Motorsport News Issue 140 - 20 November-3 December 1998

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20 November 1998

Murphy loses Renault test (

Photo by Phil Williams

By PHIL BRAHAGAN

GREG Murphy has cancelled a rushed trip to Europe on Sunday which may have led to a berth with the WilliamsRenault British Touring Car team.

Murphy was to leave Bathurst immediately after the FAI 1000 Classic last Sunday and fly to Spain for a four-day test which was due to run from last Tuesday until tomorrow (Friday). But a lastminute phonecall told Murphy not to come, leaving the HRT driver in the dark.

“I don’t know what’s happened,” he said on Tuesday.

“I was on my way to Bathurst airport when I got the message ‘don’t come’ on my phone. We had faxes from Williams, a map to the track and everything was ready.”

As predicted last issue Murphy was due to share the Albacete track with Swede Frederik Ekblom and Frenchman Jean-Christophe Boullion.

Italian Fabrizio Giovanardi, who was also in the frame to test, was re-sigmed by Having a bad weekend: Murphy crashed the Mobil Commodore on Friday. He got no luckier on Sunday.

Alfa Romeo last week.

The catalyst for the invitation was the surprise signing of Laurent Aiello by Nissan. The Frenchman had been expected to sign for Williams but a number of factors, which are believed to include salary and Plato’s number one status in BUT there is better news the team, took him out of the run about Murphy’s Indy ning.

Lights ambitions.

Aiello signed to partner David “The USA is looking good,” Leslie at Nissan and will race a he says. “The guys in New new Primera which will be built by Zealand are looking like Ray Mallock Limited (see page 11). underwriting the dlrive, pro Ironically, the first Murphy knew of the interest from Renault was viding that the test goes well.-?’ when he read Motorsport News two ‘The test’ is a run in one of weeks ago. Murphy had just returned from the USA when he Tasman Motorsport’s Lola read our story and immediately Indy Lights machines at contacted the team, and the test Firebird in Raceway was only confirmed last week after Phoenix on December 1 and a late-night phone call from the 2. team while Greg was at Bathurst. “(Tasman boss) Steve While he was there he received (Horne) and I have been some helpful advice about the track from Alain Menu. The former talking about this for a long Renault man, who will race for time. It would be great if it Ford next season, has tested a comes off; the Williams thing Laguna at the track and was only was great but I’ve been too please to show Murf the lines working on this for a long and brake and changing points on time.”

Like this: Alain Menu shows Murphy the fast way around Albacete. the track.

...but the USA looks better

Kim Jones for Audi Le IVIans effort?

By PHIL BRANAGAN AUDI Sport Australia team manager Kim Jones could be heading overseas to join Audi’s Le Mans sportscar pro gramme.

Sources in Europe sug gest that Jones has been ‘head-hunted’ to take a managerial role in the man ufacturers two car team,

which will run R8 sportsprototypes in the 24 Hour classic in June.

Jones was tight-lipped when contacted abouf^the job last week.

“Great idea!” he said, “but no comment. None.”

But people close to the Audi team say that Jones has been offered a two-year deal to oversee the project, which is based at the for-

mer TOMS factory at Norfolk in the UK. The package to lure Jones to England is rumoured to include a sixfigure salary, a house, car and expenses to relocate the Albury-based BJR Racing head, his wife and teenage son.

Jones has developed close ties with the Ingolstadt, Germany-based Audi Sport

team while he and brother Brad have run a two car

Super Touring Car team for the last four seasons. In that time Brad has taken two Drivers’ titles, and Audi have also been suc the m cessful Manufacturers and Teams’ awards.

Brad was in England last week, primarily to attend to annual TOCA prizegiving

dinner for the BTCC, while Kim will travel to Europe in the next month, mostly to arrange the delivery of cars for the team’s 1999 cam

paign.

The team will run two front-wheel-drive A4s and, with the withdrawal of Audi from the British and German series, Jones Sr will have quite a few cars to choose from.

3

Bright to drive Sprinter Bathurst winner Jason Bright is to experience V8 power of anoth er kind — in a Sprintcar. Arthur Fowler from Skilled Engineering has aiTanged the drive, sched uled for December 15 at Parramatta, in defending World Series champion Skip Jackson’s car. Skilled also sponsors Jackson. n Reaction to the win of Bright and Steven Johnson in the Pirtek car has been outstanding, accord ing to the sponsor. Pirtek vans have apparently been stopped in the streets by members ofthe public simply wanting to shake the driver’s hand! n The FAI 1000 Classic rated strongly on the Ten Network.

Imtial figures show peaks of 25 and 24 in Brisbane and Melbomne,21 in Sydney and Adelaide for Sunday’s race.

Saturday’s coverage of the Top Ten and the GTP 3 Hour race also did well, winning every timeslot in Sydney and Melbourne with peaks in the mid-teens.

1.6 million metropolitan view ers across the country tuned in to the finish of the race to see Steven Richards bring the bacon home for the Stone Bothers team. n Sight ofthe week at Bathurst; Jack Perkins with multi-coloured hair which changed hue most days. Larry’s lad was sponsor-aware too; it was usually a variation of the red and green of Castrol... n Perkins Jr is competitive as well. He was seen in deep conver sation over best times on various computer racing games with the visiting James Courtney. The two lads were getting quite heat ed in their comparisons, too. n The Sporting Car Club of South Australia has acquired the Colhngrove hillclimb. The Club is reported to have picked up the veune for $50,000 and will con duct all hillclimb meetings there y in the future.

3 n Congratulations to Frank Haire, who won his fourth,, Formula Vee Nationals title at Mallala recently. The Bendigo driver was unbeaten over the weekend in his Elliott Mk II and won from Paul Tucker and Shane Kuchel,taking the lap record for good measure. n As we predicted recently Kid Jenson Racing has announced its plans to enter Formula 3000 next year in partnership with Paul Stoddart’s European Aviation.

The team has signed up Frenchman Nicolas Minassian who raced this year for the West Competition team - and Ulsterman Kevin McGarrity. The team has also hired engineer John Bright, who was previously Brian Redman’s partner in the Redman & Bright team. n Entries have now closed for the 1999 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. We believe that 11 teams have submitted entries but it remains to be seen whether all will be accepted by the governing body. The official entry list will be published on December 1.

4

20 November 1998

n The government ofIndia has denied that it will be involved in plans to fund a Grand Prix in the coimtry. This does not mean that the project under consideration in Calcutta cannot go ahead as most of the funding for the race would be coming from the West Bengal state government and from British American Racing. n NASCAR phenomenon Jeff Gordon has admitted that Formula 1 is an interesting pos sibility in the future. The 27year-old, who recently won his third Winston Cup title in four years, said that FI’s travelling around the world was “neat” and that he is excited by “the tech nology and.the speed” of the FI cars. Gordon speculated that if he was to decide to switch to FI he would probably take a yea,r out to test and learn the circuits before going racing. However, he says that at the moment he is happy to stay in NASCAR. Watch this space...

H Lola Cars International’s counter-attack against Reynard in CART racing has begun with the announcement that PaytonCoyne Racing'will be the official Lola factory operation next sea son. The cars will be raced by Michael Jourdain Jr with a sec ond diiver yet to be decided upon. Davis Racing will continue with Lola chassis for Arnd Meier and there is some speculation that Bettenhausen Motorsports will use Lolas for driver Helio Castro-Neves.

S The FIA. annual prizegiving ceremony is to take place this year in Monaco on December 11.

The event remains small although governing body is stiU contemplating holding a large banquet at a prestigious venue, such as the Paris Opera,similar to the big prizegiving galas host ed by CART and NASCAR. H Reports in Geimany suggest that Formula 1 fan Boris Becker is working with Bemie Ecclestone on plans to launch a new international tennis World Championship in the year 2000.

Becker is working in association with German TV magnate Leo Kirch, who has close links to Ecclestone through his digital TV service.

S Malaysian oil company Petronas- which sponsors the Sauber team and pays for the Swiss team’s Ferrari VIO engines -is buying 27% of car company Proton. Petronas and Sauber have developed a 2-litre road car engine which will begin production in 2001 and there are also plans for 1.3-litre and 1.5litre engines although we expect that Sauber will be bought out of the project now that Malaysian engineers have acquired the knowledge needed to build engines. n The top management of the Toyota Motor Corporation were in France last week to attend the ground-breaking ceremony for the company’s new $700m facto ry at Valenciennes. The factoi-y will start production early in 2001 and Toyota is aiming to build up to a five percent share ofthe European car markets.

The sales assault on Europe is expected to be backed up with a Formula 1 programme.

-JOESAWARD

Gardner joins Perkins And

By PHIL BRANAGAN

WAYNE Gardner will

join forces with Larry Perkins next season in V8 Supercar racing.

At Bathurst last weekend the former SOOcc world champion confirmed he will race in 1999 in a Commodore VT built by Perkins in his Melbourne workshop.

But, rather than just acquiring a Perkins car and running it with his own team, Gardner’s car will be run out of the Castrol Racing facility as well.

Perkins will expand his team to run Gardner’s car and the VS Commodore of Dugal McDougall.

This makes the alliance different to that between Perkins and Alan Jones.

The ex-world champ will run a Perkins Engineeringbuilt Komatsu-backed VT from his own Gold Coastbased team, whereas Gardner’s deal is more ‘show up and drive’.

“I’m looking forward to it, with Larry running the car,” Gardner says.

“He’s promised to give me a car with the same perfor mance as the ones he and Russell will have. He’s proven he can produce front-running cars. It’ll be great.”

Gardner, who will be again backed by Coca Cola and Donut King, will race a small schedule as he did

ewe Hampens move rumours JOHN

Bowe

has

dampened rumours at circulating Bathurst that he was considering leaving the Shell team after 10 years to pursue his own V8 team plans. a If I had $100 for every deal that had been put to me over the years I’d be a wealthy man,” JB told us this week.

“At the moment I haven’t signed a con tract beyond this year with DJR, but I’m talk ing with Wayne Cattach about that at the moment and there’s a three year deal on offer.

Over recent years Bowe’s name has been linked with a variety of projects and teams including HRT, a rumoured Ford “facto ry” team involving both himself and Glenn Seton, and most recently with ex-DJR team man ager Neal Lowe.

He has, however, remained loyal to the Shell team.

Larry to take on young drivers PERKINS will run anoth er car at the races in which Gardner doesn’t race.

The Castrol Cougars VS Commodore, in which Melinda Price and Kerryn Brewer had their last race at Bathurst, will be HUNGRY FOR SUCCESS: Wayne Gardner is hoping for wins in a Perkins VT. pressed Into service next The catalyst to allow the season to allow Perkins this year, running at the on which team he would deal has obviously been the to test new talent for a race for in Europe, except to » Australian Grand Prix, implementation of a control possible future team dri say it was not Toyota Team Indycar race, Bathurst and probably the Adelaide 500. Europe and its GT-ONE. “I tyre, which Gardner and ver.

He will combine that with Perkins both support.

“I’ve got my eye on a wish,” he mused.

The Gardner/Perkins “Every time I’ve been on few young drivers,” said another year of Japanese last week.

GT racing and, possibly, deal comes around 11 a different tyre I’ve been up Perkins before months after the two were against Bridgestones — “Sometime sorne sportscar racing in even though I’ve been at Christmas I’ll be sitting linked together at the end Europe.

“I’m under contract to oflast season. the front of the Dunlop down and making a list “The problem in ’97 was cars, or Yokohama cars,” of names so 1 can sort TRD (Toyota Racing says Gardner. some things out.

Developments) and will the tyre situation,” accord “That’s been tough but, “I’m not under any probably run again with the ing to Gardner. “Larry was now that there’s a control illusions that Russell FET team I drove for this a Dunlop driver and I was tyre. I’m sure we’ll have a (Ingall) Is going to be year. The Japanese GT on Yokohamas, and Dunlop here forever and it’s best good run. was not in a position to sup series is really strong and “I’m going to surprise a to plan for these things.” ply an extra car for me. there are full grids and big crowds^t all the faces.”

This time we have put it all few people next year. Wait Please form an orderly and see.”

He would not elaborate together.” queue to the left...

CART-IRL peace?

AFTER a two-year dispute that has kept CART drivers out of the Indianapohs 500, a plan is in the works to resolve differences vdth

the Indianapohs Motor Speedway.

Officials from engine manufactur ers Honda, Ford, Mercedes and Toyota took the initiative in trying to resoNe the dispute last month when they submitted a new engine formula to IMS president Tony George, according to The Indianapolis Star newspaper.

If George accepts CART’S proposal,., the two open-wheel series could come back together as early as May 2000.

“I know there is a proposal and a willingness on the part of our engine manufacturers to create a solution and create a spec that satisfies what they(IMS) want,” said Bobby Rahal.

“There’s been a lot of talk and some momentum for this and everyone (all four engine suppliers in CART) is involved. And they all want to come back to Indianapolis, like we do.”

George was not available for com ment, but the contact between the two groups was confirmed by Fred Nation, IMS vice-president of corporate com munications and public relations.

“There have been some discussions

revised specs.

IRL’s revised specifications, expect ed to be unveiled this weekend, will not stray from IRL’s philosophy of “affordability and availability” of engines. Nation said.

“A number of the CART team mem bers would like to return to the Indy 500,” Nation said. “They believe the way to do that is to have engine stan dards that are similar between the two

dxiring the last few months with vari ous CART teams and various people related to the CART engine program, but it’s too early to say what this will lead to,” Nation said.

He said CART representatives have urged the IRL to make its decision on the league’s revised engine specifica tions for 2000 so CART can review them before deciding on its own

leagues.

“Once we make our announcement, presumably the CART folks will decide whether they want to move in the same direction.”

Ford, Honda, Mercedes and Toyota would reportedly be willing to switch from the 2.65-litre turbo engines to the IRL’s 4-htre formrda, which currently uses OldsmobUe and Nissan V8s.

A Messagefrom the Publisher Welcome to a slightly new and different Motorsport News.

Evolution rather than revolution has been the policy since Motorsport News was launched over five years ago and adjusting the content and look of the magazine is something we do in response to our readers’ sugges tions and input.

But it’s still funny how things happen sometimes...

The recent gas crisis in Victoria forced us to utilise a different style of paper for a single issue, one of the new matt-look products which is very much the fashion in quality Sunday newspaper liftouts.

However, Reader response was so positive that we have decided to adopt the look, but with an additional heat-based process to produce a sharp result.

We have also taken the opportunity to refine our design. The aim is always to make Motorsport News accessible and easy to read and, along with the new, whiter paper (which also reduces glare), you’ll find some subtle changes in presentation.

The recent demise of the Australian dollar has had a major effect on paper costs in this country, which means it is also necessary to raise our price a little. At the same time, however, we are able increase the colour content of the publication. After all - colour is what motor sport is all about... $4.50 a fortnight still buys what you are telling us is the best read in Australian motorsport. Continue to enjoy it.

Chris Lambden

iXo

20 November 1998

5

Webber’s GP McLaren?

By CHRIS LAMBDEH

MARK Webber looks set to drive a McLaren-Mercedes at the 1999 Australian FI Grand Prix - but not in the race.

At its formal GP launch in Melbourne on Tuesday, the Australian GP Corporation announced that McLaren’s unique two-seater will be com ing to Melbourne for GP Week and, although the subject was not discussed at the launch, Motorsport News understands that Webber is likely to be asked to drive the MP4-98T during sev eral demonstration runs with passengers on board.

As we closed for press, GP offi cials were stiH engrossed in the second, corporate launch for the event and uncontactable for comment.

However, the promotional plusses of Webber, a contracted Mercedes driver, undertaking the driving at his home GP are obvious.

Mercedes flew out one of its CLK-GT cars last March for its newest recruit to demonstrate at the last GP. The possibility of Webber get ting a preview (dlrive of the car, or even a test drive in a regular McLaren-Mercedes GP car, is something now likely to attract constant speculation in the intervening period...

The two-seater, the ultimate promotional vehicle, will be on hand to take a number of people for laps of the Melbourne GP track, with one member of the ticket-buying public among them.

Any holder of a Grandstand, General Admission, Qantas Explorer, Qantas Spirit or Qantas Club ticket to the GP

bought before 5pm on February 23 will go into the draw for the Ultimate Hide.

A few appropriate celebrities will also get a hot lap in the McLaren, while our own twice World Kart Champion James Courtney may get to collect on a rash promise reputedly made by McLaren chief Ron Dennis some time back that “any motor sport World Champion should get a ride™” Tuesday’s official GP launch, with the tag Tormula One With The Lot’, confirmed much of the rumoured make-up of the 1999 Grand Prix meeting, with NASCARs (for the first time in the world at an FI Grand Prix) and Group N Historic touring cars joining the programme (replacing Super Tourers and Formula Holden) alongside existing V8 Supercar and Formula Ford races, the Santos Corporate kart race and Tattersalls Histories.

Details are still being finalised with regard to a "revised Celebrity race (Volvo is rumoured to be the manufactur er) and a sports car race along the lines of last year’s Lamborghinis.

Off track, the MotorSport Awards Dinner has been added to the official GP Week events (see separate story), joining the Dutton Rally, Ferrari Fever in Carlton’s Lygon Street, a City Pit Stop Competition and the GP Ball on Friday.

Other developments include an increase, to 14, in numbers of Superscreens and the fi’eezing at 1998 prices of General Admission and some Grandstand seat prices. Information from Ticketmaster.

^

AN MP4 BUILT FOR TWO: Martin Brundle drives FIA President Max Mosley around Silverstone in July.

Come next March it could be Mark Webber up front - and a lucky GP ticket-holder.

I

Motorsport Awards to kickstart GP wtel THE

Australian

MotorSport Awards Dinner is to be an offi cial event in Qantas Australi2in Grand Prix Week.

The major awards din ner is now into its fifth year and, scheduled for the evening of Tuesday March 2, will provide a regular Brownlow feel to GP week in Melbourne.

Australian motor rac ing’s “Academy Awards”

evening is to be staged at the Melbourne Park (nee Tennis Centre) Function Centre, enabling increased numbers of the motor racing public to attend.

“The Australian Awards MotorSport Dinner has become a major feature of the Australian motor sport calendar in the past four years and it is fitting, for everyone,,that it become part of the Qantas

Australian Grand Prix Week,” Grand Prix Corporation CEO John Hamden said at Tuesday’s GP launch.

Highlight of the MotorSport Awards Dinner, which is co-promoted by Motorsport News and CAMS, is the announcement of MotorSportsman of the Year.

V8 Supercar racers Craig Lowndes and John Bowe are previous win¬

ners of the award, while Australia’s FI aspirant Mark Webber took the top award last time.

The 1999 evening will be compered by Melbourne TV/radio comic Richard Stubbs.

Information on ticket ing and other enquiries for the $120 a head black tie gala dinner can be made via CAMS(03 9593 7777) or Motorsport News(03 9527 7744).

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

deal causes worde

CART TV Renault NOT content with its on-track

success, CART racing will soon be seen on the small screen in a TV series.

Mercedes-Benz a.

By JOE SAWARD WHILE the Formula 1 world has

been unusually quiet in recent Together with Newman-Haas days there has been one piece of Racing and television producers industry news which has raised Neil Russell and Peter W. Kuyper, CART will develop a one-hour interesting long-term questions.

FIAT - the parent company of action adventure show with the Ferrari - has announced that its FedEx Series as the background.

The show, which will feature a foundry subsidiary Teksid SpA is to fictional third Newman-Haas take over Renault’s four foundries in entry, is scheduled to start in late exchange for a 33% share in the 1999. company.

“Twenty-five years ago, I had a Both sides deny that this is a sig dream about doing an open-wheel nificant step towards a merger of series when I was a young execu their automotive operations hut it is tive at Paramount Pictures,” the second major deal between Russell said.

Renault and FIAT, the first having “I have carried that dream with been a merger of their bus-making me and now, with the help of operations, and it comes at a time CART and Newman-Haas Racing, when there is a global move towards we’re going to make it happen. It consolidation in the automobile will be fiction rooted in reality with CART venues and personalities as industry in the wake of the DaimlerChrysler merger and warnings that the background.

“We’re not interested to be, nor Europe’s car companies need to merge to surviva can it be, the race of the week. Our A merger of FIAT and Renault intention is to take people inside would create Europe’s biggest this form of racing.” automobile manufacturer - larger Russell said he plans to take the than Volkswagen and Daimlershow directly to syndication on a market-by-market basis, rather Chrysler - but still smaller than world leaders General Motors, than trying to sell it to a network or cable channel. The plan is to Ford and Toyota.

It would, however, create prob begin with 22 episodes. lems in Formula 1 where FIA'T has Casting has not yet begun.

●j-i*

: UNTHINKABLE: Could Ferrari find itself compromised by a possible Renault-Fiat merger?

A full-scale merger between FIAT traditionally only been represented when FIAT bought Alfa Romeo in and Renault would put paid to plans 1986 the firm’s FI programme was by one of its companies. For more terminated within a matter of for Renault to re tmn to FI. And that than 10 years FIAT policy has been could be disastrous news for to support Ferrari in Formula 1; months, despite the fact that Alfa Benetton and British American Alfa Romeo in touring cars and Romeo engineers were working on Racing which have dreams of using Lancia in rallying. the development of a normally-aspiRenault engines in the future.

It is worth remembering that rated VIO engine.

6

N

20 November 1998

Eaton denies Seven pull out from Bathurst BATHURST 1000 Event Management CEO Greg Eaton has this week denied that the Seven Network is considering pulling the plug on the Super Tourer AMP 1000.

The Australian news paper pn Tuesday sug gested that the network is reassessing its com mitment to^the race in light of estimrated losses of $5 million over the first two years.

The article, by wellknown motorsport jour nalist Mike Kable, sug gests that the Seven Board will review the race at a scheduled Board meeting later this month.

Eaton told Motorsport News later that day that the Seven Board are “absolutely” behind the race.

“We had to evolve a five year plan for the Bathurst 1000 when the V8s went their own way.

We had to change direc tion and create a new audience and that’s what we’ve done.” he said.

Vl/CK

pXo.

Bridgestone to search for answers

“Our surveys at this year’s race showed that 30% of the crowd were attending their first ever Bathurst 1000, so we are getting there.

“We had to broaden the categories this year to assist the fieid and we had 43 cars on the grid.

I'd like to see more Australian drivers in some of the British cars, but that will come. We have something to build on.

“The Network is total ly resolved to make it work. Given the dollars invested in the first two years, they wouldn’t walk away from it lightly.

“Our sponsor AMP is very happy with the results. The new market we are creating is one they want to see.

“To be honest, I’m not sure why there is an ele ment wanting one of these races to die for the sake of the other. There is room for two races.

One is a domestic Grand Final and there’s a great international event six weeks earlier...” he said.

Off track: Bridgestone and HRT had all sorts of problems at Bathurst and an investigation has started, (phoio by John Moms/Mpix) BRIDGESTONE is in the midst of an urgent post-race investigation into the series of right-front tyre blow-outs which decimated HRT’s Bathurst bid.

Each of HRT’s four drivers suffered a

conclusion,” he said on Tuesday, “In the meantime. I’ll also be going over a lot of data with HRT related to front load, suspension travel, etc, because it does look like it’s a problem pecubar to the VT. “It may be that the VT is a httle hardgr on the front than the VS. This year’s tyre was the same as last years and there were no pAlems on VS \ Commodores.”

blow-out, Mark Skaife when leading and looking for all the world like someone in control ofthe race.

Bridgestone’s Graeme Brown con firmed on Tuesday that all the tyres Preliminary inspection suggested that were en route to Japan for full x-ray'- the tyres which let down Skaife and analysis.

Murphy may have had some flat-spot“Until that’s done, it’s hard for us to ting but, again. Brown expected the pinpoint a problem and come to a final Japanese analysis to shed further fight

on all the possible contributing factors.

Mark Larkham’s EL Falcon also suf fered a late puncture but, according to Brown, it was a different type of defla tion.

“Either way, we have to get to the bot tom of it and if necessary make any adjustments to the tyre for next year.

“If it’s a VT problem, and we’ve got Falcon’s AU coming on stream next year, we may have to adjust the tyre specifica tion.”

Although production of next year’s Control Bridgestone has started, it was halted on Tuesday until the Bathurst problem is resolved.

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nee again it’s been a while since I have put pen to paper, but when Bathurst rolls around, as you can imagine, all focus is on preparing for the big race.

We alland saidwasn’t it was going to be big, that an under statement! The amount of people that came over the race week was an all time record and it showed.

Before we go much further, I must say I give credit where credit is due. In the past I have been a little bit cautious about the likes of IMG, SEL etc as far as the inten tions of promoting our category and I even see by letters of a few readers of this magazine have been also, but anyone who went to the Bathurst event and saw all the entertainment and spectacle both on and off the circuit will appreciate what a huge success it was.

Everything from the Cold Chisel concert to the numerous autograph and interview sessions in the city centre with the drivers.

Then at the circuit there was the air shows,the Holden precision dri ving display, John Farnham singing the National Anthem with numerous other celebrities roam ing the pits. Real entertainment!

Well done Mr Cochrane and Mr Craft. And of course the people at TEGA who often get forgotten.

Bathurst wouldn’t Bathurst without a polishedbeTelevision presentation and Ten really rose to the occasion. I had the chance of seeing a bit more of behind the scenes of putting together a huge race like this is.

Take my word for it, before any one writes in about a criticism because someone misquoted or missed an incident, think of all the action that they are trying to cap ture, sometimes all at once, and the team that sit behind the mike for hours on end throughout the whole telecast.

After seeing it, it makes my job iook a lot easier. Again, well done team!

YOU would have seen the obviousiy telecast so you know most of the ins and outs, but on our side of the fence, we were very happy to have got on the podium once again.

It was a credit to our team to get us where we were as we really didn’t

T

20 November 1998

have the pace on the day.

We were counting on it being a bit hotter and chose a fairly hard compound tyre, so we suffered a bit in the grip department. It was cer tainly a hard day at the office as you would have seen by the in car cam eras.

We also had a bit of a game plan with pit strategy that meant we would have one less stop than most teams, but because of so many pace cars, it didn’t really end up as an advantage.

I was quite surprised by the overall pace of the race being slow er than last year. I can’t really put a finger on it as to why, but on the average it was about a second a lap for everyone.

I was happy for Steven Richards, he is a good mate of mine and very under-rated, but now hopefully will be recognised as a top line driver.

I spoke earlier of Cold Chisel, and it Iwas a fantastic opportunity for Lowndes and me to intro the band at the concert on Friday night. We met Jimmy Barnes backstage and he was really friendly and quite interested in the racing.

You reckon race drivers get pumped up before a race? You should have seen him, he was on the rev limiter half an hour before he was due on stage!

At‘Enforcer’ last I have started onrange the merchandise with the first being a limited edition Bathurst T-shirt (with order details in this issue). Watch this space for new products in the next issue.

I

was going to write a bit on CAMS but decided against it as it will probably cost me later down the road. All I can say is they are not my wife’s best friend at the moment as the annual holiday has been cancelled for this year.

I wish whoever gets my $5,000 Surfers fine a Merry Christmas!!!!

I

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MoTeC

Ifyou didn't make it to Bathurst,get your

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Front we^ Personally autographed? □ Tick if required

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Send to Russell Ingall Merchandise PO Box 127 Mentone Vic 3194

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FAI1000 CLASSIC - BATHURST MoTeC CUSTOMER RESULTS Congratulations to Jason Bright and Steven Richards Winners of the 1998 FAI 1000 at Bathurst and to Ross and Jim Stone, Campbell Little and all the crew at Stone Brothers Racing for perfect preparation and team management Congratulations to Mai Rose and Alan McCarthy for a well deserved win in the Yokohama Challenge Privateers Cup Holden Racing Team - pole position and fastest race lap

Century Battery 3 Hour GT ProdMctton Race 1st Peter Htzgerald/Jim Richards 2nd Neil Crompton/Darren Palmer 3rd Ed Aitken/Kevin Weeks ....

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8

N

20 November 1998

n Audi Sport has recruited fonner Ferrari driver Michele Alboreto for its 1999 Le Mans challenge, which is being run by Joest Racing.

The 42 year-old Italian crewed Joest’s 1997 Le Mans-winning Porsche and recently tested the Audi R8 sports-prototype for the first time in Italy.

Meanwhile, Audi has suggested that, if testing continues to go well, the new car could be raced for the first time in January’s Daytona 24 Hours, or the Sebring 12 Hour in March. n With BMW and Peugeot having confirmed their withdrawal, and with Audi due to do like wise, the German Super Touring Championship is looking shakey^ It seems that only Opel and Honda will run factory teams.

Nevertheless, the organis ers have released a 10event calendar. n Nick Heidfeld looks set for a second season of F3000 next year, having finished a close second in the series this year. The talented German, a Mercedes-contracted McLaren test driver, has given up hopes of an FI or CART drive.

0 A UK team,led by the grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell, is making final preparations for an attempt on the World Land Speed Record with an electric car named Bluebird 2. The US-held record stands at 215mph.

O One of the world’s most famous race circuits until it lost its bi-annual British Grand Prix fixture in 1986, Brands Hatch is to be almost entirely rebuilt. The existing Grand Prix circuit loop, which extends the lap dis tance to 2.61 miles but adjoins a housing developement,is to be demol ished. It will be replaced by a new loop on the oppo site side ofthe short cir cuit, to be built on existing car parks and green fields.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

oYo

New look for Super Tourers

There will also be a number of standardised mechanical compo nents, including front wishbone suspension, a spec gearbox/dif ferential unit and engine man agement/data logging units.

TOCA Australia will adopt the new Super Touring regu lations at the same time they are introduced in the UK, from 2000.

“There will be considerable cost-cutting for teams and com petitors, and the changes will encourage more manufacturers to join Super Touring in Australia and world-wide,” said TOCA Australia chief Kelvin O’Reilly.

“The new regulations, when introduced, will add a dynamic and fresh look to the category, while retaining Super Tourings traditional strength of offering manufacturers an even playing field with international guide lines.”

This may also be extended to brakes, wheels,fuel tanks etc.

Once settled, the new rules will be implemented in the UK in the next two years but there will be a longer, still-to-be-finalised time frame locally.

Set to change: Super Tourers are being changed to make it cheaper for (Photo by Marshall Cass) teams and manufacturers to get involved.

I

The target of the changes has been a 50 percent reduction in the cost of competing at the high est level in the class.

production line body shells and a reduction in downforce, but new engine rules may lead to a horsepower increase.

The changes include the use of

As well as possibly having

higher engine capacity in future, manufacturers’will be able to make specialised cylinder heads and blocks, rather than re-manufacture mass-produced units.

Boardroom battles for ilverstone.

THE Sunday Times in London reported last weekend that an $68m bid has been made for Silverstone racing circuit, the home of the British GP, by John Lewis, who has just resigned as chairman of Silverstone Estates, which manages the facility.

If the bid is successful the 800 members of the British Racing Drivers’ Club, which owns the track, would each receive $82,500. Lord Hesketh, chairman of the BRDC, is reported to be planning to write fo the members to advise them that he feels'that the bid is too low.

We understand that several bids have been received in recent months and mmours sug gest that those interested include Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB satellite TV network and Silverstone’s rival Brands Hatch Leisure, which wants to get Formula 1 racing back to the Kentish circuit.

While many members will object to the demutualisation of the circuit, the possible profits will certainly be an incentive to a large percentage of members. One option for the club is to float the company on the London Stock Exchange.

-JOESAWARD

“The British Championship is fundamentally built on manufac turers who build new cars every year,” says O’Reilly.

“The Australian Championship is built on independents and manufacturers who run in yearold cars. “ I envisage that the current cars would be eligible over a number of years.”

P11 - TOCA aims to slash costs

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Correct weight at Bathurst

The latest electronic technology came into play at Bathurst last weekend when it came to weighing all the cars competing in the FAI 1000 Classic.

AVESCO took delivery of the latest scales only last week from Revolution Racegear, which imports the Intercomp scales from the United States, where they were designed for use by NASCAR. Special ramps had to be manufactured to accomodate the low clearance of the V8 Supercars. The whole unit is totally portable and will be used throughout the season next year.

V8 Supercar Touring Team requires a

Truck Driver l Able to drive Volvo Pantec Transporter l Must have clean licence

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Australian Compliance plate - delivered from Ford Motor Company Australia.

Built by Harry Firth originally for B. Jupp (Jupps Motor Auctions). Completely rebuilt from bare metal. The car possibly holds more trophies/championships than any other NB vehicle. It's the current lap record holder for both Phillip Island and Winton Raceways. Will trade and can arrange finance.

Reluctantly offered for sale at $59,995.

Contact Graham Hunt- President Ford Telephone (03)9528 1188 or Fax (03)9528 4346

l Must be reliable and responsible l Part time initially l Must be Brisbane based l Able to go to Lakeside during the week * Able to go interstate during the Shell season Please fax details & experience to 07 3839 9392

BIK

20 November W98

y

9

Official: Sakata Goddard Biaggi for Kanemoto bags signs for 125 title Aprilia six weeks late ALTHOUGH it’s yet to be confirmed, Max Biaggi has agreed to ride a works Yamaha YZRSOOin 1999.

LONG-time Suzuki rider Peter Goddard has inked a

two-year deal to spearhead Aprilia’s Superbike World Championship team in 1999.

The 1996 Australian Superbike and 1997 World Endurance Champion will be paiinered by ex-Kawasaki rider Piergorgio Bontempi aboard the all-new RSVIOOO 60 degree V-twin. The Italian has already completed Ms first test on the bike at Jerez earlier tMs week, with Goddard scheduled to test in the coming weeks.

The future of Goddard’s Team Ansett Airfreight Suzuki Superbike has yet to be resolved. Team manager in 1998, Phil Tainton, is under stood to be making a bid to take control of the team in the wake of Goddai-d’s move to Aprilia.

In more pivotal news affect ing the make-up of the top SWC teams in 1999, Luca Cadalora has turned down a lucrative offer to partner Noriyuki Haga on Yamaha’s new R7 Superbike.

Instead, the 34-year-old Italian has signed a one year contract to pilot the MuZ 500, leaving the way open for Jean-Michel Bayle to join Yamaha’s SWC squad.

-DAEJRYL FLACK

His former team man ager Erv Kanemoto, who is desperate to secure a name rider for 1999, invited ‘enfant terrible’

■a^John Kocinski to test a at Jerez (asi iv repons indicat'..’

'Ule .jU .-k> Amaricun taraed in r times.

JAPANESE racer Kazuto Sakata clinched the 1998 125cc World

-DAKR'i'L FL.\GK

Championship at Phillip Island after all.

The fom-th place and 13 points that Sakata scored in the 125cc race on October 4 in Australia have been restored to him under appeal, giving Sakata the title over fellow Japanese rider Tomomi Manako.

Sakata originally lost the points because of an irregularity with his fuel, but his team appealed and the FIM upheld that appeal in Switzerland on Monday.

The ongoing rivalry between the two Japanese riders, who ride for the opposite Aprilia and Honda camps, should bear close watching during 1999 ...

Bikes on Shell bill AFTER facing a very uncertain future follow

In a bid to shore up dwindling grids, a new

ing the withdrawal of the Mobil Honda squad, the other top Australian Superbike teams will be back in

yet-to-be-named class will combine the Superbikes with a revamped big-bore Production Superbike cat egory that originally made its debut in the 1997 Shell Australian Road Racing Championships, The inclusion of the Production Superbike class, which is open to

1999 following an 11th hour reprieve from the major motorcycle dis tributors.

V,

production-based bikes up Because of concerns of to 1300cc, will provide an the Production Superbikes interesting showdown upstaging the traditional between thq'Kawasaki ZXSuperbikes, a review of 7RR, Ducati 996SPS and the rules concerning issues Suzuki GSX-R750 of equity will be carried Superbikes against the out after the third round, It’s believed that the all-conquering Yamaha R1 YZFIOOO and the $40,000 / Superbikes will appear in Honda CBR900 ‘EvoBlade’ at least five of the Shell V8 Supercar rounds and which is expected to domi nate if it’s brought in by possibly more.

- DARRYL FLACK Honda Australia.

SIX VIC RIES IN YEARS MMamMm

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RPM- Racegear is proud to be part of the Stone Brothers/ Pirtek Racing Team, and congratulate Jason Bright and Steven Richards on winning the FAl 1000 Classic at Bathurst last Sunday.

In fact, Revolution Racegear would like to congratulate all the teams using RPM Racegear for their great efforts at Australia's favourite race.

Jason Bright and Steven Richards celebrate victory with RPM Racegear.

