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As Australia’s big race begins, the inevitable winds of change have hit the sport by the time the last great domino was about to fall.

While Holden is owned by US giant General Motors and has been manufacturing offshore since 2017, it was announced earlier this year that the cult brand would no longer exist.

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The move in February that the brand should retire by 2021 shocked the Australian motorsport industry and was the death knell of the Ford-Holden rivalry.

In fact, General Motors went so far as to announce that cars would no longer be suitable for Australian roads, exiting right-hand drive markets that are expected to cost the company “north of $ 1 billion ($ 1.5 billion).”

While other manufacturers have been involved in the sport for different periods of time, no rivalry comes close to that of Holden and Ford.

But that will end after the next season when the Holden brands introduce a new car.

After months of negotiations, the Camaro will be launched for the 2022 season after the Commodore’s final victory lap in 2021.

“We are very excited to see a brand new racing car design hit the track in 2022,” said Sean Seamer, CEO of Supercars, when the car was announced.

“The cars keep their signature V8 engine format to ensure they are fast and loud, but are ‘hybrid capable’ and are more like the road cars they are based on.

“These are amazing-looking racing cars that give a nod to the supercar of the past, with as much attention paid to the design and appearance of the cars as it does to new technology.

“The Gen3 project will support the longevity of supercars by increasing relevance for our fans and partners, lowering operating costs and making the race even tougher.”

While facing the dominant Mustangs is a good compromise for the Camaro, many people on social media have regretted the end of the great Australian racers.

After the Camaro was announced, one comment read: “Australian supercars where kiwis dominate and we drive American cars”.

This was especially the case in recent years, when New Zealander Scott McLaughlin was almost unbeatable with three championships in a row and narrowly lost the 2017 title after the collapse in the final race.

His teammate Fabian Coulthard is also a British born Kiwi, while Red Bull Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen is also a compatriot and one of his fiercest rivals.

Of the five New Zealanders on the grid, three are in the top seven ahead of Bathurst.

The legendary Falcon was retired after the 2018 Supercars season and replaced by the quintessentially American Mustang.

When it became known that Holden would have to retire from the sport, Supercars legend Mark Skaife lamented the loss of the rivalry that had fueled Australian motorsport for decades.

“The 60-year history of touring cars was built on (the rivalry between Ford and Holden),” Skaife said.

“It’s up to us to involve more manufacturers and reflect more on the market.

“When Holden isn’t here, in the best interests of local motorsport, we need to make sure the fans are still energized and want to come to events and see them on TV.

“As a company, we cannot pursue the policy of hoisting the white flag because Holden moved out of town.”

The namesake of Garry Rogers Motorsport, the experienced team boss Garry Rogers, even called for the manufacturer pool to be opened.

“I think supercars will survive, but there is no doubt that the rivalry between Ford and Holden is on,” Rogers said earlier this year.

“If you go back to Bathurst’s start, we’ve driven all kinds of cars there, lots of different makes and types. We could probably go back to something like this. “

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