Motorsport eNews Issue 54 - May 13-19, 2008

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Issue No. 054 13 - 19 May 2008

Perth’s V8 Future Barbagallo upgrades likely, but there are options...

Carrera Enduro?

4 HOur, Two Driver Race Mooted for Carrera cup

FULL WA V8 WRAP INSIDE

The ‘A’ Team Editorial Editor: Grant Rowley grant@mnews.com.au Deputy Editor: Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@mnews.com.au Staff Journalist: Phillip Mahoney philm@mnews.com.au Executive Editor: Phil Branagan editor@mnews.com.au

Australasian

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Contributing Writers F1: Will Buxton, Mark Glendenning, Paolo Filisetti Europe: Quentin Spurring, David Addison US: Martin D. Clark, Phil Morris Speedway: Greg Boscato, Geoff Rounds, Darren Sutton, Tony Millard (UK) Rally: Ryan Lahiff Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Ken Ferguson, John Bosher National: Mark Wicks, Mark Jones, Aaron Shaw, Daniel Powell

Photographers Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Marshall Cass, John Morris/Mpix, AF1 Images, James Smith, Peter Bury, Neil Blackbourn, Chris Carter, Coopers Photography, Geoff Gracie, Ash Budd, Paris Charles, Neil Hammond, Joel Strickland, Mike Patrick (UK) Motorsport eNews is published by Australasian Motorsport News ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Copyright: Material published in Motorsport eNews is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher.

Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Motorsport eNews does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted.

Opinions expressed in Motorsport eNews are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News or its staff.

Issue No. 054 | 13 - 19 May 2008

news 4 Barbagallo’s future 6 Cup Car 4 Hour 10 Indy qualifying 13 A1GP in OZ? 17 CIK canned

chat 20 5 minutes with ... opinion 22 Branagan 23 van Leeuwen

race 24 V8 Supercars 30 V8 Supports 34 Rally Canberra 38 NASCAR 42 Superbikes

Quick fix or ...

Mooted enduro for Porsche A Kiwi, Pom and Aussie EC likely to stay on calendar No CIK karting ... this year Mark Winterbottom Skaife’s asset Why Perth must stay Frosty’s clean-sweep Baird, Johno and Iceo!

Double time for Bates Livery city!

Monza Bonza

trade 46 Trade and Industry / Raceshop / Classifieds

welcome We thought we’d run this while Sebastien Vettel is still a Toro Rosso driver ...

International photos supplied by Sutton Images, www.sutton-images.com – click here to check out their exclusive poster deals

Barbagallo set for Upgrades Ageing circuit to weather the storm and get fresh facilities soon V8 SUPERCARS A COMPLETE revamp of the pit facilities at Barbagallo Raceway has emerged as the likely saviour of the V8 Supercar round in Western Australia.

V8 Supercars Australia and government officials were in talks throughout the weekend regarding the series’ future in Perth, with a street race having been put out of the question early last week.

And with two options on the table – a complete reconstruction of facilities at Barbagallo Raceway or a whole new permanent circuit – MNews is suggesting that, thanks to the tight deadline for a new sanction agreement to be signed, changes could well be on the way for the existing facility.

Western Australia’s Minister for Sport and Recreation John Kobelke told eNews that keeping V8 Supercars in the state was a priority.

“During my meeting with V8 Supercars Australia CEO, I indicated the State Government’s desire for V8 racing

to be retained in Perth,” he said.

“The State Government has already begun assessment of what is required at the State’s premier motorsports facility, Barbagallo Raceway, in order to maintain V8 racing, in addition to possibly attracting other motorsport events including more motorcycle racing and possible Asian-based competitions to Western Australia.

“Equally, I am open to the idea of the development of a new track on a greenfields site, if an appropriate and viable business case can be demonstrated.

“The State Government is aware of the time imperative to identify a solution to provide a facility capable of hosting the V8s beyond 2009. I explained to Mr Cattach that we will progress our investigations as quickly as possible to enable V8s Australia [sic] to make a decision about the future of the event.”

Cattach agreed that the talks were positive.

“The Minister totally agreed that motorsport in the state had been under-serviced for many years and

made a very strong and very real commitment to addressing the problem,” Mr Cattach said.

“He had a clear understanding of the magnitude of the sport and the need to find a suitable venue and management structure to develop motorsport in the state.”

But the WA Sporting Car Club, who promote the Bigpond 400 and hold the lease to the circuit, is feeling left out of the current discussions.

“We haven’t had extensive meetings with the government but we’ve certainly had one with the Department of Sport and Recreation in Western Australia,” said acting General Manager Rob Janney.

“At the present the circuit we have is still running well. Obviously we get a lot of flack from V8 Supercars who wanted a street race, but that’s not going to happen in WA, so now they’re pushing for a new circuit between the government and themselves. It’s sad that we haven’t been invited to those discussions.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirk Klynsmith

FOR FORMULA 1, MOTOGP AND WRC NEWS, OPINION AND ANALYSIS CLICK HERE TO

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Dirk Klynsmith

Drivers: Vote 1 Barbagallo

Dirk Klynsmith

No street race in Perth V8SA accepts WA governments decision for no street race THERE will definitely not be a street race in Western Australia anytime soon, with V8 Supercars Australia finally accepting the WA Government’s reluctance to fund such an event.

V8 officials mooted a street race more than two years ago, but after a feasibility study was conducted soon after, the Government announced it would not be viable.

The issue was raised again by V8SA 12 months ago, and the Government’s position hadn’t changed.

“When the State Government looked at the proposal for a V8 street event in Perth a few a years ago, the return for tourism and promotion of

the state came nowhere near warranting the expenditure required,” John Kobelke, WA’s Minister for Sport and Recreation, told eNews last May. But it took until last week for V8SA to accept, or “rule out” as its release states, that the major project won’t be happening.

“It is pleasing to note the decision by AVESCO [sic] in relation to a street race for Perth,” added Kobelke late last week.

“As I have previously said, while a V8 Supercar street race in Perth would certainly be a spectacular event, the huge financial impost and physical disruption to the city

for just three days of activity is excessive.”

The proposed layout of the circuit would have required the closing of Hay Street, one of the Perth CBD’s chief financial streets, and also would have tested the city’s hotel industry, which works almost at capacity already thanks to the mining boom.

With a street race officially out of the running, the options now become either revamping the existing facilities at Barbagallo Raceway, building a whole new venue more suited to hosting big race meetings, or the V8 Supercar Series not returning to Western Australia after 2009.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

SOME of V8 Supercars leading drivers have voted to save Barbagallo Raceway in the midst of uncertainty regarding the future of the sport in Western Australia.

Mark Winterbottom, who dominated last weekend’s Bigpond 400 at the circuit, said an update of the facilities was all that was required to bring the circuit up to scratch.

“I think it’s in pretty good shape,” he told eNews.

“The only downside is that the facilities for our guys aren’t great, and our sport has come a long way. If you had pit garages on pit-lane, and some more grandstands, the place will sell out.

“As for the track, I think it’s one of the best tracks we go to. There aren’t many places where you run over a hill, into a bowl, and then down to the hardest braking area. It has character. If it were 4km long, people would rave about it.”

Lee Holdsworth, who endured his most difficult round of the year at Wanneroo, agreed that the circuit had potential.

“I love street circuits, but there’s no point throwing this place away when there is so much to work with,” he said.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

O ACCESS THE WORLD’S FIRST INTERNATIONAL ‘VIRTUAL’ MOTORSPORT MAGAZINE ...

BRIEFLY...

n CAMS and Octagon have announced that Australasian Safari will run as a CAMS-sanctioned event for the next two years.

CAMS CEO Graham Fountain announced that “this is a positive outcome and demonstration of the partnership between CAMS and Octagon with respect to this unique event”.

The event, formerly known as the Australian Safari, will be held August 23-30 in Western Australia. n PR ace Brett Murray has been nominated as one of the Gold Coast’s 100 icons who have helped shape and best represent the city. The promotion, conducted by the Gold Coat Bulletin and the Pacific Fair Shopping Centre asks the general public to shorten that list to 30 by voting on-line.

‘Crusher’ has established BAM Media offices in Melbourne, Charlotte and its head office on the Gold Coast.

both pics: Dirk Klynsmith

n THE end of Oran Park’s links with ATCC and V8 Supercar racing will be an emotional time for all concerned with the sport, but the impact of the track’s farewell may be felt more widely than that. eNews hears that the track will bear allegiance to an iconic ‘New South Wales’ sponsor that is also strongly linked with the state for the final round of the 2008 series.

