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Issue No. 068 19-25 August 2008
SUV! New series set for
tracks, sand & snow
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
The ‘A’ Team
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MD / Publisher
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. 068 | 19 - 25 Aug 2008
news 4 Wicked
Holden’s witch hunt ... 6 And still in HRT land Skaife and Tander pair up 8 SUVlaki Big cars, jumps, ice, TV ... 10 Magnafied NASCAR’s new cheat trick 14 Perdog FFord star looks at options 16 Aussie, Aussie, Aussie Toyota’s first pics revealed 18 Future stars names The next batch has arrived
chat 20 5 minutes with ... opinion 22 Branagan race 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup 28 Overseas 30 Race coverage 32 City of Melbourne
trade 40 Classifieds
Tim Blanchard The ‘P’ Word, Part II Edwards goes the double BF3, BFFord and LMS NSW, SGP, BTCC and NHRA Seras like to win stuff
welcome Patrizi Michael driver Supercar V8 Racing Star Rising Ford, man video eNews debutant ... Introducing
International photos supplied by Sutton Images, www.sutton-images.com – click here to check out their exclusive poster deals
Striking a balance FROM THE PUBLISHER SINCE we announced last week that Motorsport eNews would, from next week’s issue, attract a modest subscription cost (yes, as little as a dollar a week), the response has been just great. Let’s face it, when you’re seeking to charge for something you’ve been giving away over its development phase, the outcome has some uncertainty. But, apart from a handful of readers, the reaction has been positive and pleasingly supportive, which justifies the mantra passed on to me once by someone I respect: if you produce quality, don’t ever be afraid to ask people to pay a fair price for it. One decision we did take, and which is proving popular, is that while readers can subscribe to eNews itself, it will remain free, part of the package, for subscribers to monthly magazine Motorsport News. So, thanks again to those who have already signed up, and for those yet to commit, the ‘subscribe’ button below will take you there … for subscription via web, mail, fax, email, or phone. Last week eNews exclusively carried the story of Holden’s bid to have the thorny issue of V8 parity addressed; this week there are a couple of major stories you are unlikely to have read anywhere else. That’s what we do at MN. If you want to know the very latest, the team of keen and professional motorsport journalists here at MN are the team to keep you reliably informed. And we make no excuses for stepping off into the world of up-to-the-minute technology to do it – if it means providing quality and economy for motorsport fans. Even with the subscription cost, eNews costs less than half a cup of coffee a week – for 40+ pages packed with motorsport news, opinion and coverage, that seems an okay deal! – Chris Lambden, Publisher
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Holden and HR
Factory team set to promote the green message, V8 SUPERCARS COULD Mark Skaife go green in 2009? While all of the cars in the V8 Supercar Championship Series and Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series will run on E85 next season, it is possible that Skaife could spearhead for Holden’s future alternative fuels policy, which includes alternative fuels such as LGP and CNG, diesel and E85? If an obscure reference in last week’s issue of motor industry journal GoAuto is anything to go by then Motorsport eNews believes maybe so ... GoAuto stated that Holden is planning to leverage the V8 series’ switch to E85 and was expecting to “shortly announce some big-name sponsors.” Skaife is a logical flagbearer to
demonstrate Holden’s green credentials. Apart from his racing accomplishments, his profile is such that the company will be able to present its new engineering with significant credibility, and his contacts with GM are such that the company’s US ‘parents’ do not need explaining who he is. Recently, Holden was host to Larry Burns, GM’s Vice President of Global Research and Planning, who highlighted the company’s drive to embrace alternative energy solutions. As well as Hybrids, GM is in the midst of developing fuel cell and ‘plug-in’ electric vehicles for its home market. Locally, upcoming Commodore models will soon offer buyers a choice of engine and fuel options. Active Fuel Management, which cuts the
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Pic: James Smith – Digitally Modified by James Cormick
RT: Good to be Green?
, using its race team as an advertising platform
appear to be in the way is the relationship that HRT has with Mobil. The long-time fuel partner of the team is not a major player in the ethanol market, and a company spokesman last month told GoAuto that “We don’t have a plan in place for E85 at this point”. But Holden’s clear commitment to the fuel, headed by Holden Managing Director Mark Reuss, largely mirrors that of the company in the US, where E85-compatible cars went on sale when there was still not a great supply of the fuel at retail outlets. Growing sales of E85-compatible cars in Australia are sure to stimulate fuel companies’ interest, and prompt them to commit to a roll-out of supply of the ethanolpetrol blend over coming years. – PHIL BRANAGAN
Dirk Klynsmith
number of cylinders in use by half, will be available as an option on some V8 models in the next few months, and the company recently cut the cost of LPG model by $1500. As well, the recently unveiled 2.9litre V6 diesel engine, destined for use in Cadillac’s CTS in European markets, is believed to have been earmarked for use in the Commodore. But in the short-term, current engines are being redeveloped to allow the use of E85, with a realistic target of getting both E85 and diesel-engined Commodores into Australia showrooms during 2010. Presently, the only E85-compatible car on sale in Australia is the 9-5 BioPower model from Saab, which is owned by GM. One potential obstacle that may
HRT
HRT pairs its Aces Tander and Skaife to steer #1 for Phillip Island 500 and Bathurst 1000 V8 SUPERCARS THE Holden Racing Team will head to Phillip Island and Bathurst with Garth Tander and Mark Skaife paired together. After having been hesitant to clarify what the team’s plans were at Winton, the defending V8 Supercar Champion and the five-time Bathurst winner will team in the #1 HRT car, while Glenn Seton and Craig Baird will team up in the team’s number 2 Commodore VE. Tander, the 2000 Bathurst winner, does not see it as a big change, having shared with Rick Kelly at Bathurst in 2007. “It’s no different to last year,” he said on Monday. “I had a #1 on the side of the car and an experienced co-driver next to me, so it’s really the same. “We have run together in the past and I
don’t see why it shouldn’t work again.” This will be something of a reunion of sorts, as Tander and Skaife paired together in 2006 when Tander temporarily left the HSV Dealer Team to join HRT. However, that turned out to be a disaster, with a multitude of problems striking the pair. But as yet, it has not been worked out which driver will fill which role. “We both have roles within the team and in the years going forward as well. We haven’t decided who is doing what yet, but we will sit down and work it out.” The team is likely to follow the usual practice of cross-entering all four of its drivers in both cars but its pairings appear to be locked in. “As far as I know it is. Points-wise, there is no reason to change it,” said Tander. “Mark is not where he had hoped to be in the championship, so it is not going
to affect that too much. We will work together are making sure we have the best chance to get a result.” The news is not a surprise. Recently, Skaife made the switch to a sequential gear shift, the same type as Tander has used this season. While the veteran downplayed the change, his adaptation to the new pattern has clearly made this decision easier to accommodate. Likewise, there will be some minor compromises in set-up to suit both the team’s full-time drivers. “The set-up has and hasn’t been that similar,” said Tander. “When we drove together in ‘06, we both wanted the same thing from the car and, when he has tested my car this year, we have been close enough to give the same feedback on the same things.” – PHIL BRANAGAN
FOR FORMULA 1, MOTOGP AND WRC NEWS, OPINION AND ANALYSIS CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE WORLD’S FIRST INTERNATIONAL ‘VIRTUAL’ MOTORSPORT MAGAZINE ...
