Auto Action #1841

GOING ROUND THE BEND SAM SHAHIN

SUPERCARS OWNERS STOP P REJECT NEW RESS BUYOUT OFFER POTEN BUYER TIAL L ON THE AYS IT LINE

THE EXPLOSIVE REAL STORY THE OFFER THAT EXPOSES SUPERCARS SHAREHOLDERS SPLIT ON THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE SPORT

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TRANS AM BATTLEGROUND IN SUPERCARS FIGHT VAN GISBERGEN OUT: KOSTECKI IN SHANE VAN Gisbergen’s attempt to run in the Australian Racing Group’s (ARG) Trans Am class at its upcoming QR event, is over before it began as the ARG-owned class becomes embroiled in an internal stoush between Supercars shareholders.

While Triple Eight claims there was no external pressure on the decision, speculation is rife about the reasons behind why this request was blocked. Triple Eight says it has said no in the past to some of van Gisbergen’s requests, and this is no different, with each request being assessed on merit.

Van Gisbergen has always been active outside Supercars and this year has been jetting around the world to race in other categories, including the Le Mans 24-Hour Race on the weekend before a Supercars event. He also plans to run a Skoda in the World Rally Championship in New Zealand on the weekend before Bathurst.

Car owner Ian Shaw has dubbed the move to block van Gisbergen’s Trans Am run as having a political base. It has, however, opened the door for a less politically restrained Brodie Kosteck (above) to race at Queensland Raceway’s round of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships during the first weekend of August with support from Peter Adderton’s Boost Mobile.

Shaw said last week that political pressure

was applied to stop van Gisbergen from debuting in the car, which had been planned for some time after two previous attempts to run fell over through scheduling issues.

“It’s disappointing for us. We put in a lot of effort into getting Shane in the car,” he said in a statement released last week. “We had a successful test with him, it was a great day, and we were looking forward to a very competitive outing at Queensland Raceway.”

The ‘political issues’ appear to be related to a brewing fight among Supercars shareholders and the very public comments by the father-and-son duo of Garry and Barry Rogers, who are major shareholders in ARG, which is a significant shareholder in Supercars. It is believed Supercars is not happy with the concerns publicly expressed

by Rogers.

Peter Adderton is astonished that the sport would do this to the motorsport fans planning to attend Queensland Raceway or to tune into the weekend’s coverage on Stan, so he has announced plans to run Brodie Kostecki in his place. He says Supercars will not want to try and apply the same pressure to him.

“That was just silly, to be honest with you.

I think it’s unfair on Shane, and I think it’s unfair on race fans. I mean, the Trans Ams aren’t going to replace the

Supercars. It’s just another form of racing.

It’s not like we get to see Shane and all the guys race every single weekend; there are a lot fewer rounds than most sports, which is a big issue.

“I think it was petty. The sport needs to put the fans first, and the fans would’ve loved to have seen him race. Why penalise and punish the fans? What did they do? They turn up with their hard-earned money. They buy our merchandise, tickets, food, and sponsors’ products on the side of the car.

When it doesn’t suit us, we say, ‘No, we’re not going to let you race’.

“I have no problem in putting Brodie or one of our drivers in the Trans Am, no problem putting our sponsorship on the side of the car, and the reason we want to do it is that I think the fans would love to see it. We’ve always been about the people that matter, and that’s the people that turn up and pay the tickets and allow us all to go

Image: Motorsport Images

racing, and I would never get in the way of them wanting to see something like that.

“And there’ll be no pressure ever applied to us to tell us that there are some things we can and can’t do. We don’t see motorsport every weekend, so if we can see Supercar drivers building a profile in Trans Am and people can watch those guys, then let them do it.

“If they try to pressure us not to put Brodie in that car? I’m pretty sure they know me well enough to know that that wouldn’t be a smart move. To tell me that I can’t put a driver in a car and put our name on the side of that car would be a mistake.

“I just can’t imagine them doing that. Triple Eight made their decision, and we make ours. Remember, we’re the official telco sponsor, and we’ve got the Boost Mobile Gold Coast race coming up too. If they try to pressure us that will backfire ... that won’t work.” Andrew Clarke

Kostecki’s TransAm entry will carry Boost Mobile backing.

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SUPERCARS HEAVYWEIGHTS REJECT NEW BUYOUT OFFER REJECTED SALE OFFER EXPOSES RACE SHAREHOLDER SPLIT ON FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE SPORT WHILE RAISING CONCERN OVER THE SEARCH FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING An Auto Action special investigation

by Bruce Williams RACING AUSTRALIA Consolidated Enterprises (RACE), which has owned the Supercars series for a little over six months, has rejected what appears to have been a strong buyout bid by a Europeanbased sports investment group, FanTech, which offered a healthy premium on its shareholders’ original investment.

The offer’s existence was initially confirmed to Auto Action by RACE shareholders and ARG co-owners Garry and Barry Rogers who (in recent months) met face-to-face with the potential buyers at their Dandenong, GRM headquarters.

That confirmation has since been backed up by other parties – including confirmation of “unsolicited approaches” by RACE Chairman, Barclay Nettlefold (above).

While the spectre of a new potential purchase offer is a big story in itself, the subsequent discussion has highlighted a significant divide within the shareholder’s group of RACE and has resulted in a potential departure threat by several of the biggest shareholder.

While there have been rumours of a fresh purchase bid, comment in The Australian’s financial pages brought the issue into the public arena last week, initially reporting on RACE’s bid to secure additional capital, while apparently rejecting a recent takeover bid.

The bid, by FanTech, was slated to deliver not only a significant net gain for RACE investors, saild to be 20%, over the price paid to acquire Supercars late last year, it would rid the business of Supercars of its current debt burden.

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Representatives of FanTech, including CEO Wim Ponnet and Australian based COO David Gibson recently pitched the offer to several of the key players and investors in RACE, seeking to buy Supercars outright.

The offer was conditional on the purchaser securing at least a major controlling shareholding or full ownership – a scenario that was rejected by key controlling figures and representatives on the RACE board without it progressing to broader consideration, despite subsequent evidence that a timetable for progress on a deal had been agreed by both parties.

The skeletal story of these latest developments first emerged in an article in the financial section of The Australian newspaper on the 11 July. The article said the owners of Supercars were seeking additional investment. With the purchase of Supercars from Archer Capital having been in the region of $50-60 million, The Australian’s article said that existing investors were being asked to tip an extra $10 million into RACE, but also reported that “a suitor recently made an approach to buy the Supercars business.”

The article touched on the health of the business, pointing to growth in sponsorship, hospitality sales and big advance bookings (about 7500) for the camping grounds at Mt Panorama for the Bathurst 1000 in October, but didn’t touch on the profitability after debt repayments or shareholder returns.

The fresh capital investment is required as the business is believed to need more funding due to the level of debt, as well as for Gen-3, which is well over budget, and other requirements including new technology to support growth plans.

AT THE SAME time, differences have emerged between various elements of the board on the integration or otherwise of shareholder Australian Racing Group’s categories more closely with Supercars – Garry and Barry Rogers expressing their disappointment in this area in particular.

Auto Action also approached several RACE board members and investors for comment, and while no comments were forthcoming, AA received the following statement from Barclay Nettlefold, Charman of RACE on the evening of Wednesday 20 July prior to our exclusive story being published on the Auto Action web site: Statement from RACE - Please attribute to Supercars Chairman, Barclay Nettlefold.

The board of RACE, who own Supercars, has received a number of unsolicited approaches.

Whilst the Board owes a duty to its shareholders to consider any approaches, none have progressed.

RACE acquired the business on the basis of a long-term investment in the sport and remains committed to being long-term owners.

RACE is a privately held company and does not comment on its financing.

We are pleased to say that since acquiring Supercars, all key indicators of the business are encouraging, including ticket sales, hospitality and sponsorship, which are all tracking well ahead of pre-Covid numbers.

Demand to host events is also strengthening as the Supercars sport enters 2023 with the launch of the new Gen3 cars.

As above, and in addition, RACE sees substantial upside in the sport with the continued investment in the business, the

people, the teams and the sport.

Our private ownership delivers us complete flexibility in funding Supercars’ future growth Supercars is a profitable business and RACE (and its shareholders) are long-term investors in the sport.

End of statement Prior to the statement’s release, Auto Action had been investigating the sale offer, the rejection, and the purpose of the additional investment now being sought by RACE. One RACE shareholder told us that the additional money being sought is to fund “very ambitious mainly international plans for the growth” of Supercars. Growth initiatives are said to include enlarging and engaging more directly with the fan base, gaining more government backing for major Supercars events, and again looking to expand Supercars into international markets, including USA and the Middle East.

Delving a little deeper, Auto Action has found that RACE paid around $70 million to buy the Archer share (approx 65% of the Supercars business) and some small shareholders outright. Acquisition of the teams’ 35% shareholding is currently being paid to them as part of their fixed monthly income from RACE. Following a lengthy sale process last year, two of the key rival bidders – the ARG Group and another group led by Barclay Nettlefold and Australia motorsport legend Mark Skaife – joined forces under the Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises (RACE) umbrella to successfully bid for Supercars.

To raise the capital for the purchase, RACE went to the financial market and sourced about $25 million of the required $70 million

RACE Chairman Barclay Nettlefold

from private investors, while other funds came in a loan from a debt consolidation funding group.

RACE is thus made up of various investor groups, with ARG – which controls TCR, S5000, Trans Am, TCM and Australian GT categories, as well as running events including the Bathurst 6 Hour and the Bathurst International – holding an estimated 30 per cent, believed to be the largest single shareholding, described in a RACE fund-raising document as the “cornerstone” investor.

The other large investors include RACE chairman Barclay Nettlefold, estimated at around 10 per cent, while dozens of other investors are overseen by investment fund/ advisor Henslow Group, which is very much involved in overseeing the operations of RACE on a day-to-day basis.

The board of RACE comprises several key players – chairman Nettlefold, legendary racer turned commentator and businessman Mark Skaife, John McMellan and Brian Boyd of ARG, with two members coming from the Henslow Group and a member of the DOMA Group (believed to be the largest individual investor outside of the sport).

One key element which has subsequently emerged is the fact that the voting power of shareholders in RACE is not directly linked to shares held – indeed there are shareholders with modest shareholdings with significant voting rights.

Having seemingly rejected the recent purchase offer, the board, controlled by Chairman Nettlefold is now hard at work trying to get new capital investment into the business.

However, some of RACE’s investors are

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not overly happy that the value of their investment could be significantly diluted when they could have had a defined gain from handing control to a new major investor.

Auto Action spoke to Garry Rogers, Coowner of ARG (the largest single shareholder group). While not going into the specifics, Rogers confirmed that the offer was real and that he had met with the people that were behind the offer in Melbourne, at the GRM head office.

“Yes, it was a real offer to purchase. We met them here and it was a group made up from a couple of European based people and a locally based person, involved in sports media and entertainment.

“The offer was on the table and being considered by us but a decision by the key influencers on the RACE board was made to reject it, not being prepared to give up control or meet the majority ownership requirements that the investor required.” Rogers confirmed.

“It would have been a modest return on people’s investments, up to 20%, but the offer was dependent upon majority ownership, giving them control, and Barclay Nettlefold, Henslow and a couple of the other members of the board rejected that requirement of the offer.

Rogers went further in expressing his disappointment that, while the offer wasn’t accepted, RACE is now going to the market to seek more money to further fund the business, further diluting the value of the initial investment that shareholders, including ARG, have made.

“We thought it was a very fair deal and, to be honest, I’m angry that it was rejected as, currently, there is no plan that demonstrates that this will not be a repeated requirement.

Simply, the business has too much debt, more than we originally expected, and that’s why it won’t deliver the return to shareholders as indicated.

“To my mind this opportunity provided an option to reduce that debt and provide the cash for the other investments which would be the best for the sport.

ARG Board member, Supercars Board Member, and co-owner of GRM, Barry Rogers added a further angle: “Look, we had a great plan to bring the whole of motorsport together – and it could and still can work.

“Our original plan was to grow the whole of motorsport. The offer was about getting the best return for the investors and delivering the best on-track entertainment package for the fans, broadcasters and the Governments that invest in Supercar events, while also delivering the added exposure that these big events deliver to other great support categories that exist.

“But it seems there are now two differing groups – as an example, one isn’t interested in seeing Shane van Gisbergen racing a Trans Am car at Queensland Raceway … or having a strong second program aired on a different network, or even providing better support action at Supercars events …”

Garry Rogers continued: “Originally this whole deal was sold to a heap of smaller investors on the basis that purchasing Supercars and merging the other great categories that ARG have, would have been great for the whole of motorsport in this country.

“No other national sport has such a fragmented approach and bringing it together was our goal, and what we were sold, and why we invested. It would be the best outcome for the sport, for sponsors, the stability of the Supercars teams incomes and most importantly provide the best show for the fans – with something for everyone.

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GARRY ROGERS LETTER TO SUPERCAR OWNERS FOLLOWING AUTO Action’s release of our special investigation into the potential sale of the sport last week, Garry Rogers took the extraordinary step of writing to all the Supercar team owners to outline his and the Australian Racing Group’s concerns with the present management of the sport.

Auto Action has seen various copies of the email sent last week, in which Rogers says he feels like ARG has been cut out of the sport after fronting up with some cash last year to help purchase Supercars from Archer Capital.

Rogers says ARG’s connection with Supercars began with ARG trying to get its classes onto the Supercar support card, something he expected to happen once ARG became a significant shareholder last year in Racing Australia Consolidated Enterprises Ltd (RACE).

“We’ve been in the sport for a very long time and people like Brian Boyd and ourselves invested in ARG to help grow the sport for the good of everyone involved, but it seems that our plans and vision for the future of the whole of the sport have been hijacked.

“At the time that Supercars was for sale last year, they [Editor: the Nettlefold/Skaife group] didn’t have enough money and they saw us as a good business partner because we had a reputation, a good reputation in the motorsport business, and therefore they chose us to go in there and help get control.

“I can see now that this idea is not a shared vision. I think that other people are very focused on one part of motorsport in this country – and that’s just Supercars.

On RACE now seeking additional financial support, Rogers was equally forthright: “The board of RACE need to be very careful in going out to raise more money and putting the whole deal further into debt … if they do put the deal further into debt, they might find themselves having to find another 30% shareholder to buy us out as well,” he confirmed.

“It’s a shame because when the Barclay and Mark Skaife group came along, they told us that they just wanted to do it for all those reasons. But now it’s all been done, I think they are now doing it for the wrong reasons.

It seems it’s more about the ego than delivering the sport to the actual motorsport fans and the competitors and the things that make motorsport work.”

Since then, things have moved along significantly. The following day, Rogers wrote to all Supercar teams to outline his concerns (see breakout above), and as Auto Action closed for press on Monday evening, further information – including a statement from Fantech (right) – added more to the picture.

Resolving the situation is set to be the biggest challenge faced by Supercars in a long time …

Rogers raised concerns over new Supercars’ Chairman Barclay Nettlefold’s lack of motorsport experience and raised percieved conflicts afflicting Mark Skaife, a significant player in the deal.

Once the deal was done, Rogers says the motorsport agreement that had been brokered to get ARG’s buy-in was cast aside, saying ARG was deliberately excluded from any meetings discussing the growth of RACE. Rogers said all he wanted to do was to help grow the sport in Australia and that he wants the original agreement to be honoured because he believes that it will give the required return on his investment.

He also expressed concern about the number of events and the limitations that bring to the sport’s growth, including its fan base and expanded commercial arrangements.

SUPERCARS SUTOR FANTECH RESPONDS TO AUTO ACTION INVESTIGATION FANTECH CEO Wim Ponnet has responded to Auto Action’s special investigation into his organisation’s potential purchase of Supercars.

Ponnet couldn’t talk too much about the deal, which he believes is not off the table yet.

“It’s a pretty frustrating situation for us because we’ve been working on this deal for a while,” he said from Amsterdam, “but we are under a fairly strict NDA (nondisclosure agreement) with them, and we need to respect that NDA. “This is not our first deal, and this is not the last deal we’ll be doing, and when you conduct business, you need to do it honestly.”

He said that he felt the deal was not done yet but could not add anything further.

“We see a real opportunity for Supercars to get back to the glory it was, and we don’t see a plan with the current owners to make that happen. That’s no secret, but we can’t say any more yet.”

FanTech’s LinkedIn page says: “FanTech exists to provide sports communities globally the most frictionless and entertaining holistic fan experience in the areas where we choose to play.”

It has assets in many sports, including football, cycling, tennis, baseball and motorsport.

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EUROBIDDER FANTECH LAYS IT ON THE LINE

AS AUTO Action closed for press on Monday evening, further information emerged which confirms the substance of Auto Action and The Australian’s revelations last Thursday.

We understand that European-based sports media and management company FanTech has subsequently been in touch with RACE’s board members and shareholders, updating some who may not have been fully informed of earlier negotiations with the company.

FanTech has apparently re-iterated a solid offer to acquire 100 percent of RACE (or at least a controlling interest), at a 20% premium for all shareholders.

FanTech’s concern is that RACE’s current shareholder agreement confers a higher level of voting power to certain groups of shareholders relative to their shareholding. It is being suggested that one grouping within the RACE board, with majority voting rights if not a shareholding majority, has dealt with FanTech’s approach, without shareholders at large necessarily kept up to date.

AA understands that progress towards a share sale, apparently agreed during multiple discussions between FanTech and RACE’s advisors (believed to be Henslow, Chairman Barclay Nettlefold, and board member Mark Skaife) have failed to meet an agreed deadline – rumoured to have been June 30, although an extension is available.

Apart from retaining its clear desire to acquire ownership of Supercars, it is understood that FanTech has expressed its concern over the ‘weighted’ voting rights arrangement, proposing a new shareholder agreement, with all classes of shares holding equal voting rights. It is being suggested that the desire to retain ‘favoured founder shareholder status’ enjoyed by some of the current shareholders may be the reason for the lack of progress on the deal.

What is not in doubt is that FanTech is serious about acquiring the Supercars business – its proposal has much to recommend it, and there is more to play out in what is an intriguing development following a period of clear disagreement between the current powers in control of Supercars racing … which may well have taken place between AA going to print and its publication!

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Image: Motorsport Images

ADDERTON ASTONISHED AT SIX-MONTH MELTDOWN BOOST MOBILE’S PETER ADDERTON LED THE CONSORTIUM THAT LOST THE BID TO BUY SUPERCARS, AND HE SAYS THE WINNING BIDDERS PAID TOO MUCH PETER ADDERTON of Boost Mobile fame is amazed but not surprised at the perilous state of the financial affairs of Supercars. Adderton (right) led a consortium in a failed bid to buy the sport last year but says his team had the finances right and that he would not get into a bidding war that only benefitted only the seller.

He says the new owners overpaid, which is now hurting the sport.

“I think it’s pretty obvious this was going to happen,” he said of the financial crisis. “Our consortium had some pretty intelligent people, and we put in a bid that we thought Supercars was worth, and I think that it is probably proving that we were right on the money.

“It’s highly leveraged, which was always a concern of mine. What we’re seeing now is a sport that needs growth and investment put back into it. It’s a shame, but we saw this coming. You had a seller who wanted to get as much money out as possible and a buyer who probably got caught up in the concept of buying Supercars as opposed to actually owning it and running it.

“It simply wasn’t worth what they were paying for it, especially if you had to go back and reinvest in the business. We were passionate and wanted to have a fair shot at it, but I also didn’t want to acquire it and then have what’s happening now, where it runs out of money.”

Adderton said that while his consortium wasn’t going to overpay, the scenario the sport sees itself in today was the only logical outcome of someone paying too much.

For him, it is the speed of the crisis that is concerning.

“The biggest shock is they’ve owned it for less than six months, not six years, not even three years. Normally when things go bad, you have at least 12 or 18 months of runway.

These guys didn’t even get six months, and I

think it’s embarrassing for the sport, the fans and the teams. It’s less than six months, and we’ve got these problems. Where are we going to be in 12 months?

“It had to be pretty bad for it to become public. I’ve known Garry and the team for a long time, and he’s a straight up and down guy. For him to come out and say what he has said makes me think it may be worse than what we’re hearing. Coming out of this in public is your last option. It’s almost like a cry for help.”

Adderton said the sport needs changes, and his consortium had factored further investment into the sport into its bid, and he’s surprised the new owners didn’t do the same thing.

“When RACE first bought Supercars, they promised to expand the digital assets and build the profile of the drivers. We were going

to see something different – but I’ve seen nothing, it’s the same. So when is the change coming? Then we find out that maybe they don’t have the money to make the changes needed.

“It’s sad for the sport. I hope the RACE guys get their act together, sit each other down, and say this is not good for the sport we all supposedly love. Let’s get it fixed.

“When we looked at the sport, there was an investment needed to go in; there’s a huge amount of debt to service for a start. Then they’ve got some real issues that they need to deal with. My concern is that the $10 million probably is only the start of what they’ll need over the next three to five years.

“They’re going to have to take a dilution, and the shareholders are obviously complaining about that. I just keep reiterating, it is six months. Who buys a business and then six months later runs out of money?

“It needs some people to get in there and look at it. But when you overpay for something, you are always on the back foot, and I think these guys have been on the back foot from the day they owned it. I can’t see how they don’t have to bring in some new shareholders, and the existing shareholders who bought it will probably have to take a loss.

“The Supercar championship has been going for 40 years, and you have to do something pretty poorly to blow 40 years of history in six months. It’s just crazy.”

The magnitude of the issues facing Supercars, Adderton says, is evident in the drop in TV ratings. Data on the Townsville 500 highlight has 23,000 fewer viewers for Fox Sports coverage of the Sunday race in 2022 than in 2021. According to the data published in MediaWeek, 117,000 tuned in for the Sunday race this year, while it had 140,000 viewers in 2021.

PUKEKOHE’S SHOCK CLOSURE POINTS SUPERCARS TOWARDS HAMPTON DOWNS SUPERCARS TO SAY AN EMOTIONAL FAREWELL TO PUKEKOHE IN SEPTEMBER AUCKLAND THOROUGHBRED Racing’s (ATR) shock announcement of shutting down motorsport at Pukekohe next April sent shockwaves through the sport in New Zealand. Pukekohe is an iconic venue and is the latest combined other horse and auto facility to announce the axing of its motorsport activity.

The abruptness of the news reflects the decision to upgrade its horse racing activities rather than sell off the entire venue, as with Sandown. Still, the net effect is the same, and the sport loses a classic venue.

Supercars has announced that this year’s race – its 16th at Pukekohe – in September will be its last at the iconic track, even though a slim chance remains Pukekohe could have hosted a final race near the start of April 2023.

Aside from a short spell in Hamilton, Supercars has treated Pukekohe as its New Zealand home since its first visit to the circuit in 2001. That first offshore visit was a huge success, with the drivers loving the track and the fans rolling out in amazing numbers to watch Greg Murphy dominate the first few meetings at the track.

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing (ATR) runs the facility with Counties Racing Club Inc following a merger of the two organisations last year.

“We can appreciate today’s announcement will be big news for many,” ATR chief executive officer Paul Wilcox said.

“Motorsport has undoubtedly had a strong association with Pukekohe Park, becoming synonymous with our racecourse since the first-time cars and bikes raced on it in 1962.

“However, our purpose is to facilitate thoroughbred racing at our Auckland venues with our vision being to provide a sustainable future for our sport in New

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Image: Motorsport Images Zealand. We see a need to increase the training density in the region and have identified our site at Pukekohe Park as being an ideal location for that.

“As a result, we are developing plans to build additional stabling facilities at the racecourse to accommodate an increased

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horse population.

“Unfortunately, however, it is not conducive to have both motorsport activities and an increased numbers of horses stabled on site, hence our decision not to renew Pukekohe Motorsport’s lease with us from April 2023.”

Supercars was scheduled to race at

Hampton Downs in 2020 before the COVID pandemic shut down travel across The Ditch, and it appears it will explore its future with the Tony Quinn-owned circuit.

Hampton Downs is about 20 minutes further down Highway 1 from Auckland than Pukekohe. Andrew Clarke

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2022 SUPERCAR DRIVERS MID-SEASON DATA THIS SEASON’S SUPERCAR STATISTICS REVEAL SOME INTERESTING FACTS AS PART OF OUR MID-SEASON REVIEW OF ALL THE DRIVERS. THE TALE OF THE TAPE REVEALS SOME BIG GULFS IN QUALIFYING FORM AND RACE PACE. THE DATA printed on these pages has been collated from the grid position and race results for each driver, including any penalties, and a number is allocated to those that recorded a failure based on where they ranked on the number of laps completed in relation to other DNFs. From there we have race and qualifying averages, from which we can look to see who is gaining or losing in the races.

The data below only tells part of the story – for the full gradings by the Auto Action crew, see pages 32 to 37.

Images: Motorsport Images

QUALIFYING BATTLERS ARE THE HARDEST CHARGERS

AUTO ACTION’S HARD CHARGERS DRIVER *Zak Best Nick Percat Tim Slade Lee Holdsworth *Jayden Ojeda Garry Jacobson Jack Smith Macauley Jones Shane van Gisbergen James Golding *Jordan Boys Broc Feeney Bryce Fullwood Chaz Mostert Chris Pither Brodie Kostecki Todd Hazelwood James Courtney Andre Heimgartner Mark Winterbottom Cameron Waters William Brown Scott Pye Anton De Pasquale Jake Kostecki Jack Le Brocq Will Davison David Reynolds Thomas Randle

AVERAGE 4.3 4.0 3.7 2.9 2.3 2.3 1.5 1.5 1.5 0.5 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 -0.1 -0.2 -0.4 -0.5 -0.7 -0.8 -1.0 -1.4 -1.9 -2.0 -2.1 -2.3 -2.6 -2.9

* Wildcard Entries

NICK PERCAT and Tim Slade are officially the hardest chargers of the first half of the Repco Supercars Championship. Auto Action’s Hard Chargers Table compares racing averages with qualifying and grid spot averages and has some interesting results.

Percat (above) and Slade have both had qualifying issues this season, Percat’s welldocumented and Slade’s slipping a little under the radar with the one-car operation escaping the spotlight. Both drivers show speed in the races but aren’t happy that qualifying makes their races challenging.

Percat has a qualifying average of 17.8 and a race finish average of 13.8, giving him a four-spot gain in the races.

“It’s definitely not the stat I was aiming for at the start of the year,” Percat said.

“The car is fast for me in race trim, but it is pretty easy to win an award like this when you qualify at the back and have a car

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capable of running inside the top six.

“It’s been frustrating, but at least there is a positive with the racing.”

A pole winner during the 2021 season, Percat says his qualifying speed is not the issue – it is simply unlocking the speed in this car.

“When the game’s so tight, it only takes some little changes to go from qualifying poorly to racing well. I went through a similar thing with BJR; I would qualify outside the top 15 and then race into the 10, but then we got on top of that. It’s just finding what clicks in this car and making sure I can execute it.

“It’s frustrating, but I’ve been around long enough to know it’s just learning and making sure I understand what’s going on, and Shippy (engineer Grant McPherson) has been great with that. There were a few things in qualifying at Townsville which made it look worse than it probably should have been, but

I think it is trending in the right direction.”

He added that he’d rather not be at the top of this table, unless it was pushing him into the top 10 of the championship. “I’d probably prefer to qualify in the 10 and just race around there.”

Slade is qualifying with an average of 15.2, and his racing efforts have lifted him by an average of 3.7 spots per race and have him sitting 10th in the title. But like Percat, he is not that he is taking much pleasure from that result.

“It just means that we’ve qualified pretty poorly,” Slade said, “especially in the three events before Townsville, but I guess our car – although we’re not going to win races from where we qualify – has been a much better race car than a qualifying car.

“It has always looked after its tyres relatively well, and that’s where we’ve been able to move forwards from qualifying. It

does make for a bit of enjoyment to the racing with the strategy side of things. We’ve been a little more aggressive, whether that means stopping early or going long into the race. We’ve had good options.”

But qualifying has remained the bugbear, and he doesn’t understand why.

“The first three events of the year, we qualified in the top five in one of the sessions. I have no idea what happened from there, and it just seemed odd that we couldn’t work it out. We even had a Winton test day in there too, but I guess the good thing is that we seem to be back where I feel we should be.

“We’re all there to win the race, but realistically, where we qualified and finished in Townsville is where we are at the moment.”

“But it is good for the team to move forward in the races, it shows we have built a reliable car and that it is a good race car.”

VAN GISBERGEN KEEPS ON WINNING WHILE RIVALS LOSE QUALIFYING AVERAGES Driver Anton De Pasquale

SHANE VAN Gisbergen might not be winning the qualifying war, but the quest for his third title rests on the back of his hard-charging race craft.

According to Auto Action’s Hard Chargers chart, van Gisbergen is averaging an improvement of 1.5 spots in the races over qualifying, while his major rivals are dropping spots.

Along with his 11 wins this season, van Gisbergen’s average finishing position is 3.8, a massive 2.1 better than Anton De Pasquale, who sits second on both this table and the championship fight.

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De Pasquale’s qualifying average is 4.0, and his net loss is 1.9 per race, meaning he is dropping more spots than van Gisbergen is gaining.

The picture doesn’t get much prettier on the other side of the Shell garage, with Davison dropping 2.3 spots per race. The best of the title contenders after van Gisbergen is Cam Waters at a 0.8 spot loss per race.

The four Championship leaders sit in Championship order on the race averages. Broc Feeney (sixth in the championship) and Dave Reynolds

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(seventh) are the only other drivers with a race finish average of less than 10. Those six are the only drivers with qualifying averages of less than 10.

As if to highlight his erratic season, Chaz Mostert averages 10.1 in the races and 10.2 in qualifying while he sits fifth in the title.

In terms of race and qualifying results, the Brad Jones Racing duo of Macauley Jones and Jack Smith join PremiAir racing’s Chris Pither at the tail of the field, putting pressure on each other to hold their spots in 2023.

