HOLDEN SUPPORT STILL TO BE DECIDED

Holden support still to be decided – Photo: LAT

Holden’s backing of Triple Eight hasn’t been resolved due to the escalating coronavirus crisis.

By MARK FOGARTY

The factory-backed squad last year renewed its deal as the Holden Racing Team for 2020-21.\

Triple Eight supremo Roland Dane confirmed that arrangements to end the association hadn’t been finalised because of the intervention of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Although committed to this season, Holden will cease operations by the end of the year following General Motors’ decision to withdraw from the market.

The fate of the remainder of Triple Eight’s two-year renewal was one of the many questions raised by Holden’s impending demise.

Dane met with senior Holden executives in Melbourne just before last month’s season-opening Adelaide 500, without an agreement on how the doomed marque’s support would be handled.

There were suggestions he would explain a settlement at the Australian Grand Prix, but bigger events intervened

“What I actually said at Adelaide was that I’d be happy to talk about it once we knew where we were going – whether it was hopefully before the grand prix or whether it was after,” Dane told Auto Action. “But the reality is that things around the world have caught up with us and we just haven’t been able to conclude everything

“So, as I said, when there’s something to talk about, I’m happy to talk about it.

The discussion presumably centres on Holden owner GM honouring the contractual commitment through next year, paying Triple Eight to race regardless of branding.

While a reduced settlement is possible, the most likely outcome would be that Triple Eight is paid out and races Commodores next year without Holden branding or running under the HRT banner.

“We’re still talking about it, but, unfortunately, there are much bigger things going on than our on-going arrangements with Holden,” Dane said.

Asked if he expected to still be running ZB Commodores in 2021, Dane enticingly replied: “I don’t know yet. That’s up in the air. There’s obviously a chance we will be, there’s a chance we won’t.

“I honestly can’t give you a straight answer on that.”

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