Motorsport News Issue 122 - 13-26 March 1998

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13“26 March 1998

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NEW STANDARD: The new McLaren blitzed its rivals at Albert Park, leaving Mika Hakkinen (right) in tears on the podium.

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and HRT’s trick new brakes

McLaren has developed a revolutionary new power source system which results in as much as 30 more horsepower being available to its drivers.

This and other developments helped the two McLarens to hlitz the field in Sunday’s Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.

And rival teams are still at odds with McLaren over its radi cal brake .system, which helps turn-in speed and traction out of comers.

;On the local front, both HRT and DJR have also developed a braking system which allows more effort on the loaded out-" side front wheel.

Though it has been declared legal, TEGA has discussed the HRT system and is expected to outlaw it soon.

The new McLaren system employs energy from the brakes to drive the various pumps which normally drain an engine of power at the wheels.

In summary, McLaren has stolen a march with: '

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See Inside for ali the details

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● The new engine ancillary pump system; ● Two-pedal brake arrange ment to aid cornering; ● Bridgestone tyres, which are outpacing Goodyear; ● New technical director Adrian Newey, who has turned the team’s fortunes and left his old team Williams stmggling; ● Front and rear aerodynamic tweaks being concealed from other teams.

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Mdaren's winning secrets revealed ^ By JOE SAWARD THE two McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13S of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard demolished the opposition at the Australian Grand Prix, lapping the track three seconds faster than the opposition throughout the race and giving the team a quite remarkable victory.

The two McLaren drivers lapped the entire field, finishing over two minutes ahead of the rest after the 90-minute event, leaving rival teams stunned.

There is no doubt that McLaren is running something which has given the team a massive advan tage and, while a good engine, good tyi-es, a good chassis and good dri vers might seem to create a strong package, many people believe that the team has managed to find an important technical breakthrough.

During qualifying in Australia there was much speculation about the team’s mysterious extra brake pedal, first revealed at the end of last season, which apparently allows the driver to switch braking from side to side on the car depend ing on the corner.

This has the effect of making the car turn more quickly as the inside wheels are slowed but those on the outside of the corner continue as normal.

The FIA has ruled that this sys tem is not illegal.

“We have had our car checked all the time during the development,” said team boss Ron Dennis.

“There is nothing wrong at all. In fact, several other teams have something similar for their cars.”

A little bird tells us that, with Alfa Romeo being relaunched in AustraUa this year, the company is considering choosing Bathurst to launch the Alfa 156 Super Touring race car. You heard it here first... n As a result of his visit to the Williams pit last weekend, 500cc World Champion Mick Doohan looks set to have a test in a Williams GP car.

The test, for purely interest reasons, will take place when Doohan’s schedule coincides with a Williams test day. n On the ball observers would have noticed that the Winfield signs on the sides ofthe Williams FI cars gi’ew noticeably in size overnight on race eve. n Mario Andretti is reportedly talking to Mercedes-Benz about racing at Le Mans and the US rounds ofthe GT Championship later in the year. Andretti, who turned 58 last week, wants to race sports cars if he can find the right team: “I’d like to do Le Mans and the two races at Homestead and Laguna,” he said this week. “I feel we could do some good in the promotion of those races.”

With the works team set to debut all-new V8 powered cars at Le Mans(see stoiy next page), a V12 could be available for the US legend.

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGE... The awesome McLarens cruise to victory at Albert Park.

We believe that one of the teams is Ferrari and it was, therefore, very interesting that the Italian team was one of six which complained to the FIA in a letter which

questioned the legality of the McLaren, 'The implication in this is that the teams are not worried about the braking system; itself but by some

(Photo by LATDigital)

other aspect of the McLaren, As no-one seems to know exactly what it is that has made the

Continued on page 4

TEG to ban HRT brake A

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AN intriguing new brak ing development being assessed by both the Shell and HRT teams looks likely to be banned in V8 Supercar racing.

The device is linked to the front brakes of a car and acts like a pendulum as the car turns into a cor ner, the pendulum swings outward as G-forces take hold, activating a valve which reduces braking effort on the inside front wheel, thus stopping it lock ing.

A “sort-of’ ABS system.

However, as the system is purely mechanical, not electronic, current V8 Supercar rules make it completely legal.

The system, originally developed by the BMW Super Touring team, has been tested by both HRT and Shell teams, although it is not known whether it has been raced yet.

The Shell team’s John Bowe confinned that a sys tem had been tested, “but that’s all we’ve done - there are a few problems involved

New Alfa a Bathurst chance

UNDER REVIEW... The Shell team has also been developing the pendulum brakes, t

in getting it to work correctly.

HRT engineer Ron Harrop also confirmed testing a sys tem, but couldn’t say whether it had been raced.

However, on the basis that the device is one of those things that all teams would have to acquire, at some cost, TEGA’s Board is

considering if and when its “There’s a general view use may be banned. that technical change “The Board is likely to should have a year’s notice. consider the issue within bat this is a relatively the next 48 hours,” TEGA . minor thing.

CEO Garry Craft said on ' "My adrice is that these Tuesday, things could cost anywhere “The TEGA Technical from $10,000 to $100,000 Committee has recommend- and we have no interest in ed that we ban the system; all our teams having to the issue is the timing. spend that sort of money.”

According to Craft, TEGA’s philosophy is clear: “While teams are free to experiment technically, within the regulations, they do risk wasting their money if they choose to run inno vations past the Technical Committee after, rather than before, they do the work.”

The fact that the Technical Committee is made up of rival team rep resentatives may, however, explain that reluctance...

The issue does re-ignite the debate over innovation in V8 Supercars versus cost-cutting and parity con siderations.

Should teams, in this case HRT and Shell, be penalised for spending some of their budget on a perfectly legal technical innovation such as this?

Or should cost contain ment and performance pari ty issues take precedence?

That is the sticky issue TEGA’s Board faces with this and, clearly, a number of other issues.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

n Jim Richards snatched vic tory at the very last driving test in last week’s Dutton’s Grand Prix Rally after leader David Burgess(Nissan GTR)miscued and lost time in the Point Cook stage. Richo’s win, his fourth in succession, came at the wheel of a new Porsche 911. Michael Mansour(1972 Porsche 911)was

third.

n Former Motorsport News advertising manager Sean Henshelwood is set to make his AUSCAR debut at this week end’s Thunderdome meeting at the wheel of a John Faulknerrun Commodore. Sponsorship comes from Kodak. n Mark Willis leads the Supersport class of the Shell Oils ARRC series after Wanneroo last weekend. Steve Martin’s Ducati leads the Production Superbike class, John Allen leads the HD Super-twins category while Vince Messina is on top in sidecars. n Sete Gibemau will replace Takuma Aoki on Honda’s 500 Vtwiii. The Spanish ex-Yamaha man tested at Eastern Creek last week before flying to Japan to sign a contract. n Superbike star Scott Russell has vowed to equal the record seven Daytona 500 wins of retired NASCAR legend, Richard Petty. Russell’s pledge comes after he secured his recoi'd fifth Daytona 200 motor cycle race \rin on Sunday. “I want to win seven Daytona 200s, because Richard Petty won seven Daytona 500s. You never get tired of winning races at Davtona.”

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Lakeside doubt

n A technical glitch meant we omitted the address ofWomen in Motorsport(WIMSA)in their advert last issue.

They are contactable at PO Box 2304 Mount Waverley 3149 or on the net at; WWW.wimsa.asn.au

FOLLOWING its recent spate of surface break-ups in testing, an inspection on Tuesday was expected to decide the fate of the March 29 Shell ATCC round at Lakeside.

Brian Shead, a member of the CAMS Circuit Safety Committee, was due to undertake the inspec tion to determine the risk of the surface breaking up should it be hot over the March 28-29 weekend.

n Peter Boylam will join forces with Class E Australian GTP Champ Trevor Haines in a twocar Subaru WEX Impreza assault on the Century Batteries Australian GTProduction Car Championship. Each car will carry the other’s pri mary sponsor as sec ondary sponsor, the Boylan car with support from Quirks Refrigeration while Haines is still in search of a major sponsor.

An adverse finding would leave V8 group AVESCO little time to switch to another venue.

Other options would be post ponement or even canceUation of the round at Lakeside.

“Obviously, it’s CAMS’call as to^ whether the track is suitable for a licence for the event,” TEGA’s Garry Craft confirmed on Tuesday, “but given that we expect a decision tomorrow, we’d

have to look at moving the race at very short notice.

“Obviously we have TV com mitments and so on which make it very difficult...”

With relations between TEGA and the ARDC thawing and the club desperate for an event, Eastern Creek has been suggest ed as an emergency replace ment.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Mercedes looks at V8 for Le Mans

■ Cameron McConville was less than happy before the Lamborghini Challenge races at Albert Park last weekend. After spending four days before the meeting propping his Diablo, he had the car sold out from under him, leaving him to hastily pre pare a less-ready ‘lease’ car for the races.

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MERCEDES may debut an allnew 5-litre V8-powered GT car for this year’s Le Mans 24 Hour race.

The new car will supplement the current V12-powered CLK GTR machine, one of which was demon strated to the Australian motor spo.rt public at last weekend’s Gr4nd Prix by new Merc signing Mark Webber.

It is expected that the V12 will continue in use for the 1998 GT Championship, the ,V8 exclusively aimed exclusively ai Le Mans.

The smaller unit would poten tially give the car greater range for the June classic, but would have similar performance to the big V12, which.is limited in its power output by a 32mm air restrictor, which gives the car about 650hp, marginally less than the car has in ‘road’ trim.

The V12’s massive torque, around 850Nm, would also be less of an advantage at the fast French track.

The smaller size and mass of the V8 would aid the car’s weight dis tribution and improve tyre wear.

Should Mercedes give the green light to the project to go beyond the development stage, the V8s would be raced by the factory AMG racing arm, while Persson Motorsport (which ran the car Mai'k Webber has been driving in Australia) would run two of the older V12 machines.

Mercedes has confirmed that it will nm all four of its current CLK m GTRs the 1998 GT

H Similarly, Greg Murphy had one of the cars allocated to European drivers on a one-off‘lease’ basis. Murph was the 14th driver to have a drive in the ‘experienced’ machine...

■ Fellow Lambo driver Raul Meyer was a single man for race week, which was just as well for AGP security. Meyer’s wife is actress Brigitte Nielsen, whose appearance in Melbourne may have caused a minor riot among the fans ...

■ Proud parents Dept: Wayne Gardner and part ner Toni have picked a name for their new son (Remy) while Neil Crompton and wife Sally have announced their own R&D project, with a 1998spec (Iromley due in November.

■ Edward Rowe is mov ing from Sydney to England this week. The former Orix Audi Sport PR man has won the prime appointment as Ford Motorsport’s Director of Communications and will count GPs and WRC events as his 1998 beat.

Championship and has named its eight drivers.

Webber will be joined by Bemd Schneider, Klaus Ludwig, Bernd Maylander, Marcel Tiemann, Christophe Bouchut, Jean-Marc Gounon and Ricardo Zonta.

Prior to the AGP demonstra tions of the stunning CLK, RARING TO GO... Mark Webber with the magnificent Mercedes-Benz CLKMercedes took the car to Calder for GTR before demonstrating the car at Albert Park last weekend. This week he (Photo by LAT Digita l) a shakedown, which included a is testing in Spain and next month he has his race debut. few laps with passengers strapped in alongside Webber.

Without any set-up time, Webber comfortably shattered the MARK Webber will be without his with him in the middle of last year. existing outright Calder lap record Neal, who guided the young (held by John Bowe in the ' manager of the past three years, Queanbeyan racer from Formula Veskanda), nmning in the low 51s Ann Neal, when he begins his Ford through to the current bracket (as a comparison, Craig career with Mercedes next month.

Mercedes contract, was stunned by Last Friday came the annoimceLowndes V8 touring car lap record ment that Webber had terminated the news and returned to the UK is 56.14 seconds). on Simday.

Webber left' Australia on their partnership.

Tuesday, headed for further test He will now be managed entirely She will continue to manage ing with Mercedes in the lead up by David Campese Management, World Kart Champion James Courtney and has already had to the first race of the series, at the sports management company Oschersleben in Germany, on owned by the former rugby inter approaches from other drivers, national which became involved April 12. both here and in the UK

■ Formula Holden pilot Markus Friesacher received a reprimand from the Stewards after his first race efforts of block ing and driving back onto the track into traffic. The general consensus among the Austrian’s opponents was that he was lucky to escape without a stiffer penalty.

Webber dro ps manager

■ Bobby Labonte in a Pontiac won the Atlanta NASCAR race on Monday ahead of a Ford Taimis gaggle. Full story next issue.

■»

McLaren’s winning secrets revealed Continued from Page 3 McLarens so competitive, there have been a number of attempts by rival teams to discover how the McLaren braking system is working.

On Saturday in Melbourne Ron Dennis accused a rival team of espi onage after a photographer was found in the McLaren garage, taking pictures.

“We evicted him from our garage,” Dennis said, “and on further interro gation he admitted to being the brother-in-law of another leading team’s aerodynamicist.

“There are some teams - one in particular - which does not seem to have any code of conduct, so you have to take a more aggressive stance against their behaviour.

“We have to protect our intellec tual property rights, but I do not think this is a sport where you reach for the law book at every opportunity. I would rather not do that.”

One theorj about the team’s per formance breakthrough is that McLaren is using a system of gener ating power with the brakes which is then used to drive small electric motors which run the auxiliary pumps on the Mercedes-Benz engine.

■' Normally the oil and water pumps are run by chaindrive or gears from the engine and this gen erally consumes around 30 horse power.

The amount of power which can be generated by the brakes would not, however, be sufficient to run the pumps for an entire race and so it is suggested that McLaren has developed a system in which the pumps are run by the engine at cer tain points on the circuit and by the electric pumps at other times.

Consequently, on some parts of the circuit the drivers can switch on an extra 30 horsepower and there is no reason why this cannot be auto matically programmed into the car.

Several teams argue that such a system would be illegal, although there is no obvious regulation which bans power regeneration.

Article 1.3 of the FI Technical Regulations defines a car as being “a locomotive device” and by adding a small electric motor a car may not be legal as it then has two locomo tive devices.

According to some engineers the concept of power regeneration was discussed at a meeting of the FIA Technical Working Group and it was agreed that it would not be allowed, but there is no actual regu lation which bans it.

It should perhaps be remembered that, because of the ongoing dispute about the Concorde Agreement, McLaren does not actually have a voice on the Technical Working Group and so, in theory, is not bound by any agreements made by that body.

We understand that teams are working flat-out to devise similar systems but by then McLaren will have built up a lead in the World Championship.

“We have seen this sort of thing before,” commented Frank Williams after the race in Australia.

“I think they’ll only be this strong for the first half of the season.”

13 March m

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FIA rejects AGP complaints

THE FIA has rejected a formal complaint over the McLaren team’s tactics in last Sunday’s Grand Prix lodged by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

In order to honour a pre-race agreement that whoever was first at turn one would win (if the two ran at the front of the race), David Coulthard pulled over and handed the race to teammate Mika Hakkinen after the latter lost the lead due to an additional pit-stop brought on by a team error.

While Coulthard’s move may have been the sporting gesture of the decade, the fact that the team had effectively decided the winner after just 400 metres upset many people - including

GP Corp Chairman Ron Walker - who saw it as race “fixing”.

“I don’t believe it’s in the spir it of motor racing that pre arrangements should be made by drivers as to who’s going to Walker told the win, Melbourne Herald Sun on

Monday after faxing his com plaint to Paris.

Both the drivers and team manager Ron Dennis were clearly amazed at the fuss, Hakkinen and Coulthard open ly confirming the arrangement at the post-race press confer ence, with Dennis later adding: “We decided that for the first two races of the season, they would drive for the team.

“We were unsure of a number of things - reliability, tyre life.

and so on - and saw little point ‘team orders’ specifying the fin in them risking a non-finish by ishing order of drivers within a team have existed in motor racing each other.

“We have a performance sport since the beginning of the advantage and it was important century.

“It would therefore not be that we finish the race.

“They should not be pilloried right to criticise or sanction West McLaren Mercedes for for what they have done.

“We are not doing anything what it did in Sunday’s Grand that is against the spirit of Prix meeting.

“However, the World Motor Grand Prix racing.”

Sport CoimcU will be invited to The FIA,it seems, agrees. decide at its meeting on March On Tuesday, it responded to 18 whether this practice should W’alker’s faxed complaint: now cease.”

“The FIA has received a com In the face of complaints from plaint from the promoter of the Australian Grand Prix that people who had bet on West McLaren Mercedes decid Coulthard, British bookmakers have responded by saying that ed the finishing order of its dri vers by means other than a fair for the first time they will now offer odds on FI teams as well sporting contest.

“The FIA has replied that as drivers...

COMPLAINT... Ron Walker

Adelaide $41,000 to ride 2*seat McLaren lobbies forGP return

McLaren has revealed that it is building a two-seater Formula 1 car to enable VIPs and media to understand more about how Grand Prix drivers work and what it is like to go at racing speeds in a modem FI machine. , Media organisations are being asked to bid for the chance to be the first to ride in the curious FI machine, which will have the pas senger sitting behind but slightly more upright than the driver so that they can see the track ahead.

At the Grand Prix Ball in Melbourne last week, one wealthy punter successfully bid for a ride in n the machine -for $41,000.

The price includes a first class air ticket donated by Qantas.

“It is designed to provide a unique opportunity to allovir a pas senger to experience the power and exhilaration of the modern Grand Prix car,” explained McLaren boss Ron Dennis.

The car - which will have the designation MP4-98T - is being built for McLaren International

by McLaren Cars.

The money raised by the auc tion will go to two charities: the Tommy’s Campaign, which is the teaip’s official charity, and KOBRA, a German charity for abused children nominated by Mercedes-Benz.

The car is expected to be finished in April around the time of the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.

-JOESAWARD

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SOUTH Australia has indicated it wants to bid for the Australian Grand Prix to return to Adelaide.

SA Premier John Olsen met with FI chief Bernie Ecclestone last week and said he would like the GP back when the Melbourne contract expires at the end of 2001.

Olsen used low attendence and the popularity of Adelaide with the FI teams to push his cause.

However, Melbourne GP boss Ron Walker and Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett have said the race will stay at Albert Park for longer than that.

“Adelaide ran a very good Grand Prix for many years ... but it won’t be shifting from Melbourne for many years to come,” Walker said.

LOVE SEAT... A model of the two-seat McLaren.

- DAVID HASSALl

RADICAL CONCEPT... The passenger sits where the fuel tank would normally be.

Rkard circuit for sale

THE Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France is up for sale, following the death of the drinks magnate who built the track in 1969.

Ricard, who died in November at the age of 88, left five children and according to French law his assets must be split I

equally between them.

As none of them seem to be interested in holding on to the racing circuit, it is up for sale with a price tag believed to be as much as $15m.

While Paul Ricard may be attractive to both car manufacturers and tyre companies, it is also possi ble that a number of the

Grand Prix teams may be interested to buying the track, in order to use it as a permanent test and development facility in much the same way as the Ferrari team now uses the old MugeUo racing circuit.

In recent years Grand Prix teams have had increasing problems find ing available time at cir-

cuits where the weather is good in the winter months.

The big advantage of Paul Ricard is that it is next door to an airfield capable of handling small business jets, which allows team bosses and drivers to come and go with far greater ease than other racing circuits.

-JOESAWARD

s Richards’ BTCC Nissan test Formula One heading for US - at last?

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RICHO IN SPAIN... Steve Richards’Nissan test could, at least, lead to a Bathurst 1000 drive with the team.(Photo by latDigital)

By PHIL BRANAGAN STEVEN Richards has tested a British Touring Car Championship Nissan in Europe.

Richards travelled to the UK two weeks ago to meet up with the Ray Mallockrun BTCC outfit before heading to the Albecete cir cuit in Spain to test the 1997-spec Primera.

The invitation comes about as a result of Richards driving the Garry

Rogers Motorsport Primera in Super Touring last sea son and building up com munication links with the RML team.

“Even though we didn’t do it so much last year because of our V8 program they realised we were doing a good job and the invita came in tion early February,” Richards said.

Richards was one of three drivers te.Sted, the others being long-time BTCC com petitor Chris Goodwin and

Bryce Wilson who, like current Renault Laguna driver Jason Plato, comes from the Renault Spider UK Cup. He completed to half days with the team in Spain and, was happy with the test.

“We couldn’t change the car at all because they were testing three other drivers. It was just a mat ter of‘get in and drive’.”

As to where the test will lead, Richards is unsure.

“There are possible avenues to be pursued for

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the future but that is all unclear at the moment. It was nice to be asked; who knows where it will lead?”

Nissan Motorsports’ touring car chief Alec Poole said that there was a possibility of running a third BTCC spec Primera at official TOCA test days to give drivers experience, and that there would be a 1000km test before the team headed for the Bathurst 1000 on October 4.

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Speedway, where a golf course already exists inside the 2.5-mile oval, One intriguing rumour which popped up in Melbourne is that Long Beach may once again be discussing terms with Bernie Ecclestone because of the effects that the CART-IRL split is having on his event.

One way or another, we are confident that there will be a US GP in 2000, the intention being for the race to be tied into the launch of Sylvester Stallone’s planned film about Grand Prix racing.

-JOESAWARD

at the same time as race

DESPI'TE a record crowd

sponsor Primus Telecom munications has under

dling of the financial accounts for the race.

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happen “if Vegas comes up with what I proposed”.

Ecclestone added that he also felt that Orlando (Disneyworld) would have been the perfect venue but that a deal had not been possible.

If a deal is done we expect that there would not be a United States GP until the year 2000 but that Las Vegas is closest to a deal with Steve Wynn of Mirage Resorts rumoured to be willing to put up the money to build a semi-permanent race track in the Las Vegas area.

The model for this seems to be Albert Park as a public

By JON THOMSON

backs in the past week with ructions amongst race partners and with the sponsor causing pro IMG some moter headaches.

IMG was highly criti cised in a terse letter from Bathurst City Council over the han

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heard is that Las Vegas needs new golf courses and that one of these may double as a racing circuit.

We continue to hear suggestions that a similar project may be going on at Motor Indianapolis

park which has all the neces sary foundations, roads and buildings so it can be con verted into a racing circuit without too much trouble.

One rumour we have

Bathurst/IMG woes continue and strong television rat ings the Primus 1000 Classic has had some set

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BERNIE Ecclestone is said to be only days away from signing a deal to take Grand Prix racing back into the United States of America although the man himself is not giving anything away.

Questioned on the subject in Australia, Ecclestone dismissed Road Atlanta and San Francisco as sites, but admitted that a race could

Despite a claimed record crowd of over 50,000 at the mid-October race the promoter IMG reported a cash profit on the race of just $87,000 before fixed costs were accounted for according to council dociunents.

In a letter, the contents of which were published in the Bathurst daily newspaper the Western Advocate last week.

Council general manager Chris Pitkin accused IMG of breaching con tractual agreements with the Council.

The accusations come

gone a major shake-up with the departure of for mer marketing manager Graham O’Shaunnesy, the appointment of a new advertising agency and the announcement of a major new sponsorship deal with the Collingwood Football Club.

It is believed that Primus has made an offer to IMG which is apparent ly less that it paid for last year’s sponsorship of the V8 Supercar race at Bathmst.

This is despite the fact that IMG has a long term contract with Primus.

According to sources close to the race organis ers the offer is currently being assessed by IMG although Bathurst City Council isn’t happy with the offer being made by the telecommunications company.

Primus’ general manag er sales and marketing Mark Wallace did not return our calls before Motorsport News went to press.

On the Bathurst City Council front it is clear that the Council has become a hostile partner in the race if the tone of the letter from Council general manager Pitkin is a gauge.

In the letter from the Bathurst City Council to IMG Chris Pitkin accused IMG of restricting the Council’s ability to assess the profitability of the race by not presenting the race accounts by the due date.

The letter went on to say, “It is unacceptable to council that IMG could not provide accounts until January, particularly as IMG had represented itself and has represented itself in the gaining of the contract as being an expert in the promotion of sporting events.”

The letter closed with the ominous warning that accounts must be present ed within seven days to avoid council taking fur ther action.

Mr Pitkin was unavail able for comment when contacted by Motorsport News.

13 March m

Honda returns Villeneuve to lead comeback in ’99? i

By JOE SAWARD THE Honda Motor Company has announced that it is about to launch a major Grand Prix cam paign which will be ready in time for the 1999 season.

Although it is yet to be officially confirmed, we believe that Honda has set tled on a two-pronged attack with a supply of VIO engines for- British American Racing and for a completely new Honda FI team.

This new team will build its own cars in Japan and will be r-un by former Grand Prix driverSatoru Nakajima.

We believe that the dr-iver line-up for the two teams will include Jacques Villeneuve and Toranosuke Takagiin the Honda-Hondas and CART champion Alex Zanardi driving for British American Racing alongside Frenchman Jean-Christophe Boullion.

While the idea of a new team building a completely new team from nothing in the space of a few months may seem a ludicrous concept, we understand that Honda has been working quietly on chassis building at its R&D centre in Wako for some years, while Mugen has been developing the Honda VIO engine.

Honda’s return to FI comes as no surprise because the philosophy of progress through competition is part of the company’s corporate culture.

Honda has always been run by racers and its President Nobuhiko Kawamoto remains convinced that motor racing is good for training engineers, for nurturing innovation and for motivating the company.

“In reaching our 50th anniversary this year, we consider this venture as a new challenge for Honda’s

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■ The FIA has revealed its TV viewing statistics for 1997, indicating that 50 bil lion people watched some thing to do with Grand Prix racing on television last year. The figure is up 20 percent on the previous year’s total. There are only 5 billion people in the world, but the figure is calculated based on the number of times people see Fl-related items on 'TV.

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GAMBLE... Honda last built its own F1 cars in the 1960s. This is Richie Ginther at Mexico City in 1966, one year after scoring the company's maiden GP win. next generation,” said Nobirhiko on Monday.

The decision to supply BAR as well is a good way for the company to. hedge its bets in case thei^e are problems with the Honda-Honda. bar’s managing director Craig Pollock has very strong Honda connections from before he began to work as Jacques Villeneuve’s manager.

There are also strong Honda links with Reynard Racing Cars, the two companies working together with great success in CART, notably with the Ganassi and Green teams, Honda pulled out of FI at the end of 1992, blaming the economic recession for the decision, having dominated Grand Prix racing to such an extent that there was little to be gained from continuing.

But almost immediately a secret Honda-Honda FI car was spotted testing in Japan and almost a year later a car called the RCIOIB was given a run at Suzuka, with Satoru Nakajima driving.

Although it won the 1965 Mexican GP with Richie Ginther driving, the initial Honda FI effort in the 1960s - on which Kawamoto worked - was not a great success, Honda seems to have learned from its mistakes and seems to have been testing considerably with its own chassis, We hear that a new Honda-Honda was built last year for some quiet testing but had problems with composite delamination.

It wiU be interesting to see what happens with the deal between Jordan Grand Prix and Mugen Honda which was agreed in August last year.

Jordan announced that it had an exclusive deal for 1998 and 1999 but it may well be that Mugen - which is run by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of Soichiro Honda will continue in FI alongside the main Honda company.

Nakajima is, of course, the most obvious man to run the team.

He was the first regular

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*

n The British LabourParty has ]-evealed that FI boss Bemie Ecclestone has cashed the one miUion pound cheque which was returned to him in November- last year Mow ing a political scandal in Britain.

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n Having lost out on a drive with Tyrrell to Brazilian Ricardo Rosset, Holland’s Jos Verstappen is trying to resurrect his FI career and is understood to be in negotiation with Benetton for the role of reserve and test driver.

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New ZealandHouring Car Champ’ship

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Grand Prix driver from Japan and remains the bestknown and most- popular of all motor racing figures in Japan.

He has been linked to Honda for most of his career.

One rumour we heard in Melbourne was that Harvey Postlethwaite and Mike Gascoyne, who have built a very promising car for Tyrrell this year, might be employed by Honda to help advise on the planned car.

Such a partnership would overcome many of the doubts ! in the paddock as they would bring proven FI design and production expertise and considerable experience to the project from the start, With modern global communications, there is no reason that building a car in Japan is any different from building one in Switzerland or in Italy.

It is virtually certain, however, that there would have to be a European base for the Honda-Honda operation, probably not far from the old Honda FI facility at Langley in Buckinghamshire.

■ The new McLaren fac tory at Mizens Farm in Woking is to be designed for the team by Britain’s bestknown and most controver sial ai-chitect Sir Norman Foster. McLaren is hoping that its new grandiose 350,000 sq ft headquarters, which is scheduled to be fin ished in 2001, wiU become a landmark both in terms of architecture and as a worldclass automotive research centre.

■ 'The Honourable Gerald Lascelles who, as President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, played an important role in building up Silverstone circuit between 1964 and 1991, died recently at the age of 73. A grandson of King George V, Lascelles was a cousin of Queen Elizabeth H and was briefly eighth in line to the British throne.

He was not allowed to race until the early 1950s, by

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n Prost Grand Prix last week announced a major new sponsorship deal with the Sodexho Alliance, a French restaui'ant services and man agement group which has become Europe’s largest catering business, involving 30 different companies. n We understand that the British American Racing shareholdings ai-e rather dif ferent than had been imag ined with 50 percent ofthe shares belonging to British American Tobacco, 35 per cent to Craig Pollock and 15 percent to Reynai’d Racing Cars. The figures have not been officially revealed. n Attempts ai-e being made by the German gov ernment and the tobacco industi’y to sabotage the planned European legisla tion on tobacco advertising with amendments making the bill unacceptable to some of the countries which joined the supporters of the law recently. n The staff at Tyrrell was given a shock recently when Ken IViTell gave Williams technical director Patrick Head a tour ofthe team’s factoiy in Ockham. Head said that the team did everything that was being done at Williams but all on a rather smaller scale. n Jacques Villeneuve’s race engineer Jock Clear- is to be one of the speaker’s at the Edinburgh Inter-national Science Festival in Scotland in April. Clear will give his audience an insight into how Jacques ViUeneuve’s rrrind works...

■ Frank Williams has confirmed that the bmlding currently under construc tion next to the Williams factory at Grove will house BMW Motoi-sport. The building belongs to Williams but is being leased to BMW, which becomes Williams’ engine partner in FI in 2000. BMW Motorsport is cmTently working out of the old WiUiams factory in ●

Didcot.

-JOE SAWARD

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s n Nine factory-backed (two-car)teams are among the 24 cars on the entry list for the 1998 Briti,sh Touring Car Championship. Alfa Romeo, as expected, has taken the precaution of entering its new 156 Super Touring cars for Nicola Larini and Fabrizio Giovanardi while doubts persist over the Italian Superturismo series. Alfa Romeo is expected to do at least two of the live ’TV events when it will take on Audi, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Vauxhall and 'Volvo. The 26 race(13 event)series will begin at Thruxton on Easter Monday, 13 April. There are six indepen dent entries and all the teams will meet head-tohead for the first time in a two-day official Super Touring test at Oulton Park next week. n Andy Rouse has not entered the 1998 British Touring Car Championship, but the former cham pion hopes to field his Toyota Corolla Liftback later in the year. Toyota in Japan has yet to homologate the vehicle, a new Super Touring ‘ project for Coventry, UK-based Andy Rouse Engineering. n David Sears has confirmed that Colombian Jean-Pablo Montoya and Denmark’s Jason Watt, respectively second and third in the 1997 series, will spearhead his two-tier challenge on the 1998 FIA Fomula 3000 Championship. Montoya, now a Williams Formula One test driver, won three F30000 races for RSM Marko last year and is to succeed Super Nova’s champion driver Ricardo Zonta. Watt is to lead Sears’s satellite Den Bla Avis team. n Ulster’s Jonny Kane,the 1997 British Formula 3 Champion is to contest the FIA Foi-mula 3000 International Championship with the Redman Bright team. Kane, 24, will test his Lola-Zytek T98/50 for the first time at Silverstone next week. n The former Formula 1 drivers Karl Wendlinger and Pedro Lamy have joined Hugues de Chaunac’s Viper Team ORECA to race a facto ry-backed GT-2 Chrysler Viper in the FIA GT Championship and at Le Mans. David Donohue, the reigning North American Super Touring Champion for Chrysler is also enlisted, along with reigning FIA GT-2 Champion Justin Bell. / n Entries closed for the 1998 Le Man 24 Hour race last Sunday and, with BMW,Chrysler, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz(probably), Nissan, Porsche and Toyota among the big players, the June 6/7 race is shaping up as a classic confronta tion between major manufacturers. If Mercedes does run it is expected to field a specially-built, even more exotic version of the CLK-GTR with which it won the 1997 FIA GT Championship.

There is news of official Porsche AG factory sup port for Reinhold Joest as the veteran entrant prepares for a third consecutive win with the same TWR-built, Porsche-engined WSC95 proto type. Having already retained last year’s winning driver combination Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson Joest has hinted at substantial ‘facto ry’ revisions to the car, as well as a possible sec ond entry.

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BVIOUSLY the AGP meeting was a fantastic result for the Castrol Racing Team.

When we arrived at the Albert Park track it was with a certain amount of expectation. We knew we were going to go fairly well after last year’s result - the only question mark was that we were still going there with a new an unknown tyre. We were not EXACTLY sure that it would be as good.

I know that the last race was a Dunlop 1-2-3 but it was not as if the cars on other tyres were miles behind. Bowe and Larry made ground as the races went on, but they weren’t streets ahead of everyone else.

Generally we had the car set up better than the others, so it was not just down to tyres. I usu ally have the car set up very stiff, which goes back to my singleseater background. That suits tracks like Albert Park; the down side is that it doesn’t suit bumpy tracks. I soften the set up a little for other tracks but I still prefer to driver a ‘hard’ car.

I

was trying to drive like 4 did last year. The start and the first two laps were critical, we tried to pull a couple of seconds. That breaks the other guy; if he has a target he can chase it - if you break that target he’s on his own and you can drive your own race.

It’s especially hard there.

You’ve got to try and find the limit of the tyres when they are cold and that’s especially hard as track conditions changed so much. There was no warm-up and the ‘green’ track varied overnight with rubber off the Formula 1 cars changing the

track conditions.

You fire into the first corner and hope it has the same amount of grip as it had the day before!

It was especially satisfying, especially in the Sunday race.

We saved the best of the rubber until the last race and ran 58s and 5Ss all the way. We didn’t need to conserve any more and we blazed into it.

And, just in case you think that a few wins can change my mind, I still say we need to have a control tyre in V8 racing.

There’s something the big events thatabout I really enjoy. I like having the big crowds; we’ve obviously done well at the AGP both years and in Surfers last year as well.

The big events are great for the sponsors and corporates as well. A lot df drivers seem to go out and run around to make up the numbers before they get back into the championship.

But I think that the event is one of the most sponsor-critical events of the year. With Castrol’s heavier involvement with VVilliams all the important people’ were all there and it ail makes an impression when we shine a bit.

I’ve raced in Europe in front of a lot of those people as well.

I know of lot of the mechanics who have made their way up into Formula 1 from F3 and F3000, as well as one of two of the drivers so it’s always nice to shine in front of those sorts of

n Panoz Motorsport has hinted that a revolu tionary, electrically-power GT racecar is being built to run alongside its two conventional Fordpowered Ford pushrod V8-powered GTl entries in this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

When I could still win the cham pionship last year and Carry couldn’t, he allowed me past on the last lap for extra points.

That’s what a team does.

But, if we were battling for a win I would not expect him to move over. At the start of the season, there’s racing to be done.

people. They take notice and you never know what may come of it...

Isewhere in Motorsport News there is some talk about anti lock braking in touring cars.

I’m against anything that takes away from the skill of the drivers. Driver aids can be dangerous things for the sport and should be reduced, as they rapidly increase costs and widen the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nets’.

I even think that Formula 1 cars should go back to ‘conventional’ shifts. Let’s put the drivers back to work showing their skills,

cLaren was in awesome form in the FI race.

