Motorsport eNews Issue 178 - October 26-November 1, 2010

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Issue No. 178 | Oct 26 - Nov 01 2010

news 5

Falcon or Commodore?

Both sides after Courtney 7 Ford’s Grand Plan Blue Oval wants World Champ 10 Tag Team Tagliani’s V8 future 14 Two Aussies, six WRC events Reeves and Taylor are stars!

22 Remio’s Reign Another green plate for veteran

chat 26 Five Minutes With ...

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comment 28 Branagan: Past and Present van Leeuwen: Super Seb

race 30 V8 Supercars 40 Formula Ford 42 Shannons Nationals 48 V8 Utes 50 MINI Challenge 52 NASCAR

trade 58 Classifieds

WEBBER: ALL MY FAULT FORMULA 1

M

ARK Webber has accepted the blame for his DNF during Sunday’s Korean Grand Prix, but insists that his title tilt is far from over.

Webber started second in South Korea, a race that was initially started behind the Safety Car before being redflagged after a handful of laps because of treacherous weather conditions.

The race was resumed, again behind the Safety Car, after a lengthy break, with Webber’s Red Bull team-mate Sebastien Vettel leading the way. But on just the 19th lap it was all over for Webber, after he spun and clouted the wall, and was then cleaned up by the approaching Nico Rosberg.

Vettel then had the race clearly won, before his Red Bull’s engine let go with

only a few laps left to run. The two RBR retirements gifted the win to Fernando Alonso, who for the first time this season leads the championship.

It was only Webber’s second retirement for the season.

“It was very disappointing not to finish the race,” said Webber.

“The track conditions were treacherous due to the rain, and I crashed at the exit of Turn 12. I lost the rear of the car on a kerb; it was 100 percent my fault and that’s the end of it. The only thing to do now is move on to the next race.”

Despite now being 11 points behind Alonso with only two Grands Prix left to run, Webber is remaining bullish about his title chances.

“It was a pretty extraordinary race,” he added, “and it’s closed things up at the top of the World Championship. But I absolutely believe that I can win the title.

“The RB6 is a great car, and I’m going to relish these races in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

To be racing against guys of Fernando’s calibre is very rewarding, and beating them is what sport at this level is all about.”

While Webber is unlikely to remember Formula 1’s first visit to Korea fondly, he did heap praise on the new-for-2010 circuit, which was completed right before the event go underway.

“It was an enjoyable track to drive. It had three very distinct sectors; long straights in Sector 1, some fast changes of direction in Sector 2, and some tighter corners in Sector 3.

“It was also a good technical challenge because we weren’t using maximum levels of downforce, due to the long straights at the start of the lap.”

The next race is the Brazilian Grand Prix in a fortnight – and Webber is the defending winner in Sao Paulo ...

motorsport news

news

COURTNEY COURTED V8 SUPERCARS

T

HE future of Jim Beam Racing remains unsolved [see separate story] and so does that of its star driver, James Courtney.

The current V8 Supercar Championship Series points leader is being linked to the Holden Racing Team, which is looking for a replacement for Will Davison. We believe that HRT was formally advised last week by Davison’s manager David Segal that he would be driving for another team at the end of this season.

There are a number of drivers whose names are being put forward as likely candidates for the HRT seat but Courtney’s appears to be near the top of the list. Other candidates include Fabian Coulthard and David Reynold, both from Bundaberg Red Racing.

Walkinshaw Racing’s Craig Wilson declined to comment when approached by eNews yesterday [Sunday] but a source close to the team said that “the team would be silly not to consider him, at least”.

Courtney situation remains uncertain because of the possibility of a change in the ownership structure at Dick Johnson Racing. It is likely that any change in ownership could trigger a release from his current deal.

On the other hand, Chris Styring, Ford’s Motorsport Manager, said that regardless of whether Courtney remains with DJR, he would be a wanted man by the Blue Oval.

“Of course he is,” said Styring.

“We have a great relationship with James. He is top shelf.

Regardless of what happens over there [DJR], he is still someone we want. We would be foolish not to want him in a Ford.”

Styring said that if Courtney was to become a free agent, his priority will be to find him a seat in another Falcon in the series.

“It is my job to find out where the drivers are going. It is part of our responsibility to determine where he ends up.”

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CHARLIE, DICK AND TINKLER SAGA PT4 V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

BAHRAIN OFF? V8 SUPERCARS

THE 2011 V8 Supercar calendar may be a little different to that which people were expecting – and there could be problems with at least one of the Series’ proposed international events.

There are suggestions that the planned Middle East double header, which was expected to start the series in February as it did this season, may be cut to a single event in Abu Dhabi. eNews believes that the Bahrain leg of the series is under a cloud; indeed, there were suggestions on the Gold Coast at the weekend that it was off.

V8 Supercars Australia last week delayed the announcement of the calendar for the second time. V8SA Chairman Tony Cochrane

told eNews on the weekend that there was more than one event with question marks next to it.

“We’ve got a few issues actually,” he said.

“It’s fairly tricky at the moment, so we’re just going to hang off for a couple more days and get it right,” he said.

“One of the problems with the calendar is that when we announce it, a lot of our fans will book, and we don’t want to put anyone into difficulties with plane booking and accomodation.

“We want to get it right, get it all done and we’ll roll it out sometime next week.”

V8SA CEO Martin Whitaker confirmed to eNews that he had been to the Middle East recently, but said he was not in a position to provide any further details.

THERE is still no resolution on the Dick Johnson Racing ownership issue.

Charlie Schwerkolt was back in team uniform on the Gold Coast, and messages posted through the team’s social networking outlets were again courtesy of Dick and Charlie. However, the man that is supposed to be taking over half the team – Nathan Tinkler – had a corporate box above the V8 Supercar pits at Surfers Paradise, although eNews can’t confirm if Tinkler himself was present.

While rumours continue to build up that the Tinkler/ Johnson deal has turned sour, and is unlikely to go ahead, Schwerkolt would only say that negotiations were ongoing.

“I’m still waiting on settlement,” he told eNews.

“We’re still in negotiation, and hopefully we’ll have an answer by the end of next week.”

And is there a chance Schwerkolt will remain at Dick Johnson Racing as an owner?

“It’s an option.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

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FORD

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FORD’S JACQUES ATTACK V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

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FORD has declared its interest in making Jacques Villeneuve a fulltime V8 Supercar driver, should the Canadian’s NASCAR plans fall over.

Villeneuve was on the Gold Coast last weekend, sharing the factoryprepared Bottle-O Racing Falcon with Paul Dumbrell as part of the Gold Coast 600. The deal came thanks to Ford’s latest motorsport manager Chris Styring, who was the commercial manager for Williams during Villeneuve’s title-winning season in 1997.

After being reunited for a weekend, Styring and Villeneuve admitted to eNews that a permanent V8 Supercar drive is a discussion point.

“I’d love to Jacques here,” said Styring.

“From a commercial point of view, this is a guy that can help us sell cars.

He could improve the brand image of Ford. One of the problems with our brand image at the moment is that we don’t have enough positive rub-off. People know who Ford is, and they know the brand, but we want to make it a cooler brand.

Being associated with someone like Jacques, who is interesting, global and recongisable, would not only help our motor racing, but our motor car business.

“It would be great to get Jacques out here permanently. Obviously there are a lot of things that need to happen. The offer has to be good, he’s got a family [to consider], but if the jigsaws fall into place …”

Villeneuve confirmed that the weekend on the Gold Coast was a ‘toe in the water’ exercise before making any further plans.

“That’s also one reason to do this; firstly to escape winter, and to try these cars,” Villeneuve told eNews.

“I didn’t want to do it at Bathurst, but this is good because there are 18 of us [internationals] invited, so you can’t look too stupid. It’s an easy way to find out what it’s all about, and find out if its something I would enjoy, and also, if the people here want to get involved in. It goes both ways.

“The thing is, I worked on F1, and that didn’t happen. And now I’m working on NASCAR, and that’s where my focus is. But Australia is a country where it would be quite easy to live. You don’t move to Australia thinking ‘this is going to be a pain’. You move to Australia thinking ‘great, it’s going to be summer for 12 months of the year!’

That’s a positive.

“The cars are fun to drive, and the series is fun, so there are lots of positives. It could happen.”

Villeneuve also confirmed that Formula 1 is now off his agenda, having been linked to a 13th licence bid with Durango, and Scuderia Toro Rosso.

“I’m not working on F1 right now,” he added.

“Today, I am focussing on NASCAR. It’s getting too late; F1 is highly political, and I don’t know if I want to be a part of that.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

MORE STARS IN 2011?

V8 SUPERCARS THE 2011 Gold Coast 600 may feature a full grid of international drivers – and the quality will improve, as well as the quality.

The inaugural gathering of 18 imported drivers looks set to expand, and could toinclude names like GP winners David Coulthard, Jean Alesi and Johnny Herbert, and IndyCar stars Paul Tracy and Tony Kanaan. eNews believes that Herbert, who races in the Italian Superstars Series, was disappointed not to get an invitation for this year’s race, and is hoping that his schedule will have a hole in it next year.

The quest to enhance the

field for 2011 will be helped by the fact that next year’s race is set for October 21-23. The date falls between the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka and the inaugural Indian race two weeks later.

“It’s good next year that we won’t clash with Formula 1,” V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane said on the weekend.

“There are a lot of ex-F1 stars who are tied up in F1 – like Jean Alesi [and] David Coulthard – who will become available and conveniently be in this part of the world.

“It’s going to be a pretty interesting go-around next time. There’s so many guys who want to drive in it. All of these guys who can want to

come back.”

However, there will be some clashes with the ’11 GC600 date, including the World Touring Car Championship round set for Suzuka. That means that Andy Priaulx, Yvan Muller and Alain Menu are unlikely not return to their respective teams – providing that the WTCC continues in its current guise.

It also clashes with a round of the DTM in Germany, so there is little prospect of any of that series drivers coming down under. Former DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom is known to be keen to race a V8 Supercar and was approached by at least one team about this year’s race, but no deal was forthcoming

for a number of reasons.

IndyCar’s 2011 calendar has its season-ending event listed for a week before the Queensland races, with the current status of the venue as TBA. The event is expected to be at either Las Vegas or Fontana in California, making travel to the GC a straightforward matter.

However, that does not mean that Will Power is sure to return. The Queenslander helpfully pointed out that there are a number of media commitments due to take place at the same time as the drivers arrive down under – but only for the 2001 IndyCar Champion ...

John Morris

Tagliani: My V8 Supercar future V8 SUPERCARS EXPECT Alex Tagliani to be on the move to V8 Supercars in five years time.

The French-Canadian has just finished the first of a five-year contract with newfor-2010 IndyCar team FAAZT Race Team.

He plans to see that contract out, but following that, a move to Australia and V8 Supercars is on the cards.

Tagliani was in Australia for the Gold Coast 600 on the weekend, and was impressive aboard Jason Bargwanna’s Kelly Racing machine. But aside from driving, the trip was also about networking for the future.

“I want to think about it now,” he told eNews.

“There is some good cross-promotion that can be done. As a driver, I can bring something to the series. [V8SA] realise that, internationally, that’s what they need, too.

“There is more openness from the series to have international drivers in. If I want to create relationships and opportunities for the future, I have to do it now. I can’t be doing it when I decide I want to race [in Australia], because it’s too late. Hopefully when the time comes, I will be able to be in a car here, and move our family back to Australia.”

Tagliani’s family is the difference

between his ambitions to race in Australia full-time, and the less serious musings of several other big international names.

Tagliani’s wife Bronte is from Australia, and he admits that a move down under from North America will become a priority when his current contract expires.

“Its’ something that’s very important for her, because she’s been away from her family for so long,” he added.

“I think it would be a great story, and it would be fun. I can stay in racing, and be close to my second family. And I have so many friends and so many contacts here, not using them would be a shame.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN motorsport news

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Dirk Klynsmith

TYRE bundles were once again a talking point on the Gold Coast last weekend, with various drivers calling for their removal before next year’s Surfers Paradise race.

