Auto Action #1763

V8 SILLY SEASON WHO’S GOING WHERE IN 2020? .COM.AU

SINCE 1971

CHEV COUPE CANNED

COMMITS WEAPON TOHOLDEN COMMODORE

OF CHOICE

OVER CAMARO

LAZARUS LARRY

Perkins’ greatest drive

Issue #1763

13 June to 26 June , 2019

$7.95 NZ $8.50

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MOZZIE BITES

Chaz on his future

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FIGHT FOR SEATS STARTS NOW

As the Supercars silly season starts to swirl BRUCE NEWTON digs deep into who could be going where in 2020, starting with Fabian Coulthard’s future

MOTOR RACING mogul Roger Penske has dropped the strongest hint yet Fabian Coulthard could stave off Chaz Mostert and earn a contract extension alongside all-conquering Scott McLaughlin at DJR Team Penske.

And the deal may be sorted as soon as this week, with Team Penske president Tim Cindric flying in from the USA to watch the dominant Shell V-Power Ford Mustangs perform at the Darwin Triple Crown.

If Coulthard does retain his drive, it will clear the way for Mostert to clarify his future and then for the rest of the many driver dominoes to start to fall into place. All up there are 16 drivers – or two-thirds of the Supercars grid – with question marks over their futures.

Asked by Auto Action at the recent Detroit IndyCar Grand Prix whether Coulthard would be re-signed, Penske – usually extremely reticent to discuss driver dealings - responded: “We’re in that discussion with him�.

Further to that, when asked if Mostert could join DJRTP, he added: “There’s all these rumours. Whose going to do what? These guys (McLaughlin and Coulthard) are earning their right to stay at Penske, for sure.�

If Coulthard does retain the seat it will be the result of a tremendous fightback from his 2018 struggles in a car he disliked. While unable to match McLaughlin, he has nailed down second place in the championship, won two races, claimed five other podiums and one pole position.

Coulthard presents well, is popular with sponsors and the pace differential to his team-

mate allows DJRTP to argue the Mustang’s advantage over the field comes from McLaughlin rather than an innate technical advantage.

Of course the counter-argument to all this is Coulthard might only be offered an endurance co-driver contract, leaving the way for Mostert to take over his seat.

But if Coulthard is being retained full-time that would logically prompt Mostert to negotiate a single year renewal at Tickford Racing or to head overseas with BMW in 2020 – the latter possibility suggested to Mark Fogarty in the last issue of Auto Action - while waiting to see if McLaughlin departs for the US racing scene in 2021.

Then again, all-time Supercars great Jamie Whincup might elect to retire at the end of 2020, making his drive available at Triple Eight Race Engineering. Mind you, there is some risk in that as neither Holden or Red Bull are – as far as we know publicly - committed to the squad beyond 2020.

Feasibly, Mostert might already have a contract for 2021 tucked away with either team. DJRTP boss Ryan Story and his T8 counterpart Roland Dane are masters of this sort of long-term planning.

A wildcard option for Mostert could be Walkinshaw Andretti United, which could move on either - or both - James Courtney and Scott Pye as it seeks to establish itself as a category heavyweight. After all, this team does have a history of making bold plays. Courtney was one himself in 2010.

THIS WEEK’S RACE CALENDAR

While much of the silly season focus has been on Coulthard and Mostert, there is also plenty of interest in three emerging young guns – Jack Le Brocq, Andre Heimgartner and Anton de Pasquale.

Le Brocq’s combination of speed and substantial funding from Truck Assist and Isuzu is attractive to most of the grid, which is battling to feed the money-munching monster that is the Supercars championship.

There is little question he will leave Tekno Autosports, where relations have been strained this year with team owner Jon Webb. Webb now faces a herculean task to rebuild his team, secure funding and a replacement driver. It has been suggested Courtney might end up driving for his good friend, but it would be for a fraction of his usual salary.

Where might Le Brocq go? He has a long and strong connection with Tickford Racing, where he is highly rated. WAU would be another logical option. Brad Jones Racing would obviously be interested if Freightliner doesn’t renew and Tim Slade moves on, which is a possible scenario.

You could even add Matt Stone Racing to that list now it seems certain to split with Todd Hazelwood (see page 8/9).

Heimgartner, who has the appealing combination of speed, money and youth (he’s just turned 24), says he wants to stay loyal to Kelly Racing. However, as that team explains on page 8/9, there’s plenty of question marks over its 2020 plans. Until they are resolved, Heimgartner is vulnerable to offers from all the

usual suspects (see above).

De Pasquale, 23 is said to have enquiries from as many as five teams. But he doesn’t bring bucks and Erebus is arguably the best team in the championship outside the big two. If he does do the unexpected, TCR front-runner Will Brown shapes as an obvious replacement.

Drivers whose futures in the category are under question include the aforementioned Pye, Courtney, Slade and Hazelwood; Garry Jacobson (read more on page 10/11) and Lee Holdsworth (read more on page 10/11).

Simona De Silvestro’s future in the category rests on an unlikely sponsorship renewal by Harvey Norman, while GRM duo Richie Stanaway and James Golding are at least partly subject to primary sponsor Peter Adderton’s whims.

SCT-sponsored Dunlop Super2 driver Jack Smith has been a regular wildcard in 2019 and is thought likely to step up into the main game in 2020. Tickford tyro Thomas Randle appears set to stay in the Dunlop Series.

Meanwhile there is speculation the Kostecki clan will translate their wildcard outings in the 2019 Pirtek Enduro Cup into a full-time attack on the championship in 2020 with their own team.

That would be a much-needed boost for grid numbers if it happened, as would a rumoured expansion of Charlie Schwerkolt’s Irwin-backed operation from one to two cars.

Meanwhile, the Blanchard family are understood to have shelved plans to go it alone in 2020 and will stay under BJR’s wing. Rookie Macauley Jones is expected to drive again.

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HOLDEN COMMITS TO COMMODORE OVER CAMARO

LOCKED ‘N’ LOADED MARK FOGARTY explains why Chev coupe is on the backburner as the Lion gets ready to renew and Walkinshaw courts new makes HOLDEN IS set to stay in Supercars with the Commodore following a secret decision not to race the Chevrolet Camaro in the foreseeable future.

Auto Action has learned that the push for the Camaro has been put on indefinite hold as Holden prepares to recommit to factory backing of the ZB Commodore racer.

An agreement between Holden and Camaro importer HSV to avoid an intra-GM rivalry on the track is the clearest indication yet that Fishermens Bend will continue supporting the Commodore in Supercars.

Triple Eight’s three-year deal to compete as the official Holden Racing Team is in its final season. A renewal for 2020 and beyond is now looking likely following the move to keep the Commodore as Holden’s flagship racer.

GM Racing boss Jim Campbell has confirmed that the Commodore remains the global car giant’s weapon of choice in Supercars, despite the attraction of the Camaro taking on the Ford Mustang.

AA also learned that HSV stablemate Walkinshaw Andretti United, which was lobbying for a rule change to clear the way for the Camaro in 2021, is in talks with at least two car makers to join Supercars.

While WAU was keen to develop a Camaro-look racer to promote HSV’s ‘remanufactured’ road-going Chevy coupes, it needed the agreement of Holden and GM to pursue the project.

It is now understood that in the interests of HSV’s partnership with Holden to sell converted Camaros through the brand’s dealer network, along with upgraded HSV Colorado SportsCats, the Walkinshaw Automotive Group has acceded to Fishermens Bend’s preference to focus on the SUPERCARS’ NEW Manufacturers’ Council includes local and global representatives of Ford and Holden/GM. It has now been revealed that GM Racing boss Jim Campbell joined his Ford Performance counterpart Mark Rushbrook in the inaugural video conference meeting of the council early last month.

Campbell and Rushbrook called into the early morning (Sydney time) discussion panel, which was convened

by Supercars supremo Sean Seamer after his Christmas/New Year visit to the USA. AA has learned that Ford Australia president Kay Hart and Holden marketing director Kristian Aquilina also participated in the hook-up, providing local representation of the two makes with direct involvement.

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Commodore in Supercars.

“There’ll be no Camaro while the Commodore is in play,” an informed source revealed.

The informant added that the agreement not to race the Camaro “left it open to happening in the future”.

With Holden seemingly poised to renew the HRT deal with factory backing with another multi-year deal, the ZB Commodore is set to remain Holden’s and GM’s sole Supercars racer for at least few more years.

However, the model’s longer-term future is dependent on Holden continuing its supply deal with French giant PSA, now the owner of Opel, which makes the imported ZB road cars.

Detroit-based GM Racing chief Jim Campbell made it clear there was no plan for the Camaro to race alongside – much less replace – the Commodore in Supercars.

“In terms of our forward plan, what we are going to race or not race, we really don’t discuss too much of the forward stuff until we are set on the plan,” Campbell told Auto Action at the recent Detroit IndyCar Grand Prix. “But for the foreseeable future, it’s all about Commodore.

“It’s aligned with Holden that allows them to link what’s racing on the track with what they have in the showroom and vice versa. So, that’s the plan.

“We do send several hundreds of Camaros down to Australia, but the alignment we see in Supercars is Commodore and Holden, Holden and Commodore.”

Campbell is General Motors’ vice-president of performance vehicles and motorsports, overseeing Chevrolet’s NASCAR, IndyCar, sports car and drag

racing programs, and Cadillac’s sports car effort.

He also represented GM in the first video conference meeting of Supercars’ new Manufacturers’ Council early last month.

Holden would not comment on renewal talks with Triple Eight or its future involvement in Supercars.

“Motor sport has been an important part of Holden’s identity for decades and we will have more to say on that subject later in the year,” a spokesman told AA. WAU co-owner and WAG director Ryan Walkinshaw also declined to comment on whether the Supercars Camaro project had been put on indefinite hold.

But asked if he was exploring alignments with other manufacturers in Supercars, Walkinshaw revealed WAU was in talks with new makes.

“We are always open to working with new manufacturers and regardless of Camaro, we have been in discussions with various manufacturers about a possible entry to Supercars,” he said.

“The nature of our team now is that we are a global organisation and between Michael (Andretti), Zak (Brown) and myself, we have access to pretty much every major automotive OEM on earth, so we would be mad not to explore those options and we are actively in discussions with a couple.”

With Mike Brudenell in Detroit

HIGH-POWERED MEETING

Supercars’ new Manufacturers’ Council includes local and global representatives of Ford and Holden/GM. Supercars is strangely reluctant to disclose the composition of the Manufacturers’ Council, which was inspired by similar consultative forums in NASCAR, IndyCar and IMSA. However, the involvement of Campbell, Aquilina and Hart in addition to Rushbrook has been verified.

Campbell spoke openly about it when tackled by AA’s Mike Brudenell at the Detroit IndyCar Grand Prix. “[It’s] a great forum for us to talk about the competition side,

future car alternatives, proposed technologies, packaging, the sporting side, and the number of races and locations,” he said.

“It allows us to really create alignment and Sean is a terrific leader there.

“He has given us this forum.

So we are definitely talking about what could be in the future on all those topics.”

Seamer instituted the council to give manufacturers a voice in discussions about the future of Supercars, which is planning a Next Generation update of the technical and eligibility rules from 2021.

Another two or more Manufacturers’ Council video conference meetings are planned, with the next understood to be scheduled in a few months. MF GM Racing’s Jim Campbell on Supercars – see Q&A on page 6

EXC LUS IVE BLACK, WHITE OR GREY

Auto Action’s F1 reporter DAN KNUTSON reveals why the stewards were right and Sebastian Vettel was wrong in the Canadian Grand Prix SEBASTIAN VETTEL ranted and raved during and after the Canadian Grand Prix about the stewards’ decision to give him a five second penalty, which ultimately cost him a victory that was handed to Lewis Hamilton.

But they were right and he was wrong.

As in many sports, one thing the Formula 1 drivers have demanded is consistent rulings by officials. And over the years the FIA has created a stewards’ handbook, with standard processes and penalties to deal with various situations.

There are three possible penalties for an “unsafe return to the race track,” which is what Vettel did in Canada. They is a five or 10 second time penalty, or a drive-through the pits penalty. The stewards were obliged to give Vettel one of those penalties, and they chose the lightest of them.

The stewards in Montreal were: Gerd Ennser a lawyer, former racer and F1 steward since 2010. And, incidentally, who could not be accused of any favoritism to fellow German Vettel. Mathieu Remmerie, a graduate of the global pathway for FIA Stewards program.

Mike Kaerne, a Canadian with many years’ as a steward in North American racing. And Emanuele Pirro, a five-time Le Mans winner and former F1 driver.

Pirro is previously on record with his “let the drivers race” policy, but on this occasion he was bound by the FIA steward’s rule book.

Vettel is known for his hot temper and boy was he mad after the race in Canada. He made a bit of a fool of himself until he cooled down.

He asked the fans not to boo Hamilton because he had done nothing wrong. But Vettel isn’t a fan of the by-the-rulebook world.

“I really love my racing,” he said. “I’m a purist and I really love looking back at the old times and the old cars, the old drivers.

“We have sort of an official language, which I think is wrong. I think we should be able to say what we think, but we are not. So in this regard I disagree with the way the sport is now. You have all this wording, I gained an advantage, I didn’t gain an advantage, I avoided the condition, all this I just think it’s wrong.

“It gives no edge to the people and the sport.

It’s not the sport I fell in love with that I grew up watching. It’s racing, it’s common sense.”

Ferrari notified the stewards of its intent to appeal. If Ferrari does appeal, it will be thrown out as inadmissible.

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BATHURST SPEED BOOST FOR MUSTANG Dominating Fords have lost downforce but that will help on Mount Panorama’s long straights

By BRUCE NEWTON THE TRUE impact of aerodynamic changes to the Ford Mustang may not be felt until October and the running of the jewel in the Supercars crown, the Bathurst 1000.

While Hidden Valley’s long front straight this weekend will provide some clues about relative drag of the Mustang compared to its two rivals, the Holden Commodore ZB and Nissan Altima, DJRT Team Penske boss Ryan Story says Mount Panorama will reveal a lot more.

“Bathurst is definitely an aero-dependent track,” he said. “I think we’ll have some strengths there. I think we’ve taken away some of our strengths across the top, but I think we’ll be a little bit quicker in a straight line.

“But we’ve taken away what would have been some of our strength in mid-corner speed and across the top of the Mountain, for sure.”

DJR Team Penske was the Mustang homologation team and has exploited the car to brilliant effect in 2019, claiming wins in 12 of the 14 races held so far and 10 of the 14 poles.

Runaway championship leader Scott Mclaughlin has 10 of those wins and nine of the pole positions. His team-mate Fabian Coulthard is second in the title chase.

Three of the four Tickford Racing

drivers, also Mustang-mounted, are in the championship top 10 while Lee Holdsworth is in 12th place.

Leading into the Perth SuperNight event Supercars cut 13mm off the front undertray of the Mustang, shortened the rear wing gurney flap 3.5mm and reduced the endplate size by 22 per cent. Even earlier in the season it made adjustments to the centre of gravity, raising it by 20mm.

It has been argued that cutting the Mustang’s aero not only reduces its downforce but also its drag, hence Story’s belief the Mustang might be faster in a straight line on Bathurst’s long straights.

While it is well on the way to clinching back-to-back drivers’ championships and reclaiming the teams’ championship it won

in 2017, the team hasn’t won the Bathurst 1000 since Roger Penske claimed majority ownership in 2014.

Story revealed the team had used its substantial simulation abilities to try and gauge the impact of the aero changes.

“We see in some of our simulations a difference and we know what tracks it’ll play a role in in particular,” he said. “But there are strengths and weakness to the changes that have been made and there are some places where it will hurt us and there are some places where it will help us a little bit.”

Nevertheless Story argued the changes to the Mustangs had made an impact on the racing, even though DJRTP is unbeaten since the aero cuts came into force.

“I think the field’s tighter since we’ve

made these changes,” he insisted. “If you look at the results you’re not seeing the compression of the Fords at the front that you may have seen at some of the races beforehand.

“That’s really what the objective is, to try to ensure that we have a field spread that people can look at an ostensibly say is fair.

The reality is that we’re a technical parity series – we’re not a sporting parity series – and if one team in particular, or two teams in particular, are doing a good job, you can’t necessarily judge that wholly and solely on the performance of their car itself.

“It’s a multitude of things. It’s a multitude of factors within the mechanical package, it’s the engine, it’s the team, it’s all of those things.” With Mark Fogarty

just started -- that council -- is a great forum for us to talk about the competition side, future car alternatives, proposed technologies, packaging, the sporting side, and the number of races and locations. It allows us to really create alignment and Sean is a terrific leader there. He has given us this forum. So we are definitely talking about what could be in the future on all those topics.

middle of the night. I follow live timing and scoring in addition to the video.

CHEVY HEAVY ON CAMARO

MIKE BRUDENELL quizzes GM Racing boss Jim Campbell about Supercars

WHAT’S THE plan for the Chevy Camaro in the Australian Supercars Championship moving forward as it relates to the Holden Commodore?

In terms of our forward plan, what we are going to race or not race, we really don’t discuss too much of the forward stuff until we are set on the plan. But for the foreseeable future, it’s all about Commodore. It’s aligned with Holden that allows them to link what’s racing on the track with what they have in the showroom and vice versa. So, that’s the plan.

I would say that in every series we race in with Holden, Cadillac and Chevrolet, on an annual basis, on an as needed basis during the year, we look at all the options. That will continue.

DJR Team Penske and Ford Mustang are kicking butt Down Under. Do we need to see the Camaro in one of the world’s most exciting racing series?

Look, the Supercars championship is a

6 AutoAction

fantastic series and Holden has had a lot of success in it over the years. Obviously, the Ford and Penske guys are having a great year. Won the championship last year, too. But that’s what racing is all about. It’s about competition, and when you do win with amazing competition like that, it’s meaningful. We do send several hundreds of Camaros down to Australia, but the alignment we see in Supercars is Commodore and Holden, Holden and Commodore.

I believe there was a video conference recently between you, Mark Rushbrook (Global Director Ford Performance Motorsports) and Sean Seamer (CEO Australian Supercars). Good discussions?

Yes. They have actually followed in the footsteps of other series in the sense that they have created an OEM council, sort of like NASCAR and IMSA do, or IndyCar on either engine or aero. So, I think that step which they

Do you watch Supercars on a regular basis?

Yes, I do. I do the live streaming. Get up in the

Your thoughts on Scott McLaughlin’s dominance in the Mustang?

He’s doing quite well, isn’t he? We’ve got our work cut out for us. That’s what I love about racing. When you’re winning, you have to keep your momentum going. If you aren’t winning, it’s all about getting back on the winning path.

That’s the thrill of racing and makes winning even sweeter.

WOR LD S COO P

MAZDA TO JOIN TCR BOOM Racing version of top-selling 3 model will be on the grid here in 2020

By MARK FOGARTY MAZDA IS set to join the worldwide TCR explosion, including a factory supported entry in Australia.

Auto Action has learned that development of a TCR version of the top-selling Mazda 3 to race from next year is almost complete.

Aimed primarily at TCR in the United States, the Mazda 3 racer is also scheduled to join the new Australian series in 2020.

AA sources have confirmed that Mazda Australia is planning to facilitate the importation of TCR 3s from the first production batch and provide support for a leading team to run them.

TCR supremo Marcello Lotti hinted at Mazda’s impending entry during his visit to the new local series’ second round at Phillip Island, forecasting the arrival of a major new manufacturer from Japan.

Several sources have confirmed that the big new maker is Mazda, whose American racing division has been behind the push to develop

a TCR version of the top-selling 3 model.

The Mazda 3 is among the most popular cars in Australia and a customer racing version for TCR has rekindled its latent interest in a local racing program.

Over the past decade or more, Mazda Australia has looked at everything from Supercars to rallying, but TCR – with formal backing from headquarters in Hiroshima – is the first category to offer easy entrée and a relevant marketing tie-in.

“New manufacturers are preparing to develop new cars,” Lotti told AA at Phillip Island. “One for the next season is a brand I cannot tell you the name now, but I’m sure it could be really good news for Australia.”

He added: “Probably there is two or three new car brands. One is MG that just made a press release from China. They want to focus in 2020 on Asia-Pacific.

“There is a Fiat Tipo under

development. They have just submitted the chassis and finalised the engine for homologation. It will probably be ready for the next season also.

“There are two others I cannot tell you.”

One of them is Mazda, the biggest name of three new manufacturers poised to offer TCR racing versions of popular small hatchback or sedan models.

Fiat’s TCR Tipo is based on the underpinnings of the pacesetting Alfa Romeo Giulietta racer, while Chinese-owned MG is joining the fray in addition to Geely’s new Link & Co brand, which is contesting this year’s WTCR World Touring Car Cup.

“Other manufacturers are coming,” Lotto declared. “I have also Chinese manufacturers coming next season with an agreement for five years.”

But Mazda’s arrival is by far the biggest boost for TCR, presaging rising interest among Japanese manufacturers. Honda is already involved through its Europeandeveloped Civic Type R, while Toyota and Nissan are believed to be on the verge of approving TCR programs.

While Mazda does not have a tailor-made two-litre turbocharged engine to suit the TCR regulations, Lotti confirmed that manufacturers can adapt a motor from its family of powerplants.

“They can use an engine selected

from their group,” he explained.

“They can choose another engine from inside of the group. For example, the Fiat Tipo will use the engine from (FCA sibling) Alfa Romeo.

“You also have to choose a turbocharger from production, another brand if you want. I know some brands use the Mercedes MK turbo because it is from a production car, but also a nice turbo.”

It is understood that Mazda’s 3 TCR racer has been developed by its American racing division, which is set to shift its unsuccessful focus from IMSA prototype sports car racing to the TCR class of the Michelin Pilot Challenge series next year. With Bruce Newton

PENSKE PRAISES MCLAUGHLIN ‘The Captain’ tells MIKE BRUDENELL that Scott is hot YOUR RACING season is going gung-ho in America. And what about those blokes in the Australian Supercars championship?

Hey, we have a great team there Down Under, don’t we? Scott McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard, let me tell you, those guys have performed, no mistake. When you think about the number of wins and poles – wow! Scott McLaughlin is a special guy down there. I don’t think people realise how good he is and, hopefully, at some time, we will bring him to the U.S.

what our sponsorship is and what cars might be available. But if Scott comes over here, he’s going to have to start and build his career one lap at a time.

He’d race for Team Penske, obviously?

Absolutely.

Will you re-sign Fabian?

We’re in that discussion with him.

Would Chaz Mostert be a possibility?

There’s a rumour that McLaughlin may come here in 2021 and drive in the ARCA Series?

Well, look, we’re always looking at what could be realistic. I think we will just have to see

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There’s all these rumours. Whose going to do what? These guys (McLaughlin and Coulthard) are earning their right to stay at Penske, for sure.

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MCLAUGHLIN’S TRIPLE SHOT

By BRUCE NEWTON THE 2020 Supercars series will begin with the two-race Adelaide 500 from February 20-23, a week earlier than this year’s event. The change is part of Supercars’ plan to split an extended season into two distinct sections, separated by a long winter break. Other events will be rescheduled or reformatted in a major revamp that will also see the full calendar released in early July. Twin 250km races will again be held on the Saturday and Sunday, with the opening leg likely to retain the twilight timing introduced this year. MF TRIPLE EIGHT Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia driver Jazeman Jaafar has completed a Red Bull Holden Racing Team evaluation test day, the Malaysian was given laps in the #97 ZB Holden Commodore along with Super2 driver Brodie Kostecki at Queensland Raceway.

Jaafar was joined at the track by his Blancpain co-driver Prince Jefri Ibrahim, who owns and drives Jamie Whincup’s 2017 title-winning Supercar in Malaysia. “It was his first time behind the wheel of a Supercar but straight out of the pits on the first lap he was driving the car as if he was a regular; smooth and consistent,” said Red Bull HRT manager Mark Dutton on Jaafar.

CRAIG LOWNDES has opened up on a potential deal to race at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, that didn’t quite come to fruition says the seven-time Bathurst winner who has already set his sights on securing a drive in the French classic next year. “We’ve made good contacts but it’s just a matter of getting into the right team with the right car at the right time and unfortunately this year didn’t fall into that sort of place. We looked into trying to secure a drive but, to be honest, probably left our run a bit late. We’ll look to the future now and see what we can do,” he said.

JACK SMITH will make another wildcard appearance at the BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown. It will be Smith’s third appearance in the SCT Logistics ZB Commodore after competing at Symmons Plains and Winton.

“I’m excited to join the grid at the Darwin event.

The Hidden Valley circuit is one that I have not been to before, so I’m keen to learn it,” Smith said. “Getting the consistency in doing back to back rounds is really valuable.”

DJR TEAM Penske boss Ryan Story has hinted at a potential wildcard entry in the 2021 Supercars Championship. The car would likely be run by the USA-based Penske team, with Australian Indy 500 winner Will Power the most likely driver choice.

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SUPERCARS dominator Scott Mclaughlin has the potential to knock over yet another first at the Darwin Triple Crown this coming weekend.

And that’s claim the Triple Crown trophy something never achieved since the prize was first offered in 2006.

Back then it was to be awarded to the driver who won all three races on the program, but nowadays it’s on offer to the driver who wins both races and takes pole in Sunday’s shootout.

Considering Mclaughlin has won 10 of 14 races so far in 2019 and claimed nine of 14 poles in his Shell V-Power Ford Mustang, his chances of becoming the first-ever Triple Crown trophy winner are good.

“It’s a cool thing and I’d love

to win it for sure,” the DJR Team Penske driver said. “But there are 23 other drivers out there who want to win it just as much, including my team-mate (Fabian Coulthard).

“I’m excited and I think we will go there with a lot of confidence.”

One thing McLaughlin won’t get if he does collect the Triple Crown trophy is cash. No prizemoney is attached to the award.

The closest anyone has previously come to winning the Triple Crown is Triple Eight’s

HAZELWOOD ON THE HUNT EMERGING Supercars star Todd Hazelwood seems certain to split with Matt Stone Racing at the end of the season, confirming to Auto Action he is hunting for a new seat in the Supercars championship in 2020.

Money is the issue behind the shock twist in the 2020 driver market MSR needs a budget boost to stay in the championship in 2020 and the hunt is on for a funded driver to occupy the seat in the team’s Triple Eight-built Holden Commodore ZB. And while Hazelwood is searching for funds, the timelines are tight and he is clear he will likely move on from MSR, the team with which he won the development series in 2017 and entered the main game in 2018.

“At Winton we sat down and worked out what is the plan moving forward,” Hazelwood explained to Auto Action.

“Essentially, it’s try and go out and get another drive elsewhere because there are certainly no guarantees where I am currently situated.

“So that is actively what I am doing now, maybe find a new home depending on what’s out there.

“Obviously, plan A is to find the funding to keep the program together, but plan B is not too far behind it.”

Hazelwood, just 23, had a difficult start to his full-time Supercars career in 2018, briefly racing an ex-DJR Team Penske Ford Falcon FG X before

Jamie Whincup, who won the first two races in 2014, before Mark Winterbottom scored in the final outing.

McLaughlin has already broken his personal win record for the season with another 18 events to run. The most wins in a season by any driver is Craig Lowndes’ 16 in 1994. The record for the most poles already belongs to Mclaughlin at 16 in 2017.

Mclaughlin, who turned 26 on Monday, will also wear an indigenous-themed helmet and boots in Darwin. After the event the boots will be donated to the Ultimate Supporting Auction in support of finding a cure for motor neurone disease.

Rising star looking for new drive as MSR admits 2020 not guaranteed

Image: Ross Gibb

swapping back into a Holden Commodore VF ahead of the 2019 T8 deal and the seat in an ex-Jamie Whincup Commodore.

He and the team have shown strong form in 2019, belying Hazelwood’s 17th position in the championship.

But the program has clearly been tight for funds, employing a rotating sponsorship model.

Previous team and Hazelwood sponsor Jason Gomersall has taken an ownership stake in the team this year.

