RACE AGAINST TIME
IN THE FIRST OF A FOUR-PART DEEP DIVE INTO THE STATE OF THE SERIES, JAMES PHELPS AND REBECCA WILLIAMS REVEAL SUPERCARS IS FACING A VOID. SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN’S MOVE TO THE US AND THE LOOMING RETIREMENT OF JAMIE WHINCUP MEANS THE CATEGORY NEEDS NEW SUPERSTARS
HOLDEN legend Mark Skaife likens the loss of Scott McLaughlin and Jamie Whincup to that of Dick Johnson and Peter Brock and fears for what the future holds.
Still reeling from McLaughlin’s sudden IndyCar switch, the sport was last month delivered another blow when Whincup announced this year would be his last as a full-time driver.
Skaife said the sport would struggle to find a new big name who could become the face of the sport when Supercars loses both its greatest driver and the heir apparent in 12 months.
“I think it reminds me a little bit of when Peter Brock and Dick Johnson were retiring and I see it as a bit of a changing of the guard,” Skaife said.
“I remember Ford and Holden talking to us trying to fill the void when massive names like Dick and Peter weren’t going to be on the grid. So I see it as partially the same.”
Even before Whincup announced his retirement, Supercars was facing the challenge of not having its defending champion on the grid for the first time in 24 years.
Not only the defending champion, McLaughlin was considered to be the future face of the sport and a driver who would go on to challenge Whincup’s record of seven titles after winning three straight.
“He would have had a crack at it for sure,” Johnson said. “He had won three straight so that is saying something. He was certainly the one that would have replaced Jamie and he was a very special talent. And it was tough to see him go.”
If that was not enough of a blow for Supercars, Whincup, the greatest championship driver in the history of the sport, announced his impending retirement just four months after McLaughlin left Australia.
Arguably the two biggest names in the sport will soon be gone. They share 10 Supercars titles and five Bathurst crowns, while Whincup owns just about every record in the book.
The series was already facing significant change following the loss of Holden’s official involvement and next year’s launch of the Gen3 cars.
Supercars chief executive Sean Seamer was confident a new generation of stars would emerge.
“I think what you have seen over the history of this sport is a passing of the baton from generation to generation of driver,” Seamer said. “From Dick Johnson, Peter Brock, there is always another star ready to step up and I think that’s one of the things that makes this year really exciting.
“You’ve got some extremely talented drivers in that pit lane that will all be looking to race Jamie to the final chequered flag and I think it’s going to be an interesting year.
“Jamie is not going anywhere and I think it’s great for him and the team, the strong succession plan that Triple Eight has had in place starting to evolve over the course of the next 12 months.
“There are a lot of really interesting stories and narratives to unfold over the course of this year for the drivers and for the teams.”
Triple Eight team boss Roland Dane knows better than most the legacy Whincup has created after combining with the star for all of his Supercars title wins.
But Dane said losing figureheads
and blooding new talent was part of the evolution of every sport.
“Sport is full of people who have retired or gone off to do something else. Every sport,” Dane said.
“Time shows me time and time again that sports move on and find new heroes and new stars and it doesn’t matter whether it is motorsport or whether it’s one of the footy codes, or cricket or whatever.
“A lot of today’s stars end up being forgotten pretty quickly as the world moves on to the next one. That’s part of sport, I don’t see that as an issue.”
Skaife has urged generation next to stand up and anointed Ford’s Cameron Waters, Dave Reynolds, Andre Heimgartner and Anton Pasquale to step up to become a face of the sport.
ISRAEL Folau has not given up his fight to play in the NRL this season and the controversial cross-code star is “training his guts out” in hope that he can secure a late opportunity.
With the kick-off to the new season only two weeks away, teams will be having their final pre-season trials this weekend while Folau remains in Brisbane training solo.
But while most of the spotlight in Queensland in recent weeks has centred on Cameron Smith’s possible return after he was spotted doing some training on his own, sources have indicated Folau, 31, hasn’t taken his foot off the gas either, and is confident he will find a club willing to take him on.
For that reason Folau is said to be doing everything in his power to make certain he is physically ready.
Meanwhile, Folau’s representatives have been in ongoing dialogue with the NRL to seek further clarity on the governing body’s position.
It has been suggested that several clubs have privately indicated some degree of interest but it’s also understandable why those clubs have chosen not to say anything publicly given the backlash that put an end to St George Illawarra’s attempt to sign him.
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin said at the time of his club pulling the pin that Folau “still has something to offer”.
There is no question from a pure football perspective Folau would represent good value at the reported $400,000 it would take to sign him.
Folau is also still seeking a clearance from French Super League club Catalans. The club previously indicated it would not stand in Folau’s way.
It is expected Catalans will also seek some sort of transfer fee before agreeing to his release. That cannot happen until an NRL offer is on the table.
Folau’s representatives have contacted the NRL but the NRL says no club has made an application.