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IN MY WORDS

Scott McLaughlin practices his doodling skills

ROAD TO GLORY

Hated the label “Champion” but that is everything Alan Jones was

THE GREATEST CHAMPION

Are all champions created equal?

A CHAMPION in pictures

THE

CHAMPIONS ISSUE

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Cover Image: Daniel Kalisz

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Although we cannot see Craig’s trademark grin, we know under the visor he is smiling from ear to ear.

After considering a sickening number of photos for the cover we are ecstatic that the people’s champion celebrating his 105th race win made the cut.

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CONTENTS

48

A pictorial of pedigree

40 The final dogfight

Is the DTM our perfect European partner?

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56

64 70

81

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84 86

THE LONGEST LINE

Did Ambrose find what he was looking for stateside?

WORLD DOMINATION

Unpacking one of the world’s most gruelling forms of motorsport, one hour at a time

EAGER INITIATIONS

Low level motorsport taking on high level circuits

McLAREN’s MOUNTAIN MONSTER

Claiming the Bathurst 12 Hour crown against all odds

TIM SLADE: MY FIRST WIN

Tim Slade relives his maiden race victory in Winton

Michael Caruso: QandA

Michael Caruso chats about his resurgence with Nissan Motorsport

BY THE NUMBERS TRICK STUFF

Rick Kelly reflects on his first and only V8 Supercar crown back in 2006

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The first time in the mountain’s history that the elapsed times had fallen into the two minute, one second category”

You don’t know how badly you need these things yet

90 RETROSPECTIVE

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CAPTured 5 THINGS ABOUT DVS

What we love about our home grown development series

INDUSTRY INSIDER

Sandvik’s partnership with PRA and their role in the success of the team

A FRESH CHALLENGE

BMW’s most recent meander in Australian GT

104 LAST LAP

James Hunt and Niki Lauda

.com

Head to V8ACTION.com for more stories, awesome images and to purchase back issues to complete your collection.

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EDITORIAL

Publisher: Michael 'Gil' Gilbert: gilt@v8action.com Editorial Manager: Luke Morris: Lukemorris_1@gilbertmediagroup.com.au Staff Writer: Josh Makhoul, Tom Moore Contributors: Jonathon Momsen, Natalie Weyman, Simon Delaine and Kaori Hashimoto

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PHOTOGRAPHY

To Whom it May Conce

Contributors: Nathan Wong, Ross Gibb, LAT Photographic, Getty Images, NASCAR Media, Dirk Klynsmith, Chris Gentle, Cassy Gilbert and Michael Gilbert

DESIGN

I will be attending the Graphic Designers: Ren Hex, Marisa Murray coverage of the event

ADMINISTRATION

Office Manager: Cassy Gilbert Motivators: Gypsy Gilbert, Ivy Gilbert

Race Team HQ

V8 Action has provide Team Manager: Stephen ‘Rockin Rony’ Carah well as Australian GT a

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ENQUIRIES

Phone: 02 9542 2248 Web: www.v8action.com Office: Suite 21, Durban Court, 838 Old Princes Hwy, Sutherland, NSW, 2232 This coverage will cont Post: P.O Box 1243, Sutherland NSW 1499 content for V8 Action

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STUFF WE NEED TO SAY

V8 ACTION TEAM

MICHAEL GILBERT

“Iron Toes” PUBLISHER

Arriving for an interview at V8 Action in your Sunday best you will be greeted by a mafia boss style desk and a couch that wouldn’t look out of place in a 70s porno.

Which is fine until you notice Frodo’s feet sticking out from under it. We just hope and pray the mag sells well, because we just want you to buy some god damn shoes.

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REN HEX

“What dress code?”

ART DIRECTOR

Ren’s talent with a mouse in hand are absolutely endless, even though that mouse may be coated in spilt energy drink and instant noodle water. A daily diet akin to that of a child whose parents gave them 50 dollars to feed themselves for a week, unfortunately we feel a heart attack is imminent.

But until then enjoy the best looking motorsport magazine in the country.

Luke Morris

“Sealed Section” Editorial manager

This self-confessed Cleo fan is our resident office encyclopaedia. It is often faster to ask Luke what colour Larry Perkins socks were October 1, 1995 than it is to google it. We have so many more questions for the man with all the answers though; such as is your girlfriend real? And how many posters of Ryan Gosling do you have above your bed?

Tom Moore

“SOME GUY” Staff Writer

Tom wins the award for the best dressed in the office by a country mile, but don’t be mistaken he’s not just a pretty face. Studying a mechanical engineering and journalism double degree whilst writing here and engineering a Dunlop Series car every other week this kid has his hands full (of hair gel).

Regards,

V8 Action Illustrated is published quarterly by Gilbert Media Group. Editorial contributions are welcome but must be guaranteed to be exclusive to V8 Action Illustrated. We are not responsible for the return of any unsolicited material nor are we for the return of any products sent to V8 Action Illustrated offices. Not all letters can be answered but we appreciate your correspondence and usually print the Michael Gilbert Publisher most informative letters in the magazine.

No material may be reproduced without written consent from Gilbert Media Group.

All material contained in V8 Action Illustrated is protected by the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968.

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GIL’S G -FORCE

N

o matter what racing style or category tickles your fancy, we all have those cherished memories of watching our favourite racing champions either trackside or on television. Each of us can recall specific moments where our favourite heroes became champions, enriching their own legacies and fulfilling years of hard work and promise.

For mine, a guy like Michael Schumacher was always a favourite. To this day the images are still seared into my brain, a flying scarlet red Ferrari doing battle with the gorgeous Silver Arrow McLaren’s of David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen.

The on-track rivalry between Schumi and Hakkinen rivalled that of Prost and Senna in their prime, champions all round. It wasn’t just the visuals either, the audio sounds emitted from those V12 engines is almost erotic. Almost!

Closer to home, we’ve been blessed with countless Supercar and Touring Car Champions across multiple generations. Names like Skaife, Brock, Johnson, Moffatt, Richards, Whincup and Lowndes are synonymous with Australian Motorsport success. Each and every one of the names above have a moment entrenched in our collective motorsport memories. Each one of you, our readers no doubt has a favourite driver, a treasured memory and a unique perspective and opinion about what makes a champion.

This aptly describes our newest issue of V8 Action Illustrated, welcome to our Champions Issue.

We’d also like to thank our loyal readers for being so patient whilst this issue has been in the works, but finally you’ve been rewarded. Enjoy!

MICHAEL "GIL" GILBERT just doing my best

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0 - 100 in 2.6 seconds

Certainly no cruiser Authentic Ducati performance and technology with iconic Italian style. Certainly the best value to go 0 - 100km/h in just 2.6 seconds! Book a test ride at your local Authorised Ducati Dealer today!

Where: Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin NT When: Saturday June 20, 2015 Image: Daniel Kalisz/LAT Photographic

Young Nick Percat’s 2016 season started in dramatic and successful fashion with a chaotic and unexpected victory at the Clipsal 500.

Since that Sunday back in March, Percat’s results have tapered off significantly. Awaiting the green light on the start line, Percat looks determined to rectify this downward trend, as the Supercar season heads towards their marquee races.

IN MY WORDS

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN

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ROAD TO GLORY

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road to

glory WORDS JoNaTHoN MOMSEN

Image: lat archive

Having the ecstasy of a championship victory escape him so often, Alan Jones was wary of the task in front of him as the European summer of 1980 drew to a close. Already he’d opened up a lead on the pack. But his scepticism verged on pessimism. The label “champ” frustrated him.

There was still time for defeat to be snatched from the jaws of victory, but this young Aussie wasn’t about to let up.

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ROAD TO GLORY

The stage is set: The reinvigorated Williams FW07 roared into life with Alan Jones behind the wheel. Jones won Grand Prix in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Canada to end the ’79 campaign.

I never used to worry about the big picture a lot. I used to just race to win. I always used to think if you won Grand Prix the championship would come anyway. ” Alan Jones

“Most of my bloody racing career I’ve always had victories snatched away from me,” Alan Jones says.

Speaking of a time before he secured the 1980 Formula One World Drivers’ Championship. “I was never a believer ‘til it happened. Even at Zandvoort people were coming up to me saying ‘hello champ’ which was sort of pissing me off a little bit because I used to say ‘I’m not champ yet so let’s not count our chickens’.”

With two races to go in the 1980 season, Alan Jones was on the doorstep of becoming just the second Australian to claim the World Championship. Plenty of people

around him had already popped the champagne in their minds. Alan was more concerned with what might go wrong between lights out in Canada and the chequered flag at Watkins Glen. He wasn’t going to let complacency be the reason he missed out on the title.

“Any championship is hard to win. It’s about putting a series of races together and accumulating enough points to get the job done and anything can happen.

You can have a series of engine failures, a series of mechanical failures and your season’s over.”

And it was this concern that is embodied in Alan’s attitude towards

winning championships. Looking at the end goal might be helpful in decision making off the track, but when he strapped the helmet on, Jones was only interested in victory.

“I never used to worry about the big picture a lot. I used to just race to win. I always used to think if you won Grand Prix the championship would come anyway.”

“The only time I really did that was at Montreal. Pironi got penalised for a jump start and Piquet was out so I didn’t have to drive as hard as I would’ve, or could’ve, and then having done that I clinched the World Championship.”

“Even at Zandvoort people were coming up to me saying ‘hello champ’ which was sort of pissing me off a little bit because I used to say ‘I’m not champ yet so let’s not count our chickens Alan Jones

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71

The total number of points Jones collected over the course of the season.

However, due to the point system only 67 counted towards the final standings.

Even with the cull he was well above his nearest rival, Nelson Piquet, with only 54 points.

Image: Daniel Kalisz/ LAT

Despite winning the championship, Jones would miss out on winning the Monaco GP. It would be a 51 year wait for Australian fans between Sir Jack Brabham’s win in 1959 and Webber’s in 2010.

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ROAD TO GLORY

There’s a freedom that comes with sealing a championship early. After becoming World Champion in Montreal, the series hopped across the border to Watkins Glen for the final round. What we learned is there’s no such thing as a ‘dead rubber’, especially when a tenacious, overtake-hungry Alan Jones lines up on the grid.

“We went down there and my engine wasn’t very good in qualifying and I told Frank [Williams]. To his credit he said, ‘Well, change engines.’ I was quickest in the morning warm-up. I had a blinding start then proceeded off the track at the first corner because the Americans have this love of cement.”, says Jones. “I rejoined them in the third or fourth last and basically had clinched the World Championship, so it was head down, bum up and just enjoyed myself and it was a great race. I came through and won it.”

If there was a car in front I didn’t care who was sitting in the cockpit, it just had to be passed.”

ALAN JONES

Given nothing to lose, Jones pushed through the field to claim the 1980 US (East) GP, a cherry on top of the championship cake.

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Image: dirk klynsmith

And it was this relentless approach that saw Alan successful not just in Formula One but in Can-Am and Australian GT. Whether it was Nelson Piquet, Peter Brock or whoever had the misfortune of coming up against Jones at his best, they all had a fight on their hands.

“To me they were all just numbers on the side of the car that had to be beaten. It might sound a bit cliché but if there was a car in front I didn’t care who was sitting in the cockpit, it just had to be passed.”

