Motorsport News Issue 147 - 26 February-12 March 1999

latest pre-GP FI testing news Issue 147

$4.50 (NZ $5.95 IncI GST)

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26 February - 12 March 1999

NEWS

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nveils his all-new AU Falcon V

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Ford's main man ^

takes the covers off his AU too

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The Enforcer'

SHINES

AISI: Inside McLaren ● Matich Ft 2 ● Makinen wins anain

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26 February 1999

Dick Johnson retires DICK Johnson, one of the legends of Australian touring car racing, has

JOHNSON

confirmed that the 1999 FAI 1000 at Bathurst will he his last race.

The 53 year-old formally announced his retirement on Tuesday, while unveiling the Shell team’s all-new AU Falcon race

car, kicking off a 1999 season that will become known as the Dick Johnson Farewell Tour.

Speculation over when and how DJ would call it a day has heen rampant since his long-time rival and co-legend Peter Brock called it quits mid-way through 1997.

Arise, Sir Rusty V8 Supercar’s new knight in shining armour, Russell Ingall, has been rewarded, for his efforts at the AGP by being made a Grand Prix Ambassador. Ingall, who has won seven of the V8 races

contested at Albert Park, joins with Alan Jones, Peter Brock, Craig Lowndes, Greg Murphy, Mark Webber and James Courtney as AGP Ambassadors.

■ Vanessa-Mae, voted one of the world’s 50 most beautiful

people along with also being a stout techno-acoustic fusion vio

linist (?), is coming to Melbourne

Johnson’s future will be as a team

for the GP. Vanessa-Mae will

owner and father of the next generation

play at the official GP ball next Friday, along with also being

of Johnson drivers, son Steven.

“It’s probably been the toughest deci sion of my life,” Johnson said on Tuesday.

“I love driving racing cars, I love rac ing and I know I will miss the driving side enormously, but I think it’s realisti cally the right time to stop and give someone else a go.

“Right now I just want to do one last season of racing to thank the fans around Australia who have supported me for so many years.

3

involved in other activities at Albert Park over the GP week end.

■ Three Polish jet-trainers and a British Strikemaster will blast across the skies over the

AGP next week, promoting the final round of the Australian Jet

Racing Championships which will be held at the Mangalore Airshow, Mangalore Airport,

n

While the Shell team hasn’t made a

over the Easter weekend.

decision on a replacement driver for 2000, Steven Johnson - who has driven a number of races for the private Racing for Life team and long distance races

■ Over 40 V8 Supercars are expected at this Saturday’s AVESCO Test Day at Eastern Creek, including a handful of

with the Shell team - looks an obvious choice.

In the meantime Johnson embarks on

brand new AU Falcons. Most of

the favoured runners will be pre

his busiest season of V8 racing yet. With

sent, with 30 minute sessions at

a new team-mate and 'an all-new AU

9.30am, 11.00am, 2.00pm and 3.30pm. A public pit-walk is scheduled for 1pm.

Falcon, the Shell team icon is very fired up,

See page 22 for Tony Glynn’s exten

■ Formula Holden runner

sive “retirement” interview with

Damien Digby and his Digby Motorsports team have

Dick Johnson.

announced the formation of a

Two killed in Rally Tasmania TWO local Tasmanian

rally competitors were killed on a country road South-West of Devonport last Saturday morning (February 20) while com in Rally peting Tasmania.

Driver Vaun Guthrie from

Wynyard and his co-driver Victor Huddleston from Somerset a suburb of Bumie lost their lives when

Guthrie’s Subaru WHX-STH slammed into a tree on the

section. Authorities believe Guthrie and Huddleston

ed 200kmh on numerous occasions.

Gentle Annie Stage of the rally just south of Kindred.

The crash happened on a fast-medium right hander,

died instantly.

“On a dirt ARC round, you’d only ever see 200 (kmh) at two or three points, and then only for short peri ods of time,” she said.

The event continued with

the Gentle Annie Stage

being dropped from the

which cars would have been

overall results.

approaching at

Together with several other competitors winning co-driver Michelle Murphy, Miles Sandy’s navigator, expressed concerns about the high speeds seem during the rally, where cars exceed-

140kmh.

Ambulance

around and

Emergency Service workers removed the trapped occu pants from the wreckage on Geales Road - a closed-road

The Enforcer or

She also said that the car which crashed suffered two

rear punctures on the pre ceding stage.

Guthrie and Huddleston

a tarmac expert, having fin

marketing partnership with New Media Racing for the 1999 season and beyond. Running under the New Media Racing team banner, the association between Digby and NMR is also

ished second on Targa while Tasmania,

Australian 1000 Classic for V8s

Huddlestone was a former

in November.

aiming to compete in the

state champion navigator.

Together with the Rally Tasmania organisers and Sandy and Murphy, we at Motorsport News pass our

□ After a successful debut in the Formula Palmer-Audi short

sincerest condolences to the

grid for the series’ full season.

family

With a shortfall in funds, the sen

and

friends

of

Guthrie and Huddleston.

were experienced competi

-JON THOMSON/

tors. Guthrie was considered

GRANT NICHOLAS

winter series, Christian Jones is determined to make it to the

of 1980 World Drivers

Champion, Alan Jones, Christian is in the process of

sourcing the remaining budget required to run in the specseries.

the Silver Surfer?

a Revolution Racegear has swung its support behind a trio

THE Enforcer will ride into battle this season

young drivers - James Courtney,

in a new silver weapon.

This week Russell Ingall revealed his new Castrol-Perkins Commodore which is painted in the silver colours of Castrol SLX, the new synthet ic oil.

To add to the look. Ingall will also don a silver, chromed helmet.

Team-mate Larry Perkins will stay in his famil iar Castrol white, red and green, meaning that the Melbourne team has managed to do what British

American Racing could not - run two cars in differ ent livieries.

And that is not the end of it. The Ingall move is

part of a new ‘brand specific’ strategy by Castrol which will see all Castrol-sponsored drivers will run in different liveries.

Drag racer Victor Bray is already running in the all-black colours of Castrol GP50 and Tony

Longhurst will debut his Falcon AU at Eastern Creek next month in yet another Castrol colour scheme.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

of the country’s most promising

Marcos Ambrose and Stephen White. All three will use Australian-made ‘RPM’

racewear. Revolution’s own brand, exclusively as they embark on the 1999 European

campaigns - Courtney and Ambrose in the British Formula Ford Series and White in F3000.

a While on the subject of Revolution Racegear, it’s worth

noting for our NZ readers that they’ve consolidated their opera tions in New Zealand at their new Auckland store. Revolution

Racegear’s exclusive NZ store is at Kendall Racing Supplies, 92

Sunnybrae Rd, Glenfield, Auckland. The toll-free phone number is 0800 480 8080.

4

MhOcDusfoXDiji}

26 February 1999

■ Adelaide Formula Vee racer Mark Rundle test

1

drove BRM Motorsport’s Dallara 396 at Mallala

recently. It was Rundle’s first time in a “wings and

^MG headed to FI?

slicks” car - the vehicle

impressing the young South Aussie with its

power, brakes and grip.

BRM Team Manager Ian Richards was impressed with Rundle’s test, saying that with a little more

track time, he expected

Could this be Mark Webber’s passport to Formula One? THE recent cancellation

the GT cancellation - was

of this year’s FIA GT Championship may be a blessing in disguise for

seen as being far too sizeable and complex for a sports car

Rundle to be able to mix it with the best F2 in the

Australian team driver

country. Rundle is current ly tiying to finalise a deal

to land a substantial FI drive.

to race in the Australian

Our German sources have confirmed this week that

F2 Series this year.

■ Pennzoil’s Motorsport Manager Neville Wilson will be making his racing debut at the AGP next week behind the wheel of a NASCAR. Wilson has leased Rowan Harman’s Pontiac

Grand Prix, along with an engine from Rodney Jane for his competition debut which will be back by ...

Pennzoil!

■ Twenty eight NASCARs have entered

for the three races being held at the AGP meeting next week.

All drivers entered will

undergo testing this week end at Calder Park in

readiness for the event, which will also see the return to the American stock cars of Jim Richards.

K John Henderson is

aiming to contest the entire BOC Gases Super

Touring championship after restricted campaigns in the previous 1996 and ’97. Henderson has bought the ex-Cameron McLean

Opel Vectra. In 1998 Henderson recorded his

Mark Webber in his quest

AMG, these days part of the Mercedes family, is in the process of building a sub stantial racing workshop facility which - even before

THE proposed Junior Tourer V8 category is set to go — and apart from providing series support to TOCA’s Super Touring proChampionship gramme, it may v?ell be a part of the bill at the October AMP 1000.

9131

■ Trust Bank is backing Russell Ingall for tbe next two NASCAR races. The

Enforcer will cany the bank’s signage on the bon net of his Chevrolet Monte Carlo at Albert Park and the season-closer at the

Thunderdome in April.

■ Kevin Schwantz did

‘Junior’

be seen.

AMG team officials are

changes things and opens up

currently offering a “no com ment” response to questions on the possibility, but should it emerge in reality, Webber may well be in the right place at the right

the distinct option of an

time...

deal one of the factors.

However, the recent merg er of Chrysler with Mercedes

working towards for some months, having a V8 catego ry like this on the pro gramme, so as long as the organisational side comes

together correctly, it’ll be on the programme.”

Unsaid, but an important addition to the recent deci

sions, is that the new V8 cat

on the project.

“They (CAMS

and

AVESCO) are now happy that we are genuine, I have two very strong allies and supporters in Peter Brock

and Ron Harrop, who have both been tremendous, and I realistically hope we can join TOCA’s series in May.

between the category’s prime

from TOCA’s close-to-signing

mover Bruce Williams, his supporters Peter Brock and Ron Harrop, with CAMS

TV contract with the Seven

“I look forward to working with Kelvin O’Reilly and TOCA and if this does open

Network.

up

Channel 1 is reportedly planning a weekly motor sport show, with packaged show, which is expected to include the fledgling V8 cat

Bathurst, that’ll be great.

