Tony Cochrane retires as Chairman

[peckstar]

TONY COCHRANE QUITS V8 SUPERCARS CHAIRMAN ROLE

Tony Cochrane will retire from his role as executive chairman of V8 Supercars by the end of the 2012 championship season.

[Club racer]

A condition laid down by the new manufacturers?

[Goat Boy]

Originally Posted by peckstar

TONY COCHRANE QUITS V8 SUPERCARS CHAIRMAN ROLE

Wow! Was that expected or is it a reaction to something he doesn't like about COTF or something?

I guess it may mean the new head might be more amenable to Hampton Downs in future...

[Razor]

WOW! I did not see this one coming. What's next?

Mark Skaife to become the new chairman?

[TSR]

Greatest day in the history of v8's. Dont slam the door on the way out.

[peckstar]

didnt he try and step back a few years ago, but something happened and he stayed on ?

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by Goat Boy

Wow! Was that expected or is it a reaction to something he doesn't like about COTF or something?

I guess it may mean the new head might be more amenable to Hampton Downs in future...

How old is Tony? Does he have enough money and is he retiring?

Language is interesting though. Just the tone of it, but there are more than enough conspiracists in this forum already

[peckstar]

Cochrane will continue to work with the category as an “external senior advisor to the V8 Supercars Board” and will remain an investor in its majority shareholder Archer Capital.

this suggest it was amicable (although MS said that when he retired at HRT)

[peckstar]

this open the door for Mark Skaife? sure hope not!

[hdt05]

Originally Posted by TSR

Greatest day in the history of v8's. Dont slam the door on the way out.

Although I don't agree 100% with everything he has done or the way he has gone about it, the guy has delivered on the vast majority of his promises and taken the sport from being amateur at best to one of the bigger sports in Australia.

Without his input would we really have events like Adelaide, Townsville etc? Would we have the amount of live coverage?

Cast your mind to 96 when we were lucky to see 2 hours of non-Bathurst TV coverage if at all.

I personally think it is a sad day for the sport and would like to thank him for his input.

[osrg]

Originally Posted by hdt05

Although I don't agree 100% with every has done or the way he has gone about it, the guy has dilevered on the vast majority of his promises and taken the sport from being amateur at best to one of the bigger sports in Australia.

Without his input would we really have events like Adelaide, Townsville etc? Would we have the amount of live coverage?

Cast your mind to 96 when we were lucky to see 2 hours of non-Bathurst TV coverage if at all.

I personally think it is a sad day for the sport and would like to thank him for his input.

Agree 100%

[TSR]

Originally Posted by hdt05

Although I don't agree 100% with every has done or the way he has gone about it, the guy has dilevered on the vast majority of his promises and taken the sport from being amateur at best to one of the bigger sports in Australia.

Without his input would we really have events like Adelaide, Townsville etc? Would we have the amount of live coverage?

Cast your mind to 96 when we were lucky to see 2 hours of non-Bathurst TV coverage if at all.

I personally think it is a sad day for the sport and would like to thank him for his input.

And looking after his wallet and destroying ground rootes in Australia to get the taxi to were there are today.

Yes as a motorsport fan I am happy to see the taxis as a big player sport, but he did do alot of damage to other catagory's along the way.

[formerf1champ]

That's rubbish, rookie!

Originally Posted by hdt05

Although I don't agree 100% with every has done or the way he has gone about it, the guy has dilevered on the vast majority of his promises and taken the sport from being amateur at best to one of the bigger sports in Australia.

Firstly, the ATCC was, at worst, a semi-professional class. 1/2 a dozen or so of professional, factory supported teams, supplemented with privateers. There was nothing wrong with the ATCC.

Also, it's not really any bigger than it was before, ATCC/V8Supercar/motorsport still is what it is...A popular niche sport, behind the footy codes (particularly footy and league).

Originally Posted by hdt05

Without his input would we really have events like Adelaide, Townsville etc?

