Holden Managing Director Mark Reuss has questioned the long term future of V8 Supercar racing in Australia if it continues with just two brands. Speaking at the Melbourne International Motorshow Reuss told In Pit Lane that the series needed to expand both it’s makes and models to survive.

“the first weekend I spent here (in Australia) was at the Clipsal 500 which is  a great race and a lot of fun” he said. “it’s a great sport but, I think the sport needs more, and I think that having (just) two brands in a race is something… I’ve been around a lot of racing in the United States where you have two brands and eventually people lose interest in that.”

Mr Reuss said that the sport needed different cars and different makes to survive.

The Holden boss has a strong passion for motorsport, having been involved back in the USA for many years, and he sees the future of the sport as catering for the current range of smaller and more efficient cars like the new Holden Cruze which made its local debut at the Melbourne Show.

“It (the Cruze) would make a great addition (to the sport), along with other small cars in Australia. I think we need diversification and I think we need products (racing) that people can relate to.”

Reuss said the the sport needed modern cars that people could actually “buy, work on, modify and race”

He said the sport and manufacturers were missing a huge opportunity to learn, and develop products on the racetrack, which he says is probably the quickest and most deep development activity that he could think of to make better cars.

The interview with Mark Reuss and more from the 2009 Melbourne Motorshow will be seen on In Pit Lane next week on March 10 when our in studio guest will be Ford Performance Racing driver Mark Winterbottom.