“I just enjoyed racing. I never used to belittle or downgrade any race. I enjoyed racing Can-am in America and when I came back to Australia I enjoyed racing touring cars because it’s a very hard bug to get rid of. For me it was. I wasn’t one of these people who could just come home and retire. I wanted to still go through the motions of packing my bag, getting on the grid and waiting for the green light. That’s who I was. I used to love racing.”

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Image: Daniel Kalisz/ LAT

ROAD TO GLORY

CHAMPIONSHIP DREAMS

A

ny championship has its twists and turns. Some drivers seem destined for greatness, others doomed for a lifetime of mid-pack battles.

Alan Jones found himself out of the race as many times as heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d claimed victory before the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix. The tumultuous season contained enough drama to last a lifetime.

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ROUND 1

ROUND 6

Bolter

Mechanical Failure

The opening round in Argentina put the world on notice. Alan Jones took first place and an early lead. It continued a strong run of form from the end of the 1979 season when Jones had won four of the last six races.

A gearbox failure caused his retirement in Brazil, followed by the same result at Long Beach. The streets of Monaco saw Jonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; third retirement in six races as his differential failed. Title hopes fading, Jones slipped to third in the championship.

Steely eyed determination.

Staring down the front straight at Hockenheim, Jones was unflinching in his desire to win the championship.

You don’t fall arse-backwards into a Formula One car though. Loving the sport is one thing. Committing to it is another. Being the best in the world?

That is a long way down the line.

In 1972 Alan Jones made the decision to chase his dream in Europe, taking on British Formula 3.

Being good enough is only part of the challenge he says. Getting to the other side of the world and landing a drive is the biggest step any young Australian driver can make, and is pivotal in their progression through the ranks.

“Australia’s geographically disadvantaged in one respect and it’s advantaged in another: we’re away from all the shit in Europe. When it comes to being able to just hop on a plane and whiz across to do a race, it’s geographically impossible.

So it’s good to see young Aussies going over there and making that commitment and having a go. Some of which have gone over there and they’ve shown a lot of promise and won a championship or a series of races; unfortunately they haven’t been able to raise the money to

it’s good to see young Aussies going over there and making that commitment and having a go. Some of which have gone over there and they’ve shown a lot of promise and won a championship or a series of races.”

ALAN JONES

“I made the opportunity, at the end of the day,” Alan states proudly. “That’s why I’ve got a lot of respect for any young Aussie boy that packs the bags and gets overseas because it shows he’s fair dinkum about it.”

“It’s a commitment. That in itself: to leave mum and dad and go to the other side of the world and live in a strange country shows a commitment to start with and I think that’s what you need as part of your deal to be a racing driver.”

And it’s that commitment that Jones is trying to promote among young Australian drivers today. But unfortunately, as is often the way with motorsport, money interferes with talent meaning even once they get there, potential Australian World Champions are forced to return home.

ROUND 10

ROUND 11

continue on their career so they’ve come back to Australia and that’s a real shame.”

The CAMS Foundation is dedicated to giving those who show both the talent and intent to pursue a career in Europe the opportunity to do so.

Indeed, the foundation aims to bring any aspiring young talent to the pinnacle of their chosen category.

As a patron, Jones supports the foundation but is also supportive of any efforts that will bring more young drivers a step closer to their dream.

“The more foundations and schemes we can have like that the better of we’ll be. From my point of view the trick is to not dilute it over a number of people. Pick one guy and pour more money into him so he can do the job.”

ROUND 13

Austrian Nail-biter

Dutch Disaster

Untouchable

Wins in France and Britain and a third in Germany gave Jones the championship lead. In Austria he would finish second by just 0.82 seconds. The podium was enough to give him an 11 point series lead.

Forced to pit from the lead due to damage, Jones’ grip on the title slipped as he went three laps down, leaving the door open for Piquet to respond. The Brazilian went on to win the race and close the gap to just 2 points.

Piquet crashes out. Pironi jumps the start, leaving the door wide open for Jones to take the title. He strolled through and slammed it shut. He’d leave Montreal as the 1980 Formula One World Champion.

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ROAD TO GLORY

A life in motorsport is, as Alan says, hard to get away from. Even now while his competitive days are over, it would be remiss of any fan to not expect Alan to be popping up around the track when the Grand Prix is in town.

For Australian audiences, Jones has been pouring his decades of knowledge and experience into commentary and coverage with the Ten network. That of course is when he isn’t performing his duties as a race steward in race control. An experience Alan says gives even him a new insight into the sport.

“I enjoy it very much. Given the opportunity to work as a steward at a couple of Grand Prix every year sort of keeps your finger on the pulse. This year I’m doing Hungary and China. It gives you the opportunity to go into the technical side of the cars and the teams and get a bit more intimate with it than you would if you were watching on TV or as a spectator.”

His success behind the wheel and commitment to motorsport meant this World Champion was awarded the 20

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Alan’s Off Track Hobby

It gives you the opportunity to go into the technical side of the cars and the teams and get a bit more intimate with it...”

ALAN JONES

Gregor Grant Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his contribution both in Australia and abroad. “I was very honoured at that, because there’s been some pretty impressive names that win the Gregor Grant award. To be singled out and be a recipient of it, things like that don’t come along every day.”

MAIN: Alan Jones pilots the Shadow About Time DN8 Cosworth through the hairpin in Monaco in 1977.

In his only year with the team he’d go on to win his first Grand Prix in Austria.

INSET: Jones accepts the Gregor Grant Lifetime Achievement Award alongside former Alan’s love of wrist watches and life in Formula One driver the glitz and glamour world of F1 has Mark Webber. given him the opportunity to become even more involved in his hobby out of the driver’s seat. Bausele Australia announced a partnership with Jones in late 2015, with the World Champion involved in the design of a Monaco Grand Prix inspired wrist watch.

“I’m a self confessed watch perv. I’ve always liked watches and I just find this particular product fascinating because it’s a bit of a niche. It’s Swiss made, Australian designed and we’ve got little bits of Australiana in the winding mechanism. They’re a little bit different in terms of their looks so I think it’s going to be a lot of fun hooking up with them.”

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Image: LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

THE GREATEST CHAMPION

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T h e

g r e a t e st champion

Sit on the hill at any race track long enough and the debate will start: who is the greatest driver of all time? Most arguments will be caked in bias and allegiance to a certain manufacturer.

If we want to find who is the greatest champion, the ultimate yard stick, we need to look at each championshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s claim as the best in the world.

Winning a championship is a gruelling effort, but are all championships created equal?

WORDS Jonathon Momsen

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THE GREATEST CHAMPION

THE GREATEST CHAMPION

Formula 1 The World Championship Winning a Formula One World Drivers’ Championship carries with it the title of World Champion. ‘Champion of the world’. It sells itself doesn’t it? But does being World Drivers’ Champion mean you truly are the best driver in the world?

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wheel racing’s top honour. There’s no doubt the winner of the championship is deserving of the title. They have to be selected by the top team to start with.

Then they have to beat a driver with the same machine they have. Then they must complete the season itself.

Alan Jones’ thoughts reflect the importance of having a good car in

You have to be a very talented driver that’s been given the opportunity to go to the right team to be in the right car at the right time.”

ALAN JONES

order to win a championship, but there’s much more going on in the F1 world than just fast cars. “You’ve always needed a good car and a good team.

And the good drivers gravitate to the good teams and they’re the ones who win the world championships”, says Alan.

“I’m yet to see a really good driver in a bum team win a world championship.

You have to be a very talented driver that’s been given the opportunity to go to the right team to be in the right car at the right time.”

Image: Charles COATES / LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

I

f there’s one thing that has everyone in F1 talking, from the punters on the hill to executives in the paddock, it’s money. The almighty dollar. The sheer amount of capital required to land a seat means some would be fair in their evaluation of Formula One as a technology championship, not a driver’s championship. Could Will Stevens or Roberto Merhi have been the best driver at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix? Who knows? We never will. The then Manor Marussia F1 Team couldn’t put either car on the grid for the opening race of the season. Meanwhile Mercedes took down another 1-2 in a canter.

This is not a new phenomenon. One of the greatest drivers to ever put on a helmet, Ayrton Senna was renowned for his criticism of the Formula One rules, administration, and politics. In the documentary ‘Senna’, we can hear Ayrton speak of racing go-karts in Brazil as the most pure form of racing he experienced. Free of politics. Free of big money. Strap in and see who’s the fastest driver. If it was a problem in F1 in the 90s, nothing has been done to stem the tide of cash behind the seemingly inevitable world champion.

That’s not taking anything away from the efforts of those who claim open

Three time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and the team that took him there.

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Image: SAM BLOXHAM / LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

THE GREATEST CHAMPION

T

he team dominance that has become synonymous with Formula One has led many to downgrade the achievements of the champions we’ve seen emerge.

1980 World Champion Alan Jones calls this out for what it is: ridiculous.

“I thought that’s what you’re meant to do,” he says, perplexed by the criticism.

“I thought you were meant to go out.

Form a team, spend the money, get the right technicians and drivers, then go out and win as many Formula One races as you can... And if you do it you’re ruining the sport? And it’s boring? I’ve heard this crap over the last 40 years.”

Indeed many of the champions heralded as the greatest of all time have also found themselves in some of the fastest cars ever driven. But comparing eras then brings with it its own challenges. These challenges however reveal that the pilot of these machines are just as important as the cars themselves.

I thought that’s what you’re meant to do... I thought you were meant to go out, form a team, spend the money, get the right technicians and drivers and then go out and win as many Formula one races as you can.”

Hamilton leading Rosberg has been a familiar sight, but it’s really just par for the course in F1.

ALAN JONES

“How would Fangio go in a modern car? How would Lewis Hamilton go in a 1955 Mercedes? It’s very difficult,” Jones says.

“Do you grade drivers on the amount of championships they’ve won? The amount of Grand Prix they’ve won?

Chris Amon was one of the best drivers of his time. Sterling Moss is considered a champion and he never won the World Championship.”

And Jones’ point is sound. The original Formula One cars were more akin to fireworks on wheels compared to the space shuttles being escorted around purpose built circuits we see today. The risk of ruin was much higher

as well, meaning nerves of steel was a prerequisite before you ever sat foot in a paddock.

But with the pay disparity that was revealed in the early stages of the 2015 season it’s easy to see how in Formula One the rich get richer and the poor get lapped. There’s no doubt a team’s success is linked to money.

There’s no doubt a driver’s success is linked to their team. But a gun team with a fast car is nothing without a world class driver to bring it home.

Regardless of what is underneath them, there’s no doubting the skills of our past and present World Champions.

THEN VS NOW

C

omparing championship wins is tough. There’s so much to consider. The difficulty involved in getting the car around one lap of a circuit is extrodinary. There are complete changes to the circuit in terms of safety, speed, distractions, competitors, and the amount of commitment needed to take you from Round 1 to World Champion.

Sir Jack Brabham won his first series in 1959. Let’s take a look at how a ’59 title stacks up against Lewis Hamilton’s 2015 championship.

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Season Races Hamilton Brabham

19 9

Adjusted Points after 9 Rounds Hamilton Brabham

194 110

Season Win % Hamilton Brabham

52.63% 22.22%

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THE GREATEST CHAMPION

With a career spanning 22 years, Michael Schumacher made his mark on the sport of Formula One like no man ever had before.

From his early days at Benneton, to his dominant partnership with Ferrari, Schumacher proved his tenacious skill for racing.

