Auto Action #1773

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WORLD SCOOP DOUBLEHEADER WITH SUPERCARS

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Why Kelly Racing could threaten with Mustang

Scotty’s title-delaying Surfers shunt

LATEST NEWS

FORD: KELLYS UP TO BIG JOB Blue Oval global motor sport boss sets realistic goals for newest Mustang Supercars team, as BRUCE NEWTON reports “A GOOD solid start� and then build on it.

That’s what global head of Ford motorsport Mark Rushbrook expects Kelly Racing to deliver when it becomes a Mustang team in 2020.

Rushbrook, at the Gold Coast 600 as part of big Ford contingent that also included Ford family luminary Edsel Ford II, spent a significant amount of time getting to know the team and understanding the challenges it faces.

The Kelly’s move from Nissan to Ford was only signed and announced the Tuesday after the Bathurst 1000.

Exclusively in this issue of Auto Action, we have the inside story of how that deal came about and what the Kellys have to do to get to the Adelaide 500 grid next February (see pages 16-17).

But we’ve also obtained a true world scoop, the first public reveal of what Rick Kelly’s 2020 Castrol Ford Mustang should look like. It’s bona fide artwork commissioned by Kelly Racing and obtained by AA for our cover and page 16.

With two cars to build and – more challengingly – an entire Ford V8 engine program to get up and running, there is a lot to be done in just a few months. “We know they have got a lot of work ahead of them,� Rushbrook told AA. “I spent a lot of time over there with them

(on Saturday morning) and there is a lot of work they need to do between now and the start of the season next year. “And with all of that there are challenges; to get the body build right and to get the engine at the right power levels. “So we just want to see them get off to a good solid start for next year and then continue to build that program.�

Kelly Racing had originally planned to lease engines for its Mustang program, but it could not find a decent solution from either current Supercars supplier.

Mostech Race Engines has an exclusive deal with DJR Team Penske, while Tickford Racing would have had to gear up to build and maintain more engines and pass that cost onto Kelly Racing.

As a result, Kelly Racing has opted to develop its own version of the Ford pushrod V8. To shorten timelines, it has secured a single 2012 example from Jim Stone, former co-owner of defunct Stone Brothers Racing, to act as a summer test bench mule.

The upshot is the team must have five complete V8 engines ready for mid-February to take to Adelaide for the February 20-23 season-opener.

The next challenge after building them will be establishing how competitive they are.

Ford Performance in the USA will liaise closely with Kelly Racing to shorten their performance timeline. “We have been talking about what it takes to do the bodies and the engines,� Rushbrook confirmed. “That’s been going on for three or four weeks and good engagement with them and happy to help.�

Cylinder head development is a key area in which Ford Performance could be of assistance to Kelly Racing. “We can help with (engine) parts,�

Rushbrook said. “That’s one of the key areas and also connections with people in the industry who can help them with those parts and get them started in the right place.�

Rushbrook welcomed the boost in numbers of Fords on the grid from six to eight for 2020, but confirmed growth had not been an active consideration until the Kellys made their approach to Ford Australia about two months ago. “We do like more Mustangs coming onto the grid,� he said. “It’s a good thing, we are a family company, and when we go racing in a series like this, we like to have multiple teams that can work together. “They have to be the right teams and be able to work and help each other in the right way. And the way the Kellys go about it we think is the right way. “So we are excited to have them partner with us.�

NISSAN ALTIMA PROVES KELLY ENGINE PROWESS WHILE OUTSIDERS question the ability of Kelly Racing to deliver a competitive Ford Mustang Supercars program based on the performance of the Nissan Altima, team co-owner Todd Kelly sees it the other way around.

He thinks the seven-year Nissan program, which has netted three wins, proves Kelly Racing is very capable of high-performance development. “People can say (factory Holden team) Triple Eight or someone else might have done a better job than us – and they might have done here and there – but they would not have hit the ground running in the first three years of that program any better than we did,� Kelly said.

He is intensely proud of the development work that went into the Nissan VK DOHC production V8 engine that is now stuffed with Kelly Racing intellectual property and fully competitive with the pushrod Chevs and Fords it competes against. “I reflect on what we achieved with a lot of positivity because no one knows what went on behind the scenes there,� Kelly said. “To get an engine to where we got it with the challenges that we had was a huge, huge achievement. “The car has always been OK, but it’s a 2013 model and as things have evolved, we have been stuck with the same basic car.

So now we have car that’s something of a dinosaur, but it has a great engine. “If we had been able to start with our current engine in 2013, history would have been completely different.� BN

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DOUBLE-HEADER WITH SUPERCARS IN THE WORKS

EXPOSED! SECRET SYDNE MARK FOGARTY exclusively reveals the top-secret proposal to host American series at Sydney Motorsport Park AN INDYCAR/SUPERCARS doubleheader could happen in Sydney if secret high-level talks are successful.

IndyCar officials are in serious discussions with the NSW government to make a long-awaited return to Australia with a seasonopening race at Sydney Motorsport Park.

With the help of Supercars, the premier American open-wheeler series is actively pursuing a combined blockbuster event at SMP in late February or early March as soon as 2021.

Auto Action has uncovered the topsecret Sydney plan to bring IndyCars back to Australia more than a decade

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after they last appeared at Surfers Paradise.

IndyCar’s bid to return to the Gold Coast for the first time since 2008 – having headlined what’s now Supercars’ Gold Coast 600 from 1991 till then – has fallen over, opening the way for the Sydney bid.

IndyCar’s desire to open its season in Surfers in February was incompatible with both Supercars and the Queensland government, which have locked the GC600 in for another five years in October.

Multiple IndyCar and local sources have confirmed that IndyCar has been in talks with the NSW government to race at SMP at the

start of the season, preferably in partnership with Supercars.

According to an insider, the plan “is not far-fetched”.

Macquarie Street, through its Destination NSW tourism and major events arm, is keen to add an international flavour to racing at Sydney Motorsport Park at Eastern Creek in Sydney’s outer west.

The NSW government is investing $33 million in permanent track lighting and a motor sport industry ‘hub’, including the base of the new Sydney based Supercars team, at SMP. The state-owned track is run by the Australian Racing Drivers Club, which

is keen to host IndyCars along with Supercars.

The circuit complies with FIA Grade 2 international safety standards, meaning it is eligible to host the IndyCar Series, renowned as the closest top-level open-wheel competition in the world.

While a joint IndyCar/Supercars season-opener in late February or early March is the preferred option, a standalone IndyCar event is not out of the question.

Starting the Supercars season at SMP, with likely racing under lights, might be difficult because the existing contract for the Adelaide 500 dictates that it is the opening round.

MORE FREE LIVE RACES IN ’20

Channel 10 to up Supercars coverage as new Bathurst 12 Hour TV deal also locked in

EY INDYCAR PLAN But with just two more years to run, Supercars is known to be looking to switch the Adelaide 500 to the finale in November from 2002, reviving the timing of the city’s Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix glory days.

A Sydney start, especially in league with IndyCar, is known to appeal to both Supercars and the NSW government, with the Newcastle 500 moving forward as a high-profile penultimate round.

AA has learned that NSW deputy premier John Barilaro was scheduled to meet with senior IndyCar executives, including CEO Mark Miles, during a recent trade visit to the USA, but it didn’t happen for unexplained reasons.

However, talks are continuing and an IndyCar delegation is likely to make a fact-finding tour to Sydney and SMP in the near future.

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Supercars CEO Sean Seamer, who is understood to supporting the IndyCar Sydney initiative, admitted he was in regular contact with senior IndyCar officials on a broad basis about a return to Australia.

“The discussions are still ongoing, but the challenge for IndyCar is they want to start their season out here,” Seamer said. “In the conversations I’ve been having with Mark Miles and Stephen Starks (IndyCar vicepresident of promoter and media partner relations), they’d like to start their season out here, which is February, so we are looking at what that might mean for 2021 – it won’t be 2020.”

Seamer added: “We have a really good relationship with them (IndyCar). We have two teams that compete in their championship

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(Penske and Andretti), but it’s not for me to speak about their ambitions.

“If they want to come out to Australia and race with us, we will do everything we can to help them and manage the event, but ultimately that’s for them to work through.”

It is believed that Seamer discussed the Sydney race idea with IndyCar team owner and WAU partner Michael Andretti at the Bathurst 1000.

Andretti is known to be an active proponent of IndyCar coming back to Australia, which he thinks is the ideal place to start the reinternationalisation of the series and also to kick off its season.

He competed in the Gold Coast Indy 300 in its heyday in the 1990s and very early 2000s, winning the race in 1994.

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AT LEAST one race at every Supercars round will be shown live on free-to-air TV next year.

As Supercars prepares for a new multi-year broadcast deal from 2021, Auto Action has learned that Network 10 will air live coverage of the Sunday race at all SuperSprint events.

Supercars is also close to announcing more broadcast hours for next year’s Bathurst 12 Hour international GT race on both free-to-air and pay TV. In 2020, live free-to-air Supercars coverage will also likely extend to the revived Sydney SuperNight, along with the Perth SuperNight, on prime time Saturday night TV. The new arrangement will mean fans without Foxtel will see at least one race of every round in 2020 on Channel 10/WIN. Since the existing six-year TV deal began in 2015, 10 has had secondary rights, showing the major events live and the rest as same-day one-hour highlights.

This year, eight of the 15 rounds have or will be live on 10/WIN – Adelaide 500, Melbourne Grand Prix, Perth SuperNight, Townsville 400, Bathurst 1000, Gold Coast 600, Sandown 500 and Newcastle 500.

The events from which 10/ WIN will likely show all racing in 2020 are Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Townsville, The Bend, Bathurst, Gold Coast and Newcastle.

The GC600’s twin 300 km mini-enduros are due to join Perth and Sydney as floodlit races.

The Sunday races at Symmons Plains, Pukekohe, Winton, Darwin and Sandown (which will become two 200 km sprints) are due to be shown live, with an hour of highlights of the Saturday races.

While it is understood Fox Sports has resisted more live Supercars racing on 10/WIN, it is believed an arrangement for next year has been agreed.

The move to live free coverage at all events is a late response to persistent fan complaints of being forced to pay for Foxtel to see all events live, as well as a push by the teams for more races live on 10/WIN to boost viewing numbers.

It is a forerunner of the likely new broadcast deal from 2021, which is set to again be a combination Fox Sports/ Network 10 split with more free TV airtime.

Broadcast industry observers think Supercars will struggle to get a new rights package that matches, much less exceeds, the existing six-year $240 million contract.

Supercars supremo Sean Seamer, who is leading the renewal talks, will not comment on speculation about the next broadcast rights deal.

“I’m not going to say anything about that deal until it’s done,” Seamer declared. “It’s too sensitive.

It’s commercially in confidence.”

However, with only a little more than a year before the current deal expires, he conceded that negotiations for 2021 and beyond were well underway.

He explained that securing an extended TV deal for the Bathurst 12 Hour, which Supercars runs, had been the recent focus.

“Our priority has been getting the 12 Hour renewal done because it was out of the cycle with the overall broadcast deal,” Seamer said.

An announcement is imminent, with AA understanding that next February’s Bathurst 12 Hour TV race coverage will again be primarily free-to-air on Seven and 7mate.

But it also expected that practice and qualifying will be shown on Fox Sports.

According to industry sources, it is a one-year arrangement ahead of the Bathurst 12 Hour possibly being incorporated in the new Supercars TV rights. MFF

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LATEST NEWS

Championship leader’s Sandown warm-up drive after Surfers shunt

BY BRUCE NEWTON A PLANNED 60km shakedown of his brand new Ford Mustang is shaping as an important part of Scott McLaughlin’s preparation for the Sandown 500 and his next chance to win his second consecutive Supercars drivers’ championship.

McLaughlin had entered last weekend’s Gold Coast 600 expected to wrap up the title, but shunted heavily in Sunday morning qualifying. His car was wrecked and he was sent to hospital for checks after the 43g 200km/h impact that ended with the car on its side.

McLaughlin escaped serious injury and he remains heavy favourite to retain the Supercars drivers’ championship, but a fierce fight has erupted for the teams’ championship with Triple Eight Race Engineering right back in the hunt.

And the factory Holden’s team’s two Red Bull Holden Racing Team pairings of Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander and Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes now dominate the Pirtek Enduro, which culminates at the Sandown in two weeks time, following consecutive 1-2s in the two 300km races on the Gold Coast.

As we report separately in this issue of Auto Action, McLaughlin and co-driver Alex Premat will be in a brand new Mustang for Sandown, and DJRTP boss Ryan Story is confident his star driver will have no illegitimates effects hanging over him from his crash.

He will have the usual simulator sessions ahead of Sandown, but if time permits the Queensland Raceway shakedown will allow him to ‘get back on the horse’ .

“As soon as he gets back in a race car (he’ll be right),” predicted Story. “You look at any race driver in this series or any series, the easiest fix is getting him back in the cockpit.

“If we have the ability to do the 60km shakedown if time permits … it will be good for

MCLAUGHLIN SHAKEDOWN PLAN him and it will also give him the confidence the new car is the same as the old car he had.”

McLaughlin started last Sunday leading the drivers’ championship by 613 points over van Gisbergen and ended the day 463 points in-front.

If he leads his rival by more than 300 points after the Sandown 500 ,McLaughlin will be crowned Supercars champion with one event to spare.

Certainly van Gisbergen, who rushed to McLaughlin’s aid after his crash, has little interest in his theoretical opportunity to snatch the title.

“As far as the championship goes, you don’t want to gain points like that,” he said.

Van Gisbergen is far more animated about the

teams’ championship. Before the Bathurst 1000 DJRTP led that title by 855 points, but thanks to the Bathurst safety car penalties, McLaughlin’s Sunday non-start and T8’s dominant pace, it is now down to just 132 points.

There are still a maximum 1248 points up for grabs.

“That (teams’ championship) is something we are going to focus on the next few races,” said van Gisbergen on Sunday. “That was certainly the motivations behind the team orders both days, or just managing our pace,” van Gisbergen said.

“We have got to get maximum points and try to get them back.”

The teams’ championship is more than just about bragging rights. It also delivers the the

Image: LAT

pit garages at the pitlane exit, which offer a package of strategic advantages.

On top of that a successful defence of the teams’ championship would deliver some silverware to T8 in a season where it has at times struggled for competitiveness against the DJRTP Mustangs. It would also be seen as some justice for the Bathurst safety car manipulation.

Van Gisbergen, who was obviously impeded in his shot at Bathurst victory by the strategy, remains clearly furious about the whole debacle, including the $250,000 fine (with $100,000 suspended) imposed on DJRTP. “I’m still pretty angry, I’m sure everyone’s pretty angry, it’s pretty disappointing for the sport what they did,” he said. “One hundred and fifty grand, get a trophy.”

IS PIASTRI THE NEXT AUSTRALIAN F1 STAR?

GET USED to hearing the name Oscar Piastri, the 18-year-old is hotly tipped to become the next Australian to reach the pinnacle of Motorsport Formula 1.

The Victorian open-wheel star won the incredibly competitive 2019 Renault Eurocup Series in Abu Dhabi.

It was tight going into the final round but the R-ace GP drove quickly and maturely to take the title, beating Frenchman Victor Martins by 7.5 points.

In the week prior to the concluding Renault Eurocup Series round, the Victorian participated in the post-season FIA Formula 3 Championship test.

Throughout the test the Australian drove for the Prema Powerteam, it has been heavily speculated that Piastri will step up into the Italian squad in 2020 season and the post season test with the team confirms that this move is likely.

If this does occur Piastri will be in good hands as the Prema Powerteam not only won the Formula 3 drivers’ title but locked out the top three positions.

If Piastri does well in Formula 3 he

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will more than likely be promoted to the Formula 2 team, which has also had great success winning the second tier title with Charles Leclerc in 2017 and GP2 with Pierre Gasly in 2016.

These days without the support of a junior academy it is unlikely that Piastri will make it Formula 1, however if the Australian delivers he will not be short of options.

Being Italian, the Prema Powerteam has history bringing through Ferrari academy drivers, look no further than Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi.

Currently the team is nurturing a very famous Ferrari favourite in Formula 2, Academy driver Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael.

If Ferrari aren’t interested, then Renault may take up his services after he won the French brand’s open-wheel category.

In the final round of the series, Piastri dominated the opening race with Martins in second.

The Frenchman fought back to win the final race, Piastri however drove smartly and did enough to seal the deal.

During the test with Prema Piastri impressed the F3 paddock, the Aussie topped the time sheets in the afternoon session of the second day, beating many of the 2019 series competitors.

It’s it fair to say that the career of this young Aussie is looking very bright.

Dan McCarthy

WHINCUP’S BIG DECISION Will the champ race full-time beyond 2020? We’ll know soon

BY BRUCE NEWTON AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST touring car racer Jamie Whincup will decide if he will retire from full-time Supercars racing by early 2020.

The 36-year old is currently contracted to Triple Eight Race Engineering - the team in which he is a minority shareholder - and the factory Red Bull Holden Racing Team until the end of 2020.

If he does call it quits it will bring to an end a full-time career that started in 2003, was temporarily suspended in 2004 and has seen him race at T8 since 2006, collecting seven Supercars driver’s championships and four Bathurst 1000s along the way.

Whincup is leaving the call on a contract extension late by his standards. He often sorts out his next deal more than one year ahead.

“Toward the end (of my career) I am probably squashing it up a bit,” he told media at the Gold Coast 600.

“I’ll speak to RD (team boss Roland Dane) and work out whether I will pull the pin at the end of next year or go again.”

Whincup, who celebrated his 115th race victory on Saturday on the Gold Coast and his second win of the season, runs third in the drivers’ championship, albeit out of contention for the win.

He has the choice of renewing as a full-time driver or stepping back to a co-driver position.

“As I have always said I don’t want to go past my use-by date as a full-time driver,” said whincup. “The last thing I want to do is be holding up a seat for a young kid who can jump in this car and be competitive.

“I am not putting a date on when I am going to pull the pin on full-time driving, but it will be sooner rather than later.”

Whincup has regularly threatened to retire since his late 20s, but has always continued on.

These days he is obviously preparing for a life beyond full-time racing, developing other interests in his life such as his car-wash, the T8 buy-in and a new position on the Supercars commission.

“I made the call a couple of years ago to make sure there was a plan and there was plenty going on in my life outside of driving a car,” he said.

“So the day I do retire it’s more of a … ‘my time’s up, it’s been great, I’m moving on to something else’ rather than ‘holy sh— I don’t know what I am going to do right now’.”

Whincup says he still retains the passion for racing.

“Sitting on the grid and just going into battle, you never get over that and it’s always fresh,” he said.

Whincup also made it clear he intended to be in pitlane for many years beyond his full-time career.

“I still want to be involved in the sport in 20 years,” he said.

Image: LAT

NEW CAR FOR SCOTTY

Bathurst winner will be rebuilt and retired

BY BRUCE NEWTON SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN will race for the Supercars Championship at Sandown in a brand new DJR Team Penske Ford Mustang, while the Bathurst winner he wrote-off on the Gold Coast will be rebuilt as a museum piece.

McLaughlin crashed in Sunday morning qualifying on the Gold Coast clouting the wall exiting the front straight chicane before the car ended up on its side after a second heavy contact with the concrete.

McLaughlin was taken to hospital for check-overs while factory Holden Commodore driver Shane van Gisbergen kept his championship hopes alive by taking victory with Garth Tander in the 300km race.

DJR Team Penske team principal Ryan Story confirmed Pace Innovations had already completed the fabrication of the

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new Gen2 control chassis and it was at the team’s Stapylton workshop being turned into a Mustang before the accident happened.

“We will take the running gear out of the current car, put it into this new chassis and build this new chassis inthe break we have between the Gold Coast and Sandown,” confirmed Story.

“It’s a really tight break and building a new car up is fairly labour intensive, but we will throw everything at it and get that new car ready to go for Sandown.

“If we can get the time we will try and do a 60km shakedown before we head to Melbourne.”

To be able to compete all that including the category-mandated shakedown, the DJRTP transporter is unlikely to leave southern Queensland for Melbourne until late Monday or early Tuesday next week, To speed the

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Image: Gil Slade

trip two drivers are likely to be used.

Rather than being picked over for spares and parked, McLaughlin’s Mustang will be rebuilt in accordance with Team Penske policy that championship and significant race winners be retired and preserved as museum pieces.

Eventually the car will find its way to the Penske museum in Arizona. The 2018 championship-winning Ford Falcon FG X is

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already earmarked to head there.

The scheduled retirement of the Bathurst winner car at the end of the season had already meant Mclaughlin was in-line for a new car. Crashing means he gets it sooner.

It also upsets the normal cadence at DJRTP as team-mate Fabian Coulthard was scheduled to get a new car for 2020.

“Such are the circumstances we finds ourselves in,” said Story.

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DRIVERS WANT SAY IN TRACKS

Mostert backs Gold Coast track upgrade

SUPERCARS BOSS Sean Seamer has cautioned the amount of downforce reduction that will be achieved in VCAT homologation testing of the Ford Mustang and Holden Commodore Supercar in December may “not be as much as everyone would like”.

He explained the figure, which is expected to end up at something like a 10-15 per cent cut compared to current figures, will be limited by budget restrictions that rule out bodywork changes. Effectively, the reductions in downforce and therefore grip will be achieved by flattening the maximum angle of the rear wing and trimming the undertray.

Seamer revealed the new manufacturer council had provided advanced computational fluid dynamics data to help reduce turbulence for following cars.

DJR TEAM Penske managing director Ryan Story has taken “full and complete responsibility” for the safety car fiasco in the late stages of the Bathurst 1000 when, under safety car conditions the team instructed Fabian Coulthard to slow down and back the pack up to benefit teammate Scott McLaughlin.

RICK KELLY has declared that he will continue to drive for his Kelly Racing squad in 2020, the Braeside-based squad will downsize too two cars and make the switch from Nissan Altimas to Ford Mustangs next year after previously racing Holden Commodores.

TEAM 18 is expanding to two cars in 2020 and has also announced the purchase of a car.

Charlie Schwerkolt’s team has bought the #97 Red Bull Holden Racing Team currently driven

by Shane van Gisbergen. This comes after the team bought the first Triple Eight-built ZB Commodore and secured a technical deal with the factory team for 2019.

THE AUSTRALIAN Superbike Championship has been confirmed as a support category to Supercars at the 2020 Perth SuperNight event at Barbagallo.

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BY BRUCE NEWTON CHAZ Mostert has called for more driver input into the design of the Gold Coast 600 street circuit.

Mostert, who crashed out of the event during Saturday qualifying and has fallen to sixth in the championship, is a fan of the track but says driver feedback could make it safer to lap quickly.

He was speaking in the wake of not only his own 30g crash in the Tickford Racing Ford Mustang, but championship leader Scott McLaughlin’s 43g impact with the wall that left his wrecked DJR Team Penske Mustang on its side.

McLaughlin crashed after grazing the wall at turn 11, while McLaughlin’s pinballing effort started when he made contact with concrete exiting the front straight chicane.

Both Mostert and McLaughlin escaped their crashes sore but intact and ready to race replacement cars at the Sandown 500 in two weeks time.

“I think there are some things that track organisers could do with drivers, get a core group of drivers together to talk about the small things that would help to do laps around here,” said Mostert.

“I definitely mentioned the tyre bundle at turn one, I just don’t remember it ever being so sharp.

“I could be completely wrong, but we are going so close to the walls most of the time it would be great to have a little bit more margin on some of these corners.

“They are not dangerous but they need to be thought about a bit more.”

Mostert was emphatic that the circuit was still suitable for Supercars, even as their pace quickened.

“We just made some driver errors,” he said of himself and McLaughlin. “There are a lot of other cars getting around the circuit no problem.”

Sunday race winner Shane van Gisbergen said the track would be better to race on next year when aerodynamics and downforce are cut back.

“They are too fast now with the aero,” he said. “Even when you are following a lapped car through the chicanes you can’t follow because you lose too much downforce. The changes will hopefully bring it back a bit.

“But that’s the way it is. These days everyone’s so close everyone is trying to find a tenth or two and the margins are so close between hitting the wall or not.”

Added his factory Holden team-mate Whincup: “The track’s not unsafe. We are just pushing the limits that’s what sport is all about. The tougher the competition gets the more you have to run close to the limit.

“If you don’t want to crash you and drive down the middle of the track and keep it safe.

“The competition is causing the errors and that’s how fierce it is.”

SUPERCARS SAFETY CAR REVIEW Bathurst and Pukekohe prompt search for improvements

SUPERCARS’ problematic safety cars process is under review following the Bathurst and Pukekohe controversies.

Safety car deployment and the management of the field under safety car conditions are key considerations.

Among potential solutions being considered are closing the pitlane during safety cars periods and the introduction of virtual safety cars.

While both those strategies would offer potential benefits, they would also narrow strategy options for teams and impact on the racing.

Whatever does get okayed should be in-place for the start of the 2020 Supercars championship in Adelaide next February.

TheSupercars technical department is working with CAMS on the issue.

“It would be remiss of us not to review it (safety car) given the impact it’s having on the delivery of the product to the fans,” Supercars CEO Sean Seamer told media at the Gold Coast 600.

“So of course we have to take a look at it and see if we can do better.”

At Bathurst Fabian Coulthard was instructed to slow behind a safety car with the intention of creating enough space to pit without double stacking.

The team copped a $250,000 fine ($100,000 suspended) and a 300 teams’ championship points penalty, while Coulthard and co-

driver Tony D’Alberto were dumped from sixth to last in the race.

At Pukekohe the safety car appeared on-track in the Sunday race and incorrectly picked up Jamie Whincup as the leader of the race.

In both cases, race results were impacted.

Pitlane closure during safety cars would stop cars racing back to the pits when a caution is called.

It was trialled at Phillip Island this year on safety grounds because of its narrow pitlane and the dangers posed by double-stacking.

“I’m sure it will come up in discussion but how much legs it’s

got I don’t know,” said Seamer.

Virtual safety cars, first seen in Formula One, are full-course yellows under which the drivers immediately reduce speed and hold position, theoretically neither gaining or losing from an incident.

However, the VSC also stops the field closing up and the race effectively restarting, something that injects excitement into Supercars racing.

“There are discussions around that (VSC), there are discussions around whether we need full-course yellows,” revealed Seamer. “So everything will get thrown into the pot and we will go through all

those different ideas as part of the process for what we might want to do differently or improve next year.”

Seamer confirmed part of the challenge for any solution is reconciling the in-car warning system introduced at Bathurst and manual flagging points.

“It would be great if we had LED caution systems around every racetrack we went to and it automatically synced with the in-car and we just didn’t need to worry about it,” said Seamer. “But that’s just not the reality.”

Meanwhile Supercars has also committed to reviewing its rulebook in the wake of the CAMS investigation into the DJRTP/ Bathurst safety car fracas.

DJRTP was initially charged with a breach of Supercars’ team orders rule, but it was eventually found guilty of failing to comply with the obligation of fairness demanded by the code of good conduct of global motorsport body, the FIA. “The stewards have asked us to go away and have a look at the resolution between the international sporting code and the (Supercars) rulebook and that’s something the commission will pick up to make sure that’s tightened,” said Seamer.

“There are a couple of points they wanted us to look at.”

Bruce Newton

Seamer defends GRM extension refusal Supercars boss says “we’re happy” with 2020 entry list

SUPERCARS CEO Sean Seamer has defended the refusal to extend the deadline for Garry Rogers Motorsport to enter the 2020 championship.

At the same time Seamer declared “on balance” the category was “happy” with next year’s entry list.

Supercars received 23 entries for 2020 by the 5pm October 18 deadline, with one more new entry expected for the new Sydney team being developed from Tekno Autosports.

If that comes to fruition 2020 will match the 24 entries that are racing full-time in Supercars this season.

GRM, which has contested the Supercars championship since 1996 and run a two-car entry since 1998, decided not to enter because of a potential sponsorship shortfall.

At Bathurst, controversial sponsor Peter Adderton said he would pull Boost Mobile naming rights backing from BJR if a control front upright was not introduced in 2020.

That demand was rejected by Supercars, which instead has that change pencilled in for Gen3 in 2022.

In an emotional address to GRM staff posted as a video online on October 18, Rogers revealed Supercars had refused to extend the entry deadline for him. He also criticised Supercars’ attempts to cut running costs in the category.

It is understood Rogers was seeking the extension in a bid to convince long-term sponsor Valvoline to up its 2020 commitment.

“It’s impossible to extend a deadline when we have already received entries from other teams,” Seamer told media at the Gold Coast 600.

“GRM had not been the only team to have an extension request rejected.

“We had already had requests for deadline extensions from other teams at the very last minute because not everybody enters knowing they have their sponsorship done for next.”

Seamer said he was personally unhappy GRM would not be on the 2020 grid.

“Garry’s a legend, I really like Garry, I’ve had a good relationship with him since I started, I respect him a lot,” said Seamer.

However, he was clearly unhappy about the digs Rogers delivered in the video.

“How he wants to go out is his decision.”

Seamer also lamented the impact Rogers’ video had had on the Supercars organisation.

“It’s been tough because a lot of the team have been made to feel like they have intentionally disadvantaged a legend of the sport, which we haven’t.”

Each car that enters the Supercars championship is underpinned by a Racing Entitlements Contract (REC), which brings with it the responsibility of entering each Supercars event and the right to collect an annual dividend.

The October 18 deadline applied to all existing REC

holders, hence GRM had to comply. Seamer said the date was upheld at a Darwin team owners meeting in June.

“The existing teams need to notify Supercars by the 18th of October if they want to enter for next year so that everyone else can figure out what they want to do,” Seamer explained.

“There was no support for changing it,” he said.

“At some point you have to make a commitment to the following year and all the teams need to do that at the same time in order for it to be fair for everybody.

“The later you leave it the harder it is for someone else to come in.”

The expected second Sydney entry did not have to comply with the October 18 deadline because its backer – reported to be Sydney businessman and racer Rod Salmon – did not secure a REC before the deadline.

The backer is now negotiating to acquire one of the three RECs Supercars currently has on the shelf. Seamer predicts that process will be completed within weeks.

“You extend that (October 18) deadline (for existing REC holders) you make it extremely hard for people that are trying to find more staff, buy a new car and expand teams, let alone teams that are trying to move cities, let alone teams that are coming in for the first time,” said Seamer.

Seamer also presented the glass half-full picture of the

entry list when reminded the GRM pull-out followed on from Triple Eight and Tickford Racing each handing back a REC for 2018.

“You could focus on that or you could focus on the three teams going to two cars next year,” he said. “They see the economics of the sport differently.

“I think 24 cars - all two and four cars (teams) - is a great story.

“It’s bitter-sweet, Garry going, but then you’ve got three teams growing and doing good things. On balance we are happy.”

Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Matt Stone Racing and Tekno Autosports (Sydney) all expand from one to two car entries in 2020, while Brad Jones Racing is expected to climb from three to four cars. Bruce Newton

‘I won’t be Roland’s puppet’

Whincup reassured team owners ahead of election to Supercars commission

BY BRUCE NEWTON JAMIE WHINCUP wrote to all team owners ahead of his election to the Supercars commission assuring them he would not be Roland Dane’s “puppet”.

Whincup, the seven-time Supercars champion and four-times Bathurst winner, was elected to the commission for a two-year term at the category’s annual team owners meeting on the Gold Coast last night.

Whincup has raced for Dane’s Triple Eight organisation since 2006 and is now a minority stakeholder in the factory Holden team.

Dane, a former Supercars board member and team owner in the category since 2003, is widely seen as one of the movers and shakers and puppet masters of pitlane.

He is well versed in protecting the interests of his business – sometimes forcefully - as a supplier of cars and parts to Supercars teams, as well as racing in the category.