This year, trip switches were fitted to the inside kerbs on the chicanes, so when a car cut the corner, their name was highlighted in yellow on the timing screens. With this successfully in place, policing corner-cutting was easier than ever, leaving drivers to question why the tyre bundles were retained.

Tony D’Alberto didn’t even get a chance to drive during

Saturday’s race, after his teammate Tiago Montiero hit the bundles twice during his stint, ruining the front of the Centaur Racing Commodore and forcing a retirement.

“It would be much safer if they got rid of them,” D’Alberto told eNews.

“If you hit a tyre bundle, the car is launched across the track. They don’t use them for Formula Ford, and they didn’t use them for the IndyCars, so there must be a better way.

“So long as it is policed properly, then cutting the chicanes won’t be a problem.

And it’s already being policed properly, so that should be it.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Undesignated Drivers V8 SUPERCARS DARIO Franchitti was one of The Team on the Gold Coast, and Scott Dixon was living with Jack.

While the rest of the Jim Beam Racing team wore ‘branded’ colours, and the Jack Daniel’s part of Kelly Racing were in full sponsors’ colours (well, black) the two Ganassi drivers were driving in the unbranded ‘Middle East’ suits that the teams wear when they are in alcohol-free Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

Why? Sensitivities. Target Ganassi Racing does not have

any alcohol sponsors, and this was an accommodation to allow the drivers to remain ‘booze-free’ while they were racing down under.

The drivers to have blind eyes turned to other matters were Helio Catroneves and Will Power. The Aussie Champ Car star had to work around the fact that FPR carries Castrol backing, while Penske’s upcoming deal with Shell takes over only at the start of next season. Ryan Briscoe was not in the same boat at HRT; despite the team’s links with Mobil, Briscoe is technically out of contract with Team Penske. motorsport news

JOHN MORRIS

LDM: Luff or Reynolds but it’s not the case,” said Dumbrell.

LUCAS Dumbrell “There is a lot to consider.

Motorsport is in a race You can set deadlines, but against time to sign a sometimes you just can’t driver for the remainder of achieve what you need to the 2010 season. in that time.”

With all three endurance One thing Dumbrell did races now out of the way, confirm was that the driver LDM is currently without signed for Symmons Plains, a driver for the remaining Sandown and Homebush is three race weekends of likely to be the same driver the season. And while that will race for the team Dumbrell told eNews for the entirety of 2011. in Bathurst that he’d “That would just be expected to have the new common sense,” he added. driver signed before the “That would be a real Gold Coast weekend, the benefit for us. deadline has been pushed “We’ve got a good bank back. However, eNews of tyres for the last few understands that Warren rounds, so if we can get our Luff and David Reynolds 2011 driver in the car, we are still the favourites for can really develop them the seat. before next year.”

“I wish I could say that – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN a deal had been done,

V8 SUPERCARS

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11

THE MONEY OR THE HULK? Williams may choose a driver with money to partner Barrichello FORMULA 1 WILLIAMS has not settled its 2011 driver lineup, despite reports to the contrary.

The future of rookie Nico Hulkenberg remains up in the air, with WilliamsF1 co-owner Patrick Head admitting that there were financial aspects in play to

determining the team’s drivers.

“Those are things which we will weigh up,” Head told Reuters, “It’s terrible to hide behind a board, but these things will be debated – and are being debated – in the Williams board.

“At the moment, we are not in a position where we are making any final

decisions. I know it sounds very superior to say so but, when we are ready, we will be saying what we are doing.”

The team sponsorship position, and the availability of drivers such as new GP2 Series Champion Pastor Maldonado, is placing pressure on the 23-yearold German. Maldonado carries huge backing from PDVSA, the Venezuelan state petroleum company that also backs controversial IndyCar driver Milka Duno under its Citgo brand.

Rubens Barichello, whose has outscored Hulkenberg in points this season, is expected to remain at Williams for his 19th Formula 1 season.

sutton-images.com

More McVodafone

Pedro Impressed FORMULA 1

McLAREN is staying in touch on Vodafone for the next three years.

The team announced in Korea that its had extended its deal with the international mobile phone giant until the 2013 season. The partnership between the team and the telco started in 2007, and has resulted in 21 GP wins.

“The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes title partnership has been hugely successful, in both sporting and marketing terms, and the extension is testimony to Formula One’s enduring global marketing appeal,” McLaren said in a statement.

PIRELLI’S 2011 Formula 1 rubber will be different to Bridgestone, according to Pedro de la Rosa.

The Spaniard, who made his first appearance as a Pirelli test driver on his home track of Barcelona last week, has commented on the differences between the Japanese and Italian brands.

“These Pirelli tyres have their own quite different characteristics to the current supplier that the drivers will appreciate next year,” he said, “and I’m confident that they

12

sutton-images.com

FORMULA 1

will form a very competitive package. Pirelli’s arrival is great news for Formula One.” De la Rosa completed more than 1200km of running on Pirelli’s harder compound tyres in two days, driving a 2009 Toyota. His next scheduled test is expected to be early next month at France’s Le Castellet circuit, where he is due to test Pirelli’s soft and super-soft tyres.

F1 teams are expected to test the rubber for the first time at Abu Dhabi later in November. motorsport news

Lotus + Renault

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FORMULA 1

sutton-images.com

LOTUS will have Renault power in 2011.

An announcement that the team will have the French V8s is expected to be made at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Lotus has already announced a deal that will see it use Red Bull transmissions next year, giving it a similar driveline setup to the cars that have been recognised as the fastest in Formula 1.

It is thought that Lotus Racing, which has used Cosworth engines in its first year in F1, is also not far from resolving its current dispute with Proton over the use of the ‘Team Lotus’ moniker next year.

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13 7/14/10 9:15:11 AM

Trouble at Petty’s Kahne goes to RBR early: what for 2011?

NASCAR SPRINT CUP THE future of Richard Petty Motorsports, and its 2011 recruit Marcos Ambrose, is in doubt after an eventful week.

Kasey Kahne, who was already signed to race a Red Bull Toyota next season, started his Toyota relationship early when he suddenly split with the team last week. He raced the #83 Camry at Martinsville on the weekend, finishing 14th.

His place in the Petty Fusion, carrying the number #9 that Kahne, inset, has race under his entire Cup career, was taken by Aric Almirola.

Kahne refused to get back in the RPM Ford a week earlier at Charlotte, after the car suffered brake problems during the weekend. He told the team he had stomach issues, but competed in a charity 5km run the next morning.

Some media outlets suggested that Ambrose, main pic, would follow Kahne’s lead, and switch to his 2011 seat immediately. However, he has issued a statement, explaining it is his intent to complete the season in JTG Daugherty Racing’s #47 Toyota.

Ambrose has to be nervous as RPM team owner George Gillett’s other sports business’s crumble around him and rumours of the race team turning to rubble remain rife.

“My new team for 2011 is going through a rough patch,” Ambrose told doxcar.com.

“I’m fully committed to it. I hope they can get their problems fixed in the next couple of weeks, and put it all behind.

“It’s just been a week of uncertainty really. It’s not nice for anybody and I’ve got a great opportunity for 2011. I just want to make sure I get to do it.”

14

Prize drive for Mo Reeves WORLD RALLY

Last year an apparently financially troubled Gillett sold the National Hockey League team, the Montreal Canadiens, and just recently, the UK Liverpool Football football team was sold in a forced sale by the Bank of Scotland for $475 million plus. A twist is that Gillett owned the football team with John Henry, who is the owner of the Boston Red Sox baseball team and partner with Jack Roush in Roush Fenway Racing. RPM and Roush Fenway share a tight relationship in that the RPM team is seen by many as RFR’s fifth, sixth and seventh teams, with chassis and staff provided to RPM by

RFR. Engines are also built by Roush Yates Engines and the team is located in an adjacent building to RFR in Concord, North Carolina so the ties are deep.

There have been rumours that RPM will not compete this weekend at Talladega and beyond. Those appear unfounded and by all counts the very healthy Ford Motor Company is eager to keep the Petty figurehead in their camp.

Therefore, it’s doubtful that Ambrose, who has far more support at Ford than he has enjoyed since he switched to race a Toyota, will have issues with his new ride, although there could be some storm clouds to pass under before Daytona in February 2011.

Ironically, Ambrose had his best race on an oval of the season at Martinsville. He qualified second and led the race, but brake problems put him out of the race.

– MARTIN D CLARK

JUST six drivers have been selected for the 2011 World Rally Championship Rally Academy, and two of them are Australian.

Brendan Reeves and Molly Taylor took part in the Pirelli Star Driver Shootout in Spain on the weekend, vying for a free place in the academy for next season. And they were both picked as successful candidates, meaning each will run six rounds of the ’11 WRC, fully-funded, in a Ford Fiesta R2.

One lo FORMULA FORD THE Australian Formula Ford Championship is hoping to only have one ‘long haul’ event on its racing calendar in 2011.

The AFFC is waiting on approval of its ideal calendar, thanks to the V8 Supercar schedule confirmation being postponed again on the Gold motorsport news

6-litre Cup! COMMODORE CUP

olly, s The academy is also open to other young drivers, at a fee of 118,000 pounds. The winner will win a 500,000 euro scholarship prize.

“This is a dream come true for me,” said Reeves.

“I would really like to thank Pirelli and the FIA for giving junior drivers the opportunity to compete for such a fantastic prize. There is nothing else like it in rallying, and for them to give young drivers like myself the chance to become a WRC driver is awesome."

“I am overwhelmed and incredibly excited,” added Taylor.

“It’s not every day an opportunity like this comes along! I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet."

“My focus has always been working towards the WRC, so to be sitting here today knowing that this is actually a reality is surreal.

“This is just the beginning and the hard work starts now.

I’m buzzing.”

The other four drivers selected for the program were Craig Breen (Ireland), Andrea Crugnola (Italy), Fredrik Ahlin (Sweden), and Jan Cerny (Czech Republic).

COMMODORE Cup is continuing to shape its new generation racer, which could be a VE Commodore with a six-litre engine.

The series currently utilises VS-model Commodores with a 4.2lt V8 powerplant, but that is due to be superseded in the coming years by a new platform, with the Commodore Cup Group currently working on that transition process.

While plans are in their infancy, a VE coupled with a six-litre V8 has emerged as a leading candidate.

“That’s being heavily investigated at the moment,” David Stevenson from CCG told eNews.

“First of all, we have to come up with the package itself, then decide on the timeframe for its introduction. Those two things are taking up a lot of our time at the moment – to see if we can do it within the cost parameters we’ve set ourselves, and how we would manage the transition from one car to the next.

“The VE, with a six-litre, is the favoured one at the moment, because it’s going to be a

relevant platform for the next 10 years. There is the possibility of sheet metal upgrades down the line, when the VE becomes an older model, where we can just do sheet metal upgrades and stay current without actually replacing the car.

“There’s still a lot of investigating and costing to be done, to see if it’s the option we go forward with.”

Should the category elect to proceed with the VE and six-litre package, a 2012 or 2013 introduction is expected, possibly even staggered across two seasons.

“It’s not impossible that there might be a prototype under construction next year, but there’s still a lot of i’s to dot and t’s to cross before we reach that stage,” Stevenson said.

“One of the things that is up for review is whether we might look at introducing the six-litre motor, the new engine package, and then the following year introducing the VE to put it in.

“If we do go to an upgraded engine package, the more of the current cars who’ve got it in it, the more are going to stay on the track.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

ong FF haul

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final spot on the Clipsal 500 support bill is also on Formula Ford’s wishlist.

In other FFord news, Castrol will grow its support of the AFFC next year. This season, Castrol has been the exclusive supplier of engine oil. In 2011, Castrol will be the exclusive supplier of both engine and gearbox oil.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Marshall Cass

Coast. But with both Darwin and Townsville making up rounds on the 2010 schedule, the category is keen to have one or the other next season.

“It’s only about costs,” said category manager Margaret Hardy.

“There’s nothing wrong with either meeting – Townsville was great this year.” eNews understands that the

15

Justin Collins

Evans bound for Europe FORMULA 3 MITCH Evans is keen to link up with MW Arden in next year’s GP3 Series, following a strong test in Europe.

