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Issue No. 165 July 27 -August 02 2010
IS THIS HRT’S NEXT DRIVER?
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Issue No. 165 | 27 Jul – 2 Aug 2010
news 4
V8 SuperCaruso Robbo to ... Clayton? 6 More Two plus Four Superbikers get the call 8 Right said Said Boris gets call for Glen 10 Seems like Old Times Ferrari cops it for F1 fix 12 Can she drive? Dunno IndyCar warns Duno
chat 20 Five Minutes With ... Chris Atkinson
comment 22 Clark: Toughen up, NASCAR AVL: Team + Orders = Good
race 28 Edmonton IndyCars 32 Brickyard 500 NASCAR 36 Speedway Money Month 38 Extras: Vees, FFords, ALMS
trade 40 Classifieds
IS CARUSO THE NEXT HOLDEN FACTORY MAN? M V8 SUPERCARS
ICHAEL Caruso might just emerge as an unlikely player in this year’s V8 Supercar Silly Season. According to eNews sources, Caruso’s name has appeared on a Holden wish list as a future factory driver. And, with Will Davison now expected to depart the Toll Holden Racing Team as soon as the end of this season, Caruso’s chance to suit up for one of the most successful teams in Australian sport may come sooner than expected. There are issues to consider; firstly, Caruso remains under a long-term contract with Garry Rogers Motorsport. However, that is not a guarantee that he will remain in Fujitsu Racing colours. Rogers is known for signing young drivers on long-term deals, and then releasing them – at a price – should the right opportunity come along. There is also Fabian Coulthard, who is already part of the Walkinshaw Racing family, and has been tipped to move from Bundy Red Racing to HRT should Davison leave. However, this is also not a given, and Coulthard could be kept in Bundy colours in order to retain the Rum brand’s sponsorship dollars in the future. When contacted by eNews, Caruso refused to deny that a move was on the cards, simply stating “I have a contract in place with GRM. Anything outside of that would have to go through Garry.” Since arriving in the main game back in 2008, Caruso has flourished as a GRM driver. The 27-year-old won his first race at Darwin last year, finished on the podium at Bathurst last year, and ended the season just outside the Top 10 in the points. He has also proven that he is not only fast, but also willing to get the elbows out when the situation requires. Of course, any movement from Caruso will depend on what Davison decides to do for 2011. Stay tuned ...
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BLOCKING COSTS HELIO WIN INDYCAR
Dirk Klynsmith
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HELIO Castroneves has again surrounded himself in controversy after being penalised for blocking, thereby losing a likely win in Edmonton. The Brazilian was leading Penske team-mate Will Power when the race was restarted after a yellow with two laps remaining at the Canadian airport circuit. Power tried to pass on the outside of Turn 1, leaving a hole for Scott Dixon to take second. But that became first when officials deemed that Castroneves had blocked Power excessively, and dropped him to the final position on the lead lap, 10th. Dixon took the win, his second of the year, from Power and Scotsman Dario Franchitti.
“I feel sorry for Helio. That was a tough call,” said Power. “I got around Helio and he blocked me going down on Turn One. I tried to go on the outside, ended up wide, and Scott got through and that was that. Just how it is.” Both Ganassi drivers were, understandably, supportive of the decision, made by IndyCar Race Director, Brian Barnhart. It was not the first time Castroneves has found himself in this situation. In Detroit in 2008, he was ordered by officials to allow Justin Wilson to pass him because official deemed that he had been blocking him excessively. Wilson won the race, and Castroneves went on to finish the 2008 series second, behind Dixon.
RAYMO READY FOR APRC RALLYING GLEN Raymond will be a ‘Wildcard’ entry in the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship portion of Rally of Queensland, but will still be unable to take part in the next Pirelli Star Driver qualifying. Having come close to winning the 2009 Pirelli prize, which supports young drivers in the Production Car World Rally Championship, Raymond moved to a Mitsubishi Evo X this season to be better prepared at having another crack. He also took the APRC Wildcard chance in Queensland to satisfy the criteria to enter the Pirelli Star Driver contest, only to have the age limit shortened, knocking him out of contention. Having been at 27 years old for the first two years of the program, the age limit was recently shortened to 25 as of January 1, 2011 – meaning Raymond will miss out by a matter of months. Still, Raymond will have a chance to pit himself against the best in the Asia-Pacific region this weekend when he vies for both Australian Rally Championship and APRC points. “As a young driver, you want to cast yourself as wide as possible,” he told eNews. “There are no professional drives in the ARC at the moment, so the APRC is a good option. If I can put on a good show against this guys, who knows what options might present themselves. “I’m really excited about being part of the APRC. There are quality teams and ex-WRC drivers there, as well as several other Evo Xs. It will be interesting to see where we’re at compared to them.” – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN
MORE TWO + FOUR IN 2010 V8 SUPERCARS AUSTRALIAN Superbikes will appear on the V8 Supercar support program at two events later this year. After returning to the V8 card at Phillip Island last year, Superbikes will race at the L&H 500 again in September, along with the Symmons Plains round in November, both as ASBK Championship rounds. “It’s always a great atmosphere when we race at a V8 Supercar event,” ASBK Events Manager Ben Williams said. “Teaming the V8 Supercars with the Superbikes provides a different dynamic for both sets of fans. Last year when the bikes were on track a Phillip Island, pit wall was lined with spectators from the V8 Supercar teams, including the drivers who were really keen to get a piece of bike action.”
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ATKO PREDICTS TOUGH ROQ FIGHT RALLYING CHRIS Atkinson is expecting the AsiaPacific Rally Championship runners to face stiff competition from the locals at this weekend’s International Rally of Queensland. The Bega-native will take to the forests of Queensland for the Proton R3 Rally Team, and will start one of the favourites of the APRC runners, having won the rally as an Australian Rally Championship driver back in 2004. But while the APRC and ARC drivers will be competing for separate points, Atkinson says the locals will be tough to beat on outright pace.
“Obviously the local guys, who have been racing here the last few years, will be pretty quick,” Atkinson told eNews. “Even though I’m a local too, it’s been five or six years since I’ve rallied here. I don’t come here thinking this will be a piece of cake and a walk in the park. I think this is going to be a very difficult rally.” Atkinson will also have to deal with the fact that this time he is in a Super 2000-spec car, while his 2004 win came in a Group N machine. “We’re in a different class of car to [the locals], but hopefully we’ll be able to match them, if not beat them. Simon [Evans] and Neal [Bates] have
won here in Super 2000 cars, so it’s not out of the question. We’re still in the development phase with our cars, so hopefully we’ll be competitive.” The International Rally of Queensland will feature a massive 83-car field, with APRC, ARC, Queensland Rally Championship and classic entries. The rally will also feature a new-for-2010 super special stage at Caloundra, called the Coates Hire Rally Shoot-Out. Also new for this year is a rule allowing cars to score both APRC and ARC points. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN For more with Chris Atkinson, see Five Minutes With on page 20.