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Mar 7 ... .Albert Park ....FIGP Mar 28 .. .Eastern Creek ...Rd 1 Apr 11 ... .Adelaide 500 ...Rd 2 ,Rd3 May 2 Barbargallo ,Rd4 May 16 ...Sandown .

June 6 .. .Hidden Valley ...Rd 5 June 27 . .Phillip Island ....Rd 6 ,Rd7 July 11 .. .Willowbank July 25 .. .Calder Park Rd 8 Aug 8 Symmons Rd9 ,Rd10 Aug 22 .. .Winton .. .Rd 11 Sept 5 Oran Park ,Rd12 Oct 3 . ..TBA Oct 17 Gold Coast CART Nov 14 ....FA11000Bathurst..Rd 13

1999 FedEx Champ Cars World Championship Series Rdl

Mar 21 .. .Miami, FL

Apr 10 Motegi, Japan ...Rd 2 Apr 18 Long Beach, CA .Rd 3 May 2 ... .Nazareth, PA Rd 4 Rd5 May 15 ...Rio, Brazil May 29 .. .Madison, iL Rd 6 June 6 ...Milwaukee, Wis ..Rd 7 June 20 ..Portland, OR —Rd 8 June 27 ..Cleveland, OH ...Rd 9 July 11 ...Bkart Lake,Wis ..Rd 10 July 18 .. .Toronto,Canada ..Rd 11 July 25 .. .Brooklyn, Mich .Rd 12 Aug 8 Detroit, Mich ...Rd 13 Aug 15 .. .Lexington, OH ..Rd 14 Aug 22 .. .Chicago, iL Rd15 Sept 5 ... .Vancouver,Can .Rd 16 Sept 12 .. .Monterey, CA ..Rd 17 Sept 26 .. .Houston, TX ...Rd 18 Oct 17 Gold Coast, Aust .Rd 19 Oct 31 Fontana, CA ...Rd 20

^U(o

Penalties fly at Bathurst THE Empire struck back at Bathurst last weekend when

the biggest fine was handed out to the organisers of the event themselves.

The unusual occurrence hap pened when Richard Mork protest ed the organisers for incorrectly returning his car to Parc Ferme, from where he could not re-join the race.

As a result of the protest being upheld, the organisers were fined $10,000.

In another matter, Greg Crick and Dean Crosswell were disquali fied over the incident which trig gered the pile-up at Forrest’s Elbow on lap 61.

Crick was found guilty of causing the contact which spun the Falcon around, prompting the eight-car melee.

Ironically, Crick’s car was not one of those involved in the acci dent.

The Tasmanian driver has appealed the stewards’ decision.

His claim is that the stewards’ decision was based on a single video of the incident and that fur ther footage is available.

It is also beheved that the teleme try presented by the Heath team

i1 ■f

performed at the end of the race.

Both received suspended $5000 fines.

-PHELBRANAGAN

did not include a steering trace.

There were also penalties handed out to Craig Lowndes and Mark Larkham over the burnouts they

Nascar only

Six race series held at Bathurst, Calder Park Thunderdome and Adelaide International Rway.

Winston Cup NASCAR -

33 race series held in the United States

Australian Drag Racing Series Dec 4/5 . .Calder Park-Vic Champs Feb 27/28 . Ravenswood - Westnats Mar 18-20 .Calder Park - 99 Nationals /\pr3 .Palmyra - Old Champ /\pr 10 . . .Willowbank - Nthfire Champs Jinel 1-13Wlbwbanl< - 99 Wntemationals

Speedway - .

World Series Sprintcars

Dec 30 . . .Nyora . . .

World Rally Championhip*

Nov 21 . . .RAC

(Photo by John Morris)

Two GTP enduros for Adelaide streets

.CalderTdome . .Rd6

Nov 28 . . .Bunbury .

Dec 4 . . . .Adelaide .

Dec 12 . . .Avalon . .

Dec 28 . . .Adelaide .

Disqualified: Greg Crick passes the accident scene and a waiting Alan Heath (top).

S.

Mar 4-7 . . .Melbourne (GP) .Rd 5

Nov 25 . . .Kalgoorlie Nov 27 . . .Claremont

' #

Prodrive buys Galmer

Dec 20 . . .Calder Tdome . .Rd 3 Feb 13 . . .Calder Tdome . .Rd 4

Nov 21 . . .Motegi, Japan

ii

PRODRIVE has extended its vast motorsports empire by acquiring Galmer Engineering.

The David Richards-owned company, which runs Subaru’s World Rally program and Ford’s BTCC effort, bought Galmer mainly for its fabrication and machining operation.

Galmer was started in 1990 and one of its Indy cars won the 1992 Indianapolis 500 in the hands of A1 Unser Jr. The ftiture role of the company, which was founded by English engineer Alan Mertens and American team owner Rick Galles, is uncertain.

“We are proud of our past achievements,” said Mertens. “'This alliance opens an exciting new chapter.”

Australian NASCAR Series*

TBA

JM

Rd 1 ,Rd2 ,Rd3 ,Rd4 Rd5 ,Rd6 ,Rd7

; Rd 14

14 rally series held around the world All event dates in this calendar were correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks and/or associations for date changes.

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

Check your local guides for screening details.

rvine wants to race a V8!

FOEMIRA1 star Eddie Irvine spent the weekend at Bathurst and now wants to return in a V8 Supercar when he retires from FI. “I want to do it at one stage,” he said. “This is the Formula 1 of tour ing cars; it’s proper racing cars. ’Two-litres is nice, but this has got real sex appeal. 'This is good bloody racing andthis is a mega circuit.”

Mangalore Airport

Perfect Location for Race Teams Mangalore Airport Industrial Development located 1 hour north of Melbourne on the Hume Freeway.

Runways available for testing.

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Enquiries to Stuart McColl at Mangalore Airport on Of 5796 2000

ADELAIDE will have two

The showroom cars will take

endurance races next April when the GT Production car class hit the revised GP Class nit tne revised GF street circmt.

It was confirmed last week that the GTPs will be the major

^ the track at 5;45pm on Friday ® ^ endat7.30pm. ^ endurance calendar, alongside t^e Bathurst 3-Hour and Sandown 1-Hour events,

support event for Sensational Adelaide 500.

Up to 50 cars are expected to enter the race.

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20 November 1998

Nissan wins the race for Aiello

TOCA aims to slash 2-litre costs TOCA has announced

BTCC in 2000 to help reduce costs.

Series boss Alan Gow said that new regulations, which are being formulat ed in conjunction with teams and manufacturers, will be finalised by April next year and will reduce MEANWHILE, Gow also costs considerably. announced a new points “Our aim is for cost scoring system designed reductions in the order of to promote manufacturer some 50 percent to the backing for independent teams - without diminish entrants in the BTCC. The series boss ing the performance of the cars and, if anything, , announced that in next improving it,” said Gow. year’s championship the “We have a responsibili two highest placed cars from each manufacturer ty to all the manufactur ers and teams to ensure would score points rather that the benefits of com than just one car. peting in the BTCC “Supporting an inde should always outweigh pendent driver will be a the cost, and our new reg very cheap way for manu ulations will guarantee facturers to help secure themselves valuable thht happens. , “We will work closely championship points,” with all parties over the said Gow. Further assistance for coming weeks and months to introduce these Independent runners changes that will see very comes from TOCA’s deci significant short and sion to slash their regis long-term savings and tration fee and increase benefits.” prizemoney.

driverfor another season NISSAN has snared the

challenge.

The Frenchman replaces Anthony Reid, who left sud denly last month.

His signing means that Steven Richards will have to be content with an extension of his testing contract for next season.

It would seem that Richards’ best chance of get ting a full-time drive in the BTCC depends on number two driver David Leslie’s future beyond 1999.

The 29-year old Aiello, winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours this year for Porsche, will partner David Leslie in the Vodafone Nissan Racing Primera GTs. He has won 40 Super Touring championship rounds in the past six years, split evenly between the French and Gennan series.

He won the French title in 1994 and the German title last year and has never fin ished outside the top three since moving into touring cars in 1993.

Before that he raced Formula 3000 and in 1990 he won the prestigious Monaco Foraiula 3 race.

“I am really excited about joining Nissan,” said Aiello.

“The BTCC is the premier touring car championship in the world and Nissan has established itself this year as the best team, so I have great hopes for 1999 and look forward to enjoying success with Nissan.”

“Laurent was always our top target and we are thrilled that he has agreed to join us,” said Alec Poole, gen eral manager Touring Cars at Nissan Motorsport Europe.

“His track record speaks for itself and he will fit in well with a team that has achieved remarkable success in only two years.”

In demand: French touring car star Laurent Aiello. ?.

Rouse gives touring car racing away

ANDY Rouse is ending a 26-year link with the BTCC by closing down his race team.

The four-times BTCC Champion may set up an engineering consultancy, but said: “We’re pulling out of motorsport at that level. We’ve given up any aspirations of stay ing in touring cars and will do other things.

“I can’t see any prospect of us getting another manufacturer in touring cars in the near future.

Gow said he believes the BTCC is due for a technical facelift.

“In the coming years the BTCC will face a new and exciting challenge.

The basic Super Touring regulations that have heen with us now for nearly a decade are, in my opinion, due for an over haul.”

that major technical regulation changes will be introduced to the

Steve Richards to remain as test

prize signature of 1997 German Touring Car Champion Laurent Aiello to lead its 1999 BTCC

Here comes the judge %

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“We’re now looking to see what we’d like to pursue for the next 10 years.”

Andy Rouse Engineering won two touring car World Cups for Ford.

He ran a semi-official Nissan team in ‘96 and this year privately developed a Toyota CoroUa Liftback which never raced.

He remains a director of TOCA and said: “Tou may even see me in the pit lane with another teasn. We’ve got a lot of experience and knowledge of the job.”

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again been linked to the BTCC after VW motorsport boss Andre van der Watt comment ed on the world’s pre mier Tonring Car senes.

“Maybe Volkswagen will do more than rallies in the future. The BTCC would be an interesting thing to do,” said van der Watt.

The company has said in the past it would be interested in Touring

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PO Box 6330 Shepparton 3632 Ph/Fax: 03 5827 1359 Mobile: OH 406 980 Email: speedwerx@diesel.net.au www.kartsport.com.au/akn/speedwerx.html

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There was plenty of good humour at the TOCA awards night last week, especially when ‘Justice’ John Cleland donned wig and robes to present James Thompson with the Whinger of the Year Award (Photo by Mark Bolhwell - Bothwell Photographies) a framed photo of Nigel Mansell.

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Cars, but only if it was not competing against sister company Audi, Recent news of Audi’s withdrawal from the series has removed what is seen by many as the final barri er to VW’s participation.

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20 November 1998

n Alain Prost continues to build up his organisation and we hear that he is now planning to buy out the Apomatox Formula 3000 team to be run as a Junior Team. This will be based in the old Ligier factory at Magny-Cours - virtually next door to the current Apomatox premises. n We understand that Benetton Formula has just agi'eed a new two year deal with Japan Tobacco to run in Mild Seven branding in 1999 and 2000. This contin ues the deal which began in 1994 with Michael Schumacher. n Unlikely rumours in Japan suggested that the Pfizer drag company is planning to use its new Viagra drug as a brand to sponsor a Formula 1 team.

There were also strange stories that linked the sale of Tom Walkinshaw’s Aitows to a Nigerian group of businessmen who want to use the team’s black colour scheme as a means of promoting black commer cial power.

H Ukyo Katayama is cur rently enjoying life as a mountain climber rather than as a racing driver but the 35-year-old Japanese star is tipped to be part of any Toyota Formula 1 progi-am. Katayama drove for the Larrousse, Tyrrell and Minardi teams between 1992 to 1997.

n British Prime Minister Tony Blair refused to give assm-ances that he would stick to government policy over the extension to Eui’opean tobacco sponsor ship legislation. Blair was questioned by Tim Boswell, the MP for the Silverstone area, who asked for assur ances that the motor racing industry would not be sacri ficed because of pressure in Europe to give way over the tobacco issue. Blair said that industry is “veiy important” but said that the future lies “in freeing themselves from tobacco sponsorship.” n Minardi is to continue its policy of trying out new young drivers and is plan ning to test young single seater champions from Italy and Spain in Barcelona between December 1-4. The Italian F3 Championship is yet to be settled but the Spanish representative will be Marc Gene, brother of fonner Formula 3000 racer Jordi, who won the Nissanbacked Spanish singleseater series which was introduced this year. n Alain Prost has been given many honoms in his career but he recently became one of new racing stars inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega.

The honour is largely reserved for NASCAR stars, engine-builders and Good Old Boys.

-JOESAWARD

£Xo.

Bike GP cost blow-out AUSTRALIAN Grand Prix chief Ron Walker said last week that he could not guarantee the Victorian state government would not have to put more money into the Formula 1 and motorcycle Grands Prix.

The state auditor-general's report on government finances showed this year's Formula 1 Grand Prix at

MICHAEL Schumacher

gave a cautious thumbs-up to Bridgestone after testing the company's new Formula 1 rubber at Suzuka.

"My first impressions of the prototype tyres are quite posi tive," he said.

The new Bridgestone front tyres for next season have a fourth groove around the cir cumference to reduce speed.

Of the 11 FI teams, only Aitows wepe not taking part in the two-day official pro gram to evaluate the tyres.

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Prix Corporation chairman, said it would be crystal ball gazing to pre dict his organisation would no longer need goverament funding.

"We are working hard on it but I cannot guarantee that it will get better," he said.

He said Victoria had drawn

$100m in free publicity from the races, which were telecast to more than 100 countries.

S<humi confident in new Bridgestones

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Albert Park had been subsidised by $2 million, down from $3.5m the previous year.

The motorcycle grand prix won last month by Michael Doohan at Phillip Island had cost the state $5.3m, two million dollars more than anticipated.

A sum of $l.lm was also allocated for capital works.

Walker, the Australian Grand

Positively no cheques!

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52 5

four other teams - Williams, Jordan, Sauber and Tyrrell must adopt Bridgestone after Goodyear ended its 34-year FI commitment at the end of the 1998 season.

But the 29-year-old German said he had a "long and fi-uitftil relationship" with the Japanese company - both when he was a teenage European kart champion and when he raced in Formula 3 in Japan in 1991.

"I am now looking forward to a great future together in FI," he said.

"To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about it because I reme.mber the disappoint ment I felt last winter when we first tested the 1998-pattem grooved tyres.

"At the time the car was dif ficult to drive and it v/as impossible to get consistent lap times, although there was a hig improvement later.

"This time I can really feel that the difference between three and four grooves isn't so great.

"Naturally it has been nec essary for Bridgestone to make the front tyres with a harder rubber compound."

Ferrari waited until Monday to sign a provisional contract with Bridgestone after team director Jean Todt reportedly threatened to use Goodyear tyres for the test in a row over the terms.

Lap times during the test were not officially provided as they were considered irrele vant, Bridgestone officials said.

But McLaren's only repre sentative, David Coulthard, posted the fastest lap of lm41.296s, compared with Schumacher's pole time of lm36.293s three days earlier.

"There is no doubt there is a big reduction in the lap times with the new four-groove front tyres," Bridgestone motorsport technical director Hirohide Hamashima said.

1 Extra groovy: The 1999 specification Formula 1 tyres.

Tyres help Bernie to reduce testina WE understand that hav ing failed to convince teams to restrict testing Bernie Ecclestone has dis covered that Bridgestone is keen to keep down the number of tyres needed next year and would like to stop the level of testing which currently exists.

We believe that Ecclestone and Bridgestone have come up with a plan to supply tyres free of charge to all the teams in exchange for them agreeing to reduce testing dramatically.

The plan will not be popular with the teams but in part the plan appears to have been conceived as a way to encourage teams to try to convince other tyre manufacturers to enter F1 in competition to Bridgestone. The Japanese company is des perate to have a rival so that tyres remain high pro file. Ecclestone is keen on a tyre war as it increases the variables in the sport

and makes it much more interesting.

We understand that the proposal calls for teams to be supplied with only three sets of tyres per day and that testing will be restrict ed to three-day sessions at nominated circuits to stop the current situation which sees teams going to differ ent places. That creates a logistical nightmare for the tyre companies.

We understand that Bridgestone is developing a computer chip which will be implanted in the tyres and that this will mean that they can be rigorously con trolled with no tyres being allowed to be used at more than one test. If the plan goes ahead there will be only three three-day tests in January and February.

During the racing season the intention is for there to be two-day tests after each Grand Prix but with only one set a day available per car.

- JOE SAWARD

Lotus directors banned TEAM Lotus went out of business four years ago, although David Hunt - who bought the Team Lotus name from the receivers - continues to dream about putting Lotus back into Grand Prix racing, But last month three directors of the team - Australian Peter Collins, Peter Wright and James McDougall - were all

banned from acting as company directors for nine, seven and eight years respectively, The disqualifications followed the collapse of TLL Realisations (formerly Team Lotus Ltd) which was wound up by the couifts in 1995 with debts of more than $20m.

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How to hijack history and other evil deeds f I was Bernie Ecclestone - and I am not half clever enough to be that - I would not waste my time with a Grand Prix in Albert Park. I would go along to the Secretary of Tourism of New South Wales and tell him that after the Olympics Games is over the state is going to need something else to think about to draw in zil lions of tourist dollars.

I would campaign for a new air port out to the west of the city (where there is space) and I would suggest building better roads up into the Blue Mountains where there are lots of beauty spots. You would need new hotels, of course, and maybe a casino or two.

And then I would send the bull dozers up to Mount Panorama and make the racing circuit safe for Formula 1 cars. This would destroy the place completely, but if I was Bernie I would not care because by moving the Grand Prix to Bathurst, one could hijack the history of Australia’s “Great Race”.

As with many great sporting events around the world, Bathurst is more than a race. It is an national institution. Like the Superbowl in the United States or the Grand National in Britain, it is not about cars going up and down a mountain, it is about The Event, which one should take to mean that it is a great excuse to have a party.

The Australian Grand Prix is an event (with a small e) in Melbourne but it’s not quite the same because for many years Australia has been a country ruled by the touring car. Since Jack Brabham retired and the old Tasman winter FI series faded away, the touring car boys have dominated the racing scene.

Bathurst is so famous and so well-established in Australia that when it happens the whole coun-

T

particularly south of the MasonDixon Line (the old dividing line between the southern slave states and the northern free states).

Down there in NASCAR country they don’t give a dayhem about those li’l ol’ open wheeler cooors. That’s for folk that don’t understand about life without a beer gut, a pick-up truck and only two kinds of music; Country AND Western.

One can make fun of NASCAR, but there is no getting away from the fact that the series is one of the great suc cesses of motor racing history and, now that the single-seater fraternity in the US has split itself down the middle and nei ther CART nor IRL has emerged the winner of the civil war, NASCAR is having a wonder ful time. They have even man aged to get themselves a race at the world’s most famous racing circuit - Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Formula 1 racing is cur rently trying the same trick.while the CART bosses sit around and say it will never happen.

They do not know Bernie Ecclestone very well.

Cartoon by Allan Schofield

Good Old Boys and there is no young driver out there who does not have the ambition to be an international star.

The Formula 1 circus has been smart enough to realise that in order to get the attention of the fans in North America you have to have names they know. Ever since Mario Andretti quit Formula 1 the sport has lacked names in America.

As long ago as 1983 - just after Mario quit Europe - Bernie offered Al Unser Jr a ride with the Brabham team. FI largely turned its back on America in the 1980s, although rising star Scott Pruett did test for Larrousse in 1987 remember that?

In 1990 Michael Andretti turned down an offer to drive for Benetton. The following year he tested for McLaren and Unser Jr appeared in a Williams. Andretti Jr finally came to FI in 1993 and it was a disaster.

It did not matter to the FI boss es. Although success would have helped re-establish FI in the United States, the fact that he failed was used to underline the belief that CART drivers are not as good as those in FI. The same year Nigel Mansell went to America and won the CART series, which underlined the case,

one another on quarter-mile dirt achieved precious little penetration outside the southern states of ovals.', That Went on until 1950 when a the US - although it is spreading bulldozer baron from South with events at Pocono and Carolina called Harold Brasington Michigan being joined by relatively visited Indianapolis and went new races at VVatkins Glen, New home to Darlington wondering ..Hampshire and, of course, the why stock cars should not race on Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, ut Bernie still wanted to woo big paved ovals.

Expansion west has brought in America and the next move He was a great salesman and successful events at Sears Point, was to lure Jacques Villeneuve when he wasn’t out building his Phoenix, Las Vegas and over in 1996.

1.5-mile paved oval he was wan- California Speedway, You can accuse Frank Williams dering the streets of the town, sellFor some years there have of many things, but taking risks ing stock in the speedway, been hints of international expan- with drivers has never been his Everyone thought he was crazy, sion - there are exhibition races in strong point. Bernie convinced but at the first Southern 500 in Japan - but there is nothing to him to give Villeneuve a test and 1950 Brasington expected 5000 worry FI bosses at the moment, the French-Canadian did the rest. spectators and he got 25,000. here is, of course, no reason It was a triumph for Bernie. The In those days racing was more why NASCAR and FI cannot CART Champion had beaten the of a participation live side by side, but there are boys in Europe.

1 11 -g sport. Half the signs that they will eventually Next year Villeneuve will be ^^Ifl was Bernie I would send the bulldozers up crowd cheered tor joined in FI by another CART come into conflict. In some coun , one driver and the tries, if you want to buy the TV Champion, Alex Zanafdi, and a rights to FI you have to agree not betting man would put money on whoever wins the CART title in to air NASCAR races.

NASCAR is well aware that FI 1999 being in FI in the year 2000.

An FI race with known “American” races ended up has designs on America and the stars like Villeneuve and Zanardi fact that a couple of Grand Prix with slugging matches in the teams have been sniffing around will be a success. try stops. The locals drink beer, Event its buzz back and the grandstands.

I guess what I am trying to say NASCAR’s biggest current star, throw another prawn on the barbie Indianapolis 500 transplanted to When Fonty Flock won the is that before long FI will be going Jeff Gordon, suggests that the and watch the race on TV. If you September could act as the finale Southern 500 in 1952 - wearing to Le Mans in mid-June and that if were an Asian President with for the indy Racing League. The Bermuda Shorts - he ended the stock car boys are right to worry.

Australia wants World Champions He says he is not going to aban move would also do untold dam expansionist aspirations - and day leading the 30,000 crowd in a don NASCAR, but at 27 he has in the future bulldozing Bathurst could afford it - this would be a age to CART because - although rousing rendition of “Dixie”. This is won the title three times in four using government money - might good time to invade the Lucky no-one wants to admit it - CART the stuff of which legends are years and is saying that FI is be a good way to start ...^ without Indianapolis is a headless made.

Country. “neat” because “they travel all chicken, running around but In those days the stars were around the world”.

(Joe Saward will be available doomed ...

Ralph Earnhardt, Lee Petty, Buck to be shot at dawn in Melbourne in It will not be for the money but Tradition is the important thing Baker and Ned Jarrett. Their sons Sport are much the sameand - awar concept we have March next year.) established in recent years - and and one of the greatest strengths and grandsons - and in Petty’s for the challenge. He’s beaten the thus one must conclude that the of NASCAR and Formula 1 is that case great-grandsons - are racing Great Powers of Motor Sport will each has important traditions today. ultimately have to go to war. Right which survive. FI has Monaco, now there are two great powers in Monza and Ferrari. Grand Prix the opening start of the of Darlington NASCAR revo was By coincidence, Eddie Irvine commented on Bathurst as a racing can trace its roots back to The the motor sport world; Formula 1 lution and, just as Formula 1 before the First World War. Race potential F1 circuit while he was visiting last week and said it and cars with lids on. would require surprisingly little work.

The tin top racers have failed fans may not know the details but found its Bernie Ecclestone, so “A Formula 1 race would be sensational here,” he told the to get together on a global basis. they know that they are watching NASCAR had Bill France to lead it to prosperity.

Herald-Sun. “It’s a superb circuit and It would need “traditional” racing.

Australian touring car racing is They are making fortunes NASCAR aoes back to the surprisingly few changes for a Grand Prix. huge in Australia but you don’t “The gravel traps would need to be bigger in a few places, hear much about it on Tokyo High 1920s when the moonshiners built down there in NASCAR country but the concrete walls across the top are fine, if you went off Street or Zanzibar, it is not dissim souped-up automobiles to outrun these days, racing every weekend ilar - on smaller scale - to the law in the days of Prohibition. and filling the grandstands wher you’d only hit a glancing blow.”

When the alcohol ban went away ever they go. But, while the series Bear in mind, though, that Eddie is Irish ...

NASCAR stock car racing domi nating the American racing scene. the rum-runners turned to racing is on top in America, it has

B

ernie is an ambitious soul and he doesn’t just want a race at Indy. He wants the Indianapolis 500 date as well. This is outra geous, of course. Tlie race has been held on the same date since 1910 but, when you stop to think about it, it makes a lot of sense for Indianapolis and IRL boss Tony George.

It makes sense for Indianapolis because right now the race is foundering in the middle of the IRL season. The entries are poor and the crowds for The Event in May, although still huge, are dwindling.

A Grand Prix would give The

to MountPanorama and make the racing circuit safef'or Formula 1 cars.”

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Eddie Irvine has his say

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The carbon clutches that every

team use always engage abruptly when they get hot l l l really need something that is driveable. If the behaviour in corners is edgy, you just aren’t going to get the lap time.

I was delight ed to outqualify Jean again because it con firmed to me that I was back on the form on which I’d started the season.

And, as this was my last race with Red Bull Sauber Petronas, after three pretty happy seasons, I really wanted to finish up with a strong result.

I had to fight back after my start, but the car was good so I could establish a rhythm, really lean on it and Mighty Mika: Hakkinen was a very popular winner of the World Title. drive an attacking (Photo by Clive Mason/AIJ.sport) race. I was catch for his big success, and I am very happy ing the Benettons all the time and I really for him. wish I could have finished with some Mika was a tremendously popular win points. ner, not only in the pit lane but in Japan in It wasn’t to be, but I was delighted that particular, and I wish him well. His success Mika became World Champion, and I was a nice end to the season. n think he’ll be a good one. He was ready

wasn’t riding my Harley Davidson at the time, because that’s even heavier!

o

kay, just in case you’ve heard rumours about me. I’ll come clean and admit that in the weeks leading up to the Japanese GP I was the victim of an accident. No, it wasn’t while testing an F1 car. In.fact, it wasn’t anything to do with cars at all. I got squashed by my own motorcycle!

My wife Becky had taken our daughters riding, not far from our flat in Monaco, and I took out my Ducati 916 to go and meet them. When I arrived I parked on some gravel and prepared to dismount.

On the Ducati, the stand (which keeps the bike upright when you park) has a very stiff spring, and I thought I had kicked it hard enough to engage it, but as I leaned over I realised too late that the stand had not engaged properly.

A Ducatfis a pretty hefty bike and once it goes beyond 20 degrees there isn’t much you can do to stop it toppling over. One minute I was sitting upright, the next I was lying in the gravel with a motorcycle on top of me!

Worse still, my left foot was trapped under it and, as I still have quite limited movement in that foot after my accident back in 1988, 1 was stuck!

In the end, to my great embarrassment, a little old lady came along and helped to pull the Ducati off me! At first I was afraid that I’d broken a bone, but it turned out just that I had only bruised my foot.

I suppose 1 should just be grateful that 1

Prior to the Japanese GP I was vinced personally, having beencon a team mate in the past to both Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher, that Mika would win.

He had the better car, which would help.

But I also felt that the real story would be the tyres. The right choice would be critical.

Mika had the right character to win, but crucially he also had the support from Ron Dennis and all the team at McLaren.

The difference between them is that Michael also has the character but doesn’t need the support. He’s more capable of doing something on his own. Mika responds well to being told by McLaren that he can do the job and I believed all along that he would.

o

f course, we all know about the drama at the start of the race and how that affected the outcome. The whole thing was pretty difficult.

The two false starts put a tremendous strain on equipment and the carbon clutches that every team use always engage abruptly when they get too hot. I can sympathise with Jarno Trulli and Michael because, when we had the third start, I hadn’t even opened the throttle fully when my clutch just snapped into engagement and stalled the engine.

That was a huge disappointment because, of course, I dropped to the back of the field and had to fight my way through.

But on balance it probably wasn’t as bad as it was for Michael.

4

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n qualifying everything that my engineer Tim Preston and I worked on calming the car down because at Suzuka you

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What have I done?

Jason Bright itispects the damage to his Falcon after crashing on Friday momiyig (right), but two days later he watched it cross thefinish line to win Australia’s biggest race(bottom).

The mark of a race=winning team is its ability to recover from adversity and that’s just what the Stone Brothers Pirtek squad did to win their first Bathurst race last Sunday.

A serious crash on Thursday ruled them out of qualifying contention, yet the squad and its two talented young drivers remained focussed and confident they had the ingredients to win Australia’s big V8 race - the FAl 1000 Classic.

Some brilliant pacey driving on the day from Jason Bright and Steven Richards, allied to a daring tactical gamble early in the race, got the Pirtek Falcon right into contention.

From there the race was on. Once the pace-setting Commodore of Mark Skaife and Craig Lowndes had faltered and Glenn Seton’s Bathurst hoodoo had struck again, the only remaining realistic challenger to the was the sister car

L

rock Clock

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Xiimbereal Limited Editien Collector Clocks Individually Signed^by Peter Brock

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BATHTURST

20 November 1998

77

Rain & Shine - Seton grabs the headiines Poor weather greeted the teams when they hit the track on i Thursday reports CHRIS LAMBDEN

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one-hour dry track window fell perfectly in an otherwise jwet day as the first chapter of the FAI 1000 unfolded, with Glenn Seton putting in a single fresh tyre flyer in the last minute of practice to grab the psychological advantage from HRT and a red-hot Tony Longhurst.

After a wet two-hour morning session, the skies cleared just long enough for the afternoon hour to be run on a dry Mt Panorama cir cuit.

Seton stamped his authority on events once the track dried in the afternoon. His first flying lap, on the first of his allocated seven sets of Bridgestones, was a 2:12 and it took some time before that was sur passed by anyone.

After allowing co-driver Crompton some laps mid-session, during which Neil actually bettered the boss's time by a tenth or so, Seton put on another fresh set "to bed them" and on a single hot lap chopped over a second off his earli er time, to top the day's lists with a 2:11.6651.

"If it stays dry and things improve as normal over the next day or so, 2:9s will be possible in qualifying," he said, "but if it rains and keeps cleaning the track, that'll be about it.

"To be honest, the car's bloody good. It had a few problems at Sandown, but the work we've done since has made a big difference."

Crompton's 2:12.88 was actually the fourth-best time of the day, so as a combination the Ford Credit duo were looking rather good ...

While Seton could be pleased with his day's work, top spot was assisted a little by HRT's more con servative approach to the dry ses sion.

Both Skaife and Murphy spent nearly half the session carefully putting three sets of Bridgestones

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each through their first heat cycle for a couple of laps at moderate speed before going for a bit of a fast run later in the session.

Lowndes' 2:12.41 came mid-ses sion and, although he had another run later, he couldn't improve.

Earlier in the day, Skaife had come out on top of a late-session shoot-out with Russell Ingall on a drying track.

One way or the other, the Dunlop and Bridgestone wets looked to produce quite similar performance, with a sprinkling of both at the top of the wet session sheets, although the Dunlop runners looked to have a slight margin if you had to decide. lar car in those last few Whoever was in any particu morning laps ended up with the quicker time, so we ended up with an interesting sequence which read; Skaife 2:25.37; Ingall 2:26.40; Brad Jones (lyiitre 10 Falcon) 2:26.70; Alan Jones'i2:28.06; Tony Longhurst 2:28.13 and Steven Richards (Pirtek Falcon) 2:28.68.

No-one else bettered 2:30.

Cam McConville, Seton, Murphy and an impressive Greg Crick round ed out the morning top ten.

John Faulkner sat out the first 90 minutes ("The car's been rebuilt so often now, it does it itself!") before sending young co-driver Todd Kelly out in the final minutes for 11th best, from Hossack's Wynns Commodore and Wayne Gardner, the two best Yokohama runners.

The two Valvoline cars actually sat out the whole two hours of the wet session, while some.Including Paul Romano, put their cars away after a handful of exploratory laps.

Garry Willmington illustrated his often-hidden flair by topping the Control Tyre privateer field in the wet in Simon Emerzidis' car, just edging out the Lansvale duo.

It was the afternoon hour.

Making a splash: Glenyi Seton steers the Ford Credit Falcon through the gloom as he dotnmates the pre liminaries on TImrsday- in the dry as well as the wet.

Fog on the Mountain: This was what the teams saw when they arrived to do battle at MtPanorama on Thursday morning.

Thickfog blanketed the top ofthe Moutitain.

(Photos hy Dirk Klynismith)

though, which gave the early indication of dry-track performance.

While Seton and Lowndes were where you would expect them to be, third-quickest was something of a shock, Longhurst thrusting the Dunlop-shod Castrol Falcon well into contention with a series of sub2:13s. Teammate Brabham was lim ited to just four laps late in the ses sion and he was very conservative some six seconds away at this stage.

As an interesting comparison, Longhurst was nearly two seconds quicker than the similarly-shod Shell

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18 20 November 1998

Dunlop hits late hitch Dramas for Dunlop when late testing at Lakeside revealed a material fault with the batch of 356 compound tyres destined for Bathurst. The batch had to be scrapped and new tyres(marked 356X to distinguish them) were flown in for race week.

In the end, a shortage of rubber meant that Greg Crick and Paul Weel couldn't be supplied. Weel made do with good second-hand rubber while Crick was allowed to use a supply of'96-spec Bridgestone slicks made available by the rival company while stick ing with his Dunlop wets. It was the "be^ of both worlds" the Ericsson team reckoned.

HRT talHIght drama Flighiight of pre-practice activity was an ongoing contest between FIRT and officials over the team's placement of the now-required "wet weather tail light" on the rear face of the bootlid rather than the top. With as many as eight officials and HRT personnel huddled around the rear of an HRT car at one stage, the issue - which threat ened to stop the HRT cars going onto the track for practice - was resolved when the offending items were relocated minutes before Thursday practice started.

Lolly lodc=oyt Pit Lane Uproar- no lollies?

Yes, the ongoing sponsorship deal between the privateer Cotter/Doulman team and a con fectionery company, which has seen the duo handing out lollies throughout the V8 Paddock for some years, has come to an end.

A new marketing person decided that the deal wasn't cost-efficient, even though rumour has it that the deal primarily centred around a few hundred dollars of lollies!

Fortunately for the small Sydney team, a deal was struck recently with Gatorade. Free drinks all round...

Bird=watchiBig The Pirtek team pit resembled a nature park, with Starlings hav ing nested and hatched chicks up behind the front roller door.

Apart from having to leave the door open, the crew were wit ness to the comings and goings of food-supplying parents who were, no doubt, wondering what all the noise was about...

A Stitch isi time Kiwi TraNZam star Ashley Stitchbury was a late, late addi tion to the entry list at Bathurst, receiving a last-minute call-up from Kevin Waldock's CBS Mining team.

Waldock himself was ruled out on medical grounds and sum moned Stitchbury across the Tasman.

The young Kiwi hopped on a Qantas flight, unsure of how to get from Sydney airport to country NSW, but the airliner's Captain helped out by putting a request for assistance across the PA. Stitchbury got four offers and one of his co-passengers drove him straight to Bathurst from Sydney Airport...

Falcons, which were down in 9th (Johnson/Johnson) and 12th (Bowe/McConville).

The Shell team had, however, opted to run virtually full tanks throughout the session and — apart from a concern about straightline speed — most of that gap could be put down to the fuel load factor.

Murphy did all the running in the second HRT car, making a spring change before his fourth-best time, ahead of the Stone Bros duo. Bright (doing all the running) shading the very well-matched Larkham and (Brad) Jones, t was the experienced Jones who brought out the second of two red flags which shortened the ontrack time in the session by locking the rears and rotating gracefully into the sand at Murrays. There was no damage and the car was quickly retrieved.

The first stoppage came when Scotty Taylor's venerable ex-Gibson Commodore spun over Skyline and stalled. Murphy, close behind at the time, was forced to straight-line the sector, through the sand, to avoid getting involved, but there was also no damage.

In fact, for such a variable-weath er day, there was a remarkable lack of damaged cars...

Faulkner was a strong eighth, with AJ tenth, just ahead of Bargwanna on a more or less 2:15 dead (a couple of seconds up on teammate Tender).

Gardner was 13th, although he had an ominously grained rightfront removed at one stage.

Visiting Super Tourer ace Alain Menu quietly acclimatised himself to a very different proposition, the Plaspak/Densitron Commodore heavier and more powerful than his usual mount - and with a left-hand ed Fl-pattern gearchange to boot.

