Motorsport eNews Issue 197 - March 22-28, 2011

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Issue No. 197 Mar 22 - 28 2011

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GRAND PRIX WEEK HAS ARRIVED! ALL THE LATEST AHEAD OF THE AUSTRALIAN GP, INCLUDING WHY BERNIE AND RON WANT TO KEEP THE RACE, AND WHY RED BULL RACING IS STILL UNDER PRESSURE

PLUS: FULL COVERAGE FROM THE CLIPSAL 500 AND CHECK BACK TUESDAY PM FOR FULL COVERAGE OF 1 www.mnews.com.au CRAIG LOWNDES DRIVING A FORMULA 1 CAR AT BATHURST!

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news 4

Game on! (Almost) The latest pre-AGP news 9 Hello Helio IndyCar star back for Surfers 10 School’s out for summer!

Later start to 2012 V8 season 17 Powerful stuff Will fast in IndyCar testing

chat 30 Five Minutes With ...

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race 36 Clipsal 500 46 Fujitsu Series 50 Formula Ford 52 Clipsal Supports 56 PI Classic 60 MotoGP 62 NASCAR 66 Sebring 12 Hour

trade 70 (Yes, 70) Classifieds 3

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

WALKER: WE WANT TO KEEP AGP FORMULA 1

AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix Corporation Chairman Ron Walker is working hard to have the race continue past the end of its current contract – but he has stopped short of suggesting that the fee paid for the event, to Formula One Management, ought to reduce in the future.

Walker told Motorsport eNews this week that he is confident of the success of this year’s event, but is placing to restrictions on negotiations over future events.

“The government is keen to talk to Mr Ecclestone anyway,” he said.

“Just because of Mr Doyle’s speculation does not mean that the government is out of synch with the ambitions to keep the race.

“The government has no intention of losing this race, providing it is within reason.”

Walker said that does not means that discussions would proceed only on the basis that the fee paid for the event would reduce.

“That is not for me to say. I really don’t know. The costs have been reduced, in

terms of running the show, enormously. We will have see. CVC (Capital, the majority stakeholder in FOM) would not be interested in talking [about a lower fee], I would not have thought …”

But Walker is upbeat about the race’s longterm future.

“I am very optimistic about it. As Bernie Ecclestone pointed out, it is probably one of the best races, in terms of the whole year. All the grandstand seats are sold out, the Paddock Club is sold out, and family tickets for the GA (General Admission) area are walking out the door. We will have a higher attendance than the majority of the Grands Prix throughout the world, if not all of them, and it is still Australia’s biggest one-day sporting event, with 116,000 to 118,000 people.

“It costs a lot of money but then, so does the tennis. If you look at the [Melbourne) Tennis Centre, there is a billion dollars invested in that.

The internal interest rate is $70million a year.

The new soccer stadium, and the money to the ballet and the opera ...

“All major sporting events cost money.”

BERNIE WANTS IT TOO ...

FORMULA 1 BERNIE Ecclestone has labelled the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix “as important as Monaco”.

The Formula 1 boss last week said that he was loathe to think that the race, which has been a part of the World Championship since 1985, may not continue past the end of its current deal, which ends in 2014.

“Australia is as important to us as Monaco,” he said.

“It has been a part of the World Championship for an awfully long time. We hate to think that we are going to lose Australia.”

Ecclestone’s comments come after a number of local voices, including Melbourne Lord Mayor Cr Robert Doyle, have stated that they doubt 4

that the race has a long future in the state. Concerns are being aired over the increasing cost of the race to Victorian taxpayers, which last year amounted to $49.2m.

He also expressed reservations about the FIA’s new engine regulations.

Ecclestone fears that the 1.6-litre turbocharged fourcylinder motors will not sounds as impressive as the current generation of 2.4-litre normally-aspirated V8s.

“There are two things that signify Formula 1,” he said.

“One is Ferrari, the second is the noise. People love and get excited about the noise.

People who have never been to a Formula 1 race, when you leave, you ask them; ‘What did you like?’ ‘The noise!’

I brought some Russian gentlemen to Singapore and I

met them afterwards in Russia.

It was the first race that they had ever been to. I said, ‘What impressed you?’ They said, ‘Most important was the noise!

It really gets to you.’ Ladies love the noise! I am anti, anti, anti moving into this so-called small turbo formula. We don’t need it. If it is so important, it is the sort of thing that should be in Touring Car racing.”

Ecclestone’s position puts him in clear conflict with FIA President Jean Todt, who is adopting a ‘wait and see’ position on the new engine developments.

For more on Ecclestone, see 5 Minutes, page 30 For more on Todt, see our exclusive interview in the April edition of Motorsport News, on sale this Wednesday

Can Red FORMULA 1

D

espite going into the championship as favourites, the opposition has not accepted that a win by Sebastian Vettel or Mark Webber is a laydown misere this weekend.

After the recent strong testing form of MercedesGP, Michael Schumacher flies south with a high degree of confidence, to a track on which he has won four times.

“We are well prepared,” says the seven-time World champion.

“All of the hard work over the winter will start to come together over the first few races and then we will know more about the position we are in, and what still needs to be achieved as Formula 1 never stands still of course. I feel very ‘at home’ with the team after one year of working together and this experience has really benefited our pre-season preparations.”

His team principal Ross Brawn, with whom he shared titles at Benetton and Ferrari, is upbeat that the late-testing upgrades to the team’s W02 have lifted expectations.

“Our pre-season programme has motorsport news

news

CHECK BACK ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON TO SEE FULL COVERAGE OF VODAFONE’S BATHURST F1 EXPERIENCE. PAGE 72-73

d Bull be beaten? gone as well as we could have wanted,” he said. “However, as always, the first race will be the real measure of where we are in terms of competitiveness. Everyone is eagerly waiting to see how the grid shakes out in Melbourne, and wherever we find ourselves, we will respond accordingly.

“Our ability to react strongly has improved considerably over the past 12 months and we have a robust development plan in place for the season.

2011 will be the second season with our drivers, Michael and Nico [Rosberg), and this continuity, together with our wellestablished relationships, has enabled both the drivers and team to prepare well for the challenges ahead.”

Ferrari is also expected to be a challenger to the Bulls and Fernando Alonso sounds ready to seek a third title.

“I am very pleased with how the winter testing has gone,” he said.

“We’re the team that’s driven the most (kilometres) and that has had the fewest problems.

“The podium is the aim for someone who’s targeting the title. Arriving in Australia and not thinking like that would be too pessimistic, but we know that anything could happen.

“When everyone has shown their cards, there could be some surprises. Hopefully www.mnews.com.au

we can be on the podium, and then in three-to-four races we’ll have a much clearer idea of where we are.”

You can have a chance to see the car that might do it on Thursday. A Ferrari 150° Italia – more likely, a show car – will be on display in Melbourne’s Federation Square from 7.30am until 2pm and between 11am and 1pm, Fernando Alonso will also be there.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton has made an unusual admission prior to the start of the season; he says that the McLaren MP4/25 lacks pace.

“We can’t hide the fact that testing has been tougher than we expected,” he said.

“Our test mileage hasn’t been as high as that of our rivals, nor have we had the outright pace of the fastest cars.

“Nevertheless, we know we go to Melbourne ready for battle. Some teams are extremely well prepared – both from a pace and reliability point of view – but that can sometimes count for little in the unpredictable and somewhat chaotic opening races where it’s equally vital just to take points home.

“I strongly believe that, while our preparations haven’t gone as smoothly as we’d have liked, I get the impression that we’ll be arriving in Melbourne with everything finally meshing together – and that makes me really excited.”

2011 AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

QUALIFYING AND RACE SCHEDULE Thursday, March 24 3:40pm 4:50pm 5:40pm 6:30pm

Celebrity Challenge Carrera Cup Formula 5000 V8 Supercars

Qualifying Qualifying Qualifying Qualifying

Friday, March 25 11:25am 12:30pm 3:00pm 4:30pm 6:20pm

Carrera Cup Formula 1 V8 Supercars Formula 1 V8 Supercars

Race 1 Practice 1 Top 10 Practice 2 Race 1

Saturday, March 26 11:35am 12:10pm 12:45pm 2:00pm 3:15pm 5:00pm 6:20pm

Formula 5000 Red Bull Race Off Celebrity Challenge Formula 1 Carrera Cup Formula 1 V8 Supercars

Race 1 Race 1 Race 1 Practice 3 Race 2 Qualifying Race 2

Sunday, March 27 11:25am 12:35pm 1:10pm 2:15pm 5:00pm

Formula 5000 Carrera Cup V8 Supercars Celebrity Challenge Formula 1

Race 2 Race 3 Race 3 Race 2 Race 5

AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX PREVIEW

WHAT TIME IS IT? IT’S AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX TIME!

Finally, Motorsport eNews’ equal favourite weekend of the year is upon us – the Australian Grand Prix. To celebrate, we’ve taken a look at all the contenders that will line up at Albert Park this weekend. And in case you were wondering, the other favourite is Bathurst ...

Left the rest for dead?

Fast or flawed?

RED BULL RACING 1 2

Sebastian Vettel Mark Webber

DE AUS

There don’t seem to be many chinks in the Red Bull Racing armour, based on pre-season testing. In fact, there don’t seem to be ANY chinks in the team’s armour.

The cars have looked good, reliable and, most important of all, they’ve looked fast. They’ve looked fast in qualifying simulations and they’ve looked fast in race simulations. Unless the new Pirelli tyres throw up some kind of ugly side effect, RBR will be tough to beat.

The team issued a very conveniently-timed announcement recently that Vettel has signed on until 2014. If that’s not a mind game, we don’t know what it. As the new season starts, RBR want the rest of the teams to know that it has the best driver in the world, and it isn’t letting him go.

McLAREN MERCEDES 3 4

Best of Division 2?

6

Jenson Button Lewis Hamilton

GBR GBR

McLaren has been left stating that it hopes to “surprise” in Melbourne this weekend. That’s never a good sign.

The MP4-26 is radical in its design, but it is yet to look radical in its pace. If McLaren is the third best team this weekend, that will be surprising enough – despite bullish comments from Martin Whitmarsh.

“So, do I think our testing pace is representative of the pace we’ll show in Australia? No. Do I think we head into the weekend as race favourites? Unfortunately, no. But do I feel that we have the capacity to surprise a few people and be competitive? Very much so.” motorsport news

news

FERRARI 5 6

WILLIAMSF1 Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa

ESP BRA

Right at this stage, you’d say that Ferrari is the only team that would be causing anyone at Red Bull Racing to lose sleep.

As last season proved, Ferrari can still build a very fast car. And if it’s not fast straight away, they can turn it around. Also, lets not forget that that Fernando Alonso is a quality driver, and he has all of Ferrari’s support.

Speaking of which, this is a big year for Felipe Massa. He needs to take it to Alonso more often that not, or he might find that the grooming of Jules Bianchi starts happening a little too fast ...

MERCEDES 7 8

Michael Schumacher Nico Rosberg

DE DE

One minute, the Mercedes WG02 looked like a complete dog. The next, it looked like the fastest car going. So which is it?

Realistically, its likely to be a little from column A, and a little from column B. Early testing form showed that there are fundamental design flaws with the new car, and they can’t be eradicated in five minutes.

But the last aero update definitely improved the car, and being third fastest team in Melbourne is a genuine target now.

“We’re in good shape,” says Rosberg.

“The team and car have progressed a lot over the winter, we’re pleased with the performance from our upgrades and the car is handling well.”

LOTUS RENAULT 9 10

Nick Heidfeld Vitaly Petrov

DE RUS

Ross Brawn has been wandering around saying that Renault might be onto something with its new exhaust system, and he’s no dummy.

The new machine from Enstone has a tricky exhaust system, which sees the hot gasses coming out from what is essentially the front of the sidepod. It’s a smart idea, and if it works out to be a good as the double diffuser, expect everyone to be doing it by Barcelona.

One thing that Renault doesn’t have is Robert Kubica. Still, it’s found a good replacement in Heidfeld. Can he finally win his first race? Yeah, but he’ll need luck. www.mnews.com.au

11 12

Rubens Barrichello Pastor Maldonado

TORO ROSSO BRA VEN

The FW33 actually looks like a tidy little racing car, but there are a couple of things that are a little worrying.

The first is reliability. The team has had issues throughout winter testing, and they have seriously cut down Maldonado’s track time as he prepares for his rookie season.

Technical chief Sam Michael says the are only small issues, bit it doesn’t matter if it’s a small or big issue during a Grand Prix – if the car stops, the car stops!

There is also the Cosworth engine. It’s no Ferrari, Mercedes or Renault, in the power or reliability stakes.

As for drivers, yes, Maldonado is a pay driver, but he’s quite a good pay driver, so lets give him the benefit of the doubt.

FORCE INDIA 14 15

Adrian Sutil Paul di Resta

DE GBR

These guys aren’t going to win races in 2011, but there’s a bit to like.

For starters, expect Adrian Sutil to step things up. Why? Because he has to. If he doesn’t, then Nico Hulkenberg will take his drive so fast the seat will still be warm.

Sutil’s been around the block now, and it’s time to go fast or get out.

The worst thing that could happen to him is be beaten by his rookie team-mate di Resta. You wouldn’t think that’d be too much of a risk, but di Resta looks like the real deal. If he is, it could be bad news for Sutil.

SAUBER 16 17

Kamui Kobayashi Sergio Perez

JAP MEX

So many question marks here.

Will the car be any good at all? Will Perez be any good at all? Was his stunning testing lap in quail simulation at Barcelona a fluke?

Will Kamui spend the year making ace passing moves, or the year crashing into people?

We don’t have the answers just yet. Might be interesting to find them out during the season, though.

18 19

Sebastien Buemi Jaime Alguersuari

SUI ESP

The word around town is that the Toro Rosso is a pretty nifty piece of kit.

Okay, don’t expect to see Seb or Jaime on pole this weekend (unless it’s a crazy wet session, which is looking likely), but it seems there might be something in the new STR rig. The trick will be getting something out of it before the series gets back to Europe, and the big dollar spending war starts.

Like Force India, the STR drivers need to be on their games this year. If they’re not, there’s a very fast reserve driver waiting in the wings – our own Dan Ricciardo.

TEAM LOTUS 20 21

Jarno Trulli Heikki Kovalainen

ITA FIN

It looks as if the ‘other’ Lotus team will be the best of the Second Division by quite some way. And according to Tony Fernandes, it needs to be.

“This is a very important season for Team Lotus as we are no longer a new team – we achieved what we set out to in 2010 but now it’s effectively a clean sheet – an entirely new car, a fully fledged race team and factory and much higher aspirations,” he says.

HISPANIA RACING TEAM 22 23

Narain Kathikeyan Tonio Liuzzi

IND ITA

Last year, HRT started the F1 season with two rookie drivers and no mileage on the cars. Now, at least it has experienced drivers.

Out go Bruno Senna and Karun Chandhok, and in come to guys with plenty of Formula 1 experience. That will help, but not getting to run your car before the first Grand Prix because your dampers were stuck in customs will not. Can’t imagine that ever happening to Ferrari ...

VIRGIN RACING 24 25

Timo Glock Jerome d’Ambrosio

DE BEL

Very hard to judge, not least because Timo Glock missed the last test because he was having appendix surgery.

That was a big blow, because d’Ambrosio is a rookie, and not even one with a great CV coming into Formula 1. So without the proven ability of Glock in the car, how can you predict what the car will be like?

7

Dane in black V8 SUPERCARS LOOK for Allan Simonsen to join Kelly Racing for this year’s V8 Supercar endurance races.

Since making his debut in 2003 with Garry Rogers

Motorsport, the Danish sportscar ace has been a regular at Bathurst, finishing sixth at Mount Panorama last year with Greg Murphy for Paul Morris Motorsport.

Having held discussions with several teams in pitlane,

eNews understands Simonsen will link up with the Braeside outfit, although who he’ll partner in the two races is less clear at this time.

Owen Kelly has been retained by the team and is expected to drive in Jack

Daniel’s colours with either Todd or Rick Kelly. Fujitsu Series drivers Tim Blanchard and David Russell are in the mix for the remaining two seats, having tested with Kelly Racing at Winton recently.

– MITCHELL ADAM

Dean in green V8 SUPERCARS DEAN Canto will be back in The Bottle-O green for the 2011 endurance races.

As previously reported by eNews, Canto will partner Paul Dumbrell in the third Ford

Performance Racing car for Phillip Island and Bathurst later this year. It will be his fourth year of endurance starts with FPR, having first debuted with the team back in 2008 with Luke Youlden.

“Paul and I get along really

well together and everything went well last year so I am looking forward to driving with him again this year,” Canto said.

“We had good pace in the races we did and although the results didn’t go our way, Paul came on really strong in the

PRICE NOT RIGHT AT WSR? V8 SUPERCARS WILSON Security Racing is continuing its search for an endurance driver to partner Tony D’Alberto at Phillip Island and Bathurst.