Michael Vettas Marshall Cass
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On the road again ... MARCOS NASCAR Ambrose has been confirmed as a starter at the next two road courses in the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule. The Australian will do double duties at Watkins Glen in New York, racing in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, before saddling up again for the Nationwide-only round at
Montreal in Canada. He will be backed by Kwik Fill and Zippo, and will be aiming for three Nationwide wins in a row at Watkins Glen. “Watkins Glen is going to be a very busy weekend, but we ran both programs last year, and it proved to be a successful weekend,” Ambrose said. “It’s going to be exciting; it’s
punted him off the road. A year later, he led the most laps but fell through the field with a problem in the pits. And last year, Ambrose was leading on the last lap when he clipped a kerb and lost just enough speed for Carl Edwards to slip by on the run to the flag.
ANOTHER step towards CARRERA CUPthe possible return of Carrera Cup Australia took place at Sandown International Raceway last Friday. As exclusively revealed by eNews in March, reintroducing Carrera Cup remains on Porsche Cars Australia’s agenda and could happen next year. With a decision still yet to be made, the new generation
CupCar turned its first laps on Australian soil, with Jim Richards completing about half-a-dozen laps to evaluate how compatible the 2010 model’s new exhaust system is with noise limits at local racetracks. Porsche Cars Australia declined to comment when contacted by eNews.
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where I won my first NASCAR race. The whole team has really been looking forward to this event all year long – I can’t wait.” As for Montreal, 2010 will be the year Ambrose is hoping to break his unlucky run at the Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve. In 2007, he had the race all but won when Robby Gordon
Richo tests new Carrera Cup machine
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New Bull: Said in for Watkins Glen
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RICK KellyNASCAR has missed out on making a NASCAR Sprint Cup start at Wakins Glen next month. The Red Bull Racing Team has played it safe, and named American road course specialist Boris Said to drive the #83 Toyota at the New York state track on August 8. “He’s better than the best available,” said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team Vice President and General Manager. “He’s a phenomenal talent and an even better guy. He’s been close to winning one of these things in the past. We have great history with him, and we have high expectations with him in the car.” In nine Sprint Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen, Said has one top-five finish and two top-
10s. His best finish of third came at the 2005 race. “I feel like we’ll have a great chance to win this race,” said Said, who will be the fifth driver in the entry this season. “It is going to be fun, no matter what. Red Bull participates in so many different forms of racing – this is an exciting opportunity for me and I jumped at the chance.” The move has become necessary because Brian Vickers was forced to vacate the seat due to blood clots earlier in the season. Casey Mears raced the Camry four times before being replaced by Matthias Ekstrom at Ponoma, and Reed Sorenson has driven the car in the past four races.
No Bull: Red Bull drops Hartley
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last few seasons,” said RBR’s Christian Horner. “He has provided useful feedback for the team, and we wish him all the best for the future.” While details are unclear as to what Hartley will do next, he told AUTOSPORT that he is still intent on making it to Formula 1. “The F1 dream is still there and I’m going to fight for it,” Hartley said. “Perhaps this is a wake-up. The last year hasn’t gone well, so a change of environment could be good for me.” Vergne will continue to race in British F3, alongside his new FR3.5 commitments.
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BRENDON Hartley has been INTERNATIONAL axed from Red Bull’s driver development program. The Kiwi has been racing alongside Australian Daniel Ricciardo this season, with the pair both driving for Tech 1 in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, and sharing Red Bull Racing’s reserve driver duties at Grands Prix. Now, British Formula 3 title leader JeanEric Vergne will join Ricciardo at Tech 1, and Ricciardo will be RBR’s sole reserve driver for the remainder of the season. Hartley had been part of the Red Bull program for four years. “We would like to thank Brendon for all his efforts and the work he has done with Red Bull Racing over the
RC l l W r fu GP/ ws, o ine F to ne z a o e/ RE ag M g / F1 vera K HE ek m m co LIC PWe ek.co C G we o t p et w.g g to ww
Ferrari fined $100,000 for enforcing team orders in Germany
FORMULA 1 FERRARI has been fined US$100,000 for illegally manipulating the result of the German Grand Prix. The matter has been referred to the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council, where Ferrari may face further sanction – although it appears that the race result will stand regardless. The breach of article 39.1 of the sporting regulations that states ‘team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited’ occurred on lap 48 as Felipe Massa suddenly slowed and was overtaken by team-mate Fernando Alonso.
Not long before that, Massa’s stony-faced Massa said bluntly: race engineer Rob Smedley had “Well, I don’t think I need to say told the Brazilian that Alonso anything about that.” was ‘faster’, a communication When asked did he feel that widely interpreted as code for he had been prevented from Massa being told to relinquish winning race, he replied: “No, his position. the only thing I feel is that we Smedley did little to are working for the team and discourage such speculation by we are doing a very good job saying the word ‘sorry’ to Massa for the team and that is the just moments later. most important thing.” Afterwards Massa himself While Ferrari has said it won’t could barely conceal neither appeal the decision, it denies it his anger nor the fact that he has breached the rules. was indeed the victim of team “It was a driver decision,” orders. said Ferrari spokesman Luca When questioned at the post Colajanni. “We didn’t give any race media conference about instruction at all.” how he came to suddenly slow But elsewhere at on the straight on lap 48, a Hockenheim, the Scuderia was
A celebration of Australia’s Muscle Car heritage and a tribute to the drivers that raced
roundly criticised. “That was the clearest team order I’ve ever seen – as clear as 2002,” said Red Bull Team boss Christian Horner, in a reference to the Austrian Grand Prix of that year in which Ferrari team boss Jean Todt ordered Rubens Barrichello to move aside for Michael Schumacher. [Rubens waited until the final lap to acquiesce which saw the two Ferrari drivers booed by the crowd as they received the chequered flag.] It was this incident that prompted the FIA to legislate against such result-changing team orders.
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FATHERS DAY SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2010 CHECK OUT: www.musclecarmasters.com.au or 02 9672 1000
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Courtesy Ferrari
Just like the Good Old Days
BRIATORE DENIES WINGATE INVOLVEMENT FORMULA 1 FLAVIO Briatore has rejected suggestions in the German media that his influence over Mark Webber contributed to the Red Bull front wing controversy at Silverstone during the weekend of the British Grand Prix.