“I have been involved with Matt Stone Racing since 2014 so it’s been along association,” said Hazelwood. “Matt and I have an open book with each

other, we are very honest with each other and there is certainly no secret squirrel business in the way we operate.

“That certainly helps in these situations. He hasn’t led me along and vice versa … there is that possibility that MSR won’t be on the grid in 2019.”

Meanwhile, Matt Stone played down the prospects of MSR disappearing from the 2020 grid, but admitted it wasn’t a lock.

“It is our intention to go next year,” he told Auto Action. “But by no means is it 100 per cent. it is what we are working for and one way or another we will be on the grid, it’s just what

capacity and form.”

MSR has leased Jason Bright’s Racing Entitlements Contract (REC) in 2018-19 but would have purchase that or move to a new REC for 2020.

Stone suggested that would be a relatively straight-forward issue to solve.

On Hazelwood, Stone said: “Todd is out of contract and we have no driver contract past this year.

“Everything we structured around the team, Todd and the package was all based on two years. So for year three we are taking a fresh perspective and looking at the feasibility of putting a program together.” BN

Image: LAT

TCR NO THREAT TO SUPERCARS

KELLY COMMITS TO FOUR CARS

By BRUCE NEWTON

KELLY RACING says it remains committed to racing four cars in the 2020 Supercars championship, icing pitlane speculation it was preparing to downsize to two entries.

But just what cars they are and who is driving them remains an open question.

Kelly Racing general manager Nick Ryan told Auto Action the four-car model was intrinsic to the former Nissan factory squad’s business structure.

“There is certainly no truth to the rumour that we are downsizing or anything like that as a business,” he said.

“For where we sit at this point in time our entire structure has been built around four cars and the scale of economy we get out of doing that.

“To just simply downsize for whatever reason doesn’t make sense for our business. It would mean a total change to the way we operate our business.”

Rumour of the family-owned team handing back two Racing Entitlement Contracts (RECs) were circulating at the Winton SuperSprint several weeks ago. If it did go ahead it would have reduced the 2020 field to 22 cars, unless new entrants were found.

Supercars already has two RECs in the drawer, handed back by Tickford Racing and Triple Eight respectively in 2018.

Established in 2009, Kelly Racing has run four cars throughout its history. From 2013 to 2018 it campaigned Nissan Altimas under the Nissan Motorsport banner.

Based in the southern Melbourne suburb of Braeside, it has one of the largest headcounts in the championship and full vehicle development capability.

As reported last issue, it is currently debating

Aussie V8s have to focus on issues not rivals

THE FUTURE of Supercars will be determined by its ability to be economically sustainable and not the emergence of the TCR touring car category in Australia.

That’s the view of TCR’s creator and global boss Marciello Lotti, who attended the second round of the Australian series at Phillip Island last weekend and announced a New Zealand series would kick off in 2020.

“If a championship like this (Supercars) was to die, it will not be because of TCR. It is because it is probably not more sustainable in terms of economy,” Lotti told Auto Action.

“To keep the lifecycle you have to live with the reality.”

Supercars has been the dominant motorsport category in Australia for 25 years, consuming most media exposure and sponsorship dollars, attracting the biggest crowds and generating the vast bulk of fulltime employment opportunities in the local motorsport industry.

It has seen off several incursions into its territory over the last 25 years including Super Touring in the 1990s.

But it is on a cost-cutting mission as teams struggle to find the multi-million dollar budgets to mount campaigns. The grid has dropped to 24 cars in 2019, the smallest in the modern era.

TCR cars are far cheaper to buy and run and the forecast is there will be 25-30 cars on the grid by the end of the season.

Eighteen cars started at Phillip Island.

Lotti was clearly frustrated when

questioned about whether Supercars and TCR could co-exist, saying he expected the local category would “continue to dominate”.

“I don’t think that is something to discuss about because it is completely different, it is another category,” he said.

“You can call touring car because it is a four door car probably, but is not touring car. Is touring car, but like DTM or SuperGT was.

“Is not competition, it is completely high technology, completely tailor-made racing part, here (TCR) is customer-oriented.

Those are manufacturer-oriented, it is completely different.”

Lotti was passionate in his defence of TCR, suggesting anyone from other categories - including Supercars – who focussed on the threat of TCR was looking in the wrong direction.

“I think that people who say something like this I have a recommendation for them to make an examination of themselves inside,” he said.

“If someone comes to you saying something like that say to them that they have to start to make their analysis, not because it is TCR. “If so small guys or things can disturb you is because you have a problem, not because he create to you the problem. That’s it.

“So me, start to close in the room and make in front of the mirror what problem they have and after that they can start to speak.”

Downsizing to two cars “doesn’t make sense”

whether to continue with the Altima into 2020 or swap to either the Ford Mustang or Holden Commodore.

That decision will likely be guided by technical changes being investigated by Supercars, including mooted engine power and aerodynamic downforce cuts.

“Once we know where a few technical things coming from the category are at that will help us decide what we are doing and a conversation about cars will take place somewhere down the track,” said Ryan.

The question marks over cars has flowed into the team’s 2020 driver line-up. At this point only team co-owner Rick Kelly could be sure of a drive, with the future of Andre Heimgartner, Simona De Silvestro and rookie Garry Jacobson yet to be resolved.

The team is extremely keen to retain Heimgartner, who is emerging as one of the key young talents in the championship, while Ryan said new deals would be investigated for De Silvestro and Jacobson.

“But for us to make any of those discussions we really need to know where different aspects of the category are heading, which allows us to then properly figure out what our approach is with all that other stuff,” said Ryan.

“It would be good to have some commonality with our drivers and continue on with what we are doing, but at the same time there are some bigger discussion also around the drivers and the product we need to undertake.

“Really, from the driver’s perspective too, it’s not just a simple one-way discussion. They want to know what’s happening too. “We can’t give them all the answers.” BN

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LINEAR SPRING DEFLECTION WORLD RALLY Championship round winner Hayden Paddon has confirmed that he will compete at the Eureka Rush Rally in August.

The New Zealander will drive in the FIA Asia Pacific Cup which forms part of the fourth round of the Australian Rally Championship.

Paddon has driven in the Asia Pacific Cup this season in an AP4 Hyundai i20 but will drive a Hyundai i20 R5 in the Ballarat event on 24-25 August. “Generally it’s an easy and balanced car to drive, and while there are differences between AP4 and R5, there are also a lot of similarities,” Paddon said.

THE THIRD round of the Aussie Racing Car Series in Darwin will feature a number of notable drivers making one off appearances in the series. Craig Dontas will join his brother and regular series contender Troy Dontas in the 28-car field, along with Paul Morris who will make his annual trip up north to race the pint-sized rockets. Craig Woods will make his second round start after crashing heavily in Adelaide, and 2018 series champion Joel Heinrich who is contesting Super2 in 2019 will also make a second round appearance in Darwin.

THE NEW Ford Fiesta R5 is ready and will be driven by Luke Anear at the next round of the Australian Rally Championship. Anear makes the move into the Fiesta after previously driving a 2009 Subaru STI. “It (the Fiesta) is a purpose built rally car, built from the ground up by M-Sport in the UK and the team has years of development work in the World Rally Championship which has benefited the R5 car,” Anear said after testing the car in the Tasmanian forests, where the it will make its debut on June 21-23.

Ford Mustang advantage is the issue, insists Triple Eight boss

By BRUCE NEWTON

CLAIMS THAT Red Bull Holden Racing Team has struggled more than most Supercars squads to resolve the set-up challenges of the linear spring are wrong, according to Triple Eight supremo Roland Dane.

He insists that argument is only being put forward as a smokescreen to disguise the blistering performance of the new Ford Mustang.

“It’s something that people talk about when they try to find an excuse about why we are not 1-2,” Dane declared.

“That has nothing to do with the linear spring.

“They are seeking to deflect. That’s the game and that’s what it is.”

Dane is clearly referencing DJR Team Penske and Tickford Racing, which campaign all six Mustangs in the championship between them and have mounted the linear spring argument this year, contending it has made the Mustang look better than it is.

Mustangs have won 13 of the 14

races run so far this season, with DJRTP’s Scott McLaughlin winning 10.

Supercars has twice tried to slow the Mustang, first through a centre of gravity adjustment that also affected the ZB Commodore – but far less dramatically – and then an aerodynamic trimming.

RBHRT’s Shane van Gisbergen is the only Holden driver to win a race so far this year.

“We would like to be further up than we are, of course,” Dane said. “But the fact is, it’s hard at the moment to compete with the Mustangs if they are being run properly.

“So not just us, but everyone else, it’s hard to compete if they are being run properly. And the Penske cars are being run properly.”

Dane took a shot across the bows of the media, which he believes have

unfairly presented RBHRT’s season by paying too much attention to its struggles at Phillip Island.

“Listening to you guys, including the TV commentators, you’d think our season had started at Phillip Island,” he said. “We’ve had one bad race meeting this year at Phillip island, but apart from that, at every race meeting we’ve had at least one (podium) trophy.

“To be honest, most people would give their right arm for that.”

Dane pointed to Jamie Whincup’s Sunday third place and leading non-Ford finish at Winton as proof that the team is on top of its linear spring issues.

He argued that the Saturday results, where both David Reynolds (Erebus) and James Courtney (WAU) finished ahead of his cars, were a result of those two teams testing at Winton immediately prior to the event and a

jumbled grid caused by unpredictable weather in qualifying.

“I don’t think we have had any more or less problems with that (linear springs) than anyone else and the results prove it,” Dane insisted. “All the so-called gurus who knew how to handle it, they are not ahead of us except the two cars which would almost certainly be ahead of us, anyway (DJRTP).

“Everyone has had to get their head around slightly different set-ups this year. It hasn’t been any more or less an issue for us than it has been anyone else.”

Asked if he thought RBHRT would get on terms with the DJRTP Mustangs this year, Dane was non-committal.

“I honestly don’t know, but we will give it our best shot and it’s a long season,” he hedged.

TCR REAR TYRE STRUGGLES CHAOS ENSUED at the latest round of TCR Australia at Phillip Island as opening lap incidents curtailed the racing in each of the categories three races.

Cold rear tyre temperatures were attributed as the main cause of the incidents with many drivers stating over the course of the weekend the difficulty in heating the rear tyres.

After taking victory in the opening two races, Dylan O’Keeffe found out first hand when slight contact between he and Hyundai driver Will Brown sent him into a spin at Turn 1 during the opening race.

Subsequently, O’Keeffe was collected by John Martin after he had suffered the same fate after contact with his teammate. Both cars were severely damaged in the incident, though the two drivers walked away unscathed.

A poor start from O’Keeffe led to the incident happening, he reflected to Auto Action.

“As I turned into Turn 1 Brown and I made very light contact, but because I was off throttle, the car was unweighted and it spun straight away,” he explained.

“We had a bit of a wobble, not much but it just unsettled the rear and before I knew it the car just spun straight away.

I thought I did a 360, but I looked at the video and I must’ve got back on the throttle and it drove back out straight.”

After speaking with category DSO Alex Davison after the weekend, O’Keeffe feels that not much can be done to avoid the issue. A second warm up lap had been offered to drivers up for Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park, but was knocked back, however after the incidents of Phillip Island is back on the agenda.

“All of the accidents happen due to cold rear tyres but that is just the way the category is, I think it makes a real challenge for the drivers to get the rear tyres up,” O’Keeffe continued.

“On the warm up lap the whole time you are pretty much constantly on the verge of spinning out, what you want to do is warm the front very aggressively and it slides the rear of the car and that creates surface temp.”

Numerous drivers have been utilising the handbrake to

warm the rear tyres, including championship leader Will Brown, but the HMO Customer Racing driver said that a faster warm up lap helped compound the issue.

“Two warm up laps aren’t going to do much more, you just can’t get tyre temp until you’re doing fast laps,” Brown said. “I did a fast warm up lap in that last race, when we went out because you could, there was no one in front of you and when I got around the pressures were up more.

If you do a fast warm up lap, you’re going to get more pressure in the rear. What I try and do in the first lap is get on the power, otherwise you lose grip.” HM

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HOLDSWORTH FOCUSING ON FUTURE

Mustang set-up and driving style changes deliver muchneeded qualifying speed

By BRUCE NEWTON

FORD STRAGGLER Lee Holdsworth is confident his qualifying dramas are over, enabling him to focus on stringing together good results to secure his Tickford drive in 2020.

Holdsworth knows he needs more performances like the Sunday at Winton, where he qualified in the top 10 and scored a seasonbest fifth.

He has to continue performing because he is on a single-year deal with Tickford Racing, which has an option to retain his services in the ex-Winterbottom The Bottle-O entry.

“That’s not playing a negative role in my mind,” he said of his contractual outlook. “I have to put my head down and fix my pace in qually, and if I do, I know there will be no reason for the team to want to go in another direction at the end of the year.”

Holdsworth ascribes his dramatic improvement in form, emerging from the lowpoint of qualifying 22nd for the Saturday Perth SuperNight race, to a significant change in set-up that yielded a storming drive to ninth in the Barbagallo finale.

He built on that encouraging performance to make gains at Winton, where he won with Erebus in 2014.

“It’s a relief to get a good direction in qualifying and then build on it in the race,” Holdsworth said. “We haven’t been able to put a whole weekend together.

“It’s a weight off my shoulders to qualify in the top 10 and then come home in the top five with a good bundle of points.

“It’s a confidence-builder for me and it also shows the team what I can do.”

Holdsworth described the changes made after that disastrous Perth qualifying as “a bit of a lightbulb moment” and the Winton set-up initiatives beyond that as “a massive step in the right direction”.

His season has been blighted by poor qualifying, which has marred his ability to

score good results. He runs only 12th in the championship and is the lowest ranked of the six Mustang drivers.

It’s been a frustrating stretch for Holdsworth, who spent four fundamentally fruitless years with Charlie Schwerkolt in privateer Holdens before the shift to Tickford Racing.

He effectively swapped seats with Mark Winterbottom, who sits 11th in the championship in Schwerkolt’s Irwin Racing Commodore ZB. Essentially, Holdsworth says the challenge has been mating his driving style with the characteristics of the Mustang after so many years in Commodores.

“The issues are easy to identify, there’s no doubt,” he said. “It’s just finding a fix for them.

The car has the speed, but there’s something inherent in my driving that’s not really gelling with attacking a corner on a green tyre in qualifying.

“I’ve come to the car a little bit, but now I need the car to come to me.

“Entry instability is my greatest problem and I’ve found I need a strong rear end to be fast. The later you brake, the more instability you create because of more pitch in the car.

“It’s not a major problem until you get to qualifying, when you push that little bit harder.”

The man known as ‘Lethal Lee’ explained he also tended to be quite aggressive on the steering wheel in the entry phase of the corner, a characteristic he had tried to calm.

“In a race, that’s an easier thing to consciously drive around,” he said. “But you fall back on natural instincts in qualifying.”

While Holdsworth was convinced that being part of a four-car squad hastened the learning process, he conceded that gelling with new engineer Sam Scaffidi took time.

“We will build that relationship over time,” he said. “Each event, we come out with a lot more knowledge than when we went in.”

JACOBSON’S “AWESOME EXPERIENCE” NISSAN rookie Garry Jacobson has described his strong qualifying and early race pace at the Winton SuperSprint as an “awesome experience”.

Now, Jacobson declared, he has to capitalise and continue to push forward from the rear of the grid.

“That was an awesome experience for me to be up near the Penske cars,” he said. “The motivation is at an all-time high.”

Exploiting his well-known confidence in changeable conditions, the 2016 Super2 champion qualified into Q2 on Friday, then into Q3 and eighth on the grid in his Rabble.Club Altima on the Saturday.

With a big supporting contingent from his nearby Shepparton hometown in attendance, Jacobson then ran as high as fifth in the early laps of the 120km race.

Unfortunately, separate incidents with Lee Holdsworth and Jack Le Brocq meant he tumbled down the order to finish 21st.

Sunday didn’t bring a repeat of his initial pace, but he maintained the dropoff didn’t take the shine off the positives he’d experienced in the Saturday sprint.

“I started eighth, slotted into sixth after a couple of guys ran off and I felt like I was in fifth at one stage,” Jacobson said. “I had Shane van Gisbergen in a Red Bull car behind me for 10 laps or so – that’s a massive deal for me.

“It was a great experience driving with those (front-running) guys, noticing their rhythm and what they do at the start of a race.

“They are not really torching their

tyres like we are most of the time at the back of the field fighting for position.

The guys at the front were relaxed and calm, and thinking about lap 10 and lap 20 speed, not fighting each other and dooring each other.

“That was cool. I slotted in well and felt calm.”

Jacobson is grappling with a bunch of factors in his rookie year. He’s learning a car that had substantial aerodynamic changes over the summer that have proved a challenge for Kelly Racing’s engineering crew, and its three other drivers Rick Kelly, Simona De Silvestro and Andre Heimgartner, to find the right set-up.

He’s also worked with three engineers this year and is now with the experienced Chris Stuckey. Qualifying speed and maintaining tyre life in races have been key issues for him to solve.

“I feel we haven’t quite connected on what suits me,” he admitted. “As much as it’s a call for patience being a rookie and you need to understand it’s going to take time, I still feel we are a little behind where my potential is at.

“I still feel like there’s a fair bit to come yet.”

Jacobson acknowledges he has yet to secure a seat in Supercars for 2020, but is confident about that panning out.

“I have very loyal people behind me and great sponsors who are supporting me every way they can behind the scenes,” he said. “I am not stressed at all about the future of my racing because I am in good hands.

“I think I will be here for a while.”

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BATHURST SUBMISSIONS ARE IN FORD HAS announced its withdrawal from both the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and IMSA SportsCar Championship at the end of each series. The decision comes days after BMW announced its withdrawal from the WEC GTE-Pro class, which will now feature just six cars next season, two Ferraris, two Aston Martins and two Porsches. The Le Mans 24 Hours will be the last WEC race for the factory backed Ford GTs, but Ford is open to customer teams racing its cars in GTE-AM.

FERNANDO ALONSO has said that he has no desire to contest the entire 2020 IndyCar series. If he was to return to the series next year, it would be another one-off drive as he bids to claim the Triple Crown at the Indianapolis 500. “If I do Indy, a one-off will be the approach again. To do the full season at the moment is too much of a commitment in terms of races. If you go there you should be in contention; you are not a tourist,” Alonso said.

THE 2019 ADAC Nurburgring 24 Hours has 160 cars provisionally entered for the German endurance race, which takes place on June 22-23 a week after the Le Mans 24 Hours. Australian Le Mans 24 Hours class winner Matt Campbell take to the Nordschleife to contest the event. The entry is split into 23 separate classes, but the GT3 based SP9 class boasts 34 entries alone.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has signed up Thomas Laurent as its test and reserve driver for the 2019/2020 World Endurance Championship. The Frenchman, currently driving for Rebellion Racing, sits third in the LMP1 standings behind the two Toyotas. It will not be the first time the 21-year-old will have driven a Toyota, as he drove in a rookie test for the team in 2017. “I am pleased to welcome Thomas to Toyota Gazoo Racing.

He is a very talented and consistent driver, which is particularly impressive considering he is still a young man,” said team president Hisatake Murata.

12 AutoAction

By MARK FOGARTY BATHURST REGIONAL Council is hearing submissions from the three groups bidding for the proposed fifth event at Mount Panorama.

Presentations were due to be made to the council on Thursday, June 13, when this issue of AA went on sale.

Supercars, Australian Racing Group and Mountain Motor Sports have been shortlisted by BRC to apply for the right to host an additional meeting that requires the full closure of the public scenic road circuit.

They survived a cull of the six original expressions of interest (EOIs) lodged with the council in April.

At the end of last month, EOIs submitted by Ontic Sports, 24 Hours of Lemons and international promoter Creventic were rejected.

Representatives of Supercars, ARG and MMS were scheduled to make presentations to BRC, headed by mayor Graeme Hanger, in Bathurst on June 13.

The council will consider the submissions and decide which bid – if any – is successful.

Rather than a sprint round in addition to the Bathurst 1000, Supercars is thought to be proposing a Goodwood Festival Of Speed-style celebration of

cars and racing.

ARG is making a bid in conjunction with CAMS for a 500 km TCR endurance race that could also be a round of the WTCR World Touring Car Cup. MMS is understood to be proposing a tarmac rally event.

On ARG’s bid, director Matt Braid commented: “The Bathurst Regional Council has done their short list and we’re very privileged to be on that short list. We’re going through that process with them and it’s probably not right to comment in too much detail on that, but we are doing it for a reason.

“We want to be involved and we’d love to take the opportunity of that fifth Bathurst event.”

Amid widespread talk of a TCR enduro at Bathurst, fuelled by TCR global boss

THERE IS set to be an influx of new cars to the TCR Australia grid as interest continues to grow after the first two rounds of the series.

Although they failed to make it for Phillip Island due to a freight mix up, Wall Racing is expecting to receive its two new Honda Civic Type R TCR chassis by the end of this week (15/06), though team owner David Wall wouldn not reveal driver names but said that interest had been high.

“They left Milan, so JAS [Motorsport] and everyone there met their target. But unfortunately the way the freight worked

Marcello Lotti’s expressed enthusiasm for the idea during his Phillip Island visit at the weekend, Braid was cautious.

“That hasn’t been determined yet,” he said. “There’s talk – and Marcello’s mentioned TCR as a component of that – but the makeup of that TCR component hasn’t been formalised yet.

“There are some discussions within the presentation which we are not at liberty to discuss at this stage and that will dictate what the end result might be if we are successful.”

With CAMS partnering ARG’s bid, Braid acknowledged that other endorsed categories would be on the support program.

“Bathurst is such an iconic venue and such a great event, you can’t just have one category running there,” he said. “You need to make it an event and

NEW TCR CARS the cars couldn’t get here on time,” said Wall.

“They are halfway between Milan and here, so they will be here with plenty of time ahead of Tailem Bend.”

Wall Racing was also joined by a representative from JAS Motorsport, who advised the team on the running of the two cars driven by Tony D’Alberto and John Martin.

“Obviously, any help from the guys that

certainly that is what we are considering at the moment.

“And, yes, partnering with CAMS, there is scope to do more than one [category].”

Bathurst Regional Council is not committed to allocating a fifth meeting at Mount Panorama, but will do so if the best proposal adds value to the annual line-up and offers a major economic benefit.

The world-famous circuit currently hosts four major events annually which require full track closures – Bathurst 12 Hour, Bathurst 6 Hour, Bathurst 1000 and Challenge Bathurst.

NSW government legislation allows multi-day use of the Mount Panorama scenic road for race meetings up to five times a year.

With Bruce Newton

run them day in, day out is a good thing,” Wall continued “He’s been good and I felt we learned a lot from the ‘factory’ if you want to call it that this weekend, there’s no real negative.”

Martin’s car was severely damaged and looks likely to be re-shelled before Tailem Bend.

Alfa Romeo, Renault and Volkswagen are set to have an increase in numbers, while new brands Peugeot and Cupra are predicted to be joining by the end of the season.

Summer Series ahead for S5000 says Lambden IT WAS confirmed during testing last weekend that S5000 will be racing in at least two rounds of the Shannons Nationals by the end of the year.

Category manager Chris Lambden confirmed that Sandown in September would see the cars race for the first time and that they will also be competing at The Bend at the final Shannons round in November.

Category personnel are also working on putting a program together over the summer.

“To kick this off there will be a summer series,” confirmed Lambden, who is the man behind the concept from the beginning.

It may have looked like demonstration runs at Phillip Island’s Shannons Nationals last weekend, but the Garry Rogers Motorsport team that is in charge of constructing the Ford V8-powered Onroak-Ligier chassis race cars were conducting serious testing.

It was thought that Tim Macrow, who was driving the car across the weekend, might make an attempt to

lap the isle circuit under the current outright lap record – currently held by Simon Wills in a Formula Holden Reynard 94D at 1min 24.2215s.

However, while that notion was dismissed, unofficial sources had him circulating in a best of 1min 27.22 on Friday, 1min 25.94s on Saturday, and then 1min 24.78s on Sunday. That time was just half a second off the outright benchmark and 0.27s off Macrow’s own F3 lap record in a Dallara F307.

“The car will go much faster than what we have seen this weekend. The runs on the weekend were designed to fiddle around with the balance and play with the wings etc. Three or four laps are not a great gauge, not like a full test day. But we learn a lot out of the runs,” Lambden added.

From the original build the car is far different now, particularly in the front end and the tub, though the rear of the car is essentially as per the first concept. “What has changed is that it has all-Australian made suspension –

the car now is in its final form.”

From the engine forward it is a 2018-spec OnroakLigier.

“It is a 2018 FIA approved car with all the safety aspects that go with that. At the moment there are bits of 14 cars spread all over Melbourne and some day they will all come together – actually putting them together won’t be too complex.

“Plenty of young drivers want to hop into the car. Everyone is talking to their backers and ultimately that will be Garry Rogers’ responsibility. He came on-board to basically oversee the build of the cars and sell or lease them,” Lambden further confirmed.

It is believed the interest in driving is widespread from young talent in Formula Ford and F4, even a couple of the TCR series drivers have shown interest. “People who have an open wheel background and we have interest from overseas too.

“There is still a lot to do but in the production of the cars, Garry has done a ripper job.” Garry O’Brien

REYNOLDS PLAYS DOWN TV ROLE DAVID Reynolds is confident a season-long ‘fly on the wall’ reality TV shoot following Penrite Racing won’t affect his form in the Supercars championship.

At Bathurst in 2018 Reynolds wilted from the lead late in the race and had to be replaced by co-driver Luke Youlden for the run to the flag, as a leg cramp hampered his ability to drive the car.

His problem was later partly blamed on a gruelling media schedule as defending champions leading into the Great Race.

But Reynolds says the Supercars-backed reality show, which has been compared in concept to Netflix’s F1-based ‘Drive to Survive’ and Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ Manchester City docuseries, doesn’t impose the same stresses.

“I don’t mind it honestly, I really enjoy it. It’s really fun,” said Reynolds.

“There’s not a lot involved in this one. It’s more of a fly on the wall type thing and they just catch our natural conversations.

“There’s only a couple of forced interviews, most of the time it’s just open mike walking around talking normally, which is very easy for me.

“Obviously, they have to be very good at editing!”

At least one other ‘reality TV’ project is also understood to be under development by Supercars.

Supercars declined to discuss the projects when approached by Auto Action, but CEO Sean Seamer did provide some insights during an interview on the ‘Below the Bonnet’ podcast.

RACE-WINNING HERITAGE QUALITY VALUE & SUPPORT “We struggle because every time our stars jump in a car they have a helmet on,” said Seamer. “So we are putting a lot of effort into what we call an ‘always on’ media strategy.

“We can’t race 52 weekends of the year, so what other content can we create? Reality programming and getting ourselves into midweek prime time.”

The show following Penrite Racing won’t only include the views of team drivers Reynolds, team-mate Anton de Pasquale and personnel, but other teams and pitlane regulars including media.

Seamer also talked about a Big Brother-style program that is under development.

“That would put 12 kids in a house up in Queensland for a month, training with Paul Morris, being put in awkward social situations … and then having a guaranteed Super3 or Super2 drive for the winner,” he explained.

Both television programs are expected to go to air in 2020. BN

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STANAWAY BACK FOR DARWIN NEW ZEALANDER Richie Stanaway missed the Sunday race of the Winton SuperSprint due to severe neck pains, leaving the former German Formula 3 Champion unsure if he would be on the grid at the next Supercars round in Darwin. Auto Action can confirm after speaking with Barry Rogers, co-team principal of Boost Mobile Racing, that Stanaway will be back on the grid at the next round at the ‘top-end’. “He will be back in Darwin,” Rogers told Auto Action. “I spoke to him last weekend and he feels virtually right,” said Rogers.

“He had some fluid between vertebrae six and seven that was pushing pressure on it. He’s been on anti-inflammatories, the fluid has now gone and the disc is back in place,” he explained.