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RACE AVERAGES

Average

Driver

Average

4.0

Shane van Gisbergen

3.8

Will Davison

4.6

Anton De Pasquale

5.9

Shane van Gisbergen

5.3

Cameron Waters

6.5

Cameron Waters

5.8

Will Davison

6.8

David Reynolds

7.1

Broc Feeney

8.4

Broc Feeney

8.2

David Reynolds

9.7

Chaz Mostert

10.2

Chaz Mostert

10.1

Andre Heimgartner

10.5

Tim Slade

10.9

Brodie Kostecki

11.7

Andre Heimgartner

11.0

Mark Winterbottom

11.8

Brodie Kostecki

11.8

James Courtney

12.6

Mark Winterbottom

12.5

Scott Pye

13.7

James Courtney

12.9

William Brown

13.7

Lee Holdsworth

13.0

Jack Le Brocq

14.2

Nick Percat

13.8

Todd Hazelwood

14.3

Todd Hazelwood

14.5

Thomas Randle

14.7

William Brown

14.7

Tim Slade

15.2

Scott Pye

15.1

Lee Holdsworth

15.8

Jack Le Brocq

16.3

Jake Kostecki

16.0

Bryce Fullwood

17.3

Bryce Fullwood

17.4

Garry Jacobson

17.5

Nick Percat

17.8

Thomas Randle

17.5

Macauley Jones

19.3

Jake Kostecki

17.8

Garry Jacobson

19.8

Macauley Jones

17.9

Chris Pither

20.2

Chris Pither

20.1

Jack Smith

21.7

Jack Smith

20.3

James Golding

22.5

Jayden Ojeda

20.8

Jayden Ojeda

23.2

James Golding

22.0

Jordan Boys

25.0

Zak Best

22.7

Zak Best

27.0

Jordan Boys

24.7

www.autoaction.com.au I 9

LATEST NEWS

GROVES’ EUROPEAN ADVENTURE PORSCHE CARRERA Cup driver Stephen Grove and his son Brenton will both head to Europe to contest in a series of renowned Porsche based events.

In what will be a triple-header for the Grove family, Stephen competed first in Round 5 of the Mobil 1 Supercup at Le Castellet, France, in a special one-off appearance that was completed on the weekend.

The Mobil 1 Supercup is the premier Porsche Championship in Europe, with the competition exclusively competing on the Formula 1 schedules only.

This week Stephen will be joined by his son Brenton for the Spa 24 Hour at SpaFrancorchamps, where they will be racing a 911 GT3 R alongside fellow Australians Matt Payne and Adrian D’ Silva.

“Spa is a special one. It’s such an iconic circuit where we are honoured to race the #16 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Po-Am class,” said Stephen of the opportunity.

“It will be a tough race with an exceptionally strong field, but we are confident and excited to participate with our line-up of drivers including Grove Junior driver, Matt Payne, and Adrian D’Silva.”

Following that, the pair will return to Ardennes in October 26-30 where they will again contest the FIA Motorsport Games with Porsche, an event where they captured a bronze medal back in 2019.

The FIA Games will feature around 80 countries, all representing the FIA’s National Sporting Authorities of each representative country.

“We are excited to be racing in the 2022 FIA Motorsport games in which we are proud to represent Australia once again after achieving bronze in 2019,” said Brenton,

Image: Motorsport Images who races Porsche’s in the GT World Challenge Australia.

“We hope to go two steps better this year and bring home gold to continue Australia’s strong sporting results in recent weeks.”

The competitions will include different races in a vastly expanded programme of 17 disciplines spanning the motorsport spectrum, staged across the three locations

MASI’S FIA DEPARTURE CONFIRMED

AFTER MONTHS of silence, the FIA has confirmed that Australian Race Director Michael Masi has decided to leave the FIA with immediate effect.

Masi took on the role of Formula 1 Race Director and Safety Delegate following the sudden passing of Charlie Whiting on the weekend of the Australian Grand Prix in 2019.

It was a role he held until the controversial championship decider in Abu Dhabi last year.

In that race, Nicolas Latifi crashed late on, and under Safety Car conditions on the penultimate lap. Masi allowed select cars to unlap themselves and restarted the race on the very next lap, a decision never before taken by a race director.

It divided opinion globally as Max Verstappen was able to overtake Lewis Hamilton on the final lap and, in doing so, snatched the championship from the Englishman’s grasp.

After losing the place to Verstappen Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was outspoken about Masi’s decision.

In the following weeks, Masi was stood down as Formula 1 race director.

The FIA has elected to employee Niels Wittich and Eduardo Freitas to take the role supervised by Herbie Blash.

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of Circuit Paul Ricard, Veynes and St. Baume.

Stephen has also named as the Australian team captain.

As a result of his racing in the Mobil 1 at Paul Ricard, Stephen did not compete in the fifth round of the Carrera Cup, where the Penrite Racing Team owner currently sits second in the Pro-Am class rankings.

Unfortunately for Stephen, the first leg of Groove Snr’s European sojourn ended in disappointment.

Grove crossed the line in P30, whilst fellow Australian and Carrera cup racer, Aaron love, managed to take out P19.

Brenton will join his father in the next leg of the tour, racing the 911 GT3 R at the SPA 24 Hour. TW Neal

VIC TEENAGER CONFIRMED FOR S5000 TASMAN SERIES

The FIA stated that Masi has elected to relocate back to Australia to be with his family.

The full statement read as follows “The FIA confirms that Michael Masi has decided to leave the FIA and relocate to Australia to be closer to his family and take on new challenges..

“He oversaw a three-year period as FIA Formula 1 Race Director and Safety Delegate following the sudden passing of Charlie Whiting in 2019, carrying out the numerous functions he was tasked with in a professional and dedicated manner.

“The FIA thanks him for his commitment and wishes him the best for the future.”

Dan McCarthy

AFTER AN outstanding debut season, Cooper Webster has been confirmed by Versa Motorsport as its lead entry in the S5000 Trans Tasman series, to be held over October and November.

Webster captured two race victories, and ran consistently throughout the year to finish third in the championship for Versa, only two points behind GRM driver James Golding.

His race win in Darwin included setting the lap record in a dominant start to finish win from the front of the grid, signalling that both Webster and Versa would be a force to be reckoned with just a year into its S5000 sojourn.

“We have always believed in Cooper’s talent from the first time we saw him race, watching him beat current top level F2 and F3 drivers in his karting days,” said Team Principal Toby Pope.

“But now it’s been validated throughout the 2022 S5000 season for everyone else to see.

“At Cooper’s age, with his talent, I don’t think we will be able to keep him for much longer, so doing the best preparation possible to try to win the Tasman series is the focus for the rest of 2022.”

After such a consistent season that saw the team take 10 podiums and win three

races, Webster is entitled to enter the Trans Tasman with a bullish attitude.

“With a full year’s worth of experience we are confident that we head to the Tasman Series as a contender for the championship, which will be our ultimate goal,” said a confident Webster.

“The progress we made as a team throughout the championship was incredible, and at Darwin we really showcased what we are capable of.

“It’s fantastic to be locked in for the Tasman Series this early so we can have the best possible preparation.”

The first event will take place at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit on the 29-30 of October, and will then head to ‘The Mountain’ on November 11-12 with a third race to be announced shortly.

TW Neal

A PREMIER NEW HOME RECENTLY FORMED PremiAir Racing has a new home, with the team recently completing the move into its new purposebuilt workshop on the Gold Coast.

The state-of-the-art facility at Arundel will house the #22 PremiAir Coca-Cola Supercar and the #31 Subway PremiAir Racing Supercar and all team members.

While waiting for the new premises to be ready, the Supercar team had been working out of the PremiAir Hire Depot at Darra – which permanently hosts the

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championship-winning PremiAir Hire Top Fuel Dragster.

“It has been a huge first half of the year for everyone at PremiAir Racing and we are all so thankful to PremiAir Hire Queensland State Manager Theo Woollett and his team at PremiAir Hire Darra for making us feel so welcome while we waited for our new home on the Gold Coast to come online,” Team Principal Matt Cook said.

“While we have greatly enjoyed being

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a part of the Darra family these past months, this move into our purpose-built facility marks a great step forward as we continue to work around the clock on our efforts to move further up the field in our debut season.

“We are not doing anything by halves, and this new workshop is a testament to our commitment to ensuring we have the best tools at the disposal of the best people we can to make sure we are putting our best foot forward now and

into the future.”

PremiAir Racing Owner, Peter Xiberras, echoed Cook’s statements.

“Things obviously came together very quickly for us at the beginning of the year, and I am very proud of how the Darra depot welcomed our new Supercars team with open arms.

“With our new workshop now up and running, we have taken another big step forward as we pursue the best possible set-up for success.” Xiberras said.

www.autoaction.com.au I 11

LATEST NEWS

STATE RACER FOUR HOUR ENDURO RETURNS TO WINTON RACEWAY LAST YEAR’S State Racer Four Hour took place the very day after COVID restrictions were lifted in the state.

Despite the uncertainty of the times, a good field of cars took to the grid, and the enduro ran for the full four hours without a Safety Car, resulting in a tight last lap battle with four cars fighting it out for the podium.

This year’s State Racer Four Hour will be a spring event, taking place on September 10 at the Winton Motor Raceway.

The event is aimed at Improved Production Cars but is also open to other state level categories, with organisers hoping for interest from categories such as the Porsche 944’s, BMW E30’s, and Toyota 86’s.

The regulations include restricted time on fuelling time stops, dependent upon tank capacities, with allocated drum fuel pumps made available to all competitors.

Organisers Ben Schoots and Dean Lillie of Raceworks Promotions spoke to Auto Action about this year’s Winton running, and the future of the event.

“It was well received last year for those who took part, and we’re hoping to build on that and get some more diverse cars on the grid,” said Schoots. “We’re hoping for about 20 cars, but 40 would be better.

“We’ve managed to keep costs low despite inflation, and to make it as achievable as possible for the more budget conscious racer.“We’re all about drivers just running their cars as they would in the state series, and being able to compete.”

Image: Revved Photography Dean Lillie of Ravage Raceworks, the other person behind the event spoke a little about how the idea came about.

“It grew out of talking with a group of Improved Production competitors that we have here at Ravage (Ravage Raceworks), and I’d just done the 12 hour a year or so back, and we all thought it would be unreal to be able to do an endurance in our cars,” Lillie explained.

“There didn’t really exist anything like that, and we all agreed that there should be something of the sort, and

that’s how it all eventuated with last year coming about.”

In terms of the event’s future, Lillie also expressed a desire to grow upon the existing notion.

“We want to grow it, and we want to keep it at one event per year, but start doing different tracks. That includes maybe doing one interstate at ‘The Bend’ or something. We’ve been talking about the possibility of that since we hatched the idea.” He confirmed to Auto Action.

The event is now open for entries, for more information visit www.raceworkspromotions.com.au

ARC QUEENSLAND RALLY CANCELLED

THE AUSTRALIAN Rally Car event in Queensland has been cancelled over safety concerns after a heavy deluge of rain made the roads unsuitable.

The Gympie event was to be a welcome return to the sunshine state for the ARC but, after lengthy discussions between the organisers, Brisbane Sporting Car Club, along with the ARC and Motorsport Australia, they had no

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choice but to pull the pin.

“This is a really unfortunate situation for everyone and it breaks my heart that we have had to make it,” said the Clerk of Course Brian Everitt.

“It’s disappointing from an organisers perspective but we will be back.”

Eugene Arocca, Motorsport Australia CEO, lamented having to make the call, “It’s obviously an extremely tough call to

make and I sympathise with the club for ultimately having to make the decision.”

“Unfortunately after consulting all relevant stakeholders and the competitors for this event, it was one that had to be made.”

The next round of the ARC Championship will be the Middle of Everywhere Gippsland Rally 27-28 August.

GEELONG REVIVAL MOTORING FESTIVAL CONFIRMED FOR NOVEMBER THE SECOND 2022 instalment of the Geelong Revival is gearing up for its November 25-27 return.

The waterfront showcase will be back in action with its quarter mile sprints and vintage showcase featuring over 800 vehicles.

Ritchie Boulevard will once again be witness to the sprint, a tradition dating back to 1956, with some 300 classic cars and motorcycles.

Among the famous names to have graced the sprint are Jack Brabham, Mika Hakkinen, Dick Johnson, Craig Lowndes, and Alan Jones, to name but a few.

Alongside the exhaustive amount of classic cars and motorbikes, will be live music, stalls, food and entertainment; as well as a trade and expo show featuring sales and demonstration displays.

The event is free of charge – you can read more about it by visiting the website www.geelongrevival.com.au

WORLD SERIES A NO-GO FOR 2022-23 SPEEDWAY AUSTRALIA has cancelled the upcoming 2022-23 World Series Sprintcar program and has confirmed that the state based Sprintcar States Series will enter a third year of competition in the 2022-23 speedway season as the headline acts for open Sprintcar racing around the country.

Speedway Australia claimed the decision was made after extensive discussions that revealed a number of different factors threatened to undermine the success of the series, leaving the board with no option but to revert to the State based calendar.

Speedway Australia Board Chairman, Guy Thompson said the discussions were entered into with the first priority to preserve the value of the WSS brand.

“World Series Sprintcars is our sport’s most widely recognized and respected brand, and the decision was made primarily around protecting that brand, and with the multiple threats facing us in the upcoming season, we couldn’t guarantee that World Series would be able to bring the travelling roadshow that the fans have come to love over the last 35 years.”

“The forecast tyre shortage and the unpredictability of shipping delays were certainly factors, but there’s also the added pressures of rising diesel, flight and accommodation cost to the teams and to Speedway Australia, not to mention the rising concern around Covid’s potential resurgence.”

He also moved to reinforce the success of the previous two years of the States Series, encouraging fans to get to their local tracks

Image: Paris Charles over the summer and support these venues, and suggested that is likely to have a return of American flavour.

Strong local racing series such as the Victorian SRA often feature many of the World Series stars competing in high quality racing.

“The States Series has had an amazing response in the last two years, particularly from the tracks who were very thankful for Speedway Australia’s support in instigating a calendar that still offered good payouts. But when you consider that this year will likely have the return of some American drivers

coming back to Australia, the scene is set for what will be a fantastic return to international competition across the nation.”

Details of the respective States Series calendars will be released after consultation with the Sprintcar Control Council of Australia.

DISC BRAKE PADS

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To find pads to suit your vehicle visit: www.bendix.com.au/catalogue Find solutions for every brake job at www.bendix.com.au Or freecall the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 Bendix is a trademark of Garrett Advancing Motion Inc.

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www.autoaction.com.au I 13

LATEST NEWS

ELECTRIC AVENUE MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA have released a set of regulations to prepare the country for future competition modified Electric Vehicles (EV’s).

In effect as of July 1, 2022, the regulations set out the requirements for competitors, officials and event organisers, in order to prepare competition bodies for the inclusion of EV’s.

The move comes more than a year after the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) released the stipulations for European competition.

The importance of getting these regulations out means that motorsport bodies can start to prepare for the various changes that it will need to implement, in order to accommodate EV’s to take part in the near future.

“Whether it be international, national or grassroots events, there is a clear indication from manufacturers that electric vehicles are going to be a big part of our future, both in everyday driving and in turn, we will see more electric vehicles in motorsport,” said Michael Smith, the director of Australian Motorsport.

“Motorsport Australia is well aware of the importance of being ready to welcome those electric vehicles which present different safety and technical requirements to the traditional internal combustion engine.

“These regulations are a

Image: Nathan Wong/Speed Shots Photography

WHITELINE RACING CONFIRMS CAUSE OF TCM TOWNSVILLE CRASH

starting point for those wishing to have electric vehicles be part of their event and highlight specific requirements for competitors, officials and event organisers.”

Competition EV’s pose a different set of safety issues that tracks will need to implement to ready themselves for the inclusion of the hybrid electrics.

From the grounding of power sources to stave off electrocutions, and personal protective equipment (PPE), EV’S provide motorsport with a number of new safety challenges.

Pit paddock and medical crews face modifications such as high voltage rescue hooks to pull temporarily paralysed drivers from cars, whilst venues will need to utilise water baths and have access to high volumes of water, in order to reduce cell thermal runaway for overheated batteries.

The EV’s themselves will also need to include an emergency stop switch (ESS) to isolate the general circuit breaker and other high voltage components.

And similar to Formula 1 and WRC vehicles, status indicators will also need to be installed in

order to show whether the car is safe to be in direct contact with.

In terms of the future of petrol driven vehicles in competition, Smith also assured the public by saying, “We also know that traditional petrol engines have a future in our sport and will continue to be part of our events for many years to come.”

For more information on the subject, Motorsport Australia have listed the full set of regulations on their website, along with a list of frequently asked questions.

MINEEFF CONFIRMS AUDI SWITCH LACHLAN MINEEFF has made the jump from Volkswagen to Audi for the next round of the TCR Australia Series.

Speaking ahead of TCR’s Round 5 battle at the Queensland Raceway next month, Mineeff is excited about his future prospects.

“We’re just really excited to be able to have a proper crack at TCR in a model that is very capable of winning races and that’s what we’re setting out to achieve,” said Mineeff.

“I don’t think we’ll be winning straight away, but if we can have the progression of being top 10, top five, podium, then number one, that’s the idea and continue to move forward.”

Mineeff takes the Audi RS3 LMS over from Liam McAdam, in place of his Volkswagen Golf GTI, which is planned to lease out to another driver as the perfect entry car for a hopeful TCR entrant.

“We still own the Golf and I think it would be great to continue to run it as a customer entry at rounds this year. Last year, we were able to show with a new team and rookie driver we’ve been able to get some really good results,” said Mineeff of his old drive.

“If we can find a customer who wants to experience TCR for the first time and gets some laps under their belt, the Golf is perfect. In 21 races, we’ve only had one DNF, which is a credit to the car and team.

14 I www.autoaction.com.au

It’s reliable and a great way of getting some laps under your belt.”

As for his new Audi, the move is so fresh that he hasn’t been able to get behind the wheel thus far, but there is testing planned before the next TCR round, and the enthusiastic anticipation is obvious to hear.

“I haven’t driven the car yet. I’ve just loaded on and taken it off the truck! We’ll definitely get a test day in either way before

Queensland Raceway, which will be really good. It is the very top spec it can be for this generation, so we’re obviously very excited to sink our teeth into it,” Mineeff quoted.

“There are definitely a lot of common parts and similarities shared with the Golf, so I think it will be great for the team as well as myself to be able to quickly transition between the two.” TW Neal

THE CAUSE of the enormous crash at Townsville in TCM’s Race 3 involving Michael Almond and Cameron Tilley, has been confirmed by Bob Middleton of Whiteline Racing.

It appeared that Almond’s brakes had failed on the approach to Turn 3, the resulting shunt inflicting massive damage to both cars.

Middleton spoke to Auto Action, revealing the exact cause of the Brake failure in the #95 Camaro SS; this comes following a media release from Motorsports Australia, issuing a warning on teams needing to be more vigilant about checking brake systems.

“The Bias Bar broke in the Pedal box, so that was the problem,” confirmed Middleton.

“It wasn’t good ... so at the same time as he was going for a gear downchange, and going for it heel and toe, when the brake pedal went down, so did the accelerator.

“It’s done a heap of damage, and we’ve got it on a chassis straightener, but it’s all repairable,” said Middleton, who assures that the Camaro will be taking part in the next TCM event at Sandown in September.

“We’ve got bits coming from America, Queensland, Melbourne… there’s a heap of gear on the way, and there’s a new bonnet getting made as we speak.”

And as for the new bolt for the braking bias system, Middleton quipped, “The new bolt is double the size of the one that broke, let’s put it that way. We’ve gone with a Tilton one this time around.”

In terms of who’ll be behind the wheel come Sandown, it looks certain that Almond will once again get behind the wheel.

The Carrera Cup veteran is loving the old-school drive in the TCM, and the team at Whiteline are confident about him being back in the #95 Camaro.

“He was really impressed with how the car handled, so he’s looking forward to getting in it again, which is a good thing.

“He can’t wait to get back in the car, and his team at PSA are very happy to keep supporting him, he told me in Townsville.”

In terms of the Motorsports Australia’s media release regarding the brake systems, it appears that they are investigating several incidents from the recent past, and are contacting manufacturers directly.

When Middleton was pressed on the issue, he related the difficulty of dealing with the unforeseen circumstances that come with racing: “It’s just one of those things – how can you know, at the end of the day, when anything’s gonna break – you just don’t!

“You just can’t go crack testing every single nut and bolt. I mean if you have a crash or you bend something then obviously you crack test those things, but it’s just one of those odd-ball things that can happen out of nowhere.”

Round four of the TCM resumes at Sandown on September 16-18.

TILLEY WORKING TOWARDS TOURING CAR MASTERS RETURN THE REAR end of Cameron Tilley’s popular #60 Valiant Pacer was sensationally damaged in a spectacular crash involving himself and TCM driver Michael Almond at Townsville.

At Turn 3 of Race 3, Almond’s brakes failed at speed, careering into the rear of Tilley who had committed to the corner.

The massive impact caused the race to be called off, ending the TCM round; bringing about speculation that Tilley’s season may be at an end due to the extent of the damage.

Talking with with Auto Action, the self reliant DIY racer,revealed the current status of his Pacer, including what lies ahead for this season, and his TCM future overall.

“It’s probably worse than what I first thought when we left Townsville,” Said Tilley.

“I’ve stripped everything out from the back door back and it’s been put on the rack, and I’ve just spent a couple of nights pushing and pulling stuff.

“We’ve picked up another car to cut bits off hopefully by this weekend, but it’s still early days.

“Until we can start pushing and pulling at that, we just don’t know exactly what we’re in for, or what we can save,” described Tilley of the process.

After what had been a competitive start to the season, and after winning at the SMP in round two, he left Townsville sitting third in the overall standings.

“I would’ve loved to have been at the next one, it’s just disappointing to still be running in third outright, and the thought that I’m missing out … it’s not ideal,” he said dejectedly.

“It’s the best position I’ve been in in TCM half way through the season – we’ll just have to see how it pans out from here.”

If Tilley, a fan favourite, can’t make it back this season, the chances of him racing next

year hang as tentatively on the rack as does his Pacer.

“Beyond this year, I don’t know what I’ll do, unless things change with TCM as far as where we’ll run,” said Tilley, referring to the schedule when it comes to covering his costs.

“I need to be at Supercars meetings and on TV to keep my sponsors happy basically.

I mean, they aren’t in for huge dollars, but without them, I can’t do it.

“They’re asking questions about coverage and stuff like that, but depending on the calendar, you can’t sell yourself if you’re not on the TV. “The people that help me want TV or Foxtel to get something out of it, and I can see where they’re coming from. So it depends on the calendar, and there’s a few other guys going around in the TCM that feel the same way.”

THE VICTORIAN STATE RACE SERIES

ROUND 4 - SANDOWN

AUGUST 12-14

Presented by the Australian Sports Sedan Association • Formula Ford

Fantastic entries across many categories.

• BMW E30 • Vic V8s

• Formula Vee

• Porsche 944 Challenge

• Hyundai Excel

• Saloon Cars

• Improved Production

• Sports Cars

Spectators will be well catered for with access to the paddock.

Conducted under the Victorian Government COVID regulations in place at the commencement of the event.

• Round 5 Phillip Island September 23-25

For further information visit www.VSRS.com.au AutoActionMagazine

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VIC STATE TO HEAT UP SANDOWN FOR ROUND 4 THE VIC State series (VSRS) is heading towards the pointy end of its season, and with the race for top spots in each category heating up, Sandown will again play host on August 12-14.

The first round of the season was also held at Sandown as the VSRS finally made its comeback from lengthy COVID restrictions, which at that time saw 11 different categories and some 243 entrants.

That welcome return to action now sees the series head into Round 4 at Sandown, presented by the National Sports Sedan Association, with the last round of the year scheduled for Phillip Island on September 23-25.

Nine different categories have been confirmed for Sandown, with an even spread of practice and competitive racing to be held over the three days.

The Holdens are on top in the Improved Production category, and they may share the track with the BMW E30’s, which sees Alex Jory leading the category on a tight leaderboard heading up the rest of the field.

There will be a good mix of tight door-todoor racing with the Vic V8’s creating some serious noise, along with the packed fields of the open wheeled Formula Ford and the Formula Vee. The Porsche 944 series is one to look

Image: Revved Photography out for come the point races, as drivers Westaway, Brewer and Beller are all within 26 points of each other, making the run home to Phillip Island a tantalising watch on track.

The top bang-for-buck Saloon Cars will also be back for their second run at Sandown, as well as the Production

Sports cars with some menacing looking machines out on circuit.

The super-popular Hyundai Excel series (above) will also have its ninth meet of the year to round out the categories.

Entries for each category will be open until the 10 of August, and the organisers are hoping to see another weekend of

Image: Motorsport Images

over 200 competitors show up to lay some rubber down in what promises to be a great Sandown weekend for drivers and spectators alike.

Auto Action will once again be on the ground for Victoria’s premier grassroots event, as the VSRS season heads towards its close. Tim Neal

MOTORSPORT LEGEND PADDY HOPKIRK HAS DIED, AGED 89 MOTORSPORT LEGEND PADDY HOPKIRK, FAMOUS FOR WINNING THE 1964 MONTE CARLO RALLY IN THE BMC MINI COOPER S HAS DIED, AGED 89.

BORN IN Belfast, 14 April 1933, Hopkirk first competed in an Austin 7 ‘Chummy’ Tourer which he used to make his rally debut.

Once he got the rally bug, he competed in a variety of vehicles ranging from VW Beetles to Triumphs.

In 1959 he joined the Rootes Group as a works driver, initially picking up a drive in a Hillman Husky. He competed in the Safari Rally after reigning F1 World Champion Mike Hawthorn, who was originally meant to drive the car, was killed in a road accident.

Later that year he placed third overall and took a class win at the Alpine Rally in a Sunbeam Rapier, and he then led the 1960 Safari Rally until his Rapier suffered a differential failure. He took two Circuit of Ireland wins in 1961 and 1962, and another third at the Alpine Rally in 1961.

Whilst at Rootes, Hopkirk he also took part in circuit racing, winning his class in a Rapier in the touring car race supporting the 1960 British Grand Prix.

He finished third at the 1962 Monte Carlo Rally in a Sunbeam Rapier. However, Hopkirk was becoming frustrated by the Rapier’s lack of reliability and looked

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further afield for a new challenge.

He first competed in a Mini at the 1963 Monte Carlo Rally, where he finished sixth.

But his big win was alongside Henry Liddon he won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally in a works BMC Mini Cooper S, the car carried the now famous # 37 and had the registration number 33 EJB. He also led BMC to the overall teams win, with fellow Mini Cooper S drivers Timo Makinen and Rauno Altonen who placed fourth and seventh. The victory made Hopkirk and the Mini Cooper S a household name.

He received telegrams from the then UK Prime Minister, the Beatles, and was given the Freedom of the City of Belfast. He and his Mini also appeared on Sunday Night at the London Palladium Theatre.

From 1965 to 1967 Hopkirk competed at Bathurst, driving as part of BMC’s assault on the then Bathurst 500 touring car race at Mount Panorama.

He achieved a best result of sixth outright and third in class in the 1965 Armstrong 500, driving a Mini Cooper S alongside fellow rally driver Timo Makinen of Finland.

In 1968, driving an Austin 1800, Hopkirk competed in the London to Sydney Marathon, and came across a nasty head on collision between the then leader of the event, the Claude Laurent and Jean-Claude Ogier (DS Citron team,)and a local driver on an apparently closed road.

Hopkirk and his teammate Tony Nash

gallantly gave up any chance of victory on the penultimate stage to rescue the occupants of the vehicles. Hopkirk and his teammate managed to pull out the occupants from both cars, which had started to burn, probably saving the life of the severely wounded Lucien Bianchi in the process.

The accident happened just ahead of Hopkirk’s Austin 1800, who then drove back against the flow of traffic to warn onlookers and the police. Hopkirk and Nash likely also prevented another crash with any oncoming participants. Hopkirk’s crew went on to complete the rally in second, behind the winning Hillman Hunter of Andrew Cowin, Colin Malkin and Brian Coyle.

In 1977, with co-driver Taylor Mike, he took

part once again in a revived edition of the London-Sydney Marathon, this time driving a Citroen CX 2400, the team taking third place overall in front of another CX driven

by Claude Laurent and Jean-Claude Ogier, – the saem crew who had been rescued by Hopkirk and Nash in 1968.

In 2010, he was among the first four inductees into the Rally Hall of Fame alongside Timo Makinen, Rauno Aaltonen and Erik Carlsson and in 2016 Hopkirk was awarded an MBE. Hopkirk was a hero to millions of Mini fans from around the world and will be remembered as a great racer and a true sportsman.

He is survived by his wife Jennifer, their children Katie, Patrick and William, and six grandchildren. Bruce Williams

VALE MAX STAHL COLLIN MAX STAHL, a star of Australian 1960-1980s motorsport journalism as editor of late, lamented Racing Car News, died in Maitland Hospital in the early hours of July 21, aged 87.

Born in Newcastle in 1935, he moved to Sydney and started a small advertising agency in the mid-1950s, simultaneously competing in rallies and on the circuits with his roadie Simca Aronde.

At the dawn of the 1960s he was a leading Touring Cars light, racing a very quick ex-Brian Muir Holden 48-215 with great skill against drivers of calibre like Spencer Martin, Barry Seton and Des West.

With a passion for words – and plenty of copy-writing experience – he sold his ad-agency and edited Hot Rod magazine for a couple of issues before taking on Racing Car News (RCN) a magazine started by George Reid in 1961 upon Max’s suggestion.

Australia’s pioneer racing magazine was Arthur Wylie’s Australian Motor Sports (1946-1971). With a more contemporary look and feel, a passion for accuracy, and coverage of a vast

Max on the mike at a NSW rally number of local and international events RCN soon snatched The Bible mantle which had been AMS’s.

Along the way he married Margaret and had three children; Mandy, VickiAnn, and Michael, who is a talented motoring journalist and writer.

Stahl continued to compete on tarmac in Series Production events and in the forests, most notably winning the 1967 New Caledonian Rally. He co-drove a Volvo 122S with John Keran, becoming the first Australian crew to win an international rally. He also contested the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon.

By the late 1960s he owned a slice of the magazine and was very much at the epicentre of the sport, aided by a longstanding weekly radio-spot on Sydney’s 2CH. He was well known by Tasman

Series competitors, Graham Hill, Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme and others.