Germany’s die Welt newspaper claimed the disgraced former Renault chief, who is also Mark Webber’s manager, advised Webber to be uncompromising over the wing issue. “That is complete nonsense,” Briatore said. “I have been working for 10 years with Mark
and it’s normal that we talked about his situation. Mark is experienced enough to deal with it himself.” Instead, he took aim at the Red Bull team management. “They need to communicate better with the drivers. They both need to know better why they are making this or that
decision – it has to be obvious to them. “If everyone understands what it is about then there will be no problems. Red Bull has the best car and should win both titles, but like last year they could also lose them both. In my view that would be a disaster.”
Legends Dinner Invitation Tall tales and true stories from the legendary past. Guest speakers include:
Kevin Bartlett, John Harvey, Allan Grice, Glenn Seton & John Bowe up front on stage reminiscing about 50 years of Australian Touring Car racing.
You are invited to the 2010 Muscle Car Masters Legends Dinner, proudly brought to you by Valvoline
LEGENDS DINNER SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2010 FOR BOOKING DETAILS: www.musclecarmasters.com.au or 02 9672 1000 www.mnews.com.au
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PT the Boss? Nah ... INDYCARS
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IndyCar puts Duno on P plates INDYCARS MILKA Duno has been placed on probation by the IndyRacing League. Duno is on probation until the end of the year for not consistently meeting minimal performance standards. The IRL requires Duno to show “immediate and substantial improvement for the remaining 2010 events.” If she fails to improve, she could be penalized. Twice already this season she has been parked by officials. Due to complaints that Duno doesn’t use her mirrors enough and move over for faster cars, the IRL has determined a criteria, known as the 107 percent rule, requiring a driver to be within 107 percent of the fastest car. Duno, 38, is in her fourth season of IndyCar racing but 2010 is her first full season. She has only completed two races, several laps down, earning a best finish in 17th at Watkins Glen. Having missed the Indy
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JACQUES Villeneuve may be becoming a team owner but Paul Tracy is not looking at that future. At 41, the part-time driver for KV Racing Technology, Tracy has been free of accidents competing in a fourth car for the two Canadian rounds. That can’t be said for teammates Takuma Sato, EJ Viso, and Mario Moraes who combined have had 21 incidents. “I’m glad it’s not my checkbook,” Tracy said, who still is talking to Dreyer & Reinbold about running more races this season. “People ask me why I don’t become a team owner. I don’t like writing cheques; I like receiving them.” – MARY MENDEZ
500 by not being fast enough to make the 33-car field, Duno has finished 24th or 25th in all her other races this season, with six events in last place. Some believe she should spend time in the Firestone Indy Lights series. Team owner Dale Coyne has defended Duno, telling the Edmonton Journal, “She’s pretty good for the series. She has a longer autograph line than most and she attends local school visits. They love her. She’s determined to conquer this. That’s what we like about her, her spirit.” Duno is unfazed by the criticism, stating “I don’t pay attention to what others say.” – MARY MENDEZ
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Conway aims for a return at Infineon INDYCARS
NASCAR N’WIDE NASCAR has penalised both Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski over the latest chapter in their ongoing feud. As a punishment for the goings-on at Gateway International Raceway last week, which saw Edwards win the race in a damaged car and Kesekowski’s Dodge destroyed, Edwards has been fined US$25,000 and docked 60 Nationwide Series points, and
will be on NASCAR probation until the end of the season. For his small part in washing up into the rear quarter on of Edwards on the final lap, points leader Keselowski got placed on probation through the end of
the year also.
– MARTIN D CLARK For more on Edwards vs Kes, see Opinions, page 22
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MIKE Conway has spent time in a race simulator as part of his recovery from a horrific Indy 500 crash. Conway’s injuries, fractured vertebra and a badly broken left leg, were thought initially to rule out a return to the cockpit this year. But the Brit is now driving in a race simulator as part of his workout regimen at home in the UK and is targeting a return to Infineon, a road course next month. “It is great to be back in the cockpit after the accident seven weeks ago,” said Conway, who had the cast from his left leg removed. “It’s the first time I put weight on (the foot) so I was surprised how well I could hit the brakes. I am pleased to say that I have feeling in my foot and it felt good.” – MARY MENDEZ
NASCAR STEPS IN
DR stays put NASCAR SPRINT CUP DAVID Reutimann will stay NASCAR’s #00 man until at least 2012. The Florida-born driver has signed a two-year contract extension with Michael Waltrip Racing, with an option to stay for third year. Reutimann and team owner Michael Waltrip had a handshake agreement prior to making it official at Indianapolis. Reutimann, 30, has two Sprint Cup wins, one at Charlotte last year and his second coming at Chicago two weeks ago. – MARTIN D CLARK
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Queenslanders to join F3 at Morgan Park FORMULA 3 LOCAL drivers are set to boost the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship field a boost at Morgan Park. F3’s maiden run at the Queensland circuit will be the first leg of a three-round East Coast Shootout to end what has been a trying year. Grid numbers have been
Queensland Racing Car class so far this year. “I’ve been looking forward to racing since it was announced,” Gersekowski said. “This year was going to be a practice year to get used to wings and slicks, then depending on how times were, we were going to look at running the national championship next year, but I
didn’t really expect to do it so soon. “I’ve just done my national licence, so I’d like to do [season-ending rounds at] Eastern Creek and Sandown as well, budget permitting. “The other drivers in F3 are good drivers, so it’ll be good to compare and see where we’re at.” – MITCHELL ADAM
maiden meeting, with the Porsches on the bill alongside Formula 3, Sports Sedans, the Australian Manufacturers Championship, Saloon Cars and Superkarts. “It’s all a bit secret squirrel at the moment as nobody has been able to do any hot laps around the new circuit, but by foot and at 60 kilometres an hour in my Cayenne, the layout looks amazing,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot more demanding, a lot higher average speed, and there will definitely be more overtaking. “Off the old circuit, there’s a huge sweeper that is reminiscent of the final corner at Phillip Island, or Turn 1 at Eastern Creek, it misses all of the tight and twisty section from the old circuit. “Coming up onto the pit straight, the cars will get a bit light, and at the end of the straight we will probably be carrying 30 or 40 kilometres an hour more speed, so Turn 1 is going to be a real test under brakes.”
