P1 Issue 8 by P1 Magazine

Issue 8 • 2012

9100-77 LIMITED EDITION IndyCar Driver Alex Tagliani Signature Chronograph

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For more information on the new GT3 contact your OfďŹ cial Porsche Centre or visit www.porsche.co.nz

Life is not a spectator sport. The new 911 GT3. Every idea, every part, every line that went into the design of the new 3.8 litre, 435 hp 911 GT3 was dedicated to the purest expression of Porsche performance. And as is the case with every 911 GT3, the rest of the world will just have to chase it.

GILTRAP PRESTIGE Auckland Ph 09 92 00 911 CONTINENTAL CAR SERVICES Auckland Ph 09 52 68 991 ARMSTRONG PRESTIGE Wellington Ph 04 38 48 779 ARCHIBALDS Christchurch Ph 03 37 75 200

M13602/P1

e d ito r’s note s

nd so begins another calendar year and another calendar of Motorsport highlights. There is, as always, going to be a raft of minor changes amongst many of the different codes and categories, but this year marks a couple of the major ones – one in the USA and one in the Southern Hemisphere. The 2012 Indycar series will change the look, performance, and safety aspects of open-wheel racing. The Dallara designed unit with the DW12 moniker (named so after the wonderful test driver Dan Wheldon), will make all other cockpit classes look old and dated. And with the turbo V6 2.2 litre engine it should by all rights be cleaner and greener without losing the roar that we all love in cars. That series fires up in May with the Indianapolis 500 – and all Motorsport eyes will be watching. Down under is also seeing a major shake-up in the Motorsport circles, however it’s not as clean cut as the Indycar scenario.

th e tea m editor in chief Ned Dawson Project Manager Cathy Horton Editor Craig Lord Sub Editors Leigh Neil F1 Editor David Tremayne CONTRIBUTING editors Elysia Pratt David Turner Jacki Warnock Nascar Stephen Thomas

The Motorsport scene is dominated by the Australian V8 Supercars, whilst in New Zealand a lower level of V8 Touring car has also played it’s part in crowd pull and entertainment – but both of those are past their used-by date. In Australia a completely new vehicle will be rolled out for the 2013 season, but in New Zealand that change takes place in February.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

The issue though is that the new car has split the Motorsport fraternity in two – think back to Indy vs Cart in the states. The thing is, the split is nasty, ugly even. There is a war of words, personalities, and egos, and it will take a while for it to be sorted – but while the battles rage in the background it will be the fans who decide the eventual winner. It’s embarrassing to watch the fight, and sad as well, but sometimes entities need to scrap so that the dead cells get flushed away and new blood can be pumped into its place.

Columnists

We at P1 will be watching the fight very closely and will certainly bring you the results, failures and fortunes from both camps. But until then, let’s enjoy the speed from all circuits… And remember, Motor Racing is a sport, everything else is just a game...

Ned Dawson Dirk Klynsmith John Dagys Nathan Wong

Alex Tagliani Stephen Thomas

Proofreading Barbara McIntosh Graphic Design Dot Design Digital Edition www.zinio.com Web Design Fuel Design

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con ten ts middle east 10 The Pinnacle of Arabian Motorsport Championship leader out to build on Reem winning record as Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East heads for Saudi.

26 Middle east supercars back to winning ways

The WGA Supercars Middle East Championship is taking regional circuit racing to a whole new level.

The AmericaS Behind the visor 55 taking stock 57

40 Where’s The Next American Hero

The top of the tree in American motor sports before 1996 (the split) was – IndyCar racing. However, the split was not when the current problem of lack of significant interest really started. From 2012 onwards, with new engines, chassis and locations, many wait and hope that IndyCar racing can regain its position of prominence in the US motor sports culture – there is however one vital missing ingredient, local and national pride.

oceania 60 a class act

Craig Baird displayed world-class prowess to tame his Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia rivals in 2011.

76 in his own words Chris Pither has done something special over the last 12 months. He has crossed over the Tasman Ocean to race in the same category but in a different country with different competitors. That in itself is not overly special – but the fact that he became the Champion in each one surely is. While many scribes could write about his achievements, we felt it would be fantastic to hear his story in his own words – a personal look at how a small town New Zealand lad made a big splash in Australia.

102 toyota racing series delivers in 2012 Many areas of the motorsport currently suffer both globally and on the domestic front as a result of the on going economic climate the Toyota Racing Series can stand tall once more as it delivers to New Zealand Motorsport fans in 2012 the best ever International line up to start in the series since it began back in the summer of 2004/05.

112 kim jane – the assassin Kim “The Assassin” Jane notched up a milestone of 200 V8 Ute Race starts when he took to the track at Australia’s Sandown Raceway in 2011 – we take a quick look at the achievement.

europe 126 ITALIAN FAIRY TALE

The 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship saw champion Mirko Bortolotti produce a magical display of domination with his seven wins and 14 podiums leaving the rest of the field un-happy ever after.

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PERFORMANCE COOLANTS

middle east

GT3middle cup challenge east middle east

Championship leader out to build on Reem winning record as Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East heads for Saudi.

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ubai. Championship

extend his eight-point cushion over

leader Prince Abdulaziz

second-placed fellow-Saudi driver,

Al Faisal will be aiming

Bandar Alesayi.

to make the most of

anything to go by, it will be extremely

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle

difficult for Alesayi or any of the

East returns to action in Saudi Arabia

other leading challengers to prevent

next month.

the 2009-10 champion from moving

The Porsche GT3 Cup series enters the second half of its 2011-12 season at Reem International Circuit

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If previous results at Reem are

his home advantage when the

closer to his second title in three years on home territory. Over the past two seasons, Prince

outside Riyadh on February 15-16

Abdulaziz has won six of the eight

with Prince Abdulaziz looking to

Porsche GT3 Cup races staged

at Reem, and he will again try to

November to underline his pre-

capitalise on his liking for the twisting

season declaration that he was ready

track set against a backdrop of rolling

to mount a serious title bid in his third

sand hills.

season of Porsche GT3 Cup racing.

The Saudi star has been beaten

Contesting the series for the

to pole position just twice in eight

first time, Omanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ahmad Al Harthy

qualifying sessions there, and won

followed Alesayi onto the victory

five of the six races he started from

podium in Abu Dhabi and is

the front of the grid.

eager to make an impact on his

This, however, will not deter

first visit to Reem after suffering

Alesayi who is eager to add to

a double setback at Yas Marina

his race victory in Round 3 at

Circuit last month.

Abu Dhabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Yas Marina Circuit in

Approaching the third race

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weekend of the season full of

at Reem, Qatarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Saddon Al Kuwari

confidence, Al Harthy spun off in

will attempt to strengthen his lead

round 5 to lose his chance of a

in the intermediate class for the

podium finish and then crashed into

Michelin Silver Trophy, while Saudi

a barrier and out of Round 6 just 24

Fawaz Algosaibi looks to increase

hours later.

his advantage in the bronze class

He is keen to get his challenge back on track in Saudi, while Prince

championship in full, Schmid could

pressure from Austrian Clemens

have an influence on the title race as

Schmid who will be aiming to add

he showed by winning Round 1 after

to his two race victories already this

a great battle with Prince Abdulaziz.

Also making his first appearance p1

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While he is not contesting the

Abdulaziz can also expect more

season in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Mobil 1 Trophy.

After securing the first pole position of the 2011-12 season,

Alesayi is eager to add a new victory to underline his pre-season declaration that he was ready to mount a serious title bid in his third season of Porsche GT3 Cup racing Schmid was given an early shock

session, he led from start to finish

when Abdulaziz, who had started

and eventually won by almost ten

third on the grid, swept past him into

seconds from Alesayi.

the lead on the first lap.

Omani Al Harthy grabbed the

The Saudi held off Schmidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

other podium position after Belgian

challenge until the ninth of 14 laps

Stephane Lemeret driving for Dubai-

before the Austrian squeezed

based Al Nabooda Racing collected

past him and went on to win by

a time penalty for an infringement at

2.3 seconds.

the start, dropping him from second

Just 24 hours later Abdulaziz bounced back with a commanding

to fourth place. Next up the Porsche GT3 Cup

victory in Round 2. After claiming

series shared the stage with the

pole position by setting the fastest

2011 F1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi

time in the morning qualifying

Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit,

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Champion ship pos it ions aft er R o u nd 6 1. Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA) Saudi Falcons 2. Bandar Alesayi (KSA) Saudi GT Racing 3. Stephane Lemeret (BEL) Al Nabooda Racing 4. Ahmad Al Harthy (OM) Oman Air Racing 5. Saeed Al Mouri (KSA) Saudi Falcons 6. Saddon Al Kuwari (QA) 7. Clemens Schmid (AUT) 8. Hans Guido Riegel (GER) Haribo Racing 8. Armin Schmid (CH) Team TCE 10. Fawaz Algosaibi (KSA) Saudi GT Racing 10. Hannes Waimer (GER) Team TCE

110pts 102pts 86pts 80pts 72pts 51pts 50pts 39pts 39pts 30pts 30pts

Miche l in Silver Trophy 1. Saddon Al Kuwari (QA) 2. Hans Guido Riegel (GER) Haribo Racing 2. Armin Schmid (CH) Team TCE 4. Mark Thomas (CAN)

51pts 39pts 39pts 27pts

Mobil 1 Trophy 1. Fawaz Algosaibi (KSA) Saudi GT Racing 1. Hannes Waimer (GER) 3. Rob Frijns (NL) Frins Structural Steel 4. Manfred Ender (AUT) Frins Structural Steel 5. Cengiz J. Oguzhan (TUR) 6. Jaber Al Khalifa (BAH)

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30pts 30pts 22pts 13pts 9pts 7pts

and Alesayi scored an impressive

on to his third place from qualifying

Round 3 victory to grab a share in the

as he came under intense pressure

make series returned to Yas Marina

championship lead.

from Lemeret.

circuit, and after an eventful weekend

The Porsche one-make series

Round 4 belonged to Al Harthy

A month later the Porsche one-

in Abu Dhabi Prince Abdulaziz had a

served up some thrilling race action

who recorded a comfortable victory

on Formula 1 weekend in Abu Dhabi,

for his first win in the series. Starting

and Alesayi stole the limelight

in pole position for the second day in

fact that he is clearly the driver to

with only his second victory in the

a row, the Omani led from start

beat with a near perfect display in the

championship.

to finish and eventually won by

UAE capital which saw him double

4.2 seconds from Prince Abdulaziz

his championship lead to eight points

after Al Harthy had dominated the

who regained his outright lead in the

over fellow countryman Alesayi.

morning qualifying session, Alesayi

championship.

Starting second on the grid

snatched the lead on the first lap and

After his Round 3 victory 24 hours

convincing lead in the series. The Saudi driver underlined the

On this occasion, Prince Abdulaziz was outperformed in qualifying

held on to win by 1.5 seconds from

earlier, Alesayi had high hopes

as Austrian Schmid grabbed

the Omani.

of improving on his third place on

pole position twice in the space of

the grid, but he lost that at the

24 hours.