Stanaway’s Pirtek Enduro Cup co-driver Chris Pither took his place on the Winton grid. Pither had not driven a Supercar competitively since winning the Super2 series at the conclusion of the 2018 series in Newcastle.

After qualifying at the back of the grid Pither showed strong race

pace, a late race safety car helping the former V8 Ute driver finish the race a noteworthy 14th.

“Looking back on it, I’m happy with where we ended up, if you’d have asked me beforehand if I would’ve been happy with that result, I would have probably taken it,” Pither told Auto Action.

“It was good considering the circumstances, I think we did the best we could,” he said.

Pither was impressed with the race pace of the car and it has got the Kiwi fired up for the Enduro season.

“Getting those laps on Sunday at Winton and racing the full-time guys was really invaluable and I enjoyed it,” he said Dan McCarthy

WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS’ BIGGER SCHEDULE Words GEOFF ROUNDS Pic RICHARD HATHAWAY ADDITIONAL ROUNDS and more new venues are the major changes to the 201920 World Series Sprintcars championship.

Speedway Australia has taken the wraps of the 32nd season of Australia’s pre-eminent Speedway tour and teams, and fans will get five more rounds on top of the existing 10 rounds of racing last season.

All racing will be packed into the same timeframe as the 2018-19 season and more weeknight racing has been included to assist teams with travel.

A huge opening stanza at Murray Bridge Speedway will again kick-start the hugely popular WSS Speedweek with a two-night $20,000 opener on Boxing Day, and concludes at Warrnambool on January 1, 2020 after six nights of racing in seven days.

The tour then heads north to Brisbane and Toowoomba then even further north to Maryborough for their first ever WSS round in the 61-year history of the Queensland club.

Another exciting addition is the inclusion of Lismore Speedway in Northern NSW on Jan 14. It will be the first time

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since 2014 that WSS has held its competition at the famous venue.

After this round teams get a break for some of the country’s traditional blue-ribbon events, before making their way across to Western Australia.

Five rounds over two weeks from February 8 await and kick off in Perth before heading south to Albany, with Bunbury Speedway back in the WSS calendar after an absence of two years.

“We know this is a calendar that will excite fans and racers alike, and we look forward to bringing you the best Sprintcar action in the country again next summer,” a WSS spokesperson said.

WSS 2019-20 CALENDAR; Dec 26/27, Murray Bridge, SA Dec 28, Mt Gambier, SA Dec 29, Warrnambool, VIC Dec 30, Avalon, VIC Jan 1, Warrnambool, VIC Jan 4, Brisbane, QLD Jan 5, Toowoomba, QLD

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Jan 10/11, Brisbane Jan 14, Lismore, NSW Feb 8, Perth, WA Feb 14, Albany, WA Feb 15, Bunbury, WA Feb 21, Perth, WA Feb 22, Perth, WA

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13

LATEST NEWS

TROUBLE FREE RUN FOR AUSSIES AUSTRALIANS MATT Campbell and Nick Foster competed in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup at the Paul Ricard 1000km (6 Hours) in France last weekend.

The race itself was an interrupted and attritional affair with many safety cars called throughout the six hours, which created many varying strategies and good racing when the green flag was shown.

It was won by Steven Kane, Jordan Pepper and Jules Gounon in the Bentley Continental GT3 prepared and run

by M-Sport.

Teamed up with Kelvin van der Linde and Clemens Schmid, Foster who had started from 21st position, stayed away from all the opening lap chaos and jumped up to 16 positions by the end lap 1. By the commencement of the first stops Foster sat 12th, he was one of the last to make his first stop, dropping

him to 24th. Now on fresh tyres the 27-year-old quickly made his way back through the field and into the top 10 before handing the car over to Schmid, who drove a solid middle stint. Van der Linde came out the pits in 12th position and worked his way up to eighth by the conclusion of the race.

“I think we easily had the car for the top five, maybe even a podium if we got lucky but unfortunately some of those small mistakes and slow stops lost us a lot of

EUROFORMULA ROLLERCOASTER WEEKEND THE FOURTH round of the Euroformula Open Championship took place at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

The first race was declared wet, and featured intermittent showers throughout the 13 lap race. Marino Sato led the race from pole position ahead of Team Motopark teammate Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese drivers taking off into the distance on the opening lap.

New Zealander Liam Lawson qualified poorly but had a great first lap, jumping from eighth to third behind his teammates.

From there the order remained the same with Sato leading home Tsunoda and Lawson. Australian Jack Doohan finished the race best of the non-Team Motopark cars in fourth in his Double R Racing car, while fellow Australian Calan Williams finished just outside the points in 12th position.

The second race was full of drama. Once again Sato led from pole, but by the end of the second lap Lawson was leading fellow Red Bull Junior Tsunoda.

At the beginning of the Kemmel Straight the

Japanese driver took the lead and Lawson tried to fight back, sweeping around the outside at Les Combes, but the two made contact and both ended up in the barriers.

Doohan sat behind Sato as the safety car returned to the lane, but by the completion of the race he was relegated to fourth position

by Lukas Dunner and Julian Hanses.

Williams finished the race in ninth position, his third point score in the opening eight races of the season.

Lawson sits second in the standings 54 points behind Sato, while Doohan jumps to sixth in the standings, Williams to 15th.

The next round of the series takes place at the Hungaroring on July 6-7.

AUSSIES SURPRISE AT DONINGTON

A NUMBER of Australians competed at the 41st British Superkart Grand Prix held at Donington Park on June 1-2.

Victorian Jordie Ford was confident of success having already contested a number of European events and the winner of the British Superkart Grand Prix for the two previous years.

Ford made a poor start to the heat race but recovered to be in the lead by the end of the opening lap.

Lapping consistently a second faster than his rivals, Ford lowered the existing lap record by 0.7s.

However, the British Grand Prix itself didn’t go to plan after a first corner mishap ended his campaign, though the next day at a domestic BRSC Superkart round Ford won the second race to give him the round, a first for an Australian.

The experienced Ford was joined by debutants Tyler Williams and Nicholas

14 AutoAction

Schembri, who is only in his first season of gearbox superkart competition. Williams qualified ninth and finished 11th, while Schembri contested the 125cc class and surprised the locals by qualifying second, 0.1s behind pole.

Just like Ford, Schembri was involved in an opening lap scuffle and dropped to the back of the field with a fouled spark plug. It eventually cleared and he finished the event strongly.

time. Other than that I think it’s a positive weekend as a whole,” Foster said.

Campbell and his Rowe racing teammates Dennis Olsen and Dirk Werner also drove equally as strongly, the trio staying out of trouble and with reasonable car pace to make up two positions to finish the race fifth. This result sees them sit eighth in the standings but with the next round being the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on July 27-28, the championship is still well and truly alive.

PIASTRI REMAINS IN THE TITLE FIGHT OSCAR PIASTRI showed great pace in Formula Renault Eurocup at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, the young Australian scoring a second place finish and despite mechanical issues finished race two in sixth.

Piastri started Race 1 from second position alongside pole sitter Lorenzo Colombo. At the start of the race Colombo held the lead into Turn 1 despite pressure from Piastri.

The safety car was called early to retrieve the cars of Amaury Cordeel and Petr Ptacek. The race resumed at the start of the fourth lap, in which Colombo got a perfect restart and pulled away from the Australian, the Italian setting a series of lap records to edge out a substantial lead over Piastri.

Colombo claimed his first victory in the Formula Renault Eurocup series, beating Piastri by 5s with Victor Martins hot on his heels.

“At the start, maybe I should have stayed to the right instead of moving

to the left, but honestly I don’t think I could’ve kept Lorenzo behind me if I had passed him,” Piastri said.

The Australian once again started behind the Italian on the front row of the grid for the second race.

A problem at the start resulted in Piastri plummeting down through the field, completing the first lap in 18th. The Victorian put his head down and over the course of the 30 minute race worked his way up to an impressive 6th position.

The result sees Piastri remain in third position in the standings, the 18-year-old sitting just nine points behind championship leader Martins and six behind Aleksandr Smolyar.

The next round takes place in Belgium at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit from July 27-28.

ROBOTHAM SCORES ASIAN VICTORY

TOYOTA 86 regular Jay Robotham has had success in TA2 Asia, taking a victory in Round 3 held at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram on June 8-9.

The 16-year-old started the weekend off strongly by setting a new lap record by 0.4s to take pole position, while co-driver Paul Manuell mirrored first place giving the duo a front-row berth.

In the opening race Manuell started and led from the outset, handing the car over to Robotham in the lead, after which the young Australian kept his cool to bring home first.

“I am absolutely over the moon to have finished up on the top step. What an incredible feeling,” admitted the young teen.

“Paul did a great job and managed to get a good start and hold the lead even though his stint was cut short due to safety cars.

“I was a little nervous taking over from Paul in first place and was just focussed on maintaining position. I was able to keep my head down and managed to pull away from the guys behind. From there, I just had to focus on maintaining the tyres.

“Crossing the chequered flag in P1 was amazing.”

Robotham followed that victory with third in Race 2, after Manuell copped two drive through penalties.

The next round of the TA2 Asia Series will be held in Thailand on the Bangsaen Street Circuit, August 28 – September 1.

AA’s peeved pundit wonders how racing became so cosseted, arguing that Vettel’s race-ruining penalty is symptomatic of greater ills WHAT A debacle. As if Formula 1 didn’t have enough problems already, now they’ve gone and robbed Sebastian Vettel of a wellearned victory. Seriously, are the stewards blind?

Racing incident. Nothing more, nothing less. Every fan watching the Canadian Grand Prix could see it, but not the arbitrators upstairs.

Yet another example of the increasing strangulation of racing.

I can’t believe seasoned racer Emanuele Pirro ruled Vettel was at fault. The former touring car star, sports car legend (five Le Mans wins) and handy F1 racer (until his arm was nearly severed in a bizarre helicopter accident) would know better than that.

No, it would have been the faceless stewards who condemned Vettel. Luckily, they didn’t include Australian chief F1 steward Garry Connelly, who you’d hope would have had more sense.

I disagree strongly with our veteran F1 reporter Dan Knutson. His call that rules are rules is way out of sync with popular opinion – not to mention, in my view, common sense.

I’ve known and worked with DK for more than 30 years. I respect his opinion and his on-the-ground view. But this time I think he is WRONG! Vettel makes a mistake, scrambles to retrieve his blunder, hangs on as Lewis Hamilton pounces. Given the confines of the Circuit Gilles

Villeneuve, Vettel was lucky to escape with a giant wobble.

Hamilton did well to avoid a big crash. No harm, no foul.

Racing incident, get on with it.

Oh, no, bad Seb, say the stewards. Unsafe rejoin. J, J and M. That rule is for wideopen circuits with huge runoffs, not tunnel-like tracks – proper tracks – like Montreal’s monument to big speed and big skill.

In the exhaustive post-race analysis I saw, everyone – EVERYONE – except Mercedes viewed the racelosing five seconds penalty as unfair. Even promoted winner Hamilton was embarrassed.

This sort of nanny state reaction to a clear racing incident is symptomatic of the ills of modern motor racing.

We see it in Supercars all the time. Penalties for biffs, bumps and barges are way over-cautious.

Even though ex-racer Craig Baird is probably the best and most balanced DSO Supercars has ever had, his racer’s view appears to be often over-ridden by the sedentary stewards.

Few, if any, have ever been racers of note and they apply smothering rules without apparent discretion.

In recent weeks, I was becoming frustrated by Russell Ingall and Paul Morris banging on about letting the drivers race in their provocative podcast.

I thought they were beleaguering the point. Yeah, got it. Let the racers race.

But after the Canadian GP shemozzle, more power to them. I’d not only vote for them to run motor sport, but probably also the country.

Clear-minded, unequivocal comment that motor racing authorities would do well to heed. Which, of course, they won’t. Too bound by political correctness and societal sensibilities.

I call bullshit on all that.

Motor racing is dangerous and desperate. It needs to be reasonably safe, but not risk-free. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Vettel, despite another of his curious unforced errors, had the Canadian GP in the bag.

Good for him, good for Ferrari and good for the sport, which has been wilting yet again under Mercedes’ domination.

You think Scott McLaughlin, DJR Team Penske and their Mustang are unbeatable?

Look at Merc in F1. The best

team ever, but they’re killing F1.

And then Vettel gets robbed on a technicality. No wonder TV audiences are plummeting. In any other major sport, such inept intervention wouldn’t be accepted. Except it is.

In AFL, soccer, cricket and, for all I know, shoelace tying, questionable calls – followed by harsh penalties – are stifling competition.

However, while I’m on Vettel’s side over the incident, I can’t condone his petulant behaviour. Parking up away from the podium parc ferme was just mean. As was not attending the initial trackside post-race interview with Martin Brundle.

But what really rankled was his spoiled-brat act of swapping the position signs.

He exchanged No.1 from Hamilton’s car to his own car’s unfilled space. That was

just an unacceptable act of petulance.

Overall, very unedifying. The stewards got it wrong and Vettel reacted childishly.

The lesson is for all racing, especially Supercars. Short of malicious aggression, leave the drivers to bump, grind and fumble among themselves.

They’ll sort it out more efficiently and effectively than after-the-fact officialdom. We need to relax the rules and let drivers get on with it.

Drivers will be happier and less constrained, and most importantly, fans will be properly entertained.

Like so many things in modern motor racing, it’s not rocket science. But by the angst involved, you’d think we were sending people to Mars.

Very simply, racing is entertainment, nothing more.

Just leave the drivers to get on with it. We’ll all be better off if that were to happen.

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s w e n e n O Formula RICCIARDO GAINING CONFIDENCE

“WE HAVE come a long way since Melbourne,” Daniel Ricciardo said after he qualified fourth for the Canadian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo struggled to come to grips with his Renault during the Australian Grand Prix weekend and in other races earlier in the season. But things are starting to turn around.

“I definitely got more comfortable with the car really each weekend that I do,” the Aussie said when Auto Action asked him in Montreal about the progress being made. “With the engineering team we’ve hardly touched the car all weekend. So already coming into the weekend they kind of know more or less what I need from the car and what I like. When you don’t touch a car much on a weekend there is a good correlation between us. That is also giving me confidence now just to drive the car that I know and getting familiar with it.”

Renault is improving its car for braking, attacking the kerbs and absorbing bumps. Those elements are crucial on the Montreal circuit.

“You do need the car underneath you to have that confidence,” Ricciardo explained. “I don’t think you need the fastest car but you need a car you definitely have confidence in. We were able to get something pretty close to that in Monaco, and we brought that here. It is fun and when you can push it around on the limit here it feels good. Not changing the car from Friday to Saturday and trying to get used to something new, that helps as well. Just having that consistency is very good.”

But Renault still does not have a car capable of a podium finish on merit. Is he feeling frustration or motivation?

“I am very, very motivated, and I want to get back on the podium,” he said. “I know we are still not there, but if I keep this level of drive and hunger, then it is just going to come

sooner rather than later.”

Ricciardo has now adapted his driving style to suit the Renault, which differs from the Red Bull.

“I’m now comfortable and I am already starting to drive a little differently compared to what I was last year in some areas,” he said. “Even the way you brake into a corner or pick up the throttle, based on the characteristics I feel that I have already adopted new habits. Now it feels natural.

“In winter testing I thought I got up to speed well, and that that was that. But getting that last five percent, that was going to take time. I’d like to say I’m in that window where I wasn’t in the first few weekends.”

Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg finished sixth and seventh in Canada – the team’s first double points of the season. It is very encouraging progress for Renault, but there is also the reality check that both drivers were lapped by the top two finishers.

CAP THE GAP ON SPENDING THE DAYS of Formula 1 teams spending ludicrously insane money to field two cars for the season will come to an end, if the proposed budget cap is introduced in 2021. Instead, the teams will merely be allowed to spend a ridiculous amount of money.

Team spending will be limited to US$175m annually, but as this figure does not include engine costs, marketing or drivers’ salaries, in reality they could be forking out US$250m or more.

The FIA Sporting and Technical Regulations will have a new branch called the Formula 1 Financial Regulations which will enforce the budget cap rules. This is not some random figure but rather one determined by former team boss Ross Brawn, who now works for Liberty’s Formula One and Nigel Kerr, the director of finance for Mercedes F1.

Only three teams will have to trim their spending: Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes.

“As an organisation we would need to adapt,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said when asked by Auto Action how his team would cope with the mandated reduction. “We have several motor

16 AutoAction

racing platforms and engineering projects, and once it is clear what the cost cap will be, we need to look at our structure and say how can we best adapt.”

Even though they don’t spend that much, some of the smaller teams welcome the cap because they simply can’t afford to try and compete with the big three.

“There is a reason the top three have catapulted away from us,” noted Racing Point team principal Otmar Szafnauer.

But Renault’s Cyril Abiteboul maintains the cap needs to be much lower than US$175m.

When it comes to closing the gap between the teams, the best way to do it is to quit fiddling with the technical and sporting regulations, Wolff believes. Both those areas are set to undergo a big overhaul in 2021, and when the rules are changed, the wealthy teams have more resources to find the best solutions.

“The default reaction in the past, when a team, or three big

teams are running away, is that we change the regulations,” Wolff said. “Because you believe that by changing the regulations others may catch up. Exactly the opposite is the case: if you leave regulations alone, which is counter-intuitive, eventually performance converges.”

A good example, Wolff pointed out, is the power unit regulations which have been mostly unchanged since 2014. Mercedes started out with a huge advantage but now Ferrari, Renault and even Honda are closing in.

Szafnauer also favors stable regulations.

“The curve to catch the big teams is steep in the beginning but then it flattens out,” he said. “The smart guys, the rich guys, the fastest guys, will win anyway, but the margins will be smaller.”

Over the years Formula 1 has never been able to stop changing the rules but the plan from 2021 onwards is that the big teams won’t be able to spend vast quantities of cash on those changes.

THE HUMAN COST

“I DON’T care about the families!” Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost said when asked by Auto Action about Liberty Media’s intent to increase the number of grands prix beyond the current 21 per year.

“We can have 26 races. If we get the money for all the races, that’s important.

Then I don’t have a problem.”

A big chunk of F1’s commercial income comes from promoters paying the fees – up to US$50m annually – to host a grand prix. More races equals more money for both the teams and Liberty.

But more races come at a human cost because it means more time away from home and families for traveling team personnel. The big teams can afford to hire extra people to rotate the staff that goes to races, but the smaller teams can’t.

“I care about the families!” Haas team principal Guenther Steiner said when AA put the same question to him.

“Because then the people working are happy.”

There is also a point of saturation and too much of a good thing. Will F1 continue to be special if there are so many races?

“Do you limit the races to 18 and charge more for them because there is more demand?” asked Racing Point’s team principal Otmar Szafnauer. “But then you have to know how much more demand and how much more you can charge if 18 is more exclusive than 25. With TV as well, you might get a bit more money if you can show it 25 times a year than 18.

I remembered when we did 16 races – it was a bit more exclusive then.”

Liberty’s plan is to initially compress the weekend by moving some of the media commitments plus the car scrutineering to Friday.

In the longer term there could be two-day race weekends.

The theory is that by freeing up an extra day per weekend – say over 25 races – it creates 25 days at home for team staff. But it doesn’t really work out that way for races outside of Europe, especially the

RADICAL RULES ROW RADICAL CHANGES to the F1 rules and schedules are being proposed by the FIA and Liberty Media for 2021.

All changes to the technical and sporting regulations, plus the new budget cap that is supposed to be implemented, are supposed to be finalised by the end of June. But there’s a proposal to extend that deadline to October which needs unanimous agreement from the teams. Nine of them have supported the move, but Renault has been balking.

The FIA was due to have a summit meeting with the teams in the week after the race in Canada.

Such is the current state of flux in the regulations wheeling and dealing that the changes that will likely be finally agreed on in October could be considerably different from the current proposals now on the table.

Another scenario is that things will get delayed to the point where the 2021 regulations are scrapped altogether.

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One of the most radical rule changes proposed is that the teams would not be able to change parts on the car throughout the race weekend. Currently the teams are only not permitted to work on the car during impound conditions between the end of qualifying and the race.

The 2021 proposal is that the car’s specification would have to remain the same from Friday morning’s technical inspection through to the race. Set-up adjustments to the car would be permitted, but trying different things for developing the car, such as two different front wings, would not. Any parts damaged in an accident would have to be replaced with the exact same specification.

“Then we might as well just get rid of Friday practice,” Daniel Ricciardo said when Auto Action told him in Montreal of the proposed changes.

The idea behind this proposed regulation is to throw

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some unpredictability into the mix.

Needless to say, Mercedes in particular is not keen on the parc fermé format from Friday to Sunday.

“There is no motor racing formula out there that doesn’t allow the cars to be touched over the weekend,” said team boss Toto Wolff. “I don’t think we should start with Formula 1, the pinnacle of motor racing. You open up a can of worms with penalties because cars will end up in the wall and they will need to rebuilt.”

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back-to-back events where the personnel stay out for two races.

From the promoter’s point of view, two-day weekends may work at venues like Bahrain and Azerbaijan, where there is minimal spectator turnout. But Melbourne is and should remain a full bore four-day weekend as it benefits both the promoter and the fans. Many tracks depend and need the extra income that Friday on-track action provides for them. The spectator turnout on a Friday at a venue like Montreal is massive.

While tracks like Montreal, the Hungaroring and Spa don’t have any cars running on the Thursday, they still draw a large number of fans in for a pit walk on that day. And those fans are paying customers at the concessions and souvenir stands as well.

In short, shorter race weekend will mean the promoters will lose money while at the same time not really reducing the human cost to the teams.

The bigger teams with the budget and tools to make simulation models before the weekend, would have an advantage over the smaller teams said Wolff.

“We will spend more time and resource in the virtual world, run cars harder on dynos to make them last, because we know we can’t take them apart over (the) three days,” Wolff said.

Rather than impound the cars, the best way to shake things up is a change to the weekend format, Lewis Hamilton believes.

“That element needs to have a real look into it because the fans are the reason that we continue to be able to do what we do,” he said in Montreal.

“Whilst there are a lot of people here, there are races where there are not big attendances, promotion is perhaps not always the best in some places.”

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F1 INSIDER

with Dan Knutson James Hunt with cigarette, Coke and champagne. Image: LAT

NO LONGER GLADIATORS MUCH AS I respect the talent of modern-day Formula 1 drivers, I don’t think of them as gladiators.

When Pat Symonds was working at Toleman he recalls how shocked the team was about how physically unfit Ayrton Senna was when he joined in 1984. The thing about Senna was that when, for example, photos showed him in shorts and playing soccer on the beach, he looked like he was in great shape because of his slim build. But he wasn’t.

Senna, of course, rectified that as his F1 career progressed.

Nigel Mansell had a reputation for being physically tough, but he was often exhausted – with his face in full agony mode – after a race.

Nelson Piquet? I don’t think he even knew what a pushup was. He had to be lifted out of the car more than once after a grand prix. Dramatic stuff. He wasn’t the only one. Some of the drivers smoked or drank alcohol to excess. Exercise was lounging by the pool.

They certainly never went to a gym.

Innes Ireland in the 1960s or James Hunt in the 1970s raced more than once with a hangover, and about the only

time you could be sure they weren’t reaching for a cigarette was when they were driving the car.

Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost recalls drivers purposely selecting the wrong gear in order to wreck the gearbox or engine, so they could retire from a race when they got too tired to continue.

Then along came Michael Schumacher who pushed the whole physical fitness regime to a much higher level. He even had a trailer fitted out with a complete gym parked in the paddock, so he could exercise right at the track.

F1 cars were physically draining to drive in the 1980s and early 1990s when these guys were racing, but many of the drivers were also physically unfit to drive them.

These days all the F1 drivers are superbly conditioned. Many of them start a physical and diet regime when they are still kids racing in karts. Outfits like Red Bull have young driver programmes that involve much more than just driving.

“Our drivers have special physical training plans,” Tost said. “They have their own coach; they have a nutrition plan. That means they are so

well prepared that the driving itself is no longer so exciting.”

After he won the Monaco Grand Prix this year, Lewis Hamilton was planning to celebrate with a glass of wine or two. But what he was really looking forward to was going out to exercise the next day.

In 2019, because of the increased driver/car weight minimum, the drivers have been able to train even more and add muscle mass. Hamilton said he has raised his overall wellbeing even more since he became a vegan. It’s no wonder that these guys look so fresh after a race.

Hamilton wishes the cars drained the drivers. For starters

he’d like to see power steering eliminated.

“You should be just so physically exhausted after the race, like a marathon,” he said in Montreal. “I could probably do two or three races in a row, and F1 should not be like that.

Also it’s a man’s sport, and a lot of youngsters come in and it’s quite easy for them to get straight into it. But I do think it should be the most physically challenging. Probably why a lot of us drivers are able to go on for a long period in time is because we can handle it.”

Some people misinterpreted Hamilton’s “man’s” remarks as sexist. He was not referring to

male/female but rather to the fact that F1 should be a gladiatorial sport. It should be, as he pointed out, physically exhausting.

The problem is that like all things in racing and F1, you can’t go back. For example, you can uninvent aerodynamics and downforce. And you can’t convince today’s drivers to lounge by the pool with a cigarette and a beer and a sack of junk food.

I don’t know what the solution is. But I do know that while the drivers today are in far better physical shape, they don’t have the flair and they are not the gladiators like they were in the past.

ROUND 3 - WINTON RACEWAY - JUNE 15 -16

18 AutoAction

OPINION THE BREAKTHROUGH VICTORY

Bruce Williams 0418 349 555 Associate Publisher Mike Imrie Editor-At-Large

BY HEATH McALPINE Editor-At-Large YES, YES, yes, yes, yes! F*ck yes!

You beauty! The relief and elation were clear to hear as Mark Webber crossed the line in Germany to take his first Grand Prix victory.

It has been 10 years since that breakthrough victory and the start of the Australian being a consistent title contender for the Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship crown, an experience Aussie race fans had been missing since Alan Jones in the 1980 – well before my time on this earth.

It was a significant victory, firstly for Webber himself.

After all the heartache of his well-publicised Mercedes sports car campaign, the struggle for budget and the fraught career he had endured in Formula 1 up to that point, it was all worth it.

Secondly, it was an important victory when it came to the fans and bringing new interest to Formula 1 in Australia.

I remember waking up at 1:00am to watch races dominated by the Scuderia and Michael Schumacher, so it was a nice change to witness not only another manufacturer and team taking victory, but also an Australian. It was almost unbelievable.

Interest at school the next day was at fever pitch, and for me being the only motor sport fan among my group of friends, I took great delight in sharing my knowledge of Formula 1, rather than the usual NBA or footy talk.

It piqued interest and I know personally it drew some of my friends to the world of Formula 1 thanks to Webber’s achievement, much like he did when he debuted in Melbourne seven years earlier.

And thirdly, it announced Red Bull as a genuine championship contender, kicking off a dominant period for

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Deputy Editor

Mark Fogarty Heath McAlpine

Creative Director/ Production

Jason Crowe

Special Contributor Bruce Newton Staff Journalist National Editor Online Editor

Dan McCarthy Garry O’Brien Rhys Vandersyde

Contributing Writers Australia Garry O’Brien, Mark Fogarty, Bruce Newton, David Hassall, Bob Watson F1 Dan Knutson Speedway Geoff Rounds Photographers Australia Ross Gibb, Rebecca Hind, Mick Oliver, David Batchelor, Randall Kilner, Rhys Vandersyde International LAT Images

the team. Four titles in a row in fact, though sadly Webber was unable to topple teammate Sebastian Vettel. But the growing rivalry between the pair further engaged audiences.

As a representative for Australia on the world stage, Webber personified the spirit and toughness that is associated with the land Down Under.

Back to that race, I remember watching the first segment of the race when he clashed wheels with the Brawn of Rubens Barrichello, receiving a drive through penalty. I thought at that moment that the ol’ Webber curse was going to hit again.

Pitting, then touring through again for his penalty, Webber emerged eighth, but a fantastic recovery drive enabled the Aussie to re-take the lead and be the first Australian Grand Prix winner since the early-80’s.