“I just want to dismiss any thoughts that my motivation is to help Triple Eight,” Whincup told media at the Gold Coast 600 this afternoon.

“I want to make sure this sport grows and we are still around and it’s one of the best sports in the country in 20 years.”

“I wrote a very detailed letter to all the team owners and one of my points sticking right in the middle of the letter was I am not Roland’s [puppet].

“I am my own person, I am not going to play a puppet for RD. At the same time I have massive respect for RD’s opinions.”

Auto Action has learned not all team owners responded to Whincup’s letter positively.

Whincup says he first became interested six months ago in joining the commission, which oversees racing rules, regulations and formats of Supercars. He was nominated for the position by Dane.

He essentially takes over the seat vacated by Kelly Racing’s Todd Kelly in

September. He joins Tim Edwards from Tickford Racing – re-elected last night – DJR Team Penske’s Ryan Story and Brad Jones Racing co-owner Brad Jones.

Rod Nash of Tickford Racing was also returned to his Supercars board position last night, alongside Jones.

“My plan is to attempt to make a difference,” said Whincup.

“I don’t want to disrespect at all the people there. We have highly qualified people doing a fantastic job … and I am not going to be able to make a massive impact.

“But I am hoping to make a difference.

The last thing I want to do is blend in and cruise along the next two years and not actually achieve anything.

“I’d rather get in and try to make a difference or get told to piss off.”

Whincup said he felt the category was in one of its most challenging years in five years, citing the pull-out of Garry Rogers Motorsport, the reversion to a Ford v Holden grid with the departure of the Nissan

Altima and the parity debate as concerns.

“It would be great if I could be part of changing the trajectory a little bit and making sure we have one of the best sporting codes in the country,” Whincup said.

He made the point he wanted to get involved because he intends to be around for the long term as a team owner.

“I will still be here in 20 years-time,” he insisted.

Whincup also made the point it was valuable to have a commission member familiar with driving the current Supercars and circuits.

“It’s really valuable to have someone

who has experienced the machinery, they have experienced the driver warning system, they have used that ripple strip, they have been in that gravel trap, they have been in a car where the cool suit has failed, they have experienced the windscreen buffeting, they have experienced the transaxle versus the normal gearbox, soft tyre and hard tyre, what it is like for a tyre to blow.”

Whincup said his first act as a commission member would be going through the last three years of notes “to find out why we got here and really understand what we are trying to sell”.

“Then I will make a bit of a plan to attack the weakest parts. The plan might be to cut costs, to spend more money to get more profit. I am not sure yet, I haven’t got all the facts.”

Whincup praised the leadership of current Supercars CEO Sean Seamer.

“I think he has got a good grasp on the world and is a good leader.”

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LATEST NEWS

TOYOTA 86 Racing Series driver Ben Grice will appear at the Retro Round at Sandown Raceway with a Wayne Gardner Racing Coke Commodore inspired livery on the side of his #66 Toyota. The famous 90’s livery was driven by Neil Crompton who has assisted the Queenslander throughout his career.

THE SUPPORT categories at next year’s Darwin Triple Crown have been announced, 2019 will see the return of the Stadium Super Trucks to the ‘top end’ along with Carrera Cup Australia, Aussie Racing Cars, Improved Production and HQs. Drag Racing will also take place on Saturday night featuring Funny Cars and Top Doorslammers.

JACK LE Brocq is targeting a return to the Bathurst 12 Hours in 2020, the Supercars driver previously recorded a podium finish in Australia’s international endurance race alongside Will Davison and Greg Crick driving a Mercedes-AMG SLS GT3 in 2014. The 27-year-old is the only driver with more than one 12 Hour start to have recorded a top five finish in each attempt at the race.

ASHLEY SEWARD Motorsport has confirmed that it will expand to three Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCRs for the 2020 TCR Australia Series. While elsewhere in TCR Australia the two Suburu WRX STI TCR cars run

by Kelly Racing have found a new home with Milldun Motorsport. The cars had been set to sit on the sidelines for the remainder of the year as Kelly Racing focused on its two Holden Astra’s, however Mildun Motorsport will make its debut in the final round at The Bend Motorsport Park.

WILLMINGTON IS a name that has been synonymous with Australian motorsport for the last five decades and is now looking into racing in the S5000 Series. Braydan son of touring car privateer Garry has competed in sprintcar racing in recent years, a couple of weeks ago the 21-year-old had a private test in an AGI Sport S5000 car at Wakefield Park.

10 AutoAction

SUPERCARS CONFIRMS COMBINED SUPER2 AND SUPER3 PROGRAM - CLAIMS IT’S A KEY TO DRIVER PATHWAY

BY HEATH McALPINE SUPERCARS SEAN Seamer has revealed the proposal to combine the Super2 and Super3 categories is intended to streamline driver development toward Australia’s top tier tin-top championship.

As revealed by autoaction.com.au on Thursday, Supercars plan to re-register VEII Commodores and FG Falcons currently competing in Super3 to add to a shrinking Super2 field.

Despite the Supercars CEO’s insistence there are very few issues with the proposed changes, the controversial move has not been well received by all parties and potential legal action is possibleWhile Supercars suggests it’s going ahead, the plan has yet to be approved by CAMS, which has said it will protect the current category rights-holder of what was formally known as the Kumho Tyres V8 Touring Car Series.

In 2018, Supercars invited that category manager to run the series at selected events to bolster thin support line-ups and in 2019 the series was renamed Super3 and more rounds were added to the Supercars program.

While Seamer avoided the direct questions relating to the approval process for the change to the category’s makeup, he went on to explain the move was intended to improve the process of driver development towards the main series.

“We’re in discussions with competitors at the moment around what’s the best way to bolster Super2 is and to make sure we’ve got the maximum number of entries,” Seamer told media at the Gold Coast 600 today (Friday).

“The primary focus for us really is around the driver pathway. We … released earlier this year the details of that pathway, the relationship that we’ve got with karting and Toyota to try and move people through.

Image: Insyde Media

“We see good talent going overseas, particularly the likes of Matt Campbell and Jaxon Evans, who have just gone off to race Porsches overseas and have done a really good job.

“We need to lift our game, so we are looking at different ways we can improve Super2 and look at Super3 to improve that pathway, obviously we’re in discussions with Toyota about what role they might want to play with the 86 Series.”

Seamer said was confident that the plan would come to fruition.

“It’s still a work in progress, we’ve obviously got to make sure that all the parties, particularly Toyota and the teams, are happy with that,” he said.

“It’s good for the sport, it’s good for the drivers, it’s been a very strong pathway, I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t get up. None of the discontent that’s been raised is not addressable.

“We had a conversation with teams about this yesterday at the (team owners) AGM. We do think we need to work more closely with Super3 and Toyota so that there is a very clear pathway because even competitors in Super2 and Super3 now will tell you and they tell us, ‘what next and how do I get there?’ So, that’s part of the process that we’re going through.”

Auto Action is aware not all team owners were convinced the idea was a good one.

One concern raised was the huge disparity in budgets. Super3 costs around $300,000 and

Super2 $600,000 or more, potentially pushing drivers into the cheaper category.

Alternatively, turning Super3 into a class race from a standalone event could discourage drivers from entering.

Another aspect of all this is the increasingly aggressive battle between Supercars and newcomer ARG to secure management rights to categories. Supercars must have a viable Super2 as the primary support class for its shows.

But Seamer was confident most teams were supportive of the idea, signalling the raised level of competition was a key reason for the absorption of Super3 cars into Super2, as rising prices in the development category continue to be a major issue.

“From our point of view, they’re keen to get onto our tyre package and I think work with Dunlop, or at least they said they are,” Seamer explained.

“That helps the drivers get familiar with package that we’re running, it gives them the opportunity to rub shoulders with guys that are racing in Super2, develop their racecraft with more experienced drivers, so there are a lot of positives.

“But people will always want to focus on the negatives and what it means for them rather than what it means for the sport, or what it means for youth and the driver pathway.”

With Bruce Newton

YOULDEN “REALLY NEEDED” GOLD COAST PODIUM AFTER AN incredibly tough start to the 2019 Pirtek Endurance Cup campaign David Reynolds and Luke Youlden claimed a podium after finishing third in the final race on the Gold Coast streets.

The #9 Penrite Racing pair had a tough start to the Enduro campaign at Bathurst when Youlden crashed hard on Thursday and the following day Reynolds missed the top 10 Qualifying cut.

At the Gold Coast Youlden damaged the front splitter in the opening stint and lengthy repairs put them off the lead lap.

As a result co-driver Youlden was relieved to finally score a podium result for himself as well as the team.

“I really needed it (the podium finish) to be honest, confidence took a bit of a battering at Bathurst and also yesterday,” Youlden said.

“I think I’m driving okay but things

haven’t gone to well for me, I just had Barry’s (Barry Ryan team CEO) voice in my head the whole race ‘no kerb strikes and just try and keep it clean.’

“I could go faster but I just tried my best to not make any mistakes, I just needed a mistake free run.

“To bring it back in third behind those two boys (Garth Tander and Craig Lowndes) and set it up for Dave who obviously had really good pace at the end. He had similar or better pace than the boys in front so it is a credit to the team to be able to turn things around from the last couple of rounds.”

The 2017 Bathurst champion co-driver admitted that on Saturday at the Gold Coast he made “to many mistakes.”

“I don’t normally makes those mistakes, you try not to attack as much as you can and try and bring the car back obviously straight,” he

Image: LAT

said.

“Battering kerbs and damaging the splitter just ruined our race, so to be able to do a clean race was exactly what I needed and managed to get it done.”

Youlden feels that team morale has been low in recent rounds and hopes the Gold Coast podium will go a long way to improving the team spirit.

“Last year and the year before was an awesome run, but really taking

a bit of a battering this year, we got a result at Bathurst but it was more strategy than anything else” he said.

“It’s fair to say morale in the team hasn’t been that flash the last couple of rounds, so I hope this goes a ways into tuning this up a little bit.

“Everyone is a human being in the team and no one tries to make mistakes, you have just got to bounce back and this is a good bounce back for the team we really needed.”

DanMcCarthy

CAN A PETROL V8 SAVE SUPERUTES? THE ANSWER appears to be a solid “YES” according to several team owners.

Auto Action believes that several teams were about to walk away from the ECB SuperUtes unless there are cost-cutting measures implemented before 2020.

A SuperUte team owners’ meeting held on the Gold Coast last Friday revealed confirmation that the Supercars organisation doesn’t want to run the category beyond 2019. The current team owners have been advised that they will be given the opportunity to take ownership of the SuperUte series after this season finishes.

Apart from the consideration of the offer by Supercars of a team’s take over, the competitors have focused on a revitalisation of the category focusing on increased performance, reliability and cost reduction.

“The reaction from the owners has been positive,” said Brett Peters of Peters Motorsport that run a pair of Mazda BT50s and a Holden Colorado.

The team won the title in 2018 with Ryal Harris.

“It gives us the chance to tweak the rules and cut costs, We want to keep it simple and will be looking at the engine swap to a V8, also changes to the clutch and the gearbox input shaft.

Quite possibly we will either go with a Motec or a control ECU.” A spool differential was tested in two vehicles at Bathurst and will likely be implemented.

Despite plenty of support, including racing at high profile Supercar events and a good TV package, the category has struggled to grow beyond the original small 14 car fields – there were only 10 racing last weekend.

Following nine SuperUte engine failures at Bathurst, teams have

Image: LAT

2020 SUPERCARS ENTRIES LOCKED IN

But driver silly season may roll on for months yet

proposed all current race vehicles be fitted with a V8 petrol crate style engine.

A Chevrolet LS-based powerplant is seen as the most viable as one has already been fitted; the Ford Coyote is too wide. Whatever the decision, it will be tendered out to potential suppliers.

Teams met with Supercars management at Bathurst to plot a calendar for next year and after the weekend, Supercars issued a statement: “At this stage the 2020 calendar is not yet locked in for most of our support categories including SuperUtes. We met with the SuperUtes teams in the lead-up to Bathurst to continue conversations with them regarding the 2020 calendar, but no dates were confirmed at this time.”

Auto Action understands that Supercar dates are on offer, covering most states but won’t be at the highprofile events such as Adelaide or Bathurst next year.

The changes would bring about more

equal performance between the various vehicles and take away the unequal parity that currently exists. It would also help reduce the cost per vehicle from around 250K to a more reasonable 175K. It would alleviate the reliability factor and help allay the fan flack that has been targeted towards the category since its inception.

In their current guise, drivers rate the vehicles tremendous to drive – a proper race car in that context. The SuperUtes has also generated interest from outside the normal race fan with aftermarket suppliers and the basis of the vehicles are huge volume sellers for the manufacturers.

Questions would arise though on what sort of response there would be from any interested manufacturer to having a crate V8 under the bonnet.

Sources suggest that several vehicle makers involved already would continue to do so. Garry O’Brien

GOLDING TO RETURN FOR SECOND S5000 ROUND

GARRY ROGERS Motorsport has announced that James Golding will return to the S5000 Series at The Bend Motorsport Park.

The Supercars driver will again drive in the new open-wheel car after taking victory in the inaugural feature race at Sandown Raceway against the likes of former Formula 1 star Rubens Barrichello.

The 23-year-old will return in South Australia with a striking new livery sponsored by Boost Mobile and Valvoline.

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“It’s awesome to get another opportunity to drive the S5000 for a second time at The Bend,” said Golding.

“Sandown was such a great experience and the cars were awesome to drive, so I reckon they are going to be pretty spectacular around The Bend. I have no doubt that we are going to see a new lap record set.”

At Sandown 13 cars took part in the series’ inaugural round and resulted in a record attendance at a Shannons Nationals event.

GRM team owner Garry Rogers said

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that after his performance at Sandown it was only logical to put Golding behind the wheel again.

“James did a fantastic job in the opening S5000 round so it made sense for us to enter him in the second S5000 event,” said Rogers.

“I think James even surprised himself with how competitive he was at Sandown. He had never raced a wings and slicks car, so to be able to go head to head with guys like John Martin and Tim Macrow was an excellent result.

Dan McCarthy

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BY BRUCE NEWTON SUPERCARS’ OCTOBER 18 deadline has revealed at least 23 cars will race in the 2020 championship, but who will drive many of them remains unresolved.

While the driver line-ups at DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight Race Engineering have long been resolved, Erebus Motorsport is the only other team to be completely locked away.

There is every sign the silly season could extend into the new year as teams search for money from sponsors and drivers – and drivers with and without budgets search for teams.

At Tickford Racing, the departure of superstar Chaz Mostert to Walkinshaw Andretti United and the arrival of Jack Le Brocq from Tekno Autosports await official confirmation.

The other question mark at the former Ford factory team is Lee Holdsworth.

But it’s understood the Bottle-O Mustang driver is odds-on to have his one-year extension taken up.

That means emerging star Thomas Randle will continue in Super2 for at least one more season.

Both current WAU drivers are departing. Mostert takes one seat, while Matt Stone Racing’s Todd Hazelwood, TCR champ Will Brown and Super2 leader Bryce Fullwood are all reportedly in the frame for the other slot.

WAU has decided against taking the punt of BTCC star Ash Sutton.

“It’s no secret I am trying to get into the main game,” Fullwood told Auto Action. “My sponsor Middy’s are quite keen to jump up with us. It’s certainly not a massive budget and we are trying pretty hard with what we have.

“There are obviously people out there with a lot more money and the dollars are quite important for these teams. We can only put our hat in the ring and see what happens.”

James Courtney is on the way to ‘Team Sydney’ as the reconstituted Tekno Autosports is now being referred to.

Brown is also being linked to the second seat there along with Kiwi Richie Stanaway, although at this stage the Racing Entitlements Contract (REC) required to underpin that car remains on the shelf at Supercars.

Sydney racer and businessman Rod Salmon has been linked with the new squad and acquiring that REC. If that comes to fruition, the full-time grid will stay at the current 24 cars.

Expected WAU departee Scott Pye

is being linked heavily with Charlie Schwerkolt’s newly expanded Team 18 to partner Mark Winterbottom.

Pye refused to talk about 2020 when approached by AA. Schwerkolt would only confirm to that his driver search had narrowed to one name.

“We are close, nothing’s signed, but we are very close,” Schwerkolt said at the Gold Coast 600. “As of this weekend, I have one driver on my mind.”

The situation is also firming at Matt Stone Racing, the other team planning to expand from one to two cars in 2020.

Stone confirmed on the Gold Coast that an experienced current Supercars driver had been signed for 2020. He would not name names, but downplayed media reports it was disaffected Brad Jones Racing driver Tim Slade.

“There’s been some speculation there and I don’t think everyone’s quite nailed it on the head,” he said.

AA understands Kelly Racing refugee Garry Jacobson is the man in the second seat.

But Stone maintained plans for the second driver remain unresolved.

“For our second car, there could be an option to keep Todd (Hazelwood) in there if some of his other more senior team deals don’t happen, but we are more likely to run that for a rookie driver or a split-driver program,” Stone said.

BJR is working on a plan to expand from three to four cars in 2020.

Development series driver Jack Smith is likely to step up to the main game, underpinned by a REC purchased by his family from Jason Bright.

Slade may stay or go, but a relationship that delivered the highs of a dominant Winton weekend in 2016 appears to have soured.

Any one of a number of moneyed drivers could fill the seat, leaving the focus on Nick Percat as the team’s unchallenged number one.

As we have separately reported, Kelly Racing has locked Rick Kelly into one of the two Ford Mustangs it will run in 2020, while the team is desperate to also retain talented Kiwi Andre Heimgartner.

It has a lock on Heimgartner for 2020 unless the money can’t be found to run him.

Other drivers potentially on the market include James Golding, who unexpectedly found himself out of seat when Garry Rogers Motorsport elected to not enter for 2020.

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LATEST NEWS

TWO-TIME Formula 1 world champion and two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Fernando Alonso will race for the factory Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the 2020 edition of the Dakar Rally. The event next year will be held in Saudi Arabia from January 5-12 and will see the reigning World Endurance Championship winner join Nasser Al-Attiyah, Giniel de Villiers and Bernhard Ten Brinke in an expanded four car Toyota line up.

THE INTERNATIONAL Porsche Supercup series has signed a deal extending its partnership to remain on the Formula 1 race program for a further three years. The new contract will see the one-make series remain on the F1 support bill until the end of 2022 having been on undercard since 1993. The series has seen the likes of Earl Bamber, Timo Bernhard, Nick Tandy, Rene Rast and Australia’s own Matt Campbell come through the series.

CIRTOEN HAS announced a third entry in the World Rally Championship at Rally Australia which will be driven by Norwegian Mads Ostberg. The 2012 Rally Portugal winner stepped back into WRC 2 for the French squad in 2019 making way for the then reigning world champion Sebastien Ogier. Ostberg will head down under on a high after winning the WRC 2 Pro category in Spain.

IT HAS been confirmed that HWA AG has split with R-Motorsport in the Aston Martin DTM program. HWA previously ran Mercedes DTM cars and was heavily involved in R-Motorsport’s Aston Martin Vantage program throughout 2019. The two companies divorce will see HWA without involvement in DTM for the first time in two decades.

BLANCPAIN HAS decided to pull the pin and withdraw from as the title sponsor of the SRO’s GT World Challenge categories in Europe, North America and Asia. The partnership with SRO stretches back to 2009 in the when it was a sponsor of the FIA GT1 World Championship which pre dates the launch of the Blancpain GT Series in 2011.

12 AutoAction

SYDNEY AWAITS SPEEDWAY GREEN LIGHT Words Geoff Rounds Pics The Art of Speedway AN OVAL dirt track at Eastern Creek is the most likely replacement for Sydney Speedway, which has been doomed by a new rail link.

The shock closure of Valvoline Raceway at Granville in Sydney’s outer west was revealed last week as a casualty of the $20 billion Metro West rail project.

The track, close to Sydney’s geographic centre at Parramatta, will be shut as soon as soon as mid-next year to make way for a marshaling yard for the mostly underground rail line.

The NSW government has undertaken to help fund a replacement speedway in the Harbour City’s far west, with a track adjoining the Sydney Motorsport Park precinct at Eastern Creek nominated as the most likely site.

NSW Transport minister Andrew Constance and acting sport minister, Geoff Lee, vowed that the government was “absolutely committed to relocating speedway racing in Sydney.”

“I understand it has impacts on the sport, and its supplies chains,” he said.

Mr Constance also confirmed the government will pay for the new speedway facility.

Mr Lee said the government wouldn’t let the sport down as it finds a new home in Western Sydney.

“We are absolutely committed to delivering a new speedway for racing fans and they can be assured that once the appropriate site is locked in the NSW government will secure funding to help get it built as

quickly as possible,” he said.

The government has promised the new venue will have similar facilities to the current track — meaning the speedway will require a 460m clay banked track, 3,500 seat grandstand, space for 6,500 people in general admission areas, corporate boxes, foodstalls, parking for 500 vehicles and a merchandise shop.

Costings are yet to be worked out for a new speedway, but in 2000, the Perth Motorplex cost $22million to build, and costs for a new Sydney speedway are expected to be sorted after the government holds a forum on November 15 with motorsport bodies to further explore potential options.

While the new site has not yet been decided, the NSW government agreed to fully cover the costs late last week at a meeting with Sydney Speedway operator Felicity Waldron and Speedway Australia’s Tim Saville.

“We have a bit more direction than when we started the week certainly,” Ms Waldron said.

“Certainly the Government has committed to a new facility and that’s an encouraging start, but we remain committed ourselves to... (the) current location until we are 100 per cent sure of what is on the table and actually happening.”

Sydney is seen as the most important market in Australia and professional speedway racing could possibly die if a new capital city track isn’t built with

Barry Waldron understandably protective of the venue he has invested millions into since 2014.

“This has been a huge shock,” says Barry Waldron.

“We re still a long way from fully understanding what will happen, but the Government promised that the sport will be protected, and the legacy of Valvoline Raceway will be honoured.

“Ideally, we’d like to remain right where we are of course, the track has been in the same location for 42 consecutive years, but the reality is this rail project is a lot bigger than our Speedway. We need to ensure that the sport remains a vital part of Sydney and that a new venue is created without interruption from the annual season to season changeover.”

An online petition to save the speedway already had over 20,000 signatures and current Valvoline Speedway announcer Wade Aunger encouraged fans to remain vigilant.

“Stay angry, but be proactive with your anger. We have to enjoy every lap,” he told Auto Action. We need to enjoy every minute we have. I don’t know what the future holds.”

The venue currently races 36 weeks of the year and any interruption worries Mr Aunger.

“If the sport is given a new state of the art venue of course that will be beneficial to the multimillion-dollar speedway industry in Sydney.

SHANNONS ANNOUNCE SEVEN-ROUND CALENDAR THE ADDITION of Bathurst to the 2020 Shannons Nationals calendar headlines a sevenround schedule, which includes an unknown fifth round.

The Bathurst 6 Hour production car race held traditionally on Easter weekend plays host to the second round of the Shannons Nationals and is a sign of the continued co-operation between CAMS and the Australian Racing Group.

TCR Australia and S5000 will feature at each round of the Nationals, which kicks off at Sydney Motorsport Park in March, then the trip to Bathurst before heading to Winton at the start of May and The Bend in mid-June.

The next round is to be confirmed, but Morgan Park is a key candidate as a maintaining a Queensland event is considered important. Two events in Victoria finish off the Nationals with Phillip Island in August and Sandown in September.

“2019 has really been a breakout year for the Shannons Nationals and we are even more excited

about what is to come in 2020,” said Shannons Nationals director Michael Smith.

“With a significant boost in crowd and viewing figures so far this season, we’re certain that the Shannons Nationals will continue to grow even more with some terrific events scheduled for next year.

“In particular we have been delighted to work with Matt and the team at ARG to add Bathurst to the Shannons Nationals line up.

The calendar promises plenty of exciting racing across a wide range of categories and circuits.”

2020 Shannons Nationals Calendar: Round 1: Sydney Motorsport Park, 27-29 March Round 2: Bathurst 6 Hour, 10-12 April Round 3: Winton, 1-3 May Round 4: The Bend Motorsport Park, 12-14 June Round 5: TBC, 3-5 July Round 6: Phillip Island, 21-23 August* Round 7: Sandown, 11-13 September

TCR AUSTRALIA will kick off its season at the Australian Grand Prix as part of the new Asia Pacific Cup, a one-off event comprising Australian, New Zealand and Asian competitors.

Then the series joins the Shannons Nationals two weeks later for its opening points-paying round where it follows aforementioned seven-round schedule.

It has also been announced that a TCR endurance event will be held post-season at Bathurst as part of the new fifth event with further details revealed in due course.

RACING AMBITION ACHIEVED THE AUSTRALIAN GT round on the Gold Coast provided the perfect opportunity for one driver to achieve a long-held ambition to compete on the challenging street circuit.

It was a successful weekend for Geoff Taunton, who made his debut on the Gold Coast streets after watching it as a spectator for many years. Contesting the two Australian GT one-hour races held over the course of the weekend in a MARC II Mustang, the 53-year-old was over the moon to have finally realised his dream.

“That’s the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done,” Taunton told Auto Action.

“I’ve been in go karts and club series all my life watching the main series. To have a chance to race with the Australian GTs and be competitive is so exhilarating.”

Taunton finished the opening race in fifth, then finished

RACE-WINNING HERITAGE QUALITY VALUE & SUPPORT seventh in the second after losing third and fourth gear after failing to calibrate a solenoid pre-race. Taunton was complimentary of the MARC’s performance on the tight, concrete-lined circuit.

“The cars are just perfect for those one-hour races, I did stay off the big kerbs and didn’t use the kerbs like the Supercars do, I stayed off the main part,” explained Taunton.

“It handled it all fine, I was driving extremely conservative because I didn’t want to hit the walls. I did my fastest time on the second last lap!”

Taunton looks after three of the MARCs including that of 16-year-old Bayley Hall and will next year head to the Bathurst 12 Hour for another campaign. Heath McAlpine

TITLE WIN, SHOOTOUT NEXT?

RECENTLY CROWNED Porsche Carrera Cup Australia series winner Jordan Love can now focus his energies on the Porsche Young Driver Shootout after clinching his maiden title on the Gold Coast.

Love was announced as Australia’s representative in the shootout in August, but was focused on making a remarkable comeback after breaking his wrist in an accident at Hidden Valley. Love has since had a remarkable second half to the season including a streak of six wins concluding in the series victory.

Now he turns his attention to the shootout, hoping to join previous winners from Jaxon Evans and Matt Campbell as a Porsche Junior Driver.

“I’m super excited about it, but I’ve also been trying to prepare for that and the last few rounds has been full on,” Love told Auto Action. “It’s been a part of the goal since we started in Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, the Porsche Pyramid and

everything it offers is amazing for young drivers trying to make a career out of it.

I guess as Aussies even more so, we’re born on the wrong side of the world, it [Porsche Pyramid] makes the transition to Europe that much easier.

“I’ve always held the aspiration to go over to Europe to compete, it something I’ve always wanted to do since jumping into formula cars after go karts. I think that’s the first step for me and after that who knows?”

Although he was focused on his title tilt, Love has found time to complete a bit of background on his next challenging campaign.

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“I have done a bit of research into the track and spoken to a few people that have been involved with it, and have done it before,” Love explained. “There is still more to go in that regard, but I have started the ball rolling.

“At the end of the day it’s more do our own thing, embrace the opportunity and try to get the most out of it no matter what the outcome may be.”

As Love’s prize for winning Carrera Cup, he receives a fully paid entry into next year’s series, which again features at Australia’s biggest motor sport events.

Kicking off in Adelaide, the series travels to the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, then Townsville, Darwin and the Sydney Super Night event at Sydney Motorsport Park. The Bend follows before Bathurst and the final round will again take place on the Gold Coast.

Also announced was the continuation of naming rights sponsor Payce for the next two seasons. Heath McAlpine

Marathon master dies. Vale Andrew Cowan.

ANDREW COWAN, the Scottish driver who won both London to Sydney marathon rallies has died, age 82. Cowan was the acknowledged master of long distance rallying, adding a second placing in the 1985 Paris-Dakar and five successive wins in the Southern Cross rally to his marathon victories. A 1964 Tour de France victory aboard a Ford Mustang showed his versatility.

He won the world’s longest rally, the 20,000-mile South American Marathon in 1978. He was also competitive in the East African Safari Rally where he recorded a top four finish four times in five years.

A farmer in the Scottish borders region, Cowan grew up with his childhood friend and neighbor, the great Jim Clark. While Clark went track racing, winning two Formula 1 world championships, Cowan began a career in rallying driving a Hillman Imp. He had a long association with the Rootes group that culminated in his win in the 1968 London to Sydney marathon in a Hillman Hunter.

His five wins for Mitsubishi in the

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Southern Cross rally, an important advertising platform in the Asia Pacific region for Japanese manufacturers, frustrated Nissan.

They threw everything at the event in their efforts to beat the Scot, including using drivers of the calibre of Rauno Aaltonen, Timo Makinen, Tony Fall and others.

They finally succeeded in 1977, but the win was bittersweet, as Cowan did not compete.

Andrew Cowan won the 1969 Southern Cross rally in an ex London to Sydney marathon Morris 1800, co driven by Dave Johnson. In a generous gesture typical of the man Andrew recently gave the winning trophy to Tim Kennon, current owner of the car.

When he retired from driving in 1990, Cowan became rally manager for Ralliart Europe, the competition arm of Mitsubishi.

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He managed their world rally program and participation in various cross country events including the Australian Safari.

Cowan retired from the Mitsubishi World Rally Championship team at the end of the 2005 season, having directed the Japanese manufacturer’s dominance of Group A rallying in the late ‘90s. Under Cowan’s guidance Tommi Makinen won four straight world titles from 1996-99.

The 1998 season was Cowan’s most successful, when Makinen topped the drivers’ standings and the Lancer secured Mitsubishi its sole manufacturer’s crown.

Andrew Cowan had many good friends in Australia, and his visits here by he and his wife Linda will be sadly missed.

Farewell to a great driver and a warm, generous and popular man.

Bob Watson 21 October 2019

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TILTON - CHOSEN BY WINNERS SINCE 1972 For the full range of Tilton products call the Australian distributor Racer Industries 07 5546 2040 or visit www.racerindustries.com.au

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STANAWAY DOWN BUT NOT OUT?

S5000 DATES CONFIRMED

THE INAUGURAL Australian S5000 Series calendar has been revealed for 2020 and will feature six rounds plus a non-championship event at Bathurst.

The first S5000 series kicks off on the Victorian streets of Albert Park, as a support to Formula 1 at the Australian Grand Prix in front of an expected crowd of over 300,000 people.

“Where better to kick off a top-level Australian singleseater championship than at the Australian F1 Grand Prix” said S5000 category manager Chris Lambden.

From there the series moves to permanent circuits, Rounds 2 to 6 will see S5000s headline the Shannons Nationals program alongside the TCR Australia Series at Sydney Motorsport Park, Winton, The Bend Motorsport Park, Phillip Island and the historic Sandown Raceway where the series debuted earlier this year.

“Interest in our 2020 Australian Championship is high after that great Sandown debut, both from within Australia and overseas, and the enquiry level from some top young driver talent is exciting,” said Lambden.

The Australian Racing Group (ARG) which is the category management company of both S5000 and TCR Australia felt that the first round of S5000 showcased the huge support and interest of the category.

“The launch of S5000 at Sandown clearly demonstrated the huge interest and support for a fast, entertaining, and premier open wheel category in Australia,” said (ARG) Director Matt Braid.

“The significant local and international interest in S5000 will continue to grow as we head into the 2020 Championship with an expanded calendar featuring high profile events, iconic tracks and impressive driver talent.”

