Neither V8 Supercars nor Bathurst 12 Hour organisers are opening up on speculation V8s may be looking to take over the promotion of the fast-growing GT endurance event.
Reports have emerged in the last 24 hours suggesting that V8 Supercars is set to take over the running of the Bathurst 12 Hour, an event that is currently headed by James O’Brien’s Yeehah Events company.
If true it would signal a remarkable turnaround in the rocky relationship between the 12 Hour and V8s, which hit the skids when V8 Supercars decided to schedule its official test day on the same weekend as the 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour, ruling all full-time V8 drivers out from taking part.
At the moment, however, both 12 Hour organisers and V8 Supercars are laying low when quizzed on the potential takeover of the promotion rights.
Motorsport.com put in a request for comment from O’Brien yesterday, with the event organiser ultimately opting to make a social media statement this evening instead.
“With regards to recent reports: We are having ongoing discussions with V8 Supercars regarding avoiding the date clash that occurred this year and, as such, allowing their drivers to compete in 2016,” read the short statement.
“At this point there is nothing further to add.”
V8 Supercars also declined to make further comment, a spokesperson telling Motorsport.com that the reports were “pure speculation”.
The 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour already has a TV deal in place with Network Seven, while V8 Supercars currently has a split deal between subscriber system Foxtel, and Channel 10.
