Motorsport: Chrysler keen on joining V8 Supercars

Chrysler's SRT is showing interest in the V8 Supercars championship. Photo / Supplied

American car manufacturer Chrysler has become the first brand to break ranks and declare an interest in joining Holden and Ford in the V8 Supercars championship.

The president and chief executive of Chrysler's street and race technology (SRT) arm Ralph Gilles confirmed the brand's interest during the Detroit auto show earlier this month.

"I am extremely interested (in V8 Supercars," Gilles is quoted on the V8X Magazine website.

"It's not the first time I have heard of it but I don't want to let on that we are committing just yet.

"It's very unique to that market so it may work beautifully in the Australian market, so I am willing to help out if they are wanting to find a way."

Several manufacturers have been linked with V8s in the past two years including German giants BMW and Mercedes as well as Asian manufacturers Toyota and Hyundai.

All have denied an interest when approached though V8 Supercars insist they are close to bringing at least one new manufacturer into their fold.

"We want to encourage new manufacturers to be with us," former champion and current V8 Supercar commission chairman Mark Skaife said.

"If we are able to have two or three manufacturers over the next three or four years we will be in a very healthy position.

"Car companies use us as their key marketing tool and they leverage us well. Ford and Holden have done a great job of it."

Chrysler are believed to be interested in the championship with the launch of their next generation 300C sedan in June, while the first V8 Supercar race in the US will be held in Texas in 2013.

Gilles' support as the head of Chrysler's motorsport arm is crucial to acquiring the budget for any program by the manufacturer in the V8s.

The report by V8X Magazine goes on to confirm interest locally by the Chrysler Group Australia (CGA) - who would need to contribute to a multi-million dollar budget for any V8 Supercar project.

"SRT stands for Street and Race Technology and the race part of that needs to be borne out and it needs to be borne out in a category that fits the brands that we are trying to retail," CGA managing director Clyde Campbell told V8X.

"The Car of the Future concept looks like it would suit in that regard. Certainly we haven't closed the door, it's something we are looking at."

- AAP