Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

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“The Italian Job” on DVD

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Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Pirelli World Rallying 2003

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Great to listen to at any time especially when there are no rallies on! 12 tracks featuring all the great cars of the 70’s and 80’s including such legends as Escort BDA, Datsun 1600, Mazda RX7, Monaro, Torana, Galant, Datsun 240Z and more.

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e have been fortunate to secure another shipment of die cast Trofeu 1/43 Ford Escort Mk.1 and Mk.2 models in a variety of liveries. Stock is very limited so we suggest you order immediately to avoid disappointment.

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Roger Clark 1968 Acropolis Roger Clark 1972 RAC Rally (Uniflow) Hannu Mikkola, 1978 Portugal (Castrol) Roger Clark 1976 RAC Rally (Cossack) Bjorn Waldegard 1977 RAC Rally (British Airways) Timo Makinen 1975 RAC Rally (Allied Polymer) Ari Vatanen 1980 Acropolis (Rothmans) Ari Vatanen 1977 RAC Rally (Sunday Times) Ari Vatanen 1976 Tour of Britain (Allied Polymer)

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This is the best range of Escort rally cars available from any supplier and the detail is incredible. Prices have unfortunately increased slightly, but they still represent terrific value. Email: jeff@rallysportnews.com.au to check availability before ordering if you wish.

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Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

t a e r t e l p i r t s ’ a t Toyo Obituary: ‘Henry’ Lawson

T

he rally community in South Australia and Australia was saddened at the recent passing of popular SA co-driver, Ian “Henry” Lawson, whilst competing at the Rally of Tasmania. He was 40 years of age.

Henry was an accomplished aircraft technician, having worked with the RAAF since 1981 on various aircraft, including Mirage Fighters, F-A18 Hornets, and Iroquois Helicopters. He attained the rank of Sergeant.

Henry co-drove for David McDonough for a period of about 8 years, and in 1993 they became the South Australian champions in a Mitsubishi Galant VR4. Henry’s skills used in the RAAF were put to good use in the preparation of this car, with F-A18 throttle linkages used on the light stabiliser bar. The car was a work of art! (The same VR4 was still competing in the ARC as late as 2003 in the hands of young up-and-coming SA driver Jack Monkhouse).

In more recent times, Henry competed in both tarmac rallies and ARC rounds. He achieved outright results alongside driver David McDonough in the potent V8 Capri Perana in rallies such as Classic Adelaide. The last couple of years he was competing with John Beasley in a meticulously prepared red Torana XU-1, which Henry had built from the ground up.

In the ARC, Henry sat alongside multiple Aussie Car Champion, Steve Winwood, in his new Lancer Evo VI. His involvement with Winwood wasn’t limited to just co-driving, but again his skills and talents with all things mechanical were put to good use in building and preparing this car. (Winwood testified to this fact at Henry’s funeral).

Showing his versatility as a co-driver, he competed in the 2003 Australian Safari with Ian Nitschke in a Holden Rodeo.

Henry’s efforts in the sport of rallying was not only in the co-driver’s seat or in vehicle preparation. He was the Rally Sport Club of SA delegate to CAMS SA State Council for many years.

Henry was to marry his fiance, Natalie, on April 18 this year. In preparation for his wedding, he had actually made their wedding cake, and just to show how skilful he was, he had even made the cake tins in which to bake the cakes.

His funeral, on February 28, was a celebration of his 40 years. Many people spoke of his passion for rallying, and his willingness to help others in the sport.

I guess what close friend Steve Winwood had to say, sums up Henry.

“I will remember Henry as such a happy and positive person. A fun-loving character with compassion. The kind of guy that as soon as he met you, he would see the good things about you and almost instantly you were accepted as one of his friends.”

This writer can pay testament to the above statement.

Australian Rallysport News extends its condolences to ‘Henry’s’ family and friends.

By David Vaughan

Toyota suprised many when the announced a threecar assault on this year’s ARC. Regulars Neal Bates and Coral Taylor will be joined by Simon and Sue Evans, and Ben Barker and Damien Long.

Subaru oneDunkerton make numbers to head Magna stretch to fifteen Aussie assault

The number of entries in the 2004 Subaru Rally Challenge has grown to 15 with the allocation of a further six cars.

Ian Plenderleith, Nathan Davis, Graham Vaughan, Vic Scona, John Goasdue and Dean Ridge are the latest to each collect a Subaru Impreza RS for the $100,000 one-make series.

They join Darren Windus, Gavin Mosher, Ben Tirant, Eli Evans, Steve Glenney, Trent Brand, Matt van Tuinen, John Berne and Mark Beard in the six-event series, which gets underway at the Subaru Rally of Canberra on May 8.

Ian Plenderleith is a 20 year-old from Bathurst who has been rallying for four years. In 2002 he was the NSW P2 Class champion and won the CAMS NSW young achiever of the year award. In 2003 he competed in the Premier State Rally, his first pace-noted event, and won the P2 class.

Nathan Davis is a 22 year-old mechanical engineering student from Kallista, Victoria. He began racing go-karts at 13 before starting rallying in late 2001, competing in the Victorian Club Rally Series in a Datsun 1600, which he has raced ever since.

Queenslander John Goasdue, 43, is a vastly experienced rally driver, competing in the Australian Rally Championship for the past five years.

His results have included third and fourth outright heat placings and many other top ten results.

Vic Scona, 31, is from Elizabeth Bay. A relative newcomer to the sport, Vic finished the 2003 season in second place in the NSW State Championship P2 class.

Graham Vaughan, 38, is from Canberra. He has considerable experience in rallying, his best ARC result being a third outright at the Tasmanian round of the ARC. He has also produced a number of other top five ARC performances.

Dean Ridge, aged 31, has been competing in motor sport for 18 years. The Avoca Beach driver began in go-karts, then drove in rally sprints and navigated at various levels, before returning to driving. He has experienced success driving a range of cars at club and state level.

Not only is the series Australia’s richest rally competition, carrying $100,000 in prize money, the top three drivers will receive a special incentive to compete in the 2004 Telstra Rally Australia as well.

The series starts with the Subaru Rally of Canberra and then takes in the ARC rounds in Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

Series patron, reigning Australian Rally Champion Cody Crocker, says the 15-car field should create plenty of tough competition.

“It’s just great that the series has attracted such a strong field in its debut year,” Crocker said.

“The 15 entrants represent a range of ages and experiences and this should make for a really interesting series.

“The enthusiasm among the competitors for the series is fantastic.

I’ll be concentrating hard at the front of the field each round doing my job, but it will be great to come in at the end of the day and find out who has been quickest in the Impreza RS one-make series.”

Five times Australian Rally Champion, Ross Dunkerton, is being heavily tipped to become a works driver again this year as the lead driver in Mitsubishi’s assault on the Aussie Car Class in the national championship.

Driving a four-wheel drive Magna, 58-year old Dunkerton is expected to contest all rounds of the ARC, except the opening round in Perth, as Mitsubishi launches a dual assault on Australian rallying’s greatest prize.

A two-time Asia Pacific Championship winner, Dunkerton was a factory Nissan/Datsun driver in the 1970s, before moving to Mitsubishi until he retired from the top level of the sport in 1994. His return to the ARC comes on the tenth anniversary of his retirement.

Dunkerton, however, hasn’t been sitting idly since that time. In recent times he has campaigned a two-wheel drive Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo in classic rallies, as well as doing the commentary at a number of high profile events, including Telstra Rally Australia.

Mitsubishi Motors Australia will run four cars in this year’s Australian Championship.

Ed Ordynski and Juha Kangas will battle for outright honours in Group N Lancer Evo 7s, while Dunkerton heads the Aussie Car attack. The second factory Magna is likely to be driven by a media personality at each round of the ARC.

By Peter Whitten Although nothing has been officially finalised and no contracts have yet been signed, it seems certain the Magnas will be prepared by former V8 Supercar team boss, Alan Heaphy, and Dunkerton will be co-driven by fellow West Australian Bill Hayes, a multiple state champion co-driver alongside Rob Herridge.

It is believed that by running the 4WD Magna, Mitsubishi are keenly chasing buyers in the over 35 age bracket, particularly given Subaru’s dominance of the under 35 market with its Impreza WRX. Mitsubishi’s main opposition in the Aussie Car Class will come from Holden, who are expected to run a V8 Commodore Ute for circuit racer Nathan Pretty.

The car is currently being prepared for Greg Murphy to drive at the Race to the Sky Hillclimb in New Zealand’s South Island.

Murphy was originally pencilled in to drive the car in this year’s ARC, but after his back problems at the final round of the V8 Supercar series in November, the K-Mart Racing Team won’t release him from his contract to compete in any gravel events outside the Race to the Sky. Mitsubishi are yet to release photos of the new Magna rally car, but the re-designed Lancer Evo 7 looks the goods.

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Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

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DIFF’RENT STROKES: Our increased coverage of classic rallying is proving popular with readers.

P.O. Box 784, WANGARATTA, Vic 3676 Ph: (03) 57221250, Fax (03) 57215590 OFFICE HOURS 8.00am - 4.30pm Mon - Fri MANAGING EDITOR: Jeff Whitten jeff@rallysportnews.com.au

The rally chaplain

EDITOR Peter Whitten peter@rallysportnews.com.au ACCOUNTS MANAGER Carolyn Schonafinger carolyn@rallysportnews.com.au ADVERTISING MANAGER DB Media & Marketing David Brown Phone: (03) 9762 7018 Mobile: 0408 562 962 Email: brownd@ihug.com.au PHOTOGRAPHERS Martin Holmes, Maurice Selden, Neil Blackbourn, Troy Amos, Andy Kerr, Forest Fotos, Paul Kane, CMW Photographic, Kristian McMahon.

CONTRIBUTORS Martin Holmes, Michael Cains (VIC), Adrian Morrisby (TAS), Neil Blackbourn (NSW), Tom Smith (QLD), Paul van der Mey (WA), Ray Baker (ACT), Kristian McMahon (TAS).

PROOF READING Leon Huon PUBLISHED BY: Australian Rallysport News, ACN 060 196 572, P.O. Box 784, Wangaratta 3676.

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The opinions expressed by columnists and contributors to this newspaper are not necessarily those of Australian Rallysport News.

The deadline for the next issue of ARN is Monday, March 29th.

Cover photos:

Peter Whitten, Nick Morey

Holmes goes on the attack

Y

ou’d have to know that something’s fundamen tally wrong with rallying when Martin Holmes, the world’s most respected rally journalist, delivers a tirade against the World Rally Championship rulemakers in this issue.

Not known for unnecessary negativity or criticism where rallying is concerned, Holmes has fired off a broadside which strikes right at the heart of the stupidity which is pervading the WRC at the present time.

It would seem that Holmes has been keeping an eye on the multitude of changes that have been wrought on the WRC but has finally arrived at breaking point where he can no longer contain his anger. He points a finger squarely at the changes which will have the affect of bringing the WRC into disrepute if they are allowed to remain.

The two-driver rule, the ban on having the co-driver’s name on side windows, the Mille Pistes system, the ban on gravel note crews, the 16-round championship, the fiveday schedules, the proposed common components ruling – all– changes which have been (or are about to be) introduced, seemingly with little forethought or consultation.

Without question, 2002 and 2003 were probably the most successful and most stable years in rallying for quite some time, yet the FIA are condoning changes which are uni-

to watch on a Sunday afternoon.

Martin Holmes has some good points – after all, someone who has attended every round of the World rally Championship (with two exceptions) since its inception, must have a pretty good working knowledge of the highs and the lows of the World Championship.

We can’t help but agree that 2004 looks like being one of the lowest.

T

Wastegate Chatter by jeff whitten

versally unpopular with the manufacturers, the team managers, the competitors and the spectators alike. And Holmes is asking why.

One of the attractions of rallying at any level is the unknown, whether it be around the next corner or on the next stage. But rallying seems to be swiftly heading in the direction of Formula 1 where every aspect of the sport is stage managed to the “nth” degree, and may well end up being nothing more than a cleverly-contrived media exercise purely for TV viewers

Next month in ARN

Lots of stories and features in next month’s issue of Australian Rallysport News that you won’t want to miss, including:

he response from our read ers to our increased cov erage of the Classic rally scene has been very encouraging. Many of you have emailed or phoned us with your positive comments, which is great.

The Classic rally movement is one of the fastest-growing branches of the sport, thanks to its many facets, and Australian Rallysport News will continue to follow this exciting rallying category.

Of course this doesn’t mean we will be scaling down our coverage of traditional rallying (the ARC, State series and club-level rallying) – our preview of this year’s ARC is an example of what you can expect in our pages during 2004.

As always, we welcome your comments on ARN’s content and coverage. Give us a call at our email address or drop us a line in an envelope with untraceable banknotes – we’d love to hear from you.

Safe rallying, Jeff Whitten.

david vaughan

Out of all the different motorspor t disciplines around, rallying would have to be the closest knit family of them all. Perhaps it’s because rally competitors don’t run side by side and swap paint, bend panels (against each other), brake test each other, or whatever else goes on in the close battle of circuit racing.

I have become more aware of the closeness of the rally family in recent weeks. As you are well aware, SA and Australian rallying lost a great friend and competitor, ‘Henry’ Lawson, in the recent Rally Tasmania. What stood out during this time was the way the rally community supported the families and each other .

For me it was a very difficult time, firstly receiving the news of losing a friend, then having to deal with my own grieving as well as helping others through their grieving process.We are certainly lucky to have good friends around us at these times. Be thankful of your family and friends. I’m certainly thankful.

As you read this the 2004 motorsport season has really kicked in. I’ll be involved again with the Clipsal 500 as Chaplain, then off to Perth for the first round of the ARC, then performing a wedding in Ballarat on Easter Saturday. I do get to see my family on occasions!

No doubt many competitors have been out there getting their vehicles prepared for the season, searching for that last minute sponsorship deal and pulling together a service crew. All this takes time and energy. It’s during these times we need to pause and reflect what we have and be thankful. Again, be thankful for family and friends.

Have a great 2004 rally season, and I’ll see you in the Service Park.

- David Vaughan

● Cooper ‘S’ ● Mini Mini Cooper ‘S’ Austin Healey 3000

We test and reflect We test rally and winner! reflect An unlikely on on aa rallying rallying legend legend

● Full report on the Respect Yourself Forest Rally, Round 1 of the ARC ● ARN’s guide to entering Targa Tasmania – what to do, what to take etc. ● All the latest Classic rally news from around the country ● Rally Mexico - can Loeb make it 3 WRC wins on the trot?

Plus: Classifieds, State columns, Latest news & Event reports

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Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

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Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

he Australian Rally Champi onship enters a new era in 2004, and the sport of rallying is at the beginning of an even brighter dawning than that which we spoke glowingly about 12 months ago.

Back then Possum Bourne was embarking on a campaign that would see him chasing a mind-numbing eighth consecutive ARC crown, but little more than a month later the Kiwi hero was dead and the ARC was licking its wounds and desperately trying to move on in the sadness that surrounded his passing.

Naturally, the sport did survive, and with a down-to-the-wire battle for the title between Subaru’s Cody Crocker and Mitsubishi’s Ed Ordynski, 2003 turned into one of the most memorable national championships on record.

The appointment of marketing gurus, IMG, as the promotional arm of the Australian Rally Championship early last year seemed to have little impact on the sport during 2003, but the end of year announcement that Globalstar Australia had come on board as the naming rights sponsor for the championship gave hope for optimism.

Not since the early nineties has the ARC had a major sponsor. Back then, BP were pro-active in their promotion of the sport and got great value for money by their involvement. By contrast, Globalstar are an unknown quantity to some degree.

Not only are they a relatively unknown company in Australia, but aside from having naming rights and supplying organisers with satellite telephones for each event, not much is known of their involvement with the championship this year. Is their sponsorship money being used to further promote the sport? To decrease entry fees and encourage more competitors? And,

Ready for

ACTION

South Australian Sam Brand will be one of the leading privateers in this year’s Globalstar Australian Rally Championship.

By Peter Whitten

expect a higher profile, more professional championship as a result.

perhaps most importantly, how will their involvement ensure the long-term success and marketability of the sport?

These are questions that still need to be answered sufficiently, but in the short term at least, we need to be grateful of their involvement and we should

SUBARU VS MITSUBISHI VS TOYOTA So will Subaru run away with the title in 2004? Will the turmoil that has troubled Mitsubishi since late last year have an impact on their performance?

And will development of the Toyota

Neal Bates

Cody Crocker

Sprinter or stayer: Sprinter - usually fast out of the blocks.

Strong point: Fast just about everywhere!

Weak point: Hard to find has developed into just about the complete driver.

2003 highlight: Winning the championship 2003 lowlight: Below par performance at Rally Australia

Dean Herridge

Sprinter or stayer: Stayer, although a sprinter on super specials!

Strong point: Rarely crashes Weak point: Is yet to win a Heat of the championship and lacks that killer instinct 2003 highlight: Heat 2 in WA - could have won, but for a gearbox failure, and second place in Group N at Rally Australia 2003 lowlight: Not being a title threat

Chris Atkinson

Sprinter or stayer: Unknown until round one Strong point: Will do more events than anyone in 2004 Weak point: Has been away from the ARC for 12 months 2003 highlight: Winning the APRC Super 1600 title 2003 lowlight: Did only five rallies for the season

ARN says:

put it on the pace right from round one of the championship?

These questions, and more, will be answered when the series gets underway, but in the meantime there’s plenty to speculate on, and everyone believes that they’re this year’s Australian Champion.

Subaru will enter the season with a similar set up to last year. Perhaps the

major change is that Cody Crocker’s Rally Australia Impreza has been converted from left to to right-hand drive.

Crocker struggled to master the left hooker in Perth last year, but the decision to change the car is based more on ease of servicing than anything else.

Having two identical cars certainly makes more sense than having two different ones!

In many ways 2004 will be a make or break year for Dean Herridge, and with privateer Chris Atkinson also scoring points for Subaru in all ARC rounds, it’s not just Crocker that Herridge has to worry about.The West Australian certainly has the talent, and a good start to the year will not only do his confidence wonders, but will ensure he gets the best tyres available - something that he didn’t always have in 2003.

Mitsubishi’s squad, if anything, looks stronger than Subaru’s, but a change in structure sees Les Walkden preparing the cars this year, rather than the Sydney-based Bob Riley. Whether this change has any major effect on the team - positive or negative remains to be seen - but their driver line up of Ed Ordynski and Juha Kangas will be just about the most potent. Add to this Scott Pedder in a third pointscoring Lancer Evo 7 and it could well be Mitsubishi’s year.

Toyota, entering their second full season with the Corolla Sportivo, should be closer to the leading pace from the outset after a serious testing program over the break. Suspension changes and the possibility of more engine power is likely to improve the overall performance of the cars, as is the inclusion of Simon Evans into the team.

With Evans, Neal Bates and young gun Ben Barker, TTR will run three cars this year and should be able to put in a real bid for the makes title.

Drivers: Crocker to win 2 in a row Manufacturers: Second

Sprinter or stayer: Stayer - with Evans as a teammate, Bates will be the consistent one Strong point: One of the most experienced drivers in the championship Weak point: Whether the Corolla can challenge for outright victories 2003 highlight: The car’s expected performance on tarmac super stages 2003 lowlight: An uncharacteristic ‘off’ at the NSW round

Juha Kangas

Simon Evans

Sprinter or stayer: Sprinter - the fastest rally driver in Australia Strong point: His speed is second to none Weak point: New car, and whether he pushes it over the limit 2003 highlight: Winning the Rally of Melbourne 2003 lowlight: Early season gearbox failures

Sprinter or stayer: Sprinter - as you’d expect from a Finn Strong point: His speed, and his worldy rallying experience Weak point: Difficulty with English pacenotes, although that improved as the year wore on 2003 hightlight: Winning outright in Tasmania 2003 lowlight: Crashing out of the Rally of Canberra while challenging for the lead

Ed Ordynski

Sprinter or stayer: Stayer - the Carlos Sainz of the ARC Strong point: Experience, experience, experience Weak point: In 2003, it was his car’s unpredictable nature 2003 highlight: Winning in NSW and South Australia 2003 lowlight: Crashing out of the Group N lead at Rally Australia

Scott Pedder

Ben Barker

Sprinter or stayer: Sprinter - has shown exceptional pace Strong point: Has one of the slickest run teams Weak point: Has been known to over-drive when pushing hard 2003 highlight: A heat win at the Rally of Melbourne 2003 lowlight: Accidents in WA and Queensland

Sprinter or stayer: A stayer for sure - 2004 is about experience Strong point: Neal Bates rates him very highly Weak point: Lack of experience at this level 2003 highlight: Testing for Toyota 2003 lowlight: Failed to get a drive for the team

ARN says:

Drivers: Evans 3rd, Bates 5th Manufacturers: Third

ARN says:

Drivers: Ordynski 2nd, Kangas 4th Manufacturers: First

www.rallyscene.com - 7

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

to be used again so get yourself onto a shuttle bus and get your butt into the bush on August 28 & 29 for the Premier State Rally.

Pack a picnic lunch, some Aerogard and sunscreen and you’ll have a wicked’ weekend of rallying.

WILD WILD WEST

Hit the highway south from Perth and you’ll finish up in Busselton for the start of the first round of the Aussie rally championship, the Respect Yourself Forest Rally.

This is one event you really shouldn’t miss – not only is there heaps of rally action over the weekend of March 26 – 28, including all the top Group N weapons, but there’ll be a pre-1986 shootout between that old fox, Ross Dunkerton, in his 2WD Turbo Lancer and Adrian Stafford in a bellowing Datsun Z car.

Don’t forget to take your sunnies, insect repellent and sun tan cream because once the action gets underway on Friday night 26th, you won’t have a spare minute to yourself. Hey, there’s even a display of street cars and bikes, sideshows and food stalls, plus a crazy skateboard competition.

The big rally action between the Evos and the Rexes means you’ll need to travel to nearby Nannup to follow what’s happening but for $10 you can get up close and personal to your favourite stars. One of our favourite stars, Simon Evans, will be there in his new Toyota Corolla – gotta be worth making the trip just for that!

COOL CANBERRA

The land of politicians, politics and public servants, Canberra will be home to the first of the Manufacturer’s Rounds of the Aussie Championship so you’ll get to see the Toyota Trio, Bates, Evans and Barker doing their thing in the forests as the movers and shakers there have added a special event alongside The Main Event.

Not only that, but there’ll be a heap of visitors to the Capital ‘cos it’s also a round of the Asia-Pacific thingo. Expect to see lots of Japanese crews, Kiwis, Indonesians and others as they try to get some points on the board early on.

Canberra’s a doddle to find your way around – all–you do is go around in circles until you find an off-ramp–– just ask the SummerNats guys! Pack your thermal undies and a coat as the temperature can drop as low as a snake’s belly. But then it could be hot, too.

What the heck, don’t miss the Subaru Rally of Canberra on May 8 & 9.

SUNNY SIDE UP

Queensland – beautiful one day, rally action the next. Pack your swimming cossie and not much else and you’ll be in for a real treat as you pound the blacktop north of Brisbane for about an hour until you reach the start at downtown Caloundra.

The guys and gals from the Brisbane Sporting Car Club always turn on a ripper rally in the forests around Imbil, north of Caloundra and it’s one of the

SEASON FINALE

Where it's at!

Your round by round ARC guide most hassle-free’events to spectate at.

Just jump on a shuttle bus and, hey presto, the next thing you’ll know is that you’ll be in the forest feasting on rally car action. And it’ll be pretty hot action, too’– the top crews won’t travel from one side of Australia to the other just for fun.

This is serious business. Can Cody get the jump on Ed? Will Simon the Sementer and Yoo Ha the Finn crack a few heads? And what about Neal Bates and Deano? Not just there for their good looks, are they? Make tracks for the Sunshine State on June 5 & 6 for Falken Tyres Rally Queensland – it’s well worth the trip.

TASSIE IN WINTER

If you’re following each round of the ARC, you’ll have covered a lot of ground by now but to get to Round 3 you’ll cover a lot of water – all of Bass Strait, to be exact. You can fly over or go by boat (or you can tread water if you like) until you get to Hobart for the ceremonial start of the Subaru Safari Tasmania sponsored by, yep, you guessed it, the blue car company.

Grab a hire car and point it west and pretty soon you’ll be hopping around the hop fields at Bushy Park where the rally is based. Brian Richardson and the guys from the 500 Car Club love seeing mainlanders at their rally, just as much as the competitors love the super-fast stages like Styx River.

Pack your winter woollies for this one - it’s gonna be pretty cold on June 26 & 27 and you don’t want to end up looking like an icy pole.

the Adelaide Hills in August, but one thing’s for sure – the rally action’s red hot there.

The Pale Ale people, Coopers, have backed the fourth round of the good old ARC, so the brown fluid is likely to be flowing. And nobody is a bigger hero there than hometown-boy, Mr Ed. Odds-on favourite to win, this exteacher always has the goods to make it happen and you can bet your sweet bippy that some of the area’s champagne corks will be popping on Sunday afternoon.

