Motorsport eNews Issue 162 - July 6-12, 2010

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Issue No. 162 July 6 -12 2010

FROSTY:

FPR sets its sights on James Courtney for Townsville

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Frosty goes into bat for FPR 6 Pits, long races and caaash V8s get new AGP deal 8 Be nice to your Mother Webb, V8s get energy boost 14 Walkin’ around on a broken leg Pedder on recovery trail 18 Heeeeeeee’s back ...

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Fiore: Far out adventures

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BOYS IN BLUE SEEING RED

James Courtney’s comments about FPR under-performing has fired up Ford’s factory team. Ex V8 SUPERCARS

F

ORD Performance Racing star Mark Winterbottom has responded to comments by James Courtney but refuses to get into a war of words with the V8 Supercar Championship points leader.

Winterbottom and Steven Richards head north to Townsville this week with the Jim Beam Racing star’s words ringing in their ears, after the V8 Supercars website reported Courtney’s criticism of the Ford-backed team, and questioned why it had not won a championship.

But Winterbottom, who had his best points-scoring weekend of the year at Hidden Valley, refuses to take the criticism lying down: “I read it ... when you are on top, you have that right; to say those things, if you like,” he said.

“But he has only been on top for a very short time. You need be careful when to make comments, otherwise you can set yourself up. On the soft tyre, they were the dominant team but they have struggled on the harder tyre.”

Frosty said that whether Courtney was a Ford driver or not makes no difference: “I am happy that a Ford is

leading for the brand, but I am disappointed that it is not one from our team. He is just another driver on the track; I am still trying just as hard to beat him, and to win the championship.”

Despite being back in fifth place, 354 points behind Courtney, Winterbottom sees a positive from his recent performances.

“You try to minimise your bad rounds. We did not have great speed at Willowbank but we have had problems, like those with the brakes, and being crashed at Winton.

“But at the other races, we have had speed.

“James has had minimal DNFs; Jamie [Whincup] and Garth [Tander] have had their problems, and we need to win when we can. You don’t need to have any more pressure on yourself.”

FPR Team Principal Tim Edwards points out that the team’s development has continued between races, despite the fact that Darwin and Townsville have been treated like an ‘away’ double by the teams.

“There has been the perception that we have been sitting on our hands waiting for the control camshaft to come in and solve all our problems,” he said.

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RED FOR FNQ

xpect fireworks in Townsville ...

The team’s commercial director, Mark Roworth agrees: “We absolutely respect the job that Jim Beam Racing is doing, and James is doing a stellar job in driving the car and how he is handling himself in the position he is in,” he said.

“But we are supposed to be the team that people think that they can beat up on. As I think we have demonstrated recently, we are quite a bit better than that.”

And the last word goes to Winterbottom.

“I am not a talker, I am a doer.”

It should be a huge weekend in FNQ …

Dirk Klynsmith

“It would be nice if it were that easy but the truth is we have put in some major (engine development) hours to find the speed we enjoyed in Darwin.”

Winterbottom is looking forward to sampling the result of FPR’s engine development work this week: “The engine is definitely a good gain. It is a genuine boost and there is no doubt that it will be better.

“Darwin was a great result but there is no guarantee that we will be in that position again.

We understand the car better now and there is no reason why we cannot be there again.”

WILDCARDS REVEALED V8 SUPERCARS FOUR Fujitsu Series teams have applied for wildcard entries for the L&H Phillip Island 500 and Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Last year’s three wildcards – Matthew White Motorsport, Greg Murphy Racing and Sieders Racing Team – have put in their paperwork, along with Adrenaline Motorsport, which runs Drew and Aaron Russell.

MWM, GMR and Adrenaline would run existing machinery, while the Sieders are looking to source machinery for the

two events.

“There’s an option there, but we’re staying tight-lipped at the moment,” David Sieders told eNews.

“It’s a little left of centre, it won’t be what a lot of people expected would happen, but it should be good for both parties.”

Applications closed last Thursday, July 1, with a decision to be made at a V8 Supercars board meeting on July 15. V8SA had made provisions for up to five wildcards to be granted.

– MITCHELL ADAM

COTF WAIT CONTINUES V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

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V8 SUPERCARS’ Car of The Future program is continuing, but anyone wanting to see detail of the initiative will have to wait just a bit longer.

While late-June was mooted as a date for more information on the new car, which was made public inMelbourne in late-March, eNews has been told that the technical specs of the car, which is set to become mandatory for the V8 Supercar Championship Series

from 2012, will not be made public for some time yet.

“The Car of The Future specifications are substantially completed, depending on more discussion by the V8 [Supercars Australia] board at their next meeting,” V8SA spokesman Cole Hitchcock said on Monday.

“The Car of The Future board have done all they can and the [V8SA] board needs to sign off on the specifications before anything else happens to move it forward.”

AGP REVAMP FOR V8s New pitlane, cash on the line and longer races – but no points yet ...

V8 SUPERCARS

V

8 SUPERCARS has taken a big step towards racing for points at the Australian Grand Prix with news of a new five-year deal to race at Albert Park.

The category will race for $500,000, which will be provided by V8 Supercars Australia, from a new pitlane, to be built at the south end of the existing Formula 1 pitlane at the Melbourne circuit. The 2011 event with feature a new format, with three races over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and with the opportunity to have championship-style pitstops in the races.

As well, the pitlane complex, which will take “less than four weeks” to built and “two weeks to take down”, according to AGP Corporation CEO Drew

Ward, will feature two levels of units above, providing hospitality for event guests.

Teams will be able to position their trucks immediately behind the complex, as they might at a V8SCS event, rather than operate from remote and temporary facilities, as has been the case in the past.

“The excitement around V8 Supercars, around the Australian Grand Prix, is absolutely fantastic,” said Victorian Major Events Minister Tim Holding last week.

“Cementing the V8s was an integral part of the Carnival of motorsports from 2011 to 2015.”

Special packages are already available for ‘V8 Alley’, with the V8 Supercar Club and Victory Suite. There are separated from, and separate to, the F1 Paddock Club.

THE DRIVER Greg Murphy

I

t’s a fantastic announcement, and it’s great for V8 Supercars.

This is something that has been talked about for years and, obviously, someone has been working very hard behind the scenes and V8 Supercars Australia have

T

ELEVISION remains the sticking point between V8 Supercars and Albert Park hosting a round of its Championship Series.

The Seven Network is in the fourth year of a six-year deal to be the host broadcaster of V8 Supercars in Australia, and barring unforeseen circumstances, the series will remain on the network until the end of the 2012 season at the earliest.

On the other side of the dial, Network 10 recently extended its deal to broadcast GPs on 10 and its sports channel ONE HD until the end of the 2015 season, so it appears that non-points V8 Supercar races will be a feature of at least the next two Albert Park meetings.

The other potential sticking point is that Formula One Management, which conducts

got their way. It locks us in for a for a longterm future with the AGP, so that is great for the stability of V8 Supercars and the event.

I am sure that the V8 races are a drawcard for fans who go to the GP to see the V8s, and stay for the Formula 1, or the other way around. People go to the race for different reasons, and this will be a plus for all of them.

I love the circuit; it’s a great track. I

the commercial business of Formula 1, and which through Formula One Productions, controls the television coverage at GP events, including support events on F1 schedules.

However, V8 Supercars Australia would appear to be well-placed to deal with that situation, on the proviso that V8 Supercars and Formula 1 appear on the same network.

New V8 Supercars CEO Martin Whitaker, who is currently in the UK, formerly worked with FOM boss Bernie Ecclestone and would appear to be well-placed to be able to resolve any impasse that may otherwise prevent a solution being reached.

So in the meantime, it’s non-points races until 2012 and then a solution might be found.

love racing at Albert Park and it’s always a challenge to go there, take what you knew from a year ago and have a go on a great, long and flowing circuit. It is going to be a unique thing, as far as GP racing is concerned, to have an ‘endurance’ race, so that is really going to spice up the racing.

The only negative, so far that I can see, is that I have not been offered an F1 gig yet. Maybe this will help that process along! motorsport news

news

AGP REVAMP – THE REACTION THE TEAM BOSS

getting in an out. We have been jammed into pit road, in front of all the Formula 1 garages, and it has been hard for the teams to operate from that environment.

Plus, if there is a stoppage on the track, and it is during a shorter session, it really affects your program.

This gives us the opportunity to do proper pitstops, and to bring some strategy into play, to think about strategy

and have some better races for the spectators, and that is the important thing.

I think that if we have the softer tyres in, say, one of the races, that would be a good thing. The track’s surface would cause the tyres to drop off pretty quickly and planning for it would be a new challenge.

That would make the races more unpredictable, and I think that it is a positive.

listening to any number of drivers or THE EXEC. EDITOR and team members having a gripe about not

no, Turn 8 (dammit, can we have corner names, please AGPC?) So, no complaints here.

My point is, we can think what we like, but if the spectators get a better show out of this, that is the biggest plus, and the first one to count.

If team owners, racing drivers and, let’s be honest, journos and photographers are paid to go to a race, their opinions do get, and should get out-voted by the paying punters. So, Tweet us your thoughts, and let’s see if we have this right. Because from where we sit, this looks like a bunch of positives, and we are having difficulty spotting any negatives.

Ross Stone

I

THINK that everybody in the team is looking forward to it.

It has been frustrating to be there, sometimes, in past years, because during a practice session, if you only have half an hour, it can be tough

Phil Branagan

T

HE news that the V8 Supercar teams will have their own pitlane at Albert Park was welcomed about as universally as news can be in the sport.

