Motorsport eNews issue 64 - July 22-28, 2008

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Moving South

Issue No. 064 22-28 July 2008

CONFIRMED

Courtney to drive FPR Falcon Next year

Winds of Change v8 race formats, testing and fuel regs to be overhauled

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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Chris Lambden publisher@mnews.com.au

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. 064 | 22 - 28 Jul 2008

news 4 Change in the air ...

6 Taking shape 8 PCR for FV8 10 Tracy is finally back 15 Britek FV8 16 Not quite ...

chat 18 5 minutes with ... opinion 20 Branagan 21 Rowley

race 22 The Paperclip 28 Canto on top 32 Carrera Cup 34 Supports

Sporting and tech regs 2009 calendar talk Two car team in 09?

Walker to run Paul Bigger presence expected Van Diemens still here Russell Ingall Memories Aussie Pride Frosty too good Fujitsu in the sunshine Can anyone beat Bairdo?

Percat drinks a Pale

trade 46 Classifieds

welcome Frosty stays cool in the heat at Queensland Raceway to extend his championship lead ...

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

Courtney to leave one Ford factory for another V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

JAMES Courtney will drive for a factory Ford team next year, but it won’t be Stone Brothers Racing.

Courtney is set to move south to drive a Ford Performance Racing Falcon next year, but in what guise is not yet known.

After winning his first-ever V8 Supercar race at Queensland Raceway last weekend, Courtney’s team were informed that its driver of three years would leave the Yatalabased squad at the completion of the season.

It is expected that an

announcement regarding Courtney’s future will be officially confirmed in October

by Ford.

Courtney first joined SBR in 2006, replacing dual V8 champion Marcos Ambrose.

The 27-year-old scored his second career pole at Queensland Raceway and his eighth podium.

Courtney’s expected move south to FPR could be executed in a number of ways, although the most likely option will be for him to drive a third team car, using Jim Morton’s licence and rebranding the entry as the proposed ‘Ford Dealer Team,’ first reported by eNews (Issue 058).

– GRANT ROWLEY

Changes for 2009 V8SCS V8 SUPERCARS

fuel regulations. One informed source told eNews that his A RAFT of changes will be team was working on the basis introduced into the V8 of a 25-28 percent increase Supercars Championship in fuel consumption, which if Series next season to improve accurate, reduces the range of the show and reduce the costs. a V8 Supercar from 200km to V8 Supercar Australia’s 150km (with current 120 litre board met on the Thursday fuel capacity limits). before Queensland Raceway, Other sporting changes discussing the technical and that are on the agenda for sporting regulations for 2009, discussion were night racing and race formats were high on and testing restrictions, the list of potential changes. including the immediate One of the mooted outcomes banning of shaker rig testing is a shorter race on Saturday for and wind tunnel testing, which reduced points, followed by a most major teams have already longer ‘fuel’ race on Sunday. It completed in the past. is believed that V8SA want to All these changes, plus more, have this format run at as many will be announced at the L&H rounds as possible, except for 500 at Phillip Island. the traditional formats at the From a fans’ point of view, Clipsal 500, Phillip Island 500 ticket prices will be frozen at and the Bathurst 1000. most, if not all circuits next One of the reasons for any year, according to V8 Supercar potential change is due to Chairman Tony Cochrane. the dramatically reduced fuel “Where ever we can with range with the new-for-09 E85 promoters, we have fixed our

sanction fee for 2009 in the interest that they will do the same things for fans,” Cochrane said.

“We recognise that a lot of our fans are doing it tough.

We can’t hold (the prices) of some circuits, because some we don’t have control over, but wherever we can, including our own four rounds, we’ll be holding the prices at 2008 prices.”

In other news, the successor to Wayne Cattach’s position as V8SA CEO has been signed and sealed and will be announced in the coming fortnight. It is believed that the new CEO is an Australian, with no motor racing experience. He is expected to start in October this year.

Also, an announcement about chance of a Sydney street race could come as soon as this week.

– GRANT ROWLEY

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

Australasian

news

Snap Paddock Survey

More grip, more entertainment MNews gave selected members of the V8 paddock one wish – What would you change about V8 Supercars to improve the show?

By GRANT ROWLEY and ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN V8 SUPERCARS TYRES have emerged as an area primed for improvement following an impromptu survey of key players in the V8 Supercar paddock at Queensland Raceway last weekend.

While everything from more car manufacturers to cleaner racing was suggested, tyres, and in particular more grip for overtaking, was the most prominent response – and not just from drivers …

Reigning V8 Supercar Champion Garth Tander was one drive to voice his opinion over the current control tyres rules, using his Friday outing in a Carrera Cup car as an example.

“I drove a Carrera Cup car for the first time here this weekend, and the grip from the front tyre is unbelievable. It’s really unbelievable!” he said.

“That would certainly give you more confidence because you could get up the inside of somebody and the car would actually turn, rather than just locking up and sliding into the door. That would be much better racing.”

MNews conducted the survey after the V8 Supercars board met on Thursday before Queensland Raceway, where a raft of technical and sporting regulations were discussed.

Dirk Klynsmith

Jeff Grech (Team Manager, Sprint Gas Racing): Tyres.

Someone needs to develop a race-able tyre that could be over-extended for two laps and then settled down again.

Like push-to-pass, but with the tyres. Either that or a new tyre manufacturer with a pre-season homologation process.

Al D’Alberto (Tony D’Alberto Racing): Another manufacturer, that would spark plenty of interest. And what better opportunity than while Triple 8 and Dick Johnson Racing are waiting to do something …

Will Davison (Driver, Jim Beam Racing): Grippier tyres. Not just for driving pleasure, but for the racing. Or option tyres, we just need something to spice it up.

Garth Tander (Reigning Champion, Holden Racing Team): Better tyres and a bit more aero.

Jamie Whincup (Driver, TeamVodafone): Cleaner racing.

I’d like to see more etiquette and respect between the drivers, and I’m not eliminating myself from that statement.

Cameron McConville (Driver, Wow Racing): Better tyres and brakes to increase overtaking.

By increasing the grip, it gives you more room for error.

Fabian Coulthard (Driver, Glenfords Racing): Race more overseas. Have 10 rounds here in Australia, but have more offshore races. The series is big enough to go global.

Dean Canto (Driver, Howard Racing): More grippy tyres. Then you’d be able to at least try and pass. Everyone wants more

passing, and that would fix it.

Adrian Burgess (Team manager, Jim Beam Racing): Remove some of the politics so we can enjoy the championship. We’ve got to cut the costs of racing, but we’ve got to do it together as a group.

Brad Jones (Team owner, Brad Jones Racing): Create more passing. I get to watch a lot of races these days, and I think we should be on a softer tyre.

I don’t know if that’s the right answer, but more passing is needed.

Paul Cruickshank (Team owner, Paul Cruickshank Racing): We need to reduce the costs and make the racing more exciting.

You watch the Development Series races ¬ it’s entertaining, and that’s because there is some variety in there.

Craig Wilson (General Manager, Walkinshaw Performance): Make the racing more interesting, which isn’t necessarily the same as cost containment. There isn’t enough variables in a control formula …

Simon McNamara (Manager, Holden Motorsport): The sport needs an independent board.

No successful major sporting body globaly is successful with a group that is run by its competitors. They make a rule saying “No chairs in pit lane.”

Then a team manager’s sponsor will say that the chair market has taken a dive. Suddenly, the chairs are allowed back in.

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

Shorter Season in 2009

V8SA confirms 15 events in 38 weeks: E85 all set for next season V8 SUPERCARS

Fuel changes gets tick V8 SUPERCARS V8 SUPERCARS will definitely be ‘green’ from 2009 onwards.

Starting from February 2009, the Championship Series and the Development Series will use E85 fuel.

While there was some doubt over whether the program’s partners would be ready for next year, V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane confirmed that the new fuel will be used in both V8 classes.

“We’ve undertaken a lot of research in this area, and the research has come

back in tremendous shape, and we are ahead of the game here,” Cochrane said.

“We are leaders in the area of emissions and renewable resources. We don’t want to be a follower, and because of that, we are going to support the Australian government and most of the Australian state governments’ stance on introducing E85 as a viable alternative to petroleum-based products.”

V8 Supercars has entered into fiveyear arrangements with suppliers for the introduction of E85, with an announcement to be made at Bathurst in October.