Great for spectating, the organisers go out of their way to provide you with some of the best viewing points you could want. Home of Valiants, Magnas and Evos, this Crow-eater town goes all out to cater for spectators, but get in early if you want to book a room in the hills as accommodation can be a bit tight. And don’t forget to leave room

in the boot for a case of bubbly to take home.

ONE WITH THE LOT

There’s something about Australia’s east coast that’s ideal for rallying’– the weather. Get yourself up to the Mid North Coast of NSW and you should be basking in the late winter sun as you watch the rally circus rip around the mountains west of Gosford.

The action starts at the Eastern Creek race circuit east of Coathanger City on the Friday night so you’ll get the chance to see the tar babies in action before they make their way up north where the real rallying starts.

Plenty of things to do in Sydney (but stay away from Kings Cross!) so you could make a real holiday of it and do some seriously touristy stuff before or after the rally. Watagan Road, one of the most scary roads in the area, is sure

SUPER COLD SA

If it’s cold in Tassie in June, you aint felt nothin’ yet. Cold feet, cold hands, cold all over is what it could be like in

Melbourne – the world’s most liveable city! Or so the experts tell us. We don’t know much about that but we do know that the Yarra Valley (commonly known as Post & Wire City ‘cos of all the grape vines) is the perfect place for a rally. And as the RoM is the last round of the ARC, expect to see some egos deflated and some serious celebrating happening at the finish.

Pack your raincoat, big boots, shorts and T-shirt because you never know what the weather might do on October 2 & 3. Great speccy points (Don Road, Sylvia Creek, Mt Slide) are designed with spectators in mind so get there early, buy a hot dog from the food vans and settle in for the day.

Hometown of the Code Man, Simon the Sementer and the Pedder boys, Melbourne will see all the guns trying to put in a last-event podium so they can brag to their mates. Might even see the ARC go down to the last round here.

BEST OF THE BEST

This is the biggie – bigger than Ben Hur or Guy Sebastian’s afro! If you reckon you’ve seen everything, you aint seen nuthin until you’ve seen Telstra Rally Australia. Forget your mate’s twin turbo Skyline R30 with quadruple vacuum overriders and spliced grommets, these World rally Cars are the nearest thing to jet-propelled as you’re ever likely to see.

No Burnsie or Macca this year but your girlfriend will go ape over Petter Solberg, so you’d better be ready for some serious drooling. State-of-the-art Evos, Rexes, Focuses, not to mention the frog cars, Peugeot and Citroen, will all be there giving it heaps so book your holidays now and get to Perth at all costs.

Prepare yourself for serious spectating – the–course goes north, south, east and – well, not west because that’s into the sea – so you’ll really cover some ground in getting to the best spectator points. The whole show starts at Gloucester Park with lots of rally action before heading into the bush.

Sunscreen, insect repellent, shorts and T-shirt are the go, plus lots of cash to spend in the West. We wouldn’t miss it for quids.

Dean Herridge flies high at last year’s Forest Rally. Catch our full preview on page 8.

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8 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

March 26-28, 2004 W E I V E PR Respect Yourself Forest Rally FAST STARTER: Juha Kangas made his ARC debut with a bang in 2003. Will he repeat the dose this year?

The nitty gritty...

The X factor ...

☛ Stages: 19 ☛ Longst stage: 23.34km ☛ Stage distance: 216.89km ☛ Total distance: 762.93km

As always in Western Australia, running as the first car on the road will be a disadvantage. As the 2003 Champion, that dubious honour goes to Cody Crocker and will be the first real test of the Subaru star’s title defence.

Local history .........

Nannup is a heritage town with a population of 1200 people ... and its very own native tiger. Although no-one can actually prove that the striped marsupial exists, there have been a number of unconfirmed sightings.

From the driver’s seat

T

he 2003 Forest Rally will be remembered for many rea sons, not the least because it was the last round of the ARC that Possum Bourne contested – and the likeable Kiwi retired early in Heat 1 with a blown engine.

The battle for the lead raged on the first day between Crocker and Evans, and in Heat 2 between Crocker, Evans and Herridge. In the end though Crocker was too good – although Subaru

team orders were on the cards in Heat 2 until Herridge’s gearbox jammed and he retired.

The Bates brothers debuted the new Corolla Sportivos in style, with electrifying pace on the opening tarmac stages, but could only manage places in the middle of the top 10 once the event hit the gravel.

Dry and dusty conditions prevailed, although overnight rain after Heat 1 made life interesting early in Heat 2.

GENUINE PARTS Please note the Ralliart parts operation has re-located and the new contact details are: phone fax email

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(02) 9354 5026 (02) 9354 5044 sbell@mmal.com.

We look forward to your continuing business at great prices.

2003 results 1. Cody Crocker Subaru 2. Simon Evans Subaru 3. Spencer Lowndes Mitsubishi 4. Juha Kangas Mitsubishi =5. Dean Herridge Subaru =5. Scott Pedder Mitsubishi =7. Ed Ordynski Mitsubishi =7. Neal Bates Toyota 9. Rick Bates Toyota 10. Mark Thompson Mitsubishi

This should be one of the most interesting ARC years to date. In the last two years since Group N cars have been the primary class in the championship, we have seen close competition and I believe that this year will be no exception.

There are so many questions to be answered for this season and many of them won’t be known until the Forest Rally kicks off on Friday night, with two runs around the Super Special on the Busselton foreshore. With the competition being so tight, the SSS are becoming as important as the forest stages themselves and with another two runs being completed on Saturday night,this means there are approximately 8km of tarmac SSS which could make or break your rally.

Some of the big questions are how competitive Toyota and especially Simon Evans will be, how the shake up at Mitsubishi will pan out, and how competitive will our new Subarus be? Throw into the mix the very fast Pedder team and a whole heap of talented privateer teams and we have one very exciting year on our hands.

From what I have been told the forest stages have changed only a little from last year. One of the bigger factors with this event is the weather. In Perth we have had a very hot and dry summer and if there is no rain leading up to the event it will be a very uncomfortable event with some serious dust.

The weather can also have an effect on the road positions. It is fairly well known in Perth that the first car is not the ideal place to be, sweeping the road for everyone else, but if there is no wind and the dust is bad, there is no better place to be.

However, if the heavens open up, especially during the event, sometimes the roads can become more “grippy” and that makes for some very fast roads and it will be anybody’s game.

This is going to be a very exciting start to the 2004 year. I know the local Busselton community get right behind the event, so let’s just hope that a local can take the win!!

- Dean Herridge, Subaru Rally Team Australia driver

Suzuki star to run WRX in full ARC campaign Chris Atkinson will drive a Subaru Impreza WRX STi in the 2004 Globalstar Australian Rally Championship (ARC) and will be nominated to score manufacturersʼ points for Subaru.

He will compete for Atkinson Racing in a car built by Prodrive in the United Kingdom.

Atkinson, aged 24, will also compete in Rally Australia and Rally New Zealand.

His commitments are in addition to his Super 1600 programme, where he will be vying for victory in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC).

Atkinson enters this season with high expectations following his success over the past two years, including victory in the 2002 Australian Privateers Cup and the 2003 Super 1600 APRC, both with his brother Ben as co-driver.

“This will be our fourth year of rallying and we have gained a huge amount of experience in that short time. We have an awesome car and crew, and excellent support from Subaru, Powerstation appliances, DMS

and BF Goodrich tyres, so I have no excuses for not getting the results throughout the year,” he said.

The team is about to begin its testing program in preparation for the first round of the Globalstar ARC in Western Australia on March 27/28. Atkinson will also compete in the opening round of the Chinese National Rally Championship on March 13/14 in a 2003 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. This will provide him with more international experience and a further opportunity to adapt to driving Subaru, prior to the opening round of the ARC. “The Group N cars have come a long way, even since we used a Subaru to win the Privateers Cup in 2002,” said Team Manager John Atkinson.

John visited the Prodrive facility where Subaru’s World Rally Cars are built, late last year.

He witnessed the quality of the cars and said: “Our new car is almost identical to the Prodrive Subaru that won the 2003 Production World Rally

Championship (PWRC), so I’m sure we have made the right decision.”

While his focus is currently on plans for 2004, Atkinson has set his sights on either a Production WRC or Junior WRC drive in 2005.

With the competition in the Globalstar ARC as good as anywhere in the world, he is a good chance of achieving his aims.

“If I can match it with the top guys in Australia in Group N, being only 24 years of age, I stand a good chance of taking the next step. Importantly the new car is left hand drive, which is critical to come to grips with, if you have international aspirations,” he said.

Subaru Australia General Manager Nick Senior, said: “We are firm supporters of young talent in Australian rallying and this is the latest step in pursuing that policy.

“It demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the sport and we now have the youngest average age of any manufacturer.”

New tyres Dunlop will be supplying tyres to two top privateer teams in the 2004 Australian Rally Championship.

New South Wales drivers Mark Thompson and Brad Goldsbrough will use Dunlop’s new DZ86R tyre in their assault on the 2004 title, both in new vehicles.

Goldsbrough will campaign an ex-Possum Bourne Group N Subaru Impreza under the Dimension One Motorsport banner, whilst Mark Thompson will field a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII for Penrith Brake and Clutch.

Both drivers performed creditably in the 2003 championship, with Goldsbrough finishing third privateer and Thompson often nipping at the heels of the factory team cars, only to be let down by broken machinery or bad luck .

With new machinery for 2004 and new Dunlop tyres, both drivers are looking forward to a much better season.

www.rallyscene.com - 9

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Pedders Suspension Rally Team Driver: Scott Pedder Co-driver: Paul Humm Car: Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 7 Modifications: Too many to mention!

New car? Yes - Ed Ordynski’s 2003 Ralliart car Changes to car since last year: Seating position, paint scheme and “other”.

Vehicle history: Mitsubishi Ralliart Australia Events to be contested in 2004: All 8 rounds of the Australian Drivers and Manufacturers Championship Tyres: Yokohama A035 Sponsors: Pedders Suspension, Mitsubishi Motor Sports Australia, Yokohama Tyres, Disc Brakes Australia Aspirations for the year: 2004 Australian Rally Champion Any other important information: Major vehicle developments currently underway with final testing was planned for late February Falken Tyres Rally Team Driver: Steven Shepheard Co-driver: WA: Lyndall Drake, other events TBA Car: Group A Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 Modifications: Proflex Shocks, Brembo Brakes, Motec, Rob Clark Engine, GSA built and prepared, Falken Azenis Tyres New car? Old dog!

Changes to car since last year: Strengthend all components that broke last year, to ‘Kick Ass’ mode Vehicle history: Built by GSA and has run two years at ARC level Events to be contested in 2004: All ARC rounds other than Tassie.

Tyres: Falken Azenis Tyres Sponsors: Falken Tyres, Kinnear Transport, GSA Aspirations for the year: To win several outright stages, win the privateers cup, and take it to the factory teams Brand Rallysport Driver: Sam Brand Co-driver: Anthony McLoughlin Car: 1999 Subaru Impreza WRX Version 5 RA Modifications: Group N, Pfitzer Performance Gearbox Dog Box New car? Same car as 2003, but hopefully a new car in 2005.

Changes to car since last year: Same spec as 2003, 2002 and 2001.

Vehicle history: Originally built for Dean Herridge by Maximum Motorsport 1999. Privateers Cup winning car 2000.

Campaigned by Brand Rallysport 20012003 Events planned to contest in 2004: Rally Tasmania, Rally of Queensland, Rally SA, RoM (Other ARC’s dependant on current sponsorship negotiations).

Selected SARC events for United Motors Subaru.

Tyres: Pirelli Sponsors: United Motors Subaru, Dakar Rack Systems, Ultra-Tune Prospect, Pfitzner Performance Gearbox, Autosport, Hirecom Australia, Bartercard.

Aspirations for the year: Build on our ARC performances from last year with top five times and consistent top 10 finishes in the rapidly ageing Impreza . Win back-to-back SARC’s for United Motors.

Any other important information: 2003 was a fantastic year after a very average 2002. I learnt a big lesson in how to drive to win, taking out the SARC with four outright event victories without scratching the car, amongst excellent competition. We were one of the fastest “young gun” competitors in every ARC we competed (one of the only ones in a Group N car too). Consistently bettering the times of some ‘factory’ drivers with top 5 times and top 10 heat results when the car didn’t explode. It will be hard to get the same results in 2004, but I’m up for the challenge.

Subaru Rally Team Australia Driver: Cody Crocker Co-driver: Greg Foletta Car: MY03 Impreza WRX STi Modifications: Rally car modifications as per Group N regulations

Who’s doing what?

Leading teams reveal their ARC teams

● Jack Monkhouse New car? No, rebuilt from Rally Australia 03.

Changes to car since last year: Converted to right hand drive Vehicle history: Built by PBMS for Possum Bourne, used in 03 Rally New Zealand and 03 Rally Australia Events contested in 2004: ARC including Rally of Canberra and Rally Australia, and Rally New Zealand Tyres: Pirelli Sponsors: Subaru Australia, Caltex, Hella, Flamecrusher, Autoliv, Dirty Dog sunglasses, STi, ANZDL, Standox, Recaro, CRC, Kral’s Creations (Helmets), NGK, Clippan Aspirations for the year: To win the ARC Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles, win Group N in Rally NZ and Rally Oz. Any other important information:

Co-driver: Glen Weston Car: Subaru Impreza RS Modifications: Subaru Rally Challenge specification New car? This is the first new car that Goasdoue has ever rallied! Most of his previous cars have been imported as damaged vehicles and repaired prior to use as a rally car.

Changes to car since last year: We have stepped from a PRC Lancer Evo 3 into a naturally aspirated Subaru Impreza RS. We are due to receive the car shortly, but we expect it to be quite different to our usual ride!

Vehicle history: New car built for Subaru Rally Challenge Events contested in 2004: Rally Of Canberra, Rally Qld, Premier State Rally NSW, Rally SA, Subaru Safari Tasma-

Co-driver: Andrew Booker Car: Mitsubishi Galant VR4 Modifications: Group A spec New car? Was in 1992!! Second season in the car.

Changes to car since last year: Proflex Suspension, Albins Dog Box Vehicle history: Ed Ordynski’s old road car. Built by Racetech Fabrications in 1993 (by Ian ‘Henry’ Lawson, who was tragically killed in Rally Tasmania last month). Was top ARC running car in 1993/1994 and again in 2003.

Events contested in 2004: Globalstar ARC series.

Tyres: Kumho Sponsors: Peter Cochrane Transport, Kumho Motorsport, Essential Beauty Clinc, Jaustech Imports, Autosport, Extreme Clutches, Velo Seats.

Aspirations for the year: To finish consistantly in the top 5. Not to blow 4th gear during testing or on stage one! Have fun, do big skids.

Any other important information: One of the youngest drivers, with the oldest car and the smallest budget.

Atkinson Racing Driver: Chris Atkinson Co-driver: Ben Atkinson Car: 2004 Subaru WRX STI Modifications: Group N New car? This is a new car built by Prodrive in the UK Changes to car since last year: N/A

Vehicle history: Prodrive, brand new.

Same design of car won 2003 PWRC and that which is being driven by Alister McRae in 2004 PWRC Events contested in 2004: Full ARC, Rally NZ, Rally Australia Tyres: BF Goodrich Sponsors: Subaru, Think Powerstation, DMS, BF Goodrich Aspirations for the year: Become a consistent top 5 performer, and potential podium finisher. Score Manufactures points, to help Subaru win the Australian Manufactures Title Any other important information: We are also competing is the APRC with Suzuki in a Super 1600 IGNIS, and selected rounds of the Chinese National Championship in a Subaru WRX STI. We are also aiming to do Rally Wales GB in a Super 1600 IGNIS

Toyota Team Racing Driver: Neal Bates/Coral Taylor Simon Evans/Sue Evans Ben Barker/Damien Long Car: Toyota Corolla Sportivo New car? Simon and Sue have a new car for WA. Neal and Coral same car as last year. Ben and Damien have Rick Bates’ car from 2003 Changes to car since last year: Ongoing development Vehicle history: Built by Neal Bates Motorsport Events contested in 2004: ARC Super Series Tyres: BF Goodrich Sponsors: Toyota Australia, BF Goodrich, Caltex Havoline Aspirations for the year: To win the ARC

Windus Rally Team

Driver: Darren Windus Co-driver: Michael Cains Car: Subaru RX Modifications: Group N New car? Yes Changes to car since last year: N/A Vehicle history: built by Tony Flood in WA Events contested in 2004: Respect Yourself Forest Rally in WA, then all Subaru Challenge rounds Tyres: Pirelli Sponsors: Japanese Wholesale Spares WA, Lifeline/Pyrotech, TC Automotive (Troy Oakley), Big Jobber Panels.

Aspirations for the year: Win the Subaru one make series. Gain budget to compete for Privateers’ Cup. Any other important information: Darren is an ex-Victoria who relocated to WA last year. Michael is the Victorian columnist for ARN. Many of the service crew will be travelling from Victoria to help Darren and Michael in the Challenge.

Windus ready for Subaru Challenge

Juha Kangas led the Rally of Canberra after Day 1 last year but rolled on Day 2.

The Finnish driver will be hoping for better luck as part of the factory Mitsubishi team in the 2004 event.

Team has the same structure as last year with the addition of a few members.

Driver: Dean Herridge Co-driver: Glenn Macneall Car: Subaru Impreza WRX Sti Modifications: Group N New car? Yes, 2004 model Changes to car since last year: NA Vehicle history: NA Events contested in 2004: ARC, Rally Australia and Rally New Zealand Tyres: Pirelli Sponsors: Subaru, Pirelli, Caltex Aspirations for the year: To consolidate on the podium results from last year, with Heat wins and be in the fight for the Australian Championship, and on the way help Subaru in winning the Manufacturers’ Championship.

JOHN GOASDOUE Driver: John Goasdoue

nia, Rally of Melbourne, Rally Australia (if we win the Challenge!).

Tyres: Pirelli control tyre Sponsors: Desitrol, Camp Hill Dental Specialist Centre, other sponsors TBA Aspirations for the year: To win the Subaru Rally Challenge Any other important information: It was a difficult choice to move into a one make series after running close to the front of the field for the past few years in our Evo 3. As a small private team which is largely self funded, we found the costs of running a competitive car were becoming increasingly difficult to meet. In the end, we are involved in rallying for the competition and love of the sport. We are hoping that the Subaru Rally Challenge will provide a close competition and not cost us an arm or a leg!

Cochrane Rally Driver: Jack Monkhouse

Expatriate Victorian driver, Darren Windus, has planned an all-out assault on this year’s Globalstar Australian Rally Championship.

Debuting a new Subaru Impreza RS built by well-known Western Australian competitor, Tony Flood, Windus and codriver Mike Cains are expected to be a real threat in the new Subaru Rally Challenge which kicks off at the Respect Yourself Forest Rally in April.

Windus has proven that he has a good turn of speed in previous Victorian Rally Championship events but has been let down by mechanical problems and is hopeful that the brand new car will see him in with a chance of victory.

The bright yellow car will certainly stand out against the rest of the RS Challenge cars and will add plenty of colour to what looks like being an exciting series.

Darren Windus and Mike Cains will contest the Subaru Challenge this year.

10 - Australian Rallysport News, April 2004

There will never be another day like that!

I

t was the sort of day which you dream about in our business.

Everything worked like clockwork.

The Swedish Rally was the final rally in the current regime, before the new rules come fully into effect in Mexico.

Notwithstanding the progressive increase in pressure over the months, the pre-rally scene at Karlstad was pleasant and calm. Out of our minds, for the moment at least, were the uncertainties of the future of the sport, especially the consequences of the extra changes coming along. It was in many ways an idyllic day, until you remembered that this was a day that will never happen like this for us again.

The Thursday before the rallies is a day when we have to do so much, a full day ranging from Shakedown starting at dawn, through to the Ceremonial Start in the early evening - and maybe a superspecial as well.

A day of fact-finding and writing.

Of meeting new friends and working alongside established colleagues. A day when there is never a minute to spare. Only now, that day is being taken away from us.

The storm has been gathering for a while. The first real crisis for people working in the sport came two years ago when Shakedown was moved from Wednesday to Thursday. In one step the number of days when we could promote the sport was reduced from five to four.

It had been a very efficient system in which we sent out pictures of Shakedown on Wednesday, the ceremonial start on Thursday then pictures from the three legs of the rally the next three days. It had also been a satisfactory timetable for organisers.

It provided one day spare in case there was problem with recceing. Recceing could be extended on to Thursday if necessary.

In the midst of everything, organisers had the chance to promote their own commercial interests, by integrating the event with rally shows, commercial displays and so forth.

Errors, however, were not learned.

It was only when Markko Martin crashed at the Shakedown for Sweden in 2002 and had to miss the event did

Martin Holmes says the FIA has got it wrong, and that World Championship rallying is getting harder to cover, not easier. anyone notice the consequences the rule change made, but nobody learned the lesson.

There was special irony on that occasion. The people who pursued the FIA into running six day rather than seven day rallies were Ford, who suffered through the Martin crisis!

Ford were instrumental in persuading the FIA that a shorter time frame for rallies were better, and the FIA heard the advice.

Strengthened with confidence the FIA has now progressed further, to five-day rallies. Then came the next disaster. It is well documented how that the FIA were persuaded by the ISC into believing that more rallies were better, and encouraged them to expand the championship. More rallies can be statistically achieved, if each is shorter. Which is what our missing Thursday is all about.

Mistaken motives continued apace.

We have already discovered the problems of the two-car rule, coupled with the reduction of seven teams to five. What sort of championship is it that has no room for the world’s most successful driver (Colin McRae)?

Mexico 2004 is when the full force of these latest ill founded policies take effect. The main problem is the increase from 14 to 16 events. The consequence is further shortening of working time at each event coupled with a lack of time for promotional activities by teams. Receptions are working venues, where drivers can be approached, appointments can be made to meet colleagues.

EXCLUSION ZONE: Colin McRae missed a WRC drive in ‘04 and went desert racing for Nissan.

Rallying’s r

Already here at Karlstad there was an unseemly pressure.

Pre-event receptions were being held at halfhourly intervals all over the city.

But at least they all took place, they were worthwhile and kept us well in formed. Now our future Thursdays must be shared with Reconnaissance, Scrutineering, Ceremonial Starts, Superspecials, interviews, writing, transmitting - amid a hope and a prayer nothing will go wrong.

T

hursday afternoon Shakedowns alone will destroy our working opportunities for the day. No time for anything to go wrong. One bad telecommunications connection in a press office means work will not be sent out, tomorrow will not wait.

The change from 14 to 16 is not a simple multiplication matter.

The two extra events in 2004 are longhaul rallies. Even in economically normal times, long haul rallies cost a huge amount of money compared with European events, Japan even more than ever. But these times are not normal, they are financially recessional.

Magazines cannot be expected to increase their rally coverage because there are more rallies, certainly not Start from 1900, then back to action.

1930 (after their drivers had crossed the start line) Citroen had their conference (I didn’t go, I was still watching the start!), 2000 (while the cars were still crossing the start line) a presentation from the new OMV team, and finally, to relax, a welcome party at 2030 organised by the promoters of the event.

In the end we missed the party, but despite this in every spare few minutes we dashed to our laptops to write down new facts and opinions. We got a great amount of work done, and we got to bed in time to be alert and fit for the restart at 0630 the next morning.

BOSOM BUDDIES: Pretty girls and fanfare are all very well, but what about the diehard fan who wants traditional rally action? enough to pay for the extra costs involved, certainly not to pay for work we do not have time to do because of the revised working schedules.

Time away from home on long-haul events is 50% greater than for shorthaul rallies. The planning takes an inordinate amount of time. The extra time spent on non-productive work is time which cannot be spent on productive work.

The problems which journalists are already facing are endless. Less opportunity to make stories and take pictures. Working into the night does not produce sensible stories, driving the next day on busy hazardous roads when tired does not help the safety factor. Work that used to be done during the day on Thursdays now has to be compressed into minutes.

This effect on the promotional aspect of the sport can hardly have been encouraged by the sponsors and the teams. It was like their interests were not considered at all! The interests of the organisers were ignored two years ago when the time frame came down from seven days to six...

So it was we enjoyed the Thursday before the Sweden Rally, almost to the full. 1400 hours for briefing and snacks at Peugeot, 1530 for comments from selected top drivers on the new anti-gravel note crew rule, 1630 (half a kilometre away) to meet the PCWRC drivers, 1700 to meet the head figures in the new Subaru attack on the PCWRC series, a break for drivers to be given a safety briefing about what was expected from them, followed by an intermission for the Ceremonial

O

ur problems are not just physical or material, they are philosophical as well.

The main damage is that the breakdown in trust between the federation and those who work in the sport. This alone creates suspicion.

We have heard with great relief the FIA President confirm that he wants the sport to grow to be as strong as Formula 1 but it does not look like that in practice.

