Motorsport eNews Issue 182 - November 23-29, 2010

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Issue No. 182 Nov 23 - 29 2010

JUST OVER A WEEK AGO PAUL DUMBRELL HADN’T FINISHED ON A V8 SUPERCAR ROUND PODIUM. NOW, HE IS A RACE AND POLE POSITION WINNER. WHAT’S NEXT?

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Legends of Bathurst

The Racing History of the Australian Ford

The Great Race Torana Trilogy compilation series Torana XU1,

Peter Brock The Legend

The Racing History of Ford Falcon XD/XE

Dick Johnson – 35 years at Bathurst

The Racing History of Ford Falcon Hardtop

Larry Perkins – The Endurance Man

The Racing History of Ford Falcon GT-HO

Skaifey – The Mark Skaife Story

The Racing History of Ford Mustang

Vol 1: 1960 – 1966 Vol 2: 1967 – 1974 Vol 3: 1975 – 1985 Vol 4: 1986 – 1992 Vol 5: 1993 – 1996 Vol 6: 1997 – 2001

40 Years of Bathurst

The Essential Bathurst Annual

The Great Race 30 tells the full story of the 2010 Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000. This is the original Bathurst annual hard-cover book, the definitive publication on Australia’s Great Race. The story of this always-epic and often heartbreaking event is presented in 256 pages, illustrated by some 400 images shot by some of Australia’s best motorsport photographers.

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Editorial Editor: Andrew van Leeuwen Executive Editor: Phil Branagan National Editor: Mitchell Adam Publisher: Chris Lambden

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We are not sure of the medicinal properties of champagne – but we want to see Jason Richards back in a car, on a podium, asap. Get well soon, JR.

Photographers Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, John Morris/Mpix, AF1 Images, James Smith, Peter Bury, Geoff Gracie, Joel Strickland, Phil Williams, Rob Lang

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Issue No. 182 | Nov 23-29 2010

news 5

Worth Bottling Ford backs Nash and PD 6 PMM gets T8 man as TM New role for new year 9 Emery in at GMR Early signing for FV8s 10 Cup runneth over Porsches confirmed for AGP 12 Eeza tyres eeza nodda bad Pirellis impress in F1 testing

chat 26 Five Minutes With ...

Taz Douglas

comment 28 van Leeuwen: Webber!

30 Sandown V8 Supercars race 40 Fujitsu V8s 48 Touring Car Masters 50 Miami NASCAR Sprint Cup

trade 58 Classifieds

THE GREENS GET THE FACTORY BLUES!

motorsport news

news V8 SUPERCARS

R

OD Nash’s The Bottle-O Racing will be an official Ford factory team in 2011, following its breakthrough weekend at Sandown.

This season, The Bottle-O car has not officially, or financially, been back by Ford, apart from being built and prepared by Ford Performance Racing. However, a run of great results from Paul Dumbrell in the #55 Falcon – including his first podium finish in Tasmania, and first win and first pole at Sandown – has secured official backing from the Blue Oval for next season.

“It’s good recognition from the brand, and it’s good commercially,” Nash told eNews.

“We haven’t pushed for this just for

commercial reasons. We’ve been really happy with the Ford element of our program this year. They have been very supportive – morally supportive – and we’ve turned that into a financial arrangement.

“What I’m happiest about is that we can now go into 2011 as series contenders. We have everything in place before this season has even finished, and Paul has now marked himself as someone capable of running at the front, so we can jump out of the box right with [Mark] Winterbottom at the start of next year.”

Nash also highlighted the fact that the support he’s had from The Bottle-O is to thank for Dumbrell’s breakthrough win and pole position at Sandown.

“It was the sponsor that allowed us to negotiate a deal with a factory team in the

first place,” he told eNews.

“That’s been the key to Paul’s success, because you need to the car under you to be competitive, and we’ve found that at Ford Performance Racing.”

While the focus was on Dumbrell’s breakthroughs, the win and pole were also the fruition of 13 years of hard work from Nash, through his RNR brand.

“I’m really happy to have been part of the growth of V8 Supercars over the last 13 years,” he added.

“From my perspective, I’m just loving it.

But I try not to count my chickens before they hatch, although I’ve been a racer all my life, and I want to do as well as possible every single day.”

The Bottle-O have two years remaining on their current contract with RNR and FPR. – ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

BROCK NAMED NUMBER 1 BY “EXPERT” PANEL V8 SUPERCARS PETER Brock has been recognised as the top Touring Car driver in the first 50 years of the Australian Touring Car Championship.

Brock, who was killed in a crash in a Targa rally in Western Australia four years ago, topped the list of drivers announced by V8 Supercars Australia over the weekend. The list was voted by what V8 Supercars Australia described as “an expert panel of drivers, officials, the media, historians and statisticians”.

Judging criteria included what drivers achieved on and off the track, as well as in nonATCC events. Hence Brock’s nine wins in both the Bathurst and Sandown endurance races were considered, despite the fact that none of those were championship rounds at the time.

Brock, whose career spanned four decades, was selected from a final list of 10 drivers. Only two drivers currently active in V8 Supercars made the top 10 – TeamVodafone’s Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes.

T8 MAN TAKES PMM ROLE V8 SUPERCARS

CHANGES are in the wind at Paul Morris Motorsport.

Long-time Triple Eight man Steve Robertson will move to the team next season to take on the role of Team Manager. Robertson, formerly workshop manager and chief mechanic for T8, will continue PMM’s development of the Commodores raced by Russell Ingall and Greg

Murphy since the start of the season.

But there is no word yet on who the team will take on to replace Murphy.

“We have to see what we have got to play with,” said Morris on Monday.

“There’s not point paying someone, if I can do as good a job myself …”

Morris did confirm that Steve Owen is high on the team’s list of candidates, and the GC600 winner may be placed to return to a fulltime seat in 2011.

The Top 10: Peter Brock Mark Skaife Allan Moffat Jim Richards Dick Johnson Craig Lowndes Ian Geoghegan Marcos Ambrose Norm Beechey Jamie Whincup

TECHNICAL OFFICER

ANDRA is seeking a suitably qualified person, preferably with engineering qualifications, to manage the safety, technical and procedural aspects of ANDRA Drag Racing, in line with the policy of the Association.

The position is permanently based in Adelaide. Travel to all Australian states and Territories is required from time to time.

Dirk Klynsmith

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The role’s primary objectives include development of ANDRA rules, standards, procedures and vehicle specs; support of ANDRA Operations Manager in relation to technical/procedural matters and training of volunteer officials; provision of technical advice and clarification.

Required Qualifications/Experience include engineering background qualifications preferred), organisational skills, human relations skills, knowledge

of technical issues related to motor sport, understanding of basic risk management principles, experience in setting and achieving targets, ability to work unsupervised, computer skills (Microsoft Office).

ANDRA is willing to negotiate an appropriate level of salary for the right candidate and provide whatever support necessary to help the successful candidate achieve the desired results.

For full job specs/Information Contact Michael Hackett on 08 8357 1882 or CLICK HERE to email CV/request information

motorsport news

news

JR IN TOUGH FIGHT

V8 SUPERCARS

John Morris/Mpix

THE next step of Jason Richards’s treatment for cancer will go ahead in Melbourne this week.

The Team BOC star was diagnosed with an abdominal tumour late last week, and stood down from the seat of the #8 BJR Commodore immediately.

The car was raced at Sandown by his endurance co-driver, Andrew Jones.

Team co-owner Kim Jones would not comment on the nature of the treatment his driver was undergoing when contacted on Monday.

“It’s one day at a time,” he said.

“Jason’s health is the most important thing for everyone at present.”

Jones would not confirm whether the team had decided that Andrew Jones would race the car at Homebush next week. He said a decision would be made in plenty of time for the event.

WILSON TAKES MORE TIME V8 SUPERCARS

Dirk Klynsmith

ONGOING confusion regarding the future of Dick Johnson Racing has forced Wilson Security to delay its decision on whether or not it will remain in V8 Supercars as a sponsor next season.

It has already been confirmed that Wilson Security will part ways with James Rosenberg Racing after Homebush this year, leaving JRR without a title sponsor (a void likely to be filled by Lucky 7) and Wilson without any cars to back.

While CEO John McMellan told eNews after Tasmania that his personal deadline for a decision was Sunday night after Sandown, he admitted that the lack of resolution with the DJR crisis makes the deadline impossible to meet.

“We are waiting to see what all of the options are,” McMellan told eNews.

“We expected the pieces of the whole puzzle to be more sorted by this weekend, but it just hasn’t happened.”

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

FOR SALE – SBR V8 SUPERCAR Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase a race-winning ex-SBR Supercar

n Car comes complete, ready to race, or would be a great investment for a collector – has original logbook and V8TC logbook n Heaps of spares included. n Very competitive car for the V8 Touring Car series.

For more information, please contact Terry Wyhoon, IMAGE RACING

Ph: 0408 555 821 Email: image49@tpg.com.au www.mnews.com.au

EMERY

V8 SUPERCARS

THE 50th anniversary of the Australian Touring Car Championship was commemorated with the interment of a time capsule at Sandown.

The capsule, which contained items including photos of the first ATCC race

at the Gnoo-Blas circuit in Orange NSW in February 1960, is due to be opened in 25 years time.

“The Australian Touring Car Championship is an important part of our history and the sport wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for its rich heritage,” V8 Supercars CEO Martin Whitaker said.

Dirk Klynsmith

BURYING THE HATCHETT

TODD IN FULL-TIME V8 SUPERCARS TRIPLE F Racing will be ‘status quo’ for season 2011.

Driver Dean Fiore confirmed to eNews at Sandown that he will continue with the same chassis and with the same engineering staff for the 2011 season, and that despite Jono Webb breaking away from Dick Johnson Racing, a link-up to form a two-car was not on the cards.

The biggest changes for ’11 will include Number 2 mechanic Chris Siedle joining the team full-time, and Todd Fiore conducting a full Fujitsu Series program under the Triple F banner, after he and eldest brother Paul Fiore shared the team’s second car throughout this season.

“That didn’t work brilliantly, because they both basically got half the miles of everyone else,” said Dean Fiore.

“It’s hard that way, and Paul is very busy with his work, so we’ve decided that Todd will drive the car all season.”

Todd will steer the team’s ex-Marcus Marchall BF Falcon, while their ex-Paul Morris Motorsport VE Commodore is still for sale.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN motorsport news

news

ERY FIRST IN FOR ‘11 FV8s GMR DRIVER BACK FOR MORE V8s NEXT SEASON FUJITSU V8s

John Morris/Mpix

GEOFF Emery is the first driver locked in for Greg Murphy Racing’s 2011 Fujitsu Series program.

Emery joined GMR this year, with the team running his ex-HRT VZ Commodore for much of the year. He also joined Marcus Zukanovic in the team’s endurance race wildcard entry, and stepped into that VE Commodore at Sandown following the sale of his VZ. Currently eighth in the Fujitsu Series, Emery will remain in the car for Homebush season finale and the 2011 season.

“It’s gone very well,” Emery said of the GMR link in 2010.

“They’re a good, professional outfit, they’re a good bunch of blokes to work with, it’s worked out really well, so that’s why I’m going to stay there.

“Obviously the VE is a lot more competitive than my VZ, so we’ve been going really well in it.

It just carries a bit more mid-corner speed, and

I’ve got a handle on it pretty well. We’ve stepped it up a notch now, which is really good.”

Emery also signalled his interest in running as a wildcard in the enduros again, pending GMR’s chassis situation, should the concept return next year.

“It would be good for me to stay in my car for the wildcard, but it’ll all depend on how I’m going in the Fujitsu championship,” he said.

“I don’t know how many cars we’ll have at our disposal to go and do the wildcard, but we’d need to keep that in mind. We certainly want to do it.”