Morgan Park extension almost finished
John Morris / Mpix
lower than expected, however numbers will be up at Morgan Park, with Queensland additions helping as the series eyes 12 cars. Chris Gilmour and Roman Krumins will have their second hitout of the season, while Ben Gersekowski will make his Australian F3 debut. The 17-year-old has been racing an ex-TanderSport F304 in the
CIRCUIT NEWS MORGAN Park Raceway’s upgrades are nearing completion ahead of their debut with the Shannons Nationals next month. The August 14-15 event will be the first time the circuit’s extension, which takes the layout to 3km, has been used. “We’ve had our track inspection, and everything has come up alright,” Warwick District Sporting Car Club president Bill Campbell said. “There’s only a few cosmetic things that need to be done like line marking, and because we’ve got weekend bookings up until the Shannons Nationals, that work will have to be done mid-week. “That won’t be a problem; everything will be ready in time for first practice on Friday.” Mission Foods Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge competitor Terry Knight has been among those involved in the extension, and will race at its 14
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Reed sidelined AUSSIES OVERSEAS AUSTRALIAN two-wheel ace Chad Reed will not compete again this year, after being diagnosed with Epstein Barr virus. The Monster Kawasaki moto and supercross rider went into this year’s World Supercross and AMA Motocross series wanting to defend both crowns, but after struggling with injury through the Super X season, he has spent the early part of the AMA season battling with fatigue. Now, the reason for the fatigue has been exposed, and Reed has decided to call it quits for the rest of 2010. “I have spent most of the last month in and out of my doctor’s office getting tests done, trying to figure out what is going on,” Reed explained. “Each weekend I head to the track excited to get out there
and get some wins on my Monster Kawasaki and ready to defend the number 1 plate that is on my bike, but for most of this outdoor season I have been frustrated and questioning every part of my program. It’s tough knowing your better than what your performance and results show. “Personally it’s embarrassing riding with the #1 plate on and not [be] battling at the front. I don’t take it lightly, and I knew I had to get to the bottom of my issues. “The results back from the doctor have confirmed I have the Epstein Barr virus, which explains my fatigue issues on the track. I knew it wasn’t my fitness, but I was struggling to finish races and it got to the point where it was dangerous for me to be out there. “My doctor, team and I have decided that I need to be off the bike for a while to try and get a handle on this.”
BATHURST CALLING FOR OVERSEAS TEAMS BATHURST 12 HOUR ARMOR All Bathurst 12 Hour organisers have received strong international interest for February’s race. Sportscars complying with the Australian GT Championship’s regulations are eligible for next year’s race for the first time, with
organisers reporting over a dozen expressions of interest from overseas competitors. “Its early days yet – entries haven’t even opened – but we have received a lot of interest from people looking to race at the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour in 2011,” administrator Jodi Zylstra said. “I was receiving excited
phone calls and emails from teams in Great Britain, mainland Europe and the United States as soon as word got out that GT cars would be eligible. The response is very positive and shows that, even though it’s early days, we can expect a large and competitive field to race in February next year.
“Bathurst is recognised internationally and a lot of teams from abroad want to make the most of a rare opportunity to race there. Local competitors from Australia have also been in touch so it is looking like it’s going to be a great ‘Australia versus the World’ battle for the win.”
Marshall Cass
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Lloyd to join EMG in 2011 FORMULA FORD
PRODUCTION CARS WILSON Brothers Racing will return to the Australian Manufacturers Championship at Morgan Park – with a Wilson behind the wheel. The Gold Coast team sat out the Australian 6 Hour at Eastern Creek, but will be back in action on August 1415. Having spent recent years
and Daniel Ricciardo. Josh and his team have similar goals in expanding into Europe so we’ll be looking to move forward together.” EMG currently run two cars in the Victorian Championship and the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford
Championship, Kiwi rookie Nick Cassidy pictured at Townsville. In 2011, they aim to up their National workload to four cars, with Lloyd to do selected rounds. The team will also move into their new workshop in Braeside, in south-eastern Melbourne, this week.
managing WBR’s Subaru WRXs, Cameron Wilson will race one for the first time in the penultimate round of the 2010 AMC. “About time!” Wilson joked. “We’ve had the cars since the start of 2007, but it’ll be the first time I’ve raced one. It should be a bit of fun. And it’ll be good to get my eye in; I’m looking at doing the full series
next year. “Morgan Park is our local track, and this is the first time the extensions will be run, so I’m keen to get out there.” The WRX Wilson will drive won the Morgan Park round last year with Lee Castle, but hasn’t turned a wheel since the round at Phillip Island in May. “The WBR business has been to run and lease the cars, but
we’ve been focusing on our other business recently, our gokart centre,” Wilson said. “Running the car is a fulltime job itself, in addition to all of the other motorsport stuff we’ve got going on. The car has been sitting there, we haven’t touched it since it last raced, so it’s got the old gear in it, but we’ll go out and have a run.” – MITCHELL ADAM
Dirk Klynsmith
FORMULA Ford outfit Evans Motorsport Group has signed their first driver for the 2011 season. Queensland driver Jordan Lloyd, 14, will race for the team in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship. A former karter, Lloyd is currently driving a Van Diemen in Queensland Formula Ford. ‘’I’m really looking forward to making the next step and working with a professional
team such as Evans Motorsport Group,” he said. “My dad and I have been running an old Kent powered Van Diemen out of our garage at home in Toowoomba this year. And while it has served me well in my first year of car racing and I have learnt a lot, we knew that to progress my career I had to go with a strong team. “My ambition is to progress my career to Europe and follow in the footsteps of drivers such as Mark Webber
Wilson’s WRX debut James Smith
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TOWNSVILLE’S PLANS FOR MORE RACING SPEEDWAY
SPRINTCAR racing could be on its way to Townsville, if the North Queensland town’s residents have anything to do with it. With their appetite whet for motorsport follows the massively successful Sucrogen Townsville 400 for V8 Supercars, it seems the locals want more motor racing. And upgrading from a temporary speedway at the town’s showgrounds, which has been used for the last four years, to a permanent facility might be the next step. According to Liberal/National Party candidate for Herbert, Ewan Jones, the sport’s popularity has grown so much in his four-year involvement that Speedway was clearly a necessary permanent
addition to Townsville’s sporting landscape. “[Speedway] is a cheap night out for the family,” he said. “In these tough times, when it’s expensive to take kids to the movies, to take them everywhere, it’s a cheap family night out.” Mr Jones has encouraged people to tell the Townsville City Council that they support a speedway at the central location. “If we don’t tell [the council], we won’t get it,” he added. Mayor Les Tyrell said the council would not support an inner-city speedway. He said a one-off speedway event, like the town currently holds, is very different to regular racing. “The major objection in such a well-
populated area is the noise,” Cr Tyrell said. “Let’s ask the people living in West End what they want. The people have strongly indicated they don’t want a continuous speedway event at the showgrounds.” Townsville Show Society president Chris Condon said the show committee would next Tuesday put in place a proposal to hold a free trial event at the showgrounds in the coming months. Mr Condon said he expected crowds of up to 20,000 would turn out to a speedway event. “The showgrounds are there as a service to the community,” Mr Condon said. “Nearly every other capital has motorsport at their showgrounds [and] Brisbane has moved to Archerfield, which is a residential area.”
