Motorsport News Issue 105 - 18-31 July 1997

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'18-31 July 1997

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V8 Supercar fans will have an early chance to assess Australian 1000 Classic form

when the teams contest a pre event Top Ten Shoot-out at Bathiu^t next month.

The single lap Shoot-out will fol low two one-hour practice sessions at the circuit on the Tuesday after Oran Park’s SATCC finale, which is on August 5.

A similar event three years back drew a large mid-week crowd to the Moimtain.

Shell series leader Glenn Seton represented the general view of dri vers when he welcomed the Shoot- out plan this week: “It’s a sensational idea,” he said on Tuesday. “There were 10,000 peo ple there last time this was done.

“Brock won it, I think. I’ll really look forward to it.

-o CD

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“With no race next day, the guys will really be able to have a go.”

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Continued Page 3

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Down to the wire Lucky Jacques After some gripping racing at Wanneroo and Maliaia,the Sheii Series grand finai wili be a three-way fight between Seton, Bowe and ingall.

See inside for all the action.

Jacques Villeneuve thought his British Grand Prix hopes had been dashed by a wheel problem, but his rivals had even worse luck and the Canadian was able to record the 100th GP win for Williams - Full report starts Page 16

If V

NZ chance The V8 Supercars could be racing in New Zealand this year, after all, but only for one race. For the latest developments, see Page 3

Drivers cenfirmed Some of the top touring car drivers in the ; world have been confirmed for the AMP ; Bathurst 1000-including Audi’s Frank I Biela and Volvo star Rickard Rydell. See !

Page 9 for more details. :

The Peter Brock StoryI As that man posts another big win at Wanneroo, we continue with Part 3 of his life story. Relive those classic privateer days starting on Page 20

We gave Gleeo Setae the Red Carpet treatment Red ^ Carpet ODtions Ford Credit

reu can enjav R tea.

For the Glenn Seton Racing Team it came in the form of a Ford Credit sponsorship - an appfopriate association between the driving force in motor sport and the driving force in y fioance. For you, Red Carpet Options can be the way to update your new or used Ford every two years. It’s an Innovative finance product that gives you a Guaranteed Minimum Future Value on your Ford vehicle and three great options at the end of the term. Find out more at 3 your Authorised Ford Dealer, or phone 1 800 503 673.

Credit

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18Juljf1997

Wiiliams-Renault Bathurst rethink V

By CHRIS LAMBDEN

THE red-hot British champi Williams onship-leading Renault Super Tourer team could join the field for the AMP Bathurst 1000 after all.

s; ■

When initial plans for the Super Tourer Bathurst race were announced, the Renault team was the one notable

Team principal Frank Williams has told TOCA UK Chief Alan Gow that his team is looking at the idea again: “They haven’t made a deci sion yet,” Gow said this week, “but, in Frank’s words, they are looking at it enthusiastically.'

O’Reilly acknowledged this week that the Renault team had been in touch, “seeking details on refuelling regula tions and the like.”

The Williams-run team has dominated the 1997 British series to date and the addition of runaway championship leader Alain Menu to the Bathurst line-up would pro vide a great additional drawcard.

The Frenchman would prob ably be joined by his young British teammate Jason Plato, who has impressed greatly in his debut touring car season.

Regulations and official entry forms for the AMP Bathurst 1000 will be distrib uted to the British teams this week and Gow expects formal responses quite quickly.

THE YELLOW PERILS... Menu.and Plato,in their BTCC dominating Lagunas could be headed this way.

Brock to goodbye in NZ? PETER Brock might not have his last race at Bathurst after all.

Instead, he may be racing in New Zealand in November as the Australian touring car circus con siders a one-only race this year.

IMG motorsport manager Garry Craft said last week that negotiations have taken place with the Auckland race promoters with a view to racing their in November.

The promoters have until this Sunday to come back with a better financial offer than they had already put forward, but Craft said that the kiwis were not far from the mark.

If the offer is acceptable, the race will be put to the ■membership of TEGA soon afterwards.

Some teams are understood to not want to go to New Zealand this year, but the weight of opinion may be in the affirmative.

Costs for the trip would be reduced because the teams would not take their big Pantech transporters, but would send the cars in containers.

If the race does go ahead, it would be held at Pukekohe, probably on the third weekend of November.

Mobil has expressed interest in backing the event, which would be a huge send-off for Peter Brock.

- DAVID HASSALL

Skaife joins chorus against the Enforcer

By PHIL BRANAGAN MARK Skaife has become the latest touring car driver to cross swords with Russell Ingall.

In his return drive at Mallala, the Gibson Motorsport driver was involved in a first corner incident with Ingall and later got involved in a heated argument with Castrol team leader Larry Perkins.

With his Commodore damaged badly enough to DNF from the first race and not start the second, Skaife spoke to the Perkins crew on the way back to his garage.

Straight after the race Perkins headed over to Skaife’s garage and had a shouting match with him.

“If you’ve got a problem, don’t yell at my crew,” he said heatedly.

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Rumour of the week: Unconfirmed of course, but we hear that impressive HRT Young Lion Jason Bargwanna could get the hot spot alongside Peter Brock for the Tickford (Sandown)500 and Australian 1000 Classic. According to team manager Jeff Grech, the line-up hasn’t been finalised yet, but isn’t too far away.

■ As we reported last month, Dunlop has now been confirmed as the tyre supplier for the pri vateer Control tyre category at the Australian 1000 Classic.

Privateer teams will get two sets FOC, with up to four more sets . available at $530 per tyre.

■ Entries have now opened for the Australian 1000 Classic, which close on July 25.

Prizemoney and start money lev els are as reported previously $100,000 to win the race, with top privateer set to win $25,000, plus $5,000 for “privateer” pole.

equipe which at the time said it could not compete.

But there is now evidence that a re-think has taken place.

“Obviously, we’re hoping they make the decision to race.

They’re a great team.”

TOCA Australia boss Kelvin

Bargwanna with Brock?

“Sort it out with Russell.”

The two continued their discus sion on the way to Perkins’ garage, until Fred Gibson dragged Skaife back.

“I don’t know where Larry thinks he sets the standard of behaviour,” a fired-up Skaife said later.

He was also critical of the lack of action from CAMS. “Of late it seems that everyone thinks the first corner is open slather, time for a bit of biff and barge.

“But if it’s to stop I can’t Ijelieve that, once you consider the vision, the evidence and the damage, CAMS hasn’t taken any action.”

He pointed out paint on the rear of the car: “Only one car behind me

had green paint on it. It’s not hard to figure out what happened.

“What happened before televi sion? 'The evidence was the state of the car and the flag marshal report, and charges were laid on what peo ple saw.

“I’ve seen the vision and it looks pretty conclusive to me. But at this stage I’m still considering what to do.”

It is believed that the team was considering protesting Ingall’s didving after the first race but did not lodge a formal protest.

If they had, action may have resulted in Ingall, the only Holdenbacked driver with a championship hope, losing valuable points.

Murphy hits out - P5

Bathurst shoot-out Continued from Page 1

Greg Murphy, half of HRT’s 1996’s winning double act, hopes to use the day to test HRT’s brand new VS Commodore, currently close to completion at the team’s base, and assess the team’s compet itiveness prior to race week: “We’ve been using up our tyi’es a little of late, so it’s important for us - and all the teams - to know how we’ll be affected there and how we’re going relative to everyone else,” he said.

“In our case, I’m hoping we’ll be able to give the new car a nm. It’s the ideal opportunity.”

AVESCO had considered the pos sibility of flying Craig Lovmdes out for the promotional test day, but his “home” F3000 race on August 3 at the Al-Ring clashes.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

■ Moves are afoot in New Zealand to re-establish Foimula Holden as the NZGP category.

Motorsport New Zealand is cur● rently in discussion with Formula Holden's Brian Shead concerning the viability of a tworace series in late November, at Pukekohe and Manfeild,the for mer hosting the NZGP,and the costs associated with getting a strong Australian contingent across.

■ Latest ofthe co-driver rumours has Jason Bright suit ing up alongside Mark Skaife for the endm-ance races. The Gold Star winner spent some time in close proximity of the team’s garage and admitted he was talking to “three teams, all with a chance of winning the race.”

■ CAMS is selling its Melbourne office.'The Camberwell location, which houses both the National and Victorian offices, will be put on the market soon to allow the Confederation to move into larg er premises, probably in Melbourne’s southern or south eastern suburbs. It may take up to 12 months for the relocation to become effective.

■ FI supremo Bernie Ecclestone has threatened to pull the plug on world champi onship races in Westeim Europe if tobacco sponsorship is banned.

In the German weekly Welt am Sonntag, Ecclestone said,“If a tough law in adopted there will be a tough reaction from us. I can’t see a ban being introduced, because it wouldn’t make sense.

I’m sure there will be a compro mise.”

■ TOCA has revised the points from the Croft round of the BTCC. They have awai’ded full points for the 14th round of the series, which was stopped after James Thompson and Gabriele Tai-quini crashed their Hondas. This means Alain Menu has 200 points, 106 miles clear of teammate Jason Plato.

■ Garry Brazier’s good US form has netted him a win at the Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania. He won the 25-lap feature by a second from Cris Eash, Billy Pauch and regular tourist Fred Rahmer.

■ Stephen White vdll race the Young Lions car again at Oran Park on August 3.

3

4 WM^mi Berger set to leave Benetton GERHARD Berger says he will probably move on from Benetton at the end of this season after a dis

IXL

McConville secret DJR Falcon test

appointing couple of years with the Enstone CAMERON McConville was on McConville would complete a team. = hand at Mallala on Monday to full circle.

In an interview with test with Dick Johnson’s Shell He was the first Formula Austrian radio, Berger said HeMx team.

Ford champion to be given a he doubted if Benetton would Audi Super Tourer driver test by the team, which resulted be the right team for him McConville drove for DJR at in the 1994 drive, but he was next year and said he was in Sandown and Bathurst back in dropped after crashing at negotiation with Wilhams.

1994 and, as Motorsport News Bathurst.

His two-year Benetton con revealed four weeks ago, is a At the same time,'the Shell tract expires at the end of top contender for the long dis team is considering a request to this season. tance spot in the second Shell give the 1997 Slick 50 Ford He said he would make a Falcon alongside Steve Motorsport Formula Ford decision about his future in Johnson.

Champion a test later in the August.

McConville drove on both year.

Berger has missed the last Monday and Tuesday, along WA driver Garth Tander curthree Grands Prix because of with Johnson Jnr, and the team rently leads the championship sinus problems - which have is expected to make a final deci by 16 points from Tasmanian needed two operations. sion regarding its fourth driver Marcos Ambrose, with one Benetton, which is about within the next week or so. round to go. to announce some ofits plans - CHRIS LAMBDEN A return to the team by for 1998, put out a statement TESTING... McConville with the Shell team at Mallala. (Photo byKiynsmith) playing down Berger’s com ments; “Gerhard simply said that it’s too early to talk about his plans for next year,” the team' said. “He spoke highly of his current team, Benetton Formula, and said he had no TOM Walkinshaw used the to win and be part of a team like ours. intention of quitting the British media to deliver a mes“And they would.be a lot cheaper...” team.”

This sent the local headline writers sage to Damon HiU at the British The 37-year-old Austrian GP. into a fever and there were stories has been in Formula 1 since “Any professional is only as good as , that Hill would be sacked on the 1984 with ATS (1984), his last race and ifDamon wants to be Monday after Silverstone. This was Arrows (1985), Benetton in a better situation he should be tryabsurd and the following day Damon (1986 and 1996-97), Ferrari ing 110 percent to show others what had his say: (1987-89 and 1993-95) and “There’s only so much I can do; that he is capable of doing,” Walkinshaw McLaren(1990-92). the driver can do,” Damon commenttold pressmen.

He has won nine of his 202 , “I have to get him back on the boil. ed.

Grands Prix - the last victo “Tve been keen to play this down His lack of performance has been ry being in Germany in and not draw comparisons between making the car look far worse than it 1994. what I feel was the package offered at Since he returned to really is, and that is not fair.

“I’ve been subtle, but now is the the beginning of the year by Tom and Benetton last year he has time to be blunt. It is time for me to the one we have now. had a very disappointing remind him what he is capable of.

“I don’t want to let anyone down. time, scoring only three podi“Tom has told me he was misquoted “If he doesn’t get the job done the lun finishes in 22 races. way we want it to be then he could be , and I am 100 percent behind the In the same period Jean ; team.” on his way.

Alesi has had 10 podiums The feeling in the paddock at “It’s OK for people to speculate that but has also failed to win a Silverstone was that Hill is not hkely we might lose Damon, but the truth is race. to stay at Arrows next year unless the that it could be the other way around -JOESAWARD team has secured Mecachrome -Damon could lose us. engines - which is unlikely.

“There are plenty of good young dri - JOE SAWARD and AGENCIES vers, all fast boys eager to learn and

Tom and Damon slug it out

Gerhard’s family tragedy

GERHARD Berger’s father Johann was killed in an aeroplane accident near his home in the Tirol region of Austria last week.

The 62-year-old was fly ing alone in a singleengined plane in thick fog.

The plane crashed into a wooded mountainside just 700 metres above the ground.

The previous day Gerhard had announced that he would not be tak ing part in the British GP as he is still recovering from a sinus operation which has kept him out of action since the Spanish GP six weeks ago.

So where does Damon go?

UNHAPPY... Damon Hill at Arrows.

Ford could rescue Arrows

By JOE SAWARD THE announcement that Jordan has secured the Mugen Honda VIO engine supply should have come as a setback to Tom Walkinshaw - but the Scotsman does not seem to be too bothered.

At Silverstone, Arrows technical director John Barnard said that his design engineers have already start ed on the design of the 1998 car and that the engine the team will use is already known to them.

“We made our decision on that six or seven weeks ago,” said Barnard, “but it is up to Tom to make a statement on that.”

This was strange as Walkinshaw himself told pressmen at Magny-Cours a

fortnight ago that it was far too early to talk about engine deals as everything was still up in the air.

Speculation at Silverstone suggested that Tom has been forced to build his own engines and that these will be paid- for by Yamaha, which ends its five-year deal with John Judd at the end of this season.

This is possible but would be a. major step for Walkinshaw at such an early point in his FI programme with Arrows.

There was also talk that he has managed to secure a Mecachrome engine deal.

It is more likely that Walkinshaw has convinced Ford bosses that the compa ny should supply him with its new VIO engines in 1998

in order to force along the pace of Ford development, and at the same time give Ford the chance to have cars with both Goodyear and Bridgestone tyres.

Ford sources suggest they are open to such proposals as Stewart has been struggling a little this year and the team will take at least a cou ple more seasons before it is truly competitive.

There have also been changes in the Ford top man agement since the company decided to support Jackie Stewart at the end of 1995, with Australian Jac Nasser appointed head of automo tive operations in October last year.

Nasser - who is known as Jac the Knife within the company because of his ruth-

less pursuit of improved per formance - is apparently not keen to wait around for FI success.

There are some at Ford who believe that rivalry between factory teams is a good idea, citing the 1993 example when Benetton and McLaren both ran factory Ford V8 engines.

Nasser and Walkinshaw have had disagreements in the past over Ford business but our sources say that pragmatism has won the day and that there have been dis cussions.

If Tom does not have a deal with Ford, it is hard to imagine how he will find a supply of competitive engines as all the obvious companies have effectively made their positions quite clear.

OTHER front-running teams are already offer ing Damon HiU more com petitive machinery if he. defects fi*om'Arrows.

Alain Frost - who was Damon’s teammate at Williams in 1993 - said he would be interested in hiring Hill while rumours have sug gested that Damon also has offers from McLaren; Jordan and Benetton.

There have even been sug gestions that he might go to Williams to replace Jacques Villeneuve, who is planning to move to the new BA Team Reynard in 1999.

McLaren is likely to keep one of its current drivers, purely for the sake ofstability.

There is pressure from the team’s German backers to take on Ralf Schumacher but the team’s new technical director Adrian Newey would probably be happy to work with Hill again - the two having collaborated during Damon’s time at Williams.

Jordan is looking for an experienced star to complete its 1998 package. This year the team has had a car ^ which is possibly capable of winning races but its young drivers have not always delivered the results.

Frost would also like a star name in his team as team mate to Olivier Fanis. A HillFanis combination would be very strong.

For 36-year-old Hill, time is important and he may decide that his best bet is to stay with Walkinshaw for the rest of his FI career in the hope that the team will competitive by 1999 or 2000.

-JOESAWARD

/Wu/y/W

5

Murphy hits out at Ingall GREG Murphy has not lodged an appeal against the $500 fine handed out to him at Wanneroo’s SATCC race, but it has served to inflame the already xmhappy relationship with RusseU IngaU. HRT’s young charger copped the fine after a turn one incident in which leader John Bowe was hit from behind, while Murphy himself was contacted by the Mowing Russell IngaU. “We thought about it (an appeal) afterwards, but then decided not to bother,” said Murphy this week.

“Why bother? There’s no point. We just laughed about it in the end ...

“Then you go to Mallala, Ingall hits Skaife at turn one so hard from behind that it bends his rear axle and spears him into Brock and spins him out, and nothing happens.

‘What is going on?

“In fact, when it seemed as though Skaife might protest the shunt, I suggested he should take $500 along as he would pi'obably be blamed for it ...”

Murphy’s recently stated view that he would prefer Glenn Seton or John Bowe to win the championship rather than Ingall, with whom he has now had a number of run-ins, made headlines in the

GREG MURPHY...

“Ingall doesn’t desen/e to win the championship.”

Melbourne Herald Sun this week.

It was presented by the paper that Holden driver Murphy wanted a Ford to win the series.

“It was certainly written in an over-the-top inflamatory way,” Murphy told Motorsport News on Tuesday.

“Of course we’d like a Holden to win the champi onship. It’s a shame that we’re not in a position to do it.'

“But,in tei-ms of driyers, my view -and I think you’d find it reflected right along pit row is that as drivers Glenn and John are the ones who deserve to decide the championship.

“It’s a shame they both drive Fords, but that’s too bad.

“The other driver [Ingall] drives a Holden, but as a dri ver he doesn’t deserve to win the championship...”

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Lotus could return BAT poised to swoop on Minardi

By JOE SAWARD

HAVING failed in its bid to buy Tyrrell, the new FI team to be funded by British American Tobacco is now being widely tipped to buy the Minardi team.

The BAT-financed bid involves Jacques Villeneuve, his manager Craig Pollock and Reynard Racing Cars.

The intention is for the team to begin testing in 1998 and enter FI with Villeneuve as one of the dri vers - in 1999.

The team’s budget is rumoured to be in the region of US$250 million for five years and the team will have Mecachrome (Renault) engines for testing in 1998.

The purchase of Minardi, so the rumours suggest, will give BAT access to a share of the TV income, which is worth around $12m a year for the next five years.

The problem for BAT is that Minardi’s ownership is complicated and it will be expensive to buy out every one involved.

GiancaiTo Minardi and some of his friends, who con trol 30% of the team,' may not want to sell at all.

Minardi has spent his entire career trying to build his team into a competitive operation and only gave up control because he was wor ried that his debts would force the team to close with the loss of employment for his 70 staff.

He will want the Minardi name to continue.

BAT and Reynard do not want a small and {ioorlyequipped facility in the mid dle of Italy.

The other 70% of the team is supposedly owned by an international holding compa ny which involves Flavio Briatore, Gabriele Rumi, Sandro Nannini and others.

Briatore will no doubt sell his shares if the price is right as his interest in FI is more finanical than sporting, but Rumi has long wanted to be part of an Italian FI team (he owned Fondmetal before buying into Minardi).

Even if Giancarlo Minardi and his allies are forced to accept a sale and a change of name, BAT faces a serious problem in getting all the other FI teams to agree that the team should be called BA Team Reynard.

Alain Prost had big prob lems changing the Ligier name to that of Prost.

Even if all these problems can be sorted out, the team will have to be built from scratch in Englapd.

It is, therefore, much more logical that the BA Team Reynard principals should try to negotiate a share of the TV income rather than buy a team which is of little use to them.

TEAM Lotus is hunting for money to make a return to Formula 1 racing in 1999.

The famous Team Lotus name is currently controlled by David Hunt - brother of the late FI World Champion James Hunt - who became involved in the last days of the old Team Lotus in late-1994.

Lotus is a famous racing name and Hunt is hoping that this reputation and the interest being shown in FI by large financial institu tions will result in him finding the money to

launch a revived team.

‘We have always maintained we would not bring the great brand name back to Formrda 1 unless there was a proper budget and a real probabihty of adding to 'Team Lotus’s illustri ous heritage,” Hunt said at the weekend.

Hunt is believed to be trying hard to get support for his scheme from Malaysia’s Proton car company, which bought 80 percent of Group Lotus in October last year.

-JOE SAWARD

Former IMG man returns FORMER IMG man and AVESCO Board member Tony Cochrane has been elected as Chairman of the V8 racing group.

Cochrane, whose head-on style has created some waves in the sport, resigned from IMG last month to pursue his own business interests, but offered his services to the group on a voluntary, unpaid basis.

The appointment,^which has surprised a few in the sport, has the support of his former employer (IMG) and, in the words of interim Chairman Wayne Cattach “allows him to see it through, in terms of making this

year’s Australian 1000 happen.

Cattach told Motorsport News that Cochrane gen uinely wanted to continue his involvement with the V8 category: “I guess the appointment goes until the end of the year when, as is normal, it’ll be reviewed.

“My fill-in role was only ever for three months; we needed someone with their finger on the pulse of what is happening, and Tony offered his services.

“It was considered sensible for us to have him steer our course through Bathurst.”

Wliile Cochrane will be a

non-voting Chairman, his departure (along with IMG CEO James Erskine) from the AVESCO Board left two vacancies.

IMG Motorsport Manager Garry Craft will take one seat, while IMG CEO desig nate Martin Jolly (the com pany’s former Marketing Director) is expected to take the other.

At the same time, the search is now on for a full time Chief Executive to administer AVESCO and TEGA jointly.

Cattach remains an AVESCO board member and Chairman of TEGA. - CHRIS LAMBDEN

6

18July 1997

must admit i quite like Silverstone with the latest modifications.

When I first arrived for testing last week I thought it was quite bumpy, but we changed our car to make it better over the bumps. It’s a bloody good circuit now, you’d have to say.

But it’s still impossible to overtake...

Qualifying started badly when I hit a hare which crossed the track at the first comer on my first run.

I saw something out of the cor ner of my eye and all of a sudden there was a big explosion. There was blood everywhere; it was all over my helmet, and there was a bit of fur hanging on the mirror on the right hand side. It also broke the front wing.

So I just backed off and came straight into the pits.

I more or less lost half an hour, and when I went out the car wasn’t good.

I was very worried at one stage, because as soon as the temperature goes up, we’re in trouble. The car just doesn’t seem to like hot conditions.

It was very unstable at the rear end on the entry of corners. We changed the car and did a couple of things; but my last lap was a nightmare.

The car is just unstable - I don’t know what the problem is.

There’s a really narrow window between going off and doing a good time. At the test the car was great, but the temperature coming up this weekend destroyed it.

Still, with that last lap I managed to get up to seventh place. I was only 0.4s off Michael, who was fourth.

At the end of the day we know the

I

car is not as good as the Benetton, and we’re ahead of them, so I must be doing a good job!

As far as the others are concerned, Hakkinen and McLaren looked impressive, and they should have been on P°'®Friday night 1 made a quick v^appearance at a black-tie ball they Stowe School, which is just down the road. It’s an amazing place. I

made a better start than Half Schumacher and got outside him.

But he sort of braked early and I got stuck there on the^outside, and Johnny Herbert blasted down the inside. We were' behind David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen, and they were holding us up.

Once I realised the McLarens were on a one-stopper I really just had to wait, because it was impossi ble to get past anyone.

I tried to get Half loads of times, but he was too quick on the straight.

I’d drop back, cool off the tyres, then have a go at him. I got as close as I was ever going to get, but there was no way.

I made my first pit stop at the same time as Half. He braked very early and I was right on his gearbox as we came in. Jordan obviously did their pit stop slower than ours; we did a really good one and got out there miles in front of him.

When Michael slowed down with a wheel bearing problem, he was on the outside of the corner as I came out of it.

I actually had to move over to the right to miss him. I went over a load of stones, which cost me 3-4 seconds. It took two laps for them to clear away.

I moved up to second, behind Villeneuve. At the time I didn’t really know the positions, but when I saw him I thought I must be pretty high up!

The gap between us was just over six seconds when I came in for my last pit stop. was to going come out in third, behind Jacque? and Hakkinen, but as I accelerated away, the driveshaft broke, and that was the end of that. I stopped at the end of the pit lane and walked back...

I’ve had a few races where I was lucky. I was unlucky this time. At the end of the

I^ve had afew races where I was lucky. I was unlucky this time.

At the end ofthe year it all works out even, doesn^t it?

Lj

only stayed for an hour.

It would have been a great do to go to properly. I was tempted to stay but it wouldn’t do my job prospects much good to be found rolling down the stairs at Stowe School at 3am before qualifying!

IRVINE ... EDDBE IRVINE: Our man introduces himselfto Piers "007” Brosnan and his wife at Silverstone.

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These cars are available for immediate sale and will be tested for new purchaser if required.

Please contact:

Lyall Williamson BMW Motorsport Australia Ph: 0755 461 366 Mobile: 015 183 030 Fax: 0755 461 850

year it all works out even, doesn’t it? n

n Normally informed , sources at Silverstone said that Flavio Briatore may not be leaving Benetton after aU, having agi-eed to a new three-year contract with the Benetton Family. n Frank Williams said at Silverstone that he is not expecting to change drivers in 1998. There has been speculation that Jacques Villeneuve might be dropped if he continues to ask for too much money without producing the results. n A couple ofBMW engi neers were spotted in the paddock at Silverstone, having a look at the FI scene. There are sugges tions that Williams vrill use BMW VIO engines in 2000 and that work will begin on a program next year.

Indycar GP date switch sets puzzle

By CHRIS LAMBDEN

A SWITCH of dates by the Gold Coast Indy race to October 15/18 in 1998 is set to cause a scheduling rethink for the Australian 1000 Classic promoters (IMG and the Bathurst City Council) next year.

Gold Coast Indy represen tatives have been angling at an October date for some time, to avoid clashing close ly with Melbourne’s AGP and to better align with other Gold Coast promotions.

Success appears to have been achieved with Indycar CEO Tony Cochrane and Qld Tourism Minister Bruce Davidson announcing an October 15-18 slot for the 1998 race last week.

While an announcement has been made, final ratifica tion of the 1998 CART calen dar will come after the next CART Board meeting in August.

In the meantime, thought must now be given to what to the V8 happens Australian 1000 Classic after this year.

“I suppose it’s fair to say we could have done without

the clash,” interim A’VESCO Chairman Wayne Cattach said on Tuesday, “but we’ll now have to look at the options.

“Obviously, if October 4 was available, we’d go for that...” he said with a degree of mischief

“Failing that, you have to look at something like midNovember, which gives the teams time to prepare after their Indy appearance although that may have implications for some of our overseas plans.”

The Indy date change can not have come as a total sur prise to AVESCO’s members.

It was negotiated by Tony Cochrane, the former IMG man still CEO at the Gold Coast Indy as well as outgo ing Board member but incoming Chairman at AVESCO ... .The change also comes as good news to TOCA. The Super Tourer group has strenuously sought a greater gap between its Bathurst 1000 and the V8 race, including a considera tion of legal action.

The IndyCar organisers have, it seems, done the job for them.

Bates to miss Bathurst 10

By JON THOMSON A CLASH of dates will almost certainly cost rally ace Neal Bates his oppor tunity to drive the Phoenix Motorsport Camry Super Touring car in this year’s AMP Bathurst 1000 on October 5.

The organisers of Rally Adelaide, the proposed open ing round of the Australian Manufacturers Rally Championship have re scheduled the event for October 4-5 in order to avoid a clash with the AFL Grand Final on the originally sched uled date of September 2728.

Unfortunately for Bates, his commitment to Toyota in rallying takes precedence over the non-factory Super Touring program which will mean he has to be in Adelaide for the rally instead of at Mt Panorama.

Bates says the clash of dates is “damn annoying and a silly move by the rally organisers”.

“I reckon it is wrong to think that they’ll be better off against the Bathiust 1000 and the Motorcycle Grand Prix than the AFL,” said Bates.

“The rally will be lucky to get any coverage against two of the biggest motor sport events in the country but would have been the only major motor sport in Australia on the AFL Grand Final weekend,” he added.

“As far as I can tell, the Grand Final is played in Melbourne on Saturday for couple of hours so I can’t see how it affects a two-day national championship rally in Adelaide.

“It is crazy!”

Glen Jones, the spokesman for the organisers of the rally, the Australian Major Events Company, said the decision to schedule the rally was taken when there was still speculation over the Bathurst dates.

“There was speculation about whether the Bathurst 1000 would happen and the motorcycle grand prix wasn’t taken into consideration,” said Mr Jones.

“We thought it was a bet ter option than running up against the AFL and don’t see Bathurst or the bike GP being a problem,” he added.

There is no indication at this stage who will take Bates’ place alongside Mark Adderton in the Phoenix Motorsport Camry.

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BIG BOY’S TOY... Giancarlo Fisichella with a scale model in Jordan’s new 40 percent windtunnel.

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(Photos by LAT Digital) '1

ordan gets Mugen

By JOE SAWARD

EDDIE Jordan had a good week before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, tying up his engine supply for the next couple of years, re-signing with Benson & Hedges until the end of 1999 and picking up some more money from credit card company Mastercard.

The team also unveiled its recentlyrevamped windtunnel facility at Brackley - now known as Jordan Technologies.

The exclusive Mugen Honda engine deal for 1998 and 1999 is not unexpect ed but is believed to include much more of a commitment from the Honda Motor Company than has been the case in recent years.

It may,in fact, turn out to be a facto ry contract as the team needed such a deal to ensure that Ralf Schumacher did not slip away to McLaren next year.

Schumacher Jr has a contract which includes a clause that Jordan must use “a factory engine”. l This does not mean that Ralf will actually stay with Jordan next year, but if McLaren and Mercedes-Benz want the young German they are now going to have to pay considerable sums of money to get him out of Jordan.

If the money is offered, however,

i

DEAL DONE... Eddie Jordan and Hirotoshi Honda announce their new alliance for the 1998 GP season.

Eddie Jordan is likely to take it, as he did a couple of years ago when Ferrari wanted Eddie Irvine.

As part of the Honda deal, Jordan will institute-a scholarship scheme for Japanese drivers in European racing, details of which are expected to be

announced at the Japanese GP in October.

The influx of B&H money h^s been one of the most important catalysts in the team’s expansion and its two-year extension can only continue the team’s steady rate of growth.

The team has found additional back ing from Mastercard’s Latin American and Caribbean operations. GP racing is hugely popular in these areas, which are major targets for credit card expan sion at the moment.

The deal is believed to be the leftover from the abortive Mastercard Lola FI team but will probably be continued next year.

It is worth noting that Visa Mastercard’s rival - may be consider ing an involvement in FI. The compa ny’s worldwide public relations boss Louise Tingstrom used to work in Grand Prix racing 10 years ago with the FIA and was spotted recently at a Grand Prix.

The Jordan windtunnel was bought from Robin Herd last autumn and has been completely ovei'hauled, enabling the team to run its own 40 percent scale models.

The team intends to expand the windtunnel facility to enable customers to use the tunnel when Jordan does not need it and may base some of its other R&D operations there in the future.

Murdoch moves on Formula 1

By JOE SAWARD

'THE delays over the flota tion of Bemie Ecclestone’s Formula One Holdings company has created more interest in FI in financial circles than might have been the case if it had gone ahead without drama.

One of the results of this is that rival investment banks have been suggesting to thenclients that buying a slice of the Formula 1 pie might be a wise investment move.

In recent weeks there have been a string of different “mys tery buyers” who have been looking at FI. These include Rupert Murdoch’s British Sky Broadcasting, which is likely

to be one of the major bidders for the digital TV rights from the British market, which have yet to be sold.

Reports in British financial papers last week suggested that BSkyB will spend $300m for a 10 percent share in the FI business.

There have been similar sto ries suggesting a deal involv ing Italy’s Telepiu TV compa ny, which is now owned by France’s Canal Plus - sponsor of Prost Grand Prix - the major player in FI’s digital

TV.

We have also heard sugges tions in recent days that British American Tobacco which is to sponsor a brand new FI team in 1999 - may

also be wilhng to buy into FI. This coincides with rumours in FI circles that there is a consortium of big FI sponsors getting together to offer Ecclestone a substantial sum of money for a share of the company- as a way of protect ing their investment in FI. 'This makes particular- sense for the cigarette companies, which are becoming more and more controlled by govern ment restrictions.

The big players in FI may decide to club together and tiy to use FI as a tobacco promo tional tool. ’ FIA President Max Mosley said at Silverstone'that he had no objection to tobacco compa nies buying into the sport as

the governing body of the sport has the right to cancel any of its contracts if it does not agi-ee with the promoter appointed.

In all probability a tobacco buy-out would only involve 50 percent of the company and Bemie Ecclestone would stay in charge.

Other big players who have been mentioned in connection to possible deals are the Agnelli Family --which control Ferrari - and British billionau-e Joe Lewis.

While all this is going on, negotiations with the teams are continuing over a new Concorde Agreement which will then enable the original idea ofa float to go ahead.

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IS July

n As we closed for press came the news that Troy Corser has reportedly set tled his beef with Red Bull Yamaha team owner Bob MacLean and will ride in this weekend’s German 500 Grand Prix. See page 12 for recent developments. n Chaiiie Cox, wellknown BBC TV Super Touring commentator, is looking at a Porsche Cup ride at the Bathurst 1000.

The expat Aussie,a former BTCC privateer,is also after a V8 ride in the Australian Classic 1000 two weeks later. n Bill France’s Internationa] Speedway Corporation has bought Phoenix International Raceway.ISC also owns ovals at Daytona,Talledega, Darlington and Tucson, and Watkins Glen road circuit.

n One driver who knows with whom he vrill drive is Chris Smerdon. He is “99 percent sure" to hand his Commodore over to Kevin Weeks m the long-distance events. n Swisslim Racing is expecting the arrival of another Porsche 911RSCS for this weekend’s Amaroo meeting. Team boss Gerhard Hassler and John Smith, who drove their first car at Indy, will team up for the Bathurst enduro on October 14.

BEARS Racing Weekend at Eastern Creek recently.

Ducati Dealer Team rider Jason Love won the Battle ofthe Twins class on his 748SP(beating the Hunwick Hallam in the

n Tommy Kendall has slaughtered another TransAm field. The lanky American scored his seventh

process) and privateer Daniel Vanohni took out the BEARS event.

straight win at Cleveland, topping the US$1 milhon mark in winnings. Dorsey Schroeder and Brian Simo, in Ford Mustangs similar to Kendall’s filled the podium.

n Strange but true fact of the month: disregarding the retiring Peter Brock Mobd-HRT’s oldest con tracted driver is Toung’ Lion Jason Bargwanna.

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back in F1?

n It was a great day for Ducati at the National

n I don’t like SPAM!: Spam has pulled out ofthe LJ Racing NASCAR team.

Mike Wallace wiB make way for Greg Sacks, who will drive a limited schedule for the rest ofthe season.

4

FHolden fur flies Pirelli

n Experienced official Ken Smith has been appointed Clerk of Course for all Calder road racing events. Smith, who has been deputy Clerk of Course at the AGP since 1985, has also been a director at Sentul in Indonesia.

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THE CALM... before they got together ot Mallala’s Northern Hairpin Jasons, Bright and Bargwanna, were as close as they have been all seaon. But afterwards... (Photo by Ne«Hammond)

by CHRIS LAMBDEN A PROTEST against newly-crowned Formula Holden Gold Star Champion Jason Bright was dismissed last Sunday. .

Bright and series chal lenger Jason Bargwanna coltided at some 250kph on Mallala’s main straight, just after the kink, early in the first heat of the weekend’s round.

Both slewed off the end of the straight, fortunately

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remaining upright, and both were out of the race, which was red-flagged.

From that point, Bright’s championship lead could not be overtaken, Bargwanna was pretty angry about the incident and, after talking with Stewards and viewing video footage, his car owner Simon Hardwidge entered a protest concerning Bright, but it was unsuccessful.

Bargwanna had found space on the inside of Bright’s car for a pass as they exited the kink.

Head-on video footage showed that, as he pulled

back to regain some track position.

Bright conceded until he was back in the middle of the road, gave no more, and the two cars collided, Bargwanna’s left rear hooking into Bright’s right front.

From there, both were on a 300 metre, tyre-smoking ride, off the end ofthe straight.

“He’s crazy,” Bargwanna said as he headed off to see what the Stewards were planning to do. “You don’t bang wheels at that speed...”

For his part, Bright offered an explanation: “My engine stopped - went onto five cylinders - and I alongside, Bright began ti^. went to pull to the inside to move across to the inside. get out of the way, but he was already there.”

Bargwanna initially gave Both cars were repaired for ground until his car was a;t race two. track’s edge, then moved

ITALIAN'tyre company Pirelli is understood to be evaluating a possible return to FI to try to boost its share of the world tyre markets against Goodyear, Bridgestone/Firestone and Michelin.

Pirelli left FI at the end of 1991 because of financial problems, but the company has been returning big prof its in recent years.

Pirelli’s tyre business has dropped behind that of the three big international play ers but it has made a lot of progress in the high-technol ogy cable business.

-JOESAWARD

Walsh toKL

BEN Walsh headed Malaysia last week to pur sue the rest of the local Formula Campus series.

He will settle in Kuala Lumpur and take up a dri ving instructing role at the Shah Alam track.

He will be backed by Shell for the final six rounds of the series after a couple of daz zling drives last week behind British FRenault regular Alex Yoong, who won the meeting.

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HAVING lost a lot of political clout in the recent French elections, we hear that Alain Prost has decided not to rely on any government help for the time being and is now looking at building his own windtunnel at his new factory in France.

He is also expected to invest in a number of large test rigs which are essential in FI today.

Although he is still connected with Craig

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Pollock through a merchandising agreement, Prost does not seem to be involved in the BAT-funded team which Pollock is setting up with Reynard, This means he will have to do all his own development work.

We continue to hear strong rumours that Prost is going to employ Renault Sport’s technical director Bernard Dudot to oversee his engineering team.

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Two Volvos for Bathurst V

VOLVO will have a two-car 850 squad for the AMP Bathurst 1000.

Volvo Australia has expanded its fleet by acquiring the last of the 850 model race cars built by TWR last year.

'■ The car arrived in Australia this week' and Volvo hopes to have it on hand at the AMP Bathurst 1000 media launch, at Bathurst, next Tuesday.

Current TWR Volvo driver Rickard Rydell will share the newer car with Volvo Australia’s main man, Jim Richards.

The existing car will be driven by Dane Jan Nielsen, who is .also expected to have an Australian co driver.

As Motorsport News closed for press, .the fourth driver had yet to be finally confirmed, although our spies were suggesting that current VauxhaU driver Cameron McLean, apparently not in a position to fund an entry for his own car in the 1000km race, might well be the man.

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850 times TWO... A sister car to Jim Richards’ 850 is here for a doubie Bathurst 1000 assault. (Photo by Nigei snowden)

while Audi confirms Bieia, Hemroulle ■(

by PHIL BRANAGAN AUDI has confirmed its driver Une-up for the Bathurst 1000 on October 5.

Brad Jones and Cameron McConville will be partnered by current British Touring Car Champion Frank Bieia. and Frenchman Jean-Frangois Hemroulle, who leads the Belgian title this season.

Team manager Kim Jones has just returned from Germany where he finalised arrangements for the race. The Albury-based Orix Audi Sport team will also be bolstered by German team personnel for the race.

“The Audi factory is behind us

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100 percent,” said Kim. “Already the Bathurst 1000 is a highly desir able event for international com petitors to run in, and it can only grow.”

Jean-Francois Hemroulle Bieia already has two Bathursts under his telt, having driven for Allan Moffat’s team in 1989 and 1990, and is looking forward to the ’97 race.

“Last year Brad Jones and I raced together at Macau and did very well,” says Bieia. “To come to Australia for the race will be fantas tic.” ■ Hemroulle, 28, won the Belgian series for Trocars’ last season, in which he drove a less-highly devel oped Audi.

He also had considerable endurance racing experience in the Spa 24 Hour race.

IN a Bathurst tune up Brad Jones will race in the Spa 24 Houi-s race.

Jones will join other Audi factory drivers in the race, but not in an Audi. They will share Volkswagen Golfs, fitted with turbo-diesel engines, in a unique assault on the Grand Prix track.

BMW starts its Wui7 for Sauber?

Bathurst push

BMW Motorsport Australia team manager Lyall Williamson arrived back ft-om Germany last week with firm plans for the marque’s assault on the Bathurst 1000.

“They are taking the race very, very seriously,” he said. “While I am not in a position to announce exactly what the details are, I am very happy with what hap pened. We got a very positive hearing and the lead up to 99 the race wiU be busy, but exciting.

Apart from up to three works cars, BMW Independent outfits are also said to be looking at starting the Great Race - depending on how they are placed in their domestic series.

“Everyone there is vei-y keen to see that the race is a success. They all know how big the event is here and the 99 (TV) package they have got has really impressed them.

As an example of how much effort the BMW factory is putting into the race they have delivered a substantial amount of data logging equipment to Australia for next Tuesday’s media day at Mount Panorama.

The information will be vital in ensuring that the Australian-led team will be ready for the race.

U I haven’t had a chance to speak to (Audi team manag er) Kim (Jones) yet but I am sure he would have 99 received the same reception (from Audi) as we got, Williamson says.

99 “The race is going to be something special.

FOR this weekend’s Amaroo BOC Gases round there wiU be a third Svorks’ driver. f Williamson confirmed that BMW NZ ‘Junior’ team dri ver Jason Richards would line up in the Independent BMW previously raced at Lakeside by Wayne Wakefield.

-PHIL BRANAGAN

Wurz’s recent performances have greatly impressed the team but there are plenty of options available for Flavio Briatore for next year.

While Gerhard Berger’s future remains unclear, Jean Alesi wants to stay on. The

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THE Sauber team ran Norberto Fontana again at the British Grand Prix after British racer Martin Brundle turned down a last-minute offer to be Johnny Herbert’s partner.

Brundle - who has been out of an FI drive since being dropped by Jordan at the end of last year - said he did not want to do a one-off race, particularly as he had was unable to test the car in advance.

The Swiss team is now waiting to see what happens with Gerhard Berger and is hoping that it can take on Alex Wurz for the next few races, while Gianni Morbidelli recovers from a badly broken left arm.

Morbidelli visited the team at the British GP but it looks likely that he will be out of action for some time as the breaks he suffered are a lot more serious than originally thought, requiring pins in both bones in the arm.

The bones will have to heal and then Gianni will need more time to build up -his strength again.

Wurz says he intends to retm-n to being Benetton’s test and reserve driver but would not talk about the details of his agreement with the Enstone team.

“I don’t want to explain anything more,” he said. “It is forbidden to do so in the. contract.”

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wk WURZ CASE SCENARIO... Alex Wurz team also has Wurz, Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella under contract.

The Jordan team is worried that Fisichella is on his way to Benetton next year and feel that this has affected the Italian’s concentration in recent events.

Trulli is believed to have a deal with the Benetton Family which runs for another eight seasons, although rival teams reckon that such a contract would not stand up in a European court.

-JOESAWARD

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Aug 31 . . .Darlington ....Rd 24 32 race series held in the United Slates.

