Motorsport eNews Issue 133 - December 1-7, 2009 by V8 Sleuth

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Issue No. 133 December 1-7 2009

MURPHY

3Castrol

The REAL STORY! FPR

3Paul Morris C O NF I R MED R e i n d l er ’ s big c h a nc e

Editorial Editor: Andrew van Leeuwen andrew@mnews.com.au Executive Editor: Phil Branagan editor@mnews.com.au National Editor: Mitchell Adam mitchell@mnews.com.au

Australasian

The ‘A’ Team

Production Graphic Design & Web: Jayne Uthmeyer design@mnews.com.au

Issue No. 133 | 1 - 7 Dec 2009

Advertising National Sales Manager: Oriana Ruffini oriana@mnews.com.au P 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030

Administration 357 Nepean Highway, Brighton East, VIC, 3187 (PO Box 7072, Brighton, VIC, 3186) P 03 9596 5555 F 03 9596 5030 admin@mnews.com.au

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)

news 4 The Good Oil 6 Karl-In-Motorsport 9 Lee Man 13 Buy In 15 In a Rush

chat 20 5 minutes with ... opinion 22 Adam 23 Reed

Murph; the full story Reindler’s main game shot Fiore’s big Bing theory Sauber reclaims what’s his Speedway legend Jr in FFord Craig Lowndes Good ‘Evans, he’s fast! End of an Era

race 24 V8 Supercars

Sydney preview 28 Formula 3 Foster wins title fight 32 Man Champs Holt(er) Broken 34 Shannons Nationals Rest of the action

trade 38 Classifieds

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.

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

! Y R O T S E L O H W E TH

How Castro V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

Murphy/Castrol

Stand by for confirmation V8 SUPERCARS

REG Murphy will shortly be confirmed as the driver to pilot the Castrol-sponsored Paul Morris Motorsport Commodore

in 2010. Murph will drive a ‘Team Castrol’ liveried, Triple Eight-built VE alongside PMM incumbent Russell Ingall’s Supercheap VE. The confirmation, expected after this weekend’s Sydney Telstra 500, will bring to its conclusion one of the most intriguing Silly Season sponsorship/driver deals for some time –first reported, exclusively, by Motorsport eNews back on October 27 (Issue #128).

At the same time, in a surprising u-turn, Castrol will also now retain its sponsorship support for Ford Performance Racing, in line with its international co-operation with Ford. While Murphy’s PMM car will utilise a full Castrol ‘look’ the signage on FPR’s (Steven Richards) car may be reduced in comparison with the current look. The double deal comes after Castrol appeared to part with FPR, citing the need for a full ‘Castrol’ livery car, and negotiations with a number of teams before inking the PMM/Murphy deal; followed by a late decision to also remain on-board with FPR to fulfil international Castrol/Ford commitments (see breakout story).

THE details of Castrol’s FPR and PMM deals were announced in a media statement released on Friday. The news brings to an end a difficult and complex saga. Castrol caught FPR by surprise with its September announcement that said, in part, the oil giant intended to “go to the market to seek an option that better meets our branding needs. V8 Supercars is a key platform to our product brand strategy and we are seeking greater control of the ‘look and feel’ of the car, driver and team to best meet our communication goals.” In short, Castrol (Australia) wanted a fully-liveried Castrol car, which it hadn’t been getting at FPR. During the course of the next few weeks, there were discussions between Castrol and a number of teams and, we believe, the Murphy/Castrol/PMM package was one of those. Kelly Racing was also discussed, but in the end the PMM deal held all of the aces. But at the same time, FPR was also moving forward. With no Castrol deal in place, discussions were held with a number of replacement sponsors, and eNews believes that there was a deal agreed with a new sponsor. While we have been unable to get confirmation

news

Dirk Klynsmith

ol, in the end, grew its V8 sponsorship on this, eNews believes that the company was Fuchs Oils, which ends its involvement with Sprint Gas Racing at the conclusion of the season. And then, Castrol burst back into the frame. What happened to bring it back to the fold? It is well-known that Ford and Castrol have close ties that extend beyond motorsport, and into the lucrative OEM (‘original equipment’) market. This area, where lubricants and other automotive fluids are used in newly-manufactured cars, is known as ‘first fill’ and it is, globally, a business worth nine figures. Castrol has deals in place with Ford throughout the world, and its motorsport branding was a part of that relationship. Castrol is a sponsor of Ford’s World Rally program, where BP, Castrol’s parent company, has namingrights sponsorship. The news of a potential split between Ford and Castrol, and the arrival of branding of another (rival) oil company on a factory Ford was, we believe, not met with any level of enthusiasm by management of either Ford or Castrol on an

international level. Whatever the reaction was, the result is that Castrol, internationally and within Australia, have achieved their aims; two teams

will now have Castrol backing (albeit FPR’s with less signage than previously) and Fuchs, which we believe is very keen to continue its involvement

with V8 Supercars, is exploring other options. Which team may provide a partnership with the company, however, is far from certain.

Murph: you read it first here MOTORSPORT eNews remains the place to be if you want reliable, accurate motorsport news-hounding! While one media outlet had Murph in a Ford (“Murph move key to secret Ford team” – AA October 14), and websites placed former Superbike star Troy Bayliss firmly in the second PMM car, Motorsport eNews again led the pack with its October 27 revelation of the deal between Murphy and Paul Morris Motorsport, brokered by Holden. At the time, eNews was also very much aware of the Castrol connection with the deal. There were, however, some key commercial sensitivities still to be signed off in relation to the Castrol deal and, responding to legitimate requests to do so, we held back on that single detail (which enabled

PMM boss Paul Morris to legitimately deny to other media following along behind that Murph would drive a ‘Supercheap’ car!). We knew you wouldn’t mind – the big news after all was Murphy, Holden and the second PMM car! The exclusive on Murph’s future joins a number of major motorsport stories broken by Motorsport eNews this year – from Mark Skaife’s TV deal and his subsequent codrive with Greg Murphy, to the aborted Ambrose/Sydney race option, A1GP’s Surfers pull-out and even The Stig’s Bathurst appearance! More recently, eNews has revealed much of the manic team drive/licence swapping which will see Fujitsu back GRM, Jason Bright back in a (BJR-run) Holden, FPR running

a third (Bottle-O) Falcon. Motorsport eNews continues to lead the way in providing up-to-the-minute, accurate, and professional news on all aspects of Australian motorsport. Tell your friends – it’s the best value going around!

Motorsp

ort eNe ws – Oc to

ber 27

On to the Gulf, by sea

V8 teams ship parts to Abu Dhabi V8 SUPERCARS AS if the usual end-ofseason frenzy was not busy enough, particularly with two weeks between Perth and Sydney, V8 Supercar teams have been flat-out preparing for two shipment of parts to the Middle East for the 2010 seasonopening double header. Teams have been extrabusy getting together a stockpile of parts to make the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain rounds possible. Parts had to finalised this week to travel to the Gulf by sea, in time for the mid-February races. Each team is permitted to take four wheels, two front bars and one rear, one bonnet and two front doors. The parts will leave

Melbourne and Brisbane on December 11. As well as coping with that, some teams have had to had their panels liveried to match revised 2010 designs ... With four races to cater for in little over a week, teams were faced with the prospect of having to freight extra parts to the Yas Marina, or risk having to air freight extras over between races at considerable expense so, in conjunction with event organisers, V8 Supercars Australia has arranged for the shipment. Teams will still have the usual allocation of spare parts to fly with the cars to Abu Dhabi in February, in their custom-made air freight containers that have been used for several years.

PATIENCE PAYS

Reindler grabs deal to drive ‘Brite V8 SUPERCARS

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KARL Reindler will be on the 2010 V8 Supercar grid in what will be branded as a Britek entry. While it is yet to be 100 percent confirmed, the car is likely to be run as a third Brad Jones Racing entry alongside Jasons Richards and Bright, as exclusively revealed by eNews after the Phillip Island round (Issue #130). However while BJR isn’t confirmed, Reindler is, giving the 2008 Mike Kable Young Gun award winner his first full-time chance on the V8 Supercar grid.