If the SA government hadn't got the GP, then the VIC government bought the conctract to host the race in Melbourne, Cochrane would never have got the idea to take advantage of a diused street track. These "events" aren't really "big events" the whole country cares about. At the same time, Bathurst has been diminished.

Originally Posted by hdt05

Would we have the amount of live coverage?

Yeah, it's great hearing the in-jokes and back slapping between Skaife, Crompton and White. Mark Larkham saying the same **** over and over again, trying to be funny. Is great live coverage.

Originally Posted by hdt05

Cast your mind to 96 when we were lucky to see 2 hours of non-Bathurst TV coverage if at all.

The only reason why the covrage was poor in 96, was because Cams butchered the race format with 3x20 minute races. With all the commercials to be fitted in, it was hard to construct an organised program.

2 hours coverage for each ATCC event was fine, when it was 2x30/5 minute races. They'd start off with the intro, a fford race, heat 1, another support race, heat 2, presentation. Sometimes they also had an feature article/interview. It wasn't trying to be something it wasn't, it wasa higher quality content on those 2 hours compared to now.

Originally Posted by hdt05

I personally think it is a sad day for the sport and would like to thank him for his input.

Nevermind, the culture has been created, the effects will take decades to wear off.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

That's rubbish, rookie!

Firstly, the ATCC was, at worst, a semi-professional class. 1/2 a dozen or so of professional, factory supported teams, supplemented with privateers. There was nothing wrong with the ATCC.

Also, it's not really any bigger than it was before, ATCC/V8Supercar/motorsport still is what it is...A popular niche sport, behind the footy codes (particularly footy and league).

If the SA government hadn't got the GP, then the VIC government bought the conctract to host the race in Melbourne, Cochrane would never have got the idea to take advantage of a diused street track. These "events" aren't really "big events" the whole country cares about. At the same time, Bathurst has been diminished.


Yeah, it's great hearing the in-jokes and back slapping between Skaife, Crompton and White. Mark Larkham saying the same **** over and over again, trying to be funny. Is great live coverage.

The only reason why the covrage was poor in 96, was because Cams butchered the race format with 3x20 minute races. With all the commercials to be fitted in, it was hard to construct an organised program.

2 hours coverage for each ATCC event was fine, when it was 2x30/5 minute races. They'd start off with the intro, a fford race, heat 1, another support race, heat 2, presentation. Sometimes they also had an feature article/interview. It wasn't trying to be something it wasn't, it wasa higher quality content on those 2 hours compared to now.

Nevermind, the culture has been created, the effects will take decades to wear off.

So your suggesting TC has done nothing good for the sport.
Yet you admit all these things that were wrong and dont acknowledge that he fixed them.

I hope the culture doesnt go back to where it come from, otherwise we would still be running on piddly little goat tracks with amateur drivers and late Sunday night telecasts.

[aussiemuscle308]

damn, no more cockroach jokes about v8sc....

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by aussiemuscle308

damn, no more cockroach jokes about v8sc....

will all be big nose jokes

[GTRMagic]

Kelvin O'Reilly come on down

Tony Cochrane is a visionary, who along with a team of clever bods, dragged a ragtag fleet of fleet owners out of the financial and sporting dark ages and into a sustainable business model for its participants

Love him or hate him, the rate of progress is undeniable, and motorsport fans in this country, and around the world, owe Mr Cochrane our respect and genuine thanks for the effort, the energy, and the outcomes he has been able to deliver

Aloha Tony Cochrane..

[Rachel Richards]

Boo Fricketty Hoo !

That's all...

[The Generals Army]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

That's rubbish, rookie!

Firstly, the ATCC was, at worst, a semi-professional class. 1/2 a dozen or so of professional, factory supported teams, supplemented with privateers. There was nothing wrong with the ATCC.