The young Kiwi completed a three-day test with the team, owned by Mark Webber and Red Bull boss Christian Horner, at Estoril before the final round of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship at Sandown last weekend.

FORMULA 3

16

ends up.

“The European scene is very hard to crack, so we’ll use the first year as a learning year, do the Copa Class, and then move on from there. It’s the same class we raced last year in that one-off round, but we’re going there next year better prepared, with a testing regime.”

Tweedie will attend the Macau Grand Prix next month before making a final decision on his next move.

“Nothing’s set in concrete until you sign the piece of paper and that won’t happen until after Macau,” he said.

“We’re going over there as guests of a team to pick some brains and then make a final decision on what we do next year. We might be doing some testing in December if we’re doing European Open, so it’s going to start off again very soon; there won’t be much of an off season.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

next year, and work will now focus on securing the backing to race for his mentor’s outfit.

“It’s what I want to do, to be honest,” he said.

“There are other options, like British Formula 3, but that’s also huge money. The beauty of GP3 is that you run at all of the Formula 1 tracks, you’re in the spotlight as a support class.

“MW Arden were awesome, really, really professional.

Going into the test, I wasn’t

sure what to expect, because they didn’t really have a strong year, so it was good to come away from the test knowing that the team was really good.

“We’ve still got to work on the financial side of things, it’s pretty big money over there, there’s only so much my father and some people from back home can do, so we’ve got to look into bigger things.

“Hopefully we can sort something out for next year.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

Tom too!

Justin Collins

TOM Tweedie is set to move to Europe to race Formula 3 next year.

The Sydney driver finished third in the hotly-contested 2010 Australian Championship in his older-model F304 Dallara, and is likely to utilise his links with British outfit Team WestTec as he ships continents.

Tweedie tested with the team last year and contested a round of the European F3 Open Championship. That series, with West-Tec, is looming as Tweedie’s probable 2011 program.

“It looks good for next year,” Tweedie said.

“We’ve got a drive lined up possibly in Europe, which is a very high chance, or America, Star Mazda is a small chance.

“Realistically we’re swinging towards the European thing at the moment, which is looking really good for next year. We’ve just got to tie a couple of loose

“The track itself was awesome and just to be among the GP3 paddock was really cool,” he enthused.

“The times were really close, if you picked up a tenth, you moved up three or four places, if you made a little mistake it cost you really big. On one of the days, I think the top 27 were covered by a second. I ended up sixth overall, I was a couple of tenths off the front.

The Formula 1 support act is where Evans wants to race

motorsport news

news Justin Collins

Barker still unsure about 2011 FORMULA 3 NEW Australian Formula 3 Champion Ben Barker’s career path remains unclear.

In his second season of car racing and first in Australia, Barker took out the F3 title in a thrilling final round at Sandown, becoming the thirdstraight UK driver to win the title and the fourth in five years.

From here, though, Barker has no firm plans. He made

his tin-top debut at Bathurst last month in the Fujitsu Series, and contesting the series in 2011 is among his options.

“We obviously did the Bathurst round, which went very well, I was pleased with it and stayed out of the walls.

It’s definitely on the list,” Barker said of the second-tier V8 category.

“GTs are on the list back home in Europe and Carrera Cup is obviously coming back here, so we’ve got an eye on

that, but it’s looking like tintops, to be honest, just for budget reasons really.

“If I can find the budget to head back home and do some single seater stuff, I’m there, really. But I don’t think it’s going to happen, which will put us on a different career path.”

The 19-year-old says that an outcome on his future is unlikely before he returns to England in mid-December.

“It’s all going to be last-

minute-dot-com, like any other race driver struggling for budget,” he said.

“It’ll probably be after Christmas that we find out what we’re doing.”

In the meantime, Barker will have to go shopping for a new helmet, after his current lid was brushed by Team BRM team-mate Zhang Shan Qi’s Dallara in a first-corner shunt in the cancelled Race 2 at Sandown on Sunday.

– MITCHELL ADAM

Zukanovic wants a VE for FV8 FUJITSU SERIES MARCUS Zukanovic is on the hunt for a VE Commodore to use in the 2011 Fujitsu Series.

Zukanovic currently runs an ex-HSV Dealer Team VZ

in the series and currently sits seventh in the standings, having sat out 2009 following a pre-season testing accident.

For 2011, he’s keen to step up to a newer chassis.

“We’re trying to get a VE for

next year so we can continue on,” he said.

“I’m not sure when a deal is going to take place, but hopefully we’ll have a new car sorted out by the close of Homebush.

“That way I’ll have something to work with over the off-season and getting ready for 2011.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

THREE IN THREE YEARS! James Winslow, Joey Foster and now Ben Barker – Australian Gold Star (F3) Champions, and all part of the Driving Solutions team of professional instructors. Check out how we can make you a better race driver NOW!

2008

2009

Congratulations to Ben Barker 2010 Australian Gold Star Champion!

2010

FOR DETAILS CLICK HERE OR GO TO www.drivingsolutions.com.au or 02 9672 1000 www.mnews.com.au

17

Nationals sort 2011 calendar

SHANNONS NATS THE Shannons Nationals will remain a nine-round series in 2011, albeit with a slightly different calendar.

As previously reported in eNews, the series won’t visit Symmons Plains, and has added a second round at Phillip Island to the schedule.

The Nationals’ sixth season kicks off a month later with its 50th round, in Wakefield Park in April, and finishes a fortnight later with PI replacing Sandown as the host of the final round.

Seven of the rounds will be full Shannons Nationals events, with two to be run in conjunction with CAMS’ proposed Australian Production Car Endurance Championship.

“We’ve got full-on seven Shannons Nationals round and we’re working in partnership with a couple of enduros,” Shannons Nationals

director Rob Curkpatrick said.

“It’ll be Shannons Nationals branding, we’re involved as a partner. We particularly want to stay close to the Australian Manufacturers Championship, that’s very much part of us.

We see it as a compromised situation where we work closely with those racetracks and that’s fine.

“We’re fairly confident about the future. We came through the GFC thing, and the beginning of this year didn’t work out as we hoped, but the second half has been good and we’ve finished the year really strongly.

“We’ve got a lot of interesting things in mind for next year and, already, we’ve got a full program of categories. We’re forming a few more commercial partnerships, we’re working to lift our profile a bit and we’ll keep doing what we’ve been doing.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

Justin Collins

2011 SHANNONS NATIONALS CALENDAR 1. Wakefield Park, April 2-3 2. Mallala Motorsport Park, April 30-May 1 3. Eastern Creek*, May 21-22 4. Winton Motor Raceway, June 25-26 5. Eastern Creek, July 16-17 6. Sandown Raceway, August 13-14 7. Morgan Park, September 24-25 8. Phillip Island*, October 22-23 9. Phillip Island, November 5-6 * Includes Australian Production Car Endurance Championship

Proddies far from settled PRODUCTION CARS THE lay of the Production Car landscape in Australia in 2011 is still unclear.

Two competing categories are set to go ahead in 2011, both offering a series of longdistance races for Production Cars; the Australian Production Car Endurance Championship (aligned with CAMS) and the Australian Endurance Championship (AASA).

However, the make-up of 18

both categories could well change, following upcoming discussions with competitors.

Among discussions, a meeting is scheduled for Sydney this Thursday, between CAMS and the Production Car Association of Australia, acting as a representative group for competitors.

An outcome resulting in one category, encompassing aspects of each, is believed to be the favoured outcome, while some Australian

Manufacturers Championship competitors are perplexed by the situation, including a lack of consultation from the two warring parties.

“It’s ludicrous, it really is,” Team Mitsubishi Ralliart’s Alan Heaphy told eNews.

“Australian motorsport can’t sustain two factions, there aren’t enough competitors going around to try and do that sort of thing.

“The only dialogue we’ve had [with organisers] is what we’ve

created this weekend, when we said to both of them ‘hey guys, what’s going on?’ But as far as what may be best for the category, what people can afford to do, what the series needs and that sort of stuff?

Zilch.

“To not at least have a discussion with the key players in a category like this, those guys have got big investments in it, is downright arrogance, in my opinion.”

– MITCHELL ADAM motorsport news

news

Ins and outs for 2011 12 Hour BATHURST 12 HOUR WALL Racing are set to run three different cars in February’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour.

David Wall’s Vodka O Australian GT Championshipleading Porsche GT3 Cup S is set to headline the assault, combining with class entries for Paul Tressider’s Porsche 997 Cup Car and the Allan Eastowned Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX. David and father Des have been part of the line-up in the Lancer in recent years, but are likely to pair up in the Cup S. Talk at Sandown suggested V8 Supercar driver Karl Reindler – who was partnered by David Wall in the enduros – would join them in it, but Wall Sr. remained tight-lipped on the line-up.

“I can’t say anything about it yet,” Des said.

“Three cars will be a pretty

big task. We’re working towards all of that at the moment. There’s a lot going on.”

Also in Porsche ranks, GT3 Cup Challenge title rivals Roger Lago and Matt Kingsley will team up. They’ll use Lago’s title-winning 997 Cup Car as they look for a class win, with a third driver still to be signed.

“I think he’s got his eye on a couple of good drivers,” Kingsley said.

“I’ve just got to work on my pedal pressure, to get my leg a little bit stronger, but the cars are really stable, they’re suited to Bathurst. You can drive around at eight-tenths all day.”

As it stands, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart won’t be among the contenders for Production Car honours. TMR took won the 12 Hour outright in 2008 and 2009 with Evo Lancers, but team boss Alan Heaphy told eNews that their participation is unlikely at this stage.

“We probably won’t do the 12 Hour,” he said.

“At this stage we don’t have anyone who’s interested in going to do the 12 Hour. The reason we were there was our customers, who dictate whether we run or not.

“If they had the potential to win it outright next year in the Evo X, they probably would’ve gone, but the GT cars are 15, 20 seconds faster than we’ll ever be.”

One team who will be there in a big way, though, is On Track Motorsport, who’ll field three BMWs. Peter O’Donnell will enter his BMW 335i, which won two 12 Hours while owned by Garry Holt, alongside a pair of 130i-model BMWs. “We’ve got nearly every seat sold already,” team manager Garry Mennell said.

“We’ve got people coming up to us wanting to drive our BMWs around Mount

Panorama, which is the best bloody racetrack we’ve got here in Australia, for 12 hours.

Why wouldn’t we do it? Sure, the GTs are there, but it’s all about racing.

“Peter will drive the 335i, obviously. We’re trying to get John Bowe to do it and the reality is that he’ll probably end up in a GT car, but we’ve got two or three other guys who are keen to drive that car.

“We’ve got the 130i, Peter’s old car, that’s already full with three drivers. Christian D’Agostin will be back with us next year, Geoff Fontaine, Bruce Thomlinson. In Allan Shephard’s car, we’re looking at putting Garth Duffy in, who drove with us in the 6 Hour and we’ve got two or three other guys who are all trying to get a drive in the car.

“It’s a great event, we just want to go and race around the Mountain.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

Joel Strickland

www.mnews.com.au

19

Justin Collins

Hossack may park Audi SPORTS SEDANS DARREN Hossack and the John Gourlay-owned Audi A4 may spend next year’s Kerrick Sports Sedan Series on the sidelines.

While Hossack will defend his Australian Superkart Championship and continue to run in Speedway, the twotime Sports Sedan title winner and car owner are currently planning to sit out next year’s

Sports Sedan season.

“I still love driving racing cars, there’s nothing that gives you the same sense of achievement as winning in a racecar,” Hossack, who finished second in the 2010 series, said.

“The buzz is still there, but it’s probably the things like planes, hotels, restaurants and hanging around at the track doing nothing, that wear you down a bit.

“John’s probably at a point in

his life where he’s been doing it for a long time and he just wants to see if it’s what he really wants to do. He works on the car himself, it’s a seven day a week job to do it, and he’s got businesses to run.

“I think we’re both in the same situation where if you do something – I’ve been racing for more than 50 percent of my life – sometimes you get into the habit of doing things because that’s what you do.