NZV8 front-runner John McI ntyre unveiled a new look at Auckland’s Speedshow last weekend. “It’s the most strik ing livery in our five year history,” said McIntyre at the launch. 18
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Five Minutes with ...
CHRIS ATKINSON
‘Atko’ will return to rallying on home soil this weekend, with Rally Queensland forming part of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN spoke to him MOTORSPORT NEWS: You’re back in Australia, competing at an international rally; it must be a nice feeling. CHRIS ATKINSON: It’s really good. We’ve just arrived at the rally this morning (ED: Monday morning), and it’s brought back a lot of great memories from when I was competing in the Australian Rally Championship. I’m actually really excited about getting out and doing the recce, which is weird for me because it is normally pretty boring. But it will be cool to get out on the roads I used to race on. You’ve won in Queensland before. Is that a sign that these roads suit your driving style? They should be pretty good. Obviously the local guys, who have been racing here the last few years, will be pretty quick. And we’re in a different class of car to them, but hopefully we’ll be able to match them, if not beat them. But I don’t come here thinking this will be a piece of cake and a walk in the park. I think this is going to be a very difficult rally. having and trying to push us a long a bit further. Hopefully we can have a trouble-free run this weekend.
You mentioned that you’re in a different car to the ARC guys; do you think the Super 2000-spec car will suit the fast, flowing roads in Queensland? Well, Simon [Evans] and Neal [Bates] have won here in Super 2000 cars, so it’s not out of the question. We’re still in the development phase with our cars, so hopefully we’ll be competitive. But like I said the local guys will be fast. Even though I’m a local too, it’s been five or six years since I’ve rallied here. But I like the roads, and they’re good fun to drive, and I reckon they’ll suit the car pretty well.
And the team is happy with how that development work has gone? Yeah they seem pretty happy. But you never know until you get out there in racing conditions and put the car right on the edge. The team has done all it can do for the moment, given the time they had, and when we stop having these issues I think the results will start coming.
Has Proton done any testing since the last Asia-Pacific round in New Zealand? We’ve done a lot of development work back at base, but I didn’t do any testing myself. We had a driver in the UK doing some work with the engine, just working away at some of the issues we’ve been
Your Intercontinental Rally Challenge debut in Belgium wasn’t long-lived because of car troubles, but you’ve now had a chance to experience what has become a genuine competitor to the World Rally Championship. What are your thoughts on the IRC having
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experienced it first-hand? It is very good. We did the Ypres Rally, and that’s famous in its own right, let alone being part of the IRC. So it was really cool to be part of an event like that, with such passionate fans and an awesome atmosphere. The IRC has found it niche, and a lot of manufacturers are very happy with it. It’s an alternative to the WRC now, but to me, the WRC is still the pinnacle of world rallying. The WRC drivers are still the best in the world. Finally, every press release or story about you says you’re a Queensland native, but I seem to recall you being from Bega in New South Wales. What’s going on there? Yeah, that’s wrong. I was born in Bega, but everyone forgets. It’s too hard to keep explaining. motorsport news
chat
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WHERE’S THE LINE? L
AST week’s Nationwide race at Chicagoland ended with Brad Keselowski crawling out of a wrecked Penske Dodge and several other drivers thanking their religious icon of choice as they got out of what remained of their rides.
Meanwhile, Carl Edwards was smiling his smile, and thanking his sponsors and team in Victory Lane – and admitting that he wrecked Keselowski to take the win. Edwards-Keselowski. It is starting to get the ring of Ali-Frazier, but is potentially more damaging, and the two boxers only fought battles of 15 rounds. This shows all the signs of exceeding that. Many feel Edwards got off lightly with a points penalty (in what is, after all, NASCAR’s second-tier series) and probation, and that perhaps he should have been suspended for wrecking Keselowski on the front stretch with the
chequered flag in his sights. There have also been comments about him virtually admitting doing so, deliberately, in his post-race TV interview – not to mention the other cars that were damaged heavily as they raced to the finish line. The debate will rage on as to whether Edwards should have kept the win. Traditionally, NASCAR does not take wins away – but it’s clear they didn’t like the way Edwards claimed the trophy, so why NOT take the victory away? If NASCAR is to maintain any kind of credibility amongst racing purists surely they have to react differently and award the win to the second place car under these circumstances and do it at the race track. For Edwards, once the new season starts, what’s to stop him dumping a leader again to make sure he goes down in history as the race winner – if history
shows that history will not record how he got there. After the race, Bob Keselowski, Brad’s father and a former racer himself, was pretty emotional. “I’m sick and tired of this,” he said. “I’ll get my uniform back on and take care of this. He ain’t going to kill my boy. He just overreacted so bad. If he wanted to bump Brad, that’s one thing, but don’t drive him through the inside guardrail, don’t put him in the grandstand at Atlanta.” While some will point out that Keselowski Jr also drives hard and does not back off, it is understandable that a father should be concerned for the safety of his son. There is a fine line between what is fair, and what is too far. Many think it is about time NASCAR drew that line, in slightly thicker ink.
