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ANDRA Drag Racing Supercross Shannons Nationals Drifting FX Superbikes and more
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PUBLISHER Greg Sita PRODUCTION EDITOR/LAYOUT ARTIST John Baremans johnb@insidespeed.com.au AVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Matthew Swaab WRITERS - CONTRIBUTORS Richard Craill Richard Smith Chris Stone Paul Fowlds Ross Allen Brad Ward
insideSPEED News
Shannons Nationals More cars, more rounds for 2014
Aust Sprintcar Championship Review of 2014 Tasmania
Pull Out Poster Sprintcar star Robbie Farr
Aussie Race Cars Action from Gold Coast 600
Thunder on the Water Offshore Superboats
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Team Bray Sign up with DeWalt company
Hi-Tec Oils Blown Lite Finale Winners are grinners
Women in Motorsports Sarah M Godfrey
COVER: Welcome to the new look insideSPEED magazine. As we head towards the end of the year, there is plenty of excitment in the air as championship series are either wrapped up or battling out. ANDRA Group 1 driver Peter Kapiris currently leads the Top Doorslammer Championship but has John Zappia close behind. The Porsche Cup Challenge are always exciting to watch and the good news is that they will return in 2014 as part of the Shannon’s Nationals. Photos by John Baremans and Nathan Wong www.insidespeedmagazine.com.au
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2009 St. Louis NHRA Pro Mod Series as witnessed by photographer Roger Richards
I was standing at about 225 feet down track. This is my favorite spot to shoot Pro Modified cars since it allows be to cover as much action as possible with a 70-200mm lens and also the fact that a lot of the unusual Pro Mod action seems to take place just before half track. The 70-200 zoom lens allows me to switch back and forth between lanes as the cars head to the finish line Rick Stivers, team mate with Jay Payne, in the right lane beside Brad Personett had all the studs on both rear wheels shear off at the same moment about 300 feet into the run. This caused him to turn left and run head on into the left retaining wall. As the car spun around and started to slide down track, one of the rear tyres rolled under the chassis and catapulted the car skyward and executing a back flip before landing on its roof and sliding and rolling to a stop at about the Âź mile finish line. Stivers suffered some severe internal bruising that kept him inactive for several weeks.
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Camera: Nikon D300 Shutter: 1/1000 F/Stop: 7.1 ISO: 400 Lens: 145mm www.insidespeedmagazine.com.au
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NEWS ANDRA releases its historic 2014 calendar In response to racers, the season has transitioned into a calendar year for the first time since the nineties, running from January through to December. There will be 14 events in the ANDRA Drag Racing Series which is comprised of the six professional Australian drag racing categories Top Fuel, Top Doorslammer, Top Alcohol, Pro Stock, Top Bike and Pro Stock Motorcycle. The season will kick off with a nitro flavour at Perth Motorplex with rounds of Top Fuel and Top Bike. Australian’s own version of the ‘Western Swing’ will make up the first part of the season, ensuring racers are not taxed with too many journeys across the Nullarbor plain. In total eight tracks will be running rounds of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series including Sydney Dragway, Willowbank Raceway, Perth Motorplex, Calder Park, Adelaide International Raceway, Hidden Valley Drag Strip in Darwin and new venues Alice Springs Inland Dragway and Queensland’s Benaraby Raceway. ANDRA CEO Malcolm Bulley said the growth in championship venues from just three in 2011 to eight in 2014 showed the strengthening that has occurred with the sport nationally. “Expanding the ANDRA 6
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Drag Racing Series to as many venues as we can gives our competitors more exposure and showcases the sport of drag racing to a much larger proportion of the Australian population,” he said.
in Alice Springs and the prospect of a major week of motorsports in the Territory is very exciting for everyone.” Another unique element of the calendar occurring for the first time will be
“This is a truly national series again and that’s going to result in some tremendous growth in a lot of areas next year.” - Malcolm Bully
“This is a truly national series again and that’s going to result in some tremendous growth in a lot of areas next year.” Hidden Valley and Alice Springs will form part of a unique ‘Central Swing’ aimed at reducing travel costs for racers for these exciting venues, before a two month mid-season break. Bulley said that the expansion of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series to Darwin in August went very well and the Northern Territory Government continues to show a lot of support to bring championship level racing to the region. “The round at Darwin this season was one of my favourites for sure and both the Hidden Valley Drag Racing Association and the NT Government thought it was very successful,” he said. “Next season we will be able to expand this to include professional racing
championship rounds of different categories run on the same weekend in different parts of the country when Adelaide hosts Top Fuel, Top Alcohol and Top Bike on the same dates as Benaraby runs a non-televised Pro Stock round. “With so many different categories and combinations it is rare that all of them end up at the same event and this October date is going to be a trial to see if it is possible to run a big event at one track and a roadshow style event at another track,” he said. “The Pro Stock racers were keen for a date at Benaraby and they wanted to use the same long weekend as Adelaide to help with travel so we listened and were open to the idea, even though it is definitely something a bit different to the norm.” The Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship will grow to 14 rounds in
a 12 month period with Calder Park, Mildura and Warwick looking forward to hosting their first sportsman rounds under the Aeroflow banner. The round at Benaraby will be run simultaneously with the round in Adelaide in a first for the series. “This past season has been a fantastic one for the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship, with rounds in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory,” Bulley said. “The expansion we have seen will continue and bringing Melbourne back into this fold is going to be great for our strong Victorian contingent.” - www.andra.com.au InaUgural australiasian superbike championships Saturday the 16th of November will see the running of the inaugural nationally televised Australasian Superbike Championship (ASC) for the premier Superbike class which will be run and won in a one round championship event at Sydney Motorsport Parks 3.93 GP circuit. Because it is the first and only a one round Superbike championship it means every rider on an eligible motorcycle starts the day with a totally clean slate and where they finish on the day means that is the place they will go
down in the history books. So the gloves are off and may the best man/woman win. The 2013 Superbike class championship will be run over 4 sprint races on the day which will make it a very exciting days racing, to give consistency and make it easy the rules will remain the same as for the current FX-Superbikes. The inaugural ASC championship will run alongside the two day final round of the 2013 Australian FX-Superbike Championships major support classes series finale which was scheduled to run in conjunction with the FX 500. This event will remain as was scheduled a two day race meeting, with practice and qualifying on Friday and all racing on Saturday for all classes. All classes will have four races each on the day. The opportunity to run the inaugural Australasian Superbike Championship for the Superbike class has come about because of the cancelling of the FX 500 Endurance race due to a lack of entry’s being received in a suitable time frame. While this is very disappointing for us it was considered not possible to run such an event without what were considered enough entries to make a true spectacle for the spectators and tv. This is not the end of the endurance racing though as we have learnt quite a number of hard earned lessons in getting this far for what it will take to make a big endurance race
