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SEASON PREVIEW WHAT’S NEW, EVENT GUIDES & MORE SUPERCAR XTRA ISSUE 109
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ISSUE 109 6 ANALYSIS: GENERATION CHANGE How the full-time retirements of Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander confirm the changing of the guard in Supercars. 8 ANALYSIS: TRIPLE EIGHT DREAM TEAM Triple Eight’s formidable driver line-up for the 2019 PIRTEK Enduro Cup. 10 ANALYSIS: END OF AN ERA AT GRM The changes at Garry Rogers Motorsport that saw Garth Tander move on for Richie Stanaway. 12 ANALYSIS: LEVELLING THE PLAYING FIELD The new cost-cutting and parity measures being introduced to Supercars in 2019. 13 2019 SUPERCARS CALENDAR The schedule for the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship season. 14 WINTERBOTTOM COLUMN Winterbottom on settling in at Team 18 and driving a Holden Commodore.
16 LOWNDES COLUMN Lowndes on reuniting with Jamie Whincup for the endurance events. 18 ROGERS COLUMN Rogers on the changes at his team for 2019. 21 2019 SUPERCARS SEASON PREVIEW Your must-have guide to the new Supercars season, including the entry list, new rules, team profiles, event guides and more.
38 FEATURE: THE NEW KING OF SUPERCARS Scott McLaughlin on his title success in 2018. 46 FEATURE: PONY POWER A detailed look at the new Ford Mustang Supercar. 52 FEATURE: MUSTANG LEGENDS The history of the Ford Mustang in Australian touring cars. 58 FRATERNISING WITH FOGES: MARK WINTERBOTTOM Winterbottom opens up on his move to Team 18 and switching to a Holden Commodore. 66 FEATURE: THE DUDE’S BAG OF TRICKS Paul Morris on his role as a coach to rising stars in Supercars. 74 SHOOTOUT Ranking the top-10 surprises in V8-era season openers.
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SUPERCARS 2019: A NEW DAWN
T
he 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship marks a changing of the guard with the full-time retirements of Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander and the arrival of the Ford Mustang. This edition of SupercarXtra Magazine is your must-have guide to the 2019 season, including the entry list, new rules, team profiles, event guides and more. Elsewhere, reigning champion Scott McLaughlin talks us through his 2018 success and looks ahead to racing the new Mustang. We take a detailed look at Ford’s new racer, from the push to get it approved to how it shapes up as a Supercar. There’s also a feature on the Mustang legends that raced in the Australian Touring Car Championship. One of the other big changes for the new season is Mark Winterbottom’s switch to a Holden Commodore with Team
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Craig Fryers CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS
18. He talks us through the change in an exclusive interview with Mark Fogarty. Winterbottom, Craig Lowndes and Garry Rogers also share their thoughts in their new columns, following on from our analysis of the key issues in Supercars heading into the 2019 season. There’s also a feature on Paul Morris and his driver-coaching role for the likes of Anton de Pasquale and a look at the top 10 surprises in season openers in the V8 era. Remember, this edition is also available in digital form online and in the App Store and
Google Play stores. Visit us at SupercarXtra. com.au for more details and to visit our online store, or keep in touch with us on our social media channels: on Twitter and Instagram at @SupercarXtra and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SupercarXtra. Below are the two sides of the pullout poster you’ll find in the print edition of this issue. Purchase our posters and more from our online store at SupercarXtra.com.au. Keep up to date with all the new season news and more at SupercarXtra.com. au and across our social media channels. Enjoy! – Adrian
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Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander’s full-time retirements mark the tipping point in Supercars’ most significant generation change in more than a decade.
T
he 2019 Superloop Adelaide 500 will be the first event at the street circuit not to feature Craig Lowndes or Garth Tander. The duo won the Adelaide 500 in its first two years in 1999 and 2000 respectively and competed in the event 20 times before their absence in 2019. Their full-time retirements represent the end of the most significant generation in
6
Supercars since the mid-2000s, off the back of the retirements of Todd Kelly and Jason Bright at the end of 2017. Tander, Kelly and Bright burst onto the scene in the mid-to-late 1990s, following on from Lowndes’ championship and Bathurst-winning rookie season for the Holden Racing Team in 1996. Teams were quick to promote up-and-coming talent, with Tander signing for Garry
Rogers Motorsport, Bright for Stone Brothers Racing and Kelly a product of the Holden Young Lions team. It coincided with the final full-time years of a golden generation of driving talent, including Peter Brock, Dick Johnson and Larry Perkins. In fact, the most recent race without Lowndes or Tander on the grid was also Brock’s final solo race at Oran Park Raceway in 1997.
Scott McLaughlin’s championship win in 2018 signified the arrival of a new generation, emphasised by the debut of the likes of Anton de Pasquale, Todd Hazelwood, James Golding, Jack Le Brocq and Richie Stanaway in full-time drives. With the Ford Mustang Supercar debuting this season and the shuffling of the pack in the wake of Lowndes and Tander’s absence, the pecking order has somewhat reset.
SUPERCAR XTRA
z_SX109 p06-7 Analysis Generation Change.indd 6
12/2/19 11:02 pm
LEFT: The three generations of Supercars represented by Scott McLaughlin, Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup. RIGHT: Garth Tander reverts to endurance co-driver status in 2019.
“The generation change was definitely coming,” says Lowndes. “I’ve been around long enough to see the younger drivers come in and have an impact. “This season mixes things up with Scott McLaughlin as reigning champion in the new Mustang, which may take time to get their heads around it. Holden teams go in with a known quantity, so they should be on the pace right away. “David Reynolds showed great speed last season but just lacked some consistency. Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen will be right in the mix for the championship. Mark Winterbottom moves into a Triple Eight-built Commodore, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Chaz
Mostert and Cam Waters will be quick for Tickford Racing. “It will be another tight season and the champion will be the driver who makes the least amount of mistakes.” With Lowndes and Tander now endurance co-drivers, the likes of Winterbottom, Whincup, Lee Holdsworth, Will Davison, Rick Kelly and James Courtney are the new veterans of Supercars. They came through in the early 2000s in the last significant generation change: Kelly
ACTIVE YEARS: CHAMPIONSHIP WINS: BATHURST 1000 WINS: PIRTEK ENDURO CUP WINS:
Craig Lowndes 1994-present 3 7 2
debuting in 2001; Whincup in 2002; Winterbottom in 2003; Coulthard, Davison and Holdsworth in 2004; and Courtney in 2005, typified by Whincup’s
Garth Tander 1998-present 1 3 1
breakthrough win in Adelaide in 2006. Courtney will be the oldest driver on the grid in Adelaide in 2019 at 38 years of age.
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Triple Eight Race Engineering has secured a formidable line-up for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, reuniting Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup and bringing in Garth Tander.
F
ull-time retirees Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander will be endurance co-drivers for Triple Eight Race Engineering in 2019, forming the strongest driver pairings since the rule that split full-time drivers in 2010. That rule change followed the domination of the LowndesJamie Whincup combination (pictured right) from 2006 to 2009, in which time they won three consecutive Bathurst 1000s from 2006 to 2008, the Sandown 500 in 2007 and took seven podiums from eight races. “Lowndesy and Whincup together, you can’t beat that combination,” says team principal Mark Dutton. “They changed the rules to split them; that’s why the rule came in that you couldn’t pair main drivers, because of those two. The fact we can get them back together, bring it on! “There’ll be a lot of pressure that comes with that as well, but we like the pressure. They’ve worked so well together before, we know they can drive similar setups, if not identical, and work together really well. That’ll be really exciting, the whole enduro season, but Bathurst will be massive.” Lowndes’ first race back will be the Bathurst 1000 on October 13, with the Sandown 500 moving to the end of the PIRTEK Enduro Cup in 2019.
8
“Jamie and I have a great history,” says Lowndes. “With a lot of people wanting the pairing to happen, I’m going to really enjoy driving with Jamie.” Triple Eight also moved quickly to secure the services of Tander following his sudden departure from Garry Rogers Motorsport, signing him as codriver to Shane van Gisbergen. Both are championship
winners, with Tander gunning for his fourth Bathurst win and van Gisbergen his first. “As soon as we heard that Garth would be taking a step back from full-time driving, it made sense to find out whether he had any plans for the enduros locked in yet,” says team owner Roland Dane. “It’s happened very quickly, but we’re extremely happy to be welcoming him to the team.
“On paper it will be a very good partnership. Shane and Garth are a similar height, Garth is obviously very experienced in not just a Supercar but a Holden and they both know how to handle pressure when it matters the most. “With Bathurst being the first enduro on this year’s calendar, we should be in a good position to come in as well prepared as possible.” Tander adds: “Triple Eight have clearly been the class team in Supercars for the best part of the last decade. When the opportunity arose to join the team alongside Shane for the enduros, it was clearly the best way for me to transition from a full-time driver to a co-driver in this next phase of my career. “I’m looking forward to joining the team, hopefully bringing some experience and speed along with me, but mostly looking forward to learning from my new teammates, Shane, Jamie and Craig.”
TRIPLE EIGHT’S ENDURO-DRIVER PEDIGREE PIRTEK Enduro Cup wins 5 Bathurst 1000 wins 14 Championship wins 12
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November 2017 - Order Form No.1
Item No.
Customer___Pole Position P/L
Debtor ID___________________________
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Due nd
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Garry Rogers Motorsport’s decision to let Garth Tander go to make way for Richie Stanaway suggests further changes are on the way for one of Supercars’ oldest teams.
I
t had been a relatively tame silly season, with Craig Lowndes’ fulltime retirement and Mark Winterbottom and Lee Holdsworth swapping seats being the only significant changes. Then, early in the new year, Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM) dropped a bombshell. The team was dumping Garth Tander to make way for Tickford Racing refugee Richie Stanaway as teammate to James Golding, with Boost Mobile signing on as namingrights sponsor to form the Boost Mobile Racing Team. Tander made his Supercars debut with GRM in 1998 and took the team’s only Bathurst 1000 win and best championship finish (second) in 2000. After a seven-year stint with GRM, Tander moved to factory Holden teams HSV Dealer Team and the Holden Racing Team before returning to GRM in 2017 with an eye on transitioning from driving to managerial duties. Tander and Garry Rogers’ son Barry had looked set to take over the running of the team before the news of Tander’s departure. “It obviously comes as a surprise to most that Garth will not be driving at GRM in 2019,” says Garry Rogers.
“Garth has rewarded the GRM team some of the biggest moments in motorsport, including the 2000 Bathurst 1000 win alongside Jason Bargwanna, second in the championship behind Mark Skaife in the same year and the success of the Monaro 427 in the Bathurst 24 Hour races of 2002 and more. “On Garth’s return to GRM in 2017, he was guaranteed two years of full-time driving and a management role following that. There were many aspects to my decision, including that Garth was nearing the end of his career and has expressed
“IN A PERFECT WORLD, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY HAVE LOVED TO GIVE GARTH THE SEND-OFF THAT SUCH A CHAMPION DESERVES.” – GARRY ROGERS 10
that 2019 could be his final fulltime season as a driver. “I was very conscious of the fact that I would be both the one that started and ended Garth’s full-time Supercar career, and this weighed heavily on me. “In a perfect world, I would absolutely have loved to give Garth the send-off that such a champion deserves, but I never lost sight that motorsport, although centred around the driver, is about the team and not any one individual.” Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton has repeatedly stated his goal of owning and running his own Supercars team, with the move from Walkinshaw Andretti United to GRM suggesting the telco could become more than a sponsor in the coming years. “We are excited about the opportunity to work with Garry Rogers, the entire GRM team
and potential talent like Richie and James,” says Adderton. “We don’t mind being the underdog and fighting our way forward. It makes for great entertainment.” The line-up of Stanaway and Golding is in keeping with GRM’s trait of supporting young drivers in Supercars, dating back to Tander’s debut in 1998. “I have a lot of faith in Bieber [James Golding], and although his inaugural year in Supercars was not spectacular, he certainly has the potential to be a successful driver, as does Richie,” says Rogers. “The future of the team is always what is at the foremost of our focus, and this (is a) chance to partner with a vibrant youth brand like Boost, who have shown their support of Supercars over the years, whilst developing up-and-coming stars.”
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A new control gearbox/transaxle and ban on twin-spring dampers looks set to create more parity on and off the track in Supercars.
C
ost-containment and technical parity are two key pillars in the success of Supercars. And they will be strengthened by the introduction of a new control gearbox/transaxle and the banning of twin-spring dampers from 2019. British firm Xtrac is Supercars’ new control supplier of gearboxes/transaxles, taking over from Albins, which has been the control supplier since the Car of the Future rules were introduced in 2013. The Xtrac transaxle, which features six forward gears selected by the driver via a sequential stick, was run in Supercars events by Nissan Motorsport and Brad Jones Racing in 2018. “The Xtrac deal has been finalised and all the cars will run the new transaxle next
Supercars’ new Xtrac-built transaxle/gearbox.
year,” says Supercars CEO Sean Seamer. “The feedback we have had from the teams that have been running it and testing it has been overwhelmingly positive. “The durability based on the
kilometres the teams have done is exactly what we have hoped for.” While the switch to the Xtrac unit is said to be a financial benefit to teams, it’s the ban on twin-spring dampers that should produce closer racing in 2019. The twin-spring damper shock absorbers, with springs of different rates attached,
Nissan Motorsport ran the Xtrac system in the latter half of 2018.