Dirk Klynsmith

V8 SUPERCARS Australia is making changes to its 2009 calendar – and those fans wanting a shorter season will be delighted.

V8SA Chairman Tony Cochrane confirmed at Queensland Raceway that the season would shrink next season and that the 15 events (14 championship rounds plus the Australian Grand Prix supports) would take place in 38 weeks.

“We’re very delighted to be in this position,” he said.

“It’s not perfect. Perfect would 34 weeks, but 15 events over 38 weeks is a pretty good effort and we are looking forward to the announcement of the 2009 calendar in the first week of September.”

Details are sketchy but we believe that there will be a number of similarities to ‘08. Three weekends are already confirmed; the nonchampionship AGP supports on March 26-29, and as first reported in eNews, the maiden Townsville round on July 1012, and the Indy 300 on October 22-25.

So it would appear that, in line with the late start of the Formula 1 season at Albert Park, the Adelaide 500 will be moving to mid-March, most likely 12th-15th. With the success of the first Hamilton 400 this year, the 2009 race looks set to run three weeks after the GP, on April 17-19.

Bathurst will run the now-traditional weekend after NSW’s Labour Day holiday on October 8-11, and that would place the lead-up enduro at Phillip Island on September 4-6.

It is likely that Hidden Valley will maintain its traditional late June/ early July spot, but we expect that the changes may involve Winton, which is likely to move from its current early August date to autumn, probably May, and Sandown, which we believe will be in August and the last of the ‘sprint’ rounds prior to the enduros.

Providing the Clipsal date is accurate, a 38 week season places the final race of the championship – at Homebush? – on the first weekend in December.

Skaife: No retirement V8 SUPERCARS

RUMOURS of a retirement announcement at Winton next week have been dismissed

by Holden Racing Team’s Mark Skaife.

Skaife said that he had “nothing to add” to an exclusive interview in this Wednesday’s edition of Motorsport News, in which he details his future plans.

“When you make those yearly comparisons, of how Jim Richards, or Peter Brock, or Dick Johnson, or Larry Perkins, or

John Bowe were going throughout their careers, and look at them now, and then look how that corresponds to Mark Skaife’s [career], I would be about 10 years younger than any of those blokes were when they thought about retiring,” he said.

According to the rumours, Skaife was to be replaced by current Toll HSV Dealer Team driver Rick Kelly.

For more on Skaife’s views on V8 Supercars, see the August edition of MNews, on-sale this Wednesday.

news

MAKING THE MOST OF SONIC MARSHALL CASS

V8 SUPERCARS SONIC Motor Racing Services hasn’t done a deal to move into the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series yet, but if rumours at Queensland Raceway are true, then it could be about to change.

Speculation at last weekend’s V8 meeting linked the Formula Ford and Carrera Cup championship team with the reigning Bathurst winners Triple 8 Race Engineering, with the two to combine for next year’s Fujitsu Series.

While no deal is done, eNews understands that it could see the two BF Falcons currently used by Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup handed down to Sonic, who would run them with T8 support for

two yet-to-be-named drivers.

And the rumours are hardly unfounded.

There is already an existing link between the two teams, with T8 offering damper support for Sonic’s current programs. And there definitely be the hardware available, with the introduction of the FG next season meaning BF Falcons will hardly be in short supply …

Finally, T8 tested two of Sonic’s then-FF drivers 12 months ago, Tim Blanchard and James Moffat getting behind the wheel of a TeamVodafone car at QR. But while a deal would make sense, Sonic boss Michael Ritter was quick to point out that nothing was signed, and that there were plenty of options being considered.

When quizzed on whether there would be a Sonic Fujitsu Series program next year, Ritter said “as it stands, no. There is nothing going on at the moment.

“On the Ford side, obviously there will be plenty of good cars available. We’ve got to look at all of those options, because we have a lot riding on this. But at the moment there are no deals done.”

Sonic is the reigning championship team for both Carrera Cup (David Reynolds) and Formula Ford (Blanchard). This year there are four drivers in the Sonic stable, with Dean Fiore, Moffat, Rodney Jane and Bryce Washington on the Porsche side, and Nick Percat, Lucas Dumbrell and Kristian Lindbom in Formula Ford.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

news

Marshall Cass

A Developing future for PCR Cruickshank’s team likely to run a car in each V8 Supercar Series in 2009 V8 SUPERCARS

know what it will be, but we’ll run it in the Main Series.”

Cruickshank says that the advantages of running a Fujitsu Series car is all to do with ‘economy of scale.’

“It’s another small step for the team moving forward,” he says.

“We’ve got a lot of parts and a lot of expertise in V8s. All our focus is on V8 Supercars, and it’s a good area to train a co-driver, maybe train an engineer.”

– GRANT ROWLEY

Dirk Klynsmith

PAUL Crucikshank Racing is unlikely to enter a second car in the V8 Supercar Championship Series next year, but is confident of an entry in the Fujitsu V8 Series.

The single-car Ford team, which has punched well above its weight in the first half of this season, has indicated its desire to run two Main Series cars, but team owner Paul Cruickshank told eNews that

a Development Series car is more likely for 2009.

“I’d love to have two in the main series, but in the current climate, I just think it’s going to be too difficult to put together,” he said.

“Everyone at the moment is tightening their belts. So, if we can’t do that, then certainly we’ll be running a Development Series car with our current chassis.

“We’ll get a new car for Fabian (Couthard), I don’t

TKR wants Ford’s new FG for 2009 V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

TEAM Kiwi Racing is aiming to field a brand-new Ford Falcon FG for the first round of the V8 Supercar Championship next year.

The New Zealand-based team is in discussions with Triple Eight Race Engineering about securing the latestmodel chassis for 2009. TKR is also hopeful of retaining its engine supply deal with Stone Brothers Racing.

Team owner David John told eNews that his embattled team

was recently cleared by the High Court of New Zealand of allegations of insolvency made against the team by Bernie Gillon.

With those off-track dramas out of the way, John is keen to focus on the future.

“All the off-track sideshow is now finished,” he said.

“We’ve abided by the request of the High Court and Mr Gillon. Now, for the sake of the team, its sponsors and the sport in general, we’ll get on with the job of racing cars.

“We’ve spoken to Roland

[Dane] about supply and demand of chassis and we are planning on running an FG to start next year.”

As a side note, after the Ford Racing’s financial cutbacks

were announced recently, TKR will remain as a NZ factorysupported entry, as it has one year remaining on the deal it signed at the start of 2007.

– GRANT ROWLEY

No Place like ... Surfers Chip and Roger consider skipping Oz race: Money still an issue INDYCAR DOUBTS as to which teams will make the trip to the Gold Coast for October’s Indy 300 continue.

The Team Support package announced

by IndyCar last September was increased from US$1.2m for the 16 original races to $1.3m when unification occurred, providing teams and extra $100,000 for the two additional races (Edmonton and Surfers). Teams signed contracts committing to the full 18-race season.

But at least two teams, Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske, remain doubtful of making the trip to Queensland.

“The cost of the two extra races this season isn’t even close to the team

incentive package increase of $100,000,” explained Mike Hull, Ganassi’s Managing Director.

“We need the Australians’ help. These two additional races were not in our budget this season. The IRL is working hard to make sure the teams are fairly compensated.”

“If the TV ratings were significant and the race telecast was in the proper time zone, then a title sponsor, like Target, is in favour of racing there. The way it is now, the TV time is a tough sell to any sponsor.

If we have good enough ratings, then we deserve to race there.”

[Ed: The US broadcast is currently set for midnight on Saturday, October 25].

“The IRL knows how to do international races, what a team needs to take in terms

of equipment, weight, cars, spares, and parts. Then there are people needed including management, crew, driver, and owners. The formula works for Japan so there is no reason to start at any level less than that for Australia.”

“The IndyCar brand is too important to go to Surfers unless we have a full field.

We lose sponsor support for a race out of the country. So we need to race for a purse which is helped by the promoter to pay all the entries. Currently, only the top five will receive a bonus since we have the team incentive package.”

“Our team is at one end (top team). If we suffer the way it is now, imagine how the smaller teams must struggle to do an international race.”

– MARY MENDEZ

Honda Racing Media

Tracy returns with Walker (via Subway) INDYCAR PAUL Tracy returns to racing this week in Edmonton.