“I’m now genuinely excited about where this is going and the futiue of the catego ry. I’d expect these decisions to push the ‘go-button’ for

egory.

quite a number of teams and

last

■ Peter Hills’ Team

enquires ring (02) 9948-

of a

egory is likely to benefit

meeting

tional approval for the cate gory to proceed.

programmes for children

talk

week

A

Craft and TEGA’s Ken Potter has resulted in condi

with cancer. For further

some

Mercedes team last year, but that subsided, with McLaren’s exclusive engine

or will be made in time for

And the Bathurst 1000 maybe on the bill!

two on Oran Park’s short circuit in a Vectra.

Quality and its support

AMG to make an entry as early as next year remains to

get green light

Chief Executive Greg Swann, AVESCO CEO Gary

Mondeo, and the Rotary Club of St George Central have organised a Motor Racing Day at Oran Park in Sydney on March 1 to raise funds for Camp

Speculation in Germany is that AMG is gearing up for an entry into FI. There was

Juniors Tourers

fourth in race one of round

best championship result -

programme.

Ilmor-produced, Chryslerbadged engine for an appro priate team.

Whether any decision can

highlights from TOCA’s

opportunities

at

this

Also unconfirmed, but

drivers who are poised to

week that the category

strongly rumoured at this stage, is that Seven will

start preparing cars.”

Like AVESCO, TOCA and

encourage the category to be part of its plans for tbe AMP 1000 meeting at Bathurst.

There is even speculation

GT-P group Procar, the Junior Tourer category is likely to be owned and man aged by a private company, in this case set up by

Swann confirmed

would get conditional approval: “The group has done some work, but there is still a lot to do,” he said.

“Our main interest is

ensuring that the technical

and sporting regulations are finalised correctly, as well as the category management structure.”

that, sooner rather than later. Junior Tourers (which may yet be re-named) will be

invited to take part in the main event, providing a Super Tourer versus V8 con

The acceptance by CAMS

of the proposed category clarifies its future, following recent weeks during which the group also discussed a possible alignment with the Promoters Motorsport

test.

Junior Tourer “creator”

Bruce Williams is thrilled

with developments:

“It’s been a lot of ^Vork get ting this far and there’s plenty still to do, but it does

Association and possible

look as.though this junior V8

sanctioning by Bob Jane’s

category is in business,” he said on Tuesday.

Williams, with Brock and

Harrop likely co-directors.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Training for FI ? Webber is hard at work training for the future, which could be an AMG F1 drive in 2000. The factory Mercedes-Benz GT team has been left without a series fol

lowing the news that the International GT Series will be run

for GT2 cars due to a lack of support from factory GT 1 out fits. The news means that Webber will spend 1999 with a heavy testing schedule, Le Mans in June and maybe a few outings in the American Le Mans Series, starting at Sebring next month. Webber is currently testing his Mercedes at Fontana in California. The German team may be developing a new version of their CLK-LM for Le Mans race: after last

year’s debacle, they clearly want revenge in '99.

TOCA postpones Super Tourer start

not appear at the recent

AUSCAR body.

IRTA tests at Phillip Island and Malaysia, but the Texan may yet be seen testing a 500. Our spies

circum

“It was important to meet

stances, the category might well have been pushed as an

at length with both CAMS understood that we are not

suggest that Schwantz is

alternative to the current V8s rather than the “feeder”

being wooed by both

in the business of taking on

category envisaged by its

V8 Supercars. There had

Lakeside on April 18.

creator Bruce Williams.

been all sorts of rumours and mis-information around

be at Calder Park, will now be at Oran

and so it was good to set the record straight.

Park, followed by Mallala (as scheduled) on May 30. The Calder Park race will now be

Kenny Roberts and Kenny Jnr to sort out their bikes

and, providing that his Busch Grand National

commitments allow it, the

former world champ could be back on a Suzuki some time this season.

Under

those

CAMS’ decision has been

followed by confirmation from TOCA Chief Kelvin

O’Reilly that Junior Tourers

will join the bill at Super Touring rounds: “That’s what we’ve been

and AVESCO so that they

“Greg Swann has played a pivotal role in getting the parties together and I look

forward to working with him

TOCA Australia has postponed the start of the 1999 BOC Gases Super Touring Championship.

The opening round, which was to be at

Oi-an Park on March 14, will now be at The next round on May 2, which was to

the series’ final round on August 29.

The changes has been forced in part by delays in getting cars from Europe. Volvo is hard at work testing 1998-spec S40s,

including the car earmarked for Jim Richards to drive in the series, while Audi

Sport Austi-alia team manager Kim Jones was in Germany last week airanging for the shipping of two FWD A4s to Australia for the team to run.

Jamie Wall, the British Independent who will drive the ex-Matthew Neal Nissan Primera in the BOC Gases series, is also

arranging shipping of the cm- to Sydney.

Wall tested the car last week at Albacete

Spain, running within 0.5s of previous

owner Neal.

-PHILBRANAGAN

IM

26 February 1999

Falcon wings may be clipped

■ The foundations for

the Fonnula 1 garages at Indianapolis Motor Speedway began to be laid last week. The initial

work should be fipished

Just-unveiled versions not yet homologated; Gurney lip irks Holden teams

by the start of April after which temporary grand

With the rear wing clearly more efficiently fed, the major concern is that the front may not be able to match it and produce a desir

top of the work for this year’s Indianapolis 500.

FORD’S new AU Falcon

may run at next week’s Grand Prix meeting under a temporary homologation permit after a last-minute wind tunnel testing ses sion delayed finalisation of Ford’s package.

That seemed the likely outcome as Motorsport News closed for press, with Ford

presenting its final proposed aero-kit to CAMS, TEGA and

Holden observers at 2pm on Tuesday, with a number of features likely to prove con tentious.

This followed a surprise late development session in the Monash University wind tunnel last Friday, a day after the first racing AU, Glenn

Seton’s

new

FTR

Falcon, was unveiled in pub Production delays meant that even this car was fit

ted with a pre-production show-car version of the

even

the GP itself.

TEGA Technical Manager John Sheppard and Holden Motorsport’s John Stevenson were among the crowd at the launch of Seton’s car in

Albert Park, with many a raised eyebrow as some

aspects of the new car’s aero dynamics became apparent: “There are some things in there I would describe as

ambit claims,” the straighttalking Sheppard commented.

“Sometimes I think they put that stuff in there just to give everyone the ####s!”

In particular, a 25mm gur ney lip on the rear of the bootlid caught the eye.

The Holden has a rectan-

lic for the first time.

aero-kit,

draw), will miss next Saturday’s Eastern Creek test day, while some priva teer AU teams may well miss

though

Seton’s team was the win

gular-sectioned wing mount ing strip across its rear, but the Falcon’s similarly-placed strip was definitely aerodynamically shaped and, with an end-mounted wing, super fluous.

ner of a Tattslotto-style draw among Ford teams to establish who receive the first kit.

Informed opinion suggest ed it was unlikely to remain on the Fords for long...

Interestingly, the Ford teams’ private concerns are

would

Other teams, including Bathurst

winner

Jason

more with the front end of the new car.

Bright (who drew 5 in the

5

stands will be erected on

■ The Arrows Formula

3000 team is going ahead as planned and will be run by Portman Racing.

able balance.

That was thought to be the purpose of last week’s wind

The drivers will be

tunnel exercise - as well as verification of data and results obtained in the US

prior to construction of the

wealthy Fi-enchman Boris Derichebourg, who is only 20 but has already com pleted two seasons of

final version.

F3000. The second drive

By Tuesday, on his way to the official viewing of the final aero-kit, Sheppard was pessimistic about completion of the process: “I wouldn’t be surprised if the homologation isn’t prop erly finalised until after next

will go to another paj'-driver ex-Apomatox driver Marcelo Batistuzzi.

■ McLaren has still to

pass the necessary Formula 1 crash tests before the start of the sea son in Melbourne. The

week,” he said.

MP4-14 is expected to be subjected to the tests later this week in England.

“I reckon the Fords could

well run under some tempo rary permit at the GP so the Performance Review people can get some sort of look at how this thing performs...”

In the meantime, other Ford teams were expressing

■ Sir Frank Williams

will visit Buckingham Palace in London this

week to be knighted by Her Majesty Queen

concern over the manufac ture of the new kit - one

Elizabeth II. Williams will

become only the second man in history to be knighted for services to motor sport after Sir Jack

reporting his first piece, a rear bumper, three times heavier than on last year’s EL.

The Ford troops are head ed for an interesting fort night...

Brabham.

On a wing an a prayer: Ford new AU aero kit looks set to be clipped before it hits the track. (Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

McLaren to feature at

Mortis

■ Former Ligier and Arrows operations manag er Tony Dowe has left the Panoz Motor Sports team.

Dowe joined Panoz in October 1997 but prior to that was involved with

MotorSport Awards

Tom Walkinshaw Racing for 10 years. He helped to establish TWR Inc in

Valparaiso, Indiana, in cLAREN'S unique two-seater

M GP car is to take pride of Photo by Bothwell, Enhanced by MN

Morris for BTCC?

place at next Tuesday’s Australian MotorSport Awards Dinner, at Melbourne Park.

team owners Steve and Matt Neal want the

got on well with him

Queenslander to join

and arranged for him to

British Independent

The appearance of speciallybuilt promotional but full-on FI car, which is to take a handful of highprofile passengers around the Albert Park circuit during the Grand Prix meeting, is a rare opportunity for the public to get a close-up look at what is a rare and one-off example of current Grand Prix car technology.

The tandem-style two-seater will be on show throughout the evening, surrounded by the 500plus glitterati of Australian motor sport on hand.

