Motorsport eNews Issue 125 - October 6-12, 2009 by V8 Sleuth

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Issue No. 125 October 6 - 12 2009

K E E W E C RA t s a l s ’ p o dunl g n i n r a w minute

who bought this car? full details inside

Editorial Editor: Grant Rowley grant@mnews.com.au Deputy Editor: Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@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) Drag Racing: Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Ken Ferguson, John Bosher, Luke Nieuwhof National: Lachlan Mansell, Mark Jones, Aaron Shaw.

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, Paris Charles, Neil Hammond, Joel Strickland, Ash Budd, Mike Patrick (UK)

Issue No. 125 | 06 - 12 Oct 2009

news 4 Tyre-raid

6 It’s on! 8 OK for #39 13 Power (Not) Out 16 SEAT of WA

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

race 24 Bathurst Preview 30 NASCAR 34 World Superbikes 36 British FFord

trade 40 Classifieds

Dunlop’s B1000 instructions Pre-Bathurst news Owen Kelly’s call-up Will still in Penske frame West Aussie’s overseas plan Mark Webber Don’t forget your toothbrush Truly special weekend The form and the tips! Smokin’ Split Round Erickson top rookie

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.

Dirk Klynsmith

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

Dunlop issues Bathurst wa Keep the pressure up and no weaving on full tanks is the message from Japan ahead of B1000 V8 SUPERCARS

8 Supercar tyresupplier Dunlop has moved to insure against tyre problems at this weekend’s Bathurst 1000 by issuing teams with a number of warnings in relation to tyre use. Following a number of tyre failures during last year’s race – due predominantly to kerbhopping at a couple of spots where kerb edges had not been sufficiently ‘smoothed-out’ – Dunlop’s Japanese engineers have issued teams with clear instructions to minimize the risk of unnecessary tyre stress: ensure tyre pressures are

set above 18 psi, and avoid excessive weaving on cold tyres/full tanks. The recommendations come following extensive test-bed work at Dunlop’s Kobe factory. Dunlop’s Australian motorsport manager Kevin Fitzsimons explains; “The main message that has come out of Japan is that excessively low pressure is critical – nothing below 18psi. “The teams have also been told not to go out of pit-lane and start swerving massively and warming up the tyres with full tanks of fuel. They need to be gentle in the first half of the lap.” Fitzsimons explained that the

tyre pressure findings from the test-bed should leave teams feeling more comfortable ahead of the 1000km race. “For example, at 19 psi, there were no failures (on the testbed). At 18 psi, there was one failure. At 17 and a half they had six and 17 psi they had 10. At 16 and a half they had 18. “Too low in pressure really over-deflected the tyre, so it just crushes it, and when the cord breaks, that’s what gives you the weak spot in the tyre – the tyre flexes on that spot more than the other and you get a little bubble in it.” Tyre problems affected a number of cars in last year’s race – these were blamed on

the sharp-edged kerbs on the exit of Turn 2 and the inside apex at The Chase. These two controversial kerbs have been smoothed out, and in-filled with asphalt, for this year’s race, and Fitzsimons doesn’t expect a repeat of the 2008 drama. Conspicuously, 2008 winners TeamVodafone, instructed its drivers to avoid the kerbs at all costs – and it paid massive dividends. “At the end of the day, as Tim Scheken told them at the driver’s briefing, that if they stay between the white lines on the race track, there’d be no problems. And the guys last year who did that had no problems,” he said.

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

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Fiore buys IntaRacing V8 SUPERCARS

arning “The frustrating part for me last year was that when I got there on the Monday, the recommendations from the year before hadn’t been followed through – the kerbs were still in average condition. “But it’s all been rectified now and hopefully there won’t be any problems.” In other tyre news, teams have been allocated an extra set of four tyres (made available after the cancellation of this year’s Bahrain round), for Bathurst. Teams will be able to use the extra set in any practice session, including the Sunday morning warm-up session. – GRANT ROWLEY

DEAN Fiore’s Triple F Racing team has purchased the equipment from the nowdefunct Team IntaRacing. All of the current V8 Supercar teams were invited to tender pre-auction for the equipment, which included everything from the team’s exTriple Eight BF Falcon to the transporter. And Triple F was the lucky winner of the tender, giving them some leveraging power as they work towards a deal for 2010. Triple F currently has a technical agreement in place with Paul Morris Motorsport, and Fiore was quick to point out that the purchase of the equipment wasn’t a sign that the deal will end when the season is over. “At this stage, the plan is to find somewhere to store the equipment,” he told eNews.

“All of the team owners were invited to tender for the gear, and we thought that if we could get hold of it, it might work in our favour, even if we don’t use it for a year or so. When we decide to go it alone, we have the gear for a good head start. “To tell you the truth, we haven’t sat down properly with Morris [to speak about next year]. We’re talking to a few people about what we might be able to do, but we haven’t decided on anything. That will al become a lot clearer after Bathurst.” “There is definitely a chance we might use some of the stuff we bought along with PMM, or we might lease it all for a year and use it in 2011. Obviously it’s exciting times at PMM at the moment, so we will sit down with them soon and see what’s going on, and whether we can be a part of it next year.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Holden Motorsport goes part-time V8 SUPERCARS MANAGEMENT of Holden’s motorsport program is set to become a part-time role. Word out of Holden last week is that current Motorsport Manager Simon MacNamara has been promoted into a wider role, that of Executive Director, Sales and Marketing. However, it seems likely that MacNamara will retain responsibility for motorsport matters, within that portfolio.

“Yes, the full make-up [of the position] is being finalised now, but I think that’s how it will be,” MacNamara told us on Monday. The revised structure is expected to be implemented in November, leaving Holden without a full-time motorsport manager for the first time in decades. The move mirrors the situation at Ford, where head of motorsport Ray Price departed a year ago – his role has since been absorbed into that of Communications Manager Sinead McAlary.

SS GPWEEK – THE WORLD’S FIRST INTERNATIONAL ‘VIRTUAL’ MOTORSPORT MAGAZINE ...

Fancy a V8 flutter? V8 SUPERCARS BETTING agencies have followed Motorsport News magazine’s form guide in framing their odds for the 2009 Bathurst 1000! Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup are shooting for an unprecedented fourthstraight Bathurst win and command favouritism to complete the feat. Will Davision and Garth Tander are second favourite, ahead of Steven Richards/ Mark Winterbottom and the lead Jim Beam Racing Falcon of Steven Johnson and James Courtney. But in this 2010 world of on-line betting, there are all sorts of things, other than the winner., to have a fluter on. Other options include the race’s first retirement, #888 versus the field, #888 versus #2, #888 winning margin and winning team. #888 #2 #6 #17 #51 #7 #33 #39 #18 #22 #9 #25 #111 #88 #8 #14 #5 #10 #34 #3 #11 #15 #67 #24 #4 #55 #333 #13 #16 #21 #23 #12

C.Lowndes/J.Whincup W.Davison/G.Tander S.Richards/M.Winterbottom J.Courtney/S.Johnson G.Murphy/M.Skaife R.Kelly/T.Kelly M.Caruso/L.Holdsworth R.Ingall/T.Slade W.Luff/J.Webb C.Baird/P.Dumbrell A.Davison/S.Van Gisbergen J.Bright/K.Reindler F.Coulthard/M.Patrizi A.Simonsen/J.Thompson C.McConville/J.Richards A.Jones/B.Jones D.Canto/L.Youlden S.Owen/S.Price D.Besnard/G.Ritter J.Bargwanna/M.Noske J.Perkins/D.Wood B.Collins/N.Pretty O.Kelly/P.Morris A.Priaulx/D.Reynolds D.Gaunt/J.McIntyre T.DAlberto/A.Thompson L.Tander/D.Wall A.Fisher/D.Sieders M.McNally/T.Ricciardello D.Assaillit/B.Lowe T.Douglas/S.Walter D.Fiore/T.Bayliss

2.75 3.50 5.50 8.00 8.00 17.00 21.00 34.00 51.00 51.00 51.00 51.00 51.00 67.00 67.00 81.00 101.00 151.00 151.00 151.00 251.00 251.00 251.00 331.00 331.00 501.00 501.00 501.00 501.00 501.00 501.00 501.00

(V8bet odds as at midday, Monday October 5 – subject to change)

No ‘on-track’ roos V8 SUPERCARS

THE chances of a kangaroo jumping onto the circuit at Bathurst this weekend have been slashed, with an authorized culling of the kangaroo population ahead of the race. To the distress of green groups, 140 roos were killed last week in and near the Bathurst mountain venue. The cull. the first time it has taken place prior to a Bathurst race, was authorized by the Bathurst Regional Council. Bathurst Mayor Paul Toole told ABC News that the kangaroos’ population growth forced the Council’s hand: “Back in 2007 there was a kangaroo that did jump across the race circuit and could

have caused a very serious accident,” he said. “But it is not that alone, we have over 300,000 tourists who drive around the circuit every year.” The local Greens MP Lee Rhiannon condemned the culling, suggetsing that a “well placed fence” would keep the kangaroos from entering the circuit. In 2004, the Castrol Commodore of Steven and Jim Richards struck a ‘roo between Griffins Bend and The Cutting (above) . Since then, none of the animals have been struck by cars, although there have been numerous close calls when one has cleared the track fencing and appeared on the road.