As first reported in eNews, Derrick Walker will operate the Tony George-owned #22 Honda/Dallara for the one-off Edmonton event.

“I’m excited about the opportunity with Vision Racing and Walker Racing,” said Tracy, who is first among active Indy

10

car drivers in career wins (31) and starts (262), and second amongst active Indy car drivers in poles (25).

“Obviously, it’s key to have a good sponsor and a proper effort. I’ve been away for a little while, but I want to be back in a car. This is the first step to getting back. We have a big job ahead of us but everyone is giving it their best try.”

Because Walker Racing has

three Atlantic entries with Nigel Mansell’s sons Leo and Greg and Canadian Kevin LaCroix, it’s been able to keep many of its ex-Champ Car team crew employed, and they will now support Tracy.

“We hope to do a half-way decent job at Edmonton,” said Walker, being realistic. “We have been in deep storage. But we remember the Edmonton track. We were on pole there

last year with Will Power.”

“We’ve asked the IRL for a shakedown run at Edmonton.

There’s no time to go anywhere else to run. We brought the car to our shop and have just a week to work on it. You’d think the IRL would want to see Paul run well at a Canadian track and give him a good test. It could even help Andretti Green sell their Toronto race.”

– MARY MENDEZ

news

AMBROSE STEPS IT UP

TA suit could take years INDYCAR

NASCAR SPRINT CUP

cars for Kelly Bires and Pressley’s son, Coleman.

Daugherty is a successful businessman based in Asheville, NC, and owns several car dealerships. His predominant brand is currently Ford but recent media reports connect the 212cm former centre with the buyout of a chain of Chevrolet dealers …

ESPN.com

For more on Ambrose, see the August edition of Motorsport News, on-sale this Wednesday

Ford Racing Media

MARCOS Ambrose will race a full NASCAR Sprint Cup program next season after a new ownership deal for JTG Racing.

ESPN NASCAR television analyst Brad Daugherty has bought into the team, now to be known as JTG Daugherty Racing. The former NBA AllStar, inset, has secured an undisclosed percentage of the team from co-owners Tad and Jodi Geschickter.

Daugherty, who retired from professional basketball due to a back injury at age 28, is a lifelong racing fan and wore #43

with the Cleveland Cavaliers, in tribute to NASCAR legend Richard Petty. He grew up in North Carolina and is close friends with Robert Pressley, who serves as a driving coach for Ambrose.

Apart from his successful move in the commentary box, Daugherty has experience as a team owner, having owned a Craftsman Truck outfit in the 1990s. JTGD is expected to race in the Nationwide Series next season, with two

Ford Racing Media

Co-owner for JTG signals full-time Cup assault

THE battle between former Team Australia allies Derrick Walker and Craig Gore may drag on for years.

The owner of Walker Racing has sued his ex-partner for leaving him taking the Aussie Vineyard concept and AU wine sponsor to Kevin Kalkhoven’s IndyCar team last February.

“First I have to get a judgement in the US,” said Walker.

“If that happens, and Gore doesn’t pay, then I have to go to the Australian courts. In theory, Australia recognises American law. It will take several years to go through the court process.

I can prove dollars have changed hands. It’s now the lawyers’ turn.”

– MARY MENDEZ

11

Wall gets Mawer Flack for 12H Australian Porsche team set to take on the Sepang 12 Hour SEPANG 12H CARRERA Cup racer David Wall will take his Porsche 996RSR to compete in the Sepang 12 Hour in late August.

Wall is set to compete in the emerging endurance race in the Porsche that he contested last year’s Australian GT Championship in.

Fellow Porsche drivers

Barton Mawer and Damien Flack are set to be Wall’s team-mates for the race.

Wall and Flack have driven in the Sepang race before, while Mawer is a rookie.

“The team is going all

out for this. They are fully committed to a full effort,” Mawer said.

“They have experience in the event so we are aiming for outright honours.”

– GRANT ROWLEY

Aussie in Who is Motorsport’s Olympic Champion?

Transsyberia Gold, silver and bronze awarded in Brighton Games CROSS COUNTRY

AN Australian team is currently taking part in one of the world’s toughest crosscountry rallies, Transsyberia 2008.

The event covers over 7000kms from Moscow to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.

Mid-way through the event, a change of leader is imminent as, after hitting a pot-hole, the leading Team Porsche Middle East Cayenne has retired, driver Said Rashid Al Hajiri suffereing a back injury.

Australia’s ‘Unfinished Business’ team of Porsche Australia training manager Paul Watson and Journalist David Morley were contending for 20th place when the rally reached a rest day on Sunday.

12

BRIGHTON 2008 FORGET Beijing – it’s all about Brighton.

As part of an exclusive feature in the latest issue of Motorsport News (available this Wednesday), the ‘Brighton 2008 Games’ were

held at the bayside suburb in Melbourne.

Six olympians, six countries, six events, one winner (and one damn big steak!)

To see which race driver took home the gold, silver and bronze, grab your copy of MNews this week.

news

Karting on The Mountain!

KARTING WANNA race a go kart at Bathurst?

XBOX 360 and V8 Supercars will offer as many as a dozen people the chance to around a section of the famous Mount Panorama circuit this year as part of the Supercheap Auto 1000 program.

The time trial is set to be run at the bottom of the mountain, starting under the GMAC bridge at the end of Conrod Straight, weaving through the pit lane entrance before doing a u-turn through a gap in the pit straight concrete wall. The karts will then race backwards on the track towards Murray’s Corner before climbing up the mountain to finish the run.

Contestants will drive Arrow

chassis, powered by restricted Clubman engines.

To have a chance at

winning an entry in the unique time trail, purchase an XBOX 360 console or game.

The competition starts in mid-August.

– GRANT ROWLEY

13

Macrow, Fiore to get V8 chan

F3 Champ to join Carrera Cupper at Britek young gun test day later this season, and FV8 V8 SUPERCARS BRITEK Motorsport’s focus on youth may well expand next season, with an upcoming test for young guns Tim Macrow and Dean Fiore.

Carrera Cup star Fiore will get his first V8 Supercar miles with the Fujitsubacked squad in September, and will be joined at the test by current Aussie F3 champ Macrow, whose brother Adam is one of the team’s endurance drivers.

“We know [Tim], and Adam has big wraps for him,” said Britek team manager Chris Jewell.

“Tim’s done a great job in everything he’s driven. He deserves a chance to prove himself. And Dean is clearly dedicated, professional, and a very fast driver.”

Jewell also hinted that Damien Assaillit, who races in the Fujitsu Series with Britek backing, and Adam Graham, who races in Formula Ford as part of the team’s scholarship program, are likely to do laps in a Britek Falcon before the season is out.

With a growing stable of young drivers involved in the team, the question of a proper Fujitsu Series campaign for Britek is inevitable. And Jewell confirms that the team would like a presence in the second-

tier category, whether it be an in-house operation, or a closer alignment with Race Image (who currently run Assaillit).

“It could [lead to an in-house program], or it could lead to a few things, like Race Image being closer aligned to out program. It could even be a case of them using our current BFs with technical support, but none of that has been discussed at length.

“Ultimately we’d love to run our own Fujitsu Series team, but right now we don’t need that distraction, so an alignment could be easy for all.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Brite Sparks: Macrow, above right, and Fiore, right, will both get their first proper V8 taste with Britek later this year. But will it lead to more?

14

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nce

8 link expected soon Dirk Klynsmith

To VE or not to VE FUJITSU V8s

Dirk Klynsmith

IT is looking increasingly like VE Commodores won’t be accepted under the technical regulations for the 2009 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series.

While the regulations were originally scheduled not to allow the latest Commodores until 2010, there have been media reports recently suggesting VEs will be allowed next season. And it was in keeping with a clause in the regulations that states V8 Supercars “reserves the right to add additional models as they are submitted for approval by each manufacturer.”

But paddock talk at Queensland Raceway was suggesting that FV8 teams were being told to get ready to run their old cars again in 2009.

Larry’s chopper fright V8 SUPERCARS

Peter Bury

V8 SUPERCAR team owner Larry Perkins was fortunate to walk away from a helicopter crash on the way home from the Darwin round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

The Jack Daniel’s Racing boss and his wife Sarah walked away from a crash landing at Wilpena Pound, about 430 kilometres north of Adelaide, on Thursday July 10. The couple were returning to Melbourne in Perkins’s ex-military Bell Kiowa helicopter when the event occurred.