“It’s a relief,” he told eNews. “It’s been a long year with not racing full-time, but to have done so well in the enduros and then had this deal come together, it’s a great kick-start for 2010. “The discussions started just after Bathurst, but the options kept changing because of how silly this silly season has been. But developing the relationship with Jason has been crucial.” Reindler didn’t have a fulltime program in 2009, but impressed in both endurance races for Britek Motorsport, and was an immediate frontrunner in his one-off MINI

news

Rosenberg/Slade SBR deal closer V8 SUPERCARS

ek’ entry at BJR Challenge debut at Barbagallo Raceway recently. And he attributes the sabbatical to his 2010 deal, saying some time off helped him focus on putting together a proper program. “We made an executive decision at the end of 2008 to take ’09 off, and that was a very painful decision to make. But it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because it gave me a good chance in the enduros to really concentrate on doing a good job. “It was a tough decision, but a wise one.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirk Klynsmith

Peter Bury

S OFF

EXPECT confirmation of the partnership between James Rosenberg’s new V8 Supercar outfit and Stone Brothers Racing this week. Tim Slade will drive a third FG Falcon out of Stone Brothers in 2010 – replacing Jason Bright’s Britek entry – under the Racing Entitlements Contract Rosenberg, right, recently purchased from Paul Cruickshank. While he wouldn’t name the team, Rosenberg confirmed an announcement of the deal would take place this week, most likely Wednesday or Thursday. “We’ll be signing contracts and officially announcing it this week,” Rosenberg said. “I’m only talking to one team, it’s the team everyone knows about, and things are going very smoothly. “It’s a conservative team, so once all of the paperwork is done we’ll announce it. “Everything is progressing well, our sponsorship package is coming along alright, which is encouraging.” Adelaide-based Rosenberg has a long history in the sport through his business Gawler Farm Machinery. The former Sports Sedan racer has a history of V8 team ownership, through his involvement with Mark Poole’s racing in the 1990s. Rosenberg has backed Slade’s career since 2005 and will retain ownership of the VE he currently races with Supercheap Auto Racing. – MITCHELL ADAM

BRIEFLY...

n V8 team owner Paul Morris is set to contest his second consecutive round of the Performance Wholesale World Series Sprintcar championship this Saturday night, at Parramatta Speedway. Morris just missed the BMain on his 2009 debut last Saturday night at Toowoomba: “Stepping into a Sprintcar has been a learning experience,” said The Dude, “… one more year and I will be on top of it!”

V8s feel the need ... V8 SUPERCARS

SPEEDTV is the new home of V8 Supercars in the USA. V8 SA announced last week that the cable network, which is owned by Fox Sports, will televise the Series to all North American subscribers the weekend after each event. SPEED has 79 million subscribers in North America. “V8 Supercars is one of the most exciting forms of auto racing in the world today,” said FOX Sports Chairman David Hill. “It is fabulous

to watch and I’m happy that we’ve been able to develop this new partnership with SPEED.” The deal will start with this weekend’s Sydney Telstra 500, which will be shown on SPEED over the weekend of December 12/13. Reports have suggested that former V8 Supercar commentator Lee Diffey, who covers a number of categories for SPEED, will head the US coverage, though eNews understands that no deal is in place at present. Diffey will not be at the race this weekend, as he will be hosting the Australian Open golf coverage on ONE HD.

n The Australian CIK Karting Championship, the elite level of competition in the sport, will be renamed the CIK Stars of Karting Series in 2010. The change has been made to make the brand easier to recognise.

James Smith

n Symantec has renewed its sponsorship deal with TeamVodafone for the next two years. The original deal was just for 2009. n Tom Tweedie is a 50-50 prospect to race overseas in 2010, following a successful overseas trip last month. The Australian F3 National Class Champ tested with British F3 outfit Team WestTec, and did a one-off race in the European F3 Open Championship, formerly the Spanish F3 Championship. “Our original plan was to stay in Australian F3 and try to win the Gold Star, which would look good on my CV. [But while] the European F3 Open Championship doesn’t have the same profile as British F3, the standard is the same and it’s more cost-effective.”

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n Dean Orr is expected to head up Lucas Dumbrell Racing next season. The respected engineer has previously worked for Perkins Engineering and Dick Johnson Racing.

Walter: One more time FORMULA ONE

SAM Walter will make an unexpected return to the Fujitsu Series this weekend at Homebush. After originally withdrawing from the series after Bathurst, Walter will team-up with Greg Murphy Racing again. With GMR’s VE the sidelined, Walter

will get back into the VZ Commodore he last raced at Queensland Raceway. “Another guy was lined up to race, but he pulled out, so I’m happy to get the call-up,” Walter told eNews. “It wasn’t something I was expecting until about 5:30pm on Friday afternoon, it’ll be great to be back out

there running around. “I was happy to finish up at Bathurst, but this is a nice bonus and a great chance to say goodbye to everyone who’s helped me in the Fujitsu Series and have a proper last round.” A field of 20 is expected for the final round of the season. – MITCHELL ADAM

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Fiore’s Leethal Weapon V8 SUPERCARS

DEAN Fiore will run major Bing Lee signage on his Triple F Racing Commodore at Homebush this weekend. The livery will be much like it was on the Gold Coast last

month, and represents the New South Wales-based electronic retailer’s first major foray into motor racing sponsorship. “It’s funny, this all came about because I taught (Bing Lee CEO) Lionel Lee how to drive his Ferrari at Eastern Creek a

few years ago,” said Fiore. “It’s great to have them on board, especially with their association with Panasonic. We’ve got companies that are recognized world wide on our car.” Fiore also confirmed that

there is a chance the Bing Lee association could run into 2010. “I’m talking to them about 2010 already. We just need to see if the shoe fits, and if it does, we’ll go ahead with it.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Willowbank Raceway Operations Manager

• A High Performance Role • Definitely Not a Drag!

Willowbank Raceway is one of Australia’s premier purposebuilt facilities for high performance motor sport, attracting crowds of up to 20,000 for events with competitive fields of over 500. As a consequence of a strategy review, the Board and Managing Director have recently decided to appoint a suitable person to improve the operating efficiency of the Raceway. In the role of Operations Manager, you will report to the Managing Director as an understudy and assume effective responsibility for the day-to-day activities and an ongoing program of maintenance and facility enhancement. Key responsibilities will include workplace health and safety, sponsorship liaison, event management and supporting race officials, most of whom are volunteers. Personally, you are likely to be a motor sport enthusiast and have a value set that sees you treat your work as a vocation rather than an occupation. You will also probably be qualified in either a commercial or technical discipline and have a career history that demonstrates an eye for detail, a meticulous approach to planning and organisation and the ability to be engaging with an extremely diverse range of stakeholders.

12 Hour teams get armed BATHURST 12 HOUR DRIVER line-ups for February’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour continue to take shape. A number of groupings were confirmed at last weekend’s final round of the Boylan Traffic Solutions Australian Manufacturers Championship at Sandown, which also offered teams a valuable warm-up. Now two-time Production Car Champ Garry Holt has secured a pair of enviable codrivers, and will be joined by John Bowe and Paul Morris in his BMW 335i. Morris was part of Holt’s lineup when he won the inaugural 12 Hour in 2007. After electronic issues with the car in recent times, Holt only lodged his entry on Friday, following practice at Sandown. “I’m very pleased with the lineup,” Holt told eNews. “We’ve got the horsepower back to what we had, we’ve got some new engines, done some more development and I’ll send the car up to Queensland for Paul to sort out

the suspension. “Last year we were caught out by not racing here [Sandown], but this year it’s been a good test session, we’ve been pretty close to the Evos at a circuit where we don’t get out of fourth gear. “The car’s a weapon in fifth gear up and down the straights at Bathurst, we’re looking to give the Evos a run for their money.” Aiming three-straight 12 Hour wins, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will field three Evo X Lancers. Back-to-back winners Rod Salmon and Damien White will team up again, with a third driver yet to be finalised from a shortlist of five. Runner-up to Salmon, White and Tony Longhurst this year, Glyn Crimp will be joined by fellow West Australian Stuart Kostera and Warren Luff, while Inky Tulloch is yet to make arrangements for his recentlypurchased Lancer. Steve Briffa is likely to be joined in his HSV Clubsport by Lee and Brett Holdsworth. After going 1-2 in Class D

this year, Team GWS will return with their two 130i-model BMWs. Class winners Allan Shephard and Peter O’Donnell are likely to team-up with Christian D’Agostin, while the second car will have Bruce Tomlinson and Peter Ryan, who will most-likely be joined by Rob Thomson. Having recently purchased Chris Delfsma’s XR8 Falcon, Aaron McGill will be joined by son Matt, who raced the car at Sandown, and ex-Super Tourer racer Mark Williamson, who spent 2009 in the Aston Martin Asia Cup. Delfsma will join Jeremy and Ian Gray in an FPV F6 Typhoon, while Robinson Racing Developments has also entered an F6. After a final hitout in his Toyota Celicas at Sandown, Colin Osborne will continue preparation of his two new Mazda 3 MPS racers. The cars will hit the track for the first time over summer, with drivers to join Osborne and Stuart Jones to be finalised. – MITCHELL ADAM

A remuneration package consisting of a base salary, superannuation and a suitable vehicle, will be negotiated with the successful candidate. Initial telephone inquiries may be directed to Mark Wilson. Written applications - citing reference number 29.7.3523 should be sent to:

Dirk Klynsmith

PO Box 7811 Waterfront Place, Brisbane Qld 4001 Phone: (07) 3303 2222 | Fax (07) 3303 2230 Email: positions@northernrecuitment.com.au

race

Peugeot IRC test for Evans & Evans RALLY SIMON and Sue Evans are currently on a flying visit to France to test Peugeot’s 207 Super 2000 rally car. The current Australian Rally Champions are testing the 207 with the view of running a partial program in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2010. But due to business-related time constraints, the pair will only be in France for a day and a half. “I’m a bit shocked that this has come along, to be honest,” Evans told eNews.