You look at the teams and they are about the pace that the FIA wanted when they changed to rules. But McLaren are about as fast as they were last seaur new VT Commodore is son.

I know it is only one race, but \«<^looking very good, it was unbelievable. They have The bodyshell is finished at everything together and the Perkins Engineering and goes opposition teams like Williams to the paint shop at the end of and Ferrari are not idiots. the week.

I'm sure that there will be a I’m really looking forward to levelling of the playing field, one racing the car. The wider front way or another. The other track will help us, as we will still teams will improve their acts have the strut front suspension and McLaren will not have the versus Ford’s wishbones, so same situation as 10 years ago that should even things out on when they dominated all the that front, races. That would be bad for ' The aerodynamic package is Formula 1 and it can’t be yet to be finalised. We and HRT allowed to happen. will both have input, and I believe that the rear wing will be for the result, it was disap- similar to what we have on the ointing. It was a kick in the VSs. But the car is more slip backside for the sport. pery and the boot is a little high Yes, the McLaren team did let er, so it should be just that small Mika Hakkinen down with that amount better.

The rest of the car will be pitstop problem, but you have to cop that. That’s life. If mechanically similar. We have someone buggers up put a lot of work into the VSs a wheel change, and there will be a large carrywhat do you do; over to the new car. I’m looking allow them to win forward to it. anyway? ow to the Shame File.

If you have bad luck in the race.

Everyone appears to be whether it’s the behaving themselves at the team’s fault or not, minute, except it staggered me too bad. On with the to hear mumbling of fair play show. (legality-wise) with my car As for their because of the pace it had on arrangement that the weekend, the first one into the Even a commentator sugfirst corner should gested my engine had been win the race... sealed by the scrutineers. It maybe my mate hadn’t, and the same person Victor Bray should had to retract these comments go into Formula 1 - on Sunday morning.

A team’s dedication and hard he would win every race! work should not be blemished There are differ by the jealous and misinformed ent circumstances. few.Shine up, boys!

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No more butts by 2002? m

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By JOE SAWARD

ing in Formula 1 as early as 2002.

Mosley reiterated that he was prepared to act as soon as the cur rent Concorde Agreement expires at the end of 2001 if there is evi dence that tobacco sponsorship in FI leads to people starting smok ing.

“There is no point banning some thing for no good reason,” Mosley said, “but we’ve always said if there is evidence that advertising does start people smoking we would do something. Without that evidence it’s pointless.

“We’ve now been told by several governments and by the World Health Organisation that they can make such evidence available and the FIA therefore intends to study that evidence.”

We understand that the FIA World Council will consider the evi dence within the next two or^three months, probably at its meeting in June.

The celebrated Lancet medical journal last year published a survey which linked tobacco sponsorship in

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WIN or LOSE... This is Villeneuve’s Williams in qualifying. For the race his ‘Winfield’ logos were much bigger. motor racing with smoking among schoolboys in England and claimed that those who named the sport as their favourite were significantly more likely to smoke. , If the FIA does decide to ban tobacco advertising, it would be a big boost for the anti-smoking lobby as it would come into effect before the 2006 deadline laid down in the proposed European anti-tobacco legislation and would be a global ban.

Super Touring is back in the USA THERE will be a Super Touring series in the USA after a lot of work from the championship supporters.

There will be a nine round series for privateers in 1998, based on circuits in the west of the USA. This follows the cacellation of the ‘official’ TOCAsanctioned series last October. Roger Elliott, who owned the American rights to Super Touring, ended the championship two years into a three year ran after facto ry team Dodge withdrew their entires and it became apparent the series was not financially viable.

Most of the competitors are expected to come from the ranks of the privateer entries who are now left with expensive cars that are not worth much without any races to ran them in.

The races are likely to combine Super Touring cars with Group Ns from Europe in order to allow competitors to didve in a reasonably inex pensive ‘feeder’ class.

The rounds will be: Apr 23-24 Laguna Seca May 23-25 Seattle June 12-14 Portland June 26-28 Seattle July 16-19 TBA August 7-9 Sears Point Aug 28-30 TBA Sept 26-27 Thunderhill Oct 2-4 Sears Point »

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THE serpentine manoeuvres between Formula 1 racing, the tobacco companies and the European Commission contin ued in Melbourne when FIA President Max Mosley announced that the governing body could bi’ing in a world wide ban on tobacco advertis

' -“It would provide a powerful supplement to the EC Directive,” Mosley said, The announcement was considered by some to be an attempt by Mosley to be con^liatory towards the European Commission because of the attacks which have been made on the sport by the European Commissioner for Competition Karel Van Miert, who claims that the FIA and Bemie Ecclestone are abusing a dominant position.

Calendar shake-u|} next year

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Photo by Michael Cooper/AHsporl

TOM WALKINSHAW... You only get one chance if you are a driver.

Craig to stay - Tom

CRAIG Lowndes’ future looks likely to remain in Aust ralia, according to his boss, Tom Walkinshaw.

The HRT and Arrows FI team owner gave his view during a media breakfast prior to last weekend’s

Others were not so sure and sev eral condemned the move as politi cal intrigue.

Mosley’s announcement caused some consternation among tobacco companies and the Tobacco Manufacturers Association in London attacked Mosley. ’ “We feel that the FIA has bowed to political pressure,” said a spokesman. “All the evidence points to advertising not being linked to people starting smoking.”

Australian FI Grand Prix.

Asked whether he Lowndes thought would get another go at the big-time, he responded: “I don’t know. Motor racing is a tough, tough sport and really, you only get one gold-

en opportunity. You have to grab that opportunity and make it work.

“Last year was Craig’s golden oppor tunity, although I’m not sure he realised that it was the big chance...”

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Ford back to Benetton?

BENETTON announced on the eve of the a6p that, with no manufacturer coming to the party, it is to call its engines f Playlife VlOs. Playlife is a Benetton Group com pany which controls the various sporting goods which are being marketed, including Prince, Kastle, Nordica and Killer Loop.

In Melbourne there were already suggestions that the Ford is not impressed with the performance of the Stewart team and may sign a

deal with Benetton for a second supply of factory Ford VlOs for next year.

In the past Ford has taken simi lar steps.

Back in 1992 when Benetton was not delivering results, the company began to supply McLaren with identical engines in an effort to spur Benetton into action.

The result was that Michael Schumacher won the 1994 title in a Benetton-Ford.

-JOESAWARD

THE Formula 1 team bosses | met in Melbourne to discuss the calendar.

We understand that they were told that the French Grand Prix will be happening and that they I may be asked to go to a 17th race in South Afiica in the autumn as there is currently a five-week : gap between the Luxemboui’g GP | on September 27 and the Japanese GP on November 1. ' The addition of a 17th race ! would require the agi’eement of : all the teams befoi-e the meeting ; of the FIA World Motor Sport Council on March 18.

There was also some discus- : sion about the 1999 calendar ; with the team bosses apparently ^ being told to expect a major shake-up of dates in compaidson : to what has become the norm in ' recent years with Malaysia, China and Korea all expected to be included.

There were stories that the Australian GP will be moved from its current date back to the end of the season and twinned | with one of the Far East races, , while South Africa is believed to : be bidding to kick off the series in March.

However, this has been dis counted by GP chief executive I Judith Griggs and Victorian ^ Premier Jeff Kennett.

1 “The problem is that there are ' only 16 races and I have at least , 19 people who want them,” said Bernie Ecclestone.

-JOE SAWARD

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Has Suzuki found the Magic?

Charlie Checa impresses too

World of Sport

Motor Rating Calendar

MoviStar’s

Modenas squad enjoyed

Carlos Checa shattered

a morale boost following

HONDA

Shell Aust. Touring Car Championship* Rd3 Mar 29 . . .Lakeside

lap

Kenny Roberts Junior's

record at Jerez, during a

the

Apr 19 . . .Phillip Island ...Rd4 JO round series held around Australia Slick 50 Formula Ford*

three-day IRTA test at

third quickest time at the test.

the Spanish circuit last week.

The 24-year-old Californian’s 1m44.725

Piloting the traditional Honda

not only beat his previous best time on the innova-

Rd2

Mar 29 .. .Lakeside

motorcycle

‘Big-Bang’

Apr 19 .. .Phillip Island . ..Rd 3 Eight round series held around Australia

NSR500, the 25-year-old

tive KR-3 V-three by over

Spaniard

a

two seconds, he also

Aust. Formula Holden

1m43.648 lap on the third

Championship*

and final day, relegating

lapped quicker than he did on his works Yamaha

team-mate John Kocinski

V-four YZR500 in 1996.

Apr 19 .. .Phillip Island ...Rd2 Five race series held around Australia

recorded

to second fastest.

Kocinski, the

BOC Gasses Super Touring Championship* Apr 5 ....Calder Park ....Rd 1 Rd2 Apr 26 .. .Oran Park

. “We have made

By DARRYL FLACK AFTER a miserable 1997, the

Eight round series held around Australia

Suzuki GP team is looking forward to its best season since

Aust. GT Production Series

1994 when Kevin Schwantz won

Rd3

Mar 29 .. .Lakeside

its

last

Grand

Prix

at

Apr 19 .. .Phillip Island . ..Rd4 Eight round series held around Australia

Bonington Park.

Former Honda

FedEx Champ Series?

Mar 15 .. .Homestead Rd 1

Nobuatsu Aoki has put the new Suzuki RGV500 Gamma XR88

Mar 28 . . .Motegi, Japan ..Rd 2 Apr 5 . . . .Long Beach ....Rd 3 Rd4 Apr 26 . . .Nazareth 11 race series held around the United States

Indy Racing League Rd2 Mar 22 ...Phoenix 19 race series held around the United States, Australia. Brazil and Japan FIA GT Championship Rd 1 Mar 22 . . .France .

Rd2 Apr 5 ... .Estoril ..

Rd3 Apr 19 ...Germany 10 race series held around the world.

Formula T World C'ship Rd2 Mar 29 . . .Brazil . .

Rd3

Apr 12 .. .Argentina

Apr 26 ...San Marino ....Rd 4 16 race series held around the worldACDelco CUP NASCAR* Strathfield National Cup Mar 14 .. .Thunderdome . .Rd 6 6 race series held in Australia

Mar 29 . . .Bristol . . . .

Rd6

Apr 5

Rd7

. . . .Houston . .

Rd8 . . .Martinsville Rd9 Apr 26 . . .Talledega .

33 race series held around the United States

Apr 19

AUST DRAG RACING*

Mar 20/22 TAG Nationals* . . .CP 32nd Annual Australian Drag Racing Championships.

NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Mar 22 . . .Houston Rd4 Aprs . . . .Rockingham Apr 19

. . .Atlanta . .

.Nonpoints ,Rd5

Rd6 Apr 26 . . .Richmond 22 race series held around the United Stales }

SOOcc Motorcycle Grand Prix C'ship* Mar 29 . . .Indonesia Rd 1 Rd 2 Apr 5 . . . .Japan . . .

16 round series held around Australia

World Rally Championhip*

Rd 4 Mar 23 . . .Portugal Apr 20 . . .Catalunya . . . . Rd 5 14 rally series held around the world

progress

the

widely revised Modenas

on, carded a quickest time of 1m43.861s on the

project, which has now severed ties with Tom Roberts said, “I’m just real

the

second day, but later crashed when he hooked

winter

Walkinshaw

Racing,

pro¬

a neutral entering the final

happy with the feel I’m

gram, and that has

hairpin, sustaining minor

getting from the bike and

brought

injuries to his right hand.

the tyres.

us

to

a

“We had some judder ing but we made some

The switch to

direction we are going,” Kocinski said.

Showa suspension,

“The bike is coming

we’re pleased with the

into the top three at recent pre¬

which took place in

along very well. I’m just

season testing in Australia, and is

time for these tests.

sorry I crashed because

looking forward to bringing hon-

the team is working so hard and so well for me.”

champion

our back;to the Hamamatsu-based

has been very positive. The latest

firm in' the wake of Anthony

generation

of

While Repsol Honda riders Mick Dodhan and

shot across the bows of

500

rider

strong position, Aoki said.

Gobert’s and Daryl Beattie’s fail-

Michelin tyres are

ure to finish on the podium last

another step forward. We still have

year.

In a recent multi-team test at

Alex

Criville

have

attacked the power-sap

some more tests.

improvements today and way things are going.”

Reigning world 125cc Valentino

Rossi, fired an ominous the top 250 contenders by recording the fastest time of 1m44.249 on his

ping effects of the new

Nastro Azzurra Racing

unleaded fuel regulations,

Aprilia 250.

Eastern Creek, Aoki finished sec

but right now I feel

AOKI... Could he be the

Checa said, “I find the

ond fastest among a gaggle of

Works Aprilias filled

sleeper in the 500 GP pack?

bike runs very strongly on

the top four spots with for

(Photos by Tony Glynn)

the new unleaded petrol.

mer 250 world champ

I’m pleased with the test

Tetsuya Harada second fastest with a 1m44.534

Mick

ready to go racing.”

Aoki’s confidence

Doohan and Alex Criville along

is echoed by former

the way. Only Tadayuki Okada

team chief to Wayne Gardner,

still run by

went quicker in perfect conditions when the Suzuki team didn’t test.

Kevin Schwantz and Anthony Gobert - Stuart Shenton.

Garry

Last week at Phillip Island,

“The new chassis seems very

Hondas,

out-pointing

and glad that the track temperature is similar to what we should have in

Taylor, the man

who

May, when the Spanish Grand Prix is scheduled.”

followed by Marcellino Lucchi (1m44.593) and Loris Capirossi

Aoki again wound up second

consistent, and it responds pre-

hired then

fastest, this time behind Red

dictably to adjustments, while the

dumped

Bull Yamaha’s Regis Laconi.

The Frenchman reeled off a

Showa suspension has been well

both Daryl

suited from the start. We have a

Beattie and

sizzling

Aoki’s

good base setting already, and

Anthony Gobert in the wake of the

turnaround from

lm33.86, although Laconi’s time was achieved with a soft-

only made a few minor changes for

disappointing performance of the

the second round

XR8.

potential top three contender. The team’s second rider Katauaki

lm33.3

to

of tests at

The

Team

Roberts

tyre. Suzuki claim Aoki used race-compound

■and we still can’t be sure what our

Combined with the failure of Beattie to rekindle his best form after a run of serious injuries and

rivals will bring to the race track.

Gobert’s sacking after allegedly

It seems all the factories have made progress this winter, not

failing a team drug test, few

Michelin’s

throughout the test.

The 26-year-old from Gumma, Japan was fastest on the other two days, achieving his best time

only Suzuki. But our new bike is

of the final day in only four laps.

performing very well, and Aoki s

Aoki has kept his focus and com

riding it well. I’m more confident than usual.”

posure magnificently, despite the tragic news that his brother

Sponsorless following the with drawal of long-time sponsor Lucky

FORMER

following a crash at Honda’s test crash last month.

Strike, the Suzuki 500 GP team is

Champion Scot Russell secured a

funded through the factory but is

record fifth Daytona. 200 on March 8 after his main adver-

PETE FROM THE PITS The Pete from the Pits Motorsport Hotline is a dial up service available on: 005533499 The service is a menu structure and includes; Formula 1 News,results & Champions hip points.

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Club News Upcomoing club events as sent to me by the clubs.

Each section covers results & news (except Club where we can't offer results).

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also-ran

to

Fujiwara missed the Phillip Island test after injuring his ankle in a fou at Eastern Creek, He also missed a two-day test at Suzuka on March 9-10.

Scott makes it five

Takuma has been left paralysed

■■

(1m45.135).

- DARRYL FLACK

would’ve predicted Suzuki’s quick

Phillip Island.

“Still, I’m an eternal pessimist,

All event dates In this calendar were

Check your local guides for screening details.

on

world superbike champi

throughout test

cessful outing

“I’m pleased with the

compound Dunlop qualifying Winston Cup NASCAR Rd5 Mar 22 . . .Darlington

steady

Speaking after his suc 1997

World

Superbike

saries fell by the wayside.

The Yamaha SWC star first

racing for first place,” Mladin said.

‘T ran on at the chicane on the sixth lap and that was when I decided to ease off. I wanted to improve my position in the AMA

dealt with reigning US Superbike

championship and that’s what’s

Champion,

Chandler

happened. I now share the lead

(Kawasaki), Miguel DuHamel (Honda) and Anthony Gobert to

with Anthony Gobert.”

The former Austra-lian

ease away to comfortable victory

Champion made a spirited run to

after a 7s wheel change.

DuHamel DNF’d after barreU-

may have been a podium finish if

roUing his Honda RC45 through

not for a slow pit-stop.

Doug

the chicane on lap 19.

Fourth fastest qualifier Gobert

grab fourth from Bostrom, and it

“I was in the pits for 14 seconds when I made my third stop, while

dropped off from the leaders with

Jamie Hacking (who was

a sick-sounding Vance&Hines

third) was only in for ten.

Ducati, but managed to hang on to finish eighth.

Sixth-fastest qualifier Mat Mladin (Suzuki) made his way up

99

in

Chandler rode to grab second from

new

Yamaha

signing

Hacking in third. Mladin’s Yoshimura Suzuki team-mate

from an early off to claim fifth from Gobert and set off after

Aaron Yates finished a brave

Honda’s Ben Bostrom.

jaw “following a disturbance in a

“After the first laps, it became evident that I wasn’t going to be able to keep pace with those guys

sixth after he rode with a wired Daytona Speedweek”.

bar

earlier

in

-DARRYL FLACK

)3 Match m

Hi hOy hi hOy it’s off to work we g N

ow there are people out there who think that I have a rather bizarre thought process, but I have to say that as I wandered back into the Formula 1 paddock after a winter away I found myself humming that merry tune from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was time to go back to work. Hi-Ho-o-o-o.

I didn’t expect to find anyone claiming to be Snow White in the Melbourne paddock but I was rather surprised to find quite so many people who were Grumpy, Sleepy, Dopey and Sneezy. I had trouble finding anyone who was Happy and you can never find Bashful.

The striking thing was that most people seemed to be halfasleep.

“Jet lag?" said an exhausted mechanic. “No, that’s not a prob lem. I didn’t know what day of the week it was when I got on the aeroplane, so flying round the world didn’t make any difference at all.” ^ Others said that the .flight had been the most enjoydble thing they had done for weeks. “I got to sleep for more than two hours,” someone grumbled.

When you wandered up and down the garages in Australia you began to realise just how hard the Formula 1 teams work these days to get the Grand Prix cars up and running.

We lazy journalists turn up at the first race, complaining a bit about jet-lag and how hard they are working. The team bosses look tanned and lazy after a holi day or two. The drivers looked lean and mean, but they were still smiling. No-one had started to crit icise them yet.

Everyone else looked wrecked.

F

ormula 1 teams these days are like icebergs. In the paddock we see the sparkling tip of an organisation, perhaps 50 people in each race team.

Back at the team factories there are perhaps another 150200 workers with each team who are responsible for designing, researching and building the cars.

These are people who are over looked and do not dese'rve to be.

Occasionally FI team bosses and drivers talk about the men and women behind the scenes.

Everyone yawns. It is a bit like the Oscar presentations. “I’d like to thank my wife Darleen, my dog Spiffy, my agent Gervaise and my cousins Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton Tail and Peter...”

When team bosses mention the great working classes they tend to go waltzing off into a land of jargon in which things are mea sured in a uniU known as “man/hours”. Not very politicallycorrect but a lot better sounding than “person-hours”.

At the launch of the new McLaren, team boss Ron Dennis made a big point of explaining that the MP4/13 had been shaped by 12,000 man-hours of work in the windtunnel. Journalists do not often stop to think about statistics and so the figure appeared in a variety of places without any real questions being asked.

I

w

hen you think about it, it really is a most extraordinary statistic, particularly as my spies at McLaren tell me that the team has only one windtunnel program on the go.

If-there was one aerodynamicist working 24 hours a day it would take him 500 days of working around the clock to complete 12,000 man-hours. With two boffins, that figure comes down to 250 days (still 24 hours a day, of course) and if you slip in a third aerodynamicist you can reduce it to 166 days.

hours actually building the cars - and that was before “any work was done with spares or development.

If you can find enough skilled laminators you can work them in shifts around the clock, but this is an expensive business.

Teams are not always very keen to reveal staff figures, but Jordan recently gave details of how its crew of 148 is broken down between the various departments. It was very revealing.

s

ms

nitf

Cartoon by Allan Schofield

((

Everyone 1 have seen says they are

J!,"alh?,’ Sd"Zt«wa*/one”of

When you start getting up to four people in a con trol room things are begin ning to get a little crowded and, as you cannot run tired out and the a series of virtually nonstop work days. windtunnels non-stop for weeks on end, one has to work on the principle that 18 hours a day is quite beginning ...It never used worked so hours at a ^ single stretch and were enough. But 12,000 man to be that bad. ^appy to discuss the hours is four aerodynami___ best way to work under cists working 18 hours a such pressure. day for five and a half “I find it is best to stop after he race and test team made months. Remarkable. up only 20 percent of the 36 hours and have three or four uilding the chassis is anoth operation, with organisation hours of sleep and then start er labour-intensive busi being around 18 percent, technical again. The brain can cope with that,” said one engineer, who I ness, with each mono- departments 30 percent and pro must admit was looking a bit coque needing around 1000 duction departments 32 percent.

In the autumn the technical pale. man-hours to complete.

If you try to think of these folk In case you think the cars are departments are working flat out, built by machines you are wrong. in the winter it is the production in normal real-world terms, you They are like bit quilts, put team which is at top speed, during cannot really take it in. It is together from carbon-composite the racing season the pressure madness, but such is the dedi clothes, impregnated with resins falls on the racing team and the cation these days that everyone and laid up on moulds by men organisation bounces as best it is doing it.

“It really is amazing,” said wearing hairnets, armed with can all year long.

One never sees the laminators someone I know who used to be blow dryers. No, I am not kid ding. in action but it was very obvious in in FI and visited the paddock in There are no machines'fo do Melbourne that all the mechanics Melbourne. “Everyone I have this sort,of thing as yet. It is a and engineers looked as though seen says they are tired out and cottage industry and a game of they had gone sleepless for the season is only just begin ning ... It never used to be that much skill. As only three or four weeks. bad.” laminators can work on a chassis ver since the cars were fin I have to admit that I feel at the same time, it takes around ished the crews have been much the same. The other 20 days to complete each chasSIS. running them, rebuilding evening I fell asleep while typ All the teams in Melbourne them and trying to iron out the ing, sitting upright in front of the 'had three cars (although not all glitches. By all accounts the pres computer with my hands resting the third cars were actually able sure has been pretty silly. on the keyboard. In the middle “We did a whole week of 22- of a sentence ... (I guess it was to run), which meant that each operation had spent 3000 man- hour days,” said a Ferrari man. not a very interesting articleI)

season is only just

B

T

E

Part of the reason for this was that I have spent the last few weeks finishing a book about the French Resistance. We don’t real ly need to go into the details of the story here except to say that it was revealing in terms of sleep depri vation.

In the last war the German interrogators in Paris found that, rather than beating people to a pulp and other nasty things like that, the easiest way to get infor mation out of a prisoner was to keep him or her awake for about 60 hours.

After that they were easily caught out if they were telling lies and became incapable of telling the same story without making mistakes. Lack of sleep was a very refined form of torture.

cientists love to take things to extremes - look at the work of the Ft designers and in the fullness of post-war time some nutty wild-haired types set about analysing the effects of sleeplessness on the human being and other assorted unfortunates in research establishments.

They found a 17-year-old mani ac (who probably needed the money) who agreed to go for 11 full days without sleeping. Two hundred and sixty-four hours.

They discovered that the sub ject suffered from bouts of irritabili ty, blurred vision, slurring of speech, memory lapses and con fusion concerning his own identity.

When you think about it, that sounds a bit like a list of character istics for the average man in the Formula 1 pitlane...

Studies on animals - apparent ly the mad scientists spent several days prodding rats to keep them awake - revealed that staying awake for long periods of time increased the sexual urge, which I suppose explains why it is that I mechanics always seem to man- ( age to have some energy left on Sunday night to go out on the town.

You would have thought that all they really want to do is curl up in bed with teddy and sleep off the madness of the weekend.

T

he depressing thing for all those in Formula 1 who have tortured themselves through out the winter months is that much of the work was occasioned by the fact that the FIA decided to change the rules to slow the cars down by three or four seconds a lap, but we arrived in Melbourne and discovered that Mika Hakkinen’s pole position was only 0.641s slower than Jacques Villeneuve managed last season.

The FIA tried not to splutter too much when dreaming up a reason for this and came up with the novel argument that one had to imagine just how fast the cars would have been this year if they had not taken the steps to slow them down.

That is true, but the aim was to slow the cars a great deal more.

If the truth be told, it is probably a little bit too early to judge whether or not Melbourne is an exception or whether the FIA’s great attempt to slow down the cars has failed horribly.

The governing body will not be losing any sleep over this, howev er, as the buck can easily be passed to others. The FI Technical Working Group, which comes up with ideas of how to slow down the cars, is made up of the designers from all the top FI teams.

It seems it was the engineers who got it wrong. Perhaps they didn’t get enough sleep ...

t

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/i

GESW^

, '/; \

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Celebrating our first Grand Prix victory. We always knew we had it in us.

CLEMENCEH BGT5667/NtS

ISMardim

Ingall Country. And

that’s official Albert Parkafter is the Melbourne driver absolutely dominated the four TAC-sponsored sup port events at the AGP meeting.

The Enforcer annexed pole position and won pretty much as he wished, building a seven race AGP winning streak for 1997/98 in his Dunlop-shod car.

While he was fleeing the scene the best of the rest were John Bowe and Mark Skaife who shared the podium in two races, while Larry Perkins best ed Skaife in the final Sunday event and took a third.

As usual the turn three ‘funnel’ claimed several drivers, Craig Lowndes and Wayne Gardner com ing off the worst with Jason Bright having a big one one comer earUer and sitting out the Sunday race.

Best of the Privateers was Greg Crick, the Tasmanian getting stronger as the races wore on and chaUenging the lat ter of the Pro drivers.

The Magnificent Seven Russell Ingall was as dominant at Albert Park m 1998 as he was last year and has now extended his winning streak there to seven races. PHIL BRANAGAN reports.

QMNTi

Entry and qualifying

l

entries an AGP With a for record 41 support event there was' considerable discussiqn before the race as to how many cars would actually appear; the answer was a resounding 40.

Most notable of the ‘new comers’ was actually a returnee, Gardner rolling out his remaining ex-Crompton Coke Commodore for the first time since October’s Primus 1000.

The possibility of a Bridgestone shortage was reinforced by the appearance on Bridgestones of Tomas Mezera (in Chris Smerdon’s car), Wayne Park and Anthony Tratt. TEGA had received correspondence about the problem and, in the end, Bridgestone delivered the tyres which had been marked but unraced at Bathurst five months ago.

The ill-fortune of the HRT cars, Jason Bargwanna et al was a boon here and the teams lined up to pick a set of used rubber from the Tjest of the rest’ to go with their sin¬

13

UVlVMl \

gle set of new tyres.

Any thoughts that Albert Park had ceased to be a Dunlop track were put to rest in practice. Ingall and Perkins led the time sheets handily, Russell enforcing his way under the 2 minute bar rier and surprising even him self in the process. Gardner was an encouraging third though several rivals were quick to point to the fact that he had a lack of previously used, marked tyres to fall back on.

Qualifying followed the same pattern, at least as far as pole was concerned. Ingall dominated the early going, quickly posting a lm59.138s for - oddly enough - his maiden V8 pole position.

Perkins was less fortunate.

The Castrol Commodore looked strong but LP had to finish the session early when he spun into a sandtrap. The car was undamaged but Perkins had to settle for 10th

best on 2m01.006s.

The big mover was the other Castrol Level 1 car. Tony Longhurst’s Symmons Plains debacles seemed a long time ago as the Yokohama-shod car looked swift and sure for second on a lm59.292s to make it a matching front row.

Bright was also on the pace to claim hon ours in what was, unusually, the ‘Bridg estone’ class. The Pirtek driver did a 2m00.005s lap after post practice set-up changes to lead Bowe in fourth, with a 2m00.110s.

Bowe lost track time when an errant stone dislodged the power steering drive belt and he ran offthe road and

RUST NEVER SLEEPS... lnga.ll was in a class of his own at Albert Park, his Castrol Commodore/ Dunlop combination being)irresistible. Current Shell ATCC Champion Glenn Seton had a quiet (Photos by Dirk Klynsmith) week and will be hoping fanbetteir things at Lakeside.

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Continued from page 13 folded a splitter underneath the car on the grass. The Helix Falcon was otherwise undamaged. Team-mate Dick Johnson was back in 13th after hassles with traffic on his fast lap.

With the form of the Dunlop cars there was, for once, little good news to report for HRT and GSR. Both Lowndes and Skaife were reasonably happy despite lining up fifth and seventh, while Seton spht the pair for sixth with a 2m00.24s.

Right behind 'came Bargwanna. The Va'lvoline Commodore was only 0.5s clear of team-mate Richards but in this company that meant four spots. The only problem the team reported was that Steven had passed the sniffles onto the rest of the team and throat lozenges were being passed around like Peter Doulman’s lollies.

Gardner was an encourag ing ninth after his excellent practice mn, while Larkham followed LP in 11th, the Stones being generally happy with the car though Larko also felt a little held up on his quick lap.

Hardest of the hard luck stories went to Darren Pate.

The Wynns Commodore was starting dead last after its front brake callipers jammed on during Pate’s ‘out’ lap in qualifying.

Race 1 (10 laps) There were of wet tyres in plenty pitlane as the cars lined up for the first race but they were to be of visual interest only.

The rain held off, tum bling down about 30 sec onds after the cars filed back to the paddock.

It could have snowed for all Ingall cared. The Castrol Commodore performed anoth er one of those dream get aways and blasted off into the near distance, pulling 100 metres in the first four cor ners, 2.7s in a lap and up to eight during the race. Russell must be confident of his upcoming drag race with Doorslammer legend Victor Bray.

Bright tried to follow him away, getting around Longhurst in the first comer to grab second. Tony held off

the HRT cars in his Falcon, though Skaife soon found a gap to leave Tony to Bowe, Lowndes and Seton.

Richards and Gardner fol lowed, setting up.a long bat tle, ahead of Perkins, Larkham, Bargwanna (not getting his hoped-for strong start), Ashby, Faulkner, Ellery, Hossack and Finnigan.

Ingall was under the two minute barrier straight away and was building the gap over the war that raged for second.

Longhurst looked to be get ting delayed by the stubborn Bright and was looking impa tient, trying the outside at turn four on lap two.

A lap later Longhurst found a gap at the back chi cane and, in a flash, Skaife was through as well, Bowe trying to follow until Jason blocked him at the exit.

Now it was Skaife’s tiun to put on the heat as the Bridgestones started to come into their own and the Yokes started to feel the heat. “I could see he was already straggling on lap three,” said Skaife later. “I could have stood my ground and forced it but I didn’t.”

Longhurst was in a Holden sandwich. Lowndes was right behind Bowe and had a look at Brundle’s Leap but was held out, while Skaife finally detected a spot inside Longhurst a lap later. Bright replaying the earlier move to follow him by and recover a spot. This time Bowe found room as well and Longhurst had lost three spots on 100m.

While Skaife was consoli dating second Lowndes was throwing everything at Bowe.

He looked at the outside at Brundle’s on lap six but, as JB took his line the Mobil car was instantly jammed between the Falcon and the concrete. A right rear tyre went down and, for the first time since his return to Australia, Lowndes was to be aDNF. Bowe lost no time hauling onto the tail of Bright but, despite running zero inches behind the Pudek car cguld not find a gap until the last comer.

In an inspired move Bowe was onto the kerb and the two Fords kissed mid-comer.

Bright, his momentum ruined, oversteered onto the finish straight and had Longhurst haul past for

SEE YA LATER...

This was as close as anyone got to Ingall all weekend. After four perfect starts he waltzed to four wins.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

OOPS, I MUST BE A TASMANIAN...

Greg Crick and John Bowe were in the wars. Crick took Privateer honours despite this off in one of the races while ^.Bowe had his power steering belt dis lodged in qualifying and couldn’t stay on the road.

I DON’T HAVE THE POWER,CAPTAIN...

Wayne Gardner was a welcome returnee. Here the new dad presses Jason Bargwanna, with whom he spent much of his track time.

(Photos by Marshall Cass)

fourth, costing him a second row Saturday start.

Ingall cruised to a 3.36s win over Skaife while, behind the three battling Falcons came Seton and Bargwanna.

Faulkner, Johnson and Larkham followed while Perkins’ strong run was ruined by a spin at turn three on lap eight.

A final lap spin by Greg Crick cost him Mvateer hon ours, which fell to Trevor Ashby who shaded Mezera home to 18th.

Pate’s charge from the rear was impressive. After passing nine,cars on the opening lap he worked his way through the pack and moving up to

22nd.

Race 2(8 laps) The window of oppor tunity to beat Ingall lasted only the blink on an eye. Again he nailed the start perfectly a zoomed away fi-om Skaife and Bowe.

The Shell Helix car made it through on the inside at turn one but Skaife was quickly into stride to assert the position ahead of JB, Longhurst and Bright. But on the exit of the turn the Pirtek car was suddenly pin balling off the walls.

He reported getting a touch from behind (though Bargwanna, right behind, said it was not from him)

and the damage to the front and rear suspension was so bad the cai- was done for the weekend.

Longhurst was again showing early speed and got Bowe at the second chicane, while Skaife was driving hard to stay with Ingall.

Bargwanna had fifth finm Gardner, Seton, Perkins, Johnson, Faulkner, Hossack, Ellery (who had already on the been grass).

Larkham, Finnigan and Poole.

Skaife had made changes to his car to compensate for running his ‘tiredest’ tyres and, despite driving what he later described as his best race, stood no chance. Ingall

hammered out a 58.91 lap record on lap two and was gone, gone, gone.

Longhurst was flying and also dipped into the 59s to close on Skaife but was in for some ill-fortune. A power steering hose failed and, as he wrestled the car aroimd billowing smoke, he parked on lap fom-.

That moved the ongoing Bargwanna/Gardner battle to fourth and fifth, though Jason was started to lose tyre grip and was straggling with his brakes. The two were being caught by Perkins, also ranning 59s.

A man to put in some impressive times was Lowndes. After passing 11

^SMafclim cars on the opening lap he was 19th after three and when he found clear air behind the faster Privateers he dipped on to the 2:00s.

While Ingall was storming away to his second win Bowe was piling the heat on Skaife.

After Mark was baulked by a tailender on the last lap the Falcon was close enough to challenge on the final corner and, as Skaife ran wide ^ Bowie had momentum and ^lingshotted by to take sec ond by two metres on the line.

Perkins came around in fourth. Bargwanna’s defence of Gardner went wrong at the last chicane when the Valvoline driver lost all grip and skated off, Wayne follow ing him temporarily.

Johnson allowed got through to lead home Faulkner, Ellery, Gardner and Lowndes, after a storm ing drive.

Race 3(7 laps) Ingall start ismaking not news. a Bowe good making a good start is news and in race three he made a ripper to hold out Skaife and, for a brief sec ond, it looked like he even had thoughts of first. But Ingall held sway.

As the cars funnelled down

in the event broke the 2m00s barrier.

The first corner, again, claimed its victims. Trevor Ashby and Park got together at the start and the former skated through the pack unscathed, just missing Larkham in the process, while Bargwanna and Richards both had theii- moments and drove across the colour-co-ordinated kitty litter.

Perkins followed Skaife in the battle for third and, on lap four, the MHRT driver made a small error running into the sweeper and Perkins quickly switched lines to take the line

AND THE WINNER OF THE NON-DUNLOP CLASS IS... Bright, Lowndes and Longhurst do battle. to turn four suddenly there was red spinning in the pack.