news
Ellery finalises V8 field V8 SUPERCARS
Enduro List 08 The Class of 2008 is set for PI & B1000
Dirk Klynsmith
Last year’s podium: Ford dominated in 2007, who will be great in 2008? Note, some of the combinations are not set in stone yet ... Stay tuned to eNews!
with him for the first time. I feel honoured to be driving with him.” Ellery will test with the team next Thursday at Winton. It will be his first drive of a V8 Supercar since Bathurst last year. Ellery has been an endurance driver journey man over the years, competing with Paul Morris Motorsport, Triple Eight, Dick Johnson Racing, Gibson Motorsport and his own team. His best Bathurst results is three third places in 1996 and 2003 and 2005.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 021 25 26 33 34 39 50 51 55 67 88 111
Garth Tander Craig Baird Mark Noske James Courtney Mark Winterbottom Dean Canto Todd Kelly Shane Van Gisbergen Shane Price Andrew Jones Cameron McConville Rick Kelly Paul Dumbrell Steven Johnson Steve Owen Kayne Scott Jason Bright Marcus Marshall Lee Holdsworth Greg Ritter Russell Ingall Andrew Thompson Jason Richards Tony D’Alberto Boris Said Fabrizio Giovanardi Fabian Coulthard
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Michael Patrizi Craig Lowndes
Mark Skaife Glenn Seton Dale Wood David Besnard Steven Richards Luke Youlden Nathan Pretty Jonathan Webb Jack Perkins Brad Jones Max Wilson Paul Radisich David Reynolds Will Davison Warren Luff Chris Pither Adam Macrow Matthew Halliday Michael Caruso Steven Ellery Paul Morris Paul Weel Greg Murphy Jason Bargwanna Matt Neal Marc Hynes Johnny McIntyre (PI 500) Alex Davison (B1000) Grant Denyer Jamie Whincup
Dirk Klynsmith
STEVEN Ellery is Garry Rogers Motorsport’s fourth endurance driver, finalising 2008’s ‘Season of Endurance’ line-up. Ellery will suit up alongside Greg Ritter in the #34 Valvoline Cummins Commodore VE, with regular drivers Lee Holdsworth and Michael Caruso teaming up in the #33. Ellery told eNews that he was preparing to watch the races on television this year.
“I’m excited about it,” he said. “Obviously, sitting here last week, I didn’t have anything and I wasn’t expecting to be going. Then Garry gave me a call, I thought long and hard about it and I called him back last Friday and said ‘I’ll do it.’ “They’ve been going really well. Young Lee Holdsworth has been driving well for them, and (Michael) Caruso is coming along well. Garry always puts together good cars, so I’m really excited about the opportunity to work
Holden Racing Team Holden Racing Team Tasman Motorsport Stone Brothers Racing Ford Performance Racing Ford Performance Racing Perkins Engineering Stone Brothers Racing Perkins Engineering Brad Jones Racing Brad Jones Racing HSV Dealer Team HSV Dealer Team Dick Johnson Racing Dick Johnson Racing Team Kiwi Racing Britek Motorsport Britek Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Garry Rogers Motorsport Paul Morris Motorsport PWR Racing Tasman Motorsport Rod Nash Racing Paul Morris Motorsport Triple 8 Race Engineering Paul Cruickshank Racing Ford Rising Stars Racing Triple 8 Race Engineering
BRIEFLY... n A new series of road safety community service announcements from Supercheap Auto featuring Russell Ingall have begun screening nationally on Channel 7. Six different versions were filmed at the Holden Performance Driving Centre at Norwell on the Gold Coast – the SCAR team’s home base. The announcements will also air in New Zealand on TV3. n Never mind the Silly Season, the movements are on for the rest of the 2008 Sprint Cup season. Mike Skinner is replacing Michael McDowell on an interim basis at Michael Waltrip Racing in the 00 Toyota. JJ Yeyley has been released from the Hall of Fame Racing Toyota team and his replacement for the remainder of the year is rookie driver Brad Coleman, a regular in the Nationwide Series driving for Baker Curb Motorsports in the number 27 Ford. n Technology provider and business supplier, CDW, which was Justin Wilson’s major team sponsor in Champ Car, has announced it will sponsor KV Racing Technology’s driver Oriol Servia for the Chicagoland Speedway event. This is CDW’s first IndyCar sponsorship involvement after making the switch to golf at the end of the 2007 Champ Car season.
Super SUV Six round series set for inaugural 2009/10 season SUV SERIES THE Hills will be Alive with the sound of SUVs in 2009, with the launch of the new SUV Super Series. Up to 16 teams will compete over a sixround series over the summer of 20092010, which will be broadcast nationally on Network 10. Manufacturers and Independents will compete for separate awards. The series is the brainchild of Ashley Mowbray, with former TEGA and TOCA Australia CEO Kelvin O’Reilly and TEGA Chairman John Hewson acting in an advisory capacity over the last six months. “This will be Australia’s first professional motor racing series for the increasingly popular SUV and is set to put the ‘Sport’ into the Sport Utility Vehicle,” said Mowbray. “With the phenomenal growth in popularity of the SUV, racing it was an obvious sporting extension for these cars.” Formats of the events will vary but may include a Rallycross-style event. “If we are given the opportunity, we plan to have races like a Rallycross event, at Oran Park or Eastern Creek,” said Mowbray. “That would be for smaller groups of about four cars. But if we were to get the room [to run larger grids], we would like to run as many cars as we could at once.” While sales of large sedans are well down in Australia, SUVs continue to sell well, with the 200,000 SUVs sold in 2007 representing
a 16 percent increase of the previous year. More than 20 makes of SUV are sold on the Australian market. The SUVs will compete in varying conditions, combining man-made obstacles with natural conditions on tarmac, alpine snow and sand. Spectator facilities will be secondary in what will be a made-for-television series. “The necessity for a confirmed free-to-air television deal, constraining the costs of competition from the outset, ensuring a quality event organising structure had to be completed before making the plans public,” said O’Reilly. “We are through the planning phase and are now ready to take our plans to the industry and potential competitors.” The series will run two-day events in most states of Australia. Events will be organised by Octagon Australiasia, which already counts the Australian Safari and Targa Tasmania among its properties, as well as TV events such as XXXX Beach Cricket. Television production facilities will be provided by RJ Media, with all cars carrying incar cameras. Prospective competitors are expected to attend an information evening at the Bayview on the Park Hotel, at 52 Queens Road, Melbourne on August 26. Prior to attending the session, potential SUV racer are being asked to register via email at ashley@ suvsuperseries.com prior to attending the evening.
