RI attracts Australian racing heavyweights
By Alexander Corne
Indonesia's growing status in world motorsport could draw in Australian motor racing talent.
Former Formula 1 driver and ex-world champion Alan Jones who runs a V8 sedan touring car team said Australian racers could look at staging events in Asia, as the region comes of age as a motorsport venue.
This interest is partly fueled by this years' Australian ban on cigarette sponsorship in sport. This has financially crippled some motor racing teams, who are considering involvement in racing in the Asia region.
High levels of cigarette sponsorship in Asia could offer Australian racers just such an outlet for their talent.
Indonesia and Malaysia are both in the running to host an Asian Grand Prix for cars, Indonesia's chances having risen with the successful running of the motorcycle Grand Prix at Sentul in March.
Jones said Australian motorsport technology and expertise could be used in Indonesia to boost local teams or to provide competition for them. He said his team had not yet given Indonesia any serious thought, but he said he would look at any feasible option.
In Australia, two V8 touring car teams have been reduced to one car for the 1996 season. The absence of Peter Jackson and Winfield cigarette sponsorships has forced one team to disband and another to reduce its participation to one car.
Jones said the end of cigarette sponsorship in Australia threatened the future of 5.0-liter V8 sedan racing as there were insufficient new sponsor avenues open to the teams.
He said he thought banning cigarette advertising was a misguided attempt to stop people smoking for health reasons.
He said cigarette companies in Asia might be very interested in sponsoring Australian-style racing there, as it would promote motorsport in general.
While Australia motorsport competitors are not allowed to display cigarette sponsorship, the international Formula One race meeting at Melbourne in March was liberally plastered with advertising billboards for Marlboro, Rothmans and Mild Seven. The Australian government granted an exception to the bans for international events.
Jones called this double standards, echoing the feeling of several teams who have failed to replaced their cigarette sponsorships.
The 5.0-liter V8 sedan touring car championship is the most popular in Australia, though it is facing a growing challenge from the European oriented 2.0-liter Super Tourer sedan championships.
Several big name drivers have signed with the 2.0-liter racers but continue to campaign 5.0-liter cars. If the 5.0-liter series drops away, those drivers will be well placed to continue their careers.