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■

T was not a great weekend for the team at Mallala. We haven’t \had time to trace the problem yet but Campbell Little believes that both Mark’s and my cars had a pis ton failure and that was that.

It’s a pity. The cars have been so reliable that we have not even been thinking about it. We would get to a racetrack and think about the handling, the tyres or whatever but we just took it for granted that the cars would keep going.

The team has done such a good job to make sure that that was the situation. Still I would rather have bad things like this happen now than at Bathurst.

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.Rd 10 Aug 3 ....Brazil .Rd 11 Aug 17 ...Britain Aug 31 . . .Czech Repub. .Rd 12 15 race series held around the world.

NHRA WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES Jul 20 . . . .Denver, CO . ..Rd 13 Jul 27 ....Sonoma, CA ..Rd 14 Aug 3 ....Seattle, WA ...Rd 15 Aug 17 . . .Brainerd, MN . .Rd 16 23 race series held in the United States

♦WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Aug 2-5 . .Rally NZ IR d9 Aug 29 . . .1000 Lakes . . .Rd 10 Sep 19-21 Rally Indonesia Rd 11 14 rally series around the world

\AII event dates in this calendar were correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks and/or associations for date changes.

Series or events telecast on Network Ten are marked with an asterix.

Check your local guides tor screening details.

Mallala had the closest have seen in touring cargrid racing.

It’s indicative of just how close and competitive the formula is now.

It is so hard to gain that extra hun dredth that could make all the dif ference.

And the fact that the speed is so even means that qualifying becomes even more important, especially at a place like Mallala where it was very difficult to pass.

The week before we stumbled across a good set-up at Wanneroo and put the car right up there. The car really suited the place, but we lost a little at Mallala. We’re still looking for that set-up that will let us roll the car out of the transporter, fiddle a few things and get it right there.

Wanneroo is hard on tyres. We had two wet races but, at the other times, we seemed to be treating them okay.

But the car still lacks consisten cy. We’ve tried so many different set-ups this season it’s amazing. It would be nice to go into a race meeting with the same set-up and start from there.

The other thing to come out of the weekend was that Mark

About this time Frank Williams will have put the celebrationsfrom his 100th win behind him, and will be arranging to replace Frentzen showed real speed. Even though he started back a little he was clos er to the pole time.

The Grand Prixmake was one of theBritish races which you scratch your head. It was very inter esting.

Ferrari must be kicking them selves. If Michael Schumacher had won three in a row and consolidat ed his championship lead they would go into the second half of the season in very good form. That happens, 1 guess.

I would think that Patrick Head is sitting down with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and having a long talk.

Stalling it on the grid is one thing: that happens, and people just have to make the best of things like that.

But to do what he did at the start of the race, especially since he ran into a Tyrrell which he could have blasted off the track five seconds later!

Jacques Villeneuve nearly lost a Grand Prix thanks to a proverbial five dollar part. There will be a major debrief about that. Patrick will not be happy about that, not happy at all...

But they salvaged a win out of it, thank god.

I always like to see Williams win, because it was my team. But Mika Hakkinen drove very well and I would have like to see him win the race, to be honest.

If he doesn’t win his first race soon his career at the top level may finish soon. It goes like that: some times people just look at the results.

It was remarkable to see Alexander Wurz on the podium in only his third Grand Prix. He’s a

real find: Flavio Briatore must be thinking, “why am I paying all these millions to Gerhard Berger when I can have this kid Wurz doing the job?”

Berger’s done over 200 GPs and people lose motivation. People accumulate a lot of assets and don’t want to lose their life, or they just are at it for too long.

One of the reasons I gave up F1 was I just got sick of it. I missed liv ing in Australia and I had some good assets, like the farm, I wanted to enjoy.

I think Jacques will go into the second half of the season in strong form but Schumacher will keep him honest.

O

f course, the win was Williams 100th GP win, and it came at the same track they won their first, Silverstone.

The hard days of 1978 seem a lot time ago. That year was the real hard year. By 1979 he had the Saudi money and things were a bit easier and he was enjoying things a bit more.

So we went to Silverstone. I qualified on pole and was leading it by about 20 seconds and the car stopped. A little aluminium weld cracked and that was that.

I was very disappointed I couldn’t have won Frank’s first Grand Prix. I went on to win the next three in a row but that one would have been very special.

Frank'is not too emotional when it comes to things like staff. He’s pretty mthless and focused and he

Crompton returns AUSSIE Neil Crompton ended Ms one race sabbatical from the North American Super Touring Championship at Cleveland last weekend.

Crompton brought Tasman Motorsport’s Honda Accord out of its short-term mothballs and had mixed results. After a self-con fessed attack of brain fade while challenging for a position in the first race he threw the Honda into the tyres, dropping him to fifth place at the flag.

Race two went much better for

the Sydney driver. He made a good start and was pressing fellow Accord pilot Peter Cunningham for the lead for' most of the race, but was unable to fiiid a way past.

“I didn’t have enough to get past Peter safely,” he said later.‘"The car was good enough to win both races, and I’m frustrated more with myself than anything.”

Dodge’s David Donohue (who won the first race and finished behind Cromley in third in the sec ond)leads the championship on 168 from Cunningham on 157.

Crompton, on 120, is in fourth.

But the best news for Crompton is that he will be continuing with the series at Toronto. 'The Tasman team has picked up sponsorship for the race from brewing giant Labatts, which is based a kilometre or so from the circuit.

“I am extremely proud to wear the label of such a world-renowned company as Labatt,” says Crompton. The deal will also carry over to the other Canadian round of the series at Vancouver in September.

Experts clear track Bayliss in Senna trial hurt

ITALIAN experts Fesrari sporting direc last week testified tor, Imola circuit man at the Selina trial ager and FIA official, that they do not said that Senna had believe that the FIA been unable to brake safety standards because the car had were to blame for lost its grip.

Members of the Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident at Imola in Williams team have testified Senna’s steer 1994, Antonio Dal Monte, ing column did not fail.

A string of inspec a professor of sports science, said that tion engineers and Senna’s death was not mechanics have given caused by the speed of evidence that the mod the crash but by the ified steering column trajectory of the wheel which was in Senna’s of the Williams during car was properly the accident. Roberto checked before it was Nosetto, a former fitted and that the

modification was made before the season began.

Williams’ top com posite expert Brian O’Rourke, who was involved in the design of military aircraft with the Northrop company before he joined Williams in 1982, said that the steering wheel broke as a result of the right front wheel hitting the wall.

The trial is now in recess until Sept ember.

-JOESAWARD

TROY Bayliss’ Mallala accident will cost him dearly.

The Ansett Air Freight rider dumped his Suzuki in qualifying, resulting in four hairline fractures in his hand and a broken bone in his foot.

Quite apart from the fact that the injuries put any challenge to the red-hot Marty Craggill to rest, Bayliss will now miss out on a fac tory Suzuki ride in the Suzuki 8Hour on July 27.

Bayliss was to share a bike with Le Mans and Spa 24 Hour winner Peter Goddard in Japan but now Willis will fill in for the injured Sydney rider.

will do whatever he has to do to get the job done. If he has to knock a few heads in the-meantime that’s the way it will go.

About this time he will have put the celebrations from his 100th win behind him, and will be arranging to replace Frentzen. Maybe that young chap I mentioned before; he could do a lot Wurz...

The otherHead. man in equation Patrick Hethe owns 30 peris cent of what is a very successful marriage so, after 20 years, he won’t be going anywhere.

It’s, a little like a marriage. They have a very good understanding and they will argue like an old cou ple, but they work very well together.

Consider that the only other two teams with 10O wins up are McLaren and Ferrari and that they were already successful when Williams was a rear-of-the-grid team without a hope of winning and you can understand what a huge job Frank and Patrick have done.

The'Swift is still there.

There have been a few inquiries about buying it but still no-one has shown up with the money. We’ll let it go for $23,000, which is an excellent price for a Formula Ford.

Goddard takes Spa 24 Hour PETER Goddard has scored a come-from-behind win in\ the Spa 24 Hour endurance classic.

The factory Suzuki rider came from four laps behind to run down leader Terry Rymer in the final hour of the event on the classic Ardennes track.

Goddard and team-mates Doug Polen and Eric Gomez found themselves at the rear of the field when he crashed on the third lap of the race and damaged the throttle.

But some fast pit work got them back in the race and, when Rymer’s Kawasaki struggled with mechanical problems at the end of the race Goddard swept into the lead.

The winning combination added the Belgian classic to their Le Mans 24 Hour win in April this year.

“It’s a surprise to win this race, he said after the win.

“I thought we were out of it.

It just goes to show you have to press on in these long dis tance events.”

Goddard now heads to Japan for pre-race testing for the Suzuka 8 Hour at the end of the month.

18 July 1997 0.

Webber impresses in first Mercedes-Benz test Webber reported afterwards that the straightline speed of the CLK was “awesome” and the

By DAVID HASSALL MARK Webber took another step towards becoming a MercedesBenz works driver when he test ed one of the factory CLK-GTR 'sports racers in Austria last Tuesday.

There were no times revealed from'the test at the Al-Ring, but the young Aussie impressed the team.

brakes took a bit of getting used to, but that the car felt big and heavy in the corners - obviously not like the F3 car.

The test ran all day, starting at 8.30am and finishing at 4pm. . Mercedes personnel at Silverstone last weekend were tight-lipped about the test, say ing only that it went “very well”.

Also present at the test was Alexander Wurz, who has starred in his guest appearances with the Benetton FI team in recent weeks, and Webber was hardly overshadowed by the Austrian.

“I was very pleased the way the day went,” said Webber from his home in England this week.

“I feel I couldn’t have done a better bob, particularly in the morning when it was damp.

“There were no times provided at all, but when Wurz was out on the track at the same time I could see across the circuit that

A spokesman suggested it would certainly not be the last test for Webber.

“AWESOME"... Webber had little trouble getting to grips with the fearsome Mercedes CLK-GTR sports racer. (Photo by latDigital)

Mark spent almost an hour talking with Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug at Silverstone on Sunday, having further impressed with his slash ing drive in Saturday’s big F3 race.

Haug is expected to have dis cussions this week with F3 team we were doing about the same' because Mark had proven in times.”

Formula Ford and Formula| 3 owner Alan Docking about the But the Mercedes people said that he was fast; they really program for the rest of this year and possibly next year. that times were irrelevant wanted to assess his character.

then stuns at Silverstone

MARK Webber did not win the British Grand Prix F3 support race at last Silverstone Saturday but he wa.s the talk of the paddock after the event.

The Aussie was duking it out for second when he pulled the move of the sea son to sweep past series leader Jonny Kane.

Webber qualified fourth fastest for the race, less than 0.2s off pole man Nicolas Minassian.

In between them were Mario Haberfeld of Brazil and Kane and, after all three eased past Minassian after the start and Haberfeld started to build a gap, the Queanbeyan driver started a fierce battle with Kane and Minassian.

With three laps to,go Webber blocked Minassian and closed on'Kane on Hanger Straigjit, stunning the Irishman by driving around the outside of him a flat-out. at Stowe 230kmh corner.

“I wasn’t content with finishing fourth,” Webber said later.

“Before the race I had a word with someone who has a lot of experience as an FI team manager and he gave me a tip that the race would be all about conserv ing tyi-es.”

Webber is now back in third place in the champi onship on 65 points.

Despite having a month off the British F3 trail, Webber will not be idle.

As well as any plans

STUNNING ... Webberjust after passing Kane around the outside.

Mercedes-Benz might have for him (see story this page) Mark will compete in the

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Traction control queries THERE

was

much

griping in the FI paddock at Silverstone that subtle changes in the FIA regulations may have opened the way for what is claimed to be a system which is close to trac tion control.

The system is based on pre-setting engine rpm and improves the power curve of peaky engines.

Some teams claim that Ferrari is using such a system and wanted to know if it was legal. The FIA I'uled that it is.

There have also been some complaints against the use of freezing equip ment by Shell.

The oil company says it only uses liquid nitrogen as part of its portable lubricant analysis.

-JOESAWARD

Korea will happen in 1998 OUR sources insist that there will be a Korean Grand Prix in 1998 - as announced a year ago at the British GP. There had been some doubt about the event takiiig place because of the political problems in the country, but we understand that a track will be finished this year.

Bernie Ecclestone is believed to be sending Frenchman Philippe Gurdjian to Korea to oversee the arrange ments for the event now that Gurdjian has fin ished his role as promot er of the French GP. -JOESAWARD

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0

Corser - now what?

THE Mick Doohan 500c World Championship Precision Riding Team stopped at Imola for the Gran Premio di Imola and put on another dazzling show for the spectators.

The only black mark on the weekend came from a protest ing group of 500cc riders who picketed the Repsol Honda garages all weekend claiming that they, too, should be able to have fun on motorbikes.

That could have been the scenario last week but, of course, it wasn’t. Once again Doohan rode as well as he could to take his seventh win V in eight races this season.

Mick was overtaken midrace by Nobuatsu Aoki but it was_,not to last. Doohan shadowe"d Aoki'for a few laps before consigning him firmly to second place to lead across the line by 8.6s.

Third went to Takuma Aoki, middle of the three Japanese brothers, riding a V-twin Repsol Honda. He had a lonely finish after spending much of the race scrapping with Carlos Checa until.the Spaniard ran on straight at a fast corner, lucky to maintain control through the gravel trap to finish fourth.

“Early on I got into a groove and then started pick ing them off one hy one,” said Doohan.‘When I got in front I could see Aoki was following everything I did so I let him out front to see if that would break his concentration. Then I was showing him my fi-ont wheel, just to let him know.

When I got past him again I got my head down and opened a gap.”

Tadayuki Okada completed the Honda clean sweep in fifth, the Repsol rider shad owing Luca Cadalora’s Red Bull Yamaha for most of the race, then passing at the fin ish to lead across the fine by two tenths of a second.

Norick Abe Yamaha was seventh, with Jean-Michel Bayle’s Modenas next, equalling the Team Roberts three cylinder machine’s best result so fai-.

With Alex Barros’s V-twin Honda ninth, the race brought disappointment to front-row qualifier Anthony Gobert trailing home in tenth.

The young Australian suf fered cramp in his leg and his arm pumping up, and couldn’t match his practice perfonnance._ Doohan now has 195 points to Criville’s 102, with Nobuatsu Aoki catching up fast on 100 points.'Okada has 89, and Checa 83.

pj®

Photo by Mike Cooper./Alisport

AND NOW?... Has the sun set on Corser’s 500 season?

WCM Yamaha Team and has AS we revealed last issue notified this decision officially Troy Corser has split with the Red Bull Yamaha GP to WCM, against which legal action is being instituted,” the team and commenced legal action for allegedly statement said.

“Troy Corser is vei-y sorry failing to meet the terms for Yamaha Motor Co... but of his contract. beUeves everyone will under The 1996 Superbike World stand that the present situa Champion said he would no longer race for the Yamaha tion has been created exclu World Championship Motor- sively by Promotor and WCM.” sports Team(WCM)as it had A Yamaha spokesman at not paid him “reasonable Imola confirmed Corser’s remuneration” for 1997. decision and Yamaha took The Australian said he had back the two bikes leased to tried unsuccessfully to secure WCM for Corser’s use. either the application by The spokesman said the WCM of his original contract dispute would not affect with Promotor or, alternative Corser’s team mate Luca ly, a new contract.

Cadalora of Italy who has “Considering this unaccept able situation, Troy Corser reached a full agreement with WCM for the rest of the seahas decided not to race any further Grand Prix for the son.

BiaggFs revenge

-.1' V-

--

NUMERO UNO AT HOME... Max Biaggi made it a great day for Italy in the 250s with a great win after a stunning race with Ralf Waldmann. He celebrated in his usual style.

WHO CAN BEAT ME?... Maybe someone up there can manage it. Doohan slaughtered the 500 field again to take his seventh win in eight races.

MAX Biaggi took a hard-fought win in a thrilling 250 race, that had at one point four Honda riders braking abreast into the comers, with Aprilia-mounted Tetsuya Harada closing up from behind.

There were several changes of fortune on the way to the flag, but Biaggi avenged his black-flag disqualification at the previous race — and regained the title lead — with a steadfast ride culminating in a last-laps charge that took him a cmcial six-tenths clear of Olivier Jacque and Tohru Ukawa. Early leader Ralf Waldmann was fourth, losing ground slightly in the closing stages.

The race was heartbreaking for Harada, who broke the record twice as he caught right up and moved into a challeng ing fourth, only to run into engine trouble and drop back again to finish a distant fifth. He was overtaken by his team mate Loris Capirossi, only for the Italian also to have trouble, failing to finish the last lap.

Hometown hero

k

TEENAGE Italian hero Valentino Rossi (Aprilia) pulled out all the stops to claim his sixth victory in eight races and stamp Ms authority on the champi onship after the mid point of the season.

Rossi pegged down early leader Tomomi Manako (Honda) after a mediocre start on the sixth of 21 laps, then stayed ahead to the fin ish, gradually pulling away

from the persistent pursuit of the Japanese rider.

Former champion Kazuto Sakata (Aprilia) was third, with Garry McCoy (Aprilia) fourth.

The Australian had been embroiled in a close five-bike battle, but was the beneficia ry of Masaki Tokudome’s crash on lap 12, which delayed the others slightly and gave him breathing space.

Beattie’s future undecided £

n till II llli

FUTURE IN THE BALANCE?... Daryl Beattie.

by PHIL BRANAGAN HOT on the heels of Corser’s woes with Red Bull Yamaha comes the news that Daryl Beattie may leave the Lucky Strike Suzuki team at the end of the season.

Beattie’s contract with the outfit ends at the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on October 5 and, such has been his unhappiness with the season he has endured, he is believed to be seeking an alternative to Grand Prix racing for 1998 and beyond.

These appear to include a possible trans fer into Suzuki’^ so-far unsuccessful World Superbike squad or retirement from the sport altogether. s

Sources in Europe suggest that he has discussed the matter seriously ■with team manager Garry Taylor.

When asked whether he thought Corser has a future in his seat, Beattie responded, “For sure there is every chance a place ■will be available to another rider and, whoever that may he, I wish them all the best -with the team.”

Beattie has struggled with his Suzukis all season. At Imola he rode the muchhated latest version of the bike, the ‘XR87’ and finished a dismal 13th. He was com prehensively out-paced by team-mate Anthony Gobert, who qualified third and finished 10th.

Earlier in the season Beattie struggled with updated versions of older bikes (up to

two seasons old). His best result so far this . year is a seventh.

“It has been a straggle for a long time,” he says,“and it is frustrating.”

Last week he tested the bike for two days at Brno in the Czech Repubhc, a move seen more as the determination of the team to get the bike more competitive j;o develop their 1998 machine than to actually con tend for race wins this year.

While, at 27-years-old, he could be con sidered to be in his prime, his long run of injuries may have sapped his motivation.

Given his well-known long-term aim of returaing to Australia and starting a heli copter charter business, Beattie’s future may be, in more ways than one, up in the air.

n

IS July 1997

BMW hit with weight penalty

taking weight off other cars.

“But we would not have been able

By PHIL BRANAGAN

TOGA Australia has acted to even up the competition in the BOG Gases Super Touring Ghampionship by handing out a 30kg weight penalty to the BMWs. The next rounds of the series will see the racing weights (including drivers) set at 1115kg for the V BMWs, compared to the 1155kg of the Audis and the 1060kg for the front-wheel-drive cars.

This means that the Australian series will run under different weights to those in the British Touring Gar Ghampionship.

In that series, the Audis had their weights reduced by 30kg earlier this season. So, while the relationship will be the same, there will now be a 30kg advantage for the front-drive cars.

Prior to making the adjustment TOGA was lobbied by Audi, BMW and a number of front-wheel-drive teams, each presenting differing options.

The option of adding weight to the BMWs is seen as the one most likely to even up the competition by, potentially, bringing the BMWs back to the field instead of having a 30kg lighter pair of Audis move

to take a significant amount of weight off cars.

“We are bound by FIA minimum weights and must comply with their regulations, so a weight reduction for, say, front-wheel-drive cars, was not a strong option.”

While the weights taken by TOGA are not published, it is believed that the BMW Motorsport cars of Paul Morris and Geoff Brabham are

/ -

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TOO FAST... The BMWs will certainly struggle at Amaroo this weekend. away from the pack towards the BMs. “It was not the only alternative,” said TOGA Australia Ghief

Executive Kelvin O’Reilly.

“We were not bound to follow the UK precedent and we did look at^a number of alternatives, including

already close to limit, while the three-year-oid privateer BMW of Justin Matthews is well over and will not be overly affected.

Ironically the BOG series moves to Amaroo Park next weekend, a track where the Audis are best-suit ed - even without the weight change.

The Jones team has won six from six races in the last two years at the Sydney venue.

The weight situation will be re assessed, if necessary, after the Mallala round of the championship on August 24.

Any weight changes made during the course of the season will be nul lified when the weights are re-set prior to the AMP Bathurst 1000 on October 5.

0

n Williams technical director Patrick Head recently married Betise Assumpcao, who was Ayrton Senna's press officer when he drove for the Williams team in 1994.

Ironically, Head is on trial in Italy, prosecutors alleg ing that he was one of those responsible for Senna's death. n Bonington Park last week unveiled bronze memorials to both JuanManuel Fangio and Ayrton Senna. The monu ments ai’e located outside the circuit's museum,the Bonington Gollection. n With Federal Express coming into FI at Silverstone last weekend, it is worth noting that rival courier company TNT Express Worldwide has just signed a deal to become the official carrier for the World Motorcycle circus. TNT Express is also involved in a small way in 125cc racing, where it suppoi’ts the Bodelier Team Honda of Japanese rider Masao Azuraa.

-JOESAWARD

Zanardi races from last to first NOTHING could stop Alex Zanardi from winning the Gleveland GART race.

He was on pole and got a good start, led the first 22 laps, but then things started happening. A dead radio? It was okay: he could still hear it, faintly, during yellow flag periods.

A penalty for pitting in a closed pitlane put him at the back of the field but from there the only way was up and the Italian roared through the field to take the win.

He had to work hard to do it, steaming past the similar Reynard-Honda of 1996 Gleveland winner Gil de Ferran with five laps to go, but Zanardi made it to assume a challenging position in the 97 GART title chase.

Zanai'di starred in qualify ing. His "Friday time was unbeaten all weekend and he

: -4

lined up his Target-Ganassi Racing machine ahead of de Ferran, Portland winner Mark BluiMell and Michael Andretti / and Ghristian Fittipaldi in their Swifts.

At the start Zanardi jumped away from de Ferran

and led the first segmejrt until a yellow appeared from a Richie Hearn crash.

Along with six other dri vers, Zanardi pitted before the pits opened and, to make matters worse, he crossed the blend line on the way out.

So, even after restarting at the rear of the field, he had a drive-thru penalty under green. After the brouhaha he was 22nd...

The pace at the front was hot. Be Ferran’s closest chal-' lenge came from Bryan Herta, whose Shell-Rahal car was on the pace all weekend, only to be slowed by brake problems.

On lap 58 Zanardi swept past Mooi-e for third, just before the Ganadian blew an engine and prompted a yel low.

Once past the struggling Herta, the Italian zeroed in on the fuel-conserving Brazilian and charged by to take his second win of the year.

Zanardi was a relieved man after the flag: “I could see on my pit board I was in position 22, but I couldn’t allow emotion to effect my driving. I never thought everything was lost.

“I took some risks lapping people...”

Behind Herta in third was Unser who, as usual, relied on consistency and pit work to slide through the field.

Next came Rahal after a solid run through the field after an early black flag penalty for passing Alex

PIT DRAMA ... Fittipaldi was a real threat until his jack collapsed at the last pit stop.

Ribeiro, ahead of Ghristian Fittipaldi, who continues to show stunning speed after his rehabilitation.

In fact Ghristian was a real threat in the race until a jack collapsed during a pit stop,

resulting in a 35s stop.

Series leader Paul Tracy was seventh ahead of Scott Pruett while Blundell (who

had run much of the race neai- the lead) was ninth after a late pit stop and Parker

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Johnstone was tenth in Ban-y Green’s Reynard-Honda.

Points after 10 races: Tracy 106, Moore 95, de Ferran 94, Andi’etti 91, Zanardi 90, Pruett 71, Vasser 69, Boesel 61, Gugehnin 56, Unser 49.

4 Joest wins three races from three Fresh from its second Le Mans win, Joest Racing unexpectedly took its successful TWRPorsche WCS95 to the opening round of the new International Sports' Racing series at Bonington Park, UK,and recorded another win.

The car has now raced three times for three wins.

Reinhold Joest, howev er, has confirmed he is trying to put together a new deal to operate a fac tory GT-1 race team on behalf of a leading manu facturer in 1998. n Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson Piquet will drive a Bigazzi Team BMW 320i touring car with Steve Soper and Jo Winkelhock in the Spa 24 Horn’s at the end of the month. n Frank Nichols, the founder of the UK car manufacturer Elva Cars, which was active in Foi-mula Junior and sportscar racing in the 1950s and ‘60s, has died aged 76. n The annual Mai’lboro Masters Formula 3 event at Zandvoort in Holland, has attracted a record international entry of 53 cars,45 of which are Italian-built DaUaras.

Australia’s only represen tative will of course be Mark Webber. n British diiver Dino Morelli will be out of action for the rest of the season. Morelli broke both ankles in his Nurburgring Formula 3000 crash (as pictured in our last issue). n Alain Menu’s domina tion of the BTCC is now unprecedented since the mtroduction of Super Touring. The Williams Renault driver has now won 10 of 14 races.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

Irvine

to stay at Ferrari for the Mshman.

This has left Irvine, whose consistency has helped Ferrari to the top of the constructors' cham

EDDIE Irvine knows he needs to sustain his improved form this year if he is to retain his place alongside twice world Michael champion in the Schumacher

pionship this year, wait ing to see if his seat is safe.

"I don't think there is

Ferrari team next year.

Irvine's contract is up for renewal and Ferrari's option on his services expires at the end of the month.

"Of course, I want to stay at Ferrari," he said.

"But I am not going to worry about it.

'1 am happy here and I know that if I keep on doing the job to my best then I have a good

Eddie Irvine chance. That's all there is to it - I'm not hunting around for anything else."

Rumours suggest Ferrari have been talking to Finland's Mika Salo as a possible replacement

anyone out there, apart from Michael, who is bet ter than me," he said.

"In fact, I believe that had I been in a Williams this season I could have beaten Michael because, to be honest, I've always thought1 was a better dri ver than either Jacques Villeneuve or HeinzHarald Frentzen."

Irvine has four podium finishes to his name this second in year

Argentina, third at San Marino and Monaco and third in France - and Irvine has been a vital support to a FeiTari team dedicated to helping Schumacher to his third world championship tri umph and the team's first drivers' title since 1979 and constructors' win since 1983.

Irvine, in his second season with the Italians, has come to terms with playing second fiddle for Ferrari and, although he accepts his role as

Schumacher's shadow, he retains the utmost confi dence in his own ability.

"The team is right behind Michael and I am a bit of a sideshow," he said.

"I don't get inferior equipment, but if there is something new then it's handed to Michael. I understand that because Michael is the one who is going to win the title this season. Why give it to me?"

He added: "Michael is

up there alone and then a couple of guys are level behind him ... and I'm one of them."

IRL founder has no regrets TONY George, president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and founder of the Indy Racing League, says he is proud of what he has achieved with his contro versial new series.

Throughout the ordeal of putting together his new all-oval Indycar series, George has been accused of having selfish reasons for taking on the established CART series and running them out of the Indy 500.

But George insists his motives are pure: moving back toward the oval-racing roots of America, giving teams a less expensive venue and giving young drivers an opportuni

ty.

/ Though his fields are still mostly ' populated with drivers past their prime or just getting started, and big sponsors have not come running with dollars in hand, George remains optimistic and determined.

One of the biggest hurdles in this second IRL season was the intro duction of all new chassis and engines.

After some early design problems with the cars and some serious reli ability problems with the engines, things seems to have settled down.

"I'm very proud of everyone for all the effort they put into getting this equipment on line on a fast-track program," George said. "What we've done is really pretty amazing.

"I have never regi’etted starting the IRL. I've never felt it was a gamble. I felt I was doing the right

HAS-BEENS AND NEWCOMERS ... The IRL fields have been a mixture of everything but proven drawcards, (Photo by Allsport/Australian Picture Library) who have stayed loyal to CART despite having to miss the Indy 500. thing, always felt good about it and had a lot of positive discussions with people who had been in this business for a long time."

Still, it has been a struggle.

Among the biggest problems has been the perception that the IRL is a bush league.

Originally, it was a lack of bighame drivers and teams that made it seem that way, with unknowns such as Buzz Calkins, Richie Hearn

and Jim Guthrie winning races.

Then there were some embarrass ing officiating gaffes, including a mix-up on a restart with one lap left in this year's Indy 500 and a scoring glitch two weeks later at Texas that initially gave the race win to the wrong driver.

George and the IRL were suffi ciently embarrassed to immediately end their relationship with the USAC.

"I think there's a lot of people out there in the media who would like to see us fail, for whatever reason," Geoi'ge said. "But, you Imow, things don't stay the same forever.

"We've gone through a lot of changes in our company and we're focusing on the future. It's going to take some time for people's percep tions and feelings to change. But we're planning to be around for the long haul."

Foyt and Luyendyk fined over brawl VIC-828'Sydney Rd Brunswick 3056 Ph 03 9386 5331 NS'W - 10 Carnegie Place Biacktown 2148 Ph 02 9676 8655

AJ Foyt and Arie Luyendyk have both been fined by the IRL for their Victory Lane altercation after last month’s True Value 500.

Foyt was fined US$20,000 (about $26,000), while Luyendyk, this year’s Indianapolis 500 winner, was fined US$14,000 for the unsportsmanlike behavior they demonstrated after the June 7 race.

“The IRL must demand and receive disci pline and courtesy from our drivers and teams both on and off the track,” said IRL Executive Director Leo Mehl.

Following the race in Fort Worth, Texas, racer-turned-owner Foyt attacked Luyendyk when he entered Victory Lane after Foyt dri vers Billy Boat and Davey Hamilton were listed as finishing 1-2.

Luyendyk was listed in third but, con vinced that he had won, the Dutchman charged into Victory Lane, prompting Fojft to sti’ike him twice in the back of the head.

The 62-year-old Foyt then wrapped his hands around Luyendyk’s head, took two steps and shoved him to the ground.

Luyendyk was later declared the winner after race officials determined that a com puterised scoring system had malfunc tioned.

Foyt has apologized for attacking Luyendyk.

Both A.J. Foyt Enterprises and Team Menard appealed the results.

The Indianapolis-based IRL said it will donate the fines to the American Red Cross.

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FORMULA, t

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Target Silverstone and ther travel tales s

ilverstone is usu ally a Grand Prix meeting dominat ed by travel adventure storids.

One would have thought that after so many year^ the circuit authorities might have been able to perfect the access roads into the old airfield but the British iove of muddling through (the evacuation at Dunkirk, the 1966 World Cup Final and the Williams team ali being good exampies of this phenomenon) means that each year in July one goes to Silverstone expecting to spend time in traffic jams.

A lot of the visiting reporters from the Continent think that it would be a good idea to bomb the oid air base.

There are two ways to handle the problem; one can accept it or one can arm oneself with a map tabie, intercom sys PACKED IN: Once inside, the huge Silverstone crowd had a great time, especially when their hero Damon Hill managed the tem, thermos fiasks and scramble homefor a championship point. At the time ofgoing to press there were no reports on how many had got out ofthe chTuit. a precious chiidhood toy Most of US are not really that begin to notice that it really is a which you can cuddle when it all the fast lane ...

I am sure that over the years very successful place. It would glamorous. We go to the airport gets to be too much and you are left sucking your thumb and the Silverstone planning bods also help to ensure that on the wrong day or go to the moaning quietiy as some twerp in have tried to'improve things but Silverstone retains the world wrong airport (if the city in ques a daygio yeliow jacket teils you financial restrictions and County record for being the world’s tion has two airports this is bound that you cannot go down that par- Council windbags have made busiest airport, which has been to happen). ticuiar road.

My own daft airport story was progress lamentably slow. The under threat of late from that other remote Grand Prix venue, Magny- when I arrived in Paris Orly, took a Over the years I have tried mythical Silverstone village/by shuttle bus to a hotel at Charles every road in and around pass is still a myth 10 years after it Cours.

The only problem then would de Gaulle and checked into the Siiverstone. i have tried ianes, was first being mentioned.

This year the planners came up be that the F1 paddock would hotel in preparation for an early footpaths and even fieids, but breaking into Fortress Silverstone with a demon new idea, a secret have nothing much to talk about departure the following morning. fast road for passholders, which and would have to fall back on its At 0400 I woke up with the horri is stiil a nightmare, it is such a shame because I would cut through the chaos “My worst trip was worse than ble realisation that my plane was am rather fond of the area. Early straight to the heart of the circuit. your worst trip” competition which going out of Orly and that I had to on a summer’s morning (and it This involved going up a muddy seems to bubble away when all go back from whence I had come. has to be if you want any chance track through the kind of woods the paddock gossip is exhausted. hen one travels as much as of getting into the track) the where one might find Robin Hood we do, you get used to hav glades are gleaming and all lurking in the greenery. when over Grand raca ing to survive such things, just as ing day, has taken thePrix world The only slight drawback was One seems perfect in a peacefui world, little more, I think I will have to one has to learn to live with leav full of little bunny rabbits and that, to avoid Germans or whoev pheasants which are not being er finding the road and blocking it write a book of Grand Prix travel ing things at home and forgetting important things. pursued by members of the with their caravans, it was One well-known Grand decided that there would Conservative Party.

Prix person (who had best When you eventualiy get into be no signposting and that remain nameless) went to a the press room it’s a different the staff should not be told dinner party the other year story. Out there journaiists are where it was. It took us an in London and when he left missing in the traffic queues. hour to find on Thursday. the event found that his car At the end of this adven “Freddy didn’t make this morn had disappeared. He ing,” we whisper in ciipped tones. ture we concluded that reported this to the police “Poor chap. He was a good sport.” Silverstone should just give force and claimed the insur Around midday a few strag- up on its road system and ance. giers wili arrive with tales of being buy a fleet of helicopters to He was somewhat taken jumped by Dutch caravans or of ferry passholders in and baiiing out near Whittlebury and out of the circuit. These choppers disasters. Formula 1’s Flying aback a few months later when he having to waik home. There is could be rented out for the rest of Flops. visited the neighbourhood again also flak to be avoided from visit It would make extraordinary and found that his car was where the year and the passholder car ing Hiii fans in the Dadford parks at the circuit could then be reading. There would be near- he had left it originally - he had Corridor. rented out to merchandisers and misses and lost luggage, diver simply forgotten where it was to hamburger salesmen. sions, cancellations, fog, the parked ...

There would be no shortage of Brazilian airline VASP, internal When 1 go to a race I check Every so often it isyear my turn to takers for the space. Race fans flights in China and even in-flight only four things: passport, tickets, get stuck.

One I was stuck in a jam seven miles out and like spending money. The 210,000 barbecues by pilgrims on the way paddock pass and credit cards. If needed to be at the circuit within visitors to the Grand Prix weekend to Mecca. you have these four items you can 10 minutes. In desperation I - just to give you an idea - eat These range from Mika survive virtually anything. flagged down a passing police 200,000 hamburgers between Hakkinen’s old habit of putting his Everything else can be replaced, motorcyclist explained the situa them during the four days of passport in his suitcase and then although we have all gone through tion and flashed my pass. excitement. With a burger costing checking it in before going through weekends without sunglasses, “Follow me,” he said with a 1.90 pounds and a bag of chips immigration to crash-landing heli without dress shoes (sneakers wink and set off on the wrong side coming in at 1.10, the hamburger copters in back gardens (a and a suit do look a bit odd, but of the road, his blue lights flash boys go home with about half a Jonathan Palmer speciality). what the hell). ing. My outrider took me all the million quid without having to sell JP also holds the record for At Magny-Cours a few years way to the circuit gate and then a single can of drink. b'’eing the latest arrival for a ago I achieved the ultimate in for Such a shuttle service would departing flight,'having had to getfulness when I managed to with a cheery wave saw me off and turned on the 20 opportunists instantly solve all of Silverstone’s knock on the door of the plane leave my entire suitcase at home who had pulled out to follow us in image problems and people would and ask to be admitted. when we drove to the French

W

Jonathan Palmer had to knock on

the door ofthe plane and ask to be admitted.

Grand Prix. The boot was so full of bags, buckets and spades and such things that the most impor tant bag was left sitting on the dri veway at my house. Luckily a housesitter thought to put it into the house and it was there when I got home, ready to be taken to the next race.

Mika Hakkinen was once in Macau for the Formuia 3 race and being a Marlboro driver assumed that some flunky would look after his every need and simply left his bag sitting in the hotel foyer when it was time to jump on a bus going to the jetfoil and the airport.

When he got to Europe he wondered where it might have got to until he received a call asking if a Mr Hakkinen would like to claim the bag that had been sitting around.

That would not have at Silverstone thishappened year as every bag in the paddock was instantly surrounded by bomb squad officers and dogs, looking in case there was a bomb inside.

On Saturday morning Bernie’s big grey bus was even cordoned off while the Bomb Boys x-rayed someone’s sandwiches and found that they did not have “Made in Ireland” printed on the wrapper.

I am very pleased that the Bomb Squad was not at Estoril a few years ago when I somehow contrived to leave the press room late on Sunday night after the Portuguese GP and forgot to take my computer with me. I managed to retrieve it a few hours later and thankfully it had not been subject ed to a controlled explosion.

There was another time when the brain failed completely and I forgot to take the name of the hotel at which I was staying with me to a race and I had to ask around if anyone knew where I was supposed to be.

Another journalist found his hotel one year in Budapest and then went out and forgot to take note of what it was called and where it was located. He was unable to remember a single thing to help the cab driver he hailed at the end of an evening’s entertain ment and had to spend the night on someone’s floor...

Still, that was probably better than the day I turned up in Italy and checked into my hotel - only to discover that the secretary in the office had booked me into a restaurant for three consecutive nights. The establishment did not actually have any beds. I took a look at the pudding trolley and decided that it was probably time to look elsewhere for accommoda tion.

I reckon that the sooner Formula 1 gets floated and starts to diversify into shops, restaurants and hotels the easier life will be for those with such tendencies.

We could have a huge great hotel in the middle of the Silverstone circuit and not have to worry about those wearying early morning starts and traffic jams in the bad old days at Silverstone ... n

1

1S WM^mi

Good luck, bad luck

By JOE SAWARD

i

JACQUES Villeneuve scored Williams Grand Prix Engineering’s 100th Grand Prix victory at Silverstone on an afternoon when Jacques’s World Championship rival Michael Schumacher retired with a wheel-bearing failure.

In a topsy-turvy race Jacques was lucky because he had been stuck in the pits early on with his own wheel problem.

These incidents allowed Mika Hakkinen to get into what looked like a winning position but his engine failed six laps from home.

Benetton picked up second and third, which looked good but was nothing really special, and Damon HiU kept the crowds happy by taking a lucky point for sixth place.

Qualifying

Silverstone has none of the mani cure of Magny-Cours, the frenetic atmosphere of Monza, nor the grandeur of Spa, but it does have speed.

And this year it had more than ever because the planners had come up with a faster track than that which has been used since 1994. The drivers loved it. It was a challenge.

The new Copse Comer was great.

Overtaking was going to be a prob lem, but, hey, you cannot have every thing.

In qualifying overtaking is not so important. Intelligent track-watch ing from the pits means that drivers can avoid most of the traffic if the teams are working well.

At the end of the qualifydng session on Saturday Williams proved that, despite the recent setbacks, it is still a great team.

Jacques Villeneuve came out when the track was at its busiest but had no problems with slower cars and was able to snatch pole position away from his teammate HeinzHarald Frentzen, who had grabbed it from Mika Hakkinen just a few minutes earher.

The Williams-Renault FW19 looked good again, although for most of practice Frentzen was struggling to find a good set-up.

Villeneuve said that his car was “very good” but found that this was in itself a problem as he could not do much to improve it; “When you get

WIN FOUR... Jacques Villeneuve had some good fortune to score his fourth GP of the year and Williams’ 100th ever. that close it is difficult to make it perfect,” he said, On his early mns in the session the poleman made mistakes and so he knew he had to go for it on his third and final run.

He waited for a passing cloud to blot out the sun. This meant that the track temperature dropped and the oils in the tarmac slipped quietly back underground. It may sound unlikely, but a cloud will make the difference of three or four-tenths of a second, The faster track and Villeneuve’s determination to be on pole position did the job, although all the way round that lap Jacques was not sure if he had enough to snatch pole. In the end he edged out Heinz-Harald by one-tenth of a second.

It is good to be back where we should be,” said the FrenchCanadian, Frentzen was “annoyed” to have lost his pole position but had gam-

bled and lost and was willing to “I went for it and I had nothing to accept that on this occasion he had lose. I tried everything and I was got it wrong. very happy.”

'Ti knew that the clouds were com ing,” he said,“but in the recent races I have had a lot of trouble with traf Frentzen’s lap Mika Hakkinen off theknocked pole, which he had held for most of the session after fic on my final qualifying runs.

“I had some traffic on my third run a blisteringly quick run after 18 min and I decided to go.out with eight utes. minutes to go. The track tempera It had been a very impressive per tures were a little higher but I did formance for McLaren but the team, not want to take a risk and get which is usually so well run, was cer tainly guilty of complacency in those caught behind someone.”

Heinz was rather surprised to be . final minutes, Television pictures showed as competitive as he was because things had not been going well up to Hakkinen laughing and joking with the start of qualifying.

Mercedes-Benz boss Norbert Haug when he should have been.in the car.

“We were struggling with the set up,” he admitted, “and so we did a watching the clouds. A session is not dramatic change after the morning over until it’s over, When Frentzen beat the time, session. That improved the car.

Mika went out but ran into traffic at “It meant that I went out to quali Stowe Comer and that was that. fy with a car I did not know but the ‘It happens,” he said. “There was changes were in the right direction and Ifelt much more confident in the nothing moi-e I could do.” car.

David Coulthard backed up

SMOKING IS DANGEROUS ... David Coulthard battled a brake problem, which caused this huge lock-up and a flat-spot, as well as a heavy fuel (Photo by Zooom Photographic) load but still kept a baying pack at bay in the first half of the race, headed by teammate Hakkinen and Johnny Herbert.

(Photo by LATDigital)

McLaren’s good performance with fifth on the grid, half a second down on Mika.

“The potential was there,” said David, “but unfortunately the lap time was not.”

The McLaren improvement pushed Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari down to fourth on the grid which, according to Michael, was where he had expected to be.

“Starting from the second row of the grid suits me well,” he said, sub tly pushing pressure onto Villeneuve. “I am aiming to maintain a good lead over Villeneuve in the Championship by taking as many points as possible.”

Eddie Irvine was less than fourtenths slower than Michael, but so close were the top cars that he was only seventh on the grid.

The chatty Ulsterman complained that his car tended to wash out in the middle ofthe comers.

Matters were not helped when Irvine walloped into a hare on his first flying lap, despatching the poor beast to that great brmny hole in the sky and giving himself a big shock.

Sixth on the grid -just behind-his brother - was Half Schumacher in his Jordan-Peugeot.

Ralf emerged ahead in the incredi- <, ble battle for 5th to 11th places on the grid, seven drivers being covered by 0.12s. So, while Ralfs perfor mance looked quite good, Giancarlo Fisichella’s 10th position seemed rather disappointing, although there was but a blink between them.

