Motorsport Australia Speed Read - June 2024

SPEEDREAD

BATES AND TAYLOR BACK-TO-BACK IN THE WEST

Harry Bates and Coral Taylor have continued their strong start to their Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship title defence after claiming last month’s Forest Rally.

Cover photo by Dakar Press Team Australia

ROBINSON AND HUTT FASTEST TO FINKE

Beau Robinson and Shane Hutt are the 2024 Tatts Finke Desert Race champions, claiming a historic first ever victory of the Northern Territory event after multiple attempts.

Having finished on the podium at the iconic off-road race six times prior, but never on the top step, 2024 will go down in history for Robinson and Hutt who saluted with a five minute lead over their nearest rivals.

Crossing the line in second was Brett Comiskey who took over driving duties from Billy Geddes for the drive from Aputula to Alice Springs, with navigators Corey Cooper and Alan Cornick also sharing the second seat over the two days.

Rounding out the podium was James Cook and navigator Mitch Aucote – the pair still managing to secure the final step on the dais despite a rollover on Monday morning close to Alice Springs.

With more than 120 of Australia's best off road crews entered in the second round of the BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC), more than 450 kilometres separated them with the prestigious King of the Desert title.

Starting with Method Race Wheels Prologue on Saturday, Robinson easily secured pole position with a lightning quick run during the chaotic session, beating South Australian Carl Haby by a couple of minutes.

When we got about 10km out, I was thinking, we might actually do this

As the chaos continued on Race Day 1, so did Robinson and Hutt's strong form, as they completed the 223-kilometre course down to Aputula in one hour and 41 minutesalmost eight minutes faster than his time last year down to Finke last year.

Behind him, Geddes and Cornick charged through the top order in the ex-Toby Price Trophy Truck

to post the second fastest time, while Brent Smoothy and David Walsh rounded out the top three.

On the way back up to Alice Springs, the OBR184 Trophy Truck continued its merry way to the elusive title with the fastest time again, despite Robinson nursing the car.

With the drought finally broken, Robinson was understandably thrilled with the victory.

Photo:

“It feels really good, we’ve come close a lot of times,” Robinson said post-race.

“We were certainly not counting our chickens through the run back. When we got about 10km out (from Alice Springs), I was thinking we might actually do this.”

“We conserved massively (back up to Alice Springs). I’ve never driven that slow in my life.

“We wanted to make sure we finished. We were really keeping a check on ourselves, tried to keep it in one piece, just really look after the car.

“I’ve been coming up here a long time and you don’t realise it but you learn a lot of little things you know. The race comes to you – you used to think you had to chase it. We knew where to push and where to back down –and that’s how I got here today.”

In addition to the win, Robinson also picked up the Extreme 2WD win over Geddes and Comiskey.

In the other class battles, the Transportable Shade Sheds Motorsport Australia SXS Championship saw Jeff McNiven cross the line more than 13 minutes ahead of the nearest SXS competitor – however McNiven faces a 15-minute penalty for what Stewards deemed an illegal pre-run of the course earlier in the week, with results to be determined shortly.

If that penalty is applied to the standings, the SXS honours would go to Greg Campbell alongside daughter Tori Campbell in their Can-Am.

Cook and Aucote’s outright podium also saw them claim honours in the Pro Buggy class. Joining Cook as top 10 class winners were the eighth placed Mel Brandle and Liam Brandle, who claimed Prolite honours, and Extreme 4WD winners Andrew Brown and Danny Haardman, who finished ninth overall.

Other notable class winners included Paul Tinga ad Daniel Kelsey in the Sportslite class, Timothy Wier and

Mark Nietschke in Super 1650, and Michael Shipton being fastest of the Performance 2WD competitors.

It was a disappointing end of the weekend for Craig Lowndes and Dale Moscatt who failed to finish in their Chevrolet on Monday, meaning the back-to-back Production 4WD class winners were the team from Ford Performance Racing – Brad Lovell and Byam Lovell impressing on the run to Alice to secure the victory.

John White and Jack Brigs would also do more than enough to secure SXS Sport honours after making it there and back in just over six hours.

The 2024 BFGoodrich Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship season continues next month with the Loveday 400 to take place at Loveday 4×4 Adventure Park in South Australia on 28-30 July.

View the full results for the 2024 Tatts Finke Desert Race at my.raceresult.com

SXS STARS GILL AND WREIGHT SEAL BENCUBBIN VICTORY

Royce Gill and Benjamin Wreight have enjoyed an unlikely victory in the Motorsport Australia Western Australia Off Road Championship’s second round of the 2024 season.

With a competitive field of 36 crews entered in the Make Tracks Bencubbin 2024, it was Gill and Wreight in their Can Am who ended up on top, beating Pro Buggy veterans Troy and Higgins and fellow SXS Pro contenders Friday Boyce and Kelly Thomas.

Behind the wheel of a Can Am, Gill and Wreight completed all five laps of the event in an impressive time of four hours and 13 minutes, just over three minutes ahead of the GET Performance Pro Buggy of Higgins.

Although Gill was a deserving winner of the event, the result came down to a decisive final section, where Higgins faced issues and lost a large amount of time, which ultimately cost him the race.

Higgins had recorded the fastest times in both sections one and two, racing out to a seven and a half minute lead over Gill, who had made up three positions in the second section thanks to a strong run.