Team owner/driver Tomas Mezera was happy with first day progress, the team ending up 17th.

Trevor Ashby regained Privateer honours for the Lansvale/PPG team with some mid 2:17s (19th outright), the nearest challenger again being Willmington, then David (Truckle) Parsons in Rod Smith's Commodore and the Imrie/Rodney Crick Commodore. / Mai Rose's day was interrupted by

Bewildered: The Shell team keep their engine bay con cealed as they try to solve a mysterious lack oftop speedfrom their two cars. The Perkins team had the same problem and werejust as mystified.

(Pbolo by Marshall Cass)

Headedfor trouble: Tloe lead Wynns Commodore bounces over the kerbs in prac tice soon before being wrecked.

(Photos by Dirk Klynsinilh)

a holed radiator, but the good news for the Sydney team was that the temperature climb was rioticed before engine damage was done,

D

ay one conclusions? Nothing unexpected. terribly although both front-running Commodore VT teams (Mobil and Castrol) expressed the need for more dry running, the VT having never run at the Mountain with its

"slightly smaller than the VS" rear wing ...

"It's a bit twitchy across the top," confirmed Perkins, "but we're work ing on it."

LP was also a bit concerned about a lack of straightline speed, which would grow to be a baffling prob lem as time went by.

Seton and Crompton were prov ing to be a well-matched pair; Longhurst very pacey, but needing

Brabham to get some seridus laps; both Stone cars looking strong.

The Shell cars remained an enig ma - did fuel load explain it all, or were the worried faces symptomatic of a problem?

Answers on Friday afternoon, when crunch time would arrive.

These, after all, were just the pre liminaries.

In the meantime, the rains returned... n

Menu in good company

t is a long way from the Swiss Alps to Mount Panorama, but Alain Menu made the trip for the second time for the 1000 Classic.

But, rather than the high-budget, all-out assault the Williams-Renault team had made on the Bathurst 1000 last season,the 1997 BTCC winner was doing this in a more low-key manner to help out an old friend.

Fellow 1987 British Formula Ford aspi rant Tomas Mezera was running his non works Densitron Holden Commodore VT and Menu was only too happy to visit Bathurst again to help out his former spar ring partner.

"1 just wish 1 had more laps in the car," he smiled on Saturday. "I've only managed four quick laps. The seat is too big for me and we have to do something about that."

That made the transition from the rapier like Super Tourer to the 600hp V8 even tougher than it should have been.

"The cars are completely different. This is my first time in a right-hand-drive car with an H-pattern (gearshift) since 1993. And the car keeps moving in the corners; you Settling into the groove: Alain Menu gets some valuable lime in the Mezeia Commodore VT- the brake earlier, you feel the weight in the first right-hand drive car with a conventional geaishift he bad drivenforfiveyeais. corners and,even with power steering, it (Photo by Dirk Khnismith) kicks back. The lines are pretty much the same and I'm not comfortable, but it will of R8iR on Hayman Island on the way named Eddie Irvine — stopped in for a be alright." weekend of spectating in what was, obvi home, but looked happy in the balmy Mew With a commitment for new employer South Wales spring weather, especially ously among the VS-crazed crowds, rela when the man who beat both he and Ford the following weekend. Menu and tive anonymity.

Mezera to the '87 FF titles — some bloke - PHIL BRANAGAN wife Caroline were restricted to three days

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BATHURST

20 November 1998 19

n holds on as things get serious The serious business of qualifying on Friday saw the Ford man stay on top, reports CHRIS LAMBDEN

moved closer, but Glenn Seton The heldchallengers them at baymight to takehave top spot in Qualifying for the FA1 1000.

Glenn prevailed by about a tenth of a second over Tony Longhurst, whose impressive form continued, with Mark Skaife third, Mark Larkham fourth and Greg Murphy fifth.

Indeed, the top five all came from Thursday's top six, the only car miss ing being the Pirtek Falcon. An unfortunate morning shunt saw Jason Bright out late for the qualify ing session and, just when his team was getting back on track, the ses sion lost its last 30 minutes and any chance of getting into the top ten.

The shunt badly damaged Darren Hossack's Wynns Commodore, the Colorscan Falcon and - most contro versially - Murphy's HRT VT. Expected challenges from Larry Perkins and the Shell Falcons simply didn't happen - and even the respective teams were at a loss to explain why.

Early in Qualifying, on the open ing lap in fact, privateer Rod Nash went through a scary moment on the way down to Forrest's Elbow.

The engine in the Bud/Auto Pro Commodore let go, Nash slid on his own oil, clipped the inside cliff face, rolled once, then slewed down into the Elbow wall. He emerged dazed but unscathed.

That incident cost 20 minutes and, after a further two stoppages, a 1 hour 40 minute session offered just 41 minutes of track time and

Dynamic duo: Neil Crompton was all but matching team leader Glenn Seton'space-setting times throughout practice and qualifymg. (Photo by Mcushall Cass) many a hot lap was ruined.

With the final 30 minutes being lost, the usual late-session shoot-out never happened.

Seton was ready for the chal lenge, but in the end no-one left pit lane...

S

eton had again topped the sheets in the morning's final practice session, lopping a tenth off his Thursday best, but, more importantly, \7vas delighted with both the car and Crompton.

"Apart from the fact that I'm run ning the light fuel loads and fresh tyres, Neil's matching me for times," Seton enthused.

"The car feels great, we've only changed a front shock setting all

week and we're reliable."

The planned split qualifying ses sions abandoned in favour of an allin extended one because the Stewards expected rain to arrive (it didn't), so it was important to get a clear lap.

Having queued at Pit Exit for 30 minutes, Seton was first out of the gate when Qualifying began, but the session was red-flagged half way through his first flyer thanks to Nash's spectacular demise at Forrest's Elbow.

When business began again, Glenn was soon on the case, a 2:11.46 setting the early benchmark was never matched. He was ready to go out and defend provisional pole when the session was stopped.

Professional presentation.

"I'd had a bit of an understeer on the previous quick lap, so there was a high-2:10 in there if necessary," he confirmed matter-of-factly.

Topping every session, Seto had cause for optimism, but was cau tious.

"I'm a realist," he said. "I've been in this position before with the opportunity to win, but it's fallen apart on race day. But I'd have to say I'm pleased with the way it's going."

Longhurst was proving to be the revelation of the week, but the man himself wasn't surprised at all.

"Since we got Level 1 Dunlops at Darwin, we've never been out of the top six in any session," he explained.

"Remembe r, I wasted five years of my life on bad tyres and during that time we worked very, very hard on our chassis, so as soon as we got some reasonably good tyres, we jumped forward..."

Tony put in a 2:12.01 on his first run but then sliced it to a 2:11.55 half an hour later.

"These tyres are fantastic," Tony said of Dunlop's 356X. "Another 20 degrees of track temperature and they'll be even better'..."

Skaife's third-best time was actu ally set on a scrubbed set of Bridgestones, the number'one HRT car one to be affected by the early close to the session.

Continued page 22

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P"R,IDA.Y

Waitingfor dad: SteveJohnson watches the monitor as he waitsfor Dick to bring the number 17Shell Falcon back to the pits.

Giving it some air: Alan Jones did not hold back in his last race in a Falcon but was still two seconds slower than teammate Longhurst.

(Photos tr^! Marshal!Cass)

"We were just about to go out on a new set when the session was stopped," Skaife confirmed, "but that's okay, we'll put a new set on in the morning (for the Top Ten Shoot-out) and have a go."

Mark Larkham's smooth progress through race week continued in qualifying, where the MitrelO car was the fourth and last car to get into the 2:11s. arko ran three sets of green Bridgestones to do it, chipping laway a few tenths each time and confident that there was a little more to come.

For Stone Bros teammate Bright the day became a fraught one.

Steven Richards ran his first dry laps in the Pirtek Falcon during the

morning session, setting a superb the team was bolting on fresh rub third-best time of 2:12.6 before ber for a serious run, the big shunt Bright took over for the last part of up on the Mountain stopped pro the session. ceedings.

If anyone needed the last minutes Running wide out of Sulman Park to pass, of al l cars, teammate of the session, it was Bright. They never came, so grid 15 it would Larkham, Bright got onto the mar bles and scraped the car heavily^ have to be.

"The data showed that a 2:10 was along the wall. Examination' possible," said disappointed team revealed substantial front-right cor ner damage and the engine had boss Ross Stone. "We came here to get pole and go from there. been ripped off its mounts.

"We can still win from 15th, but..."

The Stone crew, however, did a After co-driver Noske had run magnificent job and the Pirtek car rolled back out of the garage three most of the morning session, and a half hours later, with the Murphy took the second HRT VT Qualifying session just 35 minutes out for Qualifying, working down old. to a couple of 2:12.8s mid-session, A quick recce, a replacement then a 2:12.40 with half an hour to shock absorber and a 2:15 first lap go, retaining fifth spot.

But car 50 did not complete its flyer saw Bright 15th but, just when

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next lap.

Murph was quietly livid about the lack of warning which led to him bouncing off Darren Hossack's crashed Wynns car on the run down towards the Dipper (see separate story), precious‘seconds after it had already been collected by the Colorscan Falcon. damaged VT and an allThe outcome clear. for A badly nighter waswas in store the TAPE and HRT crews.

The big improver when it counted was Bargwanna.

The Valvoline team had struggled a bit with shocker set-up but, with the experienced Jim Richards on hand to help, made solid progress just in time.

Qn his second run, Bargs pulled a second out of .the bag and cement ed a Top Teri spot (6th) with a 2:13.11 before Richards stepped in

to clock up a few more laps.

Bargs also earned his week's salary with the save of the week in the morning practice session.

The Castro! Cougars Commodore, with Kerryn Brewer at the wheel, rotated out of McPhillamy with Bargwanna right on the bootlid.

Bargs went right, then left, missing the spinning car tDy millimetres.

In typical Bargwanna style, he didn't think to mention it to the team (on the radio) until they'd seen it on replay!

Also moving forward was Wayne Gardner. Having worked away on the set-up for the new Yokohama 74s, the Mongrel popped in a pair of low-2;13s for seventh and was quite relaxed about his progress.

"It's an old car now (5 years) and we're a small team, so we're not an outright contender. But, with a good run - and Paul (Stokell) is doing a great job - we could be a

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We're proud to have picked a winner over five years ago in Jason BrigM, a yomg man with huge potentiai thatfust needed a tittie help to get where we believed he was Imaded~ta the top!

We are thrilled that our support of Jason has helped him to win the biggest race (rt Me year, the FA11000 Classic at Bathurst.

To Jason, his co-driver Steven Richards and team owners the Stone BrMims, cmigr^Mions on a magnificent effort. At Skilled we are extremely proud to have been a part ofsuch a great win.

YOUR FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE

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FRIDAY

24 20 November 1998

Practice & Qualifying Times Pos No

Drivers

'1 5 Glenn Seton/Neil Crompton 2 25 Tony Longhurst/Geoff Brabham 3 1 Craig Lowndes/Mark Skaife 4 10 Mark Larkham/Brad Jones 5 50 Greg Murphy (NZ)/Mark Noske 6 35 Jason Bargwanna/Jim Richards 7 96 Wayne Gardner/Paul Stokell 8 46 John Faulkner/Todd Kelly 9 11 Larry Perkins/Russell Ingali 10 18 John Bowe/Cameron McConville 11 9 Alan Jones/Adam Macrow 12 17 Dick Johnson/Steven Johnson 13 34 Garth Tander/Cameron McLean 14 27 Terry Finnigan/Peter Gazzard 15 4 Jason Bright/Steven Richards 16 49 Greg Crick/Dean Crosswell 17 24 Paul Romano/Steve Ellery 18 2 David Parsons (Tas)/Simon Wills (NZ) 19 32 Tomas Mezera/Alain Menu (SUI) 20 7 Darren Hossack/Darren Pate 21 38 Mark PooleTTony Scott 22 43 Paul Weei/Neal Bates 23 3 Trevor Ashby/Steve Reed 24 26 Peter Doulman/John Cotter 25 75 Anthony Tratt/Bob Jones 26 54 Garry Willmington/Simon Emerzidis 27 44 Mai Rose/Allan McCarthy 28 72 Robert Smith/David Parsons (Vic) 29 14 Mike Imrie/Rodney Crick 30 39 Chris Smerdon/Charlie Cox (UK) I 31 22 Danny Osborne/Brett Peters 32 79 Mike Conway/Chris Hones 33 16 Melinda Price/Kerryn Brewer 34 134 Alan Heath/Ken_Douglias_ -r ‘28 - Ashley Stichbury (NZ)/Mark McLaughlin 36 23 Ray Hislop/Tim Briggs 37 99 Michael Donaher/Dean Lindstrom 38 20 Ian Palmer/Darren Palmer 39 60 Nathan Pretty/Nicole Pretty/Grant Johnson 40 36 Neil Schembri/Gary Quartly 41 48 D’arcy Russell/Colin Ivory 42 37 Scotty Taylor/Bill Attard/Stephen Bell 43 55 Rod Nash/Darren Edwards 44 77 Richard Mork/Bill Sieders 45 45 Shane Belkoff/Shane Cruickshank/Andy Lloyd

Car

Thurs AM

Thurs PM

Falcon EL Falcon EL Commodore VT Falcon EL Commodore VT Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VT Falcon EL Falcon EL Falcon EL Commodore VS Commodore VS Falcon EL Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VT Commodore VS Commodore VS Falcon EL Commodore VS Commodore VS Falcon EL Falcon EL Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS Falcon EL Falcon EL Commodore VS Falcon EL Falcon EL FalcorTEL Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VR Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS Commodore VS

2m30.79 2m28.13s 2m25.37s 2m26.70s 2m30.93s No time 2m34.95s 2m31.91s 2m26.39s 2m30.74s 2m28.05s 2m35.64s No time 2m36.61s 2m28.67s 2m31.28s 2m42.87s 2m36.46s 2m36.52s 2m33.50s 2m56.96s 2m37.51s 2m37.11s 2m42.32s 2m40.57s 2m36.97s 2m45.22s 2m42.44s 2m37.79s 2m40.94s 2m37.88s 2m46.54s 2m42.07s 2m47.67s 2m37.88s 2m40.57s 2m45.56 2m44.27s 2m46.50s 2m46.05s' 2m50.63s 2m59.90s 2m41.82s 2m50.02s 2m50.06s

2m11.56s 2m11.66s 2m 12.46s 2m12.77s 2m12.48s 2m12.66s 2m13.16s 2m 13.48s 2m13.25s 2m12.88s 2m13.37s 2m15.07s 2m14.09s 2m15.31s 2m13.40s 2m14.29s 2m13.75s 2m13.88s 2m13.58s 2m15.09s 2m13.55s 2m14.69s 2m13.76s 2m14.68s 2m15.02s 2m17.17s 2m16.40s 2m18.60s 2m12.63s 2m13.11s 2m16.10s 2m16.48s 2m15.06s 2m15.96s 2m16.55s 2m16.36s 2m15.60s 2m17.02s 2m17.13s 2m18.19s 2m18.70s 2m18.58s 2m16.16s 2m19.36s 2m17.87s 2m 17.24s 2m23.40s 2m24.63s 2m18.02s 2m18.23s 2m19.24s 2m12.88s 2m18.63s 2m22.20s 2m17.99s 2m19.46s 2m22.20s 2m20.75s 2m19.46s 2m22.40s 2m21.44s 2m20.30s 2m21.11s 2m23.15s 2m18.71s 2m22.98s 2m20.79s 2m22.59s 2m 17.98s 2m20.93s 2m19.79s 2m23.52s 2m22.80s 2mip.84s 2m23.81s 2m2^.67s 2m19.61s 2m30.44s 2m23.78s 2m26.79s 2m25.55s 2m28.69s 2m26.30s 2m32.50s 2m25.01s 2m19.97s 2m27.90s 2m27.41s 2m34.34s ’2m32.98s

Driver named in bold set the Qualifying time

Big improver:Jasoti Bargwannafound a second to qualify sixth in the Vaivoline Commodore thanks to some help from Jim Richards, making him thefastest KS in thefield. (phoio hyMcmhatl Cass) rostrum proposition."

John Faulkner was eighth - his third successive top ten qualifying effort at Bathurst.

It started nervously, with the Fisher & Paykel car refusing to run cleanly when fired up. No time was lost, however, as a plug change dur ing the Nash Crash clean-tip fixed the problem and John put in his 2:13.32 on his second run.

So where were Perkins and the Shell team?

Well, ninth (LP), 10th (Bowe) and 12th (Johnson), not really able to go any quicker, and frankly lucky the session came to its early close. A half-decent run from Bright would have bumped Bowe from the Top Ten and even LP could have been under threat.

What was going on?

Without Longhurst's perfor mance, it would have been tempt ing to blame the Dunlops, but clear ly Tony was doing okay - he was

two seconds a lap faster! The prob lem, it seemed, was a simple lack of straightline speed in all three cases. baffled, having tried everything Larry was to find theuncharacteristically problem - including an unplanned engine change on Thursday night.

"We're nearly 15kmh slower on Conrod than last year," he said almost in disbelief. The VT was quick across the top and onto the

Fri AM

Qualifying ’5m11.46s 2m 11.54s 2m 11.69s 2m 11.92s 2m 12.40s 2m13.11s 2m13.15s 2m13.32s 2m13.42s 2m13.59s 2m13.96s 2m14.14s 2m14.21s 2m14.62s 2m15.C1s 2m15.22s 2m 15.24s 2m15.30s 2m15.34s 2m15.95s 2m 16.34s 2m16.4ls 2m16.64s 2m17.82s 2m17.52s 2m17.60s 2m17.94s 2m17.98s 2m18.48s 2m18.53s 2m18.59s 2m18.91s 2m18.91s 2m19.45s 2m20.14s 2m20.32s 2m20.64s 2m22.26s 2m23.04s 2m23.76s 2m24.83s 2m27.52s No time No time No time

have moved up with another fresh set of rubber, but there were a few who could say the same.

Fourteenth was one of those pleasant surprises, Terry Finnigan winning the battle of the open-tyre privateers after installing his race engine overnight and solving an engine management quirk which had compromised the team's effort earlier.

The Sony Commodore, on Yokohamas, put in a 2:14.63, sixtenths ahead of his nearest compe tition, Greg Crick.

Crick was moderately happy with his older-spec Bridgestones, but dis appointed with his own qualifying run.

The Romano Commodore was further back than you would expect, Steve Ellery putting in the car's 2:15.25 before handing over to regular pilot Paul Romano.

Flowever, the car broke a tailshaft on his first lap, so that was that.

Mezera and Menu were next, Tomas slightly disappointed that he couldn't get rid of what he described as "just too much under steer" in the Plaspak VT.

straight, the engine seemed fine, LP was happy with the grip, there was just this top speed hole... completed the top 20, but it Modern systems monitoring Wynns enabled LP to rule out underbonnet T'he wasHossack/Pate an action-packed day car for the two Darrens. Well, Hossack at air flow to the engine and all man least. Fie spun into the sand at the ner of other suggestions.

Bowe and Dick reported a similar Chase in the morning and then, of thing - in a pair of Falcons. course, spun after Skyline in the first part of the drama which brought Baffling? You bet...

All three retired to their work- the session to an end.

The Wynns car was also badly shops to ponder further, Dick in par ticular disappointed to miss his first damaged and went straight to the TAPE workshops.

Top Ten ever.

Mark Poole (the Rosenberg "It's so frustrating," he said, "because I feel it's so out of my con¬ Commodore rebuilt after a disas trol. trous testing fire the previous week) n "Both of our cars have been very was next, from rally star Neal Bates, slow in a straight line since we got who qualified the Weel Falcon.

Steve Reed, 23rd outright, won a here and it's a complete mystery. tight contest for the Control Tyre "We're working on it and hope fully we'll find the problem by privateer pole, his 2:16.65 some sixSunday, otherwise it'll make it tenths up on privateer stalwart Peter Doulman, with a further fourextremely tough to do much ..."

Bowe wasn't much impressed tenths to Garry Willmington in Simon Emerzidis' ex-Seton Falcon with 10th, either.

"I'd rather have been 11th," he and Allan McCarthy in Mai Rose's quipped. "That way I wouldn't have Commodore.

The Tratt/Jones Falcon (an open the embarrassment(of going first in tyre privateer car) was also in the the Top Ten) in the morning ..."

Alan Jones filled in the gap 2:17s (and by all reports a straightline rocketship), while the balance between the two Shell cars, perco lating along reasonably okay, but of the 42 official qualifiers ranged also two seconds off teammate down to the 2:27s of the Taylor/Bell Commodore.

Longhurst's times. Strange.

The Tander/McLean Vaivoline car Not registering a time were Nash was next (13th) and was another (after his first lap roll), Shane that could have used the missing 30 Cruickshank (after blowing an minutes late in the session. Garry engine in the morning) and the Rogers was convinced Tender could Mork/Siedefs Commodore. n

-J

BATHURST

[jShiOcsilSftxsaft

20 November 1998

25

9

Making an impressiotv Joh7i Faulkner was out to impress and he didjust that throughoutprac tice and qualifying, co^nfortably slotting into the top 10.

(Photo hy Dirk Kfynsmith)

Just warming up: The tnountain men were already well into the lubrication and this guy left no doubt about hispreferences ...

(Photo byMai'shall Cass) t

Turn it up, son: Twh men with good reason to have hearing problems- SirJack Brabham and rockerIan Moss, the lead guitaristfrom Cold Chisel, who took time outfor a chat in pit lane.

(Photo by Dirk Khnismith)

Flaggies under fire after crash H

despite flinging his car side RT's Greg Murphy,sup ways,couldn't miss the unfortu ported by teammate Mark nate Hossack.

Skaife, was critical of flag "I'm pretty pissed off actual marshalling at Skyline follow ly," Murph said after Qualifying. ing the crash which badly dam > "The Colorscan car was already aged the #50 Mobil HRT car. out of sight when 1 got there. It Murphy arrived over the crest was an avoidable accident and some seconds after a stationary we've got a badly damaged car Darren Hossack Wynns because of it."

Commodore had been struck a Skaife concurred:"I got there glancing blow by Danny probably 30 seconds later and Osborne in the Colorscan had to go over all the debris Falcon. and stuff. Murph was already Hossadc had ploughed out of his car and there was through the sand trap and spun STILL Just a single yellow on the to a halt. left as you approach it Where "I got sideways,then ran out of talent" a rueful Hossack said. were the double yellows?"

Skaife confirmed that he Murph maintained that a sin would be making representa gle, stationary yellow flag was tions to officials about the grossly insufficient to warn of necessity for the highest stansuch a major incident and.

dards at the three key blind spots on the track. Senior track officials were, according to reports, transferred into these key spots before race day.

The HRT crew, with Dencar duo George Smith and Dennis Watson on hand, repaired their car in-house in the Mobil garage,the crew getting just 90 minutes sleep during an allnighter to present-an almost as-new car to Murph the following morning.

Apart from a near complete rear end rebuild,the car heeded a front cross member,steering rack and other ancillary equip ment. The crew fitted the race running gear as scheduled at the same time.

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tilborf

TOP lO SHOOT-OUT

26 20 November 1998

1,

Ml

Skaife's pole encore The king of qualifying did it again for HRT in the Shoot-out CHRIS LAMBDEN reports

M

ark Skaife did it for Brock last year - this year he did it for Craig Lowndes.

HRT's qualifying specialist put in a blistering lap during the warm up then improved it further when it mattered to take V8 lap speeds into new territory with the fastest ever l^p of Mt Panorama.

Tony Longhurst joined him on the front row with an equally impressive^.gain over his Friday speed, while'Glenn Seton's fastest lap of the week was still only quick enough for third, edging out Mark Larkham.

These four were the main con tenders.

John Faulkner beat everyone else for a strong fifth, from John Bowe, Wayne Gardner, Jason Bargwanna and a slightly dispirit ed Larry Perkins in ninth.

Although his car was repaired after its Friday shunt, a previously undetected damaged seat forced Greg Murphy to scratch from the shoot-out and accept a grid 10 race start.

T

here's no doubt about it - if you want your car on pole, Skaifey's your man.

As he'd revealed late on Friday, there hadn't been a fresh tyre run during Qualifying and there was more to come.

Further overnight changes to the #1 car proved positive when Skaife undertook two single lap dummy runs during the warm-up.

The first was on a scrubbed set of tyres and produced a 2:11.09. The second, on a fresh set, a 2:10.49.

Decision made. Skaife would opt for a fresh set for the actual shoot-out.

Longhurst gave notice of things to come (2:11.19) by trialling quicker than Seton (2:11.74), although he opted to run vyith his scrubbed, warm set when the time came.

Top Ten Shoot-Out Times Pos Driver

Car

Time

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Mobil Commodore VT Castrol Falcon EL Ford Credit Falcon EL Mitre 10 Falcon EL F & P Commodore VS Shell Flelix Falcon EL Coke Commodore VS Valvoline Commodore VS Castrol Commodore VT

2:09.8945 2:10.4492 2:10.8801 2:10.9059 2:12.2551 2:12.3975 2:12.9215 2:12.9773 2:13.0273 DNS

Mark Skaife Tony Longhurst Glenn Seton Mark Larkham John Faulkner John Bowe Wayne Gardner Jason Bargwanna Larry Perkins Greg Murphy

Two wheelsf.is enough: Mark Skaife drove a storming lap to claim pole by a comfortable marginfrom a trio ofFord drivers.

(Photo lyy Dirk Klynsmilh)

He was in after just one explorato ry lap in the rebuilt #50 car. While the crew were under the front attending to a suspension prob lem, it was also clear that damage to the.^eat mountings had been missed during the all-nighter.

There was no real option other than to scratch from the Top Ten.

B

owe was first out and put in a very workmanlike, clean lap which gave a worthwhile gain in grid spot - to sixth.

Mobp Commodore VT Perkins was next, a little wide at the Cutting, a little tally out of the All the Bridgestone runners Perkins and Gardner ("the fronts Chase. Just not quite right. went for fresh tyres, although will take a while to come on") Faulkner emerged in the Fisher Larkham's had run one quiet lap opting for scrubbed Dunlops and & Paykel car. As he would say "just to get the shine off them."

Yokohamas respectively. later, "Our sponsorship is perfor Bowe ran fresh Dunlops, with For Murphy the news was* grim. mance-based and the few minutes of fame in the top ten are impor tant to us..." His lap was a good, smooth one, good enough for fifth.

Out came Gardner, only expect ing to be ninth, but typically aggressive, albeit a little slower than Faulkner.

Bargwanna tried the slow warm-up, tyre-warming weave route and - bearing in mind last year's sad exit - might have been a tad conservative. A rear locked into the Chase, but otherwise it was okay, if slower than Gardner.

So far, no-one had been under 2:12, but that was about to change.

Larkham, ever the thinker, was out next, actually making a front bar adjustment up Mountain

Straight to cater for the not yet fully warmed Bridgestones.

It got up on two wheels for a bit long out of the Dipper, but it was far and away the best lap to date -2:10.9059.

Skaife was next and before he'd got out onto Conrod it was quick - over half a second up on Larkd.

Into the Chase he was deep, very deep under brakes. It was a stunner - 2:09.8945. It would take an extraordinary effort to beat that.

Longhurst gave it a fair dinkum go, right over the outside kerbs exiting Repco, and was a superb three-quarters of a second better than his warm-up time 2:10.4492.

That's what Seton needed to beat to stay on the front row and, surprisingly, he missed it. It was a good lap, with just a small front lock-up into the Dipper, but fourtenths shy of Longhurst's time.

Grid three.

A

nd so to the race. Could Perkins and the Shell team cure their mysterious straight-line speed problem and become part of the equation again?

It wasn't looking good, although a couple of hours after the shoot-out had finished, the Perkins team thought they might have had an idea and jumped into a second engine change...

But the obvious contenders appeared to be on the front two rows. Throw in Murphy (from grid Rubber to bum: Larry Perkins 10) and possibly Bright (15) and you most likely had the six cars lights up his Dunlops as he returns that Skaife himself alluded to as to thepits after setting the slowest time ofthe Shoot-Out. genuine chances - attrition and (Photo by Marshall Cass) Weather aside. n

BATHURST

20 November 1998

Ycmth enters Jason Bright and Steve Richards picked a fine time to score their first V8 wins, thanks to the Stone Brothers. PHIL BRANAGAN reports gome major changes at The guard with may Jason have underBathurst Bright and Steven Richards overcoming a low starting position to take a strong win in the 1998 FAl 1000 Classic.

Clevdr tactics allowed the youngsters to capitalise on their team's hard work and put an eighth row start behind them quickly.

In the second half of the race the Pirtek car controlled the race after the Mobil Holden Racing Team car of Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife had a series of tyre failures.

Both HRT drivers were sent off-track after right-front tyres exploded, luckily without seri ous damage. They recovered to finish sixth.

Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall drove a typically dogged race to finish second in the Castrol Commodore VT, which lacked the speed of the winner.

Good driving and excellent pitwork kept them in the hunt and Perkins was Just too stubborn to relinquish second at the end.

The man wishing he wasn't was Jason Bargwanna, who shared a strong run with Jim Richards for third, while Mark Larkham and Brad Jones came in fourth after fuel pressure and pick-up problems limited their challenge.

Glenn Seton's Bathurst bogey continued, the Ford Credit Falcon falling foul of a power steering failure, which restricted

Pre-Race is usually the most boring in The afternoon the Saturday whole season but, insession 1998, the time sheet was a telling docu ment.

After much head-scratching the Perkins outfit thought they had a solution to their top speed dilemma and made a belated decision to change engines.

The improvement astonishing. On full-ish tanks and scrubbed rubber Perkins zoomed to a 2m12.8s on his

h'

Glenn and Neil Crompton to fifth.

A cataclysmic mid-race crash at Forrest's Elbow accounted for

m'

tI

10

27

●K UUWHAM

.W

● Jason Bright and Steven Richards take classic Bathurst win ● Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall overcome lack of speed for second ● Strong challenge from Jason Bargwanna and Jim Richards just falls.short ● Second Larkham/Jones Stone Brothers car hampered by fuel and oil problems ● Holden Racing Team and Dick Johnson Racing suffer major problems , ● Mai Rose and Allan McCarthy take steady Privateer win

five cars and delayed another three, including front-row quali fier Tony Longhurst, who sol diered on for eighth with Geoff Brabham.

The Shell Team had a shocker, both cars out before half-dis tance.

The Bowe/McConville car was stricken with three bizarre engine rocker failures, while the Johnson family had their hopes dashed in the Disaster of Forrest's Elbow.

Privateer honours fell to Mai Rose and Allan McCarthy, the battler's battler having a steady run after tearaway class leader Ashby/Reed stopped with electri cal problems. first lap; Ingall leapt in for a steer and did a 12.6 and a 12.4 on his two hot laps to lead the session.

The top end speed was back in the high-280s and the glint was back in the Perkins' eye.

What had bgen the problem? LP declined to confirm whether it was an installation problem or in the engines themselves. It was maybe a little of both - whatever, it was

I I | | I | I I I I P

gone and Perkins was back in the game again.

The other recoveree was Johnson.

| | Pi

THE H^CE

28 20 November 1998

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end grafted on, the crew on the Gibson machine working 24 hours straight to fix the damage.

All it needed was painting in TAPE'S spray booth and it came out looking brand new. It would go like it too; it was a brilliant effort all around.

The Sunday morning session went smoothly, apart from the fact that, with daylight saving and a 7:15am start, the cars (and drivers) were running earlier than ever in 'real' time.

Missing was Darren Palmer; he had felt unwell during the GTP race and getting worse as the afternoon went on.

He had symptoms of the flu and the Hippies team made the decision to replace him with Dominic Beninca, who would have to run for the first time in this session.

The major woe befell the Toll car, the gearbox of which was stuffed. They installed a newer one and, despite problems firing up the car, all seemed Well.

Not so with Donaher and Lindstrom. They were Catch 22ed when their tailshaft failed on the formation lap and the team could not re-weld it in the pit bunker.

Once they took the car back to their garage to fix it, under the rules of the raced they were retired...

Race = 161 laps

A

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The other notable problem was Mezera's. The clutch was playing up and a new one went in overnight.

It was all go at the TAPE enclo sure. By 5pm the Bud and Wynns Commodores had both had a new

Longhurst was not about to commit to a Victor Bray getaway at the start and Gardner had promised the Coke lads a safe start from seven. Longhurst's ini tial getaway was good but he muffed the change to second and immediately fell back; on two neat strips of hot rubber, Wayne's was dynamite. At Hell the two almost touched...

Lowndes' was no less impres sive. He blasted into Hell well clear of Larkham and Seton, and

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The team was not too willing to talk about things, but it appears that the car was funda mentally out of front-end align ment and a re-string fixed it greatly.

But Bowe was in bother. He felt something was wrong when he handed over to McConville. He

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BATHURST

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20 November 1998

●7

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but why so early?

It was strategy. The team believed that its best shot at making ground was to start the car light and make their 'short' shift early. It was work ing and Jason resumed in 18th.

The stalemate was not suiting Murphy. He turned up the pace and Clean start- Lowndes got past Bargwanna and Gardner, leads the charge into then pursued Longhurst for a while Flell, followed by and moved past on lap 17. He was Larkham and the resr. fourth, 9s back from Seton.

The leading pace was already (Photos by Marshall Cass) back into the 14s and low 15s, and Murphy was pushing Gardner cloud cover was cooling the track.

Tander was chasing ninth-placed towards Bargs, from Bowe and the Dick vs Larry battle, while the rest Perkins in traffic but, on lap 22, the two came together. Approaching spread out behind.

Romano w'as having problems. He the Elbow Perkins was baulked and had had a rub with Crick in traffic Tander tried the inside. His nose and was sensing a noise at the rear crunched Perkins' door and he pit ted immediately for panel beating of the car. After a dozen laps he pit (and then a second stop for atten ted for an inspection, the crew find ing a diff oil leak which they tion to power steering) while Larry cleaned up before he resumed. A felt the car out but carried on large rear tyre was rubbing too; that ly undamaged.

While the lead battle had settled prompted another stop. down so too had Alan Jones. Like Bright had moved up^strpnglv, but pitted on lap fl. The tearTH* Bright he pitted early, on lap 26, but - — looked ready and the stop was Continued Page 32 unhurried and he quickly resumed, Teamwork: Glenn Seton climbs out of the Ford Credit Falcon and Neil Crompton gets in, but the Seton Bathuist Jinx was soon to strike agam.

the MHRT VT immediately set a small gap to the field.

The other notable starters were Finnigan, who had mirrored Gardner with a peach of a start, and first time carbon clutch user Peters, who had stalled and was away slowly.

After a lap Lowndes had 0.92s lead from Larkham, Seton, Bargwanna, Longhurst, Gardner, Murphy, Bowe, Dick Johnson, Perkins, Tander, the fast-moving Bright, Crick, Alan Jones, Romano, Poole, 'Wynns' Parsons, Pate, Reed, Rose, 'Truckle' Parsons, Doulman, Smerdon, Brewer, Tratt, Conway,

Heath, Emerzidis, Hislop, McLaughlin, Schembri, Peters, Palmer, Pretty, Imrie, Nash, D'arcy Russell, Taylor, Lloyd, Mork, Weel, Faulkner and Mezera.

The last two names had suffered big problems.

Faulkner's tailshaft had twisted on the line and he soon pitted, from where he was forced to carry on at less than warp speed, so deflated by the early set-back that he put Todd Kelly in the car immediately.

Tomas was going,nowhere; the clutch had failed and he crawled up to the Cutting where he thoughtful ly backed the car out of the way. His

day was over before it started.

Lowndes was trying to stretch away, but Larkham was covering him. On lap two Craig all but equalled the lap record with a 2m13.33s; a lap later he brained it with a 2;12.7771s, the fastest lap of the race. Larko lost a little ground but was hanging on. pr.e-race predictions of 'safe The weren't.

The drivers' andrest steady' were being played out.

Seton, Longhurst, Bargwanna and Gardner were running to their race plan and spreading themselves out;

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THE RACE

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Not this time: Tony Longhurst went backwardsfrom the time the race started and was later caught up in the big (Photo byMaishall Cass) crash at Forrest’s Elbow. Still, he and GeoffBrabham soldiered onfor a top 10finish.

Continued from Page 29 this was tactical for a different rea son. The team wanted the stop out of the way before Longhurst's so Macrow got his first taste of V8 rac ing early.

But he was back immediately; an 0-ring had stuck in his fuel connec tion.

Mark Poole had decided to build slowly into the race but, after 28 laps, he heard a noise from the diff.

