Auto Action #1876

S5000: LICENSING BARRIER CHALLENGED

AUSTRALIA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MOTORSPORT

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE

PETER XIBERRAS – LOOKING FORWARD

EXCLUSIVE

TOURING CAR MASTERS TO MAKE BIG COMEBACK ...

FULL STORY INSIDE

PLUS: SUPERCARS WIND TUNNEL TESTING AND FULL SEASON WRAP

OSCAR PIASTRI – ROOKIE OF THE YEAR IN F1 PLUS FORMULA 1 SEASON IN REVIEW AND F1 NEWS

DED 14 to JAN 10 2024 • $10.95 INC GST

ISSN 2204-9924 ISSUE 1876

BUMPER YEARBOOK EDITION

WORLD RACING WRAP

MOTOGP SEASON WRAP

CALDER TRANS AM BATTLE JAMES McFADDEN’S BACK

2

1

3

WHEN COMPROMISE ISN’T AN OPTION BE RYCO READY Ryco is proud to be the Official Filtration Partner of the Repco Supercars Championship.

Along with being engineered, developed, and tested at its Melbourne Laboratory, Ryco’s range of GEN3 Control Parts deliver outstanding filtration and extended engine life without compromising flow or performance.

So, when your everyday passenger, 4x4 or commercial vehicle needs the same protection as a Supercar, be Ryco Ready.

LATEST NEWS

Gen3 Mustang at speed ...

Below: Supercars CEO Shane Howard and new Motorsport Manager Tim Edwards join the Camaro in the tunnel.

Images: SUPERCARS

SUPERCARS AERO TESTING COMPLETED SUPERCARS HAS FINALLY COMPLETED ITS INAUGURAL WIND TUNNEL TEST IN THE STATES AND WILL NOW MOVE FORWARD LOCKING DOWN THE 2024 AERO PACKAGES. ANDREW CLARKE REPORTS. AERODYNAMIC PARITY is off the table in Supercars after an historic first aero test at Windshear in Concord, NC, just outside Charlotte and a stone’s throw from Trackhouse Racing. The three-day program was overseen by incoming General Manager of Motorsport, Tim Edwards, and followed a rigorous three-day program with experts from both Ford and General Motors being joined by NASCAR’s head aerodynamicist.

Edwards said in a video on Supercars.com that the initial data validated the on-theground feelings of the teams, and then the homologation teams and manufacturers set about gaining parity on the measures available, which includes front and rear downforce and aerodynamic drag at various settings.

Wind tunnel testing is seen as the Holy Grail for aerodynamics testing, with the operators about to control many variables in conjunction with the car’s engineers.

Ride height and rake angles can be varied

mechanically while, at the Windshear tunnel, which features a rolling road that can simulate speeds up to 290km/h, yaw can be varied on the run After baseline running, the second day was the first with variables introduced.

There were changes to the front fascia on the Ford and the front splitter edge radius on both cars. One of the early theories on the pitch sensitivity of the Mustang was due to the sharper leading edge of the splitter compared with the rounder version on the Camaro.

Both cars were also tried with a decklid spoiler and other modifications, including attempts to deal with the leading edge of the Ford front splitter.

It is believed all three versions of the Ford aero package were tested for the baselining, with the first revealing deficiencies at the front of the car in drag, while the second balanced out the rear a little more but increased drag, while the third shifted the balance in favour of the

Fords with more rear downforce and less drag.

As well as working on getting the two cars paritised on standard set-ups, the crews in the States are working at desensitising the cars to allow for broader set-up windows and less track-specific issues.

Components for the test were manufactured in Australia and others were 3D printed by the crews on the ground in Concord.

The next step in the process is the transient dyno testing that will also take place in the States this week.

Transient dyno testing on the Gen3 Ford and Chevrolet engines will provide a detailed understanding of how the two different power units compare on performance metrics using a full engine and drivetrain installation. With tuning available on hand through engine mapping, parity should be expected before the end of the test.

Torque sensors will also be used to

measure installed engine/powertrain performance, which can then be correlated back to the static and transient dyno validation.

The final specs for the cars can only be locked off when Ford has submitted a dashboard for approval since it still runs an interim solution.

All involved in the teams and Supercars are looking forward to racing next year without parity debates as the specs for next year are agreed and locked down before Christmas. Andrew Clarke

UP COMING RACE EVENT CALENDAR Brought to you by www.speedflow.com.au 2024 DAKAR RALLY JANUARY 5-19 • NATIONAL DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP RD 5 THE BEND JANUARY 13-14 GRAND ANNUAL SPRINTCAR CLASSIC JANUARY 19-21 • NATIONAL DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIP RD 6 SYDNEY JANUARY 26-27 AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR TITLE JANUARY 26-27 • WRC RD 1 RALLYE MONTE CARLO JANUARY 25-28

Australian AustralianMade MadeSince Since 1983 1983

peedflow www.speedflow.com.au www.speedflow.com.au

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 3

LATEST NEWS

After eight hours, it all ended rather controversially, at the last corner ...

BROWN SUBS FOR KOSTECKI IN FIERY COTA RACE WITH BRODIE KOSTECKI GOING DOWN WITH TONSILITIS IN THE DAYS AFTER WINNING HIS MAIDEN SUPERCARS CROWN, WILL BROWN WAS CALLED IN AS HIS REPLACEMENT FOR THE GRANDLY-TITLED WORLD RACING LEAGUE 2X8 ENDURANCE RACE AT THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS. ANDREW CLARKE FOUND OUT HOW HE WENT …

RICHARD CHILDRESS came to Australia to encourage Brodie Kostecki back to the States to help his two NASCAR drivers – Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon – become better road course racers. The next step in that was a co-drive in the World Racing League 2x8 Endurance Race at the Circuit of the Americas two weekends ago.

Only it never happened.

Kostecki landed himself in hospital with tonsilitis and went under the knife, leaving the unofficial Richard Childress Racing car cared for by ex-Terry Wyhoon engineer Andrew Dickeson, who lives at the heart of the RCR-Erebus relationship, with a driver to find.

Given the purpose of the weekend was a learning exercise more so than winning a race, Will Brown who had already been part of the RCR-Erebus relationship, was his first choice.

“That was definitely a curve ball I didn’t see coming,” Dickeson said. “We found out about it Tuesday morning, which was the middle of the night over in Australia. The logistics of getting someone here in time ... we only had 24 hours to find a replacement.

“There was only a handful of guys who An ex-Terry Wyhoon Racing Commodore Supercar was used to aid set-up ...

Images: Scottie Elkins-WWW.SCOTTIEE.COM

4 I www.autoaction.com.au

we thought fitted the bill for what we wanted. If we’re going to go to the effort to fly someone from Australia, it needed to be someone who could jump in and set the bar really high for us. I didn’t need someone playing catch-up.

“So, for Will to step up at the last minute, it really saved the day and we’re incredibly grateful to him for doing that.”

Brown had been as active in the crossPacific relationship as Kostecki in the early days, but now he is leaving Erebus Dickeson wasn’t sure what Erebus would think.

“He’d been testing with us earlier in the year so, when I first found out about Brodie, he was my first choice – but I didn’t think Barry (Ryan) would let it happen. When we ran it by him, he was totally supportive.”

Dickeson said Brown was impressive, but it wasn’t about lap times or winning the race, it was about the other things he brought to table.

“The weekend isn’t based on trying to get a result. It’s more about how the whole weekend was. Will, he’s stupid fast, but racing with these guys is like amateur racing, so it’s no contact.

“We had to back Will down a little bit, especially in that first race when he was coming up on cars. His speed was awesome and, with his personality, he was an easy fit too. He did exactly what I wanted Brodie to do.”

The car used was a purpose-built race car, a Camaro on a chassis built by RCR with 310 horsepower to meet the required weight-to-power ratio. It was prepared alongside a Terry Wyhoon Supercar (Chassis WR19 from Walkinshaw Racing) that practiced on the Friday, but wasn’t allowed to race.

Dickeson said the goal was to help Busch and Dillon with their road course craft, and the weekend did that. They learnt off Brown’s data which he says will help when NASCAR returns for its showcase race next March.

Along with Brown, there was an Aussie flavour to the crew. Wyhoon was there, he’s so regular in the States now, he owns an apartment in Charlotte, and Barry Ryan was there to change tyres among other things.

The car failed in the Saturday race but ran like clockwork on Sunday.

“At one stage on Sunday, we were leading

by over a lap. But the way the caution and pit cycles happened, a couple guys that we were racing were able to get back on the lead lap. At the last pit stop, the Mercedes cars with better mileage than us were able to stop for less and jump us.

“Then a red flag came out in the last 30 minutes of the race, and we lined up behind one of them. Kyle was chasing him down and being very careful not to hit him and passed him cleanly. Then, coming into Turn 20 this guy just squeezed Kyle and tried to run to him off the track and Kyle spun.

“With 10 minutes to go I figured we’d just protest and win the race. Then Kyle started chasing him down, and I knew if he caught him it wouldn’t be good! He caught him and then on the last corner of the last lap of an 8-hour race, he ‘sent him’ and that was it.

I’m not sure how many laps they’ve taken from us, but they were in the Stewards’ office for hours after the race ...

“All I know is I was told Kyle was being suspended and we didn’t win. That kind of move might work in a NASCAR race, but definitely doesn’t work in the World Racing League. But you couldn’t script a finish like that in an 8-hour race ...”

Mike Kable Young Gun Award winner McLeod’s Super2 prayers have been answered ... Image: MARK HORSBURGH

PREMIAIR GOES SUPER2 RACING WITH McLEOD. WELL, KIND OF ...

SUPERCARS YOUNG Gun Award winner Cameron McLeod is ready to take on the Super2 Championship with help from PremiAir Racing. The new team will be supported by PremiAir but is not an official part of the main-game team. ANDREW CLARKE spoke with PremiAir boss Peter Xiberras about how it will work.

RISING STAR Cameron McLeod has locked away a premium Super2 drive for 2024 with an arm’s-length operation running with support from PremiAir Racing.

PremiAir boss Peter Xiberras explained the deal is about helping to create a pathway for next-generation talent … but he admits that his team is not yet ready to lose its focus on getting to the top in Supercars. So, he is not running a Super2 team, really.

“We’re not actually going into Super2,” Xiberras responded. “Last year, I had plenty of requests to do Super2, and there wasn’t a hope on earth that we could run the main game and Super2 successfully and, until I feel like we are well on the way, the main series must remain the sole focus.

“We’re doing a bit of a trial, and I’ve got one locked in. Basically, we are leasing a car and we’re going to do all the maintenance in-house. We’re doing a half/half. We’re looking for people who have the knowledge to run a car but don’t have a car and haven’t got the means to service and maintain it.

“Next year’s going to be a bit of an interim; if that goes well, then the whole idea is that we’ll probably run a full-blown Super2 team in maybe ‘25 or 26.”

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

Xiberras is an accumulator of Supercars; he owns a heap of Gen2 cars – he won’t say how many – some he bought for the significance of the car, while others are workhorses he leases to teams in Super2.

But each season brings renewal, and 2024 is no different. McLeod and Xiberras have done a deal that sees McLeod race in a car owned by Xiberras with maintenance from PremiAir Racing, but the Super2 program is to be run by McLeod and his team, with the support of his own sponsor group.

“It’s fantastic to be running with that team, I think the main game involvement is what we need,” McLeod said. “That’s what Peter is helping us out. I think they’re a great team, and I’m excited to have them backing me.

“It definitely helps my mindset – it’s a lot more likely now that I can keep pushing.

“Obviously I’ve got to keep my results really high and if I keep chipping away at the Supercars, it’s definitely not too far away.

Peter has indicated that I’m part of his longterm strategy, so I’ve just got to perform now.”

McLeod said it feels like this is a great next step to maybe being on the main game grid in 2025 and, hopefully, endurance co-drives in 2024 with the PremiAir team.

Xiberras is a recent entrant to the sport, he also has a very successful career in drag racing; he has ideas and a passion for young talent. But he only has limited resources – as do all teams – and he wasn’t successful in business by doing silly things before he was ready. The deal with McLeod

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

is a small step into the Super2 pool.

McLeod had a stellar Super3 season.

“It’s hard because 100 young men and women deserve to be in the category, but there are only 24 seats,” he says.

He hopes to run a second car on the McLeod model in 2024, but he is locking that one down before he tells us who it is.

“Cameron is a guy that we’ve been keeping a bit of an eye on, and I think he’s done a pretty exceptional job this year. We are keen to see how he goes next year in “But if this young fellow is inside the team Super2. and you look at his data, and he’s involved “That could lead to co-driving, a wildcard, at the shop and all the rest of it, you get a or, eventually, a main game drive. We’ll see different picture of how good the driver is. how it all goes.”

“That is what we want.”

His main game driver lineup is fixed for 2024 but not beyond, and he has yet to lock away his endurance co-drivers.

He’ll lock away the co-drives soon, probably after seeing what McLeod can do in Super2, giving this youngster the opportunity of possibly securing a main game co-drive.

He wants his co-drivers inside the team, coming to the tracks for learning and drive days for laps.

But what if he finds his own SvG? How will he keep them?

“Probably pay him a shitload,” he jokes.

Peter Xiberras.

“It’s funny; I’ve often thought about that.

Image: Everyone’s got to remember Shane wasn’t ROSS GIBB Shane 10, 12, 15 years ago. So, when does PHOTOGRAPHY that next superstar come to light? Part of my wanting to do Super2 is precisely that: if you’re just looking at the TV screen and looking from afar, you’re only seeing what everyone else is seeing.

www.autoaction.com.au I 5

LATEST NEWS

PENRITE RACING LOCKS IN PAYNE FOR THE LONG HAUL KFRESH FROM his maiden win at the VAILO Adelaide 500, Penrite Racing has locked in Matt Payne for the long term.

The latest Supercars winner finished an impressive rookie year with a bang by blitzing the Sunday race of the season finale, winning by 8.5s.

Payne has re-signed on a “long term” deal to ensure he will continue representing the Grove backed operation which he has been with since 2021.

The team paved the way for the Kiwi to graduate to Supercars, supporting him through the Porsche Carrera Cup and Super2.

The investment is well and truely paying dividends with Payne growing and maturing as the season went on.

From The Bend onwards, Payne was a force, showing speed in each of the year’s final five rounds, culminating in a special and dominant win in Adelaide.

Next year will be another new chapter with the Ford team being an all-Kiwi combination as Richie Stanaway joins the team.

Still on a high from his Adelaide success, Payne is thrilled to chase more success into the future while the length of the new contract has not been revealed.

“After securing my first race win, I am

Grove/Penrite Racing’s faith in their Kiwi rookie was repaid, in spades, in Adelaide ...Image: MARK HORSBURGH

PERKINS BACK IN BLUE AT BRT JACK PERKINS will return to the blue oval for the first time in over a decade with his 2024 co-drive at Blanchard Racing Team confirmed.

As previously revealed by AUTO ACTION, Perkins cut some laps in the BRT Gen3 Mustang at Winton, having announced his departure from championship winners Erebus Motorsport.

Three days later, a deal between the driver with 18 Great Race starts since 2006 and BRT was done, to co-drive the #7 Snowy River Caravans Mustang.

It means Perkins will reunite with former team-mate James Courtney, the pair having raced together for five years at HRT/WAU. The 2010 champion was the driver Perkins scored his sole Supercars win with on the Gold Coast, in 2015, while they also stood on the Mount Panorama podium together in 2019.

Perkins might be a famous Holden name, but he has raced for Ford, twice in 2014 as a full-time driver for Charlie Schwerkolt Racing and as a co-driver in Tim Slade’s 2010 SBR Falcon.

Perkins cannot wait to represent a team he knows well alongside a

driver he has a close partnership with.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Blanchard Racing Team and my mate James Courtney in the Snowy River Mustang for the 2024 Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000”, said Perkins.

“I’ve been friends with Tim Blanchard and the Blanchard Family since we were both kids racing go-karts together.

“I really like what Tim and John (Blanchard) are putting together with BRT; their expansion to two cars and commitment to Supercars Racing is excellent and I’m hoping to make a small contribution to help drive the family owned team to the front of the grid and onto the podium at the Endurance Races.

“JC and I have been team mates before, for fivr years with great success, winning on the Gold Coast together and standing on the podium at Bathurst with third place back in 2019.

“We remain close friends and would love nothing more than another podium together and to do it with BRT would be very special.”

Perkins moves to BRT after a three-year stint co-driving the #9 at Erebus Motorsport alongside Will Brown.

The pair just missed out on a podium, but Perkins showed strong pace at this year’s Sandown 500 where he recorded the third fastest time of the co-drivers as the duo ultimately started on pole and finished fourth.

BRT team principal Tim Blanchard is looking forward to unlocking Perkins’ experience at the growing team as it expands to two cars in 2024.

“We are excited to have Jack join us alongside James for the 2024 Enduro campaign, as we continue to build the Blanchard Racing Team,” Blanchard said.

“He has a wealth of knowledge that we believe will contribute to helping us push the team forward.”

BRT will begin its pre-season testing on the 7th February 2024 at Winton Raceway.

Thomas Miles

The Auto Action motorsport podcast The team that’s not trying to make friends or look after sponsors!

It’s hard and it’s fast and sometimes it’s a bit rough, but we call it how we see it and pull no punches.

Plenty of analysis and lots of opinion from some of the most experienced motorsport media people in the business - Bruce Williams, Paul Gover and Andrew Clarke.

6 I www.autoaction.com.au

NEW EPISODES OUT EVERY WEDNESDAY

excited to re-sign with Penrite Racing,” he said.

“The upcoming season holds new challenges, fresh competition, and the opportunity to improve my performance on the track.

“I am confident with the support of Penrite Racing, we can further our success in 2024.”

Penrite Racing owner Stephen Grove said Payne will be a “vital part” of the team’s future.

“It was important for the team to extend Matthew’s contract to ensure the entire Racing group can continue to develop the team for the long term,” he said.

“Matthew is a vital part of our long-term strategy, and his commitment to the team through a long-term extension to his current contract, is a testament to the direction of the whole racing group at Grove Racing.”

Penrite Racing Team Principal David Cauchi is looking forward to extending his partnership with Payne.

“Matt started his career with us as part of our junior team and he is the first driver to graduate up to Supercars,” he said.

“It is a testament to Stephen and Brenton Grove for their commitment to developing young talent and to continue our relationship with Matt is very satisfying.

“Our first year in Supercars produced a race win – which is a rare achievement in such a competitive championship.

“Matt has shown that he deserves to be in Supercars, and he will be a key part of our team into the future.”

Thomas Miles

PYE WANTS SUPERCARS TO FOLLOW IN F1’S FOOTSTEPS SCOTT PYE wants Supercars to follow a similar method to how Formula 1 reached unprecedented popularity – by placing more focus on the drivers.

Pye has taken to social media with suggestions on making Supercars better, following Shane van Gisbergen’s tips on how he would improve the show.

Like van Gisbergen, Pye will also not be on the fulltime grid in 2024 but will be a co-driver at SVG’s former home, Triple Eight.

The former Team 18 driver believes Supercars should follow in F1’s footsteps in placing more emphasis on the drivers and making heroes out of them.

When Liberty Media took over Formula 1 in 2017 following a deal announced at the previous year’s Singapore Grand Prix, there was a significantly greater push on all forms of media, highlighted by the arrival of the mega hit Netflix Drive to Survive.

As a result F1 is back to being one of the biggest sports in the world with almost every race a sellout and record-breaking crowds each year, a far cry from 2016

“The new owners have a great marketing strategy, focusing on driver-centric narratives. It’s almost undisputed that Supercars has the closest racing in motorsport yet, by trying to keep a manufacturer battle alive that clearly doesn’t exist anymore, we have lost relevance and damaged the chance of having household names for this next generation.

“I think we could create better content that focuses on all of the drivers and the stories that go on inside the paddock and away from the track, rather than focusing on two or three.

“Social media, documentaries, marketing that focuses on drivers not the cars and a shake up of broadcast would be where I’d start.”

Since Fox Sports started broadcasting the category in 2015, various shows such as Supercars Life, Inside Supercars and Inside Line: A Season with Erebus Motorsport have been created, but were all on the subscription service.

Thomas Miles

Pye advocates making the drivers – not the cars – the stars.

when the Austrian Grand Prix was barely half full when Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg clashed in search of victory.

Pye believes Supercars has “lost relevance” and should adopt a similar strategy.

“Shane van Gisbergen made some great points earlier in the week to improve the on-track action from the drivers perspective,” Pye wrote on social media.

“In addition to this I think we need to make some serious changes with how we market the drivers and the category.

“F1 never improved the on track action and certainly haven’t improved parity to make the show interesting or relevant again for the fans.

HOW VAN GISBERGEN WOULD IMPROVE SUPERCARS SHANE VAN Gisbergen may be bound for America, but he has four ideas to improve Supercars which varies from a rebranding to new tyres.

Despite being a contender until the final round and winning the Bathurst 1000, van Gisbergen’s frustrations behind the wheel were clear throughout the opening season of Gen3.

In 2024, the Kiwi will be leaving the championship he dreamed of racing in and has called home since his debut back in 2007 to go NASCAR racing in America.

However, van Gisbergen is not leaving Supercars without thinking about the championship’s future.

SVG opened up on the 2023 Red Bull Quarterly Report on the Gypsy Tales podcast about his thoughts on the category.

His first suggestion was bringing back the famous V8 Supercars brand, while he also believed wind tunnel testing, changing tyres and removing the required fuel drop will have a positive impact on the racing.

“First thing I would do is rebrand it back to V8 Supercars,” van Gisbergen opened.

“Then I would do the wind tunnel testing for parity which they are doing.

“Put a different type of Dunlop tyre on it.

Dunlop has been a huge supporter of the series and kept the costs down, but the tyres have fallen behind because of it.

“Even if you have to spend more money,

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

A higher-spec tyre, or more of them, would be a big gain, says SVG ... Image: MARK HORSBURGH we will have a better tyre that could handle the heat and some pushing then there would be less of them to offset the cost.

“Or we could just spend more money on tyres because they are the most important part of a racecar and that would make the racing much better.

“Dunlop can make good tyres and the technology is there, we just need to use it.

“I would get rid of all the fuel drop stuff.

They brag about how the engines are so

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

much closer than ever so why do they put us in a box with the fuel drop?

“If they could change the start level of how much you had to put in, then you can do fuel saving and different amounts of pit stops.

“They are the four biggest things and would instantly make a good change.”

Van Gisbergen also stated how he believes “being more transparent” is critical.

“The (Gen3) cars look amazing with the flames and everything so they have such an

amazing concept,” he said.

“Driving the prototypes last year there were some good things about it and then everyone wanted their own thing like a rollbar system.

“The cars would have been better with a rollbar but the system did not get made in time by one of the teams so that is the reason why it doesn’t have them, even though they sold the story it would be better without them.

“Now we have guys under the car during a pit stop getting burnt trying to change a rollbar ... so being a bit more transparent would be good.”

Van Gisbergen also clarified his love for Supercars never drained with the last 16 years being the realisation of a lifelong dream.

“One of the best things was just being a V8 Supercar driver,” he said when asked about his favourite moments.

“Growing up going to Pukekohe I wanted to be just like Greg Murphy, Jason Richards and Paul Radisich, and to be a professional driver in V8 Supercars was a dream.

“Supercars never got stale. That is the best thing about motorsport because it is always evolving and trying to get quicker.

“Even this year with the change of cars, there was always life, but next year will be an even bigger change.”

Thomas Miles

www.autoaction.com.au I 7

LATEST NEWS

HAMILTON STEPS UP … THEN LEAVES THE TROPHY BEHIND ...

IT’S BEEN tough week at the top of the FIA. The organisation’s President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, apparently suffered some concussion due to a fall and was thus a no-show at the press conference preceding the annual FIA Awards, held in Baku – at which controversial events of the week were likely to be raised.

While he was subsequently able to make it on stage to hand over the trophies, he and the FIA were the subject of strong comments from many, including former F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton – reacting to the fiasco involving a proposed FIA ‘investigation’ into Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and his wife Susie (who, as head of the F1 Academy program is an FOM employee), citing conflict of interest concerns.

It all started with an FIA statement – apparently based on an article published in an F1 business magazine: “The FIA is aware of media speculation centred on the allegation of information of a confidential nature being passed to an F1 team principal from a member of FOM personnel,” read the statement. The FIA Compliance Department is looking into the matter.”

Response from F1’s team was immediate – all denying any such concerns and demanding the FIA step back. It did, three days after its statement, saying there would be no further enquiries … and, er, ’sorry’ …

And while elements of the sport – media, and individuals – including Susie and Toto

Wolff (he threatened legal intervention) commented, it was left to Hamilton to express it, to the gathered media at the Baku gala evening.

“It’s been a challenging week, a disappointing week, really, to see that the governing body of our sport has sought to question the integrity of one of the most incredible female leaders we’ve ever had in our sport in Susie Wolff without questioning, without any evidence, And then just saying ‘sorry’ at the end, and that’s just unacceptable.

“We’ve got a lot of great people within the sport that are doing amazing work. There is a constant fight to really

improve diversity and inclusion within the industry, but seems there are certain individuals in the leadership of the FIA that every time we try and make a step forward they are trying to pull us back, and that has to change.”

And as if to emphasise his distaste for the FIA’s behaviour, Lewis departed the prizegiving, leaving his third-place trophy on the table … When last heard of, it was in the possession of one of the other guests, who just added to his memorabilia collection … Bruce Williams See page 28, for our F1 correspondent’s take on a bizarre series of events.

CALDER HOPING TO BRING BACK RALLYCROSS AFTER NATIONAL level racing made a celebrated return to Calder Park Raceway when the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series arrived last month, another old favourite could make a comeback.

Throughout the 60s and 70s rallycross was a massive part of Calder Park’s charm.

Big crowds watched the likes of nine-time Bathurst winner Peter Brock and 1970 Australian Rally Champion Bob Watson going head to head, flying over jumps and water splashes in a supercharged Torana XU1 and Renault R8 Gordon respectively.

With Calder Park ending its 15-year state and national level droughts in 2023, general manager Rowan Harman revealed to Auto Action a rallycross revival could also be on the cards.

“Things are ticking along nicely and yes, we are also looking at bringing back Rallycross. We are trying to see how we look at tackling it.

“We are hoping to make it very similar to the old rallycross that was big here in the 1960s and 1970s.”

In terms of the track itself which proved extremely slippery in wet conditions

Yes, it’s Brock and Bob Watson going at it in rallycross at Calder in the early 70’s... Image: AUTO ACTION

8 I www.autoaction.com.au

during the TA2 round, the work has not stopped.

The tyre barrier conveyor belt work at the bottom end of the track (Turns 1-5) is now complete with work beginning at Turn 6, while the recovery from the recent copper theft is nearing completion with lighting expected to be up and running again in January.

Harman said finding the time to complete jobs is a good problem to have due to the heavily increased traffic at the venue, which is “nudging 80 percent occupancy.”

Thomas Miles

MORRIS CRIES OUT FOR CALDER SUPPORT THERE ARE few names more connected to Calder Park Raceway than Paul Morris and he is urging both the motorsport world and government to support its revival.

‘The Dude’ remains the last driver to win a Supercars race at the iconic Melbourne circuit in 2001.

22 years later, at the return of national level racing to Calder Park, Paul proudly watched his son Nash drive to TA2 Muscle Car glory.

Paul was delighted to see the famous track he raced at so much over the years back in action and has urged the motorsport community to get behind the circuit.

“We are real lucky to still have this place because you can’t build another place like this,” he told Auto Action.

“If you have an opportunity, get out here and race on it and spend money here.

“You can walk in and say ‘it needs a lot of work’ but it is here again.

“If you are racing in America, every track is like this. It has character and tyre deg and changing conditions so it is a challenge for the drivers.

“I raced a lot here and even in the wet under lights in BMWs in SuperTouring, and people are like ‘you have to come across the dragstrip’ and I’m like ‘yes you do, that is what it is all about’ and it is what is cool about it.

“I am pretty confident, once people get behind it and more racing comes, the investment will come off.

“The government needs to stop mucking around and looking at other alternatives and get behind this place because it is already here.”

Thomas Miles

S5000 PUTS SUPERCARS SUPERLICENCE UNDER THE MICROSCOPE S5000 SUPPORTERS ARE BACKING ARG/BARRY ROGERS CALLS FOR MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA TO REQUIRE SUPERCARS TO ABANDON WHAT THEY SEE AS ITS ‘DISCRIMINATORY’ SUPERLICENCE QUALIFICATION RULES.

Joey Mawson (27) leads Cooper Webster (37) heads for a second Gold Star Championship in Adelaide last December – but was unable to accept a Supercars co-drive ... Image: JACK MARTIN PHOTGRAPHY FOR THE past two years, with MA’s Superlicence qualifying points system in place, allowing drivers in most categories to accumulate performance-related points, Supercars has added its own additional rule – that any driver must contest six Super2 races in order to qualify for a Supercars Superlicence.

In short, it means that – despite having qualified with sufficient points – nobody can race a Supercar until they’ve completed a Super2 season, at up to $600k in cost for a season in a top car.

However, after it was realised that two young drivers headed for Bathurst wildcard entries this year didn’t qualify, exceptions were made – which now include top three finishers in both Carrera Cup and Super 3 championships being eligible for dispensation.

That excludes S5000 – as well as other ARG categories such as TCR and Trans Am. It meant that, early this year, talented double Gold Star champion Joey Mawson was told he could not accept an offered co-drive with PremiAir Racing, as he hadn’t done six Super2 races …

ARG owner Barry Rogers has drawn a line in the sand by maintaining that if the

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

Super2 compulsion is not removed, he will “park” the S5000 cars.

THE OPEN LETTER S5000 ‘CREATOR’ Chris Lambden has entered the discussion and, earlier this week, published an ‘Open Letter’ to address the Supercars licencing requirements and other S5000 issues which have hurt the spectator-popular category, and says in a News Extra conversation (see pages 18-19) that, “While it (Supercars) sets its own technical and competition rules, it must be required to meet the sporting and social values that the FIA/MA have in relation to discrimination, anti-competitive behaviour and so on. It’s 2023, not 1980 …”

At the same time, he dismisses Supercars’ rationale that time in Super2 is about safety, and an essential part of better preparing young drivers for Supercars itself.

“Think back. What do the names Skaife, Lowndes, Bright, Kelly, Murphy, Larkham, Bargwanna and so-on have in common?

They all raced Formula Holden – the predecessor to S5000 – then moved directly into Supercars. And they did okay!

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

“More recently, time spent in S5000 by Thomas Randle and James Golding (who qualified for Superlicences prior to the rule change) has clearly been beneficial.”

At the same time, Lambden points a finger at Motorsport Australia which, he says, has more often than not been less than helpful along the S5000 journey to date, citing Bathurst restrictions not applied to other categories – and ultimately a ban – as examples.

“Whether S5000 is a bit close in look/ market to the FIA’s F4/3/2 preferred, and lucrative, F1 pathway, I’m not sure, but S5000/MA interaction has been moderately negative – and as recently as Adelaide last month, it’s been ‘unhelpful’– (see News Extra – The Fittipaldi Case ...).

“When you’ve got a category conceived, designed, and developed in Australia by some of the smartest and best motorsport engineers – Michael Borland, Roger Higgins (InnoV8) and Holinger Engineering in particular – for the Australian motorsport scene and audience, you would hope the Australian motorsport governing body would be right there. Instead, I think they sometimes forget that the sign on the door says

Motorsport Australia, not ‘FIA South Pacific.’

He concludes that “Certainly, as the organisation that urged its members to vote in the Referendum, MA must be an organisation that would abhor the degree of discrimination, anticompetitive behaviour etc being exhibited

by Supercars, and should demand it be discontinued.”

With the Rogers/Supercars/MA stand-off delaying formation of a 2024 calendar, Lambden hopes that, once the Superlicence issue is resolved, that S5000 2024 might follow the format he had hoped for from the start – a compact five-round season/series at the tail end of the year – late September to November – “after many of the European/US motorsport seasons have concluded ...”

Bruce Williams

ROGERS AGREES ARG/S5000 category owner Barry Rogers has endorsed Lambden’s sentiments and, at the same time, re-affirmed his company’s commitment to S5000.

“Contrary to what you might hear, we have absolutely no plans to sell the cars overseas’” he told AA on Monday.

“But unless that licence situation is fixed, you’re not going to be able to attract the young drivers to come and drive them.

“And, as Chris says, anyone, literally anyone, can qualify for a Supercars Superlicence – you’ve just got to do six Super2 races.

So, there are some fairly modestly talented drivers out there who have a Supercars licence, and Joey Mawson doesn’t.

How stupid is that …

Bruce Williams

www.autoaction.com.au I 9

LATEST NEWS

Image: RACE PROJECT

SPEEDSERIES JOINS FREE-TO-AIR

Image: THE CREATIVE ONES

HUGHES BUZZING AFTER LIGHTNING TA2 DEBUT THE BRIGHT blue ACDelco Mustang was flying around Calder Park at the hands of Jarrod Hughes, who impressed on TA2 debut.

Despite never racing the category or car before, Hughes was instantly on the pace and dominated the round, sweeping all three Saturday races.

This came after finishing second in his first race before driving away from the field and teaching them a lesson in the heavy rain.

Reflecting on the outstanding debut, Hughes was buzzing.

“It was very cool and an awesome track,” he told AUTO ACTION. “Started off with getting previsional pole in qualifying but Nash my good mate from work just pipped me the little bugger!

“We had very good car speed it was a great way to end the weekend with three race wins and a second place.

“I am a little bit surprised being my

first race in a good field like Nash, Josh Haynes, Jackson Rice etc because they have done a lot of laps in these things.

“I cannot thank TA2 and ACDelco enough for giving me the chance to drive in this category.

“After the year we had in the 86s with lots of problems it is great to end it with a win.”

Hughes has made the big jump from the little Toyota 86 to the larger and more powerful TA2 Muscle Car and credited his work as a senior instructor at Norwell Motorplex and a recent test to aid him with the adjustment.

“The big difference is the bigger donk in front of it,” he said.

“It is a weird tyre and when they said what pressures are going in I was like are you sure? but I didn’t mind it and it was cool sliding around a bit.

“Even in go karts I really enjoyed the cars where you really had to worry about

that throttle ramp.

“We had a test day here last week and were quite strong and I like the car, it suits my driving style. I was taught how to drive these things at Norwell.”

One of his biggest mentors at Norwell was Paul Morris, who was very impressed.

“He has done a bit of testing but for his first time racing that car was pretty impressive,” Morris told Auto Action.

“He is probably our lead race coach and been with me for four years now. He and Nash are our lead coaches now, which is great to see.

“He understands how to make a race car work and for him to jump in, adapt to how it needs to be driven really quickly is very impressive.

“I gave him a test in my car and within five laps he was on the pace and anything he drives he straightaway picks it up.”

THE SPEEDSERIES is the latest motorsport series to reveal a new broadcast deal and is no longer behind a paywall.

In 2024 and 2025 each SpeedSeries round will be shown on the Seven Network having previously been on Channel Nine’s subscription service Stan Sport.

Under the new deal, each round will be screened on the channel’s streaming platform 7plus.

Selected rounds including February’s Sandown season opener will be shown on free-to-air TV channel 7mate.

The SpeedSeries is the latest motorsport category to sign up with Seven.

Leading the pack is Supercars which returned to Seven in 2021 and is currently in a deal where half of the rounds are shown live with the rest highlight package.

This TV rights cycle runs until 2025.

The annual Bathurst 12 Hour race is also on Seven each year, while the SpeedSeries deal is similar to the broadcast packages of the National Drag Racing Championship, Australian Rally Championship and Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship which are mainly streamed online.

Stan Sport is still broadcasting motorsport, with ongoing deals to broadcast IndyCar, FIA World Rally Championship, FIA World Endurance Championship, Formula E and Australian Superbikes and some highlight packages are seen across Nine’s array of channels.

Channel 10 still remains a major player being the free-to-air broadcaster of both the Australian Formula 1 and Motorcycle Grands Prix. There is also still racing screened on SBS which has signed a new deal with the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series which will be shown on both the main channel on its On Demand platform.

Whilst Fox Sports and subscription services hold sway, there is still plenty of racing on free to air ...

Thomas Miles

The Best Value in Auto Racing Safety

RaceQuip brand has built a reputation for manufacturing and distributing high quality auto racing safety equipment at affordable prices and continues to build on that reputation.

SFI rated auto racing Snell SA rated helmets, fire retardant suits, shoes, nomex gloves and SFI & FIA seat belts & harness sets.

10 I www.autoaction.com.au

ALLEN’S LMP2 TEAM MOVE CREATES POSSIBLE HYPERCAR BRIDGE AUSSIE RACER James Allen has had a remarkable year of success across the globe in LMP2, racing for the Portuguese based Algarve Pro Racing (APR).

But despite his unprecedented victories, he has opted to move on from the championship winning team after two seasons in the European Le Mans Series, switching to the French LMP2 Duqueine Team who will also be taking control of the new Isotta Fraschini LMH Hypercar to race in the World

Endurance Championship in 2024.

When Allen looks back on 2023, it’s doubtful he’ll find a more excessive year of triumphs.

He won the Daytona 24 Hours LMP2 class in a stunning come-from-behind photo finish for German team Proton Competition, a back-to-back LMP2 victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours at the events 100th anniversary for APR, and also finally broke through for the European Le Mans Title in his eighth season … and he also won an Asian Le Mans race at the start of the year!

