Motorsport eNews Issue 139 - January 26-February 1, 2010 by V8 Sleuth

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G U T F O R A WWhot’isng

Issue No. 139 January 26 - February 1 2010

h g i f ver o fe? i a sk

The number is 47! Massive field for ‘10 Bathurst 12 Hour

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

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Issue No. 139 | 26 Jan - 1 Feb 2010

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Contributing Writers F1: Will Buxton, Mark Glendenning, Paolo Filisetti Europe: Quentin Spurring, David Addison US: Martin D. Clark, Phil Morris Speedway: Greg Boscato, Geoff Rounds, Darren Sutton, Tony Millard (UK) 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 man has options But which will Skaife choose? 7 Boot Camp 9 Back in Black 13 J-Lo for F1 18 NZ’s latest circuit

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

race 24 Monte Carlo Rally 28 Speedway 32 McLaren Festival 34 NZV8s

Moff joins FPR fitness jaunt JDR signs on, new car for TK Lopez is in! Wait, who’s that? The low down on Hampton Rick Kelly IRC still falls short Brittania Rulz’ Hirvonen’s debut dream An Epic at the Classic Drool-fest, coming up Bairdo’s just too good

trade 36 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.

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Follow Motorsport eNews on Twitter! Breaking news and opinion

The Chase for Skaife

Holden Champ has two options for 2010 – and they both involve T8 ... V8 SUPERCARS MARK Skaife looks set to race a Triple Eight Race Engineering Commodore in the endurance races – but the question is, for which team? Skaife has become a soughtafter co-driver for the 2010 V8 Supercar endurance races but questions remain over whether he will join TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, or whether he will partner Russell Ingall or Greg Murphy at Paul Morris Motorsport. In recent days, different rumours have suggested that Skaife has a deal with the teams; indeed, it has been suggested to eNews that should Skaife join Morris’s team that he could drive the Castrol Racing entry at Abu Dhabi next month. Originally, it was Paul Morris who put his name forward to substitute for Greg Murphy, but we have been told that is “a backup plan” should Skaife either choose not to race the car, or be unable to. As an Independent member of the V8 Supercars Australia Board, Skaife’s participation in any event as a driver is subject to its approval. The potential upside for the move would appear to outweigh any negatives associated with

the matter, and the precedent of having cleared Skaife for Phillip Island and Bathurst last year, when he drove both those races for Sprint Gas Racing, would make his ‘clearance’ likely, but by no means a certainty. Likewise, as a commentator in the Series, the Seven Network would have to agree to allow Skaife the weekend ‘off’. “Skaife in the commentary box or in a car works for us – as we saw during the Bathurst 1000. So no drama for us,” Seven spokesman Simon Francis told eNews by email. The question remains what deals are on the table for Skaife. Unquestionably, his high profile and stellar endurance record make him a valuable property for any team and that fact, combined with the new-for-2010 regulation that prevents teams from combining their established drivers in a single entry, would only add to that value. In the case of the primary sponsors of the T8-built cars – Vodafone, Supercheap Autos and Castrol – having Skaife on-board as a co-driver is also a coup, particularly if his signing is confirmed early in the season. Skaife was not available for comment when contacted by eNews.

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n from you, our readers. CLICK HERE – or search for motorsportenews Who would you drive for if you were Mark Skaife? Let us know right now on Twitter or Facebook!

Dane keeps quiet TEAMVodafone boss Roland Dane was not in a position to shine any light on the matter on Monday. “Having Skaife would be a plus for sponsors,” he said. “The problem I am having at present is tying down anyone reasonable. It’s a tough thing; when you are used to paying $2 for a cappuccino, and suddenly it costs $6, it becomes hard.” Dane also says that he would like to have a deal in place with co-drivers by the time of the team’s launch on February 2.

“If I could, I would. If not, we will leave it until we come back to Australia.” There are plenty of attractions for Skaife to join either of the teams, not the least of which would be winning the biggest race of the year with either of the three drivers, all multiple Bathurst winners. For either team, there is the attraction of having Skaife race, and potentially beat, the Holden Racing Team, for which he raced for more than a decade, in a Commodore.

Size does matter

ONE of the intriguing angles on a Skaife endurance driver story is that he is just so ... average. In size, we mean, in size. In the most recent edition of the V8 Supercars Media Guide to include Skaife, the 2008 edition, his stats are listed as 1.80m tall and 80kg. In spite of having retired from full-time racing a year ago, he is within a few percent of that weight now. As such, he is a good physical match for Greg Murphy, who is

listed at 1.78m and 75kg. But he is also a near-perfect fit for Jamie Whincup (1.78m/80kg) and Craig Lowndes (1.82cm/81kg). On the other hand Russell Ingall is listed at 1.72m and 70kg, so there would have to be a slight adjustment for Skaife, should that be a factor in the decision. So, whichever way it goes, Skaife is not going to miss out on partnering any of the drivers in contention because he is too big ...

Rule to be changed Dirk Klynsmith

V8 SUPERCARS is to close the potential loophole that would allow Paul Morris Motorsport to ‘pair’ Russell Ingall and Greg Murphy in the endurance races. V8 Supercars Australia spokesman Cole Hitchcock said on Monday that the

2010 rules, which are in the process of being finalised, “would take care of that”. eNews believes that the definition of a Primary Driver will be modified slightly to reflect the driver recognised in an entry for the majority of the races.

Extension Leed V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

QR: Still no V8 SUPERCARS

THE Queensland Raceway rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship Series remains in limbo, despite reports last week that an announcement that the event would proceed as originally planned. V8 Supercars Australia has received a submission from the Ipswich Council that could see the event take place on April 30-

LEE Holdsworth has extended his contract with Garry Rogers Motorsport. Holdsworth, who joined GRM in 2006, has now guaranteed his tenure with the team, under a renegotiated contract. Holdsworth, who turns 27 next week, will be joined in the team by long-time Clayton engineer Richard Hollway, whom the team has recruited for this season. “We have a great team in place and with Richard Hollway, one of the most experienced race engineers in the industry joining our team is an added bonus,” said Holdsworth. “Having someone with Richard’s capabilities and race experience is a worthy addition to our current team of talented workers. I have enjoyed every moment with the team and it has been great to have the full support of Garry and the team at my time here.”

May 2. Mayor Paul Pisasale is pushing to have the event proceed but, while QR management was keen for a multi-year commitment from V8SA, any deal for this year’s race would be on a one-off basis. “We do have the documentation but we are waiting for more information from the council and the track,” said V8SA spokesman Cole Hitchcock. “We are not as happy as the mayor would have it. There are still some parts of it that we are looking at. Nothing is signed at present.”