Shane Price raced with D’Alberto in last year’s endurance races and looked likely to join the team again in 2011. The Victorian tested D’Alberto’s new Falcon at Winton recently, but eNews

From a Monster to a VIP

John Morris / Mpix

8

latter half of last year so that should carry over to this year and really help us.

“We are one of the strongest pairings out there, FPR works really closely across all three cars and that will give us an advantage over other teams.”

understands he’s unlikely to race with WSR in the endurance races due to his lack of upcoming racing in 2011.

Other than the enduros, Price’s 2010 racing was restricted to a start in the

Fujitsu Series at Homebush with Jay Motorsport and a run as a co-driver in Commodore Cup’s Endurance Challenge at Winton. He’s currently without a fulltime racing program for 2011.

V8 SUPERCARS

contingency plan to truck one of the team’s older Commodores, with spares, to Melbourne, prepare it at Albert Park and have it ready for Owen on Thursday.

But it appears that the winning plan will be that the team will relivery in VIP hues the car that Andrew Thompson raced, in Monster Energy colours, in Adelaide’s Fujitsu Series races.

The Monster car is currently in Bathurst with TeamVodafone’s ride car, which Jenson Button is due to drive tomorrow, as the cars share the one transporter. The ‘Monster’ car is due to arrive in Melbourne on Wednesday, to be VIPped ...

THERE will be a VIP Petfoods Commodore racing at Albert Park this week – but it will not be the same one that race in Adelaide at the weekend.

Steve Owen’s Saturday crash at Turn 8 at Adelaide damaged his Triple Eight-built VE badly enough to put him out of Sunday’s race. Yesterday, the team was working on multiple plans to get a car ready for Thursday in Melbourne.

“The boys are taking it back to the [Gold Coast] workshop tonight,” Owen said on Sunday.

“It is repairable, it just won’t be done for today.” eNews was told that the team was also looking at a

motorsport news

news

John Morris / Mpix

Helio back with Slade

V8 SUPERCARS

Peter Bury

www.mnews.com.au

ALL three of Penske’s IndyCar stars will race at Surfers Paradise this year.

Helio Castroneves will again join his Australian team-mates as international drivers in V8 Supercars at the Armor All Gold Coast 600, with all three driving for the same teams they did in 2010.

Three-time Indianapolis 500

winner Castroneves received a late call-up for last year’s maiden event, joining Tim Slade in his SBR Falcon after the originally-announced Heinz-Harald Frentzen withdrew two months out from the race.

The had a troubled run in the races, finishing 18th on Saturday and 19th on Sunday, but the charismatic Brazilian has been invited back to join

Slade, this time in Lucky7 colours.

Will Power will return to race with Ford Performance Racing, while, as previously reported, Ryan Briscoe has been retained by the Toll Holden Racing Team. Ironically, Briscoe will be joined at HRT by another Penske alumni, Patrick Long, who has raced for ‘The Captain’ in ALMS. – MITCHELL ADAM

9

LATER START IN 2012

March start in Gulf for shorter V8 Supercars season

Dirk Klynsmith

V8 SUPERCARS THE 2012 V8 Supercar Championship will start a month later than it did this year – and will have a shorter season.

V8 Supercars Chairman Tony Cochrane said in Adelaide that the intention is to reduce the length of this season, which started at Yas Marina on February 10 and which will end at Homebush on December 4, 298 days later.

“Our plans are, at this stage, that the championship will open next year in the Gulf, and I think that it will probably

open a month later,” he told the media. “We are trying to shorten next year’s season by a full month, and we cannot take it off the end, because the Sydney street race is contracted by the New South Wales government to take place in the first week in December.”

Cochrane also said that he has no expectation that the unrest that other countries in the region are experiencing will spread to, or have any effect, on the Abu Dhabi event.

“There is no civil unrest in the UAE,” he said.

“They do not have the

issues and the problems that a country like Bahrain has.

There is a massive difference between the top of that country and the bottom of that country. Emeratis are given every consideration; they do not pay tax, they have a wonderful health system, they have a wonderful education system. I do not believe that there will be any form of unrest, of that sort of nature that you refer to, in any of the Emirates.

“I am very comfortable about our relationships in the Gulf, generally. We have got people here this weekend from Abu

Dhabi, and we have a great working relationship with the Gulf, generally. We have a great relationship, still, with the Bahrainis, and we feel very sorry for what has happened in their country.”

Cochrane says that he expects planning for the 2012 schedule to proceed as it normally would.

“We have come to an agreement with CAMS and our host broadcaster, the Seven Network here in Australia, that we will not announce the calendar until early October.

The issue with that is not one of ours, it is with the AFL.”

Cook stands down and Olsen arrives V8 SUPERCARS ROGER Cook is standing down from the South Australia Motor Sport.

Cook has been the driving force behind the Clipsal 500, and was instrumental in the foundation of the Adelaide V8 Supercar event, which has run since 1999.

Cook, 67, is also the Chairman of the Motor Accident Commission of South Australia and the Chair of the National Road Safety Council. He has served on the board of both the Adelaide Bank and Bendigo Bank, and was appointed an Independent member of the Board of V8 Supercars in mid-2006.

10

V8 SUPERCARS V8 SUPERCARS’ future dealings with governments will involve former South Australian premier, John Olsen.

The man who was premier from 1996 to 2001, and then became Australian Consul General in Los Angeles, will take on a role as consultant and advisor to V8 Supercars.

“He has tremendous knowledge

and background around the world in Government circles and we are delighted he has agreed to become a consultant to work with us in Government to Government relations,” said V8 Supercar Chairman Tony Cochrane.

“Since the FIA granted us international status our interest around the world has boomed so it will be very important to have John to assist us in this area.”

– PHIL BRANAGAN motorsport news

news

Johnson to honour engineer

Dirk Klynsmith

WEBB FINED OVER BREACH V8 SUPERCARS TEKNO Autosport has been penalised for a breach of V8 Supercars’ testing protocol.

The team, which prepares Jono Webb’s Mother Energy Drink Falcon in the V8 Supercar Championship, tested at Queensland Raceway on March 2 without following procedure.

The Rules require written notice be given to V8 Supercars prior to any

testing which, in this instance, did not take place.

Webb’s team admitted the breach and has been fined $10,000, $8000 of which has been suspended until December 31.

The weekend’s races did not help matter, as Webb wasdocked 25 championship points for driving in a careless manner in Saturday’s Race 3. Webb made contact with Greg Murphy in the incident.

A MEMORIAL service will be held at Dick Johnson Racing on Tuesday of next week to mark the passing of chief engineer Mark Woolfrey.

Wollfrey, known to team members as ‘Numbers’, passed away suddenly prior to the Adelaide 500. Both Jim Beam Falcons bore a tribute to Woolfrey, who joined the team in 2001, in Adelaide, and team members wore black armbands for the weekend.

Woolfrey, who joined the team in 2001, was expected to take the role of engineer on Steve Johnson’s #17 entry this season. Johnson told Motorsport News that he had been looking forward to working with him, and had already seen some fresh ideas come to the fore.

“Numbers was an integral part of DJR for the past 10 years,” said Dick Johnson.

“He really was a master of his profession – especially when it came to design and race engineering and he will be missed by every single member of this Team.”

Woolfrey is survived by his fiancee Anne and son Kyle. To them, and to all his mates at DJR, Motorsport News offers its condolences.

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Dan in CupCar CARRERA CUP DANIEL Gaunt will be on the Carrera Cup grid when the series kicks off at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

After months of to-ing and fro-ing, Gaunt finally has a deal in place for the 2011 season. He will drive for the same team that he races for in New Zealand’s Porsche series – Triple X Motorsport.

“As much as it’s exciting to be entered it’s a huge relief

after all the meetings with vested parties to make it work for everyone,” he said.

“Then to wrap up the New Zealand championship title during the negotiations made life pretty stressful – which I think is a great way to start a new season.

“We’ve still got a whole lot of hard work to do but I’m looking forward to driving a brand new car. With 23 cars the competition will be fierce, although in my eyes the benchmark will still be Craig

Baird. Plus the likes of Steven Richards and Mark Skaife are sure to be part of the front group for the first round.

“But I’m looking forward at getting amongst it and flying the flag for Triple X and New Zealand.”

Ant Pederson will join the series with Triple X from Round 2 onwards. eNews understands that the cars will be run as part of a collaboration with Paul Cruickshank’s Melbournebased Carrera Cup outfit.

McElrea Racing in Carrera Cup Australia and really pumped for the season opener in Melbourne,” Reid said.

“I’m looking forward to racing in the series and up against some great drivers, especially legend Mark Skaife.

“McElrea Racing’s recent experience with the brand new GT3 Cup car in Asia made them a valuable choice to drive for.”

Team owner Andy McElrea feels his team is in a good place with its driver line-up.

“He came out last week and tested at Queensland Raceway with us,” he said.

“With Michael and Jonny, I think we’ll have a fairly tough combination, so it’ll be good.

There are going to be some fairly tough peddlers in there now, so we’ll be able to stick for ourselves.”

Meanwhile, McElrea will also run four Porsches during the year in the GT3 Cup Challenge. Existing drivers Yuey Tan and Rob Knight will be joined by newcomer Barthas Chin at the Wakefield Park season opener on April 1-3, while MINI Challenge refugee John Modystach is set to debut in Round 2 at Mallala.

– MITCHELL ADAM

Jonny too!

CARRERA CUP JONNY Reid has been announced as McElrea Racing’s second driver for the returning Porsche Carrera Cup. Reid will partner Michael Patrizi at the Queensland outfit, with the series kicking off at Albert Park this weekend. The former A1GP Team New Zealand driver has experience in Porsches, challenging for the title in NZ’s Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge in recent years.

“I am stoked with opportunity to drive for

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Very Important Officials

V8 Events sets ticket prices V8 SUPERCARS has moved to standardise the admissions prices of the V8 Supercar Championship events promoted by V8 Supercar Events.

At Symmons Plains, Sandown and Phillip Island, General Admission tickets will be free on Fridays. Admission to the Paddock will be $15 for each day, of $30 Fri-Sun.

At all three of those events, the tickets will be priced at $80 for a weekend pass or $55 for a one-day ticket for either Saturday or Sunday.

Grandstand prices will vary slightly. In Tassie, undercover seating in the Pit Straight and Turn 2 stands will be $145; at Sandown, undercover seating in the Pit Straight stand will be $140; and at Phillip Island, in the uncovered Pit Straight stand, seats are $130.

Daniel Kalisz

V8 SUPERCARS

GOOD DEEDS

At the events that feature Rock n Race, Flexi Stand tickets will be available at the Gold Coast 600 for $140 and Hamilton for $130. The price of the Sydney Flexi ticket is to be announced.

V8 Supercars has also announced that for each ticket sold for the Hamilton event after March 8, NZ$5 will be donated to the Christchurch Earthquake appeals.

James Smith

THE cats and dogs of Australia’s motorsport officials have made their choice; The petfood company will be donating one bag of its new Yoghurt Plus dry petfood to every official at all V8 Supercar Championship rounds this year as a gesture of thanks for the services they perform.

Last weekend 800 bags of VIP Petfoods new Yoghurt Plus product were distributed to officials at Adelaide’s Clipsal 500.

VIP was also pretty busy as a sponsor in Adelaide, supporting Steve Owen’s V8 Supercars, Tony and Klark Quinn’s GTs and the V8 Utes of Ryal Harris and Brad Patton.

Good stats V8 SUPERCARS

Renovation Rescue!

FUJITSU SERIES DAVID Wall’s new home in the Fujitsu Series will feel a little different when he next races it.

The dual Australian GT Champ made his debut on the streets of Adelaide, finishing ninth for the round in the Wilson Security Racing Commodore. But it was in compromised surroundings.

As recently as Abu Dhabi, the VE was raced by the 170cm 14

Tony D’Alberto, and in the team’s busy month taking on D’Alberto’s new Falcon, there was limited time available for changes to accommodate Wall’s 191cm frame.

In the six weeks before the next Fujitsu Series round at Barbagallo, Wall says it’s something they’ll work on.

“The team’s done everything they could do within the timeframe, obviously they’ve brought in Tony’s car as well so they’ve had a lot on their plate,”

Wall, who’ll join Karl Reindler in the endurance races, said.

“This car doesn’t have an adjustable pedal box, whereas the BJR cars have an adjustable pedal box and there’s a bit more variance there for a taller guy.

“So that’s a big job to put that in, so our next job is to look at a different seat we can put in and get a bit of legroom and from then on we should be a bit more comfortable.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

THE start of the domestic V8 Supercar season at the Clipsal 500 brought with it positive news on the series’ telecast ratings.

Saturday and Sunday’s telecasts on Seven were both up on their 2010 equivalent, based on OzTAM ‘Five City’ figures published on industry website www.tvtonight. com.au. The first leg on Saturday attracted an average audience of 421,000 across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, up from 338,000 last year.

Sunday’s weather-affected race drew an average of 615,000, well up on 476,000 in 2010. motorsport news

news

Rob Lang

Coates of Arms FUJITSU SERIES NICK Percat will race with backing from Coates Hire in this year’s Fujitsu Series.

On the eve of the season opener in his hometown, Percat took the wraps

off a late deal with the equipment hire company for his Walkinshaw Racing VE Commodore, which sported Bundaberg Red colours last year. ”It was a last-minute deal with Coates Hire,” he said.

“That only came about on the [previous] Friday afternoon, so we were looking at only running a black car until that point.

“2011 will be my second year in the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series and I am confident of

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having the right ingredients to push for regular race victories and having Coates Hire on board just adds to that mix.”

After finishing third in the 2010 season, Percat followed through to win his maiden round.

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WILL Power is ready and raring to go after a solid performance in the recent pre-season two-day IZOD IndyCar test at Barber Motorsports Park.

The Australian topped the time charts in four of five sessions on the 3.8km road course and was only pipped (by 0.027s)

by Penske team-mate Helio Castroneves in the final session. Castroneves won the inaugural Barber race last year when Power’s ill-fated strategy had him pitting under an early caution.

Buoyed by the tests, which also focused heavily on pitstops, Power declared himself better prepared for 2011 than he had been this time last year.

“I’m still working as hard as ever,” Power said. “I’m more fit than last season because I’m not nursing a broken back. I have more experience and working well with the team. I’ve looked where we went wrong last year.

“This season I’ll be more competitive on the ovals because I now know what to expect, what I want from the car, and how I want the car to feel.”

Fellow Aussie Ryan Briscoe was also at the Barber tests as he prepared for his return to Penske as the team’s third driver, with IZOD backing.

“2010 wasn’t the greatest season, a let down after being so close to winning the championship in 2009,” explained Briscoe, who ranked as high as second

fastest and as low as fifth during the five test sessions at Barber. “I achieved a race win and a pole but wasn’t a contender for the championship. We weren’t slow. We just lacked some results. There was a point last year I didn’t know if Penske would run three cars and I’d have a ride.

“The economy makes job security difficult for not only the drivers, but the teams and engineers. I went through a period of uncertainty. I was the odd man out because of existing contracts. You have to have your feet firmly on the ground to go out and perform. I’m trying to better myself from a technical side, working with my engineer, and from a fitness standpoint.”

– MARY MENDEZ

Drivers furious over Indy chief snub INDYCAR A WAR of words has broken out between leading Indycar drivers and INDYCAR CEO Randy Bernard over the $5 million Las Vegas bonus promotion.

Bernard came under fire over his response to a comment from Paul Tracy and other drivers that suggested the $5m offered to a non-IndyCar driver to win the Las Vegas season finale, could be better spent by helping such champions as Tony Kanaan, Dan Wheldon and Tracy find rides.

“Paul, if you could sell the 16

tickets, I wouldn’t have to do this,” Bernard said during the Barber test. “Our drivers have not been able to create the credibility they need.

It’s not because they don’t have the talent, it’s because there’s been no emotional attachment to our fan base.

We have to bring that back.”

Dario Franchitti, Tracy’s team-mate from the late 90s, shot back at the Indycar chief: “I get so angry that drivers of the calibre of Kanaan, Wheldon, and Tracy don’t have rides. How does it happen?

“Tracy is a massive sell. He’s Mr Excitement. Tony and Dan have been mainstays

of the championship, have huge fan followings, and are bloody great drivers. It’s incredibly frustrating. There’s no magic wand to be waved.

I want to see those guys in cars. It drives you mad.”

Bernard, feeling his statement was taken out of context, indicated he expects all three drivers on the grid at the season opening race at St. Petersburg on March 27. Kanaan is in the final negotiations at KV Racing Technology to run a third car.

Tracy is expected to run for Conquest Racing as a teammate to rookie Sebastian Saavedra. Wheldon? Perhaps

a third car at Dreyer & Reinbold if the budget is found.

