Motorsport News Issue 113 - 7-20 November 1997

S€huma€her $4.20 (NZ$5.95incl GSV

NEWS

7-20 November 1997

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Skaife seems set but Lowndes and Murphy vie for remaining spot

By CHRIS LAMBDEN MARK Skaife looks certain to retain Ms spot with the Holden Race Team in 1998.

Despite no official news from the team, the motor sport grapevine has within the last week been abuzz with the news that it’s “deal done” as far as Skaife is con cerned.

Skaife’s strong performance at both Sandown and Bathurst (left) has sealed his HRT future and, with his previous background in TEGA, he is also likely to represent HRT’s interests there.

Interestingly, TEGA’s 1997 AGM was scheduled to take place as Motorsport News went to press, with potentially some indication of Skaife’s destiny as the new board was elected.

However, HRT’s riches — in terms of an over-supply of talent — has both Craig Lowndes and Greg Murphy in contention for what, on the face of it, is now one full time spot.

Conventional wisdom has had Lowndes taking on Japan’s version of Formula

Continued on page 4

Photo by Marshall Cass

INSIDE Peter Brock iGardner closes teem V.

' Wayne Gardner has closed his V8 Supercar team and ^ his future appears to be overseas. See page 3.

McRae takes Rally Oz Scot Colin McRae kept his ' WRC hopes alive by winning Rally Australia. . See page 28 for a full report.

concludes this issue with Part 11 which details his return to HRT and his decision to retire.

Read the final chapter on page 20.

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INovember 1997

Gardner shuts up shop

By CHRIS LAMBDEN

WAYNE Gardner has closed the doors at his V8 Supercar race team.

The move, foreshadowed

by Gardner himself in our last issue, comes as no sur prise - particularly to members of the team who have been anticipating the shut-down since September.

The team issued a simple statement last Thursday outlining Gardner’s deci sion which said, in part; “Unfortunately the spon sorship dollars just haven’t been there this year and in the end I decided that it would to sell the team than run a second-rate opera tion in 1998.

“Touring car racing in Australia is an expensive business. I reckon you need in excess of one million dol lars to have a car up front, regularly fighting for the lead and, unfortunately, I can’t raise that kind of money for 1998.”

It is understood that the team was on borrowed time once prime sponsor CocaCola indicated back in September that it would not be back in 1998.

The closure brings to an end a five-year involve ment in V8s by the former 500cc bike champ, who now plans to continue his Japanese sports car career, pursue other international race opportunities and - he hopes - secure a Bathurst drive in the future.

“I desperately want to win Bathurst. I reckon I have some unfinished busi ness there,” he said.

Gardner was, of course, leading the Primus 1000 at half distance when the engine in the Coke car let go in the biggest possible way.

-●U ■

'' 1 Photo by Dirk Klynsmith

NO MORE SEVEN... A change to number 7 this season brought Gardner some luck but now he has shut his team.

Post-race investigations are still underway to deter mine the cause of the conrod breakages in both WGR teani entries.

The indications are that there are a number of potential buyers for the team - including wellknown Sydney business man Bob Els, who/has been in discussion with Gardner for some time.

In the meantime, team engineer Wally Storey is taking a brief break before sorting through a number of offers which will keep him in the V8 category.

Storey has of course engineered the Lansvale team car at WGR’s premis es this year and a future with the Ashby/Reed' oper ation is one of the possibili ties.

Regular team co-driver Neil Crompton is also busi ly working on his future plans (see separate story).

Crompton up in the ai r

NEIL Crompton’s imme diate future is up in the air after the cancella tion of the 1998 North American Super Tour ing Championship.

Crompton has been left high and dry after the NASTC was cancelled fol lowing the withdrawal of the Dodge team which won the 1997 title.

“I’m not certain- which way it is going, to go,” said Crompton this week.

“I could continue to race

here in America, or I could be in Australia. I’ll be coming to Australia next week and, while I’m there I vdll be looking at both the two-litre and V8 situation.”

The irony is that Crompton’s 1998 season with Tasnian Motorsports was looking very bright. The

team had already arranged for a 1998-spec Honda Accord to replace their 1996 car and recent meeting with title sponsor Labatts had been very favourable.

One of his option for the US next season in the proposed CanAm series which will be promoted by a consortium including NASCAR

boss Bill Franc e and CART team owner Roger Penske. Tasman owner Steve Horne is said to be keen on competing.

He has not ruled out being interested in buying WGR but says it is “very unlikely.

“It w'ould be a matter of raising the finance first and, to be honest, I don’t need two cars.

“I would rather start that kind of project with a clean sheet of paper and a new car.

Meanwhile Crompton will be trying to sell his T asman Accord while he is in Australia. “The best markets for it are obviously South America and Australia. It would be a very handy weapon to have.”

- PfflL BRANAGAN

Villeneuve is Champion Mercedes F3000

SOMEWHAT lost in all the antiSchumacher hype is the fact that Jacques Villeneuve is the new World Champion.

Villeneuve is only the fourth man to have won both the Formula 1 World Championship and the Indycar World Series in the United States, following in the footsteps of Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and Nigel Mansell.

Jacques is Canada’s first Formula 1 World Champion, although his father Gilles Villeneuve fi nished second in the 1979 World Championship. He was later killed driving a Ferrari in qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grapd Prix.

-JOESAWARD

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drive for Webber?

ANYHOW... Jacques'in new colours. (Photoby latDigital)

as Williams goes Winfield

VILLENEUVE will defend his title in new colours Winfield red.

The Winfield brand was launched in Europe to attract a more youthful market and has taken over as a brand leader from Rothmans, which is seen as an older, more tra ditional brand.

The adoption of the Winfield brand indicates that the company is targeting the Asia-Pacific regiori where Winfield is expanding fast.

It will also give the compa ny to run ‘Williams’ on the cars in ‘non-tobacco’ races (like Britain, Germany and France). This will look more

similar to the ‘Racing’ logo that has been run in these events up until now.

Winfield has been a major player locally, notably as sponsor of (Jibson Motor Sport, drag racing with multi ple Top Fuel Champion Jim Read and with the Honda superbike team.

A POSSIBLE Mercedesowned Formula 3000 team is the latest ele ment in Mark Webber’s 1998 plans.

Despite rumours in Australia to the contrary this week, Webber still has not formally signed with Mercedes - although the German giant is close to sorting out its priorities for 1998, including whether or not it will contest the FIA GT Championship, and motor sport boss Norbert Haug remains in regular contact.

The Yellow Pages Australia-backed Aussie was invited to the compa ny’s important end-of-season motorsport party, but it clashes with his one remain ing race of the year - the prestigious Macau F3 race at the end of next week.

However, the latest industry chat in England this week is suggesting

that Mercedes may field its own F3000 team in 1998 - in addition to that already mooted by McLaren.

If that were the case, then Webber would be a prime candidate. > All that, however, remains in the air until Mercedes finalises its plans.

In the meantime, the make-up of the British F3 field for 1998 now seems to be in Webber’s hands!

He has concrete offers from both top teams Renault and Paul Stewart Racing - and no-one is sign ing anyone until Webber’s plans are clear.

Webber was at Silverstone last week on the day that father and son Jackie and Paul Stewart drove their own FI cars (and no, he didn’t have a test!) and was apparently given a sound endorsement by JYS in front of a film crew from our owm 7 Network.

Peter Brock Foundation to launch The now-retired (from racing)Peter Brock will launch the Peter Brock Foundation at a Peter Brock Testimonial Dinner on November 27 at Melb ourne’s Crown complex.

The Foundation has been established by Peter and Bev Brock to “provide support for those in the community who need help to overcome their difficul ties - with a particular emphasis on the aspiring, yet less fortunate, youth.”

All proceeds from the testimonial dinner will go to the Foundation.

For further details, see the advertisement on page 9 ofthis issue.

■ NASCAR champ Kim Jane could be headed into Super Tourers. Jane is among the potential new Super Tourer pilots who have recently spoken with the category’s number one supporter, Peter Adderton.

Adderton is also keen, we hear, to continue Steven Johnson’s involve ment in Super Tourers after his recent debut in a private BMW. ■ VS^-oupTEGAis holding its AGM as Motorsport News closes for press.

CuiTent Chairman Wayne Cattach is not seeking re-election, although DJR’s team man ager may remain on the boai'd - particularly if his pet franchise scheme for the V8 teams is adopted.

Privateer teams will have increased voting power, with regular rep Steve Reed now joined by Jeff Osborne and John Cotter after a quick vote among the non Level 1 teams.

■ Peter Bready was re elected as President of CAMS last weekend. A few days earlier, the organisation sold its exist ing pi'emises in Cambenvell, for $715,000.

CAMS will operate from new premises, at 851 Dandenong Road, East Malvern, from Monday.

Contact numbers will be 03 9593 7777 (phone) and 03 9593 7700 (fax).

■ If you were wondering why Williams driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen made such a slow second pit stop during the crucial Eumpean GP, it was - as he explains in his regular column - for the very embarrassing reason that he stopped at the wi'ong pit. The Benetton boys were, we hear, bemused to see H-HF pull up...

■ Entries close shortly for the Bridgestone HQ Nationals (Baskerville, November 22-23). Travel assistance, is still avail able for mainland entrants - phone Ian Johnson (03 6223 2692) or Rob Kramer (0411693 004).

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/November 1997 ■ Just when you thought things were quiet... We hear that AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane has “disenfran chised” the Motorsport Promoter’s Association.

AVESCO will, we are told, deal only with individual circuits from here on in.

The MPA couldn’t be contacted for comment this week.

■ Knight Racing has brought in a secret weapon for this weekend’s BOG Gases finale at Amaroo Park. Formula Holden and V8 Supercar driver Darren Pate has been testing the cars in a bid to find a better set-up for the cars which will be driven as usual by Peter Hills and Jenni Thompson.

■ Speaking of Pate his younger brother Ryan recently took a win in the Lithgow karting champi onships. Ryan, 16, has aims of getting into tom-ing car racing in the future.

■ Ben Walsh’s new sponsor(see page 10)has already paid dividends.

Walsh’s Australian Meat & Livestock-supported car won the latest round of the Malaysian Formula Campus series, mnning against some of the oppo sition he will face next week in Macau. Highlight of the weekend was Walsh’s dancing cow mas cot on the grid!

■ Jacques Villeneuve has his own supporters’ club in Australia. All Great White Jacques fans should contact the club at PC Box 31 Fremantle 6160.

■ Roger Harrison has taken out the Australian Hillclimb Championship at Mt Leura, near Camperdown in Victoria.

Harrison, 42,took out his third national title when his Tiga FA83 set a new climb record of 28.0s, shaving 0.4s off Ivan 'Tighe’s 12 yeai- old hill record.

■ Oliver Martini, 25year-old brother of former FI driver Pierluigi, clinched the Italian F2 Championship at Imola’s penultimate round.

Martini, who di-ives for the RC Motorsport Dallara-Open team, wants to move up 'to the FIA Formula 3000 Championship next year.

■ It seems that the Japanese Touring Car Championship faces a bleak future with the news that Honda is pulling out at the end of the year. If Honda with draws, presumably to concentrate on other motorsports categories, it is widely thought that the remaining manufacturers involved (Nissan, Toyota, and Opel) could follow suit.

Schumacher under siege What

By JOE SAWARD

MICHAEL Schumacher may face disciplinary action over the incident which saw him collide with Jacques Villeneuve in the European Grand Prix.

Schumacher faces a extra ordinary meeting of the FIA World Council next Tuesday to explain his actions at Jerez.

He was taken unawares by Villeneuve on the 48th lap of the race and rather than watch Jacques get ahead Michael chose to drive into the Williams as hard as he could, bouncing off into the gravel track and retirement.

Initially Schumacher remained aloof from all the controversy, stating that"... I do not feel I made a mistake.

I was called to see the Stewards after the race, but ... as expected, no action was taken against me”.

However two days later extreme media pressure prompted him to ,try and limit the damage ata Ferrari press conference at Fiorano.

Schumacher admitted then that he had made a mistake but said it was a misjudge ment rather than a deliber ate attempt to take out Villeneuve.

“I am human like everyone else and unfortunately I made a mistake,” he said. “I don’t make many but I did this time.”

The comments did nothing to restore his credibility.

Unlike the FIA stewards of the meeting, the world’s media was less forgiving and Schumacher’s fragile reputa tion, which he had spent three years building up after his similar activities at the end of 1994, was demolished.

Even the German newspa pers attacked their hero.

“Schumacher was to blame for the crash,” said the daily newspaper Bild. “He played for high stakes and lost everything - the World Championship and his repu tation for fair play. There is no doubt that he wanted to take out Villeneuve”.

Frankfurter The

Allgemeine called him “a kamikaze without honour” and commented that the “monument is starting to crack because the founda tions are faulty.”

The German TV station asked fans for their views and received the views of 63,081 votes. Twenty-eight percent said they could not support Schumacher any longer.

In Italy there was wide spread condemnation of the move. The daily newspaper Unita called for him to be fired by Ferrari.

“Schumacher ought to face charges in a Spanish court for the grave deed he com mitted,” it reported. “The dri ver covered himself, Ferrari and Italian sport as a whole with shame. We are waiting for Ferrari to announce that it is thro\ying out Michael Schumacher and hiring a new driver who is more intel ligent, has more wisdom and

will the FIA do with him?

FRIENDLY ADVICE... At Jerez former world champion and Ferrari favourite Nigel Mansell was on hand to give Schumacher some advice. Elbowing seemed high on the agenda...

Hill - he's guilty

DAMON Hill was among Michael Schumacher’s crit ics in the wake of German’s the attempt to take VilleJacques ne/uve out of the race at Jerez.

The 1996 World Champion remem bered Adelaide 1994 when a collision with Schumacher Hill’s destroyed

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hopes of the World title.

“Clearly everyone feels that Michael tried to do something deliberate to prevent Jacques from overtaking him,” Damon said.

“Certainly that is my view from watch ing the video. Michael did something that was so blatant that it really tarnished his great reputation. What he did in the last a real sense of morality.”

La Repubblica reported that “seeing a world title vanish after waiting 18 years is sad enough. But to see it go up in smoke with the Michael from move Schumacher is unfortunately much worse. It’s shameful.”

Gazzetta dello Sport said that if Ferrari had won the title it would have been “a title to hide” and said that it preferred to go on waiting for the day when “our passion for Ferrari has a happy ending.”

Even La Stampa, the newspaper owned by the Agnelli Family - which also controls Ferrari - roared against Schumacher.

“His image as a champion was shattered, like a glass hit by a stone.”

In the British newspapers Schumacher’s manoeuvje against Damon Hill in Adelaide in 1994 was men tioned in many of the reports. The Daily Mail reported that Schumacher had now “lost the last vestige of his reputation of being a sportsman” and The Times thundered that Schumacher had “sacrificed his reputation by an act of such cynicism that it lost him the right to any sympathy.”

race undid all hiis good work that h e had done through the season.

Hill said that he was worried by the lack of action by the FIA stewards.

“I’m not interested in settling any scores or gloating about what happened,” said Hill. “1 think the seri ous issue is the credi bility of Formula 1 and the way the sport is managed when we have an incident like this.

“We have inconsis tencies. Draconian punishments are brought on people for doing something that seems fairly innocu ous and at other times nothing is done.

“As long as nothing is done these sort of incidents will continue to happen.”

- JOE SAWARD -^^'-1

HRT Dilemma

Continued from Page 1

Formula 3000, Formula Nippon in 1998 (see page 5) with Murphy backing up for a second full season with the Holden team, but potential funding prob lems for Lowndes’ pro gramme may complicate the issue.

As recently as this week, it was understood that Lowndes may have had to begin considering the likelihood of remain ing in Australia.

■Where that leaves both he and Bathurst partner Murphy is unclear, owner Tom HRT Walkinshaw is due in Australia next week.

Clearly, resolution of the immediate future of all HRT’s drivers will be high on the agenda.

Apart from the three main men, the future of this year’s HSV Young Lions is also up for discussion.

With Melbourne’s Cup hol iday in full swing early this week and team members on a brief break, contacting the various parties was almost impossible, but Murphy

MARK SKAIFE expressed his frustration at the delay in sorting out the 1998 line-up: “I think we’d all hoped we’d know where we were before Bathurst,” he said, “but it is stai-ting to drag on.

As far as I know, no-one is really aware of what the out come for 1998 will be — I just hope it’s sorted out soon, hopefully before Tom Wdkinshaw gets here.”

WITH the Schumacher hearing at the FIA head quarters in Paris looming close, the question now becomes what, if any thing, will happen to him.

It would appear that the FIA is now backed into a corner and has to take action, or face losing whatever credibility it may retain after the inci dent in Jerez.

At the event FIA President Max Mosley himself addressed the pre-race drivers’ briefing, threatening “draconian action” to anyone who interfered with the fight between Schumacher and Villeneuve for the World Drivers’ Ghampionship.

With the inaction of the Jerez stewards to follow up this warning with action, the subsequent public and media outrage and the calling of Schumacher to Paris to face the music, the FIA has to take strong action.

But the organisation has a long history of plac ing the promotional inter ests of the World Championship above those of motor racing’s sporting code and, fur ther, has always been loathe to take action against leading drivers, sparing its wrath for the minnows of FI. With this in mind - and the fact that the 1998 cal endar is now in place and promoters can start sell ing tickets to early-season events soon - the most likely act of punishment looks like being a huge fine and, perhaps, dock ing Schumacher some points so he starts 1998 with a negative score.

A seven-figure (US$lm plus) fine would grab world attention while a negative score for Schumacher would allow bim to compete in events (thus satis^ng the pub lic’s wish to see a Michael versus Jacques ‘Show down’) while placing him in a disadvantageous position, as would be dic tated by his European GP crimes.

Combined the enor mous damage his reputa tion has suffered, that appears to be the most likely outcome from Paris next week.

Anything less will leave the FIA with a lot of explaining to do.

-PHILBRANAGAN

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iowndes for Japan?

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B y PHIL BRANAGAN

engine deal THE British American Tobacco Reynard Formula 1 team has secured an engine deal for testing in 1998 and racing in 1999 and beyond.

Sources refuse to reveal the name of the engine but we believe that it will be a badged version of one of the top existing FI engines at the moment.

The most logical move would be for Renault to agree to sell its engine technology to another engine-builder in addi tion to Mecachrome, which will be supplying Williams and Benetton with ex-Renault VIO engines next year.

Williams has an exclu sive to stop more than two teams having the engines in 1998 but this would not necessarily get in the way of a tech nology deal between Renault and BAT Reynard.

The BAT-Reynard deal is believed to’ have been signed in London in the days before the Grand Prix of Europp and the first official announcement of the programme is expected .■to be at a launch in ‘London on Tuesday, December 2.

There are rumours in the paddock that a num ber of key people with other teams have been contacted about possible work with the new team — which will test cars in 1998 and enter the World Championship in 1999 with Jacques Villeneuve driving.

Thenew World Champion is a share holder in the operation along with his manager Craig Pollock - who will be the team’s front man - Julian Jakobi, who will run the business side of the operation; Adrian Reynard and his designer Malcolm Oastler, who will build the cars.

BAT is expected to have a 50% sharehold ing in the operation.

Williams test driver Jean-Christophe Boullion is expected to be hired to do the test-f ing work for the team in 1998 and the Frenchman will proba bly be given an option to continue with the team in 1999.

- JOE SAWARD

THE international career of Craig Lowndes could be heading to Japan next season.

After a less-than-successful season in the FIA Fomiula 3000 Championship with RSM Marko this year it is believed that Lowndes will be heading for the 1998 Formula Nippon series.

But there is also an oppor tunity that he will compete in selected rounds of the Shell Australian Touring Car Championship next season.

Lowndes may be permitted to drive in rounds that will not clash with his open wheeler career, making sure that his profile in this coun try remains high regardless of his results overseas.

This with season, Lowndes having only a sin gle top six result in Europe, his profile has fallen, and regular visits back home would prevent this happen ing in the future.

The plan is-^also seen as a way of getting around the ‘three into two’ problem fac ing Holden Racing Team management at the moment.

With Mark Skaife and Greg Murphy both available - and ready - to take the team seats next season, having Lowndes share a drive with one of them would seem to be the ideal solution to what is

becoming an embarrassment of riches.

Whatever the outcome no announcement is expected for some time. TWR chief Tom Walkinshaw is expected in Melbourne next week to sort out matters, with a for mal announcement some time later in the month.

Formula Nippon, based on the ‘old’ (pre-1995) Formula 3000 rules, is seen as a kind of domestic FI series where the best local GP hopes go up against the best ‘gaijin’, or foreign drivers.

In the past Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irvine have used the championship to resurrect a floundering career, while this year’s Nippon Champion, Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, is expected j to break into FI in the near future with sponsor Repsol.

LOWNDES’ final drive in the 1997 FIA Formula 3000 Championship yielded him a 10th place at Jerez.

After qualifying 13th he was running eighth after a good start but the race was red-flagged after Thomas Schie rolled his car.

But just before that the Aussie had had to pit with a flat tyre after tangling with Rui Aguas, resuming a lap down, With the red flag Lowndes started from the rear of the field at the restart, and stayed out of trouble to finish

Formula 1 calendar settled

tenth. But this became ninth when second man Cyrille Sauvage was disqualified after the race.

The event was won by

Lowndes’ team-mate JuanPablo Montoya, while Brazihan Ricardo Zonta took the title despite spinning out while in the lead.

■ The Super Nova Formula 3000 team is in the middle of a feasibility study to establish how it can put together the neces sary financial and technical resources to enter Grand Prix radng at some point in the future. 'Hie Nova Group, which runs lan guage schools in Japan, has been involved in motor rac ing since 1991 and has a Emopean Formula 3000 operation in the UK in association with former racing driver David Sears.

■ Formida 1 team own ers met recently in London for the latest round of talks about a Concorde Agreement for 1998-2008.

They have said that they are keen to put together a compromise deal before entries for the 1998 World Championship close on November 15.

■ Bernard Dudot has started work at Prost Grand Prix after 30 years working as a Renault Sport engineer. Dudot’s first appointment wftl be with Peugeot Sport enginebuilders at Velizy, his bitter enemies for the last few years. Dudot’s aiTival is likely to bring immediate improvements to the powerfiil Peugeot VIO.

By JOE SAWARD THE FIA World Motor Sport Council announced a variety of decisions after its recent meetings in Paris.

The most important announcement was the FI calendar, which was much as we predicted two issues ago. r There will be 16 races although it is likely that the French GP will be re-admitted to the calendar and the series will therefore have 17 races once again.

They will be: March 8: Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne) March 29: Brazilian GP (Sao Paulo) April 12: ■ Argentinean GP (Buenos Aires) April 26: San Marino GP (Imola, Italy) May 10: Spanish GP (Barcelona) May 24: Monaco GP June 07: Canadian GP (Montreal) July 12: British GP (Silverstone) July 26: Austrian GP (Spielberg) August 02: German GP (Hockenheim) August 16: Hungarian. GP (Budapest) c August 30: Belgian GP (Spa-Francorchamps) Sept 13: Italian GP (Monza) Sept 27: Luxembourg GP (Nurburgring, Germany) October 11: Portuguese GP (Estoril) Novi: Japanese GP (Suzuka) The Portuguese GP remains provisional subject to the completion of its $8m improve ment program and a suitable commercial deal with the FIA. The race was dropped from this year’s calendar.

The French GP may be a more difficult problem because of the on-going dispute over broadcasting rights to the race.

Max Mosley is due to meet French Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet this week to discuss the problem.

n There will be no winter testing in Estoril this win ter as the Portuguese track is still a long way finm being completed. The track will not now be ready until March next year at the eaihest. At the moment there is a major test scheduled for Barcelona between Decem-ber 2-5 and another between December 16-19.

There is also going to be a major test at Paul Ricard in the week ofDecember 16-19. n Jean Alesi \isited the Sauber factory at Himvil last week for his fii-st seat fitting in one ofthis year’s C16 chassis which he is due to begin testing as soon as the month-long FI testing ban is over. Alesi also tried out a mock-up ofthe cockpit ofthe new Sauber Petronas C17 which is due to be fin ished inlate January.

STRUDEL or SUSHI? Lowndes could be heading to Japan to take on Formula Nippon.

(Photo by suspended Motion)

NOTHING TO SAY... Adrian Newey is now wiith McLaren. (Snowdonphoto)

Senna trial; Head and Newey decline to testify

THERE was a rush of activity in the Ayrton Senna trial at Imola last week with David Coulthard, Patrick Head, Adrian Newey and Frank Williams all appear ing in quick succession.

Coulthard - who was Williams ' test driver when Senna was killed in May 1994 - told the court that he had no doubts about the safety of the Williams car.

The court was shown a film in which David demonstrated the flexi bility of the Williams steering wheel.

Both Patrick Head and Adrian Newey declined to answer questions from investigators and indicated that they would present written

statements to the court at a later date. Both considered that there was little to be gained from ques tions fi’om the defence.

Williams did face the prosecutors and argued that he has always believed that the car did not leave the road because of a steering fail ure. He told reporters outside the court that the reason for the acci dent may never be known.

Williams said that tests on the steering wheel done after the acci dent indicated that the steering col umn was not to blame.

The trial is due to continue for another month and a verdict is expected in December.

- JOE SAWARD

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■ 'The German Government has, as expect ed, declared that it is opposed to a Pan-European ban on cigarette advertis ing. The European Health Ministers will meet in a month to decide whether the Em'opean Union will push ahead with anti tobacco legislation.

■ Michael Schumacher’s popularity in Germany appeal’s to be waning. The weekly magazine Der Spiegel has just published a sm’vey which indicates that Germany’s most populai' sports personahty is cyclist Jan Ullrich, who in July became the first German rider to win the Tour de Prance. Second in the vote was Olympic decathlete Frank Busemann with 5000m runner Dieter Baumann third ahead of tennis player Steffi Gi-af came fom-th.

Schumacher finished 11th.

And this was before Jerez...

-JOESAWARD

s

7!\lovember1997

n Schumacher latest; organisers ofthe ITV Champion ofSport Awards have withdrawn the German’s nomination from the Sportsman of the Year categoiy at next week’s ceremony. n A move into the Indy Racing League is on the cards for fornier F3000 Champions RSM Marko.

Dr Helmut Marko con firmed last week that he was consideiing a change to IRL which could involve Juan-Pablo Montoya and 1996 F3000 winner Jorg Muller. n Jochen Neerspach,the organiser ofthe German Super Touring Championship,is playing down nimours ofa BMW withdrawal and insists that the German manufacturer will support the 1998 series. BMW wants the minimum weight for rearwheel drive cars brought into line with those for FWDcars. n Alfa Romeo may return to the BTCC after an l impressive performance by its all-new 156 in testing at Mugello in Italy. Fabrizio Giovanardi and Nicola Larini will lead the assault on the Itahan series but Alfa Corse is said to be keen to expand its programme. n Hughes de Chaunac’s ORECA team is scheduled to test the Dodge Stratus which won the NASTC Super Touring series.'The team, which has run Dodge Viper GT2 cars in European spoiiscar events, win evaluate the cars for Chrysler, which is said to be consideiing a German STTV programme. n At the recent World Motorsport Council meeting in Paris Bemie Ecclestone was invited to join the FIA GT & Sportscar Commission. A10 race cal endar for the 1998 FIA GT Championship was also announced, almost six months earlier than was the case for the 1997 series.

The dates are Mar 22 (France, TBA),Apr 5 (Estoril, Por), Apr 19 (Geimany,TBA), May 17 (Silverstone, UK),Jime 28 (Nurburgi-ing, Ger), Aug 23 (Suzuka,Jap), Sep 6 (Donington Paik, UK),Sep 20(Al-Ring, Austria) and Oct4(Mugello,Italy). n Audi UK has hnked with former FI diiver Jonathon Palmer to launch a one-make single seater series.'The Foimula ' Palmer Audi racecars wfll have low-downforce chassis made by Van Diemen International and 250hp, turbocharged 1.81itre engines. The 16 race series will be simitar to Barber Dodge in the USA with all the cars prepared in-house and issued out to competi tors. The cars will be sub stantially more powerful than F3 cars and a full sea son in F3000 wiU be among the prizes.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

Mai BTCC changes for ’98 retires By PHIL BRANAGAN

ANOTHEK Bathurst win ner is retiring - Mai Stenniken is hanging up his helmet.

The Melbourne driver is leaving touring car racing after winning the Privateers’ category at the recent Primus 1000 Classic.

His winning Commodoi’e, in which he and Peter Gazzard finished an amazing seventh outright in the big race, is for sale.

“It’s been a really good time,” he said last week. “To win the Privateers race at the first Primus 1000 is a Super Touring events great way to end a career may follow the same and the crew, Peter Gazzard format, depending on and I could not have asked what comes out of a for a better result. meeting this Monday.

Stenniken, 39, started ral TOGA Australian lying in a Cortina in 1979 Chief Executive Kelvin and followed the forests for a O’Reilly says that a number of the BTCC IN TRAINING... Pitstops are to become a feature of the 1998 British Touring Car Championship - few years before heading (Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) onto the tar. innovations have been or are the teams just practicing for Bathurst?

His first circuit race was in well received and may “The top 10 run-off but will be set on regu- towards the drivers The item remains a a Daihatsu Charade turbo in be included on the ‘98 also appears to appeal lar qualifying times, title bu,t the second possibility for 1998, the Winton 300 in 1985 and to the teams.” with the top 10 being races only will decide with Michelin already program. on The second race will used to grid the cars the manufactmers and having a near-monop- he ’ concentrated “A mid-race pitProduction Car facing in, teams’championships. oly on the field. stop, where a te,dm be around 25 percent for the first ‘sprint’ mainly in Commodore turbo, One issue still to be ‘Further talks’ are has to change two longer in distance than race only, for several seasons until But all races will sorted out is the quesexpected to finalised wheels, is possible,” the 25 minute sprints moving up to the V8 class. said O’Reilly. points tion of control tyres, the matter shortly. used up to this season, count for He bought a Walkinshaw Commodore VL in 1994 and then moved into a new Commodore VP in 1995 built

by Derek van Zelm for the Brock Classic at Calder in 1995.

The tobacco battles in industry and enhance the ment in recent years, notably holding a race.

Motor racing would not be with a privatisation pro The car, which is now Europe may lead Formula worldwide image of Morocco. gramme. Around 70% of the new to Morocco. There was a Marrakesh has a popula updated to VS spec, beat 1 to new pastures in the many more fancied cars at years ahead in addition to tion of only 600,000 but has population of the country is Moroccan Grand Prix for sportscars in Casablanca as Bathurst, despite having races in Asia and the long been a popular tourist now imder 35 but the govern destination. It has an interna ment has remained largely long ago as 1925 although in United States. only a 5-speed gearbox and The feasibility study for tional airport which feeds the unchanged for the last 20 1930 the event was switched no power steering. to a new circuit at Anfa.

Stenniken will now con winter sports trade in the years. holding a Grand Prix in the FIA VP (Promotions) In the post-war era Ain Moroccan town of Marrakesh, nearby Atlas Mountains and centrate on his growing busi nesses, which are involved in the major city in the south of several international-class Bemie Ecclestone have spent Diab hosted a Formula 1 race the recent months visiting a on a regular basis with Jean shopfitting and exhibitions, the country, is believed to hotels. and automatic doors. have concluded that a King Hassan II has tried to variety of cities in the country Behra, Stirling Moss and Formula 1 race is exactly steer his country to a market looking at the facilities and Jack Brabham being amongst the winners. talking to the local govern what the city needs to help it economy and has been look -JOESAWARD increase the city’s tourist ing for international invest- ment about the possibility of

CHANGES are in store for the 1998 British Touring Car Championship, including a top 10 run-off in qualifying and a mandatory pitstop in the sec ond races.

The Bathurst-style British innovations are the main changes to the ’98 BTCC regula tions which are being finalised.

Australian The

m/MDISICH

Grand Prix for Morocco?

FIA FIA President Max Mosley hinted at Jerez that the recent controver sies over advanced elec tronic systems on Formula 1 cars may be restricted in the course of the winter months.

The FIA is worried that electronic brakes balance systems, differentials,,and three-dimensional engine mapping have led to develop ments which mean that the cars are no longer being dri ven by the drivers “alone and unaided” as the FI regula tions state they should be.

There are also worries about the degree of flexibility which should be allowed in bodywork.

Mosley also suggested that there might be a need for the details of the appeals process.

-JOESAWARD

Photo by Dale Rodgers

DJR builds new 17 DICK Johnson Racing will field an all-new car for 1998.

The team’s highly re vamped car raced by Johnson and John Bowe at Sandown and Bathurst has been rated a success and the goahead given for con-

struction of a brand new car based upon the principles inherent in the test car.

With 11 weeks until the start of the 1998 season, at Sandown on February 1, Johnson’s team will have little time for rest if, as

planned, the new car is to be ready for race one.

In the meantime, the team’s existing second car, campaigned by Steven Johnson and Craig Baird at Sandown and Bathurst is for sale.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Lanibos forGP

THERE were Ferraris on the bill at the Australian Grand Prix and this year Lamborghinis will be there in 1998.

That is the major change to the support bill at the GP which is due to be announced on November 18.

The other support class es will be the V8 Supercars (with as many as four races being mooted), Super Tourers, Formula Fords and Formula Holdens, as well as the usual parades for historic and veteran machines.

The one-make series, which is promoted in Europe by BPR (which used to run GT racing) has been one of the success sto ries of the past few sea sons.

Up to 30 of the Diablo VTs are expected to make the trip, so the grid of Italian machines should be at least as big as the one for the 355s were saw in March.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

7Hombefl99I

7

Big field Fastway Doohan dominates Sugo for Amaroo wants BOC finale 406s FOUR-time world 500 cham

pion Michael Doohan fin ished 1997 on a winning note by winning the TBC Big Road Raee at Sugo, Japan on November 2.

Starting from pole-position, Doohan led home Repsol Honda

sponsors FASTWAY

Couriers

Racing may be updating to newer Peugeot 406s.

Team owner and driver Tony Newman is keen to see the Peugeot Sport cars which ran in the AMP 1000 here next season, but is being cau tious.

“It all depends on sponsor ship,” he said this week.

“We’d love to have the cars and (Peugeot team manager) Mick Linford is keen to see them here, but it depends on sponsorship meetings I’m having this week.”

While the BTCC team was here Newman built up quite a rapport with Linford, whose team built Fastway’s two 405s.

team-mate Tadayuki Okada by 4.768 sec with Yamaha YZR500 rider Noriyuki Fujiwara a fur ther 2.4sec back in third.

New World Superbikp Champion John Kocinski fin ished fourth, just over 18 sec onds behind Doohan in his firstever ride on a the all-conquering Honda NSR500, and his first 500 race since 1994. The first Suzuki home was ridden by 250 rider Norihiko Kagayama, who brought home a distant fifth.

Team Rainey Yamaha star Norick Abe fell on lap 10 of the 25-lap race after passing'Okada, while local Yamaha Superbike Champion Noriyuki Haga was unable to complete his 500 debut after sustaining injured liga¬

ments in a Sunday warm-up spill.

The only other Australian in the event, Kirk McCarthy, fin ished a creditable sixth on his ROC-fi'amed Yamaha 500 after

qualifying ninth.

After commenting on the demise of Abe and Haga, Yamaha race chief Syuuji Sakurda said, “One of the

four weeks ago - is said to be becdming a more and more realistic option.

The separate team, to be run by long-time Doohan mechanic Jerry Burgess, is planned to run for two years, which would close out Mick’s riding career.'

'The new Yamaha VIO will

rebuilding its engines to gain power and longevity.

-PHILBRANAGAN

pletely new VIO engine for the 1998 season.

the Australian team advising the British unit regarding

model Volvo 850 alongside Jim Richards. This will be the first time that Volvo have run two cars in a round of the series.

Scott was the first driver to compete in the Australian series in a Volvo when he drove the

DOOHAN... he was unbeatable in Europe so why should Sugo be different? (Photo by ronyoiynn)

Arrows keeps Yamaha be a completely new engine, however, and is based on the

tion has been two way, with

A field of 25 looks likely, with several drivers making their first BOC appearance of the year.

Among the debutants is Tony Scott, who will diive the 1996-

MEANWHILE Doohan’s rumoured Marlboro-backed Honda team - revealed here

Motor

UK the exchange of informa

of the BOC Gases Super Touring Championship at Amaroo Park this weekend.

bright spots was Kirk McCarthy who finished in an outstanding sixth place, especially since this will be the last time ROC will be associated with the WCM team.'

- DARRYL FLACK

Company is expected to announce within days that it is continuing its relationship with Tom Walkinshaw’s Arrows team in Formula 1 and that there will be a com

But since returning to the

THE biggest Super Touring field of the season will face the starter at the final roxmd

THE

Yamaha

design which Brian Hart has been working on in the course of the last year. Hart is expected to supply his design and his manufactur ing capabOities to the project while TWR and Yamaha

engineers will develop the engines.

The TWR Engine Department at Leafield has just launched a major recruit ment drive with the intention being to put together a team to take the design onwards in the future. Yamaha’s involve ment will be primarily finan¬

cial although we expect that the TWR team will include a number of Yamaha engi neers.

With Honda expected to return to FI in the year 2000, this may be Yamaha’s last chance to make it in the FI big time.

-JOESAWARD

850 wagon in 1995.

Also debuting are Mike Fitzgerald, who ran the AMP 1000 at Bathurst in his Peugeot 405, and Milton Leslight, who missed the race when his Toyota Carina wasn’t quite ready.

Sydney driver John Henderson wall make his first race of the year in his Opel Vec’tra, while Steven Richards will return to the championship after missing the Lakeside race in his Nissan Primera.

Meanwhile BMW Motorsport Australia will campaign three cars for the second race in a row, with Craig Baird bacldng up championship aspirants Paul Morris and Geoff Brabham.

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JACKIE Stewart recently succumbed to temptation and went for a drive in one of his 1997 Stewart-Ford Grand Prix cars.

The three time world champion, who retired In 1973, shared the Siiverstone track with his son Paul whose own cock pit career went as far as Formula 3000 before he exchanged a steering wheel for the desk of Paul Stewart Racing and then Stewart Grand Prix.

The two generations of Stewart enjoyed the day immensely but Rubens Barrichello and Jan Magnussen have nothing to worry about for now...

\

(Photos by Stephen Tee and Martyn Elford/LAT Digital)

Dhk Johnson Rmng has tor sale one Group "A" FaUon rase sar.

0 be honest, you’d have to say the best team won the title in Jerez.

Between the car and their drivers, Williams did a better job than us. The pass was a good manoeuvre by Villeneuve. He really caught Michael off guard. You can imagine Michael wasn’t too happy afterwards - we’ll just have to wait for next year now...

It’s unbelievable that they all qualified on the same time. The chances are zillions to one. I thought we’d get the two of them at the front, Jacques and Michael, but I also thought the Williams would be have been a step ahead.

I was down in seventh, and I should really have been higher up. On my best lap I locked up the fronts in the first corner, so I decided to adjust the brake balance between the corners. . Because I made such a good time in the first sec tion I thought it was a really good lap and I forgot to re adjust it so I messed up the hairpin! So I wasted that lap completely. It ●sould have been a 1m21.1s or 21.2s, so I could have been fourth.

On the run I did my quickest time on I lost a bit in the first corner, locking the fronts and sliding wide.

The problem was that in the morning I didn’t get any running on new tyres until the end, because I was doing some evaluation work on tyres for Michael rather than looking after myself. ’To be honest the car was definitely capable of a low 1m21s, so I can’t complain about it. I felt I should have been on the second row.

T

here was some excite ment in the morning when Villeneuve came to our pit and started shouting at me, saying I’d blocked him. I didn’t know what it was all about.

My engineers saw it on TV and say that he came up behind me, and I drove my normal line. Then he came in screaming and shouting. I don’t know what he said - maybe some French words! I was on the radio at the time! I did have a chuckle to myself.