Will weather play its part in the race? V8 SUPERCARS WILL Greg Murphy’s historic qualifying lap record be saved by Saturday rain at Mount Panorama? The long-range forecast for Orange, the closest major regional centre to Bathurst, suggests that both Friday and Saturday could feature late rain, which would hamper both official qualifying sessions (regular qualifying on Friday, and the Shoot Out on Saturday). That could well stop the long-awaited breaking of Murphy’s classic 2003 2:06.8594s lap. At this stage, Sunday is expected to be mostly fine, however those familiar with the Bathurst region at this time of year

Long-range forecast

Courtesy of www.weatherzone.com.au Day

Conditions

Max

Tuesday, 6 Wednesday, 7 Thursday, 8 Friday, 9 Saturday, 10 Sunday, 11

Mostly sunny Showers Frost then sunny Late shower Late shower Mostly sunny

14 9 11 12 13 16

will know that, especially with a top of just 16 degrees, afternoon rain is always a possibility. The last rain-affected Bathurst 1000 was the epic wet/dry finish back in 2007, won by Lowndes and Whincup.

news

Past winners to feature on Saturday night TV special Model Mountain V8 SUPERCARS ONE of the most exhilarating sections of race track in the world will have a new name this year. Skyline will be stickered tip to toe with Biante Model Cars support and has renamed Biante Skyline for this weekend’s race. The new sponsorship arrangement brings to a close a long-time deal between Skyline and Holden. Biante Model Cars CEO Chris Roche said that the sponsorship is significant for his company. “The Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 is an iconic event and there isn’t a more recognisable section of the

circuit than Skyline,” he said. “Biante have only recently re-entered the V8 Supercar Diecast Model Market, and there is no better way to let our fans know that we are back, than to support such a fabulous event and famous stretch of bitumen.” While Biante has taken naming-rights sponsorship of Skyline, the traditional name of that section of track will remain ‘Brock Skyline.’ In addition to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, Biante will also partner with V8 Supercars Australia at the Sydney Telstra 500 – through the Biante Beasts of Bathurst, a collection of classic Australian race cars and bikes, all with Bathurst heritage.

SEVEN has added a Saturday evening ‘Battle of Bathurst’ special to its weekend Bathurst coverage. The special will be hosted by Seven regulars (and current/ former racers) Mark Skaife and Mark Larkham, with four previous race winners – Alan Moffat, Larry Perkins, Jim

Richards and Dick Johnson – and their racing sons expected to be on hand to reminisce and chew the fat over past races and the day’s pre-race qualifying action. While the show will be recorded early evening, it is expected to go to air around 11pm (check local guides).

Among the past winners featuriing on Saturday night will be Alan Moffat (below, winning in 1977)

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Kelly promoted to #39 V8 SUPERCARS

but remains realistic. “We’re going there to win it. No doubt about that,” he said. “My part is to go do a bloody good job in the middle part of the race and give it back to Russell at the pointy end – not take any risks, standard procedure. “You need to make sure at the end of the race that your lead driver is in the car, the car’s in one piece and anything can happen from there.” Kelly has spent the past two

years racing NASCAR-type cars in America but found the transition back to V8 Supercars relatively easy. “It was no problem,” he said. “I was pretty comfortable at the test before Phillip Island in these cars again. That wasn’t an issue at all. It’s like riding a bike.” After the Bathurst race, Kelly will head straight back to America to try and put together a deal to continue his US campaign next year. – GRANT ROWLEY

Jack Daniel’s Racing breaks TV ground V8 SUPERCARS JACK Daniel’s Racing will fit six television cameras to Rick and Todd Kelly’s leading entry at the Bathurst 1000 this weekend. The most exciting of the cameras will be the all-new ‘Wingcam’, a camera that is embedded in the #7 Commodore’s rear wing, offering TV viewers a brand new perspective around Mount Panorama. There will also be a camera on the passenger’s side of the car, which is capale of rotating, one in the footwell on the passenger’s side, one in the rear of the car looking over the driver’s left shoulder, one in the left-side taillight looking backwards, and one underneath the car looking at the differential and suspension linkages.

“I really enjoy working closely with the people from Seven and V8 Supercars Television on projects like this one,” said Rick Kelly. “It’s fun to think of an idea and then work at making that idea become a reality. “The on-board cameras are a great way to get the viewers even closer to the action. “Bathurst is the most spectacular track in Australia and one of the best in the world and all the extra effort that goes into this event from a television perspective ensures that the footage that the viewers get on Seven is equally spectacular.” ‘Wingcam’ coincides with the 30th anniversary of ‘Racecam’ being pioneered at Bathurst.

John Morris/Mpix

RUSSELL Ingall will be partnered by Owen Kelly in the lead Supercheap Auto Commodore at the Bathurst 1000 this Sunday. Kelly partnered Paul Morris in the team’s second car at the L&H 500 at Phillip Island last month, but has been promoted to partner Ingall, moving Tim Slade into to the #67 entry with Morris. Kelly told eNews on Monday

that he was pleased with his promotion. “It speaks for itself,” he said. “I go there with a real chance of winning. As you know, that race can throw anything at you, and I think Russell and I will be very strong. “We’re up against cars with two ‘lead’ drivers, but if I get it back to Russell in one piece … anyone in the top 10 is a shot to win it. I’m real excited about it. It should be good.” Kelly has high expectations,

BRIEFLY... n The Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series will not allow BA Falcon or VY Commodores in 2010. The eldest models allowed in FV8s will become BF Falcons and VZ Commdores, with the older cars expected to trickle down into the V8 Touring Car series, which runs on the Shannons Nationals bill. n Andrew Anderson will replace Sam Walter in Greg Murphy Racing’s Fujitsu Series entry at Bathurst this weekend. Walter has decided to concentrate solely on his main series duties with Taz Douglas in GMR’s wildcard entry in the Bathurst 1000. Anderson, a Kiwi, is eyeing a full-time program in the Fujitsu Series, and recently tested a Paul Morris Motorsport Commodore at Queensland Raceway. n New Zealand racer Anthony Pederson tested a Paul Cruickshank Racing Falcon at Queensland Raceway last week. The 21-year-old drove the car during PCR’s preBathurst test with a view to competing in next year’s Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series. “It’s totally different to what I’ve driven before, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s really different to anything I’ve driven before, but a whole heap of fun. You can see why thee cars are so popular.” n If you live anywhere near Pinjarra, Western Australia, and you want to watch Bathurst on a big screen, head to the Pinjarra Footy Club. For a gold coin donation you can see a Show ‘n’ Shine, watch the race, and take part in a raffle, with prizes including a free subscription to Motorsport eNews. All proceeds go to Bedingfeld Aged Care.

Pink with envy V8 SUPERCAR CHAIRMAN and Co-Founder of the McGrath Foundation, Glenn McGrath, and V8 Supercar driver, Leanne Tander, have unveiled the Team McGrath V8 Supercar Racing Team – including the first ever ‘pinked’ V8 Supercar. Team McGrath is the result of a friendship between the Wilson Security Racing team and the McGrath Foundation

to create something completely new and unique within the motor racing community. By transforming the traditional Wilson Security Racing team’s cars, drivers and crew with the McGrath Foundation’s logo and signature hot pink, both parties are aiming to drive a completely fresh conversation within the community around the importance of breast

awareness among young women and the invaluable role McGrath Breast Care Nurses play in providing support for families experiencing breast cancer. New car designs, helmets and race suits, and merchandise that will be sold at upcoming races to raise funds for the Foundation, were showcased at the official unveiling of Team McGrath in Sydney last Tuesday.