The series will finish the year with a non-championship event at the most iconic of all the Australian tracks, Mount Panorama. An international feature race will be held at the venue with dates to be revealed in due course.

“To cap it all off, a one-off major event at the most challenging race track in Australia,” Lambden said.

The V8 powered wings and slicks open-wheel series made its debut at Sandown Raceway in September and saw 11-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Rubens Barrichello race against the likes of Supercars driver James Golding and A1 GP driver John Martin.

“Personally, I’m thrilled with how it’s going. S5000 is already getting a fair bit of international attention, and this schedule is well and truly going to keep that momentum going,” said Lambden.

Another one-off event in 2019 for S5000 will be held as part of the Shannons Nationals support bill from November 15-17. DM 2020 Australian S5000 Championship calendar: Round 1: Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park, 12-15 March Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, 27-29 March Round 3: Winton, 1-3 May** Round 4: The Bend Motorsport Park, 12-14 June Round 5: Phillip Island, 21-23 August* Round 6: Sandown, 11-13 September Non-championship: Mount Panorama, Bathurst, Date TBC** * Subject to finalisation of commercial agreements with circuit ** Subject to confirmation

IF A meeting between team principals Garry and Barry Rogers and Richard Stanaway due to take place early this week goes to plan, the troubled Kiwi has the opportunity to be back in the driver’s seat of the #33 Boost Mobile sponsored GRM Supercar, in the aftermath of his benching for failing to meet team discipline standards.

GRM Team principal Barry Rogers, told Auto Action that both he and Garry didn’t take the benching of Richie Stanaway at the Gold Coast event lightly, but that they don’t necessarily see it as a season-ending decision.

The Rogers hope to have it sorted and Stanaway back in the car for Sandown 500 in the coming week.

GRM team owner Garry Rogers was quick to act and stood Stanaway down, failing to attend an organised autograph session, scheduled to be held on Sunday morning. He was replaced by the team’s regular Super2 driver Dylan O’Keeffe.

Stanaway defended his failure to attend, by claiming he was confused about when the session was to be held.

But as Rogers explained, the Gold Coast issue had been the straw that broke the camel’s back over several small but important issues that had been building up over the year.

“Look Garry is hard but fair and we have been trying to get some of the issues we have had with Richie resolved for a while now and in isolated terms, it seemed a big penalty for a minor misdemeanour,” Barry Rogers said.

Garry Rogers certainly pulled no punches when he made comment on the situation on his GRM Facebook page.

“Discipline and respect are vital parts of your wellbeing in life. I have always tried to blend in with all generations and I think I do a good job of that, but today Richie failed to turn up for a team’s sponsor signing session at the merchandise area (where) a lot of fans both young and old who were waiting to see him.”

Image: Insyde Media

“For a professional, that’s just not good enough. We need to be accountable for our action. Let me assure you it’s been a tough decision, but the fact is that good manners and discipline never go out of fashion and let’s hope and pray that a lot can be learned from this,” Rogers said.

Barry Rogers explained: “Our plan is to get Richie back into the office early this week with Garry and I, sit him down and go through the issues and try and sort things out.”

“Garry and I have moved on from this issue and if Richie can understand why he was benched and accept that he has to lift his game, then he will be back in the car for Sandown, he’s a talented driver and that’s what we want.”

“It’s a funny thing, we both like the guy a lot (but) the way we have had to manage him is different to the approach we have had with our drivers in the past. Garry has always been a big believer in involving our drivers in the day to day operations of the business and nearly all our drivers have worked in the business over the years.”

“It’s the Garry Rogers school of race drivers 101, and while some people might think it’s a bit strange, we think it’s a way of keeping them grounded and it also helps them to understand the work and effort that goes into getting the cars to the track and all the effort the whole team puts into the racing over the year.”

“We tried that with Richie and we figured out

pretty early on that it wasn’t going to work for him. Times have changed and somethings what worked in the past don’t seem to work these days, it’s a bit like football coaching these days, and we have changed our approach with Richie and given him a lot more flexibility than we have with any of our other drivers.”

“I hear some of the other drivers say they feel sorry for the kid getting dumped, but let’s see it for what it is. He’s not a kid anymore, he’s 27, and he needs to take responsibility for his own actions.

“The fact is (that) he has had some great opportunities, not just from us but from other teams as well. So hopefully he will learn from this and move on and accept that he has to do things that not only help him, but the team that he is driving for, as well as the sport overall.”

Bruce Williams what the future holds.”

The venue currently races 36 weeks of the year and any interruption worries Mr Aunger.

“If the sport is given a new state of the art venue of course that will be beneficial to the multimillion-dollar speedway industry in Sydney.

“One of the major concerns is that you can’t just build the speedway in 12 months. There is a period when the sport and the industry will stall because people will sell their cars or it will stall their businesses.

“This is going to be a very long pronounced dead period for our industry. I have grave concerns.” Bruce Williams

SIX-ROUND PRODUCTION CAR SEASON FOR 2020 THE MRF Tyres Australian Production Cars have announced a six-round calendar for the 2020 season while teasing a special grand finale event.

Like in 2019, the MRF Tyres APC season will kick off in early March with a categoryrun event at Sydney Motorsport Park (March 6-8) before joining the Shannons Nationals program for events at Tailem Bend (round two, 12-14 June), a to be confirmed Queensland venue (round three, 3-5 July), Phillip Island (round four, 21-23 August) and Sandown Raceway (round five – 11-13 September) ahead of a banner grand finale event (details TBC).

“2020 is looking very exciting for the MRF Tyres Australian Production Cars,” said Category Manager, Iain Sherrin.

“Even though we cannot announce the details of our grand finale as yet, already we have a fantastic mix of events on our calendar at some of the best race tracks in the country.

“As well as expanding our calendar, following racer feedback we have also introduced the four x

one-hour race format which proved exceptionally popular during our 2019 season to more events.

“The 2020 season will host this format for at least three, if not four, events; which allows more of Australia’s production cars to be able to compete regularly as part of our calendar.

“One of those events will be our season opener at Sydney Motorsport Park, where we will be joined by the NSW Production Touring Cars who will not only compete in two of our one-hour races but also enjoy two sprint races of their own as part of the event line-up.

“Alongside the extension of the popular 4 x

one-hour format, it is also our intention to once again host our two x 300km race format at rounds two and three – including the infamous Fight in the Night in July, pending the confirmation of the Queensland event venue for that round by the Shannons Nationals.

“And while we can’t unveil a date or venue for what is going to be an epic grand finale just yet as we await the finalisation of commercial agreements, I can tell you that alongside the final stand for the 2020 MRF Tyres APC National Championship, this event will also include a very exciting ‘standalone’ event concept – the chance for event entrants to be crowned the 2020 MRF Tyres Production Car National Sprint Champion!

“We look forward to confirming the round three venue as well as the details of what is going to be a brilliant end to our 2020 season soon. But in the meantime, we hope that the release of the remainder of our calendar will assist Australia’s production car community to start planning for what should be a great season ahead.”

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REIGNING BATHURST 12 Hours winner Matt Campbell competed in the final round of Blancpain GT World Challenge America at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Competing in a Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R alongside Anthony Imperato the pair finished the opening race in seventh and in the final race of the season at night improved to finish in sixth. The #91 duo claiming third in the Pro-Am class in both races.

JOSH BURDON raced in the final round of the TCR Europe Series at Monza for the Brutal Fish Racing Team in a Honda Civic Type R TCR. Burdon qualified 33rd on the grid but in the opening race flew through the pack to finish in 16th position in just 26 minutes. For the second race the Australian started 13th and again finished in 16th place.

WILLIAMS TO FORMULA 3 WITH JENZER WESTERN AUSTRALIAN driver Calan Williams will continue his progression towards Formula 1 after announcing he will contest the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2020 with Swiss team Jenzer Motorsport.

Williams won the Australian Formula 3 Series in 2017, before taking his chance overseas to contest the Euroformula Open F3 Championship as part of the Fortec Motorsport team during the past two seasons.

Formula 3 features as a support category to Formula 1 and Williams is excited to compete in front of a greater audience.

“I am incredibly excited about the year ahead, and to be able to race during F1 events in front of F1 teams is a huge opportunity,” said Williams.

“Driving the car in Valencia was an amazing experience.

It is a real step up from the Formula 3 car I have driven for the past two seasons in Europe, with much more power, more downforce, and being a larger car, it is heavier and more physical to drive.”

The 19-year-old sampled a Formula 3 car in a test conducted at Valencia last week where he was competitive among a mixture of rookies and drivers from the recently concluded season.

“Having my first outing in the car in the wet was certainly being thrown in the deep end,” said Williams.

“But to be P16 out of the 30 drivers on Day 2, with most of those ahead being current drivers in the 2019 Championship was really pleasing.”

Jenzer Motorsport were a race winner during

this year’s inaugural FIA European Formula 3 Championship and team principal Andreas Jenzer has welcomed Williams into his team.

“Last week I was very pleased to meet Calan when he visited our workshop for a seat fitting. After spending some time with our engineers on preparation work for the Valencia test, it was obvious to see he is a professional and focused young Australian man”.

“Following on from the three days test, which were held in a range of varying conditions, clearly, we can see his potential. We are excited to be working together with him next year and look forward to a successful partnership.”

The 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship begins with a three-day test in Bahrain ahead of the opening round at the same venue on March 20-22. HM

Lawson took the lead off Teppei Natori early in the race at the first chicane but could not break away from the four cars behind.

Lawson’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda snatched the lead seconds before the safety car was called onto the circuit due to a heavy crash.

The incident involved Doohan who was fortunately unhurt, Christian Hahn ran off at Lesmo 2 and spun into Doohan rolling the Australian over.

After the lengthy caution the race restarted with just two laps remaining, on the restart Lawson was able to retake the lead which he did not relinquish until he crossed the line to take the victory.

Despite being spun at Ascari Williams recovered to finish the final race of the season in 10th.

Doohan finished 11th in the championship ahead of Williams in 13th. DM

LAWSON CLAIMS RUNNER-UP THREE AUSSIES participated in the three day FIA Formula 3 test at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain, Oscar Piastri topped afternoon session on the second day driving for Prema Powerteam, the Italian squad which dominated the 2019 series.

Euroformula Open drivers Jack Doohan driving for Hitech Grand Prix finished the third day in the wet eighth fastest. Calan Williams with Jenzer Motorsport finished testing in 22nd.

NEW ZEALANDER Hunter McElrea who finished runner up in the 2019 USF2000 series has had his first taste of the next step on the ladder to IndyCar. McElrea topped the Indy Pro 2000 testing time sheets at Indianapolis Motor Speedway completing 102 laps for the Pabst Racing.

14 AutoAction

IT WAS a difficult final round of the Euroformula Open Series for Australians Calan Williams and Jack Doohan, while New Zealander Liam Lawson finished the season strongly in Italy.

In the opening race of the weekend at Monza Lawson made a good start but when trying to overtake Nicolai Kjaergaard into the Ascari chicane he made a mistake and lost positions.

Things got worse for Lawson after a collision with Rui Andrade at Turn 1 he was forced into retirement. It was a similar story for Williams who was involved in an incident with Lukas Dunne down the pit straight, but the Australian managed to finish in 16th.

Doohan stayed out of the drama and collected the final championship point by finishing 10th.

The final race of the season was won by Team Motopark driver Lawson who bounced back from his Saturday woes to claim the race victory, second in the standings overall and the rookie of the year title.

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AA’s pissed-off pundit wants to know why Supercars tortures itself by not getting on top of the news agenda IT’S BEEN couple of weeks Supercars won’t forget – or want to repeat.

It began at Bathurst and just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did at the Gold Coast.

Well, maybe not worse, but there was plenty of bad news at Surfers Paradise to add to the post-Bathurst pain. Just as the sport was recovering from the Bathurst safety car scandal, two of the main GC600 contenders are wiped out on successive days in monster shunts.

Chaz Mostert trashed his Mustang the Top 10 Shootout on Saturday and then, unbelievably, Scott McLaughlin totalled his fast Ford in qualifying on Sunday. What are the odds?

In the latter case, it just goes to show you can’t take anything for granted. McLaughlin was poised to clinch his second successive title when disaster struck.

Nobody expected that.

Two front-running Mustangs binned on the same weekend is not normal, even amid the evil surrounds of the Surfers street circuit. We love the place because it is so perilous, but this was beyond the pale.

So Scott must wait until Sandown next week to reclaim his crown. Which he surely must, barring another catastrophe. More unlikely in the open spaces of Sandown, especially with the new Turn 6 run-off, but not impossible.

Anyway, for Supercars, the drama at Surfers at least keeps the championship mathematically alive until then. And now, with DJR Team Penske’s 300 points

deduction for the Bathurst skulduggery, the teams’ title chase is well and truly alive.

Casual – perhaps even committed – fans don’t care, but DJRTP and Red Bull Holden Racing Team certainly do. Not just bragging rights, but the prime pit lane position is up for grabs.

Now, about that Bathurst safety car scandal. It was dealt with efficiently and appropriately.

Despite ill-informed conjecture, McLaughlin’s and Alex Premat’s victory was never threatened.

Two separate things, with Fabian Coulthard’s ham-fisted action deplorable and actionable, but not related to the win. Anyone who understood the rules knew that, even those team bosses – Barry Ryan, I’m looking at you – who expressed indignation and called for DJRTP to be stripped of everything.

Fact is, the stewards saw through DJRTP’s ruse – “Debriss, debriss, debriss”, indeed – and penalised the team accordingly. A quarter of a million dollars – with $100K suspended until the end of next year – and 300 team points is a BIG sanction.

A record penalty moneywise for Supercars – but still far short of the FIA-allowed maximum of $400,000 – and the full points deduction.

In the big picture, worth the win?

Of course. DJRTP took the safety car gambit that was begging at the time – as many others have in the past – but simply overdid it.

It’s the rules, as usual, that need to change, not teams’ willingness to exploit them.

Also, don’t be fooled by Roger Penske’s warm and cuddly image. He’s as hard as. Didn’t

get where he is in racing and business by being a soft touch.

For more than 50 years, Team Penske has a well-earned reputation for pushing the rules to the absolute limit.

Supercars’ bad post-Bathurst week got worse when Garry Rogers Motorsport announced it was out after 24 years. Rules may be rules, but not giving GRM an entry deadline extension smacked of ingratitude, if not delinquency.

Garry has his say further into this issue, but losing the longestestablished team in Australian motor racing – going back to 1963 – is like dismissing a foundation AFL club.

Oh, OK, that happened with South Melbourne (Sydney Swans) and Fitzroy (Brisbane Lions), but Supercars doesn’t have the luxury of a competition full of long-established teams.

There’s DJR Team Penske at 39 years and HRT/Walkinshaw Racing/Walkinshaw Andretti United at 29 years, then daylight to the rest.

As pitiful as GRM has been this year, to let an institutional team go

is unforgiveable.

And just to add to Supercars’ fortnight of angst, GRM benches Richie Stanaway from Sunday’s race – and perhaps the rest of the season – for not turning up to a team autograph session.

Fair enough – and good on Gazza for exercising some oldfashioned discipline.

Stanaway is misunderstood and wilful. He has the Euro racing mentality, having grown up in that environment. If it’s not working, he isn’t interested. He has to change that attitude because in the right car, there’s no doubt he’s a front-running talent.

But the recalcitrant Kiwi may have now missed the boat of opportunity.

His case was another negative storyline. How many bad headlines does Supercars need before it gets its regulatory, technical and promotional house in order?

Meanwhile, RECs are trading for effectively nothing, teams are struggling for meaningful sponsorship, and more and more drivers are forced to bring budgets to secure seats.

The irony is that the racing is great. But behind the scenes, the team financials are dire.

Supercars needs to shore up team incomes by radically reducing costs and ensuring the teams are viable.

It’s been a bad news fortnight, but it could easily get worse if urgent action isn’t taken.

If the only way Supercars can stay in the news cycle at this time of year, when the major football codes are in recess, is through counter-productive controversy, the game is doomed.

The field is barely hanging in there for next year, supported by pay drivers. That’s just not right.

Let’s hope Supercars’ two weeks of hell ends up being worth the pain.

Crashes are great – with no injuries, perfect evening news coverage. Unfortunate, but headline-grabbing. Controversies like the Bathurst scandal are, perhaps, inevitable, but constant internal ructions are bad for Supercars’ image.

There must be a better way to keep our premier category in the news.

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News EXTRA

STARTING OVER AGAIN For the second time, Kelly Racing is changing makes in search of Mark Rushbrook is excited to have a third team racing Mustangs in 2020.

BRUCE NEWTON delves into the big swap from Nissan Altima to Ford Mustang EXCITEMENT WILL be high when the 2020 Supercars championship roars into action on the streets of Adelaide next February.

Especially at Kelly Racing.

Because sitting on the grid representing the team owned by two of Mildura’s most famous sporting sons will be two Ford Mustangs.

After six years racing the Nissan Altima, it will be a huge and pivotal change – and one that will not be achieved without a summer of incredibly hard work.

So much to do, including an engine program, in so little time.

“I’m prepared for us to go to Adelaide and not bring all the trophies home,” admitted team co-owner Todd Kelly, a quiet smile suggesting he understands he’s downplaying the task ahead just a tad.

“There will be a period of finding our feet, especially considering the rest of the field has momentum and no one is making changes anywhere near as significant as we are.”

It’s Friday afternoon of the Gold Coast 600 and Kelly’s taken time out from his busy day to explain in-depth to Auto Action what the team has been through this year in making the decision to change from four Nissan Altimas to two Mustangs, what it has to do and what it expects the change to achieve.

Make no mistake, this is a seismic event for this outfit. For the first time since it was formed in 2009 as a privateer Holden team, KR will not race four cars in the Supercars championship. And for the first time since it won the backing of Nissan in 2012 to race the Altima, it will not be a homologation team.

Kelly Racing will not only build two cars, it has confirmed it has also started its own

16 AutoAction

Ford engine development program to power them.

Rick Kelly will drive one of the main game cars with continued Castrol naming rights backing, while impressive Andre Heimgartner is expected to continue in the other Mustang, subject to confirmation of funding.

With two cars cut from the roster, Simona de Silvestro and main game rookie Garry Jacobson are on the outer.

Kelly Racing will keep the Altima connection alive by fielding two cars in Super2, joining existing Nissan team MW Motorsport in the development series.

Drivers for those cars have yet to be signed.

And what of the TCR program Kelly Racing has ventured into this year? At this stage, there’s no decision either way.

THE TIMELINE So how long ago did the Kellys start contemplating their next move in Supercars?

“The writing has been on the wall for three years,” Kelly admitted. “The model line-up they (Nissan) have in Australia doesn’t have anything for Supercars.

“And the general push from Nissan globally is electric and electric motor sport.

They are not really involved officially with anything other than that, so it was pretty clear there wasn’t much of a future there.”

Nissan announced in 2018 it was withdrawing from Supercars at the end of the season. Kelly Racing always intended to race the car on into 2019 while future options were researched.

One possibility Todd Kelly aired several times in the media was the potential to continue with the Altima into 2020.

There were even mock-ups of facelifts informally presented to Nissan. But while there was no opposition from the Japanese car company’s Australian management, there was no interest in investing money to fund computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies and the like to make it happen.

Even then, Kelly admitted, the Altima was still the back-up option if everything else went pear-shaped.

“If we got to the point where we had to shut the team down entirely or throw the Altima back into the (2020) homologation, then that was always on the table, but it’s not what we wanted to do,” he explained.

And what about the Commodore ZB? The team never seriously looked at the option of running Holdens.

The centralised parts supply arrangements through homologation team Triple Eight Race Engineering denied the Kellys the ability to do as much work as they wanted in their own well-equipped shop.

Secondly, there were already enough Holdens on the grid as far as the Kellys were concerned.

“I am passionate about the sport and it’s not the right thing – even if the deal had been the same – to put more Holdens on the grid,” Kelly said.

So pretty simple, really. The Mustangs are kicking freckle, where do KR sign? In fact, far from simple in reality. Wanting to go Mustang and achieving it were two different things. Money was at the root of it all, of course.

“I couldn’t make that decision (to go Mustang) until we had the support of Ford and I’d been able to sell enough stuff to pay for enough of it to put my balls on the line,” Kelly relayed bluntly.

BIG COST He revealed $1.5 million minimum was needed to turn out two Mustangs on the grid for 2020. And to do that, the fourcar business model would have to be abandoned as much of the revenue to build the new cars would come from selling two Racing Entitlement Contracts – one to Matt Stone Racing and the other to Charlie Schwerkolt’s Team 18 – and an Altima racer to a collector.

There are still more assets for sale, including another Altima and an A-trailer.

“Without having any money in the bank from selling assets, there was no way I could commit to that kind of undertaking,” Kelly candidly admitted. “There’s still a gap there, but I am happy to commit to Ford.”

That $1.5 million figure includes the development of the engine and five complete V8s loaded in the truck for Adelaide. It’s the biggest challenge of the whole program.

Very early on, Kelly Racing had hoped to power its Mustangs with the Nissanbased ‘VK’ DOHC Patrol-based V8 it had developed for the Altima. But that was never a serious option.

Despite the obvious appeal to KR, which owned the vast bulk of the Nissan engine intellectual property, there was no way the Blue Oval would be interested in backing a ‘foreign’ powerplant in its halo performance model.

“It’s a bitter pill to park that inventory,” Kelly said. “But it’s fair enough that Ford would not be interested in getting involved in those circumstances.”

So the logical next step was to set up a lease deal for customer engines from one of the existing Supercars suppliers.

FIRST LOOK! Computer Generated Image: Tim Pattinson Design

Auto Action’s Bruce Newton talks to Todd Kelly on the Gold Coast 600.

Image: Ross Gibb

Queensland-based Mostech Race Engines was out because it has an exclusive deal with DJR Team Penske. That left Melbournebased Tickford Racing, but doing a deal there didn’t make sense, either.

“They would have had to gear up and invest the same amount we are investing, plus charge out their labour, servicing and tuning,” Kelly explained. “So I looked at that and realised I could do that myself and own the engines. Which means for the next year, our engine costs will be a couple of rebuilds and labour.

“Really, I had no choice but to do it ourselves.”

HUGE CHALLENGE If KR just bolts together its own engine from scratch, there won’t be any dyno testing until January. The sump, exhaust system and manifold have yet to be designed. A whole bunch more parts like

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conrods and cranks are on order.

“If we wait till January for our first test and discover the engine is not right, then we are in a lot of trouble,” Kelly said.

This is where a single engine sourced from Supercars legend Jimmy Stone, the coowner of defunct Ford team Stone Brothers Racing, comes into the story.

“It’s a 2012 engine, so you can’t even bolt it in as COTF cars are sump-mounted, not engine block-mounted,” Kelly said. “It has a distributor, whereas everything is coil pack now, so we can’t use our ECU with it.

“So we have bought that engine and the IP, so if I want to reverse engineer the water pump, the cylinders heads or the manifold, I can.

“All that engine will be is our test engine.

We’ll mess around with exhaust pipes and cylinder heads, try our manifolds and so on.

“That way, when all the stuff arrives to build our actual engines, we will have verified all

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those parts in an engine prior to that.”

Combine the new Ford and continued Nissan development work, and Kelly Racing’s substantial engine shop will be busier than ever in 2020.

In fact, the estimate at this stage is only seven to 10 staff will be made redundant from a business that currently employs around 50.

That’s a relief to the Kellys, who have built up a one-stop racing shop at their Braeside headquarters in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. They certainly don’t want it to whither after 10 years of hard work.

“We want to retain our capabilities and justify our footprint,” Kelly said. “You never know what may come along in two or three years.”

Ford Performance, the Blue Oval’s official global racing arm, has already confirmed it will support the Kellys technically, especially in short-cutting the engine development program as much as possible.

One thing Kelly is clearly happy about is the reception the team has received from Ford since negotiations started just two months ago – remembering money had to be generated before the conversation could begin. The deal was signed on the Tuesday morning after Bathurst.

NATURAL CHOICE “It’s been fantastic,” Kelly enthused.

“Everything just stacked up and felt right.

So much so, there was no consideration apart from joining the Ford family and going to Mustang.”

Compared with the engine program, the rest of the Mustang build should be relatively straight forward. The basis of the car is, of course, the control chassis, so

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Nissans will be converted into Fords.

The engine sump will be designed so the existing steering rack can transfer straight over. The cockpit and controls will come from the Altima.

The decision hasn’t been made whether the team will manufacture its own Mustang composite body panels or buy them from one of a number of available suppliers.

“We still don’t have the all of the CAD (computer aided design) of the bodywork or any of the car stuff,” Kelly said, emphasising just how new this whole project still is. “Until we build the cars and go through the first round or two, we won’t really know which way we will go.”

Even if all goes well over the summer, it is likely the first Mustang shakedown run won’t happen until immediately prior to the pre-season championship test scheduled for Tailem Bend on February 18.

“There’s a lot that needs to happen between now and then,” Kelly conceded.

For all the laudable efforts to get on the grid in 2009 and then bring the Altima program to fruition in 2013, there’s no doubt Kelly Racing has a lot to prove here.

It’s won only six races in its history, never won Bathurst and has a best championship finish of sixth for Rick Kelly in 2011. Now it goes up against two of 2019’s dominant teams, DJRTP and Tickford Racing, with the same car.

There will be nowhere to hide.

“It’s up to us,” Kelly said. “It might be six months into the year until we really get everything spot-on.

“Wherever we are in the second half of the year is where our potential is and, hopefully, it’s a lot better than where we have been.”

Then, maybe, the silverware will come.

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17

s w e n e n O Formula CONTRADICTING REGULATIONS

FORMULA 1 is set to abandon the shake-up of race weekend formats in 2020 after teams failed to get behind the idea of reverse grid races. Liberty Media planned to change the race formats of three race weekends in France, Belgium and Russia in an attempt to spice up the racing by having a short qualifying race, starting in reverse championship order.

SCUDERIA TORO Rosso has been given official approval to change its name, and from 2020 will be known as Scuderia Alpha Tauri. The junior Red Bull team has been in Formula 1 since the energy drink company bought out Minardi, Alpha Tauri is Red Bull’s fashion brand.

CURRENT WILLIAMS Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica, who confirmed in Singapore that he would not continue with the team at the conclusion of this season, is closing in on the Haas test and simulator role for 2020 as well as a drive in DTM.

PATRICIO O’WARD has been dropped from the Red Bull Junior program less than a season after replacing Briton Daniel Tickum. Whilst with Red Bull O’Ward drove in Super Formula and a one-off round in Formula 2 with MP Motorsport, the Mexican is set to announce a 2020 drive in coming weeks and has been linked with the McLaren IndyCar project.

THE DECISION to ban tyre blankets from 2021 has been reversed, however the plan is to phase them out. The proposal was part of the move to 18-inch tyres in 2021 but Pirelli and the teams pushed to keep the tyre warmers to allow an easier transition.

THE PLAN for Formula 1 to host a second race in the United States of America has moved a step forward, with an agreement in principle for Miami to host a race around Hard Rock Stadium in May of 2021. The initial plans to host the race downtown were scrapped as it faced too much opposition.

18 AutoAction

THE FACT that Renault teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg were disqualified from the Japanese Grand Prix for having a system on their cars that was both legal and illegal is setting a dangerous precedent, according to Renault team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

The preset brake balance adjustment system in the two cars did not breach the technical regulations, but the race stewards ruled that the system did breach the FIA’s F1 sporting regulation that states “the driver must drive the car alone and unaided.”

“We do not deny that it is a form of a driver aid, not to make the car faster but to reduce the workload of the drivers,” Abiteboul said at a media briefing attended

by Auto Action during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend.

“So then it was always going to be a bit of a subjective assessment as to how far it is really aiding the driver and whether it’s acceptable or not.

The stewards have judged it that it’s not acceptable, so be it.

“For me it is harsh on the team. It’s also even harsher on drivers because it’s a very poor recognition of what they are doing. It is shedding a negative light on what they are doing, the way they are performing in the car. I can almost see people on some blogs thinking that the car is braking automatically, which is clearly not what’s happening.”

Ricciardo explained it is not

like an ABS braking system, and that it merely adjusted the brake balance.

“We can do it manually,” he said, “so we can click the brake bias to be one per cent forward for Turn 1, for example, and all it did was do it automatically. It just meant that instead of me thinking about doing it, it did it for me.”

The Aussie went on to say that something like the legal power steering is a huge driver aid, especially compared to this minor system that caused both cars to be disqualified.

Renault has been using the system for a number of years. Romain Grosjean used it in 2015. But it was only at this year’s Japanese Grand Prix that Racing Point filed a protest against it. When asked

by AA why the protest was filed, Racing Point’s team principal Otmar Szafnauer said his team wanted to install a similar system in its cars.

It then asked the FIA if it was legal and was told no.

As the regulations become more and more complex, it creates a new set of problems, according to Abiteboul.

“If we live in a world that is just based on speculation,” he said, “you can create a claim against a team and try to get access to its IP it can become a dangerous precedent in my opinion. Thinking ahead to the financial regulations where all sorts of things could be triggered by some teams who want to have a go against another team.”

COMPREHENSIVE CHANGES

LIKE IT or not – and most the Formula 1 teams don’t like it – the comprehensive changes to the 2021 technical, sporting and financial regulations became law when published on October 31, just after this issue of Auto Action went to press.

The teams have been arguing and bickering and negotiating for their own best interests in the rules package for over two years. The most recent meetings, during which no consensus was reached, between the teams, the FIA and Liberty Media took place during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, and then in Paris prior to the race in Mexico. At this stage of the game the teams must have unanimous agreement for any changes for 2021 and that has not happened.

June’s deadline was extended to October, and now there can be no more extensions. So the teams will have to accept the package set down by Liberty and the FIA. However, tweaks can still be made if all 10 teams can agree to them.

On the technical side, the 2021 cars are supposed to create closer racing and make it easier for a driver to overtake. What the teams are not happy about, however, is the long list of “common parts” that they will all have to use, and which will come from contracted outside suppliers. They argue that such parts can be unreliable and overweight, plus there is no guarantee of on time delivery.

A good example of this was in the GP2 and now the F2 series where there were frequent problems with cars stalling at the starts of the races, due to problems with the common clutch parts installed in all the cars.

The teams prefer an ‘F1 supermarket’ where teams can design and build the common non-performance enhancing parts and then sell them to other teams.

On the sporting regulations side, the concept of three trial mini races on Saturday om 2020 to set the grid for Sunday’s race was vetoed by two teams.

Three day race weekends will remain, but there will be tweaks to the schedule on Friday.

The third element, the new financial regulations, contain F1’s first-ever budget cap, which will be set at US$175 million per team in 2021.

“I don’t think these regulations are going to be stopped,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend and just a few days before the looming final deadline. “It’s been made very clear that this is moving forward.”

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists that the technical regulations “are immature.”

“There are still a large amount of questions being raised,” he said. “So I think what does get published there will be inevitable TDs (technical directives outlining changes) and refinements before we get to the 2021 season.”

RENAULT AND HONDA IN LIMBO

Images: LAT

THE FORMULA 1 futures of both Renault and Honda for 2021 and beyond are in limbo.

The Renault corporation is going through a strategic review of all its business concerns following an overall fall in revenue. CEO Clotilde Delbos said that while the F1 programme is not being singled out, it will definitely be included in the evaluation.

Like all the F1 teams, Renault is committed by the Concorde Agreement contract to remain in F1 through 2020. And, like all the teams, Renault is not certain about what the future holds until a new Concorde Agreement – the document and contract that lays out how the sport and business of F1 is operated and financed – is agreed to and signed by all the major players including the teams, the FIA and commercial owners Liberty Media.

Plus there is the spectre of Renault’s overall internal analysis.