The drivers like it. The team owners like it. So does V8 Supercars, the management of which likes it so much, it isputting up half a million bucks in prizemoney.

So will most of the media. I suppose it was some fun for us to wander down to the motor racing equivalent of Siberia

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being in the centre of pitlane (and being the centre of attention, probably). But the fact is that almost anyone accustomed to a certain standard of working conditions – and that is what a pitlane is, a workplace – would have a grizzle about putting up with less, even if it is just for one weekend.

We would.

And it will be easier for us to vault backwards and forwards between Jamie and James, and Jenson and Sebastian, than it was to march out to the boonies to find out what the hell happened to cause a V8 hero to lurch off the track at Turn 4 …

Dirk Klynsmith

Mister Rogers vs The Fun Police

GAUN

V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

V8 team owner Garry Rogers is ensconced in an off-track battle – with Victoria’s licence plate authorities!

GR, you see, owns licence plate ‘HOON’, which almost seems out of place on his bog standard Renault Scenic.

However, the Nanny State – as Victoria increasingly seems intent on confirming itself as – believes the plates send the “wrong message” to the drivers of today, and so the licensing body (the RTA) wants them back!

Garry, as you might suspect, believes this is rubbish and, stubbornly, refuses to do so.

The battle made Channel 9’s A Current Affair programme last week.

“I’m a happy hoon,” Rogers told the interviewer, adamant that he will not bow to this bureaucratic nonsense.

“I’ll fight them on the beaches,” he quipped.

Rogers also has a set of amusing plates for his wife’s car – ‘LRYKIN’ …

Go Garry, we’re all with you!

V8 SUPERCARS CAMERON McConville’s return to the V8 Supercar Championship Series is coming one race earlier than he expected, but he is going to Townsville with an open mind.

The semi-retired driver was expecting to have the second of two drives in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series but has got the call-up to race Lucas Dumbrell’s Holden Commodore in northern Queensland. McConville’s seat in the Jax Quickfit Tyres FV8 entry will be filled by fellow endurance specialist, Craig Baird.

The news leaves LDR’s rookie driver Daniel Gaunt without a drive, as the team has named Mark Noske and Holden enduro perennial Nathan

A celebration of Australia’s Muscle Car heritage and a tribute to the drivers that raced

Pretty as its drivers for Phillip Island and Bathurst.

“Daniel [Gaunt] has done, I think, a great job for someone in his position, someone with so little mileage,” McConville told eNews.

“He can hold his head high, he gave it a good go and I am sure that he will be back in the Main Game. He clearly has talent and maybe some Fujitsu races, now that the level has increased, would be good for him. He has done a solid job in the deep end.”

Following the Townville race, McConville has three starts with the Holden Racing Team at PI, Bathurst and on the Gold Coast, and there is speculation that he may return to the series next year in a full-time capacity.

For more on McConville, see 5 Minutes, page 22

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Youlden leads FV8 McConville’s in for Townsville and returnees Noske and Pretty pair for enduros

NT, GONE

hood Statement IF, like us at eNews, you have been appalled by the scandalous shortage of energy drink brands involved in V8 Supercar racing, rest easy.

Jonathan Webb will take to the Townsville streets this weekend in the black-and-red hues of Mother, which promises some, er, fully sickness in the FNQ, um, ‘hood.

We will completely understand if you now feel totally stoked and/or awesome.

FUJITSU SERIES LUKE Youlden will join the posse of endurance drivers getting extra V8 Supercar laps in the Fujitsu Series at Townsville this weekend.

Youlden, who’ll race with FPR in the enduros, has inked a deal to run with Matthew White Motorsport. He steps into the Falcon he raced at Phillip Island and Bathurst in 2008 with the factory Ford outfit, and has been used this year by Kiwi Ant Pedersen, who has failed to raise the budget to compete at Townsville.

“There were some discussion earlier in the year about running with Luke, but nothing came out of it. And now, with Ant unable to make it, it’s worked out well,” Matthew White said.

“I’ve run against him plenty of times, but never on the same side of the fence.

“He sat in the car the other day and felt comfortable. It’s all a good fit; Luke knows how to drive FPR cars, which aren’t the easiest to get your head

around, so it bodes well for this weekend.”

For his part, Pedersen is aiming to return to the series at Bathurst.

“I’m gutted, but will now work hard to try and make the remaining three rounds,” he said.

Youlden will race with backing from Watersports and Turtlewax this weekend, while his MWM team-mate for the weekend, David Russell will run Nando’s branding to promote the Portuguese chicken restaurants’ Townsville outlet.

“It's a very special event and I could think of no better way to reward Nando's for their support than to finish at the front of the field,” Russell said.

In other sponsor news, Tim Blanchard has formed a partnership with corporate workwear and apparel manufacturer, Winning Spirit.

“I am really pleased to have Winning Spirit on board our 2010 campaign,” Blanchard, who celebrated his 23rd birthday in Melbourne last week, said.

– MITCHELL ADAM

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Wait and See on Wings FORMULA 1 IT has been just a few weeks since the decision was made, but the debate over the moveable rear wings proposed for 2011 continues to intensify.

While drivers Mark Webber and Jarno Trulli have expressed their opposition to moveable wings, Mercedes team boss Ross Brawn has defended them, saying that the only possible drawback is that they might make overtaking too easy.

Brawn, who heads the Formula One Teams’ Association’s (FOTA) technical rules group that formulated the moveable wing concept, says safety will not be an issue.

“There has been quite a bit of work done by several of the teams, CFD work, and the wing is being configured so that if there was a failure it would fail in its full loaded position,” Brawn told Autosport.

“The way it works is that the front of the

flap lifts up, it is not the back of the flap going down. So the main plane and the flap will be horizontal and, if there is a failure, the wing will drop back into its fully loaded position.”

The only remaining question, he says, is deciding by how much the wings can be trimmed back.

“The amount that we said we are going to lift the wing - we set a target which we think is adequate, and maybe a little bit more than is needed, but then we will have the scope to reduce that if the effect becomes too strong.

“What we now have to define carefully is when you are allowed to use that facility.

The idea is for some sort of calculated proximity based on the section times and loops in the track – so when a car is close enough he will have the message that he is close enough and he can use it for the next period, part of the lap or a complete

lap, and reduce the drag on the straight.”

But McLaren F1 team boss and FOTA chairman, Martin Whitmarsh, warned that the moveable wing concept might prove unnecessary in 2011. He said it was possible that the teams would agree not to deploy moveable wings.

“We have to decide carefully,” he said on FOTA’s fan forum. “I think the sporting regulations that accompany it are critical and I’m not sure we have had enough thought on that yet.

“We’ve got to try some of these things and be prepared to say we got it wrong, it wasn’t a very good idea, and pull back – which is not what Formula 1 has traditionally done. With too many of them [the rule changes] we never said ‘actually we’ve screwed up, let’s just reverse out of this one’ because you don’t look so clever.

But actually we have to go into it and experiment a little bit with the show.”

JENSON GETS HIS CAR FORMULA 1 JENSON Button has just taken delivery of one of the Brawn chassis he used to win last year’s World Drivers’ Championship. But he had to threaten the Mercedes F1 team with legal action to get it.

As part of the contract drawn up between Button and the former Brawn team at the start of 2010, Button would get to keep a BGP001 car in the event of him winning the championship.

Mercedes took over the Brawn team shortly after Button duly did clinch the championship, and thus inherited Brawn’s contractual obligation.

But Button rejected an offer from Mercedes of a speciallybuilt replica of the title-winning Brawn BGP001 chassis. So Button threatened to take the 10

team to court.

A settlement was subsequently reached, so that now the Mercedes team has supplied Button with the requisite BGP001, one of a reported six cars built for last year’s season.

The handing over of the Brawn F1 car means Button now has something to which team-mate Lewis Hamilton still aspires.

When Hamilton won the world championship in 2008, McLaren boss Ron Dennis had promised to give Lewis one of his cars if he won the world championship three times.

While Lewis still has two titles to go, in the meantime no doubt that McLaren F1 team boss Martin Whitmarsh will be keen for his technical staff to make a close examination of their other driver’s new acquisition.

For full F1/ Moto GP/ WRC coverage/n ews, CLICK HERE to get to GPWeek magaz ine www.gpweek.c om button-images.com

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Lewis plans a home track ‘demolition’ FORMULA 1

Mercedes Benz

LEWIS Hamilton is hopeful that the McLarens will ‘demolish’ their opposition at this weekend’s British Grand Prix.

Red Bull Racing might have dominated at the supposedly nonRed Bull friendly Valencia, but that hasn’t dented the confidence of Hamilton, who expects a much improved showing from McLaren as the team prepares to wheel out various technical upgrades.

“I really just hope it will be an incredible experience again,” Hamilton told PA Sport, “that the upgrades we have work, and we’re able to demolish the field. Our car is so good. It’s just down to me and Jenson doing a solid job, without one or the other having problems. But it’s going to be tough.

We can’t go into it thinking we’re the

favourites because the Red Bull, as it stands, is definitely the fastest car.”

While the spotlight in recent weeks has been on the inter-team battle at Red Bull between Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, fight between Hamilton and Jenson Button at McLaren could reach mid-season climax at Silverstone with only six points separating the two drivers at the top of the table as they each shoot for victory in their Grand Prix.