Allen confirmed to Auto Action from America that in switching to Duqueine for the LMP2 European Le Mans season, that a Hypercar seat is certainly something he’s aspiring to, and currently, there is still a seat still open in the team’s single WEC entry.

“At the end of season there were a few options, and APR had offered a deal to re-sign but Duqueine came along and it seemed like the best option for me going forward,” Allen said.

“There’s always the possibility (for WEC), and when I was first approached by them there was talk of that on that table.

“But of course, Isotta Fraschini are quite a small manufacturer and in terms of Hypercar numbers compared to the

Isotta Fraschini LMH Hypercar – a James Allen possibility for 2024? Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES bigger factories, so they will also naturally look toward more well funded and budgeted drivers.

“It will be difficult, but in saying that there is a possibility there. At the moment I’ll be competing at the Le Mans 24 in an LMP2, but if that changes I’d love to do that race in a Hypercar.

“I’m always looking for opportunities to take the next step into WEC and at the Hypercars in IMSA, but for now it’s just about trying to get as many results as possible in LMP2 and keep ready for any opportunity that may arise.”

The French Duqueine Team is a global group that specialises in the automotive and aerospace industries, and it will now take over the on-track development and running of the new Isotta Fraschini Hypercar, with the 3L Turbo V6 Tipo 6 LMH Competizione having been developed by Michelotto Engineering, whilst the aero was developed by Williams in the UK. Initially Vector Motorsport was to operate the new Hypercar in 2024, but the decision was recently made that the relationship would not go ahead due to cited “financial reasons” from the manufacturer. That gave Duqueine the opportunity to step up into the top flight of the WEC for the first time to run the

Tipo 6. (Vector has openly said it was slighted by the decision after it was given little access to testing and development).

With Allen’s team switch, It potentially sets up the possible bridge for the Aussie to make that leap in 2024 or 2025, with this year’s line-up consisting of Mexican driver Alex Garcia and Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay with the third yet to be named.

Whilst there was also the chance that the revived Italian manufacturer would race two machines in 2024, a 19 car grid has already been named for 2024 with the deadline passed, meaning a second entry is more likely to be the case in 2025. But at least the team switch puts Allen directly into the conversation if something does emerge this year, or next.

On his 2023 season, Allen said he can hardly believe the season he’s had.

“It’s been fantastic, to win the Daytona 24 Hours and then Le Mans for a second time ... I can’t believe the success I’ve experienced this year to be honest, it’s just been an incredible year for me and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Good things keep coming his way, and here’s hoping that will include a future seat at the pinnacle of world endurance racing.

TW Neal

A BIG THANK YOU TO MY PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS WHO HELPED MAKE 2023 SUCH A SUPER SUCCESSFUL YEAR! #1 Victorian Kart Champion #1 Australasian Kart Titles #1 Victorian Golden Power Champion #1 Victorian Country Series Champion – Light Class #1 Victorian Country Series Champion - Heavy Class

Thanks everyone – Mathew Basso

AND JAMES SERA

www.mathewbasso.com.au

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

@mathewbasso

@mathewbassoracing

www.autoaction.com.au I 11

LATEST NEWS

STOP / GO

BRINKMAN ON CUSP OF DAKAR DREAM IN A month’s time Aussie offroad veteran Glenn Brinkman will realise his Dakar Rally dream alongside his good mate Dale Moscatt as his co-driver in the T3 cars class for the January 5-19 event.

Brinkman and Moscatt will pilot a Zephyr T3 (T3.1: Lightweight Prototype Cross-Country), continuing their partnership after they finished second in the AORC SXS Pro class, whilst finishing seventh in the outright. “Dakar is the kind of thing you have to do before you die. The goal isn’t the result – I do it to enjoy it. I don’t need a big shiny trophy,” he said.

HONDA AND D’ALBERTO KEEP ON RACING THE PARTNERSHIP between Tony D’Alberto and Honda will continue going strong into 2024’s Supercheap Auto TCR Australia season.

D’Alberto has been representing Honda Australia since he entered the category in its inaugural year 2019 with Wall Racing.

For the first three he raced a Civic Type R TCR (FK8) including 2022 when he went all the way to the top and took the championship.

This year he finished second and debuted the new Honda Civic Type R FL5 at the penultimate round at Sydney. “It’s fantastic to continue with the great support from Honda Australia for the 2024 TCR Australia Series,” said D’Alberto.

WARBURTON STEPS DOWN FROM THE SEVEN NETWORK FORMER SUPERCARS boss James Warburton has stepped down from his current role as CEO and Managing Director of Channel 7.

Warburton was the CEO of Supercars from 20132017 and took the top job of the TV giant in 2019, but will end his term either on or before June 30 2024.

At Seven he oversaw the current five-year deal for the channel to be the free-to-air partner of Supercars where it shows six rounds live until 2025.

He was also once the non-executive director of ARG and the SpeedSeries will also be on Seven in 2024 and 2025.

12 I www.autoaction.com.au

Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

SMITH AND VAR STICKING TOGETHER AUSTRALIAN SINGLE seater youngster Tommy Smith will keep on racing with Van Amersfoort Racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2024.

After a character-building rookie season together in 2023, the pair will enter a second season together and are aiming for bigger things.

Smith finished 27th in the championship, but came close to the top 10 on a couple of occasions such as a charging drive from the back to 12th on home turf in Albert Park, plus showing promising pace in the final two rounds, at Spa and Monza.

Smith also took part in the recent Macau Grand Prix and rose nine positions to 14th to be the highest placed Australian.

With a year under his belt, Smith is looking forward to the stability of racing in the same series with the

same team having been bouncing around different categories and continents throughout his career.

“I will be racing in Formula 3 again with Van Amersfoort which will be great,” he told Auto Action.

“It was a tough up-and-down season for sure and I made mistakes.

We did not have the best car, being seventh in the Teams championship.

“Hopefully for next season we will meet in the middle somewhere and we will be much better.

“I got a taste of it this year and now know what to expect and I know it is tough – even Jack Doohan didn’t score points in his first season.

“It means we can just get on with what we need to do and we know the weakness from last season “I need a good year to stay on this journey and I think it is achievable and I am ready to give it a crack.”

Smith admitted he did check out other opportunities, but still believes VAR has the package to deliver at F3 level. On a personal side he will also target working harder behind the scenes on car setup and will work with a sport psychologist.

“We looked and shopped around a little bit,” he said.

“This team should be a lot better than they are but, to be fair, it was just their second season and they are up against some big teams.

“The team has the resources and are making some key changes which will help a lot.

“We will have a big off season and will come out punching in 2024.”

Another Aussie who is firming to stay in F3 is Christian Mansell, who was at Campos but raced for ART in Macau.

Thomas Miles

NINOVIC MOVES INTO BRITISH F4 YOUNG AUSSIE Alex Ninovic will progress into the British F4 Championship in 2024 with the Rodin Carlin outfit after an impressive debut year in the Spanish F4 championship.

The 16-year-old stepped into the European junior formulae scene off the back of an impressive junior karting record, winning multiple state titles before claiming the national championship in the KA3 Senior class.

After taking a fifth-place finish in his first ever open wheel race at Spa Francorchamps, Ninovic took 11 top-10 finishes in 21 races including a podium at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo to finish tenth in the championship out of 40 registered racers.

The stepping stone British championship with the defending champions is an exciting prospect for the NSW youngster, with the series also having its first ever international round at Zandvoort in 2024, whilst his full season with the cross-over Abarth powered Tatuus F4 T-421 equipment will serve him well, along with a switch to the Pirelli tyre.

“I am super excited and can’t wait to continue flying the Rodin Cars

Image: RODIN CARLIN flag into the 2024 ROKiT British F4 Championship,” Ninovic said.

“I feel like we had a strong first season in Europe racing in Spanish F4 so I’m looking forward to the British rounds and taking all this knowledge forward.

“I want to say thank you to Rodin Cars for their continued support of me and giving me the opportunity to race again this season and build on everything we’ve learnt so far.”

Team Principal Stephanie Carlin is

confident that Ninovic will thrive in his second European year.

“Alex had a positive debut season in Europe and made great progress to claim his first podium in Valencia.

I have no doubt that he will take all this experience with him to the British F4 Championship and enjoy a really strong season with the team.”

The British F4 championship opens on April 27-28 at Donington Park in Leicestershire.

TW Neal

CLASSIC F1, HERITAGE TOURING CARS, SUPERCARS, BATHURST WINNERS, G.P BIKES + MORE 18 CATEGORIES ON TRACK PLUS A FULL WEEKEND OF FESTIVITIES ON AND OFF TRACK

MARCH 16-17

adelaidemotorsportfestival.com.au

LATEST NEWS

BOTTAS AND A BROCK COMMODORE COMING TO AMF Image: ANGRYMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

BIG YEAR ON THE TARMAC FOR ATR THE ENTRIES have already started filling up for the 2024 Australian Tarmac Rally (ATR) season, with next year to bring some positive technological changes to the four-round calendar.

The entries opened in late November following a hugely successful season that kept the pulse of tarmac rallying alive in Australia through the AASA sanctioned season, with it being the first time under the new ATR ownership that they were able to hold a four-event season, with it also being the first running of the popular Lake Mountain Sprint in Maryville since 2020.

And after the stunning Mount Baw Baw Sprint opened the recently completed season, the Lake Mountain event will kickstart 2024 on March 16-17 with over 200 competitive kilometres in store.

Following that will be the Snowy River Sprint on May 4-5, whilst the traditional season closer – The Great Tarmac Rally – in the Victorian High-Country region, has been moved to September 7-8, meaning that the Mount Baw Baw Sprint will set the scene of the champions-elect on October 26-27.

It’s also the first year for the brand new onGRID technology, a German made digital program that will help revolutionise the ATR experience.

The onGRID program puts everything into one single place, from registration, management and communication, simplifying the process for both drivers, and organisers, with the alldigital platform a first within the motorsport industry.

Set to be introduced to the process this week, ATR director Brittany Smith says the program is an exciting step forward.

“We are delighted to share with you the news of our upgrade and the next step in our commitment to professionalism. We are excited to provide exceptional services for our tarmac rally events, making them easy and enjoyable beyond your expectations.”

TW Neal

He’s baaaack ... Valtteri is heading down under for his second AMF ...

PREPARATIONS FOR the 2024 Adelaide Motorsport Festival are in full swing with numerous major announcements of cars and stars coming to the March 16-17 event.

Numerous cars from both Australia and abroad will be turning heads at the track which utilises the back end of the Victoria Park street circuit.

Some of the greatest cars to conquer Mount Panorama are expected to cause the biggest stir with a standout PremiAir Hire Bathurst winners’ category to take place.

The highest profile car named so far for the category is also one of Peter Brock’s greatest.

The car coming to Adelaide will be the first ever to win multiple Great Races, the 1982 and 1983 Holden Dealer Team VH Commodore SS. The #05 VH Commodore SS achieved its first Great Race glory at the hands of Brock and Larry Perkins in 1982.

A year later the car started the race as the sister HDT #25 for John Harvey and Phil Brock.

But when the #05 engine blew as early as lap 8, Brock and Perkins transferred themselves into Harvey’s car and drove it to another Bathurst glory, while Phil watched from the sidelines.

The victory margin was once again a lap

ahead of Allan Moffat’s Mazda RX-7.

The HDT VH is the third to head to Adelaide as part of the PremiAir Hire Bathurst winners category alongside the two Nissan Skyline GT-R R32s that won the 1991 and 1992 Great Races respectively.

The famous Brock Commodore was the latest big announcement following that of current Alfa Romeo/Sauber Formula 1 star Valtteri Bottas, who will thrill South Australian fans for a second straight year.

Bottas was a fan favourite in March and enjoyed it so much he is coming back again.

“I loved the Adelaide Motorsport Festival last year, so I’m definitely coming back in March,” he said.

“I’ll be driving some really crazy cars, including some rally cars, legendary Aussie Muscle Cars and maybe some surprises, so I can’t wait to see you there.”

He will not be the only F1 flavour there with the Benetton B190 Ford returning to the same track it won the 1990 Australian Grand Prix at with Nelson Piquet at the wheel 34 years on.

A classic 1992 Klaus Ludwig DTM championship winning Mercedes-Benz 190E DTM Group A touring car has also been locked in with more announcements to come.

Thomas Miles

VICTORIAN CIRCUIT RACING CALENDAR TAKES SHAPE WHILE THE sun has only recently set on the 2023 season, the Victorian State Race Series (VSRS) has locked in a six-round schedule for 2024 kicking off in midFebruary with a strong competitor turnout expected.

The opening round will see Formula Ford, Formula Vee, Porsche 944s, Hyundai Excels, Saloon Cars, Sports Sedans, MG & Invited British Sports Cars, HQ Holdens and Historic Touring Cars put rubber to tarmac around Sandown between February 16 and 18.

Notably, Improved Production foregoes the traditional opening round in lieu of starting their State campaign on March 16 and 17 at Winton. Sports Cars will fill

the void left by Improved Production for Sandown, with Historic Formula Ford cars invited to bolster the already strong field of both Duratec and Kent class cars.

Phillip Island will play host to the third round of the series in mid-May, where eyes will be on the record books following resurfacing works currently underway at the picturesque circuit. A three-month midseason break paves the way for a second trip to Sandown in August, before returning to Phillip Island in September one week before the AFL Grand Final takes centre stage.

While the hype at the beginning of 2023 ultimately didn’t produce a bumper field for Calder Park’s successful return to

state-level racing, the aim for 2024 will be to build on 2023’s success when it once again rounds out the series schedule in late October.

As has been the case for the last three seasons, all Victorian State Race Series events will be live streamed on Blend Line TV. While not part of the Victorian State Race Series, The Phillip Island Auto Racing Club (PIARC) has confirmed it will host its annual Island Magic event for several state-level categories on November 24 and 25 and will welcome back Sports Cars after a two-year absence from the traditional end-of-season event.

Steven Devries

2024 VSRS CALENDAR Rd 1: February 16-18 (Sandown) Rd 2: March 16-17 (Winton) Rd 3: May 17-19 (Phillip Island) Rd 4: August 23-25 (Sandown) Rd 5: September 20-22 (Phillip Island) Rd 6: October 26-27 (Calder Park) Island Magic: November 24-25 (Phillip Island) ** **Not Part of the Victorian State Race Series

Image: REBECCA HIND/REVVED PHOTOGRAPHY

14 I www.autoaction.com.au

TCM TAKEOVER COMPLETE – COMPETITORS PREPARE FOR EXCITING NEW ERA

Image: DANIEL KALISZ

THE FUTURE of Touring Car Masters is an independent one, with key category players securing a transfer of ownership from the Australian Racing Group (ARG) in the hopes of rejuvenating TCM. The newly founded ‘Touring Car Masters Pty Ltd’ will own and operate TCM from 2024 onwards, headed up by category founder Tony Hunter and long-time category manager Rowan Harman, who will be assisted by an ‘experienced’ management team.

Significant investment for the buyout came from competitors themselves, who are determined to return TCM to its former glory after grid numbers and publicity dropped away since the ARG takeover in 2019.

Grids regularly totalled 25-30 cars just a few years ago, but numbers fell to just nine for the 2023 season opener in Tasmania before improving in the second half of the year.

The new owners have promised to listen to competitors and fans alike by re-aligning the series with Supercars, removing TCM from the SpeedSeries suite controlled by ARG. The transfer of TCM ownership was months in the making according to Hunter, who is determined to reignite the category after fathering it back in 2007.

“It had to be done, as it appears from what has been occurring over the past couple of years that Touring Car Masters has fallen by the wayside under the current management and dropped off from what it was in its heyday,” Hunter told Auto Action in an exclusive interview.

“I was approached a few months ago by interested parties to see what we could do to get it back to its rightful place in Australian Motorsport.

“We discussed the issues, and we decided to make some changes to the way that Touring Car Masters could be managed for the better.

“This has started with the creation of a new ownership structure who have in turn have entrusted the category to a new management company with solid history in running TCM. “With the support of the investor group and the competitors, along with Motorsport Australia and

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

Supercars, we intend to take TCM back to its original quality of racing at mainly Supercars events.”

With the support of Supercars management and Motorsport Australia, TCM will feature at five Supercars events in 2024 as part of a six-round calendar, with the season finale yet to be decided.

Mount Panorama will host the opening round at the end of February, before TCM follows the Supercars party to Perth, Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne.

Hunter planned to take the series to Adelaide for the Adelaide 500, but that proposal was rejected by the organisers, leaving the final round up in the air.

Nevertheless, it’s a big shift from the ARG years, in which TCM raced alongside the TCR Australia Series, Trans Am Australia, GT World Challenge Australia and S5000 as part of the SpeedSeries, for the most part.

Brett Peters, who has been a regular fixture in TCM as the owner and manager of Peters Motorsport, is confident that this new direction is a positive one for a category close to his heart.

“We’re very excited,” Peters told Auto Action.

“Obviously, it’s going to be terrific to be back with the Supercars on a regular basis. I think the category grew to being as popular as it is on the back of being with the Supercars and I think TCM complements the Supercars events.

“Tony’s had great history with TCM – when we first entered TCM, he and Rowan Harman were steering the ship and the category was strong.

“I’m excited that he has come back to help revitalise the category and he’s been able to achieve the various steps to getting things moving forward very quickly, which is terrific.

“We know the public still love TCM and they always have, the cars are the stars.”

While the deal for the purchase of Touring Car Masters from the Australian Racing Group has been agreed, there are still plenty of boxes to tick before the category settles into a new rhythm.

A new sponsorship package will be required, as the current agreement expires at the end of the year, and a

autoactionmag

venue will need to be found for the sixth and final round of the 2024 season.

No changes will be made to the technical regulations for 2024, but Hunter cited his intention to discuss “slowing the cars down a little and reducing costs” in the future.

It’s all part of a grand plan to grow the series, welcoming new drivers from all walks of life into a category that is affordable, competitive and visible to fans across the country.

“Looking to the future, yes, we will be looking to control the speed of these cars, and in doing so, that will then control the cost,” Hunter said.

“We will be looking at promoting the ProSports division within the series, it has to be more affordable for people to join the series. We will introduce controls or allowances … to get new people to come into the series, young people and particularly ladies, we are really looking forward to having lady drivers in the series.

“Pro-Sport needs to be developed, whilst not ignoring the main attraction being the ProMasters and ProAm categories.

“What’s also exciting is the number of new cars under construction, including a couple of new makes and models not seen before in TCM” Hunter enthused.

The new era of TCM will launch at Bathurst from February 23-25, supporting the Supercars Championship. Josh Nevett

TOURING CAR MASTERS 2024 CALENDAR ROUND 1 - Bathurst 500 Supercars - February 23/25 Fox/Kayo TV and 1 FTA TV race.

ROUND 2 - Perth Supercars - May 17/19 - Fox/Kayo TV ROUND 3 - Darwin Supercars - June 14/16 - Fox/Kayo TV and 2 FTA TV races ROUND 4 - Sydney Supercars - July 19/21 - Fox/Kayo TV ROUND 5 - Sandown 500 Retro round - Sept 20/22 - Fox/ Kayo TV. ROUND 6 - TBA – Most likely with - FTA TV in Sydney or Melbourne

www.autoaction.com.au I 15

LATEST NEWS

TARGA TASMANIA POSTPONED …

BUT A STRONG PULSE REMAINS

TARGA CEO MARK PERRY DIDN’T SHY FROM AWAY FROM THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE TARGA TASMANIA BEING POSTPONED, BUT SPEAKING TO AUTO ACTION, HE ASKED THAT THE TARGA TARMAC COMMUNITY STAY ON THE JOURNEY WITH THEM. TIMOTHY W NEAL REPORTS …

TARGA ORGANISERS announced on December 7 that the April’s TARGA Tasmania will be postponed until April 28 to May 1 in 2025, until it has heard and can implement any safety recommendations from the findings of the upcoming coronial inquest into the 2021/22 event fatalities.

With the inquest not until mid-year, it also puts the TARGA Great Barrier Reef, and TARGA High Country on hiatus until late 2025, as well as the Spirit of Targa event which was to be held this January.

There are positive factors, however, with the steadfast Tasmanian government announcing it will extend its existing funding into 2029 to account for 2024’s deferment.

Whilst TARGA CEO Mark Perry was disappointed for competitors and the tarmac racing community after the enormous effort put into reviving and restructuring the event for 2024, he stressed the decision was important for securing the long-term future of the event.

Perry spoke to Auto Action, highlighting the unwavering support from the Tasmanian government, TARGA’s commitment to delivering long-term viable events, and to squash some of the unfounded rumours surrounding TARGA and Motorsport Australia.

16 I www.autoaction.com.au

“It’s unusual in a way. Governments are not normally this resilient – when they smell trouble they normally want to run, but from the Premier and down, they’ve been so good and that’s unseen in motorsport,” Perry said of the Tas government support.

“The government is backing us, so I’m just pleading with everyone to stay on the journey.

“We know it’s disappointing and it seems like a long time, but the reality is if we want to still be operating 10 years from now, we have to wait. The report was so damaging (the Motorsport Australia backed Safety Review Panel report) we have to get into the coroner’s inquest and fix it there – that’s going to be our last chance.”

Tasmanian Minister for Stadia and Events, Nic Street, also moved to back TARGA when the news of the postponement broke.

“Targa Australia has made the appropriate decision to postpone the 2024 competition, and we fully support it,” a statement said. “…as with all true partnerships our support extends through the challenging times as well as the good times. We remain committed to Targa as a key feature on the Tasmanian calendar.

“It’s an iconic event for our State, and we will not lose focus on the positive impact the competition has on our visitor economy

in all the regions the event travels to.”

On the rumours of Motorsport Australia (MA) putting an injunction on TARGA from operating or the independent insurers backing off as a result of the inquest, Perry said they are both baseless.

“The rumours that MA flexed their muscle to stop us from running isn’t even remotely true, nor was the rumour that the independent insurers said they’ll have to wait till after the inquest to make a decision of support. They were as disappointed as we were, because there’s been a lot of work go on the background and they were ready to go.”

Perry also confirmed that despite Eugene Arocca stepping down as MA CEO position, any re-engagement is still unlikely.

“The recent Adelaide Rally that operated under the reports recommendations showed that the recommendations won’t work with running a competitive event such as the TARGA Tasmania.

“My understanding is that they are just not going to budge from any of those recommendations … not at board level. It’s their way or the highway, I just can’t see how we’ll have any dialogue.”

One of the impressive facets of Perry’s leadership has been the open engagement with the TARGA community, leaving nothing

under the rug and creating an informed environment, something that’s quite rare in this country from the heart of a motorsport board.

In the early new year, TARGA will also put out a new set of event regulations for the 2025 TARGA Tasmania to take feedback, giving competitors a strong input, as they had during the recent survey which reached over 10,300 people to garner opinions on what the new regs will look like, with the strict aim of keeping TARGA Tasmania as a competitively relevant race.

“Again, we’ll break with the norm and send the new regulations to everybody, and give them a month to give feedback because we have the time now.

“I think we’ll survive this if competitors feel they have input on its future. The last survey had responses from over 25 countries – amazingly, even the FIA were giving feedback and opinions!

“The surveys were an absolute winner for us, because motorsport doesn’t ever do something like that.”

The flowing narrative and engagement allows competitors to know where they stand on their investments going forward, with the government’s public support and funding extension also being a key factoring on that front.

BRUCE STEPS BACK AFTER DECADES of service to the coverage of Australian motorsport ,with both words and pictures, from club rallies to major motorsport event-Auto Action’s long time and much loved contributor Bruce Moxon has decided to put away the pen and park the camera.

His passion for the sport has never diminished and he has stepped up in recent times, but he has decided that he needs to devote some more of his time to getting to know Mrs. Moxon and wandering the countryside without having to chase various rally cars.

While he is claiming to be stepping back from active duty, we might still (hopefully) see him bob up from time to time with some words and photos.

Personally, I want to acknowledge his great work within the sport of motor racing which is one of his great passions.

I want to thank him for all his hard work for Auto Action over the many years of his contributing and his great personal support and sense of humor over the past couple of years.

Thanks Moxo for all the hard work and I look forward to catching up with you soon.

Having said that it will be hard to replace Moxo in the field so if you are based in NSW and are interested in joining the Auto Action team to cover the sport, drop us a line at the office.

Bruce Williams – Publisher

BRUCE MOXON’S FULL-TIME FAREWELL, IN HIS WORDS

I’M FIRST and foremost a motorsport fan.

Always have been.

Racing cars have been my lifelong obsession; sure, I’ve had other obsessions along the way, but it’s the racers that got pole position in young Bruce’s life.

You may know that my Dad raced, and suffered a horrible, career-ending and life-changing injury. But that didn’t kill his interest in the sport. When I was a feckless 15 years old, he organised for one of his old racing mates, the late Damon Beck, to take me under his wing.

Damon was a well-respected Formula Vee racer (did a lot of other stuff too) and was making one of his many comebacks.

So, I got my hands dirty helping finish his Rennmax Vee and went to lots of race meetings at Amaroo and Oran Parks. I learned about disappointment, the lows that make the highs worthwhile. Damon taught me about the side of racing we don’t see on TV – the preparation, the long hours and late nights, the long tows home after a drama-filled raceday.

From there it was onward and upward.

I already liked taking pictures. This dovetailed nicely with being at the track.

Damon suggested I should try to get pictures of all the Vees racing at the time; he thought that one day they’d

be a valuable resource when the cars became historic. He was right! He also encouraged me to write race reports in the Formula Vee newsletter. This became race reports for Auto Action in 1983 and Racing Car News a bit later.

One of those race meeting reports resulted in a great story. At Amaroo in 1984, at the CRC300, it rained. A lot. Peter Brock was struggling along on slicks, hoping the track would dry, but it got wetter and wetter. Brock came into the pit entry at a million miles an hour and crashed into the stone wall right under the press room. I reported this in much the same words in that week’s Auto Action.

I had a nine-to-five job, of course. The phone rang one afternoon, “Bruce, it’s Peter Brock for you.” Well, you could have heard a pin drop. Which made Brock’s expletive-laden burst down the phone at me all the more audible. He disagreed.

Anyway ...

I’ve had a great ride. I’ve been on the tools at Bathurst a few times in the Group C days. The after-parties were legendary.

I did some racing and rallying too – not a lot of success, but I guaranteed my later years would be spent with rich memories and a poor bank account.

And now I’m dialing it all back. I’ve had quite a year covering so many NSW events and I’m not as young as I was.

It’s time for a younger person to take the reins and stamp their view on things.

I’ll still be around, covering some historic events – you’re not rid of me yet.

One last thing. Go to State and Club race events. Really. The racing is very often better than you see at the top level.

You get great access to the cars and the drivers are always up for a chat.

Go to rallies – see some countryside, enjoy the atmosphere. Enjoy the sheer speed of the top drivers and the struggles of the bottom ones. We love this sport, but it’s up to us to keep it thriving.

Thanks everyone, Bruce Moxon.

BARNES ELATED WITH BIG RX8 CUP BREAKTHROUGH THE RX8 Cup is charging to a big 2024 after category veteran Justin Barnes (leading, below) finally secured a breakthrough championship success.

Having raced since the RX8 Cup began and being one of the first to score a century of race starts, Barnes has been a long-time frontrunner but had started to become a bit of a perennial bridesmaid in the championship.

But 2023 was his moment in the sun, as the #44 Justintime Autoglass and Auto Action-backed car claimed two round wins en route to a satisfying and long-awaited title by 47 points ahead of Luke Webber.

“I have been either second or third in the last three years so it was great to finally seal the deal and win it,” Barnes told Auto Action.

“It was a hard year with a few tough rounds but I am so glad it finally came together.

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

“I was a lot more consistent. I used to get a bit loose and sideways when I pushed too hard so I put more focus on trying to drive more smooth and I was lucky to win two of the rounds.

“I will definitely come out next year and I am looking forward to racing with the #1.”

To make the achievement more special, Barnes is a one-man band, who ended a two-decade absence of racing to join the RX8 Cup having previously raced Improved Production in 1994.

“I have no pit crew and do it all myself,” he said.

“I have some help from Ric Shaw and some other competitors but run solo.

“I tow the car to each race with my old ‘95 model Falcon which still does well!

“It is very satisfying to beat people that have four or five put crew.”

autoactionmag

Barnes will race with the #1 across a 6-round 2024 season that begins at Phillip Island at February 10-11.

A trip to Winton is followed by a Sydney Motorsport Park triple-header, while the finale will be at Morgan Park on November 8-10.

A ‘to be confirmed’ round is also on the cards at the reborn Wakefield Park, now One Racway being a potential opportunity depending on when it reopens.

RX8 Cup media manager Tom Shaw said there is plenty of excitement building for 2024.

“The 2024 season is looking really promising,” he said.

“There are so many new cars being built and brought with a lot of interest from multiple states.

“All competitors will run the single plane rear wing. It has been seen in the NZ series and we will put them on the cars next year and make them look more racey.”

Thomas Miles

www.autoaction.com.au I 17

LATEST NEWS

WATERS AND RANDLE TICKFORD’S CHARGERS CAMERON WATERS and Thomas Randle will spearhead Tickford into a new era in 2024, with the retentions becoming official.

Next year the leading Ford team will enter a new chapter, downscaling to two cars for the first time since 2009 and will not go racing with Tim Edwards calling the shots since 2005.

Leading the way behind the wheel as expected will be Waters and Randle, who have survived the squeeze over James Courtney and Declan Fraser.

The reason why the team is downsixing to two cars is to refine its focus on a first championship in nine years, with one TRC to Blanchard Racing Team where Courtney will be racing, whilst the other has been retired to Supercars.

The driver of the Monster Mustang has been racing at the team on a full-time basis since 2016, but made his debut a year earlier at Sandown as a co-driver before stepping in when Chaz Mostert was injured.

Following the departures of Mark Winterbottom and Mostert from the team, Waters has established himself as the undoubted leader of the Ford powerhouse and one of the stars of the sport.

He carries plenty of momentum after being victorious on the Saturday of each of the last two rounds at Gold Coast and Adelaide.

Waters will be looking to push the team from being an occasional winner to a championship contender again and is excited to race in a more refined two-car squad with Randle.

“I’m super excited about where the team is heading,” he said.

“Rod, Sven, and Tim have put a massive amount of work behind the scenes to allow us to make the next step forward.

“The two-car model excites me, and I can’t think of a better person to be teaming up with than Thomas.

“I can’t wait to sink my teeth into next year.”

The expected news is a big vote of confidence in Randle, who has only two full-time seasons under his belt but enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2023.

The Castrol driver succeeded in South Australia, scoring his first three full-time podiums at The Bend.

Randle then returned to the pointy end when the sport was back in the state, sealing another third place in the VAILO Adelaide 500 opener.

It is unclear whether or not he will switch to the famous #5 being left by Courtney having driven the #55 throughout his career.

Randle hinted he will be staying at Tickford for multiple seasons and is looking forward to challenge of stepping up and chasing a championship.

“I’m thrilled to be announcing today that I have resigned with Tickford Racing to continue piloting the Castrol Racing Mustang full time in 2024 and beyond,” he said.

“Castrol has been a long supporter of mine, so to continue this partnership into the future is fantastic.

“It’s been a great first two years in the championship, especially this year, grabbing my first pole position and a trio of podiums (at The Bend).

“Being more streamlined with two cars and hopefully with all the parity stuff sorted, I feel like this is the team’s best chance of having a crack at winning the driver’s title and teams’ championship. Bring it on!”

Tickford owner Rod Nash believes Waters and Randle can lead them to plenty of success.

“2024 is going to be a complete freshen up of the team as we reduce to 2xTRCs,” he said.

“With Cam and Thomas leading our charge, we are laser-focused on elevating to the full potential of what our race team has been working on over the last couple of years.

“Cam is a consistent front runner and Thomas has been advancing well towards his full potential, so with this change to the team and driver combination, we believe we can mix it with the best within our great category of Supercars.”

STANAWAY’S GROVE DEBUT CUT SHORT RICHIE STANAWAY did not get a single racing lap in his first drive for Grove Racing which came to an early end after a scary crash at the Gulf 12 Hours race at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi.

Stanaway was driving alongside team owners Brenton and Stephen Grove in the Intercontinental GT Challenge finale on Sunday night.

The trio started 16th with a best time of 1:53.187 in their Porsche 911 GT3 R run alongside Earl Bamber Motorsport.

Brenton started in the car before handing over to father Stephen and the squad were in a great position after the

opening hour and a half.

They were sitting third on the road and first in Pro-Am until disaster struck.

Approaching the braking area of turn 1, the Porsche on cold tyres suddenly shot across the track and speared

straight into the inside barrier before coming to rest at the end of the run off area in front of the circuit’s tower.

Stephen Grove was unharmed from the crash but the 911 was not, with the entire front end bodywork torn off on impact.

Up front the fight for victory proved to be an arm wrestle between Mercedes and BMW. The Valentino Rossi lead Team WRT #46 M4 GT3 ultimately fell 12.8s short of victory as Luca Stolz, Michael Grenier and Maro Engel prevailed in the Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes AMG GT3.

THE BEND ANNOUNCES 2024 MAJOR EVENT CALENDAR

THE BEND Shell V-Power Motorsport Park has finalised its 2024 major events calendar which is topped by three National Drag Racing Championship rounds at the new drag strip.

Over 300 days of on-track activity are slated for the SA motorsport park in 2024 with the Driver Experience Program set to expand in participation alongside visits from manufacturers such as Audi, Porsche, Ferrari, Toyota, Maserati and Mitsubishi throughout the year.

Among the highlights will be an April and October visit from the National Top Fuel Championship at the newly opened Dragway at The Bend, bringing their 11,000+hp machinery, with the NDRC Nitro Funny Car Festival State Nationals also visiting there on January 13-14.

On-top of those highlights there will be over 80 days of action at the Dragway made up of Off-Street Meetings, Track Championships, Test ‘N’ Tunes, Jamboree and more.

The Top Speed promoter who is behind the newly revamped Australian F4 Championship is also bringing back its Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia round on June 7-9 which made its successful debut there this year.

Though not listed on its major events calendar, The Bend will also host the first two rounds of the Aussie F4 on May 4-5, and June 8-9.

The SpeedSeries will visit there for Round 4 on the May 31 – June 2, whilst the Australian SuperBikes will once again host its season finale there in November.

The venue has expanded its annual Event Pass to include the major events at its new Dragway, offering fantastic value for race fans and event goers. The final day to order The 2024 Event Pass to arrive in time for Christmas is Tuesday, December 12.

“2024 will mark our biggest year by far with the Dragway at The Bend set for its first full year of operation, alongside another full calendar on the Main Motor Racing Circuit,” CEO Alistair MacDonald said.

“We look forward to continuing to be a destination circuit providing a world-class experience for local, interstate and international visitors in 2024.”

ARC CO-DRIVER SEARCY SOAKS UP FIA NIGHT OF NIGHTS AUSTRALIAN RALLY Championship co-driver Ben Searcy celebrated his FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship title by attending the prestigious FIA Prize Giving Ceremony in Baku.

The West Australian flew to Baku, Azerbaijan to attend the event where the who’s of who of the motorsport world were on show including Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen.

Searcy was not the only Aussie in attendance with McLaren rookie Oscar Piastri, Formula 4 UAE Champion winner James Wharton, and Motorsport Australia President Andrew Fraser.

Piastri was one of the stars of the show, being named the FIA Rookie of the Year.

Reflecting on the experience, Searcy said it was surreal seeing so many famous faces and cars.

“It was a good opportunity to catch up with motorsport people from all around the world, and although I spent more than 48 hours travelling to be there for just 24 hours, it was definitely well worth it,” he told ARC. “I ended up sitting at a table right up the front, so it was epic to see

everything up close, including Max Verstappen’s title-winning F1 car, Kalle Rovanperä’s winning WRC car, a Formula E, and the World Endurance Championship – it was all very worth it.

“It was great to have a chat with the likes of Oscar, Andreas Mikkelsen, Hayden Paddon, and Andrew Fraser.

“This year has been the toughest year of my life, trying to fit in full-time work commitments and using annual leave for ARC, APRC, and the WA Rally Championship – it’s been really hard.

“But to then be in the same room as the best of the best and celebrate a title was a really nice way to wrap up the year.

“I am not usually one for presentations and dinners, but I am so glad I attended.”

It capped off a special year for Searcy, who achieved title success in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship with Indonesian driver Rifat Sungkar in the Škoda Fabia R5/Rally2 Evo. The pair found themselves in a threeway title fight that went down to the final stage with 8s the difference.

In a dramatic finale, Sungkar and

Searcy were able to hold their nerve win by more than 10 minutes after their rivals were excluded.

Looking back on the campaign, Searcy as full of pride.

“I have done APRC for many years, and although it’s different now with just one shootout, it was still one of the toughest and hardest rallies I have been involved with,” Searcy added.

“All weekend, there was a lot of chopping and changing in the standings as everyone tried to handle the tough, muddy, and slippery conditions – in fact, Rifat and I were changing tyres and setups between every stage, just to try and be prepared.

“Then leading into the final stage, which was our bogey stage, the car owner told us to either win it or bin it, and although we ended up going off twice, luckily for us, a lot of other crews went off too.

“It was nice to get my first-ever APRC win – a nice reward for a lot of hard work I put into the year.

“I’ve done alright for someone who isn’t a full-time competitor, so I am quite proud and pleased with a good year.”

LATEST NEWS

ADELAIDE S5000 – A MASSIVE MISSED OPPORTUNITY S5000’S RECENT VAILO Adelaide 500 finale was dealt a late blow by Motorsport Australia, with an internationally experienced racer, just 13 weeks under Australia’s S5000 age minimum, refused an exemption to race.