Tuesday night’s MotorSport

them for the season.

come to this test.”

Jamie Wall had been

Awards dinner kicks off a week of

Morris spent two halfdays driving Neal’s 1997

planning to run an ex-

Grand Prix activity and entertain

Dynamics car in the

ment, with a number of FI names

local series but, accord

also expected to attend Australian motor sport’s version of the Logies, including GP debutante Ricardo Zonta, our own FI hopeful

PAUL Morris could

adapt. It’s a technical

run here in the BOG

be on the grid for this year’s British Touring Car Championship.

circuit and he had to learn the car.”

The invitation for Morris to test at the Madrid track came about via the Bathurst 1000 last October.

Gases Series or running

’The double Australian

champion tested two of Team Dynamics’ Nissan Primeras at Albacete in

Spain last week and was so impressive that

With a best lap of lm31.0s

Morris

was

only 0.7 slower than Neal, despite a lack of familiarity with the front-wheel-drive car

and never having seen

“We were talking to Paul at Bathurst. We when we were out there

car before moving into

another car locally. Neal is uncertain what will come from the test.

“We’d love to run him,

but it depends,” said Neal. “The season is

approaching quickly and we would need to make a decision in the next two weeks.”

his ‘98 car for the final

ing to the team, he has

day, which is when he

not been in contact with the team for a month and it is now

set his best time.

Morris’ options

appear to be either dri ving with Neal in the BTCC, importing one of the Dynamics cars to

questionable whether Wall will take delivery

annual subscriptions to Motorsport News, as a result of being drawn

recent “Collect the LOT

grandstand seats, and take in a guided tour of the Jordan pits - all while wearing a selection

and

of GP merchandise.

the circuit before.

“He ran really well,” Matt Neal said this week.

“He took a while to

LEIGH Edwards, who lives near Hobart, is the

winner

of our

competition.

A delighted Leigh, who had hoped to get to the GP but was a little short

on funds this year, will fly in for the meeting, watch the proceedings from a prime pair of

Thanks to the thou sands of readers who

of the car.

-PHILBRANAGAN

from

voters

for

MotorSport Personality ofthe Year, are: Adrian Thomson (Minyip, Vic), Matthew Green iToowong, Qld), Darren Walsh I Penrith, NSW), Rob Thomson (Glen

collected the coupons and entered a popular competition.

At the same time, the

(Blacktown, NSW) and B)-uce

six lucky winners of

Rigby (Donvale, Vic).

Waverley. Vici, Rhiannon Gales

Mark Webber and GP’s lucid co commentator and former star Martin Brundle.

The final four nominations in

each of the major award cate gories have been finalised and, although secret until the evening, present a stunning cross-section of talented Australian motor sport

1987 and then ran the

Castrol Jaguar IMSA sportscar programmes.

Walkinshaw’s Arrows

operation may need an operations manager,

Gordon Message having left the team recently.

Panoz is planning to run a

achievers.

sportscar programme this

Awards will be presented for Bike, Drag, Speedway, Rally and

year for Jan Magnussen, Johnny O’Connell, David

Circuit Racers of the 'Y’ear and the

Brabham and Eric Bernard. The schedule includes the Le Mans 24

MotorSport publicly-voted Personality of the Year, with the Australian Grand Prix Corporation

Young Achiever of the Year, the

Houi'S.

Pennzoil International Achiever of

■ Jackie Stewart and

the Year and Sedgwicks MotorSportsman of the Year high

Ford’s boss of racing Dan Davis visited Indianapolis last week to promote both

lighting the evening.

Some tickets (at $120 per head) remain available to the public for the black tie gala dinner. Phone (03) 9593 7777 for details and/or late bookings (until 10am Monday).

the planned race at the Speedway and American interest in Stewart’s adventures in FI this

year. Stewart told US pressmen that he has tried to hire Jeff (Jordon

in the past and would like to do in the future. To

date (Jordon has turned down all offers from FI teams - and there have been several.

■ Tom Ehman, the American who was

responsible for running West’s sponsorship pro gramme in Formula 1 rac ing has left the German tobacco company. Ehman, who was involved in

yachting before moving to FI, is rumoured to be on his way to BAR. - JOE SAWARD

4

*

AUGUST 1999 ■£7^

KIES NOW OPEN

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T-he'1999 Australian Safari will be the 14th edition of this international /*

Cross Country Rally, renowned as one of the greatest motorsport adventures in the world. Conducted entirely in the Northern Territory from the authentic Outback of the Red Centre to the tropical paradise of

^the Top End.

^The course for the “all new” Safari will start in Alice Springs and finish in

^Parwin. Overnight stops will be taken at Alice Springs (3 nights), Uluru I#(Ayers Rock Resort), Tennant Creek, Kalkarindji and Katherine en-route

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iI

Divisions V FIA ●j

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26Februdfyl999

7

■ Although there have been rumours in recent

days that the Malaysian Grand Prix will be

replaced by an event in Portugal, the Malaysian government appears to be planning to use the race as an illustration that the

Malaysian economy is get ting over the recent finan cial crash in Asia. The

government last week bought advertising space in European newspapers to announce that the race

at Sepang will take place in October. “After a brief

spell in the pitlane,” the text read, “the Malaysian economy is back on track to full recovery.”

■ Although Honda FoiTnula 1 is still in the

process of getting settled into its new factory in Bracknell, Berkshire, we hear armours that this

will only be an interim headquarters for the team and that work will begin shortly on a purpose-built factory for the long-term future.

■ British Member of Parliament Peter Hain -

who is part of the current Labour Government - is

calling for Formula 1 dri

Coleman’s Audi drive MATTHEW Coleman has been confirmed as

offer a deal to Munich

the second Audi Sport

company. Rivals bids are expected this week from

Australia driver for 1999.

General Motors and from

The 25-year-old from Melbourne will line up alongside Brad Jones in

the Ford Motor Company.

If GM is successful it

could mean that by the year 2002 five of the top six car companies in the

two ex-BTCC Audi A4s.

JOHNNY Herbert has

then opened my eyes again

walked away almost unscathed from a horrify ing 300 kmh accident in Barcelona, the final day of testing before the team

to see the wall in front of me.

To have an accident of that

heads to Melbourne for

next week’s opening GP. Herbert, on a flying lap in the Stewart-Ford, had just crossed the start-finish line when the car veered left and struck the wall on the

kind at that speed and walk away is testament to the design of a modem Formula One car.”

'Though the damage to the car was extensive, Herbert was unhurt.

“All I got was a slight bump on the knee but other than that, I’m fine.”

It was a day of mixed for

Circuit de Catalunya’s main straight.

tunes for the Stewart-Ford

“I don’t remember a lot

crash team-mate Rubens Barichello recorded the sec

about it, but all I know is that the car went left at very

team, following Herbert’s ond fastest time of the day,

high speed,” a stunned

his time of 1:21:14 bettered

Herbert said.

only by Frost’s Jamo Trulli.

“I recall the first impact.

- GERALD MCDORNAN

tobacco sponsorship in FI. ■ As predicted there has been a surge of inter est in BMW in recent days with Volkswagen quick to

By PHIL BRANAGAN

Herbeits big one

vers to stop wearing branding on their overalls as a step towards the even tually eradication of all

The Albury-based team will be the only team in the world running tow of the latest cars, as Michael Bartels will be running the ex-BJR A4 quattros as an Independent entry in

world could all be involved

in FI: GM (BMW), Ford,

Toyota, Daimler-Chrysler (Mercedes) and Fiat

the German champi-

Looking for a protege: Audi Sport’s Brad Jones will be joined by Matthew Coleman this season, (pnoio by oirk Kiynsmiin)

onship.

Audi Sport Australia team manager Kim Jones is delighted to have Coleman join the team.

“We have had an associa

not willing to go into details, Coleman clearly did a good job.

“He

was

at

least

as

trol tyre available, expect to start testing as soon as possible.

Kim

Jones

sees

the of

(Ferrari). Volkswagen would be the only big

player on the sidelines although an Audi FI pro gramme should not be ruled out if the company’s Le Mans 24 Hour pro

gramme is successful.

tion with the Coleman family for almost all our lives, but

impressive as anyone else we

announcement

have run in similar circum

that is not the reason we

“We have watched him

stances,” Brad Jones said.

“He did a very capable job.”

The team is expecting to take delivery of their two

drive over the last five years and have been very

1998-spec front-wheel-drive

Yokohama’s tyre as a good thing for the category.

“1 think it will be good for the series,” he said. “It will be a level playing field for all the competitors. Whatever

A4s, which were raced to

Yokohama

BTCC podium finishes by

involved with before, they

concentrate on other busi

Yvan Muller last year, as

have supported their efforts and publicised their involve ment heavily. 'That can only be a good thing.”

nesses and prepare to return to racing in 2000.

have put Matthew in the team,” he said this week.

impressed with his progress.”

Coleman has already test ed with the team. He drove

soon as the end of this week

BJR’s quattro ‘ride’ car last

and, with Yokohama having testing supplies of their con-

week and, while Jones was

have

been

■ Following its failure to buy the Arrows FI team the German team

Zakspeed has announced that it will not be entering cars in any major series

this year. The team will

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26 Februdry 1999

Mosley speaks out on

BAR President

By JOE SAWARD

AS

Max

Mosley says that British American Racing’s laimch of two cars branded in dif ferent liveries was “like

putting two fingers up to the FIA”.

The team is facing the pos sibility of being banned from Grands Prix this year as a result of its dispute with the FIA over liveries.

BAR has been invited to

the next meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in March to answer allega tions that it has committed

acts “prejudicial to the inter ests of motor sport” and that it has “pursued an objective contrary or opposed to those of the FIA”.

The governing body is understood to be particularly upset about a challenge to its authority lodged by BAR with the European Commission.