Perkins, who has flown fixed-wing aircraft for 30 years and helicopters for almost a decade, reported that the accident was caused by a broken transmission mount.

The news had a mixed response; one main series team boss told eNews that banning VEs would be a step backwards, and could cost the team the sale of its current VEs. On the other side of the argument, a DVS team owner suggested teams wouldn’t rush to run a VE regardless of the regulations thanks to the VZ’s distinct aero advantage …

Regardless of what the red side is doing, there is likely to be a rush to secure the best BF Falcons at the end of the year thanks to the introduction of the FG. The availability has already led to talks between FV8 and VCS teams, such as a possible Triple Eight/Sonic deal, and an expansion of Britek’s FV8 involvement (see separate stories).

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

A1GP/Bib link up A1GP MICHELIN has been announced as the official tyre supplier for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport 2008/2009 season.

The French company has signed a three year deal to supply tyres to the category and has been testing tyres on the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car since its first shakedown at Fiorano in late May. “We are very pleased to be working with Michelin for the next three seasons,” said A1GP General Manager, Technical and Operations, John Wickham.

“Michelin has a vast amount of experience in motorsport and will enhance the competitive nature of our series.”

Michelin will have a presence in the paddock at all races with a technician to be present with all teams at every race weekend.

15

news

The last Van Diemen ...

FORMULA Ford wasn’t a Van Diemenfree zone at Queensland Raceway as reported last issue, with BF Racing making a last-minute decision to stick with the British chassis instead of switching to a Mygale.

Foster was scheduled to switch to the French brand for the Ipswich round, but considered the job too much of a rush and reverted back to the tested-andtried VD. And while they aim to have the Mygale on the grid for Phillip Island

in eight weeks time, it is expected that Yudi Doyle will return to the series that weekend, keeping Van Diemen’s longstanding presence alive for at least one more meeting …

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Storey: Looking Forward to 2009 Formula Ford driver Rob Storey has more V8 miles, with next year in mind ...

FORMULA FORD THIS year’s Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship may only be half finished, but Spirit drivers Rob Storey and Nicholas Tanti are already thinking about 2009.

Storey is planning to remain in Formula Ford for another year, despite spending some

16

time testing a V8 Supercar for Seiders Racing Team. He drove the team’s AU Falcon at Oran Park earlier this year, and will test its BA Falcon soon.

But he says a Fujitsu V8 Supercar campaign isn’t on the cards for next year.

“It’s not about next season, it’s just about those guys giving a young bloke a few miles,” said Storey.

“The plan is to stay in Formula Ford next year. I still have plenty to learn and plenty to prove. Dad (BJR technical guru Wally Storey) is always telling me I have to prove myself in one category before I move on to another.”

But whether or not Storey will still be driving a Spirit is not yet known …

Meanwhile, his one-again-off-

again team-mate Tanti is also looking to a full campaign in Formula Ford next season.

Tanti raced at Wakefield Park earlier this year, and his Queensland Raceway outing will be his last before the final round at Oran Park in December before he has a proper crack at the title in 2009.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

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5 Minutes with ...

RUSSELL INGALL

The Enforcer was the best of the Holdens at Queensland – easily

GRANT ROWLEY

MOTORSPORT NEWS: You were very, very quick to thank Paul Morris Motorsport on the podium. The team has obviously been a key role in your rising stocks …

RUSSELL INGALL: Absolutely.

Not too many people were going to give me the opportunity at the start of this year, to be honest.

There is so much potential there. Paul and Terry (Morris) have got the best facility in Australia as far as the team, the workshop, to the entertainment for sponsors, plus the driver training facility, it’s just awesome. As a total package, it’s the go. All we have to do is get good results on the track, the rest of it is there and easy.

Joel Strinckland

This is your home track, so is it a one-off result?

Umm, no, not really. Usually, your home track is the hardest.

The southerners usually come up here, and the home-track advantage goes out the window.

The last couple of years, (Garth) Tander has come up here and won, and now Mark (Winterbottom) has won. The southerners always come up here and kick us around, so I think the home track thing is a fallacy. But saying that, I hope that’s the case at Winton in a couple of weeks time.

We’ve go some pretty tricky stuff going on to this car soon

tyre testing, we’d do three days and do hundreds and hundreds of laps. I know the place like the back of my hand – and in a Commodore.

That’s also the place where I’ve got my one and only pole position. I go alright around there.

It’s good the sequence of circuits and results that have And Winton used to be your come up over the past few home track back in your days rounds. It’s a real positive. with Larry Perkins. You’d But is it a one-off? I don’t certainly know your way think so. We’ve been to some around …

Yeah, I’ve done a couple of laps hard tracks, places like Darwin and Sandown which are around there! When I was with difficult to get a good set-up, Larry, in the days with open

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russell ingall says there’s even more to come ... and we’ve gone quite well.

You’re ninth now in the championship. Is there a personal finishing goal that you want to achieve by the end of the year?

Only a couple of meetings ago, I was 16th. In two meetings, I’ve climbed a hell of a long way.

Our goal is top five. That might have been optimistic, but maybe not now. That might be realistic. But it’s always the same. A lot of people make big predictions at the start of the year, but now they are starting to change

them. People are starting to look at us as contenders.

You’ve got a new car coming online, hopefully by the end of the year, but not before Bathurst?

No, I don’t think so. The way our cars are performing, we’re better off focusing. We’ve got some pretty tricky stuff going on to this car soon, with a scope purely for Bathurst, so we’re better off bring the new car on board by before the end of the year, let Paul run it in a meeting or two and get miles on it.

chat

John Morris/Mpix

19

Thanks for the Memories opinion Phil Branagan Executive Editor

someone to huddle under the kiosk awning when it rains, and making sure that there is a mug of hot tea close by.

Rod Style and Mary Ronke did those things, and so much more, for years and years because they loved their families, their communities, their sport.

This week, a great many people who were close to Mary and Rod will be mourning their passing.

We join in that, and extend Motorsport News’s condolences to those feeling the passing of people who contributed so much to the sport, for so long.

Peter Bury

LAST week, we lost some valuable people in the motorsport community.

On Wednesday, Rod Style Sr passed away at the age of 95.

Since the late 1940s until just recently at Barbagallo Raceway, he was a familiar face in the WA racing scene, helping wherever he could as a scrutineer, steward or just giving advice.

For his services to the sport, Rod received the CAMS award of Merit and was made a life member of the WASCC in 1996 Then last Thursday, Mary Ronke died, aged 91. For as long as anyone can remember, she was in the kiosk at Winton Motor Raceway and was, of course, mother of Winton promoter Mick Ronke and gran to Wakefield Park’s Adam

Ronke.

“We have her a retirement party a few years ago,” said one of the locals involved with the Benalla Auto Club.

“Sure enough, at the next race a few weeks later, she was back at work, making hot dogs. She loved the party, she just didn’t want to retire.”

Motorsport is not all about ticket sales, or the number of corporate seats, or the television ratings in Equatorial Guinea. That is the business of motor racing and, quite rightly, those things will feature highly at Winton’s V8 Supercar round next week.

Motorsport is often about all manner of things, from driving racing cars, to long hours working for the good of the sport, whether it is helping someone who really doesn’t understand how a Hewland Mk 9 goes together, or allowing

Letters

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

QR gets my tick After being one of the 2000 per week that apparently move to Queensland, I had my first opportunity to check out the ‘Paperclip’ at the weekend.

After reading all the negativity over recent years about the place, I came away pretty impressed and struggle to see what all the fuss is about!

The facilities are good, you can see the entire track, the weather was awesome

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and the racing was the best the V8 racing has been all year. Sure, there was a bit of traffic to contend with, but it wasn’t anything that I haven’t experienced at Oran Park, Eastern Creek, Winton or anywhere else for that matter.

It would be a shame if we lost this track to the V8 Supercar circus. Over the years, in my opinion, it has produced some good racing.

It mightn’t be the most

interesting layout for a driver, but from a fan’s perspective it has everything you need and then some.

Keep up the good work!

Brian Knight via email New Manufacturers There’s a lot of talk about new manufacturers in V8 Supercars.

How about Chevrolet, Buick and Pontiac?