Yours truly had fallen a sleep during the course of the race (a common occurrence now if you speak to some parts of the media) and woke up to the sound of Webber’s jubilant cries of victory. I haven’t heard a sweeter

alarm clock since.

The ensuing jumping and fist pumping woke my parents up but it was worth it. I haven’t felt happier at a sporting event since, until the Tigers won the premiership in 2017.

For someone who had followed Webber’s career from afar since the Minardi days, it was as much a relief for me as it was him. The false hopes he had at Williams seemed long gone.

It was pleasing to watch the hard

work pay off and although he may not have a driver’s title trophy, he achieved a hell of a lot in what was a very competitive era of Formula 1.

It also helped pave a pathway for a young driver named Daniel Ricciardo to take over his mantel and although the Honey Badger is having a torrid time at the moment, Webber’s journey demonstrates there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that the future is always unpredictable.

Advertising Manager Bruce Williams All Advertising enquiries bruce@overdrivemedia.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

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We take a look back at what was making news 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago 1979: BOB JANE’S plans to enter a Chevrolet Camaro Z28 into that year’s endurance races at Sandown and Bathurst was revealed, though the team’s long-time car builder Pat Purcell was jostling with CAMS about the choice of engine it wanted for the 1980 season. This was amid a change of regulations where the XD Falcon and VB Commodore were to be introduced.

1989: A CHAOTIC Australian Touring Car Championship race at Winton was won by Nissan’s George Fury, breaking the Ford Sierra and Dick Johnson Racing domination of the previous two seasons. The victory occurred at the right time as Nissan Australia were re-evaluating its motor sport involvement. It was Fury’s last win in the ATCC as he was pushed out of the Nissan team at the end of that year.

1999: 1 MUCH THE same as in 1989 1 at Winton, it was Ford which broke b a Holden stranglehold on the th V8 Supercars Championship when w Stone Brothers Racing driver Jason Ja Bright delivered the AU its first fir win. There was action galore at Hidden Valley’s second event, lea leading to controversy about driving standards. sta 2009: IT WAS all about Mark 20 2 Webber. The Australian broke W tthrough to win his maiden Grand Prix in Germany and also came into P tititle calculations. Jack Brabham aand Alan Jones welcomed Webber to the exclusive club of Australian F Formula 1 Grand Prix winners, la lauding his efforts in finally taking th that elusive first win.

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 Fairfax Media Distributed by Gordon & Gotch

Cover image: Xxxxx

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19

MOZZIE BITES

In a remarkably frank exchange, Chaz Mostert opens up about his frustrations, his future and his suspiciously sleek new look

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LL THE talk is about where he will be next year and he has done little to quell the speculation. Chaz Mostert seems to be enjoying the conjecture, which is consistent with his quirky character.

Mostert is unconventional, quick with a quip and laid-back. Nothing much fazes him. He is also smart and more astute than his casual approach suggests.

So it is likely that openly addressing his indemand status is as much a tactic as it is a reflection of his relaxed nature. Amid rampant rumours that he has been targeted by DJR Team Penske, he has recently revealed that racing overseas is now a serious option.

With Tickford chasing his renewal and DJRTP weighing his availability against the revived form of Fabian Coulthard, Mostert is putting pressure on his suitors to act. It is also significant that he has recently changed his image.

He has gone from dishevelled to almost debonair with a cropped and combed hairstyle in an outward sign that there is substance behind the knockabout ‘Mozzie’ persona.

Gold Coast-based Mostert, 27, has endured the frustration of Tickford Racing’s struggles since they were pacesetters in 2015, when his titlechallenging surge – five wins and 10 poles – was ended by a huge qualifying crash at Bathurst.

The slump bottomed last year, when he scored

just one race win and a single pole position, and he and the team have been more competitive this year with a fortunate victory and two poles already.

However, Tickford hasn’t capitalised on the superiority of the Mustang and Mostert is looking to developments – including a stronger engine – at Darwin this weekend to start seriously challenging McLaughlin. If, as he maintains, his future isn’t decided, Hidden Valley could be the turning point in his deliberations.

Mostert was forthright and unfettered in an entertaining conversation about his form and his future, as well as his surprising appraisal of McLaughlin’s domination.

Photos: LAT/Ross Gibb/Will Davison

Last year was generally a struggle, with only a few good results. What’s your feeling about this year so far?

For us as a team, and through the eyes of Chaz, it’s been a bit of an up-and-down year. Obviously, we rolled out at the start of the year with a very new package, something I felt was a little bit of a step up from what where we had been in the last year or so that suits my driving style better.

Albert Park was really good for us – great to get the race win there and the Larry Perkins Trophy (for the top-scorer over the four races), which was something I wanted to win. But, otherwise, it’s been a roller-coaster year. There’ve been some struggles. Tassie really hurt and the second race in Perth hurt us a bit as well. But saying that, we’ve been a lot more consistent so far this year than what we were last year – and I think that’s more because of the hard work we did at the end of last year, trying to turn the ship around. From Gold Coast onwards last year, I think we had a lot better understanding of what we needed from the car. We focused on making our race car better, but maybe we lost a bit on the qualifying side. So definitely trying to get the best of both worlds with the new car.

Is the team functioning better this year?

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Yeah, I think so, definitely. We have a lot of different structure, a lot of different people have stepped up as well. So, without a doubt, I think it’s functioning better. But you never sit like a dead duck in the water.

There is always more we can be working on to improve ourselves and the focus this year is to try to keep moving forward.

Some changes among personnel have been very refreshing for us. But until you’re winning every race, there’s always stuff drivers and teams can be doing better.

that. A junior engineer has stepped up and there’s been progression in the team, and morale is good. The goal is to win every race, but at the moment, we’re just being realistic, too, that we have to keep adapting and keep changing and, hopefully, get back to getting those consistent results that we were getting in 2015.

But there hasn’t been much change on your side of the garage has there?

Adam De Borre is still your engineer and the core of your group remains, right?

So far it’s been a runaway by the DJR Team Penske Mustangs. On the surface, you have the same equipment, so do o you feel you’re close to contending for wins on a regular basis?

The core of my crew’s still there, but I think the team overall is offering a lot better support now. That’s the biggest thing, trying to get the team to gel better and work better with each other. I think we’re very lucky as a team that we have four cars in the championship, so you would think there’s a lot more knowledge there that we can bounce off each other and use to take the cars forward. But sometimes with a big team and a lot of personnel, it’s sometimes hard to get them to gel and work in the right direction. I think this year’s definitely been a step forward with

To be honest, that’s the hardest question you could ask me. I can’t say simply yes or no. All I know is that as a team, we come in week in and week out and put our best foot forward. I’m not sure that’s enough at the moment, but that’s the fact of the matter. We have some exciting things coming in the pipeline. I think Darwin is a good line in the sand for us. That’s one that we really want to apply some new things and move forward. At the moment,

we are just trying to do the best with what we have – and it’s not like we’re having terrible results. But, yes, there’s one team that has been doing exceptionally well this year and, no doubt, they have the target on their back and everyone wants to beat them.

How much better is the Mustang than the FG X? I think it’s the whole picture for me. There’s the on-track stuff and the off-track stuff.

Obviously, seeing the fan support for the Mustang and Ford being involved in the

Fog has caught the shakka disease! We don’t know whether Chaz Mostert Foges was successful in teaching AA’s Editor-At-Large his trademark move. wa spo again is very exciting. That’s all built sport a lo lot of vibe. I love what Craig Lowndes has done for our sport with the fans and I’d llike to think we’re doing that with the Mus Mustang. I remember what it was like to be a fan when I was a kid and I think Ford bein being back with the Mustang has created new excitement in the category. Carwise, it lo looks a little sleeker, only two doors, sure surely that helps in some areas. Obviously, ther there’ve been some changes through the yea year already and I just want it to be fair for eeverybody out there. But every time a ne new model is released – whether it’s Hol Holden or Ford – it always seems to take a step forward. We have a really heavy car, 650 horsepower and a very small tyre in comparison with other categories around the world, and these little changes that you do from model to model can make a big difference on track.

From a driving point of view, does it feel different, better?

Not so much. The aero side is so low compared with the GT stuff I’ve been doing, it’s more mechanical grip that you need to dial into these cars. So when you see a car

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out there doing really well, I believe they’ve more got their set-up direction right, getting their (suspension) geometries right and all that kind of thing, and everything gelling. At the moment, with our car, we’re not completely happy with it. There’s a fine line on achieving the right balance and we need to find a bit more grip at some places, and that’s the goal.

Scott McLaughlin took the changes to the Mustang and the whole parity row very personally. What was your reaction?

To be honest, I didn’t really give it much thought. I don’t dwell on things like that, which goes back to my karting days. Back in the day, you could win in second-hand gear, but now the game’s changed and you have to have new gear all the time to win. If you have an unfair advantage, it doesn’t feel like you’ve accomplished as much when you do win. I go back to 2013, which was a fantastic year because we had Car Of The Future, a lot of teams trying to work out the set-up direction with the cars and we had multiple winners. It was probably the most level playing field that the category’s ever had. I just want the category to be fair and even so,

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that the best drivers can go out there and win.

The results so far suggest that the centre of gravity change and the aero cuts didn’t have much effect. Do you notice a difference?

If you look at our performances, it’s definitely dropped us a little bit. I think it hurts us more than others, purely because it goes back to how good the teams are doing underneath the car, mechanical grip-wise. There is an aerodynamic side to our category, but it is so much less than in other categories around the world. Our cars are built more for mechanical grip than aerodynamic downforce. At the start of the year, we were a bit closer to the window and now with the changes, we’ve probably slipped out of it a little bit. But it doesn’t say we’re giving up on the whole year. We’re ready to keep pushing forward and try to make it better.

In amongst all this, it seems that going back to the linear spring is more at the core of the disparity. Clearly, DJR Team Penske is on top of that, Triple Eight is struggling and Tickford seems to be somewhere in the middle.

Yeah, without a doubt. That by far is the biggest change for this year. Probably the past three

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or four years, the trap spring is something all the teams pushed because there was a good benefit to that. With such a heavy car, you needed more tools to try to make the car work around a locked diff as well. For us, it’s exciting because we have dabbled with linear springs over the last year or so, so it’s not a complete case of throw-the-book-out-the-window for us, where it might have been for some others, and I think that’s why we are somewhere in the middle. There’s some stuff we can definitely do better to work around it, but, yes, Penske definitely seem to have mastered the linear spring and that’s where I truly believe is the biggest deficiency to those guys.

Earlier you mentioned Craig Lowndes and what he’s done for the sport. You’re friends and he’s anointed you as the guy to become the new fan favourite. Do you want to be the new Lowndes in terms of popularity and personality?

First of all, there’s only ever going to be one Craig Lowndes. He’s such a unique character.

I get along with him great. We’re good mates off the track – just have to find five minutes to catch up with him. He’s quite a busy bee these days. It’s an absolute honour that he would say something like that, but there are a lot of great

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Reflecting on his serious crash at Bathurst in 2015 gave Mostert an opportunity to view Supercars in a different light. “He’s in a bit of a league of his own,” is Mostert’s summation of arch rival Scott McLaughlin’s form. youn talents around. You have Scotty McLaughlin, young who’s quite an approachable guy, and a lot of who youngsters youn coming through, too. So in terms of who wh will assume the Craig Lowndes throne in terms ter of fan support, it’s sad that he’s hung up the th helmet full-time, but I guess the fans will be looking lo at different options of who to follow.

It’s pretty p cool to be among those and it’s nice when a Craig Lowndes supporter comes up to you and a says ‘You were my second favourite to Lowndesy and I might go buy your shirt’. I Lo think it takes a lot of us characters in the pit lane to truly tru make up for the loss of Craig Lowndes not racing full-time. Guys like Davey Reynolds. ra There’s There so much personality in this sport and I think the category’s done a really good job to channel chan that and show those personalities more than what they did in the past.

Haircutwise, you’re looking way tidier…

Hairc I left a bit of a beard, just for this interview. See, just to t show there’s still a bit of Chaz still there.

This is the tidiest I’ve ever seen you and you turned up with this new sleek look in Perth, didn’t you?

No, before that.

Oh, so not just for Perth, because you know who was there and who likes very wellgroomed drivers?

I love how you try to put two and two together.

Obviously, I know the questions you’re going to ask me…

Albert Park Supercar races scored Chaz the Larry Perkins Trophy, something he has wanted to win.

We’re getting there, yes.

I’m off contract this year, so I have to look at my future within the sport. You could probably ask a lot of team owners and people down pit lane, and they probably want to see some change in Chaz, see if he can actually hold a slicker haircut and represent himself a bit better. I’m just showing both sides, if that makes sense.

I wouldn’t be surprised if throughout the year you still see scruffy Chaz come back, but I’m just showing that if it’s here, there or anywhere, Chaz can change.

So it wasn’t just for Roger Penske’s benefit?

No, no, even though you love to put two and two together…

How close am I to four?

Oh, mate, I don’t know. There are a lot of great opportunities down pit lane, so can’t lock yourself into one. The beautiful thing is that, in the background, a lot of the main players are sealed away, but we’ll just see how our year goes. Like I said, Darwin’s an exciting part of the year for us and the team’s given me a fabulous run for my career so far and you have to repay the faith, so there is a bit of loyalty there.

So what are you doing in 2020 and beyond?

No idea. I have actually not a clue. At the moment, I’m just trying to look at all my options, sit them on a table at home and weigh them up. There is still an option to maybe not to be in this category next year, which is something I’m taking seriously. I didn’t take it as seriously at the start of the year, but recently, I’m definitely taking seriously, so there’s some potential in that as well. But like I said, I want to give this team the best crack at it that I can and mid-year we have some stuff coming that I’m excited about, so we just have to try to put it on the track.

So now there is a serious possibility that you might take up the offer from BMW and go GT racing?

Don’t know if it’s locked in with BMW, but there is definitely excitement there to do it. I’ve loved what I’ve been doing with BMW the last year or two, driving on different tracks and driving different cars, and I feel that not having that GT upbringing has made it quite hard for me to adapt to it compared with running in the categories that lead to Supercars. So I really enjoy being the fish out of water in that and trying to challenge myself to get up to speed with the European guys or wherever they’re from. There are a lot of tracks overseas I still want to tick the box to. Maybe it might be great to go away for a couple of years and see a different side of things.

Leaving Supercars would be a big step.

It would be and it would leave a big hole in my heart, for sure. But I don’t think I’m done here. I just maybe need to go away and see something else for a little bit. I definitely don’t want to go, say like Marcos Ambrose, chasing a NASCAR dream and that’s it, not come back. There’s a lot of unfinished business here, but it might not be a bad thing to look from the outside in for a couple of years.

Mostert’s relationship with BMW is strong and he hasn’t ruled out a potential move overseas.

The Mustang, together with engineer Adam De Borre, has delivered a more consistent performance from Mostert.

Going back to 2015, you were very much in title contention until your qualifying crash at Bathurst. It seemed to take you a while to fully recover from that accident. Did it take you longer than you expected?

There’s a logical link with BMW, isn’t there?

Yeah, obviously, I have ties there, but at the end of the day, I can’t comment on it because I don’t have anything in front of me, either. Like I said, I have to assess all my options, I have to make some phone calls. First of all, though, we just have to get to mid-year here at Tickford and then work out what’s the best way forward.

For some months, you’ve been strongly linked to a move to DJRTP… Bringing this back up again. You’re comin’ back around to get me, Foges.

Just covering all the bases. C’mon, there has been a lot of speculation…

Yeah.

So hand on heart, you haven’t signed anything for next year?

If there were an opening there, that would have to be a great opportunity, wouldn’t it?

I wouldn’t be chatting with you because I know you’re good at reading through people, so I got nothin’.

I think anybody would love the opportunity to race for The Captain. If you look at guys like (Juan Pablo) Montoya who’ve come into his program quite late, he (Roger Penske) seems to have a really good connection with his drivers and people seem to drive for him for a long, long time. And looking from the outside in, you could only speculate that people want to stay there for a long time because he looks after them quite well. Yeah, look, I don’t know where any of that is at the moment. I haven’t personally spoken to Roger, so you’re just trying to shoot pellets into the dam here, trying to hit a little carp like myself. [Laughs]

Presumably, you‘ve had an offer from Tickford?

Yeah, for sure, they want to try to keep me here and, like I said, I think we’ve built something pretty cool here with Supercheap and stuff like that over the past couple of years as well, so for me… Yeah, they definitely want to try to keep me for next year and, like I said, we just need to perform better as a team and move forward, if that’s on-track or stuff behind the scenes. I think we’re all aware of what we need to do and we just have to go try do it.

When will you make a decision?

I’m a big believer in trying to get things sorted earlier than later because if you’re lucky enough to be a driver that actually has two options, I don’t think it’s fair on the option that you’re not going with to be hung out to dry because it doesn’t work very well for either party. You get negative comments and then you also get a reputation for stuffing someone around. So, next two to three months. Three would be the absolute deadline I’d like to be organised by. Two is ideal for me and my mentality.

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It’s interesting talking to you about it because you seem genuinely amused by all the speculation. It’s a bit of sport for you, isn’t it?

A little bit. I think the reason I find it cool and a little bit funny is because I never thought I’d even get to Supercars. So to kind of do well in this sport and maybe think about my next chance or opportunity to achieve what I want to do is exciting. It’s exciting times in my career. I’m 27 and I’d like to think my next opportunity is probably the peak of my career.

I think with the next one after that, you might not have as many opportunities. You have to enjoy it. It’s quite cool to be wanted, if that makes sense. So there’s no point shutting it down with you guys because you’re just going

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to speculate, anyway. So happy to chat about it – maybe not in the finer details, but as I said, it’s exciting for me. From being a truck driver’s son to the opportunity to actually be wanted is pretty cool.

Potentially, do you see Scott McLaughlin as your great rival? You came up through Super2 together, you were in the Class of 2012 and both won your first main game races in 2013.

My point is, you have roughly parallel careers.

To answer that, I’ll ask you a question. I’d like to see how you handle a Chaz question.

OK, go for it.

Over the years, has Jamie Whincup had one great rival, do you believe?

Not a consistent rival, no. He’s had different rivals at times, including you, but he hasn’t had one great rival.

So you don’t think that during the bulk of his championship-winning career, he hasn’t had a serious rival?

No one consistently. The closest would have been his teammate Craig Lowndes.

Yep. So I’d answer your question the same way you did mine. The way Scotty’s dominating out there, he doesn’t have a serious rival. At the end of the day, results speak in this game. My goal is to go out there and try to beat Scotty, but at the moment, he’s in a bit of a league of his own. And if that’s through his driving or the support around him from the team, he has a package seriously together and not many people are getting on top of him at the moment. You guys can write about us being big rivals, but at the end of the day, you have to be able to challenge him, to beat him, to be a serious rival.

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Not really. I put it on pole for Adelaide after I came back, so I believe the performance in me was still there. But we had no similarities to 2015. I was working with a new engineer with a different philosophy that I was trying to get my head around – which didn’t mean it was a bad or a good thing. The hardest thing when you come back from injury is not having consistency to lean on. Yeah, in 2016, there was a stage when I blew out to my heaviest weight, getting up to 91 kilos. But if I look at the crash and everything it’s done for me, it’s put me in a much more positive vibe than if it hadn’t happened.

How’s that?

Well, the crash happened because we had a very fast car and the driver’s confidence at a very young age decided to go through the roof. That what happened with the crash at the end of the day. But there’s a positive side because it’s put me in a happier, healthier state of mind. It gave me the opportunity to sit outside the sport for quarter of a year and look at it more from a fan’s point of view as well.

From 2013-15, it was a whirlwind adventure.

In this game, we finish in November and we start back in February; it all just feels like one continuous championship. I got a real break and that was a very positive experience for me. When I came back, I was physically fine in the car and not mentally scarred at all. We just didn’t have performance. You only have to look at how my teammates went in 2016 to see that.

You reunited with Adam De Borre in 2017 and that got you back on track performancewise, didn’t it?

Yeah, we got a bunch of wins. We still weren’t very happy with our car, but it was a different tyre as well. There’ve been a few changes over the years, but the most consistent force in my career has been working with Adam.

He understands me and has the ability to see llly lly some of the things that I might miss. He really

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RGCM’OS LNEGIN LIFEEC VE -CHA L

Things have changed dramatically for Charles Leclerc since he joined Ferrari, as DAN KNUTSON finds out Photos: LAT

CHARLES LECLERC has wasted no time since he landed a drive with Ferrari. Very much in the same way Lewis Hamilton stood up to Fernando Alonso when they both joined McLaren at the start of 2007, and like Daniel Ricciardo tackled four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel at Red Bull in 2014, the young Monégasque driver has taken the fight to Vettel inside the Scuderia.

Many observers are already pondering what the German is going to do at the end of this season if he keeps being beaten by his young teammate.

Leclerc shows a tremendous turn of speed and commitment, regularly outpacing Vettel to the extent he had to be told by the team to either just sit behind his teammate or let him through for strategic reasons.

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Outside the cockpit Leclerc behaves like someone much older than his 21 years. His life has changed, but he doesn’t seem to have been swept away by his newfound fame and remains calm and collected.

He does admit it’s nice but a bit strange to be so easily recognised no matter where he goes, but his focus remains on his driving and working with the team.

THE GIANT STEP

Charles Leclerc has gelled with his new squad well, although mistakes from the team and reliability issues have meant that he hasn’t reached his full potential with the Scuderia yet.

VALTTERI BOTTAS says that moving from Williams to Mercedes and from having Felipe Massa as teammate to be up against Hamilton was as big a step for him as coming from GP3 to F1. Leclerc came from a relatively competitive F1 team like

Alfa Romeo Sauber to Ferrari, but is that jump from one to another, and from having Marcus Ericsson to Vettel as teammates, a huge one?

“Yes,” he confirms. “I would not call it like jumping from F2 to F1, but there are a lot more people involved, a lot more resources in a top team.

Things happen a lot quicker here.

You ask something for the car and you get it a lot quicker than in a junior formula or even in a midfield team like Alfa Romeo Sauber. Sometimes it’s already done for your next run, when you thought you’d only get it the next day – it can be that quick!

Leclerc had a fraught weekend in Bak Baku but recovered to finish with the fastest lap and fifth, despite a crash iin qualifying (above). He has already Vettel several times this season. Here the out-shone teammate Sebastian Vette four-time world champion consoles hhis younger teammate after victory was cruelly taken from him in Bahrain.

“And, of course, this makes a difference, but it also takes a bit of time speaking and working with so many people. When you are doing a debrief in a team like Ferrari there are a lot of people back at the factory hearing you and trying to talk to you.”

As a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, Leclerc had had plenty of contact with the F1 team. But now that he is a Ferrari driver 24 hours a day, seven days a week, has there been anything that has surprised him in the way the team m operates?

“Yes there is,” he says. “The amount of analysis in the background is unbelievable. It’s on a whole new level for me. There are a lot of people analysing everything ing that happens with the car, the strategy, the tyres and wanting to o understand everything. That’s what hat makes this team so strong: the depth epth into which the analysis goes and this constant pursuit of better solutions.” ns.”

How involved does he want to be in knowing every single detail that can make his car faster?

“With experience you only get better with these things,” he responds. “Within the little experience I have I understand pretty us well where I should put most focus on. The team is also helping me a y lot as they are aware I’m not very

experience yet. With so much experienced information for Leclerc to process, driv his brain into some could it drive ove sort of overload that would be counterpro counterproductive? really he says. “It’s just a “Not really,” matter of g getting used to it.” peop Leclerc first turns to The people when he wants to talk about his car are his race engineer, his data engine and senior engineer engineer C Jock Clear, who has 30 years’ ex F1 experience with teams such B as Benetton, Lotus, Williams, BA and Mercedes.

BAR “I is very important to “It ha someone like Jock,” have he says. “Especially in my s situation racing with a to team with not much top p previous F1 experience.

He has seen a lot of young drivers since he got to F1, so he knows the mistakes drivers are most likely to do and he’s trying to help the aspects.” me with these exp More experience for Leclerc will translate in into more speed. t talent is one thing “Having the and to be ffast in F1 you certainly hav talent,” he says. “But have to have it the work you are after that it’s doing that will make you successful Exp or not. Experience won’t make quicke per se, but it can aid you quicker pa outside parameters which can help make you g go quicker on track. It’s important tto make the car better, and

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BUT I R, TA RS PE SU A AS F EL YS M E SE T N’ “I DO R THE FO ED AR EP PR BE N CA U YO K IN TH T N’ DO CHANGES THAT HIT YOUR DAILY LIFE” we have some very powerful tools that we can use for that effect.

“With experience you learn how to use those tools better and better, making your car quicker – and therefore you are going faster than before. There are the things I’m getting better at using, like diff settings. As a driver these things can make the difference in the end because we are racing at a very high level. And when you’re arriving in Ferrari, fighting the best drivers there are, every little thing can make the difference.”

LIFE CHANGING

LECLERC’S LIFE has changed dramatically since he became a Ferrari driver, especially after he made it to the podium with his thirdplace finish in Bahrain.

“F1 is a strange sport because the fans, at least the not completely mad fans, don’t see your face until you have a bit of success by going on a podium because they only see you with your helmet on,” he says. “Once you are on a podium, then they see your face, so people can put a face to my name and that means I’m recognised more often now. But I have so much work to do

that when I’m not at the factory, at some sponsor’s function or training, I’m staying a lot at home and on my simulator in Monaco.”

Now that he is a superstar, have the people that have known him for a long time, or living in his building or on his street, started treating him differently?

“I don’t see myself as a superstar,” Leclerc says with an embarrassed laugh, “but I don’t think you can be prepared for the changes that hit your daily life. I don’t know what to expect from the future in terms of how people will treat me or approach me in the street. For sure it’s very nice if people see me as a future F1 winner or world champion. If they’re not then I will try to do everything on track to be close to those expectations.”

TEAM ORDERS

BEING A Ferrari driver also means being subjected to team orders, something the Scuderia employs both frequently and erratically.

In Melbourne Leclerc was ordered to stay behind Vettel for the last 15 laps. In Bahrain he was told to follow Vettel but passed him instead.

In China Leclerc was told to move

over early on in the race, a decision that also cost him a position to Max Verstappen. Is Leclerc prepared to go through the whole season like this, without being free to fight for the best possible results for himself?

“We all have to understand that this is just the beginning of year,” he says. “What I have to do on track is to prove what I’m capable of and then, hopefully, the situation will change at one point. I’m here for that because obviously every driver wants to be the quickest. So that’s my target and let’s see what happens then.

“But until then, yes, I understand the decisions, even if it’s not easy for a driver to accept them. Next to me I have a four-times world champion in his fifth year with the team. I understand it’s that way for now. But I’ll push to change things as quickly as possible for sure.

“The guys on the pit wall have a lot more information than I do in the car.

Whatever I am told I will do, up to a certain point at least...”

FINDING THE WINDOW

A FAIRYTALE victory in Bahrain, just his second race with Ferrari, was spoiled by a faulty fuel injector which dropped Leclerc to third place. Then he threw away a chance of winning in Azerbaijan by hitting the wall in the

second segment of qualifying.

Most of the rest of the time the Mercedes has been quicker than the Ferrari, and Hamilton and Bottas have regularly outscored Vettel and Leclerc.

“After Australia I think we understood what had been missing on the car,” Leclerc says, “but I’m not going to talk about it. In China it was pretty clear from the data with Mercedes that we were losing a bit to them everywhere around the track.

Seb and I were not very happy about the balance of the car, especially in Australia, whereas in Bahrain I was very happy with the balance and in China a bit less.

“It’s all about trying to find the right set-up and we’re still working on it.

We’re going in the right direction, but it takes a bit of time to learn how a car works. At the moment we are just trying to do the best job possible.

It’s the full package we need to understand.”

Is it a case of Ferrari being faster than Mercedes on the straights but then losing out in the corners?

