Motorsport Australia Speed Read - April 2023

SPEEDREAD

HI-VIS HEROES

After an exhilarating Grand Prix, Speed Read recognises our world-class volunteers who made it all happen.

CELEBRATING WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD

Last month once again saw the annual celebration of women with another successful International Women's Day.

OJEDA AND HODGES WIN 6 HOUR CLASSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN

FOUR INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

John Goss OAM, Remo Luciani, Victor Bray and the late Joan Richmond are the latest accomplished individuals to be inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame.

Jayden Ojeda and Simon Hodges have won an extraordinary Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour in their BMW M4.

NSW 2259. The winner will be notified by phone and email by 12/7/23 and published in The Australian newspaper on 14/7/23 and on the competition website. ACT permit TP 22/02359 SA licence T22/1956 & NSW Authority Number TP/00259. Images for illustrative purposes only. 1 Or similar, car hire is subject to availability and the terms and conditions specified by the hire provider.2 If the winner is a member of the Shannons Club with a profile image and enthusiast vehicle image at the time of the draw, they will receive an additional $5,000

Photo by Revved Photography

RECAP EVENT

RECORD AGP PROVIDES ENDLESS ENTERTAINMENT

The Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix was back in business earlier this month in a weekend that provided a record crowd of unforgettable memories.

Over the course of the four day event, a record crowd of 444,631 people entered the gates of Albert Park, more than 25,000 than the previous record set in 2022.

The crowd was treated to plenty of drama on track and a lot of entertainment off it with a range of activations making this year’s Grand Prix one to remember.

Following on from this year’s Australian Grand Prix, Speed Read has a look at some of the key contributors to the event –from officials and car clubs to the memorable on-track results from the five Australians racing in front of a home crowd in international championships for the first time.

PIASTRI SCORES FIRST F1 POINTS

Oscar Piastri scored his first Formula 1 Championship points in the most chaotic of circumstances as he ended the Grand Prix in eighth place. In what was a rollercoaster 59-laps at Albert Park that saw a collection of incidents and red flags, reigning champion Max Verstappen picked up his second win for the year as he led Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso across the line under safety car conditions.

After a disappointing qualifying on Saturday, where he ended up P16, Piastri responded with a mature drive on his home-debut as he gradually moved up the field courtesy of a combination of drivers ahead crashing out and his own reliable strategy.

Piastri was running on his own for much of the race and looked destined to miss out on a points finish as he sat in P11 behind Esteban Ocon by 10 seconds but had a healthy buffer between he and Kevin Magnussen.

Photo: Mclaren Media / Mark Sutton

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool / Robert Cianflone

The race was then turned on its head with just five laps to go when Magnussen himself crashed out, causing a safety car and a red flag. Another standing start saw more chaos ensue as four cars crashed out on the opening turn, including Ocon and Pierre Gasly who were both ahead of Piastri, while the Australian somehow avoided the chaos and ended up seventh.

With the red flag coming out again and the cars returning to the pits, the field was reverted to what the original standing order was, demoting Piastri back to 11th – however with the two Alpines now out, Piastri was the ninth car in line.

The race would then finish under the safety car and Piastri

crossed the line in ninth, only for one last plot twist to occur as Carlos Sainz was handed a five second penalty, which saw the Spaniard drop out of the top 10 and elevated Piastri to eighth.

“Crazy race and the first race I’ve been involved in with three red flags,” Piastri told Sky Sports post-race.

“Happened to be in the points at the end of it. Pace in clean air was solid, got stuck behind Yuki for a while but was happy to get my first F1 points.”

The FIA Formula 1 World Championship continues at the end of this month with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku on 30 April.

Photo: Mclaren Media / Simon Galloway

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool / Quinn Rooney

“Got stuck behind Yuki for a while but was happy to get my first F1 points”

DOOHAN CAPS OFF TOUGH AGP WITH POINTS FINISH

Jack Doohan’s home debut in the FIA Formula 2 Championship certainly had a mixture of results as he recovered from a disappointing qualifying and sprint race, to finish the feature race in the points.

After topping the time sheets in free practice, Doohan fell victim to a wet qualifying session that saw him qualify in 15th place before the session was ultimately red flagged. His weekend went from bad to worse on the Saturday's shortened sprint race after he was tapped from behind and spun round, putting him out of the race.

The Queenslander didn’t let his bad lack deter him though, as an impressive display in the 33-lap feature race resulted in eighth overall. Having charged up four places in the opening five laps, Doohan enjoyed a battle with Jak Crawford three laps later with the American ending up in the wall due to Doohan’s pressure –but through no fault of the Australian. Doohan’s consistency was rewarded when a number of drivers ahead of him had major incidents, including Roy Nissany going into the wall and Dennis Hauger going off track.

F3 AUSSIES BATTLE HARD

With three Australians entered in the FIA Formula 3 Championship, there was plenty of high hopes for our future stars with Hugh Barter, Christian Mansell and Tommy Smith all looking for a positive homecoming.

Unfortunately, it was only Mansell who would score points in both races as a handful of incidents in both races caused plenty of drama.

In the highly interrupted sprint race that eventuated with just six racing laps, Mansell finished up with ninth overall and the fastest lap having started from 13th, while a puncture to Barter and a crash to Smith saw neither end up in a competitive place.

The feature race proved no different to the sprint race as the incident-filled affair had a handful of safety car interventions with eight drivers not finishing the race, while a few DNFs helped Mansell up into 11th place by the time the chequered flag was waved.

Although crossing the line in P11, Mansell was elevated to 10th post-race as Dino Beganovic was handed a 10-second penalty, dropping Beganovic to 13th.

Eighth place marked a solid recovery for Doohan, who picked up his third top 10 finish for the season, yet he unfortunately fell out of the overall top 10 Championship standings. Currently on 24 points, Doohan sits 34 points behind championship leader Ayumu Iwasa ahead of the next round at Baku.

Smith picked up a season-high result with P12 overall, having climbed more than 16 places, while Barter’s challenging weekend continued as he could only manage to finish the feature in 15th.

Photo: Revved Photography

Photos: Revved Photography

EXPERT OFFICIALS SHARE GRAND PRIX DREAMS

This year’s Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix welcomed more than 900 volunteer officials to make the event safe and smooth.

From first year recruits to experienced campaigners who have been to every Australian Grand Prix, from Australians to international tourists, this year’s team featured an eclectic mix of passionate personnel. Speed Read caught up with some of the individuals who dedicated their time and effort to volunteer at the premier motorsport event.

ANTONINO

“I've always wanted to be in motorsport when I was younger but had a lot going on and money was always a problem even when I was karting.

“It wasn't until I was older that I found out about being an official and I am kicking myself that I found it later in life.

“I started a year ago and I have been finding it very good. Everyone's friendly and it's nice to see people. It's a good life. This will be my 20th Australian Grand Prix, but my first as an official and I am still pinching myself about being here.”

ANGELA

“I started off as a spectator marshal around 16 years ago, now I'm in the radio shack and have done that for about 13 years.

“The best thing about being an official is probably knowing a lot of the other officials and the satisfaction of doing your job.

“I do Bathurst, Supercars, MotoGP and Superbikes as well as a couple of air shows.”

VALERIIA

“Being from Russia and having lived here for almost 10 years, I'm volunteering this year because it's a very good opportunity to get close to the Formula 1 action, experience something new and meet new people. It’s also one of the big things in Melbourne every year and a very important part of this city's lifestyle.

“I would recommend doing this, because you're super close to the action and it's amazing.

“I have also signed up with the Victorian Flagmarshalling Team and will hopefully do another event some time.”

Photo: Revved Photography

CAROL

“When I gave up karting, I still had an awful lot of love for motorsport, and I still wanted to be involved. My dad suggested I become an official and I loved it, so I haven’t looked back.

“In fact, I have recruited quite a few people since then and have shown them the way.

“I have no regrets over coming to Australia. Obviously, the weather is better and there is the Formula 1 event, but it has also opened up a lot of doors for me to train as a scrutineer, as well gain a lot of opportunities to go between different divisions and teams, which is really good.”

GAIL

“We have really enjoyed every minute of it. Even our children got involved – in fact when they were younger, they joined in and helped with events.