He has said that the stronger the sport, the more the magazines will send their journalists. Actually the number of journalists working exclusively for magazines or newspapers in rallying is much lower than in Formula 1, and is hugely dependent on their country being personally represented in the sport. We are not expanding the sport, it is contracting.

The number of top drivers has fallen from 15-17 (from nine different countries) last year to 10 in 2004, from six countries.

This is no way to encourage regular new feature writers and television

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even less reason to be helped. We are, apparently, stupid. Like animals in a zoo, we are fed selected titbits of information. The real stories are hidden behind restricted access websites.

Photographers are in an even worse state. The tightened schedules make opportunities for checking routes more difficult than ever. Safety measures limit opportunities that photographers have already discovered, leading to the need to negotiate with organisers what they expect us to do. Until the end of last year, a semi-permanent photographers’ media delegate was appointed to act as trouble shooter, but now the FIA has stopped this service without even asking if it will upset the work.

rocky road

T

here have been so many changes which only serve one purpose, but which destroy two other ones. Shakedown sessions were originally invented and called “Promotional activities”.

To reduce them is admission that promotion is not to happen! It creates a lack of confidence in the management system.

companies into the sport.

There is a strange and identifiable knee jerk factor in many of the changes and this is alarming. Every rule change seems to produce a problem that was not anticipated, so another rule is made to patch it up.

This was the philosophy behind the “SupeRally” (48, not 16, rounds in 2005) change.

It was a pity that cars which retired early would not be seen any more, so the FIA made a rule which allows them to restart the next day. Ah, another new rule change is coming along. Teams now cannot take batteries to the restart in case the car’s battery is flat. What sort of contradictory decision is this?

Another fear is that the FIA does not know who they can safely take advice from. Look at the examples above.

Interested parties persuade rule changes, no knock-on consequences are considered, things go wrong, make another knee-jerk rule change. This is a very worrying trend.

Another trend is that the FIA does not want to be ruled by ISC. There is some sort of war between them even now. The FIA people fight with ISC about avoiding responsibility for promotion of the JWRC and PCWRC. Whatever ISC thinks is a good idea is likely not to happen.

To the general media world, there is little about the decision making of the FIA to make one discredit the theory that the FIA is lost in a world of Formula 1 thinking. They suggest successful plans of Formula 1 will save rallying. Actually I do not accept this idea because very many of the decision makers in the FIA’s World Council are in fact ex-rally people, and they are intelligent enough to see the dangers in following the F1 line.

B

ut maybe there is a hidden agenda, here. Maybe it is because the ISC spent so long promoting the expansionist philosophies that the FIA decided to take them at their word.

And maybe blame them if they do not work?

To work in rallies is our choice, nobody forces us to be here. But why is our life made so difficult? The FIA seems to have no policy about whose advice to follow: individual teams, the ISC, the collective advices of teams.

Certainly not other people who work in the sport, like us. When we do not have access to information we get things wrong. We have only rumours and suspicions to rely upon.

This in turn discredits our work in the eyes of FIA, it means we have

“We are, apparently, stupid. Like animals in a zoo, we are fed selected tit-bits of information.”

However much the FIA explains their decisions, the goalposts change their position. Other decisions are taken without warning. There is a feeling that stability is abhorrent, change is necessary to prove that progress is happening for the good of the sport.

What completely confirms our lack of confidence is that so many decisions are kept secret. Add to this the feeling that if the FIA can justify the changes by saying that the teams will not suffer financially from the changes (which the teams dispute), and that no effort has been taken to reduce the soaring costs of organisers and professionals who follow the sport, journalists not the least, what sort of disaster is waiting to manifest itself? Some sort of storm is sure to happen.

If we cannot follow the reasoning behind the changes we already know about, what chance is there to trust the sense behind unseen changes? And why have these changes?

Comments from officials like “they should have been made years ago, and we are catching up”, hardly comforts

Australian Rallysport News, April 2004 - 11 the parties on which they have been series? Yes, he explained, they are to suddenly imposed. reduce the costs to make an enlarged “The FIA’s World Council wants championship viable for the teams to the World Rally Championship compete on every championship event Commission to be seen achieving in 2004. things” is laughable. About the only What a difficult position into which excuse which seems to make any the FIA has placed Rally Japan. Unless sense at all, is that the changes are the Japanese organisers produce a all necessary in order to expand the rally that is perfect in every way, the championship, to make it possible to FIA are waiting for the journalists to have more rallies. blame them for every inconvenience Make it possible for Japan to enter the we are going to start suffering as from championship! This is what Shekhar the start of Rally Mexico.

Mehta, President of the FIA’s World And there are plenty of people in Rally Championship commission, told rallying who really do not accept us during the Telstra Rally Australia. that it was worth losing the chance to Those who heard him were stunned. work, indeed the change of life as we Were all these changes basically just knew it. to allow Rally Hokkaido into the - Martin Holmes

No name, no game!

Being close to rallying 365 days of the year probably tends to colour our world, but we can’t help but think that we’re not the only ones who would agree that the FIA’s latest piece of lunacy suggests that their medication needs strengthening.

Their decree that all co-driver’s names must in future be removed from the side windows of rally cars competing in the WRC “because it could confuse spectators”, is nothing more than errant nonsense.

Where are these guys coming from? What are they trying to do to World Championship rallying? Is there nothing traditional that they won’t meddle with?

Understandably the co-drivers are unhappy with the new ruling which came into force on the recent Monte Carlo Rally in January.

Michael Park, co-driver for Markko Martin, summed their feelings up by saying: “We expose ourselves to the same risks (as the drivers) and at the end of the day, we’re a team. I don’t understand it all.” Francois Duval’s co-driver, Stephane Prevot, claimed it showed a total lack of respect. “I’m sure there are other more important changes that can be made to the championship,” he said.

Dead right, Steph. Next the WRC Commission will want the brand names removed from the cars because it might confuse spectators who have never seen that brand of car in their country and they might be tempted to go out and buy a Mitsubishi Lancer because it looks so much like a Subaru – not!

The World Rally Championship is quickly becoming a laughing stock amongst non-rally people because of its constant rule-fiddling by the FIA. As Martin Holmes so succinctly put it in his observation on the plight of the WRC, titled “There will never be another day like this”, the WRC is in dire trouble. We couldn’t agree more.

- Jeff Whitten

The excitement of world rallying is quickly being covered up by the inadequacies of the FIA.

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12 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Fitting a

r e t e m Trip Jeff Whitten investigates the best way to go about fitting an essential piece of rallying equipment, a Tripmeter.

I

n our first instalment we looked at the best ways of fitting a the probe from your tripmeter to your vehicle. Now we look at wiring, mounting the unit, and calibration.

WIRING: Each tripmeter will have an instruction sheet detailing clearly how to wire the unit up. It is important to do this correctly to avoid damaging the unit.

Usually there are only one or two wires that connect the probe to the unit.

In the case of a front wheel sensor, the two wires should be tied up with cable ties to the front strut or similar, keeping the wires well away from rocks or sticks that could be thrown up by the wheels. It is a good idea to thread the wires through a length of clear plastic hose or flexible conduit for extra protection, leading the whole lot through a suitably-grommeted hole in the inner guard and into the engine bay, and from there into the cabin through the firewall.

Make sure cable ties or some other form of attachment is used to tie the wiring down. Wires from speedo cable-driven probes will only need their wire(s) tucked up behind the dashboard. As always, neatness is the best policy.

Once the wires from the probe have been routed into the cabin, it’s time to look at supplying power to the unit.

It’s tempting to try and find a live wire somewhere inside the cabin to hook your tripmeter to but the manufacturers suggest that the correct way is for a power lead to be run directly from the

unit to the positive terminal of the battery to ensure that the unit gets full power all the time.

To protect your valuable unit’s internals, an in-line fuseholder with an appropriate fuse should be fitted somewhere near the unit where the fuse can be changed if need be. Similarly with the earth wire, it’s best if this is taken direct to the battery rather than earthing the unit on just any old metal part of the car In this way any power surges (eg: turning the lights on) will not affect the power supply to the unit.

Both power and earth wires should be kept well away from any other wiring in your vehicle to avoid interference from other electrical circuits.

MOUNTING THE UNIT: There are many ways of mounting your tripmeter to the cockpit of your car, but the main criteria is to mount the unit where it can be seen not only by the co-driver or navigator but the driver as well. There will be times in rallies when the co-driver’s head will be down looking at instructions at the same time as the driver needs to know when the next turn comes up, so it’s important to locate the unit so both crew members can see it clearly.

Modern cars with their plastic dashes, big gloveboxes and airbags present a real mounting problem. Then of course, many people simply don’t want to start drilling holes in the dashboard of their expensive cars, so fitting requires quite a deal of thought. Earlier cars do not present such a problem generally, and a suitable aluminium mounting plate can be mounted in the glove box aperture or elsewhere on the dash.

Wherever you decide to mount it, try and mount it close to the centre of the

MADE TO FIT: This Brantz installation in a Subaru Forester mounts the unit in the only available space without drilling holes, and is easy to read.

vehicle where both crew members can see it but particularly where the codriver can read it at a glance. We have seen odometers mounted on the codriver’s door but this position is less than ideal – it’s hard for the driver to see and is likely to be affected by rain and dust when the door is opened.

One mounting method that we’ve found particularly good is mounting the unit on the glovebox lid. We went to the wreckers and bought a glovebox lid from a wrecked car of the same model and attached an aluminium bracket made up to suit the slope of the glovebox lid, to the lid itself.

In our Datsun 260Z this location was ideal. It was easily seen by driver and navigator, didn’t foul anything else on the dash and was instantly removable by undoing just four screws (handy if you are leaving your car in a secluded location for long periods of time).

Of course there are dozens of ways of fitting an odometer by using existing dashboard hardware, but think things through thoroughly before you start drilling holes randomly’– neat is best.

If you’ve exhausted all other methods of fitting your tripmeter, one final

LOOK MUM - NO HANDS! Lightweight units like this Brantz 3 can be mounted to modern cars with double-sided Velcro tape.

get an accurate reading within 10 metres.

When setting up a Terratrip, set the calibration number to 0100, then exit the calibration mode so that the displays are now showing distance. Zero the distance displays and run the car over a known 1km distance. At the end of the run make a note of the numbers in the Interval Distance display, set the tripmeter to Calibration mode and enter the numbers that were shown at the

GLOVES OFF: Sourcing a spare glovebox lid to mount your tripmeter saves damaging the original and can be removed easily.

end of the 1km.

Exit from the Calibration mode and the unit is set. Simple! One last tip – if you decide to calibrate over a longer distance (5 or 10km), remember to divide the figures at the end of the distance by 5 or 10.

CONCLUSION: It really isn’t that difficult fitting a tripmeter to a rally car – all–it takes is a little time, a few simple tools and a bit of thought. Once fitted, you’ll find that your tripmeter is one of the most important pieces of navigational equipment you can have.

Looked after carefully (it’s a good idea to keep it out of the blazing sun behind a car windscreen) it should last you for years and continue to give accurate readings. Choose your tripmeter wisely and buy the one that best suits your needs – cheapest is not always best. Happy rallying.

Next month: How to fit a mechanical Halda.

suggestion is to attach some self-adhesive Velcro tape to the back of the tripmeter and a similar amount to the dashboard. This method is really only suitable for very light units (eg: Brantz) but can be quite effective just the same.

And it’s instantly removable.

CALIBRATING: With your new odometer mounted and wired up, it’s time to calibrate the unit to get accurate readings. The beauty of electronic units as opposed to mechanical Halda-type units, is that they are brilliantly simple to calibrate and don’t require the purchase of more gear wheels. You’ll find this feature very handy when you change your car’s diff ratio or alter the size of you wheels or tyres.

A simple pass over an accurate, measured 1km. distance is all that’s needed.

And you can change the calibration back again just as quickly, great if you’re in an event that requires you to use rally tyres as well as road or track tyres.

Once again, depending on the unit you choose, calibration varies. The first most important thing to do is to find a piece of (preferably) straight road that has been accurately measured.

Don’t always rely on kilometre posts as being universally accurate as they are often 50 or 100 metres out. You can calibrate your tripmeter over a 1km distance but it is always safer to do it over a measured 5km or 10km distance. The greater the distance the less chance there is of an incorrect reading.

For a Brantz unit, you select 100 on the calibration switches on the front of the unit, switch the unit on and drive over the measured kilometre.

At the end of the measured distance a figure will be displayed on the LED displays. Simply enter this reading on the calibration switches on the tripmeter’s face and the unit is set. You should then turn around and drive the distance in the opposite direction’and

O

YOUR CHOICE: There are a number of tripmeters available, depending on your budget and needs, but buying the cheapest is not always cost-effective.

ur first instalment on fitting a tripmeter last month encouraged several people to contact us with their personal experiences gained when fitting one to their rally car.

Stephen Coutts-Smith brought to our attention that most electronic units have allowance built in for two standard calibrations.

This is especially handy when you may wish to change tyres or wheels during or between events. Both calibrations can be stored in the unit, usually by selecting “Cal 1” or “Cal 2” when setting the unit up.

If you’re really serious, you can fit two probes (perhaps one on each front wheel) so that you have a backup system should one get knocked or damaged. Extra probes cost around $100 each.

Steve also offers his suggestions on fitting a tripmeter to a VH Commodore which has no bolts attaching the front caliper to the hub, which means that the signal cannot be picked up. His solution was to drill four holes in the “dead” area between the disc and the centre of the hub. The sensor then picks up a signal from the holes rather than the heads of the bolts on normal applications.

Of course you must be extra careful when drilling holes in the disc and hub that it doesn’t weaken the disc. Always seek expert advice before proceeding to drill holes.

- Jeff Whitten

Vale: Janusz Kulig

www.rallyscene.com - 13

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Janusz Kulig died in a road accident at the village of Rzezawa, near Bochnia (Poland), while he was driving alone on Friday, February 13.

He was at the wheel of a Fiat Stilo in wintry conditions and was at an open level crossing when the car was struck by a train.

The impact was so severe the car was thrown 300 metres down the track.

Within moments, Janusz had died. Initial evidence suggests human error on the part of the 50 year old lady crossing keeper, who declared she had no idea why the barrier had not been lowered, and who was arrested after the incident.

Born on October 19, 1969, Janusz was 34 years old, married to Agnieszka, already with one daughter Paulina. He and his wife were expecting another child. The family lived at Krakow.

In his 12 years of active competition, Janusz had become a household name in his home country. He had been national champion three times (1997, in Renault Maxi Megane, then in 2000 and 2001 in Focus WRC), and runnerup in the FIA European series in 2002 mostly with a Focus and finally with a Peugeot 206WRC. His first event was in 1991 at the wheel of a Polski Fiat 126p, from which he progressed to an Opel Kadett.

In 1998 he won FIA zone champion for the Central European region at the wheel of a Toyota Celica GT4. His first world rally car was a Ford Escort in 1999 and his first world championship event was the 1999 Network Q Rally.

In 2001 he entered the FIA’s Teams’

TRAGIC DEATH: Janusz Kulig died when his car hit a train at a level crossing in Poland.

Cup series but had to withdraw from the series. In 2003 he entered the FIA’s Production Car World Championship, which brought him a great disappointment. After having beaten Stig Blomqvist in a straight fight in Sweden, he lost his PCWRC win after his car was discovered to have an ineligible flywheel.

Later he went to Mexico and was second overall on that event behind Marcos Ligato. For 2004 he had a program driving a Fiat Punto S1600 in Polish championship events, and the offer of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo for use in the FIA’s European series.

He also attracted the commercial attention of both Marlboro and Mobil, who supported his career.

Focus WRC04

Ready to make its World Championship debut in New Zealand is the 2004 version of the Ford Focus World Rally Car. The design of this car has been planned from the outset with new championship regulations in mind.

Mechanically identical to the 2003 version which won in both Greece and Finland last year, the main changes to the car come in the design analysis rather than the technical changes.

External changes are to the front and rear bumpers, the front allowing a better flow of air through the engine compartment, while internally there are changes to the engine and turbocharger, and the use of lightweight body panels.

Christian Loriaux, Technical Director at M-Sport, who had earlier masterminded the design of the revolu-

The new Ford Focus RS WRC04 will make its debut at next month’s Rally New Zealand.

tionary WRC 2003 car, said the range of new rules meant there were new objectives in what a car was expected to do.

“Reliability is now a major issue, because of the two-car rule. The new minimum weight rule for the chassis gives us the chance to use lightweight body panels, which in turn helps us redistribute the weight balance through ballast, and in turn make the car more tyre-friendly.”

proceeded to set best times for the remaining 5 timed runs – only being matched by Dave Gaines on SS3.

Gaines’ 240K broke its crown wheel, and managed to change the 4.8 LSD to a 3.5 open diff during the 30 minute service.

The rest of the field (all 2WD cars, and all eligible for ‘Classic’ status) enjoyed a close tussle during the event with many places separated by mere seconds.

Impressive runs were seen from Glen Mitchell/Brian Zelinski (RS2000), Allan Griffin/Natahan Phipps (Stanza) and Rob Dixon/Debbie Dillon in the R1 Corolla.

Taking the Gemini category by over a minute was the Gree Airconditioning

Full details on the new Focus at www.rallyscene.com

You could eat your lunch off the floor at M-Sport as mechanics get to work on Markko Martin’s NZ Focus. (Photo: Martin Holmes)

Heat no barrier

On a hot day in Queensland’s Jimna Forest, Bruce Fullerton and Hugh Reardon-Smith opened their 2004 account with a win in the first round of the KCF Rallysport Short Course Rally Series.

In their Impreza WRX, the experienced duo held off the Datsun challenge headed by Dave Gaines/Nikki Doyle (240K) and Wayne Johnston/ Nancy D’Arcy (1600).

Clerk-of-Course Mark Neary set two stages of 9.94km and 7.13km, and after two recce runs over each, competing crews were given three runs to put themselves to the test.

The Fullerton Subaru was not the quickest car over the first timed run of SS1, but he soon fell into a rhythm and

This is critical because of the new greater maximum allowed distances between tyre changing points. The new rule saying that cars must comply with minimum weights, both empty and with the crew in place, means that teams with lighter crews can ballast their cars more than those with heavier crews.

Concerns over engine reliability experienced in recent months have led to a reappraisal of the team’s policies on lifing the components.

“Until the new car is ready to run, we have started to use the same components for shorter periods of time.

We hope the new piston and conrod designs will help to ease the head gasket failure troubles,” Loriaux added.

Bruce Fullerton leads the KCF Rallysprint series. (Photo: Marc Austin-Zande)

coupe of Trent Dutton/John McCarthy.

Erik Johnsson/Cate Kelly took second in the class, from Craig and Linda Newell.

A number of retirements were recorded including Chris Wedding/Mike

Masijczuk who crashed their Datsun 1600 badly, Justin Russom/Peter Graham (turbo failure in their Evo 3) and Melinda Both who changed from the co-driver’s seat in Rob Dixon’s Corolla to take the wheel of her own

Datsun 1600 (engine problems).

The next round of the KCF series is on May 15, again using roads in Jimna Forest.

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Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Classic

www.rallyscene.com - 15

E N E C S RALLY

NEWS - FEATURE CARS - REPORTS - COMING EVENTS

It revs to 8000rpm and you can’t hear, but Richo’s Mk1 RS1600 is ...

Totally awesome Many of us dream of building a new rally car then going out and winning an event first time up. Usually it’s just that – a dream. There’s always something that goes wrong to thwart our plans and that elusive first-event win slips out of our reach.

It seems fairytales do come true, though, the following story being a perfect example. Gerry Bashford takes up the story.

J

ust after Christmas last year, Steve Richards, the well-known V8 Supercar driver and son of the legendary Jim Richards, rangand said that he was thinking of doing the Heritage section of Rally Tasmania and asked if I was interested in co-driving for him. I went out to Jim Richards’ place where the proposed car was stored to find a bare, unpainted Escort Mk1 bodyshell with forest arches and an extensive chrome moly cage already fitted.

A pile of other parts including a freshly built 2 litre BDG engine, seats, harnesses, shockers, struts, brakes and various trim and suspension bits were also scattered around the garage. Sitting in the corner was one of Australia’s most famous rally cars, the ex-Greg Carr Escort RS1800, IYK 000, now owned by Jim Richards.

Steve was keen to get the Mk.1 up and running for Rally Tasmania although there was still a huge amount of work to be done.

Although we only had 6 weeks until the start, we decided to give it a try and I called on long time friend and Escort nut, Angelo Curic, to lend a hand.

The bodyshell was sent off to the panel shop to be painted and two weeks later, looking immaculate in plain white with silver underside and interior, it was delivered to Motorsport Engineering Services in Moorabbin where it was decided to do the rebuild because of the equipment that was available at the workshop. Four weeks to go.

After some very long days and a great deal of work by Steve, Angelo, Derek and myself, it seemed we were finally going to make it. Due to delays in getting the original gearbox for the car, we ended up “borrowing” the works ZF out of IYK 000 for the event.

The car finally turned a wheel at 1.30 a.m. on the Tuesday before the event and was then driven to Warrandyte as part of a test run to see how the car performed, where a small oil leak was discovered. Although

By Gerry Bashford the car was to leave for Tasmania on the Wednesday before the event, Steve decided to stay and fix the oil leak and the boat trip was cancelled Wednesday evening and Steve then drove the car to the boat on Thursday morning and then flew to Tasmania himself.

We finally got the car off the dock at Devonport at 11am on Friday morning which gave us three hours to finalise a few things like fit some proper tyres, stickers, wiper arms, calibrate the Terratrip and a few other last minute things that always need doing before Parc Ferme.

F

inally on Friday afternoon we were in the car heading out to the first stage at Ridgely for two runs of a short 3.6 km. stage. Unfortunately our chance to see what the car could do was forced to wait until another day when the stage was cancelled following a bad crash of another competitor in the Heritage section and the untimely death of the co-driver, “Henry” Lawson.

Saturday morning dawned cool and crisp as we headed out of Burnie for two short stages, Oldina and Yolla. Steve immediately felt the car was good and doing everything it was supposed to do with the only problem being a total lack of communication between the driver and navigator, thanks to the noise from the BDG at 8000 revs.

For the rest of the event we were forced to resort to hand signals as best Icould and yelling into the intercom whenever Steve backed

CONFUSION REIGNS: They may have had Holden driving suits on, but Steve Richards and Gerry Bashford achieved their Rally Tasmania win in a Ford.

JAMES LAIRD AUTOMOTIVE P/L

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1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st

off for a corner or a gear change.

Hellyer Gorge was next and Steve was pretty happy with how the car was handling and performing. The longest stage of the events Savage River followed and this would take us through to lunch at the Savage River township before a reverse run over all four stages. It was during lunch that we became aware that we had an 18 second lead on our closest rival, car 104, a Torana SS. As we had not been pushing the car due to the intercom problem, we had been driving a conservative event so were very surprised to be doing well, let alone leading the event.

On the return run out of Savage River we continued to increase our lead with the stage being particularly to the Escort’s liking with a 32 and 29 second lead respectively in each direction.

Returning to Burnie for service, we held a 1 minute 4 second lead with no problems encountered, apart from a loose carburettor which was quickly rectified.

On Sunday we again continued to drive conservatively with Steve deciding that if any-

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Pit Stop

MORE GRUNT THAN BABE! Richards and Bashford won first time out in the touring car ace’s Mk1 Escort RS1600. (Photos: Morey)

one challenged, we would not increase our pace as the intercom problem precluded total commitment, and even yelling was becoming ineffective as my voice slowly deteriorated.

Six further stages awaited us on Sunday and still the car continued to run like clockwork. Again we were able to extend our lead to 1 minute 18 seconds over David McDonough and Lyn Wilson in the Capri Perana and a further 19 secs to Cooper and Duggan in the Torana SS. Steve’s drive was fantastic and the car was awesome, despite having to run with full fuel tanks as we had no idea what the consumption would be. Once it is fine tuned and Steve can actually hear what I am saying, it should be one exciting ride.

M

any thanks to Angelo, who also serviced for us on the event, Derek for the use of the Motorsport Engineering Services facilities, and Steve for a great ride and a terrific result.

The fact that the car was able to run so competively “out of the box”, with no problems and no major changes required, was a credit to everyone who helped screw it together.

Although there were plenty of rumours floating around about who actually built the car, I can assure you Steve conceived the car, planned for what bits he wanted in it, and put the majority of the car together with the help of a small group of friends and deserves the credit for the project. He was very much “hands on.”

I don’t know how he stays so slim with all the late nights and junk food we consumed during the building of the car. We’d like to do Targa Tasmania next, but unfortunately Targa is out due to the clash of dates with a V8 Supercar round.

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16 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Classic

S W E N RALLY

NEWS - FEATURE CARS - REPORTS - COMING EVENTS

Watts wins sombre Rally Tas

This year’s Toll Shipping Rally Tasmania followed the footsteps of previous years with the rally split into two groups, the modern section for cars built after 1981, that run under strict rules to keep them essentially’“standard”.