Still, Renault F1 team principal Cyril Abiteboul remains confident that Renault will want to be in F1 beyond 2020.

“If everything is better than what we have now,” he said, “then I don’t see why we would get to a different position to the one we made (to return to F1) in 2015. The most important thing is can we project ourselves with confidence in that period of time with reasonable results and at a reasonable cost? In my opinion we’re going in the right direction to answer these questions positively.”

As for Honda, its F1 racing department

had been told by the board that if it won two races in 2019, that would guarantee Honda stayed in F1 after 2020. Max Verstappen duly won in Austria and Hungary and ticked that box. But now Honda is again evaluating its F1 future.

There are two factions in the upper echelons of power of the Honda board – one that is keen to stay in F1 and one that wants to pullout. The latter points to falling profits from car sales in North America as a reason to make budget cuts. The former firmly believes that F1 is still a good marketing and engineering platform for Honda, and it points out that Red Bull has been doing almost everything it can to accommodate Honda.

One thing for sure is that Honda has the upper hand in negotiations with both Red Bull and Liberty Media. How about asking Red Bull to remove the Aston Martin branding from the side of its cars?

As for Liberty, if it loses both Renault and Honda, that means that the only two engine suppliers in F1 would be Mercedes and Ferrari.

A source close to Honda told AA in the paddock in Mexico that the odds are in favour of Honda remaining in F1, and that the board will make its decision around about the time of the final grand prix of the season in Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, no other auto manufacturers have expressed any concrete plans about entering F1 in the near future.

MONEY MATTERS IN F1’s FUTURE MONEY MAKES the Formula 1 world go around, and the teams spend loads of the stuff every year. But starting in 2021 they will be restricted to a mere US$175 million annually as the new budget cap comes in.

This will only affect Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari as the other seven teams don’t spend that much anyway.

There are also plenty of exemptions and loopholes. Not including in the cap are things like: engine costs, driver salaries, the salary of the highest paid employee who is not a driver, plus catering and marketing costs and more. What’s to stop a team transferring wellpaid engineers to the marketing department and giving them new job titles?

Next year there will be a trial run of the budget restrictions. Teams can still spend whatever they want in 2020, but they will be subject to auditing processes that will be used in 2021. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insists that the budget cap rules are needed to be refined.

“The single most important factor is the auditing and policing process and none of that is in place for 2020,” he said. “Obviously if you can’t police it in the right way, it makes no sense to implement the rule.”

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What is going to happen next year is that the big teams will spend vast amounts of resources designing and developing their cars for the new 2021 regulations.

“If next year there is a tendency to spend more to prepare for 2021, we certainly won’t be doing that because we just don’t have the financial resources to do so,” said McLaren team principal Andrea Seidl.

Wolff supported a proposal, which was rejected, that would delay the budget cap to 2021 and the new technical rules to 2022. That would have limited what the teams could spend on the new cars and therefore helped level the playing field between the big and small squads.

What is not going to change on the F1 financial front next year is the distribution percentages of the commercial profits (from things such as TV rights and race hosting fees) because the big teams will continue to soak up the lion’s share.

Commercial owners Liberty Media – aka the Formula One Group (FOG), or Formula 1, or by the old name from the Bernie Ecclestone era FOM (Formula One Management) – will continue to keep about 38 per cent of the profits and the remaining 62 per cent goes to the teams. But first,

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as Ferrari is the ‘longest standing team,’ it gets a five per cent cut off the top, of which half comes from Liberty’s share and half from the teams’ share.

The smaller teams have long argued that a more equal split of the teams’ money would help them close the gap to the big teams. But no matter when it is imposed, the big teams will have a serious challenge to reduce their organisations considerably to get under the cost cap.

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19

F1 INSIDER

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with Dan Knutson

RENAULT’S LACK OF MOMENTUM STIFLES DAN KNOWING THAT, because of his recent disqualification Daniel Ricciardo’s regular media session on the Thursday leading into a grand prix weekend would be packed with journalists in Mexico, I made it a point to arrive at Renault’s hospitality unit in the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez early.

That way, I had a seat directly across from the Aussie.

Before Ricciardo arrived, we were warned by Renault’s PR chief Lucy Genon that we were not permitted to ask any specific questions about the technicalities of the team’s double disqualification from the Japanese Grand Prix.

Those questions had to be addressed to the team principal Cyril Abiteboul.

So we did not but we did ask questions about how yet another setback in this rollercoaster season had affected both Ricciardo and the team.

I can’t off the top of my head even begin to count the number of times this season I’ve sat across from Ricciardo while he’s talked about the latest high or low.

The latest low was him and teammate Nico Hülkenberg getting disqualified from sixth and 10th places respectively in Japan, because the FIA ruled that their cars had been fitted with illegal driver aids.

In Mexico, as with all the

disappointments, Ricciardo was looking forwards and not backwards.

“We have to brush it off,” he said. “We have to move forward,” he added, “otherwise if we keep dwelling on the misfortunes or whatever circumstances we’ve had this year, then we’d always feel sorry for ourselves. But I do feel this year it has been tough for us to get momentum.”

The Perth native, however, is still confident that he made the correct decision to leave Red Bull and join Renault.

And both he and the team

are moving upwards despite the setbacks.

“I actually still see progress because the first few races, especially for me, I was not where I wanted to be,” he said. “So I am a lot happier now than when I was at the start of the season.”

Ricciardo is now more mature and experienced to deal with the highs and lows.

“I’ve been doing this sport for long enough now so that I know what physical challenges are ahead of me,” he said. “The unknown is the emotional rollercoaster that a year might produce.

Even last year (at Red Bull) I went through a lot, and this year not really getting much momentum with the team has been quite difficult.

“That has made me stronger. Sometimes if I want to get angry and break something, I take a step back and try to understand what impact that will have on everyone. I have a bit more discipline now and that comes with experience and age. And also looking at the big picture. I don’t want end my career at the end of this year. I want to be here a long time, and the things I do

today might have an effect on next year or everything – like my position in the sport.

So you have to be smart.

Hopefully I won’t break anything.”

I asked Ricciardo if the goal has to be to have good results in the last four races of this season to build momentum into the offseason and on to 2020.

“Sure,” he said. “If we have an awesome string of four races now, everyone is motivated to work their butts off during December and during the snow. As opposed to having more stuff like this going on. It is important.

Speaking for me and Nico, all we can do is drive as best as we can, and see what happens. For the team – just try to keep everyone up and motivated so whatever happens now, even if it does not go as we’d like, to keep things still positive for the offseason because that is going to be super important for us next year.”

This, remember, was on the Thursday prior to the Mexican Grand Prix. So you can read elsewhere in this issue of Auto Action how the first of those four “momentum” races actually turned out.

Given Renault’s ups and downs this year, I do not think the team can have four mega races. But Renault and Ricciardo will end the season in better shape than they started it.

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OPINION EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

By MARK FOGARTY Editor-At-Large I HAVE been doing this for a very, very long time. I don’t know everything, but I do know a lot.

Not that I always did.

That lead paragraph is unusual in itself. Using the personal pronoun is something my training taught me to avoid.

In this case, it can’t be ducked.

But it took a long time to get here.

Fred Gibson brought this home to me at Bathurst. I’ve known Gibbo pretty much since I was a boy – and he’s still sharp enough to remember what I was like as an ambitious youngster. “You were a little shit,� he observed during a private dinner.

I couldn’t disagree. Four decades ago, I was rambunctious, opinionated and cocky. Some say I haven’t changed.

What is different is that my curmudgeonly demeanour is backed by sheer weight of experience. I’m one of the last very few journos from the 1970s still actively covering the sport.

You can count the survivors on one hand. Yes, we’re old, blasÊ and not easily impressed. But we know where the bodies are buried.

We have stories to tell and a perspective that puts everything into context. Even the most wellread young journo, as I was in the early/mid-1970s, can’t fully understand history if you weren’t there.

For the most part, since 1972, I was. Which is why Fred Gibson and I can talk over dinner about the old days with authority. He was there and so was I, especially since he took over running the Nissan factory team in 1982.

We traded war stories at a private dinner hosted by Ford

PR executives Matt Moran and Damion Smy. Allan Moffat and his eldest son Andrew were also there, along with three other enthusiast motoring writers.

Moff enjoyed the banter, often raising eyebrows at Gibbo’s assertions about their time together as Ford teammates in the Al Turner/Howard Marsden official factory team era.

Gibson told many tales out of school. One day they will be repeated publicly – and your hair will curl.

Stuff happened in the 1970s that you wouldn’t believe. And Fred and Moffat were in the middle of it.

For younger – even early middle-aged journos – this would have been a hero worship session.

Don’t get me wrong. The fan side of me reveres these guys.

If you’d added Norm Beechey, I would’ve been beside myself.

Professionally, though, they are contemporaries. I grew up with them.

I’ve covered racing all over the world at the highest levels – and gone toe-to-toe with the most famous and most powerful – but the Moffats, Brocks, Johnsons, Gibsons, Bonds, Grices et al are at the core of my long career.

But as Gibson pointed out, in the early years, I was full of myself. Moffat would probably agree because back in the day, our relationship was fractious. He was difficult, though.

We’re all now older and wiser.

I get along with the greats of the past because I was there and saw – and reported – what they did. They respect longevity, unlike some of the sport’s administrators.

I’ve seen it all and little has actually changed. Same frictions, same disputes, same complaints.

And it’s not just me I’m talking

about. Our newshound Bruce Newton, Sydney scribe Peter McKay and the irrepressible Paul Gover are active veterans whose weight of experience lends credence to their observations.

The point being that when a seasoned journo takes a stance, it is from a satellite-high perspective. We see the repeated mistakes – and we call them out.

I love racing, but I’m never going to be an apologist or a booster.

Channel Nine News’ long-time promo tag “Experience Makes The Difference� rings true in this game as well.

Luckily, I’m still young-atheart enough to actively – even combatively – engage. It is my duty, as contrarian politician Don Chipp once declared, to “Keep the bastards honest�.

Simple as that. Enquire, agitate, expose, report. The old salts in this game adhere to that.

Sure, 40, even 30 years ago, I was up myself. But the weight of my broad experience in journalism and broadcasting – and other sports – since gives me the right to comment bluntly.

It’s about holding the authorities to account. Veteran hacks can call them out because we’ve seen it all and lived through changing regimes. We’re still here.

It’s what makes Auto Action different. We tell it like it is, without fear or favour. Much of that is because our lead Supercars reporter Bruce Newton and veteran F1 correspondent Dan Knutson don’t know any other way.

Trust us. We have the experience and authority to give you the unvarnished view.

Plus, we know the legends of the sport – and they know us.

It’s makes a big difference.

Publisher

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

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We take a look back at what was making news 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago 1979: THE NEW Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons that formed the basis of the next generation of touring cars were still under formulation, as doubts and manufacturer reticence threatened to derail the plans. CAMS took the homologation requirements away from the manufacturers’ hands, which in the case of the Falcon proved critical with Ford not supportive of racing its new Falcon. Holden on the other hand clinched the MANCHAMPS. 1989: THE PROPOSED Gold Coast IndyCar event was back under a cloud as an election had changed the government and the sworn in Labor Party doubted the event’s viability without FISA or CAMS sanction. Drivers contesting the NASCAR and AUSCAR support races - including Jim Richards – risked losing their licences, though Bob Jane believed, ‘common sense will prevail.’

1999: 1 McLAREN WAITED nervously for the th result of Ferrari’s appeal against Eddie Irvine’s Ir disqualification due to a technical infringement. in The Irishman had won the Malaysian M Grand Prix, but was thrown out of the results when stewards deemed he and an teammate Michael Schumacher’s bargeboards ba as illegal. The action on the Gold Go Coast was hot, Dario Franchitti and Paul Pa Radisich took wins.

2009: A TIGHT battle between former housemates Jamie Whincup and Will Davison grew even closer due to a poor round for the reigning champion on the Gold Coast. As Garry Rogers Motorsport leaves Supercars this year, back 10 years ago the team had snagged a quality sponsor in Fujitsu to join the team in a multi-year deal. The was also talk of Nissan planning to join the main game.

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 GRM TELL-ALL GAZZA & BAZZA LET LOOSE .COM.AU

71 1971 1 INCE 197 SINC SINCE S

WORLD SCOOP WITH DOUBLEHEADER SUPERCARS

FIRST LOOK

HORSE DARK H

Issue #1773 Oct 31 to Nov 13 $7.95 NZ $8.50

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PLUS WIPE OUT!

Why Kelly Racing could threaten with Mustang

Scotty’s title-delaying Surfers shunt

Cover images: Tim Pattinson Design/Gil Slade/Ross Gibb/LAT

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ROGERS,

OVER AND OUT

Garry and Barry Rogers explain the tough decision to end 24 years in Supercars and outline what the future holds for GRM

Images: Ross Gibb/S5000/TCR Australia/Daniel Kalisz

NEARLY 50 YEARS ago, an adolescent boy pestered a local driver for a photo of his racing car. The driver duly delivered a black and white print of his racer, much to the delight of the lad, who became a regular visitor to the small team’s outer suburban workshop.

The driver indulged the kid’s interest and was always encouraging, even though he probably regarded the youngster’s impromptu visits as annoying. It was an early sign of the fan friendliness that would see him become one of racing’s most popular and colourful characters.

The driver was Garry Rogers and I was the precocious teenager. Neither of us could have imagined that almost half

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a century later, we’d still be in regular contact as racing insiders.

In the early 1970s, Garry Rogers Motorsport was a backyard operation, running out of a rudimentary workshop at the back of Garry’s used car lot. He raced an Appendix J 48/215 ‘Humpy’ Holden and then an EH Holden before moving into sports sedans, where Rogers made his name as a racer in the mid-’70s.

His car yard – which later grew into a multi-franchise new car dealership – was down the road from where I grew up. For a car racing-obsessed teenager, he was a local hero who had become a national racing figure by the time I inveigled my way into journalism.

GRM is the longest established team

in Australian motor racing, tracing its origins back to 1963. Its storied history is recounted on pages 26-31.

After 24 seasons in M is V8 touring cars, GRM pulling out of Supercars – but not racing – because 75-year-old Rogers has become disillusioned with the category.

His highlights in V8 racing include victory in the 2000 Bathurst 1000 and induction into the Supercars Hall Of Fame.

In recent years, he has been running his team with his son Barry. Together, they talk openly about the big decision and their future in TCR and S5000.

Why are you pulling out of Supercars?

Barry, you obviously saw this coming, but was it still wrenching when it came?

Garry Rogers: Well, firstly, I’ve had a great time. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the touring car championship, which became the V8 Supercars championship and then became the Supercars championship. I had a great time, some reasonably good results, but I’ve looked at this for some time and I just couldn’t see that it was a viable business anymore, being the run the way that it was. I just figured it was too disjointed, too many opinions and not enough action. So, really, I just decided that it was time to get out of Supercars. As you know, we made some other motor racing engagements in the past 12 months because we’re not getting out of motor racing. I just figured there were better ways to be involved, so that’s why the decision was taken.

Was it a difficult decision?

Barry Rogers: Obviously, dad had been thinking about it and we’d been talking about it, but it’s still sad it’s happened.

Well, not sad as such because there are a lot of things in the world that are saddening and this is just business. The more appropriate description is that it’s unfortunate. It doesn’t change what GRM has achieved in Supercars.

The history of what dad’s done in all those years doesn’t go away, b butt you shouldn’t go on with things for the sake of it and that’s probably how we’ve been operating for the past few years. The Volvo period was probably our peak. We’ve had the same basic crew here for at least 10 years.

GR: Some of them have been here longer than 20 years.

GR: Very. I dwelled on this for the past 12 months – probably 18 months, really – and I to’d and fro’d, but I couldn’t really see a big shining light at the end of the tunnel. Whereas before you’d look a little bit ahead and things might change a bit, but, really, to me, it had to be done and it had to be done while we were still going along in a reasonable manner. I mean, our results haven’t been great, but they haven’t been dismal and I would hate to get to that stage where you’re just straggling around going nowhere.

We were still competitive to a certain extent and I think still could be. But I just saw it as not a good business model for the future wellbeing of what I’ve invested over this period of time.

BR: From a business point of view, the Volvo era was a good era. Previous to that, there was a bit of a lull post that early to mid-2000s period where Holden and Ford were really tipping the money in and having a really good crack at it, which is really what the sport grew on the back of. The fact is that today, Holden and Ford are lucky to have a combined seven or eight per cent market share, whereas back in the heyday they probably had, in round figures, a combined 50 per cent of the Australian car market and just bankrolled racing. It made a lot of sense from a sporting perspective, but also from a business perspective.

You could go motor racing and make a business out of it, whereas today

it really k off guys lik d runs on th the b backs like d dad who are just totally passionate about it. And it’s his passion that’s kept it going, certainly since the Volvo era.

It’s been the passion and commitment from him that’s kept it going. If you asked any sensible person looking at it “Would you do it?”, they’d say no, they wouldn’t.

Garry, you said the Supercars team was no longer viable. Is that an indictment of Supercars or of how you ran the team?

GR: Well, perhaps we could’ve run our team better. I personally don’t see a lot of flaws in the way we do our business. We employ sensible people and we don’t waste money, but I think the available income stream – while it’s there from Supercars, while there’s the franchise arrangements that give you some income – is not enough to be able to operate efficiently enough to produce a worthwhile income. Is Supercars responsible? Well, I don’t think you can say Supercars is totally responsible, but the fact is that there’s too much skirting around the side

i I recentt years, no issues.

In one would really make the tough decisions with rule changes, with racing regulations, with all sorts of things – and that’s what really made my mind up in the end. Everyone had ideas and there were too many meetings, too many deliberations, too many committees and commissions and surveys, and no one would sit up and say “This is what we’re going to do and this is when we’re going to do it”. They were all too terrified to do that and that was the determining factor for me to say enough is enough. As I say, I had a great time and I will certainly watch Supercars racing – and I may even go to the odd Supercars race meeting to have a look because I actually love it. But the fact is, I just couldn’t see any real sensibility in the business plan there.

And as Garry and I have discussed previously, Barry, the sport has simply become too expensive, hasn’t it?

BR: It has, yes, definitely. We’re a mini version of Formula 1. We’re

Another in the long line of talented youngsters Rogers has brought on, James Golding has shown real potential this year.

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spending ridiculous amounts of money on components in cars that mean absolutely nothing to Harry standing on the hill. There are simple things that can be done to cut costs – crate engines, all those sorts of things, can be brought in that no one would care less about from a fan perspective…

GR: No one would even know what they were, much less care.

BR: There’s stuff that could have done that would save teams hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars. You wouldn’t save a huge amount of money on one specific item, but you add three or four together – engines being at the top of the list – and all of a sudden you could probably cut a good couple of millions out of a team’s budget, and all of a sudden you’re viable again. Dad knows more about that than me, but there a lot of people with vested interests in the sport that dictate a lot of the decisions that get made, particularly around engines.

GR: It’s around the whole technical capacity of this business. The fact of the matter is, there could have been some very simple changes made. We go back to the Car Of The Future. It didn’t happen the way it was envisaged. If it had’ve been done properly, we wouldn’t be arguing about uprights and shock absorbers now. It would all have been set in place. But, no. All they did was have another committee meeting and bring in another advisor, and seek advice from people who really have their own interests at stake, whether they’re with teams or are outside sub-contractors. Those people have really had a big influence on this category.

You asked for an extension of a week or two weeks after the entry deadline to see if you could salvage the situation, but that was rejected. Wasn’t that a huge slap in the face from Supercars after nearly 25 years in the category?

GR: Well, it certainly was and I indicated to Supercars that we would be looking to try to get something together. There was no definite decision from Boost. Boost had indicated… Well, the contract would have gone on if we’d have met certain criteria, which is another story. But the fact of the matter is, I was really shocked when I got in touch with Sean (Seamer, Supercars CEO). I texted him and he sent me back a note saying no, that the decision had to be made by the end of the day and there couldn’t be any extensions. To be honest, it just exemplified the way that business is run today. A real professional organisation would’ve said “Well, hang on, here’s someone who’s been in this since the inception, they’ve always turned up, they’ve done their job and they have a sensible business that over the years has always been able to commit and pay”. And I would’ve thought they should have bent over backwards to give me some form of extension. Whether we could have got some more money out of Valvoline or got Boost back on board or done something else, I don’t know. We’ll never know because

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Garry Rogers says that James Golding’s debut S5000 success has been the making of him as a driver, he’s raced with a lot more self confidence since beating John Martin and Rubens Barrichello at Sandown. it didn’t happen. But to be honest, in the end, I just thought, welI, if that’s the sort of mentality I’m going to be dealing with, I don’t want to deal with them.

BR: How is ARG the enemy?

Boost Mobile’s position was disingenuous. The demand for a control upright from next year was never going to happen, so in effect the deal was never going to continue.

BR: Look, I can’t see how it’s the enemy.

GR: [chuckles] No, of course not. But Peter Adderton, love him or hate him, he’s a commercial businessman driving his Boost brand. And, personally, I think good on him for saying what he says to get that sort of exposure. But, no, you’re right, it would never have happened. But that doesn’t mean they were the only people that we had interested in doing something with us. And to be quite frank, I could’ve delved into our other businesses, as I’ve done in previous times, to support the team for next season. But when I looked at the way the (Supercars) business was being conducted with the regulations and the inability of sensible decisions to be taken, then I figured if they’re not prepared to at least discuss with me who I was going to be talking to, did I think it was going to happen, I was out. To just simply say Friday (October 18) is the deadline, you’re gone, well, to be frank, I felt relieved to be gone.

BR: We were told we could put our RECs on the shelf (hand them back to Supercars) and re-tender for them later. But we weren’t going to do that. Basically, we were told we could buy our own RECs back.

Do you get any sense that this was payback?

GR: Payback for what?

Well, because you got involved in TCR and S5000. You got in bed with the enemy.

GR: You’d like to think not.

That’s how it’s perceived in some quarters.

GR: Me neither. We’re all in motor racing.

BR: A completely different form of motor sport. Really, it’s probably a shame in some ways that all of it isn’t together because as a total package, it’d be a really, really great value show for the punter that pays to go through the gate. I would’ve thought if you could watch four-cylinder hot hatches, then watch V8 Supercars and V8 open-wheelers, what a day at the racing it would be.

GR: In answer to your question is this payback, I don’t think so. If it was, that would be pretty petty and we’re even better off out of it. But I have to say, nothing was ever said to us to suggest anything like that. Look, I have a lot of really good friends in the Supercars business. Well, not really good friends. I have a lot of really good acquaintances in Supercars. I don’t have a lot of friends per se in that industry because it’s competition. I have a lot of respect for certain people and I have zero for certain others, but that’s just business of any type.

the business to make any real worthwhile plan.

So what do you do with your RECs? Do you just hand them back or…

GR: We sold one to Matt Stone and one’s gone onto the shelf. So someone will buy that one day and I’ll get the money back.

Are they actually worth anything?

GR: No. BR: Petty cash, really.

That’s worrying, given that they were once worth, what?

GR: $1.5 million. But that’s history. Move on.

You mentioned that you could’ve kept subsidising the team to keep it going.

You’ve been propping it up for some years now, haven’t you?

GR: I have been.

Certainly, since the Volvo era.

GR: Exactly. And as I said, we’d been talking about this for some time and I’d been analysing it all with Errol (Stubblety, GRM company secretary), who’s been with me for 42 years and looks after all our finances. We arrived at the conclusion that we just could not get the funds together with the indecision that was associated with

GRM’s immediate future lies with TCR and S5000 ... but could TA2 be on the horizon as well?

Now, a few less zeroes?

GR: Not even that. But, as I say, we made the decision and I’m more than happy with the decision that I made. We spoke to our staff about it and most people are staying. There’ll be the odd person that’s worked here for a while who’ll want to continue chasing the V8 dream, but with everything else that we have going on, I’d be very surprised if most people don’t stay.

BR: We’ve actually expanded our workshop.

GR: We’ll keep everyone who wants to stay. We’re not short of work.

And what happens with James Golding and Richie Stanaway?

R: He tested the car at Winton and he was actually very impressive. With ‘Bieber’ (Golding), we found racing the S5000 at Sandown was really a line in the sand for him. He was a different person after driving that car.

GR: He was.

It put him in a new light.

BR: It did. With any professional sports person, a lot of it happens between the ears and I think it just gave him that bit of belief. He got some real confidence from it and he’s driven differently since then.

opportunities that appear to be popping up.

He was a standout at Bathurst.

GR: Oh, well, their contracts were due, anyway. But that’s not to say they won’t be here. At this stage, Golding will be driving our S5000 at Tailem Bend and we’re talking to him about an arrangement for that particular category next year, but we’re really not sure what will happen with Stanaway at the end of the year.

[Stanaway was benched from the Sunday GC600 race in a disciplinary action explained elsewhere and his future with the team for the rest of the season is in doubt.]

Why wouldn’t you give Richie a run in the S5000, given that his pedigree is open-wheelers?

GR: We spoke to him about it prior to Sandown and at that stage I think he was concerned about his health (neck injury) and other things, but I can’t control things that have occurred in Richie’s past. I thought it would’ve been good for him to do that, but he wasn’t overly keen, so I figured that decision was best left to him and he wasn’t keen.

GR: He certainly was.

It must have been gutting that a good result went begging there. [Golding and Richard Muscat were in contention for the podium until a wheel problem late in the race.]

GR: It hurt a bit, but we’ve had others that have hurt equally as bad. Anyway, move on.

So next year, GRM will run just TCR and S5000 teams?

BR: Maybe other things, too. We like those TA2s We reckon they’re pretty a smart car. Affordable V8 racing, all equal.

We’ve had a bit of a look at those. Garry might make a comeback. He reckons he can drive one of those!

BR: We’ll run at least two Alfas and we have a third Renault coming. We’ve also had some contact from Peugeot in Europe. They’re sending a car out to Tailem Bend with a factory driver and they contacted us to help organise the logistics for them. We’ve done that, so whether there’s an opportunity to do something further with them, we’ll see what happens.

And how is interest in S5000 going?

GR: Not as strong as it was for Sandown, but we expected that. Everyone remembered Formula 5000s at Sandown, so there was always going to be a lot interest. We think we’ll have a comfortable field of 12-14 at Tailem Bend and if we get that, we’d be more than happy because we only have 14 cars plus a spare.

Will you be making any more over the summer?

How many TCRs will you run?

GR: We still don’t know yet, but leasing and running ourselves, probably half a dozen or more with the other

GR: We’re looking at that now because the interest that’s been generated since the announcement that S5000 will be on the support program at the Australian GP

has got everyone up on their toes. But d tto make k sure th ild we need thatt if we b build some more of these cars, which we have the capacity to do, that it’s not just for Albert Park. If we invest in the product and we get them there, we need them to be taken up for more than just the Melbourne GP. Ideally, 20 on the grid next year?

GR: That’d be perfect. But at several race meetings, not just at Albert Park.

BR: I don’t think we’ll have a problem for the championship next year. From the level of interest we’ve seen, I would have thought at least all 14 will be running at every round.

Back to Supercars. Are you planning any farewell celebrations at Sandown or Newcastle?

GR: We’ll just prepare our cars as best we can and make sure we give the drivers every opportunity to produce a good result because on our current speed, I would have thought we could reasonably expect to get some pretty solid results.

It’d be great to go out with some strong performances. If we won races, would we stay? No, we would not stay. We are gone.

While probably not the decision you wanted to make…

GR: No. It seems like you’re comfortable with it.

GR: Yes, I’m extremely comfortable with my decision. If I’d clung on and clung on, 12 months from now I would’ve regretted it because I can see that this is absolutely not going to be operating in a successful manner from a business perspective. I would be dirty on myself for not making the decision. I really have no regrets at all.

I’ve absolutely just loved my way through all this stuff. There’ve been setbacks, sure, but I just couldn’t see our business being any better off if I just kept hanging on in Supercars.

Next issue: Garry Rogers looks back on the highlights of GRM’s time in V8 touring cars and his almost flawless track record of spotting future superstars.

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R E P U S N E E B S IT’ Garry Rogers Motorsport has been a mainstay of the sport at the top level for 24 seasons, but the team will now bid farewell to Supercars at the end of this year as HEATH McALPINE details Images: LAT/AA Archive/ Ross Gibb THE TEAM at Garry Rogers Motorsport has been through its share of rises and falls since joining the fledgling Australian Touring Car Championship circus in 1996.

It was a year that featured much change. It was the first without tobacco sponsorship, forcing Glenn Seton Racing and Gibson Motorsport to drop to single-car entries, Russell Ingall entered the championship full-time alongside Larry Perkins, as did Craig Lowndes to start a dream run with the Holden Racing Team. Alan Jones also went it alone, taking Seton’s sponsor with him to a new two-car team led by the Stone Brothers, Ross and Jim. Then there was fellow newcomer GRM which entered its ex-Gibson Motorsport Holden VR Commodore with young gun Steve Richards at the helm, as a privateer with the now iconic Valvoline sponsorship on-board. Set-up out the back of Rogers’ Nissan dealership in Glen Waverley, the team also entered its second year of Australian Super Touring in 1996 after a toe in the water exercise the year before with an Alfa Romeo 155. Upgrading to a Honda Accord for 1996, Richards won a race at Winton on his way to fifth in the title, but a part-season in 1997 left the newly rebranded V8 Supercars as GRM’s main focus.

Richards, the 1994 Australian Formula Ford champion, was the first of a long list of drivers to complete his apprenticeship at GRM, contesting local NASCAR and AUSCAR events for the team, whilst Rogers himself gradually transferred into a team management role.

The single-car Valvoline Cummins

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Commodore team with young Richards at the wheel finished 12th in its maiden championship, with a best race result of second at Mallala during the penultimate round.

For the endurance events, Richards teamed up with father Jim for the first time, but a DNF at The Mountain was a disappointing result.

By 1997 there was big change for the ATCC, which included its rebranding to V8 Supercars.

Network 10 took over the TV coverage and IMG, led by Tony Cochrane, changing the direction of the championship towards a more professional and

GRM was famous for its decades long association with Valvoline, carrying the same colours and the famous #34 season after season.

commercial focused approach.

Richards continued with the team in 1997, finishing again in 12th place with two podiums to his name and a second place at Bathurst with father Jim as well. He also missed a round of the championship at Symmons Plains, allowing Australia’s next big thing in openwheelers, Jason Bright, to make his V8 Supercars debut.

Bigger things were destined for both drivers in 1998. Richards took up a test driver role with Nissan’s factory British Touring Car team RML, while after a stint in America, Bright turned rival when he jumped across to Stone Brothers Racing.

After setting provisional pole and qualifying fifth for the Holden Young Lions team at Bathurst in 1997, Jason Bargwanna was all set to give the established names of Brock, Skaife, Lowndes, Jones, Seton, Johnson and Bowe a run for their money. But a heavy impact with the Forrest’s Elbow concrete meant he and Mark Noske never got to compete in the race.

With no options for 1998, Bargwanna

Tense moments: Garry Rogers and long-time engine builder Mike Excel watch on as GRM closes in on its only Bathurst 1000 victory.

Pinnacle of GRM’s Supercars achievements came in 2000, when Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna won the Bathurst 1000.

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appeared set for the sidelines, but a lifeline was provided by Rogers to the young New South Welshman. It was duly rewarded when Bargwanna won the team’s first race at Calder Park on the way to seventh in title, thanks to podium results at Symmons Plains, Calder and Hidden Valley.

Apart from taking its first win, GRM also introduced a driver that went on to become one of the modern champions of the sport, a young Western Australian by the name of Garth Tander.