Cleverly, Mosley has intro duced a new justification for the controversial twin-livery

ban which BAR was oppos ing. He says that the team was pushing too far with its tobacco advertising at a time

when the sport is saying that it will reduce its dependency

Arrows

Mosley said that if the twin-livery rule had not been

introduced there might have been 24 cars running with 24 different cigarette brands.

Mosley also warned that if

the team turned up in Melbourne with an unaccept able colour scheme the stew

ards of the meeting could stop the team taking part in

has been swept away.

Operations Manager Gordon Message and Team Manager John Walton have been dumped and the team

into the South American

market but has long been a big player in sporting spon sorship with successful rela tionships with the Honda ■ factory SOOcc motorcycle

is to be restructured around

a new managing director Roger Silman.

Silman is no stranger to Grand Prix racing but he will need a good memory as he

team of Mick Doohan and Alex Criville and with Carlos

Sainz in rallying.

engine department is consid

ering

a switch to

V12

has not been involved since he left the Toleman team in

The power of Repsol’s pesetas: Pedro de la Rosa is the last driver to book his grid spot for the Formula One season-opener at Albert Park. He will drive this Arrows. (Photo by sutton images) sis as last year but all the

engines.

running gear has

Arrows has adopted a curious livery featuring a number which is reducing daily, The countdown will end just

changed and the aerodynamics have been improved. The troublesome carbon fibre gearbox remains but has

before the San Marino Grand

completely new internals.

been

Prix and one can only imag-

This is not a very promis-

ine that this is when the team intends to announce its full 1999 package.

There remain stories that

ing package as, towards the end of last year, Mika Salo commented that the Arrows

VIO engine was already too

the team will find backing

powerful for the chassis,

from British American Tobacco, and will use whichever branding British

As the engine being used this year is a further development of the unit Salo was

American Racing discards: 555 or Lucky Strike.

The A20 is the same chas-

Tom loses to Diniz TOM Walkinshaw has failed in his efforts to

nition

extract around US$10m

Geneva on February 12 to

from Pedro Diniz.

discuss the case and ruled

The Contract Recog Board

met

in

Walkinshaw argued that

on Friday that the contract

Diniz was under contract to Arrows for the 1999 season and so was com

between Diniz and Sauber

mitted to supplying $10m in sponsorship money to

previous contract with

is a valid one.

This means

that the

January 1984.

Since then the 53-year-old Briton has been working with Walkinshaw, overseeing the Jaguar sportscar pro grammes and in recent years as director of operations for the entire TWR Group.

The team has also appoint ed a new team manager. Rod Benoist is another TWR vet eran and has been involved

in recent years in the run ning of the various TWR Le Mans 24 Hours programmes.

Insiders say that last year

Arrows was terminated “in accordance with its

there was too much middle

discussing it is reasonable to

Diniz argued that his con tract included performance

terms”. A nice way of say

suggest that the car will not be easy to handle.

clauses which Arrows had failed to meet in 1998.

lost.

not enough senior manage ment. Silman’s appointment shoxild fill that gap.

the team.

ing that Walkinshaw had - JOE SAWARD

management at Arrows and

- JOE SAWARD

Honda backs Indy 300

“We have concessions from

gerate it, we can’t overdo it.”

ment of the Leafield team

The Spanish company is keen to use FI to aid its push

governments to run with

tobacco advertising,” said Mosley, “but we mustn’t exag

FOLLOWING the take

over of Arrows by a new consortium, the manage

was test driver with the Jordan team.

The team launched the Arrows A20 - an evolution of the ’98 car - amid rumours that Tom Walkinshaw’s

and the blood m m m

letting begins

'●14

The Spaniard brings major backing from oil com pany Repsol, which support ed him last year when he

on cigarette companies.

the race.

expected

Grand Prix has announced that Pedro de la Kosa will he one of, its drivers this season.

By JOE SAWARD FIA

rrows gets de la Rosa

,

1

HONDA has extended its backing of Australia’s CART race

at

Surfers

Paradise for a finther three years.

The race, which will now be known as the

“As a buiness opportunity, the Honda Indy 300 is a clear winner for Honda, giving us a great promotional launching platform for our products”.

Honda Indy 300, will be run on the familiar Queensland streets on October 14-17. As last

In a bid for a fourth straight PPG Cup title, Honda has produced a new engine at its

year, it will be the second-last round of the FedEx CART series.

Honda Performance Centre (HPC) in the USA. The new unit - known as the HRS - will be

The move comes about after Honda original ly entered a one-year deal for 1998, the compa

ried Alex Zanardi to the 1998 CART champi

ny’s 50th anniversary year.

smaller and lighter than the motor which car onship and Surfers win.

Honda Australia Senior Director Neal

Seven cars will carry the engine this season,

Robertson said that the company was delight

which kicks off at Homestead in Florida on

ed to extend its support of the race.

Tir*»tonfr ^

March 21.

Street fighter: Honda will be hoping for more victories, even

with Alex Zanardi gone to V^ams and F1. (Photo by RaceAccess)

Dunlop Formula RSV98Spec A new tyre to complement our famous

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26 February 1999

Vu®LrSf^[n As if John Bowe is not busy enough in

before me that I can real

1999 he will be

The drivingourforce behind team and

ly get my teeth into.

writing a regular column in Motorsport

primary sponsor is Kevin Otway - without doubt the most inspira tional person I have

News. The Tasmanian

Cat is raring to go ...

T

●

ever met.

he Grand Prix is

looming large as the first step of a chal lenging building process for Cat Racing.

with John Bowe (t

The EL Falcon we are

running this weekend is certainly not state-of-the-

1 am really amazed what Les the Western Australian Laidlaw and the team have

Police Force for many

achieved. What they have

years.

done in seven weeks would

art and is short on devel

opment because we have been concentrating so heavily on the AU build pro-

'

Kevin is a very dynamic operator. While in the army, he was in the Special Air Services (SAS) and was also in

normally take six months”

gram.

I am really amazed what

pionship contender. It won't be easy, but it is a chal lenge I am eagerly awaiting.

It took the Stone

Les Laidlaw and the team

months and from what I

Brothers a long time before they were able to get into a winning situation and I am hopeful we will be get there

have seen, I can’t wait to

a bit sooner.

get my hands on the AU.

As a person, I am extremely competitive and while we can’t expect mira

have achieved. What they have done in seven weeks

would normally take six

The Grand Prix will be a

bit of a flag waving exercise for us and an opportunity for the team to work togeth er in a race situation for the first time.

I certainly am not expecting big things from the outset but it is important for us to be out there to do

our best for Caterpillar.

We are really at the start of a three year program to build this team into a cham-

cles out of the box, I will be

giving it my best shot.

The team has secured

some very good people and the relationship that has

He now runs a very successful transport operation and is simply the type of guy that makes things happen.

From his background, you might expect things to be a bit like “boot camp", but he really does inspire everybody around him to be very determined and dedi cated.

Kevin and Steve

Renshaw have put some outstanding infrastructure together - the workshop, the truck, the pantech everything is out of this world.

And considering the entire team didn't exist until

organisation is very posi¬

December 15 last year, what they have achieved to

tive.

date is incredible.

matured so far within the

felt this good in years. My

I am just really excited and pleased that they have

mind is fresh and focused

chosen me as the man to

and I now have a challenge

do the job in the racecar.

To be honest, I haven’t

Yokoham

<onfirmed

All competitors will run on a 19 inch control tyre which, according to Yokohama, will lead to a saving of up to $150 per tyre over previ

that the company was looking forward to their involvement in the category.

“We want to be in motor racing,” he said.

“Control tyres are the future of motorsport.

You’ve got to go with the flow, and we have.

“Effectively, we will be in a position to sup ply tyres for testing in the next two weeks.”

Yokohama will supply a single tyre for the series, which means that a hard and conserv ative compoimd and construction is likely.

The news has been well-received by Super

ous supplies.

Touring teams.

The appointment comes after a successful test of the tyre at Oran Park on January 8.

“I tbink it will be good for the series,” Audi Australia Sport manager Kim Jones said. ‘Tt will be a level playing field for all the competi

By PHIL BRANAGAN

SUPER Touring will run with on control lyres in Australia this season.

As we reported six weeks ago, TOGA Australia confirmed the appointment of Yokohama as the supplier of the rubber last week.

The deal is believed to be for three years, meaning that the class will be with

tors.

“Whatever Yokohama have been involved

Yokohama until the end of 2001.

Competitors will be restricted to six tyres for qualifying and both races.

Yokohama spokesman Allan Bradshaw said

with before, they have supported their efforts and publicised their involvement heavily.

That can only be a good thing.”

Canto gets second Hills Ford Mondeo SUPER Touring stal wart Peter Hills has confirmed Dean Canto as his team-mate for 1999.

The Sydney teenager Dean Canto joins the improving rapidly

Knight

Racing

Mondeo

team

Ford

after

a

strong season in GT Production, which

he

during won

the

Sandown 1-Hour in the Alf Costanzo Maserati Ghibli.

The 18-year-old also

tunity for me and I’m keen to do the best possi ble job,” said Canto.

box components.

“Dean is a young driver with talent and speed,

“Peter (Hills) and his

and he’s what we need to

Mondeo team are coming

take another step up the ladder,” said Hills.

“Young drivers have a history of doing well in

off a very successful year so I’m joining them at the right time.

“It won’t be easy - I

Super Touring and I

haven’t raced a frontwheel-drive car before or

think Dean can do the

tried a sequential gear box. I’m hoping to get some testing before the first race to get familiar with the car.”

Hills visited England earlier this year and he

job for us.

Hills’

cars

are

now

being prepared by Mick Quinn, who previously managed Peugeot and Toyota teams in the championship. They are expected to feature the

finished second in Class

said the team’s Andy

current Mondeo body

B in the championship in

Rouse-build

a Subaru Impreza.

will feature updated aerodynamic and gear¬

style, similar to the cars run by Prodrive in the

U

This is a good oppor¬

Mondeos

British series.