“Until you’re not doing it, you probably don’t realise how much you like doing it or why you’re doing it. I feel with myself that I drive for him because I’m the right person for the car, and I’ve got to assess whether my life’s in the best position to do the best possible job for him.

“We’ll see what happens. If we decide not to do it again, it’s been a good ride.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

Chinese driver for Aussie Racers AUSSIE RACERS CHINESE driver Qinghua Ma will join the field for the final round of the Aussie Racing Car Super Series at Morgan Park.

Qinghua, 22, has previously raced open wheelers in Asia and Europe, including a stint driving in the A1 GP Series for Team China, and will drive one of the 20

category’s works Toyota Aurions in the November 5-7 event, which is due to run alongside a round of the Queensland State Championships.

“We are thrilled to have Martin confirmed to drive the #7 RDA sponsored Works Team Toyota Aurion Aussie Racing Car at Morgan Park as an integral part of the joint partnership development for our product

in to Asia,” Aussie Racing Car boss Phil Ward said.

“Martin is a very fast and talented driver and a great home land ambassador, his participation at this round will arm him with the necessary understanding of our product under full competition conditions.”

Kyle Clews and Adam Gowans will battle it out for the ARC title at Morgan Park. motorsport news

SANDOWN’S NEW LOOK IS A HIT CIRCUIT NEWS SANDOWN Raceway’s pit area upgrades hosted its first race meeting with last weekend’s Shannons Nationals finale.

The most visible change is the extension of the pit apron at the rear of the garages from 7m to 14m, with the whole area resurfaced and given a slope to aid drainage.

Behind a new retaining wall, an additional 7m of bitumen has been laid, while the ramps at either end of the pits have been rebuilt to improve wheelchair access and avoid racecars bottoming out.

Other changes include the restructuring of the garages, now in bays of three, while a sound wall has been built

between Turns 1 and 4 on the southern perimeter of the circuit.

While the upgrades are part of the recently re-signed deal to keep V8 Supercars at the Melbourne circuit, Wade Calderwood from the Melbourne Racing Club is buoyed by the flow-on affects to the other users of the venue.

“It was important that we put together a contract with V8s for 10 years to secure the long term future of Sandown as a venue for everybody, not just V8s,” he said.

“Here we are at Shannons Nationals and these guys are all getting the direct benefit of that; not just the deal for the V8s, everyone who uses Sandown and not just for

motorsport.

“It’s a staged, three-year process. In the first year, this year for the V8s, I had to get in the pit apron and extend the garages from 16 metres to 33 metres, and they’ve all been changed and are now in threebay garages, for consistency for the V8 teams.

“We’re also a third of the way through the track safety upgrades. Turns 1, 6, 8 and 9 have already been done, with brand new tyre walls with conveyer belt frontings.

“So we’re now looking to do, in Year 2, a lot of the guardrail upgrades, removing a couple of earthwalls and then some resurfacing of parts of the track.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

Mitchell Adam

www.mnews.com.au

Burdon plans step up to F3 FORMULA 3 TASMANIAN teenager Josh Burdon is aiming to contest next year’s Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship.

The 17-year-old completed three rounds in the 2010 season in National Class with RTek, and was due to test a Formula Palmer Audi car in the UK mid-year.

However, burns to his right hand sustained in an accident led to the cancellation of the trip. A replacement remains on the cards, but Burdon feels a domestic future could be more likely.

“I’m a very superstitious person and ever since I burnt myself, I’ve kind of wondered whether it was meant to be or not,” he said of the Europe test.

“At the moment, we haven’t got the funds together to go over Europe and do the test, after we did this round at Sandown. But if it all falls into place, which they’re pretty keen, we’ll go from there.

“I’d like to ultimately end up in V8 Supercars, and we haven’t got the budget to do a full season in Europe.

So I’d like to do a full season of Formula 3 next year and actually go full out for the championship in one of the 07 cars.

“We’ll try and open as many doors as we can over the off-season, you never know who you’re going to meet.”

– MITCHELL ADAM 21

Ash Budd

REMO, SERA BIG WINNERS KARTING

SOME 20 years after winning his first Australian Championship at Geelong, Remo Luciani has added another green plate to his collection, taking victory in the Formula 100 Heavy class at Horsepower Heaven.

While the Horsham-based karting entrepreneur has some 51 State Titles to his credit, this is just his seventh Australian Championship win.

He took the win dominantly, beating home another veteran in Dominic Albanese – who was also the Horsepower Heaven promoter. Matt Mills was third.

Adam Hughes took out another Australian Formula 100 Title in the Light division – coming across the line ahead of Sarron Caddy and Mark Domaschenz. Finishing fourth was Queenslander, Adam Mercer.

The other big winner on

the day was David Sera, who bested a stellar field in the Oceania Trophy for KZ2 taking the chequered flag ahead of Matt Wall and Lee Mitchener.

Italian visitor, Roberto Toninelli was a non-starter after a litany of problems plagued his weekend, a gear selector failing on the rollup laps the ultimate cause of him stopping. Justin Ruggier and Troy Woolston were other nonfinishers, so too Reif Corbett – the first time the former

South Aussie has been seen at a major national event in some years.

Mitchener made amends in Leopard Heavy taking victory over Michael Griffiths and Zane Wyatt, whilst West Aussie Dean Foster took out Leopard Light from Hughes and Ben Edwards. Albanese took out the 200cc Supers for the second year in a row ahead of Tyler Greenbury and Ross Sears.

– MATT PAYNE

HARRISON’S ASIAN ODDIE-SSY KARTING YOUNG Queenslander Harrison Oddie is another one of the enormous number of Australian karters that will be populating international airport lounges next month, when he heads to Malaysia for the Yamaha SL World Challenge.

The 11-year-old from Gympie will compete in the Cadet class at the event.

Ordinarily, in Australia, he races in the Rookies class, however he will enjoy the step-up in power that using a restricted 22

Yamaha KT100S (used for the Clubman classes in Australia) will bring. As for the kart itself, he will be driving a locally prepared Birel chassis.

“The organisers contacted Ralph Van Doorn and offered him a place in the Cadet class and Ralph was kind enough to approach Harrison about the opportunity,” said his father, Roger.

“We’ve had an excellent year results wise here and we’re hoping to continue that over there.”

As for the driver himself, despite taking a level headed approach to his racing,

it’s hard not to be a bit excited about his first overseas racing odyssey – one that he obviously hopes will be the first of many.

“I’m super excited about it because the event will have the best karters in the world for my age group,” Harrison said.

“To be offered this chance was a real shock.”

The event will take place at the Speedway Elite circuit, which is 1070 metres in length, across the weekend of November 26-28.

– MATT PAYNE motorsport news

IN ISSUE 401, WE TALK TO CRAIG LOWNDES AND MARK SKAIFE ABOUT

THAT BATHURST STINT PLUS: will power on almost being the indycar champion, behind-the-scenes at wilson security racing, how f1 season 2010 is like 1986, an exclusive one-on-one with rally legend carlos sainz, looking back at mazda in australian motorsport, and the revival of domestic cik karting. also, chats with scott mclaughlin, scott pye, leanne tander, peter hackett and much, much more!

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DI FILLIPO TO MISS SYDNEY DRAG RACING

T

HE second round of the Top Fuel and Top Alcohol championships in the ANDRA Pro Series takes place this weekend at Sydney Dragway, with full fields in both categories.

Top Fuel sees an oversubscribed field of nine cars, despite missing some notable names.

Santo Rapisarda has taken his team to compete abroad in the last two events of the NHRA season, meaning regulars Mark Mariani and Allan Dobson will be absent, while Darren Di Filippo is missing some of his regular pit crew and has opted to skip the event.

Nationals winner Darren Morgan has been busy between rounds touring his team around his home state of Victoria to keep sponsors happy. While the team took the win, they did hurt a lot of gear along the way, and therefore will be looking to keep carnage to a minimum.

Budget racer Bob Shepherd returns following his popular runner up finish.

The ever-smiling Shepherd has found a combination to deliver regular low five-

second and high-four second runs, and will remain a consistent threat.

Andrew Cowin is back after a disappointing resumption of his Top Fuel career at the Nationals where he smoked the tyres in the first round. The team has been doing more testing between rounds as they work to establish a baseline.

Damien Harris makes his first appearance in Top Fuel, his first ANDRA Pro Series appearance since his days in Top Alcohol. Harris has made his name in recent times racing a Nitro Funny Car. The Best Tractor Parts team has already run a 4.8s time in licensing, despite an early shut off so comes into the event as a real dark horse.

Phil Lamattina said the Fuchs team was prepared for a potentially hot couple of days of racing, which can make getting a 7000 horsepower nitro dragster down the strip very tricky.

Martin Stamatis is the reigning champion, and along with Phil Read produced a Jim Read Racing one-two finish last season. Read top qualified for the Nationals, but failed to fire in the first round and was left bitterly disappointed.

Two more NSW locals in Luke Shepherd and Terry Sainty will be trying to make their mark. Sainty made the semi finals at the Nationals, and like Shepherd is a consistent threat.

It’s a case of State of Origin drag racing in Top Alcohol with four Queensland cars and four NSW cars competing.

Aaron Hambridge in the Team APM dragster opened the account well at the Nationals with a win and an incredibly quick 5.51s ET. The performance advantage the team has created over the competition will be very important considering the tight nature of Top Alcohol.

Wayne Newby and the JBS team ran a personal best 5.57s time at the last round en route to a runner up spot, and stands as the main threat to Hambridge, along with last season’s Number 1 Gary Phillips in the Lucas Oils Funny Car. Husband and wife Steve and Debbie Reed return for this round Rick Gauci, Paul Madill and Steven Ham will all be trying to find an improvement in their results.

Racing starts from 9am on both Saturday and Sunday.

– LUKE NIEUWHOF

HIDDE

ANDRA Pro Series news i

24

motorsport news

news

JUDD IN TIME DRAG RACING

John Bosher

HIDDEN VALLEY GETTING CLOSER DRAG RACING WORK is well underway for Hidden Valley’s brand new drag strip, and there is already talk in the pipeline of what this has in store for the Northern Territory in the future.

The $4.5 million upgrade was jointly funded by the Federal and Territory governments.

Hidden Valley Drag Racing Association vice president Jay Jukes was all praise for the work that has occurred so far.

“It has taken over two years of planning with a lot of hard work by the HVDRA committee and Government departments,” said Jukes.

“It will be great to see it finished.”

is proudly presented by:

Works include a brand new racing surface, crash barriers, state of the art timing system and a dedicated burnout facility. The upgrades are the first major work to the venue since it was built in 1984.

The improvements to the venue also pave the way for a potential ANDRA Pro Series round to come to Darwin, with ANDRA CEO Tony Thornton and Drag Racing Australia Group CEO Paul Casos expected to visit Darwin next week to inspect the progress.

“It has been nearly 20 years since ANDRA Championship Drag Racing rounds came to Darwin and we are exploring opportunities to remedy that,” said Thornton.

– LUKE NIEUWHOF

FOLLOWING a successful Australian Nationals tilt, ANDRA Pro Series Top Doorslammer points leader Robin Judd is eyeing two in a row at the second round, the Goldenstates in Perth.

“Winning back-to-back Nationals was fantastic, and we have a good points lead going into the next round [in Perth], particularly with some of the other front runners being so far behind,” he said, referring to John Zappia’s DNQ. “We did what we needed to at the Nationals, that was top qualify and win the event, which gave us almost maximum points; and that’s what we need to do at all events from here on in, starting with back-to-back Goldenstate titles.”

Judd said he was also a little disappointed at his inconsistent passes at the Nationals.

“We still haven’t quite got as good a handle on the Sydney track as we’d like, but we are getting better,” he said.

“We also had some unexpected gremlins to contend with, the most serious being an ignition problem in the last qualifier. It upset the motor to the point that we broke a con rod as I buttoned off in the semi final.”

– LUKE NIEUWHOF

Next ANDRA Pro Series Round:

Top Fuel & Top Alcohol Sydney Dragway, October 30-31 ANDRA Pro Series on TV:

Fuchs Nationals, Top & Pro Bike

Friday October 29, 10pm www.mnews.com.au

25

Five Minutes with ...