H

ow can I sum up a career of a driver that took to the tarmac before I was born, only to still be racing Formula One on my 19th birthday? More importantly, how can we begin to compare other careers to one which was so brilliant and is far from ever being matched? Stastically, no driver in history comes close to that of ‘The Maestro’ Michael Schumacher.

Seven World Championships. Juan Manuel Fangio is the next closest with five, with his last championship in 1957.

Prost and Vettel have thrown together four. A handful of drivers have secured three. But none have come close to the record of the German wizard.

Not only did he win the championships, he won them convincingly. Almost unopposed. Not to say his competition were walkovers, as he took on drivers capable of becoming World Champions such as Raikkonen, Alonso, Hakkinen, and Button. But they didn’t stand a chance.

Between 1994 and 2004 only three drivers other than Schumacher (Hakkinen, Hill and Villeneuve) claimed top honours.

I never thought we’d see someone win five world championships and then Schumacher came along and won seven. An unbelievable feat!”

ALAN JONES

Hakkinen’s 1999 win wplaced him equal to Schumacher, with both drivers having two equal championships under their belt. But the turn of the millennium had a champion rise even higher.

2000 saw Schumacher tie a string of five championships in a row - a feat that hasn’t been matched. In all facets of his career, Schumacher can not be matched.

The next best in each metric you could possibly measure a champion by is always someone different. There is no clear second place. But there is one clear champion that stands out above the rest.

We’ll leave it to Alan Jones to express the feelings of a fellow World Champion about what Schumacher achieved

behind the wheel. “I never thought we’d see someone win five world championships and then Schumacher came along and won seven. An unbelievable feat!” Unbelievable indeed.

So unbelievable the most dominant force in recent times, Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel could only manage four championships in a row with a champion team and a bucket load of talent. Michael however, had something a little bit more.

Something that can’t quite be put in to numbers. Simply, he had greatness coursing through his veins, and it carried him to championship glory more times than any man could previously or since.

Perhaps ever.

All time stats

Schumacher’s wins by season

Career wins SENNA

14

41

12

91

Schumacher

42

10 8 6

VETTEL 43

HAMILTON

4

51

2

PROST

0

‘91 ‘92 ‘93 ‘94 ‘95 ‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 ‘00 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 28

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A CHAMPION In pictures

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A Champion in Pictures WORDS Tom Moore

Assembling a list of champions in an office choc-full of rev-heads is certainly no easy task. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had more than our fair share of heated arguments and settling on a final list that each of us agreed with was virtually impossible.

Yet here we are, the hard work was worth it. V8 Action presents: A Champion In Pictures.

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A CHAMPION In pictures

Lewis Hamilton Love him or loathe him, Lewis Hamilton is leaving a legacy on the Formula One championship that will not soon be forgotten. Hamilton started karting at the age of six and since he has gone on to amass 45 wins, 92 podiums, and 53 poles from just 175 starts, resulting in three World Championships. Often labelled as “the first black driver” in Formula One, he has also laid claim to a score of records throughout his career, although some have now been broken.

Lewis has earned titles as the youngest champion in F1 history (23 years), the first British driver to win consecutive titles (2014, 2015), only the second British and first English driver to win three titles (2008, 2014, 2015). Lewis is also the only driver in history to win at least one race in every season he has entered (2008-2016), he has the most wins (45) of any British driver and the third most of all time.

Tom Kristensen Kristensen’s extraordinary endurance record speaks for itself. From 2000-2005 Kristensen crossed the line first for a record of six consecutive Le Mans 24hrs wins, plus he also holds the overall record with nine victories. Known as “Mr. Le Mans,” every time Kristensen has competed at Le Mans he has either finished on the podium or not finished at all. Kristensen also holds the enviable record of the most 12 Hours of Sebring wins with six. A true champion of endurance racing whose Everest like resume does not look to be surpassed any time in the near future, if ever at all.

Mark Skaife Mark Skaife was arguably the greatest V8SC/ATCC driver since Brock, although like many champions before him he was very much a polarising figure. From early in his career he had fans divided firstly by joining Nissan to pilot the infamous R32 GT-R ‘Godzilla’ which decimated the long-loved Australian V8s, and then compounded that dislike by accompanying Jim Richards to the infamous podium appearance in 1992 where they both gave the crowd a piece of their minds.

Skaife would go on to win five Championships and six Bathurst 1000s, where he is seen here celebrating one of his three victories for HRT.

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Dunlop. Official control tyre of the V8 Supercars.

Dunlop is proud to be the official control tyre for the V8 Supercars. Drivers have long selected Dunlop for its high performance qualities, from the world of racing to the everyday road. So if you need tyres, ask about a Dunlop tyre - what we learn on the track, we take to the street.

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A CHAMPION In pictures

Mark Webber Seldom has a twitter handle been a more apt description of its holder than @AussieGrit.

Mark Webber was the first Australian to win a Formula One Grand Prix for 28 years, the first since Alan Jones in 1981, and his decorated career restored the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awareness of the greatest driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s championship in the world.

Webber characterises the quintessential Australian battler via his cavalcade of hard luck stories which will forever mar his career, especially coming so close to a championship in 2010. Now driving for Porsche in LMP1, Mark continues to make his country proud to have one of our own continue to dominate on the world stage.

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A CHAMPION In pictures

MARK WINTERBOTTOM In 2003 ‘Frosty’ won the Development Series Championship in his first and only attempt, he remains the only driver to do so in championship history. Even though it would take another 12 years for his name to be etched into championship silverware again, he remains one of the most celebrated drivers in Australia. With an allegiance to the blue oval stronger than the roll cage that protects him, Mark embodies the loyalty that modern motorsport desires.

Remembered by many for his dedications of significant victories to his late mother. He was recorded over the team radio after claiming his 2015 title as exclaiming “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’ve got a few tears under this visor - I’m speechless. I wish my mum was here; I wish she was here.”

PETER BROCK No matter what selection of words are chosen to briefly inform you of the legacy that Peter Brock left behind, they will not serve this man justice. Peter Geoffrey Brock would carry the hearts of a nation with him every time he graced the famed bitumen of Mount Panorama and astonished on lookers with his grace, calmness, and speed in which he would complete a lap. Brock’s popularity and legend has continued to grow, even a decade after his tragic passing. With the Peter Brock Trophy awarded to the Great Race victor every year, the influence and passion he inspired will forever continue to into the future.

JAMIE WHINCUP Jamie Whincup’s rise and subsequent dominance over the V8 Supercars category is particularly staggering. Still at the peak of his powers, Whincup has already won more championships than any other driver in Supercars or ATCC history (6). His Bathurst record is also phenomenal with 4 wins and multiple podiums over the past 13 years. Currently second on the all-time race wins list, it appears to be only a matter of time until he surpasses that mantle. Like so many of his contemporaries on this list, Whincup is not universally loved and admired, like his teammate Craig Lowndes. However, in the decades to come, history and fan consensus will be far more fair to an operator who will likely go down as the Greatest of All Time.

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A CHAMPION In pictures

Yet another life in motorsport cut so short, in Ayrton Sennaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first eight years as a Formula One driver he won three championships and came second in his last full season before his death. With a unique personality that extended far beyond the race track, on the morning of his death he initiated the reinstallation of the GPDA safety organisation to shed light on the dangers of his profession. It was also discovered years after his death that he had been secretly donating money to help children living in poverty in Brazil, somewhere in the realm of $400 million. Legend.

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Ayrton Senna

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The Final Dogfight

THE Final

DOGFIGHT With over 40 years of history, the Supercars are considered the most prestigious racing championship in Australia, but how does our tournament shape up against the pinnacle of German motorsport?

ALL ImageS: LAT ARCHIVE

WORDS Natalie Weyman

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The final dogfight

I

f there’s anything that defines us Aussies, it’s beer, footy, pluggers, our slang, and of course our love for a little pedal to the metal action (some may use the term rev heads).

If we’re going to be stereotyped, we might as well do it in style, right? But how does our V8SCC weigh up against the best of Germany’s Tourenwagen Masters (DTM)? Three particular areas jump out when stacking up which championship comes out on top: the cars, the competition, and the entertainment. There’s no denying any race weekend will unearth many stories, they too in the Northern Hemisphere are proud rev heads. In terms of the vehicles themselves, the DTM’s weight system varies to ours in Australia. The total weight of a DTM car including its driver, racing gear, as well as 15kg of performance weights adds up to 1,120kg. Performance weights can be added and subjected from the underbody of the car based on the driver’s performance from the previous race. The maximum weight difference between the lightest and heaviest car on the grid will add up to 35kg. Back home, our minimum weight rose in 2013 to 1410kg, indeed somewhat heavier than a DTM touring car. Although the DTM engine comes with a 4-litre V8, compared to our 5-litre V8, experts

It’s all about finding a way to adapt myself as quick as possible to the car, because the car is not going the adapt to me!”

“It’s all about finding a way to adapt myself as quick as possible to the car, because the car is not going to adapt to me!” Considering the difficult transition that a V8 Supercar presents, Ekstrom and co-driver Andy Priaulx exceeded expectations by taking a top 10 finish at the 2013 Bathurst 1000.

The evolution of pit stops around the world has added a level of professionalism to the sport.

Each tenth of a second is critical!

Mattias Ekstrom

argue that the weight comparison lends itself to the DTM vehicles being faster than our Supercars. In getting down to the statistics any DTM car should smash our V8’s speed wise, but does that necessarily make it more entertaining to watch? With a rich history that dates back to 1960, Australian Touring Car racing is the most revered and popular form of motorsport in the country’s history.

We all know the quality of the racing here in Australia and consequently the entertainment it produces. If by chance however you move to the European continent, the DTM championship also has a range of street and track circuits that put some of Germany’s finest scenery on display. It was only back in 2013 when DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom drove a V8 Supercar for the first time, speaking to v8supercars.com. au, gushed about the unique style and challenges that a V8 Supercar presents.

Champion Comparison V8 vs DTM Jamie Whincup

Bernd Schneider

396

236

99

67 43

Races

Wins

25 POle positions

6

5

Championships

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The final dogfight

Australia’s V8 Supercars championship offers some of the highest calibre circuits in international motorsport and subsequently we mustn’t overlook the skill that is required to manoeuvre these fearsome beasts around Aussie tracks.

Earlier in 2016, Supercars chief James Warburton told v8supercars.com. au at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour that, “our drivers are the superstars of the show and are easily amongst the best in the world… Anytime they step away from our category and test themselves they prove that and the performances across the weekend at Bathurst was further proof of that.”

Amongst a strong group of elite drivers, 6-time series champion Jamie Whincup stands clearly above the strong pack. His stats are a testament to the length of his utter dominance of the category over the better part of the last decade. Ominously, Whincup has expressed a desire to remain in Australia, so you’d be hard pressed believing that he won’t continue his dominance into the future.

Historically speaking, Peter Brock is clearly the most revered and celebrated motorsport figure in Australia. His untimely and tragic death in 2006 prompted an enormous outpouring of grief and respect for the ‘King of the Mountain’. Brock’s protégé, Craig Lowndes told of the enormity that

Our drivers are the superstars of the show and are easily amongst, if not the best in the world ...

Anytime they step away from our category and test themselves they prove that and the performances across the weekend at Bathurst was further proof of that”

If driver’s charisma was a metric by which we could measure the greatest championship in the world Craig Lowndes would get V8SC over the line every time.

