SupercarXtra Magazine Issue 116

C O M M E M O R AT I N G A N AU S T R A L I A N I C O N SUPERCAR XTRA ISSUE 116

ISSUE 116

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ISSUE 116

6 ANALYSIS: GM ACCELERATES GEN3 How the retirement of Holden has forced Supercars to bring forward its Gen3 plans.

8 ANALYSIS: RACING SUSPENDED The delay to the 2020 Supercars season.

10 ANALYSIS: INDY STAR Scott McLaughlin’s future with Team Penske in IndyCar. 11 ANALYSIS: LOCKED IN Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen re-sign with Triple Eight Race Engineering.

12 ANALYSIS: ENDURO MOVERS How the field for the 2020 PIRTEK Enduro Cup is shaping up.

14 STORY COLUMN Ryan Story on the current state of Supercars.

16 WINTERBOTTOM COLUMN Mark Winterbottom on Supercars’ Gen3 future.

18 LOWNDES COLUMN Craig Lowndes pays tribute to Holden.

22 FEATURE: HOLDEN, IN MEMORIAM Holden’s long and storied history in Australian touring cars.

30 FEATURE: WHERE TO NOW? How Supercars’ Gen3 plans are shaping up in the wake of Holden’s demise.

SUPERCARXTRA.COM.AU

36▲ FEATURE: NEW BEGINNINGS Chaz Mostert on his big off-season move to Walkinshaw Andretti United.

42 FEATURE: TOP END TALENT Bryce Fullwood on his main-game graduation with Walkinshaw Andretti United.

48 FEATURE: SUPERCHARGED Jack Le Brocq on his career reset at Tickford Racing.

54 FEATURE: RIDE-SHARE RACERS Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki on splitting their rookie seasons at Matt Stone Racing.

58 FEATURE: THE BATTLES TO WATCH IN 2020 The manufacturer, team and driver battles that will define the 2020 Supercars season.

66 SHOOTOUT: HOLDEN HEROES The top 10 legendary Holden drivers.

SUPERCAR XTRA

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/SupercarXtra @SupercarXtra @SupercarXtra

THE END OF THE LION

T

he news that General Motors will be retiring the Holden brand in Australia at the end of 2020 sent shockwaves around Supercars.

We commemorate Holden’s history in Australian touring cars and examine what’s next for Supercars in this edition of SupercarXtra Magazine.

Holden has been a regular presence in Australian touring cars over the last 60 years, and we reflect on that history in the cover story of this edition, from the legendary cars and teams to the drivers, who we rank in our ‘Shootout’ section.

The print edition of this issue also includes a pullout poster commemorating Holden, featuring its three iconic models – Monaro, Torana and Commodore – on one side and the 2020

line-up on the other.

We also analyse the fallout from the news in our ‘Analysis’ section, while Holden drivers Craig Lowndes and Mark Winterbottom share their thoughts in their columns.

Lowndes and Winterbottom are joined by DJR Team Penske team principal Ryan Story as a columnist in 2020, bringing his insight from the championship-winning DJR Team Penske and from the inner sanctum of Supercars.

Holden’s departure has forced Supercars to bring forward its Gen3 plans, which we analyse with key personnel in our feature on what comes next for the category.

Elsewhere, we profile some of the movers and shakers of the off-season, starting with Chaz Mostert.

The Walkinshaw Andretti United driver was the big

mover from the silly season and explains the reasons for the change in the feature.

We also touch base with Mostert’s Walkinshaw Andretti United teammate, Bryce Fullwood; Tickford Racing’s Mostert replacement, Jack Le Brocq; and Matt Stone Racing’s rookies Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki, who are sharing driving duties in 2020. There’s also a look at the key battles to watch throughout the 2020 Supercars season.

Visit us at SupercarXtra. com.au to follow the latest news throughout the 2020 season and to shop at our online store, or keep in touch with us on our social media channels on Twitter and Instagram (both @SupercarXtra) and on Facebook (Facebook. com/SupercarXtra).

Enjoy!

– Adrian

PUBLISHER

Allan Edwards Raamen Pty Ltd PO Box 225, Keilor, VIC 3036 publisher@supercarxtra.com.au

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EDITOR

Adrian Musolino editor@supercarxtra.com.au

SUB EDITORS

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ART DIRECTOR

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CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS

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Published by Raamen Pty Ltd Material in Supercar Xtra is protected by copyright laws and may not be reproduced in full or in part in any format. Supercar Xtra will consider unsolicited articles and pictures; however, no responsibility will be taken for their return. While all efforts are taken to verify information in Supercar Xtra is factual, no responsibility will be taken for any material which is later found to be false or misleading. The opinions of the contributors are not always those of the publishers.

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General Motors’ decision to retire the Holden brand at the end of 2020 has forced Supercars to bring forward its Gen3 plans, as the category plots what the future of Australian touring cars will look like without one of its key pillars over the last 60 years.

H

olden’s impending demise creates an unprecedented dilemma for Supercars.

While the Australian Touring Car Championship/ Supercars has survived other challenges over the last 60 years, nothing compares to the loss of one half of its identity.

There were 23 Holdens on the grid for the first Australian Touring Car Championship race in 1960.

And 60 years on there are 16 Holdens on the grid in the 2020 Virgin Australia

Supercars Championship.

The manufacturer was not only a constant presence throughout those six decades but together with Ford it was a key player in the rivalry that shaped Australian touring cars for much of its existence.

With Holden’s demise leaving Ford as the only manufacturer committed to Supercars into 2021, the focus is now on what comes next. Plans for the Gen3 rules, the third iteration of the Car of the Future platform first introduced in 2013, will be brought

forward to address Holden’s departure.

With Ford runners locked into the Mustang with the support of the Blue Oval, Holden teams are left wondering whether they will continue to run the existing ZB Commodore without Holden branding or change to General Motors’ two-door Camaro coupe. Either way, with Holden out of the Australian market, it leaves a void to be filled in Supercars.

“Obviously, those familiar with the sport will know that we’ve been working towards a new set of regulations in

2022, and the news towards the end of last year about Commodore no longer being available in Australia meant that we’d been working towards a future without the Commodore, at the end of next year,” says Supercars CEO Sean Seamer.

“Now it’s down to me and the rest of the team to figure out which of those plans we can bring forward into next year, and we’ll be here, putting on a good show, for many years to come.

“I think there’s a range of things about the sport that make it very exciting and The Red Bull Holden Racing Team is the only factorybacked Holden team.

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SUPERCAR XTRA

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attractive for manufacturers and brands that want to get involved.”

The immediate change looks set to be an adjustment of the control chassis that was first implemented with the Car of the Future regulations, allowing for a better fit for the two-door coupe Camaro and Mustang but also potentially other cars. But as Holden’s demise shows, the Australian marketplace is extremely competitive with Nissan, AMG Mercedes-Benz (via Erebus Motorsport) and Volvo’s short stints in Supercars highlighting the volatility of the manufacturers.

“Obviously, as someone who’s very aware of the motoring industry on a larger platform on a world basis, the lack of right-hand drives [in Australia] going ahead was a concern,” says current factory Holden team Triple Eight Race Engineering’s team boss, Roland Dane.

“It is what it is. We’re a very small market in Australia, competing for attention against much bigger markets.

“The decisions that affect the car industry on a wider basis are not made in Australia – they’re made in Japan or Detroit or Germany.

“Unfortunately, one of the issues is that an awful lot of people who have been barracking for the Holden brand over the last ten years or so haven’t actually been buying the product for whatever reason.

“It’s a fact of life that a lot of people have been turning up to watch the races and

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There are 16 Holdens on the grid in 2020.

not the brand. It’s something we’re very aware of.

“Times change, and we’ve got to change with them.”

While Supercars continues to pursue new manufacturers, some team owners insist that cost containment must be at the core of Gen3, particularly the use of control parts, so teams can survive and thrive without manufacturer backing.

“If it’s Camaro, it’s just got to be a shell; let’s not over-complicate things,” says Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt.

“It can have a control engine and control uprights and controlled all sorts of stuff.

“Let’s keep it nice and

simple so we’ve got reliability, we’ve got everything the same, we’re not changing too much.

“It needs to be an incredible, reliable car and all that.

Just leave it the same so we’ve 24 cars racing. Leave it the same and just change the shell so we can get a twodoor car on.

“The use of spec or common or restricted components in a lot of what’s underneath, it’s not relevant.

The fans don’t necessarily know and it’s not relevant to the racing.”

Gen3, therefore, shapes as a vital decision over whether Supercars can attract new manufacturers with a technical platform that better fits

two-door coupes rather than sedans, or moves towards more of a control formula.

DJR Team Penske team principal Ryan Story writes in his first column for SupercarXtra Magazine: “As we go through the process of designing the next round of regulations, one thing I will continually fight for is that we remain family friendly and extremely entertaining.

We must respect the purists and our rusted on red and blue supporters who have grown up with the sport as well as seek to bring in the next generation of fans with close, exciting racing.”

Find out more on Gen3 in our feature from page 30.

“THE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THE CAR INDUSTRY ON A WIDER BASIS ARE NOT MADE IN AUSTRALIA – THEY’RE MADE IN JAPAN OR DETROIT OR GERMANY.” – ROLAND DANE SUPERCAR XTRA

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RACING SUSPENDED

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has forced the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship to suspend rounds and delay its 2020 season.

T

he Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has postponed events at Symmons Plains, Hampton Downs and Barbagallo due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Tyrepower Tasmania Super400 (April 3-5), ITM Auckland Super400 (April 24-26) and the Perth SuperNight (May 15-17) will all be rescheduled for later in the year.

The pandemic has forced a shutdown of events across the globe, including the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix.

Supercars CEO Sean Seamer provided the following statement: “Today, on behalf of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship, I want to provide an update on our plan for managing the 2020 championship during the months ahead.

“We have been working diligently to assess all available options to ensure continuity of the series.

“Obviously, the situation is evolving, but we acknowledge the need to act decisively with the information we have at hand.

“Our sport is a visceral experience and rather than run without crowds, we have decided, along with our key

8

broadcast and government partners, to delay any further racing until June.

“Tasmania, Auckland and Perth events will all be postponed until later in the year, not cancelled. Fortunately, our calendar this year enables us to do this.

“Supercars’ priority is to deliver the 14 round 2020 championship for our fans and partners, irrespective of the dates. Bathurst will obviously proceed on its scheduled date. We have a plan for how we can make that happen and will begin

discussions with all of our stakeholders over the coming days to lock this in.

“We anticipate that we will be able to formalise and communicate this plan within the next few weeks.

In the meantime, we are unique and fortunate in that we are able to simulate our racing via eSports.

“So, between now and late June, Supercars will host, via Twitch, Fox Sports and Kayo, an eSeries Championship where fans will get to see our stars battle it out in a virtual world while we wait

to go racing again for real.

“Our new annual behind the scenes docuseries, ‘The Inside Line- A Season with Erebus Motorsport’, will ensure that, in conjunction with our eSeries, Supercars and its stars stay in our fans’ living rooms over the coming days and weeks. Eight episodes of this series will be available from March 30 on Foxtel, Fox Sports and Kayo.

“We wish our fans, partners and people all the best through these challenging times.”

Stay tuned to SupercarXtra.com.au for updates.

The 2020 Australian Grand Prix was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

SUPERCAR XTRA

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Two-time Virgin Australia Supercars Championship winner Scott McLaughlin is set to move to North America on a full-time basis in 2021, facilitated by Team Penske and defying expectations with a switch to IndyCars.

S

cott McLaughlin’s career path defied the normal trend to Supercars. While many drivers spent time in open-wheel cars in between go-karts and touring cars, the New Zealander moved from go-karts straight into a Supercar at 16 years of age. Now he stands on the brink of a full-time move into IndyCar racing; remarkable considering his lack of time in an open-wheeler.

McLaughlin tested a Team Penske IndyCar at Circuit of the Americas and Texas Motor Speedway in the off-season, impressing with the third quickest time at the former. He was scheduled to make his debut at the Indianapolis GP in May , though the coronavirus pandemic looked set to delay that.

The 26-year-old New Zealander impressed Team Penske with his recordbreaking run in Supercars, though many expected McLaughlin to be given an opportunity in NASCAR rather than IndyCar. His immediate speed in an IndyCar opened the door for the racing opportunity in 2020.

“Scott has experienced tremendous success in Supercars over the last three seasons with DJR Team Penske, and we believe his talent and his drive will continue to shine behind the wheel of an IndyCar,” said Team Penske owner Roger Penske.

10

Scott McLaughlin testing Team Penske’s IndyCar.

McLaughlin described his first drive of an IndyCar as “just like a dream”.

“This is an amazing opportunity; to race against some of the best open wheel drivers in the world on one of the most historic tracks in motorsports,” he added.

“It’s a driver’s dream to get a chance to race an IndyCar for Team Penske.”

Having won two championships and a Bathurst 1000, McLaughlin has said he has ticked all the boxes in Supercars with DJR Team Penske resigned to the fact

he will be leaving at the end of 2020.

“We’ve just got to make the most of him in this year’s championship, because he’s obviously US-bound,” said DJR Team Penske co-owner Dick Johnson.

“He has got a pretty good chance of it the way he has acquitted himself, and bear in mind that he had never even put his backside in one of those cars before. It’s pretty special.

“It is totally different, but when you can drive a motor car of any sort, that’s what a real driver is.

“He seems to be able to extract different things out of a car that others can’t.”

McLaughlin’s move would mirror that of Marcos Ambrose in the mid-2000s.