“We just love the company and the friendship of being an official. It’s like being a big family because we’ve known each other for such a long time.

“And of course, we both enjoy the challenge and it keeps our minds active as well.”

COLIN

“I guess we are liked because we have been here quite a bit and our roles at other events.

“We realise the value of the officials we have and we look after them a little bit differently to what some promoters do and I guess it's a two way street.”

JORDAN

“Just being here and having everyone around is kind of adding to the experience.

“I try to follow the F1 a little bit as it goes around the world, but it gets here and that’s when my interest really peaks.

“As a CFA firefighter I wanted to see if there was another way I could use my skills and I thought volunteering at the Grand Prix would be an interesting way to do that.”

ALYSSA

“Really looking forward to seeing the cars and the close racing.

“During COVID I got into Formula 1, but I just kind of wanted to be a part of it this year and see all the behindthe-scenes action.”

AKSHAY

“I'm from India and I have come here to study Sports Management.

“It was my dream to volunteer at an F1 event because I have volunteered for Moto GPs in the past so that was one of the reasons. My favourite team is Ferrari, so being in the paddock I am excited.”

GIRLS ON TRACK MASSIVE SUCCESS AGAIN

For the second year in a row, the FIA Girls on Track Career Development and Mentor Program has been held at the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.

After a successful launch of the inaugural program last year, 25 girls were selected out of a massive 600 applicants to take part in this year’s special day, which gave the lucky participants an exclusive insight into Formula 1 that included an exclusive tour of the Formula 1 pits and multiple team garages. Some of the ambassadors in attendance included Alfa Romeo’s Krystina Emmanouilides, Triple Eight Racing Engineering’s Jess Dane and

Romy Mayer, Extreme E and rally star Molly Taylor and motorsport journalists Emma Notarfrancesco and Nadine Armstrong.

Making up the girl's busy schedule were a number of activities, including group workshops, a Q&A session with a participant from last year and the first ever FIA Girls on Track High Achiever presentation, which was awarded to Sophie Wisely.

The girls also got to participate in an exclusive tour of the Formula 1 paddock, spend time with Alfa Romeo F1 drivers Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, tour both the Alfa Romeo's and Williams' garage and take part in a special pit stop challenge with the actual Alfa Romeo Formula 1 car.

"The garage tour was overwhelming to say the least. But it was just amazing getting to see how the team operates behind closed doors. The Drive to

Survive stuff becomes irrelevant when you're there in the paddock and garage, talking to the engineers and seeing how they are working on the cars," participant Nadia said post-event.

"It made me believe that anything is possible and hard work pays off and I think the one thing I took away is that every person counts. It doesn't matter where you are, what part of the team you're in, it’s all being together which is important."

Photo: Revved Photography

Photo: Revved Photography

Click here for more information on the FIA Girls on Track program.

“Every person counts. It doesn't matter what part of the team you're in, it’s all being together which is important”

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CAR CLUBS LIVE FAST AT AGP

While the exciting and often dramatic racing action was the main attraction of this year’s Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, off track there were just as many activations.

From the Tech Hub and Fan Forum to the extremely popular Melbourne Walk, there was plenty of entertainment options for fans to enjoy every day.

One of the biggest showpieces for fans is the Live Fast Festival, where 32 Motorsport Australia affiliated clubs were located and displaying their pride and joys for the world to admire.

Porsches, Datsuns, Austin Healeys, Jaguars, MGs, Toyotas, Fiats, karts, trucks and everything in between – hundreds of cars are on site catering for every type of fan.

There were plenty of benefits for the clubs to be on site, with Impreza WRX Club of Victoria and Committee Member Brett Isbel saying it was an event the club loved being part of.

“The club has been doing this for quite a while and we were one of the first clubs to do it,” Isbel said.

“There are many benefits to doing a display at the Grand Prix, and one of them is the exposure we get to people, and although we don’t have the biggest display, we certainly have a presence here.”

Having been doing a car display for almost a decade, President and Founder of the Street Kred Car Club, Marcos Saffrone believed the displays were highly beneficial.

“Being here brings everyone together like a family type thing and it brings people in who wouldn't normally be exposed to all these different cars and clubs,” Saffrone said.

“Pretty much all our cars are getting attention this week. The kids love the Spider-Man car, while everyone gets drawn to the skeleton vehicle. We’re happy because all these people are enjoying our cars, asking questions and interacting with our members.

“Because we have people from all walks of life, we just try to share the passion with everyone else and this weekend is perfect for that.”

Even clubs doing it for the first time were enjoying being part of the action, something the president of Alfa Romeo Owners' Club of Australia - Victoria Division, John Hanslow encouraged all clubs should do.

“We are constantly looking at doing different things and we try to do things that work and the display at the Grand Prix is definitely something that works,” Hanslow said.

“It’s been a successful experience so far and it’s something we now would look at putting on our calendar in the future.

“I would highly recommend this opportunity to any club looking to promote themselves on a grand scale – it really is an awesome experience.”

“Being here brings everyone together... and it brings people in who wouldn't normally be exposed to all these different cars and clubs”

Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria and Tasmania

Street Kred Car Club

Drivemasters

CLUBS ON DISPLAY

• Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Australia (Victoria Division) Inc

• Austin Healey Owners Club of Victoria

• Austin Healey Sprite Drivers Club Inc

• BMW Car Club of Victoria

• BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc

• Club Resto my Ride Inc

• Club VE Inc

• clubMINI Vic

• Country Roads Board Car Club Inc

• Drivemasters

• E30 Racing Inc

• Fiat Car Club of Victoria

• Formula Vee Association Of Victoria Inc

• FPV & XR Owners Club of Victoria

• Group S Racing Association Incorporated

• HSV Owners Club Victoria

• Impreza WRX Car Club of Victoria Inc

• Jaguar Car Club Victoria

• Mazda MX-5 Club of Victoria and Tasmania

• Melbourne Old School Cruisers

• MG Car Club Victoria

• Mustang Owners Club of Australia VIC Inc

• Nissan Datsun Sports Owners Club Inc

• NSW 86/BRZ Car Club Inc

• Porsche Club of Victoria

• Street Kred Car Club

• Toyota Car Club Australia (Victoria)

• Triumph Sports Owners Association Victoria Inc

• Vermont Automotive Group Incorporated

• Victorian 86/BRZ Club Inc

• Victorian Mini Club

• Vivid Motorsport

Click here for more information on Motorsport Australia affiliated car clubs.

Austin Healey Owners Club of Victoria HSV Owners Club Victoria

Nissan Datsun Sports Owners Club Inc

Fiat Car Club of Victoria

Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Australia (Victoria Division) Inc Country Roads Board Car Club Inc

Impreza WRX Car Club of Victoria Inc

BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc

PRIDE CELEBRATED AT GRAND PRIX

Pride in Motorsport was back for its second year following a successful inauguration during last year’s Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix.

Hosted at the Victorian Pride Centre. Racing Pride Ambassadors and Community Champions Krystina Emmanouilides, Bea Vear, and Casey Price teamed up with Proud 2 Play ambassador Campbell Harrison and The Female Drive's Estelle Clapham to discuss the LGBTIQ+ community in motorsport.

Speaking in front of a diverse audience that included representatives from state and national sporting bodies, motorsport teams, grassroots racers, and fans, the panel shared their personal experiences within the sport and gave insights into their careers.

A networking session took place following the panel, before 10 lucky attendees were able to experience Formula 1 up close with an exclusive pit walk.

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CELEBRATING WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD

Last month once again saw the annual celebration of women with another successful International Women's Day. Within the Australian motorsport community, there are countless of women playing a massive role in keeping the sport rolling.

From competitors to officials to administrators to women who are just fans of the sport, there are women in every part of the sport with the number of participants on the rise across the board.

From those fierce women behind the wheel, such as Maisie Place and Casey Price to women officials making

their mark behind the scenes such as Tasmanian Mel Beets or BMW Drivers Club of Melbourne Vice President Jo Mawson - there a large collection of women who are vital to the successful running of this sport.

The FIA Girls on Track also continues to get better and better as it proves to be one of the biggest gateways into the sport for schoolgirls given rare insights into the behind the scenes or young women being given the opportunity through a networking events.