12
produced more options for tuning and was used by teams in both the front and rears of their Supercars. Their use added a greater degree of complexity to car setup, in addition to the extra cost and work for teams. Their complexity was evident in the recent difficulty of teams and drivers transitioning from the Dunlop Super2 Series, where the twin-spring dampers have been banned since 2012. “Obviously in the grand scheme of things the price of an individual spring is not particularly expensive,” says Seamer. “But it’s an attempt to reduce or contain labour, and the amount of work that’s being done at the track. “It may also improve the racing as well. A lot of the teams are already using linear in the front and the twins in the back, so for many it’s not much of a dramatic change.” Supercars is undergoing further cost-cutting and parity evaluations with the arrival of Adrian Burgess as head of motorsport and Campbell Little as motorsport technical manager in 2019. “For us this is about making sure the sport is here for many, many years to come, and a big part is making it easy and attainable for new team owners to run their operations,” says Seamer. “We have got to take a critical lens at the cost structure of the series and the individual teams to ensure that.”
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SUPERCARS 2019 CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR
FEB 28-MAR 3 Superloop Adelaide 500
Adelaide Parklands Circuit
MAR 14-17
Beaurepaires Melbourne 400
Albert Park Street Circuit
APR 5-7
Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint
Symmons Plains Raceway
APR 12-14
WD-40 Phillip Island SuperSprint
Phillip Island GP Circuit
MAY 2-4
PIRTEK Perth SuperNight
MAY 24-26
Winton SuperSprint
Winton Motor Raceway
JUN 14-16
BetEasy Darwin Triple Crown
Hidden Valley Raceway
JUL 5-7
Watpac Townsville 400
Townsville Street Circuit
JUL 26-28
Ipswich SuperSprint
AUG 23-25
The Bend SuperSprint
SEP 13-15
ITM Auckland SuperSprint
Pukekohe Park Raceway
OCT 10-13
Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000
Mount Panorama Circuit
OCT 25-27
Vodafone Gold Coast 600
NOV 8-10
Sandown 500
NOV 22-24
Coates Hire Newcastle 500
Barbagallo Raceway
Queensland Raceway The Bend Motorsport Park
Surfers Paradise Street Circuit Sandown Motor Raceway Newcastle Street Circuit Dates correct at time of printing
z_SX109 p13 2019 Calendar.indd 13
11/2/19 8:21 pm
EXPERT INSIGHT
BEYOND THE WHEEL Column by Mark Winterbottom
SETTLING IN AT TEAM 18
I
t’s been a busy offseason getting used to the new surrounds of Team 18 and a Holden Commodore. We’ve been ringing Phil Keed, ringing the team manager, ringing Charlie Schwerkolt, ringing engineer Stuart McDonald) the, talking to the mechanics, working out when we’re coming up to Queensland, etc, etc. We are excited and pumped and ready to run; hard work has been put into it and the best way to show it’s on-track with the results.” I’m not racing to retire; I’m
14
racing to get results. You don’t need 80 people to win, you don’t need flash facilities, you need a car that’s fast, with a good group of guys that’ll work their backside off for you. The team I’ve got around me is fantastic, so I feel confident and it’s a tight group – 12 to 14 people – with one goal, they’re there for you and you’re there for them. If you win, the team wins. If you lose, the team loses. It’s a nice feeling. Big teams aren’t always the be-all and end-all and I’ve been lucky enough to race with a factory team for a while.
“YOU DON’T NEED 80 PEOPLE TO WIN, YOU DON’T NEED FLASH FACILITIES, YOU NEED A CAR THAT’S FAST, WITH A GOOD GROUP OF GUYS THAT’LL WORK THEIR BACKSIDE OFF FOR YOU.” We’ll see if it’s good and if we can make it work, it’ll be rewarding if we can. As the season rolls on it will be interesting to see what strengths we gain and what we lose with the ZB Commodore by comparison with the Falcon. But the real test will be Adelaide.
It’s completely different. Also, we don’t have twinspring dampers anymore. That doesn’t sound like a big change, but most of the teams were really relying on multi-springs (up to three in some cases), so it’s going to be interesting to see how it works with the single-linear spring. I’m also interested to try the race pace of a Triple Eightbuilt car because for 10 years they’ve kicked my arse over a race distance. I could outqualify them, but I’m looking forward to seeing why they beat us in the races. I’ve been following them all these years, so I know what their strengths and weaknesses are, and I have an idea in my head already how to drive it. The new season can’t come quick enough! People look at the brand, but for me it’s the opportunity, and what Charlie has done and given me I feel is fantastic. You race to win, that’s why you go racing and 13 years at Tickford was fantastic but there’s a point where people work 10 years and it’s seen as, “Wow, you’ve been in that business for 10 years!” Thirteen years, I’m pretty proud of, but now it’s time to move on to this new challenge. – Frosty
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SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION ALLAN MOFFAT RACING
November 2017 - Order Form No.1
Item No.
Customer___Pole Position P/L
Debtor ID___________________________
Order No.__________________________
Rep Name__________________________
Order Date___December 02, 2017
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Classic Carlectables Description
18644
1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior
18654
1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat
Scheduled Production
Due
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1,000
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nd
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RRP $
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EXPERT INSIGHT
RIGHT ON TRACK
Column by Craig Lowndes
GETTING THE BAND BACK TOGETHER
W
hen we made our full-time retirement announcement last year, people were soon speculating who we would team up with for the Supercars endurance events in 2019. And most probably correctly guessed that it would be with Jamie Whincup in the #88 Red Bull Holden Racing Team entry. I’m delighted to be reuniting with him in the same car as we have great history together; we work well together, we like the car setup in a similar way, and we are coming off a strong enduro run last season. We ran together in the Bathurst 12 Hour, and because we have more than a decade together as teammates, including four years as co-drivers, we will be ready to hit the ground running for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 in October. It does feel strange not being on the grid as the new season starts. Last year when we were discussing the plans to retire
from full-time driving, we still had upcoming races to focus on. Now that my next Supercars race is Bathurst, it’s a very different mindset looking to new challenges. The one race I’ve always wanted to do is the Le Mans 24 Hour, and that’s something we are working hard on to make happen, whether it’s this year or next year. There will be new opportunities that present themselves, but in the meantime we will be getting
accustomed to working with the Supercars television-broadcast team. It’s a new role for me as I’m used to being on the other side of the microphone, so it’s something I need to get my head around and develop my skills in. But it’s a good opportunity to still be within the Supercars paddock, especially as we get closer to the endurance events. It’ll also be interesting to welcome Garth Tander into the team as co-driver to Shane van
Gisbergen. It’s definitely taken some getting used to seeing him around the workshop and in Red Bull Holden Racing Team colours! Garth and Shane will make for a great combination; they are a similar height, probably the first co-driver for Shane that doesn’t need a seat insert, and they will complement one another very well. This means we as a team will attack the endurance events with a very strong two-car lineup, which gives the team great confidence entering the new season. It was a shock for me, as it was for many in and around Supercars, to hear Garth had lost his full-time drive. But motorsport is full of surprises and that was one of them. Speaking of, it shapes as a very interesting season with the new Ford Mustang debuting and Holden teams having a known quantity with the ZB Commodore. Let’s see what happens! – Craig
CRAIG LOWNDES LOWNDES & & STEVEN STEVEN RICHARDS’ RICHARDS’ CRAIG
2018 BATHURST 1000 WINNER
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EXPERT INSIGHT
GARRY THE GURU
Column by Garry Rogers
EXCITING TIMES AHEAD
Y
ou’d have to be living under a rock not to know that Garry Rogers Motorsport has made some changes over the off-season. We have signed exciting Kiwi talent Richie Stanaway to the team. There is absolutely no doubt that he can drive very quickly and I have been watching him for a long time. I watch all of the new faces in Australian racing and I know that he has had all of that experience overseas. When he came here I kept an eye on him and I was impressed, so when I got the chance to sign him I grabbed it. Bieber (James Golding)
remains with us and I am confident that he will step up this year. He is a very sensible young man and is a great driver who hasn’t shown his best yet. I have absolute total faith in him and I am sure he will surprise a few people. In some ways, he has probably been a little overshadowed by Garth Tander, because Garth was considered to be the senior driver. While Garth went out of his way to help encourage him, Bieber perhaps had the subconscious belief that he was the junior driver and that may have affected him and held him back a little. We don’t have number one and number two drivers. I hate Richie Stanaway
that type of thinking. We have two drivers who are both in our team to race. I just want both of my drivers to race like buggery. We also welcome Boost Mobile as our major partner in 2019. I have known Boost Mobile owner Peter Adderton for many years. That goes back to the Super Touring days when he had an investment in that series and we raced the Alfa Romeo 155, the Honda Accord and the Nissan Primera. When Wilson Security announced at the last minute that they weren’t going to be involved in motorsport anymore, I had to get on my bike and push the pedals hard. I rang Peter a couple of times and after some negotiation we did a deal. It’s disappointing that Garth is no longer with us but the facts are that we had him on a driving contract for two years and then a further three years with the team in a management capacity. In fairness to Garth, I was probably too late in telling him that we were going to implement the management contract this year. In his head, he no doubt thought that he was driving the car. I was happy to have Garth here for another three years;
in fact, I really wanted that to happen because it would have made our lives easier – he would have been a great attribute to our team – but Garth decided that he needed to move on and I don’t have any problems with that. We had some great victories with Garth in the early days before he went to Walkinshaw Racing, and then he came back and it was absolutely super. I have 35 people who work for me who rely on me to make the correct business decisions, so they can get paid every week and feed their families and lead a reasonable and healthy life. If I start doing things purely based on my emotions then that won’t work. It has to be a sensible decision so that my business can continue to grow. I also want to thank Valvoline for their ongoing support. I spoke to them before we agreed to do everything and they have just been so supportive and I’m rapt to have them on-board again and they will have signage on all of our cars. I just can’t thank them enough. I’m really excited about the season ahead and we will continue to do our best in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. – Garry
“WE HAVE SIGNED EXCITING KIWI TALENT RICHIE STANAWAY TO THE TEAM. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT HE CAN DRIVE VERY QUICKLY AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING HIM FOR A LONG TIME.” 18
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1/18 SCALE – ITEM 18682 1/43 SCALE – ITEM 18682 1/64 SCALE – ITEM 18682 November 2017 - Order FormDUE No.1 1ST QTR 2019
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Classic Carlectables Description
Scheduled Production
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8 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy
CLASSIC CARLECTABLES
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VIRGIN AUSTRALIA SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAMS
DRIVERS
MANUFACTURERS
RULES
EVENTS
FORMATS
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WHAT’S NEW
MANUFACTURERS
■ Ford entrants replace the FG X Falcon with the Mustang (below). ■ Ford provides factory backing for the Mustang runners. ■ Nissan withdraws backing from Nissan Motorsport/Kelly Racing.
DRIVERS
■ Craig Lowndes retires from full-time driving. ■ Garth Tander retires from full-time driving. ■ Tim Blanchard retires from full-time driving. ■ Lee Holdsworth (right) moves from Team 18 to Tickford Racing. ■ Mark Winterbottom moves from Tickford Racing to Team 18. ■ Richie Stanaway moves from Tickford Racing to Garry Rogers Motorsport. ■ Macauley Jones replaces Tim Blanchard at Brad Jones Racing. ■ Garry Jacobson replaces Michael Caruso at Kelly Racing.
22
TEAMS
■ Triple Eight Race Engineering downsizes from three to two entries. ■ Tickford Racing downsizes from four to three entries. ■ 23 Red Racing (right) partners with Tickford Racing. ■ Kelly Racing rebrands from Nissan Motorsport. ■ Matt Stone Racing switches from the VF to ZB Commodore.
SCHEDULE
■ Sydney Motorsport Park left off the calendar. ■ Barbagallo Raceway hosts the SuperNight event. ■ Pukekohe swaps places with Sandown. ■ Bathurst opens the PIRTEK Enduro Cup.
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■ Supercars implements a new control gearbox/transaxle, with Xtrac replacing Albins as the control supplier. ■ Twin-spring dampers banned, replaced by a single linear spring. ■ Minimum weight of cars reduced by 15 kilograms, from 1410 kilograms to 1395 kilograms. ■ Hawk-eye technology to assist officials with in-race decisions. ■ Tyre allocations increased owing to one less round on the schedule compared to last season. ■ Phillip Island becomes a SuperSprint event (120km Saturday race, 200km Sunday race), having previously run to two 250km races. ■ The three-part knockout qualifying will be used at Symmons Plains, Phillip Island, Barbagallo, Winton, Hidden Valley, Queensland Raceway and The Bend Motorsport Park. ■ Top 10 Shootouts will be used at Adelaide, Hidden Valley, Townsville, Pukekohe, Bathurst, Surfers Paradise and Newcastle. ■ Points will be awarded for the Sandown qualifying races.
