Auto Action #1833

WALKINSHAW LIFE IS LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER

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“PLAY HARDBALL” - SKAIFE ON SVG’s SVG’s TASSIE TACTICS

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VAN GISBERGEN STEALS THE SHOW

LATEST NEWS If you want to beat SvG, its simple...Give him back what he dishes out.

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PLAY HARD BALL IF YOU WANT TO BEAT VAN GISBERGEN SKAIFE CALLS FOR SOME TOUGH LOVE IN SUPERCARS

By Paul Gover, News Editor TWO OF the toughest nuts to ever crack a Supercars championship have delivered their tactics for championship hopefuls who want to beat Shane van Gisbergen to the 2022 title.

Mark Skaife and Marcos Ambrose both say that they must go head-to-head with the defending champion, who served up some blunt driving lessons to Will Davison and Cam Waters at Symmons Plains.

Skaife is the most vocal and sums things up in a single sentence.

“The fundamental thing is that if you’re going to win the championship you have to beat van Gisbergen,” Skaife tells Auto Action.

The five-time champion, who faced some tough rivals in his time - from Jim Richards and Craig Lowndes to Russell ’The Enforcer’ Ingall and Ambrose - says he cannot see anyone who can take the fight to the Triple Eight spearhead.

“He’s got them all bluffed,” says Skaife.

“It’s intimidation. And it comes from superior racecraft. It’s a masterful display at the moment in every area.”

“I love the aggression. Stunning passes.

“But if you’re going to beat van Gisbergen

then you’ve got to play how he plays. And that’s hard ball.”

Ambrose also knows what SvG’s rivals need to do.

“You’ve got to stand up to Shane,” he says.

“It’s all about playing chess.”

Van Gisbergen has been attacked on some fronts for using bump-and-run moves, where he gives his rivals a light touch-up in corners, but he defends the tactics and says it’s within the current interpretation of the rules.

“I wasn’t just smashing them on purpose, you’re allowed some rubbing on the exit of the corner and they braked a bit early and then went wide, so I just shoved it down the inside and got on the throttle early and got alongside them.

“Yeah, I rubbed them, but that’s what we want and what we’re allowed to do. So I drive like that. I could have followed them around for 44 laps, but people complain about that too.” van Gisbergen says after Symmons Plains.

Neither Waters or Davison were prepared to attack van Gisbergen out of their cars, although the Monster Mustang driver gave his finger (the bird) to his rival.

“I’m all for hard racing and bumping. I expect to give it back to people and not get a penalty.

I gave him the bird,” says Waters.

“Definitely contact a couple of times. But that’s the way it goes,” concedes Davison.

Skaife is not complaining about SvG’s

Skaife and Ambrose knew how to dish it out. Here they get rough with each other and are about to go digging in the sand at Wanneroo in 2005 driving, just the reaction - or lack of it - from his rivals when he rubs them out of the way.

“If you’re Cam Waters or Will Davison, and he runs into you like that, you run into him hard. Put him in the grass.

“They’ve got to stump up. If you want to beat him, you’ve got to get on with it.

“The two manoeuvres with Will Davison and Cam Waters were when they effectively left a hole. It’s bordering on a bump-and-run and it’s been going on forever.

“Jim Richards was the master of it.

Craig Lowndes did it all the time. We’ve all done it.

“There have been people in our history that were hard-core racers that were not a Peter Brock.”

The Supercars sheriff, Driving Standards Observer Craig Baird, has generally allowed the drivers to race without interference and that means the drivers now have to play hard-ball.

“If the rules don’t control it, the drivers have to do it. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands,” says Skaife.

“We’re not all saints.

We have to promote hard but fair racing.

I’ve been saying it since the 1990s.

“If you want a halo statement then genuine and authentic rivalries are healthy for our sport. So long as we’re not firing blokes into the fence for no reason,” concluded the five-times V8 Supercars Champion.

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VIVA LAS VEGAS

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AMERICA GETS ITS THIRD FORMULA ONE RACE

When F1 returns to ‘Vegas it will be far more glitzy than the 1981 event won by Alan Jones’ Williams FW07C Ford in the ugly Caesars Palace carpark, his last GP win (below). The new track will use Sin City’s main boulevards and its most spectacular backdrops at 10pm local time.

Image:Motorsport Images and Formula 1

By Paul Gover, News Editor The power of Netflix has injected another American race into the Formula One world championship.

It says everything about the new grand prix fan base that the third race in the USA will be held in sin city, Las Vegas, under lights on a downtown street circuit on Saturday, November 25.

The date is two days after the annual Thanksgiving holiday that brings America almost to a standstill, and the organisers are hopeful a 10pm start time will create an extended weekend across the country and draw tens of thousands of new fans.

The Vegas GP also confirms the shift in the F1 power base from traditional European races to new-age events in cashed-up Arab countries and the USA. While the German Grand Prix has dropped off the calendar, American fans cannot get enough of F1 and the sell-out of the next new event in Miami next month provided an early green light for Vegas.

Qatar is already confirmed for 2023 and

China, off the calendar since 2019 because of Covid, is also returning.

It’s all part of a push that could, despite the extra pressures on teams and the travelling Grand Prix circus, take the calendar to 30 races a year.

That could mean a rotation system, as F1 owners Liberty Media are currently restricted to 24 races under their agreement with teams, with races only running in alternate years.

But grand prix racing is booming and Liberty is cashing-in on the 21st century gold rush, including Vegas.

“This is an incredible moment for Formula 1 that demonstrates the huge appeal and growth of our sport with a third race in the US,” says Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One. “Las Vegas is a destination known around the world for its excitement, hospitality, thrills and, of course, the famous Strip. There is no better place for Formula 1 to race than in the global entertainment capital of the world.”

The downtown track layout for Vegas in

2023 is a world away from the last time Formula One cars raced in the city - in the car park of the Caesars Palace casino in 1981 and 1982. It was a dreadful event and the circuit looked like a club race with concrete barriers marking the course.

Alan Jones famously won the first of those GPs, and was rewarded with a laurel wreath on his head, as his victory helped Nelson Piquet beat Jones’ Williams team mate Carlos Reutemann to the world title.

The plan for the new Vegas race will see cars racing from 10pm on a Saturday night, a massive departure from the usual grand prix timetable.

The contest will be run over a 6.1-kilometre course with 14 corners - mostly 90-degree bends to match the city’s existing streets and a main straight predicted to provide a 380km/h top speed.

That pit straight will run along the famous ’Strip’ that is home to the world’s most-famous casinos and was once the dream location for deposed F1 czar Bernie Ecclestone.

Las Vegas operators are right behind

the race this time, despite the potential disruption on their main street.

“Formula 1 and Liberty Media have been incredible partners, and we look forward to November 2023 when we once again showcase Las Vegas as ’The Greatest Arena on Earth’,” says Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

“Spectators will experience the unrivalled thrill of watching these world-class drivers race through what is sure to become one of the most iconic racetracks in the world.”

It’s the scheduled time of departure that has caught most of the attention.

Starting the race at 10pm means it will hit most of Europe at 7am, but mid-afternoon in the biggest Asian markets and in Australia’s evening, the right timing according to Domenicali.

“To have a race on Saturday at 3pm would be a total mistake. That is the reason why we are flexible, we are showing that’s the right moment to have the best show in this context. I don’t see any problem on that.”

With Luis Vasconcelos

Hail Caesar! Alan Jones, celebrates his 1981 win with Alain Prost, Renault RE30 second, and Bruno Giacomelli, a rare third for the Alfa 179C.

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ADELAIDE 500 SET TO STAY AS FINALE

ANDREW DANIELS is the man leading the revived South Australian Motorsport Board and expressed that Adelaide intends to keep its spot as the Supercars season finale.

In the last fortnight Daniels has been appointed to the position by newly elected SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, who is adamant about keeping his election promise of bringing the race back.

As the head of the South Australian Motorsport Board, Daniels task is to bring back the Supercars Hall of Fame event to the streets of Adelaide from December 1-4.

Prior to its axing under the Steven Marshall Government, the Adelaide 500 was traditionally the season opener. It has hosted the first Supercars Championship round on all but a handful of races from 1999-2020.

This year it plays host to the Supercars season finale, a position it has previously

not held, well not since its days as a Formula 1 venue.

From 1985-1995 the Victoria Park Circuit was the home of the Formula 1 season finale and quickly became a favourite of drivers, teams and fans from around the world for its party atmosphere.

When speaking to Auto Action on his appointment, Daniels expects the race to remain as the Supercars Championship season finale going forwards.

“My understanding of the discussions that the government have had with Supercars Australia is for Adelaide to become the last round,” he said to AA. “I think that the new timeframe for this event being the last round of the season, rather than the first is ideal.

“I think that this really gives us a chance to refresh the whole event and to ensure that we

really finish off the season in the way which needs to with the recognition that this great series deserves.

“It creates a great opportunity for a really amazing finale to end Supercars Championship season and it actually also keeps this event separate from the sort of ‘Mad March’ period in Adelaide, so we’ve got lovely clean air to stage an event of this size.”

For many years the event has been held at the same time as the Adelaide Fringe Festival, and around the same time as the WOMADelaide music festival, but if it is held in December this could attract even more people to the event.

Andrew Daniels may be a name familiar to some readers, he is currently the Chief Executive of the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority, a role he has held

since May 2012 and will relinquish next month.

Daniels has a history in motorsport, he was previously Chief Executive of the original South Australian Motorsport Board which staged the Clipsal 500, and was the Deputy Chief Executive of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix Board when it was in Adelaide.

Daniels is confident that this experience in the motorsport field will serve him well in coming months.

“I had the good fortune of working for Formula 1 here in Adelaide for eight years, so I know the benefits of holding the last round,” Daniels said to AA. For more on Andrew Daniels and his plans for Motorsport in South Australia flick to page 16 for AA’s exclusive news extra.

Dan McCarthy

NEXT GEN GOODYEAR PLAN HAS BLOWN OUT A PLAN to turn 2023 into a Goodyear for Gen3 has run into a major roadblock.

A lack of production capacity for the unique 18-inch Supercars rubber has killed the plan for a brand swap despite early optimism at Supercars and Goodyear Dunlop Tyres Australia.

The original intention was to re-brand from Dunlop to Goodyear to coincide with the switch to the Gen3 racers next year.

But the latest internal investigations, conducted just before Auto Action went to press, have shown there is insufficient capacity at Goodyear’s motorsport rubber facility in Europe.

“The plan is dead,” a Dunlop insider tells Auto Action.

But the motorsport manager at Dunlop, Kevin Fitzsimons, refuses to comment or even discuss the Goodyear proposal.

The Dunlop-to-Goodyear move was originally a plan being touted by the former CEO of Supercars, Sean Seamer, who revealed it to Supercars team bosses last year.

It has been bubbling along since then but without coming to any firm conclusions.

The change would have been part of a switch by the giant Goodyear Tire and Rubber

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Company from the USA, the owner of Dunlop, as it moves towards a single motorsport branding for all of its tyres.

Michelin has already made a similar switch, with its BFGoodrich competition tyres - common in off-road racing including the Dakar Rally moving from American to French branding under the Michelin umbrella.

Goodyear’s change of policy follows its buyout of Cooper Tyres, a major supplier of off-

road and SUV tyres around the world including Australia.

Cooper is the parent company of Avon Tyres, traditionally a British brand and with major supply deals in the classic racing world.

Avon tyres are used on the vast majority of the world’s historic single-seater racing cars, including classic Formula One cars.

So when Goodyear bought Cooper it also got Avon, and an opportunity to spread its winged-

tyre branding across the whole motorsport world.

Australia eventually emerged as a potential piece of the puzzle, because of the long-term involvement of Dunlop as the control supplier of Supercars racing rubber.

Dunlop has been a cornerstone of touring car racing from the start of the Supercars era, and even earlier when Dick Johnson Racing rolled on Dunlop at a time - before a single supplier when Bridgestone dominated with the Holden Racing Team and cars also competed on Yokohama tyres.

Ironically, Goodyear was the brand of choice in the earliest days of V8 touring car racing as drivers including Allan Moffat and Ian ‘Pete’ Geoghegan raced on their ‘Blue Streak’ American racing rubber.

Auto Action believes the Goodyear plan mainly foundered because of the difficulty in switching production from Japan to Europe, because Goodyear does not have sufficient capacity in its factory. But a move to Europe would also have created a difficult supply line, created logistical dramas on the timing of production, and forced a price increase. Paul Gover

DAVISON ON A GP MISSION

VETERAN IS ALL-OUT FOR A WIN

A NEW SAFETY PUSH

BY MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA A STRONGER RESPONSE TO RISK MANAGEMENT

By Paul Gover, News Editor THE DEATHS that marred the last running of Targa Tasmania have sparked a new safety push at Motorsport Australia.

The result is a permanent Motorsport Risk and Safety Committee that is tasked with investigating, reporting and recommending on all areas of motorsport.

But the head of Motorsport Australia denies that the organisation has become risk averse in the 21st century of the creation of the committee is any sort of a knee-jerk reaction.

“This is a natural evolution for us. The majority of safety related matters will still be dealt with by the administration, ” the CEO of Motorsport Australia, Eugene Arocca, tells Auto Action.

He says the Motorsport Risk and Safety Committee has been created with, for the first time, full representation on the board of MA. “Its primary focus is on motorsport risk and safety – that could include anything and everything from tracks to cars to competitors to officials to spectators,” says Arocca.

“Safety matters are managed and dealt

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with by the administration, however there may be specific topics that could be referred to the committee for guidance and or approval.

“For example, the implementation of the Targa Tasmania recommendations is being managed by the administration, but it will report to the Committee on any new learnings resulting from the implementation and make adjustments if required. Any changes would then be recommended to the Board by the Committee for approval.

Arocca says there has been a steady evolution of safety procedures for more than a decade, thanks to a previous CEO with a strong safety background. That included a Risk Committee that was established in 2016.

“During 2021, the Board (of MA) moved to create the Motorsport Risk and Safety Committee. Whilst the existing RC has overseen the development of a more mature risk framework and register, it was agreed that responsibility for the risk framework and register should rest with the FAC and that oversight of motorsport related risk and safety be entrusted to a new board committee, whilst also

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empowering the commissions with an increased responsibility for safety within their particular disciplines.”

The new committee is a permanent group that will meet regularly, but it has not been given any specific tasks.

This is not a body that operates outside of Motorsport Australia – it is a permanent standing committee – much like an Audit and Finance Committee. It has not been created to look at a specific area or topic but will be called upon to assist management on specific issues that might arise from time to time,” Arocca says.

“That is the role of management and the board, however, the committee may wish to look into a specific matter that it may have observed might require further investigation.”

Arocca believes the new committee is a landmark for Motorsport Australia, as well as similar organisations in other countries.

“I believe that there are no other fourwheeled motorsport bodies in Australia with a similar committee and, having looked at what other countries are doing, there are very few ASNs doing this. So we are probably a little ahead of the curve in this regard.”

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DESPERATION IS creeping in for Will Davison as he looks to make the final breakthrough at Dick Johnson Racing.

Despite pole positions and podiums, and a breakthrough victory at Sydney Motorsport Park when he originally raced for the Queensland icon, Davison has yet to win for the Shell Mustang squad.

Heading to the Australian Grand Prix meeting, where he had once dreamed of racing in Formula One, Davison is primed for a breakthrough.

“I’m desperate. I’m bloody keen,” says Davison.

“I can’t wait to get back down to Albert Park. Very, very cool that the big circus is coming back to town.”

The Supercars program at the GP meeting has four qualifying sessions and four sharp sprints.

There are track changes that will test the engineering crews, while the evolution of the track - as Pirelli rubber is laid down by the F1 crews - is another challenge.

“It’s always a unique challenge there, but I really do love the short, sharp format,” says Davison.

“It’s a bit of an unknown for everyone. I’m excited to finally get racing.

Davison was one of the pacesetters in 2020 at the aborted AGP meeting, third overall and quickest in the Mustang he originally raced for the Tickford team.

Now, deeply into his second stint at DJR, he is hoping to repeat the effort and go even better.

He highlights the elimination of the chicane at the back of the Albert Park circuit, as well as re-sealing and re-profiling work, as new challenges.

“It think it’s going to change the dynamic of the racing,” he says.

“Lots of change. I can’t wait. I’m really really excited to see how we can adapt.”

He is also looking forward to four sprints.

“It’s always a unique challenge there. I really do love the short sharp format. But you’ve really got to be on your game. It’s a bit of an unknown for everyone.

“It’s different to what we do all year. Without too much strategy involved. It’s fun, you qualify very early in the weekend. You qualify for Sunday’s race on Friday morning.

“Just pumping that we can get racing after what happened there a few years ago.”

And a win?

“I’ll just focus on being more competitive and we’ll press on, that’s the main thing to worry about for me.”

Paul Gover

RIANA MAKES THE GRADE RIANA CREHAN has scored big for the Davison family.

Will Davison’s partner was one of three hopefuls who passed the punishing selection course in the SAS Australia television show.

The two-week torture test is intended to mirror the military selection course run for the soldiers who aspire to become members of the elite SAS regiment.

Molly Taylor was the first motorsport person to take part, in Season 1 in 2020, but withdrew before the end.

Crehan joined the unit for the third season, which has just finished, and got all the way to the end as one of three people - the others were retired NRL player Darius Boyd and NRLW player Millie Boyle - who passed the course under chief instructor Ant Middleton.

The Supercars pitlane reporter, who returned to the broadcast crew this year, hosted a party on the Gold Coast to watch the final episode on the 7 Network and celebrate her selection.

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SUPERCAR CHAMPION Garth Tander has given both the Gen3 machines his tick of approval after turning laps at Symmons Plains Raceway. Tander and Marcos Ambrose became the first people to drive the Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang prototypes in Tasmania. “Fans will love the new cars,” Tander said. “I think they sound good, they look great, they’re low, they’re fat, they’re tough looking and they’re contemporary so I think they’ll really enjoy them. JN

THE SUPER2 Series will headline the support card at the Perth SuperNight Supercars Championship event.

Wanneroo Raceway will host Supercars from April 30 – May 1, bringing the main game back to WA for the first time since 2019. The Super2 and Super3 season, which began in Sydney, will resume alongside another three support categories - Radical Cup Australia, the V8 SuperUtes and WA Historic Touring Cars. JN

SVG FEELS GEN3 HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION REIGNING SUPERCARS champion Shane van Gisbergen is happier in the Gen3 Chevrolet Camaro following the ergonomic changes to the car, but expressed it is still not perfect.

It was widely known that the tall 2020 Bathurst 1000 winner struggled to drive the next-gen Supercar without feeling discomfort.

After the two-day race meeting in Tasmania van Gisbergen and 2015 Supercars Champion Mark Winterbottom stayed to test the Camaro in its latest form.

Van Gisbergen was pleased to report the tweaks had helped but had not cured the comfort in the car.

“The moves that they’re making and the things that they’re doing to Gen3 are all positive, it’s not perfect because it’s not set for me; there’s a few people driving it,” van Gisbergen said.

“The car feels completely different to what I drove (previously in testing).

“I’ll miss these (current) cars at this track, but I’m sure next year’s cars will be better.”

The Triple Eight driver expressed that he’d still make a few changes, but is pleased to see things going in the right direction.

“If it was my car, I’d make it a little bit different again,” he continued.

“The car still has some things we need to keep evolving… changes are happening.

“You want it to be raceable and hard to drive. I think they’re doing all the right things.”

In Tasmania two-time Supercars champion

Marcos Ambrose drove the Gen3 car for the first time, he believes that the car ticks all the boxes that the Supercars Championship was after.

“My experience from the Gen3 was, it drives like a Supercar to me, it did everything that was good about supercars, it was just a bit raw,” he said to AA. “It had less downforce and more power, you got to manhandle it a little bit more to get around the corner.

“I think that the power delivery was excellent, the amount of downforce for me felt really good, and it did everything that a

AUS GRAND PRIX RACING TO GET BETTER

Images: Motorsport Images

TICKFORD RACING driver Jake Kostecki is looking on the bright side despite a tough start to the season with his new team. Kostecki sits 23rd in the Supercars Championship standings, ahead of only Garry Jacobson and Jack Le Brocq. “It’s been a tough start as Sydney and Tassie weren’t great,” Kostecki said. “We’ve shown some good things with the car and the team, we need to keep our heads down and keep doing the best we can do.” JN

ALL QUIET ON THE MINARDI FRONT TRIPLE EIGHT Race Engineering rookie Broc Feeney was smiling ear to ear after his first Supercars Championship podium, which formed part of a 1-2 finish with teammate Shane van Gisbergen. The young gun says he is loving life in motorsport at the moment. “I thought we had a chance of trying to snag a podium and we rolled out pretty strong to qualify second,” Feeney said. “Yeah, I’m just loving life at the moment.” JN

KOSTECKI COUSINS Brodie and Jake are raring to race back at home in Western Australia at the Perth SuperNight, which will be the first event in the state for three years. Both grew up in Perth and touched down to promote the event last week. “It’s really great to be back here at home, I haven’t been able to come back here in three years,” Brodie said. “I’m looking forward to seeing all the people sitting on the hill again.” JN

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By Paul Gover, News Editor THE TRADITIONAL grand prix alarm clock will not be sounding this year at Albert Park.

Howling V10-engined Minardi twoseaters have been a regular feature of The Australian Grand Prix weekend since 2009 but have been parked after coming to the end of their working life.

It means the early morning wake-up call, just after 7am for the four days of the AGP meeting, is over. And so, too, is the late-afternoon howl of an old-school naturally-aspirated grand prix engine.

There has been no official announcement from the AGP Corporation about the change, but Auto Action confirms the Minardi era is over.

It also means there will be no chance for the ultimate F1 thrill ride for the lucky passengers, who were cashed-up or important enough, who were able to ride in the back seat.

More than 1000 people got the ultimate thrill ride, as the program started with about 25 passengers from 2009 before

Supercar should do.

“They’ve done a lot of hard work already and looking forward to seeing what the other drivers are real drivers feel and get their cars to the teams as quick as they can, so they can refine them and make them real racecars.

“I think it’s probably 90% there as far as what they’re looking to achieve. They want the cars hard to drive, I think that box is ticked, they want the cars cheaper to run well, let’s hope they are, and you want them to look better and I think that box is certainly ticked as well. I think it will be more entertaining, so let’s just wait and see.” Dan McCarthy

building to more than 100 a year in the later days of the program.

Formula One even rolled the cars out at other events following the success in Australia.

The two-seaters were the personal project of Aussie entrepreneur Paul Stoddart, who had a fortune through scrapping and selling second-hand aircraft parts.

He became the owner of Minardi, where he provided test drives at one time for Will Power and Will Davison, and kept the two-seater project running after he had sold the team which is now known as AlphaTauri.

Shipping the two-seater cars to Australia became a regular job for Stoddart, who occasionally drove himself but usually relied on Zolt Baumgartner to handle the two-seater work.

Davison and Cam McConville were also enlisted to pilot the thrill rides, with McConville once even crashing after a suspension failure while television journalist Clint Stanaway was in the back seat.

THE ALBERT Park Formula 1 circuit has been given a makeover since the infamous abandoned Australian Grand Prix weekend of 2020 including a new surface which Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott believes will enhance the racing over time.

As well as the resurfacing, visibly the track layout has changed, although it contains the same amount of turns many have been opened up in a bid to improve racing and overtaking.

Westacott believes that this coupled with the new track surface will improve racing which in recent years has been difficult to overtake on.

Westacott is confident that the track surface, designed to degrade tyres more quickly will make the racing better year upon year.

“We very technically put down an asphalt mix that is designed to have a higher level of abrasiveness,” Westacott told Auto Action.

“Now, we hope that there’s an increase in year one, and the numbers indicate that there will be, and it’s only going to get more abrasive over the next couple of years.”

He explained how as the road surface gets used more and more the abrasiveness will make for more tyre wear in years to come.

“As the years go by you get the volatiles and the binders getting worn off the circuit, the aficionados in your readership would have seen what happened in Turkey with a very, very green track,” he said.

“If you don’t put them down in the correct manner, they can be very, very slippery.

“The track will evolve and get better as the track gets worn in over years, and the fact that it’s a street circuit with a lot of daily traffic is going to enhance it.”

Westacott is proud that the new layer of tarmac was made by local companies within Victoria.

“I’d also like to highlight the fact that in a $20 million resurfacing that’s been funded by the government, every bit of the aggregate that went into that surface has been sourced from Victorian quarries,” he expressed.

“The bitumen was sourced from the refineries down in Corio and some of the steel slag which provides a level of abrasion within the track, has been sourced from Laverton as well.

“It’s a wholly homegrown delivered resurfaced track, which is going to be five seconds a lap quicker.” Dan McCarthy

SANDOWN REDEVELOPMENT PLAN PROGRESSES SANDOWN RACEWAY is officially under threat as plans to redevelop the area into a housing heavy suburb have progressed, potentially put an end to racing at the historic venue.

The City of Greater Dandenong Council has received and then greenlit a Planning Scheme Amendment application for Sandown submitted by the site’s owner, the Melbourne Racing Club (MRC).

As such, the plan has moved to the community consultation stage, locals getting their say for approximately the next year.

The proposed ‘Sandown Racecourse Urban Renewal Project’ is a rezoning proposal which could see the entire 112 hectares surrounding Sandown Raceway transformed into a suburb incorporating up to 7500 homes, which would house up to 16,000 people.

Retail space would also be plentiful, with the opportunity to construct medical facilities, a school and offices.

Sandown’s new layout is proposed to be divided into four precincts: Town Centre, East, West and Princes, intersecting with the current circuit. Concept drawings show housing on the ground which the circuit currently sits on.

As such, the redevelopment of the area would almost certainly involve demolishing the track, ending racing at the venue that just celebrated its 60th anniversary as a motorsport facility.

Documents submitted at a council meeting indicate that the next stages of the process are an ‘exhibition of the amendment’ and ‘assessment of public submissions’ before the council makes a final decision on whether to request the establishment of a planning panel.

“What this means is, this will be the opportunity, once it is exhibited, for the community to examine these plans and have their say and we hope that the community takes up that opportunity,” councillor Rhonda Garad said at the meeting.

While the planned project does not allow for continued motorsport, documents released detail that any redevelopment would ‘recognise the local historical values’ of Sandown Racecourse/Raceway by maintaining the heritage listed grandstand and aligning the Main Boulevard in front of it to ‘celebrate’ motorsport at Sandown.

Any redevelopment would take a considerable period of time to achieve - the outcome of the application will not be known for over 12 months

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60 YEAR HISTORY OF SANDOWN FEATURE

Images: Motorsport Images and Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) members will get the final vote months after that.

If that process flows smoothly any work on the ground would probably not start for at least four years and there is the possibility that motorsport could continue during the early stages of that.

“Regardless of the application for the full rezoning of the land, other options may be considered in the future should it be determined to be in the best interests of the MRC Members and the Victorian racing industry,” A MRC statement read.

“The existing uses of the Sandown Racecourse will remain as is for the foreseeable future. Horseracing will continue and the Supercars remain on periodical contracts for their meetings.”

Melbourne Racing Club first submitted documentation to Dandenong Council in January 2021 supporting a Planning Scheme Amendment to rezone the land and facilitate the Sandown Racecourse Urban Renewal project.

The opportunity for Sandown to be redeveloped would allow MRC to cash in on the area of land in its ownership, worth around $700 million.

The sale of Sandown could be used to fund MRC plans to purchase land in Melbourne’s north, which are known to be on the table.

Sandown Raceway has been an integral part of Australian motorsport since the 1960s, hosting key events such as the Australian Grand Prix, Sandown 500 and Tasman Series.

The venue has hosted the most Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars races of any track in the country. Josh Nevett

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SVG STUNS THE RALLY WORLD SECOND PLACE ON AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUT

By Paul Gover, News Editor SHANE VAN Gisbergen wants more from the Australian Rally Championship after a first-up second place in Canberra.

The Supercars ace was the stunning star of the two-day National Capital Rally and was only beaten in the end by defending Australian champion Harry Bates in a factory Toyota GR Yaris.

Van Gisbergen bagged two fastest times

on the second day and finished the event with scratch time in the televised Power Stage, driving a Skoda Fabia for the Race Torque team with veteran co-driver Glen Weston alongside.

It was his first proper rally after a rallysprint start in New Zealand, although his father Robert was a regular forest racer, and proves - once again - that he is the Jim Richards of the 21st century.

“I love the sport. I want to do more,” says van Gisbergen.

“It’s been awesome. It’s just been a pleasure all weekend,” “It’s been building all weekend. Hopefully we can do more.”

Canberra is considered one of the toughest rallies in the national series and was made tougher for 2022 as a two-day ‘endurance’ event, with rain adding to the

challenge on the first day.

Van Gisbergen jumped straight into the leading group with third-fastest time on the opening stage, then moved up to second when Lewis Bates, driving the second factory Yaris for the Bates Motorsport team, slid off the road and got stranded on a tree stump.

He then powered through the second day, improving all the time as he became more used to the event and conditions.

“We just built up all the time. After the last service I felt really good on the new tyres and decided to push through these (last) three (stages). All three of them were supercompetitive.”

Van Gisbergen’s effort won high praise from Weston, who had to teach him how to write and translate pace notes for the event.

“I knew it was going to be a good weekend.

He doesn’t need any more pumping up. I loved every minute of it,” says Weston.

He admits he was uncertain what to expect, particularly with pace notes.

“I guess I had a bit of trepidation. I think it (the challenge) is always going to be listening to the pace notes and driving to them.”

Van Gisbergen also admits the rally challenged him in new ways.

“It’s a big challenge. A big mental game.

You’ve got no references, no-one to tell you to go faster, you’re just on your own out there with the co-driver,” he says.

“And you’ve got to trust the notes and you’re trusting each other. It’s very different.”

Despite his rookie status, rally veteran and four-time Australian champion Neal Bates was not surprised by van Gisbergen’s result.

“He did a fantastic job. That’s probably what I expected he would do. He grew up in a rally family, he’s in a good car and he did the job,” says Bates.

Now he, like van Gisbergen and the rest of the Australian Rally Championship family, hope they have not seen the last of him.

“I would love him to do the whole championship.

It’s good for us, Harry needs to be pushed along, and it’s fantastic for the championship,” says Bates.

AMBROSE FOCUSED ON 6HR RELIABILITY

MARCOS AMBROSE believes if reliability can be sorted, the Miedecke Motor Group Mustang will fight for outright Bathurst 6 Hour honours, he stresses that this is not a comeback.

The Garry Rogers Motorsport/Miedecke Motor Group prepared Mustang will compete in Class A2, however the speed is there to take the on the all-conquering BMWs but reliability is more of an issue.

“The scope of the project was to run the 10-speed auto in the Mustang, the car is super-fast, but we’re breaking new ground with the 10-speed auto,” Ambrose explained

to Auto Action.

“So, when we’re running an auto for six hours in a race environment, temperatures and reliability come into play.

“That’s the big question mark on our car, is it going to make the six hours?

That’s what we’re talking about and working through right now.

“It’s obviously coming down to crunch time, we’ve got a couple of weeks before the race and we’ve got another test scheduled to try to keep moving forward this weekend, but it’s just such a new thing for us here.

“We are working with Herrods, who did the transmission and the engine, to come up with a really good solution to make the transmission live, and to keep the temperatures under control.”

One of the six-hour’s challenges is making a production-based car last the distance, Ambrose highlighted the difficulty of testing Image: MTR Images

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out of a race environment.

Ambrose will test the car this weekend and is optimistic of a fix.

“We’ve got new parts and we’ve got a new way of thinking about how we’re going to do it, so we’ve just got to go to the track and prove it. It’s either going to work or it’s not,” he stated.

BMWs have won all five Bathurst 6 Hour races, however Ambrose is optimistic of taking the fight up to them.

“George and Andrew (Miedecke) ran a Mustang last year with the manual gearbox and their feedback from the testing we’ve done is that this car is significantly quicker, it’s got a better brake package, it’s got a little more power, it handles very well and the auto will really suit a faster lap time.

“If we get that auto to work and keep the temperatures under control I think we will be really fast and we’ll definitely be chasing outright.”

Ambrose hasn’t raced at Bathurst since 2015 when he ran for Team Penske paired with Scott Pye for the Bathurst 1000. He said that the 6 Hour is just a one-off drive.

“I’m actually looking forward to the event, it’s just a more relaxed vibe, we’re doing it as

friends,” Ambrose said.

“The expectation from my perspective is that I’m not making a comeback, for me it’s fairly low key. George will be the number one driver and I’ll be just support for him.”

Dan McCarthy IN TASMANIA Marcos Ambrose returned to the Supercars telecast, revealing that he currently has nothing on the table for later in the year, but has an open door for another appearance.

“We don’t have anything else scheduled at this stage in the near term,” he said to AA. “But if they want me to do it again, I’d be happy to look at it. I do enjoy it, I enjoy checking in and seeing what the level and status is of the Supercar Championship and talk to the drivers, it’s always a fun experience when I do that.

“I know what it’s like from the driver’s seat, I know what it’s like to be a driver running at the front contending for a championship like Supercars so I can talk fairly freely about that and I can sort of add my content where it suits.”

Dan McCarthy

HAZELWOOD EXPECTS MORE PODIUM BATTLES AFTER SCORING Matt Stone Racing’s best ever result in Tasmania, Todd Hazelwood is confident of continuing the form for the remainder of the season.

In just his second round back with MSR – after two seasons with Brad Jones Racing – Hazelwood finished inside the top five, while his teammate Jack le Brocq qualified on the front row of the grid.

It was an amazing result for the emerging, small Queensland operation; however, Hazelwood expects that you will see it more as the year unfolds.

Despite the success in Tasmania, Hazelwood was disappointed as he was just shy of claiming the team’s first podium.

“I think it was 80% disappointed and 20% happy,” Hazelwood told Auto Action. “We executed the first part of that day really well, just fell short in the pit stop sequence, coming out behind Will Davison.

“I suppose it’s a good problem, to be disappointed with the team’s personal best result.

“It sounds silly saying it out loud, but knowing that there was more in the tank, if a couple of little things just swung our way during that race.

“But we’re going to use that as fuel to burn and hunger to try and achieve a podium in the future. I hope that it’s not the last time this season that we are fighting for podiums and I’m confident it won’t be.

“For us, we’re just gonna keep chipping away, my plan this year is to be inside that top 10 in the championship at the conclusion of the year.

“For me, I just want to keep consolidating good points, managing the bad days where we don’t have the fastest car or we have something go wrong.

If we can still come away with a strong result, for me that is certainly the aim.”

The former Super2 Series winner believes all the ingredients are there to succeed in the Supercars Championship.

“For us at the moment as a team, we’ve got everything we need to succeed and get good results, but there are so many moving parts, we’re just getting it all to gel at the moment,” he said.

“We’re in that phase where we’re just starting to get things to click and these things take time and that’s something that the whole team is aware of, we all know that we’re capable, but we’ve just got to be patient.”

Albert Park poses a new challenge this year with a revised layout, several corners have

been opened up making the circuit average speed a whole lot faster, Hazelwood sees it as a leveller.

“I see no reason why we can’t be in the top 10 at the Grand Prix, you don’t get much practice, the sessions are short and the laps are quite long,” he recalled.

“You don’t get many laps to, A, get the car refined the way you want it, or B, learn this new track, maximise your markers and nail a lap, it always throws a very mixed result, particularly the way qualifying works, you get one lap and that’s it.” Dan McCarthy

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STOP / GO

BOTH CHEVROLET and Honda are happy with the progression made in the maiden test of the new for 2024, 2.4-litre twin turbocharged IndyCar engines. Both IndyCar manufacturers have been testing the engines on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Will Power was impressed by the performance of the new engine without the hybrid components. “Today was a great step in getting the 2.4-litre engine package ready to go for the 2024 season,” Power said. Notably the final engine configuration was not tested. DM

THE BRITISH Touring Car Championship’s hybrid era has begun, drivers taking to Donington Park last week to test the new powerplant for the first time. This year, the BTCC will become the first major touring car championship in the world to utilise hybrid power, teams getting up to speed with the new system in three Hybrid Installation Tests before the season opener on April 23-24. All teams were in attendance at Donington, some running the hybrid system.

Four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington was the fastest driver on the day for West Surrey Racing. JN

THE MANUFACTURERS have been revealed for Generation 3 of the all-electric Formula E World Championship, seven confirmed to take on the new regulations next season. DS Automobiles, Jaguar, Mahindra Racing, Maserati, NIO 333, Nissan and Porsche AG are all locked in for Formula E Gen3, while big name German marques Mercedes, BMW and Audi are all exiting the series at the end of this season. Six of the seven Gen3 manufacturers are expected to supply a customer team. JN

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing New Zealand will provide 18 of its FT60 cars to W Series – the international single-seater motor racing championship for female drivers – for two rounds of its 2022 season. The Toyota Racing Series cars, which use an identical Tatuus chassis to the one used in W Series, will be sent across for events at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spain, and Suzuka, Japan, this year in an effort to reduce costs for the series and limit its carbon footprint. JN

A CHICANE has been added to the Red Bull Ring MotoGP layout on the run out of Turn 1 following a couple of frightening accidents at Turn 3 in recent years. Building of the new Hermann Tilke designed chicane has been completed, effectively bypassing the flat out Turn 2, the catalyst of several big crashes at the following corner. Work to convert the uphill Turn 2 area of the Red Bull Ring into a chicane began in November 2021 and has been quickly constructed. DM

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LOOKING TO GO BACK-TO-BACK WHILE REIGNING Hi-Tech Oils Bathurst 6 Hour winners Shane Smollen, Shane van Gisbergen and Rob Rubis have continuity in a driver line-up, they have taken on a star engineer to try and go back-to-back.

Incredibly, in its five-year history no driver has won the race twice, however the trio are aiming to go back-to-back on Easter Sunday.

Year on year the race moves forward with teams finding faster cars and getting better drivers onboard.

This year 2019 winners Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey will race alongside Will Davison as an addition to their team.

Other great names join the field including Davison’s teammate Anton de Pasquale, Will Brown, Tim Slade and Marcos Ambrose.

While the driver line-up and the BMW M4

remains the same, the trio are not sitting still.

“We’ve got a new engineer this year who’s highly capable,” Smollen said to Auto Action. “We haven’t worked with him but he’s worked with Shane (van Gisbergen) before.

“It’s Geoffrey Slater from Walkinshaw Andretti United, he was in attendance at the test day but not with the laptop open or headphones on.