“I’m sure Jenson does want to win,” Hamilton said, “but it doesn’t mean he wants it more than me, so we’ll have to wait and see. Although I’ve won the grand prix before, I’d love to win it again, but if he does a better job than me, so be it, but he has to do a better job than me. We’ll race fairly, and the fastest guy will win, hopefully a onetwo, which would be special, real special.”

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11

ANDRETTI: FAN INDYCAR

INDYCAR fans have selected Mario Andretti as the driver most suitable to have the new-for-2010 road course title after him.

Earlier this year, IndyCar announced it would expand to two additional championships due to the diversity of its tracks. Both an oval and a road course champion will be crowned after eight events each, with the final oval race counted only towards the series’ overall champion.

Andretti, 70, led the vote with 44 percent, followed

by Alex Zanardi (25 percent) and Dan Gurney (12 percent). The legendary A.J. Foyt, 75, beat Rick Mears to the honor of the oval trophy name.

Andretti’s 52 victories (second only to A.J. Foyt with 67 wins) include 23 wins on road courses, and a record 67 poles. During his career, Andretti achieved four IndyCar titles and the 1969 Indianapolis 500, compared to AJ’s seven national championships and four Indy 500 victories.

Retired in 1993, Foyt is the only driver to win the Indy 500, Daytona 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

– MARY MENDEZ

IZOD EXTENDS RHR DEAL INDYCAR RYAN Hunter-Reay will finish the season in IZOD colours, after the title sponsor of the IndyCar Series expanded its sponsorship of the title contender.

Running under the Andretti Autosport umbrella, Hunter-Raey’s IZOD deal was originally only for the first seven races of the season. However, the clothing brand has now confirmed that it will continue to back the American under the name of Team IZOD. A new charity has also been formed called Racing for Cancer, which was inspired by the recent loss of Hunter-Reay’s mother Lydia to colon cancer.

– MARY MENDEZ 12

POWER IN CONTROL INDYCAR AT the midway point of the 17-race 2010 IZOD IndyCar season, the title fight is still too close to call.

Of the seven different winners in eight races – Will Power, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Ryan Briscoe, and Tony Kanaan – Power is the only repeat winner. The Toowoomba native leads the championship with 274 points, while Hunter-Reay, who is the lowest ranked of these winners in seventh overall, is only 49 points behind. And with nine races left, there are still 477 points possible.

During the last four seasons of IndyCar, the title has not been decided until the final race. By winning the first two races at the beginning of the year, Power has demoralized the competition. Only once has Power not led the title fight this season – after the Texas oval, where Franchitti slipped ahead by a mere three points. And,

with five road courses before the final four ovals, Power could now capitalise, jumping ahead permanently.

“For the championship, the way the points are structured, you’ve got to win races,” said Power.

“You get a 10-point advantage if you win. I’m pretty focused on winning a few races in the next group of road courses.

“Actually, after doing the four ovals we did I’m pretty confident even on the ovals now. At Indy I was in really good shape. I felt I had the car to win as I did in Texas. At Iowa, the car went a little loose but I was in position there to win.

“So I feel as though I’ve got the hang of the ovals. I’m not as concerned as I was at the beginning of the season driving on ovals. Those four races are really going to help me with the last four events. The key is to make sure there are no mistakes over the next nine races.”

– MARY MENDEZ motorsport news

news

JUNIOR’S FAIRYTALE

N FAVE!

NASCAR

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THE Band got back together at Daytona and the fairytale came true – even if it was ‘just’ a Nationwide Series fairytale.

Dale Earnhardt Jr won Friday’s NW race at Daytona, kicking off the category’s Next Generation cars with an unlikely victory under even more unlikely circumstances.

Junior drove a Chevy Impala, a joint entry from Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt, and carrying not only the famed #3 of Dale Earnhardt but the colours of Wrangler Jeans – chosen by Junior because it was the favourite of his father livery when he was a kid.

Earnhardt ended his 85-race winless streak, from both Cup and NW events, with a narrow win over Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse.

Brad Keselowski was fourth, giving Chevrolet, Toyota, Ford and Dodge each a position in the top four in the first race for the new’ COT-style racers.

It was a relieved and emotion Earnhardt who faced the media after the win.

“I was happy for Richard to have been a part of this and allowing us to run this number,” he said, “and Teresa and my sister for all they did putting it together, all the things they went through. You know, my team, all the fans that this made happy. I was just relieved.”

But, while suggestions persist that he may run a full or partial NW program in the future, he will never run with the #3 again, in any form of competition.

“I will never do it,” he said firmly. “I’ll never rethink it. I’ll never consider it. I think that it’s important for everybody to know that that’s as concrete as it gets. I’ll never do it again.”

ROL

sutton-images.com

www.mnews.com.au

13

Pedder eyes Rally Victoria RALLY

Smarts want to ROQ on home turf

14

A word of warning, the next paragraph is quite descriptive ...

“It was a difficult operation because, it was a compound break, the knee cap came through the skin and through the driving suit as well,” he said.

Following the accident, ambulances were quickly on the scene to attend to Pedder, with the stage cancelled.

“It’s just testament to the procedures of the event, and the safety of the sport, because I think it was around three-anda-half minutes from impact to when the first ambulance arrived.

“So I’ll be annoying my wife now for the next six weeks,” he joked.

– CALLUM BRANAGAN

RALLY

the outside of the track, which then spun us around into the tree on the inside,” Ryan Smart said.

“I knew straight away that our rally was over. It is very disappointing, we have been having such a great year, but as I have been told by Neal [Bates], Simon [Evans] and Dad that we all stuff up sometimes and that’s rallying!”

Despite the accident, the brother and sister team remain third in the ARC standings with two rounds remaining.

At the IROQ, the Smarts will continue their support of the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. As they work to raise funds for the OCRF, the team will put two passenger rides at the event up for grabs, for people who join their team and make a donation through www.everydayhero.com.au/ smartmotorsport with the password ‘smartmotorsport’.

Michael Vettas

SCOTT Pedder is recovering at home after undergoing surgery on the leg he broke in a horrific accident at the Rally of South Australia last weekend.

The Pedders driver lost control of his Lancer after clipping a tree, which speared him into the scenery following a fast crest.

“I remember the whole thing,” said Pedder.

“It’s a corner or a crest that you’ve got to keep to the right, and we were too far towards the middle. So we came over, and just grazed a tree stump, or a tree.

“The team reckon that the left-hand rear control arm was bent. That’s bent the wheel and which has basically turned us hard right, down the hill and straight on into the tree.

“I think we hit the crest at 160 kilometres an hour, so [we hit] the tree somewhere in the vicinity of 150(km/h).”

After the orthopaedic surgery last Monday, the rehabilitation process will take a while, with Pedder aiming to return for the final round of the ARC, Rally Victoria in November.

“I’ll possibly be back for the last round,” he said.

“I’ll miss the Queensland round, because I’ve got to keep the leg straight for six to eight weeks, and that’s impossible in a race car.

“Obviously there’s a bit gap between the Queensland and Victorian rounds. It will probably be around 12 weeks before I can drive again, so I should be ready for Victoria.”

Pedder also revealed that his operation wasn’t totally straight forward, and the extent to which his leg was broken.

AUSTRALIAN Rally Championship privateers Ryan and Rebecca Smart are aiming to be back in action at the International Rally of Queensland later this month, after their massive accident at Rally of South Australia.

The Smart Motorsport Toyota Corolla is currently at the Canberra base of Neal Bates Motorsport, who constructed the car, and has been stripped ahead of work to repair the roll cage following heavy impact on the co-drivers side.

Work is currently on track to see the car ready for the Smart’s home event, which starts on July 31.

“I made, what felt like, such a small mistake, and cut the corner too much on the slippery grass, that slide the rear of the car into a barrier on

motorsport news

news Rob Lang

Sabre’s Flying Vee FORMULA VEE BORLAND Racing Developments is planning to continue its international expansion, this time through it Sabre Formula Vee brand.

Having made a stunning debut in the hands of Daniel Reinhardt recently, the latest Sabre chassis is already being targeted by British FVee teams, with motor racing journalist and parttime competitor Sam Collins wanting to run a two-car Sabre team in England next

season. The Deputy Editor of Racecar Engineering was recently reported in British media as having shown interest in the car, based on the success of the Spectrum Formula Ford chassis in the UK. When contacted by eNews, BRD’s Paul Zsidy said details were currently sketchy, but that both the UK and the USA were on the radar for the Sabre chassis.

“Sam has confirmed over email that something is happening,” Zsidy said.

“I can’t give you any more details, because I don’t know anything more about it. We will be speaking to Sam at length soon. There are a few things we’d need to look at, such as the engine configuration (FVee uses a 1300cc engine in England), but if it can be done, we’d be very interested in it.”

Zsidy also confirmed that the US is a potential market for the Sabre, through the Formula First series. BRD is currently working on an F2000 version of its Spectrum,

and may use the Sabre as an entry into the US scene.

“Formula First is amazing over there, so there’s no reason why we won’t look at that,” he added. “It would be nice if when we do launch the F2000 car, people know that we build good racing cars.

“If you look at what we’ve done with the Formula Fords, we have a Kent car that has now been proven around the world. We’d be crazy not to promote that with the Sabre as well.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

ASH’S DASH FOR CASH FUJITSU SERIES CURRENT Formula Ford pilot Ash Walsh is eyeing a move to the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series in 2011.

The former CAMS Rising Star driver has made his intentions very clear about his future racing aspirations in V8

Supercars, and has started his search for the dollars to make a move into the Development Series next year.