Ambrose also won back-toback championships for Ford in Supercars before moving to North America to race in NASCAR.

Team Penske is the benchmark team in IndyCars.

SUPERCAR XTRA

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While the focus has been on Scott McLaughlin’s future beyond Supercars, closest rivals Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen have already committed to Triple Eight Race Engineering for 2021.

J

amie Whincup ended speculation over his future in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship by re-signing with Triple Eight Race Engineering for 2021.

Speculation had been mounting that the 37-yearold seven-time Supercars champion would retire from full-time driving in 2020, though he put a stop to such talk by recommitting to the team alongside teammate Shane van Gisbergen.

“My addiction for racing, speed and trying to beat my mates to the finish line started when I was seven years old,” said Whincup.

“Any thought of finishing full-time driving this year doesn’t sit well with me. I feel I have plenty to offer this sport from behind the wheel.

“While my full focus is on this year’s championship and delivering results for our teammates, sponsors and Red Bull Holden fan base, it’s great to know that all the fun will continue well into 2021.”

Whincup, who owns a 15 per cent stake in Triple Eight Race Engineering, admits he did ponder his future before signing his new deal.

“I just asked myself the question,” he said.

“To get back up and try and run with some of the best drivers in the country and the world, there’s a question to be asked once you get over 35.

Jamie Whincup will drive on in Supercars in 2021.

“I’ve got to consider the team as well; I’ve got to make sure that I’m the best person for the #88 car.

“The day I’m not, I’m happy to let it go. But I think I’m the best person for the job this year and next year.”

Van Gisbergen, meanwhile, has committed to the team on a multi-year deal, locking in the combination for a sixth consecutive season in 2021.

“It’s been an awesome few years with the Red Bull Holden Racing Team, and honestly there wasn’t much thought put into extending my contract for a few more years,” he said.

“I absolutely love this place and all the people in it, and the future looks exciting

with the changes that look to be put in place.

“I feel Triple Eight are the right team to help me challenge for the drivers’ championship again, and obviously with Jamie extending his contract, we’re hopeful we can reclaim the teams’ championship.

“It’s always good to have someone like ‘JDub’ by your side. We get along well together and he’s still as

capable of being the fastest driver on the grid.

“It’s amazing to think that his driving is still at his peak level, so I think it’s a fantastic decision for him to keep competing.”

While Triple Eight Race Engineering works away on a future beyond Holden and the Commodore, it has at the least locked in arguably the strongest driver pairing in Supercars.

“I’VE GOT TO CONSIDER THE TEAM AS WELL; I’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT I’M THE BEST PERSON FOR THE #88 CAR.” – JAMIE WHINCUP SUPERCAR XTRA

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Alexandre Prémat joins Tickford Racing in 2020.

The field for the 2020 PIRTEK Enduro Cup is taking shape with the offseason moves headlined by reigning Bathurst 1000-winning co-driver Alexandre Prémat finding a new home at Tickford Racing.

T

he 2020 PIRTEK Enduro Cup doesn’t begin until September – at The Bend Motorsport Park for the first 500km endurance event at the South Australian circuit – but the field for the long-distance events is all but sorted.

Reigning Bathurst 1000 champions DJR Team Penske has broken up the winning combination of Scott McLaughlin and Alexandre Prémat, signing former Brad Jones Racing full-timer Tim Slade to partner McLaughlin with Fabian Coulthard once again joined by Tony D’Alberto.

Prémat moves to another Ford team at Tickford Racing,

12

completing an enduro line-up that will also feature Michael Caruso and James Moffat.

In the 23 Red Racing entry, Jack Perkins joins from Walkinshaw Andretti United to partner Will Davison.

Triple Eight Race Engineering won the 2019 PIRTEK Enduro Cup with Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes and retains the same line-up with Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander also reuniting in 2020.

Elsewhere, there’s been a jockeying for places following a frantic off-season of moves amongst the full-time entrants.

Team 18 features an all-new line-up following the retirement of Steven

Richards. Mark Winterbottom is joined by ex-Garry Rogers Motorsport driver James Golding, while Dean Fiore moves from Kelly Racing to team with Scott Pye. Bathurst 1000 winner Luke Youlden announced his retirement from driving at the end of 2019, with his spot alongside David Reynolds at Erebus Motorsport filled by Will Brown. Brodie Kostecki will partner Anton De Pasquale on the other side of the garage.

All three Kosteckis will be on the grid in the PIRTEK Enduro Cup with Kurt Kostecki teaming up with Bryce Fullwood at Walkinshaw Andretti United and Jake Kostecki partnering with Zane Goddard in the Matt

Stone Racing entry they will share across the 2020 season.

Thomas Randle moves from Tickford Racing to Brad Jones Racing to partner Nick Percat, while David Russell returns after missing the 2019 season alongside Garry Jacobson at Matt Stone Racing.

The 2020 PIRTEK Enduro Cup gets underway with the OTR The Bend 500 on September 18 to 20, continues to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on October 8 to 11 and concludes with the Vodafone Gold Coast 600 on October 30 to November 1.

Keep logging on to SupercarXtra.com.au for the latest PIRTEK Enduro Cup news.

SUPERCAR XTRA

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W E A book on an epic scale worthy of Garrie Cooper!

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23/3/20 5:22am pm 17/3/20 11:47

EXPERT INSIGHT

ON

THE STORY WITHIN Column by Ryan Story

HOLDEN AND WHAT’S NEXT

I

’ve been a Ford man since before I could walk. I think if you cut me, I’d bleed blue. But when the news came through that Holden was shutting up shop after 72 years of selling cars in Australia, I was absolutely gutted.

Losing an iconic Australian brand like Holden is a travesty, and honestly, a national tragedy. Holden was always the working man’s car. I think there’s no greater truism, demonstrated by the fact that the champion of the working class, Prime Minister Ben Chifley, was the man that opened the Holden factory way back in 1948.

So where did it all go wrong? I think it started to go pear-shaped a few years ago when Holden’s marketing department stopped focusing on their core market and started looking wider. They employed chefs, fashion designers and social media ‘influencers’ as ambassadors and slowly but surely turned their backs on the tried and true ‘there’s nothing more Australian than football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars’, which in itself was a repurposed GM campaign from the US! I’m all for equality and inclusion, but that rainbow liveried VF Commodore at the Australian Grand Prix in 2017 was a sign that Holden’s marketing team had ‘jumped the shark’. So it came to pass, Holden ceased manufacturing at the end

14

“LOSING AN ICONIC AUSTRALIAN BRAND LIKE HOLDEN IS A TRAVESTY, AND HONESTLY, A NATIONAL TRAGEDY.” of that year, introduced the European Opel Insignia as the new Commodore ZB, when they should have retired the nameplate like Ford did with Falcon, and it all went downhill from there.

It’s a damned shame.

In only 10 short years, Holden went from kings of the GM empire with the launch of the VE on the worldwide ‘Zeta’ architecture, to gone. Astounding.

They will be missed by all of us, on the road, the racetrack and in showrooms and garages alike.

The 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship season is underway, and the Shell V-Power Racing Team has gotten off to a solid start, with Scott McLaughlin winning the Adelaide 500 for the second year running. We have a good base on which to build our title defence.

I’m certain this is going to be a season to remember, as the results show that it’s going to be tight on track and tough to get a result. As it should be.

Supercars took two goes to get the aero parity right.

To their credit, they realised they didn’t have it down after the first testing and made the decision to do it again. I have to give Sean Seamer, Adrian Burgess and their team kudos in that regard. And so far, so good.

Supercars racing should be scrappy, hard-fought and highly entertaining to watch.

This year especially, if you make a mistake or qualify poorly, you will be punished dearly for it. Whoever makes the least mistakes on track as well as in pitlane will surely take home the grand prize.

Holden’s demise means that we are now at a critical

juncture. I am fiercely proud of this sport. As a result, I am extremely passionate about the direction of Supercars and ensuring that we ‘futureproof’ it.

As we go through the process of designing the next round of regulations, one thing I will continually fight for is that we remain family friendly and extremely entertaining. We must respect the purists and our rusted on red and blue supporters who have grown up with the sport as well as seek to bring in the next generation of fans with close, exciting racing. Not to mention great personalities in the driver’s seat. Every sport thrives off having heroes and villains, and we’ve lost a bit of that over the years.

I know we can do it.

Watch this space.

– Ryan

SUPERCAR XTRA

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14

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18644

1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior

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1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat

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Delivery Date________________________

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18644

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18654

1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat

Scheduled Production

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3 sizes scale 1:18 $179 +p&h scale 1:43 $39.99 +p&h SOLD OUT 2 scale 1:64 $19.95 +p&h Item No.

Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID___________________________

Order No.__________________________

Rep Name__________________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date________________________

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

Orders can be made by: Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

November DELIVERIES

2 Qtr 2018

nd

nd

W/S $

RRP $

149.00

259.00

149.00

259.00

Order Qty

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

03 9370 6755 Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

VISIT STORE: Shop 2 / 30 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY November DELIVERIES

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2 Qtr 2018

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017 CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

Due

750

1,000

Orders can be made by:

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

ITEM NO.

Scheduled Production

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

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18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017

ITEM NO.

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY 23/3/20 5:22pm pm 17/3/20 12:02

OO

EXPERT INSIGHT

BEYOND THE WHEEL Column by Mark Winterbottom

MOVING INTO GEN3

A

s one of the more recent movers between Ford and Holden, I’ve seen that there’s still a massive following for the car brands.

All sports need heroes and villains as part of their rivalries, and the key one in Supercars was Ford versus Holden. It was no different to Australia versus New Zealand in rugby, Collingwood versus Carlton in Aussie rules.

Over time things have changed slightly with the drivers and teams becoming a bigger focus, and perhaps it will continue to move in that direction with the end of Holden, but there’s still that Ford versus Holden element.

Diehard Holden fans won’t suddenly start supporting Ford drivers and teams, though there needs to be something to fill the void left by Holden and the Commodore.

While Supercars moves into a new direction with the Gen3 rules, I’m confident it won’t become a one-make series and we will still be racing cars that look and sound like the ones we associate with the category.

The cars must look attractive, to the point where fans are determined to come out and watch them being raced and aspire to own the roadgoing versions.

The arrival of the Ford Mustang proved that; a racing version of a twodoor coupe that made an

16

“WHILE SUPERCARS MOVES INTO A NEW DIRECTION WITH THE GEN3 RULES, I’M CONFIDENT IT WON’T BECOME A ONE-MAKE SERIES AND WE WILL STILL BE RACING CARS THAT LOOK AND SOUND LIKE THE ONES WE ASSOCIATE WITH THE CATEGORY.” impression on the Australian marketplace.

Since then, the Holden ZB Commodore has looked a bit outdated. If Gen3 can better accommodate two-door coupes, then Supercars could look really cool with Mustangs racing Camaros along with other similar models.

The history of Australian touring cars is filled with these sort of performance vehicles, from the Monaros and Falcons to the Toranas and Commodores. The Mustang and Camaro are perfect fits for Supercars.

The key is to build around the core strengths of Supercars: close racing,

an entertaining product and cars that appeal to the fans.

Racing variations of what we have is more suitable than most alternatives.

While there are some great categories out there, none have the sort of level of competition, entertainment value and closeness that sets Supercars apart.

We wouldn’t want to see Supercars go down the GT route, where the ‘Balance of Performance’ (BoP) plays such an important role in the overall results, the cars aren’t pushed like a Supercar and can’t be repaired as quickly or as cheaply.

It’s hard for all teams to

have the infrastructure to build their own cars, so the customer-car template works quite well for the likes of Team 18. But the reality is the cars are just too expensive.

They need to be cheaper by getting rid of the things that aren’t essential to the end product and moving to more control parts, like the damper, uprights and so on.

Then teams can buy those parts from the same suppliers, and with a good driver, engineer and crew, you can go out there and fight for the championship. That’s what I’d like to see. And hopefully that is at the core of Gen3.

– Frosty

SUPERCAR XTRA

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23/3/20 5:22pm pm 16/3/20 12:26

Su

26 pm

ORDER YOUR MODEL TODAY ORDER YOUR MODEL TODAY NEW 2019 supErcar modEl

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1000

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CRAIG LOWNDES: NEW ZEALAND 2018 NATIONAL STORAGENEW #888 HOLDEN2018 3 sizes 3ZB sizes CRAIG LOWNDES: CRAIG LOWNDES: NEW3RDZEALAND ZEALAND 2018 shane van gisBeRgen’s Jamie Whincup’s scale 1:18 $179 +p&h scale 1:18SCALE $179 1:18 +p&h DELIVERED QUARTER OF 2019 COMMODORE $179 +p&h NATIONAL STORAGE ZB scale 1:43 $39.99 +p&h 2019 Red Bull holden Racing Team scale 2019 Red Bull holden#888 RacingHOLDEN Team NATIONAL STORAGE #888 HOLDEN ZB 1:43 $39.99 +p&h November DELIVERIES scale 1:64 $19.95 +p&h $19.95 1:18 +p&h holden zB commodoRe Resin 3RD 2019 COMMODORE #88 holden zBDELIVERED commodoRe Resin OF $179 SCALE 1:18 DELIVERED 3RD QUARTER QUARTER OFscale 2019 1:64SCALE COMMODORE $179#97+p&h +p&h November DELIVERIES Form November 2017 - Order The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd Novembe November 2017 -- Order Form ThePosition following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd Novembe November 2017 Order Form VISIT STORE: Shop 2 / 30 Holmes Road, APPOINTMENT ONLY Customer___Pole P/L Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039 BY Debtor ID___________________ November 2017 - Order Form No.1

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Order Date___December 02, 2017

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ORDER YOUR MODEL TODAY 6755 03 9370 Orders can be made by:

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

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Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017 ∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

03 9370 6755 Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017 ∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

November 2017 - Ord www.podium-gear.myshopify.com AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY www.podium-gear.myshopify.com AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY 18636 Falcon GT-HO III 1000 - Lowndes 1000 www.podium-gear.myshopify.com 18612 1/18 1/18 Retro HoldenFord VS XY Commodore – 1997Phase Bathurst / Murphy 750 November DELIVERIES

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ITEM NO.