The thing is on the very

first lap of the weekend he came past and chopped me. The very first lap. He’s been doing it to me every race this year. He sees me, backs off, slows me up, and then accelerates away.

I haven’t said anything to the press. I just get on and do my job. I’ve report ed him a couple of times to the stewards because a couple of times it was very dangerous. He just mouths off, and I don’t want to do that.

I’d rather just go to the stewards and tell them what he’s doing, but they haven’t acted, and it needs to be acted on.

The start was good, The but nothing special.

McLarens both overtook Hill, but I couldn’t get by him. I was on used tyres because I didn’t have three new sets for the race; a new set gives you a big advantage.

I spent the first stint just stuck behind Hill. I got close a couple of times, but I picked up too much under steer so there was no way past. The Bridgestones are always good on the exit of corners, and that made it hard for me.

Jacques andofcame out just pitted in front me, but Damon had slowed me down so much in the first stint that I couldn’t play a part! I had a good in-lap and a quick stop, and I got out just ahead of Damon, who had stopped earlier.

I stayed on the right and then braked across to the inside. I didn’t just go across like straight Frentzen did to me at Suzuka.

I left Damon for dead

and caught up with the McLarens. It was stalemate for a while with me in sixth place.

When I saw Michael off in the dirt, it was a bit demo tivating. I thought what’s the point now? We're not going to win the drivers’ champi onship. For two laps I was pissed off, and then I got stuck in again.

I got ahead of Frenzten which was quite good. He pulled into the wrong pit, so he lost time - saying that I’ve done that myself, so I can’t really slag him off!

That put me in fourth. In the closing laps I had Berger behind me. The problem was I locked my right front early in that stint, pushing trying to keep up with the McLarens.

It produced a big vibra tion. Berger was getting close to me and I settled down ,and tried to keep a rhythm.

Then Fisichella blocked me totally. I think it was totally deliberate - he’s going to drive for Benetton next year! I tried to overtake him into the fast left-hander and he cut across me, and at the chicane he cut across me.

He blocked me at the first corner and so Berger got past me for fourth, which was a bit frustrating. ’or me, this season had its high points. I had some great races and some bad ones, but on the whole I’ve been edging up on Michael. 1 keep chipping away.

For the team as a whole it’s been a big step forward.

Michael fought for the World Championship, and we fought for the construc tors’ championship as well.

Next year the car’s going to be a big improvement...

Mai S-tennilcen This car is at fuii specification as raced at Bathurst ~ finished second in the 1997 SATCC and fourth overail at the Frimus 1000. Includes Pi System 3. May be purchased complete less engine.

Enquiries to Wayne Cattash on

07 3246 2666

the Privateer Bathurst winning Commodore.

New 1995 Chev powered, 5 speed, updated to VS spec.

Terrific strong car. POA.

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At the same time, thanks to all our sponsors and supporters who enabled us to get such a good result: ● Disc Brakes Australia ● Petrogas ● Race Brakes

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Vasser dominates Motegi test

JHWMY Vasser has topped the inau gural CART test at the new Hondaowned Twin Ring Motegi in Japan.

Vasser clocked a best lap of 215.180 mph before a crowd of more than 11,000.

“The speeds are faster than expected,” said Vasser. “It’s hard to tell yet with the track still green, but I think we might be able to get up to 220(mph, dur ing qualifying).”

“The track is very smooth and wide, and the times will only get better. It’s a great place and the width in the comers will allow side-by-side racing.”

The 14 CART drivers who participated are preparing for the inaugural race at Twin Ring Motegi on Saturday, March 28. “This was the biggest crowd I have ever seen at a test,” Team KOOL Green driver Dario Franchitti said. “The fans here are vei-y enthusiastic and it was a great feeling.

“When the place is packed [for the Budweiser 500k], it will be tremendous.

It will be a very, very good atmosphere.”

Vasser was followed by Franchitti and Richie Hearn for the quickest laps Sunday. Franchitti, making his debut at Twin Ring Motegi on Sunday, ran a lap of 213.614 mph (26.105 seconds) in the KOOL Reynard Honda.

Hearn was next at 212.986 mph (26.182 seconds)in a Swift Ford.

The results of the test were; Jimmy Vasser (Reynard Honda) 215.180 Richie Hearn 213.614 (Swift Ford) Dario Franchitti (Reynard Honda) 212.986 212.111 Christian Fittipaldi (Swift Ford) (Reynard Merc) 211.788 Greg Moore Gil de Ferran (Reynard Honda) 210.573 Mark Blundell (Reynard Merc) 210.073 Andre Ribeiro 209.867 (Penske Merc) Hiro Matsushita (Reynard Toyota) 206.243 Juan Fangio H (Reynard Honda) 204.999 Max Papis (Reynard Toyota) 20il.248

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Private Ralf Bettenhausen fires Carpentier

RALF Schumacher will not be see ing much of Grand Prix racing for the next two months.

The 22-year-old Jordan driver fin ished his Formula 1 season in Spain and promptly went into uniform to do his compulsory national service.

Schumacher will spend the next two months completing a basic training course but after that will become part of a scheme for sportsmen which allows them to develop their careers while officially serving in the mili tary.

Ralf should be seen testing again for Jordan in December, in prepara tion for the start of the 1998 season.

- JOE SAWARD

CART’S recent game of musi cal chairs has continued.

Patrick Carpentier has been fired by the Alumax team.

Carpentier was released from his contract ‘to pursue a ride with another CART team’.

“It (the season) did not come up to our expectations or Patrick’s,” said team owner Tony Bettenhausen. “So after the sea son ended, we sat down and dis cussed whether or not a change might be the best thing for everyone concerned.

“This is an amicable parting.”

Carpentier won the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award this season and

almost took out the St. Louis race for the team, running out of fuel in the final laps and falling to second to fellow Canadian Paul Tracy.

He also qualified in the top 10 on four occasions, including Nazareth, where he started third to equal a team record for best starting position. Carpentier fin ished 17th in the PPG Cup standings with 27 points, enabling him to win the afore mentioned “Rookie of the Year” award.

But a late season spate of crashed forced him to miss the final three races of the season

and, while the team publicly sup ported him during the time it appears that their patience has run out.

Carpentier is thought to be close to getting a drive in the Forsythe team alongside Greg Moore.

He has been supported for the last three years by team sponsor Players and an all-Canadian team - especially with an ‘English-speaking’ driver (Moore is from Vancouver) and a ‘French’ (Carpentier is a Quebecois) would be ideal for the Canadian cigarette giant.

-PHIL MORRIS

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iMofor Ra€ing Calendar WINSTON CUP NASCAR SERIES Nov 16 . . .Atlanta

Rd 32

Nov 23 .. .Suzuka, Japan

ACDelco CUP NASCAR Nov 1 ....Thunderdome . .Rd 1 Dec 6 . . ..Thunderdome . .Rd 2 Dec 27 . ..Thunderdome . .Rd 3 Jan 17 .. .Adelaide R’way . .Rd 4 Feb 14 . . .Thunderdome . .Rd 5 Mar 14 . . .Thunderdome . .Rd 6 6 race series- Calder Park T'dome & AIR

NHRA WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES Nov 9 . . ..Pomona, CA ..Rd 23

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Nov 8 .. . .Pro Am

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Nov 29 .. .National Open .. .RIR Dec 6

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National Open .. .AIR USA vAust Top Doorslammer Series Rd2- Scotty Cannon

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Oct 25 .. .Argentina

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Mar 15 ...Homestead ... .Rd 1 Mar 28 .. .Motegi Japan .. .Rd 2 April 5 ...Long Beach . .. .Rd 3 Rd4 April 26 . .Nazareth May 10 .. .Rio de Janerio ..Rd 5 Rd6 May 23 .. .Madison . ,Rd7 May 31 . . .Milwaukee June 7 ...Detroit Rd 8 Rd 9 June 21 . .Portland .

Rd 10 July 12 .. .Cleveland Rd 11 July 19 . . .Toronto .

July 26 .. .Michigan Rd 12 Rd 13 Aug 9 .. . .Mid-Ohio Aug 16 .. .Eikhart Lake .. .Rd 14 Sept 6 . . .Vancouver . . ..Rd 15 Sept 13 ..Laguna Seca ..Rd 16 Rd 17 Oct 4 ... .Houston Oct 18 .. .Gold Coast . . . .Rd 18 Rd 19 Nov 1 .. . .Fontana All event dates in this calendar were correct at the time ofpiinling. Please consult any individual tracks and/or associations(or date changes.

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

Check your local guides

n

MERCEDES-BENZ has taken out the FIA GT Championship in its first year in the category.

Bernd Schneider and Klaus Ludwig sealed the drivers’ title after sweeping to victory in the final round of the series at Laguna Seca.

The AMG outfit, which runs the cars, beat BMW Motorsport to the teams’ title.

The silver arrows were in domi-' nant form on the California track, with Benetton GP star Alex Wurz heading a Benz 1-2-3 in qualifying ahead of Schneider and Alessandro Nannini.

Allan McNish took the lead early in the race, the Scot keeping his Porsche GTl at the head of the pack until the first round of pitstops.

But the car was twice delayed in the pits when its wheel nuts .S jammed on, costing valuable time Q and putting him out of contention. h3 Meanwhile the challenge of the -Q works McLaren-BMWs was fading. p O JJ Lehto parked the car he was £ sharing with Peter Kox pn lap 12 with overheating problems.

MERCEDES RULES... Mercedes-Benz’s CLK-GTR was too fast for the opposition at Laguna. Schneider(top left) Lehto’s regular co-driver Steve shared the drivers title with Klaus Ludwig, who quit an Opel STW drive at the start of the season for the GTs. Soper’s title hopes were dashed by The news was all bad for with cooling slots, the car was his co-driver Roberto Ravaglia. and Bob Wollek that finished in sec Driving in his final race the Italian ond, from the delayed McNish GTl Australian David Brabham. The found to be illegal.

A hour after finishing the race tangled with a tailender, putting (which he shared with Ralf Bathurst 1000 winner was sufferthe car five laps behind.

Kelleners) and the private Jean- ing brake problems in qualifying in with co-driver Andy Wallace the By the end of the 130 lap race it Marc Gounon/Pierre-Henri Raph- his Panoz and, when his team car was disqualified from sixth was the Porsche of Yannick Dalmas anel McLaren. chose to open up the rear of the car place.

Walsh gets a stake in thefuture

SYDNEY’S Ben Walsh has picked up some most sought-after sponsorship for his Formula Campus program is Asia.

Walsh will race in the Campus support event at next week’s Macau Grand Prix with the support of Australian Meat & Livestock.

He had been facing the prospect of missing the event altogether, as his existing Shell sponsorship clashed with the Elf-sponsored Macau event.

At the classic Guia circuit he will compete in an

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invitation-only event, featuring drivers from all over the world.

In the past the race has attracted several ex-Grand Prix drivers, and is seen as a real proving ground for the young drivers looking to move up to Formula 3.

Even better news for Walsh, who has been compet ing in the Formula Campus series in Malaysia, is that a strong performance in the event could see AMLC (which does a lot of business in Asia) continuing its support into 1998 and, perhaps, beyond.

Six for Hall of Fame

DAVEY Allison, whose racing career wasended by a fatal helicopter crash in 1993, is among six men chosen to be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Allison will be inducted on April 23 1998, along with Roger Penske, A1 Unser Sr., Rudolph Caracciola, Banjo Matthews and Tazio Nuvolari. , Allison won 19 races in less than seven years on NASCAR’s Winston Cup circuit, good for 26th on the circuit’s all-time victo ry list.

After winning the Daytona 500 and Winston 500 in 1992, Allison led the series point standings going into the final race of the season, but a crash at Atlanta costhim the points title.

The following July, he was pilotiqg a helicopter into the infield of his home track, Talladega Superspeedway, when the fatal crash occuiTed. Allison, 32, died the next day.

To honour Allison, Robert Yates Racing is donating its last remaining Allison car to the Hall of Fame. The hall then will have four cars driven by Allison. l Unser was one of only three drivers who have won the Indianapolis 500 four times. He won 39 races on the Indy car cir cuit over a 29-year- career that ended in 1992.

Matthews, who died last year at 64, was a renowned car builder for top di-ivers A J Foyt, Donnie Allison and Bobby Isaac.

From 1974-85, cars he built won 262 of 362 Winston Cup races.

Caracciola, who died in 1959, won more than 225 races during his 30-year Grand Prix career.

Nuvolari, who died in 1953, won 70 races in a career that began in 1921 and included a long stint on the motorcycle cir cuits of Europe.

Photo by Jarm Squire/Apcd 1

f

I

TED Ball, who financed the < Brabham and Lotus Formula ; 1 teams in the early 1990s has ' been jailed for three yem:s at the Old Bailey in Londom, i having admitted that he j defrauded millions of doM^s ; from hanks simply in order to i fund his passion for Grand ; Prix racmg.

Ball admitted receiving US$630,000 ($900,000) in pay ments from Brabham to con- i tinue to pour money into the j Landhurst team from Leasmg, the company he was i rvmning at the time.

In order to raise the money i Ball and his co- defendant j David Ashworth had to doc-| tor the financial records of| the pnblie company, which j crashed in 1992 with $75'm missing from the books.

The jndge ruled that both i Ball should be disqualified| from being a director of a j company for eight years.

Ball and Ashworth were arrested after a three-year| investigation into their activ- ; ities by the Serious Fraud

Office.

FAME-BOUND... Roger Penske

-JOESAWABD

INomberWI

l^®g®[78[p®ni9

1/

Credibility, paranoia andfeather dusters

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here are some days when unbelievable things just happen - and there is nothing you can do about it except marvel at Fate or whatever greater power you wish to invoke. These things happen. Ask Artemis Pyle, former drummer of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd.

On October 20 1977 the band - best known for “Sweet Flome Alabama” - was on a srhall plane flying to a concert across a Mississippi swamp when something went horribly wrong with the plane and it plummeted to the ground. Flalf the band died in the crash but Pyle, badly injured. managed to survive. A former US Marine, he swam through the swamp to get help. As he was HULLO RON?... Who says that Ron Dennis (L) and Bernie Ecclestone are paranoid? (Photo by Michael cooper/Aiispon) swimming a snake closed in on him.

It was impossible in Ron’s mind That is something upon which sandth but they had never seen it “I looked at the snake,” Pyle with three drivers and never at the Bernie and Max would do well to that this snapper could have taken advantage of a moment when the related, “and I said: ‘Look, I just front of a grid - let alone for a ruminate...

Paranoia is not new in FI, of car was unattended to slip a camsurvived a plane crash. If you World Championship decider. It course, but these things are rarely era into the cockpit and fire a mess with me. I’m gonna bite your was utterly incredible. ' head off.”

In the press room the conspira grounded in reality. People at the quick flash gun down at the pedtop of the sport are so under pres- als.

Wisely, the snake headed off cy theorists were busy again: Instead Ron took the paranoid “If they can put a man on the sure that they begin to see elsewhere. Pyle continued his and route lonely trek, finally dragging himself moon they can get to a farmhouse - a mile from the drivers with tridentiaccused the pho tographer and crash site. The owner thought he cal times,” mumbled the magazine of was-an intruder and shot him an experienced FI been having pressman, making through the shoulder... “commissioned” up words as he went by someone to The Fatesatgot together to have along, take the photo a laugh Bernie Ecclestone’s The more genergraph in order to expense on Saturday at Jerez de ous reckoned that any destroy la Frontera when the ringmaster of God must be looking advantage Grand Prix racing was sitting after Bernie. Some that McLaren might down and having his lunch in the reckoned Rothmans motorhome and watch- Bernie has now have been gain ing from the sys ing the qualifying session for the given up being tem.

1997 World Championship show- human and is now a In doing so publicly Dennis Communists under every bed and down between Jacques Villeneuve deity in his own right... and Michael Schumacher. exposed himself to a charge of spies in every camp.

“In Grand Prix racing,” said a slander. Did he have anything to Fie must have spluttered into FIA President Max Mosley, a world-weary designer to me years prove this assertion? his nosh when the electronic tim university-trained physicist.

It probably did not help that ing system flashed up the news was so surprised by what had ago, “if you are not paranoid - you Dennis found about the photogra that the two World title challengers happened that he set about calcu- don’t know the whole truth.”

Perhaps he was right. Who pher when Mosley congratulated had set absolutely identical quali- lating the probability of such a him on the system just before a fying times and would be lining up thing and concluded that, give or knows? . meeting about the Concorde alongside one another on the front take a fevy years, it is unlikely that we will see the same situation in Agreement was about to begin in row of the grid.

There was a graphic example of London. Apparently, it was a the paddock paranoia an few If you think about it, Bernie Formula 1 until the year 2147.

Mosley and Ecclestone have hours after qualifying when Ron rather unpleasant surprise... should have been delighted but If the magazine felt the urge to here was something so completely often been accused of trying to Dennis sat down to have his reguabsurd and unbelievable that it manipulate one thing or another, lar weekend chat with any press- sue Dennis for slander they would, looked as though it could only Often they do play a role in getting men who want to hear what he of course, have a very good case.

Perhaps Ron knows that this is have been achieved with a little things to turn out how they want has to say. them too and there were wideIn the days leading up to the unlikely to ever happen as underhand help.

Bernie might have been shak- spread suspicions that they were European Grand Prix a worthy McLaren is the major sponsor of a ing in his head as he walked back somehow involved in the political British racing magazine published sister publication’s young driver to his famous grey bus but it was kerfuffles in Suzuka over Jacques a very revealing photograph of promotion scheme and it would be McLaren’s secret extra brake unwise for the publishing house only then that he realised that the Villeneuve and the yellow flags, No-one was able to actually pedal which - quite legally - involved to rattle the cage of the third-placed man Fleinz-Flarald Frentzen also had an identical produce any evidence to back up allows the driver to apply the man giving them money... time.

Frankly, I think Ron needs a such conspiracy theories but there .brake on one rear wheel or the This was completely incredible is no doubt that Villeneuve’s exclu- other. This makes the car rather holiday. In the recent months he and Bernie had a problem. Down sion set up the most perfect World' swervier in the corners and helps' has been trying to get McLaren up the driver to get out of the corners to speed, and has been fighting in the paddock - where cynicism Championship showdown. over the Concorde Agreement Credibility is a funny thing. And more quickly. is as common as tasteless gold Dennis was outraged by the with Max and Bernie. watches - and paranoia lurks in Jerez few people in the paddock If I was Ron I would have behind the motorhomes, no-one were willing to accept that all publication of the photograph and was willing to accept that such a these coincidences might be down completely rejected the possibility climbed a tree and began to twitch thing could have happened, to pure unadulterated good luck thaf this was a bright piece of if I had discovered that on Somehow, they said, Ecclestone and not to some twisted conspira- thinking on the part of the photog- Saturday night Bernie and Max rapher, who had been curious had dinner with none other than MUST have orchestrated the cy. timesheets. People with long Perhaps it is the time of the about why McLarens were leaving Jurgen Schrempp, the managingmemories - a phenomenon as season - everyone is worn out - corners with their brakes glowing director of Daimler-Benz, the com but such is the mistrust in some as they accelerated away, and pany which is bankrolling McLaren common as a ducked-billed platy had concluded that such a system at the moment... pus in the FI paddock - reckoned sections of the paddock that peo that there might have been an ple simply assume that somehow must be involved - such things do occasion when two drivers had the or other things are being orches- exist in motorcycle racing for worse week.

In Jerez Still, Ron might have one had of a same time to the nearest thou- trated. example.

‘In Grand Prix racing ifyou are notparanoid you don H know^ the whole truth.

- Unnamed FI designer

my spies at McLaren informed me that one of the team cleaners has just won- a cool £250,000 on the National Lottery in England. The spy said that he did not think that the cleaner had left the employ ment of the team just yet, because there had been no sign of Mr Dennis walking around the factory with a feather duster stick ing out of his bottom...

Not everyone in F1 is caught in the paranoia trap. Some manage to avoid it by just getting on with their lives and not bothering to ask why something has hap pened. It is probably a wise thing to do. Two such individuals are Gerhard Berger and Ukyo Katayama, both of whom are leaving F1 after keeping us amused for many a year.

This is a shame for both are characters with plenty of humour but it is not the end of the world as some of my colleagues would have you believe. The;e are fewer characters among the drivers that is true but they are not all colour less.

Corporate are such that mostpressures drivers say only what they thihk people want them to say. Either than or they stand up and mutter nonsensical things.

One current driver is famous for this approach to such an extent that he is now nicknamed “Maximum fishpaste hat-stand radiator” because the words he uses make about as much sense as this useful collection of words.

There are people who do speak their mind: like Eddie Irvine. Fie is a bit too much of a loose cannon for his own good as was proved recently when he slagged off the Ferrari handling and found himself under serious threat of unemploy ment. Most drivers simply say what they are supposed to say.

“We are very happy to have done so well here in XXXXX. It was a great performance for everyone in the team and we are very happy,” is the staple rubbish dished out.

Why do PR people not actually print what people think. Imagine what fun could be had and what great articles would appear: Renault’s recent victory in the Luxembourg Grand Prix could have been a real giggle if the Renault man had been made to say something interesting like: “It was just fab to see Mercedes blow up their engines like that. We were laughing all the way to the finish line. Mind you, you have to feel sorry for the Benz boys. 1 mean, how embarrassing can it get?”

Or what about Goodyear in Japan. Why did the team have to be “very pleased” when it could have pointed out that Bridgestone had been completely trashed at Suzuka. Just imagine: “If I was the boss of Bridgestone’s FI pro gramme I would have fallen on my sword by now,” would have been a much more entertaining com ment.

Thankfully, we still have the grunge kid Jacques Villeneuve. Fie is so surrounded by minders that trying to get to him is a pointless exercise but when they led him out of his box he does tend to fire from the hip...

Good on him! And well done on the World Championship!

^2 7November 1991

INTERVIEW

The two of us Love him or not, Larry Perkins builds and drives the strongest V8 cars at Bathurst. Three wins in thefive most recent V8 races suggests they Le not slow either. With side-kick Russell Ingall now entrenched at Perkins Engineering the pair are becoming as enduring as Dick and JB. Amid a hectic round ofpost-race commitments, they popped into Motorsport Newsfor a chat with CHRIS LAMBDEN:

Motorsport News: Three out of five wins in the cur rent V8 era — was that the easiest one?

Larry Perkins: Easiest is a word I don’t like to use, because there’s a bit of arro gance about it. To be per fectly honest, from a techni cal point of view, we have never had it so easy. We had no problems, no fail ures, no “I hope this’ll lasf.

We knew after the first stint that we only had to race HRT and we were surprised that we could race with them, because we thought they had superior speed to us — and they didn’t — and so, as a consequence of them falling out, both Russell and I knew (not that we broadcast it during the race) that all we had to do

was keep it intact ourselves and drive it home.

We wouldn’t have to race anybody to win the race — and that’s how it worked out.

wasn’t necessarily a good race for the viewers. But from our own selfish side, we’re hot going to trade it for a hard race!

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In the big picture, you have l 4 to run the raceflat out.

You simply don 7 have the luxury of hoping everyone else will drop out

And so, you could use that arrogant word “easiest” and it was probably right.

MN: By half distance^ it was pretty much all over.

LP: That’s exactly right, and the pity of that is that it

MN: Once you got to half way and things panned out as they did, did you consciously ease back a notch in terms of pushing the car?

Russell Ingall: Pace-wise, I don’t think so. I know that,

WINS BATHURST AGAIN LARRY PERKINS AND RUSSELL INGALL ON THEIR PRIMUS 1000 WIN DRIVING THE CASTROL PERKINS COMMODORE V8 USING 1-10 i -LI

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in my second stint, I drove harder than in the first stint, when I was a little bjt more cautious primarily because of the traffic, I think. ' When I was chasing Skaife and Lowndes, the gap was going from eight to 10 seconds most of the time and that was because I wouldn’t commit myself too hard as far as passing traffic went.

I saw the two in front of me were taking a few risks and in the end it caught one of them out...

But the second stint, once the field thinned out a bit, I pushed quite hard and dropped into the mid-13s.

Same with Larry when he jumped back in.

We pushed hard, but just didn’t take risks. I’d rather lose a couple of seconds being cautious getting past someone than stick it in the wall...

LP: It’s called using your noggin!

MN: Hypothetical — if it had come down to the last lap and it was you and one other car, would you be prepared to adopt the “Schumacher” approach — ie do or die?

LP: I saw it on the news and I thought he was wrong.

He didn’t do what he promised; he did drive dirty on that comer, but he did come off second best.

Whether I’d do the same at Bathurst...

I wouldn’t. You’ve got to do your harder work well before the last lap. It’s a bit hypothetical, but you just can’t do a deliberate “takeouf of the other guy. I couid never agree to that.

MN: The final tyre choice between the two Dunlops went your way. How important was that and what effect would it have had for you if you’d had to run the harder rubber?

LP: If we’d had to run the harder tyre, which Dick wanted (and which cost us Oran Park), we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about the race as the winners, it was crucial. You have to run competitively and the hard Dunlop 975 is a tyre which is simply unsuitable for that race, that track. It was never on my agenda and with it, we would never have won.

MN: What sort of outright speed difference was there between the two?

LP: We reckoned it was

at least a second a lap.

Rl: The first 15-20 laps is really where we would have suffered. We would probably have been down a second and a half a lap — ie a good 20 seconds down per stint.

LP: We’d have been lucky to hang on to the tail of the bunch behind HRT. Rl: And we wouldn’t have been in the Top Ten to start with. So when Larry started, we would have been 11th or 12th — right where we quali fied in the touring car races when we had to run on that tyre — and lost all that time.

LP: We wouldn’t have been able to harass HRT as we did. Craig Lowndes may not have made the error he did if he’d had 30 seconds gap over Russell and, who knows, Skaife’s car may not have had its problem if they hadn’t had to run so hard.

In the big picture, you have to run the race flat out, as fast as you can. You sim ply don’t have the luxury of hoping every one else will drop out.

MN: You said post-race that you’d had to run faster than you’d expect ed. Did that hurt the tyres at all?

LP: They were a little bit gooey for the last four or five laps, but that was all.

We could only ever make a guess on what lap speed we could run and we expect ed it to be in the low 2:13s — but when it turned out to be the low 12s...

We still ran hard — each gearchange to 7,500rpm, but the speed was a little quicker than we’d expected.

Rl: it was a bit cooler in that first stint also, which we’d predicted three days earlier, and was exactly what we wanted...

MN: Watching that early pace from the pits, Russ ell, did it concern you?

Rl: Only from my side of things, because, if they were running that sort of pace in that stint, then I’d have to run at that in the second one!

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INTERVIEW

JNomberlW

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You could see that the car could do it and reliability wasn’t a concern, just the thought that I’d maybe have to look after the tyres. But the times weren’t varying much — he was still doing 2:12s half way through the stint — so really there was no problem.

MN: Considering the high finishing rate iast year, couid anyone have fore seen the drop-out rate this time among the front run ners? What did you make of it?

LP: The drop out rate in this race was just staggering.

I can’t believe it was so high.

You can’t put it down to any single thing. I don’t believe Lowndes’ crash, for instance, is a total driver thing.

The pace may have had something to do with it. The Bargwanna thing — that’s just a young bloke getting a bit excited.

I don’t know whether the mechanical failure of HRT was anything to do with the pace.

Throughout practice there were numerous engine fail ures from the fancied runners.

We saw Dick’s car have an apparent suspension fail ure — again I don’t know if you can attribute that to the pace...

What you can tend to see, as an overview, is that there was an awful lot of “fin ger” trouble, which is effec tively from the teams. And really, that’s almost inexcus able. i These cars have been around a fair while now.

There’s the same set of bolts in everyone’s car and why they were failing I’m not sure — especially when we had two extra weeks to pre pare over a traditional Sandown/Bathurst.

I thought that was a luxury while others, apparently, didn’t convert...

MN: Did anything at ali go wrong on the day?

LP: Well, yes, in terms of Russell tunning off the road

CROWD SURFER... Ingall celebrates like no-one else in touring car racing, while Perkins has been there five times before.

THE WEAPON... The Castro! Commodore was new. It was fast. And it didn’t break...

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmith) when he had a hiccup on fuel one lap earlier than we should have. That wasn’t scheduledi You don’t have scheduled “offs” unless you’ve got a very good PR/ scriptwriter.

That put us one lap behind on being sure of finishing the race on four pit stops and we didn’t then want to guess whether there’d be enough fuel to do it.

However, we had the lux ury of 55-60 seconds, which we could convert to plenty of fuel, so we’ll never really know whether we needed the extra pit-stop or not.

Rl: With the pace being that bit quicker, the economy went down...

LP: ...but that was still something we should have been able to work out.

Russell got two laps less than I did and we haven’t yet been able to have a good look at why that was.

That was “unscheduled” — we should both have got the same laps.

MN: Russell, you looked even more animated at the end of this one than in ’95.

More emotionai?

Rl: It’s hard to say. Ten laps from home I was think ing, barring anything going wrong, there’s another one.

But you get down to those last two laps...

A couple of guys in the team who you wouldn’t have thought would show much emotion were getting involved as well...

People think it’s just the race — but you’ve got to remember, it started months before.

LP: We make no secret of the thing that we put all our effort into Bathurst. It’s well known. Our whole workshop is geared towards it. Sure, we contest the Shell series.

and indeed try to win it, but the cloud hanging over that all the time is “We’ve got to win Bathursr.

It’s a massive focus for us and so when it finally pays off...

All the blokes are involved and they all know that if they don’t hold up their corner, it isn’t going to happen...

Rl: So it’s a big release, you know. There’s a number of teams haven’t won Bathurst, don’t know what it feels like...

((

Did that upset the plan much?

LP: The biggest problem with Oran Park was that we lost the tyre argument with Dunlop and Dick Johnson.

I’m not going to try and hide the fact that I was pretty cheesed off with Dunlop for allowing Dick the choice of tyre against the evidence.

I’ll go to my grave believ ing that Russell and I would have sat on the front row of the grid if we’d used the tyre we wanted to choose and from that, we’ve known

Ifeel it(TEGA)’s let down the industry by not getting a Control tyre in earlier I know this will offend one or two blokes, but too bad.

LP: It’s a good feeling...

You’ve got to understand that the effort is the team.

There’s no way Russell and I can win if it conks out. We don’t put the nuts and bolts in all the obscure parts of the car.

We’ve got a bunch of blokes who are totally unher alded — very few people even know their names — not superstars by reputation, but very much superstars within our own outfit because everyone relies on the other to do his own cor ner properly, and it happens.

They got it all right on the day and they should take a bow. It is a genuine team effort.

MN: Around Oran Park time, things looked to be going a bit off the rails — Russell’s crash at Oran Park, Larry’s at the Bathurst test day, and a few off-track diversions.

come at Oran Park probably went in our favour come Bathurst I believe they (Dunlop) realised there’d been a mistake at Oran Park and that we were right. It probably gave us a better arguing point at Bathurst...

LP: Maybe, but we shouldn’t have had to go down that path, the wrong tyre anyway...

MM: Were there any signif icant changes in the new car or was it effectively a replica of its predecessor?

LP: Nothing is ever a replica. So many things are subtly changed n one car had a steering wheel height 15mm different to the other, for example.

Nothing big in isolation, but 50 new items, a little bit here, a little bit there.

Things like we re-routed the oil filter on the gearbox — we’re probably giving something away here! — but a little bit of different plumb ing to that may avoid a fail ure. No way were we embarking on some major development change after the last race. No way.

throughout the year that the chances of us coming 1-2 were pretty good.

If that had been the case, Russell would have won the championship, so I was pret ty cheesed with Dunlop and, in hindsight, I think they know they blew it for us.

That was a single issue, MN: Before the race you though. The crash of said that you expected Russell’s was not a big deal this to be your last — we just had to fix it. My Bathurst on a non-Control crash was totally unsched- tyre. Does this signal uled(l), but at the same time another push to have that implemented? we were prepared for it.

LP: I’ve got a real prob All we had to do was go to the pigeon hole and pull lem within my association, out the next plan to get back TEGA, where it is supposed to where we were. to represent all race car So the new car materi owners and not just the alised — we didn’t even run pointy end.

I feel it’s let down the it at Sandown, it had done seven laps prior to Bathurst. industry by not getting a We were totally confident Control tyre in earlier.

I know this will offend one that our homework would be or two blokes, but too bad: I right.

Rl: Looking back over the Continued over page tyre situation, the tyre out-

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INTERVIEW

Continued from page 13 want the blokes who want to race me and others fair and square to be able to get a competitive tyre. ; Let’s be honest, it’s just not possible at the moment.

It’s the greatest turn-off we havejn our industry.

I hear threats from all the tyre makers, including Dunlop, that I shouldn’t talk like this. As you know, I have for four years and i’m , not backing off. It’s a wrong decision that we don’t have Control tyres.

Bridgestone have had a better tyre throughout the year in terms of speed and the young guys that are for tunate enough to get a politi cal deal with Bridgestone, compared with the young guys who can’t, are well up the queue.

That’s wrong. If you have to depend upon a political decision to get a component you can’t buy for love nor money.

I’m hoping that at TEGA’s AGM (November 5) that the membership gets its way with the Executive. I’m unhappy with some of the Executive members who sit there and are there only for / their own good. If they get 31 seconds...

SIDE by SIDE... rolled, it will be the best Perkins and ‘Rusty’ have MN: The magic figure, in thing that ever happened. been a formidable terms of Bathurst race The lack of a Control tyre combination in the two is the biggest single cause of wins, is 10. Is that achievyears they have been in the able for you, Larry?

At this problem in our industry. I also Shell series, and in '98 they will drop sponsorship, but I rate, every second year, / may be even tougher. you should make it in don’t see why I shouldn’t be equal to the guy who doesn’t 2005...

GETTING IN EARLY...

LP: I think I’d prefer to have the tyre deal.

Is Barry Sheene getting in I’m happy to race the accelerate the rate. No way 11-year-old Jack Perkins’ Craig Lowndes or the Murphy ani I getting drawn into this target. I’m getting drawn into good books before he starts ^ or whatever on a similar per running the show? formance tyre, but I can’t say next year’s race, though the same about some of my and If we win it, then so be (Photos by Dirk Klynsmilh) Level 1 competitors. They it.

I’m not interested in that don’t seem to be much in favour of racing Russell and I target, but if it happens, well and good. on a common tyre...

It’s made a little harder MN: How do you think the these days by the fact that we’re not allowed to change Control tyre privateer cate cars. It’s be easier if we gory worked at Bathurst?

LP: 21 entrants immedi- could have a couple of goes ately adopted the Control at it!

Am I allowed a go in the tyre, just six weeks before the race. If that’s not voting two-litre race as well? Two with your feet, then there’s shots a year? (laughs) I want to be able to look something amiss.

As far as I can see, the back on my record and say for me, closely coupled with but I can surely make a comment on it as I see it. race within a race that we whenever I won Bathurst, making the racing car tech nically as good as it needs Sometimes I think they’ve had was the best thing going especially these latter years. to be to win races. Then the got their priorities a bit con and I just want to see growth if’s been against the best jn that. competition Australia’s ever other things start to fall into fused because, at the end of the day, you’ve gotta be reli I want to see, within the been able to rriuster — that’s place.

At the end of the year, if able and you’ve got to oper Shell series, adoption of a where I get my rocks off.

Whether that ends up there’s enough left for me to ate within your means.

Privateer trophy, on Control We’re seeing teams drop tyres, based on the best six being these last three or have a 1,000 square foot house or a 747, then so be out at the moment, simply rounds, so that privateers more I’m not too fussed. it. because they are refusing to don’t HAVE to do the ten At the moment both those crank down their expense.

MN: Much is made of the rounds. Ten rounds for a pri fact that Perkins Engineer- items are a fair way off... vateer is a tall ask.

MN: is there much ieft to Six rounds. Control tyre, ing’s budget is a fair bit be saved in a pureiy reguiess than some of your MN: So where are the betprizemoney to reflect that — what’s the downside? major competitors’ — is ter-budgeted teams going iatory cost-cutting way?

LP: No, there’s not big that a source of additionai wrong?

LP: This is a question I’m savings to be made because MN: The compulsory satisfaction?

LP. Yes. asking some of my peers . the cars, by and large, brake pad change. Did it Rl: I’m not satisfied — I’m myself. I think a lack of tech- should do 2,000kms before add to the race? Was there nical understanding of com- any major service work, not paid enough! a genuine cost saving?

LP: !’m now faced with ponents is where a lot of They are the cheapest cars Rl: It was a cost-saving we’ve ever had. measure at the end of the the task of having to actually people waste their money, I saw one team changing Forgetting the capital day, but it added another pay Russell and that’s a element into the race. source of annoyance with from Harrop brakes fo cost, which we all know is Brembo brakes at Sandown. around $200,000 for a car, if LP: You don’t really need me...

Seriously, what we have Now that’s a.change that you can’t run a car for a fur to have expensive brake pads. Endless make a very remained focussed on is that doesn’t cost you peanuts — ther $150,000 - $200,000 a expensive pad which we our budgetary cake is only you’ve suddenly spent 20-30 year, you’re doing some thing terribly wrong. used in 1995 to go straight so big. I could cut it in half' grand, In other words, why And, in today’s league, through. In the end, you and give half to Russell as a could now buy two $500 fee and the other half to my would you do It? It didn’t that’s not a lot of money, sets of pads rather than the wife to buy new palm trees really solve the problem.

It’s a matter of badly MN; Russell - what’s the one $8,000 set. or something and we would spending your money in extent of your future deal I don’t think there’s any hardly go racing, negatives to it. It’s a pity the We’veigot different priori- some teams cases. with Larry. How far ahead Not that it’s for me to criti- are you committed?

TV missed the action of the ties. The first is long term LP: Far enough! pad changes. We did ours in jobs for the blokes who work else anyone else’s budget,

r

f Rl: Actually, I mucked it up a bit.

I was hanging out to the end of the championship, because I'thought I’d win it and that’d give me a bit more leverage. I should have waited until after Bathurst.

But I shot myself in the foot — did a deal for another couple of years before Bathurst...

MN: No racing now until February — what do you both do in the meantime?

Rl: A bit of PR stuff, a bit of a holiday...

MN: Getting married?

Rl: I’m being worked on.

But there’s not too much time — we have to start thinking about next year.

There’s a tyre test at some stage...

LP: We’ve got some tyre testing in December, we’ve got the VT Commodore pro gramme to get up and run ning...

MN: Has that started yet?

LP: Yes, I’ve got two body shells in my workshop courtesy of Holden Motorsport and we are com-

municating with each of the other Holden teams — Gibson and HRT — and we’re getting on pretty well in that area as we work on a practical conversion of the VT into a race car.

That’s what we all want and need in the industry and that’s going along nicely.

The girls’ car is running again next year, Russell and I have a race car each, plus the VT. So there’s not too much spare time. Plus, we use this time to get ahead in our cus tomer work as well.

MN: The Shell series has always been a “suck-itand-see” exercise for you.

A bit more serious next year?

LP: Yes, I made the mis take the other day when Russell made some com ment of saying that we’d give it a good go next year, so we’d better live up to that.

No excuses. If we don’t win, I won’t be able to say we didn’t try.

Rl: Biggest problem is that the biggest competition we’ve got is each other...

LP... and I pay the cheques. n

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7tJovemlxrl997

OCTOBER 1997 will go down in the history of motor racing as one of the busiest - and most signifi cant T months of the last decade.

Never before have two such high profile meetings as the AMP Bathurst 1000 and the Primus 1000 Classic been held at the same track in such close chronological proximity to one another.

And, after the announce ment that the Primus 1000 will move to November next year, it is unlikely that it will happen again.

Both races made consider able claims on the tradition that has been built up at Mount Panorama over the past 35 years, both had their supporters and both sides told fibs about how many people actually came to the event.

But, which was the better race? Who won the battle of the ‘great versus greater’ races?