Gardner had had it all go wrong and the Commodore was in the fence, 100 metres from where he two-wheeled it last year. It appeared to be a chain-reaction incident and the damage looked bad but it was mostly cosmetic. The other big loser in the fracas was Lowndes who was pushed back to 13th.

As Ingall pulled away Skaife was dancing around in Bowe’s mirrors from Perkins,

Johnson and Seton nose-totail, Richards, Poole, Larkham, Hossack, Crick, Pate, Forbes and Ashby.

After a lap Longhurst, from the rear, was 17th but bad news was waiting; he was soon pinged for jumping the star.

Perkins was into tl\e 59s by lap five, leaving Johnson the fend off Seton. The cur rent Shell Champion got through on lap five and gave chase to the Castrol Commodore.

By the end of an unevent ful race - though that was the pattern as far as he was concerned - Ingall was 2.2s clear of Bowe, with Skaife third from Seton, Johnson, Richards and Loyndies.

Craig had been running as fast as the leaders in clear air and had flown by Larkham, Longhurst, Faulkner and Crick, who took Privateer dues despite an excursion across the grass on lap four and a battle with Poole, who beached his car.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

Race 4(6 laps) The theonly finalreal race interest was how in far Ingall would win by.

The answer was 7.33s (his most convincing margin of the weekend) and he took the lap record down to a lm58.721s for good mea sure.

But even more impressive was his average lap time.

Including his standing start he averaged 2m00.1s for the race. Only four other drivers

and the position.

Lowndes had his best run for the week and emerged in a lonely fifth while Seton and Faulkner followed, Richards led Johnson home and Crick took tenth from the impressive Gardner who threaded neatly through the chaos around him for 11th. His excellent drive reminded everyone that, while the racing in 1998 has been entertaining, the ‘Captain’ will be missed for the rest of the sprint season.

The good news for the oppo sition is that there are no races scheduled for Albert Park for another 12 months.

However Ingall has momen tum on his side and that can be an awfully hard thing to stop.

TAG V8 Supercar Showdown, Albert Park Grand Prix circuit, March 5-8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Race 2 Saturday(10 laps)

Qualifying

Race 1 Friday (10 laps)

1:59.13 Castrol/Perkins Commodore Russell Ingall 1:59.23 Castrol Longhurst Falcon Tony Longhurst 2:00.00 Jason Bright Pirtek Racing Falcon 2:00.11 Shell Helix Falcon John Bowe 2:00.21 Mobi!-HRT Commodore Craig Lowndes 2:00.24 Ford Credit Falcon Glenn Seton Mobil-HRT Commodore 2:00.33 Mark Skaife 2:00.64 Jason Bargwanna Valvoline/Cummins Commodore 2:00.73 Wayne Gardner Coke/Donut King Commodore 2:01.00 Castrol/Perkins Commodore Larry Perkins 2:01.04 Mark Larkham Mitre 10 Racing Falcon 2:01.13 Steven Richards Valvoline/Cummins Commodore 2:01.65 Shell Helix Falcon Dick Johnson 2:01.69 John Faulkner Betta/Fisher&Paykei Commodore Konica/HRT Young Lions Comm odore 2:01.77 Steven Ellery 2:02.07 BAP Romano Commodore Paul Romano 2:02.57 Trevor Ashby Lansvale Smash Repairs Commodore 2:03.03 Darren Hossack Wynns/Kmart Commodore 2:03.18 Ericsson/Trust Bank Commodore Greg Crick “ “ 2:03.22 Tomas Mezera Smerdon Commodore 2:03.50 Terry Finnigan Sony Autsound Commodore 2:03.91 Rodney Forbes Glenn Seton Racing Falcon 2:04.18 Mark Poole Rosenberg Commodore 2:04.26 Wayne Park Charles Rayman Falcon 2:05.29 Anthony Tratt Toll Transport Falcon 2:05.39 Paul Weel Weel/Castrol Falcon Mai Rose Fairfax Comm Newspapers Commodore 2:05.80 Wayne Russell Union Steel/Koala Clothing Commodore 2:06.88 Mick Donaher 2:07.37 Clive Wiseman Racing Commodore 2:07.52 Kerryn Brewer Castrol Cougards Commodore 2:08.00 Danny Osborne Colourscan Falcon 2:08.46 Neil Schembri Gearbox Motorsport Commodore 2:08.61 NHP Falcon Ray Hislop 2:09.34 Mike Conway CAMPS Insurance Group Falcon John Cotter 2:09.43 M3 Motorsport Commodore 2:10.79 D’arcy Russell Rod Smith Racing Commodore 2:10.96 Gary Willmington Simon’s Earthworks Commodore 2:17.51 Barry Morcom Campbelltown Plasta Masta Falcon Saabwreck Commodore 2:20.28 Mike Imrie No time Darren Pate Wynns/Kmart Commodore

20:19.059 1:59.407 1 Ingall 2022.427 2:00.034 2 Skaife 20:26.313 2:05.158 3, Bowe V Longhurst 20:26.581 1:59.644 20:26.645 2:00.421 5 Bright 20:30.239 2:00.640 6 Seton 7 Bargwanna 20:31.456 2:00.724 8 Gardner 20:31.867 2:01.185 20:38.909 2:00.819 9 Faulkner 20:39.172 2:01.002 10 Johnson 20:41.530 2:00.764 11 Larkham 12 Perl^ins 20:45.244 2:00.574 20:48.620 2:02.177 13 Ellery 14 Hossack 20:56.584 2:0z405 20:57.035 2:05.052 15 Finnigan 20:67.570 2:02.803 16 Poole 17 Mezera 20:58.418 2:03.181 20:68.606 2:03.082 18 Ashby 19 Tratt 21:08.493 2:04.287 20 Forbes 21:08.305 2:04.282 21 Rose 21:10.942 2:04.767 22 Pate 21:12.445 2:03.761 23 Donaher 21:26.684 2:05.666 24 Osborne 21:33.066 2:05.929 21:37.943 2:06.789 25 Hislop 26 Brewer 21:49.371 2:04.478 27 Schembri 21:56.000 2:08.109 28 Cotter 22:03.023 2:08.933 29 Russell 22:06.363 2:08.858 30 Willmington 9 laps 2:09.085 31 Imrie 9 laps 2:16.329 32 Morcom 9 laps 2:15.994 33 Weel 9 laps 2:05.538 34 Conway 9 laps 2:08.910 35 Russell 8 laps 2:08.521 36 Richards Slaps 2:00.649 DNF Romano 9 laps 2:02.211 DNF Crick 9 laps 2:02.892 DNF Park 7 laps 2:04.515 DNF Lowndes 6 laps 2:00.249

2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 4 9 4 4 9 9 3 5 5 6 3 4 3 9 4 5 6 4 3 3 2 4 4 n 3 3

1 Ingall 2 Bowe 3 Skaife 4 Perkins 5 Seton 6 Johnson 7 Bargwanna 8 Faulkner 9 Ellery 10 Gardner 11 Lowndes 12 Poole lb Hossack 14 Larkham 15 Crick 16 Forbes 17 Ashby 18 Pate 19 Richards 20 Rose 21 Park 22 Brewer 23 Hislop 24 Weel 25 Russell 26 Osborne 27 Schembri 28 Imrie 29 Morcom 30 Willmington DNF Finnigan DNF Longhurst DNF Tratt DNF Russell DNF Mezera DNF Conway DNF Donaher

16:10.792 16:14.433 16:14.574 16:23.233 16:26.344 16:28.149 16:30.741 16:31.028 16:31.188 16:31.401 16:36.844 16:41.963 16:44.216 16:46.398 16:45.797 16:47.085 16:48.554 16:50.119 16:53.783 17:06.197 17:08.011 17:24.917 n 1726.917 17:33274 17:41.712 17:56.214 18:13.421 18:15.134 7 laps 7 taps 6 laps 3 laps 2 laps 2 laps 1 lao 1 lap 1 lap

1:58.916 3 1:59.639 3 2:00.200 3 2:00.336 6 2:00.918 3 2:01.135 2 2:00.796 2 2:01.666 3 2:01.266 3 2:00.866 3 2:00.905 3 21D2.361 6 2:02.813 3 2:02.430 3 2:03.T84 8 2132.723 3 2:03.209 3 2:03.799 3 2:02.253 3 2.-05.276 6 204.6-95 5 2.-CS.371 7 206.311 7 2:06.800 3 2:07.982 3 2:07.1 .£6 7 2:07.607 3 2:14 826 3 2:15-843 6 2-09 189 3 2:02.605 3 1:5S.64: 2 2:09.953 2 2:21.855 2

Race 4 Sunday(6 laps)

Race 3 Saturday(7 laps) 14:04.186 1 Ingall 14:06.393 2 Bowe 14:10.070 3 Skaife 4 Perkins 14:12.775 5 Seton 14:16.662 14:22.838 S Johnson 7 Richards 14:24.360 8 Lowndes 14:26.796 14:27.540 9 Larkham 10 Longhurst 14:32.258 11 Faulkner 14:35.233 14:37.302 12 Crick 14:45.638 13 Ashby 14:46.969 14 Finnigan 14:47.712 15 Park 14:50-248 IS Romano 14:51.665 17 Mezera 14:55.030 18 Tratt 14:55.482 19 Weel 14:57.756 20 Rose 15:16.787 21 Donaher 15:18.577 22 Schembri 15:18.772 23 Hislop 15:19.819 24 Russell 25 Willmington 15:20.583 26 Morcom 6 laps DNF Forties 5 laps DNF Pate 5 laps DNF Conway 5 laps DNF Hossack 3 laps DNF Poole 3 laps DNF Brewer 1 lap ONF Ellery

1:58.928 3 1:59.436 4 1:59.656 3 1:59.746 4 2:00.545 4 2:00.613 4 2:00.083 3 1:59.935 6 2:01.439 3 2:00.602 5 2:00.865 3 2:03.130 3 2:03.036 3 2:01.966 3 2:03.667 6 2:01.130 3 2:02.544 3 2:03.418 5 2:04.044 2 2:05.049 3 2:05.731 4 2:07.493 4 2:06.027 2 2:07.250 4 2:06.642 7 2:15.869 5 2:03.658 5 2:04.455 3 2:07.550 3 2:04.079 3 2:02.698 3

12:00.534 1:58.721 4 1 Ingall 2 Bowe 12:07.870 1:59.447 2 3 Perkins 12:10.176 1:59.594 2 12:10.858 1:59.800 2 4 Skaife 12:12.442 1:59.321 4 5 . Lowndes 12:18.974 2:01.506 6 6 Seton 7 Faulkner 12:19.349 2:01.091 6 8 Richards 12:21.534 2:00.258 2 9 Johnson 12:22.588 2:01.576 3 10 Crick 12:23.480 2:01.777 2 11 Gardner 12:29.345 2:00.699 5 12:34.271 2:02.966 5 12 Mezera 12:35.915 2:03.204 2 13 Tratt 12:42.978 2:02.242 4 14 Forbes 15 Hossack 12:43.640 2:03.304 5 16 Rose 12:52.666 2:05.434 4 12:56.175 2:05.639 2 17 Hislop 18 Donaher 12:56.215 2:04.980 5 19 Russell 13:09.988 2:08.098 4 13:10.469 2:02.874 6 20 Ellery 21 Schembri 13:12.381 2:08.250 6 22 Willmington 13:13.506 2:08.396 5 13:18.230 2:09.124 5 23 Conway 13:18.650 2:08.085 4 24 Russell 13:37.191 2:12.521 3 2s Imrie 13:39.465 2:11.781 5 26 Morcom 27 Poole Slaps 2:01.783 5 5 laps 2:03.050 3 28 Ashby ONF Romano Slaps 2:03.494 2 Slaps 2:05.609 2 DNF Bargwanna DNF Cotter 3 laps 2:13.668 3 ONF Larkham 2 laps 2:03.352 2 DNF Weel 1 lap

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16

AGP — QUALIFYING

13Mafcli1998

flklaren stc rivals with After months ofspeculation, McLaren showed its hand with a one-team fight over thefront tow ofthe grid in qualifying. JOE SAWARD reports:

T

he Grand Prix circus returned to Melbourne for the third year, comfortable with the

city and gradually forgetting the good old days in Adelaide.

The Melbourne race is pop ular, but being at the start of the year rather than as the finale means that the FI folk are not as relaxed as they used to be in Adelaide and so it is all a little more stressed than it used to be.

The protesters have faded and however away, Melbourne is beginning to appreciate what Grand Prix racing is all about. The city

BROTHERS INARMS...

David Coulthard congratulates teammate Mika Hakkinen on just beating him for pole. (Photo by LAT Digital)

upped all the prices to greet the visitors.

The race track in Albert Park has always been won derful for a temporary facility and corporate Australia has got into the habit of turning up and getting completely leg less in the hospitality boxes.'

The general public has not had it easy. The first year was a vast event but a transport strike in 1997 meant that the crowd was down.

This year things were look ing good. There would be no strikes, no protesters and no problems.

But the weather was lousy.

That wonderful weather phenomenon called El Nino has screwed up the world’s weather patterns and Melbourne seemed to^be no exception.

The FI circus turned up with shorts and sunglasses and everyone was rather depressed to find cloudy skies and rain showers, “I can stay at home and get weather like this,” whinged a Pom or two in the days before the race.

For most of the FI circus, however, there was no time to worry about such things because the engineers and mechanics spent their entire time in the pit garages, try ing to get their new machines to run.

Parts were short and teams were scrambling to survive,

T

he final weeks of winter testing had suggested that McLaren would be the team to beat - which is

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nearly always the case - but in recent years the testing has been misleading and Williams has walked away from the enemy.

There was a suspicion that Frank and Patrick might once again he disguising the real com petitiveness of the team because the final Williams tests had been away from prying eyes at Paul Ricard and Barcelona.

Ferrari had also stayed at home in Italy and so no-one really knew how quick Michael Schumacher was going to be.

Friday practice of the first race is not always the day when “the bullshit stops”, but it was to give us an idea of what was to come.

McLaren looked seriously good, although Schumacher managed to beat both Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard in the dying moments of the session.

But it had been a difficult ses sion from which to judge what was really happening because rain came and went and getting into the program was not easy for some of the teams. ' saw morning Saturday

fg

IRRESISTABLE FORCE... Mika Hakkinen pilots the brilliant new McLaren MP4/13 to his second career pole position, leaving rival teams breathless in the Mercedes team’s wake MEETING THE FANS... David Coulthard takes a break to sign autographs for his fans. (Photos by LATDigital) Coulthard fastest by 0.72s from Villeneuve and Schumacher and there was a strong suspicion up and down the pitlane that we were going to be seeing an all-McLaren

-a,'

●V

front row for'lihe first time since the Australian Grand Prix of 1991 when Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger were alongside one another in Adelaide.

That was six seasons ago.

McLaren has taken a lot of flak in recent years - and rightly so but it seems finally that the team from Woking is emerging from the dark ages to shine again and that has got to be good for Formula 1.

Williams domination is all very impressive, but a battle is better Tor the balance sheets.

The qualifying session under lined just how competitive McLaren has become.

Mika and David traded the fastest laps and no-one else got a

z look in. First it was David and then Mika beat him. And then the pattern was repeated.

Towards the end of the session the action was disrupted by a red

STRUGGLING... It ivas unusual to see the Williams outfit in trouble, but they were from the outset in practice. At left, Jacques Villeneuve gets some attention in the pits while, below, teammate Frentzen locks a wheel as he tries for more speed from the car.

(Photos by LAT Digital and Marshall Cass)

.

flag when Olivier Panis had a spin, so the final minutes, usually so fraught, were rather a disap pointment.

Hakkinen was 0.04s ahead of Coulthard. Michael Schumacher was a massive 0.75s behind David and Jacques Villeneuve was a tenth slower than that.

Will it be the pattern for the year? Who can tell.

With a tyre war and the vari ous different surfaces on which FI races, the pendulum of com petitiveness may swing back wards and forwards as it did in 1997 - notably with Damon Hill’s unexpected showing in Hungary.

What is clear is that there are no real surprises, thanks to the changes in the regulations: McLaren, Williams, Benetton and Ferrari are the big four and they remain the big four.

Everyone else is still scratching along behind them.

The problem with making pre dictions these days is that cars are being changed so much between races - so that they bet ter suit the tracks involved - that one cannot really make any sea son-long predictions.

McLaren team boss Ron Dennis, who has been hardened by the struggle in recent years, was wise enough to be cautious.

“Of course we are pleased with the results,” he said. “It makes everybody’s hard work through the winter that much more worth

while.

Tt was a trouble-free qualifying

Continued next page

IS

AGf» — QUALIFYING

13 March 1998

.d.

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m^aiAN GRAND PRW

4f

THREE WISE MEN ... Coulthard, Hakkinen and Schumacher face the media after topping the qualifying session.

What the drivers said:

This is an edited transcript of the post-qualifying media con ference at Albert Park:

Q: Congratulations, Mika, on your second ever pole. What contribution has Bridgestone been able to make to this perfor mance?

HAKKINEN: I think it is the dri vers who have improved most this year!

Obviously it is difficult for me to say what the contribution has been, but to be able to get a good result in FI you need the right package. While we have that pack age now, I could not say that Bridgestone has been the key point in today's result.

manage to keep the lap together.

Nonetheless I am reasonably happy with my position because I had a slow start yesterday and again this morning, so I have been playing catch-up.

Q: How do you expect the battle JOHNNY BE GOOD... Herbert must like it in Austraiia. Last year he qualified seventh andMs\year he was to go tomorrow t>etween the two an unexpected fifth ‘(n the Sauber, but hoped to complete more than a lap of the race tfrris time.... .fPfoctfo byLAT) tyre companies?

COULTHARD: None of us Coulthard adirsiitted that the “If you ask me,” mumbled a Continued from previous page know. But we are pretty happy with di srupted sessions- iom Friday had cynic in the press room, “the the testing we have done in the, ^ and let’s hope the race follows the secret is at the rear end and by made it diifificinllit for Mm to get cooler conditions in Barcelona. doing that McLaren is drawing into the joh, but after Saturday same pattern.”

Coming here to the warmer morning he- Ibad heeu hoping to There were plenty of games attention away from it.” conditions means that tomorrow Who knows? beat Hakkimen tio pole. going on up and down the will be the test of who has made The big news was that “I just fe-ltt that yesterday I garages, with Dennis telling the better race tyre. pressmen on Saturday afternoon Hakkinen’s time was only 0.6s didn’t realfijr hawe ,a proper run that the team had caught the slower than pole position last a'nd did not get up; to .speed with Q: Several drivers have had dif brother-in-law of another team’s year, despite the fact that the FIA the track,” Dawid ladamtted. ficulties at turn 15 today. What “Mika w.as omt setting quick aerodynamicist inside the had introduced regulations which Q: With the whole winter in has been your experience it thought would slow the cars by times and iiit took me loiager to get McLaren garage snapping pic which to savour your victory in there? tures of the car. three or four seconds a lap. comfortable with tiie car. With COULTHARD: No particular the final GP of the 1997 Reason, “I am surprised,” admitted that in mind I was a; ibit surprised Fun, fun, fun. problems.

But this is a low-grip are you more relaxed?

HAKKINEN: Yes. To have won track because it is only used once The team made a great fuss Hakkinen. “It is very impressive.” that I could gs .as- c|ui.ck as I did.

It certainly was and an indica“Now we have ito: see: who can about covering up the nose and a Grand Prix is a big relief because a year and there isn't a lot of rub the front wings whenever the cars tion of just how much work is get the best race set-ap.”' it means people stop asking you ber dqWn. Michael .Scla.ujLmaeiber did not You have to be more careful when you are going to win it. It came into the pits. Everyone being done in the research and wanted to know what the secret development departments these seem to be too cip&et with his gives you more confidence and with the brakes now: it is more criti could be. cal with the grooved tyres and qualifying pos-itioa and, given the days. makes you more relaxed. trouble thatf’eTrari was having in I also had an extremely good much easier to lock up a brake. I winter break which has enabled suppose it's the same for everyone January, third; ion tthe :grii was a me to prepare myself 100 percent - and it is relative to the balance of pretty good effoit.. for this year. It’s a good feeling and your car.

“I am quite haippytso'be hoaest,” I thank the team for that. he said.

Q: Michael, did you expect to be “We saw fnom iteSting hwow com Q: Why did you have to abort in the top three today? petitive the McJLiarems; weire.

SCHUMACHER: To be honest, two of your three runs?

“We have inifiTQwtedi quite a lot HAKKINEN: On the first one I yes, that's where I thought we and we feel we- iha-ve ho do some had traffic. On the last run there should be. n more steps ta Feaeh bdae level of were a lot of cars out at the same We have done a big job over the others. time and the track was not as the wintertime and made a lot of “We have ihadl to nxake some quick as it had been earlier in the improvements to the car. Even so, compromises on- tlbe- car to make it session, so it was better to back off it is not yet up to the level where we will have it very soon. and save the tyres for the race.

OFF THE RAILS.... ^er.'trrrag, his But we saw from testing that the hand at the wheeJ:ota M.e\bouma Q: What will be the important McLarens were very fast and we tram (left), Alexander Wiaiz made factor in the race tomorrow? expected them to be in front of us. a meal of driving his Benetton and HAKKINEN: To keep these ended up on the /recoveryeirane guys behind! But it also depends Q: Not many teams have had on the weather. It will be an experience of running in hot (below).

(Photos by ilJl\Tand:DinkiKlyrBirnth) extremely difficult race if it is hot. weather yet. What will be the We don't yet know how exactly the effect if it is hot tomorrow?

SCHUMACHER: I don't think it f tyres will perform in hot conditions.

The engineers are already will affect anything dramatically.

I studying what will be the best tac Even when you have been running tics, which will depend on a lot of at 20 degrees ambient in Europe, things like brake and tyre wear. you know that it could be 35 We have to wait. degrees here and you have to anticipate that.

The tyres are an issue because Q; Your pole position time today we haven't yet run them in hot on grooved tyres is only 0.7 sec ond slower than last year's pole. weather, but I am not expecting How do the cars feel to drive any problems with them, either. this year?

HAKKINEN: The whole car is Q: Are you confident that your generally better than last year's Goodyears will help you to keep and we are able to drive faster. up with the two guys on The response of the steering is Bridgestones in front of you? much better and you can choose SCHUMACHER: We will try! virtually any line you want. It was We know that we are s^ill a little bit really good... behind, but Goodyear has made SEVEN major progress since about midQ; David, that was a close battle January. there with your teammate. Did We are not yet up to the same you think you would beat him? speed as the Bridgestones, but COULTHARD: I was absolutely they are trying hard and I think the convinced I would be able to pip situation will change in the next him! But it's one thing believing couple of months. We already something and quite another going have a new tyre for Brazil and I out and doing it. am expecting other things to On my last two runs I didn't come. n

1

13 March m

IS

RIDE'EM COWBOY... Damon Hill had his hands full with the new Mugen Honda-powered Jordan and spun a couple of times, in the end he was marginally outqualified by teammate Ralf Schumacher and earned the ire of Ralf's brother Michael by blocking him on a hot qualifying lap.

(Photo by LATDigital) reliable and that will be different for the next race.

I am not worried if I don’t win.

I want to get some points and develop the car so I can challenge for the championship later on.

Michael was not entirely honest when he said he was completely happy because it was clear that he was less than ecstatic about Damon Hill having given him a good unhealthy block on one of his fast runs.

But Michael seems to have decided not to make a public fuss and refrained from being bitchy.

I guess that is not such a stupid idea as it may be a few months (perhaps years) before the world is ready to accept Schumacher taking the moral high ground after last year’s silliness at Jerez Michael may not be an angel, but Damon can hardly claim such status when he pulls stunts like that. It was out of order, but then again you can understand why given what Michael did to Damon at the Australian GP in Adelaide in 1994.

Eddie Irvine was never close to Schumacher’s pace and lined up a second slower down in eighth place on the grid.

The Ulsterman reckoned that he could have gone quicker but for an engine problem.

Jacques Villeneuve was alongside Schumacher on the second row of the grid but said that he about was not worried Schumacher’s performance.

“We are both on the same row of the grid and the difference in time is nothing.

I’m sure I could have beaten him without the problems we had. so let us see what happens tomorrow.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen had a less successful time, lapping 0.4s slower than Villeneuve, which meant that he was down in sixth on the grid.

Adding up my personal best in all three sectors would have enabled me to have matched Jacques’ time,” said HeinzHarald, reaching for the Racing Driver’s Book of Excuses, “but it didn’t happen.

The big surprise of qualifying

was the performance of Johnny Herbert in the Sauber Petronas.

Johnny was'seventh on the grid last year in Albert Park and improved two places to fifth this year.

“I came here hoping to qualify in the top six so I am delighted,” reported Johnny.

The C17 is a very responsive car and every change we made improved it. It still feels a little nervous and twitchy but it’s quick and that is the main point.”

Jean Alesi was having less fun. struggling with electronic problems on Friday and having to play catch-up on Saturday as a result.

“All day I have been chasing the right set-up for the car and I still haven’t found it,” he said. “I just wasn’t happy with the general balance.’

In his first race for Sauber, Alesi was 12th on the grid, nearly two seconds slower than Herbert.

Benetton’s winter quiet progress did not produce quite a result as some had hoped with Giancarlo Fisichella seventh on the grid, 1.7s off the pole position time.

Fisichella said he had been slowed by traffic but admitted that he had lost only a tenth or two, which would not have made much of a difference in overall terms.

Wurz had spins on both Friday and Saturday and was down in 11th on the grid.

Both drivers reckoned that in

GIRL POWER...

As usual, the promotional girls were everywhere at Albert Park, much to the delight of even Michael Schumacher (above).

(Photos by Race Access and Marshall Cass)

MERDE... It was not a good time for the Prost team with both Pants \ and Trulli struggling throughout practice and qualifying. Still the (Photo by Marshall Cass) Peugeot-powered cars looked magnificent...

racing trim the Benettons would be much more competitive. A cry we have often heard in the past.

Ninth and 10th on the grid, split by just 0.07s, were the two Jordan drivers, Ralf Schumacher having beaten Damon Hill.

But Jordan was struggling with both drivers having a number of spins and adventures and the team’s technical director Gary Anderson admitted that things need to improve.

There has been a fair amount of negative comment recently and I think that with a more positive attitude and more fight we could

be up there in the top six,” said Anderson.

“The fact that both drivers had identical times shows that they had reached the limit of the car's potential. With some more work that potential could be higher.

One of the bigger surprises of qualifying was the performance of the Tyrrell, notably that of Japan’s rising son Toranosuke Takagi, who qualified 13th on the grid on his FI debut.

The team was very enthusiastic about the new young hero and had high hopes from the race.

Continued next page

IQ

Q>UALIjFYING

13MmIi1998

UP IN THE AIR... Giancarlo Fisichella accepted a ride in one of the Roulettes aerobatic planes, providing a great view of the Albert Park circuit.

(Photo by LATDigital)

I

! «r

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V. ;

Practice & Qualifying Times - Albert Park, March 6-7 Grid 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Driver Mika Hakkinen David Coulthard Michael Schumacher Jacques Villeneuve Johnny Herbert Heinz-Harald Frentzeq Giancarlo Fisichella Eddie Irvine Half Schumacher Damon Hill Alexander Wurz JeanAlesi Toranosuke Takagi Rubens Barrichello Jarno Trulli Olivier Fanis Mika Salo Esteban Tuero Jan Magnussen Riccardo Rosset Fedro Diniz Shinji Nakano

Car McLaren McLaren Ferrari Williams Sauber Williams Benetton Ferrari ‘ Jordan Jordan Benetton Sauber Tyrrell Stewart Frost Frost Arrows Minardi Stewart Tyrrell Arrows Minardi

Tyres

Friday Practice

Saturday Practice

Saturday CKialifying

Bridge Bridge Good Good Good Good Bridge Good Good Good Bridge Good Good Bridge Bridge Bridge Bridge Good Bridge Good Bridge Good

1:34.432 1:35.409 1:33.826 1:35.023 1:35.876 1:36.741 1:38.860 1:37.891 1:35.708 1:37.102 1;35.270 l':36.095 1:38.817 1:37.023 1:36.231 1:37.102 1:36.897 s 2:16.609 1:37.605 1:37.144 1:37.928 1:39.044

1:31.436 1:30'^456 1:31.432 1:31.178 1:31.870 1:31.624 1:31.581 1:32.465 1:32.667 1:32.518 1:33.588 1:32.514 1:34.600 1:33.965 1:34.837 1:35.913 1:35.539 1:35.850 1:34.543 1:35.010 1:36.351 1:35.069

1:30.010 1:30.053 1:30.767 1:30.919 1:31.384 1:31.397 1:31.733 1:31.767 1:32.392 1:32.399 1:32.726 1:33.240 1:33.291 1:33.383 1:33.739 1:33.851 1:33.927 1:34.646 1:34.906 1:35.119 1:35.140 1:35.301

Continued from previous page Ricardo Rosset has had a lot less time in the car and was near ly two seconds a lap slower than Takagi but is expected to improve with a little more running. He was down in 19th.

It was somewhat embarrassing for the Stewart team to have a customer Ford VIO engine ahead of the works unit.

The fact that most of Stewart’s problems in recent weeks have been caused by the gearbox did

SURPRISE PACKET... Japanese driver Tora Takagi and his Tyrrell performed better than expected, qualifying 13th on the grid for his maiden Grand Prix.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

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not help matters and standing behind the Stewart garage one could just about hear the sharpen ing of knifes in Dearborn.

If the team does not deliver this year there is going to be trouble.

Rubens Barrichello was 14th an the grid with Jan Magnussen 18th, the pair split by 1.6s.

The Frost team was also in some difficulties - also with the gearbox - and Jarno Trulli and Olivier Fanis were struggling seriously.

Fanis was 21st on the grid beaten by 15th-placed Trulli and ran into trouble with the stewards for leaving his car in gear after a spin, thus causing the red flag.

“This is a very difficult week end,” admitted Frost. “We expect ed to have many problems. There is no miracle cure.

“We came here knowing that the level of the car was not suffi cient, chiefly because of reliability problems with the gearbox, so we are not surprised at our position.”

Aitows were also in trouble for all the same reasons, with Mika Salo 16th and Fedro Diniz 20th.

“We will continue to treat this weekend as a test session and improve the car for the next race,” admitted Tom Walkinshaw.

The Minardi team didn’t look too bad, given that everyone was expecting to be at the back of the grid.

Young Esteban Tuero looked quite good as he qualified 17th, a good slice of time faster than the much more experienced Shinji Nakano, who was last on the grid. n

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GALLING: Prost had a week tHe team would prefer to forget.

PIT WORK: The Ferrari tean leaps into action, but could not get Eddie Irvine out fast enough to make up a place.

A BIT BREEZY: Adding colour to the GP.

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IN PURSUIT: With the McLarens already gone, Michael Schumacher leads Villeneuve, Fisichella, Herbert and the rest of the pack away from turn one.

UPMARKET: Leather shoes, tailered pants, collar shirt, silver hair ... the Mercedes fans are certainly different.

BANG THE DRUM: This percussion group not only added plenty of colour, but plenty of noise to Albert Park.

CHAMPIONS: Four and two-wheeled champions Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Doohan meet in the pits.

scene Photos by: Marshall Cass ICN Dirk Klynsmith Race Access

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23

McLaren's manipulatedfinish to the Australian GP left thefans confused and David Coulthard acting like he was actually pleased he had let Mika Hakkinen win, JOE SAWARD reports:

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he warm-up was a similar story to qualifying with McLaren 1-2 on top but Michael Schumacher was

right up there as well.

The crowd - which was an estimated 104,000 people - spent the morning enjoying the sunshine and the support races.

“You can tell this race is a success,” muttered an Aussie journal ist. “All the politicians have started turning up at it.

This time we had Prime Minister John Howard join the fun, claiming that it was him who had brought the good weather after a series of dull days.

Before the start Diniz suffered a hydraulic problem with his Arrows and ground to a halt out on the race track. He hurried back to the pits on foot to grab the spare car.

At the start of the parade lap both Alesi and Panis were slow away from the grid but as Alesi was not the last away he was allowed to regain his grid position.

Panis was not. He had to start at the back. But this was no great disaster as he was to have started 21st anyway.

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the start the red hghts were /\held for a long time and both XAMcLaren drivers began to get worried about temperatures rising and smoke coming from the cars.

As a result, neither made a great start, but it was Hakkinen who was Continued next page

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13MMM998 After 20 laps they were a minute clear.

In the press office the calculators came out to estimate the margin of victory after 58 laps. Fifty-eight times three equals ... um. One hundred and seven-four seconds. Nearly three min utes. Nearly two whole laps.

Awesome and far more dominant than one would have anticipated after ,qualifying.

After the race Hakkinen made the astounding statement that they had not being going flat out...

Behind the fleeing McLarens it was a race for third place with Michael Schumacher leading the chase for the first few laps.

Behind him Villeneuve had FisicheUa on his tail, the Italian hav ing made a good start to pass both Herbert and Frentzen.

Down at the back, Rubens Barrichello failed to get away from the grid because ofa gearbox failure.

And the disastrous Stewart week end came to a miserable close on lap

*3

I two when Magnussen tried to pass I Ralf Schumacher at Turn 6 and the I^ two collided. Both were out.

Si NOT so FAST... Rubens Barrichello climbs aboard the Stewart-Ford, but moments later was climbing out The incident also put paid to the again. The troublesome new gearbox did not allow him to get away at the green light. '' , (Photo by lat Digital) hopes of Tyrrell’s Takagi, who went off on gravel thrown onto the track Continued from previous page in the incident, ahead as the field dived into the Ricardo Rosset retired the other first corner. It would prove to be Tyrrell with gearbox trouble after critical to the result.

25 laps. that whoever got to the first corner This is an edited transcript of We would later discover that the On the third lap we lost poor old first would not be challenged by the post-race press conference two drivers had agreed that whoever Diniz as well with an identical Frentzen and Irvine, although the at Albert Park: the other person, because that made it to the first corner ahead problem to that which had stopped Benetton later stopped again and was'a vital moment in the race, would.remain there, rather than risk his car during the recognition laps, dropped right down before being i was pretty confident with the Q: Congratulations, Mika, on a the pair fighting between themselves His Arrows teammate Salo put out with a broken rear wing fantastic drive to win the agreement and that I would be for the victoiy. retired after 23 laps when the that sent Fisi through the sand. able to beat Mika to the first cor Australian GP. It didn't go quite It took only about 30 seconds gearchange mechanism on his Villeneuve eventually finished ner, but unfortunately he made a as you expected,though ... before people began to realise that steering wheel failed, fifth, chased across the line by a HAKKINEN: No, it didn't go like good start. the McLarens were something spe frustrated Herbert.

Then when the team explained we planned. The overall result le next to go was Michael cial this day.

It was a blow to the World was what I wanted it to be, but to me what had happened during Ichumacher, the Ferrari grind By the end of the first lap Mika his pit stop, I had some time to during the race there was some Champion, who has to face the fact ing to a smoky halt at the start was nearly three seconds ahead of think about it. It came clear to me confusion which forced me to that this is going to be a hard season. third-placed Villeneuve. On the sec- ofthe sixth lap. and I felt it would be in keeping make an extra stop. It was purely ond lap it was'4.2s, then 6.3s, 9.2s Irvine wooJd eventually with the agreement for us to a misunderstanding in the radio and so on.

This was a remarkable finish fourth, chasing .communication which cost me the change places. rate ofknots.

Frentzen aU the way to the lead at that time.

As the cars got into their stride it flag, having moved up the Q: Heinz-Harald, in spite of fin was clear that the McLarens had a order thanks to a one-lateishing third you must still be Q: Later you caught up with three-second a lap advantage over stop strategy which shocked by the speed of the David and right at the end it enabled him to get ahead of the opposition. Incredible. looked as though David guys sitting next to you ...

