Gore sacks self, Larkham sells up.

Mark Larkham and Craig Gore have combined their Australian V8 Supercar teams to produce a so-called V8 'super' team in 2006.

Larkham has sold his level one V8 Supercar licenses, whilst Gore is taking a step back from day-to-day operations of running the team which sees Larkham as Managing Director, and both parties holding equity.

Sponsor of Larkham Motorsport, Orrcon, remains as a major sponsor of the new operation, which has entered into an exclusive engine-building alliance with Queensland's Craig Hasted.

"I guess you could say that I have sacked myself as the 'captain' and I could not think of a better person than Mark Larkham to take the reigns of the merged operation," said Gore.

"We searched globally for someone to take over the racing operations and then through the merger we found him just three kilometers down the road."

The combined operation will work out of the purpose-built WPS Racing workshop in Gaven on the Gold Coast.

"At the end of the day, this merger will provide us with the opportunity that we are all looking for in this business - the chance to be competitive," said Larkham.

"I think the LMS and WPS operations complement each other perfectly. I look forward to being Managing Director of the new team, working with a substantially increased budget and being involved with someone as dynamic and as passionate as Craig (Gore)."

The new operation is expected to make further major announcements over the next few weeks.