V8 Supercars Australia

One of the most popular and professional motor racing championships in the world is the V8 Supercars. While it is one of the most sought-after events in domestic Australian motorsport, and takes place in all the Australian states, the V8 Supercar events are popular in countries like New Zealand, China and Bahrain as well, with over 170,000 car-racing fans supporting each event!

A V8 Supercar is a powerful racing car with a 650+ hp 5.0 litre engine capacity. The two primary brands competing in the V8 series are also the very popular passenger cars in Australia, The Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore. The traditional rivalry between the two groups adds to the overall fervor and excitement of the sports.

The V8 Supercar racing event achieved its current status in 1993, when two stalwarts in the motor car industry, Holden and Ford became rivals in the game. Backed by strong media support from Network Ten, who televised the entire series from 1997, the championship has expanded its network very rapidly becoming one of the most admired and popular sporting events in Australia.

What started as V8 Touring Cars in 1993 changed its name to V8 Supercars Australia in 2005. The event management company IMG was also transformed into an independent organization called The Australian V8 Supercar Company (AVESCO), who now runs the series directly.
During its expansion over the years, the V8 Supercar Australia have introduced a wide range of carnival street racing events, the most popular of which is Clipsal 500, which has turned the domestic event into a world-class brand. The origin of the name V8 Supercar Championship Series presented by Bigpond and VB, goes back to Shell Australian Touring Car Championship being replaced by Shell Championship Series which is now known by this name.

It was a moment of great dismay for millions of car racing fans who had watched with glee, the exciting rivalry between Ford and Holden since the 1960s, when international touring car regulations precluded the Australian built Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon, in the 1990s, when it moved from Group A to Supertouring. Soon of course the regulations were redrafted, and the two were permitted to display their large range of Australian-made cars.

All the teams claim an ownership of The Touring Car Entrants Group Australia (TEGA) and they also own half of V8 Supercars Australia. TEGA has a board of 4 representatives and they are responsible for drafting all the regulations.

The Japanese giant Nissan had ruled the scene during the 1990s. They however withdrew their Turbo AWD Skyline GTR under the cloud of a lot of controversy. BMW with their non-turbo M3s, operated during this time for a short while. Nissan, after this event, promised not to return ever to the Australian racing circuit and later even stopped their Australian production.