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TEAMS
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP #
Driver
Team
Car
97 88 17 12 5 55 6 23 9 99 2 22 14 8 21 35 15 7 3 78 33 34 19 18
Shane van Gisbergen
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Holden ZB Commodore
Jamie Whincup
Triple Eight Race Engineering
Holden ZB Commodore
Scott McLaughlin
DJR Team Penske
Ford Mustang
Fabian Coulthard
DJR Team Penske
Ford Mustang
Lee Holdsworth
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang
Chaz Mostert
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang
Cameron Waters
Tickford Racing
Ford Mustang
Will Davison
23 Red Racing
Ford Mustang
David Reynolds
Erebus Motorsport
Holden ZB Commodore
Anton de Pasquale
Erebus Motorsport
Holden ZB Commodore
Scott Pye
Walkinshaw Andretti United
Holden ZB Commodore
James Courtney
Walkinshaw Andretti United
Holden ZB Commodore
Tim Slade
Brad Jones Racing
Holden ZB Commodore
Nick Percat
Brad Jones Racing
Holden ZB Commodore
Macauley Jones
Brad Jones Racing/Tim Blanchard Racing
Holden ZB Commodore
Todd Hazelwood
Matt Stone Racing
Holden ZB Commodore
Rick Kelly
Kelly Racing
Nissan Altima
AndrĂŠ Heimgartner
Kelly Racing
Nissan Altima
Garry Jacobson
Kelly Racing
Nissan Altima
Simona de Silvestro
Kelly Racing
Nissan Altima
Richie Stanaway
Garry Rogers Motorsport
Holden ZB Commodore
James Golding
Garry Rogers Motorsport
Holden ZB Commodore
Jack Le Brocq
Tekno Autosports
Holden ZB Commodore
Team 18
Holden ZB Commodore
Mark Winterbottom
Entries in pitlane order and correct at the time of printing. For the latest news visit SupercarXtra.com.au 24
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THE CONTENDERS
TRIPLE EIGHT RACE ENGINEERING
CARS: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVERS: Jamie Whincup, Shane van Gisbergen
Triple Eight Race Engineering reclaimed the teams’ championship from DJR Team Penske in 2018, going some way to overcoming the disappointment of Shane van Gisbergen’s last-gasp championship defeat to Scott McLaughlin. Triple Eight downsizes from three to two entries this season, following the retirement of Craig Lowndes. Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen will once again drive the Red Bull Holden Racing Team entries for their fourth season as teammates, with the Queensland-based factory Holden team streamlining its operations to focus on the development of the ZB Commodore in its second season. The acquisition of Lowndes and Garth Tander as endurance co-drivers for Whincup and van Gisbergen respectively makes them the favourites for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup and undoubted championship contenders in 2019.
Triple Eight Race Engineering
DJR Team Penske
DJR TEAM PENSKE
CARS: Ford Mustang DRIVERS: Scott McLaughlin, Fabian Coulthard DJR Team Penske gave the Ford Falcon a 17th and final drivers’ championship courtesy of Scott McLaughlin in 2018, though the loss of the teams’ championship bumps them to second in pitlane order in 2019. The Queensland-based team has led the design and development of the Mustang Supercar, building an all-new car for McLaughlin and converting two of its FG X Falcons into Mustangs for Coulthard and a spare car. It’s the third season for the McLaughlin/Coulthard combination, with pressure building on Coulthard to match the pace of his younger teammate, particularly in the battle for the teams’ championship with Triple Eight Race Engineering. All eyes will be on the progress of the Mustang, with the team’s championship chances resting on the development and reliability of the new car.
TICKFORD RACING
Cameron Waters
CARS: Ford Mustang DRIVERS: Chaz Mostert, Cameron Waters, Lee Holdsworth Tickford Racing gave over homologation responsibility for the Mustang to DJR Team Penske in 2018. The Victorian-based team downsizes from four to three entries this season, though it takes on the responsibility of running 23 Red Racing’s single car as a satellite entry. Chaz Mostert and Cameron Waters remain with the team and will take on a greater team-leadership role following the departure of Mark Winterbottom, who had raced for the team since 2006. Lee Holdsworth replaces Winterbottom in what is essentially a straight swap, with Winterbottom moving to Team 18. Tickford Racing struggled to match the pace of DJR Team Penske in the final season with the FG X Falcon in 2018, winning just one race courtesy of Mostert and co-driver James Moffat on the Gold Coast. The team will be SUPERCAR XTRA
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TEAMS hoping the return of Ford in an official capacity, the switch to the Mustang and a close working relationship with DJR Team Penske results in a return to the podium on a more consistent basis.
Phil Munday and Will Davison
23 RED RACING CAR: Ford Mustang DRIVER: Will Davison
Phil Munday’s 23 Red Racing took over from Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport at the end of 2017 and showed promise in its first season in 2018, with Will Davison scoring a string of top-10 results and finishing in the top 15 in the standings. The team’s single entry moves into Tickford Racing’s Victorian base this season, bolstering the engineering experience with the switch to the Mustang. It’s a return of sorts for Davison, who drove for what was then known as Ford Performance Racing from 2011 to 2013. The 23 Red Racing Mustang has been converted from the team’s FG X Falcon and a second Mustang has been made for a possible wildcard entry later in the season.
EREBUS MOTORSPORT
CARS: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVERS: David Reynolds, Anton de Pasquale
Erebus Motorsport continued on its 2017 Bathurst 1000-winning form into 2018 and emerged as a genuine championship contender. The Victorian-based team formed a strong engineering group, led by Barry Ryan and including the highly-touted Alistair McVean, and took fourth in the 2018 teams’ championship, second best of the Holden entrants behind Triple Eight Race Engineering. David Reynolds scored three wins and claimed fifth in the championship, while also looking on course for a second Bathurst 1000 win before cramp set in. Rookie Anton de Pasquale proved to be a welcome addition to the team and will only grow in his second full-time season. The continuity with drivers and staff and the second season with the ZB Commodore should see both Erebus Motorsport entries at the front of the grid on a more regular basis.
David Reynolds and Anton de Pasquale Walkinshaw Andretti United
WALKINSHAW ANDRETTI UNITED
CARS: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVERS: Scott Pye, James Courtney
The former Holden factory team enters its second season as Walkinshaw Andretti United following the arrival of Michael Andretti and Zak Brown as partners with Ryan Walkinshaw. The new entity won a race in its second event courtesy of Scott Pye in Melbourne and went on to claim second at Bathurst. Pye returns for his third season with the team, looking to continue his upward trajectory of 12th in the standings in 2017 and seventh and his first race win in 2018. Courtney enters his ninth season with the team hoping to end a winless run that dates back to Adelaide 2016 after missing out on the top 10 in the championship the last three seasons.
Todd Hazelwood
MATT STONE RACING
CAR: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVER: Todd Hazelwood
The 2017 Dunlop2 Super2 Series champions made the step up into the main game with an ex-DJR Team Penske Ford FG X Falcon last 26
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Macauley Jones
season. But after struggling to get up to the speed with the Falcon, the Queensland-based team made a mid-season switch to the Holden VF Commodore in which it won the Dunlop Super2 Series. The team has now upgraded to an ex-Triple Eight Race Engineering ZB Commodore and Todd Hazelwood returns for his second full-time main-game season, hoping the fresh start with the new car will help improve on 26th in the standings in 2018.
BRAD JONES RACING
CARS: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVERS: Nick Percat, Tim Slade, Macauley Jones The Albury-based team switched to KRE engines in 2018 and the bank of knowledge from last season should help its chances in 2019. Nick Percat and Tim Slade finished 10th and 11th respectively in the 2018 standings, though just two podiums for Percat left the team sixth in the teams’ championship. It’s the third consecutive season of the Percat/Slade combination, though their chances of climbing up the grid on a more consistent basis rests on the team’s ability to keep pace with the Holden teams running on bigger budgets. Macauley Jones replaces Tim Blanchard in the team’s third entry after five seasons in the Dunlop Super2 Series, four endurance-event campaigns and four wildcard-event outings.
KELLY RACING
CARS: Nissan Altima DRIVERS: Rick Kelly, Simona de Silvestro, André Heimgartner, Garry Jacobson Nissan’s decision to withdraw factory support has forced a rebrand for the team formerly known as Nissan Motorsport. The Kelly familyowned team reverts back to the Kelly Racing name it last used in 2012, Kelly Racing
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TEAMS though it will continue to field four Altimas in 2019. The Altima had its best and most consistent season to date in 2018, with Rick Kelly winning his first race in the car at Winton and leading the team in the standings with a top-10 finish. Simona de Silvestro enters her third full-time season, André Heimgartner returns for a second season and Garry Jacobson steps up from the Dunlop Super2 Series for his first full-time main-game season. Kelly Racing will need to keep up the momentum from last season in its bid to fill the void left by Nissan’s departure, hoping a slight change to the Altima’s rear wing will result in some gains off the back of recent improved pace.
GARRY ROGERS MOTORSPORT
CARS: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVERS: Richie Stanaway, James Golding
Garry Rogers Motorsport dropped a bombshell in January when it announced Tickford Racing refugee Richie Stanaway would replace veteran Garth Tander alongside James Golding in 2019. The Victorianbased team also welcomes Boost Mobile as naming-rights sponsor for its two Holden ZB Commodores. The departure of Tander, who was mooted for a managerial role with the team, and arrival of Boost Mobile’s Peter Adderton, who has publically stated he has team-ownership desires, suggests a change of direction for Garry Rogers Motorsport. It scored just one podium last season and was the lowest multi-car Holden outfit in the teams’ championship. It’s a lifeline for Stanaway following a challenging rookie campaign at Tickford Racing, while Golding also endured a tough initiation in Supercars. It’s hoped the new investment in the team will help its recovery with the youngsters. Richie Stanaway
TEKNO AUTOSPORTS
CAR: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVER: Jack Le Brocq
It’s a season of change for Jack Le Brocq Tekno Autosports, despite the return of Jack Le Brocq for a second season. The Queensland-based team has lost the experienced leadership and engineering capabilities of Adrian Burgess and Campbell Little, both of whom have taken up roles within Supercars. Tekno Autosports will continue to field an exTriple Eight Race Engineering Holden ZB Commodore, though Triple Eight’s decision to downsize to two entries has forced the team to partner with fellow single-car outfit Team 18 at the other end of pitlane. Le Brocq was the best-placed full-time rookie last season with 19th in the standings and will be faced with a challenging season to keep up that momentum given the personnel changes.
TEAM 18
CAR: Holden ZB Commodore DRIVER: Mark Winterbottom Team owner Charlie Schwerkolt has been busy in the off-season with an all-new look for his Team 18 outfit. The single-car team based in Victoria has recruited 2015 Supercars champion Mark Winterbottom to replace Lee Holdsworth. Winterbottom will drive a Holden Commodore Supercar for the first time in his career, ending a long association with Ford. The team has an upgraded ex-Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden ZB Commodore, a new naming-rights sponsor in Irwin Tools and a bolstered engineering staff that includes Phil Keed. Though Team 18 will sit at the end of pitlane, it’s one of the entries to watch closely in 2019.
Team 18
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MIKE HARBAR PRINTS All these prints and more are available from SupercarXtra.com.au or call 03 9372 9125 Prices do not include delivery costs. Standard Australia Post rates apply.
A4 $40 A3 $60 A2 $100 A1 $250 PANORAMA OF LEGENDS
Small (13cm x 42cm) – $55 Medium (30cm x 96cm) – $110 Large (42cm x 134cm) – $220 Extra Large (60cm x 191cm) – $330
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EVENTS ROUND 1 ROUND 2 ROUND 3 ROUND 4 ROUND 5 ROUND 6 ROUND 7 ROUND 8 ROUND 9 ROUND 10 ROUND 11 ROUND 12 ROUND 13 ROUND 14 ROUND 15
SUPERLOOP ADELAIDE 500*° BEAUREPAIRES MELBOURNE 400 TYREPOWER TASMANIA SUPERSPRINT WD-40 PHILLIP ISLAND SUPERSPRINT PIRTEK PERTH SUPERNIGHT*° WINTON SUPERSPRINT° BETEASY DARWIN TRIPLE CROWN WATPAC TOWNSVILLE 400*° IPSWICH SUPERSPRINT*° THE BEND SUPERSPRINT ITM AUCKLAND SUPERSPRINT SUPERCHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000*° VODAFONE GOLD COAST 600° SANDOWN 500* COATES HIRE NEWCASTLE 500*°
FEBRUARY 28–MARCH 3 MARCH 14–17 APRIL 5–7 APRIL 12–14 MAY 2–4 MAY 24–26 JUNE 14–16 JULY 5–7 JULY 26–28 AUGUST 23–25 SEPTEMBER 13–15 OCTOBER 10–13 OCTOBER 25–27 NOVEMBER 8–10 NOVEMBER 22–24
*Dunlop Super2 Series round °ECB SuperUtes Series round
ADELAIDE 500 FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 3
The former home of the Australian Grand Prix was shortened from its full length to 3.22km and first hosted a Supercars championship round in 1999. Popular with drivers and fans alike, the Adelaide 500 is the ultimate street-circuit event in terms of challenge and atmosphere, and it celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2019.
FORMAT 250km races on the Saturday and Sunday.
9 13
GETTING THERE
14
10
The parklands circuit is on the eastern side of Adelaide’s CBD, a 15-minute drive from Adelaide Airport. It’s better to rely on public transport as there are road closures around the city for the event. It’s often free for fans with event tickets. Book early as accommodation options are limited, with arts festivals also on in the city.
12 11
8
1 2 3
2018 WINNERS
Adelaide
R1: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) R2: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) 5 4
7
6
TRACK: Adelaide Parklands (Adelaide, South Australia) LENGTH: 3.22km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 146km/h TOP SPEED: 251km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:19.2951 (2017) – Shane van Gisbergen, Holden VF Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 1:20.4210 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon 30
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MELBOURNE 400
TRACK: Albert Park (Melbourne, Victoria) LENGTH: 5.3km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 164km/h TOP SPEED: 256km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:54.3972 (2017) – Fabian Coulthard, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:55.9682 (2011) – Craig Lowndes, Holden VE Commodore
MARCH 14-17
GETTING THERE
Albert Park is a five-minute drive south of Melbourne’s CBD, easily accessed by public transport thanks to a tram stop just outside the circuit. This service is free for those with tickets to the event.
A street circuit in the sense that it’s a public road for most of the year but, unlike Adelaide, a fast and sweeping track. Saturday’s second race will be the 1000th in Australian Touring Car Championship/Supercars history.
2018 WINNERS R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight) R3: Scott Pye (Walkinshaw Andretti United) R4: David Reynolds (Erebus Motorsport)
FORMAT 130km races on Friday and Saturday, 70km races on Saturday and Sunday. Melbourne 8 6 7 9 10
5
12 13
11
4
15 3
2 16
1
14
TASMANIA SUPERSPRINT APRIL 5-7
A short yet fast lap where the majority of time is spent on full throttle. Overtaking opportunities are limited to the Turn 4 hairpin and the Turn 6 left-hander. The multi-part qualifying system will break up traffic congestion.