As there is a push for the growth in participation of women in sport around the world, motorsport continues to find ways to be inclusive.

MEL BEETS

“It’s also always nice to see other women in a typically male-dominated sport as we bring a different perspective to how motorsport operates, so to see more and more coming through is great.”

JO MAWSON

“I am 61-years-old and proud of it and being in the sport keeps me young.

“I know there is a lot of senior people in motorsport, but when I see the younger ones coming through the club, it’s nice to be able to pass on my knowledge and offer advice to people willing to improve.

“It may be a man’s sport but it’s not scary, it’s a loving community and truthfully, I have never been in a community that is more inclusive than motorsport.”

CASEY PRICE

“There were all these holes and cavities within the sport for women’s participation and I thought I would be the person to step up and prove a mentor for young women wanting to get involved.

“I started late, but I am doing the best I can in competition and continuing to see my brand flourish on global platforms.

“I hope I can continue being an inspiration to not just young women but to all people from all walks of life.”

FOUR INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME

John Goss OAM, Remo Luciani, Victor Bray and the late Joan Richmond are the latest set of accomplished individuals to be inducted into the Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame. The quartet were officially announced as the newest members of the prestigious club in front of a strong crowd at this year’s Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix with Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame Legend Mick Doohan in attendance to present the medallions.

All four have contributed greatly to the sport with Goss and Richmond having excelled in car racing, Luciani in karting and Bray in drag racing.

Goss would be familiar to many racing fans due to being the only driver in history to have won both an Australian Grand Prix and a Bathurst 1000.

Richmond’s success may not have been as unique as Goss’, but her impact on the sport was just as significant as she was a pioneer for not just women, but for Australian international motorsport.

Unfortunately, Richmond passed away in 1999, with her medallion

accepted by representatives from the National Museum of Australia.

Unlike Goss and Richmond, Luciani and Bray didn’t have as much success on an international scale but were highly accomplished on home soil.

For Luciani, the 62-year-old active veteran picked up seven national Karting titles over his career, the NZ Karting Championship and amassed over 70 state titles.

As for Bray, one of his most notable achievements was being the first driver to break the six second barrier in the Australian National Drag Racing Association’s annual National Top Doorslammer Drag Racing Championship competition,

as well winning the first six titles in consecutive years.

The four inductees join 84 other individuals in the Hall of Fame, whose achievements over a 123-year period have contributed to the rich history of Australian motorsport.

The exclusive Hall of Fame now consists of 81 competitors and seven administrators, promoters, and broadcasters.

Click here to view the full list of Australian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductees.

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PLANNING MOTORSPORT’S FUTURE

The Victorian Motorsport Infrastructure and Participation Strategy Overview has been completed thanks to the support of the Victorian Government.

Covering four-wheeled motorsport, motorcycling, drag racing and karting and involving the sport’s various governing bodies across Victoria, the Strategy has taken a forensic look into the current state of the sport and what opportunities lie ahead to help grow all forms of motorsport.

Examining the existing facilities and participation at Motorsport venues across the state, the Strategy has also outlined key recommendations to improve access to motorsport venues and increase participation. There are significant opportunities to grow the sport, with the document presented to the Victorian Government for consideration and to highlight the areas in Victoria where further support may be required.

Included in the document is a recommendation for the development of a new ‘Home of Victorian Motorsport’ as currently there is limited capacity to hold motorsport events in

Victoria, threatening all levels of participation across the state.

More than 28,000 people in Victoria currently participate in motorsport, while the sport also draws a significant audience of spectators to a wide range of international, national and local events held in the state.

“This Strategy clearly defines what the sport needs in Victoria and how the sport, across all disciplines, can grow further.

“Motorsport is a significant contributor to the Victorian economy and providing more opportunities to participate, whether as a competitor or official, will continue to have a positive impact on the state.

“I can also assure you we are speaking regularly with other State and Territory Governments to see how we can work with them to identify similar opportunities across the country.”

“We are thrilled with the release of the Victorian Motorsport Infrastructure and Participation Strategy Overview and see it as a very important step in preparing for motorsport’s future in this state,” Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca said.

“We are extremely grateful for the Victorian Government’s ongoing commitment to motorsport and for its support in preparing this Strategy.

“This Strategy clearly defines what the sport needs in Victoria and how the sport, across all disciplines, can grow further”

Photo: Angryman Photography

MILDURA ADVANCING MOTORSPORT HUB

The Mildura Rural City Council is planning to enhance the Mildura region’s reputation in motorsport by developing a Regional Motorsport Strategy.

The simple goal of the strategy is to turn Mildura into a motorsport hub by working alongside Sunraysia region-based car clubs and groups.

The idea for a strategy followed a comprehensive review of motorsport in the region in 2022, which assessed the needs, wants and priorities of motorsport clubs within the Sunraysia and Mildura area.

With the Victorian Government already throwing financial support behind the idea, consultancy firm, McLaughlin Sports Consultancy, has been appointed by the Council to help lead the strategy’s development.

The Council’s plan to build the strategy has been met with positive feedback from the region’s local motorsport clubs, and Mildura Mayor Liam Wood was confident in the Council’s approach.

“This new approach to driving growth in motorsport in our region will be very much based around increasing the capacity of our local motorsport clubs. At the end of the day, they are the groups we have to thank for establishing our region’s enviable reputation as a motorsport mecca,” Cr Wood said.

“The end goal here is to empower and enable our local motorsport clubs, with our support, to attract and conduct more and bigger events through improvements to their facilities, as well as growth in their membership bases.

“This will in turn build on the already massive economic benefit our local motorsport clubs generate for our region every year through visitor numbers, and the flow-on benefits for our community.”

Motorsport Australia Chief Executive Officer Eugene Arocca was highly supportive of the strategy to develop motorsport in the Mildura and Sunraysia region.

“Motorsport Australia is pleased to support and work with Mildura Rural City Council on this project,” Arocca added.

“We know that permanent motorsport facilities are such an important asset to our sport and it is pleasing to see plans being made to further develop more venues for our clubs, regions and competitors.

“Track time is at a premium around Australia, and given Mildura’s rich motorsport history, we believe this project is a significant opportunity for the region and our sport.”

Late last month McLaughlin Sports Consultancy met with around 50 members from local motorsport clubs, along with the Mildura Rural City Council staff members, to share their vision and outline

the proposed steps to build the strategy over the next 12 months. There are three key opportunities identified to help the Strategy to be successful, which includes improving the standard of local facilities in the hopes of attracting major events and future viability, and the development of grassroots at club level.

The Regional Motorsport Strategy is expected to be presented to the Council by November this year.

Part of building the strategy will include the following steps.

• Individual site visits/assessments and one-on-one meetings with local motorsport clubs

• Engaging with the Victorian Government and state and national motorsport bodies

• Development of strategic, facility and growth plans for each local motorsport club

• Distribution of the draft Regional Motorsport Strategy to Mildura Rural City Councillors and stakeholders ahead of finalising the strategy.

“The end goal here is to empower and enable our local motorsport clubs”

2023 MEMBER FORUM REGISTRATION OPEN

Motorsport Australia is inviting members to join its annual Member Forum which will be held on 3 May.

Taking place on the Zoom Webinar platform, the Member Forum provides all Motorsport Australia licence holders, officials, clubs and event organisers the chance to hear from both the Board and administration, along with detailed financial results and insights into other key motorsport issues.

The Member Forum panel will include President Andrew Fraser, Vice President Margot Foster, CEO Eugene Arocca and CFO Charlotte Hayes. Starting at 7.30pm AEST, members will also be able to ask questions through the Q&A function, with specific time dedicated to member questions.

Registrations can be made up to the webinar taking place. Once registered, members will be

emailed a calendar invite and link to join the webinar on the night.

The 2023 Motorsport Australia Member Forum begins at 7.30pm AEST on Wednesday, 3 May.

Click here to register for the 2023 Motorsport Australia Member Forum.