There are endless comparisons to be made between an Australian made V8 Supercar and a clinically designed European DTM racer, so we broke it down into the simplest of statistics for you:

James Warburton

the Brock legacy had left behind in a tribute put together by Channel 7.

“Everyone had a respect for a person and a personality that gave us so much enjoyment watching him do so many great things with his craft. For me that was probably the most emotional I’ve ever been, both before and during the race, then getting from that situation to the car and then driving the race of your life.”

In this Olympic year, the Brock legacy even reached the grandest stage of world sport. For the 2000 games in Sydney, Brock was named as the first non- Olympic athlete to be named as an advisor to the games. But now, like the Olympics itself, the torch has been passed on.

V8SC VS DTM 1410kg 5.0L V8

635hp

3.6 seconds

298km/h

Weight

Capacity

Power

0-100km/h

Top Speed

1120kg 4.0L V8

500hp

2.9 seconds

310km/h

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The final dogfight

When you are fitted in a racing car and you race to win, second or third place is not enough” Ayrton Senna

distant future.

Recognition needs to be given where it is deserved and to put it simply every driver on the grid in the Supercar lineup should be recognised. It takes a hell

of a lot of skill, passion, and devotion from a lot of people to land a seat in the main game line-up.

Looking forward it’s only fitting to consider the likes of Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen, and Chaz Mostert as greats of the near future.

If there’s one question to think about for the not so distant future. But when it comes to determining ‘greats,’ is Shane van Gisbergen about to repeat history and upstage Jamie Whincup just as Whincup did to Craig Lowndes not so long ago?

Unlike DTM, our Supercars category has introduced multiple international manafacturers such as; Mercedes, Volvo and Nissan.

However due to financial restraints, the expansion sadly may not last.

Image: DANIEL KALISZ / LAT

We need only look as far as Craig Lowndes to see the sportsmanship, skill, and crowd adoring personality to decipher that the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Lowndes’ close association with the late Brock contributed to the surge and strength of popularity that Lowndes receives every race weekend.

Fast forward 30 years and we will probably look back on this time as the era of the great Jamie Whincup.

Remember that Whincup will surely add to his long resume in the not too

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Longest Line

NASCAR

The Longest Line What better way to compare two championships than to send one of our best to take on the best in North America? Marcos Ambrose played the role of a two-time V8 Supercar champion trying to shake up the boys in the NASCAR Sprint Cup but the United States’ best would prove too much for the Tasmanian.

WORDS Jonathon Momsen

Three-wide? Standard. That is at least at the super speedways. Running four wide isn’t out of the ordinary either. But just because seeing cars door to door at 200mph is regular, doesn’t mean it is any less exciting to watch.

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at Watkins Glen. “I’ve road raced in my life and it’s a great side of the sport,” he told Speedcafe in 2011. “But it is not what makes NASCAR what it is. Oval racing and mile-and-a-half mile races in particular, really is, I think, the pure form of NASCAR.”

Oval racing and mileand-a-half mile races in particular, really is, I think, the pure form of NASCAR. ” MARCOS AMBROSE

Back in 2011, in his sixth year in the States, he said that he was “starting to get a feel of what I need to do to run well and some of the tricks and techniques that you need with all of the people around you to help make it happen.”

“I really feel that, you know, when I get to Dover or Kansas and Charlotte, all of these high-speed one-and-ahalf-mile or less race tracks really are a lot of fun and a very pure part of the sport.” With the road course wins he’d proven his worth as a driver amongst NASCAR’s best but he was left needing to prove his talent on the ovals.

Aero, teamwork, and a heart the size of a watermelon are all pre-requisites of running 3-wide at a superspeedway.

And that’s all before you get in front.

Once you’re there you’re vulnerable to the rough and tumble world of NASCAR. No holds barred. Drivers bump, push, and spin their way to the front with little or no repercussions.

The stewards really do let boys be boys resulting in a payback system which more often than not ends in twisted metal and heated tempers.

Image: lat archive

W

e sent one of our champions to NASCAR and in a decade he couldn’t break into the top echelon of Sprint Cup drivers. There’s no doubt Marcos is talented and a great driver, but what does that say about the calibre of drivers in NASCAR? It says they are truly the best in the world at what they do. But that’s not to say the championship itself is the highest echelon of motorsport.

It’s very easy from our armchairs to say the series doesn’t test drivers as much as the V8 Supercar series or Formula 1, simply because the majority of the circuits are oval tracks. But the difficulty in wrestling these rumbling behemoths around the banks at Talladega is a skill all on its own in the motorsport world.

Our V8 Champion and NASCAR crash test dummy Marcos Ambrose faced a steep learning curve on the steep curves of the American ovals. It wasn’t until 2011 that he’d have his first Sprint Cup win. His last would be a year later at the same track, the road course

Marcosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; efforts in the US shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be understated.

Many established drivers have taken on the American giants without getting a sniff at the top of the leaderboard.

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Longest line

Image: NASCAR MEDIA

Right: The Big One at Talladega in 2009. Ambrose dodged the carnage this time to battle out the rest of the race.

And when you find yourself pushing for the lead it helps to have a good team around you and a slick car underneath. Marcos would normally have one or the other but when things at Richard Petty Motorsport were going well and his Ford Fusion was hooked up, Marcos would run in the top ten. He just needed to dodge “The Big One”.

Being in the front of the pack is vital in NASCAR. It means you don’t end up in someone else’s mess. It’s not exactly scientific, but I can’t count how many times I’d sit on the lounge of a Monday morning watching cars spiral into the front of Ambrose’s Ford, ending his race. Running in the mid-pack is a dangerous game, much more so in NASCAR. Consistent, fast, and reliable teams and drivers are so much more successful, particularly on the large ovals due to the fact they’re out in front, in the clean air, and 50

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This is crazy racing, it really is.

We can try and legitimise as much as we’d like but it’s insanity on four wheels. ” MARCOS AMBROSE

staying out of trouble.

In the wake of an action packed Aaron’s 499 in ’09 Ambrose hit the nail on the head. “This is crazy racing, it really is,” he told media after the race. “We can try and legitimise as much as we’d like but it’s insanity on four wheels.”

So it’s easy to see why the new guy trying to break through the ranks can have a tough time of it. Formula One aces Montoya and Villeneuve made the jump to the States without championship success. Take them to a road course and they would school

the Yanks with their ability to turn right. But put them on an oval though, and the game changes completely.

The risks are greater, errors are compounded, and running anywhere outside the top five has the potential for disaster.

But this battered and bruised field of 43 drivers has produced champions.

Champions worthy of praise in any motorsport discipline. Especially due to the brutal nature of mid-pack running and the work drivers need to put in with their teams to finish with a straight car and a fast car on Sunday.

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Longest line

Jimmie Johnson’s dominance in modern NASCAR is quite staggering.

Looking out here, he ponders his next title.

Number 48 was unstoppable. For five years Johnson just found a way.

He wasn’t always leading the most laps, although he led a hell of a lot.

But he was finding ways to win. Last lap passes, big moves late in the race, thrown in of course with outright pace that saw him put the field to the sword six times in his 15 year career.

That’s not to say there aren’t others who are just as deserving of the title.

Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt have claimed seven titles a piece.

What separates Jimmie from the rest is the way he’s gone about his wins.

Effortless. Faultless. And although they are only recent, Johnson’s legacy will be timeless. With the modern NASCAR teams more equal than ever thanks to the new generation of cars and aero packages, the onus is on the driver more than ever before. It’s still a team sport, and spotters, pit crews and crew

Since I was kid, what’s drawn me to racing is the feeling inside of me, the passion I have for the sport, the feeling I have while competing and doing what I do in a car, on a bike, whatever it’s been.”

Jimmie Johnson

Image: dirk klynsmith

chiefs are as vital as ever, but utilising them is another thing all together.

Being put in the right position, making the right calls, and having a good car are nothing without a champion behind the wheel. Jimmie makes it work. Jimmie makes it happen. Jimmie Johnson wins championships. It’s just what he does. He’s methodical and unrelenting in his pursuit of victory. Five championships in a row will tell you that.

The best is that his career is far from over. There’s still room for Johnson to equal and surpass Petty and Earnhardt.

Depending on who you talk to on the infield, it’s only a matter of time.

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NATIONAL MOTOR RACING MUSEUM No visit to Mount Panorama is complete without a stop at The National Motor Racing Museum, right beside the track at Murray’s corner. Inside you’ll find a constantly- changing array of vehicles that have made their mark not only on Mount Panorama, but in Australian Motorsport in General.

In the galleries you’ll see many of the dominant vehicles that ran in Australian touring car, open wheeler, rally, Motorcycle and speedway events. The stories of the many drivers and races are told through original trophies, race suits, leathers, race footage and photographs. Take a break in the theatre and watch the introductory history of motor racing in Bathurst since the 1920’s. Before taking a spin around the Mount Panorama circuit enjoy a coffee and take in the Peter Brock statue, Museum shop, & playground. Whether travelling with a car club, bus tour, caravan or the kids, we can cater for all your needs, check our new website for full information

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CARRERA COMRADERY

CarRera Comradery

B

Image: MICHAEL GILBERT / GMG

eing the most experienced driver in the field, Marc Cini has seen a few people come and go through Carrera Cup over the last 13 years and his 200+ starts. As serious as this category is they aren’t racing for sheep stations and everyone knows their limits. For that reason the crash rate in Carrera Cup is remarkably low, surprising when considering the various levels of talent taking to the track on the weekend.

The strength of the field has been improving year after year and with more professional drivers turning to the Carrera Cup – looking for a full-time drive or just some extra seat time – it has made breaking into the top 10 even more of an achievement.

“Outside of supercars, it’s probably the most competitive field out there,” Cini says. “It’s never been stronger, it’s extraordinary, you can’t just dip your toe in the water anymore.”

Although the fields are getting more competitive, the mateship that makes the Carrera Cup iconic has never wavered, “the comradery is good because everyone sort of has that

respect of everybody, there’s no one there that you don’t respect.” Apart from up and coming young guns and the odd ex-supercar driver, Carrera Cup has always been the perfect place for middle aged men who have the financial means to have a go at real motorsport, get themselves on television and have some serious fun. A category built on respect that doesn’t discriminate against a lack of past experience “The first race car I ever jumped in, I think I was 41”.

Marc now pushing his mid-fifties has shown no signs of slowing down, strong performances in early 2016 will no doubt strengthen his desire to remain in the category for years to come.

Motor racing is one of those things that has that old fashioned comradery about it. It’s like our round of golf” MARK CINI

Tony Bates and Marc Cini in a sweaty embrace on the Sunday of round one at Clipsal in March.

International Ingredients

How an overseas category became a V8SC regular Since its inception in 2003 the Carrera Cup has been a mainstay of V8 Supercar support categories with Jim Richards winning the inaugural championship. The category is a worldwide fixture and the Australian series bases its regulations directly on its international counterpart’s. The cars are based very closely to their production siblings, with only a handful of modifications needed to acquire a race-ready vehicle. The modifications are restricted to ensure an even parity between cars and also to reduce costs where possible, both crucial aspects of the categories popularity around the world. “Everyone gets the same toy, and the setup differences in them are so minute, there’s not a hell of a lot you can do different to anybody else”.

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 996 was the prescribed steed in 2003 when the Carrera Cup first burst onto the scene in Australia.