After a period racing overseas, Walsh returned to full-time Australian Formula Ford racing last year for the final two rounds at Phillip Island and Surfer’s Paradise.

Driving with Borland Racing Developments, Walsh is currently placed fourth after four rounds of the 2010 season.

Although some of the funding is in place, Walsh admits there’s still some work to be done.

“We’re part of the way there,

but obviously I still need quite a lot more to be able to race in the Fujitsu Series next year,” Walsh said.

“I still don’t really have an idea yet of who I would race with, the main thing I’m focusing on at the moment is getting the money together.”

– CALLUM BRANAGAN

BIGGER MORGAN PARK READY (VERY) SOON CIRCUIT NEWS LATE on Saturday afternoon during last weekend’s State Championship round, Grant Watson and Shane Hart tested the newly extended Morgan Park layout.

The duo completed four laps each for officials, who took the opportunity to look for potential issues with the circuit fully staffed. The new longer track brings the circuit up to slightly longer than Winton and www.mnews.com.au

Queensland Raceway at just over 3.1km, which will make it the third longest permanent track in Australia behind Phillip Island and Eastern Creek.

“Absolutely sensational,” Supersports driver Watson said.

“Particularly the banked right-hander, that part is just awesome. It’s going to be good fun. We changed the diff range for another 1100 revolutions and the Eclipse got to 236 kilometres an hour on the longer straight.”

The extensions peel left just after the existing T-Junction, with a pair of sweeping corners going downhill towards a sharp and banked right-hand corner, which returns towards the pits. A left-right combination lines it up with the longer front straight.

“Everything was fine with the test,” said circuit owner Bill Campbell.

“With these extensions we’ve now created 11 track variations from 700m to 3.2 kilometres for

the bus-stop chicane superbike circuit. Everyone who has had a look has said the track was awesome, including Craig Lowndes when we took him around the circuit. The CAMS track inspection is set for the middle of June.”

Morgan Park, which has been operating in various forms for over 50 years, is set to debut the longer track at the Shannons Nationals round on August 14-15.

– MARK JONES 15

n Melbourne driver Mark Seamons will make his debut in the Vodka O Australian GT Championship at Phillip Island this weekend. Seamons has purchased a Lamborghini Gallardo from the Asian GT3 Series.

This weekend’s GT round consists of a pair of onehour races, with points from the weekend, and the recent Eastern Creek event combining to award the CAMS Australian Tourist Trophy. n The Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship and Hertz MINI Challenge have bolstered their TV packages for the remainder of the year.

In addition to standalone shows on 7TWO here in Australia, Formula Ford will now be shown on TV3 in New Zealand. The MINI Challenge has inked a similar deal with TV3 for their shows to be aired in NZ, and has added broadcasts on Fox Sports to their portfolio. n Queensland statelevel Improved Production racer Mark Bell was injured two Fridays ago in a testing accident at Queensland Raceway. He remains in an induced coma, having suffered head and leg injuries in the accident. n Clarification from last week’s Shannons Nationals coverage ... Adam Beechey and Dean Croswell won the Commodore Cup Endurance Challenge, not Lee and Brett Holdsworth.

The Endurance Challenge and Ashley Cooper Memorial Trophy were awarded to the round winner, not the winner of Sunday’s race, a mix-up which occurred in the sub editing process.

– STAFF / MARK JONES

16

Rob Lang

BRIEFLY...

National Hunt FORMULA FORD VICTORIAN Formula Ford front-runner Josh Hunter will make his Australian Formula Ford Championship debut at Sandown later this year.

Hunter, grandson of Aussie Sprintcar legend Garry Rush, has been running in the Victorian Fiesta FFord class this year with Sonic, having come from a solid karting background. And with some solid results at state level under his belt, Hunter is set to debut in the AFFC at Sandown in November.

That will give Sonic a fourcar attack for the final round,

with Geoff Urhrane, Nick Foster and Ryan Simpson the team’s regular AFFC drivers.

“That was always the idea, to get laps under my belt in the state series, and then debut in the National series,” Hunter told eNews.

“I’ve got some great teammates, so going to that next level should be much easier.

I will be trying to tag on to them and learn. I’ve also got Nick [Percat] here, and he knows all the tracks and how to drive them, so that helps a lot too.

“The competitiveness in the Victorian series helps a lot, as well. There are a lot of National guys running these

rounds for practice, so to run against them – and get good results – is good for my confidence. It will be good to see how I can go against those same guys at National level.”

Despite being just 15 years of age and fresh out of karts, Hunter has been impressive this year, breaking through for a debut win at Winton in the wet.

“Every driver would like to be better, and every driver wants to win,” he added.

“But to be racking up top five finishes is good. I’ll just keep pressing on and trying to move forward.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Going to Town(sville) V8 UTES TOWNSVILLE driver Graham Edwards will make his debut in the Yokohama V8 Ute Series this weekend, in Round 4 at his home event.

The 20-year old will become the second youngest driver on the V8 Ute grid as he steps up from the Queensland Holden Gemini Series into the Greg Thomas Racing prepared

Holden VE Ute, driven at Hidden Valley by Yanis Derums.

Edwards’ move into the Utes puts him one step closer to the his ultimate goal of reaching V8 Supercars, and after a successful test in Peter Burnett’s Falcon Ute, ‘The Mole’ is excited about racing in front of a home crowd.

“I moved into a Gemini with Wilson Brothers Racing and

my goal was to get into the V8 Utes,” said Edwards.

“I’m really excited, it’s only days away now and it’s exciting to be racing at my home track in front of a home crowd.

“After my first test session, I came to really enjoy driving the Utes. It’s more fun than the Gemini and my ultimate goal from here would be to try and get into Supercars.” motorsport news

news PRODUCTION CARS THE inaugural Australian Six Hour Production Car race has a naming rights sponsor – Dial Before You Dig. The national information service for underground pipes and cables has signed on to support the race at Eastern Creek, along with Bendix.

Organisers are expecting around 30 entries for the July 17-18 event, including dual Bathurst 12 Hour winner Garry Holt, who has confirmed he’ll join Ryan McLeod in a turbocharged Holden Astra.

Among the outright contenders, Gavin Bullas and Barton Mawer will join Jim Hunter in his Subaru WRX

STi, while Peter Conroy and Mark Brame will drive Conroy Motorsport’s Evo X Lancer.

Formula Ford driver Nathan Morcom will race with his father Barry, in his BMW 335i, and Christian D’Agostin joins Steve Briffa (HSV Clubsport).

In the classes for smaller cars, Terry Conroy and Barrie Nesbitt will share a Honda Integra Type

S, Trevor Keene, Ryan Dane and Steve Cramp will team-up in Keene’s MINI Cooper S, and Sydney driver Jake Williams, will join Lauren Gray in the LGM Toyota Corolla, pictured.

A Ford Fiesta XR4 will debut in Production Car racing at the event, in the hands of Phil and Declan Kirkham and Matt Lahmann.

Dial before you race Phil Williams

Graham out, Cassidy in for EMG at Townsville

www.mnews.com.au

FORMULA FORD KIWI Nick Cassidy will make his Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship debut at Townsville this weekend.

Cassidy, 15, joins Evans Motorsport Group in the place of Adam Graham, who will miss the round due to a budget shortfall.

Graham finished third for the round at Queensland Raceway and qualified on the front-row at Hidden Valley. He is currently sixth in the points and looking to return in the next round at the Gold Coast, possibly in a third EMG Mygale.

Townsville will be Cassidy’s maiden Australian hitout and first taste of a Fiesta powerplant, having claimed Rookie of the Year honours and second in the 2009/2010 NZ Formula Ford Championship.

“I’m excited to be competing with Evans Motorsport Group, I’ve been keeping a close eye on their results so far this year and it’s been quite impressive for a new team,” Cassidy, who will be the youngest driver in the field, said.

“I’ve also got to give a huge thank you to my sponsors for enabling me to take up this opportunity to compete in Australia. Fuchs Lubricants, Australian Clutch, IDL and BNT have been instrumental in my career so far – I certainly couldn’t do it without them.

“Josh (Evans, EMG Team Owner) and I were close to inking a deal at the start of this season, however I had to undergo surgery to my legs so it wasn’t possible. I’m now 100% fully fit and really looking forward to driving the Mygale Duratec in this highly competitive series.”

17

AUSSIE RACING CARS CAMS Rising Star Garry Jacobson will take a trip down memory lane at Phillip Island next weekend, returning to Aussie Racing Cars.

Jacobsen will swap his Formula Ford for the Garry Rogers Motorsport Aussie Racing Car, in his second run in the series for the year, having contested the 2009 season, pictured.

“I’m looking forward to it, and it should be a great weekend!” said Jacobson.

“I’m very excited to be back

in the car, I really enjoy the door to door action and the close racing of these cars makes them really good fun things to drive.”

Jacobson feels that getting as many miles under his belt is key to the development of his racing career, even if they are shared across two categories.

“Talking with my parents at the start of the year, we knew that trying to get as much seat time we could was going to be a good thing,” he said.

“Obviously, racing in two classes, you’re going to get a bit more experience about what different cars are like,

John Morris / Mpix

Jacobson’s ARC return

and this year obviously the main priority was going to be the CAMS Rising Star program with Minda Motorsport.

“Every now and then, if we are given the opportunity

by Garry Rogers to race the Aussie Racing Car, we were going to do it.”

Round 4 of the Aussie Racing Car Super Series will support Australian GT this weekend. Former Aussie Racing Car champion Richard Fricker will also join the field, having contested selected rounds so far this season.