“Jackie Stewart was a friend and Jim Clark gave him the Firestone overalls in which he’d won the Indianapolis 500” recalls long-time RCN contributor and assistant-editor Ray Bell.

“Max assembled a great team. We were able to cover all events nationally.

We had Des White in Brisbane, Adrian Ryan (and later Tom Naughton) in Melbourne and Peter Wherrett and Rob Luck in Sydney for example. Many writers and photographers got their first opportunity via Max, I joined in 1972.”

The voice of the sport included C Max Stahl’s own, Wherett’s and others such as Jim Sullivan’s. The RCN Philosophy was always worth a read on the ailments of the sport and its future direction.

“At our peak RCN sold 19,000 copies

a month, unbelievable figures for a niche magazine. Increased competition, especially from weeklies and fortnightlies – we couldn’t match them on current news – knocked our figures around but it was still a good business.”

Stahl decided to sell after he had a heart attack in 1982. Two attempts to resuscitate the magazine, one led by Stephen Knox, and another with funds injected by Mal Biddlecombe and Bill Brown failed. Times had moved on and sales, despite Stahl’s best efforts, were too low for viability.

Max then moved to NSW’s Central Coast where he did a mix of event promotion and management, TV and radio commentary and public relations work. The Camp Quality Caper was his own event, run over 11 years, he also concepted Targa Tasmania with John Large but abandoned it when his principles were being ignored. The Sydney Classic was another, but only had one edition.

“A quadruple heart-bypass in the 1990s didn’t stop him, but he’d slowed down by 2016 after a minor stroke. He was looked after by his second wife of 30 years, Christine, but a massive stroke claimed him.”

Max Stahl was a giant of the sport, liked by many and respected by all.

Auto Action offers its condolences to the Stahl family and Max’s motorsport friends.

Many thanks to Ray Bell for his assistance with this tribute. Mark Bisset

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BATHURST 1000 RACE START FOR SUPER2 STAR 19 YEAR-OLD Jaylyn Robotham has been confirmed to make his Supercars Bathurst 1000 debut alongside Matt Chahda in the MCM wildcard entry at this year’s October classic.

Robotham scored his maiden Super2 victory at the SMP at the events opening round in just his second season, and like his new wildcard teammate, Racing runs deep through the Robotham family.

“We are delighted that Jaylyn will fulfill

his dream of racing at the Great Race, the Bathurst 1000 later this year, as part of the MCM wildcard team,” said David Robotham, Jaylyn’s father and manager.

“Jay has worked so hard for this and we are working closely with the team at MCM to make his debut a success.”

His teammate Matt Chahda, who will also be making his main game debut at ‘The Mountain’ on October 9, expressed his excitement to be pairing with Robotham in the wildcard entry,

“Jay is a formidable competitor in Super 2. His attention to detail, his driving style and overall attitude to life makes him a great choice as my team mate.”

The announcement of a new young driver to the main game is always an exciting affair, and for the team principal of MCM, Amin Chahda, who had the pleasure of releasing the news for his family’s sake back in early July, delighted in the opportunity to do so for the debut of Robotham.

“We are excited to have a young dynamic driver like Jaylyn partnering with Matt, as they both make their debut on the Mountain,” Said Amin Chahda.

“We have followed Jay’s progress for some time and believe he will deliver on the day.”

The MCM team is currently working through their Commercial Program and hopes to announce their naming rights partner soon. TW Neal

NATIONAL MOTORSPORT RETURNS TO REVAMPED QUEENSLAND RACEWAY

YOUNG GUN HAYMAN MAKES TRANS AM SWITCH TOM HAYMAN will race a Ford Mustang at the Queensland Raceway on August 5-7 in the Trans Am series at the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championship.

The mustang was previously driven in the 2020 series by frontrunner Aaron Seton. The car is now owned by experienced Production Car competitor Bruce Lynton.

Hayman’s impressive Aussie Racing Cars season has yielded eight victories and 12 podiums, meaning he will make the switch in peak racing form, albeit to a machine with some slightly more rigorous characteristics.

Hayman spoke a bit about testing the Mustang, and his excitement about making the considered Trans Am switch.

“It was heaps of fun. Just the way it moves around on the tyre, it has heaps of horsepower and it’s probably one of the best cars I’ve ever driven,” Hayman commented.

“It’s very physical on the body with all the steering in-puts holding it in a straight line, there was nothing I could carry over from the Aussie Racing Car.” Hayman has had his eye on the Trans Am for some time, and saw the series as a means of stepping up his career.

“We’ve seen it grow quite a bit in the past couple of years and it was always going to be a stepping stone, so we thought we’d get into it a bit earlier.

“There are quite a few household names (competing) from what I can see. There will be no expectations, but it would be great to run with them, so we’ll wait and see how it goes.”

If things go well for Hayman, there are plans for him to get a seat in the Mustang at the Bathurst 1000 in November.

Owen Kelly’s #73 Mustang leads the Trans Am series by six points over Nathan Herne’s #1 Mustang heading into the penultimate round at the Queensland Raceway, the first national series at the venue for three years after a total revamp of the track and facilities.

The event can be viewed on Stan Sport on the Saturday and Sunday between 11am-5pm.

TW Neal

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A FINALISED schedule of seven categories will feature in the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships for the highly anticipated return of national racing to the Queensland Raceway.

Taking place on the 5-7 of August, the relaid surface and upgraded facilities will play host to the fourth round of the competition.

The packed schedule will feature the TCR Australia series, Trans Am, GT Championship, Porsche Sprint Challenge, GC Australian Prototype Series and the Radical Cup Australia.

The traditional night running of Australian Production Cars will also get its slot back on the Saturday evening of the Shannons event.

The three day return will kick the tyres at 8 30am on the Friday with a full day of practice and qualifying, followed by a blockbuster 12 hours of track time on Saturday, running from 7

30am to 7 45pm.

Sunday will conclude the event with the TCR’s taking to the track at 4 10pm for their third and final race.

A long time in the planning, Motorsport Australia’s director of Motorsport and Commercial operations Michal Smith, spoke of his excitement surrounding the return to Ipswich, “We’ve been working closely with Tony Quinn and the team at Queensland Raceway for months planning this Shannons Motorsport Australia event.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to be back in Queensland and at a new and improved venue which is now very worthy of hosting high quality, national level motorsport.”

Fans are encouraged to get their tickets early, and to be aware that

parking will only be available outside the track, as the inner parking will be used to host the seven categories of contestants.

Stan Sports ‘Speed Series Broadcast’ will be televising the event for those unable to attend.

For more information on ticketing visit www.motorsporttickets.com.au For more details of the event, visit the event’s official website, www. motorsportaustraliachampions.com.au TW Neal

TCM REVIEW AIMS TO FINE TUNE 2023 PRODUCT THE ORGANISERS of the Touring Car Masters have started to step up the review into the performance adjustment for the popular series heading into the 2023 season.

The TCM category management are working with Motorsport Australia’s technical advisor Scott McGrath and the competitors, to fine-tune the balance of the on-track product.

Rather than finding technical parity - which is not what the TCM is uniquely about - it’s more about the balance of performance while preserving an individual’s brand and own technical specifications, similar to what is seen in the TCR and GT series’.

The performance specification register applies to engine RPM and weight adjustments to suit the various individual car makes. As an example, the five litre Holden Torana sits at around 1370kg, compared to the six litre 1500kg Ford Mustang, Falcon, and Chevrolet Camaro models; the weight differential is in turn balanced up by the horsepower, with the five litre engines running at 600hp, and the six litres at well over 700+hp.

The adjustments made throughout the season are based upon the place position of the car: so cars achieving outright 1st, such as Ryan Hansford’s #6 Torana at Townsville, receive a heavier weight adjustment, which would then be removed if the vehicle finishes fourth or worse.

Due to the differing individual specifications of the cars, this allows drivers to adjust for the relative strength and weaknesses of their vehicles; and as was seen in Townsville, the lighter Holdens have an advantage on the more corner driven street

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circuits, whilst lacking the horsepower on the more open circuits such as Mount Panorama.

A survey of the TCM since the 2018 season shows that of the 63 championship races, 39 have been won by the six litre cars, and 24 by the smaller-engined vehicles.

Liam Curkpatrick, the Category Manager for TCM, spoke about the aims for the review, and of protecting the characteristics that define TCM. ”The idea is to not reinvent the wheel but to go through everything with a fine-tooth comb, which is what we have been doing since ARG acquired the category prior to the curtailed 2020 season,” said Curkpatrick.

“The on-track product has always been a hallmark of TCM and we don’t want to change it. But there could be opportunities to improve it further and this process is centered around that.

“We want the category to continue to remain appealing to competitors with all sorts of different cars. This process will engage with all the competitors to get their thoughts while taking a very methodical, numbers-based approach to the ‘Balance of Performance’ in the category.

“This is not about turning TCM into a complete ‘Parity’ class: that’s not what the category is about. The current regulations are several years old and we want to make sure what has been down on paper for some time suits where the category is at today.

“It’s been part of our ongoing process to grow the category and this was the next topic we have been keen to tackle and review.”

TW Neal

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MULTIPLE FORMULA FORD MANUFACTURERS NOW LIKELY

Image: Daniel Kalsz-ARG

FORMULA FORD is now likely to remain as a multiple manufacturer category after Motorsport Australia took note of competitor feedback.

Motorsport Australia Director of Motorsport and Commercial Operations Michael Smith opened up to Auto Action about the current state of play in the incredibly popular Australian Formula Ford category.

Smith explained that the original idea Formula Ford now appears to be substantially less likely after listening to competitors views.

“We’re really wanting the DNA to stay the same,” he said to AA. “I know one of our preliminary recommendations was to look at a single manufacturer path,” he said.

“Whilst the (Formula Ford) working group hasn’t formed a view, one way or another on that, I think we’re coming around to the view that, potentially a multi-manufacturer format would be a better path to go, because that’s consistent with what Formula Ford has always been in this country.

“We had the stakeholder forum, we then had the survey, and then we invited people to make submissions.

“We’ve taken the time to speak to every single one of those people or email every single one of those people.

“I guess as a consequence of that we’ve come around to the view that perhaps a multi-manufacturer concept is the way to go.”

Smith feels that if they can get the rules right, then a multi-manufacturer series will continue to work successfully.

“In order to do that (a multi-brand category) you have to get the rules right, we know that, it’s a lot simpler to craft a set of rules when you’re only have one homologated manufacturer.

ONE OF the country’s longest serving category administrators Margaret Hardy passed away from cancer on Thursday August 19.

Hardy was involved in motor racing for decades and was known for her dedication to Formula Ford.

Hardy joined the Light Car Club as the office manager and began working with the Australian Formula Ford championship 1978, doing paperwork AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST Production car for the category throughout the ‘80s. endurance race has opened up a limited Early in the following year she became number of support category slots for the administrator of the category and next years Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 hour was tasked with organising national event. series events, a role she held until 2013.

The 2023 instalment will run over the She has dealt with many of Australia’s Easter long weekend (April 7-9). motor sport stars over the years and The demand for positions is expected was well-known as a hardworking and to be high, as the event offers the passionate worker. chance for categories that might In her time as category manager not otherwise get the opportunity to seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner Craig compete at Mount Panorama.

Lowndes, reigning 1000 victor, Will “We’re always looking for categories Davison, David Reynolds, Chaz Mostert that might want to grab an opportunity and Anton de Pasquale are just some

of the illustrious names that won in the category.

Hardy assisted all of these drivers on their route to Australia’s top-level.

She was liked by all who knew her in the industry which is why the motor sport community is sad to hear of her passing.

During her time in the category, she was named a Life Member of the Formula Ford Association. of the Bathurst 6 Hour week,” said Ken Formula Ford Association Collier, Event Director. representative Phil Marinon said “This year our support program she remained very connected to the provided big fields and lots of category. great racing, which is great for the “Margaret was a tireless Administrator competitors and great for the spectators for Formula Ford Association and also who come to the circuit and watch on the AFFM including category manager TV,” Collier said of this years B6HR, with for the national competition,” he told a line up that included: Auto Action.

Supercheap Auto TCR Australia, Turtle “Her attention to detail and ability to Wax Trans Am, MRF Tyres Nissan support the competitors has been very Pulsar Series, NSW Historic Touring strongly acknowledged on social media Cars, and HQ Holdens all competing in and is undisputed. the build up.

“Margaret was a very private person

evolution of Formula Ford Racing, as distinct from trying to introduce something that’s entirely new that we know with our Formula 4 experience hasn’t worked.”

Smith also admitted that the plan for a 2023 introduction along with the reintroduction of championship status is looking ambitious.

“If I’m being really honest, I think THE FUTURE pathway for Australia’s brightest young 2023 introduction might be a bit talent is in good hands, after GRM (Garry Rogers ambitious at this point,” Smith felt.

Motorsport) has announced it will once again team up “But we haven’t formed a fixed view with Valvoline for another Combine in early 2023. on that, the Formula Ford Association Competition Director, Marcos Ambrose, will ofGRM course, will be key to all of this as once again be on the frontline of the initiative, that well. focuses on providing a select few young drivers the “What I will say is our current thinking opportunity to test out top level machinery. is to run Formula Ford, the current “The GRM Combine is an experience. It is not a cars as a national series next year, and driving school or a talent search,” says Ambrose. then at a point in time, whether that’s it’s an event where drivers who are on the path 2023 or 2024, we will introduce a new to race in the upper levels of Australian motorsport car as a championship. can evaluate their own performance and abilities “We’d run existing cars in parallel in a professional environment. It gives the drivers a with the new ones as sort of a mixed reference point to see where they are at in their own grid and that would happen for a racing progression and showcase their skills to GRM period, broadly speaking, I’d be and other industry leaders.” anticipating that it’d be three to five Kicking off in January 15-20 of next year, the event years, something like that. will be held at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains and “I guess ultimately, it depends on the Baskerville circuits, where participants will get the take up of any new car. DM

VALVOLINE GRM COMBINE RETURNS FOR YOUNG GUNS

“But ultimately, if we’re, wanting to achieve or carry on the philosophy of Formula Ford Racing we need to be able to do it in a multi-manufacturer environment.”

Smith believes the reason that Formula 4 did not work in Australia was because it did not appeal to the Australian motor sport scene, this is why it is essential that Formula Ford remains as close as possible to its roots.

“Formula 4 didn’t work here,” he admitted. “It’s clear, people are very passionate about Formula Ford Racing “Our thinking is have it as an

BATHURST 6 VALE: MARGARETSUPPORT HARDY – FORMULA FORD’S GUIDING HAND HOUR CATEGORY OPPORTUNITIES

to race at Mount Panorama and be part

Last April’s B6HR main event provided

a thrilling race, when the pairing of Cam Hill and Thomas Sergeant somehow came from 63rd on the grid to take out victory in what some have deemed as the ‘Bathurst Miracle.’ and was always focused on the result The chance to be on the Drawcard for rather than looking for accolades.

2023 is a welcome chance for smaller “Margaret was very dedicated to grass-roots categories to be part of all things Formula Ford and has such historic occasions in Australian recently assisted the association in Motorsport - as this years running the production of a book on 50 years proved to be. of Formula Ford in Australia and Interested categories are encouraged disappointingly will not get to see the to apply soon, and should contact the final result.” event team through their website; www.

Many Australian racing legends past bathurst6hour.com.au TW Neal

opportunity to test drive GRM’s TCR, Trans Am, and the S5000’s.

“S5000, TCR and Trans Am are very different machines which each require a unique set of skills each to drive,” Ambrose said of the machinery on offer.

Combine participants get to evaluate themselves in different equipment and see what type of machine best suits their skill sets. An added bonus is to compare themselves against our professional factory drivers.”

Making the program a more rounded experience, Valvoline has also come on board in an even bigger capacity this time around, and will provide stellar product support, as well as training for mechanic apprentices to-be.

Ambrose, a two-time Supercars champion, will provide his expertise and mentorship, along with noted GRM drivers James Moffat, James Goulding, Dylan O’keeffe and Nathan Heme. Garry and Barry Rogers will also be on deck to oversee the Combine and present took to social media to proceedings. send their condolences.

Under the tutelage of this team, the young drivers Outside of Formula Ford, Margaret will experience on-track sessions, detailed guidance also took on roles such as the race with a dedicated driver coach and engineer, and a secretary for Sandown Raceway. one week work experience package with GRM at its Hardy was diagnosed with Dandenong facility.

Inflammatory Breast Cancer in 2019 As a credit to the programs success, the last GRM and went into Stage 4 in May. combine saw the fast tracking of rising star Kody Auto Action sends its condolences to Garland, who now races for GRM in the TCR Australia her friends and family. DM series for Valvoline.

TW Neal

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NEWS EXTRA

WAKEFIELD PARK’S COURT SAGA APPEAL FINDING GRABBING WIDESPREAD ATTENTION THE SAGA surrounding the embattled Wakefield Park Raceway could be a devastating blow for the future of motorsports in NSW, and is indicative of threats and closures faced all over the country.

The potential closure of Wakefield Park follows on from the NSW Land and Environmental Court (LEC) decision to impose untenable operational regulations upon the Benalla Auto Club (BAC) owned circuit.

Wakefield Park’s owners, the BAC, undertook LEC proceedings in relation to a new development consent for a significant upgrade to the facility that was issued

by Goulburn Mulwaree Council on 13 July 2021, that consent was subject to numerous unworkable conditions.

An appeal was lodged by the BAC against the initial finding against the development, and as the result of proceedings, the Council proposed further and more stringent conditions.

Following that NSW LEC ruling, handed down on 13 July, the viability of Wakefield Park as a motorsport facility is now uncertain.

The regulations that were imposed by the then existing Goulburn council in July of 2021, were seen by the BAC as a death by a thousand cuts, with the number of operational days to dwindle down to 30 operational days per year by 2024.

Wakefield Park Raceway issued a statement on July 15, outlining its disappointment from the proceedings: “The LEC decision is a shattering blow to the BAC, which submitted the Development application with an intention of upgrading and improving Wakefield Park’s facilities.

Wakefield Park’s existence as one of only two permanent motorsport facilities in NSW is now in jeopardy. Nevertheless, the BAC recognises the importance of Wakefield Park not only to the local economy, but to the wider motorsport and automotive industries. It remains committed to exploring all options with every level of government to preserve the facility.”

The raceway was in need of the upgrade due to the high demand of use that the park was getting from both motorsport and

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non-motorsport activities, whilst also having to adhere to a council agreement to have a 25% allocation of non-active days due to residential complaints.

When the appeal to the LEC was overturned in favour of the raceway, the LEC took the councils then recommendations, as a stipulation to commencing the upgrades, meaning an immediate application of the regulations to no more than 30 days of yearly operation, and a strict adherent to noise levels of no more than 95 Decibels: an accepted industry standard that the park had already been adhering with.

“In regards to the four days a month we will attempt to see how we can operate, but that will be a loss making situation,” Bruce Robertson, the BAC vice president, told Auto Action.

“There are significant state ramifications for this. The loss of Wakefield park is an issue for NSW as a whole.

“There are many little facts regarding how we got to this point, but what we can’t now up-set, is the ability to have a “work through” driven by a political process. I actually think no parties to this dispute expected such a judgement. It is true to say that any “improvements” that the BAC wanted to build are now toast. It is now a fight for survival.”

The imposition from the LEC upon the raceway makes it economically and situationally impossible to keep its gates open for operations.

Despite the proven economic worth of the circuit to the Goulburn Area, and the local community benefits it provides, it appears likely that the track will cease operations completely if it cannot shake these imposed restrictions.

The Goulburn Mulwaree council, which has recently seen a turnover of personnel at the top, released a statement of support for Wakefield and its economic importance after a joint meeting, saying it will work closely with the BAC to keep it functional.

When Auto Action contacted the council for an update, the following statement was provided:

“Goulburn Mulwaree Council and the Benalla Auto Club have committed to working together in order to find a fair and balanced means of ensuring the facility’s survival, support the wider business community, and meet the needs of nearby residents.”

Prior to the application for its $3.5 million facility upgrade, an independent review found that the track contributed $15 million worth of economic activity to the Goulburn Valley, which equates to a whopping $20 million for the state when travel expenses to the region are factored in.

Aside from motorsport activities, the park’s facility is used for a myriad of automotive activity, including defensive driving training and testing, NSW police and academy training, AFP and defence apartment use, and a series of charitable and motorcycle based activity.

In terms of direct motorsport activities, vital grassroots competitions will further suffer in a state that staggeringly has only one other track left in operation: SMP at Eastern Creek, a government owned raceway.

The judgement handed down by the Court, it’s important to note, was done so purely over environmental concerns, a clear dismissal over the economic side of the equation. The Goulburn council on the other hand, is strongly aware of the economic worth, and wants to work closely with the track.

The court’s decision opened up a huge area of political concern, not only for motorsport, but for economically vital activities like mining and trucking operations that have a direct noise impact on residential areas.

Residents have been speaking up, and the courts have listened, and acted.

“This is a real ‘oh my god moment,’ as in oh my god what does this mean for NSW, not just for motor racing circuits. This issue is bigger than Wakefield Park,” Robertson commented further.

“You don’t have to be a lawyer to work out that this judgement may have significant impact on other noisy activities and pursuits

across NSW. I think the state politicians are recognising that as well.”

Motorsport Australia in turn released its own statement of support on July 19 through CEO Eugene Arocca, in which he stated that, “Motorsport Australia will always lobby for motorsport venues across Australia, and we will certainly be approaching the NSW Government about the recent Wakefield Park decision raising our understandable concern about the impacts this decision will have on the sport.

“We enjoy a strong relationship with governments around the country and we are well aware of the importance of these permanent venues. Our recent Ernst & Young economic report highlights how valuable motorsport events and by extension, the venues, are to the regions in which the sport takes place. Both State and Federal governments have been provided with this full report.”

The court decision has snowballed to the point where ABC news picked up the story and interviewed Arocca, showing that the effects of this court ruling are starting to grab people’s attention on a wider scale.

“If we now find that a handful of property owners, nearby, in a remote area can raise a complaint about noise, it really starts to put a shudder through the whole industry,” Arocca said on the ABC broadcast.

“I’m concerned, Australia-wide, that if you try and find a location that’s away from homes, then council allows homes to be built within a close proximity, then we’re going to have this very problem.

“If you start to take Wakefield out it’s going to have a flow-on effect to the whole industry,” pointed out Arocca.

The industry in Australia as a whole has developed a problem of disappearing race tracks, and if Wakefield disappears – as has been the relentless trend – then the grassroots level that makes the sport tick, will be in need of miracle reforms in order to survive.

For updates on the story, visit www. autoaction.com to stay informed on the latest news. Timothy Neal

AN ABSOLUTE CLUSTER

Image: Mark Horsburgh-Motorsport Images

with Luke West

REVVED UP AA’S COLUMNIST STRAPS HIMSELF IN FOR A WILD RIDE IT’S BEEN an extraordinary past fortnight, one in which the motorsporting public learned a great deal about the RACE consortium that took ownership of Supercars for the 2022 season.

More info than some would have preferred to be in the public domain, no doubt.

What did we learn? As detailed elsewhere in this edition, we discovered that Supercars: holds considerable debt; is seeking additional investment in the wake of COVID disruptions and Gen3 cost blow-outs; and rejected investment by an entity seeking majority ownership. Most

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significantly, we learned that Supercars’ ownership ranks are deeply divided.

Oh dear. To use modern parlance, what an absolute cluster!

I’m trying to think positively, and, true, it’s a definite plus that somebody, Europe-based sports investment group FanTech, thinks Supercars is a valuable property.

Big tick. It also brings me some comfort Supercars has an experienced and steady hand on the tiller in CEO Shane Howard, a man who learned his trade from Tony Cochrane and knows how to keep his head down and focused on the day-to-day.

Yet Supercars’ level of debt and infighting at ownership level are massive concerns. The two major groups – or factions – are poles

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apart in philosophy. One has a whole-of-motorsport agenda, the other said to be focused purely on the top end of town. In the mix are the usual driving forces of ego, power and money. This could get ugly.

The 2022 Supercars series has been a less than enthralling Australian Tyre Management Championship, but at least the wider scene suddenly got interesting via these ownership developments.

True, recent races have featured dramatic starts and conclusions, but in between is a vast void of ho-hum tyre management-focus.

Blind Freddie can see Shane van Gisbergen will win the title and there’s little pre-event hype, with few storylines. Supercars is just going through the motions right now – on the track, at least.

Some of the off-track ugliness is starting to become apparent, like van Gisbergen being prevented from racing in TA2.

Trans-Am obviously didn’t fit someone’s agenda, as he’s driven a wide range of categories in

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recent times without issue. From memory, only speedway midgets were off the table.

His masters were previously okay with him rallying and racing at Le Mans, yet for some reason Trans-Am at Queensland Raceway was a no-no.

Smells fishy to me.

The only conclusion is that forces were in play to restrict his involvement. ARG front man Garry Rogers said as much.

SVG may not be the only one.

On Friday July 22 a media release lobbed in my inbox at 12.53pm about Brodie Kostecki driving in Trans-Am instead.

It was followed at 1.09pm by another email, a recall of the story. “Due to a number of factors in play, this story CAN NOT be published at the original embargoed time” and “thank you in advance for not publishing this.”

Huh? Strange days indeed. Most peculiar mama.

As an outsider – I’m just a motorsport observer, fan and magazine columnist – it’s obvious there’s a lot going on behind the

scenes we are not privy to. It’s a pity Supercars’ governance is distracted from the task of planning future endeavours by this manoeuvring.

One thing I do know, Garry and Barry Rogers, as part of the Australian Racing Group, the entity with the biggest Supercars ownership stake at about 30 percent, hold the high-moral ground. The father-son duo has stated that ARG became a part-owner as it was in the best interests of local motorsport with a stronger support program a win for all.

Their intent has credibility, to my eyes at least, given that Garry has repeated put his money where his mouth is for the benefit of motorsport over the years. The others in the RACE consortium can’t match the Rogers’ philanthropic approach.

Thus, this could quickly turn into a public relations disaster for the Barclay Nettleford/Mark Skaife alliance. Chairman Nettleford has been the invisible man since coming to power. I get that it takes time for new governors to suss out the lie of the land, then formulate a plan, get board approval and announce it, but he needs to get on the front foot. The sport needs a front man, like the NRL has with Peter V’landys.

To this point, Skaife has been the category’s effective public face and voice through his television commitments as both a play-by-play commentator and host/analyst. But Skaife comes across as being laser-focused on the sport’s technical side, the teams and drivers. He doesn’t give off the vibe he’s in tune with improving the show for the fans.

The opposite may well be the case, but the perception is not good. I don’t doubt that he has a deep love for Supercars and motorsport generally.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: praise the big man upstairs that we still have a truly independent news outlet in Auto Action to objectively report on developments.

Hopefully RACE can get its act together before it becomes RACED ...

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THE WHOLE PACKAGE WHY THERE IS MORE TO SUPERCARS SUCCESS THAN JUST A GOOD DRIVER

Image: Motorsport Images GRADING THE grid in Supercars is much tougher than you think.

Shane van Gisbergen obviously deserves an A. But should he get an A-plus, or an A-plus-plus, as a reward for his runaway romp towards back-toback Supercars titles?

Some people are now saying he is the best in the history of touring car racing in Australia, or at least a contender for a Top 3 slot, compared with all-time legends including Allan Moffat and Dick Johnson and Mark Skaife and Jamie Whincup.

It’s clear that SvG is the best of the bunch in 2022, but how should he be scored? And what about the rest?

Garry Jacobson has already received the equivalent of an ‘F’ from the most important marker

with Paul Gover

THE PG PERSPECTIVE of them all, his team boss, Peter Xiberras. Peter X has pulled Jacobson out of his Subway Commodore after seemingly deciding he is unlikley to make the grade.

Among the other relatively easy decisions is another ‘D+’ for Jack Smith, who has good backing and lots of mentoring at Brad Jones Racing yet struggles for results, as does team-mate Macauley Jones.

Away from the top and tail of the field, things get much harder.

That’s because success in Supercars is so heavily dependent on the car and the crew.

In tennis, you have a racket and a court and an opponent.

It’s one-on-one stuff, win or lose, from the second the first ball is served.

There is plenty of coaching in tennis and most other ball sports, but the actual outcome is down almost entirely to the player.

In motorsport, and particularly Supercars, there are dozens of

factors that can drag a driver down.

A lacklustre team, or a substandard engineer, are obviously going to make an impact.

But it can be something as simple as poor pitstops, or lacklustre man (person?) management.

Looking at the class of 2022, there are some great examples of good drivers doing poorly.

Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki were stand-outs in season 2021, but are only midfield runners this year. They haven’t lost their skill, or their commitment, but something has gone wrong and only the insiders at Erebus Racing really know the answer.

But sometimes even the crew are floundering with an underperforming driver.

Nick Percat has won races and been a regular in the Top 10, but has slumped through the first half of this year after jumping from Brad Jones Racing to Walkinshaw Andretti United.

It is obviously a challenge to line up alongside Chaz Mostert, and perhaps the WAU car does not work as well for Percat, but something is clearly wrong.

And so it goes, on and on.

Good drivers in poor cars, teams that do not gel, rookies trying to make an impact, cars that need more engineering or better parts, and old-timers sliding towards retirement.

How do you see things? Why not check our driver gradings further on in this issue of Auto Action and tell us what you think?

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INTERNATIONAL AUSSIES

SECOND INDY LIGHTS WIN FOR McELREA HUNTER MCELREA earned his second consecutive Indy Lights victory at Iowa Speedway, elevated to first place after a post-race penalty was levied on Linus Lundqvist.

Series points leader Lundqvist took the flag first in the #26 Dale Coyne Racing car after hitting the front on lap 50, 3.426s ahead of McElrea in the #27 Andretti Autosport machine.

However, post-race IndyCar officials determined Lundqvist made avoidable contact with Aussie Matthew Brabham in a duel for the lead with five laps to go, damaging Brabham’s front wing.

Lundqvist was penalised three spots, dropping to fourth in the final results. That penalty gave Andretti Autosport a sweep of the top three spots with pole sitter and early leader McElrea the winner, fellow rookie Christian Rasmussen second in and Brabham third in the #83 Andretti Autosport entry.