“We’re the best-kept secret in sports and it’s my job to bring excitement, and produce good TV shows that drive up our ratings and fill the seats,” Bernard told SPEEDTV defensively.

“But I want to clarify that I think PT (Paul Tracy) is a great ambassador for our sport. His outgoing personality is exactly what I’ve been talking about and I’ve tried to help him find sponsorship and will continue to. I want him in our series.”

– MARY MENDEZ motorsport news

Honda Racing Media

INDYCAR

Honda Racing Me dia

Power ready after impressive pre-season test

Nascar Media

McMurray and Dixon swap rides INDYCAR EARNHARDT Ganassi NASCAR driver, Jamie McMurray, enjoyed his opportunity to test Scott Dixon’s Dallara Indycar following the two day IndyCar test at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

McMurray ran five laps, recording a best speed of 79.8 seconds, about eight seconds off Castroneves best time in two days of practice.

“I didn’t want to come in,” McMurray told Autosport.

“It was way more fun than I thought it would be. It felt as if I never turned the wheel, it was that smooth. The Cup

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cars slide around a lot and I think that’s probably where the speed is that I didn’t have in this car, knowing the threshold that if it breaks loose how much you can hang on to it.

“The acceleration was way more than I expected because the horsepower is less than the Cup cars so I thought the acceleration would be a fair bit less. I couldn’t believe how fast the car took off. I never pushed it very hard in the corners to feel how much grip it has for fear I’d lose my other job.

When we run Watkins Glen and Sonoma, the whole race is about sliding around the corners. In this car, the sensation of speed was more

in acceleration and braking.”

“I was glad they called me in because I kept picking up two seconds a lap, and at some point that ends and you wind up dropping a wheel off the track and get into trouble. I would love to get to run a road course race.”

Dixon, who drove some hot laps at the nearby Talladega superspeedway, was asked if he’s considering a switch to NASCAR. Dixon told PaddockTalk.com, “There’s no $5 million prize in NASCAR, so no, I’m not going.

“Obviously, I’m intrigued by it. Sprint Cup is a massive sport, and has a huge following. I think the thing that’s most intriguing, as you’ve seen by the people

who have tried to make the transition or have made the transition, its 43 cars that are very, very tight and very, very close.

“I think the tough part for me would be actually doing the 36 races a year. That’s a lot of travel.”

“Going out on the track and running at speed wasn’t the most difficult part, because that’s not the style of racing that they do at Talladega.

It’s all about the drafting and the pushing. I’d love to have had a go out there with some other people.

“Maybe do the tandem thing, and stuff that we’ve been watching in the Cup races.”

– MARY MENDEZ

17

Eddy’s enduro wishlist AUSTRALIAN GT

Dirk Klynsmith

AUSTRALIAN GT Championship driver Mark Eddy is thinking of calling in some friends in high places for the championship’s two endurance rounds.

Eastern Creek in May and Phillip Island in September will each host a pair of onehour endurance races, with

teams encouraged to recruit a professional co-driver.

Following his run at February’s Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour, Eddy has a couple of options in mind – Craig Lowndes and Warren Luff. The trio raced together in the race with Audi Race Experience Team Joest, finishing second in a 2010model Audi R8 LMS. While he’s yet to make any

arrangements, Eddy would like to have one of them onboard to share his 2009-model R8 in the two events, which fall on ‘off weekends’ for V8 Supercar drivers. ”I’m thinking about having a second driver, and obviously I’d like to have Craig or Warren,” Eddy said.

“I haven’t had any discussions with them as yet, we need

to get through this weekend and the next round at Winton and then we’ll have a talk to the guys and see if they’re interested.

“They’re great guys; we really got on well, not only as teammates but as friends. And obviously they drove really well, so they know how to drive an R8.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

GRANT SIGNS GAUNT AUSTRALIAN GT

Peter Bury

18

DANIEL Gaunt will team up with Dean Grant in the VodkaO Australian GT Championship’s long-distance rounds.

SBR V8 Supercar endurance driver Gaunt was enlisted by Grant to share his recentlyacquired Porsche GT3 Cup S in Adelaide’s sole one-hour race, in which they finished fourth.

In addition to Gaunt’s CupCar program, the pair will team up again at Eastern Creek and Phillip Island.

“The Australian GT series is one I’ve always watched, there are some seriously cool cars

that race in it,” Gaunt said.

“I met Dean last year and helped him out with a little bit of driver training with his Mosler and obviously he’s moved on to the Porsche.

Given that I’ve done a whole heap of miles in a Porsche in the last few years in New Zealand, he thought he’d get me to come and race in half of the one-hour race this weekend, and we’ll do the other two at Eastern Creek and Phillip Island.

“The Cup S is a bit too stiff for a street circuit like this, but it wasn’t too bad, we ended up fourth. Dean did a fantastic job.”

– MITCHELL ADAM motorsport news

It’s been a roller-coaster 12 months for Dick Johnson Racing. Behind the team’s amazing championship triumph was a tumultuous and ultimately destructive inteam time bomb, which took a serious toll on the key individuals in the team. In an exclusive and frank interview in the April issue of Motorsport News, Steven Johnson lays it all bare, and outlines the effect the dramas had on his famous father and his mother – and how the team has regrouped for 2011. It is a compelling, revealing chat, which should not be missed.

If it matters in motorsport, the chances are it’s in Motorsport News.

ALSO:

21 Years to Celebrate – the 21 moments that have made HRT history; Battle Lines Drawn – our exclusive F1 preview; Paul di Resta – from DTM to F1; Jean Todt – our exclusive one-on-one with the former Ferrari boss who now heads the FIA. Plus, Porsche Cup reborn, Allan Simonsen, Trevor Bayne, David Russell, Robbie Farr ...

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19

John Morris

FORMULA 3’s 5-YEAR DEAL

CAMS gives F3 a new five-year agreement SPORTSCARS FORMULA 3 Australia has taken a key step forward in securing its long-term future in Australia.

Organisers have received a new Competition Management Agreement from CAMS, along with a five-year commitment from the governing body to secure its stability and growth.

Having forged a relationship with V8 Supercars Australia – which will see F3 race as a support at three V8 rounds in addition to four with the Shannons Nationals – and introducing the new Forpark Australia National Class Scholarship, organisers are also working on the formation of a new commercial management structure.

The 2011 championship kicks off at Winton’s V8 Supercar round on May 20-22.

“I think we’re moving forward,” F3’s Ian Richards said.

“We’re obviously got long term stability on offer now and we’ve been taken under the wing of V8 Supercar management on their program, so the future is looking bright.

“We have a lot of cars in the country, let’s hope we can get them out on the track.”

– MITCHELL ADAM

NZV8s: IT’S MAC TIME FOR FORD V8SUPERTOURERS THE latest driver to commit to New Zealand’s new V8SuperTourer Series is John McIntyre.

John McIntyre Racing will field a two-car line-up when the new category launches in February 2012. The twotime NZ champion will field two Falcon FGs, and is the first driver to commit to the marque in the series.

“The NZV8 series has been a great platform,” said McIntyre 20

last week, “but with JMR having been such a dominant force in this series, winning 35 races and counting, it’s now time to look to the future and that means V8SuperTourers.

“The driver of our second car is not yet confirmed, but it will be someone who’s capable of running right at the front of the pack with me, someone who’s capable of winning races and ultimately the series title.”

“We’re looking forward to our FG Falcons arriving in New Zealand some time in August

prior to getting them onto the track for testing later in the year.”

McIntyre will race his current car for the last time in Hamilton next month.

“I won’t be racing our #47 Blackwoods Paykels/ Protector Safety Falcon NZV8 after Hamilton, so it will be a significant weekend for me,” he said.

“However I’m looking forward – as a driver and a team owner – to the future with V8SuperTourers. It’s going to

be fantastic to be racing a car that’s very nearly as fast as an Australian V8 Supercar. For my own career as a professional driver, which includes racing in the V8 Supercar endurance events with leading team Stone Brothers Racing as Shane van Gisbergen’s partner, it’s ideal to have the cars be much closer in terms of speed and handling.”

The seven-round V8SuperTourer series starts at Hampton Downs on the 17-19 February weekend next year. motorsport news

news

Reeves and Taylor set for Portugal RALLY

Rob Lang

NZers invade Aus Formula Ford FORMULA FORD TWO New Zealand teenagers want more of the Australian Formula Ford Championship after impressing in Adelaide’s season opener.

Nick Cassidy finished third with Evans Motorsport Group, while Andrew Heimgartner was in contention for a podium finish for Team BRM in the opening race before his weekend went downhill. At the end of the dramatic weekend, both said they’d like to contest more rounds, ideally the full series, Cassidy contested last year’s Townsville Australian Formula Ford round, and recently

finished second in NZ’s Toyota Racing Series.

“It’s pretty cool racing in this field,” he said.

“I’d definitely like to carry on if I could, but it comes down to what sponsorship I can get. I really can’t thank Josh Evans and Evans Motorsport enough, it’s great that I’ve been given this opportunity.”

Meanwhile, Clipsal was 15-year-old Heimgartner’s debut in Australian Formula Ford, having appeared in the Victorian State Series in 2010.

“We’ll probably do the next few rounds and see how it goes, but if we can continue the form of this weekend we’ll be doing the whole thing,” he said.

– MITCHELL ADAM

BRENDAN Reeves and Molly Taylor will take on the best young drivers in the world this weekend, when the World Rally Championship Academy kicks off in Portugal.

Both Reeves and Taylor were successful in the Pirelli Star Driver program for this year, meaning they each have fully-funded drives for 2011 in M-Sport-prepared Ford Fiestas. The first round is this weekend, supporting the WRC in Portugal.

According to Reeves, he and his co-driver – sister Rhianon Smyth – are ready to take on the world.

“The WRC Academy is all about bringing junior drivers on to the world stage and being a one-make series will really help even up the competition,” Reeves said. “As everyone in the Academy will be driving an identical car, it really puts everyone on an even playing field.”

Reeves and Smyth have been in Europe for several weeks now, taking part in the WRC Academy induction program, training on snow with former World Champion Tommi Makinen, and most recently, testing a Fiesta R2 in Spain. He has now arrived in Portugal.

“I haven't had much of an opportunity to drive a Fiesta R2 before, so any chance I get I've tried to make the most of,” Reeves added.

“Hopefully it will prepare me well for Portugal.”

FVee driver killed at Eastern Creek MATTHEW Harrison, a promising New South Wales Formula Vee competitor, has died as a result of injuries sustained in an incident during the first round of the NSW State Championship at Eastern Creek on Saturday.

Losing control of his car in Turn 1, Matthew made contact with another car. Officials deployed the Safety Car www.mnews.com.au

immediately before red flagging the race as rescue workers attended the scene. Transported to Westmead Hospital, Matthew succumbed to his injuries on Saturday night.

Having graduated from a successful karting career, Matthew was making his debut in Formula Vee racing, a category he’d quickly grown passionate about.

As a mark of respect, Formula Vee withdrew from the remainder of the meeting, a decision unanimously agreed upon by the drivers on Sunday morning. Matthew is the first racing fatality in the category’s 47-year history.

The thoughts and condolences of Motorsport eNews are with Matthew’s family and friends at this difficult time.

21

Suzuki Racing

From bad to worse for Bautista MOTOGP ALVARO Bautista made a disastrous start to the MotoGP season and will be out of action for the next few races.

The Spaniard, now Suzuki’s only rider in the premier category, suffered a few

bruises in a testing crash last Tuesday, but completed the disaster when he was spat off the bike on Friday. He suffered a fractured femur and is expected to take several months to recover.

Unfortunately for the team test rider John Hopkins, who rode in the pre-race test,

was already back in the USA. Discussions with Nobuatsu Aoki were brief, given the terrible state of travel out of Japan. Team manager Paul Denning admitted that they spoke to several MotoGP teams whose riders have MotoGP experience, but none were prepared to release their riders.

Toseland injured in testing

BMW Motorrad

22

Alex de Angelis, Mika Kallio, Ant West and Aleix Espargaro all fit that description.

Hopkins will race at the second race of the season in Jerez but has clashes with his British Superbike program that will keep him away from both Estoril and Le Mans.

SUPERBIKE JAMES Toseland has broken his wrist in testing and it out of the next two rounds of the Superbike World Championship.

The former World champion came off his BMW Motorrad Italy Team entry in a test at Motorland Aragon last week.

Scans have revealed “a small fracture to the wrist.”

“The incident has ruined James’s two days of testing that were showing good results,” said team Sporting Director, Serafino Foti.

“Unfortunately he will now not be able to race at Donington, but I hope he can return for Assen, which is a track he likes a lot.”

Round 2 of the World Superbike Championship is at Donington Park on March 27. motorsport news

w e n d n a r B DVD! Peter Brock ” y r o l G o t d a o “R 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 RSSRQHQWV FXOPLQDWLQJ ZLWK KLV ÀUVW %DWKXUVW ZLQ 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.

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motorsport news

FORMULA FORD TOM Tweedie will use the Bathurst Motor Festival to gain some Mount Panorama experience ahead of October’s Fujitsu Series round at the circuit.

The MW Motorsport driver will make his Bathurst debut at Easter, driving his Van Diemen RF86 in the Kent Formula Ford races. Tweedie has raced the car regularly in recent years, contesting events in New South Wales alongside his Formula 3 campaigns.

“The plan is to learn the track a bit,” he said.

“I haven’t been up there and everyone says that any seat time in any car’s going to help. It’s a pretty daunting track in anything, so if I can get some seat-time in the Formula Ford, which I know well, it’ll be a really good prep for when I’m there in the V8.

“We’ve got the car there, so we may as well run it. It’s going to be a big grid and an awesome weekend.

“I’ve been in Formula Ford 1600 Kents

James Smith

From RF86 to Supercar

for a while, I always ran it while I was running the F3, so it’s extra seat-time.

I’ve looked at the entry list and obviously we’re going to struggle against the really new cars, but I still reckon we’ll give them a run for their money, which I’m looking forward to.”

Meanwhile, West Australian Formula Ford front-runner Andrew Goldie will also be running at Bathurst, having done a last-minute deal to race an Anglo Australian Motorsport prepared Van Diemen..

James Smith

Saloons will honour Cooper SALOON CARS SALOON Cars will support the ‘Donate Life’ initiative and race in the memory of Ashley Cooper at Easter’s Bathurst Motor Festival.

The Ashley Cooper Bathurst Saloon Car Challenge will www.mnews.com.au

honour the former Saloon Car and Commodore Cup driver, who lost his life in a Fujitsu Series accident at the Clipsal 500 in 2008.

“We have been in discussions with Donate Life to appear on the banners on all competing cars,” Saloon Car organiser

Wayne Patten explained.

“It’s a good initiative that supports a great friend of Saloon Cars and Motorsport in general. Bobby McGee has been instrumental in putting this all together and we think it will add another level to what will already be a fantastic

weekend of Saloon Car racing at Mount Panorama for the Bathurst Motor Festival.”

Donate Life aims to raise awareness and, ultimately, increase the rate of organ and tissue donation. Cooper was an organ donor, with his organs saving six lives.

25

Murph goes Radical RADICALS

planted a seed quite early that he'd like to be involved with Radical,” GMR’s Kevin Murphy said.

“Greg loves these cars and he'll be keen to be involved in the project at track days and at a number of events to offer advice and assistance to improve the experience that drivers have behind the wheel of a Radical.”

John Morris

GREG Murphy Racing will be central to sportscar manufacturer Radical’s ongoing expansion.

With Radical expanding south from their current base at Eastern Creek Raceway, the reigning Fujitsu Series Champions will act as their official agents in Victoria. Murphy himself raced a Radical in December last year in a two-driver event at Eastern Creek, and will play an active role in the program.

“We’re excited by what GMR bring to our customer base in Victoria,” Radical Australia’s Greg Smith said.

“And from what we hear, we shouldn’t be too surprised to see New Zealand’s favourite son joining other high-profile stars during rounds of the

Radical Australia Cup.” A five-round Radical Australia Cup with the Shannons Nationals will kick off at Wakefield Park next weekend. In New South Wales, there is an existing State Series and the new partnership could lead to a similar category in Victoria.

“Greg Murphy Racing was born from an open-wheel background, and he also has a great interest in Sportscars, so he actually

CIK gets a little more Edgy KARTING

The Family Business FORMULA FORD THE Grech name is coming back into Australian motorsport, but not the way you might expect.

Tom Grech, son of former Holden Racing Team tech guru Jeff Grech, made his racing debut in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship at Winton two weeks ago, finishing a credible 11th overall.

After half a year of testing and preseason preparation, Grech has teamed up with Minda Motorsport for an assault on the Victorian Championship, and says he’s looking forward to the challenges he faces this year, despite starting his racing journey at the relatively old age of 18.

