Auto Action #1777

TEAM SYDNEY DEAD OR ALIVE? SINCE 1971

.COM.AU COM AU

T S A E B U L B TRU- IBUTE TO DICK’S ICONIC XD STEVE’S TCM TR

L ATEST LOOK AT TEAM JOHNSON FALCON BUILD l

GODS OF THUNDER F5000 50th anniversary

Issue #1777 Jan 9 to Jan 22 2020 $8.95 INC GST

www.autoaction.com.au

ALL THE LATEST DIRT ON SPEEDWAY

PLUS

KELLY MUSTANG

UPDATE

MARC CARS AUSTRALIA WILL COMPETE IN THE 2020 24H SERIES EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP THE CHAMPIONSHIP COMPRISES 12HR AND 24 HR ENDURANCE EVENTS, WHERE THE FANTASTIC 620HP MARC II V8 WILL COMPETE AGAINST SOME OF THE WORLDS BEST TEAMS AND CARS. We have a limited amount of opportunities for suitable drivers to join our team.

If you would like to accept the challenge of racing on some of the worlds most Iconic Formula 1 circuits including SPA , MONZA , BARCELONA , PAUL RICARD and RED BULL RING then we would be interested to hear form you.

You will compete in a brand new MARC II v8 featuring all the latest in hi tech driver electronics and safety systems. You will form part of a professional, experienced and well resourced team.

You will visit some famous European cities and towns, like MONZA in Italy , Francorchamps in Belgium and Le Castellete in France.

And you will push yourself to new limits experienceing the rigours and challenges of true international GT Endurance racing .

Find out more today by contacting ....

E H

E AC T R

WORL

D

CALL MARC CARS FOR MORE INFORMATION TODAY. 0418 425 511 OR EMAIL OR VISIT WWW.MARCCARS.COM.AU

LATEST NEWS

TEAM SYDNEY ON THE ROCKS

EXCLUSIVE !

Ownership battle sinks plans for Harbour City squad

MARK FOGARTY reveals the in-fighting that will reduce the field to an all-time low in the Supercars era TEAM SYDNEY is dead, killed by a bitter ownership dispute that has put stranded star James Courtney back on the drivers’ market.

It is now an open secret within Supercars’ inner circle that the muchtrumpeted initiative to create a Sydney squad has collapsed amid dissent between rival factions.

Star signing Courtney is known to be actively pursuing a leading co-drive seat because Team Sydney is not going to happen this year.

Latest information is that he may have already re-signed with Walkinshaw Andretti United as Chaz Mostert’s high-powered partner in the endurance races.

Auto Action has learned that the principal parties of Team Sydney are at loggerheads and cannot agree to a way forward.

The plan to establish a two-car team in western Sydney has been abandoned for this year as untenable amid the argument as to who has the rights to the concept.

Supercars is now resigned to the vaunted Team Sydney initiative being put on hold until 2021 at the very least amid the in-fighting, reducing this year’s grid to an all-time modern era low of 23 cars.

It is understood there is a notional deadline later this month to allow for a lastminute resolution, but all evidence points to the situation having gone beyond retrieval

for this season.

Supercars insiders admit to extreme frustration, with one source describing the lack of official confirmation either way as “embarrassing�.

Tekno Autosports principal Jonathon Webb, promoted prematurely as the figurehead of the Sydney squad, is in a stalemate with partnerturned-opponent Rod Salmon, the racing and business entrepreneur.

Webb and Courtney were hurriedly announced as the faces of Team Sydney on the eve of the Bathurst 1000 following Auto Action’s exclusive and detailed revelation.

AA exposed Salmon, the Tekno alliance and Courtney as the key components of the planned Sydney based squad.

Salmon was originally the main financier of Team Sydney, forming an alliance with Tekno limited to using its REC to underpin the lead entry for Courtney in a proposed two-car squad.

However, Webb and his father Steve, who is Tekno’s main backer, and Salmon have fallen out and pursued competing agendas that have ruined any prospect of Team Sydney happening this season.

AA has been informed that the Webbs have aligned with “another wealthy guy� whose identity remains a mystery.

But Salmon has also been pursuing his claim to the Team Sydney deal, leading to the deadlock.

Despite speculation that Team Sydney has secured the backing of Crown Casino Sydney, opening at the Barangaroo harbour development in 2021, and Vodafone, the business case has not been persuasive.

AA has learned that both parties presented their pitches to the Supercars board of directors last month, with neither mounting a convincing case.

Following reviews, they were reportedly rejected as unsustainable.

Apart from the obvious friction between the Webbs and Salmon, which has frustrated Supercars’ best mediation efforts, the most certain indication that Team Sydney is in disarray is that Courtney is actively pursuing an enduro co-drive.

It is common knowledge among Supercars teams that Courtney is on the market as he has made it widely known that he is available.

Courtney would be an attractive proposition in the increasingly competitive co-driver market because of his vast experience and skill.

His role in Team Sydney was structured as much more than just lead driver. He was actively involved in formulating the squad’s proposed structure and operation, and became involved on the premise of a future management role.

Despite his close friendship with Jonathon Webb, he has bailed and, if he hasn’t already done a co-driver deal with WAU, is openly on the enduro market.

AA has also learned that Courtney has largely taken over his own management.

He no longer has a formal contract with

his long-time British-based manager Alan Gow, although the BTCC boss is still advising him.

However, it is understood that Gow was not actively involved in Penrith-born Courtney’s alliance with the original Team Sydney partnership.

There is also talk of the former world karting champion trying to organise an entry or even a team in the burgeoning TCR Australia Series.

Attempts to contact Courtney have been unsuccessful, with other key figures also going ‘underground’.

It is now understood that Tekno will continue to run a solo entry from its Gold Coast base with a pay driver.

Having entered the 2020 Supercars championship, Tekno is committed to running a car under the terms of its REC. Failure to do so would make the entrant liable to penalties of $150,000 per round missed, plus the eventual confiscation of the licence.

Supercars has pushed hard for a Sydney based team to increase its support base in Australia’s biggest city.

Although Supercars has denied offering financial incentives, the scheme is linked with NSW government funding of $33 million worth of improvements at Sydney Motorsport Park.

As well as permanent lighting of the track, which will be completed in time for the return of the Sydney SuperNight at the end of August, the grant would finance a motor sport ‘industrial hub’ at SMP where Team Sydney would be based.

UP COMING RACE EVENT CALENDAR Brought to you by www.speedflow.com.au DAKAR RALLY JANUARY 5-17 WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS SUNSHINE SWING ARCHERFIELD SPEEDWAY JANUARY 10-11 WORLD SERIES AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR OPEN ARCHERFIELD SPEEDWAY JANUARY 10-11 ULTIMATE SYDNEY SPEEDWEEK GRAND FINAL VALVOLINE RACEWAY JANUARY 11 CASTROL EDGE LISMORE SPEEDWAY JANUARY 14 VALVOLINE RACEWAY USC SPRINTCARS NATIONALS JANUARY 17-18

$XVWUDOLDQ 0DGH 6LQFH $XVWUDOLDQ 0DGH $XVWUDOLDQ $ $X X LDQ 0D LDQ DGH H 6LQFH H 6LQFH QFH H

peedflow ZZZ VSHHGĂŞRZ FRP DX

www.autoaction.com.au

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

AutoAction

3

LATEST NEWS

TRU-BLU BEAST

THE LATEST LOOK AT STEVIE J’S TRIBUTE TO DICK’S ICONIC XD FALCON

Along with exclusive in-build images, MARK FOGARTY gets the latest on Steve Johnson’s high-tech homage to his dad’s famous Ford SECOND-GENERATION S SE C star Steve St teve Johnson is just weeks away from frrom m unveiling his long-awaited TCM TC CM tribute to his father’s iconic Tru-Blu Tru-B XD Falcon.

Th The 1980-look XD, reprising Dick Johnson’s Joh career-making Falcon touring tour car, will be launched at Lakeside L on the outskirts of Brisbane Bris on February 10.

Th The five-time V8 champion is exp expected to conduct VIP ride lap laps in a 40-year throwback to his rise to prominence as a Ford f lk hero. folk T The classic Tru-Blu XD Falcon shot Johnson Snr to fame when sh he crashed into a rock while leading the ’80 Bathurst 1000. lea A TV campaign backed dollarfor-dollar by Ford Australia fo raised more than enough ra money for Johnson to continue, m writing his name into the w Australian touring car history A Steve Johnson’s XD Falcon tribute is being built within the spirit of the TCM regulations but redolent of the original Tru Blu racer. Images: MTR Images/AA Archive

4 AutoAction

books with Bathurst wins and ATCC titles.

Steve Johnson will debut the purpose-built XD in the Touring Car Masters support races at the Adelaide 500 at the end of next month.

Auto Action received exclusive access to the in-build XD, which has been computer-designed around a production bodyshell modified by Pace Innovations.

Dick Johnson is deeply involved in the project, which is a partnership with DJR Team Penske boss Ryan Story.

Their Formula Johnson alliance, independent of DJRTP, has funded and owns the XD, which will be run

by Steve’s Team Johnson TCM team.

While not quite as tough looking as Dick’s fat-flared XD Group C touring car, within TCM body restrictions, the XD that Johnson Jnr will race in place of his title-winning Mustang will be muscular.

On the drawing board for two years, the classic blue-and-white liveried Falcon is close to completion.

It has been built from a rust-free road car donated by a fan and

SUPERCARS BREAKING NEWS IT’S BEEN officially quiet over the festive season, but behind the scenes, there is a cauldron of activity in Supercars.

While the scramble for co-drivers continues, the aero parity issue is far from resolved and there will be a change of fuel supplier. And Team 18 has a significant ‘new’ sponsor for its second entry.

Here’s what we hear:

GO WELL, NO SHELL

BP IS replacing Shell as the branded supplier of Supercars’ E85 control fuel.

Like Shell, BP doesn’t actually sell E85, which is a blend of 15 per cent 98 octane premium petrol and 85 per cent sugar cane-derived ethanol.

Although a bust on the retail market, E85 continues as Supercars’ ‘green’ fuel. Just as Shell contracted the blend to an outside supplier, so too will BP. We understand Shell originally took over the supply deal from United, which actually sells E85 at the bowser (although at a very limited number of outlets), on the understanding that V8 racing would return to using premium pump petrol.

It didn’t happen because of concerns over the cost of reconverting engines to run on 98 octane petrol.

BP and lubricant brand Castrol have been long-time secondary supporters of Tickford Racing and Rick Kelly’s title sponsor for the past two seasons.

BP has signed five-year deal with Supercars for branding rights to E85 fuel supply, replacing Shell.

TEAM 18 ALL TOOLED UP

retains the basic bodyshell and mechanical specifications, including Holley four-barrel carburettor Ford Performance 351 cubic inch (5.8-litre) V8.

The incomplete blue beast as photographed by AA is 60 per cent complete, awaiting a full race-spec Mostech-built motor and electrical wiring.

Mostech engine guru Steve Amos builds DJR Team Penske’s motors.

Most of the period-spec suspension and ancillaries are installed, including 1980-look gold wheels. Some parts are exDJRTP Supercars components.

Steve Johnson wants to have the build completed by the end of the month to enable shakedown trials before the car’s unveiling.

According to Johnson, the XD’s design was aimed at easy maintenance as well as frontrunning performance.

“I wanted something that was easy to maintain and easy to run,” he told AA. “We wanted to keep it within the spirit of

www.autoaction.com.au

TCM. We didn’t want to sports sedanise it. The bodyshell is almost standard, very like Dick’s 1980 car.”

It will run in a Tru-Blu blue-andwhite tribute livery incorporating Team Johnson’s sponsors. His Mustang backers like Kubota and WM Waste will continue, but a title sponsor has yet to be secured.

“As much as we can make it look like it was back in the day, we will,” said Johnson, who admitted the final bill could be close to $300,000.

Despite its sophisticated design and construction, he doubted the XD would run away from the class-leading late-‘60s look Mustangs.

“It’s not really a great shape for a racecar,” Johnson said.

“It’s a big block compared with the Mustang. But we want to do this because our family’s racing history really started with the XD. “A lot of thought has gone into this car to keep a lot of the nostalgia.”

A big difference to Dick’s Tru-

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

Blu steel-sponsored original is the comparatively modest fender flares. The Group C original could run 120 mm extensions, but TCM allows a maximum of 50 mm blisters.

The tribute machine will feature a front air dam and rear boot spoiler redolent of the originals.

Dick Johnson has been heavily invested in the TCM XD’s design and construction at Team Johnson’s race base at Coomera on the Gold Coast.

“He’s very involved and very enthused,” Steve said. “He’s in the workshop on a daily basis.”

Dick’s brother ‘Dyno Dave’ is also involved in the project.

Dick Johnson is due to drive the tribute XD at ride days, adding value to sponsor benefits.

“That’s the plan,” Steve said.

“He’s keen and the backers will love it. Dad can still drive pretty quick.”

For a more detailed look at the build progress of the XD Falcon TCM car, go to; www.autoaction.com.au

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

WORD ON the street is that Team 18’s expansion to two cars is being supported by the tool conglomerate that owns Irwin.

Scott Pye’s entry will run in the yellow and black livery of Stanley Tools, alongside Mark Winterbottom’s Irwin Racing entry.

Irwin is part of Stanley Black & Decker, which in a retail alliance with hardware and home giant Bunnings, is stepping up with Pye to promote the Stanley brand.

Stanley in America sponsored Marcos Ambrose’s Ford Fusion at the peak of his NASCAR Cup career with Richard Petty Racing.

It’s a great get for team owner Charlie Schwerkolt as he commits to an even more serious campaign with full customer Triple Eight Commodores.

VCAT V2

HERE WE go again. Not happy with the findings of the revised – and supposedly fortified – aero shoot-out between the Mustang and Commodore at the end of November, Supercars is re-running the straight-line test next week.

Homologation teams DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight will go back to Oakley RAAF airbase in Queensland for ‘validation’ comparisons.

A Mustang and a ZB will conduct instrumented runs – 200 km/h to 0 coast-downs – to remeasure downforce numbers in an attempt to achieve greater parity for this season while reducing downforce levels by around 12 per cent.

Despite proclaiming the more comprehensive end-of-season test as a big success, further examination of the results determined that additional validation was required.

Full points for acknowledging more work needs to be done, especially after the Mustang’s homologation debacle.

But this late in the game, better make sure to get the numbers right this time. The teams will have barely a month to enact required changes.

VCAT V2 for 2020 is scheduled to take place over three days next week. Mark Fogarty

AutoAction

5

LATEST NEWS

SCOTT ON WAY TO US STARDOM

By MARK FOGARTY SUPERCARS CHAMPION Scott McLaughlin’s IndyCar test later this month is a portent of bigger things to come.

Whether it indicates Team Penske in the USA sees his future in IndyCars rather than NASCAR is unknown.

But McLaughlin’s sedan-based road racing background suggests the test is to size him up for mainly road course potential.

At 26, the Brisbane-based New Zealander is young enough to adapt to open-wheelers.

But as he is, he would be more suited to sports cars, in which Team Penske runs a factory backed Acura program in America.

The IndyCar test at Sebring on January 15 is obviously a reward for his back-to-back Supercars titles, plus the high regard in which Roger Penske holds him.

But to where the IndyCar test might lead, nobody outside Team Penske knows. Or if they do, they’re not talking.

If he shows potential, he could join the list of Penske’s IndyCar candidates for 2021.

It is almost certain that

McLaughlin will be despatched to the USA in ’21, with his destination anywhere between a full NASCAR indoctrination to a mix ‘n’ match of stock cars, sports cars and IndyCars.

DJR Team Penske boss Ryan Story probably knows the end game, but he has sequestered himself in an off-season break.

Repeated attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.

What we do know is that McLaughlin is staying in the States until after the Sebring test.

He married American Karly Paone in California last month and is staying in New York City with her family until heading to Florida for his IndyCar try-out.

Image: LAT Scotty will be back at the end of the month to begin preparing for his Supercars title defence.

“He will build on his already Team Penske’s announcement successful racing career by of his IndyCar test – following driving a full-sized open-wheel Auto Action’s revelation that he car for the first time,” a Team did a simulator test in the States Penske statement said. last year – was open-ended, to “I am always open to new say the least. challenges and I’m thankful to It confirmed that he would Team Penske for providing this take part in an IndyCar rookie opportunity to test an IndyCar,” evaluation test at Sebring McLaughlin was quoted. “We had International Raceway on January an amazing year in 2019 and I’m 13. looking forward to defending our

PRESSURE ON AT KELLY’S

A DELAY in parts from America is creating a nerve-racking time for Kelly racing as the construction of the team’s two Ford Mustangs builds up.

“We’ve got one set of heads and one set of valves here so we can start to machine some of the pushrod clearances, the conrods, the crankshafts and the rest of our heads are still in America, which is nerveracking,” said team owner Todd Kelly.

“Not a lot has to go wrong for us not to be in Adelaide, out of all of these parts you only need to be missing one and you don’t have a car that goes. Like if it’s a conrod, a crankshaft, if there is an issue with the cylinder heads, we physically won’t be able to race.

The engine is the critical item as Supercars require Kelly Racing to supply an engine to be homologated by late-January. The team is working around the clock to minimise the amount of machining to its engine design in anticipation of the parts arriving from America due within the next week.

“It’s a testing time and we’re doing

6 AutoAction

everything we can to get it done, but it’s fingers crossed that it all goes smoothly because there are things coming from all over the world to bolt on the engine and there are things that we’re making,” Kelly explained to Auto Action.

“One little mistake in any of those designs or orders and we’ll have an issue.”

The plan was the for a shakedown prior to the official Supercars test to take place at The Bend Motorsport Park on February 18, however Auto Action believes those plans have been abandoned.

Also announced prior to Christmas was the naming rights sponsorship on the second Kelly Racing Mustang to be raced by Kiwi rising star Andre Heimgartner as Ned Whiskey replacing Plus Fitness for the 2020 season.

“It’s really good that Andre has evolved to the point where that alongside the Mustang change has got sponsors and a naming rights deal on the door,” Kelly said.

“It’s a pretty awesome brand for us to be working with.” HM

Supercars championship.

“I’m also excited to grow as a driver and being with Team Penske creates cool opportunities to try something new. Although I have spent a few hours in a simulator, it’s going to be a blast to see what one really feels like at a place like Sebring.”

Roger Penske added: “Scott has been incredibly successful for DJR Team Penske over the

last three seasons and he has become a true champion of our sport. He certainly embraces new challenges and we think this is a great opportunity to utilize the IndyCar Series rookie testing program so Scott can experience what it is like to get behind the wheel of one of our Indycars.”

How many laps in whose car mentored by whom is unknown, although it is likely Australian IndyCar star Will Power will be on hand at Sebring.

McLaughlin’s focus this year will be on another V8 crown, but his future is clearly in the USA. The IndyCar test will tell Team Penske operatives where his true potential over there lies.

Team Penske had a banner year in 2019. On top of McLaughlin’s success, it excelled in IMSA sports car racing with its factory backed Acura program and dominated the IndyCar Series while being competitive in NASCAR’s premier Cup series.

In a record-extending IndyCar season, Simon Pagenaud won the organisation’s 18th Indianapolis 500 and Josef Newgarten claimed its 16th series title.

Wherever McLaughlin ends up in the Penske pantheon, he will be a much bigger star than he is here.

Make the most of watching him this year because it will almost certainly be the last time we see him on a regular basis.

The fight for his prime Supercars seat begins now...

TEAM 18 AND MSR LOCK IN DRIVERS THE SUPERCARS co-driver silly season continues with a number of experienced codrivers finding seats in recent days, expanding squads Team 18 and Matt Stone Racing have both confirmed their Pirtek Enduro Cup line ups for 2020.

Throughout next year’s Supercars Championship, Super2 graduates Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki will share the second Matt Stone Racing Commodore as part of its new SuperLite initiative to allow the next generation of drivers to step up to the main game.

Both 20-year-old Goddard and 19-year-old Kostecki will each compete in five sprint rounds as well as teaming up together in the #34 MSR car for the three Pirtek Enduro Cup events.

As previously reported the lead #35 MSR car will be driven by Garry Jacobson who departed a downsizing Kelly Racing team at the end of his debut Supercars season in 2019. Jacobson will be joined in the Enduro Cup by the experienced former Tickford Racing and Kelly Racing co-driver David Russell.

Team 18 has also named its two Pirtek Endurance Cup drivers for next year to partner Mark Winterbottom and Scott Pye. Shortly before Christmas Steven Richards announced his retirement from Supercars, leaving a spot in the #18 car alongside Mark Winterbottom, this vacant position has been filled by James Golding.

The 23-year-old Victorian has driven fulltime in the Supercars Championship for Garry Rogers Motorsport the past two seasons before the team departed the sport, leaving Golding without a drive.

The Victorian scored a career high singledriver race finish of seventh place on the wet streets of Townsville last year and looked at one stage like winning the Bathurst 1000 before a loose wheel robbed both he and Richard Muscat of the glory.

In the other Charlie Schwerkolt run car, Dean Fiore will join Scott Pye in the yet to be numbered ZB Commodore.

Having raced in Supercars full-time for five seasons the West Australian has since been a Kelly Racing co-driver for the last six years.

Dan McCarthy

RULLO BIDS FOR 23RED ENDURO DRIVE

PERTH TEENAGER Alex Rullo is among the candidates to join seasoned star Will Davison in the endurance races.

Rullo has spoken with 23Red Racing owner Phil Munday about partnering Davison as the Tickford customer squad reviews its co-driver options.

Alex Davison, the dual Bathurst 1000 winner’s elder brother, also remains in contention to continue in the role he has had since 2018 and has declared that he wants to co-drive in the enduros again.

Munday is logically playing a field that could include James Courtney, who looks increasingly likely to be out of a drive as Team Sydney collapses.

While Munday confirmed talks with Rullo, he admitted he was also speaking with others, including the elder Davison, and was adamant he hadn’t signed a co-driver for the Tickford-run Milwaukee Racing Ford Mustang in 2020.

Munday is in no hurry to sign an enduro partner for Will Davison because despite the recent rush to secure co-drivers, he maintains there is still plenty of choice.

“There are some quite good names out

Images: LAT

there who won’t have a drive,” he told Auto Action.

His comment hints that Courtney was now an option amid rampant speculation that Team Sydney is not happening this year.

Also a factor will be the preference of Will Davison, who proved he is still a frontrunner with consistent top 10s and a pair of podiums in the fourth Tickford Mustang in 2019.

Davison will press to continue with his brother, who performed strongly despite the team losing its way in the enduros, or an ex-regular of the calibre of Courtney.

But according to AA’s sources, 19-yearold Rullo remains the favourite to join 23Red because he brings a substantial family backed budget with him along with his emerging experience.

He is looking for a co-drive at The Bend, Bathurst and Surfers Paradise in the new-

look Pirtek Enduro Cup following Kelly Racing’s contraction to two cars with its switch from Nissan to Ford.

Davison and Rullo would be an odd couple in terms of age, separated by 18 years.

At 37, Davison becomes the eldest regular in the Supercars championship if 39-yearold Courtney’s planned switch to lead Team Sydney faulters.

Rullo became the youngest main gamer when he joined Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport in 2017 at 16, controversially gaining a special dispensation because he didn’t qualify for a Superlicence.

He was dumped before the end of the season and for the past two years has partnered Simona de Silvestro in the enduros with Kelly Racing, along with wildcard appearances with MW Motorsport, in Nissan Altimas.

Rullo’s regular ride last year was KR’s

troublesome Holden Astra in the inaugural TCR Australia Series.

In a double twist, if Rullo joins Milwaukee Racing, he would be returning to the successor of LDM, which was taken over

by Munday to become 23Red in 2018, and replacing Alex Davison, who was his LDM enduro co-driver in 2017.

The elder third-generation Davo reunited with Will in 2018 and again last season in the enduros.

Alex, 40, is still hoping to continue the sibling partnership as he works on a racing program for next year.

“I don’t have anything locked in, but I hope to be driving in the enduros,” he told AA. “I’m also working on a Carrera Cup drive. I’d like it if both those things happened.”

Depending on his racing plans, Alex also wants to continue as Driving Standards Advisor of the TCR Australia Series and also S5000. MF

BROWN PROMOTION HINTS AT MCLAUGHLIN EXIT THE NEWS that Will Brown will make the step up as a full-time Supercars driver with Erebus Motorsport in 2021 may have already confirmed the departure of reigning champion Scott McLaughlin at the end of the 2020 season.

In the lead up to Christmas, Erebus announced that it had signed the charismatic Queenslander Will Brown to join its main game team in 2021 following the conclusion of the 2020 Super2 Series, in which he will drive for the Erebus Academy and Image Racing.

The 21-year-old has raced for Erebus Motorsport in the Pirtek Endurance Cup alongside Anton de Pasquale the last two years, but will pair up with 2017 Bathurst 1000 winner David Reynolds in 2020.

It is possible that the Victorian based squad could field a three car line up for the 2021 Supercars Championship, but this seems unlikely as recent history would show.

Lately Supercars teams have turned against the idea of running three car or single car squads, instead electing to run either two or four car for a variety of reasons. Running a team with an even amount of cars according

www.autoaction.com.au

AutoActionMagazine

to team owners is much more sustainable and viable as well as giving squads small advantages such as not sharing a the pit boom with a rival team.

For the 2020 season Brad Jones Racing has expanded from three to four cars, while both Matt Stone Racing and Team 18 have also grown from a single car effort to bigger two car teams.

In September last year David Reynolds signed a 10 year contract with the Erebus Motorsport team and is unlikely to already be shifted to a co-driver position just one season into the deal.

However in the #99 car de Pasquale showed great promise throughout 2019 and broke through to score his first two podiums.

Despite having only competed full-time in the Supercars Championship for two years, the popular 24-year-old has been already been linked to DJR Team Penske and is the likely suspect to move into the team in 2021 replacing the American bound McLaughlin.

In which case the Brown move made late last year may be the first piece of the DJR Team Penske puzzle confirming McLaughlin’s exit. Dan McCarthy

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

Image: LAT

AutoAction

7

LATEST NEWS

Image: LAT THE FORMER Kelly Racing team manager Scott Sinclair has been elected onto the Supercars Commission as the Independent Commissioner taking the place of Neil Crompton who departed to role last year.

Sinclair has spent time at a number of different teams over the past 14 years beginning at Dick Johnson Racing, before moving to the Walkinshaw squad and has most recently spent six years with Kelly Racing.

BRODIE KOSTECKI who has recently been signed up by Penrite Racing to partner Anton de Pasquale in the Pirtek Enduro Cup, has now been announced at Eggleston Motorsport for the 2020 Super2 Series. Kostecki effectively replaces fellow Penrite co-driver Will Brown who has made the move to Image Racing.

Kostecki started the 2019 Super2 Series with a win on the streets of Adelaide but elected to sit out the final portion of the season to focus on the Pirtek Enduro Cup. Image: LAT

SUPERCARS CHAMPION Scott McLaughlin has decided to put his first DJR Team Penske race helmet up for auction to raise money for two bushfire related charities. The Kiwi will personally match the highest bid with his own donation, all the proceeds will be split evenly between the Australian Red Cross and WIRES, the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc.

TCR GP GRID OVERSUBSCRIBED THE SEASON-opening TCR Asia Pacific Cup to be held at the Australian Grand Prix is already over subscribed Auto Action has learned.

The combination of growing car availability in Australia with strong international interest has meant both the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and the Australian Racing Group are working together to increase the grid density.

The event marks the first time the TCR Asia Pacific Cup will be held and the maiden run for the rapidly expanding category at Australia’s marquee international motor sport event.

Auto Action believes a large number of both Asian and European teams have signalled interest in the Asia Pacific Cup. Further changes for the upcoming TCR Australia Series Sporting Regulations include

a reduction of new tyres to be used at each meeting from 10 to eight and there is a new prize structure Michelin Cup. This will be for drivers 20-years-old or younger, who have not participated in a national series and must compete in the whole TCR Australia Series.

The driver with the highest series points total will win a test day with a European TCR team after the final round of the series at Sandown is complete. HM

TRANS AM & ARG’S TA2 AGREEMENT IMMINENT

Image: LAT Image: LAT

THE ADELAIDE 500 race schedule and concert acts have been revealed, the Supercars Championship will again take to the circuit on Thursday afternoon for the opening practice session of the season. While the Stadium Super Trucks return to the Adelaide 500 with four races across the weekend. Previously the Hilltop Hoods were announced as the headline concert on Sunday night, however it has now been confirmed that Grinspoon, Sneaky Sound System and The Superjesus will perform on Friday, with Pete Murray and Sheppard taking to the stage post-race on Saturday.

8 AutoAction

AUTO ACTION understands a deal between the Australian Racing Group and the US-based Trans Am Race Company is about to be concluded, handing control rights of TA2 to the category managers of TCR Australia,

S5000 and Touring Car Masters.

ARG is believed to be about to sign a multi-year deal with TARC, giving it the commercial rights to TA1 and TA2 events in Australia and New Zealand.

The TA2 category, which has

run for the last three seasons at state-level and Australian Motor Racing Series meetings, is about to the step up to being a support category at the opening round of the Supercars Championship, with 28-entries comprising of Chevrolet

Camaros, Ford Mustangs and Dodge Challengers to run on the streets of Adelaide.

As previously announced, TA2 will also be included at ARG’s grand finale meeting, the Bathurst International in December this year. HM

2020 Bathurst 12 Hour

PACKED 12 HOUR ENTRY A RECORD 11 manufacturers will compete for outright honours in Australia’s premier sports car endurance race, the Bathurst 12 Hour on January 30-February 2.

A strong 34-car GT3 grid will be joined by five class machines in the annual once around the clock endurance event, which again doubles as the opening round of the SRO’s Intercontinental GT Challenge.

However, there is continued interest from further competitors that could add potential entries before race week.

The marques represented in the GT3-field include reigning race winners Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bentley, McLaren, Audi, Nissan, BMW and newcomer Honda.

The Australian-built and developed MARC cars have four examples entered in Class D, while a singular entry has been received for Class B (Trofeo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo) and two in Class C (RHC Jorgenson/Strom BMW M4 GT4, Griffith Corporation Ginetta G55 GT4).

This year’s 12 Hour will be the first time the Aston Martin Vantage GT3, McLaren 720s GT3, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, Porsche 991 GT3 R Gen II and Honda NSX GT3 will compete at Mount Panorama with these joined by a variety of ‘evolution’ models.

Manufacturers and models aren’t the only debuts, but a number of teams including factory Asian Lamborghini team Orange 1 FFF Racing Team, which brings with it a successful heritage in the World Challenge GT Asia Series and Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

Another Asian team with a strong pedigree, Absolute Racing will also undertake its maiden trip to The Mountain and will run its effort backed

by Porsche Juniors and Young Professionals led by reigning Bathurst 12 Hour winner, Aussie Matt Campbell.

