AUSTRALIAN Motorsport is once again in the throes of adding new categories to the annual calendar of National status meetings.

A quick look at the list of available classes that a competitor could choose on a national or semi national basis is staggering when matched with CAMS or AASA-licenced competitors.

The regular rotation of classes seen on the Supercars calendar is fundamentally made up of the two prime categories under Supercars control of Super 2 and Super Utes. Add to this Touring Car Masters and Porsche Carrera Cup with the occasional appearance of GT, Aussie Racing Cars and Formula 4 and the premier event calendar is set.

Other than the infant Super Utes and Formula 4, grids are strong and sponsorship, promotion and on track activation programs very successfully deployed.

Dropping down a rung we find the Shannons Nationals. Administered by CAMS, this series plays host to multiple categories all of whom obtain a number of slots at various events. Few rounds are identical in their make up.

No less than ten classes make up the calendar, with Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge as arguably the headline act. Australian GT, Sports Sedans, Production Cars, Radical and the Australian Prototype Series, as well as Formula 4, represent the main bill with other categories making various state based appearances.

The AASA also has an emerging National footprint, with Formula Ford picking up two rounds as well as Formula 3, TA2 Muscle Cars and a kit bag of new and state-based categories. TA2 now boasts a 25+ competitor base and looks to be one of the success stories of the current expansion while Formula Ford remains relevant and relatively healthy.

(Interestingly, the AMRS this year launched a GT category called GT1, aimed at more entry-level GT racing, and will next year launch a Production Car category as well – Ed)

So, on the National Stage alone, motor sport has over 25 categories in which to compete. Add to that a healthy bunch of State level series including various forms of Saloon Car, Improved Production, Sports Cars, Group N, and the extraordinary growth of the Hyundai Excel class and the choice is nearly endless.

For 2019, add even more.

The internationally emerging TCR series leads the way. TCR is a Touring Car based on 4 or 5 door production vehicle, powered by 2.0 litre turbocharged engine. No manufacturers are directly allowed to run teams however ‘customer’ teams front the series for Audi, Hyundai, Volkswagen and Honda to name a few.

A Category Management Licence has been granted by CAMS to the newly formed Australian Racing Group (ARG). Whilst calendar details are scarce in late 2018 for TCR, the news of more ARG categories for 2019 has raised a lot of eyebrows in the industry.

The long gestation period of a V8 based open wheeler reminds of Formula 5000 was finally confirmed in August with the announcement of the S5000 Onroak-Ligier built chassis to house the 5 litre V8 power plant. After much in fighting and concept debate, the appointment of the Onroak-Ligier sourced chassis was a surprise, however now at least sets the course for the category.

The S5000 chassis will feature the halo protective device, making it the first Australian racing class that will feature the FIA-mandated safety feature.

The cars will be powered by a sealed 5.0 litre, 560hp V8 Ford Coyote ‘Aluminator’ engine, with a Holinger six-speed sequential transaxle and huge 17 inch wide rear tyres, giving the S5000 car an undeniable on-track presence.

International Sport Car Formula LMP3 will also be added to the sport in 2019, with interest being relied upon from the Asia Pacific basin where the category already runs.

Since the category’s inception in 2015, there have been a dozen different series across the world, including the Asian Le Mans Series and European Le Mans Series. Even with the established Asian Le Mans series heading into another season in late November 2018, only 12 of the LMP3 chassis fronted at most rounds of the 2017/18 series. Grid numbers will be difficult if promoters hope to attract Asian and local competitors, though the category management – made up of experienced endurance racing people – recently confirmed they have reached the minimum numbers required to launch next year.

And so it goes…..

But the overriding question is how can this pursuit of new categories be sustainable?

Grid sizes ultimately determine the success or demise of categories to gain spots on the various national series.

The current landscape already reveals some inherent structural difficulties.