FORMAT 120km race on Saturday, 200km race on Sunday.
TRACK: Symmons Plains Raceway (Launceston, Tasmania) LENGTH: 2.4km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 167km/h TOP SPEED: 270km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 0:50.5790 (2018) – Craig Lowndes, Holden ZB Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 0:51.2622 (2018) – Scott Pye, Holden ZB Commodore
GETTING THERE
Symmons Plains Raceway is a 30-minute drive south of Launceston along the Midland Highway. It’s even closer to Launceston Airport, with the highway easing traffic concerns. Flights, though, tend to be limited from the mainland.
2018 WINNERS R1: Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight) R2: Craig Lowndes (Triple Eight) 6
7
Launceston
5 1
2
3
4
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EVENTS
PHILLIP ISLAND SUPERSPRINT
TRACK: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (Phillip Island, Victoria) LENGTH: 4.45km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 174km/h TOP SPEED: 290km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:29.0621 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:31.2142 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon
APRIL 12-14
GETTING THERE
The motorbike grand prix circuit is popular amongst drivers for its fast and flowing nature. It’s second only to Mount Panorama in terms of top and average speed, with much of the lap spent on full throttle, including the run from Turn 1 to Turn 4 and the run out of the hairpin across Siberia.
Phillip Island is a 90-minute drive south-east from Melbourne along the M1 Highway. Once on the Island, the circuit is to the south just after Smith’s Beach and a 10-minute drive from the main township of Cowes. Accommodation options are limited, so look to sort out your plans early to avoid a daily trip back to Melbourne.
FORMAT Phillip Island
9
2018 WINNERS
120km race on Saturday, 200km race on Sunday.
R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)
7 6 5
8 11
3 4
10 1
12
2
PERTH SUPERNIGHT MAY 2-4
A tight and technical circuit where overtaking is difficult and, therefore, qualifying is key. The track has been resurfaced for the first time since 2004. A multi-part qualifying system will break up traffic congestion. The circuit hosts Supercars’ night round this season.
FORMAT 120km race on Friday, 200km race on Saturday.
GETTING THERE
Barbagallo Raceway is a 45-minute drive north of Perth along the Mitchell Freeway, north-west from Perth Airport. Be prepared for traffic congestion into and out of the circuit, though once you’re on the freeway, it’s a smooth drive to Perth. Most teams choose to stay along the coast.
TRACK: Barbagello Raceway (Perth, Western Australia) LENGTH: 2.42km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 157km/h TOP SPEED: 252km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 0:54.5730 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 0:55.9440 (2004) – Jason Bright, Holden VY Commodore 6
2018 WINNERS R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)
Perth 5
3
4
2 1 7
32
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WINTON SUPERSPRINT
TRACK: Winton Motor Raceway (Benalla, Victoria) LENGTH: 3km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 131km/h TOP SPEED: 225km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:18.7603 (2016) – Chaz Mostert, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:19.7092 (2016) – Fabian Coulthard, Ford FG X Falcon
MAY 24-26
GETTING THERE
Winton is a tight circuit where overtaking is difficult and handling is vital in order to qualify well. Overtaking opportunities are limited to Turn 3, a dive-bomb into Turn 7 and Turn 10 and 11, though they require big commitments on the brakes. It is also the slowest circuit on the calendar, with a total of 12 corners linked by short straights. Benalla
Winton is a two and a half hour drive north of Melbourne between Benalla and Glenrowan/Wangaratta and an hour’s drive south of Albury. Camping grounds sit between Turn 10 and 11 and are popular amongst fans. Other accomodation options are available in Benalla, Wodonga, Wangaratta and Albury, with Shepparton at a drivable distance.
FORMAT
2018 WINNERS
120km race on Saturday, 200km race on Sunday.
9 7
R1: Rick Kelly (Nissan Motorsport) R2: Fabian Coulthard (DJR Team Penske)
8 6
11
5 12
10 4 1
2 3
DARWIN TRIPLE CROWN JUNE 14-16
The Hidden Valley circuit features a long front straight and a tight and twisty infield, so there’s a compromise between outright speed and handling. The warm conditions mean tyre conservation and strategy will be critical.
FORMAT 120km race on Saturday, 200km race on Sunday.
TRACK: Hidden Valley Raceway (Darwin, Northern Territory) LENGTH: 2.9km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 149km/h TOP SPEED: 271km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:05.5538 (2018) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:06.6747 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon
GETTING THERE
Hidden Valley is a 10-minute drive southeast of Darwin Airport and 15 minutes east of the centre of Darwin, so it’s one of the easier circuits to navigate to and from. But big crowds can cause traffic congestion, though there are publictransport options.
6
1
2018 WINNERS
2
R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: David Reynolds (Erebus Motorsport)
4
3
7 10
9 8
11
12
5
Darwin
13 14
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EVENTS
TOWNSVILLE 400
TRACK: Townsville Street Circuit (Reid Park, Queensland) LENGTH: 2.86km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 144km/h TOP SPEED: 260km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:11.9908 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:12.9311 (2017) – Nick Percat, Holden VF Commodore 3
4
JULY 5-7
6 8 9
5
7 13
GETTING THERE
The Townsville circuit combines public roads and a parkland section, so it’s a challenge for drivers from the tight concrete-lined first sector to the fast parklands section, which provides the main overtaking opportunities at the Turn 11 and Turn 13 hairpins. It’s been a popular addition to the calendar since 2009 with its party atmosphere and celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2019. 10
FORMAT 200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.
The Townsville Street Circuit, based in Reid Park, is a short walk across the Ross Creek, south of the centre of Townsville and 15 minutes east of Townsville Airport. Townsville’s remoteness from other major cities means flying in for the event is essential, so lock in travel plans early as accommodation and flight options are snapped up quick.
2018 WINNERS R1: Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight) R2: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight)
2 1 12
Townsville
11
IPSWICH SUPERSPRINT JULY 26-28
The ‘Paperclip’ has a simple six-turn design, but it’s more complicated than it looks. Resurfaced in late 2011, it still features the odd bump that can make car setup difficult and test drivers out. Overtaking opportunities are limited, so qualifying well is vital. It’s also the home test track for the Queensland-based teams and has been on the calendar since 1999, when it replaced Lakeside International Raceway, despite recent concerns over safety.
3 2
FORMAT
4
120km race on Saturday, 200km race on Sunday.
6
GETTING THERE Queensland Raceway is a 20-minute drive south-west of the centre of Ipswich and 45 minutes south-west of Brisbane along the A15 National Highway.
5
1
2018 WINNERS R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight)
Ipswich
TRACK: Queensland Raceway (Ipswich, Queensland) LENGTH: 3.12km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 162km/h TOP SPEED: 255km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:08.4900 (2018) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:09.6591 (2018) – James Courtney, Holden ZB Commodore 34
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THE BEND SUPERSPRINT AUGUST 23-25
Australia’s newest motorsport facilty hosted its first Supercars championship event in 2018. The multi-purpose facility has been built by the Peregrine Corporation and caters to all motorsport discplines. Supercars races on the 4.95km ‘International Circuit’, which features a number of undulations and fast corners.
FORMAT 120km race on Saturday, 200km race on Sunday.
1
18
GETTING THERE
15
The Bend Motorsport Park is a one-hourplus drive from Adelaide along the South Eastern Freeway and is located at the intersection of the Mallee and Dukes Highways. Accomodation options in Tailem Bend and Murray Bridge will be limited, so look to stay at one of the towns between Adelaide and The Bend Motorsport Park to the south-east of the capital.
2 6
14
16
5
17
7
9
2018 WINNERS
11
R1: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) R2: Jamie Whincup (Triple Eight)
10
12
Tailem Bend
AUCKLAND SUPERSPRINT
TRACK: Pukekohe Park Raceway (Auckland, New Zealand) LENGTH: 2.91km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 166km/h TOP SPEED: 258km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:02.2186 (2016) – Shane van Gisbergen, Holden VF Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 1:03.2524 (2015) – Craig Lowndes, Holden VF Commodore
SEPTEMBER 13-15
The popular Pukekohe circuit features a fast and flowing layout, with the Turn 5 to 7 complex leading into the Turn 8 hairpin providing the main overtaking opportunity. Pukekohe first hosted Supercars in 2001 and returned in 2013 after a five-year absence and major redevelopments to the track and facilities. The event switches places with Sandown and moves to midSeptember, before the PIRTEK Enduro Cup.
4 5 7
2
4
8
13
TRACK: The Bend Motorsport Park (Tailem Bend, SA) LENGTH: 4.95km DIRECTION: Clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 165km/h TOP SPEED: 270km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:48.6498 (2018) – Jamie Whincup, Holden ZB Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 1:51.1629 (2018) – Shane van Gisbergen, Holden ZB Commodore
3
3
6
FORMAT
200km races on the Saturday and Sunday.
GETTING THERE Fly into Auckland and take the SH 1 Highway south for the 45-minute drive to Pukekohe. Allow extra time when driving around Auckland given the level of traffic.
2018 WINNERS R1: Shane van Gisbergen (Triple Eight) R2: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske)
8 9 1
10
11
Auckland
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EVENTS
BATHURST 1000
TRACK: Mount Panorama (Bathurst, New South Wales) LENGTH: 6.213km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 178km/h TOP SPEED: 300km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 2:03.8312 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 2:06.2769 (2016) – David Reynolds, Holden VF Commodore 18
17 16
19
15
13
14
12
11
OCTOBER 10-13
FORMAT
The most challenging and popular circuit on the calendar. Constructed in 1938 as a scenic tourist drive, the circuit is characterised by the two long straights up and down the mountain and the twists, turns and undulations of the second sector. The winners receive the Peter Brock Trophy and are honoured as winners of the Great Race. The Bathurst 1000 marks the start of the two-driver long-distance PIRTEK Enduro Cup.
10
9 8
1000km race on Sunday.
GETTING THERE Bathurst is a three-hour drive west of Sydney along the Great Western Highway. The circuit lies just south of central Bathurst.
2018 WINNERS Craig Lowndes/Steven Richards (Triple Eight)
7
6 5
2
4 3
20
Bathurst
21 22
1
23
GOLD COAST 600 OCTOBER 25-27
A high-speed, concrete-lined street circuit that was shortened for the newlook event in 2010. The temporary street track has created carnage in the past, especially across the kerbs at the Turn 1, 2 and 3 chicane and the back chicane section. It’s hosted a championship event since 2002. Last season’s Sunday race was called off due to torrential rain.
FORMAT 300km races on the Saturday and Sunday.
GETTING THERE
The street circuit is right in the heart of the Surfers Paradise precinct, a 30-minute drive north of Gold Coast Airport. You can also fly into Brisbane Airport and use the train service or drive to the Gold Coast, though allow for a couple of hours of travel.
TRACK: Gold Coast Street Circuit (Surfers Paradise, Queensland) LENGTH: 2.96km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 146km/h TOP SPEED: 265km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:10.1125 (2018) – Shane Van Gisbergen, Holden ZB Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 1:10.0851 (2011) – Will Davison, Ford FG Falcon 14 15
12
11
13
2018 WINNERS R1: Chaz Mostert/James Moffat (Tickford Racing) R2: Race abandoned due to rain.
10 9
8
7
6
Gold Coast 1 2
3 5 4
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SANDOWN 500 NOVEMBER 8-10
A fast and flowing circuit that was the traditional home of the pre-Bathurst endurance race before this season. It now switches to November and concludes the PIRTEK Enduro Cup for the first time. Sandown features two long straights and the fast Dandenong Road Corner in addition to the tight and twisty sections in the first and third sectors. The two 60km qualifying races that form the grid for the 500km endurance race will count for championship points for the first time in 2019.
TRACK: Sandown Motor Raceway (Melbourne, Victoria) LENGTH: 3.1km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 164km/h TOP SPEED: 270km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:07.8389 (2018) – Jamie Whincup, Holden ZB Commodore RACE LAP RECORD: 1:09.2289 (2017) – Chaz Mostert, Ford FG X Falcon
FORMAT
Two 60km qualifying races on Saturday, 500km race on Sunday.
GETTING THERE Sandown Motor Raceway is a 45-minute drive south-east of Melbourne Airport along the M1 and M2 Highway, past the city. Melbourne CBD to Sandown is about 30 minutes.
2018 WINNERS Melbourne
Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell (Triple Eight) 6 8 9
7 4
5
10
2
3
11 12 1
13
NEWCASTLE 500 NOVEMBER 22-24
Newcastle proved a popular addition to the Supercars schedule in 2017, with big crowds watching the dramatic championship decider. Overtaking is difficult for the drivers, with the Turn 10 hairpin providing the most action in the races. The run down along the beachfront is for the most part one line before drivers position themselves for an attack into Turn 10. Qualifying is vital given the limited overtaking options.
FORMAT 250km races on the Saturday and Sunday.
TRACK: Newcastle Street Circuit (Newcastle, NSW) LENGTH: 2.6km DIRECTION: Anti-clockwise AVERAGE SPEED: 124km/h TOP SPEED: 240km/h QUALIFYING LAP RECORD: 1:09.9065 (2017) – Scott McLaughlin, Ford FG X Falcon RACE LAP RECORD: 1:10.6403 (2017) – David Reynolds, Holden VF Commodore
GETTING THERE
Newcastle is a two-hour drive north of Sydney through the Central Coast. The circuit sits just east of the central business district. Newcastle airport is a half-hour drive north of the CBD. If driving from Sydney, follow the M1 in a northerly direction. The Newcastle 500 will again be popular with fans travelling from within New South Wales or from interstate, so get in early to secure accomodation.