JAS Motorsport will also make its first trip down under, bringing with it the Honda NSX GT3 it co-developed alongside Honda R&D in Japan,

while a second Aston Martin team in the form of former McLaren factory team Garage 59 will venture to Bathurst with a two-car entry.

As previously announced, Australian-based Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia will expand its operations to three R8 GT3 LMSs, but isn’t the only team to add a car as factory Holden Supercars squad Triple Eight Race Engineering will see over two entries, adding a ProAm Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to its existing Pro entry.

Gun BMW team Walkenhorst return also add a second BMW M6 GT3 to its entry.

Although not adding another car, R-Motorsport will run two Pro Aston Martin Vantage GT3s including one for the already announced trio of Rick Kelly, Scott Dixon and last year’s provisional polesitter, DTM driver Jake Dennis.

Supercars event manager Kurt Sakzewski is delighted to reveal a strong and diverse entry list with less than a month to go until the event.

“This is a field as competitive and deep as any GT race in the world and represents the truly global nature of the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour,” said Sakzewski. “As we saw in 2019, we think this field represents a great balance between having a strong field and depth to have a clean and highly competitive race.

“Teams from Asia, Europe, North America and of course Australia will participate and will represent 11 different GT3 manufacturers for the first time in the history of the Event. The addition of the Honda NSX, in particular, has attracted enormous attention while the addition of the latest-generation cars we’ve yet to see at Bathurst will make for a very different looking grid this year.

“We are still fielding enquiries from teams putting programs together so there is every chance that this list will grow further prior to the event.” HM

CLASS A PRO 1 Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche GT3 R CLASS A PRO 2 Audi Sport Team Valvoline Audi R8 - LMS GT3 CLASS A PRO 7 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 CLASS A PRO 8 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 CLASS A PRO 18 KCMG Nissan GTR Nismo GT3 CLASS A PRO 22 Audi Sport Team Valvoline Audi R8 - LMS GT3 CLASS A PRO 27 Hub Auto Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 CLASS A PRO 30 J.A.S Motorsport s.r.l (Honda Racing) Honda NSX GT3 CLASS A PRO 32 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 CLASS A PRO 34 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 CLASS A PRO 35 KCMG Nissan GTR Nismo GT3 CLASS A PRO 60 AF Engineering Pty Ltd McLaren 720S GT3 CLASS A PRO 62 R - Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 CLASS A PRO 63 Orange 1 FFF Racing Team Lamborghini Hurracan GT3 CLASS A PRO 76 R - Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 CLASS A PRO 77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 CLASS A PRO 222 Audi Sport Team Valvoline Audi R8 - LMS GT3 CLASS A PRO 888 Triple Eight Race Engineering Mercedes AMG GT3 CLASS A PRO 911 Absolute Racing Porsche GT3 R CLASS A PRO 912 Absolute Racing Porsche GT3 R CLASS A PRO 999 Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 CLASS A PRO AM 4 Grove Motorsport Pty Ltd Porsche GT3 R CLASS A PRO AM 9 Marc Cini Audi R8 - LMS GT3 CLASS A PRO AM 12 Earl Bamber Motorsport Porsche GT3 R CLASS A PRO AM 29 Trofeo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 CLASS A PRO AM 75 Kenny Habul Mercedes AMG GT3 CLASS A PRO AM 188 Garage 59 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 CLASS A PRO AM 777 Triple Eight Race Engineering Mercedes AMG GT3 CLASS A SIL 6 Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 CLASS A SIL 24 Tony Bates Racing Pty Ltd Audi R8 - LMS GT3 CLASS A SIL 59 AF Engineering Pty Ltd McLaren 720S GT3 CLASS A SIL 96 Brett Hobson Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 CLASS A SIL 159 Garage 59 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 CLASS B STR 129 Trofeo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo CLASS C GT4 13 Daren Jorgensen BMW M4 GT4 INV 20 Adam Hargraves MARC II INV 91 Ryan McLeod MARC II INV 92 Ryan McLeod MARC II INV 95 Geoffrey Taunton MARC II

BARGS BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN BATHURST 1000 winner Jason Bargwanna will return to where it all started when he races a GRM Customer Racing Peugeot 308 TCR in this year’s TCR Australia Series.

This year is the 20th anniversary since Bargwanna’s biggest career win, the 2000 Bathurst 1000 where he and Garth Tander guided their Garry Rogers Motorsport to victory in terribly wet conditions.

The 308 is the same chassis debuted by French Peugeot Sport driver Aurelien Comte at last year’s TCR Australia Series at The Bend Motorsport Park where it finished a best of eighth in the third race after the car had electrical issues during the early part of the weekend.

“It is really exciting to confirm that I’m making a return to the driver’s seat, and even more exciting that it is going to happen in an emerging class like TCR,” said Jason Bargwanna.

“I’ve been involved in motor racing for a long time, and TCR has lit a fire inside me. There is so much energy and hype and genuine excitement around the category. It’s a category that makes sense and I can’t wait to get back into race mode.

Bargwanna has inked a two-year deal to run the

www.autoaction.com.au

308 through GRM Customer Sport, joining Garry Rogers Motorsport’s factory Renault and customer Alfa Romeo programs.

The 47-year-old will partner up with 18-year-old son Ben at the year-ending Bathurst International 500km TCR event. Bargwanna Junior is an already accomplished driver in his own right after being a frontrunner in the highly competitive Hyundai Excel one-make series, making the step up to Formula Ford last year.

“One of my motivations is to team-up with my son Ben for the new endurance race at Bathurst,”

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

Bargwanna continued. “Having the chance to race alongside your own son in the same car is rare.

We’ve seen the likes of the Setons, Johnsons and the Richards families do it at Bathurst, and I feel privileged to be able to share a car at such a special track.

“The commercial relevance for TCR in the market place has been outstanding. Since the announcement of the Channel 7 deal, the commercial market has lit up, and I’m looking forward to announcing our quality, blue chip corporate partner for the season.”

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

In what is expected to be a big year for TCR Australia, Melbourne Performance Centre has greeted the arrival of a fourth Audi RS3 LMS to its workshop just recently, while a flurry of driver announcements made before Christmas headed by young drivers Michael Clemente and Zac Soutar, each driving ex-Wall Racing Honda Civic Type R TCRs and Michael King who will race a Hyundai i30 N TCR. Ash Seward Motorsport also announced Jay Hanson as the first driver of its three Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCRs. Heath McAlpine

AutoAction

9

LATEST NEWS

THE 2020 TA2 Muscle Car Series calendar has been announced. As previously reported the category will begin with a non-championship round at the Adelaide 500. The opening points paying round will be on the Shannons Nationals program at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMP) before heading to Winton Raceway in Victoria. The muscle cars will then join the AMRS program at Queensland Raceway before returning to SMP. A standalone event will be held again at Queensland Raceway before concluding at the Bathurst International event.

Image: LAT Image: TCR Australia

BATHURST 12 Hour organisers have revealed the schedule and broadcasting details for the 2020 edition of the event. Saturday’s coverage will be shown for the first time on FOX Sports 506, while the main race will be shown on both Channel 7 and FOX Sports 506.

Aussie Racing Cars, Group S Historic Sports Cars and Combined Sedans make up the support bill. Group C Sports Cars demonstrations will also take place during the event.

THE SCHEDULE for the newly renamed second-tier Porsche series, the Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia has been announced. The category formerly known as the GT3 Cup Challenge will again feature as part of the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships (previously Shannons Nationals) program in 2020.

Commencing at Sydney Motorsport Park the series will travel to Winton, The Bend Motorsport Park, Morgan Park, Phillip Island and Sandown.

CAMERON LOOKING AT INTERNATIONAL FUTURE AFTER FINISHING third in the inaugural TCR Australia Series, Aaron Cameron is seeking an international touring car drive in 2021.

Cameron had a busy end to 2019 after the TCR Series concluded, the Victorian travelling overseas to participate in a karting event at Macau as well as flying to England to drive a British Touring Car around the legendary Silverstone circuit.

At the test the 19-year-old drove a factory backed Honda Civic Tyre R prepared by Team Dynamics, which came about because of a connection with the British team through Ryan McLeod.

“It was really fun over there, the car and the track were pretty cool,” Cameron told Auto Action.

“It is a very fast track, very flowing. We did the international circuit so slightly different but still really fun, the infrastructure at Silverstone is just incredible.

“Both Matt Neal and Dan Cammish, the regular drivers, were there giving me tips about how to drive the car and what is different to a TCR car, of which there isn’t a whole lot really, same basic setup.”

Cameron said that he has now changed his career ambition from Supercars to a overseas touring car category.

“For 2020 we are trying to be in TCR Australia again, that is the main goal because we want to come back and win it, that is the aim,” Cameron said.

“Then 2021 we look at possibly WTCR

or British Touring Cars, both are pretty high on my want to race items and they are both front-wheel-drive, they both fit where I want to go now, front-wheel-drive is where I want to be.

“British Touring Cars would be really cool, they are a lovely car to drive but we will see, play it by ear, the immediate goal is 2020 TCR Australia.”

Soon after his BTCC test, the 2018 KZ2 Australian Karting Champion found himself in Macau amidst a capacity field of 28 karts.

“We were up inside that top 10 most of the weekend and putting a lot of different set up changes into it, finally got one that worked in the final and came from 12th to fifth at the flag, after running third at one stage. It was really, really fun,” he recalled to AA. Dan McCarthy

DAKAR 2020 HAS BEGUN

AUSTRALIAN GT has announced a change to the Trophy Series which will see only older generation GT3-spec cars enter in 2020. Organisers have announced a 10 event schedule between February and November for the previous generation (2016 and earlier) GT3 cars, with the six best results going towards the championship. The series will begin in 2020 with two half points’ events to be held at Sandown and Sydney Motorsport Park.

PORSCHE CARS Australia and Michelin Australia have announced that they will continue their development driver program in 2020, in both the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Series and the newly rebranded Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge. To be eligible Michelin Sprint Challenge must commit to a full season. Drivers must be aged under 23 as of January 1, 2020, while Porsche PAYCE Carrera Cup drivers must be aged under 25.

10 AutoAction

THE 2020 edition of the legendary Dakar Rally began shortly before Auto Action went to print.

For the first time in the event’s history, the rally is being run in Saudi Arabia, however the usual suspects are there including former winners Stephane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz Sr and defending winner Nasser Al-Attiyah.

This year the event sees the welcome addition of two-time Formula 1 World Champion and two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Fernando Alonso.

However after the opening stage it was Mini driver Vaidotas Zala who

held a surprise lead.

Toyota driver Al-Attiyah led the way for the majority of the coastal stage but the Qatari suffered three punctures late on.

Both Peterhansel and Sainz lost several minutes early in the test, while Khalid Al Qassimi lost a quarter of an hour late in the stage.

This allowed Zala to finish the test with a 2m lead over Peterhansel and Sainz to make it a mini 1-2-3, while two of the Toyota’s driven by Al-Attiyah and Bernhard ten Brinke rounded out the top five.

Alonso in his Toyota Gazoo Racing car completed the opening stage in 11th position. DM

VICTORIAN CIRCUIT TAKES NEXT STEPS TO COMMENCEMENT A NEW Motorsport facility an hour south-east of Melbourne is just one step away from being given the official go-ahead for construction to begin.

The $200 million Cardinia Motor Recreation and Education Park is scheduled to be built just outside of Pakenham and will include a 70 room hotel and a large pit facility ranging from one to four storeys.

The FIA Grade 2 circuit is expected to host between five and 10 motor racing events each year and can facilitate up to 60,000 people at the venue.

The 3.6km race circuit is large enough that it can be split up into two smaller circuits, as well as a 1.4km rallycross circuit and a separate 900m CIK Category A kart layout.

However at this stage the circuit developers Podium 1 still has to obtain a planning permit and possibly an Environment Effects Statement (EES) before building can commence.

“Podium 1 still has to obtain a planning permit and if the Minister for planning requires an environment effects statement, that will go into the planning application process,” Cardinia Shire Councillor Brett Owen told Auto Action.

“It hasn’t got the planning approval yet but it has got the development plan overlay.”

Currently the area of land is spread over three Lots and is home to the Pakenham Auto Club and Koo Wee Rup Motorcycle Club which will continue to share the land with the new facility.

Lot 1 is currently leased from Cardinia Shire Council by the Pakenham Auto Club, Lot 2 is utilised by the Koo Wee Rup Motorcycle Club under a recreation licence and recently Podium 1 paid a deposit for the purchase of Lot 3.

“Once the approval is given, the council is really keen for this to progress, we don’t want it just sitting there,” Owen said.

“We want them to start very quickly and finish very quickly. Once the sale has gone through it is the council’s expectation that this will commence very quickly and not sit idle.

“It is an exciting over $200 million investment in Cardinia Shire, I think it recognises Motorsport is a popular recreation both for our two local clubs and Podium 1 developments,” Owen told AA. Dan McCarthy

TICKFORD RESHUFFLES SUPER2 THE 2020 Super2 silly season has been highlighted by a couple of moves in and out of the Tickford Racing squad, with the Ford team making the surprise signing of Super3 Series winner Broc Feeney.

This appeared to leave Thomas Randle on the sidelines, however he positioned himself in a front running seat at Matthew White’s MW Motorsport team, the squad in which Bryce Fullwood won the 2019 Super2 Series.

Image: Wisheart Media “I think it is an exciting opportunity for 2020, just seeing the way the team operates at the race track and obviously the results that come with it,” Randle said to AA. “I know the car is capable of doing it, I know the team is capable of doing it and it is going to give me my last shot to try and win the Super2 Series, so championships, so that was, despite we will just have to go into it guns blazing and give it our best shot. I’m really how it ended, the performance all looking forward to the challenge.” that year was a huge highlight,” Randle sought to clarify that he first started to talk to White at the end of the Taylor said.

2019 season and that Tickford Racing did not replace him.

“Then, this year we ran with Craig “We first started speaking to him (White) at Newcastle and then it took off Brooks [Orange Motorsport] and did after that,” he explained to AA. a heap of development to the WRX, “People are saying that Tickford kicked me out for Broc, which isnt true, they to bring that car right up there with knew that we were leaving. all the prototype models. That’s been “I think our time together in Super2 had come to an end, it happened around a huge achievement and a massive the same time that Broc’s deal happened with Tickford.” highlight.

The two-time Super2 race winner said that he has no hard feelings towards “Obviously, every sport has lows, Tickford Racing and felt that he had made the best decision for himself. but there have been heaps of highs “At the end of the day it is my career on the line, I have to go where I think I’ve as well and it’s been an incredible got the best opportunity,” he explained. ride.”

“If you aren’t happy in a situation and you don’t feel there is a way to be happy Taylor is still on the look out for in that situation, then there is no point staying. I felt like after the second season drives in 2020, though will still be at Tickford a change was needed. retained as a Subaru ambassador, “I think this is where I need to be for 2020 and if I can’t produce the results I representing the marque at drive feel I’m capable of then we’ll have to work out what we do from there on. I’ve days and model launches. got to give it everything in 2020 and I feel I have got the right opportunity in Heath McAlpine front of me to do that.” DM

TAYLOR SEARCHING FOR NEW DRIVE THE SUDDEN withdrawal of Subaru from the Australian Rally Championship just before Christmas, after four years of involvement, has left 2016 ARC champion Molly Taylor without a drive.

The 31-year-old daughter of champion co-driver Coral Taylor was disappointed by the announcement, but realises the commercial realities behind the decision.

“As a driver you always want to be competing so it was definitely sad to have the news. But we’re not blind to all the other circumstances around it and the good run that we had,” Taylor told Auto Action.

“I guess the landscape is what it is and you can see it was the right time for the program to end.”

www.autoaction.com.au

The Subaru.do Motorsport program began successfully when Taylor became at that stage the youngest winner of the ARC, in 2016. Since then, Subaru’s attack on the ARC changed hands this year to Tasmania’s Orange Motorsport, where the WRX STI Group N fought against the factory-backed Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris AP4s of Bates brothers Harry and Lewis.

Reflecting on the past four years, Taylor was pleased to have got the maximum out of the Subaru package.

“I think we’ve had plenty of high points, winning the Australian Rally Championship in 2016. The next year, before the unfortunate engine mishap on the second last day we were on target to win back-to-back

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

AutoAction

11

LATEST NEWS

Image: LAT WORLD RALLY Championship team M-Sport has announced an expanded three car driver line up for 2020. The factory Ford squad has renewed the services of 25-year-old Finn Teemu Suninen as well as promoting Briton Gus Greensmith from a part-time to full-time role in 2020. After the departure of Citroen from WRC at the conclusion of 2019, Esapekka Lappi was left without a drive. However, the 2017 Rally Finland winner has signed a deal with the expanding M-Sport squad for next year. Kris Meeke, Andreas Mikkelsen and Craig Breen all appear to be on the sidelines without a drive.

Image: TCRHub GOODYEAR TYRES continues to expand in motorsport as it has signed a deal to become the sole tyre supplier of the LMP2 class in the World Endurance Championship for the 2020/2021 season.

As well as this, the American tyre manufacturer has been announced as the WTCR tyre supplier for three years starting in 2020. Goodyear replaces Yokohama, which had been the tyre supplier for WTCR and its predecessor WTCC since 2006.

Image: LAT DETAILS ON the Gen3 Formula E car has been released. The cars will be more powerful, capable of reaching 350kW, as well as being lighter and smaller.

The rules will also introduce fast charging pitstops in which during the race a 30-second pitstop will be made. The new car will also feature a standard second powertrain installed on the front axle – but this will not introduce all-wheel drive technology.

AMERICAN CAR brand Corvette will make another

Image: LAT regular cameo appearance in the GTE Pro class, when it races in the fifth round of the World Endurance Championship. The six hour Lone Star Le Mans race will take place on February 23 at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, with the local brand completing the 31 car grid, having formally competed in WEC full-time for a number of years.

Image: LAT BMW HAS announced its IMSA Sportscar Championship driver line up for the 2020 season which begins later this month. In the #24 car John Edwards and Jesse Krohn will again share the BMW M8 GTE and be joined as they were in 2019 by Colton Herta and Philipp Eng for the Daytona 24 Hour race.

12 AutoAction

Image: Ross Gibb

GARWOOD MOUNTS TCM TILT

FORMER PORSCHE Carrera Cup Australia driver Adam Garwood will be a thorn in the side of the regular Touring Car Masters frontrunners, after the Tasmanian announced he will return to the series full-time.

The 21-year-old had a quiet season in 2019 after a budget shortfall meant he was forced to abandon plans to race a second year in Carrera Cup. Despite this, he raced in Targa Tasmania, won a Tasmanian Formula 500 in Speedway and impressed in TCM piloting the team’s Chevrolet Camaro RS previously piloted by Mark King.

Only completing a part-season, Garwood finished seventh in the Pro Master points, having run competitively during his guest drives.

With the unknown quantity of Steve Johnson’s new Ford Falcon XD, Garwood believes there is no better chance now to break the former Supercars driver’s dominance.

“We did the three rounds at Winton, Queensland Raceway and Sandown, (and) there were some pretty good results, a few second places and almost a win, but hopefully this year we can keep that momentum going,” Garwood told Auto Action.

Garwood is eager to impress in a category that he made a name for himself in, before his career stalled after a difficult Carrera Cup campaign which included changing team set-up mid-season.

“After Carrera Cup, I was burnt out,” he said.

“We had some good results towards the end, a couple of sixths and sevenths, but I just couldn’t get a budget together to do a Carrera Cup or Super2 campaign.”

Having already experienced the package already, Garwood is confident he will be a factor in the end of season TCM standings.

“I think we showed our pace, that we can be a frontrunner, but we can do things a bit better,” Garwood explained. “The car has been improved ahead of this season, so I’d be pretty gutted if we weren’t in the top two or three in the series.”

The opening round of TCM is in Adelaide as support to the opening round of the Supercars Championship on February 20-22.

Heath McAlpine

LEGENDARY NASCAR LUMINARY PASSES AMERICAN STOCK Car icon Robert Glenn Johnson Jr, better known as Junior Johnson (right) , passed away on December 20.

Born on June 28, 1931, Johnson was the fourth of seven children to Lora Belle and bootlegger Robert Glenn Johnson Jr in the foothills of North Carolina. Junior followed his father into the bootlegging trade and in 1956 spent a year in jail after a raid discovered his illegal still.

The year before, he had made his NASCAR debut winning five races on the way to fifth in the Grand National points score. By 1959, Johnson was regarded as one of the best short-track racers in the sport, but a year later his first win on the superspeedway came at the Daytona 500 through the phenomenon of slipstreaming, which has become the norm across most circuit racing forms.

By 1966 Johnson called time on his racing career, finishing as the winningest driver (with 50 wins) to not win the title.

He continued to run his team until 1996 with drivers including Leeroy and Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Neil Bonnett, Terry Labonte, Geoffrey Bodine, Sterling Marlin and Bill Elliott winning 139 races in NASCAR Cup competition.

Yarborough and Waltrip won three titles each with the team.

In 1986, Johnson received a presidential pardon from then President Ronald Reagan for his 1956 moonshining conviction.

Johnson suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in his latter years and passed away in a hospice care facility, leaving behind two children and wife Lisa. HM

AUSSIE TRANS AM EXPAT DIES ALTHOUGH BORN in Austria, Horst Kwech considered Australia home,

Image: LAT

after he and his family moved from Vienna during World War II to Cooma in New South Wales.

After beginning to race in Australia, he headed stateside in 1961 where he enjoyed early success, before coming to the attention of Alfa Romeo’s head of racing. He was offered the chance to purchase an Autodelta-built GTA to contest the SCCA Trans-AM where, in 1966, he helped the Italian marque clinch the Under-2 Litre Manufacturers’ title.

He joined the Carroll Shelby International team for 1968, taking a victory, before returning to Alfa Romeo to win the Under 2-Litre TransAm Championship in 1970. He also tried his hand at F5000 in 1972.

Kwech left Trans Am as the only driver to win races in both divisions.

In 1974 with Lee Dykstra, he formed DeKon International and over the next three years it built 17 race cars, including 14 Chevrolet Monzas, the best-known of which here raced in Allan Moffat’s hands as a Sports Sedan.

In the US the DeKon Monzas won back-to-back IMSA Championships.

Kwech remained in America until his death at the age of 82 on December 30. Auto Action sends its condolences to both the Johnson and Kwech families. HM

MAZDA’S TCR CHALLENGER DELAYED

RACE-WINNING HERITAGE QUALITY VALUE & SUPPORT Tilton Engineering strives to produce the best racing parts and service for drivers and racing teams dedicated to their sport.

AFTER IT was first revealed by autoaction.com.au in June, Mazda’s planned motor sport expansion into the burgeoning TCR touring car category has been delayed.

Long Road Racing, the team behind the development of the Mazda 3 TCR and the US-based Global MX-5 Cup, announced prior to Christmas it was shutting up shop. In a statement posted online, team owner Glenn Long confirmed his decision to close the team down, effective immediate.

“They say that all good things must come to an end.

Today marks the end of a long, remarkable and very successful partnership with Mazda Motorsports,” said a snippet of the statement.

“Mazda selected Long Road Racing to develop and become the exclusive builder of the Global MX-5 Cup race cars from the fourth generation (ND) Mazda MX-5, 212 identical race cars were produced in our shop.

For anyone who has watched an MX-5 Cup race, you understand just how equal the cars truly are, and how that produced epic racing.

“Over the past year we have worked on the Mazda 3 TCR program and look forward to seeing it succeed for customer teams.”

Mazda Motorsports director Nelson Cosgrove confirmed that suitors to build and develop the Mazda 3

TCR are being identified ahead of a 2021 debut date.

“Glenn Long and the entire Long family have been wonderful partners to work with for many years, and we thank them for all they’ve done with Mazda,” Cosgrove explained to RACER.com.

“Glenn’s team has been wonderful in assisting with the transition to those who will take charge of the projects, and we expect to make a formal announcement soon.”

The plan for 2020 is for Mazda to revaluate and complete a significant testing program before a planned debut at Daytona next year.

“We’re going to go testing next year and look to put at least 5000km in before the Mazda3 TCR is submitted for homologation,” Cosgrove continued. “We’re going to do probably six to eight tests depending on how things go with the tuning of the ABS and ITC and all the other cool systems in the car.

“We’ve been on the dyno with the Mazda3 TCR and are already very encouraged with the results.”

It is believed a number of Australian customers were interested in fielding Mazda entries in this year’s TCR Australia Series, however the majority of those plans had cooled due to the availability of cars being unknown and American teams being given priority. HM

Tilton’s wide range of products spans across metallic, cerametallic and carbon/carbon racing clutches, hydraulic release bearings, racing clutch disc packs, racing flywheels, racing pedal assemblies and master cylinders, the renowned Super Starter series, and the accessories that make them all work together.

WEEKLY USA TILTON AIR FREIGHT DELIVERIES

PERONI CONFIRMS 2020 FORMULA 3 CAMPAIGN TASMANIAN FORMULA 1 hopeful Alex Peroni is in the final stages of confirming a deal for the 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship, bouncing back from his spectacular accident at Monza last year.

The 20-year-old is preparing to undertake his second year in the category, after being a shining light for the struggling Campos Racing squad last year.

His incident at Monza stifled his charge towards the top 10 and came after hitting a sausage kerb at the final corner, vaulting his car into the air and into the catch fencing above the tyre wall.

It left the Aussie with concussion and a fractured vertebra, with Peroni wearing a back brace for three months. He is now fully focused on preparing for the upcoming season.

“It’s basically all done,” Peroni told Auto Action.

“The hardest part was probably the first month, dealing with the injury, but then after it was just grinding, just getting used to the back brace and trying to do the exercise.

“I got the brace off a few weeks ago and now I’m back training ahead of the upcoming season.”

The injury has allowed Peroni to advance talks with prospective teams for the upcoming season.

A number of teams have identified interest in Peroni, which has surprised him, as last year failed to be as fruitful as he would have hoped.

“We were talking to a few teams – there were a few surprise ones that we didn’t expect,” Peroni explained. “We’re close to the deal now, but not

www.autoaction.com.au

AutoActionMagazine

sure when we’ll announce it. It’s looking good for 2020 and we’ll be on the grid.

“That’s good for me. Cut back to four months ago I was in hospital with no money, no results, no nothing, so it’s good.”

Peroni has enjoyed continued support from Daniel Ricciardo and has noted Formula 1 personality Peter Windsor in his corner as well, with the latter hosting an Auction late last year in Hobart to raise funds for Peroni’s Formula 1 quest.

Already three Australians are confirmed for FIA Formula 3 next year, with Western Australian Calan Williams, Queenslander Jack Doohan and reigning Formula Renault Eurocup champion Oscar Piastri joining Peroni on the grid.

Peroni hopes to test in late-January before his campaign starts in Bahrain on March 20-21.

HM

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

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

AutoAction

13

LATEST NEWS

VAN GISBERGEN TO MAKE PROTOTYPE DEBUT SUPERCARS STAR Shane van Gisbergen will make his prototype debut this weekend when he joins Nick Cassidy and Daniel Gaunt in an all-Kiwi line-up contesting the second round of the Asian Le Mans Series at The Bend Motorsport Park.

The Red Bull Holden Racing Team driver will race a Eurasia Motorsport Ligier JS P217, replacing car owner Nobuya Yamanaka, who has been forced to withdraw from the event.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to join

Eurasia Motorsport at The Bend this weekend,” said van Gisbergen. “It will be my first time in a prototype and at a track that will suit them perfectly!”

“Getting to join some great friends in Daniel Gaunt and Nick Cassidy will be a lot of fun, and I’ll be leaning from their experience in the car to help get me up to speed as quickly as possible.”

The 2016 Supercars champion is a previous race winner at The Bend, having won in his ZB Commodore during the event’s debut year on the calendar

in 2018. He also won the Australian Endurance Championship round driving the Trofeo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 alongside Liam Talbot last year and will need to rely on his vast experience in sports cars to get up to speed.

Cassidy, Gaunt and Yamanaka retired from the opening event of the season held at Shanghai with gearbox failure.

Yamanaka stated he was disappointed on missing the event this weekend, but was excited by the opportunity of

fielding an all-Kiwi entry.

“Obviously I am really disappointed to not be driving myself this weekend, but I am also very excited that the team New Zealand car can have an all New Zealand driver line-up in my absence,” he said.

“New Zealand is a very important place for me personally as well as my businesses and I am proud to have these three amazing Kiwi drivers in my car.”

The opening practice session begins at 1:30pm AEDT Friday. HM

YOUNG EYEING AUSSIE RETURN AUSTRALIAN OPEN-wheel driver Dylan Young is eyeing a season in S5000 after a successful season contesting the MRF Challenge Formula 3 Series in the Middle East and India.

Young has been a regular competitor for the last few seasons racing against Harrison Newey, Pietro Fittipaldi, Tatiana Calderon and teammate to Mick Schumacher in the MRF Challenge, held over Australia’s summer months. The 30-year-old currently sits second heading to the Indian component of the series, just 16-points shy of leader Michelangelo Amendola.

“At the moment it has been a really, really good season,” Young told Auto Action.

“I’ve got a really good relationship with my engineer and the car has just felt on rails. It’s actually unfortunate because we had one DNF in Dubai where I was hit from behind when I was in third.

“You’d look at that and say that we’d be pretty bang on with the points at the moment.”

Having won a number of races in a field that includes the next Schumacher prodigy, Ralf’s son David, Young is keen to kick off the year with a series victory in India.

“I am feeling really, really confident going into the last round, I think there is a chance if it all comes together that we can look at challenging for the title,” Young said.

“It’s going to be a hectic weekend because Chennai is a crazy track, I’ll be crossing my fingers.”

Apart from his regular campaigns in the MRF Challenge, Young has been quiet on the racing front but is hopeful that a series win will open up further opportunities. He is already working on a deal that may place him in a prototype in Europe, but his main aim is the new S5000 category, which launched late last year.

“It’s fantastic that there is a big, noisy category here in Australia and with it being at Albert Park for the first round, I literally grew up next to the circuit as a kid,” enthused Young. “It would be an amazing opportunity

to line-up on the grid there, but like with anything it’s dependant on funding.

Racing back at home is appealing to Young having not competed in his home country since karting, plus the hype surrounding S5000’s impending debut at the Australia’s premier international event has the Melburnian eager to participate.

“I’m hoping with the results I am getting

overseas it might help to gain some backers and hopefully I can come back after taking the title in Chennai and be on the grid at Albert Park,” said Young.

“I think it’s fantastic how the category’s growing in terms of exposure, everybody loves the sound and the way the cars operate.