“It is frustrating,” grumbled Giancarlo. “The times are so close and I could easily have been several places higher. I did my best time on the first run but had fraffic on the second and made mistakes in the last runs.”

Eighth on and the Irvine, grid, was behind Coulthard the leading Benetton driver, Alexander Wurz beating Jean Alesi for the sec ondtime in two races.

Jean was “disappointed and fras-

BRITISH GR

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trated” to be down in 11th position while Wurz was “obviously pleased”, but again the team had failed to reproduce impressive testing form.

Mixing it with the big boys again was Johnny Herbert in his Sauber, which was ninth on the grid.

After a couple of races struggling with set-ups, Johnny was back and was a little disappointed that he had not been able to squeeze out another tenth of a second, which would have put him fifth on the grid.

Sauber once again decided to run Norberto Fontana in the second car, despite an approach to Martin Brundle in the days before the race.

Fontana looked a little better than he had in Magny-Cours and quali fied 14th, albeit a second and a half behind Herbert.

This effort was spoiled when he ignored a red light in the pitlane to stop for technical checks and he therefore had all his times cancelled, which meant he would have to start from the back ofthe grid.

Behind Alesi there was a gap of almost a second back to the fastest of the Bridgestone runners, who were clearly struggling on this occasion.

One would have expected a good showing from Jarno Trulli in his Frost but the top Bridgestone runner this time was none other than local hero Damon Hill(12th on the grid).

a:

the centre of a media circus ver his relationship with TWR, Damon seemed to recapture some interest in his FI career this weekend.

It may have been due to the fact that Tom Walkinshaw gnimbled to pressmen on Thursday that Damon needed to get his act together (see news pages) and the tabloid newspapers went to town.

There is no doubt, however, that Damon did lift his game because he was really pushing it and pulled out a second over Pedro Diniz, who has been right with Damon at recent events.

Pedro qualified 16th but moved up a place when Fontana was booted to the back ofthe grid.

Trulli was 13th and he thought this was largely due to the fact that he had gone off in the morning session on Saturday and lost set-up time. As a result he was struggling a little, particularly with the brakes.

Shinji Nakano was half a second behind Jarno but following Fontana’s problems he moved up to share the seventh row with Iris teammate.

The Stewart team had a miserable qualifying with a series of Ford VIO engine failures - all three went pop during the qualifying session.

This meant that the men at Ford and Cosworth had very red faces and Jan Magnussen ended up 15th on the giid while Rubens Barrichello man aged only fom- laps in the entire horn’ and was 21st and last on the grid.

The two Tyrrell boys were off the pace because the Ford V8 engine is rather less powerful than the VlOs but on this occasion less self-destructive - which meant that Mika Salo was 17th and Jos Verstappen 19th.

Minardi was where one is accustomed to seeing them with Ukyo Katayama in 18th position and Marques 20th, just 0.6s slower than' the Japanese driver,

Race -59 laps Sunday morning dawned overcast and there were occasional showers passing through as people began the struggle to get into Fortress Silverstone. The rain did not help, By the time of the warm-up the rains had stopped and the track was drying. This gave the Bridgestone boys a chance to show off.

Damon Hill set hearts around the track afluttering as he set the fastest time of the half-hour session. It was fun, but it meant nothing.

The weather cleared through the morning and by two/o’clock it was becoming quite a nice day.

It was not a nice day for Frentzen, though, because at the end of the pai-ade lap his Williams refused to go into neutral and when Heinz-Harald tried to force the issue the cai- stalled and the start had to be aborted.

When the grid formed up again Frentzen was at the back of the grid - as the rules dictate.

Up fi'ont Villeneuve got away well and Schumacher made a pretty good getaway as well but behind them Coulthard simply flew from fifth to be challenging Michael on the inside as the cars dived into the first corner.

At the last second David decided that discretion was the better part of valour and let Michael go, slotting into third ahead of Hakkinen, a faststarting Herbert, Ralf Schumacher and the two Benettons (Alesi ahead of Wurz after a better getaway), Down at the back of the gi’id we lost Katayama even before he crossed the startline, the Japanese driver spinning into the pitwall for no obvious reason.

“I really don’t know what happened,” he said. “I don’t know whether it was my fault, a technical problem or someone pushed me fi-om behind.”

On the first lap we also lost Frentzen who was trying to battle through the backmarkers when he collided with Verstappen at Becketts.

‘Trentzen came flying past eveiyone,” said Jos. “Obviously he was quicker than me but as soon as'he got past he turned sharply left and just destroyed my nose. I couldn’t believe it. He also damaged the radio aerial so I couldn’t tell the team to expect me in the pits.”

Frentzen reckoned that Jos had simply nm into the back of him.

Katayama’s wreck was still sitting

THE START... With Villeneuve already gone, Michael Schumacher fends off the McLarens as they charge for the first corner.

THE EYES HAVE IT... Benson & Hedges gave the tabloids something to focus on when they wheeled out this Page 3girl for promotional duties.

UNLUCKY... Mika Hakkinen fends off the adyancing Jacques Villeneuve, but with only a handful of laps remaining the McLaren’s Mercedes engine failed him.

(Photos by Race Access, Zooom Photographic and LAT Digital)

beside the road at Woodcote when the frontrunners came through at the end of the first lap and the Race Director rightly sent out the Safety Car because a car in such a position might have provided a launch pad for another car to fly into a gi-andstand. rr^e Safety Car stayed out until -L the start of lap 5 and then the chase was on again.

Jacques and Michael diced up front but it was quickly obvious that Coulthai'd was holding up a pack of cai’s behind him, obviously running to a one-stop strategy and finding his car a bit of a handful to drive.

Everyone would remain locked up behind David until mid-distance.

The gap between Jacques and

Michael began to grow but then it came on lap five when Fisichella was suddenly stopped. Jacques had a able to outscramble Wm-z when the pace car pulled off. problem.

“At first I thought it was a prob It was clear that both Jacques and lem with the powersteering and then Michael were going for a two-stop I thought it might be the rear sus ‘strategy and that Coxilthard was on pension,” said Jacques. a one-stopper. Behind him it was “In fact the left front wheel came hard to say as no-one was able to loose and it was veiy difficult to turn show how fast they could go. the car. It was very heavy. I had to Schumacher was the first to stop on lap 21 - and Villeneuve came in tm-n the steering wheel 10 degrees more than noimal.” next time ai'ound. And then we had drama because the FrenchBehind the two leaders, Coulthard Canadian’s front left wheel stuck on. was holding eveiyone up badly. The It cost him half a minute but gap between Schumacher and David went out at an astoimding rate: 2.5s, thanks to Coulthard’s slow progress 4.7s, 5.8s, 7.8s, 9.7s and by lap 11 it in the early laps Jacques rejoined in had reached 12s. Behind him were a seventh position just beWnd the snarling, screeching mass of cars, Benettons. trying to find a way thi'ough.

“After that it was push, push, The only major change of order push,” explained Jacques. “The

IS

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ome days nothing goes right. For me it was Sunday. I had strong hopes of coming away from the British GP with a healthy points bonus to add to my third place in the Championship, but it all turned to disaster before the race had even started.

I left empty-handed and am now back in fourth place again in the points.

As we rolled up to the grid for the start, I selected the neutral button too late, was moving too slow and so the engine stalled.

As simple as that. , The race had to be delayed and I was sent to the back of the grid for my mistake.

A tough price to pay that got even tougher a short while later.

At the re-start I got away well and had made up a few places into the first comer when another car hit my back wheel as we went into Abbey.

I really didn't see who it was but was told later it had been Verstappen's Tyrrell. His front wing or wheel must have cut my tyre, for the next thing I knew I was spinning off into the gravel trap, where I stopped with a flat rear. My race hadn't even lasted one lap!

BRIEF APPEARANCE:Running in unfamiliar livery, HHF’s Williams completed less than a lap ofthe British Grand Prix. (Phow by LAT Digital) set-up of the car. Fortunately for me, we made the right moves.

The car felt a lot better but then, after setting a first safe 'banker' run, my next two runs were spoiled by traffic. I didn't want to Despite all our testing previous race weekend foundthe my car notweek, very get stuck again as I had in Montreal or well balanced. It felt as if we were on differ Magny Cours, so I planned my final run with but about eight minutes ent tyres, to go when most Goodyear insisted people are waiting in that they were the same so it must the pits for one last have been the tem try.

I got a clear lap perature difference and went for it. It that reduced the grip i and made them feel was a good lap and, for a few minutes at so different.

Because we are least, I had the pole, l ll but then Jacques running much softer went out after me tyres now than we and managed to did before the tyre beat my time by a war, the temperature 9? tenth of a second. band in which the The sun had tyres work at their gone behind the optimum has narclouds for the final rowed considerably, Get outside that 'comfort zone' and the ten minutes and the cooler track tempera car suddenly feels very nervous, which is tures had suddenly made the times a few the last thing you need at a high-speed tenths of a second quicker. Another exam ple of just how sensitive the tyres are to tracj< like Silverstone.

I'struggled throughout Friday and temperature changes.

Saturday morning and still wasn't as The word around the paddock was that happy with the balance as I had been in the McLarens had been so quick because testing, they had gambled on soft tyres that we found It was qualifying time and I had to take a were worth a few tenths on the lap. chance. I sat down with my race engineer Fortunately Hakkinen didn't get a clear run Tim Preston and changed the mechanical when he went for a final flyer at the optimum I reckoned Copse might be flat-out in sixth in qualifying. It was close, but for me it wasn't - quite.

‘‘I selected the neutral button too late so the

W

e had a three-day test at Silverstone after Magny Cours. We got the car working quite well, although I didn't get a chance for a quick lap. We had a gearbox problem which cut my test short.

I also had an interesting moment at Copse. I went a bit wide on the exit over the kerb and onto the grass. There was a bump which almost drove my'head through my shoulders. It's hardly/surprising for, when we checked the telemetry back in the pits, it showed a vertical shock of 18g.

Copse was one of several corners that had been modified since last year's race. All of them are a lot quicker, which makes a pleasant change from the recent trend of slowing down every circuit we race on.

Silverstone flows a lot better now and the corners are a lot more exciting and fun to drive, but without being any more danger ous because of improved run-off areas.

engine stalled.

Simple as that I was sent to the back for my mistake.

Benettons were sliding around because they were on one stop but once I had a clear ti-ack I could push hal'd.”

r^iU>n s as t l

By mid-distance: Michael macher had a lead of moreSchu than 40s over his chasers. It looked a foregone conclusion that he would win.

Schumi dived into the pits for an early second stop and then blasted out again in the lead. But there was a problem.

The wheelbearings on the Ferrari wei-e failing and he went through Becketts the Ferrari snaked from side to side and pumped smoke from the rear. Michael’s race was run. He tnmdled aroimd and drove straight into the Ferrari garage.

This put Villeneuve back into the lead but he had to stop again and that meant that Hakkinen moved into the lead, albeit only five sec onds ahead of the Williams. It would be a chase to the flag.

As he closed up on the McLaren, Jacques noticed that Mika was hav ing trouble with his tyres.

“He had blistered his rears and was sliding more and more. I think I could have definitely got past. It ■would have been difficult but I was going to make a move a few laps later.”

It never happ'ened because Hakkinen’s Mercedes-Benz engine LOOKING FOR BETTER TIMES ... Rubens Barrichello and the Stewart blew up on lap 53. Jacques jinked team had a miserable weekend, losing three Ford engines in qualifying' out to avoid the spray of oil and took and another two in the race.

(Photo by LAT Digital) the lead and then stroked it home

BOSS

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moment and thus slipped back to third place.

If the track conditions for the race turned out to be cooler than they had been in quali fying it was a gamble that could well have paid out with a jackpot. In fact it was warmer so, with a heavy fuel load for a onestop race, the McLarens struggled.

Things didn't look to be going the race for Jacques either bytoo thewell timeinI got myself back to the paddock. His first stop had been a long one because of a wheel problem.

It looked as though Michael Schumacher would have his first hat-trick of wins in the bag. But then his luck ran out as well for the first time this year with a wheel bearing failure.

Hakkinen was struggling to keep his rear tyres together so Jacques was closing in for the lead again after his early problem.

I was already on the way to the airport when I heard over the radio that Hakkinen had blown up, thus leaving Jacques to final ly take the win.

It certainly wasn't expected by me or, probably, the team either after our early problems, but I was happy the day finally turned out a winner for the Rothmans Williams team - their 100th - thanks to what was obviously a strong drive from Jacques.

He had treated Tanja and I and friends to a party in Monaco the previous weekend so I guess it's my turn to throw one for him now! n

for the last seven laps.

One could argue it was a lucky win but at the same time luck had riot been on his side in the early laps with the Safety Car and the wheel problem.

After the race the stewards gave Jacques a one-race ban suspended for one race for having slowed up too much behind the Safety Car just before the restart. This seems a httle harsh as the Safety Car did not turn off its lights until the in lap and Jacques was simply trying to make sure that he did not get jumped by the opposition.

Hakkinen naturally dis traught atwas missing the chance for his first GP victoi7.

“I had everything under control,” he complained later. “There was no way he could have got past.”

It was no doubt a disappointment to McLaren, which is getting closer to being successful with every month.

“Disappointment is becoming a too regular emotion in our team,” said team boss Ron Dennis, recom mending a cool, professional approach for the rest of the season.

Coulthard explained that his slow early pace had been caused by brake problems which caused a flatspotted tyre. This enabled Hakkinen to pass him on lap 23.

David pitted seven laps later but dropped behind the two Benettons during the mid-race stops. He fin ished fourth under heavy pressure

from the Jordan Schumacher.

of

Ralf

All the excitement up front worked in Benetton’s favour, although the team was never really in the ball park in outright pace.

The team opted for a clever onestop strategy which meant that the two drivers could i-un further than all the opposition and were able to pass Coulthard during the pit stop sequence.

As Schumacher, Herbert and Hakkinen retired, so Alesi and Wurz moved into second and third positions.

Luck was important but one had to say that the team produced rehable cars and a good strategy.

Wurz looked as though he might have been able to beat Alesi but thought better of it.

“We have some problems in quali fying at the moment and we cannot get a good grid position and so we are compromised in the race,” said Alesi. “To be second was amazing.

“It was very difficult to drive early on with the weight of the fuel in the cars but we made the posi tions thanks to the strategy.”

More impressive perhaps was Wurz’s showing in only his third FI race.

“It was very tough,” he admitted, “but it was a very, very good result.”

Ten points in a race is something which Benetton has not experienced for many a year and so there was cause for celebration at Enstone.

BRITISH GR

18July 1997

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ehind Coulthard was Ralf Schumacher, who ran a solid two-stop race for Jordan Peugeot and he might have done better if he had made a better start. Being stuck behind Coulthard ruined any hopes he might have had of a really good result.

Giancarlo Fisichella made some impressive progress early on with a late two-stop strategy. This might have produced a better result had Giancarlo not had a very hairy moment in Copse Comer on lap 43.

“I am very angry with myself,” he reported. “I made a big mistake which cost me my race. I could have been second or third as I was ranning really well ahead of the two Benettons.”

The Italian finished seventh, hav ing stopped for a radiator cleaning stop a few laps from the finish. If he had not stopped he would have fin ished ahead of Damon Hill - but there was no guarantee that the Peugeot would not have gone bang before the finish.

Damon Hill picked up a point for sixth place - which was a veiy lucky result as none of the Bridgestone runners were anywhere near the pace all weekend.

Damon did a two-stop strategy and made up places as those ahead retired, grabbing sixth on the sec ond-last lap when Shinji Nakano’s Mugen engine went boom.

Pedro Diniz ran around in the

midfield on a one-stop strategy bpt retired with an air-valve problem on his engine on lap 29.

Jamo Trulli came home a lacklus tre eighth, a very disappointing per formance which left the team rather confused.

“I spent two-thirds of the race bat tling with the car,” Trulli reported.

“It was impossible to attack.

“Then at the end I felt a signifi cant improvement and my lap times tumbled by something like two sec onds.”'^ Not even Alain Prost could explain that one.

N

akano’s retirement was a shame because the young Japanese driver had done a good job, turning in consistent times throughout only to have the engine failure in sight of the flag.

Ninth place went to Norberto Fontana, which was not bad for the Sauber driver, although Johnny Herbert showed early in the race that the Swiss team has a car which is capable of podium finishes.

Johnny drove a storming race, jumping up to fifth at the start from ninth on the grid and then diving in early for his first pit stop.

It was exactly the right strategy and he would have emerged ahead of the Benettons at the second stop and finished on the podium - but for a gearbox problem on his IN lap.

“I would have come out ahead of

IN THE POINTS... Damon Hill (left) thrilled the locals with sixth place while both Benetton drivers (above) made it onto the podium.

(Photos byZooom and LAT Digital)

British Grand Prix World Championship, round 9 Silverstone, July 13,1997 - 59 Laps

Wurz,” Johnny reported, “and I would probably have been on the podium but I had the problem and \ as I was coming out ofthe pits Wurz \ was there with me and I let him go ahead.” ●. j Johnny then'had a punctru’e and had to pit again. When he rejoined the gearbox problem returned and that was that for Mr Herbert.

“The results keep shpping away,” he mourned later.

Tarso Marques finished 10th for Minardi, which was a good effort for the Brazihan.

Eddie Irvine failed to finish, which was a shame because the Ulsterman had driven a good race and would have had third place if his driveshaft had not failed as he accelerated out of the pits after his second stop.

Stewart and Tyrrell both failed to finish their two cars, the result of a total failure of Ford Cosworth prod ucts: boom-boom, boom-boom.

There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Northampton and probably in Detroit as well...

It seemed after the race that everyone had a story of either good fortune or bad luck - or, in the case of Villeneuve, a httle bit of both.

And at the end of the day the Williams driver has reduced Schumacher’s lead in the title race to just four points, while there are only three points in the construc tors’ race... ■

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Jacques Villeneuve, Williams-Renault FW19, 1h28m01.665s Jean Aiesi, Benetton-Renault B197, 1h28m11,870s Alexander Wurz, Benetton-Renault B197, 1h28m12.961s David Coulthard, McLaren-Mercedes MP4/12,1h28m32.894s Ralf Schumacher, Jordan-Peugeot 197,1h28m33.545s Damon Hill, Arrows-Yamaha, 1h29m15.217s Giancarlo Fisichella, Jordan-Peugeot 197, 58 laps Jarno Trulli, Prost Mugen-Honda JS45, 58 laps Norberto Fontana, Sauber-Petronas Cl6, 58 laps Tarso Marques, Minardi-Hart Ml97, 58 laps Shinji Nakano, Prost Mugen-Honda JS45, 58 laps

Fastest Lap: Schumacher, Lap 34; 1m24.475s Retirements: Lap 0 Lap 0 Lap 29 Lap 37 Lap 38 Lap 42 Lap 44 Lap 44 Lap 45 Lap 50 Lap 52

Ukyo Katayama, Minardi-Hart Ml 97, spun Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Williams-Renault FW19, accident Pedro Diniz, Arrows-Yamaha A18, engine Rubens Barrichello, Stewart-Ford SF1, engine Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F31 OB, wheel bearing Johnny Herbert, Sauber-Petronas, gearbox electronics Mika Salo, Tyrrell-Ford 025, engine Eddie Irvine, Ferrari F310B, driveshaft Jos Verstappen, Tyrrell-Ford 025, engine Jan Magnussen, Stewart-Ford SF1, engine Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes MP4/12, engine

World Championship points: 1 M.Schumacher 47 pts; 2 Villeneuve 43; 3 Aiesi 21; 4 Frentzen 19; 5 Irvine 18; 6 Panis 15; 7 Coulthard 14; 8 Berger and Hakkinen 10; 10 Fisichella 8; 11 R.Schumacher and Herbert 7; 13 Barrichello 6; 14 Wurz 4; 15 Sale 2; 16 Larini, Nakano and Hill 1 Constructors' Championship: 1 Ferrari 65 pts; 2 Williams-Renault 62; 3 Benetton-Renault 35; 4 McLaren-Mercedes 24; 5 Prost Mugen-Honda 16; 6 Jordan-Peugeot 15; 7 Sauber-Petronas 8; 8 Stewart-Ford 6; 9 Tyrrell-Ford 2; 10 Arrows-Yamaha 1

Classic Be part of a

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International motorsport returns to

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finest driving roads in Australia. If you choose the ‘competition there is over 300kms of closed targa style sections.

Enter now. Contact Rally & MotorSports SA,

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It will be held over four days, returning to Adelaide each evening and it will feature over 1,000 kms of some of the

^

V

IS

20 wM^mi

The Peter Brock Story - Part V

The privateer years After leaving the security ofthe Holden Dealer Team, Peter racedfor three years as a privateer and his success in that period confirmed his status as Australians best driver.

DAVID HASSALL continues The Peter Brock Story:

H

aving broken free of the shackles which bound him with Harry Firth, Peter found himself in a quandary at the start of 1975. He had a burning ambition to race overseas and there was an open air ticket for him to try out with Dealer Team Vauxhall in England, but he couldn't accept it.

Peter had various private prob lems to cope with at the time and felt he had to be in Australia to sort them out. The circumstances were simply unsuitable to move overseas at that particular point.

An approach from Norm Gown, a partner at Gown-Hindhaugh Engine Developments and racer of a pri vate L34, turned into a privateer program for 1975: "I told Norm that I may be able to get a few dollars and suggested that we pool our resources, run a few races and see how we get on," said Peter. "Gowny thought it sounded like a good idea and decided we'd do it. It was pretty

Firth just so that he ‘could get onto scrutineering, but that did not dis the grid. They were, of course, tyres turb the team's new-found success. which Bond had used previously Peter drove a typically brilliant tacti (shades of 1970) and his joy at cal race and won by over two laps being able to press the HOT car after Moffat and Bond, who had hard in those races turned to fought out the early going, were despair when they wore down to the stranded in the pits with broken canvas on both occasions well cars. before the finish.

It was a dream result for the Nevertheless, Peter appreciate^d Cinderella team, but the elation did a Harry's gesture in giving him the not end there. The Phillip Island % ^ ●# S»hir!tiu\ ‘ tyres and considered it as evidence 500K formed the third leg of the J3* 9 ^ that they were still friends and not 'Grand Slam' in those days and the the enemies that many liked to team flew back from an undefeated believe. foray in New.Zealand in time to win Although the team was disap by some four laps.

Three match-race victories h ad on old speed shop Holley car pitted with a puncture and left Peter pointed with the poor ATCC results, they knew they had the potential to against Bond and Allan Grice at burettor and an ordinary Thomas to drive away to an astonishing beat the best, as indicated by pole Baskerville wrapped up the team's cam, which was actually a heavy- overall debut victory. Team Brock duty road cam with lots of low-down had well and truly arrived! position for the final round. Peter season and then the rumours start torque and no top end. By gee, it was philosophical about the costly ed circulating. v. the team was went, though." mechanical failures and expected integral part ofPhil, First race for the car was the AnPeter's brother, F who was a things to change with the important the headlines againwas andback the in stories had him Sandown ATCC round in April, but talented driven in his own right. long-distance races coming up: "I Peter figure that if you are going to have a driving a BMW in local sports sedan work was not finished until the Peter, of course, was the front man, run of bad luck, you might as well racing, staying with Gown- Saturday night after practice. At but Phil got his chance three weeks get it over and Hindhaugh while racing for Vauxhall around midnight, the Torana was later when he towed the L34 over to dope with before overseas, building a Gemini sports fired up and run-in around the Wanneroo, fixed up road registra yplu go to sedan or spiitting with G-H to run streets of Bundoora, where the tion, fitted some Bridgestone radials team's new workshop was situated.

Bathurst, and I his own team with an L34. and prepared to share the driving reckon we must Each of these stories had an ele Peter had missed qualifying and with Peter in a three-hour street car just about have ment of truth to them, depending on would have to start from the back race. run out of bad the time they were written. It was an row of the grid behind the most The Brocks naturally won the luck by now," he unsettled time for Peter as he tried competitive starting grid seen in event, but the real revelation for said at the time. to find the ideal way of realising his touring car racing for many years - Peter was his brother's driving. He Profound words main ambition to race in Europe, 38 of them, headed by Bond, said at the time: "Phil drove beauti Moffat, Bob Morris, Frank Gardner, fully. Using his head like I didn't they proved to be. which was now possible as his per sonal problems had been resolved Peter Janson, Garth Wigston, John know he couid, he dispersed the Harvey, Johnnie Walker, Charlie challenges that came his way and - resulting in his divorce from for There were mer Miss Australia, Michelle O'Brien, Allan Grice and Murray went on to win his race in very fine great expecta Carter. tions at the Downes. styie indeed, making me feel very After only four laps of the first 32- proud."

Adelaide ManChamp opener after In November, 1975,jhe had The Torana was then shoved Peter had taken pole from Bond bought a BMW 3.0 CSL in South lap heat, Peter was already up to again, but the team's hopes were Africa and was committed to having fifth place in the virtually untried car into a corner of the Bundoora Bistro dashed at the very start when an it prepared for Le Mans in June the and, with 10 iaps to go, was only six (as the workshop was now fondly axle broke off the line. 16 laps were foliowing year, but he still needed to seconds behind Bond and closing. titled because Peter had invited all lost in the pits fitting a new axle, but race locally as a way of funding the Peter was set to take the lead when and sundry to "drop in for a swift the Torana started to run out of fuel cuppa") until the long-distance the rest of the race proved to be a effort. and he nursed it home for a remark races. valuable 'test session' as the car ran "At the beginning of the year I The intervening four months quickly and reliably to the che said to Gowny, 'Let's do the same able second place finish.

Unlike ail the other racing were devoted entirely to preparing quered flag. thing again this year. I can get the BMW and racing it in Europe, so Peter had been working closely sponsorship to run a touring car, no Toranas, Peter still had the stan dard 45-litre fuel tank fitted, so their chances at Sandown seemed with Bridgestone all season and problems, but I can't get sponsor knew he was in good shape for the ship to race overseas. What I want before the second heat started they remote: "We just threw a set of endures. to do is run a touring car and use had it expanded by pumping it up pads and tyres on, bled the brakes like a balloon with compressed air - and went racing. We probably The Sandown 250 in September the money from that to hire a facto was a vitai race for the team. There ry so that I can get this BMW built enough to get a few more litres in, weren't as competitive, therefore, as 'H' (Harry Firth) but we weren't that was no money left by then and they and take it overseas.' Gowny said anyway. far away from it. 1 just got out there needed some prizemoney in order no to that because he wanted to This time there were no prob and drove the damn thing, to be to get to Bathurst.

■keep the operation on the same lems at all and, after another bril Peter drove a perfect race, nurs level it had been. He said, 'We've liant start from the back row, Peter honest."

Regardless of that, Peter did ing his brakes, and the pit crew - had a good year and we'll always had picked them all off to go into the cobbled up with a concoction of be good friends, but you go and do lead as early as lap seven. Bond quite well with it. He arrived back Gown-Hindhaugh mechanics and your own thing - I don't want to get friends of Peter's - did a better job involved'." than the 'professional' crews. ith that. Team Brock was born.

The victory that day was so clean, precise and organised that it A road-going L34 was bought rocked the sport and celebrations and the team's new mechanics continued well into the next morn spent only a couple of weeks ing. The first place cheque would preparing, it for its first race.

Peter had taken Bob Grade with buy them the latest L34 bits and get the team to Bathurst. ' him from Gown-Hindhaugh and he Sandown was also the first time was joined by and old friend of that Peter raced with the now- Peter's, Garnett Bateson, who had famous 05 number, a reminder to even worked on the A30. everyone of his passionate involve There was nothing particularly ment in campaigning for road safety fancy about the Torana when its - particularly the .05 blood/alcohol rapid conversion was completed, limit. apart from a striking red, white and The 05 number disappeared at blue paint scheme: "That was a real EXPENSIVE SEASON ... With the Moffat Falcons running rampant, Bathurst, the result of pre-event cooking car - I couldn't believe it. It 1977 was a difficult year for PB and Bill Patterson Racing.

(1 itrat.

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Many sponsors believed that Peter would not be able to hack it away from the protection of a works team. How wrong they would be. well as simple as that."

It was a simple plan, but pro duced an effective team which lacked only one ingredient - money.

Norm Gown was the engine expert, Bruce Hindhaugh became the team manager and Peter brought along his ability, experience and knowl edge from five years with HDT. The 'Clown and Hindrance' show was on the road.

Many sponsors had been pre pared to write Peter off by this stage, accepting stories that he had been spoon-fed by Harry Firth and would not be able to hack it away from the protection of a works team.

How wrong they would be.

After just one brief test of the yel low car at Calder in February, the team set off to campaign in the ATCC, a title which Peter was defending, and things looked promising when he was fastest in the first session for the Symmons Plains (Tasmania) opener.

The diff failed while Peter was running second to Colin Bond's HDT car, but a second placing at Calder two weeks later helped the morale of the crew - if not Peter, who had almost passed out from the stench created by smouldering carpets!

The car failed again in the next two rounds, but more urgent by then was a lack of sponsorship, so no money was being spent on the car. In two of the final three rounds (Surfers and Lakeside) Peter was forced to borrow tyres from Harry

W

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18 July 1997

1

ALLOY WHlMa^ g^PEcn-TtiDniMip <

CLOWN AND HINDERANCE ...The yellow L34 (above at Sandown running 05 for the first time) provided win two at Bathurst. Above, Peter is joined by Gown, Hindhaugh and co-driver Brian Sampson. from Europe just one week before come to nought and Peter found worked closely with GM, particularly threat came to an end when he hit a Tyres put Peter out of contention at Bathurst and Surfers, races which Sandown, drove the Torana for the himself with no money at the end of with the A9X program, and was rock (I), which pierced the radiator. he could have won after taking pole first time in four months, put it on the season. Yet again it was time to rewarded with the contract to both times, a broken fan belt cost the front row alongside Bond and consider the situation and he went assemble all the A9X road cars a three-car Patterson team Racing for announced Bathurst - him any chance at Adelaide and the then proceeded to win the race with to sponsor Bill Patterson with two beyond what the GMH production Bill Peter and Phil in a new A9X Torana ManChamp final at Phillip island line could cope with. another tactical drive, helped by options.

The new team got off to a bad Hatchback, with Englishman Gerry dealt a savage blow when both "At the end of 76 I was stoney some slick pit work.

Peter and Phil retired with major Bathurst should have been theirs broke. The only way to make any start at Sandown in February. Peter Marshall and South African Basil thing exist, was to go to Bill notched up two DNFs for the first van Rooyan in one L34 and former mechanical failures. also, but a fuel problem and’ a bro It was thought at this time that ken axle kept Peter and Phil down Patterson and say, 'Look, I've got time since the A30's debut because HDT drivers, Tony Roberts and no dough, but you do. What I can of engine problems while Moffat Doug Chivas, in the other (both Peter and Patto were not on good to third place at the finish.

Adelaide's ManChamp round offer you is my goods and services, and Bond showed at that the updated to A9X specifications) - but terms and that their personalities the strain on the crew seemed to clashed to such a degree that they was much the same story, too, as including the car, a box full of Falcons were now capable of down avoided one another. Peter says Peter was forced out of the lead spares; everything. You can tip ing the Toranas and the seven show.

All three cars were this was not the case, but concedes when the engine overheated money in as a major wheeled out for that he was difficult to get along because of a slight manufacturing sponsor or pay a little more and take the Sandown, resplendent with. imperfection in the cylinder head. in their white, blue and "Patto was a dynamic business Things went better at Surfers whole lot T a year's Paradise in November as Peter contract for all of us gold paint schemes, man and sure he was hard to get ● ●● and Peter drove his along with. He was'just a mean took pole from Moffat and Bond, plus the,equipment.' I usual race, letting the man, like any successful, dynamic then overcame early challenges was offering a ready chargers maul one businessman has to be. We got from those two to win by a lap from made team, which another out front while along alright because he loved his Moffat. This win, and the earlier one would also get rid of he hung back and motor racing and we would talk at Sandown, virtually clinched the the debts incurred picked up the crumbs about racing for hours, but when it Manufacturers' Championship for from the previous / when it counted most. came to the dollars and cents, you year."

GMH again, the title being con There was much just had to perform." firmed when Bond won for the Patterson agreed more to Peter's win than to the take-over Dealer Team at Phillip Island.

The 500K finished Team Brock's because he was an what appeared on the r^espite the lack of success which enthusiast and want LJ'came from the expensive 1977 surface, though, and season on a low note, despite tak Peter says that race season, Patterson wanted to contin ing pole and battling for the lead ed to beat the Holden was one of the best ue with Peter into 1978 and had with John Harvey's HDT Torana Dealer Team. A new begun discussions as early as manager was put in charge of the ATCC races turned into a Ford 1-2 things that ever happened to 'Patto'. early in the race. That dice had cov ered Peter's car with oil from operation, new premises were steamroller. Third placings became "We had real problems getting Bathurst, but at the end of the year the A9X ready for Sandown and we Peter was approached by Joe Harvey's ailing differential and, established and a lot of money was Peter's staple diet.

It wasn't until the final ATCC were really let down by the people Felice, who was GMH's motor sport spent during 1977 on development while trying to clean the grimy wind race at Lakeside that Peter scored who supplied the racing brakes. In relations man. It was no secret that screen, he ran off the track and and promotion.

Harry Firth was retiring and Felice Although the results were not the team's first major victory and the their own judgement, they decided damaged the front suspension. great - that this was the year when biggest Falcon challenge on that to supply one team and not another, told Peter that he wanted him back 'hat was the end of Team Brock. Allan Moffat and Colin Bond used occasion came from local former namely ours. These jokers think you with the team in 1978. Peter admit BMW's intentions of funding a their Ford factory dollars to clean-up Torana driver, Dick Johnson. forget these things, but I don't, and ted he wouldn't mind “getting back program in the Pacific Basin had - it was good for Patterson. He Ironically, Johnson's race-long that really gave me the desire to fix into the system" and the two came them up. Patto wasn't too happy to an agreement for his return.

"I went to Patto and told him that about the situation, but we just had to live with it.

Holden wanted me to drive for "Anyway, I ran that race with Holden, not just a dealer. Patto stock standard rear brakes and wasn't too keen on that; he thought I was with him. He saw himself as calipers; absolutely stock standard.

I simply couldn't get any others. All the mentor, sponsor and saviour - I we could do was adjust the brake was a Bill Patterson person as far system so that there was virtually as he was concerned and that was no effort on the rear brakes; the that. fronts had to do all the work "I just told him that I had appreci because that was the only way we ated everything he had done for me could have finished the race. and that he would always have my "For those reasons it was very special thoughts as a Holden deal satisfying to win the race and Patto er, but that I was off anyway. I think was so rapt he came up and gave he finally gave his blessing, but only me this huge kiss - in front of about after it was obvious 1 was leaving 50 people! I was so embarrassed, anvway.

Patterson decided to keep his but he reckoned it was the greatest team running on a smaller scale thing that ever happened to him, fix and planned for Phil to take in all ing everyone up like that.

"But that was Patto. He was a the Victorian meetings, plus winner. Lose and he doesn't want to Bathurst. Phil appeared at the first know. Win and you're a friend, and non-championship race at Sundown that's fair enough. I'm a bit the same in February and was quite competi tive, but blotted his copybook slight way myself."

There was very little celebrating ly by damaging the car.

A week later, the team was dis BOUND FOR LE MANS ... Peter created his own team in 1976 primarily to run this BMW overseas, but he for the rest of the year, though, and banded. ■ certainly no more kisses from Patto. still enjoyed considerable success at home with a hastily assembled Torana L34.

“Patto was a winner. Lose and he doesn’t want to know you He was a dynamic businessman and sure he was hard to get along with.

He was just a mean man, like any successful businessman.”

f

00 0

l Shell Superbike Series l Holden Australian Drivers Championship l Ford Motorsport/Siick 50 Formula Ford Championship l Australian Sports Sedan Championship

mrnm-mm

3rd August 1997 ORAN PARK Cobbitty Road, Nareltan

MALLALA O ATCC

23

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Leader of the pack

Greg Murphy made the most of pole position to take overall victory, leading a procession around the tight Mallala circuit. PHIL BRANAGAN reports:

GREG Murphy won the Battle of Mallala, hut the war to settle the 1997 Shell Australian Touring Car Championship will go to the final skirmish at Oran Park.

Holden Racing Team’s young charger dominated proceedings in what were, frankly, fairly procession al races, with pole position and two wins and a second in front of the biggest crowd ever seen at the Adelaide circuit.

Lany Perkins was his closest chal lenger, qualifying second and taking out the final heat of the day, while the three championship contenders Glenn Seton, John Bowe and Riissell Ingall - kept close company all day, runrdng nose-to-tail in the first two races.

Ingall had his plans de-railed in the final heat after a first corner altercation with Dick Johnson. He recovered to finish tenth, but now faces the biggest ask of the three dri vers in Sydney next month.

The man many of the 30,500strong public came to see suffered an ordinary day. Peter Brock was nerfed around in first comer dramas in both the first and third races and spent the day playing catch-up.

Best of the Privateer drivers was Mark Poole who capped a remark able - and mostly sleepless- week by running with the Big Boys, while Alan Jones had his strong run dis-

Round 9

EARLYMAYHEM... The inevitable melee in turn one of race one started when Ingall hit Skaife, who then hit Brock (right), turning the 05 Commodore around and wrecking his farewell week end to his Adelaide fans.

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmith)

mpted when his Falcon -and that of team-mate Mark Larkham -suffered a rare engine failure.’

Entry and Qualifying

After the weather histrionics ofthe west many people were spending time looking at the Adelaide sky and reading forecasts. The'news looked bad; drizzle was predicted, first ‘all day", then ‘early in the day".

In the end the meteorologists got it wrong and Saturday dawned bright, clear - and bloody cold. Blame the El Nino effect, if you will, but at least the tyre companies liked the news.

Shell Australian Touring Car Championship

uFIIFIF

And it turned out to be even, very even. Not just between Bridgestone, Dunlop and Yokohama, but Ford to Holden, team to team. It would be the tightest session in years.

Seton bagged quick time when the practice sessions started but just missed when the 14 minute quahying sessions rolled out.

Perkins set the speed early with a 67.73s lap but he was soon moved aside - literally - for Murphy. For the second week in a row HRTs flying Eiwi took pole position, this time in 67.69s and was delighted with the Continued next page

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MALLALA

18July 1997

Maiiafa briefs n Mallala maintained its reputation of being hai-d on bi-akes last weekend. After the second race the Shell Helix crew got a reading of 1050 degrees off John Bowe’s front discs, which they think is an all-time recoiff. n The mammoth crowd fig ure-30,500- massacred the prerious circuit record.

The all-time high was 1995’s 19,500, while 19,000 showed up last year to see Craig Lowndes seal his championship. n Despite the hordes, get ting out of the track was httle problem. Pohce turned the exit road into a one way,two-lane express and any fears ofsitting in a queue for hours came to nothing. n Darren Hossack missed race three when his Wynns Commodore caught fire on the way to the dummy grid. “It stalled, I restarted it and smelled something burning,” he said, per plexed. The ex-Eichards car should be de-smoked in plenty oftime for Oran Park. n The growing fad of ‘smoking out’ the Holden Astras hit new heights at Mallala when handbi-ake turns were added to the routines before and after thefr race. Best effort went to-who else-Peter Brock, whose half-track, half-grass effort gave his passenger a EEAL close look at the out side concrete. n After the second race Brock did two laps ofhonouj’in a rephca ofhis 1979 Bathui'st-winning Torana A9X. No,he didn’t try for the lap record on the last lap... n The shape ofthings to come? John Orchard may have finished at the tail end ofthe Shell Superbike field but his near-stock Honda VTRIOOO was the first ofits Japanese V-twin breed to run in the series.

Expect to see more ofthe same- and examples of Suzuki’s TLIOOOS-in the fiiture.

time, more than happy with the gain made with the switch from the morning’s practice tyres to fresh, qualifying rub ber..

Not that it happened with out drama. In the noon session ‘the Miuf locked the rears at the hairpin and went straight on - into the Castrol Falcon of Tony Longhurst. The Ford got a ding in the right rear door, the Commodore a broken indi cator lens. Greg went over to the Longhurst enclave to offer apologies and both drivers got on with things.

Yes, Virginia, it still hap pens...

Team-mate Brock was fourth. The Waimeroo winner was happy enough with the Mobil car but felt that the ‘pick-up’ (ie the time gained when new Bridgestone 303s were fitted) was a httle disap pointing. But he was starting in a good spot and was only 0.06s off pole.

Second fastest was Perkins.

The veteran was a little sur prised to be so far up (“I would have preferred to see my mate Rusty up there instead of me”) and engaged in a little no-solight hearted banter with Murphy at the post-qualifying media conference.

When asked, for the second Saturday in a row, whether he would help IngaU for the sake of Holden’s championship hopes Greg rephed no, he was hoping to win the race himself.

The follow up question would he prefer to see a Ford win the championship?- was brushed aside, until LP pur sued the question finiher; “I think it’s a reasonably clear question,” hejousted.

“I think I’ve answered it,” said Murphy,tersely.

Yes, they both drive for Holden-backed teams, much in the same manner as Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield both fight for Don King...

Seton would start his 100th ATCC race third after a 67.7559s. He was delighted with the car, reporting no sideeffects from his Wanneroo (mis)adventures apart from having to source new front splitters after running out, out west.

“We made one, we borrowed

ATCC I

WORKING HARD... John Bowe (above) kept his title hopes alive by shadowing Seton in two races and heading him in the third while Larry Perkins (right) took second overall on the day, including a win in the third race.

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmilh)

one from John Sidney and we got one off the show car,” he said. “Still, it could be worse: they’re about $1000 each, about half what Commodore ones cost!”

Bowe headed the third row with a 67.78s, while team mate Johnson was 10th on 68.18s. Both felt that the cars were understeering too much, though were more concerned about brake wear.

“Fair,” said Johnson. “Still, I think the others might be in worse shape than us”. The Dunlop cars were on a softer tyre than Wanneroo though.

for once, they were the ones playing their tyre compounds close to their chest. ‘It’s got a five in 'it,” said Dunlop

Motorsport’s Russell Stuckey.

“And,it’s fast.”

Sixth was Mark Skaife.

“Mister Lister” spent little

n Jason Bargwanna is fast become a gun for hire.

Apart from driving Mark Noske’s Lola and extracting some set-up speed from it, last month he drove Ray StubbePs Spectrum Formula Ford in a Wanneroo test. Stubber qualified fastest for the Perth FF race. n For the second time this season John Faulkner fin ished the Privateers’Dash with a new touring car lap record. But,just like at Lakeside,the time didn’t last long, Murphy snipping 0.4s offthe time in race two. n While Wayne Gardner Racing wasn’t at Mallala, team media man Phil Harrison was.‘Brutus’ was present for business related to his forthcoming Adelaide off-road racing event -PHILBRANAGAN

»J

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fv;. l

time scraping off any rust which may have accumidated in his unwanted lay-off and the Australian 1000 Classic Commodore looked stable and consistent on Yokohama’s AOS. “They’re a good tyre,” he mused, “and the drop-off from qualifying pace and a race pace is less pronounced than it was last season.” Still, he was sixth, with the combo good for 67.79s.

Let’s pause a moment: Skaifey was a whole tenth of a second off pole position and was SIXTH. It used to be, ‘bhnk and someone flies past’.

Now, it was ‘think about blinking and fours cars fly past’.