“Definitely starting a bit late, and I’m facing a big learning curve as I am starting later compared to some of the more 26

regular guys, but it’s an exciting challenge that I’m looking forward to as the year progresses,” said Grech.

“So the focus to learn as much as I can, get track time and build myself up for next year, state or national, I’d like to have a crack at it.”

Despite staying under the radar for much of this year, Grech has told eNews that having his father’s name doesn’t put him ahead of other young drivers when vying for elusive sponsorship.

“We’re all in the same boat. Sponsorship in Formula Ford, especially for someone like myself who hasn’t got much experience, is hard to get. I’m extremely thankful to John and Jared Anderson from Drillpro for their support, they’ve given me a very rare opportunity to start my racing journey.”

– CALLUM BRANAGAN

CASTROL Edge has signed on as a presenting partner of the CIK Stars of Karting Series.

This is the first major involvement Castrol has had in karting since it used to sponsor the Castrol Grand Prix at Oran Park back in the 1980s and 1990s. The oil giant was also a longtime supporter of Jim Morton’s Tony Kart team in the ‘90s.

“Karting is the place where not only the future stars are made but also where lifelong associations are developed,” said Castrol Sponsorship Manager Sue Dilger.

“When Castrol was previously involved in karting the people in the sport were very brand loyal, and this is something that we have recognised once again from the CIK Stars of Karting Series.

“For the past 18 months I’ve been watching the series grow and keeping an eye on it from a distance, and the team at Castrol are delighted to become the presenting partner for the remainder of 2011. I hope that this can be the rebirth of a longstanding relationship by Castrol with the top level of karting in Australia.” motorsport news

www.mnews.com.au

27

Ken Ferguson

Top Fuel back on track DRAG RACING THE Top Fuel championship resumes in Willowbank this Friday and Saturday with points leader, Victorian privateer Darren Morgan hoping to keep his lead over Andrew Cowin.

When the pair last set foot at Willowbank Raceway earlier this year for the New Year Series, they were separated by just 10 points, however Morgan has since been able to extend that margin to 74 points courtesy of a win at the last round in Perth, where Cowin had an unfortunate first round loss.

“It is great to be leading the championship and hopefully we can clinch it, it would be great for the team and it would be my first as a team

28

owner which would be pretty special,” said Morgan.

“Having said that, we aren’t worrying about it too much, its one ‘lap’ at a time isn’t it, every one you win moves you that bit closer to the championship which could be very exciting.

“In Perth, the car was running really well although we had a problem with the parachutes which made stopping interesting, but we were able to power through for the win.

“We haven’t got the budget of some of the other teams, so we are just doing our best to get the results, and when it comes to the Top Fuel Championships we will be going for broke, going as quick as the track will allow us to go so we can shoot for the win.”

While a lacklustre Perth round saw Cowin out in the first round, it has done no harm to his spirits heading into Willowbank, with the thirty one year old former NHRA racer promising to try and ‘hit it out of the park’.

“My dad and I, we are just trying to run the best we possibly can, as quick as we can, as fast as we can, and if we can claim a championship or a race win or a record along the way, that will be a bonus for us,” said Cowin.

“What we are trying to do, what we are really focused on, is hitting one out of the park, so I am just trying to be in that mind set of being pushed, as when you are being pushed it brings out the best in you I think.

“These Australian tracks,

especially Queensland, have so much traction that there is so much we can get away with, and I think everyone is going to be stepping it up, that is certainly what we will be trying to do!

“It is great to be racing back home. It’s true what they say, there is no place like home, and I am really happy with how our first year back has gone so far.

“The last few races, the weather has played a factor and influenced our set-up, and we have also been chasing issues with the car, but hopefully with the weather starting to cool and our issues sorted, we can run quicker and hopefully chalk up some more points, and maybe a new personal best.”

– LUKE NIEUWHOF

motorsport news

news

WASHOUT IN SYDNEY DRAG RACING THE ANDRA Pro Series round for Pro Stock and Top Doorlammer was held at Sydney Dragway over the weekend, however the race was affected by rain and eventually cancelled.

This round was actually the venue’s first competition meeting of 2011 following the rained out Boxing Day race

last year. While the rain over the Sydney summer had been of nuisance value at best, last weekend it certainly poured down.

A shower on Friday afternoon saw the 4pm qualifying start begin slightly late, but the Pro Stock bracket was lucky to have a qualifying run. Top Doorslammer weren’t as fortunate, the huge field had just started

seen some changes in management and after a tough couple of years it was hoped that a solid start to the 2011 season would be the shot in the arm that the track needed.

That was not to be however it has been mooted to rerun the Pro Stock round at the upcoming Apr 8th track championship meeting.

– JON VAN DAAL

commitment from a team based in Queensland – and the 5.09s was a good reward to go home with despite some mechanical dramas during the day.

“We had a number of little challenges that popped

their head up through the turnarounds but we met them all,” he said.

“We ended up with a little carnage on the last run but we figured out what happened there.”

– LUKE NIEUWHOF

John Bosher

qualifying when a heavier shower around 6pm ended racing for the day. After heavy rain all night, Saturday also started late, but by lunchtime racing was stopped as heavy showers moved in again. The track was dried, however more rain came down and at 1pm the race was cancelled as more showers were predicted for the rest of the weekend.

The track had recently

QUICK NITRO RUNS DRAG RACING

Luke Nieuwhof

THE Nitro Funny Cars driven by Anthony Begley and Matthew Treasure ran spectacular new personal best times during the weekend’s racing at Perth Motorplex.

Begley, pictured, recorded a 5.09s run in the Chemical Warfare car owned by Queensland’s Rod Bailey while in the very same race, Treasure rocked to a 5.16s time in the Greene Machine, owned by WA’s Allan and Cheryl Greene.

The teams also made it to the final where things got wild as Treasure overpowered

the track and turned hard left, going on to two wheels but fortunately missing Begley who was powering through to the other end.

“We had a really good track tonight, thanks to Matty for a great race. I don’t know if I would have been thanking him if I knew he was right up my clacker in the last race,” Begley said.

“The car is a buzz, Rod (Bailey) explains to me what he is doing but most of it goes over my head, he’s like a weird scientist.”

For Bailey, it was his 20th time in Western Australia with the car – a remarkable

Next ANDRA Pro Series Round: Top Fuel Championships, Willowbank, March 25-26 ANDRA Pro Series on TV: Friday April 1, Top Fuel, Willowbank www.mnews.com.au

29

FIVE MINUTES WITH ...

BERNIE ECCLESTONE Formula 1’s commercial maestro is intending to be at Albert Park this weekend to see the 2011 season unfold. PHIL BRANAGAN captured his pre-season musings last week

MOTORSPORT NEWS: What the Australian Grand Prix may or may not mean to Melbourne ... but what does it mean for the FIA and for you? Do you see an Australian Grand Prix as an important part of the calendar? Or do you see it as disposable like the other Grands Prix are – apart from Monaco?

BERNIE ECCLESTONE: It is not correct to say, ‘apart from Monaco’. Australia is as important to us as Monaco. It has been a part of the World Championship for an awfully long time. We hate to think that we are going to lose Australia.

I have a question about engines. In December, the FIA announced the regulations for 2013. Since then, some people have expressed concerns about what they think might be a degrading of the noise that the cars make – or rather, the sound. Do you have any views on that?

You meet people world-wide, from all different walks of life, like sponsors, people like promoters, people like journalists. There are two things that signify Formula 1; one is Ferrari, the second is the noise. People love and get excited about the noise. People who have never been to a Formula 1 race, when you leave, you ask them; ‘What did you like?’

‘The noise!’

I brought some Russian gentlemen to Singapore and I met them afterwards in Russia. It was the first race that they had ever been to. I said, ‘What impressed you?’

They said, ‘Most important was the noise!

It really gets to you.’ Ladies love the noise!

I am anti, anti, anti moving into this socalled small turbo formula. We don’t need it. If it is so important, it is the sort of thing that should be in Touring Car racing, I suppose. The rest of it is basically PR. It is

nothing in the world to do with Formula 1.

Jean and I are a little bit at loggerheads over this. I don’t see the reason for it. This was supposed to solve the politics that Formula 1 was not green – and now, we have got something else. People like changes but when you make changes, it is very, very expensive. It will be terribly costly to the sport, and I am sure that the promoters will lose a big audience and I am quite sure we will lose TV. I hope, for once, I am wrong …

Does it frustrate you or annoy you, that when the figures are released for the Grand Prix, the criticism rises to the top?

It is a little bit like Luca di Montezemolo and Ferrari. For years, whenever he comes to Monza, he holds a press conference and he says that they need more money for racing. He is absolutely right, 100 percent.

And we try to help him …

In the case of Melbourne, if the product is too expensive for them, we understand that.

When the contract comes around there is no need to renew it. We would not force them to buy something that they don’t want, if they think that it is too expensive.

In business, I like to think, ‘What is it costing and what can we make back from it?’ That is what people in Melbourne need to have a look at. We get worldwide television coverage. If that is not important then don’t buy the product.

You have been doing this a long time.

You have been dealing with people here, particularly Ron Walker, what is your gut feeling at the moment (what will happen) beyond this contract? Do you think that it will be renewed?

I have no idea. I have not complained about the contract but apparently the mayor has, so you should ask him.

You know that the Mayor has got nothing to do with it?

Really? That doesn’t mean that he has not been making comments that I believe that he has.

You very well know, your contract is with the government of Victoria.

Correct.

And the race is not even held in the Mayor’s precinct. Clearly, you do not need to take much notice of what he says.

I suppose, in fairness, he is a politician and he has gotten his name in the paper …

Will the Japanese Grand Prix run this year, in the wake of what has happened over there over the past few days?

I don’t know. It is too early to think about it, much too early. I was wondering whether we were going to be in Melbourne; look at the troubles that you had. Incredible, how people get on with these problems.

I have not heard anything (about Japan).

Probably, whether Formula 1 takes place at Suzuka is not the most important thing in people’s minds at the moment.

I have a report from the (London) Daily Mail that says, ‘I am working till I drop because of my daughters’ lavish spending ...’

That’s rubbish! That’s you guys (the media).

But, you are 80 ... You must love it, and you are hanging in there for the longer haul.

Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure, I am here for as long as people want me.

AUSTRALIA IS AS IMPORTANT TO US AS MONACO. IT HAS BEEN A PART OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR AN AWFULLY LONG TIME. WE HATE TO THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO LOSE AUSTRALIA 30

motorsport news

chat

sutton-images.com

www.mnews.com.au

31

THE GOOD NEWS ON THE FUJITSU SERIES OPINION Phil Branagan – Executive Editor

T

HERE was a telling moment over the course of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series round in Adelaide.

It came after Saturday’s race. Nick Percat, Tim Blanchard and Scott McLaughlin were joined by Jason Richards, and the media conference was packed. Richards’s win was the story of the weekend, and the three men who beat him overall in the two races were smart enough to recognise that, and gracious enough to share their moment in the spotlight with him.

The Richards story was a great one – but so was the Fujitsu story. The racing was really good; a Clayton Commodore, in the hands of Percat, fighting with a T8 example, Andrew Thompson’s Monster car, and the Fords of David Russell and Blanchard. There were cars squirming under brakes while fighting for the lead, supporting roles were filled by the placegetters, the quality of the cars and drivers was high and it was a breakout weekend.

Even the back stories are strong. If the Russell family put as much effort into, say, developing property in Newcastle as they do into their racing, they would be millionaires. But racing V8 Supercars is what they do, so they do that, with passion, enthusiasm and almost no money. Many of the FV8 drivers will play roles, perhaps pivotal roles, in the Main Game enduros later in the season, so it is wise to watch what they can do now.

There are good sponsors, none more so than the supportive and enduring Fujitsu backing of the series. There is also stark contrast in some of the brands’ target markets; are there two more diverse demographics than those aimed for by Monster (energy drinks) and Jayco (caravans)?

For years, there have been arguments about whether allowing Main Game teams into the Fujitsu Series is a good or bad idea. Now they are here and it looks like a positive; just as the Nationwide Series has lifted the second-tier of NASCAR Stock Car racing, now the FV8s looks ready to take a step up.

Motorsport News and eNews has tried, and I think succeeded, in putting FV8s in the spotlight, in terms of our coverage.

Sometimes, it has received more than it deserved. Now, that’s not the case.

I can’t recall a better time to watch the Fujitsu races. Whether you are at a track or seated in front of the large telly, next time you see the cars about to take to the track and duke it out, do yourself a … okay, favour, and take a word of advice from eNews; watch.

For more on Jason Richards’ stunning win, see over the page.

Full Fujitsu Series coverage starts on page 46.

32

motorsport news

www.mnews.com.au

33

JASON RICHARDS

ONE of the more extraordinary press conferences of recent V8 Supercar history happened in Adelaide.

The first three placegetters in the Fujitsu races over the weekend, Nick Percat, Tim Blanchard and Scott McLaughlin, were joined by Jason Richards, who won the Sunday race and who finished fourth overall.

What followed was an entertaining and frank dialogue that gave an insight into his races over the weekend and his ongoing treatment for a rare and virulent form of cancer.

With due recognition to the three drivers who finished the weekend in front of the Kiwi, here is what Richards said ...

John Morris / Mpix

34

motorsport news

comment What does this mean for you?

“Well, I think that there is only one other person in this room who will fully understand cancer is just as much a mental problem as it is physical.

This weekend for me was all about treatment and obviously, it has given that to me.

“I have to say that I can’t thank Kevin [Murphy from Greg Murphy Racing] enough. He rang me while I was in hospital earlier this week and offered me the gig. I was not sure that I was going to do it; I was, obviously, here for the Ferraris and with Team BOC, to just keep an eye on that. But I woke up the next morning and though, ‘You know, why not? Let’s give it a go’. And I did.

“We managed to get some kind of result with the car yesterday and we were able to sort it out last night. I was just the man on the spot, really; I did not do anything too special! Everyone else tripped up over themselves and I was in the right spot. I spoke to Skaifey just before the conference, and he said, ‘You have to take them when you can get them’. And that is what I have done!

I don’t know how I have ended up here.

“This is the best part of my treatment.

I have to thank Team BOC for allowing me to take it [the GMR drive] as well, and obviously my wife Charlotte and my dad, who have supported me through this and my sponsors, who have stayed right behind me. It’s excellent.

Jason, maybe three years ago, if someone came from the Main Series, in normal circumstances, we would expect them to walk off into the distance. Does the fact that you have had a real fight this weekend a great tick for the Fujitsu Series?

“Absolutely. The quality of the cars has definitely improved.

“The last time I drove this car ... I think that it debuted in 2007. It was parked up for a few years and then put back together. We were giving it a shakedown at the same time we were racing it!

“The teams, the drivers, the whole level is definitely improving. There is still a fair bit of learning to be done, on the track, and there were a few accidents that did not need to happen. That will come, with age and experience. But the times are very competitive, both the championships are extremely competitive. www.mnews.com.au

“It has actually been quite grounding to do the Fujitsu Championship because it is a much more challenging effort than the Main Game.

“I say that because the pit facilities are over there; the whole organisational area down the back there, you can’t get a ‘proper’ garage, like you can to the Main Series cars.

“When you see how close they can get, time-wise, to the Main Series, it is actually a bigger achievement than what you might have first thought.”

How do you feel, in terms of your two races yesterday, another race today, it has been a big couple of days, in terms of your race fitness.

“It has been. I still have a massive battle on my hands with this cancer. I have stopped treatment now, so while I am still, sort of, finishing a cycle of chemo, physically, I hardly have a sweat on me. I didn’t have a drink bottle in the car that worked, so I was just wobbling around there.

“Most of my fitness has been consumed by walking between the Ferrari pit and the Fujitsu pit and the Team BOC garage! I kid you not, I have walked a marathon this weekend and the easy bit has been driving the car.”

Jason, at the outset you talked about cancer being as much a mental battle as a physical battle. What does this do for you mentally, to stand on the top step of a podium after winning a race?

“I lost the battle of cancer, in terms of the fact that the chemo has not been that successful. I guess I have won a battle mentally. I guess I kept the score even! I go to Sydney on Monday and Tuesday to take part in a new drug trial, so fingers crossed, I can get the active drug. Potentially, that has been very successful internationally.

“I am going to head over to Michigan on about the 12th [of April] – it all depends on the timing of this drug trial. I have to go to Sydney once a week, and then it drops down to every three weeks. It just depends on when that happens.

“Unfortunately, that is the week of Hamilton, but obviously, cancer is the main priority in my life at the moment.

This is part of my treatment.”

Can you do more rounds of the championship?

“I am not looking at doing the Fujitsu Championship. I am looking at doing, maybe, some more races.