9

1000« GP bikes for 2001 THE

World of Sport

Motor Raiing

According to a report in respected

line

Mar 7

... .Melb. AGP

Mar 28

.. .Eastern Creek .. ,Rd 1

-

Adelaide 500

Rd 2

FedEx CART

Championship Series* .. .Homstead, FI

Rd 1

Apr 10

Motegi, Japan .. .Rd 2

Apr 18

Long Beach, Ca .Rd 3

SOOcc World Grand

Prix Motorcycle C'Ship* Malaysia

Rd 1

Japan

.

,Rd2

May 9 —Spain ..

,Rd3

Apr 18 Apr 25

Australian NASCAR Series*

__

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

^

— ^^—'

Nascaronly

Apr 3 Calder Tdome" .Rd 5 The Feb 13 round of the Australian Superspeedway Series scheduled to be run at the Calder Park Thunderdome has been cancelled.

Speedway - Super Sedans Feb 25

Borderline Speedway

I

1999 Australian Super Sedans Title

i

Australian

Drag Racing Series*

—I* FebWestemationals 27/28 .Ravenswood Int. R'way ■ Rd 7 Top Doorslammer I

^

1999 NHRA Winston

Drag Racing Series Feb 28

.Phoenix

..

Rd2

Mar 21

Gainesville

Rd 3

April 11

●Houston

,Rd4

Apri 25,

■Dallas ..

,Rd5

FIA World Rally Championship* Mar 24 .. .Portugal

Rd4

Apr 21 Spain ,.

May 9 —France .

,Rd5

May 30 .. .Italy ...

,Rd7

the

2001

World

GP fours-strokes over two-strokes will come to fruition.

Seen as the biggest development in motorcycle racing for over 20 years, the move will have enormous ramifications around the motorcy cling world, and particularly, the long-term survival of the Superbike World Championship, which is open to street-based four-cylinder 750s, three-cylinder 900s and twin-cylin der 1000s.

Last year, Doohan led the push for open four-strokes to usurp the grand prix two-strokes, which have domi nated the world 500cc championship since 1975. The Queenslander’s call was backed-up by many leading grand prix journalists, one of whom intimated that the move to the lOOOcc four-stroke formula was

being instigated by Honda.

The world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles, Honda has the greatest pool of four-stroke technol-

Changing horses? Five time World Champion Mick Doohan and Honda’s NSR500 may be parting ways soon, ogy in the industry due to its sueracing - the FIM, International gories for different numbers of cessfiil involvement in Formula One Road Racing Teams Association cylinders, a weight differential racing. Already, there are uncon (IRTA), Grand Prix promoters based on the amount of cylinders for Dorna and the Grand Prix firmed reports that Honda has been each motorcycle will apply; ie, Manufacturers’ Association (GMPA) developing a lOOOcc V-six motorcy 129kg for twins, 138kg for triples. cle engine for the last two years, - met in Rome, Italy, on February 8 In addition, the bikes will operate which may also feature pneumatic and decided to make the change. under and open exJiaust rule. The valve operation.

The Cycle News report also said current noise limit for grand prix Representatives of the key bodies that while there will be no limit on motorcycles is set at 105dB. - DARRYL FLACK controlling international motorcycle the number of cylinders, or cate¬

Faulkner racing for funding JOHN Faulkner is in a

“Everything’s still up in the

race against time to secure

air and, come the Grand Prix,

the necessary funding to compete in this year’s Shell Championship Series with the potential that he may begin the years sans long time spon

we still may have nothing, but we’re negotiating and that’s better than the posi

sors Betta Stores and

urrected and, at least, we’re talking.”

Electrical Fisher &

Paykel.

{C m

1 ^

TF^

WS *

fl

been receiving, but it t^es

throcigh the year,

Tve got private funding that will allow me to run

what’s required to do the

finalised without luck for

News this week that no

from Betta Electrical and

agreement has been reached

Fisher and Paykel to contest the full series, a considerably higher amount than what the team has had in the past, although the amount is what Faulkner believes is required to run the series as a serious

iV/

i Championships y/

required to run a full effort

- we’ve had good funding for a leading privateer -

buried, but now it’s been res

It is believed Faulkner has

k

Faulkner, he has a number job properly.

“They’ve been delighted f of small options, but noth in the coverage that they’ve ing that will take him

but we are better than that and what we’ve asked for is

back,” Faulkner said.

requested up to $750,000

1

“In the past we haven’t really had the money that’s

“The deal was dead and

tion we were in a little while

Faulkner told Motorsport

doubt, and that he may have “shot myself in the foot” with his requests for a major increase in funding.

level one team.

more than just tv ratings for a motorsports program to be a success,” he said.

If negotiations are

,Rd6

out

sm

in

yet, putting his season in Rd 3

199i

I

class

Championship.

Following a report in a Motorsport News last November stating that Yamaha and Honda had finally resolved to move away from 500cc bikes, Mick Doohan’s preference of‘Formula One’ big-bore

with the two companies as

Feb 28 ...Kenya

1

World

US weekly ‘Cycle News’, lOOOcc four-stroke powered motorcycles of any configuration will be the head

Shell Championship Series VSSupercars*

Mar 21

riband’

to lOOOcc four-strokes.

Calendar

Apr 11

‘blue

Championship class looks like moving from 500cc two strokes

Sports Sedans, Club Cars, Prodsports, Group N, Street Sedans, Formula Vee, Sports 1300, Formula Alfa

ten

local guide^ori screening ymes

All event dates In this calendar were

correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks and/or

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

Check your local guides for screening details.

about it.”

- GERALD MCDORNAN

... but his car gets Dumbrell, McConville and Playstation HRT’s latest signing, Cameron McConville, and Formula

where the car is available.

Holden rookie Paul Dumbrell will both be seen behind the wheel of John Faulkner’s VS Commodore at various races this

rumoured to have concluded a deal

season.

Dumbrell is expected to debut in

the car at the Shell Championship Series’ first round at Eastern Creek

on March 28 and he will campaign

For his V8 debut, Dumbrell is

with Sony Playstation, the company also backing father Gary Dumbrell’s Wynn’s Racing team.

It’s going to be a busy month ahead for the 16 year old Dumbrell,

the youngster debuting in John Faulkner’s Chev Monte Carlo NASCAR at the Grand Prix next

the car on a limited basis.

McConville will also drive the car

week, along with Formula Holden and V8 Supercar at Eastern Creek

in preparation for his long distance

three weeks later.

commitments with HRT at events

- GERALD MCDORNAN

Wakefield Park ^sporrre.

Braidwood Road Goulburn

Check your i

two-three races, but that’s

Sunday 21 March

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26 Februaty 1999

Wilson’s Supercup AUSTRALIAN

Pirelli

cars up, thanks to my experience

Motorsport Distributor Rod Wilson will be joining Wayne Gardner, Jim Richards and Greg Murphy in the Porsche Pirelli Supercup race at the

with Cameron [McConville] a cou

Grand Prix in a week’s time

after securing a drive with the German Farnbacher Motorsports team.

ple of years ago, I’m hoping that I can run somewhere in the middle of

the pack.

“If I achieve that I’ll be more

than happy - I can assure you of that,” a happy Wilson said.

The Farnbacher team has exten-

sive experience in the Supercup

owner Horst Farnbacher in a twocar attack on the event.

series, having competed in it on four previous occassions and finish ing sixth in the championship for three of those years.

“This is a major highlight to my career,” Wilson told Motorsport

Farnbacher has also taken an event win at Hockenheim, along

News.

with seconds at Monaco and Spa.

“I have a great opportunity to run against some of the world’s best drivers in equal cars, although I have no visions of grandeur!

In preparation for the Grand Prix event next week in Melbourne, Wilson joined Farnbacher and the rest of the Porsche Supercup com-

Wilson will be joining with team

“This will be the third time I’ve

petitors, after the andval of the cars

raced at Melbourne so, with a little bit of local knowledge and an

from Europe on Tuesday, at Winton this week for four days of testing,

understanding how to set these

- GERALD McDORNAN

nkilliitf

0

0

UK oval announced Corby superspeedway ready for 2000

NRC International’s chrome dome: Aki Asai has signed with Arthur Abrahams. (Photo by Dirk Kiynsmith) JAPANESE Formula Holden racer Akihiro Asai is set to make a full-tilt effort on the 1999 Australian Drivers

Championship following his with NRC signing International.

Asai, who ran with Chris Hacking’s Melbourne-based team last season, believes the switch to

^ (Photo by Sutton Images) Ready to Rock: UK Rockingham’s MD Peter Davies at the launch.

BRITAIN goes oval! Plans for

an $80 million 1.5 mile superspeedway complex have been revealed at Corby, near Northampton at the top of “Motor Racing Valley.’

Called the Rockingham Motor Speedway, it will incorporate an infield section, stretching the track to 2.25 miles and is scheduled to be

ready for racing in 2000.

The business group behind the scheme says that it already has suf ficient financial backing for the pro ject, and has consulted relevant US

organisations about the track lay out and other requirements.

The owners want to establish a

multi-purpose race and test facility (both Lola Cars International and

Reynard Racing Cars are situated nearby), and to develop UK oval racing categories.

A long-term aim is to attract a top US category, perhaps in a repeat of 1978 when the USAC Indycars ventured to the UK with a double-bill at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

said this week.

“After

testing

with

NRC

International I felt more confident

in my ability to win races, so I’m now looking forward to a strong year with them.”

Abrahams said the team were

impressed with Asai’s speed during testing at Phillip Island and he believed that, given the irght oppor tunities, Asai will be a front run

Arthur Abrahams’ NRC team will

ner.

enable him to make the step-up from mid-field runner into the top

try’s fiercest racing series and I’m

three.

sure that his talent will shine in

“After a season spent learning the ropes of Formula Holden, I did

’99,” Abrahams said.

not want to race in ’99 unless I

run with their Reynard 95D during

could be totally competitive,” Asai

the ’99 ADC.