SX116 p01-33.indd 17 Lowndes 170x230.indd Supersprint Livery

17

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

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18636

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1000

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ITEM NO.

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Item No. Item

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1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

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N N N N

EXPERT INSIGHT

RIGHT ON TRACK

Column by Craig Lowndes

FAREWELLING HOLDEN

T

he news that Holden will be retired in Australia came as a massive shock. We knew that the Commodore would cease to exist at the end of this year, but we thought Holden would carry on with another right-hand drive vehicle. After all these years, it’s difficult to comprehend that the Holden brand will be gone.

I’ve had the majority of victories in my career with Holden, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to represent the brand for as long as I have.

I grew up in a Holden

18

“YOU HEAR SOME GREAT STORIES OF PEOPLE SO LOYALLY CONNECTED WITH HOLDEN FOR SO MANY YEARS. AND THAT’S THE THING THAT WE’LL SORELY MISS.” family. It was my dream to drive for the factory-backed Holden team, and to be part of it from 1994 to 2000 was very special, especially alongside the Holden legend in Peter Brock.

It was an amazing time in my life. It gave me my start in Australian touring cars and allowed me to set the foundations for what I’ve done since.

Thinking back on those days, you probably wouldn’t ever think that Holden’s demise was possible, knowing how strong a brand it was and how iconic the name was throughout Australia. We’ve got to understand that times change.

When drivers changed between Holden and Ford, like I did in 2001, we saw that the manufacturer

allegiances could change as drivers and teams became a bigger focus. However, I and many others grew up on Holden versus Ford, red versus blue, and that still remains at the foundation of the sport, especially at Bathurst. It’s such a shame to lose that element in Supercars.

Returning to Holden with Triple Eight Race Engineering in 2010 felt great, and the team enjoyed great success right away and into the various rule changes that followed. But, again, times have changed and the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” saying doesn’t necessarily apply today.

Now, Supercars has been forced to fast-track the Gen3 rules and we wait and see what will happen. If we can get Gen3 up and running, then hopefully that will entice other manufacturers to get involved. We also need to make sure that we keep the focus on the entertainment package because the racing we have right now is probably at its best, regardless of the brand on the front of the cars.

At this time, I feel for the Holden dealers and the families that have been involved with the brand for such a long time. You hear some great stories of people so loyally connected with Holden for so many years.

And that’s the thing that we’ll sorely miss.

– Craig

SUPERCAR XTRA

SX116 p01-33.indd 18 SX116 p18 Lowndes Column.indd

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23/3/20 5:22 pm pm Re 16/3/20 12:25

COMMEMORATING THE COMMODORES

Red Bull Holden Racing Team 2019

November 2017 - Order Form No

Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID_______________________

Order No.__________________________

Rep Name______________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date____________________

Item No.

Scheduled Production

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

Due nd

750

2 Qtr 2018

1,000

2 Qtr 2018

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149.00

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Orders can be made by:

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

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November DELIVERIES

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2 ITEM NO.

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

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wHincuP

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3 izes JAMIE WHINCUP'S 2019 RED BULL scale 1:18 $179 +p&h SCALE 1:18 scale 1:43 $39.99 +p&h SOLD OUT HOLDEN RACING TEAM #88 HOLDEN 2 scale 1:64 $19.95 +p&h Customer___Pole Position P/L

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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

750

2 Qtr 2018

1,000

2 Qtr 2018

nd

W/S $

RRP $

149.00

259.00

149.00

259.00

$179 AUD + p&h nd

Order Qty

Orders can be made by:

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

November 2017 - Order Form No.1

3 sizes shane vanVAN gisBeRgen’s scale 1:18 $179 +p&h SHANE GISBERGEN'S 2019 RED SCALE scale 1:43 $39.99 2019 Red Bull holden Racing Team +p&h1:18 BULL HOLDEN RACINGResin TEAMscale #971:64 $19.95 +p&h SOLD OUT 2 #97 holden zB commodoRe Item No.

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

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Delivery Date________________________

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18644

1/18 1966 Pony Mustang – Wimbledon White with Red Interior

18654

1/18 Holden VK Commodore – 1986 Wellington 500 Winner Brock / Moffat

HOLDEN ZB COMMODORE RESIN

Scheduled Production

Due

750

2 Qtr 2018

1,000

2 Qtr 2018

nd

W/S $

RRP $

149.00

259.00

149.00

259.00

Order Qty

$179 AUD + p&h nd

Orders can be made by:

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

03 9370 6755 Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

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The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017 CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

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Order No.__________________________

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

ITEM NO.

Customer___Pole Position P/L

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017

ITEM NO.

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

AVAILABILITY

AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY 18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

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HOLDEN

HOLDEN IN MEMORIAM

IMAGES Autopics.com.au, Holden Motorsport, Justin Deeley, Peter Norton

From saddlery manufacturing in Adelaide in 1856, Holden grew into an Australian automotive giant. The news of its impending demise wasn’t unexpected, given its dwindling sales in recent years, but it was still felt acutely not only within Supercars but across Australia. This is the story of Holden’s journey in Australian touring cars, from the formative years to the present.

IN THE BEGINNING ▼

The Australian Touring Car Championship was born at Gnoo Blas in New South Wales in 1960. The race, the first to be run under Appendix J regulations, featured 44 cars, 23 of which were Holdens, the majority the 48-215 (FX). It set the tone for the future of the championship, with Holden not only a constant presence but often having the most cars on the grid.

Six decades on, Holden still contributes more than half of the cars on the grid with 16 of 24 cars in 2020.

THE FIRST BATHURST 

The Armstrong 500 moved from Phillip Island to Bathurst in 1963, marking the beginning of what became Australia’s ‘Great Race’. Holden was present on the grid in an unofficial capacity with six EH S4s and an older model FB. The EH S4 of Ralph Sach and Fred Morgan finished in second place, one lap behind the winning Ford Cortina Mk.I GT of Bob Jane and Harry Firth.

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THE FIRST BATHURST WIN ▲

Ford gained the ascendancy in the early years of the Bathurst 500, with Harry Firth leading the Blue Oval’s factory-backed team. Holden answered the challenge from 1968, with the privately entered HK Monaro GTS327 of Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland prevailing over its more fancied opponents.

Holden’s first Bathurst win was part of a podium sweep for the Monaro.

ARRIVAL OF THE HOLDEN DEALER TEAM

Holden committed to Australian touring cars with the creation of the Holden Dealer Team. But with Generals Motors not allowing its manufacturers to race in an official capacity, Holden garnered the support of its dealer network to overcome

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that limitation. Harry Firth moved from Ford to spearhead the new Holden team, which won the 1969 Bathurst 500 with Colin Bond and Tony Roberts in a HT Monaro GTS350.

THE FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP WIN ▼

Ford ruled the Australian Touring Car Championship when it switched from Appendix J to Improved Production, with the Mustang winning five consecutive titles. That run came to an end in 1970 with Norm Beechey winning the championship in the HT Monaro GTS350, Holden’s response to not only the Mustang but also Ford’s success with the locally-derived Falcon.

The Monaro became a cult classic for Holden, with the twodoor coupe the fitting winner of Holden’s first championship and Bathurst.

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THE ARRIVAL OF PETER BROCK ▲

Holden entrants switched from the Monaro to the Torana into the 1970s, coinciding with the rise of the Holden Dealer Team and the arrival of Peter Brock. Brock scored a podium in his Bathurst debut in 1969 and, three years later, won the event singlehandedly in a dominant display in wet conditions in 1972. By the time he added a championship win in 1974, Brock had emerged as Holden’s number one.

HOLDEN VERSUS FORD ▼

The 1970s was a period of extraordinary growth for Australian touring cars, with the introduction of the locally-derived Group C rules and Bathurst’s change to 1000kms in 1973. At the foundation of that was the battle between Holden and Ford, the Torana and Falcon and Peter Brock and Allan Moffat. Holden

24

and Ford traded championship and Bathurst wins. And while Ford’s support wavered in this period, the support of Holden’s dealer network kept the Holden Dealer Team going. Even when Brock moved away from the team to privateer entries, he and Holden kept winning.

THE TORANA YEARS ▼

The Torana won four championships and five Bathurst 500/1000s during the 1970s. There were various iterations of the mid-sized car, from the LJ Torana GTR XU-1 driven by Peter Brock to victory at Bathurst in 1972 to the LX Torana A9X SS that Brock and Jim Richards drove to a six-lap win at Bathurst in 1979. The Torana was discontinued in 1979, at the end of a decade in which it helped Holden cement its market strength in Australia.

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THE BIRTH OF THE COMMODORE ▲

The Commodore replaced the Torana as Holden’s racer in 1980.

The four-door sedan would prove a more equivalent rival for Ford’s Falcon, leading to a new chapter for the Holden and Ford rivalry. The two brands still shared the majority of the market share, though the arrival of new makes and cars from overseas would change the landscape. The Commodore made a winning debut with Peter Brock claiming the championship and Bathurst double in 1980.

THE COMMODORE YEARS ▼

Peter Brock was instrumental in the success of the Commodore, just as he was with the Torana. Brock won four Bathursts from five attempts with the Commodore between 1980 and 1984.

The 1984 win was the most memorable with the famed VK Commodore, giving Holden a winning end to the Group C era.

THE UNDERDOG YEARS ▲

The international-based Group A rules that Australian touring cars ran from 1985 to 1992 didn’t suit Holden. The manufacturer struggled to compete against the international specials that dominated the era, such as the Ford Sierra RS500 and Nissan Skyline BNR32 GT-R, leaving Holden without a championship win under those rules. There were three underdog wins for Holden at Bathurst in 1986, 1987 and 1990. The 1987 victory came in the midst of an ugly split between Holden and Peter Brock that led to the demise of the Holden Dealer Team.

BIRTH OF THE HOLDEN RACING TEAM

Following the demise of the Holden Dealer Team, a new factory-backed team emerged in the shape of the Holden Racing Team, in a union between Tom Walkinshaw and Holden that also formed Holden Special Vehicles. After initially being run

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HOLDEN

by Perkins Engineering, the Holden Racing Team then came under the leadership of Win Percy on Walkinshaw’s behalf. A surprise win at Bathurst in 1990 legitimised the team and set the foundations for the success that would come under more favourable regulations in the coming years.

THE V8 ERA ▲

The Australian Touring Car Championship and Bathurst 1000 moved away from the Group A rules at the end of 1992 and created a V8-only formula featuring Holden Commodores and Ford Falcons from 1993. The new category was built around the popularity of Holden and Ford in the marketplace, with the two manufacturers becoming instrumental to what became known as Supercars to the present day. Holden contributed the majority of cars on the grid in 1993, a numerical dominance that continued throughout the V8 era.

and 2002, the Holden Racing Team won six drivers’ championships. Craig Lowndes won three titles between 1996 and 1999, emerging as Peter Brock’s protégé to become the new Holden hero. Lowndes moved to Ford in 2001, by which time Mark Skaife had become the leader of the Holden Racing Team. Skaife won three titles in a row between 2000 and 2002, also winning Bathurst in 2001 and 2002. When the Holden Racing Team stuttered under ownership wrangles, the HSV Dealer Team sister operation picked up the pieces with two Bathurst 1000 wins (as Kmart Racing) in 2003 and 2004 and two championship wins in 2006 and 2007.

THE HOLDEN RACING TEAM YEARS ▼

Holden mastered the team-manufacturer partnership with the Holden Racing Team in the 1990s and 2000s. Between 1996

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THE ARRIVAL OF TRIPLE EIGHT ▼

Holden gained the ascendancy over Ford with Triple Eight Race Engineering’s switch in 2010, taking over the mantle of Holden’s leading team from the Holden Racing Team. The arrival of the then dominators of Supercars cemented Holden’s strength over Ford, leading to a successful relationship that led to the team becoming the sole factory team seven years later.

Holden and Triple Eight celebrated their union with a one-two formation finish at Bathurst in 2010.

THE TRIPLE EIGHT YEARS ▲

Triple Eight Race Engineering gained exclusive factory support from Holden in 2017, taking over the Holden Racing Team name. It was a reward for its dominant performances since making the switch to Holden in 2010, particularly in contrast to the decline of the team that once held the Holden Racing Team name. Triple Eight has won Holden’s last six drivers’ championship titles and four of its last seven Bathurst 1000 wins since 2010.

THE LAST AUSTRALIAN COMMODORE ▼

When Matt Stone Racing’s Todd Hazelwood drove his VF Commodore across the finish line in 21st place in the last race of the 2018 season in Newcastle, it marked the end of an era for the Commodore. Hazelwood was the last driver to race an Australian-designed Commodore in Supercars, with the VF

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phased out by the ZB into 2019. Keeping the Commodore nameplate on the imported model would prove to be a fateful decision that contributed to the demise of Holden. Due to poor sales figures, Holden announced that the Commodore would be discontinued in late 2019.

