BARRY Rogers has revealed how an S5000 car has come to be temporarily based in the United States.
Various social media posts of late have shown American squad Byrd Racing running the car, with Nathan Byrd and James Davison spending time at the wheel.
It turns out the makings of a deal date back to the infamous COVID-shortened 2020 Australian Grand Prix.
“Back in 2020 James Davison was running a car at the Grand Prix and he had a fellow that helped him get there called David Byrd,” Rogers told V8 Sleuth.
“I was just chatting to David at the Grand Prix and he mentioned to me then he wouldn’t mind down the track getting a car over there for his son to do some testing and track training I suppose.
“One thing led to another and it must have been about November last year – it took quite a bit of time to get permits and things – that we sent the car over there and he has got it for 12 months and who knows from there.”
Import restrictions meant the car, which was driven by Davison at the 2020 AGP, could only be relocated for 12 months for evaluation purposes.
Rogers though noted it could inadvertently lead to more opportunities, given the interest the car has sparked.
“We’ve had a bit of interest that has come direct to us about how can more cars get there,” he added.
“That wasn’t our plan, I know if we couldn’t sort out the licensing on the cars (with relation to Motorsport Australia’s Superlicence system) we were keen to find a home for them but we seem to have got on top of that.
“But look, after 12 months whether there’s an opening that maybe we can manufacture some more cars, who knows where it ends up.”
Garry Rogers Motorsport, of which Rogers is a director, built the current S5000 fleet and has recently been engaged by Peugeot to be the exclusive global provider of its new 308 TCR car.
That wouldn’t necessarily stop GRM from manufacturing more S5000 cars specifically to cater for overseas interest, if there was enough.
“I think certainly we would,” said Rogers, who is also the largest shareholder in the Australian Racing Group which owns and promotes the S5000 category.
“Obviously we have got a plate pretty full at the moment but I can sort of see how those cars appeal over there.
“Ideally we’d love to keep the cars that are here, here, and if there was a demand in the States, we would certainly look at building some more cars.
“They love the idea of V8 open-wheelers, obviously IndyCars these days are V6, so everyone loves the heritage and noise of the V8.
“As I said, it certainly wasn’t the plan of that one going there (to Byrd Racing) but who knows what eventuates from it.”
Byrd has already driven the car at Sebring and has also flagged intentions to take it to Watkins Glen, Circuit of the Americas, Mid-Ohio, Indianapolis, Road America, Road Atlanta and New Jersey Motorsports Park.