“‘Aki’ has won one of his coun

The NRC team will continue to

MEANWHILE, changes to the ADC’s qualifying format have been implemented for the ’99 season, with the previously accepted format of separate qualifying sessions for individ ual races now being abandoned.

Beginning with the first round of the series at Eastern Creek on

March 28, the Fonnula Holden categoiy will now qualify for positions in the first race at the event, with

any subsequent race being giddded up on finishing positions of the pre vious races, switching from their previous ‘Super Tourer-type’ quali fying format.

- GERALD MCDORNAN

Indy heads to visit Melbourne GP Grand Prix Corp tipped to provide consultancy work for US GP reconnaissance to see how the Australians operate, we have heard stories in recent days

egation appears to be

unusual step with various tracks around the work hiring experts to ensure that events are run to the standard

that the race in Kuala Lumpur in October is a success, Indianapolis has already taken step to

demanded by the FIA. Former French Grand Prix promoter Philippe Gixrdjian, for example, is currently acting as an advisor to the Mala3'sian

learn about the FI media and has hired former Williams and Arrows PR lady Annie Bradshaw to act in a consultancy role

And while the principle

suggesting that Indianapolis may conelude a deal for the Australian Grand Prix Corporation to do consultancy work at Indy.

aim of the American del-

This would not be an

government to ensure

IT is expected that a large delegation from Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be pre sent at the forthcom

ing Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne to see how Formula I’s favourite event is run.

with the Speedway,

- JOE SAWARD

Grand

J Stand tickets available

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26 Febmry 1999

Ford's All sees the light of day

:\

/ t

I

K4l >

I can’t believe I wrote that: Johnson has released an autobiography, co-written with well-known

motorsport media man Stuart Sykes. Shell off-sider Barry Sheene seemed to like it...

-fe-

i

^ f-.

... and as for Dick’s old car

V

\

'■9 X

Old number, new weapon: Johnson’s new AU Falcon looks like it means busi ness. He and Paul Radisich start testing this week. (Photos by oirk wynsmith) DICK Johnson may have had his retire

Johnson was joined at the launch by

ment announcement on his mind last

new team signing Paul Radisich, who is

Tuesday but the motorsport media was at

scheduled to drive one of the cars with at

least as interested in his new Falcon AU.

Eastern Creek’s V8 Supercar test day this

Johnson took the wraps off the new Falcon, complete with striking new Shell livery, two of which have been built at his Brisbane workshop for the new season.

weekend.

DJR crew chief Dean 'Curl’ Orr and his

team have built a logical development of the team’s successful Falcon EL, using the newer bodyshell which is already stiffer that its predecessor in production form.

The New Zealander has shown excellent

form in his limited outings in V8 Supercars in the past, winning races for the Stone Brothers Racing Team in NZ in 1996.

CAMERON McLean

As our cover pic shows, the Johnson

team has also been successful in signing United Breweries, the rear quarter panei up the amber fluid brand of choice of a life

time for a Victorian tipple is fascinating...

is planning a full season in the Greenfield Mowers Racing car.

"’ithin 0.7s of a competitive

Initially it seemed that the

Falcon EL.

time in his first serious acquain-

Brisbane privateer would miss

tance with the car.

out on a start at the non-

McLean, who co-drove for the Garry Rogers Motorsport/ Valvoline Commodore team for the endurance races last season,

championship opener at Albert Park but he will now make his

The double Super Touring Independents’ Champion came to grips well with the bigger, heavier V8 Supercar at

carrying Vic Bitter signage.

rigidity.

McLean completed a fiiU day’s

running at his home circuit, run-

with his ex-Dick Johnson

a new sponsorship deal with Carlton &

It also features an all-new roll cage, which promises further gains in torsional

has

had a sohd opening workout

The concept of a Queenslander giving

Lakeside last week.

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26 February 1999

13

Seton’s FTR GLENN Seton became the first

and rear wing but it is

Ford team owner to present a

believed that this was a ‘show’

Falcon

AU

racecar

last

Thursday when his Ford Tickford Racing XR8 was xinveiled at Albert Park.

The Melbourne driver was aided

in the unveiling by Victorian Premier Mr Jeff Kennett at a func

tion attended by several dignitaries, including Ford Australia President Mr David Morgan.

The car, which was built in-house

at Seton’s Dandenong workshop, was designed with the aid of Ford’s Cray supercomputer in Detroit and was tested in Lockheed Martin’s

windtunnel in Georgia in the USA. Seton claims that the car will be

faster than its EL predecessor due to a 10 percent reduction in aerody namic drag and an increase in lat eral stiffness of 22 percent.

“The EL Falcon was very effec tive on high-speed circuits,” he said, “the AU will build on that strength

kit only, prior to CAMS ratifi cation of the official aero pack age prior to the first race of the season at Albert Park next

week (see separate story).

Seton has already roaded the car at Calder, running with a mocked-up rear wing, but testing of the race car with its proper set-up is expected to start as soon as the first kit is available.

As we closed for press it seemed likely that the team’s next test would be at this

weekend’s AVESCO test day.

Wake up and lift the doona, Jeff: Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett aided Seton in unveiling the car. Kennett was not too fast when it came to practicing driver changes (below), even though he was moving to the right...

Blue bullet: The car (below) features a stunning blue paint scheme. There should be a second car for Adelaide.

Just passing: An surprise visitor the launch was Holden Motorsport boss John Stevenson... (Photos by oeraw Mcooman)

fv^

and will be better on the slower, tighter circuits as well.”

The car is the first to be raced by the new FTR outfit, formed by a partnership of Glenn Seton Racing, Tickford and Ford.

Also attending the launch was new team-mate Neil Crompton. 'The Sydney driver, who shared Seton’s Ford Credit EL at Sandown and

Bathurst last season, will start the season in one of the older cars

before moving up to the second FTR AU for the Sensational Adelaide

500 on April 11.

At the launch of the car it was fit

ted with a front airdam and splitter

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26 February 1999

Stop fighting,

Mk)D@[?suxo)[7‘(}

BMW for US sportscar series?

BMW has started its Le

Mans preparation, with encouraging results.

Dennis tells Ferrari

Schnitzer

Motorsport,

which will run two of the Williams-built V12 LMR

sportscars in the French classic, has tested the car at

McLAEUEN boss Ron

Dennis says that he

Jarama in Spain and is pleased with the form the car has shown so far.

does not want there

Dane Tom Kristensen and

to be further politi cal fighting between

Germans Jorg Muller and Jo Winkelhock were reportedly impressed during a five day

his team and Ferrari.

test.

Last year the two teams were seemingly at odds throughout the season and there

were many allegations of cheating and under hand dealings.

‘The car feels great,” said Ki-istensen. “It is definitely an advance on last year’s chassis. We are encouraged by the performance, but we realise that we still have a lot of work to do.”

Dennis and Ferrari team boss Luca di Montezemolo met in Suzuka at the final

With a possible rationali sation between the European and US series, it is possible that the German marque’s

round of last year’s championship to dis cuss the problem and agreed not to allow it

first race with the car could

to continue.

“It doesn’t do either

car in the opening round of

of our two companies any good,” said

Series (ALMS).

Dennis.

compete against the opposi tion,” a company spokes

“Nobody wins in a war of words except

be at the Sebring 12 Hours at the end of March.

BMW could enter the new

the

American

Le

Mans

“We want to see how we

woman said. “We want to

the media. We should

have om disagree

show that we are very inter ested in the ALMS.” Series boss Don Panoz said that he would “welcome

ments behind closed doors.”

- JOE SAWARD

BMW’s participation,” in the series but it is yet unclear

Wot, no ashtray?: Jo Winkelhock shook down BMW’s V12 LMR with encouraging results at Jarama. (Pnoto by sutton images) whether

BMW

could

be

joined by rivals Audi or Mercedes-Benz, though Panoz has been quoted as saying that there is a ‘Good chance” of Audi competing with its R8.

The new BMW is likely to

Audi confirms British Le Mans drivers

have its first endurance run

AUDI has confirmed that

at Homestead before the end of the month.

it will nm a second team at the Le Mans 24 Hour in June.

Apart from the ‘official’ Audi Team Joest outfit, Audi

Tickford

Open Day 28th February 1999

UK will run two cars of their

own. It has already signed three of the team’s six dri

vers, all British.

Andy Wallace, 1988 Le Mans winner, James Weaver

and former FI driver Perry McCarthy will drive, along with three drivers yet to be named. They tested Audi’e new car at Paul Ricard in France last week.

“We wanted three drivers

tied up at an early stage and we’re very pleased to get this trio. They will work well

Tickford Vehicle Engineering will be holding an

together,” said Audi UK team manager John

open day on Sunday February 28th, 1999 at its

Wickham.

premises in Campbellfield.

Tips for the remaining seat include Stephane Ortelli (who drove for Porsche last

year) and five time Le Mans winner Derek Bell.

Come and have a look at a large range of

MEANWHILE 1998 win ner Allan McNish has

exciting vehicles including show cars, race cars,

started testing for Toyota.

XR’s, GT’s and some other special vehicles.

The former Porsche team leader shared a car with Martin Brundle and was

Tours of the factory will be available, food and'

reportedly impressed with the 1998-spec GT-One. A new car is expected to

drink, and a whole range of activities.

start testing before Le Mans Pre-qualifying on May 2.

Andy’s Audi: Former Le Mans winner Andy Wallace tested extensively for Audi at Paul Ricard last week. (Photos by sutton) V .

Where:

33 Glenbarry Road, Campbellfield, 306

When:

28th February 1999

Time:

9.00am till 4.30pm

Entry:

$1, Children under 12 free.