work in the future. As was announced previously when the Australasian Superbike Championship was launched, overseas riders will receive assistance to enter the Australasian Superbike Championship and while this announcement doesn’t allow much time for planning for overseas riders we will still be offering assistance for any overseas rider to enter this meeting, as we will in 2014. Entry forms for the November race meeting are now available by contacting the ARTRP office or downloading from the website at www. aus-superbikes.com.au For further information please contact Terry O’Neill on 02 48 235 711 in business hours or by email on toneill@aus-superbikes. com.au PETER KAPIRIS HAS HIS SIGHTS ON TOP DOORSLAMMER CHAMPIONSHIP Sydney Dragway will be the scene of one of the most anticipated Top Doorslammer showdowns in years from November 1-3 when Peter Kapiris and John Zappia take their championship fight into the final round of the season, the Australian Nationals. Over a gruelling extended 2012-13 series, Kapiris has managed to build a 42 point lead on five times champion Zappia and pose a serious threat to the chances of a
sixth title for the Western Australian team. Kapiris is no stranger to championship glory, having won in 2002 when his team charged to unprecedented performance gains and pushed perilously close to the five second zone when 6.1 second passes were still rare. The emotions from 11 years ago were odd according to Kapiris, who said the series quickly moved on and it became a blur. last championship I won
leave anything to chance. “There are a couple of things we’ve got to try, but at the same time we don’t want to lose sight of the prize. If they don’t work we will put it back as it was. “The timing isn’t exactly right but we have no other place to do it and if you don’t try things then you are going to get left behind.” Kapiris said he will be going with a risky strategy that is all about consuming as many points as possible. There are five point bonuses on offer
“Championships don’t happen all the time, apart from for John obviously, they are a really hard honour to earn.” - Peter Kapiris
I really didn’t take it all in, I won the title and then before I knew it, it was all over,” he said. “I was saying to my crew guys that this time we have to really try and enjoy that chase at the last round. “Championships don’t happen all the time, apart from for John obviously, they are a really hard honour to earn.” Domination rarely goes without a level of resentment from other teams and the feelings are no different in the Top Doorslammer paddock. Kapiris and Zappia are good friends away from the race track, but Kapiris can rest assured plenty of the other outfits want to see the Zappia era reach its end. “No one wants to see him win another one,” Kapiris admitted. “We’re going up to Sydney Dragway to test for three days before the Australian Nationals, we don’t want to
for low time elapsed and top speed of the event, plus small amounts of points available for better qualifying positions. “At your average meetings you like to sneak up on it. You put in what you think it can take and then a little bit less until you get it to go down the track,” Kapiris said. “The Nationals will be different. On the first qualifying pass we are going to throw everything at it and we are either going to set the world on fire or break it.” As well as each other, Zappia and Kapiris will also have to do battle with 17 other teams vying for a spot in the eight car race day field. The Top Doorslammers will be joined by all the other categories of the ANDRA Drag Racing Series and the Aeroflow Sportsman Drag Racing Championship.
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Watch out motorsport fans because 2014 is going to be huge with more rounds, more categories, more cars and more TV. words by Richard CraiLl
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HE SHANNONS Australian Motor Racing Nationals has confirmed a nine-round racing calendar for the 2014 season. The Nationals was founded in 2006 as a viable, cost-effective place for national-level racing categories to compete and in 2014 will enter their ninth season, now firmly established and growing rapidly. The series mixes the most diverse array of categories in Australian Motorsport with open wheelers, touring cars, GT cars, production-based vehicles and open-top sports racing cars amongst the slate of top-level categories included. The series will welcome eleven national-level race categories next season, across nine rounds held at seven circuits and in four states. All rounds will feature live and free internet streaming coverage on the Sundays, with more than 100 hours of post-produced television airing on SBS and SPEED TV Australia. The 2014 season will see the first and last rounds switching
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Photos by Nathan WONG
between Victoria and New South Wales, with the season to open at Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway to capitalise on the significant month of motorsport in Melbourne at the time. Work is already underway to capitalise on the presence of the Australian Grand Prix and Phillip Island Historic event to build the series opener into another ‘major’ motorsport event for Melbourne that month. The finale’ will switch to Sydney Motorsport Park, in Sydney’s west, in early November. Remaining rounds will continue to include Mallala in South Australia, two visits to Phillip Island, Winton, Wakefield Park, Queensland Raceway and a second stop at Sydney Motorsport Park in the now traditional July date. Three new categories will join the Shannons Nationals next year; including Australian Formula Ford for four rounds, with two new additions to be announced in due course. The Australian GT Championship has confirmed their return to two
“We are pleased with the way the 2014 calendar has come together.”
Shannons Nationals events, the season-opener at Sandown and a 101 lap endurance spectacular at Phillip Island in May. The Shannons Nationals will announce round formats soon. “We are pleased with the way the 2014 calendar has come together, it offers the usual stability and consistency for our competitors but offers a few strategic changes to the start and conclusion of the season,” said Shannons Nationals Series Director Rob Curkpatrick. “As predicted, we will start the year in Melbourne to capitalise on the fact that Victoria is the motor sport capital of Australia for most of March. We have several ideas planned to make Sandown a major event and a major kick-off for the new season. “Ending the year in Sydney will be a boost for our competitors and works well with our friends at Sydney Motorsport Park, who are increasing their efforts in promoting Shannons Nationals rounds at their circuit. “The clashes with two V8 Supercars rounds were basically
sHANNONS NATIONALS 2014 unavoidable given the fact they now have 15 of their 16 events in Australia. It makes the calendar very crowded and some clashes could not be avoided – but there will be minimal impact on the series or the categories involved. “We have a group of eleven categories, including several new additions, on our program next year and we are well advanced in sorting out who goes where. Where traditionally we have had one or possibly two ‘quiet’ rounds per year, it looks like we’re going to have nine very full race meetings next season which is great for our fans, competitors, sponsors and TV viewers.” KEY POINTS: There will be new and exciting additions to the Nationals next year – plus the expansion of some old favourites. Here’s what’s going to be hot on the Nationals program next year. SPORTS RACERS: A second Sports Car category will join the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals in 2014. The fledgling Australian Sports Racer Series (main photo) will join the Nationals for a five-round series next year, adding a diverse mix of prototype-style race cars to the expanding group of categories already on the Nationals program. The Sports Racers will
The Sports Racer category was launched at the Clipsal 500 in 2010 and has grown its own National series in recent years. . .
