MCLEOD SELLS MARC CARS

Ryan McLeod sells MARC Cars – Photo: Supplied

On the eve of the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour, it has been announced that MARC Cars Australia is to have new ownership.

By BRUCE WILLIAMS

Managing director and founder of MARC Cars Australia Ryan McLeod told Auto Action that after seven years of engineering, building and racing the locally engineered MARC Cars all across the world it was time for a new direction.

“While I’m a little sad, I have to admit it’s has been an exciting and exhilarating period.” McLeod said

“I’m incredibly proud of what we have been able to achieve from the initial concept of building an affordable endurance spec race car, to competing in some of the world’s greatest endurance races.

“The MARC Cars concept has been well received in Australia and we have 17 cars racing locally, but I’m really proud of the fact that we have sold nine cars overseas and that they have raced reliably and competed competitively across the world with plenty of great race results.

“What started as a project to build a few cars has grown into a business that has built a total of 26 cars racing around the globe. In the beginning we were able to take years of racing experience and to design and build race cars that appealed to lots of different endurance racers.”

It has been a successful period for the Australian company as it embarks on a new season of local and overseas racing in various endurance races.

“The highlight has been the building and developing the latest MARC II cars that we are now running across several teams at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour as well as internationally,” McLeod said.

“I’m looking forward to the race and hopefully we can have some more success.”

McLeod pointed to the MARC Cars performance at the Bathurst 12 Hour as proof the concept could be the basis of the next Supercars design.

“MARC Cars have proven that a locally engineered and developed race car program can work and while the cars are limited to performance (overall lap time) at the Bathurst 12 Hour it’s been pretty obvious to plenty of outside observers that the MARC II program is something that should be considered as a control platform starting point for many categories,” said McLeod.

“Maybe it’s the right place for Supercars to look as they develop the Gen3 program?

“I wish I had a dollar for every person who has suggested that our cars should be the basis of the new Supercars Gen3 car. As part of our Racer Industries business we supply several of the control components for the current spec cars and I have a close working relationship with Supercars. They have looked at what we have been doing so it’s not lost on them.

“We have proven that building a competitive car that has all the latest technology and safety equipment is not all that costly. These cars are fast, safe and super reliable, regularly completing thousands of kilometres between services.”

Highly regarded both locally and overseas, McLeod is proud of the MARC journey so far.

“We have built a great car program and have raced them successfully all over the world and it is acknowledged by plenty of top operators just how good the cars have been,” McLeod concluded.

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