Australian motorsport media outlet Speedcafe has confirmed today that V8 Supercars management has moved to firm up their resolve that none of their full season drivers should compete in the 2015 Liqui Moly 12 Hours of Bathurst.

Not content with rather shamefully mounting a two day pre-season test directly against the already timetabled Mount Panorama race the Championship’s regulations have now been formally amended to mandate attendance throughout the test for all full season drivers, preventing a number form taking up their planned drives in the 12 hour GT encounter.

One man affected is Nissan driver Rick Kelly, the V8 Altima pilot was set to do double duty, appearing at the test at Sydney Motorsport Park before helicoptering to take the wheel of one of a then planned pair of Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3s.

Nissan’s head of global motorsport Darren Cox is unimpressed, and said so on last week’s Midweek Motorsport on Radio Le Mans even before the latest regulatory move:

“It’s another case of the politics getting in the way of sport. I think there’s only one loser and that will be the sport unfortunately.

“If V8s think they’re the only game in town, then things are changing down there and I think the Bathurst 12 Hour will only grow and grow.

“I think V8s taking them on is the wrong thing to do. I think there’s room enough for both championships.

“We made our point clear in the strongest possible terms, both locally and globally and it’s not being resolved so for me it’s a black mark on the championship.”

In a situation where the traditional backbone of the Championship, Ford & Holden, face unprecedented challenges in the Australian market this does seem a particularly ill-conceived move.

The Championship is likely to need more rather than less involvement from some of the recently added marques in the very near future and riding roughshod over their simple requests for flexibility to pursue what can only be construed as a ‘stockade’ tactic only makes the once mighty V8 Supercar Championship look inward looking and defensive.

This may be a decision that the Championship management, and the Championship as a whole, live to regret.

GG