compliment the increasingly strong Radical Australia Cup series that has become a major part of the Shannons Nationals across the last two seasons. The Sports Racer category was launched at the Clipsal 500 in 2010 and has grown its own National series in recent years, running primarily as a support to selected Australian Superbike Championship events and at their own stand-alone rounds. Next year the series will compete at the Sandown, Mallala, Phillip Island, Winton and Sydney Motorsport Park rounds of the Nationals. The Sports Racer mixes a group of diverse chassis all powered by motorcycle-based engines – Kawasaki and Suzuki the predominant choice amongst most competitors. The engines run to more than 13,000 rpm. Chassis brands competing include the USbuilt Stohr and West chassis, plus the South African based Speads, amongst others. CARRERA CUP: The Porsche Carrera Cup Australia will join the Shannons Nationals in 2014. Australia’s premier one-make championship will join the series at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit on May 23-25 next year, with two Pro-Am 60-minute endurance races to be contested across the weekend.
Professional drivers – this year including the likes of Craig Baird, Steven Richards and Warren Luff – will join with elite-level co drivers across the two races. Meanwhile, the series regular elite drivers will team with non-regular co-drivers of their choice. Though no drivers are confirmed yet, an open weekend on the V8 Supercars schedule may see several ‘name’ drivers from the main game join the Carrera Cup field at the event next year. Porsche’s second-tier onemake series, the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia, has held a majority of their 100 races exclusively on Shannons Nationals events since their opening season in 2008. The Nationals has worked closely with the Porsche Cars Australia Motorsport Team since then and is pleased to be able to work with them to implement the marquee Carrera Cup round at Phillip Island next May. The Phillip Island round will mark the first time that the Carrera Cup will join the Nationals, the same year the series introduces a brandnew model Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Car. “The 2014 season will be exciting for many reasons, and not just for the introduction of the brand-new 911 GT3 Cup Car,” Porsche Car Australia’s motorsport manager, Cam McConville, said. “The Pro-Am format at Porsche
Dylan Thomas www.insidespeedmagazine.com.au
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Suzuki Swift Series Rennsport this year was successful and well received by competitors and the Shannons Nationals proved to be the best event option to hold the ProAm format and we’re excited to have Carrera Cup headline the Phillip Island event. “I appreciate the efforts of (series director) Rob Curkpatrick on our maiden visit to the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals.” KUMHO V8’s: SERIES organisers have confirmed the racing calendar for the 2014 Kumho Tyres Australian V8 Touring Car Series. The series, run for ex-V8 Supercars as part of the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals, will again feature six rounds of racing though will take on a different look from previous years. Mallala Motorsport Park in South Australia will host the opening round on the ANZAC Day weekend of April 25-27 (the same weekend as V8 Supercars race at Pukekohe in New Zealand) before the series takes in traditional venues at Winton, Queensland Raceway and Phillip Island. Goulburn’s Wakefield Park will return to the Kumho Series calendar for the first time since 2011 and will host the penultimate round of the series on October 17-19, two weekends prior to the final round at Sydney Motorsport Park. Melbourne’s Sandown Motor 10 inside SPEED
Raceway, which will host this year’s final round on November 16-17 and hosts the opening round of the 2014 Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals, is not included on next year’s Kumho Series calendar. V8 Touring Car Series Commercial Manager Rob Curkpatrick says the calendar gives the series a better balance of events between Victoria and New South Wales and avoids clashes with V8 Supercars Championship events held in Australia. “Going to Wakefield Park again gives us a variety of race tracks and improves the balance of race meetings, which this year has seen one round in New South Wales and three in Victoria,” he says. “We’ve decided against running at Sandown to avoid a clash with the Symmons Plains V8 Supercar event and also so we are not running there ‘backto-back’ as the last round of 2013 and the first round of 2014. “Compiling a calendar is always a difficult project. We wanted to avoid clashes with the Australian V8 Supercar events, provide a variety of tracks across four states as well as fit in with other categories part of the Shannons Nationals family. “While the calendar is a bit different from what we’ve had in recent years, there is plenty of challenge and variety for teams and drivers next season.”
FORMULA 3: The Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship will return to four major Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals Events in 2014, in the continuation of a partnership that commenced in 2006. F3 will race at Sandown Raceway (March), Queensland Raceway (August), Phillip Island (September) and Sydney Motorsport Park (November) with the Nationals offering four circuits that are geared towards producing both exciting ‘wings and slicks’ racing, plus two of the most challenging and fastest circuits in Australia. Offering the most challenging and exciting circuits for drivers possible, Formula 3 will next year visit three circuits offering an average lap speed of more than 170km/hr – reinforcing the championships position as the fastest and most challenging for young drivers in Australia. The F3 Australian Drivers Championship was a ‘foundation’ category within the Shannons Nationals in 2006 and has had at least two rounds of the championship on Nationals rounds each year since. The ‘Wings and slicks’ racers will feature at circuits best suited to providing thrilling racing, as well as the major Queensland Event which will include Formula Ford open-wheelers as well.
Porsche Cup
“While the calendar is a bit different from what we’ve had in recent years, there is plenty of challenge and variety for teams and drivers next season.”
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THE 2014 AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIPS
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he Sprintcar Control Council of Australia Inc (SCCA) is well into the planning stage of the two 2014 Australian Sprintcar Championships.
