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Sponsor backs Walkinshaw Camaro switch

Walkinshaw Andretti United sponsor Boost Mobile has backed the team’s vision of bringing the Camaro to Supercars.

Camaro on the road trip

Camaro on the road trip

Walkinshaw Andretti United

The team is currently working through an internal feasibility study on the Camaro, which will determine whether the model will be put to GM for final approval in the future.

Should all the boxes be ticked, the US muscle car could join Ford’s Mustang on the grid as soon as 2020.

Despite admitting its long-term future with the team is uncertain, with grand plans to start a dedicated Boost Mobile Supercars squad from scratch, Boost founder Peter Adderton is a big fan of the potential Camaro switch.

He reckons Mustang vs Camaro could become the new Falcon vs Commodore battle, creating a modern take on the blue and red divide in Aussie Touring Cars.

“I live in America, so the Camaros and Mustangs are legends over there,” Adderton said.

“I think if we’re importing cars now, we should import the ones that people want to see on the track. Camaro and the Mustang is a natural evolution from the Falcon and the Commodore.

“I love it. I think it’d a be a great idea to put [a Camaro] on the track. I know Ford is coming, fingers crossed the Camaro comes out.

“I grew up in Australia wanting a Camaro, wanting a Trans-Am, wanting a Mustang, so I think it’s heritage. I think it’s part of the country.

“The natural evolution of the sport is the Camaro and the Mustang, keeping that Ford and Holden battle going along with these cars.”

According to Adderton, a new generation of Supercars should also inspire a new generation of cost-cutting.

While the cars are already based on a control chassis, he says more controlled components should be put in place to limit running costs and open up the sport to more brands and bodyshapes.

“I think the sport needs to go more like IndyCar and NASCAR where you have one chassis, and you just buy the parts,” he said.

“I was talking to Michael Andretti [over the Bathurst 1000 weekend], I said ‘how long does one of your cars last for?’ he said ‘three or four years’. He said ‘we work a bit on the suspension, but it’s basically the same as everybody else. It’s a lot less expensive to run’.

“I love that concept. It’s way too expensive to run these things. And do you really think the fans care about two tenths? Teams do. These things are over-engineered, they’d extremely expensive.

“I’ve been calling to bring the prices down, then you’d have more sponsors coming in.

“Hopefully Supercars will take a more IndyCar approach where you get the chassis made, put your shell on, the engine’s there, then you go racing. That’s when it gets exciting.”

One thing that Adderton says is sacred is the V8 engine, elaborating on a long-held belief that the Holden V6 programme would have been a dud move for Supercars had it come to fruition.

“This time last year I bet [Triple Eight boss] Roland Dane there would be no V6 running around The Mountain,” he claimed.

“I bet him $1000. So if you’re talking to Roland, he does actually owe me $1000.

“He was adamant that [Craig] Lowndes would be in a V6, we were adamant that there would only be V8s running around The Mountain. We were vocal about that.

“I’m not a fan of the V6. It’s rental car racing. My attitude is that fans want to see the V8s, they want to hear the V8s.

“We said we’d pull out of the sport. If they move to V6 Turbos, we’re gone.

“Will there ever be an evolution? I think a bi-turbo V8 is the way to go, personally. Keep the V8 feel and sound and throw the technology on there.”

The twin-turbo V6 engine was ultimately benched by Holden earlier this year, after significant development work had been done by Dane’s Triple Eight squad.

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Edition

Australia