Imagine two Jack Daniels

Chevrolets from Perkins for Bahrain, the cars are already black and could be plastered with Chevrolet signs to distinguish themselves from the other Holdens on the grid.

Why not all year?

Or how about Valvoline Pontiacs?

GMH probably will build more Pontiacs, Chevs and Buicks than Holdens.

John Stevens via email

opinion

opinion Grant Rowley Editor eNews

sutton-images.com

WHAT a great day for Australia.

Ryan Briscoe wins. James Davison wins. Will Power does good. Chris Vermeulen gets another podium. Casey Stoner,

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

err. Mark Webber, err. Cadel Evans, err. Greg Norman, d’oh!

Anyway, it was a pretty good day for Australia.

Briscoe’s victory at Mid Ohio, his second for the season, is another breakthrough for his already strong season. It wasn’t an easy victory, but it’s a damn good result.

Even better, maybe, was the win for James Davison in the Firestone Indy Lights. James is the younger cousin of V8 drivers Will and Alex and part of the proud Davison racing family. He’s been racing in America now for the past few seasons with sporadic success, but this year, after a few near misses, things are falling into place.

Davison is part of the AMSF International Rising Star program, and with a win like this, there’s a better than even chance that he is bound for more and more success …

Has there ever been a better time for Australians getting success in international motorsport? Probably not.

Even when some of our overseas stars have a bad round or race, there are plenty of others to pick up the pieces …

eLETTER OF THE WEEK A huge loss I have just read with sadness your eNews article about the likely loss of Bolivar Kart Raceway.

As an ex-karter who grew up in Adelaide and spent some years racing on Bolivar Raceway, I am disappointed that yet another Australian kart track is set to be lost in the name of progress through the construction of another ‘Super Highway’.

Nearly 20 years ago, another SA Kart

Club (The Dublin Kart Club) also lost their track to the development of a highway which coincidentally, is not too far away from where they are proposing to build this next highway.

Whilst this club (Dublin) survived, it is only now in the final stages of constructing a new home track at Monarto in conjunction with another SA Club (The Go Kart Club of SA), which was apparently forced to close their Home Circuit at Oakbank in the 1990s

over environmental concerns. Of course a new Super Highway poses no such environmental problems now does it …

Bolivar holds many memories for me and I am sure all other Karters who have raced at Bolivar over the years would also be sad to see it go.

Fight to save your circuit and good luck.

Andrew Mann Brisbane, Qld

Send your creative letters to mail@mnews.com.au, or Motorsport News PO Box 7072, Brighton, Vic 3186 21

V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES ROUND 7 – QUEENSLAND RACEWAY

Frosty braves the heat Mark Winterbottom has set his sails and is heading towards championship success – but we’re only half way there ... GRANT ROWLEY reports

22

race

Dirk Klynsmith

23

V

ICTORIAN teams continued their domination of Queensland Raceway, but last weekend, there was a different face at the head of the queue.

Ford Performance Racing and Mark Winterbottom taught the Paperclippers a lesson in the City of Ipswich 400. Frosty finished second to James Courtney in Race 1, claimed both of Sunday’s races and extended his series lead to 118 points.

At the half-way mark of the championship, Winterbottom is in the box seat.

“It’s a fantastic result,” he said.

“To come here, make points in the series and win the round is a great effort.”

Winterbottom’s only genuine challenges over the weekend came from fellow podium finishers Russell Ingall and James Courtney.

24

Ingall was in fine touch on his home circuit, taking second outright in his best result for Paul Morris Motorsport. In fact, it was only the second time-ever that a PMM Commodore has finished on the podium in a V8 Supercar Championship Series round.

Ingall’s almost faultless weekend copped a hit in the final race when he slipped off the road twice. According to the man at the helm of the Supercheap car, “a little bit of brakes, little bit of brain” was the reason for the slip-ups. He lost a spot to Courtney after his first taste of dust, but neither he nor PMM will be disappointed – Ingall has finished inside the top four in the past three rounds ...

Courtney silenced his critics with pole position, followed by victory in Race 1 – his first win of any kind in V8 racing. The Stone Brothers Racing driver rued a poor Race 2 set-up change and the subsequent sixth

place cost him a chance of challenging Winterbottom for the round win.

“We went the wrong way with set-up in Race 2,” he admitted.

“So we went the opposite in Race 3 and the car was a lot better right from the start.”

Reigning Champion Garth Tander was fourth overall. The winner in last year’s visit to Queensland Raceway complained that the circuit’s traditional bumps were worse than before, and he was never in the hunt.

Regardless, he opened up his second place in the series over Jamie Whincup.

Will Davison took fifth overall with one of his trademark consistent drives. He was one spot ahead of Whincup, who had an off in qualifying before fighting back to be as high as third in Race 2.

Whincup and Davo rubbed panels twice during the weekend, in both Race 1 and

race

John Morris/Mpix

Ricko sicko: Kelly tasted the gravel while avoiding Steven Richards and Mark Skaife.

V8 Supercar | ROUND 7, QUEENSLAND RACEWAY, QLD Pos#

Dirk Klynsmith

3. No damage, no hard feelings, but very close racing around their home tracks.

Fabian Coulthard and Cameron McConville made a great weekend comebacks, finishing ninth and 10th for the round.

Another round, another disaster for Craig Lowndes.

More mechanical troubles kept him out of the running, with an engine misfire in Race 1 giving him a plenty of work to do on Sunday.

Also in the land of nowhere was Rick Kelly. The HSV Dealer Team driver had his worst round for the year, crashing out of Race 2 while innocently avoiding a touch between Mark Skaife and Steven Richards. Skaife and Richards continued on after their dust-up to claim seventh and eighth overall.

And they weren’t the only ones to be involved in carnage. Jason Bright’s Fujitsu Falcon got twisted in several ways when he spun at turn three in Race 2 and was collected by his team-mate Marcus Marshall, among others.

Driver

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

Team/Car

Q R1

R2 R3

Ford Performance Racing Falcon BF Supercheap Auto Commodore VE Jeld-Wen Motorsport Falcon BF Toll HRT Commodore VE Jim Beam Racing Falcon BF Team Vodafone Falcon BF Toll HRT Commodore VE Ford Performance Racing Falcon BF Glenfords Racing Falcon BF Team WOW Commodore VE Valvoline Cummins Commodore VE Autobarn Racing Commodore VE Team Vodafone Falcon BF Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore VE Valvoline Cummins Commodore VE Jim Beam Racing Falcon BF Sprint Gas Racing Commodore VE HSV Dealer Team Commodore VE SP Tools Racing Falcon BF Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore VE Sprint Gas Racing Commodore VE Team BOC Commodore VE Rod Nash Racing Commodore VE Ausdrill Ford Rising Stars Falcon BF Supercheap Auto Commodore VE Fujitsu Racing Falcon BF PWR Performance Commodore VE Team Kiwi Racing Falcon BF IRWIN Racing Falcon BF

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

Points: Winterbottom 1694, Tander 1572, Whincup 1486, R.Kelly 1312, S.Richards 1299, Courtney 1211, Lowndes 1175, Davison 1154, Ingall 1061, Holdsworth 1016, T.Kelly 956, Van Gisbergen 934, Coulthard 927, Skaife 926, Johnson 904, McConville 889, Murphy 776, J.Richards 770, Dumbrell 692, Jones 688, Caruso 668, Morris 579, Bright 558, D’Alberto 518, Price 512, Marshall 464, Thompson 393, Scott 362, Patrizi 312, Pither 58.

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Making the WHOEVER was responsible for making the final Grant Rowley decision that Editor eNews Ford Performance Racing and Stone Brothers Racing would get the lion’s share of next year’s Ford funding must be laughing like a shark.

It’s been just over two weeks since the Blue Oval made its announcement, and already, the signs are there that the distribution of their cash will go to the

COMMENT

Dirk Klynsmith

How things change

TWELVE months ago, Garth Tander was unbeatable at Queensland Raceway.

But last weekend the hunted was forced to turn into the hunter, chasing the back of a couple of Falcons and a Supercheap Auto Commodore all weekend. It was still a good weekend in championship terms, fourth for the round his reward for a consistent outing, but it was vastly different to the domination of 2007.

“You can’t win every race at the same track all of the time,” said a philosophical Tander.

“FPR are having a bit of a run at the moment, so we battled away and salvaged some points.”