The victory put him level on points with Prince Abdulaziz, who had

start of the first lap to Lemeret and

started the race as the championship

had to settle for fourth place behind

disappeared early on the first lap

leader but had a tough time holding

the Belgian.

when he suffered a drive through

Schmidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantage in Round 5

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The Porsche GT3 Cup series enters the second half of its 2011-12 season at Reem International Circuit outside Riyadh on February 15-16 with Prince Abdulaziz looking to extend his eight-point cushion over second-placed fellow-Saudi driver, Bandar Alesayi

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penalty after forcing Abdulaziz

Abdulaziz squeezed past him at the

series produces a tense last round

wide on turn two, and eventually

first corner, while Lemeret spun at the

climax in Bahrain at the end of

finished sixth.

same point and fell from fourth to the

March, just as it did at Dubai

back of the field.

Autodrome back in April at the end

That gave Abdulaziz a clear path to victory and he won by just

of the 2010-11 season.

over eight seconds from Alesayi,

classic battle between the top two,

while Lemeret grabbed the other

with Schmid eventually finding a way

weekend, which finished with him

podium position.

through and holding on over the last

crashing out of Round 6, Al Harthy

four laps to record his second victory

has shown himself as a driver to be

of the series.

watched in the series.

Al Harthy lost third place to Lemeret when he spun off the track on lap six, and it was to prove a disappointing weekend for the Round 4 winner.

Alesayi, who had high hopes of

Despite a frustrating race

Interestingly, the Omani gives

another win following his Round 3

much of the credit for his circuit

success, had to settle for third place.

racing success to Hamed Al Wahaibi,

6 for his mistake the previous day,

But he remains the driver most likely

the Sultanateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best ever rally driver,

Schmid quickly lost his lead as

to ensure the Porsche one-make

who turned back the clock on his

Hoping to make amends in Round

The next ten laps produced a

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return to international competition in

a move into circuit racing after

in the country, it was so important

Dubai in December, six years

originally entering karting as a

to have someone from the world of

after retiring.

seven-year-old, Al Harthy turned to

rallying to help me because there are

Arab rally star Al Wahaibi – his wife’s

so many similarities between the two.

the local press reports and it was

cousin – just as the former WRC

He was the catalyst that helped me

great to see him back in action in

Group N runner-up was entering

start my career.”

Dubai,” said Al Harthy. “He’s been a

retirement from motor sport.

mentor to me, and one of the most

“I was looking to enter the

“I followed his progress through

After finishing fourth in the Dubai International Rally, Al Wahaibi is set

Thunder Arabia Middle East

to launch a new team into next year’s

“It was exciting to see him make

Championship and Hamed helped me

FIA Middle East Rally Championship

his comeback and it’s given me some

to establish the Oman Racing Team,”

to encourage more young drivers

extra inspiration. I’m looking forward

said Al Harthy. “He was able to offer

from the Sultanate.

to seeing him continue now, and

me so much in terms of his support

between us we may be able to

and his experience. One of the things

to look up to as Al Harthy chases the

help motor sport in Oman grow to

I remember most is that he told me

Porsche GT3 Cup title to the end of

a new level.”

he had learnt from his mistakes.

the 2011-12 season in Bahrain in late

important influences on my career.

When he needed advice about

“While I was the only circuit racer

They will have two Omani drivers

March. P 1

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WGA SUPERCARS middle east CHAMPIONSHIP

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The WGA Supercars Middle East Championship is taking regional circuit racing to a whole new level. photos courtesy Middle East Supercars

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ased at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the series has become a pioneer in its class, growing in professionalism and popularity each year ever since it first run out with Lumina CSV challengers for its

debut season in 2006. Previously, the WGA Supercars was the first-ever championship from this part of the world to be given a place on the sporting calendar of the Federation Internationale de lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Automobile (FIA). Just a few years on, the series continues to progress by leaps and bounds, and the 2011/2012 campaign is turning out to be an epic, with as many twists and turns in each race as there are along the entire Sakhir desert track. Once again there are two competition categories â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the elite SC09 class and the SC06 division. SC09 Supercars are powered by an LS2 six-litre V8 engine, while SC06 challengers boast a 5.7-litre Gen3 V8. Both car types run with 18-inch Pirelli race slicks, providing the much-needed grip to the awesome power each monster generates. Supported once again by West Gulf Advisory (WGA), a Bahrain-based asset

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and wealth management company, the Supercars features the Arab world’s best race car drivers, who battle it out against one another. Together they form a tightly knit grid full of determined individuals eager to capture the crown and grab the coveted tag as the new and undisputed Supercars champion. And with the introduction of a Teams’ Championship in the SC09 division, which is another first for Middle Eastern racing, the series has taken off. This year, there are four squads fighting for supremacy. Each outfit now has the opportunity to showcase their very own ingenuity and professionalism, as they are tasked to take care of their entire operation – from getting the car fully race ready to keeping their drivers happy with nonstop development within the rules and regulations. The SC06 class remains an arrive-and-drive option for those who are looking to take part in the championship’s lower yet just as competitive rung. This offers new and gentlemen drivers a chance to experience first-hand what top-of-the-line pro racing is all about. 30

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Just a few years on, the series continues to progress by leaps and bounds, and the 2011/2012 campaign is turning out to be an epic, with as many twists and turns in each race as there are along the entire Sakhir desert track.

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Rivalries between competitors have begun to heat up, and they have been the highlight so far following two rounds of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing championship fight.

One of the most notable on-the-track battles is between the top contenders from telecommunication giants Batelco and VIVA, industry leaders Aluminum Bahrain (ALBA), and non-commercial outfit, the Speeding Saddles. Frenchman Alban Varuttii, a series debutant driving for Batelco, has been the top man to date. Varuttii has won two out of four races held so far this season, and he has also managed to clinch pole position for three of them. The renowned karting champion is being chased by a large group of highly competitive racers, two of whom are his very own Batelco teammates in Ramez Azzam of Canada and Mohammed Mattar of Bahrain. Batelco are the only team running three cars in the SC09 category, although only two are able to score points per race. ALBA boast a pair of local talents in Mustafa Al Khan and Faisal Raffii, who both have gradually made their way up from the lower ranks in recent years. They are amongst the greatest threats to a Batelco march to a title. The VIVA tandem of Bahraini Raed Raffii and Australian Tarek Elgammal are another highly touted pair. Raffii is the only non-Batelco driver to have won so far this season, while Elgammal was the first-ever champion of the series. Meanwhile, the Speeding Saddles partnership of Abdulaziz Al Yaeesh from Saudi Arabia and Ahmed Al Kuwari of Qatar has so far produced one podium, and as series underdogs will be aiming to spring up surprises. In the SC06 class, ALBA driver Talal Al Gaith has so far been the frontrunner, while Frenchman Christophe Mariot and Bahraini Nasser Al Alawi complete the line-up of competitors.

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In the ongoing season’s opening round, VIVA were the first to make their mark. They banked on the skillful driving of Raed Raffii, who claimed the first chequered flag of the campaign. It was almost like a miracle for the VIVA frontman, who, just 24 hours earlier, was unsure whether he’d be racing at all this Supercars season. It was only on the night before that VIVA were officially given the green light to enter the championship, and what ensued was a hectic few hours of preparation for both the team’s mechanics and drivers. All their hard work had paid off, however, as Raffii stormed to the front of the pack during the rolling start, leaving pole man Vaurttii waning in his tracks. Raffii never wavered and he held on to the lead from there, eventually storming to the famous victory much to the delight of his teammates. In race two, Vaurttii bounced back for Batelco, and the former karting champion did so in style. Having registered the second fastest time of qualifying, Varuttii started at the front once again, but this time made no mistakes in defending his position. It was his race all the way to the end, and his win gave him a dream debut in the BIC-based championship. Led by Varuttii once again, the Batelco boys continued their fine form in round two, starting it off with a dominant day after locking up the front row for both of the meeting’s races. Azzam, who has driven in Formula 3 in the past, captured pole position for race one while Varuttii managed to take the front for the second sprint. The pair would eventually switch positions on each event’s final classification, with Varuttii overtaking Azzam early in the first lap before powering to the victory, and then Azzam overtaking Varuttii late in the day’s second event to register his maiden Supercars victory. “Our wins are a result of all the hard work our team has put in between

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round one and today; we’ve had a lot of sleepless nights especially this past week, and it’s great to have finished first and second in both races, while also winning pole position twice,” Batelco team manager Osama Al Saad said. “We are now leading the teams’ and drivers’ championships, and that is very rewarding, but we know that there are still four rounds to go in the season and there is still a lot of racing to be done, so we will continue working hard.” Alba ace Faisal Raffii commented: “Things are getting more and more challenging each round, but our team is doing a great job. We have more than 50 per cent of the championship still to go, and we’re focused and determined on achieving all our goals.” Speeding Saddles team manager Nawaf Al Malood added: “As this is the only championship in the Kingdom with a teams’ format, I think that makes it special for everyone and would help develop motorsport in the region greatly.” VIVA team manager Jamal Al Sayed concurred. “We’re gaining a lot of experience competing in the teams’ championship, and we’re very pleased to 36

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have taken the last-minute decision to join,” he said. “It’s a great feeling to be part of something this big, something at the national level.” The WGA Supercars Middle East Challenge was founded in 2006 by BIC, ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’. It was then known as the Lumina CSV Championship Middle East, and it was a first for the region. It placed great emphasis on harnessing local talent and visiting as many racing circuits across the Gulf in a season. With the series visiting Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai over its first two campaigns and over 24 races being run throughout this time, the exposure was tremendous and interest from all levels of motorsport sky rocketed. The championship has now established itself as not only the number one circuit racing championship in the region, but also the leading support series for several top race weekends such as the Gulf Air Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix, the Australian V8 Supercars Championship, the Dubai Motorsport Festival and the Grand Prix Masters. P 1

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The americaS

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The top of the tree in American motor sports before 1996 (the split) was â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IndyCar racing. However, the split was not when the current problem of lack of significant interest really started. From 2012 onwards, with new engines, chassis and locations, many wait and hope that IndyCar racing can regain its position of prominence in the US motor sports culture â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there is however one vital missing ingredient, local and national pride. story by Derek Daly

photos by John Dagys

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ocal and national pride is a powerful weapon at sports events. Stats showed that when Americans are contenders at the Olympics, television viewership increases. The 2009 NFL Super Bowl was a huge event for the people of New Orleans and

the stadium could have been filled several times over. Not just because New Orleans was playing good football, but because the local residents admired and supported “their” team – everyone in the city gushed with local pride and followed the human drama story and many wanted to see and experience it in person. Despite this huge American domestic sports story, few people in Europe cared. Why, because they had no emotional connection to what went on because there were no European players for them to connect with, and therefore there was no more than a passive European interest. As soon as America dropped out of the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament, so too did the US television viewership drop. The same happened in England, Ireland, Spain and every other country that lost their country’s involvement. National pride is particularly strong in motor sports. German television ratings have been at record levels for more than a decade because of Michael Schumacher and now Sebastian Vettel. Germany currently also has six Formula One drivers – the most of any nation. Strong television viewership is also prevalent in England because of their recent world champions, Jensen Button and Lewis Hamilton. In 2010, Spain finished the most active motor sports circuit construction period in its history. Spanish interest in motor sports at an all time high, mainly because of the success of their local hero, two time Formula One World Champion, Fernando Alonso. Conversely, interest in Formula One is currently low in France. For more than twenty five years French oil company, Elf, invested in the career development