THE END

General Motors announced the retirement of the Holden brand just days before the start of the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. With its sales figures continuing to plummet and the Commodore already axed, the news was inevitable. But, in a cruel twist, it was announced in a week when the season was starting in Adelaide, South Australia, where Holden was not only born but housed. Fittingly, Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Jamie Whincup gave Holden a winning start to its final season, just a couple of kilometres away from where James Alexander Holden first established the company that became known as Holden.

Year

Drivers

1968 1969 1972 1975 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1990 1993 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2009 2010 2011 2012 2015 2016 2017 2018

Bruce McPhee/Barry Mulholland Colin Bond/Tony Roberts Peter Brock Peter Brock/Brian Sampson Bob Morris/John Fitzpatrick Peter Brock/Jim Richards Peter Brock/Jim Richards Peter Brock/Jim Richards Peter Brock/Larry Perkins Peter Brock/Larry Perkins/John Harvey Peter Brock/Larry Perkins Allan Grice/Graeme Bailey Peter Brock/Peter McLeod/David Parsons Win Percy/Allan Grice Larry Perkins/Gregg Hansford Larry Perkins/Russell Ingall Craig Lowndes/Greg Murphy Larry Perkins/Russell Ingall Steven Richards/Greg Murphy Garth Tander/Jason Bargwanna Mark Skaife/Tony Longhurst Mark Skaife/Jim Richards Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly Mark Skaife/Todd Kelly Garth Tander/Will Davison Craig Lowndes/Mark Skaife Garth Tander/Nick Percat Jamie Whincup/Paul Dumbrell Craig Lowndes/Steven Richards Will Davison/Jonathon Webb David Reynolds/Luke Youlden Craig Lowndes/Steven Richards

28

Team

Wyong Motors Pty Ltd Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Gown - Hindhaugh Ron Hodgson Motors Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Roadways Racing Holden Dealer Team Holden Racing Team Perkins Engineering Perkins Engineering Holden Racing Team Perkins Engineering Gibson Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Kmart Racing Kmart Racing Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Triple Eight Race Engineering Holden Racing Team Triple Eight Race Engineering Triple Eight Race Engineering Tekno Autosports Erebus Motorsport Triple Eight Race Engineering

Car

HK Monaro GTS327 HT Monaro GTS350 LJ Torana GTR XU-1 LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 LX Torana A9X SS LX Torana A9X SS VC Commodore VH Commodore SS VH Commodore SS VK Commodore VK Commodore SS Group A VL Commodore SS Group A VL Commodore SS Group A SV VP Commodore VR Commodore VR Commodore VS Commodore VT Commodore VT Commodore VX Commodore VX Commodore VY Commodore VY Commodore VZ Commodore VE Commodore VE Commodore VE Commodore VE Commodore VF Commodore VF Commodore VF Commodore ZB Commodore

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HOLDEN’S AUSTRALIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP/SUPERCARS CHAMPIONS

Year

Driver

Team

Car

1970 1974 1975 1978 1979 1980 1994 1996 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2006 2007 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016 2017

Norm Beechey Peter Brock Colin Bond Peter Brock Bob Morris Peter Brock Mark Skaife Craig Lowndes Craig Lowndes Craig Lowndes Mark Skaife Mark Skaife Mark Skaife Rick Kelly Garth Tander Jamie Whincup Jamie Whincup Jamie Whincup Jamie Whincup Shane van Gisbergen Jamie Whincup

Norm Beechey Shell Racing Team Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Holden Dealer Team Ron Hodgson Channel 7 Racing Holden Dealer Team Gibson Motorsport Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team HSV Dealer Team HSV Dealer Team Triple Eight Race Engineering Triple Eight Race Engineering Triple Eight Race Engineering Triple Eight Race Engineering Triple Eight Race Engineering Triple Eight Race Engineering

HT Monaro GTS350 LJ Torana GTR XU-1/LH Torana SL/R 5000 LH Torana SL/R 5000 L34 LX Torana SS A9X LX Torana SS A9X VB Commodore VP Commodore VR Commodore VS/VT Commodore VS/VT Commodore VT Commodore VX Commodore VX Commodore VZ Commodore VE Commodore VE Commodore VE Commodore VF Commodore VF Commodore VF Commodore VF Commodore

Norm Beechey, Holden’s first championship winner.

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GEN3 RULES

WORDS Andrew Clarke IMAGES James Baker, Glenis Lindley

The news of Holden’s demise has put the spotlight on Supercars’ future plans, namely the Gen3 rules. With the departure of the manufacturers that entered under the Car of the Future and without Holden and the Commodore beyond this season, Gen3 shapes as vital for the future of the category.

T

here has never been a more important time for Supercars to get it right. Holden is gone, and Gen3 is coming. Get it wrong, and it could be over. Nail it, and the world is Supercars’ oyster.

That can only happen if you understand what matters, and that, reader, is you. Not the manufacturers, not the engineers or the drivers, not the television companies or any other stakeholder… you.

What is pretty clear is that the engineer-driven

30

part of the sport is likely to take a back seat to control components and simplicity.

The requirement to find the $3 million per car needed to be competitive has to be cut, and steps have been made that improve the racing without affecting the spectacle. But some more big changes are coming; and as much as they are needed, we have to hope they get it right.

Pitlane is mostly unified, but it is the points of difference that will generate the debate as the Supercars commission and the Gen3 committee settle on the way forward.

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“If you look at the Trans-Am cars, I think they’re only about $150,000, but they look like a Camaro,” says Team 18 owner Charlie Schwerkolt.

“I think we need to be a bit more sophisticated than that, but we can learn.

“We’ll clearly be racing something and it’ll look good, it’ll sound good, it will have the noise and the excitement. And all the fans are going to love the way these cars are going to look. I’m quite confident of that.

“There’s a whole lot of reasons why the costs have got to come down for sustainability, but you’ve got to do this smartly and cleverly. If we go to a control V8 engine, there’s got to be some good savings to do that. No one could give a rat’s about it so long as the racing is good.

“The same with controlled uprights, the fans don’t really care. All they want is close racing; noise, the smell of fuel while bending panels and a few crashes.

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GEN3 RULES

ABOVE & LEFT:

Kelly Racing’s switch to the Mustang left just Ford and Holden on the grid in 2020. Now, with Holden’s departure, it remains to be seen if other manufacturers will join under Gen3.

“We are a small team, just going to two cars this year. We’re not car builders and I don’t want to be a car builder. We need to be a customer of someone.

That’s my model, and that model works. With Gen3, it’s got to be really cost effective and affordable for me to go racing.

“It’s all really interesting at the moment with the demise of Holden. We’ve got to react quickly to keep the sport healthy; for television and sponsors and all that sort of stuff.

“In my opinion, we might have a Gen2.5 before we go to a Gen3, and that could be to fit something like a Camaro or something like that. We might have to go in stages.”

Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports and a key driver behind the current Mustang Supercar, doesn’t think that is such a good idea, nor does he like some of the talk around bringing Gen3 forward a year.

“You can do it (a new body) in a year or so, but to do it right you want to do it longer than that,” he says.

“I think the timing for Gen3 should be 2022, and I think those rules need to solidify by the middle of this year. Do it once, do it right.

“I think it’s getting the proportions right to give the manufacturer some freedoms in the areas where we need it to get the cars on there that we want.

“Even if everybody’s a coupe, not all coupes are the same dimensions when you look at a Mustang

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or a Camaro or a Supra or other manufacturers out there.

“So there’s got to be some freedom in there, some consideration of what manufacturers might bring to make sure you’ve got the flexibility for that.

“The body is part of it, but I think there’s a lot that can be done underneath the car, as well, with the chassis architecture, the powertrain system, and protecting for powertrains of the future, as well.”

It seems inevitable, with the effective death of the family car in favour of SUVs, that Supercars will move away from the platform that has been the mainstay of touring-car racing in Australia, and into a form that supports sportier coupes.

Mustangs, Camaros, Nissan GT-Rs, BMW M4s and the like could race alongside the Kia Stinger, Genesis G80 and Toyota Camrys. Not too many, though; if there are too many manufacturers, there will be a lot that won’t be winning. Triple Eight Race Engineering owner Roland Dane thinks three or four makes of car is the number.

However, as General Motors proved and as Supercars knows from its Car of the Future history, manufacturers come and go.

“Obviously, as someone who’s very aware of the motoring industry on a larger platform on a world basis, the lack of right-hand drives [in Australia] going ahead was a concern,” says Dane on Holden.

“It is what it is. We’re a very small market in Australia, competing for attention against much bigger markets. The decisions that affect the

RIGHT & BELOW:

TCR, GT and Trans-Am are other categories that Supercars could learn from and move closer to as it ponders its future direction into Gen3.

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car industry on a wider basis are not made in Australia, they’re made in Japan or Detroit or Germany.

“If we, collectively as a category, do our homework properly, we can still provide the excitement and the show that people have come to expect over many years.

“Unfortunately, one of the issues is that an awful lot of people who have been barracking for the Holden brand over the last 10 years or so haven’t actually been buying the product for whatever reason.

“It’s a fact of life that a lot of people have been turning up to watch the races and not the brand.

It’s something we’re very aware of. Times change, and we’ve got to change with them.”

Technically, the main challenges to deal with are the roof heights, the ability to clear the front roll hoop, and the wheelbase. These are not easy to overcome, either philosophically or technically when keeping parity in mind.

Dane has a unique take on it all, and while the departure of Holden causes him a few headaches – he is the factory team after all – he doesn’t think it is time to panic.

As an Irishman coming into the series, albeit more than a decade ago, he has a unique viewpoint and he wants to make sure that Gen3 understands that.

“What everyone has to appreciate is that Supercars in Australia have evolved the way they have for a reason,” he says.

“It’s like kangaroos. They’re unique to Australia.

They’re evolved for the local conditions. And the Supercar in Australia has evolved the way it has to suit the environment in which we operate.

“We do far more racing kilometres than any other road racing, touring car series in the world.

We also have expectations of a very high level of

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GEN3 RULES

THE IP QUESTION

Despite previous thoughts, in most circumstances, Supercars doesn’t need the approval of manufacturers to homologate a racing car.

Only cars subject to a registered design in Australia – and there are not that many – are restricted. The current Nissan GT-R is one that is registered; the Camaro and BMW M4 do not appear to have registration in Australia.

“It shouldn’t be a problem with using the body of the car that someone has purchased for whatever purpose that person wants,” an IP (intellectual property) lawyer explains.

“Where you get into trouble is if the appearance of a car or the parts of a car are the subject of a registered design. This is talking

about conduct that occurs in Australia only. But if the appearance of a car is the subject of a registered design, then it gives the rights owner a monopoly over use of that design for the product in question, in this case a car.

“It acts as if you couldn’t make an article or use it by way of trade without the permission of the design owner.

“If you just got a car and you’re going to modify it for racing purposes, it wouldn’t be a problem if the design is not registered. However, I could see an argument that if a car was the subject of a registered design, then getting the body of the car and sticking it onto another car like in Supercars, you’re effectively making a new product, and that is an issue.”

What he sees as the only potential risk is the use of registered marks. For instance, using a car company’s logo and maybe even the name. Otherwise, anything is possible; all you have to do is check the design’s registrations on IP Australia.

safety. We have expectations of a very high level of information, the ability to view it all on television. We have an expectation that the cars can operate practice sessions very quickly, make changes fast and have a lot of action around what we do and not have long periods of inaction.

“That necessitates a car being constructed a certain way. If you look in world terms in the cost of our racing cars today, then they’re “WE’LL CLEARLY not expensive.

“The engines are masBE RACING SOMETHING sively cheaper than they AND IT’LL LOOK GOOD, used to be. So a team like IT’LL SOUND GOOD, IT Triple Eight in 2008, with WILL HAVE THE NOISE Stone Brothers Racing, we spent well over a million AND THE EXCITEMENT.” dollars on the engines for – CHARLIE two cars to run, not to buy SCHWERKOLT them, to run them. This year, all being well, we’ll spend around $450,000.

“We can reduce the cost of that further, but we have to reduce the power.

And if we want to reduce the power without reducing the show, we have to reduce the weight so we’ve got a similar power to weight ratio. If we reduce weight, we see lots of other benefits too, like giving the brakes an easier life. We probably can’t strip 100kg off the chassis, but collectively across the car we could.”

He says the biggest cost to a team is not components as such, but labour with an average wage across the paddock of around $100k per annum.

“Straight away you’re at three million plus or minus. That’s without even building a car.

“The reason that we have that number of people is because we do a lot of racing. We do pitstops that are labour intensive. We have a lot of kilometres every week, and weekends at tracks are labour intensive and expensive.

“If you look at what we sell as Triple Eight, a brand new car today, does it cost more than the one 10 years ago? Absolutely, it does cost more. The labour

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costs more. The rent costs more. The energy costs more. Then running it costs more. So to kid yourself and think that it’s going to be cheaper, if we carried on making the old car and hadn’t changed the rules, I assure you it would cost more.”

He says the Car of the Future program stemmed the tide at the time. Now they can make some smart decisions with Gen3.

“I don’t want to get into model specific stuff, but the reality is that the Gen3 needs to have some flexibility,” he says.

“I can guarantee that I would have never built a car like [the Mustang] myself because I think that potentially destroys the very fabric of Australian touring cars. I think it’s something that doesn’t share the dimension with the road car.