The SCCA owns both title events and the SCCA National Executive Officer, Mark Richards and SCCA National Executive Secretary, Vivienne Lewis are busy with all the preliminary Championship arrangements. The Championship contracts have been signed off by the respective host venue opperators and the nomination form for the 410 Championship is in the final stages of completion. The 2014 Australian Sprintcar Championship is being hosted by Bendigo Bank Arena, Latrobe, Tasmania on Friday 31 January and Saturday 01 February 2014 with the rain date Sunday 02 February 2014. Latrobe was allocated the Championship event at the SCCA Delegates Conference in 2012 with the Tasmanian venue lodging its application in the traditional rotation process that is a fundamental part of the Championship procedure.
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James McFadden will his hot streak continue to Latrobe
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THE 2014 AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIPS The 2014 Australian 360 Sprintcar Championship is being hosted by Murray Machining and Sheds Murray Bridge Speedway on Friday 28 March and Saturday 29 March 2014 with the rain date Sunday 30 March 2014. Murray Bridge was allocated the Championship event at the 2013 SCCA Delegates Conference. AVE Pty Ltd has been awarded the tender to
provide TV coverage of the 2014 Australian Sprintcar Championship in Latrobe. The replay of the Championship will be over two weeks on free-to-air network SBS in the Speedweek show, scheduled for Sunday 16 February 2014 and Sunday 23 February 2014.
Rush became the first, and as yet, the only, driver to win four straight Championships
Side by side racing Rush and Paul Mcmahan.
RUSH REIGNS SUPREME
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ydney sprintcar driver Garry Rush is the dominant figure on the Australian Sprintcar Championship Honour Roll. Rush has won the Championship ten (10) times – a record that is going to be very hard to topple. Just to show how difficult it is to win the title, Rush first stepped onto the Championship podium in 1967. He finished second to fellow NSW driver Dick Britton at Westmead Speedway, Sydney, NSW. Eight years later, Rush was back on the podium with third place to arch rival Dick Britton and Victorian Graeme McCubin at Impact photography Brisbane, Queensland in 1975. 14 inside SPEED
Then Rush’s ‘reign’ began two years later – 1977 – at Bunbury, Western Australia. Rush fought off local favourite, Noel Bradford (WA) who finished second and George Tatnell (NSW) third. In 1978, back in his home State NSW at Parramatta, Rush became the second driver since Dick Britton (1966/1967) to win back-to-back Championships with those two victories in 1977/1978. Rush became the first, and as yet, the only, driver to win four straight Championships when he next won the Championship in 1981 at Brisbane, Queensland. He won again in 1982 at Tralee Speedway, ACT; in 1983 at Newcastle, NSW and again in 1984 at Rockhampton, Queensland. That
made it the ‘six pack’ for Rush and it wasn’t to end there. At Warrnambool, Victoria, Rush made it Championship #7 in 1986, then chalked up another amazing back-to-back performance in 1989 and 1990 with wins at Canberra, ACT and Brisbane, Queensland. He reached the unbelievable ‘double figures’ in 1992 with a memorable win at his home track Parramatta, NSW. Garry Rush has won the Australian Sprintcar Championship ten times, he has finished second three times and has finished third five times – an amazing 18 times on the Championship podium spanning a period of 36 years!!!
JAMES McFADDEN DEFENDING CHAMPION
“I’ll have to step up my game a bit now I’ve got the number one on my car.”
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hose were the words of James McFadden when he won his first Australian Sprintcar Championship at Northline Speedway, Darwin, Northern Territory in 2010. McFadden is a Territorian but now bases himself in Queensland and he certainly has lived up to his words. He has established himself as one of Australia’s top sprintcar drivers over the past four years winning the Australian Championship twice in that period and winning a number of major national and state events as well as national series honours. Some critics felt that McFadden rode his ‘luck’ to win the Championship in Darwin following a crash that took Kerry Madsen out of the Championship Final. But McFadden has answered those critics in the best way possible – continuing to win!!!! McFadden lost the crown to Brooke Tatnell in 2011 at Warrnambool, Victoria but he regained the #1 at this year’s 2013 Championship at Archerfield Raceway, Brisbane, Queensland. Still in his early 20’s, McFadden could well become one of the sport of sprintcar racing’s most honoured drivers.
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Kim Becker takes a ride on the wild side!
SPRINTCAR SAFETY Sprintcars are capable of speeds in excess of 120km/h with highly tuned 410ci engines capable of producing 800 brake horse power racing on 400m dirt track ovals with open wheels confined by concrete walls and high safety net fences. With drivers pushing the limits when they are competing for high prize money and coveted honours, the slightest mistake, the slightest touch of wheels and the result can be a spectacular crash. The Sprintcar Control Council of Australia Inc (SCCA) is the controlling body of sprintcar racing right around Australia and in that role ensures that it focuses on the safety factors of this highly spectacular speedway category. Wayne Baines from NSW is the current SCCA National Technical Officer and he heads a National Panel that is responsible for continuing to enforce, monitor and evaluate sprintcar racing’s impeccable safety standards. The specifications for sprintcar racing are reviewed at the Annual SCCA Delegates
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Conference where alterations, omissions and additions are made. An additional annual conference for national chief stewards and national technical officers is conducted by the SCCA to ensure that State and Territory chief stewards and national technical officers are right ‘up to speed’ on all rules, regulations and specifications. This process and procedure has meant that fatalities and serious injuries have been kept to an absolute minimum in more than fifty years of national competition. Every sprintcar is fully scrutineered at the start of each new racing season and cannot compete until it has been checked and signed off by technical officers. Drivers must also present their racing clothing at this scrutineering check and that clothing must meet approved safety standards. The driver’s safety equipment includes helmets, one piece uniforms, fireproof underwear (neck to wrist/neck to ankle), arm restraints, balaclava, gloves, head/neck safety devices, fireproof socks and fireproof footwear. When governing the sport of sprintcar racing, it’s “SAFETY FIRST”.