Marshall Cass

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New contract, FG for Frosty Brand new Falcon for Winterbottom V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

MARK Winterbottom will start the V8 Supercar season with a brand-new Falcon. Winterbottom, who has resigned with Ford Performance Racing until the end of 2013, will debut his new FG at Abu Dhabi, with his car from last season becoming the team’s spare. Steven Richards will retain the Falcon he finished 2009 in, with Paul Dumbrell getting

Richards’ original FG. FPR will launch their 2010 liveries on Friday February 5, ahead of the official V8 Supercar test at Winton on February 8. The team will have a new blue, Ford Performance Racing Blue, specially developed by PPG, with liveries expected to be an evolution of last year’s design. Meanwhile, the primary sponsor for Richards’ Falcon is still to be finalised. – MITCHELL ADAM

... and a Queensland boot camp FORD Performance Racing’s drivers will be put through their paces this week in a boot camp. A regular part of FPR’s pre-season training, Mark Winterbottom, Steven Richards, Paul Dumbrell and James Moffat will spend the week on the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Richards and Moffat arrived on Sunday and will be joined by Winterbottom and Dumbrell today, Tuesday, following their return from the Middle East promotional trip.

Among the activities, the quartet will have a kick-boxing session with five-time World Champion John Wayne Parr and spend an afternoon with a special forces tactical response group. Moffat’s appearance comes ahead of his expected 2010 campaign with Matthew White Racing in the Fujitsu Series and V8 Supercar endurance races with FPR. – MITCHELL ADAM

Two tests for T8 V8 SUPERCARS TEAMVODAFONE will conduct two test days with their new Commodores before the start of the V8 Supercar season. The titlists will debut their first VE racers at Queensland Raceway’s official V8 Supercar test on February 9, and will do a second day of running on February 12 before the cars depart leave Brisbane for Abu Dhabi on February 14. “From a drivers perspective, it’ll be fantastic,”

TeamVodafone’s Craig Lowndes told eNews. “Jamie and I will have two days in the new cars to get a feel for the VE, how it compares to the FG and how it responds, and it’ll be great for the team to have those two days under our belt as well. “It’ll give us a lot of confidence when we get on track at Abu Dhabi.” TeamVodafone will launch their 2010 livery on February 2 in Sydney. – MITCHELL ADAM

Sneak Peek for V8 foursome V8 SUPERCARS FOUR leading V8 Supercar drivers have had an early look at the Yas Marina circuit that will play host to the opening round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. Mark Winterbottom, Jamie Whincup, Paul Dumbrell and Will Davison made the long trek to Abu Dhabi last week, for

a four-day promotional jaunt ahead of next month’s season opener. According to Winterbottom, the trip was as much about experiencing the Arab city as it was getting a sneak peak of the circuit. “It’s great to have a look at the track, but I’m really looking forward to doing some sight-seeing,” he told eNews, while waiting in the lounge prior to the flight.

“One day we’re going water skiing, and the next we’ll be in the desert, so it will be like a holiday. These are things we won’t get a chance to do much of when we’re there for the race, because that will be all about the racing.” The four drivers were even lucky enough to get a ride in the circuit’s own Formula 1 two-seater. Tough life for some. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Born to be wild Dirk Klynsmith

V8 SUPERCARS SYMMONS Plains’ V8 Supercar round has been shuffled back one week. Tasmanians will now get their V8 Supercar fix on November 12-14, one weekend before the penultimate round of the Championship at Sandown on November 19-21. V8 Supercars’ statement cited ‘a potential conflict that had been brought to their

attention’ as the reason for the change. A telecast clash is believed to have been at least part of that conflict. The original date included Saturday November 6, the date of Emirates Stakes Day, part of Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival. Both events are broadcast by Channel 7, with a date clash in 2009 resulting in the Saturday broadcast of Phillip Island’s Bahrain replacement round delayed until late-night.

John Morris/Mpix

Symmons Shifted V8 SUPERCARS WILDCARDS will be part of the V8 Supercar grid at Phillip Island’s L&H500 and the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 again this year. After it was introduced last year, four wildcard entries for the endurance races will be granted to Fujitsu Series teams. The process, regulations and

timeframes will remain as they were last year, with the successful applicants to be named mid-year. In 2009, Matthew White Racing, Greg Murphy Racing and Sieders Racing were granted wildcards to compete. Sonic Motor Racing was to have been the fourth team, before withdrawing. – MITCHELL ADAM

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It’s a new car ... for V8 SUPERCARS

TODD Kelly will start season 2010 in a brand new Holden Commodore. That was the news from last week’s Jack Daniel’s Racing launch, which confirmed that the bourbon giant will continue to back the team for the foreseeable future. But while Kelly T will have a new chassis for the start of the 2010 season in Abu Dhabi, Rick will have to wait until the fourth of fifth round, and will start the season in the same car in which he finished 2009. “Todd is debuting a brand new chassis at the start of the year, which has a few small improvements,” confirmed Rick at the team’s launch. “The decision that I’ve made, along with the team, is that

I’ll run the current car that I had in 2009, just to keep some consistency. We’ve got great confidence in the changes that we can make to make it go faster, so that’s a decision that we’ve made to get the best

possible start we can.” Work on another new chassis will start as soon as Todd’s car is finished, which will become Rick’s new car at some point in the early part of the season. Jason Bargwanna,

meanwhile, will start 2010 in Todd’s 2009 Commodore. The yet-to-be-named fourth driver is likely to move into Rick’s current car when the next new car comes on line. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

BRIEFLY... n V8 Supercars Australia

has announced a naming rights sponsor of the Townsville 400. Armor All has signed a two-year agreement to back the event in 2010 and 2011. Armor All will also continue to be the Official Car Care Products of the V8SCS.

n Andrew Miedecke will return to full-time motorsport in 2010. The former open-wheel and touring car racer will join the Touring Car Masters, in a two-car team with Bob Middleton. Miedecke will step into the Camaro used by Middleton in 2009, with the four-time Supertruck Champion to race a 1970 Camaro which is currently under construction. “I don’t expect to be on the pace straight away, but once we get through a few races, who knows” Miedecke said. “We’ll certainly be giving it our best shot.” – CALLUM BRANAGAN/ STAFF

FUJITSU SERIES

THE Fujitsu Series is targeting 24 entries for the seasonopening round at the Clipsal 500 in March. According to series coordinator Damien White, that’s the magic number for Round 1 – and he is adamant it is achievable. “The number of 24 depends on the multi-car teams like MW Motorsport and Sonic filling all their seats,” White told eNews. “I’m still confident that we’ll be arriving with 24 cars, based on the levels of interest. We haven’t got that number of official entries yet, but we’ve been very focused on the Championship Series and getting organised

for the fly-away races, so now our focus will shift back to the Fujitsu Series.” While White remained tightlipped on who had entered, eNews does understand that there will be a significant level of main series crossover this season. Sources are suggesting that Stone Brothers Racing is planning on running a car, while Paul Morris Motorsport may run as many as three, with

Colin Corkery and Morris likely starters. Kelly Racing has also been linked to the Fujitsu Series, with its new car program freeing up chassis from last season. One main game team that won’t have an FV8 entry is Dick Johnson Racing, who is without a driver now Grant Denyer has quit full-time racing due to television commitments. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN Marshall Cass

n Robbie Madison is among the latest confirmed stars for the V8 Ute Legends Race at the Clipsal 500. The Australian Freestyle Motocross rider and multiple world record holder is no stranger to circuit racing, having contested a round of the Mini Challenge in the Uber Star car at Phillip Island last year. Madison will be lining up next to Falcon driver Brad Patton. Leanne Tander and James Brock will join the Holden fold. Tander will team up with Craig Dontas, while Brock – who finished third in the 2003 Ute Series – joins Paul Williams. A total of 11 combinations have currently been confirmed for the event, which will celebrate 10 years of V8 Ute Racing.