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS ‘Super Seb’ looked the goods on debut in a V8 Supercar on the Gold Coast, especially in Saturday’s race. ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN spoke to him MOTORSPORT NEWS: It seems as though you’ve just clicked with these cars. I mean, your stint in Saturday’s race was by far the most impressive of the internationals …

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: I don’t know. I just did the best that I could, and the car felt okay. The conditions were quite difficult at the start, because there was a lot of coolant on the track.

It was just the unknown, because I had never done a full stint and I didn’t know what the tyre wear was going to be like.

But I was really comfortable out there. I got behind Scott [Dixon], and I passed him, and then some guys pitted early and it opened up, and then I could stick behind [Shane] van Gisbergen’s team-mate (ED: John McIntyre). He wasn’t making any mistakes, and I couldn’t get past him …

Having come out open-wheelers, do you enjoy driving Touring Cars?

Well, I’ve done quite a few things with cars like these. I’ve done some GT races in a Viper, and some Carrera Cup. But this is by far the trickiest car I’ve driven, because it doesn’t have much grip, and it’s heavy, and it has a lot of power. You can ruin the tyres very quickly. You need to be patient and listen to the car.

That’s helping me a lot because I tend to be quite sensitive with cars. I think I take better care than some. I could see some of the guys going fast at the beginning, and then they’d just drop off. They’d disappear.

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Dirk Klynsmith

As soon as you did clear him, you jumped into the low 1:14s. You were obviously happy to push the car.

Yeah, yeah, it was fine. As soon as I was behind someone … it’s funny, because you think there’s no downforce in these cars, so it doesn’t matter if you’re behind someone. But it does, because the rear of the car starts to get light under braking, and at the fast chicane you can’t see the apexes. I was strong on the braking zones, but I couldn’t quite commit to it. I’d think ‘should I?’, then I’d think ‘nah!’

But I had a good run. I enjoyed myself.

Once the grip is gone, it’s really gone.

back in France, but I’d be interested. I’d like to do the endurance races, because it is fun. It gives you an excuse to have a vacation (laughs).

Well from the media centre we could see you were quick, but we were wondering if you’d fry the tyres. At the end of the stint you were still in the 14s, so that obviously wasn’t the case!

The team were very clear; they told me if you start sliding in these cars, its game over. You won’t get the tyres back. So I was really trying to avoid spinning wheels and going sideways. As soon as I started pushing a bit too hard, I could feel that the tyres were sliding, so I had to calm down a bit. You just have to deal with what you have, and it seems to be working out pretty good.

Well, there are some guys here making a very good living racing these cars. And there will be a good drive or two going next year.

Oh yeah, I’m sure! The thing is if I tell my family ‘you know what, we’re going to Australia. Is that far enough for you?’ they might not like it.

But you never know. It’s one of those thing where you say you’re not sure, and then you get a very good phone call, and it all changes.

Here’s the big question; could you see yourself racing here full-time?

Full-time, I don’t know. We have the family

So for the right offer, it’s something you’d consider.

Exactly. You never know. motorsport news

chat

Peter Bury

www.mnews.com.au

27

BACK, TO THE FUTURE

P

REDICTABLY, Tony Cochrane is confident about the future of the Gold Coast 600.

That’s good enough for me. I do not have a problem with the event’s future; the problem I have is with the past.

Y’see, the Gold Coast 600 was a good event. The crowd was pretty good, the racing was, at times, brilliant. There were plenty of stars there and, so far as I could see, lots of people had a good time. The event has potential.

But, to paraphrase a TV advert for Chinese utes, the Gold Coast Indy was not good. It was great. On occasion, it was epic.

I miss that race. I miss Nigel Mansell winning on debut when he slaughtered the field in 1993, then telling us how much it hurt, and how hard it was. I miss the brilliance of Alex Zanardi, the

showdown between Dario and Juan, and Paul Tracy. I miss anyone named Andretti or Fittipaldi, and Greg Moore’s grin.

After a long domestic season, it would only take one practice lap from a Champ Car to reset my enthusiasm-o-meter to 11.

They were missiles, there were plenty of them and it was mega competitive. But, all that is in the past.

I think that the new-look 600 has to be considered as a new event and, as such, it’s too early to call it a solid hit or an absolute miss. It is a work in progress; Year 2 will be better and Year 3 will be the test of whether the event has staying power.

Observations; We need to put an international driver in every car. Sorry Luke, Cam and Steve, but you still have Phillip Island and Bathurst.

Apart from Andy Priaulx, the ‘Touring

Car’ visitors got their arses kicked by them American-based IndyCar boys.

Patrick Long may not be well-known here, but the way he drove, he deserves to be.

Someone please sign up Sebastian Bourdais for a full-time ride, now.

A restaurant manager said on Friday night that business was slow – not IndyCar week slow, but slow for any Friday night.

If the Queensland government can adjust its spend on the race to something more Real World realistic, can the hotels do away with their pillage-the-visitors-forrace-week room rates?

So, the 600 made a good start. It may have a great future. If you are looking for a race to go to next year, this might be the one for you. As long as you don’t focus too much on the 90s and 2000s, you might just have a great week …

OPINION Phil Branagan – Executive Editor

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motorsport news

comment

OPINION Andrew van Leeuwen – eNews Editor

FANS, TESTING AND SEB

L

sutton-images.com

www.mnews.com.au

AST Wednesday was a landmark day for V8 Supercars.

It was the first time that the international driver concept was put into practice, with the 18 drivers taking part in a test at Queensland Raceway. For the majority of the 18, it was the first time they’d even driven one of these cars. There were Formula 1 World Champions, World Touring Car Champions, and Indy 500 winners. No wonder there was a heap of fans that made the trek to Ipswich to get a first glimpse of this world-leading model.

And herein lies the problem. The test day was closed to the public. People were literally turned away at the gate.

For a sport that needs TV and attendance figures as much as ever, I find that puzzling.

On the Gold Coast last weekend, people were suggesting that it was done to stop punters getting their V8 Supercar fix on Wednesday, and not bothering to buy a ticket for the weekend. Are you serious? That’s like banning the AFL Grand Final parade in case people get sick of the players and decide not to go to the game itself.

If I had a ticket to the GC600, and drove all the way to Ipswich from Brisbane or the Gold Coast, I would have demanded a refund, on the basis that as a fan, willing to take a day off work and make the effort, I’d been treated like I wasn’t important enough.

There is/was a simple solution to this problem (although I don’t know why fans wanting to watch V8 Supercars is a problem in the first place). Make the test day open only to people who hold passes to the GC600. Therefore, you’re adding to the value of the ticket, at little additional cost to V8 Supercars Australia.

And, if someone drives all the way to Ipswich without a ticket to the GC600, have a ticket box at the gate, selling three-day passes. If V8 Supercars wants to be a fan-friendly sport, it needs to start acting like one.

On another note, if HRT need a new driver in 2011, they could do much worse than Sebastien Bourdais.

Bourdais has won four Champ Car titles, and raced in Formula 1. He’d bring an international flavour to the series, and given that V8 Supercars Australia had international journos flown to the Gold Coast in a bid to sweeten them up for more overseas coverage, this could be just the ticket.

And results? Anyone who watched Saturday’s race on the GC will know that there is more than a flicker of promise in Bourdais. Low 1:14s in race trim, hunting down and passing Owen Kelly, who has plenty of recent V8 miles, was an impressive showing. If I made decisions down at Clayton, I’d be making the phone call sooner rather than later.

29

V8 SUPERCARS RACES 19/20, GOLD COAST 600, GC

SOLID GOLD

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motorsport news

race

The world sent some great drivers to the Gold Coast but, after two compelling races, it was the regular who stole the headlines.

PHIL BRANAGAN reports

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

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Dirk Klynsmith

T

HERE were two penalties in Saturday’s 300km race and both were contentious.

Did they cancel each other out? That depends on your viewpoint.

Cameron McConville crept the start; the officials said so. That meant that he was handed a 10-second penalty when he stopped the HRT Commodore, on lap 38. At one stage, he led by more than 10s so, how much of an effect that it had is something of a moot point.

“I was pretty confident that I put my brake on and came to a stop,” he said later. “But I just put my head down and went.”

He sure did. He was more

than 10 seconds clear of the field before he stopped to give the car to Garth Tander, who drove it to the end of the race, to win.

Simple? Not really.

James Courtney got a penalty too. And he was upset, but that is how motor racing goes [see breakout].

So, HRT won. Jim Beam Racing did not. On a day when Jamie Whincup was out of sorts and out of position – he even had to queue behind Lowndes during a yellow pitstop, and he struggled to finish sixth – Courtney could have left with an enhanced points lead.

But even that was not the end of it. At one stage, there was a drive-thorough penalty

semaphored against Tander, for fluid leaking from the car. It turned out to be water, from the drink bottle refill breather, and he cured the problem by inhaling almost a litre of it. The penalty was withdrawn, and that was that.

Or not. After clouting one of Surfers’ always-popular tyre stacks, parts started escaping the #2 Commodore. The pitlane responded as team bosses who have felt the wrath of penalties for parts falling from their cars in the past – the Usual Suspects in this case were named Dane and Jones – but no invitation to visit pitlane was forthcoming, and GT raced on.

Craig Lowndes was second,

looking remarkably composed, and he was ably backed up by Andy Priaulx who, as expected, was the class of the international drivers. Shane van Gisbergen was third, ably backed up my John McIntyre.

The Giz’s drive was pretty heroic; as soon as he drove off into a long stint, his cool suit stopped working. By the end of the race, he was spent.

Now; let’s clear up one point.

In the buildup to this race, while eNews was reporting that driver after international driver were signed to come down under, some readers gained the impression that we downrated the ability of Patrick Long. We did not; we downrated his profile which, motorsport news

race

Race 19

Dirk Klynsmith

RaceCam: Cameron McConville crept the start but made up for it by pulling out a big – and racewinning – gap.

The pain started early for FPR, with Luke Youlden and Jacques Villeneuve clashing before the first corner. Pat Long flew the stars and stripes in a fine drive, while Seb Bourdais dazzled in the Webb Falcon. Does that put him in the [French] Canadian Club?

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

Dirk Klynsmith

we might point out, is so obscure in this country that V8 Supercars Australia passed on paying for him to come to drive one of Garry Rogers’ Commodores. So, Garry did.

Long drove superbly.

Michael Caruso started the race, handed the car over out of sequence and the American was speedy, safe and as at home and an imported driver could in a RHD racecar. Fourth was a great reward; put it this way, when was the last time a rookie finished fourth in his very first V8SCS event?

Alex Davison and David Brabham brought home the Irwin car sixth ahead of the Whincup/Steve Owen Commodore.

33

F

ORTY laps. After all what a great race it was. the changes, all the “It was hard but fair,” said hype and all the Whincup. buildup, the success “The car is absolutely rooted.” or otherwise of the Gold Coast He also said that he was not 600 came down to the last 40 sure if this win, his 42nd and laps of Sunday’s second race.

Owen’s first, was the best drive On lap 63, the race restarted of his, Whincup’s, career. We after the sixth and final Safety have trouble thinking of one Car period. Jamie Whincup better. led, Shane van Gisbergen The benefactor, ironically, was under his rear wing, and was van Gisbergen. ahead of James Courtney and, “I learnt a lot,” he said. a second or so back, Mark “Following him through the Winterbottom. chicane, I really learned a lot.

If you ever had in any interest No disrespect to Alex [Davison] in car racing, the last 40 laps or Tim [Slade], but I learned a would make you a fan for life. lot off him. I would have been Whincup held on for dear happy with third, but second is life; The Giz threw everything so much better.” he had at him. Frosty got by It was an epic comeback Courtney and chased for all he from Winterbottom, after the was worth. dramas of the pitstops [see And nobody blinked. Yes, breakout], who stated that he Whincup missed an apex; yes, did not expect to come back so van Gisbergen tapped him far, from third. in the rear a few times; and Courtney ran out of speed. yes, Winterbottom got close The fight with Whincup was enough to challenge both for particularly combative, and left the win. But the final margin the JBR Ford with something between them, 0.28s, reflects awry in the rear. Courtney

got it home, as he needed to, and we must also commend Warren Luff for another good performance. He looks like a full-timer these days – and soon, he will be one.