Shane van Gisbergen will link up with the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane for the Nikon SuperGP, carrying a special livery for the SP Tools for Kids program. Van Giz will wear a one-off helmet which will be auctioned off afterwards, and has personally pledged $5000 to the cause.

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One-off entries an option for V8s V8 SUPERCARS ONE-OFF additional entries for V8 Supercar events have become an option following a recent decision of the V8 Supercar Board. A move to make the recently ‘retired’

ex-Inta Racing licence available to teams on a one-off, special circumstances basis has been agreed – although an early attempt to utilise the additional grid spot has come to naught. eNews understands that Stone Brothers racing had a proposal on the

table to utilise the ‘temporary’ licence for an additional car at December’s Telstra 500 at Homebush but that, in the end, permission wasn’t granted by the Board. Although details are sketchy, we understand the one-off entry may have been for Marcus Marshall.

Phil Williams

You’ve Been Warned! Chase leaders Hendrick Motorsports warned by NASCAR after post-Dover technical inspections – while the Prince of Saudi linked to RPM

NASCAR JIMMIE Johnson’s Dover winner, along with Mark Martin’s runner-up car, were taken to the NASCAR R&D center in Concord, following the AAA 400 a little over a week ago. NASCAR took the winning Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolets as the ‘random’ picked cars for that race, and both cars were found to be on the ragged edge of NASCAR’s tolerances for the body templates. After the two day inspection, NASCAR officials have warned the two crew chiefs in question – Chad Knaus for Johnson and Alan Gustafson for Martin – about sailing too close to the body tolerances on the Dover cars. However NASCAR Cup Series director John Darby insists both cars were legal, and there are no penalties pending; although they are likely to be

taking the cars randomly back to the R&D center during other Chase events. The bodies were apparently within tolerances pre-race, but flexing of the panels on the steeply banked track took those tolerances to the limits. Meanwhile, the proposed merger of Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing has led to rumours during last week that Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud could also become a partner in the team. However, apparently the agreement RPM majority owner George Gillett has with the Prince will not involve ownership of the race team. The deal is a commercial agreement with the UK Liverpool Football club that Gillett co-owns, and the Richard Petty Driving Experience that could both operate in some fashion in Saudi as a result of the partnership. – MARTIN D CLARK

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Nelson’s NASCAR test NASCAR TWO former Formula 1 drivers are looking at possible futures in NASCAR. Former Ferrari and Toyota driver Mika Salo is to test a Michael Waltrip Racing Sprint Cup Toyota Camry in the coming weeks, while dumped Renault driver Nelson Piquet will test a Red Horse Racing Toyota truck at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina on October 12. Salo, 42, is hoping the test will lead to a possible Nationwide gig next season. If that happen,s he will be the first Finnish driver in NASCAR. Brazilian Piquet, 23, who was fired from the Renault F1 for under-performance and was at the centre of the subsequent scandal over the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix crash, will have a seat fitting at Red Horse this week. Red Horse is co-owned by former Mobil Oil executive Tom DeLoach, and retired crew chief turned broadcaster Jeff Hammond. – MARTIN D CLARK

Too close to call! sutton-images.com

Dixon/Briscoe/Franchitti set to do battle in frantic IndyCar finale

INDYCAR

T’S winner-takes-all at the IndyCar season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, and the battle will be an intense shootout between three contenders – Ganassi drivers Scott Dixon (570 points) and Dario Franchitti (565 points), against Penske driver Ryan Briscoe (562 points). It is the second closest title fight in 14 years of IndyCar history. Briscoe has the biggest challenge ahead, having lost a 25-point lead after a rare mistake in Japan, hitting the inside pit wall exiting the pits. “The good thing is that it’s only eight points to Scott,” said Briscoe, confident after a successful Homestead test on September 25 and twice a winner on 1.5mile tracks this season. “I feel real good going into Homestead. We’ve been strong on all the 1.5-mile ovals. I’ve had the fastest car this year. We’re trying to get stronger and put the Japan race behind us. “Homestead is going to be a tough one. It’s a flip of a coin really who is the favourite between myself, Scott or Dario. All of us are fully capable of winning. We’re just going to have to be on our game, make everything absolutely

perfect, and be strong.” Briscoe can steal the title from Dixon by winning the race and earning at least one bonus point (one point for pole and two for leading the most laps). But if Briscoe wins (50 points) and Dixon finishes second (40 points), with two points for most laps led, Dixon would prevail in the tiebreaker by more victories – five to four. On paper, Dixon appears strongest, with two previous victories at Homestead (Briscoe’s highest finish is 19th and Franchitti’s is fourth) and two 1.5-mile oval victories this year. The Kiwi earned the 2003 and 2008 IndyCar titles, but had the 2007 championship slip through his grasp when he ran out of fuel a turn before the checkered flag in the final race, gifting the title and race win to Franchitti. “This is the closest fight, with three of us only eight points apart after a whole season of 16 races to have that small a gap,” Dixon said. “It’s going to come down to the final lap, the final corner of Miami. The person who wins the race is going to win the championship. Hopefully, one of us [at the Target team] can do it. But it is going to be awfully tough against Team Penske. It’s going to be real exciting.” Franchitti, who has no 1.5-mile oval victories this season, will find it difficult to

beat his own team-mate with the same equipment. Should the Scot win the race, he’ll become the oldest IndyCar champion at 36. “It’s going to be a hell of a show at Homestead with winner take all,” Franchitti said. “The IndyCar championship has come down to the final lap of the final race each of the last three seasons. The problem right now is that Scott and I are in a championship fight, so although we want to help each other out, we can’t sacrifice our own race results for it. We’re both in our own fight.”

HE question is, will the result of the race leave the Ganassi team, which letBriscoe go at the end of the 2005 season, ruing that decision? “From the very first day Ryan was with us, you could see there was something very special about him,” Mike Hull, Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Managing Director said of their biggest threat for the championship. “He has enormous ability to drive race cars. Had we been able to continue with three cars, I think that he would still be driving here. I hope we end up in front of him at Homestead on Saturday night, but he has the ability to get there.” – MARY MENDEZ

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Power/Penske working on 2010 deal INDYCAR

sutton-images.com

A FULLY recovered Will Power could still be in a third Penske car next season. The Penske team is working hard on a full year program in 2010, after the ’09 parttimer suffered from broken vertebrae after a crash back in August. “We are not letting Will go yet,” said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing. “We haven’t the final answer to that. But I’m reasonably confident that we’ll be able to offer him something for next year. Whether that’s a full-time effort or one in which we can continue to try and build on, I guess time will tell.” Meanwhile, after months of negotiations between GM and Roger Penske to take over

manufacturing of the Saturn car, the deal has fallen through. GM had agreed to continue manufacturing the Saturn vehicles for two more years. “The decision was not based on interactions with GM or Saturn retailers,” said Penske, Chairman of Penske Automotive in a prepared statement. “It was because of the inability to source new products beyond what it had asked GM to build on contract. That agreement was rejected by another manufacturer’s board of directors. Without that agreement, the company has determined that the risks and uncertainties related to the availability of future products prohibit the company from moving forward with this transaction.”