Much like Bargwanna, Tander was on the sidelines after winning the 1997 Australian Formula Ford Championship and worked as a race mechanic before he got the call up to debut at Phillip Island. He was up to speed straight away and GRM had the driver pairing that lifted the team from the midfield to consistent frontrunners. The Bargwanna partnered by Richards Snr finished third at Bathurst, behind GRM alumni Bright and Richards, in the Pirtek-sponsored Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon.

Jason Bargwanna leads a high quality field at Calder Park in 1998, on his way to the first of his seven Supercars wins for GRM.

Jason Barwanna enjoyed great success with the GRM squad, winning Supercar Championship rounds at Calder Park, Winton (below), Gold Coast and Bathurst.

The 1999 season demonstrated GRM’s against year-long rival Skaife. engineering ability as the transformation But the turning point was the first visit from VS to VT required completely new to the nation’s capital where Tander had cars to be constructed, a horror time, retiring from which underlined the all three races. Although Jamie Whincup: team’s pursuit of the then he had strong runs at Oran “The things you dominant HRT. Park, Calder and a second learn in your This was when Tander with Bargwanna in the apprenticeship, stay Queensland 500, Canberra began to emerge as a serious contender, proved decisive at the end with you forever! finishing third to both of the championship.

Thank you for the HRT machines at Eastern Heading to the final round memories GRM Creek Raceway, then he at Bathurst, Tander was family.” delivered GRM its firststill in the hunt although he round win at Queensland and Bargwanna needed to Raceway. Bargwanna win to give him any chance had a tough start to the season of victory. It was a treacherous race in while developing the team’s new VT stormy conditions, marking it as the Commodore, but at Winton it culminated slowest Bathurst 1000 since 1974. in a dominant weekend.

In a drama filled but victorious day Bargwanna and Tander (debuting a for GRM, which was highlighted by second VT) locked out the front-row and backmarker Matt Neal involving himself this time it was the former HYL driver’s in the battle for the lead, and ending turn to taste the champagne, winning his any chance of victory for Neil Crompton maiden round. The two teamed up again and Seton in the Ford Tickford Racing for the endurance events, but after a Falcon, title contender Skaife was also superb second place in the Queensland involved in the collision, leaving Lowndes 500, it came to naught at The Mountain to nurse the HRT Commodore home in a as a collision with Tomas Mezera ended championship winning position. the pair’s race with barely a quarter of the It was an emotional victory for GRM, distance completed. a jubilant Bargwanna and Tander A disappointing end to 1999 spurred had capped off two years of constant the team on for 2000 and it did the trick, progression to win the greatest prize in as GRM experienced its most successful Australian motor sport, promising big Supercars season to date. Tander won things for season 2001. the first round at Phillip Island, then third The emergence of fierce competition at the second Adelaide 500 meant he from Ford teams Stone Brothers Racing held a slight championship lead and Dick Johnson Racing, as well as the ffour-car Walkinshaw Commodore super tteam, added much depth to the field, one tthat relegated GRM to a midfield runner once again. Tander finished the season in o 10th, claiming the team’s only podium in Canberra while Bargwanna was just 15th.

C The reigning Bathurst champions managed sixth in changeable conditions m as HRT swept all before it to take both a tthe championship and Bathurst victories.

Despite a return to the winner’s rostrum iin 2002 via Bargwanna’s win at the first Gold Coast IndyCar weekend awarding G cchampionship points, it was still a llean year for GRM after the heights of 2000. Tander again finished 10th and 2

Lee Holdsworth won in his second year of Supercars at Oran Park.

Lee Holdsworth: “I am gutted to see that Garry’s time in the Supercars Championship has come to an end. The man and team that gave me and so many others the first opportunity in the sport, my first full time drive, first podium, first win, first pole.”

Bargwanna 13th as the pair scored third in that year’s Queensland 500, the last to be held at ‘The Paperclip.’

The year was marked by Bargwanna’s monster accident at Phillip Island, after which the team miraculously built up a new chassis in two weeks. The accident also demonstrated the strength of a GRM-built car and the resilience of the team.

At this time GRM was handed the task by Holden to convert the then-new Holden Monaro into an endurance weapon. It certainly got the job done, dominating the two Bathurst 24 Hour events in controversial circumstances.

However, GRM had a disastrous Bathurst 1000 campaign with both cars out before half distance, the season signalling the end of an era as Bargwanna left to join Larkham Motorsport for 2003, opening the door for a young rookie to take the seat.

Jamie Whincup had debuted during the endurance events, partnering Mark Noske in the second Valvoline Cummins Commodore. Having won the 2002 Formula Ford Championship, he jumped straight into a V8 Supercar seat full-time the following year and struggled with the rigours of Supercars competition. The result was 27th in his single year at GRM. while Tander also had an inconsistent year, two thirds over the course of the season led to 12th.

For the first-time in the team’s Supercars history it had a relatively experienced newcomer join the team, in the form of Lansvale refugee Cameron McConville. The year was highlighted by a last gasp win for the new recruit at Winton, when Rick Kelly left a gap on the inside at the penultimate corner, believing it was under yellow flag conditions.

Tander also added a couple of podiums at Eastern Creek and Queensland Raceway, but 11th in the title and another failure at Bathurst for the Western Australian led to his departure at year’s end to the Walkinshaw-run HSV Dealer Team, where he had championship success in 2007.

McConville finished 13th in the title

and for 2005 was joined by reigning Development Series champion Andrew Jones. But the team still couldn’t find its mojo and Jones was benched after a fourth-place finish at Bathurst in favour of Dean Canto, then Lee Holdsworth for the final round.

McConville moved onto Paul Weel Racing for 2006, as GRM returned to its youth policy by entering Canto and Holdsworth. Although still relatively young, Canto was vastly experienced and had just come off dominating the 2005 Development Series for Dick Johnson Racing, while Holdsworth had demonstrated promise in the enduro events and was elevated.

Cam McConville scored his only Supercars victory in a long career, at Winton, driving for In a trying year, Canto took victory in GRM. Here he battles with Mark Skaife’s HRT entry. a reverse grid race at Barbagallo and a third at Winton, while Steve Richards: Holdsworth had a a consistent frontrunner 11th in the championship, while Bathurst breakout round at Oran throughout the failed to garner a result as Holdsworth “Garry Rogers Motorsport Park to finish third in season, finishing in the with David Besnard finished best gave me my shot and I championship top 10 for sharing Race 2, but both finished placed in seventh. towards the back of the haven’t looked back. What a second straight year.

A tough season followed in 2011. a massive team they have Caruso finished his top 20.

Holdsworth’s two second places were Emerging as regular the closest GRM came to victories on the built over the years and debut season in 18th, frontrunner was former which included a fifthway to eighth in the title. Caruso had a how many young guys place finish alongside GRM driver Whincup rough season to finish 14th and Bathurst that Garry has supported. Holdsworth at the newly proved tough for the team, to compound in his first year at Triple It’s a real shame that we moved Phillip Island Eight Race Engineering, a disappointing year. where he took his first 500, and improvements The end of another partnership, won’t see them in the Bathurst 1000 victory followed in 2009.

Holdsworth departed to Stone Brothers Supercars.” and race win in Adelaide Both were considered Racing. Replacing him in the team was on his way to 10th in rising stars of the sport Frenchman Alex Premat, who brought the title. Whincup was about to kick off when Caruso took his maiden victory with him experience from DTM, GP2, a decade of dominance, which broke at Hidden Valley on his way to 11th, sportscars and A1 GP, but it failed to yield records and has earned him the tag as while Holdsworth finished one position a result. Crucially, Premat was unable the greatest driver of his era. ahead to secure a hat-trick of top 10 to contest the final race of the year in The introduction of the VE Commodore finishers. GRM’s trips to the podium were Sydney, allowing Scott McLaughlin to witnessed further improvement for GRM becoming more frequent with the team make his solo Supercars debut ahead as Holdsworth took his maiden race and breaking its Bathurst duck to score third. of a maiden full season drive in 2013. round win at a wet Oran Park, while fifth The next season continued further Caruso’s top five Bathurst result was early at Bathurst for the pair appeared improvement as GRM gained third in one of only two the team had as he was to be a confidence builder until another the team’s championship and its young Nissan bound in 2013. retirement continued the team’s poor run chargers continued to push the perennial Premat and McLaughlin led GRM into of form. frontrunners, with added Fujitsu the CoTF generation and successfully Canto was out for 2008, Michael sponsorship no less. so. It only took six races for the young Caruso in. A decade on since Tander and Holdsworth added another win to Kiwi to clock up his first Supercars win, Bargwanna teamed up, the partnership his tally in the final race of the year in fittingly at Pukekohe, before he won of Holdsworth and Caruso came close Sydney, while consistent points delivered again at Queensland Raceway to cap to equally their success. Holdsworth was him seventh in the championship, his off an impressive debut season in 10th. unable to take a win, but he began to be best finish yet. Caruso again finished Premat also improved, finishing fourth

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Michael Caruso: it is so sad to hear the news that Garry and his team are departing Supercars this season. I for one could not be where I am today without him giving me my start in 2008. Not only is Garry known for believing in the young guns but for supporting so many within his team and treating them like family.

Garth Tander, James Golding, James Moffat and Richard Muscat pose with the GRM Supercars Championship and Super2 squad in 2017.

Triple Eight. Fifth in the in the opening race at James Golding: title proved the point, Adelaide on his way to “He has obviously but Dahlgren was a 19th. brought a lot of young disappointment.

Another international David Wall joined replaced Premat in guys through the McLaughlin for Volvo’s the form of Swede sport and given them second year, which failed Robert Dahlgren, as opportunities, just like to build on year one.

GRM entered a new he has for me and I’m There were a number of relationship with Volvo.

It was a popular one really grateful for that podium results for the and results came almost and he obviously hasn’t Kiwi but no victories, though a top five result immediately when left me in the lurch or at The Mountain with McLaughlin charged to anything like that.”

Premat was a significant second in a titanic battle improvement on 17th the with Whincup in the previous year. season’s opening round at the Adelaide The final year of Volvo was its most 500. “Plucked some jandle and f*ck competitive yet, but unfortunately wasn’t yeah” proved a popular catchcry from the rising star at the end of the race as he enough to keep the Swedish marque in the sport. It was also farewell to grew within the team.

McLaughlin, who did it in style, finishing Again Pukekohe was the place where third behind Triple Eight drivers Whincup McLaughlin took his first win, for Volvo and champion Shane van Gisbergen in that is. Another four victories meant before heading off to DJR Team Penske. the team were a continual thorn in the A clean-sweep at Phillip Island was side of Ford Performance Racing and

30 AutoAction

GARRY ROGERS MOTORSPORT HONOURBOARD

Driver Steve Richards Jason Bargwanna Garth Tander Jamie Whincup Cameron McConville Andrew Jones Dean Canto Lee Holdsworth Michael Caruso Alex Premat Scott McLaughlin Robert Dahlgren David Wall James Moffat James Golding Richie Stanaway

GRM wins 7 wins 4 wins 1 1 2 1 8 -

Championships 1 (2007) 7 (2008, 2009, 2011-14, 2017) 1 (2018) -

followed later in the year by Bathurst heartbreak as he tangled with Whincup and Tander, which ended Volvo’s best chance of winning The Mountain classic.

Teammate James Moffat moved from Nissan to GRM as it returned to its Holden roots. Not only did the marque of car evoke memories, but so did the

Bathurst wins 5 (1998-99, 2013, 2015, 2018) 1 (2000) 3 (2000, 2009, 2011) 4 (2006-08, 2012) 1 (2019) 1 (2019) -

return of Tander. Coming off the back of GRM’s most competitive showing in a long time, there was hope that the iconic combination of Tander and Rogers could continue the team’s bettering fortunes.

Although not as successful, Tander still finished in the top 10.

Youth again entered the team with

Garth Tander made a return to the GRM squad in 2017 but in an unexpected coup was replaced

by Richie Stanaway for 2019.

protégé and GRM Super2 driver James Golding entering his first season of Supercars in 2018, replacing Moffat. It proved a tough one, Tander finished on the podium in Adelaide, but failed to improve on that, while Golding improved over the back half of the season to finish eighth with Richard Muscat at Bathurst. Meanwhile, yet another former GRM driver in the form of McLaughlin snagged his first title for DJR Team Penske.

There was a major shift ahead of the 2019 season when Boost Mobile joined GRM as naming rights sponsor and Kiwi Richie Stanaway replaced Garth Tander in the team. It was a controversial move, but one that highlighted the changing model of the sport and one that ultimately has drawn a curtain on GRM’s involvement.

Performances have been disappointing for the team, Stanaway re-injuring an old neck injury and so missed a considerable number of events. The team had a boost in performance at Pukekohe before Golding and Muscat again vaulted into contention at

Bathurst, before a loose wheel cost the pair any chance of a decent result.

This was followed then by the emotional confirmation that GRM is to pull up stumps on its Supercars involvement at the end of this season.

The amount of young talent that has passed through GRM under Rogers speaks for itself. Out of the last decade of Supercars, former GRM drivers have won seven championships (mostly thanks to Whincup), while over the whole Supercars era two further titles can be added, as appears will this year’s one.

At Bathurst, 12 wins have been clocked up by GRM alumni including the most recent one by McLaughlin and Premat.

During the last year, GRM also returned to its engineering roots when it undertook the S5000 project, developing and manufacturing the concept in a bit over nine months. GRM will continue to move forward with this project and its TCR program into 2020, butit will be much missed in the Supercars paddock.

GRM was famous for developing young talent. Its most recent success was Scot McLaughlin, star of the team’s Volvo program and now the sport’s leading driver at DJR Team Penske.

James Golding was buried in the pack at Bathurst this year but clever strategy had him set for a potential podium late race, when a loose wheel dropped the GRM entry out of contention.

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN: “I’m really saddened. Outside my family, Garry would be in the top three most important people who influenced my career. In terms of Supercars, I put him above everyone. He gave me my chance.”

Sandown 500 preview

The Retro Round Sandown is always a highlight of the Supercars calendar but this year it holds special significance as the last-ever Sandown 500.

David Reynolds told DAN McCARTHY why this round is one of his favourites Images: LAT/Ross Gibb TRADITIONALLY THE Pirtek Enduro Cup opener, Sandown this year closes out the season of endurance and also ends its time as a 500km event.

A race that can trace its roots back to the 1960s will move to The Bend in 2020, but will this year continue its retro flavour with a number of teams taking up the challenge to wind back the clock.

Erebus Motorsport is one that always impresses when it comes to retro and the team’s Holden Commodores don’t go half too bad there either. David Reynolds sat on pole for last year’s event and is confident of a good result, believing the Melbourne suburban circuit’s characteristics suit the machine he and Luke Youlden will share “Our general balance in those short sharp corners are quite good and our cars always tend to love street tracks, and Sandown is technically like a street track,” Reynolds said. “Our weak point at Sandown in the races has to be rear tyre life, that is where Triple Eight have pumped everyone the last couple of years, they have got very, very good tyre life.”

Triple Eight dominated last year’s event taking a 1-2-3, leaving DJR Team Penske a distant fourth with Scott McLaughlin and Alex Premat. The Ford team hasn’t had a great recent history at the circuit, the last victory for the team coming with

32 AutoAction

David Reynolds went full retro last year (here and below).

James Courtney back in 2010, however with McLaughlin’s recent dominance it is impossible to rule the Kiwi out.

Tickford Racing at its home circuit will be keen to leave behind its enduro demons and has good history at the venue, taking victory with Cam Waters and Richie Stanaway in 2017. Any Mustang team can’t be ruled out after the Ford machine has taken all before it this season.

In recent years the Sandown 500 has been run as the Retro Round in which teams and drivers dress up in retro costumes, as well as racing in cars with retro liveries. Erebus has been a highlight in recent times, decking its cars out in the famous 1986 Bathurst winning Chickadee

livery last year.

“I love the retro look, the retro cars, even the fans, commentators and the TV people dress up,” Reynolds said.

“For me it is something special, even though most of the cars I never actually saw, I wasn’t alive in that era. It takes you back to remember what it was like racing in that era, it’s a really cool feeling, the more effort the teams go into, the more I love it.”

With this being the final Sandown 500 before the race moves to The Bend Motorsport Park in 2020, Reynolds is unsure of how it will play out.

“I was a part of the series when they raced the Phillip Island 500 and that didn’t really

Triple Eight locked out the podium in 2018 (right). Tickford continues the tradition of running a retro livery (below).

Scott McLaughlin has dominated the championship in 2019 (above).

AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF HIGH PERFORMANCE ENGINE PARTS! noted that when Ford Australia withdrew from note racing at the end of 1973, the group was given racin soft landing. a so “Ford looked after us amazingly,” he said.

“F “When they shut down the racing team at the “Wh end of ’73, not one of us was let go. They employed us for probably six months without emp a job. job “I think we invented indoor cricket!”

Russell is looking forward to the GT-HO Ru 50th 50th anniversary celebration at Lot 6 on October Octtob ber 13.

1 The currently tatty Lot 6 (main image) where Col “It’ll be great,” he said. “I have been there since. g Russell (left) worked his magic on works 351 I actually walked around the old workshop when it Falcons, including the stillborn Phase 4s (below). was a tile supplier.”

The owner of the building is an enthusiast who certainly nothing to indicate the special vehicles is facilitating the vacant site’s transformation into being developed within. an homage to the GT-HO. “It was a workshop nothing like they are today, “The gentleman who owns the place has always but it was very neat, very tidy, quite large and wellbeen interested in it and he’s willing to let us do equipped for the time,” Russell said. this,” former SVO boss Al Turner reported.

“It was a great place to work, I can tell you that.

Turner expects a big turn out because the GTThe camaraderie was exceptional.

HO story has been told so often and so well.

“There didn’t appear to be any hierarchy. There workso out, not atimes lot ofand people “It’s been hashed over many all was no actual boss. We all just had a job to do and turned up,hethey the facts are really out there,” toldwere Autoboring Action we worked together.” races,” he recalled. from his home in Florida.

Russell also remembers that the SVO team was “I’mhas sitting fence (with “The Australian press doneona the great job on relatively well paid for their long-hours endeavours.

Theout.”

Bend), I’ll see how it rolls “Back then, motor mechanics were getting $4000 really getting the truth love Tailem great Turner also hopesout, theI GT-HO Lot 6Bend, Foundation’s a year – $2 an hour,” he said. “However, we got paid facilities.” long-held aim to establish a scholarship to every cent of overtime. A normal day was 8am to Reynolds is keen the historic promote young racing technicians, firstforfloated 5pm and then we went to double time and knocked circuit towith remain as amore retro round in 2010, will finally happen a new, off at a minute to midnight five days a week. On concerted effort. due to the mystic and atmosphere weekends, we worked Saturday and Sunday for theground, track. but I think it’s “It’s never gottenwithin off the eight hours – that was like having half a day off.” hope we havehe a retro Russell, who was the SVO motor magician, also going to gain some“Itraction thisstill time,” said. round at Sandown, because a retro round at Sandown makes sense as Sandown is quite an old circuit, old facilities, (but) it has got a cool vibe about it, a retro type vibe, I hope that remains,” he said.

The Retro theme is not the only unique part of the Sandown 500 weekend.

Qualifying gets a shake-up too, when the regular 20-minute Qualifying session is followed by a small co-driver race and a mini main driver race, the order of both sorting the grid for Sunday’s encounter. It is fair to say that it is not something Reynolds is a huge fan of.

“I think races are races and qualifying should be qualifying. It should be completely different.

You do three events before you find out where you qualify, which you can do in one lap normally,” Reynolds said.

“They (the races) should acquire their own points, which should add up to the weekend.”

The qualifying has been known to shake the Retired senior automotive gridallowing up drastically.

Last year alone both executive David Blackhall has joined the meantime the Foundation to hold thethe car of Craigon Lowndes and the #97 of GT-HO #888 50th celebration the premises.

Foundation as special advisor to help get the van Elite Gisbergen had toGroup march their way After Shane the event, Automotive scheme off the ground.

10th and 11th on thewindow grid respectively. plans tofrom dedicate a permanent display All funds raised will go towards providing The qualifying format certainly gives other a young mechanic with the opportunity to with signage and a space to house GT-HO teamsfor thefuture chance to beat Triple Eight and develop his or her career in motorsport to memorabilia enthusiasts to pay homage to the sitePenske whereand the can legend began. the highest levels through the support and DJR Team create a surprising “Thiswinner event has been madeafternoon. possible by participation of the Kangan Institute and RMIT come Sunday Ford enthusiasts Salvatore and Luke Dai, who Universities, and to assist in the development of the curriculum into the future. have purchased the building to conduct their Although the Lot 6 building’s facade has business, Elite Automotive Group, and we cannot thank them enough for their generosity,” been reworked and the old workshop area divided, inside retains the look and atmosphere said Foundation director Peter Dietze, who is Turner’s son-in-law. of its Ford Special Vehicles days.

“This is a unique opportunity to celebrate all It will be dressed for the occasion with PirtekatEnduro Cup Points: imagery reflecting its glory days. things GT-HO the birthplace of the GT-HO.” Three sponsorship packages ranging in cost The site had been occupied in recent years 1. Van Gisbergen/Tander 564 6.toReynolds/Youlden from $5000 to $15,000 are available companies 390

by Lexatonia Tiles until the property’s recent 2.

Whincup/Lowndes 528 7.

Holdsworth/Randle 372 wishing to participate in the event. sale to the Elite Automotive Group. The used3.

McLaughlin/Premat 429 8.

W Davison/A Davison 348 For further information, contact Peter Dietze on car dealership plans to expand its existing 4.

Pye/Luff 423 9.

Kelly/Wood 321 0411 728 466 or at peter@fordgtholot6.com.

Mahoneys Road footprint in early 2020, in the 5. Courtney/Perkins 411 10. Waters/Caruso 321

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WRC Rally Australia preview

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN The FIA World Rally Championship once again concludes Down Under in the coastal destination of Coffs Harbour. DAN McCARTHY previews what promises to be an exciting climax to this year’s title.

THIS YEAR’S edition of Rally Australia will be the last before the event takes a hiatus allowing New Zealand to hold its first WRC event since 2012, although it is envisioned that both events will rotate annually.

Heading into the final round of the championship, Estonian Ott Tanak sealed his first World Rally Championship in Spain. The Toyota star managed to score just enough points to

put the title just out of Sebastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville’s grasp.

That trio have been a step above the rest all season long and are the obvious stars to look out for during Rally Australia.

Out of the three, Tanak has undoubtedly been the fastest throughout the season, however a number of costly mechanical failures to his Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris kept

Champion Ott Tanak has sprayed the champagne many times throughout the 2019 season but is yet to win Down Under (top and below).

both Ogier and Neuville in the game.

Multiple WRC champion Ogier has been left frustrated by the performance of his Citroen C3 throughout the season, leaving the Frenchman out of the title race heading down under. The six-time champion’s skill behind the wheel kept him in title contention but in the end he was no match for Tanak.

Hyundai’s Belgian star Neuville has been the bridesmaid to Ogier in the championship the past three seasons, but in 2019 the Korean manufacturer has struggled to keep pace with Toyota.

However, Hyundai performed well in Spain and has strong history at Rally

Australia with Neuville winning the event in 2017.

Front-line WRC driver Hayden Paddon has a had a quiet year since being dropped by Hyundai at the end of 2018, but returns to the elite level at Rally Australia with M-Sport after his planned debut in Finland ended in the trees during shakedown. Now the Kiwi is ready to take on the Coffs Harbour forests as he eyes a part-time WRC ride for 2020.

“It has obviously been a while, I did a test in Spain recently but it’ll be really nice to get back into a competition environment and see what we can do,” Paddon told Auto Action.

“It (Australia) is a rally I have always enjoyed, being close to home and having that extra support always accounts for something. There are a lot of Kiwis over there (in Australia) and obviously a lot of support from Australia as well.

“You maybe don’t see as many spectators as you see in Europe but they are still very passionate rally mad people and that always makes it nice.”

Paddon praised the Australian stages but stressed how tough the roads become when the big wet occurs.

“You have two variations of stages you have got your more public road stages on Saturday, they are as good as what you get anywhere in the world, they are some of my favourites,” he said.

“Then you have got the stages in the forest on Friday and Sunday, still quite fast but we have seen the last couple of years with a bit of rain, it makes them extremely slippery and some of the trickiest in the world as well.”

The rally however kicks off on Thursday at 4.30pm with a spectator friendly 1.3km Super Special Stage on the Coffs Harbour shoreline (pictured far left). The stage is then re-run on Friday from 5pm.

The tricky Aussie roads have caught out the very best in the business and this proved to be the case last year. In an

attempt to rob Ogier of the title both Neuville and Tanak slid out of the rally, allowing Ogier to finish fifth and wrap up his sixth consecutive championship.

This created an unpredictable podium with Jari-Matti Latvala beating home Paddon and Ireland’s Craig Breen.

So it’s hard to find a form guide with four different Rally Australia winners in as many years.

Tanak has never won the Australian event, while his Toyota teammates Kris Meeke and last year’s Rally Australia winner Latvala have both had disappointing 2019 campaigns. Latvala has had pace throughout but luck has escaped the popular Finn yielding just two podiums all season, while Meeke has struggled to find a consistency.

Andreas Mikkelsen and Dani Sordo have both competed in part seasons for Hyundai, but both have struggled to match the speed of team leader Neuville.

Sordo sprung a surprise however, becoming the only driver this season to topple the leading trio by winning in Italy, his first since WRC event win since 2013.

Paddon’s aims for the event are measured after 12 months out of the top flight, but he hopes he can achieve a result for his new team M-Sport and its Ford Fiesta.

“We always want to be competitive and we will of course be pushing and doing the best job we can, but there are so many variables out of our control, so we just have to make sure we go and enjoy ourselves,” Paddon explained to AA. “We’ve got to be realistic when we haven’t been in the car for 12 months, it will be harder for us but for sure we will try and do the best job we can.”

Of course, Paddon is naturally looking ahead to next year with the news of Rally New Zealand’s inclusion on the 2020 WRC calendar.

“I’m excited to see the rally come over to New Zealand, of course I’m a little bit bias to have the rally in New Zealand,” the Kiwi said.

“We are quite excited to have it over here, for how long we are not sure, but

Last year’s champion Sebastien Ogier has not had things go all his own way in 2019 with the Citroen C3 (above).

Hayden Paddon (here) is looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the M-Sport Fiesta in Australia.

obviously it will be good to have it in 2020.”

Paddon suggested that the Australian and New Zealand events each offer unique aspects and will be very different rallies.

“They have their own uniqueness, New Zealand offers a few more public road type stages and I think it’ll be based in Auckland,” Paddon told AA. “It’ll be a bit different in that respect and there will be three different days in terms of the different types of stages.”

The concluding round of the WRC at Coffs Harbour takes place on November Thierry Neuville won Rally Australia in 2017 14-17. (below).

Images: LAT/Red Bull Content Pool

Drivers Standings 1. Ott Tanak 263 2. Thierry Neuville 227 3. Sebastien Ogier 217 4. Andreas Mikkelsen 102 5. Elfyn Evans 102 6. Kris Meeke 98 7. Jari-Matti Latvala 94 8. Dani Sordo 89 9. Teemu Suninen 89 10. Esapekka Lappi 83 Manufacturers Standings 1. Hyundai 380 2. Toyota 362 3. Citroen 284 4. Ford 218 Ways to watch the action 10 BOLD and 10play.com.au: Highlights & live stages on Saturday and Sunday including the Wolf Power Stage and podium. Schedule to be confirmed, check guides.

Fox Sports Australia: Highlights & live stages.

Schedule to be confirmed, check guides WRC+ All Live: WRC’s subscription streaming service covers every stage live, with highlights, on-boards and much more. https://plus.wrc. com/en/ Red Bull TV: Highlights; Friday 9pm, Saturday 11.50am and 9pm, Sunday event review 8pm (all AEST). Free streaming on redbull.com

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Formula One

Round 18 Mexican GP

A BIT OF A SURPRISE Ferrari and Red Bull had stronger cars than Mercedes, so Lewis Hamilton’s victory came as surprise Race Report: Dan Knutson Images: LAT LEWIS HAMILTON couldn’t quite believe it himself when he finished first in the Mexican Grand Prix.

Red Bull and Ferrari had been faster in qualifying, but after 71 laps of racing in front of the sellout crowd at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, it was Mercedes driver Hamilton who had won for the 10th time this season and for the 83rd of his F1 career.

“We came here thinking we were on the back foot, knowing it was a difficult race for us but we pulled through,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton did not quite manage to wrap up his sixth drivers’ world championship in Mexico, but even if his teammate Valtteri Bottas wins the three final races of the season, all Hamilton needs is to score a total of four points to clinch the crown.

Charles Leclerc started on the pole for the seventh time this season while Lewis Hamilton won against the odds in Mexico.

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Sebastian Vettel’s single stop strategy worked better than pole-sitting teammate Charles Le Clerc’s two-stop race in Mexico. his Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel lined up second. Hamilton was third on the grid with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull fourth.

In the end, Mercedes found more speed in the race,

and the one pitstop strategy for Hamilton and Bottas netted them first and third, with Vettel’s Ferrari splitting the Mercedes sandwich. This was despite Hamilton going off track and dropping to fifth place after tangling with Verstappen on the opening lap.

“I had quite a bit of damage on my car so the race was quite a bit of a struggle,” Hamilton said. “I had to keep my head down. It seemed like a long second stint but I am so grateful for today.”

Ferrari’s race pace didn’t mirror its qualifying pace. Vettel convinced the Ferrari team during the race that a one stop strategy would be better than two stops.

“We didn’t have the speed to force the victory despite the strategy,” Vettel said. “So I don’t think we got beaten on strategy terms, I think they won and got a bit lucky, and they had a bit more speed.”

Bottas chased hard after Vettel but

could not quite catch him.

“I had pretty good pace in the race,” Bottas said, “so I could close on Sebastian at a pretty good rate. But there wasn’t quite enough of a pace difference to be able to make the move.”

Ferrari split its strategies and put Leclerc on a two-stop strategy that didn’t pan out. He led the first 14 laps but finished fourth.

“At that point of the race we believed it would be a two-stop but it didn’t happen at the end,” he said. “I still need to do some work in the races especially, because it’s a tendency in the last few weekends and today.

Okay the strategy has not been good, but I should have probably come over the radio and asked for something and been more decisive in the decision to try and help the team from my side, which Seb did.

So I need to learn from that but it will come in time.”

Ferrari were expected to be quick in Mexico and so it proved. But Max Verstappen’s Red Bull-Honda was even quicker and on pole, until a post qualifying penalty.

Carlos Sainz was quick in qualifying and mixed it with the leaders early but finished back in the pack, Max Verstappen tangled with Lewis Hamiton on the opening lap while local hero Sergio Perez had a storming race in front of his fans to finish seventh for Racing Point.

Verstappen’s hard charging style cost him the pole and possibly the race victory as well. He qualified on pole but was demoted to fourth on the grid for not slowing in a yellow flag zone. Clashes on the first lap with Hamilton and then later with Bottas, sent Verstappen to last with a sliced right rear tyre. He then fought his way back to finish sixth.

Aussie Daniel Ricciardo had a disjointed weekend, but it ended on a satisfying note with him finishing eighth and his Renault teammate Nico Hülkenberg in 10th.

“A good day for the team to get both cars back in the points,” Ricciardo said.

“My first stint on the hard tyres really set the race up for me. That was really strong and a positive that I will take from today.

It was a tough weekend. I’m happy with how the team has kept its spirits high.”

Renault arrived in Mexico trailed by the news that both drivers had been disqualified from the Japanese Grand Pri,x because their cars had illegal driver aids. Friday practice did not go all that smoothly for either driver, and then both missed Saturday morning’s practice because their cars had contaminated cooling systems. That put them on the backfoot for qualifying.

As a result, Hülkenberg started the race 12th on the grid and Ricciardo 13th.

