Holden boss blames the fans
The boss of Holden’s factory-backed Supercars team says fans of the Red Lion had a role to play in the motoring brand’s demise.
Holden’s parent company General Motors has announced it will ‘‘retire’’ the iconic Australian brand by the end of the year.
Years of declining sales drove the American automotive giant to make the call and Red Bull Holden Racing Team boss Roland Dane said flagwaving Holden fans on the track were partially responsible for the outcome.
‘‘Unfortunately, one of the issues is, an awful lot of the people that have been barracking for the Holden brand over the last 10 years or so haven’t actually been buying the product,’’ Dane said. ‘It’s a fact of life that people have been turning up to watch the races in other brands and one we’re all very aware of.
‘‘Times change and we’ve got to change with them.’’
The decision has left Dane seeking urgent talks with Holden bosses to work out his team’s future arrangements in the championship.
Red Bull signed a two-year extension on their deal with Holden last year, taking them through to the end of the 2021 championship, but it’s almost certain that support won’t extend into next year.
As the team featuring championship-winning drivers Jamie Whincup and Kiwi driver Shane van Gisbergen prepare for this weekend’s season opening Adelaide 500, Dane was confident morale hadn’t been affected by the news.
‘‘I’ve certainly made them aware of what’s going on and I hope they believe in me and they’ll wait and see what happens,’’ he said.