Shortly after its commencement the worth of an intercontinentally recognised category became evident to drivers and teams alike. As popularity grew it quickly attracted attention from teams such as Paul Cruickshank, VIP Petfoods, Sonic, and Tekno.

Carrera Cup soon earned its place on the path to V8 Supercar stardom as the likes as Alex Davison, Fabian Coulthard, Jonathon Webb and David Reynolds all graduated from the category prior to their full time main game drives.

After 6 highly entertaining and competitive seasons, in 2009 a lack of competitors saw the category fold for two seasons.

The category was rebooted in 2011 with fresh competitors and a new Type 997 GT3 racer.

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WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

WORLD

DOMINATION WORDS Joshua Makhoul

Image: EBREY / LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

Take some of the world’s most exciting and picturesque racetracks.

Add in a dash of the planet’s most elite race drivers. Combine that with some of the most advanced technology in motorsport.

This is the World Endurance Championship.

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WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

T

here’s a certain feeling of romance that comes with the thought of endurance racing.

The insane length of race time drivers are required to do, sometimes up to three hours long, all the while piloting some of the fastest cars in the world. The sheer distances covered in the championship is simply astonishing. Each race is six hours long, with the exception of the almighty 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, each helping to produce a dominating series which is fast becoming one to watch.

The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) name was previously used by the FIA from 1981 to 1985 before being rebirthed in 2012, replacing the intercontinental Le Mans Cup, which began in 2010. In its fifth year of competition, the WEC has become one of the most respected forms of motorsport in the world.

The 2016 WEC season will hold nine rounds of breathtaking endurance racing, beginning at the Silverstone Circuit in April and ending at the Bahrain International Circuit in November. The series is made up of eight, six hour endurance rounds and includes the 84th running of the 24 Hours

It’s more complex because there is considerably more freedom. As soon as an engineer has more freedom, he takes things closer to the limit” Fritz Enzinger

of Le Mans, which is one of the most famous races in the history of motorsport, alongside races such as 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.

There are currently four classes of competition spread across two main body types. The FIA unveiled an entry of 32 cars for the 2016 season on the 5th of February, divided into four categories: Le Mans Prototype 1 (LMP1) and 2 (LMP2), Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance Professional (LMGTE Pro) and Amateur (LMGTE Am). There are the prototype cars, built exclusively for racing, and then there’s the GT cars; ‘sporty’ road cars like Porsche’s 911, Ferrari’s 488, and for 2016; the highly anticipated Ford GT. The categories not only vary in performance, but drivers’ talent too.

The Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) AM category is open for amateur drivers to compete in, meaning there are huge speed differences between a pro driver in the top LMP1 category and an amateur in a comparatively ‘slow’ LMGTE car. This can produce some stellar racing, with multiple battles across all four classes, and plenty of examples of prototype cars passing Ferraris and Aston Martins like they’re stationary. However the class disparity has proven to be extremely dangerous, as shown by Mark Webbers monster crash at Brazil in 2014, being clipped by a Ferrari 458 while overtaking and being sent into a wall close to 300km/h.

Fortunately Webber was lucky to escape with relatively minor injuries.

This year FORD made their debut in the WEC series, arriving in style by showcasing the highly anticipated all new FORD GT Supercar.

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Image: Adam Warner / LAT

WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

The regulations for the top LMP1 category, dictate the dimensions of the car, as well as the fuel and energy quantities.

How this energy is produced, is entirely up to the individual teams, who can decide for themselves what works best.

Unlike the strict rules in Formula One, this allows team engineers to get creative with their power plants, which produces a grid showcasing a variety of technical innovation. “It’s more complex because there is considerably more freedom…as soon as an engineer has more freedom, he takes things closer to the limit,” said Chief of the Porsche LMP1 Program, Fritz Enzinger.

Not to be outdone by the amazing technology involved, teamwork is another major factor that defines the WEC. “Every single person contributed to this result,” Brendon Hartley explained to the media in Bahrain, after securing the 2015 driver’s championship, alongside co-driver team mates Mark Webber and Timo Bernard.

In the WEC’s four-year history, three different manufactures, four different

THE ALMIGHTY ONE

O

ne of the most prestigious motorsport races in the world, the 24 Hour Le Mans has been part of the FIA WEC since 2012. The world’s oldest active sports car race in endurance racing history, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans in France. “You get addicted to the sweet victory and once you’ve tasted it, you want to have it every year…it’s the biggest one, it’s the race that everyone wants to win and we will try our best,” Marcel Fässler said in an interview to the FIA about Le Mans and the 2016 season.

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You get addicted to the sweet victory and once you’ve tasted it you want to have it every year. It’s the biggest one, it’s the race that everyone wants to win and we will try our best” Marcel Fassler

cars, and eleven drivers have won the top LMP1 category. No particular driver has dominated the rest to be superior in the championships short history so far.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, especially this decade, Audi have been a dominant force at the famous Le Mans circuit, with drivers such as André Lotterer, Marcel Fassler and Benoît Tréluyer taking out the 2011, 2012, and 2014 Le Mans events.

One of the most talked about heroes in endurance racing is the legend himself, Tom Kristensen. Nicknamed Mr. Le Mans, Tom Holds the record for the most Le

DURATION 24 Hours

Distance 5234km

Mans wins at nine, six of them being consecutive from 2000 to 2005, as well as obtaining many podiums after this. If there is one man who knows this course the best, it’s definitely Mr. Le Mans himself. Kristensen raced in the WEC from 2012 to 2014, obtaining second place in its first year and was crowned the drivers’ champion in the second.

In fact, Tom’s worst result in his WEC career was a fourth in 2014. This highly successful career, spanning nearly 35 years and jam-packed with prestigious records, has earned him the title of the ‘greatest endurance driver of all time’.

24 vs F1: In the single Le Mans 24 hour race in June, the front-running cars travel approximately the same distance as a whole Formula One season.

Laps 384

Most Wins Tom Kristensen (9)

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Image: EBREY / LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

WORLD ENDURANCE CHAMPIONSHIP

Since the WEC was rebirthed, four Australian drivers have competed in the series, with both Mark Webber and David Brabham racing in the LMP1 pro series. One of the most successful and experienced drivers in motorsport history, Brabham has won three international Sports Car series, and one of four Australians to have won the Le Mans 24 Hour race, winning the event in 2009.

Brabham raced in the FIA WEC for Honda, in the LMP1 series in 2012 and also raced one round of the LMP2 series for Honda in 2015. Unlike Webber however, Brabham has never been crowned WEC drivers champion.

Mark Webber’s rise in the World Endurance Championship is something any Aussie motorsport fan can smile about. Despite only competing for two years, Webber has already claimed himself a championship. In fact, his 2015 WEC driver’s title is his first ever world title, finishing second at Le Mans and then coming down to a final nail biting end to the championship. Webber leaped out and grasped success, as he became the 2015 WEC drivers’ champion, along with teammates Brendon Hartley and Timo Bernhard. A fine reward for himself and for Porsche, who won their first top-end sports car drivers’ championship since 1986. “Porsche have just lifted the level so high,” Webber said to the media after clinching the title in Bahrain.

Webbers Le Mans history has been short, yet significant. In 1999 Mark

They’re the next quickest category underneath Formula One, so that was appealing to me in terms of adrenaline” Mark Webber

After a tortorous 22 year career in motor racing, Mark Webber finally achieved that elusive championship win. Has anyone ever been more deserving?

One can only imagine the thoughts going through Mark’s head in this moment! Webber lated recalled, “it was the worst race weekend of my career.”

2015 would be Mark Webber’s first international driver’s championship, after a turbulent Formula One career.

experienced two of the most shocking crashes of his career, when his car lifted into the air, back flipping on two separate occasions. As mentioned in his autobiography, Aussie Grit, it was the worst race weekend of his entire career.

However 15 years later, the appeal of modern era motorsport racing lured him into joining Porsche in the WEC. “It was important for me to find something which was super professional, something I could contribute too heavily,” Mark said in a Red Bull YouTube series, documenting his switch from F1 to the WEC. He knew he was nearing the end of his Formula One career, but he still had the desire to continue racing. “They’re the next quickest category underneath Formula One, so that was appealing to me in terms of adrenaline.”

It’s not just the drivers who do their part, it’s the huge team aspect to this form of racing. More than any other series of motorsport, endurance racing relies on the work of many people. The challenge is in how quick a team can come up with solutions and fix issues, to get their car back out on the track and ready for racing. A true test of endurance.

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NSWPTC | Bathurst 6 hour

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WORDS Simon Delaine Images On the Redline

Eager initiations Australia’s world-famous Mount Panorama circuit already has an endurance race for the big money machinery of V8 supercars and GT3. Now there’s an endurance race for production cars in the all new Bathurst 6 hour, and it’s set to become an Easter long weekend tradition.

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NSWPTC | Bathurst 6 hour

The 2016 Easter weekend saw the birth of a brand new endurance race at Bathurst. From the makers of the Bathurst 12 Hour, we now have the Bathurst 6 Hour, a race exclusively for production cars. This opens the door for an extensive range of vehicles to compete in and race against. Many followers of the V8 Supercars championship hope for a greater variety of vehicles to take part; currently there are just four different manufactures across 26 cars, 14 of those are Holdens. This new Bathurst 6 Hour saw 12 different makes of cars, spread across five classes of competition.

The event director and previous organiser of the 12 Hour, James O’Brien, said the time was right to introduce an endurance race for production cars.

“The 12 Hour used to be the domain of production cars in the early years, and as the GT3 cars became eligible, less and less production cars entered the race, but they still existed.

“The catalyst for the event was knowing that those competitors (of production car racing) wanted an endurance race and they’d been falling away from the 12 Hour and so we introduced their own.”

O’Brien said that they were expecting a 40 plus car field, based on previous 12

Hour races and their dealings with the New South Wales Production Touring Car Championship. So to get 50 cars lined up on the grid for the inaugural race was a massive feat.

It was a BMW 335i that took out the overall race win, piloted by V8 Supercar young gun, Chaz Mostert and his long-time friend Nathan Morcom. This was Mostert’s first race back at the mountain since his huge crash which took him out of the V8 Supercar’s season last year. His DPO sponsored BMW finished just over two minutes clear of the second placed Sherrin Rentals BMW 135i and a further minute ahead of the third placed Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, driven by David Wall and John Bowe.

An epic battle eventuated to claim that final spot on the podium, with Wall in the Evo IX being forced to drive defensively down Conrod Straight to fend off Michael Caine in the newer Evo X. The two made contact at Murray’s Corner, sending them both off the track, David Wall shunting the tyre barrier. Remarkably, both drivers managed to pull themselves out of the gravel trap to limp around for the final minutes of the race. Wall sustained the least damage and was able to reclaim third position at the top of the mountain.

Above: Former Bathurst 12 Hour promoter James O’Brien has been the driving force behind the brand new Bathurst enduro for production cars.

Roll of honour

Mount panorama staged yet another endurance race- here’s how the story unfolded...

2014 Bathurst 1000 champ Chaz Mostert combined with his best mate, Australian GT championship contender Nathan Morcom, to conquer the Mountain yet again.

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The BMW 135i, piloted by Michael and Iain Sherrin and David Ayres, negotiates the Forests Elbow. The trio came home in second place.

Young guns Chaz Mostert and Nathan Morcom celebrate their win in the inaugural Bathurst 6 Hour race.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, driven by Supercars stalwarts David Wall and John Bowe, skids across the mountain top.