Really?? Rampant cheating, no crowds, terrible tv coverage

Also, it's not really any bigger than it was before, ATCC/V8Supercar/motorsport still is what it is...A popular niche sport, behind the footy codes (particularly footy and league).

Actually crowd sizes say otherwise for a sport that plays once every couple of weeks

If the SA government hadn't got the GP, then the VIC government bought the conctract to host the race in Melbourne, Cochrane would never have got the idea to take advantage of a diused street track. These "events" aren't really "big events" the whole country cares about. At the same time, Bathurst has been diminished.

Soooo he took advantage of something for the benefit of the sport?? Bad Tony bad bad

Yeah, it's great hearing the in-jokes and back slapping between Skaife, Crompton and White. Mark Larkham saying the same **** over and over again, trying to be funny. Is great live coverage.

Wether you like the commintators or not (name a sport that actually do) the coverage is still 100% better

The only reason why the covrage was poor in 96, was because Cams butchered the race format with 3x20 minute races. With all the commercials to be fitted in, it was hard to construct an organised program.

Also the fact that at the time crowds were terrible (except bathurst) as such no tv channel wanted a bar of it (again besides Bathurst)

2 hours coverage for each ATCC event was fine, when it was 2x30/5 minute races. They'd start off with the intro, a fford race, heat 1, another support race, heat 2, presentation. Sometimes they also had an feature article/interview. It wasn't trying to be something it wasn't, it wasa higher quality content on those 2 hours compared to now.

Umm no it wasnt, true that the coverage now is a bit of the boys club. BUT there is allot of info about racing that is described for the newly initiated that wasnt afforded the time back then

Nevermind, the culture has been created, the effects will take decades to wear off.

Hopefully Ill be long dead when it does as motorsport in general has never been this succesfull in Australia as a whole.

[porsche91722]

Originally Posted by peckstar

So your suggesting TC has done nothing good for the sport.
Yet you admit all these things that were wrong and dont acknowledge that he fixed them.

I hope the culture doesnt go back to where it come from, otherwise we would still be running on piddly little goat tracks with amateur drivers and late Sunday night telecasts.

OMG, I'm going to have a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down. I actually agree with you.
IMO, Cochrane always came across as a used car salesman, however the sport is in a lot better shape than before he took over. It will be interesting to see who they get to replace him. There just ain't that many good sporting administrators in this country. Say what you will about Cochrane, but he dragged V8SC into a higher echelon of sport in Australia and knew how to make news to keep the series in the spotlight, which probably came from his entertainment promoting background.

[one five five]

15 years too late

The big wigs might make more money out of it these days, it might be more corporate..... just a pity it was all at the expense of actual 'motor racing'.....

After 15 years work, do we get any more space in the Daily Telegraph in 2012 than we did in 1996?

[Falcadore]

Campbell Newman downsizing strikes again.

[formerf1champ]

Originally Posted by peckstar

So your suggesting TC has done nothing good for the sport.

He hasn't.

Originally Posted by peckstar

Yet you admit all these things that were wrong and dont acknowledge that he fixed them.

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

There was nothing wrong with the ATCC

Originally Posted by peckstar

I hope the culture doesnt go back to where it come from, otherwise we would still be running on piddly little goat tracks with amateur drivers and late Sunday night telecasts.

Firstly, what are you smoking? Secondly, I remember there was some spud amateur driver describe Mallala as a "goat track". That's the only time I've ever heard of a race track being referred to as that. Did you get that reference from him, or are you him? What are these "piddly little goat tracks" are you referring to? Who are the amateur drivers, that supposedly bring the series down, that you're referring to as well?

[Alco]

The following comment from Wayne Cattach says it all:

“I always felt that when Archer (Capital) became the major shareholder in the category that would make it constrictive for Tony – he is an entrepreneur – and needs some room to move. Archer, by their nature, need a more disciplined approach. So I am not overly surprised that is has run its race. I am sure Tony can still be of use as a consultant. He is probably still able to add value.”

[peckstar]

A letter from Tony