D'Alberto loses major backer.

The Rod Nash Racing team has been hit with a double blow at Surfers Paradise with the loss of a team sponsor and an accident for Tony D'Alberto during the opening race of the weekend on the Gold Coast.

GMAC Financial Services - one of Australia's oldest car financiers - announced last week that it was to close its operations in Australia and New Zealand due to the global economic situation, which will lead to a number of job losses and cost the Rod Nash Racing squad one of its major backers.

"Stupid Americans, that's all I can say about that," D'Alberto told Bigpond Sport. "Basically they f***ed the whole economy and a company like GMAC are a massive company and have to cut back and try and survive.

"So many people in Australia have lost their jobs because of that and it's not just GMAC on the finance side, GE Money and Ford Credit are looking pretty shaky.

"And it's all just because some banks in America have decided to get a bit greedy and, you know, basically stuffed the whole economy."

GMAC had been a long-term backer of the 24-year-old, who will also be hit by the company's withdrawal on a personal level with his uncles Holden dealership, D'Alberto Holden, is one of an estimated 100 Australian Holden dealers to use GMAC Financial Services.

"They've been a good supporter of mine," he added. "They were the major sponsor last year for the Fujitsu Series and tipped in a lot of money this year so I really appreciate everything they've done for me but I suppose all good things come to an end.

"Really, it's disappointing we lost the sponsorship, but to honest the worst thing is all the jobs that are lost and people are trying to find work now. Some people have been with GMAC that I know for ten years now so it's a big shock to the system and I suppose the good thing is they are not just shutting their doors in 30 days, they're going to go for another five months or so."

D'Alberto faces spending the remainder of the Indy weekend on the sidelines after damaging his diff after a brush with the wall in race one - with the team not carrying a spare and other teams unlikely to give one up with two races still to run.