Following an incident with the Wall/Bowe entry, Michael Caine and Gerry Murphyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X went off into the sand trap at Murrays Corner but still managed to finish fourth.

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NSWPTC | Bathurst 6 hour

I think that’s a big attraction to the event, that grass roots level motorsport can still compete at Bathurst” James O’brien

This new Bathurst 6 Hour presents an opportunity to compete in a Bathurst endurance race on a fraction of the budget needed for either of the two other main endurance races at the famous mountain.

“I think that’s a big attraction to the event, that grass roots level motorsport can still compete at Bathurst,” said James O’Brien.

“The difference is enormous between the GT3 cars and the production cars. The prep cost to compete in the 12 Hour and the ongoing cost to compete in the 6 Hour are chalk and cheese.”

For a quick comparison, Shane Van Gisbergen drove a $600,000 plus McLaren 650S GT3 to victory at the 12 Hour this year, while Mostert drove a BMW 335i with a showroom price of under $50,000.

A three-year deal with naming rights sponsor Hi-Tec Oils means this race can take its place alongside the Bathurst 1000 and the Bathurst 12 Hour. As the event grows James O’Brien hopes manufactures will buy into the race with the resources they have and improve this form of racing on a national scale.

“I’m hoping that the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour will be the catalyst for an enhanced and improved Australian Production Car Championship.”

As the event continues to grow, this should become another must-see event in Australian motorsport, with all that it has to offer to both competitors and spectators. The huge grid and the massive variety of cars, which share more than just silhouettes with their road-going counterparts, are sure to attract more and more fans.

Image: Kirk KLynsmith

In 2017 the Bathurst 6 Hour will double as a round of the Australian Production Car Series

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MOUNTAIN MONSTER

Mclaren’s

MOUNTAIN

MONSTER 13 years ago a New Zealand native by the name of Greg Murphy conquered the mountain with a 2:06.859, famously labeled as the ‘lap of the god’s’. However, in February this year it would be a different Kiwi in a very different piece of machinery that would drive his way into the record books.

Enter Shane Van Gisbergen and his McLaren 650s.

WORDS: Tom Moore Studio Images: Chris Gentle

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Image: CHRIS GENTLE

Mountain Monster

ANZAC Ancestory

McLaren have been entrenched in motorsport for over 50 years, however it’s little known how much of a role Australia and our friends across the ditch had to play in its origins. Amidst his professional career as a Formula One driver, founder Bruce McLaren decided he wanted to race in the 1960 Australasian Tasman Series. However, when his then current team owner Charles Cooper said that he would only run a 1.5L F1 spec engine instead of the permissible 2.5L for the series, Bruce knew it was time to start his own team – and thus the McLaren brand was born.

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The McLaren’s updated transaxle caused almost the entire rear diffuser package to be redesigned and minimalized.

These changes are to thank for the amazing view of the 650s’ rear end making its way up Mountain Straight.

Image: NATHAN WONG

2:01.286 was all the time that SVG needed to propel his number 59 McLaren 650s around Mount Panorama and consequently land it on pole position for the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour. It was the first time in the mountain’s history that the elapsed times had fallen into the two minute, one second category; giving Shane and his co-drivers Jono Webb and Alvaro Parente the best possible chance at a win on Sunday.

It was also the first time ever a McLaren would grace the front row of the grid in what is becoming one of the biggest races on the Australian motorsport calendar and indeed the international endurance racing schedule.

The 650s GT3 is only the second iteration released by McLaren since its return to GT racing in 2011. Debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2014, the 650s has all the hallmarks of its predecessor the MP4 12C, which clocked up 23 international wins by the end of its second season. This 493bhp, 3.8L V8 twin turbo masterpiece of racing machinery is the result of decades of research from a marque manufacturer whose motorsport heritage dates back to the late 60s. From the carbon fibre monocoque that shares tech with its Formula One stablemate, to the unique secret moulding compound used by McLaren to form the hand grips of the steering wheel, the 650s exudes performance.

The first time in the mountain’s history that the elapsed times had fallen into the two minute, one second category”

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Image: NATHAN WONG

MOUNTAIN MONSTER

THE BIG LITTLE BROTHER

the ever familiar roar of Godzilla echoed out over the mountain once again, enough to send shivers down the spine of any die hard Group A fan”

The exact 650s GT3 that Shane Van Gisbergen piloted to 12-hour glory was the very same car that he drove throughout Europe during the 2015 Blancpain series. A series where he collected two race victories at Silverstone and the Nurbürgring, driving for Von Ryan Racing with Rob Bell and Kěvin Estre. So by the time that Bathurst had rolled around Shane had well and truly worn a grove into the Recaro.

Nevertheless, all the seat time in the world could not have prepared anyone for the rollercoaster of a race that was about to unfold in front of them.

After starting from pole, the race was proceeding exactly to plan, with Van Gisbergen setting a new race lap record on lap 23, midway through his first stint.

Fast forward to lap number 100 and an incredible stint by Alvaro Parente coupled with intelligent strategy saw the 650 back in the lead when tragedy struck. An electrical fault originating from the McLaren’s steering wheel caused the car to shut off and come to a halt on the start straight, “that was definitely a big heart in the mouth moment when she stopped,” Van Gisbergen stated post-race. Quick

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thinking by driver and engineer alike saw the 650 restarted after a net loss of 45 seconds in that lap, but fortunately Alvaro was able to continue charging on.

By the time the final driver change had occurred, SVG was back at the wheel with what seemed to be an unassailable lead. Just as morale within the Tekno pits was reaching an all-time high, race control alerted car 59. It was required for a drive through penalty after exceeding the pit lane speed limit during its last stop. The McLaren was then brought in to cruise the entire 350m pit lane at 60km/h. Whilst devastating for the team at the time, you could not have scripted a better scenario to bring the top three cars together before the finish.

Throughout the final minutes of the race the ever familiar roar of Godzilla echoed out over the mountain once again, enough to send shivers down the spine of any die hard Group A fan.

Shane assures us that he knew exactly where the GT-R was and that he always had enough distance and car speed to pull away when needed. This later proved accurate as he crossed the finish line after 12 hours, 297 laps, and 1845km before anyone else.

The 2016 LiquiMoly Bathurst 12 Hour was the longest in the events 14-year history with a total on 297 laps.

A testament to the evolution of the car speed and the quality of drivers to cause fewer safety cars.

McLaren’s goal with the 650s was to incorporate as many new features into the new car, as well retaining multiple design aspects from the 12C. Every single panel of the 650s has been touched up in some way from the 12C. Some changes are more dramatic than others, such as the widening of the front of the car to accommodate the larger radiators, as opposed to more subtle tweaks such as the contouring lines of the front wheel arches.

Almost the entire rear diffuser package was scraped to make room for the updated rear trans-axle, terms that should ring a bell to those well-read V8-Supercar fans. Even the side mirrors were adjusted to increase air-flow to the driver, a small but noticeable change over the course of a 12 hour enduro.

Although somewhat more important, the extended front end increased the front track of the 650s by 52mm, which has resulted in a lower front roll centre to give incredible stability through high speed corners. A feature which the drivers were skilfully able to demonstrate through McPhillamy Park all weekend.

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MOUNTAIN MONSTER

12 Hours in 12 Inches McLaren 650s GT3

Hour One

Hour Two

Hour Four

Nitty Gritty

Shane Van Gisbergen starts number 59A on pole, then loses the lead due to a slow pit stop but regains first place before the end of the hour.

SVG hands the reigns over to Portuguese codriver Alvaro Parente, setting the race lap record himself with a time of 2:01.567.

The 650s stops on the start straight due to an electrical fault.

Stationary for over 30 seconds the McLaren adds a total 45 seconds to their lap time.

CHASSIS

Carbon Fibre monocell, with aluminium sub frames ENGINE

McLaren M838T, 3.8L twin-turbo V8 TRANSMISSION

Six-speed sequential paddle shift DATA ACQUISITION

McLaren ‘ATLAS’ data system SUSPENSION

Double wishbone with adjustable uprights, 4 way adjustable dampers and forged aluminium wheels STEERING

Electro-hydraulic power steering, unique McLaren composite steering wheel FUEL

124L bladder with dry break fittings BRAKES

6 piston front calipers and 4 piston rears with adjustable ABS and brake bias Race performance

TOTAL LAPS

297 TOTAL DISTANCE

1845km WINNING MARGIN

1.2sEC

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Hour Ten

Hour Eleven

Final Moments

Alvaro Parente narrowly avoids a stray front guard from the #31 Bentley at 285km/h just before the braking markers at the chase.

The final driver change occurs and Van Gisbergen settles into his office one last time to bring home the maiden McLaren win.

#59 performs a drive through penalty after caught speeding in pit lane. Luckily A safety car after allows the McLaren to catch up to the lead pack.

The 650s beats the GT-R to pit exit, regaining the lead for the final time after a record 29 race lead changes.

Image: CHRIS GENTLE

Hour Seven

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Image: MICHAEL ‘GIL’ GILBERT / GMG

MOUNTAIN MONSTER

I’ve never driven around here in the dark before. I couldn’t see much” SHANE VAN GISBERGEN

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To try and establish himself as one of the premier drivers in the world, Shane has made every effort possible to race as many cars as he can, as often as he can. Stemming from a background in drifting he has moved through the ranks as one of the most in form V8 Supercar drivers in the field. A large portion of punters at the track today have him down as being more than likely to win a championship in the next few years, combined with driving displays like the one he showed in the McLaren at the 12 hour it is easy to see why.

“To win that on strategy, then pace, was just amazing” says Shane. He is always one to thank the team around him before all else and understands the combined effort needed to succeed in top level motorsport. The team showed its worth more than ever that day, when it seemed as though the big man upstairs wanted anything but them to win.

SVG has become more and more familiar with the GT3 machinery after his last two years racing in the Blancpain series, “it [650s] was the car I raced in Europe, she’s a beauty”..

However, the Blancpain hadn’t prepared him for everything he was going to experience on the mountain that day. “It’s been a pretty long day; and it was pretty tough. I’ve never driven around here in the dark before. I couldn’t see much.”

“I had a good agreement with Garth (Tander) and Luffy (Warren Luff) in the morning. I said I’d just cruise along and after three laps I’ll start pushing it”, says Shane.

Push it he did as he gave one of the most complete driving efforts ever shown on Mount Panorama to overcome adversity of all kinds and bring home McLaren’s first Bathurst victory.

• • • •

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TIM SLADE | MY FIRST WIN

Image: DANIEL KALISZ / LAT PHOTOGRAphic

No feeling quite compares to burning rubber after a maiden Supercars race win!

Tim Slade: MY FIRST WIN I feel as though we’ve made the most of our strengths over the last couple of races at Winton and Darwin” TIM SLADE

After a certain period of time, the pressure and expectation of victory can cruel any young driver’s career. However BJR’s Tim Slade did just that. As a young driver who burst onto the scene in 2009, Slade boomed at Paul Morris Motorsport and SBR. However SBR’s transformation to Erebus in 2013 stifled Slade’s progress.

Now in 2016, Slade’s back with a vengeance.

V8A: What were the highlights for you, during those early years with Paul Morris Motorsport and SBR? TS: With Paul Morris Motorsport, probably Bathurst. It was my first one and we finished 7th, also when I started to get a bit more comfortable later in the year a highlight was out qualifying Russ (Ingall) a couple of times. That was when I probably realised I was starting to get my head around it all, you know, starting to get close to the mark. For SBR on the Queensland Raceway weekend, when

we had three podiums from three races and then the following year, the pole at Homebush and 5th overall in the championship.