After a strong practice run Alan Jones was seventh on 68.05s. He and off-sider Mark Larkham were separated by Ingall and 0.13s but both looked like they were fighting the front end ofthe cars.

Larko confirmed he is prob ably a test day or two off the ultimate potential of his car, but was encouraged to be so close to the pace.

CHAMPIONSHiP BATTLE...

Glenn Seton, John Bowe and Russell Ingall in a close -if passing-free - contest for vital series points.

ir MALLALA

ATCC

18July 1997

25

Race 1 (17 iaps)

YOUNG LION... Stephen White mixed it with the establishment in the first race outing for HRT’s junior team Commodore.

)

'7

Really, I got away pretty hghtly.”

Right behind, on 69.35s, was Terry Finnigan. The Sony Autosound Commodore was bowling along, though not at its full potential. Its six-speed gearbox broke an input shaft during the midday session and the spare, five-speed hox came Steven Richards was less , off the bench for the rest of the than pleased with his Garry weekend. Well, that was the Rogers Moto'rsport best-laid plan, anyway.

Commodore, 11th oji 68.21s. “jt’s a little doughy out of He led all second session cars tbe tight corners,” said (which was not uncommon) Finnigan, “but, otherwise, but was going stiffer all okay.” It was his first ever run around and chasing the set-up Mallala, so he was happy to a little.“Nothing too imusual,” be so^close to local Poole, he mused.‘We’re always a litDarren Hossack was right tie behind the other teams on behind on 69.36s in the Saturday.”

Wynns car. He had slightly He and Longhurst swapped disappointed himself, and the top time for the second group, team, when the set-up Tony winding up 0.26s down changes they made during the on the Valvoline car. Tlie car day negated any pickup on was none the worse for his new rubber.‘Tt FEELS better, Murphy altercation. but it isn’t working,” he said Next up was another while the car’s original set-up Stephen, White. “I never went back on for race day. thought I’d get to race a tourChris Smerdon wore the ing car so soon,” enthused the look of someone who was Young Lion. “It’s grouse.” slightly embarrassed after Not so grouse was a practice qualif3dng. Not that, in his half-lose (‘T got the brake and first drive since Calder, his the accelerator at the same 70.11s was that shabby, espetime”) and a cold tyre mishap ciaUy in fight of the fact that at the hairpin in qualifying the gearbox came out of the His plans to have a half car right after the session as dozen lap, ‘smile for the cam- the team looked at fixing a eras’ nm with the privateers dodgy second gear, on Friday were kyboshed by More correctly, the correct the Level 1 opposition but, diagnosis was that the lever otherwise, the team was was lifting out of the selector delighted with his day. He and wasn’t engaging the gears. Still, the cheery local ended up 13th - and still.with and his team were generally in a second of pole position.

Did I mention it was happy with the car.

CLOSE? Returning Castrol Cougar John Faulkner was slightly Kerryn Brewer was 19th on unrepresentative in the wars. The Betta/Fisher an lml7.88s, around six seconds & Paykel Commodore was down on her practice times. As looking strong while it was she went out to set a time the running but the team lost an engine in the Saturday AM car lost the clutch and she session and the resulting loss of track time hurt him dearly. The car went into qualifying “blind’ on new rubber and Faulkner was considering making the car ‘slower’ in set-up to improve turn-in, and hence drive out of, corners.

Poole looked a tad weary.

“We’ve done a month’s work this week,” he said, the Scotts Transport Commodore look ing, at least, newly-windowed after his Wanneroo roll-over.

The car had received a new roof skin as well as glass and was going non-the-worse for his Perth mishap. “Nothing else was damaged,” he mused.

struggled aroimd.

Still, she was happier to be at the more user-friendly con fines of Mallala (where she at least had some ROH Commodore Cup experience) than the rather quicker Lakeside where she debuted last month.

Danny Osborne failed to set a qualifying time. After a lml2.36s lap in the morning the car trailed smoke around in the midday show and the car miss6d the timed session while a new Henry V8 was fitted.

Computer and electrical problems were considered to be the the root of the evil.

I

Privateer’S Dash Raceday dawned perfect and, if anyone had any doubts that they should attend Brock’s final Mallala race, they were swept away by the qualifying results, Even at Sam the roll-up was gigantic and, for once, the

promoter’s crowd figures looked accurate.

The Privateer dash was all about Faulkner. From the front row 46 roared past pole man Osborne and, with the sister car Hossack not far behind rocketed away to the four lap win.

The story behind was a good one. Brewer put her clutch problems behind her and shot into third and, despite the efforts of first Smerdon and, then, Finnigan to dislodge her, held on for a well-driven podi um place. It was an impres sive performance.

On a sta^ered grid for die first time all season - which put pole man Murphy on the left ‘righf side of the track (ie on the racing line) - the chances of a first corner gilhooly were lower than they had been in previous races... ...we thought.

Mmphy blasted away from Perkins, while Ingall made a predictably brilliant start from seven to haul past the ‘row* in fi'ont and latch onto the tail of Skaife.

“I thought I made a good start,” said Mark later. “I was inside Bowe and near Brock, but not close enough to get him. I was hit from behind by Ingall, and he just kept push ing.”

The Gibson Motorsport caj’ clouted Brock and around 05 went. He was in the middle of the road but remained intact and, after the field filed past, got going dead, motherless last.

Skaife struggled around left-front a smoking Yokohama and pitted, the splitter and radiator damaged too badly to continue.

Meanwhile Murphy was Continued Page 27

KI; Shell Australian Touring Car Championship I

ujIjc

ip.

Race 1-17 laps

Qualifying

Team Car Mobil-HRT Commodore Castrol-Perkins Commodore Ford Credit Falcon Mobil-HRT Commodore Shell Helix Falcon Aust 1000/Gibson Commodore Komatsu-Pirtek Falcon Castrol-Perkins Commodore Russell Ingall Mitre 10 Falcon Mark Larkham Shell Helix Falcon Dick Johnson Steven Richards Valvollne/Cummins Commodore

Pos Driver 1 Greg Murphy 2 Larry Perkins 3 Glenn Seton 4 . Peter Brock 5 John Bowe 6 Mark Skaife 7 Alan Jones 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20,

Tony Longhurst Stephen White John Faulkner Mark Poole Terry Finnigan Darren Hossack Chris Smerdon Kerryn Brewer Danny Osborne

Castrol-Longhurst Falcon HRT Young Lions Commodore Betta/Fisher & Paykel Commodore 68.6992 69.2345 Scotts Transport Commodore 69.3534 Sony Commodore 69.3616 Wynns/Kmart Commodore 1m10.11 Commodore 1m17.88 Castrol Cougars Commodore No time Colourscan Falcon

Race 2-17 laps Race time Pos Driver 1 2 3 4

Greg Murphy Larry Perkins Glenn Seton John Bowe

5 6 7 8 9 10

Russell Ingall Steven Richards Dick Johnson Peter Brock Mark Poole John Faulkner

11 12 13 14 15

Tony Longhurst Terry Finnigan Stephen White Darren Hossack Chris Smerdon

16 17 18 ●DNF DNS

Danny Osborne Kerryn Brewer Alan Jones Mark Larkham Mark Skaife

Points Seton Bowe Ingall Perkins Murphy Brock

596 592 572 516 474 458

Time 67.6963 67.7352 67.7559 67.7563 67.7883 67.7998 68.0527 68.1238 68.1866 68.2043 68.2189 68.4793 68.6771

19:41.8469 19:47.2525 19:48.4629 19:48.6647 19:49.0242 19:49.8625 19:51.7960 19:52.3069 19:59.6085 20:01.3880 20:02.2786 20:04.7729 20:09.1241 20:16.3660 20:24.4739 20:26.0442 16 iaps 15 laps 2 laps

D Johnson Longhurst Gardner Faulkner Jones Richards Skaife Poole

358 294 278 278 264 211 188 138

F/(ap

68.1437 68.5822 68.8287 68.8186 68.7804 68.7606 68.7607 68.8268 69.0951 69.4192 68.8268 69.4269 69.4192 69.2764 69.7498 69.4217 1:11.53 68.8063 69.6199

On

2 4 7 4 5 5 3 6 3 6 8 4 4 7 4 7 7 4 2

Larkham Finnigan Hossack Ellery Ashby Bright Heffeman McCarthy

Pos Driwer

Racetime Fitep On 19:38.9487 68.3548 4 19:42.6635 68.4020 3 19:47.1635 68.6011 3 19:47.4429 68.5843 3 19:47.7541 68.4318 3 5 Russell Ingall 19:49.7454 68.5049 4 6 Dick Johnson 19:50.4822 68.3927 4 7 Alan Jones 8 Steven Richards 19:51.0304 68.6574 3 9 Mark Larkham 19:52.9036 68.8755 4 19:58.7155 69.4158 9 10 Mark Poole 20:01.0934 68.7554 4 11 Peter Brock 1 2 3 4

Greg Murphy Larry Perkins Glenn Seton John Bowe

12 Stephen White 20:07.1204 69.1931 13 Darren Hossack 20:14.4823 69.2919 14 Chris Smerdon 20:14.9800 69.0906

6 7 9

15 Kerryn Brewer 20:36.3946 1:11.04 8 16 Danny Osborne 20:43.8907 1:11.11 5 DNFJohn Faulkner 12 laps 69.9130 3 3 laps 69.6253 3 DNFTerry Finnigan 1 lap 1:18.25 1 DNFTony Longhurst DNFMark Skaife 1 lap 2:38.16 1

Race 3-17 laps Race time Pos Driver 19:44.3839 1 Larry Perkins 19:44.8681 2 Greg Murphy 19:49.3633 3 John Bowe 19:49.8400 4 Glenn Seton 5 Steven Richards 19:51.9394 6 Tony Longhurst 19:55.2129 7 Dick Johnson 19:56.1203 19:57.2263 8 Mark Skaife 19:58.8259 9 Mark Poole 20:03.3409 10 Russell Ingall 20:09.8811 11 John Faulkner 20:10.2547 12 Stephen White 20:15.4915 13 Terry Finnigan 20:21.1798 14 Peter Brock 20:23.9335 15 Chris Smerdon 20:24.4473 16 Mark Larkham 17 18 DNS DNS

Danny Osborne Kerryn Brewer Darren Hossack Alan Jones

116 113 61 58 52 24 21 20

White Reed Romano Osborne Trimbole Brewer GJohnson Smerdon

20:31.6982 20:50:0361

18 9 8 8 7 7 6 5

On

F/lap

4 4 2 4 4 6 6 3 12 10 4 4 5 5 10 3 4 8

68.7680 68.8279 69.1076 68.7960 68.8074 69.1094 69.3943 68.5947 69.4668 69.3527 69.5058 69.6007 69.8445 69.5091 1:10.37 69.4159 1:11.04 1:10.52

Pearson S Johnson Parsons Crick Conway Price Hislop

3 2 2 2 2 2 1

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V

four square and intact. He was still fourth, with Seton in front and Rusty behind.

As for the lead? Another Murphy blinder put Mobil Commodore ahead of Castrol Commodore and Perkins was shut out, firmly,into second.

Behind Seton, Bowe and Ingall came Johnson, Richards, Jones, Larkham, Poole, Hossack, Brock, Faulkner (after a great start), White, Longhurst, ‘six gun’ Finnigan, Osborne,Smerdon and Brewer.

Murphy hammered out a 68.14s on lap three to build a gap,Perkins chal lenged for a while before falling back and, again, that was that. Murph 1, LP 2. It was like reading a Xerox.

Perkins was similarly secure, again,in second until the final laps of the race when the terrific trio, who

away, and gone. After a lap he was almost a second up on Perkins, with Seton, Bowe, Ingall, Johnson, Jones, Longhurst, Richards, Larkham, Hossack, Poole, Smerdon, Finnigan, White, Faulkner, Osborne, Brewer and, a long last. Brock.

Longhurst’s run lasted a lap. “(Jee I made a good start,” he said, “then the throttle cable broke. Supposed to be unbreakable, you know.” It, appar ently, wasn’t.

The battle for the lead was over.

Murph piled on the speed and pulled away to a comfortable win of almost four seconds. < Perkins was similarly comfortable in second but the battle between Seton, Bowe and Ingall raged. The distances between them concertinered as the Dunlops and Bridgestones started to work, fade (especially Seton, whose car was hurting his rears) or work again but, try as they did - and Ingall had a couple of big looks at Bowe - that’s how the battle for the placing fin ished. Mallala does little to encour age passing on four wheels.

Behind came Johnson, who ran a lonely first few laps until Jones closed right up behind him and probed for a way past. Again, there wasn’t room for two Fords on one piece of road and Dick held AJ offfor sixth, aroimd foiu seconds behind the trio ahead.

The mover was Richards. After cir cumspectly getting through the first corner chaos the Valvoline car emerged in clean air in eighth, clos ing on the two-Falcon battle ahead but unable to force a way by. Again, he couldn’t get by in the final five laps and finished line astern.

As far as battles were concerned, that was that. Larkham ran a fairly lonely ninth for aU of the going, clos ing in on Richards towards the end of the race when Steven was logged up behind Johnson/Jones, while Poole, similarly, had no-one to play with on his way to 10th.

The mover was Brock. He zoomed through the minnows like a killer whale through plankton but, despite running the second half of the race at the same pace, give or take a tenth, as leader Murphy, ran out of time to get onto Poole’s tail.

Faulkner stopped after pitting for a new t5rre. He had dinged a guard in the first lap brouhaha (he may have hit Bowe while taking avoiding action) and the first one cut. Problem was, so did the second so, after bat tling around for no good result, John was down to four tyres for the final two races.

But, he sure is a sportsman.

Finnigan stopped when the five slotter gave up the ghost and, with no more gearboxes, Faulkner offered enough bits to fix the six-speed.

Terry and crew got to work and made it to the dummy grid for race two, courtesy of one of his hardest competitors. Don’t say touring car racing is not a sport any more.

Continued next page

E « is:

o o o

a

LATE SEASON CHARGE... Now that the team’s retiability probiems are gone, Greg Murphy is the man to beat.

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Race 2(17 laps)

Skaife missed the start. When the car was fixed the team did a quick alignment check and found, to their dismay, that the rear axle had received a whack from the first race incident arid was 20mm out of line.

He quietly DNS’d.

If race one looked boring on paper, it wasn’t THAT bad watching, so hopes were high that race two would be a httle less processional.

So much for hope. Ingall needed a really good start, and got one. In a flash he was alongside Bowe and challenging for the spot in Scotcher Cui-ve, leaving the Shell Helix Falcon half a track and a kerb to get through the right handei’.

Bowe two wheeled around the cor ner and, as the only person at the track without his eyes shut, landed t

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FORMULA. HOLDEN

Jason and the Arguments

by CHRIS LAMBDEN

JASON Bright clinched the 1997 Formula Holden Gold Star Championship at Mallala last weekend, but in circumstances that 'coidd easily have had dire consequences.

A^250kph clash of wheels, in some ways reminiscent of the Senna/Prost contest at its toughest, between Bright and his remaining series chal lenger Jason Bargwanna took both out of the opening race in spectacular fashion, but a solid win in the second over Bargwanna’s hastily refettled car provided enough points to clinch the crown with Oran Park left to run.

The demise of the two pacesetters allowed Mark Noske (Lola T93/50)to grab a heat one win and that, com bined with third in the sec ond race, presented the sec ond HRT Young Lion in the field with his first overall Formula Holden round win.

Darren Pate gave Noske a strong run for his money in both races, but took runnerup points, while Darren Edwards and Scott Dixon contributed to the action in this part of the field, although each had one DNF.

Qualifying

Fifteen Formula Holdens fronted for the Mallala round, but from the start of practice, it was a two-man contest.

While series leader Jason Bright hadn’t sat in his Birrana team Reynard for six weeks, Jason Bargwanna had made the trek to Adelaide for some testing a couple of weeks earlier.

The effort bridged the gap on what is the Birrana team’s home track and made the contest an absorbing one.

“We needed to make the effort to come and test here,” Bargwanna said, “and it paid off We’re really starting to get the car sorted now and when we did a 1:02.8 in the testing, we thought we’d be in with a good chance here.”

And so it transpired, Bargwanna emerging on top in both sessions for the dubi ous honour of Mallala’s “out side” pole.

There was little in it.

Bargwanna’s 1:02.9066 was just a tenth better than Bright in the opening session, and it was closer in the sec ond, an improvement to 1:02.6093 needed to keep the Skilled car at bay by six-hun dredths of a second...

Paul Stokell’s 1994 lap record of 1:02.57 remains unchallenged - but of course that was set in a differing (Dunlop)control tyre era.

Bright reported no real problems, other than badly blistered hands - a legacy of six weeks’ absence from the cockpit.

Behind this duo there was simply daylight, a second a lap to be exact, before the rest of the field, albeit it involved quite a contest between a group of three or four.

Scott Dixon continued his recent improvement to grab third spot from Noske in the opening session, but the lat ter found a solid half a sec ond in the second to reverse the positions.

Darren Pate, mysteriously at sea with the shock set up on their 95D Re}mard, was a hundredth slower than hometowner Darren Edwards first

up, but then also found sig nificant time - four-tenths later in the day.

Brenton Ramsey and Steve Cramp improved from 1:5s . _ _ into the fours in the quicker (*“ session, while Bruce Williams ran 1:5s in both after taking out a front cor ner on the Simoco car in practice when the throttle jammed at the esses. ts

Race 1-11 laps (shortened)

The warm-up again emphasised the two-man con test, the two Jasons locked at 1:03.4, Noske heading the rest at 1:04.5.

A second parade lap was needed for the field after Dixon’s car stalled on the line, the young Kiwi pushed to one side after failing to re fire the engine. ’ Bright’s grid'two spot, on the inside - albeit staggered back a little - was the place to be and, with the benefit of a lower first gear, he was able to quite easily get along side Bargwanna and into the lead at the start.

An enthralling contest looked on as the pair rapidly walked away at a second a lap over the first three laps, Bargwanna right there and exhibiting the body language of someone not prepared to follow.

Lap four and as the pair swept out of the main straight kink towards the hairpin braking zone, it all went wrong.

Bright appeared to hesitate as he exited the kink out wide (he later claimed his engine died) and in a flash Bargwanna was inside, alongside and nosing ahead as they straightened.

Bright came across, crowding Bargwanna to the inside, then moved back to midtrack as the latter moved back to make room for himself or take the line for the approaching hairpin.

With Bright still at midtrack and Bargwanna half a car in front but moving across, they collided, Bargwanna’s left rear locked briefly into Bright’s right front as the two cars began to spin - at something like 250kph...

Bargwanna went off the end of the straight backwards, lucky to,miss hitting anything, while.Bright nosed off the road frontwards.

Both were out and the race was stopped, Bargwanna’s car deemed to have come to rest in a dangerous place.

In the end, the Stewards took no action against either driver, but among other senior observers there was a

*

JASONS TO THE FORE...

Bright led away in race one, only to be involved in a controversial moment with championship rival Jason Bargwanna.

IT CANT HURT...

For his part Bargwanna prepared for the off in race one with what appeared to be a combination of meditation, contemplation and prayer...

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmith) I

view that maybe a “professional foul had been missed...

Noske had eked out a small margin over Pate and Edwards before the stoppage but, on the restart, couldn’t shake Pate (with Edwards close by)off.

Behind them, Ramsey was deahng with the attentions of a close-following Williams (after a good start) and in fact the latter got by along the back straight and under brakes, only to get a punt in the right rear from the second Birrana team car as they turned in to the comer.

The Simoco car flick-tumed and rejoined quickly, nevertheless losing a spot to Steve Cramp, Despite Pate’s best efforts. including a four-wheel lockup at the end of the main straight, he couldn’t find a way past Noske’s Lola, and so that’s how the race ran out. with Edwards a couple of seconds away in third. Cramp eventually demoted Ramsey for fourth.

R3CG 2 — 15 l3pS Bargwanna’s car was still being comer-weighted as they strapped him in for the second race and, as it would transpire, the car was less than perfect in balance. The left rear corner had been replaced, while Bright’s car sported a new right front wishbone assembly, Bargwanna tried to shqt the gate as they left the line, but again Bright slotted through and - really - that was that, Bargwanna’s car “over-

i

r steered big-time on right-han ders” and by the time he’d used the bars to compensate as much as possible. Bright had a second in hand and was able to maintain it through to lap eight, when Bargwanna slipped off the road at turn three for a few moments and dropped back to fifth.

That was the race - and the championship.

Edwards had fried his

clutch getting off the line and was out, leaving Noske to fight off Dixon and Pate in quite an absorbing struggle for what would still be third at the end of the day, Bargwanna having time in the second half of the race to claw his way back past all three.

two laps to go, was particular ly impressive...

Noske, though, did well to retain third and of course out right victory for the day.

Behind Dixon and Pate, Cramp finished a lonely sixth, from Williams, Minogue and Ramsey, who’d had a brief spin on lap seven. .

The lunge under brakes past Noske for second, at the main straight hairpin with

Points after round four: Bright 187, Bargwanna 142, Pate 92, Dixon 90, Noske 76,Edwards 72.

WJufyWI »oo»oeooo

THREE DEEP...

In front of the biggest crowd of the season Christian Jones, Marcos Ambrose and Todd Kelly turned on a great race one battle behind the long-gone leader Garth Tander.

GART'H Tander put one hand on the 1997 Ford Motorsport/ Slick 50 Formula Ford Champ ionship trophy with two strong wins at Mallala last weekend.

The West Australian extended his points lead over Tasmanian Marcos Ambrose to 16 points and goes to the Oran Park finale needing only to shadow his arch-rival to take the title.

Ambrose took a second and third place at Mallala, the latter to Christian Jones, who put in a strong run in the Spectrum in the opener, but then went out of race two after a collision.

Todd Kelly, who retained a slim mathematical series chance going into the weekend, was the fastest on the track, but a number of ontrack moments and excursions cost him dearly. He is now a confirmed third in the championship.

Big improver on the day was Greg Ritter, the Melbournian mov ing to fourth in the championship with fourth and third places. i

Qualifying

Tander started the weekend as he intended to continue - on top.

After one session he had a huge four-tenths gap over Kelly, which “Toddler” was only able to shave by a further tenth in the later session.

A tenth away from a front row spot was Ambrose, while Jones stayed fourth, despite finding a fur ther tenth in the second session.

Craig Zerner and Greg Ritter would share row three, with WA team-mates Brett Burvill and Christian Murchison on the fourth.

Tim Leahey and Phillip Scifleet Report and photo

by DIRK KLYNSMITH TODD Kelly made a seri ous charge for the Ford Motorsport Slick 50 Formula Ford Champion ship with two race victo ries at the sixth round of the series at Perth’s Bai'bagallo Raceway.

While Kelly came away from the west with maximum points and is now only 30 points from the series leader Garth Tander, he still has an uphill battle,to displace either Tander or second placed Marcos Ambrose who did not have a good weekend having finished both races out of the top three and claiming that his Van Diemen simply was not fast enough!

a

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

completed the top ten.

Race 1-9 laps Tander made a strong getaway from the outside spot to get a clear sweep across into turn one, while Ambrose briefly got alongside Kelly, only to be shut out, eventually los ing third to Jones in the first lap melee.

Kelly was all over Tander over the opening three laps, the pair eas ing away from Jones, Ambrose, Ritter, Zerner, Burvill and Murchison.

KeUy had a look down the outside at the end of the main straight, but in doing so ran wide enough for Jones, with Ambrose in his tow, to latch right onto him.

Another couple of laps and Kelly ran wide onto the finish straight.

This time, Jones and Ambrose were close enough and both jumped past.

Whether it was the reported car burettor problem (it was apparently coming loose) or not, Kelly ran.very deep into turn two, clobbering the rear of Ambrose, both continuing after a bit of a moment.

In fact, Kelly was in trouble. By the end of the next lap, Ritter and Zerner had also gone by and this time it was Zemer copping the rear end hit at the same place, in his case spinning down to the mid-field.

All this left Tander well clear and cmising, with the best part of three seconds over Jones, who himself had a second over Ambrose.

That’s how the race ran out, with Ritter a clear fourth, from Burvill, Tim Leahey, WA team-mates Smith and Murchison, Adam Macrow ^nd Aaron McNally.

Race 2-9 laps Tander again got the jump for

race two^ while Ambrose got the better of Jones in the opening melee.

Jones was being pressed by Ritter, who worked his way past on the second lap as Jones ran wide after looking for a way past Ambrose. Life for the Spectrum pilot got worse as, a lap later, Burvill also went past briefly, before overcooking it enough to let both Jones and Zemer past.

Up front, it was much closer than the previous race, with Ambrose in Tender’s wheel tracks, but unable to mount a serious passing move.

Ritter was a sohd and solo third, with Jones and Zerner going at it hammer and tongs.

Indeed, lap seven would see thendemise, the pair sliding off at the main straight hairpin. While Zemer rejoined quickly to finish fifth (behind Burvill), Jones had sus-

tained some damage and would retire.

The exciting action was being provided by ... Kelly. Up to eighth, then as low as 13th mid-race after sliding off at the main straight hair pin, he mounted something of a late charge, picking off car after car to be seventh with a lap to go - no mean effort.

But it all went out the window at the back straight hairpin with an ambitious move inside McNally and Leahey at the same time. The con tact put Kelly back to 10th, Leahey to the tail of the field, and McNally out...

Tander reeled off his fastest lap on the very last lap as Ambrose tried to put the crush on, getting home by a couple of lengths to com plete a strong day and eke out the best part of a races-worth of points lead.

“I needed a good result today,” Tander said. “Oran Park is where Marcos has done a lot of his testing, so he is going to be very tough to beat there.

“It’s fair to say that the champi onship will go down to the wire...”

Points after round 7: Tander 218; Ambrose 202; KeUy 145; Ritter 96; Zemer 88; Jones 75; McNally 61; Macrow 60; Cotter 44; Blanchard 38.

- CHEIS LAMBDEN

Kelly wins in the wild wet west

/ Wes^f Australian runner Ray Stubber took pole posi tion with his Spectrum 6/97 despite the best efforts of Kelly in the second session who actually had set the fastest times out of the two sessions.

Kelly’s lap of 62.23s was scrubbed from the time sheets after stewards found that he had returned to the circuit from the wrong direc tion following an off and his time from the first session meant he would greet the starter from seventh while Ambrose would be starting

from a very disappointing 11th.

Tander would be off the third row alongside Adam Macrow while another West Australian in Christian Murchison would be on the front row in second!

The first race was held in diabolical conditions and despite the fact that all run ners were on new Avon Tyres due to the abrasiveness of the circuit the conditions caught out a good number of run ners.

Both Tander and Kelly had moved to the front of the pack

in short order with Tander holding a relatively comfort able lead over Kelly.

Todd was the first to make a mistake running off the cir cuit at the first turn but the mistake didn’t cost him any places.

With an oil flag showing along the straight Tander flew into turn one and subse quently ran straight off. He was lucky in that he missed the sand trap and although taking the long way around the tyre wall he was able to keep going.

Not quick enough to hold

YEEE-HAHIH... Marcos Ambrose had a lousy weekend but still provided fireworks in his Valvoline/Leisure Inns Van Diemen.

out Kelly though and had to be satisfied with second place some seven seconds in arrears. Third went to Kerry Wade and Ambrose held out a persistent McNally for fourth. Stubber splashed around for an eventual sev enth!

Race two was not an easy win for Kelly as Tander was keen to avenge for his earUer costly mistake. Unlike the first race this 12 lapper was held in dry conditions and was an absolute cracker with the leading pair dicing throughout.

A fast minute with...

As they crossed the line on the penultimate lap Tander had his nose in front on the outside line but was unable to take the lead through turn one and had to follow the KeUy through the rest of the lap.

Out of the last turn Tander got a good tow to the line and failed by a mere 10th of a sec ond to snatch the win from Kelly.

Stubber took an excellent third while Christian Jones was fourth holding out Ambrose by two tenths com pounding his bad weekend.

I

Marcos Ambrose Name: Marcos Ambose Born: 1 September ’76 Home state: Tasmania Car: Van Diemen F96B

50

The Metal Wear Protector

Ambition in motorsport: To make a living out of motor racing Ambitions for 1998:

Winner of rounds four and five of the Ford Motorsport/Slick 50 Australian Formula Ford Championship. Remains a strong chance to win series.

Likes: adrenaline, great handling cars,fast competition Dislikes: bad luck, pessimists, cold weather Three wbrds that describe yourself: self-assured, easy going, happy

To progress to the next level in motorsport, be it locally or internationally Most memorable moment in Formula Ford: First pole position and race win (at Mallala in 1996) Most admired Australian driver John Bowe Most admired international driver: Michael Schumacher Favourite catch-phrase: S#*t happens!”

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32

18 July 199/

i

ndretti goals

It was a race of firsts at Daytona’s Pepsi 400 on July 5 when John Andretti took his first NASCAR win in 110 starts, the result by the former CART victor also the first victory as a car owner for veteran retired driver Cale Yarborough, “five been in this victory circle a lot of times as a car owner, but I walked in here today and I felt just as good walking as I did driving in,” said Yarborough.

Andretti’s RCA Ford had looked strong in other super speedway events, but he could not find a ‘dancing partner’ at Talladega this year to draft with him and he fin ished fourth after starting from the pole.

“When I got out there, I felt like Jeff Gordon,” Andretti remarked.

“Nobody was going to beat me.

Today we had a car that was imbelievable.”

Andretti took the lead for the final time with 23 laps remaining in a gutsy move, using the apron to pass Mark Martin in turn 1 with drafting help from Bill Elliott.

“I owe Bill a cheque after this,” said the victor.

Andretti started third and head ed the most laps, 113 of 160, domi nating the 400 mile event.

He became the fifth driver to cap ture his first victory in the 400,"^the result coming down to a final lap shoot-out after the third caution for an accident involving Ricky Rudd, who blew a tyre and collected Michael Waltrip on the backstretch oflap 156.

On that final tour, Andretti held off a three-wide battle between

J

eff Burton, currently fifth in the points standings, discovered during the last week of June that he suffered a broken bone in his left leg in a practice wreck at Michigan on June 14 - Burton was already suffering from severely bruised ribs.

Also in the bone depart ment, Hutbroken Stricklin described his California race wreck, which broke one of his ribs, as the hard est hit he’d ever taken.

International Daytona Speedway announced last Friday that they are to light the 2.5-mile track in preparation for next year’s 40th running of the Pepsi 400.

The track will become the world’s largest outdoor lighting project, with 2,205 fixtures on 130 poles and 2,600 square,feet of mirrors, 800 tons of concrete and 150 miles of wire around the track.

The work is to be carried out by Musco Lighting of Iowa, who has already transformed the Charlotte, Texas, Richmond and Bristol Speedways, as well as our own Goodyear Thunderdome at Calder Park.

Labonte and Cope were in the Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt and path of the spinning DuPont Monte Terry Labonte, as an eight-car pileCarlo, both somehow managing to up occurred in turn 3 behind them. miss Gordon.

The incident wiped out frpnt run Terry was again a sleeper, com ners Martin, Ward Burton and Dick Tidckle. ing to the front near the completion of the race and starting fifth on the It appeared seventh-placed Ward final one lap restart, his efforts Burton, who was racing on the apron, came up into Martin, who in showing why in 43% of his starts with Hendrick he has been a top turn slammed sixth-placed Trickle. five finisher.

Cope, who dodged a bullet earli Mike Skinner, team owner er, was swept into the carnage, as Richard Childress’ rookie driver, was Bobby Hamilton.

“That wasn’t a shoot-out - it was swept to his second Daytona pole of a slugfe.st, a wreck fest,” fourth- the year, with team-mate placed Dale Eai-nhardt commented. Earnhardt on the outside front row.

Unfortunately for Skinner, he “They INASCARl know better than was involved in the first caution on to do that.” lap 37 with Jimmy Spencer.

The other Dale, Jarrett, was lit “Skinner just made a dumb mis erally pushing Earnhardt towards take,” Spencer remarked. “They call Andretti on the last lap.

“It was a wild last lap,” said them rookies and he is definitely a Jarrett. “We debated whether we rookie.”

Skinner saw things in a different should do that or not, but the fans came here to see a rate and, if they fight: “All I know is, I got hit from didn’t enjoy that, they’re gonna’ behind. I went into the comer and have a hard time getting them the next thing I know} I’m goin’ excited.” sideways.”

The second caution aired on lap Earnhardt was one of 11 lap leaders and, until the final caution, 'T06, when Ken Schrader cut a right the race would have come down to front tyre and impacted the wall, fuel mileage - Earnhardt, having adding to his string of bad luck.

Martin’s final lap wreck while pitted last during what would have been the final sequence, had the ranning eighth stopped his charge fuel to finish the race under green, in the points race, Martin dropping while the other drivers were not so 60 points to third'in the standings sure. and finishing 27th in the race, end Points leader Jeff Gordon ing a streak of nine consecutive top dropped 38 points to team-mate ten results.

Rusty Wallace’s restrictor plate Terry Labonte, who finished 0.29s behind Andretti. racing took a swift turn around.

The Miller Penske Ford was at Gordon slapped the wall exiting the front all day, starting and fin turn 2/to bring out the third cau tion on lap 124 - he finished 21st ishing sixth on this occasion with one of their in-house powerplants. on the lead lap.

8ir«

By Martin D Clarl^^^ Part of the track is already lit for the 24 hours of Daytona.

The main reason for the lighting extravaganza is that the July race is never a sell-out, due largely to the Florida heat - an example of this came when Terry Labonte’s crew measured the temperature inside the Kellogg’s Chevy, the firewall inside the car recording 155°, while it was 135° in the seat and 120° in his helmet!

The next race at ‘The Beach’ is the February 15 running of the Daytona 500, the 50th anniversary of the event first run on the old beach course in 1948.

Driver Billy Standridge Triad Motorsports opened and up some eyes in qualifying for the Pepsi 400, as the low budget Ford team,

sponsored by Hanes Underwear, was seventh fastest. * The vast improvement was due to the team leasing a Cale Yarborough Motorsports restrictor plate engine, instead of the TriStar power they had been using.

The team recently tested at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in preparation for next month’s Brickyard 400, this time switching from a Tri-Star engine to one built

by Larry Wallace and they picked up eight miles per hour in straight away speed.

Ricky Craven also tested over the same two-day period in his Hendrick Budweiser Chevrolet, Standridge consistently the quick er of the two - but Standridge blis tered a tyre at Daytona while run ning 12th, impacting the wall and finishing 40th.

T

earn owner Rick Hendrick, who was hoping to move his trial from Ashville to his home town of Charlotte, was denied the move by a federal judge on July 2.

Hendrick, who is to stand trial for fraud, laundering and conspira cy, is undergoing treatment for leukaemia.

HALLELUJAH!... Winner John Andretti rejoices. (Martin D dark pic) Sterling Marlin started 30th and finished side by side with Earnhardt for third, all this after cutting a tyre on the eighth lap and dropping off the lead lap.

Mario Andretti, John’s uncle, was the last Andretti to visit a Winston Cup victory lane at Daytona - in the 1967 Da3ftona 500 - although John had been victorious at the track in the 24 hour race in 1989.

Ward Burton was kept overnight for observation in a local hospital after sustaining a concussion in the final wreck.

Final positions: 1 Andretti (Ford) 157.791 mph, 2 T Labonte (Chevy), 3 Marlin (Chevy), 4 Earnhardt (Chevy), 5 Jarrett (Ford), 6 R Wallace (Ford), 7 Petty (Pontiac), 8 J Burton (Ford), 9 Irvan (Ford), 10 B Labonte (Pontiac).

Series points standings after round 15: 1 J Gordon 2400, 2 T Labonte 2346, 3 Martin 2290, 4 Jarrett 2278, 5 J Burton 2113, 6 Earnhardt 2113, 7 B Labonte 20029, 8 Rudd 1936, 9 Mayfield 1850,10 Musgrave 1845.

- MARTIN D CLARK

The trial date was set for August 1, but Hendrick’s lawyers have asked for a 60 day delay due to his health - the postponement is still a possibility.

cial problem and I’ll get through it too.’

It was the elder Bodine’s first race missed (excepting injury) since taking over as owner of the ex-Alan Kulwicki team in 1993.

Allen was in a debut ride with the LJ Racing Spam car that Mike Wallace was recently released from and the rumour is that Spam will exit the sponsorship at month’s end.

I

nternational Motor Sports Group plans to run a series of stock car circuit races in the US next year the ‘United States Road Racing Stock Car Racing Championship’ series is planned for up to 12 events.

I MSG expects a team to oper ate on a budget not exceeding $500,000 for the first year.

Jeff debuting the TomGreen, and Jerry paint job onnew the Diamond Ridge Chevrolet, hit the wall hard in practice prior to quali fying at Daytona.

Green cut a left rear tyre and slammed the wall, reverting to a brand-new back-up car.

Green, Geoff Bodine and Loy Allen were unable to qualify for the race.

“I’m kinda’ numb right now,” Bodine commented.

“I’ve divorced, but I got through it. I’ve been hurt, but I got through it. Now I’m dealing with this finan-

G

ill Martin and Eddie Jones, who were recently fired from Kenny Wallace’s Filmar team, were working at Daytona with the number one Pontiac driven by Jerry Nadeau and owned by Richard Jackson. They are with the operation on a week to week basis.

Sterling Marlin took two sepa rate laps attempting to qualify for the Pepsi 400, as the car was so soft on the rear, it wanted to go straight on in the corners, “Rather than saying ‘hey, ya’I! watch this,’ I decided not to be a hero,” Sterling commented.

It turned out the front shock absorbers on the wrong sides!

mmm

WINSTON CUP RESULTS

I l

Current Points After Round 17

Jiffy Lube 300 - New Hampshireo July 13, l997o I. 2.

Jeff Burton,#99 Exide Batteries Ford Thunderbird Dale Earnhardt,#3 GM Goodvrrench Chevrolet

3.

4.

5.

6.

Rusty Wallace,#2 Miller Lite Ford Thunderbird Steve Grissom,#41 Kodiak Chevrolet Monte Carlo Mark Martin,#6 Valvoiine/Cummins Ford T’bird Bill Elliott, #94 McDonald’s/Amoco Ford T’bird

16. Ricky Craven,#25 Budweiser Chevrolet Monte Carlo

7.

8.

Terry Labonte,#S Kellogg’s Corn Flakes Chevrolet Ernie Irvan,#28 Texaco Havoline Ford Thunderbird

17. Jeremy Mayfield,# 37 K-mart/RC Cola Ford Third 18. Johnny Benson,#30 Pennzoil Pontiac Grand Prix

© 9. Ricky Rudd,#10 Tide Ford Thunderbird

10. Geoff Bodine,#7 QVC Channel Ford Thunderbird

11. Ken Schrader,#33 Skoal Bandit Chev Monte Carlo 12. Jimmy Spencer,#23 Camel Ford Thunderbird 13. Kyle Petty,#44 Mattel Hot Wheels Pontiac GP 14. John Andretti,# 98 RCA Ford Thunderbird 15. Hut Stricklin, Circuit City Ford Thunderbird

19. Kenny Wallace,#81 Square D Ford Thunderbird 20. Derrike Cope,#36 Skittles Pontiac Grand Prix

I. Terry Labonte, Chev ...2497 ,2494 2. Jeff Gordon, Chev 244S 3. Mark Martin, Ford

2332

4.

Dale Jarrett, Ford

7.

8.

Bobby Labonte, Pontiac .211 1 2074 Ricky Rudd, Ford

2298 5. Jeff Burton, Ford .

6. Dale Earnhardt, Chev ...2283

9. Jeremy Mayfield, Ford ...1962 i 10. Ted Musgrave, Ford ....1930

W My 1997 Jeff Burton had little trouble outracing every one on the track in the Ji^ Lube 300, but he had to win one late race in the pits to clinch the victory last Sunday.

Holding a healthy lead, he needed only a splash of gas in the final laps to win the race at New Hampshire International Speedway, as he and other cars pitted on

Jiffy to Burton the 285th tour - but, as he pulled out of his pit, runnerup Dale Earnhardt was pulling in and had to swerve

to avoid hitting Burton, the near-miss appearing to cost Earnhardt time.

Burton went on to beat

w—■

Earnhardt by 5.4 seconds.

Rusty Wallace finished third, Steve Grissom fourth and Mark Martin fifth.

Burton took the lead on the 196th lap and lost it only for six late laps when he took on gas.

He won for the second time this year and the second time in his four years in the Winston Cup series - the vic tory also broke a tie with Earnhardt for fifth in the point standings.

At 20, Shane Ryding looks like becoming the youngest AUSCAR driver for the ’97/98 Super Speedway season. After being a member of the HQ brigade for the last couple of seasons with mixed results, including a broken arm as a result of a crash and missing out on two rounds, Ryding has decided to move up to AUSCAR. He has purchased both of Scott Wood’s VP and VR AUSCARs, the VP to be updated to VR specs at the team’s new factory in Frankston.

Ryding’s crew chief will be Shane Lee and all work, except the engines, will be done inhouse by Sonny Rickards - the engines , will be taken care of by Grant Dunn.

A third car is a distinct possibility and quotes are being sought at the moment to build a new AUSCAR for promotional purposes.

Sponsorship to date will come from the BOOTLEG LIQUOR CELLARS chain. Budget Rent-a-Car and Sydney’s Lounges Discounters - negotiations are also well under way with Jayco Caravans, as well as some other potential sponsors.

Ryding (pictured above by Thunder-Pics/Agfa) is currently also looking at pimchasing a NASCAR, as he seriously intends to do the “double” - “John Faulkner and Brad Jones have done it, so I cannot see any reason why I should not be able to do it,” Ryding said.

After a deal to acquire Walter Giles’s Calibra, Pontiac and transporter fell through, -JOHN WINKLER Ryding is on the look-out for another suitable NASCAR.

Valvoline supports Dumesny/Thomas three-Monte team Max Dumesny and Ian Thomas are to field three brand-new Chevy Monte Carlos in full Valvoline corporate markings dur ing this season’s NASCAR series.

Dumesny, the most suc cessful driver on the

Goodyear Thunderdome, is teaming up with Cairns busi nessman Ian Thomas, who finished third on the points table last season.

Two of the new cars are currently being prepared by the team’s crew-chief, Peter Sportelli and it is anticipated

that the third vehicle will arrive from the US within the next couple of weeks.

Along with Valvoline, the team will be announcing another major corporate backer, although the identity of that organisation is cur rently under wraps.

OZ NASCAR for US Supercross star

Former US Supercross star Jimmy Ellis appears almost certain to enter the local NASCAR scene at the wheel of the Charles Roker Holden Commodore that was campaigned by Darryl Coon last season.

Ellis, a former World and US Supercross and Masters champion who thrilled

crowds with his calculated and some times flamboyant riding style, has spent some time at the wheel of the Commodore NASCAR on the Calder Park tri-oval.

Ellis is now a permanent resident in Australia, living close to one of his greatest fans, Jim Richards.

“We plan to test Jimmy on the Thunderdome this week.

providing the weather is kind to us,” commented carowner Roker.

“Jimmy feels comfortable with the team, as he spent considerable time with us last season learning about this style of competition.”

It is anticipated that the Commodore will undergo an aerodynamic and body upgrade for November.

GREALY MOVES TO LEGENDS RACING ...

Karl Grealy has vacated the position of Director of Competition at Calder Park Raceway and is planning to assist cur rent Australian Legends importer/distributor Paul Freestone with the marketing and co-ordina tion of the ’97/98 Legends season.

It is anticipated that another six of the 1.2 litre Yamaha motorcycle enginepowered 5/8th scale racers will be making their debut in the forthcoming series.