As previously reported by eNews, GMR are aiming to run four VEs in next year’s Fujitsu Series with a new chassis – an unraced spare for Tasman Motorsport – set to make its debut.

In other Fujitsu Series news, Ben Eggleston is set to return for Homebush in his VE Commodore, while Red Lion racing are expected to debut with Bruce Oaklands and John Boston in VZ Commodores.

– MITCHELL ADAM

E

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

Dirk Klynsmith

Próxima parada: Homebush MINI CHALLENGE A PAIR of Spaniards will join the Hertz MINI Challenge field for the season finale at Homebush.

As a prize for winning the MINI Challenge Spain, Jose Manuel De Los Milagros and GP2 driver Javier Villa, will compete under the Team MINI Spain banner. The pair wrapped up the Spanish series – in which two drivers share a car – last month.

It will be a reversal of a MINI continent switch earlier this year, when Australian drivers Chris Alajajian and Paul Stokell headed to Jarama to drive in the Spanish series.

Villa was fifth in the 2007 GP2 season and fourth in the 2009/2010 GP2 Asia Series.

Last week, he tested the 2011 GP2 racer and Pirelli tyres for Arden at Paul Ricard.

“For us the 2010 season was a fantastic year in Spain,” Villa, right in above pic, said.

“We won four races and finished second twice on our way to becoming the Spanish MINI Challenge Champions.

Now we have been offered a great opportunity by MINI to travel across the world for the final round of the 2010 Australian series and have the possibility to travel to such a wonderful country.

“We are sure that we will learn a lot with this new and exciting experience that MINI Challenge Spain has offered us, and we hope also, that it can help us in our future careers.”

The Spaniards won’t be the only internationals, with Kiwis Gavin Yortt and Rob Knight on the grid. At the head of the field, Chris Alajajian leads Paul Stokell by 28.5 points in the title fight.

First stop: Albert Park CARRERA CUP THE reborn Carrera Cup will kick off at the Australian Grand Prix in March.

Albert Park will host the first of seven rounds in the category’s comeback season, the circuit having previously been a regular on Carrera Cup calendars.

“We are delighted to bring Porsche Carrera Cup back to Australian race tracks with the series re-launch on the world stage at the Formula 1™ Qantas Australian Grand Prix,” Porsche Cars Australia Managing Director, Michael Winkler said.

“We have an exciting new GT3 Cup race car, substantial interest from a number of teams and the full support of the Porsche factory to bring Carrera Cup back better than ever.”

While the calendar is yet to be released, eNews understands the AGP will be followed by V8 Supercar rounds at Barbagallo Raceway, Townsville, Phillip Island, Bathurst, Gold Coast and Homebush.

Former Carrera Cup champion Craig Baird has committed to run in the series, along with Porsche sportscar regular Mark Cini.

Kostecki on the right track AUSSIES OVERSEAS BRODIE Kostecki is on the way to being Australia’s next NASCAR driver.

The 12-year-old West Aussie recently took part in the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle Shoot 10

Out in California, earning himself a share of the K&N Filters sponsorship on offer.

As a result he will race in the USAC Pavement Sprintcars next season, as part of a fouryear program on the way to NASCAR.

“Brodie topped the sheets in every sector during the test,” said his father Andrew.

“We’re very excited about it.

It’s a four-year program form here.

“He’ll be involved in the driver development program, and

everything he does will be run past the NASCAR teams. After the four years, he’ll be for sale to the NASCAR teams.”

Kostecki will head back to The States later this month, in preparation for his ’11 program.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN motorsport news

news

sutton-images.com

Mygale for Aus F3?

FORMULA 3 FRENCH racing car manufacturer Mygale is interested in having a factory presence in the Australian Formula 3 Championship.

Mygale provides the only competition to the widely used Dallara chassis

in European Formula 3 competition, and with a booming involvement in Australian Formula Ford, Mygale is now looking to bring F3 cars down under.

“France is showing interest in Formula 3,” Mygale’s Australian importer Greg Woodrow told eNews.

“What they want to know is how Australian F3 is going. If next year’s calendar is going to feature some V8 Supercar rounds, then there might be a couple of cars on their way.

“Mygale’s main interest in bringing out the 2012 car, so if a program happens in Australia, then 2011 will be

some testing and a couple of races, and then 2012 will be the big push.

“Once F3 gives us their calendar, I’ll go back to France and see if they are interested.”

Currently, the entire Aussie F3 field is made up of Italianbuilt Dallaras.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

Porsche Cars Australia Pty Ltd is seeking the following suppliers and service providers for its motorsport activities in Australia, as well as a full-time contractor for its media services; 

Marquee Hire (Tender – Porsche Carrera Cup)

 Caterer (Tender – Porsche Carrera Cup)  Photographer (Expressions of Interest – Porsche Carrera Cup & Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge)  Commentator (Expressions of Interest – Porsche Carrera Cup & Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge)  Media Officer (Position Application – all Porsche Cars Australia motorsport activities) Interested parties should contact Jodi Zylstra by email: jodi.zylstra@porsche.com.au to request a copy of the appropriate documentation ASAP as submissions for the above positions close 5pm EDST, Friday 10th December 2010 www.mnews.com.au

11

Ferrari tops Pirelli test

New tyres impressive in post-season testing FORMULA 1

12

Italian car, Italian rubber: Ferrari ruled the timesheets on both days of Pirelli’s tyre testing at Yas Marina, top. Sebastian Vettel was the only Red Bull driver at the test, and settled in well.

Most teams and drivers reported that the new tyre ‘felt’ like Bridgestones and that the car required minimal changes.

Pirelli F1 tyre test, Abu Dhabi Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Driver Felipe Massa Sebastian Vettel Fernando Alonso Gary Paffett Kamui Kobayashi Robert Kubica Rubens Barrichello Paul di Resta Gary Paffett Oliver Turvey Michael Schumacher Nico Rosberg Jaime Alguersuari Sebastien Buemi Tonio Liuzzi Adrian Sutil Sergio Perez Timo Glock Heikki Kovalainen Jarno Trulli Pastor Maldonado

Team Ferrari Red Bull Ferrari McLaren Sauber Renault Williams Force India McLaren McLaren Mercedes Mercedes Toro Rosso Toro Rosso Force India Force India Sauber Virgin Lotus Lotus Hispania

Time 1m40.170s 1m40.500s 1m40.529s 1m40.874s 1m40.950s 1m41.032s 1m41.294s 1m41.615s 1m41.622s 1m41.740s 1m41.757s 1m41.778s 1m42.019s 1m42.145s 1m42.416s 1m42.859s 1m42.777s 1m44.124s 1m44.686s 1m44.521s 1m44.768s

Day D1 D1 D2 D1 D1 D1 D1 D2 D2 D2 D2 D1 D1 D2 D1 D1 D2 D1 D1 D2 D2

sutton-images.com

PIRELLI’S return to Formula 1 has been deemed a success, going by the results of the first tyre tests in Abu Dhabi.

In a two-day test, 12 teams and a total of 21 drivers completed more than 11,000km of testing and while there were a couple of tyre incidents, the results have proven most encouraging. Most of the drivers who participated in the test commented that the characteristics of the tyres were not dissimilar to those of the Bridgestone slicks in use this season.

Fernando Alonso topped the timesheets on the second days of the test, and was happy with the performance of the new rubber.

“We had no particular problems with the Pirelli tyres and we were able to gather a lot of data for their engineers to work on,” he said.

“We are pleased with the way we worked and in how we were able to adapt the set-up of the car to suit the new tyres, especially in terms of the work we can do on the new car in

preparation for next season.

From what we could see, the switch from Bridgestone to Pirelli should not be a traumatic one.”

Innitially, it appeared as though Michael Schumacher was second-fastest driver in the test. But the German, who has admitted that he struggled with the front tyre supplied by Bridgestone, set the time after cutting a chicane, and was reclassified seventh fastest.

Sebastian Vettel was the second-fastest driver of the team but the World Champion suffered two tyre failures during the test. Pirelli engineers suggested that debris was a cause of both.

motorsport news

RICCIARDO: VETTEL BEATER! FORMULA 1

getting into the car on day one.”

The team’s Head of Race Engineering, Ian Morgan, was impressed.

“Daniel has done a great job for us in the car over the last two days and made no mistakes, we’re very happy with him,” he said. “We completed our programme and got though everything as planned, despite losing some track time this afternoon due to a few Red Flags – although they weren’t anything to do with Daniel!”

Red Bull

IT’S official; Daniel Ricciardo is faster than Sebastian Vettel.

That was the tale of the stopwatch after Abu Dhabi’s Formula 1 Young Driver test last week. The 21-year-old from Perth topped the sheets on both days, on a Yas Marina GP track that proved faster than it had been for the preceding week’s Grand Prix.

Ricciardo, who drove an F1 car in anger for the first time since the 2009 Young Driver test, was well under the World

Champion’s pole time from the race.

“It was cool to do this test and great to get so close to the big boys times from the weekend!” Ricciardo joked after the test. “It’s very rare to get a perfect car, but I have to say this is very close. It’s a pleasure to drive it, you brake and you turn and the car does everything as you imagine it would. I think I got most of my nerves out of the way before last year’s test, so I was more relaxed this time, although you are always a little nervous

Red Bull

No Toyota deal for Hispania FORMULA 1

www.mnews.com.au

sutton-images.com

HISPANIA Racing Team will have to source its 2011 Formula 1 racer elsewhere, after Toyota cancelled the proposed deal to have its stillborn 2010 car raced by the team next season.

The manufacturer’s Cologne, Germany-based team, Toyota Motorsport Gmbh, ended talks about the deal last week.

HRT had proposed to use the unraced TF110 but with a Cosworth engine and Williams gearbox.

A day after the season-

ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Toyota said that “all cooperation with Hispania Racing F1 Team has been terminated and will not resume.

“TMG regrets that HRT has not met its contractual payment obligations and will pursue all available options to reach a satisfactory conclusion to this matter,” Toyota said in a statement.

In its first season in Formula 1, HRT has raced a car built

by Dallara but has ended its relationship with the Italian maker.

13

sutton-images.com

TV sagging NASCAR SPRINT CUP

Toyota Motorsports

NASCAR SPRINT CUP A MEETING on Monday morning, Charlotte time, is expected to secure the future of Richard Petty Motorsport – and Marcos Ambrose. eNews expects that increased funding from Ford Racing, and support from Roush Fenway Racing, will see RPM go into the 2011 Sprint Cup season as a renamed two-car team. Ambrose will race the team’s #9 entry, while AJ Allmendinger will pilot the famed #43.

A meeting on Saturday between Richard Petty, Ford board member Edsel Ford II and Ford Director of North American Motorsports Jamie Allison ironed 14

out a number of items, including what role each would take to secure the team’s future.

“We’ve done everything we can,’’ Edsel Ford told ESPN. “Quite frankly, a lot of their suppliers have done the same.”

“We’re going to make it,” Petty said. “That’s all I can say now.”

It’s expected the team will stay closed for the remainder of this week (Thursday and Friday are America’s Thanksgiving holiday) while its restructuring takes place. The new operation, which will operate under a different title because of legal requirements, is not anticipated to include the financially strapped RPM owner George Gillett.

Ford’s involvement has been

greenlit, in part, by its failed courting of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to switch from Chevrolet to Ford. eNews sources report that the team declined a multimillion dollar package to switch manufacturers, and that at least some of the money allocated in the attempted and is being used to keep RPM afloat in 2011.

In the meantime, crew members from Paul Menard’s #98 team will not be in attendance as along as, with that team’s crew chief Richard ‘Slugger’ Labbe, they will be starting new positions at Richard Childress Racing this week, following their driver to what will become the fourth team at RCR. – MARTIN D CLARK

Toyota Motorsports

MONDAY D-DAY FOR AMBROSE AND PETTY

A CLOSE battle for the Sprint Cup does not mean that the fans were watching – and NASCAR is determined to do something about that.

