Castrol EDGE Australia Newsletter - 2011 Year in Review - Part 2

VOLUME 1 - ISSUE 33

it’s our best oil yet... www.castroledge.com.au

21st DECEMBER 2011

JFR – CLOSE! HARGE FPR LEADS FORDACCK TO THE FUTURE MINI GOES B WALLABIES WRAP

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FORD TEAMS FLYIN

T

he Castrol-backed Ford teams in the V8 Supercars Championship enjoyed differing fortunes – with FPR walking away with second in the team’s Championship and third in the Drivers’ for Mark Winterbottom.

The FPR duo of Winterbottom and Will Davison were the torch bearers for the Blue Oval’s efforts, with Winterbottom taking two wins and finishing the year third overall.

Davison had a fantastic debut year for the factory Ford team after a disastrous

2010 season. He rounded out the season in seventh placing, however secured numerous pole positions and a qualifying race victory at Phillip Island.

Davison could be considered unlucky not to have pulled off a race win and also a top five finishing position in the Championship.

The team strived to pull past issues on the soft Dunlop tyre. It was an area that has caused some difficulty for FPR over the years and it was highlighted more than ever in 2011. Pleasingly, the efforts

paid off – with Winterbottom’s maiden 2011 win coming on the soft tyre on the Gold Coast – and at the expense of Whincup who has been considered the soft tyre master throughout the year.

Mid-way through the season, popular The Bottle-O, Rod Nash Racing pilot, Paul Dumbrell announced he would step back from fulltime racing competition in 2012.

Dumbrell had a mixed season, characterised by mistakes at critical moments. He finished the year strong –

NG THE FLAG

very much mirroring his 2010 efforts – with a pole position. He was looking good for his best finish of the year at the Sydney Telstra 500 when he crashed with just a handful of laps to go.

to grips with the Blue Oval.

Castrol welcomed a fourth Ford to the stable this year in the Tony D’Alberto, Wilson Security Falcon. It was D’Alberto’s first year in the former FPR car.

The Castrol Fords had three Formula 1 aces at the wheel during the Gold Coast 600, with current racer – Vitantonio Liuzzi joining D’Alberto, former Jaguar and Red Bull pilot, Christian Klien partnering Dumbrell and ex-Ferrari and Toyota driver, Mika Salo backing Davison up.

Having used Holden equipment throughout his entire V8 Supercars career – including in the Development Series – D’Alberto is slowly coming

There’s little doubt that by the end of the year, FPR had the package to beat.

If qualifying pace can translate to race pace in 2012, the wins should come!

MINI MAKES IT’S WRC MARK In their return to the World Championship, the Castrol EDGE-backed MINI World Rally team made a huge impression on the World Championship, despite only competing in six events.

They 1600cc turbo-charged MINI Countryman earned two podium finishes and seven special stage wins, the David Richards-led squad cementing its place in the World Championship.

The true accolade for the team came at the end of the season when the MINI

John Cooper Works WRC car was named Autosport’s ‘Rally Car of the Year’ for 2011 despite competing in less than half of the WRC rounds.

The re-birthed MINI first emerged in 2011 at Rallye Italia, where Dani Sordo and co-driver Carlos del Barrio finished an encouraging sixth, however Kris Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle were unable to finish, having mechanical difficulties on day one and two, causing them to retire both days and ruling themselves out of day three.

Rally Finland saw a disappointing result with both cars pulled from the rally, however the reaction of the team was one of positivity, with the issues deemed a learning curve to be improved on for the rest of 2011 and 2012.

Rally Deutschland was one of well-earned delight for the MINI team with Sordo and Barrio putting the MINI team on their first podium with a third place finish after only three appearances in the championship.

stage 13 caused the pair to slide off the gravel road, damaging the car beyond repair on the stage.

After Sordo’s impressive third place finish in Germany, the tarmac specialist went even better in France, finishing second, 6.3 seconds behind Sebastien Ogier.

Rally Spain saw both cars make impressive runs, and was the site of MINI’s first Power Stage win, courtesy of Kris Meeke.

Meeke and Nagle were unable to finish after a lapse in concentration on special

Sordo’s car finished the rally in fourth and Meeke finished close to his teammate just

behind in fifth, it was the first time both cars crossed the finish line in a rally.

The WRC final in Wales was unlike any of the gravel rally’s the MINI team had encountered with the weather conditions making the dirt roads into slippery mud.

Meeke put in his best performance of the season running within third place contention throughout the rally; a small

mistake on the power stage had him finish a strong fourth – his best result for the year.

Sordo however was one of many who succumbed to the conditions; having to retire on Friday and under SupeRally rules suffered five-minute time penalties for each stage he missed, pushing him well down the order in 20th despite an impressive last two days.