We Mexicans admit we were thinking harbour, Mardi Gras and opera house, but then it also occurred to us that there could be quite a few of those white-and-blue roadside assist vans lined up in the track’s carparks come December 4-7 …

Trimble’s Island chance Fujitsu front-runner to get enduro slot in Glenfords Falcon V8 SUPERCARS MICHAEL Trimble is the firm favourite to partner Fabian Coulthard at Paul Cruickshank Racing for the L&H 500 at Phillip Island later this year.

PCR needs a driver just for the Bathurst warm-up, with Alex Davison due to partner Coulthard ar Bathurst, but not at The Island because of Davison’s clash with the European Le Mans Series.

And with Trimble due to drive the car at a ride day at Barbagallo Raceway today, he is the favourite for the vacant seat.

“It would be an awesome way to make a debut in the main series,” said Trimble, who is competing in the Fujitsu Series

this year.

“Paul [Cruickshank] gave me my first opportunity to drive a V8 Supercar and that’s something that I won’t forget, so it would be nice to pat him back by doing a good job.”

According to Trimble, the idea of only racing at Phillip Island is fine with him.

“It means at Phillip Island I can give 100 percent of my focus to doing the job with Fabian, and then

when we get to Bathurst, I can concentrate on my Fujitsu Series commitements, which are the most important thing.”

NZV8 Champion Johnny McIntyre is also in the frame, however Cruickshank indicated that it would be “nice to keep it in the PCR family,” referring to Trimble’s stint in the team’s Carrera Cup squad.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

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CARRERA CUP

Marshall Cass

CARRERA Cup may be looking at instating an endurance race during next year’s championship.

With the Australian GT Championship struggling for entries, the Sandown GT Classic endurance event is in doubt for this year.

And paddock rumours at Barbagallo Raceway were linking Carrera Cup as a possible replacement, perhaps incorporating the new Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge.

While details are scant at this point, eNews sources indicated Phillip Island would be the preferred venue, while the length of the event would be four hours, with two drivers per entry.

The endurance race would likely be a stand alone event, replacing the

Wakefield Park Fujitsu Series meeting as the Porsche’s only non-V8 Supercar Championship Series round, opening the door for MINI Challenge and Formula Ford, for example, to also have a non-V8 round on their schedules.

James Moffat, who scored his best ever Carrera Cup finish in Perth last weekend, says an endurance event would be good for the category.

“Absolutely, it would add something to the category and spice things up,” he said.

“Long distance racing appeals to me.

The 30 minutes races we did at Wakefield Park were great, because it lets you get into a rhythm.

“There would be costs to factor in, but it would be a great way to get teams involved, work on strategy and things like that.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirk Klynsmith

Carrera’s 4H option

Moff likes it: After a strong run at Barbagallo last weekend, James Moffat thinks that an enduro for Carrera Cup cars is an ace idea.

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The Commonwealth 500!

Dixon defends New Zealand with Pole: Wheldon second, Briscoe third!

INDIANAPOLIS 500

IndyCar Media

sutton-images.com

IndyCar Media

Red, red, ready: L to R top, Wheldon, Dixon and Briscoe celebrated front-tow starts. Patrick, above, starts fifth while Andretti carries more Indiana Jones paint, right.

Will looking for Speed WILL Power is yet to qualify for his first Indy 500.

Power, who qualified with an average speed of 222.500mph initially, made a second attempt

IndyCar Media

A NEW Zealander, a Pom and an Aussie qualified on the front row for the biggest race in the world.

No, it isn’t the start of a joke. Kiwi Scott Dixon cruised onto pole for the May classic, edging Ganassi team-mate Dan Wheldon and Penske star Ryan Briscoe for a New Zealand-Britain-Australia front row.

“The car was very consistent,” said the always calm and quiet Dixon.

“It was easy to put the laps together. You’re definitely on the limit. There is no point where you can relax.”

It was a case of an establishment fight for the pole. Briscoe waved off his first attempt and his second was good for pole, save for the fact that Dixon beat it immediately! Wheldon threatened but fell just short.

“I turned around and Dixon was taking the pole away from me,” said Briscoe.

“I thought I had a real good run.

The car was balanced really well for the downforce level we trimmed out to and it was a solid gain. We are on edge, and it’s exciting. I’m happy to be in the thick of it.”

On the opening day of qualifying, and under the new format, only 11 drivers qualified for the race.

Helio Castroneves was fourth from the Andretti Green trio of Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan (who battled oversteer) and Marco Andretti. Vitor Meira was eighth ahead of Hideki Mutoh, Ed Carpenter and Tomas Scheckter.

While the big three teams dominated, the others misfired.

Newman-Haas-Lanigan saw its driver, Graham Rahal, bumped and then delayed by a crash to Ryan Hunter-Reay. But when it came time for the young American to have one last try, the team did not have tyres ready, an unforgivable mistake.

Sunday’s qualifying session was cancelled due to rain, which also interrupted last week’s practice.

which was waved off in the 222 range. He needed 223.500mph or better.

“It was a good day but we weren’t quick enough,” Power said. “We have to find a good half mile per hour. The run was too easy for me. We’re not trimmed out enough. I am very happy with how we picked up 2mph from yesterday.”

– MENDEZ/STAFF

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Reindler to race F3 FORMULA 3 KARL Reindler is set to make a one-off appearance in the Australian Formula 3 Championship at Mallala this weekend.

The 2004 champion will drive for R-Tek in its National Class Dallara F304, and says he thinks mixing it with some of the 2007-spec cars would be a good result.

“Running somewhere near the frontrunners would be awesome, and a podium finish would be the ultimate goal,” he told eNews.

“I just can’t wait to get my bum back in an open-wheeler. There’s seven weeks between rounds for us at the moment, so the whole idea of this is just to get back in a car and get a feel for the whole thing.”

The Fujitsu Series driver will steer

the same car his younger brother Chris Reindler, below, rolled at the Clipsal 500 earlier this year.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirk Klynsmith

Sieders tests Sprintcar

First for Carrera Cup CARRERA CUP

SPRINTCAR COLIN Sieders had his first taste of Sprintcar action in Perth.

The Fujitsu V8 Series driver sampled six laps at Kwinana Motorplex last weekend in Marshall McDiarmid’s car. The test came about through Sieders team’s sponsor Tucker Time.

Sieders said that the experience has was “awesome.”

“It was good fun,” he said.

“I think everyone should have a go. I only did a handful of laps, got a bit sideways on the highline and let rip!

“The faster you go, the easier it gets. You can feel the downforce start to work. It was a great ride. I would do it again for sure. One day I’d love to have a proper go.”

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AMBITIOUS female racer Amber Anderson is set to compete in Carrera Cup later this season.

Anderson is currently in discussions with several Carrera Cup teams with the aim of a limited program this season, ahead of a full on assault on the Championship in 2009.

“Ideally I’d love to do the Phillip Island, Bathurst and IndyCar races this season, but of course it will depend on our final budget,” the 25-year-old said.

“To do those three key events would give me great experience of the category.”

Anderson admitted that V8 Supercars is where she wants to be in the future.

“I want to be more than just

the first female racer in Carrera Cup, I have an ambition to make a professional career for myself in V8 Supercars.”

news race

A1GP A1GP looks set to return to Eastern Creek in February, despite sources overseas suggesting that the future of the race was in doubt.

A draft calendar is expected next week, and while the Sydney round is expected to be listed as ‘Provisional’, discussions between A1GP and the New South Wales government about the continuation of the event are ongoing.

A1 GP Australian Chairman Alan Evans said this week that

he was optimistic of a positive outcome.

“We are talking to the government and while that is happening, we are looking forward [to continuing the event],” he said.

One factor that may be telling is that the success of the South African round of the series, held on the streets of Durban, has provided a preferred blueprint for the category’s management for future events. Despite the relative success of the previous down under ‘double headers’ at Taupo in New Zealand and

Eastern Creek, the ongoing commitment by the New South Wales government to permanent tracks rather than temporary ones underline the fact that the track, which is in line for substantial upgrades, is a more economical venue for the round.

We believe that there was some investigation into moving A1 to the Surfers street course, prior to the confirmation that IndyCar would take over as the open-wheeler headline act in Queensland, and that there was also discussion about another street race venue in Australia.

Dirk Klynsmith

A1GP is Coming Back

At the same time, the increasing profile of the series internationally has allowed A1 Grand Prix to seek more substantial financial commitments from its hosts.

Our sources say that a sanction fee of as much as US$3m has been sought from other promoters seeking rounds in our region. The local round has been subject to close financial scrutiny because of the involvement of the NSW government, and that would appear to rule out any potential move to a street circuit.