“My 100 percent focus has to be my cancer. If I get back into a V8 Supercar, be it in the Fujitsu [Series], be it in the Main Game, then my focus will switch to just racing cars. I can’t afford to do that. At this point in time, I will just do bits and pieces, [to] keep me around, to keep me at the racetrack.”

Jase, I know that you have been strong and positive, but how hard has it been to take all the various steps and treatments, getting your head around all those different things?

“I used to know a lot about dampers.

Now, I know a lot about receptors, IGF treatments – all the stuff that Taz Douglas has been through and other people, thousands of Australians and millions of people around the world.

There are three people in Australia with my form of cancer; when I was in hospital, another female with my kind got diagnosed with it. There is a guy, funnily enough, in Bathurst; he is a farmer. So it is a very rare form of cancer that we are talking about.

“Most oncologists you speak to, or meet, don’t know anything about it.

Between Charlotte and myself, my family and friends, we have done a lot of research internationally, we are in regular contact with a lot of other nations around the world and with the major cancer centres. It is called adrenal cortical carcinoma, not stomach cancer, which is constantly reported. That really is taking up most of our time and effort. We are pushing hard, down this trail, hence why we are going to Michigan.

“The help we have received internationally has been fantastic.

Unfortunately locally, there are just not enough people who get it. In Sydney, there is a reasonable support group there, and an arm, a part of this trial. It is a lot of work; it is a full-time job for me. This is my weekend’s fun.”

Jason, you can win in a V8 Supercar but Murph won’t let you win at golf.

How does that work?

“He has been really, really good, actually.

“Murph has been great and I am sure that he twisted his old man [Kevin Murphy] to put me in the car. I am not too sure.”

35

V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP RACES 3/4 – CLIPSAL 500, ADELAIDE

36

motorsport news

race

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Back on Australian soil, the same teams, HRT and TeamVodafone, did all the winning in Adelaide. By PHIL BRANAGAN

Phil Williams

www.mnews.com.au

37

W

Peter Bury

38

HO believes in He also had a smoking tyre, karma? courtesy of the always-popular Maybe the Turn 1 tyre stack, but in the end, Holden Racing he could not sneak past.

Team does. Garth Tander did Craig Lowndes and his not have a great weekend in crew had decided to chase a Abu Dhabi, but James Courtney different fuel strategy as early marked his first weekend in red as before qualifying, and his with a win, if not for the ages, cause was not assisted at all then one that will be talked when he “cocked up qualifying” about for ages. (his words). Starting 11th, he Not so in Adelaide. Tander looked a threat to win the race dead-set starred on Saturday, when his strategy put him taking pole position with a lap one stop from the flag, and in that was part-Sprintcar, part-go- position to make ground late kart and all balls, eking out a in the race. Then a Safety Car quarter-second edge with a lap appeared, the team pitted the from the top, brave pills end of two Fones together, Lowndes the medicine cabinet. had to ‘stack’ in pitlane and In the race, he traded the then fight his way through lead with Jamie Whincup, traffic to third. took it back when they were Any ideas of better he may tripping over themselves in an have had were not helped by attempt to save fuel as if they Jason Bright, who again fought were the ones paying $100 a his way through to a high finish, barrel for it and held on to win. only to lose tyre grip at restarts.

And in a funny way, his By the time Lowndes was past, crappy weekend in the Gulf the all-Holden battle for the helped him in Adelaide. lead was a private one, 2s up “We had the advantage of the road. running in the two practice Fabian Coulthard completed sessions yesterday,” he said, a 1-5 sweep by Holden ahead referring to the fact that the of Mark Winterbottom. The top 50 percent of drivers in good news; FPR performed the points are given Friday very well on raceday. The mornings off. bad news; the cars were, in Still, he was not completely the words of Tim Edwards, happy with the speed or poise “a little off”. Neither Mark of the #2 car.

Winterbottom nor Will Davison “I was following Jamie and I had the ultimate speed, and thought, ‘Gee, it would be nice Paul Dumbrell’s challenge if my car did some of those lasted until the last corner of things!” the Shoot-out. He locked up, Like we said, it was a fuel race speared off, then hit the Turn 8 and normally, you would bet wall while chasing the leaders. the rent on TeamVodafone’s Spare a thought for the hardsuperiority in that department. working lads at Paul Morris But HRT struck back at Yas Motorsport. New recruit Steve Marina was Tander was Owen was off three times on confident enough to take back Friday and once on Saturday, the lead when it was … not enough to hurt the car enough offered so much as not stoutly to ensure a late night. Then defended. off went Russell Ingall, though Whincup, who admitted he little fault of his own; a clash of “got reamed” by the team for wheels with Coulthard left The ignoring fuel saving advice in Enforcer with no steering at Yas Marina, had other problems. exactly the time he may have One was the clutch. counted on it. At least the car “I flagged a clutch problem was dealt with quickly by the in qualifying,” he said. “We had officials but a probable top-six a look and it looked alright – I finish went into the boonies, knew we had a problem on the along with the multi-hued warmup lap.”

SuperCheap car. motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith

Tandermonium: Tander led away from the start and took the flag 76 lap later. It was a bad weekend for PMM; this clash, right, led to Ingall’s retirement, while Owen crashed at Turn 8, below. It was another strong weekend for Jason Bright, below.

John Morris John Morris

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

39

S

UNDAY’S race did not quite have everything; it did not, for instance, snow.

But it rained, and there were stories of heartbreak.

Four drivers led the race; several others, including Lee Holdsworth, looked a threat to make it more. It rained, it shone, there were collisions on the track and in the pits and there was plenty of controversy.

And Jamie Whincup won, as he often does. It was his fourth Adelaide 500 win – the title, rather curiously, awarded to the winner of the Sunday race, regardless of what happens on 40

Saturday – and he was fired up after the race.

“I’m here to win races and that’s why I was gutted yesterday; it’s not the way I roll,” Whincup said. “I was in a similar [Championship) position last year, got steamrolled and spat out the back. We need to keep our head down this time.”

Rick Kelly was second. It was a great result; it is no secret that there have been underperformances from the Men in Black and the offseason work that has gone on has, clearly, paid dividends.

“The team has done a great job on focusing where we were

headed and not where we have been. It’s very easy to throw things around and panic. We’ve had a very clear direction and that’s where we are going,” Rick said.

“From a personal point of view it’s difficult after a tough event and not to lose heart.

I’m good at bouncing back.

Yesterday I was ready to head home and now I want to race again tomorrow. That’s the ups and down of motorsport, it’s important to bounce back.”

As if to show Kelly’s result was not a one-driver fluke, David Reynolds ran with the leaders for the first half of the

race, showing that the team has made big gains – which Rick Kelly laid at the feet of his brother Todd.

“His efforts are the reason I am on the podium,” he stated.

“The decisions he is making in the team are making us stronger and stronger. So all of the success I am having he is sharing in.”

The ying-yang nature of the team’s fortunes saw Todd himself out of contention after a clash with former team-mate Jason Bargwanna on lap 1. Still, there are signs that the team is making great progress.

Third was a great reward for motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith John Morris

www.mnews.com.au

As usual, there was a share of drama in pitlane, when Craig Lowndes found himself in the pit exit wall after contact with Greg Murphy. The Stewards pinged TeamVodafone for an unsafe release, while Murphy’s day did not get any better when he was issued with a drive-through after his fourth excursion over the Turn 2 kerbs.

Whincup now has a handy lead in the championship, but some of the fightbacks from setbacks over the weekend indicate that there is a long way to go. Albert Park this week may provide a fascinating sidebar before the battle resumes in NZ in a month’s time.

Dirk Klynsmith

patience for Mark Winterbottom, after a trip up an escape road and some dramas with tyre pressures. For much of the first half of race, it appeared that team-mate Will Davison would fly the flag, but he lost time in the pits, and faded to seventh.

James Courtney turned around a bad Saturday and starred on Sunday. He started fifth and gained a spot in the race but that is no reflection of the form he showed, fighting for the lead and taking the battle to Davison and Whincup. Garth Tander finished the race right behind him, a fine recovery after flat spotting a tyre in qualifying.

Dirk Klynsmith

Dirk Klynsmith

Dirk Klynsmith

Red versus ... Red: The battle for the lead was intense, with Whincup and Courtney running mirror-to-mirror in wet conditions.

Whincup ended up on top, above, and has a handy points lead.

Rick Kelly showed off the 2011 speed of the JDR Commodores, top, while Jono Webb again showed his speed on a damp track with a solid performance in the Mother’s Falcon, right.

Craig Lowndes ended up facing the wrong way on the pit exit, right, and was later slowed by a puncture from debris of Jason Bright’s carsh a Turn 2, bottom.

41

WINNERS JAMIE WHINCUP: Another great weekend. Early days, but he looks to be the title favourite, again.

HOLDEN RACING TEAM: For a team that traditionally performs so well at Adelaide, anything less than two wins might see below par. Not a perfect weekend, but a solid one – and a Fujitsi V8 win to Nick Percat, to boot.

PETER BRUR

JDR/KELLY RACING: It was not just Rick’s great Sunday result, it was also the speed of that red Stratco thing that impressed. There are positive signs from the team.

HRT: UP, DOWN LOSERS AND HONOURS ABOUT EVEN

JONO WEBB: In the wet, he looks like a coming man. Speed needed in the dry, but he looks good.

GRM: It was a risky call on Holdsworth’s tyres, and it fell short. You win some, you lose some.

STEVE OWEN: Last year, he won on a street course. This year, he looked to be over his head on this one.

THE PEPSI MAX CREW: We have seen the car in the flesh, at last. Presentation; excellent. Paint; funky.

Speed; some work needed.

ANYONE WHO EXPECTED TWO 250KM RACES: Two 78-lap races were scheduled. We got one 76lapper and one 77-lapper.

How about 10 minutes less pre-race, er, entertainment, and two races that run to the finish?

42

ONE of the rules of reporting on motorsport is that drivers always try to put a positive spin on things, and that journalists never believe them.

When a driver says that he gets on with his team mate[s] like they are the best of friends, we are suspicious. Like Dr Cal Lightman in Lie to Me, we look for the tell-tale signs that they are … it would be unfair to call it ‘lying’, so let us just refer to it as ‘creative interpretation’.

On Friday afternoon, James Courtney referred to his HRT Commodore as “the best V8 Supercar I have driven”. On Saturday, he grabbed #1 and dragged it into the top 10, to make the Shoot-out.

From there, the news was not great. It looked bad; not at all happy over the bumps and sweeps. Clearly, The Best V8 Supercar James Had Driven was having a bad day.

Tander’s did not look a heap better in his lap.

It looked part-Sprintcar, part-Supercar but boy, was it fast. He took pole by nearly a quartersecond, a massive margin on an 82-second lap.

In his quest to uncover the truth, Dr Lightman does not have split times to assist him. We do …

GT S1 28.9188s S2 49.1920s 1m22.3830s JC S1 29.2661s S2 49.8295s 1m23.3045s Then came the race. JC; jump start penalty, touch of wall at T7, pitstop for repairs (after having to reverse in pitlane); P24. It could hardly have been worse. Tander; a win, to equal the number of career victories of Peter Brock.

Sunday was another day. Courtney was much happier with his car after overnight changes; Tander flatspotted a tyre in qualifying.

As a result, JC Q5, GT Q 13. The gap was almost half a second.

Which was more than the gap between them after 77 laps. While Courtney ran at the front, Tander made his way through the field, and was right behind when the flag fell. Not a great day by their standards, perhaps, but results than can count when the points are added up at the end of the season. motorsport news

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Dirk Klynsmith

Life is Fabeulous NOT all good things down Clayton way are painted red.

Fabian Coulthard is a driver of considerable merit, and he has a strong sense of reality. So an upswing in results is not really a shock to the Kiwi, who endured a wretched 2010 in the Bundaberg Commodore.

“I always give myself two years,” he said after finish fifth on Saturday.

“The first year [with the team] was a learning year. You have to get to know the team and the engineers, you have to build up the continuity. No one lost faith when things were tough, and we were fortunate to get a result in Abu Dhabi. We were

looking forward to building on that.

“I knew that we did not have a great qualifying car on Friday, and we focused on making it a good race car. It was important to have a car that was good under braking, and that had predictability.

We had that, and I think that we got the result on merit.”

The first of many Blue Poles?

WILL Davison was a happy man after scoring his first pole for Ford Performance Racing.

“It was a big relief,” he sighed.

“I will not undersell it. It was a great feeling and a pleasure to drive the car and actually have that confidence again. I was not able to get it like that when it counted in Abu Dhabi but I knew that the potential was there. To get it done, at a track like Adelaide, was pretty www.mnews.com.au

rewarding. After last year, it gives you some confidence.”

The raceday result was not what he may have been looking for, but the battle left him with a smile on his face.

“Both Jamie and I were on it, it was not easy. It was treacherous; we were trying to stay off the white lines and find the grip, we obviously respect each other and we gave each other room. It was on; different lines, looking for time.”

43

To make th

I HAVE not been to every Adelaide 500. I missed the first one; I have not missed one since.

There have been a great many other events that have come and gone in the years since 1999. Not one of them is as good as what is now universally called ‘The Clipsal’. As far as motorsport events are concerned, it has it all covered; there is plenty to see, much to do, great support events, and it seems that if the whole city does not actually embrace the event, the few that do not are fairly quiet in their objections.

Roger Cook and the South Australian Motor Sport Board have set the bar high for other events to challenge. Later this year, Cook will stand down to allow new blood to fill his role as Chairman – though he will maintain his role as an Independent board member of V8 Supercars.

Sometimes, we in the media criticise events, and the people who organise them. It is unfair to suggest that the success of the Clipsal is down to one man or woman; it is a 44

Dirk Klynsmith

Thanks x 500

team effort. But it is also timely to recognise the effort that Roger Cook has put in, over many hours and many years, to make the event such a success, and to say thanks.

One more thing. Sometime in the future, when some municipal official summons the effort to stamp a bit of paper that says my new house is complete, my new house will be complete. (It actually is now, it’s just that the paperwork and permits are progressing, um, steadily.)

After some vigorous discussions with the builder, I up-specced the whole place to feature premium light switches and powerpoints – at some expense. No deal was had; I paid retail. I went to all that trouble, and chose Clipsal Saturn, because the mob that makes those switches is the same one that has backed motor racing for a long, long time.

When you go shopping next time, for light switches or anything else, I think is it important to think about who you support, and who you don’t.

– PHIL BRANAGAN

Results : Race 3 – Clipsal 50 Pos #

Driver

Team/Car

1 2 Garth Tander Toll Holden Racing Team C 2 88 Jamie Whincup TeamVodafone Commodo 3 888 Craig Lowndes TeamVodafone Commodo 4 8 Jason Bright Team BOC Commodore 5 61 Fabian Coulthard Bundaberg Racing Commo 6 5 Mark Winterbottom Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon FG 7 7 Todd Kelly Jack Daniel’s Racing Comm 8 47 Tim Slade Lucky 7 Racing Falcon FG 9 6 Will Davison Trading Post FPR Falcon FG 10 14 Jason Bargwanna Team BOC Commodore 11 17 Steven Johnson Jim Beam Racing Falcon F 12 15 Rick Kelly Jack Daniel’s Racing Comm 13 9 Shane Van Gisbergen SP Tools Racing Falcon FG 14 19 Jonathon Webb Mother Energy Racing Falc 15 12 Dean Fiore Triple F Racing Falcon FG 16 34 Michael Caruso Fujitsu Racing GRM Comm 17 3 Tony D’Alberto Wilson Security Racing Fal 18 11 Greg Murphy Pepsi Max Crew Commodo 19 21 Karl Reindler Fair Dinkum Sheds Commo 20 33 Lee Holdsworth Fujitsu Racing GRM Comm 21 30 Warren Luff Gulf Western Oil Commod 22 16 David Reynolds Stratco Racing Commodor 23 4 Alex Davison Irwin Racing Falcon FG 24 1 James Courtney Toll Holden Racing Team C 25 55 Paul Dumbrell The Bottle-O Falcon FG DNF 39 Russell Ingall Supercheap Auto Racing C DNF 18 James Moffat Jim Beam Racing Falcon F DNF 49 Steve Owen VIP Petfoods Commodore Fastest lap: W Davison on lap 57, 1:22.5050s. motorsport news

race

he Impossible Call JASON Bargwanna took a brilliant victory in Saturday’s 250km race in Adelaide.

The BOC Gases driver ...

Hang on, that did not happen. But, it might have.

The series of Safety Cars changed the scope of the race. On lap 46, 16 cars pitted – and they had a scheduled 32 laps to make it to the flag. Green flag fuel consumption was going to get them to around lap 71-72, if the track stayed green.

Bargs was confident.

“I pitted two laps after them,” he smiled. “I had plenty of fuel to get to the finish.”

The lap chart – always a good read – shows that the #14 Commodore pitted for fuel on lap 48. With 30 laps to go, Bargwanna was always going to be in fuel conservation mode, but not as much as the cars in front of him were.