THE 2014 AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIPS THREE INTO NINE Just three drivers have dominated the last nine Australian Sprintcar Championships. Two NSW drivers and a Northern Territorian now based in Queensland have shared the honours. Sydney driver Brooke Tatnell who spends most of his time these days in America has won an incredible five times including a ‘three-peat’ and a ‘double’. Tatnell won his first title in 2005 at Murray Bridge Speedway, South Australia and repeated the performance in 2006 at Archerfield Raceway, Brisbane, Queensland and completed the hat trick in 2007 at Latrobe, Tasmania. He won the Championship title for a fourth time in 2011 at Warrnambool, Victoria and backed that up with a memorable win in the 50th Anniversary event at Speedway City, Adelaide in 2012. Another Sydney driver, Steve Brazier, won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009. His 2008 victory came at Parramatta, NSW and the 2009 victory at Perth, Western Australia. Brazier’s win in 2009
TV COVERAGE EXPANDS The TV coverage of the Australian Sprintcar Championships has grown over the past six years since the inception of TV involvement in 2009. AVE Pty Ltd has played a significant role in that expansion. The company first became a partner with the Sprintcar Control Council of Australia Inc (SCCA) in 2011 when it provided coverage of the 2011 Australian Sprintcar Championship at Warrnambool, Victoria. AVE Pty Ltd’s services were increased in 2012 when both the 50th Anniversary Australian Sprintcar Championship at Speedway City, Adelaide, South Australia and the Australian 360 Sprintcar Championship at Murray Bridge Speedway, South Australia were covered.
gave him his sixth Australian Championship. The only other driver to win in the last nine years is current Champion James McFadden. He now calls Queensland home moving from the Northern Territory to make his travelling a little easier. McFadden won the Championship in 2010 and successfully regained the title this year (2013) at Archerfield Raceway, Brisbane, Queensland.
Once again, the SCCA has sought the services of AVE Pty Ltd to provide coverage of the 2014 Australian Sprintcar Championship at Latrobe Speedway, Tasmania. AVE Pty Ltd produces the popular motorsport show, SPEEDWEEK on national free to air network SBS which airs each and every Sunday afternoon. AVE’s General Manager Mr Greg Sita said, “Our company has had a long involvement with the Sprintcar Control Council of Australia and we are very proud to provide coverage for the Australian Sprintcar Championship in Tasmania.” The replay of the 2014 Australian Sprintcar Championship will be aired in two episodes on the SPEEDWEEK show on Sunday 16 February 2014 and the following Sunday afternoon 23 February 2014.
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ROBBIE FARR
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Trent Young wins a dramatic ARC round at GC600 Trent Young was too good for the 50 car field of Aussie Racing Cars at the weekend, qualifying first and taking a clean sweep of all three races at the Gold Coast 600 V8 Supercars event.
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oung battled with Victorian Tyler Owen (Highlands Motorsport Park Euro GT) all weekend but Owen couldn’t match his pace. Nathan Townsend (Tyres and More) and VIP Petfoods driver and series leader Maurice Masini also weren’t able to haul in the two front running cars both settling for positions in the top 5 over the three races of the weekend. The three race format resulted in some fierce racing in the mid pack and with the category close to capacity grid numbers, the racing was challenging. All three 12 lap races saw safety car periods but it was the incident in race 3 that headlined the weekend. 2012 Rookie of the year, Youngster Gus Robbins and 2013 Masters Cup contender Grant Ludbey came together as they entered the chicane for the first time – the two cars were offline on the entry to the corner and as Robbins washed out wide on the exit the cars locked together with neither able to clear the tyre barrier completely with Grant Ludby’s brand new Euro GT colliding directly with the tyre barrier and concrete wall. Making impact at over 180 KPH the car bounced back off the wall and into the path of the field of 50 cars – the first to arrive was Klark Quinn’s Hi-Tec oils branded car who slammed into Ludby’s Euro GT at full tilt. Despite the massive impact, and the devastating condition of the cars involved, the drivers all walked away unharmed, the track was cleared and the race continued. The final finishing positions for the weekend were 1st Trent Young, 2nd Tyler Owen, 3rd Nathan Townsend. In the masters cup a bitter sweet victory for Grant 20 inside SPEED
Ludbey’s team mate Glenn McNamarra who was closely trailing the former going into the final race but chose not to accept the Masters Trophy on the GC600 podium in the circumstances. Hayden Stephensen scored his best result ever in ARC, taking out the rookie trophy. Stephensen qualified a solid 13th on Friday and progressively improved over the weekend. An impressive 5th position in race 3 meant he narrowly edged out Jordan Deckert for the rookie win. Stephensen is certainly one to watch going into the final race of the series at Sydney, he has ironed out the engine issues he experienced in the early part of the season and no doubt will be challenging for championship position as well as the rookie trophy. The 2014 Aussie Racing Car series now goes down to the wire at Sydney Olympic Park as part of the Sydney 500 V8 Supercars event on 6-8 December. Nathan Townsend has closed the gap to Maurice Masini with only a few points separating the two.
Photos by John Morris
SMALL CARS
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ARC Grand Final – down to the wire at Sydney Olympic Park VIP Petfoods Driver Maurice Masini leads Tyres and More driver Nathan Townsend by the narrowest of margins going into the final round on Dec 6-8.
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THUNDER ON
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THE WATER Photos by Andrew Gricks Photography
I
magine you are driving a car on a rough road and another person controlling the accelerator for you with no brakes to stop you, you would have to trust that person with your life?
That is what the drivers and throttlemen who race in the Offshore Superboat Championships are doing every time they get in the boat together. The driver has the steering wheel and guides the boat around the course and the throttlemen have control of the speed of the boat and the attitude through trim controls, together they form a Partnership. The offshore Superboat championship is a national championship for Australian Offshore which is held over a minimum of six rounds at some spectacular locations throughout the country. The 2013 season series began at Newcastle, New South Wales on April 27-28 and travelled as far north up the East Coast of Australia to Townsville, Queensland. This season featured some new locations including Coffs Harbour and returning for the second year to Hervey Bay on the Fraser Coast. The series has three class categories for competitors to compete in. These classes are made up of Supercat 1000 HP, Supercat 600HP and
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Supercat 400HP. Supercat1000HP are craft from 32 – 38 feet in length, with twin 525 HP V8 engines which can push the boats at 135MPH (215kph) Supercat 600HP are craft from 26 – 32 feet in length with twin 300HP outboard engines and these boats can reach speeds around 110 MPH(185kph) Supercat 400HP are craft which are averaging 26 feet in length with a top speed of 95 MPH (155kph) these boats are fitted with twin 200HP outboard engines. All of the boats racing in the current championships are all catamaran style craft. For safety requirements all race boats must have a fully enclosed race canopy to protect the racing crew. Also on board, the boats are fitted with an onboard air system and five point race harnesses to restrain the throttlemen and driver into their carbon fibre seats. The modern day race course provides a great spectacle for the viewing public with shorter 24 inside SPEED
and closer to shore racing than the once traditional offshore racing. It was not unusual for the boats to leave the dock and not be seen for hours. On Saturday we have the boats on display for the public to come and talk to the teams and look at these amazing boats out of the water. Saturday afternoon the Pole Position Shootout is run on the water to get pole position for each class for the race on Sunday, The teams need to do a minimum of three laps and the fastest lap for each class gets Pole Position. Sunday, race day has two races giving spectators twice the excitement. The Supercat 1000hp class has grown over the last few seasons as a strong and competitive class with all boats having twin Mercury racing 525 HP engines – stock standard from Mercury. These engines have proven to be very reliable which helps keep costs down. Last season saw Team Navy (Chris and Brendan Frier) from Mackay take the
The Supercat 1000hp class has grown over the last few seasons as a strong and competitive class with all boats having twin Mercury racing 525 HP engines – stock standard from Mercury.