Paul Dumbrell was fifth after a great drive, and some unexciting (after Saturday) but solid driving from Jacques Villeneuve, while Kellys Rick and Owen were sixth, after a dogged stint from Rick – who found Tony D’Alberto’s Centaur car a tough proposition until the final 20 laps.

One for 42: Jamie Whincup’s 42nd V8 win was also Stev Owen’s first, after a cracking race. Mark Winterbottom flew, literally, to third, but he had to after another sloppy raceday from FPR. There was plenty of damage and plenty of passing in the races and Shane van Gisbergen pursuit of Whincup was nothing less than gripping.

Dirk Klynsmith

34

motorsport news

race

Race 20

John Morris

Peter Bury

Dirk Klynsmith

Peter Bury

35

www.mnews.com.au

WINNERS SHANE VAN GISBERGEN: Cheese and Johnny Mac scored more points than anyone else. Really, van Gisbergen looks like the next driver to score his first win.

JAMIE WHINCUP: Withstood every pressurepacked move The Giz tried on him to score a memorable win. It’s good to see Steve Owen score his first V8 win, too.

CAMERON McCONVILLE: Career win #2 and deserved a podium on Sunday. Made up for his creeping start, and much more.

ANDY PRIAULX: As expected, he looked – and was – the best of the internationals, by a fair margin.

Ford Performance An

Another Sunday nightmare for FPR THERE is no doubt about the ability of Ford Performance Racing to engineer fast V8 Supercars.

The trouble that the team has is in executing races. With the front row locked away on Sunday, a 1-2 finish was one the cards; a win was not quite a worse case scenario, but you would not need to be optimistic to predict 150 points.

Nope. Another raceday problem saw the team’s two

cars waiting in pitlane, while an unprepared Will Power got his kit on. In a heatbeat, the cars went from the front of the field to the back.

“The team told me to get ready on that lap,” Power explained, “and next thing, Richo was in pitlane. I just didn’t have time.”

“A few things run through your mind but I am not going to rubbish the team,” said Winterbottom later.

A team player, certainly.

He didn’t mention this, but we must; if an early driver change was even vaguely an option, every other team in pitlane would have their codriver ready. On a circuit with a 1m13s lap time, there is not much time, so diligence is doubly important.

Frosty’s title hopes were not helped by Luke Youlden, whose level of responsibility for Saturday’s first corner crash can be argued about, did not line up his car properly at the

Business as Usual

BOURDAIS AND LONG: After the weekend, we reckon there should be an American and a Frenchman in the series before very long.

Dirk Klynsmith

LOSERS FPR: They get 10 out of 10 for building fast cars, but made too many mistakes, both in the cars and in the pits.

Really, with that speed, Frosty should have had a 300 point weekend.

GARTH TANDER: Good as he was on Saturday, his error on Sunday was alarming, because we are not used to seeing them.

NATHAN PRETTY: There is no nice way to say this; in this company, he looked way, way out of his depth.

36

JAMES Courtney is having a championship season. In those, there are a few bumps along the way, and he got bumped on Saturday.

Courtney had the race at his mercy on lap 92, when the world caved in. He had failed to follow the Safety Car regulations at a restart, and the schoolmasterly voice of Tim Schenken uttered the words no driver or team member wants to hear; penalty.

“It’s gut-wrenching,” said Courtney afterwards.

“Everyone knows it hasn’t been easy here [at Jim Beam Racing] the last couple of weeks, with the ownership thing. Everything’s up in the air, and no-one is really sure what’s going on, and we’ve been saying, ‘let’s keep our heads down and keep charging’. We’re trying to just keep getting results, and then we have a cracking race like that, where I had to really work hard to get to the front, and we have it taken off us right at the end.

“We can go and fight again tomorrow, but

with all the effort we put in, it just magnifies the dramas that are going on.

“Apparently I was brake testing people. That’s the way they ruled it, so we can argue all we want, but it’s done. The race has been ruined.

And it’s not only us; all of the people stood out there for a couple of hours watching a race, and then it ended like that. I’m sure half of the fans were disappointed.”

The positive that came out of it is this; people are watching, to see if, or when, the team disintegrates, due to the tensions simmering just behind the red line in pitlane. This was, plain and simple, a driver error, not caused by anything other than Courtney not following the proper protocol.

Until that point, Courtney had the race shot to pieces. Anyone waiting to see DJR implode on home soil went home on Saturday in the same mind as Courtney; disappointed.

– PHIL BRANAGAN motorsport news

race

nxiety

Dirk Klynsmith

start on Sunday.

Of course, there have been problems in recent seasons, with insufficient fuel going into cars, air bottle regulators and other items. Mistakes happen in motor racing, but more seem to occur to cars #5 and #6 than other teams.

No one in motor racing is perfect. It’s just that, even on a weekend when its cars were rocketships, FPR was far, far from it.

– PHIL BRANAGAN

THERE was some mystery surrounding Craig Lowndes during Sunday’s race.

One minute he was jumping in the car, well and truly in contention. Then, the Safety Car was deployed for Garth Tander’s crash, and Lowndes was on the tail end of the Top 10, which is where he stayed until the finish.

In the media centre, we were scratching our heads. Later, it became apparent why we were so confused; the reason for the drop-off in speed was something you don’t expect from Lowndes – tyre life.

Lowndes is famous for his ability to nurse tyres, but almost as soon as he got in the car for Sunday’s final stint, he lost rear grip.

“We just struggled with rear tyre life,” he told eNews.

“We could match the pace of the guys around us, like Russell Ingall and so on, but we just couldn’t attack. There was nothing left.

“It was really disappointing after the run we had [on Saturday], but it happens. We’ll have a good look at what might have happened, but really, that’s motorsport.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN www.mnews.com.au

Dirk Klynsmith

Dirk Klynsmith

GRIPPING YARNS

It’s a FreNZy IT’S been a while since Ross Stone has had to deal with the stress of having a car in genuine contention to win a race.

But on Sunday evening, after Shane van Gisbergen had gone oh-so-close to knocking off Jamie Whincup in Race 20, Stone wasn’t complaining about 40 laps of sweaty-palm spectating.

Remember, the Stone brothers are competitors; they thrive on V8 Supercar combat. They also thrive on seeing one of their young prodigies prove, once and for all, that he’s the real deal.

“He’s young,” Stone reminded eNews. “He’s only 21, and a lot

of people tend to forget that.

He had a lot of pressure to deal with today. It was a real fight on the streets, and I think he did a good job.”

To say it was a “good job” was a typical Stone understatement, but he did admit that there was some genuine pleasure in seeing a driver they have put so much into give a great performance back.

“Hopefully, this is just the start,” he added.

“There’s another step to take to knock off a guy like Whincup or [James] Courtney. We just need to keep our heads down and keep working at it.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN 37

Results :: Race 19 – Gold Coast 600 Pos #

Drivers

1 2 G.Tander/C.McConville 2 888 C.Lowndes/A.Priaulx 3 9 S.Van Gisbergen/J.McIntyre 4 34 M.Caruso/P.Long 5 4 A.Davison/D.Brabham 6 1 J.Whincup/S.Owen 7 14 J.Bright/A.Menu 8 19 J.Webb/S.Bourdais 9 21 K.Reindler/F.Giovanardi 10 18 J.Courtney/W.Luff 11 11 J.Bargwanna/A.Tagliani 12 39 R.Ingall/J.Perkins 13 51 G.Murphy/Y.Muller 14 15 R.Kelly/O.Kelly 15 8 J.Richards/A.Jones 16 17 S.Johnson/D.Franchitti 17 24 F.Coulthard/D.Reynolds 18 47 T.Slade/H.Castroneves 19 33 L.Holdsworth/G.Ritter 20 7 T.Kelly/S.Dixon 21 5 M.Winterbottom/L.Youlden 22 55 P.Dumbrell/J.Villeneuve DNF 16 T.Ricciardello/D.Wood DNF 10 A.Thompson/M.Salo DNF 3 T.Monteiro/T.D’Alberto DNF 30 S.Pruett/N.Pretty DNF 12 G.Morbidelli/D.Fiore DNF 22 W.Davison/R.Briscoe DNF 6 W.Power/S.Richards

38

Team/Car

Result

Best lap On Qual

Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore 2:20:00.6981 1:13.4073 74 Q1 TeamVodafone Commodore 2:20:02.5530 1:13.1879R 69 6 SP Tools Racing Falcon 2:20:04.6282 1:13.4597 73 13 Fujitsu Racing/GRM Commodore 2:20:05.9298 1:13.5784 89 9 Irwin Racing Falcon 2:20:25.7409 1:13.7628 65 21 TeamVodafone Commodore 2:20:26.1390 1:13.7387 44 8 Trading Post Racing Commodore 2:20:26.6205 1:13.6329 40 28 Dick Johnson Racing Falcon 2:20:27.4299 1:13.8859 75 22 Fair Dinkum Sheds Commodore 2:20:40.2605 1:14.1321 91 23 Jim Beam Racing Falcon 2:20:40.4481 1:13.3223 42 2 Rock Racing Commodore 2:20:44.8445 1:14.5293 67 20 Supercheap Auto Commodore 2:20:46.6950 1:14.3569 70 15 Castrol Edge Racing Commodore 2:20:48.9171 1:13.8425 73 19 Jack Daniel's Racing Commodore 2:21:11.7552 1:13.7931 45 11 Team BOC Commodore 101 laps 1:13.5726 43 14 Jim Beam Racing Falcon 101 laps 1:13.7926 73 12 Bundaberg Red Racing Commodore 101 laps 1:13.7023 68 16 Wilson Security Falcon 101 laps 1:13.6704 66 18 Fujitsu Racing/GRM Commodore 101 laps 1:13.5029 41 5 Jack Daniel's Racing Commodore 101 laps 1:13.8399 66 17 Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon 94 laps 1:13.8080 55 4 The Bottle-O Falcon 91 laps 1:14.7422 62 3 Stratco Racing Commodore 93 laps 1:15.7650 86 27 Bundaberg Red Commodore 78 laps 1:14.3626 74 26 Centaur Racing Commodore 50 laps 1:15.5005 31 24 Gulf Western Oil Commodore 24 laps 1:15.4662 22 NT Bing Lee/Panasonic Falcon 1 lap 25 Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore 10 Dunlop FPR Falcon 7

motorsport news

race

Results :: Race 20 – Gold Coast 600 Pos #

Drivers

Team/Car

1 1 J.Whincup/S.Owen 2 9 S.Van Gisbergen/J.McIntyre 3 5 M.Winterbottom/L.Youlden 4 18 J.Courtney/W.Luff 5 55 P.Dumbrell/J.Villeneuve 6 15 R.Kelly/O.Kelly 7 22 W.Davison/R.Briscoe 8 39 R.Ingall/J.Perkins 9 33 L.Holdsworth/G.Ritter 10 888 C.Lowndes/A.Priaulx 11 34 M.Caruso/P.Long 12 24 F.Coulthard/D.Reynolds 13 6 S.Richards/W.Power 14 12 D.Fiore/G.Morbidelli 15 51 G.Murphy/Y.Muller 16 19 J.Webb/S.Bourdais 17 3 T.D’Alberto/T.Monteiro 18 16 T.Ricciardello/D.Wood 19 47 T.Slade/H.Castroneves 20 11 J.Bargwanna/A.Tagliani DNF 2 G.Tander/C.McConville DNF 17 S.Johnson/D.Franchitti DNF 21 K.Reindler/F.Giovanardi DNF 8 A.Jones/J.Richards DNF 7 S.Dixon/T.Kelly DNF 30 S.Pruett/N.Pretty DNF 10 M.Salo/A.Thompson DNF 4 D.Brabham/A.Davison DNF 14 A.Menu/J.Bright