It is probably one of the best categories for someone like me to come back into.” HM

MUSCAT’S ENDURANCE FOCUS

2020 TCR AUSTRALIA TEST DAY CONFIRMED A free-to-the-public test day will be held on February 26 will be held at Winton Motor Raceway to launch the 2020 TCR Australia Series.

BY HEATH McALPINE THE TEST will be the first opportunity for some of the rookies to test out their new machines before the season-opening Asia Pacific Cup as part of the Australian Grand Prix on March 12-15.

TCR fans and followers are encouraged to attend the event, which will be free of charge while three spectators will win the chance to ride in one of the turbocharged pocket rockets for a lap around the Winton circuit.

The test day provides the first opportunity to see the 2020 field with new liveries and cars planned for the upcoming season ahead.

TCR Australia category manager Liam Curkpatrick believes the test day will provide the perfect launch pad into the new season.

“Many of our TCR teams are planning to do some of their own testing, however, this will be the one and only time that all of the cars will be together prior to the Grand Prix

event,” said Curkpatrick.

“Our pre-season test this year worked really well, and at that stage, some of the cars had only just come off aeroplanes.

With more planning and a full year under our belts, the Winton test will be a great way to launch the 2020 season and I’d expect close to 30 cars being on track.”

Gates open at 7:30am before track action begins at 9:00am with it concluding at 4:30pm with further details to be revealed closer to the event.

PANTA CUP LAUNCHED A NEW class has been launched to run within this year’s TCR Australia Series for semi-professional drivers.

The newly announced Panta Cup will award a major international drive and extra prizes at each of the seven series events, while the Panta Cup, supported by the category’s control fuel supplier will be presented to the eligible driver that scores the most points across a racing weekend.

The overall winner will be the driver that accumulates the most points during the seven-round season and must have completed the full series to be eligible for the win.

The prize for winning the Panta Cup includes a paid entry into an international TCR race of significance (TCR Spa 500 is an example) as well as correspondence with overseas TCR teams.

The Panta Cup will be exclusive to six entries for the year, the first of these being taken up by Michael King in his DashSportrun, AH Racing-entered Hyundai i30 N TCR. TCR Australia category manager Liam Curkpatrick believes the class adds a new

www.autoaction.com.au

dimension to the class for 2020.

“We have fielded a lot of interest from a great variety of teams and drivers for the 2020 TCR Australia Series, and we feel that there is enough interest from semi-professional drivers to introduce the Panta Cup,” said Curkpatrick.

“The great thing about the Panta Cup is that drivers who are deemed to be of a semi-professional or amateur experience will still compete under the same rules as the outright contenders, however, they will have their own points race to consider. It adds another talking point for the fans and followers, as well as an extra incentive for those in that class.

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

“By limiting the entrants to six, we are aiming to have all of those places filled quite quickly. It should be a competitive series in its own right.

“The mix of driver experience is going to be really diverse this year. From young guys coming out of karting or Formula Ford, to the semi-professionals and then some highly-credentialed talent. It all points towards an exciting year.”

The opening round of the Panta Cup will take place at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 27-29, while the TCR season kicks off locally with the non-title Asia Pacific Cup as support to the Australian Grand Prix on March 12-15. HM

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

FORMER GARRY Rogers Motorsport co-driver Richard Muscat will kick off his 2020 season of racing in Dubai this weekend and is eager to return to the European endurance ranks.

Muscat will share a Porsche 911 Gen II Cup Car with long-time supporters Sam Fillmore and Danny Stutterd with the former Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge and Australian GT winner aiming to build contacts at the race with top European teams.

Having previously raced with renowned international GT team Black Falcon in the Abu Dhabi 24-Hour and the world’s largest GT event, the Spa 24-Hour, Muscat is aiming to impress in the GTX-Class Porsche.

“They’ve [Fillmore and Stutterd] been supporters of mine for a long-time and have given me the opportunity to do some 24-hour racing,” Muscat told Auto Action.

The plan is for the trio to compete in three other 24Hour races across the world as part of the Crevantic Series. The team competed in last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour resulting in a DNF, but Muscat set the fastest lap time in Class B during the race.

“Our plan at the moment is to basically do the Crevantic 24-Hour Series, which takes in Dubai, Portimao, Barcelona and Circuit of the Americas, which is locked in. We’re also having a chat about some other things as well,” Muscat continued.

Muscat has been a Lamborghini Junior driver for the last two years where he has competed successfully in the Asian Lamborghini Trofeo Series, which has led to also contesting the Lamborghini Trofeo World finals where he and fellow Aussie Ben Gersekowski finished second in Race 2 at Vallenlunga.

He is eager to establish links with professional GT teams and believe contesting these events gives him the best opportunity to do so.

“Hopefully it opens the door to race overseas to do endurance racing, which I really enjoy,” he explained.

“I raced for Black Falcon in 2014 at the Abu Dhabi and Spa 24 Hour races so I’m looking at reconnecting some of those ties with some of those big European teams as well. You never know what might happen if you do a good job in the Porsche, which I have driven for a couple of years now.

“All the SRO teams compete alongside us in the Porsche including Black Falcon, WRT. All these teams do that type of racing and are always looking, but it is really tough with the European marques, we’re not looking only at factory drives, but an arrive and drive for a team, which I think is more of a possibility.”

Muscat is not only chasing an overseas drive, but after GRM’s Supercars withdrawal he is a free-agent off the back of an impressive Bathurst 1000 campaign where he and new Team 18 co-driver James Golding nearly snatched victory.

“With the Supercars stuff at the moment with GRM calling it quits I’m without a drive so I’m not sure what’s going with the co-driver market this year,” Muscat said.

“I’m definitely looking at it. This time of year is when all the drivers are being talked about and where they are going. I need to call up a few more teams, but obviously most of the seats are already taken, though with the job I did at Bathurst last year where we were in contention to win.

“I think I’ve done a good solid job.” HM.

LATEST NEWS

LE MANS ARRIVES AT THE BEND IN THE final round of WTCR at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia, Norbert Michelisz withstood immense pressure to win the series. The Hungarian began the weekend by taking pole position and winning the opening race. In Race 2 title rival Esteban Guerrieri charged through the field on the opening lap before a red flag was called to put out the fire on the Nicky Catsburg Hyundai. Guerrieri would go on to take the victory and closed the series margin to Michelisz considerably, after the Hyundai driver could only finish eighth. After a sixth place finish in Race 2 Yvan Muller was out of the title fight, leaving a two horse race between Michelisz and Guerrieri. The final race was an epic showdown, sadly cut short when a tap from Mikel Azcona sent Guerrieri through the grass causing his engine to overheat and forcing the Argentine to pit, handing Michelisz the title. Johan Kristoffersson won Volkswagen’s last race in WTCR from 21st on the grid.

AT THE fourth round of the World Endurance Championship in Bahrain, Toyota Gazoo Racing took an unlikely 1-2 finish. The #7 trio of Mike Conway, Jose Maria Lopez and Kamui Kobayashi beat home Sebastien Buemi, Kazuki Nakajima and Brendon Hartley, after they benefited from lap 1 drama. The Rebellion Racing car and the #5 Team LNT car collided at Turn 2, which forced the sister #8 Toyota to run off the track allowing Conway into the lead and onto an impressive victory, with the Rebellion Racing car finishing in third. In LMP2 United Autosports took its maiden WEC class victory in the hands of Paul Di Resta, Filipe Albuquerque and Phil Hanson. Antonio Felix da Costa, Anthony Davidson and Roberto Gonzalez took second place and with it the lead of the LMP2 standings. The GTE Pro class was won by the #95 Aston Martin of Marco Sorensen and Nicki Thiim, while in GTE AM the #57 Team Project 1 Porsche dominated proceedings. Australian Matt Campbell finished sixth in class.

AUSSIE BART Hortsen, who finished fifth in the 2019 British F4 Championship, will make the step up to the British F3 Championship in 2020 with Lanan Racing.

A NUMBER of Aussies will be competing in the legendary Daytona 24 Hour race, with former IndyCar star Ryan Briscoe competing in the DPi class and James Davison in the LMP2 category.

In the GTE LM class Matt Campbell will be driving for Porsche, with Supercars star Chaz Mostert competing for BMW. In GTD Kiwi Shane van Gisbergen will be racing a Lexus RC-F GT3.

14 AutoAction

A TASTE of international endurance racing arrives on Australian shores when the Asian Le Mans Series races at The Bend Motorsport Park this weekend.

The 4 Hours of The Bend will signal the first time an international endurance event heads to Australia’s newest facility, with the ALMS utilising the 7.7km Endurance layout of the circuit.

GT3 has raced in Australia for more than 10 years, but this will be the first-time prototype LMP machinery will race on these shores. Many Australian drivers have raced LMP2 and LMP3 across the world successfully, winning races in Europe and Asia.

LMP regulations not only race in Asia and Europe, but also against DPi chassis in US IMSA racing. One-rung behind the top-class hybrid and petrol LMP1 machines that contest outright honours in the Le Mans 24 Hour, LMP2 features chassis from Dallara, Onroak Automotive, Oreca and a joint-venture Riley Tech/ Multimatic, all powered by a control Gibson 4.2-litre, naturally-aspirated V8, which produces 600bhp.

A number of Aussies will be chasing the opening Shanghai race winning G-Drive Racing Aurus Gibson of James French, Leonard Hoogenboom and Romain Rusinov.

Adopted Australian James Winslow leads the Inter Europol Endurance Ligier Gibson attack, which also includes former Formula 3 driver Nathan Kumar, John Corbett and Mitchell Neilson.

Eurasia Motorsport will have Aidan Read as part of its second Ligier Gibson, while the lead line-up includes Kiwis Daniel Gaunt and Nick Cassidy.

Other notable drivers include winner of Challenge Bathurst and factory McLaren driver Ben Barnicoat, Harry Tincknell and Mathias Beche, while also adding to the Australian flavour is Garnet Patterson, who joins ARC Bratislava for the event.

Introduced in 2015 as an entry-level class to prototype racing, LMP3 will undergo a revolutionary change in 2020 when new cars from Ginetta, Ligier, Duqueine and ADESS debut new cars, but for The Bend the usual Norma and Ligier models do battle with the spec-Nissan 5-litre V8.

Ligier took the honours in Shanghai through Inter Europol Competition’s Martin Hippe and Nigel Moore, but S5000 driver Ricky Capo is hoping that his recent experience at The Bend will be advantageous to the Graff Racing crew which will be completed by the experienced Eric Trouillet and David Droux.

The final category is for GT3 models with Ferrari, BMW, Lamborghini and the Australian racing debut of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. That car, fielded by D’Station Racing AMR, won in Shanghai with Tomonobu Fujii, Ross Gunn and Satoshi Hoshino. But the HubAuto Corsa Ferrari 488 GT3 led by factory driver Davide Rigon will be a threat, as will the JLOC Lamborghini Huracan GT3 with a driver line-up including former World Touring Car driver Andre Couto.

In all, each class should be closely fought in what could be a sign of a bigger future for The Bend in terms of international racing.

Supporting the 4 Hour ALMS race will be a combined Production and Prototype class divided over two 60-minute races.

Prices start from $33 to view Saturday’s action with Grandstand access free across the weekend. Heath McAlpine

AA’s resident sage recalls an era of wild machines tamed by brave and colourful characters that thrilled spectators in the sexy ’70s FIFTY YEARS ago next month, Formula 5000 made its racing debut in Australia. The big bangers bowed in the local leg of the Tasman Cup championship, which in 1970 underwent a great change.

From 1964-69, the Tasman Cup was in effect a Formula 1 southern hemisphere summer series, with up to four races in New Zealand in January, followed by three or four races in Australia in February.

In those days, F1 seasons were much shorter and the stars of grand prix racing had the time to spend a big chunk of the offseason Down Under. The cars were two- and 2.5-litre versions of the 1.5 and later three-litre F1 racers.

It was an historical throwback to the 2.5-litre F1 formula in the late 1950s through 1960. Australia and NZ adopted it for their national drivers’ championships and pre-Tasman Cup international races in our summer in ’61-63, providing a refuge for old F1 engines in modified versions of the underwhelming 1.5-litre machines.

In the formalised Tasman series era, the F1 teams brought enlarged two-litre versions of their 1.5s as well as old-tech 2.5s and then from ’67, downsized versions of the new three-litre V8s and V6s.

F1 superstars like Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Chris Amon, Jochen Rindt, Piers Courage and Pedro Rodriguez competed regularly and enthusiastically, enjoying the summer lifestyle and camaraderie between races over two months.

The Tasman Cup peak was 1968 and ’69, when 2.5-litre Cosworth DFV V8-powered Lotus 49s in the hands of Clark and Hill and then Hill and Rindt took on the V6 Dino Ferraris of Amon alone and then Amon and Derek Bell.

But during the ’69 F1 season, it became clear the teams would no longer have the time to spend two months Down Under with an expanding world championship calendar looming. It was also becoming too expensive for the trans-Tasman promoters.

So for 1970, eligibility was opened to the new and burgeoning F5000 category for five-litre stock block-powered open wheelers. They raced alongside the existing local twoand 2.5-litre cars.

Kiwi star Graeme Lawrence stayed true to tradition with one of the ex-factory Ferrari Dino 246Ts, taking on the F5000 McLaren M10As of Frank Matich, Graham McRae and Neil Allen, and assorted internationals, plus a bevy of small-bore local entries.

Lawrence beat Matich to the title in the last Tasman triumph for a non-F5000.

Oddly, the 1970 Australian Drivers’ Championship wasn’t to open F5000s, which didn’t become eligible until ’71 in what was still known as Australian National Formula 1.

The standalone ’70 Australian Grand Prix at Sydney’s Warwick Farm allowed F5000s, with Matich winning the first of consecutive AGPs at The Farm.

The Tasman Cup’s F5000 era was dominated by McRae in his own-design cars from ’71-73, followed by British ex-F1er Peter Gethin and Australia’s Warwick

Brown.

Brown won the last Tasman title in ’75 before frictions between the NZ and Australian track promoters caused a n schism. From ’76, NZ ran four races as the Peter Stuyvesant International Series, followed by the independent Rothmans International Series in Australia.

Same trans-Tasman two-month schedule, same essential entries, same cigarette eparate company sponsor (but separate brands), different titles.

I may have indirectly contributed to the split with a scathing article in The Australian newspaper that accused the NZ tail of wagging the Australian dog, calling for local promoters to go their own way.

The story was re-reported in NZ, causing controversy and outrage.

I became a marked man on the other side of The Ditch, which I experienced when I covered the ’76 NZ series.

Still, the notion of a Down Under F5000 summer series persisted until the end of the ’70s.

Locally, from ’71 until the early ’80s were great years, with the thundering V8 F5000s providing often great racing, plenty of spectacle and creating some wonderful characters.

The rumbling roar, unwieldy handling and ever-present danger were enthralling. In my very early years as a reporter, in the transition from peak openwheelers to touring cars taking over, F5000 fascinated.

Matich, Kevin Bartlett, Max

Image: AA Archive

Stewart, John Goss, John McCormack, Johnnie Walker and Brown were genuine heroes. The Repco Holden-powered Matichs A50 and A51, Chev-engined Lolas T300/330/332/400, and locally made Elfins MR5 and MR6 (also with Repco Holdens) were F5000 icons. Well into the mid’70s, Australian-made F5000s were world-class.

Oddities like McCormack’s Leyland P76 V8-based 4.4-litreengined Elfin and McLaren only increased the appeal of the thundering V8 single-seaters.

Unfortunately, the ascendancy of touring cars in the ’70s shifted interest irrevocably.

By the early ’80s, F5000 was gone – but never forgotten. Big, brutal and loud, the rumbling racers are fondly remembered.

Their enduring appeal is reflected in the popularity of historic F5000 racing and the birth of a modern equivalent in S5000.

There is a latent desire among enthusiasts – even those for whom F5000 is just a legend – to see big banger single-seaters again.

It is fitting that the first full S5000

championship this year coincides with the 50th anniversary of F5000 in Australia, which we celebrate on pages 32-37.

Like me, tribute author David Hassall’s formative years as a scribe coincided with F5000’s rise and rule as Australia’s premier category.

It was a glorious era – although as Hassall expertly recounts, not one without challenges – that remains the highwater mark of top-level Australian open-wheel competition.

Not always great racing, but unmatched as a spectacle of sights and sounds. They were wild machines tamed by brave drivers whose swaggering skill reflected Australian attitudes in the ’70s, when we overcame the cultural cringe of our British colonial heritage.

Most of the F5000 stars were, like the cars, bold, brash and basic.

Raw racers of a by-gone era. Even the more subdued characters were warriors.

Anyone who ever raced an F5000 in anger deserves respect.

We are an accounting firm based in Sydney with more than 30 years of experience and knowledge of the motor vehicle and motorsport At MGB, we provide financial management, accounting, financial services and we offer our specialist services to the motorsport industry.

Being motorsport enthusiasts, with firsthand experience and the knowledge within the financial and accounting business, we can offer you advice that can help you to navigate the complications of running your motorsport business and offer individual driver requirements, contracts, financial services and sponsor package negotiations.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE; Accounting Services

• Bookkeeping • Cashflow/Budgets • Financial Accounting • Management Accounting • Payroll Management

Taxation

• GST/BAS returns • Personal & professional sportsman tax returns • Business & Corporate tax returns • Trust & SMSF Tax returns • Tax Planning

Motorsport Driver Management • Driver Management Services • Contract negotiation • Driver Welfare • Financial Services • Post career planning

Race Team Management • Sponsorship negotiation • Team branding • Financial management

• Staff payroll management

SO, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SECURING OUR SPECIALSIT ADVICE OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR SERVICES OR TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT PLEASE CONTACT US Michael Bridges - MGB Public Accountants Michael@mgbaccountants.com.au Phone 02 8488 6260 or mobile 0418 145 517 Suite 205/447 Victoria Street, Wetherill Park NSW. 2164

AutoAction

15

ALL 10 Formula 1 teams have voted unanimously to reject Pirelli’s 2020 tyre compounds after the post-season Abu Dhabi test concluded. The 2019 tyres were widely criticised for its small working window and large drop off in speed, if overheated.

The tyre compound created for 2020 was set to address these issues, but after the prototype tyres were used in the Austria Friday practice sessions and the post season test they have been rejected by teams. As a result Pirelli will remain with the tyres used throughout the 2019 season.

FORMER RED Bull junior Dan Ticktum has been signed by Williams as its development driver, this announcement coming about shorty after he also signed for Formula 2 team DAMS. The two-time Macau winner has a chequered past, after receiving a 12 month ban from racing due to an incident under safety car conditions in British Formula 4.

ATTENDANCE FIGURES were up during the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, with the third highest increase of any track when compared with the previous year, up 9.86%. Australia was only one of three Grand Prix events to be attended by more than 300,000, with 324,100 fans flocking through the gates over the four days. Only the British Grand Prix and Mexican Grand Prix had a higher attendance figures in 2019. F1’s total season attendance of 4,164,948 was up by 1.75% on 2018.

MCLAREN TEAM principal Andreas Seidl has pushed to ensure a clear management structure is in place and this has seen a reshuffle of the British squad’s senior staff. Long standing engineering chief Andrea Stella has been given a promotion to Racing Director ahead of the 2020 season. This comes off the back of a fourth place finish in the constructor’s standings last year.

ANTONIO GIOVINAZZI came close to losing his Alfa Romeo seat after crashing out of the Belgian Grand Prix on the last lap when sitting in ninth position, team principal Frederic Vasseur has revealed.

However the Italian bounced back to outscore his much more experienced teammate Kimi Raikkonen in the final half of the season.

FERRAI AND Alpha Tauri (formerly known as Toro Rosso) have announced the dates that their cars will be revealed. Ferrari will launch its car on February 11, while Alpha Tauri will unveil its car in Salzburg, Austria on February 14, five days before the preseason testing is scheduled to begin.

16 AutoAction

FE FERRARI ERRARI IS focusing f i its it long-term future firmly on Charles Leclerc as the Scuderia extended its contract with 22-year old Monégasque driver through to 2024.

Sebastian Vettel’s future at Ferrari is, by contrast, uncertain. His current contract expires at the end of this season.

Ferrari will start to make its driver line-up plans for 2021 in May. “Ferrari has the advantage that we are very popular among the drivers,” Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto said during a media dinner in Italy. “We are in a privileged situation. By the beginning of May, roughly around the race in Spain, we want to know where the journey will go in 2021.”

What about Vettel, who has been with the Prancing Horse team since 2015?

“We have to see the performance, the way he adapts to the car and his motivation for the future,” Binotto said. “It’s not about whether he makes mistakes or not. It’s really about how he sees his future and how we see our team.”

Leclerc outperformed Vettel in 2019, racking up more wins, poles and points.

Despite tension over team orders plus their crash together in Brazil, the two actually get along well.

Former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone and former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan have both stated that they believe that Vettel will retire at the end of this season.

When asked if he is considering retirement, Vettel said “not specifically.” But

FERRARI’S FOCUS ON LECLERC

Images: LAT

he added: “After more than 12 years, you wonder what comes next. You shouldn’t go through life without a plan, even if you don’t know if it’s really the plan that will happen.”

Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes deal last through 2020, so

if he did actually switch to Ferrari to replace Vettel in 2021, it would be against the backdrop of that team’s continuing commitment to Leclerc.

There is a rumor circulating that Vettel has been in contact with McLaren team

principal Andreas Seidl about driving for McLaren in 2021.

The fact that McLaren showed a significant increase in performance in 2019 – it was the fourth best team – certainly makes it an attractive team to many

A NO BRAINER FOR BOTTAS THE CONTRACT between Valtteri Bottas and Mercedes expires at the end of the year, but the Finnish driver is in no rush to begin negotiating with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff about 2021.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Bottas said, “and we’re not going to rush to sort anything before next season even starts. I’ll still wait to see what’s out there, with this team first, so there’s really no stress to rush things.”

The contracts of a number of drivers conclude this season, so there will be open 2021 seats at Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault and other teams.

“I think 2020 will be an interesting season, for sure, at least until the summer break,” Bottas said. “I don’t remember any other time with so many drivers’ contracts coming to an end at the same time. Of course all of us drivers are seeing what opportunities are out there. But if I would have to decide right now what would be my future in F1, that would be a nobrainer, I would stay with this team because I believe

in the job we’re doing all together.

And with them I’m becoming a better driver all the time.

“We’ll see how the season starts and what opportunities will be available. There are many elements that have to come together, and at the same time I want to keep my mind open regarding the future.”

Another incentive for Bottas to remain at Mercedes is because, unlike Ferrari, the team is usually reluctant to issue team orders. It has only been towards the end of the season, when Lewis Hamilton has been on the verge of clinching the championship, that Bottas has been ordered to play a support role to Hamilton.

“I think we have been always very neutral to the drivers,” Wolff said. “We want to provide them with equal equipment and equal opportunity, and both drivers know that. There is no hidden agenda within Mercedes, and no politics.”

That policy will continue in 2020.

“I hope Valtteri will have a great season,” Wolff said, “but equally I obviously cheer for Lewis to giving it his best at a seventh title to equal Michael Schumacher’s record.”

But Bottas can be sure that Mercedes will not favour Hamilton over Bottas just so Hamilton can win a seventh world championship. That is another reason why it is a no-brainer for Bottas to stay where he is.

A NEAT DOZEN IS IDEAL FOR F1

drivers. On the other hand, McLaren is still a long way behind Ferrari, Red Bull Honda and Mercedes. At this stage of his career does Vettel really want to drive a car that has no chance of winning races?

Unlike the start of the

2019 season when Binotto stated that Vettel would get priority treatment, the Ferrari drivers will start the 2020 season as equal number ones. But both will have to adhere to team orders if necessary.

“They will start on the

same level but the team remains the priority,” Binotto said. “If there is a time of the season in which one of the two will have such an advantage in the world championship, we will evaluate.”

FIA PRESIDENT Jean Todt and Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey would like to see the F1 grid increase from 10 to 12 teams, but only if the two new teams are financially healthy, competitive and able to survive.

Three new teams came into F1 in 2010 – Lotus, HRT and Virgin – because there was supposed to be a budget cap of US$45 million implemented. It never was. They underwent various name and ownership changes, but none of them survived. Since then the only team to enter F1 was Haas in 2016, and that team has the funding of billionaire Gene Haas.

“The commercial rights holder is in contact with the teams and generates finance with them, but for the regulator which is the FIA, I would prefer 12 teams,” Todt said.

The 10 current teams get various percentages – depending on how they finished in the constructors’ championship – of the overall prize money fund. If there were 12 teams, then that means that the current 10 teams

would receive a smaller share of the pot.

“If you have 12 teams it can take value from each current team,” Todt said, “so I can understand that if you say, ‘Okay open it up for another team,’ then you have to consider the loss of value. Chase and I have some interesting proposals and teams willing to commit but we haven’t really been convinced. But if we are convinced that a proper team is willing to join, I think 12 is a good number for F1.”

Carey said: “I don’t want 10 healthy teams and two struggling teams, but I agree with Jean that 12 healthy teams is better than 10 healthy teams.”

It is doubtful that the budget cap of US$175 million coming in 2021 will have any influence on team deciding to enter F1, because it would be unlikely to spend that much. Currently only Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull spend more than that. McLaren and Renault plan to ramp up their budgets to spend the maximum allowed in 2021, but that still leaves five teams spending less.

KUBICA IN THE ALFA ROMEO LOOP IT WOULD be easy to think that a Formula 1 driver who scored a single point last year and usually finished at the back of the pack, would not be in demand. But such is Robert Kubica’s reputation as a test and development driver that three F1 teams were negotiating for his services in 2020.

It seemed that the Polish driver would end up at Haas or Racing Point, but Alfa Romeo Sauber swooped in and landed both Kubica and his sponsor, the Polish petroleum giant PKN Orlen. The official name of the team will be Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN. Negotiations with Racing Point kept hitting roadblocks and when Kubica analysed the situation at Haas and Alfa, he decided the latter was by far the better option. Until recently Sauber did not have a driver simulator – the team used the one at Ferrari – but now it does have its own state of the art driver-in-the-loop simulator, and Kubica’s experience will be invaluable. He will also get time in Ferrari’s simulator.

Kubica’s right arm was partially severed in a rally accident in February 2011. He staged an amazing F1 comeback with Williams last year, but he and rookie teammate George Russell struggled with a very uncompetitive car.

Kubica stated last year that he wanted to race in some series in

www.autoaction.com.au

AutoActionMagazine

2020, and combine that with a F1 test/reserve roll. He also wanted to be able to drive the car in several Friday morning practice sessions on grand prix weekends. That would give him the opportunity to correlate what the car did in the simulator and how it reacted on the track.

No official announcement has been made yet, but it is very likely that Kubica will replace Kimi Räikkönen or teammate Antonio Giovinazzi during select FP1 sessions this season.

Nor has Kubica announced where he will be racing, but he will compete in the DTM series in Germany.

Kubica made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2006 when it was owned

by BMW. “This team holds a special place in my heart,” he said, “and I am pleased to see some faces still here from my years in Hinwil. Time and circumstances are obviously different, but I am convinced that I will find the same determination and hunger to succeed. I am looking forward to

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

helping Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN make the next step forward.”

Kubica scored both his and the team’s first win – and to date the only victory – when he won the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix. He remained with the team through 2009 and moved to Renault in 2010.

“His feedback will be invaluable as we continue to push our team towards the front of the grid.” said Frédéric Vasseur, team principal of Alfa Romeo Racing and CEO of Sauber Motorsport.

AutoAction

17

w

F1 INSIDER

with Dan Knutson

KEY TO UNLOCK McLAREN SPEED ONE OF the many fascinating questions to be posed in the 2020 Formula 1 season will be if McLaren can maintain its momentum and remain the best of the rest.

The fabled British team has faced tough times since it last won a grand prix in 2012, but last year it finished fourth in the constructors’ championship, its best result since 2012.

McLaren’s new technical director James Key joined the team after last year’s Australian Grand Prix, so it was too late for him to have any influence over the design of the 2019 car.

But, of course, he was involved in the development of the MCL34 while at the same time overseeing the creation of the 2020 MCL35.

Key has worked in F1 for over 20 years.

He started at Jordan in 1988 as a data engineer and later became a race engineer for Takuma Sato. Key was eventually promoted to the technical director and held the post as the team went through ownership changes as MF1, Spyker F1 and Force India.

In April 2010 he became Sauber’s technical director.

Two years later he moved to as similar position at Toro Rosso. McLaren then signed Key to replace Tim Goss, and he joined the team on 25 March 2019.

Renault had finished fourth in the team standings in

Image: LAT

2018 but dropped to fifth in 2019. The midfield pack is so closely matched that a tenth or two of a second can move a team up or down in the race standings.

“That is the obvious reason to want to break away from that and try to close the gap to the top three teams,” Key said. “You want to break away from that uncertainty that if you get something slightly wrong it really penalises you. There is no formula for avoiding the dip because it is so dependent on what other people are

doing when you are that close.

“You never know, there might be a slight breakthrough somewhere.

Perhaps Renault will have learned a lot from 2019 and done something very different with the 2020 car that benefits them. All we can do is keep our heads down and concentrate on ourselves. And try to quantify what it takes to move forward towards the teams ahead of us. We are completely respecting the people around us, but ultimately the guys

ahead are everyone’s target.”

Key and his group of engineers and designers have tried to address the weaknesses of last year’s car, carry over its strengths, and add a development potential that the 2019 car lacked.

“That is all you can do,” Key said. “That gap to the top three has existed since 2017. It suggests that there are things you have to do to close that gap which maybe the teams around us have not quite clocked, including us. Some of it is just sitting back and thinking what are

the missing ingredients here?”

While McLaren does not have the budget of Mercedes, Red Bull or Ferrari, it does have considerably more resources and a bigger infrastructure than Key’s previous teams.

A new wind tunnel at the team’s Woking base will be completed in 2021, and a new state of the art driver simulator is on the way. So Key has all the goodies he used to wish he had.

“The other thing that is different for me and really positive is that this is the first team I’ve worked with that has won championships,” Key said. “You see that with other championship teams.

The belief and confidence that that gives the team and the desperate will to get back there, is very strong.

Whereas if you have not done that before, you are climbing that mountain.

“In a sensible and not over optimistic way at McLaren we know that we can do it.”

McLaren’s recovery began before Key joined, but I think with his added input over the past nine months that the team will maintain its momentum in 2020.

But will that be enough?

As he pointed out, others in the pack may well have made a breakthrough.

We will get our first indications of that during preseason testing in the latter part of February.

DONT MISS A SINGLE ISSUE!