Scott went out for a few laps and reported it was no worse - where upon the diff immediately gave up the ghost.

Then came the 'scheduled' stops.

Gardner started the sequence, handing over to Stokell after 30 laps.

Wl

orryingly Larkham was in next lap; the car was not picking up all its fuel but the stop was close enough to the fuel window to not be too much of a concern yet. As Brad Jones left Bargs arrived, followed by Dick who handed over to Steven.

But the warning bells were going off. The Shell team cleared their sec ond put bunker and pulled the poles blocking the entry from pitlane.

Bowe had broken another rocker and the car nosed straight in on lap 3,2. It would be 5 laps until McConville resumed in 38th spot.

Murphy was in trouble too. A right-front tyre had blown on his 'in' lap, forcing him through the McPhillamy sand. He got out and Noske resumed a lap down but soon re-pitted for attention to the steering, which had been damaged in the incident.

Seton was in after 33 laps fol lowed by Longhurst and Perkins.

But Lowndes was looking invinci ble; he went 35 laps before pitting for Skaife, who resumed 10s in the lead.

Ouch; the lead HRT car was fast AND it was economical...

The winner in the kerfuffle was Bright. He was now fourth behind Skaife, Jones and Crompton and he was ahead of Richards, Ingall, Johnson and Stokell.

However, the latter was starting to experience woes; the alternator was starting to f^il. It wasn't slow ing him down but the battery was getting used up and, soon, battery 'range' would take the car out of the lead group.

On lap 48 Bright ran out of fuel range, but he had done 34 laps and Richo Jnr was ready to take up'the chase.

He resumed in sixth, behind his dad; Skaife was 15s clear on lap 54 and stretching away again, with Jones 17s ahead of Crompton who had 51s on the struggling Ingall. Jim was all over him, which was going to be the pattern for most of the

Top effort:Jason Bargwanna andJim Richards spent the whole race chasing (Photo by Dirk Klymmitb) Perkins/Ingall, but were wellpleased with thirdplace.

It wasn't and Wayne was not too cheerful.

Almost everyone pitted, but not Crompton (now leading) or Perkins (third). Larry and Seto were gam bling a 'free' stop for track position and, with only 12 or so laps left in their fuel window, they needed help soon.

But HRT did not. When the race turned green again they alone were within their fuel window for a two-stop run to the flag. The com petition was not; if everything stayed like this, they were going to cruise it...

last 100 laps.

The Tander/Perkins hit had reper cussions. When McLean climbed in later the front suspension upright soon broke, probably as a result of the incident. He parked out on the circuit after the leaders had com pleted 54 laps and that prompted the first Safety Car.

Skaife pitted at once but that caused controversy. Stokell had JUST gone a lap down but Skaife had passed under a yellow, accord ing to Gardner. His car was now trapped at the head of the queue and Wayne wanted it waved past the Safety Car while the matter was sorted out.

the lead lap when they went The firstagain eighton cars still not on racing lapwere 58 but, far behind. Crick was having trouble lapping Heath.

"I tried twice to pass him at Skyline," the Tasmanian explained later. "He cut me up. I accidentally bumped him in the Esses, and he went one way then the other.

"I looked inside on the run down to the Elbow, he took that line and then jumped on the brakes and ..."

Carnage. Crick clipped the Heath car into a spin.

Somehow Romano made it past but the Wynns #2 car (which had started with little smoke, pitting after six laps with a loose power steering belt, but was making ground with Wills at the wheel) had nowhere to go and hammered

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BATHURST

33

20 November 1998

fMjm

3

^ I* t Heath's car, resulting in a cracked sternum for the Kiwi.

Alan Jones, next in line, had a great instinctive shot at minimising the damage, spinning the Komatsu car around to scrub off the speed, but still barrelled into Heath back wards while team-mate Longhurst, with more warning, wrestled his Ford to a stop - only to have Robert Smith hit him from behind, pushing him into Steven Johnson, who tried to squeeze between Heath and the wall and crunched the concrete.

It was quite a mess.

Wills, Jones, Smith and Heath were out on the spot. Johnson made it back to the pits where the

crew diagnosed a broken fuel cell.

He was out.

Hot stuff: Larty Perkins tries to cool down after his stint.

Longhurst also made it back; the rear was smashed and he did a lap with no boot while a new one (with carpark wing) was prepared. He pitted a lap SteveJohnson dnlater and rejoined a lap down,from battered Falcon past the where the less-than-sharp car ran compound of mostly 2:16s- good, but not great. broken cars.

NOW Crompton and Ingall pitted, Larry having pads fitted too (a pad * Hanging it out: change was again compulsory this No, she didn’t catch it. year). His call had been proven right.

(Photos fy Marshall Cass Steven Richards pitted too; with amiDirk Klynsmilip

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34 20 November 1998'-

THE E^CE

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Burning up the the track; Tfje mob at the top ofthe Mountain were their usual well-behaved selves. Apartfrom the offcarfire ... (Photo hy Dirk Klynsmith) So close and yet sofar: Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife had the race shot to bits until a tyre popped with Skaife at the wheel. (Photo hyMcirshaii Ccms) Strong performance: Mark Larkham and BradJones were HRTs closest pursuers all day but werefloored byfuelfeed problems. With a lap to go, the MitrelO car also suffered a blow-out,forcing the damaged car into the pits for a late replacement beforefinishingfourth. (Photo by Marshall Cass) 90 laps left the Pirtek car was back in sequence and had two pit stops left. Their calls had been proven

2m13s and stretched away again.

Gardner pitted for Stokell soon after (now the alternator was start¬

right too. Now there"was pit parity.

But the officials were not so

ing to be a problem, limiting the car to 40 minutes between battery

sharp.

The high number of laps under the Safety Car had helped Larkham immeasurably; he was back in the fuel window and he and leader

changes) but Bowe was worse off.

Almost as soon as he took over from

Lowndes had seemingly been given an extra lap somehow.

The fur flew for a while; clearly, the Pace Car had not picked up leader Skaife, slotting in ahead of third-placed Seton.

This made it seem like Skaife and Bright (who'd gone around and joined on the back of the queueu) had almost a lap on the field and this wasn't rectified until the very last Pace Car lap, all of which had implications for people wanting to make a pit stop during this time.

Team managers raced up to Race Control and there were a couple of very unhappy drivers...

But the field was now close.

Lowndes (no pad change) was Is ahead of Larkham (ditto). Seton was 13s back (no pad change) and Is ahead of Perkins (pad change).

Richards Jnr (no pad change) was right behind; Bargwanna (no pad change) was right behind him. The rest were at least a lap down.

At the restart Lowndes eased away again but Steven Richards was past Perkins almost at once while Larry settled his brakes in, soon to have Bargwanna all over him (again).

The front two dipped into the

McConville there were engine problems. Another rocker had gone and he pitted on lap 88 to retire.

Noske was battling on with the #50 HRT but another front tyr^ went and, when he pitted, the lack of urgency around the car was telling.

It was not right and the leader was due in shortly so it was retired.

0

n lap 97 Lowndes pitted for Skaife and pads and, two laps later, Seton did the sarne for

Crompton.

But there was a problem, which became blindingly clear on his inlap; a power steering hose was awry and the team lost a lap fixing it. The

pity was that the car was a comet for the rest of the race, but to no avail.

Now, for the first time. Bright led - for two laps before he handed over to Richards.

Likewise Longhurst (sixth) pitted for Brabham but there was a flash fuel fire, quickly dealt with.

On lap 101 Perkins handed over to Ingall, but it was obvious„now that the sun was back out, that the car was struggling for leading speed.

After the round of stops Bright was 30s behind leader Skaife, 10s clear of Brad Jones, who was 27s

clear of Ingall.

Skaife set about consolidating the lead but, on lap 113, the race for the lead changed shape.

Skaife's right-front tyre went in the Chase (HRT's third) and he went straight on into the sand. He was pulled out but, by the time he pit ted for rubber and a splitter, the

low 14s), Ashby and the circumspect Brabham.'

passing for a brief lead as the Pirtek car exited pitlane.

After four laps of oohing and ngall clung to the lead for five j laps before pitting to hand over to Perkins who resumed in third, a

itself costly as much as the damage it did to the car's fuel window. He

minute

needed another five or so laps.

So did Brad Jones in order to get

Bargwanna.

After five more laps Bargs got his

to the one-more-stop situation. But the Mitre 10 car was either proving

reprieve. A brake problem drove Palmer into the wall at Forrest's'.

a little heavy on fuel or not picking it all up and he pitted at the same time.

Elbow, prompting another Safety Car.

three seconds apart - and they were

Crompton (with a loose bonnet

So, on lap 129 it all looked great for Bright. He handed over to Richards for the run home, ingall

aahing the officials called Cromley in for a bonnet fix, which was not in

game was over.

The Stone cars were now 1-2, running low 2m15s and pulling away from the rest a Is a lap.

They had the gap to Ingall out to 41s, with Jim Richards chasing.

pin) was a lap down from the solid Pate, Crosswell (an impressive Bathurst debut), Skaife (flying in

clear

of

that .pesky

Not only did Bargwanna now

CAR BY CAR REPORT: How each team fared in Brigtit Rlidiiiards S.

Bargwanna Richards J.

Pirtek Falcon EL

Valvoline

Started grid 15, moved for ward quickly before surprise tactical first stop after just 12 laps. Back in sequence with the rest after the mid-race Pace cars. Perfectly placed to hit the front on HRT’s demise.

Perkins Ingall

Castrol 1 '— ^ Commodore VT i. Grid 8, Steady early pace, i unable to match front runj ners. Faultless mechanical ; run enabled the duo to move to third, v/hich became sec\ ond when the Mitre 10 Falcon ' suffered late oroblems.

(^ommodore VS I Spent the entire day chasing ' Perkins! Pretty much troublefree run although lost time on brake-pad pit stop. Caught up i the ground to harrass Perkins ; over the late laps. Set fastest : race lap 5 from the finish!

Larkham Jones B. Mitre 10 Falcon EL Grid 4, second after turn one and stayed in contention throughout. With demise of Skaife/Lowndes, looked set

Seton Crompton Ford Credit Falcon EL

Hossack Pate Wynns Commodore VS

Grid 3, third throughout and

Fabulous result after major

looking well placed for a late challenge until power steering

Friday Qualifying shunt. Grid 20 start, ran strongly through out, although unable to match lead pace. Great reward for

problem on lap ? cost 2 laps.

Pressed on and got back onto lead lap at one stage. Fastest lap just 15 from end...

1

■ Skaife

Lowndes

Mobil HRT Commodore VT

From pole, eased away at front without stressing tyres too much. Controlled the race

hard-working Gibson and TAPE crews.

Longhurst Brabham Castrol Falcon EL Grid 2, but bogged at start.

Settled in fourth but gradually overhauled by faster

to fight it out with sister Stone car until late fuel and then oil

until right-front puncture beached car at the Chase.

Recovered for sixth despite

Bridgestone cars. Innocent victim in the big shunt, but

pressure problems. Unlucky...

another puncture.

fire delay for a finish.

soldiered on despite pit lane

Weel Bates

fiB Crosswell Crick G.

Castrol Falcon EL

■: Ericsson B Commodore VS

Proof that “never give up" can work. Grid 22, broke throttie cable on opening lap.

Replaced it and rejoined over two iaps down for a troublefree run into the top ten. Weel wins Rookie of the Year.

Grid 16. Took up leading opentyred privateer running early, moved into the top 10 early, scraped by Forrest Elbow shunt. Broken rocker replaced, costing 5 laps. DQ'd for inci dent but appeal pending.

Price Brewer

Rose McCarthy

Castrol Cougars Commodore VS

McGrath Holden Commodore VS Grid 27 (fourth privateer), but had a virtually trouble-free and well-programmed run.

Overcame slow pad change to take over the Control Tyre pri

Grid 33. Solid run interrupted only by switch problem for Price (which slowed car) and unseated fuel vent (which meant extra stop). Ran low

vateer lead with 30 laps to

20s all day to finish 12th, 10

run. Took class by seven laps.

laps down.

BATHURST

20 November 1998

35

The big Crunch!

ALAN Heath and Greg Crick triggered a huge accident when they contacted on the run down to Forrest's Elbow.

Crick escaped unscathed (though he was disqualifiedsee news pages), but the cars of Heath, Simon Wills, Alan Jones, Steve Johnson and Robert Smith. Tony Longhurst and John Faulkner were delayed.

In the bottom photo, a race official indicates that Wills needs medical attention. He was later taken to hospital, but escaped with nothing worse than bruised ribs.

(Photo sequence by Patrick Wedes)

i-' n

l >>

the 1998 FA11000 Classic, presented in their finishing order vA

Romano Ellery

Siemens Mobile Commodore VS Grid 17. Contact with Crick caused diff problem and rub bing rear tyre, causing two stops. Long stop to replace wheel hub but car passed Gardner a few laps from end.

ifiE

Stokell I- Coca/Donut King Commodore VS Grid 7. Brilliant qualifying job and strong start by Gardner but alternator problem ended podium challenge. Late-race broken Watts linkage caused long stop, put them out of top 10.

Hislop Briggs

NHP Falcon EL

Grid 33. Got away to steady start and picked up places ; through race. Broken rose joint and loss of sixth gear : slowed car. Cracked exhaust cost much time, dropping them seven laps behind Rose.

Attard/Bell Taylor Xerox Shop Commodore VS Grid 43. Team stuck'to same plan as in 1997, running steadily throughout and stay ing out of trouble. Not a single problem on way to 16th.

Russell D Wilson Playboy Commodore VS Grid 41. Russell started and early running was steady. V8 rookie Wilson drove well, Russell missed Elbow acci dent by inches and carried on to third in class.

Conway Hones CAMPS Insurance Falcon EL Grid 32. Good early run inter rupted by tyre problems.

Hones unwell on raceday, leaving Conway to drive over time limit for individual dri vers.

Imrie Crick R

Cotter Doulman Gatorade Commodore VS Grid 24. Overcame lack of lol lies to run in top three in class until they collected a clout in the rear from winning Falcon. Lost time and position but recovered ground at end.

Beikoff/Uoyd Crufckshank Union Steel Commodore VS Grid 43. Overcame huge prac tice engine blowup. Lloyd started well but damper prob lems slowed car significantly.

Stroked it home and had a big celebration.

ArmorAII Commodore VS Grid 29. Lost power steering early on and ran without it from then on. Started having fuel pressure problems, changed pump but had to pit often for top ups.

I Finnigan ; Gazzard

m

I Sony AutosounO Commodore VS

Grid 14. Strong qualifying run \ n and start by Finnigan. times ' matched in race by Gazzard. ‘ Lost time with pad change but .

I car slowed and pitted with I unspecified, electrical-related engine problem.

iFaulkner Kelly Betta F&P Commodore VS

j

! Grid 5. Brilliant qualifying ‘ i effort came to nought with i twisted dnveshaft on line.

I : Drivers took it gently. Kelly in i n particular feeling heat. Car ! stopped by engine problems. ^

Reed Ashby

Lansvale Smash Commodore VS Grid 23. Led Control Tyre class from start and had huge lead until electrical problems.

Crew changed everything and car made it back out, only to retire shortly after.

36 20 November 1998

THE EAC n9M

OFFICIAL RESULTS FA11000 Classic Mt Panorama, Bathurst- November 15,1998(161 Laps)

Pos

Vehicle

Drivers

Falcon EL 1 J. Bright/S. Richards Commodore VT 2 L. Perkins/R. Ingall Commodore VS 3 J. Bargwanna/J. Richards Falcon EL M. Larkham/B. Jones 4 Falcon EL 5 G. Seton/N. Crompton Commodore VT C. Lowndes/M. Skaife 6 Commodore VS D. Hossack/D. Pate 7 Falcon EL 8 T. Longhurst/G. Brabham Falcon EL P. Weel/N. Bates 9 Commodore VS 10 M. Rose/A. McCarthy Commodore VS G. Crick/D. Crosswell 11 Commodore VS 12 M. Price/K. Brewer Commodore VS 13 P. Romano/S. Ellery V Commodore VS W. Gardner/P. Stokell 14 Falcon EF 15 R. Hislop/T. Briggs Commodore VS 16 ^^B. Attard/S. Tayior/S. Bell Commodore VS D. Russell/R. Wilson 17 Falcon EL 18 M. Conway/C. Hones Commodore VS J. Cotter/P. Doulman 19 20 S. Beikoff/S. Cruickshank/A. Lloyd Commodore VS Commodore VS 21 M. Imrie/R. Crick Commodore VS DNF T. Finnigan/P. Gazzard Commodore VS DNF J. FaulknerTT. Kelly Commodore VS DNF S. Reed/T. Ashby Commodore VS DNF I. Palmer/D. Beninca Falcon EL DNF D. Osborne/B. Peters Falcon EL DNF G. Willmington/S. Emerzidis Commodore VS DNF N. Schembri/G. Quartiy Commodore VT DNF G. Murphy/M. Noske Commodore VS DNF N. Pretty/G. Johnson Falcon EL DNF J. Bowe/C. McConville Falcon EL DNF D.Johnson/S. Johnson Commodore VS DNF C. Smerdon/C. Cox Falcon EL DNF A. Jones/A. Macrow Commodore VS DNF D. Parsons/S. Wills Commodore VS DNF R. Smith/D. Parsons Falcon EL DNF A. Heath/K. Douglas Commodore VS DNF G. Tander/C. McLean Commodore VS DNF R. Mork/B. Sieders DNF A. Tratt/R. Jones/ Falcpn EL Falcon EL DNF M. McLaughlin/A. Stitchbury DNF M. Poole/T. Scott Commodore VS Commodore VS DNF R. Nash/D. Edwards DNF T. Mezera/A. Menu Commodore VT DNF M. Donaher/D. Lindstrom Commodore VS

Class

Time/Laps

Fastest Lap On

OC OC OC OC OC OC OC OC OC CT OC OC OC OC CT OC CT CT CT CT CT OC OC CT CT OC CT CT

6:42:23.9039 6:42:34.2201 6:42:34.5591 6:45:07.3209 160 laps 159 laps 158 laps 157 laps 155 laps 154 laps 151 laps 151 laps 151 laps 149 laps 147 laps 146 laps 144 laps 144 laps 141 laps 134 laps 122 laps 136 laps 136 laps 131 laps 121 laps 115 laps 101 laps 100 laps .86 laps 85 laps 80 laps 60 laps 60 laps 58 laps 57 laps 56 laps 54 laps 49 laps 48 laps 47 laps 40 laps 34 laps 9 laps 0 laps 0 laps

2:13.6578 75 2:14.5089 38 2:14.1636 156 2 2:13.1958 2:13.3432 146 3 2:12.7771 2:16.7988 80 3 2:13.8337 2:17.5223 20 2:19.4472 74 2:16.0655 14 8 2:19.0238 2:15.1786 95 2:14.4598 75 2:20.6518 41 2:26.4596 109 2:25.5820 17 4 2:21.2348 9 2:18.8101 5 2:30.7354 2:22.6588 67 2:16.6099 74 2:13.5853 64 9 2:17.3022 2:22.9815 22 6 2:19.4536 2:19.7756 37 2:23.1922 56 2:13.9767 73 2:23.1210 72 2:14.3122 68 2 2:14.6460 8 2:19,2935 3 2:15.7721 2:17.2848 13 2:19.2660 10 2:20.9952 16 2:15.3725 10 2:27.8488 14 6 2:18.5094 25 2:20.5420 7 2:17.8491 9 2:24.1075 No Time No Time

og

CT OC OC CT OC OC CT CT OC CT OC OC OC CT OC CT

Fastest Lap: Craig Lowndes, 2m12.7771s erase that gap ahead to Ingall, he pitted for a splash of fuel to get him home.

Larkham did too but, two laps later and still under yellow, the Mitre 10 car just stopped at Murrays Corner. The fuel pressure had gone and its oil equivalent was fluctuating. However, after resetting a circuit

m

Palmer Beninca

Hippies Commodore VS Grid 38. Darren Palmer replaced by Beninca on Sunday morning. Car ran solidly until Palmer had brake failure and crashed car at Forrest Elbow after 131 laps.

m

Osborne Peters

Coloursoan Falcon EL Grid 31. Bad start by Peters but car recovered, but after noon started with a vibration and on lap 124 differential blew on Osborne.

breaker, Mark was able to get going again, but at the rear of the field.

His hopes had just been dashed; before the end he would pit twice to top up the oil.

The slow running behind the Safety Car took its toll in an unusual day. Finnigan had been one of the race's biggest improvers, running as

Willmington Emeirzidis Simons Earthworks Falcon EL Grid 26. Rrst stints went well but engine started to miss dur ing Willmington’s second drive.

Crew suspected valve spring but it was worse than that and car was retired from 21st spot.

Schembri Qiaartly

Gearbox Commodore VS Grid 40. Power steering prob lem forced Schembri to pit.

Carried on without power steering until pump swap but eventually suffered problem with the gearbox.

high as eighth and looking threatening. Co-driver Gazzard had been going well but the car succumbed to a mystery electrical problem which was still undiagnosed when the team returned to Sydney. Similar problems also afflicted the Lansvale and Faulkner Commodores, On lap 142 it was green again

B

Shell Helix Falcon EL Grid 6. Bowe started, ran with Perkins until broken rocker in engine lost 5 laps. McConville resumed, had quick spin, then Bowe had another rocker go on him.

Johnson Johnson

Pretty Johnson G ) DeWalt Commodore VS Grid 39. Nicole Pretty failed to qualify. Limited hardware and high oil temperature put car on conservative but an explod ing battery took out engine computer.

0.33s apart after a strong battle, and Richo Jnr took off to victory.

Perkins chased hard but simply from the disappointed Larkham and didn't have the speed to go with Crompton, possibly considering a him; indeed, Crompton (a lap down) win that got away.

Lowndes was sixth (after yet surged past and, back in traffic, Bargwanna was hunting him down another tyre went bang on lap 154) too. 41 from Hossack and Pate, Brabham Up front Steven was running and, in a stupendous ninth, Weel comfortable 14s and picking his and Bates, who had recovered won spots in traffic. Perkins was in 15s derfully after a throttle cable broke on lap 1. Weel deservedly took and 16s, with Bargs gaining a sec ond a lap. But Crompton was in the Rookie of the Year honours.

After outlasting the relentless 13s and, on lap 148, got back on the Lansvale Commodore lOth-placed lead lap.

Still Bargs came. He had LP in Rose and McCarthy took out the irght by lap 153 and five later he Control Tyre Privateer class while Crick was 11th after he also did an was on his tail.

He threw everything at the engine rocker, costing 5 laps.

Behind Price and Romano, Castrol VT but the wily and stub Gardner brought the Coke car born Perkins was leaving him noth ing. Almost unnoticed Crompton home in 14th after a late and long pitted with two laps to go for a fuel stop to fix a broken Watts linkage.

Only 21 cars finished; only 13 fin top-up, dropping him behind ished within 10 laps of the winner.

Larkham again, Bright and the team that had ut nothing compared to restored his winning hopes after the Richards and Bright. After a practice shunt celebrated hard; his clever tactical drive and flaw parents, who had sacrificed almost less team work Steven steamed everything for their son's career, home to a 10.3s win to the acclaim were almost speechless. And Jim of everyone. Even Holden fans Richards, although slightly disap seeming content.that, if a Falcon pointed to be third and not first had to win, this victory was well himself, beamed like any other earned by the drivers and the Stone proud dad.

Who said motor racing is not a Brothers Racing team.

Perkins and Bargwanna finished family sport? n

Bowe McConville

Morphy Noske Mobil HRT Commodore VT Grid 10. Few side effects pf practice crash. Made early ground until flat tyre pitches car in at Chase. Recovers but more tyre problems force retirement.

That’s allfolks: Another Bathurstgrinds to a close andforsome it wasjust (Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) all too much, such as these HRTsupporters.

Shell Helix Falcon EL Grid 12. Dick started but struggled to hang on to lead bunch. Steven took over and ran until involved in Forrest Elbow carnage broke his fuel cell.

/

Smerdon Cox Vittoria Coffee Commodore VS Grid 30. Smerdon started well and was in ‘podium’ battle for Control Tyre class. Broken uni versal joint slowed car, replaced tailshaft, but two uni more failures forced car out.

Jones A Macrow Komatsu Falcon EL Grid 11. Jones ran well early but pitted early to hand over to Macrow. He completed his shift but Jones was involved In Forrest Elbow shunt in his final drive in a Ford.

Parsons Wilis VVjTins Racing Commodore VS Grid 44. Started smoking soon early with power steering problem. Car resumed and ran well through field until Wills caught up in the Forrest Elbow crash on lap 60. Taken to hospital with bruised ribs.

Smith Parsons Smiths Trucks Commodore VS Grid 28. Strong opening from Parsons in second placein class. Heath lost time in his stint. Arrived at Forrest Elbow late and plouged into the rear of Longhurst and retired.

BATHUI^ST

H^®0®0^SUXD!7G

Mai IS

20 November 1998

p Privateer Having a dip: The class winning Commodore leaps through The Dipper.

(Photo hy Marshall Cass)

Sticking to the game plan paid off in the Control Tyre battle

and Hislop a iap further in arrears, and Emerzidis a fur ther two away.

While Reed again began to charge away, there was drama for the Gatorade car on lap 95, when Cotter pit ted after getting a tap from the Bright Falcon. That cost them a lot of time and the shot at the class win.

came out on top in a The haresteady and tortoise approach con test for the Control Tyre pri vateer race, with Mai Rose

Things were quite settled from here, the lead car eas

an<^ Perth's Allan McCarthy combining to grab the hon ours.

ing away to a two lap mar gin by lap 110, with Rose a similar margin clear of

The duo, in Rose's regular VS Commodore, eventually

Briggs.

Ashby had only been in the car for a lap after a lap 129 driver-change stop, when it all went haywire for the Lansvale team.

In it came with a definite

won by nearly seven laps after ail-day leaders, Steve Reed and Trevor Ashby, fell foul of engine problems with 30 laps to go.

Second over the line with a very sick V8 was the Hislop/Briggs NHP Falcon, itself three laps clear of the RussellA/Vilson Playboy Commodore,

s

teve Reed started the Lansvale

car and made a very good job of it, racing clear of David Parsons (sharing with Rob Smith), Rose and Peter Doulman in the Gatorade Commodore.

A few laps in, Rose suddenly

miss.

dropped 3 spots when he let a bunch of cars through. Mai was

The Lansvale car was flying, and

prepared to circulate to hij own schedule, which would pay divi dends.

by the time the first fuel stops loomed was already some threequarters of a lap in front.

After building a half minute lead

Reed was 17th outright after 16

Reed was the first in, on lap 33, to

laps, with Doulman (20th), Parsons (21st) Rose (23rd) and Chris Smerdon(24th).

hand over to Ashby. Doulman came in two laps later, but Rose's fuel economy eked it out to lap 37

-quite a distance in the modern V8 era.

After everything had settled back |down, Ashby (now 13th outright)'was nearly a whole lap up on Cotter, with McCarthy trucking along well in Rose's machine.

Smerdon's challenge had come to a temporary halt; a universal joint had broken and the team worked hard to repair it, allowing Charlie Cox to resumed his long.^istance love affair with Mount Panorama.

weil for Ashby, who now The firsthimself Pace Car found twoworked laps upout on a group consisting of McCarthy, Cotter, Smith and Briggs.

The next, huge crash, which brought out a lengthy Pace Car seven laps later changed the rela tivity again.

Smith, who wasn't proving to be the most popular of lapped cars, was involveci in the big Forrest's Elbow shunt. He was one of the last to arrive and collected

ne dominator: Ashby and Reed dominated until an electrical problem cruelly robbed them of victory.

M

Douglas Heath West Terrace Falcon EL

Grid 34. Douglas started and drove well. Heath started his shift but, after taps from Crick, car spun at Elbow and triggered big pile-up. Ex-Moffat car seems reapirable.

m

Tander

McLean Valvoline Commodore VS Grid 13. Tander started well but hit Perkins at elbow on lap 22. Pitted twice for attention before handing over to McLean. Car stopped on track almost immediately with tjroken front upright.

37

Longhurst fair in the rear and was out of the equation, while Ashby, Cotter and Briggs chose to make driver-change pit stops.

The wash-up of it all, when the green came,found Reed with a lap in hand over McCarthy, Doulman

again, but stopped up on the Mountain...

And that was that.

Rose wound out the remaining laps without incident to complete a pretty good day for the small team, but for Hislop and Briggs there was more drama, the engine .taking on a distinctly raspy note. The exhaust had broken and the car was losing around 10-12s a iap, but it kept running, albeit down on pace, to the end.

Fortunately, there weren't a lot of challengers left, so even though the gap to Rose spiralled out to over six laps the duo were able to retain second in the category, get ting home by about a minute from the third-placed Conway/Hones DAMPS Falcon and a recovering Doulman/Cotter.

In fact, only two other Control Tyre privateers finished - the Cruickshank/Beikoff/LLoyd Union Steel Commodore and the Imrie/Crick Armorall car.

McLaughlin

Nash

Stitchhury CBS Mining Falcon EL

Edwards Budweiser Commodore VS

Grid 35. Stitchbury lastminute replacement for unfit

Grid 45. Overcame practice roll over to start, Nash run

Waldock. McLaughlin started,

ning well easriy until car went

formation lap. Crew prevented

Stichbury got only 10 laps in before crank sensor broke.

up Hell esca.oe road with driv eline failure.

from welding breakage in pit bunker and, once car was

protests, organisers fined $10,000 by stewards.

Tratt Jones R

Poole

Grid 25. Lost clutch at start

Scott Gawler Commodore VS Grid 21. Went into race with

and had a fan belt fail, leaving

conservative plan and held

to a cooked engine on the way into the pits.

position through the first stint

Toll Logistics Falcon EL

♦

Donaher Llndstrom Ultra Tune Commodore VS

but pitted with noisy diff.

Scott headed out but worsen ing problem forced car out.

Mezera Menu Densitron Plaspak Commodore VS Grid 19. New clutch fitted overnight. Clutch failed on line and Tomas struggled to the Cutting where it stopped.

Retired on the spot.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN and PHIL BRANAGAM

Next issuie

Grid 36. Failed to make race when Donaher pitted after the

behind the wall, car was DNFd.

DH

was

problem but, regardless of chang ing everything they could think of, it was still there. The car emerged

Mork

Grid 45. Front right spring col lapsed and Sieders stopped at Hell to inspect. Tried to drive back to pits but towed to Parc Femne by officials. Mork

battery

Storey's crew dived further under the bonnet All the crew could con firm was that it was an electrical

Sieders I ARDC Falcon EL

0

a

The

changed, but that did noth ing and - as Rose swept by to take the class lead - Wally

Motorsport News Bathyrst in reiriew We go behind i the scenes with ^ the Stone Brothers

38 20 November J998

GT-P 3-HOUR

Porsche miins

Dud.

Dd

Peter Fitzgerald and Jim Richards won a brilliant 3-Hour race at Bathurst reports JON THOMSON

P

eter Fitzgerald and Jim Richards emerged victorious for Porsche after a three-hour fight to the finish with Neil Crompton and Darren Palmer's Ferrari F355 Challenge in the Century Batteries 3-Hour Bathurst Showroom Showdown at Mount Panorama on Saturday.

It was a tremendous race which lived up to the pre-event expectations.

There had been the potential of one of six makes to take outright victory, not to mention the interest of the various class battles.

The outright battle was always going to be intense with the Porsches of Fitzgerald/Richards, Beninca/Scheumack and Aitken/ Weeks, the Ferrari of Crompton/ Palmer, the Mazda of Bosnjak/ Mezera, the Viper of Waldon/Bates and the Toyota Supras of Bob Thorn/Rod Dawson and Jamie Gartwright/Christian D'Agostin. / The one pre-race disappointment was the retirement of the Paul Morris/John Teulan Nissan Skyline GTR due to turbo problems early in / practice.

Practice & Qualifying

A

fter rain halted the first practice on Thursday, it was the Porsche of Peter Fitzgerald and Jim Richards which set the pace in the afternoon, but not far behind the was the Mazda RX7 of Terry Bosnjak/Tomas Mezera.

The session started with a wet track and dried gradually over the session, allowing Mezera to come to terms with the rotary powered machine, eventually stopping the clocks just over 2.7s slower than Fitzgerald at2m31.052.

Third fastest in the opening session was the Ed Aitken/Kevin Weeks Porsche RSCS ahead of the Toyota Supra Turbo of Jamie Cartwright/ Christian D'Agostin.

Kosi Kalaitzidis' weekend got off td a bad start when he crashed his Class E Proton M21 Coupe.

On Friday morning Bosnjak stormed his way to fastest time Put it there, mate: Neil Crompton congratulates oldfriend Jim Richards after they had conducted a tremendous match race in the second halfofthe race,finishingjust a couple ofcar lengths apart.

Winged warrior: The Palmer team enjoyed the benefit of hairing a new rear wing to hold down the back ofthe Ferrari.

(Photos by Marshall Cass)

-●|RCH£LB<

(2:25.002) while Dorn Beninca in his Porsche battled to find a gap in traf fic to be second fastest (2:26.512) from the Maserati Ghibli shared by Alfredo Costanzo and Matt Coleman (2:27.128) at the end of the opening session.

"It is nice to be on provisional pole so far but we came here to win the race, not to simply put the car on pole - we still have a lot of work to do," Bosnjak said.

The fancied pair of Peter Fitzgerald/Jim Richards (Porsche) and Neil Crompton/Darren Palmer (Ferrari F355 Challenge) were next, but in the final qualifying session Fitzgerald turned a 2:26.273 to grab second on the grid. n In all, 48 cars qualified for Saturday's race.

The Race

F

rom the start Bosnjak got the jump on Fitzgerald and led up the hill for the first time as the field sorted itself.

Beninca slotted into third and Ed Aitken fourth ahead of the Beninca Porsche, with a little bit of contact between the Waldon Viper and the Coleman Maserati around Flell Corner for the first time.

Palmer moved up on Aitken out of Forrest's Elbow for the first time, grabbing fourth place as Fitzgerald hounded Bosnjak for the lead.

Waldon was the man on the move, blasting the big Viper past Aitken and Beninca to grab third place on lap two.

Mazda's hold on the lead was short-lived as both Fitzgerald and Waldon blasted past the Mazda, which was soon in trouble.

At the end of the third lap, as Beninca also blew past, Bosnjak brought the pole-starting RX7 into the pits with an engine failure.

Waldon's charge continued and he blasted past Fitzgerald for the lead up Mountain Straight on lap 4 as the pair started to carve through slow traffic!

It was Beninca who took up the chase, passing Fitzgerald on lap five and gaining on the Viper, which was starting to have brake prob lems.

Beninca nosed :,the Porsche ahead coming ouf^of Forrest's Elbow on lap six but Waldon pow ered back and stayed ahead until Caltex Chase, where Beninta went around the outside and took the lead again. Fitzgerald followed him through, making it a Porsche 1-2.

Matt Coleman's race ended after only 10 laps when the Maserati's engine blew.

Mark King was leading class B in the Lancer Evo III from the Subaru of Peter Boylan and the similar car of Jim Zerefos.

Class S was being led by Beric Lynton in the BMW 323i while Class C had the VT Commodore of Peter Phelan leading from the media Falcon of Wayne Webster.

Class D was being led by Phi l Kirkham in the Mazda 626 and Class E was led by Aaron McGill's Suzuki.

The Viper pitted and Waldon handed over to Bates, but the big car's problems were only just begin-^ ning. The rally ace took the car out

0

BATHUPtST

ojCo

20 November W98

39

thriller for a few more laps before retiring with a bad miss on lap 15.

At about the same time, D'Agostin retired the Supra with a spark plug problem and Sam Newman crashed his Falcon, looping it across the grass at Caltex and then tank-slapping into the wall,

B

ut the worst accident hap pened on lap 23 when Chris Bailey ran wide in his Magna at Reid Park trying to let the Ferrari of Palmer through on the inside.

Out on the marbles, the Magna hit the wall and cannoned back across the track, missing the Ferrari by centimetres as it raced through on the inside.

The crash brought the first safety car period and a rash of pit stops.

After an hour and 12 minutes (26 laps) the race went green again with Jim Richards in the lead, hav ing taken over the Fitzgerald Porsche, with Neil Crompton now driving the Palmer Ferrari in second only 7s behind.

Beninca had fallen back to third ahead of Ed Aitken and Trevor John in the Lancer.

Crompton was driving the legs off the bewinged Ferrari and narrowed the gap to just over 2s on lap 34.