Then for the enthusiast (or rev head if you like), the Heritage section ran for the pre-1981 vehicles and allow for a little more tweaking of the old beasts.

In the Modern section the much talked about defection of two-times winner and reigning champion, Jim Richards, to two-wheel drive was always going to be a bone of contention for the weekend. Local hotshot Jason White (Nissan R34 GTR), along with previous winner Tony Quinn were ready to take advantage of any slip up from the Champagne rally master.

Richards and his all-star navigator, Barry Oliver, were trying out the allnew GT2 Porsche, the latest offering from the German marque. The twin turbo, 2WD machine took a bit of taming and a bad tyre choice on the return run through the 26km Savage River reverse (stage 7) cost Richards half a minute, but they took their first stage win on Yolla reverse (stage 9).

By Sunday the combination were setting the pace, with the help of the Michelin team, taking another load of stage wins on the final day.

S

tage 1 and 2 were set down for the Friday evening and were to position the cars starting order for the following day’s jaunt down the rugged west coast. Unfortunately the evening was cut short with the untimely passing of South Australian rallying legend and all-round nice guy Henry Lawson.

The 1971 Torana, being driven by John Beasly, left the road and hit a tree, instantly taking the life of his navigator, Henry. John is recovering in hospital with serious leg injuries and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Day 2 started with a very solemn feel to the day, but crews soldiered on with Richards leading the field into a day that was going to show the men from the boys.

From the outset it was obvious most people had overlooked the “other” German marque, being the the BMW M3R of coastal crew Kent Watts and Brendon Spurr, but by the time the crews had got to the Savage River lunch break they held a 1 second lead over Jason White, with Tony Quinn a further 9 seconds behind in third.

Just to add to the excitemant, SA gravel guru Sam Brand, having his first run on the black stuff in his Subaru WRX, was in fourth, with Richards sitting in sixth.

On the return run through Savage White took the lead, only to relinquish it soon after when yet another engine let go on the white hot racing GTR! Watts then went on a stage winning frenzy in the afternoon to hold a 30 second lead at overnight stop in Burnie.

Holding second was the VIP Petfoods Porsche turbo 4WD of Tony Quinn and Keith Wenn, then a further 24 seconds back was Richards.

The first stage of day three saw Watts drop 10 seconds of his lead to Quinn and there was enough of a sniff for the Porsche brigade to make a challenge for the lead. Quinn, who was chasing electrical dramas with his ABS, was being pushed hard by Richards and

By Adrian Morrisby could not afford a slip, with Greg Garwood and Mark Perry also pushing hard in their new GT3 only seconds behind.

The Watts/Spurr combination then set about demoralising the opposition on the 8km Camena (stage 14) taking 10 seconds out of Quinn and 14 off Richards (Yep, sends goose bumps up my arms!).

Brand took a deserved second on the stage only six seconds in arrears.

On the final run through the Hellyer Gorge Watts pulled another three seconds from Quinn and went on to win his first Rally Tasmania and be the first local winner in over 20 years, by 33 seconds.

Quinn just held onto third, with Richards’ final lunge leaving him four seconds short of his target and the king of tarmac rallying had been defeated for the first time in eight years.

The battle that had the entire rally abuzz was the shoot-out of the gravel crews, with Brett Middleton and Andrew Benefield (WRX, complete with data logging suspension) from NSW and current Tasmanian state champions Jamie and Simon Vandenberg (Lancer Evo 3) battling hard with SA rally champion Sam Brand (WRX).

Kent Watts and Brendan Spurr took a surprise victory in their BMW, outpacing the more fancied Porsches. (Photos: Morey)

I can vouch for just how lucky we were to not only see this jigger, but to also hear it.

The V8 challenge was led by the past SA rally champion, David Mcdonough, and Lyndon Wilson in a Ford Capri Perana, and Tasmanian David Cooper and Leon Duggan in a LH Torana SS. Wayne White and Jane Gregory waved the rotary flag high, producing some good stage times in their RX3.

Heading into the last set of stages Richards held a healthy one minute lead and was never going to be touched, the real race was on for second and third.

Tasmanians David Cooper and Leon Duggan coming home 189 seconds in arrears in their all new (to the rally scene) LH Torana SS. A further 44 seconds back saw the Porsche of Bernie Stack and Mark Forgie, then followed the luckless Wayne White in the knocked around RX3.

Missing from the podium was the Porsche of Graham Lorimer who suffered some mechanical dramas on day two, and also the ever flamboyant Keith Callinan and wife Mary-Anne, who spent all weekend chewing up tyres on the mighty Monaro, but kept the huge crowds cheering with massive power slides.

Sam Brand was impressive on his first tarmac rally - ninth in his Impreza WRX.

Wayne White’s charge towards a podium finish ended when he hit a tree.

The trio shared stage wins throughout the event and produced some of the best slides on the black stuff ever seen by a 4WD car. Vandenberg (sixth outright) took it down to the wire, just edging out Middleton (seventh) only 1 second behind, and only a further eight seconds back to Brand (eighth).

T

he Heritage section saw Steven Richards (with navigator Gerry Bashford) break out his much talked about Mk1 Escort RS1600, and Steve Richards heads for victory in the Heritage Rally.

McDonough had taken the first day fairly easily and was coming home strongly and bringing Wayne White with him. The two battled hard sharing stage wins until White rubbed a tree in Highclere Reverse and dropped 30 seconds, then repeated the trick on the return run through the Gorge, leaving his RX3 looking like Elenor from the ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ movie!

Eventually it was Richards and Bashford taking a 1m18s win from the Capri of McDonough and Wilson, with

The Incredible Hulk - Eric Bana - was a celebrity entrant in a Porsche.

Final Results - Rally Tasmania MODERN CATEGORY 1. Watts / Spurr 2. Quinn / Wenn 3. J. Richards / Oliver 4. Garwood / Perry 5. Warwick / Warwick HERITAGE CATEGORY 1. S. Richards / Bashford 2. McDonough / Wilson 3. Cooper / Duggan 4. Stack / Forgie 5. White / Gregory

1996 BMW M3R Porsche 911 4WD Turbo Porsche GT2 Porsche GT3 Porsche GT3 Ford Escort RS1600 Ford Capri Perana V8 Holden Torana SS Porsche 911 Mazda RX3

All results for every stage can be accessed through www.rallytasmania.com.au and you can also look up the information for Tony and Anne Wright’s new event, Rally Burnie.

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Classic

www.rallyscene.com - 17

S W E N RALLY

NEWS - FEATURE CARS - REPORTS - COMING EVENTS

O

ur stories recently on the venerable old Datsun 1600 have really caused our phones and internet to run hot. We’ve been contacted by quite a few people who tell us that they’ve got a restored 1600 as good, if not better, than the one we featured, so it’s obvious that there’s no lack of interest in the car.

I was interested to read in’an English magazine, Retro Cars (one that I hadn’t seen before), of a track test that they did between a number of rally cars of Japanese origin. Cars featured included a Mazda RX7, Corolla Levin, Datsun 240Z, Lancer Turbo and a Datsun “510”.

The testers raved about the “510” (or 1600 to us Aussies), citing it as being a perfect example of a retro rally car. Fair enough comments, but what surprised me was that the owner of the car (painted in “baby poo brown”, incidentally),”claimed that in the UK there were no more than 16 Datsun 1600s on the road!

Sixteen? I know of guys in Australia who have more than 16 in their shed alone, never mind the whole country. It seems we should be telling the Poms what a great car they are and maybe exporting a few over there for good measure.

S

till on the Datsun 1600 theme (what – there’s more?), you may remember the photo of that 1600 2-door Coupe that we printed a couple of issues ago. Well, it turns out that the car’s owner contacted us to tell us that the car is currently undergoing a complete bare-metal rebuild, using as many new parts as possible to restore it to better-than-new condition.

Our photo was taken around 20 years ago and we haven’t seen the car since but we’re

Classic Comments

by Jeff Whitten

told that the car’was the only 1600 2-door SSS Coupe imported into Australia by Datsun and was sold by John Roxbrough Motors in Melbourne.

Of course we’ll be following up the restoration project over the next couple of months, so 1600 fans, stay tuned.

W

e’ve often been asked what constitutes a “classic” car, which is similar to be ing asked how long is a piece of string.

Really, there’s no definitive answer, even taking into account production dates, cut-off dates and the like.

The generic term “classic” car has been used in everyday conversation to mean pretty much anything you want it to mean. For instance, which is the more”“classic” car”– a Datsun 120Y or an Alfa Rome Spyder, a Hillman Hunter or a Lotus Cortina?

Strictly speaking a classic car should be something that was built as a limited production model, had extra sporting refinements over its normal brothers, and offers better performance. A glance at any classic car magazine will confirm that even if this criteria is ignored, classic cars can be anything at all.

So is the term classic car just simply the inter-

pretation of the owner? Take the Datsun/Nissan range as an example. Is a 1600 any more collectable than a 180B, a Bluebird, a 120Y, a Stanza or a “Z”?

In all honesty you can’t really call a 120Y a classic car, but if you take a look at the ex-Jamie Drummond 120Y that was rallied sucessfully years ago by George Fury and others, you’d have to admit that that car fits the framework perfectly.

FJ20 engine, big flares, an Escort BDA rear axle, 5-speed box and so on all helped to make the car something very special. Then of course the Datsun works rally team entered 120Y’s in events like the Southern Cross back in the 70s, so even those have a classic heritage.

However you could ask if a competition history is all that’s required to make a car a classic. Did Rootes’ win in the 1968 London-Sydney Marathon make the Hillman Hunter a classic car any more than Ford’s win in the London-Mexico Rally made the Escort Mk.1 a classic?

Perhaps we’ll never know, but in a country as diverse as Australia, a classic car can be almost anything you want.

Triumph TR6, EH Holden, Subaru WRX, E Type Jaguar, Mazda RX2, Galant VR4 or Ford Mustang – they’re all classics in one form or another.

There were some pretty ordinary cars built, twenty, thirty and even forty years ago that are now classed as classics but were not terribly good cars in their day, so it would appear that some of us have very short memories where cars are concerned.

If you’re not concerned what the neighbours think and you’re not competing in an event that specifies exact build dates, just get it out and enjoy it. It’s never too late.

L

ast month’s ARN cover featured John Beasley’s immaculate Torana XU1 competing in the Porsche Mt Buller Sprint. Unfortunately the same car was very badly damaged in Rally Tasmania several weeks ago in an accident that took the life of top South Australian navigator Ian “Henry” Lawson.

The Torana left the road just 700 metres into the first stage on Friday afternoon and collided with a stump. It saddens us when incidents like this result in the death or serious injury of competitors and again reminds us that rallying (or any form of motorsport) is inherently dangerous. If you mix fast moving cars with immovable objects and human beings, the end result can be fatal, as it was in this case.

Our condolences go out to Henry’s immediate family and to the driver, John Beasley, who is feeling very traumatised over the incident.

Finally, do you have a classic rally car other than a Datsun 1600 or an Escort that you’ve restored and that you’ve kept a pictorial record of its restoration?

We’re interested in doing some more feature stories on the vast range of classic cars that are out there and we need your help.

Give us a call at the ARN office or send an email to jeff@rallysportnews.com.au if you’d like to see your classic car in the pages of ARN.

Got some classic rally news or an idea for a story? Then contact us on (03) 5722 1250, or email: jeff@rallysportnews.com.au

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18 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Road Test: Mini Cooper S

Super Cooper T

he much-loved Mini is over 40 years old and, to be quite honest, riding in one reminds you of that. The lack of creature comforts that we have become quite accustomed to over the years and the noisy interior leave you in no doubt of the car’s age.

However, there’s something quite rewarding about riding in what many have lovingly described as a 10x4 tin box. With a wheel at each corner and plenty of room inside, the Mini quickly became a cult car of epic proportions. More importantly for motorsport buffs though, it soon emerged as a competitive car in all forms of motorsport, from rallying and circuit racing to motorkhanas.

The Mini was the car to have in almost all competition, from 1962 to 1967. Winner of such events as the Monte Carlo Rally, the RAC, the Alpine and the 1000 Lakes, the diminutive “brick” was the car of its time. Indeed on many events it was virtually unbeatable until Ford introduced their Twin Cam Escort in the late 1960s.

T

hese days, over 30 years since the Mini ended its factory-backed rallying career, finding a good Cooper S is not an easy task. While there are still many to be found in road trim, rallying versions aren’t as easy to track down.

Victorian Simon Young, owner of British Sporting Cars in Bendigo, owns a brilliant example of one of BMC’s finest - a Mk 1 Cooper S. Built by Young 18 years ago, but still in pristine condition, this Mini was built as a replica of the car that Paddy Hopkirk drove in the 1969 Circuit of Ireland Rally.

The car was built using a genuine Mk 1 Cooper S shell and has been

By Peter Whitten modified to Group 6 rules - the prototype category of the time. As far as Young is aware, his is only one of two cars in the world with the unique Lucas mechanical fuel injection system fitted, not only making it a rare piece of history, but also making it go indecently quickly.

Although I was born after the Mini’s greatest successes, growing up in a family where British cars were almost worshipped meant I had a good understanding of what the Mini was about. But I’d never been in a Cooper S, and the opportunity to ride in Simon Young’s car was too good to pass up.

A

s most will already know, squeezing into the front of a Mini is not that difficult.

Apart from the feeling that you’re sitting in a go-kart, it’s not that different from most other cars.

Starting the engine on the Cooper S instantly tells you you’re in a rally car though. The grunty burble of

the engine sounds brilliant and as you move up through the gears it’s plain to see that this is certainly no ordinary Mini. With around 130 horsepower on tap the car really does get up and boogie. Okay, so there’s not the “throw you back in the seat” type of feeling that you get with one of the latest four-wheel drive turbocharged monsters, but the Mini really gets along quickly.

Handling, although our test was only on the tarmac, is excellent as well. Dozens of cars have used the successful “wheel on each corner” theory since the Mini made its appearance in the late 1950s, and as the pioneer, this car really does prove that it was a well thought out theory. The front-wheel drive rocket turns in well and given a tight and twisty piece of road, it is great fun to drive.

As said previously though, riding in the Mini does take you back to what it must have been like when drivers such as Timo Makinen, Rauno Aaltonen and Paddy Hopkirk were the stars of the sport. Those who have seen the famous in-car footage of Makinen (that’s Timo, no

MINI ME! The humble Mini revolutionised the rallying world with victories in events that nobody thought the diminutive car could win.

LIGHT AND EASY: The famous Minilite wheels set off this magnificent Cooper S.

ON GUARD: The sumpguard is low and unfriendly for rough gravel events.

www.rallyscene.com - 19

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Road Test: Mini Cooper S

Tommi) driving over a stage of the 1000 Lakes Rally in the 60’s will appreciate how fast the cars could be made to go, but it’s safe to say that in 2004 - safety wise - the Mini just wouldn’t cut it.

Back then cars didn’t have roll cages fitted for competition, and when they did become the norm, they were only in the form of a hoop behind the front seats, with a couple of bars going back to the rear parcel shelf. There were no fully welded in, chrome moly structures back then!

While we didn’t have a chance to really test out the brakes, it’s fair to say the combination of front discs and rear drums on a car weighing only 700kg is quite adequate. Sure, the sport was a lot less professional back then and things are a lot more technically advanced now, but the

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“As you move up through the gears it’s plain to see that this is certainly no ordinary Mini.” car was still capable of winning the Monte Carlo Rally on more than one occasion.

The Mini’s handling is something that takes some getting used to.

Simon Young has driven his Mini in both gravel and tarmac rallies, and admits that as long as you

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keep your foot on the accelerator it’s pretty hard to get into trouble.

The car does have a tendency to wander around a bit on fast, bumpy roads, but overall the handling is pretty similar to most other frontwheel drive cars. After all, the Mini was revolutionary - everything since then has been evolutionary!

T

he Circuit of Ireland replica is virtually as advanced as rally Minis ever got. Rally Minis in Australia are now few and far between. While there are several which regularly make appearances in touring events run solely on tarmac, the sight of a Cooper S on the gravel is becoming rarer and rarer.

The cars may be 40 years old but there are still ways of making a Mini go quicker than ever before. One of Young’s employees, who runs a lightweight Mini in the under 2-litre sports sedan series, is about to fit a Ford BDA-copy head to his Mini.

This shrunk-down head (based on the head which made Ford’s Escorts rally winners) is expected to give the Mini around 180 brake horsepower!

Young’s Mini still makes regular appearances at car shows and events in Victoria. While it’s not an ex-works car (although there is one in the workshop currently being rebuilt), it’s about as original as a Mini can get - right down to the wiring.

“Everything under the bonnet is period,” he says, “and there wouldn’t be too many Minis around that have been rebuilt like that.”

Asked what he prefers to drive, the Cooper S or his recently-finished Austin Healey 3000, Young thinks about it briefly before replying: “The Cooper S. It revs so hard it always feels like its wearing out as you drive down the road, but it’s still lots of fun to drive.”

In an era where cars are getting more technologically advanced and more expensive, there’s not much more you can ask for in a sports classic.

ROOM TO MOVE: The interior of the Mini (left) was surprisingly spacious and proved ideal for motorsport.

A RARITY: The fuel injection system on Simon Young’s Mini is unique and came under the FIA’s Group 6 prototype regulations (pictured above)

Should you consider a Mini for historic rallying in 2004?

Jeff Whitten says the answer is yes, and explains why on page 20.

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20 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Classic

S W E N RALLY

NEWS - FEATURE CARS - REPORTS - COMING EVENTS

My Mini memories

T

he Mini was my first real rally car in a time, long gone, when the family car doubled as a rally car at weekends. Along with many other rally enthusiasts, I longed to get out and compete on loose surfaces, but the purchase of a second car specifically for rallying was totally out of the question.

So a Mini (in my case a 998cc Mini Deluxe) was my means of getting into rallying. The Deluxe was placed sort of mid way between a basic 850cc Mini and a 1275cc Cooper S and was a uniquely-Australian car that had a few more “comforts” that weren’t offered by the standard, entry level Mini.

The extra 150cc made a big (?) difference, as did the Hydrolastic suspension and the wind-up windows, as opposed to the 850’s sliding variety. At a time when Minis were as popular as Morris 1100’s and “Landcrab” 1800’s, a Mini Deluxe was not to be sneezed at.

My car was totally standard except for the addition of a steel sumpguard, a most necessary piece of equipment if you wanted to keep the engine and gearbox together in the terribly vulnerable aluminium crankcase that hung low under the front of the car. Even so, rocks in the middle of the roads constantly gouged bits of steel out of the guard as the Mini bashed its way around the apologies for roads that we used in the sixties.

While other cars such as Cortinas and Renaults and Peugeots revelled in rough roads, the Mini showed a real hate of rough roads, roads with high crowns in them, or roads that were either slippery with mud or deep in sand.

Life for the crew of a Mini was never easy.

The first Minis used a system of rubber cones for their suspension, a unique feature dreamed up for the “Brick” by the car’s designer, Alex Issigonis.

While rubber cone suspension was OK for rally use or racing, it did little in the way of providing comfort for the average motorist. In due course Hydrolastic suspension was introduced.

What it did was basically to provide

I

n conjunction with this month’s feature on the fabulous Mini Cooper “S”, we’ve got five copies on DVD of the hit movie “The Italian Job” to give away absolutely free, with the compliments of Paramount Pictures.

And who could forget The Italian Job? Released by Paramount Pictures in 1969, the hit movie featured the story of a

By Jeff Whitten a chamber on each side of the front and rear suspension, interconnected by tubes containing hydraulic fluid so that when the front wheel hit a bump, the fluid would be transferred to the rear wheels, raising the back of the car accordingly so the bump would be absorbed by the back wheels.

The system was fine for road use but proved to be a little too soft or unreliable for rally use. It was common for Mini owners to pump up the Hydrolastic system to give more ground clearance but this often led to the rubber cones bursting, whereupon the car would drop to its knees on the bump stops. I left my hydrolastic alone!

T

oday the thought of rallying something as small and un likely as a Mini seems as improbable as rallying a Toyota Echo but strangely enough, BMC Australia ran a very successful rally team of Cooper S’s under Evan Green in the 1960s, even going so far as to enter a works Mini Clubman for Andrew Cowan and John Bryson in the 1970 Southern Cross Rally.

Disadvantaged when conditions were rough, muddy or sandy, Minis nevertheless were pretty much unbeatable on a good day. Many years of development in England that resulted in outright wins on events like the Monte Carlo Rally and many other international events, resulted in a car that was a real world-beater in its day.

It may be hard to picture a Mini battling a Porsche or an Escort Twin Cam on the snowy, icy Col de Turini above Monte Carlo or the narrow, bumpy lanes on the Circuit of Ireland, but history relates that it was as much at home under these conditions as it was winning the British Touring Car Championship against Mustangs, Jaguars and Porsches on race tracks. It was that kind of car.

Rallying a “clubman’s” Mini (as opposed to a Mini Clubman, the model with a re-designed nose), was great fun

once you learnt to keep your foot buried into the accelerator so that front wheel drive would pull you through the corners. It was imperative to keep the power on if you wanted to maintain any sort of speed.

It was at a distinct disadvantage to get caught in deep wheel ruts in a rally as the car would simply drop onto its sumpguard while the 10" (25cm) wheels scrabbled for traction. But despite all its inadequacies, Minis were very satisfying cars to drive if you were able to ignore the fact that every part of the car was a scaled-down version of its contemporary brothers.

I

n today’s climate, a Mini still makes a great classic rally car for use on the gravel, but more specifically, on tarmac events. Like the car that offers the world’s largest source of go-faster, replacement spare parts, the MGB, the Mini in all its guises can be brought back to better-than-brandnew condition using parts that are widely available both here and in the UK. Steer away from a basic 850 and go for a 998cc Deluxe, an early (1098cc) or a late Cooper S (1275cc) version or the Australian-only Mini Clubman if you’re contemplating a Mini. You’ll be

The Italian Job on DVD gang who were intent on stealing $4 million worth of gold bullion with the aid of three Mini Coopers, a couple of Jags and a bus.

Starring Michael Caine, Noel Coward and Benny Hill, the movie remains a classic to this day, just like the Mini Coopers in the film.

In a modern-day sequel, “The Italian Job” has been updated and will soon be for sale on DVD right around the country. The latest version, starring Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Edward Norton, is a fast-paced remake of the original.

After pulling off an amazing heist in Venice, the gang can’t believe it when one of their gang turns out to be a double crosser, so Charlie (Mark Wahlberg) enlists the aid of the beautiful safecracker Stella (Charlize Theron) to join his gang as they follow the backstabber to California where they plan to re-

steal the gold by tapping into the Los Angeles traffic control system, manipulating the traffic signals and turning LA into one huge traffic jam.

surprised just how much fun you can have in a “Brick”.

Footnote:

Preparation for a rally in my early days consisted of removing the wheeltrims and checking the fluid levels - nothing more!

While rally (or “trials”) were more genteel then, the pace was just as hot but little thought was given to safety measures and even today’s compulsory items like good seatbelts and helmets were unheard of. How we managed to survive is an unanswered question, but it was all good fun on roads that were all but deserted then.

Perhaps I should have paid more attention to pre-event preparation as one incident taught me a valuable lesson about checking every nut and bolt.

We had neared the end of a particularly rough rally and for the last 20 kilometres the rear edge of the sumpguard had been dragging on the ground after the bolts holding it to the underbody had come loose and dropped out.

Although it didn’t slow our progress much, the noise was pretty bad as it banged along the road but there was only a short distance to go before we reached the finish.

The route required us to ford a creek, Of course Mini Coopers feature heavily in the re-release, but this time in the form of the new BMW Mini.It’s a rip-roaring yarn that runs for 110 minutes – that’s nearly two hours of Mini mayhem and you’ve got the chance to win a free copy of either the original, or the remake.

WIN

“The Italian Job” on DVD

TM & Copyright (C) 2004 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

REMEMBER WHEN? This is Timo Makinen in the 1966 RAC Rally, but Jeff Whitten had his own memorable experiences in a Mini.

normally shallow but now running a banker after it had rained all day. With a rev and a roar we launched the Mini into the raging torrent, hoping to splash our way out the other side and continue on to the finish. Hindsight now tells me that we should have known that creeks are always deeper in the middle and by the time we realised that we were never going to make it and tried to reverse out, we were in big trouble.

The sumpguard, still dragging on the ground at the back, dug into the creek bed as we tried to reverse out, acting as a dozer blade and halting our rearward motion.

The front wheels were spinning helplessly, vainly looking for traction as they shot big rooster tails of muddy water toward the other bank.

But with the creek still rising we were forced to abandon ship, leaving the water to lap in the doors and soak everything in reach, including the maps and the route instructions! It was a thoroughly-soaked Mini that was eventually towed out from the other side.

It was times like this that I wished that I’d been in anything else bar a Mini!

All you have to do is tell us in 50 words or less (and including the words “The Italian Job”, Paramount Pictures and Australian Rallysport News) why you think you deserve to be one of our winners.