Dirk Klynsmith

Seto accepts the challenge

Gold Coast MINI start for V8 legend – and he wants another Bathurst crack! MINI CHALLENGE AUSTRALIAN Touring Car legend Glenn Seton has accepted the Uber-Star drive in the next round of MINI Challenge at Surfers Paradises. Seton drove a MINI Challenge car for the first time at last week’s MINI Roadshow at Queensland Raceway and was suitably impressed. “They are actually unbelievably good things to drive. I was surprised,” he said. “The brakes are unbelievably impressive. The braking distances are nearly half of what a V8 Supercar is. Naturally, you’re not arriving as quick, but you’re pretty late under brakes, and they’ve got really good grip because you’re on a slick tyre and they carry good corner speed. “When you put those two things together, they are actually really enjoyable to drive.” Seton said that his expectations are to enjoy the experience, rather than shoot for victory. “My expectation is to just go out there

and have some fun,” he said. “I don’t care where I finish or how I go, but naturally I’d like to be in the top 10.” GLENN Seton wants another crack at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 after missing out on this weekend’s race – the first time he hasn’t competed in the famous race in over 25 years. The two-time Australian Touring Car Champion was to team up with Tony D’Alberto in the Bottle-O Racing Commodore VE, but a parting of ways meant that ‘Seto’ will watch the race from his couch at his Queensland home. It will be an odd experience for Seton, making him as keen as ever to secure a drive for 2010. “If I can get a drive there next year, I’ll go,” he told eNews. “Naturally I’d love to be there, but I’m not going to be. “It will be a long time since I haven’t been there for the race – 25 or 26 years. To miss out, it will be a different day for me. Even before I was racing, I was up there with

my dad while he was racing so, it’s been a hell of a long time since I haven’t been to Bathurst for the October weekend.” Seton says there are a number of aspects that he’ll miss most from not being in the 1000km race. “The whole build up to the weekend, the history behind it, coming to the startline and all the stuff that goes on with it,” he explained. “Also, being able to run around the best track in this country. I’m going to miss it.” He also says that he still has something to offer a team. “Sure I haven’t won the event, but I’ve had some good results and I’ve always kept it straight and kept it circulating around, which is what the guy who does the middle of the race is supposed to do,” he said. “It will be sad not to be there, but I’ve just got to get on with it. “I suppose you make these decisions sometimes and you wish you were there, but that’s life.” – GRANT ROWLEY

West Aussies take a SEAT overseas GENERAL WEST Aussie Saloon Car team Strategic Transport Racing has purchased one of the latest model SEAT Supercopa Touring Cars for European endurance racing. The team, which is headed by father/son combo Malcolm and Brett Niall, and also includes versatile all-rounder Clint Harvey, has spent the last couple of years doing endurance races around the

world as part of Mal Rose’s Mitsubishi Mirage team. Now, they will step up to one of the 300-horsepower Supercopa’s, which will be housed and run by a squad in England. “For the last 12 months we’ve been trying to decide what to do, and we even looked at a Civic that had raced in the European Touring Car Championship,” said Brett Niall. “In the end we went with the

SEAT because they are pretty bullet proof. We watched Jacques Villeneuve race a similar car at Spa last year, and he was lapping faster than Mal Rose’s V8 Supercar, so they are an impressive car.” The car was shook down at last weekend’s Britcar Six Hour at Silverstone by Harvey and Malcolm Niall, with Brett due to head to Europe this week for the team’s proper debut at a 12-Hour race at the Hungaroring.

The Niall/Niall/Harvey entry is looking at doing five of the overseas endurance races next year, having already competed at the 12 Hour in Malaysia, the Nurburgring 24 Hour, the Dubai 24 Hour, and the Spa 12 Hour, racing as part of Rose’s endurance team. There will also be a second Supercopa competing overseas next year, which will be raced by Mark Pilatti, Matt Talling and Ross Zampatti. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

news

Saloons for Island support PHILLIP Island’s second V8 Supercar meeting this year will see support categories from Saloon Cars and Targa Invitational. The Saloon Car class will see as many as 25 of the Ford/Holden cars compete in a non-championship round, while the Targa Invitational class (which raced at Symmons Plains) is likely to have more than 30 cars entered. Saloon Car boss Les Morrall told eNews that his competitors are excited to be back on the Main Series bill. “My guys want to run with the V8s, so this is their chance,” he said. “Everybody loves Phillip Island, except in the winter! The weather should be OK for November though, and with daylight savings, it should be good.” Morrall expects 25 cars for the meeting, but he does not want to dilute the field from the final round of his series, set to

John Morris/Mpix

SALOON CARS

be run three weeks after Phillip Island at Sandown as part of the Shannons Nationals finale. Interstate competitors are being enticed to come with storage available for their race cars in an attempt to get them to compete at both Phillip Island and Sandown. Leading Saloon car contenders Shaun Jamieson, John Goodacre and Tony Evangelou are among the entrants conformed for the Phillip Island Saloon Car round.

In other Saloon car news, the category will kick off it’s 2010 series as a support class at the Bathurst 12 Hour. In the Targa Invitational class, the winner of the Symmons Plains event Jason White will be competing in the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, along with Greg Garwood in his Porsche GT3 RS, Andrew Lawson in a 1996 Nissan 200SXR and David Gilliver in a beautiful 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB. – GRANT ROWLEY

news

It’s Yanks versus Aussies! DRAG RACING

USA versus Australia Nitro Funny Car returns to Willowbank Raceway in January, with US veteran Jack Wyatt set to hit our shores for both rounds of the International New Year Series at the Queensland track. The meetings, set to be held on January 2 and January 16, will see Wyatt take on Gary Densham, who won the 2009 series, and will make the trip again in 2010 to

supervise Wyatt’s campaign. Wyatt, the 2007 IHRA Sportsman of the Year, and his Dodge Stratos will take on a full contingent of Australia’s own Nitro Funny Car competitors in a Chicago Shootout competition at each event. Competing in Nitro Funny Car since 1987, and a two-time IHRA World Championship runner-up with almost 40 years of drag racing experience under his belt, Wyatt is no stranger to high octane racing. However, even with so much experience, he is a tad

nervous about heading Down Under and facing the Aussie competitors. “I have never been to Australia before but have always wanted to go, so I definitely feel like coming down to Australia to race is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Wyatt. “At the same time, it is really one of those things where it is so exciting to go, but I am kind of nervous as I have never been out of the country to race before like this – sure we have raced in Canada, but this is totally different.” James Smith

Massive Masters BIANTE SERIES

THE penultimate round of the Biante Touring Car Masters Series will see the biggest field of the year line up at Mount Panorama this weekend. Thirty cars have entered Round 6, with Gavin Bullas leading the series in his dominant Ford Mustang. With 60 points up for grabs in each race, Bullas has almost two race wins up his sleeve with a 119point gap back to second placed Camaro driver John Bowe. Group 2 series leader Trevor Talbot will go into this round in his Torana XU-1 with only a 12point lead over the Porsche 911 of Rory O’Neill. Race 1 gets underway on Friday afternoon, with Race 2 on Saturday morning and the final race televised live on Channel Seven at 8.35am on Sunday.

Tweedie headed overseas FORMULA 3 THIS year’s National Class Formula 3 Champ Tom Tweedie has been rewarded with an overseas drive. Tweedie, 21, who regularly ran with the outright contenders in his 2004-spec Dallara, has been given a chance to test for British F3 team West-Tec in England, driving one of their latest-model F3 cars. He will also make his overseas race debut, suiting up for the team at a round of the F3 Open Series in Jerez, Spain, later this month. “It will be a great experience running with one of Britain’s most successful F3 teams at their home track, before heading off to Jerez,”

Tweedie said. “It will be a ‘ground floor’ experience for me. I’ll be getting to know the team and how they operate and I intend to come away from it with some good friendships and a lot of knowledge.” While Tweedie is yet to confirm whether his 2010 plans are in Australia or Europe, it is expected that wherever he races, it will be in a later model Dallara, making the Euopean jaunt all the more valuable. “I’m told the difference in downforce is quite noticeable,” he said. “I’m looking forward to experiencing that. I’ll also need to adapt to the different engine – which may be a little stronger than mine – and also to a different tyre supplier.”

5 Minutes with ...

MARK WEBBER

What a year it’s been for Mark Webber! First he becomes a Grand Prix winner, and CHRIS LAMBDEN now he’s become a team owner, with a GP3 franchise

Each GP2 team is a three-car team, and I see that MW Arden is registered as an ‘Australian’ entry. The obvious question: will this be an additional path for young Australians trying to make it internationally? We’ll have to see. I’d be surprised if that turned out to be the case in the first year – we’re up against some teams with an impressive record in running cars and teams in junior formulae, so it will be important for us to have strong drivers in there from day one. At the end of the day, we have to take a business-like approach but, having said that – and Christian knows how I feel – if we can offer an opportunity for a young Australian in the right way in due course, then sure. But there certainly won’t be three Aussies in the cars – it has to be done so that we can get the best results straight away. Going forward, when I have a bit more time, I’ll probably be able to influence that more.