“It’s a great chance. I just want to get into it and make the most of it. “There’s a definite chance we will run a partial program in the IRC, and that’s the best thing that we can hope to get out of it.” The test starts tomorrow (Wednesday) in Clermont-Ferrand, and will be in a sister 207 to the one that Kris Meeke used to win the 2009 IRC title. The Evanses have been ARC champs three times, twice as factory Toyota drivers (2006 and 2007), and once as privateers (2009). – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Mitch Evans eyes more Aussie F3 FORMULA 3

Justin Collins

NEW Zealand standout Mitch Evans is looking to contest the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship. After finishing second in this year’s Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship in his rookie season, Evans, 15, made an impressive F3 debut at Sandown last weekend, winning the 22-lap SuperPrix with Team BRM. Evans became the youngest-ever winner in each championship. He will contest the upcoming Toyota Racing Series in New Zealand, and is looking to get a full season of wings-and-slicks

racing under his belt before heading to Europe at the end of 2010. “Formula 3’s a huge option,” he told eNews. “I’d like to do it, it’s just a matter of getting funding to come over and do it, which we’ll work away at during the summer. “I’m aiming to go to Europe at the end of next year, so I’d like to get some more wings and slicks experience next season before doing that – Australian F3 would be great, racing in Asia is another option we’re looking at. “The Toyota Racing Series is my main focus for the moment, but we’ll see what else we come up with, really.” – MITCHELL ADAM

And the winner is ... São Paulo sutton-images.com

Oh, Canada FORMULA ONE

Name change for Andretti INDYCAR

THE now solely-owned team of Michael Andretti has been renamed Andretti Autosport. Since joining the IndyCar series in 2003, the team has achieved three championships – 2004 (Tony Kanaan), 2005 (Dan

Wheldon), and 2007 (Dario Franchitti), as well as two Indy 500s (Wheldon in 2005 and Franchitti in 2007). “This is a great day for all of us,” said Andretti, Chairman, President, and CEO. “We’re very excited about the future of the team and we are looking forward to

being a contender again in 2010. Everyone at Andretti Autosport is 100 percent focused on winning races and championships. We have a lot of work to do this winter, but everyone is committed to the job and we’re looking forward to 2010.” – MARY MENDEZ

IndyStars take part in F1 test INDYCAR A COUPLE of IndyCar’s brightest stars are currently testing Formula 1 cars. Mike Conway, inset, who completed his rookie IndyCar season at Dreyer & Reinbold, will test for the Mercedes Grand Prix team at Jerez today (Tuesday). Previously, Conway served as test driver when the team was owned by Honda during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

The Brit is still in negotiations with Dreyer & Reinbold to return to IndyCars for the full 2010 season. Firestone Indy Lights champion, J.R. Hildebrand, will make the jump to F1 in a test for the Force India team at Jerez. Recently, the American showed his skills in the team’s simulator to earn an opportunity to drive the real thing. Hildebrand also has been looking for an IndyCar ride for the 2010 season. – MARY MENDEZ

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THE Indy Racing League has finally resolved the location for its season opening round in Brazil – a street circuit in São Paulo. Since Brazil appeared on their seventeenrace season schedule released August 1, three other locations were considered. But to create a temporary street circuit, local government had to agree to front some of the costs. The event is a partnership between the city of São Paulo, the Indy Racing League, and TV Bandeirantes and BandSports. “The arrival of the IZOD IndyCar Series

confirms São Paulo’s nature of staging great worldwide events,” said Mayor Gilberto Kassab. “It is a gift to the citizens of São Paulo who will be able to watch up close great racecars and drivers. It is also a great opportunity for business for the city that becomes the capital of motor racing in Latin América.” Brazil will have at least five native drivers expected in the IndyCar field. The last time an American-based series competed in Brazil was during the CART era, held in Rio de Janeiro from 1996 though 2000, when up to eight native drivers competed. – MARY MENDES

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MONTREAL has been confirmed as part of the 2010 Formula 1 schedule. The Grand Prix du Canada will be held at the classic Gilles Villeneuve circuit on the Isle of Notre Dame on June 13, having not been included on the 2009 schedule. The return is thanks to a $15m investment for the circuit over the next five years. “The Grand Prix of Canada has more impact on the tourist industry than any other sports event in Canada,” said Québec Minister of Tourism, Nicole Ménard. “Of the 300,000 spectators at the competition, 25 percent come from outside Québec. With such heavy media coverage, the FIA Formula 1 World Championship not only provides an outstanding display window for Montréal, but for Québec as a whole. “This event alone delivers some $89m in economic fallout each year, along with 75,000 overnight hotel stays. I am certainly delighted by this news.”

INDYCAR

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Pete’s back in F1 FORMULA ONE

SAUBER is returning to Formula 1. Peter Sauber has agreed to a deal with BMW to buy back the team he sold to the German carmaker back in 2007, replacing a deal with Qadbank Investment Ltd. The deal all but confirms Sauber’s place on the 2010 Formula 1 grid, filling the gap left by Toyota’s withdrawal from the sport. The team will retain it’s base in Hinwil, Switzerland, but the number of staff will drop from 388 to 250. “I am very relieved that we

have found this solution,” said Sauber. “It means we can keep the Hinwil location and the majority of workplaces. I am convinced that the new team has a very good future in Formula 1, whose current transformation with new framework conditions will benefit the private teams. “Our staff here are highly competent and motivated, and I look forward to taking on this new challenge together with them. I would like to thank BMW for four shared years that have in the main been very successful.”

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Force India retains drivers FORMULA ONE

FORCE India’s 2010 driver line-up will be identical to the one it finished 2009 with – Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi. Sutil had a stand-out year with the backmarkers-come-good in 2009, the highlight being Monza, where he qualified second and set the fastest lap of the race. And Liuzzi was impressive late this season too, joining the line-up at Monza as a replacement for the Ferrari-bound Giancarlo Fisichella, and looking race fit despite not having actually raced since 2007. “We are very pleased to retain the services of both Adrian and Tonio for another

season,” said Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal. “We have always maintained that consistency is key at this stage in the team’s development, and for the first time in many years we will have the continuity of not only the same drivers, but also the same engine and senior management. “With this stability now in place, I truly believe we have an excellent platform to build on and move forward on our strong 2009 performance. I am sure we have one of the most dynamic line-ups on the grid, and I hope this will stand us in good stead in what we all hope will be a transitional year for the team.”

MINI CHALLENGE THE MINI Challenge has released its 2010 schedule – and it features most of Australian motorsport’s major meetings. The series will kick off at the Clipsal 500 in March, and will feature at the Australian Grand Prix, Townsville, the L&H 500 at Phillip Island, and the Sufers Paradise street race, before finishing up at Homebush next December. “As MINI Challenge enters its third year of competition in Australia, we look forward to a fantastic 2010 calendar,” said category rights holder Ted Toleman.”