“They [Ford] decided to do it and I think they’re responsible for it, and Supercars as well. Between the two of them, it should never have been allowed. I was absolutely amazed and gobsmacked when I saw the car.

“We cannot afford to do that with the new rules. My belief is that we’ll have more flexibility around roof height and the wheelbase as well.”

So Gen3 is critical to the future of Supercars.

There is a general agreement on the direction needed: coupes will race coupes and maybe some sedans, closer in look to the road car. But most of the Gen3 work will be in areas we can’t see.

As for the fans, they don’t care; all they want is good racing with different cars, and that is where the focus should lie.

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25/3/20 11:22am am 16/3/20 11:53

CHAZ MOSTERT

After spending the first seven years of his Supercars career with Ford, Chaz Mostert made the change to Holden with a move to Walkinshaw Andretti United in 2020.

At 27 years of age, it could be a career-defining move. onfucius said, “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.” Others have said, “If you keep with the same input, you’ll get the same output.”

So, after seven years with Ford teams Dick Johnson Racing and Tickford Racing (starting out in its previous guises), Chaz Mostert decided to make a big change to Holden with Walkinshaw Andretti United in 2020.

While changing manufacturers isn’t what it used to be, it is still a big thing, especially for a driver who at one time appeared to be Ford’s newest star. In hindsight, though, joining Walkinshaw Andretti United was a relatively easy decision for the 27-year-old.

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WORDS Andrew Clarke IMAGES Supercars, Peter Norton

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CHAZ MOSTERT

“THE MOTIVATION IS MY DESIRE TO TRY TO BEAT ALL THE OTHER GUYS AND TEAMS OUT THERE.” – CHAZ MOSTERT

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This move is about helping to take Walkinshaw Andretti United to the next level of challenging the frontrunners on a more regular basis, with the former Holden Racing Team needing to take that next step given the presence of its international co-owners.

“I think this is just a point in my career that now, being 27, it’s time to try something a little bit different,” he says.

“A change creates a lot of hard work going forward.

For me, I’m just excited for a new challenge in my career.

I’ve done racing one way in Supercars for a long time… now it will be different.

“I think it’s very exciting to be involved with Walkinshaw Andretti United. They’ve obviously got some awesome key partners there that are involved.

“I guess to me it looks like, from the outside looking in, there’s a lot of potential there to move forward and get great results, and I think it would be awesome to be part of that journey going forward.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a gamble. At the end of the day I’m excited for a new challenge. If the challenge has a lull in results to try and bring it forward, then it is what it is.

“I have been pretty lucky in my Supercars career. I came into a team that was already formed, and teaming up with guys like Mark Winterbottom was awesome for my career. I’m excited now to go somewhere else.

“At the end of the day, we all go racing to try and win races and championships. All 25 or 26 guys or girls on the grid have the dream to go and do that. But you can get to a point in your career where you feel like sometimes you’re still coming up short with a couple of things, and sometimes you need to change. And that change hopefully is for the better to try and achieve those goals.

“For me going forward, I’m excited. With every team there’s going to be pros and cons. What I find with doing a lot of the overseas stuff is that my experience has widened so much.

“I feel like some change will help me widen my career and my driving. I think that’s hopefully something that will help in the things I want to achieve my goal.”

Aside from a short spell with Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) in the pre-Penske days, Mostert has been a staple at Tickford Racing. He ran with the team in the Dunlop Super2 Series and was always earmarked for the main game, it was just that the

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opportunity came up with Dick Johnson Racing before the factory team could slot him in.

When Will Davison moved on, Mostert moved up and his career took on its most serious boost to date. He had one race win at Queensland Raceway for Dick Johnson Racing in 2013, a remarkable underdog achievement for a team still reeling from financial setback, but the change of team led to another step forward and another remarkable win in a crazy Bathurst 1000 in 2014.

Mostert looked set to challenge teammate Mark Winterbottom in the championship race in 2015 before a big crash at Bathurst sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He broke his leg, among other injuries, when his leg snapped around the gear stick. He was lucky it wasn’t worse, but it was a major setback at a time he was on the rise.

Tickford hasn’t challenged for a championship since. And as the wins dried up and tensions in the team increased with Mostert and Cameron Waters tangling on multiple occasions, a change was needed. Walkinshaw Andretti United looked to have turned a corner in the latter stages of 2019, the second season with Andretti Autosport and United Autosports as co-owners. But it needs to take a further step to mirror the success Team Penske’s arrival had for DJR Team Penske.

“The motivation is my desire to try to beat all the other guys and teams out there. I’ve been daydreaming since I was a kid to try and push for a Supercars career and to win the championship and win all those key races that are part of the championship,” says Mostert.

Eddie Mostert is now a feature of the pitlane in his own right. And when you sign Chaz Mostert, you get Eddie too.

Sitting in the pits watching his son, Eddie finds it hard not to get involved.

You’ll often see him stacking tyres or removing and replacing valve caps when hot tyres come off the cars. Walkinshaw Andretti United will need to find a way to occupy him, or he most likely will.

“Obviously when I go to a new place there’s a bit of baggage that comes with me when my family comes to one of the tracks,” says Chaz.

“They like to incorporate themselves into things, so choosing a new environment obviously involves those guys a lot too.”

If Eddie gets bored at Walkinshaw Andretti United, he may even wander next door and take up his former role with Tickford Racing.

“I think he’ll be fine; Dad even goes down to other teams to work for them too when he’s run out of jobs wherever I am, so he’s a bit of a social butterfly,” says Chaz.

“He gets around and he’s a big part of our championship as well.”

Chaz Mostert scored a podium at his debut event with Walkinshaw Andretti United in Adelaide.

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CHAZ MOSTERT

Mostert will be hoping to emulate Scott McLaughlin’s rise with his change of teams.

SUPERCARS FAST FACTS

DOB: April 10, 1992 FROM: Melbourne, Victoria LIVES: Gold Coast, Queensland DEBUT: 2013 Barbagallo Raceway TEAMS: Dick Johnson Racing (2013), Prodrive Racing Australia/Tickford Racing (2014-2019), Walkinshaw Andretti United (2020) CHAMPIONSHIP BEST: 5th (2017, 2019) BATHURST 1000 BEST: 1st (2014) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2010 Australian Formula Ford champion, 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner, 2016 Bathurst 6 Hour winner, 2020 Daytona 24 Hour class winner

“It’s just about going into a season knowing you have the ability to win races; that is what it’s all about.

“We achieved a lot at Tickford; winning Bathurst was such a highlight. Seeing the team win the championship in 2015 was awesome, too.

So, to me now, it’s time to try something a little bit different, and change is always good.

“It’s the best opportunity for me and my family, and I think that it is the time to be involved with a team that has great support around them. It’s not going to be easy; you’re not going to be jumping into another car and another team and just win.

I’m excited for the challenge to try and make that happen as well.

“A lot of people change teams and think it’s always going to be this glorious output and see results straight away, but you need to put the hard work in… so we will see what happens.”

Mostert is aware he’s going to cop some flak for the move, but he also knows he’ll get some love the other way. He’s hoping some fans will follow him, but he is keen to engage with a whole new set of people.

MOSTERT’S CHAMPIONSHIP TREND-LINE

Year

Position

Wins

Team

Car

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

17th* 7th 11th** 7th 5th 6th 5th

1 2 5 0 3 1 1

Dick Johnson Racing FPR/PRA/Tickford FPR/PRA/Tickford FPR/PRA/Tickford FPR/PRA/Tickford FPR/PRA/Tickford FPR/PRA/Tickford

Ford FG Falcon Ford FG Falcon Ford FG X Falcon Ford FG X Falcon Ford FG X Falcon Ford FG X Falcon Ford Mustang

*Part season. **Injured for five rounds. FPR = Ford Performance Racing. PRA = Prodrive Racing Australia.

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“The biggest thing about Supercars is the fan support, if they’re going for you or not,” he says.

“It’s awesome to see how the cars have fans of their own. They are honestly some of the best around the world, so we’ll get into it and still have the banter going back and forth, and that’s what our support will be built on.

“My focus is going racing and trying to win races, but there is a big soft spot in my heart for the fans that support you and support the cause.

I remember when I was 12 and I went to Bathurst for the first time and I walked around the paddock looking up at some of the idols, you know like Peter Brock and all those guys. They gave their time at signing sessions and at other times too. It really makes you feel special as a kid.

“You don’t always understand why a fan is following you, but when they do follow you it’s important to take the time to engage with them.

I remember what it was like when I was on the other side, and I will never forget that. But, in saying that, racing is the main priority.”

That racing is also outside of Supercars, with an impressive international resume that now includes a class win in the Daytona 24 Hour.

“At the end of the day you can’t ever have too much experience in motor racing, and that’s on home soil or overseas; that’s why it’s very important to me,” he says.

“It’s like an apprenticeship as a driver; you’re always driving different things and cars feel different in the way they are, and when you come back to your main source of racing, which for me is Supercars, you can think outside the box.

“I’ve got so much stuff I want to achieve here before I even think about doing some more overseas things.”

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20/1/20 4:08 pm

BRYCE FULLWOOD

Twenty-one-year-old Bryce Fullwood will become the first Northern Territorian to race in front of his home crowd as a full-time driver in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship when the main game visits Darwin in July. But, even more remarkably, Fullwood wasn’t even born the last time Walkinshaw Andretti United (formerly the Holden Racing Team) ran a rookie in one of its entries back in 1997.

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WORDS John Bannon IMAGES Peter Norton, Walkinshaw Andretti United

here is a peculiar synergy between 2020 Walkinshaw Andretti United rookie Bryce Fullwood and 1997 Holden Racing Team rookie Greg Murphy.

Not only are the pair the only two newcomers to contest the main series in a primary car with the prestigious Holden team, but Murphy was the

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first person who taught Fullwood how to drive a Supercar. Fullwood made the switch straight from karts to tin-tops in 2015 at the advice of Tickford Racing boss Tim Edwards and linked with the Murphy family for training in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

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BRYCE FULLWOOD

“My Dad [Brad] got onto Greg’s father, Kevin; I’m not sure how he got onto Kevin, but it worked out that in New Zealand they had an old Supercar over there,” Fullwood recalls.

“Greg did rides in them and we managed to tee-up to do 100 laps with him. We had an intercom in the car, and he was teaching me how to change gears, heel and toe and generally how to drive the car. He taught me all the basics. I pretty much went from there straight to Adelaide [Super2 in 2015]. So it was a fairly big adjustment for me, that’s for sure.”

Major adjustments seem to be the hallmark of Fullwood’s career to date. Growing up on a five-acre property just five minutes from Hidden Valley Raceway, he spent his early years primarily riding motorbikes but was also comfortable at the controls of the ride-on lawn mowers and excavators. He seemed destined to spend more time on two wheels than four, but what was meant to be a one-off visit to the kart track led Fullwood to where he is today.

“I spent every single day on my motorbike with my best mate Brodie,” he says.

“I spent a lot of time outside, a lot of time in the shed. I was very hands-on growing up. My old man actually had a motocross racing background.

I had raced BMX as a youngster, and as I was growing up I was starting to get into my motorbikes a fair bit more, but Mum was not real keen on me racing motocross.

“I was actually with another mate and we went down to the hire kart track, which is the Hidden Valley go-kart track. We actually got there too early and they hadn’t opened yet. There were private karts going around, and as soon as I saw the go karts I was like, ‘How good is that!’”

Fullwood recalls that they got talking to some of the guys at the track and had a go at one of the karts, which led them to purchasing a kart.

What started out as father and son having a bit of fun not far from home quickly changed when Fullwood was allowed to have his first race interstate at Ipswich, Queensland.

“I sort of wasn’t real keen on school as a youngster; my grades weren’t that great and I generally didn’t want to be there,” he says.

“My grandparents live on the Gold Coast, and we went down for a family holiday. Mum said if I picked up my school grades I’d be able to do a gokart race when we went down and saw them. So I had something to work for. I picked my grades up a bit and I got to race. I raced at Ipswich for my first time away, and I got absolutely smoked.”

The experience made Fullwood quicker. He arrived back home to Darwin and got in his go-kart and instantly drove two-seconds quicker than everyone else in his category. The success led the Fullwoods to contest two to three races a year

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in other parts of Australia, which was fun but a logistical challenge.

“Every time I went down south I just learned so much,” he says.

“I didn’t get a little bit better; I got leaps and bounds further forward every time. We sold the go-kart in Darwin and tried to set ourselves up down south. We had our trailer and go kart and everything based in Melbourne. We didn’t do too much racing in Darwin because all the competition was down here. It was obviously pretty tough for us because we travelled from Darwin to Melbourne and then drove from Melbourne to where we were racing. It was a fair effort to go racing.”

Fullwood won eight state and territory karting titles in Junior National Light and Junior Rotax before commencing an international campaign in the USA and Europe.

“We went and raced at Las Vegas in the SuperNats just as a privateer team against some paid drivers, and we came third over there in the biggest kart race in the world,” he says.

“There were 605 drivers at that race meeting. It was pretty cool to be able to fly over to Las Vegas with my family and our toolbox and hire a go-kart over there. We sent an engine from Australia and we went racing against some of the world’s best.”

Fullwood then went on to represent Australia at the Rotax Worlds in Spain in 2014 and by his own admission ended up a disappointing 11th,

ABOVE: Bryce Fullwood celebrates his Dunlop Super2 Series championship win at Newcastle in 2019.

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ABOVE: Fullwood dominated the 2019 Dunlop Super2 Series, giving the Nissan Altima its first championship win.

in what was overall a “really successful karting career”. The Fullwoods then turned their attention to the next step.