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of young French drivers including four times world champion, Alain Prost. That support led to seven French drivers competing in Formula One in 1980. When Elfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial support suddenly stopped, so too did the development of French motor sports heroes. Today there are no French Formula One drivers, no French Grand Prix, little national pride and consequently low television viewership and low corporate investment. This vital national pride element is what American open wheel experts have misunderstood (or ignored?) for more than two decades. In 2010, there was a record low nine American drivers that started the Indy 500 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and four of those were just part timers. I doubt it was a coincidence that the attendance was also the lowest for the past two decades. Many blamed the economy, but the same economy hosted the sell out NFL Super Bowl the same year where the New Orleans Saints played against the Indianapolis Colts. 44

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Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest sports franchise, the National Football League, understands that sports franchises live and die by the strength of their star athletes. Teams therefore invest in the development of their future stars every year. The NFL has a structure and specific coaching right from the college level, to ensure that the skills of its future stars are fully developed. So too does baseball, basketball and hockey etc. The IndyCar racing community has yet to understand the importance of this concept and therefore, hope has largely become the open wheel success strategy. However, with the decline in interest in open wheel racing over the last two decades, no longer can the IndyCar community rely on hope to develop its new stars. Hope that someone finds a sponsor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; hope that someone finds a team that does a good job and hope that the drivers self learn what the rest of the open wheel racing world already knows.

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Local and national pride is a powerful weapon at sports events. Stats showed that when Americans are contenders at the Olympics, television viewership increases.

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The Indy 500 was once one of the largest motor sports marketing platforms in the world when it was flooded with American winning heroes. Americans gushed with pride when their favorite drivers beat all comers. It was so big that it became a legitimate career move for many of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drivers. Starting in 1983, the foreigners came in and literally took over. Their superior development beat the American drivers regularly. Many have said that the problem with IndyCar is that there are too many foreigners. Make no mistake about it, this is NOT the problem, this is the symptom. The problem is that there are too many underdeveloped American open wheel drivers and not enough winning Americans to take the fight to the foreigners and beat them. As a consequence, American fans are no longer interested in a sport when they have no heroes to cheer for. The last display of true American national pride at the Indy 500 was when Danica Patrick took the lead towards the end of the race in 2005. This was an American driver with a human drama story emotionally engaging the American fans. The American fan has followed Danica ever since, but they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really follow anyone else in significant numbers because no one else has really captured their hearts for any reason. As a result, attendance is weak, as is television viewership and as a result, so is corporate involvement. 48

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So what happened and more importantly, how does it get fixed. The lack of vision by any and all past decision makers in IndyCar have to shoulder the blame for ignoring the need to develop the future generations of winning American drivers. Every sports franchise (and indeed every successful business) needs to invest in the development of its future heroes (or products) – and for what is essentially a domestic American IndyCar series – why should IndyCar racing be any different. The true fact is, it’s not – and with the decline in American success has come the decline in American interest from both fans and corporate America. England invests in its future open wheel stars and has a dearth of driver develop programs. They provide financial assistance in addition to their superior on-track learning environment. They proudly boast when their drivers win all over the world. According to Stuart Pringle, President of the British Racing Drivers Club, by investing in and developing their future star drivers, they have 25,000 extra people pay to see Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Button perform at the British Grand Prix. If they just spend $200 each over the weekend that is $5M spent by British fans in just one weekend. The American open wheel community must also find a more complete way to invest in itself. American motorsports is in a battle with the rest of the world

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indycar

and we must make pro-active moves. No one should be allowed to participate in our “system” without being expected to give back. Strong teams should have an obligation to support the platform that is American open wheel racing. If there is not a more complete systematic development program for young American drivers, the future of the sport cannot grow significantly. If the big teams only look to the “best drivers available” (and there are no proven American winners), they are raping the future value of the very sport’s platform they wish was stronger. For more than twenty years, team Penske has inadvertently locked the door to the next generation from even getting a paddock pass because of their Marlboro tobacco association – now might be a good time for Roger Penske to give back and sow some seeds of growth for the future. Teams all through the open wheel ranks have demonstrated that they do not possess the understanding or desire to understand or change this. Therefore this initiative has to come from the top. IndyCar has to create a structure whereby hope is not their strategy for success. America is now pitted against the foreigners for control of the sport that they once enjoyed. The only way to take back control is through success on the track. America must therefore create more than a ladder system that strings together a variety of series. The American Mazda Road to Indy ladder system is one of the strongest financial support programs in the motor sports world. However, a ladder system, that is stringing together a series of classes and offering prize money (significant amounts from Mazda), is an assistance program, not a 50

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specific driver development program. The foreigners also have financial support programs, but their big advantage is that they also have a much more sophisticated on track product that churns out drivers of a higher ability â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the results prove this point. When these foreign drivers miss the opportunity to go to Formula One, they head for America and continue the domination that their country envisioned, when they participated in their nationally based driver development programs. Meanwhile, American has been left behind in the results column. Without an equal (or better) complete development program, the chances are that the money that is currently invested in driversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; careers could become money well wasted. Thus the downward spiral of American open wheel racing continues. In an ironic twist of fate, the support of American open wheel racing by foreigners, that is encouraged because it brings the best drivers available, is now slowly killing off the very platform of greatness that attracted them in the first place. So what do we do, how does it get fixed, how do American open wheel drivers become dominant in IndyCar racing once again? Well the first thing to do is to become possessive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; possessive of the funds that are available to develop drivers. We need to use those funds in a selfish manner, just like every other successful country, to develop just American home grown talent (even if this is politically incorrect). Within a ladder system, young talented American teen drivers must be first identified, correctly equipped (through specific coaching and development) and then positioned as a cornerstone of the sport. Just like gifted teen football athletes require specific coaching

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American motorsports is in a battle with the rest of the world and we must make pro-active moves. No one should be allowed to participate in our â&#x20AC;&#x153;systemâ&#x20AC;? without being expected to give back. Strong teams should have an obligation to support the platform that is American open wheel racing. 52

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The star American athlete driver is the absolute key to the future growth of IndyCar racing. The cold hard facts remain that the future growth of the sport does not depend on what chassis is raced, or what engine is used or where the race is held. and development, racecar drivers, in the specialized arena that we are now in, require the same specialized support. As drivers are developed, their development program should follow them from team to team to maintain a consistent message. This is vital because if teams could provide this part of the puzzle, we would not be where we are. Teams cannot be left to do this development because history tells us that the primary focus of lower level race teams is to stay in business. These teams cannot be entrusted with the future of the sport as they have proven over the past decades that this method has failed. Just about every junior team now advertises that it is a driver development team. The truth is that race teams are just one of the “components” needed to develop successful racecar drivers. Driver development resources must ultimately be increased and more carefully distributed to the real potential American stars of the future. These funds are then provided on a case per case basis and accompanied by a systematic professional development program. The system then uses teams as a component as opposed to teams using the system as a profit center. The big teams should also have a responsibility to give back to the sport by investing in a development system. The drivers who receive the support likewise become supporters of the system when their careers flourish. The seeds of our national pride in home-grown success stories must be sewn and their success stories must dominate headlines once again. This has to happen for the benefit of the Americans and the foreigners. When national pride is stirred more people show a greater interest. When the greater interest is activated and the American success continues, more and more show a greater interest. It eventually gets to a point where significant media outlets cannot ignore it. Media coverage attracts media coverage and when this wheel starts to roll, corporate America follows with its support. Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon are two of the worlds best drivers but few in America outside the die-hard fan cares much about them. Stars are few and far between in IndyCar today. Just think what it might be like in five years time when there is no Dario, Dixon, Helio, Kanaan or Danica Without this vital pride element, it won’t matter what chassis or engines or locations IndyCar uses. The star American athlete driver is the absolute key to the future growth of IndyCar racing. The cold hard facts remain that the future growth of the sport does not depend on what chassis is raced, or what engine is used or where the race is held. A chassis or engine will never provide the human drams story that a star athlete will. Chassis, engines and locations will not grow the series, but the series can absolutely grow chassis, engine and location interest. American open wheel racing was once great because it was populated with national heroes – we must get back to that same formula. For the sake of the very future of the sport we must make sure that we are doing the right things, as opposed to doing things right – and the right thing is to use a new template to develop future winning American heroes. P 1

issue 8

t d n i R n Joche OUT NOW ÂŁ40.00

Written by David Tremayne Foreword by Sir Jackie Stewart This investigation of Rindtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mercurial career paints the portrait of a man taken long before he reached his true potential and puts an underwritten character into his real perspective, as one of the greatest Grand Prix drivers of all time.

www.haynes.co.uk/jochenrindt 54

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Books for enthusiasts

by enthusiasts

Available from all good bookshops or ORDER DIRECT on Tel: 01963 442030

Behind the

by Alex Tagliani

his month I’m writing to you at that time of the year officially called the “off-season”. To fans and drivers alike this means there is no racing action to look forward to on the weekends; but what fans may not know is that it doesn’t mean we are all on vacation in a tropical locale somewhere in the southern hemisphere, sunning ourselves and laying around by the pool!