Vote Yes on 24

Paul gets first FUJITSU SERIES

TRIPLE F Racing has confirmed that it will run in the 2010 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series. With the team’s main series driver Dean Fiore stepping into the ex-Wilson Security Racing FG Falcon for 2010, Triple F has both its ex-Triple Eight BF Falcon and ex-Paul Morris Motorsport VE Commodore available. And the plan is to run one car at each FV8 round, shared between Fiore’s brothers Paul and Todd. Paul has drawn the long straw for Round 1, and will race the VE at Clipsal in March. “Both Paul and Todd will be on the same entry, and they will both drive at the test day on February 8,” confirmed Dean. “At the start of the season we will need the BF for spares, so Paul will race the VE at Clipsal. Eventually we’ll switch to using the BF for the Fujitsu Series, which makes more sense because that and the FG share

a lot of running gear. “The plan is that the boys will share the driving, but we may run two cars in the Fujitsu Series round at Bathurst, just to give them both a run on the long circuit. That will just depend on

sponsorship.” Oldest brother Paul is an accomplished Saloon Car racer, while Todd is the reigning West Australian Formula Ford 1600 Champion. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

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John Morris

47 for 12 Hour ORGANISERS of the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour have received 47 entries for the February 14 race. Class A has 14 entries, with 11 Lancers and three Subarus. James and Theo Koundouris will team up with Steve Owen again in an Evo IX. Last year’s polesitters were among a number of squads to test at Eastern Creek Raceway last Wednesday, above, along with new Evo X squad Conroy Motorsport, inset. “The test was the first time the car’s been started since the 12 Hour last year,” James Koundouris told eNews. “It was a hot day and the car performed really well. Last year, the car wasn’t comfortable to drive, that’s one of the main things we’ve worked on for this year and we’ve made some good progress along with reliability.” Tony and Klark Quinn are entered in their Evo IX Lancer. Yesterday, Monday, Tony Quinn told eNews that he was yet to speak with Grant Denyer about his availability to be their third driver,

following his return to Seven’s morning program Sunrise. Wilson Brothers Racing has nominated Lee Castle and David Wood as two of its three drivers in their Subaru WRX STi. Andrew Jones will join Paul Stubber and Barry Morcom in Morcom’s BMW 335i in Class B, which has attracted nine entries. James Moffat will share Robinson Racing Developments’ FPV FG Typhoon with Ken Douglas and Ray Hislop. Andrew Miedecke has been enlisted to join Jeremy Gray and Chris Delfsma in their Typhoon, while Nathan Pretty, Cameron McConville and an unnamed third driver will steer Holden’s Sportswagon. Classes C and D have eight and seven entries respectively, along with two in Class E, three V8 Utes and a sole Alfa Romeo in the Alternative Energy Class. Three cars will compete in the Invitational Class I, including the Mustang Shelby entered by Marcus Zukanovic’s Action Racing. Zukanovic will be joined by Allan Simonsen and another, to be finalised, driver.

John Morris

BATHURST 12 HOUR

“I’m looking to finalise one other driver, hopefully in the next couple of days,” Zukanovic told eNews. “It’s another good driver, a local but with lots of international experience, a very handy steerer. “The car’s coming along slowly and steadily, it’s a bit slow at the moment while we’re waiting for parts from the States, you can’t get anything for it in Australia. “We do want to have a test day if we can, but it’ll depend on when things arrive. – MITCHELL ADAM

BRIEFLY...

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n Double diffusers are set to be officially outlawed in Formula 1 from 2011 onwards. The Technical Working Group agreed to ban the controversial aero devices at a meeting last week, meaning that having the rule ratified by the FIA should be little more than a formality. Double diffusers caused waves at the start of the 2009 F1 season when Brawn GP, Toyota and Williams came bolting out of the blocks at the Melbourne GP. n Could 14-year-old Dutch karter Nyck de Vries be the next Lewis Hamilton? The karting wunderkind has been signed on a longterm deal with McLaren, much like Hamilton was, and will be managed by Anthony Hamilton, the 2008 world champ’s father. n Fernando Alonso has completed his first laps in a Ferrari F1 car, while shooting a commercial for the team. The Spaniard drove a 2009-spec car at Paul Ricard, revealing the team’s 2010 livery in the process. While not completely different from last year’s livery, there is more white, thanks to signage from Spanish banking giant Santander on the front and rear wings. In other Ferrari news, Felipe Massa was back behind the wheel of an F1 car last week, testing an F2008 on slick tyres at Barcelona. Valentino Rossi also tested the F2008, and was just a tenth slower than Kimi Raikkonen’s 2008 pole time at the Spanish circuit. The test has led to fresh speculation that the bike ace might swith to Formula 1 before his career is over.

Jaime Old Story FORMULA ONE JAIME Alguersuari has been confirmed as a Scuderia Toro Rosso driver for 2010. The Spaniard, 20, joined STR part-way through the 2009 season, replacing Sebastien Bourdais after the Frenchman failed to meet the team’s expectations. Alguersuari’s debut half-season was neither disastrous nor brilliant, but was obviously good enough to receive a call-up for the team again this season. “Considering that he made his debut only halfway through 2009, at the Hungarian Grand Prix, with no prior testing, he did a good job, making steady progress throughout the second half of the year, with a mature

approach considering he is still only 19 years old,” said team boss Franz Tost. “This season, he will again face a steep learning curve, as all the circuits in the first part of the season will be new to him. Jaime’s appointment also confirms our team’s commitment to bringing on graduates of the Red Bull Young Driver Program.” However, the length of Alguersuari’s contract has not been reported anywhere, leading to rumours that he may be on a raceby-race or half-season deal. Should he not meet expectations, so the rumours go, Daniel Ricciardo may find himself in an F1 seat sooner than expected, after the West Aussie tested so successfully with Red Bull Racing late last year.

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Maria who FORMULA ONE

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JOSE Maria Lopez will be named as USF1’s first driver in several hours. The Argentine is expected to be named as part of the team’s 2010 line-up on Monday, Argentinean time, after his

manager Miguel Mattos told Reuters that “everything has been agreed and the official announcement will be made on Monday.” Lopez might be little-known in F1 circles, but he does have an open-wheel background. He used to test for Renault’s F1

team, and raced Formula 3000 and GP2 in the early 2000s, winning a GP2 race for DAMS in 2005. He has since moved back to Argentina, winning back-to-back TC2000 titles. He will be the first Argentine to race Formula 1 since Gaston Mazzacane in 2000 and 2001.