“It probably wasn’t until I was about 14 that I realised that I’m actually going half alright at this, so maybe we should try and take this a bit further,” he says.

“When we finished karting, Australian Formula 4 was being introduced, and they hadn’t set a start date for when the category was going to kick-off.

And that really killed Formula Ford at that time.

The categories were really weak. And the other thing is I’d already raced against people in karts who were going to race those categories. So I thought there’s no point racing against people I’ve already raced against and beaten.”

Fullwood remembers sitting around the diningroom table at the family home in Darwin and saying to his parents, “Why don’t I just try and

BELOW: Fullwood impressed in the 2019 PIRTEK Enduro Cup with Kelly Racing.

drive a Supercar and see if I can do it?” And, “If I can do it, why don’t I just go straight in. So that’s the way we went about it.”

He continues: “Tim Edwards [Tickford Racing boss] actually advised us to go straight into the Dunlop Super2 Series.

“Back then in Super2, there was a lot more privateer teams and the budgets weren’t as high. So, basically, my first ever race start was in Adelaide.

That was a fairly scary thing for me.”

After some lessons from Murphy, Fullwood made his Development Series debut in 2015 driving an ex-Russell Ingall Commodore for Paul Morris Motorsports before switching to a Matthew White Motorsport FG Falcon. The Darwinnative stayed with MW Motorsport for 2016 and 2017, but was hampered by budget constraints driving an older FG Falcon until he could afford to steer an ex-Rick Kelly Altima midway through 2017. A switch to fellow championship-winning squad Matt Stone Racing looked promising for 2018, aboard an ex-DJR Team Penske Falcon, but Fullwood suffered from what he described as “a really tough year”. However, there was the saving grace of making his main-game debut as an endurance co-driver alongside Todd Hazelwood at Matt Stone Racing.

After four seasons, Fullwood had been around long enough in the second-tier category to know what he needed for a successful campaign and so reunited with MW Motorsport for 2019.

“I knew that’s where I needed to be,” he recalls.

“I knew the car I needed to be in, I knew the mechanics I needed and I knew the engineer I needed. So I sort of built that whole thing around me going into last year. I was confident that nothing could stop us then.”

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BRYCE FULLWOOD

SUPERCARS FAST FACTS

DOB: May 11, 1998 FROM: Darwin, Northern Territory LIVES: Melbourne, Victoria DEBUT: 2018 Sandown 500 TEAMS: Matt Stone Racing (2018), Kelly Racing (2019), Walkinshaw Andretti United (2020) CHAMPIONSHIP BEST: 47th (2018) BATHURST 1000 BEST: 20th (2018) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2013 Australian National Sprint Kart Championship Junior National Light champion, 2014 Australian Rotax World Championships representative, 2019 Dunlop Super2 Series champion.

Fullwood reveals that 2019 was his last shot at keeping his Supercars dream alive.

“I thought to myself if I’m ever going to do it, this is going to be the time,” he says.

“It was the last year for us; it was a one more, no more sort of chance. If I couldn’t make it happen, then it was going to be game over for us.

It’s very hard in this industry to have the right people around you to make it all work.

“They need to be able to trust you and you need to be able to trust them. Luckily for me, Matt wanted me back and he was confident that I was good enough to do the job.”

Fullwood claimed the Dunlop Super2 Series title by a dominant 422 points over his nearest rival, which gave him plenty of confidence going into the 2020 season.

“I think you’d be silly going into the main series thinking that it’s going to be a walk in the park,” he says.

“But I do think that the good guys in Super2 are genuinely good at what they do. For me, I was racing with André [Heimgartner] in the enduros last year. I was really excited to see where I sat against him because he’d been doing a really good job in the Nissan.

“I was happy that he actually wasn’t really any quicker than me. That gave me a lot of confidence seeing how well he’d been doing.”

He also does not fear his highly-rated teammate Chaz Mostert, who Fullwood says has been really helpful.

According to Fullwood, Mostert has been pushing hard to try and make sure the rookie has

a good engineer and has been working behind the scenes to make sure Walkinshaw Andretti United has the best people they can get a hold of.

“He wants the best for me, but he wants the best for the team going forward too,” Fullwood says of Mostert.

“He’s been trying to include me in as much conversation as he can with the team and just trying to make sure that we’re all on the same page.

“He’s been a really, really good help like that. I certainly didn’t expect that and I’m very fortunate for it, that’s for sure.”

Fullwood says he couldn’t ask for a better scenario than being pitted alongside Mostert, who he can share data with and learn from during the season.

“I think for me he is a great yardstick,” he says.

“I don’t feel as though he is unbeatable. I think for me in my rookie season I don’t need to necessarily beat him every weekend to show that I’m doing a good job.

“If I can be somewhere close to him in my first year, seeing as this is his seventh or eighth year, I think that would be a pretty good effort. Obviously, my goal is to try and win, but I think you have to be realistic too.”

And, Fullwood believes the team can return to the level of success it had back in the day.

“I believe that they are a high-profile team in the making, so I’m super stoked to be driving with them,” he says.

“Having recently learned they haven’t had a rookie since Greg Murphy in 1997, it’s a pretty cool thing for me, that’s for sure.”

DEVELOPMENT SERIES/SUPER2 CHAMPIONS

“I BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE A HIGH-PROFILE TEAM IN THE MAKING, SO I’M SUPER STOKED TO BE DRIVING WITH THEM.” – BRYCE FULLWOOD 46

Year

Driver

Team

Car

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Dean Canto Simon Wills Paul Dumbrell Mark Winterbottom Andrew Jones Dean Canto Adam Macrow Tony D’Alberto Steve Owen Jonathon Webb Steve Owen Andrew Thompson Scott McLaughlin Dale Wood Paul Dumbrell Cameron Waters Garry Jacobson Todd Hazelwood Chris Pither Bryce Fullwood

Dean Canto Racing Team Dynamik Independent Race Cars Australia Stone Brothers Racing Brad Jones Racing Dick Johnson Racing Howard Racing Tony D’Alberto Racing Scott Loadsman Racing MW Motorsport Greg Murphy Racing Triple Eight Race Engineering Stone Brothers Racing MW Motorsport Eggleston Motorsport Prodrive Racing Australia Prodrive Racing Australia Matt Stone Racing Garry Rogers Motorsport MW Motorsport

Ford EL Falcon Holden VT Commodore Holden VX Commodore Ford AU Falcon Ford AU Falcon Ford BA Falcon Ford BA Falcon Holden VZ Commodore Holden VZ Commodore Ford BF Falcon Holden VE Commodore Holden VE Commodore Ford FG Falcon Ford FG Falcon Holden VE Commodore Ford FG Falcon Ford FG X Falcon Holden VF Commodore Holden VF Commodore Nissan Altima

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$25 each + P&H OR $85 for set of four + P&H

now

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wHincuP gisBeRgen This special livery model hasvan just been announced and is available to pre-order.

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SCALE 1:64 MUSTANGS TRUCKS November 2017 - Order Form No.1

Jamie Whincup’s 2019 Red Bull holden Racing Team #88 holden zB commodoRe Resin

3 sizes scale 1:18 $179 +p&h scale 1:43 $39.99 +p&h scale 1:64 $19.95 +p&h Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID___________________________

Order No.__________________________

Rep Name__________________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date________________________

November 2017 - Order Form No.1

shane van gisBeRgen’s 2019 Red Bull holden Racing Team #97 holden zB commodoRe Resin

$501:18 each + P&H $279 + P&H SCALE

Item No.

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

750

2 Qtr 2018

1,000

2 Qtr 2018

nd

nd

W/S $

RRP $

149.00

259.00

149.00

259.00

Order Qty

2

3 sizes scale 1:18 $179 +p&h scale 1:43 $39.99 +p&h scale 1:64 $19.95 +p&h Item No.

Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID___________________________

Order No.__________________________

Rep Name__________________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date________________________

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

Orders can be made by: Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

November DELIVERIES

47

2 Qtr 2018

nd

nd

W/S $

RRP $

149.00

259.00

149.00

259.00

Order Qty

2

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

03 9370 6755 Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

VISIT STORE: Shop 2 / 30 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY November DELIVERIES

www.podium-gear.myshopify.com SX116L Moffatp34-66.indd Collection 47 170x230.indd

2 Qtr 2018

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017 CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

Due

750

1,000

Orders can be made by:

Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

ITEM NO.

Scheduled Production

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017

ITEM NO.

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY 23/3/20 5:55am pm 17/3/20 11:59

JACK LE BROCQ

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SUPERCAR XTRA

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Following a busy silly season, Jack Le Brocq was one of the big winners by replacing Chaz Mostert in Tickford Racing’s Supercheap Auto-backed Mustang. After a challenging two-year stint at Tekno Autosports, it’s a career reset for Le Brocq in a return to the team where he first made an impression in Supercars.

WORDS John Bannon IMAGES Tickford Racing, Peter Norton

J

ack Le Brocq is a driver used to racing up front. The Victorian won the Australian Formula Ford championship in 2012, won races and challenged for the title in the Dunlop Super2 Series and was less than a second away from a podium finish in his second Bathurst 1000 start. Yet his graduation into a full-time Supercars drive at Tekno Autosports stalled his progress.

“It’s not until now that I’m starting to realise I really was knocked for six more than what I thought I was at the time,” reflects Le Brocq, following the end of his two-year stint at Tekno Autosports.

“Look, it’s tough; it’s character building.

You learn a lot out of those situations.

You’ve got to take the positives out of it all and, to be honest, I learned a lot from it.”

Le Brocq’s first full-time season in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship in 2018 was full of promise. The now 27-year-old finished as the highest-placed rookie against Anton De Pasquale, James Golding, Richie Stanaway and Todd Hazelwood, impressing with a fifth place in the third round of the season in Tasmania. But the progression stalled in 2019 with a pair of 13th places, his highest finish alongside team owner Jonathan SUPERCAR XTRA

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JACK LE BROCQ

Webb on the Gold Coast, dropping three places in the championship standings.

It was a season marred by some challenges behind the scenes too, with speculation of a split in April, only for both Le Brocq and Webb to confirm that they would see out the season together.

“Yeah, look, it was tough, last year in particular,” Le Brocq admits.

“We hit the ground running in 2018, which was good, and we were trucking along fairly well. We know we can run up at that pointy end when all things are running correctly and when we’ve got the team and the equipment around us as well.”

While the Gold Coast result was a major boost for the single-car team, the events which led to it raised a few eyebrows up and down pitlane.

With Le Brocq’s future for 2020 secure by that point (although not officially announced), team owner Webb decided to qualify the car, leaving primary driver Le Brocq on the sidelines. It’s a point in history that Le Brocq would rather not dwell on.

“Yeah, I don’t need to get dragged into that too much,” he says.

“It was just one of those things. He [Webb] told me literally 45 minutes before qualifying and that was that. I don’t know. I’ve never gone in to detail on it, and by that stage we knew what we were doing and it is what it is. It’s in the past now. It’s always tough, but yeah, nothing you can do about it at the time. You live and learn from it, and I think we handled ourselves well.”

The next learning curve will be taking over what is a highly sought after seat at Tickford Racing.

“It’s a bit of a long time coming in a way,” says Le Brocq.

“One way or the other there has been opportunities to potentially get back [to Tickford].

“It’s a good time to be back; we had a great year there in 2016 and we really enjoyed our time with Tickford. There are a lot of familiar faces still on the team, so it almost feels like we are coming home in a way and it’s a pretty awesome opportunity.

“I’m very lucky to be given a chance to show what we can do. The guys at Tickford had a great season last year with four cars in the top 10. So, coming off the back of that, there probably hasn’t been a better time to step in to a car under their stable and have a red hot go.”

The opportunity without question doesn’t get much better, but knowing you’re in the #55 Mustang that finished at the head of the four-car group in 2019 won’t come without pressure.

“Most people say that you’re your own worst critic stepping into someone’s shoes like Chaz,” Le Brocq says.

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“He’s done an amazing job for the past five or six seasons with Tickford. I’ll probably be my own worst advocate by putting pressure on myself to make sure I do the job. But everyone around me in the team has been amazing, and I’m sure they are going to give me every opportunity to be able to do the same job.

“I suppose for myself it’s a chance to prove that I can do the job, and I’m looking forward to the challenge to try to piece that together.”

One area the team will be keen for the drivers to improve in is not throwing away points unnecessarily. Mostert and now former teammate Cameron Waters had a number of on-track tangles, with Bathurst last year a lowlight when the team was on for a strong result. Le Brocq is aware he’ll need to race fast but clean.

“You’ve got to be smart about it,” he says.

“You are there to make sure the team has the best result on track.

We’ve just got to make sure we give a lot of respect to each other. We’ll race hard, but again at the same time we don’t want to have any silly mishaps along the way.

It’s going to be a new thing for me.

BELOW: Jack Le Brocq is in his third full-time season in Supercars, joining Tickford Racing.

“I haven’t had a teammate for a couple of years, and I’m looking forward to working with all of those guys. We all get along really well. We’ve got a good relationship from years before.

SUPERCAR XTRA

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“IT’S LIKE ANY DRIVER THAT KNOWS IF THEY HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT THEY CAN DO THE RIGHT JOB WITH IT; I’M NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY.” – JACK LE BROCQ With Mostert moving on from the squad, the youthful yet established Waters is likely to set the benchmark for the Tickford Racing squad in 2020.