Guarantee your fortnightly fix of motorsport news, reports and features with an Auto Action subscription BUMPER 68 PAGES OF FESTIVE SEASON READING An AA subscription comes in either print D RMEED E CONFIR OV M AZ CH AN WAU PL or our growing digital format.

EXXCCLLLU USSIVE COCHRA NE’S

SINCE 1971

SINCE 1971

VERDICT ON SU PERCARS

SINCE 1971

An Auto Action yearly print subscription includes 24 issues featuring the latest news, previews, analysis, features and results across international, national and state competitions.

The improved mailing service means that all magazines are well protected from the elements and will arrive straight to your doorstep for $199.00AUD, a saving of more than $30.

For our Kiwi friends we also offer subscriptions at the price of $237.50AUD and internationally at $275.00.

The 12 month Auto Action digital subscription can also be purchased on issuu.com/me8674 with subscriptions priced at $112.50AUD. For more information on subscriptions, please contact Dan at dan@autoaction.com.au or call (03) 9563 2107 and he will guide you through the subscription process.

18 AutoAction

AU C .AU COM .COM

’S SCOTTY R A INDYC !

TEST

.COM.AU

VERS IVE USI LUS EXCW CA NE p 8 chamSEE V8 How V H

COULD WE b Will Power beat

.CO COM M.A AU

T

INTED 22 AIN SUPERCARS 20 has in store What Gen3

LB TO JLLB THE D RD OR KFFFO CK ICK TIC TI YEARBOOK

INSIDE THE KELLY CORRAL

EDITION

of Follow the build new Mustangs

Issue #1775 Nov 28 to Dec 11 $8.95 INC GST

au

.com. www.autoaction

Comprehensive review of all the year’s major racing action

TRIBUTE OND TR MIKE RAYlaM iew st inntteerrvvie

PLUS

His

Issue #1776 Dec 12 to Jan 8 2020 $8.95 INC GST

www.autoaction.com.au

PLUS

ARG ASSAULT Big plans for 2020

TITLE FFU UTU TURE

OF F1 Annaaaly lysi ssis is of of 20 202 2 changes 21

PENSKE PENA LT

IES STAIN SCOT TY’S CROWN

PAST GLORIES Garry Rogers on his highligh ts

PLUS

www.autoact ion.

com.au

RALLY DY

30 years of Bat NASTY es brilliance

OPINION GARRY’S 2020 OUTLOOK ON OUR NATIONAL RACING

BY Garry O’Brien Nationals Editor AT STATE level, circuit racing has been on a growing trend for the last couple of seasons.

The year just completed has seen Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales add rounds to their calendars and even category numbers have grown.

On the east coast, the programs are getting so populated that not all categories can compete at all rounds. In NSW there is a shared arrangement where one category completes its round on the Saturday and another takes the spot on the Sunday.

In several cases national championship categories have made one-off appearances such as Formula Fords, Sports Sedans and TA2s.

This will become more prevalent in 2020 with the advent of the Australian Racing Group’s TCR and S5000, and the affect it has had on the growth of the Shannons Nationals.

In terms of that growth, the Nationals had its best year ever in 2019 with attendances and viewership. And now that ARG has acquired the administration for TCM and TA2, the Nationals programs have become more log jammed than ever, forcing some categories to seek alternate options for some rounds.

The Australian Production Car Series opens its year separately but not necessarily for that reason.

It follows on from running its own event last year at Sydney Motorsport Park. It will have the state Production Cars as a support category, and probably entice several to take in national races.

There will also be the opening round of the Radicals, which will race at Bathurst over Easter and

last year and Motorsport Australia has announced it will run five this year.

The AASA-sanctioned series had planned five but cancelled two and has announced four dates and venues for 2020, hopefully not hindered by track conditions.

The sanctioning body had a major presence at state level with a further 23 events stretching from Queensland through Victoria and South Australia, while CAMS ran state championships in most states.

Image: Insyde Media

Barbagallo as well in the nation’s west, separately from the Nationals.

A series taking in diverse race meetings and events is probably best showcased with the GT Trophy Series. It has earmarked 10 events as points scoring opportunities, with six counting towards the final outcome. The events are as diverse as Bathurst, the Gold Coast, and state rounds in NSW and Victoria.

Motorsport Australia (nee CAMS) is not the only events administrator from which categories come and go.

The AASA-aligned Australian Motor Racing Series had significant expansion in TA2, the Mazda RX8 Cup and the Thunder Sports Cup. TA2 will be still there for a couple of rounds in 2020 while the RX8s have moved over to Motorsport Australia state events, covering three states. The simplistic and wellsupported Thunder Sports for just about any type of Sports Sedan/ Improved Production/whatever remains with the AMRS for four rounds, two of which are in NSW for the first time.

The AMRS will also host GT-1 Australia, Formula 3, Stock Cars and Miniatures, along with a second attempt at Production Cars Australia and a three-round series for Saloon Cars.

RALLYING AT national level was impacted heavily by the threat of bushfires in late 2019, with the final round, Rally Australia, which was also the last round of the World Rally Championship, cancelled. The other rounds were bolstered with the addition of a state championship round included on their two-day two-heat programs.

The mainly NSW Classic series expanded to take in a round in Victoria and one in Queensland, culminating in the biennial Alpine Rally which attracted over 100 entries.

Unfortunately bushfires – and rain – conspired to bring it to a premature conclusion.

OFF ROAD Racing, of all our motor sport disciplines, was affected by Australia’s ongoing drought, more so than any other.

Events were cancelled due to the lack of vegetation which would have resulted in more erosion and huge dust problems. One venue, Colo Park, was ravaged by bushfire. Others were checked by bushfires and a Queensland event at Gympie stopped because of floods.

Despite these setbacks, Off Road Racing showed, and will continue to show, strong competition and strength in numbers. The two national championships each had three rounds

HILLCLIMBING CERTAINLY gained a boost, particularly with the national championship being live streamed from Bathurst, getting surprisingly great viewing numbers and potentially new fans.

This year the national championship will be held at Mt Cotton in Queensland, probably again targeted for live streaming with the state standalone title earlier in the year as a rehearsal.

Certainly the exposure from Mt Panorama lifted the lid on just how competitive hillclimbing can be and the technically diversity and sophistication of the vehicles competing.

IT HAS been done in the past in Circuit, Rally and Off Road with shared rounds.

But only Rallying still paves the way as NSW shares rounds with Queensland and Victoria. Provided the state administrators get on, there should be more of these types of events.

There has even been Off Road participating in its own right at a Rally, taking in a Special Stage where spectators could see them racing up close along with the rally cars. It is the old adage that if people don’t go to the event, bring the event to them, whether physically or otherwise.

It provides a great marketing and public relations tool and used properly, can only be a good thing. That and the continued growth of live-steaming and post edited highlight packages will benefit motor sport as a whole.

We take a look back at what was making news 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago 1980: A NEW decade, but Allan Moffat was still battling CAMS. This time it was over the eligibility of the Mazda RX-7 into the new-for-1980 Group C regulations, which was rejected following a reversal by the National Council of CAMS to allow rotary engines the freedom of peripheral porting. A moratorium was held following the initial decision, forwarded by Mazda Motors – the Victorian Mazda agents – but was canned after an Australia-wide telephone link.

1990: THERE WAS doubt surrounding the

future of Phillip Island after recent turmoil regarding the location of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and a legal stoush that developed over Barfield’s lease. The location of the Grand Prix was put in doubt after it was revealed the required FIA safety modifications may not be completed in time for the event in March. A number of problems needed to be sorted out for four-wheel competition to take place at the circuit.

22000: KMART ANNOUNCED an expansion e of its support to Gibson Motor M Sport, taking on naming rights sponsorship sp of the two-car Holden C Commodore team comprised of G Murphy and Steven Richards.

Greg w also revealed Garry Dumbrell It was ha taken over the ownership of the had tea Entering the new millennium, team.

Au Action reflected on the stars who Auto hig highlighted the previous one.

22010: GREG MURPHY was back w with Paul Morris Motorsport and a new n sponsor in the form of Castrol.

V Victory was on the Kiwi’s mind after m moving from Tasman Motorsport, which cl closed down at the end of the 2009 se season.

Murphy had a new outlook an was eager to be in a competitive and Co Commodore alongside veteran Russell Ing Ingall.

Publisher

Bruce Williams 0418 349 555

Editorial Director

Bruce Williams

Editor-At-Large

Mark Fogarty

Deputy Editor

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

Advertising Manager Bruce Williams All Advertising enquiries bruce@overdrivemedia.com.au (0418) 349 555 Editorial contributions may be sent to Auto Action. No responsibility will be accepted for their safety. If you require the return of any sent item or items, please attach a separate, stamped and fully addressed envelope

Published by Action Media Partners ABN number 62976094459 Suite 4/156 Drummond Street Oakleigh Victoria 3166 Phone: 03 9563 2107 The trademark Auto Action is the sole property of Action Media Partners The website www.autoaction.com. au and associated social media platforms are wholly owned by Action Media Partners All rights reserved No part of this magazine’s content may be reproduced, retransmitted or rebroadcast without the express written permission of the Publisher and Action Media Partners.

Printed by Fairfax Media Distributed by Ovato Retail Distribution Australia TEAM SYDNEY DEAD OR ALIVE? COM AU .COM.AU

SINCE 1971

T TRUTCM-BTRILBUTUE TOBDICEK’SAICOSNIC XD STEVE’S

ATEST LOOK AT TEAM JOHNSON FALCON LLATEST l

GODS OF THUNDER F5000 50th anniversary

Issue #1777 Jan 9 to Jan 22 2020 $8.95 INC GST

www.autoaction.com.au

BUILD

ALL THE LATEST DIRT ON SPEEDWAY

PLUS

KELLY MUSTANG

UPDATE

Cover Images: Main MTR Images LAT

AutoAction

19

& E M I CR

T N E M H S I PUN

As well as being Australia’s representative to the FIA, Garry Connelly is a senior F1 steward at the centre of debate over whether drivers should be allowed to race more freely HE MADE his name in international motor sport as the founding father of Rally Australia in Perth 30 years ago. Under Garry Connelly’s direction for more than a decade, Rally Australia was the WRC benchmark for presentation and innovation, influencing the way events are run to this day.

Connelly is now Australia’s most senior motor racing official on the global stage. He is Motorsport Australia’s representative to the world governing body, the FIA, sitting on the supreme decisionmaking World Motor Sport Council. He helps make the big decisions that shape the sport.

From being Australia’s member of the FIA General Assembly, he was elected to the WMSC in 2006, continuing our legacy of toplevel representation. He is on other powerful FIA bodies, along with important MA committees.

Most controversially, Connelly is one of the four chairmen of the F1 stewards’ panel, alternating at each race. The stewards figured in many contentious F1 rulings last year – most notably Sebastian Vettel’s victory robbing time penalty for exceeding the track limits at the Canadian Grand Prix.

He wasn’t officiating at that race, but he did rule on other

Why would you want to be a steward?

It’s largely a thankless task, isn’t it?

Oh, not largely. It is a completely thankless task. So why would you want to do it? Why does anyone volunteer to do anything?

If you’re passionate about something – and all of us who do stewarding at world championship level are passionate – you’re happy to give up your time to pursue that passion. There’s not a person among the stewards who isn’t passionate about the sport. Is being a steward easy? No, it’s probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. If I look at anything I’ve faced in my professional career, it far exceeds anything for stress levels and pressure.

It’s even more difficult and stressful than being in charge of an event like Rally Australia. It’s unpaid, but you do it because you’re passionate about the sport and it’s a privileged position to be working with some amazing people. We get to see team members, team principals and drivers in a completely different way to the way you see them in the media. It’s quite inspiring and motivating to see up close how talented and intelligent and articulate they are.

20 AutoAction

divisive incidents involving Vettel, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. Fans worldwide were outraged by the seeming inconsistent application of the rules.

Connelly adjudicates at six or seven F1 races a year with one of the rotating driver stewards – Derek Warwick, Emanuele Pirro, Danny Sullivan, Mika Salo and Tom Kristensen – and a senior local steward.

His motor sport work is voluntary, juggled with company directorships, including his own Brisbane-based boutique financial advice business.

Connelly represents Australia in international motor racing affairs with distinction and diplomacy, fighting our corner within a considered global view. He also effectively articulates the difficulties and responsibilities of stewards, who like all sporting referees are misunderstood and unappreciated.

You can’t really get friendly with them, though, can you? Don’t you have to keep them at arm’s length?

Well, let me put it another way, we don’t get unfriendly with them. I can’t recall ever having a confrontation with a driver face-toface. Sure, in the heat of the moment, we’ve had one or two say some things about us afterwards, but next race they come up and shake your hand and all is forgotten and forgiven. They are passionate, too, about their sport and we as stewards understand that sometimes in the heat of competition, when they’ve performed an amazing feat and they get penalised because they’ve done something we believe is against the rules, we understand they get upset. That’s human nature.

Senior officials like stewards are, to some extent, inviolate, aren’t they?

Criticism of decisions is fine, but not personal attacks, right?

Personal attacks are totally out of order.

There have been a couple of occasions recently where individuals have been singled out, including myself. I don’t

think that’s acceptable. It’s certainly not acceptable in 99 per cent of sports around the world. But, as I said, I think there’s so much at stake, you understand why. It doesn’t necessarily make it legitimate or acceptable, but it makes it understandable.

Now, while the sport takes a dim view of personal attacks against officials, we’ve yet to see any action ever against a verbal attack.

As a steward, do you have to know the rulebook backwards?

It helps. And, actually, some of the driver stewards are pretty good with the rules as well. But the rule book is now comprised of multiple rule books. You have the sporting regs, which are now almost treble the size of when I first came into F1 in 2007.

I’ve just looked at the technical regs for 2021 and you really have to understand your maths and physics to follow them.

It’s quite complicated. Then you have your International Sporting Code, which is probably 400 pages with its appendices.

So you can’t know every regulation back to front, but you have to know where to find stuff.

F1 stewards were under the microscope last year over some notable incidents. The outcry over harsh enforcement of racing rules seemed to lead to a more relaxed approach. Did it?

I wouldn’t say it’s had any meaningful effect.

I don’t want to talk about specific instances, but we have been talking about so-called “Let them race” for probably 18 months.

The difficulty for us as stewards is that we have a set of rules, some of which I think were drafted in 1954 and haven’t changed since, and some of which are more recent and slightly contradict some of the other rules. So the drivers want certainty, but if we have certainty, then there would be a lot more penalties than what there are. So in saying “Let them race”, we’ve had to draw up our own set of guidelines, if you like, on what’s acceptable and what’s not. And that’s a really, really difficult thing to do. We did a very interesting exercise in Hungary, where we selected 12 incidents from the last two and a half years, showed them to the 10 team principals and got them to anonymously tell us whether they thought each incident was a breach, and if so, what would be the penalty?

And we got about 80-90 per cent consistency

As well as his senior FIA roles, Connelly is the driving force behind the Australian Motor Sport Hall Of Fame. Alan Jones (below, with Connelly) is one of several former drivers who have served as an F1 steward.

among the team principals – and mostly they agreed with what we had actually imposed.

We then showed them to the drivers, did the same exercise, and they came up with a completely different set of scenarios. Some agreed with the team managers, some were neutral and some completely disagreed. In fact, on some incidents, there was quite a discrepancy among the drivers as to who was at fault or if anyone was to blame. So it’s not an easy thing to actually understand what “Let them race” actually means. And I predict that probably within three years, we’ll be back with a set of strict rules because the drivers will be asking “Just how far can we go?”

There does seem to have been some relaxation in some areas…

Oh, a lot of areas. That was a conscious decision. We had a meeting, which I chaired, with all the drivers in Bahrain and we went around the room, driver by driver, asking them “What’s your view about ‘Let them race’?” And the basic conclusion from that was “Look, we want it to be fair but safe”. The one thing that they really stressed – except for one driver, who shall remain nameless – was the changing direction under braking.

www.autoaction.com.au

That’s the thing that most of the drivers rs are concerned about.

Of course, there was a time when that was just part of racing.

Exactly.

It was fair game to defend aggressively under braking.

Limiting it to one-move is a very recent restriction.

Well, I think it’s because of the way the cars are designed and the lack of downforce that the following car has. They see it as potentially very, very dangerous.

What incites the fans is that they see an inconsistency in many of the decisions of the stewards. Is it inconsistency or the fact that even ostensibly similar incidents are often very different?

It’s the latter. As Derek Warwick says – and Derek is a helluva experienced driver and a great

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/ / t ti /

AutoAction

21

F1 driver in his day – if you want a consistent decision, give us a consistent incident. They are all so different in subtle ways that the average viewer won’t see it. But when we look at it, we would have an additional 50 cameras that show so many other views that will never be seen on the public telecast.

We also have telemetry, so we can see the steering angle, the brake pressure, the speed – every single action on the car we can see and that gives you a very different picture. What can look like a similar incident is actually not.

Do you think that sometimes you have too much information?

That’s a point that’s quite often made.

I guess it’s like all sports now. With the technology 20 years ago, if the referee took a decision, no one would know whether the ball was just on the line or just outside the line. These days it’s so easy to tell. We’re in a high-tech world and we have to learn to live with that. But we do have an enormous amount of information and, unlike in a tennis match or a football game or a cricket match where you can halt play and take your time to take a decision, we have to keep the race going and take a decision while that’s all happening.

“The one thing they really stressed – except for one driver, who shall remain nameless – was the changing direction under braking. That’s the thing that most of the drivers are concerned about.” even though his car appeared to clearly have all four wheels outside the track limit.

I was there. We gave him the benefit of the doubt. You couldn’t penalise someone in that situation.

Normal people call that out.

Has F1 looked at using Hawk-Eye, or a variation of it, like Supercars?

You mean for track limits?

Well, that’s what Hawk-Eye is best at, looking at lines that define the playing area.

It’s not as easy as that. The FIA looked at a system for automating a track limit detection system. It’s very complicated and it really is quite expensive. You could only apply it to F1 and maybe F2 and WEC. There was that incident at Monza where the outside edge of the tops of Vettel’s tyres y were jjudged g to be within the line

Except that there are two rules in that, as we explained in our decision. There was the rule about leaving the track and gaining an advantage, and being in the track is defined as having part of the car in contact with the line. Another rule that the race director (fellow Australian Michael Masi) had brought in says that any part of the car (is within the track limit) and that’s what saved Sebastian in that case.

There’s a helluva lot of leeway. They effectively only get done if all four wheels are off the track. Three-and-three-quarters is fine.

It’s a difficult one, especially when you think that someone is trying to judge within a millimetre where to place a car at 280 km/h. Is it reasonable to penalise someone over one millimetre when you can’t even determine if he’s in or out? That’s very difficult. I think if someone has all four wheels at least a metre off the track, that’s a pretty simple decision whether it’s on the inside or the outside – unless it fis or avoidance and doesn’t gain any advantage.

And, again, the policing of the track limits is a relatively modern phenomenon.

It’s still allowed if you don’t gain an advantage. Now, it’s pretty obvious if you overtake on the inside and you put all four wheels off, there’s an advantage. On some corners it can be argued that if you overtake on the outside, it gives you a greater entry speed to the next corner. Of course, it’s really only an issue where you have hard run-offs and that comes down to circuit design. Action is less likely if you go off the track onto grass or gravel because then you’re not going g to get an a advantage. That takes care of itself. different has it been working How d Michael Masi compared with with M Charlie Whiting?

Charl How it works is, there are two ways the stewards get involved in an incident. stewa One is they get a report from either race director or if it’s a technical the ra issue, from the technical delegate, issue we can initiate an investigation or w ourselves – which we do maybe ours five per cent of the time. We worked very closely with Charlie and we continue to work very closely with con Michael, and even though they’re Mic Despite regular run-ins with the stewards, F1 firebrand Max Verstappen maintains a cordial relationship with Connelly.

22 AAutoAction t A ti

totally different generations and personalities, they are very, very similar when it comes to being a race director. Charlie was a wonderful communicator and so is Michael, both very knowledgeable, and the communication channel is identical. So in that regard, while we miss Charlie terribly – particularly his history and knowledge of the sport going back 50 years – we’ve found the transition to Michael very, very easy. I totally support his use of the black and white flag (as a ‘yellow card’ warning to drivers); that’s a great reintroduction of something that’s been in the books since 1954 and it’s working very well. One thing I’d like to add is that Charlie’s priority, without a doubt, was always safety and the drivers saw him as their guardian angel and I can tell Michael has exactly the same approach.

Aren’t the rules deliberately vague so they can be interpreted as the regulators want?

That used to be the case. But now the teams – and particularly the drivers with the ‘Let them race’ philosophy – more and more people want certainty. So we’ve gone back to more prescriptive, very clearly defined wording. Just one example: there’s one rule that’s been around for probably eight or nine year that says that in the parc fermé after qualifying, you can change a part, but only if it’s of a similar mass and size and shape.

Well, as we found out last year, similar can mean different things to different people and some of the teams objected to an interpretation by one other team, so now the wording’s been changed to identical. The F1 rules for 2021 are much more prescriptive and some of the teams claim the cars are going to be too similar. The FIA is saying “Well, no, we believe that there will still be room within very prescriptive rules for different designs and to do different things”.

The problem with the current rules is that when you’re one car length behind another F1 car, your downforce is reduced to 55 per cent of what it normally is. And even at seven car lengths, it’s still only something like 80 per cent of the downforce. So the goal of the new regulations is that at one car length, you

You and Michael Masi are good Yo exa examples of the disproportionate influence infl that Australian motor sport has internationally.

You also have Adam Baker, who’s the head of the FIA safety department.

So why w are Australians and Motorsport Australia Aust so highly regarded by the FIA?

still have 80 per cent of your downforce. And to do that, they’ve had to standardise certain designs, but hopefully they’ve left enough room for innovation.

Speaking of which, you’re on the world council that approved the ‘radical’ 2021 F1 technical rules. What’s your gut feeling? Are the new regulations going to work?

I’m not an engineer, Mark, so I leave that to highly paid propeller heads who design these things. But broadly speaking, the problem you have is that there are three teams with megabudgets and seven teams that are a mile behind on budget. The teams with the big budgets can obviously afford the best engineers and the best facilities and all the resources, so obviously they want to have as much freedom as possible. The cost cap will certainly influence things. Will it work? I honestly don’t know, but I hope so for the sake of the sport. It’d be great if we had six or seven different teams able to compete at the front.

Connelly congratulates Dr Brent May, one of many award-winning Australian officials recognised by the FIA as among the very best in world motor sport. Images: LAT/Motorsport Australia and driver fees, for example, plus the top three salaries in each team. You can see the logic in what’s excluded. It excludes capital costs, which are allowed to be amortised over a certain number of years and there’s a limit on that CapEx as well (on-going capital expenditure to buy, maintain or improve fixed assets).

If you can’t run a competitive F1 team for that level of capped and uncapped expenditure, there’s something wrong, isn’t there?

How will the cost cap be policed?

Well, it was quoted to us that Mercedes are spending something like UKL300 million (A$565 million) on the team and another UKL150 million (A$283 million) on the power unit. That’s almost A$850 million, so it’ll be around half that with the cost cap. Over time, the cap will also increase with progressively fewer exclusions. The first year will be a voluntary disclosure and then compliance enforcement will come in in 2022 based on the 2021 figures.

It’s US$175 million per season, but that excludes quite a few things – marketing, PR

Grid penalties is another sore point. Will we see the end of that?

The policing of track limits is a contentious point, with fans often at odds with the rulings of F1 stewards.

According to Connelly, it’s a grey area determined by millimetres.

Taking off my steward’s hat and putting on my World Motor Sport Council hat, I actually very much dislike the current grid penalties. My strong view is that we should go to letting the drivers start in the position they qualify in and if there is a part to be changed, then they take a time penalty at the first pit stop. And that way, we have a good race from the start and then we have another race starting at the first pit stop. But the teams will tell you that there are 50 reasons why that’s not very good…

Why not just let them have more power units and gearboxes?

Well, I think that would be bad, particularly if we’re trying to make the smaller teams competitive.

Not if you’re allowed, say, six engines, but within the cost cap. It’s up to the manufacturers to decide if they want to make them available that cheaply.

I’ll give you Jean Todt’s e-mail address and you can send him that suggestion!

I think it’s a combination of two things, Mark. Firstly, it’s a tribute to the legacy left by the founders of CAMS and the likes of (long-time (lon secretary-general) Donald Thompson, Thomp who established a culture that, while a lot of people found it draconian, always put the sport before commercial interests. interest Many found that very limiting, but in hindsight hindsig it was probably a good thing at the time (1950s (19 and ’60s), and then successive executives executi – by which I mean a combination of presidents and CEOs – have kept the pres legacy but also innovated. At the moment, I think we w have a great combination with a terrific president (Andrew Papadopoulos) and p a terrific CEO (Eugene Arocca), and we have a great board of directors. When you talk to them, you can see that they take note of the legacy. They don’t want to come in and throw everything out. There have been a couple of exceptions along the way who did try to do that and they didn’t last very long. The current people in charge are preserving the legacy while keeping up with modern times.

Australia is also a great nursery or proving ground for world-class officials, as well as how we run major events to such a high standard.

We’ve trained marshals for five or six different grands prix. We’ve trained marshals for WRC events in Asia and elsewhere. So Australian officials are renowned around the world for their expertise and it’s no coincidence that every year since the start of the FIA’s award for best official of the year in a category that Australia has won at least one – sometimes two – every single year. We’re the only country to have done so.

What’s you’re informed feeling about the future of Rally Australia?

Obviously, I’m deeply saddened to see that it’s not on the calendar in 2020. I know how hard it is to get a world rally championship event into a country and it’s getting harder and harder because there’s more competition. I would be hoping that there can be some huge efforts made to ensure that it gets back on the calendar in ’21 and ’22. But not only on the calendar, but that it goes to the levels of the event that Rally Australia used to be in Perth. Not because I was part of it, but because of the innovation and creativity that made the event there so successful.

So you think’s there’s a way back?

I think that where there’s a will, there’s a way. There are a number of sticking points, but I think with some creativity and innovation, Australia can bring the world rally championship back and keep it. But it’s going to take hard work.

AutoAction

23

PONY PROGRESS

The build of Kelly Racing’s pair of Mustangs continues apace and as HEATH McALPINE reports, it is now fast approaching a critical time

SINCE AUTO Action’s last update prior to Christmas and the New Year, Kelly Racing has been hard at work readying its first Mustang chassis for assembly, with the second chassis not too far behind.

Engine work is also humming along as the machine shop staff continue to work on Kelly Racing’s inhouse engine components.

The guys have also been powering along on the engine e ahead of homologation later this month.

The first of the Mustangs has s now been painted, after some e hard work from the fabrication n team to get the chassis to the assembly stage just prior to Christmas.

“Well Ben the fabricator pushed pretty hard to get that done within the timeframe, even though from the outside it was pretty straightforward, there are always a lot of little things that hold you up, up,” said Todd Kelly.

“Normally, it’s like building a house or building an engine, it’s those last few brackets at the end that take the longest to sort out, the big stuff sorts itself out pretty quickly.

“So, he pushed on through and completed that really well. Ben has been back and forth between the engineers and his fab shop checking measurements, CAD drawings and getting measurements, while welding the Mustang components and bracketry.”

With most of the intricate parts measured, it means the ex-Garry Jacobson chassis will be quicker and easier to build than the sister car, because this (second) chassis will feature a new floor with all the brackets designed purely for the Mustang included.

“That first one was always going to be a big job and that second one we’ve changed a few little things, which will basically be a brand new car even though its used,” Kelly continued.

“There are a few bits and pieces in the floor we mount

24 AutoAction

Despite not ha having ing its oownn completed race engine, development work goes on with the ex SBR Ford unit. Kelly Racing is developing its own inlet throttle bodies, airbox, cylinder heads and exhaust.

our stuff to the Nissan that will ou be different to the Mustang. So we’re going to cut all the floor out we rather than patching up holes ra and making a mess, so we’ll a

m make it all brand new.

“That’s all been done p pretty well, the fabrication st has gone well. We stuff h have got the crossmember m modifications, all the ra extensions, exhaust rail s systems, crash beams a all those sorts of and t things, which again is a another big job.

“The bare chassis, w we’re probably only a about halfway there e even though the cars are d done.”

Not only are parts f the race car being for completed, but a jig for each item placed on the car are also being worked on concurrently, making it a busy area during the early part of 2020. d Further to this, engine parts are a being produced flat out in preparation for when the cams and cranks arrive from ca America.

A “Every part you make, you “ need ne a jig for. Even from the end en of the chassis, the rail extension that goes to the front ex bar is all jigged up, so not ba only are we making all these on engine parts in the machine en shop, but we’re making jigs sh flat out as well. But, once again when that’s done it’s quite easy to just keep on making parts,” Kelly explained to Auto Action.

While this is happening, the paint shop is hard at work painting the Andre Heimgartner’s 2020 Mustang is based on Gary Jacobson’s Car 3, Kelly Racing chassis # 9.

COUNTDOWN - DAYS REMAINING: 42

Part Three

Rick Kelly’s new Mustang is fresh out of the spray booth (top) and the assembley begins. The older chassis (above left and above) having some final fabrication and gap-sealing work done, while the new chassis now wears its official Supercars ID tag as part of its vertification process. Images: Kelly Racing. first chassis ahead of assembly.

“The whole engine bay, underneath and under the back is done first, all primed and painted, then that will bake. It will then be unmasked and he’ll go the other way to paint the other side baking the next night, so the next day that car will be wheeled out into the workshop, then the team can start building it.”

The composites team are well underway in creating further engine items, but Kelly Racing decided early in the piece that its initial supply of panels would be purchased, though the moulds to create the various items are ready to use.

“To get up and running we’re buying most of the parts. All of the high consumable items such as the rear bar, side skirts and various others we’ve made all the moulds off the tools, which are sitting there, but we haven’t started making the parts yet,” said Kelly.

“We’ve just bought some of the same parts they use as far as front quarters, rear quarters, roof skins and side skirts to get up and running with everything specific to us.”

“So now that we have the moulds

there we can send the tools back to Ford, and we’ve shifted our focus completely to the engine so the valley tray in the actual engine – the carbon fibre piece – they’re actually working on that. We’re going to use our existing airbox, which works well, so we have to make an adaptor that’s different to what it currently is.”

The engine room is currently a hive of activity with Kelly among the workers developing the various parts for the motor.

“The bottom of the sump, all of the suction cavities are machined in, then you have a plate that’s o-ringed onto the bottom of the sump so it’s just that plate that we’re making, which is running now and we’ll come back every few hours overnight and swap them around,” Kelly explained. “We’ll have six of those made.

“We’ve received our five engine blocks fully machined. We’ve got all of the rings, the two compression rings first and second, and the oil rings. Those have been fitted to each block and each cylinder all marked and all ground, so when we get the pistons at least the rings

are done and we can put it together.