Pedro: Back in the game FORMULA ONE

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PEDRO de la Rosa is back in Formula 1 as a race driver. Having been heavily linked to the Spanish-owned Campos Meta team, de la Rosa has landed a seat BMW Sauber, which, having already signed young gun Kamui Kobayashi, has gone for the ultimate youth versus experience line-up. The Spaniard comes to the team after a lengthy stint as McLaren-Mercedes’ test driver. “Pedro has spent many years working for a top team at the highest technical level,” said Peter Sauber. “We as a team stand to gain from his experience, and the same goes for young Kamui. The combination of a seasoned racer and an up-and-coming young driver has repeatedly proved a very fruitful one. I don’t expect either of them to disappoint in 2010. “Of course it is also crucial that we provide them with a decent car; I feel positive about our in-house progress on that front too. We were able to continue work on our 2010 car as scheduled throughout the recent period of uncertainty.”

Triumph/McCoy split Aussie stunned after being dropped on eve of test: DiSalvo takes BE1 ride WORLD SUPERSPORT GARRY McCoy has been left stunned by his dismissal as Triumph’s factory rider in the 2010 Supersport World Championship. Less than two weeks after he was officially confirmed alongside Briton Chaz Davies in the 2010 factory line-up, the Australian’s place in the Italianmanaged BE1 squad will now be taken by American Jason

DiSalvo. Triumph will field a second team as well, with two-time world champion Sebastien Charpentier ending a two-year absence to join Spaniard David Salom in the ‘second’ squad. “I am absolutely shocked,” said McCoy in statement released by his management. “Shocked to say how this has ended, after all of last year’s achievements. “This was going to be my

third year with Triumph and, amongst everything; it was going to be the greatest season for each and every person who has bet on Triumph’s project. “I had found a home with Triumph and I have been fully investing myself since 2008 in the development of the bike. “At this stage of the season the damage caused is incalculable and I am not talking about economic terms.

TAMADA BACK WITH WORLD SUPERBIKES MAKOTO Tamada has a World Superbike ride for 2010. The Japanese veteran will race a Honda CBR1000RR for the Italian Pro Ride team, under the watchful eye of Marco Nicotari. It will be his first season on Hondas in three years and represents something of a reunion. Tamada took his two MotoGP wins in 2004 on a Honda RCV211V, and his three WSBK

victories all came as a wildcard rider when he raced with HRC factory team in Japan. “As much as I am excited to work with Marco, I am thrilled to be back with Honda,” said Tamada, 33, in a statement. “I have always been a ‘Honda’ rider. I have not performed at my best potential since I left Honda. “This year, I plan to be competitive, and show everyone that Makoto Tamada is still very competitive.

I am talking about one’s illusion, about goals in life, about achievements. “I started racing in world championship in 1992. My goal is as simple as keep on racing and entertaining all the fans that believe in my work.” McCoy’s slant on his dismissal is clearly at odds with the official release from BE1 Triumph, which said that “the Australian had been expected to take his place alongside Davies, but has left the team by mutual consent”. The former 500 GP and World Superbike winner was eighth in last year’s Supersport title, which included two podium finishes. He was expected to be a major championship contender in 2010, but Triumph’s factory fortunes will now be left in the hands of the two rookies, Davies and DiSalvo. With McCoy now out of a job, 2010 will mark the first year since 1999 that at least one Australian hasn’t been a permanent fixture in the World Supersport title. Three Aussies have won the Supersport title: Andrew Pitt (2001/2008), Chris Vermeulen (2003) and Karl Muggeridge (2004).

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NASCAR steps up for Haiti NASCAR

Honda Pro Images

Rea’s the Alarm Brits dominate Portimao Superbike test: Honda fastest WORLD SUPERBIKES HONDA may have been frozen out of the fight for the 2009 World Superbike Championship but it appears that the marque will have a major say in deciding the 2010 title. Jonny Rea marked himself as a man to beat in the first three-day test of the season in Portimao, Portugal by topping the sheets. The Irishman was consistently fast, even when the second day of the test was interrupted by wet weather.

British riders dominated the combined times, with Rea heading Leon Haslam (Suzuki), Shakey Byrne (Ducati) and Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha). James Toseland made it five Brits in the top six, just behind Xerox Ducati’s Michael Fabrizio. “It was good to see P1 on the pit board for a lot of laps here and we know we have a good package to take to Australia now,” said Rea. “We've got something that won't be so hard on the tyres, which was a problem there last year. I'm feeling in great

condition and feel that my focus and concentration have improved on last season.” Byrne, who was also fast at the same test last year, looked solid on the Althea Ducati, now updated with a 2010-spec electronics package, and he could pose a threat to the works Italian V-twins. The tests will continue at Valencia next week with BMW, Aprilia and Ducati all expected to test before the final test next month at Phillip Island. The 2010 season kicks off at the famed track on February 28.

NASCAR has stepped forward to assist with the relief effort after last week’s Haiti earthquake. The NASCAR Foundation has pledged to to donate US$250,000 to assist relief efforts, and a number of team owners, including Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Michael Waltrip, have offered their private planes to assist Missionary Flight International to fly relief flights out of Florida. Four drivers, including Sprint Cup Champ Jimmie Johnson, were scheduled to appear at NASCAR Night at Time Warner Arena, at the Charlotte Bobcats’ NBA game to raise funds for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. But with the approval of that charity’s founders Kyle and Pattie Petty, funds will be diverted to the Haiti relief effort. Max Papis is asking his fans donate money for every lap he runs between the Rolex 24 and Daytona 500. “If I can do anything to make people more aware, that’s part of my duty,” the Italian stated.

Wing Man? No: Blade Runner! NASCAR SPRINT CUP

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AS expected, Sprint Cup cars will lose their rear trunk-mounted wing this year. Testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on March 23/24 will determine the specification of the category’s new blade spoiler, which will be introduced at a point to be named later this season. Bump drafting will be permitted

all around at the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega, but the ‘no passing below the yellow line’ rule will stay in place at those tracks. “Over the past 10 years we’ve dramatically increased safety and that mission continues,” said NASCAR president Brian France. “However, it’s time for us to allow the drivers to drive. We don’t want the rules and regulations to get

in the way of great racing and fantastic finishes. NASCAR is a contact sport; our history is based on banging fenders.” The cars will also have larger holes in the carburetor restrictor plates at the two tracks, resulting in more horsepower and greater speeds, which could also break up the huge drafting packs seen in recent years. – MARTIN D CLARK