2018 WINNERS
Newcastle
10
11
1
R1: Scott McLaughlin (DJR Team Penske) R2: David Reynolds (Erebus Motorsport)
9
7 5 2
3
8 6
4
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SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
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NEW KING
OF SUPERCARS WORDS Andrew Clarke IMAGES Peter Norton, Ben Auld, DJR Team Penske, Supercars
Scott McLaughlin overcame the disappointment of his last-gasp title defeat in 2017 to claim his maiden championship win in 2018. It marked the first championship success for DJR Team Penske owners Team Penske and the final title for Ford’s Falcon, while confirming McLaughlin’s status as the biggest threat of a new generation coming through in Supercars. Here are his thoughts on his championship success and defending the title with the new Mustang. ou’d forgive Scott McLaughlin for suffering from a case of déjà vu in 2018. Like the previous year, the championship battle went down to the final event in Newcastle following a season of ups and downs for the DJR Team Penske driver and his opponent from Red Bull Holden Racing Team. In 2018 the gap between himself and Shane van Gisbergen expanded and contracted throughout the season. There was controversy at times, great racing at others and a captivating battle right to the end, where McLaughlin overcame the disappointment of the previous season to wrap it up in style. Now, having farewelled the Falcon with its 17th championship win in the #17 made famous by Ford hero Dick Johnson, attention turns to defending the title with the new Mustang Supercar in 2019. Before then, though, McLaughlin shared his reflections on the championship success of 2018, gearing up for the new challenge of the Mustang and being the new king of Supercars: Has the championship win sunk in yet? Yeah, but it’s weird, you know? I won it with all the euphoria around it, got excited and was obviously pumped up. Then I’ve gone back to
New Zealand, hung out with my parents, had a few beers and then the Christmas party happened. It was all happening and it’s been a bit of a whirlwind, but it’s definitely not fully sunk in. I think when I jet off to Adelaide or even the test day, that’s when it will probably sink in. A bit different to last year, then? It’s definitely a lot different, even my attitude, too. I couldn’t imagine how I would have been if I didn’t win it. I don’t know how I would have felt. It’s just so relieving to be able to get it done and be the champion. You’ve got Dick Johnson and Roger Penske involved. Was the response from them any different? Do you think it meant more to Dick or Roger? No, both of them were absolutely over the moon. They both were very excited, the pair of them. And obviously for Dick, to win for him in the #17 car was really special, and he said it was like 1981 all over again. When he said that, it felt pretty special. But then again, for Roger, he had the NASCAR championship the week before and he really wanted this championship. He really wanted to beat Triple Eight. You were dominant in the middle of the year and then it almost felt like you were starting to get nervous as Shane van Gisbergen was closing in.
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SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
Did you think that when they turned the corner with the new Commodore that you might have been in a bit of strife? I remember at Sandown thinking it was probably going to be a bit tougher than I thought at that stage. We knew they were going to come back, but they probably came back stronger than we thought. It was a good thing for us, though, as we could knuckle down, and from Bathurst we just had a massive refocus and got on with things. And I couldn’t be more proud of everyone. Bathurst onwards was a fascinating time in the championship with its swings and roundabouts. You had an edge and then he had an edge, he had the lead and then you had the lead. Did it ever feel like it was getting on top of you? Outwardly, it looked like you were carrying a bit of that stress. I guess I was. Obviously there’s a lot of pressure with who I drive for and the want to win the championship. Yes, it was swings and roundabouts, it was just such a good year. Not for my mental state, but for me and Shane and for Supercars as a whole. When I look back at it now and talk about it, it’s so exciting. Every time we put pressure on them I felt like we performed better. Saturday at Pukekohe, we probably weren’t going to win that race, but we had to try something with strategy, and they came back stronger and then they nearly blew it in the pits.
40
McLaughlin celebrates the 2018 championship success in Newcastle.
“IT’S JUST SO RELIEVING TO BE ABLE TO GET IT DONE AND BE THE CHAMPION.” – SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
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Then obviously Sunday at Pukekohe just proved how much motivation we needed to win the championship, and that was a big telling point for us and gave us a lot of confidence and momentum heading to Newcastle. That first race in Newcastle felt kind of awkward, in a sense. How was your emotional rollercoaster with the fuel shortage and then the penalty to Shane? Seven laps to go I thought we were okay. I got told that I was hitting my number and all I needed to do was bring it home. And then they realised that number probably wasn’t quite accurate and that was an issue that we had to fix and, obviously, Shane got up there. Unfortunately for them the penalty happened. I was in bed reading Twitter and it popped up. It was obviously going to change the next day, which was going to be a nail-biter and now wasn’t. We then had that little buffer and we had to use it to our advantage. They definitely dropped their heads when they shouldn’t have and we just got on with the job and knew what we needed to do, so that was all good. In some ways things happen and you ride the rollercoaster; how you feel and how you respond, that’s what makes you champions. I felt like throughout the whole year, no matter whether it was good or bad, we were always really on it and that’s what makes me so proud of the guys.
A lot of people were unhappy with the penalty. Do you sit there and say, ‘I’m just going to do what I had to do anyway; I’m going out to beat him?’ I really wanted to get out there and beat them because I knew that they and others would probably say that it was the penalty that helped me to win the championship. That frustrated me in some ways, so we just had to get on with it as a team and not worry about the politics too much. They were deflated and all sorts of stuff, and we just put our heads down and got on with it. The memories of the previous year must have been very real for you. Did you have to sit back and park the demons or take your lessons from that? They were definitely there. I think I was a lot stronger mindset-wise this year, but I guess in some ways I was nervous. It all came down to that day and you didn’t want anything to go wrong. I was freaking out a little bit before the final race, but I knew that once I got in the car my nerves would settle. I was a little impatient waiting to jump in, but I just wanted to get in the car and get on with it. SUPERCAR XTRA
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SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
MCLAUGHLIN’S CHAMPIONSHIP TREND-LINE 1st
2
1
3
5th
5 8
10th
10
15th
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
■ Garry Rogers Motorsport (Holden VF Commodore) ■ Garry Rogers Motorsport (Volvo Polestar S60)
■ DJR Team Penske (Ford FG X Falcon)
BELOW: McLaughlin’s championship win was the first drivers’ championship for the partnership of Team Penske and Dick Johnson Racing, giving the former a historic double in NASCAR and Supercars in the same year.
42
Which is probably one of the hard things, isn’t it? There are a lot of media demands these days. Is it easy just to cast it all aside? We are popular with the media because we are so open, and I think it’s just become second nature that you’re going to have some in your face before the race and you just get used to it. I knew that was going to happen but, like I said, once I get in my car it’s a happy spot. What were the emotions when you crossed the line? After 2017 you probably wouldn’t have started celebrating until you saw the chequered flag. What was the first thing that hit your head? I was just like, ‘Holy shit, we did it! What a relief!’ Honestly, I’ve never had that feeling before. I think I celebrated less than I ever did on the cool-down lap. The feeling was so special and something I’ll never forget. And that’s what drives you to go out there and try and do it again. It’s such a special feeling, and especially after 2017 the relief was just huge. You were only two years into your program with the new team and it seems to be vastly different than when you first arrived. Do you think Triple Eight and DJR Team Penske are just going to keep on trading blows for a long time, or do you think
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you can get an upper hand with the Mustang in 2019? We have great people. I think that you’ve seen that as we’ve been able to gel together as a squad. I think the one thing that’s different with this team than my others ones, including my Development Series career, was we just all get along. There’s no back-stabbing, nothing like that. Everyone really enjoys themselves and wants the same thing, and whether that’s car #12 helping us out for the championship or the other way around if it ever happens, we’re right on it. That’s what you see with Triple Eight. They’re a hungry team that want to get stuff done, and I think that you’ll see our two teams always fighting, along with, say, an Erebus that I reckon is going to pop up over the next couple years, which is even better for the sport. Is it disappointing to lose the teams’ championship and the number-one and number-two garages? We want to win the teams’ championship and be at the front, but to be still right near the front is our goal and we’re still second. If we had a bit more luck with car #12 who knows where we would have finished? I think the garage position does matter a little bit, probably more so in qualifying than the race, though. Can we just quickly map your Supercars journey? I remember you getting in the car for your first solo main-game race in Sydney 2012, something you hadn’t really planned for. Then there was
THE FALCON’S 17 CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS
1973 1976 1977 1981 1982 1984 1993 1995 1997 2003 2004 2005 2008 2009 2010 2015 2018
Allan Moffat XY Falcon GTHO Phase III Allan Moffat XB Falcon GT Allan Moffat XB Falcon GT/XC GS Dick Johnson* XD Falcon Dick Johnson* XD Falcon Dick Johnson* XE Falcon Glenn Seton EB Falcon John Bowe* EF Falcon Glenn Seton EL Falcon Marcos Ambrose BA Falcon Marcos Ambrose BA Falcon Russell Ingall BA Falcon Jamie Whincup BF Falcon Jamie Whincup FG Falcon James Courtney* FG Falcon Mark Winterbottom FG X Falcon Scott McLaughlin* FG X Falcon
*Dick Johnson Racing/DJR Team Penske’s championship winners
your almost immediate success with Garry Rogers Motorsport before the move to DJR Team Penske. How do you reflect on that journey? Garry Rogers has done more for my career than anyone else has done prior to that. I learned a lot with Garry and we worked hard with the Holden and the Volvo. I had to make a tough decision to leave a team that was almost my family. It was very hard, but I had a great opportunity in front of me and I think as a driver you are always looking for ways to improve. So far so good, but the problem is you just keep wanting more. We won one championship and now want to keep winning them and make sure that we’re cemented at the top of Supercars with DJR Team Penske.
ABOVE: After the heartbreak of 2017, McLaughlin got his redemption in Newcastle in 2018.
Have you put any thought into that part of the process? It’s a tough thing, like Richmond in the AFL or any other sport, teams struggle to go back to back. It’s probably harder than winning the first one. I think the biggest thing is just trying to have that want to do it. We’ve got the Mustang this year, which has given us a lot of motivation to come out and try and be really strong, and I’m excited about it. I think we’ve got a really good opportunity to have a big crack again at the championship and we need to make the most of it. Then again, it’s important to reset your goals, figuring out what you learned and where we can improve, and we’ll work on all of that. Winning the championship means your world has changed whether you like it or not. Do you think it’s going to open up a few doors to drive a Team Penske NASCAR on one of the road courses in America, things like that? Are there possibilities that are opening up now? Roger and those guys know what I want to do with my career and what I would love to try and drive. I love being a Supercars driver and I’ll just keep working on what I’m doing. Obviously winning the championship doesn’t hurt, but I’ll just keep doing the best job I can, and if the opportunity comes to try something else I’ll do it if I can. SUPERCAR XTRA
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SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN
So how do you see your future? We’ve got you for another decade, two decades, or way too far ahead to think? I don’t even know. You’ve got me for a little bit, at least. I imagine you aren’t going anywhere until you’ve won the Bathurst 1000. I need to win that race. There is a terrific opportunity at the moment with Craig Lowndes’ retirement. You’ve got a growing fan base, do you ever sit back and think how far you can take this thing? Craig’s done a fantastic job dealing with his profile and, as a driver, you’d be stupid not to copy what he’s done. He’s certainly been a huge thing for the sport, a massive yardstick for us young drivers on how to treat the fans and stuff. I’ve tried to emulate him in some ways, and thankfully that’s worked for me. You’ve also got characters like Dave Reynolds and Chaz Mostert and all those guys. I think the sport’s in a pretty healthy spot, regardless of who becomes the most popular. I think it gives us an opportunity, it gives the fans an opportunity to follow someone else, and that’s what’s very exciting. Imagine how popular you would be in Australia if you weren’t a Kiwi! Yeah, exactly! That stuffs me over a little bit…
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Winning the title in the final year of the Falcon, did you take in all that meant to people? There was so much passion and everyone saying you’ve got to do it for the Falcon. And then it meant so much for Dick as well, doing it for him and Ford. He stuck with Ford for so many years, and for him to win the 17th and final Falcon championship was very special. That’s why it meant so much to him. For me, I’ll drive anything, but it’s a very proud moment for me to be able to deliver that for Ford and hopefully the Mustang’s just as good. I think it’s going to be pretty exciting. Trust me!
ABOVE: McLaughlin beat fellow New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen to the title in 2018.
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FORD MUSTANG SUPERCAR
WORDS Adrian Musolino IMAGES DJR Team Penske, Ford
Meet the new Ford Mustang Supercar, which makes its competitive debut at the Superloop Adelaide 500 and ushers in the start of a new era for the Blue Oval in Australian motorsport.