“He’s a really well accomplished guy and he’s also in the past won the Bathurst 1000 and the 12 Hour, so we’ve got an engineer that’s like Shane going for the Triple Crown of Bathurst wins.

Slater engineered Shane van Gisbergen at Tekno Autosports to second overall in the Supercars Championship in 2014, and

in 2016 won both the Bathurst 12 Hour and Bathurst 1000.

What has impressed Smollen once again is the level of interest and input that van Gisbergen has.

“Shane has been a major contributor not just in driving, in terms of working with engineering and really in terms of driver coaching in the test day that we’ve had recently,” Smollen explained.

“Last year, he had a significant input into pitstop strategy, which worked. It gives us confidence that if he’s providing feedback on whether it’s strategy, or whether it’s the characteristics of the car, it gives us confidence that feedback is accurate.”

The Hi-Tech Oils race can be viewed live and on demand on Stan Sport Dan McCarthy

AUSSIE EXPORT PRIMED FOR LMP3 CAMPAIGN AUSSIE PROTOTYPE driver Garnet Patterson is aiming high in his first full season of Le Mans Cup, pushing to run at the front for his new team, United Autosports after years of hard toil.

Patterson is weeks away from kicking off his first full Le Mans Cup LMP3 season with the powerhouse team, after signing a deal with the Zak Brown and Richard Dean founded squad late last year.

Racing as the Pro-side of a Pro-Am effort with Andres Latorre with support from Revere Coffee, the 28-year-old Adelaide local is looking to immediately make an impact.

“The aim is really to go into the championship with the hope to be there at the end of the year in the championship running,” Patterson told Auto Action.

“Our aim is to try and make sure we’re in the top 10, it’s a 45-car grid to start with this year, it is very strong. We will try to make sure we’re scoring points every round so we’re in the hunt

at the end for the championship.”

Patterson completed a couple of rounds in the series last year, finishing sixth in a race at Le Mans.

A full season locked in at United Autosports is a huge opportunity for the steerer, who has raced just a handful of times over the last couple of years.

With previous experience on the Le Mans Cup grid on his side, Patterson is full of confidence entering 2022.

“To be at a good team for a full season, for us to have that locked in and not have to focus on where the next race is super,” Patterson said.

Making an impression this year is a key part of Patterson’s longer-term goal to progress up the prototype ranks, into LMP2 and beyond.

“After meeting with Richard and Zak and all the team there, they’re proper racers and they’ve got the resources there. So, I think if we do a good job, there’s plenty of room to move,” Patterson said.

“They’ve got a good LMP2 program in IMSA, WEC and European Le Mans. So, the aim will be to do LMP3 this year and then hopefully if all goes well, we’ll step up to LMP2 next year.”

The recent dream move makes years of application worth it according to Patterson, who has spent the best part of seven years competing overseas, racing in prototypes across Asia and Europe.

“It’s exciting, 100% the best opportunity I’ve had in five years to be honest,” Patterson concluded.

The Le Mans Cup season kicks off at Circuit Paul Ricard in mid-April. Josh Nevett

PURPLE SECTOR TWO CAR BENEFIT LOOKING TO EXPAND

TCR AUSTRALIA privateer Lachlan Mineeff was delighted with his round in Phillip Island as the Purple Sector team plan to expand.

The team ran a second machine at Bathurst last year, however they have gone back to one machine as it allows them to focus on running one car and getting the best out of it.

This paid dividends at Phillip Island scoring an eighth-place finish on Saturday, but he explained to Auto Action that the target of the team is to expand later this year, bringing another brand onboard.

“We had two cars at Bathurst and now we are back working back on one car,” Mineeff said to Auto Action.

“It’s good, it lets us divert our attention back to one car and really make sure we can get some good results, but I think that two cars is definitely a goal of Purple Sector later into the year.

“It was great to trial two cars and I think at Bathurst we had a really

successful weekend, it’s good to know that we could do it.

“We’re looking at a lot of opportunities and not necessarily just with Volkswagen because some of the circuits don’t really suit that car this year. But obviously, if we can hedge our bets in a couple of different makes, that would be the goal.”

The next round at Bathurst, Mineeff expects to be a challenging one, the track layout simply does not suit the Volkswagen.

“If I’m totally honest Bathurst will be a big struggle in the Golf,” he admitted. “It was at the end of the year and we had some good fortune with longer races and things like that, but Bathurst as a sprint round is going to be tough.

“A track like Sydney Motorsport Park is our home track where I think we should be able to get some good results, look from there, we did a test day at QR and I think Sandown will suit the car, so yeah, let’s see.” Dan McCarthy

THE VERSA Motorsport S5000 squad expanded to two cars at Phillip Island, and already Cooper Webster says that his team is seeing the benefits.

Webster took on former Supercars driver Shae Davies as the teams second driver at Phillip Island and Webster feels this assisted him to fight up the front.

The young Victorian won a race at Phillip Island last year, finished on the podium in the Feature Race in the opening round in Tasmania, however at Phillip Island he was able to keep up and race with S5000 frontrunners James Golding, Joey Mawson and Tim Macrow.

“It’s really good having Shae on board and the team working together,” Webster said to Auto Action. “It really helps to develop both cars because we can use his data to compare to mine and push us both forward towards the front.

“There’s lots and lots of benefits to having two cars and we hope that it’s going to propel us even further forward up the grid.

“It really helps us to fine tune the car straight away, he’s got really good feedback for us to look at and listen to and help adjust the car.”

After two rounds Webster sits joint third in the S5000 championship with Golding, incredibly, only three points behind championship leader Macrow and two behind Mawson.

“I think it just shows that we’re really

developing as a team and it’s looking really good for the rest of the season,” a delighted Webster said.

“The more I drive and the more laps I do, every time I come to the track I’m learning as well.

“I’m understanding how the car is going to handle differently from Tassie and Phillip Island. We are slowly getting there, hopefully we end up getting to the front end and continuing forward.”

Since racing at Phillip Island in 2021, Webster has started his own team, Versa Motorsport, and was not sure he would have the pace in Phillip Island as it is a radically different track to Symmons Plains.

“I was a bit unsure if we would have the same pace that we had in Tasmania here at Phillip Island,” he admitted. “Testing at Phillip Island, we haven’t gone as well.

“But it’s really good to see we’ve made improvements on the car again at Phillip Island, because it’s not as simple as bringing the setup up straight from Tassie and putting it on, there’s a few things you have to change.”

The S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship continues this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix with its largest ever field of 17 cars. Dan McCarthy

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GODDARD AIMING FOR MORE AT AGP ZANE GODDARD is returning for the third round of the Australian S5000 Championship at the Australian Grand Prix and is optimistic about a fight for trophies.

The Queenslander debuted at Phillip Island last time out and despite a couple of average race starts he showed promising race pace, keeping up with regulars such as Tim Macrow in the final race.

Goddard saw the Phillip Island round as a warm up and is hopeful of fighting for podiums at the Australian Grand Prix.

“Phillip Island is definitely more of a

shakedown for the Grand Prix, which is sort of a main event for me,” he said to Auto Action.

“I’m learning a lot, I didn’t do a lot of practice starts before the event which is obviously showing,” he laughed at The Island.

“But hopefully by the time the Grand Prix rolls around we’ll be pretty competitive and fighting for trophies.”

The Tickford Racing co-driver qualified an S5000 at the Grand Prix in 2020 before the event was canned due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

He qualified eighth that day in a field including Rubens Barrichello and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Going in with the same experience and knowledge base he sees as a real leveller, and a chance to fight on equal terms.

“There’s been some updates to the track as well, so everyone’s going into it with fresh eyes, so hopefully that helps,” he said.

“I guess I’ve probably done as many laps around that track in this car as anyone, I did the practice in 2020.

“I’m looking forward to it, keen to race

there, go one step further than last time.

Cool event, fun cars and if we can put on a good show, I think that’s the most important thing.”

For Goddard the S5000 is about keeping fresh for Bathurst.

“The seat time I can get here and there just to stay up to speed all helps,” he explained.

“Obviously, it’s a lot different to a Supercar, but it just helps stuff like race craft.

“It’s been good. Hopefully, I can perform some nicer results at the AGP.” Dan McCarthy

won two TCM races this year with his Holden Torana, and is about to race in the Bathurst 6-Hour.

“I’m doing the six-hour in a GT Falcon. It’s probably the last time you’ll see a productionbased Falcon on the track,” he says.

“I’m doing it with Aaron McGill. The Falcon is not competitive in an outright sense, but it will still be enjoyable. I’ve got a soft spot for Falcons and I was involved in the development of the road car.”

Looking at the 12-Hour, Bowe believes he knows what it takes to be successful.

“It’s easy to get carried away, me included, with doing one fast lap. But at the end of the day it’s a race where the first objective is to finish.

And he loves the idea of getting back into a GT3 car at Mount Panorama.

“It’s an absolutely awesome track. It’s a special place. Always has been and always will be.

“I’ve driven many, many different cars there. And it doesn’t matter what you drive, because it’s always challenging and thrilling and enjoyable.”

SOLID BRONZE BOWE VETERAN CHAMPION IS LOOKING FOR ANOTHER WIN AT BATHURST.

By Paul Gover, News Editor MANY-TIME Bathurst winner John Bowe believes he has an unbeatable edge as he waits for a call-up to this year’s 12-Hour classic at Mount Panorama.

His race status for the GT3 sports car contest is Bronze, which could make him a popular pick under the latest Pro-Am regulations for the Bathurst 12-hour.

Each driver line-up now needs at least one Bronze battler, regardless of the ranking of their headliners.

So even a crew loaded with Platinum or Gold drivers needs to have at least one Bronze, possibly a Bowe, as their anchor.

There are also more openings with allBronze driver line-ups as the 12-Hour begins its climb back from the drama of the Covid pandemic and a clash this year with a European GT event.

“I’m not begging for a drive, but I still love it and I might have something to offer,” Bowe tells Auto Action.

“Even though I’ve done more races in Australia than anyone in motorsport, I’m classified as an amateur because I’m getting old. But that’s alright, because the alternative

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is not very good.

“I’m back to Bronze because the racing I do these days is mostly in the Touring Car Masters. The regular Supercars drivers are all Platinum.”

Bowe is a two-time winner of the 12-Hour at Bathurst and also claimed its predecessor, sharing a Mazda RX-7 with Dick Johnson, at Eastern Creek in 1995.

“I’ve got half an idea what I’m doing. I’m a team player, I’ve driven a lot of GT cars over the years, and I genuinely love it.

“I’ve won a few races at Bathurst, and done a lot of laps around the place. I won the 12Hour in 2014 with Craig Lowndes and Mika Salo in a Ferrari with Maranello Motorsport.

“The last time I did the race in a GT car was with David Wall in a Lamborghini Gallardo.

We had a lot of car trouble but we won our class.”

Bowe is now closer to 70 than 60 but says his love of racing has never wavered.

“The bottom line is that I really love racing and I love hanging out at the racetrack. It’s my thing, since I was a kid. I work quite hard at my racing but I’ve always loved just hanging out.”

Bowe is as busy as ever and has already

TOP FUEL FIRES UP MILDURA

DIFFICULT PRE-SEASON FOR AUS

COUNTRY SHORT-COURSE GETS THE FULL ATTACK

Gardner’s injury comes after he pipped AUSTRALIAN REMY Gardner, set to A DRAG racing detour his teammate Fernandez to the Moto2 make his MotoGP to Mildura added a newdebut in just five Championship in 2021. weeks,and hasafractured his right wrist. challenge new winner His fellow Australian MotoGP rider Jack Gardner suffered the to this year’s Australian Top injury in a ‘small’ Miller has also not had the pre-season he training accident on Saturday Fuelmotocross Championship. thechallenge January 15 and The was an required surgery by Dr was planning.

When back in Australia the Mir, MotoGP’s own doctor. eighth-mile short course and Queenslander tested positive to Covid-19 The procedure took place in Barcelona the winner, not any great just days before returning to Italy, his on thewas following Tuesday, surprise, hometown hero during which mandatory self-isolation has forced the Mir placed two screws in Gardner’s PhilDr Lamattina. factory Ducati team to postpone its injured to helpKing’ him recover.

Victory forwrist the ‘Carrot launch from January 28 to February 7.

Mir reported thethe operation was a also gives Lamattina “Jack Miller tested positive for Covid-19 success and that championship lead asGardner teams would be after undergoing a molecular test on able to start in coming days head to the next his leg recovery of the Wednesday 19 January,” a Ducati press ahead ofTop theFuel firstseries of theinMotoGP preborn-again release stated. season tests in Malaysia.

Perth next week.

“Therefore, unable to leave for Europe Although nottoideal Taking Top Fuel the preparation heading to take part in the official photo shoot of into his maiden MotoGP regional Victorian town was a season, the Ducati Lenovo Team 2022. For this Gardnerrisk is by positive he will be fine for the calculated the series’ reason, the presentation of the team has rookie ‘Shakedown’ test at the Sepang new organiser, Andy Lopez. been postponed to February 7.”

International which takes place “These are true Circuit drag racing Miller himself reported on social media 31-February 2. fansfrom hereJanuary in Mildura and that was fine,tobut disappointed said they “Small showedmotocross us nothingcrash, but ” Gardner think the quality of thehe racing grips with the tracknot and be the able to travel on Facebook. well. positivity and love “Operation from the went and the responseto from laid when down aoriginally 3.19 second pass Shouldn’t slowinme down though. ” after each scheduled. minute we arrived town. crowd pass shows to top the qualifying runs, I’m still at home the Gardner andstaff, his from fellow rookie, Tech The Sunset Strip it was the right call.“Unfortunately, ” before hehere over-powered in Australia to testing for in KTMcrew teammate Raul Fernandez, will the3track to the officials, The eighth-mile course at duestrip which positive left him back Corona, remain Malaysiaelse before they take part helpers andineveryone Mildura was a totally new so I’m currently the pack. unable to travel,” in theinfirst official MotoGP pre- for the he involved running the2022 event challenge Topsaid Fuelin a video.Lamattina shifted up a just want to let youonallrace-day, know that season test at thewesame less than who “I were incredible, and reallyvenue contenders, had never gear taking doing fine, no still able week later. hadathe best time,” he says. run at the regionalI’m Victoria twosymptoms, wins to qualify for the A to continue on with my training and final pre-season occur at “WeThe knew it was a bold test will short course. final against Wayne Newby but yeah, the Mandalika International Street Circuit choice to run Top Fuel over In fact, the only whatnot Top Fuel here onofthe the farm Rapisada team, just who unable to travelhad at this point in time. ” Dan February 11-13, just before thefrom eighth mile for round two weeks action was a demonstration earlier trimmed the track McCarthy hosting maiden round. of the series,itsbut we hadMotoGP the run in 2014. record to 3.18. confidence in the teams, and I But Steve Read quickly got He won again when it

SPRINTCAR TITLE IS OFF FOR TATNELL MOTOGP MEN FORMER CHAMPION STILL STRANDED IN THE USA

Five-times Australian Sprintcar Champion Brooke Tatnell has failed in a bid to return home for this year’s title fight at Archerfield in Brisbane Tatnell, who is also an eight-times World Series champion, had been hoping to make his first trip from the USA since the pandemic to race the country’s best at the two-day meeting on April 30 and May 1.

But conflicting schedules have killed the plan.

“Unfortunately, with control council rules and schedules we just can’t make it all fall into place,”says Tatnell.

The plan would have put him into the #99 sprintcar operated by Dyson Motorsports.

“I received a phone call from Sean Dyson. Putting a deal together with Sean was simple as he has an awesome team and a great attitude towards racing and family,” says Tatnell.

A month of work on the plan, focussed on scheduling in the USA and Australia, could not provide a solution.

Even so, Tatnell has not given up on racing sprintcars again Down Under.

“Australian Championships still mean as much to me today as they did when I first started trying to win the honour of carrying the prized Australian #1 and I know we are capable of adding more. We will be back in Australia racing at some point.” Paul Gover counted to jump to the top of the Top Fuel point-score, ahead of Read and Peter Xiberras.

“From the outhouse the penthouse. That was an awesome show,” says Lamattina.

“I’ve got to take my hat off to my fellow competitors. It took them a while to dial it in, but there’s the six smartest tuners in the country out there and they’re all making it happen.

Man, oh man, this is a dream

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www.autoaction.com.au I 17 15

NEWS EXTRA

Scott McLaughlin leads the field on the opening laps of the 2019 Adelaide 500, McLaughlin went on to take both races and the championship.

New South Australian Motorsport Board head Andrew Daniels and newly elected SA Premier Peter Malinauskas seal the deal (below).

Image: Motorsport Images

THE NEWISH MAN AT THE 500’S HELM

THE NEW SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PREMIER PETER MALINAUSKAS AND HIS LABOR GOVERNMENT HAVE SHOWN IT’S STICKING TO ITS ELECTION PROMISE TO REVIVE THE ADELAIDE 500. DAN McCARTHY SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY TO THE MAN GIVEN THE ROLE TO BRING THE EVENT BACK TO ADELAIDE’S STREETS

ANDREW DANIELS is the man who now heads the South Australian Motorsport Board and has the job to bring back the event.

Daniels is delighted he’s been thrown the keys, but knows it’s not an easy job with less than eight months until the cars roll out of pitlane, so far the board composition hasn’t been finalised.

“It’s very exciting to be bringing the Adelaide 500 back to the streets of Adelaide,” he said to Auto Action. “It’s an event for everybody in South Australia.

“Adelaide has a very long and stellar reputation for staging major motorsport events going right back to Formula 1 days commencing in 1985, through to 1995.

“Then the V8 Supercars from 99, through to just before COVID (in 2020) so to have the opportunity to bring it back is a real honour and a privilege.”

Daniels was around for both those events, working as the Deputy Chief Executive at the Adelaide Grand Prix, and then Chief Executive of the original South Australian Motorsport Board in charge of the Adelaide 500 until 2008.

As a result Daniels knows time is of the essence with eight months to run.

“Time is short,” he said.

“We’re currently reforming the South Australian Motorsport Board to stage the event, then appoint an executive team and a group of consultants to put on the very best that we can.”

16 I www.autoaction.com.au

A further nine members will be chosen to sit under Daniels with experience in different fields.

In its final months in power the Liberal government sold of much of the event’s infrastructure and equipment and Daniels admits this is a substantial obstacle, but one that can be easily overcome after an audit of what remains to identify next steps.

“It is a major concern of mine because that is an issue that we need to finalise and cover off, some of the infrastructure has been sold to other parties,” Daniels said.

“Some infrastructure remaining is very old, so the first step with all of that is to undertake a full audit of the infrastructure that is still owned by the government to get a good understanding of what can be rented from other parties and also what new infrastructure is now around.

“It’ll have been two and a half years since the Adelaide 500 has been run, and there’s new technologies and new equipment around.

“I really want to make sure that we get the best solution, so whether or not it is a recapitalisation or whether we just rent gear back is all to be worked through.”

For over two decades the Adelaide 500 attracted incredible music acts including Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Robbie Williams and KISS. A high-profile name will again feature at the conclusion of the event on, with Foo Fighters and The Killers rumoured.

“There is lots and lots of speculation as you would expect, lots of people who come forward with all sorts of names,” Daniels said on the subject.

“That is a matter under direct consideration at the moment in dealings with the major promoters in Australia, there will be announcements in due course, but it’s way too early to speculate on who it may be.”

A key target is to bring back the Adelaide 500 bigger and better than ever appealing to all fans, from kids to the elderly.

“One of our key focuses will be to stage the best in motorsport action in Australia for the fans in Adelaide, but also even more than that, to make sure that this is a full four day festival focused on motorsport,” he explained.

“Broadening it out with music, concerts, displays and with kids events, with great food, great wine, making it a full on four days festival here in South Australia.

“My aim is to really ensure we attract back the legions of fans that used to come from around Australia to participate in the Adelaide 500 and I think it’s a great opportunity to do that.”

Daniels said that he hasn’t had much to do with the organisation of the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, which is set to return a week before the Adelaide 500.

“With that one I’m not really across what they’re going to be doing yet, obviously it’s very early days,” he said.

“We will certainly work in closely with the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and any other events on around that time to make sure we maximise the benefits for South Australia from these events.”

Daniels explained that the role of the board is to assist South Australian Motorsport events supported by the government, not The Bend Motorsport Park or Mallala which are of course privately owned..

This primarily consists of the Adelaide 500 and Adelaide Motorsport Festival, but Daniels is not ruling out international motorsport returning to South Australia.

“I think that Formula E certainly is a great and growing series with terrific drivers, it’s competitive and tough,” he said.

“I honestly don’t know what the technical requirements of running those type of racing vehicles at the moment, so it’s something I’d like to look at into the long term.

“But that will also be a matter for the executive of the motorsport board to consider and to recommend to the board.

“But definitely, it’s got a future and I’m open to all sorts of categories, and I just want the best of the motorsport action that we can get here into Adelaide.”

In a news story on page 6-7 Daniels talks about the Adelaide 500’s spot as the final round on the Supercars Championship going forward.

FAIR DINKUM F1 IS BACK Image:

AA’S LONGTIME COLUMNIST IS PUMPED AGAIN FOR F1 IN OZ.

with Luke West

“OMG, I love Toto Wolff so, so much,” 20-something female work colleague #1 gushed to me recently upon discovering, excitedly, I followed Formula 1.

“Not as much as I love Toto,” 20-something female colleague #2 declared from the other side of the office. Not the AA office, BTW. While I don’t get what these young women see in Mr Wolff, there is no doubting the magnetic attraction of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive To Survive.

The docufiction series has to be F1’s greatest ever marketing tool. For the unlikely pair, with no previous exposure to car racing, to now religiously watch grands prix is truly astonishing. A few short years ago they, and millions of other new recruits globally, would not have crossed the road to watch F1.

Liberty Media take a bow.

It’s a world away – and 40 years to the month – from how I got hooked on F1, when the drama was anything but contrived. I watched my first GP as a schoolboy in April 1982, enthralled as Didier Pironi

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REVVED UP ignored pit instructions to sweep past Ferrari teammate Gilles Villeneuve to win the San Marino GP. The perceived betrayal, coupled with Villeneuve’s press-on style, contributed to the Canadian’s fatal accident during qualifying at the next GP, in Belgium.

That tragedy – in both theatrical and literal senses – and the Monaco GP which followed, certainly captured a young L West’s attention. Nobody seemingly wanted to win in Monte Carlo, with five lead changes over the final two laps as cars spun, crashed or ran out of fuel. So thrilling was Ricardo Patrese’s unexpected victory for Brabham that I instantly became an F1 junkie. I was then only 12, young enough for my parents to overrule my plans to watch that season’s remaining races live, enforcing my bedtime. It took some canny ‘race strategy’ on my behalf to avoid the wrath of officialdom in the West

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household, such as going to bed after dinner Sunday then getting up for the start.

This appeased the Bernie Ecclestone of our family, Mum. I watched every single GP live for the next 20 years. Every. Single.

One. F1 seemed so glamorous and exotic in the 1980s. The often grainy, foggy satellite vision – long before HD coverage and streaming – and the tinny, distant audio of Murray Walker’s enthusiastic calls merely added to its allure. Seeing and hearing the cars trackside in Adelaide a few short years later was nothing short of magical.

But, early in the 2000s, the appeal of watching each race live on television waned. When Michael Schumacher won 13 of 18 GPs in 2004 – finishing every single race – I was happy to record the races and view them Monday night. As the years rolled by, I found

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myself wearing out the remote’s fast-forward button, unless the Aussies were competitive. Then, in recent years, as Mercedes-Benz dominated and Lewis Hamilton’s egocentricity grated, I wasn’t fussed if I missed the races completely.

The rejuvenated IndyCar Series filled the void.

This season, however, F1 is ‘must see’ TV again for this little back duck. And it’s got nothing to do with D2S, as I hate reality television.

I’m digging season 2022’s shuffled order, the sexier and sleeker cars that race better and a likeable world championship contender in Charles Leclerc.

I just wish there was an alternative to the ‘terribly British’ coverage we must endure. The Americans do motorsport commentary much better than the Brits. I’m so over weird Pommie phraseology like “Oh, Lewis won’t be best pleased with that.” And spare me overexposure to Wolff and his Red Bull counterpart Christian Horner.

They make my skin crawl.

Anyway, one way or another F1 is on the up. Little wonder this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix is a sell-out, with demand for tickets unprecedented. Other factors include pent-up demand from the

years lost to COVID, an intriguing and dramatic 2021 season and Liberty’s overall efforts to improve F1 as an entertainment product.

The AGP is a curious beast right now. That COVID break, the reworked layout and F1’s new era of cars has given the 2022 event a genuine sense of starting over. Frankly, the AGP needed a fresh start with a distinct lack of barnstorming races at Albert Park over the venue’s first 24 years of hosting motorsport’s elite championship. Ask yourself how many memorable battles you can recall since 1996?

Compared to the Adelaide era, unforgettable moments have been in short supply. The exception was 2002 when a first lap crash eliminated a host of cars and opened the door for Mark Webber’s remarkable fifth for Minardi upon his F1 debut.

In truth, Albert Park has been a pale imitation of the Adelaide Parklands as host venue for our GP, promising the world but delivering an atlas. Hopefully that all changes in 2022, with an air of expectation thanks to a ripper start to the 2022 season with Ferrari fit and firing.

Let’s hope the action matches the hype.

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LATEST NEWS

KOSTECKI BACKING EREBUS FOR WINS CAMERON RETURNS TO S5000 FOR AUSGP AS AUTO ACTION eluded to last issue, Aaron Cameron will return to S5000 for this weekend’s round at the Formula One Australian Grand Prix as part of a 17 car grid at Albert Park.

Featuring the backing of EFS 4×4 Accessories, Cameron returns to the series with Garry Rogers Motorsport after winning the Tasman Series Championship on debut late last year.

“EFS was introduced to Aaron in 2018 when he came to Peters Motorsport racing in the new Superute Series.” said Clayton Mortensen, EFS 4×4 Accessories General Manager.

“Since then we have been watching his progress and seen him evolve into a great young driver and a well balanced individual. We’re excited in starting our relationship with Aaron and see a strong future.”

In his return to the series, Cameron will be accompanied by Nathan Herne, S5000 regular James Golding and a number of other GRM entrants Images: Motorsport Images to take part in this year ’s Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

The grid will be the largest ever for the category, with 17 cars now set to compete across the weekend.

“Pumped to be back for the Australian Grand Prix this year in the S5000 category where we’re looking forward to having a good crack again and a good weekend at a new and improved grand prix circuit,” said Cameron.

“It will be super fun in these cars with not too much downforce like the F1s. We’ve done a test day prior to reclimatise myself in the car and we will see what we can do mixing with the likes of Jimmy [James Golding] and Joey Mawson. It will be exciting to be back and have another crack.”

The field will take to the Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit in three sessions across the weekend from the 7th to the 10th of April, including two practice sessions and Qualifying on the Thursday.

Following this will be a race on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the final race set to take place at 10:25am Sunday morning. Rhys Vandersyde

SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP up and comer Brodie Kostecki is confident that his Erebus Motorsport squad will fight for wins sooner rather than later after a mixed start to the 2022 season.

Kostecki is sitting fifth in the championship with one podium under his belt while teammate Will Brown is eighth, after the pair were a force to be reckoned with at the back end of last season.

Both scored podiums at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2021, Brown breaking through for a win for the young, ambitious

team at Erebus.

Their efforts were sweetened by a podium for Kostecki at the Bathurst 1000 alongside David Russell.

While that same form hasn’t quite been replicated to this point, Kostecki is backing his team to fight for wins in the upcoming rounds at Melbourne and Perth.

“We have a fantastic vibe at Erebus, I’m young and so is Will (Brown), we’re very young and very eager,” Kostecki said.

“We had some great results at the back end of last year and were very close to

running at the front every race.

“This year I was able to get a pole in Sydney and finish P2 which was pretty cool. I had a really good day on the Saturday there, finishing fourth.”

“We think we’re close to fighting for wins, we want to be the winners.”

Kostecki spoke in his hometown of Perth which has loosened its COVID restrictions recently, paving the way for Supercars to return to the city for the first time since 2019.

The 24-year-old was relishing being home, looking forward to racing in front of his family

SUBWAY EXTEND PARTNERSHIP WITH PREMIAIR GARRY JACOBSON’S PremiAir Racing Supercar will continue to wear the Subway colours for two more rounds.

Initially a two-round deal, the partnership will continue into this weekend’s Melbourne Supercars 400 as part of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park and the Perth SuperNight event at the end of the month.

After joining PremiAir Racing at the start of the 2022 season as a title partner, Subway has been impressed with the professionalism and team morale of the whole PremiAir Racing crew.

“We at Subway have thoroughly enjoyed immersing ourselves deep within the racing world.” said Rodica Titeica, Subway Head of Marketing.

“What a thrill it is to watch the Supercars have it out on the track, and be privy to the meticulous teamwork that goes on behind the scenes of this great sport; truly astounding.”

Ms Titeica says a partnership with PremiAir Racing is an example of the Subway brand aligning with their consumer audience.

“There is a huge fan base of Supercar racing amongst our Subway guests, and we are a brand that always has and always will, strive to give our guests exactly what they want, not just in our subs, salads and wraps,

but also with the external businesses and brands we work with.”

Jacobson is proud to have the continued support of Subway.

“I feel very honoured to have a company that has the same values as myself, continuing to support the team,” said Jacobson.

“Prior to Subway coming onboard, it was my go-to meal numerous times a week, as I’m always on the go and know I can rely on eating healthy no matter where I am when I order Subway. So, to have them extend this partnership with us is fantastic.”

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed meeting the

Subway team and learning about the company. We’ve had a lot of fun so far capturing entertaining content and I’m looking forward to expanding on this over the coming weeks.”

“The Grand Prix is going to be a huge event; we haven’t raced at Albert Park for two years now. I’m pumped for the round as the atmosphere is going be awesome.”

“The Subway livery looks fantastic so I’m looking forward to getting it out around the Melbourne circuit. We’ve got four races, so fingers crossed the team has a successful weekend and we can do Subway proud, on and off track.”

IT’S GO, GO, GO FOR AUSSIE CALLER VETERAN TV COMMENTATOR GETS HIS BIG BREAK AT THE AGP

and friends at the Perth Supernight from April 30 – May 1.

“I’m really excited to come home,” Kostecki said.

“It’s been three years since I’ve touched down in Perth.

“Racing back here in Perth, it’s going to be great to see people sitting on the hill again.”

Before heading west, the Supercars Championship will converge on Albert Park for the Melbourne 400, an event which also returns after an extended absence from the calendar. Josh Nevett

BY PAUL GOVER, NEWS EDITOR Another local rookie will be graduating to Formula One at Albert Park while Oscar Piastri waits for his grand prix call-up with Alpine.

This one is Richard Craill and, although he will not be racing, his new role at the AGP is the culmination of a personal Formula One dream.

Craill will be sharing the commentary box with Mark Webber and veteran F1 journalist Tom Clarkson as the play-by-play caller for Network 10 on the station’s broadcast from Albert Park.

The Adelaide boy tells Auto Action it’s everything he wants in Formula One, after working his way up through the ranks with all sorts of television work including Supercars commentary alongside Chad Neylon.

“It’s pretty cool. No, actually, it’s really exciting.

Pretty good,” Craill enthuses.

“I’ve been a massive F1 fan boy since day dot.

I loved Formula One before I loved touring car racing. And I’m a massive open-wheeler fan.”

Craill has been a trackside and television broadcaster for more than a decade, but was still surprised to get his call-up from Ten. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity. I’ve worked for Channel 10 at the grand prix since 2012. But this is different.

“I’m doing it because they don’t have a world feed. And I’m thankful that I was able to make it work.

“I was down to commentate Carrera Cup for another season and they’ve been outstanding in letting me follow my dream. They’ve got Steven Richards to take my place, and it’s not

every day you can say your fill-in is a four-time Bathurst winner,” he jokes.

But commentary is no joke for Craill, whose voice is far more familiar to motorsport fans than his face.

“I first called go-kart races here in Adelaide in 2001. It was dirt karts and I got paid $20 - with free rein of the canteen.”

He’s been flat-out to prepare for the AGP and clearly excited.

“I’m doing my homework, obviously. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’ve ever be given a shot to call a grand prix for TV. “I first worked with 10 at the AGP, calling the supports in 2012, and we had a sensational stint there. Very fortunate to be back a decade later and this time calling the big race itself.”

“Surreal, exciting week ahead.”

FULL CARRERA CUP ENTRY LIST REVEALED A RECORD 31 drivers have entered Carrera Cup Australia for the opening at Albert Park has been revealed with many familiar names and several rookies also.

This season sees the start of a brand-new era with the introduction of the new type 992 GT3 Cup Car which was raced in Porsche Supercup last year.

It is the largest Round 1 field the series has ever seen despite reigning champion Cameron Hill moving on to Super2 and front-runner Cooper Murray getting a drive overseas.

The category remains a high-quality field with the likes of 2017 Series winner David Wall returning along with the ever-fast Dale Wood.

Other well-known names include veterans Michael Almond who has departed Sonic for a new home at GWR, and Nick McBride who remain locked together on 54 rounds apiece.

Bathurst 1000 podium finisher David Russell will hope his new partnership with EMA Motorsport will see him score a maiden round win after finishing second a record five occasions previously.

One of the great things about Carrera Cup is that young up and comers can compare themselves to these established gentlemen.

Harri Jones ended last year strongly at Bathurst and will be looking to continue that form this weekend.

He is not the only ace young driver, Kiwi Callum Hedge made his debut late last season for Earl Bamber’s team and was quick immediately.

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South Aussie Max Vidau has moved up Queensland to race for TekworX Motorsport after showing plenty of form for that team, and before that Sonic Motor Racing, in part-time campaigns recently.

Christian Pancione showed his potential last year, this year his sole focus is on Carrera Cup and he will be one to watch out for this season.

Former Sprint Challenge winner Simon Fallon returns alongside Aaron Love. Love returns for a one-off race at the Australian Grand Prix before a full-time assault in Carrera Cup France.

A total of five rookies debut, Ryan Suhle, Bayley Hall and Matt Belford all make the step-up from the second-tier Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia.

Alongside his Super2 duties Victorian Angelo Mouzouris will race Carrera Cup, while the experienced Brad Shiels also joins the grid.

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Several familiar faces return, TCR Australia driver Dylan O’Keeffe who finished third in the 2019 championship and will consider himself a title contender this year.

Triple Eight Racing co-owner Tony Quinn will make his first Carrera Cup starts since 2007.

The 2019 pro-Am champion Liam Talbot returns as does late addition Rodney Jane piloting one of his three Bob Jane T-Marts entries run by the championship-winning Sonic Racing Team.

Pro-Am sees many contenders return including Sam Shahin, Geoff Emery, Talbot, Tim Miles and three-time Pro-am Champion Stephen Grove.

Dean Cook, Ben Stack, Drew Hall and Scott Taylor are all also back on the grid in the ProAm class. Dan McCarthy

FULL ENTRY LIST: ROUND 1 – AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX # NAME SURNAME CLASS SPONSOR 4 Stephen Grove Pro-Am Grove Racing 5 Ryan Suhle Pro SP Tools / EBM 6 Angelo Mouzouris Pro Sonic Motor Racing / PitBox 7 Tim Miles Pro-Am Miles Advisory Partners / N2C 8 Nick McBride Pro Porsche Centre Melbourne 9 Marc Cini Pro-Am Hallmarc 11 Jackson Walls Pro Objective Racing 12 Harri Jones Pro Hastings Deering / Mackellar Group 13 Sam Shahin Pro-Am The Bend Motorsport Park / HTFU 14 Matthew Belford Pro-Am ID Land / Porsche Centre Melbourne 17 Callum Hedge Pro Team Porsche New Zealand / EBM 22 Dean Cook Pro-Am Zonzo Racing 25 Michael Almond Pro Petrol Services Australia 27 Liam Talbot Pro-Am Wash It / Paynter Dixon 28 Bayley Hall Pro Printech 38 David Wall Pro Monochrome / Paynter Dixon 45 Duvashen Pro Rentcorp Hyundai Forklifts Padayachee 48 Geoff Emery Pro-Am ASM 53 Luke Youlden Pro TekworkX / Hire A Hubby 72 Max Vidau Pro TekworkX / Tyrepower 74 David Russell Pro EMA Motorsport 76 Christian Pancione Pro VCM Performance / HP Tuners 77 Rodney Jane Pro-Am Sonic / Bob Jane T Marts 86 Drew Hall Pro-Am Wall Racing 88 Dylan O’Keeffe Pro Dexion / RAM Motorsport 100 Dale Wood Pro Timken Racing 101 Tony Quinn Pro-Am Local Legends 222 Scott Taylor Pro-Am Scott Taylor Motorsport 333 Brad Shiels Pro Royal Purple Racing 777 Simon Fallon Pro Sonic/ Bob Jane T Marts Bremtech 999 Aaron Love Pro Sonic / Bob Jane T Marts

LATEST NEWS

BATHURST 12 HOUR COVERAGE ANNOUNCED IT HAS been confirmed that the Bathurst 12 Hour will be broadcast live on the screens of multiple platforms next month.

Australia’s GT endurance race will be shown Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and the Seven Network with coverage on both Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday’s coverage is exclusive for Fox Sports and Kayo customers and will include support category action and qualifying, concluding with the Top 10 Shootout.

The coverage on Sunday will commence at 5:00am AEST on Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and also on the screens of Seven for a full the full race action.

The race commences at 5:15am and concludes twelve hours later, with the broadcast continuing until 5:30pm local (AEST) time.

“After two years away it’s going to be great to get back to Bathurst for what is one of our favourite events of the year,” said Nathan Prendergast,

Supercars General Manager of Television and Content. “ This year we’ll see more running in the dark than ever before which will add a new dimension to the race’s early hours, before the race builds to another dramatic Bathurst finish. “ The entire team can’t wait to be back on the Mountain to deliver two days of coverage of these incredible cars and one of the world’s premier long-distance races.”

Once again many well-known

Australian names are taking part in the event including Shane van Gisbergen.

If you are overseas don’t stress, New Zealand fans can will enjoy live coverage on Sky Sport throughout both days of the event. internationally, coverage will be available via regular streaming channels, with further details to be released closer to the May 13-15 event.

Details on the hosts and commentators will also be announced at a later date. Dan McCarthy

WSBK TO RETURN TO AUSTRALIA IN NOVEMBER THE WORLD Superbike Championship will return to Australian shores, taking place as the final round of the season from November 18-20.