QUINN IN A MOSLER AUSTRALIAN GT TONY Quinn will switch brands for the upcoming Vodka O Australian GT Championship. Quinn, who finished eighth in last year’s championship, will race a Mosler MT900 after purchasing the Australian Mosler agency from John Briggs. The Aston Martin DBRS9 Quinn used in 2009 is on the market, with the VIP Petfoods magnate to make his Mosler debut in the season

opener at the Clipsal 500. “I’m excited about the year,” Quinn told eNews. “I had a great year last year, hopefully this one’s as good. The GT Championship is great and I loved driving the Aston. “The Mosler is a harder car to drive than it looks. The first time I took it to the track and drove it, I spun three times – fortunately it wasn’t at Clipsal!” Meanwhile, Quinn will expand his tarmac rally program in 2010. Tony will step into a new Nissan GTR,

with his son Klark to drive the team’s existing GTR. Quinn will be part of a full field of cars for the season opener, with the quota for Championship class cars met. After initially looking to move into American machinery, David Wall will return in his title-winning Porsche GT3 Cup S. There are a number of drivers on the move, though, with former Porsche racer Ash Samadi to join Quinn and Andrew Macpherson in the

Mission: Possible PORSCHE GT3 MISSION Foods has signed on as the inaugural presenting sponsor for the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge. In a three-year deal, the 2010 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Australia presented by Mission Foods will be the retailer’s first involvement in motorsport, accompanying deals with the Western Bulldogs in AFL

and the Queensland Firebirds National Netball team. “This is great way to start 2010,” GT3 Cup Challenge Category Manager Jodi Zylstra said. “The GT3 Cup Challenge has gained momentum since its inception in 2008 and we are delighted to have a Presenting Partner for the next three years. “It is terrific that Mission Foods has chosen the GT3

Cup Challenge as a way to expand its brand into motorsport.” Mission will feature on the front and rear windscreen strips of each car in the series, as pictured, while series co-founder Sven Burchartz will run additional signage on his newlypurchased 997 throughout the six-round season which kicks off at Bathurst on February 12-14.

Mosler ranks. Greg Crick has entered three Dodge Vipers, including one for himself and one for 2008 GT Challenge Champ Richard Kimber, while Peter Hill has switched to a Lamborghini Gallardo. In the GT Production ranks, Paul Freestone and Barrie Nesbitt will each pilot a Corvette Z06. Meanwhile, Australian GT has re-signed Vodka O as its naming rights sponsor for the next three years. “We are absolutely thrilled to Vodka O back on board after a hugely successful year together in 2009,” Australian GT Director Rachael Wagg said. “GT and Vodka O have formed an extremely strong and close relationship and we couldn’t ask for a better brand and group of people to have on board. Julian Moss and his talented team are a very important part of the GT family and their enthusiasm and passion for Vodka O and Australian GT is inspiring.” – MITCHELL ADAM

COMMOD COMMODORE CUP A NEW generation of Commodore is set to join the Commodore Cup National Series in 2012. The category currently uses the VS model, which was introduced in 2004, and has a freeze on technical regulations until the end of the 2011 season. Beyond that, Category Manager Glen Holdsworth is looking to introduce a new model platform to the class. “Inevitably, the VSs will continue to run, but we can’t

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Tweedie’s options FORMULA 3

Neil Blackbourne

AUSTRALIAN RALLY

The Bull is Back!

Pedders return to the ARC with two-car Mitsubishi team

DORE CUPDATE go on for any more than two years without introducing a new model to the category, otherwise we’ll lose support and its image,” Holdsworth told Motorsport News. “There hasn’t been any formal talk about it yet, but I think anyone could have a guess of what we’ll be doing. We have to go towards a VX or a VZ-style bodyshell, there’s nothing in between where we are now and going to that.” While most of the running gear from the classes original VH Commodores were compatible with the VS, there

could be a bigger technical change with the new generation. “We’ll probably go to fivelitre motors, for no other reason than the fact the 4.2 litre blocks and heads are becoming hard to get,” Holdsworth said. “That also means there’ll be new brake and suspension packages as well.” For more with Holdsworth on the future of Commodore Cup, check out the February issue of Motorsport News, which is out on Wednesday. – MITCHELL ADAM

THE Bull is back in the Australian Rally Championship. The Pedders Suspension Rally Team will return to the ARC after a five-year layoff, with Mark and Scott Pedder to drive in a pair of Group N Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs. Scott’s co-driver will be Jon Mortimer, will Catherine Smallbone will join Mark. “We had many great times as a team and it is fantastic to get the band back together,” said Mark Pedder. “The Pedder Suspension business has experienced enormous growth and success over the past few years and it is testament to the team at Head Office and throughout the store group. We are also very aware of the commercial opportunities that particularly the 2010 championship will present – especially if we can achieve our goals as a team. Returning to the ARC will fulfil our goals as a business and satisfy our personal passion for this wonderful motorsport.” The Pedders team competed in the ARC until 2004, after which Scott joined Mitsubishi Ralliart’s works team for the 2005-’06, Scott winning the final round in Melbourne. The ARC starts with the alltarmac Rally Tasmania on February 26-28.

TOM Tweedie will return to the Australian Drivers’ Championship this year. After winning last year’s National Class Formula 3 title, the Sydneysider is aiming for the Gold Star in 2010. Tweedie will stick with his Dallara F304 for the opening two rounds at Wakefield Park and Symmons Plains, before assessing a step up into an F307 for the remainder of the season. Changes to the series’ regulations, as revealed in eNews last week, will see drivers in older-model cars score outright points. “The first two rounds are at tracks which suit the F304 cars, which have less downforce than the newer cars so it makes sense to run with what we know and use our data from last year to keep improving,” Tweedie said. “A 2004-spec car got pole in Tasmania in 2008, and an even older model car finished on third outright in the SuperPrix that same year, so that could be a very good track for us. “After Symmons Plains we will re-appraise the situation and look at upgrading to a newer car for the remainder of the season, but a lot of that depends on budget. There are six tracks on this years calendar that will not give the later cars a massive advantage so we are hoping for a good year, regardless of the car, and some more podiums. “With continued reliability perhaps a strong placing in the final Gold Star standings won’t be out of the question.” Tweedie has also received an invitation to contest a pair of British F3 rounds with Team West-Tec, with which he tested in late 2009.

The first McLaren? AN iconic historic New Zealand race car made its debut at last weekend’s highly successful NZ Festival of Motorsport – but it is based in Melbourne! Melburnian Adam Berryman chose the McLaren Tribute Meeting to unveil a restoration that has taken several years – of the car that set Bruce McLaren on the path to becoming a full-on F1 car constructor. The car in question is the ‘Slimline’ 2.5 litre Cooper T70-Climax that McLaren designed and built while still working at Coopers, in late 1963, for the 1964 Tasman Series. Two cars (for McLaren and Timmy Mayer) were actually entered for the series under Bruce McLaren Racing Pty Ltd, which went on to

be McLaren Racing ... McLaren won the Tasman Series, while American Mayer was tragically killed in an accident at the Longford (Tasmania) round. Berryman’s father discovered the car lying in a shed at a butchers shop in

Things look up for Downs

Alex Mitchell

Harris looks to US DRAG RACING NITRO Funny Car racer Damien Harris has beaten Americans on Australian soil, and now he wants to beat them on American soil. The West Aussie recently wrapped up the AUS versus USA challenge at Willowbank Raceway, taking down

America’s Jack Wyatt in the process, and breaking Australian speed records along the way. Now he has his sights set on Garry Densham’s Australian record ET, which he came painfully close to matching at Willowbank – running a 4.868s to Densham’s benchmark 4.863s. According to Harris, beating