While numbers for the final Chase event in Miami were not available at the time eNews went live, NASCAR chairman Brian France is determined to reverse the trend of the falling ticket sales and sagging TV ratings that have hampered this years racing. Shortening races is one consideration, along with changing race starting times which were brought forward after fan pressure over the off season, however earlier start times could be one reason for the dip in TV interest.

– MARTIN D CLARK

Kasey Groans NASCAR SPRINT CUP KASEY Kahne is in for a painful off-season.

The Homestead Miami Speedway pole itter will undergo arthroscopic this Tuesday on both his knees.

The driver will not return behind the wheel of the Red Bull Toyota until the NASCAR tests in January. Denny Hamlin underwent similar surgery last year on one of his knees.

– MARTIN D CLARK motorsport news

Lotus engines in ‘12 THE IndyCar Series will have three engine manufacturers for competition in 2012.

Less than a week after Chevrolet’s announcement to compete with a new V6, turbocharged engine in 2012, Lotus revealed that it will build an engine to become the third manufacturer at the LA Auto

Show. Specifications will be announced in the near future.

Lotus is strongly connected to Cosworth as its engine builder. Kevin Kalkhoven is coowner of Cosworth and of the KV Racing Technology team where Lotus sponsored driver Takuma Sato’s rookie season.

Lotus is expected to expand its sponsorship to all three KV entries for 2011.

IndyCar will switch to E85 fuel in 2012, a product with which Lotus has done significant testing. Team Lotus’ Indy car experience includes competing at Indianapolis from 1963 to1970 with a victory in 1965 by driver Jim Clark. The return of Lotus to IndyCar racing is not related to its Group Lotus F1 effort.

– MARY MENDEZ

HONDA RACING

INDYCARS

TK tests INDYCARS

HONDA RACING

TONY Kanaan has tested with de Ferran Dragon Racing.

The experienced Brazilian drove the team’s car at Sebring, and his feedback helped to confirm the input from Raphael Matos was correct about how the car reacts to changes.

“It’s always good to get a second opinion, especially when you are a one-car team,” Gil de Ferran told SpeedTV. com. “From Rafa’s perspective, he’s only ever raced our car.

He only knows how a car feels based on what we’ve done. It was very insightful to have somebody else drive the car he’s helped to develop, and I think he learned some things from that outside opinion.”

Matos has struggled as the driver in a one car team, revealing “you only have one shot to guess on what to do in the next session”.

Like many teams, de Ferran’s is probably watching Graham Rahal, to see where his backing from the TBC Retail Group takes him.

– MARY MENDEZ

IndyCar wants Vegas double header INDYCARS INDYCAR wants Las Vegas to be the final race on its 2011 calendar, and eventually, the event could be a street race/oval double header.

CEO Randy Bernard, who is no stranger to the Las Vegas market after 15 years of Professional Bull Riding events held there (when he was CEO of PBR), is confident Vegas could eventually become a double header. www.mnews.com.au

“I would love to have a street race on Friday and an oval race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday,” said Bernard about the future. “I’ll need to have sponsorship in place, at least US$4m.”

CART competed on the Vegas strip using Caesar’s Palace’s parking lot in 1983 and 1984 and returned to Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s oval in 2004 and 2005 in conjunction with the NASCAR truck race.

Champ Car held its 2007 Las Vegas Grand Prix on the streets of the old downtown

Vegas area. IndyCar competed at Vegas Motor Speedway from 1996, its inaugural season, through 2000.

For the 2011 calendar, its most likely the IndyCar race will fall on October 16, the day after the NASCAR Camping World Truck race. Last Monday, Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe and Target Ganassi’s Scott Dixon took part in Firestone’s latest tyre test at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

– MARY MENDEZ 15

Dirk Klynsmith

More talking in 2011 FFord FORMULA FORD

Mygales for CAMS Rising Stars FORMULA FORD MYGALE believes that a clearer pathway to Formula 1 is the reason behind a shock decision by CAMS to switch its Rising Stars program to its chassis in 2011.

Having run Australianbuilt Spectrum chassis since the programs inception, first through Borland Racing Developments and more recently with Minda Motorsport, the Rising Stars will be in Minda-prepared French Mygales next season.

According to Mygale’s Aussie importer Greg Woodrow, the move is due to Mygale’s success in the British Formula Ford Championship, and involvement in Formula 3 as a manufacturer.

“We believe that it will be

advantageous for the CAMS drivers to be in our cars,” Woodrow told eNews.

“We see there is a better pathway to Europe through Mygale, and Tim Blanchard and Scott Pye have proven that.

This program is about getting kids overseas and into Formula 1, its not about where the chassis comes from. In the UK, the top two or three teams are running Mygales, so it makes more sense to be using our cars.”

Minda’s commercial manager Andrew McInnes agreed that the success of the Mygale on the world stage was the main reason behind the switch.

“Firstly, it was a difficult choice to make, because both Mike [Borland] and Paul [Zsidy] from Spectrum have been very supportive, even when we took

the program over from them,” he told eNews.

“We had some pressure to make the change, and we decided it was best to make the change right now. This is the same car that they use at Jamun in the UK, so our drivers cane eventually slot straight into that team when they are ready.”

Interestingly, during the last round of tenders for the CAMS Rising Stars program in 2009, Sonic and Team BRM were overlooked because they used the French chassis, instead of the Melbourne-built Spectrums.

Minda expects to have it’s driver line-up secured by the first week of December, with as many as four CAMS Rising Stars cars on the cards for ’11.

– ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN

RADIOS will be compulsory in next year’s Australian Formula Ford Championship.

Team-to-driver communication was introduced to the championship for the first time this year, with competitors given the option of using radios. Next year, they’ll be mandatory, following a strong update in 2010.

“I’d reckon probably about three-quarters of the field have got them now,” Category Manager Margaret Hardy said at Sandown.

“It’s amazing, just watching them on the track, the difference it makes. When Safety Cars come out, they react. It’s very interesting to see.

“I think it’s helping safety, which is what it’s all about, but it’s also training them to use radios.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

Bullas eyes 2011 V8 enduro drive TCM

James Smith

16

GAVIN Bullas may be a little busier next year, with the Touring Car Masters stalwart eyeing a V8 Supercar endurance drive alongside his TCM campaign.

The defending Masters champion confirmed on Sunday that he has been in talks with Brad Jones Racing to race at the Phillip Island and Bathurst enduros and hasn’t ruled out additional appearances in other categories driving a Porsche.

“What I’d really like to do is some enduro drives with a

good V8 team,” he said.

“So it’s a matter of talking to a few of people to try and see what we can come up with next year and try sort some money out to be able to do that.”

Bullas, however, was quick to reaffirm his commitment to the Touring Car Masters presented by Autobarn in 2011 driving his A Ford Mustang.

“We’ll keep running what we’re running now and let’s see, we may even do a few stints in a Porsche during the year and see what we can come up with,” he said.

– CALLUM BRANAGAN motorsport news

news

Foster looking at TRS AUSSIES OVERSEAS NICK Foster is set to test a Toyota Racing Series car in New Zealand next month, ahead of a possible campaign in the 2010/2011 series.

Foster, who finished third in this year’s Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship, is making arrangements to take part in a two-day, pre-season TRS test

as a toe-in-the-water exercise.

“To do the test would be the number one priority, to see what it’s like, and then see how we go from there,” Foster said.

“Obviously I do want to progress my career, and at this stage we’d like to do the series, but nothing’s set in any way, shape or form. So we’ll test and go from there.”

While Foster’s plans for 2011 are still unclear, he feels

the strength of the TRS field would be beneficial should a campaign come together.

“The people that are doing it this year, there’s going to be good competition,” he said.

“Earl Bamber’s doing it, Mitch Evans, Scott Pye, two guys from British Formula 3, a guy who did GP3 last year who’s doing it before doing GP2. So it’s not going to be quiet, it’s going to be quite a big series.

“Obviously you’d like to go over there and do it and compare yourself to the guys who are there.

“I wouldn’t really expect to be going over there to win it, because the only wings and slicks running I’ve done is the F3 round at Eastern Creek. You want to go over there and compare yourself to those guys and see how you go.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

Koundouris ponders 2011 GT RACING CURRENT Vodka O Australian GT driver James Koundouris is weighing up his racing options for 2011, and a switch to the reborn Carrera Cup may be on the cards.

The Canberra-based racer told eNews that he will evaluate future in the

Australian GT Championship following the final round at Sandown, as a number of determining commercial factors need to be considered before landing on a decision.

“It’s certainly a possibility,” he said.

“The determining factor would be where we could get sponsors SNP Security and

Supabarn Supermarkets the most coverage.

“What they’re really interested in is live television, being at the V8 Supercar rounds and the big events like the Grand Prix and the Clipsal 500, and hot laps and corporate catering is very important to them too.”

Koundouris and brother Theo raced in Carrera Cup during its

previous life, before switching to Australian GT. The brothers are set to enter February’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour with one of GT3 Cup S model Porsches, joined by Steve Owen, who has been part of the team’s 12 Hour campaigns with Evo Lancers in recent years.

– CALLUM BRANAGAN

Rob Lang

www.mnews.com.au

17

FORMULA FORD SPECTRUM squads Borland Racing Developments and Synergy Motorsport are close to securing their driver lineups for the 2011 Formula Ford season.

BRD is looking to field three factory Spectrums in 2011, with Caleb Rayner, Ben Jurczac and Victorian champion Jesse Fenech in line to drive them.

Borland Commercial Manager Paul Zsidy told eNews that only

Rayner was locked in for 2011, with both Fenech and Jurczak still searching for the required funds to line up on the Formula Ford grid next year.

“At this stage we’ve got Caleb Rayner confirmed,” Zsidy said.

“Caleb will be in a new 2011 model Spectrum and he’ll be running with us in 2011.

“Apart from that, we’ve got a couple of people talking to us but nothing that’s locked down, obviously both Ben and Jesse are looking to be doing

the National Championship.

“But that’s going to be subject to budget and we’re working hard to secure the necessary budget for them at this stage.”

Meanwhile, after a titlewinning 2010 season with Chaz Mostert, Synergy is already looking at Liam Sager and Shae Davies to replace Mostert and Nathan Morcom.

Team boss Justin Cotter indicated that the 2010 State CAMS Rising Star Sager and

Phil Williams

SPECTRUM TEAMS CLOSE ON 2011 DEALS

Davies were close to being confirmed at the team for 2011, but he was circumspect on the prospect of replicating the same success of 2010.

“Shae Davis and Liam Sager are locked in so far, but it’s still not 100 percent at the moment.” Said Cotter.

“We just need to try to consolidate, again try and do the same as we did this year, but I think it’s going to be a pretty difficult year.”

– CALLUM BRANAGAN

Morcom wise to US opportunity FF2000 NATHAN Morcom will head to the USA next month, looking to follow in Daniel Erickson’s footsteps into the F2000 Championship.

The Sydney driver, who finished his second season of Australian Formula Ford last weekend, will test with Primus Racing as he investigates joining the series next year. Erickson raced with Primus Racing for the majority of the 2010 season.

“We’ve been talking to Daniel about it,” Morcom said.

“We go over in December for a test day, 18

so we’ll see how that goes and what pans out from that.

“We wanted to go over to the States at the beginning of this year, because Europe is a just a little bit too hard. You’ve got to find a big sponsor to do that. We’ve got enough sponsorship to go to the States, so we’ll do the test day over there and see what opportunities come up.”

If he ends up staying in Australia, Morcom has options in a variety of categories, including Formula Ford, Formula 3 and the Fujitsu Series.

“There’s all sorts of offers here, but I’d rather go over to the States,” he said.