Villeneuve and Herbert, who chose In a world where everyone is fight FRENTZEN: Actually I wasn't ailowed you to overtake. What “What happened today was the ing for tenths of a second, this was one-early-stop strategies, looking around me very much and happened there? supremacy of the McLaren team,” Herbert was not helped by the fact something quite remarkable.

I couldn't see how far these guys HAKKINEN: I just want to say said Villeneuve. that he had a refiieUing problem and Clearly the MP4/13s had some were ahead of me. I didn't realise thank you to David. It was very “It is hard to accept. We have to had to be careful to conserve fuel. thing which no-one else enjoyed. how much quicker they were until fair racing and excellent team react.”

The fact that he finished right The obvious thought was that it they lapped me. work. I am'not just saying that Benetton’s race was disappoint must be the braking system which behind Villeneuve (in sixth place) sugbecause I won, but because we I was doing my own race: I was ing with FisicheUa dropping back to has been causing such quiet contro- gests that the Sauber is going to be a have an excellent relationship concerned about my brakes, just with David. versy, but even that did not seem to good package if the team can keep up seventh place after his second stop like last year, and I had to take a explain the extraordinary ability the the pace of development, which was and eventually stopping with the What he did today was remark very easy pace at the beginning. I wing failure while the two-stop cars had when they started to get not the case last season, able. Looking back through histo just wanted to avoid getting into Jean Alesi had a less successful day, strategy did nothing to help Wurz among the backmarkers. the same situation as last year ry I haven't seen many drivers either and he finished seventh. who would have done this.

The McLaren boys had the punch suffering a broken engine on lap 42. when I got to within two laps of Damon Hill came home ninth for the finish and didn't see the che to pass people while everyone else After Schumacher’s retirement, Q:The two of you virtually quered flag. remained stuck in the slipstream Villeneuve ran around in third, Jordan but it was hardly an earthbehind others. lapped the entire field today.

I just concentrated on being keeping FisicheUa and Herbert shattering performance for the for behind him. mer World Champion. His task was Why is the McLaren so good quick at the end, when 1 did my By lap 10 the fat lady was warm this year? quickest lap time and was able to ing up her voice. The McLaren boys The early one-stop strategy not helped when he went off. were 30s ahead.

HAKKINEN:(laughs) Well, this outbrake my competitors. My “I was really cross with myself,” dropped him behind FisicheUa, is something for us both to strategy was to save my tyres and brakes. answer. But there is probably one very simple reason, which is that Q: Do you think that you and we have the people, the package and the sponsors who can work Goodyear will be able to chal together in all the areas. This is lenge McLaren and Bridgestone the result. in the next races?

It is only with that combination FRENTZEN: It is going to be a that you can achieve something big challenge for us to catch up. like this ... including, of course, McLaren has a good car and a having excellent drivers like me good-package, but we are con and David... vinced that we will make a good^ step forward in time for Brazil and Q: David, everyone was sur Argentina, at least in the tyres, prised to see you let Mika go and we will try to improve the car as well. through. Was this something that you had discussed before hand?

Q: Mika, you must now be look COULTHARD: Since the Jerez ing forward to Brazil! situation last October, Mika and I HAKKINEN: Yes... certainly.

But at the moment we are feeling have learned a lot during the win happy and we just intend to relax ter and got a lot closer.

In this situation we knew we tonight.

Before Brazil we will go testing, had to be very careful about relia concentrating again on the devel bility, because there were a lot of opment of the engine and the car. question marks over brakes and I am really looking forward to other issues at this type of track.

Brazil. n So we had an agreement here TAKE THAT... McLaren’s rivals couldn’t even get this close to the awesome duo out front. (Photo by OirkKiynsmith)

What the drivers said:

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^^David gave an Oscarwinning performance in front ofthe press.

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25

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People attending a Grand Prix breakfast at the Hilton Hotel could not believe their eyes when they saw the scantily clad girls serving the bacon and eggs -if only briefly.

A quick word from one of the organisers and they dashed away, returning minutes later with their backless outfits worn the right way around... n Jacques Villeneuve's blocking of the two McLarens when they came up to lap him did not seem very sporting, but after the race Heinz-Harald Frentzen explained that the reason for the ungentlemanly behaviour was that he and Villeneuve had a wager over whether they would be lapped by the McLai'ens. Frentzen said they would. Villeneuve said they would not.

CLEAN GETAWAY... The McLaren pair lead into the first corner, watched by 103,000 peopie.

(Photo by LAT)

BETTER TO COME... Jean Aiesi had a miserabie first Grand Prix with the Sauber team, being outpaced throughout the week by teammate Herbert before retiring from the race.

n Another unhappy punter was the bloke who put $500 on Coulthard to win at 3-1. "I was getting all excited," said Keith Baker of his near-$1500 windfall, "and then he lets his mate win, I couldn't believe it." n Official attendance for the four days was 297,000,just ahead of last year’s str’ike-affected 289,000, but still well short of the first year's 401,000. The race day attendance was even down on last year - 103,000 to 107,000. n Alain Prost was a busy man. spending a heap of time on the phone back to France. Thursday was the day the first of his 160strong workforce moved from PGP's Magny-Cours base to its new purpose-built factory in Paris, a job expected to take up to a month to complete. The rest of the team is expected to transfer within a month, except for a small team who will stay at MagnyCours’ 40 percent windtumrel.

Damon admitted, “and it seems that the key to speed is to get angry because after that I really picked up.”

The last finisher was Olivier Panis, on a day which Will not rank much space in the annals of Prost Grand Prix.

Panis drove a steady race from the back and could not have asked for much more than his ninth place.

He reckoned that the race had taught the team a lot.

Trulli looked like he might score some points after a gi’eat first lap which lifted him from 15th on the gi’id to 11th.

He was running seventh when he

retired on lap 26 with yet another gearbox problem.

“I am sure we will be competi tive,” he said optimistically.

Minardi had a poor day, with Tuero getting a double dose of disci pline from the FLA. He was given a 10s stop-go penal ty for jumping the start and then another for speeding in the pitlane as he rejoined the race.

By the time he had popped in and out of the pits he was too far back to matter and eventually retired with engine failure.

Nakano went out with a rear axle failure.

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ut they were the bit players.

Centre stage belonged to McLaren.

It was not a gripping race, but it was certainly impressive.

The new regulations did not seem to have done anything to help drivers overtake and the only really exciting point in the first part of the race was when I misread the timing screen at one point and thought there had been an overtaking manoeuvre.

Jacques Villeneuve did not cover himself in glory when he was being lapped by Hakkinen, holding up the Firm very badly.

n Prost also had the ser-vices of a new key man in Melboui-ne.

Luigi, the ex-Fen'ari chef, had joined the blue outfit, leaving the hungry Italian masses in the care of- good heavens- an English cook. Would you like chips with yoiu tagliatelle? n David Coulthard continued his now traditional mode oftrans port and rode to Albert Park on a pushbike, pedalling past amazed gi’oups of waiting fans before they realised who he was. n Scott Carson got more than he bargained for when he went to the race. In a newspaper competi tion, the Melbourne spectator won a ride in McLaren's new’ twoseater MP4-98T car and will 'enjoy' the ride in the UK later

this year. n Prime Minister John Howard attended his first AGP in Melbourne and offered no tips for the race, preferring to leave AGPC Chairman Ron Walker to

suggest that, with 400,000 people j in Melbourne of Italian descent, I Ferrari may not have been a bad ! bet. Ooops... n Mick Doohan was not the only two-wheeled World Champion in attendance. Max Biaggi was a guest of the Ferrari team while, on the musical firont, Rita Coolidge, George Harrison.

Andrew Farriss ofINXS and country star Shania Twain also attended. Also at the track was ex-King Constantine of Greece. n The international press room was buzzing with the (old) rumour that departing AGP chief execu tive Juith Griggs will take over from Bemie Ecclestone as chief executive of Formula 1 Holdings after the company is floated. n Michael Schumacher was immediately defending himself over the famous Jerez incident last year when he arrived in Melbourne, maintaining that what he did was not all that bad and would have attracted little attention if it was further back in the field. "In the newspaper’s the general feehng was like I mur dered someone and I don't think I did," he said. n Moet-Chandon was back on the podium in Melbourne, despite announcing last winter that it was not going to continue in FI. The champagne group is believed to pay as much as $3m to supply the champagne sprayed around the place by the drivers. n The man holding the pitboard for Tyrrell's Ricardo Rosset this year is none other than Australian ariation magnate Paul Stoddart, 42, w'ho mns European Aviation, which sponsors Tyrrell.

Melboume-born Stoddart owns 24 old Formula One cars, mostly Tyrrells, and has 47jets, maldng EA Britain's second largest airline behind British Airways. n Eddie Inane is in no doubt that his teammate Michael Schumacher is head and shoul ders above everyone else, includ ing Jacques Villeneuve."As far as I'm concerned, everyone in FI is second rate compared with Michael," he said. "All those other guys can kid themselves that I they're not. but believe me. I know."

- DAVID HASSALL, PHIL BRANAGAN

Continued next page

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FINAL RESULTS

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Qantas Australian Grand Prix World Championship, round 1 Melbourne, March 8th, 1998 - 58 Laps

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SITTING ON DEFENCE...

Jacques Villeneuve had a difficult time in his first race as defending champion, fending off Johnny Herbert's similarly Goodyear-shod Sauber throughout thd race.

WELL DONE... Coulthard congratulates Hakkinen after handing him the victory.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

David felt that Mika should win because of the pitlane problem and had selflessly sacrificed his win.

It was stirring schoolboy hero stuff and David gave an Oscar-winning performance in finnt of the press.

But when no-one was watching his eyes told another story. It was Jerez all over again. Or that is how it looked.

Still, you can see the point.

Years ago Hakkinen put his faith in the team and it did not dehver. He kept the faith while others did not. He came back from a near-fatal crash.

That loyalty is now being repaid.

There were some who felt that such team manoeuvres were not what racing is all about, but team orders have been a featime of motor racing since the 1920s so it should not be considered odd that such things would happen.

Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13,1 h31 m45,996s David Coutthard, McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13, 1h31m46,698s Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Williams-Mecachrome FW20, 57 laps Eddie Irvine, Ferrari F300, 57 laps Jacques Villeneuve, Williams-Mecachrome FW20, 57 laps Johnny Herbert, Sauber-Petronas C17, 57 laps Alexander Wurz, Benetton-Mecachrome B198, 57 laps Damon Hill, Jordan-Mugen-Honda 198, 57 laps Olivier Panis, Prost-Peugeot AP01,57 laps

Fastest Lap: Hakkinen, lap 39,1m31,649s Lap Leaders: Lap 1-23 Hakkinen; Lap 24 Coulthard; Lap 25-35 Hakkinen; Lap 36-55 Coulthard; Lap 56-58 Hakkinen Retirements: Lap 0 Rubens Barrichello, Stewart-Ford SF2, gearbox Toranasuke Takagi, Tyrrell-Ford 026, accident Lap 1 Jan Magnussen, Stewart-Ford SF2, accident Lap 1 Rail Schumacher, Jordan-Mugen-Honda 198, accident Lap 1 Pedro Diniz, Arrows A19, gearbox Lap 2 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F300, engine Lap 5 Shinji Nakano, Minardi-Ford Ml 98, driveshaft Lap 8 Lap 22 Esteban Tuero, Minardi-Ford Ml98, engine Lap 23 Mika Salo, Arrows A19, gearchange electricals Lap 25 Riccardo Rosset, Tyrrell-Ford 026, stuck in gear Lap 26 Jarno Truili, Prost-Peugeot AP01, gearchange Lap 41 Jean Alesi, Sauber-Petronas Cl7, engine Lap 43 Giancarlo Rsichella, Benetton-Mecachrome B198, wing support Drivers' World Championship standings: 1 Hakkinen 10; 2 Coulthard 6; 3 Frentzen 4, 4 Irvine 3; 5 Villeneuve 2; 6 Herbert 1 Constructors' Championship standings: 1 McLaren-Mercedes 16; 2 Williams-Mecachrome 6; 3 Scuderia-Ferrari 3; 4 Sauber-Petronas 1 One can only say that it was good that European Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert was not in Melbourne because he would, no doubt, have accused McLaren of abusing a dominant position ...

The mood in the paddock after the race was one of resignation and amazement.

It was good to see a great team coming back, but there were some who asked how it was possible in these days - when teams are scrab bling for every tenth of a second -

that McLaren can suddenly get a three second advantage.

Yes, the tyres were good. Yes, the engine is great. Yes, the drivers are skilled. Yes, the package was there.

But there was something else.

Somewhere in the McLaren is a secret tweak and now the hunt is on to find out what it is.

When their rivals do find it, the gap will close dramatically, but it may be some months before they can develop similar systems ... whatever they may be. ■

Continued from previous page This was soon forgotten, however, as on lap 36 Mika came unexpected ly into the pits.

When he got close to the McLaren pit it was clear that he was not expected and he went straight past, gesticulating in a less than happy fashion. There had been an error of 1 communication with the engineers.

Coulthard was in the lead.

Hakkinen charged after his team mate, closing the gap dramatically, but he then had to pit and lost more time because of a problem with his clutch.

Coulthard pitted without drama on lap 42.

In the laps that followed, the two drivers rushed through the field, lapping left and right and zipping around past the others like FI machines used to do. Their ability to overtake was quite remarkable. * In this period there is no doubt that there was a fair bit of radio traffic from the McLaren pit to the drivers and at the end of lap 56 David came onto the start-finish line and backed off slightly, allow ing Hakkinen to take the lead. that the drivers had agreed After thethe race thethat official line was before race they would hold position after the fii-st comer and

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FINAL FLURRY... Peter Brock waves the chequered flag for race winner Hakkinen to end the third AGP at Albert Park.

(Photo by LAT Digital)

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Young Lions prowl LION power held sway in the GP Batteries Charge of the Formula Holdens at Albert Park with Todd Kelly and Mark Noske splitting the wins.

The two youngsters battled with Kiwi Scott Dixon through most of the weekend though a broken first gear cost the 17-year-old Kiwi dear ly, forcing him out of race two.

The battles behind the Holden Racing Team,duo were intense, with some fairly forceful driving being the order of the day.

Entry & Qualifying

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Like the opening round of the 1998 Championship at Sandown qualifying was enthralling. Kelly, Noske and Dixon batted pole around like a tennis ball, while John de Vries had the worst of the

sessions with an engine problem in practice and a spin in cjualifying one.

Kelly, running new sponsorship from Deakin Estates Wines, took the race one pole with lm50.461 after Dixon had looked secure on lm51.09s. But all was not well in Kelly Country; he was battling brake problems and even in Q2 the pedal was still spongy.

Noske backed up for third with a lm51.249 ahead of Friesacher (lm51.681s), Ramsay (lm51.738s) and a newly-blond Jacques Villeneuve look-alike in Darren Edwards(lm52.964s).

The second session was no less fiuught. Dixon took the standard down to lm49.116s to convincingly lead Noske (lm49.740s), Ramsay (a neat lm49.938s) and Kelly on M50.407s,

INTERLOPER ... Kiwi Scott Dixon provided the strongest challenge to Kelly and Noske, but had to settle for a second and third on the day.

Photo: Dirk Klynsmith

!

—J f-rfi

while Kaplan (lm51.838s), Priesacher (a lm52,249s)and Cramp(lm52.549s) followed, j

DUET... Kelly(above) took the win from pole in race one, but had to give best to Young Lion colleague Noske in the second. Markus Friesacher

(below) didn’t endear himself to Ramsay...

SUCCESS... Woodward (centre) celebrates her success with placegetters Ward (left) and Ferris.

Photo: Marshall Cass

Photos: Marshall Cass/Dirk Ktynsmilh

Race i (10 Saps)

With the closeness of the battle for pole position, whoever made the best of the start was going to be hard to beat in the first race, started on a dry but slightly greasy track.

It was Kelly. He matched revs and clutch perfectly and gunned away, while the slow Dixon was almost rounded up in turn one by Noske.

“I didn’t have the confidence to sit it out with Scott,” said Noske later. That was to be his last shot at second.

First was out of the question.

Kelly was doing a runner, well clear after half a lap from Dixon, Noske, Friesacher, Adam Kaplan, Brenton Ramsay, Steve Cramp, Edwards, de Vries, !Paul Stephenson and Owen Osborne.

The front three strung out and the battle that was raging the fiercest was between Friesacher and Kaplan. The Austrian was employing some fairly blatant blocking tactics on the pit straight to keep the Sydney driver behind, but soon had other things to worry about when Kaplan had a minor lose and Ramsay shot past to take up the battle.

The pace at the front was hot as both Kelly and Dixon hopped into the 49s, but only Kelly could stay there. The New Zealander had hit a kerb on the first lap and, missing an endplate on his front wing, the car’s handling went away as the tyres lost their edge. All three leaders were getting more understeer as the race went on but Dixon’s

appeared the worst.

But it is doubtful anyone could have beaten Kelly. The teenager came up with a new lap record on lap eight, with a lm49.246s to hang on the wall alongside the trophy after a five second win. Kelly and Noske had lonely races in second and tim'd, Ramsay had had enough of Friesacher’s blocking on lap six. At turn 14 he powered through,leaving the Austrian spinning on the next comer. After losing several spots he drove straight back onto the track, almost nailing Edwards and halfspinning right in front of the closing Kaplan, Toget _ her with his over-forceful early race defence the Austrian took gold, silver and bronze for stu pidity in this race...

Ramsay took fourth from Cramp,

Olympian tops Celebrity sprint

OLYMPIC kayak silver medallist Danieiie Woodward waiked away with the now traditionai aii-woman Hoiden Astra Ceiebrity Chaiienge at the AGP. Woodward, who as part of her day job (as a Federal policewoman) has undergone high speed driving tuition, hit the front when softballer Natalie Ward missed a gear and' was never headed. ' Ward recovered for second, while cyclist Michelle Ferris finished third.

The race was relatively free of incident, although athlete Jane Flemming speared off into a sand trap and tri-athlete Emma Carney was involved in a bit of paint swap ping with cyclist Danieiie McGrath.

23

l.9 IF

-

Edwards, Friesacher, de Vries and Kaplan, while FH rookie Craig Bastian took a sohd 10th.

Race2(shoftened to61^) As they lined up for the Saturday seven lapper in bright sunlight Dixon’s race turned into a nightmare.

On the line the car broke first gear and, unable to go anywhere, he raised his hand and the start was aborted.

At the start of the shortened sixlapper Noske speared away from Kelly, Ramsay, Kaplan, Friesacher, Cramp and de Vries while Bastian blotted his copybook with a slow getaway and was last.

As Noske built a gap - it was 2.4s after a single lap - Kelly was strug gling on cold tyres and, with a wiggle on the entering the sweeper on lap one, Ramsay had to take avoiding action and spun right down to 11th.

His recovery drive was very impres sive and soon he was taking back positions.

The chastened suitably Friesacher was in no mood to wait behind Kaplan and was past on lap two, while Kelly settled and started to close on the leader.

He snipped away at the distance and, starting the last lap, had the gap at 0.4s and was piling on the pressure.

But Noske was driving with great patience and maturity and held the gap to take the win, mak ing it a “Young Lion’ 1-2.

As Friesacher consolidated in third the battle between Kaplan and Edwards heated up though the new blond was showing more speed and moved into fourth on lap four, closing on the Red Bull car.

Cramp also closed on Kaplan and was a good fifth ahead of Ramsay, who had stormed by the close Jacobsen/Power battle on the penultimate lap.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

30 WM^fchmS

Hot Cam

CAMERON McConville embell GT-P provided nearly half the 18ished his growing reputation car qualifying field, with Domenic with a pair of wins for the Audi Beninca's Porsche 911 RSCS the Sport team in the Super leading interloper courtesy of a cou ple of strong starts.

Touring support races at the AGP. Practice & Qualifying McConville held out team-mate While the numbers were down, Brad Jones in the first and a latecharging Jim Richards (Volvo S40) the interest in the weekend was to in the:second, while BMW convert be the relative performance of the Cameron McLean put in his bid for three new cars - the two new Audis A-team membership with a strong _and the Volvo S40- all making third (despite two spins) and their Australian debut.

The Volvo had benefited from a fourth.

The rest, frankly, were a little test day prior to the meeting, while lacklustre, well off the pace and preparation of the last of the 4WD down in numbers.

Audis had precluded any running

prior to GP practice.

In the end, both teams were happy with their cars.

Very little was changed on the Volvo, the team changing a couple of gearbox ratios to improve comer exit rev range. » When it came to qualifying, Richo put in a blinder, a 2:02.763 after carefully warming his Michelins for three laps, a 2:03, the quickie, then in.

Both McConville and Jones put in 10 laps as they tried to match the Volvo, but to no avail.

McConville's best, a 2:03.284 was enough for the other front row slot, but Jones was in the end eclipsed by the category's rising star, Cameron McLean.

Throughout the weekend, Jones' car proved tougher on its Michelins than McConville's. In the cool of practice and qualifying, the car was graining the tyres, although a shock change was to improve things.

In the end. Brad ran a 2:03. 700.

McLean softened his car after practice and was rewarded with third quickest, pipping Jones by just three,-thousandths of a second.

In fact, he'd gone a tad too far with the springs and reverted to a half way set-up for race one.

These four were the race. The

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35

TWO BY TWO... The two re-liveried Audis (above) head the field at the start of race two. Richards’debutant Volvo (left) showed genuine speed, Photos: Marshall Cass/Dirk Klynsmith but a dud start and cold tyres cost him. next car was 6.2 seconds slower...

Peter Hills' Mondeo it was, head ing Beninca's GT-P Porsche, the spare Audi driven by Paul Cover, Ed Aitken's GT-P Porsche, Tony Robson's BMW and Simon Froude, the third GT-P Porsche.

Race 1-10 laps Friday was still very cool, with

track temperatures around 15 degrees, even at mid-afternoon.

Richo, on pole, blew the start pretty badly. Why? He couldn't see the lights!...

"I hadn't been on pole, which is quite close to the lights and couldn't see them, so I just had to wait and go when everyone else did," explained a bemused JR. This allowed McConviUe an easy

Ritter, Murchison share F/Ford silver

THE wins in the Ice Radiators Formula Ford Track Attack were shared between Christian Murchison and Greg Ritter.

Murchison won an action-packed race one on Friday, but it all turned to muck for the Van Diemen driver in Saturday's encounter when he stalled on the line. This enabled Greg Ritter to take a largely uncontested win from Christian Jones and Dean Lindstrom.

Qualifying

In front of the Formula 1 frater nity, everybody was giving it their all, a fact evident by the amount of spins by the majority of competi tors.

In the final wash-up, Dugal McDougall's Mygale snared pole, with young guns Adam Macrow, Christian Murchison, and Greg Ritter breathing down his neck.

The top four were covered by less than two-tenths of a second.

Despite not being able to get a balance he was comfortable with, Tim Leahy's Ford Credit car filled fifth alongside Dean Lindstrom's

I

seven year-old Van Diemen.

Spectrum driver Steve Owen, vet eran Ken Smith, Christian Jones and Iccy Harrington's Mygale'completed the top ten.

Race 1 (8 laps) From pole McDougall was quick off the mark, and led Macrow, Ritter, Leahy, Murchison, and Owen through the first turn. All 32 cars managed to negotiate the bot tle-neck successfully.

Macrow was quick to attack, and crawled onto the gearbox of the Mygale, dragging Ritter with him.

Ritter surprised all through turns 11 and 12 by passing both leaders, and began to establish a small yet handy gap.

By lap two, however,' things YOUTH ATTACK ... 17 year-old Christian Murchison (above) heads for his first big win, while pole-sitter weren't as crystal clear, the Albert Photos: Dirk Klynsmilh/Marshatl Cass McDougali (below left) was out of luck, crashing out with Macrow.

Park layout becoming slipstream city as Owen passed Leahy for' horror run continued with a spin, Race 2(7 laps) fourth at turn three. While this five car lengths. Ritter followed eventually finishing 18th despite Leahy's lead and ran off the circuit, Macrow failed to take the start seemed to be hectic, McDougall rejoining back in sixth. for race two, although McDougall setting the fastest lap of the race. regained the lead from Ritter.

The real excitement was played Over the next two laps, the did so, albeit from the rear of the Leahy's good-run was nullified out on the final lap as the field by a spin in turn one, as the top drama and passing became even grid. more hectic, but one lap later the At the other end of the field, went at one another's throats. On three (Macrow now leading Ritter run for the front row sitters was Murchison's joy of victory in race the approach to the left-right at and McDougall) moved away by turns 11 and 12, Leahy positioned over. An incident coming onto the one turned to despair as he stalled himself on the inside of a three main straight left both McDougall on the line. and Macrow out of the race, and Thankfully the field missed him, some, he and Jones sandwiching Lindstrom. Three cars into one out of the confusion Murchison and he set off in pursuit. Ritter led took the lead from Owen and the field away from Owen, turn just didn't go, and Leahy took Ritter.

Lindstrom, Jones, and Greg the option of cutting across the inside of the comer, emerging from A bit of rallycrossing from Owen Woodrow. the dust-up in second place. on the penultimate lap gave Ritter Ritter began his mission, bang This move however had no influ a shot at the 17 year-old West ing in some quick lap times and ence on the results, as the New Ausfyalian, but all the opposite distancing himselffrom the pack. lock driving in the world did him The race for second between South Welshman found his brakes no good, as Murchison took the Lindstrom, Jones, and Owen see glazing and spun at the penulti flag. sawed backwards and forwards, mate turn.

Ritter by now was out of sight Owen took third, beating home but as the trio diced, thus slowing Lindstrom and Jones. Murchison one another down, Leahy climbed and took the win, Jones taking sec was jubilant afterwards. On the onto the back of the pack. ond, while Lindstrom's car grabbed dice to the death with Ritter he third. Woodrow filled fourth, fol Owen suffered a slight problem lowed by Smith. later commented "I was saying on the beginning of lap six, drop -AARON NOONAN please, please, no, no!" ping a few positions. Murchison's

13 mm and charge back through for eighth at the finish.

In the meantime, Ed Aitken had crunched his Porsche into a wall and McConville was easing away from team leader Jones, again struggling a little with his tyres.

In the end, McConville would have six seconds in hand, but then eased it off over the last couple of laps to set up an Audi 1-2 form fin ish photo opportunity.

After his first lap escapade, McLean ripped through the backmarkers for third place - that despite another quick t}Te-smoking 180 at turn 15 with two to go.

Quite some way back. Hills fend ed off a challenging Cover(who also rotated after aborting a passing move), while both had slipped by the leadmg GT-P, Beninca's Porsche.

Race 2-8 laps

run to turn one in the lead, with Jones slotting in behind, from Beninca's fast-starting Porsche, the Volvo, McLean, Hills, Cover and Robson.

It all went wrong for McLean at turn three, the BMW new boy caught out by the dampness on the inside of the track, spearing across the sand before rejoining in eighth.

Richo was past the Porsche before the end of the opener and moving in on Jones at the end of the second.

The Volvo was looking strong, although Richards would later report a substantial lack of grip thanks to the cold track.

It too would result in his demise on lap'five as he tried an ambitious inside move on Jones at turn three.

Jones himself braked later than normal, Richards going at least ten metres further before.hitting the middle pedal.

It never looked like working, and the Volvo speared almost straight on into the sand trap.

Jim would eventually back it out

Saturday afternoon finally saw some sun, track temperatures up to a more workable 30 degrees, and the end of most tyre graining prob lems.

McConville's pole advantage (a car's length on the grid, albeit on the outside) was vital, as both Audis made similar excellent starts, McConville having half a length, but on the outside as they hit turn one.

He rode it out on the outside, emerged tin front out of turn two and although Jones stayed in the tow for three laps (setting fastest lap on the third) he would begin to drop away again.

Beninca had started well again, but was swallowed up by McLean and Richards before the end of the opening lap, Richo then slicing

3/

Super Touring - GTP Cup

Qualifying Volvo S40 Jim Bichards 1 Audi A4 Cameron McConville 2 BMW 320i Cameron McLean 3 Audi A4 Brad Jones 4 Ford Mondeo Peter Hills 5 Porsche 911 BSCS’ Domenic Beninca 6 Audi A4 Paul Cover 7 Porsche 911 BSCS* Ed Aitken 8 BMW318i 9 Anthony Bobson Porsche 91IBS' Simon Froude 10 Ford Mondeo 11 Jenny Thompson Maserati Ghibli* 12 Peter McKay BMW 320i Paul Nelson 13 14 Toyota Carina Milton Leslight Subaru WBX' Bobert Porter 15 Nissan 200SX* 16 Murray Carter Subaru WBX’ Trevor Haines 17 Commodore' Bichard Davis 18 l - GTP class cars Race 2-8 laps Race 1-10 laps 1 McConville 21:14.452 McConville 1 Bichards 2 21:14.452 Jones 2 Jones 3 21:24.880 McLean 3 4 McLean 21:59.067 Hills 4 Hills 5 22:02.616 Cover 5 6 Cover 22:05.980 Beninca 6 7 Beninca 22:16.702 Robson 7 Hobson 8 22:26.017 Richards 8 9 23:13.006 Froude Thompson 9 10 Froude 23:17.916 10 McKay 11 McKay 9 laps 11 Thompson 12 Haines 12 Nelson 9 laps 13 Davis 9 laps 13 Haines DNF Nelson 14 Davis 9 laps DNF Carter DNF McLeod 5 laps DNF Aitken 3 laps Fastest lap: Richards -2:04.014 inside the BMW at turn one as they started lap three.

The Volvo soon closed down the three second gap to Jones and this time there was no error: Indeed, Richards got a strong run out of the tight right hander across the lake and simply drove around the outside of the Audi on the long left sweep heading to the esses on lap 6.

Although he closed right in on

2:02.763 2:03.284 2:03.697 2:03.700 2:09.926 2:10,714 2:10.861 2:12.689 2:13.024 2:15,477 2:17.643 2:18.441 2:19.113 2:20.278 2:24.276 2:24.979 2:29.371 2:31.608 16:47.056 16:47.168 16:52.605 16:53.074 17:9.445 17:32.832 17:39.984 17:45.081 18:13.798 18:15.496 18:39.653 7 laps 7 laps 3 laps 2 laps

Fastest lap: Jones -2:04.170 McConville, time ran out, the youngster reeling off the eight laps just a tenth of a second clear of the looming Volvo, McLean occupied a watching brief throughout, never far away (and indeed close behind Jones at the finish), while there was again a substantial gap back to the renewed Hills/Gover contest and leading GT-P Beninca.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Murph foiled in Lambo win biBi

GREG Murphy was a good driver out of luck in the

(leading, at left) and Fabio Santaniello (second) won the

Lamborghini Challenge sup

other races, Cameron McCon

port events at the AGP. After finishing on the podium in race one and streeting the field in race two he was domi

ville (in white car) impressed the visitors while his leased car

nating race three when his car’s throttle stuck open.

In the final Sunday race Murph flew through the field, finishing a brilliant third from the rear of the grid.

While Itahans Roberto Russo

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was running right.

Alan Jones’ car was even worse, stranding him in quahfying and breaking down for good in race two.

The other Aussie, Rusty French, drove steadily to mid pack finishes.

-PHBLBRANAGAN

32 13MarcMm Briefly Historic 'Two ofVictoria’s keenest Historic competitors are making good recoveries from serious illnesses lately. Ken Zinner, one ofthe fittest looking characters you could hope to meet experienced a major heart attack recently but responded to the jumper leads and is now on the mend. Ray Gibbs suffered a stroke and after initial con cerns about him,is also com ing good thanks to an inten sive therapy program. n One ofRay’s Historic racing cars, the ex-Graeme McRae GMl Formula 5000 that won the Tasman Series in 1972 and ’73, the coverted L&M Series in the USA as well as finishing 2nd in the British F5000 championship was part of Shannon’s Grand Prix Auction on March 9. Ray had already planned to trim back his sta ble prior to his illness, and the GMl will hopefully be seen gracing the tracks again with a new owner in the near future, a Hard luck story ofthe Tattersalls Historic Demonstrations was the non-appearance ofBob Jane’s 5-litre V8 MbLaren M6A,one ofthe nfost stun ning ‘big bangeri sports cars from the 1970s.

The former Australian Sports Car Championship winning car has been out of circulation for more than 20 years, and it was going to be driven at Albert Park by John Harvey.

About a week before the Qantas Australian Grand carnival the engine let go and there wasn’t time to carry out a rebuild. John Harvey, who was eagerly looking forward to being reunited with the great car, was bitterly disappointed, as no doubt were the many fans who were hoping to see it in action again. n In spite of concerns over the changing ofthe date of the Shannons Phillip Island Classic to February 28March 1, a near record crowd enjoyed an actionpacked progi-am of Historic motor sport with all the atmosphere we have come to expect at the Island.

Touring cai- fans were treated to some competition reminiscent of days gone by between the Holdens and Fords with a host ofXU-1 Toranas challenging the big Ford Mustang of Graham Himt. The car ofTi-evor Talbot headed the charge and such was the pressure that Hunt broke his own and the track record (1-52.0) in his effoi-ts to keep the pack from snapping at his heels.

Not far behind another battle was staged between the fleet of Moms Cooper Ss, the remaining Mustangs and a Chevrolet Nova.

■ Historic racing car fans were captivated by the appeai-ance of the 1935 8cylinder superchai-ged Alfa Romeo Grand Piix car in which the great Tazio Nuvolari scored so many European victories. Peter Giddings in conjunction with

Penrite Oils shipped this priceless car from California and its performances were no less than expected in win ning the Group K events.

Outstanding perfor mances were also recorded

by Keith Simpson in the Eagle Imp(Group 0), and Andrew ^bson(Lola 332) who was presented with the Garrie Cooper Memorial Trophy.

As part ofits 50-year cele brations Lotus turned on a magnificant display of40 cars ranging from an early Lotus 11 which was a class winner at Le Mans through a variety of Clubmans, Elites and Elans to the com pact latest model Elise.

The Shannons Sunday morning cavalcade of desir able road cars travelled in convoy from the sponsor’s headquarters in Cheltenham and was anoth er supporting highlight of the meeting.

Nostalgia was high on the agenda with guest appear ances by patron ofthe meet ing Frank Coad in his faith ful recreation ofthe Cheney Vauxhall Cresta in which he and John Roxburgh won the 1960 Armstrong 500, Keith Lukey circulated in the Ford Customline made famous by his father Len Lukey and Murray Carter was back behind the wheel ofthe well travelled and now complete ly rebuilt Carter Corvette sports car.

VHRR co-ordinator Ian Tate and the Mini Car Club’s Mike Holloway have foimd the formula for run ning a fast-moving Historic meeting with clockwork pre cision, and in 1999 the Shannon’s Phillip Island Classic will celebrate its 10th anniversaiy. n One ofthe most desir able and most famous ofthe classic sports cars taking part in this year’s Tattersalls Historic Demonstration runs at the Qantas AGP carnival at Albert Park was the ex-Ian Cummins D-iype Jaguar (XKD510).In fact it was described by Lofty England as the finest D-T^e in the world -and he should know as England was Jaguar’s team manager during the great days of sports car rac ing when Jaguar reigned, supreme.

At one stage XKD510 was raced by the legendary Duncan Hamilton, who claimed in his book “Touch Wood” that after fitting 17” wheels the D-Type achieved close to 320kmdi down the sfraight at Dakar in West Africa-not bad for a 3.4litre sports car built in 1955.

This famous fmd highly credentialled D-Type is now owned by Wairen Daly, who is perhaps better known as a trombone player and co leader ofthe famous DalyWilson Big Band that enjoyed widespread popu larity during the 1980s.

Warren Daly has become a gi-eat Historic racing caienthusiast- with a car like the D-Type is it any wonder!

-BRIAN REED

All roads lead to Colder

by BRIAN REED “A resounding success” was the verdict after the running of the Victorian Historic Racing Register’s Practice Day at Calder Park on Sunday, Febn|aiy 15.

There were 104 entries for what has become one of the most popular annual events conducted by the VHRR and it gave newer members and beginners to the sport a taste of what Historic racing is all about.