A decent first lap in the final section saw Higgins maintain his lead, however dramas on the second lap saw him 11 minutes slower than Gill, who went fourth fastest on the section - ultimately handing the SXS Pro winner the outright victory.

Despite being significantly slower on the final lap, he was able to hold on for second place after Boyce went sixth fastest in the third section overall – the SXS Pro runner-up falling short by one minute and 18 seconds.

Going fastest in the final section was Robert Sobczyk in the TATUM buggy he shared with navigators Brin Ketteridge-Hall and Haylee Cowling, however the section win only helped him secure sixth overall after a disappointing second section.

Finishing ahead of Sobczyk in the event overall to round out the top five was pro buggy runner-up finishers

Bradley Cooper and Peter Barrett in fourth and SXS Pro podium getters, Dave Bush and Brett Funneman.

Sobczyk didn’t leave the event empty handed though, as he

comfortably picked up the Prolite win by more than 15 minutes.

Other notable results included Graeme Bentik and Michael Gianuzzi, who took out the Production 4WD Cup and finished seventh outright, the 18th placed Aaron Cassidy and Adam Lanigan winning the Extreme 4WD class, and Steve Pacey and David Chaffer taking the final place in the top 20 and the Super 1650 class.

Rounding out the class winners were CJ Green, who claimed the Sportslite class and Performance 2WD winners Blake and Jake Pugh.

The next round of the Motorsport Australia Western Australia Off Road Championship will be on Three Springs 330 on 21-22 September.

Photos:

Dakar Press Team Australia

RACE, RINSE, REPEAT

Meguiar’s now sponsoring 2024 Australian Production Car season.

WE SUPPORT MOTORSPORT.

MOZA RACING FIA MOTORSPORT GAMES ESPORTS QUALIFYING NOW OPEN

Applications are now open for Australian Esports drivers looking to represent Team Australia at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games.

Following two successful editions of the multi-discipline event, the FIA Motorsport Games has expanded the Esports competition for 2024 to feature two different platforms at the event - with iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione both now on offer.

As a result, Motorsport Australia will choose an individual to represent Team Australia in Spain for each platform via a special Qualifying event in August.

Taking place at popular gaming venue Fortress Melbourne, the MOZA Racing FIA Motorsport Games Esports Qualifier will see 24 selected participants battle it out for the two spots available on Team Australia in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Each platform qualifier will have 12 aspiring drivers competing, with the winner to earn a spot to attend the Games in October.

To be selected for the Qualifying event, interested participants must submit an application by 11:59pm AEST on Sunday 23 June that includes all sim racing experience and results as part of the application.

Competitors will then be chosen by a selection committee based

on the information provided in the applications, with the 24 drivers to then be invited to Melbourne for the Qualifier in August.

To be eligible for the Qualifier, applicants must be aged 16 or older; can make their own way to the August qualifying event in Melbourne; and be available for the FIA Motorsport Games in Spain on 23-27 October.

Interested participants do not need to have a Motorsport Australia Esports Licence to apply, however they will need to obtain one to take part prior to, or on the day of, the Qualifying Event and the FIA Motorsport Games. Qualifiers will also be required to pay a $100 entry fee upon selection.

More details on the event, including regulations, formats, cars, set ups and tracks for both platforms will be announced closer to the date.

The MOZA Racing FIA Motorsport Games Esports Qualifier takes place at Fortress Melbourne in Victoria, from 5-9pm AEST on Friday 16 August. The FIA Motorsport Games will be held in Valencia, Spain on 23-27 October.

More information on the MOZA Racing FIA Motorsport Games Esports Qualifiers at esports.motorsport.org.au

Photo:

Patrick Hecqq

2024 ESPORTS CALENDAR

MOTORSPORT JOINS THE HUDDLE’S LEADING EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Huddle and Motorsport Australia are proud to announce a new partnership to integrate motorsport into Australian schools

Aligned to the Australian and Victorian curriculum and New South Wales syllabus, GOAL! is a free online motorsport-themed curriculum designed to strengthen students’ knowledge and use of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from grades 5 to 8.

The new motorsport lessons are now available through The Huddle’s website for teachers eager to engage their students in the classroom.

The Huddle’s CEO Cameron McLeod said the opportunity to welcome motorsport to the growing list of sports collaborating with The Huddle to strengthen education and employment for young people is significant.

“Motorsport has a big global footprint and a large following here in Australia,” McLeod said.

The lesson plans have been designed to help engage students to learn and apply STEM in the real-world

The lesson plans, designed in collaboration with the Mathematical Association of Victoria, provide opportunities for students to try new and exciting challenges, including designing a race car, engineering a racetrack, building a Supercars Championship team with a limited budget, designing a rally course, designing and building a helmet for an egg and more.

“The lesson plans have been designed by teachers, for teachers to help engage their students to learn and apply STEM in the real-world.”

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the team at Motorsport Australia who have a genuine passion for community and helping to showcase the skills and talents of young people from diverse backgrounds.”

Motorsport Australia CEO Sunil Vohra said the program would be an important asset to further grow the sport’s following, while assisting students with their education.

“The Huddle has a proud history in the community, and we all know the power sport can have with engaging young people in their education,” Vohra said.

“We’re excited to have partnered with The Huddle to deliver this very special education experience.