V8A: After finishing the 2012 championship in 5th place, how frustrating was it to slip down to the back of the pack with Erebus in 2013?

TS: Yeah, it was very frustrating. It’s definitely not something that I signed up to do or that I would sign up to do at that stage of my career, developing a new car. But in saying that, everything on paper looked as though it would be pretty good for 2013, at the end of 2012. The last couple of years has been kind of up and down and now though, it looks like were back to where we left off at SBR in 2012.

V8A: After 226 race starts without a race win, did you start to believe that elusive win was around the corner, or wasn’t coming at all?

TS: I definitely thought the win was going to be closer. But I’m with an awesome team right now that gives me all the support I need to get the best out of myself and the team has won races in the past. I guess our best shot at having race wins was at hybrid tracks, such as Winton and Darwin. So it’s not something I think about, if I’m close to it or not. I’ll go about my business as usual and the things around me change for the better I guess.

Slade’s 2013 Erebus Mercedes looked the goods, but lacked one critical component, speed.

V8A: Is it just about winning races for you, or are consistent top 10 performances with the odd podium considered successful for you?

TS: Oh no, everyone is out there to win. I guess you can ask anyone that question and they’d give you the same answer. That’s what we’re out there to do. But I guess, you gotta be a bit realistic about it. You know as a team we’ve got strengths and weaknesses, I feel as though that we’ve made the most of our strengths over the last couple of races at Winton and Darwin.

If we can go to places where we know that the team has struggled in the past, and if we can come away from there with solid, top 10 or top 6 results, we’d be pretty happy.

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Apply once for lasting protection, even after hundreds of car washes Restores and protects from oxidation, fading and sun damage No Silicone, No Oils, No Mess Use on dashboards, door panels, leather and vinyl seats and trim Also use on plastic and rubber bumpers, trim, mirror housings, roof racks and restore clarity to your foggy headlights

MICHAEL CARUSO | RACER HEroes

Image: DANIEL KALISZ / LAT PHOTOGRAphic

Caruso and his Nissan Altima, on their way to a brilliant win at Hidden Valley, the second win of his career.

Michael Caruso: RACER HEROES It’s been a long time between drinks for Nissan driver Michael Caruso, with his first and only prior race win back in 2009 with Gary Rogers Motorsport at Hidden Valley.

After a few lean seasons Caruso finally broke through for his maiden race win with Nissan Motorsport, incidentally again at Hidden Valley in 2016. With improved results come higher expectations, inevitable when driving for one of the world’s premier motoring brands. Now for the 33 year old Victorian, with a taste of victory on his lips, grander things await.

V8A: It’s been 225 races since your last race win back in 2009, also at Hidden Valley. Describe the feeling you had when you crossed the finishing line?

MC: Yeah, the feeling that instantly came to mind was a reminder of all the hard work, and tough decisions I’d made years ago when I decided to come to Nissan. To get a win for them, especially at a time like this when it’s needed now more than ever.

Behind closed doors I promised the team that we were very close and we had a car that was capable of winning races.

Behind closed doors I promised the team that we were very close and we had a car that was capable of winning” Michael Caruso

V8A: Did you think after your first race win, it would take this long to get back up to the top step of the podium?

MC: You just never know unfortunately. I would’ve liked to be winning races closer together, but at the same time it’s so circumstantial these days in Supercars, in relation to the equipment we have, the situations, and you have 24 other drivers that are capable of winning. You’ve seen the result of that this season with 10 different race winners across 12 races.

V8A: Did you lose faith either in yourself or your car, during this tough period of limited success?

MC: Not really, we’ve been reasonably competitive over that time. I’ve been on the podium several times now, and now we’re headed to the front of the field.

V8A: When do you believe that you and Nissan motorsport will be able to challenge for a championship?

MC: It’s really hard to know that. Let’s wait till the end of the year and see where we stand. With the competition being so close, we’re only 240 points off the lead!

We have the ability to be in the front half of the field, and to put ourselves in the position to win races. Look at Jamie (Whincup), he was right up there finishing 2nd on Saturday, and then on Sunday he was at the bottom of the top 10.

V8A: Who is your favourite Supercars champion?

MC: I’d have to say my favourite exchampion would be Kevin Bartlett, who I have known and admired for a long time.

So it’d definitely be him!

Not only is Kevin Bartlett a former Bathurst 1000 Champion (1974), but a two-time CAMS champion in 1968-69. Best remebered for flipping the Channel 9 Camaro at Bathurst in 1982.

Bartlett and Caruso have shared a similar path through their racing careers, reaching Touring Car and Supercar categories via open wheel racing.

To this day KB remains a staunch supporter and mentor to Caruso.

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BY THE NUMBERS

9

The number of times Peter Brock won Bathurst

BY THE

61%

The chances Schumacher would podium any race he started between 1991-2006

NUMBERS

10

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Richard Petty career NASCAR race wins

THE BOOT SIZE OF DAN RICCIARDO’S ‘SHOEY’ AFTER A HUGELY IMPRESSIVE PODIUM DRIVE AT THE GERMAN Grand prix

1

Number of races Rick Kelly won in his 2006 championship year

David Reynold’s fine for referring to Renee Gracie and Simona De Silvestro as the “pussy wagon” at Bathurst in 2015

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TRICK STUFF

TRICK STUFF Ducati Diavel Carbon It’s a fact, everything looks better in carbon fibre. Enter example A, the brand new Ducati Diavel Carbon. Ducati’s latest masterpiece boasts 119kW which can only be transferred into the bitumen via 240mm of Pirelli’s finest. The enormous rear tyre also gives this beast a menacing stance which is guaranteed to make any potential love interest weak at the knees.

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HearLink Noise Guard Now more than ever the lines of communication from team managers all the way to the left rear tyre changers are absolutely critical. HearLink have developed a moulded earplug with an integrated intercom headset to ensure that the endless amounts of information being communicated reaches its destination. Noise guard being proud sponsors of Brad Jones Racing are responsible for the smooth execution of every session strategy from practice to race day. With slim fitting profiles and top of the line audio drivers, Noise guard earplugs are a must have for anyone from main game supercars to your weekend warrior.

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Sydney Automotive Paints and Equipment Apart from being the Australian leaders in the automotive collision repair industry, SAPE are an established retailer for absolute top of the line cleaning products. Alongside Juice Polishes on their shelves, Wipe New takes pride of place as the go-to product for restoring faded vehicle surfaces. A propriety nano-polymer formula means that it differs fundamentally from any competitor and their cavalcade of awards ensures its success.

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Australia’s fastest growing motorsport category just got better with the Hi-Tech Oils 6-Hour Enduro locked in for Easter 2016 at the spiritual home of Production car racing – Mount Panorama Bathurst. If it’s showroom relevant racing you fancy with packed grids and classic David vs Goliath battles waged between V8’s and Turbos, then NSW Production Touring has got you covered.

Contact us at gcmconsulting@optusnet.com.au for details on how to get involved.

Production Touring – We’re for the driver www.nswproductiontouringcars.com.au

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TRICK STUFF

TRICK STUFF C-TEK Over the past 17 years C-TEK have sold over one million battery chargers in more than 60 countries and represent the absolute world leaders in their field.

Offering battery solutions for your golf scooter or your Koenigsegg; C-TEK are not the chargers you will see getting whipped out of an NRMA van, these do not look out of place in a WTCC garage.

All their chargers are fully automatic, spark proof, reverse polarity protected, and feature a five-stage charging process to ensure maximum battery longevity.

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Best Line Established after a revolutionary discovery in the engineering labs of UCLA, BestLine Lubricants founder Ronald Sloan claims fame to discovering the process of “hydrolsomerization” which produces pharmaceutical grade 99.9% pure oil.

After years of testing and formulating their product became available in 2005 and has since developed a range of full synthetic lubricants and lubricant additives that dramatically reduce friction, heat, and mechanical wear to an extent never before seen or tested.

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Image: Michael ‘Gil’ Gilbert

Biante No model car brand in Australia is as recognisable or as well respected as Biante. Their skill and immaculate precision in their attention to detail is a testament to themselves and the products they produce. Biante’s new ‘Modern Historics Series’ range, features your favourite liveries on the most up to date Supercar models. The iconic Perkins/Ingall Castrol Commodore is one such classic livery. It’s been 20 years since their infamous come from behind Bathurst victory and now you can admire this stunning 1:18 scale model, with its extraordinary attention to detail. There’s only 1002 in stock so jumping on the web address below and purchasing your own is a must!

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Image: MARK HORSVURGH / LAT

RETROSPECTIVE | RICK KELLY

retrospective: rick kelly 10 years ago John Howard was Prime Minister, and the iPhone was still a prototype in a Californian laboratory.

For a young man from Mildura, 2006 marked the year that he would win his maiden V8 Supercars Championship and etch his name into the history books forever.

Rick Kelly’s 2006 season campaign was one that will be remembered for many years to come as one of the most remarkable and unique championships ever. What’s most remarkable about Rick’s 2006 triumph is that not only did he fail to secure a round win, but he also only crossed the finish line first in one race all season.

“For me I wanted to be more consistent, a little bit less aggressive with the car, and if there was a fourth up for grabs then grab that rather than trying to take an aggressive or higher risk move to get third.” Consistency played an integral role in Kelly’s success, he was one of two drivers to finish every race and not record a DNF. Whilst the preceding statistics would be more than enough for the 2006 season to be as memorable as any, the season finale at Phillip Island would go down in infamy especially among Ford and Craig Lowndes fans.

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When Rick Kelly punted Craig Lowndes at Phillip Island – that was pretty defining. Ever since then it’s been a bit boring”

Rick leading stablemate Garth Tander in his fire-breathing, championship winning, number 15 VZ Commodore.

kelly country

DAVID REYNOLDS

would be crowned champion. Two laps after the lights were extinguished Todd Kelly led the way from Lowndes and then Rick. The younger Kelly brother then collided with Lowndes, Lowndes collided with Todd, Davison collided with Lowndes, and the rest is history.

The damage to the Lowndes’ BF Falcon was enough to end his championship hopes then and there.

The drive through penalty handed down to Rick was not enough to put him and Craig back on a level playing field, Lowndes finished four laps down and Kelly would cruise around conservatively, finishing in18th position and claiming his maiden V8 Supercar Championship.

“A championship is built on a year of ups and downs and different rounds, and we did a great job to get ourselves into that position. For it to end the way it did was shit - it destroyed us enjoying the great job we had done.”

2004 marked a new record for the General as Holden notched up its sixth straight victory at Bathurst, where Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly completed their 161 laps faster than anyone else. This was the second consecutive Bathurst victory for Kelly and Murphy, after breaking the record winning streak for a manufacturer the year before.

In 2003 Rick became the youngest Bathurst champion in history at 20 years of age, in what was only his first season with Kmart Racing and his second full year in the category. “In ’03 I was very much a passenger to that win, but in 2004 I was certainly more of a contributor to that one, we didn’t qualify as well as we would’ve liked, I had to drive the car from ninth up to the front in my stint and we fought a much harder battle to win, so it was a good learning process.”