“Not the way I want to get it, obviously,” McElrea said.

“I think, to be honest, Matt deserved that. But I’ll take it.

Back-to-back. You’ll take what you can get in this game.”

Winner, winner 1 ... Hunter McElrea. Images: Motorsport Images McElrea’s victory in the first oval race of the Indy Lights season was the 250th across all series for Andretti Autosport.

The flashpoint of the 75lap race took place on Lap 71. Leader Lundqvist lost momentum in Turn 1 and Brabham pounced by steering to the outside lane, looking to pass as they drove nearly side by

side entering Turn 2. Lundqvist moved up to the high line before he was clear of Brabham, making contact with and damaging Brabham’s front wing.

Brabham also made right-side contact with the barrier exiting Turn 2 while trying to avoid contact with Lundqvist.

“It was a close fight,” Lundqvist said.

“I got a little bit loose through (Turn) 1, and I saw that he was behind me. But I got a ‘clear’ from my spotter, so I switched my lane, and unfortunately, I think my rear just touched his front nose.

“It’s inch-perfect on ovals, and I put my trust in the spotter. Sorry to Matt for the incident.”

Brabham was blunt in his

assessment, “my perspective is that I got drove into the wall,” he said.

Brabham hung on to second place on track in his damaged car until the final lap, when teammates McElrea and Rasmussen passed him.

McElrea’s win leaves him second in the standings, 77 points behind Lundqvist. Josh Nevett

SMITH BREAKS THROUGH IN F3 AUSTRALIAN TOMMY Smith scored his maiden GB3 Championship victory at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in bizarre circumstances, awarded the win after a post-race countback.

The Douglas Motorsport driver finished 14th and 19th in the opening two races at Spa but had a golden opportunity in Race 3, starting from the front row.

He seized it in the early stages, leading before a red flag stoppage was triggered by David Morales hitting the wall hard at Blanchimont. The American was uninjured but ‘shaken’ by the incident which neutralised the race on the third lap.

On the restart Smith continued his push for a career best result but was passed at the end of lap four. Shortly after, the Safety Car boards and flags were shown again, with Mikkel Grundtvig beached in the sand trap.

Removal of the stricken car took some time, forcing stewards to end the race under Safety Car conditions, consigning Smith to a second-place finish.

However, the incorrect grid formation was given by the category organisers for the earlier red flag restart, which meant that the results were counted back to prior to the red flag.

The stewards report reads as follows: “Race 3 was red flagged due to an accident, the leader had completed two laps at the time [of ] the first showing of the Red Flag. The race was restarted under Safety Car, had another Safety Car phase directly after the restart and was ended when the clock ran to zero.

“Due to the reported fact, that the procedure for building the grid for the restart was not respected, the Stewards have decided… that the result of Race 3 will be based on

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Winner, winner 2 ... Tommy Smith came out on top in a red-flagged race. the order of crossing the finish line after lap 1. That is one lap less than the number of laps completed by the leader at the time of the first showing of the Red Flag.”

As such, on review the results were counted back to the original start before the first red flag rendering Smith the declared winner.

Carlin’s Callum Voisin and Fortec’s Zak Taylor completed the revised podium.

The other Aussie on the grid, Marcos Flack, finished in the top 10 in every race for the first time this season.

He was 10th, fifth and ninth in each encounter, after snagging a podium at Snetterton last time out.

Josh Nevett

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

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NEW TEAMS NEEDED FOR YOUNG DRIVER’S DEVELOPMENT

Images: Motorsport Images

FERNANDO ALONSO’S words regarding the lack of opportunities for young drivers to enter Formula One got me thinking. There has to be a way to open more slots for talent coming from Formula 2 and Formula 3 to get into Grand Prix racing without having to go through what Oscar Piastri, who won both those championships in consecutive years, is currently going through, sitting on the sidelines, getting the odd test with a 2021spec car and hoping to find a race seat for 2023.

Before the French Grand Prix, the Spanish driver denied he was blocking Piastri’s place in Grand Prix racing and pointed the finger at “slow drivers” who remain in the sport as the culprit for this situation: “Motorsport is all about the stopwatch. The key question is are you still fast enough and do you make it happen? If you are slow and perform moderately, you block the way for up-and-coming talents.

Then you have to make room. I’m still fast. It’s other drivers who lock the door for fresh blood.”

It’s undeniable Alonso is performing at an extremely high level this year, even if that is not reflected in his points tally. And

with Luis Vasconcelos

F1 INSIDER yes, some drivers tend to stay in Formula One long after they get past their sell-by date, either because their love for the sport is too big for them to consider retirement or because their retainers make it too hard to turn down offers to continue driving – or both!

But the bottom line is that with only 20 seats available in Grand Prix racing, there’s not much room for young talent to come it. This year Zhou Guanyu is the only rookie in the field; next year it’s almost certain Oscar Piastri will be the only new driver to make it to Formula One. On the way out, no one will lament the departure of Nicholas Latifi when talking about talent, although on the human side the Canadian is one of the most pleasant drivers in the field.

Some may feel Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll no

longer add value to their teams, but chances are they’ll remain with their current teams in 2023.

Which brings me to the point I would like to make here: Formula One needs a couple more teams, to bring the total of cars on track back to 24, that historically has been a good number for Grand Prix racing.

These days only AlphaTauri is open to take rookie drivers on a regular basis, this being its “raison d’être” from Red Bull’s point of view, while in past decades there were always two or three smaller teams that were happy to gamble on rookies, even if they were on loan from the bigger teams, like Benetton, Williams, Ferrari or McLaren.

Without going into the merits of Andretti Global’s bid to enter Formula One in 2024, it’s important for the sport to open the doors to a couple more teams.

Four more seats will open the

WHAT’S IN THE NEXT ISSUE?

doors to young talent without pushing veterans out of the door and it will also benefit the bigger teams, as they’ll be able to get valuable data from their young drivers without taking the risk of putting them straight into their race seats. What Mercedes did with George Russell, placing him at Williams for three years, is paying off royally and this should be a lesson for Ferrari, Red Bull, Alpine and McLaren. But to have seats available for most promising young drivers you need a couple more teams than we currently have.

I do understand the current 10 teams are unwilling to share the massive prize money they’re all getting these days but, in more than one way, they should look beyond next year’s balance sheet and look ahead into the next five or 10 years, to understand a loss of a bit of income in the next couple of years may lead to improving the sport in all areas, with benefits for everybody. Look beyond the tip of your noses, into the horizon, to check what’s best for the future of the sport, because what’s good for Formula One is obviously also good for the teams.

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FORMULA 1 NEWS LUIS VASCONCELOS

RICCIARDO STANDS HIS GROUND AS DRIVER’S MARKET AWAITS HIS FATE DANIEL RICCIARDO has stood his ground in the silent battle he’s fighting with McLaren’s CEO Zak Brown, the Australian driver determined to see through his third and final year of contract with the Woking-based team, while the American seems to be offering his seat to everyone and their dog, undermining Ricciardo’s trust in the team.

Days after the Austrian Grand Prix, the man from Perth published a strongly worded message on his social media platforms, to make his intentions clear: ““There have been a lot of rumors around my future in Formula 1, but I want you to hear it from me. I am committed to McLaren until the end of next year and am not walking away from the sport. Appreciate it hasn’t always been easy, but who wants easy!

“I’m working my ass off with the team to make improvements and get the car right and back to the front where it belongs. I still want this more than ever. See you in Le Castellet.”

In France the Australian explained that “there’s a lot of noise, rumours, people kind of questioning, coming up with their own answers. It was just kind of building I guess.

I obviously know what my future is so, I was ‘I’m just going to let everyone know’. I think also for people that follow me and my supporters, if you will – ‘what’s Daniel going to do? Is this going to be it?’. I was, like, ‘No, it’s time to let everyone know from the horses mouth’.”

Asked if he’d ever consider retiring at the end of this year, Ricciardo was quite firm on his reply: “Long story short, no. But, of course, after a Q1 exit, the frustration is ‘this again?’ or ‘how am I out in Q1?’. I’ve admitted sometimes, in a way I hate this

Image:

Images: Motorsport Images sport because you deal with these highs and lows so often. But the days that I also can find myself hating it, I also love it because the feeling that I get and what it does and how it ignites me – I guess that feeling in my gut, I’m like ‘Ah, I actually love this’.

“So I would just love to be on the top all the time or whatever, but the feeling I get is still real, even through those lows. That belief and everything I get, as soon as that emotion and wave of frustration blows over, give it 10 minutes, or half an hour, or an hour, whatever it is. Once I reset, it’s like ‘yeah I still want this’. I still believe I can do it. The day I retire is the day that I lose that feeling, the day I lose that belief and will to keep doing it. And I truly feel like I’m still pretty far from that.”

A rare presence in Formula One these days, Zak Brown has been in touch with Oscar Piastri and his management, Colton Herta and, more recently, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel, looking like a man desperate to let the world know he wants Ricciardo to go.

Asked about the situation, Vettel joked, “I think Lando has a contract for next year, right?” More seriously, he explained, “I obviously know some people at McLaren, but I think it’s just rumours,” For Vettel, staying with Aston Martin seems to be the priority: “I’ve said that at some point, we will start to talk. I’m talking to the team. I think there’s a clear intention to keep going, and we’ll see soon where we stand.”

Alonso may be interested only if he’s offered a two-year contract, the veteran being frustrated by Alpine’s offer of just a one-year extension of his contract, but his priority seems to be to remains with the Enstone-based team as well.

Herta, for his side, faces an uphill struggle to finish the IndyCar season in third place, the only way he’ll be automatically granted a Formula One super-licence, so Brown’s best hope in case Ricciardo changes his mind and leaves is to replace one Australian with another one, Piastri now being very much a man in demand. Alpine has seemingly taken the option to keep him, but racing elsewhere, with McLaren and Williams both pushing hard to secure his services for the next two seasons.

DYNO HOURS DELAY CONFIRMATION OF 2026 ENGINE RULES PORSCHE AND Audi are getting frustrated and concerned with the delay in the publication of the 2026 Technical Regulations. The two German manufacturers believe they need at least three and a half years from the start of the design phase until running their Power Units on the track, in order to cancel the advantage Ferrari, Alpine and Mercedes will have, given they’ll get into that year’s championship with a precious experience of 12 seasons competing with hybrid power units.

At the Red Bull Ring, both FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Formula One’s Ross Brawn told the media that the new regulations were basically decided and all that was left to be ironed out were just minor details.

According to sources close to Porsche, one of the sticking points in the negotiations is the amount of dynamometer hours per week the new manufacturers will be able to use in the development phase of their new Power Units, as both the Weissach-based company and Audi want to be exempted, for the next three years, from the limitations the existing manufacturers have agreed to, reasoning that with just eight hours per week of

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dynamometer testing they will never be in a position to challenge the manufacturers that have been competing with hybrid Power Units since the start of 2014.

But Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine didn’t agree to making any concessions during the meeting in Spielberg, so the FIA and Formula One are now working together to find a compromise proposal all five manufacturers will be willing to accept, before submitting the final Technical Regulations to an electronic vote in a special virtual meeting of the World Council for Motor Sports, to be held as quickly as possible.

Porsche and Audi have also been campaigning for steel to be banned as the main material used in piston heads, as the two German manufacturers don’t have a lot of experience with this kind of material in that part of the engines, preferring aluminum as the prescribed material for piston heads. In this case, though, the three competing manufacturers seem determined to keep things as they are – both Ferrari and Mercedes pointing out they already agreed to drop the MGH-H technology from the 2026 Technical Regulations as a big concession to the new

manufacturers interested in Formula One, pointing out that that’s technology that would be useful for the road car industry but was dropped out just to make Porsche and Audi’s life easier as they enter Formula One in 2026.

ALFA ROMEO UNWILLING TO LEAVE F1

TEAMS CHALLENGE FIA’S FLEXIFLOORS CLAMPDOWN FOR 2023 SEVERAL FORMULA One teams are threatening to take legal action against the FIA over its decision to change the 2023 Technical Regulations, in what is proving to be a very divisive subject in the paddock.

With at least five teams unhappy they’ll have to go back to the drawing board on the design of next year’s cars, as there’s a new minimum height of the floor edges, the fact the FIA has declared that this change is forced by ‘safety issues’ has led Red Bull and Ferrari to gather support to challenge this new ruling, saying there’s no evidence the current set of Technical Regulations makes all cars dangerous.

What Christian Horner has maintained in public, with Mattia Binotto and the other teams support, is that the changes planned for next year only serve to help Mercedes run its car in a more efficient way than this year, while pegging back Red Bull and Ferrari. The Red Bull man has hinted that the arrival of former Mercedes legal adviser Shaila-Ann Rao at the FIA has had this direct consequence, as it was Toto Wolff who was pressuring the Federation to impose stricter rules regarding flexing floors. As soon as his former lawyer got that new job, there was the controversial Technical Directive regarding floor movement that was supposed to be implemented from the French Grand Prix onwards and then the full clampdown on flexi-floors that has now been announced for 2023.

At the Formula One Commission meeting held in the vicinity of the Red Bull Ring, the FIA accepted delay to the enforcement of stricter measures to prevent floors flexing until the Belgian Grand Prix, after finding how some teams have got around the issue of porpoising in their 2022-spec cars – but left no one in doubt it will clamp down, even more seriously, on the subject from the start of next season, in its bid to guarantee there are no flexible aerodynamic parts – floors and surrounding elements included – in the 2023spec Formula One cars.

In a statement issued five days after the Austrian Grand Prix, the FIA confirmed that, “as communicated after the most recent F1 Commission meeting, the issue of vertical oscillation of the cars was discussed. The FIA reaffirmed its strong commitment to reduce and hopefully eliminate the issue in the near term, as it is considered to be a significant safety matter.”

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The Federation went on to explain that, “it is the responsibility and the prerogative of the FIA to intervene for safety matters, and the reason the regulations allow such measures to be taken is precisely to allow decisions to be taken without being influenced by the competitive position each team may find themselves in.”

Putting things into perspective, before going any further, the Federation noted that, “the following factors were noted: 1. While the issue has been seemingly reduced in the last few races, they took place at circuits where the effect is expected to be lower than normal. Races where this effect is expected again to be higher will take place in the coming months.

2. While the teams are understanding more and more how to control the issue, the tendency for 2023, with the cars developing more downforce, will most likely be a worsening of the effect.

3. The short-term measures put in place for 2022, starting at Spa, are not considered necessarily to be the long-term solution to the problem.”

Therefore, and making clear what had been decided in the Formula One Commission meeting in Spielberg, “for 2022, the FIA reaffirmed, starting from Spa, the following measures: 1. A stiffening of the plank skids, and a clarification on how their wear will be measured 2. The introduction of a metric, which will quantify the bouncing, which will have to stay below a prescribed value during the races. The F1 Teams will be able to use the metric already from the forthcoming race in France, in order to learn its full implications on their cars’ setup.”

What the teams had not been notified of, was the Federation intentions regarding the subject for next year and that’s why – giving them time to design their 2023spec cars for seriously modified technical regulations – the FIA now announced that, it “has decided to narrow down the actions it intends to take for 2023 to these steps: 1. A 25mm raising of the floor edges 2. A raising of the underfloor diffuser throat 3. The introduction of more stringent lateral floor deflection tests 4. The introduction of a more accurate sensor to help quantify the aerodynamic oscillation.”

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And to make it clear this is a nonnegotiable issue with the teams, the Federation added, “these measures will be submitted to the World Motor Sport Council for consideration and approval shortly as it is vital for the Formula 1 teams to have clarity of the regulations to which to design their cars.”

Which means, of course, that the teams will have no means to stop these changes happening and will only have to adapt to them, no matter how unhappy they may be at seeing their technical advantage being erased.

This change of the Technical Regulations had Red Bull and Ferrari up in arms, with AlphaTauri, Haas and Williams joining them, while Mercedes, McLaren, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo seem quite happy with the changes introduced by the Federation and Alpine has yet to commit to any side of the barricade.

At Paul Ricard, Christian Horner was quite vocal about his team’s opposition to the proposed changes, making veiled accusations against Mercedes, the team he believes will be the biggest beneficiary of the situation: “I think there’s an awful lot of lobbying to change the regulations significantly for next year, so a certain team can run its car lower and benefit from that concept.

“It’s a very late point in the year to be doing this. I think the President is doing the right thing – he’s collating all of the information – and hopefully a sensible solution can be found. Because it’s too late in the day for fundamental regulation changes, which something like that would be.”

The Red Bull man then went on to insist, “just run the car higher: it’s easy. We haven’t had a problem all year. There’s only one team that’s had a big problem. We’ve got some of the most talented engineers in the world in this sport, and I can almost guarantee you, if we come back next year, there would probably be no cars with issues.”

With such radicalised positions, a compromise doesn’t seem easy to reach but, given Mohammed Ben Sulayemn’s approach to dealing with Formula One teams since he took over the presidency of the FIA, it seems unlikely he’ll now perform a U-turn to avoid a serious confrontation ... The next few weeks promise to be torrid in the Formula One political arena ...

ALFA ROMEO’S Formula One presence is key to the company’s marketing strategy and that will not change even if Audi acquires Sauber, making it impossible for the Italian manufacturer to keep its association with the Hinwill-based team.

Although not involved in the Formula One Commission meeting or the manufacturers’ gathering that took place during the Austrian Grand Prix lead-up, Alfa Romeo’s CEO JeanPhilippe Imparato was very active at the Red Bull Ring, insisting that his company is in Formula One for the long haul.

In the face of the rumors that point to Sauber being progressively bought by Audi, with the German manufacturing acquiring 25 per cent of the Swiss company at the end of this year and progressively up to 75 per cent of the shares at the start of 2026, Imparato explained that: “I’m not totally blind – I hear and read the rumors but the situation is quite easy for me and, whatever happens, we won’t change the business model of Alfa Romeo.”

The Frenchman went on to explain that, “with our colleagues at Sauber we came up with an innovative business model, with my friend Frédéric running the team and we, at Alfa Romeo, looking after the marketing side of the operation. And our strategy has worked, – last year was the first profitable year for Alfa Romeo in a long, long time, while on the sporting side the big leap the team took this year is proof that Frédéric’s vision was correct.

“Even in difficult times, like in the previous two seasons, we didn’t deviate from our strategy because we believed in it, and a long-term strategy is not something you should be changing every morning if the day before didn’t work out the way you expected.”

Asked what would Alfa Romeo would do if Audi takes over Sauber – making it impossible for the Italian manufacturer to partner the team, as the German company is a business rival of the Stelantis group – the Frenchman indicated his strategy wouldn’t change: “We have many cards we can play, so I’m not at all stressing about any possibility.

If someone, someday, decides to take such a step, we’ll have to make a decision and we’ll surely make it. You see, our brand, our company, has existed for 112 years so you cannot confine Alfa Romeo at all, because the world is our playground and we can move around it freely.”

Sources close to Alfa Romeo admitted to us that purchasing a significant shareholding of Sauber is one possibility the company is exploring, with the support of Stelantis CEO Carlos Tavares, in a move that would preempt any attempt by Audi of taking control of the team. But if Sauber’s only shareholder, Swedish billionaire Finn Rausing, decides to sell the controlling interest of Sauber to Audi, then Alfa Romeo is likely to look for another Formula One team to partner with, with Haas being at the top of the list – as it uses Ferrari engines and gearboxes, plus lacks any strong marketing partners – but there are also wild rumors AlphaTauri might be up for sale, at a much lower price than Sauber and that could make it quite appealing to the Italian manufacturer.

Whatever happens, Alfa Romeo’s intention is to continue to use Formula One as its prime marketing platform – the Imparato and Tavares are working on alternatives to the partnership with Sauber, even if their clear preference is to keep things exactly as they are right now.

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GOING ROUND THE BEND WITH SAM “

HOW A GRATEFUL REFUGEE HAS GIVEN A HUGE GIFT TO AUSTRALIAN MOTORSPORT

By Paul Gover THERE IS lots of hard work in the story of Sam Shahin.

Hard work is what earned the Shahin family their success in the business world, hard work goes into his racing, and an incredible amount of hard work has gone into the creation of The Bend Motorsport Park – and its ongoing development and expansion.

Officially, the Shahin clan are the richest family in South Australia with a net worth approaching $2 billion. Their business empire was founded by Fathi Shahin, who fled war-torn Palestine in 1948 for a better life in Australia.

Today, his three sons – Charlie, Yasser and Sam – are the key members of the Peregrine Corporation, whose massive business interests in the state are built around their 160-strong network of service stations.

Most people in and around motorsport know Sam Shahin because of his driving role in the creation of The Bend.

”

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He took a greenfield site – more like brownfield in reality – that was once the testing ground for Mitsubishi Motors Australia and re-purposed it as the country’s most ambitious new motorsport facility since Bob Jane created the Thunderdome at Calder Park.

“Yasser and I both share a deep love of motorsport. It is born out of a competitive drive to do ‘hard things’ well”.

When Shahin talks about The Bend, his personal passion project, it’s obvious that it’s more than just a giant white elephant or a private sandpit for him to play with his brother Yasser and their fast cars.

“The Bend was born out of an idea to leave a legacy project in a state, and

country, that has given a Palestinian refugee an opportunity,” Shahin tells Auto Action.

“I thank my lucky stars for the luck I’ve had to end up in a country like Australia. There is no better place in the world to be. We live in heaven, and anyone who has the ability to make a contribution should.”

You might think that racing exotic Porsches on weekends, and building an enviable collection of classy cars, is an indulgence for a rich man.

But you don’t have to spend long with Shahin to realise that there is a real depth to the man. He is highly intelligent, calm and focussed, and prepared to do whatever it takes to make things happen.

He flew from Adelaide to Brisbane recently, in-and-out in a single day, to do hands-on research into drag racing. He walked the pits at Willowbank Raceway, stood and watched from the start-line, talked to the drivers and crews, all in preparation for the next expansion at The Bend as work nears completion on a world-class drag-strip.

It’s a similar story as Shahin talks about his personal history.

“I started my professional life in medicine.

I laboured for 12 years to attain my medical degree, followed by post-graduate diplomas in obstetrics and paediatrics,” he begins.

“I then became a ‘fellow’ of the Royal College of GPs and went into general practice for a few years until I wanted to try my hand in business.

“So I went back to university, did a postgraduate diploma in business, then one in management, then an MBA. Then became an accountant, then went into business!”

This would be the right time for a ‘phew’ and a pause for anyone else, but not Shahin.

Attention to detail – check out the foyer to the hotel/race operation (above) – is at the core of The Bend’s growing international reputation. Mark Skaife (above) advised on circuit design. Images: Motorsport Images /Shahin Collection.

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Open for business – the Bend and its facilities are international in standard.

Below: Sam is a regular in the Carrera Cup series

“The drive to race is borne out of a desire to do ‘something hard’ very well. I thrive on the challenge of being in a field of peers that have far more experience and knowing that, on my day, I can beat them.

“ ”

The 54-year-old runs flat-out, 24/7, despite the commitment to his wife Tanja and their three adult children, Sara, Serena and Zade.

Covering some basic bases, his favourite colour is red and he lives in Adelaide, which he describes as “a city full of charm and character”.

Shahin is a car nut, pure and simple.

His daily drive, not remotely a surprise, is a Porsche Taycan electric car. It’s super-quick when needed, quiet and restrained at other times.

Then again, it is a battery car and the family is in the business of pumping fuel . . .

But there are other favourites in the garage.

His pick is the 1968 Jaguar E-Type sports car.

But which car is the favourite that he doesn’t own?

“A Datsun 120Y coupe,” says Shahin.

It’s hardly a classic and, for people who drove them back in the seventies, a failure at many levels.

His first involvement in motorsport was a visit to the Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide in 1990.

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What does he remember most? “Elle McPherson”.

That’s also where he saw his motorsport hero.

“Ayrton Senna. A working class motorsport hero that remained humble, and never forgot his roots.”

Between then and now, there was plenty of hard work and Shahin is happy to talk about the family business.

“Peregrine remains a family business, based in South Australia. We proudly employ 5500 staff across the country, primarily in retail, fuel, food, convenience, agriculture, property and motorsport,” he says.

“OTR stands for On The Run. It’s a major division of Peregrine. It’s all about making people’s life easy; convenient, fast and easy in every way.

“I am not personally involved in the OTR business. My brother Yasser manages that business.”

It was Yasser, and his other brother Charlie, who put a deal together that put the OTR branding onto the sidepods of the McLarens of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris for the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

“What an eye-opener that was,” says Shahin.

“We hope to do it again next year, and hopefully host the McLaren drivers at The Bend in the lead up to the AGP.” Winding back the clock, he talks in detail about his introduction to racing – at 45.

“Yasser and I both share a deep love of motorsport. It is born out of a competitive drive to do ‘hard things’ well,” he begins, using the hard work analogy again.

“We both started tracking our road cars at Mallala before inevitably sampling every race track in the country. The first race car I bought was a 997 Porsche Cup car from Peter Fitzgerald.

“It wasn’t love at first sight at all.

The car was scary. I spun on every single corner of the first drive at Mallala, deeply embarrassing myself in front of a tough crowd of onlookers!

“Six months later – in September 2013 – I hired a Cup Car from Ross Almond and entered the Shannons event at Philip Island.

That was a memorable weekend; I qualified a mile behind the likes of Richard Muscat, Michael Almond, Peter Fitzgerald and John Goodacre, torching all four tyres on the first qualifying run.”

But he was completely hooked on racing and Porsches.

“Yasser and I then both bought a Gen 2 997 Cup car each which we still both proudly own.

It was my first proper race car that I entered in the 2014 season.”

And it’s more than just laps and giggles.

MORE MOTORSPORT EVENTS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA IS A GOOD THING SAM SHAHIN is happy to see the Adelaide 500 returning to the Supercars calendar and believes it will be an asset, and not a threat, to a championship weekend at The Bend.

“I think it was a mistake to let the Adelaide 500 ‘go’ in the first place,” he tells Auto Action.

“I am genuinely pleased for the motorsport public, and for South Australia, that the event is returning.”

But does he see a conflict between the Adelaide 500 (right) and his own ambitions for The Bend?

“I think the Adelaide street event will happily co-exist with The Bend event each year. They are different events that appeal to different markets, and to a different supporter base.

“Both events co-existed in 2018 and 2019 before Covid and I have no doubt they will co-exist well into the future.”

He is also a firm believer that the cash, hard work and commitment that has gone into The Bend should be rewarded.

“As the premier motorsport facility in Australia, I think The Bend has earned the right to participate at the highest level of Australian motorsport,” Shahin says.

“Commercial interests aside, I think conversely that the motorsport industry has a vested interest in supporting new motorsport infrastructure, and anyone that sticks their neck out to build and improve motorsport facilities in Australia.

“Motorsport organisations and motorsport groups have a duty, in my view, to support those that support motorsport, if we want greater participation and broader appeal.

“That’s the long-term view, in my humble opinion.”

There have been rumours of friction with the leadership at Supercars, but Shahin is happy while admitting that thing could be better.

“The relationship with the Supercars organisation is good.

I have much respect for Shane Howard but I am yet to have meaningful engagement with the new owners,” he says.

You can be sure that the Bend’s currently under construction Drag racing facility will be superb ...

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“ ”

“The Bend had to be bigger, bolder, and better. It had to be unique, and that meant it had to have many differentiators...”

Stages of development, as The Bend progressed from a barely marked out dirt track below) to a fully surfaced multiple-use international race track (try and count the number of different layouts available!), as work on the pit building/hotel began (above).

“Yasser and I both work very hard at our racing. I first sat in a race car when I was 45 years old.

“If I have to be fully honest, I’d say Yasser is a far better driver than I am. I work hard at my driving. He works hard, but also has incredible natural talent to back it up.”

The brothers have sometimes joined their efforts, although not as opponents.

“We have not raced against each other.

We’ve raced together twice, once in a GT event which we won after we qualified within a tenth of one another. That was by far the best race weekend I’ve ever had by a mile.

“The other event was the 2020 Bathurst 12-Hour where I crashed the car, ruined his weekend, and came within a whisker of living in a wheelchair.”

The satisfaction that Shahin gets from racing is clear.

“The drive to race is borne out of a desire to do ‘something hard’ very well. I thrive on

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the challenge of being in a field of peers that have far more experience and knowing that, on my day, I can beat them.

“I think about racing day and night; at every intersection, at every roundabout.

Every traffic light is a race start; every utilities lid on the road is a target to hit. It’s all-consuming.”

His favourite race car is the Porsche GT3R and when it comes to circuits, there is no prize for picking his favourite.

“I am very biased, of course. I love The Bend. A close second is the AGP, followed

by Sandown.

Talking of The Bend, Shahin is happy to talk through its history and his future plans.

“The Bend has cost over $150 million so far, excluding the dragway precinct which is under construction at the moment and is earmarked to be finished by year’s end.

That will make it the single largest private investment in Australia’s motorsport history.

“Everything about The Bend had to be unique. It was clear to me, from the outset, that if I built something as good as any existing facility in Australia, there is no hope of attracting new international events to The Bend, let alone attract existing participants from other states. Why would they?

“If you live in any other State, your needs can be satisfied with existing facilities, so The Bend had to be bigger, bolder, and better. It had to be unique, and that meant it had to have many differentiators, but there lies the risk.

“A hotel on top of pit lane is dangerous considering the mix of a ‘noisy’ activity with people wishing to sleep-in, for example. But I had to do it.

“The second longest track in the world up to that point was Spa and, having been in awe of Spa for decades before, it was a challenge to take that mantle to an Australian facility.

“The highlight so far is, without doubt, winning the 2019 International Motorsport Facility of the Year award against competing venues from Germany, Canada, The Czech Republic and the UK. 2019 was only the second year of operation for The Bend and winning that prestigious title, awarded in Europe by one of the most esteemed international motoring organisations and by a large panel of international judges, still gives me goosebumps.”

With The Bend operating successfully, and extra development underway in everything from accommodation to the drag strip, Shahin has solid targets for the future.

“The aim in the long term is to host endurance events for cars and bikes that, by nature, are suited to long tracks. The Asian Le Mans round in 2019 proved that the decision on circuit length will take some time to pay dividends, but is fundamentally sound.

