RI attracts Australian racing heavyweights
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.