Back in the field, the Toyota Camry of Ratcliffe and Searle had gone to the lead after problems for the Phelan VT Commodore and the Toyota was reaping the benefits of a one-stop strategy.

The Steve Winwood Falcon stopped on pit straight on lap 40 with a fuel problem which prompt ed the second yellow of the race and brought another rash of pit stops.

Richards came in and refuelled under the yellow while the Ferrari stayed out and took the lead.

Beninca handed over to Trevor Scheumack and remained in third.

The journos' Falcon of Webster/Hagon/Dowling pitted and a quick inspection revealed that a pad change was required, costing the team four minutes and second place in class.

The Falcon XR8 AD of David Bruce and Jim Mclilroy decided to stay out without a pad change and took the lead in class D ahead of the Ratcliffe/Searle Camry.

As the 50 lap mark came up, Crompton led Richards by 34 sec onds while Aitken had moved up to

l H 9

third, five seconds back, Scheumack had dropped to fourth 6.6s in arrears while Ross Almond had taken over from Trevor John to be in fifth, two laps down.

With a 37s lead, Crompton brought the Ferrari in for a splash and dash on lap 54 with just 35 min utes remaining. He tried to get back out in front of Richards but failed by only a couple of seconds.

It was now a two-car duel as the Ferrari chased the Porsche to the

line.

Crompton had the Ferrari on the Porsche's tail for lap after lap, the Italian car faster up the hill and across the top, the Porsche faster down the chute with the Ferrari catching it under brakes at the Chase.

In the Class C battle, Searle in the Toyota was catching the Mclijroy Falcon until, with only a few min utes remaining, the big Ford lost its brakes - and the class win - at the

Anniversary present: Victory gave Porsche something else to celebrate on its 50th birthday celebration weekend.

Crompton gave it everything but the Porsche driver was able to shut him out and the pair took the flag with Richards winning by just 0.288s.

"We were very worried because the fuel light came on with two Esses, paying the price for not minutes to go and Jim said the car started to misfire," Fitzgerald said. changing the pads.

"There was no use coming in for a splash of fuel; we've run second ing, the two leaders up here too many times. It was either win or run out of fuel - sec With just the 30 seconds crossed line andremain had to go around one more time, allowing’’ ond place is the first loser.

"The Ferrari really pushed us Crompton one last chance.

hard, but you couldn't ask for a bet ter co-driver than Jim Richards.

"We are delighted with the result because this weekend is Porsche's 50th birthday celebrations in Melbourne."

Aitken and Weeks took third place aboard their Porsche 911 RSCS ahead of the similar machine of Beninca and Sheumack.

Class B was won by King and Wilson aboard a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III, just holding out the Subaru Impreza WRX of Zerefos and White.

Ratcliffe and Searle triumphed in

323i. n

Century Batteries Showroom Showdown Final Results

fi

3 hours -69 laps completed 1 Peter Fitzgerald/Jim Richards, Porsche 911 RSCS(A)3:01:44.693 2 Neil Crompton/Darren Palmer, Ferrari F355 Challenge (A) 3:01:44.981 3 Ed Aitken/Kevin Weeks, Porsche 911 RSCS(A)3:02:02.691 4 Domenic Beninca/Trevor Sheumack, Porsche 911 RSCS(A) 3:03:11.891 5 Bob Thorn/Rod Dawson, Toyota Supra RZ Twin Turbo (A)65 laps

The Shotvdotvn begins: Teny Bosnjak returned with his Mazda RX7and made an immediate impression, taking pole and leading the early laps. Fitzgerald, Beninca, Aitken and Palmerfollow him into Hell. (Photo bv Marshall Cast;)

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Gardiner and Watkinson took their fourth successive big race Class D victory with their Mazda 626: while Kalaitzidis and Yarnell fought back from their big opening day crash to win Class E with the Proton M21 Coupe.

Queenslanders Michael Simpson and Beric Lynton took the new GTP Sports - Class S division with a BMW

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FORMULA FORD

40 20 November 1998

Dud

i

Ovuen takes Formula Ford honours s teve Owen emerged from two action-filled races to take the hon ours in the Formula Ford supports at Bathurst.

The Spectrum driver had too much in hand for the rest of the field, taking the first win after passing Justin Cotter on the final lap and easing to a strong Sunday morning win.

Alex Davison was in the thick of the action, running for the lead in race one until an accident.

In the second race he had a great run from the rear of the grid, zooming through to ninth.

Qyaiifying Davison was in great form on Thursday and Friday.

Despite his track rookie sta tus, the Wynns Racing Van Diemen driver topped the sheets on both days, a 2m27.81s good enough for pole position.

Tyler Mecklem vaulted from fourth on Thursday to qualify second in his RF91 with a 2m28.71s, while Cotter was consistent in both sessions and qualified third on 2m28.52s.

The 'best of the rest' title went to Ashley Seward, who took his yellow Spectrum to fourth with 2m29.05s, pip ping Luke Youlden's Mygale by three-tenths, but Seward felt he had a lack of straightline speed and scheduled an engine change after race one.

Next came Timo Hulkko (Swift), Bob Jones Jr (VD) and Queenslander Jason Hannagan (Swift).

early going, but the man Race 2-5 laps coming through the pack There was carnage on lap was Owen, who had started one, starting with a first cor 12th. ner tangle when four cars got By lap three the red together, putting Mecklem Spectrum had joined the out on the spot. leaders and was threatening, Then, at the top of the hill, the front four often fanning Woodrow and Jeff Senior tan out across the straights. gled. Both drivers were okay But the next time around but the wounded cars sat Mecklem came unstuck. there for the rest of the race.

Having already tried the Owen and Cotter were grass a few times, he had fighting for the lead, soon to another off at the Chase, but be joined by a fired-up the TDK car gripped when Seward, the three pulling a he resumed the black stuff gap on Jones, Kenny Habul, and he clouted the unfortu Dell and Hulkko. nate Davison right in the Over the first three laps side. Both were out on the Owen established and sta spot. bilised a gap, running to a 2.6s Cotter emerged from the win, but the battle for the chaos with the lead and kept podium went to the wire. it into the last lap but Cotter challenging Seward tapped a wall on the despite an askew nosecone.

Seward took the spot by Mountain, luckily without three lengths. damage.

Habul had a great drive to Owen towed past him on the final run down Conrod fifth from Hulkko and Wayne and held on to win.

Stoddart, while Colin Ward Despite his lack of grunt, (Van Diemen) held off the Seward took a strong third charging Davison for the next from Hulkko, Jones and Chris spot -PHIL BRANAGAN Dell(Van Diemen).

"It--

/

Race one duel Justin Cotter led inost ofSaturday's race, only to be passed on the last lap by Steve Owen (*9).

(Photo byi Marshall Cass)

Race ttvo carnage: the leaders disap pear up Mountain Straight, afour-car tangle exiting Hell Comer causes chaos.

(Pboio byJohn Mvnis)

Race 1-6 laps Davison and Mecklem led away and dominated the

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Break the 300 mph barrier first and pick up a cool $50,000! That's what Australia's best drag racers will be trying to do at the 1998 Victorian Drag Racing Championships at Calder Park on December 4th-5th with the biggest prize ever offered in drag racing history up for grabs.

Rachelle Splatt, Romeo Capitanio, Steve Read, Darren DiFilippo, Robin Kirby and more will be lining up for their chance to write their narnes into the history books and take drag racing's biggest ever cash payout! Also on the bill will be a full field of Competition Eliminator cars. Super Stockers, Super Gassers, Super Sedans and a whole lot more.

Qualifying Friday night and Saturday from 10.00am, with Eliminafions Saturday from 4.30pm. For more information, contact the Calder Park Information and Weatherwatch Herald Sun line on 1 900937445 or find us on the internet at www.motorsport.com.au ; MOTORSPOCT YOUR TOWN-YOUR PAPER

P A R K

Hepeo © Motorsport News

42 20 November 1998

iojifd.

C--7j!SiA'WKS*-'

New NASCAR tyre mooted for January WHEN the NASCAE teams line

up for thfe fourth round of the championship series under lights at the Thunderdome on January 2, they will be fitted with a new compound t3rre for one side of their race vehicles.

“We’re not sure on which side the new tyres will be fitted just yet,” explained Kim Jane.

“I’m off to Japan to meet up with the Goodyear people that look after

tyres while they are over there for the NASCAE race meeting.

“They’ll be advising us on which compounds will be supplied to us and, after we return, we’ll immedi ately commence testing them at Calder Park.

“While we are in Japan, we’ll also be looking at the prospect of several of us racing over there against the US competitors next year.”

-GRANT NICHOLAS

Cumbiiied AUSCAR and Sportsman field for Xmas race AUSCAR and Sportsman class es will be combined for the Thunderdome December 20 event.

Calder Park’s Motor Racing Manager Peter Bridge confirmed the controversial move last Saturday, putting an end to specu lation within the local super speed way fraternity about whether or not the management was serious about running combined fields.

DMC Motorsport has signed “Here For Life” as a new spon sor for the #02 GB Galvanizing Service/DMC Direct Print Chevrolet Lumina NASCAR. Through their organisations, team owners Craig Rodda and John Gucciardo, along with driver Jimmy Ellis, support Here For Life, a charitable organisation for the prevention and awareness of youth suicide in Australia.

“The statistics in Australia are very alarming, as we have the high est youth suicide rate in the west ern world, with 25 in every 10,000 teenagers committing suicide each year and between 40,000-60,000 attempting suicide each year,” Gucciardo said.

Rodda, whose business partner Dino Dipierdomenico is President of Here For Life, said that “we all have a responsibility to our young in this country. The opportunities, or lack of them and the pressures on our youth today make things unclear, confusing and pressured.

“It’s up to us, as parents and friends, to be aware of the warning signs which are prevalent in teenagers looking at suicide as an option.”

Family man Ellis believes that “our focus should be on education and awareness, not only for our kids, but for the community in general.

“Here For Life, its Executive Director and Victorian of the Year Andrew Kay and all its support people need the community’s help.

It’s a non-government, non-profit organisation composed of volun teers trying to cure this social dis ease.

For more information about Here For Life, contact Andrew Kay, or

Prior to the weekend, responses to the rumoured move from both classes had been overwhelmingly negative - now that the decision has been made and an implementa tion date set, it remains to be seen how competitors will now respond to the Calder Park management’s latest initiative. / Sixteen AUSCAR's and seventeen Sportsman competitors were entered for the November event.

i

If .

<●

●L

No Bull: Dean Wanless (left) discusses secret men’s business with NASCAR foe Russell Ingall. (Swanson) DEAN Wanless wants to bring his Ford Taurus back to the Thunderdome for the ’99 races, providing sufficient corporate funds can be sourced.

“The Thunderbird that was dam aged here last season has been completely rebuilt by Butch Mock Motorsport in Charlotte and it is ready to go with a new engine in it,” commented an enthusiastic Wanless, who is currently eleventh in the series pointscore after this month’s Thunderdome event, r “The Taurus body has been templated and the engine is out of their

Wanless chases Taurus funding own new engine shop and it has plenty of stick.

“It would be great to have the Taurus out there on the Dome, as it won’t load the tyres up like our cur rent T-Birds do.

“If I can’t get back here, I would

like to raise the funds to compete in more races in the US. Everyone was extremely helpful to me when I ran in a couple of Winston West races during July at California Speedway and at Colorado Springs.” - GRANT NICHOLAS

Rodney out, Barry in and Max may get a run JOHN Sidney confirmed on the weekend that Rodney Jane is unlikely to race again this season in the Monte Carlo NASCAR.

Here For life links with Jinimy Ellis

Citing Jane’s broken hand as the reason for the youngster’s with drawal from the team’s super speedway activities for the remain der of the 1998/99 season, Sidney reached agreement with Bob Jane for Barry Graham to replace Jane’s son in the JSR-prepped and man aged Bob Jane Telecommunications Fast Fone Chevy.

“Rodney has broken a couple of bones and there’s no way he can drive for a couple of months,” Sidney explained.

“Barry, who is racing back in Australia with his son, Steven, was

more than happy to take over .the ride, provided it fits in with his existing speedway schedule.

“This arrangement also opens the way for Max Dumesny to get some seat time, if there’s a problem with Barry’s timetable and Max indi cates he’d like to jump in.”

Sidney has no doubts about the worth of Rodney’s replacement line up, as both Graham and Dumesny have both previously secured NASCAR Championships while competing under the John Sidney Racing banner.

-TONY GLYNN

Back To Basics: Ken James wants NASCAR results. (Brett Swanson)

James seeks pace AFTER running towards the back half of the pack on the super speedway last season, Ken James and his Revell/Wet Paint team have reverted back to the original suspension set tings that Tom Smith put into the Chevrolet Monte Carlo some

Worthy Cause: Super speedway welcomes Here For Life. (Swanson) Craig Rodda at DMC Direct Print Solutions (phone: 03 9886 4522,

fax: 03 9888 4359) and pledge your support. f

18 months ago.

“When I debuted the car, it went good straight out of the box and we put in some strong performances in it,” said James.

“Last season, we tried a host of new things and completely lost our way and could not be competitive

for the whole race distance, but sometimes it was good at various stages of the events.

“We are now working on putting together a stronger overall race package and as a result I’m a lot more comfortable and confident in the car.”

During the course of the last super speedway meeting, several hares were spotted running around the track and across the grass verges - James had the dubious honour of bowling the first one over as he entered the back straight dur ing the opening NASCAR race.

-GRANT NICHOLAS

4

0

R

iJCo.

20 November 1998

13 for Jeff Lucky

TWO things dominated the final race of the Winston Cup season at Atlanta on November 8- rain and Jeff Gordon.

Gordon wrapped up the cham pionship the previous week at Rockingham, but unlike last year’s 17th place result in the series final, Gordon stole the show at a rain-shortened event.

Gordon’s win marked his 13th of the year, equalling a record sel by Richard Petty in 1975 when he won 13 of 30 races.

Gordon zipped under Dale Jarretf with six laps to nm and put his marker firmly on the title.

Gordon’s victory came with a late four-tyre stop under a mandatory caution, as pit road was deemed to be too wet.

Teams were informed before the caution that the race would be shortened from the sched uled 325 laps to 221, leaving 25 green flag tours after the cau tion.

Seven drivers chose to take on

two tyres during the final stops, but Gordon passed everyone barring Jarrett, Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, all of whom fitted four tyres with him and trailed Gordon home in that order.

Rookie Kenny Irwin won his first career pole and led lap one before Yates team-mate Jarrett took over to lead Ward Burton, Bobby Labonte and Mike Skinner through the first cau tion on lap 37 for rain.

Just four laps later and after pit stops, the rain became heav ier and NASCAR threw the red flag.

Gordon had to that point made the most progress, moving from 21st on the grid to seventh by lap 30.

An attempt to restart the race some two hours later imder cau tion for 46 laps failed, as the rain came again and forced a second red flag.

Some seven and a half hours later, racing resumed.

After an incident involving

Good Earn: Champ Jeff Gordon brings home the loot.

(Martin D Clark)

WEMO

Gordon and Morgan Shepherd dicing for seventh, the field closed up and Jarrett squeezed past Skinner for the lead, which he held for four laps before a charging Gordon took the point for the final time.

Twenty minutes before the rains came again, NASCAR stopped the race.

Todd Bodine was the first of the two-tyre stoppers in fifth, the still unsponsored LJ Racing Monte Carlo again running well, with Bobby Hamilton the fastest car on the track in sixth from near the middle of the pack during the last caution.

Kenny Schrader was seventh, while Terry Labonte again went unnoticed in eighth - Skinner was ninth and Geoff Bodine tenth, the latter recording only his fifth top ten of the year in his last ride with Mattei Motorsports.

POINT OF ORDER,: In the last issue of Motorsport News, Mark Wicks (#15 afeove) was billed as the ®Q iMoMens championship leader, which is not strictly correct - Glen McDonald equaled Wicks’ taly of 340 points and is there fore ranked equal first with Wicks in the 1998/99 series i pointscore.

McDonfdd’s #13 Reddy Roast Carve^ emi^ was \dctoiri>ous in the first race (175 points.);, while Wicks’ Tal-Shait i Bsdancing/ACL machine claimed the mnner-up ^ot (170; points). i In the second race, Wicks was again the ruamer-np (170))^ but McDonald placed third (165).

I Due to an error in the Thuniderdome program, Jioim: Harding was incorrectly associated with the #23 MQ in the photo sequence relating to the Steve Walker incident«the' #23 vehicle is, in fact, the Neville Haley Titan Fuchs.

ORs/DART Racing entry, while Harding m the pilot of the i very familiar #70 Rose & Crown Hotel racmg tasa (above). emd Scott Walker is #11 in the Rrett Swanson pic.

New Direction: HQ punter Neville Haley (left), James Rosenberg and Mark Poole.(Graham Darke pic)

upercar test by Haley

TOP-FLIGHT HQ racer Neville Haley is looking to spread his wings and pursue a V8 Touring Car futm-e.

Haley recently undertook a test in James Rosenberg’s VS Commodore V8 Supercar, which is frequently campaigned by Mark Poole in the SATCC. The Mallala test was to gauge how well he can adapt to the class and to learn some pointers from Poole.

Unfortunately, the test was beset with problems and was cut short when the Bathurst-prepared

Commodore split a fuel line while Poole was taking a sponsor for a lap around Mallala, resulting in an engine bay fire that ended the day.

Thankfully Haley had spent some laps in the car with Poole as a passenger and also as driver, so the day was not a complete loss.

“It was pretty disappointing not to get a run by myself, but at least I was able to show James [Rosenberg] that I would be able to adapt pretty quickly to the gearbox speed and horsepower pretty quick ly,” commented Haley afterwards.

“I can’t thank them enough for

their patience and the opportunity so close to Bathurst,” “The hardest thing to get used to was the gearbox, but another ses sion, or two and I would have been used to that.”

Media man Graham Darke said that the aim for 1999 at this stage was to get Haley into a seat for the long distance races,,culminating in a Bathurst outing - and, with this in mind, the pair are in serious dis cussions with a couple of prospec tive sponsors and all is looking promising.

-DIRKKLYNSMITH

ADAM Pay will compete in this season’s super speedway series, as new body panels, a fiunt dip and sus pension and engine components are being used to upgrade his Pontiac.

Pat Purcell of Elite Performance is tuning Pay’s motor and the body/chassis conver sion is being carried out at Pay’s Parkes workshop. The Pontiac will be in full road racing trim for the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park next March - and, having finished fifth at Bathurst and seventh overall at Oran Park on his two previous road race excursions,Pay is confident of a good result.- GRAHAM DARKE

1998 WINSTON COP SEMES RESITTS NAPA 500 = Atlanta, GA= November 8th, 1998o I.JeffGordon,^4 DuPont Chev Monte C^o

11. Chad Utde,#97Jc^nDee’eTractors Ford Taurus

Z Dale jarrett,#88 Ford Credit Ford Taurus 3. Mark Martin,#6 Valvoline Ford Taurus

1Z Dick Tndde,#90 Heilig-Meyers Ford Taurus 13. Dale Earnhardt,#3 GM Goodwrench Chev Monte CaHo 14.Ward Burton,#22 MBNA Pontiac Grand Prix

4.Jeff Burton,#99 Exide Batteries Ford Taune 5.Todd Bodine,#91 Litde Joe's Auto Chev Monte CaHo 6. Bobby Hamilton,#4 Kodak Chev Monte CaHo 7.Ken Schrader,#33 Skoal Bandit Chev Monte CaHo 8.Terry Labonte,#5 Kello^^ Chev Monte CaHo 9. Mike Skinner,#31 Lowe's Hardward Chev Monte CaHo 10. Geoff Bodine,#/ Phillips Ford Taurus

15.Jeremy Mayfield,#12 Moba 1 ForHTaunis 16. Kenny Irwin,#28 Texaco HavoBne Ford T^jne 17.Steve Park,#1 Pennzoil Chev Monte CaHo 18. Kevin L^age,#16 Primestar Ford Taurus 19.Ted Musgrave,#13 Rrst Pius Rnandal Ford Taurus 20. Rusty Wallace,#2 Myier Lite Ford Taxms

Final Standings I. Jeff Gordon .... 5328 2. Mark Martin ... 4964 3. Dale Jarrett 4619 4. Rusty Wallace 4501 4415 S. Jeff Burton 7. Bobby Labonte ...4180 6. Jeremy Mayfield ..4157 8. Dale Earnhardt ...3928 9. Terry Labonte ....3901 £0^_^obb2J_Hamilton___j__^328^

44 20 November 1998 API Rally Australia report

by JON THOMSON

API Rally Australia ended in controversy after officials over turned Tommi Makinen’s penal ty for jumping the start at Langley Park, the sensational move ultimately allowing the Flying Finn to claim victory in the Western Australian event on November 8 over an out raged Carlos Sainz and move into the final round of the World Rally Championship with a slender points lead over his Spanish nemesis.

Right from the word go, Rally Australia this year was always going to be a tight, hard-fought bat tle as the World Championship came down to the final two rounds and this rally, the penultimate, would be critical for the chances of the three men who were capable of winning it.

Sainz, Makinen and Colin McRae, the three men who have dominated 1990s World Rallying, would be fighting for the win and the advantage heading into the final round,the RAC in Britain.

Rally Australia attracted an enormous field once more, with 92 cars set to do battle, including 11 full works teams with ten World Rally Cars and a brace of F2 Kit Cars.

Two-car teams were the order of the day for Mitsubishi Ralliart (for Makinen and Richard Burns), Prodrive Subaru (for Colin McRae and Piero Liatti) and Ford (for Juha Kankkunen and Bruno Thiiy), while Toyota Team Europe had three cars in the event for Sainz, Didier Auriol and Freddy Loix, albeit the latter running under the banner of Toyota Team Belgium.

SEAT was also there with a twocar WRC team for Harri Rovanpera and Marc Duez, with the same maker also entering no less than three Ibiza F2 Kit Cars for Gwyndaf Evans, Salvador Canellas Puja and Toni Gardermeister.

Hyimdai had a two-car F2 team for Kenneth Eriksson and Aussie

1^(D0®[?8U)®[F0

Rally OZ tontroversy

Makinen wins, Sainz outraged and McRae slipsfrom World Championship contention

Not So Happy: Carlos Sainz saw victory at API Rally Australia slip through his fingers in less than satisfactory circumstances.(Phil Williams pic) eight spots ahead of Ordynski.

The next day, fortunes ebbed and waned as the cars headed east to York.

At first Colin McRae gained the ascendancy, but then Bums posted a fastest time on the first of the Muresk special stage loops and then Auriol grabbed the lead with a quick time the second time through the Muresk stage - but there was nothing in it, only 0.1 secs separat-

between the pair after five special stages.

As the cars moved back from York into the forests, the Beraking stage was to prove significant on several fronts, Liatti becoming the first major retirement after clipping a tree with the right rear and damaging the Subaru heavily, stopping in the stage as the car was unable to continue.

For Neal Bates, it also signalled

Bad luck was running in the family, with Rick Bates sidelined in the Daihatsu after being as high as 25th. / The unlucky F2 driver was negotiating a way around team-mate Ross MacKenzie, who was having problems on a transport, when Bates struck a rock in some long grass, damaging his suspension beyond repair.

But it was also the point where

Wayne Bell, while Volkswagen had two semi-works F2 Golfs for Ahstair McRae. Just as important was the Australian contingent, which was headed by Neal Bates, who was hoping to break his Rally Australia hoodoo at the wheel of his older Toyota Corolla World Rally Car, thanks largely to Auriol rolling his new locaHy-built machine just a few weeks before the event.

While Bates would have to beat Ed Ordynski to be the first Aussie home, his main opponent would be Kiwi Possum Bomne, who had been his nemesis all year in the Austrahan Championship.

Day One

The rally started with the now traditional dash around Langley Park on Thursday night, November 5, the short, sharp 2.2km stage changing slightly from previous Trouble Brewing: Makinen (left) drops the clutch and wheelspins away before the start light flashes at years and the cars now starting and Langley Park, the hasty move subsequently opening a big can of worms for officialdom. (Phil Williams pic) finishing on the infield of the two at Burns threw down the gauntlet, a time course. ing Auriol from Burns in second the end of any hope he had of beat posting a stunning time 17 seconds ing rival Bourne, the Toyota driver and less than ten seconds across Makinen made it his business to - or around 0.5 secs per kilometre suffering a puncture and losing five the top nine on the leader board be fastest, but Toyota’s Auriol - faster than team-mate Makinen minutes. equalled his time on the opening after four stages. to grab the lead by 17.8 seconds.

“It was very early in the stage The battle among the top local stage, the pair posting a time of 1 “We can’t figure out why we are and we just had to stop and change min 32 secs. crews was also close, Bates in tenth so fast; it doesn’t seem any quicker it; that’s rallying, I suppose,” said “At least we were faster than holding a 4.6-sec lead over Bourne than normal, but we must be get co-driver Coral Taylor. in 11th, with Ordynski another 15 Carlos ,” said Makinen - but he The Toyota team had decided its ting excellent traction,” said Robert was only just quicker, as Sainz was seconds back in 15th. own fate to some extent by choosing Reid, Burns’ co-driver - the mid In group N, the chase was on for only 0.3 secs behind. season work which had been done Michael Guest, as Gustavo Trelles not to use mousse in their Dimlop Neal Bates was leading the local

by Ralliart on differential control charge after grabbing ninth spot on . led the production car class - but tyres because of set-up hassles and was again paying dividends, as it questions over reliability of Langley Park, ahead of Piero Liatti, the margin was again extremely had done in Finland and Italy. five places ahead of Bourne and narrow, with just half a second Dunlop’s system.

Although Colin McRae was third, he was battling a Subaru which was clearly not delivering premium handling and Sainz was way back in sixth place, suffering electronic problems with the Corolla’s elec tronic gearshift and his clutch, the car stalling on the start.

But it was Bums who was literal ly setting the track alight with stimning times, another three sec onds faster on Atkins and quickest on Kevs, as well.

Flynns, the seventh stage of the day, was where Burns put the icing on the cake, ripping another 19 sec onds off Sainz and the rest of the opposition and taking his lead out to 53 seconds, massive in current WRC terms.

“We’ve got to make the hay while it shines, so I am not going to back off now,” said Bums, as he powered to an enormous first day lead, Auriol climbing back to second as Makinen hit problems with a bro ken rear suspension after clobber ing a bank, costing him about 40 seconds on this stage.

The next stage saw the Finn lose even more time, a late departure from service costing him Imin 20 secs in road penalties and dropping him to eighth, 2min 20 behind Burns.

Guest was having a tremei^dous fight with Trelles for Group N’and there was nothing in it up until special stages eight and nine, when the young Australian posted fastest times in the category to move ahead of Trelles for the first time, a place in which he would stay for the rest of the rally.

In F2, Eriksson had the Hyundai leading the category from Evans, with Alistair McRae in third - but continuing drive problems saw him drop from being a minute ahead on stage seven to a minute behind and in third place.

Eriksson’s Australian team-mate Bell was struggling with similar problems, breaking driveshafts and losing his power steering to be fifth in class, but capable of setting comt

20 November 1998

■'

petitive times when the car was functioning.

The Burns show continued through the forest, the young Brit rolling on to the conclusion of the day and finishing the Langley Park Stage that evening with a lead of Imin 6.3 over Auriol, with Kankkunen in third another 14.9 seconds down and Loix up to fourth ahead of Sainz, who deliber ately slowed on the Langley Park stage to put him back in fifth to ensure a faster run on day two on swept roads.

Colin McRae and Thiry were in sixth and seventh, while Makinen had dropped to eighth, ahead of Bourne and Finn Sebastien Lindholm in his Ford Escort Ortlynski was the best of the Australians in 12th.

Makinen was a man on a mis sion, bursting out of the blocks as the rally wound its way south to Collie. The Finn broke the stage record on the fast and flowing Murray Pines stage, the first of the day, as he set about the task of making up a the 1 min 20 he lost late the day before.

Sainz was also trying to make up lost ground and the Spaniard and the Finn fought stage by stage on the longest leg of the rally.

Colin McRae’s ill-handling Subaru broke a driveshaft on Murray Pines, costing the Scot over 40 seconds - it was going to be a long, hard day for him, as his Championship rivals battled for the lead.

Guest, who had fought so hard the day before for the group N lead, had his lead extended by 20 sec onds to almost. 30 seconds as Trelles lost time.

While Bums built on his lead in the first two stages, the third test of the day at Stirling West would mark a major turning point, as the young Brit rolled the Mitsubishi, landing back on his wheels with the loss of only 40 seconds - but the real problem was a loss of power as a result of his damaged turbo.

The problems meant he would drop a further minute on the next stage, the long 35km Stirling East, conceding the lead to Sainz as the Mitsubishi straggled into service.

The battle for group N continued to tip further in favour of Guest, the young Australian setting fastest times in the category and moving to a lead of around 40 sec onds on Uruguyan rival Trelles.

Cody Crocker, who was ninth in Group N, was finding the going

tough, but managed second fastest to Guest on Stirling East as he bat tled through what was a major learning experience.

But it was Makinen who was really making a forward charge, the Finn climbing to third with consis tent fast times and passing team mate Bums as he plummeted down the leader board.

At the end of the longest stage of the rally, the 45km Wellington Dam stage, it was a Toyota 1-2,

He was 8 secs faster than McRae on the Murray Pines II stage and the Mitsubishi was now just 22 sec onds behind Sainz.

The stage would also mark the end of the line for Bell, the Hyundai retiring with broken steering.

Back to Langley Park and the controversy erupted as Makinen appeared to jump the start on the Super Special, leaping out of the blocks 0.4 seconds before the lights turned green.

Sainz and perfectly placed to pounce.

The order at the end of the day saw Sainz leading Makinen, with Auriol 13 secs further back in third, Kankknnen in fourth. Burns in fifth and Colin McRae in sixth.

Loix, who had suffered a broken gearbox late in the day, was sev enth, Thiry eighth and Bourne ninth, with Lindholm rounding out the top ten.

Ordynski was in 11th, ahead of

Stiff: Colin McRae’s World Championship aspirations unhappily evaporated in Western Australia. (Mpix) with Sainz leading Auriol by 23.2 seconds, Makinen back in third place only ten seconds down and Burns slipping to fourth.

Kankkunen was in fifth and Loix sixth, while' Colin McRae, although in seventh, was starting to get on the pace and setting some fast times as he prepared for a lunge at the leaders.

Bourne was still in ninth, while Neal Bates fought his v^ay back after the previous day’s woes, the Corolla now back to 15th - and ORDYNSKI WAS IITHU The battles in both Group N and F2 saw Guest moving further ahead of Trelles in the former cate gory and Alistair McRae stamping his authority on the latter, the Scot now over 30 seconds ahead of Evans.

The final forestry stage of the day saw Makinen’s pace take him into second, the Finn sweeping past Auriol in what was an amazing comeback, considering he started the day in eighth.

Sainz and co-driver Luis Moya the SEAT WRC of Rovanpera, while Neal Bates was in 15th and were quick to point to the action, Moya leaping from the car in the^ Guest was still ahead in Group N service park to remind officials of and 16th outright, 52 seconds the action. ahead ofTreUes in 17th.

“He clearly jumped the start and Alistair McRae was leading F2 they must do something about it,” quite comfortably, 53 secs ahead of said Moya.

Evans, with the pair in 17th and Later that evening, Makinen 18th outright, respectively, would be penalised one minute for the indiscretion, which was appar Day Three ent to the spectators and also con Just five special stages remained firmed by the timing transponder on the final day, which totalled 108 fitted to all cars in the field. kms and it was going to be an inter Mitsubishi quickly protested the esting day - but it wasn’t either of penalty - the hearing would last the two leaders, Sainz or Makinen, long into the night and, eventually, who would make the pace in the the penalty was scrubbed on the early stages. grounds that there was not suffi The ball bearings made it diffi cient clarity in the rules pertaining cult to gain good grip, but Colin to the start lights and that McRae, way back in seventh, was Makinen was within his rights to able to take advantage of the better start according to the clock. grip on the roads swept by the cars in front.

With the penalty, Makinen was back to seventh behind Colin The Subaru driver had solved McRae and stood little hope of many of the handling problems and catching Sainz - without the penalwas 13 seconds faster than both ty, he was just 22.4 secs behind Sainz and Makinen on the first

stage, the Scotsman fastest again on stage two, while both Bums and Makinen were close behind - it was getting awfully crowded at the head of the field.

Makinen had moved to just 12.8 secs behind Sainz, while McRae had jumped to fourth and Bums to

third.

On the third stage of the day, the 31km Bunnings West, McRae leapt into the lead with a stunning time 14 seconds faster than Makinen, moving the Scot 3.6 seconds ahead and totally changing the complex ion of the rally with two stages remaimng.

McRae’s co-driver Nicky Grist was astounded at his driver’s pace - “it was enough to make a blind man blink,” said the slightly-built Welshman.

Sainz was straggling - car one on the road, he had to battle the ball bearings and was losing time, the Corolla driver not able to match the pace of the chargers behind.

But, just as it looked like McRae had captured the rally, things changed again, the Subaru losing turbo boost on the penultimate stage and dropping the Scot 40 sec onds and relegating him to fourth.

It also marked the end of Bums’ run, the Mitsubishi rolling but managing to get going again, only to have the turbo fail, putting the young Briton out of the rally.

Makinen then sealed the rally with fastest time on the second last stage, the World Champion going 16 seconds faster than Sainz and opening a 17.7-second lead - and, with only the final 2.7km TV stage remaining, that lead was virtually unassailable.

Sainz was able to take fastest on the final stage, ahead of McRae by 0.6 seconds, with Makinen another 1.2 secs back - but it wasn’t enough and Makinen had won.

But Sainz was livid about the fact that Makinen had escaped a penalty and -been given the chance to win.

“It’s a scandal. It is quite clear what happened. Twenty thousand people saw him jump the start, but there is nothing done,” said Sainz.

“In Formula One, it is quite clear - you jump the start, you get a stop-go penalty. Here, it seems nothing happens - it makes me wonder if I am in the right sport.”

Makinen would not discuss the controversy, even slamming the door on a TV reporter who pushed him on the matter.

“I am very happy. I don’t want to talk about that other thing. This is Continued on next page

Flying Kiwi: Possum Bourne finished a mighty ninth, the best of the locals. (Williams)

Supple: Makinen's long-travel suspension spectacularly soaks up the bumps. (Mpix)

t. <

45

46 20 November 1998 i

Bourne gets McRae's WRX for next season TRIPLE Australian Rally Champ Possum Bourne will have a Subaru Impreza WRC for the 1999 Australian Rally Championship.

Wide speculatuion about the New Zealand driver’s mount for next year was put to rest when Subaru Australia boss Trevor Amery made the announcement in Perth last week that the company has bought the McRae machine driven by the Scot on Rally Australia this year’.

Bourne’s current WRX Impreza used many of the same driveline components as the WRC car, but the exProdrive machine 'will be the complete package and capa ble of giving the Toyota of Bates a big challenge next year.

“We had the better of Neal this year as he developed his Rally OZ controversy Continued from page 45 one of my most important wins and makes the champi onship a bit easier going to the RAC,” said Makinen.

Makinen and Sainz are the only two capable of winning the WRC now, Sainz going to the final round with a two point deficit to Makinen, who is now on 58 points to Sainz’s 56.

Makinen and Sainz were followed home by Auriol, Colin McRae, Kankkimen, Loix and Thiry, Possum Bourne grab bing eighth thanks to Bums’ late retirement.

Lindholm took ninth in the Escort, ahead of Ordynski, who was the'- first Australian home, with Rovanpera in 11th in the SEAT WRC and Neal Bates gi'abbed 12th in a big comeback after his bigtime loss on day one.

Guest backed off on day three, but still had enough up his sleeve to ensure his second World Championship Group N win for the year.

Guest’s Subara crossing the

car, but we can’t expect a four year old car to keep doing that job,” said Bourne.

Bourne also said it was important for Subaru Australia to showcase the latest technology, as the dis tributor here moves to an exclusive all wheel drive model line-up and also pre pares to market the two-door STI version of the Impreza, similar to the WRC car.

Amery said the company was excited about securing the new car and emphasised how important Bourne’s efforts have been in promot ing Subaru and, in particu lar, the Impreza WRX in this country.

Subaru has not made any statement as yet about what it plans to do in Group N, where it won the title as a result of the efforts of Cody Crocker - however, it is believed that Crocker will line just over 30 seconds ahead of Trelles, ■while Jorge Recalde took third.

Aussie Crocker was sixth in the category.

Alistair McRae took the F2 win ahead of Evans, the VW driver pulling out three sec onds on the Welshman in the SEAT, while Eriksson took third in the tough two litre category.