“The Bend has already hosted the Asia Road Racing series and the Asian Le Mans series.vThere is no shortage of opportunities to host international events.

“The Covid years were naturally disruptive but I have absolutely no doubt that The Bend will host new international events in the near future.”

Above: The Bend today – greenery, international raceway, and karting facility. Below and right: Sam has been hands-on throughout all the Bend’s developments. Seeking advice from some of the most experienced people in Australian motorsport, including Mark Skaife, right up to and including the in-progress drag strip.

The Asian Le Mans series (below) visited The Bend early in 2020 – then Covid arrived ... The Bend is also a great motorcycle circuit (right). Sam enjoys input from a range of international motorsport figures ...

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WINNERS AND LOSERS, STARS AND BIT PLAYERS THE HALF-SEASON SUPERCARS REPORT CARD

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By Paul Gover, with Andrew Clarke.

THE HALFWAY point of season 2022 looks like a re-run of 2021.

Shane van Gisbergen is in a class of his own, with the rest stumbling and bumbling to mount any sort of serious threat.

Other drives have won races, or outqualified Van Gisbergen, but no-one has turned up on every race weekend to threaten the champion.

Based on the latest form guide, he is the only A-plus racer on the grid today.

Others get close at times, and deserve an A grade for either their qualifying or race efforts, but that’s not enough against a phenomenon like van Gisbergen.

Garth Tander (right), a former champion and multiple Bathurst winner, knows better than almost anyone about the Kiwi flier.

He shares the Triple Eight Commodore at Bathurst and also gets close-and-personal with van Gisbergen in his role as chief inquisitor for Fox Sports in the Supercars pitlane.

Like Auto Action, Tander has assessed the first half of the season – as well as the prospects for the back end – and has a harsh verdict.

“Based on the form that we saw from Shane

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last year, everything is running as expected.

He has been able to continue on his merry way with the same form he had last year,” says Tander.

“I don’t believe anyone can beat him in a straight fight for the championship. That’s not to say he will win it, with things like the 300 points at Bathurst, but I don’t believe anyone can knock him off in a head-to-head battle.”

Tander agrees that van Gisbergen is in phenomenal form, despite potential threats from inside the Triple Eight garage.

“At the start of the year there were a couple of things that could have affected Shane. He had a new engineer in Shane Edwards, a new team boss in Jamie Whincup, and Broc Feeney as his new teammate.

“But it all seems to have been mitigated. The team is still operating at Triple Eight levels, even without Roland Dane.”

From the Auto Action angle, van Gisbergen has even been able to exploit his extraordinary band width as a racer’s racer to dive successfully into rallying, as well as his first start at Le Mans, without remotely compromising his Supercars campaign. He is special.

Based on championship standings, Anton De Pasquale is best of the rest in Supercars, ahead of his DJR teammate Will Davison and then Cam Waters. But none has shown

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the full package needed to challenge for a championship.

De Pasquale is either too lazy or too inconsistent, Davison is fast in qualifying but overwhelmed in the races, and Waters is good on most days but not great for enough of the time.

“I feel like Waters is the most improved, as a driver and an athlete. His problem is the inconsistency in the Tickford package; the speed from week to week. It’s better than last year, but still not good enough,” says Tander.

“I think Waters has taken a lot of steps to improve on his weaknesses, and also improved on his strengths. I feel like he’s made the biggest personal improvement, as a driver, from last year to this.”

Who else impresses – or disappoints – Tander?

“I think Broc Feeney is going OK. I would have expected that we would have seen a few more podiums to this point, but that’s not to say he’s doing a bad job.

“His speed has been impressive on occasions. If you go the flip-side, he’s done some impressive things.

“I feel like Anton’s racecraft is lacking. His speed is not questionable, his ability to qualify is not questionable, but he should have won the race in Darwin when he had four fresh tyres and Chaz Mostert had two shagged rear tyres.

“I love that he had a crack (at van Gisbergen) at Townsville. But if you’re going to have a 50:50, make sure it’s a 60:40 and not a 20:80.

“I think that Waters has got ahead of Anton this year in the racecraft. Anton is a bit stagnant.”

And what about last year’s rookie standouts, Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki at Erebus?

“To me, it looks like the team has lost the direction, as far as car set-up goes. And it may even be second-year blues with two rookie drivers.

“This is where the hard work begins and you find out who will be genuine leaders in their careers.”

Tander also rates the speed, but not the racecraft, of Andre Heimgartner; wonders if Lee Holdsworth is demoralised by the prospect of losing his seat at Grove Racing at the end of the year; and believes James Golding could be a star of the future after instantly out-qualifying Chris Pither at Premiair Racing.

But how does everyone rate, on the Auto Action scale, as the Supercars championship heads into the second half of the 2022 season?

Paul Gover has the basics and the grades, with expert analysis from Auto Action’s Andrew Clarke. Images: Motorsport Images, Mark Horsburg.

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CAM WATERS:

A

ANYONE WHO spends the off-season in a sprintcar deserves kudos and Waters, of the leading group, looks to be the least intimidated by van Gisbergen.

Even so, he’s a ’nearly’ racer who has not had the consistency and consistent pace to get after the champion.

ANDREW CLARKE: A- Cam is grinding out a good season in a car that isn’t consistent enough for him to challenge van Gisbergen throughout the season – but at the places it is working, he is getting a good return. The drives at Winton show he is not an easy beat, but what I like is that he knows when to fight and when to concede. Sometimes you can put up a stubborn fight for position and it will cost you more than just letting someone go,

SHANE VAN GISBERGEN:

BROC FEENEY:

B+

IT’S NOT easy alongside van Gisbergen, as Whincup knows from the beating he took

A+

THE DEFENDING champion operates like he is going to war. Everyone outside the Triple Eight garage is the enemy. Every day, every lap, every race.

Even his Bathurst co-driver, Garth Tander, is not immune from the lash if he dives too deep or asks the wrong question.

He is an unstoppable force and one of the all-times greats of touring car racing ANDREW CLARKE: A Gover’s A+ says perfection, and van Gisbergen is not perfect.

I’m with PG that he is the class of the field, but he struggles with the starts and drops him to an A for me. He has a racing IQ better than probably anyone we have seen, and he also has most of the field bluffed most of the time. He is aggressive for sure, but most drivers simply get out of his way because they know he’ll launch it. They are making it easy for him, and only a Bathurst failure stands between him and title #3. For me, he is an A. ANTON DE PASQUALE:

the all-round consistency and confidence he needs to give his best.

It will be easier to judge Reynolds with more races, and as David Cauchi gets the stars aligned at Grove Racing, but at the moment he’s an A-grade driver in a B-grade team.

ANDREW CLARKE: B+ The sport needs Dave Reynolds at the front; his personality brings something to the table that no one else even comes close to giving us. Given where Grove Racing is in its development cycle, Reynolds has been really good this year. He has his mojo back, and as the car evolves we’ll see more from him. He is a B, knocking on the door of B+ for me.

B+

Cam Waters – knows when to fight and when to concede ...

Gisbergen in Townsville – it means he will have a go, and van Gisbergen can no longer assume he has him beaten. On paper, he is almost there, but we need more.

WILL DAVISON:

NOT AS shiny as he was in the early days with the Shell Mustang, but still a serious threat when things are going his way.

Seems disinterested or distracted at times, and still needs the car to be right to do his best in qualifying, but a real racer who is yet to reach his peak.

ANDREW CLARKE: B+ We haven’t seen the front-running growth I expected from Anton this year, but he still deserves the B+ grading. We know what he can do in terms of speed (he was last year’s Armorall Pole Winner) but this year, we haven’t seen that often enough. He tops the qualifying averages for the season but has only three poles so far. He has a season’s best 19 starts in the Top 10 from 20 races, and has 18 finishes in the top 10 which is equal best with van Gisbergen, but only one win compared with 11. I’m OK with his move against van

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B

AN A-GRADE qualifier who drops to a B because he consistently fails to convert pole positions to race wins.

He should be keeping van Gisbergen honest but does not have the necessary mongrel for the job. Nice guys can win Bathurst, but not championships.

ANDREW CLARKE: B+ Will has been qualifying well this season – those two Darwin poles were mind-blowing – but he is not racing hard enough to convert those six poles into enough wins; one win only is a poor return. He should have hung De Pasquale out to dry in Darwin instead of playing the team game– anyone on the outside of Turn 1 in Darwin deserves what they get, but Will didn’t deliver the knock-out punch. He’ll not do anything silly, but I want to see the elbows out, and that deft touch taking wins rather the podiums. I have him the same as Anton on a B+.

“ ”

His speed has been impressive on occasions. If you go the flip-side, he’s done some impressive things.

Symmons Plains was proof of that. He has five poles for the season and 15 starts in the top 10, while his three regular teammates have only 18 top 10 starts between them. I’m going A- because he is not quite as good as van Gisbergen, yet.

CHAZ MOSTERT:

A-

BASED ON Bathurst last year, he was ready to do something special in season 2022. But it hasn’t happened.

He has managed to bury his team mate Nick Percat, but that’s not good enough for a driver with the speed and composure that lives inside the Mostert helmet.

ANDREW CLARKE: B+ Like Waters, at times Mostert outperforms his car, but sometimes the car wins. Tasmania was a struggle, but Perth was a disaster and those two rounds have cruelled his season. He has more wins than anyone other than Van Gisbergen, but also he makes more mistakes – which could be because he is trying to do things his car can’t do… which some people call overdriving. The AGP clash with Courtney ranks right up there with the De Pasquale attempt at taking the win from van Gisbergen in Townsville in terms of clumsiness. His chart of the season looks a cryptocurrency pricing graph. He has four wins, one other podium and only 12 top 10 finishes. His 12-spot gain in Tasmania for a fine fourth spot was a great drive. I am thinking B+ here.

DAVE REYNOLDS:

B

HE’s BACK from the wilderness and showing flashes of his trademark speed, but is lacking

in 2021, but Feeney is moving strongly on the right path.

He is quick and calm, and has avoided getting tangled in any unnecessary stoushes.

He already looks a lot like Whincup in his early years as Craig Lowndes’ sidekick.

ANDREW CLARKE: B- Feeney has done what he needs to do this year, nothing more, nothing less. As a first season, it has been a stunning effort, but then the car and the team are a class above anything else out there, so what would you expect?

Well, actually, I would have expected more podiums by now, but hey, I’m greedy. He is a B- for me, if we were grading him on rookie seasons, he’s an A-grader, but this is a comparative study with the rest of the field, not on his rookie status.

ANDRE HEIMGARTNER:

A-

A SMART switch of squads has invigorated the quick Kiwi, who deserves a high grade for his improvement.

His overall toughness works in his favour and he has already pulled the team around him, giving them the encouragement and results that all real racers crave.

ANDREW CLARKE: B+ Andre is quick, and he is proving the Brad Jones Racing equipment is good enough to fight near the front of the field at times. What he needs to learn is how to race there consistently and we are starting to see that as he settles in with his new team and engineer. In comparison with the rest of the BJR squad, Andre has 12 starts in the top 10, his three teammates have just three between them. In the races, the

B-

LEE HOLDSWORTH: A NICE guy who earned a second serious shot with the Grove camp, but too often he looks to have run out of puff.

Knowing that his seat has already been promised to Matt Payne for 2023 must be demotivating, and he can still lift at times, but the old fire is mostly missing.

AC:B- There is not much I can add here, except that he is racing well but seems off the pace in qualifying. He earned this chance to get back into the main game, but he hasn’t been able to capitalise and turn it into a 2023 drive. B- is fair.

Chaz ‘n’ Dave – Supercars characters ...

MARK WINTERBOTTOM:

B+

STILL MAKING the most, usually, of what he has at Team 18 and keeping Scott Pye honest – or better – as he glides towards a management role.

ANDREW CLARKE: B- I can’t work out the lack of qualifying speed with the 2010 champ, but he is racing well. You don’t have to be much out of it in qualifying to drop a lot of spots and that is what is happening, but you can see when he does qualify OK he can race at the front. But there’s only one podium so far, and that needs to change. We want him back to his best, but until he finds that consistent qualifying speed he’ll struggle.

WILL BROWN:

IT’S CRUNCH time for the kid, who has almost everything he needs to become the next Craig Lowndes. He must become a consistent challenger at the front.

He’s a likeable rogue with undoubted speed, but needs to really focus on his Erebus racer instead of looking for a new home in 2023.

ANDREW CLARKE: B- I expected a lot from Brown this season, and so far I have not got what I wanted from him. I’m not a big believer in second-season blues, if you are there you grab the bull by the horns and enjoy the battle. We’ve seen flashes, but not often enough and he has been overshadowed by his teammate. BNICK PERCAT:

Tim Slade and Lee Holdsworth – rock steady for their respective teams.

He is solid and sensible, looking more statesmanlike through the season and a real asset to Supercars.

ANDREW CLARKE: B+ Experience counts at times, and Winterbottom is proving that this season. He doesn’t have the blistering pace he once had, but he is a clever racer maximising what he has got. You know what you are getting with him, and he remains a superstar of the sport. B+ as well.

JAMES COURTNEY:

Brock Feeney – moving strongly on the right path ...

numbers are almost identical, with a balance of 13 to three. We are seeing the emergence of an A-grader here, but not just yet: BRODIE KOSTECKI:

B

SITS HIGHER than his team mate in the standings but, like Will Brown, should be doing better in his second year at Erebus.

Is highly regarded as a racer, but needs to do more on his fitness and focus to get some much-needed consistency.

ANDREW CLARKE: B Brodie is a breath of fresh air for the series, he is a no-bullshit kind of guy that does what he has to do and carries no pretences. He is a future star of the sport if he can get a consistent car beneath him, and he is proving a fast learner.

We almost forget it is only his second season.

He got his first pole early in the season, but the Erebus cars have proven a challenge this season. I’m happy with PGs grade here and think we still have so much more to see.

TIM SLADE:

On his day, and when the crew gets the car in the window, he is speedy and trouble free.

But there are still some silly mistakes.

ANDREW CLARKE: B Slade’s Qualifying is not so good this season, but his racing is making up for it. But if you are going to qualify with an average of 15.2 you are going to be in the middle of the muck and can expect some crap to come your way, but his racecraft, particularly in those opening laps, is giving a good return. He is the hard charger of the field which is why he scores a B for this season, but if he works out how to fire up the car for that single lap who knows what we’ll see.

B-

STILL WANTS to win, and believes he can win, but the fire is fading and he gets into too much trouble.

His grading improved dramatically after Townsville, when a car change in Race 2 transformed his speed and allowed him to show his skill as a racer’s racer.

B-

C+

THE MOVE to WAU should have been a game changer for Percat, and it has – for the wrong reasons.

He has struggled to get the speed from his new mount and, up against Mostert, has not done nearly enough to convert his long-term promise into short-term success.

ANDREW CLARKE: C Percat is a perplexing conundrum at the moment. Is he a victim of a car and team that struggles? Is he is looking ordinary because Mostert is so good? Was the relationship with his engineer the real issue? Regardless, we know he is better than he is showing. He needs to drag himself out of whatever mire he is in and give us what we know he can deliver. C+ might be a little generous at this stage, so I am doing a C knowing he can be a B+.

TODD HAZELWOOD:

C+

SHOWS FLASHES of the right stuff, but the spark never becomes a fire.

The bright smile works well outside the car, but inside the cockpit he needs to find something more.

ANDREW CLARKE: C Hazelwood is another likeable driver, and we love the way he has gone about it. But we’re not getting enough.

The post-race crash with Winterbottom in

The Will and Brodie Show – more to come from the Erebus duo.

B

HE IS solid but no a stand-out, but is doing exactly the right job for the one-car Blanchard team.

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fair to say he is struggling a little. The first comparison is always to your teammates, and he is in front of Jones and Smith, but significantly behind Heimgartner at the moment.

JAKE KOSTECKI:

C+

NOT GOOD, not bad, but hard to rate.

He could have more to give, but needs to learn fast to get out of the back-end battles.

ANDREW CLARKE: C+ We’ve seen signs from Jake, but not enough yet to get a full handle on where he will sit. His qualifying has been a struggle at times and he needs to develop his combat driving for the opening laps. His qualifying on Sunday in Perth was his best for the year and a third on the grid is a great start… but racewise he only has two tops 10s. A work in progress, but we are seeing something.

THOMAS RANDLE:

ARRIVED IN the main game with plenty of

Andre Heimgartner – delivering the goods for BJR. Sydney is explainable, but not acceptable.

We understand where Matt Stone Racing is, but if he wants a long career he needs to park the excuses and give us some speed. C for me.

JACK LE BROCQ:

C

ONCE CONSIDERED a future star, but time is running out.

He needs to eliminate the silly errors, concentrate on consistency, and then try to establish a base for the future.

ANDREW CLARKE: C We have seen some really good signs from Le Brocq, but then we’ve seen him disappear somewhere else. He’s got the talent to do better, and C is about right. To be honest, I was a little surprised by the data that has him dropping 1.8 spots on average from the grid to the race end, but each time he has qualified well he has struggled – Townsville is a good example. I’m going with a C as well.

SCOTT PYE:

C+

ONE OF the smarter drivers on the grid, with a keen eye for his future in business, but his

real business is racing.

He should be consistently ahead of Winterbottom, based on his youth and enthusiasm, but something is missing.

ANDREW CLARKE: C+ Pye has had a shocker of a season, not even starting two races thanks to crash damage. Unless you’ve been lined up and punted, there is not such thing as an innocent victim in this game, so he has to wear some of it. We know he is better than what we are seeing, and he just has regain his confidence and try to unseat Winterbottom as team leader. He gets a C+, but only just.

MACAULEY JONES:

C

IS NEVER going to be a champion, and probably not even a race winner, but you cannot fault his commitment.

A genuinely nice young man who works hard, and is probably the fittest guy on the grid, but …

Chris Pither and Jack Smith – need to get in among the midfield action more often.

ANDREW CLARKE: D Agree with the commitment aspect and his dedication, but query the C Grade. We have one top 10 finish and one top 10 qualifying for the season, and that is simply not an adequate return in a car that is nominally the same as the Heimgratner machine. It is crunch time for Jones and he needs to put some results on the board, or people will keep saying he only has the drive because his dad owns the team.

BRYCE FULLWOOD:

Team 18’s Mark Winterbottom and Scott Pye – both capable of, and need to deliver more in the second half.

36 I www.autoaction.com.au

C

C+

HE SLIPPED down the pitlane at the start of the year and is very unlikely to rebound.

His future is likely to be among the codrivers at Bathurst, not contending for sprint success.

ANDREW CLARKE: C- The move to Brad Jones Racing has continued to expose the young Darwinian to the wolves, and it’d be

promise, but yet to unlock the combination for success.

He deserves some time and mentoring, not because he’s a cancer survivor but because he wants to be a real racer.

ANDREW CLARKE: C Like his garage mate in Jake Kostecki, Randle is a victim of his ordinary qualifying this year and he also hasn’t coped well with the opening laps. As a wildcard last year he looked promising – now we just have to wait and see. It has been a solid year, but a C-grade should be just the start.

CHRIS PITHER:

D

HIS COMMERCIAL connections likely saved him from Peter Xiberras’ early clean-out, but time is running out.

One of the very nicest people in the pitlane, but everyone knows what they say about nice guys …

F

GARRY JACOBSON: HIS GRADING came from Peter X, who has big ambitions for the Premiar team he is building from the ashes of Tekno.

There is no space for under-achievers and Jacobson lost the Subway ride when his boss decided he needed more go.

ANDREW CLARKE: E Darwin was a rough round for Jacobson, and it spelled the end of his time with PremiAir and probably in the main game. His races at the Grand Prix were his season highlight, and if we’d seen more of that than Crash Bandicoot at Darwin he’d still have a drive.

JAYDEN OJEDA:

Jack Le Brocq – mixed bag to date.

B-

IT’S FAR too early for a fair or proper assessment, so he gets a ‘wait and see’ grading.

ANDREW CLARKE: C+ Wildcards are always hard to rate, but we didn’t see anything to frighten us or to inspire us so it is an average grade. We’re watching though.

JORDAN BOYS:

C

ANOTHER OF the newbies who cannot be judged, or condemned, without more racing and more results ANDREW CLARKE: C Only the one wildcard round to date; didn’t go as well as Ojeda but again was just OK. So a slightly lower grading here.

ZAK BEST:

Nick Percat – puzzling struggle this season.

B-

PERHAPS AND maybe, but still too early to tell.

ANDREW CLARKE: C+ There was nothing wrong with what Best did in Darwin except to get in Jacobson’s way. After his Bathurst run last year and performances in Super2 there are expectations on the youngster, but we do have to wait.

James Golding – promising debut.

JAMES GOLDING:

B+

GARRY ROGERS saw something special in the kid he calls ‘Bieber’, and so do Xiberras and some other astute pitlane judges.

He jumped into a new car and a new team and was instantly ahead of Pither, but the real test comes in the back half of the year.

ANDREW CLARKE: B- That James Golding didn’t have a drive was more about circumstances than ability.

He was OK in Townsville, but he was thrown into the deep end.

The jury is out as a result.

ANDREW CLARKE: D+ Pither has been OK in a developing year for PremiAir Racing, but he is one of only two drivers for the season to have a qualifying and race average in the 20s from a full season of racing. He needs to step up a little more. He has qualified 11th twice, but we need to see more of that.

JACK SMITH:

D+

WHY? WHY is he still showing little sign of improvement?

He should have everything he needs to go forward, including Andrew Jones as coach, but he’s still at the back.

ANDREW CLARKE: D Smith is the other driver with a pair of 20s, but he has been with the same team for a while so can’t use the bedding-in excuse, and he has been around long enough to have higher expectations. A season’s best qualifying of 16th is just not good enough when qualifying plays such a critical role in the outcome.

Macauley Jones and BJR team-mate Bryce Fullwood – struggling to match new team signing Heimgartner.

www.autoaction.com.au I 37

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SPEEDWAY WELCOME BACK BOYESY! CO-HEADLINING on the marque was round three of the Renegade Race Fuels & Lubricants Winter Series for Late Models.

After two spectacular hard-fought rounds of competition, the third round of the Late Model series shaped up as an exciting thriller.

Matt Amato was the Round 1 winner with Richard Wells and Damian Hudson sharing the podium celebrations at the Allwest Plant Hire Ellenbrook Speedway. Round 2 was hosted by the Kellerberrin Speedway Club and was claimed by Rookie Late Model driver Steve Schofield from Hudson and Ben Strautins.

However Round 3 would see a new name added to the history books as returning driver David Boyes found the fastest way to the chequered flag in the 20-lap feature event.

Boyes and Schofield shared the front row, while Boyes made the most of Pole Position over the opening two laps, while Hudson and Greg Horan locked into the top three. Rod Musarra was on a mission, advancing from the rear of the field and quickly into fourth,

setting the quickest lap of the race to that point.

Before the halfway mark, Boyes encountered the first of the lapped traffic and was lucky to avoid a spinning car which brought on the first of two successive stoppages of the race.

At the second restart attempt, Boyes made the most of clear track, recording the fastest lap of the race as he powered home aboard the W90 Outback Paint & Panel Rocket to claim the win ahead of Horan and Musarra.

Fourth was Jason Oldfield followed by Hudson and Schofield. Unfortunately, Cody Dolmans and Abbey Pickering would both retire to the infield on the 11th lap.

The 8-lap qualifying heats were share by Hudson, Schofield and Oldfield.

After three rounds, Steve Schofield holds a slender three-point lead over Damian Hudson with Greg Horan third while Abbey Pickering and Richard Wells round out the top five.

Round four will staged at the Allwest Plant Hire Ellenbrook Speedway.

Running in support to the above were the

David Boyes in the W90 Outback Paint & Panel Rocket leads the field. Image: Jason Sutton.

Street Stocks, where the experience of Ken Macpherson (former runner up in the Perth Motorplex Late Model Track Championship) proved too strong in the 10-lap final, taking the overall points victory over Aaron Sutton and Jim McGorman.

The open-wheel fans were also treated to some Formula 500 action in both senior and junior grades. Chris Dymock would be the man standing tallest in the senior ranks, to claim victory in the 12- lap feature over Darren Wood and Ted Street while in the

CHASE IS ON THE CASE UP NORTH A DOZEN Sprintcars were on the card for the fourth Round of the Northline Speedway Sprintcar Track Championship, as many teams had ventured up early to get some vital laps in before the running of the annual Chariots of Thunder Sprintcar Series, kicking off in August.

With 20 laps for the final, Chas Karpenko (right) would share the front row with Victorian racer Jack Lee. From the drop of the green flag the duo would embark on a thrilling journey as Chase jumped out to an early lead after Lee was overanxious in the opening corners, brushing the wall coming from Turn 2. With handy real estate, Karpenko would set the pace followed by Lee and Mitch Wormall, all evenly spaced while the battle for fourth was between Ryan Davis, with Benny Atkinson Jr, Todd Moule.

With just four laps in the books, the leaders would negotiate their way through the first of the backmarkers and would continue to run express until Lee contacted veteran racer Nick Halkitis, sending him over in Turn 2 and bringing on the only race stoppage.

Halkitis would retire to the infield with too much damage to continue while Lee would find himself re-joining back in second position for the Indian File restart.

With clear track ahead Karpenko would find the fastest way to Victory Lane, while joining

junior final Dustin Filgate would take a flagto-flag victory in the eight-lapper, sharing the podium with Taylah Mears and Flynn Roser.

Last but not least, the fans were treated to a series of three 8-lap Pro Sprintcar Hot Lap sessions featuring the much anticipated return of Ryan Farrell and the reigning Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series Champion Callum Williamson, while also in the mix was Matthew Iwanow, Corey Hunter and Joe Latham.

Image: Scott Kernahan

TODD TOO GOOD

Image: Scott Kernahan him on the podium would be Lee and Wormall. Davis was fortunate from the restart picking up two placings over the closing laps to claim fourth, with Atkinson Jr, Moule, Terry Kelly, Alice Springs’ Lenny Cole and Matt Bell rounding out the finishers.

Halkitis and Cori Jackson failed to finish while round three feature race winner Kale Quinlan was unable to take the green after crashing out in the third and final heat race.

The 8-lap qualifying heats were evenly spread with Karpenko, Wormall and Davis each claiming victories.

40 I www.autoaction.com.au

In the supporting classes, Jamie McIness made the most of his Pole Position to lead the 13-lap Wingless Sprint feature from flag to flag over Matt Sealey, Jarrod Goldoni, Bailey Jones and Angus Campbell rounding out the top five. Xavier Gotts, McIness, J. Goldoni and Matthew McLennan shared the heat wins.

The AMCA National feature race was claimed by Spano Gutierrez who ran undefeated all night after picking up the two heat races. Joining Spano in the podium feature race celebrations were Mark Allcorn and Peter Harding over Jim Keane and

Jeffery Tiedeman. Continuing with his strong from the recent Australian Championship, Justin Brumfield would park his Holden Commodore in Victory Lane over Jake Koivumaki, Megan Henderson, Samantha Radford and Jack Barlee. Koivumaki and Brumfield would also take a heat race each.

On two wheels, Connar Bridgeford claimed the Solo final over Johnnie Pope who had claimed the earlier heat wins, Steven Hutchinson and Tristan Owen were third and fourth respectively as Jason Hillier failed to travel the full four laps.

THE FOLLOWING meeting, Victorian secondgeneration racer Todd Moule came from position four to snare round 5 of the Northline Speedway Sprintcar Track Championship, making him the fifth different winner of the series to date, joining Ben Atkinson Jr, Mitch Wromall, Kale Quinlan and Chas Karpenko in Victory Lane.

After the 25-lap journey, Moule was flanked on the podium by fellow Victorian Jack Lee, bridesmaid for the second time running, and pole sitter Karpenko., with Quinlan and Cori Jackson, the final runners on the lead lap.

Further back was Wormall, Luke Robinson, Lenny Cole and Ryan Davis while Atkinson Jr and Matt Bell failed to travel the distance.

Lee, Atkinson Jr and Jackson each claimed an eight-lap heat win.

Round 6 of the Sprintcar Track Championship will be staged on Saturday the July 30.

Supporting classes: Jamie Mciness doubled up from the previous meeting to claim the Wingless Sprint feature; Shane Newstead proved too strong in the AMCA Nationals; Jake Koivumaki won the Street Stocks; while Jamie Lock would prevail in the Junior Sedans and Tim Feehan would claim the #1 mantle in the Darwin Dirt Kart Title.

TRANTER TAKES NT JUNIOR TITLE WHILE THE colder weather sets in and the Speedway diehards down south reach for their blankets and or stoke up the fire after a great summer season, the 7Mate Northline Speedway in Darwin has fired up for its season and just recently the stars of the future shone brightly as a strong field of 35 competitors nominated for the running of the 2022 Northern Territorian Junior Sedan Championship.

With a practice session staged on the previous evening, West Australian Donny Davis lined up as the benchmark of the field having stopped the clocks with a scintillating 18.301 Things would run to script for Davis as he found himself on the front row for the 25-lap feature event alongside Kayne Dellar, the West Aussie contingents squaring up five of the top six grid positions. At the drop of the green the lead duo quickly opened a handy gap over the field – however, after the first lap the yellow lights would blaze for the first time as Tyler Scott spun while working to secure third position.

Dellar and Davis led the field away, but the biggest mover was Aaron Tranter, the lone South Aussie moving from eighth to third on the opening lap. Dellar led, although Davis would soon head the pack as the top four opened early ground over the rest of the field.

On the sixth lap the lead quartet would pick their way through some of the slower traffic which made for passing opportunities out front. With 10 laps in the books, Tranter found himself leading Dellar, Davis and Taj Vanzetti further back as they raced through traffic – it would remain that way until Jamie Jones spun bringing on the second caution period with just five laps remaining.

At the Indian File restart, the lead duo again battled hard, Dellar briefly getting his nose in front after Davis attacked for the lead several times. As they battled over every remaining millimetre of track position in the run to the finish, Dellar would again throw up a challenge on the penultimate lap

S45 Aaron Tranter battles door to door with W3 Bobby Davis. Below: NT Junior Sedan Championship Podium. Images: Scott Kernahan.