There were plenty of worried faces in pitlane.

“There was no way anyone was going to make it,” FPR Principal Tim Edwards said.

“The fuel window was way too long.”

There were four Safety Car periods, for a total of 14 laps. Many of those came late, and that helped the leaders make it home with Sucrogen to spare.

By the way, Bargwanna ended the race in 10th. The following day, he was out on lap 1. Cruel business, motor racing ...

00, Adelaide

Commodore ore ore

odore G modore

G

FG modore

con FG

modore lcon FG ore odore modore dore re

Commodore

Commodore FG

Results : Race 4 – Clipsal 500, Adelaide

Race time

Qual

Pos #

2:07:57.1302 2:07:57.6722 2:07:59.6016 2:08:00.4539 2:08:01.9444 2:08:02.2535 2:08:02.8961 2:08:04.1505 2:08:04.6229 2:08:05.9364 2:08:06.1744 2:08:06.7563 2:08:07.0268 2:08:07.3711 2:08:08.8992 2:08:09.2621 2:08:10.9653 2:08:11.3298 2:08:11.8567 2:08:12.7982 75 laps 74 laps 71 laps 66 laps 63 laps 68 laps 58 laps 44 laps

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

1 88 Jamie Whincup TeamVodafone Commodore 2 15 Rick Kelly Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore 3 5 Mark Winterbottom Orrcon Steel FPR Falcon 4 1 James Courtney Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore 5 2 Garth Tander Toll Holden Racing Team Commodore 6 55 Paul Dumbrell The Bottle-O Falcon 7 6 Will Davison Trading Post FPR Falcon 8 17 Steven Johnson Jim Beam Racing Falcon 9 61 Fabian Coulthard Bundaberg Racing Commodore 10 4 Alex Davison Irwin Racing Falcon 11 19 Jonathon Webb Mother Energy Racing Falcon 12 888 Craig Lowndes TeamVodafone Commodore 13 47 Tim Slade Lucky 7 Racing Falcon 14 16 David Reynolds Stratco Racing Commodore 15 12 Dean Fiore Triple F Racing Falcon 16 39 Russell Ingall Supercheap Auto Racing Commodore 17 21 Karl Reindler Fair Dinkum Sheds Commodore 18 9 Shane Van Gisbergen SP Tools Racing Falcon 19 11 Greg Murphy Pepsi Max Crew Commodore 20 3 Tony D’Alberto Wilson Security Racing Falcon 21 34 Michael Caruso Fujitsu Racing GRM Commodore 22 18 James Moffat Jim Beam Racing Falcon 23 8 Jason Bright Team BOC Commodore DNF 30 Warren Luff Gulf Western Oil Commodore DNF 7 Todd Kelly Jack Daniel’s Racing Commodore DNF 33 Lee Holdsworth Fujitsu Racing GRM Commodore DNF 14 Jason Bargwanna Team BOC Commodore DNS 49 Steve Owen VIP Petfoods Commodore Fastest lap: Whincup on lap 56, 1:23.7463

www.mnews.com.au

Driver

Team/Car

Qual 2:08:50.3685 2:08:51.6891 2:08:52.4924 2:08:56.4576 2:08:58.6542 2:08:59.4903 2:09:00.1902 2:09:03.5433 2:09:05.5473 2:09:06.9681 2:09:09.9789 2:09:18.4839 2:09:20.7673 2:09:22.7421 2:09:27.0074 2:09:38.9436 2:09:42.2242 2:09:57.1406 2:10:02.2334 76 laps 76 laps 63 laps 59 laps 47 laps 33 laps 27 laps 1 lap

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

45

FUJITSU SERIES ROUND 1, CLIPSAL 500

Dirk Klynsmith

Winners & Winners

46

motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith

Adelaide’s season opener wasn’t your average Fujitsu Series round ... There was drama, a first time winner in Nick Percat and another chapter in the Jason Richards story.

MITCHELL ADAM watched it unfold

T

HERE were two stories in the opening round of the 2011 Fujitsu V8 Supercar Series. One was the battle between the fulltime drivers, which boiled over on Sunday. The other was Jason Richards, who took advantage and a universally popular victory.

Richards was a late inclusion in the field, in the Greg Murphy Racing Commodore he drove across 2007 and 2008 in Sprint Gas colours. Also contesting the Australian GT enduro in Adelaide, it would be Richards’ first race meeting since he was diagnosed with adrenal cortical carcinoma last November.

The V8 duties started with niggling mechanical issues in practice, before he qualified 12th and finished the opener in the same position. Set-up changes before Race 2 gave him a far better package, and he capitalised, making ground on merit www.mnews.com.au

and picking up ground when some of the front-runners found trouble. He passed Tim Blanchard for the lead on Lap 9 of 24 and went on to score an emotional first race win aboard a V8 Supercar.

“I was just the man on the spot, really; I did not do anything too special!” JR admitted.

“Everyone else tripped up over themselves and I was in the right spot. I spoke to Skaifey just before the conference, and he said, ‘You have to take them when you can get them’. And that is what I have done! I don’t know how I have ended up here.

“This is the best part of my treatment.”

There is no doubt that Jason was the feel-good story of the entire event, but this year’s Fujitsu Series is going to become quite the story itself. A bumper entry list 47

James Smith

48

Dirk Klynsmith

Scott McLaughlin, top right, was impressive on Sunday, picking up his maiden FV8 round podium.

Returning to the series with Sonic, Jack Perkins, above right, took third on Friday but got caught up with Taz Douglas on Saturday, while David Russell’s weekend went downhill after an attempt to lap Paul Freestone went wrong, right.

In Triple Eight’s Fujitsu Series debut, Andrew Thompson, opposite page, won the opener, before clashing with Nick Percat in Race 2.

James Smith

translated into a competitive top end of the grid, and some interesting moments.

The first race was pretty straight-forward. Nick Percat took pole in his Walkinshaw Racing VE, but was unsighted when the lights went green. That gave Andrew Thompson the jump in Triple Eight’s maiden FV8 round, and he went on to win by 2.5s.

Percat had a battle with David Russell in the first half of the race, but that ended when Paul Freestone made contact with Russell at Turn 1 while being lapped.

In Race 2, Thompson again got the jump, but Percat forced his way through to the lead at Turn 4. Thompson mounted a challenge at the end of Lap 5, and took the lead at Turn 4 on the following lap but was tagged by Percat entering Turn 6.

“It all kind of started back at the last corner when he made a pretty late move on me, piled it in the door, we went through Turn 1 still pretty aggressively next to each other,” Percat said.”

“I was trying to get a switchback on him and go up the inside of that corner, and just didn’t expect him to be on the brakes as early as he was. Then he was backwards and that was it.”

Thompson pitted to change the left-rear tyre, eventually finishing 16th and frustrated.

“For some reason I think he thought he could fit his car on the inside of mine when mine was pretty much on the wall,” he said.

“So he’s hit me, turned me around, and something that wasn’t really called for. There’s hard, clean racing, you rub panels and I don’t care about that, we did that and that’s fine. But what he did was uncalled for.

“We definitely had speed, unfortunately someone didn’t let us show what we’re truly capable of.”

Percat was handed a drive-through penalty and rejoined in seventh, but blazed his way back up to third to secure the round win.

“Obviously that last race had a lot of action and we showed how quick the car was, coming back from a pitlane penalty to only be about one-and-a-half, two seconds off the lead,” he said.

Blanchard was second for the weekend, having a trouble-free run compared to most of his expected title rivals, ahead of Scott McLaughlin. On Saturday, SBR’s young gun was an impressive second to Richards, in his first visit to Adelaide.

“Our pole position, our win, was going to be being in the top six, so to be in the top three and on the podium is such a bonus,” he said.

Daniel Jilesen, Chaz Mostert and debutant David Wall kept out of trouble to record Top 10 finishes, but there were plenty of drivers in the wars. After getting back to eighth in Race 1, Russell had to pit to refit his splitter in Race 2 after a brush with Taz Douglas. Douglas himself was eliminated several laps later in a Turn 11 crash with Jack Perkins.

Drew Russell showed good pace in his ex-BJR Falcon and recovered from a mechanical issue in qualifying to take sixth in the opener, but an oil leak ended his Saturday. On debut, Ash Walsh had signs of promise, qualifying inside the Top 10, but an opening lap incident in Race 1 and penalty for hopping the Turn 2 kerb spoiled his chances.

motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith

Results :: Round 1, Clipsal 500 Pos

#

Driver

Team/Car

Qual

R1

R2

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

222 27 93 45 80 51 10 999 83 777 28 86 26 62 23 24 92 58 13 95 43 90 48 75 25 59 71

Nick Percat Tim Blanchard Scott McLaughlin Jason Richards Andrew Thompson Daniel Jilesen Chaz Mostert Jack Perkins David Wall Rodney Jane David Russell Robert Cregan Tom Tweedie Adam Wallis Todd Fiore Tony Bates Taz Douglas Drew Russell Colin Sieders Nathan Vince Jay Verdnik Ashley Walsh Geoff Emery Aaron McGill Paul Freestone Aaren Russell Marcus Zukanovic

Coates Hire Racing Commodore VE 1 Team Jayco Falcon BF 5 Fujitsu Racing Falcon BF 8 Tricor/Earthex/King Gee Commodore VE 12 Triple Eight Race Engineering Commodore VE 2 Earthex/R&J Batteries/King Gee Commodore VE 11 Simpro Software/Master Elect. Falcon BF 10 Bob Jane T-Marts/Supercheap Falcon BF 4 Wilson Security Racing Commodore VE 16 Bob Jane T-Marts Falcon FG 6 Team Jayco Falcon BF 3 Matt Stone Racing Falcon BF 19 Team Tom Supporters Club Falcon BF 18 Warrin Mining/Volvo Const Eqip Commodore VZ 24 Flexi Staff Falcon BF 20 Sportsalive.com/Alt Freght Commodore VE 22 Fastaz Motorsport Commodore VZ 7 Go Karts Go Falcon BF 14 Bisley Workwear Falcon BF 23 Blacktrack Haulage Falcon BF 27 Jay Motorsport Commodore VZ 15 Simpro Software/Master Elect. Falcon BF 9 AC Delco/Simworx/Signiversal Commodore VE 13 McGill Motorsport Falcon BF 26 Climate Sceptics Falcon BF 25 Go Karts Go Falcon BF 21 Midway Concrete & Garden Supp. Commodore VE 17

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

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

Percat 267, Blanchard 240, McLaughlin 234, Richards 219, Thompson 207, Jilesen 189, Top 10 Points: Mostert 186, Perkins 171, Wall 162, Jane 162 www.mnews.com.au

49

FORMULA FORD ROUND 1, CLIPSAL 500

John Morris / Mpix

Snappy Tom Tom Williamson took his maiden Australian Formula Ford race and round wins in a chatotic season opener at the Clipsal 500, MITCHELL ADAM reports

T

HE first eight laps of the 2011 Australian Formula Ford Championship had very little in common with the following 12.

Saturday’s opening race was a relatively sedate affair. After a broken steering rack sent pole-sitter Mathew Hart into the wall, Cameron Waters built a lead and sat a couple of seconds clear of Andre Heimgartner and team-mate Nick Foster, before Shae Davies backed his Spectrum into the wall at Turn 3. That brought out a Safety Car and set the tone for the balance of the weekend.

While Waters went on to win the race in

50

the one-lap dash to the finish, Foster got past Heimgartner, who would then be swamped in the final corners and drop from third to 11th.

“The race wasn’t too bad,” Waters said, “I concentrated on building a gap early and then maintaining that towards the end.

Even with the late safety car, I knew I had good enough speed to get to the line in front.”

At the end of the opening lap of Race 2, it looked like Waters was in a good place to make it a double. He led Foster and Garry Jacobson in a Sonic 1-2-3.

Then, mayhem. Caleb Rayner and Daniel

Ramerman had big accidents exiting Turn 2, and at the head of the field, Waters clobbered the wall at Turn 4. Foster followed him in and Jacobson emerged in the lead, but with front-end damage.

After a Safety Car period, racing got back underway, but not for long.

Jacobson was swamped into Turn 9 as Tom Williamson took the lead, dropping to fifth, while Elliot Barbour, Matthew Rosler and Mike O’Donnell were finding trouble at Turn 8.

Barbour’s Mygale tagged the wheel of the car in-front and was spat into the wall, riding it for a period of time before motorsport news

race

Dirk Klynsmith

Cameron Waters, above, dominated the opening race, but crashed out of the second.

The Safety Car and recovery crews were kept very busy in Race 2, left ...

John Morris / Mpix

coming to a rest well down the Turn 9 escape road resembling a canoe.

Williamson led Borland team-mate Jesse Fenech, Tom Goess and Jack LeBrocq when racing resumed for what was to have been a two-lap dash to the flag, but there was more drama to come with Team BRM drivers Goess and Heimgartner coming unstuck.

Heimgartner was hung out to dry at Turn 4 and crashed, while Goess had advanced to second before he copped a hit from LeBrocq at the final corner and fell to 13th. That all brought out another Safety Car, which guided the field to the www.mnews.com.au

end, with Williamson taking his maiden race and round win.

“It was mainly about keeping out of trouble,” Williamson, who was third in Race 1, said.

“When all of the Sonic cars went in, I saw it happen and was able to get through it, it was just a matter of having a good restart, chipping away at it, which each time I had a good restart so it turned out to fall in my lap, which was good, really.”

Fenech took second for the race and round, ahead of Nick Cassidy, who was in the lead pack but fell to seventh at

one point, when delayed by the Sonic incident.

“I lost about six or seven places in that,” Cassidy said. “I was pretty lucky to actually get away with no damage at all.”

Trent Harrison took fourth, ahead of Pete Major in the TanderSport Stealth, Jacobson, Liam Sager, LeBrocq, Hart and Samantha Reid. Sager and Hart came from the rear of the grid, with their Synergy entries penalised for an engine irregularity.

Points: Williamson 34, Fenech 26, Cassidy 22, Waters 21, Jacobson 20, Harrison 18, Foster 16, Major 10, Rayner 1, Reid 1 51

TOURING CAR MASTERS & AUSTRALIAN GT CLIPSAL 500

JB on the board O

TCM

N the Friday of the Clipsal 500 John Bowe was not a particularly happy

final race.

“The weekend started well but race one was very tough – but we got it a bit better for the second race and from there it wasn’t bad, so in the end it’s been a good weekend.

“I’ll be honest and say I’m completely uninterested in the championship and where I stand – as long as I have fun and have great races like today (Sunday’s third race) I’m happy – and I am.”

With Tilley and Abelnica sharing the overall round points, it was Holden HQ

GTS driver Garry O’Brien taking out the Class B battle after a consistently strong performance all weekend.

And in a fairytale story, local racer Amanda Sparks defeated all-comers in Class A (up to 3500cc) in her Porsche – including husband Greg Keene.

A delighted Amanda also won the hard charger award, in part thanks to a stunning 12th outright in the final race.

The Touring Car Masters next make the long trek to Perth for Round 2, in April.

RICHARD CRAILL

Peter Bury

man.

Earlier in the weekend his Ford Mustang, affectionately nicknamed ‘Sally’, had qualified on pole by the substantial margin of 1.1 seconds and he was looking good to stamp an early claim on the Touring Car Masters presented by Autobarn series.

And then, in Race, 1 his car struck handling difficulties – severe axle tramp under braking – and in a tense fivecar fight for the lead he slipped from first to second, then to third and eventually fourth at the line.

Brad Tilley won the race, one that featured a storming drive by Eddie Abelnica in his newly-constructed XA Falcon hardtop, inset, as he carved his way through the field to finish second after executing a brave, yet ultimately successful move

on Jim Richards for the second podium spot in the final corner.

But Bowe was fourth and not happy with the car after recent developments that were supposed to make it even better than it was last year.

As it turned out, it just took that one race to get things right. With more changes made, Bowe rocketed to the front early in Race 2 and was never headed, disappearing up the road to a seven-second win over Abelnica and Tilley.

And just for good measure, he won the third race despite starting the reverse-grid affair from tenth.

It took Bowe six laps to get in front – two of them involved in a breathtaking wheel-to-wheel battle with Steve Mason for the top spot in a great motor race – but once there he would not be headed again.

“That was a great battle, that kind of thing is the reason I’m in the category – to race cleanly and really hard with a great driver like Steve,” Bowe practically beamed after the

Dirk Klynsmith

52

motorsport news

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Mosler Mash John Morris /Mpix

AUSTRALIAN GT

N

second for the race – and weekend.

In the GT Challenge class it was a family affair with Damien Flack (Porsche) leading home brother Adrian Flack and Lotus driver Tim Poulton in the round results.