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n May 2013, when Ford announced the end of Australian manufacturing and the retirement of the Falcon, Blue Oval Supercars fans were left to ponder what was coming next. Eighteen months later, Ford pulled its funding from its factory-backed Supercars outfit, Ford Performance Racing, forcing the front-running team to rebrand and race the final Falcon, the FG X, without head office’s backing. 46
Without Ford’s involvement it seemed impossible that a Blue Oval-badged alternative to the Falcon would be greenlit. It appeared Ford’s storied history in Australian touring cars was coming to an end, leaving a big chunk of Supercars’ fanbase without its favourite make. Yet the stars aligned for the return of Ford with its American muscle car. In September 2014, American giant Team Penske partnered with Ford regular Dick Johnson Racing to
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form DJR Team Penske. Roger Penske’s outfit ran Fords in NASCAR, with ‘The Captain’s’ strong relationship with head office in Detroit and its performance branch, Ford Performance, opening the door for a rekindling of Ford’s interests in racing in Australia. In October 2016, the final Falcon rolled off the production line at the closing Ford Australia factory at Broadmeadows in Victoria. The Mustang had already arrived into Australia as Ford’s new performance vehicle,
with more than 6000 cars sold up until that point. Meanwhile, in the same month, the team formerly known as Ford Performance Racing revived the Tickford brand to offer performance upgrades to Ford products. With two teams possessing strong Ford connections and the Mustang ready to go, all that was needed was approval from head office. Rival Holden had committed to Supercars in the wake of its own local factory closure, importing the new-look SUPERCAR XTRA
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FORD MUSTANG SUPERCAR
Commodore and racing it from the start of 2018. And then, finally, in April 2018 Ford confirmed its return to Supercars with the Mustang with backing for DJR Team Penske and Tickford Racing, in addition to the arrival of Ford Performance in Australia. “It was a matter of waiting for the right time both from a product point of view and from an investment point of view,” says Ford Australia president Graeme Whickman. “So we maintained that dialogue with the teams and it’s obviously transpired that we feel like we are going to have a very successful outcome with the Mustang on the track. “It’s the right strategy, we have the right vehicles now, we want to connect with customers in that space.” In November 2018, the Ford Mustang Supercar broke cover. Two months earlier the first Mustang NASCAR was also revealed ahead of its debut, also in 2019. Ford’s racing programs in America and Australia aligned, befitting the co-operation between players in both countries to bring the Mustang Supercar to life.
THE ENTRIES
Six Mustang Supercars will race in the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship on a full-time basis, with the possibility of the odd wildcard entry. DJR Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin won the drivers’ championship in 2018 with the FG X Falcon, fittingly a 17th and final championship for the Falcon courtesy of the #17 entry made famous by Dick Johnson. McLaughlin and teammate Fabian Coulthard suit up for a third consecutive season as teammates at DJR Team Penske. The Queensland-based team has spearheaded the development of the Mustang Supercar, taking over from Tickford Racing as the designer and homologator for the new Ford. Technical guru Ludo Lacroix designed the aero kit of the Mustang Supercar, working closely with Team Penske and Ford Performance in America, tapping into the Computational Fluid Dynamics resources and knowledge they had of the Mustang GT4 for the Supercar and NASCAR. Lacroix designed the aero kits for the BF and FG Falcons and VF and VFII Commodores during his decadeplus stint with Triple Eight Race Engineering, working 48
on the Mustang in addition to engineering McLaughlin to his championship win in 2018. McLaughlin will race in a brand-new Mustang in 2019, while Coulthard’s new-for-2018 FG X is being stripped back and replaced with the new Mustang panels. One of Coulthard’s former Falcons was utilised as the first Mustang used for homologation and aero testing and will be the team’s spare car in 2019. Tickford Racing has worked closely with DJR Team Penske to bring Ford back to the series and was open to handing over homologation status at a time when it had scaled down to three entries for 2019. Chaz Mostert and Cameron Waters remain with Tickford Racing and will be joined by veteran Lee Holdsworth, who replaces Mark Winterbottom in what’s essentially a straight trade between Tickford and Holden outfit Team 18. Tickford Racing brings customer team 23 Red Racing into the fold, with Will Davison remaining in the entry. Tickford Racing is in the process of building three new chassis’ for the Mustang, while 23 Red Racing will convert its FG X from 2018 into a Mustang for 2019 and will do the same with its spare car for a possible wildcard entry later in the season. With six Mustangs on the 24-car grid, Ford entrants make up a quarter of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship grid in 2019.
ABOVE: Front-end comparison between the Mustang road car and racer.
BELOW: The new-for-2019 Ford Mustang NASCAR.
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ABOVE: Rear-end comparison between the Mustang road car and racer.
BELOW: The Ford Mustang GT4 racer.
THE LOOK
Getting the balance right between the look and the need to produce an efficient racer is always a difficult task when turning a road car into a race car. It’s made more difficult for the Mustang because it is the first two-door coupe fitted over the Supercars control chassis. The Mustang was raised up with a longer wheelbase, longer doors and narrower body to fit the control chassis, with no changes to the dimensions of the chassis forthcoming despite its arrival into the series. The obvious traits of the Mustang Supercar are the high roof, sloped nose, large rear wing and the Mustang front grille. The changes to the layout of the Mustang mean the drivers sit further forward of the B-pillar compared to the Falcon, even though the seat position is standard across all Supercars. The Mustang’s roof is more rounded front-to-back relative to other Supercars, a trait that carries across from the road car. Also inspired by the road car are the two bonnet vents, though they are closed off to comply with Supercars’ closed-body rules, with the air intakes in the front bar standard amongst all cars. Also closed off are the aperture on the base of the headlights, another trait from the road car. The rear wing extends off the back of the bootlid
with flat endplates, similar to those on the FG X Falcon, though the wing connects to the body with a mount that runs along the length of the boot instead of on separate mounts. The design of the brake ducts and splitter are also noticeably different to other Supercars, with Ford entrants hoping to avoid the splitter-flap issues that plagued the ZB Commodore.
THE ENGINE
The Gen2 regulations that allowed a two-door coupe such as the Mustang to enter Supercars also allow for engines other than V8s. Holden looked set to introduce a twin-turbo V6 in 2018 but changed plans and recommitted to the V8. Nissan explored alternatives to the V8 before withdrawing its backing in Supercars. Ford weighed up running a twin-turbocharged V6 rather than a V8 in the Mustang but ultimately settled on the proven V8 powerplant that ran in the Falcon. “We had a long discussion about powertrain, and first and foremost we needed to be competitive,” says Whickman. “I think the field is pretty open as to where you might go with powertrain, but our first toe back in the water is going to be with V8.” That decision means Ford and its Supercars teams have a much-reduced workload, not having to worry about developing a new engine in addition to the aerodynamic package. Nissan, AMG Mercedes-Benz (via Erebus Motorsport) and Volvo Polestar had various struggles in matching up with the well-developed Ford and Holden V8 engines, so the continuity for Ford under the bonnet of the Mustang will significantly help in the transition from the Falcon.
THE TESTING
The Mustang Supercar had its initial shakedown run at Queensland Raceway before a full day of testing at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, which was favoured over other circuits given its high-speed nature. Straight-line testing was conducted over nine days at Temora Airfield in New South Wales, including parity testing against the Holden ZB Commodore and Nissan SUPERCAR XTRA
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FORD MUSTANG SUPERCAR
Altima, equalising downforce and drag by running a number of Mustang front and rear-wing options. There were some teething problems, with front bars proving too fragile, though that was addressed quickly. The Mustang Supercar’s homologation was confirmed on the 12th of December 2018, paving the way for DJR Team Penske and Tickford Racing to accelerate their build processes before Christmas.
THE RIVALS
With a control chassis and mechanical parts and welldeveloped V8 engines relatively on par, differences in aerodynamic balance will be what distinguishes the Mustang from the Holden ZB Commodore and Nissan Altima. The ZB Commodore won on debut last season and was in the championship mix until the final race courtesy of Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s Shane van Gisbergen, though Holden teams did find it challenging to consistently get the setup right at different events. The bank of knowledge and experience from that first season will be a gain for Holden teams in 2019. The ZB Commodore achieved better low-drag performance than the Falcon, producing an advantage at high-speed tracks. The Mustang ran at Phillip Island to test high-speed mid-corner yaw ahead of its final homologation, with the aim of improving on the drag performance from the Falcon. The Nissan Altima has received an aerodynamic adjustment following the homologation testing up against the Mustang, with a slight change to the gurney flap on its rear wing marking the first change to the
“WITH A CONTROL CHASSIS AND MECHANICAL PARTS AND WELLDEVELOPED V8 ENGINES RELATIVELY ON PAR, DIFFERENCES IN AERODYNAMIC BALANCE WILL BE WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE MUSTANG FROM THE HOLDEN ZB COMMODORE AND NISSAN ALTIMA.” Nissan since 2015. The ban of twin-spring dampers is a cost-cutting measure that will limit the tuneable options for engineers and drivers, while all teams will also have to adjust to the new Xtrac transaxle. These changes should create more parity between all cars, irrespective of make. Three new Fords have won the championship on debut since the introduction of the Project Blueprint regulations that matched chassis pick-up points, wheelbase, track and driving positions across both manufacturers in 2003 – the BA Falcon in 2003, the FG Falcon in 2009 and the FG X Falcon in 2015. Considering the backing of Ford Australia and Ford Performance, the experience of Lacroix, the engineering nous of DJR Team Penske coupled with Tickford Racing, talent of the likes of McLaughlin and Mostert and the extensive measures to achieve parity between different cars, the Mustang Supercar should be in a position to battle for the championship in 2019.
The Mustang Supercar testing at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
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109A SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN 2018 SUPERCARS CHAMPION
107A BATHURST LEGENDS
106A CRAIG LOWNDES: THE HRT YEARS
101A 1977 BATHURST 1000 108B CRAIG LOWNDES: THE TRIPLE EIGHT YEARS
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109B MUSTANG LEGENDS 100AMASTERS OF ENDURANCE
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WORDS Adrian Musolino IMAGES Autopics.com.au
The debut of the Ford Mustang Supercar will be the third time the Blue Oval’s pony car has featured in Australian touring cars. These are the legendary Mustangs that built the muscle car’s legend in Australia. IMPROVED PRODUCTION
The Improved Production regulations run in the Australian Touring Car Championship from 1965 to 1972 were tailor-made for the Ford Mustang. Norm Beechey was the first to import the V8-powered American muscle car at the start of 1965. Rivals Ian Geoghegan and Bob Jane soon followed suit, making the Mustang the car to have in Australian touring
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cars. To the right, Geoghegan, Beechey and Jane are pictured in their Mustangs at Catalina Park in 1965.
NORM BEECHEY
Norm Beechey and his Neptune Racing Team gave the Mustang its first Australian Touring Car Championship win in the single-race decider at Sandown Raceway in 1965. He also triumphed in the New
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South Wales and South Australian state championships, confirming the strength of the Ford. Beechey switched to a Chevrolet Chevy II Nova and eventually to a Holden Monaro in the following years, paving the way for Geoghegan to dominate with the Mustang.
BOB JANE
Bob Jane had already won two championships in Jaguars by the time he hopped into the Mustang, but he was unable to add another title in the Ford. Overheating issues prevented him from converting pole position into a win at the championship decider at Sandown in 1965. Then his Mustang was destroyed in a high-speed crash at Catalania Park later that year.
IAN GEOGHEGAN
Ian Geoghegan’s Mustang set a new standard amongst the pony cars. The John Sheppard-built car was powered by a 400hp Cobra engine with Shelby components, and it emerged as the leading contender in the latter half of 1965. Over the next two seasons, SUPERCAR XTRA
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Geoghegan won 68 races from 74 starts, winning the single-race 1966 Australian Touring Car Championship at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, amongst a host of state championships. Geoghegan upgraded to a newer version of the Mustang in 1967, armed with a 4.7-litre Windsor V8 fed by a quartet of Weber twinchoke carburettors. He won a further two national titles at Lakeside in 1967 and Warwick Farm in 1968, then secured a record-breaking fourth consecutive title with an upgraded 4.9-lire V8 following a dramatic season finale at Symmons Plains in the first multiround championship in 1969. His title run came to an end at the hands of Norm Beechey and his Holden HT Monaro GTS350 in 1970.
ALLAN MOFFAT
The Mustang had lost its championship advantage to the Holden Monaro and Chevrolet Camaro into the 1970s, but a new version of the pony car would keep the Blue Oval in the mix in the final seasons of Improved Production. Allan Moffat’s 1969 Boss 302 Trans-Am Mustang, built by Bud Moore Engeneering with sponsorship from Coca-Cola, was more purpose-built race car than improved-production car. Moffat scored 101 wins across 151 races in the various categories, though a national title eluded him. He finished runner-up to Bob Jane’s Camaro in the Australian Touring Car Championship season finale at Oran Park in 1971. A change of rules to what became known as Group C switched the focus to Australianmade cars such as the Ford Falcon and Holden Torana from 1973, parking the likes of the Mustang. Moffat
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raced his Mustang, now with Brut sponsorships, in sports sedans while winning a maiden Australian Touring Car Championship in a Falcon in 1973.
GROUP A – DICK JOHNSON
The Mustang returned to Australian touring cars under the international-based Group A regulations that replaced Group C from 1985. With no Falcon suitable for the new rules, Ford runners were forced to choose between the British 2.6-litre V6 powered Sierra XR4i or the American 4.9-litre V8 Mustang. The Mustang had already been homologated for Group A racing in Europe, so it became the obvious choice for the likes of Ford hero Dick Johnson. However, the Mustang was overweight and underpowered compared to rival European cars, with a weight of 1325 kilograms and small 11-inch tyres leaving the V8 hamstrung. With Ford head office unwilling to homologate much-needed engine upgrades, the Mustang was left with just 300 to 350hp. Johnson took second in the 1985 Australian Touring Championship, but well behind the BMW 635 CSi of Jim Richards that weighed close to 200 kilograms less than the Mustang. After an even more lacklustre season in 1986, Johnson and co. opted for the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth from 1987. The second Mustang era had failed to deliver like the first.