In the meantime, Morcom will compete in the upcoming Eastern Creek Eight Hour for Production Cars. The 18-year-old will join his father Barry and two-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner Garry Holt in a BMW 335i.

Both Morcoms tested at Eastern Creek last week, but a decision is yet to be made on whether they’ll do the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour.

“We haven’t decided on anything past the Eight Hour,” Barry said.

“Nathan didn’t get much of a go at Bathurst this year and that’s probably the main reason why I’d do the 12 Hour, just to give him a go around Bathurst. We’ll see.” motorsport news

Brand new DVD! Peter Brock “Road to Glory” Peter Brock loved living on the edge. From rally driver to nine-times Bathurst winner, Peter loved pushing the boundaries. Many things have been written about Peter and his achievements. Our story covers parts of Peter’s life that are little known. We travel back to his childhood, talk to his family and some old friends that helped him in his early days of racing, from the old tractor on his uncle’s farm to the Austin A 30, then interview some of his more famous racing opponents, culminating with his first Bathurst win in the fantastic Torana XU-1 at Bathurst in 1972. Included are interviews with Harry Firth, Colin Bond, Peter Janson, Bob Jane, Bill Tuckey and Ian Tate (Chief Mechanic for HDT).

This is a fascinating journey, with never before seen stills and family home movies, together with classic Bathurst footage from 1969, 70, 71 and 1972.

Plus with every purchase you have an opportunity to enter the competition to WIN a Peter Brock limited Edition full size replica 1996 race suit and two great runner up prizes.

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LEHANE TAKES ON THE WORLD!

P

KARTING

IERCE Lehane scored the biggest result of his career overnight, recording a podium in the Rotax MAX World Challenge at La Conca in Italy.

The blanket finish saw six Junior MAX drivers cross the line together, Lehane being awarded the podium only after a post-race technical inspection disqualified the winner.

His result, coupled with strong results throughout the weekend for Australia’s DD2 competitors, saw Australia score third in the Nation’s Cup pointscore behind Estonia and Spain.

The other Australian juniors – Jonathan Venter and James Macken – both had difficult weekends, but qualified for the Final, with Macken’s father Steve quipping that he was glad his son directly qualified rather than having to go through the carnage of the repechages.

Macken suffered with a problematical engine from the start of the weekend. It 20

was replaced by Rotax post-qualifying, resulting in the Queenslander being automatically a second faster. Venter crossed the line 21st and Macken 23rd after coming off second best against some of the aggressive European competition.

Outside Lehane, the most impressive Australian performances came from Jason Pringle and Damian Ward in Rotax DD2. The pair had a fantastic Saturday, walking away with a heat race win each.

Unfortunately, that speed didn’t translate to the Final, where Pringle crashed early and Ward slammed the wall at high speed on lap four. The only Aussie to greet the chequers was Victorian Travis Millar in 20th.

The DD2 finish provided one of the highlights of the World Finals, where the winner celebrated crossing the line and lost control, taking out the second place getter in wild fashion on the fastest part of the racetrack!

The Aussie Senior MAX drivers didn’t have the best weekend, with all three being placed in the repechage where

only six went through. Steven Scoble and Kyle Ensbey were knocked out at this stage – Ensbey in a transfer position, before crashing when attempting an ambitious move on two karts. This left Troy Bretherton to qualify for the Final. Sadly for him though, he was caught up in first corner carnage and that was the end of his Grand Final.

Canberra’s Tony Prendergast showed speed during practice and improved right throughout the weekend in the DD2 Masters category. He qualified for the Final (a feat in itself ) starting from P23. First lap dramas dropped him to 28th, before a coming together saw him locked into another kart. He released himself, however met the catchfence just three laps from home.

It was an eventful Rotax Grand Finals, with the biggest number of Australian competitors ever to race at the event, resulting in third in Nation’s Cup is testament to Australia’s position in the Rotax World.

– MATT PAYNE motorsport news

WEBBER

OUR FORMULA 1 STAR TALKS ABOUT HIS STAND-OUT SEASON, HIS TEAM-MATE, AND GOING SO CLOSE TO BEING WORLD CHAMPION

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ON SALE WEDNESDAY 21 motorsport news

Enduros mean Nats changes SHANNONS

sutton-images.com

Reviving Glory TASMAN REVIVAL IF you’re a Lotus, Formula 1, Tasman Series or F5000 fan, then there’s something for you at this weekend’s major historic race meeting – the Lotus Sydney Tasman Revival – at Eastern Creek.

While the event is themed around the Lotus marque, and a number of significant Lotus cars, the presence of Sir Jack and Lady Margaret

Brabham, on Sunday – along with a significant number of the cars he built in partnership with Ron Tauranac – will be a highlight for many spectators.

Among Sir Jack’s cars will be the Brabham BT24, above, in which he ran second to teammate Denny Hulme in the 1967 World Championship.

John Bowe will pilot the last remaining (of three built) Brabham BT23B F2 car , while Tasman legends Frank

Matich, Spencer Martin, Leo Geoghegan and Kevin Bartlett will also be on hand.

Also appearing at the Revival will be the 1975 Tasman Serieswinning Lola T332 F5000 car driven back then by Warwick Brown (the white ‘Target’ car).

While the car is now owned and raced by its US owner Dudley Cunningham, Brown is expected to be present, and may even run the odd quiet lap ...

THE 2011 Shannons Nationals calendar has been revised, prompted primarily by changes to the new Australian Production Car Endurance Championship.

May’s Australian 6 Hour has been replaced by the Eastern Creek 8 Hour, which will be the final Nationals round of the year on December 1011. Phillip Island’s six-hour Production Car race has been moved from October to May 2829. The existing dates clashed with V8 Supercar rounds.

In another change, Morgan Park Raceway has taken the mid-August date originally scheduled for Sandown, with the Melbourne circuit’s round now to be held in September.

2011 Shannons Nationals calendar 1. Wakefield Park, April 1-3 2. Mallala, April 29-May 1 3. Phillip Island, May 28-29 * 4. Winton Motor Raceway, June 24-26 5. Eastern Creek, July 15-17 6. Morgan Park, August 12-14 7. Sandown, September 9-11 8. Phillip Island, November 4-6 9. Eastern Creek, December 1011 * * Australian Production Car Endurance Ch’ship event

BMF to return in Easter 2011 BIMF

22

Dirk Klynsmith

THE Bathurst Motor Festival will return next Easter.

Seven categories are expected to run at the four-day event, from April 21-24, with Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour promoter James O’Brien at the helm. The Bathurst Motor Festival brand was last used in 2006, before the event morphed into the 12 Hour.

The return of the BMF ensures there’ll be motorsport at Bathurst at Easter – and three events at Mount Panorama annually – following the

departure of the Festival of Sporting Cars from the slot.

“Easter is historically a very important time for Mount Panorama and this is exciting news for Bathurst and all fans of Australian motor sport,” Bathurst Mayor Paul Toole said.

“For a number of years now Council has enjoyed a good working relationship with Yeehah Events and we look forward to working with them to make the ‘Bathurst Motor Festival’ a success.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

motorsport news

CAMS’ way or the highway GOVERNANCE CAMS has taken steps to tie its key officials exclusively to the organisation.

Effective from November 6, CAMS’s Constitution has been amended to include a ‘Conflict of Interest’ clause, which would prevent any person serving in a number of clearly defined positions with the ASN from serving in almost any capacity, including as an event official, in events conducted by

what could be seen as a ‘rival’ organisation.

The amendment will apply to, “any incorporated or unincorporated body which permits, approves or purports to permit or approve any automobile competition other than CAMS or a body exercising power delegated by CAMS or the FIA”.

CAMS will apply this decision to, CAMS President and Directors, members of State Council Executives, members

of CAMS Commissions and committees that have delegated powers from the Board such as the AMRC, ASCDC, ARCom, AHMSC, AOC and AORCom. Specifically, this amendment looks set to have an impact on the AASA. Notes included in CAMS’s media brief about the amendment said; “CAMS operates in a competitive environment, and is acutely aware of

other organisations taking advantage of CAMS members’ intellectual property without making any contribution to the continuing development of the sport.

“While this may enable these other organisations to charge lower fees than CAMS in the short term, in the longer term without continued investment in Australian motor sport, the sustainability of the sport is put at huge risk.”

– PHIL BRANAGAN

MAN CHAMPS CAMS has awarded the Category Management Rights to the Australian Manufacturers Championship to Aaron McGill.

McGill and wife Angela have been involved in the championship for the last two years, running the category alongside the PCAA and CAMS, who held the Category Management rights in that time. Now, their company, Auto Motion Australia, will oversee the whole program, which incorporates CAMS’ new Australian Production Car Endurance Championship.

“I suppose we told the Production Car Association two years ago that we were interested,” McGill said of Category www.mnews.com.au

Management, “and I think to move the category from where it was, it needed somebody – even if it wasn’t us – to grab it by the scruff of the neck and say ‘stop the infighting, stop the bickering, this is where we’re going’.

“Having said that, we worked well together. The PCAA is the competitor group; all you need to do is listen to your competitors, within reason, give them what they want and everyone’s happy.”

Next year’s schedule is likely to contain five events, with the APCEC’s six-hour race at Phillip Island and eight-hour at Eastern Creek to be joined by shorter rounds with the Shannons Nationals at Wakefield Park, Morgan Park and Sandown. A sixth round could also eventuate.

James Smith

McGill to run Man Champs

“We’re looking at another event, a big event, which may dovetail into that,” McGill said.

“But we’ll wait and see if everything falls into place with sponsors and all of that sort of stuff. We’re talking to some large companies at the moment.”

Even with the prospect of two, similar Production Car series’ next year – with a new series sanctioned by the AASA in the works – McGill is resolute about the future of the Manufacturers Championship.

“We’ll build it,” he said.

“I suppose once everything settled between CAMS, Auto Motion, which is our company, and the tracks, we’ve now stuck our flag in the sand and said ‘this is where we’re going boys’.”

– MITCHELL ADAM 23

DRAG RACING PHIL Lamattina earned a 2-1 match race victory against Darren Morgan on Saturday night at Perth Motorplex in his Top Fuel dragster.

In the all-Victorian duel, Lamattina showed superb consistency, running 4.73s, 4.76s and 4.75s over his three runs. It was only a better reaction time by Morgan in the final race that allowed him to

Luke Nieuwhof

Phil fires up get his one win for the night.

Lamattina recorded the fastest speed of the evening, at 324.90mph.

Also racing was Matt Treasure, getting in some testing time with the Greene Machine Nitro Funny Car. Treasure stepped up his and the team’s personal best with a 5.27s run, though Treasure was off the throttle early when the motor began to drop cylinders.

Mark Drew had renowned

American tuner Rex Harris helping out with his nitro Harley and it paid dividends with a 6.52s run, which will make him a threat for the ANDRA Pro Series Top Bike round in Perth in just under two weeks.

The state championship series continued, meantime, with Shane Weston stepping his dragster up to take the win in Top Comp.

Weston is the youngest driver

in Top Comp at just 18 years of age but has already proven to have the driving skills needed for victory. He thanked his family after the race for allowing him to go racing.

Weston defeated Robin Judd, whose Top Doorslammer veered wildly right as it launched. Judd saved the car from careening into the opposite lane but the race was well and truly over.

– LUKE NIEUWHOF

Cowin breaks new Nostalgia ground DRAG RACING

24

John Bosher

AUSTRALIAN nostalgia Drag Racing came of age on Sunday, with the running of the latest Nostalgia Drag Racing round at Sydney Dragway.

The star of the four-car Nitro show was Andrew Cowin, who swapped his ANDRA Pro Series Top Fuel Dragster for a ’57 Chev nostalgia Funny Car. He totally dominated proceedings with times of 6.037s and 6.000s culminating in an astounding 5.898s/241.02mph win over the front-engined fuel dragster of Norm Longfield, who shut down early with a 7.07s.