Rally Australia Results 1

2

3

4

5

6

once more line up in the Group N Production Subaru in the 1999 title.

Michael Guest’s impres sive 'victory in the Group N category at Rally Australia has seen the young Newcastle driver in some intense discussions about a possible program in the World Championship driving a Group N Subaru.

A cagey Guest, who has beaten World Group N champ Gustavo Trelles in New Zealand and Perth, says it is too early to say anything at the moment, but con firmed that discussions had taken place.

“Trelles said the three hardest events in the Group N title are Finland, New Zealand and Australia and I have beaten him in two of those, so we must be doing something right,” Guest said.

-JON THOMSON

7

8

9

10

1

MakineiV Mannisenmaki Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V 3.52.48.7 Sainz/Moya Toyota Corolla WRC 3.53.05.2 Auriol/Giraudet Toyota Corolla WRC 3.53.13.7 McRae/Grist Subaru Impreza 555 WRC 3.53.20.3 Kankkunen/Repo Ford Escort WRC 3.53.44.8 Loix/Smeets Toyota Corolla WRC 3.56.42.9

2

3

Thiry/Prevot Ford Escort WRC 3.57.03.6 BourneWincent Subaru Impreza 555 3.59.30.2 Lindholm/Aho Ford Escort WRC 4.02.50.1 Ordinski/Stacey Misubishi Evo III WRC 4.04.15.3

Group N

■Guest/Green Subaru Impreza 555 4.11.09.1 TVelles/Christie Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV 4.11.40.5 - _ Reclade/Del Bueno Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V 4.16.32.8

Formula 2 1

2

3

McRae/Senior Volkswagen Golf G"!!

4.17.00.0 Evans/Davies SEAT Ibiza GTi 4.14.02.3 Eriksson/Parmander Hyundai Coupe Evo 1 4.19.00.8

/

\

VIC: Stuckey Tyre Service Ph: (03) 9386 5331 Fax: (03) 9383 9153 SA: The Mag Wheel Centre Ph; (08) 8269 4100 Fax; (08) 8269 7805 NSW: Stuckey Tyre Service Ph: (02) 9676 8655 Fax: (02) 9676 5300 QLD: Road & Race Spare Parts Ph: (07) 3279 1533 Fax: (07) 3376 5804 WA: Kostera's Tyre Service Ph: (09) 293 3500 Fax: (09) 293 1355 TAS: Bob's Speed Shop Ph: (03) 6273 7555 Fax: (03) 6273 7666 Find us on internet: http://www.stuckey.com.au

We head each to Rally Australia year with higt\ expectations and dreams of the perfect rally.

It’s our annual opportuni ty to compete against the world’s best, but previous attempts have been thwart ed for a number of reasons - from something as simple as a broken windscreen wiper motor (which in the WA mud leads to total blackout in the car), to bro ken tail shafts and, one year, a blown engine.

But the dream never diminishes and we keep heading back with the expectations intact.

This year, despite the last minute dramas when □idler rolled our new car, we had set our goals for API Rally Australia at being the first “non-works” team home, first Australian and first of the FI A Teams Cup entries.

The unique slippery ball bearing surface of the WA roads is a well-known and often talked about fact.

The roads are' also very tricky because they are nar row yet fast, with trees and stumps very close to the edge of the road - there’s not much set-up room and there’s absolutely no room for error.

Extensive road works on the rally route this year had, however, made the roads much smoother than past years.

Mind you, they dug up quite quickly and at car twelve on the road you are dealing with some pretty rutted sections and a hell of a lot of fast, narrow and slippery through the trees stuff.

It’s a very busy rally on pace notes, with much ducking and diving over narrow cresty roads.

The well.rally started really We were enjoying the battle with Possum and Sebastian Lindholm (who was our main rival in the FIA teams cup cofnponent of the event) and, after SS4, we were sitting in ninth place - the first non works entry.

However, our dreams all ended on SS5 when, only 5km into the 28km Betaking stage, we had a puncture.

I thought at first that we would keep driving, but it was impossible and we had to stop to change it.

But it was certainly interesting and I haven’t yet found a form of motorpsort I haven’t enjoyed and I’ve been pretty busy trying lots of them! flew straight out of Perth to Bathurst, competing on Saturday in the GTP race , ,, with Garry Waldon in the _» J Dodge Viper.

I had been looking forWe lost time driving on ward immensely to the the flat and then lost further Viper, because I thought we time stopping - and, as luck had a great opportunity to would have it, we became win the race, But that wasn’t to be mobile again just as Sebasian went by and then with various gremlins all we had to sit in his dust for week mostly as a result of the accident damage to the the rest of the stage. car from Mallala.

In all, we lost about five and a half minutes.

During the race, we ended up with some grem It was incredibly frustrat lin in the wiring harness that ing, to say the least and we couldn’t find - and that obviously we felt more than was that. a little dejected at the time.

I must admit I even felt like pulling out of the event I Weel was' co-driving for 1000 Paul in the FAI altogether; but now, looking back. I’m glad we didn’t Classic on Sunday and for there was a lot of good us the race couldn’t have started worse. afterwards.

On the first lap, Paul e spent Saturday came over Skyline, put his doing some tyre testfoot on the accelerator and there wasn’t anything there. mg.

He rolled down to the Dunlop had an experi mental tyre for longer pits and we had to push hiiM stages which I had, to date, up to the garage, The plastic clip had refrained from trying, not come off the back of the wanting to experiment tor fifty kilometres during the accelerator pedal, but by the time we found it every Super Series. one else had done four laps However, given our posi and we’d only done one. tion in the rally, we now had Obviously that takes the the perfect opportunity to do wind out of your sails a little just that. bit.

Hopefully, we have learnt some valuable inforHowever, we pressed on for the rest of the day and mation for next year.

1 w4s happy with our kept plugging away at it, doing consistent lap times stage times in Runnings on and slowly moving up Sunday and so finished the through the field. rally a little more cheerful.

We had no problems Maybe 1999 will be the perfect Rally Australia for with the car and managed us? to keep out of harm’s way.

Our aim had been a top

W

I

had the opportunity to drive Craig Rodda’s , NASCAR a couple of weeks ago, which was something completely different.

I enjoyed having 700 hp under my right foot and reaching speeds up to 150 miles per hour.

I wouldn’t mind having another go at some stage.

It was interesting just how fast you can go around corners with the banking working for you, as opposed to rallying where most corners seem to end up off-camber, rather than helping you around.

ten finish, so coming back from forty-second place to ninth was absolutely superb, It T was an excellent result for the team and I enjoyed myself immensely, now have a couple of weeks at home, before heading to the Canary Islands for The Race of early Champions in December, I’ve been looking forward to a sleep-in for the past month!

Cheers, Neal.

Evans switch to F2 ¥W FORMER Toyota driver Simon Evans looks to have stitched together a deal to campaign a pair of VW Golf F2 Kit Cars in the 1999 ARC, along with Corolla Cup star Jason Slot.

Evans and Slot will be campaigning a pair of facto ry-built left-hand drive Golfs in a program which could include several rounds of the Asia Pacific Championship, as well as rounds of the ARC. One of the cars is the Golf driven by Swede Kris Rosenberger in Rally Australia last week and the other will be coming from Germany.

“We have done the deal direct with VW in Germany and we are just waiting to see what level of funding we get, which will decide whether we do mostly APAC, or ARC events,” said Evans.

“We have had discussions with VW Australia and they are happy to have a team here, but at the moment they don’t know what assistance they can give us.”

The Rosenberger car fi n ished Rally Australia in 24th, about three minutes ahead of Dean Herridge’s Hyundai F2 car, one of the front runners in this year’s ARC.

“The Golfs have the same engine, gearbox and pretty much the same spec as the car which Alistair McRae drove to victory in F2 in Rally Australia,” said Evans.

The Melbourne-based driver said his split with Toyota was an amicable one and, if he had not uncovered the VW deal, he would have con tinued to campaign his F2 Corolla.

Evans could possibly have the first Kit Car for a full ARC program, although it is believed Herridge may be close to securing a Hyundai F2 Kit Car for the ’99 season as well.

-JON THOMSON

t

PJCO

Data log dispute THE Sprintcar Control Council of Australia(SCCA)is currently embroiled in a fight over data logging systems and whether they should be allowed or not, the argument focusing in partic ular on the Australian-built

MoTeC system.

Bill Roberts, President of the New South Wales Sprintcar Club and pioneer of the MoTeC system on Sprintcars, is one of the parties currently at loggerheads with the ■'SCCA. “The National Technical officer, Lance McMinn, has looked at the system and given it his initial approval,” Roberts stated.

“However, the executive of the SCCA has, on a whim, over-ruled McMinn’s decision.”

The thing that annoys Roberts and partner Wayne Jones the most is the fact that, while the Australian MoTeC system has been banned, the American-built MSD/Digitron system is allowed.

Both systems do comparable things, such as monitoring fuel pressure, oil pressure, rev limit.

Lambda and so on.

Curiously, the Australian-built Autronic system, as used by Sid Moore, is also allowed.

A significant issue is cost, the MoTeC system running between $4,000 and $6,000, depending on options - and, as it is also built here, the money stays here.

The MSD Digitron system, on the other hand, costs between US$3,800 and US$4,400 which, converted at today’s rate '($0.63), equates to between $6,031 and $6,984.

“The benefit of these systems is that they save guys from burning

up their motors,” Roberts said.

“They identify problems before they become major rebuilds, or total fail ures.

“The only negative is that they cost as much as they do, but I reck on you’d recover that cost within a year. Ivan Walker [respected Sydney engine builder] said to me that in his opinion every Sprintcar competitor with only one engine should have one.”

Sydney’s Adrian Maher recently used Sid Moore’s Autronic system to identify a problem that has plagued the team for the first three races - a problem which stopped them from making the feature in three races and one which could have cost them a motor.

Eventually, after some heated discussions, a one month moratori um on the use of the MoTeC system was granted, on the proviso that teams don’t download the data at the track.

Some sense has since prevailed, with the units being given a 12 month clearance, during which time most of the state technical offi cers will meet at this season’s Australian Title to discuss the mer its of these units - following this gathering, a rule is expected to be drafted. n Bill Roberts and the John Shore Ampol team will be making the trek to Avalon for the opening race of the Victorian Sprintcar sea son.

Apart from being round one of the SRA series, the November 21 meeting may feature the debut of Shore’s brand-new car, a particular chassis that, As far as we’re aware, hasn’t been’run in Austrlia before. ' -BRETT SWANSON

Mitnerkaif ill! Bailey signs for ^rancS Snnuai Sprintcar Classic PENNSYLVANIAN Sprintcar racer Bill Bailey is set to race in Victoria this season driving for Jeff Clifford.

David'Anderson, a good fi’iend of Bailey’s, revealed to Motorsport news that Bailey was definitely corning and would be buckled into one of Clifford’s cars to run at Warrnambool, most likely in the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic.

Clifford was unavailable for com ment, or to confirm the exact racing schedule of Bailey.

El While on the subject of Sprintcars, former Super Rod State Champion John Vogels has pur chased a car.

Vogels, one of the guns of SuperRod racing, plans to emulate class leader Jeff Judd, who successfully made the transition from turning right to turning left last season, culminating in his maiden Sprintcar feature at his Simpson home track.

Vogels has purchased the exAdrian Maher roller out of Sydrrey, but doesn’t plan on hitting the Sprintcar Tr-ail this season.

“Last season, I built a brand-new Super Rod, which I have to sell first before I can step up,” Vogels explained.

“If I don’t sell the Rod, I’ll keep racing it this season.”

Vogel’s Super Rod features a Niki Body, an M&J chassis 'and is defi nitely one of the quickest cars in its class.

■ Former Victorian State Champion and Warrnambool resi dent Ken Veal has sold his car to Gippsland logger Alan Barlee.

Veal is said to he importing a couple of new J&Js to replace the Murphy.

Barlee, who made a brief return to the Victorian ranks last season as part of the Flocon Engineering team, has purchased the Geoff Murphy-built car complete with engine and has successfully given his new Sprintcar combination a shakedown run recently at Rosedale Speedway.

At the same meeting, the SRA Sprintcars performed a teaser for the crowd, which is eagerly antici pating the return of the Big Bangers to the much improved venue this season.

Sensational: #0 Pete Murphy moves around Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell following. (Martin D Clark pic)

Murphy stars in Las Vegas ■

!

MARK Kinser may have won the last three Outlaw features

of 1998, but when it came down to the series final on the second night of racing in Las Vegas on November 4, the night was all about Sydney’s Peter Murphy.

Murphy claimed the Vivarin Fast Time Award in qualifying on the half-miler on that second night at 16.250 seconds and went on to fin ish second to Kinser in the ChanneUock Fall Nationals feature.

“I was having a hell of a good time. I’m over the moon and it’s a great feeling,” an elated Murphy said. “After this, I don’t really want to go home, but I guess I’ll have to.

I’m not going to the 'Casinos - I’ll keep the money in my pocket.”

The first night at Vegas, Murphy posted the sixth fastest time in

qualifying and finished 17th in the preliminary A-Main - but the fol lowing night was when Murphy reaUy shone.

He finished fifth in his heat race ‘'and went on to win the B-Main, which advanced him to the inside of row five for the A-Main feature.

The early laps were all about the Kinsers, Mark leading and Steve running second.

When defending race winner Jeff Swindell spun and a caution ensued, Mirrphy began his charge, passing Danny Lasoski and then Steve Kinser in turn 2.

Murphy found the high line to his liking, moving around Mark Kinser for the lead 18 laps into the 30-lapper and pulling away to a healthy advantage as Mark got backtracked in lapped traffic.

Unfortunately, Murphy’s tyres

were disapproving of the torture and, when he came upon a lapped car, Mark Kinser closed in.

On lap 26, as they crossed the line, Mark drove past Murphy to take the lead and eventually pulled out a 3.608-second gap.

Murphy did a great job, holding off Sammy Swindell for second.

At the flag, Mark emerged the race winner, Steve the titleholder for a record 15th year and Murphy the underdog runner-up, Murphy and Mark Kinser hugging each other as Murphy’s Morrie Williams crew came to celebrate.

To say that Murphy was jubilant was an understatement, the elated packed house rising to its feet and applauding the Australian, who was mobbed by autograph-seeking fans.

- MARTIN D CLARK

Top Team: Murphy (left), sponsor/crew member Ashley Smith and car owner Morrie Wiliiams. (Martin D Clark)

Along with Barlee, Peter Knight, David Smith and local Garry Ghippindall were on hand, with Steve Knight debuting the first of the Flocon Engineering team’s new Foster chassis.

BRETT SWANSON

Battlers Chance rattle THE SRA Sprintcar- raffle has only a few months left to run while the consti-uction of the car continues.

First prize is a Gambler Spi-intcai- complete with trailer, while second and third prizes are a trip to the KnoxviUe Nationals and the Austrahan Championship, respectively.

The chassis has left Tom Sanders in the USA and is currently on the water, while the aluminium engine is being built by Melbourne-based engine guru John Sidney (pictured left, Tony Glynn).

Tickets are still available for $15 each, or in books of ten for $150 Which also puts you in the i-unning for the book buyer’s prize of one week’s tuition at the Jimmy Sills School of Open Wheel Racing in California.

Tickets can be purchased by sending cheque, or money order, to SRA Battlers Chance, PO Box 90 Knoxfield MDC, 3180, Victoria, or by faxing yom- credit card and personal details to (03) 9752 3950.

>\ .

48 20 November 1998

ebut sut<ess for Loaue Chev A

CONSIDERING the earlier than usual start to the Super Sedan season, it was a good field of cars which assembled at Bendigo on November 7 for the Tysons Reef Hotel-supported event.

The weather, sadly, was more akin to that of the Aimual Queens Cup meeting held each Jime - but, despite this, there was a good crowd on hand for the Bendigo Speedway Club’s first meeting as promoters.

Former Aussie Champion Peter Logue was surprisingly nervous before the night’s racing, as he was debuting a brand-new Camaro built by his son Darryl and was con cerned about the car’s performance.

But Logue needn’t have worried, as he totally dominated the night.

f

winning the Feature event after lapping all but the second and third-placed cars of Gary Bryans (Commodore) and debutant Dave Gartner in the ex-Robbie Gray Pontiac.

Logue’s sinister, all-black IROC Camaro, which had only been com pleted late the night prior, hit its straps from the moment it hot Unrelenting: Dominant new Cam aro of #6 Peter Logue rounds up Bill Higgins at Bendigo. (Brett Swanson) lapped, but less fortimate was cui'At the drop of the green, the front turn 2, dropping another spot to West and Higgins were dicing for rent Aussie Champ Mick Nicola, whose Camaro blew a head gasket row ran hard into turn 1, with Gartner, the former Aussie Street fifth when West spun, halting the during hot laps and was scratched McEachern his usual flamboyant Stock champ quickly coming to race temporarily.

McEachern retired after the terms with the bigger, heavier, for the night. sideways self.

With two heat wins, Logue start restart and, as Logue commenced Pearce spun, however and Ellis faster cars.

As Bryans, Gartner and his final lap, Bryans spun and was ed off pole in the feature with spim to avoid him.

Gavin McEachern alongside, fol hit by Rodda and Miller.

On the restart, Logue and McEachern diced, Logue skipped The race was then declared, with lowed by Bryans, Lionel West, Ian McEachern once again led away. away to have over half a lap lead by Logue the undisputed winner over Page, Brendan King, Gartner, Bill f with Logue starting to edge out a lap ten.

Higgins, Bill Miller, John Rodda, gap immediately.

Four- laps later, the trio battling Bryans, Gartner, Higgins, West, Ken Pearce, Debbie Reddecliffe and McEachern dropped a place to for second was the only bunch of Miller and Rodda.

Steve EUis. -BRETT SWANSON Bryans, then brushed the wall in cars not yet lapped.

throughout the 20 lap event to fin ish the night undefeated with four wins.

Greg Raymont (Cooroy Auto Wreckers Cortina), who drove par ticularly well to come from the ^ rear of the field in each of his heats and qualify alongside Pagel on the fi'ont row, filled the runnerup spot.

The ever-improving Andy Geppert finished in third place, ahead of Brian Learoyd and Troy

By Chris Metcalf Australian Super team

The South Burnett Speedway Club has announced the Australian line-up to take on the John Soares-led United States Squad at Kingaroy Speedway on Saturday, December 5.

The Australian side will com prise current Queensland champi on John Leslight, Lismore ace Paul O’Neill and in-form Gold

Coast pedaJler Jamie McHugh.

Soares will be joined by veteran tourist Charlie Swartz and new comer Don Shelton for the 1998/99 tour.

So!o Masters date change

Brisbane’s round of the Series 500 International Solo Masters series has been switched from Archerfield Speedway to the his toric Exhibition circuit.

The event, to be staged on Wednesday, December 30, will be part of a five meeting season planned for Queensland’s tradi tional home of speedway.

Yandina promoter Vic Butler and long-time partner Robert Stevenson have regained the pro motional rights for the venue and will be joined by Archerfield boss Bill Goode, another former pro moter ofthe circuit.

While the remainder of the cal endar has yet to be confirmed, the trio has tentatively scheduled an Australia versus The World Solo Test for Wednesday,January 6.

Maryborough Mod Prods Modified Productions headlined the program at Maryborough Speedway on October 31, with only 14 of20 nominated competi tors fronting for the occasion. n Despite just 12 cars taking part in the feature, officials stiU opted for a fastest from the front start ing format, which resulted in the easiest of wins for Queensland champion Gary Pagel.

Starting from pole position, Pagel (Madill’s Commodore) led

Brittle.

Matt Pascoe debuted his new Mazda RX7 and performed solidly to collect a heat win, as did Learoyd and Michael Hally, Bundaberg’s Ashley Peall (FixIt Commodore) outpaced a big field of challengers to take out the 20 lap Super Street Sedan feature, ahead of Ross Fraser, Mark Harrison, Mick Roza and David Brown. .

Andrew Pickering collected two heat wins to qualify on pole posi tion, only to lose a wheel on the opening lap.

Peall, Harrison, Fraser, Greg Waters, Paul Redman, Robert Alford and David Barbeler were also heat winners.

Litre Sprintcar numbers were also well down, with a nine-car line-up reduced to just five for the feature, which was taken out by Kerrin Lenz, ahead of Scott Harth, Geoff Moller and Scott Ryan.

Only three heats were contested and were taken out by Wayne Moller(2)and Geoff Moller.

Peps! Powerdrome

The change of promoter at Grafton’s Big River Speedway has resulted in a few alterations to the calendar and a new name for the venue.

Greg Coombes, Jason Green and Andrew Walker are the new pro motional team at the complex, which will now be known as the Pepsi Powerdome.

The expected highlight of their inaugural season at the helm will be the New South Wales Compact Speedcar Championship on Saturday, January 30.

Modified Productions, Modified Rods and Street Stocks will also feature prominently in the sched uling.

The remainder of the revised calendar is as follows: November 28, January 1, January 30, February 20, March 27 and April 10.

Vi

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THE action kicks off at Mt Gambier’s BorteJMe Speedway bfrMoveinbor 21 witb a ronfi:# oftkej Speedcar Super Series- supports in'clude Sportsonian, Modiifiedfifrodiuctiion, Street Sifocks. «d| Juniors. .

December 28 is the ammuail finalTeg of the Tri-Cify Super.Sedto -Street Stocks.willMso feature in thp Gre^i t Triangle Stampede, while Sportsman and¥6 Sprints wil he the supports.

- . n ''/i January 2 sees Sprintears as part of the World Series Chaatpionship - National' Rods, Modified-Ffroduction j i and Juniors are on tihe under card.

1 The Series 500 International Solo Masters appear on January 16, along with Sidecars and FbrmuIa.SOOs. , I January 28-29 is the Kings Challenge for Sprintears Street Stocks and Juniors are supports oii'Feature "j : night and Sportsman and Super Sedans will:filthe gaps. ’ !

February 25 is practice night for the Australian Super Sedan ChamipionsMp. Friday the 26th sees 'local i .Sprintears and Street Stocks doing the support and on Title night, Saturday 27th, Sportsman mrd Juniors fii:ip. i March 13 sees Round 10 of the SRA Sprintcar Sepes headline the 'bill, with Sportsman also featuring'--j ' Modified Productions are also on the card with a Demo.Derby to finish the night. n nThe fioal meeting of the season is the Saturday night roTondof the Easter Spiintcm- IVail- National Street Stocks and Juniors wiU be supporting the Thunder and Lightning brigadfe. n BRETT.SWANi‘$©N J

Swedish Henfiksson,rider who wasAnders named as ‘Rider of the Year’ by Newport supporters, will be spending much of his off-season in Sydney, but currently is not planning to ride in Australia. He will be staying with Newport team-mate Craig Watson, but may be persuaded to take part in the odd meeting on borrowed equipment.

Jason Crump signed in Europe by taking partoff with some distinction in the Bonfire Burn-Up, a kind of wind-down to the British grasstrack season.

Crump finished as runner-up to World Longtrack/Grasstrack Champion Kelvin Tatum in condi tions that were nothing like those for conventional speedway.

A competitive meeting pro duced a final that saw Tatum win, ahead of Crump, young German Mathias Kroger, Simon Wigg, Mark Loram and Steve Schofield.

Stefano round Alfonso of the won the Italian final Championship to take the National Championship at Lonigo.

He raced to a 15 point maxi mum in the conventional 20 heat format and then won the A Final, ahead of Alessandro Dala Valle.

Andrea Maida took second place in the championship, after he fell in the A Final.

The win was a personal tri umph for Alfonso, who missed the whole of the 1998 season through a drugs ban.

Overseas riders could proveprothe biggest casualty if British moters decide to reduce team strengths to save money next year.

F

* \X: J, \.

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By Tony M iil’a ri Steve Purchase, the Oxford promoter, had three Aussies in his team this year in Jason Crump, Steve Johnston and Todd Wiltshire and all bar Crump need work permits to ride in Britain Crump was born in Bristol, so avoids the complex paperwork.

With Peterborough set to return to top flight speedway in place of Belle Vue, Grand Prix rider Crump looks likely to return to his parent club.

Danish who rides riderfor John Swindon Jorgensen, in the British Elite League, will be spend ing much of his time in Australia during the European winter.

His Aussie wife Michelle appre ciates the sunshine rather than the cold of their beach home in Denmark, where even the sea freezes over from time to time!

The 36 year-old, one of the old est currently riding in the top league in Britain, may be tempted into some action in Australia before looking towards the next British season.

Another who is Aussie-bound is Adelaide rider Shane Parker, who races in England for Kings Lynn.

He will be sunning himself, along with Anji and baby Chelsea and has promised himself a com plete break from speedway and

he definitely will not be racing in the Australian Championship.

Parker was the only rider to race in all 32 League meetings for Kings Lynn this year and hopes to return to the club next year.

His trip home means he will miss the Brighton Indoor meeting that he raced in last year.

B

ritish promoters will again be discussing the question of tele vised league speedway at their conference.

Sky Sports are interested in showing a weekly League match but the promoters will need to find a sponsor to cover thr production costs.

The Grand Prix coverage of the Rupert Murdoch owned channel is shown on Fox Sports in Australia and, if League speedway is trans mitted on the station,'it is likely this, too, will get a showing in Australia when former World Champion Peter Collins joins yours truly (Tony Millard) in pro viding the commentary.

director OleGrand Olsen Prix is looking Speedway race beyond next year to inject more interest and. hopefully, more sponsorship into the World Championship Grand Prix series.

Serious consideration will be given to racing in Australia, South Africa, USA and possibly even New Zealand from the year 2000.

Ideally. Olsen would like to spread his events through the year and it could be that January and February would be set aside for racing in Australia and New Zealand, with an early March meeting in Los Angeles before the final six meetings take place in Europe.

20 November 1998

Record-breaker Jones

KINGSLEY Jones, one of the

super stars of the Western Australian Super Sedan scene, rewrote the record books at Claremont Speedway on November 6.

Jones slashed 19 seconds off the 20-lap record to set the new bench mark of 6:11.52 - the previous record was held by Bert Vosbergen and set on October 28,1994.

Interestingly, back in 1994 the average lap speed by Vosbergen w'Ss 19.51 seconds, while Jones powered arOund with an average of 18.57 seconds - on a couple of those ADELAIDE’S Trevor Green became the first South Australian to win the annual Australian Sprintcar Masters after he finished ahead of David Anderson, Ron Krikke and Max Dumesny in the $25,000 event at Speedway City on November 14.

Green’s record-breaking perfor mance was the climax of a sensa-

feature race laps, Jones was lap ping at 17.80 seconds, breaking the 18-second bamer for the first time.

Jones started on the front row of the feature with Barry Blake and they were followed by Gary Higgs and Stephen Dale.

After just five laps, Jones was passing lapped traffic and, five laps later, he had the length of the straight between himself and Blake.

With eight laps to go, Higgs chal lenged Blake for second, but the big move didn’t pay off and he was forced to slip back.

With four laps to go, the calculat ed drive by Jones nearly came unstuck as he passed slower cars on the inside, nearly ending his night.

But he was able to recover on the

grass and held on to take the win fi’om Blake and Higgs.

The Speedcar feature was taken out by reigning South Australian Champion Wayne Cover, who recovered after colliding with Mike Figliomeni but recovered to win from State Champion Tony Tucknott- Figliomeni was third.

-DAEREN O’DEA

Green's Masters Podium for Anderson and Krikke tional Masters event, which saw former winner Garry Brazier crash out of serious contention in his sec ond heat.

A full Masters report will appear in the next issue of Motorsport News.

- DAVID McNABB

MOD PROD SCHEDULE; The Victorian Modified Production Association is looking forward to a bumper season, with the fourth running of its pointscore series as well as the Victorian and Austrahan Championships The series kicks off on November 28 at Bendigo, before moving to Wagga on December 12.

Round three at Baimsdale is on December 27 and features a $3,000 prize pool. Mildura is the venue for round four on January 9, with Sedan Action: Neil Watson gets air time at Bendigo. (Brett Swanson) round five at Portland on Jan 23.

The series then takes a break for the Victorian Championship on February 12-13 at Wangaratta.

The series resumes with round six at Bordertown on March 6, with round seven two weeks later at Rosedale on March 20.

The Australian Championship at Mildura over Easter, April 2-4, comes before the final round of the series on April 17 at Swan Hill.

The final round, the Dianne Watson Memorial Trophy, is supported by Security Express and is in memory of the Association’s hardworking Secretary, who died suddenlylast season - Dianne was the heart and soul of the Association and this perpetual trophy is a fitting memorial to her and is sure to be keenly contested.

mm

we had The another following race week n night at Parramatta and the track was really rough and rutty, so we didn’t have much luck at achiev ing a major placing.

Everyone was bicycling their moubts and I got hit by another competitor and had to go rear of field, which made it tough to get a decent result, as there wasn’t enough laps left in the race - but I got up to second.

I had to go rear of field again for a restart, before finally manag‘●ing to finish fifth - it was one of those nights that everyone is not impressed with, but the racing was good and enjoyable.

T

he next weekend, i was back at the Calder Park Thunderdome for the second round of the NASCAR series - in fact, it will be one of our few runs in the category for the year, but the car felt good and everything was going well until the engine threw a con rod in qualifying.

That made us spectators for the day, but we didn’t miss any racing at Parramatta the evening prior, as they were rained out.

ler Fyne and Clark

LT ^ JOHN Pyne and Adam Clarke claimed respective main event victories at Parramatta City Raceway on November 7, but the results were far from deci sive for either driver.

In fact, both had theft hands full just to get to the front, let alone hold the point position, indicating a depth of talent this year that is very encouraging for the Speedcar and Super Sedan ranks.

Even with V8 big dogs Stu Robertson and Alan Baker missing, Pyne still had plenty of stiff compe tition in the 20 lap Goodyear main event.

Surprise packet of the evening was Wollongong Corvette pilot Gary Rooke, who had the crowd’s undivided attention in the #8 GRQ machine.

Pyne started fi-om the fifth row of a strong line-up in his new Teterin

Engines Pontiac Grand Prix and quickly worked his way to second behind Rooke.

Joining Pyne in a thiilling scrap for the minors were Peter GaiTatt (#5 Peps Commodore), Ron Pyne (#7 Auto One Firebird), Robert Carrig (#16 Tool Specialists Fftebird) and Bemie Roberts in the #44 Carline Mufflers Camaro.

Adam Clarke bounced back into winning form at Parramatta after flipping the fortnight prior at W3Uins Newcastle Speedway in the #76 Midnight Spares Infinity Speedcar.

Clarke started on a winning note, taking out both of his heat races, though that was not without some close attention from Jason Gates in the #5 O’Brien Truck Bodies/200 Club Esslinger on both occasions.

Baulkham Hills truck driver Gates was well on his way to a

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VSC: SA:

Since last column, we have beenmy waiting for a new ‘99 J&J chassis to arrive from the US - unfortunately, it hasn't arrived, so we put last season’s car back together for the second race meeting at Parramatta City Raceway.

With a few minor updates, it came up quite well and as a result we had a pretty decent night.

The normal deal at Parramatta is to start off the back of the field and I was at the rear with Robbie Farr and Kerry Madsen - we had a good race, with Robbie taking the honours just ahead of me.

The car was hooking up well on the night and, with a few more changes, it will be real fast - plus John Sidney has m^^de a few refinements to the engine over the winter months to stop it over heating and, as a result of that, it held its power a lot better.

In the past, it has been lacking on power in the later part of the races, but it appears that we have solved that problem, which is good as the majority of our Sprintcar racing is in hot condi tions.

03 9331 6477

Fax 03 9331 - 7444

08 8332 0800

Fax 08 8364 0296

main event van when Clarke rained

on the parade.

Gates handled the lapped traffic well, but Clarke used up what little advantages came his way to grab the lead.

To his credit. Gates never allowed the leader to get too far out of his gun-sights and finished right on the bumper of the #76 machine.

Steven Graham was unlucky, a couple of untimely wheel-stands in turn 2 losing him just enough real estate to allow Gates and Clarke some breathing space and, when the chequers camp down, Steven had four or five car lengths still to make up.

The 25 laps ran uninterrupted for a new track record of 6.25.66.

Adam Clarke now has two wins from three races, Darren Jenkins has the other.

-WADEAUNGER

■I

IVICIA ’

n two weeks time. I'm off to Western Australia for the first three rounds of this season’s World Series.

I’ll be using Sean’s Schnee chassis, rather than take my car right across the country for the three meetings - I know that car pretty well, as I ran it in their farNorth Trail during the winter break with good results.

Our newout Eagle One wheels are finally in the marketplace. after working night and day tor over a month.

What I have done is take all the best ideas and features from the American-manufactured prod ucts and incorporate them into one wheel that we make here hopefully, they will be better than any others out on the tracks.

Several Midget drivers in Sydney and Perth have the wheels mounted on their machines, so hopefully they will be impressed with their perfor mance and looks. haven’t had much time to think about racing except on race days in recent times, so having a weekend off before the start of the World Series rounds is good, as I believe that the competition will be the strongest ever, with a strong mix of touring drivers plus the local heroes that always tend to put in mighty performances when the series visits their tracks.

Speedway rider killed A TRAGIC accident at Riverview Speedway, Murray Bridge on November 14 resulted in the death of Adelaide motorcycle rider Jarrad Priest.

The 18 year-old was competing in the second Solo event of the program at the South Australian cftcuit when he chpped the rear wheel of Shannon Weame’s machine and fell heavily onto the track.

Priest was conscious and coherent as he was stretehered to an ambu lance, but his condition rapidly deteriorated. He was airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, but he passed away from internal injuries.

Priest had competed a couple of seasons in senior speedway events since graduating from the junior Sidewinder Speedway ranks and was noted as a rider with considerable talent and dedication to the sport.

His death is the first fatal accident at Mruray Bridge’s speedway since the track began operating in the late 1950s - and, sadly, he is the second Australian solo rider to be killed in action within a month, following a sim -DAVID McNABB ilar tragedy in northern Queensland in October.

1998 womo OF OUTIAWS/SKOAl OOTIAW SERIFS FINAL POINT STANDINGS Steve Kinser 9,879 2. Mark Kinser 9,786 3. Sammy Swindell . . . .9,752 4. Stevie Smith 9,609 5. Danny Lasoski 9,601 6. Andy Hillenburg . . . .9,436 7. Jac Haudenschild . .. .9,280 8. Johnny Herrera 9,227 9. Jeff Swindell .. ,9,073 10. Dale Blaney . .

8,997

49

II. Tyler Wa lker . , 12. Donny Schatz . .

13. Joe Gaerte ..., 14. Lance Blevins . .

15. Craig Dollansky 16. Greg Hodnett. .

17. Tim Shaffer .

18. Paul McMahan .

19. Dion Hindi ....

20. Brooke Tatnell .

.8,855 .8,665 .8,593 .5,475 .4,448 ,4,042 ,3,564 .3,332 ,3,029 .2,855

LAS VEGAS SPEEDWAY - NOVEMBER 4TH A-FEATURE (30 LAPS) I. M ark Kinser 11 . Daryn Pittman 2. Peter Murphy 12. Brent Kaeding 3. Sammy Swindell 13. Jac Haudenschild 4. Danny Lasoski 14. Johnny Herrera 5. Steve Kinser 15. Tim Shaffer 6. Terry McCarl 16. Andy Hiltenburg 7. Gary Wright 17. Dean Jacobs 8. Stevie Smith 18. Jeff Swindell 9. Dale Blaney 19. Joe Gaerte 10. Donny Schatz 20. Joey Saldana

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50 20 November 1998

m l1

David Ostaszew^^ Skuza misses cut Defending Funny Car event win ner Dean Skuza failed to qualify for the Houston event.

The black and white chequered Mateo Tools Dodge Avenger smoked the tyres off the line on all four of it’s qualifying shots.

The best pass of the weekend, a 9.301/89.40, fell way short of the 5.287 bump spot.

On a related Skuza Motorsports note - their tow vehicle, which was stolen in Memphis, has been recovered, along with the missing parts.

The truck was part of a high speed police chase, where it was driven into the woods and the suspect eluded police.

The truck was found with Mississippi tags and it and the suspect were allegedly involved in a multi-state crime spree.

Randy’s poor timing

Randy Anderson recorded careerbest marks in the Parts America/ Havoline Pontiac at 4.848/318.92 to qualify second, but was a sinrprise no show in round one.

A broken timing idler gear was discovered in thp pits 45 minutes before the opening roimd.

A thrash to replace the gear was completed in time, but a tim ing check revealed a problem, so rather than risk damage, or pos sibly an explosion, the team was reluctantly forced to sit out the opening round, handing a single to Iowa independent Jack Wyatt.