According to Tander, worsening track conditions played a big part in the turnaround in fortunes.

“The track was much, much worse bump-wise and it didn’t suit our car. It was a combination of that and the fact that our car doesn’t suit the new tyre quite as much. The bumps here were really bad this year. People complain about other venues that we go to but this one is pretty average.”

But while it was clear early on that Mark Winterbottom’s Falcon was going to be tough to beat, Tander says he and HRT never lapsed in to consolidation mode.

“Never, you always want to try and win races. I thought we had a shot in Race 2, we made a good start and we were good early, but the car fell away during the race. We tried something different for Race 3 and it didn’t seem to make any difference.

“Everyone that we’re battling with in the championship except for Frosty was behind us, so we’re keeping ourselves in the fight.”

- ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

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Super Slow Mo

race

e right choices right places.

First and third for the weekend – one from each of their teams – must give Ford some justification that it has made the right choice.

Perhaps even more ironic is that the team that Ford were set to finance – Triple Eight Race Engineering – has been (by its high standards) a disappointment over the last two rounds. Mechanical problems, drive errors and down right bad luck

has put them on the back foot to FPR, in particular. While the championship battle is shaping up nicely at the half-way point, it will be interesting to see how T8 and the Vodafone crew fight back.

And isn’t it funny how quickly people move on? Motor racing is a fast paced game, and at Queensland Raceway, no one was talking about Ford’s funding cuts.

There were new topics to debate …

One of those topics was the speed of

Russell Ingall. If there was a Ford team out there considering a switch to Holden (which there doesn’t look like there is), would you buy a Walkinshaw Commodore, or is a Paul Morris Motorsport chassis the way to go? Hey, if you were anyone bar FPR, you’d probably consider a PMM Holden!

Supercheap might be the sponsor, but there’s nothing ‘cheap’ about the team’s performances of late.

Dirk Klynsmith

Dirk Klynsmith

THERE’S been something of a lack of gizmos in the V8 Supercar TV coverage this season but there were some video toys on show at QR. Some of the new camera positions, like the one in Frosty’s mirror and the in-kerb ‘speed’ camera, were really impressive. More of those are welcome.

But there was also the super slo-mo replay machine, and that was a win-lose situation that depended less on the tech and more on who was driving it. The good stuff was great, like the close ups of the suspension, and especially the distortion of the tyres, which were compelling viewing.

The loses were, literally, the loses. Look, when the guy in is 25th spins off, okay, if the race is ‘settled’ (ie, dull), show us. A replay on top of that is a bit much because,

FROM THE COUCH

Phil Branagan

usually, the Care Factor is dropping and we want to get back to the race. And when Andrew Thompson flies off the road and hits nothing – do we want that in 10 times slo-mo? Nope; we care 10 times less because, well, we didn’t really care in the first place. It was tech for tech’s sake.

Otherwise, great telecast. The battle for the lead was close but never really a battle, but the commentators kept up the interest.

Winton always throws a curve ball at the championship, so we look forward to more good stuff.

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FUJITSU V8 SUPERCAR SERIES ROUND 4 – QUEENSLAND RACEWAY

Canto’s guide to Q Dean Canto got back on top for his first Fujitsu win of the year at Queensland Raceway, while Championship leader Steve Owen consolidated. ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN reports 28

race

QR

Dirk Klynsmith

29

FUJITSU V8 SUPERCARS DEAN Canto has finally notched up his first Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series win of the season, dominating Round 4 at Queensland Raceway last weekend.

Canto, a two-time FV8 champ, went into this year’s series as one of the favourites.

But it took until the Ipswich round for Canto to win a round, breaking the stranglehold Steve Owen has had on the series so far. And he did so in style, narrowly edging Owen for pole, storming to simple wins in Races 1 and 3, and, most crucially, finishing second in the reverse top 10 grid race.

“Qualifying was close and the track was a fair bit slower than last year so I really didn’t know where I was,” said Canto.

“Thankfully we were on pole, and in Race 1 my car was a fair bit better than Steve’s in the first part of the lap, and unless someone is right on you, you aren’t likely to get passed in the second part.

“So we didn’t make any changes for Race

30

2, and we got lucky at the start and made some spots. In Race 3 we just made an awesome start.”

But while the win was good for Canto’s trophy cabinet, it wasn’t necessarily a sign that his title aspirations are back on track.

Owen kept it consistent in Queensland, banking plenty of points for second outright. He showed the mature signs of having a championship-winning year, especially in the second race where he resisted the temptation to chase the hardcharging Canto, and was rewarded with third.

Grant Denyer proved his Sandown race win was no fluke, taking his second reverse top 10 win in Queensland. Starting from pole helped, but he did have to hold off Canto in the dieing laps. Denyer proved there was plenty of pace in his Playstation 3 entry by finishing fifth in the final and sealing a credible third for the round.

Following him in the final standings was Dale Wood, David Reynolds, Jonathon

Webb and Craig Baird.

For Reynolds it was an important round, his result moving him into a clear second in the championship (he had previously shared the position with fellow rookie Michael Trimble).

Meanwhile, Trimble had his worst showing so far, copping a touch from Tim Slade in the first race and dropping as low as 26th. He fought back, but not hard enough, and dropped to fifth in the standings.

But the stand-out rookie at Queensland Raceway was, almost, Karl Reindler. The Howard Racing driver qualified third, and was even dirty on himself for not joining his team-mate on the front-row. But after losing a couple of spots at the start of the first race, a rubbing match with Jack Perkins exiting Turn 3 spun him to the back of the field. Seventh in Race 2 and ninth in Race 3 had him 10th for the round by the conclusion.

Points: Owen 786, Reynolds 618, Trimble 618,

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Dirk Klynsmith

Dirk Klynsmith

Canto’s turn to shine: After the last couple of rounds going the way of fellow former Main Game driver Steve Owen it was Dean Canto’s turn out front, left. Owen, below, didn’t have the outrighth pace in Queensland, but another consistent performance from the Tint-a-Car driver awarded him with a handy swag of points. While Grant Denyer, above, proved his victory at Sandown was no fluke with another Race 2 victory in Queensland. Obviously plenty of practice on the Playstation.

John Morris/ Mpix

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CARRERA CUP ROUND 6 – QUEENSLAND RACEWAY

Total Domination Queensland Raceway was all about Craig Baird. The Kiwi took full advantage of his ‘home’ circuit to win all three races and extend his championship lead. ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN was there

CARRERA CUP CRAIG Baird was in typical form on his home circuit last weekend, cleansweeping the Carrera Cup round at Queensland Raceway.

Doing double duties in Ipswich (Fujitsu V8s and Carrera Cup) didn’t seem to faze the wily Kiwi, who drove into the distance three times to stretch his championship lead.

He only had two minor obstacles all weekend; a blinding start from Dean Fiore

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in Race 2, which saw him lead for four laps before Baird snuck back past, and a singlelap Safety Car period in Race 3 because of a grass fire, which momentarily put Baird’s rivals in touch.

“I’ve done quite a few drive days at this track and know it really well, so I was always confident coming into the round,” he said.

“I’ve got a pretty big lead in the championship now but I can’t ease up because all it takes is one bad round and the guys are right back in it.”

Fiore ran second for the round, and was disappointed with the result. What he was disappointed with was qualifying fourth, but he righted that wrong by the end of the first racing lap of the weekend.

“It was good to get back on the podium given the past two weekends where I’ve had shockers,” Fiore said.

“On a weekend like this where I didn’t have the outright pace, it was important to keep in touch with Craig, so even though he beat me it wasn’t too bad a result.”

race

Dirk Klynsmith

Dirk Klynsmith

Brutal Baird: Despite having double duties with Carrera Cup and Fujitsu V8s, Craig Baird, above, won all three Carrera Cup races. Below, Aaron Caratti had a solid start to the weekend, but an attempted passing move on James Moffat ended up in a spin.

John Morris/ Mpix

But the stand-out was James Moffat, who equalled his Barbagallo result with third outright, and took his best qualifying result with second on the grid. It was a fast yet uneventful weekend, and he would later say that while the Perth result was a bit lucky, this one he “had the pace, drove well and made the most of my opportunities.”