... and Wood gets a go A1GP

sutton-images.com

GLEN Wood is the next Australian youngster to get his chance to drive an A1GP car.

Wood, who is currently in 11th position in the British Formula Ford Championship, races an Australian-built Spectrum for Kevin Mills Racing, and is expected to test for the team in the northern summer.

He will be the latest in a list of Aussie hopefuls to test for the team, which like the rest of the A1 squads will be updating to Ferrari-based racers in time for the 2008-09 season.

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NASCAR

Ford Media Ford Media NASCAR Media

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New, Old Looks: Earnhardt, top, Elliott’s and Kvapil’s Fords, right, and Busch’s Camry had new paint to show. Dr Jones looked like he had been through a war ...

edia NASCAR M

DARLINGTON may have changed over the years – it has been repaved, and fitted with SAFER barriers – but the ghosts of NASCAR’s past were thick in the air last weekend in South Carolina.

Wood Bros Racing may not be the force it once was but the evocative red-on-white look of the famed #21 of David Pearson’s Mercury reappeared, with Bill Elliott at the wheel.

The fast paint helped too; Awesome Bill qualified the car without any need of NASCAR intervention, in 20th position.

Travis Kvapil also joined in the fun in the #28 Yates Fusion, recreating the look of Fred Lorenzen’s Holman and Moody Ford that won the 1965 Daytona 500.

Of course, Dale Earnhardt Jr trumped the pack. Junior set aside Amp energy drink for the weekend and ran the #88 in Mountain Dew colours, turning back the clock 20 years to the paint his father Dale Sr carried in the 1980s. Both drink brands are owned by Pepsi, and the National Guard will get the headlines next week at Charlotte where the American defence forces get their week in the spotlight.

And, fast forward 20 years and there could be a 2008 retro

look at Darlington. Kyle Busch won the race with an eclectic mix of heroes and chocolate all over his Toyota, Indiana Jones sharing the livery with M&Ms. The deal fits in with that of Mars Confectionary and the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, opening May 22.

NASCAR Media

Turning Back the Years

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Indy injury toll mounts Team crewman killed in fight, another gets hit by Patrick in pit mishap INDYCAR

IndyCar Media

IT has been a bad weekend to be a crewman for an IndyCar team.

Danica Patrick’s car struck Dale Coyne Racing crew chief Chuck Buckman with her front wing as she entered her pit box during practice. The crew chief for Mario Moraes, who was standing only a few feet from the pit wall, was thrown head-first against the wall and knocked unconscious.

He was admitted to intensive care at Methodist hospital with a skull fracture and subarachnoid hemorrhage but is expected to fully recover.

While Patrick apologised for the incident, worse happened last week.

Davey Evan, a long-time member of the Newman Haas Lanigan team, was killed in a fight outside a bar in Indianapolis.

Evans, 63, had joined other NHL team members in the bar of their hotel when he was attacked. Immediate suggestions are that the veteran suffered a stroke during the altercation.

– MARY MENDEZ/STAFF

GM shows off a little Blue blood SPEEDWAY

GM Media

CHEVROLET has unveiled its all-new Midget engine in the USA. The GM-designed motor was shown to the world at the at Indianapolis Motor Speedway by company representatives and United States Auto Club (USAC) team owner Tony Stewart. The 2.7-litre, fourcylinder all-aluminium engine features two valves per cylinder and USAC-mandatory mechanical fuel injection, with electronic ignition. Running on methanol, it produces “in excess of 350 horsepower”, according to the company.

The new engine’s design, which was developed on GM’s 3D modeling and CFD facilities, features an exhaustside camshaft that allows for optimal airflow and repositioning of spark plugs and fuel injector nozzles.

The major components of Chevrolet Midget engine package – cylinder block, cylinder head and certain ancillaries – will be available to competitors, who will be able to use their preferred engine suppliers to build and maintain the units.

Stewart’s drivers Tracy Hines and Levi Jones will debut the engine in upcoming events.

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Rising Star’s run for Mum FUN RUN

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Carrera Cup star to race a Honda Integra with Eddy and Johnson SEPANG 12H DEAN Fiore will make his international racing debut at the Merdeka Millennium endurance race at Sepang this August.

Fiore will team up with GT driver Mark Eddy and V8 Utes driver Grant Johnson, who won their class together

in 2006. The trio will race a Honda Integra Type R, which is currently at Race Torque Engineering in Perth being rebuilt.

Eddy said Fiore would be a welcome addition to the team.

“Dean is driving really quick at the moment,” he told eNews.

“It will be good for him to

get into this type of racing at longer events.”

Fiore agreed that the event will be a lot of fun.

“I went to the circuit for the first time recently doing some drive days for Mercedes, and it was just amazing, even in a CClass. The place is 10 years old, and it just looks brand new.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirty, Dangerous HQs at Mallala SHANNONS NATS PAUL Morris is set to continue racing HQs this weekend at Mallala for Round 3 of the Shannons Nationals.

Morris, who currently leads the championship after one round, will again drive the car owned by Bobby McGee. He and McGee are also going to join forces over the weekend to support the Ashley Cooper Foundation and Transplant Australia by running the car in Ashley Cooper

Foundation and Transplant Australia liveries.

They will also be selling ‘Dirty Dangerous Dude’ T-shirts over the weekend with proceeds going to the two charities.

The Shannons Nationals round at Mallala will be headlined by the Kumho Tyres Formula 3 Championship, with 19 cars entered for the weekend. Nick Percat is a confirmed starter, while other categories include Sports Sedans, SuperTrucks and the debut of V8 Touring Cars.

John Morris/Mpix

SO, what did you do for your mother on Mother’s Day? CAMS Rising Star driver Jake Chapman joined around 50,000 people Australia-wide in the annual Mothers’ Day Classic charity fun run, raising money and awareness for breast cancer.

Jake elected run the challenging 8km course around Melbourne’s Botanical Gardens, finishing 888th in a shade over 39 minutes.

“It’s great to be able to run in an event like this,” he said.

“Improving your fitness levels requires a lot of training and it gives you that extra motivation when you know you’re contributing to such a good cause.

“I learned today that breast cancer affects one in eight women in Australia, so there would be very few people in the country who have not had to deal with this in some way.”

Fiore’s first overseas step

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KARTING

THE 2008 Australian CIK Series has been cancelled. While an AKA statement termed this a “change of direction” for the category, the fact is the ‘08 series has been binned.

Various issues led to a lack of commitment from competitors and as such, a smaller than required field would have fronted for the opening round in Newcastle next month.

With stocks of the new 125cc KF-spec engines in the country, the International Karting Committee is now going to organise two ‘exhibition’ style events later in the year at existing race meetings before re-launching the series for 2009.

“Firstly, I would like to thank the industry and the teams who supported the proposed series in

sutton-images.com

CIK Series Binned

2008 but unfortunately for a variety of reasons the full series has not been able to get off the ground,” said CIK series representative Simon Whiting.

With a reputed $160,000 of AKA funds used to purchase the engines, the governing body has come under fire from various quarters for continuing to try and get the series up and running when minimum entry numbers had not been reached. It is worth noting that under its delegation to CAMS (and thus the CIK-FIA), the AKA is required to promote CIK-style events.

“In my opinion, a successful CIK series is pivotal for the growth and the life of the sport because for a sport to succeed it requires structure and an elite level, which the CIK series is to Australian karting,” Whiting added.

– MARK WICKS John Morris/Mpix

Seto for Sports Sedans SPORTS SEDANS GLENN Seton could well be on the Kerrick Sports Sedan grid later this season.

The former V8 Supercar champion is helping Kerry Bailey with the set-up on his Nissan 300ZX Sports Sedan, and with bailey currently working on a new car, Seton

is the hot tip to take over the Nissan when the new car is on track.

“He may well do that,” confirmed Bailey. “He’ll certainly be welcome to the car, we just need to get the new one finished first, which is coming along nice and slowly. I want to get it right.”

The new car will be an Aston

Martin DBR9, based on the GT1 cars racing in the FIA World GT Championship.

In other Sports Sedan news, the famous Tony Ricciardello Alf-Chev will hit Mallala this weekend with Red Rooster signage, the fast food giant coming on board as the major sponsor for the 2008 season.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Sofuoglu’s future doubt SUPERBIKES THE immediate future of Kenan Sofuoglu is in doubt following a family tragedy last weekend.