Grealy will be providing participants in the category with promotional, market ing, technical and competi tion set-up assistance

Terry Labonte, who finished seventh, took over the points lead from team-mate Jeff Gordon, 2,497 to 2,494.

Gordon, starting 29th, his lowest of the season, finished 23rd.

The race over the 1.058mile oval had been mostly a contest between team-mates Dale Jarrett and Ernie Irvan through 183 laps - Burton, who started 15th, had moved up to third by then.

But Jarrett was slowed fay COOK TO RETURN IN A FORD THUNDERBIRD ...

Gene Cook will be returning to the Calder Park Thunderdome in November to contest the ACDelco Australian NASCAR Championship at the wheel of an exCharlie OBrien Ford Thunderbird.

33

a valve spring problem and Burton moved into second.

Irvan stayed in contention before dropping back in the final 40 laps.

Jarrett slumped to 38th and Irvan finished eighth.

Irvan, Burton and Jarrett were running 1-2-3 when everyone took advantage of the second caution in the race on lap 193 for pit stops and when they got the green again Burton was in the lead, stretching it to as much as seven seconds.

Burton’s victory for the Jack Roush team kept alive Ford’s streak this season of winning every race except those won by Gordon Gordon has driven his Chevrolet to victory seven times in 17 races.

DARRYL SPEERS AND I&V TRUCK REPAIRS ...

Speers, one of the “old est” AUSCAR competi tors, has been able to retain the ongoing sup port of I&V Truck Repairs, who have been with Darryl for the last thi’ee years.

His sponsor is very happy with the coverage AUSCAR Cook’s previous Austoilsupported Ford Falcon XR8 has been getting on TV, was virtually destroyed in which was one of the major an incident with Robert reasons for I&V Truck Tinworth’s Pontiac Grand Repairs to again happily Prix during the ’96/97 sum sign on the dotted line. mer series.

Incidentall}^ Darryl has Since that incident, Cook ■ had #31 on his AUSCAR has been recuperating and ever since he started racing assembling a host of new and therefore Shane Ryding components in readiness for will not be able to transfer his old HQ number to his the forthcoming six round new AUSCAR ride. championship series.

34

18 July 1997

Report by DAVID HASSALL Photos by DIRK KLYNSMITH

PETEJR Brock scored an emotioncharged victory in roimd eight of the Shell Australian Toining Car Championship at Wanneroo, say ing goodbye to a record Perth crowd in the perfect manner.

Even the man himself - whose retirement has generated little emo tion on his own part - admitted that the victory lap in pouring rain was “touching”.

Perhaps it’s starting to catch up with him after all.

The weather had been shocking ^ with heavy rain overnight giving little 'ground on race morning, but that did not stop the faithful from pouring into Wanneroo to say goodbye to a man who has meant so much to them for more than 20 years.

WA has always been a special place for Brock and the locals have sensed as much.

The ofiBcial crowd was a staggering 27,000 and, while the reahfy was little more than half that number, it was a startling roU-up. Certainly, they could not have fitted many more into the place.

This was certainly an extraordinary round; one of the best touring car meetings in living memory.

Not only did we get three tremen dous races of varied character, but the results could not have been better for the championship position.

The three title contenders were in the thick ofthe action all weekend and came away-wait for it-separated by just four points going into the final two rounds. Never before has the title been so close.

And, if ever it needed formalising, Russell IngaU confirmed his standing as the bad man of Austrahan motor racing with an even more forceful weekend than usual, ending with the laying of more charges by the stew ards.

His final act of the weekend indi rectly resulted in John Bowe spinnmg to last at the start of the final race, which cost him a brief championship lead.

Otherwise, it was a great weekend for the Tasmanian, whose champi onship stocks rose considerably.

The third contender, Glenn Seton, had another terrible weekend and must think that it can only get better fi^m here.

It started horribly with a huge offin practice which could easily have wrecked the Ford Credit Falcon, then included two startline offs which destroyed his two remaining fi:ont airdams and cost him many series points.'

That he escaped with the title lead - slim as it is over Bowe and IngaU would have been his sole consolation.

WANNEROO O ATCC

Perfect farewell

1

Shell Australian Touring Car Championship T.T Round 8 LL j^anneroo i

Practice and qualifying Dunlop was in a difficult position even before practice started, although its problems werfe of a more desirable nature than in previous years here.

This time it had two of the three championship contenders to worry about and a new breed of tyres which have been working well all season.

So what was the problem? Its two contenders - Holden runner Russell IngaU and Falcon driver John Bowe had considerably different ideas of what would be the best tyre for the abrasive Wanneroo circuit.

In the end, the Holden man won out, essentially because he wanted what the Dunlop hierarchy wanted, which was a new, untried tyre which the company hopes will be its Bathurst tyre.

With a final decision on ordering Bathurst tyres having to be made on the Monday after the meeting, this would be its only chance to test the

new tyre under race conditions and important as the touring car title is Bathurst is the one that matters most.

Dunlop motorsport manager Jeff Moorhead wouldn’t give the tyre a for mal name (as has been the case with all its new tyres this year), but if you are really interested we can teU you that it is called the 507.

There was some concern that it would lasKwhich, of course, eventual ly became academic because of the rain on race day), but that was no con solation to Bowe.

For some reason, the 507s just wouldn’t generate any grip on the Falcon and he was struggling.

Ingall, however, was delighted with his and set the fastest time in both non-qualifying sessions.

When it counted, though, Greg Murphy suddenly found a huge improvement with a new set of Bridgestones on the Mobil HRT Commodore and grabbed pole with a stunning lap of57.3404s- a quarter of

FRACAS ... John Bowe spins off in race three after getting punted from behind in the turn one dramas. Peter Brock, who was trying to go around the outside, takes avoiding action before starting a great comeback drive.

m

ON TOP... Peter Brock proved he is retiring on top by winning in the West.

MESSAGE FROM ABOVE... These Brock fans (right) left little doubt about Peter’s standing. a second faster than Ingall’s 57.58s.

At the post-race press conference, the sometimes bitter rivals didn’t look alto gether comfortable sitting together and Russell really pushed the point by suggestsomewhat mg tongue in cheek-that Murphy, being a loyal Holden man, might help him out in the race.

Murphy’s eyes qui etly rolled. As if...

Murf wasn’t getting too excited about his race prospects, having been chasing a set-up problem aU day.

“We were really struggling this morning, so we changed a few things and it didn’t make any difference,” he said.

‘We threw a new set oftyres on and it transformed the car, but this circuit is hard on tyres...”

Ingall was much happier, having made veiy few changes to the car dur ing the day.

“Tm really pleased with the car and its consistency,” he said.

“Last year we had big problems with tyres, but this year they are pret ty good in all conditions, wet or dry.”

Continuing his excellent qualifying form was Alan Jones, who placed the Komatsu Falcon third on the grid with a 57.65s, having been second-fastest in the unofficial sessions.

But AJ wasn’t confident about the race, having stiU not sorted out the problem which sees his chewing out a set of new Bridgestones in only six laps or so. And he didn’t even think it would be any better ifit was wet.

Peter Brock was staggered at the time Murphy had managed (and he did another which would have been good enough for pole) because 05 was

halfa second slower at 57.86s.

And, incredibly, this was Murfs first time at the circuit while it was Brock’s umpteenth - and, of course, last. StUl, the outside of the second row wasn’t too bad a place to be.

The big chaUenger for pole might have been series leader Glenn Seton, but the Ford Credit driver had his hands fuU and did weU to qualify fifth in the end.

The problem was a huge off at Yokohama comer - the right-angle right-hander at the bottom of the super-fast main straight - on just his second lap of the final non-qualifying session.

Even by the end of the day, Glenn wasn’t too sure what had caused the accident, but suspected it might have been a broken bottom control arm.

Unfortunately, the whole front left comer was destroyed so it was hard to tell.

“Coming down the hiU I put my foot on the brake and it just turned haixl left,” was how Glenn described the moment.

The Falcon speared OS'the track at about 240 km/h and lost little speed before hitting the concrete waU. “I tried to steer it away but I had no Continued Page 37

WANNEROO

ATCC

WJuly 1997

35

Glenn Seton’s lucky escape G

lenn Seton’s channpionship hopes almost disappeared in a split second at Wanneroo on Saturday afternoon when the Ford Credit Falcon suddenly turned left into the wall.

As soon as Seton hit the brakes going down the hill to Yokohama corner at about 240km/h, the car turned left - and from that moment the Shell Series leader was little more than a pas senger.

The car impacted the concrete wall and then slid down the hill towards the sandtrap, gradually

knocking off speed until he reached the tyre wall at the end.

Gilenn was quickly out of the car and was clearly OK, but for a short time it seemed that consider able damage had to have been suffered by the car.

There seemed little chance of him making qualifying little more than an hour later, but the damage was restricted to just the left-front corner and the team somehow fixed it in time for Glenn to qualify fifth. The car was clearly not right and it was a tremendous effort by the driver to even get that high.

iut the relatively lowly grid position still cost him because he ' became involved in startline fracas in both races, which damaged the airdams and cost many placings.

At the end of the weekend he was happy to have escaped with his series lead still intact, though: “Tm surprised I’m in the lead given the problems of today and at Lakeside,” he sighed.

“Now it’s all down to qualifying - I can’t afford to get caught up in the carnage like those first two races.”

- DAVID MASSALL

WHAT DID I DO WRONG?... Glenn Seton sees his second towing car championship flash before his eyes after this wild crash (above)at high speed daring the Saturday afternoon practice session. /

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3S

WANNEROO ^ ATCC

18 July 1W

Hossack's first win CONSISTENCY was the key for Darren Hossack, who notched up his first victory in the Privateers Cup. He didn’t win the Dash (that went to John Faulkner after a super drive in the wet from and Finnigan McCarthy), but by plac ing 11th, 10th and 13th in the three main races. the That gave Victorian driver 22 points in the Wynns Commodore, which was just enough for overall honours on the day.

Incredibly, four dri vers tied for second place.

Local hero Allan McCarthy (who was top privateer in the first race), Mark Poole (the second) and Faulkner

(the third), as well as the consistent Terry Finnigan each came out of the day with 20 points.

It was a remarkable effort for Poole, who rolled his car in the Dash and raced for the rest of the day with no glass apart from the left rear window. It was cer tainly cold and wet for him.

That incident had forced a restart of the Dash, but it made little difference to Faulkner, who stormed through from a lowly starting position to win convinc ingly.

Overall, Faulkner has the series wrapped up with 260 points to Poole’s 104, Finnigan 103 and Hossack’s 55.

Larry just couldn’t get a lap together, but McCarthy was naturally delighted, continuing his great form from the AMSCAR series opener at Eastern Creek the previous weekend.

Mark Poole was back in 13th, troubled by a handling problem which he suspected was a dead shock or something binding in the rear end.

Darren Hossack was next from Terry Finnigan and then it was a brace oflocals — Grant Johnson (Commodore), Danny Osborne (Falcon), Shaun Walker (Commodore) and Geoff Hendrick(Commodore)who were split by Melinda Price in the Castrol Cougars Commodore.

Melinda was a happy girl, too, saying that this was the realisation of a long-held dream to get into touring cars.

OFF THE MARK... Mark Poole bounds to 13th position in'qualifying, but a rollover on race morning left him with a cold and wet aftergoon of racing.

The rain had been bucketing parts required, so a frantic was hardly surprising when Continued from Page 35 down just before the cars came Gl enn found that the brakes repair job had the car back into out for the first race and it control. I was just thinking I pit lane in time for qualifying were not spot-on and the car seemed that wets were the go, was understeering more than but those with a better view of hope it doesn’t go sideways into little more than an hour later, the sand because then it could Glenn himselfthankfully felt he liked. the horizon saw some bright“It was a real shame because fine and was in working overhave tipped over.” and selected I reckon I would have done a ness coming Thankfully, the damage was alls helping with the rebuild, slicks. limited to the one comer and There was no time for a 57-dead, which would have Those on slicks were the team had all the spare proper wheel alignment, so it been good enough for pole,” he Longhurst, McCarthy, Grant said - and Murphy’s 0.8s Johnson, Kendrick and improvement with new tyres bravely for a girl having her supported the theory. first touring car start-Price.

I StiU, he had dodged a bullet Of those on wets, there were and fifth on the grid was a a few varieties, notably among tremendous achievement in iei (Ci the Dunlop runners. Bowe was the circumstances.

Sixth was Tony Longhurst, on three-groove (large block) wets, Perkins was on the same the Castrol Falcon driver hop Race1 -20 iaps Qualifying On Pos Driver Racetime Fllap Time ing that the rain stayed away' with cross-grooves Team Car Pos Driver 57.3404 Mobil-HRT Commodore 21:55.3244 62.6407 20 1 Greg Murphy for the races. ft in and Ingall was on the 1 'Larry Perkins 57.5832 Castrol-Perkins Commodore “Yokohama provided a new five-groove tyres (small block) 21:55.4408 62.5896 20 2 John Bowe 2 Russell Ingall 57.6480 (slick) lyre at Lakeside and it’s designed for a really heavy Komatsu-Pirtek Falcon 22:09.9501 65.0492 3 3 Alan Jones 3 Peter Brock track. quite reasonable here as well,” 57.8626 Mobil-HRT Commodore 4 Peter Brock 4 Tony Longhurst 22:15.3582 60.2208 18 Brock, who loves the wet and Lni^hurst reported.

57.9181 Ford Credit Falcon 5 Glenn Seton 5 Alan McCarthy 22:15.8029 61.3327 19 had headed the warm-up Steven Richards was in the 57.9396 6 6 Alan Jones 22:18.5878 65.1775 3 Tony Longhurst Castrol-Longhurst Falcon thick of things throughout times, was particularly relaxed, 22:22.6927 65.0650 2 7 Steven Richards Valvoline/Cummins Commodore 58.0844 7 Greg Murphy practice and in qualifying he joking that he was working on 58.2792 Shell Helix Falcon 8 John Bowe 8 Glenn Seton 22:23.9402 65.7855 7 came out in seventh, quite a one-stop strategy: “Tve told 58.2875 Mark Larkham 9 9 MarkLarkham 22:24.0479 65.4527 20 Mitre ,10 Falcon happy with the consistency of the guys that as soon as it 10 John Faulkner starts to dry I’m coming in Betta/Fisher & Paykel Commodore 58.4520 10 Russell Ingall 22:28.5972 65.0244 17 the Valvoline Commodore.

58.5320 11 Darren Hossack 22:44.9819 64.5911 20 11 Alan McCarthy BGC Falcon Joining him on the fom'th because this track dries very fast.”

58.5492 row was the third of the cham 12 Danny Osborne 22:48.1842 65.0775 18 12 Larry Perkins Castrol-Perkins Commodore And so it would be, though 59.1459 13 Mark Poole 13 Terry Finnigan 22:49.9591 66.5240 2 Scoffs Transport Commodore pionship contenders, a rather too late to making stopping a 59.1647 14 Mark Poole 22:50.7252 65.9110 20 mystified John Bowe.

14 Darren Hossack Wynns/Kmart Commodore sensible move.

59.3084 15 Melinda Price “We seem to have gone slow 19 laps 63.2809 17 15 Terry Finnigan Sony Commodore Despite his earlier roU,Poole er every time we go out, so 59.7045 16 Dick Johnson 16 Grant Johnson Commodore 19 laps 60.6800 19 made it out but faced a cold we’ve obviously tuned our 60.3266 17 Geoff Kendrick 19 laps 62.4758 19 17 Danny Osborne Colourscan Falcon selves to a standstill,” said and wet race with no front or 18 Grant Johnson 60.4556 18 Melinda Price 19 laps 64.4972 17 Castrol Cougars Commodore rear windows. At least he Bowe after trying to work out 19 Shaun Walker 60.6593 19 Shaun Walker Commodore 19 laps 68.6603 19 what is causing such problems wouldn t be worried about fogDNFJohn Faulkner 60.7111 Commodore 20 Geoff Kendrick 4 laps 65.6672 4 with the Shell Falcon, which DNFSteven Richards No Time Shell Helix Falcon 21 Dick Johnson 0 laps had mid-comer undeisteer and "Pke start was, as expected, somewhat chaotic. exit oversteer. u.

Race 3-19 laps Race 2-20 iaps Murphy had trouble getting Our car on these tyres on traction on the unused inside Race time Pos Driver F/iai On Race time Pos Driver F/iap On this track just has no grip, but 1 John Bowe 20:06.6985 59.0467 3 64.3684 3 20:50.7445 1 Greg Murphy we’ve never done well at this and his nemesis, IngaU, edged across to take the inside lim 2 Peter Brock 20:06.9008 58.7823 2 5 64.5872 2 Steven Richards 20:55.5111 track.

20:07.2183 58.7642 3 6 20:58.7630 64.1517 3 Peter Brock 3 Greg Murphy ‘T would have preferred the ning for turn one, only to find 4 Alan Jones 20:07.2656 58.6348 7 5 20:68.6865 65.0764 4 Alan Jones tyres we used at Lakeside Murfs nose still there and con 20:09.6684 58.9125 6 21:10.1983 64.8893 18 [called 975s]. These ones are tact was inevitable given the 5 John Faulkner 5 Russell Ingall 58.9265 6 20:10.5721 6 21:19.1971 65.6375 softer, but not quicker - it’s mental state of both drivers.

6 Larry Perkins 6 Russell Ingall The end result was Ingall weird.”

7 Steven Richards 20:10.6181 58.5423 6 4 65.5659 21:22.7224 7 Glenn Seton Like teammate Jones, Mark spearing offthe track and drop8 Glenn Seton 59.6608 4 20:18.5657 2 65.7726 21:32.7808 8 Tony Longhurst Larkham was suffering from Pmg to 16th by the end of the 9 Mark Poole 20:19.1307 59.5385 8 21:34.3754 66.2248 12 9 Mark Larkham initial understeer turning to 10 Darren Hossack 20:25.6487 60.1308 4 5 21:34.7895 65.9148 10 Terry Finnigan exit oversteer, but unlike the Russell then started hauling 11 Mark Larkham 20:29.1415 59.1544 4 8 21:38.0991 65.8430 11 John Bowe world champion he couldn’t himself back up through the 20:30.6809 59.9423 6 21:42.9514 66.2232 12 12 Mark Poole 12 Terry Finnigan squeeze out a hot lap and was was eighth by mid13 Grant Johnson 20:35.2796 60.5706 12 66.5062 18 21:47.1191 13 Darren Hossack left ninth on the grid in the race, but that was as far as he 20:46.9509 59.4386 2 68.3101 13 14 Grant Johnson 14 Tony Longhurst 18 laps Mitre 10 car. A change to got.

61.0667 14 20:49.8891 8 69.4680 15 Melinda Price With the track starting to 15 Danny Osborne 18 laps Penske shocks had improved 16 Shaun Walker 20:63.9970 61.7867 6 dry, his heavily grooved wets 66.7618 18 16 Dick Johnson the handling and he was hop 18 laps 17 John Faulkner 59.6029 6 3 71.8988 17 Shaun Walker ing for more on race day after were the first to fall apart and 19 laps 17 laps DNF Geoff Kendrick 62.1985 3 making some changes he slid back to eventually finish 64.6995 18 4 laps DNF Larry Perkins 18 laps an angry 10th. overnight.

60.9985 3 7 66.3330 DNF Alan McCarthy 3 laps DNF Alan McCarthy 15 laps Up front, the Bridgestone Rounding out the top ten DNS Melinda Price 4 72.3549 DNF Danny Osborne 4 laps wets were clearly the best in was John Faulkner, who was DNS Dick Johnson DNS Geoff Kendrick disappointed, blaming an the wet early conditions, allowengine management problem ing Murphy, Brock and Alan Poole DJohnson 318 104 Heffernan 21 Pearson 3 Points for not gaining much with the Jones to break away from Gardner 280 Larkham 104 9 Reed S Johnson 2 Seton 526 Perkins. move to fiesh tyres.

Romano 8 Parsons 2 Bowe 524 Longhurst 268 Finnigan 103 In fact, Faulkner was able to The sixth row of the grid was 2 Faulkner 260 58 Osborne 8 Crick 522 Ellery Ingall burst through fi:nm 10th on the an interesting affair as it con Jones 248 Hossack 55 Trimbole 7 Perkins 434 Conway 2 tained local hero Alan grid to be fourth after as many Richards 159 1 Brewer 6 Brock 434 Ashby 42 Hislop McCarthy ahead of Larry laps, only to waste it all by Skalfe 152 GJohnson 6 Smerdon 1 Bright l 24 Murphy 388 Perkins. spinning offinto retirement.

Shell Australian Touring Car Championship n-7 Juilfy

WANNEROO 0 «««*« ATCC n There were plenty of angry words at Wanneroo and none more so than between Larry Perkins and Greg Murphy after they clashed in race two.

“That was just stupid behaviour," said Larry after getting a tap. “He mouths off at everyone else and then drives like that- he's just an idiot."

Murphy responded in kind: “He brake-tested me at the top of the hill 200 metres before braking for the comer - he's the f—ing idiot, and you can quote me." n Dick Johnson's record 150th ATCC start was not a happy one.

On Saturday, John Bowe used the boss as an apex when he came into the pits and the airhose nipple on the side of the Falcon NOW YOU LISTEN TO ME: Melinda Price gets in the last word with Larry Perkins.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) Seton should have been more of a challenger at this point, but was struggling with a damaged air dam, the result ofgetting off the blacktop while trying to get inside AJ on the run down to the first comer.

The damage caused tyre wrecking understeer and by the end of the race the series leader had to settle for eighth place.

AJ was having a tremendous race on the wet track, pushing the HRT duo so hard that Brock eventually had to muscle his way past teammate Murphy, who was starting to struggle with tyre wear.

By this time,Perkins was coming on strong and had joined the four-way battle for the lead - and it wasn’t long before he gathered them aU up.

On lap 12 he drove around the outside of AJ and seconds later dived under Murphy, then the fol lowing lap he took Brock. It was a remarkable turn around.

The Dunlops were clearly working the best now and the best ofthe Dunlops were actually on Bowe’s Falcon, not Larry’s Commodore.

In no time the yeUow car was challenging for the lead and it was somewhat ironi cal to see JB the victim of some ruthlessly defensive driving from LP, which kept him from offering a serious move despite getting along side a number oftimes.

For four laps Perkins and Bowe went at it like this, until the chequered flag came down on a most entertaining event.

Perkins was the unexpected wirmer, but Bowe’s second was just what his title attack need ed, particularly with Seton and IngaU both having shockers.

Brock finished a further 14 seconds back in third place, the track drying too late to make stopping worthwhile.

Behind him were the big surprises - the slick-shod Falcons of Longhurst and McCarthy coming on gangbusters at the finish.

“Another few laps and I would have had them,” said a beaming Longhurst as he pulled into pit lane, and the times suggested he was close to the mark. He was circulating two to five seconds a lap quick-

EXPERIENCE...

Steve Richards made a demon Start to race one, only to become a victim of the ingaii/Murphy dash, but came back with two strong drives in the next two races.

er than those in frent of him.

Fifth place for McCarthy was a tremendous result, putting him ahead of the fad ing Jones, Murphy and Seton.

A close ninth was Larkham, for once avoiding aU the may hem around him, and tenth IngaU. MeUnda Price’s brave gam ble didn’t work as weU, a spin on lap three costing her time, and she finished a lap down in 15th.

Dick Johnson’s charge from the back of fee grid was going well enough (he was up to nmth by lap 13), but the lyres went off so badly that he stopped for sUcks and finished 16th.

Race 2-20 laps Dick Johnson’s horrible weekend continued when the Falcon dropped onto seven

cylinders on the parade lap and he was forced to pit for good even before the race started.

This time the track was dry and Bowe made a superb start to beat Perkins into turn one, then Brock puUed off a great move at fee end of the lap to push LP back to third.

Murphy was also , on a charge and the HRT driver passed Ingall cleanly on lap three (it can be done!)and then quickly passed Longhurst, who was lacking dry track perfor mance.

IngaU was unable to match the pace of fee leaders, so it was a four-car train that head ed fee field for the first half of the race, with Bowe at the front and clearly holding up fee others (his fastest lap was bet tered by the six drivers who eventually finished behind him).

In this type of scenario, you know the last few laps,are going to get particularly fraught and so it was. r

WJufyWI

Harsh words continue ripped a considerable chunk out of Dick's left arm.

The loss of considerable blood and six stitches left Dick in pain for the rest of the weekend and, then vari ous engine and tyre prob lems conspired to make the Wanneroo round a - literally - pointless affair. n The third race started with the unusual sight of the Shell cars book-ending the grid. John Bowe was on. pole courtesy of his race two win while Dick Johnson gridded'up at the very back after his engine problem. n Melinda Price received some harsh words from Larry Perkins after she

Murphy and Perkins were at it for a whUe (a few taps and shaking fists included) before Greg managed to get past and then started mauling teammate Brock for second.

Larry seemed to be in trouble with tyres and slid back even further, being passed by Jones and Ingall before the end.

At fee end oflap 18, Murphy sUd down fee inside ofBrock at Yokohama, but sUd wide corning onto the pit straight and not only lost the place again. but also had to concede a place to Jones after trying to negotiate three comers side by side.

Murf must have been cursing, but he recovered his cornposure and challenged AJ again, lining him up at the final corner of the race and using the superior traction of the Holden to race past in fee short run to the flag (fee mar gin being about one metre).

Brock was not about to do anything stupid about Bowe and finished right behind the yeUow Falcon in second place, just ahead of the battling duo behind.

At the end, the margin between first and fourth was Uttle more than half a second.

As diy weather races go,it was a beauty.

Castrol two The Commodores were a couple of seconds further back with Steve Richards right on their hammer after an impressive drive from fee back of the grid -probably his best drive yet.

So where was Glenn Seton?

Would you beUeve he was crip pled by yet-another smashed

beached the Castrol Cougars car in the sand at the notorious loop in race two.

But we're sure Larry was far more understanding when he did exactly the same thing in race three ... n Glenn Seton wrecked three front air dams in the course of his fraught week end - one in practice, then one each in races one and two. He had none left for the third race and had to borrow one from local Claude Giorgi, which had to be adapted to fit the Ford Credit car. n After his emotioncharged victory at front air dam...

And once again it was from the start of the race and involved his old ‘mate’ AJ, though this was nothing more than coincidence.

In fact, it was all started by Longhurst, who got too much wheelspin and jagged across the track, forcing both Jones and Murphy to take avoiding action which eventually forced Seton off the road, ripping the whole dam off.

Longhurst was rewarded with a stop-go penalty, which dropped him back to an even tual 14 place finish and he was wild about it afterwards.

The windowless Mark Poole took ninth right behind Seton, with Hossack making the top ten for the first time ever.

Larkham was next after spinning out of eighth, having given the brakes a hard time during the early stages (when, he even passed AJ at one point!).

Local hero McCarthy was trying to battle with the same group when he ran wide, dam aging the air dam and filling the intakes with sand, which caused the engine to overheat.

So he parked it before doing further damage.

Race 3-19 of scheduied 20 laps After two great races, we might have expected a boring finale to the day, but heavy rain before fee start made sure it was not an anti-climax for fee big crowd.

Everyone was on wets as the field ventured out, but the start had to be delayed when Larkham went off(resrUting in the race being shortened by one lap).

After initially abandoning fee Mitre 10 car, he got it going again and gridded up at the back alongside Johnson, whose engine problem had been fixed.

With IngaU Uning up right behind Murphy, there was every likelihood ofa first comer scene-and so it was.

Murf went in hot and gave Bowe a nudge, which had Uttle affect on the leader, but then Ingall banged hard into the back of the Mobil car, which was pushed forward into the yeUow Falcon again.

The end result was that Bowe spun and Brock, who

3/

Wanneroo, the WA Sporting Car Club made Peter Brock a life member. n A miscalculation at the end of the third race saw John Faulkner receive the plaudits for top privateer of the day, rather than the actual winner, Darren Hossack. But, with no liveto-air coverage, Channel Ten was at least able to shoot an interview with Hossack to cut into the final televised package. n Mark Poole announced at the weekend that he is to marry his Austrian girlfriend Dorothee on September 6 (the team was not planning to run the Sandown 500 anyway).

After considerable time organising the paperwork to get married in Austria, the approval finally came through in the days leading up to Wanneroo.

- DAVID HASSALL was getting hung out wide already, took to the sand in avoidance and dropped back to 10th place, Amazingly, Murphy (who reckons he would have been off the road himself had he not hit Bowe) escaped with the lead, from IngaU, Perkins, Richards and Longhmrst (up from 14th to 5th!).

But the Dunlop wets were not working as well as their rivals’ and even before the end of the first lap Perkins had to give way to the Bridgestoneshod Richards and also Longhurst on his Yokohamas.

Any thoughts of a grudge batfle out front were quickly forgotten, too, as Murphy quickly established a gap on IngaU. RusseU started to sUde back down the field to eventually finish sixth, behind five Bridgestone runners.

Richards took second early on and held it impressively aU the way to the finish, taking the flag five seconds behind the victorious Minphy.

Peter Brock carved his way through the field after his early delay and eventuaUy took third another three seconds back, which was enough to give him victory on the day.

Alan Jones finished fourth from a fast-finishing John Faulkner(who had also started from the back ofthe field), then championship contenders IngaU and Seton.

Longhurst faded rapidly as the track dried in the latter stages to eventually finish eighth from Larkham and Terry Finnigan while Bowe recovered to take 11th.

Perkins had dropped back to ninth in the middle stages of the race, but his tyres proved to be ideal for the second half and he stormed back up to be fifth with one lap to go.

He was faying everything to pass Alan Jones on feat final lap, including a Uttle tap in fee downhiU run to fee loop, but it unsettled Larry more than Alan and the Castrol Commodore spun into fee sand and retirement.

At the end offee day,then,it was Brock a very popular' win ner wife 74 points for fee day from teammate Murphy (70), Bowe (64), Jones (62), Ingall and Perkins (48 each), Seton (44)and Richards(42). n

46 - 52 Nobility Street Moolap VIC 3221 Phone:03 5248 7377 Fax: 03 5248 7322 Mobile: 0418 108 356

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HOT, HOT, HOT HOLDEN... Blown KB power propelled the Kapiris Brothers Statesman onto the Top Doorslammer podium at the ’97 TAG Nationals.(John Bosherpic)

Statesman on a mission Top Doorslammer Nationals Champion Peter Kapiris aims for the top /

Drag Profile by GRANT NICHOLAS

“Taking home the Top Doorslammer Christmas Tree trophy at the completion of the ’97 TAC Nationals at Calder Park Raceway was the greatest thing that has happened to me in drag racing,” commented a delighted Peter Kapiris.

“To top qualify and take out the meet was a dream come true, after the development problems we expe rienced at the events leading up to the Nationals.”

The thirty three year-old Melhourne-based fruit wholesaler went to his first drag racing meet ing at-Calder Park during 1988 and he immediately became hooked on the exciting quarter-mile action that he viewed from the spectator mound.

“It was a street meet and Peter Russo was testing his Dodge Daytona Funny Car,” Kapiris recalled.

“The noise, flames and excite ment associated with that machine really turned me on and a short time later I was competing out there in a HZ Holden fitted with a small-block Chevrolet engine.

“I raced that car for the remain der of ’88 and through ’89, running 11-second times, before I decided to asked John Taverna to build me a purpose-built race car.”

Taverna was already construct ing a Chevrolet Beretta for himself.

but he immediately sold the unit to ,Kapiris and a supercharged smallblock Chev unit was fitted, enabling Kapiris to debut the car as an AA/Gasser.

“From ’90 through to ’92,1 had a ball running th^at car under ‘The Tax Dodge’ banner,” enthused Kapiris.

“We managed to run a 7.1-second pass and my best speed in it was 194 mph. If we didn’t break the input shaft going into the Powerglide, we would win the meet, or be runner-up _ I was hooked on supercharged racing.”

For the next three years, Kapiris took a sabbatical from the sport, spending some of his time con structing his new articulated race team transporter.

“I returned to racing in the Beretta, hoping that the folk at ANDRA would eventually allow me to run the car in the Top Doorslammer class, as the rules stated the bodies had to pre-1972 Amei-ican,” he said.

“Then I blew up the Chev engine and over in the corner of the work shop sat a brand-new alloy Keith Black powerplant; so the decision was there and then to go Top Doorslammer racing.”

In late April, Kapiris purchased Rob Broadbent’s VQ Holden Statesman, sending it straight to Murray Anderson’s Raceshop to have the front-end and rear-end updated before the 514 cubic-inch Keith Black was installed for the car’s debut at Calder Park in October last year.

“I smashed the front bodywork at the first meeting in the car,” a

bemused Kapiris said “and at the 6.558/215.46 pass to head the eight smoke and I was virtually blinded; next meeting the tailshaft broke car field. but I kept my foot into it to just and it did considerable damage as past half-track.

The next night, he had an it made it’s way out from under the untroubled run through to the final “I opened the door to get some car. vision and to allow the smoke to fil pairing of the evening - unfortu “Then I nearly deep-fried myself nately, the engine bearings in Troy ter out as I reversed back into the after it caught fire while racing at Critchley’s Castrol-backed ’56 Ford coiTect lane and to the start line. “/The crowd was stoked, because I Adelaide International Raceway Customline were badly damaged as he defeated the ’57 Chevrolet of could bear them roaring their against the touring Americans.

“The boys worked day and night team boss Victor Bray, preventing approval and I was shaking myself. to have the burnt car rebuilt for the the young Queenslander from fac “Normally, I take off on a solo following weekend at Calder - we ing the Kapiris Bros Statesman. pass at 5,000 rpm; but this time, had it back together, but it popped “Sure, I made a solo pass and because I was hyped up, I took off the new PSI blower and I was close won the event, but it wasn’t the at 6,300 when the start light to tears that night. way I wanted to do it,” stated flashed gi'een.

“The meeting prior to the Kapiris.

“The car turned right slightly “I asked the race officials and the and veered across the centre line Nationals I knew that om- develop ment programme was starting to ANDRA representatives if they again, taking out some of the inter pay dividends, as I headed the would allow another competitor to mediate timing reflectors as I kept sheets at the end of qualifying, only run alongside me in the final - I my boot into it. to have the blower pop again dur just wanted to give the 35,000 spec “All I was doing was providing ing the eliminations.” tators, on the mounds a race, plus the appreciative crowd with some For the Nationals, the Keith some extra excitement and enter added Top Doorslammer action.

Black engine in the Statesman was tainment.

“After the Nationals, my broth sporting a set of new Brad “They explained that it was ers, Nick and Han-y, plus oui- dedi Amderson Fat-Head cylinder heads against the rules and, if the other cated crew members, had a meeting and there was an immediate car veered across the track and hit regarding our future exploits in the me, there would be added drama - class and we decided to have the increase in power thanks to a small barrel-valve adjustment by Norm so I decided to put on an extra big Statesman lightened about 100 Drazy., show myself.” kilogi-ams.

“We also decided to have it con Drazy. one of America’s leading Kapiris lined up for the bimnout verted to left-hand drive and a new engine tuners and the manufactur and dropped the clutch harder than er of the renowned PSI super before and, using extra engine revs, carbon-fibre body fitted by Murray Anderson. chargers, attended the meeting at he went way down past half-track before the car started to move side Kapiris’ request.

“Fve left my original driver’s seat “As soon as we got the engine ways in a tank-slapper, the in the chassis so that I can-take running cleanly, I was able to ran Statesman crossing the centre-line passengers for a series of high hard and fast, except when the tail- into the next lane as the exhaust speed rides in the world’s quickest shaft broke again during the first headers prevented the machine Holden Statesman. day of qualifying - there was too from rolling over.

“So om’ plan for the next season much power for it,” Kapiris “I just gave it heaps of power as I is to win the 1998 Australian Top explained. passed the Christmas tree,” Doorslammer Championship series Saturday night, Kapiris received enthused Kapiris.

- as we unanimously decided at om' his first Nationals top qualifying “By the 60-foot lights, the inside team meeting, we’re on a mission to win them all.” n award after running a strong of the car had filled up with tyre

40

Sainty's billet bullet The evolution of Australia’s unique high-tech alloy SOHC three-valve V8 nitro-burner

Out of a workshop based in Wentworthville NSW,a new powerplant has been born which may revolutionise the world of drag racing if it lives up to the considerable potential it has shown in ifs early development Following In the footsteps of the McGees and their quad cam fuel motor by rejecting the dated push-rod Chrysler hemi design as the ultimate drag racing motor, Stan Sainty has been at the forefront of the development of a billet SOHC three-vaive engine which he began planning just a bare 18 months before it’s debut in November, 1995, Motorsport News’ GREG WARD looks at the Sainty Billet Three Valve(BTV) V8 engine, an amazing piece of engineering which has already drawn praise from those involved in the sport at the highest level. The unique fuel motor is equipped with cylinder heads which have out-flowed the best and has proven to be almost indestructible, while it’s modular design makes it a very cost-effective proposition as the whole block doesn’t have to be replaced in the event of a major failure - and,for good measure, it has been designed to be easy to work on. Who could ask for more?

This season has been the best ever for the Sainty team, as, while competing against the likes of the Rapisarda/Mikres combination, Graeme Cowin and Jim Read, the family opera tion has been able to secure fourth position in the Championship - a win and a runner-up finish in the latter part of the season demonstrat ed to the rest of the field that they were no longer just going to be making up the numbers in the bracket.

Stan Sainty has been around rac ing for a long time, being actively

^

involved for over thirty years ih the boat scene.

He has tried all facets of the sport, including drag racing over the liquid quarter mile and also water siding - he held records in a number of classes, including the volatile hydroplanes and still holds the world water ski speed record at over 143 mph after setting it around 10 years ago.

With a backgi’ound like that, it was almost a fait accompli that he would gravitate towards the bitu men quarter and, in 1983, Sainty made moves to purchase a Funny Car from Russell Simpson, with plans to run it on alcohol before graduating to nitro.

With the closure of Castlereagh making it an unrealistic pursuit for Sainty, he chose to put his plans on hold until the news came of the imminent construction-of Eastern C reek.

^

With a track being built within easy reach of his Sydney base, Sainty went ahead and purchased the old “Trackburner” fueller of Santo Rapisarda.

A very dated chassis, it was decided that it had to be backhalved to fit his bulkier motor in and front-halved to update it:before

DRIVING FORCE... Stan (left) and Terry Sainty see a healthy future for their multi-valve BTV. (Greg Ward) it saw any action on the strip - the 561 cube DOHC Sainty mill was backed by a Crowerglide clutch and a 3-speed Lenco for initial duties in the alcohol ranks.

With ex-Perth racer Jim Wilton handling the driving chores, the car made it’s debut at Eastern Creek in December of ’91, but it was only a matter of months before Stan’s son, Terry, began to get seriously involved in the racing effort.

“Originally, Terry wasn’t really, keen on the car,” recounted Stan.

“But, when he began to work on it, he developed an interest in it and then stepped in for Jim.”

After punting his street-driven Commodore down the quarter mile for some basic tuition, the young Sainty gained his license and then took a 3-0 match race decision over the nitro FC of Geoff Pratt, hitting a 7.50/185 best after scoring a 7.35/187 while getting his license.

Pi'oblems arose for the Saintys in their early efforts, as the introduction of new rules quickly put their big-cubed entry well over the weight limit and the frustrations encountered soon saw them decide to step up to Top Fuel, albeit still running on alcohol initially.

They moved up into the high

sixes at a best speed of just on 217 mph, but the shortcomings of the four-valve motor were becoming veiy evident to the Saintys.

More to the point, the cast blocks which they were using had been less than satisfactory, leading to endless sessions of bench racing, which sowed the seeds of the revo lutionary BTV. Sainty had initially developed his own aluminium motor based on the extremely popular big block Chev whilst racing drag boats.

The brittleness of the cast iron item suggested to the team that an aluminium unit would be more

durable and forgiving and so they designed their own block, which was similar to the Rodeck.

They also took the big step of radically redesigning the heads to accommodate a double overhead cam set-up and the 4-cam, 32-valve engine eventually proved to be a ■, winner in the boat ranks, despite some limitations.

“It was quite successfiil when we were running the boat,” recounted Stan. “It was very easy on mainte nance and we only piilled it down after every 10 passes at fij-st and then after every thirty near the end.

“The biggest problem we had was with the castings for the block and heads - I’m refeiring to porosity, oil leaks and cracks developing in the main bearing webs.

“In all the time we ran the engine, we never had a block which we would have called a good one.”

That problem with the quality of the block castings was one of the contributing factors which saw the Saintys make the move to begin their BTV project.

The recognition that the Chevstyle motor was simply too bulky to continue with was also a considera tion.

“The four cam engine was too big and too heavy when you compared it to the Chrysler-style engines,” commented Sainty.

“It was just too hard to work on, too. Coupled with the problems we had with the castings, we began looking for other options.”

The high sixes which the quadcam engine had produced were enough to get them interested in the world of Top Fuel and, after the last appearance of the Chev-style engine at the ’94 Winternationals, the w’ork began on the new BTV design in earnest, Our basic criteria for the design

I

18July 1997 of the new engine were based around the NHRA rules - we had to build a 90-degree V-8 and have a maximum cylinder spacing of 4.90 inches.

“Other than that, it had to be good to work on and it had to be light. We had to use some existing Chrysler fittings and parts, such as the flywheel bolt pattern, to make it easier to meet [safety] specs, but we basically started with a clean slate and the lessons learned from our first engine.”

Along with his blind brother.

Norm, who contributed both finan cially and with his ideas to the pro ject, Stan built up a plan of attack and friend Dennis McCann was able to turn it into reality by writ ing it up on a CNC progi’am.

Their combined energies and enthusiasm saw the BTV take just eighteen months from conception to the first fire-up at Eastern Creek.

The Saintys began by electing to make their new engine a totally bil let item, machining each of the major components from solid pieces of6061 aluminium.

As such, it needed to be con structed in a ‘modular’ fashion, with a separate crankcase housing the crank assembly, two barrels encasing the cylinder liners and the heads.

The Sainty motor incorporates a number of inherent design improve ments over the traditional Chrysler design, but still retains some of it’s features.

The thermodynamics of the KBtype design are retained, as the block and heads are within a few pounds of the proven design.

This ensures that the heat-sink characteristics are similar and that the combustion chamber is able to operate at optimum efficiency throughout a run.

The bolt pattern on the flywheel is also Chrysler, allowing the use of the certificated titanium clutch cans.

Beginning with the crankshaft, the Saintys went to bigger journals in order to strengthen the bottomend - 3-inch mains and 2.5-inch big-end bearings (0.125 inches larg er than the Chrysler items) were chosen to spread the load better.

They are off the shelf 460 Ford items and the fact that the crpnk is shorter than the KB-type puts the blower pulley much closet- to the front bearing.

This reduces the stress on the crank, making it very rigid and removing the need for a crank sup port.

Indeed, in the whole time the Saintys have been running their BTV powerplant, they have never hurt a main bearing, which is a great testament to their design ideas and a history of which a num ber of leading teams in the States would be extremely envious.

The crank has the thrust coming from the rear,.like the Chev, while the magneto, fuel pump and oil pump drives all come off the front of the engine.

An angle drive off the front dri ves a magneto from each side, sepa rating the high voltage charges by as wide as distance as possible, while the left side of the motor dri-

ves the fuel pump and the right dri ves the oil pump.

The Saintys have experimented from time to time with a flat plane crank in the engine, but have cho sen not to persist with it, just as Warren Johnson parked his experi ment with the 180-degree cranks.

But the Sainty team still carries the engine with the experimental crank in the trailer as a spare, so it may still see some track time.