Hartley T/F debut

Former Federal Mogul Dragster driver Allen Hartley made his Top Fuel debut in Houston.

The team purchased Frank Faifer’s operation and stepped up from the injected nitro class to run with the blown nitro crowd.

The new team is being helped by former 70s Gary Burgin crew member Steve “Okie” Bemd.

With only 16 cars on the grounds, the team qualified in the last spot with a 9.811/89.83, stiU working on a combination.

But,in round one, they were eliminated by Scelzi’s 4.544/324.32 blast.

Sceizi puts lock on dtlo FINAL round eliminations in Houston were rain-delayed and, despite a five-hour track drying procedure, high humidity and cool track temperatures forced the rest of final eliminations for the 2nd Annual NHRA Mateo Tools SuperNationals to be con cluded under crisp, sunny skies on afternoon, Monday November 2, Gary Sceizi, Cruz Pedregon, Jeg Coughlin Jr and John Smith taking event wins.

Sceizi and the Winston dragster are now on the verge of their second consecutive championship with their win in Houston.

Sceizi, in taking win number six of 1998, fifth in the last seven events, had all but clinched the 1998 Top Fuel championship - he needed only to qualify for the final event in Pomona to claim the title.

He will likely be the first driven to take back to back championships in his first two years of racing in a professional category.

Sceizi and team were nothing short of amazing in Houston, quali fying on the pole at 4.549/322.23, then thundering through elimina tions with a string of mid-4.50s, set ting and then resetting the national speed record in the process.

On Sunday, Sceizi took mph record-shattering round wins over Allen Hartley and Doug Herbert with 4.544/324.32 and 4.530/326.44 runs.

The Winston team then contin ued it’s torrid pace on Monday, with a semi-final win over Bob Vandergriff, 4.564/320.28 to 4.634/299.80. Facing Sceizi in the final would be the winner oCthe Cory McClenathan and Tony Schumacher pairing.

Schumacher and the Exide Batteries dragster left on McClenathan and, when the tyres started blazing on Schumacher’s car, the race appeared to be over.

But McClenathan ha^ to pedal the McDonald’s mount and when he did the motor exploded violently, splitting in half and scattering pieces everywhere.

McClenathan could do nothing but watch Schumacher take the win

Flame Grilled: Title contender Cory McClenathan was a disappointed semi-final loser at Houston, his loss to Tony Schumacher effectively ending his 1998 Championship aspirations. (David Ostaszewski pic) 4.556/320^85 to 5.304/187.57 victory and take a 115 point lead into Pomona for the final event of 1998.

Cruz Pedregon swept the Funny Car field with an impressive win, qualifying on the pole at 4.807/319.60 and setting a new elapsed time record, hacking up the quMifying effort in the final round with a win over Whit Bazemore, 4.849/317.90 to 4.993/307.27.

Pedregon’s win vaulted him into third place in the point standings, past Chuck Etchells, who lost in round one to Glenn Mikres on a holeshot.

The Interstate Batteries/Hot Rod

Capps, after going 4.986/304.77 in round one to stop A1 Hofmann, got a lucky break in round two when he was given a single while facing Jack Wyatt, but the Copenhagen Camaro did another wheelstand, forcing Capps to abort the run.

In the semis against Bazemore, it was deja vu again, with Capps going into a huge wheelie, lifting and then going even higher when he got back on the loud pedal, final ly crossing the centerline on the two rear tyi’es - Bazemore crossed the finish line at 5.046/305.08 to go to the final round.

Jeg Coughlin scored his third event victory of the year in the Pro Stock final over 'Tom Martino, 6.985/197.75 to 7.129/170.42.

round loss to Greg Underdahl, when Angelle Seeling redlighted in the opening round.

With Hines and Seeling both out in the early rounds, there would be a new winner for the first time in the ’98 season.

Taking his fourth career win was John Smith, as he defeated Underdahl, 7.324/185.45 to 7.428/180.54.

Rick Henkelman took the honors in Federal Mogul Dragster class in an all- injected nitro final round.

Henkelman, after setting low e.t and top speed during qualifying at 5.402/260.94, defeated Tom Beecham in the final round, 5.434/257.87 to 5.771/242.58.

Earlier in the day, Henkelman had stopped Michael Bowers, Gene Snow and Troy Buff.

Pat Austin grabbed win number two for ’98 on a 5.717/251.18 single, when opponent Jackie Stidham was unable to return for the final.

Austin’s Pro/Max Performance

and feel his title hopes diminish.

In the final round, Schumacher left on Sceizi by almost a tenth, but then firehalled a motor, allowing Sceizi to streak past and record a

Magazine Pontiac took opening round wins over Del Worsham and Tom Hoover, before taking on John Force in the semis.

Force, meanwhile, extended his point lead to 91 points over Ron Capps during qualifying, with both cars falling in the semi.

Force, who had clocked a 4.839/319.94 in the opening round and a 4.830/321.19 in round two, lost to Pedregon in that semi match, 4.856/315.01 to 4.917/318.58.

The Castrol driver can wrap up his eighth title by qualifying and winning a Pomona round, regard less of what Capps does.

THE biggest-ever field of Supercharged Top Comp cars is expected to compete in the WA V SA State of Origin Challenge at Ravenswood International

State of Origin Challenge

Coughlin made his way to the final round with wins over Mark Osborne, Richie Stevens and Steve Schmidt, while Martino had earlier Stopped Mark Thomas, Warren Johnson and Jim Yates.

The win, along with Kurt Johnson’s second round loss, moved Jeg into asure second place finish in the final point standings when the season concluded at Pomona.

Matt Hines wrapped up his sec ond straight Pro Stock Motorcycle Championship, despite a second

Pontiac posted a string of mid 5.70s, defeating Danny Townsend, John Weaver and Bob Newberry Newberry’s earlier 5.690 stood up for low e.t., while Austin’s second round 254.16 mph pass was good for top mph.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

Geronimo rides again

Frank Pedregon and the “Geronimo” Camaro suffered a huge engine explosion on Saturday afternoon - the car was on a pass alongside Dean Skuza when the motor let go.

The explosion launched the body high into orbit, with twotime ’98 winner Pedregon doing a masterful job keeping the car straight and off the guard wall.

The team was able to make repairs and return for the final session, where they came up short and missed the program.

Quickest T/F pair ever

Round one of Top Fuel provided the quickest ever side by side race in NHRA history when Kenny Bernstein and Mike Dunn faced off.

Bernstein got the jump on the starting line and held on to take the win, 4.586/321.42 to 4.584/316.45.

The Bud King was then stopped in round two, losing a pedalling contest to eventual runner-up Tony Schumacher.

Raceway this Saturday, November 21.

Heading the South Australian team is Danny Baines in the Tectaloy BB/Gas Camaro - and Baines can’t wait to take on WA’s Grant O’Rourke and his recordbreaking Torana. Scott Ferguson was supposed to make the trip across the border in his Top Alcohol Dragster, but has since withdrawn.

Ravenswood track manager Peter Pike confirmed that David Koop in the Couple de Ville, a ’55 Chev Belair Top Doorslammer, would be heading west, fresh from his 6.6second run in Adelaide.

Koop will use the meeting as a shakedown for the Perth Top Doorslammer round two weeks later.

Others to make the trip include Ricky Monserrat in a AA Funny Car and Simon Mills in a CC dragster.

WA drivers expected to be in the thick of the action include David

Simpson in his Street Quick Top Doorslammer, Roy Scott in his BB Funny Car and Trevor Morrison in his BB Funny.

The event will mark the debut of Perth’s Lindsay Murray and his

Commodore ute and Murray O’Connor is working hard to get his popular XP Falcon ready after an engine detonation in the opening meeting - the supercharger explosion actually lifted the body off the

car during a burnout in the first round of eliminatiom According to Pike, it was one of the biggest blower explosion^ seen at Ravenswood in many years.

-DARREN O’DEA

Oildowns spoil WA Top Bike rotnid

AN extraordinary number of oildowns and the need to comply with the track’s curfew saw only

But fellow Queenslander Steve Kitchen had a night he would rather forget, hitting the pavement alter

three finals run at the opening meeting of

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The biggest held e.e, of Top Bikes .ssembled for the opening round of the Australian ohamp.on^.p, with South Australia’s Danny Grotto taking out the final run.

He completed the quarter mile in 7.57 seconds, defeating Craig MePhee of Townsville, who earlier col lected bonus points for the top speed of the meeting.

Queensland’s Brett Stevens top qualified for the finals with a personal-best of 7.12 on board his Jack Daniels nitro-burning Harley.

IS , wa S“ b,Trevor Morrison, „Jj^^^S^Tls second paL to oust Grant t 0 Rourkes 7.818.

Recently crowned Australian champion Geoff Chaisty won Super Comp over Ian Johns with an 8.98 second. after he Johns completed the run at a slow pace wrestled the wandering Falcon back into a straight -DARREN O’DEA

20 November 1998 9A0

West End Spring Nats

51

Creating History: Crowd favourite Romeo Capitanio ran back to back 4.9s with his Sidchrome-Proto fueller.(Steven White)

report by STEVEN WHITE

20,000 spectators, 208 entrants, a pair of back to back fours by Romeo Capitanio and nine new national records made the 1998 West End Spring Nationals on November 67 one of the best events ever staged at Adelaide International Raceway.

The opening rounds of the ADR Series and the Top Fuel Championship provided plenty of highs - Rachelle ''Splatt returning to racing with a vengeance, Capitanio reeling off those consecutive four^second passes, Tony Busscher’s A/Street 9.990 and a BB/Gas 7.19 from Brenton Bassett, to name but a few.

But with the highs came lows - Nick Stavrides walked away from a terrifying topend rollover in the opening round of Super Sedan which destroyed the Mobil Gorge Road Cortina and Robin Kirby detonated the engine in his Pennzoil Top Fueller during his round one clash with Capitanio.

Top Fuel

New mum Splatt made a welcome return to racing and picked up where she left off.

After a half-pass shakedown on Friday afternoon, she reeled off a 5.211/275.73 during Saturday morning’s qualifying session to claim the number two spot.

The Rapisarda Racing Team was a late entry, with Pommie Steve Read in the pdot’s seat.

Read showed that he still has what it takes, his first qualifier 5.034 earning him the number one spot.

However, Kirby, Capitanio and Darren DiFilippo strug gled with new combos in the hot and blusteiy conditions.

Read, who had earned the round one bye, opened elimi nations with a solid 5.042/259.29 that sounded a “lookout, I’m back” warning.

Splatt and DiFilippo were next, the latter carding a 5.892 in his 526-cubed mon ster that was no match for Splatt’s 5.242/223.21.

Romeo runs AIR fours!

Capitanio brothers stun huge Adelaide Spring Nats crowd with back to back 4.973 and 4,945passes in the Sidchrome-Proto Top Fueller With Bray, Baines, Capitanio, always a crowd of a classic confrontation, Romeo left hard with a Cartledge, During, Leahy, favourite, then fired off his first four second pass, a .865 60-footer and was on a Rainford and Soldatos, it 4.973 at only 258.69 mph - four second run with a 2.235 l .seemed that the fans were in and, needless to say, brother at the 330 foot timers that for a real treat - but big Johnny and the Sidchrome- looked to be quicker than his names stood for little, with only one of the top four quahProto Team were as excited previous 4.94. as Romeo to see that number But that’s where it ended, fiers reaching the semis.

Bassett’s new PSI and on the AIR strip with its Romeo’s brand-new blower short run-off. belt fitted for this run failing Lenco made for a lethal Kirby was in^ the other and Capitanio coasting BB/Gasser, Bassett top quaL lane and was pot enjoying home. Splatt, meanwhile, ifying with a 7.19 on a BB/G had a magneto fail and 7.58 index, while fellow BB/G himnself at all; after replac ing the diff the night before - torched the heads and block runner Danny Baines confirming that this was one before lifting her foot at claimed second with a 7.38.

The wild CC/Altered of weekend Kirby would like to three-quarter track to ultiShane Baxter(7.20) was next, forget, the Pennzoil fueller , mately take the win. exploded around the 1000 ' It was a disappointing out- while Greg Leahy (7.599) foot mark, destroying the come for Romeo’s Sidchrome- drove his stunning B/A into Proto team - but look out for fourth on a 7.77 index. engine.

Chris Soldatos’ A/A was In the first semi, Capitanio the Capitanio brothers in the and Read came close to mak- Top Fuel Championship, as next, followed by Colin Will’s ing history with a 4.945 and they’re obviously going to ^AA/AP Tectaloy T-Bird, in a 5.056, respectively - so give it a good shake. which he recorded his first close to a paired four that it six second pass - Rod was cruel - Romeo claiming Compstltion Rainford’s C/D was seventh, his second four of the event A Nationals-sized field of ahead of Wayne Cartledge’s and Read his third 5.0.

24 racers competed in the C/A, Ray Walker’s B/D, Splatt byed in the other West End Competition Victor Bray’s legendary Top semi with a sedate 7.979.

Eliminator, which saw three Dorslammer Castrol ’57 Chevy and Dave Koop’s T/D. The final had the makings national records fall.

You don’t see Jeff During and Mick Utting in 12th and 13th spot, respectively, very often, but on the day it was the best they had to offer, Rebekah Stewart (B/D), Sergio Bonnetti (A/A) and newcomer Simon Miller (CC/D) rounded out the 16car field.

On the outside looking in were Paul Gregini (A/AP), Harry White (CC/G), Ricky Monserrat (AA/FC), Artie Vella (BB/G), Anguel Athanasov (AA/AP), Mark Davison (BB/FC) and Grant Harvey(BB/G).

The opener saw a few upsets, Bassett and Baines falling to Walker and Bray, respectively.

Round two saw Utting’s red light advance Walker, while Baxter downed Will and backed up his first round 6.982 with a 6.972/187.50 to reset the CC/A national mark to 6.972 seconds.

Rainford made few friends after downing Bray, while

Cartledge advanced over a troubled Leahy.

In the semis, Baxter knocked out Walker, while Cartledge bumped Rainford and reset both ends of C/A to 8.28 and 157.86 mph.

While the outcome of the final between the holders of three new records was hard to pick on paper, on-track the race was over before the green, Cartledge breaking the beams early and Baxter cruis ing to a well-deserved win.

Other West End Spring Nats winners were; Robert Quattrocchi (Caltex Bolivar Gardens Super Stock), Sam Scerri (Farmers Union Iced Coffee Comp Bike), Ken Stewart(Quit Modified), Colin Griffin (Castrol Super Gas), Evans Rob (SA Race Transmissions Super Sedan), Mick Yfantidis (Sprint Auto Parts Super Street), Grant Schlein (C&D Motorcycles Modified Bike) and Rick Dudek (Fly-n-Dutchman Junior Dragster).

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52

20 November 1998

VCo Powell won the Mopar Parts Nationals in Englishtown in 1997, while this year, at Seattle, she set a new track record and became the world’s quickest woman with a 4.590-second run.

BvGeraid Me Dor, Chevy’s ’99 isne-up

Chevrolet announced at the Winston Finals that it had extend ed its involvement in the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series by supporting two Funny Car teams in the alcohol category - Tony Bartone and Jay Payne (the for mer World Champion will switch dragsters to the Funny Car cate gory next year) - and Mike Edwards in Pro Stock.

Chevrolet also backs Ron Capps, Chuck Etchells and Whit Bazemore in the nitro Funny Car class, Larry Dixon and Christen Powell in Top Fuel, Kurt Johnson and Tom Hammonds in Pro Stock and a number of Pro Stock Truck competitors.

HsSi buys Reebok Top Fuel team Drag racing school owner and IHRA Pro Stock World Champion Roy Hill has purchased the Reebok/Sequent Top Fuel team from professional motor racing team owner/Sports Car promoter Andy Evans.

The team, which has teen sen sation Christen Powell contracted as its driver, finished the year in 14th place in the Winston points after contesting only selected events during the 1998 season.

‘T have been drag racing all my life and will finally realize the dream of owning a Top Fuel Drag Racing team,” said Hill.

“Andy Evans has given me the chance of a lifetime and, without him, I never could have done this.

“I have developed a fantastic relationship vrith Cristen Powell and I know the talents that she has to drive a race car.

“She is the freshest face in drag racing, very popular with the fans and has a great sponsor in Reebok.

“We look forward to competing in a fall season in 1999.”

Evans cited extensive business commitments as his reason for selling the team.

THE opening of the Austrahan Championship Series for the four Oz Grand Prix Circuit Boat classes at Hazelwood, Victoria, on November 8 was extremely testing of both drivers and machinery in what could only be described as unfavourably rough conditions.

Representation was exceptional, the event boasting one of the largest fields seen at the pic turesque circuit - unfortunately, weather shortened the day’s pro ceedings, but not before many fiercely fought battles were wit nessed on the mostly turbulent waters.

Sydney driver David Toyer pro duced a polished performance to record maximum points in his 800HP Grand Prix Hydroplane from local Dan Krasic.

Victorian Ben Smit charged onto the leaders board after overtaking South Austrahan Brenton Kluske in the final heat of the Oz Boat Displacement class to draw level with early points leader Bob Reid from Traralgon.

A capacity field with photo finish es for all placings in tbds class cap tured everyone’s attention.

Dunn exposes Penthouse as new sponsor

Jim Dunn announced at the Winston Finals in Pomona last weekend that Penthouse maga- . zine, which will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary next year, will be the major sponsor of his Pontiac Firebird Funny Car next year.

As reported in the last issue of Motorspoi-ts News, No Fear USA’s Motorsports Marketing Manager Kelly Magrath, 26, has been named as the team’s driver.

“This is the kind of sponsorship that catapults your program to the next level and we look forward to doing everything we can to help promote Penthouse magazine dur ing their anniversary celebration,” Drum said. ?

“Starting in January, we’ll be doing extensive testing in prepara tion for the new race season.

“Our goal is to make the Penthouse Pontiac competitive at the very first race and put our selves in a position to contend for the Winston championship.

“We’ve had quite a bit of success in the last two seasons running on a limited budget and now we’ll be able to give some of these guys a real run for their money.”

Penthouse Pubhshing’s founder Bob Guccione has a link to drag racing, his company owning General Media, which publishes the sport’s oldest magazine. Drag Racing Monthly, formerly known as Super Stock and Drag Illustrated, along with a number of other automotive related titles in his empire.

Dick Morose dies Richard “Dick” Moroso, American automotive entrepreneirr and per formance parts manufacturer, lost a year-long battle to brain cancer last week. He was 59. > Moroso, who had undergone four surgeries and radiation treat ment since a brain tumor first was diagnosed in October 1997, suc cumbed to complications after being admitted to a Connecticut hospice.

In the family: Scott Geoffrion will continue his Mopar relationship next season. (David Ostaszewski pic)

Mopar shocks Pro Stock MOPAR’S surprises in regards to their official Pro Stock team continued to roll, with the announcement of their 1999 line-up at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas last week.

Former NHRA Competition Champion David Nickens has been named as owner of the factorybacked team and will build and tune the engines for the team cars, which will be again be driven by Scott Geoffrion and Darrell Alderman.

The surprises continued with the TOP Fuel Rookie Doug Kalitta collected the Bud Shootout prize of $100,000 as he piloted “Uncle” Connie’s dragster to vic tory on November 14, defeating Eddie Hill in the Pennzoil drag ster in the final, 4.599/313.26 to 4.620/307.06 at Pomona.

Crew Chief Ed “The Ace” McCulloch had the Ainerican International/Kitty Hawk fueller flying, consistently posting big numbers in all three rounds of the eight car show.

The win by Kalitta makes it the third year in a row that a first time Shootout contestant has gone home

Turbulent start for Oz Boat Series Hazelwood opener After a tight affair in ,the opening turns, lap times were near identical in the .Oz Boat Hydroplane class, with eventual winner Paul Cunningham (son of the owner of the dominant GP Hydro) taking line honours from Chnt Sneddon.

Melbourne-based Aquasonic, dri ven by Stephen Scott, had to come from behind to beat Gary Howard (from NSW) and the fast-finishing Tony Murphy.

Exciting support events were led

by Paul McN^y in The HowHng. Round 2 of the Series will be held at Griffiths, NSW, on January 2, 1999 and, weather permitting, the Ox Grand Prix Circuit class boats expect to reach maximum speeds ranging from 150kmh for the Oz Lites to 240kmh for the Grand Prix Hydros.

Results Oz Lites 1. Aquasonic

Stephen Scott

2. Fourplay 3. Twin Cam

(VIC) 400 Tony Mmphy (VIC) 300 Gary Howard (NSW) 225

announcements of who would also be joining the team, with former team owner Mike Sullivan being named as co-crew chief, while chas sis builder Jerry Bickle and Buddy Ingersoll have been named as con sultants.

Even more of a shock came with

supply associate sponsorship to for mer basketball star Larry Nance, although Allan Johnson’s Amoco team has been dropped - Johnson has recently hired ‘the last Mopar team owner’ Dale Eicke to help with their engine program.

At the official announcement of

th^e announcement that Larry Morgan, who joined the Chevrolet team at the beginning of the ’98 season, was jumping camp for 1999 to run, with associpte sponsorship, alongside Aldermaii and Geoffrion.

Mopar would also continue to

their 1999 plans, Mopar also announced that they would contin ue supporting the Darrell Gwynn/Mike Dunn Top Fuel team, Dean Skuza’s Funny Car and seven Pro Stock trucks.

- GERALD McDORNAN

with the “event in an event” title Larry Dixon did it in 1996, while Gary Scelzi won last year’s presti gious event.

Kalitta advanced in round one

with a 4.600/315.12 which stopped an up in smoke Mike Dunn in the opening frame, then took out defending event champion Gary Scelzi in round two with a 4.636/313.69 - Scelzi had lost trac tion just past the 100 foot mark in the Winston dragster.

The final round was a good one.

Hill looking for his first event win and Kalitta looking for win number one in his only try.

At the green, Kalitta took a slight holeshot and the car repeated its outstanding performance as he streaked to a 4.599/313.26 to stop Hill’s close 4.620/307.06.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

_^when he defeated six-time Shootout "'winner Joe Amato, 4.615/315.78 to 4.734/296.24.

Amato took a holeshot on the start, but Kalitta, who posted a .851 60 foot time, had him covered by the 1000 foot mark.

In round two, he knocked off three-time event runner-up Cory McCIenathan, 4.576/320.85 to an engine-killing 4.646/300.60.

Hill, a ten-time event contestant, had advanced through eliminations

2:^

Oz Boat Hydroplanes 1. Aquanaut

Paul Cunningham (NSW) 400 2. It’s Magic Clint Sneddon (VIC) 300 3. Alcatraz Terry Smith 225 (SA) Oz Boat Displacements 1. Wild Child Ben Smit (VIC) 625 1. Freedom Bob Reid (VIC) 625 3. Old Buzzard 1 Mark Krusic (VIC) 469 Grand Prix Hydroplanes 1. Shamrock David Toyer (NSW) 800 2. TheWizzard Dan Krusic (VIC) 525 3. Radical Rat Brett Niddrie (VIC) 300

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho: Officials tried everything. (Sean Henshelwood)

Rain stops Calder Park CALDER Park Raceway’s November 14 meeting, which was to was canfeature the first round of the Top Doorslammer Series celled due to track problems experienced following three days of unseasonal rainfalls.

The day after the event was cancelled, our spies report that three-time Doo)-slammer Champion Victor Bray r-an four' test inns in his Castrol Chevy, with the Brisbane-based tomato farmer smiling broadly after each pass.

i

20 November 1998 CHAMPIONSHIP drag racing looks all set to return to Sydney with the news that the Blacktown City Council and the Chamber of Blacktown Commerce have endorsed a plan for the establishment of a dedicated drag racing facility located near Eastern Creek in Sydney.

The Council was briefed on the track by legendary drag racer and RPS Promotions head Jim Read, along with Dragster Australia pub lisher David Cook on October 19 and gave the official endorsement, subject to an environmental impact statement, on November 4, giving RPS the green light to put their plans in action.

'The plans call for a dedicated international standard drag racing complex to be built on a site near the current Eastern Creek facility, styled very much on the new Chicago track in the US. The track is expected to include from the outset a large corporate/media centre and wrap around grandstands similar to the Joliet track.

It will be capable of running weekly drag racing events, along with other activities.

“Sydney does not have a dedicat ed drag racing facility and we have a viable option to re-establish drag racing for the long term,” Read said.

“It will not only benefit the sport itself, but have a major economic impact on supporting industries and tourism throughout Western Sydney.”

THE 1998 NHRA Drag Racing season came to a close this past weekend at the Winston Finals in Pomona, the place where it began some 23 events ago back in February - and finishing the season on high notes were Kenny Bernstein, Chuck Etchells, Richie Stevens and Matt Hines, while Gary Sceizi and John Force finally claimed their season championships in Top Fuel and Funny Car. Bernstein, in scoring his fifth win of the season, stopped Sceizi in the final round, 4.628/320.85 to 4.652/301.91, when the tyres on the Winston dragster started spinning at mid-track.

Bernstein cut an unreal .411 reaction time in the final to keep Sceizi from winning for the seventh time in 1998, which would have been a new season high.

The Budweiser team, led by tuner Lee Beard, qualified in the 10th spot at 4.636/315.01 and Kenny took a lucky first round win over Cristen Powell, spinning the tyres and pedalling his way to a 5.726/255.31 win.

From there, Bernstein took 4.693/305.70 and 4.683/313.58 wins over number two qualifier (4.555) Joe Amato and Cory McClenathan.

Sceizi mathematically wrapped up his second championship with his 4.548/323.85, number one spot, qualifying effort.

The Alan Johnson-tuned dragster then thundered through elimina-

53

Drag strip for Sydney!

The impact is conservatively put at $35,000,000 to the Western Sydney economy, with around 1,000 full-time jobs estimated.

The built from the ground up track would also help inject life into the currently struggling drag rac ing industry in New South Wales, which is estimated to be worth approximately $23,000,000 per annum.

Speaking in support of the expected economic and employment

opportunites the facility would bring to the local and regional econ omy, Blacktown Chamber of Commerce and Industry President John Allen said that any initiative to bring national and international sporting events to the area must be supported.

“Motor sports, as with any national pastime, has the potential of being a major generator of much needed additional income for the region and with this comes jobs.

“Blacktown is uniquely placed to become the home of this national

sport, as we have readily available land, a skilled workforce to meet its needs and a large, enthusiastic pop ulation that will become instant fans of this exhilarating sport,” Mr Allen concluded.

ANDRA CEO Tony Thornton believes the facility is vital to the continued success and future growth of drag racing, both locally and nationally.

“ANDRA represents a large num ber of competitors and members in New South Wales and were also concerned for the valuable support industry that’s emerged through the nineties,” he commented.

“The benefits from these areas and the contribution of major events are considerable for the area and we appreciate the endorsement and support from the Blacktown communitv'.”

- GERALD McDORNAN

Wins for Kenny and Chuck, titles for Sceizi and Force

tions as it has since the opening round, cutting a .468 light Brainerd, carding and obliterating 4.564/320.97, WMt Bazemore with 4.667/307.16 and 4.600/317.12 time the ninth quickest Funny Car pass in slips in wins over history, a solid Don Lampus, Doug 4.893/305.60.

Herbert and Larry Dixon.

In round two, a 4.9 40/3 0 6.0 1 Chuck Etchells won his thirteenth stopped local hero Gary Densham and career NHRA event, a semi-final ped scoring a final round win over sur alling duel with Jeny Tohver result prise finalist Dale ed in a 6.798/290.69 Pulde. win.

The Kendall GT-1 The long-time Chevy Camaro post ed an on and off the Funny Car pilot throttle 5.119/308.21 showed why he’s to claim the Winston Lucky 13: Etchells (above) downed Pulde at Pomona.(Dave O) regarded as one of In the semis, Etchells took on the best, as Toliver was on and off Finals title over Pulde, who lost traction immediately.

John Force. At the green. Force the throttle compared to Pulde, who Etchells qualified seventh in the boiled the hides on the Castrol eased back on it, motoring past for show at 5.025/301.70 and used a Mustang and Etchells stormed to the win.

TMs sent Pulde into Ms first final 5.002/301.70 to stop Ron Capps in his best pass of the weekend, a smce the 1996 Dallas event, when round one. He received a lucky 4.956 at 307.06 mph. break in round two when the he took the then “Smokin Joe’s” Pulde was a surprise entrant in engine kicked out some connecting Pomona, driving the Gary Mustang of Bazemore mto the win ners circle. rods at mid-track, slowing the car Christensen Dodge Avenger. to a 5.380/210.92 while Tim RicMe Stevens notched his first After qualifying 13th at 5.255/290.04, Pulde roared to life in NHRA Pro Stock win, stoppmg Jeg Wilkerson smoked the tyres early.

Coughlin Jr in the final round, 6.945/198.10 to an out of shape 7.625/141.02. .

The young Louisiana native drove the Shawn CoUins Pontiac to 6.958, 6.959 and 6.933 wins over Rickie Smith, Kurt Johnson and George Mamell en route to the victory.

Coughhn, with his stong finish, secured the number two position in the final point standings- the Jegs Oldsmobile took out the Pontiacs of Ray Franks, Mike Thomas and low qualifier (6.891) Warren Johnson with 6.944, 6.955 and 6.946 passes.

Matt Hines closed his dominating Pro Stock Motorcycle season with a final round win over Ron .\yers, 7.324/184.23 to 7.390/180.07.

Hines, aboard the Vance & Hines Suzuki,took out Brian Ayers, Larry Cook and Tony Mullen on Ms way to Ms 10th win ofthe year.

David Schultz did set a new alltime top speed for the breed at 189.27 mph during qualifying, but lost in roimd two — .^gelle Seeling recorded the second quickest ever pass, qualifying on the pole at 7.250 seconds, but redlighted in her sec ond round match with Ayers.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

1998 NHRA CHAMPIONSHIP DRAG RACING SERIES - FINAL POINTS STANDINGS.

PENNMH-

1998 NHRA Top Fuel Championship I. Gary Sceizi, Team Winston ...!78l 2. Cory McClenathan, McDonald’s 1640 3. Joe Amato, Tenneco Automotive 1522 4. Kenny Bernstein, Budweiser King ....1385 1344 5. Mike Dunn, Team Mopar 6. Doug Kalitta, American Inter. Airlines 1098 1093 7. Larry Dixon, Miller Lite .

1083 8. Jim Head, Head Racing .. .993 . 9. Bob Vandergriff, Jerzees . .95 I iO. Bruce Sarver, ATSC6 .

s

1998 NHRA Funny Car Championship I. John Force, Castrol GTX Ford ..1663 2. Ron Capps, Copenhagen Chevrolet ..1528 3. Cruz Pedregon, Interstate Bate P'tiac .1445 4. Chuck Etchells, Kendall Oil Chev ....1430 1281 5. Whit Bazemore, Winston Chev 1256 6. Tony Pedregon, Syntec Ford ..

1143 7. Tim Wilkerson,JCIT Pontiac ..

8. Dean Skuza, Mateo Tools Dodge 1 117 9. A1 Hofrnann, GM Perf. Parts Pontiac ..1044 .905 10. Del Worsham, CSK Pontiac

1998 NHRA Pro Stock Championship L Warren Johnson,GoodwrendiP'tiac ..1973 1533 2.jeg Coughlin,Jeg’sOldsmobile 3. Kurt Johnson, AC Delco Chevrolet ..1416 1390 4. Jim Yates, Spiitfire/Peak Pontiac 5. Mark Osborne, Sherman Pontiac ....1066 .977 6. Mike Thomas, Penrjzoii Pontiac . .975 7. Mike Edwards, JK Racing Pontiac .964 8. Tom Martino, Jese! Pontiac ....

9. Richie Stevens, Collins Racing Pontiac .917 10. Mark Pawuk, Summit Racing Pontiac ..819

54 20 November 1998

W®[?srp(i

Bnsioe wins North Amentan title

A season of ups and downs ended on a high for Ryan Briscoe on November 1 when he claimed the FIA FMK North American Formula A champi onship at Charlotte, North Carolina.

Briscoe went into the third and final round there leading his categoiy, after being the runner-up and winning the respective first and second rounds at Las Vegas and Toronto.

Carburettor problems stopped him from being as competitive in the finals as he anticipated at Charlotte, but his fifth and 12th placings - after qualifying on pole position - were enough to secure the crown.

Winning the title has earned Briscoe, 17, an expenses-paid invi tation to represent Australia in the FIA’s annual prizegiving ceremony for all major motorsport champions at Monaco on December 12.

“It’s a great honour,” Briscoe said on his return to Sydney. “I’m really looking forward to meeting the world champions.”

Briscoe is graduating to the Super A category next year, in a career progression that will see him competing against his friend and fellow Australian, 1997 Formula A world champion and 1995 Five Continents Cup winner James Courtney.

Both drivers are staying put for 1999 with their respective Itahan teams - Courtney with Tony Kart and Briscoe with CRG - based within a few kilometres of each

other near Lake crowned world Garda. champion Mika Courtney also Hakkinen’s contested the affairs- Rosberg Charlotte finale, was instrumen quahfymg on pole tal in getting position and win Hakkinen his ning the second of first FI berth in the Super A finals, 1991. after being plagued The Rosbergby problems in the * Briscoe connec fhst final, won by tion came about CRG’sTonyliuzzi. through He was not in Rosberg’s son, contention for the Nikko, 13, who championship, as also drives for the Tony Kart CRG. works team had Rosberg was opted out of the on the sidelines Canadian round in March for and Courtney had Briscoe’s best suffered engine performance blow-ups at Las this year in a Vegas. combined Next year is AFormula likely to be Courtney’s last Super A race season of karting the Margutti and he is commit Memorial ted to winning a Trophy - at third champi Parma,Italy. onship.

Briscoe had Briscoe gives New Champion:Successiul Aussie, Ryan Briscoe.(Henshelwoodpic) crashed out on himself another A new development has resulted the first corner of the first final, two years of karting. in Courtney coming under the man- which relegated him to 34th place Their sights are set on Formula agement of world 2-litre Super for the second final.

One, via any opportunities that Touring racing, expatriate But he carved his way through may arise in the junior formulas in Australian Allan Gow, who will the'field and was poised to grab the the next few years. steer the 18 year-old’s career. lead on the last lap when his car One thing’s for certain: they have Briscoe doesn’t run to a manager, twitched, enabling former world youth on their side, with Courtney yet, but he’s become friendly with Super A champion Max Orsini to turning 18 in June and Briscoe cel Finland’s 1982 FI world champion take the chequered flag. ebrating his 17th birthday in Briscoe finished third, but his Keke Rosberg, who handles newlySeptember.

Inter A title tI Jamie WhincuiL

talent had not passed unnoticed.

Since then, he’s had mixed results, but is richer for the experi ence that he’s gathered in Europe, the US and Japan.

Overall, he’s amassed an impres sive curriculum vitae, starting with a Australian Junior A champi onship in 1994 and extending to wins in the 1995-96 Australian Junior Intercontinental A champi onships, several pole positions in top European events and his notable North American success.

“I’d really like to race in Formula 3,” Briscoe said when asked about his future goals.

As for the prospect of racing against Courtney again, taking up where they left off two years ago in the Junior category, he said: “I’m not apprehensive about that. I haven’t really thought about it, but I’m looking forward to us getting together again on the track. I’ll think of James as just another com petitor.”

Their first Super A encounter could be in the Oceania Championships at Sydney’s new Eastern Creek complex, on January 30-31.

Tony Kart have confirmed their participation, but CRG have yet to decide whether to run a works team.

AH Briscoe knows at this stage is that he’ll be jetting off soon to Monaco - with financial help from FIA-FMK karting supremo Ernest Buser - to receive his hard-earned North American Championship trophy.

-MIKE KABLE

V,

.’j

5s : 2-*/

PRIOR to the final round of the

Whincup’s team mentor Remo Luciani and super-mechanic Peter Temopolous went away and worked out where they had gone wrong and came back stronger than ever.

Club (which, it must be said, Despite this, Caruso (Tony Kart) promoted the best round of the carried on to claim pole for the 1998 Championships) held a Wynn’s round (46.137), ahead of meeting for the FMK classes to the ever consistent Brendan Dive acclimatise themselves with the (Birel) by a mere two one thou new Sydney circuit, a circuit sandths of a second. which none of the series regu Whincup (Tecno) claimed third, ahead of Brendan May(Tony Kart), lars had competed on before.

This was a blow for title con Barclay Holden (Tony Kart), an tender Michael Caruso, who at that impressive Jason Bums - who was meeting held a significant advan making his debut for definitive tage over series points leader Jamie Racing with Tecno - Clint Cathcart (Wynm’s Arrow AX6), Matthew Whincup.