– CALLUM BRANAGAN

Top Schatz SPRINTCARS

18

John Morris / Mpix

FOUR-time World of Outlaws Champion Donny Schatz will return to Australia this summer, confirming four events at Tyrepower Parramatta City Raceway.

Schatz will again race with Garry Rush’s Pick ‘n’ Payless outfit in TPCR’s Australian Sprintcar Grand Prix, Sydney Sprintcar International and $50,000 to Win Classic for the Scott Darley Trophy over the Christmas and New Year period. His fourth and final event at TPCR for the trip will be the January 15 meeting.

The Sydney venue has been a happy hunting ground for Schatz, who has won the Sprintcar Classic eight times, and is fourth on the circuit’s all-time list of AMain winners, behind Rush, Dumsney and Brooke Tatnell.

“Donny is a joy to work

with,” Rush said.

“He knows his racecar very well and if he had no crew around him at all – he could do everything himself.

Donny is no bludger – to him, work comes first.

“But some drivers have been working hard in Speedway for 30 years, and haven’t got anywhere near the level Donny has – that’s because he was born with such an incredible talent.

Match that talent with his extreme work ethic and you have Donny Schatz.”

As previously reported by eNews, NASCAR star Tony Stewart – Schatz’s WoO team owner– is also expected to return to Australia and race at TPCR this summer.

Meanwhile, TPCR has announced a provisional, 40-event schedule for the coming summer, including a 21-round Track Championship, which kicks off on October 2.

motorsport news

(EY TRUE BLUE

news

James Courtney has finally arrived in V8 Supercars

A Man of Many Colours

mpion, World Cha Formula 1 s 500 winner, s indianapoli n, le mannve cart champio ues villeue star. jacqall those and in has been he will race at v8 october, on the gold coast. how supercar branagan ing he told phil ut return he feels abo 31 down under

WINDING BAC

K the year that was... motorsport

The Family Bu siness

news

www.mnews.com

.au

30

The team that is now Red Bull Racing Grand Prix. For started life as Stewa a father

By PHIL BRANAGAN -and-son business, it did pretty rt welll ...

Raising the Tartanic: business. The 1997 Stewart-Ford’s cars certainly looked the Barrichello, Johnny car was launched by Paul Stewart, Rubens Martin Whitaker, Herbert and Jackie Stewart.

The other ‘suit’ then with Ford is It was a soaked and Jackie who celebrate now V8 Supercars Australia at the Nurburgr CEO. d on the podium ing. is now rarely seen Sir Jackie is a regular GP attendee with his drivers in racing circles. but Paul, inset,

T

HE success of the Red Motor Show in Bulls in Grand Detroit. Jackie, Prix then 56, was to racing is not the capable of mounting be Chairman of work a GP the team and of a minute assault. Backing Magnussen, and his son Paul was came from a in Melbourne motorsport never – success in to be the Managing typically Stewart in 1997, the adventure is.

Director. list of blue To accurately track began.

It was a logical chips – HSBC, It was not a great the success move. The pair Texaco, Sanyo of the team, you start. had set up Paul and the Malaysian Magnussen hurt need to go Stewart Racing government – his legs in a preall the way back in 1988, initially and the white season testing to 1996. Ford to car was bedecked crash, was a sluggish a seat in Formula provide Paul in Stewart Racing suspension suffered and the giant, Ford 2000, tartan sleepwalking throughalmost a number then Formula which, let’s just of failures during 3. It was in that its say, was the first season. involvement with unlike category that anything else The highlight PSR found form; we have seen was team, following Peter Sauber’s aided by some on a racecar.

Monaco, Rubens second at its title win, and good drivers splitting the then somewha and, initially, Stewart two Ferraris, but t sudden split, the exclusive use also decided to the six points with Benetton go of Mugen-Honda with Bridgesto would be all the . But motors, the ne, team would that the Sauber-Fo it was clear team won six titles Formula 1, in the then new to bank. In the 17 in eight face of the races, there were which came duringrd marriage, seasons and victories Goodyear-shod 26 retirements.

Australian contenders. in Formula Peter Gillitzer’s 3000 showed Fellow newcome watch at Ford On paper, 1998 that rs was not Racing, was not capable of movingthe team was Lola (which lasted Prost and much better. The going to bear only one team scored the same results. the motor racing further up race) were also one less point, ladder. on the Japanese but those five Enter Jackie Stewart.

But Stewart Jr rubber, as was moved Stewart was not the Minardi and up one spot triple World champion The driver his father Arrows, which to eighth in the was, taking driver had signed World Contructors’ announced to but a single win Champion Champion the world that Damon in F3 before ship. But he was setting up graduating to like a risky decision.Hill. It looked movement behind there was his F3000. After three 1 team, Stewart own Formula seasons at that But there were Jenkins departed the scenes; Grand Prix, in level, without some , replaced by January 1996. any great results, people in the backgrou clever He was former Jordan he stepped out designer Gary so with the support doing nd. of the cockpit Alan Jenkins was Anderson, and to run the chief Ford indeed, the team’s of Ford; With Ford backing, the team. designer, and Cosworth Engineeri acquired existence was the Stewartwork announced at ng and was started to expand Ford SF1 was a developing a brand-ne the International neat in Milton Keynes the PSR HQ Rubens Barrichell package. for 1999. Magnusse w engine to a facility o moved over n split with 16 from Jordan to the team and partner Jan was replaced by Jos Verstappen – who left the motorsport news

to fourth in the Constructors’ title, ahead of In September such 2004, Ford as Benetton and teams announced that Williams. It the team was was looking like for sale, Jaguar the chairman Joe something, if not start of Greenwell stating: big, “Ford has certainly competiti then decided it can ve, and with no longer team at the end significant potential. a compelling business make of the season. case for Stewart GP was “For all the World Then, along came any of its brands beginning to Ford. to compete in look like a disaster Having funded Championship F1.” in much of Grand Prix But the good news the making. races that I won, the team’s set-up Initially, Tony Purnell, or even was that costs, the the new SF3 was the company Champion of Ford’s then ships quick out of premier performa head bought the team themselves, the box. Barrichell nce off the Stewarts there was nothing division, was thought o may well and have won in Melbourn it as Jaguar. Stewart rebranded yesterday meant,” close to what the favoured bidder to be e he but Sr stayed for the for overheating, on as Chairman day after the result. said the team. But the he , but during proposed deal and qualified on led in Brazil the course of the “To be on the fell through and, pole in France. podium with first year in hours But it was Johnny before its new guise, both of our drivers, Ford would have Herbert who Paul Stewart was been forced gave the team forced to step something quite was to shut down its finest hour, aside unusual. It was the team in midsplashing through undergo treatmen and MD, to a great thrill for Novembe r and lay me, because t for cancer. A rain to win at the the German litany of bad decisions the last Grand 300 staff, Dietrich off more than Nurburgring.

Prix I won the Mateschitz followed, Better yet, Barrichell which led to Jackie German Grand stepped in, bought Prix o was at the third, the team so for the 44th leaving the team Stewart Nurburgring. So and rebranded time that was the at the end of it as Red Bull and first as a team in his career, the 2000. last time I was Racing. At the owner, Jackie on a podium.” same time, Ford Stewart got to Jaguar suffered More results followed, announced that stand on a Grand a succession it had with Prix podium. of management a fourth-fifth points Cosworth to Champ sold changes, Car owners most of which Malaysia vaulting haul in Kevin Kalkhove moved the team n and Gerry team in a downwar the Forsythe. www.mnews.com.a d direction. u And the rest is history ...

17

21

motorsport news

m.au com.au www.mnews.co

20

Two Guns’

final tour

No. 397 July 20010 inc GST Australia $7.95 NZ

American Speedcar star the Australian speedw Bob Tattersall was an annual and popula ay scene from the late r feature on ‘60s. His last engage ment down under was 1950s through to the end of the ill with only months in to live. JAMES COCKIN 1971, but by then he was terminally Australian tour of Bob GTON recalls the emotio ‘Two Guns’ Tattersall. nal final LEASE do me a

$8.5

“P

favour,” Bob Tattersall said to Sydney Showgroun d track announcer Steve American hero: Bob Raymond. “Don’t Tattersall was let them know I’m dying. a crowd favourite on the That way it will be easier to say goodbye.”

Speedway scene right Australian through the It was the night of 1960s, left, below.

Saturday May 1, 1971.

American speedcar champion Bob Tattersall was supposed to be racing that summer, as he had done on his previous tours of Australia, 12 but he clearly wasn’t well enough. He had to pull out of the previous week’s engagemen t and to do a farewell parade instead agreed lap the following week before flying home.

“I respected Bob’s wish, Raymond, “but somehow,” recalled the large crowd sensed fortunately, American and Australianthis giant of speedway was saying farewell for the last The crowd gave Tattersalltime.” a standing ovation. The drivers and riders in the Showground pits underneath the Martin and Angus Stand also sensed something and spontaneously walked out onto the edge of the track and formed a guard of honour. “The only one I circuit’s history,” wrote can recall in the Raymond.