“These sorts of initiatives are extremely important for the continued growth in motorsport, running alongside

our fantastic junior development programs such as FIA Girls On Track and First Gear. Combine that with the clear educational benefits this program provides, and we know this partnership will be a clear winner.”

Find out more at thehuddle. org.au/motorsportaustralia

ABOUT THE HUDDLE

Born out of the role and value of sport and the influence the North Melbourne Football Club plays in connecting people across different ages, genders, and cultures; The Huddle was established in 2010 as the community arm of the Club in partnership with the Scanlon Foundation and the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

It was established to engage, support, and empower young people to build on their strengths, increase their ability to participate in society and contribute to more socially inclusive communities

ABOUT THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA

The Mathematical Association of Victoria (MAV) is the Victorian professional membership body for mathematics educators and schools across the education sector. MAV reaches educators directly through membership, schools and a range of direct professional services. Everything they do is about supporting better mathematics outcomes for students. They do this by equipping and empowering incredible educators by helping them every day.

PLAYFORD PIVOTAL IN PERTH

This month’s Supercheap Auto Official Superstar is Paige Playford, who is being recognised for her natural ability as a volunteer official during last month’s Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint.

Spending the popular Supercars round at CARCO.com.au Raceway’s busy MP2.0 post, Paige showcased her exceptional skill, having been highly efficient in every aspect of the role and not missing a call or day.

Not only did her call-making during the three-day event impress, but she also showed a remarkable ability to accurately record and report every incident in her sector.

In addition to her general performance during the event, she also spent the weekend alongside two new

volunteers, who by the end of the weekend, felt confident enough to run the post without her – a testament to her ability to pass her knowledge on.

Outside of that last month’s Supercars event, the 20-year-old continually displays the maturity of someone much older and experienced and has evolved significantly as a flag marshal over the years.

At every meeting Paige constantly shines and prove why she is a very competent official, making her a worthy recipient of Supercheap Superstar Award.

To thank Paige for her many years of service, professionalism, and extensive knowledge, she will receive a $100 Supercheap Auto gift card, commemorative pin and certificate.

Do you know someone like Paige; a Motorsport Australia official who deserves to be recognised for going above and beyond their duty?

Nominate now and your friend could win a $100 Supercheap Auto gift card, commemorative pin, and certificate — with their story shared in Speed Read.

Submit your nomination to Speed Read

PAIGE PLAYFORD

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DEVELOPING PERFORMANCE FILTERS THROUGH AUSTRALIAN MOTORSPORT

As Australia’s leading aftermarket filtration company, Ryco is passionate about developing filtration applications for not just passenger vehicles, but for motorsport enthusiasts and performance vehicles alike. It was this that lead to the Official Filtration Partnership with the Repco Supercars Championship.

When first connecting with Supercars, Ryco understood that the category wanted to extend engine life on their vehicles to reduce rebuild frequency, with filtration playing a key role.

With this in mind, Ryco developed a bespoke range of filters that could be applied to the new GEN3 platform. The development of the Oil, Fuel and Air filters would provide ideal filtration efficiencies, achieving maximised engine life while also delivering outstanding performance.

The Z5000RP Ryco Performance Fuel Filter, as well as the Z928ST and Z160ST Ryco SynTec Oil Filters, were evaluated in consultation with the Supercars race teams to guarantee they were fit for purpose with the GEN3 Mustang and Camaro engines being developed at the time.

It’s an opportunity to build on the developments made with Supercars, which will in-turn have a significant impact on drivers of passenger vehicles

For the Z5000RP, instead of the coarseparticle pleated metal screens found in other fuel filters, the Z5000RP includes a rolled element that filters down to 7 micron at 98.67 per cent efficiency.

The Z928ST and Z160ST are made with patented SynTec non-fibre media, offering the ultimate engine protection removing 99.8% of contaminants.

The A5000R Ryco NanoCel™ High Efficiency Air Filter is the filter that has perhaps had the biggest impact on the Supercars engine life longevity.

This is because 80 per cent of engine life is limited by wear, and most engine contamination will come through the air filter if poor filtration is used.

Dust ingestion has a direct correlation to engine wear and engine longevity, so it was crucial to ensure the filter developed was highly effective to deliver on the Supercars team wants and needs. It is made of a hydrophobic nano-fibre coated media and pleated into a unique honeycomb construction.

This pleating means it can trap more contaminants entering the torturous path down to 5 micron, but still allows for maximum flow, which is extremely important for maximising horsepower and performance.

The future of filtration is an exciting one for the Ryco team, as it’s an opportunity to build

on the developments made with Supercars, which will inturn have a significant impact on drivers of passenger vehicles.

SynTec technology having proven effective in Supercars vehicles has meant it has been highly successful with the everyday driver and performance enthusiast, with these upgrade performance filters available at all good Ryco stockists.

Looking ahead, Ryco engineers have continued to design new ways to transfer this successful technology to passenger vehicles. Ryco’s latest release, the A5001R

Ryco NanoCel™ High Efficiency Air Filter, was developed and tested in Australia to do just that.

It is made of flame retardant and hydrophobic nano-fibre coated media with patented honeycomb cell pleating construction which was the inspiration behind name for the newest edition to this range. A5001R incorporates a total of 4.2 times more filtration media compared to the OE equivalent which has 1sqm of media. It's the first in the range of Ryco NanoCel™ High Efficiency Air Filters with more applications coming soon.