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Key players: Former TEGA chief Kelvin O’Reilly, left, is one of the brains behind the new SUV Series that could have a host of manufacturers and makes involved, including Ford’s Territory, above and below.
Dirk Klynsmith
Gibbs faces Penalties ove Irregularity NSCAR Media
NASCAR JOE Gibbs Racing will be hit with both monetary and points penalties this week after its engines were involved in a scrutineering controversy after Saturday’s Nationwide race at Michigan. The Gibbs Toyotas of Tony Stewart, #20 right, and Joey Logano were among several impounded for inspection by NASCAR officials after the race. They discovered the cars had magnets attached to the throttle pedals to prevent them from being fully opened during the horsepower test. The news comes at a sensitive time, and a month after NASCAR implemented new inlet restictors for the Toyotas to decrease the horsepower on the Camrys, opposed to the Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges. NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton would not be drawn on what penalties may be applied to JGR on Sunday morning. “This [the breach] is interfering with a NASCAR inspection process, and I will leave it at that,” he said. Following the initial test, the cars were retested by NASCAR officials. No further action was taken immediately. – MARTIN D CLARK
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Spin, Win, and Buy an
Danny Sullivan looki a piece of Bill Davis R NASCAR SPRINT CUP
BILL Davis Racing is courting new owners – and Danny Sullivan may be a contender. The 1985 Indianapolis 500 champion and former Tyrrell Formula 1 and NASCAR driver has been in talks with the team about purchasing the Cup and Truck Series operation. Although terms have not been discussed publicly, Davis is believed to be asking Sullivan for more money for the teams than Sullivan is currently willing to pay. Sullivan, 58, has been involved with the Red Bull Driver Search program,
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er Dyno NSCAR Media
Smoke gets a [New]man NASCAR SPRINT CUP
NSCAR Media
nd Sell
ing an owning Racing
Carpentier waits on GEM deal NASCAR SPRINT CUP PATRICK Carpentier is staying positive about his future in NASCAR, despite an apparent deadline of August 15 passing without any word from Gillett Evernham Motorsport whether he will ne staying for 2009. “You know, I really wish I’d know because they haven’t told me,” said the former Champ Car star. “We talked and they said ‘We need a little bit more time’ so I said, ‘that’s fine’. We’re going to start talking to other teams too and other guys. I know a couple of teams talked to [his manager] Robert [Desrosiers] and we’ll see what happens.” The French-Canadian is looking for a long-
term deal but is being realistic. “They told me it’s looking good right here. They said just be patient. We need to change a few things around and then we’re going to let you know but it’s most likely going to be positive. So hopefully, that’s what it is and they said if not they’ll let me know so we’ll see what it is.”
NSCAR Media
which moved Scott Speed to F1 and then back to the USA to NASCAR. Should Sullivan become a co-owner of BDR, Speed, who currently races for BDR in the Craftsman Truck Series, may be in line to move up NASCAR’s ladder to Sprint Cup. Davis also owns Triad Racing Development (TRD), which builds engines and chassis for all Toyota trucks and all engines for the Nationwide Camrys, with the exception of Joe Gibbs Racing, which builds its engines in-house. – MARTIN D CLARK
THE worst-kept secret in NASCAR racing was confirmed last Friday, with confirmation that Ryan Newman will race for Stewart Haas Racing from next season. The 2008 Daytona 500 Champion will leave Penske Racing to race the #4 Chevrolet running alongside new team co-owner Tony Stewart in the #14 Office Depot/Old Spice car. The team was hoping to announce a sponsor for Newman, but the details were not finalised
in time. One thing that Stewart did let slip is that Newman will have multiple sponsors on the car in 2009, something that is becoming more of a trend as sponsor budgets for one car increase to the tune of US$20m per year. In other driver movements and nonmovements, Martin Truex Jr has re-upped his contract to stay at DEI with sponsor Bass Pro Shops until the end of 2009. Truex was one of the drivers in the SHR frame, should Newman have decided to look elsewhere. – MARTIN D CLARK
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NO CUP FOR HELIO. BUT ... INDYCAR WITH Roger Penske’s Sprint Cup team’s vacancy announced now that Ryan Newman will not be returning next year, Helio Castroneves has been asked if he has an interest in following his exteammate, Sam Hornish, over to NASCAR. “As long as I’m at Team Penske, I will stay here in IndyCars,” said Helio Castroneves, downplaying any interest in switching series. “It is the best team. I still have a number of goals in this series to achieve. Maybe after I achieve those things we’ll see. My
first love is open wheel racing. But, you can never say never to something like that.” While Castroneves’ contract is said to be all but signed (still winless with seven runner up finishes), Penske could extend Ryan Briscoe’s contract. Briscoe has two wins, two poles, and is fifth in the title chase “I can’t disclose the details of my Penske Racing contact,” said Briscoe. “We are still finalising details. It’s my goal to remain with the team. I think we are having a real good season. We had our share of bad luck along the way. We should be sitting in the top five. It’s a real tight battle at the
moment and I’m right in the mix of it.” Rumours have circulated that Penske may be eyeing rookie Graham Rahal, who is finishing his second year at NewmanHaas Lanigan. And, at last week’s test at Infineon Raceway in northern California, Penske gave Romain Dumas, his ALMS driver, a test in his Indy car, first shaken down by Briscoe. Dumas was unofficially 12th fastest out of 15 drivers, which included three from the Lights series. – MARY MENDEZ
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Is Mike Conway the next ...
American Idol? INDYCAR
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MIKE Conway may be the next European driver headed to IndyCar, after a very impressive debut test. The Briton ran at Sears Point last week and topped the opening day for Panther Racing, ahead of many of the series’ experienced drivers. Conway, 25, lapped the California track in a time of 1m17.39s, which stood for the rest of the day. Penske’s Ryan Briscoe topped the afternoon practice with a 1m17.57s lap.
The Briton’s time was the fastest of the rookie drivers at the testing, 0.6s faster than Brazilian Raphael Matos. The question now is, what happens next? The 2006 British Formula 3 champion is racing in the GP2 Series, and took his maiden win in the category with Trident Motorsport at Monaco this year. But, with Honda said to be wanting to bring more talent to the now-united series, and some of the teams eager to blood new racers, could Conway be an unexpected main player during the upcoming Silly Season?
I N 26 W . n S1 io l $U il M
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www.irwintools.com.au 13 www.irwinracing.com.au
More Supercars at Sepang SEPANG 12 HOUR FUJITSU V8 Supercar team owner Matthew White is heading to the Sepang 12 Hour, preparing a Falcon BA for an all-Malaysian team. For the second year in a row, White will be the crew chief for Sugazi Racing, featuring three Malaysian drivers in an ex-Matthew White Racing Falcon AU
(upgraded to BA-spec). White told eNews that the meeting is fun and competitive. “It’s a good little project,” White said. “I really enjoy it. I’d like to have a crack as a driver one day. “It’s about double the length of Bathurst, so it’s a testament to the cars that they can do it. It’s good working with strategies and keeping your mind on the
ball for all that time.” Last year, the all-Malaysian team were running inside the top five, only to crash with less than an hour to run. Other Australians competing in the Merdeka Millenium Sepang 12 Hour are the Mal Rose-entered Commodore VY, and the Porsches of Shaun Juniper and David Wall. – GRANT ROWLEY
V8 stars go bashing VARIETY BASH
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Peter Bury
THERE was a V8 Supercar flavour to last weekend’s NSW Variety Bash. Tony D’Alberto, Jason Bargwanna, Shane Van Gisbergen, Shane Price, Michael Caruso attended and sampled some of the cars being used in the ‘Blacktown to Batemans Bay Bash.’