The truth lies somewhere between what was said over that crazy 20 day period that covered the arrival of the teams <for the first race and the departure of the teams from the second. Many peo ple attended both events and, inevitably, comparisons were drawn among what became known in the trade as ‘Bl’(AMP 1000, October 5) and ‘B2’(Primus, October 19).

These terms are used, you will understand, without prejudice - and with apolo gies to the ABC and six-yearolds everywhere.

First, letobvious. us state the blindly There were more people at the Primus 1000. The official crowd figure was 51,400 for Sunday, compared to just over 18,000 for the AMP. But experienced Bathurst goers have been questioning both figures. Even on Friday and Saturday night at the AMP the mountain looked deserted, and it certainly looked more vacant than 18,000 would indicate on October 5 from the bottom of the mountain.

Mind you, over 50,000 looks slightly optimistic as well. That represents a 50 percent increase on the 1996 Bathurst 1000 crowd, a remarkable growth, but one

.

i

tale of two Bathursts

Now that both Bathurst races are over and things have settled down a little, which side won? What really happened at both events?

PHIL BRANAGAN was there and looks at the Battle of Mount Panorama

which is possible considering the boom in attendance at Shell ATCC rounds after Peter Brock announced his retirement.

The best we can do is offer an opinion; in the eyes of someone who was there for both races and has been going to Bathurst for a decade, both crowd figures looked pretty ‘favourable’.

The fact that the Primus killed the AMP on atten dance figures came as no surprise. The first event was never going to be a huge crowd-puller anyway, given that there was such an upheaval caused by having the two events scheduled a fortnight apart, and the ‘Brock Factor’ in race two was always going to be huge and boost the crowd.

Forget the well-coined fine downplaying OS’s presence because he was in both races; a lot more people went to the Primus race than to the AMP because it was Brock’s last Bathurst'race in a Holden Commodore.

A hands down win for the Primus 1000. With almost three times the crowd, what ever the numbers really are, the V8s win by a knockout.

The television came out muchratings closer than many people anticipat ed. Both sides are claiming their own victories; Ten’s Primus coverage had higher ratings than Seven (about 14.7 average to 11.3) but the AMP race, if you beheve the figures, had more total viewers.

Howard Reynolds _raeeiv V

^5

Winners usin^ brake components supplied bif Race Brakes Congratulations to top Bathurst privateer

Mulcolfn Stenniken on winning the Bathurst

This looks a little odd.

Seven has a bigger direct regional network via Prime Television, but Ten’s affili ates cover some places Prime does not. The industry word is that Seven and Ten - and, for that matter. Nine - have roughly the same potential national TV audience.

Internationally, there is no doubt that the Super Totrrers

had a bigger potential audi ence than the Supercars, with a quoted potential view ing audience of‘up to one bil lion’. But AVESCO certainly peddled the international TV rights to the V8s harder than they had been pushed before.

They claim up to 400 million viewers, internationally.

While those figures may, in the future, go a long way

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to deciding if both races sur vive or not for the purposes of this analysis we are con centrating on Australia only.

It should also be noted that only the AMP race faced competition from another televised major race (the 500s). The Primus didn’t.

In terms of the quality of television coverage the choice Continued on page 46

16

BMW's triple treat Report by DAVID HASSALL Photos by MARSHALL CASS PAUL Morris moved a large step closer to win second his ning Australian Super Touring Championship by leading a BMW whitewash of the penultimate round of the BOC Gases series at Lakeside on October 26.

It would take an enormous turnaround in fortunes at Amaroo this coming weekend for Moms to lose the battle against teammate Geoff Brabham.

Audi’s slim chances evapo rated at Lakeside, where the A4s and theii-. Dunlops could not match the BMWs, leav ing Cameron McConville with little opportunity to take even a mathematical chance to Amaroo.

BMW’s three-car domina tion of the Lakeside meeting was unprecedented in the history of Australian motor sport, the white cars topping the charts on Thursday, Friday, both qualifying ses sions on Saturday, the Sunday warm-up and both races.

Jim Richards did best of the rest in his new Volvo 850, from McConville and Cameron McLean.

McLean wrapped up the Independents’ Cup in the absence of runner-up Steven Richards.

Amaroo Park next week The BMW team quickly where 25 cars/are expected confirmed its firm favouritism for its home to front.

New to the ranks was the event by setting a hot pace third factory BMW of Craig on Thursday and Friday, its Baird, who was brought in to three cars topping the sheets help the team defend its ,● on both days, championship lead, Steven ' Brabham only arrived Johnson in the CPW back from a trip to the Motorsport BMW, Warren United States on the Luff in the FAI Honda Wednesday and, despite havAccord, Blair Smith from ing a fever, set the fastest New Zealand in a BMW and time on Thursday.

Jenni Thompson in the “The car is a lot better Knight Racing Ford Mondeo. today than I am,” said the ill Returning to the fold were Bathurst winner.

“This is the first time we Dwayne Bewley (Peugeot) and Kurt Kratzmann in the have run the 1997 aero pack age at Lakeside and it’s pretsecond Hyundai Lantra.

Cameron McLean was ty close right out of the box. back into his regular moimt.

We made a few changes, but the Greenfield Mowers I’m not really up to it today Holden Vectra, after to get more out of the car.” impressing everyone with his On Friday Brabham worked on a race set-up and pace in the works Volvo at Bathurst. could only match his And Jim Richards was Thursday pace (52.2s) while teammate Morris improved benefitting from Bathurst as he stepped into the later considerably to eclipse his model Volvo 850 which had time by three-tenths of a sec ond, matching his qualifying been brought out for Bathurst. record from the opening Volvo had rushed a fiveround here in May. Baird was third-fastest on cylinder fresh engine from both days driving the team’s England to enable the team to use the newer car - which test car, setting a 52.4s lap finished fourth at Bathurst. on both days, but was not as

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Enp:, familiar with the circuit as many had suspected, “Everyone thinks I have been pounding around Lakeside all year because I am the team’s test driver, but the truth is I have only done 12 laps here before and that was before the Albert Park meeting earlier this year,” Baird explained.

“In fact, I even had to ask directions to get to the circuit this week!”

The Audi team was not looking forward to Lakeside because its Dunlop tyres do not work too well here, especially when it is hot, and

Brad Jones decided to try some radical set-ups in an effort to make a break through to help McConviUe’s title challenge - Audi’s best bet.

But the practice days went very badly, punctuated by no less than three on-track inci dents.

Jones went off at about IGOkmh coming onto the front straight on Thursday and clouted the barriers, causing damage to the body work and front suspension, then had a coming together with Peter Hills’ Mondeo on Friday which only damaged

Entry & Practice The biggestforfield ever assembled the penul timate round of the champi onship, with five new entries and the return of two more.

TOCA Australia boss Kelvin O’Reilly put the increase down to the affect of Bathurst, which had drained the fields a little this year because the change to Super Tourers had been made after the teams had set their bud gets for the year.

The race had also created some new teams and spon sorships which had carried on into Lakeside and for

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the bodywork.

“He was having trouble making a gearchange and couldn’t get out of the way,” said Jones. “It was just one of those things and he came over later and apologised.

McConville also had trou ble with a slower car after 12 laps of a race distance run on Friday, breaking a wheel and an upright.

“I wasn’t going to pass him, but he understeered wide going into the Eastern Loop so I went through,” explained McConville, “then he got some giip and sudden ly turned in, hitting me in . the right rear comer.”

At the end of it all, the Audi twins finished about a second a lap slower than Morris and were not confi dent of improving.

Richards also had a couple of offs, but did little damage to the latest Volvo 850 and was fourth-fastest overall.

Jim was working on a few set-up changes to help front tyre life, which has always been a problem for the frontdiive cars at Lakeside.

Of the rest, McLean was the best while Johnson quickly settled into his first experience of a front-drive Super Tom'er.

Qoaiifying

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THE FOURTH MAN... Class debutant Steven Johnson became the fourth driver this season to race the CPW BMW.

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fter the rash of incidents involving slower cars on Thursday and Friday, the issue was raised at the Saturday morning drivers’ briefing (usuaUy held in the afternoon).

Although there was noth-

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E/A/E, SVEI, DREI... Morris, Baird and Brabham dominated aii facets of the Lakeside Super Touring round. The three 320is ran 1-2-3 in every practice and quaiifyingi session and both races. Brabham and Morris (inset) now have the 1997 title between them. ing the officials could do, the drivers decided to impose a self-regulated split in the official qualifying sessions along the same lines as the V8 Supercars have had all year.

The fastest half of the field would go out in the first half of each 30-minute session and the slower half in the second 15 minutes.

It seemed to work fairly well for all concerned and will probably be imposed still unofficially - in next weekend’s final round at Amaroo Park prior to possi ble official sanction next year.

But the new arrangement did nothing to change the status quo', with the three BMW drivers once again top ping the charts to take the top three places for both races.

Brabham scored his fifth successive series pole posi tion by setting a 51.83s time in the first session, just a few-hundredths faster than Morris, with Baird fourtenths slower.

In qualifying for the sec ond race, though, Brabham was only third-fastest, behind Baird and half a sec ond slower than Morris. Ahd he was at a loss to explain why.

“I just didn’t put it togeth er in the second session,” he said. “The lap felt good, but when I saw the time ...”

After being baulked on his hot lap in the first session, Morris was delighted with getting pole for the second and was confident that the BMW’s Michelin tyres would hold up in any conditions for ' the race.

“The Michelin tyre we have chosen can go the dis tance no matter how hard we push, so I will be going as hard as possible tomorrow,” said the series leader.

Baird was content with his work and was under no illu sions about his role in the races: “I have a support role - I’m here to help Paul and Geoff and take points off the others.”

Fourth for both races was Richards, the new Volvo

going much faster than the old one five montlris earlier.

JR was also hoping fo r a better race packa ge: “Hopefully the new car will be easier on the finnt tyres, so I hope to keep the front guys honest.”

McLean was delighted with his Vectra, the mid-sea son roll centre changes and new shocks makimghim fourtenths faster than in May, when he first raced the car.

He qualified fifth and sixth .

“It was a good lap,” said McLean of his 52.63s lap in the first session. “It was not out of control .. maybe that’s why it was a good lap.”

Like the BMW team, McLean was hoping for hot ter conditions as he believed that would be worse for the Audis.

So where were the Audis?

In brief, they were in deep trouble.

With the empihasis going onto McConville-, the yocmg Melbourne driver was in a better position, biut sixth and fifth was not what he was hoping for, even allowing for

Audi’s problems at this cir cuit.

“I’m one row further back than I expected and pretty disappointed that we couldn’t get the speed for qualifying,” said McConville.

“With the championship placed the way it is, we can’t afford to be conservative in the race, so 1 will be pushing on to be on the podium in both races.”

Team leader Jones ended up seventh for both races, which was the worst qualify ing result he could remember.

“It is a bit of a shock,” said Brad. “We’re having trouble finding a tyre to suit this cir cuit.”

Johnson was enjoying his Super Tourer debut and was rewarded with eighth in both sessions, steering the priva teer BMW around Lakeside faster than it had ever man aged before.

Sharing the fifth row for both races was Mark Adderton in the Toyota Camry and Luff, who had only raced here in the Suzuki Cup previously.

The Phoenix Motorsport team barely made it at all, having the Camry on the track for the first time on Saturday. “I’m pretty happy, but this is really Thursday for us,” he said of his progress.

Bewley qualified 11th for the first race before having a big off and hitting the barrier.

“I went into Hungry a bit quicker because I was on a hot lap, went wide, hit the ripple strip and away it went,” he said later in the day. “The car is not pretty, but it’s straight now.”

It may have been useable for the second session, but the medicos would not let him run again as he appeared to be suffering con cussion from hitting the fence. His helmet even cracked with the impact.

Teammate Tony Newman was next in the other Fastway Peugeot, but was a couple of places further back in the second.

As usual, Newmian was in close proximity with rivals Bob Tweedie (Vauxhall Cavalier) and Justin Matthews (Faber-Castell BMW) for both races.

David Auger qualified his

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Alfa Romeo 16th in the first session, but made some changes for the second which elevated him to 11th, one of te few drivers to improve his times in the hotter, slower afternoon session.

New Zealander Blair Smith was improving each time out and qualified 17th and 15th in the BMW, but was still trying to fix an engine problem which sur faced at Bathurst.

The Knight Racing Ford Mondeos (Peter Hills and Jenni Thompson) and the HVE Hjomdai Lantras (Paul Pickett and Kurt Kratzmann) completed the field, being in the last half dozen for both races.

Kratzmann’s Lantra quali fied 18th out of 20 for the first race, but the car failed to start under its owm power at the weighbridge during the session and was duly rel egated to the back on the grid.

Race 1 - 26 of scheduled 27 laps

The morning up race session provedwarm little more than that the BMWs were still in a class of their own, once again taking the top thi-ee positions.

McConville knew he had little chance of beating them, but was keen to latch onto their tails from the start and accomplished that as soon as the lights turned green.

But it was all to no avail as further back there was some carnage and the red flag was out.

Both Luff and Bewley has stalled on the grid and the latter in the Peugeot was hit hard by Kratzmann in the Lantra, putting the Hyundai out on the spot and giving the Fastway crew a heavy repair job on the Pug. Kratzmann was out for the day with radiator and panel damage, but the team was relieved that the gearbox was undamaged as a replace ment would have cost $60,000.

Brabham had also been unhappy with the red flag because for once he had dragged Morris to the first corner, but he managed it again at the re-start and charged into the lead from Morris and Baird.

Mind you, it was not easy as Morris gave his fellow

BMW driver a little tap in the middle of the Karrusel: “He backed off a little in the middle and I was still on the gas,” explained Morris later, McConville repeated his quick getaway and was in to fourth again, but this time teammate Jones was with him after clouting McLean on the run into the kink.

Jones had been slow away the first time, but had good reason. One of the rear driveshafts had broken and despite getting away cleanly this time -the problem soon became apparent and he was passed McLean and Johnson.

Brad’s problems had cer tainly helped the leaders as the first five (the three BMWs, McConville and Richo) raced away to a huge lead of 3.6s over the rest after just two laps.

Despite having drive to just three wheels, Jones managed to stay in eighth place just ahead of Adderton for the first half of the race, but the imbalance was causing a bad brake lock-up on the unloaded wheel and, with little point staying out “wobbling around”, he retu-ed to the pits before blowing a tyre and doing some damage.

The first five stayed in close proximity for a number of laps, clearing away to more than seven seconds clear of the rest after only five laps, but the BMWs soon drew away as the Volvo’s front tyres began to go away as expected an the Audis continued to struggle.

Brabham seemed to have the race under control, but mid-race the car started to feel strange - a fi’ont tie-rod began coming loose - and Geoff began having trouble keeping it under control.

When Geoff had a moment CO ming onto the straight on lap 18, Morris was close enough to pounce and passed cleanly, going away quickly to win by 3.5s while Brabham just stayed ahead of Baird.

Richards ran strongly in the first half of the race, the Volvo driver getting ahead of McConville’s Audi, but as the tyres faded Cameron was able to get back ahead and just held on for fomlh.

McLean was 10s behind Richards, the Vectra driver keeping an impressive Steve Continued over page

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British Hillclimb Champ’ship

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New Zealand Touring Car Champ’ship

Australian Porsche Cup

New Zealand Porsche Cup

Australian Sports Sedan Champ’ship

New Zealand Land Speed Record

Australian Club Car Nationals

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/Novembsr 1997

il'Pauli Morris proved I that he iS)not superstitious i by tmming up with a new , paintjob on Ms helmet, featuring a red and wMte : Mbiseus flower pattern ; borrowed jfrom a pair of Ms : : favourite old board shorts. ; “It’s a retro Hawaiian surf- i ; ing look,” said the keen i n long-bo£ad surfer, who i : copped a bit of goodi ; natured ribbing...

I

Continued from page 17

Johnson at bay all the way to the flag.

Steve was happy with his race and found he had little trouble catching McLean, but kept getting caught in traffic.

Mark Adderton was almost a lap further back at the flag to take 8th, not far ahead of Matthews’ BMW, but was thankful not to have a wrecked car after doing a I iii:0espite Geoff i 360-degree high-speed spin n Brabham’s runi offive | down the road under the ; straight poles, the under- j bridge behind the paddock. j rated Morris has proven j Matthews had been n his racing pedigree by win- | i ningqhne ofthe past ten i caught in a great tussle with I BOG Gases series i;aces. | Auger, but a perfect piece of ! dli?Cameron McLean | opportunism when the group was being lapped by the : wrapped up the i BMWs allowed his to get i Independents Cup -- in ahead and race away. i qualifying,fhe single point | Paul Pickett was forced to I he earned for being the ; use second-hand Yokohamas ; fastest independent i clinched the title for the | on his badly understeering n Greenfield Mowers driver, Hyundai Lantra and the ; who had previously scored i' front-left eventually failed, forcing him to fit a replace : seven wins from 12starts. ^ i “It^s a fantastic feeing to | ment.

I wrap it up without even | Warren Luff was running r racing tomorrow,” he said. i a solid 10th when the front “I was second to Steven | crossmember broke and he flichards)last year,so it’s ; pitted. With no replacement, 'aspecialYeelngto beat i he was out for the day. i Mm for the title this year.” j And the Fastway team’s horrible weekend continued I jililVPFs:domination at. i I Lakeside was total. The H when, soph after Newman’s i three works cars were 1-2- .'i startline crash, Bewley I 3> in toiursday and Friday i pulled off with a broken I ^racticei both>qu^fying j clutch after travelling just ; sessions on Saturday,the 200 metres.

I race morning warm-upiand| i both races. Has any team i Race 2-27 laps dominated a race meeting j with such total conviction? i rjihe second was something of arace procession to I jSiThe FAl team was say the least, with only one somewhat miffed when the n firm positional change in the ^iocai ofificials threw their top six for the entire race. : promotionM girl out of pit | Unfortunately - for the ; .lane because she had part ; sake of the championship Cameron involved j of her midriffshowing.You i it have to wonder about local j McConville and it put the dress rules, wMch prevent | Audi driver out of contention bare legs(and,presumably ; for the championship, leav I bellybuttons)but not arms, j j when you see most ofthe j ing the battle between Morris and Brabham in the I crews at Formula 1 races ; BMWs at Amaroo. i wearing shorts. j McConville had made a b -7 IlFanl Fickett has asked !' tremendous start and man ; Hyundai in Korea for per- | aged to get in among the mission to homologate the ] BMWs, but lost his third i Sonata here in Australia. If 1 place on the second lap when : he gets the green fight,the he charged into Hungry, ; Sydneysider will build a only to find the gearbox ; Sonata for 1998. Former refusing to change down I BMW cMefen^eer Ralph i past fifth. j Bellamy has agreed to i The Audi ran wide and work on the project as a \ bounced across the grass, ! consultant. Whatever hap- i which seemed to free the ! pens,he is-trying to sel Ms i , pair ofLantras. j system, and Cameron scumbled back into the ; gDA\W;HASSMiL-.j fray. But he lost three

EIGHT WHEELS, SIX-WHEEL-DHIVE and TWIN CAMS...

McLean and McConville put on a hell of a battle in the second race, McLean getting the better of his namesake when traffic intervened on the final lap.

MARK TIME...

Adderton’s tough season in the Toyota Camry continued in Brisbane. With and eighth and a DNF the car continues to show potential but the results are yet to come. Maybe at Amaroo?

places in the process and was never able to get any of them hack again.

The Audi certainly had the pace to catch the battling front-drive cars of Richards and McLean, but getting past was something else.

He stalked McLean for the entire second half of the race, admirably resisting the temptation of giving the yel low Vetra a tap despite'some very defensive driving from McLean, who was having increasing brake trouble and was having to pump the pedal.

However, McConville’s persistence- was finally

rewarded with an opportuni ty on the very last lap.

McLean ran wide on the exit of the Karassel and McConville moved alongside, where he stayed through the sweepers before grabbing fifth place because he had the line for the right-hander before the bridge.

But it didn’t last long.

Just one more corner, in fact.

Coming Thompson’s Mondeo into Eastern Loop, McConville was unsure which side of the track she was taking, went for the outside and found the Mondeo pushing him so wide he had to back off.

In a flash, McLean was back in front and held it in the run to the flag.

Both drivers were happy

with the battle, especially the victor McLean. n “That was the race of my life,” he explained, “and it was good that Cam drove around for so long without turning me around or putting me into the fence.”

The dice had allowed Richards to skip away, which allowed him to pro tect his tyres, but they were all a long way behind the

I

r

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f

BOC GASES CHAMPIONSHIP

19

7Hovea}ber199/

BOC Gases Super Touring Championship

Round 7, Lakeside international Raceway October25/261997

n

n

n

Pos

Driver

Car

Race time

1 2 3

23:20.5932 23:24.0836 23:24.3907

4 5 6 7 8 9

Paul Morris BMW Motorsport 320i Geoff Brabham BMW Motorsport 320i Craig Baird BMW Motorsport 320i Cameron McConville Orix Audi Sport A4 Quattro Jim Richards Volvo Racing Volvo 850 Cameron Mciean Greenfield Holden Vectra Steven Johnson CPW Motorsport BMW 318i Mark Adderton Phoenix Toyota Camry Justin Matthews Faber-Casteil BMW E36

10 11 12

David Auger RobTweedie Peter Hills

DNF Dwayne Bewley

23:51.3467 25 laps 25 laps Olympus Alfa Romeo 155TS 25 laps IBC Vauxhall Cavalier 24 laps Knight Racing Ford Mondeo 24 laps Knight Racing Ford Mondeo 23 laps Hve Motorsport Hyundai Lantra 17 laps FAI Insurance Honda Accord 13 laps Orix Audi Sport A4 Quattro 12 laps Nigel Barclay BMW 318i 9 laps Fastway Couriers Peugeot 405

Pos

Driver

Car

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Paui Morris Geoff Brabham

13 Jenni Thompson NC Paul Pickett DNF Warren Luff DNF Brad Jones DNF Blair Smith

THE BATTLE OF INDEPENDENCE... Kiwi Biair Smith took tittle time to assimilate to the midfield battle, here taking the fight right to Bob Tweedie (Vauxhall, L)and Peter Hills’ Mondeo. three fyling works BMWs. Morris made the best of a good start from pole to score another win, 3.8s clear of Brabham - who banged wheels with team mate Baird, which allowed McConville ahead briefly.

Baird came back to push Brabham all the way to the line and set a new lap record on lap six.

Brad Jones had a bit of a moment at the end of lap one, which cost him two

If Alesi BBS’ BBS BBS

places and, while he picked them up again quickly, plus one more later in the race, 7th place (12s behind McConville) capped off a weekend he would rather forget.

Steve Johnson in 8th place was the last unlapped runner and was well cTear of Matthews and Auger (who just held off Hills at the end and was delighted with his 10th place finish).

Tweedie was next from

the Fastway Peugeots, which finally had a troublefree time, Pickett in the Lantra and Thompson.

The two wins were just what Morris wanted, espe cially with McConville out of contention, and he now goes to Amaroo with a 21point lead over Brabham and only 32 points available for two poles and two wins.

A solid result in one of those races will wrap it up for Morris.

Race time

BMW Motorsport BMW 320i 24:03.0726 BMW Motorsport BMW 320i 24:06.8212 Craig Baird BMW Motorsport BMW 320i 24:07.0843 24:24.3567 Voivo Racing Volvo 850 Jim Richards Cameron Mciean Greenfield Holden Vectra 24:26.9719 Cameron McConville Orix Audi Sport A4 Quattro 24:27.4760 Brad Jones Orix Audi Sport A4 Quattro 24:39.6036 Steven Johnson CPW Motorsport BMW 318i 24:49.5011 Justin Matthews Faber-Casteil BMW E36 26 laps 10 David Auger Olympus Alfa Romeo 155TS 26 laps 11 Peter Hills Knight Racing Ford Mondeo 26 laps 12 RobTweedie IBC Vauxhall Cavalier 26 laps 13 Dwayne Bewley 24 laps Fastway Couriers Peugeot 14 Tony Newman 24 laps Fastway Couriers Peugeot 15 Paul Pickett n Hve Motorsport Hyundai Lantra 25 laps 16 Jenni Thompson Knight Racing Ford Mondeo 24 laps DNF Mark Adderton Phoenix Toyota Camry 23 laps DNF Blair Smith Nigel Barclay BMW 318i 15 laps

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-.°'a

On

Quai Grid

52.9945 4 51.8626 2 52.9516 8 51.8342 1 53.0350 5 52.2478 3 53.2055 6 52.7964 6 53.2802 2 52.3940 4 54.1046 4 52.6288 5 54.3383 11 53.6762 8 54.6742 11 54.0103 9 55.5536 2 55.0858 14 56.0330 3 55.3667 16 55.2852 2 54.9000 13 56.4818 6 55.3659 15 58.6618 4 60.2187 18 56.6248 11 61.3863 19 54.6567 5 54.2360 10 54.8024 6 53.0609 7 56.0561 6 56.1139 17

Fdap

On

Qua! Grid

52.6245 5 52.0646 52.5647 6 52.5062 52.5071 6 52.4406 52.9922 5 52.5152 53.0588 6 53.0298 52.9276 9 52.8299 53.7627 6 53.2640 54.0799 3 53.8087 55.3812 13 55.3955 55.6736 4 55.1821 56.0557 6 56.3840 56.3610 10 55.4424 55.7696 9 No time 55.7395 7 55.4585 56.9404 5 57.4372 57.7983 4 59.1966 54.5109 10 53.9471 56.2473 4 55.9507

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

Drivers Championship: Morris 167, Brabham 146, McConville 133, Jones 114, Jim Richards 100, McLean 67, S Richards 39, Matthews 28, Newman 23, Auger and Baird 20, Tweedie 19, Bates 14, Wakefield 10, Jas Richards and Johnson 7, Adderon 6, Briggs 4, Cornish 3, Hills 2, Pickett 1.

Independents Championship: McLean 174, S Richards 110, Matthews 97, A'uger 77, Newman 74, Tweedie 72, Bates 34, Hills 30, Wakefield 24, Johnson 24, Jas Richards 23, Adderton 20, Cornish 16, Briggs 12, Pickett 6, Bewley and Thompson 4.

Manufacturers Championship:BMW 190, Audi 170, Volvo 138.

Teams Championship:BMW Motorsport 314, Orix Audi Sport 271, Hve Motorsport 31, Knight Racing 22, Fastway 9.

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23:40.5796 23:41.1086 23:51.0029

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20 7November 1997

The Peter Brock Story - Part 11

V

The End of an Era Since the split with Holden in 1987 it seemed impossible for Peter Brock to return to the factory team, but it happened in 1994,, paving the way for his eventual retirement DAVID HASSALL concludes The Peter Brock Story:

V:

OShell r

PBOiPO

m

05 ^I^MobileNe

& 05 RETURNS: Brock returned to the ‘fold’, and 05 returned to afactoryhacked Holden, in 1994.

P

eter Brock has always had a happy knack for turning adversity into advantage.

And such v/as the case at Bathurst in 1993 when a rash of severe engine problems led indi rectly to his official return to the Holden fold.

In the spirit of the factory team helping out a leading privateer, Holden Racing Team engine builder Rob Benson wandered down to the Advantage Racing pit and offered to help sort out a dev astating run of valvetrain problems afflicting 05. He ended up spend ing hours with the team, and Peter thought it a wonderful gesture.

At the Saturday afternoon press conference, Peter said as much, paying tribute to Benson and HRT. That, in turn, was well received by

HRT managing director J ohn Crennan - who was also one of the central figures in the 1987 split when he was Holden’s marketing manager.

By chance, the two happened to bump into one another in pit lane on Saturday afternoon and Crennan thanked Brock for his kind words. What’s more, he suggested that perhaps they should have a chat about exploring any possibili ties for the future. They agreed to meet in Crennan’s hotel room in Bathurst later that day.

It was a major step for Crennan and for Holden as the scars were still quite open for some people, even after seven years. But HRT was having trouble getting the funding necessary to mount the kind of challenge it really wanted

as the works team and Brock’s had approached senior manageMobil sponsorship would be most rnent at Mobil wanting to broker helpful. Pragmatic? Certainly. But just such a deal. “So, when I went Peter Brock does not bear a to them reporting our meeting with grudge and a Holden alignment Crennan, they were floored,” said would also sufr Mobil and Peter.

Peter. “They were a bit surprised “We [Peter and manager Steve that 1 was thinking along the same Frazer] just slipped down to John lines and knew nothing of their dis Crennan’s hotel and had a chat, cussions!

“I didn’t see a problem [return just exploring the possibilities,” recalls Peter of the now historical ing to Holden] because I have meeting. “There wasn’t too mu'ch never held a grudge and have we were talking about at the time, never learned how to. I suppose but we agreed to get together that some of the Mobil people won dered because there had been again in a couple of weeks.

“We ran it past Mobil. We talked some harsh words between a cou about it a bit, then Mobil got more ple of senior management people involved because they wanted to at Mobil and GM some years prior, pursue the possibilities of selling oil but generally speaking it was just a matter of putting some personality through the Holden system.

“Anyway, as the weeks went by things aside.” it became apparent that it was f course, Peter was welcomed probably going to happen, but back to the fold by most of the Steve had his own operation and was looking at building on that. At people at Holden, particularly in the same time, fie was finding that the dealer camps, because he had motor racing isn’t as simple as it been a tremendous frontman for appears and that there are many the brand over many years and had made many friends there. Only pitfalls.” a few senior people at GM Frazer, however, wanted to con expressed any reservations. tinue with Advantage Racing, con ‘The vast majority of people at sidering the previous difficult years as necessary growing pains'before General Motors were thilled that I getting it right. In the end, though, was back. Going to the race track Mobil really wanted the HRT deal as part of the Holden factory team to go through, so it did. Steve was fantastic. Standing ovations at dealer hospitality centres was negotiated a “pretty good settle ment” (and retained management something I’ll never forget. It was a of Peter’s affairs) and Peter, as real homecoming.” well as a number of the race team Stepping into the HRT Commodore for the first time was personnel, found themselves start ing a new chapter at the works also an eye-opener for Peter. He team. ’ suddenly discovered why he had Interestingly, while Crennan and had so much trouble beating them.

“They were solid cars,” he Brock were discussing, they were unaware that - at the very same recalls. “They felt strong and time - a senior advertising person unburstable. They gave you the

o

impression that they didn’t have any weak links; you could really just drive them hard all day. The whole car felt like it would take everything the driver ever gave it.

“They were markedly faster down the straights and out of cor ners, so I knew what I had been up against. Even Rob Benson’s cook ing engines were better than our best engines (from Advantage).’’

Peter immediately felt comfort able, finding for the first time in years that he was with a real ‘can do’ organisation. He had been frus trated at Advantage because finan cial constraints quite often inter fered with race preparation and PB was not in a position to have any say. But HRT was run just like Peter had always run his own teams; “You cannot run a team with your head; you must have passion and emotion for racing.”

Despite being written off by one racing writer as “maybe a good number two”, Peter quickly showed that he could still match it with the best and was described by Motorsport News as “the revelation of the 1994 SATCC series”.

While Mark Skaife ran away with the series in the Winfield Commodore, Peter was consistent ly on the podium and scored a memorable round win at Eastern Creek which had the crowd wild with excitement. In the end he fin ished third in the title chase, just a few points behind runner-up Seton and well ahead of new teammate Tomas Mezera.

Sandown and Bathurst, howev er, were somewhat disappointing.

The new HRT VP Commodores were certainly fast, PB starting both races from the front row, but he had brake problems at , Sandown and then crashed at Bathurst while chasing hard after eventual winner John Bowe.

For 1995 there were numerous changes at HRT, mainly through the departure of engine man Benson, who was replaced by that man of few words Eric Gaynor.

The team took the opportunity to take on a Formula 1 team-like structure with departments and less emphasis on individuals.

The 1995 touring car champi onship was another great contest and Peter was again in the thick of the action, scoring eight podium finishes from the ten rounds. In fact, the title went down to a final round shoot-out between Brock and Ford rivals John Bowe and

BACK IN BLACK and WHITE: Brock and Tomas Mezera looked strongfor a good result at Bathurst in 1996 but a series ofsmall problems kept themfrom challenging team mates Craig Lowndes and Greg Murphy. {Photo b\ Dirk Kiynsmith)

j ’ ,

j

INomlxfW/

t

Glenn Seton, but rear suspension damage incurred during the race morning Dash saw 05 slip down the order and place third in the title.

With Brad Jones leaving the team, Greg Murphy joined young hot-shot Craig Lowndes in the sec ond car for the endures and Craig showed tremendous speed in both events, but spun off trying to get the lead at Sandown. PB was side lined when 05 suffered rear end and engine troubles.

Bathurst was a complete disas ter for the team. Peter had an uncharacteristic spin in the Top Ten and then both cars suffered identical head gasket problems in their race engines which provided an unwelcome early finish to the day.

After twoteam years back with the factory - during the second of which he was paid by Mobil and provided to HRT as part of the team sponsorship - Peter decided it was time he had a contract with Holden so that he could be an offi cial representative of the company and not a de facto one.

But GM was not exactly enthusi astic and eventually decided against it. Consequently, Peter accepted an impressive offer from Volvo to drive its 2-litre Super Touring car and to endorse the company’s road cars. It did not go down well at GM. At the same time, HRT had decided to engage Lowndes as a full-time driver in 1996 in place of Mezera. What is more, it was decided to concentrate fully on the young star - at the expense of Peter, who was even told to stop his regular visits to the workshop.

The team was working on a number of developments, mainly with clutches,'throttle actuation and engines, which Lowndes alone helped to develop. Peter had little knowledge of the work being done and was left in no doubt that he was on the outer because of the Volvo situation.

“The support system in place for Craig was always going to give him a jump start to his career. He had quite a lot of mechanical innovation in his car to ensure that he got the very best result and they made no secret of the fact that they wanted him to do dynamic things.

“I knew I had [been pushed aside slightly]. There was a major effort to help Craig along.

“In order to meet my existing commitments I decided to take up the offer from Volvo. From that point on I was going to have diffi culty with the management part of the racing team..

“So 1996 was, in some respects, a difficult year. I thought that was petty, to be honest; since TWR and Volvo were so closely involved in Europe. I thought it was probably going to hurt the team’s prospects rather than help.

However I decided to just press on and overlook the impediments put in my way.

“I was still there doing a job for Mobil and the other sponsors, and I wanted to help Craig because he was an innocent young kid just out there having a go, starting off his career, so I just pressed on with life as usual, but it was not as sim ple at it might have seemed. The

BACK EN A VOLVO:Brock’s 1996 Super Touring drivein the Volvo 850 did not impress the Holden brass- but as usual, all ofhisfans loved it anyway. (Plwlo by Brisbane Momrspon photography)

specification of the cars was not the same.

“As the season progressed, the issues went away [he had decided not to r'snew the Volvo contract]

out; this is not a happy situation’.”

Out on the track, the year was ruined by a series of mechanical failures for both Peter and new team-mate Greg Murphy, mostly

signed thousands of autographs for his final hometown crowd, Skaife went out and slammed the opposition to take pole for the Sandown 500. Six weeks later, he

felt strongly because they were playingaround with Bathurst and weren^t concerned enough to talk to the people whose lives were inextricably wound up in the whole evenf^ and it was all resolved accordingly.

At the final touring car champi onship round at Oran Park I got a similar car to Craig’s and won the race, which was most gratifying.”

Peter’s consistency resulted in fourth place in the title chase behind Craig, Bowe and Seton.

For Sandown, HRT provided Peter with a new car featuring all the bits developed during the year - including an FI-style footbox.

Unfortunately, Peter’s feet were too big for it, which caused a shunt in practice when his right foot became jammed between the brake and the accelerator. It was a case of having to sort the car dur ing the race itself, rather than dur ing testing.

Then at Bathurst, while Lowndes and Murphy stole the headlines with a dominant victory.

After a .freakish component failure Peter’s gearshift broke and he lost a lap, having to settle for fifth.

The 1997 season will always be remembered as Peter’s retire ment year, starting with his announcement in May. Although expected - inevitably - the timing was a surprise and led to a series of very emotional farewells.

“I had been wondering (about retirement) for a year or two, think ing maybe it was time, but having no real strong feelings of not wanti ng to be out there any more. I stillfelt strong and fit and capable^ It was only a few weeks before I made the announcement that I really decided.

“My life was starting to go in another direction and there was also the [political] dramas with Bathurst. I felt strongly about that because they were playing around with Bathurst and weren’t concerned enough to talk to the people whose lives were inextri cably wound up in the whole event, to find out what we might reckon. They just pressed on without any due regard for this, and I said, ‘I think it’s time I got

involving the drivetrain. They chose the worst,possible moments to fail.

Instead of battling for the touring car title, Greg and Peter found themselves only fourth and sixth respectively at the end finish of the SATCC. Wet conditions at Wanneroo saw Peter score an incredible round victory which proved that he was still highly competitive while the Oran Park finale, so often a happy hunting ground, almost pro vided a fairytale victory. As it was, Peter had the pleasure of having pole position and winning a race in his very last ATCC outing.

“The team felt they knew it all, that their act was together - busi ness as usual,” said Peter, “but experience has taught me that is never the case. Always expect the unexpected.

“I have enjoyed very much working with Greg Murphy. He is a very motivated young guy. In many respects he’s similar to modern day kids like Craig and the Young Lions - they are quite dedicated doing all the peripheral things to get themselves right in the car; now all we have to do to make them successful is to get them thinking right and, to a certain extent, that’s been my role. I really enjoy it.”

For the long distance races, HRT had decided not to renew their contract with Tomas Mezera, who had partnered Peter since he joined the team. His replacement was something of a surprise.

Mark Skaife had been with Gibson Motorsport since he was virtually a kid and was even a part ner in the business. But he was the perfect choice for the team, not only because of his proven speed and dependability at the wheel, but because of his ability to do the development work on the car while Brock inevitably concentrated on his final farewells.

It did not take long for the Skaife signing to bear fruit. While Peter

did the same thing at Bathurst giving Peter the remarkable record of starting his final three V8 races from pole!

Of course, the races did not pro vide the big farewell Peter’s fan had hoped for - just as his run in the AMP Bathurst 1000 with the Vectra had ended in disappoint-

ment as various problems put he and Derek Warwick well down the order. At Sandown, a broken throt tle cable while leading put the HRT Commodore out of contention and at Bathurst the engine backfired through the injection and burnt out the wiring harness - again, while doing it nicely, out in front.

Many people thought that a win would have been the appropriate result for the King of the Mountain’s last race at Bathurst but, given the extraordinary failures which have stopped him in the last decade or so, a bizarre failure like that in the HRT car seemed equal ly fitting.

The farewells this year have been amazing as thousands of people have flocked to the circuits to say goodbye to their hero. Even Peter, who has been quite cool about his retirement, has not been able to escape the emotion com pletely.

‘The response has been incred ible,” he admits. “I have been amazed. I don't quite know what to make of it all; I expected people to say ‘Good on you, see you later,’ but there is something quite differ ent out there. I was taken aback.

There have been people from their 80s to little kids coming up crying - very, very emotional. You drive around waving to the crowd and people have tears streaming down their faces; it really is extraordi nary. The intensify of emotion has been incredible.”

Now it is all over. Expect the occasional ‘fun’ event like the Round Australia Rally next year, but not a Bathurst return. Peter knows he will get offers, complete with tempting financial incentives, but is adamant he has driven his last race: “No, that’s certainly not going to happen. Absolutely, defi nitely not.”

And so we say goodbye to the greatest driver motor sport has ever seen in Australia. But he will not be forgotten. The Brock legacy will stay with us forever.

The next chapter in Brock’s life is about to unfold...

11

FORMULA. ONE

Prejii

1

The 1997 World Drivers

MAPLE(RE)LIEF... Villeneuve celebrates on the podium with David Coulthard (left, second) and first time race winner (Photo by LAT Digital) Mika Hakkinen. McLaren ended the season with a 1-2 but was it down to a deal with Williams...?