“Our current teams and drivers are excited about competing at these events as they are popular venues with fans, because they allow for exhilarating doorhandle to door-handle racing.” 2010 MINI Challenge Calendar

1. Clipsal 500, 11-14 March 2. Australian Grand Prix, 25-28 March 3. Queensland Raceway, 30 April-2 May 4. Townsville 400, 9-11 July 5. L&H 500,10-12 September 6. Surfers Paradise, 21-24 October 7. Norton 360 Challenge, 19-21 November 8. Sydney Telstra 500, 3-5 December

Ford Media

Dirk Klynsmith

MINI’s majors

Z-Day NATIONAL TODAY, Tuesday, is a big day for the Zukanovic family. Following his return to racing in Commodore Cup at Sandown last weekend, Marcus will have the rod removed from his leg, a remnant of his Fujitsu Series testing crash at Winton in March. While Marcus is under the knife in hospital, his father Mick will collect their two new Shelby Mustang GT500s off the boat from America, ahead of February’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour. With the rod removed, Zukanovic will have a busy offseason of training, as he looks

Arrow aces test FFord ... FORMULA FORD MYGALE Australia held a driver development day in conjunction with Arrow karts at Winton last Tuesday. In an association between the two brands, anyone who wins an Australian karting title in an Arrow gets a free test in a Mygale. And last Tuesday, Mathew Hart, Blake Sciberras and Josh Hunter were filtered through cars from the Evans Motorsport, Sonic and Team BRM stables. According to Arrow’s marketing manager Jarrod Smith, the day was a great experience for some of Australia’s best young karters. “It’s fantastic,” Smith said. “A lot of karters want to go to the next step, but aren’t sure how to do it. “With Mygale putting on this day and

offering the program, it gives them the chance to see what it’s like, see if they’ve got it, and see if it’s what they want to do.” Mygale’s Australian importer Greg Woodrow agreed that the test was mutually beneficial for both Mygale and Arrow. “We get to meet a whole stack of Australian karting champions in one go, and they get to debunk a few myths about Formula Ford that are running around karting at the moment, about outrageous expenses and so on,” he said. “They get to meet three of the best teams in the country, and talk about the options when it comes to stepping forward. It’s been a great opportunity for us to meet the families and the kids that are coming through for tomorrow.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

to return to fulltime racing next year, having missed almost the entire ’09 season. In addition to a possible start in the 12 Hour, the Fujitsu Series and America are on Zukanovic’s radar. “Running this weekend at Sandown was good, I’ve still got the want,” Zukanovic said. “It’ll be a big pre-season over Christmas, trying to get back into full fitness for racing. “I’m going to try and be ready for the 12 Hour and Clipsal to run in the Fujitsu Series again. “We’re also looking at doing something in the Grand Nationals West NASCAR Series, so we’ll see what falls into place.” – MITCHELL ADAM

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Stars and Stripes for Daniel and Mat? INTERNATIONAL

... Hunter signs with Sonic FORMULA FORD THE name Hunter might not sound like one steeped in motor racing tradition, but it is ... Josh Hunter, 14, is the grandson of Australian speedway great Garry Rush, and will make his Formula Ford debut with Sonic Motor Racing Services in 2010. After a successful karting career, Hunter will compete in the Victorian state series, and is likely to do selected rounds of the Australian Formula Ford Championship as well. “Obviously it’s a lot different to what I’m used to,” Hunter told eNews. “The cars are a lot faster, and the tracks are a lot bigger. It’s a different world, really. But it will be good to race against a lot of older guys next year, and learn as much as I can from this stepping stone.” Hunter has now had two test outings with Sonic, and is very impressed with his new ‘home’.

Marshall Cass

TWO more young Australian drivers are setting their sights on the American open-wheeler scene in 2010. Daniel Erickson is starting a Star Mazda test in Texas today (Tuesday), with a view of competing in the series next season. He already has some overseas experience, spending 2009 in the British Formula Ford Championship. “Although the British-spec Spectrum Formula Ford that I drove this year had similar dry weather slick tyres to the Star Mazda, almost everything else about the two cars is different,” Erickson said. “To begin with, there’s quite a step up in power – from the Formula Ford’s 115kW to the Star Mazda’s 180kW. “The other obvious difference is that the Star Mazda has front and rear wings, whereas Formula Fords don’t have them. Meanwhile, Aussie F3 racer

Mat Sofi has set his sights Stateside for 2010 as well Sofi is exploring options to continue racing open-wheelers in Indy Lights or the Atlantic Championship. “Racing over in America is what I’d like to do next year,” Sofi told eNews. “Now that this season’s out of the way, I’ll start to look around, I’d like to do a test over there later this year in Indy Lights or Atlantics. “I’ve spoken to James Winslow [who did the Atlantic Championship this year] about it, if you’re committed and do alright, the prize money is pretty good apparently. “It’s on par with the budget to do the Fujitsu Series, but it keeps me in open-wheelers for a bit longer, instead of having to spend a year or two learning to drive a touring car, and I get to go and race overseas. “I might do a couple of F3 rounds if nothing comes together but I’m pretty relaxed about it all.” – MITCHELL ADAM

“(Sonic boss) Michael Ritter is really good. He helps me a lot with my driving and concentrates on the little things that I need to improve on. That’s going to help me in the long run. He’s working on getting me out of bad habits. Sonic is a great team.” While he has a famous ‘Pop’, Hunter said the family connection doesn’t put too much pressure on his burgeoning career. “Pop, he’s really good. He doesn’t push me too hard or put too much pressure on me because of what he’s accomplished. That’s great for me. I’m doing this because I want to, not because he pushes me into it.” And while his family background is on the dirt track, Hunter is focused on making a career on the black top – although he admitted a Sprintcar test could happen at some point. “It’s a thought. I’ll have a run for sure. But I want to stick to circuit racing and see how far I can go.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

NATIONALS

WITH its fourth season now completed, the majority of individual round lineups for the 2010 Shannons Nationals have been finalised. Eastern Creek’s inaugural Australian Six Hour at Eastern Creek will be a round of the Australian Manufacturers Championship, adding another long-distance race for Production Cars. The fiveround AMC calendar also features visits to Symmons Plains, Phillip Island, Morgan

Park and Sandown Raceway. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the circuit, Round Two at Symmons Plains is set to include historic open-wheel racing, alongside four national classes. The Australian Superkart Championship will be contested over two rounds, at Phillip Island and Morgan Park, while Mallala will host the Non-Gearbox Nationals in May. After they run on the Clipsal 500 program, the fledgling Supersport class will join the Nationals at

Phillip Island, as they look to put together a full national series in 2010 or 2011. Production Sports Cars will contest a 1 Hour at Winton, after their debut with the Nationals at Morgan Park earlier this year. Meanwhile, the Shannons Nationals will look to continue live streaming of events on the internet in 2010, following a successful trial at Sandown. The online stream attracted 1,200 viewers over the weekend from 18 countries. “This weekend has been

CCup in business COMMODORE CUP COMMODORE Cup has completed its behind-the-scenes changes, following the recent liquidation of the Commodore Cup Association. Category Management holders Commodore Cup Group will continue to run the series, and will replace the Association as Commodore Cup’s affiliated club with CAMS. A new membership class within the structure of Commodore Cup Group has been established for former Association members, with a position created on the board for a competitors’ representative, as previously reported in eNews. With the restructure finalised, Commodore Cup is eyeing further

growth in 2010. “Last year, we had a core group of about 10 competitors who did every round, plus some who did selected rounds,” Commodore Cup category manager Glen Holdsworth told eNews. “This year, that has risen to 15 cars and we expect to have a core group of 20 next year, to give us grids between 20 and 25 cars at each round. “The Endurance Challenge will return at Winton and we’ll also have another round with pitstops, and another with the Top 10 shootout. “We’re also looking at some other innovations, too, like a handicap start and we’d like to run a night race somewhere in the near future.” – MITCHELL ADAM

Dirk Klynsmith

Shannons almost sorted

an experimental session, but it’s worked well and the feedback has been good,” Nationals director Rob Curkpatrick told eNews. “We’re going to look at it for next year and see how it fits into everything, we think it will accompany our TV package very well. “We understand it’s a niche market, but it’s about making the series more accessible – Joey Foster’s family in England were even on there watching the F3 races through it at 3am in the morning.” – MITCHELL ADAM