D’Alberto and Bargwanna, who will team up in the #55 Rod Nash Racing Commodore VE in the endurance races this year, drove a 1966 Chevy Impala, pictured. “It was a good fun event,” D’Alberto said. “It so different to going to a V8 Supercar event. We were there to have fun, have a cruise and a laugh with the event.”
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Percat: Overseas of FV8s? Formula Ford front-runner looks locally and internationally for 2009 FORMULA FORD
John Morris/Mpix
Future questions: Percat, above, has links with Walkinshaw and could drive Fujitsu V8s next year, below, or go overseas and compete in Formula 3, bottom.
John Morris/Mpix
AUSTRALIAN Formula Ford charger Nick Percat has narrowed his racing options for next season down to two likely destinations. Percat is considering the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series and British Formula 3 as the categories that he’ll tackle in 2009 – budgets pending. After a slow start to this year’s Formula Ford season, Percat is now running second in the title after winning the past two rounds. He sits 40 points behind Paul Laskazeski. His solid run of late has inspired him to look at life beyond Formula Ford, and the Walkinshaw Performance-backed driver is confident of securing a competitive ride – be that in Australia or England. “I’d like to do the Fujitsu V8 Series or go overseas,” he said.
“It depends on budget, which at this stage is minimal. “I’m not really sure at the moment. It depends what options there are. It depends a lot of what seats are available, because in the Fujitsu Series, there aren’t a great amount of good seats around. “The advantage of running the Fujitsu Series that you get V8 miles. You eventually have to get some miles there, you don’t have much of a choice …” “But I’d like to try and go to the UK. I wouldn’t do another year of Formula Ford, I’m not too keen on that. I‘d do Formula 3 over there. “At this stage, there’s nothing in place. I have to get my budget sorted first.” Percat has contested two rounds of the Australian Formula 3 Championship this year, running competitively for Team BRM. – GRANT ROWLEY
Dirk Klynsmith
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The Aurion is coming ... AUSSIE RACING CARS THE first technical drawings of Toyota’s Aussie Racing Car have been released. The image shows the front corner of the Toyota Aurion and how it fits around the Aussie Racing Cars chassis. The car was designed using the same software that Toyota used for the Aurion. According to category creator and boss Phil Ward, the detail of this body shell will take the Aussie Racing Cars to a new level of presentation. “Some of the bits of it are going to look better than the actual car
itself!” he said. “It’s really trick. The attention to the detail on the shape is as good as the real car. It’s going to surprise a lot of people. “Little things like the mirrors we’ve made look exactly like the real car.” The car will make its debut at the Indy in October, and also be unveiled at the Sydney Motor Show. Other cars ready for the competition in the final two rounds at Symmons Plains and Oran Park. It is believed that Neil Crompton or Neal Bates are the likely people to steer the car in the cars debut round. – GRANT ROWLEY
Critchley handed lesser charge DRAG RACING TROY Critchley will not be going to jail after a charges he faced in the USA over a crash during a burnout were replaced with lesser charges. The Queensland-born drag racer, whose car skidded into a crowd at a charity event last June, has accepted a sentence of 18 months probation and a suspended oneyear jail sentence. He had faced life in prison after six spectators were killed and 22 others injured during the accident in Selmer, Tennessee.
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Critchley, 37, was originally charged with However, the change in criminal six counts of felony vehicular homicide charges is likely to allow civil suits, which and 22 counts of reckless aggravated reportedly seek more than $US100 million assault. Those charges were replaced with ($113m) in damages from Critchley, his 28 misdemeanor counts of reckless simple race team’s owners, sponsors and officials assault. of the city of Selmer, to proceed. Unusually, the plea bargain was largely The deal will allow Critchley to return to instigated by the victims of the crash, who competition in professional drag racing, relented from their initials calls for jail time. but carries the rider that he must perform Lawyers representing the victims in the exhibition burnouts only on tracks civil suits sent District Attorney-General “specifically designed and ordinarily and Michael Dunavant a written request customarily used for drag car events”. Since supporting “an offer to settle” the criminal the crash, he has worked for his team as charges. crew chief, rather than as a driver.
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Timmy’s talking F3
sutton-images.com
Aussie star expected to step up to Formula 3 after impressive first year OS FORMULA 3
sutton-images.com
TIM Blanchard has all but confirmed he will compete in next year’s British Formula 3 Championship, a ‘budget gap’ the only hurdle between the Victorian and a deal in the competitive series. The reigning Australian Formula Ford Champion has spent the year front-running in the British F3 series, winning a handful of races for Jamun Racing. He is currently in contention for the title with two races left to run. While the expedition to England was originally thought to only be a one-year stint of driver development, Blanchard recently sampled a Formula 3 car for the first time. He tested for leading team Fortec, and was so impressed with the machinery he is now determined to stay in the UK and run in the widely accepted Formula 1 feeder series. “I want to do F3 next year,” Blanchard confirmed, “but there’s a still a gap in the budget we need to fill. I have some experience here [In England], so I want to try and take that next step now that I know the tracks and the teams. I think there’s
potential to get some good results in F3. “In Formula Ford I’ve learnt about slicks and the culture British racing, so it will make the step to Formula 3 not as big as if I was coming straight from Australia. People have done that in the past and struggled, so I’d have an advantage. “If we can get the budget together, then we could have a pretty good year. At the end of the day every team is willing to take your money, but you’ve got to find the money first, and then talk to teams about whether there is a seat available.” Although an F3 deal is still in the making, Blanchard was able to confirm that the famous Formula Ford Festival, due to be held at Brands Hatch later this year, will be his last outing in a Formula Ford. His FFord career started in the Victorian state series back in 2005, before he won the national title in 2007. “Whatever happens next year the Festival will be my last race in a Formula Ford. I won the Australian Championship, I’ve won a few races over here [in England], so to win the Festival would be a great way to end my stint.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN
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AMSF confirms shortlist AMSF
ris/Mpix John Mor
Chris Carte r Chris Carter
THE Australian Motorsport Foundation (AMSF) has confirmed a shortlist of six drivers who will compete for up to three spots in the 2009 CAMS Rising Star Program. The drivers shortlisted have all achieved some great results this year in either Sprint Karting or Formula Ford. It is suggested that the drivers selected will compete in across both state and national Formula Ford next year with Borland Racing Developments. “As in previous years, the quality of the applicants was excellent and I feel confident that we will have another great squad of drivers for 2009,” said AMSF General Manager Quentin Crombie
“Choosing from a list of such high quality candidates is always difficult, however it is vital that we spend a significant amount of effort on recruiting the right drivers, as we hope that, with our assistance, the majority will go on to enjoy successful international careers.” The six selected drivers will head to the AIS on Tuesday and Wednesday this week before making their way to Winton Motor Raceway on August 25/26 as part of the selection process. This will be followed by another day of additional psycho-motor and psychological testing at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Wednesday 27th of August. After such time the AMSF is expected to make their decision in mid-September.