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MOTORSPORT ENEWS: The 2010 GP3 entry list says ‘MW Arden’ – that’s a partnership between yourself and Red Bull F1 boss) Christian Horner? MARK WEBBER: Yes. When the category was first floated at the start of the year, Christian asked me whether I’d like to be involved and I said yes! There’s a chance there’ll be a little bit of Red Bull involvement as well; it’s a three-car team. My involvement will be limited while I’m still competing in F1 – it will be a case of some involvement with the drivers, mentoring, applying themselves to the job etc – but Christian has all the credentials to oversee it well; he has exposure to all the young drivers currently on the scene, and experience with Dallara and so on. It’s a good category – fits somewhere in between karting, Formula BMW, I’d guess, but the big thing it offers young drivers is the chance to race on the same circuits and at the same race meetings as GP2 and, ultimately, F1.

The prototype car – 280hp Renault ‘turbo’ engine, Dallara chassis, Pirelli tyres – has already done some testing. Do you have an idea on the annual budget to run one of the cars? It’s gonna be between 500 and 650 euros … That’s still around $1m Australian – quite a bit to generate out of this country. Although, as with your own F3 career, I recall the other, well-budgetted members of the team were effectively subsidising some of your drive … That’s normal in any team where there’s possibly going to be an opportunity for a subsidised drive, depending on the experience of the other drivers in the team. What’s good with this category is that there won’t be much dilution – you’ll be dropping into a category where we believe all the top young guys will be racing against each other very very early. It provides a natural route into GP2 – you will know the tracks, for example. That’s one of the reasons the budget is a little bit ‘premium’ – the series isn’t going to a bunch of local circuits – every weekend is going to be top shelf. Categories like F3 still have a role to play but, over time, I think this category will become very attractive. Obviously it’s a one-make series, with the usual things that can be done to maximise the package?

The key is the small things you can get out of the package … and the driver understanding what is needed to make the car quick – learning the circuits, working with an engineer, and all that stuff. That’s where Christian’s expertise comes in, in putting together the team of individuals who understand what the category needs. It’s going to be disciplined; it’s going to be well-organised, well-drilled, which Christian is and what I stand for as well. We need to be – the selection process for this championship was rigorous, and we’re up against nine of the best junior teams you could poke a stick at in Europe. This is the first indication of something beyond F1 in motorsport for Mark Webber – is that some of the thinking behind it for you? It’s probably a toe-in-the-water exercise for me. While it’s going to be a little bit at arms length early on, I do eventually want to be involved in the highs and lows of the team. That’ll be something I’ll be learning about myself – it’s a venture in an area I understand well. Unlike some things I’ve done, which are outside my area of expertise if you like, this is the first time I’m doing something within the area I’ve been in for quite a while. It’s uncharted waters, and I guess we’ll see in a few years whether it’s something I’m happy to get stuck into. For now, Christian is very much in the front line.

chat

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The rea A S German ‘80s songstress Nena sings in the English version of her single hit song 99 Luftballoons, ‘this is it boys, this is war.’ Obviously the context in which I’m using it has nothing to with the Cold War, but instead the Bathurst 1000. Because in just a few short days, the flag will drop, and the bulldust will stop. It’s time to stop talking about being contenders, and go out and prove it on that 6.213km of hallowed tarmac called Mount Panorama. Okay, maybe I’m being slightly dramatic, but that’s what

PASSPORT. Check. V8 Media Guide. Check. The packing is almost done for a second pilgrimage to the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. And I can’t wait ... Although eNews drops onto my desktop every Monday, it has been 11 months since I last saw V8s in the flesh, as it were, and I am fascinated to see how the new season continues. Take a look at the list of race winners and it is a great mix. I’m not surprised to see JDub’s name crop up so often, but a win for James Courtney and Michael Caruso is exactly what the category needs; proof that it isn’t always the same people, teams and sponsors doing the winning. I’m intrigued to see whether Roland Dane and TeamVodafone can do four-in-a-row. They may have made last year’s race their own, dominating the race after the first round of pit stops, but it was still a delight to see a top team in action. Now, though, they face perhaps the toughest task yet with an armada of teams queuing up to stop the winning streak. But it would be the perfect way to end the team’s Ford association, wouldn’t it? Then there is the prospect of seeing what the Europeans can do. Allan Simonsen should benefit from his greater V8

Dirk Klynsmith

Addison’s Checklist opinion David Addison Commentator

knowledge while Andy Priaulx has been so steeped in front-wheel-drive Touring Cars that it will be interesting to see how he can adapt. He has been to The Mountain before, remember, but he may be a bit short on recent experience. James Thompson and Ben Collins will be worth watching; Thommo has been in four different Touring Car championships this year and excels in tin-tops, while Collins does more actual driving than people think. He may not be a fulltime racer but does a heck of a lot of miles. Then there is the question of the new fuel and what economy it will have and how the extra number of pit stops can affect things, plus the inevitable safety car periods. Remember, it took a long time to get to the first interruption last year and a clean race is going to have an effect on fuel consumption. Throw in a bit of rain (I can bring some with me ...), V8 regulars and enduro-only drivers, plus a returning legend, and it has all the makings of being a truly Great Race.

opinion

al reason Bathurst is special opinion Andrew van Leeuwen eNews Deputy Editor Bathurst does to you. I know it’s a cliché, but there’s something about the final few kay along the Great Western Highway before you reach the township that turns you into a giggling race fan again – no matter how many times you’ve been there before. And this will only be my fourth time there, so I’m at the unimportant end of a very broad scale when it comes to Bathurst experience … But it is an exceptionally nice feeling, the one you get

driving to Bathurst. As we approach the business end of the season you do start to get a bit sick of airports and hotels, so staring down the barrel of a busy run up until Homebush in December, it’s nice to get a shot of enthusiasm in the arm. And that, right there, is why Bathurst is so important to the V8 Supercar Championship Series. After all, is anyone really likely to over-run Jamie Whincup in the fight for the title this year? I doubt it. But is anyone talking about the title at the moment? Hell no. Let’s worry about that on the Gold Coast. It’s time for Bathurst. It doesn’t matter how

unexciting the fight for the title is, there will always be some end-of-season excitement with Bathurst. And that’s what other category’s lack. That’s why Formula 1 is going berserk over the fact that Seb Vettel is still a (very slim) mathematical chance of winning the World Championship, because that’s as exciting as it gets. There is no hallmark race to make Jenson Button’s stumbling towards the trophy at all enticing. There are some people who think Bathurst should be part of the championship, and some that think it shouldn’t be. I don’t think it matters. The Great Race

has an important part to play no matter what; making sure there is some interest in V8 Supercar racing regardless of who’s got how many points.

here will be one important difference at Bathurst this year; for the first time in my life I won’t have my trusty editor Grant Rowley alongside me. As we put the finishing touches on this issue of eNews, Grant’s wife Donna is giving birth to their first child. As two of my closest friends in the world, I wish Grant and Donna the most heartfelt of best wishes. See you soon, Emma.

Phil Williams

SUPERCHEAP AUTO BATHURST 1000 PREVIEW – MT PANORAMA, NSW

The Same or D

enews preview

Different 1000?

Dirk Klynsmith

This time next week, the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 will have been run, won, and the champagne sprayed. But have the key ingredients to winning the mountain marathon changed since previous years? MOTORSPORT eNEWS takes a look at what it will take to win The Great Race

HERE are two trains of thought when it comes to picking a winner for this year’s Bathurst 1000; in a way it’s easy, because the pool of cars which can win the race on lap times alone is relatively small. But splitting the cars in that pool is harder than ever. The situation comes down to this – the only cars able to win the race on pure pace, you would think, are #888 and #2. At a stretch, you could include #6 and #17 although, as the L&H 500 at Phillip Island perfectly demonstrated, the FPR and DJR entries are still just lacking a smidge of pace to go out and just beat the lead HRT and TeamVodafone cars. Of course, that’s not to say that #6 and #17 – along with a host of other ‘almost theres’ – can’t win the race. It’s just that anyone except the two favourites will need something to go their way to win. But this is Bathurst, a race with more variables than any other, so ‘somethings’ have every chance of cropping up.