Bowe back in Blue TOURING CAR MASTERS

JOHN Bowe has bought a racing car – for the first time in 25 years! The former Australian Touring Car Champion has bought Drew Marget’s ’69 Ford Mustang, for use in next year’s Biante Touring Car Masters. The plan came together after Tony Hunter’s Camaro, which Bowe was racing during the season, was suddenly unavailable for the final round at Sandown recently. “I’m grateful for the opportunity with Tony,” Bowe told eNews. “Drew was talking about concentrating on the technical side of the category, and it’s a nice car, so I decided to buy it. I was thinking of building a Falcon, but this is an easier option.” The move will see JB back in a Ford, which is where he feels he truly belongs. “I go to virtually every V8 race, and a lot of people shitstir me about driving a GM product,” he added. The Mustang will be looked after by Dick Savvy, and major sponsorship will come from Westrac Cat and Wilson Security. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

news

More 997s for GT3 Cup in ‘10 GT3 CUP CHALLENGE

Dirk Klynsmith

SERIES owners Sven Burchartz and Jon Trende, pictured, will lead the influx of 997 Porsches into the 2010 GT3 Cup Challenge. 2008 Champ Burchartz will be one of around 10-12, 997-generation Porsches on the grid next season, having purchased the car raced by David Wall and Barton Mawer in Carrera Cup. “The car arrived last week, I’m looking forward to racing it,” Burchartz said. “We’ll go through it, give it a birthday and get ready to start testing in January before the season starts at Bathurst in February.” Burchartz’ Sonic Motor Racing stablemate Trende will also step up in a 997 previously raced by the Koundouris brothers, along with Jeff Bobik, who finished third in this year’s series. Bobik has purchased a 997 which was one of Jim Richards’ ride cars. Roger Lago has purchased a 2008model 997 to replace the car he took to this year’s 997 Trophy Class title, while Jan Jinadasa will join Dean Koutsoumidis in a two-car effort from Minda Motorsport. Victorians Mark Seamons and Aaron Silluzio and Asian Carrera Cup driver Yuey Tan all made their debut at Sandown driving 997s. Tan has purchased the 997 raced by Nathan Caratti at Bathurst and will contest as many round as fit in with his Asian program. Porsche 944 regular John Morriss will be

among the newcomers. There’ll still be a strong contingent of the 996-generation cars, headed by ’09 Champ Matt Kingsley, Terry Knight, Ray Angus and Paul Bolinowsky, who has been awarded a free entry for next year’s season opener at Bathurst by the series, in recognition for his support of the secondyear series. While he won’t get a new car, Kingsley will start his international career next year, when he tackles a round of the German GT3 Cup Challenge. Kingsley will race a 997 Porsche owned by Greg Ross at Hockenheim mid-year, the

first step as he looks to branch out into international racing. “Greg has organised the car for us to race, which will be good,” Kingsley, who has been invited to the 2009 Porsche Awards Dinner in Germany in December, told eNews. “We’ll go over there and get a taste of what it’s like in the German series. “It’d be nice to do some endurance races overseas, that’s my long-term goal. Hopefully we can go alright at Hockenheim and get some contacts to help with that.” – MITCHELL ADAM

B12H winners tackle ‘Burg AUSSIES OVERSEAS

Marshall Cass

DUAL Bathurst 12 Hour winning outfit Team Mitsubishi Ralliart will step it up a notch next year, when they tackle the Nurburgring 24 Hour. Rod Salmon and Inky Tulloch are the first two confirmed drivers in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, which will run in assistance from Ralliart Germany.

It’s set to be an all-Tasman driver line-up in one of the team’s current Evo Xs. “I drove the Nurburgring a couple of weeks ago for the first time, in a BMW M3 on an open practice day,” Salmon told eNews. “When we got to Sandown, I was speaking to Inky about it, he said the 24 Hour was something he’d always wanted to do and we had a chat with [TMR chief ] Allan

[Heaphy] about it and he said ‘yep’. “Colin Osborne has been giving us some insights from he went over, and he could end up as our third driver. “The Evo is a car we know can get through the 24 hours. We’ll up-spec one of the cars after the Bathurst 12 Hour, give it a six-speed gearbox - there’s a few more freedoms compared to running it locally.” – MITCHELL ADAM

Dunlop’s BTCC Tyre giant takes title sponsorship BTCC

sutton-images.com

DUNLOP will back the British Touring Car Championship for the next four years. The tyre maker, which has been the sole supplier of tyres for the series for the last seven years, will take over the role from HiQ, the GoodyearDunlop group’s retail outlets. HiQ, which has branded the BTCC for the last four years, will stay in the series as sponsor of the Teams’ Championship. “I’m absolutely delighted that we are able to continue our extremely close relationship with both Dunlop and HiQ for another four years,” said

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow, “making it one of the most successful and enduring major sponsorships in the BTCC and, indeed, British motor sport.” Unlike V8 Supercars’ control and Sprint tyres, which come from Dunlop in Japan, the BTCC uses tyre manufactured at the company’s European Motorsport Operations in Birmingham, where over 200,000 racing tyres each year for the BTCC, the new World Moto2 Motorcycle Championships, International GT and Endurance racing. The 2010 BTCC kicks off at Thruxton in Hampshire on Sunday April 4.

Yoshimura gets WSBK Wildcard WORLD SUPERBIKE

Aprilia Racing

Take a Seat WORLD SUPERBIKE

BROC Parkes and Leon Camier have secured spots on the grid for the 2010 World Superbike Championship. Parkes will race for the Echo CRS team, which will step up to the litre class from World Supersport. The team will race a pair of Honda CBR1000RRs previously raced by the Stiggy Honda team. No team-mate has been mentioned by the Italian-based team, but Ryuichi Kiyonari, who raced for Ten Kate Honda last season, has been connected to the team.

Parkes, 27, finished 18th in the 2009 WSBK points, riding for the PBM Kawasaki team. Meanwhile, Aprilia has signed Camier, above, to partner Max Biaggi next season. Camier, who won the British Superbike Championship this season, replaced the injured Shinya Nakano late in the year, finishing sixth and seventh places in the final two races of the season at Portimao. Suggestions continue that Aprilia may expand to a second WSBK team next year, with Ducati privateers Team Guandalini rumoured to be switching Italian brands. Jakub Smrz is expected to stay, possibly joined by Honda MotoGP refugee Alex de Angelis.

YOSHIMURA Suzuki is taking to the World Superbike Championship with a wildcard team next season. Yoshimura Japan, which runs Suzuki’s factory team in Japan’s MFJ National Superbike championship, will withdraw from that series, and race in “three or four WSB rounds” in Europe, plus the Suzuka 300 and the Suzuka 8 Hours race in Japan, which it won this year. Yoshimura R&D, which runs Suzuki’s official AMA Superbike effort in the USA and which has won numerous titles with Mat Mladin and Ben Spies, will not be involved in this operation. A Japanese rider is expected to ride, with 8 Hour winners Daisaku Sakai and Kazuki Tokudome likely candidates.

5 Minutes with ...

CRAIG LOWNDES

After nine years, Homebush will be Craig Lowndes’ last weekend as a Ford racer, MITCHELL ADAM as TeamVodafone looks to win another teams’ title MOTORSPORT NEWS: It’s the end of the season this weekend, with the new event at Homebush, how’s everything looking heading into the weekend? CRAIG LOWNDES: I’m pretty excited, really. It’s a new venue and there’s no previous data or information, which always makes it interesting for drivers and teams. From the information we’ve been given, I believe the surface is quite rough – I think there’s been some roadworks there recently. I’m looking forward to getting out there and having a good look at the track and seeing what it’s like. I’ve seen the layout and, on paper, it looks like it’s going to be quite a quick track. Hopefully it’ll lend itself to passing opportunities. Knowing that Mark Skaife has been involved in it, as a former driver, hopefully it’ll have those qualities. Have you seen any videos or images of the circuit itself? Not as yet. I’m hoping to get out to Homebush tomorrow [Tuesday]. I’ve spent today in Sydney doing sponsor functions, but I’m hoping to get out there tomorrow and have a good look at it all. Obviously the team would’ve been studying things pretty hard, so that when the car goes out on Friday the setup is there or thereabouts ... That’s one of the main things with a new track. All of the drivers and engineers will have been looking at the circuit, at the surface and the corners to link it back to data

we have from other places and simulate it. We’ve got an understanding for a baseline setup to start from and a plan to move forward, with changes that we think we’ll need to make. But the biggest thing will be to drive the circuit on Friday; a lot will come down to the drivers and team engineers working pretty quickly over the course of the weekend.

a great race on Saturday and then a good result on Sunday as well, and to have a bit of luck go his way with Will having the problem entering pitlane, it makes his job this weekend a lot easier. Knowing Jamie, he’ll push hard right until it’s out of Will’s reach. If he can achieve that on Saturday, he can fully relax on Sunday and enjoy the race for what it is.

This will be the second new circuit this year, and the fifth since 2005 – is it exciting getting stuck in and working out how a new track ticks? For sure – it’s always one of those great times as a driver. We’ve been lucky in the last few years to have so many new venues to showcase V8 Supercars on. For us, I think it’s a great opportunity, a great chance to break into the Sydney market and it’s a big challenge for he teams and drivers. We go there for the first time with so many unknowns on car setup, the unknown bitumen, we don’t know what grip we’re going to have to work with – which are all exciting challenges.

On a personal note, it’ll be your last weekend with Ford, mixed feelings going into it? For sure, it’ll be a close of my chapter in Ford-land – I’ve now done more years with Ford than I did with Holden. It’d be nice and a good way to say thanks to all of the Ford fans and the factory for their support if we can close the chapter off with a victory.