■*

-f

ri

^

McNish comes to grips: Le Mans winner Alan McNish gets to learn Toyota’s GT-One.

26 February 1999

15

Cheap wine, cubists and naked lady drivers sioning famous

money. Wasting money on racing can come later.

Last year the FI teams paid Mecachrome and it paid Renault for develop

painters to decorate the labels of his vin

tages, making vi/ine that was so good that the authorities

I

am pretending to get ready for the new Formula 1 sea

son. That means that Igo

to London and do some

shopping, telling the wife that I am going to interview some one important.

On the way this year I stopped off in Paris to visit the Retromobile exhibition.

This is a pageant of nostal gia. I like looking at old cars and pottering through old books and I was delighted to find a book about racing in the 1920s. It is a splendid book if you don’t read the text. It is full of wonderful

photographs and has a mag nificent cover featuring a sepia-tinted photograph of pretty woman racing driver, perching pertly on a Bugatti Type 35. She has an enor mous grin and bags under her eyes which suggest that she had been doing rather a lot of dancing the previous evening.

Mecachrome. Mecachrome

Mouton ‘brand’ to sell

cheap wine to the mass market. Today you can still buy his MoutonCadet in bottle shops all

to see Williams, Benetton

In those days there was no sponsorship except from barons and baronesses. Today Grand Prix racing is as much

and BAR (if they stop play ing idiotic political games) scrabbling to keep the Prosts, Stewarts and Saubers at bay.

Y

about racing. Imust say

he is to become a serious F1

although perhaps in 70 years from now Michael

player. If he crashes he can expect Patrick Flead to shout at him quite a lot.

Schumacher will be remembered as a roman

At Benetton Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander

tic dashing hero.

I doubt it. I think this will remembered as the

If

a secret passion of archi

needs success in its fourth season to stop gangrene setting in arguments but that is fine in

The team owners have become celebrities because

they have marvellous stories

to make a fast car in 1999

until after the first race before

wheel of a Bugatti. There

to tell. It is their rambunctious

were German bankers and

approach which has built the sport in the titanic business it

and they will say: engine, aerodynamics and driver.

The really smart ones will say that with the new tyre rules this year mechanical grip is going to be more important than brute horse power because horsepower is no good if you cannot

acting. So we will probably have a political ruckus in

Chilean consul in Nice Juan Zanelli was no slouch at the

heirs to great fortunes many of whom raced with pseudo nyms. What were their secrets? What were they try ing to hide? ’Philippe’ was always one of my favourites. He walked into the Bugatti offices in

of the scope that the 1920s afforded.

People relate less to big business than they do to indi viduals and so the drivers have remained the stars but

they have become the fingerpuppets of big corporations.

is today.

When people know are involved in FI you they

155,000 Francs. I am not

are full of questions: Who is going to win this year? Can Ferrari finally do it? In midFebruary come the official requests for predictions from editors. 1 try to refuse predic

good at arithmetic but I do

tions because in Formula 1

know that this was a major amount of money.

He drove one, lent one to his friend Helle Nice (I won der if he told his wife?) and the other to a pal called Guy

you just never know. In 1994 Ipredicted that Ayrton Senna

Paris in 1929 and ordered

three Bugatti 35Cs, each at

Bouriat.

’Philippe’ was an amazing man. His real name was

Baron Philippe de Rothschild and he came from the

famous banking family. Many years later would find fame in the world of wine by reviving the family vineyard at Chateau Mouton, commis-

transfer it to the road. There has been intensive work on differentials and traction-con trol. Iknow that traction-con

trol Is supposed to be illegal but these days the rules are such that one never knows

would be World Champion.

what is legal and what is not

Last year, despite the speed of the McLarens in testing, I thought Williams would get it right when the season began.

Testing times can be of use when you are making predictions but there are teams which deliberately set

legal.

The FIA has deliberately created rules which are open

out to set fast times, running

underweight and with illegal systems, in order to make an impression to lure sponsors or to try to grab extra column

not better this year and Rocco Benetton may find Ft We will have to see what

happens with British American Racing. Iam sure the team will be technically-

The Schumacher-Ferrari dream

Frentzen used to drive hearses. But there is none

frustrated if the results are

in the New York jet-set.

r

them.

Giancarlo Fisichella has

tecture; Mika Hakkinen has a tortoise; Heinz-Harald

Wurz will become itchy and

rather more difficult than life

Scandals and battles keep the sport in the news. There will be some bumping and grinding about the regula tions when the teams get together in Melbourne. There may even be protests although teams usually wait

who liked to race and the

Schumacher, but Ralf needs

to stop making mistakes if

inches for publicity-craving backers. Others deliberately do not set fast times, happy to lull the opposition into a false sense of security.

Such is the technology these days that even experts cannot tell who is really quick. Ask the Formula 1 engineers what is important

In those days the grids were

is going to have to work hard to stay ahead of Ralf

that I think it lacks the romance of the 1920s

hard to dig out anything really interesting about

peopled by aristocrats and gigolos (sorry, I cannot name names but you can usually spot them because their cars were entered by baroness es). There was a Cubist painter (Amedee Ozanphant)

At Williams Alex Zanardi

5V W(?...TvlgiK

about business as it is

exclusion of all else. It is

Paris and obviously it got very hot there because the need for clothing was clearly not pressing.

You don’t get racing dri vers like that any more...

/

over the world.

racing driver she was a dancer at the Casino de

around 30% more than last

year. Supertec is paying is paying Renault.

Will the extra money go on development programs?

Let’s not be silly. Flavio Briatore is a commodity trader.

Fie has an expensive lifestyle. Fie is not into charity work. Thus one can expect

scarf. When she wasn’t a

Fler real name was Helen

Owe

It was Baron Philippe who came up with the brilliant idea of using the

Delangle and later in the book there is a photograph of her wearing nothing but a

Well, that is not strictly true.

paying Supertec. It is costing

classification.

age of the functional rac ing driver. The modern generation of drivers all have much the same story: karting as kids, total dedi cation to racing to the

Fler name was Flelle Nice.

ment. This year teams are

rORMOLA

eventually had to give Chateau MoutonRothschild a top-level

to interpretation in an effort to have some control over what

happens on the race track. It is a fact of life that if one

team runs away with a cham pionship then viewing figures drop. And that is bad news.

When rules can be inter

the modern business.

Brazil as usual...

n pure horsepower terms one must expect McLaren and Ferrari to be quick.

There are no compromises in their engine programmes. If

I

the Ferrari is a match for the McLaren Schumacher will win. He is the best driver out

there. If the car is not good enough Ican see him - no matter what he says - giving up the Ferrari dream at the end of the year and going to West McLaren Mercedes -

at McLaren will only be set tled at the first corner in Melbourne. Neither Mika nor

David Coulthard is going to lift off in a 50-50 situation. A crunch like that could blow a

World Championship and create bad feeling within the team.

The big guns aside, it will be interesting to see how Jordan does now that Honda

has its own project under way. The last time Honda switched from one team to

another, the one it left suf. fered a half-season of disas

trous engine failures. It looked as though Honda was trying out new ideas.

There is no reason for

Honda to build up a rival team? A better policy would be to do as much damage as possible and learn valuable engineering lessons on the way. Honda wants to win as Honda not as Jordan.

Damon Hill and Heinz-Harald Frentzen will be an Interest

ing combination, particularly if things do not go well.

Onemuchshould expect too from not Supertec.

he wants. The SchumacherFerrari dream needs success

Renault is no longer pouring money into the VI0 engine.

There is probably a dribble now and then when the pow

in its fourth season to stop gangrene setting in.

erful French unions and the Renault shareholders are

which will pay him whatever

Mika Hakkinen showed

some moments of very real brilliance last year but he has one disadvantage.

Schumacher has Eddie

preted in different ways it is

Irvine acting as his man-ser

inevitable that there will be

vant. The number one status

looking the other way, but the Renault bosses have more

Important things to worry about as the automotive

industry consolidates. To keep the company alive they must expand and that takes

sound but I think dreams and realities have become confused and there will be hard lessons ahead. A F1

team needs time to grow, to be tempered by experience.

Jacques Villeneuve will be surrounded by pals but it is likely to be a frustrating year for him. The F1 media will turn like sharks on the team if

the results do not happen. nant atseems the moment Sauber a little but stag

being stagnant with Ferrari engines is an advantage.

Prost is still using a tarted-up version of the old Peugeot VI0 and that will be reflected

on the race track although

expect some good finishes if the cars are reliable.

If you are looking for sur prises Ithink Stewart is a good bet. The team needed a good kicking at the end of last year and, to its credit, it has made changes. Whether these are the irght changes is another question. Ford has taken a monumental irsk with its new VI0. If it works the men in Dearborn will be

heroes. If not... well, it is a time of rationalisation in the

motor industry.

Ithink Minardi will surprise on occasion and it is best not to talk too much about

Arrows. One can only hope that by kissing a prince Tom Walkinshaw will not end up with a frog.

No exotic dancers. No

gigolos. No Cubists.

But FI’s still fascinating, isn’t it?

16

lMo)0®[f’SfD®[7{]

26 February 1999

McLaren international is

probably the most secretive of all the Formula 1 teams

and does not like to give away any information if it can be avoided. The team believes that it is easier to

lous McLaren FI road cars and is

now working on a new supercar with Mercedes-Benz; TAG McLaren GT, which built and ran racing versions of the McLaren road car, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1995 and the 1997

FIA GT World Championship.

gain and then maintain an advantage by not telling the world what it is doing.

Systems, which today supplies the electronic packages for sever

It is therefore difficult to

al FI teams and is believed to do

assess all aspects of the

other unspecified electronic work in the automotive, aviation and

team. But we have ...

One thing is certain. To under

There

is

TAG

Electronic

iOQr'J

defence industries.