The cylinders themselves feature dry sleeves, as compared with wet sleeves which are standard on most other fuel motors.

“We can make the sleeves lighter and thinner if they are dry and there’s enough support around them to stop them going out of round,” commented Sainty. '' “Most of the fuel motors with wet sleeves don’t run water anyway,” he observed.

engine to decide that the four valve design wasn’t the way to go,” observed Stan.

“There were lots of reasons to move away from the four valve design, not the least of which was that there wasn’t enough metal between the valves on the exhaust side.

made it very difficult to service the engine between rounds in Top Fuel.

“Going to a SOHC set-up made it so much easier to complete the maintenance in the time we have, as we didn’t have to muck around with cam buckets and all of those little pieces, The combustion chamber is a “There was a tendency to burn mixture of pent-roof on the intake the cylinder head away between the side and the traditional hemi shape two exhausts when we started run- on the exhaust.

The spark plugs are directed at the intake valves for maximum cooling and the plug angle means that they don’t have to penetrate the rocker covers - that speeds up the servicing of the car when I'unning the valves.

The valves are Holden items which are supplied by Nason Engineering in Melbourne - the 1.60-inch inlet valves are L-34 exhaust items, while a 1.90-inch blank 308 inlet is used as an exhaust.

The valve area is slightly larger on the inlet side than a KB’s, but the main advantage is in the vastly reduced seat pressures and the more aggi-essive cam profiles which can be used.

When Queensland fuel system gum Mick Atholwood became inter ested in the engine (he and partner Roy Smith run a BTV in their new fueller), he sought assistance from Crow Cams in finding the right profile.

This is one area where there is some work still to be done and Sainty makes the blanks for the cams while Crow does the grinding - Ray Hudson from Crow Cams has taken a big interest in the project and has just imported some new computer software which should assist in optimising the cam design for the new engine.

The valve train was one area where the Saintys did encounter problems in the early stages of development of the BTV. A pin through the back of the rocker arms was prone to failure but, by changing one of the cams, the problem was cured.

“We reversed the rotation of the cam on the ‘odd-side’ of the motor because it was turning towards the exhaust and creating a load, so we had to redesign the gear and the cam,” related Sainty. . With that minor trouble cured, the valve train is now vu-tually bul let-proof, as evidenced by the fact that the Sainty team have seen 10,500 rpm and Smith/Atholwmod over 11,000 revs without hurting an}d;hing.

One of the few cast pieces on the whole motor is the inlet manifold, while the sump is another Sainty item, fabricated from aluminium NEW WAVE... Stan and his pioneering modular construction BTV V8 fuel motor. (Thunder-Pics/Agfa pic) and featuring their own dry sump system.

The absence of a cam tunnel ni'ng the old motor on nitro.

The cylinders are spaced .100 Other evidence of the Sainty “The head would bum away, or eliminates not only one potential inches fui-ther apart than their tra we would have a warped head from ingenuity can be found throughout weak link in the block, but also ditional counterparts and they are surrounded by six evenly-spaced allows the use of beefier con rods - the built-up heat. The one thing we the engine - the injector hat and bolts which help to ensure a much Sainty machined the billet units, learned for certain was that there the ban-el valve are products of the better seal than any of the Sainty’s which weigh in around 30 grams had to be just a single exhaust Speedw'orks, as are the fuel pump and oil pump. heavier than the standard rod, valve,” stated Stan emphatically. fuel-bm-ning counterparts.

After purchasing a Chi-isman 12“Another thing we learned about With 0-rings machined on all while Ross pistons complete the the four-valve motor was that it inch ring and pinion, he machined the reciprocating assembly. mating surfaces on The cylinder heads are the was very difficult to work on up his own rear-end housing and crankcase/barrel/head assembly, much of the clutch system has been their is little chance of leakage and biggest source of pride for the between rounds,” he added.

“The number of components in produced in-house. the only gaskets of any consequence Saintys. on the motor are on the heads.

Continued next page “We knew enough about om- first the double overhead cam system

1997 NHRA WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES - POINTS AFTER RD= 11, MADISON, iL 1997 Top Fuel Championship 1057 I. Gary Sceizi, Team Winston 2. Joe Amato, Keystone Autoparts 862 3. Scott. Kalitta, American Int. Airways . .686 4. Kenny Bernstein, Budweiser King ....657 5. Cory McClenathan, McDonald's 644 6. Mike Dunn, Mopar Performance ....561 7. Bob.Vandergriff, Jerzees Activewear .527 M ITS' 8. Bruce Sarver, CarQuest/World's Best519 9. Shelly Anderson, Parts America 502 .459 10. Larry Dixon, Miller Lite

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1997 Funny Car Championship .856 I. John Force, Castrol Racing 2. Cruz Pedregon, McDonald's/Coke .. .668 .661 3. Whit Bazemore, Team Winston .654 4. Chuck Etchells, Kendall/Mopar .

5. Randy Anderson, Parts America 643 579 6. Kenji Okazaki, Mooneyes .... .578 7. Tony Pedregon, Castrol Racing 8. Dean Skuza. Mateo Tools/Mopar ....478 .466 9. Gary Densham, NEC/Pagenet 10. Del Worsham, Checkers/Kragen ... .421

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3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

1997 Pro Stock Championship .943 Jim Yates, McDonald's Warren Johnson, Goodwrench .... .923 .782 Kurt Johnson, ACDelco .631 Bruce Allen, Slick 50 Tom Martino, MaMa Rosa Pizza ... . .529 Steve Schmidt, Schmidt Automotive . .525 .480 Pete Williams, Williams Racing . .478 Troy Coughlin, Jeg's Mail Order .456 Mark Pawuk, Summit

10. Scott Geoffrion, Mopar Peformance . .454

42 18July 1997

DRAG RACING

Continued from page 41

stunning 5.24 at over 261 mph at Eastern Creek.

Unfortunately, that was the Beginning with an AFT hat, the beginning of a frustrating stretch Saintys built the floaters, cannon and the entire electric clutch man for the Eagle Leads/Kendall Oils agement system for the four disc team, as they failed to improve 10.5-inch unit - even the flywheel upon that time and were plagued by a number of minor woes. bears the Sainty brand.

“I don’t know,” shrugged a smil “We changed a lot of stuff all at ing Sainty when asked why he the one time and we basically lost chose to do it the hard way and the plot,” admitted Sainty. machine up so many pieces that “We had changed the hydraulic could have been bought off the lines for the clutch system down shelf “It’s a bit scaiy, really, when through the chassis rails and had changed the oil. Unfortunately it you think about it!”

The chassis was also produced in was the wrong viscosity and it the Sainty workshop, after they altered the operation of the clutch. looked at their competition’s cars We had a heap of stuff like that happen - we were just chasing our and incorporated many of the fea tures they saw into their own 296- own tails.” in wheelbase chassis.

Things turned around in a major “We’ll have a new chassis in the way for the team in early ’97 when, near future,” promised Sainty. “It running at Willowbank, the Smith may be ready for the start of the & Atholwood team licensed their car with a pair of solid fives and next season, but I can’t really guar antee it.”

Terry Sainty took out his first-ever The BTV was debuted at the ’95 trophy with a runner-up finish to Grand Finals and immediately the all-conquering Glenn Mikres.

A 5.31/254 in the final showed claimed the attention of US driver/tuner Robert Reehl, who was that they had overcome the ignition the fly-in crew chief for Rachelle and other problems which had been their nemesis over the previous few Splatt. months.

“He seemed to be genuinely interThe ’97 Nationals was a major , ested in what we are doing with the hiccup for the team, as they had a motor,” commented Sainty.

“He came over whenever he could disastrous race, shattering a num and gave us some help with the fuel ber of blowers and then hydraulicing an engine on the line in the first system.”

A fine 5.57/254 mph effort in round.

The explosion lifted both heads qualifying exceeded all expecta tions, but a fiery blower explosion clean off the cylinder decks but, apart from losing another blower, in the first round ended their day.

At least it proved the durability the damage was restricted to a bunch of stripped head studs. of the design, as the engine sur It once again proved the durabili vived undamaged and could have run in the next round with a new ty of the billet engine, which could have been returned to action with a blower installed. minimum offuss.

Terry took his first round win at Sainty’s Sweetening the the last Winfield-sponsored race at Willowbank, when the Eagle .Nationals weekend was the qualify Ignition Leads rail stepped up to ing form of Smith and Atholwood.

Running with a more ‘conven 5.44 at just 238 mph to down Bob Sherry - but the sceptics and tional’ fuel and clutch system. knockers were really forced to take Smith knocked out a 5.29 on just the Sainty engine seriously after his third full pass in the car to stun the ’96 Nationals, as fine everyone.

The run came despite having a 5.34/252.45 saw Terry lock down fourth spot in a tough field with a bunch of tired clutch plates in the pass that many thought was the can and they were looking to step up even further in the first round, run of the meeting.

It was after the Nationals that but instead fell to tyre smoke.

“We’ve got a lot of different ideas the Saintys modified the cams and made a number of other changes to about how to best get down the the car. track,” commented Sainty on the working relationship between the Relocating the fuel tank to take some weight off the front-end and two camps, “and that’s not a bad moving the rear-end forward thing. I think it will be best for us altered the balance of the car and to go in opposite directions for a while, then stand back and have a threw their clutch settings and look to see exactly what’s working tune-up out of the window.

'They added high speed lean-outs and what’s not.” for the first time and then went out The Nitro Champs at Eastern and promptly ran their best yet, a Creek provided the Saintys with CUSTOM CAM... Single overhead camshaft is hollow.(John Bosher)

the biggest highlight so far of their drag racing career, when Terry was able to get around Romeo Capitanio in the final after the Victorian crossed the centreline and was dis qualified, giving the decision to the 27 year-old fitter and machinist.

It was the first victory for the team and for the engine, but there are likely to be more if Stan Sainty has his way.

‘We are building a flow bench so that we can test more efficiently,” he commented. “We need to get a better idea of what exactly is hap-

pening with the fuel system and that should help us no end in achieving that.”

He also shows no sign of letting up in his pursuit to improve upon what many already see as the best cylinder head around in drag racing and he is again willing to flaunt convention in order to do it.

He is looking towards introduc ing air-activated valves - like those found in the high-revving F-1 engines - into the quarter mile sport and it looks like the pnuematic valves will be incorporated in the

next cylinder head which they design.

It has been a long hard road for the Sainty team, but they have had the satisfaction of knowing that almost everything that goes down the track on their car has been built by their hands - it is amazing to consider how far they have come with the BTV in such a short time and the drag racing world awaits further performance developments that should see the imique and rev olutionary three-valve nitro-burning engine realise its potential. n

BIG ’N BEEFY... Head, barrel and crankcase modules of unique blown SOOcubic inch Sainty. (John Bosher)

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THREE’S BETTER... Sainty three-valve heads flow better than firm’s earlier four-valve units. (John Bosher)

CARVED FROM SOLID... Spare heads form an appropriate backdrop for Sainty alloy artistry. (John Bosher)

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43

FORCE BURNS Six time NHRA Winston Funny Car champ John Force lost his primary Castrol Mustang dur ing a match race at London, Ontario, Canada, over the American Fourth of July holi day.

Racing what had been billed as a four-car show with team-mate Tony Pedregon, Pontiac Excitement Nationals winner Tom Hoover and Jeff Arend in Paul Smith’s Dodge Avenger, which was a no-show, Force ran into disaster.

During Friday evening’s action the blower snout snapped off, blow ing through the fuel tank in the process.

That instantly bathed the engine in nitromethane, which promptly ignited, setting the car’s body on fire.

Force reportedly hit the guardrail twice, because he not only couldn’t see properly, he was anxious to get the smoldering wreck stopped.

CRASH ’N BURN... Funny Car legend John Force had an eventful Canadian outing in his Castrol GTX Mustang fiopper. (Dave Ostaszewski pic) Although the track safety crew was quickly on hand, the car was a write-offfrom the firewall forward.

The team spent the balance of the night getting their old car out of the top of the transporter and turn ing it into a race car, which they managed to do in time for the next evening’s action.

Although Force managed to fulfill his match race obligation, we’re wondering if this latest setback won’t be enough to untrack his still impressive quest for a seventh Funny Car title.

Worth noting is that, despite not having won since early in the sea son, Force still holds a commanding lead for this year’s title.

Everyone seems to have written him off, but when the points lists are published, he’s still very much the leader, holding a 188 point led cial if not artistic success.

Canada remains to be seen. heard from a usually reliable model Super Stock GT car — par over Cruz Pedregon.

We do know that Arend was on source that he ^nd some members ticularly something along the lines Traction seemed sadly lacking Whit Bazemore is in third place, of an F.J. Smith rear wheel conver- once the fuel cars got off the con hand with his gear, fully expecting of his staff were,apparently at log a single marker back.

Smith to be there. was in the neighborhood crete launching pad, but that may gerheads about the control of theii* Sion car What’s kept Force at the top of activities. of $25,000 to $30,000 instead of have been just as much the result the charts is his consistency, which, CAIN NOT ABLE of high heat and humidity as any Several marketing department between $75,000 and $100,000. if he’s able to maintain it, will lead thing else.

Later in the meeting, he was fur On the industry side, a terse staffers had enjoyed significant him to another title. statement from the NHRA autonomy during the time between ther embarrassed by suggesting to However, the same can’t be said With the current points system, announced the departure of Blossom’s resignation and Cain’s one participant that a competitor about the Pontiac Excitement that seemingly small lead is actual who reached the semi-finals of a Nationals, presented by Summit ly the equivalent of almost two full former Dial Soap marketing hiring and were more than a little race in which more than 120 cars Racing two weeks earlier in Ohio. reluctant fb return to a more nor executive Gary Cain from his races. mal chain ofcommand situation.

National Trail Raceway was participated would probably have position as senior VP market Cain’s lack of understanding of earned a purse of $1,500 - he was freshly paved for the ’96 event and, ing at the sanctioning organiza SMITH STEPS BACK tion. what the sportsman racers are up astounded to learn that the payout despite abominable weather, Kenny Paul Smith’s failure to appear Cain was hired after an almost against in dealing with NHRA was was actually $250 and it had cost Bernstein was able to produce a for the match race in Canada exposed during a series of meetings the racer $200 just to enter the then-record elapsed time deep into brings his future in racing into year-long search by a noted head the 4.6s. hunting firm, but lasted just seven that took place at the Pontiac competition. question.

Excitement Nationals in Columbus.

This year’s race produced just Cain promised the racers in months on the job he replaced After qualifying the car himself Apparently instigated after a attendance that he would*take their one representative Top Fuel num at the inaugural Sears Craftsman /ihuck Blossom, the former Mac Joe ber, Nationals in St. Amato’ s Louis, Smith opted 4 .66/311 out of eliminations, notched during telling friends that Friday night he no longer wanted quali^ng. to drive.

No-one else Ironically, Smith even came close made a lucrative liv and after Bob ing for a couple of Vandergiiff Jr's years by malung one Jerzees fueller pass to qualify his went through F/C, while his son the lights with Mike made another the engine in to qualify their Top pieces and on Fuel dragster. fire, he vented They’d then “sell” his frustration their spots to non with the track qualified cars, a over an open hahit that NHRA PA system broke by adjusting microphone. the rules to disallow He candidly any non-legitimately commented on SOMETHING DIFFERENT... Scotty Cannon, king of the stunning IHRA Pro Mods.(Dave Ostaszewski pic) qualified car from appearing in the poor track preparation which, eliminations. series of letters and verbal com while arousing the ire of the fans, Tools executive who lasted less concerns back to corporate head There are several races from plaints about their treatment had quarters in California and changes who booed lustily, miiTored the sen which Smith went home with more than two months in the position. timents being e.xpressed by every would be forthcoming. been received by new sportsman NHRA’s marketing needs were than $35,000 in his pocket after Whether or not Cain ran into other racer. powerhouse Federal-Mogul, Cain handled by in-house personnel dur having made just two runs.

Sunday’s eliminations racing was sat in with representatives of the “trouble” in suggesting some of However, the situation in St. ing the interim, but NHRA presi disastrous, with the Low E.T. of alcohol classes, and then sat in those changes remains to be seen. dent Dallas Gardner-will reportedly Louis might have been quite differ eliminations being a rather sickly with the doorslammer troops. ent and may be an indicator that handle that aspect of their opera STICK TO THE SUBJECT 4.863 by Scott Kalitta in the first During the latter meeting, his tion personally until a replacement he’s really had enough of driving is named. naivety was evident when he The inaugural race in St. Louis round. himself Continued next page Prior to Cain’s departure, we thought the cost of budding a late was, from all reports, a finanBut, why he failed to show in

Force burns on fiery Fourth of July

News ’n Notes from merica by Jon Asher k

44 W July 1991 performance record of the year at the just-completed Summer Nationals.

She and her husband/tuner, Rahn Tobler, set a speed record at the Winter Nationals back in March and then upped it to 302.03 mph at the Spring Nationals.

At Cordova, they got the elapsed time mark with a 4.861 qualifying effort that they backed up with an earlier 4.869.

That’s put Muldowney in the points lead by a slim 100 points over Paul Romine.

One thing that keeps Muldowney running the IHRA series is her ability to market her souvenirs directly to the fans without an intermediary, which is required at the NHRA events.

In the last two races alone, Muldowney has generated gross sales figures in the five figure area, which is not to be discounted when it comes to figuring in how much it costs to race your car.

Continued from page 43 No less than six Top Fuel races were won with five and even six second elapsed times and there wasn’t a single four second Funny Car run all weekend - nor was there a six second Pro Stock effort.

Lest you think we’ve become spoiled by the performances we’re regularly treated to in America, well, we admit that we are!

When most events feature Top Fuel competition in which 4.7s are almost mandatory for victory and anything slower than a 5.0 almost guarantees a loss in Funny Car, you can see how we would become spoiled.

It’s the same thing in Pro Stock, where all-six second fields are no longer the stuff from which head lines come, but are more or less expected.

When the racers go all out to pro duce those performances, they’re justified in expecting the race tracks to meet those expectations.

In the rarefied air of Bandimere Speedway outside of Denver, with its 5,800 foot altitude, no-one expects record-setting perfor mances, so there’s never a com plaint. But, when the cars smoke the tyres through the lights in Ohio, you can expect the drivers to be complaining.

We don’t know the answer to the Ohio problem, but we’ve heard two stories.

The first says that NHRA has been experimenting with a cheaper form of traction compound, while the second suggests that the local track crew, which had been regu larly spraying the track for weekly events, may have been thinning out the compound with gasoline instead of methanol.

If that’s the case, we need look no further.

Gasoline disintegrates asphalt, while methanol has no affect on it.

EHRA PLAUDITS While the International Hot Rod Association rarely gets much exposure outside of the

HUFF'N PUFF... IHRA Pro Stock runner-up Billy Huff set Low E.T. at Bristol. (Dave Ostaszewski pic) United States, it probably ed a whopping 53 entries, with_ deserves to do so.

IHRA’s winningest driver of all* Offering a real alternative to the time, Rickie Smith, emerging with NHRA Winston series, there are the victory in his Don Gray very real and exciting differences Trucking ’63 Split Window Corvette. between the two groups.

At the recent Summer Nationals We’re going to assume you know at least a little about how IHRA in Cordova, Illinois, there were functions, if for no other reason more than 30 cars in action, with than yoim own racing legend, Victor chassis builder Tommy Mauney winning in another Split Window Bray.

Vette.

Yes, Pro Modified is their head line attraction and it’s indeed someBOOSTING FIELDS thing special.

Normally aspirated, gasoline New IHRA president George burning engines restricted to 710ci Elliott, the former Diamond P of displacement are boosted by Sports executive, is determined nitrous oxide in many cars, while to change how IHRA operates, their supercharged counterparts with one of the first things on are restricted to'methanol fuel and his agenda being ,to find a way of increasing the liational event 526 ci powerplants.

No true Hemis are allowed and fields in Pro Mod. Elliott is concerned about having each t}fpe of car must tip the scales at 2300 lbs minimum. s j that many entries going home Phew! Enough background! The '* empty-handed - he’s not promising Spring Nationals at Bristol attract- anyone major bucks, but the mere

fact that a sanctioning body official openly admits that something should be done to improve the racer’s financial situation is an eyeopener.

Elliott also addressed another matter at Bristol, and that was the fact that the Fall Nationals, slated for the Tennessee track in September, was originally a nonTop Fuel event.

But, as Elliott pointed out, “this track can obviously handle Top Fuel cars and the fans want to see them. Even though that race isn’t particularly financially successful, we owe it to the fans to give them a complete show.”

Talk about a surprising state ment - that was definitely one for the ages!

SHIRLEY’S STAR SHINES The undisputed star of IHRA Top Fuel competition is Shirley Muldowney, who set her third

SIZE IS EVERYTHING IHRA Pro Stock continues to thrive with its Mountain Motor philosophy of anything goes, as long as it’s carburettors, gaso line and a minimum of 2300 lbs.

Virtually every qualifier at recent national events has sported an engine in excess of 800 cubic inch es, with Ohioan Angelo Alesci ranning very hard with his Chevy Monte Carlo.

Bill Huff said he was “glad to be home” after abandoning his Auto Vent Shade Pontiac’s NHRA effort, which had rarely shown well.

Using a Sonny Leonard-built engine at Bristol, Huff set Low E.T. of the Meet with a 6.793 and then made it to the finale before losing.

His luck changed at the Summer Nationals, however, when he rolled the car into a ball of scrap at the finish line after encountering prob lems during a qualifjhng run.

He vows to return in time for the Northern Nationals later this month.

And that, unfortunately, is all the news that fits!

HEADLINER... Shirley Muldowney tops the bill In IHRA Top Fuel racing and enjoys a lucrative supporter base that actively fund’s her team’s on-track activities. (Dave Ostaszewski pic)

45

Eleventh round confirmed for Super Series Another round has been added to the $100,000 Speedcar Super Series, with Vic Butler’s Yandina in Speedway Queensland taking the event to 11 meetings.

Yandina will pick up the second round, to be held on Saturday, January 17, one full week after the series opener at Geelong.

Promoter David Lander said it was possible that even a twelfth round could be added, although that would be the very last increase if it came through.

The ambitious PCR and now Newcastle boss was hoping to secure a date and venue for the trip back from Geelong on January 10.

Queensland car owner Tony Eagles is waiting on sponsorship news to confirm ’96 USAC Speedcar champ Jay Drake as his team dri ver in Australia for the January to March period.

“The companies have said that they are definitely in,” Eagles said, “but I’d rather wait for the cheque before making any big statements.”

Drake is expected to campaign several rounds of the $100,000 Speedcar Super Series, plus the National title in Geelong in early February.

Fitting in with his commitments back in the States for the Chilli Bowl in Oklahoma and the Copper World Classic in Phoenix, Drake will contest Round Three of the Series at Gilgandra, the National title, then complete the remainder of the series, before possibly head ing off to the West Coast.

The entrants list for the series continues to grow, with several of the ultra-competitive West Aussies intimating that they’d like to com pete.

Expressions of interest have been received from Neville Lance, Tony Tucknott, Tom Watson Jr and Mick Goode.

With rounds held at Speedway City on January 30 and Geelong on January 31 - one week earlier than the Aussie title - many of the West Coast fleet will probably follow the senes over;.

Competitors in the 11 round fourstate Speedcar Super Series will chasing a massive $66,000 prizemoney pool specifically allocated to race night payouts - and-there’s also an additional $36,500 points fund up for grabs, the overall Series winner taking home $6,000 from the purse.

-WADEAUNGER

NEI/I/ TEAM... Danny Amato will race alongside a US-based team-mate this season. (Brett Swanson pic)

Amato to import American driver Negotiations have now been completed with Colorado driver Tony Hill to pilot one of the two cars in the new D.A.R.T. Australia Super Sedan race team.

Thirty one year-old Tony, who has been racing competitively for 17 years, has clocked up some extensive experience in various speedway classes and is now a wellrecognised Stock Car driver on the American circuit.

He is currently leading the points at his-, home track and is looking forward to the trip down under to mix it vrith the top Austrahans.

The new team, Danny Amato Race Team (D.A.R.T.) Australia, is set to hit the speedway circuit next season.

The team will be headed by Amato, who has been a top com petitor within Super Sedan ranks for the past 11 years.

Amato this year took out the Victorian Super Sedan Association season opener at Warmambool.

During the previous season, he also won the prestigious Credex Cup, which was also staged at Warrnambool and the Ian McLeod Memorial at Nyora - Amato’s potent #59 Dark Zone/C.O.M.E.

Racing VN Commodore, sponsored

by I.P.T.A. Fibreglass and Topshot Photos, is powered by a 350 Chev engine.

Hill, who will be partnering Amato during the forthcoming sea son, will be driving a 1996 Pontiac Firebird that also utilises 350 Chevy grunt.

“We believe that introducing an American driver into Victoria vrill really boost the Super Sedan fol lowing, not only in Victoria, but Australia-wide,” stated Julie Stafford, public relations officer for the new team.

- SUE HOBSON

to a LARGER

1

location!

WatchmotORSPORT News For Morf Details I

Ellenbrook Speedway has meet been able to run its previous ings without the weather getting in the way.

After a month of delays, four feature events were held last month - these included the Modified Sedan Classic, taken out

by Steve Conick and the first round of the Nuford/Tucker Time Formula 500 Series, won by Craig Walton.

The following meeting saw vis iting Bunbury driver Brian Jackson take out the feature and overall points in the Brian Rose Memorial for Street Sedans.

Peter Forbes dominated the small field of Modified Rods, win ning the heat, the final and the overall points,

I

t looks as though the Sprintcar pits at Claremont will be busting at the seams this summer, not so much for the increase in the number of cars, but due to all the new tow rigs.

Originally, it was only Geoff Kendrick who had a semi-trailer. but the addition of the Kinley team’s semi last summer, plus all the other enclosed pans, leaves little room for this season’s additions - add rigs from H&M Racing, Steve Coyle Racing, Paul Stubber and Sean Enterprises, plus a new, bigger truck from Shane Krikke and room will.be tight.

K

eith McAllam has been left a little up in the air, with both Toby Gibb and Joe Little leaving for different reasons.

Gibb has purchased the exKeith Giles V4 Maverick and will campaign it in conjunction with his father this summer.

At its Annual Genei-al Meeting,the proactive Sprintcar Racing Association (SRA) of Victoria announced a provisional calendar.

The prime reason for the meet ing, however, was the election of office bearers from the position of Vice President down.

Cuirent Vice President Raymond J Solomon was re-elected unop posed, as was long-serving Secretary Mandy Searle - Neville Carter is the new Treasurer, while Matthew Reed, Lance McMinn, Kevin Reeves and Rick Dubois make up the committee.

The provisional SRA calendar is: l October 25 Avalon Media/Practice Day l November 8 Warmambool Practice Night l November 15 Nyora . SRAl l November 22 Mt Gambler SRA 2 l November 29 Avalon SRA 3 l December 6 Wamnambool Fireball Derby l December 13 Avalon World SeiiesSprintcais l December 20 Avalon Presidents Cup

rV

By Brad Steely Veteran Little is finding the long haul from Kalgoorlie to Claremont too hard, due to increasing busi ness commitments and will only be seen on a restricted basis on the west coast during 1997/98.

His potent Mac-chassised Cosworth is still up for lease, or sale, ity to see two-time Australian Pchamp Mike Figliomeni hang up the helmet for a while, but, after so many years competing in one form or another of racing (BMX, Motocross or Speedway), Fig’s passion to show up every week’has started to wane.

Being the type of guy who only likes to do things right. Fig wants to concentrate more on his fledgling fabrication business. Fighter Engineering, but stressed that this is not a retirement, but mor^ of a “vacation.”

Speaking of Fig, Tonypurchased Tucknott has rushed out and a number of the parts from last year’s Fighter chassis to bolt into his Speedcar.

These include the rear-end, power steering and the Fontana that powered Figliomeni to so many victories last summer.

Tucknott has once again been joined by Jason Windows,

T

he L.M.R.A. (Late Model Racing Association) had an open day at Aian Nyiander’s Malaga workshop on June 28.

Five cars - Nyiander’s, Rob Whittington, Ryan Halliday, Wiiiie Poweil and the first car from Chris

Cardy’s workshop, his brothe|' John’s Camaro - were ali on wheels and, apart from AJ’s vehi cle, in which he has already com peted, they are all at the 95% completed stage.

The first scheduled meeting for the L.M.R.A. is set down for August 10 at Ellenbrook Speedway and six cars are.con firmed for this meeting, with hope fully anything up to another four cars a chance to make this show.

.

Green joins Jeff Swindell South Aussie Sprintcar champ World Series again, or staying at Trevor Green will spend his home and racing more local events. time in the USA this summer Green will take in a couple of with World of Outlaw star Jeff local Knoxville shows, the Swindellf Nationals, the Danny Young Green struck up a friendship Memorial in Davenport, Iowa, with the PR manager for team JD before returning home late in Kramer, whose father owns half of August. the Gold Eagle Two Winners team Speaking of Spi'intcar racing, it Swindell drives for. looks like former Kalgoorlie, now Having qualified for the Bunbury-based Super Sedan driver Australia vs USA Challenge at the Jamie Moon may be changing classcoming Knoxville Nationals (all you es. have to do is race the Warmambool Last week, the talented young Classic and then organise yourself ster sold his Cardy Bros car to a ride at the Nationals), Green will Garry Higgs as a roller and is drive a new J&J chassis complete reported to be retaining the motor with running gear from one of for a 360 cubic inch car and the Swindell’s own spare cars at the search is on for a chassis.

Higgs sold his Graham HiggsMarion County Fairgrounds come built HSV Commodore to a former mid-August.

In return for putting in a big Modified Production driver in effort with the team until August Kan-atha as a rolling chassis.

The ex-Giancola motor that 26, Green will take ownership of the car and freight it home to Higgs used with success will be Australia for our summer, using his bolted into the Moon car, but it will be the first time in recent memoi-y own car as a spare. that “Dusty” hasn’t run cousin Green Welding Services will pro Graham’s chassis. vide a new transporter, so, with two “I wanted Graham to build me a cars and last season’s trusty Gil Cameron-built, Felsch-tuned motor. car,” said Garry, “but he’s just too busy at the moment, which I can Green should be well equipped.

The first show of the summer for understand. Jamie has always gone him will be the Sprintcar Masters well with his ‘Cardy car, so I just hope that a change is as good as a at Speedway City - from there (depending on sponsorship), they’ll holiday.”

-WADEAUNGER make a decision as to inmning the

Provisional SHU Leslight tops Sprintcar dates Tennant Creek i

l December 26 Avalon SRA 4 l January 1 Warmambool World Series Sprintcars l Januaiy 2 Mt Gambler World Series Sprintcars l January 10 Mildura SRA 5 l January 11 Horsham SRA 6

(subject to track inspection)

l January 17

l January 22 l January 23 l January 24 i-

Avalon Victorian Championship Mt Gambler Kings Challenge Mt Gambler Kings Challenge Warmambool 26th Grand Amiual Sprintcar Classic

T

he Ashes Test series between England and Australia got underway at Belle Vue in Manchester on Friday July 11, with the second Test at Swindon on July 27 and the third match at Eastbourne on September 14.

The Aussie team is spearhead ed by the Miidura pair of Leigh Adams and Jason Crump, along with Sydney’s Craig Boyce and Todd Wiltshire, Ryan Sullivan from Adelaide and Steve Johnston from Kalgoorlie.

Adelaide riders Shane Bowes and Shane Parker and Jason Lyons from Victoria are likely to provide the back-up.

It is arguably the strongest Australian team for many years.

Fibreglass and Resin Sales and Pepsi Max for this season’s cam paign, but the addition of GoCrete Concreting Services has given TT the opportunity to make the purchase of the motor.

“We wanted to be as competi tive as possible when we hit the east coast for six shows this sea son and I didn’t believe the Cosworth motor was going to come up to scratch,” Tucknott said.

‘The aim is to be on the money at the Australian tiles in Avalon and I wanted to give myself every chance possible.

“The additional sponsorship from Go-Crete is certainly a step in the right direction.”

The #11 Murphy from last sea son is still in the shed being read ied for the forthcoming summer and, with the new parts bolted in, it could prove to be the combina tion to watch in the Speedcars during 1997/98.

By Tony Millarc||liff

l Januai-y 25

Warmambool 26th Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic l Febmary 14 Warmambool SRA 7 l Februaiy 21 Simpson SRA 8 l March 7 Wagga Wagga

Avalon SRA 11 Wamnambool l March 28 SRA 12 Avalon -SRA 13 l April 4 , Avalon l Apz’il 10 Easter Trail Rnd 1 Mt Gambler l April 11 Easter Trail Rnd 2 Wamnambool l April 12 Easter Ti-ail Rnd 3 -BRETT SWANSON

Over 3,500 spectators at the Makers), Hawkings, A1 Starling Tennant Creek hillside track (GMAC Financiers) and local driver witnessed some gi-eat racing at Tern/Reichstein (Tennant Taxi the Super Sedan feature held at Tmcks).

Twelve cars then moved on to the midweek meeting,following the National Title at Darwin. compete at Mt Isa on the followdng Neville Harper (Cape Country Saturday night.

Two heat wins each went to both Gravel) set the quickest time of 17:05 during time trials, going on to Harper and Marshall, Marshall to take two heat wins to qualify on also taking a second in the heats and qualif3dng on pole for the fea pole for the Final.

Lyndsay Hawkings (P.R.E. ture event.

Harper went to the lead when McKay) set the second-quickest time, but it was John Leslight the gi-een flag fell, but a racing inci (American Ti-ack Parts), racing the dent between Marshall and Harper Bany Pearce-owned Chev Camaro, saw Harper retire with a broken rack. who took victory on the night.

Once again, victory went to Leslight, who also took a heat win, crossed the line in front of Leslight in the main event, followed Harper, Ian Marshall (Fulcrum), by Mai'shall, Doblo and Stading.

- SUE HOBSON Michael Doblo (C.Q. Cabinet

the next four riders will earn a place in the Grand Prix Challenge in Austria on October 5 and the first four there will be in the GP for 1998.

seems the claims of British Promoters’ Chairman Terry Russell were made strongly at the Grand Prix in Landshut when no Australian official was present.

Crump, winnerPrix, of last British Grand had year’s hoped to be able to defend his title by being awarded the FIM wild card

Australian who in the Craig Watson, the rides 20-year-old British Premier League for Newport, could miss the rest of the British season after unfortunately breaking his leg in the match with Arena Essex.

It happened in a collision with the Dane Jan Pederen and the break is below the knee.

Watson is hoping a way can be found for him to have the plaster off within a month so he can ride in the World Under-21 Championship

SRA 9 (to be confirmed)

l March 8

Swan Hill SRA 10 (to be confirmed)

l March 21

The Final of this year’s which at is the Inter-Continental World Championship in . for scheduled to event, be staged Vastervik (Sweden) on July 26 will Bradford on August 9. give three Australians the chancb But the Track Commission has of ‘back door’ qualification to next decided to give the spare place to year’s Grand Prix.

England’s Joe Screen, who will be Boyce, Sullivan and Crump are riding on his home League track at in the 16-man field, from which the the Odsal Stadium, The official announcement top two get automatic qualification to the Grand Prix series. won’t be made until July 21, but it

semi-final in Germany early next month.

Shane Bowes his fromplace Adelaide has reclaimed in the Coventry team competing in the British Elite League.

Bowes spent June on the side lines suffering from a broken wrist, but he has been brought back into the team to the exclusion of Paul Smith.

British internationals Andy Smith and Sean Wilson have already been brought to strength en the team.

Ironically, Wilson replaced Bowes when the Aussie was side lined and now it's Andy Smith’s brother who makes way for Bowes’ return.

18 July 199/

of the stars the annual Sydney’s SkipofJackson wasTwin one Features Night at Iowa’s Knoxville Raceway this past fortnight.

Jackson, the current points leader in the Knoxville season track championship for the 410ci sprintcar category, won the first 16-lap main event, despite a strong challenge from ultimate runner-up Leonard Lee midway through the race.

Doug Wolfgang took third in the first of the two features, while Don Droud Jr filled the third spot on the rostrum.

South Australia’s Jaymie Moyle was placed seventh in the feature won by Jackson.

Earlier in the night, Jackson timed in as sixth fastest in the time trials when he stopped the ^7 mffa/rfT clocks at 16.317 seconds.

Fastest man from the time tri als was Dennis Moore Jr with a time of 16.059 seconds.

After a third placing in the sec ond heat, Jackson then showed a clean pair of rear wheels to the opposition when he led from start to finish to win the opening 410 feature.

In the inverted second feature event, Jackson had the job ahead of him and was forced to deal with traffic- however, he ultimately came through for a deserving fifth KINSER POWER... Karl Kinser’s Chevy in WoO pace-man Mark Kinser’s Maxim.(Andrew Quinn pic) place finish.

Nebraska for the 14th Annual Rounding out the top ten in the John Sernett, who earlier in the Eagle Nationals.

410 sprintcar division are; Mike programme took out the B-Main, Kinser made amends for his took his third career main event Reinke, Leonard Lee, Bob Weuve, disappointment in the previous Jeff Mitrisip and Travis Cam. victory in a race which saw several preliminary feature (won by lead changes in the final laps. @ C ark Kinser and Andy Hillenburg) when he dropped out, Brent Anthill, in his first appear- ^ Hillenburg were two of the A- on lap 13 and was credited with a ance this year on the' Knoxville g.AJ Maln event winners on the World 22nd finishing position. half-mile, swapped the lead posi“ tion with Sernett on several occa He bounced back the next night of Outlaws title trail this past fort and showed the resilience that sions, but could not maintain the night. momentum to hold the front run The World of Outlaws stopped helped him capture the 1996

By Dennis New off at Eagle Raceway in Eagle World of Outlaws championship ning on the dry, slick track.

Anthill had previously shown / SLAMMIN’SAMMY... Sammy Swindell’s anniversary Gambler, resplendent in silver lively.(Andrew Quinn pic) plenty of dash to win the second heat.

But Sernett had all the answers to the strong Anthill challenge in the A-main.

Sernett placed his self-owned #91 sprinter less than a car length ahead of Anthill at the chequered flag in an exciting finish.

One of the big drives of this race was turned in by Craig Dollansky, who charged from the rear of the field and ultimately came home third, right on the tail on Anthill.

TOO

M

Skip lead the Jackson points in continues the 410cito sprint car category for the Knoxville Track Championship.

With this latest performance, Jackson has moved further ahead in the points battle and now enjoys a comfortable buffer of over 200 points to his nearest rival, Don Droud Jr. By virtue of his strong showing in both features - with a fifth and a third placing - Dollansky has moved closer to Droud Ar in the battle for second and third, with now less than 50 points between the two.

Jaymie Moyle also has Improved his points standing and now holds down fifth spot behind Dennis Moore Jr, with a 100 point gap between the two drivers.

Max Dumesny Motorsport

ogents for

^^ RACING TIRE

when he earned his 15th j Channellock Fastest-Time Award and led the final 11 laps of the A- 1 MAIN to claim his second consec- \ utive Eagle Nationals title i ‘There’s been a few times this j year when we’ve fallen flat and| last night was one of them," Kinser | said, in reference to his disap- j pointment of the previous night. | “The track didn’t do what we| thought it was going to do and ; possibly the driver wasn’t running| the right line on the track. i “But the crew hung in there j with me and tonight we put a whole new set-up in the Wirtgen Maxim.

“We had to change a motor between the heat races and the Vivarian Dash, so they had to work hard and it was really hot.

‘The crew came over and told me to run low. I had been up in the middle and high side and com ing down to the bottom won the race for us,” Kinser explained from Victory Lane.

After he followed Hillenburg, Stevie Smith and 1992 Eagle National titleholder Sammy Swindell across the finish line in the Vivarin Dash, Mark Kinser started outside the second row in the main event.

Dave Blaney relegated Mark Kinser to fifth in the early laps of the feature, as Hillenburg and Smith battled for the leadership.

As the race continued, Mark Kinser and Swindell became involved in a thrilling battle on the high-banked one-third mile oval.

Kinser later disposed of Swindell and made a strong bid for victory.

He caught front runners Smith and Hillenburg in the latter half of the race, moving into second spot and then reeling in Smith within a lap. He passed Stevie Smith for the lead with an inside move through turns 3-4 on lap 30.

From that point of the race, Mark Kinser was never headed over the remaining ten laps and raced to his 12th World of Outlaws A-Main event win of the season.

Smith filled second', while | Blaney was third and Hillenburg| fourth. !

Atcontinues this writing, Sammy Swindell to lead the points in \i the World of Outlaws 1997!

Drivers’ Championship - if only by j a slender margin over arch-rival| Steve Kinser. | Dave Blaney also is well within| range of the illustrious top two in I one of the most exciting WoO ' points battles in many seasons. i Jac Haudesnchild holds down| fourth spot on the ladder, while Andy Hillenburg is next in line. !

Rounding out the current top i ten in the World of Outlaws stand- j ings are: Stevie Smith, Greg| Hodnett, Danny Lasoski and| Johnny Herrera. ; Despite a truck racing commit- i ment, Mark Kinser has won more i A features on the Outlaws trail this n season than any other driver - i Kinser has 12, two clear of!

Sammy Swindell. n Dave Blaney is next in line with i six, followed by Steve Kinser| (four) and Stevie Smith (two). ;

1997 WORLD OF OUTIAWS/SKOAL OOTIAW SEMES

1 ®

for more information on Hoosier Drag and Speedway Tyres call 02 9679 1990

POINT STANDINGS TO JULY 13, 1997

I. Steve Kinser 2. Sammy Swindell 3. Dave Blaney 4. Jac Haudenschild 5. Andy Hillenburg 6. Greg Hodnett 7. Stevie Smith 8. Danny Lasoski 9. Johnny Herrera 10. Jeff Swindell

6,173 6,160 6,157 6,1S6 S,926 5,880 5,841 5,791 5,646 5,510

I I. Joe Gaerte 12. Donny Schatz 13. Paul McMahan 14. Mark Kinser IS. Dion Hindi 16. Lance Blevins 17. Joey Saldana 18. Marlon Jones 19. Randy Hannagan 20. Garry Brazier

5,485 5,352 5,186 4,940 ,316 3,049 2,193 1,779 1,733 1,414

il

ULY 12 VVER RACEWAYRED RIVER RACEWAY lUl A-FEATURE(30 LAPS) I. Stevie Smith 1 f. Danny Lasoski 12. Paul McMahan 2. Steve Kinser 3. Mark Kinser 13. Joe Gaerte 14. Dion Hindi 4. Andy Hillenburg IS. Tim Baker 5. Jac Haudenschild 16. Pat Miller 6. Greg Hodnett 17. Jon LaBine 7. Donny Schatz 18. Sammy Swindell 8. Dave Blaney 19. Dave Ekern 9. Johnny Herrera 20. John Stengrim 10. Jeff Swindell

4S

KARTING

IS July 199/

Siebert stars at Ji/lallala The Superkart brigade has become a regular sup port for the Mallala round of the Shell Australian Touring Car Championship over the last three years and it became plainly evi dent why when the small est class of racing cars in Australia took to the cir cuit last weekend and provided some spectacu lar racing.

Many of the top runners used the event as a shakedown for the November final round of the National Championships and, while Brian Stockman recovers from a broken leg, Chris Staff and Formula E favourite Charlie Lambous made good their prepara tions.

It was expected that front runners in the Formula E would finally break into the 1.06.00-second bracket and, The fifth round of the Victorian Superkart Club championships were held last weekend at Calder Park Raceway, where an accident in the final heat of the 80cc gearbox class saw Mark Sturge hospi talised after hitting the main straight wall.