2009 AMSF Risng Star Shortslist
hite Brian W
Anti-clockwise from top left: – Tom Tweedie, 20 (NSW) – State Formula Ford – Luke Ellery, 19 (VIC) – State Formula Ford – Jordan Oon, 18 (WA) – State Formula Ford – Nathan Morcom, 16 (NSW) – Sprint Karting and state Formula Ford – David Whitmore, 16 (NSW) – Sprint Karting – Jesse Batson, 16 (SA) – Sprint Karting
Seras set to go head-to-head for first time FOR the past few years the Sera cousins, David and James, have been two of the most dominant 125cc drivers in Australian karting, with David dominating the Rotax Light category and James the Leopard Light scene. At next month’s Sparco Rotax Nationals (September 6/7), the pair will go headto-head for the first time in the Rotax Light category at Melbourne’s VACC Park. While David has two Australian Rotax Light crowns
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on his resume (which includes a dominant victory in last year’s event), James has only competed aboard a 125cc Rotax-powered kart on one occasion during 2002. “It will be the first time I’ve ever raced against David in Rotax Light, so it’s going to be tough but I’m really looking forward to it,” said James, who is the elder of the pair. “The last time I raced a Rotax was back in 2002. At the Nationals that year I ran inside the top three for the opening
couple of heats before an incident in the final heat ruined my chances of finishing on the podium.” Sera will campaign a Kosmic kart for the Melbourne Kart Centre in the event. Roger Polak and his team at MKC have been working behind the scenes with a number of customers in
both sprint and super karting over the past few months to ensure James will have a competitive engine in an attempt to topple David from the top spot.
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5 Minutes with ...
TIM BLANCHARD
A test in a Fortec Formula 3 car has inspired the Aussie to secure a ride ...
ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN
MOTORSPORT NEWS: You’ve driven a Formula 3 car now – is the plan to try and do the British F3 Series next season? TIM BLANCHARD: Yeah I want to do F3 next year, but there’s a still a gap in the budget we need to fill. I have some experience here [In England], so I want to try and take that next step now that I know the tracks and the teams. I think there’s potential to get some good results in F3. And I guess you sort of understand the culture of racing in Europe now … In Formula Ford, I’ve learnt about slicks and the culture British racing, so it will make the step to Formula 3 not as big as if I was coming straight from Australia. People have done that in the past and struggled, so I’d have an advantage. If we can get the budget together, then we could have a pretty good year. Would you race for Fortec, or do you have options with other teams? I tested with Fortec, but I’ll try and speak to a few other teams. There is potential to drive with Fortec next year, but first we have to find the budget. At the end of the day, every team is willing to take your money, but you’ve got to find the money first, and then talk to teams about whether there is a seat available. What were your first thoughts on the F3 car? Awesome car. It’s the best car I’ve ever driven. The
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sequential gearbox makes it so easy to drive, and the grip is like driving a go-kart again. It goes where you want it to go, you just keep your foot in it and the aero does the work. After driving a Formula Ford, which slides around, getting to a corner and knowing the car will turn in is a bit of a change! Were you about where you wanted to be pace-wise at the test? I didn’t put any new tyres on, so the team said if I could get within two seconds of Marcus Ericsson, who is the pacesetter in F3 at the moment, there is potential. In my second run I was 1.8s off him, and then it rained in the afternoon so everyone was slow because of the damp track. It was a 10-lap run, so I was happy with that, it was something to work with. I was only two-tenths off what Marcus did in his first run in an F3 car, and I was a fair bit quicker than a lot of other
people on their first day, so the potential is there. What about Formula Ford? The championship is in the balance now, you might win, you might not, but regardless would you say it’s been a good year? Definitely. The competition is a fair bit harder here compared to Australia and you have to push harder to run at the front. And then there’s learning the tracks and all of that. I think it’s been a good start to a career in Europe. What have been the highlights? Oulton Park was pretty cool, that’s a great track. And winning this morning at Silverstone was my best win of the year. I had a two second lead by the second lap, I smoked them. It was good to put it on pole and then say ‘catch you later boys.’ But Oulton Park is my
favourite track so far. What about living in England? It’s a different lifestyle. I lived at home all of my life, so it’s been different, but I’ve had a few friends living over here this year, and my family has been over a few times, so that makes it easier. It’s been a learning experience, having to cook and do my own washing. I’ve learnt as much about life as I have about racing. At least you’re from Melbourne so the weather wouldn’t have been that different … Thanks mate (laughs). What about the Formula Ford Festival? How do you rate your chances? It’s a difficult track because it is so short, so a lot of people will be on the pace. It will be about being in the right place at the right time, but I’ve definitely got a shot.
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NASCAR Media
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Letters
Have your say, email us at mail@mnews.com.au. Keep letters to the point!