Cowin’s was the first nostalgia five-second pass in Australia.

Backing up the fuel show was the State Of Origin Wild Bunch bracket, featuring billowing side-by-side burnouts and ever so close racing. As per the ball sports versions, this pitted the Cane Toads (Queensland) against the Cockroaches (NSW).

The three round ‘Chicago shootout’, where everyone one runs and the driver with the best results wins, saw a pretty even contest with points being awarded for wins and losses but in the end it was Queensland that grabbed the win 71 points to 69.

– JON VAN DAAL

motorsport news

news

Newby breaks finals hoodoo DRAG RACING WAYNE Newby was beginning to wonder just where he was going wrong after reaching four consecutive finals but only taking one win in his Top Alcohol dragster.

But he turned it around in Round 2 of the ANDRA Pro Series as he defeated Aaron Hambridge and tightened up the pointscore.

“It was going to do my head in if I got beat again, that was our fifth final in a row and we had won one of them,” he said.

“Now we have two wins, the only disappointment was that Aaron smoked the tires on the step and it wasn’t a close race like the Nationals.”

The weekend wasn’t on cruise control by any means though with an engine

needed to be replaced overnight after qualifying as Newby had a run that got a bit hotter than he would have liked.

“We had a bit of aluminium block a nozzle that appears to have come from the inside of the tank and it torched a hole in the front of the block and shot the flame straight into the cockpit,” he said.

“I thought I was in a nitro car, the flame just wrapped around me.”

The team got a lucky break in eliminations, which could have seen their weekend ended early.

“We were very lucky in the first round as we flipped a sprag in the transmission, but Paul Maddill had problems as well,” he said.

Regardless, a win was a win and it stepped Newby up

into striking range of the very quick Hambridge machine.

“Aaron and Steve are smart engine builders and know how to make power, they also have Jamie Noonan in their corner which is a very big advantage,” he said.

“We just need to stay focused on the set-up we have, and know that works, and not venture too far away from it.”

Newby says there has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes to ensure the victory was not a fluke.

“The team has been putting in some huge hours in the last year to work on the car and developing some new parts for the car, so I’m very lucky,” he said.

“We have a machine shop so that we can make our own parts in house and play

around with different ideas.”

The development is not over yet, as Newby needs to gain another half a tenth to put him on a level playing field with Hambridge.

“The car has run 5.57 seconds three times now and the data has shown us there is room for improvement so I think a low 50 is not out of the question,” he said.

The series next heads to Willowbank. Newby says he enjoys the trip but is cautious that the Funny Car drivers could strike back, including reigning champion Gary Phillips.

“I love racing at Willowbank, it’s like I get to go on a little holiday and I’ve had a lot of success up there, but I do think the surface suits those fast Funny Cars,” he said.

– LUKE NIEUWHOF

John Morris / Mpix

Next ANDRA Pro Series Round: Goldenstate Titles, Perth Motorplex, December 3-4 ANDRA Pro Series on TV: Friday December 10, Top Doorslammer, Goldenstate Titles

www.mnews.com.au

25

Five Minutes with ...

TAZ DOUGLAS

Earlier this year, Taz was in hospital battling cancer. Now, he’s a Fujitsu Series race winner. He spoke to ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN about a heck of a year MOTORSPORT NEWS: It’s been a long couple of years plugging away in the Fujitsu Series. You’ve driven for a team, now you’re doing your own thing; how does it feel to have finally won a race?

TAZ DOUGLAS: It’s rewarding, not just for myself, but for the whole team, and everyone who helps me out. And Dad, who comes to all the race meetings and drives the truck everywhere.

We have been battling away for a few years, and even though it was a reverseTop 10 and we got a bit of a head-start, it feels good to have a win. It’s good for the confidence, and it’s good to be up there.

26

Dirk Klynsmith

The reverse-Top 10 definitely put you at the front, but once you were there, you seemed pretty comfortable managing the gap back to Tim Blanchard, Steve Owen, Jack Perkins and the rest of the guys that are usually right at the front. I mean, you did have race winning pace ...

Yeah, definitely. We were actually quite competitive in practice, and I felt like we had good car speed. But then in qualifying we had a cracked head and the car started overheating. I pulled in and it meant we only did four laps in qualifying, which didn’t help.

Then in the first race the car broke and RPM sensor after we fixed the heating problem, and I was going to pull in after two or three laps. I asked over the radio what position I was in, and the guys told me I was running P10, so I decided to stay out and try and hold the

position until the end so I’d be on pole for Race 2. I was able to do it, but the problem was horrendous by the finish, popping and back-firing and what not!

You had a little off over at Dandenong Road towards the end of the race while you were leading. Was that a nervous little moment?

Yeah, it was a little but, I think every driver has done it at least once this weekend. I’ve probably did it three or four times in practice, so I knew which way to go!

The car has a fair bit of understeer this weekend, so I just softened the front sway bar a little bit to try and help it in the slow stuff, but it just hindered the car in the fast stuff. When the car landed over

the top, it just didn’t offer any support and went straight on.

I set the bar straight back to stiff and dealt with it. The moment might have looked a little bit on edge, but it was fine. Just a little one.

markers, and you can’t get a good run onto the straight. It was good to be able to go yep, there’s my braking markers, now let’s get a good run and keep it clean. It was a lot easier than being behind someone.

When you were in karts and state Formula Ford you led and won a lot of races, but since going to national Formula Ford and V8 Supercars you haven’t really led. Was it weird to see clear track again? Did you have to reset your brain into raceleading mode?

Yeah, it was a bit weird. But I just though of it like practice, like I was out there by myself.

It’s a lot easier than being behind someone, because you’re always going off what they are doing, their braking

Finally, there has been a lot of talk about Paul Dumbrell and how he’s come out of a tough year and done something pretty awesome. You’ve had a bloody tough year as well with your battle with cancer.

Is this just a great way to finish what’s been a toughie in the life of Taz Douglas?

Definitely. I didn’t think I’d be here, but here we are.

It’s nice to know we have a competitive car, but just being here is what I’m thankful for.

Having a race win just makes it that much better. motorsport news

chat

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

27

THE PAUL DUMBRELL FA OPINION

Andrew van Leeuwen – eNews Editor

B

ACK in February this year, I took deadline day at eNews HQ on the road, to the V8 Supercar preseason test session at Winton.

While we usually don’t physically attend the test, because it is traditionally on a Monday, which is deadline day, I worked remotely that day. The exact reason why escapes me at this moment, but one thing I won’t forget was just how fast Paul Dumbrell was, on debut in a Ford V8 Supercar.

He really seemed to take the Falcon like a duck to water, and told me on the day that the fast turn-in of the car, as opposed to the stop, point and shoot mentality of a Walkinshaw Commodore, was going to suit him to the ground. I wrote in that issue of eNews that he was the most impressive driver of the day, despite being usurped from the top of the times late in the evening by Jason Bargwanna on Sprint tyres. As I drove home down the Hume, I honestly wondered if this was going to be Dumbrell’s year.

Before last weekend, that idea had been worn out of my brain. While Dumbrell has been impressive enough this season, I honestly left Winton thinking poles and race wins were going to be a realistic target. Turns out I was right – it just took Dumbrell a little longer than I though to get there.

Dumbrell’s newfound success has some interesting side effects.

Firstly, you can safely assume that not a single person in the V8 Supercar paddock begrudges the milestones that Dumbrell keeps racking up. Okay, Garth Tander might have been a little pissed off after Dumbrell’s erratic start basically led him to having a monster shunt on Saturday, but when the red mist disappeared I’m sure he saw the lighter side of the situation. At the end of the day, Dumbrell is a likeable bloke, who’s had a rough couple of years, and deserves a break-through or three.

Secondly, Dumbrell has lived his motor racing career under the ‘pay driver’ tag, and realistically, his family’s business success still plays a part in his involvement in the sport at this level. What we saw on the weekend was someone justify his position in a front-running team, in a manner almost without precedent. It was impressive, and to be brutally honest, important.

Thirdly, it puts Ford Performance Racing in one hell of a position for 2011. There will not be a weak link in that fourcar team next season, and the battle for supremacy will be on between Mark Winterbottom, Dumbrell, Will Davison, and James Courtney. Speaking of that line-up, it adds another element of importance on what Dumbrell achieved at Sandown in the weekend; this is Dumbrell’s way of staking his claim at Broadmeadows for next season.

This was Dumbrell letting FPR know he won’t be playing fourth fiddle in the ’11 Superteam.

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ACTOR

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

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V8 SUPERCARS RACE 23-24, SANDOWN

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GREEN DAY

A stunning win in Race 24 gave James Courtney some breathing space in the fight for the title, but at Sandown, the weekend really belonged to Paul Dumbrell.

ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN was there, for a historic weekend

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

31

“I

Dirk Klynsmith

32

t’s not often you get a second chance.”

That was the comment from Paul Dumbrell on the grid for the re-start of Race 23 at Sandown, moments before he embarked on a career-changing race to a break-through win. Fair comment, really; Dumbrell made a total meal of the original start. He ran wide at Turn 1, re-joined at Turn 4, tagged Garth Tander in the process, and was then within millimetres of being taken out by Tander’s out-ofcontrol Commodore as it speared into the wall with a broken steering arm (thanks, ironically, to Dumbrell’s touch).

When the race got going again, after a 40-minute break to fix the fence on the back straight, Dumbrell stuffed the start again.

But having shadowed pole-sitter Jamie Whincup in the first stint, and jumped him during the stops, he found himself in the lead regardless.

Straightforward drive the flag, then? Nah, Whincup isn’t a double title winner because he settles for second, and he threw everything he motorsport news

race

Race 23

James Smith

Kiss of Fate: Boss Rod Nash placed a big wet one on Dumbrell at the finish, left, while Garth Tander found the wall on Lap 1, above. Jamie Whincup spent too much time on the jacks, below, and Greg Murphy went for no stops at all after the first lap, bottom.

Peter Bury Phil Williams

www.mnews.com.au

“I still have to do the numbers, but I think we put too much fuel in. I think the calculations were wrong.”

Mark Winterbottom was third, the highlight of his race coming early on when he was forced to muscle his way past a faststarting Will Davison for third.

‘Frosty’ was also back in race late when the Dumbrell/Whincup squabble held up the field, but never looked a realistic threat for the win.

“I wanted to win, but it was a good race to watch,” he said.

“I had a really good seat. I wanted ‘PD’ to win as much as I wanted to win myself.”

In terms of the title, James Courtney drove a smart, uncomplicated race to finish fourth and retain his slender points advantage. He did have Russell Ingall breathing down his neck in the closing stages, but did enough … just … to hold onto his spot.

The ‘Roll of the Dice’ award went to Greg Murphy. Thanks

Dirk Klynsmith

had at Dumbrell in the closing laps. Unfortunately for Whincup, Dumbrell just wanted it more, holding off car #1 for a popular win.

“It’s been a long two years in my life,” said Dumbrell.

“The team did a phenomenal job today; I don’t even know how I got into the lead! I know I was pretty aggressive [once in the lead]. I had a couple of laps where I struggled for balance, and Jamie didn’t have me off, which was nice.”

For the second race in a row, Whincup was let down by his crew. He seemed to be controlling the race in the first stint, but when he came into the pits, his car was on the jacks for too long, before being horrendously slow to get away.

He appeared at the exit of pitlane just in time to see Dumbrell flash by, a move that ultimately determined the result of the race.

“In some ways we threw the race away today,” he lamented.

to a 30-minute wait on the grid, complete with coolsuit pumps running, Murphy’s Commodore was unwilling to start under its own power when the race finally resumed. So, his Paul Morris Motorsport crew called him into pit-lane for a belly full of fuel before the start, which ultimately put him out front as

the rest of the cars pitted midrace. A cheeky Safety Car and ‘Murph’ might have just made it to the finish as a winner. Instead, he had to start short-shifting to conserve, was eaten alive by the Dumbrell/Whincup/ Winterbottom/Courtney train, and eventually had to pit anyway.