The Ten Kate Honda Superbike star withdrew from the Monza round of the World Superbike Championship late on Friday after receiving the tragic news that his brother Sanin had been killed in an accident in the Turkish Championship round at Kocaeli.

Kenan, the current World Supersport Champion, had just enjoyed his best day of practice since stepping up to WSBK at the start of this season. The 24-year-old was seventh fastest in practice, edging team-mate Carlos Checa in the session.

The death of Sinan is not the first tragedy to befall the Sofuoglu family. The oldest of the four brothers in the family, Bahattin, was killed when struck by a car in a traffic accident in 2002.

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news

Joel Strickland

Britek back in ARC

Windus secures deal to enter Britek Fiesta S2000 for the final four ARC rounds AUSTRALIAN RALLY BRITEK’S involvement in the Australian Rally Championship program may have come to an unexpectedly early end this year, but its absence may be short lived.

West Australian privateer Darren Windus confirmed last weekend that he has struck a deal to run a Super 2000-spec Ford Fiesta in the remaining four rounds of the ARC. Windus, who was signed up to drive alongside Michael Guest in the Britek run team for two years, was left high and dry at the start of the season following the

team’s decision to withdraw from rallying, and spent the opening two rounds in a Subaru Impreza with mixed results.

As a part of his original deal with Britek, Windus brought considerable personal funding to the team, and confirmed that he is still owed money following the early termination of his contract, and that after lengthy negotiations with Britek’s senior management, a Fiesta S2000 would be released for his use during the remainder of the year.

“It’s been a very long and drawn out negotiation but I’m happy to say that we’ll be back in a Fiesta from Rally Queensland

onwards,” said Windus.

“It’ll be great to get back into the car. It’s very exciting to drive and the spectators love it.

“At the end of last year, everything was looking very positive for Britek. The cars Michael (Guest) and I drove were increasingly competitive against the Toyotas, the development was progressing well and there were plenty of plans to take the Fiestas overseas.

“Needless to say, I was as surprised as anyone when they pulled the plug.”

– RYAN LAHIFF

Eli wants to be a Star!

AUSTRALIAN RALLY

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boost in itself for Evans, who contested the event with Les Walkden Rallying in 2006.

“We’ll use the remainder of the ARC to hone our skills before we ship our car to Malaysia for the rally,” Evans explained.

“Malaysia is a particularly difficult event so the fact that we’ve prior experience is a huge advantage, something I’ll definitely be aiming to put to very good use.”

– RYAN LAHIFF

Joel Strickland

THE announcement of Pirelli’s ‘Star Driver’ competition has sparked local interest from Eli Evans, who is the first Australian to officially announce his intentions.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity to compete in the World Rally Championship with all expenses paid and I’ll be pulling out all the stops to be the winner of the Asian region

of the ‘Star Driver’,” said Evans.

The recent unveiling of the global competition will pit the leading under-27-year-old drivers in regional qualifying events, with a winner from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and two winners from Europe selected to drive in a series of six FIA World Rally Championship.

The Asian qualifying round is Rally Malaysia, an Asia-Pacific Rally Championship status event in early October, a major

race

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5 Minutes with ...

MARK WINTERBOTTOM

Pole, three wins and a big jump up the series ladder. Frosty is back ...

ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

MOTORSPORT NEWS: Is this the most perfect weekend you’ve ever had in a racecar?

MARK WINTERBOTTOM: To get pole and win every race, and lead every lap, you can’t much better than that. Bahrain last year was pretty perfect as well, but the third race didn’t go to plan. This weekend, it all went to plan.

You have these weekends, and I’m not sure how it happens, but it’s just a flawless weekend.

Looking back at that last-gasp pole effort, how important was that in the scheme of the weekend?

It sets up your weekend, because when you’re in front you drive away, because you don’t have to worry about overheating tyres, overheating brakes, getting boxed in at the stops, crashes at the first corner, and all those stupid things that can cost you a race win.

And Skaife would have taken a bit of a beating with that

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Dirk Klynsmith

At what point of the weekend did you realise it was one of those weekends?

I knew as soon as I drove out of pit-lane in practice. My car was incredible, the way it braked and turned, it felt really strong.

But when we put green tyres on we got bad understeer, which is why we finished fifth.

I said to the guys, ‘fine tune it, and we’ve got one strong racecar,’ so I knew early on.

But then you’ve got to piece together qualifying, time it right, do the lap, so there’s a lot more than just feeling strong.

But when you’re fast things happen easier.

as well. He had pole until the chequered flag came out, so it gives you a mental edge on the opposition.

Were you aware that the session was ended and that was the lap you had to go for it?

I knew I had to push hard, but I had already banked a lap and I was P3, so I knew that too. I could push like hell at the last corner and hope it pulled up, and it did. But you need to have a banker before you do that because if you spear off, then you’re still third.

Why was the car so fast? It looked as if it was because it was looking after its rubber so well …

Yeah, the tyres were strong, but also this track suits my style. I like to drive nice and smooth, and with easy throttle pickup.

I could see Garth was quite aggressive on the throttle so he was always going to go

backwards with tyre wear, but last year it worked for him.

I guess it just worked for us.

The tyre life was strong, and we could do the same time at the end of the race that we could do in the middle of the race.

Bent cars have been a bit of a problem for you this year, although mostly out of your control. It must be nice to have a straight car at the end of the weekend …

It is. It was the same in New Zealand, where I was really trying not to bend it there because there was a small turnaround.

You’ve just got to be smart about how you run this series.

Look at Rick (Kelly); P2 in the championship and he hasn’t been on the podium yet, and he hasn’t even looked like winning a race. You’ve got to be smart.

By finishing you get points.

Qualifying pole and winning the races helps too, because

they can only hit you in the back, you can’t hit anyone with the front.

It was your first weekend with Dan [Kroehn] on the tools. He was a bit nervous before the last race, were you nervous about having a new engineer?

We’ve worked really hard to make sure we are right on it.

I’ve made it a purpose to go in there to the team, and sit down and build a relationship with Dan. And he’s been really good, asking a lot of questions, because he really wants to learn. He’s got a lot of knowledge of his own, so not only is he learning, but he’s helping too.

He is nervous, I could feel his nerves in Race 1, because he’s come from teams like Brad Jones Racing and WPS, who do well, but now he’s racing for wins. It was a bit like when I was with Larkham – there isn’t as much pressure.

race chat

Marshall Cass

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John Morris/ Mpix

Sunday Morning Fever TIMING may not be everything, but it can count for a hell of a lot.

Any number of V8 Supercar fans would have woken up to read, in an exclusive interview in the Sunday papers, the news that Mark Skaife was on the way out at the Holden Racing Team and that James Courtney was on the way in.

As co-owner of HRT, Skaifey might like to have a say in who drives for the team in the future and who doesn’t.

opinion Phil Branagan eNews Executive Editor While its good that the daily papers give motor sport the space we think it deserves, the timing could have hardly been worse.

As people read that over their Weeties, Skaifey had just qualified second, and finished second in the first race at

Barbagallo Raceway.

Behind him were two dozen or so mostly younger men, including Courtney and Skaife’s reigning Champion team-mate Garth Tander.

You write people like Mark Skaife off at your peril. People did it to Steve Waugh, and people are now doing it to Grant Hackett. But it doesn’t work that way, and that’s a rule that transcends motor racing.

Of course, Skaife will

have his bad weekends this season – others already have, including Courtney.

When that happens, doubtless, there will be more predictions of Skaife’s demise. These will need to be considered in context.

Journalism 101 might advise not to end a piece like this with a cliché, especially since I started it with one. But in this case, I can only say, don’t believe everything you read in the papers.

Letters

Have your say, email us at mail@mnews.com.au. Keep letters to the point.

Marshals The comments expressed by Garth Tander in a recent article (eNews #053) have motivated me to put pen to paper.

There has been a lot of discussion recently regarding the quantity and quality of the marshals at motorsport events around Australia.

It must be remembered, that all of the marshals who attend these events are unpaid volunteers. These volunteers

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are the same ones that ensure all motorpsort events are run as safely as possible from the basic supersprint events through to the V8s, A1GP and F1 carnivals.

They give up their own time, to not only ‘work’ at the events but to also ensure they are fully trained in the latest requirements and are fully licensed by the governing body CAMS. It is comments such as

Garth’s that disappoint these volunteers and deter more people from getting involved in what is, at the end of the day, a pretty thankless task.

Perhaps, Garth would be better off trying to get involved in promoting the importance of having motorsport enthusiasts participate in the officiating side of these events.