WHAT'S ON IN APRIL

NEW SOUTH WALES AND ACT

13 April: Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series Launch

15-16 April: 2023 Motorsport Australia NSW

Motor Race Championship - Round 2

15 April: The Analogue Run

15 April: Shannons Rallysprint

15-16 April: Come & Try/Test and Tune

16 April: [ACT] 2023 National Patios

ACT Khanacross Series Round 2

16 April: Lap Dash

16 April: Driver Training and Supersprint Competition Round 3

16 April: DSCC 2023 Autocross Round 3

16 April: Khana For A Cure

16 April: HDCC Silverdale Khanacross

20 April: SMSP Night Sprints

22 April: Round 3 Porsche Club NSW Inc Supersprint Championship

22-23 April: 2023 Wentworth

Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash

23 April: Ringwood Hillclimb Series TS3

23 April: April Khanacross

23 April: BMW Drivers Club of NSW

2023 Motorkhana Round 2

29-30 April: NSW 6 Hour Regularity Relay

29-30 April: GSCC Hillclimb

Series Rounds 2 & 3

30 April: [ACT] 2023 Blue Range Rallysprint

30 April: 2023 Coffs Coast Khanacross Round 2

30 April: Motorkhana #2

QUEENSLAND

15-16 April: FNQMSC Come and Try/Bitumen - Round 3

NSW: 15-16 April - 2023 Motorsport Australia NSW Motor Race Championship - Round 2

The second round of the Motorsport Australia NSW Motor Race Championship gets underway this month with all the regular categories back in action.

15 April: Round 2 Cheapa Auto

Spares 2023 Sprint Series

16 April: Round 1 CQMSC Khanacross Series

16 April: MAC Dirt Sprints Round 1

16 April: Khanacross

21-23 April: Motorsport Australia

Queensland State Circuit Racing Championship - Round 2

22 April: KCF Rallysport

Autumn Stages Rally

22-23 April: Proston Khanacross and Burnouts

23 April: Autocross Round 2

23 April: TCAC Motorkhana Series Round 1

28-30 April: Aussie Racing Cars

Super Series - Round 2

29-30 April: Mt Cotton

Hillclimb Series Round 3

29-30 April: 2023 NQKC

Round 1- Whitsunday

QLD: 28-30 April - Aussie Racing Cars

Super Series - Round 2

After a thrilling season opener in Newcastle, the Aussie Racing Cars Super Series links up with the Australian Superbike Series for the second round of the 2023 season.

Photo: Freelance Pix

Photo: Aussie Racing Cars

SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND NORTHERN TERRITORY

14-16 April: Jamalka Off-Road Tumby Bay

15-16 April: [NT] TJM Memorial Short Course

15-16 April: SDCC Club Khanacross

16 April: Collingrove Challenge Trophy 1

16 April: Superkart Race Event

Including Modern Regularity

16 April: SEAC Motorkhana

Series 2023 - Round 2

22-23 April: SCCSA 2023 All Historic

23 April: Hallett ResourcesWalky Park Series Round 1

28-30 April: Rally SA – The Rally of the Heartland

TASMANIA

15 April: Khanacross Summer

Series Round 4

22 April: Symmons Plains 150

29-30 April: 2023 Tasmanian Circuit Racing Championship - Round 2

VIC: 15 April - Ada River Rally

One of the most popular rally events on the Victorian rally calendar, crews will tackling 155 competitive kilometres across eight highly challenging stages.

VICTORIA

15 April: Ada River Rally

15 April: MSCA Super Sprint

15 April: BCC Ladies Come & Try, Intro to Motorsport

16 April: Victorian Khanacross

Championship Round 2

16 April: Closed Club Autocross

Championship Round 3

16 April: Interclub Rob Roy Hillclimb Round 1

16 April: GMSC & WDCC Avalon Khanacross

21-23 April: RSM Round 3- Bagshot Bash

22 April: 86/BRZ Club Motorkhana Come & Try

22 April: Come and Try/Sprint Day

22-23 April: 2023 OST 1

22-23 April: Victorian State Circuit

Race Championship R2

22-23 April: Group 5 PAC

Khanacross and Come and Try

23 April: 2023 Victorian Hillclimb

Championship Round 4

23 April: SDCC Khanacross

Come & Try Round 2

29-30 April: Piarc Supersprint including Hyundai Excel Racing & Vic Superkart Racing

30 April: Maffra and District

Car Club Motorkhana

30 April: Rob Roy Youth Driver Training

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

15-16 April: WASCC 100K Plate

WA: 27-30 April - 2023 Coral Coast Helicopter Services

Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash

The Motorsport Australia WA Off Road Championship began last month with a dramatic season opener, but crews have little time to rest with the ever challenging Gascoyne Dash next up on calendar this month.

16 April: Light Car Club of WA Khanacross

27-30 April: 2023 Coral Coast Helicopter

Services Kickstarters Gascoyne Dash

28-30 April: Perth SuperSprint

Photo: VRC Media

Photo: Dakar Press Team Australia

SA CLUBS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Motorsport Australia affiliated South Australian clubs now have access to funding grants from the South Australian State Government.

Both four-wheel and two-wheel clubs can apply for the funding, as part of the government’s SA Car Club Program, with applications closing at 12pm on 24 April.

Grants to the value of $500,000 will be available in each year of the SA Car Club Program. This funding will support local car and motorcycle clubs across South Australia, so they can better meet their growing operating costs, including managing the conditional registration scheme.

Motorsport Australia is ready to assist clubs interested in applying for grants through its helpful grant writing support offering.

Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca thanked the South Australian Government for its support.

“This is a terrific opportunity for our South Australian clubs to access all-important funding that will greatly assist the broader motorsport community,” Arocca said.

“On behalf of everyone at Motorsport Australia, I’d like to say thank you to the South Australian government for its ongoing support of motorsport in the state.

“I encourage all clubs to apply as soon as possible and talk with our team if they need any assistance with their applications. We are eager to see more clubs benefit from these significant opportunities.”

The funding is part of a four-year SA Car Club Program to enable clubs to host bigger and better events and get more South Australians involved. Grant applications must be received by 12pm on Monday, 24 April.

CLUBS CAN APPLY FOR FUNDING FOR FOLLOWING AREAS:

• Increase club participation

• Host events

• Improve or upgrade facilities

• Build capacity

• Streamline operations

Click here for more information via the SA Government funding page.

Click here to register your interest in participating in a Grant Writing Assistance Program.

Photo: Bob Taylor

“We are eager to see more clubs benefit from these significant opportunities”

MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA GOES NEXT LEVEL

Motorsport Australia is pleased to announce Next Level Racing as its Esports Hardware Partner.

The new partnership comes as Motorsport Australia continues to expand into the Esports world and Next Level Racing will help with the transition, providing cutting-edge simulators for use in training, testing, and competition environments.

The partnership will also see both companies work closely together to grow the sport in the digital space with a range of consumer and commercial solutions to contribute to an elevated racing experience.

Founded in 2009, Next Level Racing is a world’s leader in simulation, revolutionising simulation with its industry leading product range, as

well as having a strong presence in the global gaming industry.

Next Level Racing® is the official PlayStation®, iRacing, Ford, and Boeing licensee and has a range of products sold in more than 50 countries around the world.

Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca was thrilled to be sign on Next Level Racing as a new partner.

“This is an exciting chapter in Motorsport Australia’s long history, and we are thrilled to join up with Next Level Racing, who will help facilitate our continued expansion into Esports,” Arocca said.

“Esports has grown substantially in the past decade, as has the technology available, and this new partnership will enable Motorsport Australia to adapt with the times and provide the best possible experience for our members and others looking to get into the sport.

“Simulator Racing has many benefits outside of Esports, which includes being a cost-effective stepping-stone for people looking to get involved in motorsport or current members holders who want to improve their racecraft.

“We’re excited for this new partnership with Next Level Racing and look forward to all the new innovative possibilities in this space that are now open to us.”

Next Level Racing® CEO, Hess Ghah echoed Arocca’s sentiments.

“As a company that is passionate about motorsport, we are thrilled to partner with Motorsport Australia," Ghah said.

“Our simulation products are designed to provide a realistic and immersive racing experience, and we are excited to partner and work closely with Motorsport Australia to help drivers and teams prepare for competition, as well as introduce and engage with the racing community through the wide variety of products we offer from entry level through to our professional racing cockpits.”