Despite his trip in the air ambulance, Sturge had accu mulated enough points to finish third in B grade, Nick Mann putting in another good performance to win from Paul Ristic.

Ross Hansen, who travels from Sydney to contest the 80cc A grade championship, had a worthwhile trip, his

while the slightly cooler conditions during qualifying meant that the karts would be working well, the fastest two qualifiers in Gerard Siebert and Charlie Lambous could only manage 1.07.45 and 1.07.67, respectively.

Third fastest went to Ron Valentine, who was the only other runner into the 1.07 bracket.

REINFORCEMENTS... The Superkart brigade once again backed up the V8 Supercars at Mallala. (Dirk Klynsmith pic) Queenslander and National win, while Valentine also performance after having Championship contender made a good start and made come from 26th.

Roger Capper well in his it qrfite clear to Lambous For Cash, race two on wake, 1.6 seconds away, that he would take any line Sunday was an unmitigated Graeme Williams followed required to get by. disaster. suit and then there was As the karts_ formed up For two laps, the pair Lindsay Stenniken, brother duelled, running side by side after the warm-up lap, he to V8 privateer Malcolm through turn 2 until, on the stalled, waving his arms Stenniken, driving an third lap, with Valentine the starter delayed the staii and the marshalls removed Anderson Rotax courtesy of leading, Lambous outbraked Ralph Rupprecht. himself, hit Valentine and him from the grid.

Once the field was away, Returning to racing after a retired on the spot.

Rupprecht was promoted they tried, imsuccessfully, to three-year break was Geoff Woods in a Centreline to third where he ran till the get him started and Cash Yamaha, end, while Cash ran a consis- became a spectator, tent fourth.

Unfortunately for the for Siebert again strolled mer New South Welshman, a away for the victory, with Jason Maros made a good brake bias failure saw him charge from 18th to fifth, Valentine in close pursuit for without a time and he would ahea(^ of Zip runner second. Maros was third, n while Ross was fourth, folbe starting from the rear of Raymdnd Ross.

Staff finished an excellent lowed the grid for the first of the by Rupprecht, three Cop3nvorld Superkart seventh overall and set a Lambous, Slattery, Tony Races. . fastest lap of 1.10.63, less Rath and Staff in ninth 1 Saturday saw the first of than two seconds off the pace rounding out the top 10 was Chas Maddern. the three races and it was a of the fastest Formula E! cracker.

The next National was Although race three wasn’t Siebert made a good start back in 12th and was Woods, accorded the 30,000 spectaand cleared off to an easy \^o put in another excellent tors that the second enjoyed.

there were still a lot of hardy soluls to see Larabous catch and pass Siebert - not an easy task in six laps!

Rupprecht headed Valentine after a good tussle and Maros beat home Slattery, Maddem retired with only two laps to go, while Woods continued despite a bent nose cone, thanks to some real close racing and finished 17th. Stenniken finished a fine 11th, after failing to greet the chequer in the second race.

Staff again starred in the National class with an excellent seventh overall, while Chris Hall from South Australia was the next single and 13th overall, Bruce Swansson was third in class, while Giovanni Naurato was fourth and 15th overall.

- DIRK KLYNSMITH

Caruana impresses

David Holdforth had his brand-new 250cc National let go in a big way, ripping the ban-el in half and destroying most parts of the engine.

Wayne Shultz had four heat wins from Trevor Kilpatrick, with Ross Higgins third.

Bill Jacobs had his 125ss kart really flying and diced with the 250cc karts to easily win his class from John Coughlin and Peter Hageman.

The next round will be at Calder Park on August 17 and, with the points close at the top, some excellent rac ing should be on the agenda.

- GRAEME BURNS

Stephen Cash put his new Zip Rotax on the second row with Valentine, showing he was as adept at driving a twin as an 80ccl Reg Slattery, who has taken over Hayden Earner’s mount and was getting used to the twin, set a time of 1.09.32.

Fastest of the Nationals was Queensland’s superquick Chris Staff with a time of 1.10.91 - it was one of the fastest laps for the class ever recorded and left fellow

Sturge third despite hospital trip four straight wins leaving Peter Windhager and Joe Misitano to take the minors.

In Junior lOOcc ngb, David Williams had a good win over Scott Middleton, with Leee Barabasz third - Jarred Laws had his first drive in this class and handled the task well.

lOOcc ngb was split again. with the Light (140kg) and Heavy (160kg) classes run separately.

In the Light, the front row bunch of five karts swapped places, with Colin McIntyre, Rod Prickett and Darren Foi-mosa filling the top three positions.

In Heavy, Frank Kessels made Doug Brumby’s one mistake pay by beating him by one point - Mark Dale and Ken Knight were tied two points behind, Knight being awarded thfrd for his better final finish. i The 250cc Formula E and National fields were down.

some drivers going to Mallala, but there was good racing, with the 125cc and 250cc classes in together.

Joe Caruana took four wins from Chris Mann, while Robert Clinch had some teething troubles with his brand-new twin to finish third in Formula E.

ME AND MY SHADOW... 80cc A-graders #24 Peter Windhager and #78 Darren James at Calder Park.(Graeme Burns)

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■CARTING

Major work for Geelong track

18Jiil^W9I

TV

in kartin®—i Club Day for all Victorian Clubs Enquiries: C03] 9362 1144 C031 1449 6362 City of Melbourne Titles - GKCV Todd Road Port Melbourne Enquiries: S03| 9391 0049 f03| 9391 7925

REVAMPED ... Geelong competitors will benefit from extensive rework. (Graeme Burns) One of the strongest karting clubs in Australia, the Geelong Kart Club has commenced extensive improvements on its already excellent facility.

The main work involves the race circuit itself, which is being totally i-esurfaced.

Much of the existing bitu men, edges and ripple strips have been excavated and replaced with a very high quality base mix.

The complete circuit will then be resurfaced with the best racing hot-mix available and widened to eight metres on all sections of the track.

The improvements are believed to be costing in excess of $100,000 - this is seen as a worthwhile invest ment, as the club will be hosting the 1998 Australian Championships next Easter.

Geelong will also soon be boasting a new retail karting

THE HAMILTON KART CLUB has been awarded the 1998 Victorian Open Championships.

The western Victorian club, which has been in existence for less than five years, will hold the state championships early next year on its 730 metre cir cuit, located just 10 kilometres from the city centre.

Australian Rick Bates dri ving a Porsche 911 has beaten a field of 53 dri vers from 16 countries to win the marathon Panama Alaska Rally, which finished in Anchorage late last week.

Bates and co-driver Jenny Brittan led from start to fin ish to win the classic rally for pre-1970 cars by lOmins 41secs after 25 days and over 15,000 kms of driving.

The rally was incidentpacked, with South Australian father and son crew Dean and Ben Rainsford lucky to escape with their lives after a major road accident in Mexico.

The Rainsfords were evac uated by special air ambu lance to San Diego medical centre, after they collided with a pick up truck which turned into the path of their V8 Ford Capri Perana on a transport stage north of Loreto on the Baja Peninsula.

Although Rainsford senior escaped with minor injuries, son Ben underwent major operations over more than a week to save his left hand, which was badly damaged in the crash.

The pair were finally air lifted back to Australia last week, with the prognosis for Ben’s hand being good fol lowing multiple skin grafts and procedures in San Diego.

The Rainsfords were as high as second in the early stages of the rally through Central America and Mexico and were fighting back from

/

outlet, as well-respecte d engine-tuner Henry Richert will be opening a business in conjunction with Formula Uno Motors.

An accredited DPE Aitow AX6 dealer, Richert’s shop will be located just two min utes from the Geelong cir cuit.

Richert was responsible for 1996 Australian Formula A champion Jeromy Lohmann’s title-winning Vortex engines, while Daniel Richert is the reigning Victorian champion in Intercontinental A and now competes in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship.

-lANSALVESTRIN i

Rug to

Open Meeting - Hamilton Buckley Park Raceway Hamilton Enquiries: (03) 5572 4873

Rug 17

Star Rotmd 4 = Geekmg Corio Raceway Geelong Enquiries: 03 5251 3784

Rug 24

Juniof. Sprint Classic - Eastern Lions Pucli^pmiyal Raceway Enqnines: 03 9467 5917

^4

(4i<yve

KMamO ^SSOC\M\OH Pfi 1031 S449 0302 or 1031 9302 1144

Rick Bates victorious in Panama laska Rally /

.

I

sixth place after a minor off when the accident occurred.

Bates was followed home in a Porsche trifecta by American driver Jeff Zwart in a Porsche 914-6, with Hungarian driver Janos Balazs in another Porsche 911 in third place, just 12 seconds behind his American opponent.

Australian marathon rally veteran Terry Daly was the best non-Porsche driver, tak ing fourth place in his Ford Mustang, ahead of England’s Richard Martin-Hurst in an Escort BDA. Norm Fritter, father of Coral Taylor - Australian Rally Championship-winning co-driver - surprised many with his strong performance alongside fellow Aussie Warren Ridge to bring their Falcon GT home in seventh place, just behind Canadian father and son team Bob and Scott Trinder in a Datsun 240Z. For Bates, it was a satisfy ing initiation to the world of marathon rallying, taking victory in his first attempt at a long distance event.

“I had a great car- and my co-driver Jenny Brittan put in a great effort in a tough and relentless event like this,” said Bates, who will take up a works drive with Daihatsu in the upcoming 1997 Australian Rally Manufacturers Championship.

Co-driver Brittan was pleased to have made it to the finish, after three previ ous marathon attempts ended in major accidents.

“Rick didn’t put a foot wrong and, once he opened a strong lead, was able to pace himself to ensm-e we made it to Anchorage,” she said.

Rally organiser Trans World Events is currency finalising its next event, the Shield of Africa Rally, a 21 day 12,000 km event through eight countries in Southern Africa, scheduled to start in Cape Town on February 1 next year.

More than 40 cars are already entered for the 1998 event, which will be followed up by another London to Sydney Marathon in July, 2000.

-JON THOMSON

I

BAILED UP... Rick Bates and Jenny Brittan with “Mexican Federale" Glenn Cuthbert.

50

HISTORIC

Srce^ "diatonic n Attending the 1997 Historic Silverstone meet ing will be Kerry Luckins and Sandown Pai'k Site Manager, Lloyd Shaw, who hopes to bring back some ideas to introduce at the Sandown Historic meeting on November 1-2 (mark it in your diary now as it’s going to be a big one!)Lloyd also hopes to fit in another meeting or two and visit some car muse ums during his brief time away. n The next social event being organised by the Victorian Historic Racing Register is the Mid-Winter Dinner, to be held on Saturday,July 19 at the Royal Hotel, Sunbury.

This popular spot is owned

by Historic racing buff Bruce Mactier and his wife Alexis, and being only 35 minutes from Melbourne via the Calder Highway, it’s always a well-attended night.

According to the organ isers, there will be lots of giveaways and prizes, and the chance to make your fortune afterwards in the hotel tabaret(l) The MidWinter Dinner get under way at 6-30pm, and book ings may be made by phoning Alexis Mactier on (03)9744 1550. Cost is $28 per person. n Historic race drivers ai'e well catered for in this yeai-’s Six-Hour Relay to be held at Winton Motor Raceway on October 18-19.

Included among the awards will be a trophy for the winning pre-1970 team. Organised by the Marque Sports Car Association of Victoria, the / Six-Hour Relay continues ' the tradition of previous years by catering for the true hands-on amateur motorsport enthusiast.

This year-, there will be a more equitable handicap system, with all drivers , being included in the cal culations.

Other major awai-ds will be for handicap winner, mai’que spoi-ts, club cars, sports sedans, single mar que team,team later than 1980, ladies team, most laps, best presented team, and most heartbreaking hard luck story. n The 1997 Six-Hour Relay will be run on the new extended track at Winton, and the early bird entry fee is $660 per team - but you need to get in early. Details can be obtined from A. Dent on (03)9598 5670, or by writ ing to D.Floyd, 541 Dandenong Rd., Aimadale, Vic., 3143. n Peter Mohr, a former President of the HSRCA of NSW,has recently sold his B-series BMC powered Nota Major. The new owner is Victorian John Callaway, who is Principal of Huntingtower CoEd Day and Boarding School.

John, you have no excuses now for being late for school!

-BRIAN REED

*

J;

IZik)0®l78fJXSff

Four decades of Cortinas

IT’S hard to believe that the famous Ford Cortina is more than 30 years old, but time sure flies when you’re having fun.

The Cortina Mk.l Owners Club of Australian Inc. has members from all parts of Australia, and its patron is none other than Bob Jane.

Not suiprisingly, Haiiy Firth is a life member.

On Saturday, June 7 a Cortina day was held at the workshop of club president, Bill Ferrier in Geelong - an appropriate choice of town for a Ford occasion.

Described by BUI as “a boy’s day out,” members were invit ed along to “something differ ent” - the club’s first technical day where members could share their knowledge, skills and problems with others.

Approximately 12 Cortinas (mainly from Melbourne and Geelong) took part in the exercise which included safety checks, pointing out potential trouble spots and in one case, replacing the differential.

One particularly interesting

[

VHRR posts

AT the Annual General Meeting of the Victorian Historic Racing Register held on June 24, several new faces were elected to the committee.

Ken Innes-Irons has I taken over from Roger S James as president, the new secretary is Dot ® Devine,Peter Ffrench is a treasurer, and the vice£ president is Ian Tate.

Roger James is to be IVHAr COULD BE BETTER?... A great track, a good race and four Ford Cortinas... congratulated for his car was a left-hand drive rare Mk.l station wagon.

Wagga. To be known as the tireless efforts as presi Achap’s barbecue lunch no “Cortina Conquest,” it will be Lotus Cortina belonging to Spy Matthews, who brought doubt added to the tone of the held on Queen’s Birthday dent for 7 years and 5 weekend in June ’98 and is years prior to that as in the car from California day! after working in the USA for The club is gaining in popu open to all owners of Mk.l secretary. His contribu and Mk.2 Cortinas. tions to the VHRR are several years.(He also owns a larity, and the first interstate For further information, greatly appreciated.

Cortina gathering last year Lotus Super 7).

Other cars involved in the was so successful Bill Ferrier phone Bill Ferrier on (03) Other committee mem tells me the event will again 52443455(work).

Cortina technical day includ bers elected were Ken -BRIAN REED ed GTs, a GT500 and a quite be held in 1998 at Wagga Williams, Noel Robson, Kerry Luckins,Ray Da Costa and Wayne Sayers.

Membership secretary is John Caffin.

Guest speaker at the AGM was well known motor racing photogra pher,Ian Smith who showed some of his favourite slides from the 1960s and ’70s. Hell Corner at Bathurst fea tured strongly, and thei'e were lots of black and

!

white shots that brought back fond memories of heroes such as Alfredo Costanzo.

As well as Bathurst, Sandown and Calder fea tured strongly, including the horrific crash

CLASSIC ELFINS... John McCormack leads Max Stewart In their MR5-Repcos at Calder In 1973. (Photo by Autopix)

Elfins take centre stage

by BRIAN REED A FEATURE of the forthcoming Shaimon’s Mallala Masters Classic race meeting to he held at Mallala Motor Sport Park on September 1314 will he the fifteenth running of the Garrie Cooper Memorial Race.

This year. Historic racing cars will be competing for the trophy and a big turnout of Elfins is predicted by the organisers.

Apart from the race itself, a special parade of Elfins is scheduled and it is hoped this will attract owners and

epthusiasts from all parts of Australia an annual memorial race in his honom-.

The race meeting, a part of the 1997 for this special occasion.

One car the organisers are hoping RAA Adelaide International Motoring will be present is Garrie Cooper’s final Festival, has a family day atmosphere masterpiece - the Elfin MR9 F5000 - the . with events for both modern and only groimd effects Formula 5000 bruit Historic racing cars and also classic and post-classic motorcycles. in the world (although some ground On Sunday 14, iirere will be a display effects FI carq were converted to F5000 specifications). The Elfin MR9 can be of veteran, vintage and classic cars, found these days on static display at the with many South Australian motoring Birdwood Mill Muserun in the Adelaide clubs represented. An added attraction mis. will be a display of working steam Since Garrie Cooper’s death in 1982, engines being arranged by a local the Austin 7 Club of SA. Inc. has held restorer’s club.

through the fence by Johnny Walker’s Lola F5000 at Sandown from which he miraculously walked away.

The 60 members pre sent were also treated to a lesson in photogi-aphy when Ian Smith shared a few professional tricks of the trade and showed how to “pan” at 500th/sec.

I hope focusing wasn’t too much of a problem at that stage of the night!

- BRIAN REED

leo,Pete - and Michael

In

THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS... Pete takes Michael at Lakeside.(Photos by Marshattcass)

IT was a great weekend for the Geoghegan family at Lakeside’s 20th Historic races last week.’

It was the first time since 1973 that the brothers Leo (left) and Ian ‘Pete’ (right) had been on a race track at the same time (see main repoif, opposite page)..

Simultaneously, the Sydney fami ly founded another milestone when

Pete’s son Michael, who was a regu lar Formula Ford competitor some years ago, drove the restored Mustang once driven by his father.

Pete, who won an unprecedented five ATCC titles between 1964 and 1969, drove the fearsome factorybuilt Falcon GTHO in which he was such a force in the eaily 1970s.

-MARSHALL CASS

i

/gJu/y/W Story and photos by MARSHALL CASS IF you are at least a Babyboomer or older you can remember when real men raced real machines.

The extremely hard work ing committee of Queen sland’s Historic Racing Car Club put together the 20th Historic Lakeside in July 6 to remind us of those days and maybe the following will whet your appetite for nostalgia: A 1965 McLaren MIA Sports Car, which won the 1966 South African Sports Car Championship, driven by Bobby Aftoff; The 1970 Australian Grand Prix winning McLaren MlOB Formula 5000, then '■ driven by Frank Matich; The 1970 XW Ford ‘Super’ Falcon campaigned by Pete Geoghegan and in those days it cost Ford $125,000 to buRd; The 1971 Bryan Byrt Ford Falcon Phase III GTHO, dri ven by Phil Barnes and Bob Skelton, which finished sec ond to Moffat at Bathurst in 1971. Twelve months later it was second again with local ace John French at the wheel; The 1976 Chevron B37 Formula 5000, thought to be the last to be built by Chevron founder, Dick Bennett. The English 1978 Grovewood Award winner, Aussie Bruce Allison pur chased this car, and compet ed in the Tasman Series.

The 1978 ATCC, Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 winning car, the all-conquering A9X Torana, driven by young Peter Brock; The 1980 Group C XD Ford Falcon, the last Falcon driven

by Allan Moffat. In 1982, John English purchased the car and you would remember the footage of his incident over Skyline; The 1982 Group C Holden Commodore which won both James Hardie 1000 in 1982 /83. The only car to, win back to back and guess who was driving with Lany Perkins?; The 1983 ex-Allan Moffat/ Peter Stuyvesant-sponsored left hand drive RX7 Mazda; plus the Australian Classic Car Monthly Grand Parade which all but filled the Lakeside circuit nose to tail Fairly heady stuff and this was only the line up in SideShow Alley, coupled with the appearance of ‘Father’ -John French, ‘Big Pete’ and broth er Leo Geoghegan.

This was a weekend where drivers, current owners and the fans could mix, reminisce and laugh about the good old days, and the committee ought to be congratulated !

Of course if you had time to spare, there was two full days of racing to watch.

A feature of Simday’s programme was a 10 lap Queensland Tourist Trophy for Sports cars, reviving a race inaugurated in 1905.

Originally for motor cycles. it was not until 1956 that it

5

Lakeside's 20th Historic

n

became an important race for cars. It was held at Albert Park with the winner being Sterling Moss in a Maserati 300S In 1956, the QRDC quickly adopted the name for a State title race at the Lowood circuit, which in turn closed down in 1967 to make way for the Surfers Paradise track There has been some greats associated with the trophy race. Bill Pitt, David McKay, Ron Phillips, Frank Matich, Leo and Pete Geoghegan and Kevin Bartlett, ' Some may even remember in 1961, a young Murray Carter was. an entrant in a Corvette.

In 1997 it is a much, shorter race held ov6r 10 laps, it was won by Australian S1300 number one David Barram in his 1976 ASP 340. An hour earlier.

David had won the Queensland round of the Tri Star Clubman Challenge.

BEAST and the BEAUTY... Max Warwick's ex-Matich McLaren M10B shows some F5000 pace. Then, as now, some McLarens are silver: below is the 1965 model MIA sportscar.

Barram‘ clearly dominated this race also with a 3s win over Howard William’s Liston. Brett Wentworth (Porsche 930S) was third.

Interestingly, the Porsche held the top radar speed on the main straight for most of the meeting at 214 kph.

Later in the day, Chris Farrell in his- 73B March clocked 222kph.

It was the second running of the Jack Lacey Memorial

BROCK, CAMERA, ACTION...

There were 05s as far as the eye could see at Lakeside. David Body’s Torana (top left) and Wayne Clift’s Commodore (left) are among the best of the breed.

Charles Ryman’s ex-Allan Moffat Mazda is very neat: check out the clever sign writing.

Wherever Holdens go Fords are sure to follow, or lead... John French gets familiar with his old HO at right, while Jon English’s XD leads Ryaman’s Mazda, Leo Geoghegan’s Valiant Pacer and Body’s A9X, below.

^ -

Trophy Race for Group N. the early leaders one at a Jack was the founder of the time, per lap, for a comfortQueensland HRCC. able win over Mason.

The GTHO of Lloyd Bax Mike Dyer’s XUl was mysteriously bogged down on third, hard pressed by an the line, which let a gaggle of impressive effort by stalwart, XUls through, resulting in Bill Westerman in his black some pushing and shoving.

Cooper S. Greg Burrows had some anxAs Father John French ious moments out in the dirt. said at the presentations held This opened the door for in somewhat primitive condithe Mustang of Steve Mason tions of a tent and bai'e dirt to work his way up to the floor, “This is how we did it in front. Bax carefully picked off ■ the ’60s and isn’t it great!”

52

18 July 199/ West was sixth in his Lancer and again finished second in Group N, behind Guest, but in front of Graham.

Middleton looked unlikely to win F2 after two huge spins on the first stage of the morning, but he perservered and made the most of others’

Report by PETER WHITTEN Six heat starts for six wins has put Possum Bourne and Craig Vincent in the box seat to win their second consecutive Australian Championship after they dominantly won the Saxon Safari in Tasmania on July 12-13.

The New Zealand pair was in a class of its own all week end, with neither Ed Ordynski, nor Neal Bates, capable of making any impression on the duo.

Michael Guest took the Group N victory,over the two heats, but only after paceset ter Greg Graham suffered problems on both days, while in Formula 2 Dean Herridge - with one heat win and a second place - took the over all honours.

A good entry of 46 cars faced the starter in Hobart, but even though snow looked likely to cause problems on the event, most had melted away by the time the rally began.

The reconnaissance per haps proved to be the most difficult part of the rally, as up to two feet of snow on some stages meant some major headaches for event organisers.

The local foresters came to the party, grading snow off some of the stages and, amazingly, clearing 1000 trees off the long Styx River Road stage after a nasty pre event storm.

Most crews negotiated the tricky conditions well, but regular top 10 runner Miles Sandy wasn’t so lucky and rolled his Land^cruiser recce vehicle off the, road - he was relatively unharmed, but codi-iver Michelle Murphy suf fered a broken collar bone and, as a result, they were non-starters.

ON THE lV/4 Y... Tasmanian win means BourneA/incent have another ARC titie within their grasp. (Peter Whitten pic)

Possum aces Ed After the brief, but excit ing, Hazell Brothers special stage at the Derwent Entertainment Centre, where Bourne and Bates set equal times, the Subaru speedster had it all his own way.

From then on, he set fastest time oii the other five stages held for the day and, although running first car on the road meant he had the worst conditions of all, he masterfully put the Subaru to good use.

Only on the longest stage of the event, Styx, did Bourne’s dominance look in any doubt.

But even slightly nudging an earth bank couldn’t stop him from winning the stage by three seconds from the Evo 3 Lancer of Ordynski.

It was on the long stage where Bates’ chances of -victory came to a halt.

He ever so gently hit a post beside a cattle grid near the start and the subsequent bent tie-rod end meant he dropped over a minute on the stage, which put him out, of the running.

The tie-rod was soon changed at the next service, but a damaged steering rack meant he limped home in

third place and would take no further part in Heat 2.

Ordynski was struggling with the flu, but was never theless happy to finish the Heat in second place, 50 sec onds behind Bourne at the end of the six-stage, 100km competitive day.

In Group N, Guest was the winner on the day, but he was by no means the fastest

ping clutch, while fellow ■Victorian Graham Alexander was sixth in his similar Lancer.

Formula 2 again provided exciting action, with any one of four drivers capable of winning the day.

Series Ross leader

Mackenzie again led early, but a burst fuel line on spe cial stage four ended his run when the car briefly caught driver on the stages. | fire.

Carrying on from where he left off in Coffs Harbour, Herridge in his Hyundai Kiwi Graham had his then looked the man most Subaru Impreza really likely to win the day- but, cranked up and would have perhaps not surprisingly, it won the day easily, had it not was local Tasmanian Lee been for a fiat tyre on the- Peterson, in a Nissan Sunny GTi, who took the lead. third stage.

A number of niggling elec In the muddy conditions, the Impreza kept falling off trical problems hampered the jack and Graham lost an' Herridge, but when Peterson agonising five minutes had a driveshaft pull out, it ■ looked like victory was his. changing the wheel.

However, the Nissan had He eventually finished Heat 1 third for the day, behind the that little extra speed and Lancer Evo 2 of David the Hobart driver took a nar The Saturday start dawned overcast and it West/Tony Best, having his row 16-second -victory.

Brett Middleton should first run for the year. looked like a real mixed bag as far as the weather was But it was Guest’s victory have been second, but broke concerned. and, even though he only his Honda’s gearbox after the took the quickest time on one final stage of the day.

Snow was -virtually , out of Falcon driver Steve stage, it was the title points the question now, due to the Winwood retired with a hole that mattered most. mild weather, but the melt Graeme Wise and Rob in the fuel tank after three ing snow on the stages would Beckman took fifth in their stages, allowing the create slippery and muddy conditions for all.

Lancer RS-E, despite a slip¬ Commodore of John Spencer to take the big car -victory by a minute, ahead of Rob Devenish’s Datsun 240Z. J Tassie driver Jason Slot was the fastest Silverstone THE \*rOHEHS BEST TUJAH HOEUIIVG TYEIES. Challenge driver on the day, bringing his Corolla home to VIC: Stuckey Tyre Service an easy victory. ,1 Ph: (03) 9386 5331 Fax: (03) 9383 2514 Results VSA: The Mag Wheel Centre Heat 1 Ph: (08) 8269 4100 Fax: (08) 8269 7805 0 1. P. Boume/C. Vincent r.

V yy/t Subaru Impreza 'WRX NSW: Stuckey Tyre Service 59ml7s Ph: (02) 9676 8655 Fax: (02) 9676 5300 2. E. Ord}mski/F. Gocentas ?!

QLD: Road & Race Spare Parts $ Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 vi Ph: (07) 3279 1533 Fax: (07) 3376 5804 Ih00m07s 3.

N. Bates/C. Taylor ■j\ WA: Kostera's Tyre Service Toyota Cehca GT-Four Ph: (09) 293 3500 Fax: (09) 293 1355 1.01.10 331 3Ii 4. M. GueshM. Stacey Gp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 1.02.56 5. G. Wise/R. Beckman i Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E 1.04.25 6. G. Alexander/D. Stewart Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E 1.05.25

V//

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1

WINNER - NSW & VICTORIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS - DUNLOP SP84-R

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7. A. Murfett/T. Jackson Nissan Pulsar GTiR 1.05.52 8. D. West/T. Best Gp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2 1.06.48 9. L. Peterson/Z. 'White F2 Nissan Sunny GTi 1.07.09 10. G. Graham/G. Macneall Gp N Subaru Impreza WRX 1.07.15 Heat 2 The non-appearance of Neal Bates for Heat 2 cer tainly did a lot to ease Bourne’s task on day 2, but Ordynski was determined the Subaru flyer wasn’t going to have it all his own way.

Ordynski started the day with one thing in mind drive flat'out to try and make an impression on Bourne.

But, try as he might, the Mitsubishi wasn’t the match of the Subaru and he dropped 24 seconds over the first four stages - and that included bettering his Heat 1 time on the ‘Plenty’ stage by 29 seconds!

Bourne’s only moment of worry for the day came after the second stage, when he arrived at the Bushy Park sei-vice area with oil dripping from the Impreza’s gearbox.

But the Subaru mechanics were up to the task and enabled Possum to take a one minute and 12 second victory.

Ordynski took second after a relatively trouble-free run in the Ralliart Lancer, while Michael Guest again made the most of Graham’s prob lems to win Group N for the second day in succession.

The Kiwi star was fastest on three of the day’s five stages, but a broken driveshaft on the day’s second stage, which tore a front brake line off, cost him over three minutes, A fantastic drive by Wise netted the Victorian Lancer driver fourth place in Heat 2, just pipping rival Alexander after a battle that didn’t end until the final control of the final stage.

problems, taking the catego ry win in his Honda Givic.

Heat 1 winners Lee Peterson/Zara White retired after an off-road excursion on the first stage and Ross Mackenzie/Tony Brandon again retired the Charade with a burst fuel line, a repeat of the problem that caused their fire the previous day.

That left Heiridge, Evans and Middleton to fight it out - however, the scales swayed in the Honda’s favour after a wrong tyre choice cost Herridge dearly on the longest stage of the day.

He eventually took second in Heat 2 and victory in the overall round, but things weren’t as rosy for Evans and co-driver Joe Brick.

Their Corolla rolled heavi ly on the final spectator stage in fi’ont of around 3000 onlookers and, with the engine refusing to start, his rally was over.

What made things worse was that Evans’ car was due to be freighted to New Zealand for the World Championship event 48 hours later - sadly, that no longer looked likely to bappen.

Silverstone Challenge dri ver Slot also rolled on the final stage - a one and a half with pike! - but he managed to finish the stage and take his second victory of the weekend.

The championship now moves to the final round in Melbourne at the end of August and virtually all cate gories are still up for grabs if nothing else, it will make for exciting rallying.

Results Heat 2 1. P. Bourne/C. Vincent Subaru Impreza WRX 46m04s 2. E. Ordynski/F. Gocentas Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 47.16 3. M. GuestWI. Stacey Gp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 48.32 4. G. Wise/R. Beekman Mitsubishi Lancer*RS-E 50.34 5. G. Alexander/D. Stewart Mitsubishi Lancer RS-E 50.55 6. D. WeshT. Best Gp N Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 2 51.18 7. A. Murfett/F. Jackson Nissan Pulsar GTiR 51.22 8. G. Graham/G. Macneall Gp N Subaru Impreza WRX 51.44 9. W. TuckethS. Percival Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 52.11 10. B. Middletonffi. Long F2 Honda Civic VTi-R 52.36 1.

2.

3.

ARC Pointseore P. Bourne 120 118 E. Ordynski N. Bates 110

I

53

18July 1997

Barclay, DeBoo star at Winton Report by PHIL BRANAGAN Photos by NEIL HAMMOND SPORTS Sedan driver Bruce DeBoo and Formula Vee’s Leigh Barclay came away with most of the grins at the third round of the Champion of Winton series.

The two took three wins each on the day while the Haley brothers, Neville and Steve, had a great day in the three HQ Holden events.

Shawn Press actually took out the first HQ bash of the morning, just getting home after a great scrap with Neville and Steve, with Anthony Edwards fourth.

Haley N had to work hard in the eight lapper, setting Press up around the outside of Yokohama to take the line at

the Motorsport News Esses 800m later. Edwards took sec ond on the last lap when Press went off, allowing Shane Fifield up to third.

In the reverse grid race Neville and Steve stormed through the field after a restart, which was caused by a four car pile-up when Brett Opie spun at Penrite on lap one.

Carl McHenry was well back in third from John Davis.

Perennial fast man Steve Newing dominated the 2-htre Sports Sedans. After Philip Pettigrew started from the rear after fuel pump problems in qualifying Newing took the first race after hauling past Anthony Koch’s Nissan at Yokohama, with Trevor McGuiness (Escort) following

sruo PARK PANELS IS THAT MICK DOOHAN?... Trevor McGuiness’ Repsol Escort(above) is under attack from Steve Newing. At right, James Manderson gets it wrong at turn one, ieaving David Rosengrave nowhere to go in his Scorpion. through to second.

McGuiness led race two until Newing threw his Datsun 1200 around the outside at Yoke, while Pettigrew came through from fourth for second.

In the reverse grid Newing made it through from the back easily to beat Rupert Rodrigues (Datsun) and Pettigrew, with Stewart Hall’s Datsun third.

Barclay’s first win was a great drive, spearing past H QUEUE...

Shawn Press led early but the Haleys had most of the fun at Winton.

Ray Colenso (Sabre) at the Motorsport News Esses on the last lap. Craig Hendrick (Kingfischer) was third., Barclay and Colenso fought hard utntil the latter spun on a kerb and fell to fifth. Hendrick took second ahead of Mark Robbins and Bill England.

Barclay, Colenso and Robbins staged the race of the day in the reverse grid. the three running down leader Anthony Nethercote and staging an almost-blanket finish.

The Sports Sedans, Group Cs, Marques and Club cars ran together and DeBoo only came through after a great dice between Gary Edwards’ MG Midget and Michael Wefet’s Commodore. West spun back to third on lap three and DeBoo was through a lap later.

The eight lapper was a DeBoo slaughter. He won by almost 10s from West, who consolidated second after a great scrap with Edwards.

DeBoo hammered the field for his third win in the reverse grid, though Edwards and John Mcllroy (Ford Laser) put on a titanic

l

battle for the podium places.

Damien Digby had pole for the first Formula Ford/Libre race and charged to a handy win from G;reg Hunter’s F2 Elfin, while Peter George (Lola FF)was third.

In the main race Hunter

and Digby swapped the lead until power told and Hunter took a strong win. Peter Rees’ F2 Cheetah was third.

Hunter swamped the field in the third race, with Rees making it an F2 1-2. Geoi^e was third ahead of Michael Shead’s RF86 Van Diemen.

FOUR WHEEL DRIVE ... but it’s dry. Jim Richards took his Targa Tasmania-winning 911 Turbo for a gallop. Here he leads Walter Epple at Wanneroo.

Jim heads west

by DIRK KLYNSMITH

WALTER Epple in the Porsche 911 RS withheld a charging Jim Richards in the 911 Turbo Porsche to win the rain shortened scratch race on Sunday.

With the event due to be two 5 lap events run straight after each other the second was a lap old when the weath-

er absolutely chucked it down by the bucketful.

The first race on Saturday saw Richards hold off Epple by a single tenth of a second while Chris Singleton brought home the newer and more powerful RSR home in third, Sunday’s racing would see the top five remain the same however John Saunders,

Porsche 911 and Kevin Clifton also in a 911 took positions six and seven while the first Westfield of Minshall took eighth.

The big disappointment for the crowd was the Ford Falcon Coupe of Ward which DNFd having completed only the first 5 laps and not sounding at all like a big banger of days gone by!

irs WET!... Greg Toepfer’s EH leads Alan Heath and Bob Tweedie away from the grid.

Histories shine in gloom

LIKE their younger brethren the Historic Touring cars turned on some sensational racing with the Mustang of Alan Heath claiming the first race while the EH Gregory Toepfer took Sunday’s 12 lap splash and dash.

Saturday’s racing was tailor-made for the big Mustangs and Chevy Nova of Rob Perrozzi as they were able to use their collec tive might to power away from the field. With Heath claiming the victoiy and a fastest lap of Imll.lSs it was some five seconds before Neville Lance saw the chequer and then it

was the Holden EH of Toepfer in third.

Rob Tweedie making an appearance in the Falcon Rallye Sprint Bill Meeke finished sixth after quahfying third on Friday.

The second race was held in the rain and while Toepfer won it easily from Colin Wilkinson in a Chev Belair third placed Phillip Morris in an EH had it all to do to hold off a rampant Graham Russell in a 1963 Cooper S and, given one more lap, would not have been able to defend his position so good was the Cooper’s speed!

- DIRK KLYNSMITH

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Mallala SATCC continued from page 27 again stretched and closed the gaps depending on the lap but were covered by never more than a second, closed in but to no avail.

Not that they weren’t tr)fing. Ingall two wheeled spectacularly over the Scotcher kerbs on lap 11 and threw everything at Bowe. ‘Two races in a row he’s tapped me from behind,” said JB later, shaking his head. “I can run close to Gleim without touching him. I don’t know...”

Fm-ther back, the same. Richards got past Johnson on lap two and eased away to start a huge battle with Jones which lasted most of the race . Late in the race he latched onto the back of Ingall but, as he had with Johnson and Jones in the first race, nothing changed.

Just like race one, the mover was Brock. He took three laps to get by the impressive Poole before closing on Johnson ahead and, over the final laps the two legends of the spoil went at it over eighth. There was no change in position between the two and, on the slow-down lap, the pair exchanged waves after a fierce fight.

Except that it became seventh. Jones was in the position but, with two laps left his engine dropped oil pressure and he shut it down.

That would be that. On lap thi-ee Larkham had, similarly, blown an engine and retired.

The crew were already hai’d at work changing it and that left AJ with no opportunity to do likewise. While the crew suspected a faulty lot of pistons (they were not from the their usual supplier) Jones would not start race three.

Poole and Faulkner staged a great battle, the local fighting off and then easing away from the similar Bridgestone-shod car, while the strong Longhurst was closing on the battle over the final laps but finished 11th. '

Race 3 (17 laps)

After the result of race two Ingall was now 12

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points behind in the championship. If ever he needed a ballistic start it was right now.

And he got one. But ahead, two Falcons con verged as if by magnetism and there was no room for another car. He lifted and settled into position.

But ahead, his employer made a peach. “I thought I made a good start,” said Murphy later, “but Larry just went bbbrrrr...”

Which means he took off like Graeme Cowin.

He made it across to lead. Murphy but, behind, there were cars spinning. ' Johnson had Ingall outside him in the left hander and, as the cars tinned, the Commodore came across Johnson’s bow, contacted, spun and restarted last.

“Just trying to help his team-mate, I sup pose,” said Ingall later without rancour. “I didn’t move (my line),” said Johnson.

Also involved was, amazingly. Brock. After a lap he was long last, again, with a split splitter.

Again, the chase was on.

Not so for Perkins. Murphy stayed close, ahead of Bowe, Seton, Richards (who emerged from the chaos fifth, and looking like he was set on staying there) and Johnson. Poole followed ahead of Longhurst, Finnigan, White, Larkham, Skaife (what a start), Faulkner, Smei'don, Osborne, Ingall, Brewer and Brock.

Murphy was throwing everything at the leader. He fired sortie after sortie at Perkins, especially around the outside of Bridgestone on lap 13 but Larry never flinched. He tried again on the final lap, as did Seton on Bowe, but Lany held on for a narrow 0.5s win.

The Bowe/Seton battle continued to rage, Glenn much happier with his set-up changes made between races but unable to find a gap, settiing for a championship-minded fourth.

Longhurst was on the charge, closing onto the rear of Johnson and stealing past at Goodyear on lap eight. He pulled two lengths at once but wasn’t able to get any further away from his fellow Queenslander.

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Behind, Skaife came through the privateers quickly, though once he got into eighth he was not able to pull away from the impressive Poole.

Faulkner and White followed, John getting past after a battle. They both received a jolt when the fired-up Ingall blasted by both of them on lap nine. He was five seconds behind Poole and closed but the Scotts car had plenty of car speed and held on by that margin.

11

It was an impressive day’s racing by the lead ers but sometimes the price you pay for having so many cars with so little between them is that overtaWng can be rare - unless drivers start making mistakes.

On this day, not too many drivers made mistakes.

If you want a good vantage point at Oran Park’s final round, though, you’d better stake it out, and do it pretty soon.

a

...

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A FISHER AND A LION ... Faulkner ran a little further back than he would have wished while debutant Stephen White kept the nose of the Young Lions car clean in all three races.

WJulym 5o

Sedans

Commodore VL turbo, 1988, 5 speed, 35,000kms, Brock kit, 16" wheels, 300hp engine, Cobra sports seats, Momo wheel, Bilstein lowered suspension, Jan 98 rego, immaculate and quick. AVL-30T plates. $16,000. Ph: 046 596 470 or 0412 364 217. loe *Si

Nissan GTR (Godzilla) - Damaged. 4WS, 4WS, twin turbo, ABS, Nismo computer, 10-stacker CD, engine great, new Falken tyres. Super quick car with some body work.

Reg 12/97. Repair only $35,000. Ph: 0412 337 227. 106

LJ Torana Sports Sedan, fresh motor and gearbox, four spot front brakes, foam-filled fuel tank, Detroit locker, adjustable rear suspension, full set of wets on rims. 57.28 at Amaroo. $5,900 ono. Ph: 0417 251 601 or 03 28 5144. .oe

19

Gemini TE 1982, 5spd, fully rebuilt atxi balanced 1600. only 300km since rebuild. $1,200. Ph: 019 420 751. Holden 202 red, complete, travelled 20,000kms, with papers, includes new radiator, transmission, Genie extrac tors, tailshatt and difl. $900 Ph:03 9359 4932. l -

Steve Ellery’s 1997 Konica EL Falcon V8 Supercar, this is a current specification Level One car and has been maintained to the highest levels, possible. The car comes with a Barry Seton Racing prepared V8 engine, a Pi System 2+2 Data Logger and a host of other features. This is the car that came 3rd outright at the Bathurst 1000 in 1996 and is available for immediate delivery and can be prepared for Sandown and Bathurst if required. Call Bruce Ellery. Ph: 0418«49 595. loe

Celica G¥4 Group A, build no 78, one owner (50th B/Day gift), 65,000km, meticulousley maintained. fuHy pre pared for Targa 98, Gold in 97, comfortable daily trans port, air oond, alarm or s(jper fast road race car. Cheapest way to top 10 Targa finish. $46,000. Ph: 07 3266 5455(BH) or 07 3851 0172/AH). .05

(Tk

& Nissan GTR, 1991 Aust. delivery, original Nissan specs, full service history, no competition use. Metallic dark red/grey interior, Zenon alarm, immobiliser. $59,990. Ph: 03 9793 5588 bh or 03 9775 7515 ah. .oe

MK1 Cortina Sports Sedan, rolling shell. Can fit any motor mid-mounted. Fibreglass bonnet, guards and boot, with moulds. Hilux diff and adjustable suspension. 13x10 and 14x10 wheels. $1,200. Ph: 043 69 5503. loe

Ford Galaxie 1964, fully restored 351c, modified Koni shocks, alloy fuel tank etc. Make your Group N team com plete with this ideal tow car. $16,500ono. Call Garnet Luckins. Ph: 03 9592 0198 or 0419 366 615. .05

Mazda MX5 turbo, stage 2, fully adjust, suspension, upgraded brakes, hardtop, full instrumentation, headrest speakers. Reg 5/98. Sprinted 1.53m - Island, 2nd Tour D'Adelaide, 19th outright Targa Tasmania, 4th Three Peaks. Fantastic condition. Ph: 0412 337 227. .oe

Commodore VC V8 Hatly Car, worked 308. tricked Turbo 400, Ford 9" LSD, disc brake rear end. Marsh racing seats, 12 point steel cage. 20 road and rally tyres, log book, reg, RWC.$10,000. Ph:03 9434 5849. .os

»tu>Ka Brock Commodore 1983, VH SL/E, Australian Dealer Pack, build no 851, 1 or 12 built with Group 3 engine, auto matic trans. 90 litre tank, original car inci log books.