Jamie’s in the box seat to win the drives’ title and TeamVodafone is fighting HRT for the teas’ title as well – it could be another big weekend for the team ... I hope so. Perth it was a great result for the team, with Jamie getting a victory and myself as well. We both had great results which elevated us into the teams championship. For Jamie, to obviously have

What stands out for you as a highlight from the Ford years? 2006 was probably my best year with them. We won Bathurst after a 10-year wait for me and eight years for Ford, and we came close to winning the championship as well, going down to the last race. So that was probably the best year I had with Ford. I haven’t been able to win a championship for them, which is probably my most disappointing aspect. Through Vodafone, you guys will be doing some activities with the McGrath Foundation this weekend – tell us about that. We’ve done a TeamVodafone calendar for the McGrath

Foundation, which will be released this weekend at Homebush (see Rear of Grid, page 39 for more!). We’ve also changed our car colours from red to pink, which is all for the McGrath Foundation to help raise awareness and help show our support. How much notice did the team give you before the calendar photo-shoot to make sure you were in peak condition? (Laughs) I suppose they didn’t give us a lot of time, but fortunately we’re fitter now than we’ve ever been. It was completely different – I was out of my element and have never done a photoshoot like that before! Now, seeing the end result, it’s turned out fantastically and hopefully it will surprise a lot of people that our whole team are very fit and do a lot of physical work outside of the car. Speaking of physical activity, after Homebush you’ll be getting stuck straight into filming for the next season of Australia’s Greatest Athlete – are you looking forward to it? Yeah, I am. I suppose I’ve got a big mountain to climb, really, knowing Jamie finished second last season and that [Season 1 winner] Billy Slater has returned for this series as well. I think he’ll be hard to beat. It’ll be a bit of fun. I’m going to enjoy it and see what they present to us - I know who I’m up against, but I don’t know what style competitions we’ll events we’ll be doing.

chat

John Morris/Mpix

THERE’S a lot to like about Mitch Evans. I met and saw him race for the first time last weekend at Sandown and was massively impressed. And not just by his name. When Mitch made his Formula Ford debut at the AGP, I’ve got to admit I’d never heard of this 14-yearold Kiwi kid who rocked up and finished second. He excelled throughout the season, finishing second in the championship with six race wins. With about 20 laps in an F3 car at Winton under his belt, he topped both practice sessions on Friday at Sandown. Sure, he was on new rubber, but even taking new tyre gain

out of it, he was right there in the mix with championship contenders Joey Foster and Tim Macrow; both vastlyexperienced and accomplished F3 racers. His drive in Sunday’s SuperPrix was exceptional. The whole day had been wetdry and the morning race his first taste of the car in the wet. Mitch slotted into third behind Macrow. With Tim struggling for straight-line speed, Mitch was eyeing a move around the outside of Turn 6 at the end of the back straight. He got alongside Tim a couple of times but pulled out and waited until the time was right before getting it done. Many a young (and not-so young) driver would’ve gone

all-or-nothing too early. Let alone in the wet. It was the same when he was behind team-mate and race leader Foster. There was nothing silly. There was no sense of a brash teenager driving at 110 percent, an inch away from walling it. He weighed up the situation, waited until making the move and went on to become the youngest-ever winner of a Gold Star race at 15 and five months. He’s got the speed, the racecraft and the brains to go a long way and, out of the car, he’s got an old head on young shoulders. I spoke to him about the next step of his career. Mitch

opinion Mitchell Adam National Editor, eNews is looking at heading over to Europe at the end of next year, when he’ll be just 16, and he’s smart enough to know time is on his side. He’ll do the Toyota Racing Series at home over the summer and is looking at Australian F3 for 2010 to get cost-effective wings and slicks before moving to a bigger stage. Very sound logic. Young careers are shaped by choices outside the car more so than results. So far, Mitch and his people are very much on the right track.

DOING A MAN’S JOB Justin Collins

Letters Streets and Treats I want to concur with recent comments in your letters page regarding the proliferation of street races. At a time when VESA are crying out for cost reductions, they introduce more and more racing on street circuits where damage repair bills are consistently so much higher than at our permanent circuits. If there was as much damage done to their cars at any of our permanent tracks as there are at street circuits there would be an almighty uproar with all sorts of requests and demands for “upgrades” to the track.

Have your say – email us at mail@mnews.com.au.

Yet they happily race on these temporary tracks, accept without hesitation or complaint that the damage bill will be high (sometimes to person as well as machine) and even push for more and more of them. And if I went to VESA with a proposal to build a track identical to Surfers Paradise, including the concrete walls, on a virgin piece of land, it would be rejected out of hand on safety grounds. I just don’t get it.

Timing is Everything I do not want to get into an argument over the whys and wherefores of the NSW government getting into the Events business. Yes, the trains and hospitals need fixing, but I do understand the logic of having sporting events in the state. I just wanted to say thanks to the Rees government for having the Green v Jones title fight, the Australian Open Golf and V8s at Homebush, all in the same week. No wonder this state is [description edited].

Peter Weaver Langwarrin, Vic

M. Daly Penrith NSW

opinion

The End of a Journey THIS weekend is the final race for the team that started life as the Lansvale Smash Repairs team. It’s a bit sad but you have to move on. Times change. Trevor Ashby and I got out of it some time ago, but we have still been involved in some way, with the sponsors and so on. That was the extent of it but it’s okay. We go back a long way. Trevor and I went to high school together and we always had similar interests. We went into business together in 1974 and we went racing together. We were just a couple of panel beaters who had the need for speed, and we went further. We went through the Sports Sedan

thing with a V8 Escort, and we went to Bathurst together in 1984 to have a bit of a look. We looked and we decided that it was something that we needed to do. In 1986, Trevor and I went to Bathurst for the first time, in a Commodore we bought off Kenny Matthews. We got Wally Storey up from Formula Ford and then Dulux came along as a sponsor. That brought us into the series full-time. There were highlights along the way, but the main one was just achieving it all. For me, the highlight was Bathurst in 1987 – we went up there and had a bad crash in practice. We turned it around. The guys worked night and day

and we finished 10th in the race. To have a car that was knocked around so badly not just finish but to make the top 10, was pretty satisfying. The AMSCAR series at Amaroo Park was good for us too. We used to test there all the time and we had some great races there. Then there was (only one) year that we stepped up to two cars, Trevor and I raced against each other and then we brought Cameron McConville in as a driver. But it was the travelling, the mateship that will stay with us. We had one full-time guy and a bunch of volunteers working with us, so everyone had to work closely. As for Sydney this week, I

PERSONAL Steve Reed Lansvale/Tasman Msport think it is just another race. I will go to the V8 Supercar ball next week, and have a good night. When we were racing, it was great; when we stopped, it became more like a business. A lot of the passion went out of it. I was on the Board for a while and that was a different experience, that was great as well. From here on, it is going to be different and strange. We will still go to the race meetings, but we will be spectators ... in some ways that will be good. The team is essentially breaking up into two parts – we would have liked to see it stay together, but that is the way it is in this sport.

Chris Carter

V8 SUPERCARS CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SYDNEY TELSTRA 500 PREVIEW

All Eyes on HOMEBUSH

race

Raceweek in Sydney is finally upon us, and the final touches are being made at Homebush. What lies in store in the first race around the Olympic precinct? PHIL BRANAGAN reports

John Morris

HE waiting is almost over. The Living End and, after a long It has been a long ‘sabbatical’, Aussie rock royalty haul, from an idea that Cold Chisel on Saturday. seemed way, way out But, while other publications of left field to the reality that might go on about doing will see the Sydney Telstra 500 yourself favours, and all take to the streets of Sydney that, this is a motor racing Olympic Park at Homebush publication, and there are this weekend. many things to consider on the Along the way there have racing side of the equation this been plenty of bumps, from a weekend. number of objections by people In an odd way, the fight for the who wanted to hug trees, frogs 2009 V8 Supercar Championship and other critters, to the state Drivers’ title is about the least Minister with overview of the of these. Sydney’s west is event, Ian Macdonald, publicly not a region best-known for praising the event to the high earthquakes, and that is about heavens, just days before being what it would take to derail sacked by Premier Nathan Rees. Jamie Whincup’s bid for a second There is also the matter of a trophy in two years. huge entertainment program, Even Will Davison, second at ANZ Stadium, featuring in the chase and a man whose The Potbelleez, Sneaky Sound friendly demeanour disguises System and The Presets on a competitive drive as fierce as Friday night, and Grinspoon, anybody ever to drive in red,