The practice day was run just like a ‘proper’ race meet ing and according to one of the organisers, Noel Robson, “It was a good preparatory for a lot of people who haven’t been racing before.”

Cars were required for $crutineering, a compulsory’dri vers briefing was held at .which all routine procedures were outlined and the highly experienced John Shepphard was Clerk of Course. Also on duty were members of the Victorian flag marshalling team who used the occasion as a training day, and the MG Car Club was responsible for ONE very interesting car at the Practice Day making a first appearance was Frank Hook’s pretty lit tle 1965 Cooper F3 (chassis #F3-18-65).

This was the last suc cessful Cooper before Formula 3 was dominated

HARD AT IT... Liza Reed’s Elfin Clubman challenges Mike Ffrech’s Monaro-Peugeot. recovery operations.

For drivers having their first taste of circuit racing, a exploratory session was held prior to the official runs to help them find their way around, and following that the cars ran according to cate gories and potential perfor mance, and everyone was treated to several 15-minute runs throughout the day.

with drinks and nibbles, and everyone went home happy including the VHRR which ran the day at a profit - not bad considering it cost only $45 to enter.

Congratulations to Brian Simpson and his team of organisers - perhaps clubs in other States could look at run ning similar events for their members.

Frank Hooks a Cooper

by Lotus and Brabham cars.

First owner was Englishman John Fenning who helped assemble the car at the Cooper works in mid-1965. He and Roger Bunting competed as the Stockbridge Racing Team, placing 1-2 at Casscais in Portugal, and Fenning then scored a win at Knutstorp in Sweden.

The Cooper eventually found its way to the USA where it competed as a Formula C car on the West Coast. , Like so many racing cars of the era, the Cooper was dismantled and lay in a state of disrepair until Victorian Steve Pike purchased the bits during an Austin Healey recov ery mission to the States.

BALLARAT’S John Emery achieved a couple of milestones in his life recently with a dual celebra tion - 40 years in the motor industry plus “the big six-o.”

Well known for his role as a motor sports commentator, MC and general funny man, Emery runs a VW dealership in his spare time and is a sought after guest speaker at dinner meetings and 'social clubs. He is also the proud owner of the ex-Roberto Bussinello works Alfa Romeo TI Super that won the Sandown Six-Hour Race on successive occasions back in the 1960s.

He recounted many funny stories of his

To show how serious the VHRR was at running the practice day strictly according to protocol, a second compulso ry drivers’ briefing was called following a flag infringement.

Drivers were reminded in a firm but friendly way of their responsibilities and the signifi cance of the flags - especially the red!

The Practice Day concluded

Frank Hook, who raced here dur ing the ‘60s, acquired the partially assembled car which was re-skinned

by Pike, and today the Cooper looks resplendent - the result of painstak ing restoration on the part of its proud owner.

What is still missing is much of the car's history, especially between

1966 and 1980. During its time in the USA the Cooper was painted red and had the name “Russ Rotzler” on the side.

If anyone can provide Frank with information on the Cooper during this period he can be contacted on (03) 9391 3011 (w) or 9867 3899 (h).

- BRIAN REED

Emery’s milestones ●f

h AMONG FRIENDS... John Emery (second from right) celebrates with Bryan Thomson, Adrian Ryan and Murray Wright. (Photo by Brian Reed) days in the motor industry, including his early working life with Norman Hamilton in Richmond, the first Porsche distributor outside Europe, and

later with his Alfa Romeo associations.

Many guests could relate to the Alfa recollections, including Bryan Thomson and Murray Wright,

“Thommo” raced Alfa Romeos at Bathurst with Graham Ritter at a time when the little Italian thoroughbreds were serious contenders for outright

honours at Mt. and Panorama, Murray Wright ran the Alfa Romeo fran chise in Australia from the 1960s (Alec Mildren was responsi ble for the northern area and Murray Wright the south).

In keeping with the Historic nature of the occasion, John Emery had organised rides on Lake Wendouree in his 60-year old wooden hull yacht as well as a tour of the lake in one Ballarat’s famous old fenies.

You can catch up with John’s amusing commentaries during this year’s Dutton Grand Prix Rally in March and later at the 1998 Targa Tasmania.

-BRIAN REED

13 Marcum Report by MARTIN D CLARK

Mark Martin and Roush Racing took the spoils in a mundane inaugural

Martin tops Vegas in rora wnitewasn _

A ^

March 1.

It was Martin’s 23rd Jarrett headed Bodine, career win and 11-year team with Ward Burton in his owner Jack Roush had all five of his teams in the top Pontiac taking second on lap 3, Jeff Gordon following in ten at race’s end.

“It’s just awesome,” his tracks. remarked Martin. “We had a Ricky Craven spun in traf terrible vibration and I felt fic, miraculously without sure we were going to fall out contact and no caution was today. This is an awesome aired.

Martin'mounted a charge race team.”

Martin’s vibration was on Gordon and moved into caused by a chunk of gearbox third, then taking second casing that had broken from W Burton before diving under Jarrett on lap 12 for away.

The Las Vegas strip had the lead, more entertainment for a Rusty Wallace then race fan than the race itself, showed his hand, taking the as, although there were 24 point before relinquishing lead changes among 12 dri- the lead to Roush driver vers, there was very little Johnny Benson, with anothracing, certainly not for the er Roush pilot, Jeff Burton, lead and, by NASCAR stan- third, Lap 45 and it became a dards, 1.065 seconds is not a close finish.

Roush 1-2-3, J Burton, The event was dominated Martin and Benson leading. by the Taurus, it’s seemingly as Wallace and others more effective downforce slipped back with loose hanresulting in 13 of the top 14 dling cars - Benson would cars and the top seven finish- later cut a right-side tyre ers being the new Ford. and lose two laps in the pits.

Dale Jarrett, in his Robert / Scheduled pit stops started Yates-owned Taurus, won on lap 56, with Wallace folpole with a speed of 168.224 lowed by Dale Earnhardt mph, Geoff Bodine in his and Jeff Gordon, who was Philips Taurus to his outside, running back in 16th posi-

V

eteran crew chief Jeff Hammond,formerly with Darrell Waltrip, has joined Roush Racing and driver Chad Little as crew chief.

Buddy ‘Red Dog’ Barnes has vacated his position at Team Sabco as crew chief for Sterling Marlin Barnes was with the team

^m n Mi

V,

SERIES LEADER... VegaS-winner Mark Martin. (Ailsport) tion, the Hendrick team making major adjustments on the pit stop and fitting just two tyres, J Burton visited pit road on lap 60, Martin following since 1997.

looked at things in a differ ent light.

“It’s ridiculous,” said Pontiac driver Ward Burton.

“This race [Vegas] proves that. To heck with the wind tunnel; they’re [NASCAR] wasting time.”

“It was a mockery of the sport today,” said Dale Earnhardt’s crew chief Larry McReynolds. ‘They created it, now they’re gonna have to fix it” - and that was before VegasI

-m n

V

I

t didn’t take long for NASCAR to react to the dominance of Ford’s Taurus in the Rockingham and Las Vegas Winston Cup events.

Announcing a rule change the day after the Vegas event, NASCAR shaved a quarter inch off the rear deck spoiler of the Taurus, reducing the height to four and three quarter inches for Atlanta.

The governing body will also take one car from each manufacturer to the wind tunnel following Atlanta for further aerodynamic exami nation.

The previous time Ford teams visited Atlanta, the Thunderbird had a rear spoiler one inch taller than the new ruling, so expect many teams to be 'Out To Lunch’ on set-ups during first practice sessions.

Multi-Ford team owner Jack Roush remarked that “there isn’t a basis for a rule change yet. They haven’t taken any cars to the wind tunnel” - Roush’s com ments appeared to echo the sentiments of most Ford teams when the decision by NASCAR was made.

But the GM teams

H

n

mmM

December,

There were seven provisional spots available at Las Vegas and Ken Schrader, Kenny Irwin, Ricky Craven, Steve Grissom, Bobby Hamilton, Hut Stricklin and Lake Speed were the takers.

Drivers that did not quali fy included Todd Bodine and Gary Bradberry (both for the third time in as many races), Jerry Nadeau, Steve Park, Dave Marcis and Larry Gunselman.

NASCAR Truck Series driver Tony Raines also failed to make the field in his debut appearance.

Michael Waltrip and Chad Little both started at the rear of the field, follow ing hard rear-end impacts in separate practice wrecks on Saturday.

K

evin Schwantz had a disappointing Busch Series race in Las Vegas, finishing 42nd in the 43-car field after an accident on lap 42 in the 200-lap 300 mile event.

the next tour, but trouble with the right-front wheel lost Mark six seconds.

Wallace was back up front once pit stops had culminat ed, but his lead was short lived as Burton dived under neath, Jarrett now third.

Rookie Kenny Irwin in the second Robert Yates Ford spun exiting turn 4 and he brought out the first caution, allowing a second round of pit stops, Gordon and W Burton only taking on two tyres - Burton now led, with (Jordon restarting tenth.

J Burton exceeded the pit road speed and was sent to the rear of the line-up to restart in 29th position, while his brother’s lead was shortlived, Jarrett and then Martin overhauling him.

Jeff Green was the cause of caution three on lap 113, Green the third car to spin without contact with the wall or scattering cars.

Jimmy Spencer led off pit road, followed by Gordon, Earnhardt and Ricky Rudd, all those cars taking only right-side tyres and fuel.

Spencer led through halfway, with Wallace sec ond, followed by Jarrett, Earnhardt, Martin and Bill Elliott.

Wallace’s four-tyre pit stop enabled him to scorch past Spencer for the lead, Jarrett also passing “Mi- Excitement.’

Lap 158 and Jarrett moved

H

W g

around Wallace, the pair con tinuing to jostle for the main position three seconds ahead of Martin in third and J Burton, who had scorched back to fifth.

Wallace pitted under green one lap before leader Jarrett, Wallace’s Penske South crew clawing away the lead in the pits to maintain the lead by a car length or so over Jarrett when the field settled down.

Martin battled Jarrett for second, then took the lead from Wallace on lap 200, Rusty backsliding with han dling trouble.

Lap 217 and, as the lapped Gordon pitted, Jarrett showed signs of engine trou ble, with smoke visible from the tail pipes when he fol lowed Wallace onto pit road for final pit stops.

Jarrett’s day was done “we had a good race car, but something let go in the engine, a valve or some thing,” he said.

Lap 224 and second-placed J Burton pitted, leaving Martin on track until he stopped for tyres on lap 228 with signs of smoke, appar ently fi'om the transmission.

At the same time, Benson got over-exuberant and spun on the grass entering pit road.

Following pit stops, Martin again secured the front slot when Bodine was the last to pit, the latter also coming

33

onto pit road too fast and taking to the grass.

Martin was the class of the field in the latter stages, pulling away from team mate J Burton and eventual ly taking the win by 1.065 seconds.

Burton did well to recover from his penalty to finish second, with points leader Wallace third and Benson fourth after two lucky cau tion flags helped him regain his two lost laps.

Fellow Roush pilot Chad Little in a back-up car fin ished a great tenth - he pre viously had only three career top tens, but, since switching to Roush for the first three races this year, he has recorded two top ten results.

Jeremy Mayfield collected another strong finish after a pit stop mistake cost him dearly, while Earnhardt was the first non-Taurus home in eighth.

The other Chevrolet to fin ish in the top 15, Terry Labonte in 15th, was one lap off the pace.

Wallace and Earnhardt, first and second in the points, are the only drivers to have led all three races this season.

As for Gordon, he finished a lacklustre 17th, one lap off the pace with an ill-handling Monte Carlo - but, if you hstened to the GM drivers, they were all ill-handling.

I^al results: Martin (Ford) 146.554 mph, J Burton (Ford), Wallace (Ford), Benson (Ford), Mayfield (Ford), Musgrave (Ford), Spencer (Ford), Earnhardt (Chevy), EUiott (Ford), Little (Ford).

Points standings: Wallace Earnhardt 449, 505, Mayfield 446, Spencer 429, Elliott 427, Gordon 412, Martin 409, T Labonte 394, Little 380, Hamilton 373.

- #2 Valvoline/Killer Loop/Brighteyes Monte Carlo. Never wrecked,immaculate condition.

- #3 ACDelco Monte Carlo. Only raced once

by Geoff Brabham and Max Dumesny to 3rd with driver change.

- Both cars available as rollers or race-ready.

Don’t buy a junk NASCAR, make me an offer.

on

1998 WINSTON CUP SERIES RESULTS LAS VEGAS 400 - Las Vegas, NV. Mar 8st, 8 998.

I.

Mark Martin,#6 Valvoline Ford Taurus

2.

Jeff Burton,#99 Exide Ford Taurus

3.

4.

Rusty Wallace,# 2 Miller Lite Ford Taurus johnny Benson jr,#26 Cheerios Ford Taurus

5.

6.

7.

8.

Jeremy Mayfield,#12 Mobil I Ford Taurus Ted Musgrave,#16 Primestar Ford Taurus Jimmy Spencer,#23 Winston/No Bull Ford Taurus Dale Earnhardt,#3 GM Goodwrench Chev Monte Carlo

9.

Bill Elliott, #94 McDonald’s Ford Taurus

10. Chad Little, #97 John Deere Ford Taurus

I I. Rick Mast,#75 Remington Arms Ford Taurus 12. Ricky Rudd,#10 Tide Ford Taurus 13. Geoff Bodine,#7 Philips Consumer Ford Taurus 14. Michael Waltrip,#21 Citgo Ford Taurus 15. Terry Labonte,#5 Kellogg’s Com Flakes Monte Carlo 16. Dick Trickle,#90 Heilig-Meyers Ford Taurus 17. Jeff Gordon,#24 DuPont Chev Monte Carlo 18. Ward Burton,#22 MBNA America Grand Prix 19. Bobby Labonte,#18 Interstate Batteries Grand Prix 20. Bobby Hamilton,#4 Kodak Film Chev Monte Carlo

Current Points After Round 3 I. Rusty Wallace, Ford ...

2. Dale Earnhardt, Chev ..

3. Jeremy Mayfield, Ford ..

4. Jimmy Spencer, Ford 5. Bill Elliott, Ford .

6. Jeff Gordon, Chev 7. Mark Martin, Ford 8. Terry Labonte, Chev 9. Chad Little, Ford ...

.505 .449 ,446 429

427 .412 409

.394 .380

10. Bobby Hamilton, Chev ...373

34

1^^0®17SU)®!70

UMmM998 Report by PETER WHITTEN

Briton Richard Burns won round three of the 1998 FIA World Rally Championship, the Safari Rally, his maiden victory in the toughest event in the series, after a faultless drive over the 2200km route through Kenya’s arid bush.

Always within striking dis tance of the early leader, his team-mate and World Champion Tommi Makinen, Burns took the lead when Makinen retired on the sec ond leg of the three-day rally with engine failure in his Lancer Evolution 4.

Over the 341km third leg, Oxford resident Bums paced his Mitsubishi Carisma - the very same machine he drove to second place in Kenya last year - to the finish to win by almost 10 minutes from the Fords of Juha Kankkunen and Ari Vatanen.

Speaking in Nairobi on the victor’s rostrum. Burns only the third Briton to win a World Championship rally said: “I think it’s been the least enjoyable day of rally ing ever for me. It was really nerve-wracking and the roads were much rougher than on the first leg.

“I wanted to win, but there were so many variables. But I had the experience'to do it, the car to do it and a wonder ful group of mechanics.

“Last year, we led some rallies and could have won a couple, so this moment is very sweet.”

The result elevates Burns to third in the World Championship and promotes Mitsubishi to the lead in the Manufacturers Championship by a single point, ahead of Ford, with Toyota a further two points behind and Subaru languishing a further nine points back.

The third leg - five sec tions totalling 341km - was a repeat of the first leg, but the roads were even rougher than on the first pass.

Starting the day just six minutes ahead of Vatanen’s Ford, Bums could not relax.

Early on the leg, he hit a rock and the Carisma sus-

Burns hot in Safari heat Subaru challenge crumbles as Mitsubishi takes Kenya honours i

1

5-r

n

r

SOLITUDE... Runner-up Juha Kankunnen pushes his Ford Escort WRC towards a podium finish ahead of team-mate Ari Vatanen, subbing for hurt Thiry. tained some damage - most dangerously, a cracked sump.

The sump was later changed in service in just 22 minutes and Burns stayed first on the road.

The leaderboard changed dramatically on the way into the very last test, the 2.5 km super special.

Ari Vatanen, who had dri ven faultlessly, hooked in six minutes early at the control, collecting six minutes penal ty and allowing his team leader to take second place by just 25 seconds.

The uncharacteristic error gave Kankkunen two more poin£s, bringing him equal with arch rival Sainz.

Vatanen had replaced reg ular Ford driver Bruno Thiry for the Safari Rally, after the Belgian driver was injured during the reconnaissance for the event.

He sustained broken ribs in the incident and was unable to take the start.

On the second section of the day, Carlos Sainz’s rally had come to an end.

A broken rear strut on the Corolla allowed a tyre to

chafe on bodywork, causing the t3Te to catch fire.

The crew removed the wheel and tried to continue on three wheels, but gave up the stmggle 30km from the end of the section.

“I’m very disappointed, but Safari experience tells you that things like that can hap pen at any time here, right up to the finish,” said the Spaniard.

For his Toyota team-mate, Didier Auriol, in fourth place, the result was better than he might have expected.

“The roads were very

MIGHTY PLEASED... Mitsubishi Carisma of Richard Burns, Safari Rally winner in Kenya and now third in the pointscore.

rough today, much worse than two days ago,” Auriol said. “We had to attack for second, but it didn’t work.

“This rally is like no other.

We rolled on the first day, lost time with punctures on rocks, but still we were close to the podium.

“If similar things hap pened on other rallies, we would have no chance to add to our points score.”

It was a disastrous rally for World Champions Subaru.

Both Impreza World Rally Cars retired with engine fail ure on the same stage and team drivers Colin McRae and Piero Liatti were left with no points from this event.

McRae, who finished third in the opening event at Monte Carlo, has retired with mechical problems in the last two events, severely denting his chances of a sec ond World title.

Harri Rovanpera’s fifth place for Seat- making their first appearance on this pun ishing event - will encourage the Spanish team mightily.

Next year, they will be try ing to win the rally with their new World Rally Car. Group N was won by Luis Climent in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 4.

1.

2.

RESULTS R,Bums/R. Reid Mitsubishi Carisma 8h57m34s J. Kankkunen/

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

J. Repo Ford Escort 9:07:01 A. Vatanen/ F. Gallagher Ford Escort 9:07:26 D. Auriol/ D. Giraudet Toyota Corolla 9:12:00 H.Rovanpera/ V. Silander SEAT Ibiza 11:03:12 R. Baumschlager/ K. Wicha VWGolf 11:17:35 L. Climent/ A. Romani Mitsubishi E4 (GpN) 11:25:37 K. Rosenberger/ P. Carlsson VWGolf 11:43:21 M.Bri^etti/A.Sidi Subaru Impreza 11:53:35 K.Hiiji/ F. Nekusa Toyota Celica GT4 12:01:03

Manufacturers Mitsubishi 22, Ford 21, Toyota 19,Subaru 10.

Drivers Sainz, Kankkunen 16, Burns 12, Makinen 10, Auriol, McRae and Vatanen 4, Eriksson and Liatti 3.

Formula 2 Seat 24, Peugeot 16, VW 13, Hyundai 5,Renault 2.

ISMafchmS

NEW SUPER SPECIAL ajor changes, including a new two-at-a-time super special stage, are being planned for this year’s FAI Rally of Canberra.

The event, which next year will be included in the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship for the first time, will be run under the banner of the ACT Governent, ACT Tourism and Clerk of Course Mike Bell.

The new super special stage will be held next to the rally headquarters, where undercover service, a pare ferme and spectators facilities will be on offer.

Rally of Canberra mar keting manager Glenn Macneall said that the rally was keen to alliviate many of the problems encoun tered at last year’s rally, the most dramatic of which was the treatment of media organisations during the event. ‘‘We’ve formed an advi sory group and already many major changes have been formatted,” Macneall said.

M

KIWI GOLD RUSH

An impressive of starters is likelyfield for the Queenstown Goldrush Hillclimb, to be run in New Zealand’s south island at Easter.

As the down under ver sion of Pikes Peak, the event has attracted the cream of the crop, with both Rod Millen and ‘Monster’ Tajima stating their inten tions to compete.

Millen will drive his Pikes Peak winning Toyota Celica GT4, while Tajima will again steer the awesome Suzuki that has given him much success in the USA. Rally stars Neal Bates and Possum Bourne will also compete, using their regular rally cars.

The battle between the Aussie and the Kiwi should be worth the trip across the Tasman on its own.

Other interesting entries include a six-wheel drive, twin-engined Mazda 323 and a 600hp Ferrari deriva tive currently being built in Auckland.

The rally will also mark the final event for Kiwi Rally Champion Reece Jones, who has announced his retirement.

TASMAN CUP Slight also beenchanges made to have the fledg ling Tasman Cup Rally Challenge, the transTasman series between Australian and New Zealand drivers.

Each country will stage three events as rounds of the Tasman Cup, but one event in each country will only be available for points to a home driver - for example, in Australia, Rally Australia, the Rally of Canberra and the Coffs Harbour event are our cho sen rounds, but only Australian competitiors can score points in Coffs Harbour.

Similarly, while the Rally of New Zealand, Rally of Rotorua and the Southland Rally are the New Zealand

moved forward one week in the 1998 Australian motorsport calendar in order to give more lead up time for those com peting in the Rally of New Zealand.

The Tassie event

By Peter WhittM will be held on July 4 5.

Editor - Australian RallysporfNews andThe closeness of events, only the Kiwis can the dates (still only 20 days apart) will once agin call for score points in Southland. some fine tuning with ship RESPECT YOURSELF ping arrangements and the The end of the Escort as Safari will endeavour to FOREST RALLY the basis for Ford’s World assist wherever possible. ally fans across the rally program will come The organisers ask you globe will be able to fol at the end of1998. low next month’s Respect to take the ‘bates’ offered Yourself Forest Rally - and be their ‘guest’ for a , According to Ford’s new worldwide motorsport PR round two of the Australian great demonstration of Edward Rowe, from the Rally Championship - on ‘bourne’ on the fourth of the internet.

July! beginning of 1999 Ford’s The Saxon Safari World rally Car will be based Scheduled for April 4 on the new Focus, the car and 5, the Respect Yourself Tasmania format will Forest Rally will receive the remain basically the same destined to replace the full cyberspace treatment, as in 1997, with recce on Escort in Europe this year.

The Focus was imveiled at with spectator, media and Friday followed by a wel the Geneva Salon last week competitor information, come for competitors and entry lists, results and stage crews. and will be progressively The rally will finish at launched into various updates available from http://dusty.vianet.net.au/for around 2pm on the Sunday, European markets this year with the presentation dinner est. as the Escort name is buried, at the Grand Chancellor Carrying profiles of dri bringing to an end an era vers and navigators, details Hotel that night. which started thirty years Put the date in your of start times and viewing ago. areas, rally pictures and ‘must do’ diary now anc( According to Rowe, details compete in one of the coun associated links, the colour of the new World Rally Car ful web site is a valuable try’s great events. are stiU yet to be announced, resource for rally fans but he did confirm that everywhere and an EVANS WINS BRIT OPENER Malcolm Wilson’s Britishabsolute must for anyone based organisation would first event for Seat Evans, onafter his with an interest in the 1998 Gwyndaf continue to handle the comARC. years with Ford, won the puny’s WRC campaign. opening round of the British “Having our own dedicat “Obviously, the Escort is, ed web site means we will Rally Championship. even at the end of its life, Held at the Silverstone be able to get information to still a very competitive car competitors and spectators Rallysprint track, the unique and bodes well for the new opening to the British series faster and more efficiently Focus,” said Rowe, drafted hy saw the Seat ibiza of Evans than ever before," said the Ford to handle its global come out on top, winning event’s organiser. West motorsport publicity after a both finals Australian Car Club presi stint as PR for VW in Former Champion Alister dent Ross Tapper.

Australia. ‘jEvent regulations, entry McRae finished second in “The Escort has shown forms and accommodation the first final in his VW Golf that it is a competitive car booking details have Kit Car, while Finnish star with the likes of Toyota’s already been posted on the Tapio Laukkanen took a new Corolla WRC and the site and the response from similar result for Renault in competitors has been the second final. excellent.

The British Championship “Spectator information now moves into the more will be up and running traditional forest and tarmac shortly, but the real winners events that have made the will be the fans that can’t series the most competitive The day after his brilliant make it to Perth for the rally national championship in third placing in the Coffs the world. ... they’ll be able to read Harbour Rally, Sydney reports and get up-to-date driver John Long ordered VW DIESEL RALLY CAR results almost as they hap

the

Legendary Escort to bow out at the end of'98 season

R

fact that Kankkunen is cur rently equal leader in the Drivers title and Ford is just one point off the lead in the Manufacturers Championship is a good indication of just how good the package is.”

There is no indication whether the new car’s engine development program will continue to be handled by the'TWR organisation, which has been responsible for developing the current Escort powerplant in recent times with so much success.

While the Ford flagship in rallying will be the Focus, the company is about to launch a grass roots rally machine based on its highly unusual and successful Ka, an example of which was on display at the recent Melbourne International Motor Show.

While Ford has no plans to launch the Ka in Australia, sources admit that the dis play at the Melbourne show was very much to gauge reaction to the striking baby car among Australian buyers - so it could be some time before the Ka is seen in rally guise in our forests.

The company is also look ing at the potential of the striking Puma coupe, based on the Kiesta platform in Europe, as both a race and rally machine.

A motorsport mock-up of the Puma was on display at the Autosport International Show in the UK late last year, but no further plans have been announced.

On the driver front, Rowe said a decision on the future of Bruno Thiry, following his tejm-y during practice for the S^ari Rally, will be made in the next couple of weeks.

The young Belgian broke his ribs after he crashed against the roll cage inside Juha Kankkunen’s recce car, the Finn having stopped to give ’Thiry and his co-driver a lift when their car had bro ken down.

1980 world champion and reigning World Cross Country Rally Champion Ari Vatanen filled in for Thity at the Safari and was in second place until team orders called for him to pull over for Kankkunen in the closing stages, Vatanen tak ing third behind his team mate.

Given Thiry’s lacklustre results in both Monte Carlo and Sweden this year, Vatanen could prove to be an older but more capable replacement for the young Belgian as Ford pushes towards a World Manufacturers title and the first Drivers title since Vatanen’s win in 1980.

-JON THOMSON

Long moves to Evo 5

pen.”

The Respect Yourself Forest Rally will start in the heart of the city’s shopping precinct, Forrest Place, on Friday, April 3, with free entertainment and activities scheduled from noon through to 9pm.

The flag will fall at 8pm, with competitors then mak ing their way to pare ferme at the Novotel Vines Resort in a spectacular parade through Northbridge, Perth’s nightclub and restaurant district.

The action proper will take place on Saturday and Sunday (April 4-5), when competitors take to the for est tracks around Mundaring Weir to the east of Perth.

Run over six special stages each day, the rally is expected to be a frenetic affair as drivers come to grips with the roads and post faster end faster times.

SAXON SAFARI TASMANIA he Saxon Safari Tasmania has been

T

Volkswagen’s stunning turbo diesel rally car is set to make its British com petition debut.

The Golf TD! will contest the 1998 Mintex National Rally Championship and hopes are high that the car will repeat the winning form it has shown in mainland Europe.

Fresh from its 1997 win in Austria’s Semperit Rally and its BMW M3-beating victory in November’s six-hour Vallelunga endurance race in Italy, the Golf TDI will be driven on all eight rounds of the National series by one of Britain’s brightest young hopes, Neil Simpson.

Backing for the venture comes from Greenergy, Europe’s leading supplier of low emissions fuels.

Greenergy’s products best known of which is are sold Citydiesel through more than 300 fuel retail outlets in the UK, many on supermarket fore courts operated by Sainsbury, Tesco and Safeway.

a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 5 which he hopes to debut in the Queensland round of the 1998 Australian Rally Championship.

Long and co-driver son Damien had been planning to update the brakes on their Evolution 3 Lancer, but, fol lowing their good result, decided a new car was the better option.

“Rather than spend money on a three year-old car, we thought it more practical to

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$

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WINNER - NSW & VICTORIAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPS - DtlNLOP SP84-R

buy the new model,” John Long said.

As a result, the Evo 3 will now be advertised for sale, although the pair will use the car in the next round of

the ARC, the Respect Yourself Forest Rally, on April 4-5.

-PETER WHITTEN

36

ojud

13 March 1998

r

lo€al Hero

Mussie

//

Expat David Gnibnic is Australia's I uickest and fastest drag racer r

Story by Scott Jug

As any drag racing afficionado knows, Rachelle Splatt was the first Australian to run over 300 mph, Rachelle running 4.88/300 in America back in 1994, before leaving a US team seemingly hell-bent on spontaneous com bustion.

Since that time, most of the focus has turned towards the local scene and speculation has been rife as to who will be the first Australian to run over 300 mph on home turf.

Seemingly forgotten in all the hot air and h3rpe in the quest for a local 300 mph hero has been the achieve ment of another Australian racing in America, Dave Grubnic.

“Aussie Dave,” as he’s known Stateside, certainly hasn’t generat ed anywhere near the massive pub licity (except in Motorsport News) that Rachelle received when she took the final spot in the 300 mph club that fateful day in Houston.

Even the NHRA has offered Grubnic little support in his quest to become a regular on the totir, seemingly uninterested in any of their “world champions” coming from outside North America.

Yet the indisputable fact is that Grubnic is Australia’s quickest and fastest drag racer, with 4.69 and 306 mph bests to prove it.

Grubnic’s prodigious talents don’t only lie behind the steering wheel.

Apart from tuning his own ride, Richard Hartman became the sixth member of the prestigious Castrol Four Second Funny Car club with Grubnic calling the shots.

Grubnic, you see, epitomises the working class.

His determination to succeed means that Grubnic can construct and tune any type of nitro-fuelled race car, those sMlls being accrued in the relatively short period that he’s been in America - and, while those mechanical smarts may leave him short on media publicity, they’re certainly not having an adverse effect on his employment.

Up until this season, that had been the way it was. He was the driver, tuner and team manager.

If youfre a guy with no money and big dreams, be thankful that you’re one of the few who get to drive on someone else’s dollars the fact that you also have those added responsibilities is the price you pay.

The tuning side of things was something that Grubnic never felt completely comfortable with.

MONTANA EXPRESS... Aussie Dave Grubnic has shown his expertise behind the wheel and with a wrench on the tough US drag tour. (Burgan pic) Without it, like so many other wannabees and dreamers, he may still be looking for a ride.

In March, 1996, Grubnic was looking to move to a team that offered the possibility of driving.

Around this time, fate’s fickle hand tapped him on the shoulder and he went to work on Bill Blomregen’s Team Geronimo Funny Car. Hartman was the driver and Grubnic was responsible for main taining the equipment at Blomregen’s Californian work shop - Johnny West was the crew chief and would fly in and oversee the operation at each race.

West had commitments with Jim Epler’s FC towards the end of the season and his departure was to be the turning point in Grubnic’s career - with West gone, the tuning chores fell squarely on the young Aussies shoulders.

They ran three races after West

left that year, qualifying number one at Seattle and number sixteen at Indy, with the Winston finals at Pomona the last race ofthe season.

As Grubnic relates, it all came together at Pomona; “We ran a 5.08/298 right out of the box and for the final qualifying pass we decided to throw everything at it. We ended up having the right clutch discs, even though we never reahsed it at that time.”

A 4.93/304 blast at the Winston finals gave them the number one qualifying spot and made them the quickest entry into the Castrol Funny Car Four Second Club.

“The goal that year was to run a four second, 300 mile an hour pass and doing that certainly repaid Bill’s faith in me,” Grubnic said.

Grubnic realised that aU the hard work was beginning to pay off.

He had his first taste of drag rac ing as a young teenager. It was the late ’70s, nitro Funny Cars were

the stars and Grubnic happened upon a street meet at Surfers Paradise Raceway.

Peter Dykes and Jeff “The Burner” Burnett, were on hand, the promoter getting them to match race their Funny Cars.

“I was 14 and went to watch them race at Surfers,” he recalled.

“It all seemed so exciting - the burnouts, the smell of nitro and burning rubber coupled with all the noise.

“The crowd was going crazy and, ever since then, all I really wanted to be was a drag racer.”

Grubnic progressed from working on his Malvern Star pushbike to securing a mechanical apprentice ship with Toyota.

This gave him the basic mechani cal grounding that he was looking for and, during that time, he pur chased a 351 GT Falcon, racing it at street meets whenever he could. “'The street thing was great, but

nitro was really where it was at for me,” Grubnic stated.

“A guy from Brisbane called Nelson Murray wanted to build a Top Fuel car at the time, so I sold the GT and went and worked on his car. It turned out to be an alcohol dragster and I spent the next two years crewing with him.

“This led me to working with John Maher on his Top Fuel car.

“That first year we won the championship, after coming into the grand finals at Castlereagh tied on points with Jim Read. We won the meeting and the champi onship.”

Grubnic worked with Maher until he retired and then had a hia tus from the sport.

By this time, he’d left Toyota as a qualified mechanic and, after join ing the local Ford dealer as a mechanic, worked his way up to become the service manager.

“It was a great job. The trouble

1998 NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP DRAG RACING SERIES - POINTS TO MAR 4, 1998. \

PENNZQIL

1998 NHRA Top Fuel Championship I 1998 NHRA Funny Car Championship 1. Jim Head, Close Call Racing 187 I. Ron Capps, Copenhagen/MBNA ....209 2. Chuck Etchells, Kendall/MaMa Rosa ..171 2. Cory McClenathan, McDonald’s 174 146 3. Tim Wilkerson,JCIT International ...149 3. Larry Dixon, Miller Lite/MBNA 4. Al Hofmann, GM Perf. Parts/Pontiac .1 16 4. Mike Dunn, Mopar Performance ....I I I 5.f Gary Sceizi, Team Winston-No Bull .. I tO 5. Dean Skuza, Mateo Tools/Mopar 108 joe Amato, Tenneco Automotive ... .1 10 6. Tony Pedregon, Castrol/Mac Tools ..lOS 104 109 7. Bruce Sarver, ATSCO 7. Randy Anderson, Parts America .91 8. Doug Herbert, Snap-On Tools I OS 8. John Force, Castrol/Mac Tools , .85 9. Del Worsham, CSK/Pontiac ...

9. Doug Kalitta, Kalitta International 88 .85 10. Whit Bazemore,Team Winston-No Bull ...84 10. Kenny Bernstein, Budweiser

I. 2 3.

4.

S. 6.

7.

1998 NHRA Pro Stock Championship Jim Yates, Peak Anti-Freeze/Splitfire ...213 Warren Johnson, Goodwrench/Pontiac ..19!

Jeg Coughlin Jnr., Jegs Mail Order 14S Mark Osborne, Dick Sherman Racing 132 Scott Geoffrion, Mopar Performance .103 .88 George MarnelLJK Racing Kurt Johnson, ACDelco/Chevrolet ...87 .87 Steve Schmidt, Dynagear

9. Bruce Allai, Outlaw Oils/Reher-Mom'son. 84 10. Pete Williams, Pete Williams Racing ...72

13 Mach m was, I really missed being involved in racing and the only way to do that was to go to America,” he emphasised.

Grubnic went to America in 1989, armed with an intro duction from Peter Dykes he met up with Chris and

Phil McGee.

“We hit it off straight away and I went to the races with them whenever I could get to America,” he said. Grubnic did this for several years and, with the encouragement of the McGees, sold every thing and moved to the US. At this stage, the McGees had decided to park their Top Fuel operation while searching for sponsorship.

Rather than stop racing entirely, they decided to do some El Mirage racing, going after land speed records.