Click here for more information on Next Level Racing.

“We are thrilled to join up with Next Level Racing, who will help facilitate our continued expansion into Esports”

HOSPITABLE MAUREEN A STALWART OF BATHURST

For those who have been to Bathurst for one of its many motorsport events, there aren’t as many volunteer officials as recognisable as Maureen Durkin.

Although she may not have been volunteering as long as some others there, she has become a permanent fixture at the circuit since her first meeting in 2017 and has contributed greatly to the sport over the years.

Starting at SMSP in admin duties, it wasn’t long before she was at Bathurst where she has a remained an important member of the team, with some of her tasks including helping the secretary with general enquiries, driver and official sign on, running the PA and endorsing Driver Licence Books.

Outside of her administrative roles, she has also been a flaggie at Track Days and Club Days at the famous circuit, while volunteering

at a collection of other circuits including Sydney Motorsport Park, Queensland Raceway, Townsville, Gold Coast and Newcastle.

While she has contributed greatly to the running of events at Bathurst, Durkin also gone above and beyond on many occasions.

One of those many acts of kindness that played a role in her receiving this month’s Supercheap Auto Official Superstar award was Durkin opening up her house to other interstate officials so they could attend an event, as well as providing them both breakfast and dinner even when she was working as a volunteer herself.

To thank Durkin for her superstar efforts as a Motorsport Australia official, she will receive a $100 gift card to spend in-store at Supercheap Auto, a commemorative pin, and a certificate.

MAUREEN DURKIN

Do you know, or are you an official who has gone above and beyond at a Motorsport Australia event? Nominate now to be the Supercheap Auto Official Superstar for April:

Click here to submit your story.

PANORAMA MOUNTAIN MEN SEAL SANDOWN 360 GLORY

The 2023 Sandown 360 Regularity Relay was run and won last month with a strong turnout of 18 teams battling it out for top honours at the famous Sandown International Raceway.

In what was a busy day for all teams and drivers, more than 80 competitors produced almost 4700 laps as a collective as they attempted to score as few points as possible.

Taking out the win in commanding fashion were the Panorama Mountain Men, who had Stewart Temesvary, Sean Byers, David Johnson Glenn Thomas behind the wheel of Mazda MX-5s.

Scoring a total of 2000 points, the quartet comfortably took out the event by more than 700 points over the four-driver JAAMP team, led by Adam Stafford in the 991.1 GT3 RS, while teammates Anthony Bulloch, Joseph Di Benedetto and Peter Bull

all put in good shifts behind the wheel of their respective vehicles.

Rounding out the outright podium a further 253 points behind was another four-man team in Four Play, which had Brent Howard, Garry Saber, Philip Cox and Garry Voges all producing strong performances.

While the top three were all decided fairly comfortably, it was the battle for fourth that proved one of the most entertaining with three teams having been in contention for a top five finish.

Eventually securing fourth place were the Porsche Specialists of Grant Stephenson, Mark Chrzanowski, Juris Briedis and Peter Harrison with the four drivers scoring 3086 points all up.

Finishing the event just 10 points behind were Team G Bodies, who had Daniel Reynolds, Cameron Goodyear, Richard Thompson and Leigh Norrie representing them. Unfortunately the quartet had scored less points than the Porsche Specialists, but a 60-point penalty saw them drop to fifth.

Just 12 points off the G Bodies was the highest ranked five-person team in Are we there yet, which had Tony Carolan, Josef Smith,

Andrew Smith, Ken Eve and Carlo Fasolino behind the wheel.

Cutting the most laps of the day were the Porsche Specialists, who completed 227 laps of the circuit –just two more than the next busiest team in the ninth placed Stuggart Warriors - another five-person team made up of Andrew Lipman, Jim Adamson, Michael McLaurie, David Mallinson and Tim Asome.

Photos: Revved Photography

JAMES COOKS UP HISTORY IN CHARTERS TOWERS

James Cook and Mitch Aucote made history last month when they became the first SXS crew to ever win a round of the Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC).

The duo was on song for much of the AORC season opener in Charters Towers, beating reigning

champions Ryan Taylor and Kye Floyd to Markwell Group Gold City 450 honours, while Travis Robinson and Andrew Pinto rounded out a very impressive podium.

In what was a challenging track for crews, Cook took full advantage of the tight and twisty sections as he led the field at every section – producing a faultless nine laps.

For the whole event, it was all about the top three crews, with Robinson marking his long-awaited return to the sport with a victory in Prologue and pole position for the race.

It didn’t take long for Cook to stamp his authority on the competition though as he charged to the lead by the end of the first section, finishing a solid minute ahead of Robinson.

Just 20 seconds behind the West Australians were Taylor and Floyd, who had to overcome electrical issues in Prologue to post the third fastest time for the section.

However, the day belonged to Cook, who posted the fastest times on all three of the day’s laps.

“It’s an amazing feeling. I am sort of pinching myself and I can’t believe that we’re in this position,” Cook said.

Photos: DJH Creative

“We drove hard and smart; didn’t push too hard through the rocky sections, but pushed where we had to, so I think we’re in a great spot. It’s unreal.

“It’s pretty physical, a lot of corners, a lot of things you got to look out for like rocks, but we’re all on the same track and there’s some advantages to having an SXS, but there’s also some having the buggy.”

On Sunday morning, the Victorian continued on his way on to extend his lead by 10 seconds, but this time it was Taylor who was his biggest challenger after the Queenslander made up plenty of ground on Robinson during the section.

While Taylor closed the gap in the section's three first laps, Cook held off in the final laps to reach the chequered flag – creating history in the meantime.

“It’s amazing. It’s just so surreal and I am still pinching myself. I can’t believe we got it done,” Cook added.

“It wasn’t easy by any means. We had to push hard all weekend and luckily some good laps on Saturday morning set the scene for the weekend and gave us a nice lead.

made up the top five, as well as finishing second in the SXS Pro. Other class winners included Nicholas Commins (Extreme 2WD), Phil Lovett (Extreme 4WD), Brian Bradford (Super 1650) and Ross Newman (SXS Sport).

The next round of the Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road (AORC) will be the Wentworth Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash on 21-23 April.

Click here to view results from the weekend.

The battle for second and third proved quite entertaining as Taylor overcame a Robinson to start his title defence on a high, in addition to winning the pro-class.

Finishing in fourth was Tom and Kate Swinglehurst, while Glen Ackroyd and Michael Price

Click here to view the highlights from the round on 7plus.

“From there we just chipped away and did what we had to do.”

Photos: DJH Creative

“We drove hard and smart; didn’t push too hard through the rocky sections, but pushed where we had to.”

POONCARIE NEXT STOP FOR AORC

The Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC) resumes this month with the Wentworth Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash back in action

Taking place towards the end of the month, Australia’s best off roaders will take on four laps of the 102 kilometre course – totalling more than 400 kilometres over two days.

In the event’s national debut last year, there was plenty of attrition across the field as many crews found it difficult to navigate the many challenges the diverse course offered them.

This year will be no different as the course, which has been extended to 102 kilometres, will once again serve up plenty of challenges to crews across the two sections.

Similar to the 2022 edition, the event will begin with Prologue on the Saturday morning, before crews complete the first lap in the afternoon, before tackling the remaining three laps on Sunday.

From an entry list point of view, the stars are making themselves known with a huge collection of notable names entered in the second round of the season.

Headlining the entry list so far is defending champion Ryan Taylor and West Australian powerhouse Travis Robinson and both crews will be looking to build on solid starts to the season after they finished on the Markwell Group Gold City 450 podium.

On the contrary, Jake Swinglehurst and Josh Howells are both entered in Pooncarie and will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing season opener which neither finished.

Other high-profile names entered for their second appearance for the season include Garry Turnbull, Nicholas Commins, Glenn Brinkman, Glen Ackroyd and Greg Campbell and Tom Swinglehurst.

There are also a fair few big crews entered for their first round of the season, with the likes of Mel Brandle, Alan Dixon, Toby Whateley, Brett Rogers, Geoffrey Pickering and Trevor Chandler – all hoping to start their 2023 campaigns on a high.

After flooding caused the restructure of the course, Clerk of Course Troy Bennett was excited for what the new changes would offer the AORC crews.