Janet E King via email

ED: Following the article in eNews #053 regarding the recent F3 incident and the abundance of letters we have subsequently received about flag marshals, eNews would like to clarify that at no point did Garth Tander attack the marshals themselves.

Rather his comments were made with reference to the category as a whole and what should be expected for a national category.

opinion race

Why Perth must stay ...

opinion Andrew van Leeuwen mNews National Editor

Brian White

HERE’S what, in my opinion, needs to happen in Western Australia for the V8 Supercars to keep coming: 1) The WA Sporting Car Club needs to hire a new General Manager (a process they are currently engrossed in) and submit a proper proposal to the State Government requesting funding for an upgrade.

2) It then must put a bulldozer through the existing pit complex, which, put politely, is ageing, ugly and fairly ineffective for a big race meeting.

3) Finally, clear some land, build some garages on pit-lane with corporate suites on top and sign a new sanction agreement with V8SA. Sound expensive? It probably is. But it will still be a heck of a lot cheaper than building a whole new circuit, and will probably still be cheaper than one street race event.

The State Government says in this very magazine that has a “desire for V8

racing to be retained in Perth,” so that would imply that they are aware that money needs to be spent, and they are willing to spend it!

This is a far better option than building a whole new track, because there is nothing wrong with Barbagallo Raceway as a circuit. Sure it is short, but even the best golf courses in the world have par three holes, so why shouldn’t V8 Supercars have a short track?

What is so wrong with variety? Barbagallo Raceway is short, kills tyres and is surrounded by sand, but it has character.

V8 Supercars has definitely outgrown the pit facilities at Barbagallo Raceway, but they haven’t outgrown the 2.4km of tarmac. After all, Jamie Whincup described it as Triple Eight’s “bogey track.” This is a team that has won the last two Bathursts, yet they struggle to get the best out of a car in Wanneroo!

Can’t be all that simple, then.

Good things come in small packages. Or, as in this case, small packages with big pit facilities …

eLETTER OF THE WEEK A1 not A OK The A1 series has again ended in disgrace for Australia. That a team reperesenting a country where motor racing is banned won the series, makes it even more galling.

Allan Jones is an embarrassment.

His first effort in A1GP included a spot of nepotism and our team has had more drivers than I can count.

Will Power was the best hope we had but I have no idea who the manages or runs (or not as the case may be) the show. Get rid of

him! I could do a better job in my sleep.

Unfortunately I never contested a F1 event but I did win two Australian championships.

Rob Lindsay Via email

Horspwr Clothing is giving away a t-shirt each week for the most creative letter. Send yours to mail@mnews.com.au, or Motorsport News PO Box 7072, Brighton, Vic 3186 23

V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES ROUND 4 – BARBAGALLO, WA

Ford Perfection Racing He came, he saw, he left them in his wake. Mark Winterbottom left everyone chasing his tail, and ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN reports from the west

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M

OST of the time in motor racing, even when things look easy, they generally aren’t.

But in the case of Mark Winterbottom’s domination at Barbagallo Raceway last weekend, it really was straightforward.

With the FPR Falcon “incredible” straight out of the truck, Winterbottom was quietly high-fiving himself after practice, even if he was only fifth. And in qualifying, he showed the rest of the field why, beating Mark Skaife to pole position with a bonza lap after the chequered flag had already been hung.

It was a critical moment in the scheme of the weekend.

Skaife got the jump at the start of Race 1 but Frosty got the drive. He led into turn 1, and then, pretty much led for the rest of the weekend. Three perfect stops, three perfect races, 300 perfect points to the tally.

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“It was a fantastic weekend,” he confirmed.

“I’ve never had a car that was that good in the past. I could drive around, hop out after 50 laps, and feel really good.”

Aside from Skaife’s very early Race 1 challenge, Frosty hardly had a nervous moment all weekend. He had a slightly sluggish stop in Race 1, a problem so minor he was able to joke about it afterwards (“The Race 1 stop was a little bit slow, but the team told me I was almost in the HRT bay, so it was probably my fault”), and he had a bit of pressure from Garth Tander in sun-showering conditions during Race 2. That was it.

Tander was second for the weekend, unable to repeat his devastating form from 2007.

The only session he topped was Friday practice, and after that, he was close, but not close enough. The problem looked like tyre wear, and he would later confirm that to be the case. But still, second was okay,

okay enough, in fact, to earn him the championship lead.

“I’m happy with that,” he said, “we weren’t quite there all weekend, but we battled away.

“I think we suffered from the car using its tyres too much in Race 1. But we got a bag load of points and tried to stay out of trouble. I’m happy with that.”

For the first time this year it looked as if Tander was going to be out-paced by team-mate Skaife. The Barbagallo specialist was very fast in quali, and while he couldn’t match Frosty’s pace

in Race 1, he left GT for dust to take second place But a demon start from Steven Richards in Race 2 would be his downfall, the pair trying to run side-byside through the single-lane esses, and the inevitable crash taking place. Richo got going again (and would recover to a remarkable seventh in Race 3), but Skaife was resigned to television duties for the final, his solid weekend over.

Third was Jamie Whincup, a remarkable result given his

race

John Morris/Mpix

Factory cars one-two, factory cars crash-bang! While Winterbottom and Tander dominated the weekend, their team-mates (Skaife and Steven Richards) crashed at the start of Race 2.

Marshall Cass

First race fracas: Below, Michael Caruso and Jason Bright got caught up with Greg Murphy on the opening lap of the weekend at Barbagallo.

Dirk Klynsmith

lowly qualifying result (see breakout). He and teammate Craig Lowndes spent most of the weekend battling it out, an encounter that reached its crescendo in the final, where, having completed their stops, they ran wheelto-wheel for almost an entire lap, swapping places twice in the process.

Whincup would later say that he and Craig enjoyed it, but Roland Dane was less of a fan ...

On the honourable mention list is Michael Caruso and Shane Van Gisbergen, who were both impressive in qualifying, (P12 and P10 respectively), but were both out by the end of lap 1 through little fault of their own. The GRM driver was caught out by Greg Murphy and Jason Bright rubbing panels down the hill, and Caruso’s resulting spin tagged the rear quarter of Van Gizza’s SBR Falcon.

V8 Supercar | ROUND 4, BARBAGALLO, WA Pos#

Driver

1 5 Mark Winterbottom 2 1 Garth Tander 3 88 Jamie Whincup 4 888 Craig Lowndes 5 15 Rick Kelly 6 18 Will Davison 7 6 Steven Richards 8 4 James Courtney 9 111 Fabian Coulthard 10 12 Andrew Jones 11 17 Steven Johnson 12 7 Todd Kelly 13 51 Greg Murphy 14 67 Paul Morris 15 14 Cameron McConville 16 16 Paul Dumbrell 17 9 Shane Van Gisbergen 18 26 Marcus Marshall 19 2 Mark Skaife 20 777 Michael Patrizi 21 25 Jason Bright 22 55 Tony D’Alberto 23 34 Michael Caruso 24 39 Russell Ingall 25 50 Andrew Thompson 26 11 Shane Price 27 021 Kayne Scott 28 33 Lee Holdsworth 29 3 Jason Richards

Team/Car

Q R1

FPR Falcon BF Toll HRT Commodore VE Team Vodafone Falcon BF Team Vodafone Falcon BF Toll HSV Commodore VE Jim Beam Falcon BF FPR Falcon BF Jeld-Wen Falcon BF Glenfords Falcon BF Team BOC Commodore VE Jim Beam Falcon BF Jack Daniel’s Commodore VE Sprint Gas Commodore VE Supercheap Auto Commodore VE Team WOW Commodore VE Autobarn Commodore VE SP Tools Falcon BF IRWIN Falcon BF Toll HRT Holden Commodore VE Ausdrill FRSR Falcon BF Fujitsu Falcon BF RNR Commodore VE Valvoline Commodore VE Supercheap Auto Commodore VE PWR Commodore VE Jack Daniel’s Commodore VE Team Kiwi Falcon BF Valvoline Commodore VE Sprint Gas Commodore VE

1 3 22 4 7 17 6 5 23 18 24 8 16 25 13 9 10 20 2 27 15 28 12 14 19 26 29 21 11

R2 R3

1 1 1 3 2 7 3 3 5 4 4 6 5 6 8 6 5 4 9 7 20 7 8 17 12 9 14 11 14 13 13 15 9 8 DNF 12 15 21 16 25 11 10 DNF 10 15 22 16 DNF 10 12 22 17 19 2 DNF DNS 19 21 20 DNF 14 13 21 20 23 DNF 16 17 11 DNF 24 DNF 18 18 18 19 DNF 23 24 DNF 24 23 DNF DNF DNF 22

Points: Tander 896, R Kelly 882, Winterbottom 872, Whincup 776, S Richards 721, Lowndes 711, Davison 640, Holsworth 626, Courtney 577, Coulthard 569, T Kelly 556, McConville 525, Skaife 518, Johnson 512, Murphy 488, van Gisbergen 464, J Richards 426, Jones 424, Bright 388, Ingall 373, Caruso 342, Morris 341, Dumbrell 334, Marshall 328, D’Alberto 286, Price 256, Thompson 241, Scott 214, Patrizi 150, Pither 58.