FUEL STRATEGY For the 2009 running of the Bathurst 1000, fuel strategy will be an unknown, purely due to the category’s switch to E85, which has a shorter range. That means the perfect four-stop strategy is gone, because for that to happen, stints need to be around 32 laps, an impossible feat with E85. While the exact number of laps an E85-powered V8 Supercar will do on a 120-litre tank will remain an unknown until race day, teams are talking closer to 20 laps. In other words, there could be twice as many stops. That will change the ball game for the drivers as well. While, under the old strategic system, a big stint would be a double, usually to the end of the race, double stints of just 50 laps are likely to be common this year. And they will occur right from the start, with drivers unlikely to be jumping out of their cars if they are pitting as early as an hour into the race. The big effort will now

become a triple-stint, which will equate to roughly the same as an ‘old’ double stint. TYRES You would be correct to argue that a little bit of common sense on tyres won the race for Triple Eight last year. The team realised early in the weekend that jumping the kerbs was causing a lot of the failures that were happening, and so Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup were told to driver around the sharp edges. It was a significant but vital discovery. This year, the kerbs have been fixed, with some extra tarmac being laid inside soem of the kerbs to try and make little ‘kerbjumps’ less brutal on rubber. Dunlop has also been proactive in informing teams of the dos and don’ts when it comes to making tyres last around Mount Panorama, including starting the pressures at no lower than 18 psi, and avoiding too much weaving on cold tyres, with full tanks.

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Dirk Klynsmith

Given all that, there will be no excuses for not understanding how tyres are working around Bathurst – and thus tyres should not, that’s should not, be an issue. To further the pe-race data gathering process,, each team will also have four additional tyres to use during practice, (see news pages). THE LAST STINT As Phillip Island proved, and has been the case more often than not at the Mountain, the Bathurst 1000 is likely to come down to a late-race sprint – especially with the shorter stints. And it is because of this that Lowndes/Whincup and Tander/Davison are the teams to beat. Unless the race turns out to be Safety Car free, it will be sheer pace, late in the race, which will decide its outcome. T8 has made a point of setting its cars up to be fast, late in the race, especially as the fuel load lightens. It has won them races before, and it’s an obvious strategy.

To date, The lead HRT car is the only other car which has shown that late-stint ability (matched with a pair of outstanding drivers) – although Bathurst traditionally throws up a wild card in that important characteristic. Regardless, history suggests a Safety Car of some sort in thr last third of the race – abd it is this which pretty much ensures the pace will be mighty hot, right up until lap 161. WEATHER This is Bathurst, so the weather has every potential to play a part. The question is, will it greatly affect the result? In the last three years, we’ve had all dry, and wet/dry races, and TeamVodafone has prevailed through all conditions. It comes back to ‘The Last Stint’ reasoning; even if it’s raining, good luck overhauling Lowndes and/or Tander in the run to the chequered flag.

QUALIFYING Has qualifying at Bathurst ever been less important? The fact that the first stint is likely to be so short will make the Shoot-Out even more of a Bragging Rights-only session – although it isn’t like qualifying has played a major part in the race in the last few years. After all, #888 has qualified sixth, sixth and fifth in the last three Bathursts, and won them all. The last time a pole-sitter won the race was when Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly backed up Murph’s historymaking Shoot-Out lap in 2003. And a certain front-row factory team has, twice now, failed to get off the line properly in its bid to lead at Turn 1 ... Saturday’s Top 10 Shoot-Out will still provide one of the weekend’s talking points – but such are the pressures to not put a car at risk that Murph’s time may well survive yet another year. Roll on Sunday ...

The Contenders

The Hunters and The Hunted Former flat-mates find themselves in opposing top-two favourite cars ...

E’RE going for our fourth win in a row at Bathurst this week, but we’re not thinking about that at all. As everyone knows, we’ve got an opportunity to create history, but at the end of the day, history doesn’t really mean much until you’re further into your career. I’ll be able to look back at the three Bathurst victories that we’ve had in 15 years time and really appreciate it then. At the moment, we’re just preparing like any normal Bathurst, which involves a bit more than any other race and we’re trying to do the best job we can. I’ve been on the Bathurst podium in

INNING Bathurst this week is a must – not just to take my first Bathurst win, but to keep me in the hunt for the championship. If we can win, it will help my championship, no doubt. It’s a prime opportunity to gain an advantage, but there’s also a big chance to lose championship points as well. But when you just look at the race, it’s hard to go in there thinking of it as a championship round. This year, I’ve got a prime opportunity to win the championship and an even better chance to win Bathurst. There’s no way I want to finish second in both, or win either. For

INSIGHT Jamie Whincup TeamVoadafone driver the past four years, and for all of them, I’ve been on the sidelines when the car has crossed the finish line – but again, that doesn’t mean too much. It’s always a team effort, whether I’m in the car or not. Whether you’re a mechanic, an engineer or a driver, it’s a massive team effort and last year was the biggest justification of that where we all performed on the big day.

INSIGHT Will Davison Holden Racing Team driver some people, Bathurst is more important than the championship, but for me, I haven’t won either, and this week I can tick one of those boxes and change my life forever. I know how good our form is going into the event so that’s all that’s on my mind – simple as that. You’d give anything in the world, and at the end of the day, second place gives you a nice bag of points, but no one remembers who finished second.

Our main opposition for the race has to be the #2 HRT Commodore. Phillip Island proved that, but that should have been our race. We were robbed. We led all day and to lose with one lap to go was a pain in the butt. But we’ll fight back. We’ll be right ... Bathurst is a different race – it’s the holy grail. If you look at the other possible contenders, you can’t write off FPR. They’ll be strong. And I’d even put Greg Murphy and Mark Skaife right up there as well. Murph finished second last year. They had a quick car (I’ve driven that Tasman car around Bathurst before and it’s really fast). I’d put them up there pace-wise.

Both Garth and I are going in there to win at all costs. This is by far my best opportunity at Bathurst. My DJR years were pretty solid. Steve Johnson and I were front-runners, and we were podium contenders and there to pick up the piece for the win if it was there to happen. Now, I don’t have that attitude. I have one thing one my mind and that is victory. I’ve got the blinkers on and, for me, nothing else is acceptable. I won’t be satisfied with anything else, and it’s exciting to go into the race with that mentality and the pressure. But who knows? I know how much can go right and wrong on the day ... Phil Williams

enews preview

Who will win? Here’s what a range of observers think ... We asked for their 1-2-3 and a ‘Wild Card’ pick MARK LARKHAM, V8 PIT LANE REPORTER 1. Garth Tander/Will Davison 2. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 3. James Courtney/Steven Johnson WC Lee Holdsworth/Michael Caruso

AARON NOONAN, V8 COMMENTATOR 1. Garth Tander/Will Davison 2. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 3. James Courtney/Steven Johnson WC Jason Richards/McConville

PAUL GOVER, NEWS LIMITED 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. James Courtney/Steven Johnson 3. Lee Holdsworth/Michael Caruso WC Todd Kelly/Rick Kelly

GLENN SETON, FORMER V8 DRIVER 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. James Courtney/Steven Johnson WC Mark Skaife/Greg Murphy

TIM BLANCHARD, 2007 FFORD CHAMP 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. James Courtney/Steven Johnson WC Fabian Coulthard/Michael Patrizi

CHRIS LAMBDEN, MNEWS PUBLISHER 1. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup WC Shane van Gisbergen/Alex Davison

JIM RICHARDS, SEVEN-TIME 1000 WINNER 1. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup WC Mark Skaife/Greg Murphy

CHRIS JEWEL, V8 TRACK COMMENTATOR 1. James Courtney/Steven Johnson 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Todd Kelly/Rick Kelly WC David Besnard/Greg Ritter

PHIL BRANAGAN, MNEWS EDITOR 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards WC Mark Skaife/Greg Murphy

GEOFF BRABHAM, 1997 1000 WINNER 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards WC Todd Kelly/Rick Kelly

BARRY OLIVER, FORMER V8 CALLER 1. Garth Tander/Will Davison 2. James Courtney/Steven Johnson 3. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards WC Lee Holdsworth/Michael Caruso

GRANT ROWLEY, eNews Editor 1. James Courtney/Steven Johnson 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Todd Kelly/Rick Kelly WC Paul Dumbrell/Craig Baird

