Other Sports

Government V8 Bluff Backfires

Wednesday 18th November 2009

Author: LMSC

Photographer: LMSC

The Chairman of the V8 Supercars has called the WA governments bluff by claiming this weekend’s Supercar fixture at Barbagallo Raceway is likely to be the last after the state refused to commit to fixing the venues substandard facilities.

Earlier in the week, the government seemingly tried to play the V8 bluff card by only committing to $5 million of a required $50 million re-development saying the changes, not to be started until 2011, were enough to keep the race in WA.

A timeframe for the further investment, the government said, would not be considered until the future of the race was secure. Well that has appeared to have backfired.

"Many years ago we gave quite a detailed report to the then-government about the things that would need to be rectified in order for us to keep racing," Cochrane said on local radio.

"Unfortunately in the ensuing six years there has been really very little movement.”

"We are asking for a fair dinkum (commitment), instead of this going on year, after year, after year.”

The current structure of the race here in WA is unique to the rest of the country with the lease holders of Barbagallo Raceway, the Sporting Car Club of WA (SCCWA), holding the license to run the race.

That has caused ongoing angst with SCCWA lacking the funds or logistics to upgrade their own venue and not willing to take the race outside of the Barbagallo track to a V8 preferred street race.

The V8’s have been clear in their distaste for the Barbagallo facility for some time preferring to move to a street race round the city, but have been curtailed by WA’s draconian political will and planning laws.

"From our point of view, and for literally for hundreds of thousands of fans in WA, we are sick of being put in a position where a gun is held to our head,” said Cochrane.

"We are bit sick of 'pie in the sky', to be frank."

Cochrane said the recent $5 million announcement was a slap in the face to the sport an event given it cost the competition $2.5 million to stage a race in WA season.

"We have been coming there for many, many years, we have done our part. We spent the millions of dollars every year, and we want real certainty that development is going to take place, and that when it takes the pits and the paddock problems are really going to be resolved,” he said.

Of biggest concern was the safety standards of the debilitated facilities with a recent review highlight how dangerous the venue was in comparison to others around the country, with Mr Cochrane confirming this was likely to make this weekend’s event the last.

"Clearly we can't keep going somewhere where we are in defiance of the OHS laws of the state of WA," Cochrane said.

"All the OHS in the pits and paddock all unfortunately keep existing, for us we have to be realistic here that it is probably the end of the road."

The pre-emptive V8 decision drew a predictable response from the government who has struggled to come up with any real vision to fix the state’s chronic sporting venue issues.

"We are not going to be threatened," Premier Colin Barnett said.

“I am not going to be threatened by individual sporting groups."

Despite the government’s hardline stance, the Premier was willing to acknowledge his government’s recent $5 million stop gap announcement wasn’t up to scratch.

"I know it does not satisfy the needs of the V8 Supercars, but we are not going to be able to suddenly produce $60 or $70 million,” he said, despite the facility requiring an upgrade for several years.

"(The V8’s) have had good support from the WA public and the government over the years, and it has got to the stage where we need a major upgrade for a track.”