But it wasn’t just any international driver. Having arranged for ex-F1 star Giancarlo Fisichella to guest star at the VAILO Adelaide 500 last year, S5000’s Chris Lambden had a double-act agreed that would have created obvious category and event interest.

“Yes … Would you believe, 1972/74 World F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi was coming, to take on an ambassadorial role for us and the event; along with son Emmerson Junior – ‘Emmo’ – who was going to race S5000,” confirms Lambden.

Despite two full years racing in international F4 in Europe, and this year in European Formula 3 Regional (the FIA age minimum being 16), MA’s Australian Motor Sport Commission refused an exemption for Emmerson to race here (Australia’s age minimum for S5000 has been set at 17).

“While MA’s committee was being convened – we’d approached MA first-up – everything else was in place: travel, team, sponsorship, pre-event testing … even the car livery, which was to honour Emmerson’s 1974 McLaren championship winner.

“Everyone involved felt it was a fairly straightforward and reasonable request, but it had to go to this AMSC Commission …

“They said no, and went on about safety; power-toweight; FIA … If you don’t want to take any responsibility, it’s just easy to say no, isn’t it.

“There have been perfectly competent S5000 debutants here with a fraction of Emmo’s experience – Cooper Webster came from Hyundai Excels! – yet this group could not accept a very competent and safe young driver with three years international single-seater experience … Yes, I questioned their decision!

“And furthermore, there was no appeal – an MA Commission decision apparently cannot be questioned/ overturned. So much for natural justice.

“So yes, I was pretty frustrated and annoyed. I had to call an all-time F1 hero of mine and tell him that unfortunately, Australian motorsport couldn’t see its way to allowing his son to race.

“It was all called off. Emerson himself was very ‘understanding’ … he’s dealt with motorsport bureaucracies along the way …

But it did move me to write to new MA CEO Sunil Vohra suggesting that a review of make-up of some of their committees and processes might be timely …”

THE CURRENT AMSC IS MADE UP OF:

Ryan Story (Chair) – Partner, DJR Vince Ciccarello (Deputy Chair) – MA official Matt Braid – Former CEO, Supercars and ARG Andrew Jones – Former racer, Supercars team liaison, driver mentor and TV commentator Craig Fletcher – Former events manager, Australian F1 Grand Prix Bruce Williams

Image: SSMEDIA

WORLD OF OUTLAWS CHAMP SWEET BACK DOWN UNDER AMERICAN WORLD of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet has returned down under for another big summer of speedway taking on WA in 2023/24.

Fresh from his fifth straight WoO championship “The Big Cat” will race in Australia for Landrigan Motorsport across five races all in Western Australia.

His first race in the NAPA backed entry will be the Merger Contracting Sprintcar Muster at Perth Motorplex on December 28.

He will play a starring role at the USA v WA Sprintcar Speedweek events at Bunbury Speedway and Perth Motorplex.

The latter will be his fifth and final race on January 13 with his campaign lasting 17 days.

It is the second-straight year that Sweet has come to Australia to race having competed in a selected campaign with Landrigan Motorsport in Victoria last summer.

Sweet is on a high after securing his fifth World of Outlaws title for Kasey Khan Racing with 10 wins which brought his career tally to 90.

The American is excited to go racing in WA and especially take on Perth Motorplex for the first time.

NAPA Auto Parts to make it all happen again. I look forward to meeting many new fans!”

Landrigan Motorsport’s Jamie Landrigan said Sweet will bring a lot to the show.

“We are excited to be able to team up with NAPA Auto Parts and Brad Sweet for a West Coast swing competing in the USA vs WA Speedweek,” said Landrigan.

“We look forward to showcasing the NAPA #49 at Perth Motorplex and Bunbury Speedway for the first time.”

SWEET’S 2023/24 SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE ROUND 2 – December 28, 2023 – Merger Contracting Sprintcar Muster – Perth Motorplex ROUND 3 – January 1, 2024 – USA v WA Sprintcar Speedweek – Bunbury Speedway “I’m excited to go down under for some fun in the sun!”

He said.

“I’ve never raced in Perth but I have always wanted to see West Australia and race at Perth Motorplex.

“It’s extra special to team up with the Landrigan and

ROUND 4 – January 2, 2024 – Totally Workwear New Year Derby – Perth Motorplex ROUND 5 – January 6. 2024 – Maddington Toyota Summer Slam – Bunbury Speedway ROUND 6 – January 13, 2024 – USA v WA Speedweek Finale + Late Model Nationals – Perth Motorplex

Proud distributor of

PERFORMANCE, FILTRATION, INNOVATION

ENGINE AIR FILTERS

CABIN AIR FILTERS

ENGINE OIL FILTERS

FILTER OIL AND CLEANER

Oiled K&N High-Flow Air Filter™ technology Non-oiled synthetic DRYFLOW® air filters by AEM Washable, Reusable, and engineered to last and perform Install quickly & easily Environmental friendly by reducing waste

PERFORMANCE AIR INTAKE PACKAGES

+61 3 9763 7599 sales@vcmperformance.com.au www.vcmperformance.com.au

Scan this QR code, for more information.

LATEST NEWS

LOWNDES AND TICKFORD STARS TEAM UP FOR 12 HOUR CRAIG LOWNDES and Tickford stars Cameron Waters and Thomas Randle will take on the Bathurst 12 Hour together in an all-star Scott Taylor motorsport entry.

Having previously run in Pro-Am, the well-known STM Mercedes AMG GT3 will take on the fight for outright honours in 2024 with the Supercars stars at the wheel and Ashley Seward Motorsport working behind the scenes.

The seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner is excited to chase an outright win again.

“It’s always exciting to go to Bathurst knowing you have a shot at outright victory and I think this year we have all the pieces of the puzzle to do that,” Lowndes said.

“To come back for a third year with the STM team and knowing the enthusiasm Scotty (Taylor) has for us to have a crack at winning the race is fantastic.

“Cam and Tom are at the top of their game and were both really impressive in the Supercars Championship this year. They have lots of Bathurst laps so I’ve got no doubt they’re going to be very quick.

“As a team we are a very well balanced driving line up so we’re all pretty excited to get there next February.”

For the first time Lowndes will join forces with longtime rival Waters, who will name his third start at the 12 Hour.

He paired with British team Strakka Racing in 2018 on his debut in the race, finishing 7th outright, before joining forces with Tony Bates’ team in 2022 – finishing 11th in an Audi R8.

Waters is flying from two wins in as many Supercars rounds at Gold Coast and Adelaide and is looking forward to racing a the three-pointed star again.

“I’ve raced the Bathurst 12 Hour a couple of times and it’s always been really enjoyable. It’s cool to partner with my Tickford Racing teammate Tom and with Lowndesy to have a crack at winning the race this year,” he said.

“It didn’t take much time to say yes when they came to me and asked if I wanted to be involved.

“Scotty always does things the right way so we know we’ll have the package to be competitive.

“The race has come a long way since

I last drove a Mercedes there in 2018 but I know we’ll be up to speed quickly and I can’t wait for the challenge and for racing at Bathurst two weeks in a row next February.”

Next February will be Randle’s first taste of the Bathurst 12 Hour, but he is no stranger to GT3 racing.

The five-time Supercars podium finisher has raced a Bentley Continental GT3 in the Aussie Tin Tops category in 2020 while he also has open wheel experience in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Randle knows the 12 Hour will be different gravy and can’t wait for the challenge.

“I’ve always wanted to compete at the Bathurst 12 Hour so to be able to do it with Cam and with Craig makes it an extra special way to make my debut,” he said.

“I love driving GT3 cars, they’re an awesome race car and I can’t wait to drive it around Mount Panorama.

“The 12 Hour has become such a must-win race in the world of Endurance racing so to be going there with a realistic shot of a good result is pretty exciting.”

WALLS TO TAKE ON PORSCHE CARRERA CUP MIDDLE EAST AFTER FINISHING a close second in Australia, Jackson Walls is turning his attention to the upcoming Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East.

Walls will team up with powerhouse Lechner Racing to make his debut in the six-round championship that has just begun.

The series started at Bahrain in November where Theo Overhauls and Robert De Haan took the wins.

Walls will join the field at this weekend’s second round also at Sakhir International Circuit.

The Aussie will continue driving the Objective Racing supported Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car for the remainder of the season which travels to Dubai and Abu Dhabi before a high-profile finish to the year.The final two rounds will be in the Formula 1 spotlight at the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

Walls arrives after a successful 2023 Carrera Cup Australia campaign where he came a close second to Callum Hedge with one win at Albert Park and 10 podium finishes.

Now with the opportunity to race on the global stage, Walls is ready to take it with both hands.

“It’s a cool opportunity that has come along,” Walls said.

“I’m excited and can’t wait to get started with everyone and meet people I’ve been talking on the phone to for the last month or two now.

“This all came about at Bathurst after speaking with Harri (Jones) and he mentioned how it really benefited him as preparation for Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup Germany.

“I got an introduction and from there we decided we were going to do it.”

Walls is particularly excited to race for Lechner Racing, which is the biggest Porsche team on the planet with 15 Porsche drivers titles.

“I’ve got so much to learn still and racing with a team like Lechner, who have won so many drivers, teams and rookie championships as they have done.

“It’s just going to be so good to take in and the take out anything I can into whatever else I do in the future, particularly in the next year or so. I’m just going to soak it all in.

“For me, It’s the mileage, the laps and all these things to keep me as sharp as possible when people wouldn’t usually be racing.

“Thanks to my Dad (former Carrera Cup racer, Tony) for letting me do this and giving me the opportunity, I’m super fortunate for that and forever grateful.

We’re still working on a few things for 2024 but this is a good start.”

Se

Single piston calipers

LandCruiser 70 Series are known for a lot of good things – the factory park brake isn’t one of them.

Bolt on fitment Bolt –on fitment Bolt– on fitment – No engineering No engineering No engineering required required required

ecure holdSecure hold Secure hold

Bendix’s Electric Park Brake is the safe and cost-effective solution. The extra braking comes from rear left and right single piston calipers that act on the drums.

Auto safe Auto safe Auto safe engagementengagement engagement

Automatic Automatic Automatic engagementengagement engagement options options options

UnobtrusiveUnobtrusive Unobtrusive cabin switchcabin switch cabin switch

Kit Contents 1 × Control Switch 1 × DB1200 Ultimate 4WD Brake Pads

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.

Say goodbye to roll aways.

Convenient ‘bolt-in’ fitment means no change to the car’s hydraulic mechanism, pad shape or original park brake.

Retains Retains Retains OE parkbrake OE parkbrakeOE parkbrake

2 × Brake Calipers with EPB Functionality 1 × Wiring loom 1 × Electronic Control Module

EPB kits include wiring harness and OEM style dash switch, and best of all they’re fully ADR-compliant and don’t need engineering.

LATEST NEWS

S5000: IT’S CRUNCH TIME AUSTRALIA’S MOST RECENTLY-INTRODUCED HIGH-PROFILE SINGLE-SEATER CATEGORY IS IN A SPOT OF BOTHER. LAUNCHED AMID HIGH HOPES AND AT A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL OPENING EVENT, WHAT HAS BROUGHT SOMETHING WITH SUCH A SOLID FAN BASE TO THIS? AA INVESTIGATES …

THERE ARE SUGGESTIONS – in some quarters – that S5000, the spectacular V8-powered Big Banger openwheeler category conceived, designed, and implemented here in Australia, and very much enjoyed by fans, may not be on-track in 2024.

It’s Christmas, there’s no 2024 calendar yet, and the category’s owners, Australian Racing Group, are at something of a stalemate with Motorsport Australia and Supercars over the latter’s licensing requirements – the compulsion to complete six Super2 races before you can race Supercars. That’s potentialy a $600k exercise ...

It is seen as a major deterrent to talented young drivers who may not have access to big budgets and who choose to develop in less dollar-driven categories – such as S5000.

That requirement seems to have been ‘slid’ past an unsuspecting Motorsport Australia, as a ‘PS’ to its previous Superlicence points allocation system, under which just about every category in Australian racing earned points towards that Superlicence.

Faced with this issue, MA strangely decided to scrap its points system completely. Supercars, for its part, has retained the Super2 requirement – though recently modified to included top three Carrera Cup/Super3 drivers. It is a clear blow to categories outside that ‘inner circle’.

S5000 numbers have thus drifted downwards over the past two years as new young drivers have been persuaded to go elsewhere; a double S5000 Gold Star champion was refused a Supercar licence; Motorsport Australia seems unable to do anything about what is seen as rank discrimination; and Australian Racing Group (and S5000 category) owners Garry and Barry Rogers have clearly become frustrated.

Most recently, it has resulted in a clear ‘line-in-the-sand’ challenge to Motorsport Australia from the Rogers – insisting that MA require Supercars cease its ‘compulsory Super2’ graduation licensing policy for Supercars, seen as a major deterrent to potential S5000 (and other categories such as TCR, Trans Am) entrants, “or we’ll ‘park’ the cars.”

That’s about as direct as it can be and, as this is written, MA doesn’t seem to have kicked any goals. Indeed, Supercars recently released its 2024 ‘Licensing Rules’ with no change.

Amidst all this however has, recently, come some positive news, with the re-introduction of live free-to-air TV coverage for the MA SpeedSeries – in which S5000 and other ARG categories such as TCR, Trans Am, provide key attractions.

That’s great, but could that be too late for the all-Australian single-seater category that debuted so promisingly four years ago – and wowed the F1 fraternity at the AGP? How or why has it come to this?

18 I www.autoaction.com.au

And, yes, in the past month, the scenario has become further complicated by Motorsport Australia’s out of-the-blue confirmation of its support for a Formula 4 championship series, here in Australia, next year, with the promoter of the UAE F4 championship shipping their fleet of cars downunder for a fiverace series, starting in April. An Australian championship title has been immediately attached.

Those who witnessed the excruciating failure of F4 last time around – losing several millions of MA members’ dollars, while the organisation simultaneously tried to kill off Formula Ford, may well be slightly stunned by that.

So, what about S5000? There’s no doubt that the sport, and fans, were upbeat about the powerful, throbbing V8 racers at the start – how has it come to this, and where to next?

Earlier this week, the person who ‘created’ the S5000 concept, prior to GRM’s $6m+ invetment in building the fleet of cars, Chris Lambden, published an Open Letter – to the sport in general (see news pages) – outlining the situation and his frustration with the factors that have negatively affected S5000, including the Supercars licensing issue, Motorsport Australia’s attitude to the formula, and how it should be overcome.

We spoke to him as AA closed for press: AA: As we sit here, it’s not looking great for 2024. Is what appears to be a stand-off between the Rogers, MA, and Supercars the issue?

CL: The Supercars licence criteria is one of the two main things that have impacted very negatively on S5000. Nowhere else in the motorsport world is that degree of ‘compulsion’ attached to getting somewhere – not even in F1. There’s no compulsion to do F2 for example – you earn FIA Superlicence success points and you’re in … Max Verstappen never raced F2 …

But here? If you aspire to Supercars – which is the professional league if you like – you’ve got to have up to $600k available to spend on racing an outdated Supercar for a year, or it’s no go – no matter how good you might be.

In my opionion it’s simply a protection scheme for a secondhand race car business – and MA should have the governance power and tools to have stopped it by now.

It’s dressed up by Supercars as a ‘safety’ thing – you know, acclimatising young racers to the environment before being allowed to enter the big-time. But it’s just rubbish.

Think back. What do the names Skaife, Lowndes, Bright, Kelly, Murphy, Larkham, Bargwanna and so-on have in common?

They all raced Formula Holden – the obvious predecessor to S5000 – then moved directly into Supercars. And they did okay!

AA: And that has impacted on S5000 how exactly?

CL: A lot of youngsters – not all, but a lot – coming through from karting and the introductory car categories aspire to Supercars – it’s still the big-time in Australian motorsport. Some of them come to us – they love the S5000 challenge and the fact that it’s do-able, at half the cost of some of the other national categories such as Super2/Carrera Cup – but we are unable to say to them “yes, come in. Do well, prove your talent, and you might get a Supercars call-up.” We have had to add, since Supercars got the additional requirement past MA two years ago, “but you’re then going to need another $600k behind you, to race a secondhand touring car for a year first.” They go away discouraged, wondering if they can possibly find that level of support.

That’s the ‘price of admission’ to Supercars.

The clear example is Joey Mawson. German F4 champ; came back to Australia to race S5000; wins two Gold Star Championships in a row; has all the Superlicence points in the world; offered a co-drive by the PremiAir team; told by a longtime Supercars team owner at the February test day that “if you think you’re going to race one of these without doing six Super2 races, you’re dreaming.” Dreadful.

AA: But can’t Supercars say that they have the right to determine who drives their cars or not?

CL: No. This isn’t BHP or Woolworths – ie corporate Australia.

Motorsport in Australia is governed by Motorsport Australia, a non-profit sports organisation, which is affiliated to the FIA (and Supercars is an FIA-recognised category). Supercars is a private, shareholder-owned business that runs a motorsport category within motorsport. While it sets its own technical and competition rules, it must also be required to meet the sporting values that the FIA/MA have in relation to non-discrimination, anti-competitive behaviour and so on.

There are people, team principals even, within Supercars who know it’s wrong but, to date, MA has been unable (or unwilling) to do anything about it.

AA: The Stan TV deal for SpeedSeries is now ending, going back to free-to-air with Seven – surely that’s good news for the category going forward?

CL: Great news, for all the SpeedSeries categories, but the harm that the very premature pay TV deal, implemented by the former ARG CEO, has done will be hard to fix overnight.

The pay TV deal was way too early for a fledgling series; the Stan audience is not huge, and the consequences of that weren’t thought through. It was quite a decent show – but

NEWS EXTRA S5000 wowed fans (check out the phone/cameras raised) at the AGP before the $5m arival of FIA F2/F3 took it off the show .... Image: DANIEL KALISZ/ARG Left: Adelaide – last year ...

Image:JACK MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Giancarlo Fisichella guest-starred at the 2022 Adelaide 500 – 2023's international guest plans were curtailed (right) ...

Image: DANIEL KALISZ/ARG

E no-

is

no-one was watching! Gradually, sponsors realised that and withdrew, along with competitor numbers.

It’s not rocket science. A slightly simpler show, on free-to-air, which is what ARG had previously, would have been obviously so much more logical and successful for the business and its categories …

It’s great, however, that it has been fixed. I’d hope and expect it will help consolidate the SpeedSeries, but S5000 is starting from a ‘damaged’ base which will take more than five minutes to grow – after all, it’s December already – most young racers have already committed to their 2024 plans.

AA: Do you think MA is sufficiently behind S5000? – they have after all, while all this is going on, approved an ‘Australian’ F4 Championship series for Australia next year?

CL: To be honest, I’ve suspected that Motorsport Australia has had some sort of ‘issue’ with S5000 from the start. It’s never particularly been “what can we do to help?” More like “no, can’t do that; can’t do that; FIA this, FIA that, FIA …”

Whether S5000 is a bit close in look/ market to the FIA’s F4/3/2 preferred, and lucrative, F1 pathway, I’m not sure, but it’s been moderately negative nearly all the way – and as recently as Adelaide last month (see separate story) – it’s been ‘unhelpful’.

When you’ve got a category conceived, designed, and developed in Australia by some of the smartest and best motorsport engineers – Michael Borland, Roger Higgins (InnoV8) and Holinger Engineering in particular – for the Australian motorsport scene, you would hope the Australian motorsport governing body would be right there. Instead, I think they sometimes forget that the sign on the door says Motorsport Australia, not ‘FIA South Pacific.’

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

“ ”

They sometimes forget that the sign on the door says Motorsport Australia, not ‘FIA South Pacific’ ...

So, for example, when S5000 wanted to race at Bathurst – couple of years back – it was forced to meet an apparently strict FIA track grading requirement at Bathurst that limits cars to no less than a 2:1 weight:power ratio.

No discussion. We had to remove over 80hp (electronically) or there would be no race.

In the end we had no choice and did it – it transformed them into under-powered slugs, way slower than Supercars, Super2 and even some TCM cars on Con Rod … which in itself created other issues.

Fast forward to the Bathurst 1000 a few weeks back and what do you see? Sports Sedans. 1000kg:700hp+. How come? Really?

What the …? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled for the Sports Sedans guys – love it – there’s way too much restriction on what are very, very safe circuits in this country … but how come?

What happened to the 2:1 thing? … You know, “FIA mate, FIA …”

So the FIA thing is, in fact, selective.

They (MA) then decided to ban S5000 from Bathurst completely – the only category in Australia banned from Bathurst. Too dangerous, they said. Could fly over the fence and kill people, they said.

So, I went back and forth with MA’s ‘Risk Management’ Committee … who wouldn’t hear any different. They persuaded themselves that S5000s would interlock wheels and spiral over the fence. They wouldn’t budge. There was even mention of some non-specified ‘simulation’ done by someone at the FIA which illustrated the risk. Really?

As Martin Brundle said recently on an F1 broadcast, ‘Simulation is one thing, but real cars on real race tracks is what actually matters,’ (he was referring to F1’s simulation work leading in to every race and how it is immediately superseded by reality in P1).

On that basis I went back to MA. After 51

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

races at the time (60 now), an S5000 car has never ever turned over, not once – despite some normall race incidents. A combination of the car weight and low inter-tyre friction is part of it, along with the side-pods – indeed, no S5000 car has come close to 90-degrees to the ground! By design. Real cars on real tracks.

I supplied images of numerous other category cars upside down at the Chase – GTs, Supercars and so on – and even an image of an Aussie Race Car clearing the fence (they’re still racing there in 2024 apparently) …. No go.

So that is S5000 and Motorsport Australia – “No, no, no. FIA mate; FIA …”

AA: So where to now?

CL: Honestly? Right now, today, I don’t know.

It’s Christmas, there’s no calendar for 2024, and there’s this licensing discrimination stand-off between Supercars, MA, and the Rogers.

That does need to be fixed and I’m (and others) looking at how best to push for it.

Certainly, as the organisation that urged its members to vote in the Referendum, MA would seem to be an organisation that would abhor the degree of discrimination, anti-competitive behaviour etc being exhibited by Supercars, and should demand it be discontinued.

Given that, I would like to see S5000 reemerging in the second half of 2024, in a fairly compact 4-5 round series in the late September-November window – that’s what I proposed right at the start and I still believe it would be ideal for S5000. Quite a lot of Euro/ US racing is over by then ...

From what I see and read – on social media and so on – the motorsport public, the fans, really quite like and support S5000 so, apart from what it offers competitors in terms of a real race car and a challenge, I hope the relevant decisions are made to resolve it all, asap.

THE FITTIPALDI CASE WHAT COULD have been ... S5000’s run of ‘outs’ with MA continued as recently as last month’s VAILO Adelaide 500.

Just 3-4 weeks ago, much as with Giancarlo Fisichella last year, Chris Lambden had brokered an international guest entry for the Adelaide 500 event – and this was a spectacular double.

Double World F1 Champion (1972, 1974) Emmerson Fittipaldi was to attend with his son Emerson (‘Emmo’) Junior. Emmo has three years of solid international openwheeler competition under his belt – two years of F4, and this year in European F3 Regional.

Emerson would undertake something of an ambassadorial category/event role, while Emmo would race in S5000.

The age minimum for international F3 is 16.

The age for S5000 has been set by MA at 17.

Emmo would be 13 weeks short of his 17th birthday but, with that expansive resume and experience to date, it was expected that a reasonable and logical exemption would be granted (after all S5000 success story Cooper Webster came into the category with a single year of Hyundai Excel racing to his name!).

MA Director of Motorsport Michael Smith was reportedly ok with it, but it had to go to one of MA’s commissions, the AMSC (Australian Motor Sports Commission) for formal consideration.

The five-member panel said no. Three days of to-ing and fro-ing with additional evidence and facts brought no change. And there was no appeal mechanism ...

“Same old thing – FIA this, FIA that, ‘experts’, driver safety …” says Lambden.

“Emmo has three years international experience, for goodness sake!

“So yes, I had to ring one of my early heroes back and say sorry, Australian motorsport can’t see its way to let your son, with three years international experience, race.

“It’s one of the most soul-destroying things I’ve had to do. For his part, Emerson – who’s a super guy – was pretty understanding – he’s dealt with motorsport bureaucracy along the way …

“But yes … another in a line of ‘negatives’ in S5000’s dealings with Motorsport Australia.

"Are they behind S5000? Ask yourself …

“Whether or not a new CEO, who has actually raced, can bring about a refresh in approach, remains to be seen. I hope so."

Lambden has written to the new MA CEO Sunil Vohra outlining the overall S5000 situation – also suggesting that a review of the make-up of some of the organisation's sub-committees might be a worthwhile undertaking ...

www.autoaction.com.au I 19

LATEST NEWS

Tim Hodges and James McFadden – (above) and back home (far right)

STAR-STUDDED CAMPAIGN AUSTRALIA’S HOTTEST WORLD OF OUTLAWS RACER JAMES McFADDEN IS BACK TO TAKE ON THE BEST LOCAL TALENT. McFADDEN AND HIS LOCAL TEAM OWNER TIM HODGES SAT DOWN WITH THE AUTO ACTION TEAM FOR SOME LUNCH AND AN EXCLUSIVE CHAT WITH THE DYNAMIC DUO ...

AUSSIE GLOBAL star James McFadden has once again teamed up with Hodges Motorsport to launch another local assault with all eyes on the Grand Annual Classic.

McFadden is back down under after another successful campaign in the cut-throat World of Outlaws championship in America and wants a fourth Grand Annual Classic crown.

Driving him forward is the will to win for the newly-formed Hodges Motorsport, which only arrived last summer and is determined for more success after five wins across the 2022/23 season.

McFadden has won the Classic three times and getting a fourth crown is the one goal of the summer, knowing the significance of winning it with such a team with special connections to the famous race in

20 I www.autoaction.com.au

Warrnambool through owner Tim Hodges.

“Any time you can win that race is special, but I think the connection Tim has with the race and Warrnambool would make it extremely rewarding,” McFadden told Auto Action.

“Speedway has such a big following because everyone has been there with their parents and friends and Tim did that his whole life.

“To get him a prelim win and see his smile last year was cool but to get that Classic would be incredibly special.

“For me it would be unreal but for those guys at the team it would be even bigger.”

The team is no ordinary one, with Hodges at the helm and the likes of Scott McLaughlin, Jack Riewoldt and Gerard Whateley co owners, while highly successful crew chief Kim “Buzzy”

Buswell is also calling the shots.

This summer it has built a program focused on the Classic, which is the perfect balance between life and racing for its star driver McFadden, who is usually flat-out.

It means the 34-year-old feels right at home at Hodges Motorsport.

“It is the first time probably in my career I have been able to have a balance,” he said.

“Being able to do something outside of racing so the whole program fitted my schedule perfectly.

“This will be the first time in 15 years I will spend Christmas at home with the family.

“To come on board with these guys is great because It is always a fun environment to be around. There is no pressure to perform.

“I am a lot more hands-on with the race team

than previous years which I have enjoyed as a different aspect.”

Despite going around again after a first foray last summer, it was not the initial plan for Hodges Motorsport.

The team was a dream project launched by Fox Footy AFL360 producer and longtime motorsport fan Hodges for a one-off crack at the 50th Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic in January.

But after just falling short and all parties keen to continue, the stars aligned to keep on racing.

“We only ever intended to run last season to win the 50th Classic,” Hodges told Auto Action.

“We wanted to win the 50th classic but we also wanted to help the event, and his (James) brand which I think we were able to do.

NEWS EXTRA

MCFADDEN WANTS WSS BACK “SEN radio never had Speedway on it and James has done six or seven interviews now, so I like the fact we have been able to help him and the sport’s profile.

“Then we probably got too invested but all the part owners, like Scott, Jack and Gerard didn’t want their money back and are still invested in the program. James and NAPA wanted to go again, so at that point we were too far in and we may as well go for it.

“It is a great tie-in with the Classic and Aussie title in consecutive weeks which suits James, so it was easy to say yes to.

“We did most of the hard yards we had to do last year. I felt uneasy last year that we were probably a bit underprepared for him.

“ ”

Below: Strapped in, ready to go ... Bottom: McFadden with the rare TRD Toyota engine.

One of the boxes ticked for the new season is the arrival of two new factory Toyota Racing Development 410 engines.

McFadden was powered by the Japanese giant at Roth Motorsports in America and knows they will be an ace up his sleeve.

“Right now there are only eight Toyota sprintcar engines in existence, so to have two come down here and represent them is really good,” he said.

“They don’t do anything by halves so I will get a really good and promising engine.

“Toyota are heavy in speedway and grassroots racing in America. Their midget program is huge being 60 to 70 percent of the field.

What they do in America in Sprintcars and NASCAR is top notch, so I am excited to take them racing in Australia ...

“We did not have a backup car to go straight away and he was the one under the pressure not to damage the car which made me awkward.

“This year we are more prepared and have a spare car.”

In addition to winning races and refining the team, Hodges said the 2023/24 campaign is all about McFadden.

“This year is all about James and making it fun,” he said.

“He has just had the best year of his career and was the most successful Aussie motorsport driver internationally wins-wise in 2023, so it is cool to have him involved.

“All we want to do is give him a good enough car to contend and tick all the boxes.”

“What they do in America in Sprintcars and NASCAR is top notch, so I am excited to take them racing in Australia.”

Last summer McFadden finished fifth despite a whack with the wall. The disappointment of falling short still irks him and he is determined to make amends in 2024 believing the new team has the tools to go all the way and beat the best.

“The Classic is obviously the race everyone wants to win,” he said.

“To run in the top five in over 120-car fields, lead 10-15 laps and not win the race has been something that has sat in my mind all year.

“I definitely think we have the personnel, team and car to go well, so we just need everything to go right to win it.” Thomas Miles

Stay tuned for the next issue of AA, on January 11, for our story with J-Mac on what life’s like on the road chasing the WoO series.

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

JAMES MCFADDEN is one of the best ever in World Series Sprintcars and he desperately wants the national championship to return to speedways around Australia.

From 1987/88 WSS was the premier speedway series in the nation, attracting the best drivers from the country and around the world.

But the chase for the prestigious trophy has not been run since 2019/20 with initially COVID-19 and then tyre shortages and rising costs of fuel, ensuring three straight seasons were cancelled.

It will not be held again in 2023/24, but this time it was due to the majority of the Speedway Australia board voting against hosting the series.

McFadden grew up adoring the WSS and was shattered it remains parked, believing it is a massive loss for all areas of the sport.

“All I wanted to do growing up was race World Series,” he told Auto Action.

“When I grew up the best drivers and teams did world series all over the country but now you get a couple in Perth and Warrnambool et cetera so it’s all spread out.

“Right now it is in a bit of a shambles and no one knows what we need to be or what we need to do.

“The fans are missing out and they are the ones who keep us racing.

“Doing WSS you had to race differently and on different tracks and strive to be the best in different environments.

“I miss that for Australia and all the upand-coming racers need it. It changes your mindset and matures you as a driver.

“It is a must for our sport.”

McFadden himself is one of the best to compete in WSS, being a five-time champion in 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2020, the third most ever.

McFadden believes “a little more elbow grease” can bring it back and even admitted reviving the WSS “could be a good retirement project”.

“I don’t know the political side of things as much, now being in America so much.

Obviously there is reasoning for the whole thing, but I think it is an easy cop out,” he said.

“A bit of hard work and elbow grease and I am sure we would have had a national series.

“The national level are the lazy ones in this whole process. You have got these volunteers at club run tracks that are doing really good jobs at places like Mildura, Dubbo, Bordertown.

“It is not from a lack of effort within the sport but there are a few things on a political level that might be holding something back.

“Hopefully one day we get it back rolling and maybe that will be a good retirement project for me.” Thomas Miles

www.autoaction.com.au I 21

SPEEDWAY NEWS

McFADDEN HOLDS OFF INGLIS FOR WA SPRINTCAR TITLE Image: PARIS CHARLES

THE QUINN WIN!

THE AUSTRALIAN Sprintcar All Stars series blew into Mildura’s B&S Earthworks Timmis Speedway for the second round of the series, co-insiding with the running of the Triple M Sunraysia presented Col Beasley Classic. With the closest major Speedway venue, the Murray Bridge Speedway cancelling early due to inclement weather this enabled some of the open teams to change powerplants and redirect their energy to the Sunraysia venue to bolster a strong field of 25 competitors.

Bendigo’s Rusty Hickman started his quest the best way possible to claim Quick Time in qualifying, along with Keke Falland and Brendan Quinn the only competitors to break into the 12 second bracket. Hickman and Quinn would back that up with a heat wins along with Mark Caruso, Chad Ely, Ryan Davis and Jamie Hennessy while Boyd Harris won the B Main event.

South Aussies Quinn and Ely shared the front row for the 25-lap final and while Ely had Pole, Quinn (pictured) used the outside momentum to slingshot around the outside and all the way to Victory Lane – sharing the podium celebrations were Ely and Hickman. Paul Solomon was fourth closely followed by Falland, Lisa Walker, Kane Newcombe, Steven Loader, Chris Solomon, Zac Farrer and Terry Pitt while Phillip Lock and Stacey Galliford rounded out the finishers two laps behind. The list of retirees included Boyd Harris, Caruso, Jeremy Kupsch, Daniel Scott and Todd Moule, while Davis and Hennessy failed to start.

SUPPORTS THE EVENING was supported by two competitive divisions in addition to the spirited demonstrations by the Vintage Hot Rods and Sedans. Claiming the AMCA Nationals victory was Stephen Hopkins over Dean Heseltine and local runner Darren McCarthy. Frank Thierry, Andy Wilcox and Malcolm Crick rounded out the top half dozen.

Tahlea Dolic took the Modified Sedan honours; Ty galley was a strong runner-up over Wade McCarthy, Mitch Smith, Corey Richter and Jayden Riordan completing the top six.

Paris Charles

22 I www.autoaction.com.au

IN HIS first race back in Oz for 2023, James McFadden won the WA Sprintcar Championship in a stop-start affair over James Inglis at the Perth Motorplex.

Filling in for Callum Williamson in the W3 Williamson Motorsport machine, McFadden gave 19-year-old Brodie Moller his first victory as crew chief.

It was also the fourth round of the Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series, and a feature race DNF from last year’s WA state title winner Dayne Kingshott saw Inglis take the series lead by 13 points in the Diamond Bay Motorsport W26 car.

The two-time and defending WA series champion had the pace on the night, gapping McFadden on several restarts, before the World of Outlaw star took control with 19 laps remaining, whilst Jason Kendrick came from P10 to take P3 and claim third spot in the championship, 36 points in arrears of Inglis.

It was McFadden’s first outing at the Perth Motorplex since 2020, and he was joined by fellow interstate marauders Jamie Veal, Luke Oldfield and Brenten Farrer.

Straight off the bat he put in a 13.358s to top qualifying over Taylor Miller and Trent Pigdon, whilst Veal then topped both McFadden and Inglis in Heat 1, before Inglis struck back in Heat 6 to top the W3 ring-in.

Starting on the front row, Inglis had the jump early and he led until after a restart with 19 remaining, with McFadden navigating lapped

Image: RICHARD HATHAWAY traffic to take the win by just 0.721s.

There were a few incidents along the way in the 35-lap affair, with the opening lap seeing Veal find the rear of Pigdon, whilst Kingshott was among those to have to visit the vehicle sick bay as a result of getting caught up.

The restart then saw Kris Coyle taking a big roll on the main straight, and after that, David Priolo hit the pit fence to end his night.

Kye Scroop then drew another red flag with a roll, as did Lancaster on the main straight whilst Veal parked up in the infield.

The next three rounds make up the WA Speedweek, with nights 1 and 2 on Boxing Day and the 28th (Sprintcar Muster), before a trip to the Bunbury Speedway for the New Year Sprintcar Bash on January 1.

TW Neal

McHUGH ROLLS ON IN TOOWOOMBA

LACHLAN McHUGH has continued his strong start to the Sprintcar summer by taking out the Toowoomba Speedway’s Ultimate Pink Night, his sixth win of the season, a fourth win in five starts, and his 21st for his career at the venue.

Delayed for a week due to rain, a capacity crowd showed up for the BreastScreen Queensland Toowoomba Service fundraiser raising over $30,000 dollars for the cause, and were treated to an entertaining feature for the Queensland Ultimate Sprintcar Championship.

It was a night of firsts all round from

the top down, with McHugh making a winning debut for the SRV Road Freight Team in the NQ7 machine, whilst Sydney’s Matt Jackson took a first Speedcar feature win in the Danny Davidson Memorial feature, and young gun JJ Hamilton took his first career win in the Super Sedans.

In a field of 40 cars, the Sprintcar Heat’s went to Cody Maroske, Jai Stephenson, Michael Stewart, and Nic Whell.

It was Maroske and poleman Ryan Newton who secured the front row, but Maroske spun on the formation lap to rejoin at the rear, elevating the rampant

McHugh to the head of the pack with the Q66.

Whilst McHugh got the jump, Newton and the NQ7 traded blows early, whilst last year’s Pink Night victor Luke Oldfield was looking a threat, moving up fast from P10.

The experienced Oldfield was soon into fourth behind Michael Stewart, whilst the latter traded spot with Newton back-andforth giving McHugh space.

Third and fourth also traded spots which gave the lead pair a comfortable gap, whilst Jy Corbet joined the fight against Oldfield holding nothing back with the pair battling through lapped traffic.

A caution then came at the expense of stranded James Kennedy, leaving two laps to run under green.