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Dirk Klynsmith

HINGS just keep going James Courtney’s way this season.

At Sandown, for Race 24, the soft tyre specialist shone again, taking a crucial win. But was it really all about awesome pace on the softer rubber? In as fragmented a race as we’ve seen in the modern era of V8 Supercars, it’s hard to tell. The only thing that was certain at the finish was that Courtney had taken what may well be the most crucial win of his career.

Let’s get the confusing part out of the way. Like Saturday’s race, there was a red flag and a complete re-start. Also like Saturday’s race it was a Holden Racing Team car crashing on the run to Dandenong Road that caused the stoppage.

But unlike Saturday it was Will Davison who had the big shunt on Sunday, thanks to a nudge from Michael Caruso.

And this time, the red flag wasn’t deployed on Lap 1 making it a straightforward affair. The race was stopped on Lap 33, almost exactly half distance, and right after the first round of stops.

As a result, confusion reigned. Some drivers had pitted as soon as the crash happened, anticipating a Safety Car, to take on the Sprint tyres. Other didn’t, but made the change on the grid during the half-hour delay. And when the race was re-started, the front row was made up of Shane van Gisbergen and Dean Fiore, neither of which were on the soft tyre. What the heck was going to happen?

What did happen was that within five laps, the Top 3 had become Mark Winterbottom, from Courtney, from Jamie Whincup, after they had started eighth, 10th and 11th respectively on the re-start.

But while Whincup’s crew had apparently re-tuned car #1’s shocks for the Sprint tyre, he seemed to be the one who was left behind. Courtney

stormed part Winterbottom into a lead he would retain to the end with 16 laps to go, and Whincup was left in an ultimately fruitless scrap with Winterbottom for second, leaving Courtney with a 53point gap with two races to go.

“It’s been a crazy season,” said Courtney. “For us to be here at the end, and win, is great for team morale. There are unbelievable things going on in the team, so for my boys to keep their heads down and keep going is amazing.”

Meanwhile, with his title hopes purely mathematical, Winterbottom was just happy to be showing front-running speed – even if the Sprint tyre did slow him down a little.

“We’ve come on strong at

the end of the year, but the championship goes for 12 months,” he said. “The points gap is pretty big, and these guys are hard to catch. “[The car] didn’t enjoy the soft tyres. Coming across the line at the end it was wheelspinning in fifth gear.”

Fourth for the race was Lee Holdsworth, who benefited from his team-mate’s misfortune to get on the same strategy as the leaders. He then had better pace than Whincup and Winterbottom at the end, and went within 0.004s of nabbing third from the reigning Champion.

Earlier in the day, Paul Dumbrell maintained the rage aboard the #55 Falcon to take his first pole position, a third

consecutive career milestone in three races, following his first podium (Race 22) and his first win (Race 23). He was also more than capable of running at the front in the first part of the race, but when the music stopped for the red flag, Dumbrell was still standing – or in this case, still driving around, having not made the crucial second stop in the few seconds between the Safety Car being deployed, and the red flag being waved.

He recovered to seventh from near the back, but it was a wasted opportunity.

“They just took a view to stick to the fuel strategy,” said team boss Rod Nash.

“Everyone else pitted, and we paid the penalty.” motorsport news

race

Race 24

Breaking Down The Wall: Will Davison’s hard impact with the wall caused another re-start in Race 24, below.

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

35

WINNERS JAMES COURTNEY: Last week, this column said ‘Is this guy having a championship year or what?’

Same applies seven days later.

PAUL DUMBRELL: One week he’s getting his first podium, the very next it’s first win and first pole. ‘PD’ looks very comfortable at the front of the field. Should we get used to it? Hope so.

DEAN FIORE: Knows that if he starts from the front row again, he can make a good launch. Just needs to get around Turn 1 next time ...

TYRE BUNDLES: The new tyre bundles caused lengthy delays during both races, but they may just have saved a serious injury or two in the process. Worth it, in the scheme of things.

LOSERS HOLDEN RACING TEAM: After a year of bad crash damage, they have two big shunts in consecutive days.

Is there one less black cat somewhere near Clayton?

THE ‘FONES: Another pit error, this time on Saturday. Very unusual ...

TV VIEWERS: Thanks to the re-starts, coverage was cut short as soon as the races were over.

No podiums for the punters in TV land then. Bet Ch 9 won’t do that if the final Ashes test runs into the 6pm news.

ANDY JONES: Tough circumstances for the likeable AJ to be back in a V8 at a sprint round.

36

TYRED AND EMOT ER, what happened?

When Sunday’s race was stopped, a number of teams changed tyres on the grid – while the field was still under red flag. In the media room, we dashed for the paperwork to check what was going on.

Understandably, it was all kosher. People who run race teams usually know the rules inside out, and they were across this one. What can you do under a red flag?

The answer lies in V8 Supercars’ Operations Manual – or rather, it doesn’t. There is no rule that expressly forbids work being done on the cars during a red flag period; they can’t be refuelled but, as we saw, you can change tyres, suspension settings and a number of other items.

Of course, that did not help Jamie Whincup all that much. While the Fones made a bunch of changes to the #1 Commodore, he had further to go on his Sprint tyres, and he ran out of grip. By the end, he was only inches ahead of Lee Holdsworth in third, and nowhere near Courtney’s Ford – which, we remind you, was built by Triple Eight Race Engineering ...

THE FRONT ROW BLUES

DID you hear the one about the guys who started Sandown’s V8 Supercar races from the front row?

Starting a race with nobody in front of you is something of a Holy Grail of motor racing. It is one of those boxes you want to tick, to be seen as a guy to be dealt with in professional racing.

On Saturday, Paul Dumbrell made a meal of the first corner, but his day, and maiden win, was saved by a red flag.

Sunday’s red flag gave Paul Fiore a front row start – well, restart, really – and he made the most of it. Until he got to the corner; in a flash, the Bing Lee Falcon was off the track and on, er, the Dumbrell Line, losing many places as he resumed.

“It’s hard,” he said thoughtfully.

“I had nobody to tell me where to brake!”

Well, he has some experience at starting up front now. motorsport news

race

OTIONAL

Dirk Klynsmith

WHEN RUSTY RACED FROSTY

Phil Williams

IT is not often you get a neat comparison between one of the variables in V8 Supercar racing, Dunlop’s two tyres. But on Sunday we did.

Russell Ingall started Sunday’s race from 12th, and Mark Winterbottom from second. The Supercheap Autos Commodore was on Sprint tyres and Primes were on the FPR Ford. Such was Ingall’s speed through traffic that he was virtually unhindered until he hit the lead.

It did not take long. Ingall’s fastest lap came on lap 5, a 1m10.93s lap. The Sprints were up to speed, and Ingall’s was making up to a second on the ‘Primed’ oppostion. But the interesting

FROM THE COUCH with PHIL BRANAGAN Dirk Klynsmith

WITH Mark Beretta and his moustache in Hawaii, it was Cameron McConville who got the call to join Seven’s pitlane crew for Sandown.

That was a little risky, not www.mnews.com.au

because McConkey can’t do the job, we know he can, but because he is a ‘newbie’ to Seven’s way of doing thing – not to mention that it made four drivers in the broadcast’s

comparison is that Winterbottom did his fastest lap, a 1m11.50s, a lap earlier – and did not beat that until he was on Sprints himself, much later in the race.

So, the gain. At the end of the opening lap, Ingall was eighth, only 2.90s behind Winterbottom. By lap 24, when Ingall pitted, the gap he had built up was 3.2s. The nett gain was all of 6.10s, or a quarter of a second a lap.

All in all, a good effort from PMM, to bust up the strategy. But no matter what kind of tyre you are on, the name of the game remains unchanged; to win a race, you need to do faster laps, and more of them, than the other guy.

commentary lineup.

It worked. Cam did a great job; during the red-flag periods, he was right on the case, providing useful information. His role was not to do what Mark Larkham does, but what he did do was handled with aplomb.

It is difficult to see Seven replacing Beretta because

of his profile from Sunrise, but if they ever do – or if another network takes over V8 Supercars any time in the future – there is a readymade replacement ready and, probably, waiting.

But given how he has driven in the series this year, any new deal might have to exclude PI and Bathurst.

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Results :: Race 23 – Sandown, VIC

Results :: Race

Pos

#

Driver

Team/Car

Qual

Pos

#

Drivers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 DNF

55 1 5 18 39 33 15 888 9 22 7 6 17 14 4 34 11 47 12 19 8 10 51 21 3 16 30 24 2

Paul Dumbrell Jamie Whincup Mark Winterbottom James Courtney Russell Ingall Lee Holdsworth Rick Kelly Craig Lowndes Shane Van Gisbergen Will Davison Todd Kelly Steven Richards Steven Johnson Jason Bright Alex Davison Michael Caruso Jason Bargwanna Tim Slade Dean Fiore Jonathon Webb Andrew Jones Andrew Thompson Greg Murphy Karl Reindler Tony D’Alberto Tony Ricciardello Warren Luff Fabian Coulthard Garth Tander

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

2 1 3 6 8 7 9 12 18 4 10 16 15 13 17 21 19 22 20 28 25 24 11 23 28 29 26 14 5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF

18 5 1 33 17 47 55 15 19 51 888 24 39 3 6 10 2 12 7 11 4 21 16 14 9 8 22 34 30

James Courtne Mark Winterbo Jamie Whincu Lee Holdswort Steven Johnso Tim Slade Paul Dumbrell Rick Kelly Jonathon Web Greg Murphy Craig Lowndes Fabian Coulth Russell Ingall Tony D’Alberto Steven Richard Andrew Thom Garth Tander Dean Fiore Todd Kelly Jason Bargwa Alex Davison Karl Reindler Tony Ricciarde Jason Bright Shane Van Gis Andrew Jones Will Davison Michael Carus Warren Luff

Top 10 Points: Courtney 2932, Whincup 2879, Winterbottom 2729, Lowndes 2567, Tander 2382, van Gisbergen 2262, Holdsworth 2141, R Kelly 2122, Dumbrell 2094, Caruso 1892.

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24 – Sandown, VIC

ey ottom up th on

l

bb

s hard

o ds mpson

anna

ello

sbergen s

so

Team/Car

Qual

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

5 2 4 3 16 18 1 11 19 17 6 9 12 26 13 25 20 21 15 28 24 27 29 7 14 22 10 8 23

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

39

FUJITSU SERIES ROUND 6, SANDOWN

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Almost there

While Sandown won’t go down as Steve Owen’s strongest round in 2010, he still did enough to take round honours and all-but set up the title, MITCHELL ADAM reports

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

41

John Morris / Mpix

I

T probably wasn’t his strongest weekend of the year, but Steve Owen added another Fujitsu Series round win to his 2010 tally at Sandown to place one hand on the title.

Owen took pole position and won the opening race, and got up to fifth in the Reverse Grid Top 10 Race 2. In the final, he couldn’t go with David Russell or James Moffat, but third was enough to secure his third round win of the season.

With 300 points on offer in the final round at Homebush in a fortnight, Owen’s 218-point buffer entering the weekend is almost certain to be enough to wrap up a second Fujitsu Series title.

“The victory sounds a lot better than it actually was,” Owen admitted, “it was actually quite tough, even though we got pole and round win.

“We tried a slightly different tyre strategy where we used our two best sets in the first two races and try to get further ahead in the reverse grid race, which didn’t work out for us. So we had nothing there in the last few laps in the final race, just trying to bring it home and hoping Moff didn’t pass

David on there last lap because it would have cost us a round win.