Steve Raymond would when he mentioned have been one his friend’s declining of the few to know state of health in the exactly what had following week’s happened to Tattersall programme notes. when he went to Adelaide the week “Bob had a firm engagemen before. The Friday t to race in night meeting had been Sydney last Saturday rained off but Tattersall night and originally couldn’t have raced intended to return in any case. Rowley home Park promoter Kym very next day. However, to America the Bonython was diplomatic in Adelaide he consultedduring his six days a local specialist

PM 15/6/10 4:38:57 68

motorsport news

In this issue of Motorsport News, James Courtney tells why he can become V8 Supercar champion, while former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve reveals how he’d like to be a V8 Supercar driver. Also, the rise of F1 engine maker Cosworth, rally ace Scott Pedder, Cameron McConville and much, much more … www.mnews.com.au

regarding his poor health since a bout of bronchial pneumonia earlier this year ... ” In fact it was much more serious than that.

Tattersall had to be rushed to hospital to have a tumour on his forehead removed. was first diagnosed He with this time it was critical. cancer in 1967 but He was given only few months to live. a

He was a hard drinke r, a chain smoker and was noted for his superstitions. He never wore anything green and refused to race if there were girls in the pits or peanuts.

/N 3ALE 69

.OW 19

Five Minutes with ...

CAM McCONVILLE Cam Mac has leapt from his intended Fujitsu V8 Commodore into Lucas Dumbrell’s VE in the Main Game after a late change of plans. He told PHIL BRANAGAN about it MOTORSPORT NEWS: Great news. You just couldn’t keep away, could you?

CAMERON McCONVILLE: If anything, it took a bit of time away from V8 Supercar racing to, probably, realise what you are missing. By, probably, Round 2, I was starting to think about what other racing I could do. I was missing being in a racecar regularly so I went and got a gokart, and that was a bit of fun.

When I got in the [V8 Super]car at Winton and that really whet the appetite, I thought that I would love to be doing this a bit more regularly than I had been doing.

The time off has been good. It made me a bit hungrier to go racing again. That was probably exactly what I needed.

You drove at the Winton Fujitsu Series races. Tell me about the level of competition, comparing the Fujitsu Series and the Main Game.

It’s a big step up to the Main Game. There are some very good young guys in the Fujitsu Series; James Moffat is obviously very good, Tim Blanchard will be good, Steve Owen and so on. Townsville would have been even harder again, with Paul Morris in there, David Reynolds, so there are five or six guys in there who are very quick and some others who are still learning.

In the Main Game, there are 27 or 28 guys who are really quick. I am under no illusions that it is going to be a big test. I feel like I am ready for it, I have dropped 3kg in the last few months, and I am hungry to get back in a racecar and give it a crack.

I must say Cameron, you were starting to look a bit fat.

That’s because I have been eating too many sausage rolls at our tyre store. There is a Brumby’s [bakery] right next door.

The first six months of the business have just been madness. Now that it is up and running, we are building nicely and I have a good manager on-board.

With that, I can look at other things and put some focus on racing a car again. So that fits in well with what we are doing, at the moment.

Is the level of preparation on the car identical? You have raced a Walkinshaw Racing car in the Fujitsu Series, and driven an HRT car in testing.

It very similar, in fact. The car I raced at Winton, even though it is an older chassis to the cars Garth [Tander] and Will [Davison] are driving, most of the characteristics are the same. The guys who are preparing the car, and they will prepare is again at Townsville, they are actually Fab Shop [Fabricating Shop] guys, they have not been in the main race team before. So they enjoy getting out of the workshop a bit.

This is not the latest chassis but you can feel it has all the attributes of a Walkinshaw car. With me driving for them in the enduros, that was the main thing. You want them to be as similar as possible.

You are actually racing a title-winning car.

Garth just sent me a text to tell me to look after his championship-winning car! That is the chassis he won the series in. I said, ‘Does it come with a warrantee, or a guarantee that it will win races?’

Apparently, it doesn’t.

They are all good. It is a sister chassis to the Jax Quikfit car that I drove at Winton, similar vintage so it should feel similar to drive. It is a pretty good fit for me.

This pretty much puts you in position to be as busy as anybody. Townsville,

break, L&H [Phillip Island], Bathurst and Indy with HRT. Yep. It is a busy time. I still have my Driving Standards [Observer] stuff for Formula Ford, then we have the gap, so we can keep the fitness going and do a test day before Phillip Island. Even doing the Fujitsu round at Townsville, the continuity was good, so there was plenty of racing to come.

I am just excited about the opportunity to do two 200km races. That is a big thing, to have 400 racing kays under my belt heading into Phillip Island. That will put my, hopefully, in a good position.

It is probably to make expectations about where you might end up but realistically, on a street circuit that suits your style, where do you think would will end up?

I really enjoyed Townsville last year, I think I finished ninth and 11th in the two races. This car is similar, it is quite a highgrip circuit, so we will see.

Daniel [Gaunt] has done, I think, a great job for someone in his position, someone with so little mileage. He can hold his head high, he gave it a good go and I am sure that he will be back in the Main Game. He clearly has talent and maybe some Fujitsu races, now that the level has increased, would be good for him. He has done a solid job in the deep end.

I have a quiet figure in my head of where I want the car to be. I am not going to tell you whether I met that figure or not, until after the weekend.

And you will be keeping an open eye on the Jax Quickfit car in the Fujitsu Series races.

Exactly. And doing the Formula Fords [as DSO]. It is going to be a pretty busy weekend.

IN THE MAIN GAME, THERE ARE 27 OR 28 GUYS WHO ARE REALLY QUICK McCONKEY KNOWS THIS IS A STEP UP 20

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Cory Sleap

www.mnews.com.au

21

OPINION Andrew van Leeuwen – eNews Editor

PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF

I

T’S fair to say that Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport’s results year to date haven’t been great.

Unexpected? Not really. While the equipment they have is good, and some of the personnel involved have impressive resumes, there is only so much you can expect from a first-year team with a rookie driver.

Therefore, Daniel Gaunt being flung from the team seem puzzling to me.

Okay, I don’t know all the reasons behind it. There is every chance that it has to do with dollars and cents, although like when David Reynolds found himself without a drive at the end of 2009, that line of reasoning is always kept under PR lock and key.

But on the off-chance it was a performance-based decision, as the press releases state, and Dumbrell and Co wanted more experienced heads in

the team, I don’t get it. Short-term gain in putting Cameron McConville in the car? Obvious. Long-term gain? Ummm ...

Gaunt hasn’t set the world alight this year, that much is true. He has also never, ever been slow in anything he has raced before. Given the unique nature of driving a V8 Supercar, few would have expected he’d get right up to speed.

He might not be matching the likes of fellow youngsters Jono Webb and Tony D’Alberto, but these guys have hundreds of extra miles in a V8 Supercar – perhaps even literally.

If LDM had stuck with Gaunt, the team would have continued to grow together.

And that might have led to a flourishing relationship, and some good results in the years to come. It might not have, too, but from where I stand it was worth the punt.

Bringing McConville into the team for

Townsville will give them some direction.

It will help with car set-up, and by the time the enduros roll around, the team will be ahead of where it is right now.

But that’s what the (very few) test days are for. McConville could have been drafted in for testing, and helped Gaunt and LDM get their heads around this V8 Supercar business.

Instead, Gaunt is out, and McConville is in – for one round. Then, his HRT commitments kick in, and Nathan Pretty takes over. Whether Pretty will even be quicker than Gaunt is questionable.

Whether Gaunt is a better future prospect is undeniable.

Then, with Phillip Island and Bathurst out of the way, who knows? One offs?

McConville in and out of the car? Either way it will be a very disjointed end to the year for LDM, and that will hurt them next season and beyond.

Rob Lang

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FIORE’S FNQ PREVIEW

I

HAD one of my best runs of the last season at Townsville 12 months ago (ED: Fiore was 11th for the meeting).

The Paul Morris Motorsport-built car was pretty good there, and from memory, we even had some issues with the engine that hindered our speed a bit.

We could have finished even better. So you can definitely say I like the track.

It’s a high grip surface, especially for a street circuit. That’s because 85 percent of the track is actually permanent – I think it’s only the front straight that is used by everyday traffic. So the corners have a lot of grip, which suits me. It’s like the Sprint tyres – when the grip levels are higher, I find myself calling on all of the Carrera Cup experience I have. I like it when there is a lot of grip.

For a street circuit, it isn’t particularly bumpy, either, especially in the braking zones. The parts that are permanent are great bits of track. They are very technical, but really fun to drive, especially Turns 5-6, which is a replica of the fast chicane on the Albert Park

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PERSONAL Dean Fiore – Triple F Racing driver

Grand Prix circuit. It’s pretty much bang-on. With the space they had to work with, they couldn’t have done it better. The speed is less, but the way you approach the corner, it’s so damn close.

With the way the track is designed, and the way corners lead on to straights, the track creates a lot of passing opportunities. It’s a fun track.

I’ve been watching some footage recently from last year, and I’d forgotten how short and busy a lap is. From memory, the races were very physical last year, because you don’t really get a break. The front straight is quite long, but it has a kink, and you have to keep your wits about you through the king.

It’s flat on the throttle, but you need to be concentrating, otherwise you can easily end up in the fence.

Then there is the heat. I’d expect the temperatures to be very similar to Darwin, and that will take its toll as well.

As a team, we are really starting to get on top of car set-up and get on the pace. I’ve always had the car underneath me, but to be honest, I haven’t been up to speed. Now I’m getting to grips with the car, and as that happens, my engineer Lee [Geyer] can come into his own as well. He can’t do his best work until I’m on the pace, but that’s starting to happen.

We should be competitive in Townsville. Last year, in the same car, Fabian [Coulthard] was right there, and it was only a few problems that cost him a good result. He was in the Top 10 shootout, so the car should be good there. I’m looking forward to it.