2 finish in the McLaren scored a 1European Grand Prix at Jerez de la Frontera hut this was not significant. It was like Sandro Nannini’s win at Suzuka in 1989 - an unde served victory.

The win belonged to Jacques Villeneuve but on the last lap, under pressure from the two McLarens, he let Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard through so he would be sure of the World Championship .

Schumacher Michael deposited a truckload of egg on his face on lap 48 when he tried to take Villeneuve out of the race when Jacques chal lenged for the lead. It was exactly the kind of move one would have pxpected from the

man who took out Damon ver but he will never be a Hill to win the 1994 World good sportsman. title in Adelaide.

The FIA - having had the If there were doubts about glorious showdown they that incident there were none wanted - contrived to con clude that the crash was' a on this occasion. It was a cyn ical attempt to save the “racing incident”- which was World Championship but this a scandalous decision and time it was executed with an just goes to prove that the amateurism which must FIA stewards are either not have made Enzo Ferrari qualified for the jobs they hold or that they were told rotate in his grave.

As Schumacher’s Ferrari what to decide.

When the decision waS bounced off Villeneuve’s Williams and slid into the announced in the press room, gravel, Michael had only the place broke into outraged himself to blame. There was boos... no sympathy for him in the paddock. He had damaged Terez is a bloody awful his reputation considerably. t) place to have to work. In If this is the best racing ' the mornings the race track driver on earth, they said, smelled like Sao Paulo drains why does he need to resort to and the electrical systems such unsportsmanlike behavwere hopeless, Everything at the circuit iour? He may be a great dri-

Prize

was unfinished or overcrowd ed and, unless you were one of Bernie’s beautiful people, and did not get one of the few nice hotel rooms and either had to stay helicopter range away or had to put up with 12th century plumbing ideas.

I suppose it just goes to prove that if you throw enough money at Formula 1 the circus will accept the deal and go anywhere. There are supposed to be standards for these things. I think the FIA should actually fine itself for agreeing to hold a race at the track.

The build-up for the Villeneuve-Schumacher showdown was much the same as the are in these situ ations with everyone analysing every hint of activi ty of each of the challengers

Championship ended with controversy - and a new race winner - in Spain.

JOE SAWARD reports. for indications that they were losing their cool.

■Villeneuve had shown signs in practice of being a little under pressure. He had a cold and on Saturday morn ing became fed up by being blocked by Eddie Irvine, who seemed intent on getting in the way whenever the pair were together on the race track.

He stalked down to the Ferrari pit, called Irvine something unpleasant, and stalked back to the Williams pit, trailing his managers and PR types like ducklings in his wake.

“This is the fourth time he has done that to me here in two days,” Villeneuve com plained. “It’s just a stupid psychological game they are playing. Schumacher has

said he does not want to do anything bad or for anything bad to happen in this race, so I just hope that is what hap pens for his sake - but this shows how far Ferrari are prepared to go to help Mich ael win this Championship.”

'Although he looked like a man under pressure, Jacques said that, actually, he had less pressure than in Suzuka.

“I am in the underdog posi tion now and we have to fight back. There is no choice of strategy for us, we just have to be in front. That makes it easier in a way. Of course if something goes wrong then Michael wins it.”

With pole position Jacques certainly had the advantage for the race but as Schumacher was quick to point out, everything would ultimately depend on who made the best start.

The potential for trouble at the first comer was no doubt there, although Irvine was not fast enough in qualifying to pose a problem, being down in seventh on the grid.

Villeneuve’s pole lap was set on his first set of tyres and he admitted later that he n was surprised that he had done enough to retain pole position. He aborted a second run after locking up his wheels in the fii'st comer.

He was nonetheless delighted to be there.

Frentzen was in third place but reckoned that he might have been ahead had he not gone sideways in the chicane on his fastest lap.

Schumacher was pretty satisfied with his position and joked that it might not the VANQUISHED AIVD HIS SUCCESSOR...

Outgoing World Champion Damon Hill had another dis appointing race - his last — for Arrows-Yamaha. After his transmission failed yet again he was left with little to do but watch his former team-mate take the world title, and dream of Jordans, Mugen-Hondas and 1998.

(Photo by LAT Digital)

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23

THE BLOND LEADING THE BLIND...

The moment that decided the World Championship. In the first shot Vilieneuve has found a gap and slid down the inside of Michael Schumacher. Note how the Williams-Renault’s wheels are clearly ahead of the Ferrari’s and how its right wheels are virtually on the grass BEFORE the contact.

In the second shot Schumacher has turned into Villenueve’s sidepod and his fate is sealed. The Wiiliams made it through the corner and Michael ended up in the bunker while Jacques went on to finish third and take the title.

(Photos by LAT Digital)

be necessary for him to be ahead of Jacques to win the World Championship if they were back down the order.

This was an interesting point as several teams looked quite threatening. Damon Hill looked very strong in his Bridgestone-shod ArrowsYamaha, qualifying fourth just 0.058s off the tri-pole position. If the three front men had not been locked together to the thousandth of a second, Hill’s performance might have been noticed more than it was.

“If it hadn’t been for Katayama, who spun right in front of me at the last comer and cost me some time,” Damon reported, “I could have been on pole.

“Everyone in the team was pushing to find the last little bit, we’ve got a good set-up on the car and I am happy with the tyres Bridgestone has brought here. They are a lit tle more adventurous and I know they will be good for the race. I am really opti mistic.”

Pedro Diniz was less pleased. He was down in 13th position, complaining that two of his qualifying runs had been spoiled by traffic.

The two McLaren boys shared the third row of the grid with Mika fifth and David sixth. Mika com plained about traffic prob lems and reckoned that the gusting wind had made it dif ficult to find the right bal ance with the car. David also had trouble with traffic. The team had hoped for better.

Sharing the fourth row on

the grid with Irvine was Frenchman who had been Benetton’s Gerhard Berger in very quick in the practice seshis last race in FI. Gerhard sions. He complained of havhad been quite quick in prac ing too much oversteer but tice but things did not go well ' was actually ahead of the in the qualifying session and pole on his last flying run but he was not sure whether the problems had been caused by small set-up changes the engineers had made or whether or not the gusting wind had been to blame.

Jean Alesi was two places further back in 10th position which was not bad consider ing he was in the spare car after smacking his own race found Ukyo Katayama in his car into a wall during the path.

Shinji Nakano’s last race Saturday morning practice.

He also had two spins which with Frost was much the same as most of his others. did not help his lap times.

Olivier Panis was ninth on He was 15th on the grid sixthe grid in his Prost-Mugen tenths of a second behind his Honda which was a big dis team leader. Although the appointment for the Prost team did not say it

openly they would have preferred to have been running the more inspirational Jamo TruUi. The sixth row of the grid was shared by the two

brought back to the pits by the disorganised Spanish mai-shals.

The team ran the new P9 version of the Ford Zetec-R VIO without drama but

/knew Michael was

capable ofdoing that

- Jacques Vilieneuve

Stewart-Fords with Jan Magnussen beating Rubens Barrichello for the first time this year. Rubens had a good excuse because late in the morning session he had gone off and so had to qualify in the spare car because his race car took too long to be

decided that it would be bet ter to use the older P7 ver sions for the race.

Sharing the seventh row of the grid were Diniz and Johnny Herbert in his Sauber. Being 14th on the grid was a bit frustrating for Johnny who complained that

THE CALM BEFORE... Schumacher streaked away from the start, easily leading both Williams. (Photo by RaceAccess)

the rear end of the car was very loose.

With Gianni Moi'bidelh out of action because of his quali fying crash in Suzuka the Swiss team again called in its test and reserve driver Norberto Fontana to drive and he qualified 18th, a full second behind Herbert. He complained of bad traffic problems.

Behind Nakano in 16th position on the grid we found Ralf Schumacher in the faster of the two off-the-pace Jordans. The young German had made a bit of a mess of the session, spinning off in his race car and having to get into the spare for the rest of the session. 'This oversteered rather more than the race car.

“I am surprised we did so badly because I thought the car did not feel bad,” Ralf reported. “Obviously we are really offthe pace today.”

Giancarlo Fisichella was in similar trouble but he blamed the cfrcuit.

“I think our car is not real ly suited to this track,” he reported. “It felt very slippeiw and I had a lot of snap over steer in the low-speed cor ners.”

This was curious when you consider how competitive the Jordans were at the start of the year on the similar swerves of Buenos Aires.

Insiders mumbled that per haps there were things about electronic diffs which ai'e not all advantageous...

Whatever the case the Jordans did not look like Continued over page

2^

FORMULA ONE

IHomk!W7

What the drivers said Villeneuve: Twenty laps from the end, after I over took Michael, I was a little worried about the state of the car.

I was not really surprised when he finally decided to turn in on me; it was a little bit expected and I knew I was taking a bit of a risk.

But when he touched me we banged wheels and my car jumped in the air. I really felt that the crash had bro ken something. Luckily he went off the road, but my car felt very strange, espe cially in right hand comers the rear end was not at all stable. I could only push hard for a few laps because the tyres were heating up in a strange way.

I am surprised that I was actually able to finish the race. When he came over on me I couldn’t move over any further because I was already on the grass.

Either Michael had his eyes closed or somehow his hands slipped off the steer ing wheel or something...

Schumacher: There have been happier days in my life but that is racing and you can have good and bad days.

The first five laps after I fitted new tyres, Jacques was stronger than me but I feit I couid keep him behind me, but then he tried a rather optimistic attack. It worked fine for him but not for me. i want to congratulate

him because he has had a very good season. At the end of the day he has got the result and we have to face that.

Jacques had nothing to lose and he obviously thought he would go for it.

Being behind me he would have lost the championship anyway, so he had to do that. To be honest, I would have probably done the same.

I braked as late as possi ble and he braked even later, so I do not feel I made a mistake. I was called to see the Stewards after the race, but that is just normal procedure as the marshals have to make a report about the incident.

As expected, no action was taken against me.

Hakkinen: Yes, ifs pretty unbelievable. The race was interesting from start to fin ish, at least it was for me.

I never would have thought that we would win.

Then I got the opportunity [to pass David]. I don’t know exactly what happened, because it was a strange place to overtake David, but for my benefit it was fantastic.

CouKhard: I let Mika through to give him a chance to push because I couidn’t make any headway against the Jordan. And he was obviously quick enough to go past Jacques afthe chicane.

Continued from page 23 being a threat for the race.

The back two rows of the grid were filled by the Minardis and Tyrrells as they usually are.

On this occasion Katayama was ahead of his team mate Marques on row 10, while the Tyrrell battle for supremacy on the last row of the grid was headed on this occasion

by Mika Salo, who beat off Jos Verstappen’s challenge by less than a tenth of a sec ond.

Race(53 laps)

T

he morning warm-up saw Hakkinen fastest with Berger second and Panis also very quick in the Frost. Villeneuve was fifth and Schumacher was sev enth.

In the drivers’ briefing FIA President Max Mosley made a great song and dance about the Draconian penalties that would be inflicted on any dri ver who dared to influenced the outcome of the World Championship.

The paddock wps full of people discussing the possibihties and as the start time came closer so battalions of journalists headed for the first corner where there might be a good story.

The atmosphere was high ly charged as the field revved up and the red lights came on one by one. Given all the problems with the local infra structure in the days before the race it was a miracle that they managed to find five red lights which were all work-

formula 1

ing. These went out as they should have done - this has not always been the case at Grands Prix in Spain - and the field was otf.

Villeneuve and Schum acher went away together but Schumacher seemed to get more traction, probably because he was using a new set of tyres, while Villeneuve was taking the start on a used set ofrubber.

Whatever the case Michael* was ahead ag they went into the first comer and Frentzen also made a better start than Jacques and got ahead, Jacques leaving the door open for him to avoid any contact.

Behind them Hill made a poor start and fell behind the McLarens of Hakkinen and Coulthard.

In those early laps Schumacher grabbed a lead of two seconds over Frentzen while Villeneuve prepared his counter-attack.

On lap eight Frentzen who was al^o racing on used tyres and Was struggling to keep up with Schumacher let Villeneuve by to give him the chance to go after the Ferrari star.

Schumacher held the gap until his first stop on lap 22.

Villeneuve’s plan was to shadow Michael’s strategy through the race and so on the next lap Jacques came into the pits.

This left Frentzen to lead with Hakkinen ahead of Michael and Jacques with Coulthard mixing it with them as well. In the excite ments Jacques tried on one

THE RATPACK... Former world champions were thick on the Jerez ground, most finding time to talk to Niki Lauda. That’s the nomally reclusive 1979 champion Jody Schecker at top; (Photos by RaceAccess) below is the ‘semi-retired’Nigel Mansell. occasion to get past Michael but thought better ofit.

During that first pit stop sequence Frentzen fell behind the two McLarens, and in the process Coulthard was also able to get ahead of Hakkinen.

With the major stops out of the way and aU the front-run ners on the same strategy there was httle in the way of action in the middle stint.

It was not helped by the fact that Villeneuve lost oyer two seconds as he and

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Schumacher tried to lap Fontana (who it must be remembered uses a Ferrari engine disguised as a Petronas VIO in the back of his Sauber).

This created a sufficient gap to give Michael a breather. But then Jacques began to close again.

At this point the two lead ers came up towards the two Jordans. This sent Ferrari team boss Jean Todt march ing down towards the Jordan pit. He signalled to Eddie

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EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX

l

Jordan - what this meant we will never know - and then turned around and marched hack to the Ferrari pit.

Later Ron Dennis would visit Jordan as well to sug gest that Eddie get his men out of the way of Mika and David as they chased after Villeneuve...

Schumacher pitted for the second time on lap 43 and his stop took slightly longer than normal. As planned Villen-euve came in on the following lap and emerged from the pits right on Schumacher’s tail. For three laps they diced until, "on lap 48, they hammered down into Dry Sack Corner and Jacques made his move.

“I was quicker on the new tyres,” Jacques explained. “I knew I had to make a move.

Ev'en though I was 10 metres behind him I went for it and I braked late.”

It was a good move and Schumacher was taken by surprise.

“When he looked in his mirror I was way behind,” Villeneuve reported. ‘T knew I was taking a big risk but I was surprised that he turned in on me, but he didn’t do it well enough because he went off and I did not.

“My car jumped in the air and I thought something must be broken. The car felt very strange. The hit was very hard. It was not a small thing.

“I took two laps very slow ly to see if the suspension was attached and everything was still working and then I started to push again.

“I knew Michael was capa ble of doing that.”

After the race Schumacher concocted a ridiculous story which no-one believed which just added insult to injury.

It did not matter. Michael had lost and that was reward enough for Villeneuve and the Williams team.

Villeneuve still had to get to the flag to get the points necessary to win the title and with the car handling oddly he could no lap as fast as he had been before the crash.

“When I pushed for a few laps my tyres started to over heat and so I had to slow down. Everyone behind me was getting closer and then they were in my mirrors and it was a question of whether to risk going off or let them through. I did not fight then.

“It was better to let them through and win the'World Championship. It is a good exchange.”

And so it was that Mika Hakkinen won his first Grand Prix. Thanks to Villeneuve and in no small part to Coulthard as well, because David had let Mika get ahead with three laps to go - probably on orders from the pits.

The team did not bother to give details of this but David was not bubbling with joy after the event...

Hakkinen himself was speechless and made little sense after the race.

The last lap fun and games meant that the next chasing, group was right behind,Jacques at the flag with Merger just a tenth behind. It was a good effort from Gerhard and FI was sad to say goodbye to one of its more colourful - and gen tlemanly - characters.'

Alesi was charging along in the midfield - fighting with Panis for a lot of the race - but went offjust after his second stop and had to stop again for new tyres. He rejoined and raced home in a distant 13th.

Irvine finished fifth which was a dull result after a dull race but thankfully he was not able to get involved in the World Championship battle which was a good thing.

Frentzen came home in sixth but blamed his poor position on the fact that just before he was due to stop for the second time he came across Villeneuve trying to recover from the incident with Schumacher. Without that he reckoned he would have been ahead of the two McLarens - and he was probably right.

Panis finished seventh for Prost after a feisty showing which saw him make up two places early in the race.

After that he found himself stuck behind Magnussen for most of the race, which was frustrating. Nakano finished his race down in 10th place, which was nothing special.

Herbert finished eighth for.Sauber reporting a rather dull race while Fontana trudged around as he usually does and did nothing of any real value apart from holding up Villeneuve.

Magnussen came home in ninth place for Stewart which was a good effort.

Rubens Barrichello retired with a gearbox failure after 30 laps.

The Jordan-Peugeots were completely off the pace throughout the race but Fisichella managed to get to the finish in a lowly 11th place, a lap down on the leaders. Ralf Schumacher did not get to the finish, retiring after 44 laps with an engine problem.

Salo upheld the honour of Tyrrell with a pretty,good three-stop run to finished 12th ahead of the likes of Alesi and Fontana and he

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European Grand Prix World Championship, round 17 Jerez Spain October 26th 1997-69 laps 1 Mika Hakkinen McLaren-Mercedes MP4/12 2 David Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes MP4/12 3 Jacques Villeneuve Williams-Renault FW19 4 Gerhard Berger Benetton-Renault B197 5 Eddie Irvine Marlboro-Ferrari F310B 6 Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Williams-Renault FW19 7 Olivier Panis Prost-Mugen Honda JS45 8 Johnny Herbert Sauber-Petronas Cl6 9 Jan Magnussen Stewart-Ford SF-1 lOShinji Nakano Prost-Mugen Honda JS45 11 Giancarlo Fisichella Jordan-Peugeot 197 12 Mika Salo Tyrrell-Ford 025 13 Jean Alesi Benetton-Renault B197 14Norberto Fontana Sauber-Petronas Cl6 Minardi-Hart Ml97 ISTarso Marques 16 Jos Verstappen Tyrrell-Ford 025 Minardi-Hart Ml97 17 Ukyo Katayama Fastest Lap; Frentzen Lap 30 1m 23.135 secs Retirements: Pedro Diniz Lap 11 Flubens Barrichello Lap 30 Ralf Schumacher Lap 44 Damon Hill Lap 47 Michael Schumacher Lap 47

1h38m57.771s 1h38m59.425s 1m38m59.574s 1h38m59.690s 1h39m01.560s 1h39m02.308s 1h40m04.916s 1h40m10.732s 1h40m 15.258s 1h40m15.986s 68 laps 68 laps 68 laps 68 laps 68 laps 68 laps 68 laps

191.745 kph.

Arrows-Yamaha A18 Stewart-Ford SF1 Jordan-Peugeot 197 .

Arrows-Yamaha A18 Marlboro-Ferrari F31 OB

spun off gearbox water leak hydraulics accident

Drivers Worid Championship 1 Villeneuve 81; 2 Schumacher 78; 3 Frentzen 42; 4 Coulthard 36; 5 Alesi 36; 6 Berger 27; 8 Hakkinen 27; 8 Irvine 24;9 Fisichella 20; 10 Panis 16; 11 Herbert 15; 12 R. Schumacher 13; 13 Hill 7; 14 Barrichello 6; 15 Wurz 4; 16 Trulli 3; 17 Salo 2; 18 Diniz 2; 19 Nakano 2 ; 20 Larini 1.

Constructors’ World Championship 1 Williams-Renault 123; 2 Marlboro-Ferrari 102; 3 Benetton-Renault 67; 4 McLarenMercedes 63; 5 Jordan-Peugeot 33; 6 Prost-Mugen Honda 21; 7 Sauber-Petronas 16; 8 Arrows-Yamaha 9; 9 Stewart-Ford 6; 10 Tyrrell-Ford 2. enjoyed actually racing other drivers rather than running around at the back of the field.

Verstappen also made it to the flag but was down in 16th position.

Both the Minardi boys also made it to the finish in 15th and 17th places which was a pretty good result given the

team’s run of problems in recent races.

Neither Arrows made it to the flag. Diniz spun off after just 12 laps while Hill shpped back in the race and dropped out with a gearbox problem on the same lap as the Schumacher and Vflleneuve colhded.

And so ended the 1997

World Championship with a slightly sour taste in the mouth. Max Mosley said he wanted the race to be “a proper and fair contest”, adding that a range of penal ties could be imposed on dri vers who ignore the warning.

Schumacher chose to ignore this but was allowed to get away with it-for now.

I

t would have been nice to end the season with another win, but Jacques ended the year with the Driver’s Championship to go with the Rothmans Williams Renault team’s Construction’ Title and I took the bronze, so things really couldn’t have been much better after Jerez.

I guess they are going to have to start timing the cars to four deci mal places next year! Apparently they already do, but whatever the order might have been to four zeroes for the first three places on the grid was a closely kept secret.

I the had front a mission in Jerez; to getand on row with Jacques keep Schumacher behind us.

Unfortunately I failed. I tried hard to split them, but in the end it wasn’t easy!

We all ended up with exactly the same time. One of the engi neers sat down and worked it out that the odds of that happening again were once every 64,000 years. I guess I won’t get to see it again.

Apparently a Ferrari engineer also worked out that 1/1000th of a second on the watch represented 5.4 cms on the track. A pity I didn’t use the long wheelbase chassis in Jerez.

Fortunately Jacques was the first to set the pole time, but then, amazingly, Schumacher did exact ly the same time shortly after wards.

I had one last chance and went for it, but the wind in the last part of the circuit was upsetting the car a bit and I lost the advantage I had in the first two-thirds of the lap.

Incredibly, my time was exactly the same as the other two.

History had been made.

As well as IJacques’ title here, was alsotaking hopingthe to take the win, but things didn’t work out the way I had hoped.

Schumacher made an incredible. start thanks both to his new tyres " and starting from the clean side of the track. I had made a good start as well, and found myself inside TRIPLE TREAT: Schumacher, Villeneuve and HH-F made history in qualifying. (Photo by latDigital) Jacques going into the first corner.

I backed off expecting him to who it was I almost stopped, but turn in, but he stayed out there did my bit for the team and slowed for it.” I suddenly caught up to my pace in order to help Jacques.

Jacques, who was going slowly just before they could start trying to not wanting to risk any confusion With myself strategically checking if his own car was OK take my wheels off I sped up again and a possible accident.

In the end, I had no choice placed on the track, I made my after the accident. and drove through the McLaren pit but to turn into the corner to own stop as late as I could, and Unfortunately he was too preoc to my own team, collecting a cou take second place just ahead of so I wasn’t surprised when I came cupied to let me by and I lost ple of McLaren’s wheel guns in the around five seconds before I went process! tlacques. Like Jacques, I started out behind the two McLarens.

I took fastest lap of the race to the pits.

All that put me back in sixth the race on used tyr^s and, even though I pushed to stay catching them up, but passing With all that was going on, my place, well behind the McLarens mind was elsewhere as I dashed with Schumacher, the Ferrari them was not so easy, and even Irvine and Berger.

All I could do now was finish the was a lot quicker as my tyres They went into the pits again into the pits. I almost forgot to hit went off. before me and I pushed as hard as all the relevant switches and with a race and hope for a point or two.

After seven laps I got a call I could before my own second lot of oil on my visor too, I pulled There was quite a traffic jam as we from Frank to let Jacques ahead stop, into the wrong pit when I saw the all closed up on Jacques towards and take up the chase. I let him go I wasn’t far behind Jacques and the end, but I couldn’t better my Benetton lollipop.

It’s the first time I have ever sixth place and just one point at and concentrated,on staying as far Schumacher, ready to stop myself, ahead of the McLarens as I could. when they had their collision, done that. I saw a guy with a gun the flag. saw Schumacher off the track But when Schumacher stopped I’m already looking forward to kneeling by the front wheel and and then came out behind me, I next year. and thought, “Great, now I can go suddenly realised I didn’t know

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^lW®0®[FS[p®[?9 Report by PETER WHITTEN

Tommi Makinen is just one point away from winning the World Rally Championship, ' despite failing to overhaul win ner Colin McRae hy just six sec onds on the final day of Rally Australia last weekend.

McRae’s victory keeps his title hopes alive, but Makinen’s second place means McRae has to win the final event in England and Makinen needs only a sixth place to take the championship.

It was a good event for Subaru, who clinched the manufacturers title, but Ford had no luck, losing both titles and both cars in a rough and tough three-day event.

Local hopes of a home victory for Neal Bates disappeared early and, in fact, it was Mitsubishi driver Ed Ordynski who took the honour of the first Australian driver home.

TESTING Bates went into the rally with some optimism, after, clocking the fastest time on the Langley Park shakedown two days before the raUy start.

Paired up against team-mate Didier Auriol on two occasions.

Bates easily beat the more fancied French driver, although he wasn’t getting carried away.

“I really don’t think I have any chance of matching it with the front runners, but we’ll give it our best shot,” Bates said before the start.

“We’ve had a good test session and I’m comfortable with the car.”

Ordynski had been testing as well in his Winfield-backed Lancer, changing rear’ differential and sus pension settings in order to get the car handling to his liking.

He came- away quite happy and oveijoyed at the prospect of driving a car with so much power.

IN WITH A SHOW... Colin McRae's Rally Australia win in the Subaru Impreza WRC 97 may prove to be providential.

(All photos by Phil Williams)

Title still up for grabs McRae closes on Makinen after Rally Australia victory

Makinen, but only got the set-up of his Escort to his liking on the sec ond to last forest stage of the day.

But he was better off than his team-mate, Juha Kankkunen, who glanced a tree on SS2 and had to drive the whole 30km Helena stage at snail’s pace.

This dropped Kankkunen to 78th place and, even though he had recovered to 40th place by the end of the day. Ford withdrew the car after the final stage of the leg.

Bates had a slightly disappoint ing day, being off the pace of the other factory cars and finishing the leg just two seconds in front of the Subaru ofPossum Bourne.

Bourne had been ringing the neck of the Impreza to be in eighth place, just under a minute clear of the Ralliart Lancer Evo 3 of Ordynski, who was having a ball in

LEG ONE After a rough and dusty first day which saw four different drivers lead the rally, Colin McRae went into the Friday night halt with a slender nine second lead in his Subaiu Impreza WRC 97.

Despite damaging his Impreza on both of the first two stages, the Scotsman hit the lead late on the first day after team-mate Kenneth Eriksson hit a rock, damaged the suspension and went off the road on the second last stage of the leg.

Carlos Sainz and Auriol held a narrow one second lead after an exciting opening to the rally at Langley Park in Perth, but once the rally moved into the forests it was Eriksson in the Subaru and young Briton Richard Burns in his Mitsubishi who battled for the lead.

Burns dropped time later in the day, allowing McRae to move in front, while Eriksson dropped back to fifth, 27 seconds behind the Escort of Carlos Sainz.

The surprise of the day was World Championship leader Makinen, who could manage just sixth place at day’s end.

Makinen had to push-start his car in Parc Ferme, costing him 30 seconds in penalties and also had the disadvantage of running first car on the road, meaning his car had to sweep the loose ball bearing like stones of the stages, giving more giip to the cars following.

Toyota did well with their new Corolla - Auriol initially challenged for the lead, but dropped to third by the end of the leg when front drive problems surfaced and then the joy stick for the sequential gearbox failed.

Sainz finished the day in fourth place, ahead of championship rival

his first Rally Australia in a Group A car.

ARC Group N protagonists Michael Guest and Greg Graham both had difficult days. Guest had been the fastest in the category, but dropped four minutes changing a flat tyre and more time when the power steering failed on the long 30km stage, making the car more than a little difficult to drive.

While the forest stages proved good for Graham, Langley Park had proved his downfall.

A turbo pipe came adrift on the first night, then a badly cut up cor ner saw the Impreza roll twice at the end of the leg, which immedi ately saw the stage stopped and regraded before the front running cars started.

The category was therefore head ed by the Proton Wira of Japanese

driver Taguchi, with Konishi’s Subaru Impreza second.

Graham was fifth, two minutes off the pace, -with Guest a depress ing ninth and four and a half min utes behind.

A competitive day in Formula 2 saw Finnish star Harri Rovanpera leading by three minutes in his Seat Ibiza.

His closest rival on stage times, Alister McRae in a Volkswagen Golf, lost plenty of time after knocking a wheel off his car and driving three stages on three wheels.

He made it back to service, even overtaking cars on his way into town.

Both works Hyundais had disap pointing outings, losing time and finishing the day with little hope of recapturing lost ground.

LEG TWO Dri-ving neatly and tidily, Sainz put in the drive of the day, steering his Escort to five fastest stage times and taking the lead by two seconds after the middle leg of Rally Australia.

Spurred on by co-driver Luis Moya,the Spaniard was the class of the field.

Colin McRae struggled as first car on the road during day two.

The stages in the Harvey and Stirling are the slipperiest of the rally and, as a result, running first on the road is not the place to be.

After the demise of team-mate Eriksson, who went off the road on SS17, McRae actually led the event by fom- seconds going into the final stage at Langley Park, but deliber ately slowed, dropping six seconds to Sainz to ensm-e the Ford driver

ANOTHER TITLE?... Reigning World Champion Tommi Makinen’s runner-up finish in Rally Australia means the ‘97 title is within reach.

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(Williams)

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front drivel...

We then had prob lems with overheating the brakes, to the extent that we lost the brakes completely.

We then locked it in four wheel drive with diffs locked and had to do the next few stages like that, in the process losing the alight advan tage we had over Possum.

I am sure that the The TTE guys rectiLuckily, it was only fied this, then we headed scrub and there wasn’t car will be quicker than the Celica and I am off into the Harvey Weir too much damage.

But the damage was looking forward to gat stage.

The Corolla was great at the Super Special 1 was trying to make mostly to the radiator ing some testing, in at Langley Park on the up time when we fired off and that caused more before Caberra, so that first night and throughout the road on Saturday problems on Sunday, I can try and get the the special stages on the afternoon, as 1 am sure with overheating forcing most out of the car. most of Australia saw, us to back off to get to Friday.

We finished the day in because it happened the finish, really enjoyed Rally and there sixth place and were directly beneath the I would like to have I Australia the leading Australian Channel Ten helicopter done better, but it was was a lot to be learned. crew, which I was happy which caught the whole not to be - eighth place It always amazes me with. incident for the world to was reasonable, consid- to see just how hard ering our problems, but the very top guys push.

It was pleasing to be see.

Congratulaions must leading Possum and Ed, Normally, a mistake our Rally Australia go to Possum and Ed but that feeling didn’t last like that deep in the for- hoodoo continues... est would remain a long. on a well-driven rally i e have loaded the and I am looking for secret, except to the dri Corolla onto the ward to taking the fight ver and co-driver - but them m On Saturday, transporter and it is now up to failed earlya sensor in the not this time. day and the car went It was my mistake - on its way back to Canberra. into front wheel drive we arrived too hot as a Canberra so that we can See you there, for mode - the sort of power Left 5 becomes Left 3 start getting it ready for what should be a great the new Corolla puts out and fired off into the The Rally of Canberra at finale to the rally year the end of this month. in Australia. makes it fairly oripary in scrub.

BUSH BASHING... An off into the scrub drastically altered the Corolla’s aerodynamics. (Phil Williams pic) Once this year Rallyagain Australia had mixed results for us, but obviously it was fantastic to be driving the new TTE Corolla World Rally Car on our home event.

Everything went well on the first day and I was looking forward to build ing on that over the next two days.

The car was fantastic, but then we had prob lems and the result was less than we expected.

1

(Williams) LEGENDARY CO-DRIVER... Luis Moya and appreciative fan. started first car on the road for Leg pair went at it hammer and tongs.

Three.

Makinen needed to make up 12 Both Mitsubishis had a satisfac seconds on the final 30km stage, tory day, -with Bums slightly off the but he ran wide on a few corners pace, but still managing third at the and McRae took the victory by just six seconds. day’s end, while Makinen set a simi Auriol won the other battle for lar pace to leader Sainz, but was still fifth going into the final day. the day, beating Bums’ Mitsubishi Toyota’s challenge for the lead by just 18 seconds. was still alive as Auriol was only 36 Bourne drove brilliantly for the seconds from the front, but Bates’ whole event to claim a wellrally almost ended on the television deserved fifth place for Subaru, a stage when he put the Corolla off minute and a half clear of the road and was lucky to regain Ordynski, who enjoyed a relatively the gravel and finish the stage, trouble-free (“and fun”) rally in his Lancer Evo 3 - first Australian although down in eighth place.

The Australian’s Corolla was home was just reward for the reverting unexpectedly to front- perennial Group N winner. wheel drive during the day and, Bates ended up in eighth place, when an engine water leak slowing over the final stages to pre appeared later. Bates was ready to serve an overheating engine, while preserve his car and aim for a fin Rovanpera won F2 in his sweet ish. ' sounding Seat.

His problems had allowed ■Eleventh place was enough to Bourne and Ordynski to move in give Konishi the Group N victory front of him, although the Subaru for Subam. driver had a lead of over a minute Final results on the Aussie’s Mitsubishi.

Guest had made rapid progress 1. C. McRae/N. Grist in Group N, making up four min Subam Impreza WRC 97 4h05m31s utes on the leaders to trail by just 60 seconds with two stages of the 2. T. Makinen/S. Haijanne Mitsubishi Lancer - 4.05.37 day to run - but a shattering 10 minute time loss on the final stage 3. D. Auriol/D. Giraudet soon ended his hopes.

Toyota CoroUa WRC - 4.05.52 ● Konishi’s Subam led the category 4. R. Bums/R. Reid Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4 - 4.06.10 over Kataoka’s Mitsubishi, after previous leader Taguchi crashed 5. P. Bourne/C. Vincent his Proton.

Subam Impreza 555 - 4.13.23 Rovanpera led Formula 2 with 6. E. Ord}mski/M. Stacey Mitsubishi Lancer - 4.14.55 , Toyota Corolla WRC - 4.16.39 ease, although Alister McRae had 9. R. Sufan/M. Christie made his way back up to second in 7. F. Loix/S. Smeets ToyotaCehca GT-Four- 4.24.34 the category.

Toyota Celica GT-Four - 4.15.26 10.

H. RovanperaA^. Silander 8. N. Bates/C. Taylor LEG THREE Sainz seems to have more bad luck than good luck and this wasn’t to change in Leg Three.

20km into the first stage of the day, a small stone found its way into the engine’s cam belt mecha nism and lodged itself between the pulleys. The cam belt was stripped and Sainz’s rally was over.

Seeing the Escort on the side of the road pleased Colin McRae, but the Scot backed off a little too much and before he knew it Makinen reduced his lead by 24 seconds.

That sparked McRae into action and for the next three stages the

STIFF LUCK ... Hopes for an impressive Group N outing by Michael Guest were dashed after a significant time loss on Leg Two by the Guest/Green Subaru (right) proved to be an insurmountable hurdle. Guest finished 18th out right in Rally Australia, the fifth Group N entry home.

Class winner was the 11th placed outright Subaru of Shigeuyuki (Williams) Konishi/Tony Sircombe.

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Seat Ibiza- 4.30.27 Points Manufacturers: 1. Subaru 104, 2.

Mitsubishi 82, 3. Ford 81

Drivers: 1. T. Makinen 62, 2. C. McRae 52, 3. C. Sainz 47, 4. K Eiiksson 28, 5. P. Liatti 24

THUNDERDOIVtE

JNombs!W97

The team cited fatigue, severe lack of preparation and track prac tice as the main concerns for the withdrawal, yet many other teams were in almost exactly the same position. As it turned out, with Friday being lost to rain, Schwantz would have been no worse off than any ofthe others.

Fortunately for Schwantz, this season’s points are worked out with each driver dropping his worst round, so that should mean that Schwantz won’t be so severely handicapped by missing this round.

Report by BRETT SWANSON A new season, a new name, new tyres, some new faces and a new race format couldn’t stop the dominant Kim Jane/John Sidney Racing combo and the Bob Jane T-Marts/Goodyear Chevrolet Monte Carlo from doing what they do best last Saturday night at the Goodyear Thunderdome - winning.

The new ACDelco Cup Championship race fonnat for the November 1 seasonopener saw two races, the first a 40-lapper and the second a 60-lapper, both races scoring points towards the ni^ts overall winner a-la the Supercar format.

And Kim Jane put the issue beyond doubt by winning both races to take overall honours from Jim Richards in the Dick Midgleyowned Pyroil/Sikaflex/No Fear/Bob Jane T-Marts Pontiac Grand Prix.

Richards, whose car’s handling was “diabolical” in the first race, pushed Kim hard all the way in race two to edge out Terry Wyhoon’s BP Car Care/T&G Mechanical Repairs Ford Thimderbird.

'This was a brilliant debut for the new Tom Smith-designed and built chassis, which turned its first laps on the flat track on Saturday morn ing - Wyhoon’s first laps in the car on the Thunderdome were his qual ifying laps on Saturday afternoon.

Practice If you want to break a dry spell of weather it seems all you have to do is program a race meeting.

Friday’s practice sessions were totally lost due to the persistent and heavy rain, which left many people wondering whether we were even going to get a race in at all.

Saturday morning and things were looking better, with the cars able to get out onto the track.

A couple of drivers still ran into trouble, including John Maultsaid (Consolidated Waste Ford ’Thunderbird), Darryl Coon (Simoco Radio Communications Pontiac Grand Prix) and rookie Scott March.

Wyhoon hadn’t even been able to make the session after he and his crew had been forced to rebuild their one and only motor overnight, after they discovered a hole in the block when they tested the motor on the dyno on Thursday.

The JSR-prepped cars of the Jane cousins racked up the most laps with 55 laps apiece, followed by Max Dumesny (43), Graham Smith (42), Andrew Calvert (39) and Ken James (38).

Coon managed five laps before stopping and Thomas only did four shakedown laps.

One notable absentee was Kevin Schwantz in the Clarion Chevrolet and conflicting stories were about as to why he wasn’t there.

Qualifying

1-^ 1 »

COMRADES IN ARMS... Runner-up Jim Richards (left) and opening night victor Kim Jane.(Thunder-Pics)

Business as usual for Kim Jane /

Champ holds out strong Richards challenge

POWERHOUSE... Reigning champion Kim Jane’s John Sidney-prepared Chevy Monte Carlo. (Thunder-Pics) A press release stated that com plications from his Busch Grand National team in the US had pre-

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missed a connecting flight - either way, he wouldn’t have landed in Australia until Saturday morning.

COMIN’ATYA ... Rookie Rodney Jane’s Monte is hotly pursued by Jim Richards’ Pontiac. (Thunder-Pics)

OUTER LIMITS... Neville Lance’s wild ride. (Thunder-Pics/Agfa)

1

vented him from getting away early enough, while team manager Scott Williams stated that Schwantz had

Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session saw no obvious dramas, but there was one area of concern for one driver.

While Terry Byers was out cut ting his two timed laps in the Monte Carlo, former adversary, NASCAR champion and now best selling author George Elliot watched Byers progress with interest.

“I think he’s trying to run the Charlotte line, where you stay out wider in turn 4 and come down tight across the tri-oval,” Elliot said - this was a fair observation, but what actually happened was that Byers’ seat belt buckle was hitting the steering wheel ,and making it hard to steer, hence the unusual line.

Despite getting wheelspin over the bump before the repaired sec tion of turn 4, it was Dean Wanless in the Metalcorp Ford Thunderbird that took pole with a lap of 27.4751 seconds. Kim Jane was next, ahead of Neville Lance in the King Koil/Meco Tools/Autopro Ford Thunderbird.

Ken James was back in the IC Iced Coffee Monte Carlo, followed

by Richards and then Rodney Jane in the superb silver Auscar Alloy Wheels/Exide Batteries John Sidney-prepared Monte Carlo.

Next came former John Sidney house pilot Max Dumesny in the first of the Valvoline Monte Carlos, which was followed by Wyhoon.

“Those laps were nerve-wrack ing,” said Wyhoon afterwards. “I was really surprised with the time, as I was taking it fairly easy.

Maybe I should have got my foot into it earher. This car has a lot of potential.”

Ian Thomas had the second Valvoline entry up next, sharing the fifth row with Bob Middleton’s Whiteline Transport Monte Carlo.

