[retro]

Supercars may roar into Town
Paul Gover
22sep05

THE V8 Supercar train could pull into Townsville in 2007.

With Bahrain and China locked into place, far north Queensland has emerged as the next growth target for the touring car championship..
Businessmen in Townsville have laid out a downtown track and have taken feedback from leading drivers, as well as organising the multi-million dollar budget needed to hook the V8 Supercar honchos..

They are now chasing state government support after Tony Cochrane, the boss of the Australian V8 Supercar Company, gave an early green light.

"I'm sure the planets will line up," Cochrane said. "I would put Townsville in the high probability stakes.

"The government are very keen, Townsville are very onside, and we done a lot of work to help them. It a terrific market for our fan base, far north Queensland. They never get to see us live. We do very well up there on TV."

The championship is headed for its grand final, the Bathurst 1000 in early October, but Cochrane is thinking further ahead after culling Eastern Creek in Sydney from next year's championship schedule.

He is still aiming for another overseas event, perhaps a street race in Singapore, but is also fine-tuning local events to ensure V8 Supercars compete where they have fan and government backing.

He says Townsville could tick all the boxes, although he has given no hint on which race would go to clear space for it.

Insiders suggest it will be the unpopular Willowbank Raceway outside Brisbane.

"It's a much bigger project than a V8 street car race," Cochrane said. "What you need to understand is they are not just putting on a street race. They are building an entertainment sporting precinct that involves a lot of infrastructure work in the surrounding area.

"They want to have an area they can use all year round."

He said the V8 Supercar series was in big demand, particularly with Bahrain joining the championship.

"It goes without saying that we are a truly world-class product," Cochrane said.

"We are very much in demand and I sure the championship will get a tremendous reception when we go over there (Bahrain) in November next year."