The bunched field allowed Corbett the advantage to push through at the restart to surpass Oldfield to make up the podium spots behind the NQ7 victor, with Stewart claiming fourth over the well-performed Q21 local driver, with Whells having come from P14 after his heat win to secure fifth against a strong field.

Toowoomba Speedway returns on Boxing Day night for the Late Model Queensland Grand Prix. TW Neal

THE YEAR THAT WAS AA’S COLUMNIST NAMES HIS TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RACING YEAR ...

WELL, THAT’S a wrap on season 2023 – the international year of the Kostecki. What an interesting first season of Gen3 politicking, pyrotechnics and new performers.

I usually like to provide balanced reporting, giving credit where credit’s due and criticise when someone deserves a kick in the pants. But it is Christmas and if I am ever going to win a coveted Supercars media award I better only report on the positives a la the aligned media. So here goes, with the top 10 things that warmed the cockles of my heart.

10. Valentino Rossi brought both his charisma and a new audience to the Bathurst 12 Hour.

The doctor operated with the new BMW M4 GT3, making the race a four-dimensional Germanic affair. Factory-supported BMWs flown in from Europe have been Bathurst enduro tradition since 1985. Long may that continue.

9. Matt Payne’s rise over the second half of 2023, culminating with his Adelaide win, was a joy to behold. Honourable mention to Grove Racing’s Moffat 1979 retro livery, the best ever tribute livery execution.

with Luke West

REVVED UP 8. Finally an action-packed Australian Grand Prix that lived up to the hype. I reckon it was the best AGP since Mark Webber’s debut for Minardi, when he finished fifth, with a truly memorable finish.

7. Le Mans! The centenary edition of the French endurance classic was not just a milestone event, it featured a classic, racelong battle between the world’s biggest selling brand and the most famous. Toyota couldn’t stop Ferrari from making a triumphant return to Circuit de la Sarthe and sportscar racing’s top division after a 50-year absence.

6. The World Endurance Championship’s rise from lacklustre to a manufacturer battleground has been extraordinary. It took giant strides in

2023 with Cadillac, Porsche and Peugeot (full-time) all onboard.

And next year sees BMW, Lamborghini, Alpine and some mob called Isotta Fraschini join the Hypercar fight. Hope you’re paying attention.

5. Gen 3s rollout in Newcastle which, combined with the picturesque street circuit’s return, was as refreshing as an Antarctic skinny dip. And who doesn’t love it when someone tells Mark Skaife to pull his head in, as an otherwise monosyllabic SVG did so cuttingly that week.

Farewell old friend, I shall miss you. Newcastle, that is. Okay, the racing was only so-so but the setting and the vibe magnificent.

4. The dice of the year was Brodie Kostecki and van Gisbergen’s Wanneroo showdown. There wasn’t a helluva lot of

entertaining racing for another six months, but thankfully Surfers and Adelaide saw Gen3’s first season end on a high.

3. Betty Klimenko is a breath of fresh air. Actually, more like a southern buster. I recently wrote that Erebus’s dual 2023 titles are the greatest achievement by a woman in Australian motorsport history.

While I stand by that claim, let me up the ante. Has a femaleowned sporting team won a bigger prize in this country?

Earlier this year, the Sydney Morning Herald named the 50 most influential women in Australian sport – athletes, media figures, sponsors and administrators. Before you ask, Sam Kerr was numero uno.

Criminally, Betty didn’t get a guernsey in a list that also didn’t include one team owner. Go figure.

Now tell me a female-owned motorsport team globally that’s won a bigger prize than the Supercars title?

2. The Indy 500 never disappoints. 2023’s month of May saw another exciting, unpredictable race finish, that

Moment of the Year – SVG in Chicago ...Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

was as compelling as ‘Bump Day’ qualifying the previous Sunday.

The qually twist this year was one teammate knocking another out of the race. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Jack Harvey bumped Graham Rahal out of 33rd position in an intense, last ditch four-lap qualifying run.

It was must-see TV with so many dramatic elements playing out: the pressure to perform; Rahal’s anguish; history repeating 30 years on from his father Bobby getting bumped; Harvey’s mixed emotions of qualifying at the expense of his team leader – the Englishman felt relief but little joy.

Oh-how-I-wish Formula 1 and Supercars fields were oversubscribed so qualifying had the element of drivers and cars missing the cut – a feature of several other hugely popular sports. Motorsport is at its best when there are consequences and Bump Day at the Indy 500 is the prime example.

1. Unquestionably the year’s biggest moment was Shane van Gisbergen’s win upon his NASCAR debut in Chicago. The Kiwi handed the yanks their arses in the most stunning debut in a professional category in the modern era.

It was best thing to happen in motorsport in ages and a gift that kept on giving. Not only did we get to enjoy the on-track and celebratory moments of SVG’s incredible win, it sparked the most exciting Supercars silly season in ages. His departure from Red Bull Ampol Racing created an opening for Will Brown, whose seat at Erebus was filled by Jack Le Brocq, whose seat at Matt Stone Racing was filled, ultimately, by Nick Percat, whose seat at WAU was already earmarked for Ryan Wood…

The flow-on effects from SVG’s victory will play out in the coming years with other drivers likely to head Stateside. How exciting.

www.autoaction.com.au I 23

INTERNATIONAL AUSSIES

BEETON SECURES MAIDEN F4 TITLE IN SEPANG WEBSTER ON TOP IN CHENNAI

Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES JACK BEETON has taken a maiden international Junior Formulae title in the South East Asia F4 Championship, racing for Sydney-based team AGI Sport in Sepang, Malaysia.

The final round of the reborn series saw the 16-year-old Formula 4 racer take out the championship with two podiums, whilst the team’s two other Aussie youngsters also shone in just their second international rounds.

As part of the AGI Sport Academy,

Nicolas Stati and Queenslander Peter Bouzinelos also stood up in Sepang, with Stati claiming a win in just his fifth car race in Race 2, whilst Bouzinelos claimed his first podium in the finale.

Also on the grid was young TGRA Scholarship and Queensland Excel racer Lincoln Taylor competing for the Hong Kong based BlackArts Racing team, impressing with two P4 finishes in his first ever International outing in F4 machinery.

After completing a full Italian F4 season

with Van Amersfoort Racing, Beeton’s title saw him take two wins at the opening round in China at the Zhuzhou International Circuit, before a podium in the first Sepang round and two top-fives gave him a narrow lead heading into the final round.

Competing against drivers from Prema and R-Ace GP, Beeton then sealed the title with a P2 in the opener before completing his weekend with another podium in the second outing, winning the title by 48 points from French Prema racer Dorian Pin. The strong weekend also saw AGI Sport claim the teams’ title on a count-back over the Asia Racing Team and Italian junior formulae giants.

“Massive team effort to get cars and equipment over to Asia and compete with some of the best junior single seater teams in the world,” said Adam Gotch, head of AGI Sport.

“Thank you to all the team members and drivers that worked so hard to win the teams’ title, and to all that have been part of this journey. We did it!”

AGI Sport, which is active across America, Asia, and Europe in guiding young talent, will play an integral role in the reborn Australian F4 Championship in 2024, running their new Abarth engined Tatuus F4 T421 GEN2 machines, with the five round series, which includes an international round at Sepang, kicking off at The Bend on May 4-5. TW Neal

COOPER WEBSTER is using his European offseason to dominate the Indian Formula 4 at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai.

The EUROCUP-3 bound Aussie is on the cusp of his first International Junior Formulae title after being vice-champion of the British GB4 Championship, closing out his brief season-long Formula 4 career in the Alpine engined Mygale M21-F4 – operating by Dutch team MP Motorsport – before stepping up to the Tatuus F3 T-318 machinery in 2024.

With one round to go on the subcontinent, Webster leads the four -ound 14-race series by 44.5 points from Indian driver Akshay Bohra, with the Aussie S5000 talent having taken 6 wins in 11 races for the Chennai Turbo Riders team.

Fellow Aussie youngster Jack Taylor is also competing in the series, the Tasmanian sitting seventh on the table having taken a high of P4 in Race 3 on the weekend in his first International series in an F4 machine, competing for the Goa Aces.

Webster entered Round 3 with the series lead, and immediately looked on the pace by taking pole position with a 56.461s effort, and bettered his time still in Q2.

After taking the first 28-lap opener by 7.251s to show he was a class above in the rest, an oil sensor issue forced him into a pit lane start for the reverse grid second stanza but he still managed P4.

Race 3 had him on pole again, and it was a closer affair this time, winning by 0.917s over Bohra whilst the repeat reverse grid Race 4 gave him another P4 from the rear.

Closing out the weekend in dominant style for a three-win weekend, Webster took out Race 5 by 20.03s to take full control ahead of the three race December 16-17 finale.

TW Neal

AGIUS STEPS UP INTO INTERNATIONAL MOTO2 AUSTRALIAN TEENAGER Senna Agius, the 2023 FIM Moto2 European champion, will step into a full-time seat with the Husqvarna Intact GP team in the Moto2 World Championship.

Agius was dominant on the European scene in the second tier Moto2, winning eight races for the Intact GP Junior Team, beating Andorran rider Xavi Cardelus by 67 points to take the title.

2024 will see four Aussies across the board in MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3, with Jack Miller at KTM, and Moto3 pair Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Joel Kelso for Boe Motorsports “I am very grateful to have the opportunity to move up with this team. I just have to say thank you for this incredible opportunity and thank you to all the bosses and everyone involved for believing in me,” Agius said.

“It will be my rookie season and I still have so much to learn, but it has already been a good time in Moto2 and I am so happy to move up now.”

24 I www.autoaction.com.au

In the lead-up to the 2023 European crown, the 18-year-old had started in the Australian Supersport 300 in 2019, before taking on the Japanese Moto3.

Agius then spent two years in the European Moto2, finishing second to German rider Lukas Tulovic in 2022 to announce his credentials.

Team Principal of Husqvarna Intact GP Jurgen Lingg says that Agius has a mountain of potential in him as he steps onto the world stage and straight into the second tier.

“We made this decision together with our main partners and we are very happy that Senna will now make the step into the World Championship with us as a regular rider,” Lingg says.

“He is just 18 years old, which certainly makes it an exciting challenge for him. Of course, he will also be given the necessary time to adapt at World Championship level, but I think he has everything he needs to do that.

“We are sure that sooner or later he will get good results, because we see a lot of potential in him.”

The 2024 MotoGP season kicks off on March 10 for the Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit.

TW Neal

HO, HO, HO

OUR MAN PG EMPTIES THE SACK FOR SOME SUPERCARS GOODIES ...

IT’S THE time of the year to be thinking of others and how to brighten their lives.

Here are a few suggestions for the Supercars crowd.

CHAZ MOSTER – A WIN

THE PG PERSPECTIVE

HOPEFULLY, MORE than just one, because he deserves to be more than just a Supercars sideshow act. The antics with his hair colour are fun, and his sunglass choices are crazy, but he’s a racer’s racer who needs to be rewarded with more than just the chance to blow another set of back tyres off his Mustang.

hard work and continues to polish his impressive act at Triple Eight.

He has been shaped in the Jamie Whincup mould, with no fuss but sublime speed – but it would also be good to see him firing up in 2023 in a title battle with the other young speedsters.

JAMES COURTNEY – HAIR DYE

BRODIE KOSTECKI – TWO MORE YEARS

THE PETER Pan of Supercars has started to sprout some grey hairs.

JC still behaves like a kid, races like a crazy youngster and has lots to do at Blanchard Racing. The only clue to the kilometres on his clock are those greys, which would be an easy fix with some dye work by the silverback. The cheap cheat is to carry a black Sharpie and do touch-ups on the go – a trick that worked fine for Alan Jones a (long) while back.

GROVE RACING – A WILDCARD

NOT JUST any Wildcard, but Sandown and Bathurst with the bosses. Stephen and Brenton Grove have done plenty of racing, continue to compete – switching from Porsche to Benz in GT3 for 2023 as Stephen also returns to Carrera Cup – and should put themselves to the ultimate test with some Supercars starts. It’s a fair bet they wouldn’t be last at Bathurst.

BROC FEENEY – A CHAMPIONSHIP RUN

THE YOUNGSTER has done the

BRAD JONES – A CONTENDER

with Paul Gover

THE NEW champion is obviously heading to the ’States with Richard Childress, but it would be great to see him staying for two years and not just one. He is still developing, is a brilliant bloke and a worthy champion, who sets the bar high and also adds class to the whole Erebus operation.

RICHIE STANAWAY – GARTH TANDER

IT WAS Tander who used tough love and a racer’s instincts to help Matt Payne through his rookie season in Supercars, culminating with the win in Adelaide. Stanaway is no rookie, but if he is prepared to listen to Tander then he could shortcut the challenges at Grove Racing and become a turn-key star from the start of his comeback season.

NOBODY IN Supercars works harder than Jones and he deserves the chance to run at the front.

Andre Heimgartner has the right ingredients, Jones is a great chef, they just need to work on the recipe with the focus on a single car to get things rising to the top.

BRUCE WILLIAMS – A

Sprintcar for fun for AA’s publisher, and a free trip to Le Mans in June, best with Porsche, to see what all the fuss is about.

SUPERCARS – A NAME CHANGE

LET’S GO back to the future with V8 Supercars. The name was only changed from the original because Holden had a plan for a V6-powered

Commodore – which I drove – which never got past the point of a good idea. Everyone in Australia and around the world knows Supercars is about V8s, so they need to get the name right. Now.

JAMIE WHINCUP ROLAND DANE

LIFE WILL be tough for Triple Eight in 2024 and a bit of the Dane magic would be a good thing for Whincup to have in his back pocket. Toppled by Erebus in a fight for supremacy on the red side of the fence, the new year will come without Shane van Gisbergen and with two youngsters fighting each other as well as the rest of the grid. It could be great, but it will need structure and discipline to keep everyone focussed on the end game.

ANDREW CLARKE – A FIRST-CLASS TRIP TO THE DAYTONA 500 THE SUPERCARS’ news spearhead at Auto Action really loves NASCAR. A visit to Daytona will tick all his boxes, including a catchup with Shane van Gisbergen and perhaps a visit to his new home in the south of the ’States. To complete the Xmas package, the newest and best in technical calculators to help him crunch his beloved data.

Roland – retired; Jess – off to the US ... just leaves Jamie to run the Triple Eight shop ...

SVEN BURCHARTZ LIVES MOTORSPORTS LAWYER AND PARTNER

Know your position.

sburchartz@kkilawyers.com.au • Teams • Series owners • Manufacturers

T +613 8825 4800 kkilawyers.com.au

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 25

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PUBLISHER

Bruce Williams bruce@autoaction.com.au 0418 349 555 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Bruce Williams STAFF JOURNALIST Timothy W. Neal STAFF JOURNALIST Thomas Miles NEWS EDITOR Andrew Clarke FEATURES WRITER Paul Gover SENIOR ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION Caroline Garde NATIONAL EDITOR Thomas Miles HISTORICS EDITOR Mark Bisset SPEEDWAY REPORTER Paris Charles ONLINE EDITOR

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AUSTRALIA Josh Nevett, Dan McCarthy, Bruce Newton, Mark Bisset, Geoffrey Harris, Bruce Moxon, Gary Hill, Craig O’Brien, Ray Oliver, Martin Agatyn, Reese Mautone.

David Batchelor, John Lemm, Pete Trapnell , Toby Cooper FORMULA 1 Luis Vasconelos US CORRESPONDENT Mike Brudenell PHOTOGRAPHERS AUSTRALIA Mark Horsburgh-Edge Photography, Peter Norton-Epic Sports Photography, Ross Gibb Photography, Daniel Kalisz, Mick Oliver-MTR Images, Rebecca Hind-REVVED, David Batchelor, Randall Kilner, Richard Hathaway, Bruce Moxon, Ray Ritter, Ray Oliver, autopics.com.au Roy Meuronen Photography, Angryman Photography, Riccardo Benvenuti, Matthew Bissett-MJB Photography, Phil Wisewould Photography.

Geoff Colson - Colson Photography INTERNATIONAL

Motorsport Images

ADVERTISING MANAGER Bruce Williams All Advertising inquiries bruce@autoaction.com.au 0418 349 555 Editorial contributions may be sent to Auto Action. No responsibility will be accepted for their safety. If you require the return of any sent item or items, please attach a separate, stamped and fully addressed envelope.

Auto Action is published by Action Media Partners ABN number 62976094459 Suite 4/156 Drummond Street Oakleigh Victoria 3166 Phone: 03 9563 2107 The trademark Auto Action is the sole property of Action Media Partners The website www.autoaction.com.au and associated social media platforms are wholly owned by Action Media Partners.

All rights reserved No part of this magazine’s content may be reproduced, retransmitted or rebroadcast without the express written permission of the Publisher and Action Media Partners.

Printed by ive Group Distributed by ARE Direct Retail Distribution Australia

AUTO ACTION WEBSITE

For more of the latest motorsport news, reviews and features, PLUS additional breaking news.

Go to autoaction.com.au or scan below

Email: letters@autoaction.com.au Postal: Suite 4/156 Drummond Street.

Oakleigh Victoria 3166 LOTS TO LIKE ABOUT SEASON, BUT A FEW CONCERNS

THE GEN 3 cars were pretty hohum in their first year, but there were lots of other terrific things about the Supercar season – a new champion driver, Brodie Kostecki, a new champion team, Erebus, and a new winner in the last race, Matt Payne.

And the Ford Mustang truly competitive finally, although I’m neutral on manufacturers.

Just want to see great driving and racing.

It’s fantastic that Betty Klimenko has got a big reward for everything she has brought to the sport over many years now, and hats off to Barry Ryan for the way he has moulded that Erebus team the way he has. What a guy!

Nice to see Grove Racing in the winner’s circle at the end of the season too with young Payne.

It’s exciting to see different teams make it to the top after the domination we had from Red Bull and DJR Penske.

While Scott McLaughlin and Shane Van Gisbergen have been wonderful drivers, remember that both were New Zealanders and we need to see more top new Australian drivers emerge.

Kostecki has shown what he can do, but – like the Kiwis – how long is he going to stick around in Supercars?

Cam Waters, Broc Feeney and Will Brown are hotshots, but are they up to the very highest standard?

We’ve got to wonder about whether we can produce Aussie drivers as good as the Kiwis for Supercars in the future.

And then whether we can keep the best drivers in Oz. Can’t begrudge guys going off to NASCAR, but it could become a headache for the Supercars Championship if the best drivers keep leaving.

Anyway, hopefully it will be a level playing field in 2024 now that the Mustang is on the money.

Steve Ellis, Duncraig, Western Australia P.S. Keep up the good work Auto Action. Just wish we could get it a bit sooner in WA. Electronic subscription may be the way to go in 2024.

HOODWINKED ON THE FINANCIALS?

RECKON YOU guys at Auto Action – and gals, if any – have been taken for a ride with that ‘NO BLOOD IN THE WATER’ story on page 3 of your edition #1874.

The Supercars organisation reported it turned over $112.5 million in the 15 months to the end

26 I www.autoaction.com.au

SOCIAL DISCOURSE HOW SVG WILL IMPROVE SUPERCARS

Erebus ... champions ... of 2022 yet booked a loss of $2.7 million.

You can spin it however you like, but there’s something horribly wrong there.

The give-up that all is not well is Supercars having to bear the cost of the final event at Pukekohe in New Zealand.

Not only did Supercars have to bear the cost of the freight but it didn’t get any money for the broadcast because it was a 13th round.

Would never have happened in Tony Cochrane’s time.

Brett Steele, Toowoomba, Queensland

WELCOME PAYNE RELIEF FOR MUSTANGS

THE PONY Express on top of the Camaro Cup in the City of Churches!

The Adelaide 500 has reenergised me as a Supercar and Ford fan.

The dominance of the Camaro and its drivers was fully tested at the VAILO 500.

Ford teams have certainly improved since the last lot of parity adjustments.

Over the weekend you could tell Mustang drivers believed they could finally win a race.

As a Supercars follower it’s fantastic to observe the development of Erebus as a team and Brodie Kostecki now the champion.

Hopefully, with further development proposed, Ford teams can improve more and get back to winning the teams championship, Bathurst, the driver championship and more.

See you at the Bathurst 500 10day festival 2024.

Nomadic Phil Travelling Australia.

Thanks Phil, it may have been a bitter pill to swallow for the GM Teams but there is no doubt now that the Ford fans are feeling a little less pain.

SCOPE TO MAKE RACING EVEN MORE SUPER

THE INTRODUCTION of the Super 3 category from Supercars is a very good idea and it gives

young Australian drivers who have aspirations to race in Supercars the opportunity to gain valuable experience.

As from next year and in 2025 there will be more “older generation” Supercars around, so why not create a Super 4 category for 2025?

Super 4 could operate as a cheaper version to Super 3 and allow even more young Australian drivers the opportunity to gain Supercars racing experience.

The Supercars, Super 2 and Super 3 categories are national championships, but to make Super 4 an even cheaper category to take part in it could operate as a state and territory-level competition.

From 2025 there could be a Victorian, a NSW, a Queensland, a South Australian, a West Australian, a Tasmanian and a Northern Territory Super 4 series.

Super 4 could have its rounds as support events at Supercars and Super 2 rounds as well as at State club motorsport events.

I’m sure fans attending Supercars rounds or other motorsport events would be more than happy to see a Super 4 category racing despite being older cars.

Super 4 could give more young Australian racing drivers a chance to show Supercars and Super 2 teams what they are made of, and this could help steer them in the right direction and get a drive with some of Australia’s best motorsport teams.

Supercars Australia should strongly consider creating a Super 4 category from 2025.

Malcolm Webster Boronia, Victoria Editors comment: Thanks again Malcom for your feedback, but I need to point out that the fact is that a ‘Super4 category’ for want of a better description, already exists. Super3 cars that previously raced have been shuffled back to another category and it’s called the ‘V8 Touring Car Series’ which runs on the ARG/ SpeedSeries. It has many of the cars that you have described and this year the series was taken out by young Jude Bargwanna driving an ex FPR FG Ford Falcon.

Russell Boyd I’ve been pushing for two years to bring back the title ‘V8 Supercars’.

It was a marketing flop to drop that name then some time later to announce the new name ‘Supercars’ the future will always be V8.

Somebody needs to lose their job over that mistake.

Mark Stanfield I agree with Shane, but will Supercars take any notice or are they just going to ignore his suggestions?

Stephen Chilton The Mustang and Camaro were made for wide open flowing American road circuits. Here in Australia our builders should be able to adapt the cars to suit our tighter twisty tracks.

PERKINS TO BRT

Grant Bradford It’s unfortunate but his days as a top notch co-driver are behind him. I understand that experience helps but there are plenty of younger guys out there that are probably quicker and want it more. He has had a good run with plenty of good cars and teams over the years.

Jack Perkins Interesting read, you might be interested to see the Fastest Racing Laps report from the Sandown 500.

Can only see older co-drivers faster than me and if you think I don’t want it why don’t you come to the gym with me four days a week and see how much effort I put in.

FORMULA 4 CALENDAR

Paul Palmer A showcase for homegrown talent on an international scale at home. Great Job! Stephen Matthews Do we never learn? We need to clean up the amount of categories we have now, not bring back 1 of motorsport Australia biggest failures! It can join tcr s5000 and they can have the rubbish grid nationals!

Phil Malcolm The fact the organisers are bringing a fleet of cars will already make it more cost effective. Then, quick fire once a month calendar over 5 months makes planning easier. Providing it doesn’t clash with any other domestic junior championship, I think this model is far better than the one from several years ago. I suppose the only question is,

AutoActionMag

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

AutoActionMag

One team (driver) domination is not great for the sport – but it’s up to the rest to bridge the gap ...

Image: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY AS THE 2023 Formula 1 World Championship comes to an end and all team personnel prepare to enjoy the first ever mandatory winter break of their lives, it’s time to look back at what was a very intense season, on and off the track, and analyse what was good for the sport and the fans, what was not so positive, and what was downright negative and shouldn’t be repeated.

For me, the best thing about the season that has just ended was how close the entire field was, especially in qualifying.

No one, not even Verstappen, could take it easy and run harder tyres in Q1 to save more Softs for Q3, because it was not unusual to have all 20 drivers inside the same second. In Austria – granted, the shortest lap of the year – the entire field ended Q1 inside 0.8s and, if you took the two Red Bulls away, the other 18 drivers were separated by just 0.4s! Now, that’s what I call a competitive field.

Of course it would have been nice for Red Bull to be challenged, but in the course of the season

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

with Luis Vasconcelos

F1 INSIDER Aston Martin, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren had the second quickest car in the field, so there was a big variety in the battle behind the best car and, occasionally, all of them managed to challenge Verstappen on occasions – Sainz winning for Ferrari in Singapore and rookie sensation Oscar Piastri winning the Sprint race in Qatar, without any misfortune hitting the Dutchman, therefore, on merit.

Another great thing was the quality of the battles at the front because, when the best drivers in the world fight cleanly, it’s a beautiful thing to see. There was great overtaking for top positions and if the Alonso-Pérez battle for P3 in Brazil won the Spaniard the FIA prize, it was Charles Leclerc’s last dash pass on the

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

Mexican, on the last lap in Las Vegas, that took my breath away.

And, still on the positives, the fact Oscar Piastri showed his speed, consistency and racecraft that are way beyond his years, proved there’s another top driver on the way – so together with Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris, Russell, Albon and Sainz there’s a generation that may be in Formula 1 for the next 10 years, way after legends like Hamlton and Alonso have retired, to keep us entertained. Having been spoiled by arriving in Formula 1 when Senna, Prost, Piquet and Mansell were all at the top of their game, I’m really happy we finally have an even bigger group of highly talented drivers that will give us great racing in the coming years.

The bad was, of course, the domination by one team and one driver because, after a promising start, Sérgio Pérez’s challenge faded quickly and he never recovered.

But that’s not Red Bull or Max Verstappen’s fault, because they just did their job and it’s up to the other nine teams to get their act together – the last thing the sport should do would be to try and cull the Austrian team’s technical advantage by making targeted changes to the rules to affect them. Formula 1 is a meritocracy, so you get what you deserve and that’s how it should be.

It was also bad that Formula 1 waited for the last minute to cancel the Imola weekend, when for two days it was clear there were no conditions for the event to go ahead. Also, especially bad, the Las Vegas schedule and putting the event one week before Abu Dhabi – making one quarter of the drivers and quite a few more people in the paddock ill, due to the time and temperature differences.

Ugly was the way Formula 1 dealt with the Las Vegas fans, forcing them out of the grandstands after putting together a track that was, initially, not up to the task and not even having the decency to apologise to them – believing such an apology would earn the sport a massive lawsuit.

But what has been really ugly all year is the ongoing war between Formula 1 and the FIA, with some ridiculous moments like the one from last week, with the ‘Investigation That Wasn’t’ into the Wolff family’s affairs.

I understand the FIA’s need for a bigger payment from the sports profits to be able to police it properly, but the ‘elephant in a China shop’ approach favoured by the president is unlikely to be the best policy. At the same time, the profits-at-all-costs approach that has been clearly taken by Formula 1 is losing us long standing fans, so a bit of decorum and an open discussion between all parties involved would do us all a lot of good.

Here’s hoping!

www.autoaction.com.au I 27

FORMULA 1 NEWS – LUIS VASCONCELOS

FIA BACKTRACKS ON WOLFF’S INVESTIGATION The FIA has moved very quickly to put an end to the embarrassing situation created by the revelation it was investigating a potential conflict of interests involving Susie and Toto Wolff, apparently solely based on a story published by a magazine of very poor reputation, by hastily announcing on Thursday that there’s no investigation going on and that the matter is closed.

The statement read that, “following a review of Formula One Management’s F1 Code of Conduct and F1 Conflict of Interest Policy and confirmation that appropriate protective measures are in place to mitigate any potential conflicts, the FIA is satisfied that FOM’s compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorised disclosure of confidential information.”

Therefore, the statement continued, “the FIA can confirm that there is no ongoing investigation in terms of ethical or disciplinary inquiries involving any individual”, before reminding everyone that, “as the regulator, the FIA has a duty to maintain the integrity of global motorsport. The FIA reaffirms its commitment to integrity and fairness.”

The fact it took all of 48 hours to open and close an investigation shows how amateurish the Federation was during this process – and it’s unlikely the backlash from this situation will go away quickly. The 10 teams, and Formula 1, showed an unusually united front that reacted very quickly, so quickly that it led many to believe a few key members of

Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES the sport had set up a trap for recently appointed Formula 1 Commissioner to fall into and take president Mohammed Ben Sulayem with him.

It’s believed a couple of casual remarks to the Commissioner set off the investigation, as he’s known to jump to conclusions quickly and never respect the off-the-record nature of conversations he’s part of – a

characteristic that made him personanon-grata for quite a few teams during his time as a journalist ... That’s exactly what the teams and Formula 1 wanted – to try and force his resignation from a role that didn’t exist until a couple of months ago, that no one in the paddock believes he’s capable of fulfilling ...

For president Ben Sulayem, though, this quick and humiliating turnaround is a big

blow that will also hurt his credibility and will now make it almost impossible for the Emirati to achieve any of the goals he had set for the FIA in the negotiations of the new Concorde Agreement – a bigger portion of the profits of the sport and a bigger say in the formation of the rules – as he’ll have, again, to lay low for quite a while and hope this shambolic issue is forgotten in the coming months..

LECLERC AND SAINZ TO EXTEND FERRARI DEALS CHARLES LECLERC and Carlos Sainz have agreed new deals with Ferrari, after a number of meetings with Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur and the final details of those contracts are now in the hands of the lawyers, as the last minor details always have to go through everyone’s legal representatives before pen is put to paper.

In Leclerc’s case, there was never any other option the Monegasque driver would be willing to consider, made very clear to his manager, Nicolas Todt. Audi made an approach to Leclerc’s representatives before the mid-season break, offering a threeyears deal with a yearly salary that more than double what the young driver is getting from Ferrari – in the order of US$30million+ per season, according to sources from the German manufacturer – but Leclerc didn’t even want to initiate negotiations, his only focus being, as he repeatedly said in public, “to be World Champion with Ferrari”.

Having received a quick negative answer from Leclerc, Andreas Seidl than offered the Audi deal to Carlos Sainz, with whom he successfully worked at McLaren in 2019 and 2020 and, in this case, negotiations went quite a bit further, as the Spaniard was not

28 I www.autoaction.com.au

at all convinced that Ferrari would turn its situation around and his management was still highly suspicious that Vasseur would be favouring Leclerc, given their long and fruitful working relationship since junior formulae.

However, with the Scuderia turning things around very quickly after the break, starting with a very competitive run in the Italian Grand Prix and followed by Sainz’s win in Singapore, the Spanish driver realised he had a much better chance of winning races and fighting for the title in the next couple of years if he would stay put and, therefore, eventually broke negotiations with his former boss as Vasseur offered him a new, two-year deal.

Both Leclerc and Sainz are already under contract with Ferrari until the end of 2024, but all parties are very keen to start next season with the future deals already signed and dusted and that’s why negotiations gathered pace during the American triple-header, compromising the races in Austin, Mexico City and São Paulo, with the final touches being agreed in Abu Dhabi, during the last Grand Prix of the season.

According to sources from Maranello, while the two drivers have agreed to extend their current deals, the length of the two new contracts is quite different, as Leclerc is ready to sign a new five-year deal that will keep him with Ferrari until the end of 2029 – with a get-out clause at the end of 2027 if the Scuderia doesn’t achieve a minimum target in terms of results – while Sainz will sign another two-year deal that will keep him with the Italian team until the end of 2026.

By keeping Leclerc until the end of 2029, Ferrari protects its investment in the Monegasque driver until after the deal between Max Verstappen and Red Bull expires, making sure its young driver won’t be available to replace

the Dutchman at the end of 2028, when the World Champion could simply retire from Formula 1. And it keeps the threat of a Mercedes offer away as well, as, while Russell and Hamilton are certain to stay with the German team until the end of 2025, the seven-times World Champion could easily leave the sport at the end of his new contract.

In any case, the two deals have been agreed between the parties and sealed with handshakes in Abu Dhabi, so now it’s just a matter of time before the lawyers iron out all the little details. Driver contracts these days contain more than 200 pages, so there’s a lot to go through – with Ferrari hoping to be able to announce them before the end of the year, but not necessarily during next week’s Christmas lunch with selected media, when Vasseur will be speaking with his guests about the team’s plans for the near future.

ANTONELLI ON TARGET FOR AMBITIOUS F1 PLAN ITALIAN SENSATION Andrea Kimi Antonelli is on target to achieve the very ambitious goal Toto Wolff and Mercedes have set for him, after showing all his speed and consistency during his first official Formula 2 test, last week, in the Yas Marina Circuit, in Abu Dhabi.

The 17-year-old didn’t need more than a handful of laps to get down to competitive times, matching the more experienced Oliver Bearman for most of the three days of testing and even achieving better lap times than his Prema team mate in a couple of sessions.

Given how highly rated the British driver is, with Ferrari pushing to accelerate his Formula 1 debut in 2025, trying to place him with Haas for a couple of years, the fact Antonelli was able to match his lap times in his first time with a current Formula 2 car confirmed Toto Wolff’s belief that Mercedes has a gem in its hands and that the Italian is the man he needs to replace Lewis Hamilton, when the seven-times World Champion decides to retire from racing, probably at the end of 2025.

To have Antonelli ready to step into a top team in the space of two years is very ambitious, but Wolff has set up a plan and if the 2024 season goes as well as expected for the young Italian, then his momentum will move forward, with a seat at Williams, for 2025, being on the cards. That’s not only because Williams has a good commercial relationship with Mercedes, having used the German engines since the start of the hybrid era, in 2014, but also because Team Principal James Vowles knows Antonelli very well, as he was in charge of the testing program for Mercedes’ young drivers until he left the

Brackley-based team one year ago, and is openly a big fan of his qualities.

It’s on the next step of Antonelli’s career, though, that Vowles and Wolff are not aligned. The British engineer would, of course, prefer to keep Antonelli at Williams for three seasons, matching what his team did with George Russell between 2019 and 2021, in order to get the benefits of his experience in 2026 and 2027, while Wolff seems to be convinced Hamilton has just signed what will be his last Formula 1 contract, and has targeted putting Antonelli alongside Russell already for 2026.

The Austrian businessman believes Antonelli is from the same mould as Hamilton and Verstappen and will be capable of being instantly on the pace the moment he sits in a Formula 1 car – like the English driver did with McLaren in 2007 and the Dutchman with Toro Rosso in 2015.

The speed shown by the young Italian against much more experienced competition in Abu Dhabi, where most of his rivals had raced the weekend before and had the advantage of knowing with what set-ups they could achieve the best performances, has reinforced Wolff’s belief that Antonelli will be ready for Formula 1 in 12 months.

And if his 2024 Formula 2 campaign goes according to plan, Mercedes will start an intensive private Formula 1 test program after the September 14 race in Baku and, given the following Formula 2 race only takes place in the last day of November, it will have 15 weeks to give Antonelli plenty of track testing with the unloved W13 before the Italian goes to Qatar and Abu Dhabi for the last two Formula 2 races of the year – and, probably, of his life.

AMERICAN SPONSOR HELPS SARGEANT SECURE 2024 SEAT

Wolff has been a huge Antonelli fan for many years, having signed the young Italian driver to his management company six years ago and placed him with the Mercedes Young driver program shortly after. Recently he admitted that, “since we started working together, Kimi has ticked all the boxes. But not only that, I really like him as a boy, as a personality, and he has a fantastic family environment around him that helps him always keep his feet on the ground. He has a great talent and can count on important values that ​​ come from his family.”

The Mercedes’ boss than concluded that, “Kimi is still in the early stages of his journey and I think he has a bright future ahead of him that will be his, if he keeps taking it one step at a time. Besides, it’s just lovely for me to work with him and his father, two people who have their feet firmly on the ground.”

ALBON TOPS AUDI’S SHOPPING LIST FOR 2025 ALEX ALBON’S sensational performances for Williams in the last two years have put the Thai driver at the top of the shopping list for the future, showing how well he has bounced back after the tough time he had at Red Bull, after making the move to the Milton Keynes-based team midway through his first Formula 1 season.

For a while it’s been rumoured that Christian Horner himself has been trying to get Albon back to his team and, apparently, even offered Williams a direct swap between the Thai and Sérgio Pérez, with immediate effect, something James Vowles and shareholders Dorilton Capital didn’t accept.

On top of that, Albon has made it very clear in several discussions with Vowles and other stakeholders, that he has no intention of going back to Red Bull ever, feeling the team didn’t treat him fairly and that is massively geared up to support Max Verstappen.

But in recent weeks, another interesting candidate has started knocking on Albon’s door. Audi, fronted by Andreas Seidl, had targeted getting a big name to join the team it is buying from Finn Rausing at the start of 2025, but the approaches made to Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have failed, as the two drivers are set to renew their contracts with Ferrari in the coming weeks, extending

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

them at least until the end of 2025, with Leclerc expected to sign an even longer contract that could go all the way until the end of 2028.

With Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri also stuck on long term contracts with their current teams, Seidl is starting to run out of options and his preference for Nico Hulkenberg hasn’t been received too warmly by the Audi board.

The German will be 37-years old at the end of next year and even though he’s done much better than Kevin Magnussen at Haas this year, he’s not a top driver and, with the need to learn how to work with the team in 2025, he will hardly be a better choice than Valtteri Bottas, who will complete his third season with Sauber in 2024.

autoactionmag

Albon, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly are the best available choices for the 2025 season, but the two Frenchmen seem to be quite up and down with their performances, while Albon has been ‘on it’ for most of the season, will come with knowledge of the Mercedes Power Unit and his race craft is one of the best in the field.