Everything has been measured and cleaned up.

“We’ve got one set of heads and one set of valves here now, so we can start to machine all of the rod clearances. The conrods, crankshafts and the rest of our heads are in America so that’s a little bit nerve racking so close to Christmas and I don’t know how the upcoming holidays will affect the shipment of that stuff.”

An engine needs to be built and design finalised by late-January for the Supercars homologation process, which is a four-day procedure where CAD drawings and photos are taken to identify all parts that make up the motor.

“It’s just to make sure it doesn’t make too much power on the dyno and if it doesn’t make enough power, we have a few different specs at it, we have a various manifolds and exhaust systems to try out,” Kelly explained.

“Once we’re happy that we’ve maxed out the power and it’s not over, you have sign off on every single nut and bolt, the design of everything in that engine, Supercars

strip it all down and check it.

“They give it back basically in bits and we have to rebuild again to go to Adelaide.”

And if the team hasn’t been busy enough, the launch of the new Ned Ford Mustang for Heimgartner was the culmination of much toil for the commercial operations of the team and a recognition of the breakout 2019 season where Andre scored his maiden podium.

“It’s really good that Andre has evolved to the point where that alongside the Mustang change, he has got sponsors and a naming rights deal on the door,” lauded Kelly.

“It’s quite good for that to happen because every young driver goes through a period where it is tough for them and it’s also tough for the team to get backing as they come through.

“It’s a sign that Andre has really hit his stride, everyone really wants to jump on board with him now so that’s a great result and a feather in his cap as well.”

In the next edition of Auto Action the build gets serious with assembly getting underway

AutoAction

25

THE YEAR AHEAD

Now that the festive season is over, it’s time to look at 2020. Here are some of the highlights in store for the major local, Formula 1 and WRC Championships SUPERCARS First event: Adelaide 500, February 20-23 COST-SAVING TECHNICAL changes, improved aero parity and a longer season are the headlines of a year that Supercars hopes will be without rancour.

It will also be a return to a straight Ford versus Holden battle, testing the category’s resilience and tribal appeal.

Last season was soured by constant contention amid Scott McLaughlin’s mostly smothering domination in his DJR Team Penske Mustang.

Supercars supremo Sean Seamer’s aim is for discussion to centre on competition rather than controversy, with technical argument replaced by sporting debate.

An expectation of closer racing depends on the effectiveness of the revised aero parity testing along with a small reduction in downforce.

Engine life will be extended and maintenance costs reduced by lowering maximum output from around 650 horsepower to about 635.

Teams will be limited to three motors lasting at least 4000 km before rebuilds, with grid penalties for exceeding the season limit.

Another cost-cutting measure is the adoption of control dampers, which

26 AutoAction

Chaz Mostert (left), Ford’s Mustang (above), Scott McLaughlin (top) and tyres (below) will all be talking points in 2020. Images: LAT will be substantially che cheaper and a likely lev leveller.

Ty banks are Tyre rep replaced by an inc increased allocation of fresh rubber at ea event, allowing each te teams to set more re representative times in practice without c compromising the ‘ use of ‘green’ tyres in qualifying and races.

Following the renewal of Dunlop’s control tyre deal for a further five years, the compounds will revert to hard and soft designations.

With Team Sydney in doubt, the grid is set to shrink by one to 23 – the smallest

car count in the Supercars era. For the first time since 2012, it will be Fords vs Holdens only, with Kelly Racing ditching its four Nissan Altimas for two Mustangs.

Will Mustangs and Commodores be enough to sustain interest, especially with the demise of the ZB Commodore road car?

Despite an earlier start in Adelaide and a later finish in Newcastle, and the return of Sydney SuperNight, the series is down an event to 14 to further assist the easing of team budgets. Gone are the rounds at Phillip Island and Queensland Raceway.

The Enduro Cup gets a new 500 km opener at

The Bend, replacing Sandown, which becomes a sprint event. All daytime sprint events except the AGP round adopt the new Super400 format of 2 x 200 km races.

The major driver move in 2020 is Chaz Mostert’s switch to WAU, gambling

2020 Season Synops is

on Clayton’s commitment to boosting engineering resources. His replacement at Tickford Racing, Jack Le Brocq, has a lot to prove.

McLaughlin will be out to make it three V8 crowns in a row before his likely despatch to Team Penske in the USA in 2021. His IndyCar test at Sebring next week is a possible portent.

Don’t rule out a return to title contention

by Triple Eight as it ponders a postCommodore future, while Tickford and Kelly Racing will be under pressure to bring their Mustangs to the fore.

Mark Fogarty

FORMULA 1

First event: Australian Grand Prix, March 13-15

BY THE numbers, 2020 is shaping up to be a record Formula 1 season.

Lewis Hamilton is a firm favorite to win his seventh drivers’ world championship, which would equal Michael Schumacher’s record tally.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team is tied with Ferrari for the most consecutive constructors’ championships – six – so Mercedes could secure a new mark of seven titles in a row.

There are a record 22 races with the additions of Holland and Vietnam.

The teams will go on a record spending spree this year as they strive to build up their infrastructures, plus design their cars to meet the radical 2021 rules package, before the budget cap of US$175 million is imposed next year.

Aussie Daniel Ricciardo had a bumpy ride in his first season with Renault last year as the car’s speed and handling were inconsistent. Renault also needs to avoid making so many race strategy mistakes.

Ricciardo and his Anglo-French squad need to improve on all of these

aspects this season if Renault wants to retake fourth place in the constructors’ championship from McLaren.

Speaking of inconsistency, Ferrari ran hot and cold in 2019. It is

Daniel Ricciardo (top), Max Verstappen (above right) and Sebastian Vettal (right) will all be hoping formore consistency against Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in 2020. Images: LAT

www.autoaction.com.au

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

going to have to sort that out if it wants to challenge Mercedes throughout this season. And the team will have to manage its drivers – rising star Charles Leclerc and embattled veteran Sebastian Vettel – a lot better.

If, for a change, Red Bull can hit the ground running, Max Verstappen won’t have to wait until the second half of the season to start winning. The good news for Red Bull is that the Honda power unit is becoming a formidable force.

This will be a season of changeover because the 2021 rules – designed to create closer racing and more passing – will require the teams to start focusing on the new designs as soon as possible and thus stop development work on their 2020 models much earlier.

The teams with the best cars at that changeover point will, therefore, maintain that advantage over their direct rivals in the latter part of the season.

It will also be a season of pending driver transfers for 2021 as a number of their contracts expire at the end of the year. That list includes: Ricciardo, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Vettel, Carlos Sainz, Kimi Räikkönen, Romain Grosjean, Lando Norris, Kevin Magnussen and Antonio Giovinazzi.

The bottom line for the upcoming first season of the new decade is that it is up to Ferrari and Red Bull and their drivers, as well as Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas, to at least slow down the Englishman’s march to a recordtying seventh world championship.

Dan Knutson

AutoAction 27

Ott Ott TTanak (left) moves to Ot Hyundai Hyyuunn for 2020, taking his World Woorl W r Rally Championship crown c oow cr w with him. There he will join jjooin in Thierry Neuville (right).

Images: LAT Imag Imag Im a

WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

First event: Monte Carlo Rally, January 23-26 AGAIN, HYUNDAI failed to take away the crown that has desperately alluded the Korean manufacturer since it re-joined the World Rally Championship in 2014.

But for the upcoming season that’s expected to change after the signing of reigning champions Ott Tanak and Martin Jarveoja from Toyota.

Although the Driver’s Championship has remained elusive, Hyundai goes into 2020 as the reigning Manufacturers’ title holder, retaining previous lead crew Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul.

A third i20 WRC will be shared between multiple WRC champion team Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, and loyal Hyundai driver Dani Sordo and co-driver Carlos del Barrio.

The second biggest move during the silly season was that of the formerly dominant Sebastien Ogier, who along with Julien Ingrassia replaces Tanak at Toyota, marking him up as the lead challenger to his Estonian rival, if not the favourite. It comes after a disappointing season with Citroen that failed to produce the expected rejuvenation for the previous dream team.

It is a completely new driver line-up for the Japanese manufacturer, as young second-generation driver Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen make the step up to the outright battle after plying their trade in WRC-2.

Also, former M-Sport lead driver Elfyn Evans joins the Tommi Makinen-led squad with co-driver Scott Martin, while two additional entries will be fielded for Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta with Daniel Barritt alongside, and last year’s second driver Jari-Matti Latvala at selected rallies.

M-Sport have recently confirmed its driver line-up, lead by Esapekka Lappi.

Meanwhile, several front line drivers including Andreas Mikkelsen, Kris Meeke, Craig Breen and are all on the search for a drive.

Lappi had originally been left high and dry after Citroen’s sudden departure just before the scheduled close of the season in Australia. The French marque experienced a disappointing time in the championship and once Ogier had confirmed his move to Toyota, it was the final nail in the coffin.

Other big news was that Rally Australia was one of three rallies to be dropped off the 14-round 2020 WRC schedule, with Rally New Zealand, Rally Japan and the Safari Rally based out of Kenya all making a return to the calendar replacing the Tour

28 AutoAction

de Corse, Rally Catalunya and the Coffs Harbour-based event.

The historic Safari Rally will not resume its endurance-style format as previously run by the WRC, but rather a more compact route to comply with maximum route distances mandated by the FIA. Japan will also be a different experience for competitors, where it will be run on tarmac rather than the usual gravel.

All in all, the upcoming WRC season is set to be an exciting but unpredictable with all the changes over the off season.

Heath McAlpine

TCR AUSTRALIA

teams from other categories ranging from GT outfits Wall Racing, Melbourne Performance Centre and Porsche specialists Ash Seward Motorsport, to Supercars squads Kelly Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport, while various privateer teams also took up the challenge.

In the end, Super2 driver Will Brown wrote his name into the record books as the first TCR Australia Series winner, collecting

seven wins in his HMO Customer Racing Hyundai i30 N TCR. He headed Wall Racing’s Tony D’Alberto driving a Honda Civic Type R and MPC Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR pilot Aaron Cameron to the title, though his biggest rival was fellow Super2 competitor Dylan O’Keeffe.

It proved a frustrating run for O’Keeffe with reliability issues crippling his campaign, but he was one of nine

First event: Sydney Motorsport Park March 27-29 AFTER WHAT was a successful inaugural season, TCR Australia carries plenty of momentum into 2020.

By The Bend Motorsport Park finale, 10 brands were represented on the grid and interest internationally was significant enough for manufacturers including Audi, Honda and Peugeot to employ factory drivers and engineers, to guest star at various rounds.

TCR Australia attracted many leading Aaron Cameron (above) was third in the series and a race winner for VW. But the series was dominated by Will Brown for the Hyundai team (below), winning seven times. Images: TCR Australia

2020 Season Synops is

drivers split between six manufacturers that scored victories over the course of the season.

The fight for pole position was even more open with six drivers, each representing a different make, starting from P1 with O’Keeffe being the only driver to score it twice.

As the new season approaches there is already an expectation that entries will hit the 25-car mark at Sydney Motorsport Park for the opening round.

But before then the non-series TCR Asia-Pacific Cup held at the Australian Grand Prix in March is predicted to attract international entries.

Two trips to Mount Panorama, capped off by a 500km event by the new Bathurst International – again not counting for the series – in December is also expected to attract worldwide interest.

One of the highlights of TCR Australia was the emergence of young talent such as Cameron, O’Keeffe, Jordan Cox, Liam McAdam and at times Hamish Ribarits, something that looks set to be replicated in 2020 after recent announcements.

Young rising stars Michael Clemente, Zac Soutar and Jay Hanson have all confirmed their spots on the grid for 2020. But that doesn’t mean that the older boys are disappearing, with multiple race winner Jason Bright, Tony D’Alberto, James Moffat, Chris Pither and Russell Ingall expected to be bolstered by a number of other well pedigreed drivers, the first of these announced just prior to Christmas being Bathurst 1000 winner Jason Bargwanna.

Growth in manufacturer activation is expected, as well, with Renault Australia being the first to confirm this by increasing its support of Garry Rogers Motorsport although the planned Mazda effort has been delayed. MG appears interested in adding another brand into the mix after successfully relaunching in Australia several years ago.

It promises to be an exciting season ahead for TCR Australia.

Heath McAlpine

www.autoaction.com.au

S5000

First event: Australian Grand Prix March 12-15 AFTER A difficult build up of more than three years, the dream of S5000 was realised at Sandown last September when a 13-car entry, including no less than former Formula 1 star Rubens Barrichello gridded up.

It was James Golding who starred that weekend, then former international sports car ace and TCR Australia race winner John Martin finished on top after the second round at The Bend Motorsport Park.

The reaction from drivers has been enthusiastic, to say the least, with Barrichello in particular keen to have another go as he eyes the opening round at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix as does Thomas Randle, who took a Heat win at The Bend on his way to second for the weekend.

A multitude of star drivers jumped behind the wheel of the new-generation V8 openwheelers including Supercars young gun Anton De Pasquale, international sports car driver James Winslow, TCR Australia winner Will Brown, Alex Davison, S5000 development driver Tim Macrow, former Indy Lights driver Matthew Brabham and highlyrated Kiwi Taylor Cockerton.

Although most of these were guest entries,

it gave both drivers and spectators a taste of the potential for the class as it aims to consolidate on a successful start.

Two drivers that are likely to return are Randle and Golding, with the latter continuing his association with Garry Rogers Motorsport.

Another to be eyeing a campaign is Ricky Capo after a few quiet seasons, as are recent cent speedway convert Braydan Willmington, t son off fformer touring car driver Garry, and Michael Gibson.

International stars are expected to run at the category’s premier event, the Australian Grand Prix, where 19 chassis will be ready after another six were commissioned at the end of last year to join the existing 13.

Just like last year, S5000 will run on the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships program alongside its sister categories, TCR Australia and Touring Car Masters (for a selected number of rounds).

Add into the equation live television coverage courtesy of the Seven Network and a bigger entry including high quality

drivers, and the series will be a mustt watch.

And thatt wasn’t’t ill b t h A d if th enough, these machines at Bathurst should be an exciting spectacle when S5000 heads there for its non-title season finale in December.

Trips to Phillip Island, Sydney Motorsport Park and a return to Sandown should be highlights too, with each allowing these beasts to stretch the legs, putting emphasis on how brave the driver wants to be.

Since its debut, S5000 has captured the imagination of fans and drivers not just locally but worldwide, so expect this category to be well supported in 2020 for its inaugural title fight.

Heath McAlpine

S5000 was one of the highlights of 2019 and is set to fight out its first official title this season. Its Sandown debut was spectacular (top). Supercars drivers Thomas Randell (centre above) and James Golding (below) both tasted success. Images: S5000

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

AutoAction 29

Plenty in the

TANK

The rapid rise of Tyler Everingham might have caught many by surprise. But the recent recipient of the Mike Kable Young Gun Award has done the hard yards as HEATH McALPINE discovered

Images: Insyde Media/Supercars Media

MUCH LIKE McElrea Racing and Sonic Motor Racing Services have earned reputations for guiding young drivers to much bigger opportunities in Porsche racing, MW Motorsport can also be regarded as having the same acclaim when it comes to Supercars.

Names such as Jack Le Brocq and Garry Jacobson have recently joined the top tier championship battle, while 2019’s Super2 title winner Bryce Fullwood and teammate Zane Goddard will make the leap in 2020.

The third MW Motorsport Nissan Altima in Super2 was also a revelation, with 18-year-old Tyler Everingham making the transition from winning the V8 Touring Car Series to become a race winner and challenge for an outright top five result.

Although he just fell short, Everingham was awarded the Mike Kable Young Gun Award, adding his name to the likes of Chaz Mostert, Scott McLaughlin and Todd Hazelwood as winners of that prestigious trophy.

However, the start to his season wasn’t as strong as he’d have hoped after he clouted the Turn 8 wall in Adelaide during qualifying and then engine problems further compounded his early season form.

But a top 10 result at Townsville kicked off a form reversal, which culminated in

30 AutoAction

Tyler Everingham made the most of his first Super2 season in the Nissan Altima. victory during a chaotic Sandown race.

Reflecting on his 2019 season, Everingham drew comparison with his V8 Touring Car Series winning year where he also had a sluggish start but came back strong at the end to defeat teammate Zac Best.

“It seems to be my sort of trace, struggle to start off in titles. It’s a lot of learning, but we come on really strong and show off our progression,” Everingham said.

“All three cars were competitive [at MW Motorsport], which was pretty good.”

It was a surprise to Everingham that

he was so competitive in his debut season in the second tier, considering the drivers he was racing against, many of whom will be a fixture of the Supercars field this year.

“You have to think you’re racing against people who are aiming for a main game drive, so it was a pretty competitive field,” Everingham told Auto Action.

“I think we did pretty well considering the experience we have compared to the other drivers.”

The jump was not an easy one for the Dubbo native, who had to take on more responsibilities immediately and in turn

had to become more diligent with his time during race weekends.

Added to this he was also learning the Altima on the run, a major difference to the FG Falcon he took to the V8 Touring Car crown.

“There’s quite a lot of difference comparing Super2 and Super3,” Everingham revealed.

“There are driver signings to attend and a few more media commitments, so I had to be organised and be on top of everything. The cars are quite different, that was the hard thing for me to get my head around.

“It was a completely different tyre and different generation car going from an FG Falcon, which had a completely different front end, each handled quite differently and did things in different ways.”

A gradual testing schedule throughout the 2019 season started to reflect during race weekends. Apart from his Sandown victory, a top five at Bathurst was also a highlight of the season, this coming after a strong testing session prior to the event.

“I had to try and do as many test days as possible, especially with how limited track time is on race weekends. There are (just) two practice sessions then you’re straight into it,” he explained.

“We had a few engine dramas at the

Tyler Everingham won the V8 Touring Car Series title for Matthew White Motorsport in in 2018 201 018 18 be bbefore efore foree graduating fo gradu radu ra dduat uaat ati tin ing to ing to Super2 Sup uper uper eer2 r2 with wiitth wi th the th he same same me team teaam inn 2019.

201 0199.

9.

start of the year, which really didn’t help our progression, but we had a few successful test days that really helped us along too.”

During his winning 2018 V8 Touring Car Series season, Everingham was in the unfortunate situation of losing his major sponsor part-way through and although he completed the year successfully, it made his planned progression into Super2 in doubt.

Many of Everingham’s other supporters were loyal, though, and he was able to pick up support due to his strong Super2 results.

“The hard work you put in goes away,

but that’s the motor sport game unfortunately, that’s the way it is,” ,”” he explained.

“It’s great, we have R&J Batteries that have helped us a lot and will continue heading into this coming season. But we’d still like more sponsors to come on board.”

Learning for Everingham will continue into the new season when he will be joined by Thomas Randle for the 2020 Super2 Series.

The youngster has been an eager student under team

owner Matt White’s wing and aims to build on the momentum from 2019.

“I’ve learnt a lot off Bryce [Fullwood] and Zane [Goddard]. It’s the same with Matthew White, the whole team is experienced, any sort of question you have, the team has an answer for it,” said Everingham.

“Just really adapting to the driving style, just pick up little tricks that he has learned along the way, he was a pretty successful driver in his day. He has a proven track record and he knows

what’s going on in every aspect, on and off the track, which is really helpful to not just me but the other drivers on the team.”

The pathway Everingham has taken is similar to his title winning teammate Fullwood, who jumped straight into a Supercar after a successful karting career and he is now completing his apprenticeship in front of a large crowd.

“I’m still quite young so I’ve got plenty of time but it’s good to be on the main stage, which helps with advertising and enticing sponsors,” Everingham said.

“Super2 is the aim for 2020 and we’ll continue to work hard towards that.

AutoAction

31

T F O S Y A D Half a century after Formula 5000 exploded onto the Australian scene, DAVID HASSALL recalls its painful birth and formative era, which was dominated by world-class driver/engineer Frank Matich

ANYONE WHO thinks that motor sport is currently blighted by politics should have been around in the 1960s at the dawn of commercialised racing. Crusty old gentlemen with pencil moustaches and gold-buttoned blazers controlled the sport, but they couldn’t even get their heads around the concept of having the engine behind the driver, much less gaudy sponsorship on cars with wings and treadless tyres driven by young blokes with long hair.

It was in this era that Formula 5000 was born – or at least ripped, kicking and screaming, from a reluctant matron – but it went on to become undoubtedly the best premier formula Australia has ever had.

At its peak, F5000 was vibrant, exciting and blood-curdling, with thundering projectiles that not only matched

32 AutoAction

international Formula 1 cars for speed but challenged the ability of local tracks to contain them.

Even at its worst (despite how it seemed at the time), in the formula’s dying days, there remained a handful of dedicated racers providing modern, competitive, well-prepared cars driven in anger by champion drivers such as Alf Costanzo and John Bowe. No wonder it inspired the current S5000.

Australia and New Zealand in the 1960s enjoyed a comfortable relationship with the Grand Prix world in Europe. The Tasman Series provided a nice excuse for the world’s top teams and drivers to escape the European winter and race under the sun on an Antipodean adventure, so each year we would enjoy watching the likes of Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill and Jackie

Stewart racing every weekend for eight weeks.

We could even afford the luxury of imposing on them an old 2.5-litre formula – abandoned by F1 at the end of 1960, along with front-engined cars – that required the teams to enlarge their usual 1.5-litre engines in the early ’60s or reduce their later three-litre units just for this two-month series on the opposite side of the world.

Of course, it couldn’t continue. As F1 expanded and became more demanding, the Tasman series became a luxury the teams simply couldn’t afford – and Australia couldn’t afford to continue with an outdated, expensive and anachronistic formula for the dwindling number of old-style patrons who provided the ever-depleted grids.

By the time the first cigarette-

sponsored cars had dared to race on our shores, much to the disgust of longtime CAMS secretary-general Donald K. Thomson (CEO was much too mundane a title for the cravat brigade), there were only three competitive cars in Australia and it was clearly time for change. But to what?

An unholy battle wracked the sport for months in 1969 over whether to adopt F5000 – an uncouth stock-block monster invented by those crass Americans – or a more ‘pure’ two-litre car being promoted by the almighty FIA in Paris and also our regional neighbours to the north. There was even talk of a big Pacific Formula Championship that persisted for years without ever gaining traction – and which would never have worked culturally or commercially.

The entire sport in Australia split

R E D N U H T r e t s a M e h T Matich

into two quite disparate camps in 1969.

Reigning champion team owner Alec Mildren and his engine builder Merv Waggott, who was developing a four-valve two-litre four, led one side. On the other was the influential but divisive Frank Matich and his powerful backer Repco, which had been forced to abandon its F1 title-winning program with Jack Brabham and was now developing a stock-block race version of the new Holden five-litre V8 to challenge the Chevrolet unit that powered most F5000 cars in the US and England.

CAMS was philosophically inclined towards the traditional race engine route and initially declared the two-litre formula as the winner in July ’69, but such was the backlash that the governing body quickly retreated and did a very bureaucratic thing – it had a bet each way and chose both! The new Australian National Formula 1 (ANF1) would therefore accommodate both formulas, though time would soon enough see the F5000s predictably rule the roost.

Matich brought the first F5000 to Australia. He had canvassed the options in the UK, where the best racing cars were built, but was horrified by the big and heavy Lola offering, so instead went with

his mate, New Zealander Bruce McLaren, who was making quite a mark with his own cars around the world.

McLaren held Matich in high esteem as both a driver and engineer, and in 1965 had asked him to come across to race in F1 and help Bruce with the Ford GT40 Le Mans program. If not for a huge sports car crash at Lakeside that prevented Frank from going to Europe, he may have become the Ken Miles character in the Ford v Ferrari movie.

As it was, McLaren commissioned Matich to take over the development of his first Formula 5000 car, based on an M7A F1 chassis and intended for sale around the world by production offshoot Trojan, because Bruce himself was too busy with F1, F2, Can-Am and road car projects.

The prototype McLaren M10A was sent out to Australia and debuted at Warwick Farm on September 7, 1969, initially fitted with a Chevrolet V8. But it was, Matich later admitted, “an awful pig of a thing”. Serious development work was required, but the M10A was still good enough for Matich Frank Matich was equally brilliant as a driver and a constructor, as proven by his first F5000 car, the Matich A50 (right and top).

and customer Neil Allen to dominate the 1970 Tasman Series in January/February, though a consistent Graeme Lawrence snared the title in his 2.5-litre Ferrari.

The full result of Matich’s dedicated development program for McLaren was revealed in July 1970 in the form of the M10B – built entirely in-house by Matich – complete with Repco’s new Holdenbased engine bolted in the back. With it he finally won his first Australian Grand Prix, on his home track at Warwick Farm, but again the Tasman eluded him. Both Matich and Allen were narrowly beaten in 1971 – this time by another Kiwi, Graeme McRae, driving a similar Chev-powered car – but at least it was a 1-2-3 for the Matich-developed M10B. Before the start of that year’s Australian Drivers’ Championship for the CAMS Gold Star, another honour that had eluded Matich, he took his Rothmanssponsored car to California

to contest the first two rounds of the lucrative US championship and stunned nned the locals by winning the first round and finishing second econd in in the next.

Despite leading the championship and picking icking g up about $12,000 in prizemoney – quite a sum m considering a Gold Star race ra ace The ever-spectacular Kevin Bartlett powers around Warwick Farm during the 1972 Gold Star win paid only $340 – he had no interest race in his superb Chesterfield-sponsored Lola T300. in remaining in America erica and was quick to get home to his young family and had to deal with the retirements of Neil Bartlett and Hamilton jumped in by growing business interests.

Allen and Leo Geoghegan (from ANF1, buying Allen’s two McLarens – with The motor racing scene in Australia later returning to dominate AF2), and Shell and BP money respectively – while was changing rapidly, though, with a the departure of its traditional openCooper designed and built a new Elfin, clear shift towards touring cars (Moffat, wheeler patrons. And, with promoters the Repco Holden-powered MR5, for Beechey, Jane, Geoghegan and co) and increasingly unwilling to pay appearance himself and McCormack (eventually series production racing (with Bathurst money, drivers like Kevin Bartlett, run under the Team Ansett Airlines and the Ford and Holden factory teams).

Max Stewart, Alan Hamilton, Garrie banner), as well as Stewart. The new The new open-wheeler category also Cooper and John Elfin impressed on debut at Sandown in McCormack had to September 1971, but soon after Matich secure commercial upped the ante considerably with his sponsors to survive. own new creation, the Matich A50, Matich blasts away from the field at the start of the 1973 Tasman round at AIR (left); Kevin Bartlett in the overweight Mildren-Chev, team owner Alec Mildren’s brief flirtation with F5000 (below); the professional Ansett Elfin team of John McCormack and Garrie Cooper in their Elfin MR5s (bottom).

34 AutoAction

Graeme McRae R won on the Tasman then took his his stylish GM1 to success in both America and England (left, at Brands Hatch).

having abandoned the McLaren connection following Bruce’s untimely death the year before.

Matich proceeded to win a second AGP at Warwick Farm on the A50’s debut in November. However, his Tasman curse again struck and McRae pounced to score his second title in ’72 against a quality international field that boasted Mike Hailwood and Frank Gardner, who had joined Lola and introduced the revolutionary side-radiator T300 that began a decade-long dynasty for the British marque.

The 1972 season saw the formula blossom in Australia, with the appearance of new T300s for Bartlett and Bob Muir, and the entry of a young Warwick Brown in an old McLaren bought by his neighbour in Sydney, Pat Burke.

Matich was still the man to beat, though, and he finally won his first Gold Star award by concentrating on the local scene while Bartlett, Muir and Colin Hyams spent time chasing the gold on offer in America.

However, while Australia’s most highly regarded domestic driver did win his national Grand Prix and the Gold Star, he never won the Tasman, much to his eternal regret.

In his last full assault in 1973, Matich was again beaten by McRae, who had followed his Aussie rival’s lead the previous year by designing and building his own car, the curvy STP-sponsored McRae GM1. It was a beautiful machine, and would soon bring him global fame and fortune with further success in America and England as well as at home.

That ’73 Tasman Series was also

AutoAction

35

Driving the prototype McLaren M10A, Frank Matich streaked to victory on debut at Warwick Farm in September 1969 (above). He collected plenty of silverware in his F5000 career, including at Oran Park in 1972 from Jack Brabham (below). Third placed Max Stewart looks on.

notable for the rise and near demise of 23-year-old Warwick Brown, who had graduated to a competitive Lola T300 under the guidance of technical guru Peter Molloy, with sponsorship from the Target department store chain.

He had shown glimpses of ability in the old McLaren, but in the T300 his bravery and growing touch were there for all to see – until one fateful day at Surfers Paradise International Raceway when he went off the road at high speed and bent the Lola in the middle, badly breaking both his legs. Brown was lucky to survive and spent three months in hospital. It would be another six months before he could drive a racing car again.

With no local races until September, five Australians – Matich, Johnnie Walker in a customer A50, Bartlett (Lola T300), Stewart (with his new Lola T330, a much-improved development of the T300) and Bob Muir (T330) – headed to the US to collect some of the fortunes on offer there. The L&M Championship p

offered some US$535,000 in total prizemoney, with as much as US$17,000 – the cost of a new racecar – for a win. Max Stewart was the highest-placed Aussie in 12th, a long way behind series champion Jody Scheckter.

Matich went well equipped with a pair of updated cars and, from midseason, a new side-radiator model designated the A52, but his Repco engines were plagued by oil surge problems on the high-speed American circuits and he finished with little to show for his efforts. His wife had also fallen seriously ill and he arrived back from the US after only five of the nine rounds disillusioned, then put his three cars and race equipment up for sale.

John McCormack had remained home to prepare his seemingly outdated Ansett Elfin MR5 and narrowly snatched a maiden Australian Drivers’ Championship from the greatly improved XXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XXXX X X XX XXX X X XX XXX X X XX

3366 AAutoAction utoAction

Rising star Warwick Brown driving the beautiful Target Lola T300 that almost killed him at Surfers Paradise in 1973 (above); The Lola T330s of Max Stewart and Johnnie Walker during the 1974 Rothmans ns Series round at Oran Park (above right); Frank Gardner devised the revolutionary Lola T300 (right) and drove it in the 1972 Tasman Series, winning the NZ Grand Prix; Bob Muir was a regular F5000 competitor, or, and briefly raced Pat Burke’s McLaren in 1973 (below right); Elfin’s new MR5 impressed on debut at Sandown in September 1971, with John McCormack finishing second (opposite page). Pics AA Archivess

Johnnie Walker, who was now driving a new Holden-powered Lola T330. But the Gold Star series had been a major disappointment, with slim fields and deserting promoters, and even the Warwick Farm circuit – for many years the bastion of open-wheeler racing in this country – had closed.