We asked Le Brocq how he feels he’ll stack up against Waters and his other teammates Will Davison and Lee Holdsworth, the latter having picked up the Truck Assist sponsorship that Le Brocq ran at Tekno Autosports last season.

“I suppose all your teammates are always a good benchmark, and Cam has also been doing a really good job,” says Le Brocq.

“I think Will and Lee will be quick and hit the ground running.

“To be honest, I’m just looking forward to working alongside them and understanding how they operate. I’m sure I’ll pick up a few things along the way.”

The former Erebus Academy driver has taken steps to hone his skills prior to the 2020 season, spending some time in the UK with renowned driver coach Rob Wilson alongside his new engineer Tim White, who was a data engineer for Tickford Racing last year, and comes with overseas experience.

“Tim came over to the UK with myself and a personal sponsor of mine to see Rob Wilson, and it was a great way to kick-start that relationship with Tim,” Le Brocq says.

“You never get enough of that type of thing, because the more you understand your engineer and how they work, the more they can understand the way I drive the car. It’s going to benefit us further down the track.”

It’s the third time the Melbournian has spent time with Wilson, and he says it was the most beneficial program yet, because having White there enabled Le Brocq to get a little bit extra out of the experience.

“The easiest way I find to describe it is that it puts the science back into driving,” Le Brocq says.

“It just makes you think about every little input that you put in to the car and the positive and negative reactions around that.

“The best thing about having Tim there is him getting an understanding and a feel for what the car is doing as we are doing it.

“You get that live feedback from Rob into my driving and what I’m doing… it’s about trying to iron out those bad habits and making the good ones stick.”

As well as White, Le Brocq is looking forward to reuniting with some familiar faces and benefiting from being part of a four-car team.

“I’m looking forward to [being part of] four cars with the same stable and the same equipment,” he says.

SUPERCAR XTRA

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JACK LE BROCQ

SUPERCARS FAST FACTS

DOB: July 7, 1992 FROM: Melbourne, Victoria LIVES: Melbourne, Victoria DEBUT: 2015 Sandown 500 TEAMS: Erebus Motorsport (2015), Prodrive Racing Australia/Tickford Racing (2016, 2020), MW Motorsport (2017), Nissan Motorsport (2017), Tekno Autosports (2018-2019) CHAMPIONSHIP BEST: 19th (2018) BATHURST 1000 BEST: 4th (2016) CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2012 Australian Formula Ford champion, 2014 Bathurst 12 Hour podium, 2016 Dunlop Super2 Series runner-up.

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“It’s a good chance to be able to debrief and do all that stuff.

“I haven’t had a chance to debrief with other drivers for the last couple of years, and even with data most of the time, we’ve been rowing our own boat.

“It’s going to be pretty awesome. I’m hanging out for the opportunity and there is still a lot for me to learn.

“Hopefully those guys can fast track that for me, and I’m just looking forward to that opportunity to work with some pretty quick guys.”

Le Brocq says he’s setting himself the goal of being inside the top 10 of the championship, on the basis of how the Tickford Racing cars ran last year.

“I’ve been thinking about it and trying to put a number on it and I don’t know where it will drop,” he says.

“I suppose by mid-year it would be pretty cool to be on top of that [the car] and be firing each round we go to. I don’t know how we’re going to go in the car and how it’s going to suit my driving style.

“We could jump into it and it could just click and we could be off and going. But, on the other hand, it could be a few tunes and bits and pieces we need to do to suit my driving style.”

How well Le Brocq handles himself both inside and outside the car was top of mind for new team boss Tim Edwards when the announcement was made in November, comparing Le Brocq to one of the team’s greatest drivers.

“Our fans will remember back in 2005 we signed a young Mark Winterbottom who had a tough first two years in the championship, and that turned out quite well,” Edwards says.

“We see similar potential in Jack. We know he has ability in the car, and with the right people and resources, we believe he can run up the front, and we look forward to providing that in 2020.”

It’s an opportunity the new Mustang racer is relishing as he’s spent the off-season re-building his confidence after the challenges of 2019.

“I’m feeling really, really confident,” says Le Brocq.

“The guys have been great so far in helping me find the confidence I need to get back up to that pointy end of the field.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a work in progress throughout the year. It’s not going to happen straight away, but we’ll just keep chipping away.

“It’s like any driver that knows if they have the right equipment they can do the right job with it. I’m now looking forward to having that opportunity.”

SUPERCAR XTRA

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Tou

46 am

NEW 2019 supErcar modEl ORDER YOUR MODEL TODAY PRE-ORDER YOUR MODEL TODAY

Red Bull TOURING CAR PETER BROCK’S Holden 1983 ATCC HOLDEN Racing VH COMMODORE MASTERS Team 2019

November 2017 - Order Form No

Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID________________________

Order No.__________________________

Rep Name_______________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date_____________________

Item No.

Scheduled Production

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

Due nd

750

2 Qtr 2018

1,000

2 Qtr 2018

nd

W/S $

RR

149.00

25

149.00

25

Orders can be made by:

DON’T MISS OUT

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

ORDER ’T !

NW D NOO

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

1:64 MODEL'S FROM GREENLIGHT.

These special livery model cars have just been announced and available Orders Must Beare Received By 30 T ISS OU M

th

November 20

now to pre-order. It’s a great model to add to your collection!

PRE-ORDER

NOW

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

November DELIVERIES

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 20 ITEM NO.

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

doN’t miss ou t PRe-o RdeR

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

now

NEW

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This special liveryare model hasvan just been announced and is available to pre-order. Perfect to add to your collection!

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Item No.

November 2017 - Order Form No.1

Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID___________________________

Customer___Pole Position P/L

Debtor ID___________________________

Order No.__________________________

Rep Name__________________________

Order No.__________________________

Rep Name__________________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date________________________

Order Date___December 02, 2017

Delivery Date________________________

Scheduled Production

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

Due nd

750

2 Qtr 2018

1,000

2 Qtr 2018

nd

W/S $

RRP $

149.00

259.00

149.00

259.00

Order Qty

Item No.

2

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

Orders can be made by: Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

Mail: Southern Model Supplies PO Box 405 Melrose Park SA 5039

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

November DELIVERIES

53

2 Qtr 2018

nd

nd

W/S $

RRP $

149.00

259.00

149.00

259.00

Order Qty

2

Fax: 08 8277 6252 E-mail: sales@southernmodels.com.au

03 9370 6755 Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

VISIT STORE: Shop 2 / 30 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds, VIC 3039 BY APPOINTMENT ONLY November DELIVERIES

www.podium-gear.myshopify.com SX116L p34-66.indd 53 170x230.indd Touring Car Masters

2 Qtr 2018

∗∗∗ IMPORTANT NOTE ∗∗∗ Please place your orders by return email, fax or post only.

Phone orders will no longer be accepted.

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017 CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

Due

750

1,000

Orders can be made by:

Orders Must Be Received By 30th November 2017

ITEM NO.

Scheduled Production

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

The following will commence being dispatched on approximately 23rd November 2017

ITEM NO.

CLASSIC CARLECTABLES

LE

AVAILABILITY

18612

1/18 Holden VS Commodore – 1997 Bathurst 1000 - Lowndes / Murphy

750

Sold Out

18636

1/18 Retro Ford XY Falcon GT-HO Phase III

1000

Sold Out

AUSTRALIA-WIDE DELIVERY 23/3/20 5:55pm pm 17/3/20 12:00

SUPERLITE WORDS James Crocker IMAGES Supercars, Peter Norton

Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki are in their rookie seasons in Supercars with the added challenge of sharing the one entry at Matt Stone Racing.

The unique situation makes the #34 Holden ZB Commodore one to watch in 2020.

T

Zane Goddard

54

he Dunlop Super2 Series has bred some of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship’s best drivers since its inception in 2000.

With seven previous second-tier series champions lining up on the main-game grid in 2020, it’s become a proving ground for young drivers looking to break into the top tier.

However, the step is still a difficult one, with seats at the main-game table at a premium and limited track time complicating matters for the up and comers. Recent graduates such as Macauley Jones and Jack Smith softened the blow by undertaking multiple wildcard rounds before their first full-time seasons, but not all drivers have had the luxury of being associated with a main-game operation such as Brad Jones Racing.

Offering a solution to these problems is Matt Stone Racing with its ‘SuperLite’ program, giving the next crop of Supercars stars an extra step between the two categories. The unique concept is based around two drivers sharing a car for the season, with the pair then lining up together for the endurance events.

The inaugural ‘SuperLite’ drivers are 20-yearolds Zane Goddard and Jake Kostecki. Both are familiar faces for those who have followed the Dunlop Super2 Series over the past few seasons, with the pair emerging as drivers to watch with main-game potential. The pair will both take part in five events each before pairing up for the endurance events, with the final round in Newcastle to be assigned later in the season.

Team owner Matt Stone says the pair are perfect candidates for the program in 2020.

“They’ve both done two or three years of Super2, and it’s very easy to end up doing five years, because from your third year onwards

SUPERCAR XTRA

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Jake Kostecki

you’re just waiting for an opportunity,” he says.

“They’re the perfect candidates for our program, as it’s all about taking guys that have got some mileage and could go around again in Super2, but they’re not learning anything new.

They need that fresh challenge, and both of these guys fit the mould of what we’re trying to do.”

Kostecki is a part of a family that has become a major part of the Supercars landscape over the past few years.

Alongside older brother Kurt and cousin Brodie, the trio have been a staple of the Dunlop Super2 Series grid, with their impressive displays catching the eye of many main-game teams.

Whilst Kurt and Brodie are undertaking full Dunlop Super2 Series campaigns with plum endurance drives at Walkinshaw Andretti United and Erebus Motorsport respectively, Jake is taking on the Supercars main game following his debut in the 2019 PIRTEK Enduro Cup with the Kostecki Brothers Racing team. This season is his first outside of the family-run team.

“I’ve been racing for Kostecki Brothers Racing since I started in 2016, so now for me to actually be racing for another professional team, I feel like it’s going to be very good for me,” he says.

“We started Kostecki Brothers Racing to give us a pathway into Supercars, and I’ve learned a lot from our family team, but now it’s time to step up and learn as much as I can from Matt Stone Racing and do the best job possible.”

Goddard, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to touring cars, having made his Dunlop Super2 Series debut with Brad Jones Racing in 2018 following a stint in European open-wheelers.

A move to Matt White Racing for 2019 saw a rapid rise in results, with four podiums in the first

SX116L p34-66.indd 55 11:48 am SX116 p54-57 SuperLite.indd 55

SUPERCAR XTRA

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SUPERLITE

Zane Goddard started the season in Adelaide, finishing as the top rookie.

four races alongside two pole positions marking him as one to watch.

“Though it’s only been two years, there’s been a fair bit of behind the scenes stuff,” he says.

“Last year was really successful, especially the first half of the season, and now we are all here.

“It’s a bit surreal, getting into the main game; it’s been a dream for a long time, so I’m just super stoked to get out there.”

Goddard also expressed his happiness at working with Kostecki in the pair’s maiden seasons.

“It’s going to be great working with him; he

lives close, he’s just around the corner, we get on super well and I think we will push each other to sort of advance our driving a bit quicker than what we would otherwise,” he says.

“It’s not one of those teammate sort of rivalries where you’re trying to beat each other.

“WE’RE WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE WE HAVE TO RACE WITH EACH OTHER AS CO-DRIVERS, SO WE WANT TO BE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.” – ZANE GODDARD

Matt Stone Racing expanded to two cars for 2020.

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“We’re working together because we have to race with each other as co-drivers, so we want to be as fast as possible. In that regard, it’s going to be really good.”

Kostecki echoed Goddard’s sentiments as the pair work together for the first time after being competitors since karting.

“We’ve actually been racing each other since we were eight in go-karts, so we’ve known each other for a while now,” he says.

“We’re quite good friends, so I’m looking forward to sharing the car with him and we’ll go have fun with it.”

Being the brains behind the program, you could forgive Stone for not wanting others to copy. But with the future of the sport in mind, Stone says he hopes others catch on to the ‘SuperLite’ wave.

“I’d like to see after we trailblaze it for a year that others see the value in it and copy the program,” he explains.

“If going into 2021 there are two or three more running a ‘SuperLite’ program, it’d create an unofficial rookie championship within the championship.

“In my opinion, that would be a great thing to help make sure the champions of the future end up in Supercars, rather than overseas.”

IN 1969 CO-DRIVING

A HDT MONARO WITH DES WEST, BUT THE WET RACE OF 1972

ON DISPLAY

1972

OWS YOUR “NO ONE KN N S.” KE SHANNO PA S S I O N L I

IN THE EARLY 1970S PETER BROCk WAS LITTLE MORE THAN YOUNG HOPEFUL. HE HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED A THIRD PLACE AT BATHURST

Goddard and Kostecki will team up in the PIRTEK Enduro Cup.

W

WAS TO BE THE FIRST OF BROCk’S NINE VICTORIES IN THE GREAT RACE. FOLLOWING IS

A POSSIBLE TRACk COMMENTARY FROM

THE DAY…!”

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53

THE “HOLYWOOD FINISH”

CHAPTER 9

OVER

300

PHOTOS & IMAGES

1978

76

77

R 10

CHAPTE

nEW EW bOOk bOO A celebration of Torana’s and Brocky’s domination of the greatest race - this is a must for all Torana and racing fans.