“Obviously there have been quite a few floods in the area recently and as

a result, we have had to make massive changes to the course," Bennett said.

“Not only is there more distance, but it’s quite a spectacular view for the drivers with those areas significantly impacted by floods now forming into some beautiful natural lakes.

“A big thanks to volunteers who have done an amazing job in getting the track to a great condition and can’t wait to welcome the AORC for another year.”

The Wentworth Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash takes place in Pooncarie on 21-23 April.

CALLING FOR OFFICIALS

The Sunraysia Motor Sports Club are also on the lookout for officials to help run the event, with interested volunteers, as well as media, encouraged to register by emailing the event secretary: sunraysiamotorsports@gmail.com

“A big thanks to volunteers who have done an amazing job in getting the track to a great condition.”

Photo: DJH Creative

Photo: Gears and Wheels Photography

Photo: Gears and Wheels Photography

TERRIFIC TREWHELLA ENJOYS PERFECT PERENJORI WIN

Adam Trewhella dominated last month’s opening round of the Motorsport Australia WA Off Road Championship, taking out a 17-minute victory in the McPhee Freight, Gturbo Perenjori 360.

In what was an event full of surprises, the reigning state champion’s remarkable run saw him win comfortably in all three sections and dominate the strong field of 60 crews.

While Trewhella was in a league of his own at the front, the battle for podium places went right down to the final lap as less than one and half minutes separated the next three crews.

Taking out the honour of event runner-up were Robert Sobczyk and Brin Ketteridge-Hall, while 30 seconds behind them were fellow Prolite competitors Jared Percival and Joshua Howat.

A further 45 seconds in fourth place were SXS Pro class winners Paul Delacy and Jay Costantini, who picked up a $1000 payday due to the class’ InterEarth sponsorship after finishing six minutes ahead of class rivals Murray Kifer and Katie Chandler - the duo rounding out the top five.

Although Trewhella was dominant across the three sections, he didn’t start as leader as Troy Higgins took out the JohnDec Plastics & Lemonis/ Tantirpasut Lawyers Prologue, finishing ahead of Trewhella and trophy truck steerer Harleigh Uren.

Once the event was underway though, there would be plenty of drama throughout as Higgins was one of 36 crews unable to finish the whole distance.

Some of the notable crews outside of Higgins to fall out of contention due to mechanical dramas were Uren, Stephen Ketteridge-Hall, Warren Claasen and Simon Jones –all of whom were in class or outright contention before their dramas.

Those able to finish the event and pick up some silverware in the process included the seventh placed and Production 4WD winners Graeme Bentink and Matthew Cull, Extreme 4WD buggy winners Peer and Oliver Horn and Extreme 4WD winner Matthew Beck, who just squeezed into the Top 20.

Remarkably, Trewhella was the only Pro buggy driver inside the top 20 as the next best crew was Craig and Monica Wells in 21st overall. The last finisher for the event was Sean Beck, who secured top honours in Performance 2WD and made it two wins from two in the WA Off Road Junior Development Program. The next round of the 2023 Motorsport Australia WA Off Road Championship is the Gascoyne Dash in Carnarvon on 27-30 April.

Photos: Dakar Press Team Australia

MORE MOTORSPORT LIVE AND FREE ON SEVEN

Rally and off road will remain on the Seven Network in 2023, with continued coverage of Australia’s best rally and off road drivers across 7plus and 7mate.

The Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) is set for one of its biggest years yet with more cars, more drivers and impressive coverage across the screens of Seven.

The EROAD Power Stage will continue to be live streamed on 7plus on the Sunday of each event, while the postevent highlights from each round of the ARC will be screened on Seven’s free-to-air channel, 7mate, along with the popular streaming platform, 7plus. Throughout the season, the Motorsport Australia produced coverage will include behind-thescenes access to all the crews and storylines, with regular rally hosts Jessica Dane and Dean Herridge returning to front the rally coverage.

In the Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC), a variety of shorter-form snippets across the multiple classes will be made available on 7plus following each event.

To add to Seven’s motorsport offerings in 2023, this year will also

see the new Shannons Trophy Series live streamed on 7plus, with a simulcast run across Motorsport Australia’s social media channels allowing maximum exposure for this new circuit racing event. Broadcast schedules for the Trophy Series will be released closer to the events.

Motorsport Australia CEO Eugene Arocca thanked Seven for its ongoing support of motorsport in Australia.

“After a successful year in 2022 with strong viewership and terrific coverage of rally and off road, we’re pleased to see our rally and off road coverage returning to the screens of Seven in 2023,” Arocca said.

“We’re also thrilled to be working with Seven to deliver a range of archival

MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA EVENTS ON SEVEN

Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship

• Round 1: Rally Launceston, TAS – 24-26 March

• Round 2: Forest Rally, WA – 19-21 May

• Round 3: Rally Queensland, Gympie – 22-23 July

• Round 4: Gippsland Rally, VIC – 25-27 August

• Round 5: Adelaide Hills Rally, SA – 13-15 October

• Round 6: National Capital Rally, ACT – 18-19 November

All ARC events include live EROAD Power Stage on 7plus on Sunday, and a post-event highlights show on 7mate and 7plus.

Click here to view a replay of Rally Launceston’s EROAD Power Stage.

Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship

• Round 1: Gold City 450, QLD – 10-12 March

• Round 2: Pooncarie Desert Dash, NSW – 21-23 April

• Round 3: Finke Desert Race, NT – 10-12 June

• Round 4: Loveday 400, SA – 28-30 July

• Round 5: Kalgoorlie Desert Race, WA – 19-22 October

All AORC events to feature selected highlights on 7plus

Click here to watch highlights from the Markwell Group Gold City 450.

content from years gone from our motorsport archives. There is some amazing content on our shelves and we’re pleased to be able to share it with a larger audience, as well as give the next generation the opportunity to enjoy the history of the sport.

“It’s an exciting year for circuit racing in 2023 too, with the addition of the Shannons Trophy Series. We’re pleased to see these three events will be live streamed on 7plus to maximise the audience, and provide live and free coverage of a wide range of categories.”

The post-event highlights show for the ARC’s season opener, the Buckby ŠKODA Rally Launceston, will air on 7mate and be available on 7plus towards the end of the month.

Shannons Trophy Series

• Round 1: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW – 16-18 June

• Round 2: Queensland Raceway, QLD – 4-6 August

• Round 3: The Bend Motorsport Park, SA – 13-15 October

All Shannons Trophy Series events to feature live and ondemand coverage on 7plus.

Photo: Daniel Kalisz Photographer

SUPER SCCSA ENJOY SPECTACULAR TWILIGHT OPENER

The Sporting Car Club of SA (SCCSA) got the 2023 SA Motor Racing Championships season underway in style last month with a spectacular twilight meeting at Mallala Motorsport Park.

Around 100 competitors spread across seven categories took part in the season opener with each field getting three races throughout the day – the last round of which were run under lights.

Some of the categories on show included Saloon Cars/HQ Holdens, Improved Production and Formula Vee, however the biggest field belonged to the Hyundai Excels, which was split into Circuit Excels and Circuit Masters.

Not only did the Circuit Excels have the biggest field of the whole event, with 30 cars entered, however it provided some of the most

exciting races across the round with Victorian Joel Johnson edging out SA superstar Asher Johnston.

In what was a two-horse race for the majority of the category’s three races, it was the South Australian champion who got the better start, winning their first battle by six tenths. Johnson would overturn the deficit in race two, taking out a victory by half a second before the Victorian sealed the deal with a five-tenth win in the event’s finale.

In the Masters, it was a far less diverse run of results as Brian Smith was victorious in all three races – his first two wins coming by less than a second over Michael Nowickyj, before charging to a seven second win in the finale race over Bruce Martens.

Smith was just one of a handful of drivers to claim clean sweeps for the categories, with Daniel Westcott

winning the Formula Vees, Slade Orsmond guiding his Porsche GT3 911 to three from three in Sports Cars, Holden Commodore VY driver Shawn Jamieson claiming the three combined Saloon Cars/HQ Holdens races and Andy Sarandis taking out top honours in Improved Production. Although Sarandis walked away with three wins, his battle with polesitter Max de Meyrick proved quite entertaining as the duo were neck-and-neck for most of the category’s outings.