“It probably wasn’t the right way to go in hindsight, but here we are.”

The battle Owen refers to was for the Race 3 win, which could’ve changed the round results. Moffat finished third in the opening two races and from third on the grid in the final, made a big move down the inside at Turn 1 to take the lead, above.

By the end of the lap, though, he was fourth, having run wide at Dandenong Road on cold tyres.

Earlier, Moffat spent most of the opening race battling Jack Perkins, in a PMM VE for the weekend, for second. His Race 3 mishap saw him behind Perkins again, with the pair clashing at Turn 2 on Lap 5. Perkins was the big loser, dropping to the rear of the field, eventually recovering to 10th.

From there, Moffat caught and passed Owen and hunted down Russell. He fell just short in the mad dash to the flag, with Russell holding on to win the race – denying Moffat the round win – by just 0.0462s, below.

“We’ve had a pretty up and down year,” Moffat said.

“The start of the year was pretty terrible; a lot of silly things going on which shouldn’t have been happening. We’ve struggled a lot with the car as well but this weekend I had Campbell Little working on it, so a man of his experience was only going to be a good thing.

“It was good to work with him and clearly the car has been the most competitive it’s been all year.”

Third for the round moves Russell up to second in the standings, leapfrogging Nick Percat. After an electrical gremlin in the opener and an incident with Geoff Emery in Race 2, seventh in the final was Percat’s only race finish, and he now drops to fifth in the points.

Tim Blanchard had a quiet weekend, but ended up fourth, ahead of Perkins, while Taz Douglas was sixth after scoring his first race win in Race 2. From pole with the inverted Top 10, Douglas bolted and never looked threatened, eventually winning by 3s. He backed it up with a strong fourth in the final.

James Smith

42

motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith Dirk Klynsmith

David Russell, above left, took second in the standings after Nick Percat, above, had a dog of a weekend.

Phil Williams

Taz Douglas, left, took a dominant win in Race 2, his first in the Fujitsu Series.

Results :: Round 6, Sandown Pos

#

Driver

Team/Car

Qual

R1

R2

R3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

45 99 28 999 67 92 48 777 93 26 58 59 32 95 96 75 66 71 222 46

Steve Owen James Moffat David Russell Tim Blanchard Jack Perkins Taz Douglas Geoff Emery Rodney Jane Scott McLaughlin Matthew White Drew Russell Aaren Russell Todd Fiore Nathan Vince Ryan Hansford Aaron McGill Amber Anderson Marcus Zukanovic Nick Percat Daniel Jilesen

Earthex Racing Holden Commodore VE Norton 360 Ford Rising Stars Ford Falcon BF Team Jayco Ford Falcon BF Sonic Motor Racing Services Ford Falcon BF The Love Machine Holden Commodore VE Fastaz Motorsport Holden Commodore VZ National Directory Dist. Holden Commodore VE Bob Jane T-Marts Ford Falcon BF Fujitsu Racing Ford Falcon BF Land Surveys Ford Falcon BF Go Karts Go/ESET Antivirus Ford Falcon BF Go Karts Go/ESET Antivirus Ford Falcon BF Flexi Staff Ford Falcon BF Black Track Haulage Ford Falcon BF V8 Race Experience Ford Falcon BF Cigweld Ford Falcon BF Roadwise Racing Holden Commodore VZ Midway Concrete Holden Commodore VZ Bundaberg Red Racing Team Commodore VE Jilesen Racing Holden Commodore VE

1 4 2 9 3 10 7 13 6 8 11 17 14 18 16 19 20 12 5 15

1 3 4 5 2 10 7 8 6 14 9 11 12 15 13 17 18 DNF DNF 16

5 3 7 2 4 1 8 6 DNF 11 9 16 13 14 12 15 17 10 DNF DNF

3 2 1 5 10 4 9 12 6 8 19 14 15 13 17 16 18 11 7 DNF

Top 10 Points: Points: Owen 1535, David Russell 1317, Blanchard 1280, Moffat 1215, Percat 1170, Jane 1014, Aaren Russell 836, Emery 828, Zukanovic 780, Drew Russell 739

www.mnews.com.au

43

FORMULA FORD ROUND 8, SANDOWN

Chazzle Dazzle

Chaz Mostert signed off from Formula Ford in the best possible fashion, winning all three races at Sandown. MITCHELL ADAM reviews the action

C

HAZ Mostert has capped a dominant year in the Genuine Ford Parts Australian Formula Ford Championship with a dominant performance in the final round at Sandown.

Capping his time in Formula Ford, Mostert won all three races, taking his tally to 14 for the season to eclipse Steven Richards’ previous record of 13 in a single year. Having taken pole, Mostert won the opening two races and, despite losing track position early in the final, he secured his fifth round win of the year with a clean sweep.

The title is Synergy Motorsport’s second in three years, after Paul Laskazeski won the championship in their maiden season, 2008.

“It was great,” Mostert said, 44

“the car’s been awesome all weekend.

“After a bit of a bad one in Tasmania with the gearbox problem, to come here and absolutely dominate, it’s a great feeling. The boys worked so hard over the last week to prepare the car, I can’t thank them enough.

“After last weekend, I didn’t really think there was a chance for [Richards’] record at all. We knew we’d have speed, but I didn’t think we’d have this much speed. It’s great to get it, on paper, but really you can’t quite beat it because of the percentage.

“It’s a little bit sad to leave Formula Ford, because it’s such a good category. I believe there are probably better fights, competition wise, in this category than in V8 Supercars.

It’s a bit sad to leave it, I just love driving these things.”

While Mostert was in his element, particularly with a 10s win in Race 2, the battle was on behind him. Ash Walsh had a quiet start to the weekend, qualifying 11th and finishing fifth in the opening race, but he picked up a pair of second places on Sunday to take second for the round.

Next year, Mostert and Walsh will be team-mates in the Fujitsu Series.

Third for the weekend and second for the championship went to Geoff Uhrhane, narrowly beating Sonic Motor Racing team-mate Nick Foster on both counts. Foster finished the final race in fourth, behind Walsh and Uhrhane, and without his Mygale’s nosecone after light contact with the

rear of Mostert’s Spectrum mid-race.

Behind them, Tom Williamson took fifth for the round after qualifying a careerbest second, with Jesse Fenech sixth in his second National start.

After qualifying third and fourth, Trent Harrison and Cameron Waters looked set for a good weekend. However, in the opening race, Waters’ engine expired and Harrison was running right behind him with nowhere to go.

They spent the rest of the weekend in recovery mode, with Waters taking sixth in the final and Harrison eighth.

Waters finished the year as the highest-placed rookie.

Points: Mostert 361, Uhrhane 269, Foster 263, Walsh 232, Ryan Simpson 150, Waters 115 motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith Phil Williams

In his final Formula Ford meeting, Ash Walsh, above, was Mostert’s closest challenger on Sunday.

Cameron Waters, right, looked quick again, but engine dramas in Race 1 put him on the back foot for the rest of the weekend.

Rob Lang

www.mnews.com.au

45

AUSTRALIAN GT ROUND 6, SANDOWN

Dirk Klynsmith

Quinn wins, Wall takes title

Tony Quinn won both races at the Australian GT Championship wrapped up at Sandown, while David Wall did enough to claim the title, CALLUM BRANAGAN reports

John Morris / Mpix

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AVING won Round 5 of the Vodka O Australian GT Championship at Bathurst in his Aston Martin DBRS9, Tony Quinn would just as easily win Round 6 at Sandown in a vastly different, yet equally exotic machine, a Mosler MT900 GT3.

The championship, on the other hand, would eventually go to a deserving David Wall ...

In what can only be described as domination right from the outset, the VIP Petfoods pilot looked too strong as he converted second in qualifying into a win in each

of the two races, to continue his winning streak from Bathurst.

Second for the round was Porsche stalwart James Koundouris, who at times looked strong enough to challenge Quinn, but ultimately couldn’t quite defeat the popular Queenslander.

One of the main championship challengers leading into the finale, Peter Hackett’s title hopes were over on the opening lap of Race 1, as a Turn 3 move from Max Twigg saw Twigg’s Porsche GT3 Cup S mount Hackett’s Lamborghini. The incident

ended both drivers’ weekends.

Wall appeared to have wrapped up the title with fourth in Race 1, before his Porsche was deemed to have come in underweight. He was excluded from the race and he would have to start from the rear of the grid for Race 2. However, Wall made his way through the field to finish in fifth place, taking the championship away from closest rival, Dean Grant, who was second in Race 1 but eighth in Race 2 after a spin.

In the GT Challenge stakes, Shane Smollen continued his utter domination driving his

997 CupCar. Smollen looked as though he would have to battle Michael Loccisano for the round honours after finishing behind him in Race 1, but that soon dissipated when Loccisano struck problems in Race 2, leaving Smollen to cruse home for the round ahead of Paul Tresidder.

Paul Freestone meanwhile took both the round and season honours in GT Production in his Corvette Z06. Freestone was strong all weekend, even mixing it in with GT Championship runners to eventually finish ahead of main rival, Tony Alford.

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TOURING CAR MASTERS ROUND 7, SANDOWN Dirk Klynsmith

Advantage Jim A timely round win at Sandown and troubles for his title rivals has put Jim Richards in the box seat for the Touring Car Masters title. CALLUM BRANAGAN was there

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UST when it looked like the face of the title fight in the Touring Car Masters presented by Autobarn couldn’t change, it did, as the fortunes of many of the title contenders at Sandown Raceway dramatically altered the outlook heading into the final round at Homebush.

The round belonged to Jim Richards in his Shannons Falcon Sprint, but only after his main rival, John Bowe, struck major engine troubles in the decisive race on Sunday. After looking set to take the round win, Bowe’s fortunes went from great to bad. Engine troubles in Race 3 dealt a cruel blow to Bowe’s championship hopes, off the back of his impressive home round at Simmons Plains.

With his consistent second places in the first two races, Richards was left to cruse home to an easy round win, 48

taking the all important championship lead heading into the closing round at Homebush in two weeks time.

“Obviously it’s good to get the win,” he said.

“Our car always goes well these days, it has been fantastic all year – it’s a credit to the guys – although we didn’t expect it to be as fast as Gavin [Bullas] and JB this weekend.

But we got the pole and set a new lap record; we were a little surprised just how good our pace was this weekend.

“It’s good to get the series lead back. It was really unfortunate for Bowey, he was looking good there this weekend, but that’s racing; you have to get it to the finish line.”

After being written off as a championship outsider, Gavin Bullas has struck back at Sandown to be an outright contender. With the mechanical failures of Bowe

acting as a major turning point in the championship, Bullas will now head into the final round at Sydney a genuine threat to Richards’ lead, despite suffering from his own problems during Race 1. Bullas finished the weekend in 10th place, enough to leave Sandown second in the championship.

A win, and a second on Sunday placed the Camaro of Steve Mason in the box seat to take second for the weekend.

Mason took full advantage of the reverse grid to stay ahead of a charging John Bowe in Race 2 and was gifted his round podium when Bowe’s Mustang struck troubles in Race 3.

Despite being clearly faster than Mason during Race 1, Andrew Miedecke’s performance during Race 3 left him trailing Mason on both the track and points by the end of

the weekend. Leanne Tander had a short weekend, as a broken crankshaft in qualifying put her out of contention for the rest of the weekend, having qualified a season-best third.

Cameron Tilley was the best of the Group 2 runners in his Valiant Pacer. As his more powerful rivals proved to be unreliable at the Melbourne circuit, Tilley had reliability on his side. He heads into the final round at Sydney a real chance of a championship podium position.

Winner of Group 3, meanwhile, was Phillip Showers driving his Ford Escort RS 1600. Showers easily had the measure of his rivals all weekend to finish ahead in all three races and extend his points lead.