Overall, Ryco’s partnership with the Supercars program has illustrated the importance filters have on engine performance, and the lengths this technology can be pushed new and exciting solutions continue to be developed.

Visit rycofilters.com.au to find out more about Motorsport Australia's Official Filtration Partner

WHEN COMPROMISE ISN’T AN OPTION

BE RYCO READY

Ryco SynTec© oil filters give you the ultimate filtration protection. Along with being engineered, developed, and tested at its Melbourne Laboratory, Ryco’s SynTec synthetic oil filters offer a premium upgrade over OE whilst delivering high efficiency filtration without compromising flow, so you can focus on the challenge ahead. So, when your everyday passenger, 4x4 or commercial vehicle needs the same protection as a Supercar, be Ryco Ready.

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BARKER MARKS ROB ROY RETURN IN A BIG WAY

Mike Barker claimed an important victory in the EZIUP AND GO Victorian Hillclimb Championship last month, taking out the fourth round of the season and his second win for 2024.

Continuing his entertaining title fight with fellow contender David Mahon at the famous Rob Roy Hillclimb, Barker needed a big victory, having not won a round since the season opener at the same location.

And the veteran certainly delivered, posting a winning time of 19.58 seconds, which proved almost two seconds faster than Mahon.

With the 103 entrants allowed up to four attempts of the iconic hill climb, many of the competitors opted to complete just two due to the difficult weather conditions.

Barker was one of those competitors, and he only needed two attempts as

he claimed his event-winning time on the second run, improving by half a second in the second attempt.

Like the eventual winner, Mahon also had just two attempts at the hill climb and improved significantly during the runs, his second time almost four seconds faster than his first – yet his 21.32-second time was not good enough for the victory.

Rounding out the podium was the highest placed tin top for the event, with David Bell guiding his Subaru Impreza to a highly impressive time of 21.88 seconds on his first attempt – eventually beating overall title contender Patrick Malanaphy by half a second.

The front four looked a cut above the rest when it came to their fastest times, with the next best driver after Malanaphy being another Subaru Impreza WRX

driver in Brian Portz, who was two seconds shy of the Formula Libre star in Malanaphy in fifth place.

As a result of the challenging weather conditions, the tin tops proved quite a match for the open wheel vehicles, with Subaru WRX driver Emma Collyer in sixth place just three tenths of Portz.

The rest of the top 10 all featured tin tops with Jordan James (Mitsubishi Evo 4) Nathaniel Kuchel (BMW 135i), (Michael McGuire Honda Civic 1600) and Brendon Crombie (VW Scirocco) all split by less than one second.

The next round of the 2024 EZIUP AND GO Victorian Hillclimb Championship season will be run by the Gippsland Car Club at Bryant Park on 30 June.

View the full results for the EZIUP AND GO Victorian Hillclimb Championship at robroyhillclimb.com.au

Photos: Seven70 Photography

WHEN IT WON’T BUFF OUT...

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BATES AND TAYLOR BACK-TO-BACK WITH WA WIN

Harry Bates and Coral Taylor have continued their strong start to their Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) title defence after claiming last month’s Forest Rally.

In what was a dramatic weekend for many of the 30 ARC crews in the forests of Nannup, Harry and Coral faced plenty of adversity throughout the 11-stage weekend, but still came out on top to beat Eddie Maguire and Zak Brakey.

Rounding out the podium for the second consecutive round was Alex Rullo and Steve Glenney after a highly consistent weekend from the duo.

The dramatic weekend began right from the get-go when Harry and Coral faced mechanical dramas and time penalties on the opening stage, forcing them down the order.

The pair eventually managed to work their way back into fifth by winning four of the day’s five stages before

being elevated into fourth place for Heat 1 after Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia teammates Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin were handed a time penalty for incorrect tyres.

Claiming the first heat was Scott Pedder and Glenn Macneall, who won that chaotic first stage before producing a number of top three finishes to beat both the Skoda Fabia R5 of Maguire and Brakey and the Toyota GR Yaris AP4 of Lewis and McLoughlin.

Lewis and McLoughlin’s critical postheat time penalty then saw Rullo and Glenney promoted to third and Harry and Coral in fourth place – both crews benefiting greatly from this moment.

Harry was then handed another major boost early in Heat 2 when the Skoda Fabia R5 of Pedder and Macneall sustained a broken cylinder on the third stage – effectively ruining all hope of an outright victory.

With Harry and Coral firmly in the lead with some solid times, a pair of runner-up finishes in the final two stages helped them seal the win.

Photos:

Dakar Press Team Australia

“I just wanted to say a massive thank you to Neal Bates Motorsport for their efforts,” Harry said.

“They had a fair few issues thrown at them this weekend from my mistakes and they worked and worked at it to make sure we had a good car.

“It was a real team effort this weekend and I am really proud of them all.

“It’s silly the mistake I made on stage one but sometimes that’s when you can get the best out of yourself, when you have your back against the wall.

Lewis went on to pick up maximum bonus points in the Galvaniize Insurance Power Stage and seal second place for the Heat, while Maguire and Rullo struggled on the final stage, but had done enough throughout the event to secure the podium.

Sometimes that’s when you can get the best out of yourself, when you have your back against the wall

“I am pretty proud of the way we have fought this weekend.”