Graham Smith (Chev Lumina), Paul Stocker (Consolidated Waste, Oldsmobile Cutlass), Andrew Calvert (Sign Pro Monte Carlo), Scott March (Pro Heads Pontiac Grand Prix), Jimmy Ellis (Phil Works/GB Panel Mondays Galvanising Lumina) and Byers were the only other cars to set a qualifying time.

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1^®0®[7S[^I79 Maultsaid, Mark Harrison (Pontiac Grand Prix), Les Kennewell (Mark Colin Packaging Pontiac Grand Prix) and Coon would fill out the rest ofthe grid.

Wyhoon, Dumesny and Thomas then all had their times disallowed for their cars being underweight, but they were later reinstated when a problem was found with the scales.

Ellis was also in some difficulty, with the left-front brake caliper not releasing once it was applied, which would lead to more problems later.

Middleton a further two adrift.

Kennewell was the last car run ning on 30 laps.

Some consolation for Wanless was the fact that he set the race’s fastest lap - but it was not a new lap record, which Dumesny still held.

brakes in the melee, but everyone managed to get through.

“I was actually on the flat part of the track trying to keep away from James, but he just kept turning down,” explained Wyhoon later.

“I went and spoke to his crew and their spotter told me that he told Ken [James] that I was there up the inside.”

With the yellows out, Dumesny pitted to get the team to check the front tyres.

They checked the left front and then sent him out for fear of drop ping a lap.

Dumesny immediately came back' in and they checked the right front

Richards soon moved up to third and, on lap 20, Kim Jane hit the front with an inside pass on Wanless, who held onto second for a few laps, until Richards went by.

Kim now had a small gap on Richards, with Wanless further back and now coming under fire from Lance and Wyhoon.

Thomas, Rod Jane and Dumesny were comfortably spaced apart, while the gap between Kim Jane and Richards ebbed and flowed, depending on-who had the best nm through lapped traffic - and the same went for Wanless and Lance, the latter throwing away a podium position when he spun in turn 4 on

that he lapped Dumesny on the line, But, depending on where you were standing, it appeared that Dumesny just held on to that final unlapped position.

Regardless of that, Jane took a narrow win from Richards, with Wanless third and followed by Race Two(60 laps) Thomas, Wyhoon, Dumesny, Lance, Between race one and race two, Middleton, Smith and Calvert, who Dumesny had been in to have a completed the top ten. quiet chat with his former mentor, Post-race Jane had this to sav John Sidney, while both Richards’ about his victory: “It was one of the and Wyhoon’s teams had been busy hardest races I’ve ever had. Richo making wholesale changes to their just kept pushing and pushing, Race One (40 laps) cars’ set-ups.

There was not a minute’s rest, Unlike days gone past, the finishThe field lined up minus James “Just before the end, I went in and, at the drop of the green, charg too deep into turn 3 and the back er Wanless went straight to the end stepped out and took me up front followed by Lance, Kim Jane, towards the wall. I thought it was Richards, Dumesny, Thomas, all over.

Wyhoon and Rod Jane.

“I was looking in the mirror for Dumesny’s car was not running Jim, but the car gripped and I just too well, a failed bearing in the buried the foot and it took off. steering column making the prob “Luckily for me, Jim hadn’t got lem worse and a gap immediately as good a run through traffic at opened up ahead of the former that stage, otherwise he would have champion. been past me in an instant.”

Wanless, though, was doing it Richards agreed with Jane’s well until lap 5, when Lance went summation: “It was a hard race. It under him into turn 3, followed was always going to be tough to quickly by Richards and Kim Jane. pass Kim, but our lap times were From there, Wanless dropped off quicker than what we qualified at quickly, before retiring with a and we’re on the pace of Kim, which clutch problem. is good for the start of the season.

By this stage, Coon had already “We’ll go off and continue to been lapped and retired soon after.

FAST TORQUER... Les Small-prepared #75 T-Bird of Dean Wanless was impressively quick. (Thunder-Pics) develop the car and, obviously, so Maultsaid then spun in turn 3, will Kim - but we’re happy.” possibly on his own oil and retired ing positions from race one didn’t tyre before he joined the fray at the lap 45, dropping four places in the Wyhoon was just as happy as the other two. also - no yellow was thrown and decide the grid for race two; so, back ofthe que. process. still none came out when with the clutch now replaced, For some reason, it took a long In the fracas caused by Lance’s “With the engine dramas we had time to remove James’ car, which in spin. Rod Jane had managed to get - we only have one engine and we Kennewell spun across the pit /Wanless took his place on pole posi straight grass. weren’t sure whether we were even tion. James, likewise, was ready to turn caused another problem. past both Thomas and Wyhoon to Two laps later and Middleton start out of position 3.

Ellis was slowly circulating vrith be in fourth place. going to make the race, let alone spun, the once-pristine car backing Harrison had also joined the the left front brake disc glowing red Lance went a lap down to the get a result like this. into the wall at the exit of turn 4 - field, but his car was smoking from hot, which meant that Ellis could leaders soon after and, not long “The car has a lot of potential end up with the brake assembly on after that. Rod Jane spun in turn 2 and we’ll certainly be back here this time the yellows flew and the the start ofthe^race. field slowed.

At the drop Of the green, Wanless fire - sure enough, next time and gently nudged the inside wall. soon to do some testing.”

The order at this juncture was repeated his earlier effort, going around the brakes were on fire.

He pitted for the team to repair 1 Once again, Kim Jane and the Ellis was unaware of this and it the damage and then John Sidney John Sidney Racing team have Lance, Richards, Kim Jane, straight to the front followed by Wyhoon, Dumesny, Thomas, Rod Kim Jane, Lance, Richards, James, looked veiy spectacular, the flames sent him out to circulate till the started the new season the way Jane, Smith, Stocker, March, Ellis Dumesny, Thomas, Wyhoon and leaping through the wheel as he end. they started their title-winning sea drove around the track. and Calvert, the last three cars Rod Jane.

Meanwhile, cousin Kim was hav son last year, only this time the having been lapped.

On lap 2, Wyhoon simply drove The crew called him in but, of ing one of the hardest races of his opposition is a lot closer than at the around the outside of Thomas and coui’se, he had no brakes and over Racing resumed just before half career, with Richards pushing him same point last year. distance and, three laps later, Dumesny and then, on lap 3, he put shot his pit. With the heat of the aU the way. Wanless was well back With the level of equipment and Richards hit the lead at the exit to his nose up the inside of James in caliper and rotor, the fire refused to in third, followed by a dicing trio of drivers in the field, I don’t think turn 4. turns 1-2. Contact was made and extinguish for some time.

Thomas, Wyhoon and Dumesny, that Jane will have it quite as easy as last season and that should Next lap around and Jane dived James spun uptrack into the wall, The racing resumed on lap 14, almost a further halflap behind. under Lance to grab second, as the before sliding back down, with Dumesny flying around the mean a cracker-jack series for the As Jane came up to take the che rest of the field were starting to Dumesny locked up the front outside ofthe slower cars. quered flag, the official timing says fans. spread out.

The #27 of Jane took the lead on MIGHTY MAX... Former champion Dumesny(below) returned to super speedway racing in a Valvoline-sponsored partnership with Ian Thomas. lap 27 and held it to the end, as cousin Rodney started a spirited dice with Thomas.

Rod Jane had already brushed the wall at turn 4 earlier, but was now putting on the pressure and, on lap 33, Thomas got loose on the exit of turn 2 and Jane was past in an instant.

Richards’ car by this stage had become very unstable through the , turns and both Lance and Wyhoon had gone past, Richards struggling on vidth a demonic car.

Kim Jane opened a small buffer over Lance, who had a bigger gap to Wyhoon, whose car didn’t handle as well on used tjres.

Richards was fourth with Dumesny closing, but well ahead of Rod Jane, Thomas, Smith and Stocker, the last car on the lead lap.

March, Calvert, Ellis and Byers were two laps down, with

WINSTON CUP RESULTS UAW/GM QUALITY 500 Charlotte, NC, Oct 5th, 1997.

I. Dale Jarrett, Hickory, N.C., Ford, 312 2. Rusty Wallace, St. Louis, Ford, 312 3. Bobby Hamilton, Nashville, Tenn., Pontiac 4. Ken Schrader, Fenton, Mo., Chevrolet, 3128 5. Dale Earnhardt, Kannapolis, N.C., Chevrolet 6. Mark Martin, Batesville, Ark., Ford, 312

11. Terry Labonte, Corpus Christ!, Texas, Chevrolet, 311 12. Darrell Waltrip, Franklin, Tenn., Chevrolet 13. Jeff Burton, South Boston, Va., Ford, 311 14. Jimmy Spencer, Berwick, Pa., Ford, 311 IS. Bill Elliott, Dawsonville, Ga., Ford, 311

7. Johnny Benson, Grand Rapids, Mich., Pontiac, 312 8. Steve Grissom, Gadsden, Ala., Chevrolet, 311

16. Derrike Cope, Spanaway, Wash., Pontiac, 311 17. Jeff Gordon, Pittsboro, Ind., Chevrolet, 310 18. Ernie Irvan, Salinas, Calif., Ford, 310

9. Kyle Petty, Randleman, N.C., Pontiac, 311 10. Geoff Bodine, Chemung, N.Y., Ford, 311

19. Jeremy Mayfield, Owensboro, Ky., Ford, 3 10 20. Kenny Irwin, Indianapolis, Ford, 310

1 i/

msm

Current Points After Rd 29

I. Jeff Gordon 2. Dale Jarrett 3. Mark Martin

T i

..4,598

6. Terry Labonte ..

7. Bobby Labonte..

8. Bill Elliott

..4,521 ..4,51! ,.4,224 .4,096 .4,077 .3,916 .3,78!

9. Rusty Wallace ... lO.Ted Musgrave

,3,531 .3,486

4. Jeff Burton 5. Dale Earnhardt

32

jW®0®[FS[p®l70 Report by SUE HOBSON

Jason Wyllie and Darren McDonald starred when the renamed Strathfield National Cars made their debut appear ance for the 1997/98 race season on the, Thunderdome at Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway on November 1, Previously known as AUSCAR, the class has not only undergone a name change, but has also been restructured to include a new race format. , The National Cars will now com pete in at least two races for each round (with the exception of Round 3), the starting positions for each race being determined by qualifying times.

The grid for the second race will be the same as the first and will not MORE TO COME... Jason Wyllie (above) had the pace when it counted and now jointly holds the points lead after Round 1. (Thunder-Pics/Agfa) be dependent on finishing positions It was a quick stop, the car man in the first race. aging to return to the race without However, the revamped format losing a lap. was of no consequence to either Pretty was stiU leading the race, Wyllie or McDonald, who both fin but Wyllie had moved up into sec ished on equal top points at the end ond with Darren McDonald in third of the night.

- McDonald, however, quickly Wyllie took the win in the first dropped back to ninth, allowing race of the night, the Tasmanian’s Brewer to take over third; Howe #26 Trust Bank/ComputerLand VS was holding fourth, with Watkins Commodore taking the lead on lap in fifth.

10 of the 40 lap event and holding Wyllie had moved up to challenge the position until the chequered Pretty and, as they came out of cDonald’s #44 M flag fell turn 2 on lap 10, Wyllie took over Powermac VN Commodore crossed the lead. in second.

The following lap, Watkins Race Two, also run over 40 laps, moved under Howe to take over saw the top two finishing positions fourth, with White ^coming through reversed, McDonald also taking the to take fifth. Howe held sixth, fol lead on lap 10 and not relinquish lowed by Houlahan, Kyritsis, ing the position for the remainder Darren McDonald, Speers, of the event.

Kennedy and Cover.

With the deluge of rain that was Lap 12 saw the #27 VN experienced in Melbourne on Commodore of Kennedy hit the wall Friday, scheduled practice sessions coming out of turn 2, pulling up on ter problem coming off turn 3 in his Howe, who qualified second in a McDonald (31.1904) and Dick Howe were rained out, leaving several the back straight and triggering the teams with little on-track testing (Ferntree Gully Bolts, 31.1961). time of 30.9873, had a ^eat run, second lap of qualifying. yellow lights.

Watkins also experienced prob The Pennzoil/Perrows Paints EF despite a post-qualifying inspection prior to race day.

Wyllie led them around again lems in qualifying, losing a bit of Not so Marshall Brewer in the Falcon of Leigh Watkins came in of the Falcon that revealed a brake when the green flag fell. Pretty ride height and the car trying to line rubbing on a front wheel. seventh in a time of 31.21 53, with #02 Fastrack Racing EF Falcon.

Houlahan clocked 31.0648 to turn him around - however, after maintaining second. Brewer third Houlahan (Tierney A pre-season problem in the Ford Shane and Watkins fourth. saw the team undertake some Petroleum/Midland Contractors), 'qualify third, followed by Abelnica carrying out alterations to the sus Despite a strong run up to lap 19, who set down a time of 31.0867. pension, the Ford was ready for extensive testing before Round 1, a who has transferred from the the #47 Falcon of Watkins pulled Abelnica’s VR Commodore has racing. faulty component being the glitch Sportsman ranks, clocking 31.2907 into the pits with no oil pressure, that was eventually picked up on in the ex-Robert Bums Commodore. undergone a change in chassis Watkins retiring for the night with Race One(40 laps) Rounding out the top ten were design for this season, the team the dyno. The team carried out a broken oil pump drive.

With Nathan Pretty sitting on also developing a new racing set-up eight straight days of testing, Nathan Pretty(DeWalt /Goodyear) in Darren McDonald was on the a time of 31.3688 and Jay Kennedy that includes a new suspension pole, the green flag flew in the first including track time and was confi race of the Strathfield National move again, clocking the fastest lap dent of a strong package for the (Port Link Warehousing/EventComm, package. for the race on lap 22 in a time of Qualifydng saw the team use last Cars.

31.3905). ’97/98 season.

30.7691. He continued to move Pretty led the field as they came Unfortunately, both Kennedy season’s set-up, with the new pack Eighteen cars lined up for prac through the field and, by lap 31, around to put the first lap on the and Jason Morrell (Hollier age being implemented for Race tice on the Saturday morning and it had regained fourth position. board, with Howe in second and Motorsports) were unable to make One. was Wyllie who put out the chal The #02 EF Falcon of Brewer White qualified fifth in a time of Abenica in third, Abelnica then lenge, setting the fastest practice it out onto the track for qualifying. began to lose ground when he lost Kennedy experienced a left front 31.0897, followed by Brewer coming imder Howe to take on the time of 30.6572 and going under his leader. the power steering, Brewer pulling (31.1576), WyUie (31.1606), George wheel bearing failure in practice, current lap record of 30.6799.

Steve McDonald spun in the in behind the pit wall and retiring Defending National Cars while Morrell stripped the teeth off Kyritsis (Percy’s Restaurant, fi-om the race.

Champion Matthew White, in the the crown wheel and was forced to 31.3416), Darryl Speers (I & V front straight, but managed to keep This gave Wyllie a clear lead, the the car in motion, the race continu Freighter Trailers VP Commodore, replace the differential - however, Truck Repairs, 31.7613), Watkins action then happening for second ing without any stoppage.

(32.1101), Steve McDonald (Tony set the second fastest time of both lined up for Race Two. A touch between Abelnica and place between Pretty, White and Nicholas Smash Repairs, 32.7101), 31.0353, with Brewer third quick Darren McDonald.

Paul Gover (32.8835), Nicole Pretty Howe resulted in rear-end damage Qualifying est(31.0611).

McDonald came under White in to the #4 Commodore Abelnica Eddie Abelnica (Melbourne’s The completion of qualifying saw (DeWalt, 33.1189), Eddie Woods the front straight and, with one lap was blackflagged and forced into (33.7934) and Amin Chahda the VR Commodore of Nathan Cheapest Cars/ICI Autocolor) set the pits on lap 5, his crew removing to go, made the pass under Pretty the fourth fastest time in practice Pretty on pole after clocking the (34.7501). to take over second. the offending loose bumper. fastest time of 30.9233.

Wyllie had experienced a fuel filat 31.0669, followed by Darren TWO’S A CROWD... Marshall Brewer’s #02 CIGWELD/Fastrack Ford has a close encounter with the Percy’s Restaurant Commodore of George Kyritsis. (Thunder-Pics/Agfa pic)

Big night oi^t for Jason and Darren Lap record pounded at Dome season-opener

INovembeffWI The challenge was on for the lead, but Wyllie held the position to take the chequered flag.

Pretty lost position when he kissed the wall coming out of turn 4, after White forced him to take the high line.

Final placings were: Wyllie, McDonald, White, Howe, Nathan Pretty, Houlahan, Abelnica, Kyritsis, Speers, Gover, Nicole Pretty, Woods, Steve McDonald, Jason Morrell and Amin Chahda.

Race Two(40 laps) Again Nathan Pretty held pole when the green flag fell, but it was Howe who powered around the out side to take the lead coming out of turn 2.

Abelnica challenged Pretty on the back straight to take over sec ond, with Darren McDonald moving into third - unfortunately for Pretty, handling problems saw him move right back through the field.

Wyllie, who had started eighth on the grid, began to move through the field, coming under Houlahan as they came out of turn 2 to take over fourth.

Abelnica was challenging Howe for the lead, taking the high line coming out ofturn 4.

Unfortunately, contact between the two cars saw Abelnica tag the wall, dropping back into seventh position as they clocked up the ninth lap.

The lead changed over to McDonald as he made the pass on Howe, with Wyllie then challenging for second, making the pass on Howe in the front straight.

White took over third position in lap 16 after coming under Howe in turn 2, Houlahan holding down fifth and followed by Kyritsis, Abelnica and Brewer.

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A caution was triggered on lap 21 when a racing incident occurred between Brewer and Kyritsis.

Brewer went to make a pass under Kyritsis just out of turn 2, both drivers taking the same line and Kyritsis ending up in the wall.

When racing resumed, McDonald again took the lead with Wyllie in second.

The challenge was on for third between White and Howe, the cars side by side as they went into turn 3 and Howe taking over the posi tion.

Brewer, now with the #02 Falcon dialled in, started to power up and challenged Houlahan, White.

Abelnica and Howe to take over third behind Wyllie.

Once again McDonald stamped his dominance on the clock, setting a new lap record on lap 32 in a time of 30.6053.

Positions remained unchanged until the chequered flag, with final placing going to: Darren McDonald, Wyllie, Brewer, White, Abelnica, Houlahan, Howe, Speers, Nathan Pretty, Gover, Steve McDonald, Nicole Pretty, Woods, Morrell and

NEW CHALLENGE... Group N rally notable Paul Gover Is now seriously In super speedway.(Thunder-PIcs)

Chahda.

After Round 1, the pointscore is' as follows: Wyllie 345, McDonald 345,'White 325, Howe 306, Abelnica 301, Houlahan 300, Nathan Pretty 293, Brewer 280, Speers 280, Gover 268, Nicole Pretty 257, Kyritsis 257, Steve McDonald 254,'Woods 251, MoiTell 242, Chahda 236, Watkins 112, Kennedy 109.

MAKING WAVES ... Now tied on points for the series lead, Darren McDonald (right) has clearly sig nalled his front-running intentions for this season in the formidable Powermac Commodore.

(Thunder-Pics/Agfa pic)

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Vereker too good Con Vereker absolutely dominated the Sportsman class, taking pole and a comfortable win in the Vereker Bros Smash Repairs XF Falcon at the Thunderdome opening round last Saturday.

The old Holden versus Ford rivalry is stronger this season, Ford now having one more entry than The General.

After an uneventful morn ing practice session, only the A pair of victories put poleman John Agosta on top of the Holden Quality Parts HQ Holdens points table at the 'Thimderdome on November 1.

Agosta set the fastest qual ifying time of 36.4446 secs in his AMR LPG Equipment HQ to head Mark Wicks’ (36.5762) Dyno Power/BJR entry, less than one second separating the first 19 quali fiers in the 39-car field.

The Race One 20-lapper immediately came to a com plete halt while dead cars were removed from the cir-

R&D Roofing/Repco Engine Centres VK Comrnodore of Ron Thorne had trouble in qualifying after striking a fuel problem.

Less than a second sepa rated the top six qualifiers, Vereker setting pole with a time of 33.0186 seconds and heading Graeme Gilliland’s VK Commodore, which card ed a 33.3613 and was the only Holden in that lead gi’oup.

Vereker got off to a good

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OUCH!... Gerry Raleigh, who fought hard for fifth spot, kissed the wait with his XF after the flag fell. (Thunder-Pics/A gfa) start in the 35 lap feature and immediately set the pace, the rest of the field now fi ghting for the minor placin'gs.

Falcon around him with minimal contact, while the Penritn Printing Service VK Commodore of Paul Allwood took to the infield grass.

Gilliland spun and Sam Milton looped his Chris Milton Engine Developments

AS Verel^er pulled further away, Graeme O’Brien lost a few laps after puncturing in

his Dennis Panels XF Falcon, The race for second and third was closing up, the i B&A AutomotiveATalvoline XF Falcon 'Of Andrew Gillespie posting the fastest lap of 32.9692 seconds while

pursuing the Balnarring Panels XF Ford of secondplaced Ron Savas.

At the fall of the flag, Vereker took the win by five seconds over Savas and .Gillespie.

-GRAEME BURNS

brace of wins for Agosta

i ,

cuit after some mid-field mayhem in turns 1-2, 'Tracey Moulden and a number of others being obliged to retire forthwith.

A restart for a full 20 laps saw Wicks come out test and lead for the first three laps, until Agosta took over the front mnning.

Ian Hibbert’s Repco Auto Parts entry spun and recov-

ered without a yellow, bu t Richard Ireland wasn’t so lucky, as his Conpower Concreting unit spun and got

hit.

Scott Walker held ont o third, a position he held for most of the race, Agosta wan ning narrowly by 0.1 seconds from John Harding’s Rose & Crown Hotel entry. Walke r and Paul Fairbairn.

Race Two was a 20 lap cracker, with ten cars I'unning in the lead bunch.

Douglas Leaver had a harmless spin early on, Hibbert’s night worsened when he retired with strange noises emanating from his HQ and David Page lit up the track with sparks from whatever was dragging

underneath the Aluminium Specialities entiy.

The leading fatar - Agosta, Walker, John Spencer (Fuchs Titan Oils/Echlin) and Harding - were comfortably settled until lap; 6, when all hell broke loose at turn 2.

A spinning car caused a chain reaction., ffbe end result being a spectacolar rollover

AFTERMATH... #74 Bomski is carted away, Roughen in the background. (Thunder-Pics)

f Am idiic wtiw tUnlNiiiftC ^

r

Bartsch & Freestone tied

Paul Freestone and Adrian Bartsch shared the Legends Cars honours with a win apiece last Saturday night.

The opening race got off to a bad start when Jody Freestone, off row 4, had a brake problem at turn 1 and ultimately hit the pit wall hard, wrecking the car.

On the way, she also took out the Ford Coupe of poleman Matthew Coleman for the evening and obliged John

35

Faulkner to carry out some hasty repairs.

The restart saw Faulkner have a fi rst lap lose, which fired him up to post the fastest lap - but he couldn’t catch Paul Freestone, who led all but one lap, Bartsch taking second and Peter White third.

Frebstone pulled away from Bartsch and the rest of the field in the second race.

Reigning Champ Rodney Jane closed in, until a spin

pushed him back while still holding onto third spot.

Freestone stuck to a tight line, while Bartsch tried everything to get around the outside.

On the last lap, Bartsch made a last minute lunge down the inside and got through to take the win from Freestone and Jane.

After round one, Bartsch and Freestone are tied on points for the series lead.

- GRAEME BURNS

FAULKNER THE LEGEND Without a budget or the necessarj' testing time to compete in the ACDelco Cup Championship, John Faulkner has turned to Legends Cars - he will compete in the full season at both the Thundei’dome and Adelaide International Raceway. f Running with a powerplant loaned by Matt Coleman and a diff flown in from the USA, the John Faulkner Racing #46 Chevrolet Coupe was involved in an inci dent in Race One and failed to start Race Two. The team’s budgetary constraints will not affect the deal which sees Melbourne Herald Sun motoring journalist Paul Gover behind the wheel of one of JFR’s National Cars - Gover, an experienced racer in his own right, scored a pair of -AARON NOONAN tenth positions in the opening round.

: &iJ 03

by Andrew Bomski (Mount Gambier Windscreens) after he knocked the back off Allen Boughen (Growers Choice Hydrponics).

The yellows came out and the race finished behind the pace car, the win going to Agosta from Walker and Spencer, - GRAEME BURNS

3S

ritzgerald slams the door the pair enter the Karrusel two wide. Bowe won the braking dual and assumed the lead for lap one closely followed by Fitzgerald, Beninca and Waldon.

Pavicevic made another blinding start to lead the Class B cars and Lynton also got away well, passing series newcomer Jamie Cartwright before the first turn.

For the first few laps the battle for the lead was very tight. Fitzgerald tried on lap four to pass Bowe on the out side entering the Kan-usel.

At Hungry Corner on lap five Fitzgerald made his move on Bowe’s Ferrari and took the lead. The black Porsche of Beninca left the track at Hungry Comer with suspected brake problems while on the same lap the ever improving Peter Boylan had a moment at the Karrusel, dropping his Subam back to 19th/ With the Class D title one of the hottest battles of the series, all eyes were on Searle and he did not disap point.

By lap six he had passed QUALIFYING for round 7 at the Mazda 626 of Cartwright Lakeside saw Bowe take out and was in pursuit of series pole for both races with leader Lynton.

Mid-race had Pavicevic Fitzgerald second and Beninca third for each race. leading Class B, Chris Disappointment for Sydney, Sexton leading Class C, driver Anthony Robson, the Lynton Class D and Nigel Toyota MR2 driver’s engine Stone Class E in a Suzuki letting go during qualifying GTi. Stones had received and he was sidelined for the some help with set up form rest of the weekend.

1996 Class E champion Pavicevic which seemed to

By PAUL BURFITT

TWO wins from two starts saw Peter Fitzgerald wrap up the 1997 Century Batteries GTP Champion ship with one round to go.

The Falken Tyres Porsche was handed the win for race two after the similar entry of Dominic Beninca was exclud ed from the race two results and fined for passing under the yellow caution flag.

Bathurst 3 Hour winner John Bowe brought his Ferrari F355 home second in both races while Garry Waldon and Ed Aitken shared the third place spoils.

The Amaroo Park final round of the GTP series looks set to be a tough challenge with classes B, D and E still up for grabs.

Subaru WRX driver Andrej Pavicevic looks set to take out Class B and the Gold Coast’s Beric Lynton needs to finish each race in the final round to take out Class D in his BMW 3231.

Trevor Haines is the favourite to take out Class E in a Laser TX3.

Race 1

Fitzgerald got the jump on Bowe at the start which saw

pay off.

As the race leader began to lap slower cars, Bowe got

caught up in the mid field battle of Osborne, Lynton, John Cowley and Searle.

This allowed Fitzgerald to make a small break.

A little further back Aitken was right on the bumper of Walden pushing very hard to trying to find a way past the big red Ferrari.

South Australia’s Ross Almond who was running in seventh outright in his potent Mitsubishi Evo 3, the former rally driver coming to grips with circuit racing impressively.

Searle passed Lynton to take the Class D lead and move into the top 10, a fine effort’from the back of the grid.

Bowe now closed on

Fitzgerald, the gap just 0.42s on lap 16, the battle was on for a race win. Waldon was still in third place with a lit tle gap to Aitken and a hard charging Beninca.

Fitzgerald managed to hold of Bowe to take the win by under half a second. The full length of the main straight was the gap back to Waldon (17 seconds) with Aitken finishing fourth and Befdnca rounding out the top

five.

Class B winner was Pavicevic while Sexton took out Class C and Stones Class E. Searle threw out the series challenge to Lynton heading into the final races and took the win in Class D.

MAN IN BLACK... Beninca (right) passes Pavicevic under a yellow flag in the incident that cost him the win. Fitzgerald and (Photos by Marshall Cass) Bowe follow in their ongoing battle in the GT-Production war at Lakeside.

Race 2 In race two Fitzgerald made one of the best starts this season to lead the 20 car field into the Eiarrusel for the first time. Beninca was sec ond and Bowe third.

Fitzgerald quickly made a small gap over the Beninca/Bowe battle, anoth er small gap back to Waldon in fourth.

By lap six the field was lapping slower cars, and up front Beninca and Bowe were racing very hard.

Fitzgerald had pulled out a 1.4s gap back the Beninca and Bowe by mid-race but this lead was soon evaporat ed as slower cars bunched up the leaders.

A httle further back in the field Lynton took Cartwright while Searle was again on the charge form the rear of field. The Class D trio were dicing very hard and at one stage went three wide through Lakeside’s very fast

kink

The Poz Cola Ferrari team had indicated concerns over Bowe’s engine before the race and his straight line speed deficit was evident.

Bowe tried the outside run on Beninca and Fitzgerald

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down the straight but was simply not fast enough.

Exiting the Karrusel on lap 16 Beninca took the lead and quickly opened up a gap on Fitzgerald and Bowe. His efforts would come to noth ing as he had passed under a yellow flag, something that would later cause the Victorian a disqualification and a $500 fine.

Lap 17 saw Cartwright leave the circuit at the Karussel and hit the tyre wall, his slightly damaged car was able to rejoin the race but he was well down the order.

At race end it was Beninca who took the flag from Fitzgerald and Bowe with Aitken fourth and Waldon

fifth.

Beninca’s exclusion hand ed the race win and the championship to Fitzgerald who was happy for the win but said he would have liked to win on this track.

POINTS AFTER ROUND 7 Fitzgerald 198, Bowe 165, Beninca 109, Aitken, 98, Max Dunn 59 Class A - Fitzgerald 192 Class B - Pavicevic 194 Class C - Sexton 148 Class D - Lynton 183 Class E - Haines 132

7NomberW/

V

Lancia rally a success

By BRIAN REED

SOME famous motor racing per sonalities associated with the Italian marque Lancia have been the special guests of the Australian Lancia Register for its biennial national rally. Included have been the great post-war Grand Prix drivers Piero Taruffi, and Luigi Villoresi (who sadly passed away recently at the age of 88 years).

Paul Frere, the highly respected motoring journalist and racing driver from Belgium was the guest in 1987, and at the 1995 event it was Ugo Gobbato, the man who was largely responsible for making the World Rally Championship-winning Stratos a reality. Unfortunately for the first time in the 26-year history of the Lancia Rally, there was no special guest this year - the 1997 rally at Castlemaine was only two weeks after a big 50-year celebration in England of the famous Lambda, and the organisers didn’t want to be in competition for a big name on this occasion.

In spite of the absence of such a drawcard, the 1997 Lancia Rally on October 17-19 attracted a huge field of 105 Lancias, including no fewer than 24 of the highly prized Lambdas from the 1920s.

According to one of the organisers Bill Jamieson, who happens to be a leading world authority on Lancias, the Australian register settled on Castlemaine in central Victoria “by accident.”

“When we first began in 1971 the event was to go to Beechworth, but there wasn’t enough accommodation.

So we settled on Castlemaine and have been coming back here ever since,” he said.

ITALIAN STALLION... Scott Woodsmith, formerly of the USA but now resident In Adelaide, with his very rare lefthand drive Zagato bodied Appia Series 2 GTE. Scott found the beautiful little aluminium-bodied 1959 Lancia boarded up in a barn in Oregon with its IIOOcc engine blown up, rebuilt it and now couldn’t be Appia!

The creator of the marque, Vincenzo Lancia became famous for his innovative, if somewhat uncon ventional designs. Motor sport was always a high priority and the cars on the rally were all fine examples of more than 70 years of his creative influence.

Lancia also had the rather curious habit of systematically naming his various models using the letters of the Greek alphabet and so the cars on this year’s rally included various Appia, Aprilia, Ardea, Artena, Augusta, Aurelia, Berlina, Beta,

Lunn’s Tarrengower

THE 17th AU-Historic Mt. Tarrengower Hill-climb sponsored by Shannons Corporation and Castrol was held at Maldon on Sunday,October 26.

Almost 100 entries were received, and on the previ ous day scrutineering was held in the streets of the old gold mining town with jazz and the Monopoly Rally conducted by the Vintage Sports Car Club as

added attractions.

There were some excel lent performances that helped compensate for the downside of the meeting.

For the second year in a row the fastest time of day went to Stephen Lunn (below) in his Elfin Mono twin-cam, and in spite of a mysterious intermittent engine miss, he eclipsed his winning time .of last year with a fine 40.07secs. ran.

/ .

l tf -

RESULTS ● Class 1 - Grp J Vintage Cars up to 1500CC T.J. Doyle (Morgan Super Aero)..70.73secs. ●Class 2 - Grp J Vintage Cars over 1500CC Barry Batagol (Bentley Speed 6)..63.06secs. ●Class 3 - Grp J Vintage Racing Cars all Capacities Richard Stanley (A.C.Amilcar)..43.42secs. ●Class 4 - Grp K Post Vintage Cars up to 1500CC Paul Schilling (Austin 7)..77.69secs. ●Class 5 - Grp K Post Vintage Cars over 1500CC John Lawson (Alfa Romeo Spl.)..55.09secs. ●Class 6 - Grp K Post Vintage Racing Cars - all Capacities Alan Cardwell (Austin 7 s/c)..53.87secs. ●Class 7 - Grp L Historic Sports Racing Cars 1940-1960 - up to 2000cc Graeme Wright (Regah MG)..51.10secs. ●Class 8 - Grp L Historic Sports Racing Cars 1940 - 1960 over 2000cc George Coad (Vauxhall Spl.)..49.51 secs. ●Class 9 - Grp S(a) Production Sports Cars 1940-1960 - all Capacities Bob Cutting (Peerless GT)..54.68secs.

●Class 10 - Grp S(b) Production Sports Cars 1961-1969 - all Capacities Kel Ricci (Lotus Europa)..49.00secs. ●Class 11-Grp M Historic Raci ng/Sports Cars up to 2000cc Stephen Lunn (Elfin Mono)..40.07secs. ●Class 12-Grp M Historic Racing/Sports Cars over 2000cc Jim Russell (Nedloh Mk.2)..41.99secs. ●Class 14-Grp N(b) Appendix J Touring Cars - up to 2000cc Colin Gleeson (Leyland Clubman GT)..49.85secs. ● Class 16 - Invitation Leo Bates (Lobito)..44.40secs. ●Fastest Invited Sports Car Daryl Duff (Datsun 240Z). ●Best Presented CarGordon Doering (Jaguar SS90). ●Best Historic CarColin Kirkpatrick (Amilcar Ford Spl.) ●Perpetual Trophy for Fastest Alvis Car Geoff Hood (Alvis 12/50 s/c) Perpetual Trophy for Fastest Lancia Car Graeme Steinfort (Lancia Aprilia) Fastest Pre-War Car Richard Stanley (A.C. Amilcar) Fastest Time of Day - the Group Capt.

John R. Balmer Perpetual Trophy Stephen Lunn (Elfin Mono)

Flavia, Fulvia and Gamma as well as the rakish Lambdas.

It was the Beta which was the main focus of attention this year.

Following the Fiat takeover of the Lancia factory in 1969, the Beta was the first completely new model to carry the Lancia name. It featured the Lampedi-designed twin-cam Fiat motor, but the suspension was typi cally Lancia ^McPherson struts at the front, and a novel system at the back which has since been widely copied and today is known as ‘multiliiik.’ Four-wheel disc brakes, a will-

ing engine and excellent handling made the Lancia Beta a popular choice amongst enthusiasts during the 1970s.

'The 1997 Lancia Rally travelled to Ballarat via Clunes on Saturday, and following the Rally Dinner at the Castlemaine Town Hall that night which was attended by 200 guests, the event left next morning for Bickleys Bam at Goomong where an autojumble was held, along with the concoursjudging and prize giving.

What a pity the national Lancia Rally is only held every two years!

Alfa 75 years in Australia

THE Italian theme continues!

Not to he outdone, the Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Australia (Victoria Division) is cele brating two 75th anniversaries this year.

In 1922 the Guiseppe Merosi designed RL series was launched onto the market.

Powered by a 3-litre 6 cylinder engine based on the Grand Prix formula at the time, there were two models - the RLN and the more spoiiy RLS(pictured).

The RL was the last mas terpiece of Alfa’s first design er Guiseppe Merosi, who was also responsible for their first Grand Prix car, the PI. Between 1922 and 1927 some 2,631 RL chassis were delivered, and at ’Alfa Romeo’s Spettacolo on November 30,- patrons will be able to admire several of these supreme examples of early ’20s Italian sports tour ing cars and make compar isons with some of the RLs contemporaries from FIAT, Lancia and less well-known makes such as Ansaldo, Ceirano and Diatto.

The organisers of the Alfa Romeo Spettacolo are also

planning to have the only remaining Alfa G1 in the world on display. Only 51 of these extraordinary 6-cylinder, 6,597cc cars were made in 1921, and this one has recently been painstakingly restored by a Melbomme col lector.

The other reason for cele bration is that 1922 marks the appointment of the first Alfa Romeo importers outside Europe - in Melbourne on the corner of Elizabeth and Terry Streets. Overseas Motors Pty. Ltd. opened its doors under the proprietor ship of Mr. Norman Thomas selling the RL and RLS chasSIS.

Sun’ounding this fascinat-

ing display will be a further 200 more recent Alfa Romeos together with invited exam ples of Lancia, FIAT, Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini cars and Ducati motorcycles.

The Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club of Australia cordially invites all lovers of fine Italian motor vehicles to join it in celebrating these two 75th anniversaries at the Alfa Romeo Spettacolo at Melbourne High School, South Yarra on Sunday November 30.

For further information, contact Nigel Ford (03) 9571 3797 (h) or Jeremy Caldicott (03)9428 2225(w).

-BRIAN REED

3/

Briefly Historic n As we aU know 1997 represents the 50th anniversary ofFerrari’s first Grand Prix victory.

The unique sporting and engineering achievements ofEnzo Ferrari are to be celebrated in the 1997 “Tattersall’s Historic Sandown” to be held this weekend,and Austraha’s Ferrari Register will par ticipate in two demonstra tion runs as well as a Concours dTllegance which will attract some ofthe country’s finest examples ofthe marque.

The ‘Tattersall’s Historic Sandown” is an ambitious undertaking ofthe Victorian Historic Racing Register in partnership with the management of Sandown Park and is now in its third year. Practice and qualifying will be held on Saturday, November 8 with a full program of events scheduled for Sunday. The circuit wdU also be available for pri vate practice on the preced ing Friday.

For further information can Sandown on(03)9853 7266. n The Victorian Historic Racing Register wfll con duct its 9th Morwell Historic Hfllclimb on Sunday November 16. In addition to the VHRR, other clubs invited to par ticipate are the Marque Sports Car Association, the Morgan Owners Club, the Historic Touring Car Association of Victoria and the Austin 7 Club.

Scratineering will be from 8am to 10am on the day,racing commences at 10am and will conclude around 4pm.

Contact Roy Best(03) 9817 5532 for fiirther information. n Back in the late ’50s and ’60s one ofthe most dynamic race teams com peting(especially in NSW) was Leaton Motors, headed up by George Leaton and Joe Robinson.

Fielding a diverse range ofcars,including Austin Lancer, Austin Healey Sprite, Jaguar C and Dt^es,Lotus 15 and AC Ace Bristol, the team enjoyed outstanding suc cess with drivers ofthe cal ibre ofFrank Matich, John Martin,Brian Foley, Barry Topen and Doug Chivas behind the wheel ofteam cars.

For his long-standing contributions to motor sport, George Leaton will be Guest ofHonour at the HSRCAs all-Historic race meeting at Wakefield Park on November 22-23.

Wakefield Park Du-ector Paul Samuels, who now owns the ex-Leaton Lotus 15 has confirmed that all the above drivers apart from Doug Chivas(who now fives in WA), will attend the meeting to renew their finendship with the Guest ofHonour.