Points: Richards 851, Bullas 831, Bowe 777, Miedecke 642, Tander 640, Mason 596 motorsport news

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James Smith

John Bowe, above, struck mechanical problems in the final after what had been a strong weekend.

Leanne Tander, below, looked quick, too, but didn’t even get that far ...

John Morris / Mpix

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NASCAR SPRINT CUP ROUND 36, MIAMI, FL

FULL HOUSE Three men came to Homestead with ambitions to win the 2010 Sprint Cup. They all made mistakes in the race but – almost inevitably – Jimmie Johnson prevailed, to take title number five

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NASCAR Media

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HREE drivers went to Homestead-Miami with a Sprint Cup to win and none of them had a perfect day – but Jimmie Johnson’s Sunday was the best of all of them.

Title contenders Kevin Harvick copped a drivethrough penalty for speeding on pitlane. Denny Hamlin tangled early with Greg Biffle and the resulting toe-out killed the handling of his Joe Gibbs Toyota. With both men back from the leaders, it was all down to Johnson.

He wasn’t perfect. The Lowe’s Chevy was a fraction off and the team’s only apparent Achilles heel – its pit work – was not quite as snappy as it might have been. But Johnson dug deep, dragged the car to the leading pack and, when everyone pitted with about 28 laps remaining, good enough was good enough.

Johnson was second so he joined World Chamion Sebastian Vettel and IndyCar winner Dario Franchitti in coming from behind in the final race to snatch the title. It has been one of those years.

“I am just so proud to be in this position,” the five-time Champion said.

“I think this year we showed what this team is made of. We didn’t always have the most speed but we had the most heart.”

At one stage, Harvick was ahead of Johnson in the race and that put him in position to win the title, but good restarts won the day for the Hendrick team.

“We went down swingin’ and that is what we came here to do,” said Harvick.

“We did everything we wanted to do, but win the race.”

There was also the matter of a late-race clash with Kyle Busch, which saw the Gibbs Toyota fire into the infield wall and catch fire. An unhappy Busch emerged, and Harvick was unrepentant.

“He drove like a clown all day,” he said. “He cut in front of me and I didn’t lift.”

Oh yes; Carl Edwards won the race. A week after ending a 70race winless streak, the Fusion driver took his second of the year and gave Jack Roush his 11th win as an owner at the track.

“If we start like this, our Aflac team can win this last year,” smile Edwards in Victory Lane.

He also gave credit to John Force, who a week after coming from behind to clinch the NHRA Funny Car title, was providing some encouragement on the team’s radio. The Roush Fenway team has flattered to deceive in recent years; on this performance, they do appear to be back in the winning business.

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Opposites attract: Carl Edwards gets ready to do his backflip while JJ practices his title-winning burnouts. Kevin Harvick fired Kyle Busch into a wall, long after Martin Truex and Edwards led them away.

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“I don’t think I had anything for the #99,” Johnson admitted.

“Just an amazing day.”

In his last drive for JTG Daugherty, Marcos Ambrose had a tough weekend. He started 20th and finished the day 26th after a spin.

“It was a tough day out there today, after we spun and went a lap down it was always going to be hard work,” Ambrose said.

“The crew never gave up, and I’m so thankful to them for all of the opportunities they have given me over the past five years.”

The last word should go to Rick Hendrick, who team has created a title-winning juggernaut.

“Somebody’s got to win it, and I am glad it was us,” he said.

Roll on 2011, on a repaved Daytona in February …

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NASCAR Media NASCAR Media

So near ... Kevin Harvick was the season’s most consistent driver _ but on the seventh caution of the final race of the year, he sped on pitlane. That was all it took to take the title away from him.

Results :: Ford 400, Homestead-Miami, Fl Pos 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

No. 99 48 29 9 43 83 39 14 17 16

Driver Carl Edwards Jimmie Johnson Kevin Harvick Aric Almirola A.J. Allmendinger Kasey Kahne Ryan Newman Tony Stewart Matt Kenseth Greg Biffle

Car Ford Chevy Chevy Ford Ford Toyota Chevy Chevy Ford Ford

Team Roush Fenway Hendrick Childress Petty Petty Red Bull Newman Haas Newman Haas Roush Fenway Roush Fenway

Sponsor Aflac Lowe’s Shell/Pennzoil Budweiser Insignia /Best Buy Red Bull US Army Office Depot Crown Royal 3M

Qual 2 6 28 24 5 1 23 31 13 27

Top 12 Points: Johnson 6622, Hamlin 6583, Harvick 6581, Edwards 6393, Kenseth 6294, Biffle 6247, Stewart 6221, Kyle Busch 6182, Gordon 6176, Bowyer 6155, Kurt Busch 6142, Burton 6033.

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WORLD SERIES SPRINTCARS ROUND 1, BRISBANE

FARR, FARR AWAY

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OBBIE Farr has put together a near-perfect start to his 2010/11 World Series Sprintcar campaign, taking out Saturday night’s opening round at Archerfield in Queensland.

It could have been completely perfect. After all, Farr did set quick time at the start of the night and win the race at the end. But what happened in between was less than ideal. Start at the front in the first heat, Farr had a big lose and caused considerable damage to the front end of his car. It meant the car had gremlins for the rest of the night, and Farr had to manhandle it from position four in the A-Main to take the win.

“The night we had, you wouldn’t believe,” Farr said.

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“I didn’t win the race, the boys did, the team did. We just fought our way through the night. To come out with a win, I just didn’t expect it.”

Second was Steve Lines, who was somewhat surprised to come away with a podium finish.

“We had a plan to come here and roll around and do the best we can,” Lines said.

“I just wanted to finish. Farr obviously gets the job done, he is a tough competitor, but I can’t thank my team enough.”

There were plenty of hard-luck stories in the A-Main.

Victorian David Murcott started from pole, but was out on Lap 1 after a clash with Lines. American Tyler Walker was also in the hunt, but a flat tyre ended his race, while a hard-charging James McFadden was brought undone by an ambitious passing attempt for the lead just after a mid-race caution.

Heat winners were Peter Thorley, Danny Reidy, Brent Kratzmann, Jason Sides and Marty Perovich, while Murcott won the Top 8 Dash, and Peter Lack took out the B-Main.

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SPEEDWAY THE saying ‘there is a first time for everything’ proved true for Brad Keller (410 Sprintcars) and Chad Ely (360 Sprintcars).

Both notched up career maiden victories at Adelaide’s Speedway City in the third round of the Revolution Racegear Sprintcar Track Championship Series which has produced a total of six different winners from the six features contested to date.

With a feature race win apiece, Matt Egel and Jamie Cobby looked set to continue their run of good form as the duo lined up on the front row to duke it out. After several false starts Cobby got the jump and powered to a commanding race lead. Egel soon retired with a blown radiator hose in a race that was riddled with some big crashes including one that ended the strong run of Cobby.

While trying to chase down Keller, Cobby’s steering box broke while at top speed, sending the car thumping into the pit gate and into a

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WTCC Paris Charles

UP FRONT

ONE FOR THE MICHELISZ MAN

series of violent rolls. Not only did it destroy the Eagle chassis but it also smashed the pit return gate, rendering it useless for the rest of the evening.

From there, Keller held the lead to claim maximum points for the victory but also the lead in the track series. Following Brad across the line was defending series Champion Luke Dillon and Victorian Ryan Davis, who found an instant liking to the Adelaide. Steven Caruso, Josh Ruhs and Nick Lacey rounded out the top half dozen.

Ely also claimed the biggest win of his career to date, taking a flag to flag victory. Ely found the fast line and bolted to the finish ahead of Sprintcar rookie Brendan Quinn (in just his thirdever feature event) and Shane Hendry, who now has a solid points lead with three podiums from three rounds. Mark Caruso turned in a solid performance with a first drive for the season to hold out Tregan Gates and Jamie Hendry rounding out the top six.

– PARIS CHARLES

NORBERT Michelisz took his maiden World Touring Car Championship victory in an anti-climactic final round in Macau.

With Yvan Muller taking the title after a successful appeal in the week prior to the race, and Rob Huff taking Saturday’s win after several contenders were out of the race early, Michelisz’s Seat cruised away from the Gabriele Tarquini/ Huff battle. The Italian’s Seat had too much speed for Huff, who could not find a way past, and the result tied to two on points. As a result, Tarquini took second overall on a countback.

Muller ended the season in fourth ahead of Augusto Farfus, Tom Coronel and Priaul, who had started at the back of the field following his race one accident.

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Come see the Veal Thing SPEEDWAY THE last time Jamie Veal raced a 360 cubic inch powered sprintcar he ran fourth at Knoxville in the USA, last weekend he again strapped the same engine into his car and won the Victorian Sprintcar Championship.

It was the biggest win in Veal’s career thus far and it was the 49th perfect birthday present for his father Ken, who won the open state championship in 1990.

Veal, 22, of Warrnambool as the fourth-highest points and raced in the US, had who had a successful six-week scorer, Veal posted the fastest arrived in Australia last week. stint in the US in the off-season, time in a top-six time trial dash, His team re-built it and raced it said he was rapt to win on which elevated him to pole at Horsham.

Saturday night. position for the final.

“In America I was pretty “It’s great,” he said of his first He jumped to the lead and confident, the car felt pretty state sprintcar title. at one stage had a half-lap good,” he said.

“It’s a great way to start advantage before a stoppage Veal is planning to run the season. It gets the ball with four laps remaining the same car at Allansford’s rolling. You can relax a bit now brought him back to the field.

Premier Speedway this knowing that having been to South Australian Colin Saturday night in the 360 All America, what I’ve brought Brooks was second and Stars series. back is working. It takes a bit of Melbourne hard-charger Brett “It will be pretty interesting the pressure off and it’s good Milburn was third. He said his to see the American car at for the team.”

J&J Chassis, with a Jamie Moyle- Premier (and how it goes).”

After finishing qualifying built engine that he bought – GEOFF ROUNDS

Fast Eddie, Take 2

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MACAU GP IN the history of the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix, no driver had ever won the race twice – until now.

Edoardo Mortara made history on Sunday by taking his Dallara-Volkswagen to his second win in the classic race.

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Mortara cruised – his word – through his Saturday heat race and led from pole on Sunday, but dropped to third at a restart, only for one of the men who passed him, Daniel Abt, to hit the barriers a few corners later.

Mortara slipstreamed past the other man, Laurens Vanthoor, to pull away to

take the win. Valtteri Bottas pressured Vanthoor for second, but could not find a way past him. Fourth place went to Marco Wittmann from Renger van der Zande, Antonio Felix da Costa, and JeanEric Vergne. Only Bottas’s third place for Mercedes-Benz stopped a Volkswagen sweep of the top seven places.

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Bathurst 12hr 2011

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EVO 7RS Monster

Running in the Australian GT Championship and prepared by Greg Murphy Racing.

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Cams Log Booked Australia's fastest IPRA Evo 340 KW @ all wheels Spent $105k with receipts since built in 08. Tomei fordged motor built by Orgers race engines. Knife crack, H beam rods, coated CP pistons, 280 Deg cams, custom exhaust manifold. Heavily ported head.

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Spaceframe chassis mid mounted Holden 186 Motec fuel injected Duggan head brand new engine.

No expense spared, receipts available. Purchased in good faith, we had to fully rebuild it reluctant sale. 0401271972 www.my105.com/3302

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rear of grid

MAKING HIS HALLMARK

After years and years of boring displays by the Roulettes, and ear-splitting flyovers from F18s (we’ll reserve comment on the A380 flyover at the Grand Prix because that was pretty awesome), V8 Supercars finally came up with a new aerial display idea at Sandown – Matt Hall in his Red Bull Air Race machine, busting out stunts. As far as prerace entertainment goes, it was pretty darned good. Now, please don’t wheel it out at every single round from here on in ...

Odd Spot

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