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MUSTANG RECORDS
1965 Australian Touring Car Championship
Norm Beechey
1966 Australian Touring Car Championship
Ian Geoghegan
1967 Australian Touring Car Championship
Ian Geoghegan
1968 Australian Touring Car Championship
Ian Geoghegan
1969 Australian Touring Car Championship
Ian Geoghegan
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d clude not in Chain
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Fraternising with Foges IN T ERV IE W BY M A RK FOG A R T Y
Long-time Ford star Mark ‘Frosty’ Winterbottom explains why he is so relaxed and confident about his risky move to Holden with Charlie Schwerkolt’s one-car team, Team 18, even though it’s make or break for both of them in 2019. IMAGES Peter Norton, Team 18, Supercars, Justin Deeley
he white Commodore VXR in the driveway is the first giveaway. Later, the relaxed demeanour seals it. This is the new Mark Winterbottom. Different team, different car, different attitude. Just as a Holden has never before darkened his front door, neither has Winterbottom gone out on such a limb. After 13 years flying the Ford flag in the comfort of a Blue Oval bastion team, Frosty is on his own. Not only is he out of his comfort zone, he’s teamed up with outlying team owner Charlie Schwerkolt. Yep, the bloke whose appearances on Supercars telecasts are inverse to his achievements on the track. The Commodore sits in the carport of Frosty’s holiday home on Lake Yarrawonga on the Victorian/NSW border. He’s there over the Christmas/New Year break with his family, relaxing on the water in his speedboat.
Talking about the upcoming season, he is enthusiastic but considered, confident but realistic. He believes his experience and Schwerkolt’s commitment will transform Team 18. Dismissed as a glory hound, Schwerkolt has manned up to save his squad – and Winterbottom’s career. Thrown together by circumstance, the unlikely alliance may be their salvation.
RIGHT: Winterbottom collects his new Holden Commodore road car,
marking the end of his long relationship with Ford.
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Mark Fogarty is an award-winning motorsport writer.
“I RACE TO WIN. I’M LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE RACED LONG ENOUGH TO HAVE SUCCESS AND KNOW WHAT IT TAKES.” – MARK WINTERBOTTOM
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Fraternising with Foges Frosty is the star driver Charlie has craved since his spectacular title-winning fallout with Dick Johnson. He almost orchestrated James Courtney’s defection to a Pepsi-backed, Ford Performance Racingrun Falcon in 2011 – only to be gazumped by a $1 million-a-year deal with the Holden Racing Team. After two miserable years with Tickford – a humiliating fall from a decade of success that peaked with victory in the Bathurst 1000 in 2013 and the Supercars championship in 2015 – Winterbottom was ready for a big change. But only if the right people, backing and technical resources were delivered. Although 37, Winterbottom is far from past it and, with the right package, was confident he could still be a front-runner. Schwerkolt delivered what he wanted. A guru race engineer. Tick. A Triple Eight ZB Commodore with full technical backing. Tick. Big-name sponsors. Tick. Suddenly, Frosty’s gambit looked calculated rather than desperate. Phil Keed joins as chief propeller head, Steve Henderson has been promoted from success in Super2 to replace ex-Holden Racing Team leader Jeff Grech as team manager, a proper team commercial structure has been installed and a high-powered line-up of sponsors attracted – Irwin Tools, ActronAir, Orrcon Steel and more. Frosty likes the fact that Schwerkolt put his hand deep in his pocket and funded the make-or-break step up. He also likes that it’s a tight-knit team dedicated to him, operating out of the familial environment at the headquarters of Schwerkolt’s forklift empire in Mount Waverley in Melbourne’s south-east. It has all the makings of an Erebus-style outsider success – or a costly disaster. But if Winterbottom’s savvy selections translate into speed, he could reignite his career and make Schwerkolt famous for more than just getting on TV.
ABOVE: Winterbottom’s signing for Charlie Schwerkolt’s team ended a long association with Ford that dates back to his go-karting days. It also means he will drive a Triple Eight Race Engineering-built Holden ZB Commodore, following a long rivalry with the factory Holden team.
Tell me why you think this is going to work. I think the structure’s really going to suit how I like to go racing. One car, everyone working for you, not split between multiple cars. When I first joined FPR, it was two cars and then it went to three and then it went to four, and they added two DVS cars. It grew massively over the time and although people are dedicated to particular cars, it does become separated. So I think the fact that I have 14 to 15 guys and girls that are working purely on
my car, if they win, they’re happy, if they don’t, we have to work harder. I think that’s really going to suit me. And, also, the personnel we have. I thought they had a good group of people already, but I thought there was a few little things they could tidy up to get to that next level. Obviously, Phil (Keed) coming on board is a massive tick because he was in demand. He was wanted by 10-plus teams and we landed him, which is an achievement in itself.
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He’s one of the smartest blokes in pitlane, and I’ve wanted to work with him again for years and could never get him. Just look at his history. He turned Bran Jones Racing around – Fabian (Coulthard) ran quite high when they were there. And they worked well together at DJR Team Penske in 2017. Fabian led the championship with a round to go at New Zealand. Phil has a good history, and him complementing the engineers Team 18 already has gives us a good structure.
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Someone like Phil can change a team, can he? They can. We have Triple Eight support, which is great, but you can’t purely rely on another team all the time. You have to be in control of your own destiny. Stuart McDonald, the engineer who was already there, is very good, so we effectively have technical director, race engineer and data engineer. We have what three or four-car teams have for one car, so we have plenty of technical depth. Phil will drive the direction but, at the same time, he’s not one of those blokes who comes in and says it’s my way or the highway. He likes the small-team culture, which is why he worked so well at BJR. I like the way he goes racing. I worked with him 10-plus years ago, but we’re two different people in our careers now, and it’s great to come together again. He engineered my car for a year at FPR, and when I met him again I said we’d treat this as day one. He needs to help me understand this car, drive this car, because what the Tickford car was and what the Team 18 car is going to be will be polar opposites. He’s told me that and he’s going to have to coach me through that because he has that experience. He knows about Tickford cars and he knows a Ludo (Lacroix) DJR Team Penske car. He understands all that and will play a big role in helping me adapt, but day-to-day it’s going to be Stuart in the workshop that I deal with engineering-wise. I have so many good heads at my disposal and I like the culture. I actually think we have overkill on personnel. There’s a really good structure in place and we just have to go and do the job. How did Charlie Schwerkolt convince you he was serious? When Charlie asked me what I needed, to his credit, he’s got everyone I asked for – and above and beyond what I asked for. The pressure is on me now to deliver because what I asked for, I’ve got. There were definitely other options and more money elsewhere. There was more money out there if I just wanted to get the most money. We chatted for the first time at Perth and I didn’t really think anything more about it. Then three months later, when the Tickford negotiations were going a little bit stale and weren’t really progressing, I met with Charlie again and I told him what I wanted. I said Phil Keed had to be on his hit list and he needed a credible major sponsor, while Triple Eight gear would be great.
ABOVE: Winterbottom during his summer break, relaxing following one of the biggest decisions in his career.
I gave him my wishlist and he said to give him a month. I didn’t hear from him for three weeks, and then he came back with everything pretty much sorted. When you ask someone for something and he goes and makes it happen, it’s a no-brainer. I race to win. I’m lucky enough to have raced long enough to have success and know what it takes. You have highs and lows, but you don’t want to finish your career on a low. I didn’t want it to keep going the way it was going last year, so I took control of my future and put pressure on Charlie to make things happen. I have never seen anyone work as hard as he has to make things happen. Communication was open, I kept him in the loop, and once he ticked off the list I went to him, got him to print off the contract, and we signed. That was it. The people we have are people that I’d have expected to have at Tickford – but I couldn’t get them there. I asked for them, but I couldn’t get them there. They’ve landed here at a one-car team, so that’s why I say Charlie’s done a great job to make it all happen. The people we have are exceptional. People just think I’ve gone there for a s@#tload of money, but it’s about the people. Charlie’s spending more money, but he’s spending it on the people I’ve asked for. It’s not going into my pocket. So when people suggest I’ve moved for more money, it’s insulting. Charlie’s spending more, but it’s not on me – it’s on the things I’ve asked for. And if I win I’ll earn more money anyway (through bonuses).
Do you regard this as a gamble? Most people on the outside think you’re taking a big risk. It’s calculated, though. I haven’t just gone there to the same thing. It wasn’t, ‘Lee, you hop out and I’ll hop in.’ There’ve been a lot of changes. It’s a risk – there’s always a risk – but I thought it would be more of a risk staying where I was. I wanted to be in control of my destiny and not have it controlled for me. It took a lot of work. Charlie worked his arse off and I had to work my arse off, being in dialogue with all these people to sell the opportunity and turn from a maybe to a yes. We’re going to have a good car and incredible staff, and we’ll be able to do things the big teams can’t. People always think the big teams can do stuff better, but we’re getting that big-team equipment in a small team that can react very quickly. We just need to focus on what we can do well. It’s a risk, but a very calculated risk. So you just couldn’t see it working for you at Tickford anymore, even with the Mustang coming for 2019? The Mustang will no doubt be better. It’s going to be a better car, but the body shape doesn’t fix the things I was asking for to be changed. And the things I was asking for were pretty basic stuff – the things most drivers would ask for – and I wasn’t really getting anywhere. I couldn’t just hold on and hope that the Mustang would fix everything because it won’t. There were things I thought needed to change and a new body shape wasn’t going to be enough. It’s a shame because the Mustang will be a better car, but if Penske beat you last year with the same car, how is it going to be different this year? You’re not going to jump them. They’re still going to beat you. I just saw Charlie’s as a better opportunity to roll out at Adelaide and get up the front. I don’t think what was happening at Tickford was going to give me that opportunity. Do you really expect to be right up there, just behind Triple Eight and DJR Team Penske? I don’t want to sound like I’m blowing my own trumpet, but being the underdog’s quite a good thing. I like being the underdog. It’s how I’ve lived my whole life. I’m not joining this team to just fluff around. You have to set realistic goals, but Erebus proves that a small team with good resources can do big things. SUPERCAR XTRA
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Fraternising with Foges
When you step back and look at Erebus, they’re a really good environment in which to go racing. They’ve done a bloody good job and I look at them as a prime example of how you can make it work. We’ll have the equipment, we have the personnel, we have the backing, we have the structure, so I don’t know why we wouldn’t have the goal to have a crack at winning. The only thing that’s going to take time is the driving style because the ZB is a lot different to the FG X. How do you know that? Just from chatting to engineers – Phil, in particular, who’s worked with Commodores and Falcons. He’s going to coach me through it. I have to go there with an open mind, but the whole thing should work. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t work. The things that are going to let you down are sharing pit booms and stuff like that – the little things that you can’t always
control. Hopefully, that’ll all run smoothly, but one-car teams do have difficulties with data. But if we roll out and do a job, who knows? How much access will you get to Triple Eight’s data and setups? We’ll get looked after. They’re really excited to make it work because they see us as being competitive this year. So it’s in their best interests to stay close with us, as it is for us to stay close with them. When you look at it, Triple Eight have been dominant and last year was the first year they were really toe-to-toe with another team. They probably need to lift another couple of per cent to beat Penske, especially with the Mustang coming. So, as I say, it’s in their interest just as much as it is in ours to work closely. We’ll see what happens when we start getting into it, but everything sounds and looks to be going in the right direction.
Winterbottom’s debut for the factory Ford team at Adelaide in 2006.
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This is an especially big move for you because you’ve only ever raced Falcons in Supercars. Did you get much stick from your fans about switching from Ford to Holden? Yeah, you get some stick, but the reality is that Ford didn’t try to keep me. At Bathurst I met with Ford to get a feel for where they were at because the negotiations (with Tickford Racing) were going from, ‘Let’s do a deal’ to the percentage chance of me staying getting less. I sat in the truck with the Ford people and, to be honest, the loyalty I had to the brand wasn’t being reciprocated. So that helped me make my decision. Renee was with me in those discussions. I involved her so that I just wasn’t seeing it from an emotional point of view. I wanted a factual perspective as well. I just didn’t get the right feel from them. When they pulled out of Supercars (at the end of 2015), I felt I was one of the main ones who carried the Ford flag on. They pick and choose when they come in and out of the sport. You feel connected to all the Ford fans but, at the same time, they will follow you if they support you. I never thought I’d drive a Holden, but you have to look at the opportunity, not the badge, and this is my opportunity to be contending again. Some people think I’m crazy, but this is the opportunity I think I need to get back to the front. It just happens to be a Holden team. I really didn’t have much of a connection with Ford in recent years. Back in the day, when Marin Burela (Ford Australia president from 2008-10) and those guys were there, they’d ring you before every race, and I was truly connected to the brand.
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Foges grills Winterbottom over Supercars’ off-season.
When I won the championship, I hardly heard from anyone there, much less Ford making a big deal of it. So what you’re saying is that when you met with Ford Australia people at Bathurst, they weren’t bending over backwards to keep you? They didn’t do much at all. At least they were honest. We asked some questions, got some answers and it was just what it was. Their attitude was, ‘Yep, we don’t want to lose you, but if you go, you go,’ and that pretty much sealed the deal for me. How have your fans taken it? Oh, they don’t like it, but there are dramas in the background they don’t see. If you could explain what they were, people would understand my decision. Your fans are very passionate, but they have to be realistic. It’s a sport and you have to make the best decisions for your career. Sponsors have followed me. ActronAir has been with me for nine years; Orrcon Steel has been with me for 15 years and is continuing as a personal sponsor. We get so caught up on manufacturer alliances, but they come and go or their support wanes. The difference was negotiations going nowhere compared with a guy who busted his arse to make everything happen for me to go there. There’s been backlash from some of the fans, but if they spent a day in your shoes, they’d understand. As it turned out, you and Lee Holdsworth did a straight swap, so it’s going to be interesting to see which of you made the right decision as the season plays out.
Winterbottom with his first Holden Commodore Supercar.