For now the talks have just started between the two parties, but Seidl needs to make a decision quickly or risk having all possible candidates sign new contracts with their current teams over this offseason, so the German engineer is trying to move things quickly, to have a young, quick and easy-to-work-with driver ready to join his team at the end of next year.

Albon – new Audi favourite?

autoactionmag

THE ANNOUNCEMENT Logan Sargeant will remain with Williams for next year was made just a couple of days after the post-season Yas Marina test and came as a surprise to absolutely no-one, as there were good indications the Florida-born driver would get a second chance for 2024 – which kept getting confirmed during the final Grand Prix of the season.

The first hint things were already decided came at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when, after complimenting Sargeant for the good race, his engineer, Gaetan Jego, told him “I’m looking forward to next year, buddy.”

The fact Sargeant was also in action during the post-season test was another firm indication he’ll remain as Alex Abon’s team-mate in 2024 – this contract extension meaning that, for the first time ever, there won’t be a single driver change between the end of one season and the beginning of the next, a clear indication of how much teams value stability on all fronts to make progress, but also a damning indictment about the value of Formula 2 as a training ground for young drivers.

According to sources from Williams, Sargeant was always the priority for the second seat in 2024, because the team believes in him, has invested quite a lot on his development – and it would considered wasteful to now drop him and start all over with another rookie, that would probably also need a full season to get up to speed.

The fact that Sargeant is American also helped his cause, as Williams’ only shareholder, Dorilton Capital, has quite a few investments in the US market, and was also supported

by Formula 1’s Stefano Domenicali, who wants an American and a Chinese driver in the field at all times, to boost the growth of the sport in those two countries.

On top of that, we’ve been told by a highly reliable source that an US-based bank will became a major sponsor for Williams next season.

So when everything was put together it was a no-brainer for Williams to sign a new contract with Sargeant, putting an end to the slim hopes Felipe Drugovich and Fredrik Vesti had of landing that seat.

www.autoaction.com.au I 29

HOW PIASTRI TOOK HIS F1 ROOKIE SEASON BY STORM THOSE WHO HAD WATCHED OSCAR PISATRI RISE THROUGH THE JUNIOR RANKS FROM KARTS TO WINNING FIA F3 AND THEN F2 TITLES AS ROOKIE KNEW THE HE WAS THE REAL DEAL. BUT PLENTY DOUBTED THAT HE COULD DELIVER IN THE HARSH REALITY OF FORMULA 1. AUTO ACTION’S FORMULA 1 MAN ON THE GROUND, LUIS VASCONCELOS, HAS HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE IT ALL HAPPEN UP CLOSE ...

WHEN YOU look at the way Oscar Piastri performed in his first Formula 1 season you quickly understand why McLaren fought so hard to get him under contract, the legal dispute with Alpine being resolved in the British team’s favor in mid- 2022. But it put a lot of pressure on the young driver to show he was worthy of that much hassle.

To say that Piastri didn’t disappoint his team would be an understatement and it was clear, as the 2023 season went on, that the young man from Melbourne was making a big impression inside the team, not only with his ability and commitment as a driver, but also with his attitude in and out of the car.

Team Principal Andrea Stella, a man who worked with Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso in his distinguished Formula 1 career, has become Piastri’s

“ ”

number one fan and never wastes an opportunity to praise his young charge.

Of course, McLaren’s start to the 2023 season was a slow one, the MCL60’s original design proving to be a failure – under those circumstances, the young Australian didn’t have the tools to show what he was capable of.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown and the company’s shareholders reacted quickly, made important changes at the top of the technical department, and in nearly record time the MCL60 was changed around with two massive upgrades: at the start of July and at the end of September, transforming the papaya orange car.

Once he had a competitive car in his hands, Piastri showed the speed that had taken him

There were definitely some trickier weekends and things still to work on as a whole season ...

30 I www.autoaction.com.au

to back-to-back titles in Formula 3 and Formula 2, regularly qualifying in the top five, before being the star of the weekend in Qatar, as he won the Sprint Race and was Verstappen’s only challenger on Sunday.

The end of the season proved more difficult for the youngster, with incidents putting him effectively out of contention in Austin and Interlagos, but he still finished comfortably inside the championship’s top 10, being unanimously considered the most impressive rookie since Max Verstappen’s debut with Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015.

Never one to sing his own praises, Piastri was clear happy with the way his rookie season had gone but was also quick to praise McLaren for the work done: “ "It’s definitely been a great

Left: The McLaren 'A' team – Norris, Brown, Piastri, and Stella ... Above right: That first corner clash with Sainz at Spa; With the star behind the star – Mark Webber; Number 1 fan – Andrea Stella.

Lower right: Team-mates on the mike; Selfies with the Melbourne fan club; Showing Lando the way at Monza ...

Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

season, with a lot of highlights that I wouldn’t have been able to do without the team improving the car the way we did. So, I have to give a lot of credit to them.” Only then the Australian admitted he was also pleased with the way he performed in 2023: “I guess I have to pat myself on the back, I had to deliver in those moments too.

“And I think, for me, the proudest moments started in Silverstone, where we rocked up with a car that was competitive and I was able to get the most out of it; then there was Japan, not my finest race, but I did enough to score on my first podium; and, of course, Qatar where we had the one opportunity in the whole year to actually win something, and we managed to take it.

“I can be very proud of that. There were definitely some trickier weekends and things still to work on as a whole season. You don’t win championships by one or two good weekends, I know that from my junior career, so just need to make that happen more often.”

PIASTRI’S NUMBER 1 FAN

ANDREA STELLA is clearly more generous with Piastri than the man himself, the Italian starting off by making it clear that, “Oscar performed beyond our maximum expectations, before offering his more detailed views: “Our analysis is that Oscar’s season has been exceptional, and when I say exceptional, I mean beyond our expectations.

It’s the speed with which he learns that, I think, makes him exceptional. And that’s been true on any scale you take, whether it’s a race, a weekend or the entire season”.

Offering further details, the man who has been leading McLaren’s Formula 1 team explained that “his slope is so impressive that it obviously creates expectations for next season.

And expectations require work to be confirmed.

But the other good thing about Oscar is that he is a very solid person, who puts in a lot of effort.

“The work with him will be more focused on what we need to do to confirm this trend, work that has actually already started in terms of planning for the winter.”

www.autoaction.com.au I 31

Oscar led Max Verstappen early in the Spa Sprint race ... Right: Japan – a podium, but still a learning exercise ... Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

“ ”

Even in Abu Dhabi, the pace was, was very strong but, it was just that I couldn’t finish a lap without making a small mistake ...

TOUGH START WAS GOOD PREPARATION

WITH MCLAREN initially struggling with a car that was slow in the straights and also slow in the corners, Piastri was eliminated in Q1 in Bahrain, Australia and Miami, but now admits that such a tough start of his rookie season actually helped him be prepared to make the most out of the MCL60 once the team got its act together.

At the end of the year, Piastri admitted that, “I definitely know a lot more now than I did coming into the year. Even in Abu Dhabi, the pace was really good from the start but I was just making a lot of mistakes.

“I would, in some ways, rather it’d be that way, then go into qualifying a few tenths off but scratching my head on how I’m going to do it, as opposed to, sort-of, the second half of the year, where if there has been a gap, it’s more often than not been because of mistakes rather than lacking pace. I think in the races there’s still some work to do, but I feel like I’m slowly getting there. Happy with how I am on track.”

Team Principal Andreas Stella, as a proper engineer with a lot of experience, has a logical explanation for Piastri’s difficulty to keep up with the highly experienced Lando Norris in races where tyre degradation is an issue: “It’s all got to do with experience, of course.

Qualifying is all about getting the most out of the car, the tyres, the battery, conditions and so on, over one lap, so if you have the talent, the natural speed and ability, you’re going to get there sooner rather than later. The first day we gave him a quick car, in Silverstone, Oscar put it third on the grid, so there was never any doubt the speed was there.

"However, races are a more complex exercise, because there’s tyre degradation to manage, there’s fuel limitations as well, so there’s a lot of things you’ve got to manage.

And if you are in traffic, in a DRS train for example, there’s even more things to take into account. Lando, of course, has been to all the Formula 1 circuits with a McLaren before, so he knows what to expect from all elements even before the start of the race but for Oscar this was the first time for everything.

“Of course he couldn’t manage the tyres as well as Lando in Japan – he’d never raced in Suzuka before, he couldn’t possibly know what was going to happen. Yes, of course the team anticipates everything and gives him as much information as possible, but tyre degradation is something drivers learn by feeling, not by looking at data, so Oscar was learning as he was going and still got a podium out of it.”

To prove his point that it’s management knowledge that is still lacking on his young

It all started in fairly low-key fashion in Bahrain – who could have predicted the level the Rokkie of the Year would rise to once McLaren upped its game ...

32 I www.autoaction.com.au

charge, Stella points out that, “in Qatar, where everyone could go flat out because of the mandatory three-stops, he held his own and finished ahead of Lando. That proved he could keep the speed for the duration of a race, even the toughest race all Formula 1 drivers experienced in their lives, because of the temperatures and not needing to look after the tyres.

“Next year, though, Oscar will have that experience well stored in his mind and at the speed in which he’s been learning everything, I’m sure he’s going to make a big step in overall race management.”

“IT WAS A ROLLESCOASTER”

MOTOR RACING, like life, is not a linear exercise and ,with the highs of being so quick at Silverstone, leading the Belgian Grand Prix, scoring his first Formula 1 podium in such a drivers’ circuit as Suzuka and then winning the Sprint Race in Qatar, came quite a few mishaps as well, something the young man admits he was not really prepared to experience: “It’s definitely been a bigger roller coaster than I expected. I knew there would be ups and downs, maybe not as down at the start or as much up at the end!

“But I’ve really learned a lot. I feel like I’ve had basically every situation you could have, apart from a championship fight. So, it’s been a good year in terms of learning for me – but also as a team, where we’re learning how to compete at the front again, which is exciting.

It’s not a position we’ve been in for the last 10 years.

“It’s nice to be having these conversations again, going through these scenarios. And for me, it’s really a privilege to be fighting at the front so early in my career. There are people that go their whole Formula 1 career and don’t have the opportunity that I’ve had in 22 races. So, I’m very, very grateful for that.

“And I’m looking forward to plenty more years to come where hopefully we can do that more often.”

ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024 A driver’s focus is always ahead of him, never behind, and with McLaren being the team that scored more points than any other, bar Red Bull, from the Austrian Grand Prix until the end of the season, the pressure is on for the Woking-based squad, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, to take the battle to Max Verstappen and his team in 2024 – the Australian is confident there’s still progress to be made and the gap can be close.

He does, however caution that the competition will be very tough to beat and doesn’t discard Mercedes and Ferrari from the fight at the front come next year’s championship: “I think as a team we’ve tasted a lot more success in the second half of the year, so much that when we have weekends like in Abu Dhabu, it feels like they’re sort of our offweekends, which is an exciting place to be.”

Explaining what may come for McLaren and himself for 2024, Piastri admits that, “we’re fully expecting next year to be a year in which we’ll fighting for more, or at least

Helmet-swap with Fernando ...

VETERANS OFFER RARE PRAISE

Above (top to bottom): Chatting to the Sky TV crew; On the grid with engineer Tom Stallard (a former Olympic rowing medallist!); With Danny Ric in Hungary: Fist-pump with Lando after the Qatar Sprint win; The kid 'made it' in Vegas! Above right: That winning feeling ... Right: Spa – the team celebrates the Sprint runner-up result. Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

making the good weekends we’ve had this year be repeated every weekend.

“But I’m sure Mercedes and Ferrari have the same idea. So. we will try our best, definitely try and start it a little better than we did this year. For myself, I feel like I’ve got much more experience under my belt.

And hopefully I can use that for whatever position we find ourselves in.”

When asked to put in perspective what he’s done well and what hasn’t gone according to his own expectations, Piastri is very open about it: “For

me, the encouraging thing has been that the pace, when I’ve got it together, has always been good. It’s just that getting it together hasn’t been as consistent as I would like.

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag autoactionmag autoactionmag Auto_Action

“Even in Abu Dhabi, the pace was, was very strong but, it was just that I couldn’t finish a lap without making a small mistake.

So, I think there’s an element of trying maybe a bit too hard in that aspect.

“Also, at a circuit where you don’t get much practice and where I’ve I’ve never been to, it doesn’t help that. If I was slow and having these weekends, I’d be more concerned. But considering it’s the sort of executional things to work on, that leaves me in a more relaxed state but, in saying that, there’s still definitely things to try and improve.”

The Australian has received a clear vote of confidence from Team Principal Andrea Stella, who, when asked to summarise what makes him believe in Piastri’s future so much, complimented not only as a driver but, especially, the man behind the driver: “Maybe one of the key factors why he can grow so quickly is the man behind the driver. He is so calm; he is so good at keeping himself in a condition where he can use the best of his talent. I don’t have this quality. I have to think about my psychology to actively keep myself in the most productive state.

“For Oscar, this seems to come quite naturally – or maybe he’s been working on it his whole young career, I don’t know, but it sure is remarkable.” And even when I have seen great drivers, currently or in the past, all of them have sometimes underperformed because they were not left in a position to give their best. I think for Oscar, to always be able to perform at his best, comes quite naturally.”

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

IT’S OFTEN said that it’s easier to extract one of your own teeth than to get a top driver to compliment another, such is the competitive nature of the sport and the absolute need every one of them has to believe he’s the best in the business.

But, as was the case with Lewis Hamilton in 2007 or Max Verstappen in 2015 (their debut Formula 1 seasons), Oscar Piastri has done so well in his first Grand Prix season that even his rivals have been forced to praise him, when pushed to give an opinion about the young driver’s performances.

One man that has the perfect insight to Piastri’s ability is teammate Lando Norris, and the British driver admitted, on a couple of occasions during the year, that the youngster pushed him quite hard: “Oscar has performed. He’s done everything he needed to, and I think it exceeded most people’s expectations from what he’s been able to achieve already this season. He’s pushed me a lot – it’s not a nice thing; it’s not what I want – but he’s done a very good job.”

Given McLaren’s progress during the season, Piastri’s results also improved as the year went by, but Norris admits he was not surprised by the speed of his teammate, having carefully watch him during his junior formulas progression: “All year he’s been good, not just when the car improved. And it’s not like he’s just turned up here and been strong, because he’s been quick in every category he raced in.

“He’s been good since day one with McLaren and makes my life tough sometimes. I don’t always like it, but it’s a good thing at the end of the day, and it makes me a better driver too.

“He’s driving very well. He’s doing a very good job.”

Three-times World Champion Max Verstappen had a couple of brief fights with Piastri, at Silverstone and SpaFrancorchamps, but it was in Qatar he really got to see first hand the McLaren driver at work and was quite impressed with what he saw. Asked to rate the youngster’s first season, the Red Bull driver didn’t hesitate to say that, “he’s had a great debut season”, before adding that, “on pure pace for sure he’s good, but what I think is the most important is how consistent he is – he doesn’t make many mistakes and that’s impressive in your first season in Formula 1.”

Even Alonso, who always finds it hard to praise other drivers, conceded that, “I think there is nothing new; he has this huge talent, we all knew that before he started his Formula 1 career, so there’s no surprise he’s doing so well.”

Been seeing a bit of Max in parc ferme ...

www.autoaction.com.au I 33

FROM THE OUTSIDE …

NOW WITHIN PETER XIBERRAS WAS A RELATIVE OUTSIDER WHEN HE BOUGHT IN TO SUPERCARS TWO YEARS AGO. NOW HE IS GROWING IN CONFIDENCE AND KNOWLEDGE AND IS LOOKING TO THE FUTURE OF HIS SUPERCARS TEAM. HE SPOKE WITH AUTO ACTION’S ANDREW CLARKE ABOUT HIS TIME IN THE CATEGORY SO FAR ...

THE SUPERCARS world doesn’t always adjust to change easily, especially so when it comes to team ownership. Changes like the Groves buying in is relatively simple – they are circuit racers at the core. But Peter Xiberras is something else.

He’s a drag racer. The pilot of a car with more than 18 times the power of a Supercar that tops out at nearly 550km/h in a 3.7 second pass. Just picture that. In the time it takes a Supercar to hit 100km/h, he’s past 500km/h. They generate more than 8G on initial acceleration – the only time a Supercar gets to 8G is in a crash. He’s used to the rush of power, but he’s not drunk on power and is grounded.

His venture into Supercars came about

34 I www.autoaction.com.au

through opportunity, but it wasn’t a rush or spur of the moment thing. At the time he bought the remnants of Tekno, he owned a few Supercars that he had out on lease to

teams, and his business, PremiAir Hire, the business he started from a milking shed in Richmond, NSW, was pumping. Literally, given it is an air compressor hire and sales

business.

Coming from drag racing, even though he was a motorsport person, he was an outsider. But to dismiss him like that is a mistake. He knew what he was doing, he knew there was a

It all started with a pair of Triple Eight customer cars, but has evolved rapidly (bottom of page) to the now familiar, fully in-house team carrying Nulon colours.

Below: The team’s Gen3 cars were built at Triple Eight Racing.

Below left: Xiberras has come to Supercars while at the pointy end of Top Fuel drag racing – here blasting off in an A Final against Damien Harris. Much of the same philosophy applies, he says ...

Images: MARK HORSBURGH-MOTORSPORT IMAGES/PETER NORTON-EPIC SPORTS PHOTGRAPHY

learning curve, but the passion was there before he jumped in.

“We didn’t buy the business or anything like that, we just bought two licenses. There was the trailer, two cars, and a whole heap of spares, I suppose, but that’s it,” he said of the fire-sale six weeks before the 2022 season.

“I’d been a Supercars or touring car fan for the last 20 or 30 years, a massive fan for a long time. But before we bought the Tekno licenses, I had been introduced to Jonathan Webb and we we’d been leasing him a car for two years prior.

“So, I would come to a lot of the races and just look and learn and listen. I did a lot of the learning before I knew that we were going to do this. It wasn’t a massive shock, but obviously, there were a lot of things that we didn’t know, but I did understand a fair bit of it.”

The Tekno he bought was far from ready to go racing, which meant he was nowhere near it either. So he chose to go down the customer team path with

“ ”

Then we get into the chicken and the egg scenario, you want the best people, you want the best drivers ...

Triple Eight as his supplier. His reasoning was simple, he is a General Motors man at heart, and Triple Eight was the best and ran a good

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

customer program.

He packed up whatever he had bought from Tekno’s Sydney-base – not far from PremiAir Hire’s Eastern Creek headquarters and moved it all back to Queensland because he felt he needed to be in one of the centres of excellence for Supercars. It was either there or Melbourne.

Being a customer team was a means to an end. It was never intended to be the model, just a model while he worked it all out ... and employed the right staff.

“I’ve always been a GM fan, but the fact that Triple Eight had a long-standing customer

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

program and relationship where they build cars, make their own components and supply various amounts of data or whatever you want to sign up for. It just seemed the natural and normal way that I should go to make sure that it gave us a fighting chance when we got to the race track.

“Then we get into the chicken-and-egg scenario – you want the best people, you want the best drivers, you want all this sort of stuff, but the best people want to win and they want to go to somewhere that they know is going to have all the runs on the board.

“So how do you attract these people without having runs on the board? You’ve always got to start off and prove yourself and then you get one person and that will attract the next one and so forth and so forth. It’s like the snowball effect.

“Our first year was quite difficult, trying to attract the right people, but I’ve found this year it’s getting a lot easier and as we record better results and things like that, people are noticing and people are looking at who’s on the roster and more and more of the right people I feel like will be attainable in the future.

www.autoaction.com.au I 35

“Unfortunately for us, we literally got handed the keys six weeks before the first round.

We had zero opportunity of finding the right people because they were already signed up.

Most deals are done in October, November, earlier probably, of the previous year. Everyone already had a home and everyone was already locked in.

“We were begging and borrowing and poaching and whatever we could to try and find people. The first year was almost just survival and learning, whereas this year it has been a lot easier and I think next year will be better again.

“We are definitely looking for more people.

The driver and engineer combination is very important. You hear of a lot of the successful drivers a have had the same engineer for a

long time and a lot of it is they just understand each other. So when the driver says, oh, the car’s doing this, the engineer understands exactly what he’s saying and what he means.

“You also get some other very talented drivers like SVG whose probably had three different engineers in the last four or five years and he still seems to have gone well, but he’s a little bit unique in that department. But look at Chaz and Adam De Borre – they have been together for a long, long time. It’s going to be interesting next year to see how Chaz goes with a new engineer, but it just seems like it’s a very important combination that we have to get right.

“In business, the goal’s always to employ people smarter than you and the race team’s no different. All the people that we have are a lot smarter than me at what they do and that’s why they’ve got a job. There’s a lot of similarities there, just like there are a lot of similarities between drag racing and circuit racing.

“The biggest one is competition; we all do it to win. None of us rocks up thinking ‘I’ve got no chance, or I just want to compete or I just want to make up the numbers.’ I think if you’re doing that you’re crazy – you just shouldn’t be there. We all turn up with the hunger to compete and the rest is just learning.

“In the drag world, data is king and I can’t see how circuit racing is any different. The guys with the bigger data book with all the pages filled out and all the knowledge seem to adapt a lot quicker than the rest. That’s where all your engineers and all your back-end work, whether it’s on a sim or whatever, it is just about learning.”

The PremiAir journey is well documented.

He started out with Chris Pither and Garry Jacobson as his two drivers, Pither a great bloke with access to Coca Cola money and Jacobson an inherited deal from Tekno. But that didn’t last.

Midway through 2022, Jacobson was shown the door and James Golding was brought in.

It was more about attitude that anything else, but it showed Xiberras wasn’t just hanging around as a window ornament. Golding was a hit from the start, although he feels he stills needs consistency from his 27-year-old driver.

Then for 2023 he brought in Tim Slade to replace Pither in the now black Nulon cars.

The idea behind Slade was a bit of experience to welcome the new Gen3 era.

“This first year for Tim, I’m not going to lie, it probably wasn’t as good a result as what I was hoping for, but we are going with the same combination next year. I sort of feel like, with some of the changes that’s going to be made in the off-season, I really feel confident that both drivers are going to do a lot better next year.

“We’ve got to prove ourselves to try and recruit good drivers and good engineers to the team.

“For me, a satisfying year will be, we qualify two cars in the 10 and two cars race in the 10.

I honestly believe the two drivers that we’ve got are very capable of that. Let’s go for the stars and hopefully get on the podium a few times. If that happens then I’ll call that a very successful year.”

As one of the smaller teams in pitlane, he says wins to

Golding heads a tight pack at Symmons Plains. Image: MARK HORSBURGH Matt Stone Racing and Team 18 in 2023 took that excuse off the table, but added that winning is possible for every team on the grid. Of the 11 teams in Supercars, only PremiAir and Blanchard Racing Team are yet to win a race.

“It does frustrate me that if they can do it, why can’t we? But it just means that we’ve got to work harder and smarter. We obviously haven’t done enough to earn it, so there’s no kicking rocks and spitting your dummy out. It’s a case of, well, let’s just identify where we’re going to improve and let’s go after it.

“I got told when I first joined up, that it’ll take me five years before any real success comes, and that didn’t sit well with me at the time. But as I reflect back on the last two years, I can see why that was told to me and it probably does make a bit of sense actually.

36 I www.autoaction.com.au

Tim Slade was brought in this year to add experience to the line-up. Left: Peter Xiberras is always there, always looking for new information ...

Far left: Slade makes a stop during the Bathurst 1000.

Below and left: James Golding came from two years of S5000 with GRM, and impressed immediately – he made the Shootout at Bathurst ...

IMAGES: MARK HORSBURGH-MOTORSPORT IMAGES/ PETER NORTON-EPIC SPORTS PHOTGRAPHY

“Let’s put aside year one, but if I look at year two, the team we are today versus that team that did the first round at Newcastle we’re chalk and cheese. It’s hard for me to explain and put in words why we’re different, but we are just a slicker team.

We’ve gelled a lot more, we still make mistakes, but before it was almost like we didn’t know what we were doing.

“Now we do know what we’re doing, but we overlook things or, as all teams do, sometimes things get a bit complacent or whatever, and you make mistakes. The thing that everyone’s got to understand is that the team that makes the least amount of mistakes normally does all the winning.

“The big question we are asking ourselves at the moment is what changes do we need to make? Because the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over and expecting a different result. As it sits, we don’t want to make change for change’s sake, but what changes do we need to make so we can improve, because there’s no way on earth that we are going to go through another year and not make improvements. That’s just madness.”

Mirko de Rosa joins the team as Tim Slade’s engineer for 2024 and he’s a race winning engineer from Blanchards and Erebus. He joins ex-Triple Eight engineer Romy Mayer who joined mid-season, and there’s a few other changes that won’t be visible.

“One thing that we have identified is that you’ve got to have team members that are actually constant team members and not fly-in fly-out contractors. That’s probably had a lot to do with some of the mistakes that we’ve

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

made and part of the gelling and all that sort of stuff. We’ve put a lot of emphasis on making sure we’ve got more full-time staff rather than part-time staff.

“We are here for the long term and you’ve either got to try and improve the people from within, or bring people in that help you grow.

I always like to say that it’s easier to make someone than to break them, so there’s that, but opportunities with different staff and people from different teams always bring something.

“I think it’s just something that you’re constantly assessing and changing and looking at what’s out there. We don’t want to make change for change’s sake because there is no real point in that, so if you make a change, it’s got to be for the sake of the team and the journey.”

Turning to the sport as a whole, he thinks it is in pretty good shape.

“I’m a big Peter Brock fan, and I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘back when this guy was racing or back in my, I call it the heyday of the sport’ ... well there was 15 people on the hill and 20 people watching on TV. “Today if you look at the numbers, and a lot of people are quick to knock what Supercars

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

are doing, but when you look at the numbers of people that attend and the ratings on TV, the investment in sponsorship and so on, to me, clearly whatever they’re doing, they’re doing well.

“I’m not going to sit here and knock what they’re doing. I could sit here and knock the Gen3 process or whatever, but I wasn’t involved. I don’t quite understand everything about it and why things were chosen and all the rest of it. I’m sure if it was easy it would’ve been done, but guess what, it’s not easy and I think everyone suffered memory loss.

“Last year’s model was bulletproof after 10 years. But when that car was introduced, from what I understand, it was a bucket of bolts and had the same issue that we’ve faced this year.

The car will evolve, it’ll get better.

“I don’t do social media. I don’t get involved with it, but you hear a lot of it and there’s a lot of negativity, but I just don’t understand why when the sport is growing. So, I think, thumbs up. It’s doing good.”

As for settling in, he is now accepted by

“ ”

got into it. Everyone jumped into different categories for different reasons – some of it was what you could afford and all that stuff. I got into what we call Super Sedans, which is a fairly grassroots category, it was all about having fun with my mates. We went out and we just enjoyed it.

“The problem with drag racing, whether you want to admit to it or not, is you start off and straight away you want to be faster.

I remember running 11 second passes and then I just wanted to run a 10 something, and then you finally get to a 10, then you just keep going and going.

“Then every time when you get there, then you want to go faster so you’ve got to make more horsepower. I’ve got to do this, got to do that and that’s been my whole drag racing journey. So after I got finished with the sedan I bought a dragster because I’ve always had a thing for dragsters and I went to Supercharged Outlaws.

I never thought I would do Group 1 racing, but I ended up with a Top Fuel dragster – we

We’ve got to prove ourselves to try and recruit good drivers and good engineers to the team ...

most of the team owners as no longer being an outsider. He says the team ownership ranks is no different to life outside of the sport – there are people you like more than others and you tend to gravitate towards them.

“I try and stay in my bubble and stay in my lane and do my own thing. So naturally I don’t really get out there and expose myself too much and speak too much. But half of them have been really good , really good to talk to and offer plenty of advice and help and things like that.”

He may have been in drag racing for many years, but he was once a novice there too, and he sees this process as no different even though he isn’t driving.

“I can’t remember the exact year, but it would’ve been 18 or 20 years ago when I

started at the back of the pack and slowly worked our way through and to the middle of the pack. I’d like to think we’re sort of at the pointy end now and we run with the front runners.

“We’ve run the national record, and we are looking at ways of how we can go faster.

You just don’t stop wanting to learn and progress and to do better than you did last time and that’s no different for circuit racing.

If you have a look at all the lap records, they just keep tumbling because drivers and engineers keep looking for ways of how they can get around that corner quicker than they did last time.

“That is what racing is all about, and we are no different to that,” he says, closing off with a reference to his Supercar team.

www.autoaction.com.au I 37

ACTION MART Leading LS Conversion Specialists Castle Headers and Exhaust components Dynogen Alternators - The hidden alternator in a generator body Hi-Torque Gear Reduction Starter motors Billet High Performance Alternators Wiper Motor Kits EFI Conversion Looms and ECU reprogramming Conversion engine mounts, Transmission Crossmembers, Conversion Sumps Rack & pinion Conversions

CAEPERFORMANCEPRODUCTS.COM.AU 7 MAIN RD CASTLEMAINE VICTORIA 3450

T 03 5472 1442

CAMS CAMS SPEC SPEC MILD MILD STEEL STEEL CHROMOLY CHROMOLY TUBE TUBE -- SHEET SHEET -- SOLID SOLID

OVER 5,000 PRODUCTS

INSTORE OR ONLINE

machineryhouse.com.au TUBE BENDERS - DIES - NOTCHERS

PH: 02 9676 8001 SHIPPING DAILY AUSTRALIA WIDE W W W. R A C E T E C H S T E E L . C O M . A U

01_AA_290420

THE ORIGINAL

OFTEN COPIED - NEVER EQUALLED www.speco.com.au

LONGER LASTING FLAMEPROOF COATINGS A A1 AA1

Suppliers of...

Chrome moly 4130N tube and sheet 350 grade COW tube Roll cages Tube bending Race car components Andrews Race Cars

Australia’s premier online racewear retailer • Karting & race suits, gloves, shoes, underwear • Helmets • Hans devices • Coolshirt products • Steering wheels

OMP DISTRIBUTOR & MORE

CAZ MILBURN 0428 887 223 www.raceline-racewear.com.au

Custom printed or embroidered suits, made to measure

+61 (02) 9838 0032 andrewsracecars@hotmail.com Units 1-3, 33 Anvil Road, Seven Hills NSW 2147 Australia www.andrewsracecars.com.au

CAD Design & Engineering • Race Car Specialist Roll Cage • Chassis Design • Fuel System • Specialty Projects YATALA QLD • PH: 0407 099 088 • EMAIL: russell@modconcepts.com.au

WANT MORE MOTORSPORT?

Stay up to date with all the latest motorsport news Subscribe to the Auto Action newsletter today!

autoaction.com.au/newsletter

F F I e rence D e h t l e e F

• High quality German made limited slip differentials • Proven in competition by winners in FIA GT, ALMS, WTCC, Targa, BTCC, F3, Nürburgring 24 hour and Bathurst 12 hour • Competition gearboxes, Gear sets, Driveshafts, & Wheels Hubs also available

Contact details: P: (02) 4868 2347 W: www.drexler-motorsport.com.au

SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE! Subscribe to Auto Action print magazine and receive 3 MONTHS DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION FREE

autoactionmagazine.myshopify.com

Contact Bruce Williams for bookings and information on 0418 349 555 or bruce@autoaction.com.au

Subscribe to Auto Action magazine and get every copy delivered

STRAIGHT TO

YOUR DOOR! For over 50 years Auto Action has been delivering the most indepth coverage of motorsport news, race reviews and behind the scenes features. From Supercars and Formula 1, to national, state and club level racing and rallying. Auto Action covers it all!

ORDER TODAY AND RECEIVE YOUR COPY ON THE SAME DAY THE MAGAZINE GOES ON SALE! Anywhere in Australian including SOUTH AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA and TASMANIA*

Why Subscribe?

TOP TORQUE PROVIDES FULL ENGINE reconditioning and rebuilding services including complete engine rebuilding specialising in Subaru and LS Series engines.

With over 100 years of combined experience in engine machining, assembly and cylinder head reconditioning-from performance, full competition to standard, Top Torque Performance is a trade leader.

• Cylinder Head Reconditioning • Engine Block Reconditioning Our workshop is full of the latest engine and cylinder head reconditioning machinery including Serdi, Berco, Hines and Rottler machines.

FACTORY 5, 187-201 ROOKS ROAD, VERMONT VIC. 3133

PHONE: 03 9873 3800 • WWW.TOPTORQUE.COM.AU

NEVER MISS AN ISSUE Receive all the latest motorsport news, reviews and features.

PLUS additional breaking news in your digital edition!

FREE DELIVERY Receive your print edition straight to you door, and your digital edition delivered to your inbox each fortnight

03 9563 2107 admin@autoaction.com.au autoactionmagazine.myshopify.com *In most cases **While stocks last

NATIONALS WRAP BENSON WINS TIGHT TASSIE HILLCLIMB Image: BRIGHTDESIGN.COM.AU

SPORTSMANS FIRE UP IN PORTLAND MORE THAN 160 drivers put their foot to the floor at Portland’s South Coast Raceway for the latest round of the Aeroflow National Sportsman Championship Western Conference and ANDRA Series.

Super Sedan saw an emotional win for Gary Vogelsang (pictured), who took a maiden Christmas Tree win in his Taboo 1968 Camaro by beating Alex Gkroidis.

“I am over the moon. I have never won a Christmas Tree before, and my old man who used to follow me around everywhere sadly passed about three weeks ago,” Vogelsang explained.

“He didn’t quite make it here, and I think he was riding shot gun with me today, so we won it for him.”

Glenn Henley continued his strong form in Top Sportsman by taking another win having overcome Vlado Turic.

Sarah Osborne claimed a third Christmas Tree to extend her success in her last season in the Junior Dragster bracket.

She proved too fast for Alex Rottenbury in her Drag’n Fly Junior Dragster despite some early issues.

“Another win is always great, it is a really good feeling,” Osborne said.

“We had some troubles with the car on

Saturday where we couldn’t really figure out what numbers it was running, but on Sunday it was on fire.”

In his first time driving at South Coast Raceway, Dale Tucker won Supercharged Outlaws by beating Tim Stewart in his HQ GTS. Reigning Super Gas champion Rob Bergamin took another win onboard his ‘angry’ VF Valiant Hardtop by overcoming Jason Wilson in the finale.

In SuperComp, reigning Super Stock champion Adrian Vella took out the victory over Top Qualifier, Matt Forbes, while Michael Jennings lifted the Super Street Christmas Tree trophy after defeating Tex Griffiths with his 1970 Nova.

In Modified Bike, Lucas Neagoe took the win over South Coast 660 winner Sean Ricketts on board his Suzuki GSXR1000.

Kenny Stewart took the Modified Eliminator win over David Willis in his dragster, while in Competition Bike, Joe Khoury took the win over David Willis with his Harley Davidson Destroyer.

The NDRC Western Conference will return to South Coast Raceway for the South Coast Raceway across January 6-7.

Thomas Miles

STUART BENSON (pictured below) overcame the wet and cold conditions to lead a Subaru 1-2 in an exciting 2023 CMI Domain Hillclimb.

Wet weather made the 21st edition of the Tasmanian event run by the Club Motori Italia a challenge for the 43-car field.

A wide range of cars were on show but it was the Subarus that reigned supreme in a close contest.

Just 1.7s split the podium and the driver on top was Benson, who snatched victory with his final run.

The Subarus of Benson and Gary Griffiths were the class of the field as conditions improved and the course got faster as the event progressed.

They were the only ones to go below 50s as they went head to head in a grandstand finish.

Benson’s 50.35s time on his third run gave him the lead as the final runs approached.

But Griffiths was the first to hit the 49s threshold with his penultimate run, lowering the benchmark to a 49.70 in his Subaru WRX.

This threw down the gauntlet to Benson ahead of the final run of the day and he delivered under pressure.

Benson went more than a second faster in his Subaru STi than he had all weekend to turn heads and snatch the lead with a blistering 49.04s time.

Griffiths could not mount a response and only managed a 50.15s time which ensured victory went to Benson.

Another driver who stood up in the final run was Damien Moore, who posted a 50.86 in his Nissan 350Z to be on the podium and win Class D. Honda driver Rhys Silver claimed Class A honours while Gary Lucas (Fiat Abarth) and Stuart Craft (Skoda Fabia) won classes B and C respectively.

Italian A and B went to John Madigan and Gary Lucas respectively.

Benson also won Class F in addition to outright.

Michael Elliott won driver of the day honours in his Hyundai Getz.

Thomas Miles

Image: GVS MEDIA

DRIVERS TAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN WELL OVER 1000 drivers took on the iconic Mount Panorama at the annual Challenge Bathurst event.

The 2023 edition attracted 1,257 competitors, who completed an estimated total of 21,912 laps of the famous circuit.

Drivers of all abilities and cars of all shapes and sizes descended on the Mountain to take part in either the Supersprint or Regularity components of the event held on November 23-26.

The Supersprint side of things kicked off the event on Thursday and Friday where 2022 winners John-Paul Drake and Garnett Patterson extended their reign at the top.

The drop down over Skyline is a challenge Australian Prototype Series champion in any Mustang in the wet! Image: Paul Drake landed the first blow, setting CHALLENGE BATHURST PHOTOS 2:06.419 in the ‘Joker’ Wolf F1 Mistral.