Traditionally the Australian round at the legendary Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit has been the season opener, however due to the global pandemic will play host to the final WorldSBK and World Supersport rounds.

“Everyone from the world superbike community is keen to get back to Phillip Island, and we are raring to go, so its great news that we’re back on the championship calendar in 2022,” said General Manager, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, David Bennett” “We thank DORNA and the Victorian Government for their assistance in securing the final round of 2022 for Australia, and we look forward to potentially crowning the champion at Phillip Island.”

The Victorian minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Martin Pakula is delighted to see WSBK return.

“We’re looking forward to hosting the final round of the 2022 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island.”

“ This event attracts superbike fans from around the world and showcases the best that Phillip Island has to offer.”

Two Australian’s are racing in the second-tier World Supersport Championship, second-generation racer Oli Bayliss and Ben Currie.

Other categories will include the Australian Superbikes, Australian Supersport and Australian Supersport 300.

The Australian event concludes the only double header of the year, as the Australian Round will take place just one week after the event in Indonesia.

The Phillip Island Circuit has featured on the WorldSBK calendar in all but two seasons, 1993 and 2021, the latter thanks to COVID. It will be the fourth time

that Phillip Island will host the final round, the last time being in 1996.

Beyond 2022, it is expected that the Australian round will go back to its traditional slot as the season opener. Dan McCarthy

12 HOUR GRID TAKING SHAPE THE BATHURST 12 Hour grid is taking shape, with several local stars locked in for the Mount Panorama endurance race in mid-May. Audi machines are set to be popular this time around, not least with former Bathurst 1000 winner Nick Percat and reigning S5000 Australian Drivers’ Champion Joey Mawson who will drive a 2022-specification Audi R8 LMS alongside GT privateer Mark Rosser.

The top tier trio will shoot for outright Pro-Am class glory in the Team BRM prepared Audi, taking on a host of allstar teams.

Rosser is a relatively new name to GT racing, having made his GT World Challenge Australia debut at The Bend just last year, while Percat will be making his fourth 12-Hour start this year and his first in an Audi.

S5000 racer Mawson may be on Bathurst 12 Hour debut, but he has plenty of GT experience to his name overseas, having previously competed in Porsche Supercup and Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.

Joining that trio on the grid will be Adrian Dietz, who will share his Lamborghini Huracan with Tony D’Alberto, Grant Denyer and David Wall.

All have plenty of experience in the Mount Panorama endurance race with 25 starts between them, while both Supercar co-driver D’Alberto and former Carrera Cup Australia Champion Wall have driven Dietz’s Lamborghini previously.

Wall’s outfit, Wall Racing, will again prepare and run the car.

Audi Sport Customer Racing

Australia has not yet confirmed its line-up of drivers but at least six 2022-specification R8 GT3 LMS cars will be on the grid this year’s race, according to Team Boss Troy Russell. “ There will be at least six cars run by us there but possibly more depending on how things shape up between now and May, but it’s going to be a pretty exciting line up,” Russell said.

“We’re in the process of pinning down who is in what car and what the pro driver component will look like in the Pro-Am combinations we are running this year.”

While the driver line up remains unknown, Russell has made it clear that it will include both local and Audi international factory talent.

The 2022 Bathurst 12 Hour will take place from May 13-15. Josh Nevett

THIRD-GEN JOHNSON TO MAKE BATHURST ENDURO DEBUT

THIRD GENERATION racer Jett Johnson will take another big step in following his lineage, securing his first Bathurst endurance race drive.

The grandson of Dick Johnson and son of Steve Johnson will race in this years Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour, joining Paul Buccini and Brock Paine.

The trio will contest the A1 class aboard the Team Buccini Racing BMW M135i as part of a 70-strong field for the Easter event.

Buccini and Paine have been racing together in Queensland Production Cars for three years, while Jett has a pre-existing relationship with

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the Buccini family after contesting an enduro event at Morgan Park last year with Paul’s daughter Karlie, who will also be racing at the event in a Suzuki Swift.

Johnson, who in 2021 won his first circuit racing championship in the TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series, has been busy taking all the advice he can ahead of venturing out onto the hallowed Mount Panorama track surface.

“This will be my first outing at Bathurst, and I am pretty nervous about it but also really excited to finally get to do some laps around the track,” the 17-year-old said. “(Dad and grandad) have both told me to really take my time with the place and that it is going to take a lot of years to learn the track.

They haven’t mastered the place yet and I don’t

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think anyone is ever going to master it, so I am just going to go out there and treat the track with a lot of respect.

“Obviously being quite a tricky track, it is going to really be a learning experience the first few times I go there, so for me it is going to be about keeping it off the walls, keeping it straight and just learning the track, while getting in as many laps as I can.

“Being the six hour, it is the best time to get in laps and I will also be doing my TA2 races as well, so it is going to be a massive weekend for us.

“After working with Paul and the team before at Morgan Park, I am familiar with the team and really excited to be doing the enduro at Bathurst with Paul and in a car that is quite quick for the class it is in. It is going to be an amazing opportunity and I am really grateful to be with such a great team of people.”

Event tickets are available online via the official event website.

The event will be broadcast live, ad-break free and on demand on Stan Sport on April 16-17.

LOEB TO MAKE DTM DEBUT NINE-TIME FIA World Rally champion Sebastien Loeb will make his debut in the opening round of the DTM Series at the end of the month.

Loeb will jump behind the wheel of a Red Bull and AlphaTauri sponsored Ferrari 488 prepared by AF Corse at the popular Portimao circuit in Portugal from 29 April till 1 May. The Frenchman is substituting for New Zealander Nick Cassidy who will be racing at Monaco in Formula E for the Envision Racing team.

As a replacement driver, Loeb is eligible to score points according to the regulations.

Loeb has raced in a number of world championships over the years outside of WRC, he is a multiple time World Rallycross round winner, World Touring Car Championship race winner and Dakar stage winner, Extreme E race winner and FIA GT Series race winner.

“Throughout my career, I have always liked to change between disciplines. DTM is a famous championship and as the opportunity came up for me to compete in it, I took it, of course. It is an exciting challenge because the driving style is entirely different,” Loeb said.

“Now, it is time to work. I will be up against specialists in such races and my last proper GT3 race already is a long time ago.

“My goal will be to find my rhythm as well as I can and I will try to use my experience to give the team good feedback about the setup of the car.

“I know that it will be difficult but the cars really are fun to drive. Really fast, nice cars.

Therefore, I am looking forward to it.”

Loeb may be 48, but he has lost no skill, he won the opening round of the World Rally Championship, finished as the runner-up at Dakar and even won the Race of Champions for a fourth time.

DTM-chief Gehard Berger is delighted to have someone so well-known enter the series in a one-off drive.

“Having the most successful rally driver of all times with us in our season opener at Portimao is a genuine highlight that fans can look forward to,” he said.

“The achievements in his career speak for themselves, but nevertheless, it will be a hard competition against very strong drivers, for Sebastien Loeb as well.

“Standing in for Nick Cassidy, he will be fighting for points with the AlphaTauri Ferrari, so therefore I am certain that a champion of his stature will be highly motivated coming to the race track.”

The first official two-day DTM test commences at Hockenheim tonight, with the second on the 26th and 27th of April in Portimao. The first round of the season itself takes place from April 29 to May 1.

LATEST NEWS

MAGNUSSEN: HAAS IS BEST OF THE REST HAAS FORMULA 1 driver Kevin Magnussen believes his team has the best car of the rest at this stage of the season, ranking only behind the big three of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes.

The Dane has returned to Haas and Formula 1 after a year away with great success so far, achieving two top 10 results to rank him eighth in the Drivers’ standings.

His teammate Mick Schumacher has also shown positive signs, despite being withdrawn from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix due to a huge crash in Qualifying.

The Haas team was dead last in the Constructors’ standings last year, but now it sits fifth and while that means it is behind Alpine on points, Magnussen is confident that Haas has a better package.

“We’ve probably got the best car after the three top teams, at least in the last two races,” Magnussen told the In the Fast Lane podcast.

“We all see how good the car is, we’re at least level with Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri,” “Alpine is maybe a little bit behind in terms of car performance, but they’ve got two drivers (Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon) that are performing superbly.”

More than that, Magnussen thinks his team can achieve a race podium this year.

“I’ve got a great car, Haas built a hell of a car this year that, if we’re lucky, might get a podium I think at some point in the year, not that we have a car that is fast enough to drive onto the podium,” Magnussen said.

Both Magnussen and Haas’ expectations for the year have certainly shifted since pre-season – fighting to be at the front of the midfield is now the aim rather

than battling for a point or two.

“We know that we need to beat those three teams to be in front of the midfield and that is the aim now, that’s the target,” Magnussen confirmed.

“Last weekend in Saudi Arabia, we finished ninth behind a couple of these teams. But we had a strategy that just went against us because the Safety Car came out at the exact worst moment.

“We still came back and finished ninth where in the past, we would just never have been close to the points if something like that happened.

“Although we didn’t finish where we wanted, it was very encouraging that something that bad can happen to us and we can still drive into the points without anyone not finishing in front of us.”

Both Magnussen and Schumacher will be on track this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, a venue that the former has fond memories of.

Magnussen recorded his only ever F1 podium there on debut back in 2014, history that he will look to channel in the pursuit of maintaining a strong start to the 2022 season.

Josh Nevett

WESTACOTT: AGP WILL DELIVER ON AND OFF TRACK THE AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix is set to return with a bang both on and off the track, according to Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott.

There has been plenty to get excited about in the lead up to the first AGP since 2019, headlined by track changes and huge crowd predictions.

With just one day until the four-day event gets underway at Albert Park, Westacott believes all the hype will be well founded.

“It does promise to be fantastic,” Westacott told the In the Fast Lane podcast.

“It’s all heading in the right direction regardless of what happens on track, but I think the track racing is going to be as exciting as well.”

The Albert Park track has not only received a fresh, faster layout, but has also been resurfaced over the extended absence of events from the venue.

Westacott was confident that the combination of upgrades to the street circuit

would produce a unique Australian Grand Prix.

“We believe the brand-new surface is going to have a greater degree of abrasion than the previous surface, so grip levels and tyre degradation, especially with the new 18-inch Pirelli’s are going to be completely different,” Westacott said.

“Hopefully we see a lot of time out on the track in FP1 and FP2. I also hope when they get into the competitive stuff on Sunday afternoon the new cars are going to really perform.

“Turn 6 is seven and a half or eight and a half metres wider on the apex, it goes from being a 90km/h turn to 150km/h and then that sets up the whole Lakeside. Seeing them fling through turn 11 and 12 which has now turned into 9 and 10, that promises to be great too.”

Record crowds have been predicted for the event for some time and that still promises to be the case for some of the individual days, and the event overall.

“They’re going back to the old days (in terms

of viewing locations) because it’s probably going to be the biggest aggregate crowd since 1996 and some of the days are going to be the biggest on record,” Westacott confirmed.

Paying punters will be treated to a packed schedule as always – the Supercars Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship and S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship will support Formula 1.

“We pride ourselves on having the most configured and loaded Formula One track schedule of any of the events around the world, hence the reason we have four days of action at Albert Park rather than three,”

Westacott explained.

“There’s four championship round races of Supercars, we have the Porsche Carrera Cup, we have S5000, which will be the loudest on track and of course, a number of demonstrations.

“Those include Targa Florio, which I’m really looking forward to, historic cars and a speed comparison which will feature an electric vehicle, a rally car driven by one of the Bates family and also a Supercar so it’s a really good mix across all four days.”

The Australian Grand Prix is one sleep away, taking place from April 7-10. Josh Nevett

MCCONVILLE JOINS PORSCHE TEAM IN MANAGEMENT ROLE FORMER SUPERCAR driver and Bathurst 24 Hour winner Cameron McConville has been appointed as the Motorsport Commercial Manager at Porsche Centre Melbourne Motorsport, joining the squad ahead of the first round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship at Albert Park.

McConville made many appearances in Supercars and competed in Carrera Cup late in his career, finishing seventh in the championship in 2017 with Zagame Autosport.

Now, he will take on the new challenge of heading up the PCMM operation in Carrera Cup. The team has a three-driver team including Nick McBride in the Pro class, Marc Cini in Pro-Am and Matt Belford who also competes in Pro-Am. “PCMM is a great team with great

people. I have been working and living in Queensland for the past year and jumped at the opportunity to return to Victoria when I heard of this opportunity,” McConville said.

“I have known Piero Pellegrini (PCM, General Manager) and Karl Batson (PCM, Motorsport Manager) for a long time and feel I am joining at a very special time, with so much opportunity for growth over the coming years.

“PCMM has great pedigree, all the ingredients for success”. “It is a team that is keen to improve and continually challenge themselves.

“Matt Belford has progressed rapidly through the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid and Nick and Marc are seasoned racers who are ready to push themselves to another level.

“Whilst Carrera Cup and Sprint Challenge will be a considerable part of my new role, I

will also be tasked with growing the whole Motorsport operation at PCM. This means everything from the first-time track day clients to future Carrera Cup racers.

“In the short term, I will assist the team in the set-up of the new PCMM HQ and

dedicated facility which is a major and exciting step forward for the dealership.”

Carrera Cup will roll out the new generation of 992 911 GT3 Cup Cars for the Australian Grand Prix, taking place from April 7-10. Josh Nevett

KAVICH BROTHERS RACING FOR A CURE AGAIN IN 2022 BEN AND Michael Kavich will once again be racing for a cause close to their hearts in the 2022 Bathurst 6 Hour, raising funds for their Race for a Cure charity to support breast cancer research.

The brothers Kavich will take on the Mount Panorama endurance event for a sixth time in April, rolling out a pink liveried Race for a Cure BMW M2 in this year’s running of the race.

Race for a Cure was founded by Toula Kavich (Ben Kavich’s wife) after being diagnosed with breast cancer immediately after the inaugural Bathurst 6 Hour in 2016.

Toula’s diagnosis was not the first to hit the Kavich family, who had had already experienced the impacts of breast cancer after Ben and Michael’s grandmother and mother were diagnosed.

The Kavich family started Race for a Cure in 2017 to help put an end to the suffering caused by breast cancer, and the fundraising tally to date is $115,000 for clinical trials research.

Ben and Michael will be competing in the X class at the 2022 6 Hour, in a Garth Walden Racing built and prepared BMW M2 Competition which will be the first of its model to compete in the race.

While the car is sure to stand out in pink,

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a splash of yellow will also adorn the M2 to mark the continued support of Yellow Australia.

Yellow Pages are a long-time partner of the Kavich family and have signed on as the Official Marketing Sponsor of the car for the second year running.

Yellow has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to help save more lives from breast cancer this year by signing on once again as the Official Marketing Sponsor for the second year running.

Yellow Pages has furthered its support

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this year in the hope of beating last year’s fundraising result of $22,065.

“We are thrilled to be continuing this longstanding partnership with both the Kavich family and Race for a Cure, and to be supporting the life-saving Breast Cancer Trials research. We are proud to be supporting a cause that has such an impact on so many women across Australia,” Yellow CRO Elise Balsillie said.

Breast Cancer Trials Chief Operating Officer Julie Callaghan encouraged people to donate to Race for a Cure as the

fight to save people from breast cancer continues.

“By choosing to support Race for a Cure and Breast Cancer Trials research, you’ll be helping to save lives,” Callaghan said.

The Kavich brothers have competed in every 6 Hour event since the race’s inception, with a best finish of 10th in 2017.

To be held across the April 15-17 Easter Long weekend, the 2022 event will see a capacity field of 70 cars contesting the 6 Hour, a record field for a Bathurst event.

Josh Nevett

Image: Motorsport Images

ALBERT PARK CELEBRATION FORMULA ONE IS BACK WHERE IT BELONGS

By Paul Gover WALKING INTO Albert Park this week makes me feel young and old at the same time.

I’m feeling old because I’ve been to each and every one of the Australian Grand Prix parties in Melbourne. And that’s without counting a bunch of the Adelaide F1 races, starting from the very first one in 1985.

But I’m young because every GP is new and fresh and exciting.

The AGP makes me feel like the same enthusiastic young kid who used to run all the way to my favourite spectating spot at Warwick Farm in the early 1970s.

It’s impossible to explain the excitement I feel when I swipe my precious F1 media pass for access to the hallowed ground in the grand prix paddock.

It’s a special place and I never, ever

with Paul Gover

THE PG PERSPECTIVE take it for granted.

I know I’ll see each of the drivers on this year’s AGP grid, as well as Mark Webber and Alan Jones and Jackie Stewart, and a bunch of my other grand prix heroes.

The last time I spoke to Sir Jack Brabham was at Albert Park and I’ll think of him again this weekend.

In the past I’ve also sat down, oneon-one with Fernando Alonso and the mighty Michael Schumacher.

In case you’re wondering, Schumi was hugely intelligent and engaging,

even if I only got a couple of minutes - timed on a stopwatch by a Ferrari minder.

This time, post pandemic (despite rules that require masking at times), makes Albert Park even more special and reminds me that you don’t know what you’ve got when you have it.

Over the past 25 years I have had some awesome adventures at Albert Park.

I’ve raced a BMW M-car against a Formula One racer driven by Christian Klein in the Ultimate Speed

Comparison, and I will never forget the violent explosive force of the F1 car as it blasted past the first time on the pit straight. Or the time when I applied the brakes from 240km/h in a hotrod BMW Z4 4 - just as Klein shifted up a gear.

Brad and Kim Jones once loaned me one of their Super Touring racers, an A4 quattro, for the AGP meeting and there was also the time I had an Aussie Racing Car shaped - vaguely like a Toyota Camry.

I’ve also ridden shotgun in AMGBenzes with Mick Doohan and F1 Safety Car driver Bernd Maylander.

Craig Lowndes took me for a passenger ride in a Supercars Commodore from Triple Eight and used fresh green Dunlop rubber to clock a lap time that would have put us - yes, he and me - into the Top 10 for qualifying that weekend.

And then there was the lap with Mark Webber. We shared a Porsche 918 supercar and very nearly came unstuck when the back end stepped sideways at more than 200km/h, twice, on the run into the highspeed chicane on the far side of the lake. After the second attempt, Webber aborted the corner and I can remember seeing the slippery green grass less than 10 centimetres from my side of the car . . .

“We were going so fast I used my F1 braking marker,” Webber explained.

But nothing tops the time I strapped into the back of the two-seater Minardi with Cam McConville. It was fast and violent and a little bit scary.

This year is likely to be much quieter, but I don’t care. I’m so, so happy to be back.

And who am I backing for the win?

Melbourne, of course.

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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE AND LEARNING PLENTY IT’S RACE WEEK IN MELBOURNE AND I’M SO HAPPY TO BE BACK HOME AND FOR AUSTRALIAN FANS TO GET A CHANCE TO SEE THE FORMULA 1 CARS IN ACTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS. WITH AUTO Action on deadline and a 24 hour flight ahead of me, I’m actually writing this at home in England, where it’s currently two degrees and even snowed yesterday, and there’s no doubt I can’t wait to hop on the plane and come home.

This should be such a fun week, and not just because it happens to coincide with my 21st birthday.

I’m really excited for what the weekend holds – there’s the new regulations, some serious modifications to the Albert Park layout, and huge crowds on hand across the entire weekend with Saturday and Sunday both sold out.

Aussie race fans, and sports fans in general, are the best at supporting the big events, and Andrew Westacott and his Australian Grand Prix staff have done a brilliant job of ensuring this weekend will be bigger than ever before.

Netflix’s Drive to Survive has brought new fans to the sport, but also the new regulations and the track changes all add up to what should be an exciting race.

For me, it’s so cool to be in the Formula 1 paddock at a race just a short 10-minute drive from where I grew up in Brighton.

When I was a kid, I had the opportunity to hold the flag for Daniil Kvyat on the grid before the race, but he broke down on the parade lap so that turned out to be a pretty lonely experience!

The next time I was at Albert Park for the race, in 2020, Covid intervened, so I’ve got my fingers

OSCAR’S ROAD TO F1 WITH OSCAR PIASTRI

crossed for third time lucky – and I’m confident it’s going to be an awesome weekend.

Clearly, all the talk is about the new regs, and from what we’ve seen in the first two races, especially in Saudi Arabia, they seem to be working really well in

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terms of allowing the drivers to race each other in a way they couldn’t in the past.

It was maybe a bit tricky to get a real feel for things in Bahrain because it doesn’t have many high-speed corners, but definitely in Jeddah we saw some good signs.

Certainly, the cars were able to follow each other through the highspeed sections much better.

The battle we saw at the front between Max and Charles is one I don’t think we would have seen under the old rules, just because the cars wouldn’t have allowed them to fight like that.

Now that the cars can follow each other much better than the last time F1 was at Albert Park, the run into the back chicane should be mega, and we might even see cars side by side at 300 km/h, so the fans will definitely get their money’s worth!

While the regs have helped the racing, they’re causing a few setup headaches up and down the pitlane, as everyone tries to figure out what to do to stop the cars bouncing, or porpoising, on the straights.

Because we’ve started with flyaway races, I don’t think any of the teams will have made a huge step forward for Melbourne. There’s an easy fix for the problem, you just raise the ride height of the car, but you give away a stack of performance doing it that way, so the engineers have been busy trying to find other ways to solve the issue.

Every team will have a decision to make – how close to the limit do they go before it becomes unbearable for the driver? Clearly the issue has caught everyone by surprise, but I reckon most teams will have their head around it pretty soon.

It’s been great to spend the first couple of races with the BWT Alpine team and I’ve learned plenty about what goes on in the garage over a grand prix weekend.

For me, the routine through practice and qualifying and the debriefs is where I’ve learned the most, especially the debrief

after FP2 where the teams need to make decisions about the big setup changes to make to the car overnight.

On track the team has been pretty happy, obviously Fernando breaking down in Saudi Arabia wasn’t ideal, but both he and Esteban were in the points in Bahrain. It probably wasn’t the smoothest race ever, but to get a double points finish was a positive.

If Fernando hadn’t stopped in Saudi Arabia the team was probably looking at P6 and P7, behind only the Red Bulls, Ferraris and George Russell’s Mercedes.

At the moment Ferrari and Red Bull seem to have the edge on the field, with a bit of a gap back to Mercedes, and then another gap back to the rest.

For us at Alpine to be at the top of that midfield group is really positive and we’re looking forward to not only consolidating the spot as the fourth best team but closing the gap to the top three and getting involved in that battle at the front.

Our car was good in Bahrain and good in Jeddah, which are two different types of circuits, which is a nice sign for us that the car seems to be able to adapt to the different requirements that will be thrown up during the season, including at Albert Park this weekend.

Definitely Ferrari and Red Bull will be at the front at Albert Park, but because it’s so early in the season it’s hard to know just yet where everybody’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and which tracks will suit which car.

With the new tarmac, the changes to the track and the new cars, this should be one of the most exciting races we’ve had in Melbourne.

See you at Albert Park!

Cheers.

WHEN SPORTSWASHING BACKFIRES

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Bruce Williams bruce@autoaction.com.au 0418 349 555 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Bruce Williams DEPUTY EDITOR NEWS EDITOR

Dan McCarthy

Paul Gover

STAFF JOURNALIST ART DIRECTOR

Josh Nevett Neville Wilkinson

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AUSTRALIA Bruce Newton, Mark Bisset, Garry O’Brien, Geoffrey Harris, Bob Watson, Bruce Moxon, Gary Hill, Craig O’Brien, Mick Oliver, Martin Agatyn.

FORMULA 1 Luis Vasconelos US CORRESPONDENT Mike Brudenell

The spectacular flames from the missile attack lit up the night sky and brought a sharp focus to the F1 fraternity and its reliance on it’s sponsors

Image: Motorsport Images

THE BATTLE between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc should have been enough to make the second Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a memorable weekend.

To watch two great natural talents, with similarly competitive cars, fight for victory right up to the last lap in any race is always a pleasure.

When you add in the strategic games and the commitment both showed – in Sakhir and Jeddah – without resorting to wheel banging or other unsporting antics, you can only get excited at the prospect of this magnificent duel carrying on for the 21 races to go in this year’s championship.

Sadly, though, the big story of the Jeddah weekend was not that tremendous battle, nor Mercedes’ struggle to keep up with Red Bull and Ferrari, not even the exciting in-fighting between the two Alpine drivers. No, what put Formula One in the headlines around the world was the missile attack on an Aramco oil refinery less than ten kilometers from the track, an attack that occurred during the first free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

This is not the place to discuss the rights and wrongs of the war between the Houthi group and

with Luis Vasconcelos

F1 INSIDER the Saudi armed forces, nor am I a geopolitical expert able to analyse the issue, but for Formula One as a group, the attack was a stark reminder the sport may live in a bubble, but is not immune to what’s happening around it, in any part of the world.

I was not surprised the drivers showed great reservations in staying one more day in Jeddah.

It would have been interesting to see the outcome of their very long meeting had Sebastian Vettel been in town and not sitting at home recovering from Covid-19.

The German is one of the driver elder statesmen, probably the best informed of what’s happening outside the paddock and tends to be heard when GPDA meetings take place, so he may have been more persuasive than others when it was decision time I was not surprised, either, when Formula One, the FIA and the

Team Principals effectively said, “move along folks, there’s nothing to see here” because if there’s a group that knows which side their bread is buttered on, it’s this one.

Saudi Arabia pumps in excess of 250 million dollars per year into the sports’ coffers, more than ten per cent of Formula One profits – and, therefore, the team’s prize money – comes from that country.

Cancelling the event would lead to the loss of the promotors’ fee and certainly lead Aramco to reconsider its investment in Formula One. It was, however, highly ironic, that Stefano Domenicali and a representative of the Saudi government insisted racing was the right thing to do because it was putting the country under the spotlight and helping the move to modernisation the Crown Prince insists he’s pushing with, they didn’t realize the boot was

WHAT’S IN THE NEXT ISSUE?

Full coverage of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix including all the latest news and support events, Bathurst 6 Hour race coverage, Long Beach Indycars and plenty more news and features.

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now on the other foot: what this year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix put in the spotlight is that the war that the country is waging inside Yemen territory for more than seven years is far from over and even a city as important as Jeddah can be hit by missiles launched by the Houthi rebels.

Sportswashing is a thing of the 21st century but the Houthi showed two can play that game and used the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to great effect in their quest to get worldwide attention to their cause.

I’d like to end with a thought that occurred to me after the drivers were persuaded to get some sleep on Friday night to be ready for FP3 and qualifying on Saturday.

By proceeding with the GP, Formula One put itself in a situation where it, a) believed the Saudi anti-missile shield was more effective at protecting civilians than the country’s economic interests; b) hoped the Houthi rebels wouldn’t target the circuit; and, c) had absolute faith in the accuracy of their missile attacks, because if things went wrong the next wayward missile could hit the circuit…

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LATEST NEWS FORMULA 1 NEWS – LUIS VASCONCELOS

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AUSTRALIAN TYRE company Beaurepaires has been announced as the official naming rights sponsor of the Supercars Melbourne 400, an honour they have held since 2019. Supercars join the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship and the S5000 Australian Driver’s Championship as support categories for the Australian Grand Prix. JN

MONEY TALKS AND THE SHOW GOES ON

ASTON MARTIN has confirmed that Sebastian Vettel is now fit to race in the Australian GP. The four- time champion sat out the opening two rounds, Nico Hulkenberg was drafted in as his temporary replacement, following a positive COVID test in prior to to the Bahrain Grand Prix.. RV

LEWIS HAMILTON has detailed his mental and emotional struggles on social media following a difficult start to the F1 season. The seven-time champion is fifth in the standings after finishing 10th at Saudi Arabia and took to social media to open up following that event. “It has been such a tough year,” Hamilton said. “Hard some days to stay positive. I have struggled mentally and emotionally for a long time. We have to keep fighting, we have so much to do and to achieve.” JN

PIERRE GASLY has backed his AlphaTauri team to amend reliability woes that have so far hampered his campaign.

Gasly scored his first points of the season in Saudi Arabia after a clutch problem in FP3 and a power failure in Bahrain that cruelled his opening round. “I trust the team in finding the solutions going forward,” Gasly said. “It’s something we have to sort out together, but I am sure the team will find the right things to do for the rest of the year.” JN

ZHOU GUANYU was left to rue a ‘messy’ race in Saudi Arabia, in which the Alfa Romeo rookie blew an opportunity for consecutive points finishes. Guanyu was slow off the line and later dealt two penalties, scuppering his chances. “It was messy,” admitted Zhou. “I think the car was fast enough to fight for the points but a bit of [misfortune] with the start and with the drive-through penalty, that really forced us to get to a position where we could not fight for the points anymore.” JN

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New FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Formula 1’s CEO Stefano Domenicali defended the decision to race on and hold the Grand Prix.

Images: Motorsport Images THE CANCELLATION of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix seemed to be a foregone conclusion after a missile launched by the Houthis at an Aramco oil refinery nine kilometers from the track created a huge explosion and a massive fire that lasted many hours, black smoke was clearly seen from the paddock.

The local authorities delayed the start of FP2 by 15 minutes. The drivers and teams went through the options, but all around the paddock the order was to be ready to pack up and go home immediately.

Instead of going to their engineering meetings, the drivers gathered in the paddock canteen, and for the next four hours the local promoters, representatives of the Saudi government, the ten team principals and FIA and Formula 1 representatives went in and out of that room, to try to reassure the drivers that there was no reason to stop the event, as their safety was guaranteed.

In the end, even if there were some drivers with serious reservations about remaining in Jeddah, the GPDA voted to stay for the rest of the weekend. As Valtteri Bottas explained: “The drivers were all concerned if it’s safe for all of us to be here racing. We got decent explanation on things, and also we went through all the options like, what if we don’t race, for example. That’s because the teams would still have had to stay here for a couple of days packing stuff, and it’s also not like we can create some new flights so that everyone can get home, so, we’re all already here, let’s

finish the race. They’ve increased the security and their defence system, so everyone agreed we might as well do the race and hope for the best.”

Formula 1’s CEO Stefano Domenicali defended the decision, explaining, “we’ve just done a meeting with the drivers and the Team Principals, together with the maximum authority of Saudi, with the Prince, the Minister of Sports and the president of the Saudi ASM, with the president of the FIA and we’ve received all assurances that the country’s safety comes first. No matter the situation, safety has to be guaranteed, the authorities are here with their families, so they have in place all the systems to protect this area, the same with the place where we’re going for the night, so we have to trust the local authorities in that respect and, therefore, of course, we go ahead with the event.”

New FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem concurred, adding that, “I ask you: who are they targeting? They are targeting the prospector of the oil company, not the civilians and not, of course, the event. Of course, we had assurances from a high level this is a secured place, the whole place will be secured and let’s go on racing. For sure all the families are here, we’re only looking forward but with the assurance that nothing is going to happen.”

But the drivers are now insisting the FIA and Formula 1 review the decision to go to Saudi Arabia and other countries, as World Champion Max Verstappen admitted: “We had a long talk with everyone and eventually we’d

all decided to race, but sure after the weekend, you know we’ll talk more about the whole situation.”

For Bottas, “Formula One promised us to reconsider all the events for the future, including this one, to make sure that we go to the right places, where they can guarantee 100 per cent our safety when we go there.”

Mercedes’ Team Principal Toto Wolff also defended the decision to continue racing adding that, “does Saudi Arabia and some of the other Middle Eastern countries share the same values, the same culture as we do in in Europe? They don’t. Are they where we want them to be? No. Can we by coming here, put the spotlight onto this place. By racing here in Formula 1, by making those themes visible and therefore making it a better place? I still think so. I’d rather come here and make the spotlight shine on the region so it needs to be in a better place. Rather than say, I’m not going there, I don’t want to hear anything of it.”

There was, obviously, pressure from the Saudi government for the race to go ahead and with the country paying 100 million dollars for the race and Aramco another 150 million dollars per year as the World Championship’s biggest sponsors, the prospect of losing a quarter of a billion dollars per year in income was enough for Formula 1 and the teams to do all they could to convince the drivers to stay in Jeddah until Sunday night.

But Lewis Hamilton summed up everyone’s feelings when he said, after qualifying, “I can’t wait to leave and get home!”

MOSLEY’S DEATH RULED A SUICIDE

DRIVERS HAPPY WITH NEW RACE DIRECTOR GUIDELINES

FORMULA ONE teams and drivers will no longer be instructed to give the position back if an overtaking move was completed by going outside track limits or if they force another driver off the track. That communication was made to the teams during the Sporting Directors’ meeting with one of the new Race Directors in Bahrain, Germany’s Niels Wittich.

The plan is to keep the white lines as track limits on all circuits, a decision welcomed by the drivers, who prefer a consistent application of the rules to things changing from one circuit to the next. But some of them are concerned about the lack of instructions from the Race Director during the Sunday race, in case there are dubious situations, particularly on the first lap.

Championship leader Charles Leclerc was one of the drivers who believes the Race Director still should have a say and communicate his views to the teams, as he explained in Jeddah, on Thursday afternoon: “I think we’ve had a discussion with Niels already at the first race, and I think in some cases it is very clear what the drivers will do, but there are quite a lot of situations where it’s not clear if you look back at the start last year in Mexico.

I think it was a good example of things being very messy and you are gaining position, but you don’t really know what you need to do. In those cases, I hope we will still have the support of the Race Director.”

Team mate Carlos Sainz focused on the reaction time from the Race Director to apply penalties for drivers who don’t give the position back, while also backing the new FIA guidelines for drivers: “I think it’s the right approach, because it’s more real racing, there is time penalties, and it can be done immediately. But it needs to happen immediately, the giving the position back. If not, you cannot lose three or four laps, then have to give back the position.”

Interestingly, Red Bull consulted with the Race Director in Jeddah before instructing Sérgio Pérez to let Sainz pass after the Safety Car period ended, having been made clear that the Mexican was behind the Ferrari driver when they both crossed the SC line when the Spaniard emerged from the pits after his only pit stop of the day.

The initiative, though, must come from the team, not from the Race Director, while in the past the initial instruction came from race control to the teams.

But Ferrari was not happy with the delay in the decision and Mattia Binotto vowed to, “bring up the matter in our next meeting with the Race Director.”

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FORMER FIA president Max Mosley committed suicide after learning his lymphatic cancer was terminal, the Westminster coroner reported on Tuesday 29 March, 2022 at the end of an inquest into his death on May 23rd, 2021.

The controversial Mosley was experiencing chronic bowel and bladder pain that could only be reduced with palliative care, but not cured, his medical team advised during the inquest.

According to Senior Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox, Mosley’s death was by suicide.

She told the court Mosley had informed his personal assistant of 20 years that he was going to take his own life, left a suicide note, and had a final meal with his wife Jean before fatally shooting himself.

Mosley locked himself in his bedroom,

leaving a note on the door that read, “Do not enter, call the police” before loading a shotgun and firing it towards himself.

His death is believed instantaneous. A suicide note read, “I had no choice”, the coroner said.

According to his medical team, Mosley had been fighting cancer for a couple of years, and “had tried several alternative medications that we did not recommend”, as it soon became clear the B-cell lymphoma was not going to be cured by traditional methods.

Early last year, as his condition continued to deteriorate, Mosley was told he had a “very limited life expectancy” and with his quality of life severely reduced, the 81-years old decided to take his own life.

Shockingly, Mosley seems to have shared

his plans with his wife and also his personal assistant of the last 20 years, Henry Alexander, the day before he shot himself.

Alexander told the coroner that, “he was sat in an armchair in a despairing way and spoke to me and said that I’d been amazing and thanked me, he said he’d had enough, and had intentions of killing himself.

“I begged him to reconsider and said, ‘please, there must be another way’. He said he’d made up his mind.

“When I pleaded with him, asked him if he could give it 24 hours, he said ‘why?’”

The inquest’s findings have no legal implications for the distribution of his very rich estate which goes to his widow, Jean, and his only surviving son, Patrick.

The couple’s other son died of an overdose in 2009.

WOLFF CALM IN FACE OF BAD START: “IT IS A LONG GAME!” FACED WITH the reality that Mercedes doesn’t have a winning car for the first time in nine years, Team Principal Toto Wolff was remarkably calm, but also fiercely confident his team will get on top of the issues currently slowing the W13, after the first two races of the 2022 Formula One World Championship.

The Austrian went as far as explaining his team had treated the Sakhir weekend “as a test” and pointed out that with the current technical regulations being essentially locked for the next four seasons, things are bound to change sometime in the near future: “ My long game is ten years. When I look at this season, with stable regulations until 2026, the key for success is how well you learn. That’s why for me I would qualify the race as a test. After just one race, there is more understanding of where the gaps lie, and it is pretty much in every area, so now we need to regain land centimetre by centimetre.”

The Austrian went on to explain why the team’s current status in the pecking order will allow for quicker development of the W13: “In a way, it was a new situation for all of us as we’re somewhere in no man’s land, between P3, 4 and 6, therefore you can experiment more, and the experiment with the hard tyres in the race was worth it, very different to the other strategies of the front-runners and it obviously didn’t work at all, but more mileage, more laps, more learning.”

Wolff was also confident that the struggles all four Mercedespowered cars faced in the first two races had nothing to do with the Power Unit produced in Brixworth. “I think we need to analyse the drag levels first, before we really make a judgement of whether we are

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Was it a race or a test session, for Hamilton? lacking power. I don’t think there is a big difference between the Power Units, but, clearly, Ferrari made a big step forward, because last year they weren’t totally competitive and if you look here in Bahrain, it looks as if they outperformed everyone else.”

In conclusion, the Austrian didn’t overestimate the importance of the reasonably good result his team achieved in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia but admitted it’s too early in the season to look at the title battles: “It’s too early to really look at the championship. If we look at the pecking order now, it seems a very, very long shot to even think about being in contention for any of the championships. But if I look at it as single race weekends, we probably scored the maximum points that we could in Bahrain, almost the same in Saudi, and we need to take it Image: Motorsport Images when you’re from there. Every single weekend counts, but, realistically, third on the road you can’t think about winning.”

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2022 AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 1 PREVIEW

K R A P T R E B AL R O F E V I L A S E M O C E H T F O N R RETU AGP

A TWO-YEAR AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX DROUGHT IS ABOUT TO BREAK WITH A SELL-OUT CROWD TIPPED, ENSURING MELBOURNE COMES ALIVE TO THE SOUNDS OF A FRESH NEW FORMULA 1

By Dan McCarthy A FAST start by Ferrari promises an epic return of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in 2022.

After two years of Pandemic postponements and cancellations, more than 400,000 people are expected to crowd into a revitalised Albert Park for a corker of a contest.