TeamVodafone Commodore SP Tools Racing Falcon Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon Jim Beam Racing Falcon The Bottle-O Falcon Jack Daniel’s Commodore Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore Supercheap Auto Commodore Fujitsu Racing/GRM Commodore TeamVodafone Commodore Fujitsu Racing/GRM Commodore Bundaberg Red Commodore Dunlop FPR Falcon Bing Lee/Panasonic Falcon Castrol Edge Commodore Dick Johnson Racing Falcon Centaur Racing Commodore Stratco Racing Commodore Wilson Security Racing Falcon Rock Racing Commodore Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore Jim Beam Racing Falcon Fair Dinkum Sheds Commodore Team BOC Commodore Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore Gulf Western Oil Racing Commodore Bundaberg Red Racing Commodore Irwin Racing Falcon Trading Post Racing Commodore

Result

Best lap On Qual

2:29:37.7468 1:13.3597 75 4 2:29:37.9521 1:13.1599r 71 6 2:29:38.2327 1:13.2118 70 Q1 2:29:39.3828 1:13.1332R 67 3 2:29:55.6009 1:13.4957 79 8 2:29:59.8298 1:13.6739 68 10 2:30:01.3036 1:13.7689 78 21 2:30:01.5675 1:13.7394 52 25 2:30:03.8231 1:13.3611 77 7 2:30:08.5735 1:13.7294 76 11 2:30:10.6205 1:13.4073 65 14 2:30:13.3955 1:14.0297 76 24 2:30:14.0111 1:13.9161 12 2 2:30:46.3593 1:14.3956 65 27 2:30:47.7392 1:14.2456 67 13 2:30:50.3373 1:13.8808 93 19 2:31:09.2783 1:13.8586 68 18 101 laps 1:15.0409 57 28 96 laps 1:14.1442 26 23 92 laps 1:14.0070 81 22 57 laps 1:14.0944 52 15 38 laps 1:14.5319 30 12 37 laps 1:15.5412 10 26 34 laps 1:14.5301 13 9 34 laps 1:14.8351 31 16 28 laps 1:14.4116 23 29 12 laps 1:15.9252 11 20 3 laps 2:10.8311 3 17 0 laps

Top 10 Points: Courtney 2521, Whincup 2450, Lowndes 2255, Winterbottom

2201, Tander 2088, Van Gisbergen 2040, R. Kelly 1843, Holdsworth 1763, Caruso 1706, Dumbrell 1590, etc.

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

39

FORMULA FORD ROUND 6, GOLD COAST

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motorsport news

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TOO EASY! F

ORMULA Ford seems to be a little too easy for Chaz Mostert.

Fresh off the back of his sublime V8 Supercar debut in the Fujitsu Series at Bathurst, Mostert was at his dominant best back in a Formula Ford on the Gold Coast. He won all three of the races – comfortably – and now has won nomex-gloved hand on the Australian Formula Ford Championship trophy.

In the first race, Mostert seemed to be playing with the opposition. In a race littered with Safety Cars, he dropped back to third at the start, and seemed content to watch Cameron Waters and Nick Foster battle it out in front of him.

It was as if Mostert was waiting for the Sonic duo to take each other out of the equation, and on the final lap when he realised they weren’t going to play the game, he stormed past them both to take the win.

Race 2 was far more straightforward. Mostert won the start handsomely, and was never bothered by the opposition again. The final was much the same, although Waters did push him a little harder in the final. Still, a cool, controlled Mostert proved once again that he is the real deal, winning the round from Waters and Geoff Uhrhane.

“It’s just a perfect weekend for us here on the Gold Coast, but it definitely wasn’t easy,” Mostert said.

“We had to fight hard for every race win, but that just makes it more rewarding at the end of the day. I love driving on this circuit; it’s one of my favourites each year, so to win is just awesome.

“We’ve got a nice lead in the championship now, but there’s still a long way to go and plenty of points up for grabs and as we’ve seen already this year, anything can happen.”

Waters, in his first meeting with Sonic, looked for all money like he was going to win his first race on Saturday morning. In the end, Mostert’s last-lap charge put paid to that, but Waters showed he is a star of the future by holding out the more experienced Nick Foster for second. The only blot on the 16-year-old’s copybook was a little trip down an escape road during Race 2, but another fine second in the final capped off an impressive weekend.

Big things were expected of Ash Walsh heading into the weekend, but the Queenslander failed to deliver. A quiet third in Race 1 was a promising start, but in Race 2 it went decidedly pear-shaped, after Walsh tried to dive-bomb Waters at the hairpin. He got it completely wrong, tagged the outside wall, and his chances of a result were done and dusted. To make a bad weekend a terrible one, he did almost a carbon-copy move during Sunday’s Race 3.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

41

SHANNONS NATIONALS ROUND 9, SANDOWN

Justin Collins

42

motorsport news

race

That’s not a winning margin ...

This is a winning margin

Half-a-tenth of a second on a single lap decided the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship in Ben Barker’s favour at Sandown, as seven titles were decided in the Shannons Nationals season finale.

MITCHELL ADAM and LACHLAN MANSELL review the action www.mnews.com.au

43

SHANNONS NATIONALS ROUND 9, SANDOWN

James Smith

B

EN Barker won the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship by just 0.0502s, as the title decider at Sandown descended into a hotlap shootout.

Barker entered the weekend with an eight-point lead over Team BRM team-mate Mitch Evans and 12 over Tom Tweedie in a title fight which has ebbed and flowed all season. The final round wasn’t short of drama, either.

The battle waged behind former Champion Tim Macow, who won both races aboard an F304 Dallara in a one-off appearance. Evans was second in the opening sprint race ahead of Barker and Tweedie, to reduce the deficit to five points.

44

Then, Sunday morning’s second race looked to have the title defining moment, when Barker was eliminated at the first corner by Zhang Shan Qi. However, a frightening accident on the back straight two laps later, in which Graeme Holmes was launched into the air off a kerb, saw the race Red Flagged and no points awarded.

It was a massive let-off for Barker, whose Dallara was repaired for the 15-lap final. He ran third to Evans’ second early, which would’ve been enough to win the title.

However, Tweedie found a way past Barker during the battle to take third.

That scenario would’ve left Barker and Evans tied on points at the end of the championship, with Evans

winning on a countback.

However, an additional point was still on the line for setting the fastest lap of the race.

Barker was the first to dip into the ‘9s, on Lap 10 with a 1:09.7268, as the top four drivers lapped within a tenth of each other.

On the penultimate lap, Barker did a 1:09.6563 and even though Evans finished the race with his best lap of the race, a 1:09.7065, it was enough. Barker secured the title-deciding bonus point by half-a-tenth of a second.

“I’m struggling to get my head around it at the minute,” the Englishman admitted.

“Especially after that Race 2 incident; I 100 percent thought that I’d lost the championship.

“In the last race, my car felt really fast, I just couldn’t find

a way around Mitch. He did the right thing, backed me up a little bit, to put me in Tweedie’s path and obviously his ’04 car is quick down the straight and he just got around me.

“I couldn’t really find a way back past him, but I knew I’d rather go for the fastest lap and stay safe. I lifted off a little bit, got a five car-length gap, and for two laps there just went for the fastest lap and pulled it off by nothing.

To come away with that is amazing.”

Evans ended the year with second in the race and season, to go with second in last year’s Australian Formula Ford Championship, ahead of Tweedie with just 12 points separating the top three – F3’s closest ever finish. motorsport news

Tim Macrow, left, won both races, but all eyes were on the title fight taking place behind him.

Ben Barker eventually got the chocolates, having looked out out of contention earlier in the day following an incident, right, in the cancelled Race 2.

James Smith

Tom Tweedie, below, rounded out a strong year with a podium in the final race, while Mitch Evans, bottom, missed out on the title by the smallest of margins.

James Smith

www.mnews.com.au

started with a hiccup on Friday, taking a corner off his car at Turn 3.

“It was perfect, I suppose, apart from the Friday afternoon mishap,” he said.

“I did this week hoping to open a few eyes and show that I’m still around and I think I’ve done that. I’m ready to go racing next year if I can get something.”

Of the others, Chris Gilmour picked up a third in Race 1 after a trademark lightening getaway vaulted him ahead of Tweedie and Barker, while Tasmanian Josh Burdon showed promising speed in his third F3 round aboard a National Class F304 Dallara.

Points: Barker 220, Evans 219, Tweedie 208, Shan Qi 97, Gilmour 90 – MITCHELL ADAM

Justin Collins

“I wasn’t sure who the fastest lap was, because the radio was a little crackly. I thought Tim Macrow had it, and that I’d be sorted on countback,” Evans said.

“In the end, I set my fastest lap on the last lap after making a bit of a mistake at the last corner, and I found out going past the finish line that Ben had won, so that was a little bit disappointing.

“But he deserved it. He drove fantastically all year, really came on towards the end of the championship, and the best man won in the end.”

Macrow had to resist pressure from Evans in the opening race, but was out on his own in the final as the title protagonists fought it out. The 2007 Champ had the pace all weekend, even though he

45

SHANNONS NATIONALS ROUND 9, SANDOWN Justin Collins

Sera seals Sports Sedans

J

AMES Sera is the 2010 Kerrick Sports Sedan Champion after finishing second behind Darren Hossack in the final round of the series at Sandown on the weekend.

Sera qualified second behind Hossack after two intense qualifying sessions, before finishing second behind Hossack in all three races and accumulating enough points to take out the title, despite missing the opening round of the series at Wakefield Park.

Making the achievement all the more remarkable, 2010 has been Sera’s first season of car racing.

“The car ran like clockwork all year long, that’s what won us the title,” Sera said.

“It’s unbelievable, I never thought we were going to win the title, especially after missing the opening round.”

Defending champion Des Wall finished third in his Corvette, with Phil Crompton coming home in fourth position for the weekend.

Roger Lago was a surprised Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge

46

champion, taking out the Mission Foods-backed title after the series leader entering the weekend, Matt Kingsley, crashed in qualifying. Kingsley misjudged the high-speed corner at the end of the back straight in the semiwet qualifying session and made heavy contact with the concrete wall, all but destroying his Porsche 996 GT3 Cup Car. Lago took advantage, finishing fourth, fifth and second in the three races to clinch the title, while local driver Kane Rose dominated proceedings with victories in each race.

Ivan Klasan was in contention for a podium finish in the first two races, but crashed out of the final at Turn 4, handing third place overall to Michael Loccisano.

Stuart Kostera overhauled Garry Holt to take out the 2010 Australian Manufacturers Championship in his Mitsubishi Evo X. Kostera won both 1hour races, while Holt failed to finish Race 1, in the BMW 335i he was sharing with Peter O’Donnell, due to contact with Colin Osborne. Fourth place in

Race 2 was not enough for Holt to challenge the hard-charging Kostera for the series win. Inky Tulloch made it an Evo X 1-2 finish, while Jake Camilleri finished third in both races in his Mazda 3 MPS. Adam Beechey wrapped up the 2010 Commodore Cup National Series by finishing second for the weekend behind Marcus Zukanovic.

The Commodore Cup races featured action aplenty, starting with Race 1, when Geoff Emery’s brand-new Commodore Cup car came to a grinding halt on the exit of Turn 4, Lap 1 with a mechanical problem.

Beechey braked heavily to avoid the slowing car of Emery, and was subsequently rear-ended by Tony Bates. The damage to Bates’ car ended his race and title hopes, while Zukanovic took the race victory from Beechey and Nick Parker.

In Race 2, Ross McGregor took the early lead and held on for the duration of the race despite sustained pressure from Beechey to take his maiden Commodore Cup race win, but

Zukanovic was back in front in Race 3, winning from Beechey and Matt Chick. Bates finished runner-up in the series despite his problems, with Nick Parker in third place.

Simon Tabinor won the final round of the Saloon Car series but it wasn’t enough to stop fellow Victorian driver Tim Rowse from wrapping up the series. Rowse finished second behind Shawn Jamieson in Race 1, before dropping down the order with poor starts and incidents in the other two races, but still accumulated enough points to secure the title.

Jamieson won Race 1 before suffering mechanical problems in Race 2 which ended his weekend. Andrew Nowland capitalised on Jamieson’s absence to finish third for the round.

Terry Wyhoon took out the Shannons V8 Touring Car round ahead of new Champion Tony Evangelou, thanks to a penalty for Evangelou in the weekend’s first race for a safety-car infringement. Matthew Hansen rounded out the podium.