No sir! This is when our hard work, blood, sweat and tears go into our fitness training and preparations for the 2012 season ahead. There is so much to accomplish in only a few short months before Indycar testing begins and we still have to find time to get through Christmas and New Year’s, which as you all know is a crazy and busy time for everyone! Again this year I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in the V8 Supercar Invitational race at the end of October with my friends from the Kelly Racing Team. I am always excited to be back in Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast and it’s one of my favorite destinations as it is where I met my wife 10 years ago. I can always claim to have stolen one of the best parts of Australia! So, we left Vegas on the Monday night and arrived in Brisbane at 6am on Wednesday morning. That’s the uncanny thing about that trip, in that we lose an entire day… the 18th of October, literally vanished for us this year. The day of our arrival was also the open test day for all the international drivers, so I headed straight to the track to jump into

the Stratco V8 Supercar that I would partner with Dave Reynolds that weekend. All-in-all I can say it was an action packed weekend, and I was happy with the event and glad to have made the trip down under. After a flat tire and getting stuck behind the pace car, my team mate Dave drove a very aggressive final stint and recovered to finish 11th in the second race. It sure was fun to watch! The following 3 weeks were spent in Adelaide with Bronte’s family there. My daily routine was basically eat, workout, sleep and repeat over the next day… it was the perfect kick-start to my training for 2012! It’s been a busy month so far with travel to Montreal, Orlando and Vegas already. That said I did manage to make an appearance at IMIS (international motorsports industry show) to give a talk to young drivers on fitness and nutrition and also to take part in the Stars Kart Race at Conseco Fieldhouse that was hosted by Tony Stewart. I can boast about my 2nd place finish to Tony on the small and slippery stadium track. There was a good turnout of drivers from various series and it was a great day for drivers and fans alike. Next up, I’ll be looking forward to some seat time in the new 2012 Indycar for preseason testing and also competing in the Florida Winter Kart Tour where I’ll be driving for Birel. So, enjoy the season with your friends and family and happy holidays! I’ll catch you in 2012 for the next installment… P 1

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Chicane Racewear Unit K Cain Park Cain Rd Penrose Auckland Email: chicanenz@xtra.co.nz freephone 0800 ChICAne

taking

by Stephen Thomas

t’s probably too much to suggest that NASCAR is fighting for its soul. But over the course of the last two decades, the sport has become slightly schizophrenic, uncertain what it is or wants to be or who it should appeal to. And so, coming off one of its most exciting seasons in years, with economic trends and television numbers once again delivering some much needed positive news, 2012 might be the year in which NASCAR comes to terms with its place in America’s sporting landscape. For the better part of ten years after Sports Illustrated declared it ‘America’s Hottest Sport’ on the cover of its July 24, 1995, issue, NASCAR enjoyed an almost unchallenged run of growth, popularity, and profitability. Money and fans and positive press seemed bottomless, and anyone who dared question any of NASCAR’s many pronouncements about its ranking in America’s professional sports hierarchy were dismissed as naysayers and cynics, derided as members of the infernal ‘Liberal elite media’ who were just too damn effete to appreciate the animal appeal of a sport that speaks to man’s basic desire to see who can get from Point A to Point B the fastest. Let’s just ignore for a moment the fact that no one within NASCAR’s ruling body has ever satisfactorily explained precisely how anything could possibly be ‘America’s fastest growing sport’ as NASCAR proudly proclaimed for more than a decade – if that had been true, NASCAR should have swallowed up and spit out every other American sport sometime in the fall of 2002. But while its inarguable that NASCAR remains a solid fourth behind football, baseball, and basketball in popularity, its equally inarguable that it grew significantly beyond its traditional roots in the southeastern United States. But that growth came at a fundamental cost and required something of a deal with the devil: in order to attract new sponsors and more money, NASCAR was forced to go after the casual fan, or the very fan that longtime supporters derided as snobs who looked down their noses at auto racing. As a corollary and in its misguided effort to appeal to corporate sponsors, NASCAR replaced ‘colorful’ drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr and Cale Yarborough and the Allisons with automatons like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards. In short, NASCAR had seemingly lost its way – was it still a gritty, bare-knuckles sport that was rough around the edges or a sophisticated pursuit that was every bit the equal of IndyCar or even F1?

And as the governing body, enamored of the money that came with its heightened profile, stumbled into the future, the very people who helped give the sport its identity came to feel that their NASCAR had been compromised and they had been tossed aside. The consequences were significant: over roughly five years, between 2006 and 2010, the juggernaut that was NASCAR lost fully 25% of its TV audience. Couple that staggering statistic with a cratering world economy and you’re left with a NASCAR at a crossroads. The days of debating whether or not organizations like Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Racing should be limited to four rather than five car teams are gone; Roush folded a team after the 2011 season and laid off roughly 1,500 people. But every business is confronted with difficulties as it expands; the important question is, how does it respond? NASCAR’s governing body has never been known as a wildly progressive entity, or one that is proactive rather than reactive. However, to its credit, it has taken steps in the last year to come to terms with some of its fundamental problems: at the very least, the sport seems to have refocused on its core product, the racing, which many fans and casual observers say was better in 2011 than it’s been in a long time. One of the happy consequences of that improved racing? NASCAR’s all-important TV numbers improved ten percent in 2011. If the overall economy plays an important role in NASCAR’s near-term future, so too do the drivers who make those cars go fast. Indeed, at the same time the governing body has stated that it will refocus some of its marketing efforts on those very drivers, Tony Stewart delivered NASCAR from its five-year Jimmie Johnson nightmare. Indeed, it would be hard to imagine a defending champion better suited to help NASCAR both rediscover its roots and move into the future than Stewart, a team owner who combines spectacular driving ability with an equally staggering willingness to say and do things to alienate or otherwise piss off damn near anyone. In other words, he might be Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s long-lost illegitimate son, something NASCAR desperately needs right about now. Does NASCAR regain its hold on the American sports public or was 2011 an anomaly? Time will tell, but for perhaps the first time since it was ‘discovered’ by the general public 16-or-so-years ago, the sport once again has a chance to redefine what it is or wants to be. P 1

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oceania

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porsche city index carrera cup

Craig Baird displayed worldclass prowess to tame his Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia rivals in 2011. story by Richard Jones photos by ned dawson 60

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carrera cup

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raig Baird was the benchmark in the 2011 Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia season. With two Australian

Carrera Cup titles and over 100 race victories in Porsche one-make series the Kiwi was the favourite to take his third Carrera Cup Australia crown in 2011. The New Zealander had won Carrera Cup Australia’s last season, held in 2008 before the series took a two-year hiatus, in doing so becoming the only ever dual Carrera Cup Australia champion in addition to his six Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge New Zealand series wins. And throughout his time in Porsche championships, including Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Baird came to be recognised by Porsche AG as ‘the world’s most successful Porsche Cup driver’ after accruing a total of 114 Porsche race wins in the marque’s one-make series.

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Baird displayed this prowess at the

Gaunt then reinvigorated his title

opening round of the 2011 season at

chances after a shaky start to the

Albert Park. While countryman Jonny

season with victory in the following

Reid had the edge at the start of the

two rounds – Townsville and Phillip

weekend, gaining pole position and

Island – winning five of the six races

taking victory in the opening race of

over the two events, followed by

the season, Baird quickly returned to

Patrizi’s Bathurst round win.

the front and took the round victory

While Baird hadn’t made headlines

in the ultra-competitive Professional

in the mid-season battle, he had

Class, which included 2010-2011

accrued a healthy bag of points that

Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge New

placed him in the series lead

Zealand champion Daniel Gaunt,

entering the penultimate round on

former A1GP driver Jonny Reid,

the Gold Coast – Baird’s home town.

dual Bathurst 1000 winner Steven

There, he dominated. Baird scored

Richards and former V8 Supercar

pole position in his home event

driver Michael Patrizi.

and claimed three dominant race

Reid’s strong start to the season

wins to extend his series lead to

continued at Perth’s Round 2, taking

a lengthy 51 points over Gaunt,

two race wins and the round victory,

Richards and Reid entering the

while Race 1 winner Richards moved

season finale in Sydney.

into the championship lead.

At the season finale Briton Ben

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Barker was the pace-setter early in

conditions, leaving Patrizi to take

others such as Peter Hill, Shane

the weekend, claiming pole position

the race win ahead of team-mate

Smollen and brothers James and

before taking victory in the opening

Reid, moving him to second in the

Theo Koundouris all shared time at

two races at Sydney Olympic Park.

final standings.

the front of the Elite Class.

Baird improved his title chances

In the Elite Class Max Twigg’s

Twigg’s season was made easier

after the opening race finishing in

performance was like no other.

at Phillip Island’s Round 4 when his

second, while his nearest points rival

With 11 Elite Class race victories

nearest rival, Theo Koundouris, was

Gaunt finished fourth. Gaunt then

from 18 races, Twigg was often an

forced to miss the round, and the

tried to pass Baird in the opening

unexpected contender in among

subsequent Bathurst event, after

corner of Race 2, sending the duo

some of the Professional Class drivers

breaking his hand.

into the run-off area. Baird recovered

throughout 2011.

A strong end to the season for

Twigg started the season with

Twigg saw him gain an unassailable

the Elite Class victory at Albert Park

lead over the eventual second and

before class rivals Paul Kelly and

third placed duo Paul Kelly and

third win of the weekend but made

Damien Flack took a round win each

James Koundouris entering the

contact with the barrier in the wet

at the following two events, while

season finale in Sydney. P 1

to finish sixth and secured the 2011 crown, while Gaunt finished 14th. Barker looked set to take his

issue 8

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF JOINING CLUB 5000 in 2012? • You have an invitation to join Mitch at all the GP3 Championship rounds in Europe, hosted by Owen. • You will catch up with Mitch and his MW Arden team and more than likely get to meet Mark Webber, his manager, and current Red Bull F1 driver. • And you’ll probably be wearing your Club 5000 Mitch Evans supporters gear, designed by leading manufacturer Huffer, so everyone knows where your allegiances lie. • Even if you don’t make it to all the rounds, you won’t be far from the action. Mitch will email, Twitter or Facebook you with race and progress reports. • And when the season is complete you will be at the debrief with Mitch where you will have the chance to meet with the other Club members, find out for yourself what its like to do a lap in a GP3 car and chat through the ins and outs of a busy season in Europe. • Signed photo of Mitch and his GP3 car • Opportunity for corporate members to use Mitch or Owen as a speaker at their AGM, awards night or company function.

he 2012 GP3 Championship is held over 8 rounds at selected European Formula 1 Championship races starting in Istanbul and finishing at

Monza in Italy so maximum exposure to Formula 1 teams is assured. Mitchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts over the last 2 seasons have enabled him to transfer the outstanding support of the Giltrap Group to his European campaign and add to this a significant contribution from current Red Bull F1 driver, Mark Webber, who is also part owner of the MW Arden GP3 team for which Mitch will drive. But the budget for a GP3 campaign goes hand in hand with the opportunity. With the added costs of insurance, travel and living expenses and series cost, Mitch needs still more funds to ensure a successful season and he is requesting new and existing Club 5000 members to come along for the ride as their assistance is instrumental in getting it right.

It probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be possible for me to reach my Formula One goal by myself, but together, and as a team, we can make this happen.