GLENN RIDGE, CATEGORY PROMOTER 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards WC Todd Kelly/Rick Kelly

KEVIN FITZSIMONS, DUNLOP MANAGER 1. Garth Tander/Will Davison 2. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 3. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards WC Mark Skaife/Greg Murphy

ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN, MN DEP Editor 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards WC Jason Richards/Cameron McConville

VICTOR BRAY, DRAG RACING CHAMPION 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Mark Winterbottom/Steven Richards 3. Todd/Rick Kelly WC Russell Ingall/Tim Slade

MATT WALL, AUST. KARTING CHAMPION 1. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 2. Garth Tander/Will Davison 3. James Courtney/Steven Johnson WC Mark Skaife/Greg Murphy

JAYNE UTHMEYER, MNEWS DESIGNER 1. Lee Holdsworth/Michael Caruso 2. Craig Lowndes/Jamie Whincup 3. Garth Tander/Will Davison WC Jason Bright/Karl Reindler

NASCAR SPRINT CUP ROUND 29 – PRICE CHOPPER 400, KANSAS, MO

Smoke over Kansas Tony Stewart did not have the fastest car in Kansas – but with slick pit strategy giving him the late-race lead, he didn’t need it. By MARTIN D CLARK

NASCAR Media

ONY Stewart took his fourth win of the year – and first of The Chase – on Sunday at Kansas Speedway. But the victory came only after a two-tyre stop under the sixth and final caution got Stewart off pit road first, and put him in position to hold on in the final 26 super competitive laps. Smoke won from a fast-closing Jeff Gordon and race dominator Greg Biffle. “We got two tyres earlier today and we were able to go really quick on them,” said Stewart. “It was pretty much a no-brainer on what to do there. The guys that took four never could gain the track position back.” Stewart picked up 39 points and is now only 67 out from Chase points leader Mark Martin. “I’m excited about that,” continued Stewart, whose win handed Chevrolet its 33rd manufacturers’ championship. “It’s the perfect scenario for us right now to gain points and have some momentum heading to California next week.” Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson took on two tyres under the final yellow flag while Biffle made possibly the race-losing mistake of taking four along with Denny Hamlin, Martin and Juan Pablo Montoya. Biffle, who started 31st, was looking for his first win in a year and had led the most laps with two tyre stops gaining him important track position. Dale Earnhardt Jr looked to have turned a rough season around, when he claimed second position in qualifying and led 41 laps. But a missed wheel nut on the left rear saw him lose a lap after a penalty, another pit stop just before a caution saw him drop another lap and then an engine gremlin ended his race with 33 laps to run. Nine of the top 10 finishers were ‘Chasers’, a new record with David Reutimann the odd man out in eighth. After a sloppy run the previous week, Brian Vickers had handling and engine issues take him from contention ending his day 37th. Marcos Ambrose qualified 27th and ran mid-pack through halfway, but a two tyre pit stop moved him up to seventh on a lap 148 restart and he held on to finish 14th after some scary sideways moments racing up front in the closing laps.

Kansas, any more: The crowds flocked to see the stars and cars duke it out in Missouri. Dale Earnhardt Jr, #88, had his best run of the season but was still out of luck. Mark Martin, left, continues to show blazing speed and took another pole. Marcos Ambrose, #47, fought hard all day, but at the end of the race, it was Tony Stewart, #14, who closed the points gap to leader Martin after some slick pit service.

Joey beats Kyle

Toyota Motorsports

NASCAR Media

NATIONWIDE

Toyota Motorsports

JOEY Logano scored win number four of his Nationwide season at Kansas. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch led the most laps, for the 13th time this year, but the 19-year-old emerged from some great side-by-side racing to take the win. Busch was second, with Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle rounding out the top five. “He out-drove me,” said Busch. “We had a car that should have won the race, but I

guess I’m not due today.” Rookie Parker Kligerman, 19, won pole in his first ever NASCAR race and held off Busch at the start and also first restart to lead the first eight laps. Kligerman who is still in high school is a developmental driver for Penske Racing and won Friday’s ARCA race at the track and is second in the ARCA point table. In the points standings Busch expanded his lead over Carl Edwards who finished seventh by 245 points and Keselowski by 307. – MARTIN D CLARK

SPRINT CUP | PRICE CHOPPER 400, KANSAS 1 14 2 24 3 16 4 42 5 11 6 9 7 5 8 00 9 48 10 99

Tony Stewart Chevy Stewart Haas/Old Spice Q5 Jeff Gordon Chevy Hendrick/DuPont 9 Greg Biffle Ford Roush Fenway/3M 31 Juan Montoya Chevy Earnhardt Ganassi/Target 14 Denny Hamlin Toyota Joe Gibbs/FedEx 22 Kasey Kahne Dodge Petty/Budweiser 6 Mark Martin Chevy Hendrick/ Carquest 1 David Reutimann Toyota Waltrip/Aaron’s 13 Jimmie Johnson Chevy Hendrick/Lowe’s 11 Carl Edwards Ford Roush Fenway/Aflac 17

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NASCAR | DRIVER’S points Martin 5551, Johnson 5533, Montoya 5500, Stewart 5484, Busch 5460, Hamlin 5452, J Gordon 5448, Biffle 5437, Newman 5487, Edwards 5386, Kahne 5361, Vickers 5301.

WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 14 – MAGNY COURS, FRANCE

Some tight racing, and a problem for Ben Spies in Race 2, has set up a winner-takes-all final to the WSBK

The Cream Rises 34

Ducati Corse

Yamaha Racing

HE World Superbike Championship will go down to the wire after a gripping penultimate round in France. Ben Spies and Noriyuki Haga split the wins at Magny Cours but, when the Texan had grip problems in the second race, and Haga won it, it handed the Japanese ace a 10-point lead. Spies can still steal the win in the final races of the season in Portugal on October 25, but Haga has a slight advantage. “I tried as hard as I could in that second race, but just went backwards,” said a disappointed Spies after the races. “It’s unfortunate, but we got some sort of faulty [front] tyre in the second race.” Haga had no such dramas, and praised his team after Race

2. The man who has come so close to the title so many times has a lot to ride for in Portugal. It was a great weekend to be Max Biaggi. The Italian raced his Aprilia hard, but when he saw the riskes being taken by the title contenders, settled for a safe third in Race 1. That turned into second in the final race when Spies had his problems, though Biaggi did collect a stone in the radiator that, somehow, did not cause a water leak. ‘Mechanical problems’ – Honda is rarely helpful with these matters – stopped Jonny Rea in Race 1 but the Irishman bounced back onto the Race 2 podium. It was a good weekend for Honda, with Leon Haslam fifth in both races and Carlos Checa sixth in Race 2.

Before I leave you ... Ben Spies has two more Superbike races before he goes to MotoGP – and if he wins them, he takes the World title. On the other hand, the man standing in his way is long-time Yamaha servant Noriyuki Haga, who heads to Portimao with a 10-point lead.

Shakey Byrne had a solid weekend, while Aussies Troy Corser and Karl Muggeridge both scored a top 10 finish. Points: Haga 436, Spies 426, Fabrizio 346, Biaggi 293, Rea 279, Haslam 241, Checa 200, Sykes 176, Byrne 166, Smrz 161. THE race for the Supersports title will also go to the wire at Portimao, with Eugene Laverty missing a golden opportunity to cement a points lead with a crash. The Irishman fell after passing the Yamaha armada, leaving Joan Lascorz to take a win for Kawasaki. Cal Crutchlow was second ahead of the Hondas of Kenan Sofuoglu, Ant West and Mark Aitchison.

Martin’s tough weekend SUPERLEAGUE FORMULA

BIZZARE mechanical problems robbed Aussie John Martin of any chance of a good result at last weekend’s Superleague Formula round at Monza in Italy. The Ranger’s FC driver had only limited track time during the crucial qualifying sessions, leaving him on the back foot for qualifying and the races. Still, he battled on from 12th on the

grid in the first race, running as high as fourth during the first round of stops. But a disastrous pit-stop, and a strange late-race spin, left him down in 11th place at race’s end. “The pitstop was a nightmare,” admitted Martin. “Because the GT cars are racing here this weekend the pit-lane is compressed a bit to fit them and us in. It was hard to get into the box and then I had to make like a three-point turn to get around [Antonio] Pizzonia

as I left the box. “[Then] I spun coming out of the Parabolica for no reason at all. I thought it was the left rear tyre going down. But after the race the tyre was fine so we will be having a good look at the suspension.” Martin then finished 12th and a lap down in the second race, after contending with a downshift problem, and a damaged front-left tyre. Sebastien Bourdais (Seville FC) took home the big prize.