This required a lot less bud get and kept everybody inter ested, while allowing them to continue developing their quad cam engine.

“The McGee brothers were very good to me and gave me the opportunity to start dri ving their lakester,” Grubnic recalled.

“We were trying to break the 300 mph barrier at the time, but we only managed runs around the 260 mph zone.

“It was one of their old T/F dragster chassis and, depending on the class tha^ we ran, there were some minor streamling body modi fications - enclosed wheels, canopy, stuff like that. We tried to adapt some of the lessons that we learnt in the engine for use in the fuel car.

“Unlike a Top Fuel car, you’re on the throttle for a lot longer than five seconds running on the dry lake 1.3mile course. There’s little traction, so you need to develop a real feel for the car unless you want it swapping ends.”

It was great experience for Grubnic and one that ulti-

i

NONE BETTER... Dave Grubnic is Austraiia’s lone representative on the NHRA tour.(Burgan) mately led him to drive the McGee brothers’ Top Fuel car.

“We did the land speed stuff for a season and a half, as well as' one or two races with the Top Fuel car,” said Grubnic.

“Initially, Gary Beck drove, but he decided to move on and that left the seat open. 'That’s when I got my opportunity to drive Top Fuel.”

To everyone’s surprise, the team headed to Palmdale.

'The track has an elevation of

4,000 feet, but the track owner is good friends with the McGees and prepared the track fairly well Grubnic managed to get his license signed off with the minimum amount of runs, running 5.20s at 260 mph.

The McGees had done a lot of testing on the d>mo during 1994.

They went to Bakersfield at the start of 1995 and in testing were doing .860 60ft times and were running over 250 mph at half-track, indi cating the engine’s tremen dous potential.

They went to Pomona for the NHRA Wintemationals a week later and didn’t make the field. They realised that more work was needed on the engine, which was a body blow to the team and the beginning ofthe end.

“We were trying to max imise what little budget we had, so it made more sense to run the IHRA tour. It was enjoyable racing, the people were fiiendly and the racing wasn’t as intense as the NHRA,” said Grubnic.

“The only disadvantage was geographical. All the racing is located on the other side of the country.

“We ended up being as high as third in the points, but the cost involved made contesting the whole season financially unviable. With Phil and Chris having young families, they needed to spend more time with their business and that meant they couldn’t justify tipping money into a black hole.”

The McGees parked the operation and Grubnic moved on, working with ser-

OH McGEE ... Dave Grubnic (left) helped out England’s Stuart Vallance with his quad-cammed Funny Car on tour in Australia back in 1993.

(Gerald McDornan pic)

val teams until the opportunity arose to work on Blomregen’s team, After the success of ’96, Blomregen wanted to run

selected races with a two-car team in ’97.

Grubnic was slated to drive the Top Fuel car.

They qualified both cars at Phoenix and Houston in the first part of this season, but it had become apparent even at that early stage of the sea son that it was just too much responsibility for Grubnic to handle on his own.

“After Houston, Bill and I had a long talk. We decided that, unless we could get someone else to run the Funny Car, we would con centrate on the T/F car. We’d achieved a good reputation with the Funny Car and to campaign it any further would have only resulted in diminished performances,” he explained.

They ran several more events that year, running some 4.70s to close out the year, but without the consis tency that the Funny Car had shown.

A problem with the quality of clutch discs saw all the nitro teams struggle during the ’97 season.

Those with the budget to test managed to solve the problem. They could afford to get it wrong. For them, three or four runs is no hardship.

For those like Grubnic, who had to do all their test ing at the race, it’s a near tragedy.

The strain of driving, tim ing and organising the team had taken it’s toll and, for Grubnic, the season couldn’t come to an end quickly enough.

il

Montana rancher and mil lionaire John Mitchell had been making overtures to Grubnic all season about joining his Top Fuel opera tion, purely as a driver.

“Really, I’d never wanted to have the responsibility of tuning the car,” Grubnic said. “Bill and I discussed the situation at the season’s end and he agreed that the best thing for me was to go and work with John.”

There’s never been any doubt that Mitchell takes his racing seriously.

With two brand-new chas sis, another spare ’96 chassis and eight engines, the racing inventory is as good as it gets.

Put this with a budget that makes his team the bestfinanced independent opera tion out there and you can see why Grubnic’s looking forward to signing auto graphs at the races this year.

“When I get to the race track and it comes to the car, all I’ll be doing is driving,” beamed Grubnic.

“I’ll have plenty of time to kiss babies and any other PR work that the team needs me to do. We have a full-time crew chief that shoulders all the responsibility, but I still get to work on the car back at the shop - I enjoy that part too much.”

With 300 mph passes now commonplace in America.

Grubnic will be there, keep ing the Aussie flag flying here’s hoping that the Mitchell team turns into a real contender.

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Romeo Capitanio’s stun ning form since his return to racing at last year’s TAC Nationals has allowed the enigmatic Melbourne racer to re sign Sidchrome Quality Tools, the company which backed his Funny Car campaign in the early nineties.

Speaking with Motorsport News while with his crew preparing his Sidchrome Quality Tools fueller for the upcoming TAC Nationals in two weeks, Capitanio said he was excited about the return of his former backers and he was looking forward to hit ting the track at the Nationals and the prospects of claiming the team’s third Nationals victory.

“Sidchrome is a great com pany and they strive to pre sent their customers with the best possible products,” Capitanio said this week.

“That’s pretty much what we try and do each time we head out onto the quartermile - present the race fans and our sponsors with the best possible performance.

“We’re thrilled to have their support again and we’re . looking forward to working hand in hand with Sidchrome and making our partnership a great success for the com pany,” Capitanio said. backed Sidchrome Capitanio and his brother, Johnny, with their Funny Car during the 1991/92 sea sons, before taking a sabatical from the sport while Romeo served a controversial suspension.

It was standing room only as almost 18,000 fans filled the bleaches at AIR on February 28 for the Funny Cars, the crowd by far the biggest for the 1997/98 Castrol Oils Summers Series.

Peter Russo, Gary McGrath and Ron Atholwood led the local charge against Uncle Sam’s Glen Mikres.

Mikres and Atholwood contested the most memo rable nitro Funny pass at AIR since Romeo Capitanio’s 5.4 - ut not because of record breaking time.

With the green light aglow, Mikres travelled only a few feet before the blower let go, blowing the wind-

I

Romeo & VIC Nostalgia Sidchrome Since the Capitanio Brothers’ return to full-time racing with partners Gavin Dowden and Peter Bacash, they have contested just four events and, while not quali fying at the first while they sorted out the car, they have reached the final round twice and the semi-finals once.

The team, in fact, would have reached the final at their last meeting, at Calder Park in January, had it not been for a spectacular and freak incident during their semi-final bye.

While ‘backing up too quickly from a massive burnout, Capitanio’s dragster experienced a front-end “wob ble” that eventually led to the 5,500 horsepower racer spin ning backwards and clouting the concrete wall!

The Capitanios claimed their first Nationals vittory when they contested the ’91 Nationals at Willowbank Raceway in Queensland the first event they ever raced in Top Fuel.

At the event, they sur passed all previous class records and stunned with their final round perfor mance of 5.26 seconds, a mark which bettered the pre¬

vious record by over twotenths of a second.

Romeo also won the 1991 Australian Top Fuel Championship.

■While Romeo was serving his controversial suspension, he and Johnny guided the career of Rachelle Splatt, tak ing her from obscurity into the international spotlight.

With the Capitanios tuning her car, Splatt claimed the ’93 Nationals in her debut and ran the quickest-ever et in the history of the sport in Australia, 5.20 seconds.

Upon his return to the dri ving seat, Romeo set the national Funny Car et record to 5.37 seconds - a record which still stands - and he claimed his first Funny Car Nationals victory at Calder Park in ’95.

Sidchrome has a long, proud history of supporting drag racing and, since 1990, they have continued to back the Ian Cameron/Steve Russell Cpmpetiton/Modified Eliminator team.

Recently, Sidchrome also announced an associate sponsorship deal with doorslammer king, Victor Bray.

- GERALD McDORNAN

It was a case of stepping back in time at Raceway Park with the Victorian Nostalgia titles being held on February 28 in what were perfect weather con ditions.

For those of us who were

young enough to have been brought up in a world where Top Fuellers and alky-burn ing supercharged rails all have the engines sitting safe ly behind the drivers, it was a real buzz to get a glimpse o£ what it must have been like as the sport was develop ing in this country some thir ty, or forty, years ago.

With the flexible front engined fuellers of yester year strutting their stuff and a great range of other vehi cles competing in a variety of brackets throughout the day, it was like a car show which came to life - and the show was worth seeing.

Highlighting the action on the day was a match race between the fuellers of Queensland’s Roly Leahy ohe of the leading lights behind the nostalgia move ment- and Maurice Fabietti, at the helm of Steve Turner’s ‘L.A. Raider.’

Although both cars do have some modem items on them - some as safety measures ho;h reflected the fuel cars of their era accurately and set the scene for the day.

Leahy’s beautiful mount drew first blood when Fabietti left too early with a .347 Ught, before shutting off after head ing towards the wall.

Leahy himself was on and off the throttle for a 8.74/154, while Fahietti coasted through for a 12-second card.

Fabietti backed his KB down for the next run, but still had the ‘Raider’ hook

*A C T10 N P R E S E N 1S*

OHN FORCE’S L’ HOUND DOG

front wheel broke free Atholwood did a great job fighting the car before com ing to a stop against the fence. He emerged shaken and probably suffering a bit of air sickness.

The beautiful Pontiac body suffered little damage, while the front wheel, which ended up in Mikres’s lane, may live to fight another day after some front-end work.

Russo and McGrath con tinued the fuel show, but thankfully were a bit more conservative.

Both overpowered the track, skating around before shutting off early.

Atholwood and Mikres were out for the night, while Russo and McGrath returned for round two.

McGrath was the only runner who was able to make a third pass in the Powerball Pennzoil Hopper, after Russo suffered crank damage.

Header flames topped the roof line before McCIrath was again forced to hft, crossing the centre line and taking out some timers.

There may not have been any record-setting runs, but the sight, sound and smell that is nitro Funny Car rac ing certainly got the crowd’s approval and ensured a full house next time they hit town.

Australian land speed record holder Roscoe McGlashan was behind the wheel of a Jet Car a bit slow er than his record-holding “Aussie Invader 2,” but he

was hoping to be fast enough to beat American Joe Brown in his “Arizona Outlaw” ’57 Chevy, However, McGlashan went down in the last pairing, losing the match race to Brown 2-1.

The Just Commodores Spares Competition final saw top qualifier Danny Baines in the small block BB/Gas Camaro catch the red-light bug, a .390 handing Wayne Cartledge (C/D) the easiest of wins.

Running off the 8.64 B/Gas Index, Steve Noman record ed an 8.374 in his stunning Camaro to top qualify in the Caltex Bolivar Gardens Super Stock Eliminator.

Norman continued his fine form winning through to the

OPEN WIDE... Glenn Mikres' ears were ringing after he banged the blower. (Steven White)

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leading up to the final, going 7.73 on a bye and then 7.51 against Longfield’s 9.17, after the streamliner got a bit out of shape out of the'hole.

Goudswaard was equally consistent in the lead up rounds, scoring wins with a 7.80 and then a 7.72, but his consistency came a little unstuck in the final.

For the first time for the

right off the line, again forc ing him to back off to a coasting 12-second pass - but Leahy had already handed him the win by fouling with day, his altered turned the a .355 light. Leahy ran it on through for a 8.83, before tyres and slowed to a clicking it off early at 139 8.20/137, as Baxter went 7.62/152 for the win. mph while taking the loss.

Other results: Middle The third and deciding Eliminator saw top qualifier pairing was over before the staging lights were lit, as Scott Fitzpatrick defeat Keith Gunnell; Holden Leahy’s mount started to leak oil from a cracked sump. Eliminator saw Greg Wass He was forced to shut off lose to the experienced Mick behind the line, allowing Borg; Rod Hadfield took out Fabietti to take his time and Hot Rod Quick over Joel Morgan; in Muscle Car, the single with a 8.31/178.28 to set the low ET for the day for American section was won by Peter Saletta over Ian the fuellers of yesteryear Running on a 7.50 index. Cameron and Daryl Hepworth won OZ Performance over Top Eliminator was a brackGordon Lang. et filled by blown cars and In non-Nostalgia racing, led by Shane Baxter’s spoton 7.50 - Eric Goudswaard Jeremy Newman took out Ian was just behind with a 7.82 Cameron in the DYO brackfrom his altered and Alf et, Marcello Mastroianni won Sciacca’s ex-Gene Snow Pro Street and Amanda Oakley downed Wade Kysma Funny Car’s 8.51.

With Norm Longfield pushin Junior Dragster, -GREG WARD ing the ‘Jocko StreamlineF to

Funny fever hits AIR

screen to pieces - the force of the explosion lifted the body a good four feet off the chas sis. Mikres’s run was over, but for Atholwood, his race had just begun.

A Steve Reed-style wheelstand stopped the hearts of many a spectator as the car continued to climb skyward.

But the wheelie bars came into play and the rear wheels just lifted off the deck.

As Atholwood trashed back to earth just before half-track, the left-hand

an 8.69 for fourth, it was an interesting mix of cars mak ing up the bracket.

Baxter was consistently in the mid-sevens in the .rounds

final, downing the likes of Simon Butterworth and Rob Quattrocchi on the way.

Gerry Parente, the number two qualifier, was having a similar effect on his half of the field and consistent 7.8s out of the Olds Pro Car' saw him reach the money round.

In the final, Norman drove into the winner’s circle, while Parente carded a losing 8.025/167.31 (7.98 index).

The Farmers Union Iced Coffee Competition Bike saw Mark Gedye astride the Top Bike Harley top qualify with a 7.0/193.50 - but Perry Mackie ended Gedye’s night in round two.

The BiiTel/Donnon Castrol Pro Bike Team recorded a 7.721 and a 7.715 in the two opening rounds, Les Donnon reeling off a 7.695/169.87 but red lighting in the final against Mackie, who record ed an 8.807/143.03 astride the P/CB Harley.

Other winners were: Matthew Able over Helen Rusling (West End Supercharged Outlaws); a super-consistent Mark Mitchell defeated Alan Wood in the Cartronics Modified Eliminator; Rob Azzopardi recorded another win over Rob Evens (Hardy’s Wines Super Gas); Travis Curnow defeated Debbie Dade (SA Race, Street & Strip Transmissions Super Sedan); Marko Vassiliadis downed Jim loannidis (Complete Audio Super Street); Lino Ruggerio defeated Tony Keating (C & D Motorcycles Modified Bike); Neil Mellett defeated Melissa Hayes (Coca-Cola Junior Dragster).

- STEVEN WHITE

13 mm

Nats a banner event Race fans attending the 98 TAC Nationals at Calder Park Raceway on March 20 - 22 can enter the Pennzoil Banner Competition with the winner taking home $1,000 while the other finalists score a host of automotive products from the nations premium lubri cant manufacturer.

All you have to do is dis play a banner larger than a metre square featuring the Pennzoil at the race track, featuring a drag rac ing theme, put it in a prominent position on Sunday afternoon or evening for the judges to inspect them.

The top ten banners will be selected and the overall winner will presented with their cheque on the start line in front of 40 - 45 thousand spectators - get your art material out of the cupboard and start creating a masterpiece.

To ensure that a Motorsport News reader has a strong chance of winning the thousand smackeroos we have included the Pennzoil Ibgo on page 36 in this issue.

3S

Funny Car honours to Jones at Westernats Drag racing’s most spec tacular performers, the nitro-buming Funny Cars were the stars of the show at the 27th annual Marlows Westemationals at Perth’s Ravenswood Raceway last weekend with local boy Lloyd Jones ^king a well deserved win with some fabulous performances in the Southside Engine Centre Dodge fuel coupe.

The Westemationals event, a round of the ANDRA Australian Drag Racing Series, was also destined to be a round of the Top Fuel series, but with just one entry being receive the track management dropped the bracket in favour of the spec tacular fuel coupes.

With Calder, strangely, also electing to run the Funnies as a demonstration bracket only at the Nationals, Ravenswood also quickly negotiated a deal with ANDRA for the event to be the official Australian Funny Car Championship event(thanks Calder!).

With such a serious and

much sought prize up for grabs. Funny Car racers John Taylor, Ron Atholwood and Garry McGrath made the long haul over to the west to make up a great five car field, although in the end they proved to be no match for the awesome power of the local Funny Car duo of Lloyd Jones and Allan Dobson.

After damaging the engine during qualifying, Allan Greene - Dobson’s car owner - took the team’s powerplant home, rebuilt it and rein stalled it to enable Dobson to eventually finish the event as runner-up to winner Jones.

The visiting cars all put on a great show, although Garry McGrath had trouble hook ing up with his Powerball/Pennzoil Olds Cutlass, blowing the tyres off on each pass down the track.

The beautiful Atholwood Pontiac machine was again being affected by major wheelstanding problems which were caused by being aggressive with the clutch.

Still, despite their prob lems, the Atholwood and

McGrath teams, combined with the locals to put on a great show each ^d every time they went to tlie line.

The first round between McGrath and Atholwood, where they pedalled in a wheelstanding, tyre-smoking duel was a major highlight and a huge hit with the strong crowd - a run which the race fans in Perth will remember for many years.

At the end of the event, after running great back to back numbers, including a best ever 5.42/274, Jones took the honours in the final round with the Southside Engine Centre Dodge run ning a strong 5.60/270.26 6ver Dobson’s 5.80/264.69 the boys from WA demon strating their clear superiori ty at the event.

The final round was just fantastic with only .073 of a second separating the two cars at the finish line.

Speaking after the event Southside Engine Centre team leader Graham Jones said the team were delighted with the win and the Australian Funny Car

Championship.

“Lloyd’s done a great job of driving the car while Glenn Mikres has helped tune the Southside Engine Centre Dodge to perfection,” Jones said.

“These Funny Cars are just the best and with some opportunities to run more often and with some tv expo sure they could be the biggest thing in drag racing.”

Jones said he was now looking forward to travelling east for the Nationals demonstration bracket where he will again tackle McGrath, along with four time Australian Champion Peter Russo and former Top Fuel Nationals winner Keith

Agius.

While the Western Australians may have domi nated in Funny Car, Competition was won by a Victorian with Comp hitter Rod Rainford taking the win with a consistent 8.06 while downing local Lindsay Murray (8.43).

Peter Veersma went for broke in qualifying with a 6.47 and a 6.49, the front

wheels not touching the ground much before half track, but he was unable to back it up in eliminations when tyre shake forced him to back off.

Terry Stacey’s Mazda RK Turbo stormed through to take line honours in the Super Stock final with an 8.80, snatching the title of Australia’s quickest rotary and bumping Geoff Chaisty, who fell short of his personal best by .05 seconds.

Ian Johns reset the A/Gas terminal speed record after clocking 171.75 mph and Steve Flynn lowered the B/Gas elapsed time mark to 8.30 seconds.

Modified was taken out by Pauline Igglesdon over Brian Murray.

A 7.97 by Ray Easson was enough to win Competition Bike after Queenslander John Parker rolled out of stage - but he still raised the speed record to 149.00 mph.

Modified Bike went to Peter Hocking (10.13) after Rod Buckingham was caught out by a flat battery.

- RICHARD DUNSTAN

If you drink,then drive, you’re a bloody icfiol.ii^ Herald Sun YOUR TOWN-YOUR PAPER

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Hepoo a MOTORSPORT

Drag imelttg

ISMaKhWS Report by BRAD STEELE Western Australia produced one of the most dramatic Australian Sprintcar Championships ever seen, Max Dumesny driving his Valvoline J&J race car to an all the way win at Bunbury, lead ing every lap and taking the vic tory over Garry Rush and Skip Jackson.

The win proved to be an excep tionally popular one with the crowd, which was the biggest seen at the Bunbury City and Regional ^ Raceway in its 25 year history.

The 36th running of the champi onship, sponsored by Quality Vehicle Repairers, had it’s fair share of dramas, but the weekend started for a lot of us on the Thursday.

A formal black tie dinner at the Lord Forrest Hotel officially kicked off the weekend and a full room of guests watched on as the weekend kicked off with opening ceremonies by the Mayor of Bunbury, John Castrilli.

Meanwhile, downstairs at the West End Nightclub, many of the fans and pit crews(and journalists) kicked on with the “not the nation als bash,” hosted by Claremont commentator Karl Langdon - there were a few sorry looking people at the following nights practice.

sM

Max Dumesny takes Australian Title

Sprintcar ace outguns Rush and Jackson way out west

Friday Friday night’s practice session had its share of casualties, with Rush rolling his Castrol Maxim after running into the slowing (O’Brien Wayne Skipper Aluminium Gambler), while Shane Krikke and Jamie Maiolo had engine troubles, both necessitating rebuilds.

Kerry Madsen, driving The Huntley’s Your Money Weekly Grizzly, proved to be the fastest on the dry practice track, rattling off times in the 14.6-second area.

He backed this up with fast time on the Saturday night qualifying with a time of 14.54 on his opening lap, only to blow the motor three quarters of the way through his second lap.

Second fastest was Rush with a time of 14:63, followed by Brooke Tatnell (14:66), Skip Jackson in fourth with 14:70 and Phil March, who rormded out the top five with a 14:75-second lap.

It was interesting to note that SUPERB... Max Dumesny once again demonstrated his oval track mastery and took out his second Australian Sprintcar Title. (Brad Steele pic) the top 20 of the 42 time triallers were imder the 15-second barrier. lead home fellow West Aussie Scott Geoff Kendrick and proceeded to under Marriott coming out of turn West coast youngster Jamie 2, only to spin infield and complete Heat 1, lap 2 and the first Milling (Oztrac Maxim)and Brooke Maiolo (Ausquip Industries Maxim) take a big win over Maiolo and five 360 degree turns before return made amends for his heat 8 spin by Rush in the opening heat. rollover during competition Tatnell in the Shell Helix Schnee in occurred when Shane Marden heat 3.

Heat 14 and Dumesny showed ing to the track. winning heat 11 over Milling and At the chequered flag, Linigen what was to come, leading Andrew (Coyle Transport Jenkins) came Reigning Australian Speedcar Dumesny.

The final qualifying heat of the Scheuerle (Lucas Oil Products took out an easy win over Adrian downtrack and connected with vet- Champion Robbie Farr (O’Brien eran Ray Geneve’s front-end.

Aluminium Avenger) held off the evening saw Farr return to the win- Maxim) home over the consistent “Jacko” Winterswyck and MaiTiott.

Linigen’s venture into the BMurphy.

Geneve’s Good, Bad & Ugly fast-finishing Dumesny in heat 4, ners rostrum over Ron Krikke and Main wasn’t so easy, making heavy Gambler wasn’t severely damaged, with Ron Krikke in the Jackson, The flying chicken plucker from contact with the turn 1 wall and Eastern Creek, Peter Attard but he was - muscle and ligament Performance Direct Maxim home in After night one, Trevor Green led damage to his left shoulder would third, the points with 95 points, followed (Supreme J&J), scored a fine win flipping her Robinson Cranes see his nephew, Mike Figliomeni, ' The second round of heats saw

by Migro (93), Farr (93), Ron over Queenslander Dean McComb Gambler.

It took some time for Kelly to take over the #4 car for the rest of Migro reverse the decision on Krikke (81). Rush (77), Dumesny in the Titan Garages Maxim in the evening.

Green, with a win in heat 5 after (75), Priolo (73), Calandro (72) and heat 15, while WA champ Mark extricate herself from the bent cai-, as she had injured her left shoulder After the restart, Mark Wells the opening lap flip of Phil Marclr Marden in tenth, also with 72 Wells grabbed a much needed top (PMFM Maxim) grabbed a handy (Les March Maxim), while Priolo points. three placing in his final heat. during the crash.

Calandro’s broken camshaft dur McComb took out the event, The Bunbury Bullet, Ron Krikke, win over Marden and Shane Krikke repaired his car in time to take (Castrol Maxim). heat 6 from an impressive ing his final heat would cause started to get the local crowd vocal, while Shane Krikke moved up from Pino Priolo went for a ride on the Calandro. enough damage to his Maxim’s with a great drive in taking otit his third spot start to grab the final transfer into the A-Main. heat 16. wild side, bouncing from end to end Murphy continued his winning powerplant to finish his great run in his IKEA Maxim without actual Manjimup’s favourite son Terry Milling and Attard finished third way in heat 7, victorious over Fair and he parked in the pits for the ly rolling over, after contact with and Ron Krikke, with John Krikke final night.

Cutts brought home the Cutts and fourth to be the two reserves, but rookie Maiolo continued to the ADRAD J&J of South making it four in a row for West Transport Mm-phy house car in sec Australian Trevor Green in turn 1 Australia with a win in heat 8 over ond, with Victorian David impress with a fifth in a fine field Saturday of heat 2.

Tatnell and Dumesny.

Night two and, with four more Anderson grabbing a well-earned that included Anderson, Ryan Priolo resumed to idle around ‘ Priolo took out heat 9 over South qualifjdng heats, C, B and A-Mains third.

FarreU, Ljonton Jeffrey, Cutts and The C-Main saw an ail-female Alan Haynes, who rounded out the and collect points, while Green took Australian Phil March and to run, the surface looked fantastic, an all the way win over Gavin Albany’s Shane Marden, who fin- only a tad too moist for the opening front row, with Sydney’s Kelly top 10.

Migro (Rally Revegetation Jenkins) ished third in all his heats on the heat, necessitating a number of hot Linigen on pole and West Aussie The all-important Pole Shuffle and Chas (Calandro in his Castrol opening night of qualifying.

Sharon Marriott out of position had the huge crowd on its feet with laps prior to the start.

Maxim.

Green continued with his consistwo. plenty of side by side action during Madsen returned with his origi Shane Murphy jumped away in tent run in heat 10, winning over nal motor rebuilt, thanks to a Linigen jmnped away to the lead, the seven two-lap dashes. the Brian Sadler-owned Murphy to Rush and Migro.

Tatnell proved to be the big replacement piston supplied by while Geoff West tried to move

i3mim

pXo, mover, taking care of Murphy, Rush, Migro and Farr, before Green ended his run.

Dumesny downed Green and then the crowd got its money’s worth in the final two-lap dash.

This pitted the Sydney-based Victorian Dumesny against top pointscorer Ron Krikke - and what a brilliant battle by two of the best exponents in Sprintcar racing in Australia.

Krikke held the low line, while Dumesny stayed high for the entire distance, with the lead swapping every half lap.

Krikke finally grabbed the win by the narrowest of margins.

The starting field was Ron Krikke, Dumesny, Green, Tatnell, Farr, Migro, Rush, Murphy, Madsen, Marden, Wells, Priolo, March, Jackson, John Krikke, Scheuerle, McComb and Shane Krikke.

l ●●●●●●●●●●●●A************

poured from the tank onto the top wing ignited.

Quick action from the fi re crew only saw minor damage to the Rally Revegetation #7.

Meanwhile, Madsen had become pinned underneath his black #29 when the tow truck took off unex

Last month’s 137 round of the ACDelco Cup lap series at the Goodyear Thunderdome turned out okay for me in our Valvoline No Fear Chevrolet Monte Carlo, considering that the car lost a little speed during Saturday afternoon's qualifying session.

During practice, the car was handling fairly good, but not quite on the money, so we fitted differ ent springs for qualifying - I actu ally went slower during the two qualifying laps.

We tested the springs after the session and discovered that the spring rates we had selected were wrong and our handling package was adjusted back to the original configuration.

In the race, Terry Wyhoon was totally dominant and none of us saw which way he went,* until he clipped the rear of Bob Middleton’s car while dicing for the lead with eventual event winner Dean Wanless.

The race panned out fairly good for us, except when young Rodney [Jane) passed me under a yellow, which got me a little bit excited for a moment.

I attempted to get my position back, but the officials told me to get back in line.

At the end of the race we finished fourth overall, which was quite pleasing.

great starts and the car felt fantastic, but each time the track was get ting looser.

At one stage, I thought that maybe the engine had lost a little power and the car was a little tight, so during one of the stoppages the boys loosened up the car and the engine performed fine from that point on.

pectedly.

If not for the quick thinking of sprintcar official Lance McMinn to take the weight off the car by pulling up on the nerf bar, the injuries to Madsen may have been more severe. won five of the starts and Ron Speedway, as the car and I didn’t Once the green had dropped Krikke won one - however, I won get on very well - we ended up again, Dumesny, with a light film of smoke from under the bonnet, reserve in the B-Main, which was the one before the chequered flag an embarrassing moment, so I was waved, with Garry Rush led till lap 28 for a yellow light decided it was time to go home for breathing down my neck and Skip stoppage for Attard, who had a few days before returning for the Jackson back in third — I led every stopped in turn 2 with a blown Australian title. lap of the race, right-rear tyre.

Dumesny pulled away at the last Ididn’t quite believe that I had start, opening up a five to six carThe promotion organisedpre-event

by Dennis Ferris was fanII won the National Title and it was length lead over Rush, only to see. a neat deal to win before such a tastic - even the black-tie affair on the persistent Rush close in the large and happy crowd at the Thursday night before the race final two laps.

QVR AUSTRALIAN meeting was very well coordinatBunbury.

As Dumesny crossed the line for SPRINTCAR CHAMPIONSHIP Immed iately after the event, I ed, all the local dignitaries and the final lap, the inner circle of The first lap of the Australian pulled up on the startline and teams enjoying the tribute to lights went out, adding to the ten Championship is often the hardest, Dennis had his folk fit the Garry Rush, who hangs up his sion, as the track was now in halfbut this year proved to be ridicu Australia #1 markings onto the helmet shortly. darkness. lous, as it took three quarters of an We practiced on Friday night car.

But Dumesny continued on, takhour and five restarts to complete I did a couple of parade laps. and 1 fitted some new Floosier . . ing a wellthe first lap. tyres that I had flown out from the plus a Polish Lap [reverse direcdeserved Start one saw USA onto the Sean Enterprises tion] before the enthusiastic over Rush, Wells ride a car and did a few test laps on crowd, Jackson, March, wheel and flip them to check their durability and After that, I climbed onto the Murphy, Farr, halfway down the overall performance. wing and did a celebratory dance Green, John back straight and into the infield Krikke, Milling, Young had of a Saturday we around bolted everyone in our crew was good Todd run in Wanless the second on On a new set andnight, qualified stoked.

Marden and Ron Wells was okay, Dean’s T-Birds I was really sixteenth spot, which was pretty Krikke. but his Maxim impressed by his performance, as ordinary, then had two thirds and March was was beyond (dedicated winner’s to the young the Krikke boys, trophy who lost he been known to get into a fair bit a second placing in our heat “happy with the repair. their lives in a car accident after of trouble in the Sprintcars over races, Shane Krikke fourth placing. one of the race meetings last sea I wasn’t very happy with the the years. He kept his nose clean, Max deserved to brought the field son. though and brought the car home engine, so we fitted a fresh one win the Title.” to a halt as he Later in the night, I handed the in something like sixth, or seventh, for Sunday night’s racing, Jackson had flipped in the With the new Hoosiers, plus a trophy over to the Krikke family, spot, which is'great for a race middle of turns 1probably put in as Ron had been extremely deter rookie. more powerful engine, we were the drive of the 2 after the second mined to win the title for the fellas reasonably confident of putting in night, making up restart, after con - -he didnt get the victory, despite The next weekend we went to a strong performance in the title from tact 11 places to fin running second for most of the Newcastle Speedway, where I chase, Scheuerle. ish in the top We went on to win our heat event, so I thought I would help hadn’t run this year. three: “My hat Next time out, Our Valvoline/No Fear J&J was IAN VALE... Max's crew chief and that put us up near the top of them out. goes off to Max the Queensland fast and great on all parts of the the qualifying list, behind local duo of Scheuerle and McComb it was a great drive,” Skip said. track and, as a result, we won the hero Ron Krikke and South | ast weekend, I went down to Premier Rush had nothing but praise for flipped as they entered turn 1. f eature, our first major win for the Australian Trevor Green.

Lwarmambool’s Dumesny as well: “We didn’t need Start four and the field actually season, which was a great morale In the Pole Shuffle, I beat Speedway armed with a heap of that last restart, but Max is such a made it into turn 3, only to see booster for the team.

Brooke Tatnell, then Trevor Green Hoosier tyres for the Australian Tatnell drive over the front of great driver. Being beaten by a and that placed me on the outside Super Sedan title and, after that I Valvoline car - Castrol head office . have been concentrating on the Green, flipping the Shell Schnee Chevrolet Monte Carlo for this As1998 a lead-up to the prestigious of the front row, was line the will give me heaps for this!” two and half times and forcing him Australian Sprintcar best spot to be, as which the outside ACDelco out of the event.

Cup Dumesny climbed from the car to Championship, I took a flight provides an advantage for the weekend’s a cheer from the crowd that is nor across to the West to have a run starts.

Champions hip Grand Final at While all this was going on, the Calder Park.

Krikke and Kendrick crews had mally reserved for a Western in Steve Coyle’s Jenkins, which Australian, or Garry Rush.

Hopefully, our mid-week testing repaired Shane’s Maxim, but were was a good test run for me in one During course the 35 due lap refused a restart. race, the we had six of restarts has helped me to score another Max was quick to give credit to their chassis, as I had never dri The crew used their four wheeler both Rush and Jackson, his crew to guys crashing out and a whole Thunderdome win - possibly our ven one in the past. first for the season in this series. and sponsors Valvoline, who have You could say it was not one of host of other reasons - it was to get the car back on the track been with him for so many years. my better nights at Claremont quite stressing, as I made some and, with his father, Peter, waving “I’d like to thank QVR for their him on, Shane continued, ignoring support and congratulate the black flag.

NOT THIS TIME... Mark Wells (left), with Tim Gleeson, third-placed Skip Jackson and Jeff Jackson. (Brad Steele pic) Des [Ferris] on this Peter Krikke was prepared to great facility here. It’s wear the fine, Shane expressing the view that “the chief steward didn’t like being back at Knoxville with these give us a ruling. A “because I said so’ doesn’t appear in the rule book.” huge stands in front of “We’ll see ’em in court” were the me,” a jubilant Max said. last words from Peter Krikke on the “I’m sorry Ron [Krikke] couldn’t have subject. been up here tonight, Finally, a racing lap was com but I’d like to dedicate pleted, Dumesny pulled a com manding lead over Ron Krikke, fol this win to the boys, lowed by Migro, Rush, Murphy and Darryl and Jason, whose funeral we had been 14th-starting Jackson. here for just short of a Max only took five laps before he year ago.” started to move through traffic, An emotional where Krikke was able to gain groimd.

Dumesny then had to Madsen made contact with the take deep breath as he tried to go on, but, after main straight wall and started a series of nose to tail flat spins as he a hug from Rush and entered turn 1. another large cheer from the crowd, he continued: As the lapped car of Attard, sec ond-placed Krikke and Migro tried “Also to my mate Bonz Bradford. I’ve made to avoid Madsen, Krikke made con many great friends in tact with Attard and spun, leaving WA over the years.”

Migro with nowhere to go and flip ping his Jenkins in the middle of Apart from the late fin turns 1-2. ish (1:15am), the event had all you could ask for Migro exited the car in one piece, in a national event. but as the safety crew turned his race car over, the methanol that had Congratulations all.

42

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DEMOTED... Champion Peter Logue lost his power steering and, after contacting the wall, was obliged to settle for third, behind winner Nicola and runner-up Baker. (Tony Glynn pic)

Super Sedan Championship victory hy jubilant Nicola Runner-up Baker hiolds out Logue

back on the track for the first night of racing - Robertson was, unfortu nately, a forced withdrawal with no spare engine.

Unofficial lap times in practice / saw John Leslight (American Truck , Parts) top the list with a 13.60, defending champion Peter Logue Mick Nicola has taken victory (Repco Motorsports) next fastest in the 1998 Australian Super with a 13.74 and Paul O’Neill, in Sedan Championship held last the Lismore Nissan-sponsored weekend at Warrnambool’s Chev Camaro, a close third after putting a IS.'iS on the board.