has already conceded that with a gap of 281 points, his good mate and former Bunkie is over the line, and that in his maiden season with the Tolls, second will have to do this time around. In basic terms, finishing approximately last in only one of the two 250km races will ensure that JDub has plenty of reasons to shout the Milky Bars at the V8 Supercar dinner on Monday night. Barring a Hamilton ’08-type catastrophe, Jamie is home and hosed. Outside the glam top four, Steven Johnson has the chance to cement a wellcrafted fifth outright, although he is under point pressure from a fast-finishing Mark Winterbottom. An interesting race-within-a-race. But there is another battle in play. TeamVodafone and

the Holden Racing team are having the mother of all battles in the Team’s race. It is almost impossible to imagine that, after 24 of 26 races, the Fones would lead the Reds 5351-5350, but that is what has happened, and that the race may go down to the position of the fourth of the cars over the last laps of Sunday’s race. To put the fight between the two in perspective, Jim Beam Racing third hold third at present, on 4075 points. The order of the rest of the top 10 can change this weekend but, in terms of the things that matter to the fans, and much of the media, they are the highlights. In terms of racing on a new circuit, the teams have been hard at work on simulations to assess what is needed, and to try to flatten their learning

race

Almost a racetrack: The Olympic sitestill looked like a building site over the weekend but all the work is on schedule, and all will be ready in time for this weekend’s event. The pit straight grandstands are in place, and Dawn Fraser Drive may see the cars bottoming out at a lot more than 40kmh. The Bus Stop around the station will be a prime viewing area, to see road warriors like Steven Johnson, below.

V8 SUPERCAR EVENT SCHEDULE All images: John Morris

curve as much as they can. This is especially critical; in the good old days, there may have been an extra practice session, even an ‘orientation day’, in which to fine-tune the weapons before hostilities started in anger. Not any more; the teams will have just over two hours of track time, split into three parts, on Friday before Saturday’s qualifying sessions, then Shootout. On Sunday, there is the usual 20minute qualifying thrash, then the race. In terms of what the teams

can control, much of the Adelaide 500 playbook has been read. Teams have been concentrating on brakes, with a number of sharp stops expected on the Mark Skaife-designed track. As usual, heat could be an issue, given that the forecast for Homebush over the weekend is for 30/27/30, so pack your hats and take sunscreen. In the support categories, Jono Webb looks to be the man to beat for the Fujitsu title, though David Russell trails by 79 points. James Moffat and

Grant Denyer are out of title contention, but both have show form on street circuits. In the V8 Utes, eight drivers are in mathematical contention for the title, but local hero Jack Elsegood is the favourite to take the crown. David Wall has a strong hold on the Australian GT title and his Porsche could be ideally suited to the streets of Homebush, while the MINI Challenge wars are going in Paul Stokell’s way, the Tasmanian well in front in the series points.

FRIDAY 0855-0935 FV8 Practice 1 1140-1220 FV8 Practice 2 1235-1310 V8 Supercars Practice 1A 1325-1415 V8 Supercars Practice 1B 1455-1545 V8 Supercars Practice 2

SATURDAY

0900-0930 FV8 Qualifying 1000-1020 V8 Supercars Qualifying Leg 1 1025-1040 V8 Supercars Qualifying Leg 2 1055-1125 V8 Supercars Top 10 Shootout 1315-1345 FV8 Race 1 1435-1635 V8 Supercars Race 25 (250km)

SUNDAY

1030-1050 V8 Supercars Qualifying 1120-1150 FV8 Race 2 1435-1635 V8 Supercars Race 26

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No blues for Bronte’s boys Gold Star? Check. SuperPrix win? Check. Team BRM had a pretty good weekend at Sandown, MITCHELL ADAM reports

Dirk Klynsmith

FORMULA 3 TEAM BRM had every reason to be happy leaving Sandown Raceway. Their lead driver Joey Foster wrapped up the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship – the team’s fifth, and second in succession – while rookie Mitch Evans won the seasonending SuperPrix. Englishman Foster, below, entered the weekend four points behind of Tim Macrow, the pair’s championship battle having ebbed and flowed in the preceding seven rounds. A bonus point accompanying pole in Race 1 saw Foster reduce the margin to three, with Macrow to start alongside him on the front row. In greasy conditions, Macrow got the initial jump, before Foster took control on the run down to Turn 1. From there, he was never headed, taking the win by four seconds over Macrow and a two-point advantage into the final.

Ben Crighton proved to be an unlikely ally for Macrow. After spinning on the opening lap, the Kiwi vented his frustration with the fastest lap of the race, taking a bonus point away from Foster. The 22-lap SuperPrix was also run in wet conditions, following intermittent rainstorms during the day, with Foster starting second and Macrow third. Foster again took the lead off the line, with Macrow also getting the jump on pole-sitter Mat Sofi into Turn 1. While Foster built an early advantage on cold rubber, the Mitch Evans show was just getting started. On debut in F3, he slotted into third and began harassing Macrow. With superior straight-line speed, he looked around the outside of the ’07 Gold Star Champ several times, before making it stick around the outside of Turn 6 on Lap 6 and setting sail for Foster. Evans reeled in his team-mate for the weekend, passing him soon after the first of two Safety Car periods and bringing it home to become the youngest-ever winner of a Gold Star race.

Dirk Klynsmith

Contact Oriana Ruffini: oriana@mnews.com.au

race Dirk Klynsmith

Marshall Cass Dirk Klynsmith

“I came in here to get some good experience, for when I go home to race in the Toyota Racing Series, but this is just crazy – I didn’t really expect this,” Evans said. “I just went out and drove it hard like I always do and we had good pace. I was there from the start of the weekend; it was just a matter of putting the pieces together. “In the race this morning, I was trying to take it a bit easy and build my way into it, even though I stuffed the start a bit it ended up as an alright race. I wanted a clean start in the next one, so I didn’t get held up and so I could contest for the lead. “That happened and everything fell into place.” The second Safety Car period set up a tantalising showdown between Foster and Macrow. With three laps left, Foster was second and Macrow third, with the Gold Star going home with whoever finished higher. As had been the case all weekend, though, Foster had the edge and went on to become the third Englishman to win the championship in four years. “I still can’t believe it, I won’t believe it until tomorrow,” Foster told eNews post-race. “It’s been quite a year. I’m really happy to come away with a Formula 3 title, to have that on my CV is going to be quite something. Tim’s pushed me the whole way, all year, and we knew it was going to come down to the last race. “The first Safety Car wasn’t too bad, but when the second one came out, I knew Tim would be right on my tail. Obviously he wanted the championship as well, and whoever finished in-front was going to take the championship. “I was watching my mirrors into Turn 1, I braked late but he was still there and in Turn 2 he was right on my tail so I had to go ultra defensive. He played fair and got to the finish, but I guess we just had the pace in the end.” Down on straightline speed, Macrow had to settle for fourth, after Sofi repeated Evans’ move around the outside at Turn 6 on the last lap to grab third. Indonesian Rio Haryanto, was fifth in the SuperPrix ahead of Crighton. Racing an F304-model Dallara in National Class, Crighton’s Tandersport team-mate Bryce Moore, right, was another standout for the weekend on debut. The West Australian out-qualified Crighton for both races and topped National Class in the SuperPrix, ahead of fellow debutant Kristian Lindbom, who narrowly lost out in a battle with Evans for fourth outright in Race 1. National Class Champ Tom Tweedie starred in the morning race, grabbing another outright podium finish, before a spin set him back in the SuperPrix. – MITCHELL ADAM

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White and Salmon win, Holt holds on MANUFACTURERS C’SHIP

James Smith James Smith

Dirk Klynsmith

GARRY Holt’s quest for another Production Car title came down to his co-driver’s efforts in the final stint of the final race of the Boylan Traffic Solutions Australian Manufacturers Championship. Holt (BMW 335i) headed to Sandown with the upper hand in the championship battle over Rod Salmon (Mitsubishi Evo X) and Lee Castle (Subaru WRX), but still looking to rectify electrical gremlins which had plagued his season. After a long night on Thursday under a fresh set of eyes, the problem was solved, and Holt got out onto track for a pair of one-hour races. Rod Salmon and co-driver Damien White took victory in the opening race, with White charging home in the wet second-half of the race, while Holt and co-driver Ryan McLeod got fifth after a late-race tussle for fourth with Jake Camilleri (Mazda 3 MPS). A similar result would see the outright championship be tied and resort to a countback, which would’ve gone to Holt. Salmon and White took another victory, despite some interesting moments, along the way. With McLeod in the car, the BMW got past Camilleri in the final stint for fourth, ensuring Holt won the outright championship by two points. “Ryan did a great job in the car,” Holt, who also won the A2 Class title, said. “We’ve had problems at a few rounds, where the car’s been going into limp mode in the races, but we finally got to the bottom of it on Thursday night. Now our speed’s back to where it was two years ago, the weekend went well – we’re looking forward to Bathurst and next year.”

