The year 2011 will be the 51st year that the Australian based V8 Supercar championship has been held.  However, it did not always include specifically the V8 Supercar.  It would be more accurate to say that it has evolved into this popular form.  What’s more – the series has even now left the boundaries of Australia to include New Zealand, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi. Below is a closer look on the history of V8 supecar racing.

1960-1993

The history of V8 supercar racing has its beginnings in Australia, where from 1960 to 1968, a single race determined the Australian Touring Car Championship.  In 1969, the championship moved to a series to decide the win.  It was not until 1993 that the then Confederation of Australian Motor Sport introduced the new Class A Australian made 5.0 litre V8 engines of the Fords and Holdens, playing on the long-standing rivalry between the two models. Class B was a 2.0 litre, and a Class C that was only valid in 1993 for cars complying with 1992 Cams Group 3A Touring Car Regulations.

1995 – 1996

Eventually the Class C cars were phased out, and in 1995 the Class B 2.0 litre cars became ineligible.  This left the battle for supremacy of the V8 Supercar championship strictly to the Fords and the Holdens.  It continues today and it has been suggested that this fierce competition is what has driven the popularity of the sport.  At the beginning of the 1996 season, the circuit went international when it was introduced to New Zealand.  Also in 1996, the Australian Vee Eight Supercar Company (AVESCO) was formed

1997 – 2005

In 1997, the moniker “V8 Supercars” made its first appearance.  In 1999, the Australian Touring Car Championship became the Shell Championship Series, and the V8 Supercar Hall of Fame was introduced. Eventually, in 2003 the series changed its name to the V8 Supercar Championship, and in 2005, AVESCO followed suit, changing its name to V8 Supercars Australia (VESA).  Also, in 2003, “Project Blueprint” was set in play, which required both models of cars to be inspected to ensure they were following the same specifications.  This helps keep the races extremely close.

2006 – 2010

Finally, in 2006, the Australian V8 Supercar Championship entered the Middle East, where it competed in the Bahrain Desert 400.  Between 2006 and 2010, the event has been held there four times.  Winners include Jason Bright, Mark Winterbottom and Jamie Whinecup driving for Ford BF Falcon.  In 2010, Jamie Whincup scored yet another victory but drove this time for a Holden VE Commodore.  At the beginning of the 2010 season, the series was yet again on the move – to Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit.

The Best?

So after a long history, the question still comes down to this.  Who, or perhaps what, is the best? The jury may still be out on that.  Since the introduction of the V8 Supercar in 1993, the competition has been fairly evenly split between the Ford Falcon and the Holden Commodore.  Between 1993 and 2008, Holden has edged out Ford nine times, while Ford has taken home the honour seven times.  Fans, of course, have their favourites and will continue to cheer them on.

The future of the Australian V8 Supercar racing series is definitely an exciting one.  It has already come a long way and has evolved into a thrilling sport that capitalizes on the rivalry between Ford and Holden.  Because the cars are so closely matched in specifications, the focus is also on the skill of the drivers, further driving the popularity of the sport.  Now that this sport has broken into international territories, many fans want to know one thing.  What’s next?