“We were very strong on the straights in Bahrain,” he says, “but in China they were actually very strong on the straights too.

We need to understand, but overall if we put the car in the right

“Next to me I have a four-times world champion in his fifth year with the team. I understand it’s that way for now. But I’ll push to change things as quickly as possible for sure,” Leclerc on team orders (left).

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window we will be strong. We have a package which hopefully will help us close the gap in the next few races.”

MORE TO COME

HE HAS made the big move, but these are early days in Leclerc’s Ferrari career. Is he aiming for wins,

or points to finish as high up in the championship as possible?

“It’s both,” he says. “If I see an opportunity for a win, I will give it everything to take this opportunity.

Like every driver I really want to win.

But you have to be smart enough to recognise when you can’t win then you have to take maximum points.”

Leclerc was remarkably calm after being robbed of the victory in Bahrain because he knows wins will be coming his way.

“I understand that in racing that’s just

how it is,” he says. “Sometimes you are winning and having a problem, sometimes you’re winning and you make a mistake. I’m a lot angrier when it is me making a mistake. In Bahrain it was just a problem we had. Obviously, it’s a shame but it’s part of motor racing, and all I can do is accept it and I moved on quite quickly.”

Leclerc is certainly looking forwards not backwards.

“There is more to come,” he says.

“One thing for sure is I’m working extremely hard. I have a lot to

improve. I’m pushing to be as ready as possible when I get my next opportunity.”

In closing, what are Leclerc’s targets for his first season with Ferrari?

“To do best job possible with the car I have,” he says. “I know it’s a frustrating answer, but it is because it is all I can say. I don’t fix myself results, just target to do the best job possible with the car.”

LUIS VASCONCELOS contributed to this feature

The Monaco local’s life has become more hectic since joining Ferrari. His Bahrain heartbreak elevated him into the spotlight, making Leclerc a recognisable figure.

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STUDENTS IN THE

TRADE Up and down the Supercars pit lane there is a common denominator and that’s the Wodonga TAFE Motorsport Training program which continues to launch careers, as HEATH McALPINE reports

Photos: Wodonga TAFE

M

UCH OF the Supercars workforce can thank the Wodonga TAFE’s motor sport division for helping launch their careers.

Spectators who have a keen eye may have spotted current students at the Winton Supercars round providing aid in not only the Supercars arena, but also within the support paddock in categories from the Touring Car Masters to the Hyundai Excels.

Heading the class of 24 students this year are teachers Chris Rissmann, Trevor Crisp and Steve McDonald.

A previous graduate of the course, Rissmann has transitioned to become a teacher within the program after 10 years as a lead mechanic with local team Brad Jones Racing.

“It’s a very good stepping stone just to get your foot in the door. You can be as good a mechanic as there is in the world but if you don’t get your foot in with a team or with someone that you know, it’s always a hard thing,” Rissmann told Auto Action.

It’s a two-year course and, if successful, a Certificate III in Motorsport is gained in the first of those.

However, the program’s main objective is to give students a start in the motor sport industry, and it has been doing this successfully since the early 2000s.

“We teach everything from how to unload the truck, to how to prepare the cars, then we do a whole heap of mainstream automotive units as

you would do in any mechanical apprenticeship, plus fabrication, welding, composites, CAD and engineering,” explained Trevor Crisp.

“In the second year the students complete a Certificate IV in Motorsport and a Certificate IV in Auto Performance Enhancing. When they finish with us, the students are about 12 units short of an apprenticeship, so it gives them a good leg up if they go anywhere.

“What our idea is, we don’t want to send them into a dead end. From us, they can go to a race shop, or students can go to a mainstream automotive repairer. It’s a big thing for an employer because they know a student has already been in the industry for two years and are a long

way ahead of other apprentices that come in. It just works.”

For $3000-$3500, students receive everything from uniforms to personal protection equipment, while the TAFE also provides student accommodation at an extra cost for those who don’t live locally.

Up to 30 first year students can be taken. There are currently 17 pupils in 2019, joining a further seven who are finishing off the second year of the course – most of which were in attendance at Winton – but if a job becomes available for a lucky student then they can take up the offer or choose to stay, there is no pressure.

Students come to the course at all ages, 18-year-olds the most common, though a pupil as old as 51 did go through the program.

Not only is age not a barrier, but there has been a growth in female Trevor Crisp (kneeling down) and Steve McDonald (leaning in front) have been guiding young students into motor sport careers for nearly two decades.

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A four-wheel dyno and seven hoists are the centrepiece of the course’s workshop.

Red Bull Holden Racing Team are one of the supporters of the program, with Anders Jansson joining the team at Winton (above left), while teacher Steve McDonald watches as Jarvis Parker works with the Sieders Race Team (above middle). Above is the 1.6km test track that is a feature of the Motorsports Training Australia facilities.

participation according to Crisp.

“We have a lot of students come straight from school and have no idea.

A lot of the time it is better (that way) because we can teach them what we want,” he explained.

“We can get students that have done a lot of work, but haven’t had the teachings to be neat and tidy.

Sometimes we (also) get pre-quals that are already qualified mechanics that come into the course. For kids that are coming straight out of school, the course will be a big advantage to them.

“We have two females (currently) and one last year. Females are very, very good. In some ways they can be better than guys in regards to paying attention and putting things together.”

What the teachers find is that students come into the program with tunnel vision. Most have the goal of becoming a Supercars mechanic but once each discipline has been tried, that idea changes and it opens the student’s eyes to the variety of skills

on offer.

“It gives the students a taste. You’ll find if they don’t like mechanics there are different paths, some students might say ‘the CNC machine looks pretty cool.’”

Chris Rissman recalls exactly that, when students came to BJR. “They all went in with level heads wanting to be mechanics. Then they’d come to BJR for placement, the next year you’d see them down at the fab shop fabricating or in front of the CNC machine,” Rissmann said.

Steve McDonald agreed and added that the opportunities provided by placement not only affects the particular area that students head into, but also the class or category.

“When students come in, they want to be Supercars mechanics.

Then they try welding and go, ‘I like welding’ or do composites and hate it, so it’s where they find their niche,” McDonald explained.

“Once they find that, they come to a race meeting. A student may like

Touring Car Masters or the Utes, but until they’re exposed to it, they never know. Then all of a sudden, their world just opens up and away they go.

“We’ve had guys that have done the course and enjoying CAD, but ended up like Tim Pattinson and doing stickers [or liveries]. Two years ago, we had a student that came through who liked doing composites, now he’s working at Garry Rogers Motorsport in the composites department. They are finding more and more areas to work in, rather than to just being a motor mechanic.”

Placement is something that is key to the course as it gives the students experience in working in a highly pressurised environment that cannot be taught in the class room. Race teams such as DJR Team Penske, BJR, Triple Eight and others in support categories play a key role in this, providing the means for contacts and potential jobs.

A key exponent of this is Supercars’

leading team which currently has three ex-students employed full-time and a fourth on the radar. There were a further two students at the team at the Winton round as well.

“We love teams asking for students and we’re willing to provide them,” Rissmann continued. “The teams have got to realise too that that plays on their behalf as well, we can’t replicate everything that’s at the track, the hands-on part.

“This isn’t the only round we supply students, they go away to other placements. We have a calendar back at the TAFE with which placements are coming up with other teams.

Students go out a fair bit, it’s just this weekend [at Winton] is our home track in a way, so it’s easy for us to bring students down without the cost to the team.

“All we ask of the team is to get them in the gate and feed them, but when it comes to accommodation and travel, that’s when it becomes expensive and we realise that, and understand.”

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“THE PROGRAM’S MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO GIVE STUDENTS A START IN THE MOTOR SPORT INDUSTRY” That’s not to say that Motorsport Training Australia don’t need more support from within the industry, whether it be supplying parts or dropping race cars into the TAFE workshop or providing placement, it all goes to helping the growth of the course.

“We’d like more support [from the industry], we’re trying to do a lot of things with car manufacturers to bring it on,” Crisp said. “We’re always after resources, especially parts that are broken. We like the old, worn out stuff so we can teach students that this what happens, this is how it broke.

“If teams have resources, we’re willing to take them and work hand in hand with each other.”

BJR have been of major help due to its geographical proximity to the Wodonga TAFE. Then there are the occurrences like one prior to Winton, where Peters Motorsport dropped off its three SuperUtes for the TAFE students to work on.

“Rod [Dawson of Peters Motorsport] rang me up to ask if he could borrow a couple of students, but I said ‘No’ you can have the whole workshop, you can bring the cars in and put them up on the hoists,” Rissmann

The course not only covers mechanical aspects,but also composites (above), fabrication and welding.

recalled.

“It turned into a whole day, we fixed the gearboxes on them and completed the set-up. He was wrapped, we got a few photos, then the students cleaned and prepped the cars for the race meet. That sort of industry support we love.

“With BJR being so local, they give us a lot of work placement in that part of it,” McDonald added. “It’s a little bit difficult when you have teams interstate, it’s hard for them to contribute or give spots to us.

Talking to Dawson, he saw a student during the week that asked the right questions, and the team is now willing to take him away to race meetings.”

The example McDonald provided is a perfect summation of how the course works and the placement not only provides a real-world experience for the student, but enables contacts to be made to get their nose into the motor sport industry, which may not Aidan Sinclair (right) is one of three former graduates working DJR Team Penske.

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happen otherwise.

The teachers realise that budgets are becoming increasingly small in motor sport, so they have set up placements at a minimal cost to teams and students alike.

The facilities in the TAFE workshop are top class featuring seven hoists, a four-wheel dyno, spring-rater, the associated lathes, and up-to-date CAD programs.

Among the Course vehicle fleet is a Van Diemen Formula Ford, the prototype T1 Ford BA Falcon V8 Supercar, the Hyundai Veloster Tarmac Rally car and an Improved Production Ford Falcon Ute. And not only has the Wodonga TAFE got an immense workshop but also its own 1.6km test track, which can be utilised by teams with students being provided as pit crew.

“We can send students out, give them runs in vehicles out on track, which has been a huge thing for us,” Crisp explained.

“As well as motor sport, we have our own MTA, CAMS accredited car

PEDAL DOWN. PERFORMANCE UP.

Students such as Taf Sanya experienced a hectic weekend helping out Touring Car Masters team Whiteline Racing.

It’s not just the boys who enroll, Rachelle Tilley comes from a racing family and is a current pupil.

club. The students run that with Steve, that’s another huge thing. so a lot of the study in the course we don’t try and substitute, we try and do the real thing. It’s another good opportunity for our students and a chance to form a relationship with a team. In the end everyone wins.”

The support from the Wodonga TAFE is also significant by giving the course the ability to teach all areas of race car construction.

“Each department of TAFE works together to allow the whole motor sport part to come into it,” lauded McDonald.

“It’s not just the Motorsport Training Australia sector, it’s all the other departments of the TAFE that allow us to teach all the elements of building a race car.”

Reflecting on their time as teachers, McDonald and Crisp particularly are proud of how far the course has come, the opportunities the program has given many young people, and how far they’ve risen up the ranks.

“You remember back when the students first started, how green they were, then a few years later you look at how far in the

industry they have gone,” said McDonald.

“You look at that and say, ‘Well, they’ve done all the hard work,’ we’ve just helped them start that journey.

“Once they leave us, they might go into Supercars or somewhere else, it’s amazing to see where a student ends up and progresses through the teams,” Crisp added.

Chances are the next generation of Supercars, mechanics, engineers, livery designers and fabricators are within the 24 students currently undertaking study.

It’s a chance to follow in the footsteps of previous students like Tim Pattinson, who has graced the front cover of Auto Action through his livery designs, and doubleBathurst winning #1 race mechanic Ethan Burns at Tickford.

Despite the dissolution of the Bathurst TAFE crew a few years ago, the connection between students and Australia’s top motor sport teams is still strong thanks to Wodonga TAFE with its Motorsport Training Australia program.

It is a connection that continues to assist the next generation into motor sport careers in what is a highly-respected program within the Australian motor sport community.

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rkins arry Perk LLa 1995 t s st rs r u h th Ba

In one of the greatest drives ever witnessed at Mount Panorama, BOB WATSON recalls the 1995 last-to-first win

by Larry Perkins and co-driver Russell Ingall Photos: AA Archives

L

ARRY PERKINS is well known as a former V8 Supercars driver and team owner and for winning the Bathurst 1000 six-times. Of the six wins Perkins claimed, none was more memorable than the 1995 come from behind victory.

Before all his local success, the Holden fan favourite had humble beginnings growing up in the small north western Victorian township of Cownagie.

Larry had witnessed his father Eddie win the 1956 ReDeX Round Australia Trial driving a Volkswagen in 1956, and this motivated him to follow his own dreams of a motor sport career. With all that followed, Perkins was later honoured with a sign outside the township.

He progressed from winning the 1971 Formula Ford ‘Driver to Europe’ Series to doing the same the next year in the Australian Formula 2 Championship, both in an Elfin 600.

He headed to Europe where he failed to qualify for the 1974 German Grand Prix in Chris Amon’s AF101, before dropping back to the European Formula 3 Championship the next season where he was successful and this returned the Aussie to the notice of the Formula 1 teams.

However, despite finishing a best of eighth driving an M175 Ensign-Cosworth for Boro in the 1976 Belgian Grand Prix, subsequent drives for Brabham, BRM and Surtees failed to bear fruit and Perkins returned home in 1977 to focus on a local touring car program that over time would grow into a substantial motorsport engineering business.

Driving with colourful motor sport personality, Peter Janson, and despite breaking

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his nose in a huge crash while racing in the Sandown 500, the Janson/Perkins combination finished a credible third in the 1977 Bathurst 1000 behind the famous Moffat/Bond one-two. During the successful relationship that followed, the pair finished second in both the 1979 and 1980 Bathurst 1000 races.

1979 was a particularly successful one for the ‘Cowangie Kid’, winning both the Rothmans International Series driving an Elfin MR8 and the Australian Rallycross Championship in his trusty VW beetle. Perkins then went onto to join the legendary Holden Dealer Team in what was a golden period for the team, as with Peter Brock he completed a hat-trick of victories from 1982-1984 including with John Harvey in 1983, the first-time three drivers greeted the flag first.

After leaving HDT in early 1985, Perkins started his own engineering firm which began the journey to his 1995 victory.

Outside of his touring car activities, he along with brother Garry built the Quiet Achiever solar car and was one of its drivers during its remarkable transcontinental solar crossing of Australia. In 1988 he also returned to Europe to race at the Le Mans 24 Hour with Tom Walkinshaw Racing, finishing fourth driving a Jaguar.

Perkins and his engineering company grew to encompass a customer program, but maintained success in his own cars, helping to establish the new Holden Racing Team program under Walkinshaw, and taking victory in the 1993 Bathurst 1000 partnered by motorbike convert Gregg Hansford.

The 1995 racing season started off tragically for Perkins as close mate Hansford lost his life in a Super Touring accident at Phillip Island. European ex-pat Russell Ingall then joined Perkins for the enduros and the pair finished a lap down in fifth on

Larry P Bathur

The start of the 1995 Tooheys 1000 and the moment that Perkins realised he had a problem after making contact with Craig Lowndes in the pole position sitting HRT Commodore.

Perkkins rs rstt 1995

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Perkins pushed his car all day and outlasted his rivals to take a popular victory (above). Bowe and Johnson (below) were challenging for the lead before tangle with Seton ended their day.

Gibson Motorsport pair Skaife and Richards were cruising early too before a tailshaft broke (bottom).

debut at Sandown.

Moving onto Perkins’ greatest triumph, the 1995 Tooheys 1000, he had clashed with Holden Racing Team Commodore pole sitter Craig Lowndes at the start, which caused a puncture, forcing him to fall from third to last on the first lap before pitting to replace the tyre.

“I had to resist the urge to drive to the pits as fast as I could,” said Perkins. “The flailing tyre could have taken off a guard or damaged the suspension, so it had to be slow and steady – very frustrating” From stone motherless last, Perkins and co-driver Russell Ingall drove the car flat out for the entire race, gradually pegging back their massive deficit.

The charge was aided by attrition that affected their competition. Firstly, both Holden Racing Team Commodores had disastrous engine failures early in the race.

Next to fail was the Winfield Commodore shared by Jim Richards and Mark Skaife. The car had dominated the early running of the event and had superior fuel economy to its rivals, but a tailshaft broke on lap 65.

This was followed by both of Ford’s leading contenders colliding at Reid Park. Glenn Seton placed the nose of his Peter Jackson Falcon on the inside of John Bowe’s leading DJR Falcon, spinning the former into the wall and out of the race. It left an upset Bowe to plead his case to pit reporter Richard Hay. “He must have thought it was a 10 lapper not 161 laps.”

Safety cars aided as well and the final one set up Perkins’ charge towards victory. He set about hauling in the second and third placed cars, first Alan Jones driving the second Peter Jackson Ford Falcon, then Brad Jones in the Coke Commodore.

The crowd at the top of The Mountain was almost hysterical as their hero then chased after the leader, Glenn Seton, in a race that he had dominated to that point.

“We benefitted from the misfortunes of others, particularly during the safety car periods, although it must be said most of the misfortunes were driver errors,” Perkins explained.

Perkins sat 7s behind Seton, slowly closing the gap and applying pressure to the Ford driver. Then going up The Mountain with 12 laps to go, Seton’s engine dropped a valve. Perkins moved by the stricken and now parked Falcon and went on to a dream victory.

“The fact that we were gaining on him

34 AutoAction

ins rkin Larry Perk 9 1 rstt 95 Bathurs

Not only did Perkins and Ingall have to come from dead last but also cope with warm conditions throughout the day. Quick pit stops and a lack of a brake pad change were critical elements to Perkins and Ingall’s success (left).

mad S made Seton use a few more revs, and that is when the engine blew,” Perkins said.

The lack of a pad change was also beneficial to the team, saving a significant amount of time in the pits. It was thanks to the engineering ingenuity of Perkins and his custom brake calipers which were designed in-house at Perkins Engineering in co-operation with Japanese brake pad supplier Endless (living up to its name). It was the first time in the Bathurst race that a car had gone the full distance without changing brake pads.

“The pit crew was magnificent. Each stop was a new record for them, everyone did their jobs perfectly,” Perkins said post-race.

It was a bitter disappointment for Seton. His Falcon engine had been built by the team’s chief engine builder and Glenn’s dad Barry (Bo) Seton. Seton bravely conducted an interview from the car on racecam while the race continued around him, as the cameras in the pits showed his father head in hands not wanting to believe the race was lost on what was the 30th anniversary of his win driving a Ford Cortina Mk I GT500.

After the race, Larry said, “After the first lap pit stop, every lap I drove was the fastest one I had done in my life. It was strange being at the tail of the field after the first pit stop, there were no other cars around me. At one stage I radioed to my pit and said ‘Is there anyone else in this race?’

Russell Ingall also played a significant part in the win, maintaining fast lap times while saving the brakes and was ultimately rewarded with a full-time Australian Touring Car Championship drive with Perkins for 1996.

“He [Ingall] was unbelievable – I’m sure Gregg would be happy with our replacement driver. A lot of people thought we had a weak link … but we couldn’t have won without his stints,” said Perkins about his new teammate.

“He did everything right. I hired Russell knowing what he could do but maybe he didn’t know if he could, because he hadn’t had to before.

“It was a fantastic feeling driving the final laps,” exclaimed Perkins. “During the season we had always raced the car in its Bathurst form, making no changes for other circuits. It was a well proven car, and it paid dividends” Perkins also reminisced about Hansford, having conquered The Mountain with him two years prior.

“It makes me emotional to think about it,” Perkins reflected.

“Not many days go by when I haven’t thought of him, but I have to not to let it affect me, otherwise it would start everything crumbling.”

The Aussie battler, in a car he had engineered himself, had won the Great Race again and everyone loved it. It was a great moment in Australian motor sport. The vast crowd went berserk after the win, flooding to the presentation area while a young Jack Perkins was in tears watching on television in the jubilant Castrol Perkins Racing pit garage.

A sign of the times was Perkins and Ingall drinking stubbies of Tooheys up on the rostrum after a hard day’s work.

When Perkins got back to Melbourne he was surprised to find quite a few slabs of beer on his doorstep. They had been sent by Ford fans who backed him at very long odds after the first lap pit stop!

Two years later, the duo repeated their victorious feat on The Mountain.

It’s not called Heartbreak Hill for nothing as Glenn Seton found out in 1995. After leading for much of the six hours, a dropped valve ended his run with victory in sight.

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Heading overseas to chase the dream of a top class open-wheel career is a path that a number of Australian race drivers pursue.

Cameron Shields has begun his journey with a victory and is hungry for more as HEATH McALPINE discovered

T

Photos: Road to Indy Media

HE LAST few racing seasons have been busy for Toowoomba native Cameron Shields. The 17-year-old has combined numerous racing programs in Australia and now progressed to US racing, with immediate success.

Shields won the fifth round of the USF2000 at Indy Oils Raceway, the Dave Steele Carb Night Classic, in emphatic style. Significantly, it was his first victory abroad and first on an oval. Not only was it a maiden trip to victory lane for Shields, but it was the first for his team Newman-Wachs after joining the series in 2017.

The win was a breakthrough for the young Queenslander vaulting him into title contention, leaving Shields confident he can continue his racewinning form at the next round of the series at Road America.

“It’s been a really good start to the season already. On my oval racing debut I managed to win my first international race and it was the first win for Newman-Wachs Racing, so it was a special weekend for all involved,” explained Shields.

“It certainly has given myself a lot of confidence and for the team as well. They’ve been working really hard over a number of years now in USF2000 and for the team to achieve

36 AutoAction

its first win, they know that they are doing a good job.

“For everyone involved now, it’s a different ball game (going) to the next race, it’s no longer an oval, we’ll be turning right this time! It’ll be definitely different, but we know we have the skill set to win races, m which we’ll put to good use and I’m sure we’ll win more races by the end of the season.”

It has been an unconventional pathway for Shields, who contested three titles at the same time during the past two Australian seasons.

Although clashes ended up working against him, Shields managed to contest the Formula 3 Premier Series, Formula 4 Championship and Australian Formula Ford, generally jumping from one car to the next at most race meetings he contested.

Despite what some outside observers would say was a tiring schedule, Shields is thankful for the experience each three categories provided, placing him in a strong position heading across the pond.

“A lot of the fundamentals of how to go fast don’t change,” said Shields of his transition to USF2000.

“It’s still the same objective you’re

Cameron Shields is already making an impression in America, winning his first race in USF2000 on his oval debut (above). The 17-year-old has adjusted well to his American team.

trying to achieve, but there are different procedures you tend to follow and that’s something that I’ve had to adapt to. All in all, it has been a good learning experience and I think I’ve taken to it pretty well.”

There is a trans-tasman flavour in USF2000 this season with Formula Ford rival Hunter McElrea competing, while in previous

seasons Australian pair Anthony Martin and Matt Brabham have won the title.

USF2000 is widely acknowledged as one of the most competitive development series in the world, something that hasn’t been lost on Shield.

“It is certainly very

Shields aims for more celebrations like this in victory lane (above). His win at Indy Oils Raceway was part of the Indy 500 weekend.

tough; I’m competing against some of the best drivers from all over the world,” Shields told Auto Action. “There are many champions whether that be in Formula 4 or karting, by any means it has been very tough this year so far and whilst it is a US series there is a very wide mix of nationalities. It is as tough as any other junior racing category in the world.”

Along with the stiff competition, Shields has also had to adjust to a new culture and a new routine within his new team, which paid dividends at Indy.

“It is different, there are different procedures in place for how a race weekend is run, but that’s just like any team, each has a variety of different systems in place,” Shields stated.

“That’s just something you have to adapt to when you go to a different team, but the results speak for themselves after Indy.

The team knows what it is doing

and everything that is being done is right. At the end of the day for me, when I get into the car, it is just another track and another weekend, so I try and do my part and put the trust in the team to do its job.”

And to find that consistency has been hard due to the gaps in between rounds being spread over months, which has allowed Shields to fly back home to try and garner much-needed support to complete his season.

“For the first part of this year it has been back and forth quite a lot because there has been breaks in between events,” explained Shields.

“For the rest of the year, there’s still a lot (up) in the air for how my championship is going to play out.

“Right now, we’re definitely on the grid for Road America, we’ve got that covered, but from here on in we’re still working on a sponsorship program and hopefully we can find some new partners soon.”

Shields is backed by some strong

mentors including Australia’s only winner of baseball’s World Series, relief pitcher Graeme Lloyd, and Indy 500 winner Will Power along with father Bob. The mentorship with Lloyd is an initiative by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and has been a major help to Shields when adjusting to life in the US “I’ve had Graeme Lloyd help me, who is a two-time World Series baseball champion playing for the New York Yankees,” Shields told Auto Action.

“We always keep in touch. He’s been down a similar pathway when he was about my age he made the move to America and began his professional career, so he can pass on some valuable advice to me.

“Not only have I had that, but Will Power and his family have given me support along the way to, and, many more have helped me on my journey too.

“He [Bob Power] certainly has

been very influential. Over the off season, coming into this year, he pointed us in the right direction and made sure that we spoke to the right people with this being the result.

“Without him I’d really doubt that I’d be on the grid this year.”

His goal, of course, is to progress to become Australia’s next IndyCar star and through the Road to Indy program Shields is confident he has chosen the right path to make it.

“It is a very good program, there is a very good ladder system, which leads to the IndyCar Series. It is a system that has to be the one of the, if not the best in the world,” Shields said.

“I can’t think of any that offer the prizemoney or such a clear structure to the top level of professional racing in the States.

There are many opportunities in the US - there’s not just one category – but for me that’s what I’ve got my sights set on for the moment.”

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37

S AN LeHM OUR DECIDER 24

T Photos: LAT

After 13 months of competition, the 2018/19 World Endurance Championship Super Season draws to a close with the final race, the Le Mans 24 Hours. DAN McCARTHY looks at the series contenders, possible race winners and dark horses contesting the 2019 edition of the French endurance classic.

he 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours is the final race of the 2018/2019 World Endurance Championship Super Season, during which Toyota claimed victory in the 2018 edition of the race.

It will take something rather special from another team or a catastrophic mechanical failure on both Toyotas to deny the Japanese brand a second straight Le Mans victory.

In the other three classes, however, it is a lot more difficult to pick a winner.

Australian Matt Campbell won the GTE Am class on debut last year and will try and defend that honour alongside team coowner Christian Ried and Porsche Supercup driver Julien Andlauer.

Winning five of the first seven races the Dempsey Proton Team of Campbell and Ried sit fourth in the standings. The pair would be leading the class standings had they not been stripped of points from the first four rounds. The team were found to have manipulated the FIA data logger by adding seconds to the recorded refueling time in each stop.

Despite this they are still an outside chance to win the class. With 38 points up for grabs they sit 30 points behind the #56 Team Project 1 Porsche driven by Jorg Bergmeister, Patrick Lindsey and Egidio Perfetti, the trio only needing to finish fifth to guarantee a class championship

XXxx

James Winslow is an accepted Aussie by now and has received a late call up to race.

victory.

The category is closely bunched from second down to fifth, just 13 points separate four cars, the #54 Ferrari, the #90 Aston Martin, the #77 Porsche and #98 Aston Martin. All stand a realistic chance of finishing the season second overall highlighting the Toyota and Porsche have dominated the WEC season, Aussie Matt Campbell a factor for the German marque (above). Ford will competitiveness of the class. officially say goodbye to the WEC with Ryan Briscoe in the driver line-up (above right).

LMP1 is certainly not as competitive but as recent years have proven, Conway, Kazuki Kobayashi and Jose Maria as well, unlike the single DragonSpeed and it can be just as if not more dramatic. In Lopez to finish sixth in the last race means the ByKolles Racing Team cars.