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Fraternising with Foges Or it could work for both of you, couldn’t it? Yeah, you never know. I’m happy for Lee because he was out – he wasn’t going to get a full-time gig, really. So he’s landed on his feet a bit. He’s wanted to race for Tickford for years. It’s just funny sometimes how the sport works. I’m really excited about the new opportunity; he left the team I think is going to give me the opportunity to win. I’ve left a team I thought couldn’t give me what I needed; he’s going there with an open mind. As I said to Tickford, ‘Me going is probably good for you guys because I don’t think you can give me what I need. You don’t need a bitter 37-year-old here, asking for things that I’ve asked for for a few years and just being difficult’ – or what they see as being difficult – ‘Just get someone with a fresh mind, it works for both of us.’ And Charlie’s probably the same. Some fresh blood will really energise his operation. We’re in contact all the time, really pushing things forward. So it’s worked out pretty well on both sides so far. Of course, if Lee goes out and wins the championship and I finish 20th, I’ll look like a d@#khead. But if I go out and win and he doesn’t… At the end of the day, if he goes out and wins and I don’t, so be it. I made the choice. It wasn’t an instant decision. It was months of evaluating everything. So win, lose or draw, I’m content with my decision. But there’ll be a direct comparison. I think it will work for both of us. We’ve left our issues behind and are making fresh starts. If I finish last, which I don’t think I will, it’ll be on me. I’ve made the choice and I think it’s going to work.
Winterbottom and Steven Richards reunite as co-drivers in 2019, six years after winning Bathurst.
RIGHT: Winterbottom broke through for a long-awaited championship win with Ford in 2015, in his 10th season with the team now known as Tickford Racing.
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BROCK / MOFFAT HOLDEN VK COMMODORE 1986 WELLINGTON 500 WINNER
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November 2017 - Order Form No.1
Item No.
Customer___Pole Position P/L
Debtor ID___________________________
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18644
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2 Qtr 2018
1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior 1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat
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1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy
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12/2/19 11:07 pm
PAUL MORRIS
WORDS John Bannon IMAGES Peter Norton, Justin Deeley, Norwell Motorplex
Supercars veteran Paul Morris is no mug as a racer; he’s a Bathurst 1000 and four-times Super Touring championship winner. But his greatest contribution to Australian motorsport could well turn out to be coaching Supercars’ next generation of rising stars.
T
he best athletes in the world are coached. So why not in motorsport? Why not racing drivers? Well, actually, driver coaches do exist, they just fly under the radar. They don’t receive multi-million-dollar contracts or get thrust into the public eye after their driver wins a race. The life of a driver coach is a behind-the-scenes role. Bathurst 1000 winner Paul Morris says the data engineer of the car has become the driver coach in this part of the world. “They get on the screen and they tell the people how to drive,” he says. “But unless you’ve driven a car, you are just talking about a number and you don’t really know the feeling. So I think you’ll see more of it for sure. In America it’s pretty popular. Every washed-up racing driver is a driver coach over there. That’s how they make their living.” The Victorian-born Morris started his career in speedway, then racing Geminis and Formula Ford, before making his Bathurst debut in a Toyota Corolla in 1991. Morris went on to race for Australian motorsport legend Frank Gardner in factory-backed BMWs from 1992. According to Morris, “I could go fast and I could drive, but I really didn’t know how or why until I met Frank Gardner.” And the work Gardner put in planted the seed for his current career path as a driver coach. “Driving for Frank, I found it very beneficial,” he says. “He was obviously a world-class race driver and ran the team. When I came in there as a junior driver he did a lot for me and I really found it beneficial. That always stuck with me, so when I stopped driving full-time and I had guys driving for my team, that’s when I started to think about how driver coaching could help those drivers. “Before he let me anywhere near the race car, we did a lot of work in road cars first. I had to drive the road car and do driver coaching with him a certain way. It just made sense in the long run. When I first started I thought, ‘What is this silly old guy talking about!’ But when I got in the race and the race evolved and what
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happened played out exactly how he said it would, it gave me a lot of confidence and belief in what he had to say. “The number-one thing he taught me was to look where you are going and if you look where you are going, that’s where you’ll end up. That’s the number one thing in driving, it’s processing information. The next is to be relaxed and balanced in the car. And then basically being able to steer the car with the brake pedal. Once you can master that, no-one can touch you.” Gardner, Tony Longhurst and Paul’s father Terry first opened what is known today as the Norwell Motorplex in 1990. It’s now the pre-eminent driver-training facility in the country. “Tony Longhurst and Frank Gardner built the place and they had big support back then from BMW and Benson and Hedges,” explains Morris. “We had financial support and cars to do a lot of different things. He [Gardner] was probably one of the best driver-trainer coaches in the world. And people used to come from all over the world to drive with him.
BELOW: Paul Morris’ Norwell Motorplex, a premium driver-training facility.
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PAUL MORRIS
“LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND IF YOU LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING, THAT’S WHERE YOU’LL END UP. THAT’S THE NUMBER-ONE THING IN DRIVING, IT’S PROCESSING INFORMATION.” – PAUL MORRIS “I’ve been on the track with Sir Jackie Stewart, Sir John Whitmore and people would just travel to see him. And he never made a big deal out of it and he would always include me in on it. “You can’t coach someone at high speed because you’re in survival mode. So if the grip levels are really high, by the time the car makes a mistake or you make a mistake, you can feel it. But you’re doing 220 kilometres an hour and you can’t compute. Everything that happens in a racer, if you transfer that back to a road car with low grip, it will happen. But it will happen [in a race car] at a more accelerated rate and at an earlier phase in the corner.” It’s a learning to walk before you can run approach, which is how Gardner taught a young Morris and which Morris now uses to teach the next generation. “If you can’t understand what’s going on in, say, a Toyota 86 or in a Holden Commodore SS on not-good tyres, I don’t know how you’re ever going to do it in a GT car or something with a lot of grip,” says Morris. “So that’s the philosophy behind it and it works. It really does work. Some people get it and embrace it a lot more than other people.” Some big names in Australian motorsport have spent time under the tutelage of Morris or as part of his expert team at Norwell Motorplex.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Bathurst 1000 winner – 2014 Bathurst 6 Hour winner – 2017 Speed Energy Formula Off-Road champion – 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour winner – 2007, 2010 Australian Super Touring champion – 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000/2001 Supercars race winner – 2001 Bathurst 500 winner – 1999
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“I did it with Greg Murphy, I did it with Russell Ingall,” he says. “Steve Owen and I did a real lot of it when he drove for me. And, obviously having the Norwell Motorplex and the track and everything, it’s just kept building. It’s not something that I’ve really been promoting until the last couple of years. I give away the secrets now because I’m not really racing.” Morris praised the team he works with, emphasising the expertise displayed by head instructor Steve Robinson. “Steve Robinson, our head instructor there, no-one can beat him in a Toyota 86,” he says. “If he turned up with a Toyota 86, he would wipe everyone’s arse. He is unbelievable in one and he has got all the little secrets. But the reason he is so good at it is because we’ve had so many drivers come through as the program evolves. It just keeps evolving because you’re always learning something off someone. Steve Owen had driven a Toyota 86 and we hadn’t. He came to Norwell and we looked what worked out and how he was making speed.” Morris compares the process they go through at Norwell Motorplex to a race team gathering data on a race car and trying to make it go quicker. “We’re trying to do the same with the driving technique,” he says. “When we first started, it was pretty basic, brush and bury, weight transfer, look after the tyres, all the basic things that everyone teaches. But because we’re so open and it’s an open book we just keep evolving.” The Dunlop Super2 Series team owner says these days he regularly bounces ideas off Robinson and Owen. “He’s pretty good and honest, he’s got no ego,” Morris says of Owen. “He, me and Robbo can just sit down and talk about driving and trying something different in a car. A lot of times we’ll be at Norwell and there will be five or six of us there and it’s like, ‘Right-oh, let’s have a shootout, who’s got it.’ And we do that a lot and that’s how you find out [more information] by going racing.”
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One fast youngster who’s been guided by Morris in recent seasons is Erebus Motorsport rising star Anton de Pasquale. De Pasquale was able to “come along [to Norwell Motorplex] and do things you didn’t think someone could even do” in a car, according to Morris. The 2013 Australian Formula Ford champion raced for Morris during his two-year Dunlop Super2 Series campaign in 2016 and 2017, and the pair continue to work together. “Anton was someone who just got it straight away,” he says. “And you’d say, ‘Hey, what about this?’ and he’d go, ‘Yeah that makes sense.’ For him, the program really evolved. We’d critique all the driver mistakes that were made at the race meeting. We’d go back to the track when we had time and go through the little things we did wrong, polish it up and get everything right. And that’s what I think accelerated him through the Dunlop Series so quickly. It is something we still do now with Mirko [De Rosa], his engineer. He’s a young guy and he gets it as well.” Morris goes further, describing de Pasquale as the best young driver he has seen. “Definitely Anton,” Morris confirms. “He’s the first driver that I’ve come across who, when we show him something, he gets it straight away. He’s at a level that I’ve just never really seen. He understands what you are saying and can do it.” He says part of de Pasquale’s ability to learn quickly is his rational approach. “He’s not an emotional guy and everything with him is logic,” he says. “There is no emotion attached to anything that he does. You can say, ‘You’ve done that badly,’ and he goes, ‘Oh yeah, I have, I need to fix that’.” But the 2017 Stadium Super Trucks championship winner admits not all respond to his approach. “Sure, I’ve had some people come up to me in this paddock,” says Morris. “You sit with them, you show them and they look at you like you’re a silly old f@#kwit and you never see them again. It does happen and not everyone gets on with everyone. But some guys respond well to it and get a lot out of it.”
In addition to de Pasquale, Morris believes there’s plenty of talent waiting in the wings. “The top five guys in Super2 are phenomenal,” he says. “There are 10 guys in Toyota 86. Formula Ford is full of amazing people, but the sad thing about that is we don’t see Formula Ford any more and that talent is not on our stage because of what CAMS [Confederation of Australian Motor Sport] did. That’s [Formula Ford] been pushed to the backblocks. Australia is full of great drivers.” Morris was humble when asked to reflect on the positive impact he was having on Australian motorsport as a coach. “It’s great, it’s rewarding,” he says. “It still gives you that feeling you get as a driver that you’re helping someone else and I really enjoy it.” But as Morris points out, “Nothing beats the feeling of being a driver and having success.” He means his 2014 Bathurst 1000 triumph as co-driver to Tickford Racing’s Chaz Mostert. “To still be involved in the sport, it’s just a different phase of my life,” he says. “The two things [Bathurst winner and coaching] aren’t parallel; I don’t think you can compare them. One is this amazing thing that happened to you and one is something that you do. “It’s always good to give back and make the sport better. I think we do that.” While the 51-year-old is no longer racing full-time, he continues to dabble in sportscars, Aussie Racing cars and speedway in addition to his Stadium Super Trucks commitments. “I’ll race if the car’s not too fast,” he says. “If I get in a GT car or I get in the Supercar sometimes when we test, unless you are in those cars all the time, your brain just can’t compute the speed. “You’re just getting too old and your reflexes are getting too slow.” But none of that will stop Morris from passing on everything he’s learned throughout his career to the next generation of rising stars, just as Gardner did for him almost 30 years ago.
ABOVE: Paul Morris Motorsport grew out of Frank Gardner’s team and raced in Supercars up until 2012.
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SHOOTOUT
SURPRISES IN V8-ERA SEASON OPENERS 6 2000: BAIRD & TANDER SHOCK
In the midst of the Holden Racing Team’s domination of Supercars, the 2000 season opener at Phillip Island produced two upset results with Craig Baird scoring his only race win for Stone Brothers Racing and young-gun Garth Tander winning the round for Garry Rogers Motorsport.
5 2010: TRIPLE EIGHT’S HOLDEN DEBUT
Triple Eight switched from Ford to Holden in 2010, rolling out with a crushing round sweep for Jamie Whincup at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. While Triple Eight being competitive in its first round running Commodores wasn’t a major surprise, the gap to the rest shocked the paddock.
10 1993: FORD FALCON RULES
Holden had a numerical advantage and continuity with the Commodore entering the V8 era in 1993, but it was the Ford Falcon that stormed out of the gates with a win to Dick Johnson Racing at Amaroo Park.
9 1995: PERKINS’ RARE SPRINT WIN
Larry Perkins was a master at Mount Panorama, setting up his season to peak at the Bathurst 1000, so it defied the pattern when he won the season opener at Sandown in 1995. It was one of just four championship race wins for the six-times Bathurst winner.
7 2013: SVG’S TRIUMPHANT RETURN
Shane van Gisbergen backed down from a decision to walk away from Supercars by signing with Tekno Autosports for 2013. He won on debut for the customer team in Adelaide, the start of a dominant run for the New Zealander at the event.
4 2014: STUNNING PACE FROM SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN’S VOLVO
Garry Rogers Motorsport debuted its new Volvo S60 Supercar in Adelaide in 2014, with Scott McLaughlin qualifying on the front row for the second race and finishing on the podium, defying expectations for a new manufacturer.
3 2006: WHINCUP STEPS UP
Triple Eight signed Jamie Whincup to support Craig Lowndes in 2006, but the newbie in the team surprised many by winning in his first round with them in Adelaide. It ushered in a new era for the series, with Whincup going on to rewrite the record books.
2 2016: LUCAS DUMBRELL MOTORSPORT WINS
Heavy rain in Adelaide in 2016 resulted in a win for the underdogs of the series, Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport. Local Nick Percat avoided the carnage around him and utilised a clever fuel strategy to score the team’s only win in Supercars.
1 1996: ‘THE KID’ WINS ON DEBUT
Craig Lowndes shocked the establishment with his drive to second in his first Bathurst 1000 in 1994. He went one better in his championship debut at Eastern Creek in 1996, winning two of three races to claim a groundbreaking round win.
8 1998: LOWNDES’ RETURN
Craig Lowndes returned from a year racing open-wheelers in Europe and picked up where he left off, winning two of three races to take the opening round win of the 1998 season at Sandown. 74
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