I'm a few months away from ordering my fuse, so I can't confirm. However as I nose around other's projects I have noticed and been told that, that particular skin comes out of Van's factory with that hole punched out in 100% of all skins. So it doesn't matter if your going straight -8 or -8A, you get a hole.

I've never been one to fuss or waste time complaining / debating tailwheel vs. nosewheel, but if this is true, it does rub me a little wrong when a guy decides to build a sport plane in it's truest form (tailwheel), that he has to work around a factory alteration taylored towards the trainer.
If I could find out they were running this part through the factory when I order my fuse, I would be tempted to run up to Van's and see if they could run it w/o the hole.

Doubtful, but you never know.
I see flush patch work in my near future.