Mitch Evans

for MORE information Contact: Owen Evans 353 Church Street, Penrose Auckland 1061, New Zealand Mobile Business Fax Email

+64 275 900779 +64 9 636 5004 +64 9 634 7228 owen@evans-euro.co.nz

Australia

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Join the ONE forum that keeps you up to speed with EVERYTHING motor racing related. From the top level F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, V8 Supercars and V8 Utes to the Porsche GT3 series, German DTM, GP2 and GP3, Kiwi Toyota Racing Series and Pirelli Cup in California. The P1 Forums is the one stop networking forum that should be on your “Must Do” list.

s on find u r! e t it w t

s on Find u ok ! o b e Fac

s on find u n! DI e Link

issue 8

V8 utes

Chris Pither has done something special over the last 12 months. He has crossed over the Tasman Ocean to race in the same category but in a different country with different competitors. That in itself is not overly special â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but the fact that he became the Champion in each one surely is. While many scribes could write about his achievements, we felt it would be fantastic to hear his story in his own words â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a personal look at how a small town New Zealand lad made a big splash in Australia. photos by ned dawson 76

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fter a busy season everyone felt somewhat relieved that it was over. It didn’t come easily, but the hard work and effort applied by the entire Ice Break Racing (IBR) Team carried us through the season. I

strongly believe it was the drive and dedication demonstrated by the team when things didn’t go our way, that won us the championship. In motorsport we seem to occasionally have highs but more regularly have challenges and lows, so it’s very important to minimise the damage during those bad runs and put in an extra effort to overcome the challenging hurdles thrown in front of you. One thing I have learnt during my career is that without the bad days you don’t really know how great the good days are. After being out of Australian motorsport for 18 months, I was starting to think I would never get another drive, let alone win one of the toughest championships in my first full year. Team that with such talented competition with guys such as Cameron McConville, Nathan Pretty, Grant Johnson and David Seiders and their engineers, all of which are top of their fields. Luke Seiders, Walkinshaw Performance, 78

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Dave Murphy, and the one and only John “Barrel” Patchos with numerous V8 Ute titles under his belt. Those guys are what I called outstanding and talented drivers with equally as good engineers and we identified them as the teams to beat. We knew Ryal Harris, now with a great team, great car and awesome engineers in Joe Devries and Cam Wilson, coupled with a high profile new sponsor, VIP Petfoods, had been blessed with all the tools anyone needed to win a championship. But being in the series for 6 years, he had developed that bin it or win it, or trophy or the trees driving style as Grant Denyer described his driving at Bathurst. That type of attitude is great for your own ego but doesn’t win championships, so my team told me it would only be a matter of time before he would crash out of contention. One of the things I re-learnt over the last season was to think and listen to the team on the radio. My Team Principal has always said to me “There are plenty of great drivers out there. Drivers who can out drive the tyres, the suspension and the car. These cars are effectively road cars with brakes and suspension so a little bit of mechanical

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sympathy goes a long way”. People say it is bad luck as an excuse, but most call it rookie mistakes. One thing in racing is that you develop a style and it’s hard to change that style unless you really work at it, listen to your team and park your ego at the entry to pit lane. That’s where I’m lucky. The IBR team were always prepared to step up and go the extra mile for me and also step up and tell me when they thought I could have done something better. They have taught me in times of trouble to remain calm; being angry or flustered will generally compound the problem. Darwin was a great example where we crashed badly after being hit from behind. There was nothing left in front of the wheels, the chassis rails were bent and our championship hopes were fading away. I radioed the guys and told them it was a big one but we still had power to drive. A team member watching the telecast called that we had lost our radiator and all the coolant, & the member 84

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on the wall was looking as I went past for anything that could be dangerous. Jake my head mechanic radioed through to me and said to finish the race at all costs. The engine was one round old and the team had made the call to toast it and finish instead of parking it to save the engine. That decision netted us 12 extra points we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have got had I gone with my gut feeling and pulled over to save the engine. Even with a destroyed Ute we were prepared to drag it around the track with no front end for a further 2.5 laps to make sure we finished and gained some points! Everyone involved was then motivated to work all night and were still bolting parts on and applying stickers while I was driving the car up to the dummy grid with minutes to spare. If you thought Darwin sounded tough, I think my birthday was right up there as well. While I had a bit of a sleep in, the guys were up at 4.30am on a Saturday morning to fix a gearbox leak. They stripped and rebuilt the box making sure it was well sealed. We headed out to qualify which went really well and I banked 2 quick laps early before engine dramas kicked in. We still put the Ice Break Holden on the front row of the grid for race one though but couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t risk running the Ute the same again. 86

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The guys hooked in, the engine came out and a brand new motor was fitted for race one. I got one of my best starts of the season and pulled into the lead before the first turn. The crew had done an awesome job, the Ute felt better than ever and I was full of confidence. I was pushing hard and felt the clutch starting to slip slightly on a gear change. The first thing that came to mind was that the new clutch was a dud! As the laps counted down, smoke started trailing the Ute. I made sure I got off the racing line to ensure we didn’t get a black flag or block anyone. It was obvious that we hadn’t fixed the oil leak and it was all over the clutch. I tried my hardest to nurse it along but soon enough I fell back to 2nd place as and then 3rd – with that driver feeling he had to give me a whack in the door on the way past. As I got slower I fell back through the pack but kept circulating. I did about six laps and every lap I did it was getting worse. The team kept talking to me telling me to bring it home and don’t get tangled up in someone else’s accident. Six laps felt like one hundred by the time I crossed the finish line and I was flat out doing about 60kph! I finished the race, albeit via two engines and a gearbox rebuild and came in at unlucky 13, and it was funny when I returned

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to the pit bay. The team just laughed and said happy birthday, it can’t get any worse. The guys started looking for the problem thinking it had to be the gearbox but we noticed that it had deposited oil on a different area telling us it was a new problem. It was clear this time that it was engine oil on the underside of the Ute. They did paper scissors rock to decide who would lay under the Ute while we ran it up to look for the leak. A slight weep on a small cast aluminium plate was found to be the issue – the new engine was porous. With that found we thought we’d be back in business and the mood of the team

“One thing I have learnt during my career is that without the bad days you don’t really know how great the good days are.”

lifted. But as the team went to work there was a call for another new engine. When pulling off the old flywheel we found a terminal problem with the new engine which had only done 12 laps. At 10pm on a Saturday night when everyone thought it was nearly time to go home and relax it was time to start pulling out the new engine after one race for the third motor to be installed for the next day. The team sent me home to rest telling me to be 100% fresh and ready to do my job and they would stay back and fit the new engine, and they finally finished around 2am. Aside from issues like the birthday round, when we look back on the season we were consistent and had control over the majority of the year. Out of 8 rounds we were on the podium at 5 of them. We left Adelaide in 3rd, Barbagello leading, Darwin in 4th and Townsville leading and we would retain that position for the second half of the season. We drove the entire season with the championship in mind.

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People never remember who won races, but they remember who won the championship. It was interesting to see that out of 26 races over the 8 rounds Ford won 17, Holden 9. Ford claimed pole at 7 out of 8 rounds. Taking those facts into consideration I think it shows how well our team managed the season and how all of the Holden competitors had to work extremely hard to get a good result. At Adelaide we were the fastest Holden but only qualified 7th. A few words from the team boss would forever be ringing clear in my ears. “It looks like this is the year of the Falcon. It will be a smart Holden team that beats the Falcons to win this championship. We will work harder, drive smarter and we will win this championship mark my words”. Of course we all thought WOW. Being the second year in motorsport and of running a team it was a big statement to make. At no time during the season did he waiver. He would always say that we are here to win but I don’t want you guys getting lazy. This was a common saying he would use every time he lent a competitor 90

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some of our spares, or tell our guys to go and help another team that had problems if we had nothing to do. People would walk up to him and ask, “Why do you help the guys those that are your biggest competition? He would always say, “What is the point of winning a championship if you’re not racing the best, and besides I don’t want these guys getting lazy.” People always thought he was joking but he was serious! He would regularly say it to us “To be the best you need to beat the best. We want to win against the best then no one can say it was handed to us”. It is something he said all year. I remember at a conference he was speaking at before the Gold Coast round and he said in front of 400 people “We will win the championship because we tell Chris he will win the Championship! We have a great driver, a great team and great equipment. We have all the ingredients to win and we have a great strategy to pull all three together”. And to his word we did. Everyone knew what they had to do and they did it. Even now

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“One thing in racing

we all ask how he could be so sure. His only answer has been

is that you develop a

heart, the dedication and winning culture within to make it happen”.

style and it’s hard to

“If you are happy with second at this level you will never win” I still

“You all wanted it more than the next guy and the team had the He has always said to us and that’s why we do not celebrate second.

change that style unless

remember him using those words at Barbagello.

you really work at it,

Johnson showing our best form for the year. It came down to the

listen to your team and

We walked into the truck and someone said to him, you must be

park your ego at the entry to pit lane. ”

We had a good round and had raced side by side with Grant last race and Grant had better tyres and took the round victory. ecstatic with that, his only reply was, “Did we win, did I add up the points wrong?” We sat down and had a team debrief. We knew Grant would be quick on his home track, but we were just as quick. The only difference was that Grant and his team were able to make their tyres hang in longer than us. The decision was made to stay over in Perth and test on the Thursday with new tyres and do the exact same laps as we had done in qualifying and the 3 races with a different tyre strategy. That test day was a turning point. For myself, I think I have matured as a driver, and it is a real buzz to win the Australian Championship and the New Zealand Championship. It hasn’t been done before, let alone in the same year, so it’s nice to have that first. We are exploring a number of opportunities for 2012. My aim is to get back into the V8 Supercar Championship Series. My mentor

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Darren Park believes that we have a better chance of gaining the funding to move me straight back into the main game than he has to get funding for the Fujitsu Series or Carrera Cup. Some have already said it is a big step up. He said straight out to me “You have the talent, you listen, you can bring a car home and you have honed your race craft in a pretty wild series and proved you can park your ego and bring a car home”. His theory has always been not to hang it on the fence for one point at the risk of losing 32 points if it doesn’t come off. He would always rather finish with sayings like “to finish first, first you must finish” it’s an old cliché but has proved so true for us this year. He always says if there are 2 drivers both with equal talent but one wins it or bins it he would always take the other driver. Plus you can only fund rebuilding written off cars so often and every cent spent

“I think I have matured as a driver, and it is a real buzz to win the Australian Championship and the New Zealand Championship. It hasn’t been done before, let alone in the same year, so it’s nice to have that first.”

rebuilding is another cent not spent on developing a better car. A special thanks firstly to Ice Break – Real Coffee, Ice Cold and Darren, for giving me a second chance to accomplish my dream. They had other drivers available to them with a higher profile and more experience than me, but they took a punt which was a risk and gave me a shot. When I asked why he picked me his only answer was, “You called me up and told me the good and the bad points, asked for a test and said you wouldn’t let me down”. He too had his chance when he was younger and told me he always said he would give someone a break if he could one day. That day came and I got the chance. I still say today it was one of the best calls I have ever made. Naturally the whole team and all of the partners to it must be thanked because the last few years have been an amazing journey for me that I can’t really put into words. I joined a brand new team that had only run one race before and people told me I was crazy to join a brand new team that had so little motorsport experience. But I would have taken a drive in a billy cart to get back into Australian Racing... P 1

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formula 3

FORMULA 3, like most forms of ‘wings and slicks’ open wheel racing, is a particularly spectacular thing to photograph. There’s something about the cars, the speed and the drivers that add that certain ‘X-factor’ to images. At the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship we are privileged to be served by some of the best snappers in the country capturing the art – and it is art – of Formula 3 around Australia’s circuits. Here’s our 10 favourites from season 2011. 94

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CLEAR WAY THROUGH THE SPRAY by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/500th at f/10 Chris Gilmour was never noted for his wet weather performances, but a fighting, racy and aggressive victory against James Winslow in the wet-dry at Sandown was critical in setting up his championship win. issue 8 95

formula 3

EYES ON FOR ANOTHER TITLE by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/100th at f/4

Briton James Winslow came back to Australia in a bid to win a second Gold Star this year, and he didn’t disappoint. Despite a season that featured financial challenges, on-track issues and all sorts of other things to deal with, Winslow still took the fight down to the final round of the year and only just missed out on being a two-time champion. But his steely focus and determination were apparent for all to see.