1000hp championship and the “Aust 1” title. They have had tough competition from other competitors in the class that include Team 3 from the Gold Coast, Australian Vehicle Wholesalers from Redcliffe, Global Racing from the Gold Coast, Maritimo Hunter Storage from the Gold Coast, also from the Maritimo stables a new boat at the Hervey Bay Round Maritimo Australia, competing at the Hervey Bay round but not for Championship points are the Team from New Zealand Pro Floors, They have been racing in the last three rounds as part of the Trans Tasman Challenge between Australia and New Zealand (Between Team 3 who went to New Zealand for three rounds earlier this year) Pro Floors won the Trans Tasman Challenge and have elected to stay in Australia for our last round. Tight competition in the Supercat 600HP class was seen last year with Kwozzy Racing (Jim Harris & Paul Fowlds) taking the 2012 championship, Chasing them
Offshore Superboat Championships 2013 for the 2013 title is “Spirit of Mackay� who crashed their boat beyond repair last season and have a new craft this year. Saracen from Melbourne, SUV Dodge Ram from Sydney are a father and son team. Supercat 400hp which has proven to be very competitive with Phantom Racing (Mick Walker & Gary Smith) from The Gold Coast the current champion, The Loaner from the Gold Coast and another father and son team in a new boat this
season and well known racer Gryff Ethell and his son Michael in a 26ft Shifty cat 88 Offshore Racing. There are currently two boats for sale for the Supercat 400hp class. This is a great class to start in and one of the cheapest class to run while racing at 95mph in the ocean. You can follow us on Facebook, Offshore Superboat Championship (Australia) www.superboat.com.au
The 2013 Season Round 1 Newcastle, 27th/28th April Round 2 Mackay 22nd/23rd June Round 3 Townsville 29th/30th June Round 4 Coffs Harbour 31st Aug/1st Sept Round 5 Redcliffe 14th/15th September Round 6, Hervey Bay 9th/10th Nov
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The Fraser Coast...where nature comes alive
Superboats to turn on the power in Hervey Bay
Uniting the iconic natural wonders of the World Heritage Listed Fraser Island and Great Barrier Reef, the Fraser Coast is where nature comes alive. Offering an intriguing and unbeatable mix of eco experiences; adventure pursuits; historical, cultural and lifestyle experiences, it is where visitors come to rest, re-energise and be inspired. As part of the UNESCO recognised Great Sandy Biosphere, the region’s unique and diverse natural attractions are officially recognised in the same class as the Galapagos Islands and Central Amazon. The Fraser Coast is Australia’s “Home of the Humpbacks”, where the calm protected waters of Hervey Bay offer a natural playground for thousands of the majestic creatures and the best up-close and personal whale watching encounters in the world. As well as being a haven of humpback activity, the waters off the Fraser Coast are home to dwarf minke, false killer, southern right and many other whale species as well as rare dolphins, dugongs and six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles. A stunningly diverse destination, the Fraser Coast is a gateway to the iconic Fraser Island where towering rainforests pierce the sky, pristine freshwater streams slip silently beneath the cool canopies of ancient ferns, talc-white sand contrasts with crystal blue-green lakes and coloured sand cliffs border beautiful beaches which seemingly stretch forever. Steeped in traditions on the Aboriginal Dreamtime, the world’s largest sand island is a contradiction of respected natural conventions being one of the few places on earth where rich rainforest springs from sand. It has done so for the past 800,000 years, providing sanctuary for some 350 species of birds, wallabies, possums, echidnas and Australia’s purest dingoes. Located between Fraser Island and the mainland is The Great Sandy Strait featuring an eclectic mix of marine and coastal wetlands, crystal clear turquoise waters, native woodlands and dense rainforest. The beauty of the Great Sandy Strait and its coastal villages are complimented by a stunning coastline of pristine, white sandy beaches from Woodgate, Burrum Heads and Toogoom in the north to the southern townships of Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach. Fishing, boating, camping, bushwalking, bird watching or simply relaxing by the water enjoying the views across the strait to Fraser Island are all perfect ways to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the charming coastal hamlets which include Poona, Boonooroo, Maaroom, Tuan and Tinnanbar. The destination’s splendour is not confined to the coast, with an enchanting array of hinterland hideaways with century old streetscapes, sumptuous food and wine, museums and markets adding to the magic. Delightful Maryborough with its colonial architecture, riverside parks, ghost tours, heritage characters and events makes the old port city a must-see for visitors to the Fraser Coast. The Fraser Coast Hinterland including the townships of Tiaro, Bauple , Howard , Torbanlea, Woocoo and surrounds are a joy to explore offering historical buildings, arts and crafts, country pubs, fresh-ground coffee, home-made Macadamia treats, rolling hills of sugar cane and pineapple farms and great camping and fishing opportunities. The Fraser Coast is also the ideal stepping off point for Lady Elliot Island and Lady Musgrave Island – the start of the Great Barrier Reef. A scenic 40 minute flight from Hervey Bay transports visitors to another world of wondrous marine life, unrivalled snorkelling and diving experiences, guided island walks and iridescent coral gardens regarded as some of the best the reef has to offer.