The Perth native then took a gamble of starting the race on the hard compound Pirelli slicks. All the other drivers were either on the soft or the medium tyres.

Ricciardo climbed up to sixth place before finally pitting for the medium compound after 50 laps. Now in eighth, he tried one of his lunging passing moves to take seventh from crowd favourite Sergio Pérez. It didn’t work and Ricciardo went bounding off in the grass at Turn 1.

“Sergio was very strong on the brakes so I had to go a bit deeper than the comfort zone,” Ricciardo said. “I thought my chances were 50/50, so it was worth trying but, in the end, maybe the chances were 30/70.”

From Mexico the teams headed north to Austin, Texas for the United States Grand Prix this weekend. Hamilton likes the layout of the Circuit of the Americas. He has won at the track five times, but given Ferrari’s recent surge in speed it remains to be seen if he can win at COTA for the sixth time while also winning his sixth world championship.

“I don’t mind (not taking the title in Mexico),” Hamilton said. “I love racing and taking one race at a time.”

RESULTS ROUND 18: MEXICAN 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 Valtteri Bottas Charles Leclerc Alexander Albon Max Verstappen Sergio Perez Daniel Ricciardo Pierre Gasly Nico Hulkenberg Daniil Kvyat Lance Stroll Carlos Sainz Jr. Antonio Giovinazzi Kevin Magnussen George Russell Romain Grosjean Robert Kubica Kimi Raikkonen Lando Norris

Car Mercedes Ferrari Mercedes Ferrari Red Bull/Honda Red Bull/Honda Racing Point/Mercedes Renault Toro Rosso/Honda Renault Toro Rosso/Honda Racing Point/Mercedes McLaren/Renault Alfa Romeo/Ferrari Haas/Ferrari Williams/Mercedes Haas/Ferrari Williams/Mercedes Alfa Romeo/Ferrari McLaren/Renault

Laps Gap 1h36m48.904s 1.766s 3.553s 6.368s 21.399s 1m08.807s 1m13.819s 1m14.924s 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 1 Lap 2 Laps 2 Laps 2 Laps 2 Laps Retirement Withdrew

Points: Hamilton 363, Bottas 289, Leclerc 236, Vettel 230, Verstappen 220, Gasly 77, Sainz 76, Albon 74, Perez 43, Ricciardo 38, Hulkenberg 35, Norris 35, Kvyat 34, Raikkonen 31, Stroll 21, Magnussen 20, Grosjean 8, Giovinazzi 4, Kubica 1.

Constructors’: Mercedes 652, Ferrari 466, Red Bull-Honda 341, McLaren-Renault 111, Renault 73, Toro Rosso-Honda 64, Racing Point-Mercedes 64, Alfa Romeo-Ferrari 35, Haas-Ferrari 28, Williams-Mercedes 1.

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WRC

TANAK ACCOMPLISHES A ‘DREAM’ WRC TITLE IT WAS a tense penultimate round of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship, which was won by Thierry Neuville. However, all eyes were actually on Toyota star Ott Tanak.

With second in Spain, Tanak clinched his first World Rally Championship, the only Estonian to do so. Tanak also broke the run of 15 consecutive titles for French Sebastien’s, with Loeb having won nine and Ogier six. It is also Toyota’s first drivers’ title since Didier Auriol in 1994.

Neuville won the Rally Spain from Tanak who snatched second off Dani Sordo in the final stage.

In the calendar’s only mixed surface rally, Sebastien Loeb concluded the opening day on gravel on top of the leader board, leading a Hyundai 1-2-3, 1.7s up on Neuville with Sordo a further 5.9s further back.

Northern Irishman Kris Meeke then led the

Toyota trio with Tanak fifth and Jari-Matti Latvala sixth.

It was a dramatic day in the series.

After winning the opening stage Ogier surrendered almost four minutes when his power steering failed due to a hydraulic pipe coming loose on his Citroen C3. It was an awful day for Citroen as Ogier’s teammate Esapekka Lappi retired with engine problems.

Day 2 saw a switch to the tarmac and Neuville quickly took the rally lead off ninetime champion Loeb, as he tried to gap a hard charging Tanak.

Once the Belgian took the lead he was never headed and ended the penultimate day with a 21.5s lead over teammate and tarmac specialist Sordo.

Tanak sat just 3.1s further back after demoting Sebastien Loeb to fourth on the final stage of the day. Despite feeling

New World Champion Tanak celebrates (above left) while Neuville won for Hyundai (above) and Latvala was sixth for Toyota.

comfortable and fast, Loeb struggled from the word go on the tarmac and was surprised with his lack of pace.

Latvala now sat fifth after teammate Kris

TRUEX FIRST TO SE

NASCAR

Martin Truex ensured a top four finish in the NASCAR title chase -- at least.

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Meeke crashed in the morning. Meeke briefly took third off Sordo but slid wide in a left corner, hit a barrier and ripped the right-rear-wheel from his Yaris bringing an early end to his day.

M MARTIN TRUEX Jr humiliated his opposition in the first round of eight playoff race at Martinsville Speedway, to secure himself M a crucial automatic Championship 4 race position. po The victory was his first at Martinsville, the seventh of his season and the 26th of his se career. ca Truex crushed the field by leading a career best 464 laps in the 500 lap event, beating be pole position winner Denny Hamlin out of pit po lane on lap 30 under the first of 11 safety car la periods. pe From there the Joe Gibbs Racing driver remained the in the lead apart from a six-lap stint when Kyle Larson stayed out on old tyres in an attempt to win the second stage.

“I can’t believe we just won Martinsville, man Miami (site of the season finale) is awesome, but we’ve wanted to win here for a long time,” Truex said.

Side-to-side contact at Turn 4 on lap 458 between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin resulted in Logano clattering the wall. The Penske driver’s day then got worse when he

WTCR

AWESOME WTCR ACTION IN JAPAN

Elfyn Evans struggled for pace on Saturday and sat sixth ahead of M-Sport Ford teammate Teemu Suninen, with Ogier a further three minutes adrift.

Neuville made no mistakes on Sunday and took victory in Spain, the 12th of his WRC career and first since Rally Argentina in April.

On the final day Tanak continued his forward charge in an attempt to take second position off Sordo to help Toyota in the manufacturer’s standings.

Tanak started the Power Stage in third and could not afford to finish it more than one position below Neuville or the title race would go on to Australia.

The Estonian pulled out the stage of his life to not only dominate but he also managed to overhaul a 5s gap to Sordo, stealing an incredible second position to win the title.

In the end he finished 17.2s behind Neuville and just 0.4sec ahead of Sordo and the

new World Rally Champion who was clearly overcome with emotion.

“It’s difficult to say the pressure I felt this weekend, it was next level. To manage all this and get through it has been the target of my life. When you are on the verge of this you cannot imagine it,” said Tänak.

Loeb fell away further on the final day but still finished fourth 36.3s behind Sordo, Latvala finished an important fifth for Toyota ahead of Evans and Suninen.

Reigning world champion Ogier recovered to eighth in the sole-surviving Citroen C3 ahead of WRC 2 Pro winner Mads Ostberg and WRC 2 winner Eric Camilli, who completed the 10.

As a result of the double podium finish in Spain, Hyundai extended its lead in the manufacturer’s title to 18 points heading into the final round in Australia from November 14 to 17.

E ECURE CHAMPIONSHIP 4 SPOT

William Byran’s Chevrolet wasn’t a player when it mattered at Martinsville.

spun at Turn 1 to bring out the 10th safety car.

Logano recovered to finish eighth but decided to confront Hamlin after the race. The post-race discussion started calmly enough but ended in a wrestling match between both drivers and crews.

“We were having a discussion,” Hamlin said.

“Everything was civil, and then, like Joey does, he does a little push and then runs away, that’s Joey scared. He said, ‘Do you want to go?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m here.’ But then he runs away.”

Logano also agreed that things started calmly.

“I just wanted to see what his thoughts were,

and it wasn’t quite the answer I was looking for,” he said.

Brad Keselowski finished third, followed by Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick.

The two playoff contenders who missed the top 10 were Kyle Busch who finished 14th and Chase Elliott who came home 36th, 55 laps down after his rear axle broke on lap 180.

With Truex locked into a Championship 4, Hamlin sits second ahead of Kyle Busch and Logano. Outside the top four cut at this stage are Harvick, Blaney, Larson and Elliott.

THREE DIFFERENT drivers from three different manufacturers won a World Touring Car Cup race in Japan.

The short 2.24km Suzuka East Circuit layout made for action packed races which now sees Esteban Guerrieri leading Norbert Michelisz and the two Lynk & Co cars of Thed Bjork and Yvan Muller in the championship.

Guerrieri claimed the points lead with a dominating win from pole position in Race 1, delivering the Munnich Motorsport driver at 2.2s win for Honda at home.

Comtoyou Team Audi Sport’s Niels Langeveld claimed his first podium of the season ahead of KCMG’s Tiago Monteiro in third.

At the start of the race Frederic Vervisch challenged Guerrieri for first place on the outside of Turn 1 and 2, which allowed team-mate Niels Langeveld up the inside to take the lead.

However it was quickly undone on lap 2 as the Dutchman made a mistake at the final turn running onto the grass and allowing Guerrieri back into the lead he would not relinquish.

Vervisch sat third on lap 7 when debris got wedged between the front-left brake calliper and wheel, splitting the rim and triggering a safety car as Vervisch stopped on track.

Racing resumed on lap 10 with Guerrieri leading from Langeveld and Monteiro and this was the way it stayed. Late in the race Priaulx in 13th was defending into Turn 1 from Catsburg, the pair came together and shooting Priaulx across the gravel and heavily in the tyre wall and as a result the race ended under the safety car.

Thed Bjork finished fourth ahead of SLR Volkswagen’s Johan Kristoffersson and JeanKarl Vernay in sixth.

Norbert Michelisz won Race 2 and in doing so snatched back the title lead as Race 1 winner Guerrieri languished down in 10th position.

Michelisz started from pole and defended from an attack by Rob Huff into Turn 1, the Briton remained on the tail of the Hyundai throughout the race but came home just short of victory.

Behind the leaders Kevin Ceccon in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR was hounded by reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini for the final podium spot.

Tarquini drew alongside his fellow Italian on many occasions and struggled to make the move stick even with a bit of contact. Eventually patience paid off and Tarquini took third.

Behind Bjork held of Monteiro, Kristoffersson and Mikel Azcona, with Jean-Karl Vernay ninth ahead of Guerrieri.

Esteban Guerrieri was in fine form on the Suzuka short circuit, the Honda man now leading the WTCR points chase.

Reigning World Rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson took victory in a thrilling Race 3 ahead of Guerrieri, who shot back into the WTCR series lead.

Kristoffersson started from pole position but on the approach to Turn 1 lost the lead to former Formula 1 driver Monteiro, only to force his way back up the inside and retake it at Turn 2.

“The takeaway at the start was not the best and Tiago was able to pass, but I managed to undercut him at Turn 2, that was a good rallycross move,” Kristoffersson said.

An early safety car was called for a clash between wildcard Ritomo Miyata, Tom Coronel and Ma Qinghua.

Racing resumed after a lengthy period on lap 8 with Kristoffersson leading Monteiro and Guerrieri.

On lap 28 of the 30 lap encounter Monteiro was told to let his Honda brand mate and championship contender through and into second position.

The following lap the safety car was called for another incident for a wildcard, as Tomita Ryuichiro found himself beached in the gravel.

Once again the race finished under safety car but not without more drama. Monteiro almost pulled into the pitlane before the chequered flag, allowing Ceccon and Bjork to get ahead however Monteiro then re-claimed fourth from Bjork. For this, Monteiro was handed a post-race penalty as was third place finisher Ceccon, for an over aggressive move on Huff.

This all meant that Bjork finished on the podium behind winner Kristoffersson and Guerrieri.

The penultimate round of the series takes place on the legendary streets of Macau from November 16-17.

Points: Guerrieri 289, Michelisz 282, Bjork 248 Muller 241, Azcona 198, Girolami 196 Tarquini 193, Ehrlacher 182, Vernay 170 Kristoffersson 163

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RACE REPORT

Gold Coast Races 26 & 27

BULLS RUN WILD

If Scott McLaughlin was disappointed with third in Race 26, worse was to come the following day.

Report: Heath McAlpine Photos: LAT/Ross Gibb/Insyde Media

THERE’S NO way to quash the disappointment of a Bathurst 1000 defeat, but the Red Bull Holden Racing Team came close on the Gold Coast.

It was a dominating display that replicated its rival Scott McLaughlin and DJR Team Penske’s run of form earlier in the season.

But is it a question of too little, too late? Maybe, but the Gold Coast lived up to its reputation as being a title defining round, albeit not this time through the adverse conditions the tourist hub usually throws up.

The first of these moments occurred during the Top 10 Shootout for Race 26, when Chaz Mostert clipped the inside wall at Turn 11 and sent his Mustang careering into the outside wall. Mostert was uninjured, but the brutality of the hit meant he and James Moffat were out for the weekend. The incident also meant the Mustang was destined for the scrapheap.

McLaughlin took pole, but had Whincup and van Gisbergen for company.

As ever, the co-drivers started An off-colour David Reynolds pushed the Bulls on Sunday.

Chaz Mostert totalled his SuperCheap Mustang and didn’t turn a racing lap all weekend.

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the race to ensure their 34-lap minimum was out the way early.

Todd Hazelwood was one of the primary drivers to start, but was well entrenched in the pack though he did make some robust moves early.

Craig Lowndes made a superb start to lead into the first chicane ahead of a wheel spinning Alex Premat, who hit the limiter he had bagged the rears so much. Garth Tander was also challenging, but conceded to Premat.

Behind, the usual congestion and chaos sparked by the tight opening corners caught Tony D’Alberto A broken front splitter proved costly for the Erebus #9 in Race 26.

out, the second DJR Team Penske Mustang ran wide and copped a hit from Bryce Fullwood in the Kelly Racing Nissan Altima on the way through.

The top three had broken away, Lowndes had also bridged a 0.75s margin at the end of the opening circuit, while Thomas Randle was an impressive fourth but was the cork in the bottle. Behind, experienced teammate Michael Caruso was eager to overtake, but the Super2 driver held his own.

As if dropping positions at the start Andrew Heimgartner had a much bebated clash with James Courtney late in Race 26.

The Davison duo Will and Alex were seventh both days, while Scott Pye/Warren Luff were fifth in Race 26 and fourth in Race 27.

wasn’t bad enough, D’Alberto was then an innocent victim as Jack Perkins attempted a pass at Turn 11.

But Perkins locked up and forced the Mustang down the escape road. A 15s penalty was handed to Perkins but D’Alberto was now at the rear of the field.

Caruso was released on lap 12, making a move on Randle that stuck. Now he was free to pursue the top three, but the gap was now significant, some 10s.

Erebus Motorsport was experiencing a mixture of fortunes. David Reynolds was suffering from the flu but he had more to worry about after a mistake

by Luke Youlden broke the splitter on the unforgiving Gold Coast tyres. The issue severely hampered the 2017 Bathurst champ and he was called in early to replace the splitter and change driver, but the pit stop was time costly.

Meanwhile, the second car was flying. Will Brown had climbed seven spots since the start and sat well inside the top 10, having overtaken his more experienced teammate along the way.

The pressure up the front was fierce. Tander had the eyes on and it showed. A bad sportsmanship flag was given to Premat for over-using the Turn 2 kerbs on only lap 23, while Caruso was also catching, having already left Randle behind to the tune of 11s.

Lowndes was the first to pit on lap 34. Whincup jumped in, then Premat for McLaughlin, followed by Tander on lap 36 to hand over to Shane van Gisbergen.

The race was delicately poised as the lead margin fluctuated due to lapped traffic, with a tug of war playing out between Whincup and McLaughlin until the next round of stops.

Fuel saving by Tander was to the benefit of van Gisbergen, as he pitting later, giving him the rubber to challenge his chief title rival.

McLaughlin was pushing hard and made a mistake, pinching a brake at Turn 4 on lap 63, then once the final pit stops had taken place, the pressure was really on.

Then there was a pass. It was perfect timing. van Gisbergen had a Scott McLaughlin destroyed his Bathurst winning Mustang in qualifying for race 27.

better run onto the front straight and passed his fellow Kiwi for second, just when a safety car was called.

The Nissan Altima of Garry Jacobson disposed of its muffler assembly at Turn 4, leading to Jack Le Brocq and Nick Percat both running over the debris, both very lucky to not get punctures.

The race resumed on lap 92, but the two RBHRT Commodores remained in order up front, Whincup ahead of van Gisbergen until the end.

McLaughlin fell back off at the restart and finished third ahead of Cam Waters and Caruso in fourth, but fifth was a stunning result for Scott Pye and Warren Luff.

Their WAU teammates were further penalised when a late-race collision with Andre Heimgartner sent the Altima into the concrete exiting Turn 4. There was large damage to the Altima leading to a long night for the Kelly Racing team, the second race in a row that the team had retired almost within sight of the chequered flag.

On Sunday for Race 27, Heimgartner took to qualifying in his newly rebuilt Altima, but Garry Rogers Motorsport The running of the Bulls ... this was a sight familiar to long-term Supercars fans.

driver Richie Stanaway did not.

Team boss Garry Rogers had suspended the Kiwi after he failed to appear at a merchandise signing, giving the team’s Super2 driver Dylan O’Keeffe a surprise Supercars main game debut.

That wasn’t the only surprise.

Having already topped the qualifying session for Race 27, McLaughlin was starting another flyer, when a rare mistake at the exit of the first chicane left the Mustang on its side and a shaken McLaughlin exiting it with assistance from van Gisbergen.

Clipping too much kerb pushed the DJR Team Penske machine wide and hard into the outside wall, where a rear wheel was plucked off and flung the car onto its side.

Fellow Kiwi van Gisbergen stopped to render assistance. McLaughlin did later go to hospital as a precaution but was okay. His day was done though.

It was now up to the RBHRT to take maximum advantage and all appeared good heading into the race after it had locked out the front-row.

Lowndes again made the perfect Race 27’s podium was crowded with enthusiastic sponsors joining the fun.

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RACE REPORT

Gold Coast Races 26 & 27

Craig Lowndes led the way early in Race 26 in what were perfect conditions, in direct contrast to those witnessed last year.

Alex Premat, Garth Tander, the impressive Thomas Randle and Michael Caruso file through the beach chicane.

jump, but rolled out of the throttle to allow Tander into the opening chicane ahead.

Youlden also made a strong start and was third as Alex Davison made a poor getaway after brother Will had qualified the 23Red Mustang behind the two RBHRT Commodores.

There was chaos again at Turn 11. Todd Hazelwood tipped Brown into a spin and the resultant incident ended the race for Richard Muscat, further compounding GRM’s poor day.

Others to be caught were Ash Walsh, Steve Richards and Dean Canto, with various damage that would affect their day.

DJR Team Penske started Fabian Coulthard, who moved from 16th to ninth thanks to the mid-pack incident, but were soon in trouble as a lambda sensor failed. The Mustang pitted early to address the issue, but during its service the engine was shut down and when it restarted the wheels spun as the line locker was disabled, incurring the team a 15s penalty.

Caruso was impressive during the middle stint as he double-stinted, after pitting early.

He held his own against Whincup and van Gisbergen until the tyres went away, subsequently pitting and handing over to Waters.

This led to an intense battle for fourth between Waters and Pye, won by the latter after a pass exiting Turn 4 included minor contact between the two. Pye’s performance won’t do his chances for a Supercars drive next year any harm.

Thanks to Youlden’s opening stint, Reynolds was destined to receive another surfboard for third, but fancied his chances at second. He was charging towards Whincup, but ran out of laps to prevent another RBHRT 1-2.

Just as the Gold Coast has been, Sandown is equally a happy hunting ground for the RBHRT, having clean-swept the podium last year.

The championship margin is still a hefty 463-points between McLaughlin and van Gisbergen. However, it’s never over until it’s over, the change of momentum could well see a late charge from the Bulls.

Atmospheric as always, the Gold Coast venue turned on action aplenty all weekend under brilliant blue skies.

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RACE RESULTS RACE 26 102 LAPS 1 Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes 102 laps 2 Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander +0.521s 3 Scott McLaughlin/Alex Premat +2.691s 4 Cameron Waters/Michael Caruso +3.344s 5 Scott Pye/Warren Luff +4.890s 6 Lee Holdsworth/Thomas Randle +7.666s 7 Will Davison/Alex Davison +13.516s 8 Tim Slade/Ash Walsh +13.896s 9 Fabian Coulthard/Tony D’Alberto +20.262s 10 Rick Kelly/Dale Wood +20.944s 11 Anton De Pasquale/Will Brown +23.835s 12 James Courtney/Jack Perkins +40.211s 13 Jack Le Brocq/Jonathon Webb 101 laps 14 Nick Percat/Tim Blanchard 101 laps 15 Garry Jacobson/Dean Fiore 101 laps 16 James Golding/Richard Muscat 101 laps 17 Macauley Jones/Dean Canto 100 laps 18 Brodie Kostecki/Jake Kostecki 100 laps 19 Mark Winterbottom/Steve Richards 100 laps 20 Todd Hazelwood/Jack Smith 100 laps 21 Simona De Silvestro/Alex Rullo 100 laps 22 David Reynolds/Luke Youlden 99 laps 23 Richie Stanaway/Chris Pither 98 laps NC Andre Heimgartner/Bryce Fullwood 98 laps DNS Chaz Mostert/James Moffat 0 laps FASTEST LAP Shane van Gisbergen 1m 11.1968s

▲1 ▲1 ▼2 0 0 ▼1 0 0 ▼3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ▼ 15 0 ▼ 16 0

RACE RESULTS RACE 27 102 LAPS 1 Shane van Gisbergen/Garth Tander 102 laps 0 2 Jamie Whincup/Craig Lowndes +0.175s 0 3 David Reynolds/Luke Youlden +0.847s ▲1 4 Scott Pye/Warren Luff +14.159s ▲ 3 5 Cameron Waters/Michael Caruso +16.183s ▲ 3 6 Lee Holdsworth/Thomas Randle +26.981s ▼ 1 7 Will Davison/Alex Davison +28.294s ▼ 4 8 Anton De Pasquale/Will Brown +43.294s ▲ 1 9 James Courtney/Jack Perkins +50.733s ▼ 3 10 Nick Percat/Tim Blanchard +63.574s 0 11 Fabian Coulthard/Tony D’Alberto +64.557s 0 12 Garry Jacobson/Dean Fiore 101 laps 0 13 Jack Le Brocq/Jonathon Webb 101 laps 0 14 Rick Kelly/Dale Wood 101 laps 0 15 Macauley Jones/Dean Canto 101 laps 0 16 Brodie Kostecki/Jake Kostecki 101 laps 0 17 Tim Slade/Ash Walsh 100 laps 0 18 Dylan O’Keeffe/Chris Pither 100 laps 0 19 Mark Winterbottom/Steve Richards 100 laps 0 20 Todd Hazelwood/Jack Smith 98 laps 0 21 Andre Heimgartner/Bryce Fullwood 98 laps 0 22 Simona De Silvestro/Alex Rullo 82 laps 0 23 James Golding/Richard Muscat 1 lap 0 DNS Scott McLaughlin/Alex Premat 0 laps 0 DNS Chaz Mostert/James Moffat 0 laps 0 FASTEST LAP James Courtney 1m 11.2911s Points: McLaughlin 3237, van Gisbergen 2974, Whincup 2668, Coulthard 2557, Reynolds 2474, Mostert 2447, Waters 2296, Percat 2161, Davison 2159, Holdsworth 2076, Courtney 1921, De Pasquale 1827, Winterbottom 1816, Pye 1783, Kelly 1623, Slade 1602, Heimgartner 1568, Golding 1418, Hazelwood 1381, De Silvestro 1342, Le Brocq 1132, Jones 1119, Jacobson 1079, Stanaway 908, Caruso 543, Randle 480, Pither 384, Smith 375, Blanchard 360.

Gold Coast Round 8 Carrera Cup

David Wall put all his Carrera Cup experience to work on the Gold Coast, sweeping the round. But the title went to Jordan Love (right).

LOVE WINS ENTHRALLING CARRERA CUP SERIES Race Report: Dan McCarthy Images: Insyde Media/Ross Gibb IT WAS a dramatic and controversial concluding round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Series on the streets of the Gold Coast, in which Jordan Love edged out teammate Dale Wood to claim the 2019 title.

The two came to blows at the start of the second race and this resulted in Wood being handed a 15s penalty.

David Wall clean swept the round taking victory in all three races, giving the Wall Racing team owner his first round win in over two years.

The recently engaged Liam Talbot drove maturely to win the title in the Pro Am class, while The Bend Motorsport Park owner Sam Shahin clean swept the round, bouncing back from a big crash on

the Surfers Paradise street circuit 12 months ago.

The first race of the weekend was also the final enduro cup race of the season, in which Wall started from pole alongside Love.

On the opening lap Tim Miles hit the wall at Turn 11 and the safety car was called to recover his stranded #6 Porsche.

On the lap 5 restart Wall led Love, Cooper Murray, Wood and Cameron Hill. By lap 8 Wall had pulled out a nice lead, while Murray applied the pressure to the championship and enduro cup leader Love.

In the closing laps Murray was all over Love and on lap 24 had a big look up the inside at Turn 4, before he ran through the Beach Chicane and lost crucial ground.

Regular second tier Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge drivers and Carrera Cup debutants Harri Jones and

Aaron Love collided at Turn 12. This resulted in Jones ending up the barrier and the race being called a couple of laps early.

Wall took the win ahead of Love, who wrapped up the Enduro Cup. Murray came home third ahead of Wood. Shahin took the Pro Am race win with an impressive ninth place finish.

In Race 2 Love bogged down at the start and quickly shut the door on Murray, however this move allowed his teammate and championship rival Wood to get an overlap on the outside.

Going into Turn 1 Wood locked up and hit his teammate, spinning the #777 car 180 degrees, Wood continued unscathed in second, and Love dropped to the back of

Liam Talbot claimed the Pro Am class title.

21st. the field in 21st On lap 4 Wood was being hounded by Murray who had a look up the inside of Turn 4, resulting in the pair rubbing panels. On the next lap however Murray made the move cleanly and fairly and set about catching Wall.

On lap 10 of the race Pro Am contender Talbot ran down the escape road trying to overtake Miles at Turn 11 and as a result fell from 15th to 18th.

Murray was reigning in Wall but ran out of laps, and the 2017 series winner took victory by just under a second. Hill was promoted to third after Wood was handed a 15s post-race penalty for the Turn 1 incident, demoting him to seventh, one place ahead of Love who sensationally recovered to eighth.

The final race of the weekend was another dramatic affair up the front of the field, with Wood again in the thick of it.

Murray made a great start and jumped Wall to lead into Turn 1 however the Victorian did not slow enough to negotiate the first chicane and ran through it holding onto the lead.

Further back Dale Wood did the same thing and even picked up a couple of positions on

teammate Michael Almond Padayachee. Both and Duvashen Padayachee Wood and Murray were then given 5s penalties for gaining an advantage.

Love quickly disposed of both Almond and Padayachee before the pair collided on lap 3, forcing Almond into retirement and Padayachee in for repairs.

The leading positions did not change through much of the race, a nervous moment coming on lap 16 when Love lapped Padayachee on the outside of the penultimate turn.

Murray tried everything in an attempt to pull out a 5s lead, resulting in the #36 driver running through the beach chicane.

Wall finished 2.5s back and as a result inherited the win from Hill and Nick McBride, with Murray falling to fourth.

Love came home fifth to seal the 2019 series with Wood down in eighth.

Shahin took his third Pro Am victory of the weekend but it was Talbot who took the title.

CARRERA CUP POINTS Love 1047, Wood 1029, Wall 1017, McBride 899, Murray 869.

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SUPPORTS Gold Coast

TITLE BATTLE TIGHTENS IN AUSSIE RACING CARS Report: Dan McCarthy Images: Insyde Media

KEL TRESEDER won the penultimate round of the Aussie Racing Cars Series on the Gold Coast to considerably cut into the series margin.

Treseder was just one lap shy of clean sweeping the round, however Joel Heinrich snatched the fourth race away from him, however Championship leader Justin Ruggier was hampered by a mechanical issue in the final race which cost him crucial round points.

Treseder won the round ahead of Joshua Anderson and the consistent Kody Garland.

Heinrich started the opening race from pole position ahead of Ruggier, Treseder and Anderson.

Heinrich led away from the start which was quite subdued for first handful of laps, then on lap 6 Treseder made his way around the outside of Ruggier at Turn 11 for second and set about catching Heinrich.

By the final lap Treseder was all over Heinrich and got a great run through the Beach Chicane, firing up the inside to take the lead at Turn 11.

Treseder ran wide out of the penultimate turn allowing the reigning champion to pull alongside but the former held on to the victory by 0.056s, Ruggier came home third ahead of Anderson.

In the second race the front pair got an even start with Treseder leading the way, further back Matt Nolan found himself in

Kel Treseder almost cleanswept the round, until Joel Heinrich (below) snatched race four.

the wall at Turn 4 due to an incident with Reece Champman and Luke van Herwaarde, resulting in a brief safety car.

By the final lap the top two had pulled a considerable lead, Treseder got a bad run through the first chicane and had to defend

from the South Australian into Turn 4. He again had to defend into Turn 11 in which Heinrich ran wide handing Treseder the victory, Ruggier again came third ahead of Anderson.

In the reverse top 10 grid race David Makin and Leigh Bowler started on the front row and it was Bowler who led the opening laps of the race.

On lap 5 Heinrich, who had made his way up to third, started to lap slower with an engine drama. Treseder made a late race charge and shot from 4th on lap 8 to the lead by the end of lap 10.

From there the Queenslander pulled out a lead and took the victory from Kyle Ensbey and Ruggier, with Heinrich finishing down in 21st.

In the final race Treseder led away at the start from Ruggier, however the second place man was hampered with an issue and dropped like a stone, allowing Heinrich into third.

A safety car was called to recover the #48 car of Matt Forbes-Wilson from the Turn 11 fence.

With a one lap sprint to the finish Heinrich shot straight passed Anderson before Turn 1.

Treseder got a poor run through the Beach Chicane and Heinrich fired up the inside at Turn 11 to steal the victory. Treseder came home second ahead of Anderson in third, Ruggier limped across the line in 21st.

GOLD FOR MILLIER ON THE COAST Report: Garry O’Brien Images: Insyde Media

A RACE 1 victory and runnerup in race two made Ryan Millier made the sixth round winner in the Australian GT Championship, ahead of Fraser Ross and Peter Hackett.

Ross (McLaren 720S GT3) was the pacesetter in the first one-hour event, but he had the longest compulsory pitstop and was further delayed with a front brake fire.

Despite that it was tight towards the end, though lapped traffic allowed Millier the margin he needed to hold on from Hackett (MercedesAMG GT3). Ross was close behind until a slight error put more distance between them.

Championship class runners filled the top four with Tony Quinn (Aston Martin Vantage) next. Behind were the MARC V8s with Geoff Taunton ahead of Adam Hargraves in their MARC IIs, and Broc Feeney and Bayley Hall in MARC Is. Geoff Emery (Audi R8 LMS Evo) ran conservatively for ninth ahead of the Trophy class’ Dale Paterson (Chev Camaro), Joseph Ensabella (Porsche (997), Nick Karnaros (Porsche 991) and Peter Corbett (Lamborghini). Paterson was later penalised a lap for a pit procedure infringement.

In the GT4s Justin McMillan and Glenn

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Images: Insyde Media

Wood combined to have 0.7s on KTM X-Bow team mate Trent Harrison, and five laps on Todd O’Brien (Ginetta G50). Richard Gartner (Gallardo) was the only non-finisher, brushing the wall when hit by the lapping Hargraves who in turn was being lapped by Millier.