An amazing amount of reaction towards eNews’s parity cover story from last issue saw the office’s emails overloaded! But as you’ll note, there wasn’t much parity with the view points expressed by these letters, below ... The only reason Skaife has asked V8SA for a parity review is to raise a smoke screen over his poor performance this year. His driving is under constant media scrutiny and he wants to blame a perceived parity imbalance for it. HRT stripped HSV of its championship-winning driver and personnel to bolster his team. The result of that is HSV hasn’t won a race all year when last year it did and Tander has made Skaife look second-rate. You can forget Ingall’s moaning about parity. Last year when he was driving a Ford he wanted a parity adjustment and now he is in a Holden he wants the same. The best team and driver will win on the day, not the car. Lorenzo Bertoia via email Holden aren’t serious, are they? It is leading the championship, it won last year’s championship and Manufacturer’s Championship in the VE and they want a parity adjustment! Come on, is it April 1st? I don’t remember them complaining when they won everything for the first half of last year. I guess ripping the guts out of its most successful team to prop up HRT wasn’t such a good idea after all. Matt Giles via email I think what we do need is get some parity between the Clayton cars and the rest of the Holden field. Lets face it, a Holden is leading the championship and
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has won the championship for the last two years running with exactly the same cars, no parity changes. Kenny Carroll via email After reading the article Annus Horribilus, and the comments made by Ford’s Racing manager Ray Price, Issue 067, I want to express a little anger. I mean, where was Ray Price living in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001? On Mars? Holden was winning races and championships. In those days all Ford was doing was whinging about how Holden was winning week after week, month after month. I think Ray Price should remember back to the days when all Ford did was whinge and complain about parity. Mark Behenna via email In my opinion, the latest call for parity from Holden is laughable. The BF Falcon has been racing in its current spec for some time now where Holden has upgraded to the VE car and has won the last two drivers titles. So, what has made the Falcon win more? The drivers is the answer. Mike Yarrow via email In 1992 Mark Skaife whinged and complained about added weight to his Nissan to no avail and they still one everything, including Bathurst on three wheels. In 1993 Holden aero package was crap so drivers
threatened to withdraw from races if they didn’t get their new package. They got it and won. In 1998, the EL Falcon was winning and after a couple of rounds of the VT Commodore losing, Holden again whinged and 8” was cut of the Falcon under tray. AU Falcon came out with an average aero package and struggled to get a podium finish. Skaife’s comment ‘Ford should get drivers that can drive’. Now Skaife wants the handicapper to give them another advantage because they only have one consistent performing driver. G Seiler Ballarat, Vic So, Holden (and particularly HRT) want a parity adjustment. What a joke! Can somebody please remind them that they are actually leading the current championship and that Holden has also won the last two championships. Do they believe that they have the divine right to win all the time? Lets hope that the V8 Supercar authorities recognise this and don’t once again succumb to the power of HRT. Paul Winter Loxton, SA I wondered when the Holden guys would start whinging. Maybe Simon McNamara should have a better look at the ‘teams’ rather than the ‘cars’. It is pretty obvious to me
that the three top teams are Triple Eight, FPR and HRT. Of those, two just happen to be running Fords, and one is running Holdens. I know there are other teams in the championship, but the reality is that most of the winning will come from these three organisations. Therefore, Ford automatically has a greater chance of winning by the weight of numbers of having more cars in the truly competitive teams. Simon McNamara probably has only himself to blame for essentially stripping Holden of its winning combination at HSVDT (Tander et al.) and taking them to HRT. At the end of the day, Ford had to put up with 3-4 years of having uncompetitive teams, and at times of shooting themselves in the foot, and didn’t get a parity adjustment, so I don’t see why Holden should after six months. Dean Turner via email As a Ford supporter, I object to Holden’s push for a parity adjustment this early in the season. I firmly believe that Holden should get their ‘house in order’ before daring to ask for a parity adjustment. If splitting up a two-time championship winning team is not shooting yourself in the foot, what is? And I might add the last two championships were run and won under the current parity rules. Kyren Welsh via email
opinion
opinion Phil Branagan Executive Editor
Dirk Klynsmith
THERE is not much that gets people’s back up like the word ‘Parity’. If you are going to have a Touring Car category based on the concept of similarity, rather than diversity – and we crossed that bridge the moment someone shot Group A in the head – the notion of having one side ahead of the other, or others, is an anathema to anyone in the sport. As witnessed on these pages, there are many and varied views on the subject. Holden is evil. Ford is evil. V8 Supercars Australia is turning a blind eye to the obvious. Can’t you see my view? It’s so obvious! Of course, as exclusively reported in the last edition of eNews, the submission made by HRT to V8SA’s board is based on the races up to and including Queensland Raceway. Garth Tander’s Winton victory, which I am sure was welcomed by those at Holden, was not brilliantly timed, so far as this issue is concerned. The remarkable thing about Winton for mine was not so much that three drivers tied on 272 points, but that the three cars that got them there were so different; a 2008-spec Walkinshaw Performance Commodore, a similarly new SBR-powered Triple Eight Ford and T8 suspension underneath a DJR-powered Falcon that is almost as old as Dick is. And the car that was the fastest at the track, Mark Winterbottom’s FPR BF, isn’t any of those things. I haven’t any insights about what went into HRT’s submission but if there is any adjustment, it would come as a surprise to most. And speaking of parity, it could be worse. NASCAR is embroiled in a cheatin’ controversy and, after what happened in MotoGP on Sunday, I hear that Bibendum is under around-the-clock suicide watch …
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NASCAR SPRINT CUP ROUND 23 – 3M PERFORMANCE 400, BROOKLYN, MI
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NO, NOT MOTOWN,
MYTOWN Carl Edwards gave the struggling US car industry a boost on home soil, by taking a Ford double at Brooklyn. By MARTIN D CLARK
Ford Racing Media
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NASCAR Media
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ARL Edwards completed a sweep at Michigan International Speedway, after winning Saturday’s Nationwide event and capping it off with his fifth win of the year in the Sprint Cup series on Sunday. Edwards held off Kyle Busch and three more of the Roush Fenway Racing posse in the shape of David Ragan, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. “My guys were unbelievable on pit road,” said Edwards, whose crew beat Busch off pit road on the final stop. “I knew Kyle was going to be tough on the restarts, he’s crafty and a heck of a competitor. I’m glad I got the jump on him, I knew he was going to hang back a little bit and he was going to make a run, and make it tough.” Three late debris cautions bunched up the field, the first with 21 laps to run that saw Edwards and Busch pit for right-side tyres with the majority of the pack, Ragan and
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Dale Earnhardt Jr the exception. Edwards was first off pit road and worked under Ragan for the lead with 18 laps to run and did not look back over the final yellow flags, Busch’s Gibbs Toyota seemingly struggling on restarts. “We had nothing for him,” said Busch of Edwards, “when he beat us off pit road, that was it for us. We didn’t quite have the car capable of beating those guys today. We were good on one set of tyres, but that’s pretty much all we had.” Jimmie Johnson headed lap one, taking the lead from polesitter Brian Vickers with a push from Earnhardt, who took over up front on lap eight. Beyond that, Jr suffered with a loose car that saw him slap the wall hard with 18 laps to run. Unfortunately for Marcos Ambrose, his hot streak stopped on lap 19 when he aired the first caution as the Roush-Yates engine detonated in his Wood Bros Ford.
Formula Ford: The Roush Fenway cars of Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle, left, led the way in Michigan. Elliott Sadler, above, was the only Dodge driver in the top 10. Brian Vickers, right, started from pole and finished seventh.
Caution two came out on lap 85 when Paul Menard nudged Ryan Newman into Dave Blaney, the Bill Davis Toyota slamming the wall on two wheels. On lap 90 Johnson received some major left side fender damage when he was side slammed by his Hendrick team-mate Jeff Gordon, who was the meat in the sandwich, with Tony Stewart to Gordon’s outside. Johnson dropped a lap when he pitted for new left side tyres and fender repairs, while just seven laps later Gordon slammed the wall when his left front tyre exploded, sending him to the garage area for repairs. Gordon brought out the fourth caution when his repaired Chev dropped debris on lap 166. He finished 42nd and dropped three spots in the standings to ninth. “We finally get an awesome race car,” said a frustrated Gordon, “but our pit stops were awful, we just didn’t have the whole package today.”