Behind them, the epic battle for Heat 2 second place went right down to the wire as just six seconds separated Lewis, Maguire and Rullo, who won the penultimate stage, heading into the day’s final stage.

Harry and Coral weren’t the only ones to claim event honours after a disappointing Saturday, with Molly Taylor and Andy Sarandis winning the Mainfix ARC Production Cup thanks to brilliant second heat.

Losing out on Heat 1 Production Cup honours when they received a late penalty on the final stage to fall behind Craig Rando and Scott Beckwith, Molly and Sarandis won Heat 2 to win the round overall after Rando and Beckwith finished the Heat in fourth.

Other Cup results saw David and Kelly Thomas complete a clean sweep of

ARC 2WD Cup stage wins on Sunday to win the round overall, while Tony Oates and Niamh Nairn were victorious in the Trenching Systems Australia 2WD Classic Cup after a Heat 1 runnerup finish and 15-second Heat 2 victory over Peter Dimmock and Paul Bennett.

The Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship resumes later this month with the Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland in Gympie on 28-30 June.

View full results for the Forest Rally via the Subaru Results Hub

Photos: Dakar Press Team Australia

WILLIAMS AND JONES BREAK DROUGHT WITH COFFS COAST TRIUMPH

The KickAss Products Motorsport Australia Queensland Rally Championship held the second round of its 2024 season last month as Ryan Williams and Brad Jones claiming the long-awaited win.

With a strong field of almost 50 crews entered in the Quality Accounting Coffs Coast Rally, Williams and Jones enjoyed a drought-breaking victory, beating Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith by just 22 seconds. The two crews were locked in an entertaining battle across the event’s nine stages, exchanging the overall lead on multiple occasions, however in the end, it was the young Queenslanders who came out on top.

Behind the wheel of a Subaru WRX Sti, Williams drew first blood between the two with a seven-second victory on the opening stage, before Redhead charged to the outright lead with a 13-second stage win.

Williams then went on an impressive run of three consecutive stage wins

that saw him regain the lead on stage four and extend the gap to 19 seconds by the fifth stage.

Redhead responded instantly with a huge 22-second win to wrestle his way back into top spot, and went back-to-back on the next stage to get out a six-second lead.

However, that’s as good as it got for the Mitsubishi Evo driver as a big eight-second win on the penultimate stage for Williams put him back into the lead by a slender two seconds.

Going down to the final stage, the event was sealed by Williams with his biggest stage win of the event, where he beat Redhead by 20 seconds to secure his first victory for a while in style.

The outright winners also picked up top honours in the Junior Cup and the P6 class, while Redhead and Winwood-Smith claimed the Invited Cup.

Not only did the battle for the outright win go down to the wire – so did the fight for the final position on the podium, which couldn’t be split in the end, as Erik Johnsson and Larisa Biggar had the exact same time as Steve Arthur and Philip Bonser.

While the two crews deservedly finished equal third, they were aided by some misfortune to reigning champions Ian Menzies and Robert McGowan, who ended up finishing 12 seconds behind in fifth having received 45 seconds of penalties throughout the day.

With Redhead and Winwood-Smith not entered in the QRC component of the event, the two crews were elevated to second place together with Menzies and McGowan in fourth place respectively.

Other notable results from the rally saw Clay Badenoch and Angus Fraser win the 2WD Cup, Shane and Silvie Garner win the Clubman Cup, and Tyler Broughton and Brett Hausmenn take out the Novice Cup.

Although there was plenty to celebrate over the weekend, the rally also saw its fair share of crews fail to finish, with 12 crews officially retiring.

The biggest crew not to finish was Richie Dalton and Dale Moscatt, who didn’t complete any stage, while outright stage one winners Mal Keogh and Pip Bennet were out of the rally on the very next stage.

The next round of the KickAss Products Motorsport Australia Queensland Rally Championship will be the Lakes Hyundai Imbil Forest Rally on 24 August.

Photos: Zed Photography

Unless you have four feet...

RALLY QUEENSLAND SHAPING UP FOR MEGA MELEE

The Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship (ARC) continues its thrilling 2024 season later this month, with the ever-popular Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland.

Taking place in and around the forests of Gympie, the third round of the year will see a strong field of crews escape the cold winter around the nation and enjoy some exciting rally in perfect rallying conditions.

Awaiting the best rally crews of Australia is 192 competitive kilometres spread across 14 stages, with the event to be run as a Sprint format, where championship points will be divided into two Heats.

Saturday serves as the bigger day, with 105 competitive kilometres across the eight stages making up the itinerary before the remaining 87.24 competitive kilometres are run across

six stages on Sunday, including the Galvaniize Insurance Power Stage.

Before the action gets underway, the famous Wheels on Mary event will again take place with all crews and their cars to be on hand to the locals in the town’s centre.

Plenty of firepower is entered for the event with a number of regulars locking in a place for the Queensland-based event, including a number of familiar faces making their return to the championship.

Headlining the field of returnees is Luke Anear in a Toyota GR Yaris, while multiple-time ARC round winner

Photos: MTR Images

Photo: Photox

Headlining the field of returnees is Luke Anear in a Toyota GR Yaris, while multiple-time ARC round winner Ryan Smart makes his long-awaited ARC return via the Trenching Systems Australia 2WD Classic Cup. Tasmanian young gun Bodie Reading will also return, and will run in the Mainfix ARC Production Cup for his first event since winning the Cup at Rally Canberra last year.