Race two belonged to Ross, winning ahead of Millier and Hackett while Quinn was again fourth. Fifth was Hargraves ahead of Feeney and Taunton. Trophy class was taken by Paterson in eighth, leading home Corbett, Karnaros, Gartner and the GT4 KTM X-Bow duo of Harrison and Wood.

O’Brien was an early casualty before Ensabella retired with accident damage.

There were two safety cars, the first because of kerbing breakup in the first chicane and the second for a clash there later between championship leader Emery and Hall, which resulted in Hall into the wall.

Points: Emery 1368, Hackett 1234, Tander 868, Twigg 824, Ross 691

ALEXANDER EXTENDS SUPERUTE ADVANTAGE ON SURFERS’ STREETS TOM ALEXANDER was the outright winner of round seven of the ECB SuperUtes Series. The Isuzu D-MAX driver finished with a second, a third and a win, taking the laurels ahead of Ryal Harris as Ben Walsh and Cameron Crick tied for third.

The opening race was won by Harris (Mazda BT50) after series leader Alexander (Isuzu D-MAX) led the opening lap. Harris took over and Alexander held second for the duration ahead of Walsh (Toyota Hilux).

Fourth was Cameron Crick (Mitsubishi Triton) ahead of Craig Woods (Hilux) and Ben Falk (BT50). Gerard Maggs (Hilux), Toby Price (Triton), Christopher Formosa (Ford Ranger) and Jaiden Maggs (Triton).

Crick held off Harris to win an incidentpacked reverse grid second race. Through the first chicane Falk tagged Price who spun off

into the concrete wall. Gerard Maggs (Hilux) had contact with Falk at the next corner with the latter spinning.

Maggs then hit the turn 11 tyre barrier, leaving Walsh nowhere to go, so too Woods who slammed into Maggs. After the safety car, Alexander held on for third, ahead of Jaiden Maggs, Falk and Walsh. Formosa finished despite spinning and tagging the turn 12 on the final lap.

With Alexander leading from the outset of race three, Harris fell down the order on the opening lap after tyre barrier contact at turn 11. He recovered to finish second ahead of Walsh. Jaiden Maggs went into the same tyre wall, trapping Formosa with nowhere to go.

Maggs was able to continue but Formosa was out. Crick took fourth ahead Falk with Price sixth. GOB

AMRS

TWO CHAMPS CROWNED

UNDEFEATED IN all their races, Aaron Prosser and John Magro became series champions at the fifth round of the Australian Motor Racing Series, held at Wakefield Park on October 18-19.

MAZDA RX8 CUP

NEW ZEALANDER Prosser set himself for Cup glory by taking out all five races at the final round.

Lachlan O’Hara and Jake Lougher went into the last race equal second after splitting seconds and thirds.

Lougher secured second for the round, holding out O’Hara until the latter was turned around in an incident with Will Harris on the final lap. O’Hara still managed third and third overall while Harris pitted but still held onto second in the championship.

Terry Lewis borrowed a car in an endeavour to hold onto third in the title, and despite last race dramas just held on ahead of Ben Silvestro by a single point.

Harris was a chance for the title, trailing Prosser by 13 points, but need to be ahead of Prosser in the races. But contact with O’Hara whilst third not only lost him two places in race one, but he was also relegated him to the rear of the grid as a penalty post-race for race two.

He ended up sixth for the round, behind Silvestro and Justin Barnes.

FORMULA 3

A VICTORY in the opening race of the penultimate round was enough for John Magro to secure the championship for 2019. He just missed out on continuing his run of pole positions but increased his sequence of race victories to 15.

This round also included taking out the City of Goulburn Cup, the first time it had been won by someone

who also secured the championship in the same year. Fellow Dallara F308/11 driver and pole sitter Josh Buchan finished the second on each occasion with Reilly Brook (Mygale M07) third in races one and two.

Magro also set a new outright lap record of 53.4547s, the third circuit he has set new benchmarks at this year.

Brook held third in the last until running off the road at turn 10 and visiting the pits. That opened the door for Shane Wilson (Dallara) to fill minor spot in the last. The National Class win went to Gerrit Ruff ahead of Ryan Astley and Roman Krumins and that has Ruff four points ahead Krumins going to the last round.

New Zealander Adam Prosser dominated the Mazda RX8s again, winning the title. Images: Insyde Media

GT-1 AUSTRALIA

SERIES LEADER Matt Stoupas’s weekend was off to a dramatic start when he crashed his Audi R8 with Adam Hargraves (MARC II V8) in qualifying and would start rear of grid for the opener.

That 50min race went to John Goodacre (MARC I Focus V8) despite a 18s penalty for not complying with the compulsory pit stop time. Second was 16-year-old Bayley Hall (MARC 1) while Stoupas was able to grab third from Ryan McLeod (MARC 1) two laps from the end.

Rod Salmon (Audi) won the second race ahead of John Morriss (Porsche 911 GT3-R) with Stoupas taking third. Starting on the front row, Hall lost a chance for a better than seventh result with a 5s penalty for a starting infringement.

Hargraves finished fourth despite a drive-through penalty for not complying correctly with a Code 40, brought about as a result of contact that dumped fellow MARC II driver

on day two and after a second in race two, won the remaining three outings. He was a DNF in race won due to a broken header. Adding three second places behind Cotton, White was the overall round winner ahead of Peter Griffiths (Aussie Racing Car) and Stephen Chilby (Legend Car).

Rod Salmon’s Audi won the second race (above) while John Magro comfortably wrapped up the Formula 3 title (below) before the final round.

Geoff Taunton in the turn 2 gravel trap.

Salmon was the overall fourth round winner – the fourth different victor this season, ahead of Goodacre and Morriss who took over as series leader.

Adam Walton (Mustang) and Chris Thomas (Torana) had a win each.

MINIATURES RACE CARS

FUTURA BUSA drivers dominated with Craig White netting two wins and three seconds for the overall victory. Chad Cotton dominated

HISTORIC TOURING CARS/ AUSSIE RACING UTES

THE OLDER cars dominated the combined categories where Chris Thomas (Holden Torana XU-1) and Adam Walton (Ford Mustang) each had a win on day one, although the latter had a fuel issue that put him out of the second event.

A leaking rocker cover also forced Walton out of race three which Thomas won before Walton came back to triumph in races four and five. Bill Attard (Mazda RX2) finished second overall and Tony Land (Ford Capri) was third.

Among the Utes it was a SRT Holden one-two with Colin Sieders taking the honours ahead of Glenn Hancox. Sieders won three races and Hancox one. The latter scored two seconds but a spin late in race three allowed Clint Henderson (Holden) to split them. Aaron King (Holden) scored a couple of fourths before Wayne Williams (Ford Falcon) beat him in the last two after a power steering failure earlier.

Garry O’Brien

“Coming up at the nation’s action and spectator tracks” Wakefield Park

www.wakefieldpark.com.au November 2 Fasttrack V8 Race Experience November 3 Track Day Club November 4 PR Tech Tarmac Challenge November 5 Speed Off The Streets/Test & Tune November 6 Nissan Sports Car Club

Winton

www.wintonraceway.com.au November 1 Test & Tune – Cars & Open Wheelers November 3 MSCA November 4 Track For Days November 5 Test & Tune – Cars & Open Wheelers November 6 “PEDDERS No Bull” Sprints Round 5

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Tony Ricciardello and Jordan Caruso battled for Sports Sedan supremacy, before the West Australian added another title to his collection.

HISTORIC SANDOWN

M E M O RY L A N E Images: Rebecca Hind/Revved Photography/Neil Hammond

THE FINAL Victorian Historic Racing Register event of the year, Historic Sandown, was held in very mixed conditions but these failed to prevent mega battles and a big crowd from attending the historic venue.

It was moved two weeks forward due to Supercars’ rescheduling the Sandown 500 to the Remembrance Day weekend, which is usual reserved for the historic event.

Formula 5000 returned to the circuit for the first time since John Martin in the new S5000 broke Tom Tweedie’s lap record in the modern incarnation of

Andrew Clempson’s Mustang sported Union Travel colours in a tribute to Allan Moffat’s Trans Am.

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the legendary 1970s openwheel category. Tweedie clean-swept the weekend, but failed to regain his lap record as the weather hampered his pursuit.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary at the very circuit it debuted at, regular Formula Ford frontrunner Jonathan Miles proved unstoppable as he defeated reigning Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge winner Simon Fallon in two races.

There was a modern mix during the course of the weekend too, with the final round of the National Sports Sedan Series taking place.

Tom Teedie was the class of the F5000 field again.

Chr C Ch hris ris Stil ri SStillwell St tiilllw wel ell ddo omi omi mina natteed Chris dominated Group A/C events in his Ford Sierra RS500.

Tony Ricciardello added to his countless titles titles, but did it the hard way as young gun Jordan Caruso won the opener in the John

Gourley Gourley-built built and run Audi A4. Alex Williams proved the pace of his Mazda RX-7 to finish third, while Dean

Camm sealed the Victorian Sports Sedan Championship piloting his Chevrolet Corvette.

Chris Stillwell was too good driving his ex-Colin Bond Ford Sierra RS500 in winning the three Group A & C events, contested by a small field. TCR regular Aaron Cameron managed second place in Sunday’s final driving a Holden A9X Torana, while Group C machinery including the Ford Falcon XE of George Nittis and Phillip Veweort driving a Mazda RX-7, also made trips to the podium.

Mustangs dominated Group N Division 1 at the renowned horsepower circuit, first Darrin Davies in Race 1, then Ian Mewitt for the next two.

Brock Green was superb to take three-from-three in his Jaguar Mk2.

HISTORIC SANDOWN RESULTS

Tony Ricciardello and Jordan Caruso battled for Sports Sedan supremacy, before the West Australian added another title to his collection.

David Hardman was the class of the field in Racing/Sports, winning aboard the machine originally built by his father Jim.

Formula Ford veteran Jon Miles fittingly won on the category’s 50th anniversary of its Australian debut at Sandown.

Paul Blackie won two out three Group S races, heading home Carey McMahon’s De Tomaso in the opening event.

Brock Green was too good in Group N Division 2, winning three from three with his gorgeous Jaguar MkII.

FORMULA 5000 Race 1: Tom Tweedie (Chevron B24/28), Bryan Sala (Matich A50/51), Adrian Akhurst (Lola T332C) Race 2: Tweedie, Sala, Dean Camm (Chevron B24) Race 3: Tweedie, Sala, Darcy Russell (Lola T330) FORMULA FORD Race 1: No Result Race 2: Jonathan Miles (Van Diemen RF89), Simon Fallon (Van Diemen RF86), Neil Richardson (Van Diemen RF89) Race 3: Miles, Fallon, McInnes (Van Diemen RF88) SPORTS SEDAN Race 1: Jordan Caruso (Audi A4) Tony Ricciardello (Alfa Romeo GTV), Alex Williams (Mazda RX-7) Race 2: Ricciardello, Caruso, Dean Camm (Chevrolet Camaro) Race 3: Ricciardello, Caruso, Williams GROUP C & A Race 1: Chris Stillwell (Ford Sierra RS500), Mike Roddy (Jaguar XJS), George Nittis (Ford Falcon XE) Race 2: Stillwell, Phillip Verwoert (Mazda RX-7), Nittis Race 3: Stillwell, Aaron Cameron (Holden Torana A9X), Verwoert GROUP N DIVISION 1 Race 1: Darrin Davies (Ford Mustang), John Mann (Chevrolet Camaro), Darryl Hansen (Ford Mustang) Race 2: Ian Mewett (Ford Mustang), Davies, Andrew Clempson (Ford Mustang) Race 3: Mewett, Clempson, Andrew Whiteside (Ford Mustang) GROUP N DIVISION 2 Race 1: Brock Green (Jaguar Mk2), Harrison Draper (Datsun 1600), Peter Van Summeren (Ford Lotus Cortina) Race 2: Green, Draper, Van Summeren Race 3: Green, Draper, Van Summeren HQ HOLDENS Race 1: Ray Jardine, Perry Bekkers, Keven Stoopman Race 2: Ryan Woods, Stoopman, Gavin Ross Race 3: Woods, Ross, Andrew McLeod GROUP J, K, Lb AND INVITED Sa AND FORMULA VEE Race 1: Nick McDonald (Repco Holden Monoposto), Graeme Raper (George Reed Ford Special), Charlie Mitchell (TS Special Monoposto) Race 2: McDonald, Raper, Shane Bowden (PRAD 5 Sports) Race 3: McDonald, Raper, Charlie Mitchell (TS Special Monoposto) GROUPS P, Q, R RACING AND Q & R SPORTS AND INVITED CARS Race 1: David Hardman (Hardman JH-1), Andrew Makin (March 73B), Colin Haste (Lola T560) Race 2: Hardman, Makin, Ben Tebbutt (SPA Formula Brabham) Race 3: Hardman, Makin, Tebbutt GROUP S Race 1: Paul Blackie (Corvette Stingray), Carey McMahon (De Tomaso Pantera), Matthew Hansen (Shelby GT350 Fastback) Race 2: Blackie, Hansen, McMahon Race 3: James Calvert Jones (Porsche 911 Carrera), Blackie, Michael Byrne (Lotus Seven S4) GROUP M AND O SPORTS AND RACING & INVITED CARS Race 1: Laurie Bennett (McLaren M1B), Sean Whelan (Brabham BT30), Peter Strauss (Brabham BT31) Race 2: Bennett, Whelan, Phillip Randall (Chevron B14) Race 3: Mark Goldsmith (Elfin 400 Globe Ford), Peter Williams (Brabham BT21A), Declan Foo (Elfin Clubman) MG AND INVITED BRITISH SPORTS CARS Race 1: Phil Chester (MGB GT V8), Vince Gucciardo (MG C), Robin Bailey (MGB GT V8) Race 2: Chester, Gucciardo, Bailey Race 3: Gucciardo, Paul Vernall (MG ZR), Chris Gidney (MG ZR)

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TIME ATTACK

BART BLITZES WTAC PUTTING IN a stunning lap of 1 minute 19.277 seconds won Bart Mawer the 2019 Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge on October 18-19 at Sydney Motorsport Park.

The new WTAC benchmark came within 0.14s of the outright lap record that was set in 2007 by Nico Hulkenburg in the A1 GP Lola Zytek. Mawer set the time in Saturday’s cooler morning session and said there was more in the car with a 1min 18s a distinct possibility.

“We are hungry for more, at the moment we have more horsepower than grip,” he said. However a blustery wind change and a light shower were not conducive to a quicker time, Mawer firing a 1min19.9 in the single car shootout at the end.

While the Porsche had not been driven since Mawer won last year’s event in it, the car had undergone significant changes. “The front aero and Under Suzuki crashed his PRO Class S15 Nissan Sylvia on Thursday, sending himself to hospital. He later returned to the track to repair the car but was unsuccessful.

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suspension has been revised and the Billet engine sits lower in the chassis.”

RP968’s nearest rival was Andre Heimgartner in his debut at the WTAC and in the MCA Suspension Hammerhead Nissan Silvia. He was on for a best lap when the same second Saturday session was stopped. “That was disappointing,” he remarked after limited laps on Friday and before going out again and setting a new personal best of 1min 21.867s.

The debris red flag was brought about by Garth Walden in the Tilton Racing Mitsubishi EVO which had a delaminating tyre on its hot run. The tyre shredded the front guard, side skirt, damaged the floor and even broken the rear window. “We were baulked on our first run and lucky it happened while we were going in a straight line,” Walden commented.

The damage would put the car out for the weekend.

Sweden’s Alx Danielsson (Revline Racing Porsche 968) was fourth fastest outright and in the Royal Purple Pro Am Class.

The fifth and last of the elite class was the USA’s Cole Powelson (LYFE GTR) in 11th outright. Japan’s Under Suzuki crashed his Scorch Racing S15 heavily in Thursday practice. He was airlifted to hospital and following his release, worked tirelessly to repair the car, but unfortunately to no avail.

Best of the Hi Octane Direct

Pro Am Class was Kostinken Pohorukov who was fifth outright, fortunate enough to post his best time in the crossentered Tilton EVO before its demise. Second fastest in class was the ninth placed R8 1:1 Audi piloted by Sami Sivonen with Kuniholo Brando (B-Active Toyota Soarer) third.

Fourth went to Richard Perini (991 Racing/PR Technology Ginetta) in front of Gustaf Burstrom (Revlin Porsche) from Sweden and Stephen Faulks (Bitten Motorsport Subaru WRX).

Next was Rob Parsons (LYFE Motorsport Skyline R35) who is nicknamed the “Chairslayer”. The former BMX and motocross rider had a bad accident which shattered his legs, severed his spine and punctured a lung.

Remarkably the American steers the right-hand drive Nissan one-handed and operates the combination throttle/brake, electronic manual transmission shifter and motorcycle-style clutch handle with his left hand.

The GCG Turbochargers Open Class cars filled outright sixth, seventh and eighth where Brad Shiels (Xtreme

TEN YEARS OF SUCCESS

With revisions to his wild Porsche 968 WTA car, Bart Mawer went back-to-back with WTA titles (above). Brad Shiels (below left) won the Open class in his Skyline while Supercar driver Andrew Heimgartner (below centre) impressed in the Silvia and Garth Walden (below right) was out for the weekend after a delaminating tyre caused too much damage to his EVO. Images: Insyde Media/MTR Images

GT-R Nissan Skyline R34) was the winner. “We were on for our best lap yesterday (Friday) morning but broke the diff.

“The team managed to get something together to be (class) fastest in the afternoon and I don’t think we can better that today, there is too much oil down with the number of engines and such blowing,” Shiels added. Yet in the Shootout he did pull a 1min 28.114 weekend best.

Second went to Matt Longhurst (Integrated Motorsport Skyline) 0.62s slower. “Some idiot commented on socials that we had blown an engine which was totally wrong.

We certainly had some handling issues which I think we overcame.”

Longhurst remarked.

Third in class was Rob Nguyen (Dream Projects Australia Silvia) from Steve Johnson ((WBT Racing Skyline) who ultimately relegated Nick Bates (V-Sport Toyota 86) to fifth.

In the Haltech Clubsprint Class, Jamal Assaad (Evolution

Racing Spares EVO) produced his best on day two to eclipse Friday pacesetter Brett Dickie (Elusive Racing Honda Integra), with Nik Kalis improving to third in the Metropole EVO. The most standard class was numerically the strongest with 37 of the 70 entries with fourth going to Conor Falvey (BYP Honda S2000) over Ben Schoots (Harrop Engineering Toyota 86) and Trent Grubel (DC Jap Automotive Subaru WRX STi).

Besides the on-track sprint action, there was some much to interest and entertain the crowd, particularly Saturday’s very

large attendance. From strolling through the array of aftermarket products in Trader Alley, the show and street cars of the Shannon’s StylizeD Show and Shine, to the flying drag runs and the sunset drift, there was something for everyone.

After hitting 272 km/h going up the main straight on Friday, Lance Warren (Nissan Skyline R35 GT-R) plucked a stunning 291 km/h the next day to take out the Turbosmart Flying 500.

Next best in the lunchtime entertainment break was Enzo Guarinoni (Mitsubishi EVO) at 281 km/h ahead of Emmanuel Dalakakis worked throughout Friday night, putting together the

twin-turbo Hemi V8 in his Jeep Grand Cherokee for 261 km/h.

After the pool face off in twocar tandem battles, the final of the International Drifting Cup 2019 presented by Garrett Advancing Motion was won by Josh Boettcher (Silvia S15).

He came up against current Japanese D1 GP Masashi Yokoi who ran off the track in the last battle.

To get to the final, Boettcher toppled Danny Probert in the Top 16, Beau Yates in Great 8 and Matty Hill in Top 4.

Meanwhile Yokoi began the evening beating Brodie Maher, then Shane Van Gisbergen and Michael Bonney, who edged out Hill for third. Garry O’Brien

Drift competition winner Josh Boettcher showed plenty of style in his Nissan Sylvia.

THIS YEAR marked the 10th running of the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motorsport Park, and the event promoter Superlap Australia’s Ian Baker took the time to have a chat about its success.

“For the average motorsport fan this is a different thing,” he began. “We brought the concept back from Japan in 2007, and ran it originally at Oran Park.”

In Japan it was basically a tuner-based event run by the magazines, with hot laps to show off their wares. “We felt we could develop this into a spectator sport and it just grew from there,” he added.

The secret of the on-going success which attracted over 27,000 people in 2018 has to be not just what happens on the track but what else goes on to keep the spectators coming back.

“People pay their money and they want to be entertained. We put a lot of thought into keeping the paying customer entertained and this year we have Matt Hall and the Red Bull plane landing on the main straight and doing a lunchtime stunt show.”

Off the track there are Australian manufacturers meeting with their dealers in business-to-business dealings. “A couple of years ago, Garrett Turbochargers had their annual Asia Pacific dealer conference here,” Baker added.

Baker doesn’t have a committee or a board, it’s just him. “But I got the team, the best possible!

“We haven’t compromised on anything; our event attracts club sprinters, through well-known racing drivers, even former F1 test drivers. Like a musical festival you have some big names.

“Not having a shot at other events, but I think sometimes they get caught up in the politics, what the teams want, and tend to forget about the bloke who pays his 50 bucks at the gate – they lose their fan base,” Baker commented.

“We look at age and what the average income of our spectator is. We have to think about that and make it affordable to come here.”

Looking to the future Baker said the cars go so fast now, faster than he ever thought they would, and they have to consider the safety aspects.

“We had a big crash here the other day at around 250 km/h, the guy (Under Suzuki) was taken to hospital and is back now, working at trying to get his car going again. It is a testament on how safe the cars are now.

“CAMS have been really good to us with all the technical aspects,” he added.

In conclusion Baker said the teams put so much into the cars, he feels that he too has to match it in the form of the livestream and the whole production of the event. Garry O’Brien

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s w e n Y A SPEEDW

2020 VISION FOR FORD/SCHATZ/TSR

Image: Gary Reid

MATT JACKSON scored his second Speedcar main event win of the season in as many starts, after surviving a titanic arm-wrestle with Kaidon Brown for much of the race until the teenager broke a throttle linkage and had to retire from the event at Valvoline Raceway. Queenslanders filled two spots in the top four, with Brock Dean in particular being very smooth to come home in second place from Sydney’s Harley Smee and Glenn Wright fourth, while Sydney’s Rob Mackay was fifth in one of his best drives in some time. At Avalon raceway Joey Lostich, also of the Sunshine State, won the 20-lap G-Town Rumble final from Nick Parker and Mitch Whiting.

SHANE STEWART is set to re-visit Western Australia. The current World of Outlaws driver has not been in WA for many years and will team-up with Dowling Motorsport for four nights of racing from Boxing Day at the Perth Motorplex for their annual Speedweek tournament. “Liam (Dowling) and I hope that we can have some fun and win a few races while I am down there. I love the fans that I have met over the years and look forward to seeing all of them again,” Stewart said.

THE POPULAR upcoming USA Invasion Tour for 2019/20 will have 17-year-old American teenage sensation Hayden Ross in the field. At just 15, he won his first feature event in just his second Late Model race. His team recently loaded their XR1 car and equipment into a sea container bound for Perth, with plenty of time to get it all ready for the four nights of the USA Invasion Tour. This will include the two night Australian Late Model Championship at the Perth Motorplex from January 8, 2020. “I am pumped and can’t wait to get down there,” Ross said.

WORLD SPRINTCAR racing looks to be on the cusp of major change from 2020 and Australia may soon play a major part.

The world’s best Sprintcar driver Donny Schatz is again due in Australia to compete in Queensland from late December, and he might be armed with a Ford motor under his bonnet.

Schatz grabbed his 10th win of the season just days ago and it was the first time in 20 years Ford was back in Victory Lane in Sprintcar racing. The last triumph for Ford was when Jeff Swindell won in August 1998.

“It’s pretty rewarding. We hit double digits [in the win column] so that’s big,” Schatz said.

“This is the third race with the Ford so it’s big to get to Victory Lane that quick. Rick [Warner] has done an awesome job with the motor program. It’s got two thirds and a win tonight, so it has a lot of promise to it.

“Sometimes you have to do things in life that are off the beaten path. That’s what this whole program is.

They got a lot of dedication to it.

Tony (Stewart) does, and what Tony asks us to do we do. Here we are.”

During 2019 Schatz and Stewart have both been running the new Ford Performance block minted FPS 410, short for Ford Performance Stewart 410. It is a collaboration between Ford Performance, Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) and Durham Racing Engines and will equip Stewart’s Sprintcars in 2020.

The engine was first tested in February by TSR star Schatz and debuted in August in Michigan … two weeks later it powered Stewart to victory in Wisconsin and Ford bosses are now looking global.

“I am so incredibly proud to see the FPS 410 Sprintcar engine program come to fruition,” said three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and TSR owner/driver, Stewart.

“The hours, innovation and effort that has gone into making this Ford program a reality is immeasurable. To not only have a raceready engine right out of the gate, but to have had the privilege of competing with it is truly a highlight of my racing career.

“The goal of this engine program is to be able to introduce the

Image: Geoff Rounds

Image: Richard Hathaway

FPS 410 engine to the Sprintcar community by this time next year. I know we have a powerplant that will immediately challenge for wins across many tracks and series,” Stewart said.

Ford’s participation in Sprintcar racing has been limited, but that could be changing with the completion of this engine and TSR’s continued commitment.

“A lot of time and effort has been spent by our team working with the people at Tony Stewart Racing to make sure that when we put this engine in competition, it would be good right out of the box,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.

“Seeing that come to fruition is a testament to all the hard work by everybody who has been involved in this project, and we look forward to Tony and others winning many more races with it in the years to come.

“Development of the new Ford engine will continue, with the hope that it may become part of a customer program in the near future.”

With 30 years of racing experience Schatz, 42, is in a tight battle to claim his 11th title in the 2019 World of Outlaws Championship that concludes during early November.

SPRINTCAR SEASON HEATS UP Images: 44photography

MICK SHELFORD driving an older model Holden Commodore has won the first major event for the 2019/2020 season in Queensland, with victory in the Gympie Gold Rush at Mothar Mountain Speedway. Shelford won the $3000 prizemoney for his efforts over two nights which featured some of Australia’s best sedan pilots. Mark Pagel and Tim Atkin rounded out the podium with current National Champion Kye Walters of Torquay in Victoria working his way into the top five by the end of the 30-lap main event.

Images: Gary Reid

DANIEL SAYRE broke through for his first win in four years winning the annual Lord Mayor’s Cup for Sprintcars at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway. From grid position 16 of 24 for the A-Main, Sayre eventually took his car to the lead inside the last 10 laps of the 30-lap feature and never looked back. “It was a huge relief to be honest. I’ve been down that road before where I’ve led the race until the last lap so I just wanted to get it done. I’m thrilled for all our team and family,” Sayre said. He took his maiden win and led home Alex Orr in second place and Matt Geering in third.

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MOST OF Australia’s most recognised and fastest drivers have begun their seasons in fine form, as the national Sprintcar racing scene hits full swing in all states.

Warrnambool’s Jamie Veal recorded his 18th career victory at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway and has edge ahead of George Tatnell on the all-time win list at the Parramatta venue.

Veal’s win in round two of the tough NSW Ultimate Sprintcar Championship adds to recent wins in the Northern Territory and Queensland.

His most recent victory was hard fought and by no means easy to defeat aggregate leader Sam Walsh by a mere 1.037s and Robbie Farr home third, then followed Marcus Dumesny edging out father Max. Across in Murray Bridge Matt Egel led home Luke Dillon and Daniel Pestka in the opening round of the Country Tri Series for Sprintcars and was already keen for the upcoming and opening USC SA round.

“When the track is like this it really suits my style and I just love to get out there and run the top. I don’t think I have ever won first night out so the win will give us great confidence for when the USC starts in a few weeks”, Egel said.

The opening round of the hotly contested Sprintcar Racing Association’s 15 round series commenced at Moama’s Heartland raceway and three veterans filled the podium, with Grant Anderson first home from multiple series champions

Matthew Reed and Brett Milburn.

Reigning World Series Sprintcars champion Steven Lines travelled from his Mount Gambier base to Archerfield Speedway and warmed up nicely for the busy racing ahead of him with a win in round two of the Queensland Sprintcar series.

Driving the immaculate Dave Horrell-owned Cool Lines he showed he will again be one of the toughest to beat, winning by just Image: Geoff Rounds 0.178 at the chequer at the end of the 30-lap A-Main from Luke Oldfield and the ever-improving Ryan McNamara.

World Series Sprintcars has been very slowly releasing their contracted drivers for their 2019/20 season of 15 rounds and so far it sees a return of many that competed last season and a welcome American.

Heading the list is multiple WSS champion James McFadden who is chasing his fifth WSS title and joining him after a breakout season in 2018/19 is Rusty Hickman, while Kerry Madsen is back again with Krikke Motorsport in their 20th consecutive season of the tournament.

World of Outlaws feature race winner Lucas Wolfe will make his debut as a World Series Sprintcars contracted driver in 2019/20, at the wheel of the Queensland-based Ayers Motorsport operation. WSS regulars Glen Sutherland, Jason Pryde and Lachlan McHugh are again in, while Tasmania’s Jock Goodyer will challenge for outright Rookie honours and two-time Australian champion David Murcott also joins the field.

COOL HAND

LUKE BOXING DAY 2017, it was the night everything changed for Luke Walker.

He recorded his first win in Sprintcar racing after a bonejarring crash at Moama’s Heartland Raceway just 12 months earlier, which resulted in a fractured T3 and T4 vertebrae and nearly ended his racing.

The Victorian racer underwent a long and gruelling recovery before returning to the track and quickly proved to all his immense racing skill was still there.

“I broke my back and spent 12 months in a back brace and then lots of physiotherapy was required. I had to wear a back brace in summer, which was not very comfortable. I was quite fit before it all happened, I’m an active person and then I couldn’t do anything. It was a tough time,” Walker told Auto Action.

“It’s quite good now, I am still working on getting the strength back in it. The muscles seem to fade away around that area and I‘ve had to train my body to use that part of the back again.

“The first season after I came back was a slow start.

I think since then I’ve been consistently reasonable. I’d like to more consistent and consistently better, but we’re getting there...it’s not an easy game.”

Walker, 23, a mechanical engineer, designs mostly agricultural products and digital library components for his own company Engineer It based in the small dairy-farming town of Timboon in Western Victoria.

He began his motorracing career in gokarts at the age of 12 and progressed to the Wingless Sprints before moving into Sprintcars six years ago.

With the backing and support of parents Bevan and Shirley, they purchased the ex-Colin Bulmer owned ART car, which had been driven by American racer Terry McCarl in the 2013-14 season

Grand Annual Classic and in that season Walker was named the Rookie of the Year by the Victorian Sprintcar Racing Association.

The following season, Walker fitted most of the car’s components to a new Cool Chassis, along with a 410ci KRE engine, and continued to improve throughout the next two seasons, scoring three fourthplace finishes in 2015-16.

His 2016-17 season was brought to a crashing halt in his opening race meeting, Walker concentrated on completing his

Luke Walker has come back from adversity to be a feature winner.

Images: Geoff Rounds

mechanical engineering university course and took the opportunity to crew for fellow 410 Sprintcar driver Ian Loudoun and also John Vogels in the latter stages of last season, gaining some valuable experience.

It worked for the likable Walker when his comeback would finally see him on top of the podium.

“I was both excited and relived to have finally achieved the milestone, after

spending a lot of hours in the shed and putting in a lot of hard work to get there and especially coming back from my injuries.

“I definitely still enjoy the racing.

