http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/8680af68e64fda90a652604e9c7f3533
Supercars bombshell as chief executive James Warburton quits
James Phelps Exclusive, The Daily Telegraph
42 minutes ago
JAMES Warburton has quit as Supercars chief executive after rejecting a new deal to continue in the role beyond this year.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Warburton told the Supercars board last week he would quit at the end of the year in a move that has made him Australia’s most wanted sporting boss.
In a V8 bombshell, Warburton is already believed to have signed on for a new role, which will be announced on Tuesday.
Warburton confirmed his departure in a statement released this morning.
“With a heavy heart, I advise the 2017 season (and year) will be my last as CEO of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship,” Warburton said.
“It has been an honour and a privilege to work with such inspiring people within the Supercars family and to lead a sport of which I have been a fan since the age of five.
“I am truly in awe of the passion and commitment across the entire industry and the dedication to entertain our fans and am blessed to have made a host of lifelong friends from the experience.
It’s understood Warburton, who brought Supercars back from the brink and turned it into a sporting force, was wined and dined by Phil Gould and Nick Politis earlier this year as the rugby league power brokers tried to entice him to push for NRL CEO Todd Greenberg’s job.
Greenberg’s tenure as NRL chief is up early next year and Warburton has heavily been linked to the role. Although sources close to Warburton are adamant he will not be working for the NRL in his new job.
Warburton claimed he was leaving Supercars in good shape.
“It is fair to say the sport is in great health, we have achieved so much with unity and, more importantly, the path is set to raise the sport to even greater heights,” Warburton said.
“Every single metric from EBIT, team distributions, crowd attendance to media numbers are well up and the fans continue to vote with their feet.
“Supercars is by no means a one man show and the sport remains in the very best of hands. There are far too many highlights to mention and people to thank to list them individually.
“In 2018, your number 1 fan will be sitting opposite pit lane, finally in shorts and a t-shirt with his family, cold beer in the hand cheering you all.”
He will reamin in charge until the season- ending race in November at Newcastle.
