Tony Longhurst
Two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Tony Longhurst has criticized a lack of initiative to make participation in the Repco Supercars Championship more affordable.
Longhurst set up its own team in this category in the 1990s, but believes the costs associated with modern-generation supercars are nowhere near affordable.
The controversial Gen3 project, now officially postponed to launch in August 2022, has been touted as an opportunity to cut startup and operating costs.
However, Supercars has since admitted that the cost of a turnkey car has surged to the $ 400,000 mark – and Longhurst is skeptical that it will even be cheaper as a finished product.
“The way things are going with the current cars and the Gen3, I wouldn’t handle it with a 10-foot pole,” Longhurst told Speedcafe.com.
“Since I started racing in the mid-80s to the 90s, we’ve had a good balance where you could put something together for $ 150,000, have a mechanic or two take care of it and get it to work … it’s easy totally out of control.
“It’s not profitable – and I have good business – but it is not profitable to spend so much money on a racing car.
“As it turned out, I went from a starting field in Bathurst with 55 cars to 25 cars or whatever it is now.
“The opportunity for someone with talent who can’t get into it if you don’t have a checkbook – and now you have a large checkbook.”
Longhurst reiterated that he would be genuinely interested in restarting his team when the finances pile up, but believes a supercar would cost around $ 200,000 at a reasonable price – and with an American engine that would “have been in for years.” could keep our cars and it doesn’t cost you a cent ”.
The 63-year-old, who won the Big Race in 1988 and 2001, said, “The amount of money that is being wasted on development and everything is just overwhelming.
“You now need millions of dollars to run a car. I just look at it and think it’s crazy, ”added Longhurst, who opened the newest store in his Coomera district, Hair Works at The Boat Works.
“If Larry Perkins were dead, he’d be rolling in the grave at the expense of those cars.”
In fairness, Supercars has pledged to end the so-called arms race with its Gen3 product.
Bathurst 1000 winner Dick Johnson announced on social media yesterday his support for the Gen3 postponement to ensure the next generation cars hit the ground in the best possible way.
Erebus Motorsport chief Barry Ryan has shown his support for Gen3 despite the delay, while Ryan Walkinshaw, director of Walkinshaw Andretti United, has also endorsed the move.
“This may understandably frustrate some fans, but it is absolutely the right decision and one that I fully support,” wrote Walkinshaw on Twitter.
“COVID and a non-synchronous global supply chain are the cause, that’s the result. Must be done right and that will take more time. Please understand and support it. “