Racing for Peanuts NASCAR Media NASCAR Media
Edwards was just too fast on Saturday NATIONWIDE
NASCAR Media
NASCAR | 3m performance 400, michigan 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
99 18 6 16 17 8 83 29 19 26
Carl Edwards Kyle Busch David Ragan Greg Biffle Matt Kenseth Mark Martin Brian Vickers Kevin Harvick Elliott Sadler Jamie McMurray
Ford Toyota Ford Ford Ford Chevy Toyota Chevy Dodge Ford
Roush Fenway/Office Depot 27 Gibbs/Interstate Batteries 11 Roush Fenway/AAA Insurance 16 Roush Fenway/3M 9 Roush Fenway/DeWalt 14 DEI/US Army 15 Red Bull Racing/Red Bull 1 RCR/Shell 38 GEM/Stanley Tools 3 Roush Fenway/Stanley Tools 3
SPRINT CUP | DRIVER’S points Busch 3429, Edwards 3207, Johnson 3127, Earnhardt Jr. 3084, Burton 3080, Stewart 2871, Biffle 2854, Harvick 2812, Gordon 2791, Kenseth 2873.
EMOTION can play a big part in deciding motor races, and there was plenty of it at Michigan on Saturday. Tony Stewart was emotional, having his last drive in the #20 Gibbs Toyota in the NW series. Brian Vickers was emotional, having planted his Red Bull car on the pole for Cup. And Carl Edwards was emotional, determined to end a sevenyear dry spell for Ford in a second-tier NASCAR race on the high Brooklyn banks. In a brand-new Roush Fenway Fusion, Edwards was 3s clear of the field on the final lap, after jumping Stewart in the final pit cycle, when a yellow flag, waved for a crash by Dan Efland, ended the race.
“I’m so happy we won this thing,” grinned Edwards after his third NW race win of 2008. “We’ve been so close before. It feels good to put a Ford here in Victory Lane.” Vickers led Stewart home in second, while Mark Martin, Greg Biffle and Mike Bliss followed. “I think we had a better car [than Edwards],” Vickers said, “but with the new Toyota restrictor plate NASCAR put on us, he definitely had us beat on power. There’s not a lot we can do about that.” Marcos Ambrose was a solid 12th after qualifying his Kingsford Ford in 21st position. Points: Bowyer 3582, Edwards 3469, Keselowski 3450, Bliss 3223, Ragan 3202, Busch 3003, Wallace 2963, Leffler 2926, Ambrose 2903.
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Topsy Turvey weekend BRITISH F3
OLIVER Turvey completed the double in Rounds 17 and 18 of the British Formula 3 Championship at Silverstone last weekend. The double sees Turvey leave Silverstone with a nine-point lead in the championship and the inaugural Mirror. co.uk British F3 Challenge Cup as the top British driver. After leading home Brendon Hartley in a close Round 17 encounter, Turvey got the jump in Round 18 to lead Swede Marcus Ericsson to the flag. Ericsson provided plenty of the pressure early in the race but
fell back towards the end to record a comfortable second place. Turvey also recorded the fastest lap in both races to come away from the weekend with maximum points. Sergio Perez now sits second in the race for the championship after a string of fourth place finishes at Silverstone. Australians Sam Abay and John Martin continue to build on their experience in
the championship, with Martin coming home in sixth and seventh from the two races, while Abay finished eighth and recorded a DNF. However, for Abay, the DNF in Round 18 holds more significance with the Victorian battling for third all race long following a great start from sixth on the grid. Unfortunately though, it all came undone on the last lap as Abay made contact with Nick Tandy trying to take the position back, which he lost only corners earlier. The contact saw him finish in the gravel trap, while Tandy went on to finish third.
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Blanchard’s Silverstone charge BRITISH FFORD AUSTRALIAN Tim Blanchard has given his championship campaign a boost with a great weekend in the latest round of the British Formula Ford Championship at Silverstone. Blanchard recorded a win and a second place from the two races, as his Jamun Racing
team-mate and championship leader Wayne Boyd had a weekend to forget. “It was a great race,” said Blanchard. “The guys behind were all fighting each other and that made it nice and easy for me.” Only a poor Race 2 start prevented Blanchard from taking the double. “I stuffed up my start and
managed to get back in front,” he said, “but then I didn’t have the pace to stay with Marco [Sorensen] today. He drove well and he and his team deserve the win.” After finishing down in seventh position in Race 1, Boyd managed to fight back to finish third in Race 2 and, despite Balnchard’s charge at Silverstone, still holds
a comfortable lead in the championship heading into the final rounds with Blanchard needing a near miracle. The other Australian in the field, Glen Wood continues to get to grips with the series and finished with a best result of 12th in Race 1. Any chance of a good Race 2 result was destroyed after Wood retired on lap 1.
Peugeot stomp all over Audi in 1000km LEMANS SERIES
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PEUGEOT has taken a dominant win at the Nurburgring 1000km, with Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy leading home the French marque’s first 1-2 of the year. The Sarrazin/Lamy paring finished only 17s clear of the second Peugeot of Nicolas Minassian and Marc Gene after 6 hours and 195 laps of racing. “The Nurburgring has always been a good track for me and now I have another win here,” said Lamy. “First and second is great for Peugeot and it was an open fight,
so it’s very nice to win like that.” Audi was completely outclassed at the Nurburgring with the leading R10 of Alexandre Premat and Mike Rockenfeller finishing over a lap behind. The Australian connection in the race, Alex Davison paired with Marc Lieb to finish second in GT2 and 25th overall, two laps behind the Virgo Motorsport Ferrari F430 GT of Gianmaria Bruni and Rob Bell. The Porsche RS Spyder of Jos Verstappen and Jeroen Bleekemolen won LMP2, while GT1 was taken out by Antonio Garcia Tomas Enge in an Aston Martin DBR9.
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Fairytale win ... SPEEDWAY GP
Points: Pedersen 116, Crump 99, Hancock 89, Andersen 84, Gollob 82, Adams 80, Jonsson 61, Holta 53, Lindgren 52, Iversen 48.
