The Australian Vee Eight SuperCar Company, the controlling body of V8 SuperCar motor racing events in Australia, has not contravened the Trade Practices Act 1974, an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigation has found.
The investigation followed various complaints alleging that AVESCO was engaging in anti-competitive conduct over a potential new rival V8 motor racing class in Australia, the V8 Bathurst Tourers or modified Auscars.
In particular, the ACCC investigated allegations that AVESCO attempted to persuade certain motor racing circuits to only stage AVESCO V8 SuperCar events, and no other V8 Holden versus Ford style events such as the Auscars, and allegations that it would withdraw its V8 SuperCar events from circuits which failed to do so.
"The ACCCs findings essentially did not support the claims and it is satisfied that AVESCO has not engaged in any conduct that would breach the anti-competitive conduct provisions of the Act", ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels said today. "Further, AVESCO has advised the ACCC that it will write to all the relevant motor racing circuits to stress that it does not oppose the Auscars, and that it is only concerned that the public may confuse the Auscars with its own product".
The ACCC understands that AVESCO wrote to Australian motor racing circuits in June 1999 regarding their future involvement in hosting V8 SuperCar events, inquiring about their intentions to stage other V8 style motor racing events.
"However, AVESCO has assured the ACCC these inquiries was to ensure only that such events did not clash with the V8 SuperCar events and lead to any misunderstanding that such events were actually V8 SuperCar events.
"Whilst AVESCO is the exclusive category manager of the V8 SuperCars, these exclusive rights should not hinder the development of other potentially competitive V8 classes of motor racing", Professor Fels said. "It must be stressed, however, that should any V8 categories attempt to pass themselves off as V8 SuperCars, the ACCC would share AVESCOs concerns, as such conduct could potentially be misleading and deceptive under the Act.
"The motor racing industry is as much subject to the Trade Practices Act as any other industry and the ACCC intends to monitor future developments within the industry for any trade practices issues".
The investigation followed various complaints alleging that AVESCO was engaging in anti-competitive conduct over a potential new rival V8 motor racing class in Australia, the V8 Bathurst Tourers or modified Auscars.
In particular, the ACCC investigated allegations that AVESCO attempted to persuade certain motor racing circuits to only stage AVESCO V8 SuperCar events, and no other V8 Holden versus Ford style events such as the Auscars, and allegations that it would withdraw its V8 SuperCar events from circuits which failed to do so.
"The ACCCs findings essentially did not support the claims and it is satisfied that AVESCO has not engaged in any conduct that would breach the anti-competitive conduct provisions of the Act", ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels said today. "Further, AVESCO has advised the ACCC that it will write to all the relevant motor racing circuits to stress that it does not oppose the Auscars, and that it is only concerned that the public may confuse the Auscars with its own product".
The ACCC understands that AVESCO wrote to Australian motor racing circuits in June 1999 regarding their future involvement in hosting V8 SuperCar events, inquiring about their intentions to stage other V8 style motor racing events.
"However, AVESCO has assured the ACCC these inquiries was to ensure only that such events did not clash with the V8 SuperCar events and lead to any misunderstanding that such events were actually V8 SuperCar events.
"Whilst AVESCO is the exclusive category manager of the V8 SuperCars, these exclusive rights should not hinder the development of other potentially competitive V8 classes of motor racing", Professor Fels said. "It must be stressed, however, that should any V8 categories attempt to pass themselves off as V8 SuperCars, the ACCC would share AVESCOs concerns, as such conduct could potentially be misleading and deceptive under the Act.
"The motor racing industry is as much subject to the Trade Practices Act as any other industry and the ACCC intends to monitor future developments within the industry for any trade practices issues".