There is also a large number of regular crews continuing their seasons, including reigning champions Harry Bates and Coral Taylor, who have picked up two wins from two rallies so far in 2024.

Motorsport Australia Queensland Clubman Rally Series and WSC Subaru Experts Motorsport Australia Queensland Novice Rally Series.

Despite heavy rain plaguing the Gympie region in recent months, the recent warm weather has given Clerk of Course, Brian Everitt, the confidence the event would run as per normal and was looking forward to having the ARC in town.

The Gympie Regional Council is planning some exciting activities over the weekend

Running in conjunction with the ARC at Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland will be the KickAss Products Motorsport Australia Queensland Rally Championship (QRC), Acworth Recruitment

“The Gympie region, like most areas of Queensland, has experienced an extended wet season, but it seems that is now turning with recent weeks and forecasts suggesting the traditional dry and sunny days ahead,” Everitt said.

“The continued wet weather did cause us some delays in course preparations, but I’m happy to report all is now on track. The rally roads have

really soaked up the extra moisture and are in very good condition.

“It’s always a pleasure to host the ARC in Queensland, and I know the Gympie Community is looking especially forward to its return.

“The Gympie Regional Council is planning some exciting activities over the weekend and the addition of the Rally Train taking spectators to the Saturday spectator locations is excellent.

“The quality of competitors in the ARC is the best it’s been for many years. I know the competition route we’ve chosen this year will again provide a challenge to all the teams.”

The 2024 Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland takes place in and around the forests of Gympie on 28-30 June.

Photo: MTR Images

MOSTERT AND WATERS SNAG FIRST FORD WINS FOR '24

The Repco Supercars Championship’s most recent event for 2024 welcomed two new drivers onto the top step of the podium for the first time this season as the premier category put on a show in Western Australia.

With two 250 kilometre races making up the Bosch Power Tools Perth SuperSprint, it was Chaz Mostert and Cameron Waters who ultimately put an end to Chevrolet’s dominance this season, having guided their Ford Mustangs to a win each.

In the lead up to the fourth event of the year, Chevrolet had won all eight races this season, with Triple Eight Race Engineering claiming threequarters of the wins courtesy of stellar performances from Broc Feeney and Will Brown.

However, in Perth, it was all about the Ford Mustangs as Mostert won the first race of the weekend from pole before Waters did the same on Sunday.

In Mostert’s win, the Queenslander was jumped by Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate Ryan Wood early in the race before eventually regaining the lead shortly after.

“I’ve wanted this one for quite some time,” Mostert said post-race.

“This will be great for me, great for our team – a big confidence boost.

I’ve wanted this one for quite some time

From that point onwards, Mostert led the field for the rest of the race – eventually taking out a five second win over Brown and Waters, while Feeney finished in fifth place behind Wood, in what was his equal best finish for the year.

“The car was mega. We’ve come out swinging this year so that was pretty exciting.”

The podium was unchanged in race two, only this time the order was different as Mostert initially crossed the line first ahead of Waters but was given a five-second penalty for an unsafe release earlier in the race, handing the Victorian the victory.

“It’s awesome to get a few trophies this weekend and get the win in that race,” Waters said after the win.

“We had really good car speed, kept our head down and we had a really fast car at the end there.

“I can’t thank everyone at the team enough for grinding away this year.

Photos:

EDGE Photographics

“It’s been a hard slog, we win and lose together and I wouldn’t want to be with any other team, they’re awesome.”

Finishing behind the two Ford stars was Brown, who extended his lead at the top of the championship standings to 136 points over Feeney.

Mostert’s strong weekend saw him close the gap on Feeney to just 39 points, while Waters’ productive weekend helped leapfrog the midfield from 15th to fourth.

The next round of the Repco Supercars Championship will be betr Darwin Triple Crown in Hidden Valley on 14-16 June.

View the full results from the round at supercars.com

REPCO SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP TOP 10

1. Will Brown – 1081 points

2. Broc Feeney - 945

3. Chaz Mostert - 906

4. Cameron Waters - 700

5. Matthew Payne - 690

6. Nick Percat - 648

7. Will Davison – 645

8. Anton De Pasquale - 622

9. Thomas Randle - 622

10. Richie Stanaway – 622

Photos: EDGE Photographics

BATHURST 12 HOUR SETS 2025 DATE

The date for 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour has been revealed with the popular event to return to its traditional date on Sunday 2 February.

This year, the popular endurance race had taken place two weeks after its usual time slot, after key stakeholders were consulted about changing the event date.

In the lead up to the main event on Sunday, the Bathurst 12 Hour will kick off with the popular track to town parade on the Thursday, practice sessions on the Friday and Qualifying on the Saturday.

each year which is why the date has shifted two weeks earlier in 2025.

“The level of interest and excitement in the race is already high and we’ve had fantastic discussions with current entrants and new teams and brands who are keen to race next February.

“At the same time, we continue to review all elements of the event to continue the improvements already put in place in 2023 and 2024, to not only grow the event but add to the experience for everyone attending.

It is an event that has seen significant growth over the last few years and delivers huge exposure to Bathurst

Bathurst 12 Hour Event Director, Shane Rudzis was pleased with the changes made for next year.

“It’s great to have the dates locked in for 2025 and know that the world will return to Mount Panorama across the January 31 – February 2 weekend next year,” Rudzis said.