The pair of wins for Team Mitsubishi Ralliart duo Salmon and White secured the Manufacturers title for Mitsubishi and Salmon the A1 Class honours. On debut in the championship, Inky Tulloch, below, was an impressive second in each race in a sister Evo, with Castle third, despite a drivethrough in Race 2. The Evo of Eric Bana and Peter Hill was almost the wildcard in the title fight on Sunday. The pair were on track to finish ahead of Holt, but the car was dropped off the jacks early at their pitstop, earning them a drive-through to eventually finish seventh. Camilleri dominated Class B, while Stuart Jones, bottom, farewelled Osborne Motorsport’s Toyota Celicas with the Class C win. – MITCHELL ADAM

Dirk Klynsmith

Glory for Kingsley, Holdswor SHANNONS NATIONALS WHILE he had a troubled weekend, Matt Kingsley did enough to wrap up the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. Kingsley clashed with newcomer Aaron Silluzio on the opening lap of Race 1 and ended up a lap down after pitting to replace a punctured tyre. He came back to get fifth in Race 2 to seal the crown, but was forced out of the longer Race 3 when an engine belt disintegrated. Still, he left the weekend with the crown thanks in large to the handy buffer he had over Sven Burchartz entering the round. “It was a little bit of a disappointing end to a good championship,” Kingsley said. “All meeting, we were probably the fastest car out there in the

dry and the wet, but for reasons I can’t really explain we couldn’t do the job. “But in the end we got the points we needed to wrap up the title, which we’re ecstatic about.” 997 Trophy driver Mark Krashos won all three races, while Jeff Bobik was the best of the 996s to win the round. Krashos was among a group of drivers who elected to start the 20-lapper on slicks despite the damp track, and while he relinquished track position early, it was the right call. Jason Domaschenz took top spot in Alternate Freight Services Commodore Cup after winning Races 1 and 3. In his return to racing, Marcus Zukanovic took a dominant pole position, but was out early in Race 1 with a diff, bouncing back to third and second in the remaining races. The biggest winner, though, was Brett Holdsworth, who

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John Morris / Mpix

Dirk Klynsmith

Peter Bury

Cups for Commodores: Jason Domaschenz, above, won the Commodore Cup round despite this moment. Tim Rowse and John Goodacre slugged it out for Saloon Car honours, top right. Steve Owen, right, dominated V8 Touring Cars, while Adam Wallis, bottom right, won the title.

rth and Wallis

Dirk Klynsmith

wrapped up the 2009 title ahead of Tony Bates, after a third and a pair of fifth-place finishes. With already-crowned Champ Shawn Jamieson back at home after blowing an engine on Friday, Tim Rowse won the Australian Saloon Car Series season finale. Rowse picked up two of the three race wins, with John Goodacre grabbing the other to finish second for the season. Rowse ends up third on the points with Kris Walton, who went from 34th to fourth in Race 3 after mechanical problems in Race 2. Adam Wallis wrapped up the Shannons V8 Touring Car Series title, after finishing second to Steve Owen for the weekend. Owen won all three races in dominant fashion, while fourth and a pair of seconds was enough for Wallis to wrap up the title over Terry Wyhoon. – MITCHELL ADAM

It’s (Johnny) Mac Time! NZV8s

JOHN McIntyre has taken the lead of the BNT V8 Championship in New Zealand, after winning the second round at Ruapuna on the weekend. J-Mac was basically unstoppable throughout the meeting, qualifying fastest and winning two of the three races. The race he didn’t win was the final, a 22-lap reverse grid affair held in terrible conditions. But ninth place was good enough to take round honours from Craig Baird, and an early points lead. To make McIntyre’s win even more impressive, it came after a practice crash in the rain on

the Saturday. “Ruapuna has been something of a bogey track for us,” said McIntyre. “And when you’ve got Craig Baird, one of New Zealand’s best drivers, hard on your bumper for the first two races, you can’t afford to make any mistakes. “The crew worked incredibly hard overnight to make sure the car was in the best possible condition after Saturday’s issues, so we’re all delighted with this success.” Paul Manuell won Race 3, after spinning on the final corner in the wet conditions. The BNT V8s now go on Christmas break, returning at Teretonga Park at the end of January, 2010.

CRAIG Baird had his first taste of a Formula 5000 at Ruapuna, near Christchurch (NZ) last weekend. Bairdo jumped aboard David Abbott’s Lola T430 for a special demonstration to promote the upcoming Lady Wigram Trophy. “I loved it,” Baird said. “Absolutely loved it. “As I said to David, I didn’t want to go out there and drive it fast or anything, I just wanted to drive one to get a feel for it – tick the box, if you like.”

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Gowans takes title AUSSIE RACING CARS

Choice Job, Dave NZ PORSCHES

DAVID Reynolds made an impressive return to Porsche racing last weekend, winning the second round of the Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge at Ruapuna. Reynolds took it to the star-studded field, which included Craig Baird, Matt Halliday, Daniel Gaunt and Jonny Reid. Unsurprisingly, it was Baird who gave Reynolds the hardest time over the course of the weekend. But, other than briefly leading during Race 1 – a 100 kilometre mini-enduro – Baird was powerless to stop Reynolds taking three wins from three races. Despite winning the round, Reynolds is only seventh in the championship, having missed Round 1. “It’s unfortunate I missed the first round – but the idea is to end up on the podium before the finish, helping the Triple X Team to another championship one-two-three by winning as many races I can.” Baird leads the title standings from Gaunt and Halliday, who was third for the round.

ADAM Gowans dominated the final round of the Aussie Racing Cars Super Series at Phillip Island last weekend, wrapping up the series along the way. Gowans won three of the four races at The Island, enough to edge out pre-round points leader David Lawrence for the title, after Lawrence crashed out of the opening race. The damage to Lawrence’s car meant he couldn’t start Race 2, ending any chance he had of winning the title “Coming into this round I just wanted to do my best to win the round, and the rest would look after itself,” said Gowans. “It was really up to Lawrence to give up the series as I had been behind all year. “I feel like I have become a better driver over the year, getting faster and keeping cool under pressure. Coming from behind was tough. “I will be back in 2010 to defend the title; we have good momentum now. A great car and a couple of good engines are going to help.” Shane Wolki won the Masters Cup title for the third time, although the round was won by Mark Duckworth.

Hart’s rollover win SPEEDWAY

THE thundering Sprintcars took backstage to the Monster Trucks at the Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway last Saturday night, but with an invitational 20 Sprintcars on hand, the speedway fans were certainly catered for. Unfortunately, a dry slick track took its toll on the A Main, and after the opening lap demise of Adrian Maher, Roddy BellBowen, Stuart

Williams and Glen Saville, pole sitter Clayton Hart took charge in the early laps. After a couple of stoppages, race officials were worried about the time. When race leader Hart rolled over in Turn 2, officials were forced to declare the race with 10 laps left to run. Hart was declared the winner in what was his first ever feature race victory over James Thomson and Ian Loudoun. – GREG BOSCATO

rear of grid

Beauty Spot

THE BOYS DROP THE RACESUITS, FOR A VERY GOOD CAUSE JAMIE Whincup, Craig Lowndes and 13 of their TeamVodafone teammates have stripped down for a good cause. The team has launched its own calendar, Shifting Gear, and while there are bound to be plenty of comments on the bare and buffed bodies at Homebush this weekend, it’s all in a good cause. Proceeds from sales of the calendar go to the McGrath Foundation. The Shifting Gear calendar is available at Vodafone stores nationally and online at www.vodafone.com, for $19.95, from today (Tuesday).

It makes the perfect Christmas Gift!

THE Polarizer is back! Okay, not really. But, if you were ever fascinated by the whole Polarizer saga, and wanted to get one of your very own, you can – from Beverley Brock. Bevo is offering people the chance to own their own Polarizer, but there are a few things she would like to make clear, from the get-go. “They are bolted to a frame, with the original documentation,” she says, “but it is purely as an item of memorabilia – with a disclaimer. Of course, I could not stop anyone from unbolting it, and doing whatever they choose with it.” For those of you too young to recall, the Energy Polarizer was the item that Peter Brock had installed on his own HDT road cars more than two decades ago and which led to the termination of the agreement Holden and HDT had over the production of road cars. Anyway, Bevo has a limited run of 350 of the items available, at $2000, plus GST. So if you always wanted one for your very own, email to polarizer.sales@ozemail.com.au and clear a spot in the pool room.