The team’s success in 2011 with the car and drivers, Dani Sordo and Kris Meeke has created a great deal of anticipation for the 2012 full season draw.

2012 will see the MINI team raise their Rally profile, fielding their two factory drivers, Sordo and Meeke in all rounds of the World Rally Championship.

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WATERS STAR RISES IN FORMULA FORD For the first time in 2011, Castrol EDGE took on an active role as official lubricant supplier to the Australian Formula Ford Championship.

the Shannon’s Supercar Showdown, which he duly won and partnered Grant Denyer at Bathurst in the Castrol EDGEsupported Kelly Racing car.

The role allowed Castrol to generate affinity through Castrol EDGE at all grassroots levels of motorsport. It actively demonstrates a pathway from the entry level (CIK Stars of Karting, presented by Castrol EDGE) through Formula Ford to the Fujitsu V8 Supercars Development Series to the V8 Supercars Championship.

He took the Championship victory for Sonic Motor Racing Services and ensured that Mygale dominated. The French manufacturer filled the first six Championship positions following the final round.

The season once again allowed Formula Ford to uncover the next crop of Australian motorsporting stars and it was fitting the Championship was won

by Mildura youngster, Cameron Waters.

Alongside his Formula Ford duties, Waters was chosen as a contestant on

Continuing the theme, it was the highly respected Mick and Maria Ritter operated Sonic Motor Racing Services’ sixth Australian Formula Ford Championship victory.

CAMS Rising Star, Jack LeBrocq impressed – finishing second in the Championship – whilst Nick Foster, who joined Waters on 7mate’s Shannon’s Supercar Showdown

finished the season in third placing.

19-year-old LeBrocq has been selected to participate in the FIA Young Driver Academy with 17 other young up and comers from throughout the world. He will join the likes of Australian rally star, Brendan Reeves and Italian Formula 3 Champion, Michael Lewis – who, as part of his prize for winning that title – tested a Ferrari Formula 1 car at the Abu Dhabi Young Drivers’ test.

Overall, it was a successful year for Formula Ford in Australia and a fantastic introduction for Castrol EDGE to the Championship!

NEFF & ROBERT REACH THE HIGHT(S) John Force Racing has had a great year, despite falling short of the NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car Championship, with Robert Hight and Mike Neff leading the charge throughout 2011, ably backed up by team patriarch, John Force.

2011 saw the renewal of the longest running partnership in motorsport with Castrol and John Force Racing reaching a benchmark of 30 years.

Neff and Hight led the way for the 2010 Championship team, taking a number of wins during the season. All three Castrol GTX supported Ford Mustangs

comfortably made the ‘Countdown to the Championship’, narrowly missing out on securing the team’s 18th championship win.

Hight and his Mustang successfully made it to the finals against Matt Hagan, however despite previous victories, Hagan was slightly quicker, taking home the championship.

Force placed his name against another NHRA record – this time for most number of #1 qualifiers. He recorded his 139th #1 qualifier throughout 2011.

It was a huge year for Force with the advent of John Force Entertainment as a video production house and also the creation of the John Force Racing Roadshow to spread the Castrol and NHRA message to a broader audience.

In 2012, Force expects to be renewed and challenging for more wins following post season surgery.

His second daughter – Courtney Force continues to make inroads in the drag racing fraternity and is aiming for a full time ride come 2012, as sister, Ashley gives birth to her first child.

SOLID YEAR FOR THE WALLABIES It has been a year of ups and downs for the Castrol EDGE-backed Wallabies, with injuries, new names and a triumphant win in the Castrol EDGE Tri Nations series.

The Wallabies clinched the Castrol EDGE Tri Nations after 10 long years without winning the series in a finals bout against rivals the All Blacks in 2520 at Suncorp Stadium.

The team backed up a few weeks later to take on the Rugby World Cup, leading their pool after the preliminary games they came up against South Africa in the quarter finals.

Putting in a strong effort they beat strong rivals the Springbok’s 11-9, leading them straight into the semifinals against New Zealand, unlike their previous match up, this time the result was in the All Blacks favor.

The Wallabies squared off with Wales for third place rights and took home fourth place in an upset.

2011 has seen them shake off their underdog tag when pitting them against the likes of New Zealand and South Africa.

The Wallabies increased their strike rate, beating New Zealand twice in the last four matches and have defeated the Springboks in six of the last seven matches.

Wallabies fans can look back at 2011 with pride, the team retains their second place hold in the world rankings. The determination to reach number one in 2012 is even stronger thanks to the recent launch of The Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship.

THE

POWER BEHIND THE

PACK BEHIND THE

PACK!