With the tifosi celebrating the competitiveness of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, and Max Verstappen getting the better of Lewis Hamilton, F1 fans in Melbourne are set for an epic weekend on a revitalised Albert Park circuit that promises closer racing and more overtaking.

The cars are also new but one thing hasn’t changed - yet - as Dan Ricciardo fights to get his McLaren move back on track.

THE FAVOURITES The pecking order in Formula One has finally changed as all-new cars and eco-friendly fuel have seen Mercedes go from odds-on favourites to battlers in the pack.

That’s a massive change to the Silver Arrows domination of Albert Park which dates back to the beginnings of the turbo-hybrid era in 2014.

Australia has lost pole position on the 2022 championship calendar, that’s been a good thing as we’ve have seen Ferrari lead the field into the new age in Bahrain - where

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Charles Leclerc was fastest in qualifying and converted for the win - before Red Bull struck back in Saudi Arabia with victory for Max Verstappen after a landmark, emotional pole position for Sergio Perez.

For the moment, the red cars and the Bulls look evenly matched, and Leclerc believes that rolling out the garage strong on the new faster circuit will be key.

“The track has changed a little bit so it will be interesting. Adapting as quickly as possible there will be very important,” Leclerc said on Sky Sports F1.

“I think it probably won’t require the same set-up as in the past.”

Although Verstappen is the last-start winner, he doesn’t think the car took a step forward but rather that Red Bull got the most from the new package.

“We are always learning and of course every track is different in terms of what you need from the car, so still a lot of things to look at,” Verstappen said post-race in Saudi Arabia..

“I wasn’t very happy in the first stint, it still wasn’t how I would have liked it to be.

We’ll have a look, but still quite a few things

Lewis Hamilton has had a challenging start to the season, he is fifth in the standings behind new teammate George Russell.

of course to get on top of because it’s a very new car still.”

The second Ferrari driver, Sainz, admitted he is yet to feel 100 per cent with the car but the Spaniard is adamant that when he does he will fight for consistent wins.

Could Australia be that race?

“If we keep working like this then I should keep getting better and better every race,” Sainz said after the Saudi event.

“It might need a bit of more trial and error, try in one direction, maybe not getting it right and coming back.

“I was here 100 days ago with a car that gave me a lot of confidence and I was super quick around here with last year’s car, coming to this track 100 days later with a car that doesn’t give me exactly what I need, or the way I feel, makes me realise exactly what I need to work on and where I need to put the car for the future.

“It has given me a greater overview of the situation, and I know exactly what to do for future races and in which type of corner I need to work on.”

Ferrari Team Principal, Matteo Binotto, is quick to say that Red Bull are the favourites at Albert Park, while team boss Christian Horner believes it’s all about the development race.

With Bahrain and Saudi Arabia backto-back, the weekend off before the Australian Grand Prix was the first break and opportunity to make improvements to their

Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen have set the pace in the first two races, battling intensely in both.

“ ”

Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO Andrew Westacott is confident of an exciting GP on the faster Albert Park track layout.

Charles Leclerc led the field away in Bahrain and went on to take the first blood of the season for Ferrari.

2022 machines as the development race commences.

“I think it (Australia) again will be again a good battle, a tight battle,” Binotto said. “I believe that still the Red Bull is very fast.

“I would say that they are still the favourite and we try to do our best, but let’s see.

There are a lot of situations that may happen through a race, I think what will be important

is to be competitive and I think we can be competitive.”

Horner believes the race for the title starts in Australia.

“It is about development and it’s about the cost cap, about where you place your development and we’ve got to keep winding the handle hard now because it’s such a young set of new regulations,” he said.

“The steps are going to be big and fast and our opponents aren’t going to stand still, so we’ve got to get development coming through to this car.

The first two races tend has been that Red Bull powered machines are faster in a straight line, while Ferrari are better around the technical, slower sections, however Binotto outlined that this is a race-by-race decision.

I hope it comes to fruition at the new Turn 11, which we think is going to be one of those corners where a lot of action is going to happen.”

“I think it’s really a choice that you do raceby-race,” Binotto said. “Overall, it’s something you always try to decide. We ourselves decided for more downforce (in Saudi Arabia).”

“I’m quite curious to see the next two, I’m curious to see in Melbourne with the new layout and curious to see Imola. But overall, I’m pretty sure it will be a great battle at the start of the season and let’s see how we will then develop through the season itself.”

MERCEDES Two top-five finishes for George Russell and a sole podium for Lewis Hamilton is not what Mercedes expected, the Silver Arrows porpoising problem is’t likely to be fixed in a flash.

“I couldn’t keep up with the Haas at the end (of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix), he came slingshotting past me when I when I took it earlier on in the race, so we’ve got a lot of work to do, for sure,” Hamilton said.

“But I know I’ve got a great team and we’ll just keep our heads down and try to improve.”

New teammate Russell was similarly dejected. “We are still probably, on average,

a second behind Red Bull and Ferrari in the race,” the young Englishman said.

“We’re making baby steps at the moment, we need to make some bigger leaps, I’m sure we can do that… The timeline, I don’t know, at the end of the day the others are continuing to improve as well, so we’re improving, they’re improving. We just need to do it at a faster rate.”

RICCIARDO The first pre-season Barcelona test pointed to a McLaren contender that could fight towards the front, just behind Ferrari and Red Bull, but the Bahrain heat exposed a weakness in the brake package as both drivers finished well outside of the points.

The more flowing Saudi Arabian layout suited the McLarens more, both drivers were in the points late in the race before Ricciardo lost drive and retired.

He believes Albert Park’s new layout won’t be too bad for McLaren as the average speed will lift significantly, making him optimistic of his first points of the season at home.

“Maybe just the characteristics of the Saudi Arabian circuit certainly seemed to help us,”

The Turn 8 and 9 chicane was removed making a much faster approach to the quick Turn 11-12 chicane and a possible forth DRS zone...

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2022 AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 1 PREVIEW said Ricciardo. “Although we weren’t setting the timesheet alight, we had just a bit more confidence with the car from FP1.

“It still might ebb and flow depending on some circuits we go to, but looking at Melbourne, the changes they’ve made, I think it’s going to be quite flowing and hopefully that suits us, I’m excited to go home and compete there.

“For now we will just keep chipping away.

We can’t promise amazing results yet, but we are going to keep at it. I am sure some better things are on the horizon.”

THE OTHERS There are new stars and tight fighting midfield with the Ferrari powered Haas and Alfa Romeos the unexpected stars against Alpine and Alphatauri.

Kevin Magnussen has been on fire since a late call-up when Nikita Mazepin was punted from Haas in fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, great for him and the team.

No-one expected Mercedes refugee Valtteri Bottas to be rattling Russell and Hamilton, but it’s been happening. Fernando Alonso has been racy with Esteban Ocon looking strong.

Alpine and Esteban Ocon were again strong in Saudi Arabia as was Haas’ Magnussen.

Sebastian Vettel will make his first start of the year in Australia after a Covid bout that gave super-sub Nico Hulkenberg two more starts for Aston Martin.

Williams? Still at the back but hoping for better.

TWEAKING THE TRACK The changes to Albert Park promise better racing and more pitstops.

Since F1 cars last raced there in 2019 the circuit has undergone a makeover that slightly shortened the track, changed the surface and re-profiled five corners.

“We hope that with the new 18-inch wheels, the new spec cars, the bigger window of clean air to allow for racing and overtaking and slipstreaming, that we’re going to have a combination of all these that produces better racing,” the AGP boss, Andrew Westacott told Auto Action.

“I hope it comes to fruition at the new Turn

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Leclerc and Verstappen waged a fantastic, sportsmanlike tussle for the win in Saudi’s closing laps.

11, which we think is going to be one of those corners where a lot of action is going to happen.”

Charles Leclerc is adamant the cars can follow each other closer for longer periods to improve the racing.

“It is definitely a step forward compared to last year in terms of following,” Leclerc said. “The balance of the car is much more predictable compared to last year’s car, where it was very difficult to understand whether you will lose the front, or the rear being behind.

“This helps us to have the confidence, to actually push behind someone and to be a bit closer.”

The circuit’s new surface was designed to produce better racing by having harsher levels of abrasiveness.

“The other thing is that by modifying the circuit, we’ve made it for better racing, coupled with the new specification cars, they were done in concert,” Westacott said.

“But the other one is, we put down an asphalt mix that is designed to have a higher level of abrasiveness.

“Now, we hope that there’s an increase in year one, and the numbers indicate that there will be, and it’s only going to get more abrasive over the next couple of years.”

The pitlane has been widened to increase the speed limit, which will decrease the transit

Dan Ricciardo had a better time in Saudi Arabia, he ran in the points until losing drive late in the race, hopefully he will have a more luck and pace at home.

time, making a two or three-stop strategy more appealing.

“One of the things that we’ve done in the track modifications was we widened the pit lane with the hope of getting it from 60 to 80km/h speed limit, which will reduce the penalty of a pit stop” he continued.

“Now that actually gets decided upon by the FIA, when they get here into Melbourne, we think we’ve done enough there and we hope that comes to fruition.”

In late news, Auto Action understands the FIA/F1 will decide this week to introduce an unprecedented fourth DRS zone, running on the re-profiled section at the back of the circuit before the Turn 11-12 chicane.

Things have started to get busy in the AGP pit lane. As AA goes to print, lots of equipment and people have started arriving for the Grand Prix.

Shane van Gisbergen has won four of the first five Supercars races this season and will be the man to beat on the streets of Albert Park.

AGP SUPPORTS PREVIEW SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENDING CHAMPION Shane van Gisbergen romped to a clean sweep of the Tasmania Supersprint, showing he is the one to beat yet again in the Supercars Championship. The Triple Eight Race Engineering newsmaker has four wins from five races in 2022, 67 points clear of his nearest challenger, Anton De Pasquale.

He’s managed three podiums despite not quite having the blistering pace he showed at Sydney Motorsport Park at the end of 2021. The Dick Johnson Racing steerer and his third placed teammate Will Davison will be buoyed by his team’s recent (if you can call it that) form at Albert Park - last time out in 2019 Scott McLaughlin won three of

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX TRACK SCHEDULE THURSDAY APRIL 7 10:00 – Historic demonstration (20 mins) 10:30 – S5000 Practice 1 (25 mins) 11:05 – Supercars Practice 1 (30 mins) 11:45 – Carrera Cup Practice 1 (20 mins) 12:30 – Supercars Practice 2 (30 mins) 13:10 – S5000 Practice 2 (25 mins) 14:20 – Carrera Cup Qualifying (20 mins) 15:00 – Supercars Qualifying (Race 1 Grid) (10 mins) 15:20 – Supercars Qualifying (Race 2 Grid) (10 mins) 15:40 – Targa Florio parade (15 mins) 16:05 – S5000 Qualifying (25 mins) FRIDAY APRIL 8 09:15 – Targa Florio parade (20 mins) 09:45 – Supercars Qualifying (Race 3) (10 mins) 10:05 – Supercars Qualifying (Race 4) (10 mins) 10:25 – S5000 Race 1 10:55 – Carrera Cup Race 1 11:50 – Historic demonstration (20 mins) 13:00 – Formula 1 Practice 1 (60 mins) 14:20 – Supercars Race 1 16:00 – Formula 1 Practice 2 (60 mins) 17:15 – Carrera Cup Race 2 SATURDAY APRIL 9 10:35 – Supercars Race 2 11:30 – Targa Florio parade (20 mins) 12:00 – Carrera Cup Race 3 13:00 – Formula 1 Practice 3 14:20 – Supercars Race 3 16:00 – Formula 1 Qualifying (60 mins) 17:15 – S5000 Race 2 SUNDAY APRIL 10 09:00 – Historic demonstration (20 mins) 10:00 – Targa Florio parade (15 mins) 10:25 – S5000 Race 3 11:05 – Carrera Cup Race 4 12:00 – Supercars Race 4 13:00 – Formula 1 Drivers’ Parade (30 mins) 15:00 – Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix

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the four races at the circuit for DJR. Despite a disastrous weekend at Symmons Plains, Walkinshaw Andretti United’s Chaz Mostert will be channelling his own fond memories of Melbourne after taking a win and two podiums there in the same year. Mostert topped the standings after the 2022 SMP season opener, so he clearly has the pace, but will be looking to qualify higher up and stay out of trouble this week. Brodie Kostecki and Broc Feeney are currently ranked fifth and sixth, putting in consistent performances against more experienced opposition, while Tickford Racing’s main man Cameron Waters will be eager to make up for a slow start to his season. Josh Nevett S5000 AUSTRALIAN DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP A FOUR-WAY title race has emerged in S5000 between Tim Macrow, Joey Mawson, James Golding and Cooper Webster who are split by just three points after two rounds. Macrow currently heads that group, leading defending champion Mawson by a solitary point with two race wins to his name. Webster has been the surprise packet of the quartet, racking up four podiums for new squad Versa Motorsport after showing strong form at the end of last year. Every S5000 car available will be on the grid for the third round at the Australian Grand Prix, 17 cars taking to the track with some new names on the grid. Headlining the additions is Aussie export James Davison who has been plying his trade in the United States racing in IndyCar and NASCAR. Davison will steer a Pilatus-backed Team BRM car, returning to Australia for the first time since the Grand Prix two years ago.

Carrera Cup commences its season on the Melbourne street circuit.

The S5000s return to the AGP and will see a field of 17 cars racing for the Alan Jones Trophy, former Gold Star Champion Tim Macrow will be looking for a solid finish.

Several debutants will be on display this time around, of which Sebastian Amadio will be one. Amadio graduates from Superkarts and will make his first appearance for Garry Rogers Motorsport. Australian Formula Ford racer Conor Somers will also join the grid, along with Super2 Series driver Matt Chahda and Lee Stibbs, a South Australian

2022 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX TV COVERAGE FOXTEL All live television coverage of F1 in Australia is through Fox Sports, which is available via Foxtel and Foxtel Now. Foxtel owns the TV rights to broadcast Formula 1 in Australia, including every practice session, qualifying session and full Grand Prix race in HD. KAYO SPORTS Kayo Sports – Australia’s dedicated sports streaming service – has access to every Formula 1 practice session, qualifying session and full Grand Prix race live and on demand.

Kayo Sports is available on most devices and web browsers, including PC, Mac, iOS and Android devices.

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2019 saw a Mercedes front row lockout, it was Valtteri Bottas winning that day.

CHANNEL 10 For free-to-air viewers, coverage of the 2022 Australian Grand Prix will be available on Channel 10 on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday: 10am AEDT – 5:30pm AEDT Sunday: 10am AEDT – 5:30pm AEDT There will be no coverage on Thursday or Friday.

Channel 10, 10 Bold and 10 Play will also broadcast race highlights on Monday night after the Grand Prix.

Hyundai Excel frontrunner. Nathan Herne returns with Valvoline GRM, looking to add to his S5000 podium count, while Ben Bargwanna and Aaron Cameron will fill two GRM positions, driving the #17 and #18 cars, respectively. Josh Nevett PORSCHE CARRERA CUP AUSTRALIA CHAMPIONSHIP PORSCHE CARRERA Cup Australia will launch its 2022 championship at Albert Park, kicking off what is set to be a highly competitive season. Fans of the series will see the new generation 992 911 GT3 Cup machines in competitive action for the first time at the Australian Grand Prix, with the promise of quicker lap times and better racing. All 32 Australian shipped cars have been sold, setting up the largest Carrera Cup grid in Australian history. In terms of picking a winner, this year’s field is perhaps the most open in years. It will be a battle between youth and experience, teenagers taking on veterans such as David Wall and Dale Wood. McElrea Racing driver Harri Jones is perhaps best placed to stand atop the podium this year, having finished third overall last year behind Cameron Hill and Cooper Murray, both of whom will not return for this season. Josh Nevett

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2022 AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 1 PREVIEW

RIDING A WAVE A BATHURST 1000 WIN FOR WALKINSHAW ANDRETTI UNITED IS JUST PART OF THE RYAN WALKINSHAW STORY

By Paul Gover GRAND PRIX week is a biggie for Ryan Walkinshaw.

It’s not as dramatic as Bathurst for the Supercars team owner, who dyed his hair white to match Chaz Mostert as they celebrated winning The Great Race in December, but Albert Park still means an over-full diary and the pressure of racing in front of the country’s biggest oneday motorsport crowd.

The financial backers of Walkinshaw Andretti United will all be in Melbourne for the AGP and so will his motorsport business partner Zak Brown, who is also the boss of the McLaren grand prix team.

“Formula One puts on a great show and it’s great that Supercars can be involved. Being able to hang out with Zak Brown means I get some access to McLaren, so it’s great to see how things have changed there in such an incredible category,” Walkinshaw begins.

“It’s always an exciting event and being involved with Formula One brings back a lot of nostalgia, because of our family history in Formula One. There are always familiar faces.”

But that family history also includes his father Tom Walkinshaw’s disastrous involvement with the Arrows F1 team, whose collapse brought his once-mighty TWR Group to its knees despite decades of motorsport victories and successes in the car world including tie-ups with Jaguar and

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Chaz Mostert has been up the front and frequently winning races since he joined Walkinshaw Andretti United in 2020.

Volvo, in addition to Holden in Australia.

“It was a down point. But out of that chaos came a lot of opportunities,” Walkinshaw says.

“I don’t think Formula One brought the Walkinshaw empire down. I think we’ve managed to survive a situation that would have completely annihilated other family legacies.

“Nothing in life is a straight line. Everything is a rollercoaster. That’s why I’m so fond of Australia and continuing our business here and creating so many jobs and opportunities.

“That was a key part of my father’s legacy.

My goal and passion is to build on that.

“We’re now a similar size to what we were in the heyday of TWR. We’re tripping on the heels of even bigger success.”

Success has been even tougher to find

over recent years in Supercars, following the era when the Holden Racing Team was Walkinshaw’s flagship and near-unbeatable on the track.

“Our objective is to get more race wins and podiums, and try to win the teams championship. But it’s a tough category to be consistently competitive,” he says.

“There is no silver bullet in this category. It’s not one thing, it’s a culmination of work over a lot of years.

“We made a lot of changes when we brought Chaz and Adam Debore into the team. We’re never going to be complacent.

You can have the best engineers and drivers in the category and still not win championships. You’ve got to work harder when you’re not a Triple Eight or a DJR.”

WAU has been re-shaped around Mostert and his new team-mate, Nick Percat, following his return after starting his career - and scoring his Bathurst 1000 win with HRT. It’s also racing the Australian OffRoad Championship this year, including the Finke Desert Rally, with Supercars veteran Warren Luff driving a Volkswagen Amarok W580X that’s a spin-off from a road-car program in Australia.

“We got second place in our class at our first event, we learned a lot and have lots of new ideas that mean we will be much quicker in the next ones. It was pretty good, above expectations. We’re pretty confident we can add some more speed.

“We chose Warren to drive because we thought he would be good at it. He’s a driver who seems very adaptable, so he’s the obvious choice. And he’s part of the family here at Walkinshaw.”

But racing is just one part of Walkinshaw’s job, and life. And GP week is not just fun lunches with the F1 crowd and watching the Supercars action from the WAU garage.

He must also deal with the day-to-day workload of what has become Australia’s biggest private automotive operation, even after the loss of the headlining Commodores that were the stars of the Holden Special Vehicles operation that was the shining

His father Tom Walkinshaw has been involved in motorsport around the world in many different championships.

Tom Walkinshaw aboard the Bathurst 1000 winning Jaguar in 1985 (above), he ran the Arrows Formula 1 team for over a decade (below).

Ryan Walkinshaw now owns his Supercars team with Michael Andretti (left).

crown of the Walkinshaw Group.

“We’re the number one automotive design, engineering and manufacturing business in Australia. It’s a much bigger business than when I started,” Walkinshaw says.

“The turnover is several hundred million dollars a year. We’ll be doing well over 10,000 vehicles this year and closer to 15,000 cars and trucks in a couple of years. We’re also Australia’s second-biggest caravan company.”

It’s a very big deal for a relative youngster who is still only 34 but was handed the reigns by the early death of his father, who created the powerhouse TWR group in the 1980s and eventually took over from Peter Brock as Holden’s go-to for high-performance road cars.

Walkinshaw spends several months each year in Melbourne with his girlfriend Hayley, who has been his partner for more than a decade, although his official residence is in Monaco. He grew up and did his schooling in the UK but it’s Monaco, where he parks his Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Mercedes-AMG SUV, that is home base.

“I run our business and our investments from there. So it’s lots of early mornings and late nights.”

He spent some time in Mexico on holiday last year, but that produced an unexpected problem that persists with a cough that often interrupts his chat.

“It’s my Covid cough. I’ve had it twice. First

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in February 2021 and then in December, after Bathurst. I caught it on a plane, I think, going to Mexico for a holiday at Christmas.”

But life is not just high-roller action in Monaco and holidays in Cancun.

“I hadn’t had a break for two years before that,” he says bluntly.

It’s a bluntness that was commonplace during

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any dealings with his father, and a reminder that Ryan is Tom’s son. He might not be as overtly aggressive, and he might have had the reigns thrown at him, but he knows the job.

“His death wasn’t a shock, because my dad had been sick for a while. But I miss him all the time.

“Anyone that loses a dad at a relatively young

age will always miss them. There are times when you wish he was around to ask his opinion and guidance.

“It would have been good sometimes for him to clip me around the head, too.”

Walkinshaw says he never wanted to race, although his younger brother Sean has made a career at the wheel.

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Zak Brown (top) is the United part of Walkinshaw Andretti United. Nick Percat re-joined the Clayton based operation in 2022 after winning the Bathurst 1000 when the team was known as the Holden Racing Team (above). Chaz Mostert and Lee Holdsworth won the Bathurst 1000 last year (right).

“I wanted to do karting when I was young, but I was very good at school. I was a straight-A student so my dad didn’t want to me to be a racing driver. He wanted me to focus on school and one day run the business. So Sean followed in my dad’s racing footsteps and I followed him in business.”

When Walkinshaw first hit Australia there were big questions and doubts, particularly in the Supercars paddock. Some people said he was too young, some people said he was too naive, and others questioned the arrival of a 20-something DJ who was more at home in the flash and dazzle of Ibiza than the cow paddocks at Winton.

“I had a great time doing that when I was young and was quite successful and ran some big events. But I don’t wear make-up and I never have. I know who said that …

“I’m very, very passionate in growing. So you don’t look back at those times but you remember them fondly.”

There were much tougher times in Australia, with the race team and also the Walkinshaw business.

“When I started, the business had 120 employees and that’s grown to nearly 1000.

Most of them are at Clayton and we also have a group at Epping in our caravan facility.

“Predominantly our business is based in Australia. We used to do 2500 HSV cars and we’ll be doing well over 10,000 units this year and closer to 15,000 cars and trucks in a couple of years. We’ve got RAM and GM Special Vehicles and Volkswagen.

And we’re Australia’s second-biggest caravan company, with New Age Caravans, doing about 2000 this year with a big waiting list. We’re becoming quite a powerhouse in that space.

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“We’re second to none now in Australia with our capabilities We’ve become the de-facto operation for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) doing right-hand drive or performance vehicles.

“We’ve been investing heavily. It’s been exciting.”

Walkinshaw Group today obviously has its roots in Clayton and HSV, “The original team that we were involved in, HSV, has grown into what we do today. Our engineering department alone has come from 30 people then to 120 engineers now.”

“That’s part and parcel with the work we’re

doing. There’s a lot more engineering that goes into the remanufacturing work we do.

It’s much more complex than in the days of HSV. But it was the foundation of what we build today.”

Walkinshaw makes no apologies or excuses for how the company has changed, or moving away from high-performance cars under the GM and Holden umbrella to its current focus on giant American pick-ups.

“Obviously there is an emotional attachment to HSV. But the market is incredibly different.

“The growth in the truck segment is where the opportunities are these days. It’s the

reason we’ve been able to grow as much as we have.”

He also credits the Walkinshaw success on talented people.

“We have fantastic people working for us.

One of the benefits we had when the GM, Toyota and Ford plants closed down was that there was a huge amount of engineering talent in the pool and we were able to absorb a lot of those people, to our benefit.”

But in GP week, Walkinshaw admits that racing takes over.

“We thrive in that kind of environment. It’s good, honest, fun work.”

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WELCOME TO BATHURST WELCOME TO Mount Panorama and the beautiful City of Bathurst for the 2022 Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.

The Australian Racing Group and our partners at the Bathurst Regional Council are proud to help create some Bathurst history this weekend as we aim to break records with the sixth running of Australia’s ‘Showroom Showdown’.

The Bathurst 6 Hour was created in 2016 when a large enough group of Production Car competitors voted with their feet and worked with the then-promoter to create an iconic endurance race at Mount Panorama for Production-based vehicles.

Just a few years later, that race is set to produce the largest ever field for an endurance race in the 84-year history of racing on the Mountain.

Coincidentally, 84 was the total number of entries we received from Production Car competitors from across the land looking to take part in this weekend’s Easter enduro.

That there are a maximum of 70 grid positions available meant that unfortunately, some had to miss out – but at the same time it showed that the decision to create this race eight years ago was the right one.

The 2021 Bathurst 6 Hour was ARG’s first event as a promoter, but we were proud to continue to build on the traditions and history that the Bathurst 6 Hour had

already established.

And when a capacity field of 70 cars representing 16 different marques and more than 30 models rush towards Hell Corner on Easter Sunday, we’ll be watching as enthusiastically as any fan trackside or at home on TV. This weekend the Bathurst 6 Hour expands further as we welcome the SpeedSeries brand to Bathurst for the first time, incorporating the third round of the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series and the Turtle Wax Trans Am Series.

TCR has been thrilling this year: new names like Fabian Coulthard and rookie Jay Hanson mixing it with established TCR runners like Will Brown and Tony D’Alberto to produce fantastic racing across the two rounds we’ve seen so far.

With this year’s field being the most competitive the series has ever enjoyed, we’re surely going to get more of the same this weekend.

As for Trans Am, in just a few events it has become a fan favourite and this weekend a large field

of cars will compete and bring V8 thunder to the Mountain. The wheel-to-wheel racing the category provides is like nothing else and those who saw Nathan Herne and Aaron Seton battle it out last Easter will remember it for a long time.

With a fantastic support program, including HQ Holdens, NSW Historic Touring Cars and the Bathurst debut of the MRF Tyres Australian Pulsar Racing association, there’s something for everyone year. Off track, there’s more for the family to enjoy around the Mount Panorama precinct than ever before.

The Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour is a truly unique weekend of motorsport at one of the world’s most famous circuits.

ARG, the Bathurst Regional Council and our entire team hope you’ll enjoy a special, recordbreaking weekend at Mount Panorama.

Matt Braid CEO, Australian Racing Group

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS & OFFICIALS

EVENTS SUCH as the 2022 Hi-Tech Oils Bathurst 6 Hours simply couldn’t happen without the dedication, enthusiasm and hard work of numerous officials and volunteer support staff.

This weekend will see hundreds of Motorsport Australia officials, Flag, Sector, Pitlane and Grid marshalls, support staff and adminstrators give up their Easter to ensure the 2022 Hi-Tech Oils Bathurst 6Hr production car classic is another great success.

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THE HI-TEC Oils Bathurst 6 Hour continues to grow and this year’s entry list is absolutely brimming with the largest-ever competitor base.

I’m so excited to welcome even more drivers, support crews, families, friends and their supporters to Bathurst this Easter long weekend to watch the event and ultimately shop, dine and stay in our city.

In turn, this will provide a substantial boost to our economy and highlight the very best of the region to our visitors.

Mount Panorama is one of the revered motor racing circuits in the world. and events such as the Hi-Tec Oils 6 Hour prove this. It also provides an opportunity for us to demonstrate that our region has so much more on offer for visitors and residents alike.

Robert Taylor Mayor of Bathurst

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THE OLD SCHOOL AUSSIE ENDURO

A RECORD 70 CARS WILL TAKE PART IN THE BATHURST 6 HOUR ON EASTER SUNDAY, DAN MCCARTHY DELVES INTO THE HIGH-QUALITY GRID AND SPEAKS TO SOME OF THE FAVOURITES AHEAD OF THIS YEAR’S THRIVING PRODUCTION CAR ENDURO

THE BATHURST 6 Hour has quickly established itself as a staple on the Australian Motorsport calendar, an oldschool production car race which occurs annually over the Easter long weekend.

This year marks the sixth running of the event which has run since 2016 (with the exception of 2020 due to COVID-19), and in 2022 boasts a capacity grid of seventy cars.

The Bathurst 6 Hour provides an opportunity to race at The Mountain in an endurance race against some legends of Australian Motorsport without having the break the bank.

All entries must be under $150,000, while cars are divided into half a dozen classes based on power and performance.

Class X are Ultimate Performance machines and mainly consists of BMW M cars. This is where the winning combo is likely to come from.

Classes A1 and A2 are for Extreme Performance cars, A1 for Forced Induction and A2 Naturally Aspirated. Class B High Performance. Class C Performance, D: Production and E Compact.

All vehicles entered in the 6 Hour must adhere to Group 3E Series Production regs with minimal modifications allowed.

The creation of the 6 Hour came about as production car drivers no longer had a Bathurst enduro to contest. Production cars formed the origins of the Bathurst 12

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Hour, however when the once around the clock enduro made GT3 cars eligible in 2011, production cars soon fell out of fashion.

Since the inception of the 6 Hour in 2016 the race has been a happy hunting ground for BMW who have won all five races to date with a variety of its models, from M4 to BMW 135i.

Last year BMW locked out the podium positions, this year there are more Class X cars than ever.

Many well-known names are jumping behind the wheel in 2022. Reigning race winner Shane van Gisbergen returns with

an M4 and will be challenged by Will Davison, Anton De Pasquale, Will Brown, Tim Blanchard, John Bowe and even Marcos Ambrose.

Yes, the cars and names have flocked to the event in 2022, but who are the contenders you should look out for?

It’s hard to look past a Class X BMW for an outright win with a total of 11 BMWs including M4s, M3s, and in 2022 two M2 Competitions.

The defending race winners go in with the same M4 and an unchanged driver line-up of Shane Smollen, van Gisbergen and Rob

The M4 of Shane Smollen, Shane van Gisbergen and Rob Rubis will carry the number #1 on the car this year.

Rubis in a bid to become the first back-toback 6 Hour winners.

In 2022 they have taken on Bathurst 1000 winning race engineer Geoffrey Slater, but the team knows it has to lift its game this time around.

“The M4 is still a highly competitive package, and the driver line-up worked for us last time, so I saw no reason not to keep the band together,” Shane Smollen said to Auto Action.

“There’s a greater depth in terms of cars and drivers this year, so it’s pretty obvious that we will have to really step up our game.

“We’ll have to make sure that every single element of the event is executed close to perfectly.”

Each entry is allowed to field one Prodriver, and once again in 2022 this has created an even mix of two and three driver entries, Smollen explained the strengths of both options.

“This year you’re seeing some super strong two and three driver teams,” Smollen expressed.

“From a two-driver team perspective, it allows the Pro to maximise seat time, but a three-driver team allows for more flexibility in strategy.

“It’s not to say that a three or a twodriver combination has an advantage either way, but there’s no doubt there are some three driver teams there where

WATCH THE FULL SIX HOUR COVERAGE LIVE 0N STAN

Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey have hired the services of Will Davison in 2022 as they look to reclaim the Bathurst 6 Hour crown.

The Local Legends Mustang in the hands of Tony Quinn and Grant Denyer was quick on debut last year, until a crash early in the race at The Chase.

They will be looking to finish well and finish strong this time around. at least two of those drivers have had pro level type experience.”

On the other side of the Bruce Lynton BMW garage, the sister car will now consist of three drivers, 2019 race winners Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey, and new addition two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Will Davison.

Is Davison the secret weapon that will see them retake the Bathurst 6 Hour win?

“I wouldn’t say I’m the secret weapon, I think I’m a good addition,” the modest Davison said to AA. “Tim and Beric have more than proven themselves over many years.

“I’m just a good addition which enables a little more flexibility, I’m confident I’ll bring some pace to the table, I think we’ve got three really strong drivers.

“Production car racing is pretty foreign

for me, I haven’t really done any at all, it’s a very different style of racing, I’ve always just taken a keen interest in it.

“It’s all very new for me at the moment, but I’m confident, I’ll be where I need to be pace wise and I’m looking forward to learning and giving it our best shot.”

While Smollen, van Gisbergen and Rubis will again race an M4, Lynton, Leahey and

Davison will stick with an M3.

Unlike the 1000 and Bathurst 12 Hour, this is still an old-school endurance race. Lynton explained that the six-hour is all about being in contention when the final stop has been completed.

“It’s a production car, so you’ve got to look after them,” Lynton said to AA. “Unlike the other (two Bathurst enduros), realistically,

PUB AMMO - 6 HOUR FAST FACTS

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This is the sixth running of the Bathurst 6 Hour. the event did not run in 2020 because of the COVID 19 Pandemic.

The 6 Hr race has only ever been won by drivers of BMWs. In 2016 335i E92, M135i Hatch F20 2017, M4 F82 2018, M3 F80 Competition 2019, M4 F82 2021.

No driver has won the 6 Hour twice.

Three Bathurst 1000 winners have won the Bathurst 6 Hour, Chaz Mostert, Paul Morris and Shane van Gisbergen.

The BMW M4 F82 is the most successful car in the 6 Hour with two wins.

Grant and Iain Sherrin are the only brothers to win the race together.

The greatest number of laps to be completed in a Bathurst six hour is 131 (813.9km).

The fewest number of laps to be completed in a Bathurst 6 Hour is 109 (677.2km).

A record 70 cars are entered in the Bathurst 6 Hour this year.

Last year Shane Smollen, Robert Rubis and Shane van Gisbergen became the first three driver team to win the race.

The Bathurst 6 Hour takes place on Easter Sunday, annually.

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locked out the top four positions in the race in 2021.

• BMW fastest race lap in 2021 was a 2m 26.48s, set by the •raceThewinners in car #97. is held by Chaz Mostert in Ford Focus RS •LZ,The2mrace25.80s,lap record set in the 2017 race.

V8 Supercars Champion Marcos Ambrose will •raceTwo-time at Bathurst for the first time since 2015. the largest number of overall entries in the 2022 •6 HrBMWclassichaswith 19 vehicles in total. five Mustang V8s will compete in the A2 Class.

Two-time Bathurst 1000 winner, John Bowe has competed in every Bathurst 6 Hour scoring a podium in 2016.

The biggest margin of victory is one lap, Beric Lynton and Tim Leahey beat home Grant and Iain Sherrin in 2019.

In 2021 qualifying, Shane van Gisbergen, driving the M4 F82, set a pole time of 2m 25.43s, at an average speed of 154km/h.

The Toyota 86 has taken out Class D on all but one occasion except 2018 when a Honda Integra Type R DC2 prevailed.

Safety cars played a big part in the 2021 race, with 11 safety car periods, totalling 27 laps.

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The reliable A45 Mercs will be competitive in Class A, watch for the #19 machine with Will Brown behind the wheel.

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the race is after the last pitstop, so really the last one hour of the race is going to be when you work out who’s going to win it.

“Leading up to that you’ve got to stay on the lead lap and when you’ve got all the classes that you talked about, if a Safety Car comes out and you pit at the wrong time, it’s easy to go down a lap and with 70 cars in the race, I reckon there’ll be a few safety cars like there was last year.”

Tyres were a talking point last year, however this year Lynton believes this won’t be the case.

“The tyres that we had to run last year were the 2020 tyres (held over due to the race cancellation), they’d been in warehouses or containers going through heat cycles,” Lynton said.

“This year it’ll be fresh rubber. Same compound, but just a fresh batch.”

Outside the Bruce Lynton prepared machines there are many other contenders in the class including former race winners and production car specialists Grant and Iain Sherrin.

Great combinations include Simon Hodges and Super2 Series frontrunner Jayden Ojeda, Brad Carr and Tim Slade, and the Karl Begg, David Russell and Nash Morris trio. All three teams are in M BMWs. There are some well-known families too, including the Novocastrian Russell family of Wayne Russell, Drew Russell and Aaren Russell, while Steven Ellery will race with his sons Tristan Ellery and Trans Am driver Dalton Ellery.

Anthony Soole will be a contender alongside Adam Burgess and Dick Johnson Racing driver Anton De Pasquale.

Tony D’Alberto and Duane West are the only non-BMW car in class, competing in a Holden VF GTS. New this year are two M2 Competitions, one in the hnads of Ben Kavich and Michael Kavich. The other is a dark horse for the race win driven by reigning Formula Ford champion Thomas Sargent, Carrera Cup champion Cameron Hill and former Super2 driver Dale Brede.

Hill explained that he chose the M2 Competition as it was something a little different and could give them an advantage.

“It’s been a pretty exciting project, we ran Tom Sargent and Lachlan Mineeff last year in class D and we got the class win,” Hill recalled.

“We always had the idea of having a crack at outright contention and so after we had that success, Craig Sargent, Tom’s dad hatched a plan.

“We did our research and realised that there was an opportunity to build an M2 Competition and we thought that it could be a bit of an ace up our sleeve.

“Seeing the M3s and M4s have been dominating, we thought, let’s bring something that could be better to the table.”

Hill is certain the car will have speed, however is unsure about the reliability of the M2 Competition.

“We’ve been a bit delayed with supply issues for a lot of parts and stuff coming from overseas, but we’re getting pretty close, but so is the event,” he expressed.

“I feel like our driver line up is really solid, obviously Tom is an exceptionally talented young driver coming up, and Brede has a lot of experience, we know he’ll be a safe pair of hands to guide us through the race.

“For us our biggest hurdle will be trying to

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The Bathust 6 Hour again provides variety, Class C has several Sciroccos while the B Class again includes the Forbes-Wilson/Mallard #73 VF Commodore.

Ford fans will be pleased to see dual Bathurst 1000 winner John Bowe racing a Falcon alongside Aaron McGill. get to the event and make sure the car runs faultlessly.

“I’m pretty confident about the speed, but I would be lying if I said I was confident about the reliability at this stage.”

While BMW machines have had a pace advantage in recent years, it is not a given that a BMW will win, as Class X cars are required to perform an additional two compulsory stops.

While Smollen agrees that the X cars have an advantage, a badly timed safety car period could turn the race on its head, expressing that an A class machine can’t be ruled out of outright contention.

“It will depend on the competitiveness of the other cars that are going to enjoy less pit stops and safety car interventions,” Smollen said.