Rounding out the list of categories were Historic Racing/Sports Cars, which saw Blake Miller win races on either side of Andrew Ford’s big race two win.

The next round of the SA Motor Racing Championships will be a two-day race meeting at The Bend Motorsport Park on 27-28 May.

Photos: Bob Taylor

OJEDA AND HODGES WIN 6 HOUR CLASSIC ON THE MOUNTAIN

Jayden Ojeda and Simon Hodges have won an extraordinary HiTec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour in their BMW M4, in a race that featured a record 12 safety cars and the event’s first ever red flag.

The race seemed destined to finish under safety car when it was called for the 12th and final time after Coleby Cowham and Paul Loiacano both found the wall at Murrays Corner and Forrest’s Elbow respectively with three minutes to go. However, quick work by track officials allowed for a one lap trophy dash to decide the Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour.

Ojeda held his nerve to claim a career-defining win closely followed by Drew Russell after another brilliant performance in the GoKarts-Go BMW M3 he shared with father Wayne and brother Aaren.

rest of the crowd watching, on edge right until the very end.

“The whole weekend was chaotic,” Ojeda said.

“From practice two, we were looking for an electrical demon and I call it that because we could not find it for the life of us. So, practice two, three and even qualifying, we were really compromised.

“Then ahead of the race, we finally managed to get it to work as we wanted to and from that first stint, I knew that we had to pace to win the race.

The outright and Class X podiums were rounded out by the Anthony Soole/Adam Burgess/Anton De Pasquale BMW M4 after third on road Tyler Everingham was handed a 15 second penalty for passing De Pasquale under safety car conditions. There was plenty of drama throughout the race too with polesitters Will Davison, Beric Lynton and For Ojeda, it was an unforgettable race that kept the talented New South Welshman, as well as the

“It became just a matter of getting the car to hold on. Simon jumped in and did an awesome double or triple stint in the middle part of the race, before handing the car over to me in a strong position.

“I just knew what I had to do and I just went out and just really had a crack.

“Our strategy worked really well – our strategy manager Jack Bellotti smashed it.

“We got CPS (Compulsory Pit Stop) out of the way early enough so that our last stop was just fuel and go, which helped us from a track position – in front of the Russell car and in

“It was really nerve-wracking in the end, but I am stoked.”

front of all the others that had to do their compulsory pit stops at the end.

“It was really nerve-wracking in the end, but I am stoked.”

The outright battle wasn’t the only one that went down to the wire with a photo finish deciding the Class A2 winner and seventh overall.

In the Ford Mustang Mach 1 shared with grandfather Tony Quinn and Grant Denyer, Ryder Quinn snatched the class victory from Ryan Casha by the smallest of margins - less than one tenth of a second separating Quinn with the Mustang of Casha, Chris Delfsma and Rylan Grey.

Rounding out the top 10 were the top two A1 class contenders with Dean Campbell and Cameron Crick edging out Dylan O’Keefe, Michael Sheargold and Ollie Shannon by one second.

Class C also saw an extraordinary conclusion as the HSV VXR of Brock Giblin/Ben McLeod overcame a driveshaft failure in the final 30 minutes to claim victory on the final lap.

The Shannons SpeedSeries continues next month when it visits Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit for the third event of the 2023 season.

HI-TEC OILS BATHURST 6 HOUR CLASS WINNERS

Class X: Jayden Ojeda/ Simon Hodges

Class A1: Tony Quinn/Grant Denyer/Ryder Quinn

Class A2: Dean Campbell and Cameron Crick

Class B1: Harrison Inwood/Grant Inwood/Timothy Colombrita

Class B2: Brad McDonald/ Cody McKay/Brent Edwards

Class C: Brock Giblin/Ben McLeod

Class D: Murray Dowsett/Mitchell Maddren/Lachlan Bloxsom

Class E: Andrew Jackman/ Cameron Beller/Mark Taubitz

SUPPORT CATEGORIES RESULTS

GT WORLD CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA

ProAm: Liam Talbot and Max Hofer

Am: Brad Schumacher

GT 3 Trophy Series: Marcos Flack

GT 4 Cup: Mark Griffith

CIRCUIT EXCEL BATHURST CHALLENGE ROUND PODIUM

1. Ryan Casha

2. Hugo Simpson

3. Dale Carpenter

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION CARS / GT4 AUSTRALIA COMBINED

GT4 Winner: Karl Begg

Production Cars Winners: Grant Sherrin/Iain Sherrin

Click here to see full results.

MRF TYRES NISSAN PULSARS RACE WINNERS

Race 1: Dan Smith

Race 2: Joshua Craig

Race 3: Joshua Craig

Photos: Speed Shots Photography

BUMPER RATINGS FOR SHANNONS SPEEDSERIES OPENER

More people are enjoying the Shannons SpeedSeries than ever before, with impressive ratings for the opening round, AWC Race Tasmania.

Coverage across Stan Sport and the Nine Network saw more people watching than in 2022, with 175,000 people watching Saturday’s action on 9GEM and 9GO, a 22 per cent rise year-on-year.

Stan’s extended live coverage saw a total increase in viewership of 30 per cent on the previous year.

On-demand viewership was most impressive, up 55 per cent on Stan Sport, while international streaming saw increased viewership across SpeedSeries.com.au and new international streaming partner, Speedcafe.com. On the international stream, the average viewer was tuned in for more than 90 minutes. Significant increases in viewers were seen from those watching in the USA and New Zealand in particular.

As well as the live stream, ondemand options for international

viewers will also be available from round two onwards.

At the event itself, the in-person attendance increased by a whopping 130 per cent to 11,676 compared to the capped COVID crowd in 2022.

Motorsport Australia Director of Motorsport & Commercial Operations, Michael Smith was pleased with the interest surrounding the first Shannons SpeedSeries event for 2023.

“AWC Race Tasmania was a terrific start to this year’s Shannons SpeedSeries, with big numbers tuning in to the coverage on Stan Sport and the Nine Network,” Smith said.

“With big increases year on year, it’s clear that the Shannons SpeedSeries is home to the best multi-category national racing that Australia has to offer. It’s also clear to us that this new brand and partnership with the Australian Racing Group is already paying dividends for the events.

“With another seven rounds still to come, we know this season is going to be one of the best yet with big television audiences, great crowds at each events and plenty of interest in the various categories in action.”

Australian Racing Group Chief Operating Officer, Liam Curkpatrick echoed Smith’s comments.

“The opening round of the Shannons SpeedSeries was a great success,” Curkpatrick said.

“The feedback from the categories was very positive, with a great atmosphere at the event. These increased numbers are great news for competitors, fans and our event partners.

“With a new look event in 2023, the Shannons SpeedSeries certainly promises to deliver even more great events for the rest of the season. These increased ratings highlight the partnership with Motorsport Australia and having an aligned brand is already making a difference.”

Each round of the Shannons SpeedSeries can be viewed live and ad free on Stan Sport on Saturday and Sunday of each round. Every event also includes three hours of coverage on Saturday via free-to-air network 9GEM and Nine’s digital streaming platform 9Now.

2023 AWC RACE TASMANIA STATS

• 9GEM/9GO Saturday coverage: 175,000 viewers, 22% increase

• Stan Sport Saturday/ Sunday: 30% increase

• Stan Sport On Demand: 55% increase year-on-year

• International stream: Average of 90 minutes watched per viewer

• Event attendance: 11,676, 130% increase

“These increased numbers are great news for competitors, fans and our event partners”

Photos: Daniel Kalisz Photographer

KOSTECKI ON TOP AFTER TWO ROUNDS

The Repco Supercars Championship has had a wild start to the 2023 season with two rounds having been run and won in just over a month.

Starting off with two dramatic races in the Thrifty Newcastle 500, the championship turned to the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix where the Beaurepaires Melbourne Supersprint was run – teams and drivers getting four races across the board.

The first stop was the famous Reid Park circuit in Newcastle, where Cameron Waters was gifted the opening win of the season after Triple Eight’s race winner Shane van Gisbergen and runner-up Broc Feeney were disqualified from the race.