OPINION Martin D Clark – NASCAR Expert
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OPINION Andrew van Leeuwen – eNews Editor
Q: WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? A: NOTHING T EAM orders. Here we go again. Turns out that even without Michael Schumacher and Jean Todt, Ferrari are still partial to a little socalled unsporting behavior, as witnessed in Germany on the weekend. That team orders were in play is a given. The encrypted radio message didn’t fool anyone, particularly given the way Felipe Massa’s engineer Rob Smedley delivered the message, followed by the way Massa himself undertook the instruction, followed by both Massa and Smedley’s reactions after the race. There is no question that the team ordered that Fernando Alonso was to win that race. The question is, is it really unsporting? Yes, Massa had made a brilliant start and forged a lead, but the simple fact is that Alonso was quicker, even if he might not have been able to find a way past. Alonso is also in a much better position in the championship, and him winning the race was far more beneficial to the team
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than if Massa had won it. So the swap was a smart decision on two counts. First, it completely took away the possibility that the two red cars would smash into each other racing for the lead. If Red Bull had been a bit smarter in managing its drivers in Turkey, or even used a little team ordering of its own, they’d be in a much healthier position in the hunt for the title. Secondly, the Ferrari swap put the team in the best position possible. Why is that unsporting? Sport is about wanting to win. A similar situation reared its head in Edmonton, Canada, during the IndyCar race on Monday morning Aussie time. In the confusion of trying to fairly orchestrate a way to get Will Power past his Penske team-mate Helio Castroneves, the Brazilian ended up having his last lap discounted and Scott Dixon grabbed the ‘lead’ from Power as the Aussie tried to wrestle the win from his own team-mate. Had the team had the option of just switching its drivers,
it would have been a Penske 1-2, and Power would be sitting pretty heading into the group of oval races, where Ganassi are likely to have the upper hand. Motorsport is a team sport. If a football side is losing a match, they change the formation and substitute players. No-one says that is unsporting. No-one says that if the formation you start the game with isn’t good enough to give your side the advantage it needs, you can’t change it. It’s time to start treating motorsport like a team sport and allowing teams to do what they want with their drivers. Will it really open up a huge can of worms? No. It’s the team’s decision if they want to swap (remembering they’ll have to deal with the internal fallout that will inevitably follow), and it’s not every day that a team finds itself with a clear 1-2 and the ability to orchestrate a switch, either. In my opinion, if they’ve done enough to be in that position, they deserve the chance to swap their drivers around. 23
Korea Advice
Dear eNews readers, I was in South Korea last week, checking out the place ahead of October’s inaugural Korean Grand Prix. You can read more about the upcoming GP itself in the August edition of Motorsport News, out on Wednesday, but here’s some more information you may like to know about Korea, if you’re thinking about heading up there for the race one day. Things I discovered while in the country, having left Australia not knowing what to expect. As it stands (and looks), there’s plenty of work to be done on the circuit, but officials are confident it’ll be finished by late August before a warm-up event in September. Cheers, Mitchell Adam 24
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All pics: Mitchell Adam
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1. Korea is a really pleasant and scenic country. Even in the cities, it’s very lush and green, with lots of mountains. 2. There is a fascinating mix of new and old architecture. There are lots of new developments and modern places, intertwined with historic buildings and landmarks, and yet-to-be-developed areas. 3. It’s also a surprisingly vast country. The area where the Grand Prix circuit is being built in Yeongam-gun in the south-west is about a four hour drive away from Seoul. Alternatively, there’s a train which takes about 90 minutes. 4. Many bus and taxi drivers seem to be auditioning for an F1 gig. At one point, I couldn’t tell if our bus was getting a police escort or if we were just chasing a police car, and it felt like we were routinely getting three feet of air over speed-humps. 5. On the topic of transportation, taxis are remarkably cheap. 6. At this time of the year, the temperature is good. It’s warm and more humid than here, but not too warm. The race is in late October, their Autumn, so it’ll be starting to cool off, but still averaging about 20 degrees each day. 7. An Australian dollar is worth about 1000 Korean Won, and things are pretty well prices. Drinks in particular. For instance, you can get a 250ml can of soft drink for about 800 Won in a lot of places, and a local beer for about 3000 Won at a bar. 8. Changing a couple of hundred Australian dollars into Korean Won will give you a wad of cash you feel like you can buy the country with. 9. Seoul Incheon Airport, the nation’s biggest airport and the one you’d probably fly in and out of, feels like the future. 10. Planes with ash trays are still getting around. Korean Air use the oldest models from their fleet on the routes to and from Australia. Note, this also means yes no personal entertainment units. Their logo also looks a lot like the Pepsi logo. 11. Seoul is a massive city. It feels like it goes for ever and makes Melbourne feel, frankly, small. It’s not quite as hectic and frenetic as you might imagine and, true to the rest of Korea, it’s not all new-school. The old royal palace is still prominent in the middle of the city. 12. Every so often, across the country, there are massive clusters of apartment complexes, which look like Monopoly houses on stilts. 13. If you’re going to the race, there isn’t a lot of accommodation in the Yeongam-gun or Mokpo areas. You’re probably going to have to book early, and be prepared to travel a little bit each day. 14. Korean cuisine is ace. Particularly Korean BBQ, unless you’re a carrot-marrying vegetarian. 15. Traditional table settings, where you sit on the floor at a very low table, aren’t particularly comfortable if you’re tall. 16. You can eat scrambled eggs with chopsticks. 17. Being a foreigner – particularly a tall white guy – in the indoor markets at Seoul will make you stand out. Chances are, you’ll get a high-five or handshake for being from Australia. You might even get a high-five for, say, preferring round neck t-shirts over v-necks. 18. Also at the markets, all of the male mannequins have paintedon facial hair, like old mate pictured in the green and yellow hat. 19. The locals claim that the salt produced in Jeungdo Island is the best in the world, and the Bohyang Dawon plantation in Gangjin makes pretty-excellent green tea. 20. Overall, there are lots of touristy things in the south of Korea near the GP circuit, but you’ll need a car to get around as they’re all pretty spread out. 26
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INDYCAR ROUND 11 – EDMONTON, CAN
Making the most of Now Helio Castroneves was holding off Will Power for a Penske 1-2 in Edmonton – until the final 2 laps of a controversial race
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E
DMONTON’S IndyCar round has ended with a win for Scott Dixon and – almost unbelievably – a controversy involving team
orders. The New Zealander slipped past Will Power for second place with two laps remaining in the race, as the same time as the Australian was trying to overtake Helio Castroneves for the lead. Almost immediately, officials deemed that the Brazilian had blocked Power unfairly, and penalised him by placing him last on the lead lap. Despite the fact that Castroneves was the first driver past the flag, he was dropped to 10th. Dixon took his second win of the year, while Power’s secondplace finish extended his points lead. “I never moved my line,” a clearly upset Castroneves said later. “I actually did move him outside. When you go side by side like that with your teammate and they just
take it away from you, it’s just absurd.” Power was the story of the race. He qualified on pole and led most laps, from Castroneves, and at one stage, Ryan Briscoe moved into third place, giving Penske a potential dream result. But the raced changed in the final round of pitstops; Power took on harder ‘black’ tyres while Castroneves and Dixon gambled for faster ‘reds’. With 19 laps to go, Helio swept into the lead at Turn 1 and built a small lead. Power stalked him, and when there was a restart, the final play unfolded. Dixon was pretty matter-of-fact after his 26th career win. “I knew Helio and Will would be pushing
for that one and two, and if I went too far to the right I would be in the marbles, so I just continued on my normal line. I hoped they would pick up a lot of debris which made it a lot harder to stop, and that’s what happened.” Behind the brouhaha, Dario Franchitti beat out Briscoe for what turned out to be the final spot on the podium, and Ryan Hunter-Reay was fifth for Andretti Autosport. Sixth was Paul Tracy – a year after he came off the bench and roared through to fourth at the same venue. The Canadian veteran showed that he has not lost much of his fire, and completed a grand day for the KV team. In a season in
Western Power: Will Power started from pole and led away, and went on to finish second in a controversial race. Dario Franchitti was third on a good weekend for Chip Ganassi (!) while Paul Tracy pleased the locals by charging up to sixth in a two-off drive for KV Racing Technology.