“If the race does not have a great deal of safety car interventions, then you expect to see an X category car as the winner.

“I would think on the law of averages the X cars still have the edge for that reason, you’d expect that the BMWs are still going to be there.

“But you still have to have to finish six hours of racing, I don’t think that outright car pace is necessarily going to be what wins it,

The #35 Mazda 3 won Class E last year, Phil Alexander will be joined by two new teammates in 2022. it could be anybody in either of the top two categories.”

In total, Class A1 and A2 has 31 cars providing quantity and variety, from Lancers and WRXs to Commodores and Mustangs, Golfs, Audi TTs and even a Lexus.

There are a couple of nimble A45 Mercs returning, one in the hands of Garth Walden and Michael Auld, the other will be steered

by Mark Griffith, Rod Salmon and new addition this year, Supercars race winner Will Brown.

The Mercs will fight a couple of baby Beamers for class honours including a couple of BMW 1Ms and 135i.

While Tony Quinn and Grant Denyer return in the Local Legends Mustang GT, many people expect the new Mach 1 Mustang to be a major threat for class honours. The car will be driven by third generation McLeod boys Nicholas and Cameron, who will share it with Tim Blanchard.

Last year George Miedecke finished on the lead lap and won Class A driving his

FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE CLASS STRUCTURE AND THE MAKES AND MODELS RACING IN THE 6 HOUR Marcos Ambrose will race alongside George Miedecke in a Ford Mustang. It will be his first race start at Bathurst since 2015.

Ford Mustang GT alongside Paul Morris and Brodie Kostecki.

This year Morris and Kostecki are aren’t returning, so his good mate, two-time Supercar Champion Marcos Ambrose joins him.

Miedecke and Ambrose have a great chance of winning the class, maybe even taking the fight to the BMWs (read the news pages for Ambrose interview).

While names such as Brown, Bowe and Ambrose are scattered amongst the class, the affordability of the race enables drivers who have want to race at Bathurst an enduro to contest.

One such is Victorian Saloon car drivers Travis Lindorff and Adam Lowndes who will compete in a Holden VE GTS. “The endurance side of things I’ve always wanted to do it,” Lindorff said. “One thing led to another and before I know it I had a car on my hands, it’s been a bit of a mad rush to get it done.

“Adam Lowndes is a good mate, we are really looking forward to it, “We would love a class podium, but we want to finish, that’s what it is all about and that is what we are planning to do.

Lindorff believes the Mustangs, a complete package are the ones to beat in the A2 class.

“They are a bit more refined, a newer car and the suspension package, people are saying the Mustangs are probably the going to be the ones to beat in the A2 class,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, it’s six-hour race, reliability is the biggest thing which is why I went down the path of the Commodore.”

John Bowe returns in 2022 alongside veteran Aaron McGill in a Ford Falcon, Bowe indicated that despite racing in the event every year since its inception, he thinks Class A is wide open.

“Honestly mate, I truly don’t know (who the favourite is),” Bowe said. “I wouldn’t have a clue, I’ve driven a 135i BMW and they are a fantastic little car.

“So whether a big heavy Falcon is competitive or not, I honestly don’t know.

“An Audi TT should be very fast, I guess we’ll get there and see what happens,” he chuckled.

Class B High Performance is made up of three machines, two Holdens and a BMW. Class C Performance is very competitive, the bulk of the 10 evenly matched machines are hot hatches.

The biggest drawcard in this class is 1987 Bathurst 1000 winner Peter McLeod who makes a comeback in a Holden Astra.

Other cars include a Megane, Sciroccos and Astras, 2021 TCR Australia front-runner Luke King will steer a Renault Clio, while a Mazda RX8 is also entered.

Class D Production contains a raft of sedans, Toyota 86s, Celicas, Subaru BRZs as well as a Mini and Honda Civic.

The close fought Class E Compact comprises two Mazda 3s and three Suzuki Swifts.

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THE HI–TECH OILS BATHURST 6 HOUR ENTRY LIST 2022 Car # 1 4 8 21 23 27 40 58 90 92 99 147 9 14 19 24 26 33 45 55 56 66 71 77 98 118 140 171 186 222 777 3 7 16 25 29 41 44 48 49 95 151 666 15 73 111 10 13 20 31 47 51 76 80 84 360 11 17 36 39 50 54 86 119 121 2 35 155 255 355

Class X X X X X X X X X X X X A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 A2 B B B C C C C C C C C C C D D D D D D D D D E E E E E

Sponsor Prestige Connex Property Investment Store Car Mods Australia Secure Wealth Advisers Bruce Lynton BM Service Sherrin Rentals Btuned Euro Specialist Go Karts Go TBA Yellow Pages, Race For A Cure Bruce Lynton BM Service Tegra Australia Parramatta Vehicle Services Forklogic - Access & Forklift Hire One World / Griffith Corp Airtag / GWR Australia Infinium Advisory Ranger Lifting RAM / GWR SSR Selected Smash Repairs Kelso Electrical Nova Employment / Full Gas Racing Bargwanna Motorsport Max Winter Automotive CAC Racing D A Campbell Transport Showtell - Massel Racing Team Buccini Racing Westvic Earthmoving Harding Performance Pomelo Designs/Brypar Rowell Logistics P/L Local Legends Levitt Motorsports TBA Penrite Racing Manteufel Constructions Nolan Finishes ASAP Marketing Pty Ltd Visions Estates Miedecke Motor Group Casey Accident Repairs Triple 666 Racing Air and Allied Sales Pacific, KCK Lubricants Crème Insurance/FWG Contracting Team Brimarco Racer Industries Osborne Motorsport Gold Coast Embroidery - ozEtees Osborne Motorsport OnTrack Motorsport Air and Allied Sales Pacific, KCK Lubricants Levitt Motorsports RX8 Cup AC Store / CP Dental Grand Prix Mazda Caboolture 11 Racing Mischs Excel Garage Brown Davis Racing Products Bow Wow Dog Treats / MGA Insurance MWM Racing Cars4uS / BPRO Battlers to Bathurst Arrow Transport Repairs Disc Brakes Austalia DBA LAN Installations Road To Bathurst Champ Suzuki Racing Team Champ Suzuki Racing Team Champ Suzuki Racing Team

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Driver A Shane Smollen Anthony Soole Brad Carr Simon Hodges Beric Lynton Grant Sherrin Karl Begg Wayne Russell Duane West Ben Kavich Steven Ellery Thomas Sargent Hadrian Morrall Paul Loiacono Mark Griffith Garth Walden Chris O’Brien Aaron McGill Mike Sheargold Frank Mammarella Brad Schumacher Dimitri Agathos Ben Bargwanna Jack Winter Carey McMahon Dean Campbell Mark Caine Paul Buccini Robert Braune Cem Yucel Matthew Boylan Nicholas McLeod Tony Quinn Tony Levitt Coleby Cowham Darren Forrest Gary Beggs Daniel Clift Scott Gore Tony Alford George Miedecke Travis Lindorff Robert Coulthard Steve Cox Matthew Forbes-Wilson James Meaden Peter McLeod Colin Osborne Robin Lacey Josh Haynes John Fitzgerald Chris Holdt Luke King Ric Shaw James Hay Jake Camilleri Murray Dowsett Mitchell McGarry James Holloway Haydn Clark James Keene Brett Parrish Richard Mork Connor Roberts Jason Walsh Andrew McMaster Phil Alexander Steve McHugh Ian Cowley Ian Aplin

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Driver B Driver C Rob Rubis Shane van Gisbergen Adam Burgess Anton De Pasquale Tim Slade Jayden Ojeda Tim Leahey Will Davison Iain Sherrin David Russell Nash Morris Drew Russell Aaren Russell Tony D’Alberto Michael Kavich Tristan Ellery Dalton Ellery Cameron Hill Dale Brede Tyler Mecklem Dieter Holzl Alex Holzl Rod Salmon Will Brown Michael Auld TBA Ben Wilkinson John Bowe TBA TBA Scott Green TBA TBA Brianna Wilson Jude Bargwanna Brayden Everitt Chad Parrish George Nakas Cameron Crick Michael Caine Brock Paine Jett Johnson Tony Moloney Iain Salteri Lachlan Gibbons Cameron McLeod Tim Blanchard Grant Denyer Jason Simes Ben Walsh Lindsay Kearns Paul Razum Jim Manteufel Ashley Heffernan Keith Bensley Steve Owen Kyle Alford Marcos Ambrose Adam Lowndes Trevor Symonds Peter Bray Mark Mallard Richard Davison Keith Kassulke Benjamin McLeod Brock Giblin Rick Bates Matilda Mravicic Peter Lacey Michael Osmond Garry Mennell Aaron Zerefos Madeline Stewart David Ling Darren Whittington Jarrod Hughes Tom Shaw David Cox Paul Ansell Coby Holland Scott Nicholas Brad McDonald Mitchell Maddren Shayne Nowickyi Jayden Wanzek Michael Holloway David Brown Scott Aho Michael Sloss Thomas Needham Mitchell Wooller Jaylyn Robotham Rob Boaden Adrian Sarkis Lachlan Bloxsom Ben Crossland Dave Worrell Scott Freestone Michael Ricketts Michael Hopp Daniel Natoli Matt Thewlis David Bailey Amar Sharma Karlie Buccini

Car Make BMW BMW BMW BMW BMW BMW BMW BMW Holden HSV BMW BMW BMW Mitsubishi Mitsubishi Mercedes Mercedes BMW Ford Mercedes Mitsubishi Subaru Subaru Audi Mitsubishi BMW Mitsubishi BMW BMW BMW Volkswagen Mitsubishi Ford Ford Mercedes Ford Holden HSV Holden HSV Holden HSV Lexus Ford Ford Holden HSV Holden HSV Holden HSV Holden BMW Holden HSV Renault VW Renault BMW Holden HSV Renault Mazda VW Mazda Subaru Toyota Toyota Subaru Mini Toyota Toyota Toyota Honda Mazda Mazda Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki

Car Model M4 M4 M3 M4 M3 M4 M4 M3 VF M2 Competition M3 M2 Competition Lancer EVO Lancer EVO AMG A45 AMG A45 M135i Falcon GT-F AMG Lancer Evo WRX STi WRX Sti TTRS Plus Lancer EVO 1M Lancer EVO 1M M135i M135i Golf R Lancer EVO Mustang Mach 1 Mustang Mach 1 W204 C63 Mustang GT Clubsport R8 R8 Clubsport R8 Clubsport RC F Mustang Mach 1 Mustang Mach 1 VE VE SS SSV 6.0 335i Astra VX-R Megane 265 Scirocco Megane 265 130i Astra VRX Clio RS200 Sport RX8 Scirocco 3 MPS BRZ 86 GTS Celica SX BRZ R56 86 GTS 86 GTS 86 ZN Integra Type R 3 SP25 3 SP25 Swift Sport RS416 Swift Sport RS416 Swift Sport RS416

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TCR Australia returns as a support category at the Bathurst 6 Hour. In the series’ two visits last year Aaron Cameron in the Peugeot 308 was a frontrunner.

TIGHT TITLE FIGHT ARRIVES AT THE MOUNTAIN THIS YEAR’S Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series title fight is the most open it has been since the category arrived in Australia in 2019.

Entering the third round of the 2022 season returning to a venue where plenty of drama occurred during Supercheap Auto TCR Australia’s two trips there last year, just 60-points separate the top 10 and 20 the top three.

Honda Wall Racing’s Tony D’Alberto holds a slender twopoint advantage from Swyftx GRM Peugeot’s Jordan Cox, while surprise race winner at AWC Race Tasmania’s opening round privateer Zac Soutar sits third and remains well in title contention, despite an unfavourable round at Phillip Island.

The JAS Motorsport-developed Honda Civic Type R TCRs driven by Soutar and recent dual race winner Fabian Coulthard have taken half the wins this season after a less than impressive 2021 campaign. Bathurst is not usually a circuit, which plays to the strengths of the Japanese marque, but neither was Symmons Plains.

An engine fault at Phillip Island proved a setback for Michael Clemente on his return, but he will be back at the Mountain.

Peugeot on the other hand leads into Bathurst with good form as Ben Bargwanna scored his maiden pole position at last year’s final round and Aaron Cameron took a victory. Cox returns to the scene of his double victory in the swansong for his Alfa Romeo, but has already taken a win in his new Peugeot this year.

Cox backed up by Cameron, Bargwanna and Dylan O’Keeffe forms a formidable line-up for Garry

Rogers Motorsport.

Not to be discounted is the Melbourne Performance Centre with its three-pronged Audi RS3 LMS TCR attack, with the latest specification example driven by Jay Hanson expected to be the one to beat after strong displays at Symmons Plains and Phillip Island.

In the mix, LIQUI MOLY-supported Will Brown charged through the field during Phillip Island’s final race, while Challenge Motorsport’s Iain McDougall made a solid return to Supercheap Auto TCR Australia in the last round.

Audi privateer Liam McAdam highlighted his potential in the Forza Brakes Motorsport RS3 LMS TCR at Phillip Island and will be one to keep an eye on at the Mountain.

Hyundai should be thereabouts following an off weekend at the Island for HMO Customer Racing, but the triple threat attack will be ones to watch as will the similarly mounted privateer Brad Shiels in his Royal Purple Example, who led at last year’s Bathurst finale.

Another hoping to make up

for lost time is Ashley Seward Motorsport’s Michael Caruso driving the Autoglym Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR. Problems and incidents have hampered his run so far this season, but expect the stylish Italian to come on strong at the Mountain.

Fellow Alfisti Braydan Willmington is set to undertake his first racing laps at Bathurst as he continues his progression in TCR. Luck has abandoned the pair of Garry Rogers Motorsport Renaults this season after a competitive start for James Moffat at AWC Race Tasmania, but the long straights and steep climbs at Bathurst should suit the French hot hatches.

Rounding out the field is the sole Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR of Purple Sector’s Lachlan Mineeff, which arrives at Bathurst following the package’s most competitive outing at Phillip Island and carries good form from last year’s Mountain finale.

The level of competition in this year’s title has gone up a couple of gears with this year’s trip to the Mountain is unpredictable as ever.

ENTRY LIST TCR Car # SPONSOR 2 Moutai 8 Schaeffler GRM 9 AWC MPC Racing 10 Ashley Seward Motorsport 11 HMO Customer Racing 14 Purple Sector 15 Michael Clemente Motorsport 18 Team Valvoline GRM 22 Melbourne Performance Centre 24 Stan Sport Wall Racing 30 HMO Customer Racing 33 Swyftx GRM 34 LMCT+ Racing GRM 41 Valvoline Racing GRM 50 Honda Wall Racing 71 Burson Auto Parts Racing 89 Braydan Willmington Motorsports 97 Forza Brakes Motorsport 110 Team Soutar Motorsport 130 HMO Customer Racing 333 Royal Purple Racing 999 MPC Team LIQUI MOLY

DRIVER Luke King Dylan O’Keeffe Jay Hanson Michael Caruso Nathan Morcom Lachlan Mineeff Michael Clemente Aaron Cameron Iain McDougall Fabian Coulthard Josh Buchan Jordan Cox James Moffat Kody Garland Tony D’Alberto Ben Bargwanna Braydan Willmington Liam McAdam Zac Soutar Bailey Sweeny Brad Shiels Will Brown

STATE QLD VIC VIC NSW NSW NSW VIC VIC VIC QLD NSW NSW VIC NSW VIC VIC NSW QLD VIC NSW NSW QLD

VEHICLE TBC Peugeot 308 TCR Audi RS 3 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce Hyundai I30N Volkswagen Golf GTI Honda Civic Type R Peugeot 308 TCR Auid RS 3 Honda Civic Type R Hyundai I30N Peugeot 308 TCR Renault Megane RS Renault Megane RS Honda Civic Type R Peugeot 308 TCR Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce Audi RS 3 Honda Civic Type R Hyundai i30N Hyundai I30N Audi RS 3

James Moffat will be looking to bounce back in his Garry Rogers Motorsport prepared Renault Megane after a tough start to 2022.

Nathan Morcom (Hyundai), Michael Caruso (Alfa Romeo) and Zac Soutar (Honda) will all be looking for better results at Bathurst this year.

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MUSCLE CARS HIT MOUNT PANORAMA

THE POPULAR Turtle Wax Trans Am Series returns to the Mountain with the spectacular tin tops ready to continue its most competitive season yet on the Easter long weekend.

Sons of guns and young stars go up against experienced campaigners in a battle of the old school. GRM Team Valvoline’s Nathan Herne snatched the lead from fellow Ford Mustang driver, Wall Racing’s Tim Brook to the tune of seven-points at Phillip Island, but it was the latter taking pole on the category’s last trip to Bathurst.

However, the biggest mover in the series courtesy of two wins at Phillip Island was Herne’s Garry Rogers Motorsport teammate Owen Kelly elevating him to third in the standings.

Dream Racing Australia’s Kyle Gurton and Kelly’s GRM stablemate Lochie Dalton have impressed on numerous occasions in their Ford Mustangs so far this season, while after a team change ahead of Round 1, the Ashley Seward Motorsport-run Chevrolet Camaro of Brett Holdsworth is well placed.

For many drivers racing is in their blood as it is for Ben Grice, Dalton Ellery, Jett Johnson, Nash Morris and John Harris, while debutant James Simpson is a fourthgeneration racer who will make his debut at Bathurst racing the Seven82Motors Dodge Challenger.

Grice and teammate Nic Carroll were two of the fastest drivers at Phillip Island and this isn’t expected to change at Bathurst. However luck was not on their side at the last round, but Grice was on the pace at last year’s final round and can never be discounted.

Morris has also had a particularly tough start to his second Turtle Wax Trans Am Series season after mechanical maladies at both Symmons Plains and Phillip Island leaving him languishing in 17th in the standings.

Edan Thornburrow finished runner up in last year’s series and will be hoping to improve on his results this season at Bathurst, while rookie

ENTRY LIST TRANS AM Car # 1 2 03 4 6 8 12 20 23 27 31 33 36 37 38 45 48 66 67 69 73 88 99 116 117 777 782

CLASS Outright Outright Outright Masters Cup Hoosier Cup Hoosier Cup Hoosier Cup Hoosier Cup Masters Cup Outright Hoosier Cup Hoosier Cup Outright Outright Outright Outright Outright Masters Cup Outright Outright Outright Hoosier Cup Outright Outright Hoosier Cup Masters Cup Hoosier Cup

SPONSOR Team Valvoline GRM Micale Cabinets/Nuveau Group All American Driveline Crutcher Devlopments McAlister Motors Wealth Rite Racing Shaun Richardson Motorsport Local Serch / T2 Racing Holinger Racing Pioneer DJ Bruce Lynton Service Team Boley Racing PBS Specialty Coatings Dream Racing Australia Wall Racing Up2/11 Motorsport GRM Nic Carroll Motorsport Shaw Motorsport Supercheap Auto Dial Before You Dig Owen Kelly Motorsport Ownit Homes/Superior Jetties TPS Group/Breeze Holiday Parks Sydney Property Care Team Johnson Dream Racing Australia Seven82 Motors

DRIVER Nathan Herne Kyle Gurton Ben Grice Mark Crutcher Hugh McAlister Chris Pappas Shaun Richardson Adam Hargraves John Holinger Elliot Barbour Dalton Ellery Brock Boley Cody Burcher Jackson Rice Tim Brook Lochie Dalton Nic Carroll Tim Shaw Nash Morris Jon McCorkindale Owen Kelly John Harris Brett Holdsworth Edan Thornburrow Jett Johnson Craig Scutella James Simpson

Cody Burcher scored his maiden race podium at Phillip Island so enters the Easter round in good form.

Another to recover from an inauspicious opening round is debutant Jon McCorkindale, who’s taken solid steps in his quest to become a frontrunner in the series at Phillip Island.

After missing the Island round, Dream Racing Australia’s Elliot

STATE NSW QLD VIC NSW NSW QLD QLD QLD VIC VIC QLD WA NSW VIC NSW TAS VIC TAS QLD NSW TAS QLD VIC NSW QLD NSW QLD

MAKE Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Dodge Challenger Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Camaro Ford Mustang Chevrolet Camaro Ford Mustang Dodge Challenger Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Dodge Challenger Chevrolet Camaro Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Chevrolet Camaro Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Chevrolet Camaro Dodge Challenger

Barbour will be a contender as he returns to the Turtle Wax Trans Am Series in the Pioneer DJ supported Chevrolet Camaro.

A strong 27 car field will bring the muscle to the Mountain in what promises to be a spectacular climb to the summit.

With the competition at such a high level, picking a winner is near impossible.

BATHURST 6 HOUR SCHEDULE AND TV TIMES

TV SCHEDULE

Saturday 12:00pm - 6:00pm AEDT live on Stan Sport Sunday 9:00am - 5:30pm AEDT live on Stan Sport

TRACK SCHEDULE FRIDAY 15 APRIL Start Time 7:15 7:45 8:15 8:50 9:30 10:05 11:15 11:50 12:40 13:05 13:30 14:00 14:40 15:10 15:40 16:10 16:35

Finish Time 7:35 8:05 8:40 9:20 9:55 11:05 11:40 12:30 13:00 13:25 13:55 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:35

SATURDAY 16 APRIL Start Time 7:20 7:50 8:20 8:50 9:30 10:20 10:50 11:20 12:20 12:40 13:05 13:40 14:10 14:45 15:15 15:30 16:05 16:25 16:35 16:55 17:10

Finish Time 7:40 8:10 8:40 9:20 10:10 10:40 11:10 12:00 12:35 12:50 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:15 15:30 15:55 16:25 16:35 16:55 17:10 17:40

SUNDAY 17 APRIL Ben Grice showed a lot of pace in the last round at Phillip Island, he will be looking to convert that speed at Bathurst.

Duration 0:20 0:20 0:25 0:30 0:25 1:00 0:25 0:40 0:20 0:20 0:25 0:30 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:20 1:00

Category MRF Tyres Australian Pulsar Racing Association HQ Holden Racing Turtle Wax Trans Am Supercheap Auto TCR Historic Touring Cars Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour MRF Tyres Australian Pulsar Racing Association Resident Access TV Track Time HQ Holden Racing Turtle Wax Trans Am Supercheap Auto TCR Historic Touring Cars MRF Tyres Australian Pulsar Racing Association Turtle Wax Trans Am HQ Holden Racing Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour

Session Practice 1 Practice 1 Practice 1 Practice 1 Practice 1 Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 2 Practice 2 Practice 2 Qualifying Qualifying Qualifying Qualifying Practice 2

Duration 0:20 0:20 0:20 0:30 0:40 0:20 0:20 0:40 0:15 0:10 0:25 0:20 0:20 0:30 0:15 0:25 0:20 0:10 0:20 0:15 0:30

Session MRF Tyres Australian Pulsar Racing Association Historic Touring Cars HQ Holden Racing Sponsor Track Activities Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour MRF Tyres Australian Pulsar Racing Association Historic Touring Cars Resident Access Supercheap Auto TCR Supercheap Auto TCR Turtle Wax Trans Am MRF Tyres Australian Pulsar Racing Association HQ Holden Racing Supercheap Auto TCR

Session Race 1 Race 1 Race 1 Course Car Rides Practice 3 Race 2 Race 2 Time Certain Qualifying 1 Qualifying 2 Race 1 Race 3 Race 2 Race 1

Turtle Wax Trans Am Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour

Race 2 Qualifying (Bottom 50%)

Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour

Qualifying (Top 50%)

Supercheap Auto TCR

Start Time 7:30 8:00 8:30 8:50 9:20 10:10 10:45 10:50 10:55 11:15

Finish Time 7:50 8:20 8:45 9:10 9:50 10:40 10:50 10:55 11:15 17:15

Duration 0:20 0:20 0:15 0:20 0:30 0:30 0:05 0:05 0:20 6:00

Session Historic Touring Cars HQ Holden Racing Sponsor Track Time Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour Turtle Wax Trans Am Supercheap Auto TCR Pit Exit Opens / Closes Pit Wall Opens Grid Walk / Clear Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour

17:15

17:30

0:15

Outright Podium Presentation

Race 2

Session Race 3 Race 3 Course Car Rides Warm Up Race 3 Race 3

Field released from grid for rolling start

PREVIOUS BATHURST 6 HOUR OUTRIGHT WINNERS 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021

Nathan Herne and Tim Brook will be two of the contenders in Trans Am again this year, however Herne will be in a Mustang this time around.

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Nathan Morcom/Chaz Mostert Luke Searle/Paul Morris Grant Sherrin/Iain Sherrin Beric Lynton/Tim Leahey Shane Smollen/Rob Rubis/Shane van Gisbergen

BMW 335i Coupe BMW M135i BMW M4 BMW M3 BMW M4

125 laps 113 laps 109 laps 131 laps 120 laps

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TIME TRAVEL IT’S NEVER a bad time to wheel out the Historic Touring Cars, over 40 machines from across the nation taking to the grid across the Bathurst 6 Hour event.

This category celebrates Australia’s rich production and touring car history, calling back to the days of Beechey, Jane, Brock, Moffat battling it out in the 60s and early 70s to establish their careers as touring car drivers.

A ‘greatest hits’ of yesteryear, the Historic Touring Car Association of NSW has produced a grid made up of a vast variety of makes and models for 2022, all built before the end of 1972 of course.

Headlining the field will be Jamie Tilley, who returns in his Gulf Oil Australia backed #29 Ford Mustang after running at the front of the field in the same event last year.

No less than 10 Mustangs will take to the grid this year, a popular car both back in the day and now.

Peter O’Brien is also back for another shot at glory in his #27 Ford Falcon after taking a race podium at Mount Panorama in 2021,

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bolstering representation of the blue oval.

Joining the Mustangs and Falcons will be examples of the Holden Monaro, Ford GTHO, Dodge Charger, Ford Cortina, Mini Cooper S, Holden Torana and Valiant Charger.

The Mazda RX2 of Steve Shepard will also tackle again this year after finishing in the midfield last time out.

Group N mainstays will be joined by a handful of invited Group S competitors for this year’s event, mildly modified production sports cars such as Porsche 911, Shelby GT350, Chevrolet Corvette and Datsun 280Z. Fans of the category will be celebrating the decision to award Historic Touring Cars more time on track at this edition of the 6 Hour, three races scheduled after two were contested last year.

Practice and Qualifying sessions are also prime opportunities to see the old dogs show off new tricks on circuit.

Undoubtedly, the Historic Touring Cars will be a blast from the past and are not to be missed. Josh Nevett

ENTRY LIST HISTORIC TOURING CARS Name Name Doug Barbour Fred Brain Simon Browning John Clarke Darren Collins Stephanos Constantinidis Gordon Cox Ben Dahlstrom Aldo De Paoli Chris Dubois Rod Evans Mike George Jack Harrison John Harrison Luke Harrison Wayne Harrison Keith Kassulke Don Knight Andrew Lane Russell McDowell Peter Meuleman Michael Miceli Peter O’Brien Dale Parry Wayne Potts Craig Robertson Michael Rose Ian Sawtell Stephen Scales Wayne Seabrook Steve Shepard Steve Smith David Streat Bryan Taylor Michael Terry Jamie Tilley Dave Waddington Les Walmsley Adam Walton Graeme Woolhouse Hugh Zochling

Sponsor Name

Coxys Motorsport Spares National Lubrication Systems

Kerway Asphalting Pty Ltd Kerway Asphalting Pty Ltd Kerway Asphalting Pty Ltd

Hogs Breath Café Super Roo Motorsport Nepean Welding Ford Spares Brian Potts Automotive, M.I.A Engines, DJA Mechanical service Robbo Racing The Roses Café

Pacific Environmental Australia

Gulf Oil Australia Northside Kustom Kitchens Walton Transport Hadley Green Investment Group

Car Number 911 777 157 96 97 85 77 511 196 3 31 63 33 289 89 350 7 32 189 5 43 69 27 172 280 131 35 71 51 92 691 202 77 10 29 9 99 57 86 73

Make/Model Porsche Holden Monaro Ford Cortina Mk1 Ford Mustang Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet Corvette Ford Cortina GT Valiant Charger Chevrolet Camaro Ford Lotus Cortina Ford Cortina GT Ford Lotus Cortina Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350 Holden Torana XU-1 Holden Monaro HT Chevrolet Camaro Ford Cortina Mk 1 Ford Mustang Falcon XY GTHO Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Boss 302 Ford Falcon Ford Mustang Datsun 280Z Valiant Charger Ford Mustang Holden Torana XU-1 GM Camaro Porsche 911 Mazda RX-2 Datsun 280Z Holden Torana XU-1 Porsche 911 Holden Torana XU-1 Ford Mustang Ford Falcon XY GTHO Ford Cortina Mk1 Ford Mustang Ford Mustang Holden Torana

PULSATING RACING THE AUSTRALIAN Pulsar Racing Association (APRA) will take to Mount Panorama for the very first time at the Bathurst 6 Hour event, bringing with it the fun and simplicity associated with the best entry level classes.

APRA grids are made up solely of, you guessed, Nissan Pulsar machines. The formulaic nature of the category means close competition is guaranteed, and the small modestly powered cars are perfect for young kart drivers and other motorsport enthusiasts to develop skills to move into national series categories.

A packed grid of at least 36 N14 and N15 Pulsars will thrill across the top of the

Mountain in April and some of the drivers display their flexibility by double dipping over the weekend, Dimitri Agathos and Brianna Wilson competing in the main 6 Hour race to name a couple.

MRF Tyres have been pivotal to getting Pulsars on the grid, acting as the naming rights sponsor of the category, supplying the control tyre and providing strong support to the grassroots APRA club.

APRA has expressed its gratitude to both MRF and Australian Racing Group (ARG) for the opportunity to be in the spotlight at Bathurst and the category will undoubtedly provide some entertainment across the weekend. Josh Nevett

CELEBRATING IN STYLE HOLDEN HQ Racing will make its longawaited return to Mount Panorama as part of the stacked 6 Hour support act, bringing fans the motorsport of the people.

Born out of the mission to form a category with low costs and close competition the recipe is simple, fill a field with 3.3-litre six-cylinder Holden HQs with some limited modifications and let them go racing!

Readily available, simple to wrench and cheap to buy, Holden HQs became a hit among those wanting a bang for buck motorsport experience and the single-make category has thrived since its inception more than 30 years ago.

HQ Racing will celebrate a special milestone at the Bathurst 6 Hour, the event marking the 50th anniversary since the first build of one

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of the most iconic Australian vehicles ever produced.

It seems fitting then that an oversubscribed grid of 50 HQ racing cars will line up at Mount Panorama, taking on practice, qualifying and three races throughout the event.

The Trophy Race will be run over 50km, creating a legendary HQ Holden Bathurst triple challenge - 50 cars tackling 50km to celebrate 50 years.

The return to Mount Panorama is also an opportunity to recognise the recent passing of long-time competitor and former HQ Racing President Dale Youd.

While HQ racing has decades of close door-to-door racing under its belt, this may be one of the best events yet for the category.

Josh Nevett

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2022 AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 1 PREVIEW

A BEAUT-UTE

DOUG WHITEFORD’S 1950 AGP WINNING BLACK BESS V8 A RACING CAR BASED ON FORD’S HUMBLE UTILITY BUILT IN AN ALBERT PARK BACK YARD-A STONE’S THROW FROM OUR AGP TRACK-BEAT THE EUROPEANS AT NURIOOTPA IN 1950. MARK BISSET TELLS THE TALE OF A TOUGH NUGGET, TRIPLE AGP VICTOR DOUG WHITEFORD, AND BLACK BESS HIS FORD V8 SPECIAL IMAGINE DAN Ricciardo winning this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in a racer based on a BF Ford Falcon XR8 utility and you understand the scale of Doug Whiteford’s achievement in winning the 1950 AGP at Nuriootpa in South Australia, aboard Black Bess, his 1934 Ford V8 ute-based special.

The pensioned off Forestry Commission of Victoria workhorse set him back £67, then the Prahran born mechanic stripped and carefully rebuilt it in his back yard utilising sophisticated materials such as bed-iron frames and panelling filched from the Footscray tip.

He lowered the chassis, built a light, openwheel, two-seat red body (Red Bess doesn’t have quite the ring of Black Bess) in time for a few fettling laps of Albert Park Lake, before heading to the Barossa for the 1940 South Australian 100 at Lobethal on New Year’s Day. Bess boiled on Lobe’s challenging swoops and dives, and again at Wirlinga, Albury during the 1940 Interstate Gold Cup weekend before Doug enlisted in the army.

He was transferred to the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation given his engineering skills.

After WW2 Bessie’s Ford flathead (side valve) V8 was replaced with a standard Ford Mercury V8 lump, Whitehead the won the 100-mile Victoria Cup at Ballarat airfield in January 1947.

With ongoing development between 194652 the combination was among the fastest in the country winning 29 races from 40 starts.

Bess’s technology was simple, she had beam front and rear live-axle suspension located by radius rods, transverse leaf springs and lever-arm shock absorbers.

Whiteford changed the drum brakes from mechanical to hydraulic operation reducing

Whiteford ahead of long-term rival Lex Davison’s Alfa Tipo B at Nuriootpa in 1949, Stobie Poles best avoided! (State Library SA)

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fade by incorporating air scoops. Telescopic shocks replaced the lever-arm jobbies while the steering gear was modified for quicker response. Fitted with Ford’s three-speed gearbox, Bess had alternative 4:1 and 3.5:1 final drive ratios.

The Mercury engine was bored from 3.9 to 4.2-litres. Fitted with high compression heads, Edelbrock cam, twin Stromberg carburettors, Scintilla Vertex magneto ignition and modified cooling system yielded a reliable 125bhp (95kw) @ 4500rpm.

It’s a far-cry from the 850bhp produced by Ricciardo’s latest Mercedes powered McLaren MCL36A whose array of technology was impossible to comprehend in 1950 or in 1979 when Whiteford died; carbon fibre chassis, a power unit comprising turbo-charged internal combustion engine, kinetic and heat motor generator units and energy recovery system, not to forget the electro-hydraulically actuated eight-speed gearbox and the rest…

How far have we come?

In those far away days, Europe, Japan and Australia were still recovering from World War 2’s ravages. We had small numbers of racing cars of varying performance spread across our huge continent. Our factory-built racers were pre-war machines, the balance of the field comprised Australian and MG based specials.

Whiteford’s success was due to fanatical devotion to preparing, modifying and maintaining Bessie and his driving skill.

Doug’s car was usually around at the finish, he wasn’t a cruise and collect kind of driver mind you. Talented and quick with a big dollop of mechanical feel, Whiteford had a volcanic temper.

Clocked down Conrod at 130mph (210kmh),

Whiteford’s red Ford V8 Special in original form in his Albert Park yard circa 1940 (Bob King Collection)

Bess was a formidable, reliable racer, a favourite for Nuriootpa AGP victory together with his friend, Jim Gullan’s Ballot Oldsmobile Spl, Rupert Steele’s ex-Barrett Alfa Romeo Monza and Lex Davison’s Alfa Romeo P3.

Whiteford won the 102-mile race (163km) over the 3-mile (4.8km) rectangular road circuit from Steele and Gullan.

As imported racers increased in number and scratch races became common, Bess became outclassed. Whiteford bought a Lago Talbot T26C in 1951 to have an outright contender.

The robust, 4.5-litre, six-cylinder 1949 French GP winning car (in Louis Chiron’s hands) took

the Melburnian to AGP victories at Bathurst in 1952 and Albert Park the following year.

Whiteford’s preparation and presentation was the gold-standard of his day. His racers, Rice trailer and tow-cars looked superb, representing his sponsor, the Commonwealth Oil Refinery (later BP) in style.

Whiteford retained Bess, racing it occasionally. When his second, higher-spec T26C arrived too late for Southport’s 1954 AGP he raced the old warrior instead. She ran third for many laps over the undulating Gold Coast hinterland – amazing given the machine’s age and improved quality of

Handling lesson! Whiteford’s oversteering Bess leads Eldred Norman’s understeering (truck wheels and all) wonderfully nuts twin Ford V8 engined Double-Eight, Woodside, SA 1949 (Top Bob King Collection) Whiteford and sidekick during a parade lap at Balcombe Army Base on the Mornington Peninsula in 1950 (middle VSCC Vic Collection)

the field – but engine maladies eventually intervened, the race was won by Lex Davison’s HWM Jaguar.

Adelaide’s Granton Harrison, who had raced his own Ford V8 Spl against Bess, bought the car post-Southport racing it extensively in Victoria and South Australia but newer cars made Bess an also-ran.

In 1957 Whiteford acquired the ex-Jean Behra Maserati 300S 3-litre sportscar raced in the 1956 ‘Olympic’ Australian Tourist Trophy and AGP carnivals at Albert Park.

The combination became one of the most successful car/driver duos with wins over many single seaters; the AGP and Gold Star was raced to Formula Libre rules.

Whiteford usually belted-the-daylights out of the sportscar competition, then entered championship races such as the 1958 Bathurst 100 at the same meeting, often beating the best in the country.

Doug’s world exploded over the Easter Bathurst 1959 weekend. Jim Gullan described his friend as a “complex loner, sometimes charming and friendly, other times morose and distant, with a violent temper.”

Doug stopped for fuel at a Bathurst COR servo after hours on Good Friday. Fisticuffs ensued when the proprietor, Alexander Abbott declined to serve him, Whiteford was a COR contacted driver and expected his demands to be met.

A strong man, Whiteford ruptured Abbott’s spleen and he was found guilty of assault. A later civil damages claim bankrupted him, the Maserati was sold and his St Kilda car sales/ tuning business was closed.

Further tragedy befell Whiteford in September 1967 when his only child, Kaye, and her husband were killed in a car accident while returning from their honeymoon, at Gunning in New South Wales.

Black Bess passed through many hands in the 1950s and 1960s after its sale by Harrison, deteriorating progressively. After years in the wilderness, Bess was tracked down by Whyalla’s Greg Veitch who bought it for the princely sum of $50, far less than Doug’s £67 four decades before!

In a wonderful dose of karma, Granton Harrison reacquired Bess in 1975, restoring it in time for its ‘historic racing’ bow at Amaroo Park in January 1977, a great weekend culminated in a City of Sydney Trophy win.

Granton’s son, Roger Harrison, triple Australian Hillclimb Champion, took over the car when his father died, however little has been seen of it since it entered Frank Moore’s collection in 1997.

Tourer fans will recall Whiteford as a handy punter of Datsun Racing Team Fairlady sportscars and 1200/1600/180B-SSS/240K/260Z series production/Group C cars in the late 1960s-mid 1970s.