he tranquil waters of Hervey Bay will play host to the sixth and final round of the Australian Offshore Superboat Championship on the weekend of November 8-10. The event will provide a thrilling spectacle for visitors to the Fraser Coast, roaring into action with some of the most powerful racing boats on the planet. Senior Marketing Coordinator for Fraser Coast Opportunities, Tas Webber, said he was delighted the series finale would be fought out in Hervey Bay. “It will be fast, furious and plenty of fun…just another great reason to come to Hervey Bay,’’ he said. “These boats are the water-going equivalent to Formula 1 racing. The speed and power of these machines is unmatched in ocean racing and the fact that the series winner will be crowned in Hervey Bay also adds to the excitement’’. Mr Webber said the event would attract huge spectator numbers in addition to the world’s best drivers and support staff from throughout South East Queensland and interstate, with 25,000 fans expected to crowd the beach for the final day of racing on Sunday November 10. The race will be showcased on free-to-air television’s Speedweek program (SBS) with an audience in excess of 500,000. It will also generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for the region and the local tourism industry. Mr Webber said the event would bring benefits for the whole region, with visitors expected to sample a range of attractions whilst in town including the vibrant café, restaurants and bars of the Hervey Bay Esplanade, the old port city of Maryborough, iconic Fraser Island and more. A huge weekend of public entertainment is planned including a massive eight metre live screen erected at the Scarness foreshore to showcase all the action.
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The racing schedule includes: • Meet the Drivers event at Hervey Bay Boat Club from 6pm on Friday November 8 • Pole position shoot out from noon on Saturday November 9 • Boat parade through Hervey Bay and along the Esplanade on Saturday (November 9) from 3.30pm • Race Day entertainment from 10am, Sunday November 10 • Main racing from 11am Sunday November 10 • Champions Dinner at Hervey Bay Boat Club from 6pm on Sunday November 10 Also new for 2013 is an exclusive area inside the course set up for paying guests to enjoy front row, 360° views and sumptuous catering aboard a number of luxurious catamarans. Costing up to $1million each and capable of speeds of well over 200 kph, the huge 40ft vessels will power around a triangular course running from Torquay to Point Vernon within several hundred meters of the Esplanade. The race is free to the public. For further information go to www.visitfrasercoast.com
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TEAM BRAY
SIGNS NEW DEAL WITH FORTUNE 500 COMPANY
New cars, new liveries for Team Bray Racing thanks to multi-year deal with Stanley Black and Decker
T
eam Bray is pleased to announce the signing of a new multi-year deal with Fortune 500 company Stanley Black and Decker, covering both its Team Bray Racing and Team Bray Entertainment divisions. The multi-year deal extends the current arrangement enjoyed by the father and son team with the American powerhouse, and will see Victor Bray’s 1957 Chev continue to sport a Sidchrome livery while a new DEWALT paint scheme was unveiled for Ben Bray’s Monaro Top Doorslammer at Sydney Dragway for the Australian Nationals. Also underway for
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the 2014 season thanks to the new deal is a brand new 1979 Corvette Stingray Top Doorslammer for three-time ANDRA champion Ben; as well as a new state-of-the-art 1957 Chev for six-time back-to-back ANDRA
Top Doorslammer champion Victor. Both machines will be built by renowned chassis builder Murray Anderson, with work already underway on Ben’s new Doorslammer which is expected to make its debut during the early months of the 2014 ANDRA championship chase. “We are extremely pleased to be able to officially announce the new multi-year deal between
Team Bray and Stanley Black and Decker today,” said Victor Bray. “I could not be more proud to continue to carry the Sidchrome colours on my 1957 Chev Doorslammer - as they say ‘you cannot hand a man a grander spanner’, and thanks to the great support we receive from Sidchrome and Stanley Black and Decker I don’t think you can hand a man a grander Slammer either! “The last three years of our partnership have been very successful for both Stanley Black and Decker and Team Bray, and we can’t wait to keep on with the business of promoting this great company starting with the ANDRA Top Doorslammer season finale at Sydney Dragway!” The DEWALT colours to be sported by Ben will be familiar to fans of Team Bray, following the debut of a new burn-out car in a similar livery at the recent Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama, where Team Bray Entertainment were part of the official on-track entertainment program. The new DEWALT 1963 Corvette burn-out car was a definite fan favourite at the prestigious V8 Supercars event
and signalled the first exciting development for the team under the new sponsorship arrangement. “It was very exciting to debut the new DEWALT burn-out car at the hallowed ground of Mount Panorama , the new car and its striking paint scheme were certainly celebrated by the fans on-track and for us it was the perfect way to welcome DEWALT to the team,” said Ben Bray. “To be expanding that excitement on to the quartermile with the new Doorslammer DEWALT livery at the Nationals is just great. “Hopefully we can have a successful weekend on-track so I can say farewell to my Monaro in style before sending it off on its next great adventure – details of which will be released soon – before taking ownership of the brand new DEWALT Corvette Stringray in the opening months of the 2014 championship chase. “I know dad (Victor) is pretty excited about taking the wheel of his new machine as well, but he will just have to wait until mine is finished off first,” added a laughing Ben. Team Bray Racing will be
looking to finish off the season on high hopes at the Australian Nationals – the final round of the 2012/2013 ANDRA Top Doorslammer championship. For more information on Team Bray, please visit www. teambrayracing.com. Fans can also keep up to date thanks to the Team Bray app which offers news, image updates, a live webcam and lots more for free for Apple and Android users. To download the app, visit http://apps.appmixpro.com/ appm/rn5p013f6y47iw on a mobile device to access. Fans wishing to follow Team Bray can also visit www. teambrayracing.com, follow them on facebook at www.facebook. com/teambrayracing, or interact with the team on instagram (#teambrayracing). Web: www.teambrayracing. com
very n e e b ave h am p e i T h s d r n e partn d Decker a iness of r u o bus k an rs of c e a a l h e t B y DRA ith ee ey N l r w A n h t a n e t t h o S t p h las “The sful for bot ait to kee arting with ragway!” w t D succes d we can’t company s at Sydney at an le Bray, ing this gre eason fina s t promo orslammer o Top D www.insidespeedmagazine.com.au 29
What a ‘Grand Final’ it was …
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he Hi-Tec Oils Blown Lites Championship had everything from an unbelievable lead-up and promotion to some of the best races seen in many years. With twenty races over a five events, three states … plus series support from some of the best drivers in Australia and sponsors, I cannot thank them enough. Congratulations now go to Darryl Quinn driver of Bad Influence, his family and his team for winning the Hi-Tec Oils Blown Lites Championship. It was an unbelievable display of driving, engine reliability and boat setup throughout the year from the Bad Influence team. Darryl ‘The Assassin’ and his team have displayed an unthinkable will to win with unequalled support from BG Engines, Elect Printing, Haltech Engine Management, DTG and Assassin Pest Control. Team Immortal, what a great group of guys in that team! With the pending birth of Mark Gauci’s (team owner and driver) child, he was unable to attend the round. The boat made it to the event with a plan to put Chris Whalan (6-Litre champion) to drive the boat. After a test it was decided to put Mal McColl into the boat. That paid dividends and Mal placed the boat in second position in the championship. Congratulation’s also go to Brent Niddrie and his team of technicians who added their support to Mark’s team … they brought a high level of professionalism to the series and, of course, a high level of technical knowledge to the team. Mal driving the Immortal boat also won the Cross Invitational race. What an awesome result.