All Images: Honda Racing
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which Takuma Sato, Mario Moraes and EJ Viso have managed 21 significant crashes between them, trio finished seventh, eight and ninth respectively, damage-free. It must be said thought that Viso spoiled one of the stories of the weekend. Simona de Silvestro just missed the fast six in her HVM entry, and was battling with the KV entries until Viso pushed her into a spin. She ran 11th after that, only for her car to stop later with mechanical problems. Meanwhile, Milka Duno spun on the first lap and stopped after four laps, for unspecified reasons. There are suggestions that there was a problem with her mirrors – the leaders were in them.
Results :: Honda Indy Edmonton Pos No Driver
1 9 2 12 3 10 4 6 5 37 6 15 7 32 8 8 9 5 10 3
Scott Dixon Will Power Dario Franchitti Ryan Briscoe Ryan Hunter-Reay Paul Tracy Mario Moraes EJ Viso Takuma Sato Helio Castroneves
Nat
NZ Penske Ganassi Penske USA Can Br Ven J Br
Team
Ganassi Aus GB Aus Andretti KV KV KV KV Penske
Sponsor Target Verizon Target Penske Izod KV Azul KV Lotus Penske
Result Qual
95 laps +2.6688s +3.2831s +8.8652s +11.1482s +11.9091s +16.9015s +18.2206s +21.5880s +42.6011s
Q3 1 4 5 8 15 14 6 13 2
Top 10 Points: Power 428, Franchitti 370, Dixon 349, Briscoe 324,
Hunter-Reay 316, Castroneves 305, Kanaan 291, Wilson 252, Wheldon 243,
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NASCAR Round 20 – INDIANAPOLIS, IN
At the Brickyard 400, Chip Ganassi completed a unique triple crown for a team owner – but not with the driver most expected to deliver the result
Bricks and Slaughter
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CHIP Ganassi is having quite a year. The NASCAR team he coowns was C victorious in the Daytona 500 in February, and Dario race
NASCAR Media
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HIP Ganassi is having quite a year. The NASCAR team he co-owns was victorious in the Daytona 500 in February, and Dario Franchitti won for Ganassi in the Indy 500 in May. Less than two months later at Indianapolis and Jamie McMurray has backed up his Daytona win to deliver Ganassi a exclusive triple with victory in the Brickyard 400. “I am speechless and I am lucky,” the normally garrulous Ganassi said. “I am privileged to be in this business and I am the luckiest guy on the planet. You wouldn’t dare to dream this kind of year.” McMurray himself barely dared to dream of victory during the closing stages, because that appeared reserved for his Ganassi teammate, Juan Montoya. The Columbian had been the man to beat and looked set to add the Brickyard 400 to his 2000 Indy 500 win, but the team made a fatal strategic error at the final tyre stop. Montoya took on a full set while his opposition, McMurray included, only changed
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the right side. The pitstop delay shuffled Montoya back in the pack, and his race would end in the wall after contact with Dale Earnhardt Jr as Montoya tried to battle his way back to the front. While a frustrated Montoya was unavailable for comment post race, McMurray was effusive after a late charge that saw him reclaim the lead from Kevin Harvick’s Childress Racing Chevy after the final restart, leaving Harvick to defend second place from the Roush Fenway Ford of Greg Biffle. “This is unbelievable and an exciting day for us,” McMurray said. “And it is unbelievable the races that Chip Ganassi has won this year with the Indy 500, the Daytona 500 and almost winning the 24 hours at Daytona. This has been the greatest racing year of my life. It is remarkable to be put into this position and I am in shock. “In the closing laps, I was praying there wouldn’t be a caution and that my car would have the grip it needed. Coming in on the last stop, I thought I had a flat tire and I knew if we took on
four tires, we wouldn’t have a chance at winning. When it is your day, it is your day.” Harvick had to be satisfied with second pace, conceding that he didn’t have a winning car on the day. “On the first restart, I got a really good start and on the second one, I had to wait on the throttle and Jamie (McMurray) just drove around me,” he said. “I believe we had a top-five car, but taking two tyres at the end gave us track position. I am glad we came home second.” It was a strong performance from third-placed Biffle, who shadowed Montoya early on and looked the man most likely to challenge the Columbian. Clint Bowyer had to wrestle for fourth place with Tony Stewart, the Wheaties Fuel Chevy driver gaining the position after a ‘fun’ battle. “On the last restart, I dive-bombed in there on Tony (Stewart) and got him loose,” Bowyer said. “I said to myself, ‘Don’t wreck him’. I then let him go a couple of laps before I got back by him.”
Results :: Brickyard 400, Indianapolis, IN 1 1 2 29 3 16 4 33 5 14 6 31 7 99 8 18 9 20 10 2
Jamie McMurray Kevin Harvick Greg Biffle Clint Bowyer Tony Stewart Jeff Burton Carl Edwards Kyle Busch Joey Logano Kurt Busch
Chevy Chevy Ford Chevy Chevy Chevy Ford Toyota Toyota Dodge
Earnhardt Ganassi Childress Roush Fenway Childress Stewart-Haas Childress Roush Fenway Joe Gibbs Joe Gibbs Penske
Bass Pro Shops 4 Shell/Pennzoil 9 3M 7 Wheaties Fuel 6 Old Spice 15 Prilosec OTC 10 Aflac 19 M&Ms 23 Home Depot 34 Miller Lite 14
Top 10 Points: Harvick 2920, Gordon 2736, Hamlin 2660, Johnson 2659,
Ku Busch 2658, Ky Busch 2630, Burton 2615, Kenseth 2573, Stewart 2544,
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Chips and Champagne: It could hardly have been a better weekend for Chip Ganassi, with pole and a win, and a unique Daytona 500/Indy 500/Brickyard 400 treble. The race’s decisive moment came when Jamie McMurray took two tyres, beating a four-tyred Juan Pablo Montoya off pitroad, left. JPM ended the race with damage, right. Greg Biffle, top right, gave Roush Fenway a third place in what is proving to be a tough, tough year.