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Champions don’t always win

Marshall Cass

THERE’S a line in a song that says ‘champions don’t always win, they’re known for coming back again,’ and using that as a rule, Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight were the champions of the weekend.

Coming off the back of a disastrous round in Hamilton, things looked just as grim at Barbagallo Raceway. Whincup was slow in practice, and then failed to make it even to the second round of qualifying, earning himself 23rd on the grid.

But by the third race Whincup was back on the pace (and back in front of Craig Lowndes, who had plenty of pace himself ), and, quite amazingly, finished third for the meeting.

“We weren’t that wrong in quali, we just made a tiny error in set-up which cost us,” he said post-Race 3.

“When the lap is a minute long, that happens. In saying that, if we were one of the really quick cars, we would have got away with it. But because we were struggling to get into the top 10 anyway, the little mistake meant we were out.”

But ever the optimist, and with plenty of reason to be optimistic, Whincup was quick to point out how a bad situation can be oh-so-good.

“We learnt a lot over the weekend. This is place is a lot like Bahrain – very coarse, sandy, slippery conditions. That’s why Frosty was so fast, he has this tweak that none of us are on top of yet!

“But overall we learnt a lot, and we know a lot more about how to go fast on a coarse surface like this.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

A rare treat

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FROM THE COUCH

Phil Branagan job but having Mark Skaife slide into the chair alongside him for Race 3 was a rare treat.

Even the most ardent Ford follower would agree that MS is a first-rate communicator, and any scolding he may get from the ‘in-laws’ at 10 could, surely, be forgiven?

The two old mates were as smooth as silk, and before they got together, the Logiewinning squad were in fine form. And speaking of Logies,

Dirk Klynsmith

IT was a pretty good weekend to be a motor racing fan.

Long before the engines fired in Perth, we were wondering how many hours of TV would be beamed east, on a rare weekend when Seven’s usual staple of AFL and more AFL was discarded in favour of Friday’s Brendan Fevola vs The Rest of the World game.

Seven responded with more V8 Supercars, more support events and more analysis than has been the norm in the past.

The analysis came from an unexpected source. Neil Crompton always does a fine

we think that Aaron Noonan deserves a public nod after being omitted from Matty White’s acceptance speech.

The die was cast a few years ago when part-time

microphone jockey Paul Gover got a mention when 10 won it, and we had to cope with the terrifying notion of ‘Groover’ winning a Logie. Nope, it still just sounds wrong.

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Dirk Klynsmith

FPR’s secret star recruit Frosty’s new engineer hit the nail on the head on his first day making the big calls I AM surprised to be a race winner on my first weekend of being the designated engineer on the Ford Performance Racing Falcon, but I think it is more due to the legacy of what FPR is.

We have a great driver, who is very good with his feedback, and because of that the guys have developed some very good racecars over the last few years.

I look at it like, we are trying to finish as best as we can, because that keeps the momentum going. So to come here and be as competitive as we have been, which is ahead of where we thought we would be, is a bonus for the team. And it shows where we are heading.

What was different about this weekend?

Well, we finally had some luck on our side.

The first few races of the season we were caught up with other people’s incidents during the races, and at Hamilton the car was extremely quick, but we got caught out by the red flag when Jamie Whincup hit the wall.

So to have a clear run in qualifying, qualify on the front row, and then continue that pace in the races is why he’s up the front here.

opinion Dan Kroehn Race-winning engineer, #5 FPR The secret to Barbagallo Raceway is simply getting the balance right for Frosty.

You will never get it perfect at every corner, but we’ve identified where the car is strong, and we were working to our strengths.

Tyres were a talking point, but it wasn’t particularly difficult to manage. It is a low grip surface, but our tyre wear has been pretty good. Obviously the left rear cops a hiding because of the long right handers; the first corner, Kolb corner and the last corner. That is a real consideration with setup, and you do everything you can to make sure the car can hang in there through qualifying, over two or three laps, and then the longer race stints.

The pressure isn’t something I’m used to, but I’ve just put my head down, try to pay as much attention to what’s going on around me, and absorb how everything happens, and how it should happen here at FPR. And it seems to be working at the moment …

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CARRERA CUP ROUND 4 – BARBAGALLO, WA

Jump for Joy Craig Baird has raced into the lead of Carrera Cup after a dominant display in WA CARRERA CUP CRAIG Baird is well and truly in control of the 2008 Carrera Cup, winning the fourth round with ease at Barbagallo Raceway last weekend.

But while the meeting ended up being a straight forward weekend for Baird, it looked initially as if it would be exactly that for Aaron Caratti.

The West Aussie went into his home round having clean-swept the previous round at Wakefield Park, and made his similar intentions clear with pole position.

He strengthened his point in the first race, taking a commanding win.

He looked just as unbeatable in Race 2, pulling out a huge lead during the first 10 laps. But he was beaten, not by Baird and co, but by a faulty wheel hub, which failed and left a disappointed, but surprisingly

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philosophical, Caratti on the sidelines.

Baird was able to capatalise, winning Races 2 and 3 with ease, and blowing out his lead in the title significantly.

“It was a tough start to the weekend – I missed the first practice session because I was stuck in Adelaide,” he said.

“Obviously Peter Fitzgerald prepares a good car for me and, with the other guys having a few dramas, I was able to take advantage. I haven’t lost the Championship lead all season and everything is going to plan. Now it’s just a matter of keeping out of trouble, keeping an eye on [Dean] Fiore, [David] Russell and Caratti, and making sure that I do enough to keep in front of them.”

James Moffat was another beneficiary of Caratti’s misfortune, finishing second, a career best in a Porsche, in the second race.

He lost that place to David Russell in the

final, but second for the round was still a great weekend for the rookie.

Russell, along with David Wall, could have had even better results to his name, had it not been for a Race 2 incident. The pair clashed while both up the front on the first lap, giving Russell plenty to do to recover to third for the round.

But there were no such great recoveries for Fiore, who went into his hometown race as equal championship leader. But after finishing just fifth in the first race, Fiore stalled at the start of Race 2, dropping to the back of the field. He then made contact with some backmarkers on the way back to the front, copped a drive-through penalty for his efforts, and finished last.

Sixth in the final was a small consolation.

Points: Baird 696, Fiore 603, Caratti 510, Russell 480, Washington 402, Mawer 354, Wall 333, Moffat 309, Forbes 264, Jane 258.

race

Dirk Klynsmith John Morris/Mpix

Action Cup: Shaun Juniper had a jump, but it wasn’t for joy, above. Right, Russell clashed with nearly half the pack, before Baird, below, secured his second round win for the year.

Dirk Klynsmith Dirk Klynsmith

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Dirk Klynsmith

Cool as Ice

Damien White became the third different winner in MINI Challenge this year as the series headed out west MINI CHALLENGE

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Dirk Klynsmith

THE MINI’s crowned their third round winner in as many outings at Barbagallo last weekend with Damien White taking the win.

White took the round win with some consistent results that included a win in the final race of the weekend.

“The racing was phenomenal and it was great to battle it out with Grant again and I was under a lot of pressure,” said White.

“I looked up at one stage and lost count of the cars following me over the hill, but I just love it, it’s the best way to go racing and these things are wild”.

Grant Denyer pushed White all the way in Perth and continued to pile on the ballast after placing second for the round. Denyer managed to extend his championship lead over Neil McFadyen, who finished the round in third. But it wasn’t easy for him, after

I forgot where to go: The MINIs had all sorts of problems at the start, top, David Turner got well sideways. Damien White, above, stayed cool under pressure to take the round win from Grant Denyer. falling back through the field in Race 2.

“The racing was just red-hot,” said Denyer.

“I’m so happy for this DecoRug Motorsport team that we were able to maintain the points lead after drifting back in the field during the second race.”

Uber Star driver Ben Tune had a less than successful weekend with a rollover that saw him transported to hospital, while other

Uber driver Leanne Tander had some mixed fortunes over the weekend. However a great drive in the final race saw her come though for a sixth place finish.