SPEEDWAY NEWS with Paris Charles only for the yellow lights to blaze for the final time as Davis retired to the infield.

With a green, white and chequered run to the line, Tranter weathered the storm, just, as you could have thrown a tissue over the lead trio exiting the final corner. Tranter held position, to claim the NT Championship closely followed to the line by Dellar, Vanzetti and Kiarna Barton rounding out the podium. Brody Day, Jayden Lock, Deegan Sherwood, Cade Munro, River Spitzbarth, Hannah Tomkins, Anthony Du Preez, Jamie Jones, Jacob Foley, Natasha Tebeck, Zachary Czoloszynski and Blake Overend

rounded out the finishers. Davis, Jacob Foley, Bradley Fenton, Mitch Binning and Scott failed to travel the journey.

The nine qualifying heats had become monopolised, with Davis claiming all three

of his, Vanzetti and Dellar two apiece, while singles would be collected by Day and Sherwood. The four to transfer from the last chance B Main were Spitzbath, Jones, Overend and Czoloszynski.

FAST FRASER GOES BACK TO BACK AFTER TAKING victory in the opening round of the 2022 Natrad Production Sedan Four Crowns Series at the Oakley Earthworks Shark Bay Speedway Club during the 35th Annual Far Western Championships, Josh Fraser (right) ventured to the Pithara Speedway with great form behind him going into the prestigious Kevan Joyce Memorial, doubling as the second round of the Natrad Four Crowns Series – however a further dozen competitors would be looking to spoil his run.

Going into the 20-lap final, Fraser had claimed pole position and alongside would be Jayden McCuish. As the green flag dropped, the lead duo ran door-to-door over the opening lap. Fraser got the upper hand to lead while McCuish was relegated to third by the fast moving Dale Cockman.

Fraser began to pull away with Cockman, McCuish and reigning West Australian

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Image: Jon Gill Champion Kyle Sayer all chasing hard over the first half dozen laps before McCuish fought his way back past Cockman and

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was closely followed by Sayer.

By half race distance Fraser had opened handy real-estate, making the most of

this advantage as he negotiated his way though slower traffic as his #5 Gold field Pest Control Ford AU Falcon was never headed in the non-stop final to win by a 3.5 second margin. Joining him on the podium were McCuish, Cockman and Sayer, who were followed by opening round runner-up Mitchell Baker, Wayne Leviston, Michael Moltoni and Craig Lenane rounding out the eight finishers.

Mitchell Killeen, Jake Avins and Barry Rose, the eight time and defending series champion, failed to travel the distance, while Gordon Wyatt and Sean Bowen did not make it through the heat races.

The eight-lap heats were shared evenly with Fraser, Killeen, Sayer, Avins, Cockman and McCuish each claiming a win.

Round 3 of the of the Natrad Four Crowns Series will be the PTQCC Production Sedan Open Championships hosted at the Kellerberrin Speedway Club on August 13.

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NATIONALS WRAP BIG RIGS ADD STRENGTH TO VMRC BOLSTERING THE second round of the Victorian Motor Racing Championships, on July 9-10, which was conducted on the original shorter circuit, was the return of Super Trucks to Winton Motor Raceway.

It was the second outing of the big rigs this year and, as he did at the opening round, Steve Zammit (right, leading) was the overall winner. He drove his Kenworth T401 to a pair of race wins while Barry Butwell (Mack Superliner) was second and Shannon Smith (Kenworth T900) placed third.

Zammit led throughout the first race, where Butwell was second ahead of Robert Fern (Volvo White). Smith finished fourth after Amoroso fell to seventh on the penultimate lap. It was a similar tale in Race 2 but with no Fern, Smith took third ahead of Marcus Prillwitz (Mack). Fern’s White had the engine go in a teams’ race.

Race 3 was a reverse grid of the earlier result, where after a chaotic first lap, Prillwitz crossed the finish line first. Mitchell Prillwitz (Isuzu FSR) fired off at Turn 1 and Anthony Tringali (International Transtar) spun.

Then, at Turn 7, race leader Mark Schutz (Isuzu SBR) went off after contact with Marcus Prillwitz. The latter was disqualified as that pass on Schutz happened under full course yellows. The win went to Smith ahead of Butwell, Zammit and Amoroso.

The last, longer, race was gridded up in the reverse of qualifying. Butwell took the lead on the opening lap and won ahead of Zammit and Amoroso. Smith recovered from being turned around into Turn 1 on lap three for fourth ahead of Schutz, Tringali and Mitchell Prillwitz. Marcuse Prillwitz was out after six laps with a blown turbo.

Both the teams’ events were won by Harvey Dale in Smith’s GLE Racing Kenworth. Brett Dalglish was second in each aboard Zammit’s rig while Schutz scored a third as did Robert O’Connor in the Amoroso truck.

SUPER TT

THERE WAS a mix of slick shod, under- and over-two litre cars along with those on treaded rubber. Overall the winner was Peter Ryder in his O2S Nissan Silvia/Chev with three race wins. Only in the first was he outpointed by Mark Granger (Ford Falcon AU).

Granger was a non-finisher in Race 2 where Paul Cornell (O2T Subaru Impreza WRX) led the opening lap before Granger led until his

VICTORIAN EXCEL SERIES – MASTERS

Image: Wisewould

A PAIR of seconds backed up two wins each for Glenn Mackenzie and Larry Merifield which meant they finished on equal points, while Antonio Venier finished third, ahead of Karl Neilson. Fastest qualifier Merifield led each lap of Race 1, and had 3.2s on Mackenzie while Venier edged out Donny Mrnjavac.

It was Mackenzie all the way in the second outing with Merifield a close second from Venier and Karl Neilson. Merifield struck back to take Race 3, where Mackenzie shadowed him, well head of Venier. Mark Pesavento was fourth until passed by Neilson. Mackenzie’s victory over Merrifield in the last ensured the round win on a countback, while Neilson scored the fourth race third over Venier.

VICTORIA FORMULA RACE SERIES

Image: Neil Hammond demise. Ros Wood (O2S Nissan Skyline R31) was second with Josh Dowell (O2S Falcon) third for the second time.

In the reverse grid race, Ryder won from the back, with Ranald Kerr Maclurkin (O2L Nissan 350Z turbo) second ahead of Granger. The latter was a close second in the fourth race with Trevor Drummond (O2S Mitsubishi EVO) third.

3 leader until speared off at Turn 5 which allowed Howard to win from Devlin, Hunter, Smith, Stinson and Craig.

Devlin edged out Lindsell to take the last, the pair clear of Howard and Hunter. Stinson was next just in front of Stinson, Craig and Michael Ricketts (Pulsar).

2 LITRE SPORTS SEDANS/NISSAN PULSARS

A COUPLE of race wins paved the way for Hugo Simpson to take the third club championship round ahead of Brad Vereker and Toby Waghorn. They raced and finished in that order in the first encounter with Wil Longmore next ahead of Cadel Ambrose.

Vereker led throughout Race 2 as Simpson and Waghorn got the better of Longmore who DNF’d.

Simpson bounced back to take out Race 3 as Tomkins came through from sixth to finish second. Waghorn headed off Vereker for third.

The latter displace initial leader Tomkins to take out the last as Simpson chased them home clear of Tex Starr McKoy and Pieter Faulkner.

OUTRIGHT LAURELS went to Steve Howard in a Toyota Corolla Sports Sedan while Brock Stinson was the best of the Pulsars and beat several of the Sports Sedans.

The weekend opened with Howard the first-up winner, just in front of Craig Lindsell and Linda Devlin in their JCW Mini Coopers. Pole man Damien Hunter (Renault Clio) started poorly and couldn’t better fourth. Stinson finished fifth ahead of class contender Josh Craig.

Lindsell and Devlin overtook early leader Howard to finish first and second in Race 2 where Hunter was fourth in front of Dan Read (Mini). Sixth went to Craig over Stinson and Dan Smith (Pulsar). Lindsell was the Race

VICTORIAN EXCEL SERIES – TROPHY

EIGHT HYPER Racers competed in their second round, where Dean Crooke (left) won three of the four races and overall victory ahead of Luke Klaver and Hamish Leighton.

Klaver recorded three seconds before he beat Crooke in the last. Leighton placed third twice after Ian Branson was third in the first two races. A fifth and a fourth later ensured Branson was fourth for the round.

LEGEND CARS AUSTRALIA

DESPITE ONE non-finish, Lachlan Ward was the overall round winner ahead of Brendon Hourigan and Shane Tate. Ward won four of the five races but had an early DNF in the reverse grid Race 3 after he and Nick Taylor clashed.

There was an early Safety Car for a stranded Ben Goodridge with a broken axle before Tate finished second ahead of Hourigan who started seventh, Ryan Pring and Josh Hourigan. The latter led the second but spun at Turn 10. Brendon Hourigan led from Tate until both were passed by Ward.

Tate lost out to Scott Morgan and Josh Hourigan on the final lap.

In Race 3 Josh Hourigan was a narrow winner over Robert Hogan, Pring, Scott Neville and Morgan. Ward started last and came through to win Race 4. He passed Brendon Hourigan on the last lap while Pring was a close third and Josh Hourigan and Morgan tangled on the last lap. Ward had a big win in the last while Tate won the scrap for second over Brendon Hourigan with Pring and Josh Hourigan the next two.

Garry O’Brien

Hugo Simpson heads Brad Vereker and a packed Excel field ... Image: Phil Wisewould

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WINTER WAR TO DOB2 MAZDA

Image: Nakita Pollock

HQ TITLE GOES HOME TWO SAFETY cars, a red flag and a twolap resumption did not deny Phil Ashlin (above) victory in the 2022 2022 Middys Electrical HQ Holden Nationals at Hidden Valley on July 9-10.

The six-time Tasmanian state champion won ahead of New South Welshman Luke Harrison and Queenslander Jake Madden.

Ashlin is only the second driver from the Apple Isle state to win the title for the category that started in Tasmania in 1988, after John Talbot did it 29 years ago.

Thirty-nine cars rolled up for the annual event to race over six heats which by the points amassed, determined the grid for the feature. The only non-starter was Wayne Healey, towed off the grid with a coil issue.

Ashlin led at the start with Darren Jenkins

NATIONALS WRAP with Garry O’Brien second ahead of Andrew Magilton and many interstate front runners not far behind.

Jenkins fell to fifth on lap two and Magilton took up the challenge for the lead as Madden assumed third.

On the sixth tour the first Safety Car was

out so a stranded Dylan Bujnowski could be moved, after which Madden seized the lead while Magilton slipped to ninth. On the next lap there were as many as four back in the pack off at Turn 1 which necessitated another Safety Car. Ashlin regained the lead after the race went green again with Harrison to second and Madden next.

The race was red flagged on lap 17 after Peter Anderson and Dennis Russell tangled at Turn 8. The race was restarted for two laps without any change in the top order.

Ben Simpson finished fourth ahead of Jenkins, Mark Strachan, Magilton, Joe Andriske, Adam Butler and 10th placed Jarrod Harber. In the leadup, Ashlin won three heats, Jenkins two and Magilton one.

Garry O’Brien

PROD CARS TWILIGHT AND NIGHT RACES LATE AFTERNOON and evening racing at Queensland Raceway on July 9 was the scenario for the third round of the Qld Production Car Series where Beric Lynton (pictured) dominated.

The Production Cars were the only race category on the agenda as the rest of the program comprised of Supersprints. The round was originally scheduled for Lakeside Park but doubts of it happening meant a move to QR. In his Class X BMW M3 F80, Lynton led every lap and won all three contests. While on his way to a 3.6s victory in the afternoon Race 1 over 10 laps, Steve Burridge (M4) was second until lap four. He was passed by Karl Begg (BMW M4 F82) and later dropped back further with fuel surge.

Ben Gersekowski (Class A2 M3 E92) finished third ahead of Scott Dean (Mercedes A45 AMG) who finished ahead of A1 rival Tim McDonald (BMW M240i), Trentan Allen (B1 Subaru Impreza WRX STi) and Lea Medhurst (M3 F82).

Begg was 2.7s adrift of Lynton in the second 10-lapper where Gersekowski was third in front of Burridge, Dean, Allan and Ter Horst (Mitsubishi EVO X).

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IT WAS back to NSW and Sydney Motorsport Park for the second time this year with Motor Events Racing to run its War on Winter. It was held around the Amaroo circuit on July 10 and won by the team Days Of Blunder 2 in its ME0 class Mazda 3 MPS (pictured below).

The team covered 363 laps in the 11 hours but were docked three of those to still finish two laps ahead of DPRK in their ME1 Subaru 4WD Wagon. They too were penalised and officially completed the same number of circuits as the winners and were 26.5s in arrears.

ThinkFire placed third and second in ME0, their Toyota 86 penalised five laps yet still eight up on Double Decker Racing’s 336 laps. DDR rebounded well after wall contact with the BMW 325 and time lost as it was patched up to continue. The lap penalties were due to time breakouts.

DPRK blazed away in the wet conditions and pushed out to be four laps ahead by around the three-quarter mark. When the track dried, they were ultimately run down by DOB2 who led the last 71 laps. While they were neckand-neck, both had to stop for fuel. The DOB2 team weren’t prepared, and DPRK did their fuel – a testament to the spirit of these events.

Fifth place went to Silver Service Racing (ME2 BMW 323i) who were the highest fundraiser for Rare Cancers Australia, a major part of what these events are about. Then followed Hot Wheelz Hooligans (Ford Falcon BA), Days of Blunder (Mazda 3) and Off Piste Racing (Peugeot 206) on the same lap.

A lap behind came Matadore (Holden Commodore) and disIntegrators (Honda Integra DC5) separated by 8.2s, and then Ezy As (Nissan Pulsar) the ME3 winners by 0.14s over Double 3 (Hyundai Excel). Garry O’Brien

Image: MTR Images The third race was over 20 laps, with Begg again second. Burridge was third while Gersekowski was next until passed by Dean.

Rob Gooley was next in the EVO Maika Ter Horst scored two sevenths with earlier.

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Medhurst was next, a lap down and ahead of McDonald. Gersekowski’s race ended when the front left wheel hub bearing failed into Turn 1 and broke three of the five studs.

Garry O’Brien

Image: MTR Images

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NATIONALS WRAP THUNDER DAYS AT QR

IT WAS promoted as the biggest racing event on the Queensland Raceway calendar, and the 2 Days of Thunder delivered nine categories on June 25-26 – most of which had five races and the challenge of three different circuit layouts.

TA2 MUSCLE CAR NORTHERN SERIES

IT WAS a breakthrough round for Chris Pappas (Mustang) who not only took his first race win but won the round.

He finished ahead of James Simpson (Challenger) and Mark Crutcher (Mustang) who also had his first victory.

Tim Shaw (Camaro) qualified fastest and together with Russell Wright (Mustang) were first and second in Race 1 until they had contact at Turn 4. Wright crossed the line first but was disqualified which made Crutcher the winner ahead of Pappas and Simpson.

Crutcher led Race 2 from Pappas and Anthony Tenkate (Mustang) who spun and retired, after which Pappas and a lap later Shaw, passed Crutcher. Wright started last and made it to fourth.

The third race saw Wright win by 9.9s with Pappas next ahead of Shaw, Simpson, Peter Robinson (Challenger) and Beric Lynton (Mustang). The last race was far closer with Wright 1.7s in front of Pappas and Simpson after a mid-race safety car when Hayden Jackson (Challenger) spun off.

Zak Hudson took a ‘maximum’ – five from five – in Australian Trans Am. Below: Madden & Madden Co dominted HQs. Bottom: Geoff Taunton in his ‘MARC Mustang’ took four wins from five to win QR Sports & Sedans. Images: Rob Turrisi overall and first in the 5.0lt class was Dean Crossley in his new Ford Falcon Sprint.

HISTORIC TOURING CARS

COMFORTABLY FASTEST in qualifying didn’t necessarily translate to comfortable race wins for Grant Wilson (Chev Camaro). He won four of the five encounters which started with a firstup 4.0s victory over Russell McDowell (Ford Falcon GT) and the Ford Mustangs driven by Grahame Wrobel and Cameron Black.

The same top three figured in the next two encounters, the second of which had McDowell less than a second behind. In race four Wilson won ahead of Wrobel and Gary Edwards (Holden Torana XU-1) while McDowell was classified as a non-finisher.

In the last Wrobel led all the way to edge out Wilson while Edwards was a close third and McDowell finished fourth.

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RACE VICTORIES went two each to Bruce Cook (Ford Escort) and Kyle Organ-Moore (Holden Commodore VS) with the former the overall winner due to slightly better minor placings. Third for the weekend went to Ash Isarasena (Mazda RX7) who was also a race winner.

Justin Keys was the fastest qualifier by a significant margin and Race 1 leader until his Commodore’s engine let go in spectacular fashion. Cook took the win ahead of Brock Paine (RX7) and Isarasena. Cook backed up in Race 2, just ahead of Isarasena and Justin Wade (Ford Falcon).

Isarasena narrowly beat Cook in Race 3 with Organ-Moore third. The latter won the next two ahead of Wade. Cook held off Isarasena and Paine for the Race 4 third before Isarasena pipped Paine by 0.04s in the last.

QLD TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

ROUND THREE winners were Chris Brown (Class A, Holden Commodore), Nathan Marks (B, BMW E36) and category debutant John Robinson (C, Commodore).

Brown was also the outright winner, as he took out the first race ahead of Robert Bellinger (BMW E46), the next three ahead of Matt Haak (Commodore), and then Gary Lange (BMW E46) in the last. The latter pair were second and third overall ahead of Chris Sharples (Holden Monaro) and Marks who was undefeated in his class. Robinson was three times the C victor to Sean Evans’ two in his E36.

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QR SPORTS & SEDANS

HQ HOLDENS

THE SATURDAY-ONLY class round was taken out by Jake Madden who won the three races. In each he battled with and held off brother Brandon Madden with less than a second between them each time. In the first outing Tye Gray was third ahead of Joe and Scott Andriske. Then Joe Andriske came home third in the next two ahead of category newbie Nash Morris. Scott Andriske DNF’d Race 2 and didn’t start the last.

Morgan enabled Tate to take the second race victory ahead of Shalala and Crossland. Race 3 started in reverse grid formation where Hourigan overtook Shalala on the final lap to win while Brendon Hourigan was third.

Race 4 had five leaders and a Safety Car before Shalala beat Josh Hourigan by 0.02s.

Brendon Hourigan had a tyre blow when third which ultimately ended up going to Scott Melville. In the last Josh Hourigan led all the way and held off Shalala and Crossland.

LEGEND CARS

AUSTRALIAN TRANS AM

EXCLUSIVELY ON the Clubman Circuit, category debutants Jordan Shalala and Ben Crossland finished first and second, ahead of points leader Shane Tate. Fastest qualifier Scott Morgan won the first race ahead of Tate and Josh Hourigan who passed Crossland with two laps to go.

A last lap incident involving Hourigan and

AT THE wheel of former category stalwart, the late Brett Curran’s Ford Mustang, Zak Hudson was a clear-cut winner of the five races ahead of Anthony Tenkate also in a Mustang. The battle of the Plymouth’s continued with Ian Palmer (AAR Cuda) third in the first two races before Alwyn Bishop (Duster) beat him for the minor spot in the next three encounters. Fifth

MARC CARS dominated with the top four spots overall and headed by Geoff Taunton (MARC II V8) with four out of five race wins.

Darren Currie (Mazda V8) was second four times before he pipped Taunton in the last.

With three thirds, a fourth and fifth Grant Donaldson (Focus V8) was third ahead of Antonio Basile (Focus).

Similarly so, Tony Saint (Mazda RX7) had four victories in the Over 4.0 Litres, only beaten in the second race by Mark Wright (Holden Commodore) who was then elevated to Extremes. Second overall was Neville Haines (Commodore) ahead of Michael Grimes (Ford Mustang) while Scott McLennan (Mitsubishi Mirage) beat Ken Samway (Mazda MX5) in Under 4.0lt.

PORSCHE RACING

THE TWO sprint races were won by Tom McLennan before Brad Carr took out the 30-lap enduro. McLennan was the fastest qualifier and led every lap of the first two races. Second in each was fellow 991 Cup Car driver Jason Miller with Brad Carr third in his Cup Car, Miller led the long race before an early unscheduled pitstop. Carr took over until his mandatory stop put Shane Wilson in front until just past half distance. Carr was again in front until the flag with McLennan second and Joe Barbagallo next after he passed Wilson with a couple of laps to go.

Garry O’Brien

HISTORIC QLD’S RACING FEAST ACROSS NINE fields there were over 160 competitors at Morgan Park for the Historic Queensland on July 9-10 with five races for many and several historic trophies up for grabs.

HISTORIC TOURING CARS

THREE RACES for Group Nb up to 4.0 litre and Nc up to 2.0lt produced three close races and different winners. The first race went to Adam Bressington (Morris Cooper S) who took the lead on the penultimate lap. Second was James Anderson (Alfa Romeo GTV) who displaced the early leader David Noakes (Ford Escort) on the final lap.

Behind them was another group of three with Chris Collett (Cooper S) ahead of Craig Thompson (Ford Cortina) and Adam Duce (Cooper S).

Anderson passed Bressington after a couple of laps to take Race 2 – Collett and Noakes were close behind and well clear of Santino Di Carlo (Cooper S). Noakes grabbed the third race lead early and edged away from Collett who also passed Bressington. Di Carlo was next with Anthon Colton (Cortina) next.

All three Group Nc Over2L and large capacity Nb races were won by Craig Allan in Ian Mewett’s Ford Mustang. After he qualified ninth, Allan passed Peter Baguley (Holden Torana XU-1) and then Graeme Wakefield (Mustang) on the final lap to get the first race win. Fourth went to Russell McDowell (Ford Falcon XY GT) clear of Matt Clift (Mazda RX2) and John Burke (Valiant Charger).

Allan led all the way in the second for a narrow victory over Baguley. Wakefield was third while Cliff passed McDowell and looked like he had fourth until he dropped behind Grant Schneider (RX2) and David Waddington (XY GT). It was another close second to Allan by Baguley in the third race while Wakefield had to pass McDowell to secure third. Then came Schneider from Waddington and Kevin Heffernan (XU-1).

The Nc race for the Bill Campbell Trophy was gridded off qualifying. Baguley got the jump over Wakefield and led throughout.

Grahame Wrobel (Mustang) lost places early before he finished fourth behind Gary Edwards (XU-1). McDowell was close behind and ahead of Waddington, Burke and Schneider as Clift and Allan were nonfinishers.

The first Nb-only race was led throughout

by Bressington while Mewett (Ford Falcon Rallye Sprint) forged through to second from fifth. Collett was third in front of a fleet of Minis driven by Duce, Di Carlo, Ken Nelson and Darryl Exelby.

The final outing for all comers, was also for the Jack Lacey Trophy, awarded to the best placed Nb. The was won by Wakefield, just in front of Baguley with Allan up to third from ninth. McDowell glimpsed second before he finished fifth behind Edwards as Heffernan was sixth throughout.

GROUP U SPORTS SEDANS/INVITED

THERE WAS a good rollup in two groups with the sprints using a rolling start and taking the chequered flag. Aarron Hodges (V8 Ford Escort) topped the first outing and won the Fred Sayer’s Trophy for Group U. Carey McMahon (Chev Monza) was at the forefront in the rest of the outings he competed in.

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Carey McMahon in the ex Whincup Monza, was the Sports Sedan pace-setter. Below left: Rhys Foster (ex-Villeneuve March 75B). Right: Wayne Seabrook heads Stan Adler in Production Sports. Images: Rob Turrisi

Behind them Craig Neilson (Mitsubishi Starion) was third initially before Nick Fuller (V8 Toyota Corolla) topped him in the next two sessions after which it was Graeme Wilkinson (Escort) fourth. The latter was second to Ryan McSwan (Holden Torana LX) in the second group outings.

GROUPS K,L,M,O,P/FORMULA VEES

THE DIVERSITY of cars also meant a significant speed range where Richard Carter in his Group O Rennmax 23b topped every race, including the Lionel Ayres Trophy race.

He won the first race ahead of Bruce Ayers in the Yellow Submarine Mildren Waggott his father raced. Wayne Wilson (Brabham BT21C) was next ahead of Doug Anderson (Elfin 600B) and Pete Trapnell (Ford V8 Special).

Race 2 produced the same order apart from Ayres who DNF’d with an alternator problem.

Second in Race 3 went to Wilson from Anderson and Ayres. In the fourth outing, Ayres quickly took second and gapped Wilson and Anderson who were close together. The trophy was led by Ayres for four laps before Carter passed him. Anderson was third ahead of Trapnell and Peter Iredale (Mako) who was unbeaten among the Formula Vees.

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HISTORIC PRODUCTION SPORTS

OUTRIGHT WINS went to Brian Henderson (Datsun 240Z) with three, while Wayne Seabrook (Porsche 911 Carrera) and Stan Adler (911) each scored one. Seabrook took a narrow win the first encounter, in front of Jon Siddins (240Z) while Adler was next from Porsche drivers Doug Barbour and Greg Horwill. Henderson finished 12th after he missed qualifying due to a battery failure.

Henderson took the second with Siddins edged out again while Adler beat Seabrook and Michael McKelliget (260Z). Barbour and Horwill were non-finishers. Adler netted Race 3 over Seabrook, Siddins, Henderson, McKelliget and Horwell. The last two races results went with Henderson, Seabrook and Adler while Siddins and McKelliget were the next two.

HISTORIC FORMULA FORDS

AFTER VICTORY for Cameron Walters (Van Diemen RF86) in Race 1, Dylan Fahey (RF89) put in a master class to completely dominate the following three races. However he didn’t figure in the last outing which was won by Nigel Hook (RF89) who picked up the overall honours.

Fahey was second in Race 1 ahead of Lyndon Arnel (Lola T440), Hook, Geoff

Walters (RF89) and Michael Meyer (RF86).

Cameron Walters only lapped once in race two where Hook was second, just in front of Arnel, with Meyer fourth. Arnel was runnerup in Race 3 where Meyer was third from Andrew McGrath (Lola T342). Hook fell down the order early and finished 10th.

It was tight for second in Race 4 with Arnel just, by 0.03s over Hook with John Pymble marginally ahead of Geoff Karger behind in their Reynards. Meyer was a DNF and joined several not in the last which was won by Hook over McGrath who was just ahead of Karger and Arnel.

GROUPS Q & R

WITH ONLY a win in the fifth of five races, Barry Wise (March 81A) was the most successful overall as the other race winners – with two each – did not figure in the last. Wise won the last ahead of Jonathon Camp (Van Diemen FF2000), Garry Ashford (Lola T594) and Bruce Taylor (Tiga SC590).

Prior to that Rhys Foster (March 75B) won the first two encounters ahead of Wise and Ian Ross (Osella PA5) initially and then Ross and Wise. Ross took the third where Wise and Foster were close for the minors before Foster showed the way to his rivals in Race 4.

Garry O’Brien

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NATIONALS WRAP MILESTONE AND MEMORIAL NINE CATEGORIES, seven grids and just under 100 competitors were at Mallala Motorsport Park on July 9-10 for round three of the South Australian Motor Racing Championships.

The Sporting Car Club of SA event was particularly well supported by Hyundai Excels where one driver achieved a special milestone, while Improved Production duked it out for a memorial trophy in memory of a driver who had a fatal crash at Mallala 10 years ago.

CIRCUIT EXCELS

WHILST ON his way to victory in all five races, Asher Johnston chalked up his 100th category win – with just over 200 starts representing a 50 per cent strike rate. Ahead of the event’s biggest field, Johnston led every lap but was pushed throughout by Joel Johnson who was within 0.4s in each race.

Brad Gartner was third in Race 1, just ahead of Ethan Fitzgerald who started ninth, Shayne Nowickyj and Shaun Pannowitch.

It was a similar result in Race 2 which was red flagged and restarted, with the same top six and Nick Scaife immediately behind in seventh.

Back in the pack it was where the drama occurred, with an accident. Andrew Young had damage, Aiden Norvill was spun around after Turn 1 and Cass Hoare arrived on the scene with nowhere to go. She ended up going over and was slammed into by an unlucky Allen Hawkins. Despite the extent of damage, both Hoare and Hawkins made it back to race Sunday.

Fitzgerald improved to third in Race 3 and placed there in the following races as well.

Gartner was fourth in the third outing and clear of Nowickyj who was fourth in the next ahead of Michael Nowickyj as Gartner slipped to seventh behind Pannowitch. Gartner was back to fourth in the last, ahead of Michael Nowickyj and Pannowitch.

David Lines shows the way in the Saloon contest. Below: Side-by-side action from Mark Goldsmith (Elfin 400) and James Doig’s Motolab ASP 340.

Bottom: Scott Cook and Nathan Mills in close company in Improved Production ... Images: Bob Taylor

SALOON CARS/HISTORIC TOURING CARS/ HQ HOLDENS

IN THE combined categories, the outright honours were fought out between the Saloon Cars with Shawn Jamieson (Ford Falcon AU) the winner of four occasions, but denied a fifth where Scott Dornan (Holden Commodore VY) scored a win.

Shawn’s son Jayden Jamieson (Commodore VT) was second in Race 1 ahead of Brian Stewart and James Jaeschke in Commodores before David Lines who DNF’d when his VT threw a belt – he was second in the next four encounters.

Richard Harris (Mini Cooper S) was the lone HTC and chased the newer cars ahead of the HQs where Lee Smith and Anthony Bobridge duked it out for supremacy. The laurels went to the former, three races to two.

IMPROVED PRODUCTION

CONSISTENTLY BEING atthe front for Adam Allan (Nissan Bluebird) proved the difference as he was the overall round winner. He won three races and placed second in the other two.

Victory in the first race did not come easily as Scott Cook was the early leader before he parked his Nissan Silvia S13 on the infield between Turns 2 and 3. Andrew Maros (Valiant VG) took over the lead until passed by Allan.

Behind second-placed Maros, Michael Reimann (Mazda 808) were John Woodberry (Mitsubishi Magna), pole sitter Michael Hazelton (Mazda RX7), Nathan Mills (Datsun 1200 turbo) and James Sutton (Mazda R100) in close company.