Perth, in 1974 ... and paid the princely sum of $500 for it. It remained in store for many years, and has subsequently been beautifully restored ... and is estimated to have a value of over $500,000. – CHRIS LAMBDEN

SUNDAY’S first major event at New Zealand’s new motorsport complex, Hampton Downs, south of Auckland, turned out to be a raging success. Over three days, 30,000 Kiwis (16,000 on Sunday) turned out for the NZ Festival of Motorsport, including a Bruce McLaren tribute and historic races – and some groundshaking F5000 races. Apart from the quality of the fields, accolades were poured on the venue itself. The 2.6km circuit features a brilliant first turn, followed by a series of undulations and double-apex corners, with a first-release of 80 on-track apartments all sold and occupied – with a second

batch to come. A further 1.2km track extension is due for completion later in the year. Built with private funding by Tony Roberts and Chris Watson, the new complex sets the standard in both circuit design and surrounding infrastructure – and is already booked for most weekends in 2010. In other news from the weekend’s event, it is being suggested that another former NZ open-wheeler star might be considering returning to the category. David Oxton completed some demo laps in the sister car to Kenny Smith’s Lola, and by all reports might well turn out to be a regular ... – CHRIS LAMBDEN

Densham’s time is all about preparing for a US assault next year. “We are looking at taking it to the States to race mid-to-late 2011, and that is what we need to be running if we are going to make a proper go of it over there,” he said. “We want it, the whole team wants it, but we want it more because it is a necessary step in our game plan. You can call it a bucket list kind of thing or whatever, but as a group we

really want to go to the United States and run four or five or six meetings depending on finances, and do it properly. “We want to be able to walk away saying we did it, and we weren’t just a first round qualifier or something. So yes we do want it (Densham’s record ET), but more because it is a necessary step for our goal.” Harris’ next chance to challenge for the record will be at Perth Motorplex in March.

5 Minutes with ...

RICK KELLY

The younger of the Kelly Gang was brimming with pride, excitement and ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN expectation when Jack Daniel’s Racing launched last week MOTORSPORT NEWS: Well Rick, here we are at the launch – with Jack Daniel’s back on board. Must be nice to have everything settled so you can concentrate on the season ahead. RICK KELLY: Absolutely. For us, it’s a massive benefit to have [Jack Daniel’s] so passionate about its racing. For me, 2009 was a different year, and one I really enjoyed. It was more about building the team up, which is different to what I was used to. But as much as I enjoyed it, I’m looking forward to becoming a full-time driver again, as far as making driving my priority. This year that will be a bonus for us, and should help us accelerate the results a bit. We’re as ready as anyone for this season. As far as the team goes, we’ve got better stability than anyone else in the field; Todd and I are in the same cars, the engineers are the same, so we’ve got great stability. In my experience, from when I’ve been successful in the past, that’s been a key ingredient. You’ve said that in 2009 you wanted to finish fifth and you ended up eighth; would you still say you met, or even passed, your genuine expectations? I mean, it was a good year for a start-up team ... I would describe us as being unlucky not to finish fifth. For a first year, it was very good. We nearly beat both FPR cars, and we did beat both of the Paul Morris cars easily. And there were a lot of competitive teams that were either behind, or not far in front. And I was stoked to achieve that, because I don’t think we honestly believed that we’d be that high in our first year. Now we need to make sure we keep moving forward at that pace. I’m pretty excited about the bits and pieces that we’re doing to make sure of that, and we’re only a few weeks away from finding out whether it will work. A lot of people are saying the year starts too early, but I think it starts too late. I’m keen to get in the car and see where we’re at.

Drivers being team bosses haven’t really been successful in recent years – what are you guys doing differently? Todd and I have always been involved in different areas of business, and different projects throughout our careers. A lot of drivers become racecar drivers and drink coffee throughout the week, but for us, we’ve always had big side projects on the go, whether it be in Melbourne or Mildura. So for us, this is just a project, although one that we’re extremely excited about. It’s quite easy to differentiate between driving the car, and having input in the team, and I don’t mix the two together. 2010 – what are your goals? I don’t want to race cars until I’m 80, so I want to win another championship this year. Everyone’s aim in the same, but the way they are going to implement it isn’t. For me, I’ve sat down with my engineer and the race team and we’ve looked at the best chance we’ve got, and now we’ll implement that. The big bonus that we’ve got is that we’ve got a team around us that is nice and stable, and that is capable of doing it. And Todd and I have both experienced success in the past, so we know what it takes. What’s the plan with building new cars? Todd is debuting a brand new chassis at the start of the year, which has a few small improvements. The decision that I’ve made, along with the team, is that I’ll run the current car that I had in 2009, just to keep some consistency. We’ve got great confidence in the changes that we can make to make it go faster, so that’s a

decision that we’ve made to get the best possible start we can. But you’ll jump into a new car at some point? We’re starting a new chassis immediately, which I should be in within the first four or five rounds of the championship. But that’s something that we’re not stressed about at all. I’ve been through parts of my career when you think a new car will be better, and it’s not. The car I’m in is completely capable of winning races, and it’s up to me and my engineer to find its sweet spot. But as far as the team moving forward, yes, we’re building new cars. Does that mean Jason Bargwanna will move straight into Todd’s 2009 car? Absolutely. The car Bargs will drive is Todd’s old car, which is the sister car to mine. That gives us good stability again, because what we need is for Bargs to come in and have confidence in the car and the changes he is making, and his car will be identical to mine, so we can bounce ideas of each other. I can learn stuff off him and vice versa, which means we can bring him into the team seamlessly. Finally, fourth driver. Where are you at with that? We’re getting close. Obviously we’re keeping our cards close to our chest as to who it is, but we’ll be making an announcement on that in the near future. For now we know the three drivers and the three sponsors that we’ve got on board, and we’re focussed on getting those right.

A lot of drivers become racecar drivers and drink coffee throughout the week, but for us, we’ve always had big side projects on the go, whether it be in Melbourne or Mildura. – Rick Kelly on why Kelly Racing works

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Why the IRC isn’t the full Monte Opinion Andrew van Leeuwen – eNews Editor

N a few pages time, you’ll be reading all about Mikko Hirvonen winning the Monte Carlo Rally. Now, the Monte is now the opening round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, and for the second year in a row (in the two-year history of the Monte being a part of the IRC), a World Rally Championship driver made a cameo appearance – and won comfortably. Last year it was Sebastien Ogier, who was under contract to Citroen’s junior WRC team. He had never driven a Super 2000 car prior to the prologue in Monaco, and still drove into the distance, leaving the IRC regulars in his icey wake. This time around it was Hirvonen, and not only did he have very limited S2000 miles, but it was also the competition debut of the Fiesta rally car. And the only bloke who looked even mildly in touch with Hirvonen was – you guessed it – Ogier, proving beyond doubt that the WRC guys are just a little too good. In that way, the Monte being part of the IRC is a mixed blessing. In one way, it does encourage these cameos from the world’s best rally drivers, and having the longest running rally in the history of automotion on you calendar is great for credibility. But in another way, having interlopers drop and smash the regulars each year shows that the IRC still has a lack of depth in the driving department, even if it kills the WRC in manufacturer support. Further compounding this problem is the competitiveness of guys like Stephane Sarrazin, Guy Wilks and Freddy Loix, all drivers that have failed on the WRC stage at some point in their careers. The fact of the matter is that manufacturer involvement doesn’t always equal a competitive championship. The last two Monte rallies have proven that the best rally drivers in the world are still in the WRC. God help the IRC regulars if Sebastien Loeb ever decides he wants another Monte win ...