Uniroyal spare, white in colour. $17,000. Call Norm. Ph: 07 3281 1372(AH) or 0417 729 493(mobile). .05

NASCAR, Pontiac. Complete with spares $22,000. Pit gear $4,000. Road course set-up including Jerioo $4,000.

Scales $2,500. Or $28,000 the lot. Urgent sale - new car coming. Ph: 03 9800 3>11. .oe AUSCAR VS complete rolling less engine. Yellow light, fire bomb, fuel cell, churn, harness, complete instrument panel, turbo brakes, M21 gearbox. Needs engine and minor assembly. Assistance given to new owner. $15,000 ono or $18,000 with Iri-axle trailer. Ph: 018 176 420 all hours. .06 Sierra 4X4 Cosworth Sapphire, four door, Recaros, adjustable turbo, 300-fbhp, 4 inch stainless exhaust, RS500 motor, immaculate cond. Consider trade, cheaper car. $32,000. Ph: 0755 373 183 or 0411 749 308. .oe 2 HQ Race Cars - One new Gene Cook motor, one used Richard Farnam race motor. Plus two spare motors, 4 Cobra seats and 4 harnesses. Race one and have one spare. $9,500 the lot, negotiable. Will consider split. Ph: 03 9793 5588 or 0418 361 399. .oo Mazda RX3 - 808 Coupe club car. 13B Bridgeport, 51mm Webber, 1st NSW Super Sprints 1996, 2nd NSW Hillclimb 1996. Very quick car, must sell. $3,900. Ph: 018 493 102. .06

Commodore VB/C rolling body. Complete suspension, dift and steering. Suit Mod Prod. Good clean body, $400.

Ph: 03 9715 1189. .06

Commodore NASCAR, complete car with high comp motor, spare springs, wheels, tyres, new paint and panels. $14,000. Ph: 0755 787 870 or 07 55 949 732. 106

Mustang Mach-1 1969, Absolutely immaculate, fully restored inside and out, 351 manual Magnum 50C Mustang wheels, mature enthusiast changi.ng direction S29,000neg. Serious buyers only. Ph: 03 5968 3059 or 0418 356 357. ,B

Alfa Romeo GTO Turbo, black, immaculate condition, more than $10,000 spent on motor. Comes with rear wing, and sunroof. Ideal for motorsporl. RWC, stunr\ing perfor mance, finance can be arranged $9,500ono. Ph: 03 5348 7592. .05

ML

XD Falcon,. XF panels, 460 C6, 4 link rear clip (not fit ted) with shortened, braced 9" Summer Bros axles, XF rear discs. Billet alloy Dragway Draglites with Matt rubber coil over shocks, XF dash, Fairmont velour seats.

Unfinished project $6,500. Call Jason, 0419 364 361. .oe HQ Race Car, this is the very first HQ racer built. Ex Ian Beechey/Paul Bailey car. Own a very competitive piece of Australian motor racing history. Comes with a substantial spares package if required, $6,000. Call Ian Simpson. Ph: 0418 721 776. .06

Toyota Supra 1988 Turbo, genuine 1991 Bathurst 12 Hour winner, still set up for racing and is road registered.

CAMS log book, very quick car with plenty of extras. Must sell urgently. $19,990ono. Ph: 0414 797 969. ir;

TD Cortina Sports Sodan, space frame, complete less motor, fully adjustable suspension, can fit V8 or 6cyl, full body moulds, comes with spares, freshly painted. $21,000. Ph: 046 596 470 or 018 113 716. .05

simoco Race Winning VR Commodore AUSCAR, Auscraft BWM 001, placed 2nd & 3rd in AUSCAR champs, comes complete with low mileage engine, 380hp with dyno sheets, Sachs leight weight clutch, oil cooler. Super T-10 gearbox with heim jointed Hurst super shifter, rebuilt tailshSft. Harrop front and rear end, Detroit locker. The best car available. Too many items to list. Car race ready $50,000.

Call Bruce Williams. Ph:03 5335 8788 or 0418 349 555, :●

continued over page

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CATEGORY; Cars; □ Speedway □ Drag □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers General; □ Parts □ Engines □ Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other

5S Toy-ota Corolla Club Car, worked motor, roll cage, race seait, harness, sell S2,500ono with spares. Ph: 02 9897 16117, IK HQ' Racer, too many spares to list, ready to race, assistancegiven to new owner. $8,000. Call Carl Trofa. Ph: G4T1 889 975 or 02 9674 493. i«

Rochdale Olympic 1962, all fibreglass chassis and body, twin cam engine, five speed gearbox, WA reg, would suit Historic and Targa, genuine and reluctant sale. $10,750. Ph:08 953 2511. KM

Modified Production TE Cortina, 250 XFlow methanol engine, 4 speed, fully adjustable suspension, 15" wheelsj/ery competitive car, ready to race. $POA. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419 388 192. los

Kart Arrow AXS, competitive chassis for clubman light/heavy, brand new engine, just run in. 30mm three bearing axle, comes with suit and spares $2,400. Cali John. Ph: 03 9807 6040. los

NASCAR Commodore Complete, high comp motor, spare wheels, tyres, springs, panels, ideal first oar for the new season, new paint and panels. Good looking car at the right price. Would trade tor road car or sell $18,000.

Ph: 07 5578 7870. IM

GoKart Dap Parilia, late 95 model, KTIOOs Yamaha engine, just rebuilt, new Bridgestones, hydraulic brakes, lots of spares, stand, ready to race, immac cond, must sell $1,950. Call Travis, Ph:035625 2811. t05

VR Commodore Shell, converted from Perkins built VP Group A to VR Group A specifications. Excellent condition.

Ph: 0362 641 320 or 0412 120 720, los

WRi CoomiEnodore AUSCAR, Auscraft BWM 002, As raced by Bruce Williams and Kevin Schwantz in 96/97 sea son:, complete with new 330hp engine fully rebuilt by Rob Benson in Jan 97, done dyne time and 100 Calder only, all the- best bits inol HM exhaust and mega muffler, Sachs leigrhlweight clutch. Super T-10 gearbox, etc. This car has the potential to be a race winner and is in excellent cond.

To many items to list. Car race ready $45,000. Call Bruce Williiams., Ph: 035335 8783 or 0418 349 555. km NASCAR Chev, ready io race, runs low 29's, front steer, 9.5::1 Gene Cook engine. 16 spare wheels and tyres, fuel churns and more. $28,500neg. Ph: 03 9790 1268 or 017 862 B40:{fnobile). m

GoKart, Kali Daytona, 40mnn axle, 30rmr) chassis with PCR PV100, Piston Port or Clubman. Immaculate condroon with some spares, will seperate. $1,950. Cali Peter. Ri 077 745 980(AH)or 077 794 377(BH).

A Modified, production VK Commodore, new methanol 202 roller engine, 3 meetings old, p/steer and quick steer, all gear sets, Bilstein susp, fully adjustable, ready to race. $8,500. Call Neil Watson. Ph:03 5382 5940(AH). m 'd'.

ROM Commodore Cup Car, Sports Sedan or Club Car. New H/D gearbox, fresh engine. Trump set-up and running gear. Can be purchased with or without engine(s).

Very competitive car. $26,500ono. Ph: 08 8382 7755 or 018 821 206. KM

'M .

Sprintcar 1992 Grizzly, complete roller less engine only, KSE steering, Halibrand diff. Spline wheels, spare arms, bars, nerfs. Winner 2 Hoosier Series and Premier pointscore. Must SeltSIO.OOOono. Call Phil. Ph: 03 5561 4196(AH) or 015 041 637(mobile). KM

Van Diemen RF96, This is the car that won the 1996 Australian Formula Ford Championship, Immaculate condi tion, no expense spared in maintaining. Will be sold imme diately as either a complete package or aa"a rolling chas sis. All data is included. Engine is the ex Besnard Championship winning Lamer engine, fully rebuilt, dynoed.

No Miles. Everything must go now! Call Ian Simpson. Ph: 0418 721 776 or Michael Simpson 0418 769 896. i:e

'^uper Sedan Commodore, quick change dill, coil overs, ready to race, will sell complete or a roller. $POA. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419 388 192. ik

Hirssan GTS Skyline, fully imported coupe, 5sp manu al, 57,OOOkm, RB20 intercooled turbo, good original car, red with grey/black trim, 516,000. Ph: 02 9545 1355(BH) or 02 9523 9987{AH). w

Mazda RX2 Club Car, Just strap in and race, log book, fresh Mildren 13BBP, Needham box, Volvo brakes, recent ly re-shelled, full cage, harness and seat. Very reliable.

Call Darrin Field. $9,000. Ph: 0417 804 537. km

BIMIW 63SCSI Group A, genuine factory car with facto ry chassis plate E24R.A1/22. Ex Frank Sytner UK, original condition with spare wheels, Alpina motor, plus lots of other spares. AustS75,000. Ph: NZ 64-9-274 8646 or 025 408456.iM NASCAR Commodore, True Value No 9, complete car with all spares and pit equipment, fresh paint and running gear. Selling less engine $25,000. Engine and transporter availab le also. Ph: 03 5966 9532 or 0419 539 320.

Sports Sedan, Torana LJ XU-1, adj boost turbo, Harrop brakes., adj bias, 16" Simmons, big HP motor, completely mechanically refurbished at a cost of $15,000. Will trade lor road car. Call Dave. Ph: 03 9687 4653 or 015 312 918.

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Holden Commodore VC, modified produclion, fast reliable Walker race engine, methanol, winner of many fea tures, ready to race. Must sell to make way for new car. $5,500ono. Ph: 02 9623 1427 or 018 201 758. i«

P

Sprintcar kit, highbar, limited use with all panels, bon net, fuel tank, baldder, arms, stops, 2 top wings and brand new high back aluminium seat. Clean unit and a bafgin at $3,000. Ph: 08 8269 2928 or 08 8251 3096. ik Sprintcar, 1992 Toggnotti hi-bar less engine. KSE steer ing, Winters diff, splined wheels, new paint. $10,000. Ph: 06 297 2818, 06 297 4445 or 018 630 408. 106 Super Sedan chassis and body kit, Q99, comes with front suspension and steering, includes 3 front wheels and tyres. Pontiac Firebird body kit, all tin work and radiator. $1,500. Ph: 07 3800 6101 (BH), 07 3200 0652(AH). 106 Fontana Engine, latest CNC angle plug head, pumps, oil tank, plumbing, fresh ready to race. Many spares too numerous to mention. $POA. Call John Brett. Ph: 042 674 356(AH) or 0414 674 356(mobile) or Glenn Cox 046 262 329(AH). IB

1^0^

Falcan XE Spo-rts Sedan, 351 Cleveland, NASCAR 4 boll main block, steel crank and rods, roller cam, ADI Webers, dry sump system, 520hp, heaps of spares. Ready to-race.$POA. Ph:02 9905 5814(BH). io4

104

Rodeck 372ci Sprintcar engine, fresh built 650hp, clean skin block, Crower knife edge crank, Carrillo rods, Ross pistons. Brown heads, roller valve train, gear drive, Hilborn injection, dry sump. Vertex mag, complete frorrj radiator to fuel pump, incl pipes, ready to drop in. $18,000.

Call John. Ph: 02 943 8806. um

Formula Holden Reynard 910, The very best Formula Holden in the country. If you plan on runn ng in the Australian Drivers Championship in 1998 then nov/ is the time^to act, and you v/on’t find a better car on the mar ket or a better bargain. If you are a collector this car is well worth owning as it is immaculate in every regard. Urgent Sale. $75,000. Serious enquiries to Adam Kaplan. Ph: 0418 461 811. los

Super Rod, M+J chassis, diahatsu body, 327 Chev, Halibrand quickchange, FBI bladder tank, knock-on front end, front running car. Will sell complete or as roller. Call Jeff. Ph: 03 5593 1052 or 03 5593 3409(AH). m

Formula Holden, Reynard 89D, uprated to 90D. Huge spares package, rebuilt motor, excellent condition. Lease, or own it tor $48,500. Ph: Mark Potter 0417 353 642 or Greg 03 9762 6232 or 0414 857 241. ,k

9

1404161. KM

Speedcar Beast 94, complete car less engine, ready for new season. Large range of spares incl wheels, shocks and tyres. All must go. Call Warren. Ph: 02 9636 8872(AH).

Open Wheelers

* Coneette, 87 359TPI, 4 spd auto, ABS, climate control, AG,PS,elec seat, windows and mirrors, LSD, cruise con trol, RHD, immac cond. $37,000. Ph: 03 6431 4675 or 018

311 873.106

Speedcar, one season old. Stealth Gaerle, all latest . 104 1995 Vauxhall Cavalier Super Tourer, Ex Ray ! equipment. Call Graham Jones. Ph: 089 454 7659 i Mallock BTCC "WORKS" car driven recently by Russell Ingall. Potential winner. $135,000 Duties paid (less on re import). Bruce Partington. Pfil 02 9482 2470. 104

Speedway

Morris Mini, dual engine 4wd, Hillclimb Special, many Cooper “S" parts, engine, brakes etc. Class^/winner Collingrove Hillclimb, $4,500ono or with dual axle enclosed trailer, $5,700, Call Geoff. Ph: 08 8263 8425(AH).

Van Diemen RF90, Available complete or as rolling chassis, huge spares package Including FULL car set of wishbones, pushrods, track rods, etc. 2 nose boxes (one new), top body, one full set of wheels, var size new rose joints etc. Many 91 and 92 updates. Car is available as a complete package or as rolling chassis. Must be sold nowl Call Ian Simpson 0418 721 776 or Michael Simpson 0418

4'

Ex Greg Murphy Formula Holden Reynard 92D, Simoco Pacific Pty Ltd offers for sale this race winning Reynard, Chassis #023. Comes as raced in 1997 Championship season. 4th AGP, 3rd Calder. Fresh engine, Penske shocks, fire bomb, fully o'hauled calipers.

Complete ready to race with spares available. Priced to sell at $75,000ono. Call Bruce Williams. Ph: 03 5335 8788 or 0418 349 555. km Swift SC92F Formula Ford, ex John Blanchard 2txi DTE, excellent condition, just been rebuilt, includes 10/31 diff, spare wishbones, uprights, nose cone, list goes on.

Rolling Chassis $17,000ono. Call Luke. Ph: 03 578 1211.

Complete Limited Sprintcar, with spares incl Wheels, Tyres, Shocks, Rods, Bars etc. Methanol 202 Holden engine, or sell as roller with spares. Must sell $10,000. Call Brian. Ph: 07 5493 3250 or 0412 714 757. ™

KM

Formula Vee, complete ready to race, current log book, 5.5" chrome wheels, new tyres. 2 meetings old, numerous engine parts, fully enclosed trailer. $5,500ono. Ph:029899 8264 or 015 957 576. km Formula Vee NG Elfin, 1994 NSW State Champion, Elliott Bond motor, very fast car. too much to list.

SlO.SOOono. Ph:03 9598 7558 Fax: 03 9521 0999. km

Anstiiii Healey BN:2, Interesting Australian racing histo ry, L_e Mans spec engine, chrome wire wheels, good everyday useable Healey, in private collection for over 25 yearrs. 527,000. Ph: 039781 4927. km

Fontana Midget engine, used by NSW 25, motor has been rebuilt for Aust title race, many new parts and track records. Also Stealth roller as run in Aust title. $POA. Ph: 02 9899 2676. km

NOTA CLUBMAN, Group M log book, ex Jacques Sapir, Ron Davies etc. Recent front to rear rebuild. Ford engine, Holinger gearbox, BMC rear end, new Dunlop Rs, new custom trailer, huge amount of spares incl 8 dills, engine blocks etc. Well known car with excellent competi tion history. Nothing to spend. Genuine and reluctant forced sale. $21,950 with everything. Contact Len Shaw on 03 9787 0856. lor

Halt RT4, ex Menage show car. Laffite AGP car, very lit tle use, totally original. Excellent cond, eligible 1998 Histories, spares and ratios included. $50,000 complete.

Ph:03 9521 0888 Fax: 03 9521 0999. .m Spectrum 05C, complete ex Bargwanna oar. main tained by Borland Racing, Dorian included. $30,000.

Contact Paul Kell. Ph: 0411 199 781 or Michael Borland 03 9580 5236.,k

Tell'em you saw it in Motorsport l^ws

DU(o.

W July 199/

T)G>

Drag Racing

Jessel Shaft Rockers, 1.6/1.55 offset intake to suit 18deg Chev, complete. Ph: 0412 120 720. 106

Brake calipers - 2, 4, 6, 8 piston, new/used, large range, spares/pads available. Priced to sell. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

New Commodore full floating diff, 3.08LSD $2,000. Ph: 03 9805 8256(BH)or 03 9803 2608(AH). 105

Oil coolers - Earls, Setrab, Serck, 7-60 row, used/new, large range. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

Getrag, direct fifth gear “box" from BMW 325i, dog leg first gear position. $2,500. Ph: 014 803 859. 105

Clutches - twin/triple/four plate, 7.25/5.5 sintered/carbon fibre. Spare covers, rings, plates. Used, new. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

Porsche Wheels, 17” Cup, brand new set of four, suit able for all 928's etc. $2,500. Ph: 014 803 859. .05

Brake discs-7" to 14” new/recon/used, vented/solid, drilled, undrilled, steel/carbon/aluminium. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

Pedals - brake/clulch, hanging/floor-mount, incl bias bar.

Also, master cylinders, pop valves, bias cables. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

Radiators - aluminium/brass, 1, 2, 3. 4 core, new/used, various sizes large range. Priced to sell. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

6.01 Chev Parts, all brand new. crank BRC 3 9/16 stroke, 1 set 6” Manley rods, 1 set Cosworth pistons, 4.020" bore + tapered chrome molloy pins. 1 set 4 bolt main caps, above to be sold as job lot to suit 6.01 Sports Sedan motor etc. $2,900. Also 1 set Iskey roller rockers, new and in box $280. Call Geoff. Ph: 07 3252 4397(BH) or 07 3857 2761(AH). 10s

Hartill-Law Racing Ford Capri, 302W C4, turn key.

Good Super Street car. New paint. Must sell, with spares. $9,500. Ph:02 9601 7573 or 018 040 434. .05

V\N Sunraysias, 5 stud, 2 x 13", 2 x 14” with new tyres, complete set. $295. Ph: 019 600 359. loc Lotus Elan -r2S/130 parts new and used incl. new Lotus chassis. Call for price list. Ph: 08 8263 2939. los Tyres, wets and intermediates, 18", new and used from $200 to $300 ea. Ph:02 9774 1711 BH. 106 Mazda-MX5, standard parts including exhaust, front/rear shocks, springs, front brake rotors and calipers, radiator, clutch. Ph: 0412 337 227. loe Dunlop D98W tyres, 4 of, 205x15x50, 70% life remaining.

Were $1,100 new, only $600. Ph: 0412 337 227. los Wheels, 15x10 composites, Simmons rims, Mawer cen tres, suit Holden or Torana. With valves and nuts. Centres powder-coated, red rims, highly polished, four-of, new. $840 ono. Ph: 03 9801 8504.- loe -Simmons B45 Ford wheels, 5 stud, polished, 2 x 16x7, 2 X 16x8. Ph: 03 9793 5588 or 0418 361 399. loe Porsche 934 fibreglass body kit. $1,500 ono. Also, 3.8 C2RSR fibreglass body kit, brand new $3,800. 993 body shell, brand new. RHD, with GT2 fibreglass body kit $37,000. Ph: 03 5988 6266. loe AP four spot calipers (ex Nissan GTR racing calipers).

One pair in excellent condition, also brand new brake pads-to suit. $900. Ph: George 03 9478 0121 (AH). 106 Nissan R200 gear ratios, new and s/hand. $350 to $700.

Phone 03 5988 6266. k»

AP Calipers, 4 spot radial mount, ex Group A front, recond with new seals and either alum ot titanium pistons, suit 12.5" to 14" discs, $1,550pr. New 4 spot lug mount, 31.5mm titanium pistons, suit 10.5" to 12.5" discs, suit Club Car front or Sports Sedan rear, $1,150pr. Call Geoff.

Ph: 073252 4397(BH)or 07 3857 2761(AH). los

Osuiu SBR, 6cyl, 5spd diesel, 5.5m long inside, 300L fuel tamk, 1400km range, 5m aluminium ramps, 60001b Warn winch, inside cupboards, new tyres, new interior, very reliable, clean and tidy. $12,500. Call Mark. Ph: 08 8326 5775. m

New Dunlop D28J 205/60/15 tyres on 15" Minilite wheels to suit RX7 $1,350. Ph:03 9354 3050. 105

Porsche race engine, 3.5 litre, 330hp, 11.5:1 Cosworth pistons, lightweight pins, Carillo rods, titanium retainers.

Twin plug heads - ported, TKM manifolds. Twin head dis tributor. Racing tensioners. $15,000. Ph:03 5988 6266. 106 Carillo rods V6 Buick. 6.5” length. Holman Moody remote oil filter adaptor. Sierra engine parts. Ported flow tested Jaguar D-Type head. 351C crankshaft. Ph: 04 324 3526. 105

Ford 351C, 4|V1AB crank with top loader and box-mount Brand New parts for sale. Chev 454 LS-7 short motor ed shifter. Hafe run 13s in XY Falcon. Needs freshen. $4,600, Dart aluminium heads. Dart single plain manifold, $2,000. Ph: Jason 0419 364 361. 106 Holley 1050 Dominator, Fluiddamper 8” externally bal anced, MSD billet distributor plus many more items all ' Holden 253, new rebuild, suit Sportsman or Commodore Cup, professionally built, top HP. $4,200. Ph: 03 9805 brand new and in boxes. For a full list and prices call Paul.

8256(BH)or 03 9803 2608(AH). 105 Ph: 03 9872 4992 or 015 886 460(mobile). los " .

Chev Pistons, 14:1 comp, plus 30 thou. Set titanium valves, inlet & exhaust valve springs and Holley Carby. Ph: 03 9790'1268 or 017 862 840(mobile). 104 Airflow 220 alioy heads, Ferrera s/steel valves. Crane Tool steel springs. Crane rockers $3,000. Hilborne 2 3/16" injection $1,600. Crane roller camshaft 260 262 $250ea.

Ph: 08'8263 7719 or 015 794 697{mobile). iw Suzuki. GTi Parts, set of Koni front & rear struts, shocks n & springs, 4 x 14x5 Enkie 7 spoke mags, new b'ond roll cage, new Sparco seat and fittings. Superchip computer, exhaust system, 2 x sets of brake pads, gearbox with locked diff. Call Mai Hart. Ph: 07 3269 4134 or 07 5496 7848(AH). iw Brodix Chev Heads, complete with valves, springs, 10, Victor Jnr manifold to suit. $2,000ono. Geelong. Ph: 03 5241 4224 or 0412 599 103. im 327 large journal steel crank $500. 4 stage dry sump pump $500. Fisher harmonic balancer SB Chev $200.

Moroso electric water pump $250. Goodyear slicks 33x14.5, 3 runs old $400. Ph: 03 9310 1.653(BH). km Sell Crane Billet roller rockers with stud girdle, near new $650. Victor Jnr manifold, ported with 1" spacer $300.

Crane variable ratio roller rockers with new posi-locks $350. Lunati roller cam done 4 meetings only, rev range 4000-7200rpm with Esky roller lifters rev kit & push rods $850. Second Lunati roller cam, rev range 3800r7600rpm with Crower roller lifters rev kit & push rods, 12'''meetings -old $850. Ph:045 725 949. 104

Speedcar Engine SCAT V4, this engine is complete and was new tor Aust titles at Newcastle 1997, includes exhaust, pumps, lines, Kinser injection, magneto etc, as pulled out of race car. Many spares come with engine including a block and 2 x complete Brodix #12 cylinder heads plus a host of other parts. $28,000 or will swap, trade etc. Call Neville Lance for full details. Ph: 08 9458 2239(BH) or 08 9454 4935(AH)or 018 944 070(mobile). 105 Suzuki GSXR 1200cc, Cowsorth pistons 13.5:1, Corello rods, headwork, new clutch, engine done three meetings since rebuild, current Australian title holder. Ph: 060 405 936{AH)or 060 413 175(BH). 10s Holden 202 Turbo, Carrillo rods, Venulia pistons, O'ringed block, B-rM. harmonic balancer, copper head gasket, roller rockers, Mahnkens inlet and exhaust, T04 turbo, twin CD carbs, all parts new. $5,500. Ph: 03 9357 3811 or 0412 301 407. los Datsun L28, freshly rebuilt with mild head, cam work, done just 2,000km. Perfect for 240/260Z or 240K race/rally or street car. $1,200 plus 4 x rareSOOZX 15” mags. $400.

Ph:02 9716 8717. 105 Mazda 13B, peripheral port factory race engine, F.R. housing, rotors, seals, gears, crank etc. No guessing about specification output, reliable, very good cond $4,500. Ph:03 9354 3050. ns 202'Holden, fully rebuilt, balanced, blueprinted, fully worked head, roller rockers, Hi-Energy sump, McGee injection (wili sell with or without). $POA. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419 388 192. 105

Ford Aluminium Cylinder. Heads, fully worked by Fontana in USA, never used, brand new and complete.

Just bolt on. $POA. Doug Nash 5 speed box, straight cut gears, close ratio with shifter. Never used. $POA. Ph: 02 9905 5814. m r

t

FIDO, 1982 model,-,LWB, canopy, auto, a/c, p/steer, dual fuel, 351 Cleveland, Sunrasia wheels, Pioneer stereo, Hayman Reece towbar, Reg & RWC. Truck is in VGC, $15,000ono. Ph: 03 9532 3550(BH)or 03 9799 1464(AH), iw Toyota Dyna 2 ton Pantech, set up for Compact of Litre, generator, winch, aluminium ramps, wheel rack, bench, vice, tool board, lights. $5,000ono. Ph: 06 291 7793 or 019 442 712. im Large Car Trailer, fully enclosed, tandem sprung axles, 20x8x8, 4 lockable tool boxes, elec brakes with bat tery back-up, rated GVM 4000kg, stainless trim, 12' v/ide awning, side door, wired for 240V, fully undersealed, as new. $8,500. Ph: 07 55937133 or 07 5526 8288{AH)..k

Autosport Magazines, hundreds of issues including 1991-94 comptete. $150. Ph: 02 9417 4558. 1Q5 Big Collection of-Minichamps, Quartzo, Onyx 1:43 and 1:18 Formula One models for sale. Also available 1:20 unopened kits. Ph: 02 9905 5693 or Fax: 02 9905 3671 or E-mail: messmod@mpx.com.au. 105 Custom Plates, held at RTA (Vic), BILL.OO, black back ground, white lettering. Best offer. Ph:03 9470 4889 or 019 414 404. 105

Bathurst Programmes 1970 to 1996, good condi tion, I want to trade for posters from Bathurst of Holden before 1984, will not split. Ph: 019 126 463(AH). 105 Car Storage & Workshop Space, Burwood area (Vic), suit race car storage and workshop, 24 hour access, good security. Also available on-site office facilities & mechanical services. Ph: 03 9887 6217 or 018 647- 626. w

Trailers/Transporters 36H fully enclosed gooseneck trailer, tri-axle, full electric brakes, rear ramp and side door access. $8,000.

Ph: 067 75 2120. loe

Motor Racing Books, magazines, n/papers, programs etc. Send self addressed business size envelope to R Krahe c/o Ballarat P.O. for list, iw

Tri-axle trailer, pan, suit Sprintcar, etc. Lights, winch, ramps, rego. $5,000 ono. Ph: 06 297 3651. 106

Magazines, Sports Car World, full set plus SC road tests, SC specials. World's fastest-sports cars, spare mags included from 50's to 80's. $900. Ph:08 95932511.101

Wiseco/Cosworth pistons, var sizes suit 23deg.S/B Chev. Assorted valve springs 1.625, SBC stud girdles, GM soft touch limiter, 0.43 Speed Pro rings, Jerico Ford Motorsport housing #M7005B, lots more, all cheap. Call Mick. Ph:03 9572 4116. m

Alfa, Alfetta close ratio gearbox with 4.3 LSD rebuilt $1,650. Also avail with 4.1 LSD $1,500. 3lt 188hp V6 suit GTV6, 75, 164 excellent $2,950. Will consider offers, can arrange delivery. Ph: 03 9889 1149. 104

Ford FIDO, walk through van, 2 LPG tanks plus petrol 351V8, auto, air cond, p/steering, ideal tow vehicle. Can deliver anywhere. $14,500ono. Ph: 08 8382 7755 or 018 821 206. .0.

Automobile year, 1955,62,71,73,74,79,80. Formula One yearbooks, Bathurst yearbooks, LeMans yearbooks.

Indy yearbooks, Rallycourse 1962-87, World Rallying, Modern Motor 1973-93, FI News 1992-93. Call Steve. Ph: 03 9888 3875(AH). ra

Wantec!

Old Sports Sedan, prefer Holden. Age not important, but must be cheap. Ph:0T5 701 103. me Ronnie Peterson Autograph or any other piece of memorabilia. Call Martin. Ph: 07 3881 2198(BH)or 07 3205

Chev parts, SBC & BBC, complete turbo kit incl T04, manifold, carby. Various roller camshafts, autometer guages, 9" centres, diff gears, Holley carbs, blocks cranks, heads, manifolds, SBC Manley, plus many more items. Ph: 03 9532 3550(BH)or 03 9799 1464(AH). i«

Jaguar Le Mans Sports-Car Group C, front uprights, magnesium, complete with Chrome Molloy spindles and drive pegs, with bearings, $2,950pr. Call Geoff. P^h: 07 3252 4397(BH) or 07 3857 2761(AH). los

ei

962 336. 106

Nissan Skyline GTS1, brand new mag wheels, grille, front spoiler, steering wheel & boss kit, GTS3 rear spoiler.

LX Torana, full chassis, built by Mike Reilly Race Cars, ladder bar rear, Spax coil overs, strut front end, set up for ’ Call Dayle. Ph:03 9753 5250. ns BBC & SBC, Geis centre, new aluminium work/inside, Pit Board, black metal type as supplied by Revolution 15x14 rear, 15x4 front. Car has tun 8.20 @ 172mph, top Racegear, complete with numbers, letters, handle and qualifier at 96/97 nationals. $18,000ono. Ph: 03 9532 carry bag. As. new. $150. Call Frank York. Ph: 03 9870 3550(BH)or 03 9799 1464(AH). i04 6683(AH). 105

Sprintcar parts, front axle, 3-pin style, complete with brakes, $1,200. Radiator, $200. Aluminium shocks, $95ea.

Complete Winters slider with brake, steel axle, $1,995.

Plus more. Ph:08 8269 2928 or 08 8251 3096. m

Uprights - Cast/fabricated, front/rear, new/used, large range. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

Hemi 265. 4 Inch bore, TRW forged Chev pistons, fully balanced, ported and polished head, hot cam, plus heaps more. Very strong engine, suit speedway. $1,700. Ph: 017

AP Four Spot Calipers, ex Nissan GTR racing calipers, one pair in excellent cond, also brand new pads to suit. Must sell $900. Call George. Ph: 03 9478 0121. 105

Parts

i

Wings - ex Gp A Commodore, Porsche Cup. Also alum single/dual plane, suit sports sedan, used/new. Ph: CCi 018 925 767.

Ford, genuine '69 Boss 302. Hilborn injection, 530hp, dyno sheets available. $13,000. Ph: 0411 182 540. 106

Drag Bike, Suzuki GS 1025cc, Yoshi cams, big value sports head, lots of Dyna gear. Spare engine and all spares. Urgent forced sale. $5,000. Ph: 07 5577 5753. 105

I

Ford F350, 1977, 351 man, new engine, long (ego, bucket seats, new white paint, twin gas tanks, side boxes, tyre racks, ramps, fits super sedan, goes well, no rust, SlO.OOOono. Ph: 02 9623 1427. iw

Spoilers - ex Gp A front VP, Vr, carbon fibre/fibreglass.

Must clear. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

Engines

Crew wanted. High profile drag racing team. Long hours, no creature comforts, no benefits, definitely no pay.

But lots of fun. Would suit someone already in motor indus try. Ph: 019 941 434. ,06 ,

Pontiac 1971, half chassis, ladder bar rear, 9" diff, 15x15 Weld wheels, full roll cage, fuel system, fibreglass doors, bonnet and boot, set up for BBC & SBC, racing seat and harness. $7,500ono. Ph: 03 9532 3550(BH) or 03 9799 1'464(AH). ,04

Dodge DF3 Transporter, 318 V8, dual fuel, long range LPG, tyre racks, fold up bench, flouro lights, ramps, tool trunk. $4,300ono. Ph: 03 9790 1268 or 017 862 840(mobile).

Gearbox - Hewland DGB 5sp, new Emco CWP, 2 diffs spool/Salisbury, air jacks to suit if required. No damage, exc. cond. Ph: CCI 018 925 767.

Top Fuel Dragster, also suihTop Alcohol, rolling chas sis complete with gauges, fuel lines, parachutes, etc. $15,000. Ph:067 75 2120. loe

Drag Bike, Suzuki GSXR body, suit Mod. bike, full roller, bolt in engine and run. $4,000ono. GSX crank, fully weld ed, balanced, straight cut, 750 gear, rods polished, $1,200ono. Ph: 07 3393 3211 or 017 169 488. ,05

57

5723(AH). 105

Dodge Dual cab transporter, V8 motor, twin gas tanks, winch, 20” good tyres,, plenty of storage, good con 'dition. Reg and RWC. $8,000 ono. Ph:039729 0452. 106 Trailer, covered-in tandem, with electric winch. Suit open wheeler or medium sedan. $5,500. Ph: 03 5988 6266. me Tandem Trailer, fully enclosed aluminium, steel frame, 14'2"-x6'5”, lockable doors both sides and rear, tailgate and headgate, automatic application and power brakes, regis tered VIC, $3,000. Ph: 03 9457 3860 or 0419 343 368. ids

The Great Race Book number 10, 1990 winners Grice/Percy. Call Anthony. Ph: 08 8277 3752. tos Racing Wheels,2 of 13x6, 2 of 13x8, 4 stud 4 1/2” PCD, 40-35P offset, studs 10mm, nut 1.25, will consider other offsets. Call Peter. Ph.039306 4880. 10s Racing Crew Wanted, AUSCAR Sportsman at Calder Park Thunderdome Vic, Exp prefered, living in Adelaide or Melbourne metro areas, travel, uniform, accom, meals pro vided. Contact Tony. Ph: 0418 830 465. kb 5 Link Ford Escort, Mkl or Mk2, bare shell or com plete car in any conditiori. Ph: 07 5529 7146. los

58 i

COIVIIVfENT

18 July 1991 0) (0_

9(0, NEWS

Editorial

Let’s keep 05 sacred

One race is barely enough

fl[fe Dear Sir,

Dear Sir, As regular followers of motorsport we feel compelled to expose the pro paganda being promoted involving the two Bathurst 1000 (sic) events for 1997.

Editor David Hassail Techiiiical Editor Tony Glynn

Oogie Racing, having requested and received a refund form our advance deposit for one of the biggest campsites on the mountain, Graphics Co-ordinator have now received a letter from the Viv Brumby Bathurst 1000 Event Management.

The letter starts off “the first Sunday in October will be reserved Advertising once again for Australia’s greatest Advertising Manager touring car race”. We feel as many Gerald McDornan others, that this is not the case as there has never been a 1000 event for Super Tourers.

Administration The letter also states, “Many dri vers have attained legendary status ; Managing Director by winning at Bathurst and have ! Chris Lambden now chosen to start their own ‘Rebel Race’.

Contacts The V8 Supercars haven’t started a ‘rebel race’, it is still the tradition 89 Orrong Crescent : al race, but held on a different date.

Caulfield North VIC 3161 ; (PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161) ; This is proven again by the fact that Phone: 03 9S27 7744Super i'ourers have never had thenown 1000km race at Mount Fax 03 9527 7766 Panorama, other than as a support Email: msnews@oxanline.com.au categoiy.

CompuServe; ioo237,ii6s The letter then states the drivers Contributors made the choice because they were not getting a fair share of the spoils. ; General; Mike Kable, Jon Thomson, i Brian Reed, Darryl Rack ; (BEM Chief Executive) Greg Eaton ^ FI; Joe Saward, Adam Cooper ; then states himself that “in spite of all the noise and rhetoric that IMG ; Europe: Quentin Spurring, Ian Bamsey, ; i Gwyn Dolphin ' has delivered” he can’t see any visi 'US; Bruce Smith, Phil Morris i ble changes for the better.

INZ; John Hawkins Well, Mr Eaton, what about a ; Speedway: Dennis Newiyn, David prize pool of $750,000, tyre subsi ; McNabb, Wade Aunger, Geoff : dies for privateers, entry fee-, ; Rounds, Mark Neale, David Lament, i reduced by $1000, Joining incen ; Chris Metcalf, Sue Hobson, tives for TEGA members and class n Michael Attw'ell, Tony Millard (UKI ; es of privateers, with one class on Rally: Peter Whitten control tyres with incentives for ; Drag Racing: Gerald McDornan, their class only? : Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA). l We are in total disbelief that I Dave Ostaszewski (USA), n Nick Nicholas, Steven White, ^ (TOGA Aust, Chief Executive) Mr ; Ken Ferguson, Scott Jug . i O’Reilly is threatening to sue over n Super Speedway: Martin Clark (USA), breach of trade practices, referring ' Brett Sw'anson, Sean Henshelwood, to the Australian 1000 Classic when : Karts: Ian Salvestrin, Allan Roark, the promotional literature sent to ; Graeme Burns, Edward Krause us for the Super Tourers blatantly Photographers: LAT, Dirk Klynsmith, feature a photo of Craig Lowndes , Zoom Photograpfiics, Neil Flammond, ; (the current V8 Supercar : Nigel S. Diana Snowdon, Champion). n Sean Henshelwood, Brad Steele, This surely must be propaganda n Thunder-Pics, Marsiiall Cass, at its highest level and we hope that ' Mike Harding. Brisbane Motorsport, when we arrive at Mount Panorama n Frank Midgley, John Bosher, on October 12 for the Real Race the Phil Williams, Mike Patrick (UK) air has cleared from the Fart Sack' HOTDSSPORT NEWS is puh.'iShM b)- ALi.s,Ta!dSi,-jn 1000. .Vlotonpoit Nftvs Pty Lid AC,\' No 06C 1 79 VJB The only good thing to come in i 'j.ifcs.;.. C bsmbdei’(M£io.-iging). D Hdss<.i!l, A fjiynn i 2.0 litres is boui-bon.

Assistant Editor Phil Branagan

Publisher: C Limbden

Printed by: i Wilke Colei 37-49 Browns Rd Clayton 168 : Distributed by: : NDD Ltd ' MiitPHAl (Jliblishc'd by MOTORSPCRl NEWS -s ' tofA'f'yht arid riv.y nor Of? roprocJucud in fiifl or in ; :parr wiifioui ine writrun purmisiion of me ; i publisher, rreclanr.e conrriuulions are wdronic. ; Icind while .'til oarc wjll he taken. Au.srral.-ibian ; 'Motoripoit N'f’ws Ply Lrd floes nor arceu: l 'rcjpunsibtliry lo' damage oi loss of nutien.il | 1 vuDmitefl. : Opinions fixpressed in Motorsport Nlav.s am nor ' crxessauly ihose of Ausualasian Motorsport News

Ken Schippell, Wayne Barty Oogie Racing St Clair NSW

Look P4 you !eap Dear Sir, I just wanted to correct a tiny mistake in the June 6-19 copy of

Motorsport News where you men tioned on page three that Tim Schenken was the only Australian to have driven for the Fen-ari factoryIn fact Paul Hawkins drove a fac tory Ferrari P4 sportscar (with codi-iver Jonathan Wilhams) to finish sixth in the 1967 BOAC 500 miles at Brands Hatch in England. It was the only time Hawkins raced for the team.

Congratulations on yom first 100 issues. Keep up the great work in what is the best motor rasing paper in Australia.

Brock Throsby

East St Kilda VIC ED: Ooops. We were wrong, though we’re stunned that Nigel *1116 Stat’ Greenway didn’t beat you to the punch! Apologies to all concerned and thanks for the kind words.

Mad about V8s Dear Sir, I am just writing with regard to the proposed V8 workshop to be held later this month (MSN No. 104). I noticed that of all the people listed as being invited to attend, one significant group is missing.

That is the fans. Surely we deserve a say in what sort of motor sport we will see in the future. I would quite happily attend the meeting ifinvited.

I would suggest to the meeting that they take a close look at the top motorspoi-t categories in Australia, US and Europe, then pick the best out of each.

In my opinion the top categories are as follows; Australia-V8 Supercars, US-NASCAR and CART, Europe-Fl. You will, notice one common link between all categories. They all have engines of eight or more cylin ders. I think that says something.

In reply to Rod Reeves (issue 104, 4-17th July) who suggests to keep the ‘05’ number on the race track, it could simply not be justified.

PB has dedicated himself to the motor racing industry and driver safety for over 30 years and so ‘05 should rightfully remain with him.

The ‘05’ number came about beeause PB was a strong campaign er to change the legal alcohol limit of0.08 reduced to 0.05.

Undoubtedly this alone has saved many lives. Therefoi-e it would be disgraceful that ‘05’ should be per mitted to be used by any other di-iver and would not be supported by the legion of followers this sport has.

It would be a fitting tribute-that the motor racing industry and the public can jointly honour PB by handing him the ‘05’ number as he is so desei-ving ofit.

NL Holdsworth Wynnum West QLD ED; Brock was - and still is - a strong campaigner for road safety. But he wasn’t campaign ing to change the .05 blood alcolhol content; it was ali-eady in place in Victoria in 1975 when he started to use 05.

VOLVO-FREE ZONE... Bathurst is for Supercars and bourbon, according to Oogie Racing. (Photo t>y arkKiynsmm

BundV VerSUS Packer? ’

Dem Sir, Why does the TV station GTV9 push their coverage of the Australian GP for weeks and then ignore the GPs for the rest of the year?

No better example than what happened on the French GP due to the tennis!

I bet all you Channel 10 knockers at the start of the year are kicking yourselves now! Also, the last episode of ‘Married with Children’ missed out!

Thanks Channel 10 and Foxtel.

Mario Mazzeo via E-mail

With regard to the sponsorship troubles some teams in the V8 Supercar category are having, I’m just curious as to whether they are looking in the right area for sponsoi-s.

In NASCAR, they have photo graphic film, washing powder, breakfast cereal and canned bam manufacturers as sponsors. Surely these sponsors do exist in this coun try as well.

PS I believe in God - after all, Helen Hunt exists.

Glenn Beaumaris via E-mail ED: I agree. Helen was dyna mite in that movie about Coca Cola Racing’s Bathurst assault ‘Huntfor Red October’.

Mad about Marcos Dear Sir, I was wondering whether you had ever done a profile/Slick 50 Fast Minute on Marcos Ambrose and, if so, which issue is -it in?

Also, could you please, please pretty please print a picture of him vrithout his helmet on? Every pic ture we’ve ever seen ofhim is in his car racing or with his helmet on, one with his car is fine but without his helmet?

Rebecca Jean Flentjar via E-mail ED: Take a deep breath, aU you Marcos fans, and turn to page 29.

By Barry Foley

n Ref.onimended and maxlnium prifc onf>'

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