Rounding out the podium behind Waters was Chaz Mostert in the new Walkinshaw Andretti United Ford Mustang and Erebus Motorsport’s Brodie Kostecki.

Mostert was again in the thick of the action in race two as the

Queenslander secured back-toback podiums having led for a majority of the second 250km race.

Following an entertaining battle with Waters, Mostert had built an eight second lead before a strong final stint from van Gisbergen saw the reigning champion reduce a deficit of eight seconds, snatch the lead and reach the chequered flag four seconds ahead of Mostert.

Race two polesitter David Reynolds finished in third place a further 21 seconds behind.

The Beaurepaires Melbourne Supersprint proved to be just as dramatic than the season opener, as a collection of incidents, red flags and safety cars were a major factor across the four races.

Winning the Larry Perkins Trophy for the prestigious event was Kostecki, who finished the weekend on the Albert Park podium in every race, as well as picking up two wins of his own.

In the category’s history making race on the Thursday - the first time of which a Supercars/Australian Touring Cars Championship race had run on a Thursday – it was van Gisbergen who claimed top honours.

Starting from the second row, a smart strategy and pure pace helped the Kiwi make up two positions to beat Kostecki and Erebus Motorsport teammate Will Brown to the line in the 19-lap affair.

On Friday, it was Kostecki’s turn to climb from the second row to the

Photos: Edge Photographics

front of the pack, and although it was a significantly shortened race, the West Australian claimed a career-first victory – beating the Red Bull Ampol Racing duo of van Gisbergen and Feeney.

Having waited 75 races before getting his maiden win, Kostecki didn’t need to wait for more than one in order to get his next, with the 25-yearold victorious in the next outing.

Leading van Gisbergen and Brown across the line, Kostecki had closed the gap on the championship leader in Mostert to just one point ahead of the final race.

Kostecki then gained the Championship lead at the end of the round having secured his fourth podium, finishing in third

behind Andre Heimgartner and race winner Broc Feeney.

Feeney’s victory was significant for multiple reasons as the youngster led from lights out to the chequered flag having become the youngest ever pole sitter in Supercars history during Qualifying.

Despite Feeney setting an incredible new record, the weekend belonged to Kostecki, who not only won his first round, but left with a healthy championship lead of 32 points and helped Erebus to the championship lead for the first time.

The Repco Supercars Championship continues at the end of this month with the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint at Carco.com.au Raceway in Western Australia on 28-30 April.

REPCO SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP TOP 10

1. Brodie Kostecki – 514 points

2. Chaz Mostert – 482

3. Shane van Gisbergen – 428

4. Andre Heimgartner – 386

5. Will Brown – 383

6. Cameron Waters – 369

7. Broc Feeney - 368

8. David Reynolds – 325

9. Jack Le Brocq – 325

10. Bryce Fullwood – 275

Photos: Edge Photographics

Click here to view full results from the opening two rounds.

BATES, MCLOUGHLIN START 2023 SEASON ON A HIGH

Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin have enjoyed the perfect start to their Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) title defence, having won last month’s Buckby ŠKODA Rally Launceston.

With a record field for a Tasmanian round of 26 ARC crews entered in the season opener, Bates and McLoughlin were highly consistent throughout the event and left with a Heat win and a Heat top three.

Finishing the outright event in second after two top three finishes were Luke Anear and Malcolm Read, while Heat 2 winners Nathan Quinn and Ray Winwood-Smith rounded out the podium.

There was plenty of drama throughout the entertaining 12-stage event, which began with memorable opening three

stages that saw Tasmanian Bodie Reading and Mark Young leading outright in their Subaru WRX STI.

Bates and McLoughlin would eventually wrestle their way into the lead to win the first pool of points for 2023, however Reading managed to secure a runner-up finish for the Heat, beating Anear and Read, while also winning White Wolf Constructions ARC Production Cup and Motorsport Australia Tasmanian Rally Championship honours ahead of fellow Tasmanian Eddie Maguire.

Taking out the heat’s ARC 2WD Cup was Victorian Ben Hayes and Catherine Hayes in their Subaru BRZ, whilst David Thompson and

Matthew Sanders won maximum points for the ARC Classic Cup.

“It was an awesome day out. It’s the perfect start to the season with great championship points and we couldn’t ask for anything more,” Bates said.

“I was on a bit of a mission to push hard and make sure we catch that time so we could get the win today because Bodie and Eddie were both driving extremely well.

“They clearly know those roads well and they’re very fast drivers, so it was fun hunting them down this afternoon and it made for a good battle.”

Following a disappointing Saturday that saw him out in the morning,

Photo: DMAC Photography

“It’s the perfect start to the season with great championship points and we couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Harry Bates and co-driver Coral Taylor started Heat 2 strong, winning two of the morning’s three stages.

That put the 2019 champion in the lead ahead of 2017 ARC champion Nathan Quinn by seconds, while stage-winner Anear was close in third.

A difficult afternoon with multiple finishes outside the top 10 saw Harry drop down the order, while Quinn’s two stage wins put him firmly on top of the timesheets ahead of the EROAD Power Stage.

The New South Welshman couldn’t secure maximum bonus points in the EROAD Power Stage though, as he ended up missing out by just four tenths of a second to the Toyota Yaris AP4 of Lewis and McLoughlin.

Despite missing out on the EROAD Power Stage win, Quinn enjoyed

taking out the heat win and banking good points for an ARC charge.

“It’s good to give the team payback. Ray has been rallying for 40 years, and it’s the first time he has ever won a national heat in the ARC, so well done to Ray and to the team,” Quinn said.

“We were on limited spares and limited crew and there were a lot of times we thought we were out and done, but somehow we managed to pull it together and do things we probably shouldn’t have and it’s paid off.”

Lewis was just happy to get the win and Power stage bonus points.

“It’s been an amazing weekend –almost faultless from Anthony and me – it’s been a great performance,” Lewis said post-EROAD Power Stage.

“It’s been tricky, we haven’t been here in March before so I wasn’t used to the slippery roads. Absolutely over the moon to take the win. It’s amazing.”

Harry and Taylor ended the heat in fourth place, while Bodie Reading’s eighth place saw him secure fourth for the event overall.

The Hayes ended up winning the 2WD heat, giving them the win for the weekend overall, while Trevor Stilling and Jon Thomson took out the heat, but fell short of the overall win to Thompson and Sanders.

Having produced a gallant performance all weekend that actually saw them rewarded with the White Wolf Constructions ARC Production Cup victory, Maguire and co-driver Adrian Kudra were unfortunately disqualified due to a technical breach – giving the outright win to Reading and Young.

The ARC continues next month with the Make Smoking History Forest Rally on 19-21 May.

Click here to view full results from the weekend.

Click here to watch the EROAD Power Stage replay.

Photos: DMAC Photography

SAFETYCULTURE BACKING ARC IN 2023

SafetyCulture is the latest organisation to back the growing Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) family, with the innovative global technology company joining as a partner.

With many different forms and protocols in place across motorsport, SafetyCulture’s award-winning operations and training platform will provide the ARC and Motorsport Australia with the ability to simplify a number of key processes including stage assessments, staff training and incident response.

SafetyCulture was founded by ARC competitor, Luke Anear, who said he was eager to bring his exciting technology to motorsport.

“We know the SafetyCulture platform can work in improving and simplifying a number of key documents and processes involved in motorsport,” Anear explained.

“We’re really excited to be working with Motorsport Australia to provide access to our platform and improve the efficiency across the Championship for event organisers and key personnel.

Michael Smith thanked Anear and the SafetyCulture team for its support.

“We all know Luke is passionate about his rallying but what some might not know is how impressive the SafetyCulture platform is and the impact it has had around the world,” Smith said.

“We’re excited to be working with the SafetyCulture team and know this product will have significant benefits across the sport, particularly for the ARC and its stakeholders.”

“That work has already started and a number of forms and other key documents will move to the SafetyCulture platform which will be a benefit to everyone, including competitors and officials.”

Motorsport Australia Director of Motorsport & Commercial Operations

The SafetyCulture brand will feature across collateral at all ARC events in 2023.

Click here for more information on SafetyCulture.

“That work has already started... which will be a benefit to everyone, including competitors and officials”

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