round.
“Wilson Security sponsors Sandown so I would have thought Sandown’s probably the right opportunity,” he added.
“It’s a retro round so it’s probably the right opportunity and I’d say that’s where it will happen.”
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