Premier Speedway.

Nicola, driving the Traralgon Debbie Reddecliffe (M&J Auto Auto Repairs Chev Camaro, took Wreckers) took a spectacular roll, the victory after taking the lead on the Chev-powered Camaro sustainlap 36 of the 40-lap event. ing some heavy damage, but the The final proved to be spectacuteam worked hard to have it back lar, with only ten finishers reaching on the track the following night, the flag.

Not all the action occurred on the Night One track, however, as several protests Logue continued his form from were lodged after the Completion of the previous night, smashing the 12 the final. lap record by over 16 seconds in his Major concerns were expressed first heat after setting a new time about cars not being rewarded with of 2:47.77 and also clocking the rear of field after causing a stop fastest official lap time for the night of 13.66 seconds. page - however, all protests were He went on to take another two dismissed and the placings stood. victories for the night, giving him Practice three wins from three starts, the Unfortunately, practice saw some black Z28 Camaro being clocked at problems develop for a few teams, 133 kmh as it passed the pit gate. both Peter Brooks (Burnett Alan Baker, in the Stein Earth Transport) and Stuart Robertson Moving Falcon, was clocked fastest, suffering terminal engine damage. however, triggering the radar at 135 kmh - Baker also took three Steve Stewart (Dry Creek Wreckers) broke a couple of wins from three starts, the Falcon pushrods, but he and Brooks were clearly dominating all its heats.

Two heat wins each went to the Stonehouse Racing Falcon being piloted by ex-Australian champion Tony Grinstead (Freightliner Jones Trucks), the current NSW champi on Ross Brims in the Brims Bulk Transport Camaro and the Pontiac Trans Am of South Australia’s Peter Drew, all three sitting on equal points behind Logue and Baker at the conclusion of the first evening.

Other heatwinners were Nicola, Leslight, John Pyne (Teterin Engines), Robert Gray (Euro Engines), Bert Vosbergen (Shell Helix/Tyrepower) and reigning Queensland Champion Lyndsay Hawkings.

Report by SUE HOBSON

Max Dumesny Motorsport

Final (40 laps) When the green flag flew in the 40-lap event, it was Baker who took the lead, with Logue moving through into second.

Brims, holding down seventh, rode the wall in spectacular fashion along the back straight, but man aged to bring the Pontiac down on four wheels, not losing pace or posi tion as he rejoined the field.

The first fatality was Leslight, who, five laps into the race, spat an axle.

Doblo, who had broken an oil line to the sump in the Shootout, also

retired, the hastily repaired line not lasting the distance.

Baker led the field until lap 12, when Logue made the dive under him to take the lead - however, smoke from the Camaro indicated that Logue was now without power steering.

Ron Pyne had pulled infield, while Vosbergen was the next casu^alty, the black Pantera losing a wheel - Burke also experienced the same mishap as the cars came under the green.

As the field came around under full power, Logue again took the lead and, before one lap had been completed, Nicola (who was having fuel pressure problems) had moved up to challenge Baker for second.

Girdlestone had moved up behind Nicola, followed by Drew, John Pyne, Brims, Grinstead and Gray.

Gi-instead was the next to retire, a kiss with Pyne breaking the steering unit in the Falcon, Grinstead hitting the wall between turns 1-2.

When the green flag flew for the fifth time (after Hawkings had looped in turn 3), Nicola began his run to the front, moving under Baker in the back straight to take over second.

With 18 laps remaining, Pyne kissed the wall in the front straight, the yellow flag again fly ing.

Pyne had sustained damage to

1997/98 SRA SPRINTCAR SERIES

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Night 'Two Nicola and Nick Girdlestone (Harvey’s Smash Repairs) took two wins from two starts in the heats on the second night.

Baker again took a win, giving him the most heat wins going into the final.

Other heat winners included Pyne, Robert Burke (Carlovers), Hawkings, Gavin McEachern (Trident Tyre Centre), Michael Doblo (Cliff & Jan’s Seafoods/C.Q. Cabinetmakers) and John Rodda (K&J Rodda).

Peter Garratt, in the Peps Auto Spares Commodore, was the pole sitter for the Repechage, Garratt taking and holding the lead for the

15-lap final and Bill Miller (Blair Athol Auto Parts) throwing out the challenge for the entire race - Peter Nicola (Traralgon Mixed Concrete) ● finished third, with Rodda fourth.

With five heats completed, each driver dropped the worst result, the top ten pointscorers being Baker, Nicola, Logue, Girdlestone, Pyne, Drew, Brims, Grinstead, Burke and Gray.

All 18 finalists lined up for the Shootout and it was Steven Murphy (Murphy’s Crash & Towing) who began the charge, moving from 17th to 16th - howev er, it was Leslight who proved to be the master of the high line.

Qualifying in 15th position, LesHght challenged the field one by one, finishing with pole position for the final.

^

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POINT STANDINGS AFTER 8 OF 12 ROUNDS

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1^®0®0"S[P®I70 the front of the Camaro, but rejoined the field at the rear.

Logue was still in the lead, but now feeling the presence of Nicola.

Ian Marshall (Keith McKay’s Federal Tyres) had begun moving through the field and had moved up to..menace Drew in fifth.

McEachern was also trying to make the move around Murphy.

With 13 laps remaining, Nicola had his first taste of the lead as he put his nose in front of the Camaro down the front straight.

Nicola and Logue were side by side as they came out of turn 2, but Logue had the grunt to take back the lead down the back straight.

McEachern pulled infield with an overheating problem and a suspect ed seized shocker, Drew also pulling infield.

With 32'laps completed, Baker spun between turns 1-2, but was put back into third position for the restart.

Logue and Nicola were at it again as soon as the green flag fell.

Three laps later, Nicola (taking the low run) and Logue were side by side down the front straight, Logue coming off second best as he went into the wall before turn 1.

Although a stoppage was effect ed, no-one was put to the rear, Logue leading the field around for the green, his Camaro now sporting' some heavy damage.

Nicola was now on the charge and, as the cars went back under full power, he slid the #15 Camaro under Logue to take over the lead.

Baker soon coming through to sec ond.

Final placings were; Nicola, Baker, Logue, Girdlestone, Gray, Marshall, Brims, Pyne, Murphy and Hawkings.

When asked about his win, Nicola said: “I don’t think it’s total ly sunk in yet. To win in a field like this and the way they were travel ling, it’s phenomenal.

“A lot of the guys that turned up were faster than me in the warm up on Friday night and I thought ‘we’re in big shit.’

“To put the car second on the points was just an achievement on its own.

“I thought we might have had a track advantage, but the track was totally different this time - but we’ve played with the car and it’s just paid off.”

Racing from the Rosedale Club in Victoria, Nicola - sponsored by Traralgon Auto Repairs and Ryans Hotel - has only been racing in the class for three seasons, although this year he has had several feature wins, as well as a second placing in the 'Victorian State Title.

SREEDWAY

13M3!chm

43

Last Victorian Bowen tops ride for Rush Super Series valon to farewell r.

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Sydney’s Steven Graham and Newcastle’s Adam Clarke were last round winners in the $100,000 Speedcar Super Series last weekend, but that was not enough to stop Blacktown’s Rod Bowen from ramming home a convincing overall series win.

Indeed, the “Rocket” sailed home with an almost 2000 point advan tage after the 11-round series, whiph was contested across four states of Australia in just eight weeks.

Bowen used both of his state of the art Brayton and Gaerte-powered Lander Toyota/McGrath’s Group of Companies/Valvoline Stealth chassis to contest different rounds of the series, which no doubt contributed to his consistency.

“We’re the only team to have fin ished every round,” said an elated Bowen at the post-final round cele brations. “That’s entirely due to the work put in by our crew. Tim Clarke in particular, who I brought^ out from New Zealand, has had the car working beautifully every round.”

Bowen’s consistency has been a surprise to almost everyone in the series, except the man himself.

“At the start of the season, I real ized that racing this no holds barred, bring it home torn up if I have to style was costing me money and enjoyment of the sport. I knew I had to slow down a bit and I could wih races,” he said.

To the disappointment of his rivals, that’s exactly what he did.

Even when it appeared he was in deep trouble after being sent to the rear in some feature races, he blast ed his way back to a top three fin ish by race’s end.

Troy Jenkins’ win the weekend prior showed that the battle between he and Steven Graham for second place in the series was by no means over, but that race was near ly over before it started in Round 10.

Jenkins bent a valve in the #6 Dominator Engines Fontana-pow ered Jackson chassis and so began a mercy dash to the workshop in Guildford to change motors while racing got underway.

After Robbie Farr’s demise.

Graham was to be the opportunist in the #14 Fox Sports Stealth and inherited the lead.

Bowen and Shane Alach filled the minor placings in the penulti mate round.

At Newcastle last weekend, Clarke smoked the field with a pol ished display that reminded us all of his enormous talent - Graham was second, Bowen third (with a sick Brayton engine).

Bowen pocketed the $6,000 Series winner’s cheque, while sec ond-placed Graham took home $4,800 and Jenkins $4,000 for third. Mark Cooper finished fourth, ahead of Clarke, Gavin Leer and Ray ‘Noddy” Bishop.

- WADE AUNGER

Sprintcar legend Garry Rush, Australia’s great est Sprintcar racer - the man they call God - will make his farewell Victorian appearance in Round 9 of the SRA Series at Avalon International Raceway on Saturday March 21.

It will be Rush’s last racing appearance in the Garden State, as he will not be contesting this year’s annual Easter Trail.

“It will be the end of an era,” stated Avalon spokesman Jeff Drew. “It will be the last opportuni ty for all of his countless Victorian

fans to come out and see the gi-eat man in action, to acknowledge his achievements and to say farewell.

“It will also be a buzz for our local competitors to be able to race against him in his last race here in ■Victoria.”

Rush’s sensational Sprintcar rac ing career will then come to a close over an emotionally charged week end of racing at Newcastle Speedway on Friday, March 27, with the Grand Farewell at Parramatta Speedway on March 28.

-BRETT SWANSON

SRA Sprintcar

The

Racing Sprintcar Association of Victoria has come up with a unique way to swell the cluh’s coffers and at the same time potentially put another top line Sprintcar on the state’s speedways.

The way it intends doing this is by raffling off a top-line open class Sprintcar complete with enclosed trailer.

“There won’t be many cars in Australia as good as this one,” stated club President Ray Solomon.

The reason for his boast is that the car will be a brand-new 1998 Hi-bar Gambler, with the full titanium treatment for bolt-on accessones.

Lightweight wings by D&F Racing Products will adorn the car, which will feature motive power fi-om an aluminium Rodeck block with Dash 12 Weld Heads, Kinsler injection, JE pistons. Scat crank Barnes dry sump and other top line goodies, which will be put together by the High Horsepower Supremo, John Sidney.

The raffle is to be known as the “Battler’s Chance” raffle and will

be presented at the running of the 1999 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at WaiTnambool’s Premier Speedway, The presentation wall be done by none other than “Mr Gambler,” Tom Sanders.

The SRA believes that this is quite possibly the biggest raffle of this kind and magnitude ever con ducted in this country.

This raffle will give complete novices, many who have dreamed of racing while watching through the fence, former racers like myself and even cunent budget competi tors the chance to mix it with the big boys on an even footing in the equipment stakes.

Who knows - the next Garry Rush could be out there right now. a mere spectator, Second, third and the book buyer’s prize are not too sloppy either, Second prize is a trip for two to the Knoxville Nationals, including afr fares, accomodation and entry to the meeting, valued at approxi mately $7,000.

Third prize is a trip for two to the Australian Sprintcar

Championship, including air fares (if applicable), accomodation and entry.

There is also a bonus prize for i the winner if he, or she, buys a ! book of ten tickets and that is one i week’s intensive training at the ■ famous Jimmy Sills School of Qpen Wheel Racing in CaMornia, T#j5 ning in a 410 Qutlaw SpitinteM’ Hthis prize includes air fares and:' accomodation, Interest in the tickets, don’t go on sale until April 3i,; ia;| already immense, with Americah,' Ne w Zealand and Asian riadin^ communities expressing interest -; and the SRA expec ts that the!

30,000 tickets will be over sub-; scribed.

In fact, Jimmy Sills has already told the SRA that he believes the ticket price should be higher than the $15.00 already set Tickets for the “Battler’s

Chance” raffle can be p urchased by : cheque. Money Order, VISA, Mastercard, or Bankcard at SRA, i PO Box 90, Knoxfield MDC 3180, : Victoria or by faxing the SRA’s raffle fax on: 03 9752 3950.

-BRETT SWANSON

John Sidney Racing

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Logue retains SA Sedan title

This allowed Logue to slip past Australian Super Sedan into the lead on lap 23 and power Champion Peter Logue contin ued his recent almost unbeat away to a deserved chequered flag, able form with a convincing, ahead of McEachem.

Stewart slipped back to fourth record-breaking display at Speedway City on February 14 when he misread the flags on the when he retained his SA State final lap, allowing Drew to claim title. third place.

Logue becomes the third driver However, the night began slowly for the Morwell driver when he was in the past decade to win back to forced to miss his first heat with back SA State Sedan crowns, join ing Stewart and Brad Scotcher. magneto problems.

Local driver Bill Miller came to The programme’s other main the rescue with a spare unit that event was a Speedway City Sprintcar Shoot-out, which unfortu Logue put to good use.

Rocky Caruso easily won heat nately ended prematurely.

Some excellent action in the one, only to see six-time State champ Steve Stewart lower heats from the 12-car entry saw Mark Reuter, Phil March and Chas Caruso’s 10 lap record in winning heat 2, while the next race was Calandro emerge as the main con tenders for the 20 lap A-Main. taken out by Steve Murphy.

The final two rounds of heats saw Calandro’s winning time in his locals Peter Drew and Paul Zeidas last heat was just outside Trevor as worthy winners, along with Mt Green’s 8 lap record.

Daryn Maggs was the first Gambier’s Gavin McEachern, who successfully debuted a new engine retiree after tagging the wall on lap in the ex-David Nicholls Pontiac 2, well adrift of race leader Reuter, when he won his last two heats. who had opened up a commanding Most eyes were on Logue’s #1 gap on the field.

Lap 3 saw a red light stoppage Camaro as he stormed to impres when Ddrryl Downing and sive victories in his final two pre Mildura’s Darryl Bottams both liminaries, on both occasions lower ing the 10 lap record even further, rolled after a turn 2 collision.

By lap 11, third-placed March finally leaving it 3.5 seconds under Caruso’s old record. slipped past Calandro, but Sixteen of the 24-car entry grid- moments later contacted Reuter’s ded up for the 30 lap A-Main, with J&J car, sending March’s Maxim Drew on pole alongside McEachem. into a spectacular rollover, ending his chances.

The Mt Gambier veteran jumped The second restart was just two to an early lead, which he quickly extended to a third of a lap over laps old when Calandro attempted Drew and Stewart. a pass on Reuter exiting turn 4, Logue steadily advanced, slotting which saw Calandro’s Castrol Maxim flip violently, leaving offi into second place by lap 10 and then gradually reeled in the race cials with little option but to declare the race due to time con leader.

McEachern didn’t fare well in straints.

Reuter was awarded the win over traffic, due to visor problems, the lack of vision causing him to inad- i Brett Squiers, Pete Smith and NT’s vertently collide with cars he was Mick Hanlon, - DAVID McNABB overtaking.

Wiltshire claims Hoskins Trophy New South Wales’ international rider Todd Wiltshire confirmed his recent good form with a dominant display to win the annual Johnnie Hoskins Trophy at Gosford on February 7.

The reigning German Champion had had a poor start to his Australian season in his last outing here with the Series 500 International Masters - but, after two round wins in that series, he is hitting peak performance leading into the Australian Championships.

Wiltshire put on a stunning dis play, gating well and moving smoothly and easily into the lead of almost every heat.

The one loss he did suffer was to Stephen Davies, who surged around the outside of the first turns to lead - despite attacking through out the 4-lap race, Wiltshire could find no way past and had to settle for second.

Apart from that he was uncatchable and must he considered a con tender for the Australian title.

The other A grade riders were left to pick up the pieces, with former NSW champ Davies being the best ofthe rest with three heat wins.

Craig Watson started slowly, try ing out a new carburettor and fuel pump combination - it didn’t work, but he improved as the event pro gressed and he made it to the final.

Chris Szauter, fresh from a good showing at the Under-21 titles, had a mixed night.

He had a strong win over Mick Poole then in other races slow starts put him too far hack to seri ously challenge for the lead.

The final was between Wiltshire, Davies, Watson and Szauter.

The top three gated well, leaving Szauter behind.

Into tmTi 1, Wiltshire was on the outside with Davies and Watson inside.

These two came together and they slowed momentarily, allowing Wiltshire to power out into an unchallenged lead.

Davies and Watson tussled throughout the race, Davies hang ing on for second, while Szauter brought up the rear.

It was a clear win to Wiltshire, whose name now goes on the trophy that honours the memory of the founder ofspeedway bike racing.

- DAVID LAMONT

I

ICE COOL ... Victorious Rest Of The World team after defeating the England Select side at the Indoor Ice International, Telford, in the UK on February 15. ROTW members include,from left to right, Mick Powell. Jesper Olsen, Brent Werner, Mario Jirout, Peter Glanz, Ronnie Correy and Jan Staechmann.(Mike Patrick pics) Gary Havelock and David Norris Three-time from England and the Swedes Andy Smith,British who isChampion one of the Stefan Danno and Stefan extra riders admitted to this year’s Andersson complete a powerful Grand Prix series, currently finds Eastbourne sextet that will clearly himself without a club in the UK. make a strong challenge for hon Smith has been released by ours once again.

Coventry for the second time, hav ing returned to the Brandon Stadium mid-season last year.

Long will have speed way Eaton this year, after no promoter He hopes to get fixed up short Tony Mole failed to agree terms to Wigg will, incidentally, be racing ly, but few Elite League clubs have a place left in their six-rider again on a British licence this year. operate with the receivers current For the last three seasons, he took ly in charge of the Station Road teams, although Smith’s disap pointing average last season may out a Dutch licence after disputes Stadium that has had financial with the British authorities and it problems, help hirrt clinch a reserve slot. was under the Dutch banner he The explanation is that the receivers did not want to be tied to raced in the Grand Prix. ace merican a lease which could Ronnie Correy has taken out British citi prejudice the sale of the site. zenship and now has a Mole did, in fact, dual nationality and two make an offer to buy passports. the stadium, but his Correy, who lives offer was turned down. full time in England at He is now consid Tewkesbury, had been ering opening a track having work permit at nearby Nottingham, problems, but his long but that would not be time residency in UK until 1999. has enabled him to short circuit this situa "odd Wiltshire from tion in future.

But the former Sydney could be a late recruit to the Wolverhampton man, British Elite League. ! who will be riding for Wiltshire had hoped Belle Vue this yea, still to race in England last says he’s an American year, but his applica for riding purposes and will race for USA in tion for a work permit | I Test Matches. was rejected.

However, his sixth This year, he will not place in the Aussie be racing in European Final would now allow League, but will con centrate on the British him to qualify automat- i ically for that vital !

Elite League only. piece of paper.

Even if he’s not mer Wigg. the World gimon forplaced for the start of the season, the former ) Longtrack Champion, World Number Three| has been appointed as could get a place after captain by the Kings the first month, when Lynn Knights for the new averages are pub coming season. lished and teams start Wigg has been rac TRACTION CONTROL... Lethal studs are mandatoryfor ice. to look to strengthen. ing top speedway for 19 years, but its the first time he British holders Eastbourne have Cup completed their six-man ritain’s top Grand Prix rider has been appointed skipper of his club. line-up with the recruitment of for Mark Loram is leaving Having been eliminated from mer Middlesbrough rider Scott Bysarna, the Swedish club for whom he rode last season. the Grand Prix series for this year, Robson.

Robson, a short track special Loram still hopes to ride regu- !

Wigg should be regularly available ist, should be suited to the larly in the Swedish competition, i for club action this year, although Eastbourne track and, with most but Bysarna could not meet his he has worked closely with pro moter Buster Chapman to ensure circuits in UK now being of a terms.

He is expected to talk shortly League commitments do not clash smaller size, only Kings Lynn and with his many lucrative grasstrack Swindon can be rated as ‘big’ with Team Svelux, with whom he tracks. and longtrack Continental commit could line up on Tuesday evening ments.

Internationals Martin Dugard, for much of the summer.

ByTony MillarcM^

A

Dlfd

KARTING

1J(0.

13MaKlim

^5

Whincup,JllkFadyen and Wlodzinskl dominate Bolivar series opener

WIDE LINE... Wesley May’s FA engine lock-up ended In the kitty litter. (Edward Krause)

RUNAWAY... Jamie'Whincup was the man to beat in ICA.(Sean Henshelwood pic) Australia’s 58 best kart racers took part in Round One of the 1998 Wynn’s Australian Karting Championships at Bolivar Raceway in Adelaide on March 1.

Officials and competitors described the day’s racing as the best ever in the event’s three-year history.

A record number of entrants in each of the three classes, national free-to-air and Pay TV coverage and a massive boost from coiporate sponsors were the main rea sons for the success of the first of the four rounds in the 1998 series.

In karting’s premier class, the Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway Formula A class, Queensland’s Ryan Wlodzinski took victoiy convinc ingly for the PCR Kairt Racing

team from defending champion and local David Clark.

Clark wps only just able to hold second place in the final from Wesley May, after suf fering fuel surge problems nearing the end of the 39 lap final.

May fought hard all week end after qualifying first just .02 seconds in front of Wlodzinski, but Wlodzinski’s consistency paid off, winning all three heats and the prefinal to qualify for pole posi tion in the final.

The battle for second in the final was tough, with Clark, May and Wynn’s Racing’s Mark Winterbottom battling for the position until lap 31, when Winterbottom retired after a chain failure at the top ofthe main straight.

KartOz Intercontinental A resembled a demolition

derby at times, with two seri ous accidents forcing officials to restart the final race.

When the final did get underway, it too provided some of the best racing all weekend.

Jamie driver Tecno Whincup overcame his slow start to take victory from Brendan May, who capped off a great weekend for his fami ly with the second of the May family’s podium finishes.

Brenden Dive, who was involved in a nasty accident during the first attempt at the final, recovered to Wsh third.

14 year-old Neil McFadyen took victory in only his sec ond race in Bob Jane T-Marts Junior Intercontinental A, winning comfortably, despite falling back to third off the start.

STANDOUT... Ryan Wlodzinski won three FA heats, the pre-final and final. (Henshelwood) After taking the lead in his Top Kart, McFadyen was never troubled, taking the victory comfortably from Jamie Carter and James Small.

The Karting Championships now move to Brisbane’s Wfilowbank Raceway on June 21.

Results Intercontinental A 1.

Jamie Whincup 2.

Brendan May

Brendan Dive 3.

Matthew Wall 4.

5.

AlanGurr Series Points: Whincup (60); Dive (51); May (45); Wall (42);

Gun-(41)

Intercontinental A Junior 1.

Neil McFadyen 2.

Jamie Cai-ter James Small 3.

4.

James Harrigan 5.

Tim Moylan Series Points: McFadyen (55);

Carter (53); Tim Moylan (43); Cameron Thorpe (41); Small (38) Fonnula A 1.

Ryan Wlodzinski David Clark 2.

3.

Wesley May Steve Maher 4.

Malcolm Heath 5.

Series Points; Wlodzinski (60); Clark (53); Gary Dann (43); Heath(41); Maher(38) -TREVOR LONG

7

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(iiss(D(BaaQ3a][Q Qm® Invite you to be part ofAustralia\fastest growing motor sport.

formore ifopination MSW 02 9834 3860 QLD 07 3844 4276 OT 08 8932 5194 WA 08 9409 4441 SA 08 8271 2795 VIC 03 93621144 TAS 03 6433 0767 IHationaf Office QLD 07 3282 9962

4S 13Marcl!l998

KARTING

Star Series The first round of five in the Star Series was held in Geelong on February 15 with just under 300 entrants in 15 classes.

The weather was mostly fine, with a sprinkle or rain to keep the drivers guessing set-ups.

Junior National Heavy was first up and Travis Medwin took the win from Tim Macrow, with Shaun Maloney third.

Dane Bobart makes the trip from Mildura regularly and didn’t go home empty handed this time when he won Clubman Heavy Division 1, with Geoff Bertram second and Adam Muinay third.

Foi-mula 100 Light was a bit rough in the final, but the Wynn’s Racing pair of Mark Winterbottom and Paul Dumbrell finished first and third, with Andrew Findlay finishing between them.

Shane Price and Ashley Rintoul ran one and two all day, even starting from the rear in the second heat of rookies, while Anthony Contrarino had to battle with Luke May in the final for his third place.

Andre Sutej set up his narrow win in Clubman Super Heavy in the first heat when he came from 15th on the grid to second.

Murray Edgar came to grief in the final, which allowed Adam Murray to finish second ahead of Michael Ki’ieg.

Only 40 points separated Luke Skinner and Stuart Klein after a racelong battle in the final of the RESA class, with several lead changes taking place, while Nick Stray held onto third position.

Junior Clubman alwaysturns on a spectacle and this time was no exception, with karts colliding just before the finish line in the second heat and one kart taking the chequered flag as it crossed the line upside down.

The final was a good dice between eventual winner

Will Davison and Travis Medwin (second) and Daniel Lewington, who was fourth overall behind Gavin Walker.

Grant Anderson from Albury took the win in Senior National Pro from Bairnsdale driver Dale Carpenter and Glenn Jones was third.

The racing in Formula 100 Heavy was very close, with Malcolm Kilsby and Tommy Nicolaou equal on points at the finish of the day.

Nathan Fletcher,' after a mishap in the second heat, came back for second, while Dominic Albanese was third.

Clint Cathcart was back on the winners list after winning Clubman Light by a small margin from Kenton Ferguson, the latter showing some form, with Bart Price third.

Clubman Hea-vy Division 2 was won by Remo Luciani after some good racing, while Brett Davidson was second ahead of Greg Woodrow.

Junior National Light was very close in the points tally, with Tyson Hoffman winning the final heat to finish equal first with Anthony Mrhar, with Gavin Lewin^on only 21 points behind in second and Matthew Blanchard third.

Paul Harland had a narrow

Sio€kists of all Yamaha slyle

carbureffors,^ parts, gas kets, filters, repair kits.

Euro 24127 mm WB32 carburettor ..$99.00

A couple of accidents marred what was a great weekend of racing at Phillip island for the Australian Superkart Championships, held on February 21-22.

A strong crosswind on the Sunday blew the Karts around a bit, but otherwise the weather was fine, unlike practice on Saturday morning.

An entry of 154 drivers made for large fields, espe cially in the lOOcc Non Gearbox classes, with 33 . Lightweight and 22 Heavies, which were started about half a lap apart. lOOcc Non Gearbox Light The large field quickly sorted itself out at the start and then packs formed as the laps went by, with Ray Collyer, Darren Formosa, Rodney Reynolds, Matthew Ebel, Ian Lennox, the current number one, all in the front bunch, with position changes occuring often as drivers slipstreamed and outbraked each other. « David Williams,in his first senior drive, was also in this bunch until he dropped out with a problem, but came back with a win in the second and third heats.'Ross Radburn, who had a couple of ordinary heats early in the day, came back strongly to run in the front bunch, taking third in the third and fourth heats.

Ray Collyer ran in the front group all day, winning two heats and coming out with the most points to take the championship home to NSW. Williams, after a good recovery, salvaged second and Lennox, with consisten cy, hung on for third from Radburn and Ebel, tied for fourth.

Kerryn Brewer was the better of the two ladies in the event, coming home 10th.

80cc WINNER... Ross Hansen did a mightyjob at the island. (Mpix photo)

Sttxkmaii takes Superkart

champion Troy Byron and Ross Hahsen, who raced in Victoria hn many occasions last year.

Right from the start, it looked like the winner was

going to come from inter state, with the top ten com ing from NSW,QLD and SA. Hansen bolted away leav ing"Chryss Jamieson, Troy Byron and Linda Moore to claim the minors, with a big points lead over Peter gap back to the rest.

Rowsell, who finally broke his Hansen also ran away run of bad luck, while Geordie with the second heat, with McDonald accumulated just Craig Dontas this time tak enough points to ease Rdph ing second from Byron and Neuhahn out of third in the Moore kept her chances alive Clubman Over 40s. with fourth.

Benjamin McCashney Malcolm Cancian, with drove well all day to win all two fifth places, was also up the heats and the Midgets there going into the third class, leaving David Sera heat, but Jamieson had a and Jordie Lindstrom to DNF which made his task fight out second and third. virtually impossible.

Clubman Light Div 2 fin Jamieson turned the tables lOOcc Non Gearbox Hea-vy ished the day off, with the The first time this class on Hansen this time, with win going to Lee Uhlhorn has been run as a national Cancian also moving closer narrowly from Nick Stray, it to the front and Byron keepchampionship class with Dale Carpenter third. attracted 22 starters. j ing in touch.

The next round of the The final was shaping up to Gary Pegoraro looked like Star series is scheduled for the driver to put your money be a good one, with the scales May 3 at Oakleigh. on when he opened up a just tipped Hansen’s way.

-GRAEME BURNS Jamieson got the better of large lead in the first heat.

The group behind him - the start, but Hansen worked Ken Knight, Doug Brumby, his way past and Jamieson’s Mark Prendergast, Matthew race soon ended, leaving Aai-on and Glenn Eldershaw Byron and Cancian next.

The race was stopped - were fighting each other to when Peter Gambranis gain the upper hand.

Dealer Enquiries In the second heat, Knight rolled in Siberia and was )led Pegoraro and Ian stuck underneath his kart.

On the restart with fourWilliams worked his way into the front bunch. laps to race, Hansen bolted 4 away again giving him the Heat three and Pegoraro Championship, with Byron led easily again, while second, Cancian and Moore Aaron^s luck turned som- and tied for third - the position he wouldn’t score any more went to Cancian for his high points. Geoff LeBrocq found some pace and finished up er position finish in the final to make it an all-NSW affair-. among the front gi-oup.

Knight won the champi 125cc Gearbox Throttle shaft $5.00 onship when Pegoraro went The first heat produced missing in the final, but he In-line fuel filter $5.50 (Pegoraro) still had one more the first of two rollovers Inlet fuel needle $3.50 when, on lap 1, Neil Smart point on the board than Brumby, who finished third came to grief entering the Mail Order Specialist overall, with Williams and front straight and broke a 'VK4 MasMs/CMU collarbone. l Prendergast lying in fourth.

This reduced the field to eleven for the restart.

80cc Gearbox Warren Mcllveen pulled Thirty seven 80cc karts entered, -with a strong NSW away from Roy Francescato, contingent fed by current who kept Warren Perry at

CARBUREimS

WB3A carburettor ..$99.00 Gasket kit $10.00 Repair <& gasket kit..$l5.00

Report by GRAEME BURNS

I

IAN WILLIAMS TUNING 68 Richmond Rd Keswick SA 5035

Ph 08 8293 6677 Fax 08 8293 6933

bay and Pete Carter was fourth in a race that settled early and ran its course.

Bill Jacobs had terminal engine woes and Bruce Jolley stopped at Lukey Heights.

The second heat had the same patterm up front.

In the third heat, Mcllveen won, but Francescato and Perry couldn’t be separated and crossed hr equal second, with Carter third.

It looked like being the same for the final, but Mcllveen disappeared after a couple of laps, giving the lead to Francescato for one lap - then a problem slowed him down and Carter took over the front spot and opened a huge gap.

John Coughlan found the cause of his lack of power and, after a spin at Honda Corner on lap 1, charged back to take second.

Peter Hageman held out Jolley for third.

When the final points were added. Carter and Francescato were tied on 66 points, with Cai’ter getting the nod and Warren Mcllveen thh-d.

250cc National Right from flagfall, Michael Crossland and David Holdforth showed they were going to set the pace and swapped places several times, leaving a gap back to Roger Tapper, with Ross Higgins and Wayne Schultze close together in fourth and fifth.

This looked like being the pattern, as the rest were back a bit.

Holdforth got the best of Crossland in the second, with Tapper and Higgins next.

In the third heat.

Crossland and Holdforth went on their way, but Tapper had problems and dropped out.

Gary Brooks found some speed and took out third from Higgins, with Schultze still in fifth.

Crossland came off pole in the final and was never real ly pressured when Holdforth went missing.

Paul Snaith got it all together after a disastrous day to finish a fine second from Tapper and Higgins, the latter claiming his fourth fourth placing of the day.

Crossland took out the Championship from Holdforth, with Higgins hanging onto third from Tapper and Schultze, only two points fur ther back.

250cc International (Formula E) A good quality field of 19 fronted with all the main land states represented, the current 250cc national Australian Champion, Chris Staff, moving up to this class to do battle -with guru Brian Stockman.

Stockman took the lead in the first heat, but Staff was close and made a great dive under brakes at MG Corner to take the lead briefly, before Stockman retook it.

Ron Valentine didn’t have the answer to this pair and had to settle for third, with John Pellicano running fourth.

Ralph Rupprecht was fifth, but was sidelined in the sec ond heat with teiminal prob lems and didn’t reappear.

The second heat was much the same format with the same four up front, but in the third heat Pellicano had something in the steering break at Honda Corner and went bush, allowing Todd Johnson up into fom-th.

The final heat saw Stockman take the lead early and have an untroubled run to the flag, giving him four sti-aight wins.

Valentine drove a strong second, with Pellicano and Staff having a bit of close racing until Staff slipped off at Honda and dropped to fom-th.

The back half of the field was ha-ving a great race of its owm, but could not keep pace with Stockman, the new national Champion, with Staff second and Valentine only two points away in thii-d.

13Mafchm

Celica 72 model, good body, running, no reg. Suit parts. $300ono. Ph: 035827 1256, -y|

s

Torana LC GTR rolling chassis,9", 15"x10 ", 7 point ca^S-new 2-pack paint, coil-overs. Heaps more. $3,000ono. U GTR supercharged 208, lop loader, Nissan 10 bolt diff. $5.000ono.

Ph:0412462 501,02 6294 2719, 122 HQ Race Car, well presented, very reliable, lots ol new parts, full set of spare panels, assisfance given to new owner, $5700 ono. Ph: Mark on 0417 461 421.

mORlQ

VesKanda Group Cl sports car. Australia's fastest, as dri ven by John Bowe. 61 Chev, Motec fuel injection, DE300 Hewland g/box with ratios, spare wheels. Totally rebuilt by K&A. POA. Ph:015 397 251 or 0883621977

Black Beast - 74 GTS De Tomaso Pantera. 490hp, Carillos, Cosworth pistons, Motec ignition, Chev crank, 17x11 rears 17x9 fronts, Simmons, large Harrop brakes all round. Ideal car for Targa, club days or just touring. In A1 cond. POA. Ph: Tony Jory 0418 130 133,036326 5555. la

i

Nissan March turbo. Club car, ready to race. Magmoly multi-point cage, kevlar seat, spare engine 4nd g/box etc.

Priced to sell $5,750. Ph:035827 1256. ,23 /

Cu«*ri' * .

1'

I

Sports Sedan Lancer, 13B fuel injected, intercooled turbo.

Fresh engine, gearbox, suspension set up by Centreline. Very competitive car, ready to race. Urgent sale. $7,300. Ph: Mark 03 9844 2309. ,23 Fiat 124 Spider, 1969. 1608cc, twin 40mm Webers, red/black trim, display standard. Cromodoras Pirelli P500s.

Enthusiast's car. Ex cond. Consider trade Group Nb. Asking $19,000. Ph: Dick 07 3261 7142(AH). 123

.13

1979 Philips 4 door A9X Torana touring car. Last dnven by Charlie O'Brien. Offered for sale in original condition, as raced. Ph: Steve 0418 359 999. 123 Mazda RX4 Club Car Sports Sedan. Unfinished projrct. Fully adjustable suspension, floater diff, 4 link rear Watts linkage, pedal box, big brakes. Stressed alloy cage. Spare panels etc.