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Photography by John Bosher
Finishing off the podium positions in the championship, Brent Lewis and his Decision Race Team finished third … and what an effort it was. Gold Coast based, Brent with some engine building support from his father Clyde once again ‘lifted the bar’ in the class. Brent has many fine features and some of these are his fluro hats that his team wear and his ever changing facial hair combos. Brent also won ‘Driver of the Series’ voted by each of the managers from each team over the five rounds. He drives hard, but always drives within and gives respect to his fellow competitors. Great job and if a potential sponsor is out there you could not have a better representative in the sport.
To the other teams that gave me the support I thank you all. Tim May you are a gentleman, Mal McColl (the old man) what a friend to have, ‘Mr Consistency’ Rod Mackay and your brother Mick … two great blokes, Matty so proud of what you and Johnny Bradley have achieved (Matty also won the round). The series included twenty races over three states … a mammoth undertaking by all teams; it had the support from great sponsors including George Gambino’s Hi-Tec Oils, Paul Hadley and his group of companies (Procell Marine, Illawarra Engineering and Tiger Performance) and Nationwide Transport Solutions … without their support the series would not have been the success it was. The Voice, Craig Lynne kept everyone entertained with his race calls at each of the events and with voice-overs on the television … a professional in every manner. I think he also kept all the pubs and clubs in our travels operating in the black … well done and thanks mate for your support throughout the year. Others that played a huge part in the series included Leanne Ward (my pit bitch – you were just fantastic) Skye Smith (great job … Chips), Teressa Quinn and the girls (beautiful people), Angela May and Tania McColl (great support at the driver signing sessions) and all the team crews who all played a hand and helped when help was required. To Matthew Swaab and the team at AVE Productions (television – Speedweek and Speed channel) … thank you for a great job. To Greg Watt, the man that drives the ambulance, well what can I say … without the support of Race Print our message would not have got out as well … remember you can still have a piece of the Lites by purchasing a T-Shirt. Give him a ring on 03 9775 1816. To my son Matty; we definitely could not have accomplished the success the Lites achieved without your hard work and support. Your attention to detail is unequalled, you are a perfectionist in things you set out to do … thank you so much, I am very proud of the part you played within the Lites. Lastly, I would like to thank my wife Jane and the rest of my family who have had to put up with my long hours in my office and countless phone calls organising. Well the job has just started! This year is over and the next chapter is starting. A bigger series next year, more interstate travel and another country to visit … cannot wait. To the many supporter and spectators of the series, thank you so much for you positive emails and kind words … to the people who doubted what can be achieved … ‘The best revenge is success’. - Chris Stone
Brent Lewis
gfryefyterfew
Matt Stone
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sucker PUNCH victory Main photo by Brad McDonald
“It is the most successful series of boat racing ever in Australia, and with the news that the championship is heading to New Zealand, its great for Australian powerboat racing.
Matt Stone
What a great way to finish the 2013 HiTec Oils Blown Lites Championship with a round win at the Windsor Spectacular. In front of a packed house Matty Stone drove the HiTec Oils/SuckerPunch craft to victory winning three out of four races. ‘To win at my home track in front of all my sponsors and family was a great feeling, it’s been a tuff year for myself and the team coming to terms with the new boat combo. But when it counted we delivered and finished on top.” Matty comment Matty finished the weekend two points ahead 32 inside SPEED
of Bad Influence driver Darryl Quinn, with Quinn holding out a late charge from Brent Lewis driving Decision. ‘I must really thank my team John and Debbie Bradley, Roland and Glen Jahn, Jamie and Michelle Butler, Laith Brown and my girlfriend Skye. We have worked very hard throughout the year and the win is a huge boost for the team’. Matty went on and took out the 2013 best presented boat and team award with the Hi-Tec Oils/ SuckerPunch team vowing to lift the bar even higher next year with
a new look outfit. ‘It has been a great year for the Lites and the tireless hours of work that my father Chris has put into the class has been unbelievable. It is the most successful series of boat racing ever in Australia, and with the news that the championship is heading to New Zealand, its great for Australian powerboat racing. Thank you Dad and all the Blown Lite supporters, drivers and teams the SPR Team looks forward to seeing you all at Round 1 in 2014.’ Matty commented
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WOMEN IN
MOTORSPORTS
Sarah M Godfrey Model, Presenter and TV Personality 26 years old
BIO Sarah Michele Godfrey has modelled for some of the largest published magazines in Australia and abroad. Sarah has walked the runways of Miss World Australia and modelled for some of the most recognised brands in the world. You may recognise Sarah from the hit TV series “The Farmer Wants a Wife” which aired in February 2011 Sarah has also featured in many other television commercials, feature films and print media. Because of Sarah’s diversity and her ability to shoot from high end fashion to swimwear, Sarah is fast becoming one of Australia’s most sought after models.
www.sarahmichellegodfrey.com Facebook: SarahMichelleGodfrey
What I like about motorsports: I love all aspects of Australian and International motor sport. I like the fact that it is a team sport, the competitiveness and the camaraderie between teams.
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My favorite motorsports: I like all motorsports, I have a preference to the V8 Supercars as I have been around the industry for many years.
www.insidespeedmagazine.com.au 35
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