- BRIAN REED

3S

JHomb&Wl

DRAG RACING

_l^O®[FS[p®q{l

Brakes on for fuel racers Jon Asher on the NHRA’s safety concerns, Kenji’s dramas and Shirley’s triumphant return

The US season may be winding down, but it certainly isn’t doing so in a quiet manner lots of things are taking place, some of them behind the scenes, others right out in the open.

FUEL RACING RESTRICTIONS Let’s begin with the announce ment from NHRA about perfor mance restrictions for Top Fuel and Funny Cars in 1998.

There is real concern about the speeds being notched and I would find it difficult to say that I’m not in favor of some restrictions, partic ularly after having written on this subject in RACMagazine.

As I wrote at the time, what makes good drag racing is side-byside competition in which the win ner has to be picked by the elec / tronic judges.

What we seem to get far tod much of are final rounds deter mined by t3Te smoke and that real ly needs to stop if the sport is to move forward.

There’s also serious concern on the part of Goodyear, the sole man ufacturer of slicks for fuel racing.

The company loses almost $3 mil lion per year on the sale of drag racing tyres alone and, with no one over whom to advertise their victo TOO FAST... The big boys, such as Larry Dixon in the Prudhomme-owned Miller Lite Top Fueller, are now a safety concern.(David Ostaszewski) ries, the sport becomes a hard sell In attendance was then-PRO Another opened his comments on ful input from the racers might Decal/Fluke team, which fields to management. have been included before these Randy Parks in alcohol dragster.

Of course, Goodyear is at least president Kenny Bernstein, who’d the proposed changes by rhetorical They wanted Dunn to run their suggested rules are cemented into ly asking, “have you heard the lat talked his way into the meeting partially responsible for this situa man in a hmited ’98 F/C schedule despite the misgivings of many of est from the Nazi Hot Rod place. tion, because they were instrumen Association?” and, according to the ex-fireman, tal in the adoption of the “four tyre the tuners present.

KALITTA’S RETIREMENT “they offered me a cheque for To suggest that the racers are During that meeting, Bernstein’s rule,” which simply states that all Twice NHRA Winston Top Fuel $100,000 back at the Phoenix race upset about the proposed rules four tyres on professional category crew chief, Dale Armstrong, pre champion Scott Kalitta announced to seal the deal, but I turned ’em would be a significant understate cars must come from the same sented his plan for slowing the cars his retirement at the Revell down.” ment. manufacturer. down, which is basically the plan Dunn told them that it was Following the race, Jimmy Prock Nationals, but insiders report that "Wlien Goodyear helped push that that’s on the verge of being adoptOkazaki’s deal and he’d have first while the public stance includes was overheard loudly talking about rule through they effectively drove ed.

Firestone out of the top level of the It will limit compression ratio to how the NHRA had “shoved this increasing business responsibility, right of refusal on a renewal.

Dunn was again approached dui’quarter mile sport, because the 5.8:1 (it’s anywhere between 6.3:1 down our throats,” while Austin there may be other factors involved Our sources indicate the younger ing the US Nationals and again Bridgestone-owned giant decided and 6.8:1 right now, according to Coil, John Force’s crew chief, was quoted as talking about a class Kalitta isn’t happy with the speeds said that Kenji would have first that the cost of developing front the sport’s leading tuners) and the cars are running these days, choice. action lawsuit to overturn the pro tyres for Funny Cars and dragsters blower overdrive to a paltry 20%. but at the same time doesn’t want Following the Nationals, Okazaki posed changes. wasn’t worth the potential rewards.

Our sources indicate that As Bill Schultz (In-N-Out Burger to stick armmd next season, when did inform Dunn that Moon Regardless, situations like Eddie Bernstein immediately began wouldn’t be renewing for next sea they’re slower.

Hill’s crash at the Autolite championing the Armstrong plan. F/C) and Alan Johnson indepen son, but again, according to the car Nationals earlier this year, as well which grated on the other tuners, dently suggested, running super THE OKAZAKI/DUNN STORY ovraer, he assured him that he had as the other tyre failures that have who ultimately rejected the plan chargers at just 20% overdrive another sponsor all lined up.

After Kenji Okazaki stuffed Jim been well-documented during the without having given it a tremen- would ultimately prove more costly Then, mere days before the Dunn’s Mooneyes Dodge into the than imagined. last few years, have given the com- dous amoimt of thought. ^ Each timer suggests that blowers guardwall in Dallas, forcing the Dallas race, Okazaki informed However, while the racers might pany reason for concern.

The National Hot run this “slow” must be perfect to car’s withdrawal from the event, Dunn he no longer wanted to drive.

Rod have rejected the plan, NHRA offi “I told him right then that if he Dunn was quoted in the Fort Worth be efficient, meaning that super Association shares those concerns, cials didn’t. didn’t want to drive, he should quit, because while the cars are getting During the months that followed. charger changes could become Star-Telegram as saying, “I’m pack ing up and leaving. He’s not going ’cause it’s when you don’t want to mandatory for every round of rac faster and faster, the facilities political changes within the NHRA drive that you get hurt. to break any more of my stuff. hierarchy manifested themselves in ing, with restlipping also mandato haven’t been keeping up.

“That’s what really burned me “And you can’t talk to Kenji A track that was built to handle the apparent elevation of Graham ry before each use.

As one tuner who declined to be because he’s fired. He can go back about the crash. If he didn’t want to 300 mile per hour cars may not be Light to a position of more power di'ive, he should have quit and we capable of providing enough stop- and authority, while at the same identified said, “anyone that’s got a to Japan, as far as I’m concerned.” would have worked something out.”

By the following day. Drum had ping room for one going 330 mph time Steve Gibbs’s powers as com- Mooneyham or Littlefield blower Dunn says they will finish out and that’s no laughing matter.* petition director _ were being might as well toss ’em in the trash, calmed down considerably and the year, but he’s got other con ’cause the only blower that’ll get here’s the real story.

Witness Cory McClenathan’s reduced, According to Duim, Okazaki did cerns. impressive 321.77 at the Revell In point of fact,” Gibbs has been the job done is a PSI and you’re In anticipation of next season, he hit the throttle three separate Nationals. relegated to establishing the NHRA gonna need a ton of ’em just to get times on that first qualifying has two new’ Steve Plueger-built Even Cory admitted that it took museum just off the grounds of through one race.”

Larry Dixon, Jr tested the new attempt, with the engine topping chassis at home in California and a some effort to stop the car and, Pomona Raceway, while Light now “Armstrong combination” in Don 9,400rpm just before the car wealth of hardw’are with which to believe me, the Motorplex is one of appears to be running the show. equip them.

Prudhomme’s Miler Lite car the impacted the wall. the finest facilities in America.

Graham’s ascension at least par“Now I’ve got no driver and no What really frosted Dunn was day following the Revell Nationals, Had he notched that speed at a tially resulted in the apparent place like National Trail Raceway adoption of the new performance but we’ll just have to wait and see the fact that this was just the first sponsor and it’s pretty late to find qualifying run and, after having someone else. in Columbus, Ohio, well, the out- restrictions, which was done with- what the long-term outcome is.

“If worse comes to worst. I’m Again, I am not suggesting that seemingly learned his lessons as a come of the run might have been out either significant approval or pretty sure I can sell everything, driver, Okazaki apparently had performance restrictions ai-en’t nec markedly different. involvement from the fuel racing essary, although dozens of racers complete brain fade after the but that’s not what I want to do. I Okay, now let’s dial the clocks technical committee, want to race, but I’m sure not engine fired. back to last year, when the NHRAAs one prominent member of that don’t want to see any implemented.

Unbeknown to many is the fact gonna do that without a major But, what I am suggesting is that supported technical committee, con- committee said during the Revell sisting of 10 leading tuners in the Nationals, “(NHRA) has completely with the wealth of talent available, that eaily in the season Dunn had sponsor and a good driver.”

Continued next page it would seem that more meaning- been approached by the Rydin ignored us on this. fuel ranks, met in Glendora.

7Nowmlxr1997

lMpO®[7Sj])®ni9 MULDOWNEY’S RETURN Shirley Muldowney made her return to NHRA competition in Dallas, thanks to sponsor Action Performance, a direct competitor of title rights sponsor Revell.

From a major piece in the nation al newspaper, USA Today, on the Wednesday prior to the race, to a mention on the nationally syndicat ed Paul Harvey news program, to her total domination of the local print and electronic media, Muldowney stole the show from Revell, all but eliminating them from media mention.

It was guerrilla marketing at its best, with an additional “bullet” coming in the form of Joe Amato’s fueler, which ran in Texas with a new Action-themed paint job.

Muldowney and her crew chief/husband Rahn Tobler thor oughly enjoyed themselves, despite not qualifying for the show.

With advice from Alan Johnson, Tobler completely altered his IHRA combination to meet the NHRA rules, but fell one run short of mak ing the field.

After running a five flat on Friday afternoon, Tobler prepped the car for the evening session, but made last second changes at the suggestion of Johnson.

The car slowed dramatically and, as it had on the. first run, dropped two cylinders at separate times during the run, resulting in some internal engine damage.

On the Saturday morning, Muldowney said, “babe, do me one favor: Tune the car the way you think it should be tuned,” which Tobler did.

The car again dropped a cylinder and then pitched the blower belt, but the team seemed headed in the right direction.

With advice from helpers Darren Capps, Mike Kopchick and Billy Belvel, Tobler got after it hard before the last session, netting a 4.88 result - it took a 4.87 to make the field.

Muldowney signed literally thousands of autographs during the weekend and was warmly greeted by everyone, from NHRA president Dallas Gardner to track owner Billy Meyer.

She spent all day Sunday signing autographs and greeting the fans and probably could have scored a major financial coup in the souvenir stands, had she been allowed to hawk her wares.

However, PRO president Bob Vandergriff Sr refused to allow it, citing Muldowney’s non-member ship in the organization.

39

Bettes to run Heathcote Park

He was willing to let her bring souvenirs, but only if her dues were paid retroactively for the previous four years!

That obviously did not go over well in the Muldowney camp.

On Saturday, Don Prudhomme came visiting and, seeing the crowd, loudly said, “if this is the reaction you get, I’m gonna come back and drive myself,” which was greeted with cheers by the fans.

Then he turned serious with Muldowney and asked her about souvenir sales, of which Prudhomme is highly cognizant, having scored big bucks during his Steve Bettes, Calder Park Raceway’s Events Manager, has Final Strike Tom'.

When he heard why her stuff secured a long-term lease on wasn’t on hand, he vowed to work the Heathcote Park Dragway venue in Central Victoria. towards getting that rectified Bettes’ resignation from Calder before she runs another event.

Park takes effect from November 7, To say that Revell was unhappy about the media attention given the the new HPD promoter then taking Action cars doesn’t begin to address over the reins of his quarter mile venture and, in the short term, the issue. ‘ maintaining the venue’s existing At one point, Revell people were stopping anyone wearing Action Off-Street racing and test ’n tune schedule. gear and offering them small Revell A number of high-profile national diecast models in exchange for the opens featuring Group 1 brackets apparel - they didn’t get many takand exhibition Vehicles will com ers. mence early in the New Year and a On Saturday afternoon, an air schedule of events is currently plane appeared over the track bear ing a banner reading, “Welcome being prepared.

“Once we have our team in place, Cha Cha & Petromoly.” we will be confirming with ANDRA, It really got Muldowney’s atten a full calendar of events for the tion, who,dissolved in tears when 1997/98 season,” Bettes said. she saw jt.

“We intend to conduct Legal Off Not dt all bothered by the old Cha Cha reference, Muldowney was Street events, bracket-style events and, of course, National Opens, fea livid over the Petromoly mention. turing everything from Top Fuel Four or five years ago, the four and Funny Car to Top time points champ (three NHRA Doorslammer, Jet Cars, Pro Stock and one AHRA) had signed what and Top Fuel Bikes - the best that appeared to be a lucrative sponsor ship agreement with the Texas- ANDRA racing has to offer.”

Having had an active involve based additive company, only to then compete in two races without ment in the sport for more than 24 years, Bettes and his family are being paid a dime.

Petromoly even stuck her with synonomous with drag racing in Victoria and the immediate the uniform bill and then, during response to the news from within litigation to recover the money, the racing fraternity has been over Muldowney’s chances were dashed when the company president sud- whelmingly positive.

“This is exciting news for the denly died of a heart attack, Crew chiefs Dave Settles and Lee sport,” said Shell/Rocket Industries Beard, notorious practical jokers, were accused by Tobler and the team of arranging the banner, which each denied.

However, Settles did place the blame on Beard and then couldn’t face Tobler when called on it in Beard’s presence, The confrontation that took place in the staging lanes was pretty tense, although the fans weren’t aware of it.

The matter has yet to be resolved to Tobler’s satisfaction.

NEW ANDRA CONTINGENCY SPONSOR ... J.W. Performance Transmissions Inc has signed as a contingency sponsor for the “Ultra-Bell” and “Ultra-Case” combination, which provides strength, versatility and extended transmission life.

The J.W. “Ultra-Bell” will mate any Powerglide to a Buick, Chevy, Chrysler,Ford, OldsmobUe or Pontiac engine.

The CNC-machined “Ultra-Case” offers improved oil passages, increased servo area and adjustable oil circuitry control.

Contingency is only paid when the “Ultra-Bell” and “UltraCase” are purchased together as a combination.

The authorised J.W. Performance distributor in Australia is Bruno Cugnetto’s VICTORIAN PERFORMANCE WHOLESALE, which can be.contacted in Melbourne by phone on (03) 9401 2811, or by fax on (03) 9482 9901 - Sydhey competitors should phone (02)9742 6755, or fax (02)9742 6729.

Top Fuel racer Graeme Cowin.

“Having another purpose-built facility will greatly assist the devel opment of the sport’s image to the corporate world.”

Castrol’s legendary Doorslammer front-runner Victor Bray viewed the HPD move by Bettes “as a great development, as it will enhance the sport’s already strong support in Victoria - and purpose-built facili ties are the future of drag racing in Afistralia.”

The Australian National Drag Racing Association, the sport’s gov erning body, removed HPD’s sanc tion to run ANDRA events several years ago due to a fees dispute with the track owner, but was more than pleased to welcome the facility’s return to ANDRA Championship Drag Racing while under Bettes’ control - the outstanding fees issue is ongoing, with ANDRA deter mined to recoup the relevant monies from the party concerned by legal means.

“It is great news for drag racing in Australia that this race track will return to ANDRA Championship Drag Racing,” said Tony Thornton, ANDRA’s Chief Executive Officer.

“Over recent years, competitor and spectator numbers in Victoria have continued to increase and this recent development with Steve Bettes will only speed up that growth.

“Having worked with Steve on many levels, I am impressed with

both his current plans and his pro fessionalism in business.

“We are looking forward to hav ing this facility back as part of ANDRA drag racing.”

The well-maintained facility, which opened in 1977 near Bendigo, is set for some redevelop ment by the Bettes management and wiU shortly be renamed.

Bettes is looking forward to working harmoniously with the new Calder Park management to develop the sport in Victoria.

“It can only be beneficial to the sport if we work together,” Bettes said, “as drag racing is the gi’owth motor sport of the nineties, particu larly in Victoria and Queensland.

“The successful operation of ANDRA drag racing requires a unique approach, which is best understood by people close to the sport.

‘This venture is a natural extension of my previous and current involvement in the sport and one which I am going to approach with a great deal of pride and effort.

“We will be delivering to the sport a race track run by enthusi asts for enthusiasts, much like the outstanding example of Willowbank in Queensland.

“The corporate world is getting more and more involved in drag racing today and we intend to deliv er to them the very platform that they need to supercharge their sales to the pubhc.”

-TONY GLYNN

Pro Stock Trucks for NHRA next season It came as no surprise that NHRA announced it will imple ment a 12-race schedule for Pro Stock Trucks next season.

The impetus behind this is obvi ously coming from the OEM level, although a Ford executive was quoted during the announcement that they had no sponsorship money available and were just going to sit back and watch.

Despite editorials in RACER, Drag Racing Monthly, Inside Motorsports and Performance Racing News - the only totally independent publications covering drag racing in North America - all suggesting that the small blockquipped machines were slow and

boring to watch and needed a boost Despite their slow nature, there’s of nitrous oxide to spice things up, considerable interest in the Trucks, with numerous teams at least talkthey’ll continue to run in the cur rent unassisted manner. ing about fielding them next season.

Fan reaction to the demonstra Don Prudhomme is rumored to tion runs continues to border on be getting one and, while IHRA Pro total boredom, but “real” racing Stock standout Richie Stevens was rumored to be his driver, people might change that next season. close to The Snake suggest that In a dramatic departure from what drag racing is all about, the John Sparr, currently racing in Trucks will have “protected” quali Super Comp with his B&M fying that will result in the four Transmission-backed supercharged enti7, wiU get the nod. quickest Fords, Chevies and He’s young, wellspoken and his Dodges making the field, regai’dless of where they might fall on a tradi father is a long-time Prudhomme tional numerical list. friend. He’d make a natui’al fit with That caused numerous racers to stablemates Lai-ry Dixon and Ron ask, “What’s next? Protected quali Capps.

-JON ASHER fying in Pi'o Stock?”

1997 NHRA WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES - POINTS AFTER RD, 21, BAYT0N TX, 1997 Top Fuel Championship 1740 I. Gary Sceizi, Team Winston 2. Cory McClenathan, McDonald's ....1605 3. Joe'Amato, Keystone Warehouse ..I48S 4. Scott Kalitta, American Int. Airways .1265 5. Kenny Bernstein, Budweiser King ...1226 6. Bob Vandergriff, Jerzees Activewear 1051 7. Larry Dixon, Miller Lite/Snake Racing .1033 8. Mike Dunn, Mopar Performance ...1010 .881 9. Jim Head, Close Call Racing .. .858 10. Shelly Anderson, Parts America

1997 Funny Car Championship I. John Force, Castrol Racing ...1770* 2. Whit Bazemore, Team Winston ....13SI 3. Tony Pedregon, Castrol Racing ....1294 1260 4. Chuck Etchells, Kendall/Mopar 5. Cruz Pedregon, McDonald's/Coke ..1 132 6. Ron Capps, Copenhagen/Snake .... 1 122 7. Randy Anderson, Parts America 1096 8. Dean Skuza, Mateo Tools/Mopar ...1007 9. Kenji Okazaki, Mooneyes/Prolong ...907 .839 10. Gary Densham, NEC Racing

1997 Pro Stock Championship I92S* I. Jim Yates, McDonald's 2. Warren Johnson, Goodwrench ....ISS6 ..1461 3. Kurt Johnson, ACDelco 4. Bruce Allen, Slick 50/Reher-Morrison 1078 5. Steve Schmidt, Schmidt Automotive .IOSO .885 6. George Marneli, Marnell/Black .819 7. Tom Martino, MaMa Rosa Pizza 8. Sco« Geo.ffrion, Mopar Performance .787 .775 9. Troy Coughlin/Columbus .761 10. Mike Edwards, Winnabago

40 Calder Park Raceway kicked off it’s new season with the first round of the TAC Summer Series and a solid dose of nitro, as Australia’s “Queen of Speed” Rachelle Splatt debuted her new state of the art Top Fueller successfully.

Splatt took a 2-0 decision over fellow Victorian young gun Darren ●”piFilippo, while national Funny Car champion Peter Russo shared the honours with the new force on the scene, Garry McGrath.

Both Funny drivers took one win each as the fuel coupes managed to get the summer underway on a bright note, after a somewhat dis astrous finish to the previous sea son at the ’97 TAC Nationals.

The crowd was quite a modest one by Calder’s standards, particu larly given the brilliant weather that was enjoyed on the day, but it may have been attributable to the limited advertising the meeting received.

Whatever the reasons, those who were present witnessed a relaxed day of racing that was punctuated by some stunning new cars, flamethrowing nitro action and some very notable performances.

The performance highlight was probably provided by the Valvoline/Cummins fueller of the Splatt team as they wound up the evening by running their new Hansen chassis right through the traps for a best of the day 5.12/279 on just the second full pass for the car.

The team’s plans to get a few test laps on the car early in the after noon were thwarted when they had troubles getting the computer to function, but that was rectified in time to put down an exploratory half-track launch late in the after noon.

“This is a very different car from the previous one,” stated crew chief Peter Wileman after that pass, as the team raced to check things out and piece the rail back together in time for the first scheduled pairing.

“The engine’s way further out from the rear-end and that’s changed the whole balance of the car - the clutch settings have to be different. We plan to step it up for tonight, but we don’t want to go tip ping it over,” he said, after the easy half-track blast.

There were a few other mechani cal changes to the Valvoline team’s set-up, too.

“We’ve gone to a bigger rear-end and we’ve now got an Automan clutch controller,” pointed out team leader Ian Splatt.

The chassis has quite a lot of bracing around the driver’s com partment, something which he hopes will provide Rachelle with a greater level of protection if some thing ever does go drastically wrong - but there is plenty of flex available in the remainder of the tubing.

A carbon fibre wing at the front and a huge triple element unit on the back will be able to provide more downforce than those on the previous car and should see the

I

IMPRESSIVE... Rachelle Splatt bolls the hides on her new Valvoline/Cummins ride. (Thunder-Pics/Agfa pic)

Splatt debuts new Top Fueller at Calder Park opener

fueller glued to the track on the top end.

The first pairing saw DiFilippo get a good jump on Splatt and he was able to extend that at both the 60-foot and quarter-track markers before a fuel line spat off the pump, shutting the motor off dead.

DiFilippo quickly had the laun dry out and Splatt vaulted past to take the win with a comfortable 5.37/268 over a coasting 6.06/162.

The second match saw both cars leave with almost identical reac tions and much better 60-ft times than before, but the race was over before quarter-track as the fuel punip drive sheared on DiFilippo’s mount.

Splatt ran an arrow-straight 5.12/279 and was extremely pleased with the performance and handling of her first ‘custom-built’ car.

The gremlins which had plagued the Autopro/Exide Batteries Dodge Daytona for the best part of last year looked set to continue into the new season, after an attempted afternoon pass was thwarted by a throttle linkage which came off

when the pedal was hammered.

That put the Russos behind the eight ball for their first match against Garry McGrath’s PowerbaU Cutlass, as they weren’t sure that their fuel system problems had been cured.

The team’s last few attempts at getting down the track in testing had seen the car go up in solid tyre smoke before the tree.

McGrath, on the other hand, was chuffed at having finally secured his FC licence, after clutch disc problems had overshadowed one attempt after another.

Calder’s family day, held just a fortnight prior to this event, saw just rewards for his efforts when he produced a fine 5.54 to regain his ticket.

He stated that the car had blacktracked for the full quarter mile on that pass and was confident that the car could improve upon that time, but they weren’t going to get too greedy and chase after it.

Russo got the jump in the first pairing and was holding his own against the Oldsmobile early on,

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before he chcked it at around quai'ter-track when he started to fall away.

McGrath kept his foot into it and the PowerbaU flopper really picked up the pace over the top half of the track to take the win with a no-fuss 5.62/258 effort.

Russo coasted through and was encouraged by the post-race teardown, which showed that every thing was fine.

The tables were turned almost full circle in the second clash, when McGrath exacted revenge by drop ping a holeshot on Russo.

The Dodge, however, had made up much of the difference by the 60ft clocks and then rocketed past when McGrath couldn’t drive through some pretty solid tyre shake.

He clicked the PowerbaU Olds quickly and watched as Russo rock eted towards the finish line with the header flames poming from the pipes, only to see them suddenly disappear at three-quarter track.

The bottom blower pulley had sheared off, cutting the power and

restricting what was definitely a 5.5-second run at around 250 mph into a coasting 6.12 at just 170 mph.

Backing up the nitro action was an unfortunately small field of four cars in the blown Top Comp brack et and this number was further reduced by a number of breakages on the night.

Tom Easton helped to make it a bracket to remember when he had an oil line let go just out of the hole, dumping a huge quantity of the slippery stuff under the VDO AA/Altered’s slicks and nearly putting him into the concrete wall in a big way.

Somehow he managed to keep it on the narrow strip of grass between the track and the retain ing wall to the cheers of the crowd.

Making a more conventional impression upon the crowd was young Cameron Brooks in the Pennzoil Beretta Top Doorslammer.

With very little seat time in the wild-looldng ex-Bert Willemsen car, Brooks was able to secure his com petition lipence with a couple of very smooth efforts.

Tyre shake finished his day when it forced him to abbreviate his last qualifier and then the team heard some strange noises in the driveline while towing back to the pits.

In Super Comp, the racing was very tough, with a field of sixteen entries fi'onting for action.

Rod Rainford was the class of the bracket in qualifying when he blitzed the field with a strong C/D 8.05 in his brand-new rail.

That was a street ahead of Sam Blumenstein’s 7.46/187 blast from his Olds Cutlass, which was itself well beyond both the elapsed time and terminal speed standards for A/AP. Neither of those racers even made it to the final, though.

Blumenstein withdrew prior to eliminations and Rainford redlighted in the semis to Bruno Cugnetto’s revamped Olds Pi'o Stocker.

Running against Wayne Cartledge, driving Rainford’s old MRE C/Dragster, Cugnetto made a triumphant return to racing by using a better reaction to push his 7.93 ahead of a further under the index 8.26 and take a terrific win.

In other racing on the night, Brian Lennon produced a C/CB 8.17 from his Suzuki to down Jason Lee in the final of Comp Bike.

A holeshot from Scott Fitzpatrick enabled him to snare the Super Modified trophy from Rob Hayley and Des Woolstencroft was unti'oubled by a slower-reacting Ollie Farrugia in the Super Gas final.

Craig Marshman had George Zervos’ Torana covered for the money in Super Sedan and Michael Viaskakis axed Graeme Murphy at the tree in Super Eliminator.

Super Street went to Kon Papadakis over a fouling Frank Marchese, Bo Vejby secured the win in Modified Bike and Brendan Maggs took home the mai'bles with a fantastic .405 light in the final over David Hall.

-GREG WARD

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Leslight takes Big season akead opening round />: It was business as usual for Murwillumbah Super Sedan veteran John Leslight at Yandina Speedway on October 25, when he took out the open ing round of the 1997/98 Hi-Tec Oils Super Series in emphatic fashion.

Starting from pole position in the 25 lap feature event, the defending series champ withstood an early charge from Shane Paulger(Breaka Pontiac) before clearing away to a halflap lead.

A small but quality field gath ered at the revamped Sunshine Coast complex to kick off the 25 race series and put in a fairly solid performance.

The opening heat saw in-form Cameron Meehan (Lewin Homes Falcon) continue his winning ways with victory over Wayne Randall (Boettcher Motors Mazda RX7) and Paulger.

Leslight made his intentions clear in the next outing, when he charged from the back to defeat Ross Brims (Independent Fuels Camaro) and Jamie McHugh (Miami Smash Repairs Falcon).

Mick Doblo’s long trek from Rockhampton netted nil reward when he slammed into the rear of Brims and retired for the night.

The third heat saw Paulger fin ish ahead of Peter Warren (North Coast Concrete Commodore) and Ian Miller (Kawana Wreckers.

Camaro), setting a new 8-lap track record in the process.

The final heat was the best of the . night, with Leslight just edging out McHugh after a no-holds barred

scrap - the much-improved Blair Granger (Retravision Pontiac) fin ished third.

Time trials produced a few sur prises when the local trio of Paulger, Meehan and Warren out paced the visiting stars, only to have Paulger select the number four marble to put Leslight on pole.

When the green flag flew, Warren got a dreadful start from the front row and dropped five spots on the opening lap.

Paulger got away superbly, though and drew alongside Leslight’s American Truck Parts Pontiac on three occasions in the first five laps, only to drop off the pace as the race progressed.

The only stoppage in the event occurred just three laps from home, when Paulger looped in turn 4.

Somehow, the Kenilworth dairy farmer avoided relegation to the rear and resumed in second plac ing, only to throw it away on the final lap when he drifted wide in turn 2 and, allowed Meehan to slip underneath.

P^aulget recovered to secure third spot ahead of Brims, a luckless McHugh, Warren, Randall, Miller and Granger.

Limited Sprintcars featured on the support program, with Danny Devers scraping/home in the fea ture event ahead of Shane Conradi, Brian Abbott, Ray Devers and Richard Atkinson.

The Microsprint feature saw an all the way win for Mark Bilby over Michelle Lawson, Brad Keller, Daniel Jones and Bob Hebert.

- CHRIS METCALF

Riverview show Cory Alderton greeted the che quered flag first in the Division 1 Solo, feature final at the Riverview Speedway, Murray Bridge, season-opener on October 18 after a brief battle ■with Ford Keane.

Keane finished second, with Jason Hawkes third.

Reigning and twice Australian Junior Champion Russell Hairison made a senior debut in Division 2 that most young men dream about by easily winning three events in a canter.

Damian James stamed in the sec ond bracket of Division 2 events by recording two wins and a second in fine style.

A disappointingly small field of only five Sidecars fronted. Bill Wilson/Don Morris starring in the scratch races by recording two wins and a second, while Anthony Collins/Les Bremner scored a win and a second.

Teenagers Jason Hardy/Sam

for VIC Supers

The Super Sedan scene in This prize pool incorporates the ed racing, with the cars being divid Victoria has stepped up again, well-recognised Super Sedan ed into heats with regard to quali this year moving into a higher Southern National Series that will fying times, with the fastest 10 in gear with both the calendar again be run this season, the dates the first heat, etc. and promotions and they are including: “As the Pole Shuffle is a popular Warmambool now set for a hig racing season.

January 10 spectacle, we will again run this The Administration Team of the Avalon event next season and it is antici February 28 Mildura Victorian Super Sedan Association April 10 pated that we will also reintroduce Inc. (VSSA Inc) includes the cur Swan Hill the B Main Final back into the April 12 event schedule. rent Australian Champion, Peter April 13 Bendigo Logue, as well as top Victorian dri Drivers will also have the oppor “We’re really excited about the vers John Rodda and Darren Shaw tunity to race at some independent forthcoming season and we will be (Marketing Manager) and the prestigious blue ribbon events that introducing a lot of new and excit team, headed by Peter Reeves, is will also be staged by the VSSA, ing interactive concepts for specta tor involvement. looking for big things this year. including: November 8 Bendigo “We will also be looking at ways Joining the VSSA this seasop to increase the benefits to those will be Repco Motorsports, who Queens Cup race teams who are interested in (reran) have come forward with a major December 6 Warmambool sponsorship deal. racing with us,” concluded Peter.

Invitation Stakes Other associated sponsors The VSSA has a very strong include Stihl (who were the major January 1 Bendigo membership this year, with many supporters ofthe association for the Bendigo Masters interstate drivers joining as Avalon K Rock 1996/97 season), G.T. Collins & Co, January 3 Victorian Members, the total mem Rosedale Customs, Shipping & Forwarding February 21 bership exceeding all previous Massaro Motors Brokers, Dark Zone (again support years - this will undoubtedly result ing the Pole Shuffle), Victorian Challenge in some top competition over the March 21 Speedway Round Up Magazine and Bendigo Dark season, especially with the National Scotcher Petroleum.

Zone Cup Title being held at Warmambool.

Peter Reeves believes this season The VSSA has put together a cal The promotions undertaken by endar this season that sees the will be great for Super Sedan rac the VSSA Inc include the produc competitors racing for a prize pool ing in Victoria. tion of a television commercial, as in excess of $70,000, not including “A new racing format is currently well as a Super poster - this poster the State and National Titles - the will be released in a later edition of being negotiated, with the possibili state title is scheduled for Mildura ty of time trials being looked at as a Motorsport News, so all you Super fans can see some of the cars that on January 24-25, while the popular alternative,” Reeves said.

Australian Title will be run at “Time trials would be introduced will be around the tracks this year!

- SUE HOBSON Warmambool on March 6-8,1998. to create some very closely contest-

Battle royale by O’Neil

The Hi-Tech Oils Super Sedan Series lived up to its name at Archerfield Speedway on November 1 with an utterly fantastic night of competition that culminated in one of the most exciting feature races seen in these parts for quite some time.

Lismore’s Paul O’Neill and Gympie’s Sh ane Paulger enthralled the veiy healthy crowd with a terrific dice in the 30 lap fi nal that ended in heartbreak for the latter when his Breaka Pontiac expired in the final comer of the race.

Harrison started the meeting off slowly with a second and two thirds, but won the handicap event ahead of Collins/Bremner and Wilson/Morris.

Shayne O’Shea was the star of the two Formula 500 events with a win and a second, but Brenton Kelly won the feature ahead of for mer South Australian champ Darren Disbury and Jeff Sanders.

Steven Murphy won the Super After starting on the outside Sedan feature ahead of Launer and front row for the 20 lap feature Andrew Keen, while Damian Eve and crossing the line second, 17 took out Modified Rod from Darryl year-old rookie Jamie Maiolo Wright and Les Saker. " was awarded the Sprintcar Darren Sockani won the Modified Silver Cup at Claremont Sedan feature from Shane Best and Speedway on October 31.

Warren Meissner, while Scott Maiolo’s second 360 feature race Agars headed Brett Kippling and in as many weeks followed the disSteve Agars in the new V6 Sprints. qualification of Gavin Migro after Anthony Buchanan and Mini drithe latter’s #7 Jenkins was below ver Trevor Ware (who was runnerthe minimum 1450 pounds required up in his two heats) scored popular for this division - Migro was not wins in the two Street Stock feaonly disqualified from the meeting, ture races. but also the next four club events in -MARKNEALE the 360Class.

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Starting fi-om pole position after clocking the fastest lap in’ time trials for the second week in a row, Paulger displayed tremendous skill and determination to keep O’Neill at bay, bouncing off the cushion through the turns, The lead changed on lap 23, when Paulger ran a fraction wide in turn 2 and allowed O’Neill’s Lismore Nissan Camaro to skip clear, There was plenty of action back in the pack, with Jamie McHugh (Miami Smash Repairs Falcon), John McGeorge (Shell Pontiac),

Newcastle’s Robert Carrig, Rockhiampton’s Mick Doblo, Ian Marshall (Federal Tyres Commodore) and series leader John Leslight involved in a raeelong scrap, When Paulger faltered with the chequered flag in sight. McHugh : zoomed through to score second, n ahead of McGeorge and Doblo.

Paulger idled across the line for fifth, just ahead of Camg - who ^ charged back from the rear follow- i ing a spin - and Marshall. Leslight; and Rod Gough completed the fin- j -CHRIS METCALF ishers.

Maiolo’s Silver The battle for the lead at last Friday’s event in Western Australia was between John Green Jr and Shane Murphy, two of the division’s heavy hitters, until their cars came together on the back straight and stewards sent both to the real- with two laps to go.

Maiolo’s win was a trifecta for Gambler cars, Steve Gould and

Barry Bradford each driving similai- chassis.

The win puts Maiolo at the top of the tables in the Sprintcar Association of WA feature win and chassis tallies - he is followed by fellow 360 driver Paul Stubber (Schnee) and Open drivers Pino Priolo and Ron Kiikke (both Maxim di-ivers), wdth one win each.

1997 WORLD OF OUTIAWS/SKOAL OUFIAW SERIES

POINT STANDINGS TO 2ND NOVEMBER 1997

1. Sammy Swindell 2. Dave Blaney 3. Steve Kinser 4. Jac Haudenschild 5. Andy Hillenburg 6. Stevie Smith 7. Greg Hodnett 8. Johnny Herrera 9. Mark Kinser 10. Joe Gaerte

10,685 10,539 10,486 10,268 10,065 9,930 9,884 9,464 9,377 9,322

11. Jeff Swindell 12. Donny Schatz 13. Paul McMahan 14. Dion Hindi 15. Danny Lasoski 16. Lance Blevins 17. Craig Dollansky 18. Joey Saldana 19. Randy Hannagan 20. Garry Brazier

9,230 8,917 8,763 7,292 6,174 4,749 4,372 3,785 3,061 2,461

DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY - OCTOBER I9TH WINTER NATIONALS A-FEATURE (30 LAPS) I. Mark Kinser II. Jeff Shepard 2. Sammy Swindell i 2. Joey Saldana 3. Stevie Smith 13. Paul McMahan 4. Dave Blaney 14. Joe Gaerte 15. Tyler Walker S. Andy Hillenburg 6. Steve Kinser 16. Daryn Pittman 17. Bobby Davis, jr.

7. Danny Lasoski 18. Tommie Estes, Jr. 8. Dale Blaney 19. Peter Murphy 9. Danny Wood 20. Dion Hindi 10. Jac Haudenschild

^2

By Dennis New Sammy Swindell has all but wrapped up the 1997 American World of Outlaws National Sprintcar Championship.

It appears all that Swindell now has to do is go through the formal ity of racing out the remainder of the season to clinch his third career World of Outlaws crown.

However,judging by the perfor mances of ‘Slammin’ Sam in the second half of the 1997 campaign, further main event wins will come the way of the Gambler factory driver.

Since the disappointment of the Knoxville Nationals last August, when he was crashed out of what looked an almost certain victory, Swindell has absolutely ham mered the opposition.

In the first half of the season it was a four-way battle between Swindell, Steve Kinser, Dave Blaney and Jac Haudenschild.

At one point of the long cam paign, less than 100 points sepa rated the four drivers.

But, in the last few months, Swindell has cleared away and enjoys a comfortable buffer over tbe second placegetter.

In the first couple weeks in October it was the of same story, as Swindell ran rampant.

Within two weeks, Swindell took out four main events - two preliminary features and two major events as the Outlaws head ed into Pennsylvania.

His superb winning sequence included a major race on the Outlaws that has continually eluded Swindell - the Williams Grove National Open - while he also picked up the Sixth Annual US Dirt Nationals at the 1-55 Raceway in Perely, MO. With his win in this race, Swindell enjoys his own and unique personal success in the US Dirt Nationals, having previously won the US Dirt Nationals in 1992 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and in 1996 at the Hartford Speedway.

H

owever, the most satisfying performance by Swindell in early October came at the famous Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and his victory in the Williams Grove National Open.

In 24 years of active competi tion, this one race had continually eluded Swindell.

Sammy set the scene for the weekend when he took out the Preliminary Featm-e on the open ing night of the National Open.

Come the next night, it was Swindell all the way after he was never headed throughout the 40lap final.

“This is the one we’ve never won before,” a delighted Sammy Swindell said in Victoi-y Lane at Williams Grove.

“It’s always good to get a victory at ‘The Grove’. Hopefully, we can go down the road and continue to run the way we’ve been ninning.”

Swindell earned the right to start the A Feature on the pole after he won his 18th Vivaran Dash of the season.

“The Channellock car worked really well tonight,” Sammy explained.

^^®9®[FS[p®[?0 “We made a couple of mistakes in traffic the way we closed on some lapped cars. But, once we got a clear track, we were able to pull away.”

Speaking of his performance the previous night, Swindell was open minded about his prospects over ending a 24-year drought in the Williams Grove National Open.

“We’ve been close a couple of times,” he said.

“I was wishing we could have broken the track record (in quali fying). We were close, but we just missed on the set-up a touch.

“We’ll take the win and try to come back tomorrow night and see if we can win this thing.”

Swindell was only a whisker off establishing a new track record on opening night, after he timed in as second-fastest behind new track record holder Jac Haudenschild.

Swindell stopped the clocks at 16.872 seconds, as opposed to Haudenschild’s 16.858 seconds.

Swindell reversed the running order in the Preliminary Feature, after he led home Haudenschild in the 20 lapper.

In winning the Williams Grove National Open, Swindell pocketed a cool US$25,000 first placegetter’s cheque.

Mark Kinser filled the runnerup spot in the 40-lap final, while Stevie Srnith, who has driven con sistently/throughout the season, filled a good third.

Swindell kept the momentum going the following week, when the Outlaws trail stopped off at the 1 -55 Raceway.

This was a two-night show, with the Sixth Annual US Dirt Nationals up for gi-abs.

Swindell was fastest in qualify ing time trials when he cut a new track record with a time of 10.535 seconds.