POA.Ph:039354 0417,019191 612. 123

race;

Bolwell Nagari. One owner from new. Road or race. Mallala record holder. 5L Ford, Super T10 g/box. Ford diff. Spare wheels. Totally rfebuilt by K&A. POA. Ph: 015 397 251 or 08 83621977. m Mazda 808(RX3)coupe,2E log, fresh 13BBP and c/r gear box, 51mm Weber, new exhaust, spare g/box, 3 sets rims, 4spot brakes, Dorian. Quick car, good cond, new project forces sale. $10,000. Ph:0419 276 593,

47

wmsm

5-7-

S? tr

Porsche 993 RSCS. Fully rebuilt for 1998 season, eligible for GT Production and Class A Porsche Cup. Double adjustable shock absorbers, race ready, immaculate. You will not be disap pointed. $158,000. Ph:029450 2100 or 0418 229 900(AH). 122

Holder! Calibra Sports Sedan, Group A shocks and brakes, cambered diff, V8 Chev, built to finish. First sale fell through! Don't miss out. Act now. Spares & trailer. Ph: Norm 0418 672116,07 55243390. .22 Mazda RX-7 series 1,good condition, dismantled, complete less motor and transmission. 4.4 locked diff with double row bearings, series 2 rear end.$1,700. Ph:0419 334 786. 122 Toyota Levin Ex Group C Touring Car. History includes 3 Bathursts and mant touring car championships as "works" car, then owned by Alexandra Surplice. Not currently mnning, bat includes 2TG 5 speed g/box. Disc Brake Sprinter diff, full roll cage. Body is rough but can be restored as good Targa, rally or Club Car. $2,000. Ph: Bryan 02 9844 5232(BH) or 02 9979

& VL 308, excellent Club Car. 9 inch Detroit locker, roll cage.

Group A exhaust. 50.00 flat Oran Park South. Heaps spares.

Owner retiring. Capable high 48s Oran. Ready to race $12,000.

Ph:0418 642612. .22

Walkinshaw No. SV573. 48,000km, immaculate condition.

4,000km since complete engine upgrade to 220kW. Very tractable road car. Second owner last 7 years. For details Ph:02 9604 8088(BH),02 96220699(AH). ,22 HQ Holden Thunderdome car, very well built, very reliable, all the best equipment. Sell to best offer. Ph:026253 1351. 122

8734(AH). 122

1963 Ford Galaxy. Restored as replica. John Willment race car, winner 1963 BTCC. Rare 2-door coupe. Ultimate Targa Tasmania Historic entry. $15,000. Ph:075547 5363. 123 Cortina GTMkI,1966. New carby, very original, 12 months rego. $4,400. Ph:029484 6127(AH)or 0291536797(BH). 123

Sports Sedan, under 2 litre Mkl Escort,5speed Haltech, reli able complete car with many spares. $9000. Ph: Don,07 5462 2415. ,22

1982 Re-Car VH Commodore Group C louring car. Last dri ven by Allan Grice/Steve Harrington, Bathurst 1884. Numerous poles etc. Full C/\MS log book and documented history. In origi nal as last raced condition. Ph: Steve 0418 359 999. 123

Sports Sedan 78 Celica, 3.5 litre Rover alum. V8 motor, Celica 5 speed g/box, LSD, 4-wheel disc brakes, 15x10 Rebel wheels. Dual axle reg trailer. $6,500ono. Ph: 02 6559 4002, 0414 594 002. 122 Cortina GT Mkll “69 sedan. Original 1600GT running gear and gauges etc. Suit for resto. $600. Twin Weber manifold suit above $50. Ph:035827 1256. ,23

Monaro HT Club Car. Group 2E. C/ratio gbox, T/plate clutch, 9" diff, Willwood brakes, Konis, Velo seat, aluminium radiator, oil colter, exhaust etc. Suit Chev, less engine. $10,000 Ph:08 8388 9110. .23

Commodore VC Street Sedan (also eligible Club Car).

Bakers built 304, adjustable suspension, LSD, SAAS seal and wheel. Many spares including tyres. Phone for details. Asking $9,000ono. Ph:02 9809 3407,0417 474 336. 122

Mazda RX-3 Club Car, brand new 13B race Bridgeport, 5speed. Group A brakes, Koni/Bilstein dampers, Dorian, 6-point rotary harness(new), Recaro, spare engine/gearboxes, wheels, tyres etc. otie winner. $10,000ono. Ph:(^248 3044. 015 050 435. 122

1:1 v/x

Honda CRX, V-tec engine, fully caged, road reg, alarm, cen tral locking, suspension and brake mods. $15,000neg. Ph: 018 052 012. 123

Mazda RX-7 Club Car. Fresh injected 13B B/poer, c/r gear box, LSD, 4-spot brakes, pedal box, plus more. Fast car, must sell. $16,000ono. Ph:0411 648 075, 122

continued over page

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CATEGORY; Cars: □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers □ Speedway □ Drag General: □ Parts □ Engines □ Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other

^8 1march 1998 Sportsman Commodore, rolling shell, painted white.

E+R+P roll cage, front spoiler seat, many more parts. Must sell, $2500. Ph: Mark (03)5447 2186. 121

Charger E48 R/T VJ. immaculate, original, fully optioned, all matching numbers. Set up for classic racing.

Original motor, diff, brakes etc included. Never damaged, well documented with R/T club. Ph: 00 11 643 384 0323. 121

V-

.-V,

I :

.V

Fender Bender. Motor, sealed body, in good shape.

Three meetings old, ready to race. S1.400. Ph: 02 9981 4713,02 9979 7792. ’22 Super Sedan. IROC Z Camaro, Vic #9, less engine spares. $11,000. Frankland quick-change 4.86, 54 3/4 w $2,200. Trutrac and spud $350. 4.11 crown wheel and pin ion $100 Methanol carby. 750 Holley $600. 253 engine, prepolution $170. Ph: 03 5422 1942 (BH), 03 5422 7037

Superkart - 1993 Zip Eagle, never bent. Merlin pipes. 38 flatside DelOrtos, digital ignition, new cranks, rings. 2 full sets Dunlops new, 1 set Dunlop wets new, 16 wheels. Adjustable height. Table-trolley. All serious offers considered. Ph: 07 3219 8305(BH),07 3278 8280(AH). .22

(AH). .22

Sportsman VS., fresh motor, G/box comes with spare pads, stands trolley jack, radio's and other pit equip. $9000 ono. Urgent Sale. Ph: Cameron AH (02)6585 1397.

121 ij

Commodore 1983 VH SS,4 speed, CD player, leather interior, 3085 litre. Very good condition, 165,000kms,6 months reg. $7,500 with RWC,$7,000 without RWC.Ph:John 0394351215. 122 Super Sedan VN Commodore, holibrand diff, gear sets, wheels, spares, body panels etc. complete roller. $5500 ono. Ph: 079 824 294. 121

VW 1965 Sports Sedan / Hillclimb Car. Yellow, 2165CC engine, ZF LSD diff, disc brake front. 96/97 champi onship winner moving to another class. Vt/ell known car needs new enthusiastic owner. $6,000. Ph:026554 1134. 121

●yi

XJS Jaguar, beautiful condition inside and out. Full body kit, specially joined to body - no seams. A real head turner. Must be seen. $15,000, plates extra. Ph: 02 9604 8088 (BH), 02 9622 0699 (AH). .22

Sports Sedan KE70 Corolla. 13 BPP, 55mm DCOE, brass button clutch, 5 speed, Volvo 4 spot front, 16" wheels. Spare' tyres, panels, parts and reg trailer. $12,000. Ph: 02 4261 5262

Datsun 1600 1970, excellent condition, 1800 motor, twin carbies, mags, tyres, excellent 4 speed, 200B front struts and discs, lowered. Unreg. $3,700ono. Ph: Michael 02 6621 9198 (BH), 02 6624 4040 (AH). .21 NASCAR (No 98) Pontiac GP, completely rebuilt, updated chassis, fresh 9.5:1 23 deg Chev, etc. ready to race. 41ft bogie trailer - bathroom, with shower, hydraulic tail loader, fully fitted out. Plus pit equipment, spares etc etc. Must sell urgently. $100,000 the lot or will split. Ph: Col Robinson 02 9605 7013, Stuart Little 02 9603 1527. 121 AUSCAR VP, 360hp 315 motor, Super T10 box, Harrop rose jointed front end. 4-sp calipers, adj Bilstein susp.Pi equipment, fuel churn, rattle guns and line, scanners, dent puller, steel chest. Spares include axles, susp, springs, shocks, body parts, too many to mention. Help given first meetings. $15,000. Ph: James (03) 9563 7072 or (015) 800 342. 121

Speedway

Modified Sedarr Commodore, WK 4 proven, race winner, ex Aus*. 1, with spares and fibreglass moulds. $5500 ono. Ph: AH(08)8541 3204. 121

Drag Racing

Formula Vee, original Elfin NG, Barry Lock designed, mono shock rear suspension (fabricated by Bernie Cashin). Top hp engine with dyno sheets. Koni front shocks, adjustable brake bias, forward tank, spares. $7,000. Ph: Ted Gair 07 3344 3084' (BH),07 3216 9327(AH). 122 Lola T360 Formula Atlantic. V and H category Group Q with a good history. This quality and unique Lola has been total ly rebuilt and is ready to campaign. It has a fresh Wiessner BDD Cosworth engine and FT200 box. The price is negotiable. Ph: Bob Sanderson(02)99539469. 121 Formula Vee, Australian, NSW,championship winner. Hot shot winner. Jacer 95-1. 2 gear boxes long/short set up data. Spare springs/components. Never bent new 1997 bodywork. $16, 500. Ph:(02)9628 9732. 121

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Celica, suit SS/A, S/X. Street Legal, 400 Chev, Raceglide, 9 inch, 35 spline axles, spoci, Mnitubs, Delaybox. 10.73/125mph.

Full engineer's report. 7/98 rego. $17,000ono turn key, $10,500ono less motor, box. Ph: 015 321 904. 12a 1936 Ford Croupe. Red wJh flames. Set up for big or small block Chev, auio or manual. Tube chassis with strut front end, four link suspension wi#i ftjli floating 9” diff. Will take 15x33x14 drag slicks or street tyres. Would suit Pro Street, Wild Bunch, Super Gas, Pro Street Rod a Nostalgia racing. $28,000ono. Ph: 03 5472 1442 (BH), 03 5372 2556 (AH). 123 BB Chev, Bacman billet heads, Jessel rockers, titani um valves, fresh springs, magnesium manifold, port nozzles, the lot. 57,000. Ph: 02 9711 2218. .23 Bear engine Dragster, 205" wheelbase, ex CC/D. Convo wheels, Diest belts, chute. Fully enclosed trailer with ayvning. Blown 352ci, SBC TH400 trans. Complete. $30,000. Less engine/trans StO.OOOono. Ph: 02 4627

Historic BDR Clubman, CAMS group Q classified, good history, 3 owners, ready to race. 129 bhp Datsun 1300cc. 13.9 sec 1/4 mile. Excellent tandem trailer + $2000 spares. $13, 500 (lot) neg.Ph: (03) 5222 4036. 121 Super kart Zip Eagle, 1992 Yamaha, YZ 250cc, new tryes.

Well maintained, competitive kart. Spares, enclosed trailer.

Ready to race. $9000 the lot. Ph: Ken (02) 9820 1673. 121 Go-Kart - Arrow AX5 Midget/Rookie. New Yamaha J engine kit as of Feb. 1997. Like new condition You'll have to look hard to find one any better. Kids helmet, suit and gloves too. Runs great - ready to race. Fully enclosed 2 kart trailer available - priced separately. $2300 ono. Ph: 9787 0281 or 0419 322 808. 121

2340. 122

Mazda RX7 Bridgeport, 13 B, Haltech injection, c/r gear box, 4.4, 4.1 LS.D, Kionishockers, foam fuel cell, custom built trailer and lap top computer, s[are set of rims. Regrettable urgent sale. $16,000 neg. Ph: (03) 9742 2545 or 0419 542 .2.

Pantera Super Sedans. 2 complete cars with all spares. Will sell as rolling chassis or complete with engines. No expense spared with these cars. PDA. Ph: Craig/Bert 08 9451 1969, 0418911 269. .23

Open Wheelers

i ■PROCAS

The last VH GP III Brock Built (verified), flare kit fitted by HDT along with high output V8. 55000 rm, always garaged, regularly serviced, all parpers and plates included.

Good condition. $21,500 nee. Ph: 0412 386 913. 121

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Junior Dragster, 105" wheel base, 5HP Briggs Stratton, Comets clutch, .030” oversize 210cc, runs 13.9/14.0, 43/44mph, on Augas suit, 8-12 yr old, current tech sticker. S6000 ono. Ph: Wayne (07) 3812 4398 or 0418 105 016. 12.

Monza Super Sedan. A dream to drive. Highly competitive, constant winner. 350 -f.030" 4-bolt 520bhp, Comp Components, 6" rods, quick change diff, spares, body moulds, coilover leaf rear. Motor locked up (not bad). $8,000. Ph: 08 8672 5914. 123 Commodore Mod Production, current ACT#1. Fresh good hp motor, no expense spared, nothing to spend. $8,500. Near new trailer, electric brakes etc. $2,500. Ph: 0411 513 096. 123 Speedcar V4 Scat engine, factory assembled. Latest Jones heads, new rods, pistons, fully freshened. Eng, 10 shows old only. 340hp. Cost over $45,000. Complete, from radiator to uni, including eng. plate, full exhaust system and fuel system. $12,000ono. Ph: 0411 012 527,02 9543 8806. 123

Formula Holden Raft RT21. Ex McLaughlin Thalgo car. No expense spared restoration to original cond and set-up by FI experienced meohanic. $42,000 neg. Ph: 018 824 604 (BH), 08 8272 5372 (AH). 13 Superkart - Masse chassis, Yamaha 80cc engine.

Immaculate presentation and performance to match. Best of everything, heaps of spares. 54,200. Ph: 02 4733 5442. ra Sports 1300 Seca. Total rebuild, easy to convert back.

Historic original logbook, lakeside 57.9. Many spares, engine etc, trailer. Be a winner in Historic. Only $13,500ono. Ph: 0411 592 003,07 55431061. 03

Richards 201C Fomnila 2, Hewland Mk9, brand new top hp shortstroke Golf, spare Golf, 12 wheels, ratios, trailer, Stack tacho. $29,900. Ph; Mike Drewer 0419 273 333 or 08 8271 3338. 122

Alfa Sports Sedan, ful ly rebuilt 350 chev, mid mounted, fuel injected, Brodex heads 9" diff, new tyres. $13, 000 ono or Roller $8500. Ph: 019 331 845 or 019

r

329 140. 121

Pontiac TransAm Super Sedan. Very competitive winner.

Built '89 AJ Nylander, won '89 Australian titles. 350 +.030", rebuilt 3 meetings. 515hp, bow tie. Comp Components.

Magneto. Bird cage r/end. Franklin diff. $12,000. Ph: 08 8672 5914. 12!

1975 Galant GC Coupe Race Car, ex brown davis, 2 litre, twin 48ml webbers, 5 speed close ratio, 4 wheel discs with bias, Marsh seats, full cage, 2 sets of mags, blue 2 PAK, adj. fornt end, 4 - 6 locked diff and more. $6800, Ph: AH (03) 9886 3772. 121

Sprintcar, parts or complete. New or 2 shows only -1IX motor, direct mount front, Franklin diff, carbonfibre t/tube, wings, wheels, tail tank, chassis. $1500. Ph: 02 9525 1716 (BH), 02 9602 6654 (AH). 123 Fender Bender, VC Valiant, one meeting since engine rebuild. Best of everything, complete, ready to race with many quality spares. $1,500. Ph: Mick Salmon 02 9525 3430. 121

Farrell Clubmani 3K Corolla, Webers, Toyota 4sp box, 13” tyres, CfMS log book, complete with trailer, spares incl. Wets on rims, ready to raace, excellent cond. $10, 000 ono. Ph: Barry West AH (08) 8341 5407 or 0411 865 906. 121 Go-Kart - Arrow AX5, w/Yamaha KT100S eng. Like new condi tion. New engine kit, brakes, etc. as of Feb. 1997. Very few laps run. Looks and runs great, ready to race. Fully enclosed custom 2 kart trailer available - priced separartely. $2000 ono. Ph: 9787 0281 or 0419 322 808. 121 Supetkart, Peter Worrall's Australian championship winning kart. 1997 Stockman chassis with full body work 'B' kit, 1994 RSI 25 engine, just rebuilt with new crank, mains elc. $8500. Ph: (02)9824 7350. 121

Formula Vee 95 Sabre. Results: 2nd 97 Nationals, equal track record Lakeside. Eastern Creek. Package 2 David Cutts prepared eng;ines, gearboxes, 2 car fully enclosed trailer, spares. PDA. Ph: 02 4948 9777 (BH), 02 4943 0607 (AH). 122 PRB Clubman. Fully developed race car, road reg. Motec, quad butterfly injection, Quaife gearbox and LSD, extractors, genuine 200hp engine. 3 sets rims. $33,000. Ph: 02 4990 1699 or 02 4998 7385. 1=

Formula Libre, 0 - 1300cc, ex hill climber, sprint champi onship winning car, 1100 Suzuki engine, some spares. $7000.

Ph: (03)97355315. 121

Engiites

Chev 350 OfO 2 bolt block, fitted with Milodon angle 4-bolt caps, bored to +40. Sell for what caps oew, $900 or $1,000 with crank and rods. Eagle 6" 3D con rods, done 6 laps, like new $750. Ph; 02 4572 5949. 123 Lotus twin cam engine, disassembled, 1700cc.

New valves, pistons, early Cortina cam cover. Escort winged sump, exhaust manifold, carbs Escort air box. $4,500ono, will split head, cover $2,600. Ph; 08 8278 5988. 123

Chev 350 010 4-bolt short motor, fitted with rare nodular iron caps, +30 bore, suit rebuild, $400; Autometer tell-tale tacho, suit MSD, near new, $250. Ph: 02 4572 5949. 123 HRT Holden Group A engine, number HMS 93A H002, eight butterfly fuel injection, comes complete ready to bollin. Includes Motec computer and wiring loom. $12,500. Ph: 02 6355 5995. 123 Ford Mustang 97 V8 sohc and 5 speed, com plete conversion from fuel tank to computer, air cleaner to exhaust. 3000 miles new. $10,000ono. Ph: James 03

1988 Toyota Celica GT4, 4WD, turbo, correctly imorted for race or rally. 74K's, air, power steering, climate control, fog lights, new snow tyres, power seats and mirrors. $9500 ono. Ph: (02) 4948 5642. 121

Super Production Charger. Mid mounted 265 NASCAR type baring ASCF, NSW ACT Speedway Racing Board approved. Spares incl 4 tyres with rims, 7 tyres, gearbox, clutch, heaps more. Ready to race. $2,500. Ph: Pete 02 6351 2914. 122

9785 3333. 122

Kart, 96 CRG Ruz Clubman. New tyres, new side pods, tach/temp. Sprinter chassis, KTIOOS, Tillet seat, new exhaust.

Registered twokart trailer, trolley and stands. Kart suit, heaps of spares. The lot $4,6O0neg. Ph: 02 6884 8975. 122

Mazda 13B p/p, Rotomotion housings, 51mm IDA Weber, tooth belt drive, baffles sump, modified distribu tor. Fully rebuilt, 300+ hp. New twin plate clutch, close ratio Holinger gearbox. $5,000 neg. Ph: 02 9579 6382,

015 468 166, 122

13MarcliW98 Buick 382ci engine. Best parts money can buy. TRE rods & pistons, Nicken Bros head & sheetmetal mani fold, Hamburger sump, fuel-curve propped Dominators etc etc. Made 810hp at 540 ft’lbs torque. Just freshened with new rods, rings, valve springs etc. $20,000 let's haggle. Ph: 03 5472 1442 (BH), 03 5470 6283 (BH), 03 5472 2556 (AH). 122 VW - brand new 2.7 race block, heaps of race performance goodies. Suit Speedcar, offroad buggy. Sports Sedan or performance street car. Possible 250+hp. $6,500. Ph: 019 125 965. 122 Mazda K8 V6 engine. Complete, running $900.

Mazda KF V6 2-litre, complete, $1,000. Mazda FE 2-litre twin cam. runs, vgc, $500. Ford Zetec 1.8(Mondeo) twin cam, tested, complete, $T,500. 5 litre V8 EFI plus 4 speed auto, conversion complete from a EB Falcon, $5,000. Ph: 03 9785 3333. 122 308-355 Stroker. 450+hp, VN heads, professionally parted, rollers, triple springs, active manifold, solid cam, chev rods, TRW forged pistons, Romac balancer and lots more. Just run in. Will dyno for purchaser. $9500.

Ph:(02)6020 8621. 121 f*into 2000 engine. Fully developed forged pistons, cosworth rods, 'O' ring block, dowelled crank, button clutch, alloy sump. Poly V pulleys, 12.25 CR, 45 DCOE, Webers 154 HP ©wheels, fresh build. $6900 ono Ph: (08) 827S 5988. 121' Formula Ford motor. Current spec's last used by Dave Besnard. $5500 ono. Ph: BH (02) 9580 5000 or AH (02)9543 5092. i.n Approx 200hp 1974cc L-series club carl engine complete from 48mm webers to custom made pipes. As run 60.9 at lakeside, quickest 8 valve club car In OLD no time wasters. $4000. Ph: 0411 843 011. 121 Nissan VQ 20, all alloy, V6, quadcam, 24 valve plusengine plate and drive to suit speedcar. $1000. Ph: Steve (07)3814 3082. ,2.

Parts Tyres - 4 x Falken RX06GB tyres, 205x60x14, have done 10 laps, suit Club Car or Sprints. Only $500. Ph: 0412 337 227. .23 Brake calipers - Nissan GTR Godzilla, all alloy, big ger than Mazda type in as-new cond. $800 pr. Ph: 03 9555 9847 (BH), 03 9802 1980 (AH). 123 Chev 350 new shaver roller cam, suit -12 or 18 degree heads. Lift at cam inlet 440, outlet 412, duration at 050 264, outlet 270. $250. Ph: 0,2 4572 5949. 123 RX-7 Harrop floater diff assembly, with axles. $1,750. Ph: 03 9437 1628. 123 Harrop Detroit locker in Harrop steel carrier, fitted to Holden banjo centre, fully rebuilt by Harrop and not used since. $600. Ph: 0418 133 274. 123

Brodix dash 10 heads, complete titanium retainers, Crane roller rockers and stud girdle. Ported by PM Engines, 639hp on 372ci Sprintcar motor. $4,600. Ph: 08 8272 7774 7am-7pm. 123 Holden VN rear spoiler $350; tyre pressure relief valves $80 set; Dunlop race tyres 16" and 17" suit 12" rims, from $50; fuel tank cap, flange type $80. Ph: 02 9843 4091. 123 Small block Chev 18 degree cylinder heads com plete, titanium valves, roller springs, C&C ported in USA. Race ready, as new. $7,500ono. Ph: Warwick Jones 02 9682 5642. 122 Greddy blow-off valve, type R (brand new). $500.

Boost and fuel pressure meter $475; Apex turbo timer $100; Blitz boost controller $600. Neg. Ph; 0412 392 729, 03 9804 7582. I22 Porsche IT’ AVS original wheels. Highly polished with brand new 245x45 P7 M3 Pirelli tyres. Beat show stoppers. Also suit VW. Rims & tyres never used.$4,000ono. Ph:019 125 965122 Halibrand quick-change rear axle, with six sets of gears. Magneto Vertex four-cylinder Volkswagen. Ring and haggle. Ph: 02 6253 1351. 122 Quantum multi-adjustable damper sets (Penske equivalent). $4,000. 0412 392 729, 03 9804 7582. 122 Datsun 240K. 6 cyl engine, 5 speed box, diff etc.

Total car for parts in good condition and intact. Whole car $600ono. Ph: 03 5282 1613, 015 326 916, 03 9258 7283. 122

Dry break system, including 300 litre overhead refu elling rig, vent bottle, hoses, two male and one female dry break fittings. Suit GTP. Asking $800ono. Ph: 02 9809 3407 or 0417 474 336. 122 202 - steel main caps & stud kit $375; windage tray $45; dry sump kit $1,000; 1.6 roller rockers and posilocks $240; Starfire rods, floating $200; Knife-edged Commodore crank .010" $350; GM billet cam $90. Ph; 0354 221 942(BH), 03 5422 7037(AH). 122 HR Chev tuned length headers, 2" primaries, 34"' long with 3.5" collectors to suit Hadfield mounting kit.

Jet Hot coated in Hi Lustre. $650 ono. Ph: 03 5472 1442 (BH), 03 5470 6283(BH), 03 5472 2556(AH). 122 Garbles, as new twin 2" SUs $200 pair. Holley 600 vacuum secondary, just recoed. $120. Ph: 03 6394 3541 or 015 312 918. 122 Gemini coupe fibreglass doors. Single layer cloth.

Big weight saving. Ex-works. $250 pr. Ph: 02 9808 1264. ,22 LJ Torana steel wheels. 2 are 13" by 11". 2 are 15" by 11" with mobile tyre rack.$120. Ph: (02) 6629 0307. 12.

RX7 Harrop floater diff assembly with axles. $1750. Ph:(03)9437 1628. ,21

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air-conditioned, 26' pantech, tailgate lifter, inspection deck, inte grated tyre racks, solid workbench, 240v, fluoro spotlights, powerpoints. Only $38,500. Ph:07 3839 2121 or 0418 725 003. 122 Enclosed trailer,6m long, 2m Inigh, 2.3m wide. 4 wheel elec tric brakes, solid axles, rocker spr|ig suspension. 8 ply tyres, 2 spare wheels. Needs some work. Suit racing car. Priced to sell $3,500, Ph:0412 880 878 or 07 3264 5391 (AH). 122 ■New enclosed trailer. Lightweight tandem, 4 wheel brakes, s.4x1.95x1.85. 2 tonne capacity. NSW registration. Suit F/Ford or small sedan etc, $5250. Ph: Lew Moore (02) 4735 4100. 121

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Tiger Kart Club requires technical personnel to assist with post-race engine measuring. This essential part of kart racing will require you to be present at the circuit Sundays between 3 and 5pm,4 to 8 times per year. Training provided. Contact Tiger Kart Club on 08 9248 6662 or fax 08 9248 6663. .22 Bathurst race posters and programmes, back to 1969: Brock Commodore Dinkum Classics 1/18 scale; HRT race suit and HRT scale model workshop, build no. 44 1/24 scale. Ph: 0412386 913. .22 Formula One genuine team issue gear; caps, bags, shirts, jackets, d/suits. Some signed - Villeneuve Rothmans shirt, Alesi/Berger caps. Also Indy gear signed. Private collec tion, must consolidate. View at AGP.Ph:018 312 526. .22

i PO Box 6330 Shepparton Vic 3632

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roHOiie

magazine needs a good home. Excellent cond. No set price. Ph: Tom 0397834819. 123 Yamaha YZF 7SOSP race/road bike. Only 2,000kms.

Immaculate. Will trade road/race car etc. Ph: 03 6394 3541, 015 312918. .23 Arai Quantim helmet,-red (as new)$500. Bell Vortex helmet (white)as new $1.100 neg. Ph:0412392 729,039804 7582. .22 Books: Australian Motor Racing Yearbook nos 11-17 $20 each; Bathurst 82,89 $20 each; JH 1000 82.83$50, 83-89 $20; Bathurst 1000 magazine/programme 85, 88, 90, 92, 93, $10 each. Ph:023229 6642. .22 Badges, car clubs etc including Herald Touring, Western District Car Club, Motor Manual goodwill, MV Princess Searoad, 1956 Olympic Games. Many more Ph: 015 312 918, 0363 943

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Two AP or similar al loy two-piston brake calipers with 1.75 to 2 inch dia pistons. Ph: 07 3205 4254, 122Tamiya Ft kits, 1/20th Brabham BT46, Wolf WR1, other early kits. Sports car videos from 60s, Ph: Andrew 02 4948 4472. 122

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Cortina GT 500 car or bits. Consider any thing. Send details to P.O. Box 42, Beecroft. 2119 or phone Peter on 02 9153 6797 (BH), 02 9484 6127 (AH). 123 Steel crankshaft for Lotus Ford 1600 twincam engine, preferably short-stroke, but standard stroke with suitable rods also considered. Some other components also required. Ph: 07 3396 1624. 123 Shocks to suit ASX Torana Group C. Front & rear, adjustables. Also roller rockers. Ph: 02 4658 0446. 123

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Dear Sir,

Editorial

You receive many letters arguing the pros and cons of the quality of ; Editor the telecasts from the various net ; David Hassall works. Out here, in country WA, Technical Edit«>r we’d be happy just to get something! r:- ro PO Box 1010 North Cao& Send letters to Talk _ OK,so Formula 1 and 500s will be Vic 3161. our E-mail address, or fax to 03 9527 7766 Tony Glynn televised but, for the second year Tne saff of Motorsport News does not necessarily agree with opinions express ty readers Assistant Editor running, Australia’s premier racing Phil Branagan formula, the V8s, has been given the Graphics Co-ordinator | complete cold shoulder.

Super Tourer ’round the he stayed for about 90 minutes. He Golden West Network(GWN)cov Viv Brumby i was very easy to talk to and he Benz ers almost the entire state outside signed a bunch of autographs which the metropolitan area and is able to Advertising he was happy to do and answered Dear Sir, beam into 472,100 households. any questions we had. It was also Advertising Manager Sure companies like Shell, Gerald McDornan A Mercedes-Benz 2 litre Touring good to see other supporters there Bridgestone etc, who spend big who also support Mark and read Car team as you suggest in your direct advertising dollars with Motorsport News. It was a small Administration 27/2 issue?

GWN, must feel shot-changed that Yeah, I’ve heard that joke. The group of about 30 ofus and it was an they are missing out on the ‘spin of Managing Director punchline is they decided not to informal meeting. advertising benefits associated with I would*like to thank the staff of after all when the racing authorities : Chris Lambden the broadcasting of the SATCC. wouldn’t let them fit training wheels the Motorsport Shop for organising GWN says it can’t fit the V8 tele on the A Class.

Contacts the night and their kind hospitality casts into its schedule and yet, over and the David Campese this long weekend, it’s with some Gordon Drennan 89 Orrong Cresceni Management Group who support Caulfield North VIC 3161 despair I see that our channel has Ultimo NSW Mark and organise his fan club. eight hours devoted to - and it’s only (PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 316!)

I would also like to say that Mark ASST ED: That’s not the real Phone:03 9527 7744 the pre-season competition!

Webber will be our next FI driver Fax 03 9527 7766 I guess there’s just not enough of reason, Drennan. Training and hopefully champion. It is a wheels can be a bitch during a Email; msncws@corplink.com.au us motorsport fans out there to shame however that there is not (compulsory) pitstop... make enough noise.

CompuServe: ioour,ii«

Contributors General: Mike Kabie. Jon Thomson, Brian Reed, Darryl Flack Ft: Joe Saward, Adam.Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring, Ian Bamsey US: Bruce Smith, Phil Morris NZ: John Hawkins

porter of Mark and would like to see a race of his.

Also if anyone knows any good FIA GT championship web sites please write to me, or if you a Mark Webber supporter as well.

Nadeem Zreikat zreikat@campbells.aust.com

Whafs all the fuss about?

Dear Sir, So what if David Coulthard pulled over and let his team-mate win the Australian Grand Prix?

Why us everyone so upset? It is not as if this is the first time it has happened. Piquet did it at Kyalami in 1983, making sure that he fin ished the race and won the World Championship while allowing Patrese to win the race.

Senna allowed Berger to win and no-one got pissed off. According to Motorsport News last season John Force laid down in a final so that Tony Pedregon could finish second in NHRA’s F/C series and the team collected a $200,000 bonus.

Then there’s all the crap on talkback radio. The so-called sports experts (usually ex-footballers and cricketers) spout off their unin-

Neil Davies Gelorup WA

Lone Star mate Dear Sir,

Speedway. Dennis Nevviyn, David McNabb, Wade Aunger, Geoff Rounds. David Lamont, Chris Metcalf, Sub Hobson, Michael Attwell, Tony Millard (UK) 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 Svvans'on Karts: Ian S.Mlvestrin. Allan Roark, Grae.me Bums, Edward Krause Photographers: LAT, Dirk Klynsmith, Zoom Photographies, Neil Hammond, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Brad Steele, T ony Glynn, Thutider-Pics, Marshall Cass, Mike Harding, Brisbane Motorsport, l-rank Midgley, John Bosher.

Phil Williams, Mike Patrick (UK) ^'f\rOIUPORT NEWS IS puWXhed Oy Acs'.rahSifln :C^<:urspLid Nevvi Ply Ltd ACN No 060 1 7V 92H .cyri.flo’'. C l.imOafn D HosmS. a Glynn

Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Wilke Color 37A9 Browns Rd Clayton 3168 Distributed by: NDD Ltd Miiteripl puWishctl by MOTO.kSPOlU NBVs is copyngiv. miiy not be reD'Odufcd in fu)i or in parr witnoui me wnrton permissien of ihcpubbher Freclcnre confnbuiions p'C welrome, and wh/le oil r^ir(=‘ will be iDKen, Ausrroloiian Motorsporr News Ply Ud doe.': nor accept re.spons!bility fo'' domego or Io.ss of maienDi suPfDitrFxl.

In your NASCAR section I would like you to print more about Kevin Schwantz’s progress because we claim him as one of our own.

After all, he learnt his NASCAR craft in Australia.

It would be interesting to see if he makes the Winston Cup. It was also great to see Dale Earnhardt win Daytona after 19 years of trying., Could you put in some photographs of the action, it would improve the section no end.

Your info is up to date, not like the American mags where the news is a month old and stale. / Philip Jones Ballarat VIC

Does anyone need a Schu?

Dear Sir, In the aftermath of the race and interview with Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard; who needs (cham n pions like) Michael Schumacher?

That you Channel 9 for (again) a great coverage and, also, to Alan Jones for admitting he probably would not have done the same as

DC! Paul Andriessen Kewdale WA

SILVER DREAM RACER... Mark Webber wowed the fans at Albert Park In his Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR. He was also in rare form before that, charming Nadeem Zreikat and a host of Sydney fans. (Photo by Marshall cass) formed views, but no-one cries foul if More Webber fans enough corporate sponsorship of Wa3me Carey or Shane Wame take a young drivers in Australia, we need rest during a game or, better yet, get more companies like Yellow Pages, left out of an unimportant match.

Dear Sir, If the Melbourne Tigers are lead so maybe we can get drivers in top Congratulations on a great publi motorsport like other countries such ing by 25 points in the fourth quar as Brazil. ter you can bet that Andrew Gaze cation which I purchase every fort will sit out the end of the match night.

I would also like to point out that I would like to inform you about TV exposure is practically zero for rather than risk injury.

Personally I think that everyone the Mark Webber appearance at the Hark since he left for overseas. I will be entitled to their opinions Motorsport Shop in Sydney on was amazed that Lowndes got expo when they get within a lap of Monday 2nd March. I’ve been a sure for a seat fitting' and Mark Cordthard and Hakkinen. didn’t get any for his FF Festival Mark Webber supporter ever since Coulthard had the most to lose win which is like winning Bathurst Ms first FF Festival and would like and didn’t get upset about it. Why to thank Motorsport News on the for Formula Fords. should we? coverage you have given him and all One question, does any TV or cable station have the FIA GT Peter Watkins the support.

We met him at around 6pm and Championship since I’m a big sup- Broadmeadows VIC

Opinions e.xpresscKl in Wernrsporr News ore nor necessarily those of Ausualasian Moto'spo’f News Fry Lrd or ils sr.iff.

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