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SUMMER NATIONALS WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY, USA
Daniel Beard
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A
WELL-TIMED drive from Greg Hodnett has seen him clinch the annual Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway, Pennsylvania, on the weekend, and in the process pocket US$20,000 as the lucrative World of Outlaws ‘Month of Money’ continues in the USA. Working the bottom of the half-mile track, Hodnett raced under leader Paul McMahan on Lap 26 of the 30-lap race to grab his 10th career World of Outlaws A-Main victory. In the early stages, Hodnett fell back to ninth after starting third, and used an open red flag on the eighth lap to his advantage, as his crew made a number of changes on the #22 Macri Concrete Maxim. At the restart, Hodnett quickly moved to sixth, then into second with 11 laps to go, setting his sights on polesitterMcMahan, who would eventually come second followed by quick-time qualifier, Jason Sides, in third. Kerry Madsen was the lone Australian in the field and finished 23rd in the huge 28-car feature field. “It was a really good race and an exciting race, at least from [the] standpoint where I was,” Hodnett said. “We were all balled up and couldn’t run the centre, so we actually freed it up and it got to rolling better. On the restart, I went to the bottom and I could see those guys weren’t going anymore and I figured they were losing their tyres. I just kind if laid back and let them come to me.” – GEOFF ROUNDS
HODNETT IN THE CASH
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Erickson up and down at Lime Rock AUSSIES OVERSEAS DANIEL Erickson endured a mixed weekend in his latest US F2000 Championship hitout. The Sydneysider was in the field again at Lime Rock with Primus / Quantam Racing, contesting Rounds 9 and 10 of the season.
It all started well, with Erickson claiming pole position for the opening race, after provisional pole-sitter Keith McCrone was docked his fastest time for causing a Red Flag. Things weren’t great in the second session, though, with Erickson limited to 14th by an engine misfire. “The engine started stuttering
when I hit the throttle,” he said. When racing got underway, Erickson lost several places early, but fought his way back up to second. A last-lap challenge on Cole Morgan, though, saw him have an off and finish 12th. “I tried to go for glory into the first turn. I went for the outside, but I got on the marbles and
the car just washed out,” he admitted. The weekend finally ended on a good note, with Erickson charging from up to second in Round 10. “I’m always after a win, but starting from 14th I thought even top five was optimistic, so I’m extremely pleased to finish second,” he said.
After tracking down one of his former open wheelers he decided he needed something fresher. “I’ve got a motor racing addiction,” Smith said after collecting the trophies for winning Formula Ford at Historic Queensland at Morgan Park Raceway. “I’ve still got a Supra Turbo but you’re racing that against Ford Escorts and Nissan GT-Rs so the competition isn’t level. The beauty of Formula Ford is they’re all the same. When I got back into it I decided I wanted a Lola. This is the fourth Lola I’ve had in a year and a half.” Smith has been sourcing a succession of Lola T440s in the US, importing and restoring and racing with his old mates from the 70s and 80s. Cole Devaney and Jeff Clark prepare the car with Steve Dewhurst
building the engines. It’s quite the nostalgia trip for all of them. Two of the Lolas have moved on to new owners but this black T440 is the sweetest, and Smith spent the last race of the day fighting old rival Richard Carter in an Elfin 600B for third place in the Racing Car feature race, behind Chris Farrell’s
Ralt RT4 and Rhys Foster’s European Formula 2 March 75B. “We’re just happy to be running these cars,” said Smith. “Everyone who wants to race should race these cars. You learn racecraft and carrying corner speed. You can get in these things and really ring its neck.” – MARK JONES
SMITH STREET HISTORICS
THIRTY years ago, John Smith was terrorising bigger and faster open wheel racing cars with what he could do with a light and nimble car with half the engine capacity. It seems little has changed. In the late 70’s and early 80’s, Smith was one of a vanguard of emerging Formula 2 and Formula Atlantic racers that leapt into Formula 5000 races. These days, Smith is racing a 1977 Lola T440 Formula Ford against bigger faster cars at historic meetings nationwide, competing against two litre Australian Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula Pacific Ralt RT4 and Tasman Formula racers. He also races against the fleet of young Formula Fords drivers in much newer equipment in the New South Wales Championship.
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Reinhardt tops huge FVee class James Smith
VIC STATE FORMULA Vees dominated the headlines at Round 3 of the Victorian State Circuit Racing Championships at Sandown on the weekend. A massive field of 48 Vees turned up at the 3.1km circuit, with only 46 of them able to qualify for the capacity grid. The man at the head of the grid was Daniel Reinhardt, who, once again driving his new Sabre 02, made it four wins from four starts to dominate
the proceedings. Ash Walsh was yet another man to have a perfect weekend, after what could be described as a chaotic weekend for the Formula Fords, with many National contenders present ahead of November’s final round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at the circuit. Following a fourth in qualifying, Walsh had a great, weekend long battle with main adversary Nick Foster to take the round honours. The Saturday rain was very
beneficial to the six cylinder runners in the Historic Touring Cars, as Les Walmsley finished on top in his Valiant Charger, just two-points clear of the Torana XU-1 of Andrew Williams. Doing the winning in the Sports Cars was Paul Whitmarsh, who easily defeated rivals Ivan Klasan and Simon Middleton in his Porsche 993 GT2. Continuing his unbeaten 2010 record in the Victorian Championship was Rodney
Raatjes, who made winning look all too easy in the Holden HQs. Meanwhile, it was the Mazda RX-7 of Kane Vereker who took the top step on the Improved Production podium. BMW E30s joined the Saloon cars for the weekend, and it was Stanley Karatzis and Corey Ludeman who won their respective classes. Rob Whitwell meanwhile dominated the MGs and Invited British Sports Cars category. – CALLUM BRANAGAN
Brabs still on top in ALMS ALMS DAVID Brabham and Simon Pagenaud have maintained their lead of the American Le Mans Series, after a controversial race at Lime
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Rock. The pair took their Highcroft HPD to second place, behind Klaus Graf and Greg Pickett after a late-race clash between the teams. With 10 minutes remaining,
Brabham was challenging Graf as they encountered lapped traffic. The pair touched and Brabham was forced wide onto the grass. Graf received a stop-go penalty, but still came out ahead of Brabham, who
pitted with a puncture. The win was the first for the CytoSport Porsche outfit in the series. Gunnar Jeannette and Elton Julian took third place and topped the LMPC runners.
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motorsport news
rear of grid
THE NATURAL ORDER
With team orders back in the limelight, we thought we’d look at a couple of other infamous driver switches. First, the Australian Grand Prix in ‘98, where Mika Hakkinen pitted by mistake, lost the lead to David Coulthard, and then had it handed back to him. Then, there was the Ferrari 2002 saga, where Rubens Barrichello had to give up the win in Austria, only to have Michael Schumacher repay the favour at Indianapolis later in the season. Also, who could forget Mika Salo moving over for Eddie Irvine at Hockenheim in 1999? Not us.
Odd Spot
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AUSTRALIA 1998 GERMANY 1999 INDY 2002
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AUSTRIA 2002 41