Last round winner Nathan Geier survived a scary moment after contact with Paul Stokell saw him temporarily airborne.

The next round of the series will be at Sandown on June 9.

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Home-town Advantage V8 UTES GRANT Johnson has taken a popular hometown win at Barbagallo with two race wins last weekend.

The West Australian dominated proceedings in Races 1 and 2, while a solid result in the reverse grid race handed him the round.

Another local boy and V8 Ute debutant, Paul Williams, finished second in the reverse grid race after a strong drive. However an incident in the final race forced him to retire.

Hometown knowledge defiantly paid off in the west and Clint Harvey came home second for the round in his first attempt at the category.

“Every race I go in, I thrive to win,” said Harvey.

“I’m happy to finish second for my first race in the series, especially to Grant who is a good mate and a strong competitor.”

Kim Jane finished second for the round after some strong results, which included a win in Race 2 and a second in the final.

But the weekend belonged to Johnson, who dominated the field over the entire weekend, taking pole position in the process.

As ever, the Utes had some action-packed races with numerous incidents and a heap of carnage. Race 2’s reverse grid encounter often provides some accidents, and didn’t disappoint with a major crash forcing the safety car into action.

The next round of the V8 Utes will be at Hidden Valley on July 6.

James Smith Dirk Klynsmith

Super Rookie: Clint Harvey, above, had a great debut, placing second overall, while Grant Johnson, right, smoked the field

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AUSTRALIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 2 – RALLY OF CANBERRA

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Two on the trot Not since 1999 has Toyota stalwart Neal Bates won two Australian rallies in a row. RYAN LAHIFF reports from Canberra

Joel Strickland

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Joel Strickland

AUSTRALIAN RALLY

N

EAL Bates put hometown experience and a bit of luck to good use at last weekend’s Rally of Canberra to maintain his lead in the Australian Rally Championship, leading home Toyota Racing Developments team-mate Simon Evans and Subaru privateer Darren Windus.

The dual status Rally of Canberra played host to the second rounds of both the ARC and the regional Asia-Pacific Rally Championship.

In the APRC stakes, Cody Crocker returned to Australian shores for the first time this season to defend his crown against a host of Pacific-rim drivers including former ARC regulars Scott Pedder and Dean Herridge.

Exceptionally dusty conditions prevailed during the opening stages on Saturday morning but it was the local wildlife that was to play havoc. Evans slammed into a kangaroo halfway through the opening stage. The damage appeared severe, the front bumper ripped clear, and while Evans dropped over a minute, his retirement

36

came down to power steering failure.

The Toyota team repaired Evans’s car, leaving Bates in the lead, but under pressure from Eli Evans (younger brother of Simon). But Eli also suffered dramas when he rolled his Subaru.

But despite the issues, the Evans pair kept the pressure on Bates, who came away with a 20s win at the end of Heat 1.

“It was a really tight battle with Simon and Eli but it was good to come out with a win – especially at my home event,” said Bates.

“Simon was very quick after the guys repaired his car this morning but I am happy to take the win.”

Sunday’s second leg saw Evans take a comfortable win with blistering stage times, but his third place in Heat 1 meant that Bates took the round win.

Evans was philosophical about the result.

“This is where I want to be – in the lead controlling the rally from the front.

Yesterday was a bit of a downer but it was out of my control,” said Evans.

Eli’s solid run came to a sudden end in Heat 2 when he slid off the road and beached his Subaru.

Behind Bates and Evans, the remainder of the ARC field was decimated with

engine failure for Glen Raymond, electrical concerns for Stewart Reid and a flat for Michael Guest. Darren Windus clawed his way through the carnage to take out third behind the Toyota’s ahead of Spencer Lowndes in fourth.

In the APRC contest, Crocker dominated, winning both legs of rally.

“This makes it four Rally of Canberra titles from five years, which is really fantastic,” Crocker said.

“To be on the pace first time back in the car after such a long break between events gives us plenty of confidence going forward.”

Scott Pedder’s Mitsubishi finished second in Heat 1, but his rally ended early when he holed his rear diff before a hard landing over a jump holed the engine sump.

Sitting comfortably in third and on course for his second APRC podium result in two events, Dean Herridge was happy to let his former ARC rivals fight it out in the lead.

The Australian Rally Championship enters a six-week break ahead of the Coates Rally Queensland in late June, while the AsiaPacific Rally Championship moves to New Zealand for the Rally of Whangarei in early June.

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Jeremy Rogers

Kangapoo: Wildlife ruined the run of Simon Evans, above, who proved to be the fastest. Left, Simon’s woes saw Neal Bates and Coral Taylor storm to their second win in a row.

Joel Strickland

Dreamers: Honda made its Australian Rally debut with Guy Wilkes, above. Below, Scott Pedder was on track for a top two result in APRC, but mechanical problems thwarted his run. Cody Crocker, right, took the spoils.

Joel Strickland

Joel Strickland

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NASCAR SPRINT CUP ROUND 11 – DARLINGTON, SC

DON’T YOU JUST LOVE

SEQUELS?

A Ford finished first at Darlington – but it was Harrison Ford, whose famous Indiana Jones visage adorned the flanks of Kyle Busch’s unstoppable Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

By MARTIN D CLARK 38

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NASCAR Media

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NASCAR Media

W

E don’t yet know whether Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull will live up to the success of its forebearers.

But, if the stellar form of Kyle Busch is any indication, Indy and the rest of the on-screen heroes are in for a lucrative summer in the USA. Busch extended his points lead with his third Cup win of the season on Saturday night in South Carolina when he overcame a missing wheel nut (and subsequent penalty from NASCAR) to move from 23rd to the lead, where he stayed for almost half the race.

But Busch remains Cup’s latest Bad Boy, booed at every turn after his Richmond altercation with NASCAR’s pinup, Dale Earnhardt Jr. “The crew guys are loving the noise that the fans make,” he smiled.

“After we ran about 15 or 20 laps and the rest of the guys fell off so much, we could just keep going. We knew we had a good car we just had to get back up front and get track position.”

Carl Edwards finished second after a slow start to the race, and finished ahead of Jeff Gordon who, along with Earnhardt Jr, ran strong and led laps. David Ragan was fifth.

The one man who may have pushed Busch was Greg Biffle.

After putting his Roush Fenway Ford on pole, he led 95 laps, but a loose wheel put an end to all that, before engine woes sidelined him permanently on lap 234.

“All I want is equipment to drive that stays together,” remarked an unhappy Biffle, whose contract is up at season’s end.

“I had loose wheels all night, bad vibrations and then I think the motor blew up.”

When Elliott Sadler took Tony Stewart into the wall on the second lap and Sam Hornish Jr hit the wall on lap 11, it looked like the race would take the pattern of Darlington before the new paving job that created record speeds this time around. But surprisingly there were only eight yellow flags and few incidents.

Busch took the lead from

seven-time Darlington winner Gordon with 64 laps to run to become the youngest driver to win in 68 years on the tough 1.366-mile oval. Busch, 23, extended his point lead over Jeff Burton, who finished 10th and remains the only driver to have completed all 3297 laps run thus far in 2008.

SPRINT CUP

DRIVER’S points

Kyle Busch 1690, Burton 1611, Earnhardt Jr. 1556, Hamlin 1500, Bowyer 1490.

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NASCAR Media

Loosey Goosey: Greg Biffle was Busch’s biggest threat, above, but a loose wheel put him back. Elliott Sadler took Tony Stewart out of contention on lap 2, below, but Kyle Busch ruled the night, left.

NASCAR Media

NASCAR Media

crunchdaddy.com: Mark Martin, #5, faltered at the restart and ate the wall after a tap from Jason Leffler, right.

20-20-20-20 Vision

Stewart maintains JGR’s golden Nationwide run

Ford Racing

Martin D Clark

Nostalgia: Darlington legend David Pearson was on-hand for pre-race advice to Carl Edwards, above, while Dale Earnhardt Jr, left, turned back the clock with his retro Mountain Dew paint.

IT was all about the fours at Darlington’s Nationwide race.

Tony Stewart took his fourth win in six starts, and the fourth in a row for Joe Gibbs Racing’s #20 Camry. It was also Stewart’s first win at the South Carolina track.

But Matt Kenseth should have won. The Roush Fenway Ford was the class of the field and he looked set for a comfortable win, but loose wheel nuts forced him to drop a lap, and he walled the car late in the race when he was chasing the lucky dog to get back on the lead lap.