Don’t forget to include your name and address on your entry and post it to Australian Rallysport News, P.O. Box 784, Wangaratta 3676 by no later than Friday, March 26.

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Classic

www.rallyscene.com - 21

S W E N Y RALL

NEWS - FEATURE CARS - REPORTS - COMING EVENTS

M

any years after the Mini was released to a wildly-enthusiastic motoring public in Britain in 1959, it was revealed that the Mini never made a profit for BMC (the British Motor Corporation).

So the fact that it endured for another 45 years is a remarkable feat, considering that millions were sold right around the world. When brilliant engineer Alex Issigonis first drew up plans for the car, the motoring public were in for some ground-breaking ideas for the new small car.

A wheel at each corner, a unique rubber cone suspension, huge luggage space and tiny exterior dimensions, a transverse-mounted engine driving through unique rubber CV joints, the gearbox and engine sump in one casing, and 10 inch wheels, were all features that the public readily accepted.

That the basic design, that of an economical family car suited to the lanes and byways of 1960s Britain, was turned into one of history’s most famous and competitve race and rally cars once tuner John Cooper had worked his magic, is testament to the brilliance of the original design.

But despite the Mini being a breath of fresh air to a motoring population brought up on Standard Eights, Morris Minors and Hillman Minxes, it was several years before the Mini gained real acceptance. Originally rejected because of its totally new design and unique features, it wasn’t long before it gained cult-car status, and when the Cooper-ised version was released, there was no holding it back.

The ubiquitous Mini was the one to have - racing, rallying, motorkhanering, autocrossing, hillclimbing - Minis were seen in every branch of the sport and even today there is a huge spare parts and restoration network operating in every country where the Mini was sold.

Now a internationally-recognised classic car,

Why not a classic Mini?

BEST OF BRITISH: Original Monte Carlo Rally winning Minis at the start of the 1997 event. (Photo: Martin Holmes)

the Mini, in all its derivatives, is an excellent starter classic for the person who believes that less is more. If you’re after an easy-to-own, easyto-restore classic, then the Mini could be for you.

Australians have the choice of a number of different models but obviously the Cooper or Cooper S versions are the pick of the bunch.

Nevertheless, a Mini Deluxe or Mini Clubman are worth considering also. The original Mini 850 with its “A” Series engine (also called the Mini Se7en in Britain) was anything but luxurious. A long pudding-stirrer gearshift led to a non-synchro first gear ‘box, doors with sliding windows, door locks that were operated by a string rather than a proper handle, few creature comforts (no heater

or fresh air ventilation system), and rubber floor mats, were all original Mini features. Yet all of the above missing features made an ideal basis for a good race or rally car.

Australian Minis went down the production line at BMC’s Zetland plant and it wasn’t too long before an Australian-ised version, the Mini Deluxe, came on stream. It featured wind-up windows well before the British factory fitted them to their cars, Hydrolastic suspension, a remote control gearshift, the straight-slat grille, a slightly more luxurious interior and, more importantly, the bigger 998cc motor. The Deluxe was a far better car in almost all respects than the first Mini, and was a big seller.

Kankkers confirmed One of the greatest drivers in the history of rallying, four-times World Champion Juha Kankkunen, is a confirmed starter for this year’s Dunlop International Otago Classic Rally.

The 45-year old Finn, whose frontline world championship career ended only two years ago, is set to be the star of the show when he slips behind the wheel of a 1970s Ford Escort RS1800 for the May 22-23 event.

The rear-wheel-drive Escort will be a far cry from the turbocharged fourwheel-drive Peugeots, Lancias, Subarus and Toyota Celicas that Kankkunen piloted to his world titles, but the car will take him back to his roots in the sport: Kankkunen drove his first rally in an Escort back in 1978, and a year later marked himself out as a star of the future by finishing 14th on his home round of the world championship in a similar car.

He went on to forge a 20-year professional career in the world championship and his achievements – 23 individual event wins and those four world titles – mark him out as one of the sport’s legendary stars. Indeed, his world championship tally has never been bettered, although it has been matched by his compatriot Tommi Makinen.

“To say we are delighted is something of an understatement,” said event organiser Roger Oakley. “Kankkunen’s record speaks for itself. We are absolutely chuffed to be able to approach a driver of this calibre, who has been competing at the top of the sport until very recently, and have a positive response.

“It’s as if there is some little piece of magic at work which we don’t fully understand: a combination of this

event, and this country, that seems to attract top drivers.”

Kankkunen is no stranger to New Zealand, having contested the Kiwi round of the world series a dozen times, winning once – on the way to his first world title in 1986–– and finishing in the top three on four other occasions.

However this will be his first appearance in the South Island.

He will be partnered by fellow Finn Seppo Harjanne, who has co-driven to the world championship title on three occasions, and won in New Zealand twice as navigator for Timo Salonen.

The first of those wins, in 1980, was scored on the only world championship rally to be held in the South Island.

The duo will appear in the Rossendale Wines Escort BDA which was driven by another former champion – Bjorn Waldegard–– at Otago last year. Negotiations are also underway for the

During this time the Mini Cooper was available in limited numbers in Australia in 997cc form but was eventually superseded by the more advanced 1275cc Cooper S that became a firm favourite here.

The “S” was identifiable from the normal Mini or Deluxe by having chrome bumper overriders front and back a discreet “S” badge on the bonnet and boot lid, a larger exhaust pipe, wider steel wheels (although still 10"), twin fuel tanks, a larger oval instrument cluster that housed the speedo and two additional gauges. Under the bonnet there was an oil cooler and the head had an extra stud for greater strength.

Other than that and a few other not-so-obvious differences, it was hard to tell an “S” from any other Mini, a fact that convinced the NSW Police Force to use them as unmarked patrol cars.

It’s now close to 40 years since the Mini Cooper S was leaving the Sydney plant and good examples are getting harder to find. Like most Aussie classic cars (Falcon GTs, Holden Monaros, Torana XU1s and Valiant Chargers) original Minis are thin on the ground. Over the years many people have built up Cooper S replicas using a standard shell, fitting bumper overriders and badges, then adding a non-”S” motor from a Morris 1100, so it pays to look very closely at what’s purported to be a genuine car. Of course a check of the engine and body numbers will clarify what it is you’re looking at but also be wary of “cut and shut” cars that have obviously been in an accident.

Find a good one, restore it carefully, and you’ll have one hell of a little road, race, rally or motorkhana car. And if you can find a genuine early Cooper or a Cooper S, then you’ll have an appreciating effort that you can drive everyday.

Better than money in the bank, really.

Brittan to head squadron

London-Sydney Marathon Event Director Nick Brittan has finalised the charter arrangements for what has become Trans World Event’s seven plane Airforce.

It’s impressive squadron comprises two giant Russian Antonov cargo planes with special racking systems to carry 40 cars each.

Then there are two of the latest topof-the-line Malaysian Airlines Airbus 300s to lift the competitors on the legs from Turkey to India and from India into Alice Springs.

Add to that a Piper Navajo to move the HQ team around Europe, a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter in India and a Cessna

Juha Kankkunen has a BDA Escort in his collection, and will drive one at the Otago Rally in May. (Photo: Holmes)

Rossendale team, which is run by Christchurch entrepreneur Brent Rawtsron, to run a second car for another international driver with world championship experience.

A sizeable contingent of Australians will also appear on this year’s event, probably led once again by Ross Dunkerton.

“I am reasonably confident that we will have a dozen overseas drivers come May 22,” said Oakley. “That compares with seven last year, which shows just how much the reputation of our event is growing.”

Dunkerton and Englishman Russell Brookes were the first non-New Zealand drivers to contest the Otago event.

Bjorn Waldegard became the first World Champion to appear when he lined up in 2002. He was joined by Hannu Mikkola last year.

- David Thomson

- by Jeff Whitten

402 for the 10 days across Australia.

“There are days when I’m not sure whether I’m meant to be an Event Director or a Squadron Leader,” Brittan said.

“I’ve got almost as much going on in the air as I have on the ground.”

Loading the cars onto the Antonovs is almost as much fun for the competitors as a special stage. The racking system is three cars wide and two cars high and seven cars long. A bit like a very compact two storey car park.

“It calls for precision driving and good clutch control,” he added. “They need to be inch perfect with their parking.”

Classic Challenge ready for lift off

Western Australia’s increasingly-popular “Classic Challenge” kicks off around Perth on April 17 & 18.

It provides two days of driving events including sprints, autokhanas and auto tests for owners of all types of performance cars, standard or modified. Under the direction of Paul Blank, the 2004 Classic Challenge will consist of 15 events which will run simultaneously over the two days with the emphasis being on fast sprints and autotest events.

There will be no navigation required between tests, simple route charts taking crews from one venue to the other. Entries at $195 per person are now open but are filling fast so intending competitors should log on to www.classicrally.com.au to download the Supp.

Regs. and entry details.

With categories for cars of all ages and engine sizes, the Classic Challenge will see modern 4WD cars such as Subaru WRXs and Skyline GTRs compete on the same stages as classic MGs and Escorts or muscle cars like GT Falcons and Corvettes.

Entrants only require a CAMS Level 2SE licence or superior and a crash helmet plus a roadworthy vehicle. Most tests will be held at Perth Airport or the nearby Midvale Speed Dome.

22 - www.rallyscene.com

Classic

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

S W E N RALLY

NEWS - FEATURE CARS - REPORTS - COMING EVENTS

Don’t be fooled by the name!

Despite its name which suggests that the event is a gravel forest rally, the all-bitumen Forest Classic Rally, scheduled for the weekend of May 15 & 16, offers classic rally competitors around 700 kilometres of pure drivers roads, almost all of which are sealed.

Now in its sixth year, the Forest Classic Rally is open to competitors in classic, historic or modern performance cars.

Based in Wangaratta in North Eastern Victoria, this popular Touring Road Event offers crews two levels of competition – the Touring section for inexperienced or first-time crews, and the Challenge section for those who like a bit of navigation thrown in.

There are categories for vehicles from the 1940s right through the range of classic cars and even for the latest Evos and WRXs, the event catering for those who enjoy driving their cars through some spectacular country.

Starting in Wangaratta on Saturday, May 15, the first day offers around 450 kilometres of competition, finishing back in the town in time for a sumptuous dinner and a chance to chat about the day’s activities.

An early start the following morning precedes a further 250 kilometres touring through the Autumn countryside, with the event finishing close to Wangaratta for a smorgasbord meal in the early afternoon.

The Forest Classic Rally’s reputation as a well organised, thoroughly enjoyable Touring Road Event should be further enhanced this year with the inclusion of some great new roads in a previously unused area.

The all-inclusive entry fee which covers two

night’s quality motel accommodation, breakfasts, Saturday evening dinner, Sunday afternoon smorgasbord, and all maps is just $600. Those who wish to arrange their own accommodation can enter for just $480 per crew.

A navigation school for those who have little or no experience will be conducted on the Friday night of the event.

Supplementary regulations and entry forms are now available on www.rallyscene.com or from the organisers, Rallysport Promotions, P.O. Box 784, Wangaratta, 3677, by phone on (03) 5722 1250 or by email: jeff@rallysportnews.com.au

Classic calendar March 15-18 Clipsal 500 Adelaide Rally Harman Autosports, (03) 8711 4686 March 27-28 Kosciuszko Classic Jeff West, (02) 6926 3757 April 27 – May 2 Targa Tasmania Octagon, (03) 6224 1512 May 15-16 Forest Classic Rally Rallysport Promotions, (03) 5722 1250 June 4-6 Dutton Alphera Rally Anthony Moss, 0414 333 090 October 17-21 Melbourne Mille 2004 Max Hobson, (03) 5426 2386

Brock for Targa Touring car legend Peter Brock will drive a V8 Holden Monaro in this year’s Targa Tasmania tarmac rally. The nine-times Bathurst 1000 champion will team up with Anne Gigney in the April 27-May 2 event.

Brock will drive the same car he and Gigney shared in the 2003 rally, with updated modifications complying with the Targa Modern Competition regulations.

The 2004 rally will be Brock’s fourth start in the event, and his best previous results were finishing sixth in each of the past two years driving V8 Monaros.

“We’ve done Targa before in the Monaro and it’s a fabulous car for the roads and conditions you get down there,” said Brock. “It’s surprisingly quick and well-balanced in the wet so we’re going to be pushing flat-out from the start and go as fast as we can.

“Although we’re going back with the same car as last year, it will have a few ‘tweaks’ to the brakes and suspension to make it even more competitive.”

Brock said he was keen to erase the disappointment of his 2003 campaign, which started superbly before his Monaro was left stranded with a dry fuel tank on the final stage of Leg Two in the town of Perth, near Launceston.

At the time Brock was second outright, just

40-secs behind the Porsche 911 of eventual winner Jim Richards. The Brock-Gigney team lost 14-mins in penalty time because of the fuel shortage and dropped back to 27th position before recovering to sixth by the finish.

“We were looking good, and then the car stopped,” said Brock. “It was a disappointment, but hopefully we will have a good run this year. The Monaro is fast and strong, and Anne (Gigney) and I are more experienced as a team.”

The 2,110km rally starts with the TEMCO Prologue in George Town followed by 44 stages of timed competition over 452km.

New Targa stages Two new stages will be added to this yearʼs Targa Tasmania to fine tune the event.

A new 4.22km stage, Holwell, will be introduced on Leg 1, providing competitors with a free-flowing stage with a few tricky turns and a downhill run to the finish. It starts south of Nettlefolds Road and runs north-south on Holwell Road.

The second new addition is a stage called Flowerpot that will be used on Leg 3. A short 3.30km stage that starts with a series of tight bends on the Channel Highway, it will need to be treated with respect, according to the organisers.

Targa Tasmania runs from April 27 to May 2.

Bumper field for Kosciuszko Clerk of Course of this month’s Kosciuszko Classic, Jeff West, has been inundated with entries for the March 27-28 event and expects well over 40 starters to face the flag at Goulburn in southern NSW. However entries close on March 10 so intending competitors may still get a start by contacting Jeff on (02) 6926 3757, but you will need to be quick.

The 950 kilometre, 2-day Touring Assembly uses predominantly bitumen roads around Goulburn, Canberra and Cooma before overnighting near Tumbarumba in ‘Man from Snowy River’ country.

Day 2 will take crews through the upper Murrumbidgee and Lachlan River areas. There are two sections – one–for novice or beginner crews and one for expert navigators and drivers.

PRITCHARD MOTORSPORT ENGINEERING Specialists in Group 4 Escort preparations Mk1 and MkII bodyshells, 15” wheel tubs, shaped alloy fuel tanks, alloy hubs and full-floating diff, BDA engine rebuilds, ZF gearbox rebuilds, alloy and Kevlar forest arches, Turret kits, 5 link kits, Panhard rod kits, Watts linkage kits and tension strut front ends.

Plus virtually any other component you may require!

Pritchard Motorsport has supplied Group 4 shells to ● Steven Richards ● Gerry Vandelinde

● Ian Hill ● & many more

We are currently contructing a new shell for the famous IYK-000 for Jim Richards.

Give Wayne a call on 0409 927457, (02) 6586 4895 AH, or pritchard_1@optusnet.com.au

www.rallyscene.com - 23

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Letters to the Editor

touched with his infectious enthusiasm for the sport. He will live long in our thoughts and memories. Our deepest sympathies to his family and closest friends.

Ashley Dunn, President, The RallySport Club of SA Inc.

Hot 200SX

I

Send your letters to: Australian Rallysport News, P.O. Box 784, Wangaratta VIC 3676

n an effort to encourage our readers to put pen to paper (or fingers to mouse!) to tell us what their thoughts are on the many issues facing rallying, for the next few months we will be offering a prize for the best letter of the month.

Thanks to our good friends at FilterMAG, there’s a great-looking FilterMAG polo shirt going begging each month to the person who we judge as having written the best letter of no more than 150 words, on any rallying subject you wish.

Just email, fax or post your letters to us at the addresses listed in the front of the magazine and we’ll get our judging panel organised to find a winner. As well as getting your name in print, you could also be zooming around in a designer polo shirt from FilterMAG. At the end of six months, if your letter is judged to be the best, you’ll win a FilterMAG for your vehicle, not only making you a winner, but protecting your car’s engine as well! So go to it.

Group B cars I am only writing this letter because I want a new t-shirt! I am not sure what is happening with the World Rally Championship.

In the comments by Max Mosley he claims that 10 years ago he made changes that were good for the sport and created stability. About 10 years or so ago there was a class called “Group B” which as far as I am concerned was the ultimate in spectator focused rallying! Today’s WRCs are without doubt technically far superior, but do they “fire up the adrenalin” like the old Group Bs did?

The point I am trying to make is instead of making our sport suit the TV companies, maybe we should be making it a sport the TV companies can not do without. TV is based on drama and spectacle. Our sport has plenty of both to offer when the rules are not made for political reasons.

What would Group B super cars be like today if they had been left to develop naturally? Fast, dangerous, exciting, too expensive? Oops, is this starting to sound like Formula 1 which gets money for the TV rights by the way!

If the FIA and its national puppets are serious about developing the profile of our sport they should stop mucking around worrying about saving the cost of the odd recce car or mud crew and bring the sport back it its basic form - fast and aggressive cars driven over spectacular terrain

by people with amazing skills!

Graham Holding, Via email.

Graham, your comments are passionate, but your memory is short. It is 18 years since Group B was banned, and certainly a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. Sure, the Group B monsters were exciting to watch, but they were never going to last – plastic bodies and fuel tanks inside the cabin were always a recipe for disaster.

R.I.P. Henry

Ian Lawson, better know by most people as ‘Henry’, was lost to the SA motorsport community in a tragic accident during the recent Rally of Tasmania.

He was a long time navigator for Dave McDonough in the infamous VR4, winning the SA Rally Championship in 1993 and competing in several Classic Adelaide rallies in the Perana V8 Capri.

Over the last two years Henry teamed with Steve Winwood to compete in the ARC as privateers in an Evo 6 Lancer and continued to compete in historic tarmac rallies, navigating and preparing John Beasley’s XU-1 Torana.

He was the RallySport Club delegate to the South Australian State Council of CAMS for many years and served as an executive member of the club during this time.

Everyone that met Henry was

Loved your last issue featuring a variety of classic cars, but the Nissan 200SX was awesome.

Why would anyone at club level want to go 4WD when this weapon can do all that and more at a lot less money? Wicked. Where can I buy a secondhand Silvia?

Cam Allen, Via email.

Big Chris fan

Once again another Queenslander makes a name for himself in motorsport - this time Chris Atkinson.

I’ve been watching the performance of the Atkinson boys over the last couple of years and am most impressed at not only their talent, but their determination to succeed.

If ever a local driver had a chance to make it into the WRC, then Chris Atkinson should be the one to do it.

Go Chris!

David Allen, Bundaberg.

New Dunlop for 2004 Dunlop will launch an all new gravel rally tyre in the Australian market during the 2004 Australian rally season, which commences in March.

To be known as the DZ86R, the new tyre features left and right hand variants as well as two versions of the all new tread pattern to suit varying road surface conditions.

The DZ86R was developed using the current SP85R as a baseline and incorporates the lessons learned from both “hands on” experience and Dunlop’s extensive research and development resources.

The new tyre will not replace all sizes of the SP85R and will be marketed in 195/65R15 and 205/65R15 sizes only, initially at least.

Two versions of the 195/65R15 will be made available, a “standard width” tyre for dry, harder conditions and a “narrow width” or “wet” version designated DZ86RW. Each of these three sizes will be available in the rugged “F” specification reinforced casing and a range of compounds.

“We have already undertaken an extensive testing program with the DZ86R both here and overseas,” said Dunlop Motorsport manager Owen Hughes. “The new tyre proved more than a match for competitor brands even when we first tested it, but the

version that we ended up with after the last development test in late January was certainly very impressive.

“In contrast to the SP85R, the DZ86R will be available in matching left and right patterns to maximise performance potential from the design in the competitive area of Group N rallying,” Hughes added.

“Commercial stocks of the new tyre will begin to arrive during April, but some sizes will not be available until later. We will stay with the SP85R in many of the other sizes as it is a proven performer and very popular with drivers in these categories. It is also a cost effective tyre because you don’t have to worry about keeping matched sets of left and right in your transporter.”

We won’t give too many clues away except to say that he’s one of the upand-coming potential World Rally Champion drivers and drives for a factory team.

Entries please on the back of an envelope addressed to Photo Competition, Australian Rallysport News, P.O. Box 784, Wangaratta, 3676. You

can enter as many times as you like but entries must reach our office by Friday, March 26.

The lucky winner will win a copy of the recently-released video of the 2003 Australian Rally Championship, “Rally”, and an ARN cap valued at $25. Lots of entries, please.

Pannam out

Victorian competitor Andrew Pannam has decided to opt out of his commitment to compete in the One Make Subaru RS rally series this year and will instead concentrate on running his two Subaru WRXs in both the ARC and the Victorian Championship.

“When I did my sums I realised that without a sponsor I would be overcommitting myself and wouldn’t be able to do the Series justice,” he told ARN.

ARN competition winner

Not quite so many entries in last month’s ARN competition where we asked you to identify the driver of the Subaru RX Turbo competing in a rallysprint in South Australia.

Plenty of entries suggesting it was South Australian Champion Barry Lowe, but the correct answer was Ed Ordynski who, as we all know, has gone on to much bigger and better things in a succession of Mitsubishis.

But the year was 1986 and Ed was competing in the Wirrina Rallysprint, the photo being taken on Beach Road.

For those who were smarter than the rest, the giveaways were the Pedders, Bridgestone and MEC Crash repairs logos on the car.

Thanks to all those who entered; again there can only be one winner and the free “Rally” video goes to Graham Holding of Happy Valley, South Australia. Congratulations, Graham – perhaps you were at the rallysprint at the time?

Our competition this month is a little different – we want you to tell us who the internationally-famous rally driver in our photo is.

Sky’s the limit

New Zealand motorsport hero Greg Murphy has announced plans to drive a Holden Commodore SS ute in the Silverstone “Race to the Sky” on April 10 & 11.”

According to team co-ordinator, Dave Schneiders, Murphy is keen to return home and have some fun in the purpose-built vehicle.

“The ute won’t be an outright contender but the idea is to compete this year and possibly compete in the future in the Open class.

“He wants to compete in front of his home crowd at The Race to the Sky and has been trying to get there for a few years but until now hasn’t had the right vehicle,” Schneiders said.

Murphy drove a Holden ute in the V8 Ute Challenge at last year’s Rally Australia in Perth. “He did really well and had a ball,” Schneiders added.

The ute will feature a 5.7 litre engine and a 6speed gearbox.

50 years young

The Car Club of the RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) celebrates its 50th birthday this year.

The club, formed in 1954, was founded on the excitement of the Redex Car Trials which had captured the imagination of the public, and in particular, 6 friends – all students at RMIT. The main focus of the club was rallying, but over the years, and especially in the 1960s & 70s, the club was also very involved in sprints and other forms of circuit racing.

In 1956, the club’s first President, George Derrick, died suddenly of Leukemia, hence the creation of the George Derrick Memorial Trial in his honour. The CCRMIT was invited to join CAMS in 1957 and formally became an affiliated club in October of that year.

In the 1960s & 70s the club was very much involved in the 6 hour relay races at various circuits. The club has produced State Champions and

Rally

Ne ws

ort

The first round of the RACEtech Steel Victorian Rally Championship, the David Nutter Ford Used Cars Rally, is to be held on Saturday, March 27 under the direction of the CCRMIT. The David Nutter Ford Used Cars Rally will be conducted in the Shire of Baw Baw and Latrobe City, between the townships of Morwell and Erica, in mid-Gipsland.

The event will start at the Mid Valley Shopping Centre in Morwell and will be based at the Morwell Hill Climb Track.

Competing crews will be waved away from the start from 10am and will follow a route taking in 130km of the district’s spectacular mountain country over 13 special stages, commencing at the Morwell Hill Climb track. This venue will be used twice during the day and will provide a spectacular central location and focus for competing crews, sponsors and spectators.

At least three easy-to-reach spectator points will be located around the competitive route so the public can get close to the action.

Event information and documentation can be obtained from www.davidnutter.com.au

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Sp

DNF Rally - VRC1

Australian

24 - www.rallyscene.com

Round Up

has run State Championship events.

In 2004 CCRMIT will be running 3 events, the Autumn Midnight Trial (first run in 1955), the George Derrick Memorial (run every year since 1959) and a VRC round, the David Nutter Ford Used Cars Rally, which is born out of the President’s Rally, first run in 1957.

The club will be holding a number of social events through the year, culminating in a reunion function at RMIT on November 20.

More details will be released in coming months however the club would like to hear from all past members in an effort to put together the history of the club. This information is needed early in the year to allow it to be used for events through 2004.

All past members are asked to contact Ross Fraser on (03) 9808 4820 (BH) or Ashley Fraser on (03) 9459 8761 (AH) as soon as possible.

Ampol re-run in 06 If you missed out on the Redex Round Australia re-run last year, you can take some consolation that plans for another of these long distance events is already on the drawing board.