Mike Patrick
LEIGH Adams marked his 100th Grand Prix in perfect fashion with victory in a thrilling Scandinavian event at Malilla. The Aussie had vowed to forget about the mounting points gap to series leader Nicki Pedersen and concentrate fully on the meeting, and he gained his reward with a second-consecutive GP win at the Swedish circuit. He got the better of Hans Andersen in the Final, the Dane having appeared to be the dominant force for much of the meeting after winning five of his first six rides and being able to pick the inside gate for both his semi-final and the final. “We’re a long way adrift, but this is a stepping stone,” said Adams. “We said we had to forget about the points and just try to enjoy it, and that’s what we did. “I’m still enjoying my speedway, still
riding pretty well and I’ve got great people around me. “With those hundred Grands Prix, it takes a dedicated team, and I have to say a big thank-you to my mechanics and my family because it’s been a long old haul for many years.” Nicki Pedersen’s third place was another triumph of consistency on a night when he was suffering mechanical troubles, the reigning Champion still reaching the final despite breaking down at the start of his third ride. The result ensured he extended his overall lead to 17 points as his nearest challenger Jason Crump was behind him in the final. – TONY MILLARD
Schumacher equals his record NHRA
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David Ostazewski
TONY Schumacher defeated Larry Dixon to equal his own 2005 record with five straight Top Fuel victories. He also kept his unbeaten streak at the 1,000-foot distance intact and extended it to 20 straight rounds with a victory at the 24th annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was Schumacher’s 10th win of the season and did it by taking a first round single in round one, before beating Brandon Bernstein, and Clay Millican, who returned to NHRA racing, to advance into
the final round. Jack Beckman took his second victory of the year, outdistancing two-time Funny Car champion Frank Hawley. Beckman’s Valvoline/MTS-backed Dodge Charger clocked a 4.18/296 in the final after disposing of point leader Tim Wilkerson, John Force, and low qualifier Cruz Pedregon in the previous rounds. Jeg Coughlin stopped Dave Connolly for the Pro Stock win. Coughlin’s Jeg’s mail Order Chevrolet Cobalt clocked a 6.65/206 for the win after Connolly fowled at the start. Coughlin took wins over Vieri Gaines, Jim
Yates, and last weekend’s event winner, Kurt Johnson to reach the final. Matt Smith took the Pro Stock Motorcycle victory with his second straight final-round win over Angelle Sampey. – DAVID OSTAZEWSKI
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Holden wins Wakefield enduro
NSW STATE
John Morris/ Mpix
JIM Pollicina has taken out the One-Hour Combined Touring Car endurance race in Round 5 of the NSW State Championships at Wakefield Park on the weekend, in his HSV GTS. The race featured compulsory pit-stops and the option of having two drivers sharing a car. Pollicina was beaten in the pit-stop shuffle by Stephen Kent, but recaptured the lead on the circuit. Kent fell back a few more positions in the closing laps of the race, allowing the Matthew Holt/Brett Howard entry to finish second, with Bob Brewer setting a new lap record en route to third. Tom Tweedie won the weekend’s first Formula Ford race, but could only manage ninth in the other two races, won by Ryan Simpson. Simpson has now won all five rounds this year and, with
just one round remaining, he is well on target to come away from his first season of Formula Ford with a perfect scorecard of round wins. Peter Green Jnr, Troy Green and Darren Novek won one HQ Holden race each, while Shane Hart took out the first Formula Vee race but was beaten home by Daniel Reynolds in the other two. Tim Mackie and Nick Kelly battled hard at the front of the Production Sports Car field, with Mackie’s Lotus Elise ultimately gaining the advantage around the tight Wakefield Park circuit to win the round. Defending Champion David Raddatz chalked up a trio of third placings. Chris Jackson took a clean sweep in the Sports Sedans, as did Ryan Brown in the Improved Production Car races, with Bob Jowett the highest placed driver in the Under 2Litre class. – LACHLAN MANSELL
Giovanardi extends championsip lead BTCC
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SEAT has taken a clean-sweep in the latest round of the British Touring Car Champion at Knockhill, with Jason Plato and Darren Turner sharing the wins. Plato took out Races 1 and 2 to put some pressure on championship leader Fabrizio Giovanardi but contact in Race 3 with Tom Onslow-Cole saw him fail to finish. Meanwhile, Giovanardi went on to place a consistent fifth to go with his two second places from the first two races to extend his championship lead to 41 points. The Triple Eight endurance driver now has the chance to wrap up the title in two weeks time at Silverstone, but even if that
doesn’t happen, he should still win comfortably with only six races remaining in the season. For Turner, it was only his second win of the season but he did it in style beating Rob Collard by just over two seconds. The next round of the BTCC series is at Silverstone and will take place on August 31, before the final round at Brands Hatch in September.
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CITY OF MELBOURNE TITLES VACC PARK, MELBOURNE
The City of Sera
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AVID Sera confirmed himself as one of the favourites for the Rotax Nationals by taking out the Rotax Light category at the City of Melbourne Titles at VACC Park (Todd Road) last weekend. Sera will defend his crown in the Rotax Light class when the Rotax Nationals head back to the Melbourne city track on September 5-7. Sera led home Tony Kart driver Jordie
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Lindstrom, who was fresh off a win in the Queensland State Titles in the same class. Sera’s Arrow team-mate Matt Wall was unlucky not to challenge for the win following an engine failure in the final race while running strongly in second position. The City of Melbourne Titles is the last event before the Rotax Nationals and as such, many drivers used the event to iron out any last minute testing on the Todd Road circuit.
James Sera completed the double by taking out both Clubman Light and Leopard Light classes. He led home his cousin David Sera in Clubman, while team-mate Adam Hughes followed him home in Leopard to make it a good day for both the Sera family and Arrow. Scott McLaughlin took out the evercompetitive Clubman Light with a great drive.
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Mixed emotions: David Sera, far left, led home an unlucky Matt Wall in Rotax light, while Scott McLaughlin, above, won Clubman Light. It was a good day to be a Sera, with James, below, winning both Clubman and Leapord Light. But as ever there were some hard luck stories as Grant Smith, bottom, found out.
Ash Budd
McLaughlin led home Jack Wynack and Mathew Brabham after taking pole position. Jason Pringle continued his strong form following his move to CRG and took out the Clubman Heavy title. The final saw plenty of excitement, highlighted by a massive drive from Matt Wall, to come from last to fifth. While in Rotax Heavy Luc Price edged out Rick Pringle to take the win, while Hayden McBride took out Formula 100 in his Gillard Kart. In other classes Jake Dixon led home Jordan Boys and Liam McLellan in Midgets. Steve Willing beat Frank Falla and Mark Hunt to the line in Rotax over 35, while Junior National Heavy was won by Garry Jacobson in front of Tyler Cramer and Richard Muscat. Rhys Harrod won Senior National Pro in front of Domonic Lostitch and Dale Beaton with Clubman Super Heavy being taken out by Jason Stania with Phil Straughten and Nathan Van Hurst in second and third. Finally, Reece Bloomfield won Rookies over Phil Munnerly and Blaine Densley.
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rear of grid
Holden Motorsport
Now, this is really Parity! WE have said before, we love it when a plan comes together. So, when two plans come together, and it happens on the same day, it’s party time at MNews. See, we love a rivalry and we reckon that there is a beaut one coming in this week’s Australian Safari. John Hederics will be trying to win his 10th Safari overall, and fourth in a row, in his Holden Colorado. Alongside Hederics in the PWR Holden Rally Team vehicle will be V8 Supercar team owner Kees Weel.
Odd Spot
One of the main rivals for the event will be Bruce Garland. The veteran driver and navigator Harry Suzuki are off to South America to do the Dakar later this year but, in the meantime, there is the small matter of endeavouring to be the first dieselengined car to win the Safari to deal with.
The battle will be intense, and there should be no calls for parity. Y’see, the Holden and the Isuzu are, in essence, the same vehicle, built side-by-side on the Isuzu production line in Thailand. They might have called one of them a Chevy – and that would have been the same vehicle, too … That the Hederics Isuzu above. No, that must be a Colorado, just like the one below. Ooops, that’s Garland’s D-Max. Um, this may be a confusing event coming up ...
Dirk fred.m.krijgsman@xtreme-adventure.com
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