That was the start of his win ning run at 1-55, as he later bolted to a strong victoi-y in the 25-lap Preliininary Feature as he relegat ed Mai-k Kinser and Danny Lasoski into the minor placings.

T

he next night - and the run ning of the US Dirt Nationals it was the same story, as Swindell blasted the opposition.

In the initial laps of the race, Swindell faced some tough compe tition from his arch-rival of the 1997 World of Outlaws campaign, Mark Kinser.

“Mark got a good jump off the bottom and I had to move down in one and two,” Swindell explained.

“But the Channellock Gambler was good enough to get back ai'ound him and get out front.

“You really had to run against the track as much as you did the other cars tonight. The cushion was rough, but that seemed to be tbe fastest was around. You just had to get into a rhythm and try to not let lapped traffic throw you off.

Hausenshchild finished second in the US Dirt National 40-lap final, ahead of Steve Kinser, Hillenburg, Blaney, Jeff Swindell, Tyler Walker; 24-starting Kelly IGnser, Greg Hodnett and Johnny HeiTera.

Swindell made clearoff, he has no has plans to itback despite the title in his grasp.

After winning the US Dirt Nationals, Swindell claimed: “Hopefully, we can use this to keep our momentum up and we can win the rest ofthem.”

Judging by the maimer in which Sammy Swindell has driven this yeary he probably will!

Kelly opens his Archerfield card When the field regrouped after a John Kelly scored his first fea ture win of the year when he lengthy delay, they only got as far steered his Hi-Tec Oils Tognotti as the back straight before Paul to victory in atrocious condi- Lindberg inverted his Autobarn tions at Archerfield Speedway Tognotti. on October 18.

The third attempt, now in single Starting from pole position on a file with the distance reduced to 20 dusty, bumpy track, Kelly with- laps, was better and the race finally stood a race-long attack from front got underway, Another interruption occurred on row partner Darren Jenson (Valvoline Maxim) to take out the lap 5, when young Ricky Mitchell tipped over in turn 1 and reduced Crash-riddled 20 lap event.

Tony Bridge (Aussie Trackwear the field to just nine cars.

The final restart came on lap 10, Stealth), whose early season form has been outstanding, stormed when a recm’ring driveline problem home in the closing stages to snare stopped David Grose (Crazies third placing ahfedd of Lismore’s Restaurant J&J)in turn 2.

Andrew Pezzutti (Craftsman Underway for the final time Homes Gambler) and Anthony Kelly tenaciously clung to the lead, Lambert(Club Crocodile Maxim). as the track deteriorated rapidly In front of a huge crowd, Kelly’s and made passing impossible.

Despite possessing superior task was made easier when officials ^ opted for a single row start follow n speed, Jensen was unable to wrest ing two opening lap crashes that the lead from his more experienced rival and had to settle for the runeliminated some fancied mnners. ner-up spot.

Terry Bracken, who was a fea ture winner two weeks earlier, Bridge, who had been almost half a lap behind prior to the last stop became the first casualty when he page, flew home as the laps wound flipped his Titan Garages Maxim along the main straight as the field down and was pressuring the lead scattered to avoid the slow-starting ing duo when the chequer was unfurled.

Jenson.

The promoters of Avalon International Raceway in Victoria - twin Brothers Norm and Doug Drew - have released their season race schedule, which includes two visits by touring American Sprintcar drivers Fred Rahmer and Todd Schaffer and one by American Modified racer Tim Fuller.

Opening night on November 29 sees tbe running of Round 3 of the SRA Sprintcar Series supported by Western Autos, with support cate gories being Super Sedan and GP Midgets.

A fortnight later (Dec 13), the big guns of the Sprintcar world take to the local oval when the World Series hits the'state for the first time this season - the Fabulous Super Rods will provide additional entertainment.

A week later (Dec 20), the “Pennsylvania Posse” of Rahmer and Schaffer make their first visits to Victoria to take on the local aces, Reed, Richardson, Van Bremen, McCubbin, Barlee and company in the annual Presidents Cup. As with last season, an American win is not a forgone conclusion, as even the greatest of them all, Steve Kinser, couldn’t pull off a win Modified Rods and Street Stocks share the program.

The local contingent of Sprintcars is back six days later for the now traditional Boxing Day event (Dec 26), where the ever-strengthening Victorian ranks fight out another round of the SRA Series, supported

by Production Sedans and Formula 500s.

Jan 3 is the K-Rock Cup for Super Sedans, with the Speedcars getting a warm up for the opening round of the Speedcar Super Series on Jan 10, where they will be sup ported by Production Sedans.

January 17 will have a decidedly American flavour when Rahmer and Schaffer fight for the Victorian Sprintcar Championship, while fel low American Tim Fuller will give

Following Pezzutti and Lambert to the flag were Andrew Scheurele, Kathy Kelly and Patrick Moroney.

The four heats were all won from the front row by Bridge, Pezzutti, Lambert and Jenson, respectively.

Moroney scored his first win since returning to the division when he downed Mitchell, Bracken and 17 year-old Cameron Gessner in the B Main.

Stuart Heme was in a class of his own in the Modified Rod events, recording three wins from as many starts, clocking a-, new track record along the way.

Rookie Mark Robinson finished the feature in second spot, over half a lap behind his Lismore counter part, followed by Ray Klarich, Ian Vickery and former Sprintcar pedaller Darren Latimer.

Wayne Corbett inherited victory in the-Compact Speedcar feature when Australian champ Darren Vine spluttered to a halt on the final lap while in control.

Brad Hilder, Darren Barnier, Darren Dillon and second genera tion roolde Toni Kruck rounded out the top five.'

- CHRIS METCALF

Avalon dates

PRESIDENTS CUP... #77 Adrian Parr and Steve Kinser.(Swanson) the local Modified Rod stars - being sandwiched between the big Hobson, Kipper and Smith - some money races in Tasmania and the following weekend’s Australian tough opposition.

January 31 sees the Speedcar Super Sedan Championship at Warrnambool, a huge field of quali Super Series return again, with ty cars is expected.

Super Sedans and a Monster Truck Following a three-week break show filling out the card.

The following Friday (February (Mar 21), the SRA Sprintcars head up the program, along with 6)is the first night of the 52nd run ning of the Australian Speedcar Victoria’s longest-running open Championship, the crown jewel of Modified Production Sedan race, Australian Speedcai’ racing and one the West Coast Classic - Modified of the longest-running worldwide Rods are also running on the night.

April 4 is Final Night in the SRA Speedcar events.

Saturday will be the money day, Series, with the Super Sedans sup porting. with the remainder of the progi’am She days later, on Apiil 10, is the and, of course, the feature events Street stocks support the opening opening leg of the original and best Easter Sprintcar Ti-ail anywhere in night, with the Super Rods getting the country - Super Rods and the main night.

Fireworks will help keep the crowd The Triple Crown Series, which has in recent years been held on fully entertained.

The final meeting at Avalon is on the Grand Prix weekend, moves to February 28 and sees the Apxil 26, featm-ing a charity meet Sprintcars replaced with the ing headlined by the Street Stock Speedcars, which join the Super 50 lapper and supported by Production Sedans and GP Rods and Super Sedans.

Midgets.

This is also a round of the Super - BRETT SWANSON Sedan Southern Nationals and.

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British League speedway be reverting back to sevenwill man teams for 1999.

The various Leagues have experimented this year with six man outfits racing over 15 heats, but the tried and tested 16 heat format will be returning next year.

Clubs had thought costs would be cut by using just six riders, but it has proved counter-productive in terms of team strengths.

Promoters are meeting shortly to discuss points limits, which could result in some top clubs releasing riders they might other wise have wished to keep.

It is believed this may well help to balance out the teams.

Johnston is 'owned’ by Long Eaton, who race in the lower Premier League and ‘Johnno’ is determined to race only in the Elite League, This year, he has raced on loan at Ipswich, but his parent club wants a fee for him to be transferred permanently - it is unlikely Ipswich will be interested, as they expect to have Tony Rickardsson and possibly Henrik Gustafsson in their squad next year,

The British Elite League is also set to sign a lucrative sponsorship deal expected to be worth some £250,000(app AUS$625,000).

The future of Speedway at the giant Odsal Stadium in Bradford, where the British Grand Prix was staged this year, is in serious doubt.

The Bradford promotion has lost a considerable sum of money this year, despite their talented

With four Aussies automatically in the World Championships, there will be keen competition to be among the leaders from the Australian Championships this season to make the Overseas Final of the World event in 1998, which will be staged at Poole in England on June 14.

This meeting, involving British riders, Americans, Australians and one each from New Zealand and South Africa, will be a stepping

T

he Grand Prix series will remain with 18 riders for 1998, but a new format is likely to be introduced for 1999.

With four Australians in the series next season, they will be delighted that the increase in numbers a year later will improve their chances of remaining among the sport’s elite.

Leigh Adams, Craig Boyce, Ryan Sullivan and Jason Crump will ensure that Australia has the best representation, with four rid ers, of all countries.

Dirt deflectors will be used in all meetings next season and the FIM ruled at their Autumn Congress in Athens that all approved speedways should use this innovation next year.

Australian Speedway Craig Boyce will be Champion remaining in England until after Christmas and wiil not be racing in the Series 500 event in January.

Boyce and fellow Aussie Shane Parker join an international field that is expected to include World Champion Greg Hancock for an indoor meeting at the Brighton Centre on England’s South Coast just before Christmas.

The track of genuine shale and clay will be some 130 metres round in a 5,000 capacity indoor arena, the first time a ’proper’ speedway surface has been used indoors in England.

Boyce says he will return to his Sydney home for a holiday for a couple of months, during which time he hopes to defend his Australian title.

Parker expects to ride a num ber of meetings in Australia during January and February.

s

teve Johnston, who will be busy riding in Perth and wher ever else he can get a booking this Aussie season, is not sure where he will be racing next year in England.

^3

application next year a formality and Bradford are keen to have him in their ranks.

The proviso will be that the Yorkshire club actually runs next season - it is understood that they lost money operating in 1997 with a high budget team and proposed alterations to their stadium may also make speedway a problem in 1998.

British League speedway be reverting back to sevenwill man teams for the 1998 season and that may create more openings for promising Aussie riders to try their luck in England.

Adelaide rider Brett Woodifield is one who may move into the top Elite League with Peterborough.

The British League is to change a little for 1998, with no League racing on Grand Prix weekends and some 20 live tele vised League meetings on Thursday evenings.

A three match Test series between England and Australia is now already on the agenda for next year in England, with the Aussies holding the Ashes.

G

ELITE NUMERO UNO... USA star Billy Hamill(left) headed the British Elite League top ten. Hcimill, the 1996 World Champion, was the Danish GP runner-up to Greg Hancock (centre)'and third-placed TomaszGollob.(Mike Patrick pic)

c .A

By Tony Millarc|C

Johnston is also going to cut back on his longtrack and grasstrack racing.

He rode many Continental meetings this year, but reckons it cost him money and his speedway earnings were subsiding his efforts to retain the European title on grass.

British League isfor to be shown live speedway on television the first time ever next season.

A contract to show some 28 meetings on Thursday nights live on Sky Sports has been agreed in principle and it is expected that each of the 20 Elite clubs will stage two home-televised meetings during the season.

Polish TV is set to take the regular meetings live and it is possible the tapes will be made available to Australia for a delayed showing each week.

team winning the British Elite League.

Top British riders Mark Loram, Gary Havelock and Joe Screen all ride for Bradford and Screen has already been linked with a possi ble return to Belle Vue. The Bradford stadium is set for a major reconstruction scheme, which is believed to include a giant dome to cover the whole arena.

Bradford Bulls, Britain’s most successful Rugby League Club, also play at the stadium.

The FIM Congress has fixed theAutumn dates for Speedway’s World Championship Grand Prix series.

All meetings will be raced on Friday year, Thenights seriesnext starts in Prague on May 15, goes to Pocking in Germany in June 5 and two weeks later moves to Vojens in Denmark on June 19.

The British Grand Prix will be held at Bradford on August 7, pro viding that circuit is available - if not, it could be held at Coventry.

Linkbping is again the venue for the Swedish round on August 28 and the final meeting will be at Bydgoszcz (not Wroclaw) in Poland on September 18.

stone towards the Grand Prix for 1999.

The top ten riders from this event will go to the InterContinental Final at Vojens on August 21.

The World Championship Longtrack and Grasstrack will be coming to Australia in 1999.

Previous rounds in this championship had all been raced in Europe, but the legendary multiWorld Champion Ivan Mauger, now promoting the sport Down Under, has secured the promoting rights to stage a round in Australia and another in New Zealand for the 1999 Longtrack Championship, for which Perth’s Steve Johnston will be among the favourites to take the crown.

Todd Wiltshire Sydney, the former Worldfrom number three, could be back in the British League next season riding for Bradford.

Wiltshire had hoped to race at the Odsal Stadium this year, but his work permit application was rejected by the British authorities.

However, his performances in Germany this year on his return to European racing should make any

old Coast-based Jason Crump believes that Australia could now beat the world’s top speedway countries in Test Matches, if given the opportunity.

Following the Aussies’ win as a seven man team against England, Crump said: “I’m in no doubt we have the best squad right now. even without Ryan Sullivan, who missed the England win to race in Poland.

“The States, Denmark and Sweden would not be able to live with on this kind of form - we wereus awesome.

Our reserves, Lemmo (Mark Lemon) and Shane (Parker), were superb and they destroyed England.”

TJ

ree Australians have finished in the top ten of the British Elite League averages for the season, Leigh Adams, who rides for Swindon, came fourth with an average of 9.96, Jason Crump, racing for Peterborough, was sev enth with 9.54 and Craig Boyce of Poole with 9.11 finished tenth.

The 1996 World Champion Billy Hamill of USA, who raced at Belle Vue this season, topped the fig ures with 10.17, ahead of 1994 world champion Tony Rickardsson of Sweden, who rode for Ipswich.

Bradford’s Englishman Joe Screen finished third, Other Australian placings in the top fifty were Steve Johnston (17th), Jason Lyons (18th), Ryan Sullivan (21st), Shane Parker (25th) and Mark Lemon (38th).

New SRA committee

If you were at Victoria’s Avalon International Raceway on October 26, you would be for given for thinking there was a race meeting on, though it was, in fact, a practice day for the Sprintcars and Speedcars.

Some of the sessions saw up to ten cars on the track at the one time, with some spirited perfor mances being put in by the 14 Sprintcars - almost a full feature field - and nine Speedcars, the lat ter including the Southouse cars of Ray and Haydn Bishop, resplen dent in their new Titan Oils livei-y.

Engine woes were experienced by Blair Jones’ Sprintcar(head gasket) and Leroy Beasley’s Speedcar (blocked injector), while a number of drivers experienced the odd spin, or two, or three, on the track, which

Victoria (SRA) held a Special was quite sloppy early on.

In the Sprintcars, defending SRA General Meeting to finally elect a new committee for the upcoming series champion Matthew Reed looked hungry and in fine form as season and to put to rest all the he displayed his new sponsors, bickering and fighting that has Kato & Wholesale Automatic gone on fi'om both sides - previous and interim committees - over the Transmissions, as well as Balcombe past few months.

Engineering.

Debutants Jeff Judd (North The interim committee compris Bayswater Motor Company Autopro ing Ray Solomon (President), Rick Gambler) and Tony Simone(Adams Dubois (Vice President), Jim Towing Gambler), both foimer State Knight (Secretary), Neville Carter champions in other divisions, looked (Treasurer), Jim Muir and Greg neat and tidy and will be a great Foster (Committee) was elected un asset to the club. opposed, creating some stability for In Speedcars, it was evergreen the new season. veterans Ray Bishop and John In a magnanimous gesture, for Mills who looked the goods, along mer President Jon Evans moved with Haydn Bishop, Craig Power that the fighting and sniping cease and Paul Fairell. and desist and that the club gets on Following the practice session, with the racing.

-BRETT SWANSON the Sprintcar Racing Association of

4^

VIC Closed Titles at Bairnsdale The Bairnsdale Kart Club, in conjunction with the Victorian Karting Association, will host the 1997 Victorian Closed Titles sponsored by ARC on December 6-7 at the Bairnsdale Raceway.

This event is open to all Victorian A, B, C licence holders (no P platers) and will attract many of the state’s best drivers - Victoria has many National Title win ners, so the competition should be fierce.

Friday, December 5, is con trolled practice, while Saturday is the start of the event with time trials com mencing at 9.00am.

Sunday finals for all class es commence at 9.00am.

Club members have worked tirelessly during the last twelve months to provide a first class facility-the track is situated just five minutes on the Melbourne side of Bairnsdale - recently completed upgrades includ ing a double out grid and a fully-fenced compound for the return grid.

Bairnsdale, a major centre for tourism in Victoria, offers some of the finest sea food restaurants and a wide variety of local attractions.

For further information, phone (03) 5144 2382. .

-PAM / ARNETT

/

CIK considers fuel change for

HARD CHASE... 250cc Formula E winner #26 Gary Hayward holds out a hotly pursuing Tony Rath.(Graeme Burns pic) With only one round remaining in the 1997 Victorian Superkart Club Championships, the lOOcc Light produced the clos est racing ever seen in the class, which was won by jagojj McIntyre, Darren Formosa pipped Rodney Reynolds by one'. i point for second, while Ian Lennox, John Sciarra and Brad Young weren’t far away. lOOcc Heavy was another event which went to the wire, with Ken Knight one point ahead of Doug Brumby and Frank Kessels third. lOOcc Junior, which start ed behind the Heavy guys, soon made the mid-field, /though David Williams went ' one better and won all the

Hayward betters Rath in Formula E

Lee heats outright Barabasz and Dean Crooke had a great battle mid-field for second and third, respec tively.

Ross Hansen won the 80cc A Grade from Joe Misitano, who had a great day and fin ished ahead of Len Ariano, while John Mulej was too good in B Grade for Paul Ristic and Bruce Sturrock.

125cc and 250cc classes

FA and FSA and Straight tO

CIK/FIA President Ernest Buser has confirmed that Ugento wiU host the 1998 Formula A and Formula Super A Championships.

At Salbris, Buser wel comed a delegation from the Las Vegas Grand Prix in the USA, which is scheduled for next February.

He also revealed that the CIK has plans to produce a one-make tyre for the ICC category and that competi tors in the class will receive a travel subsidy.

Another change that Buser announced relates to fuel for the FA and FSA categories.

Buser, FLA President Max Mosley met with fuel and lubricant manufacturers Elf, Shell, Mobil, Agip and Blendzall to form a subcom mittee empowered to make a recommendation for fuel analysis and for the fuel to be used in FA and FSA. Finally, Buser discussed time schedules at FA and FSA meetings - drivers will follow the same procedures and have the same amount of track time, but there will be less opportunities for free practice in the week that leads up to an event.

- STEFANO LUCCHESI

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the top for Malaysia In 1999, Malaysia will host a Formula 1 Grand Prix and moves are afoot to include a top-level CIK/FIA event in those proceedings, or conduct an inaugural kart event earlier in 1998.

Mister Fauzy, President of the Mofaz Group of Companies and initiator of karting activities in Malaysia and Asia, was at Salbris in France as an observer.

“I came to Salbris to learn, to see how the races are organised,” Fauzy said.

‘We are building a second track in Kuala Lumpur and we can use the experiences of other tracks when we build our own circuit.

“That circuit should have an absolute top level.

“When people come to Malaysia to race, they have travelled a long way and they have high costs getting tP our circuits.

“So, when they are there, they deserve the best.”

Malaysia has an existing circuit with perfect facilities on Langkavfi island.

“We hope we can have a CIK/FIA race, a race that could be organised like the World Cup in Japan, or like the race that used to be held in Hong Kong,” Fauzy said.

“This race will probably be held at our Kuala Lumpur track. It is easy to reach from the airport, while the Langkawi track is a bit more difficult to reach but has the advantage of being a good place for a holiday also.

“Both tracks will have good facihties, hke hotels, etc.”

Mofaz and its sister compa ny Morac are working closely with top Italian manufactur er CRG. ‘We are importing CRG for most Asian countries,” Fauzy said. “For CRG its an advan tage that they have one dis tribution point, while we can benefit and learn from our close contacts with CRG.” Mofaz and Fauzy receive a high level of support from the Malaysian government and Malaysian companies.

“That’s a good thing, of course,” he explained, “because it enables us to not only look at the circuits, but also look at the drivers.

“We started a training pro gram for Cadets and next year we will tiy to bring some drivers to Em'opean circuits.

“We want to support dri vers from the whole Asian region; that way, we can pro mote karting in Asia. That’s our goal.”

- STEFANO LUCCHESI

were combined and the rac ing was fierce, Peter Hageman winning the 125s by finishing ahead of Peter Carter in the final, with Ian ●Fairer next.

250cc National saw Wayne Schultz and Ross Higgins tied on points, victory going to Schultz for his win in the final and Clint Thompson taking third.

In 250cc Formula E, Tony

Rath’s best-ever time at Calder Park was not good enough to keep up with Gary Hayward, while Robert Clinch showed some form and survived a couple of scary moments for third.

The final round is at Winton on November 16, the event including a one hour endurance race with pit stops and driver changes. , - GRAEME BURNS

THE VAL & JOYCE FINDLAY MEMiOiRlIAL MEETING to be held at Geelong on November 22-23 wiRi be one of a number of events leading up to the il9;9)8 Australian Nationals at Geelong in April neset year i and is the first open meeting on the resurfaced and 1 widened track, which has edready produced quieker ; lap times.

The Geelong club wiR host the 1998 Nationals in : conjunction with the AILWKA on AprR 10-12.

Events have been scheduled for February 15 and ■ March 15 to enable competitors to fine tune their karts for the Nationals.

For further information on these events, phone (03) 5253 2062. $41,500 PRIZEMONEY POOL ... The Victorian Star and Coimtry Circuit Series have been the most suc cessful for some years, with $41,500 being shared among 200 competitors and prize money being psdd ! down to tenth place.

The Clubman Heavy class in the Star Series saw the largest first place payout of $1305, with second receiving $905, third $700, fourth $500, fifth $300, sixth $280, seventh $260, eighth $240, ninth $220 and : tenth $200.

The Country Circuit Series nearly doubled its ! entry with 645 competitors (up from 339 in 1996), ^ while the Star Series exceRed with 1015 competitors : (up from 383 in 1996). The series consited of five roimds, with a $25 levy from each entry going into the prize pool - the entry munbers in classes at each I meeting determined the prize pool at the end of the ! series.

A Presentation Night has been organised for | November 29 at the Grand Star Reception Centre, ; Altona North in Melbourne, where competitors wiR : receive their prize money.

Karter Of The Awards is also part of the evening, with the Holden Young Lions attending to present; the awards throughout the night. j For further information, phone (03) 9362 1144.

-PAM ARNETT MARCO DU PAU won the Dutch Championship at Veldhoven after defeating Marco Van Zuilekom and Lotta Hellberg in a hardfought Formula A final.

Du Pau started the pre final on the bumpy track fi-om pole, but lost the lead to Van Zuilekom and was then attacked by Hellberg, who went through to finish

in second - Du Pau now had to vdn the final to take the championship.

Du Pau took the lead and held it to the flag, while Van Zuilekom and Hellberg fought out the minors.

In the Junior category, Benjamini took the title after winning from Nelson van der Pol and will now make his Formula A debut in Italy.

STEFANO LUCCHESI

KARTING

_[^®O®[F0^®[f9_

Staff tops Stockman at AGP The Superkart support races for International and National class machines provided plenty of action over the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix weekend at Phillip Island, with new lap records set in both categories.

The karts provided a strong field of competitors from around the country and, while Tamworth’s Brian Stockman set new lap records in both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races, it was Queenslander Chris Staff who took the overall points to win from Charlie Lambous of NSW and Jason Maros of South Australia.

In the initial race late on Saturday, Stockman opened up a commanding lead after some early challenges from Staff, driving to a new lap record of 1:34.533 on lap 3 before breaking a chain two laps later and handing the lead to Staff and not receiv-

ing any points for.his efforts.

Lambous had a lonely drive for second place, but Maros had a fight on his hands to take third from Bruce Jolley and John Pellicano.

Sunday saw the final race for the support categories before the GPs and ensured plenty of spectators for the karts’ last outing before the National Championships are held there next February.

Stockman started from the back of the pack and drove masterfully toward the front by lap 2, reducing the lap record to a 1:33.443 as he left the field behind.

Staff took second to take the points win from Lambous.

^he racing in the National class also produced plenty of action, David Holdforth of NSW taking out the aggre gate win while setting new lap records on botiy Saturday and again on Sunday to leave it at a 1:42.274.

k

■3

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ond and third, respectively.

■ i

RESULTS 250CC INTERNATIONAL 1 Chris Staff QLD 2 Charlie Lambous NSW 3 Jason Maros SA 1 2 3

250cc NATIONAL David Holdforth NSW Ross Higgins VIC John Bakker VIC -ALLAN ROARK

WINNER... Chris Staff (right)

made good use of the Yamaha powerplant in his Stockman MR2 chassis. (Tony Glynn pic)

k

k

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NEW RECORD... Brian Stockman set a^ blistering pace in his own-brand Stockman MR2 Honda International. (Tony Glynn) Ross Higgins and John Bakker of Victoria came sec

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Two Bathursts

Continued from page 15

is close; both networks did a generally good job, and it’s a fine line between them.

Personal opinion can fall either way. It’s a little like asking whether Uma Thurman looks better since she had the plastic surgery.

Seven had more experi ence for the AMP race but Ten had more cameras in more places. They had nine V8s with three cameras in them each but, with the attrition rate of the cars, there were soon a lot less of them on the track. All three HRT cars, for instance, car ri ed in-car cameras, and they were parked within two hours.

Interestingly both net works used similar new and innovative camera positions, especially the overhead ‘sweep’ , used at the Cutting and the Dipper.

Technically, it was almost a tie. Seven captured a lot of what happened live while Ten used more replays, but that is often down to circum stance and, in some cases, luck. Ten had an annoying period of showing Griffins Bend with no cars on it, but at least their pitlane crews didn’t get in the way of any race cars.

But Ten’s commentators tipped the scales; they simply killed Seven’s. The Ten men had been with the V8

Supercar circus all year and it showed, while Seven’s troops wei’e never completely up to speed, even by race day.

Murray Walker, for all his critics, was a useful contribu tor, but most of the rest were well off the pace. Someone at Seven, please note; BMWs and Audis have driveshafts at the back, Hondas do not.

And no professional pre senter, even if they are spe cialists in footy, swimming or farnarkling and have zero motor racing experience, should ever get the race win ner’s nanie wrong continual ly. Bad, bad, bad.

Both networks can improve their shows. Splits during the respective top 10 runoffs would have added signifi cantly to that part the cover age, and why can’t we have a CART broadcast-style rolling top six superimposed in the comer of the screen, showing gaps, reasons for retirement, and so on?

Meanwhile neither side seems to have anyone who can actually read a distance race consistently. Seven failed to pick up the signifi cance of Baird staying in the car until it was too late, while Ten missed the fact that the pace of the race was so fast it was reducing the cars’ fuel range. None of the leaders was going to make a fourstop schedule without a wing, a prayer and a Safety Car. At least both networks spared us the usual cross promotion of wheeling out

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The V8s take this round. too.

c

ar-wise, there were a lot of comparisons to be drawn.

In the AMP event 27 cars started and 12 finished (including the disqualified BMW) leaving a 44.4 percent finish rate. Two weeks later, 40 cars took the staid and 19 saw the finish, leaving a 47.5 percent rate.

Pi-etty close; but, if Dwayne Bewley’s Peugeot had rolled across the finish line instead of being pushed, he would have been classified as a fin isher and ±he 2-litre cars would have had a better finish rate than the supposedly bul let-proof V8s. Oooops.

Three V8s went 161 laps; four Super Tourers (including the DQ’d Morris/Baird) made it. The next best 2-litre car was two laps back; the next best 5-litre was three behind.

Of each race’s top 10 quali fiers, only five finished.

Unusually, the attrition start ed at the top.

Entry-wise there were 14 Level One V8s, versus 12 works-supported 2-litres.

There was a lot Bigger drop off in terms of quality of the field ill the Super Tourers but, since the attrition of the Euro teams and Level Is was so high it was less of a factor.

As far as car speed was concerned, the V8s were just too much, but comparisons

are again interesting.

The Larry Perkins/Russell Ingall Commodore’s average lap time was 2m22.33s, including pitstops and Safety Cars, while Paul Morris and Craig Baird averaged 2m29.57s in then- BMW. That was with more Safety Car interference but, even so, at that pace the Beemer would have finished seventh in the Primus if it had started two weeks later and had an iden tical run.

And, as for race speed com pared to qualifying speed it looks like no contest. New lap records were set in both races, Perkins’ 2ml2.33s, compared to Jason Plato’s 2ml6.80s. But LP’s time was 1.4s off the best qualifying time and 2.3s off Skaife’s pole time. Plato was 0.62s faster than Geoff Brabham’s quickest qualifier and only 0.21s off Morris’ pole time.

What does all this prove?

Nothing really. A good big car will always beat a good little car. But just be careful when someone starts hurling selective statistics around.

We’ll call this a tie.

0

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Australian Championship Series ^97/98

ALWAYS

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rganisationally, there was much to be learned in the second race.

Some traditional carparks became campgi-ounds, while access to the top of the Mountain was never com pletely hassle-free.

Some of the marshalling at the Primus was downright disgraceful (at least one com-

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petitor flat-spotted his tyres because a pitlane marshall wandered into the fast lane) while security was a little heavy handed. Some photog raphers were hassled, while co-operation (usually bred with familiarity) was gener ally a foreign lan^age.

From a media point of view the facilities were limit ed at B2 but they staff just worked harder to make up for it. Well done.

Then there was the inci dent in Bl, where TV crews, photographers and, it is alleged, sponsors guests wandering around pitlane, screwed up Brock’s pitstop.

The usually experienced AMP pitlane marshalls need ed to lift their game there.

And that largely precipi tated the reaction in B2. llie media were kicked out of the pitlane and into the bunkers in B2 without consultation, causing them and the teams quite some inconvenience. It caused problems for us and the teams and it didn’t work.

An overall strategy, consis tent for both races and suit ably enforced, would be very helpful for both events.

Overall, Bl wins by a closely fought TKO. Finances also gowhich a failway to will deciding race will prosper and which will falter.

While it would need a for tune teller to accurately detail who made (or lost) how much in either event, it

would take an awful lot to convince anyone that the huge Primus crowd didn’t spend at least twice as much as the smaller AMP lot.

Local shopkeepers backed this up. Quite apart from what the public spent at the track, Bathurst businesses indicated that they did a lot better the second time around than on October 5.

Things may pick up next year, but in 1997 the public voted with their wallets. The V8s take this category.

s

0, in this survey, the Primus 1000 Classic rated more ticks and less crosses than the AMP Bathurst 1000. Category by category, the second event got across the line in four categories to one, with one tied.

But any comparison is, by nature, very fi nicky. There would be many people who enjoyed the Super Touring race week better than the V8 Supercar, or vice versa.

And which was the better race? Everyone has their own opinions. Generally the peo ple who went to the AMP enjoyed it more that those who watched on telly, while a lot of people were trans fixed by the first half of the Primus until many of the contenders retired.

The good news is that next year we will have six weeks between the races - with a CART on the Gold Coast race thrown in the middle for good measure...

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17

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Sedans Group A VP Commodore, with Benson 560hp Holden engine. Moteo system, Harrop running gear, 16th outright 6th privateer at Bathurst 1997. Car comes with spares. $50,000. Ph: 02 6355 5965. n4

NASCAR, Commodore roller. Everything less motor.

Spare wheels, tyres, springs, new paint, panels. Good oar, go racing this season. $9,000. Ph: 07 5578 7870

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Skyline DR30, FJ20T approx 250hp, inleroooled, vari able boost control, new clutch, NIZMO suspension, new brakes, 3 inch exhaust, 80% Falken FK05 tyres, electric sunroof, air cond, CD, NIZMO fog lights. Recent respray in 2-pack. Neat, reliable, fast. Urgent regrettable sale for genuine reason. $15,800 neg. Ph: 015 369 386, 03 9947 1992 (AH). 114 Datsun 1600 1972 model in excellent condition, rustfree, never rallied or raced. Ideal 1998 Round Australia rally car or Targa or Club Car. $1,600. Ph: Joseph 018 522 270 (BH) or 03 9460 2583 (AH). 114 Volvo 760 GLE, 1 owner, 1985 model, fantastic condi tion. Auto, air, electric windows, mirrors, central-looking, sunroof, six months rego, white, blue velour interior. $12,000 or best offer. Ph: 0418 262 373. 114

Ford Sierra turbo RS500, ex Seton 1992 Group A, 580bhp, 6 speed Holinger etc. Totally original. $35,000 firm (spares extra). Ph: 018 162 762 (Sydney). 1ld HQ race car. Very well presented. Sealed engine only 3 meetings old. Affordable and reliable racing for just $4,500. Ph: 03 9850 5566 or 015 527 854. 113 Datsun 1600 Sports Sedan, strong L20 motor, elec tronic ignition, oil-cooler, lightweight flywheel, button clutch, adjustable suspension, electronic rev limiter, Tilton brake bias, alloy wheels. Many spares. Second, OLD Championship. $8,000. Ph: Stuart 07 3285 4871. t13

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NASCAR, Pontiac Grand Prix. Complete roller, front steer. Good competitive oar, will assist with set-up. $20,000 ONO. PH (02) 4267 5134 or (0417) 663 930. 113 Corolla KE20, two door sedan, 1972. 4K motor, good condition for age. VFO-806, $1700 (neg) Phone Millicent SA (08) 8733 2347. „3

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1992 VP HSV GTS Commodore, build 14/128, anthracite grey, leather/velour steel blue interior, all GTS features - glass sunroof (tilt/slide), tinted windows, Kenwood stereo with 10 stack CD changer. Air fare deducted from sale price for interstate buyere. $32,500ono. Ph: 0419 540 538. 1.2 Escort Lotus twin cam, 9/70. Compliance, rebuilt engine, Koni suspension, otherwise original car. $8,500.

Ph: 03 9499 3088 (BH) or 018 367 004. 1!2

NASCAR, Oldsmobiie, ready to race. Complete, fully pre pared by Tom Smitti.Some assistance $28,500. Ph (0359)

96 4022. 113 -A

i

AUSCAR VS, rolling less engine, inc yellow light, fire bomb, fuel cell, churn, CR + P cage, gearbox reco, diff needs minor assembly. $15,000. Ph: Anthony 018 176420

Porsche 934 Turbo, Replica. Class A Porsche Cup con tender. Front-runner, 3.3L, 380 hp, airjacks. Adjustable sus pension, 5sp box with LSD, Harrop brakes, Motec system and spares Inc. 2 sets of wheels and trailer, $69,000. 113 Porsche 935 K3, Replica. Complete, ready to race. All factory equipment. 750ho flat fan engine, 13 inch discs, carbon fibre panels. Quickest Porsche in Australia.

Including spares, wheels, moulds etc. Over $200,00 spent, must sell $§9,000. Offers considered for both cars Phone Nick (0419) 586 119. 113 AUSCAR Sportsman, Commodore VL, very competi tive and ready to win races. High hp with dyno sheets and all spares needed to go racing, including wheels, rims, swaybars and engine. Must sell. $15,000. Ph: 03 9404

Escort Sports Sedan, mid-mounted Falcon alloy head six, single rail 4 speed, 15 x 10 Hoosiers, Hilux diff, Amaroo 58 sec. Log book. Ready to race, on reg trailer, some spares. $5,500ono. Ph: 02 4973 1605, 112

4113. 1.2

Mazda RX4 1973 Sedan rally car. 13B extend port, racing seats, harnesses, 8 point roll cage etc. Full rally specs. Must sell, or swap for Gemini series car. $3,200.

Ph: 07 3350 4992. 114 Subaru RS turbo rally car. Full Grp N spec. Genuine Legacy RSR. Tidy car with good history. Spares package included. 555 RSR $19,950. All offers considered. Ph: 08 8384 4112 (BH) 08 8322 3536 (AH), or 0411 176 160. 113 RX-3 Coupe rolling chassis, needs TLC, but would make great Club Car or Sports Sedan. $1,300. Can deliv er. Ph: 0412 323 941 (Sydney), m HQ racing car. Complete and ready to race. Plenty of spares, competitive car. C&B motor. Urgent sale required. $5,500ono. Ph: Peter 02 4943 2782 or 0416 005 174. 113 Corolla KE35 Coupe rally car. 2 litre 2TG engine, twin Webers, Detroit looker 4.8:1, four wheel discs, vented, four spots. Brand new. Never rallied. Much more, ring for details. Ph: John 0755 314 001 (BH). 11.1 Datsun 1000 Coupe deluxe, A14, big port head, extractors, Wade cam, balanced crank, 45mm Del Orto, lowered, mags, body fair, reg 5/98. Also spare oar, good body, no motor. $1500 the lot, will separate. Ph: Darren 03 9478 9048. im

Austin Healey Sprite, regular class winner. Historic Gp Sb. Recent lap records E. Creek, Amaroo, Oran, Wakefield. Meticulously maintained, fully developed motor and suspension. Receipts. Includes custom-built semi enclosed trailer. Spare wheels/tyres. $23,500. Ph: Denis 02 9418 3141 (AH) or 02 9955 3333. 113

Charity Bash Car - Peugeot 404 sedan, 1996. Full roll oage, harnesses, sump guard, new suspension, lights and bells and much, much morel . Everything brand new with receipts. Never competed in a Bash or Historic rally event. $4,000. Ph: Joseph 03 9460 2583 or 018 522 2,70. 12 Club Car, Toyota Corolla KE20, programmable fuel injec tion, tandem trailer, extensive spares. $6500 Phone(015)

261 105. 113

Sports Sedan, .Lancer, 13B fuel-injected, infercooled turbo. Fresh engine, gearbox, suspension set up by Centreline. Very competitive oar, ready to race. $15,500.

Ph: Mark 03 9844 2309. 11*1

HQ racing car, ex-D'Ombrain circuit car. No oil paint ing, but has excellent top hp motor. Ready to race, spares, urgent sale. Bargain at firm $5,000. Ph: Andrew 0412 238 729. 112

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 - make an offer. Ph: Jason 0417 544 491. 112 Datsun 1600, good 1800 twin carb engine, 5-speed CR option 1 gearbox, 240k diff, mags, sports seat, wheel, roll cage available. $750. Ph: 02 9428 3709 (AH). 112

Sportsman AUSCAR, VL Commodore, fresh engine, good hp, spare body with cage and spares. Race ready. $13,000 neg. Ph: 018 811 458. 112 HQ race car. Excellently prepared car, good condition, CAMS approved. Heaps of spares, on new tilt trailer.

Nothing to spend. Must sell, can deliver. Will separate. $7,500. Ph: Stewart 02 4647 1896 or 018 211 341. ,12 Escort Lotus twin cam 12/71, compliance, rebuilt from ground up including engine receipts dating back to 1977. Ex John Bowe road car. $11,800. Ph 03 9499 3088 (BH) or 018 367 004. ,12 AUSCAR Sportsman VL Commodore #15, 95/96 championship winner, 96/97 2nd. All spares and spare body shell. $18,000. Ph: 018 507 064. 112 Subaru Impreza WRX, 1996 model, full GT Production specs. Complete ground-up rebuild just completed, with new engine, gearbox, suspension, etc, best of everything.

Just get in and drive - can be entered for Bathurst 3 Hour.