“Later in his life, Alan Hamilton employed Doug as the first real Service Manager of Hamiltons of South Yarra (Porsche Melbourne).” Tony Johns, racer/historian, then Hamilton’s accountant recalls.

“He had the respect of the team with his immense knowledge and problem-solving ability.

We used to talk a lot about his racing exploits, he

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Hot, bothered and winning in the 1947 Ballarat Airfield summer heat! (George Thomas)

‘34 Ford Ute. Less kids and body FoMoCo’s utilitarian favourite provided the underpinnings of a handy racer (State Library SA)

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had mellowed a bit by then and re-married.”

“The anecdote which makes me smile is Doug relating walking past Bathurst’s jeweller with his wife and the mayor pointing out the trophies in the window he would win the following day!”

In a life of triumph and tragedy, Whiteford contracted cancer and fought hard to the end, exactly as he raced and died working at Hamiltons in 1979 aged 65. “Alan really looked after him, he barely worked in that final 12 months, but he was paid right until the end.”

In the pantheon of great Australian Specials Black Bess isn’t as innovative as the wild, supercharged, two stroke Chamberlain Eight, nor did it have the Repco Research build quality of the Maybachs, but Bess was an object lesson of just enough speed and reliability to win lots of motor races.

Whiteford was a tough nut with a chip on his shoulder. He did it the hard way, his business funded the construction and preparation of his machines.

His major opponents were battlers like him, silver-spooners or successful businessmen.

In his mind they could afford frivolity while he could not.

Ultimately the aggression which served him so well on the track was his undoing off it.

Be in no doubt, this three-time AGP winner was the equal of any of his peers; Barrett, Brabham, Cobden, Crouch, Davison, Dean, Gray, Hunt, Jones, Kleinig, Lukey, Mildren, Norman, and better than most.

Reference credit: ‘As Long as It Has Wheels’ James Gullan

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MEL’S RACING DIARYPart 3

MEL’S PRACTICE... THEN A BIG WEEKEND OF RACING MEL’S DIARY CONTINUES... THE TEAM ARE MADLY RACING TO GET THE CAR AND DRIVER READY FOR THE FIRST ROUND AT MORGAN PARK. AND AS THE EVENT GETS CLOSER THEY DESPERATELY NEED TO GET ON TRACK TO TEST THE NEW COMPONENTS, AND ALSO GIVE MELINDA SOME MUCH-NEEDED LAPS…. BUT ONE THING FIRST.

A NEW team and new car deserves a new look, and Caz has got me covered with a custom OMP race suit. But the star of the show, the buggy, deserves a new look too, so it’s off to see (ex supercar racer) Alan Gurr to get wrapped.

Now the car and I are both looking the part, we’re looking for a track to do some laps.

There is no availability at Morgan Park or QR prior to race day, so I’m starting to stress.

Not even two weeks earlier I’d been sent a picture of the main straight at Lakeside with someone paddling down it in a canoe following the floods, but incredibly the water is gone and there’s a Thursday test day!

There’s still a list of jobs to finish the buggy off, so the next 3 days are dedicated to getting to Lakeside Thursday. Since the project began, there have been two people who have been there helping every step of the way, and without their time and knowhow, I wouldn’t have had a hope in hell of getting to this

point – so massive thanks to Jasen Hannigan and Josh Hunt.

At this set-up phase of a new team costs are at a maximum, so having experts like this helping me out is an invaluable asset.

I’ve made a lot of friends in the racing world over the decades, and a couple more of them have jumped onboard with some support including familiar racing personalities in Charlie O’Brien (Coombahbah Plaza) and Todd Wanless (Raw Metal Corp.)

At last, the car is complete. I have my two sets of tyres and wheels all mounted and expertly buffed, labelled and wrapped, and just one last thing to do on the way …. get this new Fataz power plant onto the dyno for some running in and to confirm the expected kilowatts within. Off to Scott’s Rods we eagerly go in anticipation, and the results confirm what we hoped for, our new power plant is a little rocket!

Wrapping magic unfolds in Alan Gurrs’ garage.

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Finally, our test day is happening, we are at Lakeside and I’m off. I’ve never been to Lakeside before and all week people have been telling me how unforgiving it is if you make a mistake. I’m trying to block it out, but in the back of my mind all I can think about is that the first race is next weekend – and I HAVE to be there. Nothing can go wrong today, there isn’t any time or resources left to fix a broken car. I’m building up my speed and confidence as the sessions go by, and we are trying a few setup changes and progressing along nicely. Then it starts to rain! I don’t want to take any risks, so I sit out the next session to watch the other cars going around and assess the conditions. Eventually I put my big girl pants on and went back out there, completing the day with a pleasing 30+ lap stint in drizzling conditions and achieved the target time.

Aside from the fact that I’d love another ten test days before my first race, we have one in the bag now, and are officially ready to race!

Before I know it race week is here (whoop whoop) and the dream is about to become a reality. By Tuesday night the van is loaded with the buggy in tow and it’s GO time!

There is a half day practice at Morgan Park, so we head off early. Warwick is a busy little town, and I was caught off guard by the lack of accommodation when I tried to book months ago, so I’m camping at the track in a caravan kindly lent to me by a friends’ parents (thanks Wayne), which I think is going to be fun. I’m super excited, and nervous too.

We hit the track and the new engine is definitely the goods, but surprisingly the lap times aren’t that much faster than the original shakedown!

Excel guru Jasen Hannagan finalises the buggy preparation (with a smile.)

‘Team Castrol Excel’, Jasen Hannagan, Melinda Price and Josh Hunt.

Plenty of girl power in the 2022 Queensland X3 Series: Left to right, Rachel Tomkinson/Alice Buckley/Melinda Price/Holly Espray and Stevie Chant.

A few teething problems, equipment (lack of) issues and limited sessions left the vibe pretty poor in the pits on Wednesday, and we were scratching our heads a bit.

As soon as gates open again Thursday afternoon I’m there ready to set up camp, hang my Castrol flags and make Garage 81 my own until Sunday.

My car is the best looking excel buggy around (I could be biased), and I’m proud of how the whole program is coming together for the big debut. Only one thing left to do now, and that’s drive the wheels off it.

Sadly, that’s not what I did on Friday. I was slow…. really slow. Super disappointed at how far behind the fast guys I was. People were passing me everywhere and I soon started to realise how super competitive these guys are – no prisoners – not even for a corner – not even in practice. The intensity on track was massive, I’d had a few touch ups already, and I needed to STEP UP. A (large) proportion of my competitors are 15 year-old kids. P-platers straight out of karts. They are fearless, invincible, motivated with plans of taking on the world – and absolutely hosing me! The data revealed all and I had a lot of work to do.

A lot of soul searching happened Friday night and I woke up on Saturday ready to

strap the qualifying tyres on and wring its neck, which is exactly what I did. The car felt amazing and I was a different driver.

With 3 corners to go I was on target for a qualifying time that was seconds faster than any lap I’d done there before…but alas…on the exit of the sweeper the back of the car began to turn around and eventually went past the point of no return. I slammed on the brakes to avoid skidding across the wet grass into the wall, flat spotted both my front tyres down to the canvas, and qualifying was in the bin. So close…but ultimately nowhere. So, I’m starting Race 1 from position 41. I can’t even see the start lights, there’s a marshall with a green flag to let us know when they go out.

In a bumper field of 40+ cars there is always going to be plenty of action, and we only got a few racing laps in before the safety car came out and race 1 finished in single file. I’d moved from 41st to 30th.

Starting P30 for race 2, I was excited about gaining many more positions and getting closer to the front for the start of the 18-lap final on Sunday. I got a great start and was up to 27th on lap one before I was turned around in the flip flop. I’m probably lucky the car wasn’t destroyed to be honest. I copped a couple of other taps on the way

‘Now that the car and I are looking the part – the only thing left is to drive the wheels off it!’ through and managed to limp home last again.

Pretty disheartened about the day so far, what happened on Saturday night reminded me why I love this sport so much.

There was damage to my rear suspension which we needed help to repair, and my fellow competitors jumped onboard to help without thinking twice. Holly Espray came to the rescue, and I have a lot of respect for this chick (one of 5 female excel racers on the weekend which is great). She builds and looks after her own cars, has a great understanding of all things excel, and drives fast. The buggy is back on track of with a few battle scars, and is put to bed for tomorrows’ final.

The final is underway and as expected

there are excels flying off the track and puffs of brake smoke at every turn. I manage to pick cars off one by one with some really good dicing, kept out of trouble and in between a safety car and a damaged exhaust made it up to P26.

Far from the weekend we wanted but I made it through. The weekend has shown that the buggy certainly has the pace, and the driver does too if I can just string it all together. I’m pumped to ramp the program up, get some more sponsors onboard, test, test, test, and can’t wait for round 2 in May. It’s been somewhat of a baptism of fire, but I’m as motivated as ever to master the art of excel-ling and give it my all as the year continues…. Stay tuned for more insights. Melinda Price

www.autoaction.com.au I 47

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The PBR-10H Ram kit requires an optional hydraulic pump & hose package which is also available from H&F Machinery House, it’s part number PBK-10H Panel Beating kit - A366.

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THE POWER’S UP - BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BRAKES? WHEN THINKING car mods, a power gain is probably the first thing that comes to mind for most automotive enthusiasts.

Aussies are notorious petrolheads, keen to make a few modifications themselves. However there’s one mod that’s often left until later much later, the braking system. Sure, brakes may not be that important for getting good quarter mile times, but for just about every other aspect of motorsport – from grassroots to elite – having a good braking package contributes greatly to the car’s overall performance.

Away from the track, quality braking is just as important, because unlike on track, conditions are not controlled.

Better stopping on and off the track As Australia’s largest manufacturer of friction material products, Bendix understands the high demands that driving enthusiasts place on their vehicles and in particular, their brakes and has called on its 60 plus years of industry experience to develop its ‘Ultimate+ Performance Brake Upgrade Kits’. Recently expanded to include more of Australia’s most popular performance cars, muscle cars and hot hatches, including the Ford Mustang, Holden and HSV VF Commodores, Subaru’s WRX rally hero and the peppy Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ twins.

Available as either a front or rear kit, each upgrade kit contains everything needed to significantly increase braking performance, and it comes with the convenience and cost effectiveness of a single package.

The front kit features Ultimate Sports and Performance front rotors, Ultimate+ high friction brake pads, braided brake lines, DOT 4 brake fluid, Ceramasil parts lubricant and a cleaning product, while the rear kit contains Ultimate Sports and Performance rear rotors and Ultimate+ high friction brake pads.

Ultimate Disc Brake Rotors A key component of the kits is Bendix’s premium Ultimate disc brake rotors which feature high carbon metallurgy steel, providing superior stopping power and reduced wear, while also delivering improved thermal stability that reduces the chance of brake fade and warping

under extreme braking temperatures.

Ultimate Disc Brake Rotors are also equipped with Diamond Tip slots – these are specifically designed with unidirectional configurations, along with V-shaped dimples, which assist in dispersing hot gases, dirt and water, leading to more consistent braking performance.

Ultimate+ Brake Pads Also contributing to the Ultimate+ Performance Brake Upgrade Kits are Bendix’s high friction Ultimate+ brake pads which utilise an advanced ceramic formulation, that provides a responsive pedal feel and braking confidence.

Other benefits of Ultimate+ pads include improved stopping power of up to 25 per cent compared to standard pads and greater brake fade resistance.

They’re also more durable and less likely to wear the brake rotors. Additionally, their ceramic formula produces significantly less noise and dust.

Don’t forget the ancillary bits Further complementing the front Ultimate+ package are Bendix’s braided brake hoses, featuring a Tefloncoated core line, wrapped in a stainless-steel braid, then coated in a protective outer sleeve. Braided brake lines help provide a more consistent brake feel and the steel sheath prevents the line from expanding under sustained braking pressure. The front Ultimate+ Performance Brake Upgrade Kit also includes Bendix’s DOT 4 brake fluid, Ceramasil Brake Parts Lubricant and a can of Bendix ‘Clean-up’ brake and parts cleaner.

For more information on Bendix’s Ultimate+ Performance Brake Upgrade Kits for your performance car, visit www.bendix.com.au/productrange/ultimate-performance-brakeupgrade-kit or consult your local Bendix stockist or workshop.

SPEEDWAY Photos: Matthew Paul

Q83 Steven Lines and Q17 Luke Oldfield winners of rounds 11 and 12 of the East Coast Logistics Sprintcar Track Championship battle head to head.

A STRAIGHT LINE TO VICTORY LANE AFTER A finishing runner up to Luke Oldfield in the previous round of the East Sprintcar Track Championship, South Australian Steven Lines turned the tables on Oldfield to claim a victory at Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway in round 12 of the track championship. Teenage sensation Jy Corbertt was third in strong field of 28.

Lines and Bryan Mann shared the front row for the 30-lap final. At the green Lines led as Corbett relegated Mann to third into the clutches of the pack, falling to sixth within the first three laps. Karl Hoffmans retired on the following lap after riding the Adam Butler’s rear wheel.

Again, Lines cleared out while Corbett withheld challenges from Brock Hallett then Oldfield. The top four pulled handy realestate over the field until Anthony Lambert stopped with a flat rear at one third distance.

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SPEEDWAY NEWS with Paris Charles Lines again led; Oldfield slid to second after Corbett brushed the wall with 12 to go as Lines negotiated his through slower traffic. The caution lights blazed for the third time when Brent Kratzmann struck the turn four wall.

The field status quo remained until the leaders closed on the back markers. With

four to run Oldfield challenged the leader, only for the lights to go yellow for the final time as Aaron Kelly stopped.

Lines won from Oldfield, Corbett, Hallett, Mann and Randy Morgan. Kevin Titman, Taylor Prosser, Nicholas Whell, Darren Jensen, Trent Vardy, Ryan Newton, Ryan McNamara and Butler all finished on the lead lap.

The heats were shared between Harry Stewart, Prosser, Titman, Lambert, Dan Murray and Lines. Jensen claimed the B Main. Hallett posted an 11.534 to head the time trials.

Dan Moes dominated the Development Sprintcar Series. He did fastest time of 9 competitors in time trials, claimed a heat win and the C-Main Feature. Sharing the podium was Nicholas O’Keefe and Cameron King. Brad Keiler, Jared Desmares, Richie

Robb and James Matthews rounded out the finishers, while pole sitter Libby Ellis retired, Jason Bottin failed to start.

Things started well for the recently crowned Australian AMCA Nationals Champion Steven Price. He took pole over 16 entries for the 20-lap feature but his run ended prematurely. Steve Potts powered from fifth to win over Thomas Vickery and Kevin Stow.

Brock Dean won round seven of the Speedcar Series over Rusty Whittaker and Casey O’Connell. The top three finished as they started the Compact Speedcar feature; Matt O’Neill and Andrew Parkes from Dave Collins. Wayne Kirkman went flag to flag in the RSA Sedans over Colin Morris and Les Eisenmenger, while Chay Corbet claimed the Formula 500 Junior final over Charlie Bowen and Sean Rae.

RIVERLAND REVS UP!

Drew Flatman on his victory lap aboard his front wheel drive Mitsubishi Magna.

Photo: Paris Charles

TWO HUGE nights of speedway racing occurred over the Adelaide Cup long weekend. The Riverland was the epicentre with back to back events at Renmark’s Riverland Speedway followed by Waikerie’s Sunline Speedway, an hour down the road.

The featured class over the two nights was the V6 Sprints annual King of The Riverland event. Nick Hall proved too strong over both nights claiming successive features.

Damien Eve showed his consistency, place second in both. John Pfeiler Junior was third on the opening stanza only to be replaced on the final night podium by his sister Renee. Nick was crowned King of the Riverlandand Renee earned The Queen of the Scene mantle for her solid efforts!

Two South Australian Championships featured at Renmark. Junior Sedans came from Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, the ACT and Northern Territory to fight the locals for SA#1. After an incident plagued race Aaron Tranter claimed the honour, Kaine Richters and Linken Paterson were second and third.

The Limited Sportsmans returned for the first time in two decades. Reigning Victorian champion, Nathan Baker, added the SA crown to an impressive CV. Dylan Anton and Joshua Aston battled hard for the minor placings.

The Modlites Murray River Regatta was a highlight, Brian Chadwick won the first feature, Justin Chadwick and

Scott Webb shared the trophies. Night two’s podium was Jacob Carlier, Webb and B. Chadwick.

The Street Stocks were well supported, on night one Bailey Heinrich used his local knowledge to win over Jason Gantz and Drew Flatman. On night Drew turned the tables with his front wheeled drive Magna to win over Gantz and Wade Fell.

Supporting bill on night two was the third round of the Super Sedans SSA track championship. Teenage rookie Mitchell Rigney sparkled with great form to win the feature. The battle for second was a thriller as Kym Leyson edged out Neville Nitschke.

From pole David Hartman went flag to flag in the Modified Sedans from Justin Demaine and Tony Hardy in an all Ford podium.

The large gathering of Juniors was divided into two groups based on experience, Top Stars and New Stars.

Jayden Bryant won Top Stars in a great tussle over Diesel Fallon and Lachlan Brown. New Stars victory went to Evan McAllister from Jasmine Bryant and Rebecca Johnstone.

Classic Sedans and Speedcars wound back the hands of time, but some spirited demonstrations were marred by serious injuries to Rob Collins who rode a wheel and flipped his Classic Speedcar. We wish him a speedy recovery.

EGEL FLY’S TO A1 CROWN AGAINST THIRTY-FOUR competitors South Australia’s Matt Egel proved the dominant force to claim the Australian 360 Sprintcar Championship at Murray Bridge Speedway. Egel won the Ross Wright Memorial 25-lap Preliminary Feature, then backed up on the final night with flag to flag victory in the 40-lap A1 crown.

Chasing Egel to on both occasions was local gun Ryan Jones, the ever consistent Grant Anderson was third in both races.

The 40-lap final proved a gruelling affair with many retirments. Brendan Guerin was fourth from Christopher Solomon, defending champion Brett Milburn relinquishing his crown in sixth. then Todd Moule, Ben Morris, Lisa Walker, Tim Van Ginneken, Chad Ely, Paul Solomon and Stephen Bell.

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Supporting both nights was the 65 Roses Formula 500 Championship, a race created

by Simon Reichelt to help raise awareness and funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Brendan Zadow claimed the honours from

Thomas Davies, Angus Hollis and Jett Bell. Other finishers were Patrick Merrett, Chad Bell, Michael Wise, Nathan O’Shae, Jordan Mansell, Chris Ferguson, Corey Jones, Richard Schmidt and Reichelt.

Photo: Paris Charles

Matt Egel the new 360 National Champion

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NATIONALS WRAP Josh Howells and Eric Hume are happy campers after their big win

HOWELLS ADDS 399 TO TROPHY HAUL REPORT: Josh Nevett JOSH HOWELLS and Eric Hume clinched their second consecutive St George 399 victory in the opening round of the Australian Off Road Championship.

The pair dominated the challenge in rural Queensland, running out winners by over two minutes as they stopped the clock at 4h 05m 45.166s.

Howells set the quickest time in every section, beaten Ryan Taylor and Kye Floyd to the line comfortably in the end.

The result sees Howells join nine-time AORC winner Shannon Rentsch as the only two-time winner of the Queensland event.

“Back-to-back victories sounds good – I didn’t expect it but it feels good,” Howells said.

“We had little hiccups along the way and that is always a thing, but we were able to get over them and move forward and we were lucky enough to keep the pace when we did have issues.

“Even though we kept our cool and pushed through, I have to give a massive shout out to my team who gave me a car that made it possible to race at the pace I needed to race. It was unreal.”

Shannon and Ian Rentsch rounded out the podium on their return to the AORC, ending a two-year hiatus – the pair last raced at the Tatts Finke Desert Race in 2019.

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NATIONALS WRAP with Garry O’Brien The result was also their first podium since winning the 2019 St George 399.

Third place was fiercely fought out between the Rentsch’s and Greg Gartner/ Jamie Jennings, the latter team well placed until engine issues ended their challenge 20km from the finish.

Indeed, Gartner led by 7s heading into the final section, however Rentsch passed the halted trophy truck on the final lap to make it an all-pro buggy podium.

Fourth outright and top of the Prolite class was Michael Spokes and Brad Rogan.

Rounding out the top five was Jake and Kate Swinglehurst, who recovered from a 39th in qualifying to finish fifth overall.

There were several good news stories littered throughout the rest of the top 10.

Ally Howells, with the aid of new navigator Sarah Corrigan, achieved her highest ever AORC finish in seventh.

Warren Luff first time out in the Walkinshaw Racing VW Amarok Veteran competitor Phil Lovett and Luke Stanley left St George with the SXS Motorsport Australia Championship victory, holding off the hard charging Greg Campbell who came home with a head of steam in the final section and finished 10th outright.

Also making it into the top 10 was Brett Comiskey, who made a strong comeback to steer his trophy truck to ninth place overall and the Extreme 2WD class win as the only truck in the buggy-occupied outright top 10.

John Wisse and Chris Collins topped the six-strong SXS Sport class, their final time

5h 09m 27.157s.

Walkinshaw Andretti United racer Warren Luff was second in the Production 4WD class on debut, completing the event in 5h 34m 55s.

“P2 overall for the weekend. So much fun and a huge learning weekend for myself and the team, already counting down the days till Round 2,” Luff said.

“Massive thanks to our amazing team at Walkinshaw Performance for making this weekend possible.”

Geoff Pickering began his pursuit of a 15th Production 4WD title in style, finishing 30th overall and 15m ahead of Luff.

OXLEYS’ ROUND AND TITLE

Winners Geraghty/Pankhurst, Mount Ooraminna

PADDY EATS UP 250 A NON-FINISH in the prologue didn’t deny Paddy Geraghty victory in the Northern Territory Titles 250, the first event of the Alice Springs Off Road Racing Club’s season at Mt Ooraminna on March 11-12.

Geraghty drove his Sportslite Tiny Built/ Suzuki to a one-minute victory over Tim Weir and Eliza Agnew in their Super 1650 Holeshot/Toyota with over four minutes to the ProLite Aceco/Toyota crewed by Luke and Craig Pankhurst. Behind fourth placed David Bird and Mark Nietschke (Bennett Trophy Truck/Chev) were Jason Flavell and Bruce Thomas (Can-Am) who won the SXS Turbo class.

Weir won the 5.0km prologue by 15.5s ahead of the Extreme 2WDs in the hands of Shannon and Keioni Lander (Chev-powered Ford Ranger) and Bird.

Geraghty had a broken wire in the harness while 2021 champions Jack Weir and Jackson didn’t start as their ProLite Jimco blew its Toyota engine on the warm-up track.

In the first of five single lap 40km sections, Weir was first ahead of Geraghty and Pankhurst with Bird fourth in front of Lander. Chloe Wright with her dad Darren navigating, rolled her Super1650 Southern Cross/Mitsubishi but was able continue.

It was the same top three on the second section with Lander fourth ahead of Tim Button and Anthony Dupreez (Super1650 Hunter Rivmasta/Toyota) and Jasmine Chellew and John English (Ext 2WD Nissan Navara V8).

Geraghty was fastest on the third and fourth sections by big margins over Weir, and also won the last albeit by a bare 0.04s. Pankhurst continued in third while Button was fourth and sixth before the engine let go on the last. Chellew was fifth on section three but DNF the fourth and then switched to her SXS Turbo Yamaha YXZ for the last.

Garry O’Brien

YORE 100 WIN GOES TO KYE CAMILLERI A FIELD of 25 entered the Yore Contractors 100, round one of the North Queensland Off Road Racing Championship at Newman Motorsport Complex, Kye Camilleri (pictured) won the March 26-27 event.

In near perfect conditions he drove his Class 6 Can-Am finishing 1min 9.6s ahead of Craig Krog (Unlimited Razorback/Chev).

Michael Marson was third in his Class 10 Ford Windsor V8 another 41.5s away.

Camilleri’s weekend began perfectly with a comprehensive prologue win over one lap of the 9km course, ahead of debutant James Mogford (Can-Am) and Marson and Jack Newman (Can-Am) before the latter DNF the first section.

Both the first two stages went to Camilleri as well, where Krog was second and

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WITH VICTORY in the fifth and final round of the Targa Rallysprint at the Perth Motorplex on March 17, Paul and Oxley took out the drivers’ and navigators’ titles.

The father and daughter duo (pictured above by Jarrrod Sierociak) finished less than a second ahead after four competitive runs in their Subaru Impreza WRX STi, a first time victory for the marque. They had just 0.7s over Justin Lee and Kieren Herrald (Mitsubishi EVO X) with Mark Cirillo and Bryce Moore (Porsche GT3 RS) a similar gap behind.

The four runs for 77 teams on the anticlockwise course, added together, determined the final placings in the Targa West Event and each run had different fastest crews.

Oxley started with the best time on the first ahead of round one and two winners Matt James-Wallace and Ben Tuck (Nissan Skyline GTR R32) with Lee third ahead of Cirillo, David Heaton and Caleb Ash (EVO X), then Will White and Matt Thompson (Nissan GTR Nismo).

James-Wallace headed the second run with 2mins 38s effort that was the night’s fastest.

Oxley was second with Healey, Lee and Matt Palmer and Laine Brandis (EVO 7) next.

Run three went to Heaton over Cirillo, Dan Gonzalez and Tim Mills (Porsche 911 GT3), and Palmer.

After a poor run James-Wallace came back in the last to be third fastest behind Lee and Gonzalez, while Cirillo was third in front of White, then Thomas Hamlett and Emma O’Donnell (Holden Barina), Heaton DNF. Behind Cirillo, fourth place overall went to Palmer with Gonzalez next from White, Jurgen and Helen Lunsmann (Tesla Model 3P+), Drew Nutton and Tina Frank (WRX), Hamlett and James-Wallace. Garry O’Brien

Image: Terry Hill

Marson third in both and the lead was out to over 35s. The third stage went to Krog as he reduced the gap by half, then Marson edged out Camilleri by 0.2s to take the fourth. The latter responded with wins on the final two stages, the last over one lap.

Fourth overall and second in Unlimited was Drew Callander (Razorback/Chev) ahead of Mogford, then Tony Patterson (Polaris) and Jason Bennett (Polaris) in their Class 66 buggys.

After an extended layoff from a motorcycle, Brayden Misfud (Class 10 Razorback) was eighth in front of Trent Callander (Can-Am) and Katelyn Long (Polaris RZR).

Garry O’Brien

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NATIONALS WRAP

George Kulig’s Chev Monte Carlo stock car ahead of a snarling pack. left below. White FV is Alex MacDonald’s Jacer F2K3 and below, Grant Wilson’s Historic Tourer Chev Camaro.

Images: Trapnell Creations

EXCELS HEAD UP SEASON OPENER EIGHT CATEGORIES AND OVER 160 ENTRIES VENTURED TO WARWICK’S MORGAN PARK FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF THE QUEENSLAND CIRCUIT RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS ON MARCH 26-27.

THE FEATURE WAS THE MG CAR CLUB OF QUEENSLAND 50K CUP FOR 42 EXCELS. CIRCUIT EXCELS ALTHOUGH HE couldn’t get the feature victory, Brock Giblin was the winner of the opening round ahead of Jarrod Hughes and Jack Woods.

Giblin led the 50k Cup race until the safety car emerged just before mid-distance. Hughes, in third place early, seized the lead after the race went green. Wood grabed second and held Giblin off for 18 laps.

Behind were Josh Richards, Rylan Gray, Connor Roberts, Bradi Owen, Jackson Faulkner and Cooper Barnes. In the earlier two races Giblin won from Hughes and Treigh Maschotta.

Roberts and Wood each had a fourth and fifth.

PRODUCTION SPORTS/INVITED SPORTS CARS DESPITE JUST one race win, Hugo Godson (Nissan Skyline R35) was the most consistent to take the outright honours over Lachlan Harburg (991 Cup Car) while Joe Barbagallo (Porsche) and Chris Whittaker (Datsun 240Z) tied on points for third.

Those who elected to start race two on slicks were in trouble when it rained, the race was won by Godson ahead of Michael Learoyd (Chev Corvette), Whittaker, Grant Sparks (GT3 Cup) and Shane Plohl (Mazda MX5). It was dry on Sunday where Sparks edged out Harburg in race one The latter had a big win in the last ahead of Barbagallo as Sparks DNF’d.

The category was overshadowed by a serious accident to Sven Koremans early in the first

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race. His Porsche 997 GT3 Cup Car barrelrolled many times at over 200 kmh, Koremans sustained multiple fractures as well as a punctured lung.

RACING & SPORTS CARS/FORMULA FORDS IN THE mix of cars Michael Von Rappard and Blake Varney shared two wins each, Von Rappard’s Stohr WF-1 sports car took the round as Varney (Dallara F304 Formula 3) DNF the first race.

As the pair dominated the next three races, Matt Morton (Radical SR3-RSX sports car) followed his second place in the first with third in race two before a sixth and a fourth. He finished the round third ahead of Jue Lin (SR3) after two thirds, a fourth and a seventh. Best of the Formula Fords was Tom Davies (Mygale SJ2011a) in fifth.

SPORTS SEDANS/INVITED CARS GEORGE KULIG’S Chev Monte Carlo stock car was the round winner ahead of James Simson’s Trans AM/TA2 Challenger then Ashley Bright’s 6.0 litre Chev-powered Holden Commodore.

Kulig won the first comfortably from Simpson and Brian Henderson (Nissan DR30 RSX) third from Zak Hudson’s ex-Brett Curran Ford Mustang). Bright was a non-starter but came back for second in races two and three behind Kulig and ahead of Simpson and Hudson. The last went to Bright over Simpson, Kulig and Hudson.

IMPROVED PRODUCTION ALL RACES were keenly contested, at the end of the weekend it was two-all for race wins with Kyle Organ-Moore’s two seconds shading Bruce Cook’s third and second.

Organ-Moore (Holden Commodore VS) won the first race narrowly over David Waldon (Mazda RX3) and Cook (Ford Escort MkI).

Jason Grimmond (Commodore) and Jason Clements (BMW E36) tangled and spun before Grimmond charged back to fourth ahead of

Ash Isarasena (Mazda RX7).

In the second race Organ-Moore had it a little easier as Waldon slipped to 12th on the second lap which left Cook second, Grimmond retook Clements for third while Isarasena was fifth. Cook took Organ-Moore on the first lap of race three for the win with Simon O’DellFontana (RX7) next in front of Grimmond, Waldon and Isarasena. Behind Cook and Organ-Moore in the last, Waldon made a move on Grimmond towards the end for third.

FORMULA VEES THROUGH FOUR tough encounters Alex Macdonald (Jacer F2K3) clean swept the races just in front of Tim Alder (Rapier) after at least eight lead exchanges across the weekend.

David Hedemann (Bee Cee Jibaru) edged out Alex Hedemann (Rapier) for third by a point after each had a pair of third places and then placing fifth and fourth, while Alex had two fifths. Fifth overall was Matt Dicinoski’s Bee Cee Jibaru after three fourths and a fifth.

HISTORIC TOURING CARS THROUGHOUT THE four races Grant Wilson’s Chev Camaro were dominant. The combination won the first race by 8s from Matt Clift (R100) and Grant Schneider (RX2). Sean Karger (Holden Torana XU-1) was next ahead of Cameron Hein (Ford Cortina GT) and the Mini Coopers of Adam Duce and Ken Nelson.

Wilson was further ahead in the second as Clift retired with a distributor induced misfire, while an ill Schneider didn’t start. Karger was second with Hein just behind him then Duce and Nelson.

Hein was second in the next two races with Duce third in both. Meanwhile Karger and Nelson had a fourth and a fifth each.

PRODUCTION TOURING TWO WINS over three races gave Mitsubishi EVO X driver Greg Symes the overall round

from the similarly mounted Maika Terhorst and Ben Gersekowski (BMW M3).

Symes made a blistering start from row two in race one to grab the lead and fend off pole sitter Gersekowski for the duration. Terhorst was third clear of Tim McDonald (BMW M240i) and Jake Camilleri (Mazda 3 MPS).

Third after the start, Terhorst assumed the lead when Symes slipped to fifth and Gersekowski pitted. Symes fought back to second by the end, behind Terhorst and ahead of Lea Medhurst (BMW) Camilleri and McDonald. In the longer final race, Symes led throughout while Gersekowski was second by lap four and finished just 1.0s arrears of the winner. They were followed by Terhorst, Camilleri and Medhurst.

SALOON CARS/HQ HOLDENS/GEMINIS SALOON CAR debutant and HQ racer Brandon Madden (Ford Falcon AU) took on the experienced Gary Beggs (Holden Commodore VT) for four tight encounters in which they were never more than a second apart. The win count went three to one in Beggs’ favour with Stephen Cook (Commodore) bagging three thirds and Cameron Klee (Commodore) one.

Among the HQs, Jake Madden was unbeaten with four wins. He beat Joe Andriske in each while Tye Gray had two thirds before Scott Andriske scored a couple after a DNF in race two. Rebecca and Mark Gray were almost inseparatable in their Geminis as each notched up two close wins. Garry O’Brien

PIARC 70TH CELEBRATIONS Paul Zazryn’s superbly prepared and presented, dominant Lola T332 Chev exits Siberia (main). Michael Johnston enjoys a run in the hillclimb test (below).

SATURDAY 26th March marked the 70th Anniversary of the Inaugural General Meeting of PIARC held at the Savoy Hotel Melbourne on the 26th March 1952. There the initial committee was formed and Winston Maguire appointed as the first President.

To celebrate the club conducted a Multi Club Super Sprint, Victorian Motorkhana Championship Round, a Hillclimb and Superkart qualifying and races at the Phillip Island circuit.

Sunday featured different events with qualifying and scratch Races for Formula 5000, 2-litre Sports Sedans, Formula Open (Libre) and Combined Sedans. A Show and Shine event which incorporated a number of Parade Laps of the ionic seaside Circuit.

The Suite 1 Lounge overlooking the main straigh was used for all to drop in and relive the 70 Years of PIARC and 66 years of racing at the Island. The Club Awards for 2019 and 2020 were presented as were trophy winners for the weekend.

During Sunday recently elected PIARC President Nick Scarcella and long-standing Director Geoff Bull hosted ong term members, Club Luminaries and Special Guestss including PIARC Member of Honour and 2007 Competitor of the Year Murray Carter,. Murray competed at our Grand Opening Meeting in 1956 and continued racing until 2016.

Other attendees include Alby Middleton our 1985 Competitor of the Year, Edith Irving

wife of Life Member and founding director Phil Irving, Marcia Nelson wife of long serving President and Life member Peter Nelson, 1973 Clubman of the Year Lyne De Luca, 1995 and 2012 Competitor of the Year, Auscar & Nascar Champion Terry Wyhoon.

Tim Macrow 2015 Competitor of the Year appeared briefly, but was focusing on managing a number of competing cars.

Motorsport Australia Executives CEO Eugene Arocca and Mike Smith showed their support.

Club Awards presented for 2019 and 2020 included PIARC John Lanyon Competitors of the Year 2019 to Peter Gluskie and Sam Winter who won the 2019 Australian Targa Championships.

The 2020 award went to Paul Zsidy, active as a Formula Ford Driver and Competitor in both National Series/Championship and Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships. Paul has also previously been Victorian Motorsport Australia State Council Chairman and is the current Victorian State Race Series Chairman.

The 2019 PIARC Clubsport Competitor of the Year Ashley Cutchie has a great lineage as a successful Formula Ford Competitor/Driver and son of Ray Cutchie.

The 2020 winner, Pat Di Fore competes at every PIARC Supersprint in a most unlikely vehicle, a Mercedes CLK 63 AMG. 2019 PIARC Junior Club Member of the Year was Riley Balcombe who has become the Guru of the Phillip Island Circuit CCTV,

whereas the 2020 Junior Zahra Scarcella is a young lady destined to a Motorsport future having pit crewed and helped prepare cars with father Nick and become a wizard in the PIARC E-Sports.

The Winston Maguire PIARC Clubman of the Year was instituted in 1965. The 2019 winner was Theresa Ford who has for many years been the Event Secretary for Supersprints, whilet at Race Meetings is the Deputy Technical Manager for Radios and Public Address.

The 2020 winner is a veteran of many years as the welcoming face of the Circuit as a gatekeeper. She was previously an Assistant Secretary of the Event and has also been involved in the running of many Social Events.

Dawn Bull who has given a lifetime of service to PIARC is the proud recipient.

RESULTS: F5000 - Paul Zazryn, David Hardman & Darcy Russell Formula Open - Trent Grubel, Ryan Astley & Phil Hughes 2 LITRE SS - Craig Lindsell, Steven Howard & Iain McDougall COMBINED SEDANS – Andrew Rhodes-Anderson SHOW & SHINE -Trevor Phillips, Travis Dobbyn & Geoff Yule VIC MOTORKHANA CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND - Jeff Salmon, Matt Webb & Brian Shanahan SUPERKARTS - Nick Schembri,Colin McIntire,Gary Pegararo HILLCLIMB - Christopher Peters, Peter Minihan & Bruce Minihan SUPERSPRINTS - Ron Koczek, Cam Van den Dungen, Pat Di Fore, Stuart Jones, Dave Whitehead, Glen Booth & Ben Dunkin

MAHON BACK ON TOP AS A follow-up to first and second placings in the opening two rounds, David Mahon was on top with FTD at the Mt Leura Victorian Hillclimb Championship round on March 26-27.

At the wheel of his Formula Libre up to 1.3 litre Dallara F394 Hayabusa he covered the fast 313m climb in 29s dead. It was 1.34s better than Mike Barker ’s FL 1.3-2.0lt Hayman 6. Third place 0.06s in arrears was Mirko Grbic in his Mitsubishi EVO 7.

There were 87 entries, Mahon set the benchmark on his first run. He went close with his next two attempts before dramas on the fourth of six available, then put the car away. Barker ’s quickest

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was on run three after Grbic went faster than his previous run.

Fourth outright, and class second to Mahon was Keith Wilson (Ninja BH1) 0.1s in front of the class third David Casey (Casey TH109R). They were followed by Brenton Byfield, Subaru WRX Sports Wagon Wim Janssen (Wimp 003) was seventh edging out Glen Latter (over 3.0lt Mazda RX7), and the Non Logged Book Subarus of Mark Dixon and Paul Gladman. Then came Jordan James (Mitsubishi EVO 4) and Kyron Williamson (Legend Car).

The next two, Pun Hy (Volkswagen Golf R Wagon) and David Harris

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(Subaru WRX) finished 0.01s apart to decide 13th and winner of the

Improved Production 4WD class.