“We need to be flexible and dynamic in scheduling the race to ensure it fits within the international calendar

“We’re very proud of the growth of the Bathurst 12 Hour. We’ve seen over the last two years huge crowds, camping records broken, amazing world-class vehicle demonstrations on track setting scintillating lap times, legends of world motorsport coming back yearly, amazing activations and car displays, plus much more.”

Bathurst Regional Council

Mayor, Jess Jennings was also excited to have the event take place in the area once again.

“We are proud to be partners with Supercars in the ongoing success of the Bathurst 12 Hour,” Jennings said.

“It is an event that has seen significant growth over the last few years and delivers huge exposure to Bathurst and our fantastic region to a global audience.

“We look forward to the 2025 event continuing to build on that momentum and deliver another outstanding event for our visitors and another exciting race.”

The 2025 edition will once again open the national motorsport season, as well as serving as the first round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, a role it has played since the launch of the global GT3 competition in 2016.

Next year the grid is expected to welcome brand-new models with the upcoming Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3 and Chevrolet Corvette GT3 all to be eligible to compete for the first time.

Camping, Ticketing and Corporate Experiences for 2025 are expected to go on sale later this year.

The 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour will be held at Mount Panorama on 31 January - 2 February.

Photos:

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TGRA LEADS THE SHOW WITH SA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE BEND

The Motorsport Australia South Australian Racing Championships held its fourth round of the 2024 season last month, kicking off a busy period for the Shell V-Power Motorsport Park.

Serving as the predecessor to the Shannons SpeedSeries at the Tailem Bend-based circuit, a huge turnout of more than 140 entrants took part in the two-day race meeting.

Headlining the event was the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia Scholarship Series, where a strong

field of 31 cars battled it out across three races – however the result went right down to the wire.

Sharing top honours for the national category was Max Geoghegan and Ryan Tomsett after the duo couldn’t be split across the weekend – each grabbing a victory, runner-up and fifth place finish.

Local star Jayden Wanzek also ended the weekend with a victory and a runner-up finish, but a sixth place in the final race prevented him from finishing on top with the others.

The second biggest field of the event belonged to the Improved Production Cars, but it was just two drivers who dominated the category.

Sharing driving duties behind the wheel of the Holden Monaro, Dean Lillie and Adam Poole enjoyed four wins in four races with each picking up two victories apiece.

Ending the round in second place was Victorian Jarrod Tonks after guiding his Holden Commodore to four podiums, which included three runner-up placings and a P3. Poole and Lille weren’t the only drivers to secure clean sweeps for their respective categories during the event with Jack Boyd taking out every outing in Aussie Racing Cars SA in his ARC Euro GT and Giuseppe Imbrogno in the combined Formula Vee & Formula Ford category.

Photos: Bob Taylor

Tony Moloney also enjoyed a perfect weekend in HQ Holdens, which was sharing the grid with Saloon Cars, however it was Jayden Jamieson in his Holden Commodore who was the star performer for the combined category – winning three races outright.

Despite losing the second race to Ford Falcon driver Kane BaxterSmith, Jamieson was too strong in the final two races – comfortably sealing the round with two wins.

In SA Tin Tops, two victories for Keith Diano on the first day of action helped him to top honours for the category.

A minor setback in the weekend’s third race almost derailed his good work, however a runner-up finish in the final race to Antoni Ormsby helped him seal the round.

Also taking place during the round was the Porsche Club Supersprint, which was split into three groups – all of which had three sessions to post the fastest lap.

Claiming the fastest lap for the category overall was Group 1 driver Keith Wong, who guided his Ferrari 488 Challenge to a 1:57.8267 on his second lap for

the day – a time that remained unbeaten for the rest of the event.

Wong was certainly in fine form, having gone fastest in all three of his sessions, while his closest competitor was Wade Ormsby, who was the fastest of all Porsche drivers.

Going fastest for Group 2 competitors was Graham Davidson, who went fastest in all three sessions with his best time coming in the final session, while Stuart Elshaw pipped Adam Turnbull on the final session to win the Group 3 honours.

Photo: Bob Taylor

WHAT'S ON IN JUNE

NSW: 29 June - Shannons Rallysprint

The Westlakes Automobile Club's highly anticipated Shannons Rallysprint will see competitors have multiple attempts at posting their fastest time across two three-kilometre sections.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND NORTHERN TERRITORY

16 June: Porsche Club Sprint @The

23 June: MSCA - SUPER SPRINT ROUND 2 (inc Come & Try Component)

TASMANIA

116 June: Hillclimb and Circuit Sprints

VICTORIA

15-16 June: RAAF Auto Club Sprint

15 June: BMWDCM Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship 2024 - Round 3 – Calder Park

15-16 June: Round 5 of the 2024 VCAS series

16 June: MSCA Super Sprint Round 5

16 June: Kyneton Car Club Autocross Championship Round 4

22-23 June: Piarc June Supersprint including R3 Racing on the Saturday

22-23 June: Nissan Nightmoves Trial

22 June: MADCC Hillclimb Round 4

22 June: Vic 86/BRZ Club Motorkhana Round 1

23 June: PAC Motorkhana, Group 5 NonSpeed Series 2024, Round 5

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

15 June: WASCC Racing Championship Round 3

22 June: RoVent 2024 Scouts WA Motorsport

QUEENSLAND

SA: 16 June - SCCSA 2024 Ray Pank Winter Cup 1

The Collingrove Hillclimb in Mount McKenzie plays host to the Sporting Car Club of South Australia's Ray Pank Winter Cup, where some of the state's best hill climbers will do battle on the popular course.