Allan led Race 2 throughout to take the Michael Rooke Memorial ahead of Mills and Reimann. Cook fought through to fourth ahead of Sutton and Maros who was second early on while Chris White (Mazda 323) was the under 2.0 litre winner.

The top four finished in the same order in Race 3. Then Cook took the lead off Allan two laps from the finish to win Race 4. Sutton was third in front of Chris Redin and Reimann.

In the last Cook was again the winner over Allan with Reimann, Redin, Maros and White.

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RACING CARS

DAY ONE belonged to Bo Jenson in his Dallara F304 before Andrew Ford (Reynard 893) took the Sunday races. Jenson won the three Saturday races while Ford was second and Matt Woodland (Tatuus Toyota FT50) third. Melissa Ford (Mallock Clubman) had two fourths and Mark Goldsmith (Elfin 400) one.

With no Jenson on day two, Andrew Ford’s two wins came ahead of Woodland.

James Doig (Motorlab ASP) took two thirds, one over Melissa Ford, and the other ahead of Goldsmith.

FORMULA VEES

THERE WERE only four running – two 1600cc and two 1200s. Daniel Westcott (Jacer) was the winner in each race over Matt Balek (Stinger). Frank Chessell (Elfin Crusader) narrowly beat his 1200 class rival Andrew Mutch (Stag Elfin) in four of the five encounters with the latter ahead in Race 3.

SPORTS CARS

WITH FOUR wins, Ian Wilson (TVR Tuscan) just missed out on a perfect score. Second behind him in each, Mark Pearce (McLaren GT4) was able to score the last over Wilson.

David Smoker (Audi R8 LMS) was third ahead of Tom Hutchinson (TVR) in three races but didn’t start the last two which saw the latter gain the minor spot.

SUPERSPRINTS

THE THREE sessions were each headed

by Greg Keene in his Porsche GT2 RS. In the first two he had the best lap time over Jed Wallis (Porsche 911 GT3) and Peter Panapolous (Porsche 981 Boxster).

The latter was second in the third outing ahead of Tim Williams (Lotus Exige Sport).

Garry O’Brien

Shane Bond took the Improved Production contest to series leader Jared House.

Left: Line astern in the Vees – Dyer, Gray, Vaughan and McLean. Images: Angryman

RECORDS FALL, CONTENDERS EMERGE LONG STANDING lap records were broken, and clear contenders emerged through the third round of the Tasmanian Circuit Racing Championships at Baskerville on July 10.

FORMULA VEES

WHILE HE didn’t win the round, Jeremy Dyer (Elfin Crusader) increased his championship lead in a memorable weekend. Dyer won the second heat and backed up with a great drive from the rear in the third after he blew the start.

There was plenty of great racing from the usual suspects in Michael Vaughan (Spectre), Richard Gray (Jabiru) and Wade McLean (Elliott) providing plenty of close and exciting racing. The double-points final saw Dyer muff the start again and was forced to come from the rear.

He didn’t quite get the job done this time and had to settle for second behind McLean, but in a great consolation, he broke the category lap record by 0.3s. In a nice twist, the record had stood for 16 years and was held by his mechanic, mentor, and former champion Noel Clark.

McLean won the round, helped Dyer to increase his lead over Gray, as McLean missed the second round earlier in the year.

Charlie Parker, Jeremy Bennett and Josh Webster head a packed Excel field. Left: Brad Sherriff is followed by Liam Hooper at the head of the Sports Sedan contest.

IMPROVED PRODUCTION

SPORTS SEDANS

THE OTHER record-breaking effort for the meeting went to Brad Sherriff who has been chasing the 1982 lap record set by former world F1 champion Alan Jones in a Porsche 935 Turbo. Sherriff’s beast of choice has been Nissan Skyline and at his last Baskerville outing, he managed to lower the resident Tasmanian lap record, but not Jones’ outright mark.

It was a similar result again this time, with Sherriff gradually getting faster with each race, lowering his own resident lap record again – and he went agonisingly close to the outright record. This time he got to within 0.08s of the mark, which suggests it’s not too far away.

Not surprisingly, Sherriff easily won the round to extend his championship lead, with Liam Hooper (Skyline) forced to settle for second all day, with veteran Spike Jones (Holden Torana) third overall on his 78th birthday.

SPORTS GTA

A SMALL field saw them combined with the Sports Sedans, and although unable to match the outright speed, the drivers provided a race within a race. David Paine (Holden Commodore) clean-swept the day with wins in all heats and the final.

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DOMINANT IN the first two rounds, Jared House (Holden Torana L34) had his hands full in round three with Shane Bond (Datsun 1200 Coupe Turbo) taking it right up to the big black beast. House won the first two heats, before Bond was quicker in the third and final to take the round, although House still holds a big series lead. Third overall was David Waldon in his Rover SD1.

A breath of fresh air to the category was the introduction of three new drivers – all in Porsche GT3s – with Beau Johnson leading the trio to finish second for the meeting ahead of Troy Johnson and Stuart Benson. Johnson was stepping up from Sports GTB, having raced a Subaru WRX earlier, while Benson was returning to circuit racing after a 10-plus year absence.

Matt Carey (Holden Commodore) finished fifth for the round behind the Porsches, but with the leading three drivers not entered, he has now jumped to second in the championship. An absent Stephen Noble (Nissan 350Z) still has a narrow points lead.

HYUNDAI EXCELS

ONE OF the biggest fields seen at Baskerville didn’t disappoint with three action-packed

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heats and a sensational final. Charlie Parker managed to emerge on top, despite plenty of door-to-door racing with Jeremy Bennett, Josh Webster, Will Twining and Jackson Shaw all involved.

Shaw crashed in the first heat, but a brilliant drive to fifth from rear of the grid in the second heat was one of the highlights.

The final seemed tame in the early stages, but with three laps to go, it got very willing.

Twining and Webster came together on the way up Killick’s Hill and ended up in the tyre wall, which red-flagged the event. Bennett was declared the winner from Parker and Webster, who was third on the previous lap.

Webster maintained his series lead, while Bennett and Parker are both within a single race win in what is shaping up as a fascinating championship battle.

SPORTS GTB/GTC

IN SPORTS GTB Dennis Howard was in great form in his Nissan 350Z to clean-sweep the day, while David Walker (Datsun 1200 Ute) was consistently second in every outing to maintain his series lead. Further down, Mick Williams (Datsun 240Z) continued his unbeaten run this season to date with another perfect day on the track in Sports GTC.

HISTORIC TOURING CARS

THE SMALL field was no match for Scott Cordwell (Holden Torana XU-1) who won all races easily to extend his series lead. Mini Cooper S drivers Greg Walker and Derek Kooistra battled for second and third. It the way of the former as Kooistra was out after two seconds.

Martin Agatyn

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NATIONALS WRAP

GRRS BACK AT LAKESIDE THE SECOND of the Grass Roots Racing Series took place at Lakeside Park on July 9-10. The Replica Tourers numbered up with over 20, equalled by a combined grid of Production Sports and the Super Mini Challenge.

REPLICA TOURERS

THREE OUT of four race wins went to Steve Hay in his Holden Commodore VK. He was comfortably ahead in the first two races, but the third was much closer. He won despite a blown head gasket which kept him out of the last, yet he won the Open class.

Leonard Meiers (Commodore VE) posted three seconds and a fourth to take the 6.2-litre honours. Against the V8s, Danny Turner was a strong contender in his 2.0lt class Honda Integra which was well suited to the Lakeside track. Turner finished third in the first two races, second in Race 3 and fifth in the last.

Fourth in Races 1 and 2, Rex Scoles (VE) was third in the next before he won the last.

Billy Scoles (3.5lt class Mazda RX7) figured in the top five in each race with his best result of third in the last. Ford Falcon AU Saloon Cars in the hands of Jaiden Miscamble, Tim Barwick and Brandon Madden filled the top three spots in the 5.0lt class.

Tom Arndt (BMW E46) and Dan Ross (Mazda RX8) filled the 3.5lt minor places, as did Todd Black (BMW E36) and Greig Frankham (Nissan Pulsar) in 2.0lt after the latter had a practice mishap at the Karrasel.

Invitational went Tony Rowe (Toyota 86).

PRODUCTION SPORTS

IN THE five races, Michael Learoyd, who qualified his Chev Corvette on pole, won each comfortably and he led every lap. Behind him was a close contest between Hugo Godson (Nissan Skyline R35) and Mark Cotterell (Ginetta G50) for second which went the way of the former four-one while Cotterell recorded four thirds.

Chris Whittaker (Datsun 240Z) was fourth in Race 1 before fifth-paced Shane Plohl (Eunos Roadster) turn the tables in Race 2. Whittaker hit back in Race 3 to beat Plohl, then DNF’d out of the fourth. Plohl scored his second fourth before Whittaker came through to beat him to the line in the last.

SUPERMINI CHALLENGE

TWO CLASSES of Minis gridded behind the Production Sports with Allan Murray a five-race winner in his Unlimited class R56 Challenge while Damian Cavanagh (Cooper S) had similar success in the Cooper class.

Steve Hay shows the way in Replica Tourers while (below) it’s a close Superkart battle between Crisp, Amiss and Jamieson Images: MTR Images From pole position James Campbell (R56) led the first half of the opening encounter before loose front wheel nuts cost him the lead, and eventually a finish. Trent Spencer picked up second ahead of Cavanagh, Josh Mills and Tom Campbell.

The following four races produced the same top three as Mills and Tom Campbell scrapped over the minors in the Cooper class in the first two races, with one success each.

Mills was a non-finishers in Race 3 where Campbell placed third ahead of Andrew Mills and Duayne Pearce. That pair repeated in Race 4 before it was Campbell over Andrew and Josh Mills in the last.

FORMULA VEES

IN NETTING a trio of victories Alex Macdonald (Jacer) had to work for them.

Qualifying honours went to Alex Hedemann (Rapier) and he led first three laps, then briefly relented to Macdonald. Hedemann reclaim the front running to the flag as Tim Alder (Rapier) was a close second, while Hedemann salvaged third after dramas on lap eight dropped him to fourth.

Alder led the first couple of laps of Race 2 before Macdonald took over for the win while Matt Dicinoski (Bee Cee Jibaru) finished second ahead of Alder. Hedemann didn’t get a lap in due to distributor drive problem.

Macdonald led most of the third and beat Alder by 0.12s with Dicinoski third. Hedemann

Michael Learoyd dominated Production Sports while (right) Alex MacDonal came out on top in Vees.

Images: MTR Images

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was up to fourth until he lost fourth gear.

In the last Macdonald led until the last lap when Dicinoski edged him out by 0.03s. Scott Andrew (Rapier) was next after Alder fell down the order.

SUPERKARTS

THERE WERE four different outright winners over the five races with Steve Murray (250 National PVP) the only one to repeat with two victories. Russell Jamieson (125cc Anderson Maverick) won the opener ahead of Brock Nicholas (250 International PVP) and Lachlan Crisp (250N ADE).

Murray was a comfortable winner of the second ahead of Crisp and Doug Amiss (125 Anderson) after he had the piston blow in race one. Nicholas had a spin which resulted in a clamp down. Amis went on to take out Race 3 ahead of Crisp and Nicholas who was a DNF in the previous race.

Ewen Burg (250I PVP) was a DNF and then came out and won Race 4, by a considerable margin over Crisp and Murray.

Several dropped out early in the last which went to Murray by a bare 0.09s over Amis as Crisp shadowed them across the line.

Garry O’Brien

GARRY’S

PRICE ON THE GAP WINS ON three laps on the second day gave Toby Price (right) along with navigators Ben Proelss, John Price and Dan McKenzie the outright victory in the Town and Country Tyres The Gap 440 on July 9-10.

In their Chev V8-powered Mitsubishi TSCO Trophy Truck, they finished 6mins 27s ahead of Dale Martin, Richard Grose and Craig Martin in their Unlimited Alpha/Chev V8.

After two punctures and down in 32nd Brent Martin and Andrew De Simone (Class 1 Jimco/Nissan V6) were almost 8mins further away in third.

Held on the private property Mactocton, 31km east of Hillston in southern NSW, the Griffith Off Road Club-run second round of the ARB Australian Off Road Racing Championship attracted 57 teams for take in five laps of the 85km course.

The first lap was headed up by father/ daughter Jason and Charlotte Richards (Class 1 Chenowth millennium/Nissan) from Martin, Robert and Brett Plant (Class 1 Jimco/Nissan), and Michael Marson and Chris Colborne (Unlimited Racer Engineering/Ford V8).

NATIONAL

EVENT

CALENDAR MARQUE SPORTS CARS SPRINTS RD05, CALCIUM QLD – JUL 30 STATE RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP RD02, GYMPIE QLD – JUL 30 MOTOR SPORTS CLUB OF TASMANIA GRAVEL HILLCLIMB, SOUTH RETREAT TAS – JUL 30 MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA OFF ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP RD04, LOVEDAY SA – JUL 30-31 STATE MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIP RD03, MALLALA SA – JUL 30-31 NT OFF ROAD 12 HOUR, MT OORAMINNA NT – JUL 30-31

Image: AORRA

WA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, COLLIE MOTORPLEX – JUL 30-31

Price was fifth after he won the 15km prologue. Aaron James rolled his Alumi Craft/ Ford Ecoboost V6 turbo just after the start.

Danny Brown and George Apted (Alumi Craft/Nissan turbo) were second until an engine misfire put them out.

The next day Richards had a rear wheel failure and Plant lost power steering while Price won laps two, three and four before Martin took out the last.

Unlimited’s Andy Brown and James Tyrell (Alumi Craft/Nissan V8) dropped from third to fourth due to a puncture and placed ahead of Russell and Judy Hartnett (Razorback/Honda) who won Class 2.

Next were Michael and Jake Denham and Daniel Adam (Class 4 MickleFab Raptor TT/ Chev) in front of Class 1 crews Glenn Collis/ Jason Hampel (Rimco/Nissan V6) and Matt Burrows/Jay Mitchell (Jimco/Holden Alloytech V6).

Other prominent retirees were Brad Chasemore/Jay Hare (Jimco/Chev), Greg Gartner/Jamie Jennings (Ford F150 TT) and Glenn Spizzo/Doug Cupitt (MickleFab/ Toyota turbo). Talbot Cox and Daniel McDonald (Racer Engineering/Toyota V8) and Tony Fehlhaber/Gary Howell (Chenowth/Nissan) had problems and didn’t start day two. Garry O’Brien

YOUTH WINS AT MORANBAH

Image: D&S Photography

TIGHE TRUMPS AT TAMWORTH WITH THE fastest time at Oakburn Park on July 10, Dean Tighe extended his lead in the NSW Hillclimb Championship.

The venue for the fourth round was situated around 12kms out of Tamworth on the Oxley Highway and the event was run by Tamworth Sporting Car Club. Unlike most hillclimbs, the 690m course is mainly flat and offered a different perspective for the 28 competitors.

Tighe produced his best time of 29.438s on his final run in his supercharged Hayabusa powered Empire Wrath and unchallenged in outright stakes. Without opposition in Formula Libre under or over 2.0 litre, he was 3.8s quicker than anyone else.

The second fastest time went to Peter Brown in his Prosport Mulsanne 2C Sports Car. He was 0.18s fastest on his best run than Dave Morrow aboard his F/L up to 1.3lt. Next was Luca Cox in the 600cc Hyper Hugger, ahead of Greg Jones (Locust Clubman) and Brian Cox in the shared Hyper.

Seventh and best of the ‘tourers’ was Peter Akers (Road Registered AWD Subaru Impreza – above) who outpointed Michael Fraser (RR Chev Corvette) by almost a second. David Hussey (Improved Production Ford Laser TX3) and Andrew Fraser (Corvette) rounded out the top ten.

Warren Bell (Datsun Stanza) missed the ten by a measly 0.012s and was just ahead of Craig Kingbiel (Honda Civic) and Michael Arts (Jasman 7 Clubman) with those two just 0.005s apart. Garry O’Brien

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TWO BROKEN axles in two heats failed to stop 16-year-old Kye Camilleri from a dominant display and victory in the Mickey Thompson ARB Queensland Off Road Racing Championship fifth round on the Newman Property at Moranbah in July 16-17.

Camilleri piloted his Class 6 Can-Am to a 43.7s victory in the Primec 100 over Stuart Chapman (Unlimited Chenowth Millennium/ Mitsubishi turbo) with another 2.6s to third placed James Mogford (Can-Am).

Fifty-one teams competed over five heats of the 10km course. The first heat over one lap was headed by Camilleri from Chapman, Kent Battle (Element Prodigy/Chev V8), Zach Marsh (Can-Am), Richard Tassin (Can-Am) and Clayton Chapman (Unlimited Razorback/ Toyota turbo).

Heat 2 was over a pair of laps where Clayton Chapman was first in front of Christian Rich (Can-Am) who had a rollover in Heat 1, Marsh, Camilleri, Battle and Stuart Chapman. On the next pair of laps, Camilleri showed the way to March, Stuart Chapman, Rich and Mogford.

Battle was out with a throttle drama.

The fourth two-lap heat went to Rich from Mogford, Clayton Chapman, Camilleri and Steve Kildrey (Class 4 Image: AORRA Holden Colorado/

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Chev). Marsh had an A-Arm break and Stuart Chapman had steering issues and finished 12th before he stormed back to win the final heat. Older brother Clayton Chapman was second ahead of Camilleri, Rich and Tassin.

Fourth place and Class 6s went to Brice Derrick in his standard Can-Am ahead of Kildrey and class winners Matt Reed (Class 11 Can-Am) and Michael Marson (Class 10 Racer Engineering/Ford Windsor V8). They were follow by Steven Orr (Class 10 Jimco) and Tassin 4.8s apart.

Best of the Class 1 entries was 15th placed Trent Callander in his new Southern Cross while Mark Andrew (Cobra Custom) took Class 2. The other classes went to father and daughter (Class 66 Polaris), Ross Challacombe (Class 8 Mitsubishi Triton) and Jason Lavis (Class 7 Toyota Hilux). Garry O’Brien

TA2 MUSCLE CARS/SPECIAL WEST, COLLIE MOTORPLEX – JUL 30-31 NTH QLD OFF ROAD RD03, CHARTERS TOWERS QLD – JUL 30-31 SA SUPERSPRINT, SUPERCARS, PORSCHE CARRERA CUP RD04, V8 SUPERUTES RD04, NATIONAL SPORTS SEDANS SERIES RD03, AUSSIE RACING CARS RD06, SA SUPERSPRINT, HISTORIC TOURING CARS, THE BEND SA – JUL 30-31 HERVEY BAY MOTOR SPORTS KHANACROSS RD04, TINANA QLD – JUL 30-31 STATE HILLCLIMB SERIES RD05, MOUNT COTTON QLD – JUL 30-31 NORTH QUEENSLAND OFF ROAD SUPER SERIES RD03, MILCHESTER MOTORSPORTS FACILITY, QLD – JUL 30-31 VICTORIAN 6 HOUR RELAY, PHILLIP ISLAND VIC, JUL 30-31 TOWNSVILLE CITY AUTOSPORTS CLUB HILLCLIMB RD03, MT STUART QLD – JUL 31 SOUTHERN DISTRICTS CAR CLUB KHANACROSS RD05, MID MURRAY MOTORPLEX SA – JUL 31 BENDIGO CAR CLUB MOTORKHANA, BAGSHOT VIC – JUL 31 STATE MOTORKHANA CHAMPIONSHIP RD03, PERTH MOTORPLEX WA – JUL 31 LIGHT CAR CLUB OF WA KHANACROSS, BAYSWATER WA – JUL 31 SHANNONS MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA CHAMPIONSHIPS RD05- TCR AUSTRALIA SERIES RD05, GT WORLD CHALLENGE RD04, TRANS AM SERIES RD05, RADICAL CUP RD03, PORSCHE SPRINT CHALLENGE RD03, PRODUCTION CARS RD03, QLD RACEWAY QLD AUG 05-07 GRASS ROOTS RACING SERIES RD03, LAKESIDE PARK QLD – AUG 05-07 WYNARKA ENDURO OFF ROAD, WYNARKA SA – AUG 06 MOTOR EVENTS RACING, 12 HOUR DAY/NIGHT, MALLALA SA – AUG 06 AUGUST ACCESS MEETING, PHILLIP ISLAND VIC – AUG 06-07 NSW STATE MOTOR RACING CHAMPIONSHIPS RD05, SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK NSW – AUG 06-07 AUSTRALIAN FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP RD04, SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK NSW – AUG 06-07 VHRR FESTIVAL OF SPEED, WINTON VIC – AUG 06-07 HERITAGE TOURING CARS RD04, WINTON VIC – AUG 06-07 NSW STATE HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP RD07, RINGWOOD PARK – AUG 06-07 ARB SA OFF ROAD MULTI CLUB SERIES RD04, WYNARKA SA – AUG 06-07 QLD STATE HILLCLIMB SERIES RD05, MT COTTON QLD – AUG 06-07 NORTH SHORE SPORTING CAR CLUB RALLYSPRINT RD05, EASTERN CREEK NSW – AUG 07 CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN RALLY SPORTS CLUB MOTORKHANA, ALICE SPRINGS NT – AUG 07 GEELONG MOTOR SPORTS CLUB MOTORKHANA RD05, AVALON VIC – AUG 07

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INTERNATIONAL

WRC DOMINANCE FROM FLYING FINN

Images: Motosport Images

WORLD MOTORSPORT is being treated to a rarely seen display of speed and dominance from young superstar Kalle Rovenpera.

The Estonian leg of the World Rally Championship was won emphatically by the Finnish team of Rovenpera and his co-driver, Jonne Halttunen, who finished the weekend +1:00.9 ahead of Welshman Elfyn Evans.

Friday’s proceedings at the Tartu track saw Evans lead his Toyota GR Yaris teammate with four straight stage victories before the rain set in, delivering six of the wettest stages seen so far this season.

After the rains, Rovenpera had the better of the conditions, rapidly reducing Evans lead on a heavily deteriorated track to head into Saturday as the leader.

Saturday’s running saw sporadic showers but better conditions, as Rovenpera further distanced himself from Evans after a slow start to the morning.

Rovenpera would capture the final three stages of the day to take an 19.1s advantage ahead of Evans in second, and hometown favourite, Ott Tänak, in third.

Sunday would see Rovenpera completely dominate to take home his second Rally

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Estonia title. Last year’s victory, his first ever rally win, saw him become the youngest winner in the sports history.

The son of former rally driver, Harri Rovenpera, Kalle was elated after his victory saying, “It was great again today, and thanks to Jonne (co-driver Halttunen) because it was a difficult weekend but we drove really well,” the young star said.

“We enjoy every rally and although we need to push hard because the pressure is always high, we’re managing it really well.”

The Finnish driver/co-driver pairing, is fast becoming a formidable one, starting in 46 world rallies together and winning six of them, including a staggering five of them this year alone.

Halttunen gave a keen insight into their success, “This is something I would not have even dreamed of one year ago when we won our first rally here and now it is going like this,” said Halttunen.

“He’s doing his own job and the system we have in the car, everything we are doing – it seems to be like the formula is right.

“We have been a pair together for five years and we have developed our own

Rovanpera is stealing the show ... While teamate Elfyn Evans, kept him honest.

system of doing things, like how to check all the notes.”

Rovenpera leads the 2022 championship by 83 points with six world rallies remaining.

Should he win the world title, running since 1973, he’ll be the youngest champion in the sport’s history. Tim Neal STANDINGS AFTER 7 ROUNDS 1 Rovenpera 175 2 Neuville 92 3 Evans 79 4 Tanak 77 5 Katsuta 73

IWASA CAPTURES MAIDEN F2 CHEQUERED FLAG

Images: Motosport Images

AUSSIE CAMPBELL EXTENDS IMSA CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD A PATIENT Matt Campbell, along with co-driver Mathieu Jaminet, took out another victory in an all GT showing at Lime Rock in the 10th round of the WeatherTech IMSA Championship.

The GT PRO championship leading pair took to the natural terrain of the Connecticut track seeking their fourth win of the season.

Things started to plan when Campbell took pole on Friday by edging out the pairing of Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat by 0.018s, meaning that Saturday’s GT PRO class grid would start the race in championship contending order.

Campbell lost the lead early on Saturday’s two hour forty race, with the team vying for an early pit strategy to conserve fuel, but the #9 Porsche 911 GT3 did what it’s done all season and found the lead in a show of unmatched speed.

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Campbell had hauled in Hawksworth in his Lexus RC F by the halfway point before switching with Jaminet, who pushed the lead out to ten seconds before a full course caution flag brung the two fields back together.

Jaminet showed much of the same pace from the restart, enjoying the clean air to cruise out to a 1.883s victory, giving the pair a 215 point lead in the championship standings.

“We stuck to our strategy, and it really paid off well for us,” said Campbell of the emphatic victory.

“There was a lot of fuel saving at the beginning, and a few cars went off strategy and we really had to push to make our strategy come back to us.

“Being in front in clean air is so critical to tire management, and that was the key to our race and our strategy. I had to be patient in the middle stint and be smart in traffic.”

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The GTD class saw a thrilling finish with Bryan Sellers and Madison Snow’s BMW M4 GT3 taking the race out on the last corner.

Russell Ward’s Mercedes AMG GT3 suffered a fuel pump failure whilst enjoying a comfortable lead coming down the hill to the last bend, when Sellers showed great evasive skills to pip a dramatically slowed-up Ward to take the chequered flag.

“You take ‘em when you can get ‘em, and you’re super happy about ‘em when you can get ‘em,” quipped the American of his unexpected win.

Josh Nevett GTP PRO CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 10 1.

Matt Campbell 2441 2. Antonio Garcia.

2226 3. Ben Barnicoat.

2181 4. Connor De Phillippi 1946

A MAIDEN Formula 2 victory for Ayumu Iwasa (above) marked a heat-laden weekend of racing at Le Castellet, with Aussie Jack Doohan running fifth on race day, and fourth in the Sprint.

Iwasa didn’t let this opportunity pass after the DAMS driver came agonisingly close at Silverstone.

Starting on the front row, the young Japanese star took the lead on the opening lap and didn’t look back, cruising to the chequered flag 8.6s ahead of hometown hero Théo Pourchaire, and Dane Frederik Vesti.

After an explosive start from Doohan where he took the lead early, Iwasa was quick to reign in the Aussie star, and after a Safety Car restart, showed pure pace to leave him behind once more.

A strategic pitstop to undercut Iwasa in the closing stages didn’t work out for Doohan; he was forced to wait behind Felipe Drugovich, coming out with cold tyres in front of Pourchaire who then proceeded to pick his way through the field.

Pourchaire beat his Art Grand Prix teammate to second by delighting the home crowd from fifth position, somewhat of a retribution after being knocked off the Sprint Podium for incurring a penalty.

Fellow Australian Calan Williams from Trident spent the weekend in the midfield, qualifying P13 and finishing P11 on race day, whilst also coming P13 in the flipped Sprint grid.

After the race, Iwasa was grinning from tyre to tyre saying, “Finally, I got P1 in a Feature Race! I’m really, really happy about this.

“Also, I want to say thank you to my supporters. Also, I’m happy about winning in France because I’m racing for DAMS, so it’s really positive for them.”

The next round of F2 heads to Budapest on July 29-31st, where Drugovich will try clinging to his 39 point championship lead after eight consecutive rounds at the top of the board.

After gaining his own maiden victory at Silverstone, Doohan goes to Hungary sitting sixth in the championship on 78 points, nipping at the heels of Le Castellet Sprint winner, and fellow antipodean, Kiwi Liam Lawson on 79 points. Josh Nevett F2 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS 1.

F. Drugovich 173 2. T. Pourchaire 134 3. L. Sergeant 116 4. J. Daruvala 94 5. L. Lawson 79 6. J. Doohan 78

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INTERNATIONAL

Chase Elliott inherited the win after the first two cars, including Denny Hamlin (below) were disqualified for a tech infringement. Tyler Reddick (bottom) ended up second. Images: Motorsport Images

POCONO PENALTIES LEAVE ELLIOTT ON TOP REPORT: Josh Nevett CHASE ELLIOTT may have crossed the line third at Pocono Raceway, but he was all smiles as he inherited the NASCAR Cup Series victory after post-race drama in Pennsylvania.

Denny Hamlin was certain that he had become the new king of Pocono with his seventh triumph at the superspeedway, however a post-race inspection saw both he and his teammate Kyle Busch disqualified.

As a result, Elliott was awarded the win while Tyler Reddick and Daniel Suarez were promoted to the podium.

“There were some issues discovered that affect aero of the vehicle,” NASCAR Cup Series managing director Brad Moran said post-race.

“The part was the front fascia.

There really was no reason why there was some material that was somewhere it shouldn’t have been, and that does basically come down to a DQ. “We can’t get into all the details of what the issues were, but both vehicles had the same issues and unfortunately they were not acceptable to pass the inspection.

“It’s unfortunate. We don’t want to be here talking about this. We just saw a great race. The last thing we want to do is meet here afterwards and talk about this problem.”

As Auto Action went to print, the result was still open for Joe Gibbs Racing to appeal the penalties.

The shock outcome came after the 41-year-old Hamlin was forced to overcome several hurdles throughout the 160-lap affair.

The first hiccup came on the opening lap when Hamlin slammed

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his #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota into the wall at Turn 2, before a lap 42 spin left him in a precarious position.

A mighty recovery brought him back into contention with less than 20 laps remaining, at which point he made contact with bitter rival Ross Chastain in a battle for the lead.

The pair have been involved in many a tussle this season, and Hamlin was direct in his assessment of the incident postrace.

“What did you want me to do?

What did you expect me to do?”

Hamlin said.

“I got position on him, and he just ran out of racetrack.”

Not to be deterred, Hamlin held sway to take front spot, managing his fuel reserves in the closing laps to cross the line 0.927s ahead of teammate Kyle Busch.

Busch was second after leading for a race high 63 laps. He was well placed to challenge for the win but faltered after a late race restart.

The efforts of both went unrewarded though, the pair relegated to the last two positions

as points leader Elliott extended his standings advantage for Hendrick Motorsports, continuing a consistent run of results which includes five consecutive podium finishes.

Defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson won Stage 1 but fell back late on to be classified fifth behind Christopher Bell.

