TEAM SYDNEY ON THE ROCKS

Team Sydney is dead, killed by a bitter ownership dispute that has put stranded star James Courtney back on the drivers’ market.

By MARK FOGARTY

It is now an open secret within Supercars’ inner circle that the much-trumpeted initiative to create a Sydney squad has collapsed amid dissent between rival factions.

Star signing Courtney is known to be actively pursuing a leading co-drive seat because Team Sydney is not going to happen this year.

The latest information is that he may have already re-signed with Walkinshaw Andretti United as Chaz Mostert’s high-powered partner in the endurance races.

Auto Action has also learned that the principal parties of Team Sydney are at loggerheads and cannot agree to a way forward.

The plan to establish a two-car team in western Sydney has been abandoned for this year as untenable amid the argument as to who has the rights to the concept.

Supercars is now resigned to the vaunted Team Sydney initiative being put on hold until 2021 at the very least amid the in-fighting, reducing this year’s grid to an all-time modern era low of 23 cars.

It is understood there is a notional deadline later this month to allow for a last-minute resolution, but all evidence points to the situation having gone beyond retrieval for this season.

Having entered the 2020 Supercars championship, Tekno is committed to running a car under the terms of its REC. Failure to do so would make the entrant liable to penalties of $150,000 per round missed, plus the eventual confiscation of the licence.

Supercars has pushed hard for a Sydney based team to increase its support base in Australia’s biggest city.

Although Supercars has denied offering financial incentives, the scheme is linked with NSW government funding of $33 million worth of improvements at Sydney Motorsport Park.

As well as permanent lighting of the track, which will be completed in time for the return of the Sydney SuperNight at the end of August, the grant would finance a motor sport ‘industrial hub’ at SMP where Team Sydney would be based.

For more details on the collapse of Team Sydney deal plus so much more, pick up your copy of the latest Auto Action (1777), available both in stores and online now.

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