Fellow 2008 revelation Aaron Caratti had a good start to the weekend, qualifying third and finishing fourth in Race 1. But he speared off in the second race while challenging Moffat, ending any chance of a

33

Nothing Pale about Jack’s form

Dirk Klynsmith

V8 UTES Jack Elsegood returned to form at Queensland Raceway’s Round 5 of the V8 Utes series.

A pair of fourth places in the opening two races had him well-placed for the final where the Wilson Brothers Racing Falcon driver launched well from sixth on the grid to be third by the end of the first lap, before picking off Grant Johnson on lap 5, then out-braking Kim Jane into turn 3 on lap 9.

“Kim Jane is always a great bloke to race against, he left a bit of an opening,” said Elsegood.

“I had really good speed out of Turn 2 and felt I was really good on the brakes.

From there it was just a case of holding him off.”

Jane tied with Elsegood for the round on points after finishing top three in all three races, losing the count-back while reigning Champion Grant Johnson completed the podium.

Johnson won the reverse grid race

James Smith

Mister Consistent: Kim Jane turned in another good performance, above, to finish with equal points with Elsegood for the round to close the gap on Johnson at the top of the table.

34

from George Miedecke an Glen McNally, but Miedecke was later penalised 27 seconds after contact with Colin Corkery sent the WPR Ford spinning into the Turn 2 sand trap. Miedecke did take away a consolation prize with his 1:24.7307 lap setting a new Queensland Raceway lap record.

Series leader Layton Crambrook won the first race of the weekend, fighting his way past the leading duel of Gary Baxter and Jane, but was also slugged a 27 second penalty in Race 2 after contact with Charlie Kovacs put ‘Handlebars’ out of the race.

Hard luck story of the round was pointscore high flyer Andrew Fisher, whose Falcon lunched an engine in Race 1 and refused to run more than seven cylinders on Sunday. The car finally emerged for Race 3 but ran sickly at the back and failed to finish. Crambrook’s points lead shrunk to just 25 points as Jane’s speed at QR has him directly under threat.

– MARK JONES Points: Layton Crambrook 435, Kim Jane 410, Grant Johnson 385, Ryal Harris 348, George Miedecke 329

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FORMULA FORD

proved that maturity is the game of his game in 2008, taking two thirds and a fourth in a sensible display. As a result, he remains two races clear at the top of the table.

Spectrum drivers Adam Graham and Daniel Erickson were the ‘best of the rest’ at QR, heading the group behind the leaders. Graham even scored a podium in Race 2 aboard the Britek Scholarship car, finishing third. Rising Star

Erickson had a slower start to the weekend, finishing eighth in Race 1 before working up to fifth in Race 2 and fourth in Race 3.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN Points: Paul Laskazeski 222, Nick Percat 182, Kristian Lindbom 152, Ben Morley 149, Adam Graham 146, Scott Pye 110, Daniel Erickson 97, Bradley Lowe 80, Jake Chapman 49, Robert Storey 46.

Dirk Klynsmith

NICK Percat has continued his resurgence in the 2008 Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship, winning all three races at the latest round at Queensland Raceway.

The Sonic Speedster was unstoppable in Ipswich, taking his second cleansweep in a row and putting his championship campaign right back on track. The title battle between he and Paul Laskasezki now closely resembles the leaders of last season, where Tim Blanchard took an early lead before being stalked by Ashley Walsh during the middle part of the year.

Percat’s weekend in Queensland was simple. He qualified on pole, won the first two races by staving off a challenge from his teammate Kristian Lindbom, and then drove into the distance in the final, winning by a handy couple of seconds.

“It was pretty much the perfect weekend,” said Percat.

“The car didn’t miss a beat. In

Races 1 and 2 I was hanging around helping Kristian stay ahead of the pack, but in the last race it looked a bit tight so I put my head down and did my own thing.”

But while Percat took maximum points, and his teammate did what good teammates should do and took valuable points by finishing second, ‘Laska’ was hardly out-classed.

The championship leader

Dirk Klynsmith

Maximum Attack

The Cat Attack: Percat continued to dominate in Queensland, top, while team-mate Kristian Lindbom followed him round to finish second, above. Championship leader Paul Laskazeski didn’t have enough pace at QR but ran around to finish third for the round.

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INDYCAR ROUND 12 – MID-OHIO

36

The Ryan Stuff

Ryan Briscoe won his second IndyCar race in a great weekend for Aussies at Mid-Ohio

Honda Racing

37

W

HAT does Roger Penske know that others don’t?

Well, he knows he has great drivers. They qualified 1-2 at Mid Ohio and Ryan Briscoe led from the start of the race, running on rain tyres long after the opposition had pitted for slicks. That was a mistake.

But when ‘The Captain’ is on the other end of your radio, you never know ...

“With Roger Penske calling my strategy, I know we can get to the front,” said Briscoe.

“My experience with Penske Racing in racing Sportscars was that you can get into situations where you fall back in the pack, but with Roger calling the shots, he finds ways to pit at the right time and get you up front. Once we got there, we had

the pace to run fast and pull away.”

And that is just what happened. Ryan took over on lap 39 and by the end of the race, it was a Penske 1-2, with Briscoe 7s clear of poleman Helio Castroneves to take his second win of the season.

“It was an interesting race,” Briscoe admitted.

“We fell back when we stayed on wet tyres too long. I thought to myself, ‘If we win this, it will be awesome.’”

For the fifth time this season, Castroneves was second but the ‘bad’ news was that points leader Scott Dixon was right behind him, and limited the ‘damage’ to his points standing. Dixon followed Helio’s strategy, which was fine for third but not enough to take the win.

Making it three Australian-born drivers in the top four (okay, we are reaching!) Will Power took his best result in an IndyCar with fourth, a strong result after qualifying 12th.

“We got the car better and better all weekend, made the right choice on tyres early on in the race and had a good race strategy,” said Power.

“We had the pace to ride at the front and we did. I am just really happy that we got good championship points here, and hopefully we can do that again next weekend in Edmonton.”

Power’s team-mate Oriol Servia was fifth ahead of Vitor Meira, Tony Kanaan, Darren Manning, Hideki Mutoh and Ryan Hunter-Reay.

Honda Racing

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INDYCAR | HONDA INDY 200, MID-OHIO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Honda Racing

Red, Redder: Briscoe celebrated his second win with his Penske crew, below left, while Will Power took fourth, above. There was a melee that took care of several drivers including Dan Wheldon, below.

6 3 9 8 5 4 11 14 27 17

Ryan Briscoe Aus Helio Castroneves Br Scott Dixon NZ Will Power Aus Oriol Servia Br Vitor Meira Br Tony Kanaan Br Darren Manning GB Hideki Mutoh J Ryan Hunter-Reay USA

Team Penske Team Penske Target Ganassi KV Racing KV Racing Panther Andretti Green AJ Foyt Enterprises Andretti Green Rahal Letterman

85 laps +7.264s +7.696s +12.756s +13.471s +14.993s +15.259s +17.505s +17.008s +19.210s

Fastest lap: Briscoe on lap 72, 1:09.009s (189.569kmh)

INDYCAR | DRIVER’S points Dixon 455, Castroneves 397, Kanaan 365, Wheldon 364, Briscoe 296, Patrick 284, Mutoh 276, Andretti 263, Hunter-Reay 252, Servia 250 [Power 245, 11th].

IndyCar Media

Young People: Graham Rahal struggled at what was his dad’s ‘home’ track, above, but Mutoh’s rookie season continued with ninth, below.

IndyCar Media

IndyCar Media

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NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES ROUND 21 – GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Walking through the Gate Carl Edwards took a run-away win at the Gateway last weekend powering home as ‘Sliced Bread’ made his comeback.

By MARTIN D CLARK

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C

ARL Edwards took his second win of the year last Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway, taking the win by almost eight seconds in his Roush-Fenway Ford.

Joe Gibbs rookie sensation Joey Logan was second, while Jason Keller had a great run in third in his under-funded CJM Motorsports Chevy ahead of, Jason Leffler and Brad Keselowski.

Edwards, who started second, took on four tyres under the final caution with 54 laps remaining while the Braun Racing pairing of Leffler and rookie James Buescher took two. Edwards made quick work of passing the Toyota pairing for the lead and, ultimately, the win in front of his home state crowd.

“That was unbelievable,” remarked Edwards. “It’s unreal.

There won’t be a guy tomorrow who has a better day than me.