Michael McDowell scored another top 10 finish in sixth for Front Row Motorsports, ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.

Chevrolet drivers Erik Jones and Austin Dillon rounded out the top 10.

After being called up as a late replacement for the injured Kurt Busch, 19-year-old Ty Gibbs, grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, finished 16th on debut with 23XI Racing.

It was a strong first outing for the teenager who was a picture of positivity in the aftermath, thanking team co-owner and NBA legend Michael Jordan for giving him a chance to race at the highest level.

“I had a great time and Michael if you’re watching, I want to say, ‘thank you,’” Gibbs said.

“I had a great time, and I learned a lot.”

Elliott is now well clear in both the playoff rankings and points, sitting 100 points clear of Chastain.

Fellow contender Ryan Blaney suffered a setback, crashing late in the race.

DEFLATION DISASTER

REPORT: Josh Nevett GILLES MAGNUS mastered the oppressive heat at Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi to claim a pair of podiums in the World Touring Car Cup, as tyres were again the talk of the town.

The Belgian Audi driver (pictured) won the second encounter after coming home third in Race 1, bagging a massive points haul as several drivers were forced to withdraw from the pair of races due to ‘safety concerns’.

The five Lynk & Cos of Thed Bjork, Santiago Urrutia, Ma Qing Hua, Yann Ehrlacher and Yvan Muller never made the starting grid in Italy, pulling into the pits at the end of each formation lap, turning the weekend on its head.

It was not the first time that tyre dramas have wreaked havoc on WTCR in 2022 – the Nurburgring round back in May was cancelled 15 minutes before the first race after several rubber failures punctuated practice and qualifying.

In a reduced field it was Nestor Girolami who prevailed in Race 1, beating home series leader Mikel Azcona.

The pair went door to door early in proceedings before Girolami edged ahead in his Munnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR and stayed there for the remaining laps.

Medhi Bennani and Tiago Monteiro were early victims of failing tyres, falling out of contention on lap 7.

Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport’s Nathanael Berthon threatened to challenge for the lead after moving into

third, however he came unstuck on lap 12 when his Goodyear rubber gave up at Turn 2.

A Safety Car period created a two-lap sprint to the line, with Girolami heading Azcona and Magnus, who completed the podium.

Norbert Michelisz was fourth and Attila Tassi surged to fifth.

Title contender Robert Huff had to settle for eighth in his Zengo Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competicion, finishing the race on a second set of tyres.

Magnus became the star of the weekend with a victory in Race 2, nursing his machine to the line as drivers across the field managed their ailing Goodyear’s.

The Audi steerer started up the front alongside Bennani, who was elevated in the absence of the Lynk and Co machines.

It meant little though, as both Attila Tassi and Berthon slid by Bennani into Turn 4.

Bennani was then forced into the pits after an off-track excursion on lap 9, ruining his chances for a podium.

Tassi also fell out of the running, leaving Berthon to complete an Audi 1-2 with Magnus.

Azcona secured a second podium for the weekend in third, as Norbert Michelisz ran fourth in his BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse Elantra N TCR. Race 1 winner Nestor Girolami was fifth, promoting him to second in the standings ahead of the season finale in France.

Azcona is 36 points clear at the top, while Huff is third 52 points in arrears.

T8 WINS GTWC FUJI REPORT: Josh Nevett PRINCE JEFRI Ibrahim and Nick Foster (right) maintained their ascendency in the GT World Challenge Asia standings with a winning weekend at Fuji Speedway.

The Triple Eight JMR pair took their second victory of the season in Race 6 to reach the halfway point of the campaign with a 30-point buffer over closest rivals Takeshi Kimura and Kei Cozzolino in the GT3 class.

The latter duo set out to bridge the gap with a win in the first encounter at Fuji.

Starting from pole, Kimura and Cozzolino dropped back to fourth in their CarGuy Racing Ferrari, before mounting a fightback after the changeover to reclaim the lead.

With clean air ahead Cozzolino surged ahead, building a gap which totalled 13.5s by the chequered flag.

Yogibo Racing’s Kiyoto Fujinami and Naoki Yokomizo were second after briefly leading, while AAS Motorsport’s Tanart Sathienthirakul

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completed the podium with codriver Kantadhee Kusiri.

Foster showed plenty of late race pace to challenge for a spot on the steps, but ultimately had to settle for fourth with Ibrahim.

Success was just around the corner though, as Foster and Ibrahim struck back in the second race.

Starting from fifth, Australian steerer Foster made his way up to second in the opening stint before his co-driver Ibrahim took full advantage of a Success Penalty to the CarGuy Racing machine of Kimura and Cozzolino.

Emerging in the lead after the round of pitstops, Ibrahim had it easy out the front while Kimura

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was left to battle with the Plus with Team BMW Studie M4 and Porsche Center Okazaki 911.

It was a battle which Kimura lost, dropping to fourth behind both cars, as Tomohide Yamaguchi set after Ibrahim in the BMW. However, the chase was short lived as the team was given a 1s stop-go penalty for a short pitstop.

Hiroaki Nagai took over second position in the Porsche and managed to cut the margin to Ibrahim in half, however the latter still cruised to a 7.8s victory over Nagai and Yuta Kamimura in the Porsche Centre Okazaki entry.

Saturday winners Kimura and Cozzolino completed the podium despite their 15s penalty.

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INDYCAR

Images: Motorsport Images

DIXON ENDS DROUGHT WITH DOMINANT TORONTO VICTORY

THE ILLUSTRIOUS InyCar career of Scott Dixon just gained another victorious chapter by storming home over Colton Herta in Toronto on July 17.

After going 23 races without a win, the Chip Ganassi racer clinched his 52nd chequered flag, tying with IndyCar legend Mario Andretti for second among all-time winners.

His first win since Texas in May of 2021, further tightened up the current leaderboard by taking him up to fifth in the standings: it also marks 18 consecutive IndyCar seasons with at least one win.

Dixon led for 40 of the 85 laps, coming home over Herta with a 0.8106s gap, with Felix Rosenqvist coming in a close third.

Herta managed to challenge Dixon, but in the end, his back tyres appeared to suffer too much degradation to catch the six-time champion, whose veteran wiles were too much to overcome for the young star.

The race for second was a near thing as a result of Herta’s tyres, but the young star drove brilliantly to hold off Rosenqvist by 0.5384.

As expected, there were plenty of cars

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bent out of shape in the mid-field, typical of the tight Toronto circuit, but there was also plenty of passing on show in what was a tight mid-pack.

Alex Palou proved that he is always a chance from the back of the grid, fighting from the back to end up a respectable sixth, managing to hold onto third spot on the championship table.

Fellow Trans-Tasman stars Scott McLaughlin and Will Powers suffered differing fates on the day, with McLaughlin slipping three spots from his grid start to finish in P9, and Power in P15.

“The restart caught me off-guard a little bit. I checked up and just made certain mistakes, but we had the pace which is the main thing,” McLaughlin commented.

“Just have to put a race together, especially when I’m deep in the pack like that. We should have had fourth.

Unfortunately I didn’t put it together.”

Power couldn’t repeat his comeback heroics of Mid-Ohio, but still holds second in the standings with a narrow lead over point getter Palou.

“It’s just super hard to pass here. I

pitted early when the left-front tyre was destroyed,” said Power’s of his fortunes.

“Then just getting caught behind people and it’s difficult to pass so I couldn’t do anything but maintain 15th. Pretty bad day.

And that’s after a bad qualifying.”

At the end of the day, Dixon’s victory made it seven different race winners in the last seven events, making this IndyCars season a tantalising watch in the chase for the ultimate prize.

TW Neal

INDYCAR

PATO PROFITS REPORT: Josh Nevett

PATO O’WARD made the most of a double-race weekend at Iowa to keep his IndyCar Series title hopes alive, narrowly missing out on maximum points as Kiwi Scott McLaughlin returned to the podium.

Arrow McLaren SP’s O’Ward (above) was just off the pace of Iowa expert Josef Newgarden all weekend, finishing runner-up to him in Race 1, however the American crashed out of the second race from the lead handing O’Ward round honours.

Newgarden was dominant in the opener, leading 208 of the 250 laps to cross the line 6.178s clear of O’Ward after starting from second to become the Iowa Speedway wins leader with a fourth win at the oval.

Will Power (below opposite) completed the podium in the #12 Team Penske Chevrolet, as drivers displayed their endurance in scorching conditions.

Finishing just outside of the top three was Rinus Veekay, after he managed the same result at Mid-Ohio in the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet.

Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon was fifth in the #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Alex Palou led former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean to the line, while series leader and Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson was eighth.

Graham Rahal and Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top 10, in a race where few challenged for the victory.

McLaughlin was among the frontrunners right up until lap 174, when cruel misfortune knocked him out of contention.

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The right rear wheel nut detached from his Team Penske machine, forcing a pitstop which left him languishing towards the back of the field. The threetime Supercars champion ultimately finished 22nd, a blow to his title aspirations.

Things would turn around in the second encounter though, with McLaughlin achieving his fourth podium finish of the season.

The result would come at the expense of his Penske teammate Newgarden, who sustained heavy damage on lap 234 while in the lead of the race.

Comfortably holding O’Ward at bay, Newgarden lost control at Turn 4, spinning into the wall after the front end of his car became briefly airborne due to a mechanical issue at the rear.

Newgarden walked around from the incident unharmed but shattered, classified 24th after dominating the running.

“It was a bit of a shock,” Newgarden said.

“Man, I want to cry. So sad for my team. I don’t know what happened. It was a good run. I feel terrible for us. I don’t know; something went wrong there.”

The incident left O’Ward clear at the front, the Mexican driver sealing the win with a seamless final pitstop on lap 239.

He emerged clear of his rivals and calmly manoeuvred around traffic for the remainder of the race to coast to victory by 4.247s over Power.

“The No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP guys in the pits were awesome,” O’Ward said.

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“That’s what gave us our win. Obviously, I did my job in the car to keep her safe and maintain.

“I knew we had the pace, but it’s just tough whenever you’re going through the traffic. The guys in front of me are handling it a different way than you do, so it’s just different every lap.”

With McLaughlin (right, with trophy) finishing third, the Penske crew at least had something to smile about.

“P3 today! Really pumped for my guys to bounce back after yesterday,” McLaughlin said.

“But right now, my thoughts are with my bus brother Josef Newgarden.”

Dixon finished fourth in his Honda just ahead of teammate and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who achieved his best IndyCar Series finish in fifth.

Ericsson held onto the standings lead with a sixth-place finish in the #8 Honda, leaving Iowa with an eight-point buffer over Power with five races to run.

Felix Rosenqvist, David Malukas, Grosjean and Takuma Sato rounded out the top 10.

A busy July of IndyCar action will conclude with the Gallagher Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on July 30, as the season approaches its climax.

STANDINGS AFTER 12 ROUNDS 1 Ericsson 403 2 Power 395 3 Newgarden 369 4 Dixon 369 5 O’Ward 367

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Formula 1 Round 12 Circuit

Paul Ricard, French GP

LECLERC’S MISTAKE HANDS VERSTAPPEN AN EASY WIN

By LUIS VASCONCELOS Images Motorsport Images MAX VERSTAPPEN made the most out of a Charles Leclerc’s mistake, that took the Monegasque out of the race midway through lap 18, to comfortably win the French Grand Prix and extend his lead in the championship to 63 points, the biggest gap between the two drivers since the start of the season.

Such is Verstappen’s lead that the Red Bull driver already knows that whatever happens in the next two races, he’ll start the Dutch Grand Prix, in front of 120.000 adoring fans, still at the top of the Championship table – a thought that will surely please the Zandvoort promoters!

After their unexpected defeat in Austria, Red Bull was less confident coming into the Paul Ricard and Ferrari’s pace in qualifying showed the F1-75 was the faster car around this track, at least on single lap pace.

Leclerc’s pole position was achieved after be beat Verstappen by more than 0.3s – assisted by a Sainz ‘tow’. However the Monegasque admitted that Sainz had been more on top of things since the start of the weekend, but following a full PU change, using his fourth one of the season, earning him a grid penalty, he would start from grid 19 and was thus available to assist his team-mate.

Still, there was an air of quiet confidence in the Red Bull camp, the greater straightline speed of the R18 making Horner, Marko and the rest of the team believe Verstappen could pass Leclerc on track, after the long runs done in FP2 and FP3 showed the Dutchman was able to lap very quickly without his tyres starting to degrade.

Simulations are all very good, but it’s on race day things count. The fact is that Leclerc managed to stay ahead of his rival at the start, albeit without being able to pull

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away, and remained in the lead throughout the first stint. For 10 laps Verstappen had the benefit of DRS on the long run down to the chicane but could never pass the red car, as the closet he got was on lap six, trying to out-brake his rival into the Le Beausset double right-hander.

Running in dirty air, it was no surprise that Verstappen’s front tyres started to go, as he admitted at the end of the race: “I was putting pressure on Charles, but following around here, with this heat, the tyres start to overheat a lot. So, I could never really go for a move – only once, into Turn 11 – so we just tried to stay calm, tried to stay close. Then, of course we pitted a bit earlier and from there onwards, you never know how the race is going to go. But the car was quick today.”

Already 2s down on Leclerc at the end of lap 16, Verstappen pitted for a set of Hard tyres, fell into traffic but immediately passed Norris for sixth place on his out lap. At the front, Ferrari didn’t flinch, know Leclerc’s advantage was not enough to pit one lap after Verstappen and remain in the lead, so the Scuderia stuck to its plan of pitting around lap 22-23. Seeing the blue car

disappear from his mirrors, Leclerc started to push harder and made a rare but crucial mistake on lap 18, again at Le Beausset, spinning and crashing into the tyre wall.

A radio message saying, “the throttle doesn’t go back” gave the impression the sticking throttle that nearly cost Leclerc the win in Austria was back, but that was not the case, as Charles explained: “No, it wasn’t a mechanical issue, or at least I don’t know yet if it was. But, no, it doesn’t look like it was, it was just a mistake.”

His anger was heard over the radio and, as usual, Leclerc was tremendously hard on himself: “I feel like I’m performing at the highest level of my career since the beginning of the season, but there’s no point performing at that high level if I am doing those mistakes. I think I’ve lost 32 points with mistakes, 25 today. I think it was likely we were going to win today because we were fast. And seven from Imola with my mistake – so at the end of the year we will count back and if there are 32 points missing, then I know it’s coming from me and I did not deserve the championship.”

From then on, with the Safety Car out and all those still ahead of him taking

George Russell passed Perez – twice – for a strong third, while Stroll (right) appeared to brake-test his team-mate Vettel on the last corner to ensure he defended his top 10 spot ...

the opportunity to get a ‘free’ pit stop, Verstappen found himself in the lead again and not much to worry about, as Hamilton had been keeping Pérez behind since the start and clearly didn’t have the pace to match the World Champion: “Once Charles was off, I knew that it was all about managing the tyres to the end, because a two-stop was just slower, because of the length of the pit lane. But I just gradually increased the gap and I knew the car was good today, we had good pace.

So, yes, all about managing tyres to the end.”

DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR FERRARI

As in in Baku, when Sainz’s retirement led to a Safety Car period that cost Leclerc the win, the Monegasque’s crash last Sunday cost his team-mate dearly. Having started on the Hard tyre, Sainz was hoping to go as long as lap 30 before switching for a set of mediums and was already up to eighth place when he was forced to pit, like everyone else, to avoid being a sitting duck, on old tyres, at the re-start. That essentially put him on a two-stop strategy, as the Mediums would never last 35 laps – or could they? In the end, the team changed

Leclerc won the start from Max, with Hamilton getting a flyer. Ricciardo (right) had a better race, albeit still behind Norris.

No caption required ... Leclerc was shattered by his mistake.

ALPINE GETS AN EDGE OVER MCLAREN

strategic options at least four times in five laps and it was only after Sainz had actually passed Russell and Pérez on track that he was called for a second stop, something he accepted – but not fully convinced of the merits of this choice: “We have to trust the numbers because it is what we base our strategy on. I’m sure they did it with the best of intentions. Obviously when you are in P3, in the podium position after starting last, the last thing you want to do is box and get out of the way and lose seconds in the pitstop. Maybe that is why I was more willing to take some extra risk there, but, in the end, the team played it safe with the tyres, which I totally understand and we will have to analyse together.”

QUALIFYING RACE 12 Pos Driver

With Leclerc out of the race and Sainz on the back foot, Mercedes scored its best result of the season, with Lewis Hamilton passing Pérez at the start, managing – just – to keep him behind during the first stint, before pulling away from the Mexican on the Medium compound tyre.

With his drinks bottle not operational, Hamilton lost three kilos and was struggling at the end of his 300th Grand Prix, but the result made his pain worthwhile: “This is an incredible result for us, for George and I to be here. George did a great job today as well. This is progress, even though we’re not necessarily closing

RESULTS RACE 12 53LAPS CIRCUIT PAUL RICARD

CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER RACE 12 Pos Driver

Pos Drivers

Make

1:30.872

1

Max Verstappen

Red Bull Racing RBPT

53 1:30:02.112 s1

1

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen

1:31.176

2

Lewis Hamilton

Mercedes

53 +10.587s s2

2

Sergio Perez

1:31.335

3

George Russell

Mercedes

53 +16.495s s3

3

4

Lewis Hamilton

1:31.765

4

Sergio Perez

Red Bull Racing RBPT

53

+17.310s t-1

5

Lando Norris

1:32.032

5 Carlos Sainz

Ferrari

6

George Russell

1:32.131

6 Fernando Alonso

7

Fernando Alonso

1:32.552

7

8

Yuki Tsunoda

1:32.780

8 Esteban Ocon

9

Carlos Sainz

1:31.081

9

10 Kevin Magnussen

1:32.649

11

1

Charles Leclerc

2 3

Time

TWO MERCEDES ON THE PODIUM

Laps

Margin

Points 233

–

Charles Leclerc

170

–

Sergio Perez

163

–

4

Carlos Sainz

144

–

53 +28.872s s4

5

George Russell

143

–

Alpine Renault

53 +42.879s s1

6

Lewis Hamilton

127

–

McLaren Mercedes

53 +52.026s t-2

7

Lando Norris

70

–

Alpine Renault

53 +56.959s s4

8

Esteban Ocon

56

–

McLaren Mercedes

53 +60.372s s2

9

Valtteri Bottas

46

–

10 Lance Stroll

Aston Martin Mercedes

53 +62.549s s7

10 Fernando Alonso

37

–

1:32.922

11 Sebastian Vettel

Aston Martin Mercedes

53 +64.494s s3

11

Kevin Magnussen 22

–

12 Esteban Ocon

1:33.048

12 Pierre Gasly

Alphatauri RBPT

53 +65.448s s4

12 Daniel Ricciardo

19

–

13 Valtteri Bottas

1:33.052

13 Alexander Albon

Williams Mercedes

53 +68.565s s2

13 Pierre Gasly

16

–

14 Sebastian Vettel

1:33.276

14 Valtteri Bottas

Alfa Romeo Ferrari

53 +76.666s t-1

14 Sebastian Vettel

15

–

15 Alexander Albon

1:33.307

15 Mick Schumacher HAAS Ferrari

53 +80.394s s4

15 Mick Schumacher

12

–

16 Pierre Gasly

1:33.439

16 Zhou Guanyu

Alfa Romeo Ferrari

47

+6 laps 3s

16 Yuki Tsunoda

11

–

17 Lance Stroll

1:33.439

NC Nicholas Latifi

Williams Mercedes

40

DNF s3

17 Zhou Guanyu

5

–

18 Zhou Guanyu

1:33.674

NC Kevin Magnussen HAAS Ferrari

37

DNF t-8

18 Lance Stroll

4 s1

19 Mick Schumacher

1:33.701

NC Charles Leclerc

Ferrari

17

DNF t-18

19 Alexander Albon

3 t-1

20 Nicholas Latifi

1:33.794

NC Yuki Tsunoda

Alphatauri RBPT

17

DNF t-12

20 Nicholas Latifi

0

Daniel Ricciardo

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Lando Norris Daniel Ricciardo

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–

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the gap as such in race performance, in actual qualifying performance, but this is great points for us.

“And this is my 300th Grand Prix.

Obviously, it was mentioned at the beginning of the weekend and I didn’t really think much of it. And this morning, I woke up just feeling incredibly grateful, just thinking about all the people that have been with me along the way.”

For Russell the road to the podium was not so straightforward, first clashing with Pérez at the chicane before catching the Mexican napping at the end of a VSC period brought out to remove Zhou’s stranded car, on lap 50: “It was pretty entertaining for those last final 15-20 laps, pushing as hard as I could.

I was pretty disappointed not to be able to get the position when I attacked and he cut the chicame; I thought it was my corner, I was down the inside I had my front wheels in front of his rear wheels.

“And to the letter of the law, it was my corner and he squeezed me a bit onto the kerb. He went wide and kept his position. I guess these things have a way of working themselves out and the VSC restart was pretty tasty.”

Pérez was off the pace all weekend and, with his team, got confused when a hardware glitch delayed the end of the VSC period. But the reality is that even if he had finished on the podium, he was one of the disappointments of the weekend.

The battle between Alpine and McLaren took the four places behind the recovering Sainz, who finished a fighting fifth with the extra point for the fastest lap, with Lance Stroll securing the last point after performing what really looked like a brake test on team mate Sebastian Vettel in the middle of the last corner…

IF THE battle at the front of the field seems to be turning clearly in Red Bull’s favor, Alpine and McLaren are locked into a great fight for fourth place in the Constructor’s Championship.

In France it was McLaren which brought a big aerodynamic update, with Norris shocking the opposition by splitting the two Mercedes in qualifying. But in the race he had no answer for Alonso and, behind them, Ocon recovered from a 5s penalty for taking Tsunoda out in the opening lap, to pass Ricciardo for P8 with eight laps to go. That put Alpine finally ahead of McLaren, by just four points, much to Alonso’s delight: “I think the McLarens were very fast this weekend and they’re going to be very fast all season long, so the fight will be until Abu Dhabi. Today I did a good start from P7 to P5, but after that you go back to your real position in lap three or lap four. Then I just kept my tyres in good shape and wasn’t concerned Lando closed at one stage as I had the pace to push, if I needed to.”

Ocon completed the team’s result but remained unhappy, “because all weekend the car was lacking 0.4s in pace and the set-ups are almost identical.

We have to find what’s wrong with the car before Hungary, because something is clearly broken and we haven’t been able to find it.”

At McLaren, Norris put on a brave face, preferring to say, “today’s result shows how good my qualifying lap was, because Fernando was way too quick and was just toying with me when I closed the gap. The new upgrade worked, but we have to understand it better before we get to Budapest.”

For Daniel Ricciardo, the two points he scored were, “not enough”, but he could take comfort from the fact he raced with Norris’ throughout the 53 laps, ending the Grand Prix just 8s behind his team mate – which is progress. Nevertheless, the Australian clearly wanted more: “Ocon started behind me and finished in front… I obviously tried and did what I could to hold him off but I think he was simply just a bit too quick and I wasn’t quick enough. I think the first part of the stint, I was able to just hang on but then, when they’re able to kind of stretch their legs, I’m kind of missing that extra grip and that extra little bit of speed. I put in a good lap time and the next lap, I lose quite a lot, so I’m still not really sure where that is.”

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Images: Motorsport Images

Name:

Supercars mid-season Crossword puzzle SUPERCARS MID-SEASON CROSSWORD PUZZLE How much attention have you been paying to Supercars in 2022?

Across

Down

1. Who has replaced Garry Jacobson at PremiAir Racing? (surname) 4. At which circuit has James Courtney recorded his sole podium this season?

8. Due to crashes, Scott Pye has failed to start races in Perth and what city?

9. Who is the highest placed rookie in the championship? (surname) 11. Shane van Gisbergen has won races at all but one track so far this season, what circuit was that?

12. Dick Johnson races has recorded how many race victories this season?

15. At which track did Lee Holdsworth score his only podium this season thus far?

16. What number car is Lee Holdsworth running this season?

17. Who was disqualified from the opening race of the Hidden Valley weekend? (surname) 19. Who won the Sunday race at Sydney Motorsport Park? (surname) 21. Who won the first race of the season? (surname) 25. Jayden Ojeda, Zak Best and which other Wildcard driver have competed in the championship this year? (surname) 27. Who sits 10th in the championship? (full name) 29. At what track did Cameron Waters score his first Supercars race win of the season?

30. How many races has Cameron Waters taken victory in this season?

2. Which driver sits second in the championship at the halfway point? (surname) 3. How many race wins has Will Davison recorded to this point in the season?

5. How many podiums has Broc Feeney scored so far?

6. Which driver scored his first Supercars pole position in the opening round of the season? (full name) 7. What is Nick Percat’s highest race finish? (it was recorded at Albert Park) 10. How many laps were the Townsville races held over?

13. Other than Shane van Gisbergen, how many Holden drivers have taken wins this season?

14. What is the only one car Supercars Championship team in 2022? (abbreviation) 18. Which Supercars Championship driver has scored the most poles in the first half of the season? (surname) 20. Andre Heimgartner has scored how many podiums with BJR this season?

22. In the first seven rounds, how many race wins has Shane van Gisbergen recorded?

23. After which round was Garry Jacobson replaced 25 at PremiAir Racing? (name the city) 24. What position does David Reynolds sit in the Supercars Championship?

26. On Sunday in Townsville SVG was joined by a family member on the podium, what relation was he to SVG? 28. How many podiums has David Reynolds scored?

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10 11

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23 26

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Created using the Crossword Maker on TheTeache

#1840 Crossword Answers 1 down – Bamber, 2 down – Dick Johnson, 3 across Across – Schumacher, 4 down – Brundle, 5 down – Farina, 6 across – Peugeot, 7 down – GillesDown Villeneuve, 8 across – Brabham, 9 across – Silverstone, 10 down – Jim Richards, 11 across – Lawson, 12 across – Frentzen, 13 across – Michael 14 Garry down –Jacobson Alfa Romeo, down – McLaughlin, 16 across – New 2.

Zealander, 17 down Ehrlacher, 18 across – Canada, Which driver sits–second in the championship at the halfwa 1. WhoSchumacher, has replaced at15 PremiAir Racing? (surname) 19 down – AJ Foyt, 20 across – Tyrrell, 21 down – second, 22 down – Percy, 23 across – Davison, 24 across Jones, 25 down – four, 26 down – zero, across this – Citroen, 28(surname) across – Luyendyk, 29 down – KTM, 30 across – two 4. At which circuit has–James Courtney recorded his sole 27 podium season?

8. Due to crashes, Scott Pye has failed to start races in Perth and what city?

9. Who is the highest placed rookie in the championship? (surname) 11. Shane van Gisbergen has won races at all but one track so far this season, what circuit was that?

12. Dick Johnson races has recorded how many race victories this season?

15. At which track did Lee Holdsworth score his only podium this season thus far?

16. What number car is Lee Holdsworth running this season?

17. Who was disqualified from the opening race of the Hidden Valley weekend? (surname) 19. Who won the Sunday race at Sydney Motorsport Park? (surname) 21. Who won the first race of the season? (surname) 25. Jayden Ojeda, Zak Best and which other Wildcard driver have competed in the championship this year? (surname) 27. Who sits 10th in the championship? (full name) 29. At what track did Cameron Waters score his first Supercars race win of the season?

30. How many races has Cameron Waters taken victory in this season?

3. How many race wins has Will Davison recorded to this poin season?

5. How many podiums has Broc Feeney scored so far?

6. Which driver scored his first Supercars pole position in the of the season? (full name) 7. What is Nick Percat’s highest race finish? (it was recorded 10. How many laps were the Townsville races held over?

13. Other than Shane van Gisbergen, how many Holden drive wins this season?

14. hat is the only one car Supercars Championship team in 2 (abbreviation) 18. Which Supercars Championship driver has scored the mo first half of the season? (surname) 20. Andre Heimgartner has scored how many podiums with B season?

22. In the first seven rounds, how many race wins has Shane Gisbergen recorded?

23. After which round was Garry Jacobson replaced at Premi (name the city) 24. What position does David Reynolds sit in the Supercars C 26. On Sunday in Townsville SVG was joined by a family mem podium, what relation was he to SVG? 28. How many podiums has David Reynolds scored?

We take a look back at what was making news in Auto Action 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago

1972: A CONTROVERSIAL finish at Warwick Farm in the Australian Touring Car Championship saw Alan Moffat’s victory upheld by the race stewards after a last lap tangle with Bob Jane’s Camaro. The victory pulled him closer to the championship lead; a championship that would, however, eventually go to Jane – it would prove to be the fourth and final one of his career.

1982: A DISPUTE between Peter Brock and the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) in regards to an illegal exhaust manifold, delayed confirmation of the 1982 Australian Touring Car Championship winner for six weeks. Dick Johnson was finally proclaimed the winner as a result of Brock being docked points. Johnson said he was happy, but felt undeserving after inheriting the title.

58 I www.autoaction.com.au

1992: ALAN JONES pulled a shock move in the Australian Touring Car Championship, switching allegiances from Tony Longhurst’s BMW team to Glenn Seton’s Ford outfit. In the fortnight’s Formula 1 news, Nigel Mansell made it a French/British double in his iconic Williams FW14B – one of F1’s most renowned and technologically advanced machines to date, it continued his dominant start.

2002: NINE-TIME BATHURST 1000 winner Peter Brock was slated to make a shock return to racing in the Bathurst 1000 after retiring in 1997 – it was to be a one-off return in the ‘Great Race’. Over the ocean, Formula 1 great Michael Schumacher sealed his fifth world title with a win at the French GP, equalling the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio’s five championship crowns.

2012: V8 SUPERCARS was abuzz with Red Bull’s long-awaited entry into the category. The Beverage behemoth replaced Vodafone as the Triple Eight Race Engineering title sponsor, and did so with the much vaunted pairing of Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes. Holden also confirmed that its VF would debut at next seasons Clipsal 500, which would be the start of the new Car of the Future Regulations.

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1969 Holden Monaro

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Unfinished Holden HT Monaro project with hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on the body and custom modification works. This was to be a show car Monaro of the highest quality. The Monaro is now ready for a new owner to take on the project and turn it into their own. Inspections welcome, the car can be viewed in Melbourne.

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