The 1974 Tasman Series had little international support – the VDS team of Peter Gethin and Teddy Pilette mostly dominated – and, although Warwick Brown returned to full strength with the Lola’s latest T332 model, the local scene was dealt a further blow when Kevin Bartlett smashed his hip and leg in a huge accident at Pukekohe in New Zealand.

Matich had reconsidered his retirement and built a new A53 for the Australian rounds of the Tasman, but just before

his comeback race, he was seriously electrocuted on a boat. It was only the fact that he collapsed across the battery terminals, with a course of power werr keeping his heart going for 11 minutes, that he survived at all.

Technically, he died that day in late January 1974.

Although Matich returned to the cockpit less than two weeks after this near-death experience, still with a hole in his chest, he wasn’t the driver he’d been. So when Repco suddenly withdrew from racing, he simply walked away from the sport.

Formula 5000 would survive Matich’s retirement and other challenges to enter a new era.

The Lola era. But that’s a seminal story for another day…

AutoAction

37

ACTION Mart THE ORIGINAL

OFTEN COPIED - NEVER EQUALLED www.speco.com.au

THE ULTIMATE IN CALIPER PAINTS AA2

Alan 0400 168 016 Robert 0416 268 645

woodfordtrailers.com.au

“I only trust Brakes Direct!”

Chris ‘Atko’ Atkinson - World Rally Driver

1300 724 943

brakesdirect.com.au

Protect your investment..

Quality trailers for club, private and pro motorsports

GORDON LEVEN

MOTORSPORT TYRES

International Products - Local Knowledge

www.williamsraceservices.com.au sales@williamsraceservices.com Ph:07 5502 3636

Visit our new Southport showroom!

LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN TYRE HEAT TREATING - TYRE BUFFING - TYRE GROOVING - TRACKSIDE SERVICE

4 & 5 speed dog-box racing transmissions, as used in TCM, Australian Trans-Am, IPRA & Sports Sedans

Phone: (03) 9544 3323

Premium Australian Heat & Sound Shielding

100% Australian Made

Email: motorsport@gordonleven.com Tel: 02 4735 8734 Address: Unit 6 / 133 Russell St Emu Plains NSW 2750 Website: www.gordonleven.com.au

828 Sydney Rd Brunswick 3056 (03) 93865331

11 Brewer Street. Clontarf. QLD 4019 | 07 3284 3785

www.tiltatrailer.com

www.austtrans.com

Distributor for G Force e Transmissions Parts Service

02 6933 6888 0 CAMS CAMS SPEC CAMS SPEC MILD SPEC MILD MILD STEEL STEEL STEEL CHROMOLY CHROMOLY TUBE SOLID SOLID TUBE -- SHEET SHEET -- SOLID

TUBE BENDERS - DIES - NOTCHERS

PH: 02 9676 8001 SHIPPING DAILY AUSTRALIA WIDE W W W. R A C E T E C H S T E E L . C O M . A U

Contact Bruce Williams for bookings and information on 0418 349 555 or Bruce@Overdrivemedia.com.au

Australia’s JRi agent

FACTORY FACT TORY 40/22 TO 40/2 DUNN CRESCENT, DANDENONG SOUTH, VICTORIA, 3175 AUSTRALIA MOB: 0407 951 990 ROB@RACINGSHOCKSAUSTRALIA.COM.AU

E ICE THE COMPETITION

03 9532 6000

www.iceignition.com

/HDGLQJ /6 &RQYHUVLRQ 6SHFLDOLVWV &DVWOH +HDGHUV DQG ([KDXVW FRPSRQHQWV '\QRJHQ $OWHUQDWRUV 7KH KLGGHQ DOWHUQDWRU LQ D JHQHUDWRU ERG\ +L 7RUTXH *HDU 5HGXFWLRQ 6WDUWHU PRWRUV %LOOHW +LJK 3HUIRUPDQFH $OWHUQDWRUV :LSHU 0RWRU .LWV (), &RQYHUVLRQ /RRPV DQG (&8 UHSURJUDPPLQJ &RQYHUVLRQ HQJLQH PRXQWV 7UDQVPLVVLRQ &URVVPHPEHUV &RQYHUVLRQ 6XPSV 5DFN SLQLRQ &RQYHUVLRQV

&$(3(5)250$1&(352'8&76 &20 $8 0$,1 5' &$67/(0$,1( 9,&725,$ 7

r e e F n F c I e D e h t l e e F

• High quality German made limited slip differentials • Proven in competition by winners in FIA GT, ALMS, WTCC, Targa, BTCC, F3, Nßrburgring 24 hour and Bathurst 12 hour • Competition gearboxes, Gear sets, Driveshafts, & Wheels Hubs also available

Contact details: P: W: www.drexler-motorsport.com.au

PRODUCTS/INDUSTRY

PROJECTA REVITALISES A BATTERY CHARGING FAVOURITE A familiar sight in home workshops and garages over many years, Projecta’s popular ‘Charge N’ Maintain’ automatic battery charger range has been recharged, with the introduction of many exciting new features across four new models.

Despite being an entry-level battery charger that’s ideal for no-fuss, DIY use, the new range is by no means short on innovation and functionality, and allows the user to simply connect the charger to the battery and let it do the rest.

Ideal for automotive and marine applications, these new charger variants are classified as ‘Smart Chargers’, meaning that they contain technology that provide switchable charging stages, to ensure accurate and efficient battery charge and maintenance.

This feature allows longer life and improved battery performance over an extended period of time.

By communicating with the battery during the charging process, the Charge N’ Maintain range ascertains the battery’s level of charge, allowing the charger to regulate its load and optimise charging, stopping when the battery reaches capacity.

Other benefits of the range includes ‘Switch Mode Technology’ which converts 240V power to 12V DC using electric components, unlike more traditional chargers which rely on heavy transformers. Switch Mode ensures the new chargers to remain lightweight, compact and extremely portable without sacrificing performance.

Along with their smart-charging capabilities which prevents overcharging of batteries, the range also provides spark-free operation and is protected against accidental reverse connection, significantly increasing safety. For added convenience, the chargers are safe to use while the battery is still in the vehicle as well.

For added reliability, the range is weatherproof to IP65, meaning they can be used outside if required. An interchangeable fused wiring harness is also included for permanent installation if the user requires it and all models benefit from a fused wiring harness or battery clips.

The Charge N’ Maintain range begins with a 4-stage, 0.8 Amp 12V model (AC008) which is perfect for maintaining batteries in motorcycles, in crafts such as jet skis and in cars, making them ready for use at all times.

The larger 4-stage AC015 model rated at 1.5 Amp 12V, is ideal for both maintaining car batteries as well as for charging smaller batteries such as those in motorcycles or light watercraft. The AC015 also comes with a mounting bracket and 3M extension lead to facilitate a more permanent installation in the garage or workshop if needed.

For a larger charging capacity, there’s the 8-stage, 4 Amp 6V/12V model (AC040). This variant is designed predominantly for charging flat or low batteries, and provides the versatility to adjust output via a mode toggle button to suit a variety of different battery sizes. The AC040 is ideal for use on automotive and marine batteries large and small, for deep cycle batteries and for 6V batteries as sometimes found in older vehicles.

Rounding out the new Charge N’ Maintain battery range is the 8-stage, 8 Amp 12V AC080, which again has adjustable output to suit the battery type but is exclusive for use with 12V batteries, whether marine, motorcycle, automotive or deep cycle.

As well as the entire range providing the convenience of ‘connect and forget’ operation, the chargers are extremely easy to operate. AC008 and AC015 models feature colour code charge indicators showing ‘Power on’, ‘Charging’ and ‘Fully Charged’ while AC040 and AC080 variants are equipped with LCD screen displays to monitor charging status.

Projecta’s latest Charge N’ Maintain battery charger range is backed by a two-year warranty and is available from leading automotive, transport, four wheel drive and hardware outlets throughout Australia.

LIFE SAVING FIRE SUPPRESION LIFELINE ZERO 3620 - ENGINE/ COCKPIT SYSTEM

Lifeline has launched the new Zero 3620 Firemarshal, a further development of the original system. Its designed to meet increased demand as more categories are required to use systems approved to the FIA 8865 suppression standard, which is recommended for all FIA categories and is scheduled for adoption by FIA GT categories in 2018.

As fitted to many Supercars as the standard requirement, Zero 3620 Firemarshal meets the FIA’s demanding 8865 standard and has been tested and developed for use with unleaded petrol, diesel and E85 fuels.

The system is plumbed to both the cockpit and engine using aluminium tube, connected using high quality lightweight aluminium compression fittings, and is supplied with sufficient lengths of delivery pipework to ensure the best possible packaging within all vehicles.

The engine side of the system discharges 1.0kg of 3MTM NOVEC clean agent suppressant through one high discharge outlet, to quickly knock down the fire, which is then supplemented by two further coolant outlets, utilising Lifeline’s patented* dual discharge technology.

The system also has the added benefit of allowing two further coolant outlets to be fitted should there be multiple areas in the engine bay that need to be cooled down to help prevent re-ignition.

The cockpit side of the system discharges 3.0Kg of 3MTMNOVEC through two cloud burst outlets, developed specifically to disperse the suppressant efficiently throughout the entire cockpit, quickly knocking down the fire.

A full video on how it all works can be found at https://youtu.be/S4C-hWuX7Gs For further information, products and servicing on the full range of Lifeline fire supression sytems call Racer Industries on 07 5546 2040, call into the showroom at 75 Norwell Rd, Norwell QLD or visit www.racerindustries.com.au

SEASON REVIEW

Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x

LOCAL WORLD BEATERS Aussies and Kiwis competing overseas in 2019 performed strongly with series wins in America, Europe and Asia as DAN McCARTHY reports OSCAR PIASTRI

VICTORIAN OSCAR Piastri excelled as the sole Australian in the Formula Renault Eurocup Series in 2019, winning the very highly regarded open-wheel series.

After failing to score points in the opening race of the season, the R-Ace driver only finished outside the top six once more in the remaining 19 races.

This incredible consistency, coupled with seven race victories, made him hard to beat come the end of the season.

After the opening round Piastri bounced back to score two victories at Silverstone and from there he never looked back.

In the mid-season across the three rounds of Spa-Francorchamps, the Nurburgring and Hungary, Piastri won four out of six races.

However after this, French MP Motorsport driver Victor Martins won three races in a row to close the championship margin down considerably.

In the final three races the Australian kept his head and stayed out of trouble and this was enough to take the championship by just 7.5 points.

US F4

OVER IN America 19-year-old Joshua Car dominated the Formula 4 United States Championship, finishing with a total of 299 points, winning the series by 79.

After finishing fourth in the series in 2018, the New South Welshman was immediately on the pace opening the season with two thirds and a race victory at Road Atlanta.

Over the course of the season Car recorded a total of six victories, taking at least one win at five of the six rounds.

Car opened the season with 13 consecutive top three finishes and this resulted in him wrapping up the title at the penultimate round of the series at Sebring.

His nearest rival Francisco Porto, who led the series after the first weekend, faded towards the end of the season, picking up just three podiums in the final 10 races.

In front of the Formula 1 paddock at the Circuit of the Americas, the final round did not go as planned for Car, nevertheless 2019 was a breakthrough year for the Aussie who makes the step up to American F3 in 2020.

USF2000

ANOTHER UNITED States open-wheel series is the USF2000 category which is the first step on the pathway to IndyCar, Two locals participated in the series, Aussie Cameron Shields and Kiwi but adopted Aussie Hunter McElrea. Both took race victories with the New Zealander a series contender right to the final corner of the season.

American Brandon Eves came out the blocks firing with four straight race victories, while McElrea scored four podiums. Cameron Shields then won the only oval race of the season while the other two failed to finish in the top four, however Shields was then unable to see out the season due to budgetary restraints.

After disappointment on the oval, McElrea put together a string of great results with eight top three finishes in nine races, which included four race victories.

McElrea found himself in the lead of the championship heading into the final race, but a mechanical issue stopped him from setting a time in qualifying.

McElrea fought his way from the back to seventh but unfortunately with the race victory Eves stole the championship from his grasp.

FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

IN THE third tier Formula 1 series Australian Alex Peroni drove for the Cameron Shields won the only oval race in the USF2000 series but ran out of funding.

40 AutoAction

Oscar Piastri (top) won big, claiming the Formula Renault Eurocup Series while Josh Car (above) dominated the US Formula 4 title.

Campos Racing team for which he finished 20th in the championship.

However the overall result did not reflect the pace that the Tasmanian showed throughout the year. Peroni was more often than not the fastest of the three Campos cars by a conservable margin and was often in the hunt for points.

In the opening round in Spain Peroni was running strongly but was caught up in a couple of incidents.

In France he claimed an eighth place finish in the feature race which gave him pole for the sprint, but the Australian could not convert it to a solid result, finishing 14th.

In the remaining races of his season he often found himself on the verge of the points but could not convert for one reason or another, scoring just one point in the eight races.

However his season will sadly be remembered mostly for sickening crash at Monza, when he launched off a sausage kerb sending him somersaulting into the catch fencing.

Peroni suffered a broken vertebrae and had to sit out the remainder of the season.

Kiwi Liam Lawson, driving for MP Motorsport, scored two podiums on his way to an 11th place finish in the series.

PORSCHE SUPERCUP

THREE AUSTRALIANS entered the international one-make Porsche Supercup series in 2019 and they were joined on the grid by 2018 Australian Carrera Cup Series winner, Kiwi Jaxon Evans.

Evans and former GP3 driver Joey Mawson participated in the Pro class, the season starting off slowly for the pair. However, they were consistent and neither driver finished outside the points all season long.

In the fourth round at Silverstone they both broke through, Evans scoring his first top five finish, while Mawson bagged his first top 10 result.

In the final four races of the season Evans scored two podiums, one at Spa-Francorchamps and the other at the final race in Mexico, while Mawson bagged a rostrum in front of the Tifosi in Italy.

Evans and Mawson finished sixth and 11th in the standings respectively.

In Pro Am, Stephen Grove performed strongly finishing the season third in class after recording two second place finishes, while Marc Cini concluded 2019 fourth in class.

Adopted Aussie Hunter McElrea was a star of USF2000, unlucky not to win the title after dramas at the final round.

BRITISH F4

THE SOLE Australian representative in the British Formula 4 Championship, Bart Horsten, claimed an impressive 10 podiums during the 30-race season.

The Western Australian started with two top six finishes and a DNF in the opening round at Brands Hatch, but his season really got going at the second round at Donington Park.

The TRS Arden Junior Team driver scored his first podium with a third in the opening race of the weekend and backed it up with an impressive race victory.

From the start of the Donington weekend, Horsten bagged an impressive seven podiums in the following 10 races which put him on the verge of championship contention at the mid-point of the season.

Luck, however, deserted him in the second half, picking up only three podium finishes on the run home. This allowed Horsten to be leapfrogged

by Josh Skelton, who scored nine straight podiums to take fourth in the series.

However fifth on his debut season outside of Australia is still a mighty effort for the young West Aussie.

EUROFORMULA OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

KIWI LIAM Lawson and Australians Jack Doohan and Calan Williams all competed in the European based open-wheel Euroformula Open Championship.

Despite Lawson missing four races due to clashing commitments in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, he finished the series in second place having secured four wins and seven podiums.

Jack Doohan finished the championship in 11th with two second place finishes and a couple of other top five finishes. However a number of retirements and finishes outside of

Bart Horsten scored an impressive 10 podiums in British Formula 4 (above) while Alex Pironi (below) had a tough time in the FIA Formula 3 before a now-famous season-ending crash at Monza.

second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This gave Campbell and his teammates second in class, despite having all their points stripped from the first half of the season.

Also contesting the IGTC and various other GT titles worldwide was Josh Burdon, who was a regular with the Hong Kong-based KCMG outfit, finishing a best of sixth at the Suzuka 10 Hours.

Another to have success was Supercars driver Tim Slade as he and Nick Foster won the California 8 Hours at Laguna Seca.

OTHER CLASSES

the point scoring positions cost the Double R Racing driver.

Calan Williams had a slow start to the season scoring only twice in the opening seven races, however the West Australian scored in the following seven consecutive events to propel him into 13th in the series.

WEC/IGTC

IN 2019 MATT CAMPBELL had another superb year as a factory Porsche driver, racing in many categories for the German brand.

In the Intercontinental GT Championship Campbell opened his 2019 campaign with a tremendous victory at home in the Bathurst 12 Hours.

However the rest of the season did not go as well, Campbell claiming just one other podium in the 10 Hours of Suzuka, finishing the season seventh in the standings.

In the Blancpain Endurance

Series, Campbell collected a number of top eight results to finish 13th in the series.

In the final half of the 2018/19 WEC Super Season, Campbell took GTE-Am class victories in the 1000 miles of Sebring, the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and finished

ELSEWHERE IN the world a number of Australians took part in Blancpain GT Asia Series. The Am Cup was won by a pair of Aussies, Andrew Macpherson and William Ben Porter.

In TA2 Asia, Kiwi Paul Manuell won the series while his co-driver, Australian Jaylyn Robotham, finished second.

In the inaugural all female W Series, Caitlin Wood scored 11 points over the six races which saw the 22-year-old finish 13th in the series, just one place off automatic qualification into the 2020 series.

Over in America, former Australian IndyCar star Ryan Briscoe alongside Richard Westbrook competed in the #67 Ford GT for Chip Ganassi Racing, finishing the GTLM class in fourth after taking two race victories and four podiums along the way.

Matt Campbell joins the main factory Porsche team in 2020 after another strong season in the junior squad last year.

AutoAction

41

SEASON REVIEW

Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x

TANAK TAKES TITLE THE 2019 FIA World Rally Championship, like 2018 before it, was a hard fought and dramatic season, in which Ott Tanak and Thierry Neuville were more determined than ever to break the streak of Sebastien Ogier, who had won six-straight WRC driver’s titles.

In 2019 Tanak did just that, on his way to winning his first WRC championship ip the Estonian won six rallies and at times both Ogier and Neuville could not touch him.

For the 2019 season, defending champion Ogier departed the M-Sport Ford team and made a return to Citroen, Neuville remained with Hyundai and Tanak stayed put at Toyota.

The move of manufactures did not affect Frenchman Ogier who was on the pace straight away in the Citroen C3, winning the first Rally in Monaco for a sixth straight year.

Ogier finished on the podium in six of the first seven rounds in 2019 with two wins, two seconds and two thirds. The only blip in a near perfect first half of the season was a failure to score points in Sweden, when Ogier bogged the Citroen in a snow bank.

Defending Champion Sebastian Ogier returned to Citroen and was third but replaces Tanak at Toyota this season. Images: LAT

42 AutoAction

The start of the championship for Belgian Neuville was nearly as strong. In the first half of the season the 2018 bridesmaid also claimed two victories, two second places, a third and a fourth. However he suffered a spectacular crash in Chile and lacked the power stage speed of Ogier.

Punctures and mechanical issues hampered Tanak in the first half of the season, but the Estonians pace was clear and very threatening.

The Toyota drivers season got off to an unlucky start in Monaco, in contention for the rally win but lost time Ott Tanak won for Toyota (top) while season-long rival Thierry Neuville was second for Hyundai. Tanak with a puncture, however the Estonian then dropped a bombshell by announcing he would be the Belgian’s teammate in 2020. recovered to third.

Tanak bounced back to win Rally fourth round at Rally Corsica and a drive Ogier had slipped to third behind Sweden and backed it up with a second shaft failure caused him to finish the Neuville heading into Rally Turkey, but place in Mexico. A puncture resulted in a gruelling Rally Argentina in eighth. when Neuville ran off the road and Tanak sixth place finish for the Estonian in the But back-to-back victories in Chile and broke down, the Frenchman retook Portugal saw him launch himself back second position in the series and closed into championship contention. to within 17 points of Tanak.

At the halfway stage of the season As he had done all season Tanak Ogier led the way with 142 points, Tanak responded with a victory in Wales, in the inconsistent but incredibly fast Neuville was second and Ogier third.

Yaris was second on 140 points and The penultimate round in Spain saw Neuville was third on 132 points.

Ogier’s title challenge take a major blow Round Eight in Italy saw all of the in the second stage of the weekend championship contenders fail to take when he lost hydraulics, which left him the victory, Ogier hit a rock on the without power steering and buried down opening day and finished the rally out the order. of the points and Neuville lacked pace Neuville won the rally, however Tanak and came home sixth. Tanak led the snatched second from Sordo in the final way heading into the final stage of the stage which was enough for him to win rally but a power steering failure would the championship with a round to spare. result in the Estonian falling to fifth. This Ogier finished the round in eighth which allowed Dani Sordo to inherit his second allowed Neuville to claim second in the career WRC victory. series, as the final round in Australia Once again Tanak rebounded with two was cancelled due to the devastating wins in Finland and Germany, while both bushfires near Coffs Harbour.

Ogier and Neuville failed to finish on the Andreas Mikkelsen finished the season podium allowing Tanak to hold a strong in fourth after picking up three podiums, lead in the championship with four with Welshman Elfyn Evans fifth and Kris rounds to go.

Meeke sixth. Dan McCarthy

NEWGARDEN TAKES SECOND INDYCAR CROWN

THE 2019 IndyCar Series was another exciting and closely fought campaign, and saw Team Penske drivers Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud take on Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon.

In the end it was the always fast Newgarden who took the 2019 crown, earning his second title in three years.

The 2019 series was fought over 17 rounds between March and September, traditionally beginning on the streets of St. Petersburg and concluding at Laguna Seca which returned to the calendar.

Along the way Newgarden in the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet bagged four victories, a further three podiums and multiple other top-five finishes to outlast his opposition.

Aussie Will Power started the season very strongly with pole position in the first two races, however luck was very much against the 2018 Indy 500 winner who failed to take a race victory until Round 14.

Five-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon looked like the early challenger with four podiums in the first five races of the season, however two retirements and a 17th place finish in the Indy 500 over the next four events put him on the back foot.

Frenchman Simon Pagenaud came out firing in the month of May to not only take the Grand Prix of Indianapolis but also the Indy 500 itself, in which he edged out Rossi and Takuma Sato to take the win.

At the line the trio were separated

Josef Newgarden won his second Indycar crown in three years (top) while Penske teammate Will Power won two races on his way to fifth in the title.

by just 0.34s, while defending race winner Power came home fifth behind teammate Newgarden.

The second place finish for Rossi was the start of a great run of results, and he went onto finish on the podium in four of the following five races. It was in this period that Rossi and Newgarden were duking it out for the championship lead at each round.

However Rossi only scored one podium in the final six races and saw his title hopes disappearing race by race.

From Round 11 in Toronto to Round 14 at Pocono, Dixon rebounded from his slump to score four consecutive top-two finishes and found himself back within touching distance of the championship lead with three rounds to go. However a retirement and a 16th place finish were not what the New Zealander was looking for heading into the final race.

Despite not claiming a podium in the final five races, four top eight finishes was enough for Tennessee born Newgarden to take the title ahead of

his consistent Team Penske teammate Pagenaud, who finished with three victories.

Only two victories for the always competitive Rossi was a surprise to most, but the former Formula 1 driver was still able to finish the season third only eight points behind the Frenchman.

Dixon finished the season fourth and it was very much a case of what could have been for the defending champion, a lack of consistency robbing the Kiwi of a true shot at the title in 2019.

Australian Will Power finished the 2019 season very strongly. He collected two victories and a second place finish in the final four races, which resulted in the #12 Team

Penske driver finishing a comfortable fifth in the title race.

The battle for Rookie of the Year was hard fought in 2019 and included former F1 driver Marcus Ericsson, F2 driver Santino Ferrucci and 2018 Indy Lights series winner Patricio O’Ward.

However the fight for the crown was between the ultra-consistent Swede Felix Rosenqvist and reigning Indy Lights runner up Colton Herta.

While Herta took the limelight by winning two races and becoming the youngest ever IndyCar race victor, it was the former Formula E race winner Rosenqvist with an impressive six top five finishes who snuck under the radar to take the Rookie of the Year honour.

Dan McCarthy

Alex Rossi was a title contender all year but eventually finished third for Andretti. Images: LAT

AutoAction AutoA Acttion

43

SEASON REVIEW

Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x Xxxx x x x

KYLE BUSCH came through to win the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series, the second time that the 34-year-old has achieved this feet after winning the title in 2015.

In the Top 4 Championship Playoff, Busch came up against 2017 NASCAR Cup Series winner Martin Truex Jr., 2014 Cup Series winner Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, who started the season off with the biggest race victory in NASCAR, the Daytona 500.

This was Hamlin’s second Daytona victory after also winning the legendary race in 2016.

All four drivers made a solid and consistent start to the season, but it was Busch who looked to be on top of things, scoring 15 top 10 finishes in the first 16 races.

However a form slump saw the ‘Wild Thing’ struggle for results even into the early rounds of the Playoffs.

Truex, Harvick and Hamlin all dropped a little bit of form mid-season but as the Playoffs approached they found themselves consistently back fighting for race victories.

In the final 10 race Playoff period, both Truex and Harvick finished in the top 10 in nine of the 10 races with the former taking three victories, while Busch finished inside the 10 only seven times. But as Playoff history would show, it was really just all about

BUSCH TAKES TITLE AT LAST GASP Kyle Busch celebrates an unexpected second title that looked to be going to Martin Truex (right) early in the final race four-driver shoot out.

qualifying for the final Championship 4 race.

Busch, Truex, Harvick and Hamlin did just that. As the final race approached Hamlin looked like the favourite after an impressive run in the back half of the Playoffs which included two race victories in addition to the four during the regular season.

To this point Busch had four victories but had failed to win a race in five months. His Playoff form also looked patchy but he had done enough to make it to the final.

Truex had taken seven victories including three Playoff races and had recently performed strongly at Homestead, where the final race would take place.

Harvick was consistent in the first half of the season, but it wasn’t until Race 20 that he started to take race wins, ns, indeed he would collect four race winss in the second

Kyle Busch was his usual colourful self in victory while Danny Hamlin (leading below right) came home fourth. Images: LAT

half of the season. season Whoever of the four drivers finished highest at Homestead would take the 2019 title.

Despite entering with little good form, it was Kyle Busch who won the race and the title.

Truex controlled the race early on, before a pitstop issue at the end of Stage 2 meant that the left wheels were put on the right side of the car and right wheels on the left side. The car became unbalanced and Truex dropped positions. He recovered to second but was unable to challenge Busch, while Harvick came home fourth, with Hamlin 10th.

Team Penske driver Joey Logano was best of the rest, finishing the championship in fifth.

Dan McCarthy

PENSKE WINS IN IMSA THE 2019 IMSA Sportscar Series was one of the most competitive on record and resulted in the series going right down to the wire.

In the end it was multiple Formula 1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya and his American teammate Dane Cameron in the #6 Acura Team Penske car who won the series.

Throughout the 10 race DPi season the pair won three races and finished off the podium only three times.

Montoya and Cameron beat the #31 Whelen Engineering Racing entry which contained the Brazilian duo of Pipo Derani and former F1 Sauber driver Felipe Nasr.

The Brazilian pair along with American Eric Curran performed very strongly in the four designated Endurance Cup rounds and this resulted in the trio winning the cup.

These performances also kept them in the hunt for championship glory. Heading into

44 AutoAction

the last round they needed Montoya and Cameron to slip up. They did all they could by taking the Petit Le Mans victory at Road Atlanta, but a fourth place finish was not enough to pinch the title off the Penske pair.

The other Team Penske Acura with former IndyCar star Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor finished the season in third, despite not taking a race victory. However, the pair finished on the podium five times.

The eight round LMP2 class was won by Matt McMurry who beat Cameron Cassels by just 13 points.

The competitive GTLM category was dominated by Porsche, the German brand locking out the first two positions in the championship.

Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor took the class win after claiming three race victories. The sister #911 Porsche finished the season in joint second with the Corvette pairing of Antonio Garcia and Jan

Magnussen. However the Porsche drivers were given second on a count back, having taken three race victories to the Corvette pair’s zero.

Australian Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook finished the series in fourth and collected the Endurance Cup crown, a fitting farewell to the Ford GT which departed the series at the end of the 2019 season.

Despite only taking one victory the GTD class was won by Mario Farnbacher and Trent Hindman in an Acura NSX GT3 Evo. Bill Auberlen and Robby Foley finished the series 21 points behind in second, with Zach Robichon third. Robichon was joined by Aussie Matt Campbell at the Road America round in which the pair took a surprise victory. Dan McCarthy

AS IT had done in 2018, the 2019 World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) went down to the wire. It was fought over 10 rounds and 30 races across three continents, with four drivers in contention come the final round.

The Munnich Motorsport Honda Civics driven by Argentinians Nestor Girolami and Esteban Guerrieri came out of the box firing at the start of the season and looked like the early title favourites.

While Girolami dropped out of contention, Guerrieri remained a season-long factor scoring nine podiums heading into the final round. However a failure to score points in four consecutive races mid-season would prove costly.

In the mid part of the season, however, Hungarian Norbert Michelisz put together a good run of results to claw into title contention, winning five races at five separate rounds.

Swede Thed Bjork, who won the 2017 World Touring Car Championship, started the 2019 series strongly with three wins in the first four rounds, but faded mid-season failing to score a podium in the following three weekends.

His teammate and team boss Yvan Muller had a slow start to the season, scoring just three podiums in the first six rounds, but the Frenchman then won four of the next eight races.

BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse driver Michelisz led the series heading into the final round ahead of Muller, Guerrieri and Bjork, who were all a mathematical chance of winning the series.

The deciding round took place in Malaysia at the Sepang International Circuit for the first time, and the three races each

ANOTHER TIGHT WTCR TITLE FIGHT

Thed Bjork started the WTCR title chase strongly but faded mid-season. Images: LAT

contained a season’s worth of drama.

Championship leader Michelisz started the weekend perfectly with a race victory, while a retirement for Bjork ruled him out of title

contention.

The second race of the weekend saw the gloves come off. After a lap 1 red flag Guerrieri took a dominant victory while his

Esteban Guerrieri’s title hopes were dashed in the very last race of the season (above), allowing Norbert Michelisz to take the championship crown.

championship rivals failed to finish in the top five. Muller suffered damage in the drama before the red flag collecting a sixth place finish and Michelisz came home eighth.

Muller was now out of the running, while Guerrieri sizably cut the championship margin to Michelisz.

In the final race the provisional championship standings were changing at almost every turn as a thrilling multiple car battle ensued at the front of the field.

However after contact with Mikel Azcona Guerrieri was sent through the grass, which sadly caused his Civic to overheat and force him into the lane.

This allowed Michelisz to trundle round to finish fourth and claim the WTCR title of 2019.