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Where: Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint, Symmons Plains TAS When: Friday April 1, 2016 Image: Daniel Kalisz/LAT Photographic

Howâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the serenity mate? A fair question among grazing sheep, moments before Jamie Whincup steered his Commodore off at turn six of Symmons Plains earlier this year. Never before as the sheer might of motorsport been captured so elegantly invading the picturesque tranquillity of nature.

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Image: NATHAN WONG

5 THINGS ABOUT DVS

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THE RACING IS TIGHT

The Dunlop Series is the perfect mash up between the skill and technology level of V8 Supercars and the exuberant enthusiasm of the V8 Utes. Race Two in this year’s championship at Barbagallo Raceway saw first and second place separated by just three hundredths of a second. Photo finishes are not uncommon in this category, one of the most exciting championships in the country today.

02

THE CARS ARE FAST

With the introduction of the current spec Car Of The Future (COTF) chassis to DVS, the pace this year has gone through the roof. With these young brash drivers revelling at the chance to get their hands on the best V8 Supercar technology available. As was demonstrated in the first race at Phillip Island this year, where 16 cars from the 25 car field demolished the race lap record. A record previously set by Mark Winterbottom 13 years ago!

03

THE PERSONALITIES

A catergory where very few drivers need to worry about appeasing their giant sponsorship contracts, the Dunlop Series allows drivers to reveal their true personality. From Paul Morris losing his mind at the Queensland Raceway fire marshals in 2015, or Taz Douglas openly stating at Phillip Island that he didn’t care where he finished as long as he beat Paul Dumbrell, we are loving the banter.

04

GIRLS THAT GO

Not since Leanne Tander’s incredible pace way back in 2001, have we had female drivers show as much promise and pedigree as Renee Gracie and Chelsea Angelo. With Gracie, now into her second year in the Dunlop Series, is equipped with some serious machinery underneath her PPM FG Falcon. Primed for sucess, Chelsea showcased her talents after an incredibly fast return to the series this year.

05

THE TEAMS

The Development Series is often mistaken for a proving ground purely for drivers to learn their craft. However, it is also a critical opportunity for engineers and mechanics alike to get their first taste of working on real cars, in very real situations. These are not low budget operations and I can guarantee that every time a car leaves pit lane, there is young engineer praying he has made the right call. There’s just some things you can’t learn in the classroom, engineering for a Supercar race team is certainly one of them.

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INDUSTRY INSIDER | SANDVIK COROMANT

Industry Insider: Swedish InnovatoRS

T

o be successful in the motorsport industry, teams are built on the basis of the staff they employ and the quality of products they use. Sandvik Coromant, a producer of tools for the metal cutting industry, have been in partnership with Prodrive Racing since 2014 as a supporting sponsor and have ensured that Prodrives’ tooling applications are the most innovative, reliable, and efficient tools.

Originating from Sweden, Sandvik Coromant are the world’s leading producers of cemented carbide cutting tools for turning, milling, and drilling applications. Global President Klas Forsstrom and his team are constantly looking for innovative ideas within the metal cutting industry, working to develop tools that are designed to support today’s high performance demands in the motorsport industry.

Steering his way into success, Mark Winterbottom secured his first ever V8 Supercar Drivers’ Championship in 2015. All possible with the assistance of Sandviks’ tooling applications, used to manufacture the in house performance parts designed for the FG-X Falcon.

Prodrives’ Team Principle Tim Edwards, believes Sandvik helped play

Our machinists are the best in the business and the performance and reliability of the parts we have manufactured with the help of Sandvik, have played a huge part in our consistency throughout the year” Tim Edwards

a prominent role in Winterbottom’s triumphant championship win.

With16 gruelling rounds across 9 months in the 2016 Supercar season, Prodrives’ manufacturing department will need to develop performance parts extremely quickly, ready to be installed on the car and packed into the trailer prior to the next race event.

Guaranteeing a predictable performance tool for accuracy and speed, Prodrive Racing will continue to collaborate with Sandvik Coromant, to ensuring their tools will be effective for consistent results throughout 2016. Allowing them to build reliable performance parts, ready for racing.

Above: Sandvik CEO Klas Forsstrom (left), with Sandvik General Manager, Peter Rollauer.

Together they visited the PRA workshop, where they were able to observe the results of their partnership with Prodrive.

Fire Breathing Dragsters

Sandvik Coromant have played a prominent role in helping Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) win multiple trophies and championships.

“The world class quality parts we produce, is possible because of Sandvik Coromant,” said Hall-of-Famer, Don Schumacher. Sandvik have helped DSR improve its production of cylinder heads, clutch assemblies, connecting rods, and other components.

Finely tuned supercars

Not only the drivers, but the components that surround them are crucial to team success. Mostert is one of the most successful drivers in the Supercars category, but still relies on every technological advantage he can gain from his FG X Falcon and its key compenents.

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A FRESH CHALLENGE

A Fresh Challenge WORDS Luke Morris

Image: DANIEL KALISZ / BMW AUSTRALIA

Steven Richards is one of the true gentlemen of Australian motorsport. With modesty by the bucket load, talent on tap and a resume that would barely fit in a filing cabinet, Richards belongs among the greats of Australian motorsport.

Now, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fresh challenge.

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Image: DANIEL KALISZ / BMW AUSTRALIA

A FRESH CHALLENGE

T

he return of one of the world’s most prestigious motor racing brands to Australia was always going to be a big deal. BMW is no exception. The pedigree is there, the expectation is there, and so is the cars stunning looks.

“It was the most impressive racecar I’ve ever seen,” said Australian motor sport legend Steven Richards. Alongside co-driver Max Twigg, Richards is the only person to recieve delivery of this stunning racecar in Australia.

“It’s your typical front engined, rear wheeled drive car, with a whole lot of grip.

It does everything very well, particularly with the way it transfers weight.” The new weapon for Steven Richards Motorsport (SRM) does have its flaws however, “for me, it’s Achilles’ heel is its speed out of slow speed corners.”

Fortunately for Richards and SRM, the earlier than expected arrival of the M6 in February has allowed the team to run the car across the whole Australian GT season, which began at Clipsal in March.

“It’s enabled us to really get a bit of development, particularly because the car wasn’t homologated for the first round, so we got some valuable mileage. At that point we were only the second team in the world to have run the M6 GT3, other than those running at Daytona.”

It’s perhaps not surprising then that SRM have struggled for results in the first four rounds of the championship, 100

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It’s your typical front engined, rear wheeled drive car, with a whole lot of grip. It does everything very well, particularly with the way it transfers weight”

Above: The M6 GT3 in action at Philip Island, during the 2016 Australian GT Championship.

100 Years of BMW

Steven Richards

their best finish was a 9th at Philip Island in May. Despite this however, Richards has a positive outlook for the remaining GT rounds.

“We’d love to finish the year with a podium, or a top five at some point. To be honest though with the Australian GT penalty system if you don’t get safety cars at the right time, it can make your race difficult. But if we could achieve that (podium), Max Twigg and I will be over the moon.”

One would expect there to be added pressure for results, but Richo creatively deflected that question. “When you say pressure, we want to get a result sure, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, because the car is running really well, its nice and reliable and it’s not posing any trouble for us in terms of Steve Richards motorsport to run the car. We’re learning each round and moving forwards.”

2016 is a special year for BMW internationally as they celebrate 100 years of manufacturing. BMW have gone all out to celebrate this milestone, showcasing their history and the next 100 years, with four “Iconic Impulses; The BMW Group Future Experience” displays in Beijing, Los Angeles, London, and Munich. Locally, Steven Richards and Max Twigg are carrying the number 100 for the season as BMW Australia takes part in the centenary celebrations.

“It’s very cool to be a part of these centenary celebrations, I know BMW AG (Germany) are really impressed with how BMW Australia have gone about with the sponsorship of our car,” Richards said proudly.

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A FRESH CHALLENGE

Mr versatile in 2016 Last year we had one of those days where everything went right, the strategy was right to the exact lap - the car was faultless”

Image: MICHAEL ‘GIL’ GILBERT / GMG

Steven Richards

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Richards suited up for his Carrera Cup drive at Clipsal. It’s been a successful category for Richards, who won the championship in 2014.

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Steven Richards is a hell of a busy guy in 2016, running his own motor sport business SRM, driving in the Australian GT series, Carrera Cup, and as a co-driver with Craig Lowndes for the Supercars endurance events. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the switch from car to car would be confusing, particularly when Richards drives in different categories on the same weekends, but according to him it’s not the case.

“For me it’s not to bad to transition from car to car, they’re all very different cars, so for the crossovers between them, you tend to have a bit of a mental picture when you get into it, and you almost fit right in. Don’t get me wrong, it might take a couple of laps to get used to it.”

“They all require something different to get something out of it. Whether it’s a front-wheeled drive car, a heavy Supercar, a nimble Porsche, or a BMW M6 GT3 with ABS, traction control and a massive amount of downforce - they’re all really challenging. But the BMW is something different, because it’s a new challenge that I haven’t tamed yet.”

Before retirement though, Richards has some serious racing to get down to. He’s currently challenging for the Carrera Cup championship, and most notably he will once again partner Craig Lowndes in the endurance events as they look to defend their flawless victory in 2015’s Great Race. Richards was coy on whether he and good mate Lowndes can repeat their 2015 success.

“The best we can do is look at all of the percentages. I’m going into those races as a co-driver with Craig Lowndes, that’s one box ticked. With him, you’re going to be in a position to challenge in any number of races at any given time.

We’re racing in arguably the best team of the modern era, actually the best team ever. So there’s another box ticked. The engineering, the staff, and all the people around the car. We’re in the perfect position to be definite front-runners. Last year we had one of those days where everything went right, the strategy was right to the exact lap the car was faultless”, says Richard.

“I’ve never been in a race where we’ve had a reserve of pace over our competitors late in the race, that you’re really controlling a three second gap and had Craig pressed on we could’ve blown the gap out to 6 or 7 seconds.” Flawless indeed.

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LAST LAP

LAST LAP The ever reliable and concise Oxford Dictionary defines a champion as; a person who has surpassed all rivals in a sporting contest or other competition.

Motorsport is one of the fiercest competitions one could entrench themselves in. A sport fraught with rivalries which more often than not reveal unnatural and uncouth competitive attitudes. This is why someone who is capable of embracing and overcoming their rivals in the competition of motorsport cannot be more deserving of the title of champion.

James Hunt and Niki Lauda were both champions. They were not both champions because their names were scribed into the plated Formula One driver’s championship trophy, but because despite being the most bitter of rivals, they operated within their profession with absolute class.

“In many ways we were the same, I have a lot of respect for him [Hunt]”, says Lauda.

Their relationship was severely strained at

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times, particularly after Lauda’s fiery crash at the Nurburgring in 1976, when Hunt took full advantage of Lauda’s absence to secure his only World Championship.

Hunt was known as a hard womanizer, while Lauda as a very strict ‘early to bed - early to rise’ type. “I would never drink before a race.

Certainly after it; I had to. Every race could have been my last. It’s different today, but then it was a tougher time. Every race we went out and survived, we celebrated, had a party.

With the others we would have a beer after the race and then say goodbye - that was not friendship. With James it was different. James was different.”

This legendary rivalry was portrayed wonderfully in the 2013 film ‘Rush,’ and yet as the movie highlighted the rivalry between these two very disparate men only lasted several seasons.

Both had an insatiable drive and hunger to be victorious at all costs, an almost visceral hatred of defeat. They were both Champions.

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