Garry O’Brien

David Mahon’s Dallara F394 Hayabusa, zeroes in on an apex at Mount Leura.

Image: David Jowett

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BATES WINS AS SVG STARS THE BEST ARC FIELD IN DECADES SEES SOME GREAT FOREST RACING

Images: Epic Sports Photography

By Paul Gover HARRY BATES was not the only winner at the finish of the National Capital Rally.

He and his co-driver John McCarthy sprayed champagne over their Toyota GR Yaris, but it was the Australian Rally Championship that really scored as Shane van Gisbergen became a new rally star, Hyundai joined the action with a factory-backed car for Brendan Reeves, Eli Evans challenged with a hotrod Mini, and the Top 20 starters were stronger than any line-up for more than 20 years.

Five of the past six national champions came to Canberra for the start of the 2022 season, although Scott Pedder was sidelined early with suspension breakage on his Renault Clio and Nathan Quinn never looked remotely competitive in a troublesome Hyundai i20.

Another fast driver in trouble was Aaron Windus, who was only 18th at the finish in a unique Ford Fiesta.

“It’s been an incredible, incredible weekend and I’ve loved every minute of it,” says Bates, and he’s not the only one.

If the ARC continues this way, it could be headed for a new golden era.

The NatCap was an old-school rally, run over two days on some of the classic roads from the Castrol Rally in the 1970s and 1980s. Much of the Canberra forest has been over-run by housing development but there are still fastand-rocky challenges in Kowen Forest and the slippery twists of the Brindabella ranges.

The Bates boys, defending champion Harry and his younger brother Lewis, bolted out of the blocks to finish the opening stage - Hyles Block - in team formation with their locally-

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developed, three-cylinder Yaris babies. But van Gisbergen was already up to speed in his Skoda Fabia, and only 4.5 seconds behind Harry Bates, as he ran third ahead of Luke Annear in a Ford Fiesta, Quinn in the Hyundai, Reeves and Richie Dalton in one of the Bates’ superseded Yaris.

Pedder only lasted until SS2 in his Renault.

“Just hit an embedded rock in the road and broke a tie rod in half. Not an R5 car,” says Pedder.

Quinn dropped five minutes in Blue Range and another five in Oakey Creek as he battled major dramas.

The rally had begun on dusty roads under threatening clouds and it was Harry B who paid the price when the rain came in the Oakey Creek stage. He out-braked himself and slid off the road, but the undamaged car was perched on a fallen log and it took far too long to get it back on the road.

“We were pushing hard sitting in second place after the morning loop and unfortunately in SS5 I was caught out in a slippery down hill section and got stuck off the road,” says Bates.

But at least he could continue on the second day.

Another to strike trouble, literally, was Taylor Gill. He left the road on a left-hander and tore the suspension out of his Subaru WRX, but was able to limp to service for repairs and continued with minimal time loss.

“I didn’t think we could get it repaired but the boys did a miracle to get us back out there,” he says.

But time was bleeding away, like the brakes on Reeves’ Hyundai. His team tried changing

pads and bleeding the brakes, as well as tweaking the suspension, but he could not unlock the speed he was expecting from the R5 Hyundai i30.

Further back, Tim Wilkins was running well in his Lancer Evo and veteran Trevor Stilling was having fun and going fast as the best of the classics in his Datsun Stanza.

But, despite leading by more than 20 minutes on the second day, he and Jon Thomson went out on the final Power Stage with a broken tail shaft.

“We had a moment in the stage before, nearly end-for-ended, and cracked the windscreen. But that didn’t cause it. There was a bang on the start-line, so what do you do,” says Stilling.

By the end of the first day Bates was already untouchable in front, leading by nearly 90 seconds over the impressive Van Gisbergen.

Evans and Reeves were showing the benefit of their experience and raw speed, while Gill was fifth.

SATURDAY LEADER BOARD Harry Bates, 2. SvG +1.21.8, 3. Evans +2:55.3, 4. Reeves +3:37.9s, 5. Gill + 4:39.5 The Sunday run switched the game as crews headed to Kowen Forest after the slipperiness of the Brindabellas, with Pedder rejoining and Reeves hopeful after an overnight revamp of his car’s set-up and some advice from former Hyundai WRC driver, Hayden Paddon. With more front-end grip he blasted back into

HARRY BATES and his co-driver John McCarthy (main image) drove the locally developed and built Toyota GR Yaris to a solid win of the National Capital Rally, doing just enough to stay it front of the opposition.

While giving himself time to settle in, it was Shane van Gisbergen and his co-driver Glen Weston in the Skoda Fabia R5 (above) that stole the show and took second place on the podium.

After some time away from the ARC, Brendan Reeves and Kate Catford (below) were fast and finished on the podium in their Hyundai i30N R5.

A flying Taylor Gill and Kim Bessell (bottom) survived an early off road excursion which damaged their Subaru WRX. It was repaired with little time lost, allowing the pair to finish a solid fourth outright.

action, even beating Bates on the opening stage of the second day.

“I particularly enjoyed the Kowen Forest stages and was happy that the adjustments we made to the set up had an immediate impact and we could up our pace today,” says Reeves.

Lewis Bates was also back on the pace, after nearly matching his older brother on Saturday, but also making sure he had an undamaged Yaris ahead of the second ARC event in Perth.

But it was Eli Evans who was set for a podium, despite inevitable teething troubles in a Mini which was having its first ARC start.

“We showed glimpses of speed, but we didn’t have a clear run. It wasn’t a great run, but I was happy with the pace given where the car development is at,” Evans says.

“We know where we’ve got areas to improve.

That will put us even closer.”

And then it ended, with a fire under the bonnet that stopped the mini and left codriver Adam Wright with minor burns.

“We just came up in a fast section of road, and braked for a tight left-hander, and there were flames all over the front of the car. The engine had caught fire. We found out later that a fuel line to the direct-injection pump had sheared off.

“It needs a full engine bay rebuild, so there is a bit of work to do. Adam got a few burns but he’s fine now.”

So Bates was now left to defend his lead as van Gisbergen snatched two stages wins with Glen Weston calling the notes, including the Power Stage, to prove he is the versatile new Jim Richards of the 21st century.

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“The more experience we got, the faster we were going. We just needed to make sure we were there at the end and then we were pretty much flat out on those last three stages,” says SvG. “Yesterday’s roads were tougher, especially with the conditions, but I just took the slow option and made sure we got to the end. I knew if we got it right we would be good. It’s special in rally when you get that harmony with your co-driver. I would love to do more rallying and hopefully this weekend helped.”

For Lewis Bates, Sunday was about finishing as his times were in the 4-5-6 range, including fourth on the Power Stage.

“It was hard to get back into a rhythm. It’s nice to finish off with a nice stage,” he says.

Gill got the Production Cup in his exWindus Subaru WRC and was one of the happiest drivers.

“I’m stoked. Just to be at the end of such a tough rally. “I thought it was all over on Stage 3,” he says.

So Reeves got third and had a big smile after the Saturday dramas.

“I wanted to go home. (But) we fixed the car and turned it around,” says Reeves.

“It’s been a big collaboration with a lot of people to get here and we’ve had a fantastic time. The sport is really picking up and having Shane here is awesome.”

For Bates, who drove fast and smart to the finish and even conceded five seconds from his overnight lead, the event had ticked all the boxes.

“Yesterday was difficult but the conditions on the Kowen Forest side of Canberra today were good. It was a really enjoyable win and I am very happy to get the win again, I love this rally – it’s even more special when family friends are here to celebrate with us,” he says.

But the championship leader is already looking ahead to Round 2 of the ARC in Perth on May 20-22.

“I am very excited to get out to WA. As much as I love Canberra, it’s also exciting to get to an away rally. It’s a rally I love. The roads suit my driving style and I can’t wait to get out there and tackle that challenge.”

NETIER - NATIONAL CAPITAL RALLY FINAL RESULTS 1.

Harry Bates-John McCarthy, Toyota GR Yaris AP4, 2 hours 10.6 seconds 2.

Shane van Gisbergen-Glen Weston, Skoda Fabia R5, 2:01.37.2 3.

Brendan Reeves-Kate Catford, Hyundai i30N R5, 2:03.55 4.

Taylor Gill-Kim Bessell, Subaru WRX, 2:08.21.5 5.

Tom Clarke-Ryan Preston, Ford Fiesta R5, 2:10.01.6 6.

Tim Wilkins-Jim Gleeson, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, 2:11.26.7 7.

Richie Dalton-Dale Moscatt, Toyota Yaris AP4, 2:14.35.6 8.

Ronald Bustard-Larisa Biggar, Mitsubishi Evo, 2:16.26.2 9.

Guy Tyler-Zayne Admiral, Mitsubishi Magna, 2:18.26.3 10. Michael Harding-James Thorburn, Subaru WRX, 2:20.14.3

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TIME FOR MAXIMUM ATTACK

BIG CROWDS FLOCK TO SEE ACTION OF ALL TYPES

Images: MTR Images

Report: Garry O’Brien FOR THE third time in succession Bart Mawer and the Rod Pobestek owned and built Porsche 968 won the Yokohama World Time Attack at Sydney Motorsport Park on April 2.

After he set a benchmark time early in the day, the team basically ran out of competition as the opposition succumbed to dramas. By the time darkness descended the only thing left to chase was a new outright lap record.

He was on target through the first two sectors but had a tyre let go near Turn 9.

There was still an opportunity in the shootout, but the team opted out. “There was a bit of body damage around the

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right rear, and I doubt we would have gone quicker anyway, given the cooler track conditions,” Mawer said.

The weather gods were on side following a couple of months of heavy rain. Conditions were cloudy and cool to begin, but warmed up as the event progressed.

The stars of the extravaganza were the Royal Purple Pro class where the rule book is of little consequence. These mega horsepower, fully aerodynamic winged wonders have been very quick on the 3.93km Gardner GP circuit, and it was expected they would lap at record pace.

Day one was practice only with and

quite a rollup of spectators. With official timing on Saturday, Mawer posted a 1min 20.1s after the RP968 team replaced the input shaft late on Friday. He was less than a second off his 2019 record.

His nearest competition was Brad Shiels and the Tilton Mitsubishi EVO 9 just eight tenths away, with Nathan Antunes third in the Got It Rex Subaru Impreza WRX STi. But Tim Slade’s return to Hammerhead, now owned by Liam Hooper, was short-lived as the Nissan S13 Silvia blew its engine in practice.

Slade last took part in 2017 where he won aboard Hammerhead. “It’s a really cool event with the different variety of cars and people.

“It’s a hell of a lot different to Supercars.

I like the concept, you can basically go to a store out the back here, buy some go-fast bits, put them on your car and hit the track.

“The cars are fun, lots of grunt, lots of aero in the Pro Class . . . give a race car driver more grunt and aero, then they are normally happy.

“Disappointed about Hammerhead, I feel sorry for Liam (Hooper) and all the guys that worked on getting it here.”

Tilton team principal, Kostinken Pohorukov was running the EVO in Plazmaman Pro Am and was third quicktest overall. He set his fastest time despite a tyre delamination from track debris as he completed the lap. It caused damage to the front guard, floor and splitter, and it not only meant the end of

his day but also for Shiels as well.

“There was no way we could have done an (1min) 18 but I think there was a 19 there if conditions suited. Unfortunately that won’t happen, but we still finished second,” he said.

Second in Pro Am was Jay Davidson (Gingerbread Racing WRX) who left his best run to the Shootout and relegated Richard Perini (991 Racing Ginetta G55) to third by 0.06s. After a troubled leadup, Stephen Faulkes (Bitten Motorsports WRX) also produced his fastest lap in the last for fourth ahead of Andrew Handmer (SX Developments Nissan 180SX).

While Slade was out of Pro, he had a second drive in the Xtreme GTR Nissan Skyline R32 and was in a tight battle with Nathan Morcom (Royal Purple EVO 7) for the GCG Turbo Open Class win.

The latter was fastest in the first session by a tenth before Slade went ahead by 0.3s. It was a 1min 27.379s class record, but the engine detonated at the end of his fast lap.

Morcom was set to knock off Slade for the top spot in the last of the regular runs until the EVO slowed in the final sector.

“We were on it, it just threw the power steering belt,” he said. The shootout was the final chance and Morcom nailed it with his 1min 27.247 flyer.

Benny Tran (BYP Racing Honda Integra) was third ahead of Aaron Borg (World’s Best Technology Nissan R33), Rob Nguyen (Dream Project S15), Darren Bishop (Revzone EVO 7) and Hooper

(Car Mods Australia WRX).

Best of the Haltech Clubsprints was Jamal Assaad in his Team ERS Performance EVO 6 RS. He had almost three seconds on his rivals until Idin Ahangar (Got It Rex WRX) reduced it to 1.5s in the end. Trent Grubel (DC Jap Automotive WRX) finished third in front of Michael Garland (Got It Rex WRX and Adam Casmiri (Lamspeed Racing Toyota GR Yaris).

There was plenty of spectator interest in the Australasian Drift Titles, held in the afternoon rather than at night as previously. Thirty-two Pros went through two-up elimination battles before Brad Tuohy won after he qualified his supercharged LS-powered Toyota GT86.

He was declared the winner after contact when final rival, Patrick Baylee overcorrected his Chev Corvette C6. Matt Harvey (S13) was eliminated by Tuohy in the semi-final after it had to be rerun as the judges couldn’t split them initially.

Harvey was due to face Luke Fink, but the R34 stalled at the start and wouldn’t refire. He was deemed to have caused contact with Baylee in the semi, which put the Corvette into the final.

Also on track were the drift and stunt demos by the Matt Mingay and the Hot Wheels team, wild Blown Outlaws powerskids, and the Turbosmart Flying 500. The latter was to determine the top speed after 500 metres of the main straight for road registered vehicles. A twin turbo Lamborghini Huracan topped the linear speeds at 288kms.

On display and doing demonstration laps were Bap Romano in his Cosworthpowered Kaditcha sports car. It had a drama on Friday with foam clogging the fuel system but ran sweetly on Saturday.

There was also an 8.3-litre McLaren M8E Chev Can-Am, presented as it raced in 1971 when steered by the late, recently departed, Vic Elford. The car, owned

by Peter Jones, was driven by his son, Carrera Cup driver Harri.

Ron Goodman had his vintage Porsches doing laps. He drove his 1954 Porsche 356 Type A and Type Bs while Warren Luff was in the 1966 906 Carrera 6. On static display was Goodman’s unique Aero 356, equipped with a threecylinder radial aeroplane engine and an

interior reminiscent of a fighter jet.

Worth the view were two Verstappen Formula 1 cars - Jos’ 2001 Arrows A22 and Max’s 2020 Red Bull RB16 – together for the first time. Inspired by F1 was Zac Mihajlovic’s Ferrari V12-powered Zacaria SC. The car was hand-built, supposedly road legal and followed his previous project – a full replica Batmobile.

Just about every performance accessory, memorabilia etc from the many trade vendors were available to check out. As well there was the Shannons StyliZed show presented by Downshift on the skidpan throughout the event with a multitude of great cars on display.

Barton Mawer won his third straight World Time Attack at Sydney Motorsport Park (Main).

On the left Mawer is lifting the victory trophy.

Stephen Faulkes (top right) sparks his way around the high-speed first turn.

TCR Australia driver Nathan Morcom finished the event in fourth overall at the wheel of his Mitsubishi Evo 7 (above right).

Tim Slade made another appearance at the World Time Attack (right).

As always a massive crowd flocked through the gates of SMP to visit the event (far right).

Brad Shiels (below) driving his Mitsubishi Evo 9 finished the event in second, only 0.8s behind Mawer.

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VIC STATE RACE SERIES - RD 2 WINTON Images: Revved Photography

Dean Camm and his Corvette where hot while on track.

Images Revved Photography

FUN IN THE WINTON SUN

NEARLY 200 DRIVERS COMPETED IN THE SECOND ROUND OF THE VICTORIAN STATE RACE SERIES ACROSS THE WEEKEND OF MARCH 26TH & 27TH, WITH WINTON LIVING UP TO ITS REPUTATION OF BEING THE NATION’S ACTION TRACK.

Report: Steven Devries FORMULA FORD MATTHEW HILLYER (pictured right) put on a great show of all-round driving to claim all three wins in the Duratec class. The Spectrums of Jordyn Sinni and Matthew Holmes kept Hillyer honest throughout the weekend, with Kobi Williams and Jake SantaLucia not too far behind.

The Kent class cars had a mixed set of results, with James Meaden standing on every step of the podium once and edging Grant Walker for top spot at the end of the weekend.

IMPROVED PRODUCTION ROBERT BRAUNE judged all three race starts to perfection from the front row, going on to win all three races in his BMW E30 ahead of Paul Cruse’s Nissan S13 in the first two races. The third-place finishes in the opening two races went to Luke GrechCumbo in Race 1 and Jamie Augustine in Race 2.

The drive of the weekend came from Jarrod Tonks – starting dead last in Race 2 and scything his way through the field to finish fourth. That drive became vitally important for Race 3, as he pounced on an opportunity to claim and hold P2 in Race 3 ahead of Cruse.

SPORTS SEDANS TONY GROVES’ MARC V8 Mazda 3 was on song from the word “go” all weekend.

Groves streaked away to a dominant win in all three races, with Francois Habib bringing his VZ Commodore home to podium finishes in all three races. Dean Camm’s Corvette was a notable absentee from Race 3, giving up his weekend podium run to John Ippolito.

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HYUNDAI EXCELS AFTER LOSING out at the start, Ethan Grigg-Gault overcame Hugo Simpson to win Race 1, himself hunted all the way home by James Lodge.

Race 2 became a 4-lap sprint following a red flag stoppage for oil on track. An errant jump start penalty for Simpson was rescinded post-race, giving him the win ahead of Grigg-Gault and Bradley Vereker.

Grigg-Gault returned serve in Race 3 to march away to a thirteen second win over ten laps, leaving Simpson to fend off the advances of Vereker for the last two podium positions.

FORMULA VEE SEVERAL NATIONAL competitors joined their Victorian counterparts for the first round of the Formula Vee National series.

Michael Kinsella and fellow national combatant Daniel Reynolds split the first two wins of the weekend. Heath Collinson joined them in the top three on both occasions, benefitting in the latter race from a last lap throttle cable failure for Reef McCarthy.

McCarthy’s rear of grid charge gained a lifeline from a mid-race safety car in Race 3, setting up a grandstand finish. It all came to nought on the last lap – McCarthy contacting Kinsella, losing his nose, and spinning off in a cloud of dust, leaving Reynolds, Kinsella, and Hayden Crossland to grace the podium positions.

SPORTS CARS BEN SCHOOTS continued his domination of the Victorian Sports Car scene, surviving the standing start of the Saturday sprint race and comfortably holding his own in the 40-minute feature race on Sunday. Behind

him, it was the Porsches of Jamie Lovett and Christian Fitzgerald to close out the top three for the round in a field dominated by the German marque.

PORSCHE 944s CAMERON BELLER held sway through all three races to claim maximum points for the weekend but had to work harder with each race to keep James Westaway at bay.

Mark Taubitz (2) and Adam Brewer (1) were the third-place finishers but could not get within striking distance of the lead two cars as the weekend continued, who remain extremely close at the top of the VSRS points standings.

SALOON CARS THE ACTION in the bang-for-buck category did not disappoint.

Shaun Jamieson’s race was over before the end of lap 1, leaving Daniel Johnson to take Race 1 from Mark Sutherland and Engels Leoncini.

A brilliant drive from Jamieson saw him produce a last-to-first effort in Race 2 and finish six seconds clear of Sutherland and Johnson. He would go on to take his second win for the weekend in the final race, with

Johnson and Sutherland swapping their finishing places from Race 2.

BMW E30s THE FIRST two races highlighted the Jeremy Payne and Alex Jory show, who were both clearly far above the rest of the field.

However, Payne’s Race 3 ended just before the first lap was over, pulling into the pits and leaving Jory to take round honours.

An indiscretion in Qualifying saw Brian Bourke relinquish his third-place result but he showed great skill and speed to recover throughout the weekend, finishing with results of sixth, third and second in a field of 15 cars.

MG & INVITED BRITISH THE SMALL field of MG and Invited British sports cars was headed in Race 1 by Robin Bailey’s MG B GT V8, from Keith Ondarchie’s Triumph Stag and Gary Bulmer’s MG B. A mechanical issue for Bailey at half-distance in Race 2 gifted the win to Bulmer from Ondarchie and Michael Trathem’s MG Midget.

Bailey bounced back in a big way in Race 3, charging through to a near 40-second win ahead of Ondarchie and Trathen.

Images: Angryman & Insyde Media

SUPERCARS SUPPORTS - TAS

HAT-TRICK HAYMAN REPORT: Josh Nevett TOM HAYMAN scored a hat-trick of wins in Aussie Racing Cars to emerge the round winner at Symmons Plains Raceway.

Joshua Anderson and Hayman split the wins on Saturday after a pair of enthralling encounters before the latter swept Sunday’s races.

Anderson and Chapman were ultracompetitive in their Cooldrive Racing Camaro’s, completing the round podium.

Kiwi S5000 steerer Kaleb Ngatoa had a nightmare outing in the category, failing to finish a race all weekend.

Anderson won Race 1 after a merry-goround of lead changes, crossing the line less than two tenths ahead of Cody Brewczysnki.

Chapman rounded out the podium, giving the steps a blue theme.

Despite a lock up at Turn 1, Anderson retained the lead off a strong start.

Hayman managed to take the lead by lap 5, while Brewczysnki and Chapman made it a tight front four fighting for first place.

Brewczysnki became the third leader for the race, ahead of Anderson and the Cooldrive cars on lap 8.

The front four continued their spirited exchanges, contact to the back of Hayman’s machine causing the tyre to rub against the arch, slowing him down and costing him positions.

In the end it was Anderson who held his nerve to take the win.

Below the podium getters came Leigh Bowler and Hayman.

Hayman bounced back from his late race fade to win Race 2 from Anderson and

WOODS WINS SHORTENED UTES OPENER

By Martin Agatyn SYDNEY TOYOTA Hilux driver Craig Woods (pictured) took the early lead of the 2022 Haltech V8 Superutes Series after the opening round at Symmons Plains.

Scheduled for four races, Race Four on Sunday was abandoned after a first lap incident saw the event red flagged after a coming together between Layton Barker (Mitsubishi Triton) and Harry Gray (Ford Ranger) brought Richard Mork (Mazda BT-50) and Rohan Barry (Toyota Hilux) unstuck, with Barker’s ute badly damaged.

The biffo in the final heat wasn’t typical of the weekend, but the closeness was, with four drivers in contention for most of the previous three races, namely round winner Woods, Craig Dontas (Mitsubishi Triton), defending Superutes champion Aaron Borg and George Gutierrez, both in Holden Colarados.

Less than a second separated the top 10 in qualifying and it played out in the three completed races as well.

Woods finished the weekend with two wins

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and a second to clinch the round victory and series lead.

Dontas won the first race from Woods and Borg, but the second race was only worth half points, with a reverse grid for the top six.

Woods drove exceptionally well to charge through the pack for the win, but he made the task a little harder for himself with poor starts in all three races.

However, his efforts to chase down the likes of Dontas and Borg provided great entertainment.

The third race saw Dontas again get a better start with Woods, Gutierrez and Borg in nose to tail pursuit for the opening six laps before Woods eventually found a way past Dontas and opened a small gap.

The battle raged behind him with Dontas claiming second, with only a hundredth of a second between Gutierrez and Borg for third and fourth.

Woods was happy with his round victory, but disappointed the weekend ended with a no-race.

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Ensbey.

The same top four as Race 1 went at it early, Hayman jumping four positions to the lead.

Bowler took advantage of an incident at the hairpin to surge to second, Chapman spun

by Brewczysnki who sustained significant bodywork damage.

Smoke began to plume from Brewczynski’s car forcing him to pit, emerging without the front end of his car and ultimately finishing at the rear of the field.

Hayman grew his lead after the halfway mark of the race, cruising to a comfortable win by over 10s.

Anderson was a comfortable second, while a three-horse race for the final podium position climaxed in Ensbey, Ward and Bowler going three wide into the final corner, Ensbey jumping two spots at the death to claim it.

The Aussie Racing Cars put on great racing across the weekend, with Tom Hayman the star performer.

Ward and Bowler were fourth and fifth.

Race 3 featured a top 10 reverse grid format from Race 2, Hayman charging through the field to start the day strongly.

Hayman took the lead on lap 12 and held it to finish ahead of the Cooldrive cars of Chapman and Anderson.

Thompson and Ensbey were fourth and fifth.

The biggest casualty of the race was Brewczynski, whose Mustang was knocked out of contention after four laps.

Hayman had an easier time of things in Race 4, comfortably cruising to a 6s victory over Chapman and Ward.

Anderson finished fourth, while Bowler was fifth despite a lap 12 collision at the hairpin.

Brewczysnki did not make the start line after his incident in Race 3.

HOOPER ATTACKS TIN TOPS AT SYMMONS

By Martin Agatyn THE FUN factor was the main motivation behind local Tasmanian driver and Time Attack regular Liam Hopper’s (pictured) dominance of the Tassie Tip Tops Symmons Plains Supercars championship support races on March 26 and 27.

The category was a mix of sports sedans, Sports GTA and B cars, and improved production Sedans.

Hooper was running his Nissan Skyline R32 GTS in sports sedan mode and stayed at the front most of the weekend to win all four races, although he was challenged at times by fellow sports sedan contender Brett O’Shea (Holden Commodore), However, consistency let the latter down, with fuel issues in race two forcing him out early in

the second race.

Fellow front runner Kim Barwick (Holden Commodore) broke a throttle cable in the same race, which made their charge through the field the following day in heat three after starting from the rear of the grid one of the weekend’s highlights.

O’Shea was able to make it all the way up to second and Barwick third while Hooper cruised ahead to win by a massive nine seconds.

The fourth race of the weekend featured a battle up front with several lead changes involving Hooper and O’Shea right to the line with Hooper snatching the victory on the last lap.

“That one (the last race), was the most enjoyable of the weekend for me, having a good battle with Brett,” Hooper said.

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INTERNATIONAL

Aussie Calan Williams lead race 1 for a brief time and finished a solid fifth place on the road. Here he battles with Jake Huges for the lead. Hughs would later be penalised and Williams would move to forth place.

Images: Motorsport Images

MIXED WEEKEND FOR AUSSIES IN F2

Jack Doohan had to fight from the back of the field all weekend.

Report: Dan McCarthy IT WAS a rollercoaster weekend for both Australians in a highly eventful FIA Formula 2 Championship round in Saudi Arabia.

The Qualifying session was strong for both Jack Doohan and Calan Williams, Doohan qualified on row two while Williams also qualified inside the top 10.

Due to multiple red flags Doohan completed more laps than planned, as a result he couldn’t submit the required 0.8kg of fuel post-session and was disqualified, and therefore started both races from the back of the grid.

Grid penalties were a theme of the weekend. Five drivers were penalised for impeding, this benefitted Williams who was promoted a spot, starting the Feature from seventh.

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Felipe Drugovich qualified on pole alongside Richard Verschoor, with New Zealander Marcus Armstrong third. The other Kiwi Liam Lawson started from slot five.

Doohan’s disqualification promoted Red Bull Junior driver Dennis Hauger to 10th, he therefore started the Sprint Race from pole.

Lawson prevailed in the Sprint scoring his first FIA Formula 2 Championship victory this year and third straight podium, while his mate from over the Tasman, Williams bagged his first F2 top five.

It was an eventful race with multiple incidents and three safety car restarts.

Lawson avoided the chaos early, after a late race safety car he marched towards the front.

Lawson beat his former teammate and

fellow Red Bull Junior driver Juri Vips and Jake Hughes, however the Englishman was disqualified post-race.

The skid plank on his Hughes’ Van Amersfoort Racing car didn’t meet the required thickness of 5mm +/-1mm.

From 10th Drugovich stormed through the field to fourth, however he inherited the final podium spot after Hughes’ disqualification.

Williams led the race for a period, including when the race went back to green for the second time.

He was overtaken by Hughes at Turn 2 then was forced wide, this baulked the West Australian, costing him momentum and leaving him vulnerable to Lawson.

Williams eventually came home fifth but was classified fourth.

Doohan didn’t greet the chequered flag after a collision with American Logan Sargeant.

Hauger led the majority of the race but pitted under the safety car while Doohan and Sargeant’s cars were being recovered.

He re-joined in 12th; however, the pit lane was closed and the Prema Racing driver was dealt a 10s stop-and-go penalty for the infringement.

After finishing on the podium in the Sprint, Brazilian Drugovich converted pole to victory in an uninterrupted Feature race.

Impressively, Doohan calved his way through the field to finish in the points from the back, finishing ninth.

While Drugovich took a dominant victory, his two major championship rivals Theo

Pourchaire and Lawson retired from the race.

Pourchaire was forced to retire during his compulsory pitstop, while Lawson pulled to a stop at the exit of the pitlane with his front-left wheel not fitted properly.

Verschoor was unable to match Drugovich, finishing in P2, while Jehan Daruvala, who started 14th claimed third.

Hughes did his best to make up for Saturday’s disqualification by finishing fourth ahead of Armstrong.

Reigning Formula 3 champion Hauger finished sixth ahead of Ayumu Iwasa and Roy Nissany.

Utilising the alternate strategy Doohan finished ninth from Vips.

Williams drove well but just missed out on points, the Trident driver got away well off the line, but in the madness of the opening corners fell to 10th.

Williams started on soft tyres and pitted early. When he re-joined, he battled with Clement Novalak, Williams prevailed but they both lost time, overcut by several drivers in the pitstop sequence. Despite making a couple of places late on he finished 13th.

STANDINGS 1 Drugovich 2 Lawson 3 Verschoor 4 Vips 5 Pourchaire 14 Doohan 15 Williams

45 34 32 28 25 6 5

A BELGIAN BENCHMARK REPORT: Josh Nevett TEAM WRT picked up where it left off last season, winning the opening round of the 2022 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Imola.

The three-pronged attack of Dries Vanthoor, Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde led for the majority of the race in their new Audi R8 LMS Evo II GT3, eventually prevailing by 6.2s over the Mercedes-AMG AKKODIS ASP Team pairing of Raffaele Marciello and Daniel Juncadella.

There was plenty of clear air at the front of the field but the battle for third was thrilling, the #2 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed car of Maro Engel, Steijn Schothorst and Luca Stolz pipping the #12 Audi by less than half a second.

Mattia Drudi put in a desperate last-ditch effort to get past Stolz, but it was to no avail as the German driver held him off to earn a podium position.

In Silver Cup, Aussie Jordan Love made his debut for the Haupt Racing Team, finishing 13th in class alongside Jannes Fittje and Alain Valente.

Love commandeered the #4 MercedesAMG GT3 for the opening phase of the race, showing good pace to move up the order in the early stages.

After his stint, however, the Haupt machine fell back in the pecking order.

One of the key storylines of the first round of the season was the full-time debut of seven-time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi, who signed on with Team WRT in the offseason.

Rossi’s #46 Audi ran just outside the top 10 during the opening stint and Rossi held position when he took over for the second hour.

However, a mistimed pit stop saw the entry go backwards until Fred Vervisch recovered several positions to finish 17th.

Overall, it was an excellent day for the Belgian WRT squad, which backed up its outright win with a victory in Silver Cup thanks to Thomas Neubauer and Benjamin Goethe.

ALEIX A WINNER Report: Dan McCarthy IT WAS an emotional day of firsts in Argentina.

In his 200th MotoGP start, 32-year-old Aleix Espargaro (pictured) broke through to take his first pole position and his maiden victory.

Incredibly, it was also the first victory for Aprilia in the MotoGP era, its was over two decades ago.

Despite being the quickest almost all weekend it was not an easy win for Espargaro, fighting throughout against Pramac Ducati rider Jorge Martin.

At the end of the race the top four were separated by just 1.8s, with a big gap to the rest of the field.

The legendary Ducati wholeshot device paid dividends when Martin, from second, roared past Aleix Espargaro into Turn 1. A good start from Aleix’s brother Pol saw him slot into third in the opening turns.

Martin and Aleix Espargaro quickly pulled a second clear of Pol Espargaro, Alex Rins and Luca Marini who fought for third place.

By lap 7 Rins and Pol Espargaro had cleared Marini, however the gap to the leading pair continued to increase to 2s.

Behind them it was Marini, Maverick Vinales, Francesco Bagnaia and Brad Binder in close company.

On lap 10 Aleix Espargaro appeared unsettled, he made a mistake, running wide at Turn 1 and again at Turn 4, losing 0.9s

in the first half of the lap giving Martin a margin of over 1s out front.

However, Aleix Espargaro responded to set the fastest lap of the Grand Prix, 0.4s quicker than Martin.

With eight laps to go Espargaro was back on the tail of Martin and made his first move, the Aprilia rider was in too deep, ran wide and allowed Martin back by.

The fight for the lead was on, however Suzuki’s Rins was not out of the fight, just 1.3s off the leading duo with seven laps left.

Espargaro tried again at Turn 5 on the following lap, but to no avail. It was third time lucky, with four and a half laps to go Espargaro slid up the inside to lead.

Despite losing the lead, Martin wasn’ t done, he smelt victory and remained glued to the back of the Aprilia, however both were being caught by Rins, who, with three laps remaining, was just 0.8s behind Martin.

With two to go Martin was 0.2s behind Espargaro, however on the penultimate lap, under pressure the Aprilia rider pulled one out the bag to extend his lead to 0.6s and gaining some breathing space.

On the last lap Martin wasn’t close enough, Aleix Espargaro had done it! He was a MotoGP winner.

Martin had no answer in the end but came home second, 0.8s shy of victory and only 0.5s ahead of Rins who finished third.

The second Suzuki rider Joan Mir also had

a late charge, he finished 0.5s behind his teammate in the end.

With 11 laps to go, while running fourth behind Rins, Pol Espargaro crashed out at Turn 2 but was one of the first to congratulate his older brother.

After failing to make it into Q2, Bagnaia finished fifth ahead of Binder and Vinales in the top five battle.

Reigning champion Quartararo dropped from sixth to 13th on the opening lap, he limited the damage coming home eighth ahead of star rookie Marco Bezzecchi, Bastianini and Marini Takaaki Nakagami beat home Indonesia winner Miguel Oliveira, Australian Jack Miller and Alex Marquez who claimed the final point in fifteenth.

The other Australian, Remy Gardner on the Tech 3 KTM came home 17th, just behind his teammate Raul Fernandez.

STANDINGS 1 Aleix Espargaro 2 Binder 3 Bastianini 4 Rins 5 Quartararo 6 Mir 7 Oliveira 8 Zarco 9 Martin 10 Pol Espargaro

45 38 36 36 35 33 28 24 20 20

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME FIVE LAPS in the lead was all Denny Hamlin needed to score victory in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, his first win this season.

Hamlin took the lead with five laps to go, driving his #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota past William Byron’s #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, before holding on in the tense final laps to cross the line first.

The victory was Hamlin’s fourth at the Virginia track, his home state, and his 47th in the NASCAR Cup. As a result, Hamlin moved up to 22nd in the standings, aiming to put a slow start behind him.

Byron led for 71 laps in succession at the time, and 122 for the race, but his frontrunning effort only earned him third-place

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behind Kevin Harvick who roared into second.

Harvick finished 0.552s clear of Byron, as the only Ford driver in the top five.

Martin Truex finished fourth after triumphing in Stage 2, while Kyle Larson rounded out the top five.

Christopher Bell was sixth in the #20 Toyota after leading for 63 laps, ahead of Ryan Blaney who held front spot from the start until lap 129 in his #12 Team Penske Ford.

Blaney’s longest leading run included a Stage 1 win, his third of the season.

Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon completed the top 10.

There were four caution periods, one in each of the first two stages before two were

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required in the final 170-lap stage.

The highest profile victim of the interruptions was Kurt Busch, whose #45

23Xl Racing Toyota came to a halt on the back straight on lap 9. He was unable to finish, listed as a DNF, classified 35th.

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Formula 1 Round 02 Saudi Arabia GP

The race is on and pole man Sergio Perez is off and away to a strong lead.

He was unfortunate in the timing of the Safety Car and suffered as a result fell to fourth place at the end.

NEW GENERATION DRIVERS RULE!

AFTER THE FIRST TWO RACES UNDER THE NEW FORMULA 1 REGULATIONS, IT IS CLEAR THAT BOTH FERRARI AND RED BULL RACING HAVE RACE WINNING CARS. AMID THE TENSION OF THE MIDDLE EAST, VERSTAPPEN AND RED BULL CLAIMED ITS FIRST WIN OF THE NEW SEASON, BUT IT WAS A FIGHT TO THE LAST LAP BETWEEN THE FLYING DUTCHMAN AND FERRARI’S MONACO MAN LECLERC. AUTO ACTION’S MAN ON THE GROUND LUIS VASCONCELOS WAS THERE TO COVER THE ACTION.

WHAT A race! Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc re-enacted in Jeddah the battle they had one week before in Bahrain, again with the Ferrari driver in the lead and the World Champion in hot pursuit, with a slightly faster car. But in in the opening round of the championship it was the Monegasque that came out on top thanks to some very clever use of the DRS, even before the Dutch retired late in the race, last Sunday in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen managed to get ahead of his rival with three laps to go and then fend off his attacks to win the race by just over half a second!

Both man had no answer for the unlucky Pérez in qualifying and the first 15 laps of the race, but when an untimely SC period took the Mexican out of contention, the battle between them was on. While on Medium tyres Verstappen seemed unable to stay close to Leclerc, on the harder compound he was “much more comfortable, I could push and stay close to Charles, so I was feeling stronger and just playing the long game.”

A VSC period at the end of lap 38 reshuffled the card, for, somehow, Verstappen managed to get out of it just 0,2s behind his rival, when he was 1,5s behind the Ferrari at the start of the neutralization of the race. Leclerc, of course, was puzzled by this: “I don’t know. This is probably more a question for Max. And I’m pretty sure that if there is a way, he won’t say it now, in front of everyone. But I felt at one point that Max was closer, but actually, I think at the actual restart, I don’t think it was the case. But we’ll look into it anyway.”

The Dutch concurred with his rival but had an explanation for it: “I was a little bit surprised myself that it did look a little bit closer, but I

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don’t know how close Charles was, of course, to zero with the delta. That’s always a bit of a question mark. But also, sometimes it depends a bit where the restart is: if it’s in a corner for somebody in front or not. I think I was still on a bit more of the straight side and had a bit of a better run into Turn Four as well. So, it’s a bit tricky.”