However you will need to find yourself a Peugeot that was built prior to 1970 or a vehicle that was of the type entered in any of the five Ampol Trials held between 1956 and 1970.

Melbourne Peugeot nut, Graham Wallis, is already drawing up plans for an event to be run in 2006, the purpose being to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Peugeot win in the first Ampol Trial in 1956.

In addition the event will celebrate the five Ampol Trials that were such a part of Australian rallying folklore.

The 2006 event will be a re-run of the 1958 Ampol Trial (the third event) and which lends itself best to a modern-day re-run. It was 12,000 kilometres long and travelled through the south eastern corner of Australia, going as far north as Bundaberg and as far west as Port Augusta.

The planned re-run will follow the same format as last year’s Redex Rerun – a touring event with special tests – but–the new event will offer more tests along the way.

Details on the event are available from Graham Wallis on (03) 98591412 or gwallis@alphalink.com.au

Henry pipped for GP win SO NEAR: David Henry led going into the final day, but was pipped at the post.

Defending Champion Peter Moore snatched a third-straight victory of the 2004 Grand Prix Rally.

Moore and co-driver Sonya Passlow clinched the win aboard their Nissan GTR with a strong final day of competition, bumping long-time leaders David Henry and David Burgess from top spot.

Henry and Burgess had led for several days previously in their borrowed Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6 but were edged out by the flying Nissan at the Phillip Island Grand Prix track.

“The big horsepower events in the last two days won it for us,” a delighted Peter Moore said.

“Over the last two days we had lots of good results in the tests and it’s that consistency that won it for us.”

For co-driver Passlow, a long-time friend of Moore’s, it was a memorable very first rally!

“Sonya drove the road sections and did a little bit of navigation, and she did a great job for a first timer,” Peter Moore said.

Moore, whose Nissan GTR is undefeated since it arrived in the country just prior to the 2002 event, said it was easy to name his favourite memory of the 2004 Grand Prix Rally.

“The highlight for me was doing some serious speed on the Phillip Island track.

“I was really able to use all of the car’s per-

formance and I think that was just too much for our rivals, they didn’t have the car speed to get the job done,” the New South Welshman said.

Melbournians Henry and Burgess held onto second place outright ahead of the similar but newer Lancer EVO 8 of Martin Notaros and David Stephens from the ACT. Husband and wife duo Tony and Kari Esplin were fourth aboard their new Porsche GT3.

Swimmer Kieran Perkins showed great talent for a second sport, leading home a strong MINI team in 14th outright, navigated by David Vervaart.

The ‘Classic’ category for older cars was won

by Victorians Jon Mathieson and Allan Roe sharing a 1978 Porsche 930.

The favoured crew of Jeff Beaumont and Ross Runnalls led the event for some time in their Lancer Evo 6, but retired with driveshaft failure after one of the street stages in the Latrobe Valley.

Run over five days across regional Victoria, the 2004 Grand Prix Rally mixed road navigation with closed road and track speed tests, culminating in a parade lap of the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit tomorrow and Sunday.

There were 103 finishers from an original starting field of 113.

FISH OUT OF WATER: Kieran Perkins was one of several to drive Minis in the Grand Prix Rally, seen here at Winton.

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www.rallyscene.com - 25

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Premier State Rally - ARC4

This year’s Premier State Rally, round four of the Globalstar Australian Rally Championship, will undergo a number of changes this year, increasing the value for both competitor and spectator.

According to Kirk Marks, Chairman of the organising committee, the event will again start at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway with a rally festival on Friday, August 27.

Activities will include driving demos and breakfast with the stars, while local secondary school students will be given the opportunity to take a tour of the service park to see the technical side of the sport.

This year there will be three super special stages run at Eastern Creek, two on tarmac and one on gravel. Last year, wet weather forced the cancellation of the gravel stage, but a 2.8km all weather track is currently under construction and will include what organisers are describing as “a mini Mineshaft”, ala the Rally of Canberra.

The tarmac stage (to be run twice) will be 3km in length and will utilise the track’s skidpan, before heading on to the race circuit in the normal racing direction.

From there competitors will head north to The Entrance on the central coast. The rally will be based at the same hotel as last year, although it has had a name change to ‘Citigate Sebel Resort’.

Saturday’s stages will be similar to last year, although two new tests have been added, thanks to a closer relationship with the National Parks and Wildlife of NSW. These stages have not been used for around 15 years. As well, the famous Watagan Road stage will be used in almost its full length.

COMING EVENTS in the forests

Sunday will again involve a loop of stages, before a service break, after which the stages will be repeated. The event finish this year will take place with a street party at The Entrance.

Organisers are well down the track with negotiations for a major naming rights sponsor for the event, and an announcement is expected to be made within the next few weeks.

As well as being a round of the ARC, the event will also include sub events for the Classic ARC category and the NSW Rally Championship, both of which will contest Heat 1 only.

The event will be held from July 30 to August 1.

Subaru Safari Tasmania

A change of service park venue looks like being the major change to this year’s Subaru Safari Tasmania (June 26 & 27), the third round of the Globalstar ARC. Clerk of Course, Brian Richardson, says that the change in date for the event (from November to June) means the Bushy Park service area used last

Send your coming events to: P.O. Box 784, Wangaratta, VIC 3676, or email us at: rallysportnews@ozemail.com.au year will not cope with the expected wet conditions, so a change in venue to New Norfolk looks likely.

The people of New Norfolk are keen to set up a street service park (similar to Nannup in WA), which would mean better facilities for crews, spectators and the media alike.

The competitive stages will, as usual, be in the Mt Lloyd area, and although minor course changes will be implemented, the majority of the roads to be used will be the same as in previous years.

Although it has traditionally been the longest event on the ARC calendar in terms of distance, this year’s event will fall into line with the ARC guidelines of between 95km and 110km competitive per Heat. Despite this, Richardson is promising more spectator points.

VCRS 2004

The 2004 Victorian Club Rally Series (VCRS) is set to be the best the Victorian club rally community has seen to date, with a total of six events already scheduled for the coming months.

March 13 sees drivers head to the Murrindindi forests where the Ford Four Car Club will battle it out at the Camcrusher Rally Other events on the calendar include Nissan Nightmoves on June 6, Turnbridge Trial on August 14 and the Spring 200 on September 11.

The series attracts a wide range of vehicles and crews with Datsun Stanzas, Holden Commodores and Charades competing alongside Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Evo Lancers.

Four of the last five series winners have been 2 wheel drive vehicles.

The VCRS is managed by a committee in conjunction with the Confederation of Australian Motorsport, and adheres to the strict rules and regulations of CAMS. The VCRS is a strong series, with regular fields of 50 plus crews. Competition is fierce but friendly, but the overriding atmosphere is one of enjoyment.

The “Junior Cup” component of the VCRS enables younger crews a chance to learn from the country’s finest competitors. A driver training day held in 2003, boasting current Australian Rally Champion Cody Crocker as well as leading privateers Simon Evans and Mark Pedder as instructors, is set to be repeated in 2004.

Rotorua Rally

The city of Rotorua will play host to the stars of international rallying once again for the seventh successive year, when the Hella Battery Town Rally of Rotorua roars into action on the 9th and 10th of July.

The event will be round three of the six round FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, which includes events in Australia, New Caledonia, Japan, China, and Indonesia.

The 2004 event will incorporate a new two-day format beginning with a

ceremonial start from City Focus in the heart of Rotorua on the evening of Thursday, July 8. The competitive action begins the following morning as crews head towards Opotiki via a new stage at Matahuru and then onto the traditional stages at Rotoehu and Manawahe.

After service at Opotiki the demanding Motu Road stage awaits.

Previously contested as two stages in past years, this year crews will complete the twisty gorge pass as one 47km test. Service at Matawai is then followed by the classic Whakarau and Raukaroa stages before returning to the overnight parc ferme on the Rotorua Lakefront.

Saturday’s leg two begins in the Waiotapu Forest with a further group of public road stages before a final loop of stages in the Kaingaroa Forest.

A central service park will be based at Kawerau throughout the day. The surviving crews will then return to City Focus in Rotorua for the ceremonial finish and traditional victory spraying of champagne.

Event Chairman, Laurie Brenssell, commented: “The new format for 2004 has been adopted due to competitor’s wishes for a more compact format. Our organising committee have done a great job to ensure the event still retains the same amount of competitive distance over two legs.

The public can be assured of some great competition as our local national championship competitors go head-tohead with the international stars from the Asia Pacific Championship.

The Hella Battery Town sponsored event is the single largest event in the Bay of Plenty region. The 2003 rally injected an estimated $5.3 million into the local economy, generating 1500 hotel bed nights with an event attendance of 10,000 people.

This in addition to the 1.2 billion television audience throughout the world.

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26 - www.rallyscene.com

The Safari Rally exited the World Rally Championship in 2002, but many still miss it. But as John Davenport says, the event was in dire straits.

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

The fateful fifty first - 2003

T

o those who witnessed the 2002 Safari, it was obvi ously a rally suffering from a deep malaise.

Part of its sickness was a virus that had already removed the big road events from the European calendar during the 1960s. The Tour de France Automobile, the Coupe des Alpes and the Marathon de la Route had all fallen prey to the immense success of the motor car.

Traffic density on the roads of Europe meant that road races were out and carefully staged rallies, almost entirely decided on closed roads, were in.

For a quarter of a century, the Safari provided what Europe could not longer supply. But though traffic densities in Kenya were growing much more slowly than they had in Europe, the pressure to conform to the structure of European rallies was increased by the changing road conditions in Kenya.

The more success that the rally engineers had in making rally cars capable of tacking all obstacles at any speed, the more every part of the route became flat-out with little thought of saving the car as in the past. Thus any other road user, human or animal, could become a hazard not found in the pace notes.

To close roads effectively is impossible in Africa where every bush conceals a path and fences are almost non-existent. And yet, this is what the Safari, as a World Championship Rally, was trying to do as the 1990s wore on to bring itself more into line and not be the oddman-out.

Several options were mooted including moving the event entirely to the Delamere Estates near Nakuru. There at least the traffic could have been controlled, if not the animals. Then came the demand for centralised servicing and any resemblance to the Safari of old was finally discarded. Not only had the competitive distance been steadily diminishing since 1986 – as the result of accidents on European speed events–– but now it had shrunk to an all time minimum of about 1,000km of competitive distance, less than one sixth of what it had been at the event’s peak.

I

SO NEAR: Richard Burns retired from the final Safari bogged within spitting distance of his Peugeot crew, but unable to coax his 206 the final few metres.

But the biggest virus that the ailing Safari had caught was the financial one. In the early days, the officials were volunteers and few of them were needed to run even the biggest Safaris. The rallies depended on time controls with just a few passage controls and the timing equipment could be as basic as the clock on the village church.

When timing requirements moved into the twenty-first century and a complex net of communications

A page from the official roadbook from the 1977 Safari Rally.

Words: John Davenport Photos: McKlein had to guarantee the operation and safety of the event, the costs were much higher. And quite simply, Kenya did not have the money to pay. It is a matter of record that far from getting financial support from state authorities, the Safari was charged for using the City Hall – and later the Kenyatta Conference Centre – as a start/finish venue.

They even got a bill for loss of revenue from the hooded parking meters !

The consequence was that sponsors from outside Kenya were essential in the latter years and when they could no longer be found, funds ran short. In May 2002, a new national sporting authority, the Kenya Motor Sport Foundation, took over from the old Automobile Association of Kenya. But back in 1978, the AAK had created a subsidiary company, Safari Rally Ltd., to run the rally.

The motive was to get duty exemptions for bona fide rally entrants, thereby reducing costs for private entries. Safari Rally Ltd. was still the rally organiser in 2002 despite change of sporting authority and, at the very last minute, they got some sponsorship from

LONG DISTANCE MAN: Andrew Cowan had much success in Australia’s Southern Cross Rally - an event as gruelling as some of the early Safari rallies. This is Cowan in Africa in 1977.

Inmarsat to run the event. But, behind the scenes, a time bomb was ticking. The AAK and Safari Rally Ltd. still owed permit and other fees from 2001, not to mention some of the FIA dues racking up in the current year.

When the 2002 event was over, despite the problems associated with the centralised service area,

everyone thought that the Safari was safe – broke, but safe, and with time to find more sponsorship.

Presidential elections were imminent that would end the twenty-five year reign of Daniel Arap Moi and usher in a more progressive regime under Mwai Kibaki and his National Rainbow Coalition.

Perhaps at last the Kenyan gov-

n 23 years Willy Weyens has covered no less than 249 World Championship events and 14 Paris-Dakars, visiting 51 countries around the world. In Rallyworld 2004 he takes you to the World Championship, Paris-Dakar and to the New Zealand, Australian and Asia Pacific championships, not only treating readers to spectacular pictures of cars, but also offering an extensive look behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, the stars of the World Championship give their view on the past season in exclusive interviews. World Champion Petter Solberg wrote the preface and tells you all about his ups and downs of the season. For those who like figures and statistics, Rallyworld 2004 lists all the results of the championships covered.

With 160 pages and over 400 pictures, Rallyworld 2004 takes the reader to the most interesting places in the world. But most of all, this book proves for the 19th time that Willy Weyens is one of the best photographers on the world rally scene.

AVAILABLE NOW - only $64.95.

Order by phoning ARN on (03) 5722 1250, or use the form on page 2 of this issue

www.rallyscene.com - 27

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

ernment would recognise that the Safari was one of the jewels in its crown and largely responsible for promoting a positive image of Kenya world-wide.

VICTORY LEAP: On his way to victory in the 1986 Safari - and one of many for Toyota - Bjorn Waldegard jumps his Toyota Celica Twin Cam Turbo.

H

owever, on October 1st, 2002, the World Motorsport Council of the FIA decided to drop the Safari Rally from its World Championship. In the press release covering the decisions taken, it referred to the Safari and said that the reason for its exclusion from the WRC was that the rally organiser “had failed to meet its obligations to the FIA”.

A week later the FIA went further and added that the “necessary guarantees to the FIA and ISC had not been given”. That was taken to be shorthand for non-payment of permit fees and a lack of commitment to costs for running the 2003 rally. The new KMSF who had applied for the 2003 permit could do nothing except urge its predecessor to stump up.

The politically complicated Kenyan atmosphere that existed guaranteed that no one was prepared, or indeed able, in October 2002 to give the”“necessary guarantees” that an event could be run to the standard required in 2003. Thus despite all protestations, the Safari stayed off the WRC calendar.

The saddest thing was that almost no one among the competitors was rushing forward to support it and demand that it be kept in the WRC. They did not like the rally that it had become and thought it dangerous. New boys like Markko M‰rtin could find nothing of the old romance and adventure. All that reducing the recce period and limiting testing prior to the event.

Saddest of all is the fact that the Safari was the most photogenic event on the calendar.

One of the TV directors said that it was impossible to return from the event with a bad film.

However, the last event, held as it was in the bottom of the Rift Valley over four stages each repeated three times, hardly gave much of a feeling for the enormous variety of settings that Kenya can provide. So ultimately, even the TV moguls were not moved to support it either.

Richard Burns gave the Safari Rally its proper epitaph when he said in Autosport: “The problem with the Safari was that it was caught in between what it wanted to be and what the World Championship demanded it to be.”

2WD DAYS: Walter Rohrl puts his Fiat Abarth 131 to the test on a typical Safari stage in the 1979 event.

African locals were always popular subjects for photographers to the Safari.

was truly African had been bred out of it.

Support did not come from the rally teams either. They believed that the cost of competing in a Safari Rally was much higher than for other events. When they added up the extra development, specialised recce cars, a helicopter per rally car on the event, and the cost of importation into Kenya of all their men and equipment, some of them put it as high as three times as much as a European round of the WRC. This could not be completely offset by having a single service area,

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28 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

SA Snippets

SA Motorsport awards night

What do good food, a room full of very fast people and crotch grabbing have in common?

They were all part of the 2003 South Australian CAMS awards night held recently at the Parks Convention Centre.

While the food is always good at the Parks, and the competitive spirit was left at home for the night, the ‘crotch grabbing’ was only part of the show - a Michael Jackson impersonator hired for some of the evening’s entertainment.

Cleverly MC’d by Barry Curtin, the presentations paid tribute to some past and present champions as well as awarding drivers, co-drivers and officials from all forms of motor sport for their efforts in 2003.

Special awards were also given to our chaplains, whose work throughout this state and the country sadly seems to be required all too often recently. In particular, the Rally awards given were as follows: The Stephen Tolcher Navigators Award: John Greenwood.

Autosport Cup Rally Driver of the Year: Michael Clements.

SA Rally Championship Award Winners Class N3 Winning Driver: Simon Milton.

Class N3 Winning Co-driver: Timothy Margach Class P2 Winning Driver: David Rudzitis Class P2 Winning Co-driver: Clare Dowling.

Class P3 Winning Driver: Andrew Gleeson.

Class P3 Winning Co-driver: Mandy Rudham.

The Lincoln Harding Memorial Award: Stuart Gregory.

McLeod Medals Winning Co-driver: Simon Orme.

Winning Driver: Simon Milton.

SA Rally Championship Outright Award Winners 3rd Outright and P4 Winning Co-driver: Anthony Lake.

2nd Outright and P5 Winning Driver: Declan Dwyer.

2nd Outright and P5 Winning Co-Driver: Simon Orme.

Farewell to a SA rally great

With the sad and tragic passing of yet another legend of this sport, Ian ‘Henry’ Lawson, I have learnt a lot about the kind of people that are involved in the rallying community here in South Australia.

While I did not know him personally, I am certainly aware of the high regard in which he was held by friends and competitors alike.

I had heard stories in the past of his knowledge and expertise and it comes as no surprise to learn that he had helped and touched so many people in so many ways.

This is very typical of many involved at all levels of the competition here in South Australia – as I imagine it would be in all states.

I have been involved in various different sports and sporting groups in the past but, quite honestly, nothing compares to the open, friendly and encouraging (yet extremely competitive) environment that we have here. Anyone enquiring about starting up in the sport, or looking for some help or information, never has to look very far.

One of my sons already has a rally driving career planned (he is only 2, but will tell anyone who will listen that he wants to drive a Focus!) so I can only hope it stays this way for a long time.

Everyone involved in this unique culture should be proud of themselves, and of course, proud of Henry.

1st Outright and N4 Winning Co-Driver: Tim Batten.

1st Outright and N4 Winning Co-driver: Sam Brand.

The night was a great success, thanks to the hard working team at CAMS SA who would also like to thank Copy World, the South Australian Motor Sport Board, Penny’s Hill Wines, Castrol and Repco for their contributions.

Also worthy of mention is Kuhmo Motorsport and Kevin Noels’ generous sponsorship and commitment to the SA Rally Championship, the Autosport Clubman Series and the CAMS awards themselves.

The Kuhmo Rally Challenge and the Kuhmo Rally Challenge Driver Encouragement awards were also awarded to Michael Clements and Simon Milton respectively and will be continued again this year.

NEWS WANTED

All feedback and suggestions for this column can be sent to kristian@sportpix.biz.

By Kristian McMahon

Maguiar’s M’sport Expo There are still some places left for those interested in taking part in a display at this year’s ‘Maguiar’s Motor Ex’ expo.

In conjunction with the Adelaide Custom Auto Expo, it will be held at the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds on May 15, 16 & 17 and is said to be twice as big as the Sydney Motor Show.

There will be no shortage of interest from the public, and even organizations/businesses so it is a great opportunity to both raise the profile of the sport here in SA as well as market and promote your own team. Cars, teams plus people willing to talk to the public etc. are required for all three days.

Enquiries can be made by contacting David Sakko on (08)84146512 or at dsakko@gli.com.au.

Simon Milton won several awards in 2003.

Team Dakar complete successful Rally Tas Team Dakar Motorsport returned recently from the Toll Shipping Rally Tasmania declaring it a huge success. After the tragic death of Ian Lawson on the first stage, the team held a meeting and decided, as all competitors did, to continue the rally.

The two car team of David McDonough/Lyndon Wilson in their ever-popular Ford Capri Perana and Sam Brand/Anthony McLoughlin in the United Motors WRX, both enjoyed a mix of highs and lows before finishing second and eighth outright respectively.

Despite creating a lot of attention, as usual, McDonough could only manage to place sixth after SS7 late on Day One, putting his 2003 title defence in jeopardy. It was from here on that the monumental fightback took place and, showing enormous character, the experienced pair clawed their way back to an amazing second place.

There is a rumor that David, obviously very pleased with the effort, offered outright winner Stephen Richards (Ford Escort) ‘double or nothing, winner takes all’ in a burnout competition – Perana v Escort!

The offer was duly declined, much to the disappointment of those present at the time.

New Zealand’s Dunlop Targa Bambina road race is all set to run again on March 13th & 14th.

The Dunlop Targa 10 year celebrations start off with the baby Dunlop Targa (Bambina) event as part of the new Targa “Champion of Champions” series, with the second round being the Targa Dash on June 13 in the Pukekohe / Waikato area.

Around 80 entries have been accepted so far for the Bambina and what a mix there is.

In finishing eighth outright, 2003 SARC Champion Sam Brand (in his first ever tarmac rally!) and Anthony McLoughlin, were delighted with their result. Able to run a Group A restrictor instead of the smaller Group N one, for the first time on the Impreza, the difference in power was ‘absolutely unbelievable’ Sam commented.

This, and the young driver’s obvious talent, helped the team to be placed as high as fourth after SS6 with second or equal second on no less than four stages, no doubt worrying many of the Porsche brigade in the process.

The only real error, a forgivable one considering tarmac experience (or lack of it), was a spin on Special Stage 7.

After what was a break of about three hours between stages, the boys took the first turn too fast on cold tyres, spinning, losing forty seconds and costing them several places. Nevertheless, a respectable eighth was more than they could have hoped for.

Hungry for more tarmac action Brand is definitely considering a return trip to the island next year and even suggested that he would consider a drive in the Classic Adelaide Rally if the chance (and suitable car of course) presented itself.

Perfect start for novice crew How do you improve on a (rookie) season that sees your achievements include a Class N3 State Championship (including two SARC and one Autosport class win), winning the prestigious McLeod Medal, and the Kuhmo Motorsport Driver Encouragement Award?

Just ask any one of the team at Timon Motorsport as that is exactly what they intend to do.

Not content with just planning another assault and title defence in the SARC this year, including their first and much anticipated crack at the Rally of South Australia, the team will be competing in as many of the VRC rounds as possible in a very definite attempt at a ‘dual state championship’ The talented pairing of Simon Milton and Tim

Margach will be hoping that their 1990 2 litre Nissan Pulsar GTi (or Sunny as it was imported) will again prove to be a strong and reliable weapon.

With the strict regulations in place for their class, and apart from a broken (and very stubborn) engine mount bolt, general maintenance is all that was required for the already meticulously-prepared car before their big season begins. After originally failing to source an LSD for the car, the team decided to settle into the N3 class and, understandably, are now glad they did.

The Kuhmo Motorsport Driver Encouragement Award will also provide them with valuable tyre sponsorship throughout the year.

This keen and very professional outfit will certainly be one to watch out for. Best of luck guys.

BMW Mini Cooper S which has been highly modified.

The new ‘Allcomers’ category for pre1986 cars features a smorgasbord of specially built cars including the ‘60’s NZ-built Cole Baker Special (a Ferrari 250GT look a like formerly Morris Minor-powered but now running a

Rover V8.) There is a Ford Escort van with Cosworth Sierra power, plus an E Type Jaguar look-a-like with Holden V8 power. The Super GT Category for ‘anything goes’ cars sees two Mazda RX 7’s up against an ex-rally Group B Peugeot 205T16 and the BMW Mini Cooper S. Throw in a turbo Honda Civic, a hybrid Mitsubishi Mirage and a Ford Sierra Cosworth with Mitsubishi Lancer Evo running gear.

For further information contact: media@targa.co.nz

Targa New Zealand

Early entries range from a 1961 Austin Healey 3000 through to a brace of the very latest Honda Integra R’s and many Porsches, including a GT3.

The ex-Paul Adams Bank of New Zealand-sponsored BMW 2002, still in it’s original livery, will be competing as will an ex-works BMW 635 Coupe and a

www.rallyscene.com - 29

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Queensland news

New WRX debut at KCF Rallysprint

“No, Pete,” I said to the editor. “This special rally car hasn’t been built by a scuba-diving school! It’s ‘Prodrive’, not ‘Pro-Dive’!!”

I was attempting to explain to Editor Whitten (junior) the origin of the latest weapon to join the 2004 ARC circus, and it’s not every day that an example of one of the best Group N rally cars in the world appears in your own backyard.

But that was the case in February when an immaculate blue Impreza WRX appeared at the opening round of the KCF Rallysport Short Course Rally Series at Jimna Forest, just one and a half hour’s drive from Brisbane.

The car, of course, was the new ARC Super Series mount for Chris and Ben Atkinson which had been flown in to Australia just days before.