Thank you everybody up in the grandstands, thanks a lot.

“The 20 car (Logano, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin) has been great this year, racing with them has been a challenge, but a fun one.”

David Reutimann was the class of the field in his Michael Waltripowned Toyota and headed the

pack several times. But while trying to pass Keller, Keselowski became impatient and moved to Reutimann’s outside. Reutimann blocked and Keselowski’s JR Motorsports Chev hooked him into the wall putting the Toyota into the garage with heavy right front damage and airing the pivotal final yellow flag.

Pole sitter Jamie McMurray led some laps and ran strong until an oil pump belt jumped off his Ford with 47 laps to run. The other major incident occurred when Hendrick rookie Landon Cassill hooked Scott Wimmer exiting turn four.

Marcos Ambrose moved up a position in the points to 12th with a 15th place result after starting 27th. Ambrose ran in the low 20s early in the race, and kept a steady pace as the race neared completion.

“We got another solid finish and jumped one spot in the points so we achieved some good things here in Gateway,” commented Ambrose.

SPRINT CUP

DRIVER’S points

Bowyer 3107, Keselowski 2937, Edwards 2906, Reutimann 2841, Ragan 2747, (Ambrose 12th 2284).

NASCAR Media

NASCAR Media

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WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 9 – BRNO

TWO GOOD 42

EVERYONE knows that Max Biaggi loves racing at Brno. But then, so does Troy Bayliss.

Australia had the best of Italy in the Czech Republic, Bayliss taking Superpole and both races, but only after a fight. The Xerox Ducati was too consistent for the opposition, taking the lead in the back half of each of the races.

“Obviously I’m very happy with how the results have turned out, it’s really great for me in the championship, but today I rode two really good races.” said a happy Bayliss after his maximum score.

“I was feeling quite confident but [Troy] Corser was setting a good pace until twothirds distance, so then I thought it was time to go.”

In second overall for the weekend was the ‘other’ red Ducati, with Michael Fabrizio stepping into the leading group and battling Biaggi’s Go Eleven bike for

best-of-the-rest honours. The Emperor took fourth and third in the two races.

The only thing that stopped the meeting becoming a one-make series for 1098Rs was Yamaha. Corser took second and fourth in the two races, while the other shining light was Ryuchi Kiyonari.

The Japanese ace has taken his time to fit in to the SBK but Kiyo was the best of the Hanspree Honda trio all weekend, despite making bad starts.

Suzuki struggled with set-up problems, while Noriyuki Haga had sixth and seventh placings, the second race result particularly impressive after he started last on his backup R1.

WSBK

RIDER’S points

Bayliss 309, Neukirchner 230, Corser 218, Checa 215, Haga 210, Nieto 161, Xaus 148, Fabrizio 147, Biaggi 146, Kiyonari 115.

Take that!

Bayliss took the Brno double after fighting off Corser, #11, and Biaggi, #3. The two Troys shared the Race 1 podium with Fabrizio, #84, who looks like a possible team leader at Ducati when the Aussie retires.

All Images: Ducati Corse Press

It should have been a Ducati double on the weekend – and Troy Bayliss

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NHRA

Tony Schumacher, Tony Bartone, and Jason Line were victorious at the Schuck’s Auto Parts NHRA Nationals on the second leg of the threeevent NHRA POWERade western swing held at Pacific Raceways, just outside of Seattle, Washington.

Schumacher collected his second win in as many weeks, and his seventh title of the year, stopping Brandon Bernstein in the Top Fuel final. Schumacher clocked a 3.90/309 in the final to stop Bernstein, who dropped cylinders and trailed at 4.05/291.

Bartone became the third

David Ostazewski

Two from Two

driver this season to record their first career Funny Car win.

Driving Jim Dunn’s Canidae All Natural Pet Foods Monte Carlo, Bartone drove to an engine expiring 4.45/238 to defeat Ron Capps. Bartone, the number five qualifier at 4.09/303, defeated Gary Scelzi, Mike Neff, and Tony Pedregon

to advance into the final.

Line drove to his second Pro Stock win of the season, making it four straight for the Summit-backed team.

Line’s Pontiac defeated the Mopar-backed Stratus of Allen Johnson, who raced to his second straight final, 6.65/208 to 6.66/207.

– DAVID OSTAZEWSKI

Three wins for Witaker in V8 Support MX-5 CUP The Queelsland Mazda MX-5 Cup joined the V8 Supercar program for the third time and the turbocharged 2A class car of Brendan Whitaker showed its fleetness to the field, running home for

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three races wins on Saturday.

But for a spin in the third race David Barram, driving Brian Ferrabees’ lightweight MX-5, would have taken three seconds, is it was he fought back for third position, Brian Andersons’ NB series turbo just too far ahead. Chris Tonna and

Fred Douglas were next in most races in their 2B cars while the 2F class fight was fierce, with Sarah Harley taking the day with two wins from Calum Ballingers’ one with Brett Morse completing the top three of the production based class.

– MARK JONES

race

Davo does the rain dance

INDYCAR Media

INDY LIGHTS AUSTRALIAN James Davison has become the seventh different winner this season in the Firestone Indy Lights Championship with victory at Mid-Ohio last weekend.

Davison started seventh in a rain-soaked second race in a double-header weekend at the Mid-Ohio road course with the race eventually finishing under caution some 20 laps short of its intended distance in a timed race.

Davison inherited the lead from Jonny Reid after the pole-sitter pulled into the pits on lap too early following a lack of radio communications.

“I was thinking, ‘has he made a mistake?

I’m pretty sure we haven’t taken the chequered flag and we need to take it,’ '' said Davison.

“I asked, ‘Have I just won this thing’ and they were like ‘Yeah, you’re showing P1 on the timing.’”

The challenging conditions caused plenty of incidents and spins, with half the field experiencing trouble over the race distance in what could only be described as a chaotic race.

“I had a very similar race to everyone. It was very chaotic,” Davison said.

“I went off down at Turn 4 at the end of the straight and went all the way down to the bottom of the gravel trap and

somehow didn’t get beached. I dropped back to about 15th and I just said to my engineer, ‘Look I’m just going to drive this thing, keep it on the track, and lay it on the line if I have to.”

A day previous Raphael Matos won the weekend’s first race to take the championship lead away from Richard Antinucci but a spin in Race 2 saw him finish down in 18th.

Antinucci, also struggled in the conditions but finished 14th to wrestle back the championship lead by a single point heading into a one-week break.

Wade Cunnigham finished second in the wet race while Pablo Donoso recorded a season best third place.

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46

Hi Danica. Stop in for a Chat

there?” Patrick said to her victim.

Milka responded, “You like the show.

There is no problem. And, you are not welcome here.”

Danica above, downplayed the argument, saying, “I just wanted to know if she saw me out there.”

We may be gentlemen here and suggest to Danica is she might want to stay clear of #22 in Edmonton this weekend. Because if it comes to holding back with words or actions, Paul Tracy may be a different story.

Odd Spot

Ford Racing Media

EVERY two years, they bung on a celebration of classic cars at Le Mans – and last week’s event was pretty impressive.

A special Ford took part this year, a ‘T-Montier’, a 1923 Model T named after Frenchman Charles Montier, who prepared and raced the car in the 24 Hour race 85 years ago.

The T is the oldest car ever to take part in the classic event, and was painstakingly restored for its appearance. It never missed a beat ...

By the way, this year marks the centenary of the T-Model. Over 15 million of the cars were made all over the world, including at two French factories in the suburbs of Paris and in Bordeaux.

do – you were always going to be on the losing end. Or, to be blunt, no-one is going to punch out a 46kg, 1.6m female opponent and not look like a bully.

What some have been waiting for is a clash between Patrick and Milka Duno, the notion that a firey Colombian female might be a fairer bet. After Saturday’s practice session at Mid-Ohio, the two clashed on the track and, when a visibly frustrated Patrick left her pit box on a mission, cameras were not far away.

“Do you know what you are doing out

Honda Racing

YOU either love Dania Patrick or you don’t. And most of her opposition drivers don’t.

The First Lady of IndyCar racing has put a few noses out of joint this season by confronting other drivers after on-track clashes, like the one with Ryan Briscoe at Indianapolis. And she usually does it when the cameras are on her.

At least one team member has made the comment that her actions are unfair because, if things got heated between drivers after a clash – and they often

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