– LACHLAN MANSELL motorsport news

Justin Collins

They are the Champions: - James Sera (Sports Sedans), left - Stuart Kostera (AMC), above - Roger Lago (GT3 Cup), right - Adam Beechey (Commodore Cup), below - Tim Rowse (Saloon Cars), below right - Tony Evangelou (V8TC), bottom

James Smith James Smith James Smith

Justin Collins

www.mnews.com.au

47

V8 UTE SERIES ROUND 7, GOLD COAST

WHAT A PITHER! S

HANE van Gisbergen couldn’t quite get the win on the streets of the Gold Coast, but Chris Pither upheld some Kiwi honour with his first V8 Utes round win.

The Kiwi ute champ started the weekend in the perfect way – with a Race 1 win. It was actually the only race Pither won all weekend. From there it was just consistency, with a seventh in the reversegrid Race 2, and second in the final. All in all, it was enough.

But the man who really benefited from the Gold Coast weekend was West Aussie Grant Johnson. He led the championship heading into Surfers Paradise, and did his 48

title chances no harm by taking second for the round. He also won the final race of the weekend, jumping past pole-sitter Pither on Lap 3 and sprinting to a decisive win.

“I waited for Pither to make a mistake and I took my chance,” said Johnson.

“I’m happy to put more points on the board, which is my main objective at the moment. I happy with second for the Round.”

David Seiders was third, in just his second meeting aboard a Ute. The former Fujitsu Series racer actually qualified fastest on Friday, but from there on in he was fast, but not fast enough to steal a win.

Pither wasn’t the only rookie to star on the Gold Coast. Rhys McNally took a breakthrough win in Race, helped partly by the fact that the Top 9 were reversed at the start. McNally started second, got to the front, and help off more fancied rivals to take his first win.

“I’m just wrapped with my weekend,” he said.

“I’ve always wanted to pull off a win, and to actually do it feels amazing. We have a few crew here from NRW, and it’s great to have such a great weekend for them.

Without their support I wouldn’t be here. I can’t wait to get to Sydney.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith

Dirk Klynsmith

West Aussies Unite: Grant Johnson was the best of the title challengers with second for the round, above, while Rhys McNally took his first Ute race win, below.

Peter Bury

www.mnews.com.au

49

MINI CHALLENGE ROUND 6, GOLD COAST

50

motorsport news

race

MR CONSISTENCY

The Chris and Seton take wins, but the round goes the way of Paul Stokell ...

C

the last lap, Stokell took the chance to out-drag him to the flag – by 0.01s!

Then there was the curious case of Allajajian.

‘The Chris’ looked the goods on Friday evening, comfortably holding out Seton to take out Race 1. From there, it all went downhill, culminating in a Sunday retirement after debris damaged his car’s suspension.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirk Klynsmith

Jihn Morris/Mpix

www.mnews.com.au

ONSISTENCY was the key on the streets of Surfers Paradise for the MINI Challenge round.

Paul Stokell wasn’t always the fastest driver on the Gold Coast. In fact, he only won one of the three races, and it was the closest finish ever to a MINI Challenge race, proof that Stokell never really had things his own way.

But a third, a second, and that very close win combined to be enough to secure Stokell round honours, and give him a big bite out of Chris Allajajian’s series lead.

“It’s great to finally notch up our first round win for the season,” said Stokell, “and more importantly, we have closed the gap to Chris in the overall standings to at least give ourselves a shot of winning the title at Homebush in December.

“It would have been nice to take the win in [Sunday’s] race as well, but I just made a small mistake on the last lap which was more than enough of a sniff for someone like Seto (Glenn Seton) to capitalise.”

As Stokell says, Seton won the final race of the weekend, after being there or thereabouts since Friday morning. It was the first time that a driver has won a race in the Pizza Capers UberStar car, right.

“I knew I had to push hard today to catch the front-runners,” said Seton, “and I just attacked a bit harder and went in deeper on those final few laps, which allowed me to get close enough to the front two guys and get a good run on the inside of them on the last sector.”

As for Stokell’s closest-ever win, that happened on Saturday afternoon. Stokell sat behind Sean Carter for almost the entire race, and when Carter ran wide on the last corner of

51

NASCAR Round 32 – MARTINSVILLE, VA

HAMLIN’S SIX-POINTER

The King of Martinsville, Denny Hamlin, took a hat-trick of wins at the circuit, and reduced Johnson’s Chase lead to just six points ...

52

motorsport news

race

ER

www.mnews.com.au

53

Spin, then win ... almost: Mark Martin was lucky to get away with a little moment in the wall, top, while Marcos Ambrose was less lucky, brake problems ruining his race and his day, right.

54

motorsport news

race

T

Martin D Clark

HE Chase for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup is turning into one heck of a battle.

Denny Hamlin’s 15th Sprint Cup win at Martinsville on the weekend – his fourth at the circuit and third in a row – has put him within six points of Chase leader Jimmie Johnson.

To make matters even more exciting, Kevin Harvick was third while Johnson was only fifth, making it a flat-out, three-way battle for the title.

Hamlin had his pit crew, and in particular crew chief Mike Ford, to thank for the win. After falling outside the Top 10 and off sequence thanks to early tyre wear, Hamlin’s crew got him back in sequence with the leaders and within striking distance of the lead after the last re-start, which came on the 394th of 500 laps. The Joe Gibbs racer then stormed into the lead

and stayed there on the long green run to the flag.

We’re back, baby,” Hamlin told his crew after the finish.

“Awesome job. I love you, Mike.

Great job of adjusting the car; best it’s been all day. Pit crew, you did it right there. You got me out. Thank you, guys.”

Mark Martin was second after a late charge to the finish. It had to be a charge, because early in the race, Martin found the wall and went a lap down.

Harvick’s third leaves him 62 points behind Johnson.

“Coming into this race, no one gave us a chance to even run anywhere toward the front,” said Harvick.

“So it’s nice to come here, get the finishes we feel like we deserve. We’ve run well over the last few years – just hadn’t got the finishes to show for it.”

As for Marcos Ambrose, it was another unlucky race.

The Aussie had the speed, qualifying second fastest and running away with the race lead at the start. He certainly seemed to have winner Hamlin beat on pace, but brake issues eventually took Ambrose well and truly out of contention.

“It’s yet another tough deal, we had pace today and it was great to be out in front,” Ambrose said.

“Qualifying up the order is so important; it allowed us to run in some clean air. Nearly everyone out there today wrecked; Martinsville is such a tight track, there’s no margin for error.

“We’ve got to take the positives from this weekend and load up again at Talladega. It’s wide open, anything can happen there.”

With it so tight at the top, expect fireworks next weekend when Johnson, Hamlin and Harvick get to Talledega – the wildest circuit on the NASCAR schedule ...

Results :: Tums Fast Relief 500, Martinsville, VA Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Martin D Clark

www.mnews.com.au

No. 11 5 29 18 48 20 88 99 31 12

Driver Denny Hamlin Mark Martin Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Jimmie Johnson Joey Logano Dale Earnhardt Jr Carl Edwards Jeff Burton Brad Kesewolski

Make Toyota Chevy Chevy Toyota Chevy Toyota Chevy Ford Chevy Dodge

Team Joe Gibbs Hendrick Childress Joe Gibbs Hendrick Joe Gibbs Hendrick Roush Fenway Childress Penske

Sponsor FedEx eBay Motors Shell/Pennzoil M&Ms Lowe’s GameStop AMP Energy Aflac Caterpiller Penske

Qual 1 21 36 26 19 22 28 7 18 25

Top 10 Points: Johnson 5998, Hamlin 5992, Harvick 5936, Kyle Busch 5826, Gordon 5795, Edwards 5785, Stewart 5762, Burton 5752, Kurt Busch 5721, Kenseth 5705.

55

Martin stars

Kes Sez NATIONWIDE BRAD Keselowski has stretched his NASCAR Nationwide points lead with victory at Gateway International Raceway.

Having started at the back of the grid after missing qualifying, Keselowski took the lead on lap 77, and a

four-tyre stop for the leaders had the desired effect. The Dodge driver won from Mike Bliss and Justin Allgaier, with Jason Leffler and Carl Edwards next.

Keselowski is now 450 points clear of Edwards and can clinch the title at the next race at Texas in two weeks.

SUPERLEAGUE

NASCAR Media

56

JOHN Martin was the class driver in the final round of Superleague Formula at the new Navarra track in Spain, but the Queenslander did not take the title for Beijing Guoan.

Martin won the opening race, and stormed away from the sixcar field in the five-lap dash to determine the titleist. But fourth place gave Anderlecht’s Davide Rigon his second Superleague Formula title and the €1,000,000 prize. By winning the final round of the season, Martin had to settle for 10 percent of that.

Craig Dolby finished second in the ‘penalty shoot-out’ to fall agonisingly close to taking the title for Tottenham Hotspur.

motorsport news

race

s but Rigon rules

Lambo wins, Maser leads Superleague Formula

RICARDO Zonta was the man to beat in the FIA GT1 World Championship round at Navarra.

The former Toyota and Honda F1 driver and his co-driver Frank Kechele dominated proceedings, taking the opening race in their Reiter Lamborghini Murcielago and clearing out to take the feature event as well.

The Hexis Aston Martin driven by Frederic Makowiecki and Yann Clairay took second,

a great result after staring ninth, and finishing ahead of Jamie Campbell-Walter/Warren Hughes, the latter holding out a second Aston of Tomas Enge/ Darren Turner to take third.

It was a tough weekend for Vitaphone Maserati drivers Andrea Bertolini and Michael Bartels, above, who battled to seventh place. But the good news was that they extended their lead when title rival Thomas Mutsch binned his Matech Ford GT early in the race, after a clash with Alex Margaritis’s Corvette.

ASIA CCUP CHRISTIAN Menzel is going to be hard to beat to the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Championship.

The defending Champ took out both races in Shanghai, and the Team StarChase driver ledas the series by nine points, with two rounds remaining. With 41 points on offer, four drivers are still in contention for the championship: Menzel; Team PCS Racing’s Craig Baird; Red Bull Racing’s Marchy Lee; and Team PCS Racing driver Mok Weng Sun. Hong Kong driver Darryl O’Young was second in China, ahead of Baird.

The title decider for the 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will be held from November 5-7 at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China.

sutton-images.com

Superleague Formula

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FIA GT

Real Menzel

57

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motorsport news

rear of grid

King-sized gestures

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competitors to try and make a case with the stewards.

The first man he went to?

Lago, right, who OK’d it straight away, along with the rest of the 19-driver field.

“Roger likes to think he’s a hard man, but actually he’s a big softy,” Knight told eNews.

“He wouldn’t have wanted to win it this way, so I pulled him aside first and said to him ‘before I put this up to the vote, I want to make sure you’re OK with it’ and he was.”

Ultimately the stewards deemed they couldn’t overrule the regulations, with Knight remaining in his car and Kingsley on the sidelines as Lago clinched his maiden national title.

Still, it was a fine gesture of sportsmanship from the GT3 Cup Challenge gents.

“I was very impressed with the competitor group overall, I think we’ve achieved what we set out to do with GT3 Cup Challenge,” Knight said.

“Our mantra is ‘race with your mates’ and they showed that on Saturday.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

James Smith

A FORTNIGHT ago on this page, we commended all involved in allowing Paul Dumbrell to jump the V8 Supercar divide for half an hour and give younger brother Lucas a rare ride around Bathurst.

Sandown’s Shannons Nationals finale on the weekend featured its fair share of drama, as detailed in the race pages, but it very almost added another feelgood story to 2010.

After a qualifying crash in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Mission Foods, it appeared as though points leader Matt Kingsley’s title hopes were over. His 996 was damaged beyond repair, above, and rival Roger Lago would only need a handful of points to claim the title. However, Kingsley’s team-mate Terry Knight stepped up with a plan for Kingsley to step into his car for the races.

While a driver switch after qualifying falls outside the GT3 Cup Challenge’s sporting regulations, Knight sought the verbal and then written approval of all of the other

59