My parents and myself have very busy lives and to do Speedway properly requires a lot of time.

I’m quite particular with the car and I spend a lot of time trying to get it right. I believe it’s got to be right every time you get to the track. You can’t afford to be going to the racetrack and having problems with the car not running or something like that, you’re just wasting time if you’re doing that.

“The challenge of it is quite difficult. It’s very hard to be good.

It’s always said that it’s a five-year apprenticeship before you go any good, I think that stands true. Any weekend there’s up to six that can win. I’ve only won one race and I’d like to have a couple more and it’s that desire to win that’s the challenge for us all in the team.

Dad and I always are talking both at the track and away from it.

We don’t vary from our standard set-up and that only changes if it’s sever conditions.

“I’ll do 14 races this season just like I did last year. I think you’ve got to be able to afford to do more races and do them properly. If you’ve got to cut costs to try and do more races then I Don’t think that’s really a great way to go. It’s

quite a big investment to race and with starting up my own business I don’t want the racing to get in the way of that…it’s my number one priority.”

Walker lives in a Speedway hub with many tracks within two hours of his home and while he rates Simpson Speedway as his favourite it has been Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway where he’s grabbed some of his best results.

“I like racing around the top at both of those places, it’s enjoyable passing cars for me no matter where it is. We will just stay in this area and do the big races around here,” Walker said.

He started the 2019 40-lap 24-car Classic A-Main in fifth position, eventually finishing seventh. Australian legend Robbie Farr ticked off a bucket list item with victory and past Classic winners Jamie Veal, Kerry Madsen, Brooke Tatnell and James McFadden followed him home with Grant Anderson coming in sixth.

“We might struggle to beat that to be honest,” Walker said.

“I try no to rattle myself about big events. I’m just even more stringent with the maintenance during say Classic week. It’s quite a big investment to do the Classic, I don’t approach it any differently, just put our best car forward and take it as it comes.”

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p ra w S L A NATION

compiled by garry o’brien

FIRST TASSIE TITLE WIN TIM AUTY and John Mitchell won their first Tasmanian Rally Championship after finishing second in the fifth and final round, the Les Walkden Rallying Mountain Stages Rally, near Launceston on October 19.

In their aging Mazda 332 GT-R, they needed only to finish one heat to wrap up the title. They started the day a little conservatively, setting the fourth fastest time in the opening stage.

Although unable to go back to back, reigning champions Bodie Reading and Mark Young (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) pushed hard from the outset, to take the stage by 5.5s from Image: Tasmanian Rally Championship Ben and Reubecca Sheldrick (Holden Commodore SS). Kade Barrett and They still managed to finish third in the David Guest (Plymouth Fire Arrow) were a further championship, behind Troy Johnson and Aaron 5.2s slower with Auty and Mitchell just 0.2 sec Sanders (Subaru RS Legacy), who by doing so, behind.

The first stage by victory by Reading was to be also won the one-make Buckby Motors Subaru the first of a clean sweep, setting fastest times in Challenge Series by a considerable margin.

The newly crowned champions were second all 10 stages and both heats, to score maximum fastest in all heats except the first and last, to points. By the end of the day, the margin to Auty finish the day a clear second overall, 1min 26s was an impressive 2mins 37s.

ahead of Barrett and Guest, in their equally impressive giant killing 2WD car.

The result enabled the team to also take out 2WD class honours and third outright for the round, which included a third fastest in stage one and second fastest time on the 10th and final stage.

Barrett and Guest entered the final round a

Image: Og Ogmore

Image: David Batchelor

GREMLINS DIDN’T STOP THE TURLEYS DESPITE SOME minor electrical gremlins Lachlan and Kerry Turley (Can-Am Maverick) led from start to finish and comfortably won the Denise Gosden Memorial Ladies and Juniors Enduro at Port Germein on October 6.

For 15-year-old Lachlan it was a back to back win in the annual event, which had attracted a bigger than usual 15-car field. In their first run in the event, Blair and Cooper Johns (PM Tyrant/Toyota) grabbed second just over 2mins behind the winners.

Sue Curtis and Sue Kappel (GCR Rhino/ Nissan) had a trouble-free run into third, aided a bit by the misfortune that befell the Woftam SS/Nissan of Lauren and Jamie Andrews. The Andrews sisters looked set for a podium finish until a rear wheel parted company on the final lap, dropping them to seventh.

A close fourth were Toby and Mick Fraser (Chenowth/Nissan), comfortably ahead of Larrisa Jeffery and Sam Vanstone (RIDS Joker/Toyota) who put on a spectacular

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chance to snatch the 2WD title after missing early championship rounds. But they fell just short with the title going Mark Kyle and Daniel Davies (Datsun 1600) who finished third in class and 11th outright. Barrett and Guest finished second in the 2WD championship, with the Sheldricks third in a very close points battle.

Martin Agatyn

performance. There was a bit of a gap back to Makayla and Andy Maxwell (turbo Rivmasta) but it was a proud dad moment for Andy.

Eliza Parker and Taela McKinnlay (Nissan Patrol) were eighth and ahead of Jarrah and Mark Taylor (Cobra/Mazda) with Peta and Penny Guidolin (Can-Am Maverick) 10th, even though an ECU problem sidelined them with two laps to go.

Cassie and Georgia Priestley were starting to show some pace in the V8 Falcon but the alternator let them down. Making the most spectacular exit were Megan and Nick Burt (Rivmasta/Toyota) rolling coming out of the quarry.

Tina and Rod Holmes (Artic Cat) were a last minute entry but suffered a front diff failure on the first lap. Wendy Arbon and Haydn Vanstone (RIDS Joker/VW) didn’t make the start when it wouldn’t fire up, with Dianna and Geoff Pickett also a DNS with the Chev powered Triton having blown a head gasket testing the day before. David Batchelor

RICH WIN IN QUEENSLAND WINNING THE Markwell Demolition 162 Challenge at Charters Towers on October 12-13, ensured Christian Rich was crowned CAMS Queensland Off Road Champion.

Leading into the third and final round at the Milchester Motorsports Complex, Rich (SXS Turbo class Can Am Maverick X3) was a lowly 12th and over 100 points behind joint points leader David Skinner (Sportslite Sollitco/Subaru) and Toby Whateley (Can-Am), who wasn’t competing.

Together with navigator Nathan Mortimer, Rich led through the three heats, the first over two laps of the 36km course and six on the 54km track. He finished 2mins ahead of single seater pilot Chris Sollitt (Sollitco/Subaru) in second place, while Gordon Fletcher (UTV Polaris RZR XP1000) completed the event in third spot.

Skinner only had to finish the final race,

but a broken axle on the second last lap ended his chances. Skinner finished the weekend as the championship runnerup, but did win the four-round North Queensland Super Series ahead of Sollitt and Samantha Hancock (SXS Sport Polaris RZR).

For the navigators, Mortimer was crowned state champion and Hancock’s co-driver Brad Hancock the North Queensland Super Series winner.

The event was part of the Queensland Festival of Dirt, with a Khanacross and Motorkhana held in conjunction with championship finale.

It also had a special Dash for Cash off road competition taking place simultaneously with three drivers entered.

It was won by Rob Turner and Waylon Jaggard (Pro Buggy Desert Dynamics/ Chev V8) finishing 2s faster than Rich and Mortimer. GOB

EIGHT IS ENOUGH FOR NISSAN GTR

MONARO STAGES PENDING THE RESULT of the Kosciuszko Automotive Monaro Stages Rally, held around Cooma and Bombala on October 19, came down to a broken oil line. But due to a number of protests, the results have not been finalised as yet.

Event sponsor Andrew Penny, with co-driver Rhys Llewellin, took his Subaru Impreza WRX to a narrow win in the rally after pre-event favourite Glenn Raymond and Kate Catford (WRX) stopped on a road stage to repair an oil leak and ran out of late time in the process.

Raymond equaled the first stage with Richard Shimmon and Jim Gleeson (Mitsubishi EVO) ahead of Michael South and Justin Goodried (WRX) and first 2WD, Tony Sullens and Kaylie

Newall (Citroen DS3). This stage saw the demise of highly-favoured 2WD/Classic entrant Tom Dermody and Eion Moynahan (Ford Escort) with no oil pressure.

Raymond and Sullens shared fastest time on stage two, from Shimmon and South. Stage three saw the move into the forest stages after opening on the fast, wide Shire roads around Nimitabel.

This is where Raymond ran into trouble. He started the rest of the first heat, but was later ruled to be out of time and listed DNF for the first heat.

Tristan Kent and Lisi Phillips took stage 3 from South and reigning Champions Glenn Brinkman and Harvey Smith (EVO). Stage 4 went to Shimmon from South and Brinkman and the

overall heat went to Shimmon from South, Sullens and Brinkman.

After the break, Raymond was back, but slower than in the early part. Shimmon took two of the three stages and Penny the final. Stages five and eight (which was the same stage repeated) were cancelled due to a big crash by James Dymock, who was air-lifted to hospital but released that night after precautionary checks.

In the East Coast Classic series, the demise of Dermody left the door open for Nathan Quinn and Ray Winwood-Smith (Mazda RX2). Second were Stuart Bowes and Jon Thomson (Mercedes 450SLC) from Stephen Duthie and Damian Hans (Datsun 180B). GOB

HICKS HITS BACK FOR TITLE

Image: ASORRC

AFTER A troubled first round, Greg Hicks bounced back to win the second and the NT Titles Off Road Series at Mt Ooraminna on October 19-20.

Held at the Alice Springs Off Road Racing Club’s venue, 45km out of Alice Springs, the Hosetech 250 saw the ProLite Sollitt/Subaru pilot cross the finish line first out of the 21 entries. He was one minute ahead of second placed Andrew Mowles (Razorback/Nissan).

The top three finishers were all ProLite

Image: Bruce Moxon

class buggies, as Locky Weir (Jimco/Toyota) secured the last step on the podium.

Following the prologue over the 9km course, competitors took on two laps of the 53km long course on Saturday, followed by a further three laps on Sunday.

Hicks’ outright title came as fellow contender Alex Heinzel (Southern Cross/ Nissan) finished 14th outright.

Super 1650 Buggy class winner Jack Weir (Holeshot/Toyota) beat Extreme 2WD

pilot Shannon Landers (Ford Ranger/Chev) and the fastest UTV driver Harry Weckert (Yamaha YXZ 1000) to finish fourth. Despite the event taking place on a difficult course, only five crews were unable to finish.

Crews, officials and spectators paid tribute to the late Matt Morgan, an Alice Springs Off Road Racing Club member, releasing balloons in his honour. The event being was also named the Matt Morgan Memorial.

GOB

WINNING ALL but three stages set the scene for Angus Kennard and Ian Wheeler to win the Great Tarmac Rally, round two of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship.

Held out of Marysville on October 12-13, they steered their Nissan Skyline GTR R35 to eight stage wins and a 1min 47.3s victory over round one winners John and Janet Ireland (Dodge Viper). Michael Harding and Lance Arundel (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) were third a further 3mins 7.1s behind. Harding won the new Super Rally category – for modified rally cars that allow more freedoms to weight, engine capacity, induction, gearbox and aero.

Kennard took out the opening stage before Ireland won the next and took a narrow lead. But the rest of the wet day belonged to Kennard. Third through the first three stages were Dean Lillee and Steve Glenney before their Super Rally HSV Monaro GTO blew its diff and they struggled to 16th by the end of the day.

With several stage fourths, a second and a couple of thirds, Harding finished the day third ahead of Richard and Chris Perini (Porsche GT3 RS), and Allan and Kerr Hines (Mitsubishi EVO X).

Improved weather conditions saw Ireland take the first Sunday stage. Then Kennard was again at the forefront, winning the day by 9s over their Viper rival. With the GTO back on song, Lillee finished third for the day, even winning the final stage.

Fourth oval went to the Perini ahead of Hines, Greg and Rhonda Burrowes (BMW M2 Competition), and Greg Bass/Peter Cooke (Super Rally WRX) In Classic competition Peter Gluskie and Samantha Winter (BMW 325e) and Keith and Alex Morling (Ford Escort RS1800) pushed each other. By the Saturday lunch break, Gluskie was seventh outright with Morling eighth. But the latter pair was forced to retire after lunch.

Gluskie started day two with a commanding class lead until clutch problems put them out – it was their first mechanical retirement ever. Michael Nordsvan and Marty Holden (Mazda RX7) came through to take the Classic victory and eighth outright.

Robin and Peter Lowe (Datsun 240Z) placed second with David McCrow and Ingrid McCrow (Ford Capri GT1600) third. GOB

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NATIONALS wrap n compiled by garry o’brie

Image: John Lemm

Image: Elgee

RENAULT TAKE THE CHALLENGE

CHAMPIONSHIP BACK TO MAHON DRIVING HIS Malcolm Oastler-engineered Dallara F394, Barossa Valley local Dave Mahon has regained the South Australian Hillclimb Championship supported by Copyworld Toshiba on October 19-20, having also taken the title two years ago.

With cool conditions on Saturday, it took a few runs before the fastest times were under 30 seconds, Mahon ahead at the end of the day, 0.74s in front of Michael Bishop (Hayward 19) with Derek Foster (White Suzuki) 0.35s further back.

Matthew Woodland had gone off on the final corner on his fourth run, crashing over a couple of large rocks and causing a lot of damage to his Richards 201C. Alan Foley was fourth with David Pfeiffer (Talbot RF) next and Allan Foster (White Suzuki) 0.06s slower in sixth. The Foster brothers were having fuel delivery problems, missing Saturday’s final run and Sunday’s first before it was resolved.

On Sunday’s third run, Mahon took 0.53s off of

SUTCLIFFE REIGNS SUPREME NOT ONLY was October 12-13 Bathurst weekend, but it also signalled the close of the WDSCC 2019 Super Sprint C Series at Morgan Park Raceway.

The sprints were once again conducted on the popular 3km K circuit with 3 laps per run, but rain greeted competitors on the opening day leaving many competitors struggling for grip in the greasy conditions. The weather improved for the following day’s action, as drivers set fast lap times in the Morgan Park sunshine.

It was Phil Sutcliffe in his Nissan GT-R, who mastered the mixed conditions to top the weekend’s action and with it the 2019 WDSCC C series Championship. Rounding out the podium were Peter Endacott and Gavin Taylor.

his own year-old class record (set in his previous Ninja GA7) with Derek Foster moving into second on the same run. Bishop finished third, behind the younger Foster, and in front of the older brother, Foley, Pfeiffer, and Mahon’s son Paul in the Ninja.

Robert Ellis (Acrobat MkI) was the first of the Sports Cars in 11th, just ahead of the first tin-top, the EVO 7s piloted by Gavin Farley and Martin Radford. There was a great battle going on in the Circuit Excel class, Scott Stephenson and Nick Scaife tied before the former went quicker in the penultimate run.

The fastest four 2WDs, 4WDs and open wheelers were assembled for the Top 12 Shootout, the object being to exceed your best time by the greatest amount. Sarah Pfeiffer (Mallock U2) was the first lady driver ever to qualify for the shootout.

Mark Rice (Mazda RX7) was best 2WD, Gary Donald topped the 4WDs and Michael Bishop headed the open wheelers as well as outright.

John Lemm

THE RENAULT Car Club of Victoria won the Rob Roy Hillclimb Interclub Challenge on October 6 from a total of 25 clubs. A strong challenge from the Victorian Historic Racing Register in third and final round left the two clubs separated by just five points while the Gippsland Car Club completed the podium.

Geoff Rasmussen (Renault R4) and Joel Bryer (Clio RS) were top scorers for Renault taking their respective class wins. They were the only entrants in their classes which was an enormous help, especially as Rasmussin had the dubious honour of being the slowest of the 71 entrants. Megane drivers Glen Armstrong and Leon Deminy took third and fourth respectively in their class.

The VHRR was trailing going into this round and made an enormous effort to secure second place. Mike Barker led the charge in his Hayward, taking FTD with a 19.44s run which

is not only a personal best but makes him the fifth fastest ever at Rob Roy – a fantastic effort for a man in his 70s.

The VHRR dominated pre and post 1960 racing classes, with Graeme Raper (Monoskate) and Philip Gray (Ford Special) taking third and fifth outright, behind the second fastest on the day, Daniel Leitner (Subaru Impreza WRX).

Dick O’Keefe (Photon Lotus 11 Replica) took second in class behind Barker with third and fourth going to junior drivers Conor Ryan and Joshua Dowling in their shared Daveric Formula Vee. Marjorie Halford (Mazda MX5) was fastest female for a class seventh.

As they have in previous years, host MG Car Club of Victoria excluded themselves from the club points in the interests of a fair competition – as they swamped the entry numbers, this being part of an MG competition. Gary Hill

SPECIAL HILLCLIMB VICTORY

DRIVING THE side valve Ford A Special built by his late father Kevin, Michael Shearer won his second successive Barossa Vintage Collingrove Hillclimb on October 6.

Shearer had to wait until the sixth and penultimate run to take the lead away from Derek Foster (Cooper Mk VI JAP), before extending the gap on the final run. Shearer had cut the first corner on the opening run, sending a marker cone flying, which hit the car’s isolator switch, killing the engine.

The star attraction was Robert Balfour’s 1909

Stanley Steamer Model Z 9-seater, which made a spectacular run up the hill during the lunch break.

A competition was held to guess what time the car would achieve, 76.5s now standing as the steam car record.

Shearer’s 37.37s was 0.5s shy of his own three-year-old class record, but 2.07 better than Foster’s time, set on the first run, with Bill Bentley (Nadger Clubman) next and Chris Frost’s Hartwig Fargo Special 0.03s slower. Lindsay Hick’s MG TC Special was fifth with Brian Simpson (Cooper Mk IX JAP) sixth .03 behind. John Lemm

Images: Trapnell Creations

Registrations for the 2020 Super Sprints are now open. Head over to the Morgan Park website and follow the links. Entries are limited, so it’s a case of first in best dressed.

The 2019 WDSCC State Championship Super Sprints are to be held on November 16-17 and are open to any driver who wants to compete.

WDSCC would like to thank all the volunteers and staff who have helped make the 2019 series such a successful and enjoyable event.

For more information and for what events are coming up, visit www.morganparkraceway.

CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE Phil Sutcliffe Peter Endacott Gavin Taylor Ben Van Wegan Nick Tomkinson Matthew O’Brien Nick Ashwin Jason O’Mara Stuart Lowry Brad Stehr

Proudly presented by Warwick District Sporting Car Club Inc for more information visit www.morganparkraceway.com.au

Next Round: 16-17 November

56 AutoAction

176 154 139 129 126 117 111 110 106 105

WINTON’S SALOONFEST THERE WAS no Octoberfest at Winton Motor Raceway on October 19-20, rather a Saloonfest instead, catering for NSW-based Production Sports Cars and the regular rural Victorian circular favourites.

Brought to you by:

racefuels.com.au

PRODUCTION SPORTS CARS

THE THIRD of four rounds in the CUE Enduro Super Series featured two one-hour races and were dominated by Gary Higgon and Dan Gaunt in their Audi R8 LMS. In race one, they finished just over a lap ahead of Jason Miller (Porsche 997 GT3) with Geoff Morgan less than 3s behind in his 991 Cup Car. The winning pair led from the outset, only losing the lead for a dozen laps through the compulsory pitstops. Sergio Pires (Porsche) was second before being passed by Miller who then led until he pitted. Brad Schumacher (911) was 3.7s away in fourth and a lap up on Sergio Pires and Nathan Halstead (Porsche).

The Higgon/Gaunt combination led race two from the start but lost the lead to Schumacher before the schedule stops. Pires also led before his stop, but once they were all completed Higgon/Gaunt were well clear. Again they were a lap ahead but it was tight for second between Pires, Schumacher and Miller who snatched third on the last lap.

VIC V8S

FROM FIVE outings five wins were not enough for Brian Finn (Holden Commodore) to secure the 2019 title. That went to Victor Agento (Ford Falcon XB Coupe) who was second in the first three races. He only needed a fourth in race four and held second for several laps.

After a fourth and two thirds, Mark Kakouri (Commodore) rounded up Craig Eddy (Commodore) around the outside in the sweeper

Images: Neil Hammond

in race four and chased down Agento for second.

It was a similar tale in the last where Agento was second initially before Kakouri passed him at turn 12. With that third place, Agento clinched his fourth straight series win.

Eddy finished with a third and a string of fourths, battling with David Ratcliffe (Commodore) and Arthur Van Orsouw once he had the brakes sorted on his Commodore. Gary Vella (Commodore) finished the round in seventh while Mark Houeix (Commodore) missed the last race due to gearbox issues after Al Davies (Ford Falcon XE) stopped running due to an oil line leak.

TIN TOPS

ABOARD HIS Subaru Impreza WRX, Keven Stoopman won all five outings and took the Treaded Tyre class. He won the first ahead of John Hickey (Holden Commodore VE) who narrowly edged out Josh Dowell (Ford Falcon) to also take the Slick Tyre honours. Behind them came Mark Sutherland (Commodore VT) and Paul Cornell (WRX).

Cornell came through for second in race two ahead of Hickey and Dowell, and third behind the Ford in the next. Numbers fell away in the last two outings and that enabled Sutherland to pick up a couple of seconds and finish second in the Treaded Tyre class overall. Meanwhile Russell

Deller (Falcon) was third in race four and Cooper Cappellari (Commodore VY) was third in the last.

BMW E30 DRIVERS CUP

THE SIXTH and final round of the Garagistic BMW Driver’s Cup also doubled as the annual E30 enduro round. With a narrow nine-point leading margin before the weekend, Jeremy Payne consolidated in emphatic style by winning both one-hour races.

He blazed out new category lap records in both to head home rival Brian Bourke who moved from fourth to second in the title chase. Also in contention were Alex Jory and Jesse Bryan. Jory finished third in race one while 0.25s separated Bryan and Simon Shiff in their battle for fifth. Despite a 5s penalty, Shiff came through for third in race two and third for the round as Bryan retired after a brake failure, with Jory going out six laps later.

2.0-LITRE SPORTS SEDANS/APRA PULSARS

MINI COOPERS showed the way where Craig Lindsell had a perfect weekend with five victories and Iain McDougall scored a swag of seconds. Coming from the back, Kevin Coulson (Honda Civic) finished third in race one and remained there for the rest of the weekend.

Andrew Pinkerton (Datsun 120Y) was fourth with Steve Langman (Honda Gemini) fifth, missing points for not figuring in the last. Declan Kirkham (Eunos 30X) only completed race one, limping home after an turn 4 off-road excursion, hit a ditch, bent the rails, broke the gearbox casing, ther power steering pump and creased the firewall.

Lee Nuttall won four of the five APRA races and was second once – it was also sufficient for him to take the series for 2019. Robert Pepper won the other and along with three seconds and a third, was second overall and third in the series. Brett Stevens scored the other second and three thirds for third overall ahead of series runner-up Josh Gay and Ben Hamilton who finished up equal fourth. GOB

SURPRISE AT THE DRAGWAY THE 2019-20 Whiteline Twilight Rallysprint Series opened with a surprise result at Sydney Dragway on October 17.

Phil Heafey and Brandon Dick (Mitsubishi EVO) were fastest on the opening run by over 6s from Michael Harding and Ben Perry (Subaru Impreza WRX). But that was as good as it got for Heafey as the EVO broke a rear drive shaft at the start of the second run which ended his night.

Nobody managed to get anywhere near his time for the rest of the night, but results are determined by a cumulative time from the best three runs, of the course.

With Heafey gone, Harding may have been hoping for an easy run,

but Troy and Gary Nicholson had their HSV Coupe 4 flying, taking the fight to the lighter car and actually being faster on at least one run.

Harding survived a late scare, nearly running out of fuel due to getting several re-runs with other competitors crashing.

Borrowing 10 litres from another competitor allowed Harding to take the win by just 2.9s from the Nicholsons. Third was another EVO, that of Jake and Ian Lambie with the first 2WD car next, the Porsche 911 GT3 crewed by Ben and Glenn Dudley.

These events often attract some very interesting entries and this was no exception. Two Ford Sierra RS500s were entered, but neither

Multi Club Motorkhana, Sydney Motorsport Park NSW, Nov 02 Bagshot Rallysprint, Bendigo Motorsport Complex VIC, Nov 02 Multi Club Supersprint, Phillip Island VIC, Nov 02 Club Special Stage Rally, FInke Desert Race Complex Alice Springs, Nov 02 Club Khanacross, Adelaide International Raceway SA, Nov 02 Queensland Motor Race Championships Rd4, Morgan Park QLD, Nov 02-03 Australian Hillclimb Championships, Mt Panorama NSW, Nov 02-03 Ipswich Classic, QR Drivers Championships, TA2 Muscle Cars Rd6, Formula 3 Series Rd6, Queensland Raceway QLD, Nov 02-03 QLD-NSW Sprint Challenge, Carnell Raceway QLD, Nov 02-03 eV Challenge Powered by Synergy, Tiger Kart Club WA, Nov 02-03 State Off Road Series Rd5, Peron Dunes St Helens TAS, Nov 02-03 Multi Club Autocross, Jack Chisholm Reserve Swan Hill, Nov 02-03 Multi Club Khanacross, Baskerville Raceway TAS, Nov 02-03 Almost Cup Day Sprint, Multi Car Supersprint, Sandown Raceway VIC, Nov 03 Multi Car Supersprint, Baskerville Raceway TAS, Nov 03 End of Year Bash Hillclimb, Mount Cooperabung Kempsey NSW, Nov 03 Multi Car Supersprint, Phillip Island VIC, Nov 03 Multi Car Supersprint, Winton Raceway VIC, Nov 03 Multi Club Motorkhana, Sydney Motorsport Park NSW, Nov 03 Multi Club Motorkhana, Awabawac Park NSW, Nov 03 Club Rallysprint, Bagshot Motorsport Complex VIC, Nov 03 Club Motorkhana, Bunbury Speedway Carpark WA, Nov 03 Multi Club Motorkhana, TCCA Grounds Pakenham VIC, Nov 03 Club Autocross, Perth Motorplex Kwinana WA, Nov 06 Penrite Oils Sandown 500, Supercars Championship Race 28, Australian GT Rd7, Super 2 Series Rd6 Touring Car Masters Rd7, Toyota 86 Racing Series Rd4, Sandown Raceway VIC, Nov 08-10 Australian Targa Championships Rd4, Targa High Country, Mt Buller VIC, Nov 08-10 Legend of the Lakes Hillclimb, Mount Gambier SA, Nov 08-10 State Motor Racing Championships Rd5, Mallala Motorsport Park SA, Nov 09 George Derrick Rally, State Rally Series Rd6, Heyfield VIC, Nov 09 Multi Club Khanacross, Powranna Dragway Complex TAS, Nov 09 Club Motorkhana, Menne Road Highclere TAS, Nov 09 Club Autocross, Shepparton & District Club Track Mooroopna VIC, Nov 09-10 Classic & Sports Car Challenge Hillclimb, Noosa QLD, Nov 09-10 Multi Club Short Course Off Road, Private Property Mulgowie Road Thornton QLD, Nov 09-10 State Hillclimb Cup Rd4, Baskerville TAS, Nov 10 State Khanacross Championship Rd5, 405 McGregor Road Pakenham VIC, Nov 10 28th Historic & Classic Hillclimb, Rob Roy, Nov 10 Multi Club Supersprint, Mallala Motorsport Park, Nov 10

Image: Bruce Moxon

fronted, but no matter, Mark Caine and Daniel Brown punted a Ferrari 575M to a decent top-20 finish.

There was a replica of the Carlos Sainz WRC Toyota Corolla, several very quick tarmac rally cars and a good cross-section of club cars.

Former Australian Rally

Champion Brendan Reeves was on hand to mentor junior drivers in a development project run

by Hyundai. Meanwhile, with photographer Aaron Wishart alongside, he drove an i30N to a good result, second 2WD. Bruce Moxon

AutoAction

57

OH, FOR F’S SAKE! WE HAVE a new winner in the time-honoured tradition of TV commentators dropping a rude word during a telecast.

Take a bow, Mark Skaife, for your expletive during the Bathurst 1000.

Yes, viewers, you heard it right. Skaifey did utter the F word. It was in the aftermath of Chaz Mostert’s costly collision with Tickford teammate Cam Waters.

On the screen was split vision of a disconsolate Waters in his beached Mustang and his father Chris’s reaction in the pit garage.

Neil Crompton intones: “There are no words.”

To which Skaife responds: “F**k, there are words.”

His gut-reaction comment is slightly in the background, but still clearly audible.

Maybe he didn’t think his microphone was live, but he should’ve known better.

Skaife’s F bomb was the right word at the wrong time, unlike Crompton’s classic Freudian slip during

Image: Insyde Media/Fox Sports

the the 2006 2006 Bathurst 1000 Top 10 Shootout.

“We’ll find out in a moment when the big c**ts, ah, big guns come out to conclude this Shootout,” he stumbled.

Crompo’s verbal faux pas is right up there with Seven Sports commentator/host Sandy Roberts’ mental meltdown at the Fashions On The Field presentation at the 1981 Mount Gambier Cup.

IIntroducing Int ntroducing d the nation’s reigning beauty queen, Roberts stammers: “And, in fact, we still have Miss Australia with us in Leanne Cock and, er, Leanne Dick, I should say.

DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER IMAGES OF Scott McLaughlin’s upended Mustang after his huge Sunday qualifying shunt at Surfers brought back memories of one of Auto Action’s more contentious stories.

Back in April, Image: Gil Slade 1996, we showed John Bowe’s DJR EL Falcon on task for exposing the team’s its side after a big crash at undercarriage secrets. Of Phillip Island, highlighting all course, all the other teams – its underbody aero tricks. and CAMS scrutineers – were DJR was not amused, very grateful for our exposé…

So imagine the restrained taking then editor Bruce delight among other teams Newton – now our resident when the DJR Team Penske Supercars newshound – to

58 AutoAction

Mustang’s Mu underneath was un exposed as ex McLaughlin’s car lay M on its side, TV vision beaming across the be nation – and into the na team garages. te Plus photos of the u up-ended Mustang a all over social m media. You couldn’t m miss it.

Not so many secrets to le learn, perhaps, as nearly 25 years ago, but inadvertently educational nonetheless.

This time, any revelations are not our fault. But it is an eerie repeat of a famous incident in AA/DJRTP history.MF

That is legendary a among Aussie sports c commentator ‘cock-ups’, a along with ex-AFL great G Gerald Healey’s reference to the Gold Coast “C**ts” – quickly corrected to S Suns – during a live preg game discussion.

An honourable mention m goes to Fabian Coulthard’s race C engineer, who during e the contentious Bathurst t safety car incident barked s over o the radio “Deb-ris, deb-ris, d deb-ris”.

He was referring to possible wreckage on the p track, which is actually t pronounced “deb-ree”. p Or was the mangled version of debris a cunning code, as some cynics have suggested, rather than an ill-educated utterance? Mark Fogarty

College Road

Conrod Straight

Outline Indicative Only

Conrod Straight

College Road

Auction

Outline Indicative Only

Huge Development Potential — Mt Panorama ‘Lochinvar’, 448 Conrod Straight, Mt Panorama, Bathurst, NSW • Located on Mt Panorama, home of the famous Bathurst 1000 event • Largest privately held block on the Mt Panorama track, 24 hour unrestricted access, including during race events • 36ha* (89* acres). Zoning — RU2 — Rural Lifestyle • 1 main residence, 3 luxury cottages, plus sheds and established gardens • Huge development potential for hospitality and tourism (STCA) • This property offers a once in a lifetime development opportunity

Auction Friday 22 November 10:30am Level 17, 135 King St, Sydney Louise Ireland 0428 643 586 Pat Bird 0438 361 109 Agent Declares Interest

raywhiteemc.com

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