2016 the #8 Toyota looked set to cruise to that the defending Le Mans winners of The LMP2 class is the closest fought of victory, but on the penultimate lap of the Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Buemi and the four categories which will house 20 race it slowed to walking pace and stopped, Kazuki Nakajima need to finish just seventh competitive entries, three of which are still not classified as a finisher. to claim the 2018/1019 Super Season in the able to take out the class at the conclusion 2017 saw another drama filled race when #8 Toyota. all LMP1 cars suffered failures, and it looked The other six LMP1 cars as if a Jackie Chan DC Racing LMP2 car have some very handy drivers was set for a victory until the #2 Porsche behind the wheel, but the cars came from multiple laps down in the final lack the outright pace of the hours to snatch back the win.

Toyotas. The Rebellion Racing Toyota has already claimed both the cars inherited a 1-2 victory at teams’ and drivers’ titles, although which trio Silverstone when both Toyotas of drivers remains to be seen. The were disqualified. The two SMP hybrid sensor problem Racing cars have shown pace which caused the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing car of Mike

of the 24 hour race.

Defending Le Mans class winners Nicolas Lapierre, Andre Negrao and Pierre Thiriet lead the series in their #36 Signatech Alpine Matmut by just four points, ahead of the #38 Jackie Chan DC Racing car of Ho-Pin Tung, Gabriel Aubry and Stephane Richelmi.

After winning the class at the last round of the season, Roberto Gonzalez and Pastor Maldonado racing for DragonSpeed kept themselves in contention but sit 26 points back. The team will need to finish first or second to stand any chance of taking the title in what will be the squad’s last full time entry in the series.

The regular seven LMP2 teams will be joined by 13 other entries, 10 from the European Le Mans Series and three from the Asian Le Mans Series. One of the Asian Le Mans series cars is the #34 Inter Europol Competition car which qualified for the race through winning the 2018/2019 LMP3 Asian Le Mans series.

One of its drivers, adopted Aussie James Winslow, received a late call up to replace Leo Roussel after the Frenchman suffered a vertebra fracture in a crash at Monza, Winslow himself having suffered the same back injury 16 months ago.

“I’m 100 per cent recovered from my injuries now and I’m pleased to be back in time for the Le Mans 24 hours after a long recovery,” Winslow told Auto Action.

The former Australian Drivers Champion will compete in his fourth Le Mans 24 Hours and admires the uniqueness of the event.

“Le Mans 24 Hours is totally different to

anything else. It is not just a 24 hours race, it’s an 18 day event, starting from the test weekend two weeks before the race.

“This race is unique and you need different skill sets to normal racing, you need to be very adaptable and cope with things changing very quickly,” he explained Winslow enjoys the challenges that the Le Mans 24 Hour race throws at a driver.

“The track is fast and demanding and there’s zero room for error. Sixty two cars will compete this year and the weather is normally mixed.

“Driving at Le Mans in the night is a real challenge, I love it. These days the lights are so bright it’s become much easier, the biggest challenge now is not getting dazzled by the bright lights from cars behind,” he said.

The Briton feels that they are a possibility of a class podium if the team sticks to its long game strategy.

“The pace is good, we have a very good pace average over the three drivers compared to some other teams, I’m expecting us to look strong after halfway when our strategy will start to benefit us,” Winslow said.

GTE Pro contains 17 entries, in which Ford and BMW will compete as factory entries for the final time, withdrawing officially from the series at the conclusion of the race.

Ford won Le Mans on their return to Circuit de la Sarthe in 2016 but leave the series after three full seasons in the class. Australian Ryan Briscoe will race the #69 Ford GT, one of four entered in this year’s race.

BMW will depart the series too after competing in one solitary WEC season in which the team has claimed just two podiums.

Like Toyota in LMP1, Porsche has claimed the manufacturers and drivers crowns, with its two cars fighting for the GTE Pro title.

The #92 car with Michael Christensen and Kevin Estre at the helm are the defending Le Mans class winners, as well as championship leaders, and they lead the class from the #91 Porsche driven by Gianmaria Bruni and Richard Lietz by 31 points.

Despite Porsche’s domination of the season it is Aston Martin who carries the momentum, claiming two of the last three round victories. Ford always lifts its game when it arrives in France, claiming a win and two podiums at the venue since returning.

Some cars like the Toyotas in LMP1 and Porsches in GTE-Pro may be favourites heading into the Le Mans 24 Hour, but it creates many twists, turns and curveballs over its duration.

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Formula One

Round Seven Canada

FORCED ERROR Sebastian Vettel won on the road but was penalised, handing victory to arch-rival Lewis Hamilton, reports DAN KNUTSON

BY DAN KNUTSON IMAGES: LAT

THE MISTAKE Sebastian Vettel made happened on lap 48 of 70 of the Canadian Grand Prix. Eight laps later, the race stewards ruled that Vettel would get a five second penalty for an “unsafe return and forcing another driver off track.” That handed the victory to Lewis Hamilton, who had finished a close second on the track but first on the scoring monitors.

Vettel was steaming mad.

“No, no, no guys,” he ranted on the radio to his Ferrari team on the (not for

him) cool down lap. “No, no. Not like that. Not like that. No, no. seriously, you need to be an absolute blind man to think that you can go through the grass and then control your car. I was lucky that I did not hit the wall. Where the hell I am supposed to go? This is a wrong world. I tell you, this is not fair.

Great crowd, great race track. Grazie, grazie.”

While the focus was on the drama involving the lead two drivers, over at the Renault camp the team was celebrating its first double points finish of the season. Daniel Ricciardo

The moment of truth ... Vettel slides back onto the track in front of Hamilton.

42 AutoAction

had qualified fourth and finished sixth, sixth and Nico Hülkenberg started seventh and finished seventh.

“It has been a long time coming – to get sixth and seventh is big,” Ricciardo said. “It is encouraging for us. We will build on this. I am glad that the team is in a good place now. A bit of relief for everyone.”

Vettel started from the pole for the first time in 17 races. Hamilton lined up second in his Mercedes. The race would be between these two.

Vettel took the lead with Hamilton second. On lap 44 Hamilton was half a second behind. On lap 48 Vettel bobbled on track, and that forced him to cut across the grass at Turns 3 and 4. As he got back on track, he nearly collected Hamilton who was attempting to squeeze by on the outside.

Vettel kept the lead, lead but then heard of the steward’s decision.

“I lost the rear of the car so obviously it wasn’t voluntarily going sailing across the track, not knowing how and in which fashion I would be rejoining,” Vettel said. “It was clear I was on the limit and pushing very hard throughout the entire race. Obviously, I was going through the grass and I think it’s quite commonly known that the grass isn’t very grippy.

Then I was coming back on track and just trying to make sure I had the car under control. Once I sort of regained control and made sure that I was alright, I saw Lewis right behind me.

“I’m not happy with the decision the stewards took. I think you can understand, so it feels a bit weird not having won the race even though you

Lewis Hamilton celebrates a controversial victory after forcing Sebastian Vettel into an error.

crossed the line first. I don’t d feel I have done anything a wrong. I don’t feel I could have done anything different. d I don’t know actually a what the problem was.” w The only hope Vettel had h was to finish five plus seconds s ahead of Hamilton on o the track. The latter was not n going to let that happen, and an he even tried to pass Vettel Ve to take the lead.

“Ultimately “ it is a kind of empty feeling today,” Hamilton said after the race. “It is kind of crazy as we are in this beautiful country and we had a great race between two teams which has ended with a negative.

“From what I remember I came through the corner and was quicker at that point so I was trying to apply pressure to Seb; one to try to get close enough and two to try to push him into an error. It isn’t too often that you can push a four-time world champion into making it, but it came. So at the time I was like ‘okay, great this is my opportunity.’

I continued the corner as normal and came around. I was on the line then the gap closed and it looked like we were going to crash. I had to brake and come off the gas to avoid a collision.”

Riccardo’s fourth place on the grid was Renault’s best starting spot since Robert

Kubica lined up second for the 2010 Japanese Grand Prix.

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) and Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly had some problems during qualifying, and Ricciardo knew realistically that he would not be able to hold them off in the race. But he managed to robustly fend off Bottas for a number of laps. Verstappen, on fresh tyres, easily passed Ricciardo. But the Renaults did finish ahead of Gasly.

“I knew that the race was probably going to be more of a defense than an attack,” Ricciardo said. “Actually in the end to beat one of them is strong. The most positive thing was holding off Bottas for so long, and just being in that fight with a Mercedes for a few laps was cool. I would have loved to have done it with Max as well but he was coming with too much pace at the end with that tyre, so he got me very easily.”

The Renault engine is gaining power.

“With Bottas what it showed was that even though he had DRS we still had pretty good straight-line speed,” Ricciardo said. “I feel there we have bridged the gap a lot. So still a lot of work to do but it certainly is looking good.

“It has been pretty stressful at times this year but I am glad we can enjoy a strong weekend here.”

It certainly had been a stressful end of the race and post-race drama for Vettel. He and Ferrari also had a strong weekend – right up to that fateful forced error on lap 48.

Daniel Ricciardo finally had a Renault fast enough for a decent result, the team also scoring points with both cars for the first time this season. The Australian didn’t have enough pace to hold off former teammate Max Verstappen, however.

RESULTS ROUND 7: CANADIAN GRAND PRIX Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 -

Driver Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Charles Leclerc Valtteri Bottas Max Verstappen Daniel Ricciardo Nico Hulkenberg Pierre Gasly Lance Stroll Daniil Kvyat Carlos Sainz Jr. Sergio Perez Antonio Giovinazzi Romain Grosjean Kimi Raikkonen George Russell Kevin Magnussen Robert Kubica Alexander Albon Lando Norris

Car Mercedes Ferrari Ferrari Mercedes Red Bull/Honda Renault Renault Red Bull/Honda Racing Point/Mercedes Toro Rosso/Honda McLaren/Renault Racing Point/Mercedes Alfa Romeo/Ferrari Haas/Ferrari Alfa Romeo/Ferrari Williams/Mercedes Haas/Ferrari Williams/Mercedes Toro Rosso/Honda McLaren/Renault

Laps 70 70 70 70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 68 68 67 59 8

Gap 1h29m07.084s 3.658s 4.696s 51.043s 57.655s 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 2 Laps 2 Laps 3 Laps Withdrew Brakes

Points: Hamilton 162, Bottas 133, Vettel 100, Verstappen 88, Leclerc 72, Gasly 36, Sainz 18, Ricciardo 16, Magnussen 14, Perez 13, Raikkonen 13, Norris 12, Hulkenberg 12, Kvyat 10, Albon 7, Stroll 6, Grosjean 2.

Constructors: Mercedes 295, Ferrari 172, Red Bull-Honda 124, McLaren-Renault 30, Renault 28, Racing Point-Mercedes 19, Toro Rosso-Honda, Haas-Ferrari 16, Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 13.

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TANAK BEATS RIVALS AND CAR ISSUES

WRC

OTT TANAK has taken back to back World Rally Championship rounds, taking his first win in Portugal and reducing the gap to championship leader Sebastien Ogier to just two points.

Driving a Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris, Tanak was one of three Toyotas that looked set to dominate but by the end of Sunday’s final stage he was the only one in contention.

The first leg on Friday ran reasonably smoothly for the Toyotas, which finished the day 1-23, despite Jari-Matti Latvala stalling on the penultimate stage and Kris Meeke losing the intercom to co-driver Seb Marshall.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Citroen’s Sebastien Ogier sat fourth and fifth staying out Thierry Neuville was second as others hit trouble.

Images: LAT

of trouble while others faltered. Teemu Suninen had run third for a short time before his brakes failed, the Finn pushed on but fell to sixth by day’s end.

On Saturday braking issues in the opening stage resulted in Tanak’s lead being immediately slashed with Latvala on a charge, the Finn cutting the Estonian’s lead down to 5.1s at the lunch break.

On the next stage, however, things started to unravel for Toyota. Latvala damaged his suspension after a heavy landing, and he crawled through the next test before coming to a halt, leaving Tanak 15.2sec ahead of Meeke.

NASCAR

BUSCH EASES TO VICTORY AT POCONO KYLE BUSCH won the Pocono 400 to take his fourth Cup Series victory of the 2019 campaign and the 55th of his career, drawing him level with Rusty Wallace, ninth on the career win list.

Busch led 79 of the 160 lap race and eventually went on to cross the finish line 2.2s ahead of Brad Keselowski’s #2 Team Penske Ford. Jones claimed third, Chase Elliott finished fourth and in doing so recorded his fifth consecutive top five result, and Clint Bowyer completed the top five.

“I just can’t say enough about everybody at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Busch said. “Everybody that

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Tanak then broke his front right damper, costing him time, while Meeke suffered a hydraulic problem which meant he could not use his handbrake in the final Saturday stage.

All this allowed Neuville to close the gap to the Toyotas, sitting just 4.9s behind Meeke and 9.2s behind the Estonian at the conclusion of the second leg. Ogier sat fourth and was also closing in on the rally leading Toyotas.

Leg 3 on Sunday was drama filled. At the start of Sunday Meeke quickly closed the gap to rally leader Tanak, before spinning and losing second position to Neuville. In an attempt to win it back, the Northern Irishman overstepped the mark

works there works so hard to build these awesome Camrys. We’ve had an amazing roll this year so far, we’ve been doing well.”

Some of Busch’s championship contenders finished down the order and others didn’t finish at all. Martin Truex Jr. was one of these, his race coming to an early end on lap 91 with engine issues.

Kevin Harvick’s day was going well, he was the main challenger to Busch until his stop with 37 laps to go. He was handed a stop and go penalty for having an uncontrolled tyre during his stop, eventually finishing 22nd.

Kyle Larson looked to be getting his season back on track taking the stage wins before hitting the wall in the final laps, eventually being classified in 26th position.

The FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Raceway was postponed until after this issue of Auto Action went to print.

Ott Tanak flew to another win for Toyota. Images: LAT

IMSA MONTOYA AND CAMERON GO BACK TO BACK JUAN PABLO Montoya and Dane Cameron have won their second consecutive IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship race driving for Acura Team Penske on the streets of Detroit.

After claiming pole Montoya made a brilliant start, the Columbian leading for the first 19 laps of the race before pitting under the second full-course caution and handing over to Cameron.

The pitstop handed the lead to Tristan Nunez ,who was running an alternate pit stop strategy in the #77 Mazda Team Joest car. However within the first green flag racing lap after the caution Cameron recaptured the lead, the American holding on to the position until the final stop on lap 35. Once the pitstops had played out, Cameron led until a late race safety car was deployed.

As the race went back to green with 22 minutes to go, Cameron had the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac with former Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr at the wheel breathing down his neck.

Cameron kept his nerve and held on to beat the Nasr and Pipo Darani pairing by just 0.82s at the line. Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor picked up their third podium in five races in the second Acura Team Penske car, with third.

The only other class to race on the Belle Isle streets was GTD in which the #14 Lexus RC F GT3 of Richard Heistand and Jack Hawksworth finished 0.83s ahead of Patrick Long and Zacharie Robichon’s Porsche 911 GT3 R, with Frankie Montecalvo and Townsend Bell in the other Lexus a further 1.2s back in third.

DTM and hit a tree stump on the final stage, wiping him out of not only the podium battle but also the rally.

Tanak took the rally win ahead of Neuville by 15.9s, despite sacrificing maximum power stage points and the championship lead for a better road position at the next round.

“This is one of my hardest victories ever.

We had a big fight and some small issues but managed to win it. Before the rally it was looking tough. It wasn’t looking too bad on Friday but yesterday lunchtime it was looking quite bad,” said Tanak.

NEWGARDEN HOLDS ON PENSKE DRIVER Josef Newgarden took his third victory of the season at the Texas Motor Speedway, holding off hard charging championship rival Alexander Rossi by 0.8s.

By finishing runner up in the Firestone 600, Rossi recorded his third second place finish in the last four races.

Newgarden’s Australian Penske team mate Will Power’s difficult season continued, with the #12 driver finishing in ninth position one lap down.

“It was kind of a frustrating night. It was totally a track position race and I pushed up high in the beginning of the first stint and that was it. I got stuck in traffic and just never got our lap back,” Power said.

Graham Rahal finished the race in third, his highest result since the opening event of 2018 championship at St. Petersberg 15 months ago.

American series rookie Santino Ferrucci scored a career best result with fourth.

Ryan Hunter-Reay led 90 laps, the most of anyone during the 248 lap race but his race came undone in the closing stages when he had to make an extra stop for fuel, the Andretti Autosport driver eventually

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With Meeke’s demise Ogier was promoted to the final podium spot. Despite problems on Friday, the M-Sport Fiestas of Suninen and Elfyn Evans solidly finished fourth and fifth respectively, while WRC 2 Pro winner Kalle Rovanpera finished a career high sixth ahead of Latvala.

The next round takes place on the dusty roads of Italy for the Sardinian Rally on June 13-16.

POINTS: Ogier 142, Tanak 140, Neuville 132, Evans 65, Meeke 56, Suninen 44, Loeb 39, Latvala 38, Mikkelsen 36, Lappi 34.

BMW AND Audi have once again split the two race victories in DTM, with Marco Wittmann winning from the back of the grid for BMW and Nico Muller taking his first victory since 2016.

Rast from pole made a great start and led the opening laps, while at the end of the first lap Wittmann who started last entered the pit lane.

On lap three Joel Erikson came to a stop at Turn 7, the safety car was deployed, and under DTM rules no cars can stop under SC conditions.

This meant that when the safety car returned to the lane, Wittmann and Aston Martin driver Ferdinand Habsburg who mirrored the German’s strategy, were effectively a pit stop ahead of the front runners.

After Rast had pitted he set his sights on hunting down both Habsburg and Wittmann, closing quickly on fresh tyres, he dispensed with Habsburg who was struggling to keep life in his tyres.

Out front Wittman was in control of the situation and took an 8.2s win ahead of Rast and Loic Duval.

It was a messy start in race two, Rast from pole made contact with Wittman, which fired the race one winner off the road and into retirement.

Despite all this Rast had fought his way back to the front on lap 10, before picking up a puncture.

Muller was last of the leading group to pit and when he re-joined he found himself out front with a sizable advantage.

INDYCAR

Josef Newgarden pips Alexander Rossi for the win while Scott Dixon and Colton Herta crashed while fighting for third.

rounding out the top five.

Pole sitter Takuma Sato led the first 60 laps before he made a mistake, collecting one of his mechanics in pit lane. The former Indy 500 winner was handed a stop-go penalty as a result, and the Japanese driver could only recover to 15th.

Hunter-Reay used an undercut in the first stops to jump from third into the lead. It wasn’t until after the halfway stage, on lap 135, that the first caution was called for Zach Veach who had spun after touching the Turn 2 wall; the impact broke his right-rear toelink and punctured a tyre, putting him out.

Twenty one laps after the restart Scott Dixon took the lead with Rossi quickly following the Kiwi through.

After the next round of stops Newgarden, on a

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different strategy to the leaders, found himself at the front with just 46 laps remaining.

Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe was the reason for the second caution when he hit the wall at Turn 2 heavily.

Shortly after the restart, Colton Herta and Scott Dixon were fighting hard for third when Herta lost the car, collecting Dixon and they both fired into the wall at on lap 229, Rossi doing well to avoid the incident.

As a result of the crash Dixon recorded his second DNF in a week, after also crashing out of the first race in Detroit.

When the safety car returned to the lane, Newgarden and Rossi fought for the win, with Penske driver

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hugging the tight inside line out front and not giving the former Formula One driver a chance.

Newgarden took the victory and extended his championship lead as the season edges past its halfway stage. The next round takes place in two weeks at Road America Points: Newgarden 367, Rossi 342, Pagenaud 319, Dixon 278, Sato 272, Power254, Hunter-Reay 252, Rahal 211, Ferrucci 193, Hinchcliffe/ Bourdais 190

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TCR Round 2 Phillip Island 7-9 June

BROWN SURVIVES CARNAGE Report: Heath McAlpine Images: TCR Australia/Daniel Kalisz

AFTER A successful opening round, the anticipation for TCR Australia’s second round at Phillip Island was high as Will Brown led the series in his HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i30N TCR, with Dylan O’Keeffe in the Garry Rogers Motorsport Alfa Romeo hot on his heels.

The inclusion of husband and wife team Garth and Leanne Tander in a pair of brand new Melbourne Performance Centre Audi RS3 LMS TCRs also piqued the interest levels, but it was O’Keeffe that took the $1000 cheque and two series points for pole position.

Alongside the Alfa on the front-row was Brown, while Jason Bright in the lead Alliance Autosport Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR and the Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R of Tony D’Alberto made up the second row.

In what was the theme of the weekend, an action-packed first lap ensued as O’Keeffe ran away with race one up front, as Brown went for the hero move on the outside of Turn 1 before careering across the infield and off at Turn 2, dropping to last.

There was further chaos behind as Tander spun the second Honda of John Martin, which was then subsequently hit by the Hyundai of Nathan Morcom, forcing both to pit and the latter to retire.

Continuing his form of fast starts at Sydney Motorsport Park, Andre Heimgartner in his Kelly Racing Subaru Impreza WRX STI moved from 11th to fifth, while just as impressive was Aaron Cameron, who had scythed

his way through to ninth from the back after a qualifying accident.

The safety car was called, to the disappointment of O’Keeffe’s team as he had already gapped the field by the tune of 1.5s at the close of the opening lap. It was only a short interruption as O’Keeffe used the Alfa Romeo’s superior power through its second gear to quickly break away from a slow D’Alberto and the chasing pack.

Further contact occurred behind between Tander and Bright, leaving the Volkswagen to run wide, while Heimgartner and Jimmy Vernon in the second Alfa came into play. O’Keeffe had pulled out a 2s advantage by the close of the lap, but it didn’t last long as another safety car was called.

Heimgartner had edged ahead of Bright into third, but was under severe pressure form Vernon. It all ended in tears when Heimgartner received a hefty bump from Bright on the exit of Turn 2, which half-spun the Subaru across his bows. An innocent Vernon chose to take evasive action on the inside, but it proved to be detrimental as he was clipped and ended in the Turn 2 sand trap. James Moffat narrowly avoided the out of control Alfa as it spun across the track.

Bright was docked 20 series points for his role.

O’Keeffe had it all to do again and he didn’t disappoint. Although D’Alberto was closer he failed to make an impression and came under increasing fire from Moffat in his Renault.

Dylan O’Keeffe dominated the opening two races thanks to the Alfa Romeo’s ability to put its power down at restarts.

It all turned sour for O’Keeffe in race three as contact with John Martin left two very damaged cars.

Brown led Race 2 briefly before locking up, while the Tanders tangled after a bit of help. Below was the start of O’Keeffe’s Race 3 issues.

It was all smiles for HMO Customer Racing win a 1-2 in Race 3.

Aaron Cameron and Hamish Ribarits each snagged a podium across the weekend, as did James Moffat for Renault.

Meanwhile, Brown had clawed his way back to fifth in amongst the mayhem, further aided by the battle for second ahead.

Moffat successfully completed a pass for second at Turn 4 in dramatic fashion with Tander making it three-wide into the braking area, relegating D’Alberto to fourth. Brown was sitting and waiting, pouncing on the exit of Turn 4 to snatch third.

It didn’t take long for the Honda to attack the Renault as Brown drew alongside Moffat through Turn 1 and 2 before finally converting at turn 5 by hanging tough on the outside of Turn 4.

This had allowed O’Keeffe to skip away and a 4.818s win was the result.

There was hope for a clean start to Race 2, but that failed to come to fruition as again O’Keeffe led comfortably from

Brown, who had managed to keep on the black stuff this time.

After taking Renault’s first podium in Race 1, it wasn’t to be repeated in the second when Moffat was forced wide and lost the rear, spearing off the track to be collected by an unlucky Heimgartner after he was hit by Tander in the rear.

It was a disastrous lap for Tander, as at Turn 4 he was nudged into Leanne, both spinning and the 2007 V8 Supercar champion adding to the significant damage he received at Turn 2.

Bright was another to be in the wars after losing drive off the start, as both Tanders pitted.

Emerging from the opening lap furore in third was series debutant Hamish Ribarits in the third of the MPC Audis and fifth was the recovering John Martin, while Morcom was up

to seventh from the back.

Then it was drama for both Hondas, first D’Alberto then Martin suffered punctures at Turn 1 within a handful of laps of each other. It also added to D’Alberto’s woes as he was dealing with a V-TEC engine that was running off song.

Out front, Brown had overtaken O’Keeffe in a ballsy move around the outside of Turn 1, but it only lasted until Turn 4 when the Toowoomba native locked up, ran wide and allowed O’Keeffe the opportunity to chase a cleansweep.

In the end, the Alfa crossed the line 5.4s ahead of the Hyundai. Ribarits held out a charging Morcom for third.

The damage afflicted to Tander’s car was thought to have forced him out for the final, but it was not the case as MPC worked magic to get the heavily patched car onto the

grid.

Continuing the pattern, there was bedlam on the opening lap in race 3, but from the most unlikely source. It had been a faultless weekend up to that point for O’Keeffe, but cold rear tyres had been an issue all weekend and slight contact from Brown was enough for the Alfa to lose the rear.

The car was undamaged until Martin was spun in what was a concertina in the mid-pack.

Contact between Heimgartner and D’Alberto kicked it off as the latter ran wide, clipping his teammate, who spun and slammed rearward into the side of the round leader, causing heavy damage to both cars. Alexandra Whitley was also involved in what was a disappointing moment after she had scored her best result of 10th so far this season.

Another to be involved was Ribarits, who ended up on the

infield and in the Turn 2 sand trap with the Holden Astra of Chelsea Angelo, though he recovered as did Tander.

As the safety car collected the field it was Hyundai 1-2 and that’s the way it stayed for the duration of the race. Moffat and Tander battled for fourth, behind the MPC Volkswagen of Cameron, another junior driver to take advantage of the carnage ahead.

Brown led home Morcom, Cameron and Tander in what was a remarkable drive in a battered machine, while rounding out the top five was Moffat in the everimproving Renault.

The Bend Motorsport Park hosts the next round as Brown holds an imposing 52-point series lead ahead of O’Keeffe with D’Alberto a further 38-points behind.

Points: Brown 244, O’Keeffe 192, D’Alberto 154, Cameron 153, Moffat 133

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SHANNONS NATIONALS Round 2 Phillip Island 7-9 June

PARADISE FOR LOVE ON ISLAND

Aaron Love led the way on Sunday (above) as Harri Jones and Max Vidau battled ferociously behind.

Report: Dan McCarthy Images: Insyde Media

AARON LOVE became the third round winner in as many events in the highly competitive Porsche Michelin GT3 Cup Challenge.

Max Vidau qualified on pole position at Phillip Island but it was Harri Jones from second who made the better start and led around Turn 1.

At Honda Vidau fired up the inside and took the lead, and then Love further demoted Jones when he took second at Siberia.

Further back Brett Boulten and Sam Shahin made heavy contact on the opening lap, with Boulten coming to a hault on the exit Turn 4, so the safety car was called to recover the Pro Am class driver.

On the restart Jones stuck to the rear of Vidau, the South Australian defending well and not allowing the Championship leader through.

Vidau did enough to hold back the Queenslander and take the win, with Love finishing in third.

The second race was even more intense than the first, once again it was Jones who led into Turn 1, he then spent the following laps defending first position from Vidau.

Christian Pancione continued his consistent start to the season.

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Despite several good attempts where Vidau ran alongside, he could not make the move stick.

On lap 11 the leaders caught some lapped traffic at Honda and Jones went to the inside. Behind, Vidau outbraked himself taking to the grass to avoid making contact, and rejoined sixth.

The following lap Nathan Murray came to a stop resulting in a safety car deployment.

On the restart it was Love who then applied pressure to Jones, and on lap 19 Jones defended into Turn 2 but ran

slightly wide allowing Love to slip up the inside and take the lead, going on to win from Jones and Vidau, who recovered to finish third after a great late race tussle with Christian Pancione.

The results meant that the trio of Love, Vidau and Jones were equal on points heading into the final race.

Love led into the first turn while Vidau jumped up to second, demoting Jones as the race two the leader was soaking up pressure from the cars behind.