RING IN WINS by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/5th at f/25

On the Thursday before round two of the championship at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway, Kritsian Lindbom didn’t have a drive. By 1pm on Sunday afternoon he had won the round and F3’s biggest race of the year and he was plenty speedy along the way. 96

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YOUNG GUNS PRESS ON by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/500th at f/8

Despite taking the nosecone off his Dallara earlier in the day, Tasmanian kid Josh Burdon was still trying mighty hard to win races in the Forpark Australia F3 National Class at Hidden Valley. It’s dry in the top end, during June.

MOORE DIRT. MOORE WALL by Nathan Wong. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/60th at f/11

Eastern Creek’s turn eight. Blind, off camber. And fast. It’s a flat out 200km/hr challenge in an 07 Dallara and Moore found the ragged edge - and went over it. The result was a wild ride through the gravel trap and firm, unyielding contact with some old tyres. And a hefty repair bill.

issue 8

formula 3

UP AND OVER. AND OVER. AND OVER. by Nathan Wong. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/400th at f/6.3

Front wheel makes contact with rear wheel, whilst turning into a corner. The result? A Dallara F3 car goes over. And over. And over again. Josh Burdon walked away with no problems â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but it was the most spectacular incident of 2011.

THUMBS UP IN TITLE DOG FIGHT by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/20th at f/16

But after Gilmour won the sprint race, Winslow fought back at Sandown and won the feature. All of a sudden, despite missing a round, he was back in the fight. Back in the game. And as this spectacular image shows, pretty pleased about it, too. 98

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MASTER AND THE APPRENTICE by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/500th at f/9

In James WInslow, F3 rookie Steel Guiliana had an outstanding team mate from which to lean and absorb information from. But this wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t supposed to happen - at least from Winslowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective. For a brief moment in the feature race at Sandown the Apprentice looked to put a bold move on the master. The result? A firmly shut door from the black Dallara and a step on the brakes to stay out of the fence from Guiliana. Wild stuff at 220km/hr.

GILMOURS TITLE by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/13th at f/32

Chris GIlmour, Formula 3 Australian Drivers Champion. Enough said, really.

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ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAPPENING IN 2012.

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MOUNTAIN VIEW FROM THE PLAINS by Dirk Klynsmith. CANON EOS1-D Mark IV. 1/500th at f/13

This image could be from anywhere in the world. Spa Francorchamps, for starters, or somewhere in the Austrian Alps. But nope, it’s Symmons Plains. A happy hunting ground for Formula 3 and proof that – at least in the eyes of Dirk Klynsmith – any circuit can be made to look more grand than it really is with great photography.

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Toyota racing series

Many areas of the motorsport currently suffer both globally and on the domestic front as a result of the on going economic climate the Toyota Racing Series can stand tall once more as it delivers to New Zealand Motorsport fans in 2012 the best ever International line up to start in the series since it began back in the summer of 2004/05. story BY David Turner 102

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photos BY ned dawson

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toyota racing serieS

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oyota New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

years race at Manfield. For his second

10-year commitment

year in the series Invercargill based

to the Toyota Racing

driver Damon Leitch returns to

Series has never looked

Victory Motorsport and intends to

stronger. Five non-stop weekends of

build on the knowledge of last year

racing over 2,500 kilometres in racing

and will certainly be one to watch in

and testing and a series running the

the opening round at the worlds most

length of New Zealand, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing

southern racetrack, Teretonga and his

short of a massive New Years gift to

home event. Another kiwi returning

drivers and fans alike.

to do a full season of racing is young

So just what is in store for the fan

and vastly experienced 22 year old

this season? Well a record number of

Jono Lester and after debuting at the

entries for start, with up to 20 drivers

final round of the series last season

confirmed for many of the rounds.

Lester teams up with the awesome

Global? You bet. This season Toyota

five car ETEC Motorsport team and

Racing Series boasts drivers from

his excitement to rejoin the series

Malaysia, France, the UK, India, Brazil,

and his natural talent will make him

Puerto Rico, Austria, the Netherlands,

one to watch. Rounding out the kiwi

Thailand, Italy, Russia, Australia and

line up is Chris Vlok from Darfield,

New Zealand. Four main teams make

near Christchurch, Chris returns from

up the team line up for 2012 but the

competing in the Canadian Formula

stars will be the driver thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for sure.

Ford series and steps up for his first

Starting with the kiwi line up.

taste of competition behind the

Mitch Evans returns after a debut

wheel of a wings and slicks car and

season in Europe and the GP3 series

once again this says great things

to defend his NZGP title with Giles

about this series and the path it can

Motorsport and the talented young

take a young driver.

kiwi will certainly be wanting his

To the Internationals and it really

name back on that famous trophy

is an all-star cast. Returning for his

that hosts so many motorsport

second season in the series and again

greats. Nick Cassidy also rejoins the

with ETEC is Josh Hill, grandson of

Giles Motorsport stable, as the stand

Graham Hill and son of Damon Hill.

out rookie last year Cassidy is back

Josh making his debut in the series

with a massive point to prove. He too

last summer and while he adjusted

having returned from a pre Christmas

to the car and tracks early in the

venture to Europe is hungry to claim

series by the time he made it to the

the series title and equally the GP

faster more European style tracks of

crown that he so nearly stole from

Hampton Downs and Manfeild he was

Evans in the closing stages of last

climbing rapidly up the time sheets

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Toyota racing series

and this returned a very creditable

gain the much needed seat time and

accomplished kart racer making

fourth place in the NZGP and 2012

experience that only racing and the

his way though the ranks of

should see him a regular front runner.

Toyota racing Series can offer.

motorsport. Auer has been racing

To the rookies now and well if

106

Included in the exciting line-up

in single seaters in Asia in 2011 and

this does not speak for what a great

is Austrian driver Lucas Auer, the

is another driver who has recently

talent proving series this is, nothing

17-year-old son of Gerhard Bergerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

driven in the young driver F1

will. A massive international line up

sister Claudia, the nephew of former

evaluation testing in Abu Dhabi. Auer

coming to New Zealand to make the

McLaren, Ferrari and Benetton

will also join the star line up in the

most of a European off-season and

F1 driver, Lucas is yet another

respected Giles Motorsport camp.

magazine

The Netherlands will have a strong representative on the TRS grid with Hannes van Asseldonk. The 19-year-

fifth in this year’s German Formula 3

teen having just had his 17th birthday.

Championship.

Marciello has raced in Formula Abarth

Italy now and the M2 Competition

and Italian Formula 3 and been a

old Dutchman was a teammate of

team boast Raffaele Marciello as one

front-runner in his first two seasons

Richie Stanaway in Europe in 2011.

of their five drivers. Marciello, who is

of car racing after a successful

Stanaway a former standout TRS

already being guided in his career by

karting career.

driver and winner himself. Asseldonk

the Ferrari Driver Academy, was the

finished a very impressive fifth at the

first International driver to declare his

the other Italian competitor Michela

recent Macau Grand Prix. He was also

TRS entry. Known as ‘Lello’ the Italian

Cerruti in her Victory Motorsport

Much attention will be centred on

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Toyota racing series

So just what is in store for the fan this season? Well a record number of entries for start, with up to 20 drivers confirmed for many of the rounds. Global? You bet. This season Toyota Racing Series boasts drivers from Malaysia, France, the UK, India, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Austria, the Netherlands, Thailand, Italy, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. Four main teams make up the team line up for 2012 but the stars will be the driver thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for sure.

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magazine

entry. Coming from a background

seasons. He tested a Formula 1 car

European 2.0 Renault racing. They

of saloon car racing she has driven

with the Hispania team in Abu Dhabi

complete the five-car line up at Giles

a variety of powerful Alfa Romeo,

late in 2011.

Motorsport.

Ferrari and Mercedes cars at events

Another French driver Victor

Back to the UK and another

throughout Europe during the last

Sendin is a member of the ETEC

competitor from Britain’s Renault

couple of seasons. At the age of 24

squad, another 16-year-old who

series is 17-year-old Englishman

and currently the oldest driver in the

continues to make his transition

Jordan King. He’s just completed

youthful entry list the Roman blonde

to cars after a successful karting

his first full season in single seaters

competing in a pink car has recently

career. The talented Parisian driver

by taking sixth overall in the recent

been testing GP3 cars in preparation

is being guided by former A1GP

‘winter’ series he becomes another

for her switch to single seater racing.

French drivers Alexandre Premat and

member of the M2 Competition team.

Frenchman Nathanael Berthon joins M2 Competition and is the

Nicolas Lapierre. Two South American entries also

To Asia and there are two entries in the ETEC stable one for 23-year-

most experienced driver in the

make up the impressive series entry

old Malaysian driver Melvin Moh,

line-up and has chosen to compete

list. Bruno Bonifacio, a Brazilian who

and 16-year-old Shahaan Engineer

in TRS to keep himself race fit for

has been racing in Formula Abarth in

who was born in India and currently

his 2012 European campaign. Aged

Italy, and Felix Serralles from Puerto

resides in Dubai. M2 Competition will

22, Berthon emerged from the 2.0

Rico. Bonifacio is managed by well-

also look after two Asian entries as

Renault series to compete in both

known Brazilian driver Roberto Streit

well, 19-year-old Tanat Sathienthirakul

World Series Renault and GP2 in

while Serralles has benefitted from a

from Thailand the youngest driver on

Asia and Europe during the last two

Team USA Scholarship to launch into

the grid along with another Indian

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109

toyota racing series

born driver Sheban Siddiqi, a 23-year-

get to see these drivers here in New

old who has been racing in the ADAC

Zealand and our young drivers get

Formula Masters series in Germany.

to test themselves against them.

Just one driver from across the

will benefit the young New Zealand

who will race with the successful

drivers too, so we have the prospect

Australian BRM team, and will also

of some thrilling racing and it will

represent Australia.

be intriguing to see them compete

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is a great testament to the emerging role of TRS as a recognised training ground for young International drivers that we 110

magazine

This increased level of competition

Tasman, Perth-based Jordan Oon

over the five weekends,â&#x20AC;? said TRS Category Manager Barrie Thomlinson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The impressive overseas entry for our 2012 season is a positive response

from drivers, teams and managers

Teretonga in Invercargill on the 12-15

Motorsport Park on the 2-5 February

to the calendar improvements that

January, from there its onwards and

before heading back to the middle

we have instigated. The prospect of

north to Timaru on 19-22 January.

of the North Island to Manfeild and

an even more concentrated testing

A trip then to the North Island

the series conclusion highlighted

and racing schedule than we’ve been

and round 3 sees the series move

with the New Zealand Grand Prix on

able to offer in previous years, has

to the fast and demanding Taupo

9-12 February. The Grand Prix dating

undoubtedly increased interest in

Motorsport Park on 26-29 January

back as far as 1950 and has seen

racing ‘Down Under’ during the New

home of the former A1GP event in

such names as Stirling Moss, Bruce

Zealand summer.”

