The Great V8 Breakup: Holden Parts Ways with HRT After 26 Glorious Years

Last week Holden announced it would cut-ties with the Holden Racing Team (HRT) after a record-breaking 26-years together. Holden will instead look to consolidate a sponsorship deal with the highly successful Triple Eight Racing team, who since coming into the series in 2003 has taken out six driver's championships and seven team championships.

"After fielding Holden's official factory team for 26 years we are naturally disappointed but respect Holden's decision,'' said the team's Scottish manager, Ryan Walkinshaw, who flew into Australia following the announcement. "Racing is in our blood. We love competition, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to find our way back to the top of Supercars…With change comes opportunity, and we are as committed as ever to deliver on the track," he said.

The Holden Racing Team was formed in 1990 by the late Scottish millionaire, Tom Walkinshaw, as a successor to Peter Brock's Holden Dealer Team. It took out the iconic Bathurst 1000 event on debut, and has cemented itself as the most successful team in V8 Supercar history thanks to drivers like Peter Brock, Mark Skaife, Jason Bright, Todd Kelly and Greg Murphy.

Holden's decision to end the relationship translates to a loss of around $2 million in revenue for the Walkinshaw-run HRT team, who is now looking to ensure its viability for a 2017 season. With a total of 91 poles, 177 race wins, 6 driver's championships and 7 Bathurst 1000 victories, HRT are still the most successful team in the series' history not to mention iconically Australian. A hat-trick between 2000-2002 from Mark Skaife was a particular highlight for the team, the end of the partnership coming as a shock to Holden fans.

In recent years, however, HRT has struggled to emulate the success of its glory days. It still managed a strong third-place finish in last year's season, behind Prodrive and Triple Eight but hasn't tasted victory at the Bathurst 1000 since Garth Tander and Nick Percat won it in 2011. Triple Eight's drivers Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen currently sit 1st and 2nd in this year's standings, while HRT drivers James Courtney and Garth Tander are trailing in 10th and 12th position, 600 points behind the pace.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing wars between Holden and Ford that were once Australian folklore, "just isn't selling cars like it used to," says PerformanceDrive.com.au automotive commentator Mitchell Jones.

"Two million dollars is a lot of money on a team that isn't performing like it used to," he says of Holden's loss of revenue on the HRT team, "It's [money] better spent on advertising city and family cars rather than its racing-prowess," he says.

The decision comes as Holden prepares for the launch of arguably the most important and controversial car in its history - the successor to the VF Commodore - which will be the first Commodore assembled entirely overseas. Holden announced the closure of its Australian manufacturing by 2017, which will eventuate in the loss of nearly 3000 jobs in South Australia and Victoria.

"Time will tell if the cessation of local manufacturing means our touring cars can remain relevant in the future, or if buyers are happy to cheer on their foreign-made machines at Mt Panorama," Mitchell Jones says.

John Cadogan, editor-in-chief at Autoexpert.com.au, says the decision to part ways part ways from HRT "demonstrates there's been a cultural shift amongst Australian car buyers."

"If winning at Eastern Creek on Sunday arvo equated to selling cars in a Holden dealership on Monday morning, there's no way they'd back out on any sponsorship deal, especially not if its most successful racing team to date," he says.