But his co-driver and GT World Challenge Australia star Patterson made the knockout blow, while the next three cars were all sporting the same badge. going almost 3s faster to record a blistering 2:03.785, half a They were the leading runners in Group A, just one of second faster than Brodie Kostecki’s Shootout lap. four groups on show at Bathurst, as Drake also dominated This was easily the top time of the entire weekend as the Group D to the tune of 13s. combination were in a league of their own, with Drake also The battle for Group B went down to the wire as just threeeasily winning his class. tenths separated the three fastest cars.

A further 6s back was Richard Perini, who recorded a best In the end Adam Naccarata emerged on top with a time of 2:09.9490 in his Ginetta G55 GT4.

2:18.2190 in his Radical SR3 RSX. Then followed a train of Porsches led by the #1 992 GT3 This meant Andrew Georgiadis had to settle for second Cup car of Jacque Jarjo, who rounded out the top three, best by just 0.03s while Mark Tracey was a close third.

40 I www.autoaction.com.au

David Murphy brought the Ford EL Falcon back to Bathurst with success, setting the fastest time in Group C. His 2:23.2370 was four-tenths faster than Bruce Duckworth’s Duck Racing Porsche 911.2 GT3 entry.

Among the field were a series of old Supercars including Steven Richards’ 2010 FPR FG Falcon, a 2005 Larkham Motorsport BA Falcon, 2003 Garth Tander GRM VY Commodore, 2008 era Paul Morris Supercheap Auto Commodore and Jason Bright Falcon, plus a pair of Glenn Seton Falcons from the late 90s.

The challenge of taking part in the Regularity segment over the weekend was further heightened from a series of showers soaking the Mount Panorama circuit.

Drivers were able to adapt to the tricky conditions across a Saturday practice and four trial sessions.

The lowest point scorer in both Group A and the weekend was Simon Tate in the Porsche 996 GT3, who got to within a tenth of his pre-nominated time and racked up 140 points.

Next best was Darry Curry’s BMW M2 with 165.

Others to take regularity wins were Jamie Martin (Group B), Stewart Temesvary (Group C), Brenton Hammond (Group D), Trent Kenedy (Group E) and Robert Oshlack (Group Z).

Thomas Miles

Want to see your category event or news story included in the Auto Action Nationals Wrap.

Send your information, images and contact details to team@autoaction.com.au or give us a call on 03 9563 2107

WHITE IS THE KING OF THE HILL

Image: TURN8 PHOTOGRAPHY/ DARREN ARCHIBALD

SEAC AUTOCROSS REACHES FINISHLINE THE 2023 South Eastern Automobile Club Autocross Series concluded in Mount Gambier recently with a special twilight meeting.

The day-night affair around the SEAC Park course was a challenging one for competitors and went John Whitehead’s lightweight buggy (above) proved unbeatable in the opening round, being 3s faster than Sam Thomas’ Subaru.

Whitehead stayed on top in Round 2, but only just, as Thomas came within half a second.

The track then opened up come Round 3, requiring drivers to take some extra caution and it was in these conditions Thomas excelled, making good use of the rally developed suspension to be 1.5s clear of Whitehead.

Whitehead then hit back, riding the bumps expertly to record a 1:48.13, which was 3s too much for Thomas, while Jayden Edwards put in his best time of the day to get a close third.

With the double-lap Round 5 approaching, conditions were starting to have their say with five cars now sidelined.

But there challenges were not enough to stop Thomas from claiming important back-to-back round wins and charging into the tea-break with all the momentum.

After tea, the cars returned with extra lights fitted to tackle the fading light and the conditions suited Thomas’ WRX to a tee as he claimed a huge 6s win over Jayden Edwards.

Thomas continued to shine in the dark, proceeding to win the final two rounds and complete a dominant day on the dirt.

Whilst he was well clear in the penultimate round, the finale was well contested with less than 2s covering the top three of Thomas, Whitehead and Edwards.

Thomas Miles

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

THE TREK to be the 2023 King of the Hill in Ararat went down to the wire as Derrick White (pictured) held off a host of others in the interstate battle.

A total of 73 cars from South Australia and Victoria fought for both bragging rights and the prestigious Peter Hall Memorial State of Origin Trophy at One Tree Hill.

Competitors made full use of the warm conditions and grippy track surface to chase the top time, which was ultimately set by White’s Subaru Liberty, but not without a fight.

Just over a second covered the top four cars in a competitive contest for victory at the Ararat One Tree Hillclimb event.

White flew out of the blocks with a 57.75s opening run before he was the first to hit

the 55s benchmark in his next attempt.

But by run 4 Steve Grinstead in his Holden VL Commodore hit the leat with an impressive 55.01 to end the opening day on a high.

Conditions were even warmer on Sunday which meant the stopwatch was also under fire with drivers pushing hard.

The top contenders were straight into the 54s, with Grinstead extending his lead by posting a 54.86 in Run 5 of the weekend.

His Commodore went even faster on the following attempt, but this was not even enough to retain top spot.

White found top gear in his Subaru Liberty by posting a 54.10, which was the knockout blow in a scoring Run 6.

Both of them stayed in the 54s on the following run but just fell short of their

top times and could not quite match the heights for the rest of the day.

Despite having a best time of 56.68, Patrick Hitchcock flew the flag for SA and set some scorching times out of nowhere.

In both of his final runs he was able to fly into the 54s, which was an improvement of almost 5s from his previous run.

His best efforts saw him finish third by two tenths as the leading South Australian behind the leading Victorian duo, while Nathaniel Kuchel also saved his best to last to get a close fourth.

Although Victoria dominated the 2023 edition of the event accumulating 35 points to 21 with five cars in the top six, South Australia still has the overall lead winning nine years to five.

Thomas Miles

Image: BURNOUTS UNLIMITED

MORLEY SEALS 10TH WA SPEED SERIES TITLE PETER MORLEY (below) has come out of the final weekend of the WA State Speed Series a 10-time champion after sweeping the double header finale at the Collie Motorplex.

Against a field of more than 60 cars, Morley’s dominant performance in the Formula Libre in sweltering conditions had him take the title by 51 points form Justin O’Hehir after winning the final five rounds of the year.

“Feels great to claim my 10th championship in the 25th year of the Speed event series. I have been a registered competitor since the first year and love seeing the series growing to

what it has become now under the current committee,” Morley said.

Saturday’s long course action saw almost immediate results with a time of 1:06.930 on his second pass, which was enough to seal the penultimate round over Laine Brandis in his Nissan Skyline by a clear six seconds, who’s first lap time stood for P2 after he was forced to retire in his second outing.

Third place went to Robin Mullet who would eventually finish third in the championship, seven-tenths slower than Brandis.

Sunday then saw Mullet and his Nissan Silvia have a good battle with Rhyan

Shapkaris in his Formula Libre RJS Phoenix, with the pair completing 19 laps apiece, with the latter only hauling in Mullet on his final lap to steal second place at the death.

Morley again set the pace early on the Sunday, with a time of 42.499 coming on his third lap, +3.911s better than Shapkaris’ final tour.

In the Production Sports Cars class, Emran Mahli and David Baxter split the wins which gave Mahli the class title, whilst in the Road Car Under 2 litres, John Hart in his Toyota 86 and Josh Holden in his Honda Integra tied for the title.

TW Neal

Image: GRAEME HOWIE

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 41

NATIONALS WRAP

AN HQ RACE TO REMEMBER MAGILTON/WOODS PREVAIL IN THE 2023 KEN LEIGH HQ FOUR HOUR RYAN WOODS and Andrew Magilton have taken home the Ken Leigh HQ Four Hour title after combining perfectly to emerge on top at Winton.

A 20-car field took on the ‘Action Track’ in Benalla and it was Magilton and Woods, who emerged on top from the endurance test that was split from Saturday to Sunday.

Only two cars finished on the lead lap after 127 laps of racing with the #14 H1 a comfortable 1 minute 8 seconds ahead of its nearest rivals Brett Osborn and John Baxter.

Osborn and Baxter were initially the pairing to beat driving car #1.

It was the standout in the Top 10 Shootout, taking pole by a huge 0.9s margin over the Magilton and Woods car.

They then converted the pole into a lead during the early stages after getting a solid start.

The #1 was in P1 for the first 16 laps until pitting on lap 17, five laps earlier than the #14 which had ran second.

After the second cycle of stops, it was actually the #33 of Rod Raatjes and Andrew McLeod who emerged in the lead after performing the over-cut initially.

Raatjes and McLeod took control of the race on lap 33 and headed the field all the way to lap 60.

But behind them there were contenders on the charge.

The #14 of Magilton/Woods had slipped down to fourth after the early stops but slowly picked off their rivals to move up the order.

First was the #77 of Michael FitzGerald/ Richard Whyte on lap 42, which then led to another battle with Osborn/Baxter.

On this occasion Magilton/Woods prevailed, picking off the #1 on lap 53 to rise to second.

They then hunted down the #33 and

Woods and Magilton head for victory in the Four Hours. Below left: John Baxter heads the chase.

Below right: Scott Nind dominated Stock Cars.

Images: NEIL HAMMOND stole the lead on lap 60 and were never challenged from there.

Aside from a brief six-lap spell as the pit stops shuffled the order, car #14 was in a dominant position, leading the final 67 laps.

Magilton/Woods opened their lead to more than a minute by the time the chequered flag arrived with only Osborn/ Baxter on the lead lap.

The #33 of Raatjes/McLeod rounded out the podium as the combination which started in third, Steve Banks/Gavin Ross, struggled and could only record 103 laps.

STOCK CARS AUSTRALIA

THERE WAS no stopping the Mustang of Scott Nind from giving the blue oval a victory at Winton in the Stock Cars

Australia category.

Across the four races Nind was a cut above the rest, taking all before him in a dominant weekend in his ex Greg Biffle NASCAR Xfinity Series car.

The tone was set when the #16 Mustang stormed to pole with a 1:25.1450, a huge 4.1s ahead of the rest.

As Nind drove into the distance, it left the rest to fight for second best.

Initially this was Josh Hourigan, who was

the runner up in each of the first two races in his Chevrolet Silverado.

Brett Mitchell had qualified second but could not start race 1 and was back to his best in Race 3, climbing from fifth to second.

But first lap dramas meant his final race came to an early end as Nind beat Robert Marchese by 16s to complete a perfect weekend.

Thomas Miles

NEW WINNER AT WILLUNGA SUBARU WRX driver Douglas Johnson has become the first new winner in the Ampl Auto Willunga Hillclimb since 2018.

Held on the Old Willunga Hill Road at the southern end of McLaren Vale on 10 December, 140 entries were received, but when the weather forecast predicted record December rainfall, strong winds and possible thunderstorms, around 40 competitors withdrew.

As it turned out, the Southern Vales missed most of the bad weather, rain easing off during the day, but the winds persisted, causing a delay at one stage when a large branch fell across the track.

Johnson finished the day 9.36 seconds on aggregate ahead of the Nissan R35 GTR of Nick Streckeisen, in turn 5.51 in front of Adelaide rally co-winner Oscar Matthews in his Mitsubishi Evo VI. Multiple winner Dan Day led from the start

42 I www.autoaction.com.au

in his Subaru STi C-spec to head Johnson by 10.990 after the first three runs.

However, Day’s Subaru was out on the following run when the oil pressure plummeted.

Matthews headed Andy Sarandis in his Improved Production Mitsubishi Evo VIII by 10.16 with Gavin Farley’s Evo VII 2.21 further back, with Matt Frith’s Nissan Silvia 3.82 away in sixth, and first 2WD. It was a long way back to the next 2WD, Damian Malizani’s Mazda RX7 down in 18th place. John Lemm

Nick Streckeisen finished second, over nine seconds in arrears.

After being runner-up for the past two years, Douglas Johnson went one better this year.

Images: JOHN LEMM

Want to see your category event or news story included in the Auto Action Nationals Wrap.

Send your information, images and contact details to team@autoaction.com.au or give us a call on 03 9563 2107

FESTIVAL SPIRIT ...

DESPITE SUMMER RAIN

Laurie Bennett took the Dawson-Damer trophy. Below: Cutts leads Paynter and Normoyle in a tough Vee contest.

Bottom of page: Oastler heads Whelan in ‘Slicks and Wings’ ...

Images: BRUCE MOXON

THE YEAR’S Historic racing calendar finished at Sydney Motorsport Park, with the Historic Sports and Racing Car Association’s Summer Festival. Auto Action’s BRUCE MOXON couldn’t resist one more race meeting.

THREE MAJOR historic meetings in four weeks might have diluted the entry lists, but the action was still great.

The main race for the weekend was the John Dawson-Damer Trophy, for Groups M and O racing cars. Laurie Bennett (Elfin 600) was slow away from pole position, allowing Wayne Wilson (Brabham BT 35) and Richard Carter (Rennmax 23) to lead away.

Bennett was past Carter by the hairpin and blew past Wilson on the main straight and went on to build up an unassailable lead. By lap five of eight, Bennett was the length of that straight ahead, as David Kent (BT21) and Ian Ross (Elfin 600-Repco) had moved past Carter. Bennett ran out winner by 30 seconds from Wilson, then Kent another 5s back.

Saturday’s two races were rain-affected, Bennett winning the first and Carter the (much wetter) second race. Bennett won the other Sunday races.

Group S had a one-hour mini-enduro with a compulsory pit stop. Cars with two drivers could just make their swap, but cars with one driver had to stop for a set period, so with an efficient swap, two drivers could have an advantage.

Wayne Seabrook (Porsche) was sharing with Spencer Rice. Seabrook, former Sheffield Shield cricketer, opened the batting with pole and shot away for an immediate lead over Doug Barbpor (911) and Terry Lawlor’s Shelby GT350. Lawlor moved into second on lap two and set off in pursuit, but Seabrook was flying. Lawlor pitted on lap 14 of 22, handing over to

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

Bergen and Tweedie exchange paint ... Below left: Andrew Miedecke’s Volvo 122 debuted ... Right: Chris Farrell heads Sean Whelan, both in RALTs. Images: BRUCE MOXON

Jamie Tilley, who would resume in second place. Seabrook handed over to Rice a lap later.

Lawlor’s car’s fuel tank, however, proved to be a bit small. Despite trying every trick in the book to over-fill the tank, the car ran dry two laps from the end. Seabrook and Rice ran out winners from Barbour, who drove solo, then Simon and Damien Meyer, in a pair of Sprites.

Seabrook had a perfect weekend, winning all three other races, with Barbour and the Meyers filling the minor places.

Slicks and wings cars saw some great scraps between the Ralts of Mal Oastler, Chris Farrell and Sean Whelan. Oastler took the first race from Whelan and Malcolm Boyd’s Elfin. Races 2 and 3 went to Farrell, with Whelan and Oastler second and third in both.

The Formula Vee races were fantastic, with David Cutts (Spectre) and Tony Paynter (Stag) never more than a length

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

apart. Cutts won all four races and Paynter took all four fastest laps. Dean Briggs and Steve Normoyle took two thirds each in their Spectres.

Formula Ford entries were way down, with Sandown only a couple of weeks earlier. Peter Lewis (Reynard) and Bruce Connelly (Elwyn) battled hard all weekend, Lewis coming out on top three times out of four, then not finishing the last race and leaving Connelly to take the silverware.

Mark Lowing (Reynard) and Kieran McLaughlin (Van Dieman) were in the mix too, picking up the scraps with some good results.

Group N was dominated by

Jamie Tilley’s ‘69 Mustang while, behind him, a titanic scrap emerged between the Minis of Tom Tweedie and Andrew Bergen that extended all weekend. Tilley headed home West Australian Graeme Woolhouse’s Mustang in the opener, from Bergen and Tweedie.

The Minis banged doors at one point, leading to words in the pits afterwards. In the very wet Race 2, Tilley headed home Bergen and Tweedie.

In Race 3, Woolhouse retired in a cloud of smoke, while Tilley head Quentin Bland’s Capri and David Noakes’ Escort. Bergen had a massive crash between Turns 1 and 2, rolling end-for-end and landing on top of the concrete wall. The race ended with a red flag as Bergen went to hospital with some broken bones.

In the final race, Tilley won again, from Bland, Noakes and Tweedie. The car that attracted interest beyond its pace was Andrew Miedecke’s Volvo 122, having its first outing and therefore some struggles.

It will be interesting to watch its progress.

Meanwhile, Andrew is looking for the 122 he raced and sold many years ago.

www.autoaction.com.au I 43

NATIONALS WRAP PERFECTING THE PAPERCLIP HQs at war! Images: MTR IMAGES

THE QUEST FOR QUEENSLAND GLORY THE MOTORSPORT Australia Queensland Circuit Racing State Championships wrapped up its 2023 season and combined the HQ Nationals on one busy weekend at Morgan Park.

HOLDEN HQ NATIONALS

THE BATTLE of classic Holden machinery provided plenty of entertainment from start to finish, with a big field of 41 competitors fought it out across six heats and a feature race.

The field was split across each outing, which allowed New South Wales trio Brett Osborn, Luke Harrison and John Baxter to claim two heats each.

With an additional second place to each of them, they all sat on equal points by the end of the weekend setting the stage for a grandstand finish.

However, it was all about Osborn, who made the 41-car feature race all about himself.

He led all 20 laps to take the race by a second over Luke Harrison to take home the bragging rights, while Baxter had to settle for 11th.

CIRCUIT EXCELS

CIRCUIT EXCELS took centre stage in the support categories with four entertaining races.

Zane Rinaldi got off to a fast start with pole position and two wins putting him on course to victory.

Despite the perfect start to the weekend, Rinaldi could not continue his momentum as the weekend went on.

Jack Wood finished with a wet sail to claim two wins of his own, but just two tenths behind him was Rinaldi, who did enough to score round honours.

FORMULA VEE

THERE WAS also little separating the leaders in Formula Vee which went down to the wire.

Alex Macdonald and Alexander Hedemann collected identical results across the weekend with two wins and runner-up finishes.

But it was the #1 of Macdonald who took advantage of the bonus points to narrowly edge out Hedemann by four points with Matthew Dicinoski a consistent third.

IMPROVED PRODUCTION/SPORTS SEDANS ROD LYNCH and Mark Wright delivered standout performances in the Improved Production and Sports Sedans category.

44 I www.autoaction.com.au

Rinaldi shows the way in the Excel contest.

Wright was flawless in the Sports Sedans class, being untouchable in his Holden Commodore with Jason Delaney forced to settle for second best on each occasion.

Lynch paved his way to glory by winning the first three races of the more competitive Improved Production class.

He had a hot pace in his Holden VF Commodore, but his run was disrupted

by Paul Spiteri who won race four with his Mazda RX7.

FORMULA FORD/SPORTS AND RACING

THE COMBINED class of Formula Ford and Sports and Racing was dominated by two drivers.

Liam Loiacono was unbeatable in the Mygale SJ09A01 to overcome Lachlan Evennett in all four races.

In Sports and Racing Christopher Farrell soared in his Swift 014 to claim all four races in Sports and Racing.

PRODUCTION TOURING

THE BMW M2 of Roman Miller was the pacesetter in the solid field of Production Touring cars.

Miller took pole and then went on the charge, taking out the opening two races over Paolo Buccini.

But by Race 3, Mark Bailey came to play and charged to victory in his GR Yaris leaving Miller to settle for second best before he finished the weekend with a bang.

SUPER MINI CHALLENGE

THE WINS were shared across the field in the Super Mini Challenge with three different victors spread across the four races.

James Campbell took the opener but was unable to finish a race for the remainder of the weekend.

Right behind him was Brayden Larkin, who made the most of the opportunity to win the following two races. Although Trent Spencer won the finale, it was Larkin who claimed the round win.

Thomas Miles

QUEENSLAND RACEWAY came alive recently as over 40 cars took on the Paperclip at the Festival of Motorsport event.

There was something for everyone as Australian Trans Am, Combined Tin Tops and Production Sports went racing and three separate groups staged Sprints.

AUSTRALIAN TRANS AM

THE AUSTRALIAN Trans Am series saluting the American racing scene from the 60s and 70s wrapped up with a big weekend at Queensland Raceway.

It ended up being the scene of John Prefontaine taking out the championship crown in the 5-Litre #21 Mustang, having slightly extended his already strong advantage over 6-Litre leader Mark Spencer.

But the finale was all about John English who was untouchable in the #11 Firebird, taking pole and winning all five races.

Behind him it was a battle royale to be the runner-up as less than a second covered Ian Palmer, Spencer and Prefontaine.

English remained untouchable in Race 2 where Alwyn Bishop put in a big charge to take third and overhaul Prefontaine, while Palmer retired due to a battery failure.

English recorded a hat-trick of lights to flag wins as Bishop took second ahead of the gutsy Palmer who charged from the back to third.

Bishop overcame a start scare to secure second in Race 4 while in the

finale English looked to finally receive some competition.

Prefontaine looked to challenge English but he ultimately held on to complete the perfect weekend.

PRODUCTION SPORTS

A NICE mixture of European and Japanese cars participated in Production Sports where Brendan Whittaker was in a league of his own initially.

He took pole by 1.2s in his Porsche Cup car before an even more emphatic 29s win over Hugo Gordon in the opening race.

But he was unable to repeat the dominance in race 2 as #58 Gerry Murphy’s Porsche GT3 Cup stormed past.

Whittaker’s issues reached a new level in Race 3 when he was forced to retire after just two laps as Murphy hit the top.

But by Sunday Whittaker was back to his best winning the next two sprints.

However, Murphy took the fight to him in the sixth and final race and won a tense two-car battle by just 0.9s

COMBINED TIN TOPS/SPRINTS

A SMALL field competed for Combined Tin Tops honours with just two Commodores on show.

Little separated Ian Moss and Craig Kasper, but it was the former who prevailed.

Dylan Cothill, Luke King, Samuel Zambon Malta, Samuel Carroll and Tobias Fine finished first across the 11 sprints held.

Thomas Miles

Trans Ams in line astern at QR. Above: Gerry Murphy (Porsche) heads the Production Sports field.

Images: MTR IMAGES

Want to see your category event or news story included in the Auto Action Nationals Wrap.

Send your information, images and contact details to team@autoaction.com.au or give us a call on 03 9563 2107

Image: JAKE DUNN/NORTHLI NE

MEDIA

Morris leads a packed TA2 field down to Turn 1. Opposite: Justin Barnes did enough to seal the RX8 title. Below left: Jarrod Hughes took a TA2 hat-trick ... on debut. Far right: Dylan Thomas and team took championship P1.

Images: JOHN MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

CALDER ENTERTAINS IN NATIONAL RETURN

THE FIRST WEEKEND IN DECEMBER WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE ROAR OF THE HI-TEC OILS SUPER SERIES BLEW AWAY A 5697-DAY DROUGHT OF NATIONAL LEVEL RACE MEETINGS AT CALDER PARK. THE MIGHTY MELBOURNE TRACK PRODUCED A BIT OF EVERYTHING, THOMAS MILES REPORTS …

TA2 MUSCLE CARS

BEING THE first national meeting at Calder Park since 2008, the 2023 TA2 Muscle Car Series season was always ending on a high.

Throw in a few variables such as a threeway championship fight, a couple of wellcredentialed interlopers and Melbourne rain, and it had the makings of a classic.

Despite a major scare in the Sunday warmup, Dylan Thomas was able to see off Jackson Rice and Josh Haynes to take the title, while rookie Jarrod Hughes stole the show, dominating in a dream debut.

Hughes was instantly fast in his ACDelco Mustang, but Nash Morris pipped him to pole by 0.4s.

With just 38 points separating the championship trio ahead of the finale, the stakes were high as the first national race at Calder for a decade and a half began.

After a two-lap dash following Peter Robinson’s mistake at the flip-flop, Morris managed to keep Hughes at bay to add another Calder Park triumph to the family name, while Haynes also held track position from Rice and Thomas.

With three races on the cards, Saturday was the defining day but heavy showers created an even bigger challenge on the already bumpy and slippery track.

The warmup almost proved disastrous for Thomas, who had a run in with the wall but his #68 was repaired in time for racing.

After falling second best in the opener, Hughes could not be stopped from dominating Race 2 having pounced on a costly mistake by Morris at Turn 1. He dropped to third behind Brad Gartner as Rice and Thomas claimed important top fives with Haynes down in seventh.

There was drama at the start of the finale

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

when the pack started going up the hill as Lee Stibbs was spun and neither Russell Wright and Greg Keam could avoid him with the former hitting the outside concrete hard.

This brought out an early Safety Car and shortened the race to just seven laps as Hughes took a hat-trick and Morris charged to second and Rice slipped from second to 10th.

A sixth-place finish was enough for Thomas to secure the “big relief” of his maiden TA2 crown.

AUSTRALIAN HYUNDAI CHAMPIONSHIP

AS ALWAYS things were competitive in the Australian Hyundai category as a solid 19-car field jostled for position.

Blake Tracey won the first race ahead of Tyler Collins and Jaylyn Robotham. But his hopes of a round win faded as the weekend progressed with Brad Vereker flexing his muscles.

Vereker charged from fifth to victory in race 2 which paved the way to a round win despite being beaten by Tracey in the finale.

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

A consistent weekend as the third highest points scorer was enough for Collins to be crowned EFS 4x4 Accessories Track Attack Excel Super Series champion.

Ward and take the opening win after three lead changes in eight laps.

Tate then secured the round with back-toback wins and a dominant drive in the finale while Finnegan had a costly retirement.

In Semi Pro Chris Spicer took out round honours after a tight battle with Ben Goodridge and Nathan Predo.

RX8 CUP

VIC V8S

THE RX8 Cup finally went to Justin Barnes as Brock Paine dominated.

Paine converted pole into a 8s winahead of Jack Pennacchia and Tom Shaw.

Coming home fifth was Barnes, who did enough to secure a long-awaited maiden RX8 Cup crown.

Only 1 race was possible as conditions were deemed not fit for racing when all competitors agreed to stop once the heavy rain arrived on Saturday morning.

LEGEND CARS AUSTRALIA

THE LEGEND Cars Australia season also concluded at Calder Park where Shane Tate prevailed.

Tate held off the improving Lachlan Ward in a three-race weekend and the former’s charge started in qualifying when he took pole by a tenth.

However, Billy Finnegan managed to beat

A PAIR of Holden Commodores fought for Vic V8s supremacy in a competitive round of action.

Mark Houeix and Craig Eddy were the front runners and shared stints leading the field.

In the end two wins in the first and last races were enough for Houeix to edge out Eddy by three points for round honours, while Mark Kakouri was third all weekend.

AUSTRALIAN SUPER TT

IT WAS fitting Australian Super TT was on show given it was also part of the last national meeting held at Calder in 2008.

On that occasion Joe McGinnes was in a league of his own in a Ford XY Falcon.

In 2023 Brett Edwards was the dominant force, controlling all three races as Ryan Bell and Michael Ricketts had to fight for the minor positions in the small field.

www.autoaction.com.au I 45

RALLY RAID • YEAR IN REVIEW

THE GREATEST SHOW ON TWO WHEELS

DESPITE THE fact that the 2023 five-event FIM World Rally Raid Championship covered a mammoth 19,482 kilometres (10,291 kms timed), both the title and the Dakar Rally centrepiece was decided by a matter of a few points and a matter of mere seconds.

Across the Moto category season, the chief battle played out between the Argentinian Benavides brothers and Aussie KTM legend Toby Price, as the 450cc machines traveled to the Middle East, Mexico, Argentina, and Africa.

Whilst the main T1 cars category was dominated by Qatari Toyota driver and five-time Dakar winer Nasser Al-Attiyah and co-driver Mathieu Baumel, the W2CR Rally2 Moto field provided a global battle of epic proportions.

Husqvarna’s Luciano Benavides would deny Price a

46 I www.autoaction.com.au

second world title by just four points on the final day at Rallye du Maroc, whilst his brother Kevin Benavides took the heartbreak a little further, denying the Aussie a third Dakar Rally triumph by an absurd 43 seconds after 13 days and 4,706km of timed specials: the closest ever Dakar in its 45 year history.

Following a second place at Dakar, Price then took backto-back podiums at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and the Sonoro Rally, but Luciano went better both times with straight P2’s to be on his heels in the title chase.

Whilst French Honda rider Adrien Van Beveren took Round 2, the following Mexican round saw a maiden world championship win for Victorian born Aussie GASGAS rider Daniel Sanders, who also showed his mettle by competing with a serious illness at Dakar to finish seventh.

Heartbreak then followed when Sanders did his knee prior for Argentina’s Desafio Ruta 40 round, ending a promising campaign.

Argentina was the turning point for the chasing Husqvarna rider, turning around a seven-point deficit to Price when the Aussie’s rear shock-absorber exploded on Stage 2. His KTM teammate Matthias Walkner then sacrificed his own rally, giving Price his parts in a selfless act to keep him in the hunt.

Whilst Price fought like hell to finish an unlikely seventh, Benavides saluted in front of his hometown to lead by eight points heading to the Rallye du Maroc final in North Africa.

The finale swung both ways in an epic battle, with Price

needing to finish with a three place separation should he Australia’s Toby Price ran the title so, so close ... win. but on literally the last day , Luciano Benavides And (left) snatched it by four poi nts ... although he’d take out his third Rallye du Maroc victory in a bittersweet moment, Benavides’ P2 secured him a maiden FIM World title.

Price at one stage had the title in his hands on Stage 3, but Benavides was monstrous in the 343 km Stage 4, taking the stage and essentially shutting the door on the championship.

It remains to be seen if Price, at 36-years-old, will go around again for a full season. He has however signed for perhaps a last tilt on two-wheels at Dakar with KTM, which is set for January 5-19.

A name to watch next year is Spanish Honda rider Tosha Schareina, who was ineligible for points as a privateer but actually won the Desafio Ruta 40 – he’s naturally been awarded with a full Honda contract for ’24.

Whilst dropping the Sonoro Rally for 2024, the series has also added the new Round 3 – Ultimate Rally-Raid Transiberico in Portugal and Spain as a replacement.

TW NEAL

WRC • YEAR IN REVIEW

WRC KING FINN AT JUST 23-YEARS-OLD KALLE ROVANPERA POWERED HIS TOYOTA GR YARIS TO A SECOND STRAIGHT WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP TO REMAIN THE ONLY TITLE HOLDER OF THE RALLY1 ERA. TIMOTHY W NEAL LOOKS BACK …

A YEAR after delivering rally mad Finland its first WRC title in 22 years, alongside compatriot co-driver Jonne Halttunen, as the youngest ever world champion, Rovanpera fought off the early season challengers from his own stable to take control on the run home.

It wasn’t via the utter top-shelf dominance of last season (six wins) but unrivalled consistency and doing what he had to with the knowledge that his part-time TGR teammate (and eight-time champion) Sebastian Ogier, would eventually have to falter – or just not be there – after leading the championship early.

He still took three wins, at Portugal, Estonia and Greece, as well as five podiums. And outside of a retirement through an uncharacteristic error in his home rally, was never outside of the top five.

After taking the lead from Ogier in Round 5 in Portugal he was never topped, but he was hounded by some the WRC’s perennial bridesmaids in Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and teammate Elfyn Evans.

They both had to be lucky and perfect – a feat that’s nigh impossible or rarely seen in the sport of rallying – and the chase for Evans effectively ended in an Austrian barn, whilst the Belgian i20N driver came undone in Kenya under charges of suspicious activity.

By the end of 2023, Rovanpera would have amassed 11 WRC victories in three full-time seasons, which for his age put his name within the conversation for being a potential great of the sport.

After he wrapped up the title a week early at the penultimate Central European Rally, he then shocked the rally world two weeks after the Rally Japan by announcing he would step aside from competing full-time in the WRC…for now.

BEST MACHINE WINS

2023 WAS like a typical European party – heaving early, plenty of options, very multicultural ... then it peters out, and only the Finns are left standing.

In the first four rounds of the 13-round season the title was very much up for grabs; 11 points split five drivers – Ogier, Evans, Rovanpera, Ott Tanak, and Neuville, with only four points covering the top-four.

In another part-time WRC year, ‘The Boss’ Ogier was looking like doing the improbable and challenging for the title in an eightround campaign. And when you talk about drivers potentially being perfect, he nearly was.

Whilst he dominated Rallye Monte Carlo in the season opener, he sat out Sweden before winning in the high altitudes of Mexico in Round 3, both with dominant drives.

Tanak split those wins by taking the snow-and-ice round for his first win in in Ford M-Sport Puma, and also took a P2 in Croatia to be in the frame, sitting third after four rounds.

But he knew he couldn’t add a second title from the get-go as his machine would never be reliable, and all year he’d be plagued by

Kalle Rovanpera – double champion.

Below: the WRC goes from ice and snow (Sweden), to the heat of Kenya ... Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

electrical and engine issues – hence he will return to Hyundai in 2024.

Round 4 was marred by a terrible tragedy.

In the warm-up to Rally Croatia, Irish driver and then Hyundai part-timer Craig Breen lost his life in pre-event testing. The rally went ahead with Evans winning but there were no smiles. Breen was well liked, and it was perhaps his sheer love of rallying and his family subsequently giving the round their blessing that it even went ahead.

Round 5 in Portugal was the turning point and the #69 was dominant, and with other failures, he enjoyed a sudden 17-point lead.

It was the following round in Sardinia, Italy, where the Ogier fairytale for a ninth title came undone, crashing from a big lead, whilst Neuville stoked the fire with a win to go second.

At the 70th anniversary of Rally Kenya, Ogier then took a third win, but it would be his last and he’d sit out the next two rallies, with Toyota also sweeping the event for a second straight year. Evans also assumed second place in the title race, whilst Neuville’s push ended by being stripped of points for illegal overnight recce activity on the hunt for ominous looking rocks.

The quick gravel of Estonia saw Rovanpera

dominate, whilst Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi impressed in his first full-time year with a fourth podium in five rounds.

Evans then took Finland to keep his hopes as Rovanpera crashed, but after Greece then fell to the Finn it looked unlikely.

Tanak took his second win of the year in Chile, then immediately told Ford he was off to Hyundai in ’24, whilst Toyota sealed its third straight Manufacturers title.

Heading into the penultimate round, the WRC’s first ever tri-nation rally which took place across Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, Evans was 31 points behind and had to win to keep it alive.

With Rovanpera in the lead by only 20 seconds on Day 3, Evans pushed hard, so hard that he ended up in someone’s barn.

Rovanpera eased off, Neuville won, but the chase was over.

Rally Japan went down in torrential rain for a chaotic end to the year, and Evans closed it out with a consolation win, 35 points shy of the title, whilst Toyota put the final stamp on 2023 with another sweep in from of its home crowd, with its Rally1 machinery withstanding nearly every obstacle – heat, altitude, mud, water, snow, dirt and rocks.

Ford-MSport and Hyundai were more than capable of a fight, but reliability wins rally championships.

The 2024 WRC season kicks off in the Monegasque French Southern Alps for the 92nd Rallye Monte-Carlo on January 24-28.

2023 WRC STANDINGS: Rovanpera/Halttunen - 250 • Evans/Martin - 216 • Neuville/Wydaeghe - 189 MOST WINS: Rovanpera, Ogier, Evans - 3 MOST STAGE WINS: Rovanpera - 72

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 47

MOTOGP • YEAR IN REVIEW

PAINT THE TOWN RED

Bagnaia (left and below) had to go to the last race to snare his championship double.

Below left: his only real challenger was another Ducati – but from the ‘number two’ Pramac team. Bottom: Honda had a shocking year, with Marquez crashing 29 times ... No surprise then that he is off to Ducati for 2024.

Images: GOLD AND GOOSE

THERE WAS ONLY ONE BIKE TO HAVE IN 2023 AS DUCATI DOMINATED THE 75TH AND LONGEST FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON – BUT THE TITLE FIGHT STILL WENT DOWN TO THE WIRE, WITH A FAMILIAR NAME KEEPING HIS CROWN FROM A RISING STAR … THOMAS MILES REVIEWS THE YEAR THAT WAS IN MOTOGP ...

THE 2023 MotoGP season will be remembered for one thing – Ducati domination.

The Italian manufacturer swept up 17 of the 20 Grands Prix, 16 Sprints and never missed a podium en route to scoring almost double the amount of points as the next best constructor, KTM. Leading the charge were Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin on the Ducati and Pramac Desmosedici GP23s respectively as they wrestled to be champion.

Portugal was the scene for the first historic Sprint race, which was introduced to all 20 rounds, to arrest sliding attendances.

The new format delivered action instantly as the winner of the first Sprint was not decided until the final lap as Bagnaia snatched the lead from future title rival Martin when he ran wide at Turn 5.

The #1 did the double by winning on Sunday as Marc Marquez and Honda’s forgettable 2023 began with a horrific crash with Miguel Oliveira.

Early on it appeared Bagnaia’s biggest threat was VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi, who announced himself with a storming ride in the rain at Argentina where the #1 slipped up. Bezzecchi eventually came within one point of Bagnaia after winning a dramatic 1000th GP at Le Mans with a dominant ride.

But the reigning champion came to the fore as the European leg progressed, not dropping out of the top two in five straight Grands Prix to balloon his lead to an imposing 62 points.

However, his campaign was literally flipped on its head when he suffered a horror

high-side and was hit by Brad Binder whilst leading in Catalunya. Thankfully, Bagnaia was cleared of injury and was back on the bike the following weekend, but his grit was not enough to prevent Martin from going on a tear, finishing on the podium in eight straight races to ignite a two-way fight that was not decided until Valencia.

The final nine races were littered with memorable moments as the title rivals raced side-by-side and many surprises arrived.

Fabio Di Giannantonio gave it everything to win at Qatar, while Phillip Island produced its usual magic as Johann Zarco ended his seven-year wait for a MotoGP win – on a Saturday due to inclement weather.