What better way to debut a very special car in Australian competition conditions, than a (relatively) low profile local event away from the prying eyes of the specialist motorsport media.

Except…..yes, Australian Rallysport News was there to capture the moment (that was me).

The Atkinson Rally Team was more than happy to let anyone who wanted to, take a close look at the car and appreciate it for what it is.

The ‘Prodrive’ plate under the bonnet made no

By Tom Smith

The WRX debut was short lived. (Photo: Tom Smith)

mistakes about the origin of this beautifully puttogether vehicle.

Chris, Ben and dad John were their usual laidback selves, out to test the left-hand drive ma-

Goasdoue goes RS too!

It’s been confirmed that John Goasdoue will be another serious threat to join the Subaru Impreza RS one-make series for 2004.

While John’s name was bandied around earlier as cars and drivers were being linked together, it was only during early February that the deal was finalised.

It would appear that competing in the series was firmly on John’s wish list, but getting everything to fall into place only occurred when a vehicle from the batch of rally-prepped Imprezas became available.

John will be joined by Glen Weston, his regular co-driver of the last couple of years.

Free money!!

Belinda Kenney from the Twin Cities Auto Club in Townsville recently provided a snippet of information for Queenslanders which may be of some interest.

Sport and Recreation Queensland (a government department) has grants available for all incorporated clubs in Queensland as from March 1.

Clubs can apply for up to $4,000 under the Club Development Program to cover education and training courses, participation initiatives (like open days), a planning document like a 5 year plan or a marketing plan. For the education element, this may cover officials licensing courses, scrutineering courses, first aid or any worthwhile training.

Also, as at March 1 there is a Minor Facilities Program for facility-based projects from $10,000 to $150,000 such as track development, lighting or irrigation. Sport and Recreation Queensland can fund 66% of the project cost, if approved.

Applications for these grants and programs close on 16 April, and anyone interested should contact their local Sport and Recreation Queensland office.

The website address is www.sportrec.qld.gov.au.

2004 QRC opens ready for action on March 13

The next local event on the Queensland calendar is the opening round of the Queensland Rally Championship for 2004 in Gympie, sponsored by Quick Fit Tyre Services (Yeerongpilly).

With a new start and slightly different layout to the Glastonbury-based event we’ve become used to over the past few years.

The date is 13 March and the start of the event is at the’‘Duck Ponds’ in Gympie with rally HQ at the Muster Site near Amamoor.

That’s all for now. See you next month.

Strangely enough, this is the first brand new car that John has ever rallied.

John reports that taking the step from a semifront running Group A Evo. 3 Lancer to the onemake series took serious consideration.

As a privately funded operation, the costs of running the familiar blue Lancer were becoming increasingly difficult to sustain, and this move is seen to provide close and fair competition without costing the earth (hopefully).

Sponsors for the year will be DesitrolL and Camp Hill Dental Specialist Centre with other support to be announced later.

chine and carry out a little testing and tweaking under controlled competition conditions.

After the first competitive run, the car became difficult to start and the service crew detected high

Queensland Rally Dinner April 3rd April 3 is the date, Ballymore Rugby ground in inner-city Brisbane is the venue and bookings for the evening can be made by contacting Berenice Stratton on 3209 2073 (home) or 0414 733 614.

That’s all I’m saying, as I’ve reminded all readers for the last four months and if it hasn’t sunk in by now, it may never! See you there.

Where are they all?

Recent press releases indicate that the presence of ‘Classic’ rally cars at each round of the ARC Super Series will be a sure bet for 2004.

Such is the popularity of the category, and the growing interest in these’‘old-timers’ (the cars, not the drivers), that spectators around the country are flocking to see the rear-wheel drive action and the great noise which emanates from

Cooloola Classic The fourth round of the Queensland Rally Championship for 2004 is scheduled to return to the roads of the Rydges Resort at Yeppoon, and the nearby Byfield Forest.

Last year’s event was a great success with an excellent HQ venue and a good variety of rally roads, most of which were actually contained within the grounds of the Rydges Resort!

The event is scheduled for the weekend of July 17 & 18 and a good local complement is expected to join the event.

Entries for the south-east corner and the north of the state are encouraged to make the journey.

Last year’s Clerk-of-Course Anthony Tanzer will not be heading the organisation this year, as he returns to the co-driver’s seat alongside Andrew Lord in a Mitsubishi Lancer EX Turbo.

As a competitor last year, I found the event most enjoyable with a compact nature, some excellent roads (from my side of the car) and a great afterrally party.

Put it in your calendar. For those who don’t know, Rockhampton is about six and a half hour’s drive from Brisbane, and Yeppoon is the coastal town about 20 minutes east of Rocky (you can’t miss it – just aim for the big wet bit!).

That's it for this month. Please send me your snippets and news items, along with any other leads on major stories to: tom.smith@rallysportnews.com.au

temperatures at the engine management computer which seemed to set the package askew.

Not only did it not want to start cleanly, but Chris reported a twitchiness he diagnosed as the centre diff not reacting properly.

Despite the problem, the team were pleased to have found the fault at this early stage rather than when arriving in Perth for Round 1 of the series, and having the car stop in its tracks.

A Prodrive technician is due to join the team in WA and with all guns firing, the Atkinsons will present a very serious threat to the current ARC top guns.

Queensland looks forward to the progress of Team Atkinson during the ’04 season, in both the new Subaru and the APRC Suzuki Ignis.

KCF round 1 In fairly demanding conditions, and on a day when the temperature in Brisbane was over 40 degrees celsius, Bruce Fullerton and Hugh Reardon-Smith took their Subaru Impreza WRX to a first up victory for 2004.

A close tussle with the Datsuns of Dave Gaines (240K) and Wayne Johnston (1600) carried on all day, and at the end of competition there was only 34 seconds separating the top three, with Gaines/Doyle grabbing second by just nine seconds from Johnston/D’Arcy.

Glen Mitchell and Bryan Zelinski brought their RS2000 Escort home in fourth outright, with Allan Griffin/U.N Known rounding out the top five in their Stanza.

Look for a full report on the event elsewhere in this issue.

Henry Honda

these beasts.

CAMS reports that for most events a 15 car field has been approved and catered for, but in Queensland expect a full field of 20.

Clerk-of-Course for the Falken Tyres Rally Queenland, Errol Bailey, is confident the limit of 20 Classics will be easily reached, and there’s a fair bet that a ‘reserve’ list will be tucked away in his briefcase during the lead-up to the event.

Likely starters from the Sunshine state include Classic legends Keith Callinan (Monaro V8) and John Spencer (Datsun 1600).

The relatively small field in the Classic class at last year’s Falken Tyres Rally Queensland proved their worth, with great displays for the assembled crowds, particularly on the Noosa Hillclimb bitumen stage, and crowds will be out in force to witness that spectacle again!

Keep an eye out for a very special Honda Civic in the QRC this year, as Henry Ryman joins Mark Moddejongen in the Mining Dynamics entry.

Henry cut his teeth on the small cars way back in the 70’s whilst working for Bennet Honda, and the nickname ‘Henry Honda’ was born.

This car is the ex-Tim Collingwood multi-PRC1 QRC winning car but has been further improved and now features a close-ratio 5 speed gearbox, Quaife-type diff, Proflex suspension and good power and reliability.

Although Mark will be along in the left-hand seat to keep an eye on Henry, there are no team orders so this little screamer will be on a mission from the first event.

Sponsors include Mining Dynamics, Skin Alert and a tyre deal is being finalised with Tyres Plus at Nerang.

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30 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Out of control - Victoria

Three in 14 years not a bad effort

Firstly my apologies to those who raced off to buy ARN only to find my column wasn’t in it – the third time in 14 years.

Sorry, I’ll try not to let it happen again, but thanks to those who sent me emails of concern, and to the person who claimed it was a better read without it. I have your name and the Stewards will visit you extensively on your next rally!

At this time of the year there is little happening to write about, and most people seem to be keeping their cards close to their chests so correspondents often resort to a little introspection and reflection.

The temptation is for that to be a little negative or resort to the time-honoured rant and rave, usually against CAMS. But most of us have worked out that doesn’t really get us anywhere as we are part of CAMS, and if we focus on the negative then the sport goes nowhere.

In the column that didn’t get finished last month I had started to write that the club structure, the cornerstone of motorsport in this country, seemed to have hit its zenith in the 1970s and had been progressively slipping backwards ever since. But then something like the Nissan Car Club’s navigational training day was run with outstanding success, lots of new people and positive feedback.

Justyn Palmer and Stephen Doughty won the George Woods Trial, the first event of the year, in their Mk1 Escort.

(Hubble Photographix)

Who’ll be champ?

We also have Pakenham autocross and its Junior Development Program. This club seems to just have it right and gets 40 or so competitors to monthly motorkhanas, many of whom get the rallying bug.

Robson Cup joins VCRS

The Robson Cup seems consigned to being the name of a VCRS Award instead of a series in its own right in 2004 The good news is that the powerhouse behind that series, the Western Districts SEAC has now joined the VCRS along with the NECC, replacing TOCOAN and Monash Sporting Car Club (MSCC) both once-proud clubs that have recently not renewed CAMS affiliation. This is sad and reflects the times in that things will change, that much is certain.

In effect this means that all of the state’s mainstream rally clubs are now under the one series, if you don’t count the HRA which follows the beat of its own drum; several of them actually) and seems big enough to control its own multiple destinies.

That the VCRS has always been limited to 12 clubs has always been a sticking point, but far from being divisive the VCRS has always been about combining scarce resources. I was involved in setting it up that way 13 years ago when we combined two ailing series to form one.

Rationalisation can be a powerful force but the secret of the VCRS has always been clubs working and competing together. And of course the unswerving and constant backing of Yokohama and Andrew McCathie’s Traction Tyres.

In 2004 they have even put up their sponsorship dollars to the clubs running rounds of the Series, still arguably the most vibrant club series in the country.

Once again the Yokohama VCRS is wide open with some competitors taking a break and others stepping up to try their hands at the VRC 2WD Championship. The first round is FFCC’s resurrected Camcrusher, a name blast from the past, organised by the seemingly indefatigable John

By Michael Cains

Roberts in and around Yea on March 11. JR has also taken on the mantle of VCRS Co-ordinator and if he didn’t have enough to do, is also running the Spring 200 later in the year.

I’m stepping back from VRCS this year concentrating on the Racetech Steel VRC with Steve Evans, leaving the Cains name in the hands of daughter Laura who will be running with Mike Welsh. I was proud that I have now been competing every year for 20 years this year, until Mike pointed out that he has been doing that for 30 years. Not many people can match that achievement.

The VRC will fire off with the David Nutter Ford Used Car Rally in Gippsland on March 27, which unfortunately for me clashes with Round 1 of the Globalstar ARC in Perth where I will be shaking down the RX Subaru with Darren Windus for another title altogether. I will be reporting on the Subaru Challenge from the inside.

HTML overdue

I will have one whinge because its licence time again. While being one of the first to congratulate CAMS on lifting its game tenfold in processing applications, and the drastically improved turnaround, I am still amazed that every year we are forced to shell out $50 or so for a CAMS Manual which is essentially the same one as the others you have sitting on the shelf.

Yes it’s a good idea that everyone should have one, but a loose leaf or some form of online version is long, long overdue, environmentally friendlier and would have to save costs.

A HTML version with index, links able to concentrate on your own sector of the sport has to be a priority.

MAMMI MOTORS Call Gerald or Chas on (03) 5977 7973 bh

George Woods Novice events are a bit thin on the ground this year which is surprising given the huge interest shown by newcomers, or families wanting to give others a go.

In fact, aside from the George Woods that ran on February 21, the Challenge of Clubs running on the weekend of March 20 and 21 is the only other one running.

The George Woods, directed for half a century or thereabouts by Glad Fish, attracted its usual full field of 49 starters on a great night with a little dampening rain to keep the dust down on those still-enticing Powelltown roads.

Justyn Palmer and Stephen Doughty, as a true novice crew, led them all home, even beating all of the graded crews in their Escort. They were a mere one point in front of Tony and Brian Huggins (Stanza) who tied for second with Barry Clough and Kylie Lewis. Barry has been plugging away for the fun of it in the Commodore he won in a raffle, literally.

There were a host of those that either didn’t finish for steering down the wrong road, steering down a “sickly” road, or steering off the road.

Like Sam Robison who had a go at driving the handful of Zed but unfortunately came to grief as did Ari and Paul Patterson.

Optimistic Troy Fitzpatrick in the lowered HD got his first taste of rallying and will either change it or raise it for next time.

For Novices who want more rallying, call Trevor or Jan Woods on 9467 1972 to enter Trial B of NCCA’s Challenge of Clubs, one of only two rallies to be held in the increasingly rarely-used Wombat forest. You can enter that component without a full NRL.

That’s all from me. If you have any stories, rumours, or gripes then email me on cains@hotkey.net.au and remember - the more crap you put up with the more you are going to get!

See you in the forest, Michael Cains.

I can’t begin to pick a winner for this year’s Victorian title as it seems that all the past winners and favourites have gone out to pasture.

Fawcett is hearing wedding bells, Thompson – who knows?, Windus to ARC etc. Maybe it will be Justin Dowell, the Full Montys or even David Nutter, the perennial bridesmaid. Or maybe a two wheel drive car?

There are only four events at this stage as with every week that passes, reaching an arrangement with the NGK Rally of Melbourne over entry fees and format that can allow VRC competitors to run in the event without an ARC budget, looks less likely.

But it is good news that Racetech Steel will be continuing their sponsorship of the Championship and one can only hope that we will have more events next year. It’s not a case of penalising the VCRS for being too successful or forcing events like the Anglia Sprint Rally with its unique one day pace note and rally format to become a State Championship round.

The real issue is simply that we don’t have enough organizing teams prepared to take on the task of organising this level of event. No amount of playing around with rules can solve that.

Rally Dinner The Rally Dinner was once again a success with the usual avalanche of last minute ticket sales and the sport got the chance to congratulate the winners and grinners of Series and Championships at a great venue.

Cody Crocker, Victoria’s home grown hero, impressed with an engaging after dinner speech with slides showing just how far this man has come. VRC Co-ordinator David Lambie even wore a tie for the first time in 35 years – he had one made up with Racetech Steel embroidered on it, naturally.

The Victorian rally calendar poster was handed out on the night and if you haven’t got yours there are heaps around at JR’s Autosport, with Mr. Khumo Bryce Steele. There should be some at the first Yokohama VRCS round. ● Rob Plenter, our ex Panel Chairman, who still contributes to Victorian rallying, is very lucky to be alive in his adopted Colorado home after comprehensively destroying his Lancia when he rolled the car 100 ft down a gully onto its roof after sliding off the road on black ice.

Apart from bump on the head and large bills, he is OK. Rob now won’t be coming home to run his Fiat X1-9 in the first state round as he planned.

● Rally Car preparation ● Dyno Tuning

HEAT 1 (Top 7)

● Mandrel Bent Exhaust Systems ● Hand-made Extractors ● General fabrications

www.rallyscene.com - 31

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

Paul’s Pacenotes - WA

Busselton revs up for Forest Rally

There will be plenty to cheer about during the Respect Yourself Forest Rally with three big anniversaries to celebrate, according to Clerk of Course, Ross Tapper.

It’s the 30th anniversary of Western Australia hosting a round of the Australian Rally Championship, the coming of age as the Busseltonbased event celebrates its 21st birthday, and it’s the 10th year in succession that “Respect Yourself” has sponsored the event.

The first Australian Rally Championship event held in WA was the Semperit 1600 Rally that was won by Peter Lang in 1974. To mark the 30th anniversary of Australian rallying in WA, a reunion is being held for all those who have been involved in rallying during the past 30 years and will take place on Sunday morning March 28 at the Nannup Golf Club.

Tigra Motorsport After the excitement of Rally Oz last year the Japanese team, Tigra Motorsport went back with smiles on their faces as the freshly-built and untried Impreza WRX actually finished the event.

According to Mike Hawiley ,the team spokesperson, the WRX did sustain some damage to the front requiring a new bumper, lights and some pulling of chassis rails but the car is now as good, if not better, than before Telstra Rally Australia 2003.

A new ECU and STi gearbox and differentials have made further improvements and the car is now quite an awesome package.

The team’s next event is the Forest Rally with Shaun Whitehead driving. Shaun hasn’t competed for many years and never in a 4WD car. Needless to say lots of practice is scheduled on private property in the weekends to come.

We wish them well and hope to see the team in action at more events prior to Telstra Rally Australia.

Lowther Racing

Lowther Racing Team tend to do things in a big way and the birth of Hannah Daisy Lowther to Jason and Kym in November continues the trend. Hannah is eagerly anticipating going to her first rally.

Paul and Robyn have moved north to the mining town of Pannawonica, but hope to return for all of the state rallies while Simon and Budgie are looking forward to the Forest Rally. They hope to continue the momentum of 2003, after a strong result in the Stirling Stages.

Chris Gerdei now has a new fly in, fly out job, so will do as many events as time will permit!

Always strong supporters of the Autocross Series, this season is shaping up to be the most competitive yet, with LRT fielding up to 6 cars!

Organisers meet

As mentioned at the competitor’s forum last year, event organisers have met again and continued their good works.

David Burton chaired the meeting and a number of topics were discussed including standardisation of documents across events and promotions of events and the series.

The big topic of the evening was event checking. Any current or past competitors who believe they have a set of skills that could see them as a checker are asked to contact your car club President or Rally Advisory Panel representative.

Citroen launched its new C4 at the Geneva Motor Show the car expected to take the place of the Xsara in the World Rally Championship.

For more information and to register attendance, interested persons are asked to contact Tricia Dean on 08 9249 7932.

Tickets for the Respect Yourself Forest Rally are on sale now from the Pitstop Bookshop in Perth (08 9322 5544), Busselton and Nannup Tourist Centres, and Hillzeez Surf Shops for $10 each.

Special weekend rally passes are only $25 and include entry into the Toyota Busselton Super Special Stage on both nights, and entry into the Nannup spectator point. For more information about the event, visit www.rally.com.au. Service Park entry is free!

The itinerary this year will incorporate some of the best rally roads in the championship around the town of Nannup, which is where the popular Service Park will be based. Nannup’s traditional

cafes, tea-houses and eateries will be open over the weekend to welcome rally service crews, spectators and the media.

It is not only the competitors at the Respect Yourself Forest Rally who will have a good time, this year there is even more to see and do for spectators. The crowd-pleasing Busselton Toyota Super Special Stage will be run on two nights this year, Friday 26 and Saturday 27 March.

The on-track line up will showcase Australia’s best rally drivers and classic rally cars from around the country. Off-track, more entertainment than ever before will get everyone’s hearts pumping. There will be a side-show alley, rides for children and adults, bands, fireworks, and the Hillzeez Wheels Expo featuring a display

by WA’s best skateboarders

Our ever-changing world is always throwing up new challenges and it seems that organisers are having to lean more on experience gained at work to run rallies!

The Respect Yourself Forest Rally put out a request for a person who “is accredited in Basic Worksite Traffic Management and would be willing to help the rally in Busselton.

They would be responsible for the erection, auditing and dismantling of road closure and detour signs near the Busselton Toyota Super Stage.

If you have the required accreditation and can assist, please contact Ann Skipworth; even if the position has been filled, many hands make light work.

The same goes for road closures and setting up the Super Stage on Thursday & Friday leading into the rally, - if you can assist phone or e-mail Ann Skipworth and commit your support. Remember to bring friends and family along to share the excitement! You can get close to the action and have your licence signed off for helping out.

im De Motte, who made a flying visit to WA and took in the Stirling Stages Rally, has placed fourth outright and second Open class co-driving in the Sno*Drift Rally, Round 1 of the SCCA ProRally National Championship in America.

This means his team will be in the seeded draw for a start position at the Susquehannock Trails

event in June. De Mott said they were “putting along” in a 1997 Evo 4 with three seasons on it after a career racing in Japan. “So we’re rather proud of what we’re doing with what we’ve got to do it with.”

Kim’s next event is a SCCA Club Rally National Championship event held in rural central Missouri, but this time he is event director!

Traffic management call

K

Official time The time for licensed officials filling most places at events is drawing nearer. If you will be assisting at events you need to ensure you get your official licence(s) organised in the near future.

Ultimately this could impact on your ability to help at an event and therefore your eligibility to start in an event as a competitor.

The CAMS office is the appropriate first point of contact to get your name on the list so courses can be arranged.

Extinguisher checks

You can bring your fire extinguishers along for their pre-season check at a very reasonable $5 per hand held extinguisher on Thursday, March 18 at the WA Car Club Clubrooms, 265 Hale Road, Wattle Grove.

The West Australian Car Club have arranged for this service to be available and it’s ideally placed ahead of the first event of the season.

Thank You Thanks to those who contributed. If you’ve any rally news or stories please let me know at paul.vandermey@rallysportnews.com.au or (08) 9472 5885 or 0419 201 477.

By Paul van der Mey

WA chaplains Kim and Kellie van Keule have taken on the role of Rally Chaplains for rallying in WA. “Kellie, and I are really looking forward to a great year in being part of rallying in WA in this way,” Kim said.

“We are looking forward to meeting everyone whether they are officials, teams or competitors at each of the events. We feel very privileged to have been accepted in this role and look forward with anticipation to what the year will bring. Our aim is to be there for people and help out wherever they feel that we can assist in whatever form that takes on.

“We really enjoy rallying and believe that this is a great way we can contribute in a positive way to the sport here in WA.” Look out for them as they get around the service parks and help out around events.

Dunk returns

Congratulations are in order for well-known West Australian competitor, Ross Dunkerton.

Ross will be seen around the Globalstar ARC punting a 4-wheel drive Mitsubishi Magna in the Aussie Car Class!

Reports suggest he’ll begin after the Respect Yourself Forest Rally, as he’s committed to driving his classic Mitsubishi Lancer in that event. Give ‘em heaps, Ross!

32 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

ACT - Capital Clippings

by Peter Ewing, Jon Waterhouse in his RX7, Thomas Barrett in the 180B and Richard Leitis. Leitis was only a few seconds behind the Barretts in a very strong showing for the yellow Escort.

By Ray Baker

W

ell here we are again with another season off to a great start. The Narooma Booma had a bumper field of ACT-series cars entered, headed by Karl Willett in his newly-completed WRX. With 37 ACT cars from the total entry of 57, there were some interesting battles.

Gold Cup With 22 starters in the Gold Cup it was looking to be a tough battle. New entrants in the Gold Cup this year included Darren Gee in the Evo 3, Richard Houghton (WRX), Brett Wright (Datsun 180B) and many more.

Karl Willett lead the field away and blasted off into the distance, the only thing stopping him was a fire under the bonnet which occurred less than a kilometre from the end of the last stage.

This handed the lead over to John Stilling in his Evo 6, with a 27 second gap back to Rob Nunn in the Evo 3.

Brett Wright was the best of the 2WD brigade, coming in third outright and third Gold Cup. Following on from his great form from last year, Peter Ewing came in only 14 seconds behind Wright for fourth outright and fourth Gold Cup. With the top four finishers at Narooma all being ACT Gold Cup competitors, this is looking to be a very strong year. It been a long time since we had 22 entrants in the Gold Cup for the first round of the series.

Brett Wright was first in the Silver Cup followed

ACT Clubman With 11 drivers entered for Clubman for this event it was always going to be a battle. Nathan ʻSpacʼ Senior was first in the now all-blue RX7 (must have been the new paint job pushing him on to a win.)

Second was Brett Walther in the Charade De Tomaso with quite a gap of four and half minutes between the two. Russell Battison finished a fighting third in his ageing Lancer after recovering from a puncture on the first stage.

Returning to the series was Marc Pilkington in his newly-built Celica GT4; this car will be a weapon once he develops it with the help of his co-driver Dougal Wilson.

Last yearʼs Novice winner, Fro Horobin, had some issues in the mud on the second stage which caused him to withdraw. Apparently the in-car footage is good though. Jayne Annabel A LITTLE SHORTER: The pretty Mazda 323 of Reynolds and Robertson ended the Narooma Booma Rally against a tree. (Epic Sports Photography)

will be many ACT series crews entering the Subaru Rally of Canberra. With lower entry fees than previous years it looks like there will be a bumper field.

Due to the amount of people competing who usually officiate, the ROC needs more officials. If you can help out for the event go to the ROC website www.roc.com.au and sign up to be an official. There are still plenty of good posts left.

Thank you A big thank you to Neal Bates and TTR for their generosity to all the people who helped out with their corporate day on the February 28.

The McInerney/Clark Datsun 180B was 30th and sixth in class at the Narooma Booma Rally after some aggressive driving. (Epic Sports Photography)

made an appearance in the Datsun and came in seventh in Clubman which is a great effort.

John Hills BDA Escort

Bathurst RSL Club Rally, May 29-30 2 day rally, over 200km competitive, including Hen & Chicken Lane / Mt Panorama stages. * All meals included in entry fee. * * * * * *

Each rally approximately 200 competitive Kms Fully competitive route-charted rallies Generous safety-oriented eligibility rules Teams awards & outright/class trophies New competitors warmly welcomed Friendly atmosphere

Why not contact us?

