James Strong named Chairman as V8 Supercars readies for new era

V8 Supercars has appointed James Strong AO as non-Executive Chairman of the Board, replacing long-serving Executive Chairman Tony Cochrane.

In his new role, Strong will join current directors Andrew Gray and Brad Lancken of Archer Capital, Roland Dane of TeamVodafone, Brad Jones of TeamBOC and Chief Executive David Malone.

A former chairman of Woolworths, Strong also holds the position of chairman on the board of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, as well as being a board member of Dorna Sports, a Spanish company that runs the Moto GP, and being a member of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

Announcing Strong's appointment, Malone stated "James has an impeccable record in corporate governance and administration for two decades and brings to V8 Supercars a wealth of experience.

"Aside from being a pre-eminent Australian corporate leader, James also has a deep understanding in the business of motorsport having been on the board of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and a current Director of Dorna Sports which manages MotoGP worldwide.

"James will help guide V8 Supercars through its next growth phase and his corporate experience and motorsport knowledge will be invaluable as the Board and management team embark on that process."

Strong stated that he was passionate about all forms of motorsport, and that he was looking forward to working with the leaders in motorsport in Australia, adding "all forms of motorsport are a passion of mine and I have been honoured to work for many years with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and with MotoGP through Dorna.

"V8 Supercars is without doubt the leading motorsport category in this region and a force worldwide. I look forward to contributing to the next phase of the V8 Supercars development and growth.

"The sport is in wonderful shape for the future and I want to play an active part in the next period of evolution; the potential is unlimited."

Strong's appointment comes in advance of this weekend's V8 race at Sydney Olympic Park which many see as being the end of an era.

The 2012 Telstra 500 V8 Supercar Grand Final Championship, the final race of V8 season will offer Australian motorsport fans their last chance to watch a shootout involving only Ford and Holden vehicles.

From 2013, manufacturers Nissan and AMG Mercedes will be added to the Supercars series to compete against the two traditional rivals.

Leading driver Craig Lowndes says the change is important and necessary to add to the sport's longevity, stating "with other manufacturers coming on board it will hopefully give us more depth into other teams, giving other teams better resources and (making them) better supported.

"They can come out and do what we do and you know they have the car and the engineering background to go win races."

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events, George Souris agreed, adding that the "series is about to enter a new and exciting era (and) this weekend ... will see the two major car makers and their drivers compete exclusively against each other for the last time in their battle for supremacy, which makes it a historic moment."

The Sydney Telstra 500 V8 Supercar Challenge is being held at Sydney Olympic Park from Friday 30th November to Sunday 2nd December.

For more information go to sydney.v8supercars.com.au/

8th June 2012 - VODAFONE ENDS AUSTRALIAN SPORTS SPONSORSHIPS 

12th December 2011 - DAVID MALONE TO HEAD V8 SUPERCARS

9th September 2011 - COMPANIES THAT SPONSOR OUTPERFORM THOSE THAT DON’T

19th May 2011 - INVESTMENT FIRM BUYS MAJOR SHARE OF V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIA