Australian V8s look to the Far East

The Australian V8 Supercar series could be making a break out of its domestic shackles, according to plans drawn up by its organisers

Nov 22, 2000, 5:25 PM

Tony Cochrane, of championship organisers AVESCO, has targeted a street race in Brunei in South-East Asia as its first non-Antipodean on the calendar in 2002, following on from the event scheduled to be held at Pukekohe in New Zealand next year.

"We have to expand out of Australia," said Cochrane. "We're getting a lot of interest out of Asia, the Middle East and South Africa. We'll add Asia from 2002 and either the Middle East or South Africa in 2003."

Brunei will face a challenge to hold the Asian race from Malaysia's Grand Prix circuit at Sepang, plus other street circuit venues in both Singapore and Hong Kong. Cochrane wants four or five 'offshore' rounds, bringing the total up to 15, by 2005.

Australia's premier touring car series has been a dominated by Holden and Ford for much of the last decade, and the move would encourage other manufacturers to contest the category.