Guerrieri finished the year second ahead of the Lynk & Co pair of Muller and Bjork, while victory in the final race lifted twotime World Rallycross Champion Johan Kristoffersson to fifth in the standings as

TURKINGTON JOINS BTCC GREATS NORTHERN IRISHMAN Colin Turkington won his fourth British Touring Car Championship and in doing so took back to back titles for the first time.

It was a titanic title fight that featured countless twists and turns throughout the entirety of the 2019 series. The championship went right the way to the final lap of the season involving Turkington, Andrew Jordan and Dan Cammish, who were separated by just two points by the end of the 30 race title chase.

In 2018 Turkington took one race victory all season, but in 2019 the BMW driver won a total of five, while fellow BMW driver Jordan won six and Cammish took only two victories but an impressive 14 podiums.

Turkington finished down in 19th, outside of the points in the opening race of the season, but after this scored points until Race 23.

Despite winning the second race of the season it was a disastrous first two weekends for Jordan, who scored just one other point in the first six races. In Race 4 Jordan’s BMW was hit heavily by the Mercedes A-class of Adam Morgan which ruled the 2013 champion out for the rest of the weekend.

Jordan rebounded at Thruxton and Croft, winning four of the six races and

RAST IN HIS OWN LEAGUE

found himself back in the championship hunt.

Cammish, in one of the factory Team Dynamics Hondas, was the most consistent of the trio and as a result he led the two BMW drivers heading into the final race of the season.

However on the penultimate lap of the final race, when sitting comfortably in a title winning position, Cammish’s brakes failed and fired him across the gravel trap and into the tyre barrier, out of the race. In finishing sixth Turkington sealed his fourth title from his brand mate Jordan.

Cammish finished the season fourth ahead of Josh Cook and rookie of the year Rory Butcher. Dan McCarthy

THE 2019 DTM season was the first year the German series ran under the new ‘Class One’ regulations, and saw Rene Rast took his second title in three years.

Mercedes left the sport at the conclusion of the 2018 championship, however the Silver Arrows brand was replaced by Aston Martin.

In 2019 18 DTM races were held over nine rounds across Europe. It was the Audis that dominated the series, with four of its cars finishing the championship in the top five positions.

Rene Rast controlled the series, taking seven victories and 13 podium finishes.

Fellow Audi driver Nico Muller and BMW’s Marco Wittmann kept the German as honest as they could, both taking multiple wins, but the unstoppable Rast won the championship by 72 points.

Rast took victory in the second race of the season but failed to score in

Races 1 and 3, and then rebounded to finish on the podium in the next four races, and from there he never looked back.

With Rast’s lofty standards dropping from Race 8 to 13, where he scored just three podiums, he left the door slightly ajar for Muller to close the gap. The Swiss claimed five podiums in the same six race period.

However in the final five races of the season, Rast failed to finish off the podium, sealing his second DTM championship with two races to spare.

Muller finished the year with a victory to secure second in the series, while Wittmann’s charge faded towards the end of the season and he finished a further 48 points behind Muller.

The Aston Marins struggled for pace from the word go, Daniel Juncadella was highest placed for the British brand, ending the season 14th, with a best race result of sixth.

Dan McCarthy

AutoAction

45

WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS - SPEEDWEEK

HALLETT GRABS FIRST WSS WIN THE OPENING round of the 201920 QSS World Series Sprintcars was a surprise, albeit an overdue debut win for South Australian Brock Hallett, who fended off a list of his racing heroes to win the hefty $20,000 at Murray Bridge Speedway.

Starting from ninth for the 35-lap A-main, Hallett a former two-time Australian Formula 500 champion would usurp race leader and eventual runner-up Kerry Madsen’s lead mid-race, bringing the impressive South Australian crowd to their feet with American Cory Eliason filling third and Luke Dillon fourth.

“This is just amazing,” Hallett said.

“I’m such a big fan of Kerry and Cory Eliason and watch them race in the States all the time, and to have been able to beat guys who you admire so much is just an amazing achievement for this little team. If I were to thank every person who has contributed to my career so far, we’d be here until tomorrow, but they know who they are.”

“It’s been a long time since I won a race, and I threw away a second at Avalon a few weeks back, so let’s hope this is the start of a new era for me and the team and the first of many wins in a Sprintcar.”

It wasn’t an easy path for Hallett’s stunning victory, though, as cautions littered the race but he had backed his car and pre-race preparation.

Hallett’s gamble was in his pre-race setup and that the racetrack would take rubber after baking in 40-degree heat, he headed for the pole line and began passing cars with ease until lap 19 when he reached second and zeroed in on Madsen.

With 14 laps remaining, Hallett maintained his line before the majority of the field followed him to the bottom of the Speedway.

Image: Ray Ritter

With three to run and a final stoppage Hallett powered away on the restart to claim the chequered flag in one of the most amazing upsets in World Series history.

Earlier in the night Jock Goodyer again showed his raw speed and won the time trials with an 11.968 seconds lap, while Hallett was 19th with 12.498.

TATNELL TAMES THE BULLRING BROOKE TATNELL delivered a hometown win for his team owners in the second round of QSS World Series Sprintcars with a patient drive at Borderline Speedway.

The now Minnesota-based Tatnell grabbed his 71st and his sixth WSS at the Mount Gambier bullring, winning from James McFadden and Kerry Madsen.

It was two seasons and 27 rounds since the Australian Sprintcar legend’s last World Series Victory, and with his

Images: Ray Ritter

return as a contracted driver for the first time since that win, the nine-time series champion’s campaign for a 10th win is right on track.

“This win couldn’t have happened at a better place for the Ray Scott Transport team in their hometown,” Tatnell said.

“This is their first World Series win and I’m just rapt to have been able to get it for them, especially here at Mount Gambier. Ray Scott was a big fan of my dad and he’s all about family, so to do this with my family here for a family-

based team is just awesome.”

Tatnell qualified 14th of 39 cars with an 11.280 seconds lap, behind Revolution Racegear Quicktime winner Jock Goodyer 10.898.

Kerry Madsen had qualified third in time trials, however a tangle with Rusty Hickman in his second heat sent him back to the pits for repairs, missing the shootout and relegated to start from sixth.

The start of the A-Main had Goodyer looking unstoppable from the front row, instantly gapping tthe field with Tatnell promptly assuming the second spot ahead of McFadden and Madsen.

46 AAutoAction uttoAActiion

The previous night was the Preliminary warm-up over 35 laps and Adelaide’s Luke Dillon again showed his liking for the venue winning from Madsen, Eliason and Rusty Hickman. GR

Two successive cautions would be costly for the leader. He was forced with nowhere to go when, in turn three, Peter Doukas, Matt Egel and Lucas Wolfe all collided just ahead of the fast approaching Goodyer, who ploughed through the middle of the stranded cars and terminate his crusade for a maiden World Series win.

Tatnell was now in the box seat, McFadden made some big attempts at stealing the lead, but his superior corner exit speed made it impossible for McFadden and Madsen to advance any higher on the podium, while Cory Eliason filled fourth. GR

WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS - SPEEDWEEK

McFADDEN’S PREMIER CRUISE JAMES MCFADDEN cruised to his first win of the tournament with a comfortable flag-to-flag victory in the third round at Warrnambool’s Premier Speedway.

He made the most of his home-track advantage, to win the 35-lap feature from Kerry Madsen and Cory Eliason, with quick-time winner Brock Hallett fourth.

McFadden was the fastest in his time trial group of the overall 49 entries, and the Warrnambool-based driver survived two re-starts after starting in pole position in the 20-car finale.

He said he was “pumped for my guys” after securing a victory for Monte Motorsport.

Earlier in qualifying, previous round winner Brooke Tatnell suffered a steering failure sending the #V55 Ray Scott Transport entry careering into the turn-four wall. Despite the team hustling to repair the car for the heats, Tatnell could only salvage enough points to start at the front of the C-Main and unfortunately not advance past the last-chance B-Main.

McFadden registered a third and a second in his heats, while also claiming the quickest laps in both, and continued his speed into winning the Gold Shootout. GR

Images: Geoff Rounds

BACK TO BACK WINS FOR JMAC SEALS THE SPEEDWEEK DEAL CONTROVERSY SURROUNDED the finale of the 2019-20 QSS World Series Sprintcars Speedweek and created the theatre finish that organisers could only dream of.

The 17th running of the hardfought tournament would eventually net Australian Speedway superstar James McFadden a cool $20,000 as the overall winner, after wrestling the title off Kerry Madsen.

McFadden, who leaves for USA commitments early next month, would eventually prevail for his fourth Speedweek title defeating final race runner-up Grant Anderson, American Cory Eliason, Corey McCullagh, Jack Lee and Brooke Tatnell sixth.

With the fourth WSS round Avalon

Raceway cancelled the night before due to extreme weather, it was all brewing for a perfect storm between Australia’s best at the fifth and final round at Premier Speedway, Warrnambool.

McFadden’s win was not without controversy however, as a slide job on leader Kerry Madsen on lap six of the main event would make contact with the front of the neat red Krikke Motorsport #W2 evaporating his chances.

“I honestly thought I was well past him,” McFadden said.

“I thought I had a run on him, so I apologise to Krikke Motorsport but I really thought I was clear. I feel like I gave him plenty of room and there was an option to lift. The way the track was, he probably wasn’t going to give the lead up.”

Madsen claimed pole position after

also setting the fastest time-trial, but could do nothing but watch from the infield for the remaining 25 laps, clearly frustrated and heartbroken on losing a potential round win and his first Speedweek title after he and McFadden crossed paths exiting the turn two corner.

“I said to my boys, I lost sight of him on the entry to (turn) one and that normally means you’re clear. It’s disappointing that it happened, you never like to do that to someone.

I didn’t feel like I touched him but that’s racing, he’s going to get me back,” McFadden said.

Earlier, it was a night to forget on an unforgiving track with Mount Gambier drivers Steven Lines and Glen Sutherland both crashing out

with vicious rolls and took no further part in racing.

Notable standouts on the night were Corey McCullagh who advanced from ninth to fourth, while Tatnell kept his championship hopes alive climbing from a 10th place start to sixth behind Lee. Recent SRA round winner Jordyn Charge again showed another glimpse of his future, advancing from 13th to eighth and Lachie McHugh claimed his second Hard Charger Award ascending from 18th to 7th. GR Speedweek final standings: McFadden 1283, Eliason 1237, Madsen 1186, Hallett 1107, Tatnell 1021 and Goodyer 948.

Glen Sutherland emerged from this roll uninjured.

Images: Geoff Rounds

www.autoaction.com.au

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

AutoAction

47

WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS

LAST LAP PASS GETS SCHATZ QLD WSS WIN IT TOOK a last lap pass by the world’s best in Donny Schatz to wrestle victory off youngster Rusty Hickman and take a tight victory in the sixth round of QSS World Series Sprintcars at Brisbane’s Archerfield Speedway.

The 28th WSS win for Schatz, of North Dakota, left him surprised at runnerup Hickman’s age as Kerry Madsen in third and David Murcott fourth looked on in Victory Lane.

“Oh man! He’s only 20? I’m kind of speechless really,” Schatz said, shaking his head after his fourth win in as many starts at the Queensland venue since Boxing Day. Polesitter Hickman of Bendigo would lead most of the 35-lap race and exchanged positions

with Schatz, who came from ninth, several times as the race wore on, but Schatz did what Schatz usually does and timed his run perfectly.

“I just did the opposite of what he was doing. If he went to the top, I went to the bottom, and if he went to the bottom, I went to the top. He made some really good moves. It was a great race, three and four wide… that’s the kind of thing you live for,” Schatz said.

It was the first time on the WSS podium this season for Hickman, who was clearly elated with the result, rating it as a career highlight to run second to the best in the world.

“A couple of people came up to me and said ‘bad luck’ but I was like “does everyone realise who I

TEXAN TOPS TOOWOOMBA WSS AARON REUTZEL will never forget the city of Toowoomba.

The fast Texan breezed into the Queensland region and took out his first-ever World Series Sprintcars victory coming from way back in 13th on the grid to grab the spoils of round seven.

It was a convincing victory to defeat early leader Robbie Farr and burgeoning Tasmanian teenager Jock Goodyer at the completion of 35 laps.

Despite qualifying 19th in the 21-car field after time trials, Reutzel steered the #USA56 Saller Motorsport TripleX to a heat race win and a second.

Kerry Madsen and 2010-11 World Series Champion Farr started the A-Main from the front row ahead of James McFadden and Goodyer.

Farr assumed the lead from the outset and was able to fend off some vigorous charges from Madsen on a very wide and racey surface that like many venues this season proved to be taxing on tyres.

By lap seven Reutzel was on a charge and made his way to seventh by lap five, and showed no signs of slowing his progress.

Two quick cautions compacted the field as Reutzel found himself in a battle for the lead on lap 17 and two laps later, Reutzel passed Farr for the lead With Reutzel in control, McFadden and Goodyer re-entered the battle for the podium with Farr and Madsen, with McFadden making it as high as third, before Madsen blew a right rear with

48 AutoAction

Images: 44Photography

just finished behind?”

“He got me in lapped-traffic and I thought he’ll just check out, but he went up top so I just found a hole and I was like “Wow I’ve just passed Donny Schatz! What just happened,” Hickman said.

In qualifying it was Terang’s Jack Lee who was awarded his first WSS time-trial from Luke Oldfield,

who had a podium finish in the A-Main locked down until he spun out of contention with just five laps left after lying in second.

James McFadden finished sixth, earning enough points to continue to lead the series by 53 points from Madsen, Brock Hallett, Cory Eliason, Lucas Wolfe and Brooke Tatnell. GR

Images: 44Photography

two laps to go and McFadden also sustaining a puncture as he greeted the white flag.

Reutzel however was unchallenged and drove to a convincing victory and was quick to thank his team for their efforts.

“I’m just glad to win a race for the Sallers.

They’re a family owned team and I feel like I’ve let them down a couple of times. I’m just happy I could finally get a win for them,” Reutzel said.

At the completion of seven rounds, McFadden leads the championship chase on 1757 points to retain the series lead over Madsen on 1714, with the pair increasing the gap over the field with seven rounds remaining.

s w e n Y A D E SPE

GOODYER’S AUSTRALIAN TITLE REDEMPTION PRIOR TO his World Series Sprintcars assault, Jock Goodyer had some redemption on his mind.

The 18-year-old’s win in the 2019/20 Australian Formula 500 Championship at Simpson Speedway reversed an agonising result from two years ago, when he was beaten on the final corner by Gold Coast racer Liam Williams in Darwin.

Goodyer, an apprentice electrician in Launceston, completed a flawless race to lead every lap of the 30-lap journey from pole position to collect the chequered flag over four-time national champion Williams in second and home-track hero Tim Rankin in third.

“I’m over the moon,” Goodyer said post race.

“I have pushed so hard for this and nearly won it two years ago but went a corner too short and I couldn’t be happier right now.”

Goodyer’s speed was sublime over the two days and it helped him become the fifth Tasmanian to win the title. He clocked

the fastest lap of the A-main with a 14.358. Goodyer also praised the efforts of the man who snatched the title from him in Darwin.

“He (Williams) put up a hell of a fight and I had to earn it but I can’t complain at all,” he said.

“I knew I had to give everything for 30 laps and that is what we did and we came out on top.

“We definitely had the car both nights and we swapped a few things around on the package but we got it rolling around really good,” he said.

“It felt really good in that A-main and it could go where ever I needed it to be, which was good.”

Organisers have declared that Tasmania’s Latrobe Speedway is likely to host the next national F500 title in 2021.

“Next time (I defend it) I think will be at home so hopefully I can redeem it there.

It will definitely boost my confidence.”

Image: Geoff Rounds

Image: Geoff Rounds

Image: Gary Reid

FARR WINS THIRD NSW TITLE

CARUSO GETS TRIFECTA MARK CARUSO picked exactly the right time to grab his first feature race victory of the season and there were three good reasons why.

Adding to his first A-Main win of the Australian Sprintcar All Stars tournament was winning both the King of the River mini-series and the Col Beasley Classic at Mildura’s Timmis Speedway.

He really dominated the night’s racing with fastest time trial, winning one of his heats and the Pole Shootout, leading home his brother Steve, Brendan Guerin and Paul Solomon in fourth.

www.autoaction.com.au

“I can’t believe it. Everything went to plan from the word go. The car was brilliant. I don’t know what to say, I’m pretty rapt. It’s been pretty hectic the last few days, running with World Series (Sprintcars) and coming back to the All Stars, it was well worth it,” Caruso said.

“We had a shocker at Horsham the other weekend and it was a long six hour drive home. We stripped the car and rebuilt it hoping to solve the problem we had. I’ve got some pretty nice trophies and the win for all the effort the boys and Mum and Dad have put in.”

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

IT TOOK one of Robbie Farr’s best drives to grab his third NSW Sprintcar Championship, where he led every lap and it capped off a stellar year for the veteran racer.

Farr captured his 50th feature win at Valvoline Raceway / Sydney Speedway leading home Jamie Veal, who finished in second place for the third consecutive night and Brad Sweet rounded out the podium.

“The boys did a kick-ass job on the car tonight and I’m happy I put a full night together this week in tough company. It’s great to get the NSW State Title and the 50th win at Valvoline Raceway,” Farr said.

Behind Farr, the action was intense with Veal, Aaron Reutzel, Sweet and Jackson Delamont all locked in a tough battle that had numerous positional

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

changes throughout the event. Veal looked threatening, while Sweet started on the third row and immediately made his way forward, reaching as high as second before falling back to fourth. A late outside pass on Jackson Delamont within sight of the chequered flag kept his run of podium finishes alive.

After a less than ideal beginning to his Sydney Speedweek campaign, Jackson Delamont, who crashed heavily just days earlier, redeemed himself with a superb feature-race performance, finishing fourth.

Rounding out the top five was Reutzel then followed Marcus Dumesny ahead of defending NSW Champion Lynton Jeffrey, then followed Ryan Jones, Mick Saller came from position 22 to finish in ninth with Danny Reidy 10th.

AutoAction

49

s w e n Y A D SPEE MACEDO CREATES AUSSIE HISTORY Image: Gary Reid QUEENSLAND DRIVER Aidan Raymont won the NSW Modified Sedan Championship after a torrid two-night affair. He narrowly defeated Mildura’s Dave Smith, Toowoomba’s Mick Shelford, Geelong’s Dustin Drew and V8 Supercars driver Cameron Waters in the 30-lap final at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway. The racing was at times three and even four wide in the title chase 30-lap final, and while Smith seemed to be the car to beat early it would be Raymont who began pegging Smith back in and then ripped a top-side pass to open up his own winning advantage late in the 30-lap race.

A DESPERATE last lap pass helped David Nichols win his eighth Tasmanian Super Sedan Championship at Hobart Raceway.

Adam Beechey was grabbed on the line by Nichols and third was Laura Davidson from Gil Aylett and Nathan Howells.

CARSON MACEDO wasted little time establishing his status in Australia with record-breaking wins at Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway.

The fast Californian became just the third driver in the 42-year history of the Granville-based venue to win a Speedcar and a Sprintcar A-Main on the same night.

Macedo joined fellow American Ron Shuman and Australian icon Garry Rush, after scoring sensational victories in the Hi-Tec Ultimate Speedway Challenge and picked up a handsome $10,000 bonus for car owners Sean and Felicity Dyson.

The 2019 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year sped his Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions #99 TRD powered King Chassis and the KPC / KRE chassis to consecutive victories just minutes apart.

Macedo was so busy he leapt out of the Speedcar in victory lane and was given a ride to the pits where he strapped straight into the Sprintcar.

Image: Gary Reid

“I can’t thank this team enough, the cars I’ve driven tonight are two of the best in the world,” Macedo said.

“I can’t thank Sean and Felicity and their entire team enough. The cars were better than I was a lot of times and I made a few mistakes but it’s great to

get these wins for the team and a great way to start off our season here in Sydney.”

Macedo began the CEJN Pty Ltd Speedcar A-Main from the front row and won from Kaidon Brown and Matt Jackson. GR

MCFADDEN GETS KAHNE DRIVE AGAIN Image: Geoff Rounds DAVID MURCOTT and Jamie Veal have flown the Aussie flag with pride in New Zealand, with podium finishes in the annual International Sprintcar Series against American Shane Stewart and the best of the Kiwis. It would be third time lucky for Kiwi driver Jamie Larsen as he dominated the $10,000 to win the 40lap conclusion to the series. Larsen produced serious speed and sheer consistency ,nullifying any serious challenges as Jonathan Allard filled second and Veal in third.

THE GRIN was as big as his hometown when Lachlan Onley grabbed victory in the NSW Late Model Championship at Valvoline Raceway. He swept to victory with a faultless drive to win his first major over a crack field in the 30-lap feature race in Sydney. Texan Tyler Erb led early from the front row, but Onley stunned them all with an early pass that quickly opened up to a decent lead and he lead home Ryan Fenech and Erb, with Clayton Pyne filling fourth.

VERSATILE CALIFORNIAN Carson Macedo was the big winner in the time-honoured Australian Speedcar Grand Prix in Sydney.

Driving a Spike chassis car, Macedo wrapped up a hat-trick of main events in Speedcars in the all-conquering Dyson Motorsport #99 TRD King. Nobody could get near Macedo who started from pole position to win the 30-lap A-Main and was never really challenged to lead home Matt Jackson in second place and Nathan Smee third.

KERRY MADSEN created some history, winning the 201920 WA Sprintcar Title at the Perth Motorplex. The Australian expat scored the third straight victory and seventh overall for Krikke Motorsport. Madsen took the feature race win from Jason Kendrick and Callum Williamson. “It’s a testament to the team, they built all new equipment in the off-season and the thing is fast; we had a great car out of the gate. We’ve set our expectations quite high, so hopefully we can continue our winning form and pick up some positive results,” Madsen said.

Image: Richard Hathaway

50 AutoAction

AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR

Image: Richard Hathaway champion James McFadden will embark on a ramped-up programme when he returns to drive with Kasey Kahne Racing early next month.

The Warrnambool driver will jet over to Charlotte in North Carolina, to again jump behind the wheel of the KKR #9 Sprintcar to race in the World of Outlaws opener at Florida’s Volusia County Speedway from February 5-9.

In 2020 McFadden will race lot more success.” in around 50 races between the All-Stars McFadden, who now has close to 90 Circuit of Champions and World of Outlaws career Sprintcar wins on two continents, is events. hoping to build on his eighth place finish at “There’s a lot of things I could do to the 2019 Knoxville Nationals and his superb improve driving-wise,” he said. win in the 360ci Knoxville Nationals in Iowa.

“I think we’ve got a feel for the car and the The 30-year-old said he had learnt plenty way we drive. Hopefully that’s a recipe for a

from the KKR team.

“Early in the piece I didn’t have a lot of patience as a driver and always raced at 100 per cent,” he said.

“They taught me a lot about patience and not wearing your tyres out.

“It’s hard to change what I’ve done for past 13 or 14 years of racing.”

His US schedule is not completely finalised but the plan is to race marquee events alongside reigning Outlaws champion and KKR teammate Brad Sweet.

McFadden and Kahne first joined forces four years ago.

Then last year he received a phone call to fill in for Kahne himself, who was injured.

It was supposed to be a 10-race stint but he ended up getting 40 races.

“I was at the right place at the time and got really good opportunities,” he said. GR

V8 TOYOTA ENGINE FOR SPRINTCARS WORLD SPRINTCAR racing is on the verge of another major change, with Toyota Racing Development developing a Sprintcar engine to meet American World of Outlaws Images: Geoff Rounds regulations.

This announcement comes just months after the debut of the new Ford Performance Sprintcar engine, developed and debuted by Tony Stewart Racing.

The 6.7-lite aluminium Toyota V8 will be available in the market later this year, essentially giving three options across three manufacturers Image: Richard Hathaway - the previous spec engine is essentially based off a Chevrolet categories.

V8 but doesn’t contain GM parts.

For the famous marque, a Sprintcar engine The new engine is also to be available in was a natural evolution according to TRD a 5.9-litre displacement, designed to meet General Manger Tyler Gibbs. the requirements to run in several Sprintcar

“We’re excited to design and ultimately see Toyota compete in Sprintcars,” Gibbs said.

“We have and will continue to enjoy our time in midget racing, and we look forward to this expansion into Sprintcar competition. This provides us an opportunity to not only design a new engine but also to expand our grassroots racing presence and continue to seek out and develop upand-coming talent.”

TRD is currently working with established engine builders Speedway Engine Development Inc, Rider Racing Engines and All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads to develop the powerplant.

Testing of the new Toyota engine is expected during the next American summer this year, with parts available during the 2021 USA season of competition. GR

UNCLE SAM’S SYDNEY GRAND SLAM AMERICAN DRIVERS have always taken a real shine to the vastness of Sydney’s Valvoline Raceway, and Californian Cory Eliason is no exception.

He became the 33rd American to win a feature event at the popular venue aboard the immaculate Diamond Bay Motorsport #26, clinching the fifth round of the Ultimate Sydney Speedweek.

Eliason led home an all USA podium with Aaron Reutzel, Carson Macedo and Brad Sweet, who has swept all before him in the previous rounds. Just to top things right off, Texan Tyler Erb dominated the 25-lap Late Model main event as well.

It was the first time since January 8, 2011 that American drivers scored 1-2-3-4 placings in an A-Main at Sydney Speedway.

Eliason looked to be home with a handful of laps remaining but Reutzel,

the current All Star Circuit of Champions winner, came alive.

He attempted a last lap pass on the top-side in turn two that almost paid dividends but Eliason was having none of it and hung on.

“I can’t tell you what it means to get a win here,” Eliason said.

“I really really wanted to be someone who can look back and say I won at Parramatta. I can’t thank my team enough for all of the hard work they’ve put in. The Stathy family have invested a lot in my racing in Australia and it’s great to pay them off with a win tonight.”

Fifth and the first Australian home was

Image: Gary Reid

Robbie Farr in fifth while Ben Atkinson came from the sixth row to finish in sixth place and Marcus Dumesny blitzed from position 19 to an incredible eighth place.

GR

Image: Geoff Rounds

MATT JACKSON claimed victory in the time-honoured Beasley Family Memorial for Speedcars at Premier Speedway last Sunday night. He was able to get by race-long leader Nathan Smee after a stoppage with eight laps to run in the 25-lap decider when Troy Jenkins took a wild ride in turn one. This left Smee a sitting duck ahead of the hard charging Jackson, who eventually led home Smee and third placed Mitch Whiting.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION Kevin Britten put in a superb drive to win the 2020 NSW V8 Dirt Modified Championship at Grafton Speedway. The four-time national champ won from another multiple titleholder Mark Robinson and Mitch Randall in third.

LUKE DILLON’S solid season rolled on at Murray Bridge winning the 20/20 Sprintcar feature. The unique format had drivers contest two all-in 20-lap feature races, with the overall winner being decided on a points system with Dillon snaring a win and as second to take overall honours. Matt Egel won the first A-Main from Dillon and Lisa Walker, with 16-year-old American Kalib Henry fourth. Dillon proved too good from Steven Caruso and Michael Lovegrove in race two.

Image: Solid Photography

SUPER STARS ACROSS AUSTRALIA PETER NICOLA celebrated his birthday in fine style with victory in the 38th running of the K Rock Cup for Super Sedans, at Avalon Raceway last weekend.

The Traralgon driver led every lap from pole position to clinch another win in the popular event from Jamie Collins, Mick Nicola Jnr, Neil Witnish and Mick Nicola Snr. MAT PASCOE has had a few weeks to

remember winning his sixth Queensland Super Sedan Championship and his fourth consecutive state win, defeating former national champions Darren Kane and Mick Nicola Sr. The Ipswich driver then achieved a milestone, racing alongside his 17-yearold son Zac and then set about winning all three nights of the Super Sedans Summer Slam at Gympie Speedway.

IT WAS the tightest of victories for David

Nichols who would pass Adam Beechey on the finish line to win a record eighth Tasmanian Super Sedan Championship at Hobart Raceway.

Defending champion Beechey led the 40-lap feature for its entirety until the last few metres, as the pair raced out of the final corner to the chequered flag and were separated by just 0.047 of a second with Gil Aylett rounding out the podium. GR

IVERSON WINS F500 SPEEDWEEK THE VERY long trip from Townsville to southern Australia was worth it for Kaydon Iverson, as he scooped the pool to win the 2019-20 Formula 500 Speedweek.

With all states of Australia represented and car counts averaging 42 per night across the six rounds, the eventual winner needed to be consistent.

“It was a long week. We started off strong, we struggled in the middle and it ended well. We did it pretty easy, but I’m glad to get it done in the end,” Iverson told Auto Action.

“We can do more racing here in three weeks than we do in total at home, it’s good to race on tracks that you’d never normally get on.

Iverson won the opening and third rounds with other winners including ex Australian champion Josh Buckingham, Terry Rankin and Angus Hollis. The fourth round at Darlington Speedway, near Mortlake, was cancelled due to extreme weather in the region.

“The competition was as usual as good as it gets. Some of the

www.autoaction.com.au

AutoActionMagazine

Auto_Action

Image: Ray Ritter

THE FUTURE of speedway in the Apple Isle is alive and well with three of the country’s youngest and most talented drivers filling the podium at the Tasmanian Sprintcar championship at Hobart Speedway. From pole position Nick Penno halted Jamie Bricknell’s charge for a fourth state crown by just half a second after 35 laps and Chris Johns was third.

DREW FLATMAN has broken the 20-lap track record on his way to winning the annual Neville Pike Cup at Premier Speedway in one of the most exciting feature races seen in the Junior Sedans division. The win is the third successive for an Avalon 8 Hyundai and Flatman drawing position two for the feature alongside polesitter Darcy Wilson.

MITCHELL BROOME has brushed aside his opponents to win the Victorian Wingless Sprints Super Series. The Mount Gambier driver led all six rounds and finished fifth in the final round at Warrnambool to grab victory.