The arrival of The Bend in April 2018 delivered big grids in Prototype Sports, Sports Sedans and Radical Australia matching the well supported Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. But the drop off was quite severe in later rounds with the two sports car classes presenting around half the competitor numbers.

This grid size drop off continued into the year with fields as low as eight and averaging around eleven for the two Sports Car formula, with Formula 4 logging between 10 and 12 cars. Sports Sedans offered a hybrid calendar including Shannon’s nationals, Muscle Car Masters and state based events but still only deliver grids of around 15 competitors.

The CAMS Australian Motor Racing Commission produced a strategy in 2015 setting out National Championship Status, Australian series and ‘Authorised’ categories. Whilst controversial, it did acknowledge that many classes appearing on national programs were more suited to state based championships where numbers and cost to competitor would be less.

Backlash was severe from those categories who felt they had been dealt a hard blow, in particular Formula Ford and Formula 3, however it is interesting to now note that only three years later, many of the classes targeted for removal of national status now run on the Shannons Nationals program.

“The underlying reason of the review is to rationalise or consolidate. It’s to say, let’s take a deep breath and look at where the sport should be in five to 10 years. Let’s plan for the future and be prepared to make courageous decisions if need be about rationalising and consolidating the elements of the sport at the national level.” CAMS CEO Eugene Arocca said in June 2015.

It would seem relevant now to conduct a thorough review of the 2015 AMRC rulings as CAMS has issued three new category management agreements in 2018 alone.

The question is, where do these new ARG managed categories sit in the overall structure.

The Shannons Nationals will no doubt be the cornerstone of TCR, S5000 and LMP3 when they launch in 2019 and will expand to seven rounds to accommodate them.

Do current categories that may be squeezed out seek new horizons? The AMRS seems to be well placed to build a very viable – if somewhat of a duplicate of the Shannons Nationals – alternative to accommodate this rapid expansion. And should others cross over, what happens to the fringe categories already on that program?

2019 promises to be a very interesting, if not a fragmented year as this expanded package finds its feet.

It is critical for all Category Managers and indeed the sport’s governing body to stick to the edict laid down in the 2015 plan, or ditch it and go back to the whiteboard.

Deep breaths again will be required.

WORDS: DALE RODGERS
IMAGE: TCR AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIA’S ‘NATIONAL’ CATEGORIES

Here’s how the landscape for Australian Circuit Racing sits in 2018

MAINLY SUPERCARS EVENTS:

• Virgin Australia Supercars Championship
• Dunlop Super 2 Series
• Porsche Wilson Security Carrera Cup Australia
• Paynter Dixon Touring Car Masters
• Aussie Racing Cars Series
• ECB SuperUtes Series
• Kumho Tyre V8 Touring Cars Series
• Toyota 86 Racing Series

SUPERCARS & SHANNONS NATIONALS EVENTS

• CAMS PAYCE Formula 4 Championship
• Australian GT Championship / CAMS Australian Endurance Championship

SHANNONS NATIONALS CORE CATEGORIES

• Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge Australia
• CAMS Australian GT Trophy Series
• Radical Australia Cup
• Australian Prototype Series Presented by Hot Wheels
• Australian Production Car Series

MIX AND MATCH BUT MAINLY CAMS SANCTIONED ‘NATIONAL’ EVENTS

• Australian Sports Sedan Series
• Heritage Touring Cars
• Improved Production Nationals
• Formula Vee Nationals
• Saloon Car Nationals

SOMEWHERE IN NO MANS LAND
(Ran AMRS events but also popped up at several CAMS state or even Supercars rounds)

• Australian Formula Ford Series

AUSTRALIAN MOTOR RACING SERIES

• Performax TA2 Series
• Mazda RX8 Cup
• Stock Cars Australia
• Australian Formula 3
• Legends Cars Series
• Group 4 Touring Cars / IROC Challenge / Aussie Utes

INCOMING IN 2019

• TCR Australia
• S5000
• LMP3 Cup Australia
• AMRS Production Cars category