23

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES ROUND 9, WATKINS GLEN

GREEN AND GOLD TAKES 24

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KES OVER www.mnews.com.au

Will Power and Ryan Briscoe took a historic Australian 1-2 at Watkins Glen, leaving Power in control of the series, and heralding Briscoe’s return to form

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I

T was a good weekend to be an Australian in New York.

Hours after Daniel Erickson took victory in the F2000 support races (see separate story), Aussies Will Power and Ryan Briscoe took a stunning Penske – and Australian – 1-2 in the IndyCar race.

For Power it was a crushing win, asserting his place at the top of the points table, and for Briscoe, it was a last-gasp pass for the runner-up spot on the final lap of the race.

With Power leading a Penske 1-2-3 in qualifying, the race was his to lose. An apart from a very brief period during which Briscoe led his team-mate after the final stops, Power was just too good, retaining his record of being the only multiple race winner this season.

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“I wanted it really bad; I really wanted to win,” said Power.

“I can’t stand when you’re the quickest in qualifying and then you have a bad race.

Honestly, it was the first race that I pushed on every single lap. [There wasn’t] once that I didn’t push.

“We had to get the fuel number the whole race so I had to push really hard while saving fuel. I had to get the lap time while saving fuel. It was just a difficult race, but it was great. I loved it.”

Briscoe and Dario Franchitti had a great squabble over the closing laps, with Franchitti using a remaining pushto-pass to take second spot in the dying stages. But when his option tyres started to give way, Briscoe pounced, pulling off a measured move into Turn 1 on the final

lap to wrap up second place.

“With the downforce in the car, I was able to look after my red tires a bit more than Dario,” said Briscoe.

“He was hanging on for dear life at the end and thankfully his went off about a lap sooner than mine did, so I was able to get him. It’s a great way to bring home a Penske 1-2.”

Helio Castroneves and Scott Dixon took each other of the running in Lap 7.

While doing battle, contact was made, smashing Dixon’s front wing and leaving Castroneves with a puncture. They ended the race with Dixon in eighth, and Castroneves in ninth.

Power now leads the IndyCar standings by 32 points, from Franchitti and Dixon, with Briscoe back in fourth. motorsport news

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Not Aussie Enough: Dario Franchitti, left, was best of the nonAustralians, while Raphael Matos, above, was impressive, finishing fourth. Perhaps, as a Brazilian, he caught the Green and Gold fever ... www.mnews.com.au

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NASCAR Round 18 - DAYTONA, FL

Harvick reigns a NASCAR Media

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Just when it was looking like The Big One would not come, The Big One came – and Kevin Harvick sped home to another Daytona win

k at Zero Hour D

NASCAR Media

NASCAR M edia

www.mnews.com.au

AYTONA’S summer Sprint Cup race lived up to its reputation as a wild race on Saturday, and when the smoke and wreckage cleared, it was Kevin Harvick who came out on top.

With qualifying washed out, the points leader started on pole position, and was in the right place at the right time when the Big One happened behind him. A green-white-chequer finish saw two Chevy drivers fight out the finish, but Harvick held on to take his second win of the year.

But it could have been so much different.

A late caution, prompted by Sam Hornish Jr getting into thew wall, literally as the white flag was about to fly, set up the overtime finish but to that points, it was looking like a Childress benefit, with Harvick and Clint Bowyer working together to set up the win. But Bowyer got tagged into a spin in the second ‘finish’, allowing Harvick some breathing space.

“Same old Daytona, cars moving around and bouncing around, and handling came into play, and you saw a lot of passing and shuffling, and then there at the end we had the big wreck and we were fortunate to be in front of it,” said Harvick.

“And really coming to the white [flag] I thought it was going to be [Bowyer] first and us second, and then the caution came out and we could see the white flag. I was content about that.”

Through the chaos came Kasey Kahne, who charged through in a backup car, and his 2012 team-mate Jeff Gordon, who looked to be in contention for his first win of the year. Third was a resurgent Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Burton, who put two Childress Chevys in the top five.

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But he was the man who inadvertently triggered the big shunt, after he got tapped into a spin by Kurt Busch. A total of 20 cars were involved, including defending Champion Jimmie Johnson and Marcos Ambrose.

The other notable incident in the race was between Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch. The Toyota driver lost a lap early in the race with a loose wheel and charged back to the lead, but two laps prior to pitting, Montoya’s Chevy nosed Busch into a spin. He slammed into the wall and placed the blame squarely at the Colombian’s feet – and of course, Juan had his hopes of a result ended in the Big One.

When The Big One comes: It was a night of action at Daytona, even if it took until the latter laps of the race until the Restrictor Plate crash came. As many as 20 cars were involved, right, but not Kyle Busch, bottom. He was already in the showers after this wallbanger after a clash with Juan Pablo Montoya.

Results :: Coke Zero 400, Daytona, Florida 1 29 2 9 3 24 4 99 5 31 6 99 7 2 8 83 9 71 10 82

Kevin Harvick Kasey Kahne Jeff Gordon Dale Earnhardt Jr Jeff Burton Carl Edwards Kurt Busch Reed Sorenson Mike Bliss Scott Speed

Chevy Ford Chevy Chevy Chevy Ford Dodge Toyota Chevy Toyota

Childress Petty Hendrick Hendrick Childress Roush Fenway Penske Red Bull Phoenix Red Bull

Shell/Pennzoil Budweiser DuPont Amp Energy Caterpillar Aflac Miller Lite Red Bull Graceway Red Bull

1 20 5 13 8 12 6 24 35 27

Top 10 Points: Harvick 2684, Gordon 2472, Johnson 2459, Kurt Busch 2439,

Hamlin 2400, Kyle 2376, Kenseth 2322, Burton 2319, Stewart 2251, Biffle 2234, Kurt Busch 2118, Kenseth 2092, Burton 2027, Biffle 2011, Stewart 1983.

NASCAR Media

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NASCAR Media

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31

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

Jolly Good, old chap Lord March opened the gates for the Goodwood Festival of Speed over the weekend. Here’s some of the goodies he hosted ...

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Rob Lang

The 1982 Bathurst winning Commodore, above, copped some damage, while the 1995, below, and 1977 winners, bottom, were also in action.

Troy Corser, right, showed off some handy skills

Rob Lang Rob Lang

Rob Lang

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Rob Lang

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We can see the significance of Lotus’ Jarno Trulli, above left, and McLaren’s Jenson Button, bottom left, sampling some of their team’s famous machines, and Bruno Senna, below left, getting into one of Ayrton’s famous cars ... but we’re not sure why Karun Chandhok was in a Williams FW08C, below right. Good luck to him, though.

Meanwhile, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, above, amazed onlookers by fitting his beard into a car, meaning he didn’t have to use his legs.

sutton-images.com

sutton-images.com

www.mnews.com.au

35

Hungry kids in Hungary FRENAULT 3.5 IT remains close at the top as the Formula Renault 3.5 Series heads off on its summer break, following the sixth round at the Hungaroring last weekend.

Aussie Daniel Ricciardo split the wins with Stan Pentus, to remain just 11 points behind Mikhail Aleshin. Ricciardo dominated the opening race on Saturday, winning comfortably from pole position, with Aleshin 13 seconds in arrears in second.

“It was a really hot race today and I think that probably affected a lot of the drivers,” he said.

“As an Australian, I was probably slightly better equipped to deal with that than some of the guys from Northern Europe!

“I had an OK start, but I was still relieved to be leading in the first corner – which had been the aim. After the safety car it took me a couple of laps to get back into the rhythm; I think I must have picked up some rubbish on my tyres.

“Once I managed to pull away a few seconds it was easier to build up a gap, and I could see from my pit board that I was gradually building up a bigger

36

and bigger gap.”

That win saw Ricciardo close to within six points of Aleshin, before Pentus controlled Sunday.

The Estonian scored his second win of the season from pole position over Albert Costa, with Aleshin third. Ricciardo qualified seventh, and dropped to 10th early, before recovering to finish sixth.

“Today was pretty difficult for us to be honest,” Ricciardo admitted.

“Yesterday I felt like the car was on the limit, but it was a good limit; I felt like I could really push hard. This morning though in qualifying, it was really difficult.

I felt I was doing all I could in the car, but it just wasn’t fast. There just didn’t seem to be enough grip to push anymore.

“I had an OK race, I managed to make up one place but to be honest we just didn’t have the pace for me to make up many more.

“It’s a bit of a disappointing end to the weekend considering how dominant we were yesterday, but we’re still in a very strong position and will work hard over the break to make sure we’re in the best possible shape for the next race in September.”

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Is Dan, is good USF2000 DANIEL Erickson scored his first two American race wins, on his return to the USF200 Championship Series.

The Sydneysider returned to the class at Watkins Glen, having performed strongly in

the season opener at Virginia International Raceway in April. Back in the series in a Primus Racing Van Diemen, Erickson made the most of the opportunity.

In the opening race, Erickson passed Chris Livengood midway through the 14-lap

race, and brought it home to win by 1.612s. He backed it up on Sunday, leading from start to finish to claim a 0.837s victory over series leader Victor Carbone.

“I got a great start and was able to hold off Victor in the early laps, but my car’s handling started to go away midway through the race and he caught me,” Erickson said after holding out Carbone.

“On the last couple of laps we

were side-by-side down the back straight, and I had to use the inside line into the chicane to defend my position.

But my car was great through the Inner Loop section, so I was able to hold him off.”

Having only contested four of the eight rounds thus far, Erickson is equal sixth in the championship, with the next round to be held at Lime Rock on July 23-24.