One his toughest competitors were Portland’s Daniel Storer who won the final round of three and the overall aggregate in the Summer Slam. He led home Luke Weel and current Aussie Champ Alex Ross in the 25Image: Geoff Rounds

days and nights were testing on us all but it’s still good to be in and win,” Iverson said. GR Final Standings: Kaydon Iverson 570, Jack Bell 550, Jordan Rae 550, Josh Buckingham 543, Dion Bellman 537, Dylan Beveridge 527, Dale Sinclair 527, Steph Munn 507, Jett Speed 495, Brodie Davis 475, Angus Hollis 456, Ryan Higgs 456.

instagram.com/autoactionmag/

AutoAction

51

p ra w S L A NATION

compiled by garry o’brien

AUTO ACTION SALUTES THE 2019 NATIONAL AND STATE WINNERS

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS SUPERKART AUSTRALIA 250cc International – Ilya Harpas, Anderson Maverick SUPERKART AUSTRALIA 250CC NATIONAL – John Dunn, Anderson Maverick SUPERKART AUSTRALIA 125CC NATIONAL – Aaron Cogger, Avoig Elise EXCELS NATIONALS – Asher Johnston, Hyundai Excel FORMULA FORD NATIONAL SERIES, DURATEC – Angelo Mouzouris, Mygale SJ18 FORMULA FORD NATIONAL SERIES, KENT – Tim Hamilton, Spectrum 01B FORMULA VEE NATIONALS 1200CC NATIONALS – Simon Pace, Checkmate FORMULA VEE NATIONALS 1600CC NATIONALS – Mathew Pearce, Lepton FORMULA VEE NATIONAL CHALLENGE – David Caisley, Jacer F2K8 HQ HOLDEN NATIONALS – Joel Heinrich, HQ Holden IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 2.0-LITRE NATIONALS – Peter Cusato, Ford Escort IMPROVED PRODUCTION OVER 2.0-LITRE NATIONALS – Ray Hislop, Ford Falcon EF LEGEND CARS NATIONAL TITLE – Reagan Angel, Legend Car LEGEND CARS AUSTRALIAN TITLE – Lachlan Ward, Legend Car SALOON CAR NATIONALS – Grant Johnson, Holden Commodore VT SXS CHAMPIONSHIP – Jackson Evans, Polaris Turbo TARGA CHAMPIONSHIP DIVER – Provisional, Paul Stokell, Lotus Exige 350 TARGA CHAMPIONSHIP NAVIGATOR – Provisional, Kate Catford, Lotus Exige 350 TARMAC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER – Tim Hendy, Porsche GT3 RS TARMAC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP NAVIGATOR – Julie Winton-Monet, Porsche GT3 RS TRUCK RACING – Shannon Smith, Kenworth

Image: Angryman Photography

Image: Rebecca Hind

VICTORIAN CHAMPIONS BMW DRIVER’S CUP – Jeremy Payne, BMW E30 BMW E30 – Alex Jory, BMW E30 FORMULA FORD FIESTA – Ben D’Alia, Spectrum 014 FORMULA FORD 1600 – Brendan Jones, Spectrum 011 FORMULA VEE – Jake Rowe, Sabre 02 HISTORIC TOURING CARS – Daryl Hansen, Ford Mustang HQ HOLDENS – Andrew McLeod, HQ Holden HYUNDAI EXCEL – Ben Grice, Hyundai Excel IMPROVED PRODUCTION OVER 2.0-LITRE – Luke GrechCumbo, HSV VX Senator IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 2.0-LITRE – Stephen Zourkas, Honda Civic MG & INVITED BRITISH – Philip Chester, MGB V8 NISSAN PULSAR RACING ASSOCIATION – Lee Nuttall, Nissan Pulsar PORSCHE 944 CHALLENGE – Jamie Westaway, Porsche 944 TIN TOP RACING, PRODUCTION TT – Paul Cornell, Subaru Impreza WRX

52 AutoAction

SALOON CARS – Travis Lindorff, Holden Commodore VY SPORTS CARS – Joseph Ensabella, Porsche 997 GT3 Cup SPORTS SEDANS – Dean Camm, Chev Corvette TIN TOP RACING, SUPER TT – John Hickey, Holden Commodore VE SUPERKART 250CC INTERNATIONAL – Jamie Macdonald, Anderson Maverick SUPERKARTS 250CC NATIONAL – Raff Pironti, Anderson Maverick SUPERKART 125CC NATIONAL – Nick Schembri, Anderson Maverick SUPERKART STOCK HONDA – Jeff Duckworth, Arrow X4 SUPERKART NON GEARBOX LIGHT – Sanuja Perera, IWT Scorpian SUPERKART NON GEARBOX HEAVY – Colin McIntrye, Woodgate Evo VIC V8S – Victor Argento, Ford Falcon XB HILLCLIMB – Mike Barker, Hayward 06

MOTORKHANA CHAMPION – Ross Batson, Mitsubishi Mirage OFF ROAD DRIVER – Peter Stevenson, Hunter Rivmasta/ Toyota OFF ROAD DRIVER – Luke Densley, Can-Am X3 Rotax OFF ROAD NAVIGATOR – Warren Collins, Can-Am X3 Rotax RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER – Arron Windus, Subaru Impreza WRX STi RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP NAVIGATOR – Daniel Brkic, Subaru Impreza WRX STi RALLY 2WD CHAMPIONSHIP DRIVER – Justin Walker, Ford Escort RS1800 RALLY 2WD CHAMPIONSHIP NAVIGATOR – Adam Wright, Ford Escort RALLY SERIES DRIVER – Cody Richards, Ford Escort MkII RALLY SERIES NAVIGATOR – Matt Dillon, Ford Escort MkII SUPERSPRINT – Sally-Anne Hains, Porsche 997 Turbo+ SUPERSPRINT – Gregory Lynch, HSV VT GTS

Image: Imag Im agge: IInsyde n ydde M ns Me Media ediia

NEW SOUTH WALES CHAMPIONS

FORMULA FORD FIESTA – Lachlan Ward, Spirit WL11 FORMULA FORD 1600 – Mitch Gatenby, Van Diemen RF91 FORMULA VEE 1600CC – Aaron Lee, Jacer 99 FORMULA VEE 1200CC – Greg Johnston, Elfin NG FORMULA RACE CARS – Aaron McClintock, Dallara F301 HISTORIC TOURING CARS – Adam Walton, Ford Mustang HISTORIC TOURING CARS GROUP NC – Adam Walton, Ford Mustang HISTORIC TOURING CARS GROUP NB – Nathan Goulding, Ford Mustang HQ HOLDEN RACING – Brett Osborn, HQ Holden IMPROVED PRODUCTION OVER 2.0-LITRE – Michael King, Mitsubishi EVO 8 IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 2.0-LITRE – Harrison Cooper, Honda Integra AUSTRALIAN PULSAR RACING ASSOCIATION, NSW – Josh Craig, Nissan Pulsar PRODUCTION TOURING – Geoff Kite, Holden Commodore SSV VF PRODUCTION SPORTS – Brad Schumacher, Porsche 997 GT3/991 GT3 PRODUCTION SPORTS ENDUO SERIES – Jason Miller, Porsche 997 GT3

SERIES X3 – Wil Longmore, Hyundai Excel SPORTS SEDAN – Steve Lacey, Chev Camaro SUPER TT – Parry Anastakis, Peugeot 205 GTi SUPERKART 250 INTERNATIONALS – Tony Moit, Anderson Maverick SUPERKART 250 NATIONAL – John Dunn, Anderson Maverick SUPERKART 125 NATIONAL – Aaron Cogger, Avoig Elise SUPERKART STOCK HONDA – Mick Doherty, BRM SUPERKART NON GEARBOX LIGHT – Mark Vickers, Woodgate Evo SUPERKART NON GEARBOX HEAVY – Stuart Robertson, Arrow X5 SUPERSPORTS – Stephen Champion, Radical SR3 HILLCLIMB – Malcolm Oastler, OMS 28/Hayabusa MOTORKHANA – Phil East, Honda Special OFF ROAD, DRIVER – Anthony Abson, Alumi Craft/Chev EcoTech OFF ROAD, NAVIGATOR – Peter Latimore, John Towers-built buggy/Chev V8

RALLY DRIVER – (provisional) Glen Raymond, Subaru Impreza WRX STi RALLY NAVIGATOR – (provisional) Kate Catford, Subaru Impreza WRX STi RALLY 2WD DRIVER – Tony Sullens, Citroen DS3 RALLY 2WD NAVIGATOR – Kaylie Newell, Citroen DS3 EAST COAST CLASSIC RALLY DRIVER – Nathan Quinn, Mazda RX2 EAST COAST CLASSIC RALLY NAVIGATOR – Ray Winwood-Smith, Mazda RX2 SOUTHERN CROSS RALLY DRIVER – Bryan van Eck, Toyota Altezza SOUTHERN CROSS RALLY NAVIGATOR – Craig Whyburn, Subaru Impreza WRX SUPERSPRINT TYPE 1 – Tony Lam, Alfa Romeo SUPERSPRINT TYPE 2 – Andre Tan, Porsche GT3 SUPERSPRINT TYPE 3 – Scott McKune, Holden Commodore VL SUPERSPRINT TYPE 4 – Ian Dunwoodie, Mazda MX5 SUPERSPRINT TYPE 5 – Matt Cole, Mazda RX7 SUPERSPRINT TYPE 6 – Nik Kalis, Mitsubishi EVO SUPERSPRINT TYPE 7 – Doug Barry, Reynard 92D

QUEENSLAND CHAMPIONS AUSTRALIAN TRANS-AM – Ian Palmer, Pontiac Firebird CIRCUIT EXCELS – Cameron Wilson, Hyundai Excel FORMULA VEES – Alex Hedemann, Rapier EXCEL CUP – Scott Green, Hyundai Excel FORMULA FORD 1600 – Tim Hamilton, Spectrum 01B HISTORIC TOURING CARS – Matt Clift, Mazda RX2 HQ HOLDEN – Brandon Madden, HQ Holden IMPROVED PRODUCTION OVER 2 LITRE – Zak Hudson, Mazda RX7 IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 2 LITRE CAR – Matt Dwyer, Toyota Celica QUEENSLAND TRANS AM – Shane Wilson, Chev Camaro QR SPORTS & SEDANS – Lachlan Gardner, OzTruck PRODUCTION SPORTS CARS – Wayne Hennig, Porsche 997 PRODUCTION UTE RACING – Scott Tamati, Ford Falcon BA QLD TOURING CARS A1 – Chris Sharples, Holden Monaro QLD TOURING CARS A2 – Stuart Walker, Holden Commodore QLD TOURING CARS B – Steven Harper, Ford Falcon AU

Image: MTR Images

RACING & SPORTS CAR – Chris Farrell, Swift 014 SALOON CAR – Brock Mitchell, Ford Falcon AU PRODUCTION TOURING CARS – Beric Lynton, BMW M3 SPORTS CARS – Matt Vanderberg, Minetti ZZ1 SPORTS SEDANS & INVITED – Shane Hart, Mazda RX7 SUPERKARTS – Tim Weier, Anderson Maverick

HILLCLIMB – Dean Amos, Gould GR55B/ McLaren-Nicholson V8 MOTORKHANA – Stewart Bell, Mazda MX-5 OFF ROAD CAMS DRIVER – Christian Rich, Can-Am Maverick X3 OFF ROAD CAMS NAVIGATOR – Nathan Mortimer, Can-Am Maverick X3 OFF ROAD AORRA – Clayton Chapman, Razorback/Toyota 2JZ Turbo NTH QLD OFF ROAD DRIVER – Dave Skinner, Sollittco/Subaru

NTH QLD OFF ROAD NAVIGATOR – Brad Hancock, Polaris RZR Turbo RALLY DRIVER – Brayden Wilson, Mitsubishi EVO 6 RALLY NAVIGATOR – Alan Stean, Mitsubishi EVO 6 RALLY 2WD DRIVER – Craig Aggio, Toyota Corolla RALLY 2WD NAVIGATOR – Megan Benson, Toyota Corolla SUPERSPRINT – Jason Hore, Dallara F304

AutoAction

53

NATIONALS wrap n compiled by garry o’brie

Image: David Batchelor

SOUTH AUSTRALIA CHAMPIONS CIRCUIT EXCEL CUP – Asher Johnston, Hyundai Excel FORMULA FORD DURATEC – Matthew Woodland, Mygale FORMULA FORD 1600 – Sean Whelan, Reynard F84 FORMULA VEE 1600CC – Adam Newton, FORMULA VEE 1200CC – Mathew Bialek, HISTORIC RACING, SPORTS & CLUBMAN – Jim Doig, Motorlab Asp HISTORIC TOURING CARS – Adam Smith, Ford Falcon XW GT HQ HOLDEN – Darren Jenkins, HQ Holden IMPROVED PRODUCTION OVER 2.0-LITRE – Ian Statham, Mitsubishi Magna

IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 2.0-LITRE – Adam Trimmer, Toyota 86 PRODUCTION SPORTS CARS – Paul Mitolo, Ferrari 458 Challenge SALOON CARS – Scott Dornan, Holden Commodore VT SPORTS CARS – Daniel Gonzalez, Wolf GB08 SPORTS SEDANS – Wade Renolds, Toyota Corola HILLCLIMB – David Mahon, Dallara F394 MOTORKHANA – Tony Wallis, Mini Moke: Craig William, Mini Cooper S OFF ROAD DRIVER – Todd Lehmann, Jimco/Chev OFF ROAD NAVIGATOR – Brett Richardson, RIDS Joker/Chev

OFF ROAD CLUB SERIES DRIVER – Sam Vanstone, RIDS Joker/Toyota OFF ROAD CLUB SERIES NAVIGATOR – Jason Hannig, Southern Cross/Mitsubishi RALLY DRIVER – Zayne Admiraal, Subaru Impreza WRX STi RALLY NAVIGATOR – Matthew Heywood, Subaru Impreza WRX STi RALLY 2WD DRIVER – Damian Reed, Nissan Silvia S13 RALLY 2WD NAVIGATOR – Dale Neighbour, Nissan Silvia S13

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONS FORMULA 1000 – Stuart Kostera, Stohr FORMULA CLASSIC – Michael Henderson, Ralt RT4 FORMULA FORD GOLD – Thomas Hamlett, Stealth S3K FORMULA FORD SILVER STAR – James Ridgewell, FORMULA LIBRE – Simon Alderson, Van Diemen RF93 FORMULA VEE 1600CC – Rod Lisson, Borland Sabre 02 FORMULA VEE 1200CC – Franz Esterbauer, Ribuck HISTORIC TOURING CARS NA-NB UNDER 3.0-LITRE – Lance Stannard, Mini Cooper S HISTORIC TOURING CARS NA-NB OVER 3.0-LITRE – Simon Northey, Ford Mustang HISTORIC TOURING CAR NC UNDER 3.0-LITRE – Ken Waller, Volvo 142S HISTORIC TOURING CARS NC OVER 3.0-LITRE – John Bondi, Holden Monaro HQ HOLDENS – Marc Watkins, HQ Holden HYUNDAI EXCEL – Robert Landsmeer, Hyundai Excel IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 1.6-LITRE – Tim Image: Mick Oliver Riley, Toyota Corolla FXGT IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 2.0-LITRE – Grant Gellan, Ford Escort MkI SPORTS CAR – Richard Bloomfield, Porsche 996 GT3 Cup Car IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 3.0-LITRE – Garry Edwards, SPORTS SEDANS – Grant Hill, Ford Falcon BF BMW E30 STREET CARS – Denver Parker, Nissan Skyline R33 IMPROVED PRODUCTION OVER 3.0-LITRE – Nikola Mitic, BMW STREET CARS UNDER 2.0-LITRE – Philip Crouse, Volkswagen E36 M3 Polo SALOON CARS EA/VN – Nicholas Hanlon, Ford Falcon EA OFF ROAD DRIVER – Darren Agrela, Jimco/Nissan V6 Twin SALOON CARS AU/VT – Grant Johnson, Holden Commodore VT Turbo

54 AutoAction

OFF ROAD NAVIGATOR – Ryan Barton, Jimco/Nissan V6 Twin Turbo RALLY DRIVER – John O’Dowd, Skoda Fabia R5 RALLY NAVIGATOR – Tony Feaver, Skoda Fabia R5 RALLY 2WD DRIVER – Razvan Vlad, Ford Fiesta Rally 2WD Navigator – Ioana Vlad, Ford Fiesta WA Motorkhana – Scott Bennett, Turben Mini Special

Image: Tim Nicol Photography

NORTHERN TERRITORY CHAMPIONS COMMODORE CUP – David Ling, Holden Commodore VH HQ HOLDENS – Rossi Johnson, HQ Holden IMPROVED PRODUCTION OVER 2.0-LITRE – Jake Burgess, Holden Commodore VH IMPROVED PRODUCTION UNDER 2 .0-LITRE – Craig Wright, Ford Escort MOTORKHANA SERIES – Travis Humm, Toyota MR2

TASMANIAN CHAMPIONS FORMULA VEE – Callum Bishop, Gerbert HISTORIC TOURING CARS – Scott Cordwell, Holden Torana XU-1 HQ HOLDENS – Otis Cordwell, HQ Holden HYUNDAI EXCEL – Josh Webster, Hyundai Excel IMPROVED PRODUCTION – Matthew Grace, Nissan 200SX SPORTS GTA – Stephen Noble, Nissan 350Z SPORTS GTB – Honni Pitt, Lotus Exige SPORTS GTC – Scott Smith, Porsche 964

HILLCLIMB – Stephen Mott, Quoll MB01 MOTORKHANA – Nick Yaxley, Fiat Special OFF ROAD – Michael Stalker, Yamaha XYZ RALLY DRIVER – Tim Auty, Mazda 332 GT-R RALLY NAVIGATOR – John Mitchell, Mazda 332 GT-R RALLY 2WD DRIVER – Mark Kyle, Datsun 1600 RALLY 2WD NAVIGATOR – Daniel Davies, Datsun 1600 HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP – Stephen Mott, Quoll MB01

Image: Angryman Photography

AutoAction

55

NATIONALS wrap n compiled by garry o’brie

FORMULA SAE DOUBLE TO MONASH MONASH MOTORSPORT took out the top honours in both categories at Formula SAEAustralasia, winning in both Electric and Internal Combustion on December 7-8 at Winton Motor Raceway.

Over 30 university teams from around the world took part in the annual event.

Last year, Monash won the Combustion category but were not able to complete the double, placing second to Germany’s TU Muick in the Electric division. This year the Melbourne team took out both ahead of the University of Queensland.

Despite not a winning a challenge, the University of Canterbury and Griffith University were third overall in Electric and Combustion respectively.

Run in much the same way as a professional motorsport team, students had hands-on experience and received the teamwork and problem-solving skills that a university course alone might not be able to achieve.

The competition was conducted over five challenges for each category. Among the Combustion entrants, Monash took out the 22km Endurance, Autocross and Skid Pan

on-track challengers and ranked in the top three for Acceleration and Efficiency, which were won by RMIT University and University of Queensland.

Of the three off-track contests, Monash won Engineering Design, University of Queensland took out Cost, and Presentation went to West Australian-based Edit Cowan University.

Monash also took the Electric Design honours

Image: Bruce Moxon

where New Zealand’s University of Auckland topped Presentation. Cost was a tie between the Queenslanders and Adelaide University.

In Electric on-track, Monash were the victors in same challengers as their combustion counterparts while Acceleration was taken out by RMIT, and University of Queensland again took out Efficiency.

Four teams were given special awards for

excelling in specific areas. The CAMS Inspiring Motorsport Award went to Japan’s Honda Technical College Kansai for showing the best spirit. Edith Cowan University was handed the LEAP Award for Best Use of Simulation, the University of South Australia accepted the Harry Watson Innovation award and India’s VIT Chennai was presented with the SAE-A Encouragement Award. Garry O’Brien

HEAFEY SMOKES RALLYSPRINT AGAIN PHIL Heafey showed his outstanding speed and consistency, winning round three of the Whiteline Twilight Rallysprint Series on December 4 at Sydney Dragway.

With smoke from bushfires blanketing the venue, competitors and officials who braved the conditions were rewarded with another evening of high-quality motorsport.

The North Shore Sporting Car Club event had attracted over 80 entries. Heafey was fastest on all five runs. He was being careful as the Mitsubishi EVO 6 broke its front differential the week before and he was using an old one with bent splines. With Michael Hiscoe calling the corners, Heafey finished 4.8s ahead of Michael Caine and Tom Vadoklis (Mazda RX7).

Caine was a bit sideways at times on the first run, placing fourth but improved to be second on the next four runs. Third were David Isaacs and Ellie Yates (EVO 9). Ellie was doing double duty, also co-driving for Reece McIntosh in a

VW Tiguan – his road car, and finished a very impressive 22nd.

Fourth were Ben and Glenn Dudley (Porsche 911 GT3) from Jake and Ian Lambie (EVO 5).

Benny Tran drove his Honda Integra to sixth, but without a co-driver, wasn’t eligible for a result.

Fastest junior was Tom Donohue (EVO 10).

The next three juniors were all getting tuition from Australian rally champions Brendan Reeves and Dale Moscatt in a fantastic initiative from Hyundai (providing an i30N) and the organisers. The three benefiting were Louise Taylor, Holly Espray and Jaxon Fraser.

The field varied from dedicated tarmac rally cars, hillclimb and supersprint racers to road cars. Mark Caine ran a Ferrari 575 in round one, a Tesla in round two and this time an immaculate Citroen DS23. It wasn’t fast but it was stately and comfortable and both Mark and Daniel Brown (who did at least one run from the back seat) were smiling a lot. Bruce Moxon

“Coming up at the nation’s action and spectator tracks” Wakefield Park

www.wakefieldpark.com.au January 16 Defensive Driver Training January 18 RaceAway Track Time January 26-27 Weekend At Bernie’s January 31 Wakefield Park Track Day – Previously SOS/T&T

56 AutoAction

Winton

www.wintonraceway.com.au January 13 Track opens for 2020 January 14 Performance Test Day January 17 Open Test & Tune/OLT January 19 Champion’s Ride Day

WIN’S WIMP WINS Brought to you by:

racefuels.com.au

Image: Elgee/Ben Camp

IN ONLY his third outing of his new Wimp 002, Win Janssen took FTD at the final Bryant Park hillclimb for the year, the traditional twilight meeting on December 7.

The Gippsland Car Club hosted the event was run on the original full clockwise track over six available runs in dry warm conditions with 63 competitors.

Janssen could have packed up after his first run but improved to finish on 50.97s. Fred Galli (SYGA) took second outright,

1.29s away, while Ewen Moile (Ramblebee Mk8) came from behind to complete the outright podium on the last run.

David Casey made a good start in his “Thor’s Hammer” but after an off on the last corner on a subsequent run, he failed to improve on his first run which gave him fourth outright. Wesley Inkster (Spectrum Formula Ford) completed the top five.

Steve Buffinton was back in his Westfield Clubman after rebuilding it following a rollover

earlier this year and finished seventh outright, just failing to catch Colin Newitt (Locost Clubman) who took sixth.

After taking second outright at Rob Roy just a month ago, junior driver Daniel Leitner looked promising in practice but was caught out by the infamous “Oh Shit” corner on his first competition run, putting his Subaru Impreza WRX out of action.

Larry Kogge was not only the fastest Historic but fastest tin-top

in 12th place his 1972 Holden Torana with a class record.

Driving a similar Torana but in Sports Sedans over 2000cc, Ernie Corrie’s performance was more entertaining with his trademark sideways and smoking tyres action, finishing fourth in class.

Terry Selwyn (Datsun 1600) is also well known for his entertaining driving and was very quick as well, taking the Improved Production O2.0-litre class win and 14th outright. Gary Hill

MOTT TOP AT HIGHCLERE AMONG A host of new records set at Highclere, Stephen Mott was the outright winner at the BJR Engineering Tasmanian Hillclimb Championships on December 14.

The titles, hosted by the North West Car Club, were the first official Tasmanian championships for 14 years and attracted a quality 40-car field, with seven runs available.

There has been a statewide hillclimb series in the interim but it was not officially recognised as a championship.

The series was run again in 2019, with the fifth and final round incorporating the re-vamped Tasmanian championship.

Jason White set a new outright record in his penultimate run, driving the Subaru Impreza WRX Sti campaigned in the Australian Rally Championship by Molly Taylor.

White was the first driver to break the magical 30s barrier, setting a time of 29.59s.

Not to be outdone, previous course record holder Mott responded in his final run, to snatch the record back, with a sensational 29.44s in his home-built Quoll MB01.

White had to settle for second with his car owner Craig Brooks setting the third-fastest time in the same car. It wasn’t all smooth sailing as the team had to change a differential, and both pilots sat out the fourth runs.

Eddie Maguire (Dodge Viper) obliterated the class E for over 4.5-litres record, and also finish fourth outright.

Asian Le Mans Series Rd2, Production & Prototype GT Circuit Challenge, The Bend Motorsport Park SA, Jan 10-12 Multi Khanacross, Baskerville Raceway TAS, Jan 18-19 Club Supersprint, Motorcycle Complex Kyneton VIC, Jan 19 Multi Club Supersprint, Phillip Island VIC, Jan 19 State Hillclimb Championship Rd1, Rob Roy VIC Club Autocross, Perth Motorplex Kwinana, Jan 22 The Albany Extravaganza, Supersprint, Albany WA, Jan 25-27 Interstate Challenge, Multi Club Motorkhana, Jugiong Park NSW, Jan 26 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, Combined Sedans, Group S Production Sports Cars, Aussie Racing Cars Rd1, Mount Panorama NSW, Jan 31-Feb02 Motor Racing AustraliaRd1, Wakefield Park NSW, Feb 08

Image: North West Car Club

Honours in Class D (3.0-4.5-litres) went to consistent veteran Phillip House (BMW 330d). Adrian Hodgetts (Datsun 240Z) won Class C (2.0-3.0-litres) and Kyle Peters (Datsun 1600) was the fastest in Class B (1.6-2.0-litres). Meanwhile Leigh Ford (Honda Civic) won Class A (up to 1.6-litres).

Nathan Oliver (Mazda RX8) wrapped up the outright

honours in the Tasmanian Hillclimb Cup Series with seventh outright, also claiming Class E series honours.

Other series class winners were James Lonergan (Fturbo AWD, Nissan Skyline), Gary Van Der Drift (D, Nissan 200SX), Scott Wyman (C, Honda Integra Type R), Richard Thimm (B, Mazda 3), and Darryl Bennett (A, Suzuki Swift GTi). Martin Agatyn

AutoAction

57

SUPERCARS STARS RETURN TO THEIR ROOTS IN WHAT has turned into a bit of a s tradition, many of Supercars’ leading drivers headed to the Todd Road karting complex situated near the Melbourne CBD, to take part in the Shamick Racing 4.5 Hour Enduro held late last year.

A large entry of 37 took starters orders including five drivers from the world of Supercars, headed by reigning winner of the event James Golding.

Others to take up the challenge included Erebus Motorsport driver Anton De Pasquale - partnering one of Australia’s best karters, David Sera - newly signed Walkinshaw Andretti United driver Chaz Mostert, Nick Percat and Tickford Enduro driver Michael Caruso.

A whopping 287 laps were completed during the 4.5 hour even. Greeting the chequered flag first was 2017 DD2 World Karting Champion Cody Gillis, who was paired with Ben McMellan, the duo completing the event on just one set of MG Red tyres.

A close second were Jace Lindstrom and Declan Somers,

Winners are grinners (above): Cody Gillis and Ben McMellan completed an amazing 287 laps! Anton de Pasquale (left) was the best of the Supercar drivers, finishing fourth with karting legend David Serra.

Images: Pace Images

while Adam Lindstrom and Jason Pingle rounded out the podium.

The top seven karts finished on the lead lap as a number of strategies played out throughout the event.

De Pasquale was the top Supercar driver, just finishing off the podium in fourth. Next was Nick Percat in sixth, Mostert in 11th, Golding 19th and Caruso 20th.

There was a Top 10 Shootout held before the event, with Kiwi Dylan Drysdale emerging on top.

HM

The 2019 Motorsport Crossword Answers from Auto Action issue #1776

1 down – Randle 2 down – Mustang 3 down – BMW 4 down – Ferrari 5 across – Buemi 6 across – Bright 6 down – Belgium 7 across – Hamlin 8 across – Girolami 9 down – McLaughlin 10 down – Harri Jones 11 down – Rosenqvist 12 across – Cameron 13 down – McLaren 14 down – Eleven 15 down – Pagenaud 16 down – Jordan Love 17 down – Jack Perkins 18 across – one hundred and eleven 19 across – Rene Rast 20 down – Estonian 21 down – Citroen 22 down – Monza 23 across – Italy 24 across – Turkington 25 across – fifth 26 down – two 27 down – one 28 across – German 29 across – seventeen

DAKAR CROSSWORD

Across

1. On what brand of motorbike will Australian Toby Price be defending his crown?

3. Twin brothers Tim and Tom Coronel are sharing a car again in 2020, how many times have they done so previously?

5. What number bike will Toby Price be riding in 2020?

8. How many stages are due to be held in the 2020 edition of the event?

9. Which current Formula 1 driver’s father is racing in the event in 2020? (full name) 11. Romain Dumas returned to compete in the 2020 Dakar Rally. With which brand did he win the World Endurance Championship?

14. Five classes feature in the 2020 Dakar Rally, Bike, Car, Quad, UTV and what other class?

15. In what country was Stephane Peterhansel born?

Down

2. Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah is defending his title with what brand?

4. In which brand of car was the first Dakar Rally

58 AutoAction

won in 1979?

6. Which former Formula 1 World Champion is making his debut in the 2020 Dakar Rally? (surname only) 7. How many times has Toby Price won the motorbike class of the Dakar Rally?

10. In what country is the event being held this year?

12. Stephane Peterhansel has won the event seven times in the car class but how many times has he won the event on two wheels?

13. Which former Bathurst 1000 winner won the Dakar Rally in 1983? (surname only)

The future in tuning software is here

VCM Suite v4.4 is now live!

6SHFLÆ“FDOO\ GHVLJQHG IRU RXU QHZ 039, DQG IXOO\ FRPSDWLEOH ZLWK H[LVWLQJ 039, XQLWV 7KH QHZ 039, VXSSRUWV PRUH YHKLFOHV WKDQ HYHU 1HZ PDQXIDFWXUHV LQFOXGH 1LVVDQ ,QÆ“QLWL 0HUFHGHV $XGL 9: 5DQJH 5RYHU -DJXDU 'RGJH *0 )RUG ((& 9

,I \RXU YHKLFOH SURMHFW QHHGV DQ H[WUD HGJH YLVLW vcmstore.com.au RU FDOO 03 9763 7599 RU YLVLW XV LQVWRUH DW )HUQWUHH *XOO\ 5RDG .QR[Æ“HOG 9,& DQG GLVFXVV \RXU QH[W VWHS LQ SHUIRUPDQFH WRGD\

#THEBEND #ASIANLEMANS

Don’t miss unique GT and prototype cars racing in the Asian Le Mans -iÀ ià v À Ì i wÀÃÌ Ì i čÕÃÌÀ> > >Ì / i i ` Ì Àë ÀÌ *>À °

*>À 6 iÜ >Û> >L i FREE grandstand access

`Ài £Ó > ` Õ `iÀ , / V iÌÃ ÃÌ>ÀÌ vÀ fÎx

Tickets on sale through Ticketek or

THEBEND.COM.AU