New Zealand. Further north then

McLaren, Jackie Stewart and Keke

to New Zealand’s newest track and

Rosberg along with kwi icon Ken Smith

Toyota Racing Series have never

close to the largest city in the country

take wins will be a very fitting way for

looked better and it all kicks off at

Auckland and Hampton Downs

this series to wind up in 2012. P1

Single seater racing and the

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V8 UTES

PHOTOS BY Ned Dawson & V8 Utes Australia

112

magazine

Kim “The Assassin” Jane notched up a milestone of 200 V8 Ute Race starts when he took to the track at Australia’s Sandown Raceway in 2011 - we take a quick look at the achievement.

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V8 UTES

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fter a long career in NASCAR, Jane moved into the Australian V8 Ute Series in 2003 and in that time has claimed a third (2007) and a second (2008) overall

in the championship stakes. The Bob Jane T-Marts backed Holden driver landed a round win at Darwin in the 2011 season which was his first podium since Darwin 2010. “We’ve had a couple of disappointing rounds and some good rounds. We won the Darwin round, obviously Perth was good and Bathurst, but that’s the game these days you can’t afford to have any bad rounds,” said Jane Jane had his first ever race at Sandown in an EH Holden when he was just 17, and in 2009 celebrated his 150th Race start, which proved a lucky omen as he went on to win Race 3 (his 150th) and take out the Sandown Round. “We’re not counting on any luck but will always take it when it presents itself. We will just try and keep pressure on the guys in front of us and hope they make a mistake,” said Jane afterwards. Jane has raced in Production Cars, V8 Supercars, the Bathurst 12 Hour, American NASCAR Events and the Australian NASCAR Series, which he won from 1996 – 2000. He also raced NASCAR in Japan, finishing 8th as the first Australian home, and has continued the Jane family heritage of motor racing involvement pioneered by his Uncle Bob and father Bill’s involvement in the sport from the late 50’s. Bob Jane went on to win multiple Australian Touring Car Championships and Bathurst endurance races and becoming a household name with the establishment of his Tyre Mart franchises nationally, largely built on the success of his on track activities. Nephew Kim took a few years off from 2000 – 2003 and feeling the urge to race again, thought the V8 Utes would be a great category to get involved in. “I spose when NASCAR finished in Australia in 2000 I really had nowhere else to go, all the investments I had were in that category so I hung the helmet up. It was my passion and dream in life to keep racing and in late

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V8 UTES

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V8 UTES

2002/2003 I was looking at what I could do. I researched

longevity in anything, especially motorsport. To achieve

everything and V8 Utes had the most potential outside

200 races is a significant milestone, I’ve been in the game

V8 Supercars, which I couldn’t afford. The Utes started

a long time now and it’s a good feeling to rack up 200”.

to appear on TV and looked wild and woolly, which is

Jane’s round on the Gold Coast was plagued with bad

similar to me, he said with a laugh. It seemed the best

luck, after he came together with Peter Burnitt (who was

bank for your buck and had the best potential to be best

coincidently celebrating his 100th milestone the same

support category”.

weekend.) “I think we will be working on the car up until

In all the years Jane has been involved in the Utes,

however I love Sandown and to rack up a win in my 200th

T-Marts backed Holden and was looking forward to

race at the home track would be quite special.”

celebrating the milestone. “I think it’s always a good thing if you can have 118

Wednesday next week to get it all ready for the weekend,

he has only ever missed two rounds with his Bob Jane

magazine

After a 28 year career in motorsport Jane can now add his name to a list of only six V8 Ute drivers to achieve 200

race starts including; Charlie Kovacs (Oran Park, 2008),

next year. I’ll need to get back in to keep my lead up

Jack Elsegood (Bathurst, 2010), Robert Jarvis (Gold

(most amount of Races). We clocked up 250 at Sydney

Coast, 2010), Gary Baxter (Clipsal 2010) and Nandi Kiss

last year and when I finished I think I was still leading with

(Darwin, 2011).

257,” said Kovacs

Kovacs was the first driver to celebrate the

Kovacs is indeed winning the tally for the most amount

achievement and was in the Series since its inception at

of races in a V8 Ute but Jack Elsegood is slowly creeping

the Clipsal 500 in 2001. Kovacs was forced to step out of

up and would have completed 232 races by the end of the

the Series after Round two this year but is looking to be

year. Kovacs is happy for the extra challenge and excited

back on his home-track for the start of the 2012 Series.

for Jane’s achievement.

“It’s a shame we had to drop out this year; it’s the first

“It’s a great feeling when you accomplish something

time since joining the Series in 2001. We’ve just had too

like that and I’m really happy for Kim (as long as he

much on with work. We’re looking to be back in the car

doesn’t beat me), he said with a grin.”

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v8 utes

KAI GODDARD

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THE JEFF ANDRETTI COACHING GROUP OFFERS A PERFECT TURN KEY SOLUTION TO YOUR HIGH PERFORMANCE TRACK EVENT OR DRIVER TRAINING NEEDS

122

www.jeffandretticoachinggroup.com p1

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Jane had his first ever race at Sandown in an EH Holden when he was just 17, and in 2009 celebrated his 150th Race start, which proved a lucky omen as he went on to win Race 3 (his 150th) and take out the Sandown Round.

Jane is enjoying his time in the Series and teams-up every round with long-time friend and former NASCAR rival George Elliot. The two along with Team

Johnson, Andrew Fisher, Charlie O’Brien, Ryan Hansford, Chris Pither and David Sieders. Cameron McConville and Nathan Pretty were still

Manager David Maidment run the Fastrack Racing

running in the V8 Supercars in the Endurance events and

business on the side, which see’s them in a race-car

both have managed to get their head around Ute racing

every other weekend.

and are running in the top ten in the Series.

“Fastrack has definitely taken off for us this past year.

Jane is also a long-standing member of the V8 Ute

We’ve had something on almost every single weekend.

Board and although Jane would like to race forever he

I definitely can’t complain about the time on the track,

sees his future in mentoring.

though a lot of it is spent instructing people and not actually driving,” he said. 2011 has proved one of the toughest years in the Aussie

“I’m giving myself a year at a time these days, I’ll see how sponsorship goes next year, if we get a good budget we’ll race, if not, eventually we might look to bring some

V8 Ute Racing Series with ten of the 32 driver line-up

young fella’s through the category. I always want to stay

having former V8 Supercar experience including: Jane,

in the sport but I might have to look at being a mentor

Cameron McConville, Nathan Pretty, Gary Baxter, Grant

instead of a driver,” he said. P 1

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Delivering your daily fix of news from your favourite motorsports: 7 4VQFSDBST t %SBH 3BDJOH t #JLFT 4QFFEXBZ t ,BSUJOH t 3BMMZ t /BUJPOBM 'PSNVMB t /"4$"3 t *OEZ$BS t .PUP(1 8PSME 3BMMZ t *OUFSOBUJPOBM 7*4*5

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europe

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Formula 2

The 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship saw champion Mirko Bortolotti produce a magical display of domination with his seven wins and 14 podiums leaving the rest of the field un-happy ever after. But behind the Italian there were several drivers who were still able to shine as Tom Phillips discovers in his season review. photos Courtesy F2 126

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formula 2

t was perhaps fitting that the

the process. For his reward,

driver who stormed to victory

he received a prize test with the

from pole during the very first

Williams F1 Team in Abu Dhabi, taking

race at Silverstone should do

part in the young driver tests and

exactly the same seven months later

finishing a very respectable seventh

at the season finale in Barcelona.

fastest overall.

Over 16 races, across seven different

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magazine

Yet as impressive as this was,

countries, 21-year-old Mirko Bortolotti

Bortolotti didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always have it

amassed an incredible seven wins,

his own way with drivers such as

seven pole positions and 14 podiums

Christopher Zanella, Ramon Pineiro

to secure the title crown by a

and Miki Monras all at times equal to

margin of more than 100 points, and

or better than the Italianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cause. In

becoming the most successful F2

the end it was his consistency that

driver in the new era of the series in

the other drivers in the capacity

24-car field were unable to match,

title favourite. Pre-season testing had

but nevertheless there were several

thrown up a few candidates, most

who were still able to sprinkle a bit of

notably the strong British contingent

magic themselves.

led by Alex Brundle, while the

As the championship now begins its preparations for 2012, we take a look back round-by-round how this

weekend’s opening practice session had Jack Clarke leading the way. It soon become clear though as

year’s Formula Two season took

series returnee Bortolotti secured

shape...

pole position and 21-laps later stood on the top step of the podium. He

Rounds 1 & 2 – Silverstone As the curtain rose on the third

dominated from start to finish leaving Will Bratt, who got the jump on

F2 season, it was still anyone’s guess

Monras off the line, in second with

as to who would emerge as the early

the Spaniard in third, despite it being

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formula 2

130

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As the curtain rose on the third F2 season, it was still anyone’s guess as to who would emerge as the early title favourite.

his first ever race. A slow puncture cut short Brundle’s race while Friday’s pace-setter Clarke was unable to carry his momentum through. For the second race it was Monras, amazingly still recovering from shoulder surgery, lining up ahead of Bortolotti and Brundle. After a great start he produced a carbon copy of the Italian’s earlier efforts to steer his car home leaving Bortolotti to settle for second. Behind there was plenty of drama to speak of as clutch issues caused Brundle to stall on the line with the rest of the field somehow managing to avoid his stationary car. A chaotic first lap then ensued with Bratt slipping into third while the relatively unknown Zanella skilfully shuffled his way into fourth from 10th on the grid. Bratt’s subsequent disqualification, for failing to take a drive-through penalty for not respecting track limits, promoted the young Swiss into third for his maiden podium. In the end home advantage didn’t favour the British hopefuls allowing several other drivers to establish their championship credentials instead. Along with Zanella, Pineiro singled himself out as a real title-contender and an exciting driver to watch. Tobias Hegewald and Mihai Marinescu made their presence felt too with both comfortably in the top five as

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the series turned its attention to

stay on track. Zanella and Hegewald

Magny-Cours.

were relishing the conditions with the German working his way up from

Rounds 3 & 4 - Magny-Cours

sixth to second and Zanella picking

Round two saw the series cross

off Monras and then the race-leader

the channel to France for its inaugural

to take the chequered flag for a

visit to the former home of the

stunning maiden win.