Marcos Ambrose’s struggle with speed continues. He finished 10th, gaining several spots from clearing a late-race wreck but dropping two spots in the last two laps. The melee was caused by Mark Martin, who was second behind Stewart but whose car coughed at a restart, prompting a pileup.

Despite the Toyota form, Clint Bowyer continues to lead the title. He was second at Darlington and has nine top-10 finishes in his Childress Chevy.

Points: Bowyer 1740, Ky Busch 1628, Edwards 1590, Reutimann 1572, Bliss 1545, Ragan 1521, Keselowski 1500, Leffler 1480, Wallace 1385, Stremme 1327 [Ambrose 1249, 15th].

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WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 5 – MONZA, ITALY

Ducati stumbled at Monza – but the Japanese bikes had already taken over to put one of the great races in World Superbikes

FOURPLAY

Honda Pro Images

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Suzuki Racing

WSBK

RIDER’S points

Suzuki Racing

T

Coming attractions: Ryuichi Kiyonari, opposite, hunted down the leaders and almost pulled off a maiden WSBK win. Max Neukirchner, #76, did just that but looked bemused more than happy on the podium. Troy Bayliss, #21, led Race 2, above, but a rare engine drama halted his Ducati. Max Biaggi, below, took fifth in the first race but banged up his wrist, again, in a Race 2 fall.

Sterilgarda

was third, as Neukirchner was rounding them both up on the left, falling 0.009s short of what would have been a shock win.

But that wasn’t all the exciting stuff. It was the carnage elsewhere, with Yukio Kagayama highsiding off his Suzuki, Bayliss retiring with an oil leak, Troy Corser colliding with Carlos Checa at the chicane – and both staying on, until the Spaniard came off all by himself later. Then there was the small matter of Max Biaggi (fifth in Race 1) being clobbered off the Sterilgarda Ducati by Jakub Smrz, the Italian hobbling off the hallowed tarmac clutching the wrist he broke at Philip Island.

So, Kiyonari showed some of the form that took his to the British crown and Haga has demonstrated, once again, that he is more comfortable racing in Europe rather than the flyaway races. Bayliss continues to lead the championship by a country mile by there are signs that the Japanese armada has closed the gap to the twin-bangers.

Oh yeah, Race 1; Neukirchner, Haga, Bayliss, Kagayama, all separated by 0.8s. Great stuff, but only good enough for silver, not gold ...

Ducati Corse

HE first World Superbike race at Monza was pretty good. Max Neukirchner won it, from Noriyuki Haga.

But no-one who saw Race 2 would have much remembered that, because Race 2 was one of those races where, pretty much, everything happened.

It was one of those oldfashioned stoushes between the factory teams, and at the end of the first lap, Troy Bayliss led the Japanese fours, and Ryuichi Kiyonari was ninth. But they didn’t finish that way …

Put it this way; Kiyo put his head down and his tail up until, half-way through the last lap, he took the lead in a World Superbike race for the first – and certainly, not the last – time. It looked decisive; after all, Nori’s Yamaha in second place has been chugging out tyre smoke for half the race, and he looked like he was done.

But he wasn’t. Nitro slid the R1 up the inside of the Parabolica, forcing Kiyo to unweight his inside knee for a moment. The two Japanese fired down the white line on the right to fight out a close finish, Haga holding off his countryman by all of 0.05s. But here was the kicker; the Honda

Bayliss 194, Checa 116, Haga 112, Neukirchner 111, Nieto 107, Corser 101, Xaus 90, Biaggi/ Kiyonari 65.

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Peugeot Rules at Spa LE MANS SERIES

sutton-images.com

PEUGEOT has moved one step closer to a Le Mans 24-hour victory by beating home Audi in the Spa 1000.

The factory Peugeot of Mark Gene, Nicholas Minassian and Jacques Villeneuve finished 30 seconds clear of the Audi piloted by Alexandre Premat and Mike Rockenfeller.

“Nico did most of the work,” said Gene.

“It’s a good result in championship terms and I’m delighted that the team brought in Jacques for this race to help us prepare for Le Mans.”

Gene and Minassian are now tied at the top of the championship table with Premat and Rockenfeller, while Audi has overtaken Peugeot in the Manufacturers Championship by two points.

Australian Alex Davison had a great race placing second in GT2 by a mere twotenths of a second. Davison and his teammate Marc Lieb also place 20th overall in a fantastic result. Raining GT2 Champions Vigo Motorsport won the class in a dramatic end to the race.

Sliding Sideways HISTORIC TOURING CARS

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James Smith

THE Historic Touring Cars took to the track at Barbagallo Raceway over the weekend, with Paul Stubber dominating the field.

Stubber took out all four races in his 1969 Chev Camaro showing the field just how to drive around the 2.4km circuit while giving a lesson in power-sliding.

Ron Moller had a good weekend and wound up second overall after a string of second places. Only a third in Race 2 upset his run.

Third place on the rostrum was shared over the course of the weekend’s races

by Andrew Whiteside in his Charger and Darryl Hansen in a Ford Mustang.

With plenty of power, the muscle cars put on a show for the fans and the races saw an abundance of sideways action from some of the drivers.

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Ricciardo loves France FRENAULT WEC DANIEL Ricciardo is on it.

The West-Australian dominated the latest round of the Formula Renault WestEuropean Cup at Dijon in France, taking both wins to stamp his authority on the series.

In a weekend that was scarily reminiscent of Indianapolis, Michelin tyre dramas dominated the weekend’s proceedings, forcing the shortening of both races.

The other Australian in the field, Ash Walsh, struggled over the weekend, placing 18th and

15th in the two races and had some tyre dramas of his own.

“The track is very quick in the last couple of last corners,” said Walsh.

“It’s also a very abrasive track, hard on the tyres. They have resurfaced some of the corners, and the tyres couldn’t cope.”

But Ricciardo, who also races Formula Renault EuroCup, cleaned up in France setting fastest laps in the process.

The next round of the West European Cup will be at Valencia in June, with Ricciardo also racing EuroCup the week before on June 7 at Silverstone.

Gold for Australia SPEEDWAY GP

Mike Patrick

LEIGH Adams won his first Grand Prix in Poland and the seventh of his career on a track on which he has raced Polish League Speedway for much of his career.

Adams won the final ahead of American Greg Hancock, while defending World Champion Nicki Pedersen was third, which was enough to give him a two-point lead in this year's title pursuit.

Pedersen, second in Slovenia, qualified for the final despite crashing on the final bend of his semi-final after 2006 world champion Jason Crump had attempted to pass him on the inside.

Tomasz Gollob, like Hancock, had started with three race wins and looked unbeatable but as the night wore on the Polish superstar waned and lost a golden opportunity to add a second victory after his triumph in Slovenia.

Polish wildcard Jarek Hampel had first choice of gate but never figured in the contest as Adams, using all his vast knowledge of the track, held off every

effort of the rejuvenated Hancock.

“The 2008 World Championship starts now,” said an excited Adams.

“We have put Krsko behind us. This is the one that I really wanted to win, it is my adopted home. The Leszno club did a fantastic job, the track was great, the atmosphere was terrific and I am right back in the race.”

Pedersen, though disappointed not to win, looked at the bigger picture and will settle for a two point lead going into the third round in Gothenburg, Sweden, in two weeks.

– TONY MILLARD Points: Pedersen 33, Gollob 31, Hancock 28, Adams 25, Jonsson 21, (7th J.Crump 18).

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rear ofrace grid

IndyCar Media

John Gall John Gall

YOU can say what you like about Barbagallo Raceway but you must admit, it does provide some great images of racing cars.

The ups, downs and kerbs provide the drivers with the opportunity to jump their way around the track, regardless of what they are driving. Shaun Juniper got his Porsche off the air – almost – in the Carrera Cup races, left, while Nathan Grier made you believe a Mini could fly in the MINI Challenge, bottom.

But for ours, the award for the best aerials goes to Shane Van Gisbergen. On his first visit to the west, The Giz got daylight under the Stones’ SP Tools Falcon, top, so much so that this Dirk Klynsmith image shows him on the way back to earth.

The Giz celebrated his 19th birthday last Friday. So we have to ask; how far will he fly when he grows up?

Dirk Klynsmith

EL-EV-A-SHUN!

Odd Spot

SPEAKING of 19-year-olds, we like Graham Rahal.

Bobby’s lad headed to Indy for his first 500 full of anticipation, but we admire the fact that he is not losing his sense of humour.

The lettering on his cockpit reads: “A FLASH OF LIGHT AND A HEARTY HI HO SILVER, AWAY!” Yes, motor racing is serious. Except when it’s not.

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