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Erickson best rookie BRITISH FORMULA FORD

DANIEL Erickson has finished fifth in the British Formula Ford Championship – and best of the series’ 2009 rookies – after a rollercoaster final round at Castle Combe last weekend. Erickson was locked in a tight battle with his Kevin Mills Racing team-mate Daniel Cammish for rookie honours, although a bizarre rule preventing any driver with previous FFord experience meant that the trophy would go to Cammish regardless of the result. Still, Erickson overcame a disastrous two qualifying sessions to finish seventh in Race 1, and fourth in Race 2 to finish top rookie. It wasn’t all smooth sailing; in the first race, Erickson not only started in a lowly ninth position (while Cammish started fourth), but was handed a drive-through penalty for

jumping a chicane. Thankfully, a late-race Safety Car and an even later race crash from Cammish handed the advantage back to Erickson. His fourth place in the weekend’s second race came from 10th on the grid, Erickson storming off the line to be with the leader’s early and eventually passing Cammish to secure a top four and fifth in the championship. Chrissy Palmer won both races, while James Cole took out the championship. In the FF1600 category (for Kent-powered cars), there was plenty of Aussie success – but for the chassis, not the driver. Having already won the FF1600 title, Ben Norton went on to win the famous Castle Combe Carnival in his Aussie-built Spectrum. Over at Brands Hatch, Josh Scott had a tough weekend in Formula Renault UK, finishing 20th in Race 1 before recovering to seventh in Race 2.

Turkington seals BTCC Turkington wraps up title while Plato goes on a three-win tear BTCC

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COLIN Turkington won the British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch on Sunday as Jason Plato made history by becoming the second man in history to win three BTCC races in the same day. Plato won race one after polesitter and race-long leader Tom Chilton ran wide in his Ford Focus allowing Plato to get the run on him on the drag to the line. Plato nudged his way past Chilton again race two, the Ford having made a better start than the Chevrolet, to score win number two, with Fabrizio Giovanardi taking his Vauxhall Vectra to second form Turkington. That meant the title went down to the wire in

the 30-race championship. A number of first lap incidents put Turkington ahead of Giovanardi with Plato working his way up from eighth on the

reverse grid. Giovanardi and Turkington hit each other at Clearways and in the delay, Plato got by taking his seventh win of the year. Behind him, Turkington

Rain delays Memphis finals David Ostaszewski

and Gio clashed again allowing Chilton up to third and Giovanardi fell to fourth, giving Turkington the title. – DAVID ADDISON

NHRA FINAL eliminations for the 22nd annual O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals were rained out by persistent showers Sunday. The race is now scheduled to complete Monday, with the resumption of eliminations at Memphis Motorsports Park beginning at 9:30 a.m. local time. Click back to eNews next

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Corvettes crush Paul Ricard FIA GT

Enrique Bernoldi/Roberto Streit took their first FIA GT Championship win at Paul Ricard, guiding their Chevrolet Corvette C6.R to victory in the two-hour race. Bernoldi started sixth on the grid after being penalised for an avoidable collision in free practice but soon caught the Maserati MC12 of Alex Muller and pulled away to build a lead for Streit. The gap extended to around 20 seconds in the week for a full recap of the final results. While the meeting was delayed, there was still plenty of action going on down the quarter mile. Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon took advantage of NHRA’s new qualifying bonus point system and earned the maximum 12 points for the second consecutive race during two days of qualifying

middle stint as the Muller Maserati, driven by Miguel Ramos, dropped away, but even when Muller took over for the last stint, he was powerless to catch Bernoldi. The gap was 15 seconds at flagfall, the Team Brazil Chevrolet mighty all race. “Second here is like winning,” said Ramos. “We cannot fight the Corvette at this circuit.” Chevrolets took third and fourth as Bert Longin/James Ruffier secured third ahead of Thomas Biagi/Xavier Massen, while reigning champions Michael Bartels/

at the O’Reilly NHRA MidSouth Nationals presented by Pennzoil. Robert Hight, Mike Edwards and Hector Arana also claimed No. 1 qualifying positions in their categories. Dixon set a new track record for quickest run of 3.810 seconds, while Antron Brown set a new speed record of 312.50 mph at. Dixon, the two-time world champ will face opening round opponent

Andrea Bertolini bagged fifth in the second Maserati MC12. The result was enough to give Vitaphone Racing the GT1 teams’ title. In GT2, the heavily-revised Ferrari 430 of Toni Villander/Gianmaria Bruni took an easy win leaving the Prospeed Porsche 911 GT3 –RSR of Emmanuel Collard/Richard Westbrook trailing in their wake. Bartels/Bertolini head Longin/Ruffier by just four points with one more round to go at Zolder in late October. – DAVID ADDISON

Clay Millican in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations on Monday. Hight set a new elapsed time and speed record for Funny Car at Memphis Motorsports Park with a run of 4.074 seconds at 310.70 mph in his Auto Club Ford Mustang. His qualifying effort is the second consecutive in the playoffs for Hight. Edwards was quickest in his

A.R.T. / Young Life Pontiac GXP, with a pass of 6.55 seconds at 220 mph that earned him the top spot and the track e.t. record. In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana claimed his sixth top qualifying position of the season with his performance of 6.851 at 195.03 on his Lucas Oil Buell, the quickest in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle history. – DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

rear of grid

Popular Pom pays a visit

FORMER Bathurst winner Win Percy is set to be present at this weekend’s Bathurst 1000, and will stay on in Australia for some weeks. Percy, who lived in Melbourne and oversaw Holden’s touring car team throughout 1990 – and won Bathurst that year (above) paired with Alan Grice – is undoubtedly the most popular import to ever race touring cars in Australia. Three-times a British Touring Car Champ, Percy first teamed with Tom Walkinshaw in the early BTCC / Mazda days, then drove for Tom in the Jaguar XJS (including Bathurst 1985) in European Championships, before taking RICK and Todd Kelly are cool cats. After all, they have their own V8 Supercar team, which is sponsored by a booze brand, and spend their spare time building jet engines. That’s pretty cool. But just in case there was a shred of doubt regarding their cool status, the brothers are currently headed north in a cool, matt-black, V8-powered ’53 Chevy. The boys have even thrown Pommy enduro driver Ben Collins in the back to show him some of the Aussie outback between Mildura and Bathurst – hopefully he won’t squabble too much with team-mate Nathan Pretty. “Todd, Nathan and I all used to

the opportunity to drive one of the TWRprepared Jaguar XJR-6s at Le Mans in 1986 – the car retired while in second place. The following year, Win walked away from a huge shunt when a tyre failed at 380kmh on the Mulsanne Straight. The car’s bodywork was ripped away and the car flew into the air, coming to rest 600 metres away. Amazingly, like Mark Webber some years later, apart from a battered helmet, Win was unmarked, although the severity of the shunt shocked long-time friend Walkinshaw. Having survived all this, and moved into an enjoyable time in historic racing, Percy’s life took a shocking turn when, in

drive to Bathurst together in an old motorhome and we used to call it the ‘happy camper’,” said Rick Kelly. “Ever since then, we have formed a tradition of driving to Bathurst each year. After the motorhome we did up a combi van, we drove up in a Hummer once, we bought an old Kingswood and towed a caravan one year and now it’s snowballed into something that’s a lot of fun. “We’ve always driven to Bathurst and we’ve always tried to do it in something different. We’ve had this ‘53 Chev for a while so we thought we would pull it out, finish it off and give it a drive.”

2003, he suffered an accident at home in his garden, requiring a routine back operation. Medical error resulted in him being permanently paralysed from the waist down. Although unable to compete, Percy is still, however, a regular at motorsport events. Apart from Bathurst, he is reportedly planning to take in both Classic Adelaide and the Sandown Historic meeting in November during his Australian stay. One of motorsport’s genuine nice guys, eNews hopes he has a great time out here and catches up with the many, many friends and supporters who crossed his path over the years.

Odd Spot