• All TORANA’S Bathurst wins; 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979

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HOLDEN TO NEEDED ME SO MAKE ANGES BIG CH D 78 AN FOR 19 ASN’T IT W BEFORE LONG T UND OU WE FO W JUST HO INED DETERM RAL NE THE GE WAS TO FIRE RETURN

CHAPTER

11

1979

HE CAME, HE THEY CONQ SAW, UERED

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SUPERCARS 2020 WORDS Adrian Musolino, James Crocker IMAGES Supercars, Peter Norton

With the 2020 Virgin Australia Supercars Championship underway, these are the key battles to keep an eye on throughout the season.

FORD VS HOLDEN

The departure of Nissan means Supercars reverts back to Ford versus Holden in 2020. And with the Holden brand being retired at the end of 2020, it shapes as the last Ford versus Holden battle.

Ford dominated in 2019 and gains two extra cars with Kelly Racing joining its ranks, though Holden retains numerical advantage of 16 cars to Ford’s eight. Holden teams would love nothing more than to give the brand a championship and Bathurst 1000-winning farewell in 2020, but they must overcome a formidable opponent in Ford’s Mustang.

MUSTANG VS COMMODORE

The biggest storyline of last season’s championship was the ongoing parity battle that ignited with the introduction of the Mustang. The multiple parity changes in between rounds became a bit of a soap opera that rumbled on throughout the season. For 2020, Supercars engaged in rigorous VCAT testing with both DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight Race Engineering to ensure the two car shapes have ultimate aerodynamic parity, in order to prevent a repeat of last year. The burning question is how the changes to both the Mustang and Commodore help or hinder the teams and drivers running them.

DJR TEAM PENSKE VS TRIPLE EIGHT RACE ENGINEERING

The two titans of the field take to the track for another season to continue their battle that has defined the current era of Supercars. With the brightest minds in the paddock, four of the best drivers and a burning desire to be the best, the two teams set the standard for the rest. Following a controversial 2019, Triple Eight Race Engineering will be looking to challenge on a more consistent basis, buoyed by a more level-playing field in terms of parity, while DJR Team Penske will want to prove its dominant run last season was a result of its own hard work.

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“WITH HOLDEN BEING RETIRED AT THE END OF 2020, IT SHAPES AS THE LAST FORD VERSUS HOLDEN BATTLE. ”

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SUPERCARS 2020

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN VS THE REST

Scott McLaughlin dominated the 2019 season, winning his second consecutive championship with a record-breaking run in the DJR Team Penske Ford Mustang. McLaughlin remains the driver to beat for the rest of the field, before he heads to North America to expand his racing horizons with Team Penske. Not many drivers will be able to hold a candle to McLaughlin if he keeps up his recent form, but the biggest threat will be Shane van Gisbergen. The 2016 champion has consistently shown his natural talent but has fallen short in recent years for various reasons.

The whole field will be looking to make sure that it isn’t as one-sided as last year.

JAMIE WHINCUP VS SHANE VAN GISBERGEN

Triple Eight Race Engineering’s pairing of Jamie Whincup and Shane van Gisbergen headed into 2020 looking to keep the pace with Scott McLaughlin. Their inter-team battle has been one of the most competitive ones over the past four seasons, with both taking a title in their time as teammates. Van Gisbergen had the upperhand last season, taking five wins to four and finishing ahead in the championship. A motivated Whincup comes into 2020 wanting to remind everyone why he’s a seven-time champion, while van Gisbergen wants to add another title and cement himself as one of the current era’s greats. With a clear number one at rivals DJR Team Penske, the battle between Whincup and van Gisbergen is crucial to determine which of them will be in championship contention in the latter stages of 2020.

TICKFORD RACING VS KELLY RACING

Kelly Racing’s switch to Ford makes it the first non-Tickford Racing/DJR Team Penske multi-car operation to run with the Blue Oval since Stone Brothers Racing in 2012. Given the form that Kelly Racing showed with the Nissan Altima, there could be a serious battle to see who the best non-DJR Team Penske Ford team is and, potentially, who the best of the rest is behind DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight Race Engineering.

André Heimgartner and Cameron Waters will be the major factors in this battle, given their pace and rate of improvement in the past two seasons, while Rick Kelly takes on Will Davison and Lee Holdsworth.

LEE HOLDSWORTH VS WILL DAVISON

The two veterans are back within the Tickford Racing stable, looking to improve on impressive 2019 seasons. Will Davison, in particular,

60

impressed with two podiums and multiple top fives on his way to eighth in the championship, while Lee Holdsworth spent the season adapting to the Mustang, before rising up with a podium at Sandown. With Chaz Mostert departing, the role of unofficial team leader at Tickford Racing is up for grabs with all eyes on Cameron Waters to take that place. While the veterans in the team will have something to say about that, they must first get on top of the other.

ABOVE: The 2020 Supercars full-time rookies. From left to right, Bryce Fullwood, Zane Goddard, Jack Smith and Jake Kostecki.

CAMERON WATERS VS FABIAN COULTHARD

Cameron Waters could be considered team leader at Tickford Racing following the departure of Chaz Mostert. Waters had a breakout 2019, picking up five podiums on the way to seventh in the championship. He will be looking to match or better DJR Team Penske’s Fabian Coulthard, who has assumed the number two role behind Scott McLaughlin. Despite his clear tail-gunner status, Coulthard picked up two race wins and multiple podiums on the way to fourth in 2019. Matching Coulthard would be a statement for Waters and prove his front-running credentials.

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ANDRÉ HEIMGARTNER VS RICK KELLY

Kelly Racing’s move to Ford Mustangs and downsizing to two cars pits André Heimgartner against Rick Kelly, the rising star versus the veteran team co-owner. Heimgartner has been on an upward trajectory since joining Kelly Racing, while Kelly’s performances with the Altima proved he still has the speed to compete. As the team extracts speed from its new Mustangs, the battle for numberone status within the team will become even more intense.

BRAD JONES RACING VS EREBUS MOTORSPORT VS WALKINSHAW ANDRETTI UNITED

The battle to be the best of the non-factory Holden teams is a fascinating one in 2020.

Walkinshaw Andretti United is strengthened by the acquisition of Chaz Mostert and Super2 champion Bryce Fullwood, in a bid to challenge at the front on a more regular basis. Brad Jones Racing becomes the only Holden team to run more than two cars with its expansion to four entries, with the challenge for Nick Percat to lead the team beyond the mid-pack. Erebus Motorsport has continuity with its strong pairing of David Reynolds and Anton De Pasquale.

All three teams will be hoping to break the DJR Team Penske and Triple Eight Race Engineering duopoly at the front of the field with regular podiums and wins. But they need to be beating their fellow Holden teams first.

CHAZ MOSTERT VS JACK LE BROCQ

BELOW: Kelly Racing made the switch from Nissan Altimas to Ford Mustangs in 2020.

Chaz Mostert’s highly-publicised move to Walkinshaw Andretti United defined the silly season and led to Jack Le Brocq taking the former’s seat at Tickford Racing. Mostert will be looking to match or better Le Brocq and the other Tickford Racing entries to justify his move, whilst Le Brocq will look to prove himself and rebuild his career after a horror year at Tekno Autosports.

NICK PERCAT VS TODD HAZELWOOD

Nick Percat’s status as Brad Jones Racing team leader is unquestioned this year, having been at the squad since 2017 and following the departure of Tim Slade. Todd Hazelwood replaces Slade following a solid second main-game season with Matt Stone Racing. The step from the one-car Matt Stone Racing operation to the four-car Brad Jones Racing may take a little adapting to, but with the help of more data and teammates to compare and compete with, Hazlewood might just be able to give Percat a competitive battle.

MACAULEY JONES VS JACK SMITH

While Nick Percat and Todd Hazelwood battle it out in the sister cars, the other Brad Jones Racing entries of Macauley Jones and Jack Smith will shine a light on driver development in the category. With Jones entering his second full-time season and Smith being a rookie with multiple wildcard starts, it will be interesting to see how they match up and how much Jones has developed.

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SUPERCARS 2020

DAVID REYNOLDS VS ANTON DE PASQUALE

The Erebus Motorsport partnership is in its third season with Anton De Pasquale edging closer to team leader David Reynolds in 2019. De Pasquale has to prove he can consistently match Reynolds this year to cement his status as potential champion of the future. Reynolds, on the other hand, has to prove he can keep up with the young star to stay in the top bracket of talent in the field. The youth versus experience element makes it one of the more fascinating teammate battles.

MATT STONE RACING VS TEAM 18 VS TEAM SYDNEY

The three teams expanded from one to two cars in the off-season. With all three expanding at the same time, there will be a way to gauge how they are progressing in terms of on-track performances. All three teams are running similar ex-Triple Eight Race Engineering equipment, so the major differences will come from the engineers and drivers operating them. But with Team Sydney (formerly Tekno Autosports) relocating from Queensland to New South Wales and suffering the setback of James Courtney’s departure following the opening round of the season, Matt Stone Racing and Team 18 have the advantage of expanding under more settled circumstances.

MARK WINTERBOTTOM VS SCOTT PYE

Team 18’s expansion has seen the addition of Scott Pye alongside Mark Winterbottom. The latter had an impressive first year with the team in 2019, just out of the top 10 in the championship and with a pole position. Pye showed flashes

62

of his talent in his stint with Walkinshaw Andretti United, though is eager to step up with this move.

The pairing is an interesting one, especially in the context of the team running two cars for the first time. Having built around one car and bringing such a high-profile driver in Winterbottom, the addition of Pye changes the dynamics within the team.

ABOVE: Team Sydney made headlines at the start of the season with the sudden departure of James Courtney following the Superloop Adelaide 500.

GARRY JACOBSON VS BRYCE FULLWOOD

Two of Super2’s most successful drivers in the past few seasons, Garry Jacobson and Bryce Fullwood, will be an intriguing battle in the midfield.

Jacobson, the 2015 Super2 champion, pilots the #35 Matt Stone Racing Commodore, replacing Todd Hazelwood. The move to Matt Stone Racing sees Jacobson take the main driver role. And with the pace that was shown by the team last season, there’s a chance that he can make a splash after a difficult rookie season with Kelly Racing.

A yardstick for him is current Super2 champion Bryce Fullwood, who steps into a rejuvenated Walkinshaw Andretti United outfit for his maiden main-game season. Fullwood steps into a strong seat, so it will be intriguing to see how the rookie compares with the sophomore in Jacobson.

JAKE KOSTECKI VS ZANE GODDARD

Jake Kostecki and Zane Goddard share driving duties of the #35 Matt Stone Racing Holden ZB Commodore before teaming up for the PIRTEK Enduro Cup, so they won’t race against one another this season. But comparisons in terms of their results are inevitable for the only two drivers sharing an entry in 2020.

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SHOOTOUT

TOP

JUNE 2020

8 ALLAN GRICE

Grice’s two Bathurst 1000 wins were also two of the most memorable for Holden. He won in his privateer Chickadee entry in 1986 before teaming with Win Percy at the Holden Racing Team in 1990.

7

10

WIN PERCY ▲

Percy was driver and team manager of the Holden Racing Team in its infancy when it won the 1990 Bathurst 1000. It was an underdog win that legitimised the new-look factory team following the demise of the Holden Dealer Team.

9 NORM BEECHEY

Beechey became the first driver to win a championship for Holden in 1970.

The title in the HT Monaro GTS350 was the first for an Australian-made car, five years after Beechey won the first championship for a V8-powered car.

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GREG MURPHY

Murphy raced for Holden exclusively throughout his 18-year Australian Touring Car Championship/ Supercars career. Though championship success eluded him, his four Bathurst 1000 wins and battles with Ford’s Marcos Ambrose endeared him to Holden fans.

career in a Holden Commodore, though rose to prominence with Fords at Triple Eight Race Engineering. The team’s switch to Holden from 2010 saw Whincup win five championships and a Bathurst 1000 in Commodores.

4 LARRY PERKINS

Perkins is second only to Peter Brock in terms of most Bathurst 1000 wins for Holden. He won three as codriver to Brock between 1982 and 1984 and three for his own Perkins Engineering team between 1993 and 1997.

6 GARTH TANDER

Tander was another Holden loyalist, racing Commodores in a career that is now in its third decade. His championship win came with the HSV Dealer Team in 2007, and he won the Bathurst 1000 with Garry Rogers Motorsport and the Holden Racing Team.

2 MARK SKAIFE

Skaife’s early success came with Nissan, though Gibson Motorsport’s switch to Holden led to a long association between driver and manufacturer. Skaife led the Holden Racing Team in its golden era, winning three championships and three Bathurst 1000s for the factory team between 2000 and 2005.

1 PETER BROCK ▼

5 JAMIE WHINCUP ▼ 3 CRAIG LOWNDES ▲ Whincup started his

the footsteps of mentor Peter Brock by winning championships and Bathurst 1000s with Holden. He won all three of his championships plus a Bathurst 1000 with the Holden Racing Team before moving to Ford, eventually returning to Holden in an association that continues to this day.

Lowndes followed in

The ‘King of the Mountain’ won all of his nine Bathurst 1000s and three championships with Holden.

Despite one season with BMW and two with Ford, Brock remains intrinsically linked with Holden.

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SUPERCAR XTRA ISSUE 116

R YOU READY?

Introducing the special edition Ford Mustang R-SPEC – the most potent, performance-focused Mustang ever available from your local Ford dealer, created in collaboration with Herrod Performance. Powered by a Ford Performance Supercharged 5.0L V8, every Mustang R-SPEC is individually numbered and styled with unique black exterior treatment, R-SPEC specific alloys and boot lid spoiler. Riding on lowered Ford Performance suspension, it’s the ultimate special edition Mustang.

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