But the pick of the bunch was Thailand as heavyweights Bagnaia, Martin and Binder were covered by just two-tenths after a battle for the ages.

For Australia’s Jack Miller, it proved to be a character-building season, his first wearing KTM colours.

Miller was unable to get the win he craved

as crashes at COTA and Valencia proved costly, while he appeared to struggle to make the tyres live as well as the others, finishing 11th with one podium in Jerez, seven spots behind teammate Binder.

But KTM proved to be the second-fastest manufacturer only behind Ducati as the Japanese titans scratched their heads.

Both Honda and Yamaha were off the pace and their riders crashed regularly, with Alex Rins’ surprise win at COTA the only high.

The pain proved too much for Marc Marquez, who is on the move for the first time in his career ... to Gresini Ducati.

‘PERFECT’ DUCATI PUSH BAGNAIA FORWARD FRANCESCO BAGNAIA became the first Ducati rider to score multiple MotoGP world championships by fending off young charger Jorge Martin.

Although Martin had the momentum on the Pramac Ducati, Bagnaia’s experience and composure proved to be the difference as it went to the wire at Valencia.

After Bagnaia’s bright start to the season, featuring regular wins and relentless consistency, followed by Martin’s fast finish, highlighted by near unstoppable Sprint success, just seven points split the pair as they lined up on the grid for the penultimate race of the year at Qatar.

But, when the pressure rose, the more senior Italian stood tall with a fine ride to second in Lusail where Martin was left whingeing, with mystery “bad tyre” frustrations limiting him to 10th.

This allowed Bagnaia to head to the finale with an imposing 21-point advantage, but Martin had one more ace up his sleeve.

Yet again the #89 produced a special Sprint Saturday, storming to victory to keep his dream alive.

But when the pressure was at its highest, Bagnaia stayed calm and put in an impressive ride to victory as his rival tumbled further back in the pack.

It means the Italian is the first to go back-toback since Marc Marquez and the first to win a championship with the #1 number since the days of Mick Doohan.

Emerging victorious after a long season that was not without its low points, Bagnaia paid tribute to his “perfect” team.

“I think we did everything perfectly to be considered the number ones,” he said in Valencia.

“Even more in the second part of the championship, because we were faster many times but we managed always to be competitive and faster and stronger on Sunday – that is the main race.

“Last season was one to be very proud of, but this season even more because we had bad luck in some situations and we won the title.”

1: F. Bagnaia 467 2: J. Martin 428 3: M. Bezzecchi 329 Most GP wins: F. Bagnaia 7 Most Sprints: J. Martin 9 Most Poles: F. Bagnaia Teams champ: Pramac Ducati

48 I www.autoaction.com.au

NASCAR • YEAR IN REVIEW

OHIO’S PENSKE POWER THE LONG AND ARDUOUS NASCAR SEASON BOILED DOWN TO A PENSKE MUSTANG BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE PHOENIX RACEWAY, WITH RYAN BLANEY TAKING HIS FIRST CUP SERIES TITLE. TIMOTHY W NEAL REPORTS …

THE THIRD-generation Ohio born racer rose to the occasion in the Playoff series as an unexpected champion, entering the Round of 16 having qualified in 12th for his seventh consecutive Playoff season in a 10 year career.

The 29-year-old 306 race veteran took two clinch wins in the Playoffs at Talladega and Martinsville Speedways, with the second buying him passage through to the sudden death finale at the ‘Desert Oddball’ Phoenix Raceway.

The #12 Dark Horse driver was also the first Ohio native to ever win a NASCAR title, giving ‘The Captain’ his fourth championship, but first back-to-back.

Blaney essentially sealed his Playoff spot by winning the biggest and longest race in NASCAR, The Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway for his only win of the 26race regular season, with seven podiums and five top-10 finishes.

Of true-American racing heritage, Blaney added yet more prestige to his family legacy, with his father Dave having won the World of Outlaws Sprintcar title in 1995 and the Knoxville Nationals, as well as being a veteran of 473 NASCAR races. His uncle Dale is a six-time All Star Circuit of Champions title winner and a King’s Royal winner, who was also drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers Basketball team in the 80s, whilst his grandfather Lou Blaney was a 600 time Dirt Modified race winner and National Sprintcar Hall of Famer who won bucket loads of track championships in a 47-year career.

THREE QUARTERS OF A CENTURY DONE AND DUSTED 2023 MARKED the 75th Anniversary since the first NASCAR race meeting was held at Daytona Beach in 1948.

There were also three retirements, with 2014 champion Kevin Harvick giving it away, as well as 2004 champion Kurt Busch making it official, with three-time race winner Aric Almirola also hanging up the boots.

THE PLAYOFF EQUATION

The regular season was topped by William Byron who took a season-high five wins prior to the Playoffs.

It’s hard to go past three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen’s win for Trackhouse on the streets of Chicago for the year’s most astounding moment – the first debut win since Johnny Rutherford at Daytona in 1963, and the first ever Chicago street race, whilst he also took a P10 at Indianapolis in the same race as Brodie Kostecki made his debut for Richard Childress with a P22.

The 26-race regular season kicked off with the longest Daytona 500 in history, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. beating 2022 champion Joey Logano in double overtime.

Another big highlight belonged to the champion, when he gave Roger Penske a sweep of America’s biggest races on the same weekend – the Indy 500 and the CocaCola 600 – with Blaney holding off Byron in the 16-caution race.

And for one of NASCAR’s most interesting innovations – the Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway – it was finally won by a traditional

dirt tracker in Christopher Bell, before it was then decided it would be the last one, with the faux-dirt track having too many complications.

2020 champion Chase Elliot had a nightmare season, missing six races due to a leg injury, also getting a suspension for purposely wrecking Denny Hamlin at the 600 before enduring his first winless year since 2017 to miss the Playoffs.

The return of the old-school North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina for the All-Star Race was another popular moment, its first race since 1996, with Kyle Larson taking the cake.

And speaking of old-school, the wreck of the year goes to Ryan Preece at the Daytona 400, with the Mustang flipping 10 times into the infield. Preece walked away unharmed.

It wouldn’t be NASCAR without some argy-bargy, with Noah Gragson and Ross Chastain’s on-track fight being the most memorable. While Chastain caused the crash, he also landed one on Gragson’s chin, and was definitely the most disliked driver in NASCAR for the year, taking plenty of postrace threats to watch his back on-track.

THE PLAYOFF’S featured Byron, Martin Truex Jr, Hamlin, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Larson, Bell, Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Tyler Reddick, Logano, Blaney, Michael McDowell, Stenhouse Jr, Harvick, and Wallace.

Larson qualified for the Round of 12 immediately with a win at Darlington Raceway, whilst Reddick and Hamlin took Bristol and Kansas, with Logano, Harvick, Stenhouse and McDowell getting the chop.

The second phase saw Byron add a sixth win at Texas to get passage through to the round of eight, whilst Blaney got passage by winning a thriller over Harvick by the length of a tyre at the Talladega 500, while the Charlotte Speedway Roval then saw Keselowski, Chastain, Wallace and Busch miss out.

Three of the final four contenders took wins to advance to the elimination, with Larson taking Vegas, Bell at Miami, and Blaney taking his second playoff win to advance at the death in Martinsville with Byron also getting passage, as Hamlin, Truex Jr, Reddick and Buescher falling short.

Whilst Byron won pole and led every lap on the opening stage for the Phoenix finale, Bell’s season ended in lap 109 when a brake rotor blew up and he went into the wall, with Blaney making the decisive move on Larson into P2 on lap 276.

And whilst Chastain took the race, Blaney led home Larson and Bell in second, third and fourth to take the title.

Champ Blaney and Larson were season-long contenders. Above: The Daytona 500 remains a NASCAR classsic. Right: Crash of the year – Ryan Preece ... Far right: The champ – Ryan Blaney.

Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

FINAL FOUR: Blaney - 5035 Larson - 5034 Bell - 5033 Byron - 5001 MOST WINS: Byron - 6 MOST LAPS LED: Larson - 1,127

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 49

IMSA • YEAR IN REVIEW

CADILLAC SALUTES ON IMSA HOME TURF IMSA’S NEW LMDH HYPERCAR ERA LIVED UP TO ITS ANTICIPATION, WITH FOUR MANUFACTURING GIANTS PAVING THE ROAD FOR WHAT’S TO COME. TIMOTHY W NEAL REPORTS… REPLACING THE DPi (Daytona Prototype International) class in North America after six seasons, the new LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid) machines ushered in a more cost-effective hybrid energy management system that, going forward, would be more aligned with the road-going industry; hence enticing more manufacturers back to the pinnacle of sportscar racing.

Acura (Honda), BMW, Cadillac and Porsche delivered the goods on track from Daytona to Road Atlanta, producing close and well-balanced competition with the championship going down to the wire, with six driver pairings spread across all four makes in with a shot down to the very last hour at the Petit Le Mans finale.

Every manufacturer took at least one race victory, showing the success of the new LMDh formula, with more manufacturers and customer teams to join the party in 2024, including Lamborghini, and perhaps Alpine via the Meyer Shank Racing team.

In the end it was the #31 Cadillac V Series.R machine with regular drivers Pipo Derani and Alexander Sims taking the title by 21 points over Daytona 24 winners Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor in the #10 Acura ARX-06.

Both Porsche Penske teams, the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, and the #60 Acura were also in with a late chance.

Out of all the manufacturers, the Porsche 963 had perhaps the most extensive lead-in with testing and, despite both the #6 and #7 machines taking race wins with the pairings of Mathieu Jaminet/Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr/Matt Campbell respectively, it was the GM and Acura machines that proved the benchmarks of reliability from start to finish.

A SEASON OF CHANGE

FOLLOWING ON from their 2022 DPi title and Daytona 24 win, Acura opened the LMDh account by backing up in America’s round-the-clock classic, with Blomqvist a surviving member of the previous era.

Shortly after, the whips got cracking with 12 Hours of Sebring, and the final laps at nightfall brought chaos, with the leading Porsche’s and the #10 Acura getting caught up in a melee 20 minutes from the chequered flag, with the eventual title winners having a championship-defining Bradbury moment for their only win of the year.

The Long Beach Grand Prix also provided thrilling late drama, as the #6 963 won a tyre gamble after the #6 Acura took the lead then immediately went into the fence, whilst Aussie Matt Campbell steered the #7 to a gutsy P3.

The #01 Cadillac of Sebastien Bourdais/Renger van der Zande then gave Cadillac its second victory in

four rounds by taking out Laguna Seca in California, whilst Campbell gave Porsche its first GTP pole, with Porsche blowing a front-row lockout start when both locked up early, but the #6 fought back for P2 to be second in the title race.

After threatening with back-to-back podiums at Sebring and Long Beach, the #25 BMW was handed a post-race victory at the Watkins Glen 6 Hour when the #6 Porsche failed a scrutineering test after a rain interrupted race with plenty of flags and chaos – with the race ending under a yellow and what would have been a 75 point champion lead turn into a 75 point deficit to the #31 Caddy.

The trip to Canada then saw the Daytona 24 winners give Acura its second GTP win, whilst the return to the US at Road America in Wisconsin saw Campbell and Nasr dominate to take their first win in the 963 over the two Acura Machines, with the third placed #10 Acura taking the championship lead after two straight podiums.

Porsche then continued it’s roll on, with the #6 Jaminet-led 963 taking out the Battle of the Bricks at the Indianapolis Road Course in a one-two ahead of the sister car, with Campbell also taking pole number two – whilst only five points separated the #31 Cadillac, #10 Acura, and #6 Porsche for the winnertake-all Petit Le Mans finale.

The fight ended early when Albuquerque slammed into the wall in wet conditions trying to overtake the championship leader, with Tandy crashing in lapped traffic in the contending Porsche. The sister Acura prevailed over the #01 Cadillac and a customer Porsche, whilst the champions eased into sixth to claim the title.

The LMP2 championship was claimed by PR1/ Mathiasen Motorsports, with drivers Paul-Loup Chatin/Ben, whilst the LMP3 title went to Gar Robinson with Aussie Josh Burdon playing a big C-driver role. The last ever GTD title went to the Lexus Vasser Sullivan with Brits Ben Barnicoat and Jack Hawksworth taking it out.

The 2024 IMSA season resumes on January 25-28 with the 62nd Daytona 24. TW Neal

2023 IMSA GTP STANDINGS: #31 Cadillac - Derani/Sims - 2733 • #10 Acura - Albuquerque/Taylor - 2712 • #60 Acura - Blomqvist/Braun - 2711 MOST WINS: #60 Acura - 3 MOST POLES: #31 Cadillac, #60 Acura, #10 Acura, #7 Porsche - 2

Sims and Deraini took the title at the final race ... Above: Going green at Daytona. Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

50 I www.autoaction.com.au

WEC • YEAR IN REVIEW

TOYOTA RULES WEC …

BUT THE CAVALRY IS COMING TOYOTA CONTINUED ITS DOMINANCE AT THE TOP TIER OF WORLD ENDURANCE RACING, BUT THE BIG ONE WENT TO FERRARI IN AN HISTORIC 24 HOURS OF LE MANS. TIMOTHY W NEAL REPORTS ...

2023 WAS a year of transition in the World Endurance Championship. And whilst it was the third season for the LMH machines in the WEC, it was the first true season of its growth with Ferrari, Porsche and Cadillac joining the show (alongside the existing Peugeot, Glickenhaus, and Vanwall machines) to expand the new dual-make LMH/LMDh Hypercar era.

Toyota was expected to take the titles having had a two-year head start on the incomers with its GR010 LMH machinery … and win it they did, with the #8 and #7 cars taking a championship one-two.

But, Ferrari pushed them all season in the AF Corse 499P LMH machinery, the Italian factory’s first season at the top of sports car racing in 50 years.

They were also the main protagonists in what was the biggest motorsport story of the year, taking out the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ferrari’s first outright victory at Circuit de la Sarthe since 1965!

Indeed, the French Maranello triumph was the only other non-GR010 machine to take the top-step in ’23 alongside its five other podiums, whilst the Porsche 963 LMDh machine took two podiums, with the Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh and the Peugeot 9X8 LMH managing one apiece.

But in a sense, this year was more about next year …

It laid the groundwork and fluctuating BoP experimentation for an expanded fleet of manufacturers and customer cars to join the show in 2024.

The ’24 calvary includes the Alpine A424 (LMDh), BMW M Hybrid V8 (LMDh),

Lamborghini SC63 (LMDh), and the Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 Competizione (LMH), and beyond that, the Aston Martin Valkyrie (LMH) in 2025.

It was also the final WEC season for the LMP2 and the LMGTE categories, whilst the incoming LMGT3 field will propagate the grid solely with the Hypercars, with Ford, BMW, McLaren, Lamborghini and Lexus to join Ferrari, Corvette, Porsche and Aston Martin.

FROM SEBRING TO BAHRAIN

THE NEW machinery gave the WEC an anticipation it hadn’t enjoyed in years, and it all began in the USA for the 1000 Miles of Sebring, with the much talked about BoP also set until the third round in Belgium.

Ferrari’s Antonio Fuoco made an immediate statement with pole position, but both Toyotas overhauled the #50 499P at the four hour mark of the opening race, with the eventual vice-champion #7 leading home its sister car over a debut Ferrari podium.

The Six Hours of Portimao saw a reversal for the #8 Toyota of Buemi/Hartley/ Hirakawa, taking the win whilst the #7 GR010 suffered mechanical issues, whilst the #50 Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen Ferrari took P2 over the Kevin Estre led #6 Penske Porsche.

With tyre warmers controversially banned for every round of 2023 except Le Mans, cold tyres were the talking point at a wet Six Hours of Spa Francorchamps.

The #8 Toyota was the first victim in qualifying, whilst in the race, Renger van der Zande had a big crash at the top of Eau Rouge in the Cadillac, and the #50

Ferrari went into the pit wall on re-entry at low speed.

The Conway led #7 Toyota took the win whilst the #8 recovered from the rear for P2, with the #51 Ferrari team of Calado/ Giovinazzi/Pier-Guidi taking their first podium of the year.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans then saw Porsche, Cadillac and Ferrari drop to minimum BoP weight, and it was the #51 Ferrari that capitalised for a legendary win over the #8 Toyota by 1min21.793, whilst the Earl Bamber led Cadillac took GM’s first Le Mans podium in its first appearance in over 20 years in front of record crowds with over 325,000 people in attendance.

Another highlight was the crowdfavourite Hendricks-built NASCAR – or the very loud ‘American Alarm clock’ – as an invitational entry, which caused a stir when it unexpectedly out-qualified the LMGTE Am field, then keeping snoozing spectators up during the late hours, whilst a huge rain-storm in the middle of the night saw cars spinning off track in a mayhem filled hour.

The BoP advantages for an improving Peugeot, and the chasing field kept coming, but it did little to deter the Toyota machines as the #7 car took its third and fourth wins of the year at 6 Hours of Monza and the 6 Hours of Fuji. The #8 took P6 and P2 in those races, with the #7’s Le Mans retirement costing it championship ground despite the four wins.

Toyota wrapped up the Manufacturers title on its home turf, whilst the wingless Peugeot 9X8 took its first ever WEC

podium at Monza. After Monza, the popular boutique SCG 007 LMH Glickenhaus machine likely said farewell to the WEC after two years – the future fight against the incoming and existing manufacturing giants proving a hill too steep.

The Eight Hours of Bahrain wrapped up the year, as did the #8 Toyota by 27 points over its sister car, a fifth straight WEC title for Toyota, with the podium getting #50 Ferrari wrapping up third over the #51, with the #2 Cadillac in fourth as the best of the LMDh machines.

The final LMP2 title was taken by Team WRT in the #41 ORECA 07, whilst the last LMGTE hoorah went to Le Mans winners Corvette Racing in the #33 C8.R. The 2024 WEC kicks off with the Qatar 1812 km on March 2 in an eight-round calendar that will also visit Italy, Belgium, France, Brazil, USA, Japan, and Bahrain.

2023 WEC HYPERCAR STANDINGS: #8 Toyota - Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa - 172 • #7 Toyota - Conway/Kobayashi/Lopez - 145 • #50 Ferrari - Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen - 120 MOST WINS: #8 Toyota - 4 MOST POLES: #7 Toyota - 3 Ferrari took out the Big One – Le Mans, although Toyota (top right) dominated the overall season and championship. Above centre: Cadillac leads Peugeot leads Porsche through the Monza chicane – look for even more colour in 2024 ... Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 51

INDYCAR • YEAR IN REVIEW -

THE SPANISH INQUISITION SPANIARD ALEX PALOU LED A CHAMPIONSHIP ONE-TWO FOR CHIP GANASSI RACING IN A SEASON OF DOMINANCE RARELY SEEN IN MODERN INDYCAR, WHILE THE COVETED INDY 500 CROWN WAS CLAIMED BY ONE OF THE “THIRSTY THREE.” TIMOTHY W NEAL REPORTS …

FOR THE second time in three years, Palou etched his name into the Astor Cup in a season where his off-track allegiances had garnered as much talk as his on-track dominance - both pre- and post-season.

Since IndyCar became IndyCar in 2008, nearly every single season has been decided on the final day, but 2023 was the year of the #10 CGR car, with five wins in 17 races, and incredibly, a lowest finish of eighth with five podiums and two poles.

But ask every single driver on the grid, and they’ll all say that being on the top step on May 28 is the real prize.

The 107th Indianapolis 500 went to Penske’s Josef Newgarden in spectacular fashion on a breathtaking final lap in which the Tennessee native executed the ‘Dragon Move’ to perfection.

At 43 years young, CGR’s Kiwi stalwart Scott Dixon was impressive ViceChampion over fellow countryman Scott McLaughlin, with the veteran racer registering a year with at least one victory for an 18th straight season, ending the year on 56 career wins to break the tie with Mario Andretti to be second of all time behind A.J. Foyt (67).

It was a season with many heated rivalries, the most frequent of which was between McLaughlin and former F1 driver Romain Grosjean, whilst defending champion, Aussie Will Power, wasn’t shy of throwing any verbal punches throughout the year.

Also, in continuing its tradition as one the motorsports most Kiwi-friendly sporting codes, CGR’s Marcus Armstrong took Rookie of the Year in a road and street course only season.

For Palou, historically, the ’23 season may be seen as bittersweet when he looks back on his career.

His near split with CGR in the 22/23 off-season with a touted move to McLaren Arrows almost resulted in a court case between himself and CGR, while he then turned his back on the Papaya squad after taking the ’23 championship, to remain with CGR. Why bittersweet?

Because losing his McLaren F1 Reserve Driver role was a potential end to Palou’s Formula 1 dream ... while CEO Zac Brown and the McLaren camp have officially filed a $23million lawsuit against the driver for loss of investment.

DRIVERS, START YOUR ENGINES

THE TRADITIONAL modern season opener on the streets of St Petersburg, Florida, began with a bang.

Swede Marcus Ericsson took first blood, for his only win of the year, whilst McLaughlin clashed with Grosjean, denying the Frenchman a maiden IndyCar win after crashing into him on cold tyres.

Palou, backed up for his second title, while Scott Dixon (below) headed a kiwi 2-3. Bottom: The Indy 500 finish was as close as it can be ... Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

Newgarden then took the first of five oval races at the Texas Motor Speedway, whilst Andretti’s Kyle Kirkwood took his maiden win and the first of two for the year at Round 3 at the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Round 4 at Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama then saw McLaughlin fight off Grosjean for his only win of the year with contact being made – which wouldn’t be the last time ...

The first of two races at the Indianapolis Road Course signalled the start of Indy May, with Palou taking win number one, and a six point championship lead from Pato O’Ward.

Palou then took pole during the run up to the 107th Indy 500 at a record breaking 376.9 kph, but it was Newgarden in his 12th attempt who gave Roger Penske his 19th win in the ‘Greatest Spectacle in Motorsport.’ It was a final lap thriller, with the #2 Chev driver pulling the famous drafting Dragon Move on the penultimate corner.

The Spaniard then took three straight to cement his claim on the streets of Detroit, Road America and Mid Ohio, giving him a 110 point lead over the consistent Dixon.

At Road America, Power had a dark weekend, having a physical altercation with Dixon after a practice clash, whilst declaring Grosjean needed a “punch in the face” after he squeezed him into a wall at very high speed.

In Downtown Detroit, Grosjean also

repaid McLaughlin for the St Petersburg incident, taking him out with cold tyres on a pit-exit.

Christian Lundgaard then became the first Danish driver to win an IndyCar race with a win on the streets of Toronto.

A double race weekend on the 1.4 km Iowa Speedway saw Penske dominate, with Newgarden taking a double and threatening to sweep the oval format in 2023, while Power added to his all-time pole record with a double on the same weekend to bring his tally to 70.

The second trip to the Indianapolis Road Course saw Dixon pull a spin and win after first lap contact to keep his season win streak and the championship alive, before he then denied Newgarden an oval sweep at the St Louis Gateway heading into the penultimate round after the Penske driver hit the wall while leading.

An unlikely seventh title for Dixon wasn’t to be, however, as Palou took his fifth win in Portland to give CGR its 15th title, second only to Penske (17).

‘Iceman’ Dixon then closed out the year in style with a third win on the re-paved Laguna Seca in California with Palou finishing on the podium.

The 2024 season kicks off in Florida on March 10, with IndyCar set to employ hybrid technology for the first time in a limited capacity only, as a power-saving boost option.

2023 INDYCAR STANDINGS: 1. Palou 656 2. Dixon 578 3. McLaughlin 488 MOST WINS: Palou - 5 MOST POLES: Grosjean, Palou, Power, Herta, Lundgaard, McLaughlin, Rahal, Rosenqvist - 2

52 I www.autoaction.com.au

FIA FORMULA 2 & 3 • YEAR IN REVIEW

Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

POURCHAIRE RISES TO F2 TITLE THEO POURCHAIRE (above) went one better in 2023, holding off Frederik Vesti to claim the FIA Formula 2 title at his third attempt for the ART Grand Prix team.

He became the first Frenchman since Sebastien Bourdais in 2002 (Formula 3000) to win the second tier series, doing it on weight of consistency, claiming only the one win, at the opening round Feature race in Bahrain.

Pourchaire will now likely be placed into the Japanese Super Formula in 2024, sponsored by his Alfa Romeo F1 backers, with the WEC as a back-up racing option, whilst he will continue to test for the Swiss based team.

The 20-year-old from Grasse occupied the points in the Sprints and Features for all but seven of the 26 races with two poles and nine podiums and only two retirements,

whilst his chief rival who fell 11 points short took six wins (two features). Aussie Jack Doohan ended his F2 career in third place after being the highest point scorer from Round 8 of 15 in Hungary onwards, winning three Feature races in that time at Hungary, Spa and Yas Marina.

That left Doohan equal with highly touted British driver Oliver Bearman as the most winningest Feature driver, whilst Vesti’s four Sprint wins gave him the best record in that regard.

Bearman, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, also tied with Alpine’s French Junior Victor Martins for most poles (3).

Pourchaire dared to dream of the title after Round 10 at Spa-Francorchamps with a 23 point swing, to lead by 12 points, after Vesti qualified second but put his Prema F2 Dallara into the fence on the warm-up

lap, whilst the Frenchman held P2 behind Doohan who had pounced on a timely yellow flag to claim an unlikely win.

Neither driver made headway the following round at Zandvoort, with the visit to the Temple of Speed being the turning point.

The pivotal moments at Monza were Pourchaire taking pole for the Feature whilst holding a 12 point advantage in the championship.

And whilst Vesti took out the Sprint win, the Dane was then put into the wall by Roman Stanek, with Pourchaire taking P3 and a 25-point lead into the Yas Marina finale.

The championship was then left as an open question for an absurdly long time, as the Frenchman faced a near three month break between Monza and the Abu Dhabi

finale for his dream to be realised.

Whilst Pourchaire could only qualify in P14, Vesti only managed P9. And whilst the Dane capitalised with the Sprint win to give Pourchaire a nervous Feature, the Frenchman moved up and found him on the track in the finale.

With Vesti throwing the kitchen sink at it, Pourchaire didn’t play it cautious despite the ‘risk vs reward’, providing the most entertaining passage of racing for the season, with the two dicing over several laps at high speed.

Vesti’s 2024 remains uncertain, with the proposed door now being shut for a Williams F1 seat for the Mercedes Junior.

The first F2 outing of 2024 will be Bahrain on March 1-2, with a new Dallara Chassis being introduced.

TW Neal

2023 F2 STANDINGS: 1. Pourchaire 2. Vesti 3. Doohan MOST WINS (SPRINT AND FEATURE): Vesti - 6 MOST POLES: Bearman, Martins - 3

MAKING HIS MARK GABRIEL BORTOLETO (right) was in no mood for sharing in 2023 – having grasped the lead of the FIA Formula 3 drivers championship at the opening round, he never let it go.

The Brazilian Trident driver ended up cruising to a comfortable 45-point victory, having wrapped up the title before the first racing lap of the Monza finale.

Relentless consistency was the hallmark of Bortoleto’s success with only two wins accompanied by 13 top 10 finishes and six podiums from the 16 races.

Early victories in the Bahrain and Australian Feature races gave him a leg up and he kept on consolidating it across a run of 13 straight points finishes.

Although the likes of Zak O’Sullivan (2 Sprint/2 Feature) and Pepe Marti (2

Sprint/1 Feature) won more races, being the only ones to win multiple Sprint and Feature races with two each, they could not accumulate points at the same rate as Bortoleto, who was always a distant figure at the top of the table.

Despite a point-less and frustrating trip to a slippery Spa being the only roadblock, the championship never looked in doubt and was eventually secured when Bortoleto simply qualified in Italy.

Reflecting on the glory, the Brazilian 20-year-old credited Trident’s work ethic for helping him become a champion.

“It is a dream coming true for me, especially in a rookie season. It is very, very special,” Bortoleto said.

“At the end of the day, (Oscar) Piastri and (Robert) Shwartzman are the only

other ones to win in their rookie season in Formula 3. It’s amazing.

“It took a lot of dedication, hard work and trust from everyone around me.

“Before the season, I had some good results, but never a Champion in FRECA or wherever, so for Trident to trust me by giving me the seat this season and pushing to make me, let’s say, a Champion, is something that will stay with me forever.

“There are a lot of people involved in this – my coach, management and a lot of others. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

Off the back of his F3 success, Bortoleto is heading to Formula 2 with Invicta Virtuosi Racing in 2024 and has joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme as he hopes to continue his dream to Formula 1. Thomas Miles

1: G. Bortoleto 164 2: Z. O’Sullivan 119 3: P. Aron 112 MOST (SPRINT/FEATURE) WINS: Z. O’Sullivan 4 Most Poles: Gabriele Mini, Pepe Marti 2 MOST PODIUMS: G. Bortoleto 6 TEAMS CHAMPION: Prema Racing

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 53

INTERNATIONAL

FORMULA 1 2023 THE YEAR OF THE LION The most dominant season ever in F1 crowned a triple-champion. Images: MOTORSPORT IMAGES

THE 2023 FORMULA 1 SEASON WAS A 22-RACE-LONG BOUT OF DEJA-VU, WITH THE EVER-SO-DOMINANT RED BULL OUTFIT ONCE AGAIN CHARGING TO RECORD-BREAKING HEIGHTS AS THIS YEAR’S CHAMPIONS. AA’S REESE MAUTONE REPORTS ...

FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BULLS

WHEN ALL 10 Formula 1 teams rolled up to pre-season testing in Bahrain, there was everything to play for.

Months of development, tens of millions of dollars, and countless hours spent slaving away over their 2023 challengers all came down to one final weekend where it either worked … or it didn’t.

Despite there being no points up for grabs, many felt as if every last waking moment of that February weekend was a game of deception, and that’s exactly what it was.

What we saw in Bahrain’s pre-season testing was only a dull reflection of what F1 fans around the world were treated to this season.

Complete and utter domination by Max Verstappen and his faultless Red Bull Racing armoury was always a possibility given their 2022 championship-winning form, but the extent to which it played out across the 22 races was simply unprecedented, and undeniably exceptional.

Verstappen obliterated record upon record, but with such activities becoming a frequented norm, it left spectators drifting further down the order for entertainment … and boy did they find it.

FORMULA 1 2023: A 22-ROUND RACE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS …

TURNING UP to Bahrain in Round 1, it was an equal playing field for the entire paddock meaning the gloves were off and the visors were down.

It was a season-defining start for Red Bull,

54 I www.autoaction.com.au

with the team taking an effortless 1-2 in the opening race of the season, led across the line by no other than Max Verstappen.

The Red Bull duo were joined on the podium

by Fernando Alonso, with the veteran starting his 2023 campaign off in vintage form.

kept us all on our toes, with the Mexican ultimately securing the silverware with the added buffer of two wins to his name.

Perez proved himself as the ‘Street King’ by winning in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, sitting on equal wins albeit at a 6-point deficit to

Lewis Hamilton got the better of his young team-mate this year as the duo scraped Mercedes into runner-up in the Constructors’ title.

As for Ferrari, Bahrain set the tone for their season.

Carlos Sainz ended just shy of the bronze medal, crossing the line in a near enough but certainly not good enough fourth place, while his teammate suffered a mid-race engine failure which led to an eventual DNF, the first of seven to come for the Italian team.

The grid then took a short trip across the Persian Gulf to race in Saudi Arabia.

As the season went by, Sergio Perez’s seat came under much media scrutiny, making his early achievements all the more important.

His fight for P2 in the Drivers’ championship

Verstappen by Round 4.

In the opening stages of the 2023 season, Fernando Alonso looked and sounded like he had third place in the WDC under control, truly believing that he could finish every race on the podium, including that elusive top step.

The Spaniard finished on the podium in six of the first eight races – but then only ever returned to the top three in the Netherlands and Brazil.

He had a chaotic trip down under, becoming just one of many victims in the penultimatelap restart in Melbourne.

Alonso was tagged by his compatriot,

sending him spinning down the order.

With some added luck and a lengthy rulebook referral, the Aston Martin driver was handed his P3 back, completing a historic podium which saw three champions of their own respective eras rewarded.

However, as Aston Martin dropped off and their competitors soared, the hope they once took for granted soon faded.

After Australia, the grid took a trip to Azerbaijan before jetting off to the first of three outings in the United States.

Miami was yet another runaway race for the Bulls, seeing them crossing the line almost 30 seconds clear of the competition.

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was set to take place as the first race of the ImolaMonaco-Barcelona triple header. However, due to flooding in the region, Formula 1 cancelled the event for obvious safety reasons.

After an extra week off, the grid headed to two of the most historically significant circuits of the season, both of which are under heavy scrutiny for their quality of racing.

Significantly, this remodelled double-header also held a lot of meaning for Ferrari and its drivers, with each event taking place in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s home countries.

But, as usual, the team and the SF-23 fell flat.

Despite the ‘Monaco curse’, Leclerc finished his iconic home race in a lacklustre P6, while Sainz went one better in Spain to cross the line in P5.

Someone who did rise to the occasion in Monaco was Esteban Ocon, who secured

FORMULA 1 • YEAR IN REVIEW

Aussie rookie Oscar Piastri arrived, and delivered more than his McLaren team had hoped for – matching and beating his highly-rated team-mate on several occasions. Above left: Old champ, new champ ... Alonso and Verstappen compare notes. Left: Kiwi Liam Lawson made a stunning impression.

Alpine’s first of two podiums in 2023.

The Frenchman proudly finished the dramatic wet-dry race in P3, crossing the line a crucial 2 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Canada treated us to another shock, this time arriving at the premature conclusion of qualifying.

Beating the odds, Nico Hulkenberg wrung out every last ounce of pace his Haas was capable of before the late red flag, seeing the German qualify in P2, almost two-tenths ahead of Alonso.

Although Hulkenberg’s name made Saturday’s headlines, it was Red Bull’s 100th win that soon took over the spotlight on Sunday — one of the earlier accomplishments that came the Milton Keynes-based team’s way in 2023.

The paddock jumped ship to Europe just two weeks later.

The Austrian Grand Prix, also playing host to the first of six Sprint weekends, was a major turning point for McLaren, who brought extensive upgrades to Lando Norris’ MCL60.

So, like clockwork, there was a new threat on the rise.

Norris finished the Austrian Grand Prix where he started, in a solid P4, just one position less than his qualifying position for the Sprint.

Following even further development of the #4’s car, McLaren reaped the rewards as the papaya colours returned to the podium in Silverstone.

Norris finished in P2, bringing a trophy home to Woking for the first time since the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

From there on, McLaren rapidly staked their claim at the title of ‘best of the rest’.

The team secured an additional eight podium finishes, whilst improving on its revolutionised form.

Still at Silverstone, a new name on the podium wasn’t the only news to come out of the weekend, with a high-profile game of musical chairs kicking off just days after the chequered flag had fallen.

After sitting points-less with no end in sight, it was out with Nyck de Vries and in with our beloved Aussie, Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo’s instant pace during the test session on Tuesday post-Silverstone earned him not only the respect of Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, but also a seat back on the grid with AlphaTauri.

He immediately jumped in the AT04, running alongside Yuki Tsunoda for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In his first qualifying session, the ‘Honey Badger’ instantly dusted off the cobwebs, advancing to Q2 while Tsunoda was knocked out in the opening session.

Danny Ric started his Hungary campaign from 13th, also ending 13th – crucially ahead of his teammate.

His super run would come to a momentary pause, however, after sustaining a broken wrist in an incident during practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Australian was forced to rely on his quick reflexes in order to avoid a collision with Oscar Piastri, instead turning into the wall and taking a heavy hit.

As a result, Ricciardo was out for five races and Tsunoda had a third, familiar, teammate.

Kiwi Super Formula driver, Liam Lawson stood in for Ricciardo up until the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Whilst racing for AlphaTauri, the rookie truly impressed, navigating the chaos of a Lap 1 downpour to finish ahead of Tsunoda in Zandvoort, finishing ever-so-close to the points in Monza, and completing that goal just two weeks later in Singapore.

Obviously, Singapore was a highlight for Lawson – however, he most certainly wasn’t alone in feeling that.

The race itself was an absolute thriller and a true contender for race of the season.

2023 F1 RACE RESULTS Grand Prix Podium Bahrain 1: M. Verstappen Saudi Arabia 1: S. Perez Australia 1: M. Verstappen Azerbaijan 1: S. Perez Miami 1: M. Verstappen Monaco 1: M. Verstappen Spain 1: M. Versappen Canada 1: M. Verstappen Austria 1: M. Verstappen Great Britain 1: M. Verstappen Hungary 1: M. Verstappen Belgium 1: M. Verstappen Netherlands 1: M. Verstappen Italy 1: M. Verstappen Singapore 1: C. Sainz Japan 1: M. Verstappen Qatar 1: M. Verstappen USA 1: M. Verstappen Mexico 1: M. Verstappen Sao Paulo 1: M. Verstappen Las Vegas 1: M. Verstappen Abu Dhabi 1: M. Verstappen

2: S. Perez 3: F. Alonso 2: M. Verstappen 3: F. Alonso 2: L. Hamilton 3: F. Alonso 2: M. Verstappen 3: C. Leclerc 2: S. Perez 3: F. Alonso 2: F. Alonso 3: E. Ocon 2: L. Hamilton 3: G. Russell 2: F. Alonso 3: L. Hamilton 2: C. Leclerc 3: S. Perez 2: L. Norris 3: L. Hamilton 2: L. Norris 3: S. Perez 2: S. Perez 3: C. Leclerc 2: F. Alonso 3: P. Gasly 2: S. Perez 3: C. Sainz 2: L. Norris 3: L. Hamilton 2: L. Norris 3: O. Piastri 2: O. Piastri 3: L. Norris 2: L. Norris 3: C. Sainz 2: L. Hamilton 3: C. Leclerc 2: L. Norris 3: F. Alonso 2: C. Leclerc 3: S. Perez 2: C. Leclerc 3: G. Russell

With Red Bull’s dominant pace simply vanishing around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Carlos Sainz capitalised, qualifying on pole alongside George Russell.