opinion

Something the Poms might win Opinion Phil Branagan – Executive Editor

T looks like it is going to be pork pies and warm beer all round at Phillip Island next month. The latest round of pre-season testing in Portugal was bad news for anyone who may not be that friendly with the Pomerati. Jonathan Rea topped the times on his Ten Kate Honda, and there were a total of five Brits in the top six placings. Actually, when we say ‘Brits’, we really mean a herd of Poms, plus one. Rea is from Northern Ireland but the rest are all Poms; Leon Haslam, Shakey Byrne, Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland. Oh well, maybe there is hope for the side in Supersports. Nope; Eugene Laverty pretty much dominated the 600s. Oh well. There is a point to all this, and it is not just Pom-bashing (though, since this is a Commonwealth Games year, that is fine with us). It is that in motorsport, you need to have your technology right. Ben Spies slammed the Superbike World last year, but if his Yamaha team did not have a handle on his R1, he would have been a mid-fielder. Likewise,

BrawnGP showed what is possible when you develop your weapon to a sharp edge, right at the start of the season. Jenson Button will be hoping that they do just that at McLaren this year – in fact, Lewis Hamilton will be keeping his fingers crossed on that as well. Then again, a check of the times from Portimao’s test a year ago shows that Byrne was the man to beat, then it all went pear-shaped once the racing started. Also, the factory teams from Ducati and Aprilia have more testing before they head south for the final hit-out of the winter, which is just as well. It’s Australia Day tomorrow, and I suggest you keep your Aussie flags when all the fuss dies down. Because, to stem this tide, we are going to need Corser and Vermeuelen, and Stoner, and Webber (and maybe Ricciardo), and Briscoe and Power, to perform at their very best. And, even if the Poms score a few wins on the track, or at the Comm Games, before the weather here gets hot again, keep your flags, and your chin up. Don’t forget, their cricket team is heading this way ...

INTERCONTINTEAL RALLY CHALLENGE MONTE CARLO RALLY

Welcome to the IRC It was the first time that either Mikko Hirvonen or the FIesta Super 2000 had ever entered the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, but it didn’t seem to matter ...

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IKKO Hirvonen has finally won the Monte Carlo Rally – and in the process, took victory on his Intercontinental Rally Challenge debut. Not only was it the World Rally Championship runner-up’s IRC debut, but it was also the competition debut of Ford’s new Super 2000-specification Fiesta, making the 1m51s victory over Juha Hanninen even more special. “It’s one of the most legendary rallies there is, with a long history,” Hirvonen said. “It’s never an easy rally to win because the conditions are very difficult, as they were again this year. “I’m really happy we managed to win. It’s more special because the boys have

worked really hard in the last few weeks and we managed to get a good result thanks to the whole package. We are all really happy.” But it could have been so different. While Hirvonen led the rally from the outset, he was immediately under pressure from Peugeot duo Sebastien Ogier and Stephane Sarrazin. Luckily for Hirvonen, by the end of the first day Ogier had spun on some snow (believed to be placed on the road by spectators) and Sarrazin had suffered a puncture, dropping him well behind the leaders and gifting Hirvonen a 40s lead. But Ogier didn’t give up. A remarkable fightback saw him come from over two minutes down on Wednesday to

being just 40s behind Hirvonen with three stages left to run. An alternator failure eventually halted Ogier for good, ending what might have been a thrilling showdown. Hanninen was second ahead of fellow Skoda driver Nicolas Vouilloz, although neither, at any time, seemed to have the speed to properly challenge Hirvonen. Sarrazin finished fourth after fighting back from his Day 1 puncture. Renault Formula 1 driver Robert Kubica didn’t make it through prologue, his Clio R3 suffering an electrical failure on Tuesday night. The retirees list later included reigning IRC Champion Kris Meeke, who crashed out of second place on Thursday.

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sutton-images.com

Lucky for some: Sebastien Ogier’s Day 1 spin was bad luck for him, but potentially won the rally for Mikko Hirvonen. Juha Hanninen was second, but a long way behind the winner. sutton-images.com

sutton-images.com

SPEEDWAY GRAND ANNUAL CLASSIC

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A Classic Classic GEOFF ROUNDS was on hand to witness one of the greatest races in the Grand Annual Classic’s history

Geoff Gracie

Buc bigg Clas

Geoff Gracie

MERICAN Shane Stewart won The Standard 2010 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic on Sunday night, but not before a wheel-to-wheel dogfight with Australia’s Brooke Tatnell. Both drivers came off the front row for the 40-lap race, and on lap 17, one of the greatest battles in the 38 years of Classic history began to unfold. Like two street fighters, Stewart and Tatnell traded blows and the lead, until the USA star gained the upper hand in front of a massive crowd of 10,500. Stewart held off Tatnell from a late restart to win by 1.034s, with West Australian Ryan Farrell third. “This is one of the big races I put on my calendar that I want to win,” Stewart said. “All the elite drivers have won big races in their careers and I want to do that – and

this is a big race. “Honestly, it hasn’t sunk it yet; it probably won’t until I lay my head on the pillow tonight. “Brooke is a true champion and I can’t say enough about how good Aussie drivers are. “My crew thought they were nervous for the final but I guarantee I was more nervous when Brooke got around me. It’s hard to maintain your speed as well as get around lapped traffic with Brooke breathing down your neck. “This classic win race probably rates the highest out of all my achievements and like Brooke said earlier, there’s no event like this anywhere else in the world.” The last 10 laps saw Stewart set up his maiden Classic victory. He made a race-changing pass for the lead when USA’s Jonathon Allard and Steven Lines

simultaneously stopped in Turn 3. Allard suffered a flat right rear while Lines exited in spectacular fashion when his right rear exploded as he crashed hard, ending his run while challenging for sixth. Moments later the caution lights were brought on again with Australian Champ Garry Brazier slowing in Turn 3 when his power steering failed and Tim Rankin lost his front wing on the back straight. From the restart, Stewart powered away to win ahead of Tatnell, Farrell, James McFadden and Danny Smith. Kerry Madsen was awarded the Squid Signs Hard Charger Award when he raced from 18th to sixth, finishing ahead of Jason Johnson, Matthew Reed, Craig Dollansky, Stephen Bell, Terry McCarl, Jason Sides, Jamie Veal and Tim Rankin. Non finishers were Lines, Brazier, Danny Reidy and Allard.