Photo: 0-100 Photography

Photo: Westlakes Automobile Club

RACE TAILEM BEND PUTS ON A SUPER SHOW

The Shannons SpeedSeries enjoyed another successful round for 2024, with Race Tailem Bend at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park proving a massive hit.

From heavy rain to picture-perfect weather, and close racing to dominant displays, the fourth round of the season had everything, as fans both at the circuit and watching from home via the 7plus broadcast were entertained all weekend.

Sharing the spotlight over the course of the bumper three-day event was the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered By AWS, Trico Trans Am Series, Monochrome

GT4 Australia, Precision National Sports Sedans, Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars, and Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia.

The popular one-make Porsche boasted the biggest entry list of the weekend, and it certainly showed as there was no shortage of drama in each of its three races.

In the end, Grove Racing junior Oscar Targett claimed top honours for the round and moved to the top of the series standings after two completed rounds – an achievement shared by Zac Soutar, who tops the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series standings after a productive weekend in Tailem Bend.

Soutar had a forgettable start to the round, having finished the first race in ninth place, but a super Sunday from the Victorian saw him pick up two wins for the first time in two years.

“A huge thank you goes out to my team and family,” Soutar said.

Photos: Speed Shots Photography

“They never ever give up and were able to give me a rocket of a car, and I'm so pleased for everyone that we've been able to have a great weekend."

Another driver to enjoy their first win in more than two years was Thomas Randle, who marked his return to the Precision International Sports Sedan Series with a clean sweep of victories. Randle was made to work hard for those three wins though, with Geoff

Taunton and Peter Ingram proving quite a challenge in each race. it couldn't have been more of a different story for the rest of the categories, as race wins were shared amongst multiple drivers.

The Trico Trans Am Series’ battle for the round went down to the wire as Todd Hazelwood’s two wins weren’t enough to score his first round win in the series –contact with reigning champion James Moffat in the final race resulted in a pivotal penalty that ultimately proved the difference.

Two wins was enough for Grant Sherrin to win Meguiar’s Australian Production Cars after a busy four race round, with very little separating him and the BMW M2 shared by Dean Campbell and Cameron Crick.

Rounding out the categories were Fanatac GT World Challenge Australia

Powered by AWS and Monochrome GT4 Australia, where different drivers claimed victory in both of their two one-hour races, showcasing the close title fights starting to ensue after two rounds.

The next round of the Shannons SpeedSeries will be at Queensland Raceway for Race Queensland on 2-4 August.

Photos: Speed Shots Photography

VALE NEIL TURNER

Motorsport Australia is saddened to learn of the passing of former NSW State Council Chair, Neil Turner.

A longstanding member of the Australian Racing Drivers Club (ARDC) Board, Neil was known for his time as both a competitor and official within the New South Wales motorsport community.

Born in 1945, Neil’s association with motorsport first began when he joined the ARDC in the 1970s before first racing in Formula Vee in the early 1980s.

Racing in the category for more than a decade, Neil decided to make the switch to an official, where he quickly moved up the ranks at Oran Park.

By the mid 1990s, Neil had become the Assistant Clerk of Course for the ARDC at Amaroo Park, Mount Panorama, and eventually Eastern Creek Raceway (Sydney Motorsport Park), while eventually working his way into a Clerk of Course role with the NSW Road Racing Club at Oran Park.

In addition to his work as an Assistant Clerk of Course and Clerk of Course, Neil was also appointed as a Steward and spent many weekends in regional areas plying his trade.

So respected was Neil amongst drivers and officials around the country, he had the honour of being selected as the first-ever national Competitor Relations Officer, a position he held for a long period of time.

Neil also played a pivotal part in the growth of the NSW

Formula

Vee

Association

and the ARDC

Not only did Neil have high positions at events, but he also sat on the New South Wales State Council from the late 1990s – eventually being elevated to Chair until his retirement in 2012.

In the final years of his tenure as NSW State Council Chair, Neil was also named as an Alternate Elected Director for the Motorsport Australia Board, known then as the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS). In addition to his work as an official and administrator for CAMS, Neil also played a pivotal part in the growth of the NSW Formula Vee Association and the ARDC.

For Formula Vee, he held every role in the committee over a long period of time, including its President, while serving the ARDC Board for two decades.

Considered one of the most well-respected and dedicated individuals in NSW motorsport for his contributions to grassroots motorsport, Neil also received his share of accolades over the years.

In 1985 and 1986, the NSW Formula Vee Association awarded Neil the President’s Shield before naming him as a Life Member in 1997.

Neil was then awarded Life Membership with the ARDC in 2019, while also being one of two people to be awarded Honorary Membership to SuperKarts NSW for his role in facilitating the category’s move to mainstream racing.

Neil is survived by his wife of 58 years Ronda, and their children Jason, Vanessa and Christopher.

CONTACT US

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So for all your motorsport needs call the Motorsport Australia Hotline on 1300 883 959, or visit the website at motorsport.org.au Email memberservices@motorsport.org.au

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