Must sell now $45,000ono. Ph: Ryan McLeod 0418 425 254 or Paul Burfitt 0418 823 475. 112

Sports Sedan, TE Cortina, full space frame. Complete car. less engine. Full floating 9 " diff, big brakes, 2 sets wheels, full body moulds, spare panels $17,000 or trade for Commodore ute. Ph: 046 596 470. 12 Mazda MX5 Marque Sports. Brembo discs, Bilstein coil-over suspension, 8 x 15 Simmons, Hoosiers, Sparco seat, Willans harness, plus much more. Selling due to house renovations. View at AROC 6 Hour, Eastern Creek, 1/11/97. $17,500ono. Ph: 02 4268 4142. 12 Works Escort RSI 800 BDA. 1977 English Ford facto ry, Boreham-built. Colin Bond owned, Greg Carr driven, "lYK)))". Winner 1978 ARC. 1978/9 Castrol internationals.

Full bare shell restoration. Cosworth BDG 2L alloy block, ZF 5-speed, Sierra 5.1 locker, AP Racing brakes/clutch.

Genuine joiece of history with major original content. $60,000. Ph: 07 5529 7146. 112

85/930 turbo, guards red, 51,000km. Deadlock alarm, elect leather sports seats, Aust compliance. 4" Monty s/s exhaust system. No competition use. Always garaged.

Concours winner. Exciting investment. $115,000. may trade. Ph: 03 6248 7077, 0418 120 441. m NASCARs (2), Pontiac race car, complete, ready to race, $22,000. Slab side VR Commodore ride and display car, $7,000. Jerico w/shifter, $4,000. Pit gear etc. Will sell the lot. Separate or dismantle. Ph: 03 9800 3111. m

continued over page

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NAME: ADDRESS: ■ 3

CATEGORY;

Cars:

□ Sedans □ Open Wheelers

General: □ Parts

□ Engines □ Trailers

□ Speedway □ Drag □ Wanted

□ Photographs □ Other

Lj^9®l7Sg^^0 Lotus Escort, genuine car, new 1760 motor, new brakes, new 14 inch Supalite's, registered and rwc. Much more done. $12,500. Ph: 03 9486 9262. m Commodore VL Thunderdome Sportsman. Near new motor, rebuilt M21, comes with trolley jack, tools, 4 spare wheels, radio system. Very urgent sale. $12,500 ono. Very negotiable. Ph: 03 9336 2999 (BH) or 03 6585 1397(AH) 111

MK-2 Cortina Sports Sedan, Toyota 1G-GE six, 4 speed, 4.4 to 1, minilites, wing, rose joint suspension, alloy cage, perspex windows, spares, MUST SELL. Will sepa rate or wreck. Getting desperate. Offers? Ph: Steve 067 665977. .11

Mazda MX5 turbo. Stage 2. Fully adjustable suspen sion, upgraded brakes, hard top, full instrumentation, reg 5/98. Headrest speakers. Sprinted: 1:53 Island, 2nd Tour DAdelaide, 19th o/right Targa Tasmania, 4th Three Peaks.

Fantastic condition. $32,500ono. Ph: 0412 337 227. u.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 1970 Sedan. Complete, tidy, original- unit, excellent mechanical cond. Easy restoration. $5,750. Ph: Dean 08 8260 3577(BH), 08 8370 9452(AH). n

'■'T -''1)

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Commodore VK Calais, 5 litre V8 auto, mechanically A1, colour coded, power options, original alloy wheels, immaculate cond, 11 mths rego. First to see will buy. UJE441. $8,500ono. Ph: 0414 372 956 or 02 4930 4529. ni

XA GT replica, new capricorn blue, black interior, has all GT gear, new 351, C4, 3,23 LSD, rego til 12/97, XA V84V plates included. Must sell $5,500 or best offer. Ph: 02 6545 3959. in Jaguar E Type Marque Sports Coupe, 6 cylinder, new engine, 3 x Webers, AP calipers, front suspension overhauled, 5 speed gearbox, extractors, 10" rims etc. $35,000. Ph: 02 4990 1699 or 02 4998 7345, 111 Subaru RS turbo Liberty rally car, 1995 WA Championship winner, not rallied since. Drummond sus pension, Button clutch, STI computer, Compomotive wheels, some spares and standard parts. $18,000. Ph: 08 9651 1461. m AUSCAR Sportsman. Gene Cook-built. 253. Fully rebuilt g/box, in car radio system, 4 spare wheels, tools.

Ready to race. Very negotiable. Urgent sale. $13,000ono.

Ph: 03 9336 2999(BH), 065 851 397(AH), n.

Two ‘96 Maxim chassis. New one as a deluxe kit, other as a roller. One Rodek 372ci -12 Weld-tech heads, Kinsler injection. Just freshened. Urgent sale. Ph: 03 6363 1231 (BH), 03 6363 1382(AH). 114 VN Commodore Modified Production, less engine and gearbox, in as-new condition. A steal at $2,000. Ph: 03 5382 5940(AH). 113

Chenowth Magnum Stadium Buggy. Imported from US, chrome moly frame, turbo Laser engine with T28 turbo, Porsche trans, Bilstein shocks, Wright, Summer Bros hubs, UMP power steer, Motec M4. Purpose-built trailer and spares. $25,000. Ph: Paul 03 9762 5089 street Stocker, TE Cortina. Fresh motor, top equip ment, heaps of spares, including complete spare car. Just hop in and win. $2,500 Ph: 02 6621 6072. 112 Super Sedan, Commodore, quick-change diff, coilovers, ready to race less engine. POA. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419 388 192. i,2 Fender Benders NSW 1 VC Valiant, nil miles since engine rebuild only six meetings old. Also Mowra 05. Both complete ready to race, must be sold, these cars are win ners. Offers? Ph: 0418 970 646 or 02 9525 3430. n, Chevron B34, 1976 Formula 3, with Historic logbook. As new 2 litre Novamotor. Spare set of rims with new wets.

Spares. All in excellent condition. Recent Leyburn outright winner. Reduced td'$45,000. Ph: 07 3396 1624. tut

Nota Fang (Type IV). Classic Australian sports oar.

Everything either new or restored, rare example in near concourse condition. Current NSW registration and possi ble Historic racing eligibility. Must sell. $15,000. Ph: 0411 083 536 or (AH)02 9558 5484.

Super Sedan EA Falcon, ASCF rego, 355 Chev, methanoi carby, speedway sump, coilovers, ally radiator, tandem trailer. Competitive car, nothing to spend. $12,000ono. Ph: 07 5447 1904. ..2

Swift SC93 FF, Christian Jory offers for sale ex-Stephen White car. Complete with top Lamer engine or as roller.

Many spares, currently running 2nd Victorian Series. No expense spared POA. Tony Jory (03) 63 265 555 or (018)

A n

Offroad USA Import. Fox, S/Bros Hubs, (Floaters), Wright, Willwood, Saginaw, CNC, Centerlines etc. Big trav el, build a winner. $15,000 or $21,000 with full Albins G50 5 speed and V6. Consider swap 1, 2, 9 car. or make an offer. Must sell. Ph: 048 836 906. 111 Mazda RX-4 Coupe, less engine, gearbox, radiator, otherwise complete. Body, interior rough, RX7 alloy wheels, just taken off street. $600ono. Ph: 03 5248 3044 or 015 050 435. Ill Datsun 1000 Sports Sedan, full space frame, fully rose jointed, fuily adjustable suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes, mid-mounted A14, 5 speed, wets, log book, trailer, spares package available. $18,000. Ph: Gerald 03 5977 7973 anytime, m Ford Sierra 5 speed manual, good condition, NSW rego. $12,000ono. Ph: 02 9958 0839 or 015 435 109. 111

130 133. .13

Std Saloon XW Ford No. 40. 302 auto, two fibreglass seats, two five-point harness belts, window nets both sides. New fuel tank, protection barwork fitted. Ready to race. $3,000ono. Ph: Chris 03 9726 4297 (AH). 112 Edmunds Midget - Sesco engine, Halibrand wheels, outstanding restoration by original US owner, JJS$18,000.

Ph: Ron Cameron 02 4628 8322 (AH). IIJ

Escort 2E Cosworth Sierra, normally aspirated, dry sumped engine, SG/CR gearbox, twin plate clutch. Make fantastic Under 2L Sports Sedan. $12,000. Ph: Glenn 03 6249 5003 (AH) or 018 132 509. 111

884. 113

Formula Ford, Van Diemen RF86. Lamer, engine, spares package, professionally maintained, excellent condition. $11,900 or $8500 less engine, or consider rent or lease.

Ph (0418) 184 456 or AH (070) 93 8808. 113

Torana XU1 Modified Production. Chassis, rollcage all together, fibreglass panels, 358 Holden, out down dIff, torsion bars, sway bars, wheels, 4 Mawee centres. Must go, make an offer. Ph: 02 9820 3098. 114

H

1^.

^ ^ Iriv

1^9 Fender Bender. Very strong roll cage, spent $1,100 on engine, spare tyres, window net, harness, seat. Engine still sealed. $1,900ono. Ph: 02 9820 3098. iu

LJ Torana Ciub Car, possible Group NC. Fresh 208 motor, XU1 gearbox, race seat, roll cage, complete with spares and tandem trailer with brakes, toolbox, tyre rack. $10,000ono. Ph: Steve 02 9824 9406 (AH) or 02 9752 1618 (BH). 111 f

Van Diemen RF97, rolling chassis. Like new, fully developed. Available after Bathurst. Phone Tim (0419) 588

Compact, Lismore #35, Kawasaki Z1000 motor, hi-bar chassis, Gardner front end, quick-change diff, some spares. Custom trailer - tyre rack, toolbox - $6,500 with trailer, $6,000 without. Ph: 02 6652 8469 after 6pm. lid Iti

Formula Vee NG Elfin. Brand new Elliott Bond motor Super Sedan, VN Commodore. Winters quickchange diff, wide five, Willward brakes. Engineering power steering, complete and ready to race, less motor $12,800.

Ph: 0418 514 444 or 03 5176 2257. m

(zero miles), hi flow manifold, Bilsteins all round, Aeroquip lines, new panels and paint. All top equipment, proven record (94 NSW Champion) very quick in novice's hands.

Lots of spares, immac cond. $10,500ono. Ph: 03 9598

Sprintcar Chassis Kit, 1991 model Hi-Bar, all panels, nerf bars, engine plates, pedals, etc. Very straight. $800.

Ph: 03 5248 3044 or 015 050 435. m Ford Falcon XF Modified or Production Sedan.

Proven car, ready to race. $4,000ono. Chevy Monza Super Sedan rolling shell, plus spare diff. $1,000. Ph: 02 6963 6367 or 02 6963 6276. 111

7558 (AH). 112

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3 Litre UC Torana Modified Production, ex Vic 3, 4 meetings old, very competitive car, all new fully adjustable suspension, 3 sets new tyres and mags. Fresh engine, . heaps spares, tandem trailer. $8,000ono, Ph: Peter 03 5275 4904. lu Fender Bender - Nowra 05 VC Valiant, winner of many features: 2nd pointscore 2 years in a row. Rebuilt motor, complete ready to race with plenty spares. $1,500 firm.

Ph: Mick Salmon 02 9525 3430, 0418 970 646. m

Cortina TE, 250ci, newly built. Never raced, reco motor.

Plenty spares, suit street stock, standard saloon.

Beautifully prepared. Forced reluctant sale, $1500 ono. 03 5127 7338 or 03 5127 4309. n.

Open Wheelers

Chevron B42 F2, chassis no. 1, factory team car. immaculate and completely original. FT200 gearbox with spare ratios, fitted Australian F2 motor, can run BDA or BDG in Historic. Wiii trade road car American, European or Clubman. Ph: 03 9560 0801 or 018 105 348. 112 Spectrum Oe Formula Ford, new or second-hand cats available for sale or lease. Contact Borland Racing Developments (03) 9580 5236. 113 Westfield SEl wide kit, part assembled. Latest model, very little needed to complete. Fully independent suspen sion, 4 wheel disc brakes. $14,000. Ph: 07 5532 7630. 112

95 Swift, fully rebuilt ready for 98 season. Cheap. Ph: 0755 949 711. ..4 1977 Kaditcha F2, chassis number 2, eligible for Group Q. Available as roller or complete, with or without spares package. Ph: 03 5881 4411 (BH), 03 5881 1506 (AH). 114

HQ race car. Well presented and very competitive, in race ready condition. No expense has been spared.

Brand new Shane Lowe-built HP engine. Some spares. $12,000ono. Ph: Diego 0418 525 642. 111

XF Falcon Super Street^^edan, racing season 1 .■’spare wheels and tyres. year, big hp motor, 4 gearboxes. Ready to race. $4,500ono. Ph: 07 786 1356 (AH) 07 786 1622 (BH). 114

Kart - Kali Epoch, ready to race with three reed engines, mufflers, carbys, new wets and slicks, stand, trolley, kart cover, race suit, helmet. Must sell. $2,200. Ph: 014 481 812 (BH), 03 5248 5083 (AH). 114 Formula Vee. Ready to race with fresh engine. Ideal for circuit and/or hillolimb events. Comes with lightweight trail er, all for $3,900. Ph: 03 9850 5566 or 015 527 854. 113 Kaditcha 1982 F2, Golf engine, Hewland transaxle. Car is available with a spares package to suit purchaser. $26,000 neg. Ph: 03 5881 4411 (BH), 03 5881 1506 (AH). 113

Superkart- Gladiator, Yamaha YZ 80 W, totally rebuilt, very competitive kart. National #1 1994 and 1995, heaps of spares, new tyres, ready to race, $4900. Ph: Brett 07 5482 2229 Bus/After Hrs . in

Tell 'em you saw it in Motorsport News

INomberWI Formula Ford, Van Diemen RF93, complete. Excellent condition, Dorian timer. Huge spares package - engine wheels, panels, ratios, etc. Serious callers only. Available now. $33,000. Ph: 0418 507 260 Fax: 03 5439 5177. m March 793 F3/AF2, interesting UK/Aust history, eligible historic 1998. Complete with Golf engine. MK9, spare wheels, ratios, corners, even sliding skirts, $39,500. Ph 08 8260 3577(BH)or 08 8370 9452(AH). ,n Formula Holden 89D Reynard, for sale or lease.

Huge spare package, $48,500. Ph: Mark Potter on 0417 353 642 or 03 9764 4866, or Greg on 0414 857 241 m Kart, with KT11J motor, new exhaust, only one meeting old. 3 bearing axle, good paint work, black in colour.

Complete with spare set of tyres. As is $1,200. Ph: 03 5995 6004 after 6pm. m

Datsun 1600 parts. Doors, diff, tail lights, headlights, harness, hubcaps, seats, gearbox, LSD, A arms, struts, bonnet, front, guards and lots more. From $5. Ballarat (03) 53 346 364. 1,3 AP four-spot calipers (ex Nissan GTR racing calipers), one pair in excellent condition. Also brand new brake pads to suit. Selling $800. Ph: George 03 9478 0121 (AH). li2 Super T-IOs, 3 new, 2 recos, 2 s/hand, from $1,300. Ph: 018 597 063(VIC). 112 Frankland 4.86 quickchange 54 3/4" w $2,200. Yella Terra 186 head $300; 186-202 roller rockers $240; knife edged Commodore crank .010” $350; 202 dry sump sys tem $1,000; 202 stud girdle and cover $150. Ph: 03 5422

Chev 366 engine, complete, Dash 10 Brodix heads, Magneto, Triple Plate Clutch, Super Starter, Crane Overhead gear, Roller Cam and lifters, Draime Carb, Lunati crank, LA Cryptonite Rods, excellent condition. $12,500 ono. Ph: 0418 130 459 or 036844 9111. ni

Trailers/Troiisporters

1942. 112

Race car transporter, 1967 Bedford bus, 300ci motor, 5 speed synchro box, high speed diff, no rego, near road worthy, sleeps 4, interior all new. VGC. $6,200ono. Ph: Peter 03 5275 4904. 114 Enclosed trailer, dual axle, annexe, workbench, cup boards, sink. White 7m x 2.4 x 1.8. Excellent cond. $7,250.

Ph: 02 9901 4666(BH), 0418 975 819.

FIDO 82 model, ex-Ambulance, auto, dual fuel, tow hitch, long reg and RWC. $9,800. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419 388 192. 1.4

HI

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Bedford truck 32ft pantech, racing car transporter.

Recond 308, new gearbox, dual tuel, new brakes. Clean unit. Save on motel bills. Must sell. $5,000ono. Ph: 02 6621 3072. 112

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Formula Ford Van Diemen RF94, 95 update, Penske shock, excellent condition. Running, $39,000. Ph: Kerry Wade 08 9401 5643 (AH), 08 9458 4586 (BH). m

Formula Vee Renmax, ready to race, excellent hp Kleinig engine, superb cond, meticulously maintained, regular top 10 car throughout 1996. $7,000. Ph: Chris Cummins 02 9709 4655 (BH), 02 9876 3446 (AH). com Seca 3 Sports 1300/Historic, 2 1300cc race engines and 1 I6OOCO, Alfa C/R gearbox, 4 whel discs, mounted wets, competitive, reliable, total restoration 1996. Semi enclosed trailer, $12,000 ono. May Separate. Ph: 07 5543 1061. Ill or 0418 349 555. no

Drag Racing 55 Chev 2 door, fibreglass doors, Lexan windows, 406 SB Chev, p/glide, 9" 35 spline, steel crank, roller cam. Car has done 9 runs since built, at 9.8/139mph. Best of every thing has been spent on car. $25,000. Ph: 015 149 200. 114 12 port 202 aluminium head Pertectune $1,400. 4.71 GM ● blower manifold and extractors, suit 202, spare belts and pulleys. $1,500. Ph: 03 5422 1942. 1,2

Parts Wheels, racing BBS and Ronal and rims 16” and 17".

Must go, best otters. Also 16" and 17" slicks and wets, and intermediates. $50 each. Ph: 03 6331 2849 (BH), 03 6334 1385 (AH). 114 8 Carillo rods, 5.7 Speedpro pistons 60 thou $1,000.

BEM gear drive to suit SBC $50. Ph: 02 6887 3251. 114 Swap Meet, hi-performance a marine, speedway, drags, hot rods, street cars, fast fours, circuits. All hi per formance parts. Gates open 6am, November 30, Parramatta Speedway. Promoted by DBRA. Ph: 02 4578 4199. ,w Engines: 186 Holden motor, one complete with fresh Deck Racing head, one unbuilt, all parts in good order.

Make an otter. Ph: 02 9820 3089. .14 Datsun A series option gearbox $1,200. Race head, stainless valves, ousttom headers, twin Webers, $2,500.

13x8 deep dish mags $160. Nismo race crankshaft $500.

Ph: Alan 03 9800 3299 (BH). 113 Racing seat, CMP, black with wings, used only once.

Cost $500, now for sale $350. Ph: 02 9418 3141 (AH). 113 Wheels, 16"x10" Globes, one set Torana, one set Ford and Valiant. Three races old. $800 per set. Ph: 03 6330 1881 (AH). 113 Extractors, suit Holden 202 enginfe, ex-racing, suit street car. $100. Ph: 046 471 033. 113 Charger RT instrument panel, mint condition, recali brated and reconditioned, $550. Genuine Charger RT mag wheels in excellent condition, with new centre caps, set of 5. $300. Ph: 08 8361 3162. ,.3 XU-1 4-Speed, Genuine M21 , slinger style.

Reconditioned, suit NC Torana etc. $850 Phone Dave (02) 6765 4279 or (019) 457 106. .13 HSV parts, big brakes, struts, springs, shocks, used discs, new twin spot calipers $1000 a pair. New VN Grp A Bilteins (never used) $600 a pair. Ph (08) 8988 1592. 113 Ex-Grp A Corolla race wheels, 16x6.5 inch, 4-stud pattern or centre locks. Full magnesium, lightweight, white with polished edge (recently resprayed) $825 ONO. Ph (0414) 251 384. 13

Wheels, 4 off composite alloys. Simmons rims, Mawer centres. 15” dia 10" wide. Suit Torana or Hoiden, with chrome nuts and screw-in valves. $780ono. Ph: 03 9801 8504.

Rally tyres, set of 4 Dunlop SP83R 185x165 R14 radiate as new condition. $500. Ph: 0354 762 686.

Brake calipers - twin front caliper from Datsun 240K, suit /: rally cars -r brake upgrades. Only $90. Ph: 0412 337 227. in Mazda MX5 standard parts, including exhaust, f&r Shooks and springs, front brake rotors and calipers, radiator. clutch. Ph: 0412 337 227.

Commodore VN V8 TS 5-speed gearbox and all parts to convert auto to manual, from flywheel to diff. $1,400. Ph: Ross 02 4956 6339 or 019 450 874, Ill Boss 302 Webber manifold $1,000 (firm). 289/302 Windsor Webber manifold $800ono. T/bird 4 spot Kealsey Hayes front calipers, one set new, $250 each, plus used pair $400. Ph: 02 9652 2818. 111 Carillos, heavy duty Buick V6, 6.5" length. Jaguar D-Type cylinder head, originated from Ian Cummins D Type featured front page August "Unique Cars". 351C crankshaft, balanced, micro polished. Ph: 02 4324 3526 (AH). 111 Nissan GTR (Godzilla) performance parts. 3" stainless exhaust, front to back $1,000. 260kmh speedo (Australian delivery) $1,000. Ph: 0412 337 227. Ill

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Isuzu SBR 6 cyl, 5-speed, diesel. 5.5m pan, 3001 fuel tank, 1400km range, 5m aluminium ramps, 60001b warn winch, new tyres and trim. Suit up to large sedan. Very reli able, clean and tidy. $12,000. Ph: Mark o8 8326 5775. 112 ACCO twin-cab, good cond, set up for race car carry ing $12,500. Trailer also available. Ph: 018 507 064. 112

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Historic photos, seventies and eighties. Brock, Johnson, Richards, Senna, Prost etc. B&W and colour. Majority unpub lished. Tourers, F5000, FI, sports. Also 2-lilre, V8s, 500cc.

Fax for details. 02 9960 6552. in Drives available. Formula Ford, Formula Holden, plus OLD and NSW Stale Championships. Join winning team for 1998. Ph; Greg 07 5446 7611 or 0418 797 038. ni

Wanted

International 1630N turbo, set up for Sprintcar/NASCAR, 12/240v lighting, internal/external ramps, electric winch, tyre racks, bench, external toolbox es, air-conditioned. Very low kms. $36,000ono. Ph: Ron Gameron 046 288 322. 12

Four 13” X 9” or 10” rims for Escort Sports Sedan.

Also, video of Brock’s Austin A35 at Oran Park or Bathurst.

Ph: Don 07 5462 2415. m Formula One kits - Tamiya 1/20 Wolf WR1, Brabham BT46. Other early ones, Protar FI Sports Car videos from 60s - 70s. Ph: Andrew 049 484 472. 112 Heuer dash-mounted rally stop watches, 8 day clocks, Haldas, speed pilots. Ph: Glenn Goad 03 9533 0100 or 0418 389 549. 1,2 Driver required, for 1998 Formula Ford team (Queensland Championship Series). Reasonable budget required. Novice welcome, instruction provided. Call Peter (0418)184 456. 114 1960 Bell Star helmet carry bags, double and sin gle, any condition. Ph: Glenn Goad 03 9533 0100 or 0418 389 549. „2 Salisbury 10 bolt 3.9 crown wheel & pinion. Ph: 018 597

063.

Nissan U-D Turbo transporter, 6 speed, prof, built pan,, large belly lockers. I/range tanks, long reg, comfortable, clean, reliable, impressive, selling well below cost to finance Super Tourer, $18,500 ono. Ph: 03 5248 3044 or 015 050 435. 112 Trailer, tandem alloy wheels, torsion.suspension, electric brakes, undertray ramps, winch, wheel rack, spare attached, silver grey, excellent condition, $4,500. Ph: Graham 03 9429 5696 or 03 9824 7777. m

112

Experienced male or female co-driver for 1998 NSW Clubman rally series. Driver and car (Datsun 1600), well sorted after winning 1996 SA Pedders series. Ph: Peter Sayers (Nowra) 02 4447 8697. 112 F5000 parts required - wheels, suspension, engine, transmission parts, body panels and glass moulds required. Ph: 03 57621266, 12 Clubman 1300, complete car or roller. Ph: John 02 6734 2259, 111 Getrag 5-speed gearbox to suit 600hp V8 for Sports Sedan. Ph: Ross 02 4956 6339 or 019 450 874 (Leave message), m Position wanted. 31 year old male with class 5B licence, thirteen years interstate experience, looking for work as transporter driver or general hand. Ph: 0412 402 982. Ill You've just looked at over SI .5 million dollars worth of cars and parts for sale in Motorsport News Free Classifieds.

388 192, ,12

Chev 366 Methanol, Bowlie block. 17 degree Dart alumini um heads, matching manifold. Grower crank, JE pistons, T&D roller rockers, dry sump, 650hp, strong motor. $16,800. Ph: 03 5176 2257 or 018 514 444. ,,, Porsche 914, Type 4, 2.0 litre. Recent rebuild, IDA Webers, Mahle pistons, complete with 5 speed gearbox, exhaust sys tem, engine sheet metal for 914. $3,000, will separate. Ph; 08 8349 6104 or 08 8339 2942 (AH). ,„

Collection 81 motor sport videos, many rare, mainly Historic racing. For full list send SAE to Mike Evans, 494 Fig Tree Pocket Road, Fig Tree Pocket, OLD 4069.

Racing magazines - Racing Car News (70s), Bathurst programmes, Australian Motor Racing, 1st AGP pro gramme. Best offers. Ph: 017 115 898, 02 4367 8004. <u Fiamecrusher single layer driving suit, medium size in blue $60. Red Fastman driving boots, size 7 $40. 1985 Mitsubishi AGP King Gee officials overalls, size 5. $50. Ail in good condition. Ph:08 8522 5541. tl4 Bathurst programmes 1970-1997, Marlboro and Mobil HDT items - posters, jackets, bags, mirrors etc. HRT race suit 1991. Peter Brock Gold Card, framed, no. 66. Ph; 02 4822 2938 after 7pm. 114 Great Race books, Vol 1 and Vols 3-9, and complete history 1960-80. Various prices. Ph: Anthony 08 8277 3752 (AH). 113 Dinkum Classic models, 1/43 scale: LC Toranas Brock & Bond 1971 Sandown, LJ Torana XU1 HDT 1 Bathurst, L34 Toranas HDT 1 & 2 1974 Bathurst, L34 Torana HDT 1 1976 Bathurst, A9X Torana Brock 1977 Bathurst, VK Commodore Grice 1986 Bathurst, VL Commodore HSV 1988 Bathurst. Price neg. Ph: 02 4822 2938 after 7pm. 112 SAAS racing seat and 4-point harness. $200. Ph: Ian 02 9897 1617. il2 Wheels magazine collection,spanning 26 years, Oct 1970 - Dec 1996, all in excellent cond. $200ono. Ph: Peter 03 5338 1519. ,.2 Number plates: GODZLA - Vic plates, currently held at Vic Roads, white on black. $3,000ono. Ph;0412 337 227. Ill Sparco Formula One driving suit, best-known owner Nicola Larini (Ferrari test driver). Last used Adelaide GP. $1.OOOono. Ph: Alan 02 9979 8616. 111

y

Engines

202 Holden, fully rebuilt, balanced, blueprinted. Fully worked head, roller rockers. Hi Energy sump, McGee injec tion, will sell with or without. POA. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419 388 192. 114 Datsun A14, worked, big port head, ext, match ported, bal crank, Holden value springs, 45mm Del Orlo, recurred dizzy, .

Strong motor. $850. Ph; 03 9478 9048. 114 Holden 202, methanol engine, just freshened. Forged pis tons, roller rockers etc. Plus new 3.3 engine, forged pistons, roller cam and lifters. $5,000 for both, will separate. Ph: 03 59624540,0418 557 994. „4 Commodore VS, HSV, 185kW S.Olitre V8, low mileage, excellent condition, can hear running, still in car, selling to finance new engine. $4,200ono. Ph: 03 9729 4618. 114 Fomiula Ford engine, not run since full rebuild. New rings, bearings, timing chain, tensioner etc. Complete, ready to install. Good hp. $3,950. Ph; Greg 07 5446 7611. 113 Lotus t/c motor, dismantled, new valves 1700 less cams, $3,570ono. Cosworth Sierra cylinder head complete $2,800.

Steel crank, lightweight, $925. Tranx 4-spd sc/cr gearbox, rebuilt $975. Ph: 08 8204 8869, 08 8278 5988. 1,3 FJ20 motor, race prepared crank, sump, head, needs pis tons and manitolds. Bargain $750. Ph: Stuart 07 3285 4871. 113 Ford Windsor, 302, flat tops. Hoffenhauser manifold, 650 Holley, freshened. Also complete Hadtield conversion for XM XT. May separate $1500. Ph: 018 597 063 Vic. 112 Holden 202 T04 turbo, studded block, 12 port Mankin head and cam, stainless manifolds and exhaust, 650 Holley, gauges, sump, crank $2,000 Ph; 018 597 063! 112 Fold 351C, 4MAB crank with top loader and box mounted shifter. Has run ‘l3s in XY Falcon. Needs freshen. $2,000. Ph: Jason 0417 ^4 491. 112 Subaru engine, new 2.5 1998 specs, wire harness and lot more. Ph: 07 3841 4922. .,2 202 Holden, fully rebuilt, balanced, blueprinted. Fully worked head, roller rockers. Hi Energy sump, McGee injec tion. Will sell with or without . POA. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419

Other Senna watch - TAG Heuer 6000 ladies, no. 553 of 1,000 world wide. Never worn. Presentation box. catalogue .certificate, suit collector. Genuine enquiries only. Ph: 07 5573 3478. -u

1617, 1.2

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 inci 8 diffs, engine blocks etc. Well known car with excellent competi tion history. Nothing to spend. Genuine and reluctani forced sale. $21,950 with everything. Contact Len Shaw on 03 9787 0856.

Enclosed race trailer, ideal for speedway Mini Sprints, F500. 240v lighting, 12 wheel rack, great race trailer. Must sell. $2,500. Ph: 014 453 615(AH),03 9704 9754(BH), 112 FiOO,82 model, ex Ambulance, auto, dual fuel, tow hitch, long reg and RWC. $10,500. Ph: 03 5996 2263 or 0419 388 192. .12

SAAS racing seats, black velour, excellent condition hardly used. $700ono. Ph: 02 6361 9469. 112 Toyota Corolla 3k block, 60 thou bore, decked, new welch plugs. Many other spares. $100ono. Ph: Ian 02 9897 Pedals: clutch, brake and accelerator, one piece floor mount. $120. Ph: 018 597 063. 112 Escort Twin Cam, genuine Ford brand: new front guards, one pair $1,000. Escort 13 x 5.5 Rebel wheels centres, painted gold, near new Yokohama A008 tyres $750. Ph: 03 9499 3088(BH)or 018 367 004. 112 Tripie plate AP clutch, coarse spline, brand new still in box $1,350. Ph: 018 597 063. 12 Terratrip, new model 303 Plus. Used on one rally only, in box with instructions. New $850, sell for $550. Ph: Nick Brittan 02 9979 8882. m Romac all steel high performance balancer to suit 289/302 Windsor. Neutral balance, timed for driver-side liming pointer. Brand new, never used. $270. Ph: 076 271 497. m 2000 twin cam Alfa engine and five-speed gearbox with all accessories. Ph: 07 3294 6888.

49

Race car trailer, 42 ft fully enclosed fibreglass sided semi trailer. Carries 2 full size cars. Extras include hydraulic tailgate lifter, brand new air ride bogie suspen sion, brand new axles, hubs, brakes etc. Undercarriage storage compartments, side access door, rear roller door. $47,500. Ph: Geoff Develin 0418 628 090 Canberra, mi

$1Jm

Let’s face it, there’s no better way to sell your motor sport equipment than in Motorsport News - it’s free and it works!

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50

7Nombef 1997 Schuey; Not guilty 0(0 NEWS

0)) (0

Editorial p»litor David Hassail Technical Editor Tony Glynn Assistant Editor Phil Branagan Graphics Co-ordinator Viv Brumby

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Contributors : General: Mike Kable, Jon Thomson, ; Brian Reed. Dartyl Flack : FI: Joe -Saward. Adam Cooper : Europe: Quentin Spurring, Ian Bamsey, : ^ : Gwyn Dolphin ' ; US; Bruce Smith, Phil Morris / NZ: John Hawkins Speedway: Dennis Newlyn, David : McNabb, Wade Aunger, Geoff ; Rounds, Mark Neale, David Lamont, I Chris Metcalf. Sue Hobson, : Michael Attwell, Tony Millard (UKJ ' Rally; Peter Whitten ; Drag Racing: Gerald McDornan, ; Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), ; Dave Ostaszewski (USA), ; Nick Nicholas, Steven White, ; Ken Ferguson, Scott Jug : Super Speedway: Martin Clark (USA), ; Brett Swanson ; Karts; Ian Salvestrin, Allan Roark, : Graeme Burns, Edward Krause . Photographers: LAT, Dirk Klynsmith, ; Zoom Photographies, Neil Hammond, ' Nigel & Diana Snowdon, i Brad Steele, Tony Glynn, ! Thunder-Pics, Marshall Cass, ;Mike Harding, Brisbane Motorsport, ; ; Frank Midgley, John Bosher, i Phil Williams, Mike Patrick (UK) \ MOTORSPORT NEWS K published by /■V.isiralasiah ; Moiorsporr News 1^ Ltd ACN No 060 179 9Z8 ; j l-'iWLiots C Lambden (.Managinql, D Hsssall. A Glynn ! Publisher: ; C Lambden

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would investigate and p*unish severely such obvious race rigging.

Wliy not FI ?

How they sneered at CART and NACSAR racing as scripted enter tainment, whereas FI was racing at it’s purest ! Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley should remember that millions lost faith with heavy weight boxing when the fight ‘game’ became rigged, producing mutants such as Tyson.

The rot in FI started when Senna “pissed in the water,” as pro fessional cycle racers would say, at Suzuka. The ‘sport’ has been draw ing from a polluted well ever since and Schumacher is one result.

A driver of the integrity mid val ues of Alain Frost or Peter Brock

stepping of a goose and when the chariot of he who’s name shall be mispronounced doth come to pass, he shall deliver the “chop of Hakkinen.”

What was the revelation of the race, however, was the undeniable fact that Schumacher is the antiChrist!

One needs to look no further than the book of Revelations chapter 13:18 for the undeniable evidence: “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.”

The translation of this scripture, which was written at a time when FI was only in its infancy, is obvious:

Patrick Atherton Balhannah,/SA

Schuey; Guilty as charged Dear Sir, Schumacher is a worthy succes sor to the late Ayrton Senna. He has the same blinding speed, daz zling skill and fatal flaw ! One who cannot accept to be beaten in a fair contest is incomplete as a human being, let alone as a sportsman.

On Sunday, the great Schumi reminded us that he has only one world title to his actual credit.

Morally, Damon Hill is a two-time champion.

Schumacher has not matured since 1994, preferring to cast him self as the Mike Tyson of FI, taking a bite out of Villeneuve’s cai-.

How does Irvine now feel about sacrificing a brilliant first victory for such a man ? Have Fen-ari sec ond thoughts about their $25 mil lion rough diamond ?

What credibility have the stew ards, who could find no fault in such a blatant foul ?

What of the pitlane deal-making which decided the podium order,? It displayed an astonishing cynicism towards fans and sponsors alike. In horse racing, the Jockey Club

HITTING THE FAN... Michael Schumacher is now confronting reality. would refuse such win-at-all-costs tactics. With petulant drivers, team orders and fixed races, my 20 year long love affair with FI is over.

Colm Doherty Cremome, NSW

And an opinion from the far side...

Dear Sir, I cannot understand the com ments of incredulousness being made by some FI fans regarding the fact that Michael Schumacher deliberately tried to lake Jacques Villeneuve out of the deciding race of the El season.

Was there ANYONE in the devel oped world who didn’t think that he was gonna try it on if it looked like Villeneuve might beat him?

I heal'd that this was even hinted at in one of the dead-sea scrolls, and Nostradamus couldn’t have been any clearer when he said: “There will come a man, with the

“Six hundred” - the sixth full F I season of the ‘Dreaded Hun,’ or ‘hun-dred’ to use old speak (19921997 for Michael Schumacher) “threescore” - three cars will all achieve the same pole position qualifying time, or ‘score’ (and so it was that three cars achieved the same pole position times) “and six” - his accomplice (team mate) shall bear the number 6 on his car (Schumacher’s team-mate was number 6, Eddie Irvine, who played his part to try to foil Villeneuve in qualifying).

These are truly dark times in Formula 1 and all I hope is that when Schumacher arrives in Melbourne for the beginning of the 1998 season that he sees nothing but a sea of crucifixes waving at him from all the grandstands.

Tony Fish Bald Hills, QLD ASST ED: Thanks for the info, Fish. When the men come to ‘help’ you, remember - take the tinfoil off your head BEFORE

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Dear Sir, Alan Jones, commentating on Schumacher’s crashing into Villeneuve during the ’97 Jerez Grand Prix; “It’s a shame. He’s just gone down in my opinion. It’s unnecessarily dangerous.”

Alan Jones, commenting on Schumacher’s crashing into Hill at Adelaide in’94(AJ,Motoreport News, Issue 36): “It shows how competitive and single-minded he is, because he was willing to put his body on the line far it, so to speak. He’s still the best and quickest driver and he deserved to win the championship. He’s proved that he’s willing to do virtually anything to be world champion by doing that manoeuvre and halfhis luck —he got away with it.”

Makes you think, huh?

And thanks a lot to Channel Nine for the tour of the Williams museum. Or, perhaps more aptly, our torn' of Alan Jones. I don’t think there was a single full shot of a car in the whole piece.

While Jones and Eastlake were pointing out fascinating-sounding bits oftechnical history -‘look at the sidepods/wings/thingamies” - all we got were shots of their faces, their torsos, their backs, them shoulders.

Now, as beautiful as our two hosts are, I would really like to have seen the cars. Especially while they were discussing the features that we weren’t seeing. Is it too much to ask that while we are being told about a change in wing, we get a shot of the wing?

Emma Kirwan via E-mail

A date with destiny Deal' Sir, Having just purchased MN 112, I was veiy disappointed to see that there was no reference in the race report to the rear portions of one’s anatomy.

I refer you to MN 111, “Aussies kick Euro Ass” and “Aussies kicked Butt.” I consulted my children regai'ding the meaning of such lan guage and it transpires that what you were, in effect, saying was that the Australian drivers gave the European drivers a foot in the bum.

Now, all things being equal, surely the headline would have been “The General Fills Ford’s Freckle.”

Come on you blokes, consistency.

Please don’t even consider going weekly. I can only take so much.

Bob Smith North Blackburn, VIC ASST ED: Your children were spot on, Smith; welcome to the 1980s. We assume you would decline the offer of a suitable ‘ass’ reference now?

By Barry Foley

$105

Bankcard, VISA Ma.stercaid, Amex accepted

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Dear Sir, Regarding Lap 48 of the Eui'O GP; like previous such incidents, we were subject to spontaneous and sensationalist assessment by main stream media and certain other people. I have a real problem with a move being called “deliberate” by someone other than the guy holding the steering wheel.

Certainly, Schumacher seemed to make one last jolt as Villenueve was alongside him. But no mention has been made of Villenueve’s ban zai, no-braking, out-of-control over taking attempt which, as can clear ly be seen; would have taken the Williams onto the kitty litter on the outside of the corner had the two cars not collided.

I am not justifying Schumacher’s move; it seems there were no good guys this year.

In Adelaide 1994, the same over done beat-up reaction occurred to the SchumOTill incident, where it was said that Schumacher turned into Damon Hill “deliberately” (but turning right is also the correct way to go around a right-hand comer!!).

The rationale used to assess over taking incidents seems to change when Schumacher is involved.

Congratulations Jacques,(lucky about the Japan appeal too!), you deserved the World Championship, but I, despite the dastardly acts the media would have us believe he has done, still hold Schumacher’s achievements with Ferrari in VERY high regard.

you slip the iong-sleeved white jacket on.

03 9527 7744

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