Geoff Gracie

ckle Up: Victorian Nick Lacey won the prize for the gest crash at the 2010 running of the Grand Annual ssic.

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Geoff Gracie

Tatnell for President BROOKE Tatnell showed he is the best driver on any type of speedway surface, winning his third consecutive President’s Cup at Avalon Raceway on January 20. On a rough, bouncy track, Tatnell was brilliant, leading the entire 30-lap journey to defeat James McFadden and American Wayne Johnson. With drivers racing under a format that was lost on many, Tatnell made use of his pole position start and showed his relief that valuable World Series Sprintcars points weren’t on the line, taking a different approach to his evening’s racing. “This track is a track that we like, it suits my driving style and we got the job done tonight by man-handling the car,” Tatnell said. “McFadden is the best young talent getting around and he’ll be up here for a long time, he’s a good hard racer and he’s smart.” It was McFadden who tried to reel in Tatnell, and at only 20 years of age, claimed lapped traffic was the only thing in the way. “I’m pretty happy with the way things went,” McFadden said. Iowa’s Wayne Johnson was the sole American on the podium and performed well, after starting on the front row. “We’re way ahead of where we were last year,” Johnson said. “A lot of preparation has gone into getting here I’ve been trying to get physically fit to make sure I’m in the best condition to race.” Following home Tatnell, McFadden and Johnson was Robbie Farr, Jamie Veal, Danny Smith, Paul McMahon, Brett Milburn, Nick Lacey and Steven Lines rounding out the Top 10. – GEOFF ROUNDS

NEW ZEALAND FESTIVAL OF MOTOR RACING HAMPTON DOWNS

Old welcomes new

A tribute to Bruce McLaren was the first major event at NZ’s new Hampton Downs circuit. CHRIS LAMBDEN was there. HISTORICS NEW Zealand icon Bruce McLaren was honoured at the first major event at New Zealand’s tremendous new Hampton Downs circuit at the weekend, but the big on-track winner was evergreen Kenny Smith, who dominated a huge field of Formula 5000 cars. The New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing historic meeting featured a number of significant McLaren cars, some racing, others in demonstration runs, including for the very first time, the 1964 Tasman

Series-winning Cooper Climax built and raced by McLaren, as a prelude to his formation of the McLaren team (see news pages). As well, there were examples of Can Am cars, F5000 cars and Formula 1 cars – all the way through to one of the James Hunt M26 cars On track, among a number of packed Historic fields, the F5000s – 38 of them – stole the show. Races leading up to Sunday’s 15-lap feature had seen the ageless Smith winning, but challenged by both the McRae GM1 driven by

Chris Hyde and the Lola T332 of Englishman Mark Dwyer. Unfortunately both challengers suffered mechanical problems in the lead-up to the main event, and Smith’s pristine Lola T430 was able to power away to a solid win, right, with Monaco-based Peter Dunn taking an excellent second in his March. An enormous range of significant New Zealand cars were on track – including the famous Allcomers Saloon ‘Custaxi’ driven originally, and this weekend, by Robbie Francevic.

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Warren Houston

Alex Mitchell

A diverse range of machinery joined the headlining Formula 5000 races at Hampton Downs’ New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing.

Warren Houston

Alex Mitchell

BNT NSV8s TIMARU

Baird’s Big Weekend NZV8s JUST like he did for the Battery Town GT3 Cup Challenge, Craig Baird made it two from three on his way to securing Round 4 of the BNT V8 Championship Series. Baird had a consistent start to the weekend, as he was well placed for Race 1 after qualifying fourth. Then, as the rain began to fall on the Timaru circuit, Baird came into his own, skipping away from

the field to easily win chaos filled Races 1 and 2. A ninth in Race 3 saw Baird coast home for the round victory. Apart from the dominance of Baird, John McIntyre was making headlines of his own as he failed to finish a race all weekend. Although McIntyre’s Falcon was displaying excellent pace throughout the weekend, a stream of mechanical dramas saw him parking in the garage much to the disappointment of his fans.

With the adverse conditions came carnage on the Saturday, as an incident involving many of the front-runners saw Race 1 halted with a red flag. Race 2 then felt much of the same carnage, with potential race winner Andy Knight turned at the start, causing a chain reaction of accidents. Race 3 was also hindered, as the rain again played havoc with competitors, making the whole weekend one of attrition.

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Baird’s Big Weekend (Volume II) GT3 CUP CHALLENGE IT was a wet and wild weekend for Round 4 the Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge at Timaru, and it was Craig Baird who had the weekend almost to himself as he further extended his points lead in the 2009/10 series. After clinching pole position in treacherous conditions over Australian team-mate David Reynolds, the Triple X Motorsports driver went onto dominate the opening two races, before settling for a solid third position in the reverse grid Race 3. Baird drove like a man possessed in Race 1, as the 39-yearold smashed the lap record, finishing the weekend with a 145-point buffer over

adversary Matt Halliday. “The lap record was there for the taking, really,” said Baird. “The track is in good nick, with some new seal down. And using brand new tyres because of qualifying in the wet – we had that extra bit

more grip.” Series newcomer Courtney Letica impressed onlookers with a win in the reverse grid Race 3. The 21-year-old started the race from pole position, and remained calm throughout the 16-lap

race to prove his newfound maturity in the face of fierce competition. It was a popular win, as the Auckland-based racer continues to impress many experienced observers during his debut season of Porsche racing.

Bam Bam Bamber TOYOTA RACING SERIES THE Toyota Racing Series held its second round for the season at Timaru last weekend, with young Earl Bamber taking the overall round victory after less-than-ideal results in qualifying and Race 1. Putting his great finish to the weekend down to car set-up, Bamber made a great start in the damp conditions to lead by

the first lap. Then, as the track began to dry out, Bamber began to fall into the clutches of a hard-charging Mitch Evans, who was making the most of his slick tyres, but a DNF from Evans saw Bamber coast home to win. “It’s a fantastic day for the Triple X Motorsport Toyota team and I have to thank the Mad Butcher and VnC Cocktails for helping get the car out there and allowing me to do my best,” said Bamber.

“I don’t think the team could have expected that when we started from eighth this morning in the 20-lap feature race. The guys did a fantastic job with the car set-up so we had a blindingly quick car for the wet conditions.” Winner of Race 1 was Evans, who continues to impress all as he shattered the lap record four laps in succession. Evans now sits second place in the current championship standings.

rear of grid

A Community Service Announcement

Keep your Red Bull on ice t o p S d Od

EVER wondered who would win an old fashioned drag race between a Red Bull RB5 and six sled dogs on a frozen lake? An age old question, we know, and below lies the answer. It appears as

though it was the dogs by a tongue. Sebastian Buemi and Red Bull Racing were actually in Lac a l’eau-Claire Canada as part of a promotional piece for Red Bul, proving beyond doubt that the

Canadian Grand Prix should never be held in January. Although, considering Bernie’s recent ‘shortcut’ idea, it wouldn’t be the craziest suggestion that’s emerged from F1 HQ recently.