– RICHARD CRAILL

Rob Lang

www.mnews.com.au

the half-hour mark with technical issues. Peter Hackett’s Lamborghini was another non-finisher.

Quinn completed his perfect weekend by dominating Sunday’s 12-lap sprint race with Crick returning favour in his battle with Eddy to secure

Dirk Klynsmith

IGHT racing returned to the Clipsal 500 Adelaide at the weekend and the Vodka O Australian GT championship put on a show that will ensure it remains for a long, long time.

Mosler driver Klark Quinn won a dramatic one-hour Murray Walker GT Tourist Trophy race held on the Friday night of the Clipsal carnival, but had to drive the race of his life to do so, thanks in part to lapped traffic, but also an inspired drive by Audi’s Mark Eddy.

Starting from pole, Quinn led the race early but was under constant pressure from Eddy and Dodge Viper driver Greg Crick who, with new developments on his US-muscle car, was back at the front of the field after a frustrating 2010 season.

The trio remained joined at the hip until the pit stop window opened at the 20minute mark, with Eddy the first to budge as he went to pit lane for the compulsory 60second stop. Crick lost nearly twenty seconds on his in-lap

thanks to lap traffic which ensured it would be a Moslervs-Audi battle to the line, but the game wasn’t yet over.

To that point, the leading duo had dealt with lapped traffic without too many major difficulties but things changed when they came up behind the fifth-placed Mosler driven by Ash Samadi.

With no working radio informing him of oncoming traffic, and his mirrors only showing him the headlight glare of the cars behind, Samadi assumed he was racing for position and enthusiastically defended his position from the leading cars.

With Quinn bottled up behind the identical Mosler, Eddy was able to attach himself to the bumper of the Mosler and with just five minutes to go the pair ran side by side out of the hairpin as they tussled for the race lead. Quinn cleared Samadi first and that was just enough to get him a small buffer to score the win.

The race was filled with attrition, the big name entries of Tony Quinn (crash), the Ferraris of Peter Edwards / Jason Richards and Nick O’Halloran / Allan Simonsen both failing to make it to

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V8 UTES & AUSSIE RACING CARS CLIPSAL 500 Dirk Klynsmith

Sieders holds on V8 UTES

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Sieders’ Ute wasn’t as pristine at the end of the wet race, which was won by Grant Johnson, below. Amid it all, Cameron McConville made his V8 Ute debut, bottom.

Phil Williams Phil Williams

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Dirk Klynsmith

ITH the highprofile inclusion of several ‘name’ drivers to the 2011 Auto One V8 Ute Series, you could be have been forgiven for thinking that the series regulars might have been forced out of the limelight as the 2011 season kicked off at the Clipsal 500.

Instead, the V8 Ute elite stood up to be counted and showed that experience counts in the increasingly competitive category as David Sieders took the round win ahead of Ryal Harris and Chris Pither.

Sieders comfortably won pole position in his BF Falcon Ute and won two of the four races to take a narrow lead into the second round of the championship. A frontrunner last season, Seiders’ start to his 2011 title tilt will worry some as at times he looked uncatchable.

Even having to face starting the Race 2 reverse grid race from 18th didn’t seem to worry the New South Welshman as he charged through to sixth place.

“It feels great,” he said. “We have put a lot of work into preparing for this year and it looks like it’s paid off.

“There is still a long way to go so we’re not getting to far ahead of ourselves. A couple of wins out of 25 doesn’t make a championship so we’ll take it one round of a time – but it’s

been a good weekend.”

The only blot on the David Sieders copybook came in the torrentially wet fourth and final race as he smacked the notorious Turn 8 wall on the final lap of the race, whilst running third. He was able to limp to the line in seventh place to do just enough to secure the round victory despite his commanding performance.

On a circuit that suits the Fords, Harris was second overall after a quartet of consistent performances whilst Pither was the first of the Holden runners home in third.

Grant Johnson proved that he would continue to be difficult to beat despite not yet having a full budget for the season, as he narrowly missed out on a round podium but made up for that by posting a crushing victory in the wet fourth race on Sunday.

As Johnson won the race the race turned into something of a crash fest as three utes Joined Siders in making themselves known to the Turn 8 barrier – necessitating substantial repairs to the circuit post-race.

The other race winner was a complete surprise – Gary Carson withstanding substantial pressure from Cameron McConville’s Bundy Rum sponsored Ute to take a stunning maiden victory in the reverse grid race.

– RICHARD CRAILL

motorsport news

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AUSSIE RACING CARS

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www.mnews.com.au

James Smith

F there was one constant about the usually frenetic Aussie Racing Car Super Series action at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide it was Kyle Clews.

As he has for many seasons now, Clews was one of, if not the standout performer in a weekend that featured all of the regular Aussie Racing Car side-by-side and wheelto-wheel racing cliché’s the category is now famous for.

He took pole by just fractions over Peter Carr – another to be a constant feature at the top of the time sheets all weekend long – but the pair had nearly a full second over the next best driver showing that beating them would be a tough thing.

Clews won Races 1 and 2 and then finished second in the final two heats to secure the round win.

When Clews wasn’t winning, Carr was. Though he only competed two laps in Race 2 before failing to finish, he charged to tenth from the back of the field in the second race and by the third was in a position to win. And win he did – by a comparatively large threesecond margin that in Aussie Racing Car terms is light years.

He then did the same in the finale to go some way to recovering from the disappointing start to his fourrace attack.

Maurice Masini headed up the next of the best, super consistent results of fourth, third, seventh and third in the four races, respectively, earning him a somewhat solid points haul.

There were also plenty of x-factors hanging around the fringes of the top four and always looking to attack.

John Morris / Mpix

Kyle climbs to the top

Former champ Paul Kemal, above, once again squeezed his lanky frame into a car and was immediately rewarded with a top four qualifying spot and a best result of second in race one.

Adelaidian Adrian Cottrell seemed to build as the weekend progressed, gaining confidence as he moved from

a fifth-placed qualifying effort to a strong second in Race 2.

Simon Smith, Tyler Owen and Brad Ward all featured in the top six at some stage.

Round 2 will likely feature more of the same – the category set to feature at the Bathurst Motor Festival on the Mountain this Easter.

– RICHARD CRAILL 55

PHILLIP ISLAND CLASSIC FESTIVAL OF MOTORSPORT

Le Mans Porsche in paddock line-up (above) and, right, is that 1, 2, 3 Maserati 250Fs together? Around $12m in one spot at one time ...

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motorsport news

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CLASSICAL SOUNDS Is that a Ralt RT2 climbing all over the back of a Veskanda? Yes! There was that and so much more at the 2011 running of the Phillip Island Classic.

ANDREW VAN LEEUWEN was there

Justin Collins

www.mnews.com.au

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T

HE cars were gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and the crowd was record-breaking at the 2011 running of the Phillip Island Classic.

Big sportscars were the flavour of the meeting, with big bangers and Le Mans racers coming from all over the world. But they couldn’t beat a car with a rich Australian racing history – the ex-John Bowe Veskanda.

John Briggs was unstoppable throughout the weekend, fending off the likes of Lola T286s and Porsche 956Cs. In the final race, there was even an unlikely challenge from the out-classed Ralt RT2 of Jamie Larner, but no one could stop Briggs.

In the Group Q and R (and F5000) Racing class, Brit Greg Thornton took three from three in his Chevron B24 Formula 5000 car. His biggest challenge game in the 12-lap final, where James Davison (Lola T332) – having suffered from mechanical woes all weekend – finally got the chance to piece together a whole race. It was close, but Thornton managed to hold on for the win. Melbournian Paul Zazryn (Lola T332) starred on debut, finishing third in Race 1 and fourth from a ROG start in the final.

Some of the best racing from the weekend came from the Group M and O races, with the Formula 2 cars of Ray Stubber, Laurie Bennett, Keith Simpson and Richard Carter going at it across four races. In the first race, Simpson (Brabham BT16) beat Bennett (Elfin 600) home by just 0.002s, after Stubber (Brabham BT29) had a scary moment at Lukey Heights when he swerved to miss a piece of foam that was on the circuit and went off at full speed. But the scare didn’t slow him down, with Stubber fending off the others for the remaining three race wins.

Formula Ford saw the usual biff and barge, with the field looking decidedly thin by the final race of the weekend. After taking pole by 1.6s, Jon Miles (Reynard 82) comfortably held off Andrew McInnes (Van Diemen RF89) for the Race 1 win. But in a carnage-filled second race, Miles was out of the running early, after a tangle with Andy Newall (Palliser) at Honda Corner. Newall was under attack again later in the same lap when Brendan Jones took several front-runners out, but survived ... again.

Meanwhile, away from the carnage, McInnes took the win, having held off a brilliant charge from David Hardman (Elfin 600).

Hardman gave the field a driving lesson in damp conditions for Race 3, winning at a canter, while Miles bounced back to win the final in a race where the Top 5 were covered by 0.1s at the flag.

Group A and C Touring Cars saw a weekend-long battle between the powerful VL Commodore of Troy Stapleton, and the nimble ex-Schnitzer BMW of Bill Cutler. Braun ruled supreme on all four occasions, with Stapleton taking home the trophies.

In Group J and K, Peter Giddings (Maserati 250F) and David Reid (Faux Pas) shared the wins, while Jason Humble (Mazda RX-2) was the man to beat in under three litre Historic Tourers. In the over three litre class, there was three different winners – Darryl Hansen, Russell Wright and Fraser Ross – all driving Mustangs. Chad Parrish kept the Mustang theme alive by taking out Group Sa and Sb in his Shelby GT350, and Geoffrey Morgan (Porsche 911) and Perry Spiridis (De Tomaso Pantera) dominated Group Sc. 58

motorsport news

race

Justin Collins Joel Strickland

Justin Collins

Justin Collins

Justin Collins

www.mnews.com.au

Classics and Carnage: Stapleton had to fend off Cutler in Group A and C, left, while Troy Kelly had to fend off the whole field when he looped his Commodore, top. Meanwhile, Darryl Hansen was too good in Historic Tourers, above, and Rod Hatfield was too lucky to take out a flag marshall’s post, below. Greg Thornton was the class of the F5000 field, below left.

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MOTOGP ROUND 1 – QATAR, UAE

Stone Cold Victory Casey Stoner won at a canter in Losail, but Honda didn’t have it quite as easily as some were predicting ...

Yamaha Media

Ducati Media

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E

Honda Media

XPECTATIONS can be funny things.

As expected, Casey Stoner won the opening round of the new MotoGP season in Qatar – his first race as part of Honda’s factory team. However, it was expected to be a Honda cakewalk, and it wasn’t. Jorge Lorenzo beat Dani Pedrosa in a straight fight, and was only 3.4s adrift of Stoner at the end, offering a glimpse at what may become one heck of a title fight.

With Honda having dominated pre-season testing, and led every practice session in Qatar, it was no surprise to see Stoner and Pedrosa lead the way early on. They even staged a healthy little intrateam battle, before Stoner got his head down and pulled away from the other Repsol Honda.

“After a great pre-season, we came into this race weekend and everything kept getting better and better for us,” said Stoner.

“We knew though as the fuel level decreased and the tyres aged, that our bike would come back to us. Dani came past and we decided to follow to see where he was strong and where I was weak. Then

when I started to feel more confident with the bike and had more grip and better turning, we decided to push forwards and take advantage.”

As quickly as Pedrosa had lost Stoner, he found Lorenzo.

The reigning World Champ pounced on Pedrosa, and the two Spaniards fought toothand-nail to the end of the race, with Lorenzo edging away to deny Honda its expected 1-2 result.

“I think maybe I am more proud of that podium than a race victory, that’s how I feel tonight,” said an ecstatic Lorenzo.

“I feel very proud of myself and my team, who never gave up and worked to give me the best bike that they can. I put everything I have inside into my riding on the track for the race. From the start to the end, I was on the limit every lap. I almost crashed on one corner but I managed to stay on the bike and finished in second position which is the best that I could do.”

Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Simoncelli were fourth and fifth respectively, making it four Hondas in the top five.

Behind them, Yamaha’s Ben Spies and Ducati’s Valentino

Rossi had a spectacular battle for sixth place. Rossi eventually fell away, thanks to his ongoing recovery from a shoulder injury.

“Even last year, after I hurt my shoulder, I had the same problems in the latter parts of the races, and since the two bikes are so different, it means that it’s really a matter of me not being physically right,” he said.

“It’s not just that. We also have to improve the bike because the others have clearly made a step forward since last year.”

Colin Edwards was eighth (Yamaha), Nicky Hayden was ninth (Ducati) and Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda) rounded out the top 10.

First Stoner thrown: Perfect Honda debut for Casey Stoner, even if the winning margin wasn’t completely convincing, main. Valentino Rossi extracted little joy from Qatar and may be about to discover how tough things had been for his predecessor at the Italian team, Stoner, below opposite.

Jorge Lorenzo gained the upper hand on the injury-hampered Dani Pedrosa to take second place, centre.

Honda Media

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NASCAR ROUND 4 - BRISTOL, TN

Busch’s

Bullring motorsport news

TOYOTA Media

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For the second year running Kyle Busch dominated the Bristol Bullring and took home a Nationwide-Sprint Cup double

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ACING at Bristol Motor Speedways is simple; either you beat Kyle Busch, or you lose.

The Joe Gibbs Toyota driver was once again untouchable around the half-mile oval.

He dominated Saturday’s Nationwide race, and ran with the leading pack for most of the race. In the final round of pitstops, Busch took the lead, and held out Carl Edwards to take his fourth win in five years at the Tennessee track.

“It was a great pit stop there on that last run down pit road,” said Busch, whose last Cup win was also at the place they call Thunder Valley. “They gave me a great job there so I get out and have track position I

wanted and the lane I wanted to restart in [the outside].

“That gave me a little bit easier job, instead of having to pass some of those guys. It would have been interesting, for sure. Carl tried to make it interesting -- he gave me a little bit of a shot there. But I kept it straight somehow this year, didn’t have any fallback from 2008 [when Edwards won after moving Busch].”

Polesitter Edwards looked to be the man likely to unseat the M&Ms Camry, but now settles second in the points, just one back from Kurt Busch.

Jimmie Johnson took third, and must have been disappointed. Kyle Busch led 153 laps; Johnson led 164, and

his Chevy looked fast enough to win. But one slip, from a tyre changer, put him back in fourth place, and he could only recover one of those lost positions at the flag.

Matt Kenseth was fourth ahead of Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch. For a time, it looked like Dale

Size Matters: Kyle Busch is becoming accustomed to standing next to improbably large trophies at Bristol. His nearest challenger was Jimmie Johnson, below on the outside, but the man from Las Vegas was too fast on the night.

dia TOYOTA Me TOYOTA Media

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Earnhardt Jr would be in one of those place, but a pitlane speeding penalty cost him dearly, dropping him to ninth.

The other controversy of the weekend was the number of teams that had problems with tyres. Goodyear took the step if delivering 1200 new tyres to the circuit after a number of

64

problems were found in rightrear tyres. Some teams saw cords through the carcasses in as little as 30 laps, prompting Goodyear to change to its 4386 compound tyre, which is used at tracks like Kansas and Fontana. Teams had to adapt their cars’ stagger to cope with the new tyre but no major

problems were reported after the switch.

Marcos Ambrose had a solid weekend in the Petty Ford. He qualified 14th and ran just outside the top 10 for a part of the race. By the flag, he was 15th.

“We had a good day considering it was rough,”

Ambrose said.

“We fought hard to stay on the lead lap and got some damage late, which hurt the handling of the car, but I’ll take it.

“If we have a difficult day and finish 15th, that’s not too bad ... we’ve got a straight car and decent points.”

motorsport news

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TOYOTA Media

Sights of Bristol: Thunder Valley packs of lot of action into a small space.

Things were a blur for some of the drivers, but David Reutimann was in a spin in the #00 Waltrip car, below. Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer got into some friendly fire, centre, while Marcos Ambrose had a good points weekend with 15th, right.

TOYOTA Media

NASCAR Media

NASCAR Media

Results :: Jeff Byrd 500, Bristol, TN Pos. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 NASCAR Media

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No. 18 99 48 17 27 29 22 16 4 39

Driver Kyle Busch Carl Edwards Jimmie Johnson Matt Kenseth Paul Menard Kevin Harvick Kurt Busch Greg Biffle Kasey Kahne Ryan Newman

Make Toyota Ford Chevy Ford Chevy Chevy Dodge Ford Toyota Chevy

Team Joe Gibbs Roush Fenway Hendrick Roush Fenway Childress Childress Penske Roush Fenway Red Bull Stewart Haas

Sponsor Qual.

M&M’s 12 Scotts EZ Seed 1 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools 6 Crown Royal Black 11 CertainTeed/Menards 4 Budweiser 15 Shell/Pennzoil 20 3M 2 Red Bull 10 Tornados 21

Top 10 Points: Kurt Busch 150, Edwards 149, Stewart/Newman 138, Menard 136, Kyle Busch 133, Montoya 126, Earnhardt 124, Truex/Martin 123, Kahne 122.