On lap 7 heading into Turn 1 Jones pulled out of the tow and overtook Vidau around the outside. Now in second Jones had to keep Vidau at bay, this allowed Love to skip away and the former Formula 4 driver Ryan Suhle to close the gap.

On the final lap the three car fight for second reached boiling point when they caught back markers at Lukey Heights, Jones and Vidau shot to the inside while Suhle went to the outside.

Suhle got a better run which allowed him to fire up the inside of Vidau, the two made heavy contact but remained in the same positions. Love, Jones, Vidau and Suhle was the way it stayed, as it was with the round result. “Absolutely stoked to get my first round win and my first race win, so really happy. I was trying not to let the excitement get the better of me, I had to keep focused eyes forwards and not make any mistakes,� Love said.

Despite only winning one race, Shane Barwood claimed the Am class with great consistency, while Andrew Goldie dominated Class B, finishing 9th outright in the first race.

EMERY/TANDER TAKE GT ENDURO WIN Report: Garry O’Brien Image: Insyde Media

REIGNING GT Champion Geoff Emery together with Garth Tander comfortably won the opening round of the Australian Endurance Championship at Phillip Island last weekend.

In an event which was also the third round of the Australian GT Championship, they shared an Audi Customer Sports Audi R8 LM, and completed the three-hour 94-lap enduro 22s ahead of Fraser Ross and Ryan Simpson in a McLaren 720s, with Max Twigg and Tony D’Alberto third aboard a MercedesBenz AMG. It was Tander’s second win in this event.

“The tyre deg was much higher I reckon than

what anyone expected. There was more in the car if we needed it,” Tander said.

The small grid (14 cars) was determined by an aggregate of times from two qualifying sessions where Ross and Simpson earned pole ahead of Dominic Storey and Peter Hackett in an Eggleston Motorsport Mercedes-Benz AMG. Off the start it was Storey who went to an immediate lead ahead of Ross. Emery was next ahead of Yasser Shahin (a Mercedes that Jamie Whincup would take over later), Adrian Deitz (Lamborghini Huracan sharing with Cameron McConville), Craig Baird (Scotty Taylor’s Mercedes), Twigg and current Endurance Champion Tony Bates, sharing

his Audi with John Martin.

The race went to a safety car after 11mins when David Crampton put his Reiter KTM X-Bow that would be shared by Troy Harrison, into the tyre wall at turn 12. Then there was a 23min delay with the cars stopped on the grid while repairs to the tyre wall were untaken.

Fifty minutes after the start, the race resumed with Ross leading.

Storey had to be pushed into the pits as the Mercedes refused to fire up – due to a flat battery. It would re-join but had lost two laps.

The first of three compulsory pitstops began immediately for several and within a short period the others followed. With the first lot completed, Twigg led from Emery, Ross and Tony Quinn, sharing his Aston Martin Vantage with Dan Gaunt.

Shortly after, the Nick Kelly/Bart Mawer Audi R8 LMS Ultra was in to check out a misfire that would ultimately see it retire.

The next to strike drama was Whincup, just after he took over.

The Trophy Class car lost its right front wheel but Whincup managed to get it back to the pits for a replacement.

Gaunt was not long into his turn at the wheel of the Quinn Aston when it pitted with oil dripping out of the front. “I think it may be the power steering, it suddenly went very heavy,” Gaunt reported.

With the last stops finalised Tander extended a 18s lead as Ross closed in and passed D’Alberto for second. Fourth were Bates and Martin ahead of Vince Muriti and Luke Youlden (Audi), Taylor/Baird and Deitz/McConville.

Storey and Hackett eventually finished ninth, behind Joseph Ensabella and Tim Blanchard (Huracan), and ahead of Shahin/ Whincup. The latter’s drama cost them three laps, while Justin McMillan and Glen Wood were 11th, the lone survivors of the GT4 class in their X-Bow.

Garth Gart Ga rth rt th Ta Tand Tander’s nder nd er’s er ’ss TTCR CR w CR weekend eeke ee kendd m ke might ight htt nnot o ot have gone as well as hoped, but he had success in the GT enduro.

LUIS INCREASES HIS LEAD

Report: Garry O’Brien Image: Insyde Media

BOTH THE PAYCE Australian Formula 4 Championship rounds contested at Phillip Island last weekend were won by AGI Sport’s Luis Leeds, who extended his points lead with two rounds to go.

Leeds was a tearaway winner of the first race in round three, winning by just under 6s ahead of Team BRM’s Ryan Suhle who battled his way past teammate Lochie Hughes. The latter then engaged in a fight for third with Antonio Astuti (AGI) who was later excluded for being underweight.

On the last lap Jackson Walls (Patrizicorse) and Emerson Harvey (BRM) had dramas, leaving Harry Hayek and Emerson Harvey (BRM) to improve their positions.

Hughes broke through for his first win in the inverted grid race two, while Leeds worked his way through to finish second ahead of Hayek. Walls and Suhle failed to finish after a clash on lap five.

Suhle came back to win the next

race, holding off Leeds by just 0.0059s with Astuti a close third. In the battle for fourth, Harvey scored by 0.3s over Walls as Hayek fell away in the closing stages. Hughes was to be a late starter but wasn’t allowed out as the field had completed their first lap.

Leeds enjoyed the front running throughout the first race of round four and won ahead of Hughes. Suhle was third for all bar the last lap, where Astuti was able to relegate him. Close behind came Hayek and Walls.

The fourth race began with another inverted grid where Suhle quickly jumped ahead to take the win.

Leeds foraged through to second while Astuti was third. In the scrap for fourth, AGI’s Christian Mansell in his debut weekend bested Wall and

Hughes. Hayek was also a contender but fell down the order when he lost his rear wing.

Leeds was a comprehensive winner of race three, taking the chequered flag 7.4s clear. Behind was his teammate Astuti who had to work

his way past Hughes, who finished third. For much of the race, there were intense battles to decide the final finishing order which saw Hayek fourth in front of Walls. Suhle held off Mansell and they were followed by Emerson Harvey.

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s w e n Y A SPEEDW

FAIRYTALE FINISH FOR LACK

Image: Ray Ritter

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN Steven Gartner added the Northern Territory Street Stock Championship to his winning season. He took the chequered flag ahead of Victorian Brad McClure and defending NT champion Jason Duell at Darwin’s Northline Speedway. Gartner’s win adds to his SA title and after 30 laps was happy with his recent success. “We came away with the ultimate result. The car was happy, the driver was happy and everything fell into place.”

Rock Solid Pics MATImage: PASCOE has become the first driver in 22 years to win three consecutive Queensland Super Sedan Title. The victory at the Bundaberg Motorplex ahead of Sean Black and Darren Kane adds to Pascoe’s superb season. He also grabbed major wins in the Australian title, Goulburn 5000, Lismore Speedway’s 50th Anniversary race, and the GP53. This most recent win was his 10th main event victory of the season and Pascoe took the podium in 19 of 21 starts in the 2018/2019 season.

Image: Geoff Rounds

THE SDAV Hot Rods once again paid tribute to one of the past legends of the class with the annual Ray Welsh Memorial at Rushworth Speedway. Just six laps into the 25-lap final Shannon Meakins in his very cool Spidermanthemed car headed the field and went on to an impressive 10 second victory from Phil Jenkins, Kali Hovey and Russell Hovey in fourth.

THE 3500 kilometre trip from Coffs Harbour to Kalgoorlie International Speedway was well worth it for Chris Corbett, netting him his first ever title victory - the Western Australian V8 Dirt Modified Championship. Driving for Marley Weller of NSW, Corbett, 21, used his pole position to advantage and was pretty much untroubled over the 25-lap journey and finally grabbed his maiden feature win after a number of podium placings in the national, Queensland and South Australian titles. “It feels absolutely amazing to finally break our habit of finishing third in title events and come away with the win,” Corbett said.

DESPITE NOT finishing the final round Rusty Whittaker has clinched the Polar Ice Midget Track Championship.

Scott Farmer scored an emphatic race win over Brock Dean and Callum Walker, while Whittaker bowed out of the feature race after just one lap with a flat tyre at Archerfield Speedway. Also on the same night, Liam Williams emerged the overall winner in the Jettco Formula 500 Jackpot, while Wayne Corbett ended his 20-plus years of Compact Speedcar racing with a feature win in his final ever race.

Image: Renee Leggo

DECLAN BROWNSEY has embarked on his third trip over to America to race. The Queenslander and regular Auto Action snapper will compete in 14 nights of racing mainly in Illinois where he will run a UMP Modified in the Hell Tour. “I’ve been looking forward to it since I got back from my last trip. America for dirt racers is the closest thing to heaven on earth we can get to.”

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IT COULD not have been scripted any better with a fairytale finish to the career of Queensland Speedway driver Peter Lack.

In his final race, Lack drew the curtain on his Sprintcar career with a stirring win in the 17th and final round of the Sprintcars Queensland series at Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway.

Starting the 30-lap feature from position eight, Lack worked his way forward before a last lap pass on current Australian champion and Series winner Andrew Scheuerle to clinch the win, with Allan Woods in third spot ahead of Michael Saller, Brent Kratzmann and Kristy Bonsey surging to sixth after starting 11th.

Lack, 47, from Toowoomba is also a former multiple national sedan champion and will maintain his position as Manager at GW Racing with friends Graham, Wendy and Laurie Erhart in a work and racing association that dates back to 1996.

“I’m not stepping away from Speedway and motor racing, I’m just leaving the race-driving part. This is not a decision that I’ve made lightly and not something I decided overnight. It’s a tough decision but it’s the right one,” Lack said.

The Ultimate Sprintcar Championship and Hi-Tec Oils Toowoomba Speedway will miss the happy go lucky and affable throttle stomper as a racer but continue to enjoy his presence as a principal at GW Racing.

Lack was a multiple Australian Modified Sedan champion and spent time in Speedcars before racing Sprintcars.

Image: 44Photography

He was the second only Queenslander to do so in winning a World Series Sprintcars round at Kalgoorlie Speedway in West Australia in 2007, he won the Tri-Series Shootout at Maryborough in Queensland in 2010, and in 2015 he was the inaugural winner of the Will Power 500 at Hi-Tec Oils Toowoomba Speedway.

“After 18 years racing, well, it’s been absolutely fantastic. It’s great to go out on a high that’s for sure,” Lack said.

“It’s a fairytale finish that’s for sure. Tonight was great. It’s just been really good racing here in Queensland and around Australia. It’s (Archerfield) been a voodoo track for us but we’ve gone out on a big high. We’ve just stopped driving but I’ll still be around.”

The 2019/20 Archerfield season kicks off its 27-race meeting schedule with the Sprintcar track championship again over 17 rounds from October 5, and will conclude with the series Grand Final on May 30, 2020.

Two rounds of the World Series Sprintcars Championship on January 4 and the following weekend on Jan 10 &11 featuring the WSS Australian Sprintcar Open, are also locked in.

World of Outlaws superstar Donny Schatz will again race exclusively at Archerfield over the Christmas/New Year period, contesting six nights of racing and chasing a 10th Open victory.

MCCULLAGH’S SUPER SRA COREY MCCULLAGH has again shown steady consistency and been crowned the 2018-19 Sprintcar Racing Association champion.

The 2018 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic winner pocketed $10,000 for his efforts driving the Domain Ramsay-owned #71 car.

Just 54 points behind in second was Bobby Daly, who was awarded the Most Improved Driver and in third place was Brayden Parr.

The SRA season overall aggregate pointscore championship went to Jamie Veal from McCullagh and James McFadden. This award is based on points for all the events during the season for Victorian registered drivers only.

Other award winners were Terry Rankin (Best Presented), Troy Hose (Rookie of the Year), Matthew Reed and Michael Tancredi (360ci aggregate), Rhys Baxter and Mark Carlin (President’s Award).

For the second straight year his fellow competitors judged Charles Hunter as the Driver’s Driver for the past season.

SRA President Ian Vale released dates for the 2019/20 12-round season, which will begin at Heartland Raceway, Moama on October 19 and conclude at Avalon Raceway on March 12, 2020.

SHAUN WALSH scooped the pool winning the Simpson

Image: Geoff Rounds

Speedway racing aggregate and also topped the Super Rods tally from Ewan McKenzie and Neville Gange, who also grabbed the Most Improved driver award.

Other aggregate winners at Simpson were Tyler Maggs (Junior F500s), Luke Weel (Wingless Sprints) and Josh Buckingham (Formula 500s).

Walsh was again successful at Laang Speedway’s end of season awards winning the Driver of the Year while Darcy Micallef came out on top in the F500s ahead of brothers Dion and Chris Bellman.

WILLIAMS USA MISSION AUSTRALIA WILL be well represented at the fifth annual California Speedweek, with multiple Australian Formula 500 champion Liam Williams set to compete against the world’s best micro Speedway racers.

The star Queensland driver will run double-duty competing at Dixon, Delta, Keller and Lemoore Speedways from June 25 against 121 entries for $60,000 in total prizemoney.

Williams will have Victorian small engine guru and former champion racer Stephen Bell accompany him for the duration.

“This is our second trip there for Speedweek, but our fourth over in the last 18 months; we also raced at the last two Tulsa shootouts,” Williams told Auto Action just prior to jetting out.

“This year I’m racing both wing and non wing micros. It’s a big event and thanks to Pace

chassis, as well as Belly at Jettco for supplying us a new motor, who is also coming over with us to help.”

Williams, who relinquished his Australian F500 championship earlier this year, is keen to improve on his 2018 efforts at the tough Speedweek.

“We finished eighth in the Image: 44 Photography point standings last year from 50 cars, so that was good. We Australian flag at the event with New South Wales finished in the top nine every competitor Ethan Eyears from Lismore making feature last year and my best finish was fifth. his series debut and Australian-born brothers If we can do the same this year that would be Tommy and Danny Carroll from Roseville in awesome.”

California also among the field.

Williams won’t be the only driver flying the

p ra w S L A NATION

n compiled by garry o’brie

Image: Ian Colley

Image: Roger Townley

AMOS NETS SECOND QLD TITLE MGCC HANGS ONTO LEAD A FINAL run of 35.99s secured Dean Amos the Eureka Landscape CAMS Queensland Hillclimb Championship at Mt Cotton on June 2.

It is the second year in a row that the New South Welshman and his 485kW (650hp) Indycar-based McLaren-Nicholson V8powered English-built Gould GR55B has taken the state title, and like last year, denied local and fellow Formula Libre over 2.0-litre class rival Dean Tighe.

Tighe (Dallara/Judd 4.0-litre V8) was second fastest on the first run with a personal best and went quicker on his second with a 36.24s. But as the case has been for the previous four years, Tighe finished second, albeit he was the fastest local each time.

Victorian Brett Hayward was quickest on run one in his Hayward HE014/Hayabusa and had potentially more to come. However he crashed on his way to the finish line on the third attempt. He did maintain third

overall and won the Formula Libre under 2.0-litre class.

Michael Von Rappard (Dallara F392/ supercharged Hayabusa) finished fourth outright ahead of Edward McCane (turbocharged DJ Racecars Firehawk), whose day also ended early with an accident on the second loop exit.

Winner of the under Formula Libre under 1.3-litre class was Jim Milliner (OMS 2000M) with sixth outright ahead of Brett Bull (turbo Van Diemen RF03K), the seventh to get into the under 40s club on the day, Ron Hay (Synergy Dallara), Warwick Hutchinson (turbo OMS 28 RPV03) and 10th placed Steven Woodbridge (Dallara F304).

Best of the tin tops was 16th placed Ross Mackay in his Ford Escort Mk1 U2L sports sedan, while Gary Ford (Group U Escort), Philip Dalton (Road Registered U2L Honda Integra) and Ferris Lee (BMW 316 PRC Rally Car) each broke class records. GOB

COMPETITION WAS closer in round two of the three-round Victorian Interclub Hillclimb Challenge at Rob Roy on May 19, where the host MG Car Club of Victoria held onto its points lead.

That was despite not taking any class wins but again it was because the MGCC had more entries than any other club, scoring a point for each.

Adrian Azzopardi (MG Midget) notched up a class third as did Paul Slawinski (MGB), while Marjorie Halford (MG TF160) took a fourth place.

The fastest time of the day went to Daniel Leitner (Subaru Impreza WRX), representing the MX5 Club. He also picked up a class victory with a 22.81s run, a great effort which put his club into fifth place.

Col Hunter (WRX) finished second in class and second outright for the Gippsland Car Club which had only four entries, so lost out on entry points. But

three of those entries scored well with Russ Mead (Anglia 105E) netting a class first and Jeremy Booth did the same in his surprisingly quick Suzuki Cappuccino, finishing 10th outright. Booth’s wife Laura, who shared the car, took the fastest female award but missed out on place points.

The Renault Car Club did answer the call at this round, fielding 10 entrants with Joel Bryer (Renault Clio RS) taking a second place while David Bertuch (Alpine Renault) was fourth. Third in the over 3.0-litre class went to Jack Allisey (Renault Megane), helping move the RCCV into third place.

The VHRR dropped to fifth as its usual great support disappeared with just Mike Barker (Elfin Clubman) and Philip Gray (WRX) present. But they acquitted themselves well with the former taking a win, while Gray who usually drives a flathead Ford, grabbed a fourth place.

Garry Hill

SUTCLIFFE LEADS THE WAY ROUND 2 of the Warwick District Sporting Car Club C Series Super Sprints started with a frost and the aroma of campfires being stoked up, to generate some warmth.

The usual seven runs were completed over the weekend, with each consisting of four laps of the D Circuit, a quick flowing layout that provided no shortage of action during the event.

There were no major incidents and the event ran smoothly, although a few had various issues that led to early retirements. Sunday afternoon had rain settle in, causing slippery conditions especially through the not so commonly used flip flops, which caught a few unaware.

It was fantastic to once again see the juniors on track, demonstrating the amount each had improved with their driving and confidence since the last round.

Phil Sutcliffe holds a slender

As usual, variety was on show at the sprints with (clockwise from left) Mick Ineson, David Gordon and Peter Endacott all pushing hard over the event.

12-point lead in the C Series standings from Peter Endacott. Once again the WDSCC would like to thank all the volunteers and staff who helped make this event so great. Volunteers are always welcome and what better way to get up close and personal with the all the action? The A series will be back again on June 15-16 for round 3. Spectator entry for all the super sprints is free for a fantastic action packed weekend with a large variety of different cars competing.

CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE Phil Sutcliffe 88 Peter Endacott 76 Gerry White 72 Nick Ashwin 71 Brad Stehr 66 Gavin Taylor 63 Ben VaWegen 26 Nick Tomkinson 60 Daryl Watson 59 Jason O’Mara 54

Proudly presented by Warwick District Sporting Car Club Inc for more information visit www.morganparkraceway.com.au

Next Round: Round 3 A Series June 15-16 AutoAction

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NATIONALS wrap n compiled by garry o’brie

STANDING IN the Oran Park Town Sales & Information Centre, I feel very disorientated. There used to be a racetrack somewhere around here but I don’t know where exactly.

The office is located on the corner of Peter Brock Drive and Oran Park Drive, in Oran Park Town. It’s in a clean, new housing estate complete with shopping centre, schools, traffic lights – you name it.

Ten years ago, we would have been standing at a racetrack surrounded by rural pastures that were just starting to show signs of development.

But I was not there recently to invest in real estate.

This was a gathering to witness the launch of a new book “The Quickest way round is on the Bitumen” and we are around 500 metres north, north-east of the northern most point of where the track used to be, by my reckoning.

The book is the history of Oran Park Raceway, compiled by Neville Beyer who followed through his desire to record the history of the circuit that he was involved in from its inception through to its closure.

The history of racing at the iconic circuit, whether it be cars, trucks, bikes, drivers or riders, has been well documented over the years in printed media and on television.

What this book does is look behind the scenes, at its development from the humble beginnings in a paddock near Narellan to NSW’s most popular race circuit that sadly closed its gates for the final time in 2010.

The publication looks at those involved

from the beginning – whether at grass roots or at the upper echelon of Australian motor sport.

How this was achieved is remarkable – mainly through the enthusiasm and passion of a handful of volunteers.

That is something very peculiar to motor racing, a sport that commands huge amounts of finance to succeed in, yet can’t really operate without volunteers who only participate for the love of it and without monetary reward.

The book covers the history car racing at the circuit and looks at motorcycle racing, albeit not in as much detail.

Originally the whole area, some me 30km to the south west of Sydney, was called Harrington Park and dates back to 1815. It was subdivided in 1829 and later renamed Oran Park.

As far as motor racing was concerned in NSW, there were not a lot of venue options available, particularly for the club racer.

Mt Druitt was basically gone following a dispute between the landowner and the promoter and Warwick Farm, which opened in 1960, was focused more on the top end of the sport.

The Singer Car Club catered for a closed race meeting at Schofields Airfield in 1958. Subsequently many of the people organising in that event became involved in the creation of Oran Park Raceway.

Finding a more permanent venue, convincing the landowner and pegging

Garry was there to celebrate memories of Oran Park’s past. th layout followed. The the b book details this far more, m mentions the people i involved and the obstacles faced.

From there the book provides a great deal of detail about the first meeting in 1962, the race officials, the competitors, the cars, and the thoughts of those attending.

It then goes on to relate the formation the NSW Road Racing Club, the original track extension, night racing and the addition of a drag strip.

Later of course came Oran Park Raceway, with the country’s first proper control tower, the infamous broadcast tower and a grandstand.

Further improvements came with the third variant of the control tower, nicknamed the Hacienda because it looked like one. Then came a further extension which transformed the circuit with its under and over bridge.

Besides catering for club level motor sport, the track also featured top of the line racing categories as well, the likes of F5000 races

and the Australian Touring Car Championship.

The track was sold in 1983 to the Leppington Pastoral Company headed by Tony Perich. Further improvements came in the later years including revamped paddock areas and a new pit and garage complex.

The publication has an enormous array of photos, many of which have not been seen before, from the very early years of development through to the later years. There are numerous shots of the cars, the people involved, the folk that watched on and the crowds back in the halcyon days.

The beauty of the book apart from the obvious is that it highlights the efforts of the volunteers and “mover-shakers” that made the era so momentous.

What I really like is that after the publishing costs had been recovered through sales, profits will go to the said volunteers.

Many of the people involved throughout the years, whether on track or off, attended the official launch in May. ‘The Quickest way round is on the bitumen’ is available from the Narellan Newspower Go & Office Supplies, Narellan Newspower Go Kiosk or at www. oranparkracing.com.au

HAT TRICK & CLEAN SWEEP IT WAS a clean sweep of convincing stage wins for John O’Dowd and Toni Feaver in the Better Value Tyres Safari Rally around Boddington on June 1. It was also their third win in as many rounds of the CAMS Zestino Tyres Western Australian Rally Championship.

The event ran 91km over five special stages with O’Dowd and Feaver fastest in all of them aboard their Skoda Fabia R5. They finished 3mins 45s ahead of Craig Rando and Matthew Scafidi (Subaru Impreza WRX STi), with another 1min 12s to the husband and wife team of Razvan and Ioana Vlad in their Ford Fiesta.

O’Dowd has built up a sizeable driver points lead as Kody Reynolds and Anthony Staltari (WRX) were retirees following gearbox dramas and driver illness, while Stephen Oxley and Ben Searcy were not competing. Likewise Feaver is in a similar

situation in the co-driver standings.

In finishing third outright, the Vlads also took out the 2WD class, winning four of the five stages to be almost 24s ahead of stage four winners and fourth outright Mike Joss and Megan Logue (Nissan Silvia S15). Alex and Lisa White (Silvia S13) were a further 4mins 27s adrift and sixth overall behind the Michael and Jack Civil Mitsubishi EVO 9.

Competing over three stages and 51km, Rod Fowler and Keith Mayes (Peugeot Image: Tim Allott 206 GTi) won Clubman Cup ahead of Kevin and Aaron Hollingsworth (Suzuki Swift Sport), who were just 8s in front of weather created very dusty conditions, third placed Steve Vass and Ashley Burton with seven cars of the 20 entered failing to (Datsun 1600). Meanwhile Clubman Masters finish. This included Glenn Alcorn/Shaun went to Julian Wright and Jeff Huggins McMacken (Ford Escort), Steve Dixon/ (Datsun 1200 Coupe) from John Ludlam and Paul Van Der Mey (Honda Integra), Paul Steven Proctor (Datsun.

Hutchinson/Jarrod Sewell (Can Am) and The lack of rain and unseasonal warm Dene Courtis and Robert King (Toyota

Corolla FXGT) with mechanical issues.

The Simon Gratton/Richard Harris Honda Civic blew its engine, Hugh Harmer/Karen Russell Holden Commodore crashed, as did the Lance Stringer/Chis Parish Nissan Silvia, and the David Farnworth/Archa Oxley Toyota Corolla was out of time. GOB

“Coming up at the nation’s action and spectator tracks” Wakefield Park

www.wakefieldpark.com.au

RaceAway Track Time – Open Pit Lane Jun 15 WPM Trackschool Track Day Jun 16 Trackschool Jun 21 Weekend at Wakefield Jun 22-23 Speed Off The Streets/Test & Tune Jun 28

52 AutoAction

Winton

www.wintonraceway.com.au

Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships (VSCRC) Jun 15-16 Test & Tune – Cars & Open Wheelers Jun 21 Winton Sprints – Round 3 Jun 22 Performance Test Day Jun 26 Test & Tune – Cars & Open Wheelers Jun 28

RHODES AND PULLINO TAKE MAIDEN FINKE VICTORY

JACK RHODES and David Pullino have completed a breakthrough win to be crowned Kings of the Desert for the first time at the 2019 Tatts Finke Desert Race, which has ended in heartbreak for favourite Toby Price.

The Jimco Aussie Special Nissan 3500cc of Rhodes and Pullino claimed victory with a 6 minute 33 second margin over Josh Howells and Eric Hume in second.

The pair from Adelaide have finished the race on the podium four times previously (3rd in 2018 and 2017, 2nd in 2015 and 2014), and finally took the coveted win today with an overall time of 3 hours and 42 minutes.

“It’s unbelievable,” Rhodes said.

“We’ve finally done it. To be the bridesmaid so many times… it’s been a great effort to get there on the podium that many times, but this is so much sweeter now. The top step is awesome,” added Pullino.

The newly crowned Kings of the Desert had a difficult start to their campaign of the 2019 Tatts Finke Desert Race, rolling their car in Prologue which saw them begin the journey to Finke from 14th position.

“I can’t believe we’ve come from that far back to win it,” said Rhodes.

“I think with everything in the years leading up to this has made it even sweeter.

“It’s been a mental journey, but we’re here.”

Rhodes and Pullino swiped the race lead from Toby Price when a mechanical failure forced the Red Bull racer out of the race between the Mt Squires and Bundooma

Jack Rhodes and David Pullino with the winners trophy.

check-points.

Price was gunning for his first ever win of the car category at the Tatts Finke Desert Race, having been crowned King of the Desert in the bike race six-times.

Brent Martin and Andre De Simone rounded out the podium.

Mark and Matthew Burrows were the first father-son duo to cross the finish line in fourth, with Shannon and Ian Rentsch recovering from a puncture to end the race fifth.

The family affair in the top 10 continued with Dale Martin – brother of third place Brent Martin – arriving in Alice Springs in sixth position alongside navigator Adrian Rowe.

Craig Martin – father of Brent and Dale – was the last of the family home, with he and Benjamin Dawson taking the chequered flag in ninth.

Dad and son were separated by Danny Brown and George Apted in seventh, and Troy Higgins and Josh Simmons in eighth.

Toby Price suffered a merchanical failure when leading.

The #401 entry of Brett Taylor, Peter Treis and Chris Hinspeter completed the Top 10. the coveted race for the first time.

In the bikes hometown hero David Walsh Walsh claimed his maiden win in has sealed his first ever King of the Desert convincing fashion with a 4 minute and 59 crown in an emotionally-charged victory at second lead and overall time of 3 hours and the 2019 Tatts Finke Desert Race.

56 minutes.

