V8SC: Chrysler no certainty for V8 Supercars

MOTORSPORT REPORT

Chrysler Group Australia admits it has had talks with several V8 Supercar teams about the Car of the Future to be introduced next year.

Chrysler's new director of corporate affairs Lenore Fletcher said today a decision on whether to enter the fray against Holden and Ford could be made "within six to eight weeks", although it may take longer. And the term "budgetary constraints" came up several times during our discussion with Fletcher.

Top V8 Supercar teams reputedly have been spending about $10 million a year fielding two cars. While the cost of competing is meant to be reduced by the Car of the Future regulations, it seems Chrysler would need substantial contributions from its American parent -- through its Street and Race Technology (SRT) brand and motorsports arm, and its Mopar aftermarket division -- to go racing in the Australian-based series, which is aiming to have up to six overseas rounds within a couple of years.

The introduction of an American round to the V8 Supercar Championship in Texas next year is seen as a factor in favour of Chrysler entering the series. Speculation has been intense in the past week since reports quoting Ralph Gilles of SRT saying at the recent Detroit Motor Show that he was "extremely interested" in V8 Supercars.

Chrysler Group Australia managing director Clyde Campbell was quoted too, saying "the Car of the Future concept looks like it would suit" CGA's hopes of building the SRT brand in Australia. Campbell told motor industry and motorsport correspondent Bruce Newton that the Car of the Future program was "something we are looking at" but that "it's so preliminary we can't say whether we are in our out".

Chrysler will introduce a new model of its V8-engined rear-wheel drive 300C to Australia in the middle of this year. Last year it sold only 360 of the existing model here.

Auto Action magazine reports extensively today on Chrysler considering V8 Supercars and quotes Fletcher calling it "a serious look", but she disagreed with its story projecting the company as having approached teams.

Garry Rogers, a leading Holden privateer team owner, was linked to a Chrysler entry to V8 Supercar racing this week, but there have been contradictory statements attributed to him.

In a story circulated by Australian Associated Press and sourced to the V8X Magazine website -- although this author can't find any evidence of the story there -- Rogers was quoted saying he'd had "quite productive" talks with Chrysler.

However, Auto Action today quotes Rogers saying he has been in touch with every car company in Australia "except Rolls-Royce and Jaguar" and he says three times that there "hasn't been any positive feedback" and that any deal with Chrysler would be a long way off.

In the AAP story attributed to V8X Rogers had said: "We have had discussions with Chrysler. Are they going anywhere? I'd like to think they are.

"They seem to have done their homework on the category and us and their knowledge is good... We have had another discussion in the last week and that was quite productive. We haven't got anything up yet but I am hoping we can."

In Auto Action he said: "We've been speaking to every single manufacturer in Australia, except for Rolls-Royce and Jaguar -- and we are still going to give them a crack.

"We've sent correspondence to all the manufacturers, but there hasn't been any positive feedback yet... Of course we are keen to get a new manufacturer [involved in V8 Supercars].

"We've had a great relationship with Holden, but we don't receive assistance from them and I understand that. They've got their Holden Racing Team and Triple Eight, who are doing a great job for them... So we've got to get out there and explore every opportunity.

"We've been in touch with Chrysler, but only to send them our correspondence. They wrote back saying they received our letter, but that's it... There hasn't been any positive feedback from them."

Rogers said he did not have a preference for which car make he could lure into the sport.

"Probably the one with the most money and the most desire," he told AA. "We've written to Kia, Hyundai, Toyota and everybody else ... manufacturers and importers. But we haven't got any positive feedback yet, unfortunately."

Image: Chrysler 300C race entry at International Superstars Series Test, Monza

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