In a fashion with which we’ve Wall (CRG), Clayton Pyne (Tony grown accustomed this year. Kart)and Alan Gurr(Top Kart).

Wjmn’s series Intercontinental A last month, the Eastern Creek-based North Shore Kart

MtmiL

Jubilant: Uncle Graeme (left). Champion Jamie Whincup, father David and super mechanic/Australian Piston Port champ Peter Temopolous - missing is team leader/Tecno importer Remo Luciani.(Sean Henshelwood) of the start to lead Caruso, Dive Dive took out heat one from raced on rain tyres before and 3^ and Holden.

Bradley Brown (Energy).

Caruso and Wall, while in the sec ond wet heat Whincup claimed vic tory from Cathcart, who had never

Dive took victory again in the third heat from Cathcart and Whincup.

Whincup jumped to the lead early in the pre-final but was passed by Dive on lap two, the two drivers dicing for the lead for the remainder of the race.

Whincup was finally victorious, catching the Birel driver by sur prise on the very last comer for the win. Gurr stormed through for a comfortable third, ahead of the Tony Kart train of Caruso, Holden, Ben George and debutante Kristy Graham.

Whincup again jumped to the lead from the outset in the final and was never headed.

Behind him, Gurr got the better Pace man: Matt Wall, despite los ing a nose cone and pitting, set the fastest lap.(Henshelwood)

By lap 5, Whincup had the advan tage and the interest now lay^in the battle for the minor placings between the freight train of Caruso, Dive, Gurr,Pyne, Cathcart and May. In the finish, Caruso would be the stronger of the group and claimed second, with Pyne third ahead of Cathcart, May, Holden, Gurr, Brown, George and Ian Salvestrin (Tecno).

Intercontinental A Final Championship Pointscore 1. Jamie Whincup (227 points), 2.

Michael Caruso (172), 3. Alan Gurr (164), 4. Brendan Dive (162), 5.

Clayton Pyne (116), 6. Brendan May (104), 7. Clint Cathcart (101), 8. Matthew Wall (101), 9. Jason Burns (101), 10. Barclay Holden (100).

- SEAN HENSHELWOOD

20 November 1998

4

oJco

55

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56 20 November 1998

CLASSIFIEDS Segiiiiis/Sportts Cars Stmiki Alto 1987 2 sealer, 3 cylinder, 550 cc Yellow. 149,000 kms. 2 lady owners. RWC. Reg 1/99. $3790. Ph 03 5339 1104.

141

Commodore Cap Car 39 less engine and gearbox. Bargain at $10,500. Fresh competitive engine available. Have pur chased new car. May trade. Competitive. Ph 08 8341 6036 or 08 8346 3800 bh or 0418 857 682. i4,

Will win class with right driver. $7500 one. Ph 029907 4711 141 ASX Torana Group C touring car. Ideal Targa Tas car. Fresh 280kw motor, alloy roll cage, 4 spot callipers (front and rear), 120 Itr bladder tank. Excellent value. $35,000. Ph John 0411 649 636 or 08 8644 0283 141 1963 EJ Holden special. 3-speed factory auto. 46,000 kms.

Unfinished restoration. Heaps of spares. $2500. Ph Rick 0411 878 886.4, RX7 Sports sedan 75% complete. Series 3 body. F/glass panels. Fabricated chassis/suspension. 355cl Chev, Super T10 g/box, needs internal panels and paint to complete.$13,500. Ph 029543 2607. 141 Mon's Cooper "S“ Group Nb. Well known Victorian car. Very light and fast. All right bits. Bery early shell. Choice of engine configuration.$8800 neg. Ph Len Read 035977 8771 ah. I4t

●t

1998 Awfi A4,16" rims, full body kit, Audi Sport suspension, 10 stack CD player. One of the best A4s. $45,000 neg. Ph: 0417 918 845. 140 Mazda R10O 13B, SASS steering wheel, heavy duty suspen sion, 3 inch exhaust, mag wheels. Motor not going, needs com pletion, Body ready for paint. $2,100. Ph: 03 9314 6030. w Torana LJ Coupe, modified suspension, chassis, fibreglass front, kevlar bonnet, 9" diff. With 300-t-hp Chev 60 degree V6, with aluminium heads. Vehicle built to competition spec. Project ready for completion. $6,500ono. Ph: 02 9982 9654 after 6pm. 140

Brock VKSS Group A. Immaculate condition. Formula blue. 5spd. 16 inch HDT Momos. HDT papers/books. $22,000 neg. Ph 08 8235 2775 or 0418851 341. 141 Gemini 2 Itr Sports Sedan, fresh engine, 45mm Webers, T5V6 g/box, 8 point alloy cage, adjustable Konis, adjustable bias, adjustable sway bars, braided hoses, 4.1 diff, new slicks. Heaps spares, excellent cond. $8,000 neg. Ph: 02 62931802. 140 Thunderdome HQ, log book, new sealed motor (as new), sealed box. Can be test driven. $7,200ono. Ph: 03 9563 7072. 140

--● -●-■ait

. .I

BMW 320i Super Touring car. Built in 1994 for the World Cup. finished 10th outright in the 1994 Toohey's 1000. Used by Diet Coke in 1995. 3rd in Independants Cup in 1997. 7th & 1st Privateer AMP 1000 1997,. 9th Outright AMP 1000 1998.

Competed in every Super Touring Car race in /\ust since 1996. Is probably the most consistent Super Tourer in Aust. Car was rebuilt prior to Bathurst and has been freshened up since. Easy to maintain makes it an idea) first Super Touring Car. Is available with or vwthout spares package. Car $70,00. Spares neg. Ph Paul Nelson 02 4578 3855 bh or 02 9620 7408 ah. i4i Alfa Sports sed^ 0/0-350 Chev mid-mounted roll cam/rock fuel injected, aluminium Brodex heads, 9‘ diff, all fibreglass pan els, adjustable shocks, new tyres. $11,500 ono. Ph 019 331 845.

DatsiBi 1600 Club Car. Fuel-injected, 2.4 litre, 5 speed, big brakes, cage, harness, seats, 2 sets wheels, race rubber, diffs, spare 5speed. $10,000. Ph: 0417 292 208,03 5821 7859. 140

Sports Sedan, Escort ready to race. Mid mount 2lt with side draughts. Ideal club car. Record speaks for itself. Some spares. $4500 ono. Ph Ian 02 9627 4878 ah. 139 Evo IV Lancer road car. No compliance, mags, Recaro seats. 19600 kms. Minor damage. $29,300. Ph Rob Ogilvie 02 6241 3011. 139 Rally Car, Daihatsu GTti Professionally built and main tained. Extensive Chrome Molly cage. Brand new competition clutch. Numerous spares inc gearbox, head assembly, driveshafts, turbo. $10,000. Ph Grant 0418 201 637. 139 Mazda 13B peripheral porf,' built to Racing Beat specs, gen uine 320 horsepower. More to mention. Ph 03 5422 7474 or 0419 334 786139

141

Triumph GTS 1966, 2.5L TR6 motor, Mk2 rear suspension.

Performs very well, good condition, two tone white, dark green bottom, silver TR7 mags. $12,500 ono. SA 1995. Private sale. Ph Nick0412836266Adelaide. ,39 Mazda RX3 coupe Club Car. 13B p/p, 48 IDA. 5-speed, LSD, 4 wheel discs, ad] shocks. 8 point cage, seat, harness.

Numerous spares, log book, 11 months reg (Vic), NEP 226. Must sell $4,500ono. Ph: 0419 523 337. 133 HQ Holden (2H), vgc. Complete car with sealed motor and log book. $3,000. Ph: 03 5962 5602. i:» BMW 3181 Super Tourer. Ex Longhurst/McLean, 6 speed sequential, adjustable shocks, 12 x BBS wheels. Spares inci spoilers, diffs, ratios, panels, brakes, shocks, uprights, driveshafts etc. Suit collector or entry into Super Touring. $68,000.

Ph: 018 868 306.02 9709 4655,

Mazda RX7, top Street Car in WA. New motor, gearbox, injec tion system. Lots of spares. CAMS logbook, top condition, ready to race and win. $25,000. Ph: 0417 983 319,08 9328 4880. 139 EscorL Half-built race car. Cage, adjustable struts, fi breglass panels, 2-litre, mags. All hard work done. Must go. $1,000ono.

Ph: 02 6386 3575. 139

MASCAR Commodore. New paint. Spare wheels. Looks good.

Roller. $6000, Ph 07 5578 7870 bh. i4i

Mazda RX7 Club Car. 13BBP, Needham, 5 spd, 4.1 LSD, disc brakes. Ready to race. $12,000ono. Ph: 0418 578 970, 03 5721 9313. 140

Monaro HT Group 2E Club car. Muncie 9" diff, Wiliwood brakes.

Ready to race less engine. Lots of parts included. $8000 ono. Ph 0883889110M41

VR V8 5 litre Commodore, 500hp-i-, professionally built, Dencar, 5 speed Getrag gearbox. Racing Street Car or Sports Sedan. Spares, alloy rims. Well looked after, top condition. $37,500. Ph: Gary 0418 927 643,08 9397 0317. i4o Mazda RX2 Sports Sedan. 13B, lightened body, new A008s, Minilite copies, low tech but effective, competitive at Club level. $5,000n^. Ph: Lance McGrath 02 6248 9569. 140

■i-

EB Ford Falcon Ford eng, 5 spd, AP brakes, new wheels all new car professionally built oar, ready to race. Immaculate condi tion. $20,000. Ph 0414 499 066 or 02 96261830 141 1992 G102 Daihatsu Charade PRC PI Rally Car. 3 door, 1300 cc, full PRC rally spec. Rally factory adjustable suspension (front), new Bilstfens (rear), fibreglass seats, 5-pt driver harness with sternum brace plus 3 point Nav, Terra - trip with foot remote, intercom, leather Sparco wheels. Grp A rampod filter, replaced cam and exhaust. Dulux factory paint job -1 race old Yellow and black - looks awesome, 2 sets mags. Ready to race

Pulsar GTiRs: 1 race car, full of good bits, enormous potential for GTP, Targa etc. 1 road car, excellent condition. Both never bent. Will separate, prefer sell both $45,000. Ph: 0418 995 581. 140 VL Sportsman, new motor, never raced since rebuild.

Complete with spares, radio. $7,500ono. Ph: 07 4098 5724 (AH). 140 AUSCAR Sportsman, Ford XF Falcon, fresh 9.5 engine, excellent condition, regretful sale (moving OS). $10,000. Ph: 03 9844 3657,0413 743 573. i.«

1975 Galant GC Coupe Race Car, ex Brown Davis. 2 litre, twin 48ml Webers, 5 speed close-ratio, 4 wheel discs with bias. Marsh seals, full cage, 2 sets of mags, blue 2 pack. adj. front end, 4.6 locked diff and more. $5,600. Ph: AH (03) 9886 3772. 139 Datsun 1600 Sports Sedan. Unfinished project, fi breglass body, 2 sets of factory Nissan race wheels. $4000. Ph 03 54227474 or 0419 334 7g& 139 AUSCAR Sportsman VL Commodore. No expense spared.

Championship winning engine. Winner of best presented car.

Heaps of spares inc engine and 16 different sway bars etc. Very competitive. Must sell. Ph 03 940404113 or 0417 014 383 139 Thunderdome HQ, log book, new sealed motor (as new) sealed box. Can be lest driven before sale. $7200 ono. Ph 03 9563 7072 139 LJ Torana Clubcar, possible Group NC, fresh 208 motor, XU1 gear box, race seat, roll cage. Excellent condition. Complete with spares and tandem trailer with brakes, tool box, tyre rack. $9500 ono. Ph Steve 02 9824 9406 ah’ or 02 9851 2956 bh. 139 HQ rolling shell. No rust, ready to paint, has full roll cage bolted in. Comes with 4 x 14'x8‘ wheels. Very straight car. $1,000ono.Ph:0417461 421 Wollongong 139

AUSCAR Falcon last season rookie winning car. With a spare set of wheels, fuel churn, jact etc. $25,500 ono. Will lease if required at a reasonable rate. Ph Jason 0412 779 999 ra

Nissan SSS Pulsar, 12/94, immaculate condition, new Bridgestone tyres, graphite grey duco, 45,000kms, full service history, RWC (NCA 138). Must sell - $21,750ono. Ph: Daniel 03 5442 7248,03 5441 8133. 139 Nissan 300 Z Twin Turbo, latest shape. Full professional race preparation, road reg, ideal GT racing or Targa. 500hp.

NZ$50,000. Ph: 0011 644 232 8097, fax 0011 644 232 8059. 139 Rover, 1972 3500S, red, manual. Reconditioned motor and driveline. Koni adjustable shocks, many new and reconditioned parts. Suit enthusiast. Set of 15 inch alloys to suit. View in Melbourne. $4,500. Ph: 03 5476 2686. 139

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1

20 November 1998 ning gear, all as new condition. Rotax 256 engine, cassette gearbox. Gear ratios, mounted wets, 3 sets wheels. Will consid er trade. $18,000. Ph 039437 1239 or 0419 236 233. 139 Fomiula Holden 92D, competitive car, with limited spares, top hp engine. Ready to race for NS series. $75,000. Ph Darren 0408 800 988 139

Mkl Cortina Sports Sedan, suit circuit, hillclimb. Powered

by Hoiden 186, triple SUs, Toyota g/box, full receipts, log book.

Very smart looking car. $7,000 neg. Ph:026682 8171. 139 Commodore Sports Sedan. Fresh 350 Chev mid-mount.

Super T10, CAE Quickchange. Comes with all spares and moulds. Ex Lusty. $27,000. Ph: 0417 429 077,026255 0200,02 62584183. 139

Elfin 622 1972, Group Q logbook V8486. Car fully sorted, immaculate condition truly race ready. Probably the best and fastest ANF2 car. Eastern Creek 1:35. Hart/FT200, wets and drys,3sets wheels. $48,500. Ph Max 018 442060. 141

Speedway NASCAR Pontiac grand prix rolling chassis plus spares. $15,000 ono consider trade for road car. Ph 039444 6533. 141 Speedcar 93 beast 4-bar, splined axle, JFX power steering, bladder tank, 2.7 Maona, injection, magneto dry sump. New tyres, complete and race ready with many spares and trailer. $15,000. Ph 07 3204 5786 anytime. .4.

Fender Bender HG Holden. One meeting old since full car rebuild with spares less window net and harness. $1200 ono.

Ph 0416241 006 or 02 9628 5170 141 Super Sedan Mazda RX7, 13B PP injection. Power head, De Jersey rack, quick change diff, 6 pin wheels, 4 bar rear, coil overs, 12 aluminium wheels. Heaps of spares. WII separate. Ph: 0354241804(AH),03 5422 3098(BH). 140 Formula 500, hi bar chrome moly chassis, 521cc Rotax engine,2speed Jawa g/box, coil-over front end, torsion bar rear end. Plenty of spares, very competitive car. $12,000ono. Ph: 03 5983 8549,0419 388 192. wo

tp -V

Appendix J EH, built 1983 by Barry Seton. Only 6 races 1984, in storage 14 years. Fresh Wayne Jones engine, 250hp. $12,000. Ph:024587 8355. 139

Motorsport 24ft enclosed trailer. Tri Alko torsion axles, elec tric brakes, nose cone, electric door winch, 12v lights, full lined work bench. New condition. 5 months old. $15,000. Ph 03 5447 1232 or 0417 106 711. wo

-4.

HSV Maloo 11-96 10,000 km 5 spd V8. Showroom condition.

Suit new buyers. $38,000 ono. Forced sale. Ph 026762 0996 or 0413064 185 Tamworth NSW 140

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.AV'.

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Superkart Barbasz Vision 250cc Rotax twin. Was Australia #1.

Spares indlude rebuilt 256 Rotax, PI, PC data logger, engine and gearbox parts, enclosed trailer, wheels, tyres etc. $17,500.

Ph 039700 5333 or 0417 563645139 Formula 2 Reynard 893. Current Australian Champion. Comes with spare engine, fully enclosed tandem trailer, 14 wheels, full set spare suspension parts, wings, body panels. In showroom condition. Ph 0352441025 ah or 035279 7916 bh. .39 Spectrum Formula Fords. Team Arrow offers for sale its fleet of race-winning Spectrums (new cars on order) as raced

by Macrow, Zemer, Owen, Kelly and Savage. Contact Michael Borland. Ph:03 9580 5236. ra

Super Sedan, Commodore, Dave Best chassis, quick change diff, 4 aluminium bead lock rims. Ready to race less engine and gearbox. Plenty spare parts, too much to mention.

Car $11,500. Spares $2,500. Ph:035176 1352. lo Wanted: Speedcar parts - driveline, shocks, wheels, tor sion bars, steering box, etc. Ph: 02 6242 6638 (AH), 02 6296 1774,0412273113. i« Modified Production TE Cortina, 250 xflow methanol engine, 4 speed g/box, power steering 2.1 reduction, Koni adjustable suspension, weight jackers, plenty of spares. Very competitive car ready to race. $7,500. Ph: 03 5978 7679, 0419 388 192. i« Formula 500 chassis & panels, brand new. No further use. $1,750. Ph:0412 092020. 140

Race car transporteir, Ford Freighter bus, with 18x24' annexe, bunk bed, wardrobe, storage lockers, tyre rack, ramps.

Very good condition, reliable. $15,000ono. Ph 03 5439 5399 ah.

Parts 1973 BMW 2800 lour door sports, as new interior, rebuilt head, straight body, LSD, IRS, four wheel discs, rego 12/98.

Must sell, moving o/s. SS.OOOono. Ph; Adam 026494 9338. ,39

WB^eeiers Pf

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Swift FB 91 complete ready to race package. Spares include roll bars, springs, gear ratios, radiator, nose, side pods, 4 sets tyres etc. Engine done four races since top end. Trailer included.$19500 obo. Ph Steve Owen 03 9840 6770. ra

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Elfin 700 1976 Group Q. 1600 cc Ford. Immaculate condi tion. Very competitive. Fastest Group Q at Winton. Cheap to run and maintain. $37,500. Ph Peter Whelan 08 8373 2070 bh, 08 8295 4342 ah or 08 8373 2087 fax. ,41 Van Dieman RF92. Good condition. 10:31 CWP spares. $21,000. Ph 0415 435 500 for more into. U1 Kart: Mow AX5 rolling chassis, exc cond, new tyres. $1,500.

Ph 03 5995 6110. ra n/Jallock U2 Group Lb Historic sports racing car. Unique: the only MK 2 sports car built. Times: Winton 69 secs, Phillip Island 2 mins. Ph/fax 03 5229 3375. ,39 Off road Buggy Class 9 twin turbo RX7 motor. Albins G50 gearbox, Bilsteins coil-over, Wright rack. Centrelines, 20" travel unused since built. $22,000. Ph 02 4464 2970 bh or 0412 151

Historic Chevron F2 B42 chassis no 1. Chevron team car ex Rosberg, Patrese. Daly. Immaculate. Too much detail to advertise. Best offer or will consider swap for American or European sports car. Ph 03 9560 0801 or 018 105 348139

Drag Racing

507 139

Elfin 600E F2 Historic Group Q, log book. 1600 twin cam Ford, Hewland Mk 9, chassis no. 7126. Immaculate, competitive car, award winner, nothing to spend. With spares, moulds, jigs, and fully end tandem trailer. See at Winton Motorfest, 7&8 November. $45,000. Ph: Ivan Clencie 03 9726 7166 (BH), 03 9762 1732 (AH). 139

Holden Torana COME1 full chassis, Australian SS/A record holder. Roller $35,000 or turn key $50,000 with 383ci Holden or $60,000 with 615ci Chev. Runs 8.1s, 165mph, dead straight. Ph: 03 9571 4204, 03 9563 5678. 140

Engines

Superkart 125cc Suzuki Demon X6 chassis, 6sp sequential g/box, ready to race. 64 sec laptimes Winton (short track).

Experience the thrill. $2300. Ph 0411 848 440 or 03 9898 4925.

Will assist if required, m

Class One off-road buggy. 2.7 It 6 cylinder Subaru 2.0 It, close ratio Kombi gearbox. Bilstein c/over suspension. Extremely quick. Immaculate. Low k's with log book. Ready to run. $11,000. Must sell. Ph 03 9898 4925 or 0411 868 440. 139 Superkart Anderson Mirage chassis, Kelgate brakes and run-

Chev 383 suit street or strip, perfect condition. Race prepared 0-ringed, balanced, 400 crank Chev 0-rods, aluminium pis tons, crane camshaft double-row timin chain and solid lifters.

Serious enq only. $200 the lot. Ph 07 3263 1192 141 Porsche engine, RSR 2.8. Fresh, no kms, Kuger Fisher mechanical injection. Complete with new stainless steel heat exchangers and stainless steel performance muffler. $10,750. Ph 03 9555 7699,0418313 482. ,4o 3 Jawa Speedway 897 motors, electrics, carbies & exhaust pipes. $3,000. Ph: 03 5983 8549,0419 388192. ,4o Lotus twin cam race engine: 185bhp, fully rebuilt & com petitive. 1558CC with 45mm Webers, steel rrxJs, forged pistons, FI cams. New steel crankshaft, AP clutch, flywheel, valves, valve springs, guides sleeves and buckets. New high volume oil pump and alternator. High performance bolts throughout. Ignition Developments distributor and fully battled sump. $12,000ono.

Ph: 02 9488 7886,0418 188 988. 140 Formula Ford ex-works Van Diemen engine, completely rebuilt, no miles, manifold, clutch, flywheel. Just bolt in. $5,500.

Ph:Jetf0418172 889,0395703683. 140 Gemini turbo twin, 45mm Del Ortos, Superflow head, 0ringed block, cross-drilled crank, billet cam, oil cooler -r hoses.

All fresh and complete, unassembled for inspection. Makes 300hp at 6,000rpm. Ph 02 6296 1774 bh, 02 6242' 6638, 0412 273113. 140

r

Small block Chev street tunnel ram, brand new. $300. Ph: 03 9844 3657,0413743573. w

Prince Skyline GT parts. Doors, guards, numerous panels all rust free. Lights, tarlights, air filters, seats. Front and rear wind screens. One complete body shell. No rust. Other bits and pieces available. Ph 07 3269 0770. U1 XUI genuine head not ported or cracked $1000 ono. Ph 96060105or0416025332». < 3BBS 19 inch Snake tongue super touring car rims, centre lock nut style RX version with Michelin Slicks. $2500 ono. Ph 02 66555715 or 019 125 965 idi Brand new VW 2 Litre heads 48 x 38 Titanium stainless valves, Chev double springs. Suit motor with 105. Barrels to suit. $1800 plus other VW performance goodies. Ph 02 66555715 or 019125965 14, Lotus Elan parts: One set front & rear alloy boll on hubs (new) $950; one pair front stub axles (new), $190; one full set Elan Sprint Doughnuts & high tensile bolts (new)$350; one pair rear spring adjustable platforms, 2.5’ ID (new) $150. Ph; 02 9488 7886,0418 188 988. .40 Dunlop Race tyres (wefs) 215/645 R18 new cond. $1500.

Ph 039555 7699,0418 313 482. ,4o Speedway Midget parts: full power steer setup $1500; tor sion bar setup with 13 bars $700; ally Pro shocks $50 each; ally high-back seat $200; front beam axle with wheels $250. All ono.

Ph:Tom 02 9606 9181 bh,02 9607 5908. ,« Datsun 1600 parts: doors, struts, hubcaps, diff, harness, seats, tail-light, head-light, gearbox, 1800 motor, carbies, bumper bar, roll cage, boot lid. Priced from $5. Ph; Ross 03 5334 6364(AH)Ballarat 140 Cobra Benetton race seat, new $180; Race seat, high back with wrap around top wings. Excellent order $250. Ph 03 9555 7699,0418313 482. ,4o Coil-over shocks, McDonald Bros, suit heavy car, as new. $400. Ph;07 3288 0687. ,4o Heads: 18 degree alloy Chev V8 Supercar, complete with tita nium valves -r Jessell overhead gear. Assembled, in excellent order. Ph 039555 7699,0418 313 482. ,« Touring car VR front, carbon kevlar, excellent order, $500.

Ph 039555 7699,0418 313 482. ,4o Ford crossflow 250ci, complete $300; Ford FIDO crossflow 250ci complete $300; Cleveland short motor $400; 302 Windsor complete with auto, $450; 302 Windsor block $200; Cleveland block $200;2 x 600 Holley carbies $300 ea; 289 Windsor crank $150; 302 short Cleveland $200; Set 460 heads bare $150; 351 4-barrel manifold $100; crossflow head ported & polished, screw in studs & roller rockers, $500. Ph; 0397435160(BH),03 97433275(AH). 140 Manifold, Benson with high butterfly injection, complete with distributor & trumpets. Ph 03 9555 7699, 0418 313 482. ,« Calipers, Brembo monobloc x 2, brand new, original price $6,500, sell for $3,500. Ph 03 9555 7699,0418 313 482. ,« Mazda Speed 5 speed gearbox, close ratio, suit BFMR Mazda/Laser. One rally since professional rebuild. $1,000ono.

Ph: Bryan 02 9844 5232. ,4o Porsche RUF body kit, with large Kramer rear wing. New cond. $2,500. Also front guards, steel, wide body turbo type.

Very good cond. $1500 the pair. Ph 03 9555 7699, 0418 313 482. 140

Lotus Elan/Escort parts: T/C dry sump (new) $250; Quaife LSD (new) $1,150; Oil cooler & fittings (16 row 1fx5‘ as new) $125; 3.9 diff ratio in carrier $350; 4.4 &4.1 diff ratio $350 ea; L1 cams $250; 6 bolt 1558 crank $200; 711M 1600 crank $100; Escort Mkl fibreglass bubble flairs $250; Ph; 02 9488 7886, 0418188988. i4o Penske Racing shockers x 4. Latest spec, 3-way adjustable, used on Formula Holden. $5,000. Koni two-way adjustable also available, $2,000. All graphed and ready to race. Ph; Damien 0412 868 988. i« Gearbox, M21, V8 Commcdore box and shifter. Fully recxmditioned. $600. Ph; 03 9769 9936. t®

Transporters/l^aileffs Fully enclosed Formula Ford trailer with 14ft x 14ft free standing canvas annex, no pegs or ropes required. Mag wheels, trailer brakes, loads of overhead storage area. $5,500.

Ph; Jeff 0418172 889,03 9570 3683. I®

^1.5 ,

Transporter, will carry two cars. 6 cyl diesel, 5 speed, wind foil, very economical. 240 volt, tyre racks, winch, belly lockers, reliable, excellent presentation, side access. $22,500ono. Will consider trade. Ph: 02 9774 1711. m Tandem trailer, used for Super Sedan, plenty of storage, 15 months old, tows well and looks good, with or without electric winch. $2,300. Ph: 03 5978 7679,0419388 192. ,«

Ford Six Cylinder, auto, electric winch, long rego, well main tained. Regretful sale. $7,800ono. Ph: 02 4576 0009. i«

Waitfed Wheels 5 x 13 x 7 5 stud Holden pattern to suit Torana. Ph 96060105or0416025332 ,41 1996 or 1997 Williams Sparco jacket or 1997 Williams Transfix microfibre jacket, or 1997 Holden Racing Team jacket.

Sizes L-XL. Ph: 02 4982 6038. ,40 Wheels 16x10 inch rims, Holden pattern. Also 16 inch slicks.

Ph 03 9769 9936. ,«

Photographs

Historic photos 70's, 80's, Brock, Johnson, Senna, Mansell etc. BAv. colour. Tourers, sports, F5000, F2 etc. Search service also available. For details fax 02 9960 6552

Ofliar Motor Racing The Australian Way (1972) by Brian Hanrahan, Race Year 1985 and Bathurst 1985 by Barry Naismith, Grandprix International (1980) nos 17,21,23, Autosport (various 1965). Offers. Ph 03 93871660. 141 Poster featuring 1998 Bathurst Volvo S40's signed by Jim Richards . Good quality paper. 56 x 40 cm. $39 inc tube & postage. Ph 02 9456 5090. 141 Motorsport News issue 2 to 132 $40. Ph Brett 02 4262 2743 aft 6pm. 141 Alfa Romeo showroom sales brochures, various models from early 70s Giuliefta Sprint, Alfa Sud, 1980s GTV, /\lfa 75 to 1990, model 33 16v. All exc cond. $5 each. Ph: Gail 03 5334 6364(AH).Balbrat 140 Champ Car 98, Official championship magazine.

Autographed by all drivers including some team owners. Best offer. Ph: Steve 02 4971 2639. 140 Speedway Spectacular, V8 Super Sedans USA v Aust test match. 1st in OLD. /Vnericans Downunder against the Aussies, December 5, plus full support programme. Ph: 07 4164 3137 for enquiries (Kingaroy Showgrounds). 1® Bathurst 1000 tickets (2], Four day general admission.

Must sell $60ono each. Ph: 02 5754 1035 ah. 140

58 20 November 1998 Motorsnort n NEWS Editorial Editor David liassalS TecBinscali Editor Tony GSynn Assistant Editor Phil Brasiagan @ra|»9iics Co-ordinator Viv Brismby

Advertising Advertising Manager Gerald McDornan

Administration Masiaging director Chris Lambden

Contacts 89 Orrong Crescent Caulfield North VIC 3161 (PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161) Phone: 03 9SZ7 7744 Fax; 03 9527 7766 Email: inifsnews@coff'pBmk.com.au

CompuServe: doo237,886$

Contributors General: Mike Kable, Jon Thomson, Brian Reed. Darryl Flack FI: Joe Saward. Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring, US: Bruce Smith, Phil Morris l\IZ: John Hawkins Speedway: Dennis Newlyn, David McNabb, Wade Aunger, Geoff Rounds, David Lamont, Chris Metcalf, Sue Hobson, Michael Attwell, Tony Millard (UK), Darren O'Dea Rally: Peter Whitten, Jon Thomson Drag Racing: Gerald McDornan, Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Steven White, Ken Ferguson, Scott Jug Super Speedway: Martin Clark (USA), Brett Swanson, Grant Nicholas Karts: Ian Salvestrin, Allan Roark, Graeme Burns, Sean Henshelwood Photographers: LAT, Dirk Klynsmith, Zoom Photographies, Neil Hammond, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Brad Steele, Tony Glynn, Thunder-Pics, Marshall Cass, Mike Harding, Brisbane Motorsport, Frank Midgley, John Bosher, Phil Williams, Mike Patrick (UK)

DU&

Request from a TV . junkie Dear Sir, I read yom- paper every fortnight.

I am an avid fan of V8 Supercars.

Due to work commitments I missed watching the FAI 1000.

I am desparate to get a taped copy of the Telecast, as I have watched Bathurst every year for the last 25 years. I rang TEN and they could not help me.

If anyone taped the whole race, I would love to hear from them.

Please help.

Craig Cobbin Email; Craig@Texaspeak.com.au (Mobile :0412 499 115)

More on control tyres Dear Sir, The thing that seems to have been missed by most commentators during the control tyres debate is that it is the Australian Touring Car Championship.

Everyone keeps saying “now we’ll see who the best driver is.” ‘ I thought it was about teams running the best Touring Car they could, which includes the best available tyres.

We have an Australian Drivers championship which has had con trol tyres for many years, as has Formula Ford.

These are the categories which produce our international racers.

The counterpoint to this argu ment is that FI has the World dri vers championship, but even though they will all be on the same tyres next year, over half the field will not have a realistic chance of winning it.

I don’t think having a Senna, or Schumacher, ip a Minardi would get it on pole, but Minardi have had drivers with potential World cham pionship winning ability.

Maybe the World drivers champi onship should be for F3000, with its control chassis, engine and tyres.

I think I can hear Bemie sending the boys out to kneecap me now.

1

Phillip Compagnoni i plullip.compagnoni@tafen'sw.edu.au

But there were no ewoks

MOTORSPORT NEWS is published by Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd ACN No 060 179 928 Direciors C lambden (Managing), D Hassall, A Glynn

Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Wilke Color 37-49 Browns Rd Clayton 3168 Oistributed by: NDD Ltd

Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted.

Dear Sir, The cover of MN issue 139, Bathurst Star Wars, was truly excellent. And I would like to con gratulate the cartoonists.

Saying this, what would be per fect would be if you made it into a centre pull-out poster and not just a cover.

Congratulations on your excel lent magazine.

R Gales (Skaifeys biggest;fan) gargoyle@one.net.au ASST ED: Thanks for the kind

P,\.

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Send letters to Talk Converter to PO Box 1010 Nortli Caulfield Vic 3161. our E-mail address, or fax to 03 9527 7766, The staff of Motorsport News does not necessarily agree viith readers. words, Gales. But the sound YOU can hear are our artists

Rally Oz turns me on 10

coming around to kneecap you for calling them ‘cartoonists’...

Dear Sir, While I feel compelled to write and commend Channel 10 for at least putting the effort in and tele casting some of the action from Rally Australia, I must ask why the coverage wasn’t a little more exten sive, with only one small and

Having fun with a Finn Dear Sir, Please find enclosed a photo of Dr Jerome Cockings (on left) and myself.

/ KtSi i m2 ,1

-Hij! And the Mika fans shall inherit the earth; World Champ Hakkinen sup porters Dr Jerome Cockings (L) and reader Ah Piirainen compare smiles.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr Cockings in July ’98. He was actually the doctor who saved Mika’s life in Adelaide ’95.

Without this man, no doubt, Mika wouldn’t be World Champion today.

He told 'me that Mika’s injuries were so severe that he thought Mika could never drive on the ‘edge’ again and how happy he was to be proven wrong. He is a true gentle man,too.

No-one deserved to be World Champion more than Mika.’What a great result!

I enjoy your magazine for its great coverage and, again, special thanks to Joe Saward for his fair and honest reporting on Formula One. Ari J Piirainen Heritage Park, QLD ASST ED: This is usually the part where I answer with some thing smart; let’s just leave it that Dr Cockings and the rest of our GP officials are the best in the world. Period.

extremely unimportant stage being shown live once the event had real ly been decided.

I would have thought that with the set up for a live telecast like that, it would have been more eco nomical to broadcast more of the event, especially the crucial stages on the morning of the telecast from a helicopter perhaps?

Still, the coverage of what Ten did show was excellent and the commentary was exciting and con cise. Well done.

The only thing that could impress me more about Rally Australia would actually be attend ing the event.

I would have gone this year but couldn’t find any information about it in any of the motor racing magazines,which is a pity as I had three weeks holidays owing.

For next year’s Rally Australia, where can I sleep, where can I go and how much does it all cost? Hope to see the answer in MSN. J. Marasco Craigiebum, VIC

0

Winners should be grinners Dear Sir, Did Russell Ingall and Larry Perkins win the FAI 1000 at Bathurst last weekend?

I must say after watching the coverage I didn’t think so, but when it came time for the victors to reap the spoils and spray the waiting fans with the champagne, I couldn’t see Jason Bright and Steven Richards anywhere - it was all Russell and Larry.

I honestly felt sorry and disap pointed for two great young stars, as it appeared to me that they were virtually pushed aside by two more experienced older guys who were more eager to get their sponsor’s logos on the TV than applaud the victors like they should have.

It was a great race, one of the best; but, even though Russell and Larry performed magnificently on the day afid came away with anoth er great result, they should have taken a step back and let Jason and Steven take the spotlight like true winners deserve.

I’m sure Russell and Larry would have been disappointed if that had happened to them.

One thing that Jason and Steven can take comfort in, though, is that is that I’m sure they will get to win the big one again, as they are gi-eat talents.

P. T. Price Rowville, VIC ASST ED: While it may have looked bad on TV, Jason and Steven did, in fact, get to spray the champagne after Larry and Russell, but the broadcaster closed the telecast right on 5:00 PM and the viewers therefore missed the winners’ moment in the spotlight - but the assem bled Bathurst throng enjoyed every minute of it.

Commentators get it right Dear Sir, I watched all fifteen hours of the FAI Classic telecast by Channel 10 and was quite impressed overall by the efforts of the commentaiy team, as there seemed to be very little of significance that they missed.

A couple of things stood out that showed that they really were on the ball, in particular the cock-up with the lap scoring by the officials.

At least the commentators had it right, but the officials made a thor ough mess of one of the most basic and most important tasks assigned to them - so here’s hoping their arses got a kicking for their sloven ly efforts.

One criticism - could Channel 10 do something about the idiotic screaming by one of the commenta tors when he’s calling the race?

Reg Hill Lake Mundi, VIC

Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd or its staff. ●Recommended and maximum price only.

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