Paul Morris: Yanks won’t understand V8′s officialdom

[adrenalinmatt1]

Outspoken V8 Supercars team owner Paul Morris says that Americans will turn their backs on the category if the racing is ruled by the stewards and the drivers are not allowed to race.

Morris has blasted the current state of V8 driver policing, suggesting that the America fans watching V8 Supercars at the highly-anticipated Austin, Texas event in 2013 will not understand why cars are “driving through pit lane.”

The 43-year-old has called for NASCAR driving standards to be applied, which allows competitors to take matters in their own hands and sort their on-track issues themselves.

Morris is one of the most outspoken members of the V8 fraternity – and one of the most controversial on track. While he no longer competes in the V8 Championship, he has entered the past two Fujitsu V8 Series rounds. In both events, Morris has found himself in on-track incidents with Nick Percat (Barbagallo) and Rodney Jane (Townsville). The incident with Jane led to a pit lane confrontation.

Morris is not one to back down from an argument, nor is he shy of offering his opinion.

“If we have a plane full of driver standards advisors and officials heading over there with us, it will be a waste of time,” Morris to the Gold Coast Bulletin.

“It will be like going to a bad movie for the fans in the US, they will get up and walk out.

“They will wonder what the hell is going on with all these blokes driving through pit lane.

“I am not saying blokes should not be penalised for deliberately taking blokes out, but they must be allowed to race.

“If a driver knows there is a bloke behind him who is more than likely going to give him a tap he might leave the door open just that little bit more and then you have another pass, not necessarily a crash.”

Paul Morris is a former V8 Supercars board member. He owns two Racing Entitlement Contracts in the V8 Supercars Championship, fielding entries for Russell Ingall (Supercheap Auto Racing) and Steve Owen (VIP Petfoods Racing).

V8 Supercars has signed a five-year deal to compete at the yet-to-be-constructed race track in Texas – Circuit of the Americas.

[bradk12fan]

Every form of racing is different. I mean, here in the US, you have numerous racing series, NASCAR, Indycar, World of Outlaws, Traxxas TORC, Lucas Oil Off-Road, NHRA, Monster Jam, AMA Pro Moto-x, MotoGP, Grand-Am, and ALMS just to name a few. Each racing series has different rules and regulations. In NASCAR and Grand-Am drivers have free reign. In Indycar you can get penalized for blocking. In the off-road racing series, battling is encouraged. All of the forms of motorsports have 2 things in common, strong competition, and a strong and loyal fan base. I don't think that the V8s should expect anything different. I mean, the SPEED channel airs V8 Supercars (albeit a few months delayed) here in the US, and they are actually airing more of the V8s season, and closer to the actual live event.

[Mothers Worry]

As far as I'm concerned Paul Morris is a dickhead. Best ignore him.............

[bradk12fan]

As far as I'm concerned Paul Morris is a dickhead. Best ignore him.............

Well, until this topic, I had never heard of Paul Morris, let alone knew who he was, so it'll be easy to ignore him. I just thought that you guys might want a 'Yanks' point of view to shove back at him 

[Mothers Worry]

I hope our US friends don't have to put up with too much of Paul Morris.

[bradk12fan]

I hope our US friends don't have to put up with too much of Paul Morris.

If we have to, I think we have a few places we can put him, haha

[Mothers Worry]

I think we have a few places we can put him, haha

If you dig a whole that deep you will be in China... or visiting us here. You're welcome.

[bradk12fan]

I think we have a few places we can put him, haha

If you dig a whole that deep you will be in China... or visiting us here. You're welcome.

I wasn't thinking digging, I was thinking flying, our space shuttle might not have anymore missions and have been 'retired,' but I'm sure that they'd still work, haha

[SLE355]

For once he has a point! 

Brad, do you or anyone you know watch the V8 Supercars?

[bradk12fan]

For once he has a point! 

Brad, do you or anyone you know watch the V8 Supercars?

I've watched 3 V8 Supercar Series races so far. It only started airing here in the US on SPEED back in December. And I don't know anyone else who does watch it, but I do know that if it wasn't getting views, SPEED wouldn't have aired any of their races.