French Grand Prix. The event began

Clear blue skies and warm

with official testing beforehand and

May sunshine were a welcome

although it was Monras who topped

sight for the second race day with

the timesheets, it was Zanella who

the morning’s qualifying session

was grabbing the headlines showing

seeing a role reversal as Zanella

his intentions following his maiden

this time claimed his first pole ahead

podium at Silverstone to finish just

of Brundle.

five thousands of a second behind the Spaniard. On a damp but drying track,

As the lights went out, Zanella was just able to hold off a charging Brundle to protect his lead and

Zanella again finished second during

bring his car home to complete a

the closely fought opening qualifying

magnificent double win – the first

session this time behind Brundle

driver to do so since Dean Stoneman

who claimed his maiden pole. After

last year at Oschersleben. The

losing out at the start, Zanella was

Swiss was now leading the drivers’

playing catch-up as pole-sitter

standings and certainly had the

Brundle powered away in the slippery

attention of the F2 paddock.

conditions. Things were about to

Brundle’s double podium reignited

change though midway through

his championship hopes after a

the race as the rain, and tension,

pointless season opener while Monras

intensified with drivers struggling to

was unable to reproduce his early

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pace and failing to break into the

back in 2009 with a double victory.

top three. Bortolotti, meanwhile,

Unfortunately for him it was Bratt

encountered what would be his

who stole the limelight securing his

‘worst’ weekend of the season with

maiden win during another thrilling

sixth place in race one. He redeemed

wet race.

that with a podium in the second

The weekend began with Pineiro

race with him and Zanella now just

and Monras leading the way in

starting to edge away from the rest

Friday’s free practice. In the pouring

of the field.

rain, Bortolotti provisionally went on pole for the first race until his lap was

Rounds 5 & 6 - SpaFrancorchamps

disallowed for ignoring a yellow flag and giving Pineiro his first front-row start. Bratt was down in fifth but a

The F2 regulars were back

chaotic first corner, which saw him

in action at the legendary Spa-

and many of the field run wide at La

Francorchamps circuit for round

Source, saw the field shuffle around

three of the championship. They

with the Brit capitalising to take

were joined by newcomer Jordan

the lead by the end of the first lap.

King, making history by becoming

Bortolotti and Zanella joined him

the youngest ever driver to compete

for the podium celebrations with P1

in the new era of the series at the

starter Pineiro down in seventh.

age of just 17. Heading into the weekend all

The dark clouds subsided for race two with Bratt continuing his charge

eyes were on Hegewald after he

by taking his maiden pole with

completely dominated proceedings

Pineiro for company on the

last time F2 visited the Belgian track

front row. However, it was Bortolotti’s

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turn to try a move around the outside

second on lap six. Clarke led home

as the two continued to pull away

of La Source which stuck to give him

a trio of Brits from sixth place which

into a two-way fight for the lead.

the lead heading into Eau Rouge and

included Jordan King producing

go on to secure the win ahead of

a superb debut performance to

Zanella and Bratt. Pineiro had another

secure his maiden points finish. The

first lap mishap to drop down the

championship honours now returned

was back in action with its first ever

rankings with Hegewald also suffering

to Bortolotti – albeit by a margin of

visit to Germany’s Nűrburgring. Four

a similar fate crashing out from

just five points – who led from Zanella

drivers would be on home soil this

magazine

Rounds 7 & 8 - Nűrburgring One week after Spa the series

weekend but the round would belong

Perhaps even more impressive would be

lightning starts from seventh and sixth

to one man from Italy.

the fact that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never even stepped

on the grid respectively. two followed

foot on the F1 track until that weekend

Bortolotti home to join him on the

ago, Bortolotti would go on to

before claiming both pole positions,

podium and marking Clarkeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first

produce a dominant display to record

both wins and both fastest laps.

podium since Valencia in 2010.

After his win less than one week

Bortolotti made a textbook

Race two saw Bortolotti

consecutive wins and the first driver

getaway for the start of race one

once again leave the rest of the

to do so since Andy Soucek in 2009.

while behind Zanella and Clarke made

field standing but in spite of his

a double victory giving him three

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Sweltering temperatures along with two new faces greeted the F2 paddock for round six of the championship at Austriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newlybuilt Red Bull Ring.

dominance, the day produced some of its closest ever results beginning with qualifying. The top 15 drivers all lapped within one second while the front three were within two hundredths of a second of each other with Hegewald 0.014s behind Bortolotti and Bratt an astonishing 0.002s behind him. The racing was just as close with Bratt and Zanella collecting the champagne duties; Zanella marking an impressive double podium despite starting from seventh on the grid for both races. For Johannes Theobald, the racing was a bit too close with the German on course for a career best fourth until contact from Brundle put him into a dramatic barrel roll in which he thankfully emerged unharmed. With eight rounds complete, the season now crossed into its second half with Bortolotti enjoying a handy 22-point lead and no signs of letting up.

Rounds 9 & 10 - Brands Hatch Round five at Brands Hatch marked the start of the second half of the season and would prove to be a great spectacle, most notably for Clarke and Pineiro who both secured their maiden wins. The opening qualifying session saw

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tensions instantly run high between

deserved maiden win. Pineiro hung

looked largely untroubled as he

Bortolotti and Brundle as the two

on to second with Hegewald in third.

brought his car home, celebrating

clashed with Bortolotti later handed

Bortolotti recovered from his grid

in style by leaping from his car in

a five-place gird penalty for his part.

penalty to finish fifth behind Monras

parc fermé. Bortolotti’s second place

Pole went to Hegewald, his first of the

– the last time he would fail to finish

meant he again finished ahead of rival

year, with Pineiro – sporting his new

on the podium this season – while

Zanella to extend his championship

fluorescent yellow livery – in second

Brundle clipped Zanella during a brief

lead to 36 points.

and Clarke promoted to third.

safety car period to retire early. Bortolotti lined up ahead of

Rounds 11 & 12 - Red Bull Ring

starting Clarke squeezed his way

Pineiro and Clarke for race two but

Sweltering temperatures along

through the middle of an unexpected

got bogged down off the line to lose

with two new faces greeted the

Pineiro and Hegewald to lead and

his advantage to an in-form Pineiro

F2 paddock for round six of the

hold on for 28-laps to record a

with Clarke securing third. Pineiro

championship at Austria’s newly-

As the lights went out, a very fast

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magazine

built Red Bull Ring. Local driver Rene

terms of the driversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; standings with

Turn 1 on the opening lap with Clarke

Binder and experienced single-seater

both Monras and Zanella allowing

sent him flying into the air, innocently

racer Luciano Bacheta were both

Bortolotti to put one hand on the

landing on a bemused Binder to end

making their debuts with each having

title crown.

both their races. At the same corner

their part to play in another superb weekend of racing.

While it was the Italian who

on the following lap Monras was

dominated Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free practice, it

cruelly collected by a late-braking

was Pineiro who secured pole for the

Mikkel Mac leaving both to sit out

Pineiro who would shine brightest

first race of the weekend and after a

the rest of the race. Marinescu and

with two lights-to-flag victories

good start comfortably dispatched

Brundle put on a great battle for

giving him three in a row and

the title leader to second. There was

third place with the Romanian

equalling Bortolottiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements

plenty of drama behind though as

holding firm to collect his maiden

from earlier in the year. It would also

Theobald proved that Red Bull Ring

podium. Zanella, meanwhile, slowly

prove to be a decisive weekend in

does give you wings when contact at

dropped down the order from third

Like his car livery, it was to be

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formula 2

on the gird to finish outside the top

Spaniard took the lead at Turn 2

and effectively end his championship

10 and the only time he would fail to

before building a healthy advantage

charge with Zanella also realising

score points this season.

to record his second win. Zanella

that the odds were now stacked very

lost ground to finish fourth as

much against him.

Bortolotti looked to have secured a front-row start for race two until

Bortolotti found his way into second

he was once again stripped of his

and Marinescu in third – a repeat of

pole – the third time this season – for

Saturday’s top three.

obstructing Monras during qualifying. This handed pole to Zanella but the 146

magazine

Another spin for Monras, however, saw him finish outside of the points

Rounds 13 & 14 - Monza The mathematicians had been busy ahead of the penultimate round at Monza calculating the

various permutations which could

provoking some celebratory donuts

see Bortolotti crowned champion.

which didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find favour with the

As it turned out, he could wrap up

race stewards!

the title in race one but Marinescu

The Italian began his victorious

home, who claimed the honours. After briefly losing the lead on the opening lap to Brundle, the Romanian retook his position to

had other ideas by taking a superb

weekend in fine mood topping

power home for a deserved first win.

maiden pole and victory. There was

the timesheets in both free practice

From fourth on the grid, Bortolotti

no one to stop him in race two,

sessions but when it came to

produced some stunning overtaking

however, as Bortolotti stormed to

qualifying it was Marinescu, who

to pick his way through to second

victory to take the title on home soil,

regards the track as his second

with Brundle in third and his first

issue 8

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formula 2

podium since Magny-Cours. This

was just amazing. It was the aim to

consistent Bortolotti who secured the

meant Zanella had to finish fifth or

win the championship. Before the

pole position honours for the start

better to delay Bortolotti’s crowning

season you say many things and then

of what would be another dominant

which he did leaving Bortolotti

you have to prove it on the track,

display on his way to an outstanding

needing just two points to follow in

that’s the main thing in racing so

double victory.

the tyremarks of previous champions

finally we did it and I cannot say how

Andy Soucek and Dean Stoneman.

I feel, I’m so happy.”

standings now meaning only Ramon

He began by securing pole for race two and after a poor start retook the lead from Pineiro to secure race

Rounds 15 & 16 - Barcelona Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya was

and Zanella could secure second and third places. Pineiro had to win

and championship victory. After a

the venue for round eight and

that race to have any chance of

superb battle with Pineiro, who later

the final two races of the 2011

overtaking the Swiss but Bortolotti’s

described the race as one of his best

season. Bortolotti might have

dominance meant he could only

ever, Monras finished third just behind

secured the championship

manage second handing the runner-

his fellow countryman to give him

honours but there was still the

up spot to Zanella.

his first podium since Silverstone.

matter of second and third places

The final podium spot in race two

to decide with each receiving

went to Marinescu who got ahead of

enjoyed strong performances with

a GP2 test and eligibility for an

Monras off the line to record his third

Alex moving his way from seventh

FIA Superlicence required to

podium of the year together with fifth

to fourth and Luciano crossing the

compete in Formula One. Zanella

place in the drivers’ standings – just

line fifth for his best ever finish.

had done enough to guarantee

behind Monras in fourth and ahead of

Zanella, Bortolotti’s only title rival,

a GP2 test but he, Pineiro, Monras,

Hegewald in sixth.

put in a valiant performance from

Marinescu and Hegewald could

Brundle’s late season form

P11 to cross the line sixth but it was

all still mathematically secure a

allowed him to just get the jump

too little too late for the Swiss as

top three finish.

on Clarke to finish the year seventh

Brundle and Bacheta both

Bortolotti celebrated in front of his

148

Monras and Pineiro followed him home in race one with the points

On home soil, Monras looked

and the highest placed British driver

home fans which included a brass

especially quick at the start of the

with Bratt in ninth and Dutchman

band! “I don’t have words to explain

weekend, leading the way in official

Kelvin Snoeks completing the top

how I feel now,” said Bortolotti later.

testing and in both wet and dry

10 and a thrilling season of Formula

“I think I have to realise it. For me it

conditions. However, it was the ever

Two racing. P 1

magazine

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ToyotaRacingSeries

2012

Five Rounds, Five circuits, 2,500 km’s includes testing and 15 FIA Sanctioned Races Round 1

12-15 Jan 2012

Round 2

19-22 Jan 2012

Round 3

26-29 Jan 2012

Round 4

2-5 Feb 2012

Round 5

9-12 Feb 2012

New Zealand’s Premier Single-Seater Category

Professionally managed by Toyota Racing Management Contact Barrie Thomlinson barrie@toyotaracing.co.nz +64 21 984639

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