Mark Jones

BOBBING FOR WINS QLD STATE WITH the circuit’s Shannons Nationals round just five weeks away, several interstate competitors took in Round 3 of the Queensland State Championships at Morgan Park.

Bob McLoughlin (Commodore-Chev) was just too fast for the Sports Sedan races, taking the wins.

Anthony Cox (Holden Gemini turbo) took a second and third with the remaining podiums going to Phil Crompton (Ford Mustang) and Colin Smith (Rover-Chev).

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Warren McIlveen (StockmanHonda) won Superkarts from Steven Murray (PVP-Honda) with Brian Wild (StockmanHonda) taking third, while Brad Schomberg won HQ Holdens after some close racing, with Gary Bonwick and Jamie Furness in their biggest field of the season.

Chris Barry (PRB Composite) took out the PRB Clubman Challenge – visiting from New South Wales – winning Races 1 and 3 and finishing second in the handicap race behind Pieter Versluis (PRB Birkin S3).

Mal Mathews was the top 1600 class PRB driver with a pair of

seconds.

Roman Krumins (Dallara F304) recovered from a spin after contact with Blake Varney (Dallara F304) to win Racing Cars. Ben Gersekowski (Dallara F303) took two wins to Krumins one, one of snatched from Luke Brown (CondorLexus) at the final corner.

James Corbett (Vector MG96) won Formula Fords.

Saloon Cars honours were shared between Tony Shanks and Lindsay Kearns, each taking a win and a second in their AU Falcons. Rohan Barry and Michael Dawes also shared Geminis with a

win and a second each, with Brian Smallwood third for the weekend.

A perfect pointscore rewarded Tim Hamilton (Jacer F2K8) with the Queensland Formula Vee Championship a round early, while Ray Chamberlain (Jacer F2K9) was second.

Bob Sudall (Mazda RX-2) won Historic Touring Cars from Bob Heagerty (Mazda RX-2) and Bill Campbell (Torana XU1).

Grant Watson won Sports cars with his new Prosport Eclipse ahead of the two Porsches of Terry Knight and Rob Knight.

– MARK JONES

37

sutton-images.com

Paul Ricard double for Bartels and Bertolini FIA GT1

Tiago’s triumph WTCC TIAGO Monteiro claimed his first win of the WTCC season on home soil, claiming victory in Race 1 at Portimao.

The win is Monteiro’s third in the WTCC, and second in Portugal, having picked up a win at Estoril in 2008. In his SEAT, Monteiro scored pole position and held off late pressure from Yvan Muller to in by just over a second, with Gabriele Tarquini and Augusto Farfus third and fourth.

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“It was a tough race but we knew it would be,” Monteiro said.

“It was very hot but we had good pace at the start to get a gap. I then made a few mistakes which allowed Yvan (Muller) to put the pressure on and I also tried to be a bit safe on my tyres for a couple of laps.

“The end result couldn’t be better though with pole and victory. Home races seem to work for me as my last WTCC victory was at Estoril two years ago.”

Making it a clean sweep

for SEAT for the weekend, reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini scored his fourth win of the season, coming from sixth in the inverted Top Eight format. By Lap 3, Tarquini was involved in a seven-car battle for the lead, which he moved into and held out Muller to take victory. Rob Huff crossed the line third, but was given a 30-second penalty for an incident with Farfus and slipped to 15th. It gave Menu third, from Andy Priaulx – who came from 19th on the grid – Farfus, Tom Coronel and Monteiro.

VITAPHONE Racing enjoyed a perfect weekend at Paul Ricard in Round 4 of the FIA GT World Championship.

Andrew Bertolini and Michael Bartels took the team’s Maserati MC12 to victory in the qualifying race and the main race in comfortable fashion. The pair were headed early in each race by the Lamborghini of Christopher Haase and Peter Kox, who got the best of the start each time.

While they eventually finished second in the qualifying race, Kox’s start in the second was deemed to have been too good, and they received a stop-go penalty and eventually finished 18th.

Michael Krumm and Peter Dumbreck were second in their Nissan in the main race, 7.057s behind the Maserati, with Altfrid Heger and Alex Margaritis third.

Bartels and Bertolini hold a 15-point advantage in the points over Romain Grosjean and Thomas Mutsch, who finished 15th and seventh in the two Paul Ricard races.

motorsport news

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29 OUT OF 100 AIN’T BAD ...

GRAND AM

JAMIE Green maintained his imposing DTM record at Norisring, taking his thirdstraight win at the circuit in Round 4 of the 2010 season.

Green qualified third and took the lead when surprise pole-sitter Ralf Schumacher jumped the start. From there, he built a lead, and withstood the advances of Mattias Ekstrom to win by half a second. Bruno Spengler was third, from Oliver Jarvis, while Schumacher eventually finished 11th.

“We cannot play football, but at least we can win races,” Englishman Green joked.

“However, it was tough.

Mattias Ekström was pushing

throughout and I had to stay totally focussed until the chequered flag. On this track it is so easy to make mistakes.

“Therefore, I am even happier to achieve this hat trick here at the Norsiring and my sixth DTM win in total.

Thank you to everybody in our Persson team - their hard work made this win possible, and particularly the fastest pit stop of the race.”

Also at Norisring, Edoardo Mortara and Valtteri Bottas split the Formula 3 Euro Series wins, with Bottas’ success his maiden victory in the series. His Race 1 win, and fifth in Race 2, sees Mortara leave with a 15-point buffer at the head of the standings over Marco Wittmann.

IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND FORMULA 2 JOYLON Palmer consolidated his Formula 2 points lead with a strong showing at Portimao, Portugal.

Palmer won the opening race on Saturday comfortably from pole, leading home Benjamin Bailly by 2.6s, with Jack Clarke third. In even better news, Palmer’s title rival Dean Stoneman had a tough race. After qualifying in ninth, Stoneman clashed with Philipp Eng and finished 11th.

Stoneman recovered on Sunday, though, taking the lead from the front row of the grid and going on to win by 4.098s over Palmer. By contrast to the previous day’s win, Palmer was in the thick of it, struggling for pace and having to work hard to keep Nicola de Marco and Bailly at bay.

Formula Two

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DTM

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SCOTT Pruett and Memo Rojas claimed victory in the 100th GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race, winning the Bumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Driving the Ganassi Racing BMW-Riley, Pruett moved into the lead in the final hour, and led home the BMW-Riley of Ryan Dalziel and Mike Forest by 24s. It was Pruett’s 28th win in the 100 GRAND-AM races, and Ganassi’s 29th.

“It’s great for our team to win the 100th DP race – that’s incredible,” Pruett said.

“That says a lot for GRAND-AM for what they’ve achieved and where it’s going. It’s a special mark for our team. Today we didn’t have the fastest racecar, but we raced smart and we raced clean and we did what we had to do.

The win sees Pruett and Rojas, who started the race, hold a 13point lead at the head of the standings, with four rounds remaining.

Andy Lally and RJ Valentine teamed up for the GT Class win in a Porsche, with Lally making a move for the lead with nine laps remaining on Joey Hand, who finished second with Paul Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen in a BMW M6.

Green Machine

39

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motorsport news

rear of grid

Odd S pot

A TRUCKING GOOD PRIZE HERE at eNews HQ, we always though Mark Noske was Australia’s fastest truck driver.

But now Joe Randello is on the scene. Never heard of him? Neither had we until late last week, when he drove a McLaren Formula 1 car.

At 38 years of age, Randello is hardly and up-and-comer. He is instead a competition winner, who made the finals of the Johnnie Walker ‘Drive of a Lifetime’ competition at Silverstone. And having proved he was the best of the 20 finalists during an evaluation in a Caterham X-Bow, Randello jumped behind the wheel of Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 F1 title winner – the same car Jamie Whincup drove

at the Australian Grand Prix earlier this year.

“Driving an F1 car was the most amazing experience of my life and I am absolutely thrilled that throughout this competition I was able to demonstrate to the judges that I had the necessary control and ability to drive the car,” said Randello.

“On behalf of all the finalists I would like to thank Johnnie Walker for organising such an incredible experience for us all and allowing us to learn and progress under such expert tutelage.”

That tutelage, by the way, came from some no-names called Jenson Button and Mika Hakkinen ...

GIBSON INTO CONTENTION

THERE are just four games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup remaining, so if anyone is going to beat simoox to the eNews Tipping Crown, they’d better get on with it.

With the quarter finals over, simoox is left with a two-point lead – despite only tipping two of the matches correctly. Kevin Gibson, meanwhile, tipped all four of the quarters right, his faith in the Dutch squad leaving him within striking distance of the lead.

Beyond that, it’s only the top six that can actually steal the win from simoox, and that would be if the long-time leader didn’t get another correct tip between now and the end of the tournament.

Further down the list, Will Davison has become the new V8 Supercar leader, taking over from Craig Lowndes. And in the eNews staff stakes, Andrew van Leeuwen holds the lead, but four correct tips in the quarters has moved Chris Lambden into the Top 10 for the first time.

Next week, we’ll have a winner. Good luck, tipsters. www.mnews.com.au

eNews WC Tipping Top 10 Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Name simoox Kevin Gibson Vincent Dumarski Andrew van Leeuwen ViszlaAtchoo Trevor Campbell Wayne Bailey Gougoodthing Chris Lambden Mitchell Adam

Margin 11 8 9 9 12 9 10 12 7 9

Score 35 33 32 32 32 31 31 31 30 30

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