The KTM rider completed a lights-toThe Alice Springs local was visibly flag victory, maintaining the top spot from emotional when he took the chequered Prologue through to Finke and back to win flag, with the crowd erupting in cheer as he

crossed the start/ finish line in first position. position “I’m blown away,” Walsh said as he fought back tears.

“Words cannot describe how I feel right now. I’m just happy to have my family and friends here to help throughout the whole year… they’re just amazing.

“The work that goes into this and the backing I get from my wife and family is insane so I think it is all worth it.”

Husqvarna locked-out the remaining positions on the podium with hot race favourites Jacob Smith and Beau Ralston in second and third respectively.

The teammates denied Jack Simpson a return to the Top 3 in 2019 with the Honda rider finishing fourth ahead of Callum Norton in fifth.

Walsh took victory on his KTM, whilst it wasn’t all plain sailing for Rhodes and Pullino (right).

AutoAction

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NATIONALS wrap n compiled by garry o’brie

THE ADDITION of an Unlimited Razorback Buggy to the fleet recently proved beneficial to Clayton Chapman and Adam McGuire, with outright victory in the Pat’s Diesel Services 100 at Dalby on May 25-26.

The event was the third round of the Queensland Short Course Series where second place went to Troy Duff (Class 1 Jimco/Nissan V6 Turbo) with Sybrand De Klerk third in his Can Am X3 Rotax. De Klerk had some issues in the prologue and the first section, before also claiming Class 6 honours.

The event was contested over five sections, each over two laps of the very dusty 10km course. It attracted 39 entrants, including 1988 Bathurst 1000 winner Tony Longhurst in a Class 6 Can Am Maverick Turbo, having a run in preparation for the Finke Desert Race.

Series points leader David Loughnan (Can Am) finished fourth ahead of Class 6 rival Brayden Mifsud (Polaris RZR turbo) and Michael Marson in his Class 10 winning Racer Engineering/Ford Windsor, which was hampered by a misfire throughout. They were chased home by Michael Schneider (Can Am) and Kevvy Knott (Unlimited Razorback/ Nissan V6 TT).

Ninth and first in Class 8 was Matt Gardiner (Mitsubishi Pajero/Chev) ahead of Andrew Murphy (Class 1 Alumi Craft) and the Class 4 entries of Paul Youman (RazorBack Fusion/Toyota 2JZ Turbo) and Myles Newbon (Ford Ranger).

Longhurst only did the Saturday sections and finished with the sixth fastest time, as Chapman went into the overnight break ahead of Duff, De Klerk, Loughnan and Mifsud. Class 7 went to Ethan Murray (Mitsubishi Pajero) in 15th ahead of Class 5’s Scott Hopkins (Ford Ute) while 21st placed Taylor and Anita Teichmann (Southern Cross/Suzuki) won Class 3. GOB

NEW RIG TAKES SHORT COURSE

Image: Peregrine-WAORRA

TIGHT END IN WA

THERE WAS only 1.17s in it at the end of the Marsue Transport Bencubbin 400 on June 1-2, where Darren Agrela and Ryan Barton edged out Troy Schoen and Nathaniel Edwards.

The third round of the CAMS Western Australian Off Road Championship had 39 entries and was staged over three two-lap 136km sections. Agrela (Pro Buggy Jimco/ Nissan V6 Twin Turbo) won the first by 33.3s despite a fuel pump issue. After two sections the lead was out to 1min 12.2s.

Then Schoen (SS Racetech Hustler/Chev V8) fought back to overtake Agrela, who was managing an overheating engine and won the third section in the fastest time of the event, but just fell agonisingly short of victory.

Meanwhile Jared Percival and Darryn Beckett (ProLite SS Racetech/Toyota 3.0-litre V6) finished nearly 10mins behind. They set up the final outright podium spot by having a comfortable advantage on the first section, which was enough to hold on from Brad Cooper and Arron Smithson (BAT Racing/ Chev) who eclipsed them on the next two.

Pro Buggies filled the next two places as

54 AutoAction

well, with David and Andrew McShane (Bat spec 4/Chev) and Mark and Sam Cramer (SS Racetech/Chev) fifth and sixth respectively, in front of Malcolm Yeardley and Alex Cowan (Bat Spec One/Nissan) who were second in ProLite.

The next four spots were taken by SXS Turbos class machines, namely Gavin Rodgers/Latia Reeves, Murray Kifer/Daniel Smith, Mathew Birnie/Rochelle Funneman and Sean Fitzpatrick/Brett Funneman, all in Can Ams. Twelfth placed Peter Barrett and Craig Carson (Bullet/Honda) took out Sportslite, Jason Galea and Keira Piercy (Yamaha YXZ1000R) won SXS Sport, as Peer Horn and Sean Beck (Mercedes Benz) snared the Extreme 4WD win.

In other classes, it was Peter Mellington and Michael French (Tiger Buggy/Toyota) in Super 1650, Kent Dunham (Holden) topped Extreme 2WD, Graeme Bentick and Dylan James (Toyota Landcruiser) snared Production 4WD and Performance 2WD went to Matthew Beck and Jade Armstrong in their Holden Kingswood. GOB

Image: John Doutch B Team Rally

MERCEDES WINS HEARTLAND RALLY STUART BOWES and Mark Nelson in their Mercedes Benz 450SLC won the Rally of the Heartland held on June 1/2. Run on the sweeping, swooping shire roads north of the historic copper mining town of Burra in South Australia, the powerful Merc ran away from the opposition in convincing style.

A brilliant drive by Queenslanders Ian Reddiex/ Mike Mitchell saw them finish second in the Historic class. Reddiex wrung the neck of his Datsun 1600 in a great drive, but the roads were more suited to the Benz.

Second outright, although not eligible for the Historic class, were the experienced South Australian pair of Rob Hunt and Jeremy Browne in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. The event, generously sponsored by power company AGL, used a number of access roads to the vast wind farms in the area, providing a spectacular backdrop to the competition. For the crews, driving in the shadows of the mighty whirling wind generators was a unique experience.

Other good performances were by Sims/ Phillips in a Datsun 180B, Lawrence and Long in a SAAB 99EMS and Attwell/Moir in the ex Ian Swan Ford Falcon. The Holden ute of Ross /Hague was also fast, but an early puncture hurt their result.

The spectators were robbed of some exciting viewing when former Australian Champ Barry Lowe’s NASCAR engine Commodore damaged a camshaft when fired up for the start and took no further part. Darryn Snooks/Mike Foreshew in the immaculate Datsun Stanza also struck early trouble, but managed to continue to finish the event.

Event Director Ivar Stanelis received great support from the AGL company, not only for the use of the private wind farm roads but also in the form of generous catering throughout the rally. The Heartland has become a must do rally for the classic rally fraternity, well run in a spectacular region.

Bob Watson

Image: Craig Houston

Albany turned on the weather for the annual Extravaganza of Motorsport.

ALBANY’S ANNUAL EXTRAVAGANZA THE WEST Australian city of Albany was transformed on June 2 with the annual Extravaganza of Motorsport where thousands watched as classic and vintage cars hurtled around the streets in Australia’s oldest around-the-houses event.

Before the Sunday event many headed out to Mt Clarence to take in the Historic Hillclimb on Saturday, which ran to commemorate the Australian Hillclimb Championship held there in 1957.

However, the primary focus was on the Albany CBD streets where there was even a temporary bridge installed to further the experience for spectators.

It is a community festival that’s been held annually since 1991 with historic regularity motor racing as the centrepiece attraction

to celebrate the 1936 Albany Tourist Trophy. There were also car displays, bands, entertainment, competitions, food, refreshment, craft stalls and historic memorabilia displays.

More than 150 competitors participated and a few came unstuck. David Blainey spun out and took the left rear wheel off his Porsche 911. Ian Wookey slammed a concrete barrier in his Austin Healey and Aldo De Paoli damaged the right front of his Chev Camaro when it struck a wall.

A crowd highlight was the all-Minis running with 27 entries, where Peter Hammond scored best overall for the Stan Starcevich Trophy ahead of William Hendry and David Elliott. The Albany Tourist Trophy for Vintage & Veterans also drew

solid numbers with Ray Morgan (MGB) best overall ahead of Matt Stuber (Ford V8 Coupe) and Richard Baird (Hudson Terraplane).

The Sports Cars’ Percy Chapman Memorial Trophy finished up a tie betweenn Kim Littlejohn (Bolwell Nagari) agari) and Brad Tindal (Jaguar XK 120), while Michael Broughton (Porsche 356) was third.

The Vintage Sports Car Club Trophy for Production Cars also saw equal points at top, between Lindsay Hamersley (Ford Falcon GT) and John Purser (Holden

VC), with Doug Jack (Valiant Commodore VC) Charger E55) next best.

Historic Touring Cars competed for the Bill Theyer Memorial Trophy where Keith Hornsey (Studebaker Lark) topped the points ahead of Ian Brown (Ford Cortina) and Neil Harkness (Fiat 1500). GOB

ONE-DAY, ONE-MAKE MEET HOLDENS, NISSANS, Hyundais and Clubmans were the subject of Motor Racing Australia’s third round program at Sydney Motorsport Park on June 1.

The one-day meeting on the first day of winter featured the Sydney Veterans Lodge HQ 100km Enduro which attracted eight Queenslanders along to tackle the locals.

HQ HOLDENS

THE NON-CHAMPIONSHIP was won by John Baxter after over a year out of the sport. He started from pole position and won ahead of Chris Molle, who was less than a second behind after 26 laps while Jack Harrison was third.

Baxter earned the premier starting position by winning the earlier sprint race where he started fourth and eclipsed Molle by 0.6s. Glenn Deering was third in front of Shaun Boland and Brandon Madden – with 2s covering the top five.

Molle won the start of the enduro and narrowly led the first lap before a hard brake pedal caused him to spear off into the tyre wall at Turn 2. Shortly after Dave Proglio and Darren Parker clashed at the same corner.

That brought out the safety car, conveniently just as the pit window was about to open for the compulsory drive throughs. But only the last eight could take advantage as the race resumed. Molle was one of the lucky ones and soon was back leading the race.

Once everyone had performed their pit obligations, Molle led Harrison, Baxter, Pedro Marusic, Boland and Deering.

Baxter charged home to take out the 26-lap event. Deering would be a nonfinisher as he had the brake pedal go to floor and spun out on the second last lap. That elevated Parker to sixth ahead of Madden, David Allan, Mark Baxter and Brad Schomberg.

Martin at the race restart. Contact between the leading pair enabled Martin, who had passed Noakes, to take the win ahead of Crossland who qualified seventh, Noakes and Longmore.

The red flag was fortunate for Crossland who missed the initial start due to brake issues. He made a great start to race two and drew away to take his first race win comfortably. The battle for second went all the way to the wire with Longmore edging out Martin and Noakes.

Crossland also won the last, but this time was pressed by Longmore who finished just half a second adrift. Noakes was next clear of Martin, Jeremy Hodges and Tom Dalziel.

SERIES X3 NSW

PULSAR RACING

ROUND THREE produced a couple of firsts for the state series that drew 39 entries. Ben Crossland and Jessica Martin each scored maiden race victories and were first and second overall ahead of Wil Longmore.

A multi car accident at Turn 8 brought about a halt to race one before Longmore led Dean O’Neill, Jackson Noakes and

EIGHTH COMING into round four, and placing in the top three which included a win, earned Tim Colombrita the outright victory over 37 rivals.

The first race was reduced to four laps following an opening corner comingtogether between Ian Joyce and Greg Oliver, which was followed a couple of laps later with incidents involving Paul Simpson

Image: Riccardo Benvenuti

and Chris Manning. Boylan won ahead of Colombrita, Osmond, Inwood, Josh Craig and Daniel Smith.

Boylan was a tearaway leader of race two, where Inwood had to work his way past Colombrita. But by that stage Boylan was too far up the road. Osmond was just in front of Craig for fourth as the pair edged clear of Smith in the closing laps.

Osmond led the first two laps of the third race before Colombrita took over. Inwood went to second shortly after and despite his best efforts, could not unseat the race leader. Osmond finished third just in front of Craig and Boylan, who had languished 12th at the end of the opening lap.

CLUBMANS

TWICE IVAN Srejber came from behind to win. In the first race, reigning series title holder James Dick (PRB Widebody) led before Srejber (PRB Birkin S3) passed him at half distance and charged away to a comfortable win. Dick just held off Josh Versluis (S3) while Jos Kroon (PRB S2) overtook Ron Hammond (Debron RH75) towards the end.

Dick was the early leader of race two, but only for a lap before Srejber ran away for another win. This time Dick couldn’t hold out Versluis for second and Kroon maintained a slight advantage over Hammond for the duration. GOB

AutoAction

55

NATIONALS wrap n compiled by garry o’brie

Victorian Matt Stoupas took both wins at Wakefield Park.

Images: Riccardo Benvenuti

STATE MARKS 25 AT WAKEFIELD PARK THERE WERE two packed days of racing at Wakefield Park on May 25-26, as the NSW Motor Race Championships third round celebrated 25 years of racing at the circuit.

PRODUCTION SPORTS CARS MATT STOUPAS won both the 30-minute mini enduros which featured good fields.

Stoupas (Audi R8) dominated the first race, flying away to quickly establish a handy lead over the Porsches driven by Greg Ward and Anthony Skinner. Skinner would fall by the wayside on lap 21.

QRDC SHIFT FOR ROUND THREE

Meanwhile, Brad Schumacher (Porsche) made a late charge and was on Ward’s tail with only a few minutes left.

Schumacher made a lunge at Turn 10 on the second-last lap, spinning Ward out of second. Schumacher crossed the line in second while Ward dropped a lap in the melee but still took third. Schumacher was penalised 30s which made no difference to the results where Gary Higgon (Audi) was fourth ahead of Justin Levis (Porsche) and Adam Burgess (Ginetta G50).

Behind Stoupas, team mate Higgon headed the rest of the field in race two

with Schumacher next from Levis. Lap six saw the safety car appear, as Levis landed in the gravel trap at Turn 2 after a clash with Scott Fleming (in Iain Pretty’s Roaring Forties).

At the restart, Stoupas resumed normal service from Higgon, Schumacher and Ward. Schumacher clashed with Higgon when trying to pass, spinning and dropping back. His charge back up was the highlight of the remainder, spending the several laps trying to get around Ward, before out-braking himself at the death and spinning.

FORMULA RACE CARS

OVER THREE races Aaron McClintock (Dallara F301) dominated, taking victory in each. He was chased home by Greg Muddle while Lawrence Katsidis edged out Rob Rowe in race one, had it easy in race two and DNF race three.

FORMULA VEE

RACING A Jacer, Aaron Lee led every lap of the first two races with Craig Sparke (Jacer) second in both. The final though was an epic race, with these two and Stephen Butcher (Stinger) putting on a fantastic scrap. Lee

Firebirds led the way in Trans-Am as former touring car driver John English took two wins.

Images: MTR Images

ORIGINALLY DESTINED to be held at Lakeside Park Raceway, round three of the QR Drivers Championship was moved to Queensland Raceway due to the ongoing noise issues. With the venue change there was an adjustment to the program, from two days to just one on June 1.

Image:XXXXXXX

AUSTRALIAN TRANS-AM

ACROSS THE three races there was nothing between Pontiac Firebird drivers John English and Ian Palmer. The latter was fastest in qualifying and won the first race by 0.35s. English took the other two by 0.34s and 0.67s respectively. That gave English the win in the Racing for Curro #52 Memorial round, named in honour of category stalwart Brett Curran who recently succumbed to cancer.

Despite finishing a lap down in the last, Anthony Tenkate (Ford Mustang) had notched up a couple of thirds and finished third in the 6.0-litre class, while the best of

56 AutoAction

the 5.0-litres was Ron Prefontaine ahead of fellow Mustang drivers Sean Evans and Patricia Chant.

PRODUCTION SPORTS

THE CATEGORY’S MX5 and 85 Challenge was an all-Mazda line-up at this event where Angelo Servodio was the day’s

victor. Equipped with a new engine, Servodio qualified fastest and won races two and three.

In the first outing he ran second to Shane Plohl, who DNF in the second. Overall runner-up was a close contest with Henri Van Roden edging out Chris Battista with the pair each getting a second place, and

David Smith who nabbed a pair of thirds.

SPORTSCAR CHAMPIONSHIP OVER THREE races, Simon Cilento dominated, winning all the round three championship races in his Radical SR8.

Chris Purvis (West WX10) finished second overall after two thirds (races one and

sealed his win on lap 11 of 14, passing Butcher around the outside of the final turn.

Sparke was second and Butcher third in front of William Pym (Jacer) and a close contest between Luke Collett (Polar) and Morgan Freemantle (Jacer).

Brought to you by:

IMPROVED PRODUCTION

MITSUBISHI EVO drivers Michael King and Trevan Spiteri had four tough races, taking two wins each in Over 2.0-Litres. A clash in race one was indicative of the intensity of their racing, which was otherwise very clean. With little to choose between the two cars, it mostly down to winning the start. David Waldon took all four third places in his Mazda RX3.

Harrison Cooper (Honda Integra) had a drama in qualifying and started last in Under 2.0-Llitres. As befits a reigning champion, he battled through to second in the first race and then won the other three. Kurt Macready (Nissan Sylvia) took the opener and then three second places. Thirds went to Justin McClintock (Toyota Sprinter), Craig Wildridge (Ford Escort) and twice to Graham Bohm (Honda Civic).

PRODUCTION TOURING

THE ONE-HOUR enduro with compulsory pit stop went to Jimmy Vernon (Mitsubishi EVO X) ahead of Michael King in a similar car. King led early, as Thomas Muller (BMW

www.racefuels.com.au

1M) had a slow start, dropping to third, then fourth, and then retiring after six laps with gearbox issues and an engine fault.

Vernon was second early, passing King to take the lead after 12 laps. Vernon pitted on lap 20, King a couple of laps later. King made it out of the pits ahead, but Vernon had a full head of steam and re-passed immediately.

Ollie Shannon spun his Toyota 86 into the gravel on his 29th lap which brought out the safety car. At the restart, Vernon took a handy break as King and the third-placed Matthew Holt (HSV Clubsport) battled through traffic. That’s how they finished after 49 laps, Vernon 5.9s ahead of King with Holt

Aaron McClintock led the way in Formula Race Cars (above) and Alex Kenny did the same in Supersports (below).

FORMULA FORD

HONOURS WERE shared between Zach Bates (Mygale), Cooper Allen (Mygale) and Lachlan Ward (Spirit). Ward looked fast in the two opening races but spun in both.

Race one went to Bates from Allen and Dan Holihan (Mygale). Race two went to Allen from Ward and Bates and the final went to Ward, who held it all together. He led all the way and broke through for his first-ever race win. Allen was next, from Bates and Holihan.

SUPERSPORTS

Image: Bruce Moxon

two) and a third. David Rodgie (West WR-1000) collected a couple of second places but his ninth in race two meant a third for the round.

just half a second further back.

In the preliminary races, King won the Driver A sprint from Dylan Thomas (EVO) and Vernon. In the Driver B event, Anthony Soole (sharing Thomas’s car) won from Darren Herbert (EVO) and Garth Walden (BMW M3).

BOUNCING BACK from a disappointing opening round Alex Kenny (Duratek-powered Juno) won all three races of round two. In the first he beat Darren Barlow (Stohr) and Garth Walden (in Kosta Pohorukov’s Radical SR3) with Mitch Neilson (SR3) next. Barlow held second in race two for 11 laps and then dropped spots to Walden and Neilson.

Barlow retrieved second in the last ahead of Walden and Peter Clare (SR3).

Bruce Moxon

Tim Weier took advantage of a rival’s blown engine to take the second race.

TRACK ATTACK EXCEL CUP

CONSISTANCY WAS the key to winning round four for Brett Parrish. Off to a great start, Cam Wilson won the first two races before a drive-through penalty in race three whilst leading.

Wilson ultimately finished the last race 14th and second overall.

Darren Currie was battling with the leaders in the opener until a miscue midway in left him seventh. He improved in next two races to fifth and second for third on the day. Fourth in the end tally was series leader Scott Green, another who was in the first race lead scrap until a spin at turn 2 relegated him to 15th before a race two third and a win in the last.

Broc Feeney was a close second in race one and two but had the gear shift break at the start of race three.

Darren Whittington came into the round second but an ankle injury impeded his performance as did fuel pump and brake issues. An eighth followed by a 12th and a ninth meant 10th overall.

Paul Morris’s son Nash made his Excel

debut. However a flat battery, a broken diff and a race-ending spin where he tagged another car, didn’t make for a great day.

SUPERKARTS

FIVE CLASSES competed at the third round where Tim Weier, Alex Hussey, David Dyson, Peter Nuske and Bayley Douglas were the overall winners.

At the front of the race one field, the five 250cc Nationals battled until Gareth Crisp (ADE Superkart) nabbed the win from his brother Lachlan Crisp (Anderson Mirage), with Weier (Anderson Maverick) next ahead of Steve Murray (PVP) and John La Spina (PVP).

The latter blew his engine in race two

which went to Weier from Murray. Gareth Crisp was also a race casualty after his exhaust fell off but struck back to win the last ahead of Weier, and Lachlan Crisp.

Hussey (Stockman) headed the 125cc Nationals, finishing sixth outright in race one, nabbing a third across the line and then DNF the last. Nuske (Peter Woodgate Racing) completed a clean sweep in TAG light, twice beating Leighton Cook (Wildkart).

Dyson (Kosmic) nabbed the Heavy win, beating Nick Marshall (Arrow) twice and Paul Prineas (Tony Kart) once when Marshall lost a chain. Douglas (Birel KZ) headed 85cc with two wins over Ben Smith (Gladiator) who got the better of him in the second race. GOB

Darwin Triple Crown, Supercars Championship Races 15&16, Porsche Carrera Cup Rd4, Aussie Racing Cars Rd3, Combined Categories, Hidden Valley NT, Jun 14-16 State Rally Series Rd3, Nissan Nightmoves, Redcastle VIC, Jun 15 State Rally Championship Rd2, Manumbar Rally, Manumbar QLD, Jun 15 Day & Night Challenge, Multi Club Short Course Off Road, Colo Park NSW, Jun 15 State Motorkhana Championship Rd2, Symmons Plains TAS, Jun 15 Multi Club Motorkhana, Pipeline Park Eastern Creek NSW, Jun 15 Ross Giddins Memorial Rallysprint, Awabawac Park NSW, Jun 15 State Motorkhana Championship Rd5, Bendigo Livestock Exchange VIC, Jun 15 Day/Night Closed Club Autocross, Rollinson Reserve Kyneton VIC, Jun 15-16 State Circuit Racing Championship Rd3, Winton Motor Raceway VIC, Jun 15-16 Multi Club Motorkhana & Khanacross, BORMSA Motorplex WA, Jun 15-16 Multi Club Khanacross, Mid Murray Motorplex SA, Jun 15-16 Motor Racing Australia Rd5, Sydney Motorsport Park NSW, Jun 16 Multi Club Supersprint, Baskerville Raceway TAS, Jun 16 Multi Club Hillclimb, Bryant Park VIC, Jun 16 Multi Club Bitumen Khanacross, Gracemere Saleyards QLD, Jun 16 Club Motorkhana, Mallala Motorsport Park SA, Jun 16 Multi Club Supersprint, The Bend Motorsport Park SA, Jun 16 Multi Club Khanacross, Reef and Rainforest Track Mossman QLD, Jun 16 Multi Club Khanacross, Willowbank Raceway QLD, Jun 16 Multi Club Khanacross, Boisdale Hillclimb Track VIC, Jun 16 Club One-Car Sprint, Oakburn Park Motorsports Complex Tamworth NSW, Jun 16 Multi Club Winterfun Khanacross, Unkya Reserve Eungai Creek NSW, Jun 16 Club Hillclimb, Ringwood Park Motorsport Complex NSW, Jun 16 Multi Club Motorkhana, Ansell Park NSW, Jun 16 Club Autocross & Khanacross, Deniliquin, Jun 16 Multi Club Autocross & Khanacross, Geelong Motorsports Complex VIC, Jun 16 Multi Car Supersprint, Motorcycle Sports Complex Broadford VIC, Jun 19 Infinite Time Attack, Barbagallo Raceway WA, Jun 20 Australian Motor Racing Series Rd3, GT-1 Australia Rd2, Mazda RX8 Cup Rd3, Formula 3 Rd3, Production Cars Australia Rd1, Formula Ford Series Rd4, TA2 Muscle Cars Rd3, The Bend Motorsport Park SA, Jun 21-23 State Rally Championship 3, Rally Tasmania Rally North TAS, Jun 21-23 Australian Rally Championship Rd3, Rally Tasmania, Launceston TAS, Jun 21-23 State Clubman Rally Rd3, Myall Stages Rally, Bulahdelah NSW, Jun 22 CAMS Club Challenge, Multi Club Hillclimb, Collingrove SA, Jun 22 Club Rallysprint, Bordertown Road Moorex Property SA, Jun 22 Multi Club Hillclimb, Boisdale VIC, Jun 22 Club Motorkhana, Winton Motor Raceway VIC, Jun 22 Multi Club Hillclimb, Pinnacle QLD, Jun 22 Myall Lakes Rally, Bulahdelah and surrounds, Jun 22 State Hillclimb Series Rd3, Mt Cotton QLD, Jun 22-23 State Off Road Series Rd3, Port Germein AS, Jun 22-23 State Motor Race Championship 4, Sydney Motorsport Park NSW, Jun 22-23 2 Days of Thunder, Queensland Raceway QLD, Jun 22-23 Multi Club Motorkhana & Khanacross, Tonker Park Proserpine QLD, Jun 22-23 State Supersprint Championship Rd4, Phillip Island VIC, Jun 22-23

AutoAction

57

FLYING FINISH You didn’t think we were going to let him get away scot free, did you?

Auto Action’s fearless leader Bruce Williams made a splash quite literally at Winton just on three weeks ago.

In what turned out to be the closest finish in Touring Car Masters history, 0.07s in fact, Williams fell short after battling the Ford Falcon GT-HO of Andrew Fisher for the majority of the Trophy Race.

But right on the line as he made one last attack on the big Falcon, Williams hit a patch of water, which aquaplaned his Torana SLR 5000 into the side of Fisher, both cars spearing off going in opposite directions.

The Torana took the infield route, leaping in the air across a section of the original Winton layout and then a gravel access road, in a spectacular finale.

Williams can now claim both the closest finish and in highest altitude in TCM history!

The subsequent video placed on various social media networks has been viewed in excess of 500,000 times.

Viewed here is a sequence shot by AA’s ace photographer Ross Gibb.

58 AutoAction

Le Mans 24 Hours Crossword The Le Mans 24 Hours takes place on June 15-16 but how much do you know about the legendary French endurance classic?

Across

4. Who is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of motorsport? (full name) 5. 2011 was the last time a non-hybrid engine won the race. What fuel did the car use to win?

7. Who has the most Le Mans 24 Hours victories with nine? (surname only) 8. Which current Formula 1 driver has won the Le Mans 24 Hours? (surname only) 11. Which former Bathurst 1000 winner has won the Le Mans 24 Hours on six occasions? (surname only) 12. Who was driving the

Toyota as it slowed on the penultimate lap of the 2016 race? (surname only) 14. Which manufacturer has the most victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours?

Down

1. Which driver has claimed five victories and holds the record of nine consecutive podium finishes? (surname only) 2. An Australian won the 24 hour race in 2009.

Who was it? (full name) 3. Which car show presenter claimed a podium finish in 1990? (surname only) 5. Which tyre manufacturer has won the race 34 times?

6. Which manufacturer took its most recent

outright victory in 1965?

9. Who became the youngest ever class winner last year? (surname only) 10. How many victories has Audi claimed in the french classic?

13. Toyota has only won the race once but how many pole positions has it claimed?

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For more information on subscriptions, please contact Heath on (03) 9563 2107 or heath@autoaction.com.au and he will guide you through the subscription process.

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