As Red Bull had better straight-line speed – the gap was over 7 km/h at the Speed Trap in qualifying, when both were using DRS – Leclerc knew that, “if I’d let him have DRS for the pits straight he would simply fly by, so I needed to have the DRS myself to be able to get back ahead.”

Like in Bahrain, twice Leclerc opened the door for Verstappen to pass him before the DRS detection line going into the last corner, and twice got past the Dutch before Turn One, at the start of the opening line. Verstappen really fell for it first time around, tried to stay behind the second time but both drivers

locked wheels and he found himself marginally in front and on the next lap, with both slowing down way too much, was surprised when Leclerc simply floored it midway through the last corner, nearly losing the rear of his RB18 as he put the throttle down as well.

Eventually Verstappen managed to stay behind by the DRS line at the end of lap 46 and simply drove past Leclerc before Turn One. Any chance the Monegasque had to get him back the following lap was nullified by yellow flags in Turn One due to an incident between Stroll and Albon and even on the last lap the Red Bull driver had enough in hand to defend his lead all the way to the line by getting a tremendous exit from the last corner.

In the end both drivers were thrilled with the battle, but only one with the result. For Verstappen, “I had a few good opportunities, but Charles really played it smart in the last corner and it was not easy for me to actually get by. I had to line myself up again to have

It was a big turnaround from Red Bull’s Bahrain disaster, taking the win in Saudi Arabia, the team were very happy with the result.

another go at it and eventually I had the go and I got ahead but then once I was ahead it was really like four laps flat out, trying to stay ahead, because Charles was consistently in my DRS. It was quite tough out there; in gokarting you can rub a bit, with the sidepods and stuff. That’s unfortunately not possible anymore in Formula One cars, but we have done that in the past. I think we were OK today.”

Leclerc, who immediately congratulated his rival over the radio, admitted that, “I definitely enjoyed the fight. It’s obviously disappointing to lose the win so late in the race but it was a fun fight. It was very difficult because we had two cars that were in a very different place. I was very strong in the first sector, in all the corners, and basically much less strong in the straights. So it was very, very tricky.

I tried to have the DRS in the last corner. It worked twice but it didn’t the last time and then obviously there was this yellow flag. I

The interteam battle between the two Alpine drivers was intense, with both Alonso and Ocon showing no quarter. It took a call from the boss to settle things down.

A small mistake a corner before caused a huge crash for Mick Schumacher. As big a crash as it was and with many worried people in pit lane looking concerned, Schumacher was okay not so his Haas. It is testamont to the new F1 safety regulations that he was not hurt but missed out at his first Q3 chance in the fast Haas. McLaren was fighting for points in Saudi Arabia a much better race for the team (right). don’t know if we are speaking about the same yellow flag, but I think the one where I could have had a chance to at least be alongside was the one into Turn 1 where I had no DRS there, so this was a little bit of a shame but it’s part of the game!”

Behind the runaway leaders Carlos Sainz held off unlucky pole man Sérgio Pérez to claim the last step of the podium, the Mexican dropping three places by pitting for hard tyres just a few seconds before Latifi’s second shunt of the weekend brought the Safety Car out, on lap 16. Pérez initially dropped to third, behind Verstappen, but footage showed he was behind Sainz at the SC line after Turn 1 when the Spaniard exited the pits, so he had to hand the position to compound his disappointing Sunday.

George Russell dispatched Esteban Ocon on lap 3 and then had a tremendously lonely race to finish 5th more than half a minute behind the leaders and over 25s ahead of everyone else. He could have had closer company from the recovering Lewis Hamilton hadn’t Mercedes delayed the Brit’s only stop for tyres and found the pit lane entry closed when it was time to stop. Waiting for the race to resume before changing tyres cost Hamilton a few places and the best he could do was score a point after a terrible weekend.

Ocon lost a few battles early on, with Russell, Alonso and Bottas, the infighting with the Spaniard giving Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer a few more white hairs before team orders prevailed. When Alonso and Bottas retired with mechanical issues, Ocon moved back and inherited P6 as Hamilton and Magnussen did their late tyre changes,

QUALIFYING RACE 02 Pos Driver 1 Sergio Perez 2 Charles Leclerc 3 Carlos Sainz Jr. 4 Max Verstappen 5 Esteban Ocon 6 George Russell 7 Fernando Alonso 8 Valtteri Bottas 9 Pierre Gasly 10 Kevin Magnussen 11 Lando Norris 12 Zhou Guanyu 13 Lance Stroll 14 Daniel Ricciardo 15 Lewis Hamilton 16 Alex Albon 17 Nico Hulkenberg 18 Nicholas Latifi 19 Yuki Tsunoda 20 Mick Schumacher

Time 1’28.200 1’28.225 1’28.402 1’28.461 1’29.068 1’29.104 1’29.147 1’29.183 1’29.254 1’29.588 1’29.651 1’29.819 1’31.009 1’29.773 1’30.343 1’30.492 1’30.543 1’31.817 No time No Time

RESULTS RACE 02 50 LAPS SAUDI ARABIA

CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER RACE 02

Pos Drivers 1 Max Verstappen 2 Charles Leclerc 3 Carlos Sainz 4 Sergio Perez 5 George Russell 6 Esteban Ocon 7 Lando Norris 8 Pierre Gasly 9 Kevin Magnussen 10 Lewis Hamilton 11 Zhou Guanyu 12 Nico Hulkenberg 13 Lance Stroll 14 Alex Albon 15 Valtteri Bottas 16 Fernando Alonso 17 Daniel Ricciardo 18 Nicholas Latifi 19 Yuki Tsunoda 20 Mick Schumacher

Pos Driver 1 Charles Leclerc 2 Carlos Sainz Jr. 3 Max Verstappen 4 George Russell 5 Lewis Hamilton 6 Esteban Ocon 7 Sergio Perez 8 Kevin Magnussen 9 Valtteri Bottas 10 Lando Norris 11 Yuki Tsunoda 12 Pierre Gasly 13 Fernando Alonso 14 Zhou Guanyu 15 Mick Schumacher 16 Lance Stroll 17 Nico Hulkenberg 18 Alex Albon 19 Daniel Ricciardo 20 Nicholas Latifi

Make Margin Red Bull RB18 50 1h 24m 19.293s s3 Ferrari F1-75 50 +0.549s – Ferrari F1-75 50 +8.097s – Red Bull RB18 50 +10.800s t3 Mercedes W13 50 +32.732s s1 Alpine A522 50 +56.017s t1 McLaren MCL36 50 +56.124s s9 AlphaTauri AT03 50 +1’02.946s s1 Haas VF-22 50 +1’04.308s s1 Mercedes W13 50 +1’13.948s s5 Alfa Romeo C42 50 +1’22.215s s1 Aston Martin AMR22 50 +1’31.742s s5 Aston Martin AMR22 49 1 Lap – Williams FW44 47 3 Laps s2 Alfa Romeo C42 36 DNF t7 Alpine A522 35 DNF t9 McLaren MCL36 35 DNF t3 Williams FW44 14 DNF – AlphaTauri AT03 0 DNF – Haas VF-22 – DNS –

the Frenchman doing well to hold off Norris, beating the McLaren driver by just 0,107s at the line.

McLaren had a much better weekend in Jeddah than in Bahrain, but 7th place for Norris is still far from what the team aims for. Both the young Brit and Ricciardo qualified just outside the top ten – the driver from Perth dropping two places on the grid for blocking Albon in qualifying, but benefiting from Mick Schumacher’s DNS to avoid losing another position. On different strategies, both man drove competitively, the Australian causing the final VSC period when a transmission took him

Points 45 33 25 22 16 14 12 12 8 6 4 4 2 1

out of the race while he nearly blocked the pit lane entry.

Gasly’s P8 may not seem much but came at the end of a good fightback after a poor early stint and after the Frenchman overcame massive intestinal pain in the final laps that took him straight to the medical center as soon as the race was over. Magnussen’s alternative strategy – starting on the hard tyre to move to the Soft in the late stages – backfired when the VSC was set off on lap 37, but the Dane could pit just before the pit lane entry was shut and that’s how he beat Hamilton for the final two points’ scoring positions.

PROGRESS BUT MCLAREN NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET

LANDO NORRIS’ recovery driver to 7th place in Jeddah, combined with the fact the English driver set the 5th quickest lap of the race, running faster than the two Mercedes, proves the “papaya army” may have got out of the crisis situation experienced during testing and race weekend in Bahrain.

But the gap for the faster cars remains above one second, showing there’s still a long way to go before Ricciardo and Norris get in the mix for podium finishes.

Having identified all the issues with the front brakes that seriously cut down its testing time and forced the MCL36 to run a compromised aero package in Bahrain, McLaren had modified parts in Jeddah to cure the issue, but found itself lacking development of the basic package due to the lack of running in testing.

Daniel Ricciardo, who was in the battle for points before retiring, had his big smile back after a terrible inaugural weekend of the season, but poured some cold water on the team’s expectations: “Yes, we were better here, so I’m really hoping that Bahrain was a bit of a just a bogey situation for us. But we still didn’t really have much, we cleaned up a few things with the brakes, but I think it was just a circuit suited us.

Looking at Australia, it’s going to be flowing and quite fast again, which should be better, especially the changes I made. So, perhaps, that comes to us again. And maybe we could fight for points, I know that’s not aiming very high, but that’s really all we can aim for for now. And until we get some big updates, I think anything inside the top 10 we’ll take as a little victory for now.”

As for the time frame for McLaren to get back to the front of the grid, Ricciardo didn’t sound too optimistic: “I have 100% faith and belief in people like Andreas, and one week ago it was a bit of a crisis mode. I think we’ve quickly got ourselves out of that, but it’s true we’ve got to turn the ship around and I think he’s one of the best guys to do it.

So ask me in six months time and maybe I won’t be surprised with where we are.” LV

All Formula 1 fans should be happy to see the red team back at the front.

Hamilton is in big trouble as Kevin Magnussen - in the revitalised Ferrari powered Haas - fights him for a top 10 and another points scoring finish.

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Supercars RACE REPORT Round 2 Symmons Plains Raceway

PUSH TO PASS THE SECOND ROUND OF THE SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP WAS ABOUT ONE MAN, SHANE VAN GISBERGEN, THE REIGNING CHAMPION CONTROLLED ALL THREE RACES AT SYMMONS PLAINS RACEWAY IN TASMANIA. Report: Dan McCarthy Images: Motorsport Images HE MAY have only started one of the three races from pole position but nobody could match the Triple Eight Race Engineering driver over a long run.

Van Gisbergen was in a league of his own in all the races, however there were a couple of firsts throughout the weekend, both a team and a driver scored their first Supercars podiums.

While van Gisbergen scored maximum points his title rivals all encountered issues in at least one race and means that he leaves Tasmania with a small points buffer in the Championship.

Three 105km races were on the menu, with the new Super Soft tyres the only option, each race required a compulsory stop for a minimum of two tyres.

PRACTICE – THE USUAL SUSPECTS TWO THIRTY-minute practice sessions took place on Saturday morning ahead of qualifying and it was Will Davison who was fastest in the combined times.

Due to very cool weather conditions in the morning, the majority of fast time were set in the first session of the day.

Dick Johnson Racing driver Davison’s time in session 1 stood as the fastest of the day, he ended it with a time of 50.345s, less than 0.1s up on van Gisbergen.

It was the Kiwi that was fastest in practice 2,

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just 0.02s faster than Heimgartner who set the third fastest time overall.

Cameron Waters was next from fellow Tickford Racing Ford Mustang driver James Courtney.

QUALIFYING RACE 3 – WATERS ON P1 WATERS WAS surprised when he emerged as the pole sitter for the opening race of the weekend, the Victorian doing enough in the third and final segment of the elimination qualifying session to take pole.

It was an incredibly tight session at the 2.4km circuit, Wates pipped Davison by just 0.027s, with the top four separated by less than 0.1s.

Triple Eight Race Engineering driver Broc Feeney qualified in third ahead of his good mate Brodie Kostecki.

Van Gisbergen struggled in the final

David Reynolds secured Grove Racing’s first podium finish since the Grove family took full ownership of the team at the start of the year.

segment and could start no higher than fifth.

Courtney was sixth, from Heimgartner, Scott Pye and the two Matt Stone Racing drivers of Todd Hazelwood and Jack le Brocq.

After setting one of the fastest times in Q1, 2015 champion Mark Winterbottom was unable to replicate the effort and qualified in 11th place.

There was drama in the second segment with a number of championship contenders eliminated.

Dick Johnson Racing driver Anton De Pasquale had struggled throughout practice and was eliminated after setting the twelfth fastest time in Q2.

Championship leader Chaz Mostert had power steering fluid leaking throughout qualifying and as a result could qualify no higher than 13th.

Race 3 – RUBBINS’ RACIN’ SHANE VAN Gisbergen had to get his elbows out to take victory in the first Supercars Championship race of the weekend after starting from fifth on the grid.

The Triple Eight Racing driver tested the limits as he made his way through the field, nudging his way by Davison and Waters to take the win.

From second position it was Davison who made the better start, but was unable to do anything with the extra momentum.

Kostecki capitalised getting a great run out of Turn 2 he nipped by Davison, the Ford driver was quick to retaliate when Kostecki tried an outside pass on Waters at Turn 4 for the lead.

Davison got a good exit and reclaimed p2 up the inside at Turn 6 Rookie Feeney tried to get Kostecki around

Will Davison had a solid weekend, he took a pole position and finished second in two of the three races.

Championship leader Shane van Gisbergen (main image) led home a Triple Eight Race Engineering 1-2 finish in the second race of the weekend.

It was a very challenging weekend for both of the Erebus Motorsport drivers in Tasmania (right).

Blanchard Racing Driver Tim Slade showed great pace over the weekend, however was notably involved in a spectacular incident with Cameron Waters (lower right). the outside but dribbled off the road and lost two places.

On lap 6 van Gisbergen made his way

by Kostecki, his march had started and he quickly caught Davison.

He made his way past by placing his bumper on the side of Davison on the exit of the hairpin, slowing the Ford Mustang driver’s momentum onto the long straight.

This allowed him to get the side draft and take the position on the run to Tun 6.

Immediately after the move Davison pitted and was followed in by Kostecki.

SVG had caught Waters and replicated the move he made on Davison.

Waters let van Gisbergen know what he thought of the manoeuvre giving the Kiwi the bird on the back straight. It made little difference as SVG took the lead.

The following lap Waters pitted, however the battle with SVG had allowed Davison to undercut him and take the position.

SVG pitted a lap after that, and re-joined just centimetres ahead of Davison.

From there van Gisbergen was never headed and cruised home to take his second win of the season by 2.83s from Davison and pole sitter Waters.

Davison kept with van Gisbergen early in the second stint but in the end faded late on, while Waters brought the car home in third.

Kostecki finished the race in fourth ahead of Feeney who bagged his first top five result in the championship.

After qualifying 12th, championship contender De Pasquale limited the damage by finishing in sixth.

The same could not be said for Mostert, the man leading the championship heading into the race was involved in an accident between David Reynolds and Mark Winterbottom late in the race.

Winterbottom tapped Reynolds into a spin exiting the hairpin, Winterbottom propped as a result and an innocent Mostert slammed into the slowing Team 18 car.

Mostert was forced into the lane for extensive repairs, he was classified in 23rd, Winterbottom was handed a 15s-time penalty for the incident and came home in 18th, while Reynolds struggled to get back on track and finished in 22nd.

Pye held off Heimgartner to finish in seventh, while Lee Holdsworth and Hazelwood rounded out the top 10.

Notably Mostert finished 23rd, but ahead of his Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Nick Percat who sustained damage on lap 1.

QUALIFYING – POLE TO CRASH SUNDAY MORNING saw two back-to-back 12-minute qualifying session to determine the grid for Races 4 and 5 of the championship.

Van Gisbergen and Davison shared a pole a piece in two dramatic qualifying sessions.

Notably after taking pole for Race 4 van Gisbergen collided with Slade in the second session resulting in damage to both cars and the red flag to be flown.

Van Gisbergen claimed pole position for Sunday’s opening encounter and would start alongside his teammate Feeney.

Team 18 driver Winterbottom delivered on

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Jack le Brocq crashed heavily in Race 2, the damage would go on to cause him further pain when he started from the front row of the grid for the final race.

While Saturday was promising for Cameron Waters, Sunday did not go to plan for the championship contender. the pace shown throughout the weekend to qualify in third next to the man with whom he collided with the day before, his former teammate Reynolds.

Slade qualified in fifth ahead of Davison, Pye, De Pasquale, Percat and Hazelwood.

PremiAir Racing driver Chris Pither qualified 11th, notably ahead of Saturday pole sitter Waters.

Both Erebus Motorsport cars qualified outside the top 20 for the opening encounter with Kostecki in 23rd and Brown 24th.

In Race 5 qualifying Davison set a banker lap early before jumping out of the car.

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In his final run van Gisbergen set two purple sectors but collided with Slade in the final sector, the contact ripped his tyre off the rightrear, while Slade’s left-front suspension took a beating.

The red flag was thrown and qualifying not restarted meaning that Davison started from pole position alongside MSR driver le Brocq who snuck his lap in just seconds before the red flag was thrown.

Despite the accident, van Gisbergen’s first run was good enough to see him start from third.

Hazelwood, like Davison, set a banker early

and made it two MSR Commodores in the top four.

Then came De Pasquale, Reynolds, Feeney, Waters, Slade and Holdsworth.

Brown again found himself buried down the field in 23rd, as did Mostert who qualified 16th for the opener and 19th for the final race of the weekend.

RACE 4 – POLE TO VICTORY VAN GISBERGEN converted pole position to victory in a crash-filled and red flag interrupted Race 4 of the championship.

It was a race of firsts as his teammate,

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Supercars RACE REPORT Round 2 Symmons Plains Raceway Matt Stone Racing driver Jack le Brocq started alongside Will Davison in the final race and led the opening lap before a massive lockup at Turn 4.

Scott Pye had a solid weekend in Tasmania scoring two top 10 finishes, he moved up to 17th in the standings after a horror first round.

Feeney claimed his maiden podium in the Supercars Championship, while Reynolds secured the first one for the newly renamed Grove Racing team.

It was a dramatic race from the very opening lap, off the line it was Feeney who made the better start and led his teammate into Turn 1.

Reynolds also overtook the typically fast starting Winterbottom.

In the midfield it was action packed with cars going three, and even briefly four wide, in the end the inevitable happened, le Brocq and Heimgartner locked wheels sending them both off the track at Turn 7.

Le Brocq’s steering broke and sent him hard into the wall, Heimgartner escaped relatively unscathed, nosing into the tyre barrier.

The impact of le Brocq damaged the tyre barrier and resulted in a lengthy red flag period.

On the restart Reynolds was caught napping, allowing the Triple Eight drivers off the hook.

It didn’t take long for van Gisbergen to pounce, taking the lead from Feeney at Turn 6 van with an authoritative pass and quickly pulled a margin over his rookie teammate.

While many of his rivals pitted early, van Gisbergen elected to stay out on track, when he eventually pitted, he slotted in behind Feeney.

He retook the lead soon after when he forced Feeney into an error at the hairpin.

Van Gisbergen went on to take the win, leading home the first Triple Eight 1-2 of the season. Behind… chaos ensued.

Reynolds held a hard charging Mostert at bay in the closing laps.

The reigning Bathurst 1000 winner started from 16th on the grid, pitted on the same lap as van Gisbergen and with fresh tyres marched forward. He made light work of Winterbottom and De Pasquale but could not get by Reynolds, nevertheless, he overtook 12 drivers to finish fourth.

De Pasquale rounded out the top five ahead of Team 18 drivers Winterbottom and Pye. Courtney was the sole Tickford Racing car in the top 10 ahead of Holdsworth and Hazelwood. Next came Percat, Brown, Macauley Jones and Pither.

Slade was fighting for a theoretical spot inside the top 10 with Waters, Slade appeared to have the move done, however the pair began to aggressively bump wheels down the straight.

Around the flat-out kink Turn 5, Slade found himself on the grass and spun sideways out of control across the track at Turn 6, fortunately not hitting anything substantial.

Slade finished the race in 15th, while Waters was dealt a drive-through-penalty for the collision and came home in 17th.

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Davison lost well over 15s in his compulsory stop with a slow right-rear change and finished 16th.

Thomas Randle, Heimgartner, Jake Kostecki and le Brocq all failed to finish.

RACE 5 – 1-2-3 WINS FOR SVG ONCE AGAIN Shane van Gisbergen took victory in the final race, in doing so clean sweeping the weekend in Tasmania.

Leading into the race Slade was dealt a grid penalty for the qualifying incident with van Gisbergen, while Mostert copped a penalty for impeding Heimgartner, dropping him further down the grid.

One question heading into the final race, would Le Brocq’s MSR Commodore be repaired in time? The answer… yes!

When the lights went out, le Brocq made a better start than Davison and led into the first turn.

Although the team got the car back on track it wasn’t in perfect nick, the car’s ride height was lower on the right side This affected his braking performance as he entered the hairpin for the second time, he locked both front wheels up and went sailing wide.

He was lucky to keep his car out of the gravel, by the time he plucked reverse and got it back on track he was outside the top 20.

This promoted van Gisbergen to second and left just Davison ahead.

On lap 6 SVG first had a look at the lead, forcing Davison to defend at Turn 6.

The next lap at Turn 4 SVG had another look, but made the decisive move up the inside at Turn 6.

Davison attempted the criss-cross back up the inside but was unable to do so, baulked by SVG’s compromised exit.

This allowed Hazelwood to make a move

Chaz Mostert would quickly like to forget Round 2, a 23rd place finish in Race 1 after a collision with former teammate Mark Winterbottom and an 18th place finish for the weekend.

up the inside of Davison at Turn 7 with the pair making contact mid corner, they both ran wide.

This move shuffled the pack as De Pasquale overtook both, Reynolds was also able to get Davison. At the end of lap 7 van Gisbergen led De Pasquale, Hazelwood, Reynolds and Davison.

As the compulsory round of stops approached De Pasquale closed in on van Gisbergen but was unable to find a way past.

De Pasquale pitted at the end of lap 8, however rather than pit the following lap to cover, van Gisbergen ran long.

Davison pitted on lap 12, Hazelwood on lap 15, while van Gisbergen stayed out until the end of lap 23.

Hazelwood re-joined alongside Davison, with the Ford driver retaking the place around the outside at Turn 3.

Impressively, despite pitting 15 laps after De Pasquale, van Gisbergen rejoined ahead of his rivals and from there controlled the pace out-front, bringing the ZB Commodore home 1.18s clear of the pack.

De Pasquale sat second in the closing laps but made an unforced error at the hairpin allowing Davison into second place where he stayed until the end of the race.

In the ten laps remaining Reynolds overtook Hazelwood for fourth, nevertheless it was a good result for Matt Stone Racing.

Waters limited the damage finishing sixth ahead of Winterbottom, Feeney, Courtney and Percat.

Notably, championship contender Mostert lacked pace all race long, he finished 19th.

Le Brocq brought his damaged car home in 23rd place..

Heimgartner showed promising pace in the BJR car, in among the stars in the dry.

The Brad Jones Racing crew had to repair Andre Heimgartner’s ZB Commodore before the race resumed after he collided with Jack le Brocq.

The crucial overtake in the final race of the weekend, Will Davison overtaking Todd Hazelwood around the outside at Turn 3.

QUALIFYING RACE 03 Pos Driver Time 1 Cameron Waters 14 0:50.5363 2 Will Davison 0:00.0273 3 Broc Feeney 0:00.0659 4 Brodie Kostecki 0:00.0810 5 Shane van Gisbergen 0:00.1073 6 James Courtney 0:00.1768 7 Andre Heimgartner 0:00.2058 8 Scott Pye 0:00.2278 9 Todd Hazelwood 0:00.2394 10 Jack Le Brocq 0:00.3206 11 Mark Winterbottom 0:00.2232 12 Anton De Pasquale 0:00.2394 13 Chaz Mostert 0:00.3424 14 Thomas Randle 0:00.3580 15 David Reynolds 0:00.3772 16 Chris Pither 0:00.3947 17 Nick Percat 0:00.4233 18 William Brown 0:00.4364 19 Macauley Jones 0:00.6336 20 Garry Jacobson 0:00.7683 21 Lee Holdsworth 0:00.5549 22 Bryce Fullwood 0:00.5664 23 Tim Slade 0:00.5777 24 Jake Kostecki 0:00.5878 25 Jack Smith 0:00.7204 QUALIFYING RACE 04 Pos Driver 1 Shane van Gisbergen 2 Broc Feeney 3 Mark Winterbottom 4 David Reynolds 5 Tim Slade 6 Will Davison 7 Scott Pye 8 Anton De Pasquale 9 Nick Percat 10 Todd Hazelwood 11 Chris Pither 12 Cameron Waters 13 Jack Le Brocq 14 Andre Heimgartner 15 Jake Kostecki 16 Chaz Mostert 17 Lee Holdsworth 18 James Courtney 19 Bryce Fullwood 20 Garry Jacobson 21 Macauley Jones 22 Jack Smith 23 Brodie Kostecki 24 William Brown 25 Thomas Randle

Time 0:50.4840 0:00.1520 0:00.1640 0:00.2288 0:00.2583 0:00.2673 0:00.2897 0:00.2939 0:00.3116 0:00.3404 0:00.3405 0:00.3737 0:00.3847 0:00.3921 0:00.4306 0:00.4416 0:00.4570 0:00.4967 0:00.4988 0:00.5246 0:00.5283 0:00.5388 0:00.5651 0:00.5799 0:00.6131

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Broc Feeney scored his maiden Supercars Championship podium in the second race of the weekend.

RESULTS RACE 03 44LAPS (105KMS) Pos Drivers 1 Shane van Gisbergen 2 Will Davison 3 Cameron Waters 4 Brodie Kostecki 5 Broc Feeney 6 Anton De Pasquale 7 Scott Pye 8 Andre Heimgartner 9 Lee Holdsworth 10 Todd Hazelwood 11 Tim Slade 12 James Courtney 13 William Brown 14 Jake Kostecki 15 Bryce Fullwood 16 Garry Jacobson 17 Jack Smith 18 Mark Winterbottom 19 Macauley Jones 20 Chris Pither 21 David Reynolds 22 Thomas Randle 23 Chaz Mostert 24 Nick Percat NC Jack Le Brocq

Laps 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 43 41 38 34

Race time 38:54.6722 38:57.5024 39:00.9578 39:03.5332 39:06.3698 39:08.4139 39:10.7505 39:10.7728 39:13.7262 39:14.0240 39:14.2354 39:16.7584 39:19.4066 39:23.8456 39:29.7609 39:31.7391 39:34.6977 39:38.4557 39:41.8393 39:43.8950 39:45.4189 39:35.5812 39:05.8649 39:29.3139 37:55.2864

s4 t-2 t-2 s6 s1 t-1 s12 t-1 s12 t-6 s5 s10 s7 s4 s8 t-7 t-4 t-6 t-8 t-10 t-7 t-15

RESULTS RACE 04 44LAPS (105KMS) Pos Drivers Laps Race time 1 Shane van Gisbergen 44 58:56.1767 2 Broc Feeney 44 58:58.5942 3 David Reynolds 44 58:59.8940 4 Chaz Mostert 44 59:00.4149 5 Anton De Pasquale 44 59:05.1890 6 Mark Winterbottom 44 59:07.6921 7 Scott Pye 44 59:10.7336 8 James Courtney 44 59:13.6073 9 Lee Holdsworth 44 59:13.8746 10 Todd Hazelwood 44 59:15.4974 11 Nick Percat 44 59:17.6585 12 William Brown 44 59:19.8811 13 Chris Pither 44 59:20.8423 14 Tim Slade 44 59:22.9153 15 Will Davison 44 59:23.1423 16 Macauley Jones 44 59:35.0726 17 Cameron Waters 44 59:41.6611 18 Bryce Fullwood 43 59:01.1922 19 Brodie Kostecki 43 59:14.7518 20 Jack Smith 37 59:44.9547 NC Thomas Randle 39 55:11.2695 NC Andre Heimgartner 11 32:28.2482 NC Jake Kostecki 7 26:15.3197 NC Jack Le Brocq DNS Garry Jacobson

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QUALIFYING RACE 05 s1 s12 s3 t-3 s10 s8 t-2 t-12 t-2 t-9 t-9 s5 t-5 s1 s4 s2 s4 t-8 t-8 t-11 t-5

Pos Driver 1 Will Davison 2 Jack Le Brocq 3 Shane van Gisbergen 4 Todd Hazelwood 5 Anton De Pasquale 6 David Reynolds 7 Broc Feeney 8 Cameron Waters 9 Lee Holdsworth 10 Tim Slade 11 Mark Winterbottom 12 Jake Kostecki 13 Scott Pye 14 James Courtney 15 Thomas Randle 16 Brodie Kostecki 17 Bryce Fullwood 18 Jack Smith 19 Chaz Mostert 20 Andre Heimgartner 21 Nick Percat 22 Garry Jacobson 23 William Brown 24 Macauley Jones 25 Chris Pither

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Time 0:50.5515 0:00.0640 0:00.0669 0:00.0991 0:00.1211 0:00.1821 0:00.2957 0:00.3053 0:00.3592 0:00.3738 0:00.3873 0:00.4007 0:00.4008 0:00.4557 0:00.4720 0:00.5038 0:00.5200 0:00.5534 0:00.5586 0:00.5623 0:00.6078 0:00.6245 0:00.6419 0:01.2782 0:01.3576

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RESULTS RACE 05 44LAPS (105KMS) Pos Drivers 1 Shane van Gisbergen 2 Will Davison 3 Anton De Pasquale 4 David Reynolds 5 Todd Hazelwood 6 Cameron Waters 7 Mark Winterbottom 8 Broc Feeney 9 James Courtney 10 Nick Percat 11 Tim Slade 12 Thomas Randle 13 Scott Pye 14 Lee Holdsworth 15 William Brown 16 Chris Pither 17 Jack Smith 18 Chaz Mostert 19 Macauley Jones 20 Garry Jacobson 21 Bryce Fullwood 22 Brodie Kostecki 23 Jack Le Brocq 24 Andre Heimgartner 25 Jake Kostecki

Laps 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 41

CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER ROUND 02 Race time 39:08.3251 39:09.5133 39:11.1084 39:11.5221 39:14.3187 39:15.8667 39:18.0045 39:18.6898 39:19.9775 39:23.7421 39:24.5065 39:26.3866 39:27.1556 39:31.0141 39:31.0997 39:33.5489 39:36.3248 39:36.4402 39:38.1589 39:39.0972 39:47.0153 39:49.6579 39:51.2061 39:52.5181 39:37.9713

s2 t-1 s2 s2 t-1 s2 s4 t-1 s5 s11 t-1 s3 t-5 s8 s9 s1 s1 s5 s2 t-4 t-6 t-21 t-4 t-13

Pos Driver Points 1 Shane van Gisbergen 562 2 Anton De Pasquale 495 3 Will Davison 440 4 Chaz Mostert 417 5 Brodie Kostecki 387 6 Broc Feeney 382 7 Cameron Waters 382 8 William Brown 316 9 David Reynolds 311 10 Tim Slade 306 11 Todd Hazelwood 304 12 James Courtney 294 13 Mark Winterbottom 292 14 Nick Percat 260 15 Andre Heimgartner 256 16 Lee Holdsworth 253 17 Scott Pye 232 18 Bryce Fullwood 219 19 Jack Smith 207 20 Chris Pither 193 21 Macauley Jones 183 22 Thomas Randle 180 23 Jake Kostecki 143 24 Jack Le Brocq 129 25 Garry Jacobson 119

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AGP AND 6 HOUR CROSSWORD

wo major events are on in the next fortnight, how much do you know about the Australian Grand Prix and Bathurst 6 Hour?

AGP AND 6 HOUR CROSSWORD

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Two major events are on in the next fortnight, how much do you know about the Australian Grand Prix and Bathurst 6 Hour production car classic?

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2. The last driver to win back-to-back Australian Grands Prix is? (surname) 4. How many races will Carrera Cup have at the Australian Grand Prix?

8. How many times have drivers not racing a BMW won the race outright?

9. In what state is the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix held?

10. Which family are going to race in the Go Karts Go sponsored BMW? 14. How many drivers shared the winning #97 car last year?

18. Marcos Ambrose makes his racing return alongside who?

20. How many laps were completed in the Bathurst 6 Hour last year?

21. Who qualified on pole for S5000 at the Grand Prix in 2020?

22. 2018 winners Grant and Iain Sherrin are what relation?

23. Who won the last race at Albert Park in 2020 before the event was cancelled (it was in Carrera Cup)?

24. Who will Tony Quinn’s teammate be in the Local Legends Mustang? (surname) 25. Which Supercars Championship driver won the inaugural Bathurst 6 Hour alongside Nathan Morcom? (surname) 28. Who won the first Albert Park Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in 1996? (full name) 29. Who won the most recent Formula 1 Grand Prix in Australia way back in 2019?

(surname) 30. Aaron McGill will race alongside which former Bathurst 1000 winner? (surname)

Down

1. How many points did Red Bull Racing score in the first F1 round?

3. Who won the first Formula 1 race of the season in Bahrain? (surname) 5. The Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend is what round of the championship for Supercars in 2022?

6. The race was won in a BMW M what? (write the number) 7. Who has returned to the Haas F1 team in 2022? (surname) 11. How many cars are entered in the Bathurst 6 Hour event this year?

12. How many S5000 machines are set to race at the Australian Grand Prix?

13. Will Brown will race what brand of car in the Bathurst 6 Hour this year?

15. Who won the last Supercars Championship race at Albert Park in 2019?

16. How many corners does the Mount Panorama Circuit contain?

17. Which Supercars driver won the race in 2021? (surname) 19. How many times has Hamilton won the Australian Grand Prix?

26. How many corners does the reprofiled Albert Park layout have?

27. How many times has the Bathurst 6 Hour taken place?

Created using the Crossword Maker on TheTeachersCorner.net

1832 Crossword Answers: 1 down – third, 2 down – MotoGP, Down 3 down – Shadow, 4 across – fourth, 5 across – Cousin, 6 down – Steven Richards, 7 down – TCM, 8 across – Carrera Cup, 9 across – Brothers 1. How many points did Red Bull Racing score in the first F1 round?

The last driver to back-to-back Australian Grand Prixs is?

10win across – Will Davison, 11 across – fourth, 12 (surname) down – Grandson, 13 down – four, 14 down – Brabham, 15 across – Jack Brabham, 16 down – Courtney, 17 down – Jones, 18 across – Barry, 19 down – Alpine, 3. Who won the first Formula 1 race of the season in Bahrain? (surname) How many races will Carrera Cup have at the Australian Grand Prix?

20 down – Mazda, 20 across – Moffat, 21 down – five, 22 across5.– The MSR, 23 down – five 24 downPrix – second, across – twelve, 26 across – Nissan, 27 down – six, 28 across – Miedecke, 29 across – David Australian Formula 1 Grand weekend25 is what round of the championship

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How many times have drivers not racing a BMW won the race outright? n what state is the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix held?

Which family are going to race in the Go Karts Go sponsored BMW? How many drivers shared the winning #97 car last year?

Marcos Ambrose makes his racing return alongside who?

How many laps were completed in the Bathurst 6 Hour last year?

Who qualified on pole for S5000 at the Grand Prix in 2020?

2018 winners Grant and Iain Sherrin are what relation?

Who won the last race at Albert Park in 2020 before the event was ncelled (it was in Carrera Cup)?

Who will Tony Quinn’s teammate be in the Local Legends Mustang? rname) Which Supercars Championship driver won the inaugural Bathurst 6 ur alongside Nathan Morcom? (surname) Who won the first Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in 1996? (full name) Who won the most recent Formula 1 Grand Prix in Australia way back in 19? (surname) Aaron McGill will race alongside which former Bathurst 1000 winner? rname)

1972: FORD’S CHANCE of winning the Toby Lee Series for production touring cars burst literally as they suffered from burst tyres at Oran Park. This opened the door for the Holden Dealer Team and Colin Bond in a Torana XU-1 to take the lead and dominate the remainder of the race. Elsewhere, debutant Frank Porter became the first person to beat Peter Brock at the Lakeside Park Hillclimb course.

for Supercars in 2022?

6. The race was won in a BMW M what? (write the number) 7. Who has returned to the Haas F1 team in 2022? (surname) 11. How many cars are entered in the Bathurst 6 Hour event this year?

12. How many S5000s machines are set to race at the Australian Grand Prix?

13. Will Brown will race what brand of car in the Bathurst 6 Hour this year?

15. Who won the last Supercars Championship race at Albert Park in 2019?

16. How many corners does the Mount Panorama Circuit contain?

17. Which Supercars driver won the race in 2021? (surname) 19. How many times has Hamilton won the Australian Grand Prix?

26. How many corners does the reprofiled Albert Park layout have?

27. How many times has the Bathurst 6 Hour taken place?

1982: THE 1982 Australian Touring Car Championship was getting uglier as Peter Brock took CAMS (the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport) to the Supreme Court. Brock’s three-month suspension following findings that his car had run with an ineligible inlet manifold had been overturned for the second time. In the meantime, Allan Moffat won Round 5 at Lakeside to extend his series lead.

70 I www.autoaction.com.au

We take a look back at what was making news in Auto Action 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago

1992: FRED GIBSON, the man behind the Nissan GT-R program in the early 90s blasted claims that his drivers Mark Skaife and Jim Richards were sandbagging in a bid to avoid further handicaps such as additional weight added to the dominant Nissan. In Mexico, Nigel Mansell led home yet another Williams 1-2, while a young German called Michael Schumacher scored his first ever F1 podium.

2002: MICHAEL SCHUMACHER would go on to do great things throughout the 90s and early 00s, and in 2002 it posed the question, ‘is Schumacher invincible?’ That year Schumacher would go on to win the title, finishing on the podium in every single race. In Australia, Ford driver Craig Lowndes claimed he could take the fight and beat former teammate Mark Skaife, and his replacement, Jason Bright.

2012 – FORD LEGEND Dick Johnson admitted that his team could change allegiances and move to another manufacturer as the new Car of the Future era was approaching. The regs introduced in 2013 opened up for other manufacturers beside Ford and Holden.

Elsewhere, Ross Stone, team owner of front running outfit Stone Brothers Racing said he would remain with Ford into the new era.

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