As the five lights went out, the Spaniard kept the lead into the first corner and throughout the first stint.

Running a differing tyre strategy to Mercedes almost proved dangerous in the closing stage as Russell and Hamilton clawed their way closer to the lead.

With the buffer of Lando Norris in between Sainz and Russel, the Ferrari driver drew upon his strategic mastermind, albeit from the cockpit.

Sainz purposely dropped back to give

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP

Pos Driver Points 1 Max Verstappen 575 2 Sergio Perez 285 3 Lewis Hamilton 234 4 Fernando Alonso 206 5 Charles Leclerc 206 6 Lando Norris 205 7 Carlos Sainz 200 8 George Russell 175 9 Oscar Piastri 97 10 Lance Stroll 74 11 Pierre Gasly 62 12 Esteban Ocon 58 13 Alex Albon 27 14 Yuki Tsunoda 17 15 Valtteri Bottas 10 16 Nico Hulkenberg 9 17 Daniel Ricciardo 6 18 Zhou Guanyu 6 19 Kevin Magnussen 3 20 Liam Lawson 2 21 Logan Sargeant 1 22 Nyck de Vries 0

Pos Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Points

Red Bull Mercedes Ferrari McLaren Aston Martin Alpine Williams AlphaTauri Alfa Romeo Haas

860 409 406 302 280 120 28 25 16 12

MOST WINS: M. Verstappen 19 MOST PODIUMS: M. Verstappen 21 MOST POLES: M. Verstappen 12 MOST SPRINTS: M. Verstappen 4 MOST FASTEST LAPS: M. Verstappen 9

Leclerc just bested his team-mate in the Drivers’ championship – both had their good and bad days ...

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 55

INTERNATIONAL

MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE ALTHOUGH THE horoscopes may not agree, 2023 was most certainly the Year of the Lion.

A nearly-unbeatable masterclass of speed, skill and consistency possessed by the RB19 and Max Verstappen saw the pairing rise to ‘icon status’ in Red Bull Racing’s unprecedentedly dominant championship-defending season.

Securing a record-breaking 19 wins across 22 Grands Prix, totalling to an 86% win rate, Max Verstappen joined a small collective of greats as he created his own history this year, becoming a three-time consecutive world champion, leading his team to Constructors’ championship glory and smashing 10 historic records in the process.

Going above and beyond, the 26-yearold outperformed his competitors, doubling the number of points secondplace finisher and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez scraped together across the 22 rounds, ending with a total of 575 points to his name — the sport’s biggest winning margin ever (290 points).

From the very first lap the RB19 completed during Bahrain pre-season testing in late February, it was clear that Adrian Newey, Chief Technical Officer at Red Bull Racing, had provided his reigning Constructors’ championship-winning team with something rare.

At the conclusion of testing, Verstappen, Perez and Red Bull had cemented their places as the top dogs of 2023, removing the element of surprise when they claimed their first 1-2 finish in Round 1.

A dramatic points difference wasn’t always the story for Red Bull, however, as Perez started his 2023 campaign on an equally as strong note as the #1.

Highly praised as the ‘Street King’, Perez claimed victory at both the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, sitting just 6 points behind Verstappen at the conclusion of Round 4.

This, however, only fuelled the lion-repping Dutchman, seeing the 2021 and 2022 world champion even more motivated

56 I www.autoaction.com.au

to stand on the top step of the podium in all but one of the remaining rounds.

And that he did.

Verstappen went on to create a long list of highlights, thrilling the ‘orange army’ whose unwavering support spanned five continents.

To name just a few of Verstappen’s ’23 accolades: the Dutchman claimed 19 wins, 21 podium finishes, led the most laps (1003) and scored the most points ever in F1 after converting pole position to victory 12 times, taking six hat tricks and recording a record-breaking 10 wins in a row — rubbing salt in Ferrari’s wounds as he ticked that one off in Monza.

But what goes up must always come down, and that’s exactly what happened to Red Bull in Singapore … even if It was just for three days.

Red Bull braced themselves for a painful outing around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, a track which far from suited the RB19.

Verstappen was shockingly eliminated in Q2 for the only time this season after being knocked out by a sevenmillisecond deficit to temporary AlphaTauri driver, Liam Lawson.

His strategy was impacted by a Safety Car, limiting the Red Bull driver’s charge from 11th to fifth, however, finishing just 21.4 seconds behind the only non-Red Bull to claim victory this season.

Carlos Sainz was hailed victorious, standing alongside a McLaren and Mercedes driver on the podium in what was the toughest weekend of the year for the highly decorated team.

Despite the countless achievements accumulated across a nearly flawless 2023 campaign, 21 wins from a possible 22 certainly didn’t satisfy Christian Horner, with the team boss stating that the record still “leaves room for improvement” for the Milton Keynesbased team in 2024.

Heading into next year, however, Horner believes the field will “converge” as they look to work closer with their sister team in 2024.

The Messiah? – just another day at the office for a pragmatic Verstappen ...

Norris DRS, helping the #4 defend from the Mercedes duo until the chequered flag.

To add more action to the already hectic race, Russell crashed out after a lapse in concentration saw him make contact with the wall on the final lap.

Sainz took victory as the only non-Red Bull driver to do so all season, leaving Red Bull with a painfully imperfect record at the end of the year.

Just a week later, Norris and Piastri scored their first double podium of the season in Japan, accompanying Max Verstappen during his 13th win.

More notably, Japan was also where Red Bull secured the 2023 Constructors’ championship, doing so with 623 points on the board.

Qatar was yet another standout weekend for McLaren, Piastri in particular.

On his first-ever outing at the Losail International Circuit, the 22-year-old defied the intense conditions to claim a maiden Sprint Pole and first victory in Formula 1 during the Qatar Sprint race.

From Qatar, the grid switched gears, heading over to the Americas for the next four rounds, starting in Texas.

Despite Verstappen claiming his 50th win in F1, the headlines filled with controversy, after both Lewis Hamilton and Charles

Winning celebrations became the norm at Red Bull ... Above left: Ricciardo created sufficient pace for pundits to wonder whether he might get back to Red Bull. Left: Chaos at the Japanese GP as the McLaren duo harrass Verstappen – for a few metres at least ...

Leclerc were disqualified post-race for excessive plank wear.

Luckily for of both them, the United States GP was the first race in the final tripleheader of the season.

Formula 1’s next stop was at the highaltitude Mexico City Grand Prix, where Perez’s first corner blunder left his devoted Mexican fans in hysterics.

Despite one Bull crashing out, Verstappen, as per usual, ended the weekend with an extra 25 points in the bag.

Brazil was less straightforward, with torrential weather unleashing on the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.

Grandstands were ripped apart in the abrasive winds, however, running was largely not impacted aside from an early end to qualifying on the Friday.

Yuki Tsunoda stood out in the Sprint, finishing in P6, but in the main event, a familiar face returned to the podium.

It was a photo-finish between Alonso and Perez for third place, with the duo battling to the line and finishing just 53 milliseconds apart.

FORMULA 1 • YEAR IN REVIEW

THE MOMENT OF THE YEAR: AUSTRALIAN GP RESTART IT WOULD be wrong to ignore the absolute chaos that unfolded during the closing stages of the Australian Grand Prix, chaos which our recordbreaking home crowd witnessed first-hand.

As the drivers took the five lights at the second restart, carnage ensued.

Sargeant instantly took Tsunoda out, the Alpines dramatically collided a few metres later, and Sainz sent Alonso spinning, resulting in a controversial penalty which changed the tune of Ferrari’s weekend.

Despite this, Verstappen managed to come out on top, accompanied on the podium by two fellow world champions for the very first time in Formula 1 history.

Alonso ended on top, completing his 2023 trophy cabinet in the process.

The final US outing was one of the most globally anticipated sporting events of the year, taking place down the iconic Las Vegas Strip.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was like no other, beginning on the Wednesday with a flashy opening ceremony.

Track action got off to a shaky start, as FP1 was red-flagged just eight minutes into running after a loose manhole cover destroyed the floor and engine of Sainz’s SF23, cracking his and Esteban Ocon’s chassis in the process.

To rub salt in Ferrari’s wounds, after claiming their first front-row lockout of the season, Sainz was sent back to P12 having

been handed a 10-place grid penalty for exceeding his allowed engine components for the season.

During the race, he only managed to make his way up to P6, while his teammate’s lastditch, risky overtaking attempts rewarded Leclerc with P2 on the podium.

He split the Red Bulls, falling just short of Verstappen in P1.

Heading into the season finale in Abu Dhabi, there were four drivers in the fight for P4 in the WDC, with Sainz, Alonso, Norris and Leclerc all separated by 12 points.

Mercedes and Ferrari were also fighting down to the wire for P2 in the Constructors’ championship with four points between one another.

With Sainz leaving his teammate out to dry

following a poor qualifying effort, it was up to Leclerc to fight the very in-form Mercedes duo for the championship.

He crossed the line knowing he had left no stone unturned – however, his smart tactics just weren’t enough, and Ferrari was forced to settle for P3.

As for the Drivers’ championship, the battle for P4 fell Alonso’s way, with Leclerc behind, followed by Norris and Sainz.

Despite all 19 drivers’ best efforts, the season ended just as it had started … with Max Verstappen on top of the podium.

Verstappen rounded out his recordbreaking season by securing a 19th Grand Prix victory in Abu Dhabi, celebrating a season that will be almost impossible to match in the years to come.

THE ROUND OF THE YEAR: SINGAPORE AHHH SINGAPORE … the race where Red Bull’s hope and dreams of a completely dominant season came crashing down. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz became the only non-Red Bull driver to claim victory in 2023.

The Spaniard earned respect from all of the paddock after strategically managing Norris to within DRS range, keeping the Mercedes duo at bay.

The final laps of the Singapore GP were among the most heart-stopping of the whole season, compounded by a last-lap crash from third-place running George Russell.

With a refreshing new winner, the revelation that Red Bull was not untouchable created hope for the remaining races.

Did we expect anything less? Against a unique background, Leclerc heads for a superb second at ‘Vegas.

Left: Perez’s ambitious, okay dumb, move at the start of his home GP added to the ‘will he be dumped’ discussion ...

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: OSCAR PIASTRI IT WAS an absolute no-brainer to see Piastri crowned ‘Rookie of The Year’ after completing the most successful rookie season since Lewis Hamilton in 2007.

The hometown hero scored his first points in Melbourne, tallying many more following McLaren’s Austria/Silverstone upgrades.

Piastri’s Suzuka debut was another milestone performance, qualifying on the front row alongside Verstappen and going on to finish in P3 with his maiden F1 podium.

The #81 was unfazed by the torturous Qatari conditions, taking his first Sprint Pole and Sprint win before securing third place.

Now, for the first time since 2019, the Aussie will no longer be a rookie.

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 57

SUPERCARS

RACING IN A NEW ERA

SUPERCARS ENTERED A BOLD NEW ERA IN GEN3 AND IT PRODUCED A SEASON THAT WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN ANYTIME SOON FOR THE ACTION BOTH ON AND OFF THE TRACK. IT SAW THE RISE OF AN UNDERDOG, NEW TEAMS TASTE SUCCESS, CONSTANT PARITY COMPLAINTS AND THRILLING FINISHES. THOMAS MILES REFLECTS ON THE OPENING CHAPTER OF GEN3 ...

Brodie’s turn to do the championship burn-out was well-earned ... Image: PETER NORTON

NEW BEGINNING

SUPERCARS TOOK a giant leap into the unknown in 2023 by undergoing the biggest reset in its 64-year history.

With no Holdens on the grid for the first time ever, fans had new brands and cars to cheer for as Gen3 brought massive changes and challenges to the teams.

As the new year arrived, no team had a full set of parts as delays left crews in a mad rush to get all 25 cars ready for the Newcastle opener.

With so many unknowns, the pecking order was likely to be shaken up, but not initially, as Shane van Gisbergen led a crushing Triple Eight 1-2.

However, after both Red Bull Camaros were disqualified for running a second driver cooling system, Tickford’s Cameron Waters was declared the winner.

Fuelled by the anger of losing victory, van Gisbergen then hunted down Chaz Mostert in a Sunday showdown and prevailed.

58 I www.autoaction.com.au

Meanwhile, the rollout of Gen3 was described as a “great day” by head of motorsport Adrian Burgess. The cars held up well on the Newcastle streets with only one major mechanical issue across the two races, but James Courtney was sidelined due to damage sustained from a Shootout shunt.

BATTLE LINES DRAWN

THE FIRST chapter of the Erebus and Triple Eight rivalry arrived on the streets of Albert Park as the Coke Camaros began their championship charge.

Whilst Kostecki had shown one-lap speed in Newcastle, he and teammate Will Brown comprehensively won the first major ontrack battle with Triple Eight, muscling their way into the lead to set up Kostecki’s win in his 75th start on the Friday.

By the end of the weekend, Kostecki had both the Larry Perkins Trophy and championship lead in his pocket.

Whilst the racing was great, it was also hard to ignore the cracks that were starting to show in Gen3.

Ford teams started voicing parity frustrations, while safety fears went to overdrive when both Nick Percat and James Courtney dived into the pits engulfed in flames.

The roadshow then headed west, where one of the defining moments in the championship occurred as tensions between the two fizzy drink teams boiled over.

Once again Kostecki and van Gisbergen found themselves fighting for victory again – and they went for it, hard.

On nine-lap fresher tyres SVG was all over the rear bumper of Kostecki but he made his Coke Camaro as wide as possible.

Eventually van Gisbergen got by, but only after a controversial nose-to-tail tap which allowed him to get by at Turn 6.

Erebus was outraged that van Gisbergen did not receive a penalty, crying for “consistency” while Kostecki had been given a bad sportsmanship flag for blocking.

With Brown also flying high and Broc Feeney living up to his ‘Mr Sunday’ tag, Triple Eight and Erebus had won 11 races straight to make the championship a clear two-horse race.

MAKING MOVES

IT TOOK something special for the ErebusTriple Eight winning streak to come to an end at Hidden Valley.

As the field flew down Darwin’s signature 1.1km pit straight it initially appeared Waters and Tickford were going to be the ones to smash the status quo until the Monster Mustang staged a bonus smoking ceremony.

Ironically the beneficiary of Tickford’s misfortune was the team’s former star, Mark Winterbottom.

SUPERCARS • YEAR IN REVIEW

Too cool? Supercars tech boss Burgess dives in to the two Red Bull cars before disqualifying them in Race 1, at Newcastle. Controversial? You bet ... Image: PETER NORTON. Above left: Kostecki v SVG in Perth was a classic. Left: MSR and Jack Le Brocq took a popular win in Darwin. Image: Ross Gibb Photography Brown shows Le Brocq and Kostecki the way in Tasmania.

Image: MARK HORSBURGH. Below: Courtney’s Mustang was a mess, post-fire, at the AGP ...

‘Frosty’ kept his cool under the Darwin sun to end Charlie Schwerkolt’s decade-long wait for a maiden win.

More unexpected success was to follow a day later as Matt Stone Racing joined the winner’s list thanks to an unflustered drive

by Jack Le Brocq.

Despite the feel-good results, there was significant frustration behind the scenes in the Ford camp as the parity trigger was pulled for the first time in the season.

The Mustangs then rolled out to Townsville with a revised rear aero package

and it (sort of) produced immediate results.

Chevrolet might have continued its reign on Saturday via Brown, who took the championship lead away from his teammate, but Anton De Pasquale brought the blue oval back in business in the second 88 lapper.

De Pasquale made the most of an extra bank of tyres (from an early Saturay DNF) to snap a 23-race drought between wins on the road for Ford.

Whilst the success meant a lot to DJR, Ford teams still believed parity was far from achieved and this was evident as Erebus and Triple Eight returned to their winning ways.

Brown leads as the Coke/Erebus team bursts into contention at the Grand Prix. Image: MARK HORSBURGH

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

autoactionmag

autoactionmag

www.autoaction.com.au I 59

SUPERCARS It took all of SVG’s ‘nursing’ skills to keep it all together for a classic, farewell Bathurst win, with kiwi Richie Stanaway sharing the seat ...

Below: Cam Waters came on strong as parity finally got close, at the Gold Coast. Images: MARK HORSBURGH

MOMENT OF 2023 THE MOMENT that stands well above the rest is that battle between Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki in the Perth opener.

On nine-lap younger tyres, SVG caught the back of leader Kostecki with four to go but, unlike some others, the Erebus driver did not give up without a fight.

Although he got a bad sportsmanship flag for blocking, Kostecki made his Coke Camaro as wide as possible and valiantly kept the charging #97 behind until the penultimate lap when the Kiwi muscled his way past at Kolb Corner.

Their tussle left everyone jaw-dropped and was a line in the sand moment that set a tone for their rivalry across remainder of the season.

RACE OF 2023 WHILST PERTH had the grandstand finish, the Sunday dash around Surfers Paradise had that and more.

After a 250km of racing, crashes and strategy it all came down to the final stint where Brodie Kostecki was now the hunter, chasing David Reynolds.

With Kostecki the championship leader and Reynolds winless for almost five years, both were desperate for the win and gave it everything.

With 13 to go Kostecki appeared to have it sewn up after diving down the inside at the hairpin and winning a drag race against the Mustang on the back straight.

However, he lost the lead a lap later due to a costly mistake at Turn 10 which put Reynolds back in control.

A late SC added more drama, setting up a four-lap sprint for the win and Reynolds held on by his finger nails with the help of the first chicane, sparking wild celebrations amid fire extinguisher chaos.

RISING STAR OF 2023 GEN3 REPRESENTED a changing of the guard and this was most evident in the final race of the year when a star was born in Matt Payne.

The Kiwi had an up-and-down rookie season following the fluctuating fortunes of Penrite Racing, but turned a corner at The Bend.

After especially showing strong pace at Sandown and Gold Coast, everything clicked on one special Sunday in Adelaide.

Over the final 78-lap race of the year, Payne looked like the ultimate pro rather than a rookie as he controlled one of the most demanding races without being challenged or flustered once.

Much like Broc Feeney 12 months earlier, the trajectory of both Payne and Penrite Racing points towards a bright future.

60 I www.autoaction.com.au

Rookie of the year, Adelaide winner, Matt Payne. Image: PETER NORTON Heimgartner – six podiums, seventh in the championship ... Image: MARK HORSBURGH

the season, arriving less than a fortnight after Brown signed to leave Erebus and defect to arch-rival Triple Eight.

Ironically, Brown could never find top gear after his departure became public as Kostecki’s stardom continued to rise.

CHARGING BULLS

In Sydney Kostecki and van Gisbergen shared the wins as their team managers had further negotiations with the stewards.

But the knockout blow was made at The Bend where, despite Tickford stepping up, Kostecki was untouchable.

He scored a thumping clean sweep to put him on the path to the championship and more importantly give both driver and team the belief no one could keep up with them at their best.

It was arguably the biggest statement of

EREBUS MOTORSPORT’S momentum was slightly cut short when Triple Eight once again proved its class in the endurance season.

One of the staples of the team’s recordbreaking success since 2006 has been perfecting the multi-driver races and 2023 was the latest example.

For the first time in four years the Sandown 500 was back on the calendar and it was a grand occasion, with fans filling the heritage listed grandstand.

Despite the Coke Camaros locking out the front row, it did not take long for the familiar sight of Jamie Whincup in charge.

One of MARK HORSBURGH’s finest images – Chaz Mostert against the setting sun ...

His stint paved the way for youngster Feeney to secure the team’s hat-trick of Sandown 500 glories.

Kostecki applied late pressure but could not quite get close enough, while van Gisbergen and Richie Stanaway charged from 19th to third in an important rescue mission.

It was another tough day for Ford with its two fastest cars of Reynolds/Tander and Waters/Moffat both taken out by a stray wheel.

All roads then led to Mount Panorama for the 60th anniversary Bathurst 1000, but the build-up was not a time for reminiscing.

Instead all focus was in the paddock as both teams held intense discussions with Supercars about parity.

The blue oval pushed hard to get

SUPERCARS • YEAR IN REVIEW

Supercars’ approval for an aero upgrade and even brought an entire truck full of parts.

But after a tense few days, Supercars rejected the changes and what followed was another comprehensive Camaro performance.

Kostecki soared to pole with the biggest margin since the Lap of the Gods, however, a focus on race pace rather than qualifying speed proved to be a master strategy for car #97 as SVG and Stanaway drove clear.

Feeney loomed as a threat at one point until his pursuit was heartbreakingly cut short by a broken gear lever mount.

Although the sole remaining Triple Eight Camaro had issues of its own, with Feeney out and Kostecki also limping, van Gisbergen enjoyed an untroubled journey to record his third Bathurst win and biggest ever in the 21st century.

Whilst there were three Fords in the top five, the Mustangs never got close to

challenging for victory when it mattered most, but it was a different story when they rolled up to the glitter strip.

FLYING FORDS AT ‘THE COAST’

AFTER THE heated trip to Bathurst, the parity review system rallied into action once again and this time significant aero changes were applied to the Mustang.

It was much more fruitful for Ford as it made up for lost time and swept the final four races of the year.

Fittingly, the driver who had come the closest but suffered the most bad luck all year, was the one who broke the drought.

Waters was a man on a mission and kept a charging SVG at bay to record one of Tickford’s most emotional wins.

Another thriller followed but the same result occurred as David Reynolds won a back and forth battle with Kostecki with the help of the chicane.

The classic races breathed new life into the season as the championship showdown between Kostecki and van Gisbergen went down to the Adelaide finale.

But the anticipated title bout only got as far as Turn 4 where an unsighted SVG hit the wrecked Brown, taking both out on the spot and ending the Kiwi’s dream of a farewell three-peat.

With the championship wrapped up, Tickford and Penrite Racing delivered once again.

Waters produced a special tribute to Ken Block and then rookie Matt Payne made a name for himself.

Although Ford flew home, 2023 will be remembered for the rise of Erebus and Kostecki. The newest Supercars stars.

2023 SUPERCARS RESULTS

Brought to you by

2023 SUPERCARS RACE RESULTS

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

Race Podium ROUND 1 NEWCASTLE 500 Race 1 1: C. Waters 2: C. Mostert Race 2 1: S. Van Gisbergen 2: C. Mostert ROUND 2 MELBOURNE SUPERSPRINT Race 3 1: S. Van Gisbergen 2: B. Kostecki Race 4 1: B. Kostecki 2: S. Van Gisbergen Race 5 1: B. Kostecki 2: S. Van Gisbergen Race 6 1: B. Feeney 2: A. Heimgartner ROUND 3 PERTH SUPERSPRINT Race 7 1: S. Van Gisbergen 2: B. Kostecki Race 8 1: W. Brown 2: B. Kostecki Race 9 1: B. Feeney 2: W. Brown ROUND 4 TASMANIA SUPERSPRINT Race 10 1: W. Brown 2: A. Heimgartner Race 11 1: B. Feeney 2: B. Kostecki Race 12 1: W. Brown 2: B. Feeney ROUND 5 DARWIN TRIPLE CROWN Race 13 1: M. Winterbottom 2: B. Feeney Race 14 1: B. Feeney 2: S. Van Gisbergen Race 15 1: J. Le Brocq 2: A. Heimgartner ROUND 6 TOWNSVILLE 500 Race 16 1: W. Brown 2: B. Feeney Race 17 1: A. De Pasquale 2: B. Kostecki ROUND 7 SYDNEY SUPERNIGHT Race 18 1: B. Kostecki 2: C. Mostert Race 19 1: S. Van Gisbergen 2: A. Heimgartner ROUND 8 BEND SUPERSPRINT Race 20 1: B. Kostecki 2: C. Mostert Race 21 1: B. Kostecki 2: T. Randle Race 22 1: B. Kostecki 2: C. Waters ROUND 9 SANDOWN 500 Race 23 1: B. Feeney/J. Whincup 2: B. Kostecki/D. Russell ROUND 10 BATHURST 1000 Race 24 1: S. Van Gisbergen/R. Stanaway 2: B. Kostecki/D. Russell ROUND 11 GOLD COAST 500 Race 25 1: C. Waters 2: S. Van Gisbergen Race 26 1: D. Reynolds 2: B. Kostecki ROUND 12 ADELAIDE 500 Race 27 1: C. Waters 2: D. Reynolds Race 28 1: M. Payne 2: B. Feeney

Pos Driver 1 Brodie Kostecki 2 Shane van Gisbergen 3 Broc Feeney 4 Chaz Mostert 5 Will Brown 6 Cameron Waters 7 Andre Heimgartner 8 Anton De Pasquale 9 David Reynolds 10 Will Davison 11 Bryce Fullwood 12 Jack Le Brocq 13 Thomas Randle 14 Matt Payne 15 Mark Winterbottom 16 James Golding 17 James Courtney 18 Scott Pye 19 Tim Slade 20 Nick Percat 21 Todd Hazelwood 22 Macualey Jones 23 Cameron Hill 24 Declan Fraser 25 Jack Smith

autoactionmag

Auto_Action

3: B. Kostecki 3: D. Reynolds 3: W. Brown 3: B. Feeney 3: W. Brown 3: B. Kostecki 3: D. Reynolds 3: J. Courtney 3: B. Kostecki 3: S. Van Gisbergen 3: W. Brown 3: B. Kostecki 3: W. Davison 3: A. Heimgartner 3: B. Feeney 3: C. Mostert 3: A. Heimgartner 3: W. Brown 3: A. De Pasquale 3: T. Randle 3: C. Mostert 3: T. Randle

Points 2888 2565 2441 2287 2264 2099 2016 1818 1806 1786 1722 1715 1700 1673 1579 1569 1568 1524 1497 1230 1221 1138 1080 1046 1030

MOST WINS: B. Kostecki

6

3: S. Van Gisbergen/R. Stanaway

MOST POLES: B. Kostecki

9

3: A. De Pasquale/T. D’Alberto

MOST PODIUMS: B. Kostecki

18

3: D. Reynolds 3: T. Randle 3: C. Waters 3: D. Reynolds

autoactionmag

MOST FASTEST LAPS: C. Mostert, S. Van Gisbergen, B. Feeney 3 TEAMS CHAMP: Erebus Motorsport

5152

autoactionmag

The champion, Betty and Daniel – mission accomplished. Image: MARK HORSBURGH

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK DESPITE ALL of the unknowns offered

by Gen3, few would have predicted Brodie Kostecki and Erebus Motorsport to be champions by the end of the season but, through sheer brilliance and pre-planning, they are.

In one of the greatest underdog stories in the Supercars era, both rose to the challenge of the new era and proved people wrong by inflicting a rare defeat on the Triple Eight juggernaut.

Kostecki entered 2023 as a driver still on the rise without a single Supercars win next to his name.

However, his talent was clear, having raced door-to-door with the best in his first race in a Supercar at Bathurst 2020 where he forced none other than Jamie Whincup into a costly mistake, while he also starred at Sandown in his second round as full-time driver.

Both he and Erebus had been building since the team’s 2021 reset and Gen3 provided the perfect platform for the pair to shine.

Erebus did Gen3 its own way and it paid off handsomely with Kostecki taking the first pole of the new era.

Whilst he could not quite match the likes of Shane van Gisbergen and Cam Waters over a race distance, there was plenty of promise.

Albert Park marked the arrival of Kostecki and Erebus and they took Supercars by storm.

A blitzkrieg effort from the Coke Camaros swamped SVG and pushed Kostecki to a maiden win, while another win and an impressive drive from 14th to third within 13 laps sealed the Larry Perkins Trophy and championship lead.

Boosted by his breakthrough performance, Kostecki was in a fighting mood at Perth and did not back down when van Gisbergen came knocking.

Whilst some in the past have conceded defeat, Kostecki fought to the death in a Saturday stunner.

Although he finished second best, he won a lot of hearts for his gutsy defence on nine-lap older tyres.

Across the next three rounds, Kostecki would face the steepest challenges of his championship campaign.

His first drama arrived in the Tasmania opener where he was rattled from some jostling at the notorious hairpin.

Then in back to back races at Hidden Valley and Townsville car #99 suffered steering arm and transaxle issues respectively which saw Brown snare the series lead.

But the most impressive aspect was how Kostecki responded. These setbacks were surrounded by podiums and top fives, while he did not look back from the second place on the Sunday of the Townsville 500.

This sparked a run of finishing no lower than eighth in each of the final 12 races of the year which meant he could not be caught.

The bright spot of the run was undoubtedly a special trip to The Bend. Just days after his NASCAR Cup Series debut and teammate Will Brown revealing his controversial switch to Triple Eight, Kostecki blew everyone away with a commanding SA sweep, which provided the launching pad to ultimate success.

Despite Triple Eight winning the two biggest races of the year, at Sandown and Bathurst, Kostecki ensured he was second best on both occasions to maintain his strong hold at the top.

Although van Gisbergen took the fight to the Adelaide finale, it was all over within five corners as the defending champ crashed and Kostecki cruised to his coronation.

Having been so fast, relentless, humble and consistent in 2023, Kostecki has forged himself into the Supercars history books and the sky is the limit.

www.autoaction.com.au I 61

TEST YOUR MOTORSPORT KNOWLEDGE ACROSS

in the IndyCar Series in 2023?

2 How many races did Brodie Kostecki win this year?

25 How many race wins did Cameron Waters take this year?

3 Jack Le Brocq scored the maiden win for which team at Hidden Valley? (abbreviation)

DOWN

4 Who won the first race of the Gen3 era? (surname) 6 In how many Grands Prix did Liam Lawson sub in for Daniel Ricciardo?

9 Who finished highest in the F1 championship who is not a Red Bull driver? (surname) 10 Who became a first time Bathurst 1000 winner in 2023? (surname) 13 Who won the IndyCar Rookie of the Year honour? (surname) 14 Who was the highest placed nonDucati rider in the MotoGP World Championship? (surname) 15 How many times did Marc Marquez finish on a Grand Prix podium in 2023?

16 Who won the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix? (surname) 18 After how many races was Nyck De Vries replaced at Alpha Tauri?

19 At what track did Mark Winterbottom break his six-year winless drought?

21 What number car did Cameron Waters run at the Adelaide 500?

22 Which driver stopped Red Bull Racing from winning all F1 races this season? (surname) 23 Who won the IndyCar Series in 2023? (surname) 24 Where did Scott McLaughlin finish

1 How many times did Fernando Alonso finish on the podium in 2023?

3 Who was the highest placed Ford driver in the Supercars Championship? (surname) 5 Who won the WRC title in 2023? (surname) 6 Which manufacturer won the toptier Hypercar class at Le Mans in 2023?

7 In what position did Will Brown finish in the 2023 Supercars Championship?

8 How many Grand Prix race wins did Max Verstappen take in 2023?

9 Aside from the Ferrari and Red Bull Racing drivers, who else scored a pole position in 2023? (surname) 11 Who finished as the 2023 MotoGP runner-up? (surname) 12 Where did Matt Payne finish the Supercars Championship in his rookie season?

17 Which manufacturer won the World Endurance Championship in 2023?

20 What was Oscar Piastri’s best Grand Prix result?

21 David Reynolds finished the season with how many consecutive podiums?

22 Where did Alpine finish in the Constructors Standings in 2023?

1875 CROSSWORD ANSWERS - 1 down - Pramac, 2 down – Di Giannantonio, 3 down – six, 4 down – Rick Kelly, 5 across – Marini, 6 down – Mercedes, 7 down – Senna, 8 across – five, 9 down – Suzuki, 10 down – Montoya, 11 down – Honda, 12 across – source, 13 across – seventeen, 14 across – Sainz, 15 across – Canada, 16 down – De Ferran, 17 across – Harry Bates, 17 down – Holdsworth, 18 down – Polish, 19 across – Solberg, 20 across – BJR, 20 down – Bentley, 21 across – Ambrose, 22 across – Hamilton, 23 across – two, 24 down – Berger, 25 down – one, 26 across – Leclerc, 27 across – tenth, 28 across – Stella

We take a look back at what was making news in Auto Action 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago

1973 MOTORSPORT CAME to a sudden stop in New Zealand after an emergency meeting between the Motor Sports Association of New Zealand and the Government decided all organised motorsport will be banned. The only exception was the four Kiwi rounds of the International Tasman Championship, with no other motorsport allowed to take place between December 10 and March 1 1974.

Recently crowned Australian Gold Star champion John McCormack threw out a challenge to his rivals at the upcoming Ansett Challenge by claiming whoever beats him at Phillip Island would win $1000. Auto Action enjoyed an early glimpse of the newly released Leyland based Repco Formula 5000 racing engine.

1983 A CANBERRA-based race track was close to coming to fruition 40 years ago.

A 2.5km circuit in the capital would have been built if a decision at the ACT House of Assembly was upheld by the federal government.

A track map seen on the cover was also part of the proposal, which did not materialise.

Toyota announced it would make a return to the track in 1984. The brand’s Australian manufacturer Australian Motor Industries Ltd announced it would field a touring car team that was believed to be focused on the Corona range, while John Shepperd’s name was initially floated as the team manager.

62 I www.autoaction.com.au

1993 THE BIG revelation that the Australian Grand Prix was switching cities from Adelaide to Melbourne had shocked the country.

After several weeks of speculation and the deal actually being signed back in September, the move was no longer a secret after Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett announced it in Melbourne following a “12 month operation” by the Melbourne Major Events Company led by chair Ron Walker.

Initial reports suggested the first Albert Park F1 Grand Prix would be in 1997, but it was ultimately held in 1996.

Newly elected South Australian Premier Dean Brown admitted he was “stunned” by the move which was a “severe blow to South Australia”.

2003 THE UNFORGETTABLE ‘Shriek at the Creek’ incident between Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall occurred 20 years ago.

The HRT and SBR heavyweights were side-by-side coming out of Corporate Hill hairpin in the 2003 finale until Ingall squeezed Skaife and sent the #1 Commodore spinning out of the race and second in the championship.

An enraged Skaife infamously got out of his car and gesticulated at the oncoming Ingall.

“That was the worst bit of sportsmanship I have ever seen,” Skaife screamed.

“If he wants to play hardball, two can play that,”Ingall replied.

Meanwhile, Marcos Ambrose ended HRT’s 5-year domination by getting his first championship with a clean sweep in hot and wet conditions.

2013 AFTER A tense finale on the streets of Sydney, Jamie Whincup became a 5-time Supercars champion. Whincup overcame teammate Craig Lowndes and FPR’s Mark Winterbottom to retain the #1, saying his fifth crown was “crazy important” being the first of the COTF era.

Behind the scenes, Penske’s intentions of purchasing a team and joining Supercars became clear with Ford also backing the American giant’s involvement.

Penske president Tim Cindric spent the Sydney 500 in FPR’s garage with Penske’s primary takeover target FPR – but it was also looking at buying DJR ...

Whincup set up his title pursuit by winning the Saturday race before Shane van Gisbergen won for Tekno in the finale.

- Voodoo camshafts - Tie bar lifters - Dual & beehive spring kits - Pro Series pushrods - Voodoo & Signature series stroker cranks - Voodoo & Signature series conrods

- Cylinder heads - Alloy coil covers - Intake manifolds

- HP alloy racing bearings - XP tri-metal racing bearings - 4340 forged stroker crankshafts - 4340 forged H-beam conrods

- Carb & EFI intake manifolds - Throttle bodies - Coil covers - Retro fit oil pans

- Billet timing gear sets with Z chain

- Forged pistons - Piston rings

- Forged pistons - Custom service available - Piston rings - Racing conrods

- LS-Next blocks - Pro 1 cylinder heads

- World’s best fasteners for your LS - 4340 forged stroker crankshafts - 4340 forged H-beam conrods

- Forged pistons - Custom service available - Piston rings

h

it Create it w

Shrink, Stretch, Shape, Bead or Bend it English Wheels - Shrinker Stretchers - Sheet Metal Forming - Bead Rollers - Planishing & Power Hammers Hare & Forbes Metalmaster range is an industry leader of quality sheet metal fabrication equipment, giving you the expertise to produce the highest-quality metal fabrication and finishes. We specialize in supplying machines that are designed for the demand of the Australian industry and built to Australian standards helping our customers to be more productive. Our machines are engineered to last for decades, providing extreme value, reliability, and peace of mind.

PHM-560MK2 Power Hammer (S228) $ 5,115

SHST-2.0HD Foot Operated Shrinker Stretcher (S2268) $ 1,045 EWHD-80 English Wheel (S2254) $ 2,585

NEW RELEASE

PPH-60 Pneumatic Planishing Hammer (S2275) $ 495

MBR-610XT Bead Roller - Motorised Variable Speed (S633) $ 1,375 PACKAGE DEAL

WWW.MACHINERYHOUSE.COM.AU NSW (02) 9890 9111 Specifications & Prices are subject to change without notification.

All prices include GST and valid until 30-01-24

1/2 Windsor Rd, Northmead

QLD (07) 3715 2200

625 Boundary Rd, Coopers Plains

VIC (03) 9212 4422

4 Abbotts Rd, Dandenong

WA (08) 9373 9999

11 Valentine Street Kewdale

03_ACC_141223

NM-2K1 - Metal Restoration Mallets, Curved + T-Dollies & Stand (K095) $ 737