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INTERCONTINENTAL LE MANS CUP ROUND 1 – SEBRING, FLORIDA

Intercontinental Upset

The fledgling Intercontinental Le Mans Cup kicked off at Sebring with a surprise defeat for both the Peugeot and Audi factory teams.

Diesel duel: Audi vs Peugeot battle at Sebring ended with victor y for none of the four factor y cars, main, below centre.

Instead it was the customer ORECA Lapierre/Duval/Panis Peugeot (car 10), below.

OUTSTANDING PIT DISPLAYS BY OCTANORM MANY OTHER DISPLAY OPTIONS AVAILABLE PLEASE CALL US TO DISCUSS REQUIREMENTS

SYDNEY (02) 9556 6012 MELBOURNE (03) 9394 3150

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motorsport news

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I

T is not that unexpected that a Peugeot won Sebring – it is just that few people expected that the works team would get beaten by one of its customers.

The older, Team ORECA-run Peugeot 908 HDi-FAP of Nicolas Lapierre, Loic Duval and Olivier Panis came away from the Florida track with a win over the works-backed newer cars, in a race that showed that the unpredictability of endurance racing can never be discounted.

The works Peugeot of Franck Montagny, Stephane Sarrazin and Pedro Lamy looked to have the race win within reach but the car had to make an unscheduled stop for a damaged nose.

Things got worse when Lamy spun on his out lap, putting them back to third place.

Peugeot’s misery was great news for Highcroft Racing. The team’s brand new HPD ARX-01e, shared by David Brabham, Marino Franchitti and Simon Pagenaud, finished second, a half-minute behind the winners. The new LMP1 car showed

t

pace enough to worry its diesel rivals, and the new car looked speedy, considering its first track test was only a week before the race.

It was a hard race for the Audi Sport team. Dindo Capello collided with the second works Peugeot driven by Marc Gene and finished fourth ahead of the other Audi R15+, which was crewed by Romain Dumas, Timo Bernard and Mike Rockenfeller. The collision meant that the second Peugeot ended up eighth.

The Audi team planned to remain in Florida after the race to endurance test its all-new car.

Joey Hand continued his great season by taking out GT honours with Andy Priaulx and Dirk Muller, while the Level 5 Honda took out the LMP2 class on debut, with Ryan Hunter-Reay, Luis Diaz and Scott Tucker.

Runner up: David Brabham shared the driving in the second-placed Highcroft entr y, below, which made a promising debut with second place.

All Images Andrew Hall

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4WD HEAVEN NSW STATE

BOB Pearson and Leigh Burgess were the class of the Production Touring field at a sodden Eastern Creek over the weekend, the pair sharing the spoils across a sombre weekends racing for the opening round of the NSW Production Touring Championship.

The pair made the most of their four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Evos to drive clear of the field, Burgess winning the opening race in a nailbiting finish from Pearson, who responded by driving clear in both races on Sunday.

Sam Zavaglia found the conditions to his liking too, claiming all four Superkart race wins across the weekend, ahead of Warren McIlveen.

Changeable weather throughout the weekend meant, for the most part, unpredictable racing and some surprise results – none more so than a retirement for Greg King, spinning out of the lead from the opening race, handing Darren Meyer his first win in HQ racing. King rebounded with an inspired drive through the field to win the final two races of the weekend.

Laurels were shared between Peter Opie and

Richard Bloomfield in Supersport, Simon Copping and Daemon Jameson in Sports Sedans, while Over 2litre Improved Production wins went to Frank Donniaux and Dave Loftus.

The category’s smaller cousin, Under 2-litre Improved Production, was shared between Bob Jowett and Ryan Brown, while Neale Muston was forced to drive his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car hard to win the second and third Production Sports race, Tim Mackie piloting his Lotus Elise to victory in the opening race of the weekend.

– MATT COCH

Romain takes Asia win GP2 ASIA ROMAIN Grosjean is the 2011 GP2 Asia Champion.

The final two races were held at Monza, Italy, on the weekend, after the races at Bahrain were cancelled due to the political upheavel that has struck the Gulf state.

Having dominated Saturday’s first race,

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Grosjean cruised to fourth in the second race – although that was later revised to seventh thanks to a post-race penalty for some vigorous defending while Esteban Gutierrez was behind him. But it didn’t matter; with Jules Bianchi going out early in Race 2, the title was all Grosjean’s.

Dani Clos won Sunday’s final race, leading home Fabio Leimer.

motorsport news

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LUKE’S HEIGHTS USF2000 LUKE Ellery has made a dream start to the USF2000 National Championship, taking a two-point series lead away from the opening round at Sebring.

The Australian started the weekend well, recovering from a big moment in Race 1 to drive back to fourth place.

But it was the second race where he showed what he was made of, starting P3 on the grid and then storming to victory.

“At the start of the race we went hard into Turn 1, four cars wide on entry,” he said.

“The first lap was an absolute scrap between the Top 5, I was up to second at a few stages, then got stuck back in fourth.

The Andretti cars were doing well working together, and they were in a good spot, but right after a restart I got by them and worked up into second.

“I ran with the leader away from the field until he realised how strong my car was, he started getting defensive and it brought us back to the field. From there it was a six-car scrap for the lead. Eventually I got past and into the lead, drove away lap by lap and won by just over two seconds.”

CHEV REV UP WTCC IT was all about Chevrolets at the first round of the 2011 World Touring Car Championship, with Robert Huff and Alain Menu sharing the wins in Curitiba.

The first race was an absolute cakewalk for the boys in blue, with Huff leading a Chevy 1-2-3 home from Yvan Muller and Carlos Bueno, giving the new 1.6l turbo-charged Cruze a debut win.

Menu started the second race from pole, thanks to a new qualifying system that inverts the Top 10 from Q1. He managed to hold on for the win, but had to withstand pressure from ROAL BMW driver Tom Coronel. Muller was third.

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rear of grid

t o p S d Od

Photos by Justin Collins and Joel Strickland

A STAND UP PERFORMANCE OVER the last 10 years of the BBC series Top Gear, we’ve learnt a lot about The Stig through Jeremy Clarkson’s introductions.

For instance, ‘some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves ... all we know is, he’s called The Stig’. And, ‘some say he’s wanted by the CIA, and that he sleeps

upside down like a bat ... all we know is, he’s called The Stig’. And who could forget ‘some say that he appears on high value stamps in Sweden, and that he can catch fish with his tongue ... we know him only, as The Stig’.

But, according to these photos from Phillip Island’s historic meeting, there’s something about The Stig even Clarkson

doesn’t know – he drives while standing up!

Given that the driver’s name was listed on the results, we’re going to suggest it isn’t actually The Stig. However, it’s still a fine display of bravery by Anne Thompson, who was behind the huge steering wheel.

The car, by the way, is a 1906 Darracq Grand Prix car.

Phil Williams

www.mnews.com.au

WITH digital cameras, anyone can be a photographer – even four-time Bathurst winners! eNews snapper Phil Williams caught Allan Moffat trying to muscle in on his photographic ground during the Touring Car Masters races at the Clipsal 500, and he wasn’t wielding a tiny point-and-shoot, either.

That’s a real man’s camera – exactly what you’d expect from someone who raced cars such as the Mustang Boss 302 71

HURST

MES TO BAT O C 1 F – ’ N IO IT D D ‘A L IA AN eNEWS SPEC

Go

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motorsport news

o Tell it on The Mountain Amazing things still happen in this sport – like a Formula 1 car being driven around Mount Panorama, by a World Champion, and a five-time Bathurst 1000 winner.

PHIL BRANAGAN witnessed history

Dirk Klynsmith

www.mnews.com.au

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HURST

MES TO BAT O C 1 F – ’ N IO IT D D ‘A L IA AN eNEWS SPEC

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HEN Craig Lowndes got the call, to inform him that he might get to drive a Vodafone McLaren Grand Prix car – at Bathurst – his reaction was fairly predictable.

“I thought it was a lot of … bull!” he grinned – in pitlane, at Bathurst, standing in front of a McLaren MP4/23.

It was No Bull. It was true. Today, Tuesday March 22, Craig Lowndes drove a GP car around Mount Panorama and he did so only about 1s slower than the speed at which Jenson Button did it.

Both Vodafone-backed drivers swapped rides, just as Button and Jamie Whincup did at Albert Park a year ago. But where that time, the drivers had to slow their cars on certain parts of the circuit, this time the two had all 6.2km of Bathurst available to them.

“You can sense so much where it is faster,” grinned Lowndes after he leapt, reluctantly, out of the McLaren.

“When I first went out, it was just the acceleration. When you get to Turn 2,

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where the V8 drags up the Mountain, in a sense now, the acceleration now is all the way up the hill to The Cutting, being able to hug the kerbs to take the lines you want.

“The biggest thing was how it absorbed the bumps. The V8 does that really well.

The Audi that I raced here earlier in the year was not quite as nice. But this was really good. Down Conrod, you could hear the plank underneath scraping away.”

Fourteen years after he last raced an open-wheeler, in Formula 3000 in 1997, he did a pretty good job. More of that later.

The hard part was getting Lowndes out of the car …

“I was hoping that were going to plug it in [the starter] and we could go again!”

Earlier, Lowndes had shaken down the TeamVodafone Ride Car and Button had completed his run. The former World champion was off the pace of Lowndes but he did a great job, since it must be a ridiculous ask to learn the track, the car and do it in front of the public.

“It is not so much which car you are driving, it is driving it around this great circuit,” Button said. “I have wanted to do it for a number of years and it has been a great experience.

“The V8 was really good fun. There was a lot more grip than I expected, especially up the top section, the slow-speed corners. Down the straights it is nice and easy to drive but the F1 car was just moving around all the time on the bumps.

It was really nice to drive both cars and my reactions are really in tune for this weekend.”

How fast could an F1 car go with practice?

“From Turn 4 onwards – I don’t know the name of the corners – with a bit more practice, it could be flat …”

The indications are that the Ride Car was off the pace by about 4s. There is also time to be gained by having more F1 rubber laid down. Button’s theory is that an F1 car is about 30s a lap faster than a V8 Supercar would have the front of the GP grid lapping in high 1m30s range …

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John Morris/Mpix John Morris/Mpix

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KEEP READING FOR PHIL BRANAGAN’S EXCLUSIVE TRAVEL BLOG WITH JENSON BUTTON 75

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JB HIGH FLY

How does a World Champion from the world of Formula 1 spend a day before the opening race of the 2011 Grand Prix season. At Bathurst, driving a McLaren and a V8 Supercar. And flying around the country with PHIL BRANAGAN

T

HE first indication that Tuesday was not going to be a normal postdeadline recovery day came at around 7am.

The fact that I was in the far reaches of Tullamarine Airport, lined up at a Security Check, was a tip-off. The man in front of the X-ray machine was grinning like a cat, pointing at the skinny, scruffy kid in the black windcheater and the Hugo Boss jeans who had just breezed through.

“Eeza Jenzen Buddon!” he said, in an accent that sounded 50 percent natural and 50 percent situation comedy.

“Eeza’s going to Baddurst, to drive Craig Lowndes’ V8 Supercar!”

“What do you know?” I reply. “Isn’t that great?”

You just know this fella is going to be glued to the TV news bulletins tonight …

The 2009 Formula 1 World champion descends down the elevator, with girlfriend Jessica Michibata alongside and comes over to say g’day.

“You again,” he smiles, in an impressive display of recollection, considering I have not seen him in 12 months.

“Jenson, whenever I see you these days, it seems like you are doing your best to become a V8 Supercar driver.”

“You never know …” he chuckles.

Jenson and Jessica are travelling with his manager Richard Goddard and physio Mike Collier, and John Button, the ever-present, always-enthusiastic dad. I ask John whether he has seen Bathurst before.

“All the time!” he says.

“We [gesturing to his son] used to watch it all the time, that and Formula 1. It was amazing. I remember seeing one guy steering around the track, almost with one hand, talking on a TV camera all the time.

We had never seen anything like that before.”

“That was probably Peter Brock, John,” I mention.

“Yes. Too bad it is not on TV at home any more.”

I correct him, with the information that the media is delivered; that it is on MotorsTV 76

and that there are, potentially, millions, possibly tens of millions, glued to their sets in Blighty, watching V8 Supercar races, including Bathurst.

“Can’t find it,” Button Sr continues. “Haven’t seen it for a while.”

Time to go. We assemble to board one of Rex’s Saab 340s, the hostess rather politely asking me to move to the rearmost seat.

“Weight balance,” she states. I try to not take offence. Unsuccessfully.

We are delayed, according to an announcement from someone who calls himself ‘The Captain’. I often wonder why a professional but civilian pilot might choose only a middle-ranking military title to call themselves. Why not aim higher? Why not ‘This is Air Marshall Wazza Jones speaking’, or ‘My name is Wing Commander Derek Smith’? Squadron Leader? Biggles? Or, some impressive fictional title, from Star Wars, or even Star Trek?

Anyway, he tells us there is a misty drizzle in Bathurst. Not great – but not as bad as Monday when, apparently, the plane carrying Craig Lowndes to his date with Formula 1 destiny circled for more than an hour, waiting for the weather to co-operate.

We have no such problems. The runway is wet but the sky is blue. We all pile into bus for the trip to Mount Panorama – all including TeamVodafone boss Roland Dane and team PR Martine Cousins (who have arrived on another flight, from Sydney) and John Button, but less Jenson and Jessica. A black car is waiting to whisk them away; it is, understandably, a Mercedes-Benz.

The next surprise is at the track. The carpark opposite the main entry gates is about three-quarters as full as it might be for a Bathurst 1000 Thursday. There are a lot of punters here, anxious to see an F1 car lap the track. We would like to join them but the gate off Mountain Straight, the one through which dozens of Bathurst winners have driven at the end of the race, is locked.

A man on a bike with a key arrives to correct the minor glitch in what is otherwise a smoothly organised day.

And there it is; in the garage, at Bathurst, a McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 car. It is an MP4/23, the same car Jamie Whincup drove a year ago, and Lewis Hamilton’s British GPwinning car of 2008.

There is a something a bit surreal about seeing this car, in this place, at this time.

After careful massaging of the car, Button climbs aboard and sets of on an installation lap. Subsequent adjustments complete, and launches it again, and goes for a four-lap run.

The helicopter chasing him has no chance.

There are no lap times posted, and JB is on a Medium compound Pirelli tyre rather than Soft, but we timed the first lap at 1m54.240s; the second at 1m48.995s.

“These guys [V8 Supercar drivers] are crazy!” he said after his laps. “On TV, it is great to watch the racing, but it does not do it [the track] justice.”

Then it was time for some laps in the V8. Tyres are interesting again; the car, TeamVodafone’s Ride Car, is on Dunlop Sprints, a tyre never used in anger on The Mountain.

It did not matter much. The track was dirty and even on Sprints, Lowndes was down in the 2m11s bracket. Button was about 6s slower, and not pleased as racing drivers rarely are, but he has impressed. Crisp gearchanges, hard braking, he clearly was comfortable.

Then came the moment. Lowndes was installed in the McLaren and the world went Loud. Out he went, the engine note rising and falling as the car made its way around the track.

When he reappeared, there was no mistake; He Was On It. The car fired into Hell Corner, squirmed as he washed off speed and, long before the corner’s apex, he fired all 700 horses into the ground.

He was going fast – almost as fast as Button. He was within 2s; then, a second.

The McLaren guys, who had raised the ride height after Button’s installation lap because the plank was bottoming, were smiling, not with relief but … okay, probably with relief. motorsport news

Dirk Klynsmith

Wheelie good fun: Lowndes had nor drama getting the front wheel of the Macca F1 car off the groud, above, while Button looked very comfortable in the Commodore ... again, below.

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Dirk Klynsmith

For a moment, the mental clock wound back and you wondered what might just have happened had Lowndes had a second season in F3000 in 1998. If, but, maybe …

In he came. You could almost see the smile through the familiar helmet. He had done a great job.

Button was impressed, as Lowndes was with the Brit’s effort in the Commodore.

“Yeah, he could step up and come to V8s!” he exclaimed about Button’s prospects of racing at the track.

And that was it. Fun over, the two drivers got down to the business of motor racing, which is the price they pay for getting to do this, in these cars, on this track. Predictably, both handled every media query with aplomb, and shook each hand offered by guests. Apart from being pros, they are pretty good fellas.

I am finishing this in the media room at Bathurst. I am guessing that the Buttons will be on the Rex flight back to Melbourne. As you can see, we have devoted a fair bit of space to what happened today.

Craig Lowndes in a GP car. Jenson Button in a V8 Supercar. At Bathurst.

Today has been a pretty good day …

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