Ron Moore - President, 0438 610611 Fax: (02) 6362 4619 Email: info@amsag.com.au P.O. Box 508, Bathurst NSW, 2795

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ACT Novice Seven entries for this Novice round was a bit less than last year but still a strong start to the season. Russell Battison was the winner of the ACT Novice event.

Displaying some extra speed that he found in the rallysprint in January, he was an early favourite for the event. Sophia Moody was looking at having her first finish for a while in the Datsun after so many dramas at the last few events. She eventually came in a few minutes behind Russell in second place, well ahead of eventual third placed Tim McGahey in another Datsun 1600.

Good to see some reliability in the novice class with only Paul Marando not finishing (due to a gearbox problem.) Patrick Malycha saved the best for last with a scorching time on the last stage in the fog. He must have had the break where there was no fog as he was well inside the top 30 for the last stage.

RoC News With Supp Regs now out it looks like there

Next Event Oberon is the next event on the ACT series calendar and thereʼs plenty of interest in this event and many people who got their 22 points for officiating will be eager to compete. Letʼs make it a great weekend away for all the ACT crews.

Guys like Marty Holberton in the flying Camira will do well on the roads around Oberon. He wants to get one back on the roads after his short event at Bathurst last year.

Also it will be good to see Peter Norton out in his Corolla, if we can get him from behind the camera lens. You should check out the 170 or so photos he took at Narooma! View them at www.ozemail.com.au/~peternorton That’s all for now Well that’s about all from me at the moment.

The next rally for me will be Oberon in Brett’s Charade as mine is getting prepared for Rally of Canberra. Won’t have much time in the next month, what with a new job and getting a car ready.

I’ll also be at Rally NZ in April with a few other BMSC members, which should be fun.

You can contact me with any news you have on 0417 057 361 AH or’ray@bakermotorsport.net See ya, Ray Baker.

Would like any Interested parties to submit an Expression of interest to become a State Dealer for Silverstone Competition Tyres in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory

For more information contact: The Australian Distributor Alan Stean at The Z-Car Workshop 14 Kenway Drive, Underwood, Qld 4119 Email: zcar@iprimus.com.au Phone: (07) 3808 2755

www.rallyscene.com - 33

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

NSW Notes

AMSAG re-invigorated The AMSAG Annual General Meeting was held recently at the Drummoyne RSL Club. Previous years have seen a steady decrease in the participation and interest of members, but all that has changed.

No fewer than 50 members attended the meeting to show their support for AMSAG, most of whom brought proxy votes with them.

There were two nominations for president - last year’s secretary and long-time AMSAG servant, Milton Price, and Ron Moore from Orange.

As it turned out, Ron Moore secured the votes needed to be elected President with the full support of the previous executive and committee.

To continue the trend of fresh faces all round for the complete executive, Les Lawry, who navigates for ex-state champion, Rod Jones, stepped up to the plate to assist Ron in the running of the club, as Vice President.

Barbara Travis was elected secretary, and the treasurer is Peter Crich,

who is also a CPA - very handy to have when you are looking after the books!

One of the big surprises of the night was the enthusiasm of the members when calling for steering committee members. Last year we only had 3 nominated steering committee members but this year there were no fewer than 11 elected steering committee members (we actually only require 7!)

All in all, it was a great night for AMSAG and showed that there is still massive support for this motorsport format, and for the club itself, now in its 11th year. It is fantastic to see the club moving forward this way and if the buzz in the room after the AGM was anything to go by, it is going to be a bumper year for AMSAG, its patrons and executive.

Thanks also to the previous executive, Greg Selsby, Ken Hind, Milton Price and Daniel Hitz who continued to work hard to keep the dream alive.

NSW Championship The new date for the second round of the NSWRC is April 17. This is different again to the date that I gave last month, and it means if you are one of those Sydney people who goes to Rally NZ in April, then you will miss out.

This unfortunately includes yours truly, as I work on the Shaky Isles event each year, and have since 1998! So, there will be a stand-in Media Co-ordinator for Bathurst only.

Last year the entry list topped seventy easily, and there is no reason that this will not occur this time.

Just a shame I won’t be there to see it!

Washed out Dan White, organiser of the Southern Cross Rally, has decided to postpone the Port Macquarie-based rally after 4 days of heavy rain recently made much of the course a road repair nightmare, for forestry and rally organisers alike.

The decision has been taken to try again on July 15 - 18. It is disappointing news, but at least it is the intention of all involved to re-run the event later in the year.

Awards dinner

The NSW Rally Panel held its presentation dinner at the North Ryde RSL and a great night it was under MC Bernard Corbett who did a good job to recognise who was there to accept awards and who wasnʼt.

After some technical difficulties, the viewing of photos from the year became easier, and I enjoyed seeing some of the reactions to the photos I took during the year.

Look out, because the lenses will be out again in 2004! A most enjoyable and social night was had by all.

Gemini series

Narooma Booma Booma Rally Rally Narooma

By Neil Blackbourn

Once again the Narooma district saw plenty of dusty action during the running of the Narooma Booma.

The traditional NSW rally season opener took its toll of all involved, but as it was the first one in two years (the 2002 edition having to be canned due to the prevailing bushfires), it was a welcome relief to see it happen.

57 cars entered the event, a mix of ACT Series, Clubman (South) and

Crews ready for 2GO Rally - March 20

E

ntries have now closed for the two-day season opener around the Watagan Forest, the 2GO Rally.

The weather is an unknown quantity and we could do without the downpours that we experienced prior to the Premier State Rally last year in the same area.

HQ will be at the Waterfront Resort, so successfully used last year. The first car will start from the Waterfront Resort at 10.30am on Saturday, March 20, restarting from the Resort on Sunday morning at 8.30.

Six stages totalling 115 km. will make up day one, while Sunday will have another five stages and 95km competitive.

As a round of the NSW State Series and the first round of the NSW Clubman (North) series, the event’s duration of two days is for all competitors unless the Clubman series is their aim.

Clubman competitors, whilst able to do both days if they wish, can elect to only compete on Saturday.

The popular NSW Gemini Series will have a sponsor for the 2004 season.

Paul Bailey has advised that Sydney company, Autosmart Parramatta has come onboard to support the series with their comprehensive range of automotive cleaning products.

Autosmart Parramatta Managing Director, Kevin Blunt, says he is proud to support the Gemini series as there is no better arena to showcase their range of cleaning products than on vehicles competing on both tarmac and gravel surfaces.

Promotional product packs will be awarded to top three Gemini competitors at each round of the seven-event series and Autosmart Parramatta signage will be displayed on all Gemini series vehicles throughout the season.

The Series gets under way with the Oberon Rally in early April. The Geminis remain as NSW’s only one make series for another year, and there are quite a few new cars and drivers planning on contesting the series this year.

ers , Ken has won himself a contract in his job to head overseas, and the year, and maybe more, will be spent in Ireland.

Before he left he was enthusing about seeing tarmac rallying at its best in Ireland, but disappointed in not being able to co-drive this year in Chris’s Evo II. Chris meanwhile, is looking for sponsorship and may have to sit out parts of the year, which is a shame. But we all know how resourceful Chris is, so no doubt if there is an opportunity to run, Chris will find it!

Tony Sullens, however, will be looking forward to being able to compete on all rounds now that the Bathurst date is sorted out. And Miles Sandy is hoping to make a return after his engine failure on the 2GO last year.

This event has not been kind to him in the past - 1997’s second place in the Subaru with Michelle Murphy co-driving was his best effort to date.

Let’s hope that changes in 2004!

Ken Holwell Ken helped Chris Giddins win the 2003 NSW

THAT’S IT: If you wish to promote your event, car, sponsor, team or series, please drop me a line at blacky@blacky.com.au and I will help. See you all at the 2GO!

Rally Championship, and in keeping with the tradition of Chris attracting winning co-driv-

Novice crews. First, second and third places outright were taken by ACT series protagonists. Trevor Stilling (above) and Dave Stephens, in the blue Evo 6, took the win ahead of Robert Nunn and the evergreen (?) Nick Vardos, whilst third was the 180B SSS of the sideways master, Brett Wright and Rob Edwards, obviously now ineligible for the Clubman series.

Karl Willett had the resurrected WRX

on show, with Lyndall Drake calling the corners, but a fire put paid to what had been a competitive outing. Clubman (and fourth ACT and outright) went to Peter Ewing and Jeremy Farnan in the Stanza, who led home the VK Commodore of Robert Inall and Peter Johnson, second in clubman and fifth outright.

Novice honours went to a sideways Commodore driven by Russel Winks and Matthew Harriott, in 13th ahead of second novice, Nathan Senior and Aaron Tams in a Mazda RX5. Don’t laugh, that’s what our current defending ARC champion started out in!

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34 - www.rallyscene.com

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

CLASSIFIEDS

MITSUBISHI MIRAGE CYBORG RS. 1600cc MIVEC engine, Ralliart ECU, 130kw. External oil cooler, stainless steel mandrelbent exhaust. Modena close ratio dog-engagement gearbox (2 rallies since new), Ralliart LSD, 50mm DMS suspension, all suspension components with Ralliart competition bushings and joints, strengthened rear trailing arms. Evo 6 front brakes and Evo 3 rears, braided brake lines. Genuine RS bodyshell with chrome moly cage (CAMS homologated), aluminium full length sump guard, Kevlar underbody and side skirt protection, Sparco seats, Willans 4-point harnesses (all end of 2006 approval). Momo steering wheel, hydraulic handbrake, adjustable bias valve, Peltor main intercom and Terraphone headset unit (or backup), Terratrip, UHF, FIA fire bomb, aluminium navigator’s footrest, 18 ROH 15” wheels with assorted rally tyres. Reg. SI 0033. Heaps of spares including Cyborg side skirts and front spoiler, standard gearbox, sensors, clutch, pads, CVs etc. – enough to run an ARC program. $29,500. Will consider trade Lancer or WRX rally car. Phone 0418 141 762 or email– leepeterson@bigpond.com

AUSTRALIA'S RALLY CAR SUPERMARKET

TOYOTA COROLLA KE20. 3K 1200cc motor. Twin Webers, big valves, Genie extractors, 5 speed gearbox, 4.9 LSD, disc brakes all round and bias valve, Cobra seats, 2” harnesses, Leo tripmeter, CDS fully-welded cage, log book. Road reg. PLU 464. This car is a proven class winner in the VCRS and VRC events. $5,000. Phone 0414 774 458.

MITSUBISHI EVO 3. 2003 VRC winner. Four events old new motor, gearbox, diffs. Chrome moly cage, big brakes, pedal box, Compomotive wheels.

SUBARU RX TURBO – Group A specs. Motor developed by Datrally, factory cage, Bilstein 40mm suspension, now fitted with a Liberty permanent 4WD transmission. 8 Enkei and 4 Turbo wheels and tyres, log booked. This ex-John Atkinson, ex-Graeme Walkem RX Turbo was one of the originals imported for their dealers. Great car for first time 4WD experience. Included are a selection of spares.

Tas. Road registered C 53751. $5,500 ONO. For more info phone Tony (BH) 03 6432 3988 or Bob (AH) 03 6435 7348.

New suspension facility

TECH///SPORT Suspension has recently opened a modern suspension facility incorporating a number of unique services in premises in the Melbourne suburb of Bayswater.

Operated by well-known and experienced rally competitors, Jeff Beaumont and Zac Edwards, the new facility will serve all facets of motorsport including gravel rallying, the increasingly-popular tarmac rallying, club sport, hillclimbing, circuit racing and off-road.

Services provided include 4-wheel Laser Beam alignment, electronic corner-weighting scales, electronic wheel balancing as well as shock absorber and strut servicing. In addition Beaumont and Edwards have been appointed distributors for the DMS range of competition and road-sport shocks and struts.

These 50mm DMS suspension units have an enviable record in rallying, on both tarmac and gravel as well as winning many national and international rallies. They have also been chosen as the control suspension for the new Subaru Challenge rally vehicles.

TECH///SPORT’s installation of a corner weight scale machine will be of particular interest to serious competitors who wish to optimise their car’s

Tech///Sport’s Jeff Beaumont handling. Correctly balanced corner weights can improve traction under both acceleration and braking as well as cornering, providing the vital seconds-per-kilometre that competitors are searching for.

Relatively inexpensive, the service is also quick and is a unique feature of the business. TECH/// SPORT can be found at 3 Power Road, Bayswater or you can call Jeff or Zac on (03) 9720 9300.

LANCER EVO 111. All fresh Group A motor, turbo, Ralliart viscous, LSD’s and Proflex. Serviced gearbox. Rigorously maintained vehicle, fire bomb, Sparco seats, 3 inch Willans harnesses, light pod, 10 x Compomotive wheels, Ralliart bushes, Autronic anti-lag, Terratrip, hand brake, Pagids, HKS gasket, forged pistons, very straight and never rolled. Top 10 ARC results. Service records. Many mechanical spares. Rego RALL11N. $28,500. Phone Paul - 0438 909323.

Sell your car through the pages of ARN - our advertising works!

Impreza WRC2004

Ready for Corona Rally Mexico, third round of the 2004 World Championship series, will be the latest version Subaru Impreza, the WRC2004, looking very little different to the 2003 version which won Petter Solberg Drivers’ title last November.

The only ready telltale changes are large rectangular air vents on each side, ahead of the front wheels, and a rather squashed up design to the front valance.

Beneath the skin there are important changes to the engine with revised turbocharger and manifolding, while the new minimum weight limit on the bodyshell means that the team has been able to introduce lightweight body panels as well.

Cooling system changes have meant the engine water radiator has been reclined backwards.

Prodrive technical director David Lapworth: “We have taken the opportunity to introduce the car in time for Mexico, because that will be an event new to everyone. It will give us a chance to be fully ready for New Zealand, which is likely to be the first real pointer to how the 2004 series will progress.”

Mitsubishi and Peugeot launched their new

model at Monte Carlo, and will therefore have a two rally head start. Citroen and Ford introduce their new cars at the fourth round, New Zealand.

Regarding the plethora of new rules about championship rallying, Lapworth added: “It is too early to react because we do not know where the rule changes will end. The only thing we need to do now is take advantage of the bodyshell weight rule because that introduces us to the chance to use lighter panels.

“This helps us make more use of ballast, and that helps us overcome the difficulties created by another new rule, which forces us to use the same tyres for longer.”

Full details on the new Impreza are available at: www.rallyscene.com

BUSSELTON - FRIDAY NIGHT Get ready for the big-time action at the Busselton Toyota Super Stage when the rally cars hit the tar and race around the clock. This is the start of the 2004 Globalstar Australian Rally Championship. There is not just plenty of rally action, there is sideshow alley, a live band, family entertainment, autograph sessions and food and drink stands, it is just a great night out. The rally action starts from 5.45pm and ends with fireworks at 9.30pm

BUSSELTON - SATURDAY

ENTRIES Competitors wishing to enter the Respect Yourself Forest Rally should go to www.rally.com.au to find all the Regulations and Entry Forms.

SPECTATOR TICKETS Tickets are just $10 per day or $25 for the weekend and kids under 15 are free. Tickets are available from The Pitstop Bookshop on 08 9322 5544, Busselton & Nannup Tourist Bureau’s or Hillzeez surfshops. Spectator information will be in The West Australian newspaper on Saturday 20th March.

March 26-28

The rally action heads to Nannup but there is still plenty happening in Busselton. From 11.00am the hottest street and race cars hit the Busselton Toyota Super Stage, WA’s best skateboarders contest the Hillzeez skateboarding competition, car and bike displays and the sideshow and food and drinks stands go all day. The Rally Cars return at 7.00pm to contest the Busselton Toyota Super Stage a second time.

NANNUP - SATURDAY & SUNDAY The Respect Yourself Forest Rally heads into the forest around Nannup and the dirt really starts to fly. Australia’s best rally drivers in the fastest cars put on plenty of sideways action at great spectator points.

When you are not watching the action come into Nannup and see the mechanics repair the cars in the Service Park on the main street before they go out into the bush again. And while in Nannup enjoy some of their great cafes and shops.

CLASSIC CARS

See the pre-1986 classic cars compete in the Forest Rally Classic. Ross Dunkerton and his Mitsubishi Lancer will be up against Adrian Stafford in a Datsun 240Z and plenty of others. They will bring back plenty of memories from the past.

www.rallyscene.com - 35

Australian Rallysport News - April 2004

CLASSIFIEDS SUBARU WRX 98 STi RA. Drummond suspension, Velo seats, intercom, Brantz tripmeter, close-ratio gearbox, VF29 turbo, homologated cage, Compomotive wheels, Link ECU, Anti-lag.

Regretful sale. Reg. STI 005. $33,000. Phone Brandon 0411 665 873.

LANCER EVO 1 RS. Ex-Dinta Officer car. Koni suspension, front & rear LSDs, freshly rebuilt close ratio RS gearbox, button clutch.

Tower to tower welded cage, strut braces, extensive seam welding and reinforcing, braided brake lines, competition pads, Ralliart bushes, Terratrip 303 Plus, Velo seats. Log book. Runs on Optimax.

Reg. 0020 RP. $24,000. Phone 0414 774 458.

AUSTRALIA'S RALLY CAR SUPERMARKET

DATSUN 240Z. Ex David Greig, John Brann, Gavin Edwards. Won VRC in 1992, VCRS in 2001, VCAS in 2000 and many 2WD wins in VRC. Originally Les Collins-built engine with same head and block still used. Currently running 3 x 45mm Weber DCOEs and extractors etc. 260 horsepower. Option One gearbox with new input shaft and freshly rebuilt button clutch. R200 limited slip diff with 4.4 ratio. Koni wet leg rebound-adjustable suspension with adjustable coil spring height. Vented front and rear discs with front having Harrop hats with racing car discs. Adjustable pedal box, braided lines, Terratrip etc. plus all navigation gear. 15” wheels etc. New 3” rotary buckle belt for driver, Marsh seat, 4 Cibie Super Oscars. Large list of spares including wheels and tyres. Current log book with Club reg. Comes with spare rolling shell suitable for rebuild. Still an outright Club or State 2 wheel drive car and an easy winner in the Dunkerton classics class. Genuine reason for sale. Reg. CH 7754. $16,000. Contact Rowan Quill 0408 566 403.

LANCER EVO 1 – 2 and some 3 parts. Engines, gearboxes, diffs, suspension arms, cross members, drive shafts, tail shafts, body parts, brakes, radiators, intercoolers etc. I have dismantled 6 cars over the last 12 months so I have many bits. Call or email for more information. Phone (03) 5823 1911 BH or email cvapbigpond.com DATSUN 1200 COUPE RALLY CAR. PRC specs. Seats, Halda, intercom, rollcage, Koni suspension, hydraulic handbrake, log book, engineer’s report and heaps of spares. Vin. No. B110 – 914296.

Engine A12198802E. $5,000. Phone Chris on 0411 700 768 or (02) 4774 0455.

MAZDA 323 FAMILIA BFMR 4WD TURBO rally car with good heritage. No expense spared eg: kevlar underbody protection. NSW road registered APT 10G to January 2005. Motec, OMP seats, Schroth belts, bias and boost adjustable, cage and car log booked, fully homologated with documentation, Brantz. Plenty of spares. $13,000. Phone 0419 190 542.

Register for the ‘SEARCH FOR A RALLY STAR’ The winner receives a WRX or LANCER EVO Rally Car! Plus Expert Rally Tuition Plus Start Money Ever wanted to be a Rally driver but have never had a head start needed to launch a rally career? Well here’s your chance to get a foot in the door and enter the amazing sport of rallying! Those who enter the ‘Search for a Rally Star’ driver program will be assessed on driving capability, enthusiasm, ability to market themselves and their long term plans for future involvement in this exciting form of motor sport. Estimated entry fee is approximately $1950 including GST. Just send your contact details. We will contact you with further information and conditions once finalised. See you there and GOOD LUCK! Search For A Rally Star Pty Ltd PO Box 1405 Mona Vale 1660 Ph: 0411 277 433 Fax: 02 9973 3989 Email: sfars@bigpond.com www.rallystar.com.au In Alliance with Sideways Action www.sidewaysaction.com.au Rules subject to variation. Neither party is bound at this stage

SUBARU WRX RA. Group N. Full chrome moly cage, Proflex, STi front and rear LSDs, 20kg. centre diff, Autronics, Prodrive light pods, Sparco seats, 6 point harnesses, spares included. Reg. 1ALE 499. $35,000. Phone Peter Shaw 0438 942 973. Also available fully enclosed trailer and Quick Shade both in excellent condition. For more info and photos email shaw2bshaw@optusnet.com.au

WITH PHOTO MAZDA FAMILIA GTR 4WD TURBO. Under 2,000 kilometres since being built from road car. Motor has forged pistons, Group A cams, balanced, roller bearing turbo, EMS engine management, 146kw at wheels. Albins close ratio dog box 1:1 fifth gear, tower to tower steel cage, strengthened and seam welded shell, 50mm Proflex suspension with canisters, Velo FIA seats, Sabelt 2007 3” harnesses, PWR radiator, 4-spot rotors all round with 30mm front, hydraulic handbrake, kevlar sumpguard, underbody protection. Fully rewired with all relays and fuses etc. inside cabin, Terratrip, carbon door trims, dashpanels and floor pads. New light pod with Hella 4000 lights. Car is as-new and very quick. Ring for more details and spares list. Reg. AJP 38A. $24,500. Contact Darren BH (02) 4626 2261 or AH 0411 236 073 (NSW).

TERRATRIP 303 PLUS, wheel probe and RZU. $800 (RRP $1180), Terraphone Professional open face $330 (RRP $465). 3” Sabelt 4-point harness exp. 2009 $400 (RRP $565), Terratrip 404 with probe $700. All items brand new in original packaging. Phone 0403 019 639.

LANCER EVO 2 RS PRC. Fully prepared and ready to win any state title. Rebuilt engine including Motec and antilag. Fresh Proflex, remote canister fully adjustable suspension and Group N bush kit.

Extreme clutch, front and rear LSDs, Ralliart viscous coupling, Evo 1 gearbox, Sparco fire bomb, Momo seats and steering whee;, new 3” 5-point belts, Terratrip and Terraphone Professional, CB, kevlar underbody protection, comprehensive Reynolds 531 CDS cage, DBA slotted rotors, 4 Hella 4000 lights in bonnet pod. Spares package includes wheels and tyres. Eng. No 4G63QJ3837.

Reduced to $27,000 for quick sale. Phone Dan on 0414 357 341.

SUBARU WRX STi V. Version 4 STi upgraded to Version V STi. Prodrive 450Nm engine, ECU and Turbo (quick release), 5-speed STi gear box with latest Group N gear ratios, STi front LSD, STi 20kg. centre viscous, R180 rear diff with upgrade kit running 4.4 ratio, chrome moly cage including mounting through dash to towers, full intrusion bars, seam welded, strut tower plating and integrated side dowels for jacking. Proflex 55mm suspension, floating bottom bush, large diameter springs, adjustable bump and rebound, remote canisters, full Group N suspension bush kit.

Special front and rear driveshafts, MRT Group N clutch and plate, FIA FT3-approved bladder tank, carbon fibre surround, firewall and rear parcel shelf, Bosch fuel pump. Kevlar underbody and side skirt protection with rear diff plate, FIA-approved 4 litre fire bomb system, Momo Corse kevlar FIA-approved seats, Sabelt 3 inch 6point harness, Prodrive carbon fibre dash and gauge pod with boost gauge and pyrometer, 40-channel in-dash two-way radio, Coralba trip meter, 5 Compomotive wheels. Reg. AOF 05Q. $57,950. Phone (02) 9712 3177 BH or 0419 712 317 AH.

SELL YOUR CAR THROUGH AUSTRALIAN RALLYSPORT NEWS ☛ 25 cents per word - 1 word per box ☛ Minimum of $10 per ad (+10% GST) ☛ Additional $5 for use of photo in ad

Classified ads will not be accepted over the phone.

Payment must be received with the advert.

Advertiser's name and address .......................................... .......................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Phone . . . .No. .................

Send your advertisement together with your payment to: Australian Rallysport News, P.O. Box 784, Wangaratta Vic, 3676. Adverts without payment will not be accepted. Photos to be returned must be accompanied by a S.A.E. Poor quality photos or proofs will not be used.

HALDAS WANTED - dead or alive. Spares, gears, T pieces, servicing, repairs and restoration also available. Phone Mike (02) 6255 8484, 0412 904 638 or email mikemorris@ozemail.com.au.

Phone number: Engine number:

Rego:

Drive the Falken Indy Racer Online - www.indy.com.au For details of your nearest Falken dealer call: Brisbane (07) 3848 1800 • Sydney (02) 9725 6280 • Melbourne (03) 9587 4666 Darwin (08) 8932 2626 • South Australia & Tasmania (03) 9587 4666