There is also TAG McLaren

of six major businesses although

Marketing Services which has a booming business as a sponsor ship and advertising agency. The newest company in the group is TAG McLaren Audio, which is developing groundbreaking in-car sound systems for sale to the pub-

the Formula 1 team remains the

lie.

McLaren Marketing are both prof-

flagship of the group. The last offi cial figure for TAG McLaren employees in October 1997 was 638

The TAG McLaren Group’s last published accounts were in October

itable businesses while the loss-

1997 and these reveal that the firm

McLaren Cars which has now

but the staff is now somewhere in

had a turnover of around US$165m

the region of 750 people.

($249m) and made an operating profit of around $34.5m, although it

begun to make small profits carry a heavy debt load, the McLaren FI supercar programme having not been as successful as the company had hoped it would be. Despite

stand the strength of McLaren in motor racing one has to see it as an engineering empire rather than merely a racing team.

TAG McLaren Holdings McLaren’s parent company consists

The other businesses are McLaren Cars which built the fabu-

had debts of $80m. Of this McLaren

International was responsible for about half of the turnover $92m. It

jgg!Murfl|ftaf9.uncl by

supplied half of the profits but at the same time carries around two-

thirds of the group’s debt.

TAG

Electronics

and

TAG

S]

r '

*'>5

C

(Pilrtt-M

ritW!>W -liVl

KlyiHnlllh) '

making TAG McLaren GT Ltd and

Inside IVI

this the McLaren

supercar estab lished the compa ny at the fore front of automo

tive technology

Dream

which was one of the main aims of

the project.

McLaren-Mercedes was the team ;

TAG McLaren

rphe

Championship and this season it loo repeat performance. What make JOE SAWARD takes an unpreceden

Group, however, has plans to con tinue growing and by the end of 2000 expects to have 1000 members of

staff. This figure came to light dur ing the battle for planning permis sion for the team’s new head

quarters on a site

outside Woking.

Runway 3-West: This is 'Project Adrenaline’. If the

■■ ‘McLaren FI GTR

At the moment the various TAG

McLaren compa nies are dotted

ters as long ago as the late 1980s.

In 1990 the company bought the Lydden Hill racing circuit near Dover with the intention of developing it into a facility which would be “a flagship for British industry”. The announcements were followed by lengthy legal battles over ownership and then planning permission. Finally in 1993 the project was shelved because most of the McLaren staff

sportscar of the

around Woking in

MP4-98T 2-seater

seven

different

did not wish to relocate from

are not enough,

there’s always the

buildings. They will be gathered

Woking to Dover.

The idea of a facility with its own

BAe 200 Hawk

together on one

jet.

site when the team’s new facto

test track nicknamed ‘McLarenello’ also faded with the increased

Take me for a

spin, spin, spin...

The F1 ride car

was enough for

ITV’s Murray Walker and Marlin Brundle.

ry is finished.

This has been

restrictions on testing in FI and the development of simulation software.

delayed for a long

McLaren still needed a new

time as McLaren

headquarters but it was not until 1995 that the team acquired an ostrich-breeding facility near

began looking for a new headquar-

Woking called Mizens Farm. Once again there were problems with planning as the 50 hectare site was located in a protected ‘green belt’ area. McLaren had to go back to court to win permission for its 32,500 sq m factory. Initial designs included a large lake with a semi circular building acting as a reception area. There would then be six buildings fanning out, each linked to the reception area, The facility which will be called The Paragon Technological Centre will eventually include a 4,600 sq m Visitor and Learning Centre, which will be run in conjunction with Britain’s National Museum of Science and Industry. There is also likely to be a museum featuring McLaren race cars dating back to the first machinery built by Bruce McLaren in the early 1960s.

Shortly before Newey joined the

INI

77

26 February 1999

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'o beat in last year’s World Drivers’ ks like the silver cars may be in for a

●?ir'

s Ron Dennis’ Dream Team tick?

y

ted look inside McLaren International. team, McLaren signed a five-year technology partnership with British Aerospace. The team has enjoyed a long association with the company, which used to have a major facihty on the old Brooklands racing circuit at Weybridge just a few miles from Woking. When that facility was closed down in 1990 many BAe per sonnel joined McLaren, notably operations director Martin

l^itmarsh (who is now managing-

director) and production manager Geoff Highley.

McLaren and BAe worked closely on the stillborn McLaren Land

Speed Record car ‘Maverick’ and when the technology partnership began BAe seconded two Computational Fluid Dynamics specialists to the McLaren’s aero dynamic team on a full-time basis,

liiere followed an aerofoil develop

ment programme working on nose

profiles and improving air flow to the front brakes at the British

Aerospace low-speed windtunnel at BAe’s Military Aircraft Division at Warton in Lancashire. Under

BAe’s McLaren Project Manager Chris Lee there were a variety of leading edge technology pro grammes including vehicle dynam ics simulations, carbon fibre com posite stress analysis and rapid prototyping using laser technology.

The partnership is expected to be extended to use the slightly larger BAe Airbus Division windtunnel at Filton.

It is likely that BAe will also be involved in the design of construc tion of the windtunnels which are to be built at the new McLaren

headquarters and these are likely to be as impressive as the new facilities at Benetton and Ferrari.

Continued on page 18

1

-»

fr

''"x4xr; The Staff that dreams are made of: David Coulthard is greeted on the Albert Park podium in 1998 by Ron Dennis.

Mika Hakkinen’s was the first win of the season for McLaren, Mercedes-Benz and Bridgestone. (PhaobyDiitiKiyramiih)

Ron is not alone McLaren is backed up by Techniques Avant Garde SA (TAG), a financial empire which has

global assets of US$600m ($980m).

The TAG empire is based on high-technology businesses and is owned by the Ojjeh family’s pri vate trust company, located in the Cayman Islands.

TAG is registered in Luxembourg and headquartered in Paris.

The company is controlled by Mansour Ojjeh and his brother Aziz although the empire was established by their father Akram who made his fortune acting as a business agent for the Saudi Arabian royal family.

In the early 1980s the family was said to be making as much as US$350m a year on commissions from the deals it organised between European companies and Saudi Arabia.

Eventually Akram fell from favour in Saudi Arabia and turned to investing some of his profits in Europe.

When Mansour took over the empire he began to

diversify and in 1985 bought the struggling Heuer watch company from Piaget and acquired a 60 per cent shareholding in McLaren International.

In five years TAG Heuer was transformed into a global brand and McLaren enjoyed enormous suc cess in Formula 1 racing and began to diversify under the TAG McLaren Holdings banner.

TAG’S third major division is TAG Aeronautics, which

has

exclusive

distribution

rights

to

Bombardier’s Canadair Challenger range of twinengined executive jets in the Middle East.

Mansour Ojjeh allows the bosses of each division of the company a lot of autonomy.

“Ron Dennis is in charge at McLaren," he says,

“but all major decisions are made between us and we speak on the phone almost every day.”

- JOE SAWARD

r

18

IM

26 Februery 1999

Computer power: Computer-aided design is a big part of McLaren’s development process.

This is a computer-generated model of the monocoque MP4-98T two seater.

sXo,

McLaren: who does what?

J -C..C . ●** '4

'4i

i

-.4

- *r

. 14

S'-' «' Continued from page 17

McLaren’s relationship British Aerospace is a good

with

example of the team’s concept of Technology Partners which it has pioneered over the years and which is now being widely copied by other FI teams such as Ferrari and Prost Grand Prix.

An indication of the use of

McLaren for publicity purposes came when Daimler and Chrysler merged recently. The new company chose to buy space in newspapers all over the world to announce the deal.

Chrysler used the image of its chair man Bob Eaton in the advertise

ments, Daimler-Benz used Mika Hakkinen...

The message was clear; the com pany wants to promote its sporty image and McLaren fulfils that role.

The McLaren/MobO partnership is particularly interesting. The US oil company develops all the fuel and lubricants used by tbe team and by Ilmor Engineering but it also figures prominently on the car. Though McLaren will not admit it we believe that the team brokered a deal for

Mobil to become the world-wide orig inal fuel supplier in MercedesBenzes.

Our spies suggest that the deal was achieved when McLaren offered to non silver cai-s without Mercedes hav

ing to pay for it. Mobil pays a gi-eat deal more money than that area on the car would suggest but it is a small amount when compared to the annu al income which was generated by the Mobil-Mercedes supply deal.

This is a classic example of McLaren’s clever use of cross-mar

keting, an area in which it is well

ahead of all the other FI teams and, as a result, is not keen to discuss.

Other McLaren Technology Partners include Lootite, which sup plies its most advanced adhesives; Kenwood, which develops advanced

nets. You cannot pick up a can of Schweppes drink these days without finding a McLaren racing car on it.

These companies include the Itahan engineering company Camozzi, which makes pneumatic compo nents for automation; fashion house Hugo Boss which used the drivers as clothes horses and in their publicity campaigns the Finlandia vodka com pany, Warsteiner Beer and TAG

designer again. The committee style of management worked while the team was still using cars based on the Barnard designs but the lack of

Heuer watches, which has an effec

success in the mid-’90s showed that

tive “Don’t crack under pressure” campaign involving Hakkinen.

'The team’s principal partner is the West cigarette company. McLaren supplies the drivers and FI machin ery including the amazing FI twoseater to West for a variety of func tions in the course of a year.

a new leader was required. Dennis eventually accepted the idea and Newey was hired in 1997.

'The team’s concept of departmen talised design remains intact with different project groups looking after suspension design, composite design, transmission development, engine installation and aerodynamics.

McLaren’s links with Mercedes-

agement. Before then Dennis has avoided hiring high-profile technical

Managing director: Martin Whitmarsh

the team to join Ferrari. It was an acrimonious split and Dennis resolved never to rely on a star

Commercial director: Ekrom Sami

Benz are largely marketing-related.

There may be more technology links

time to time in the engineering dis

in

new

cussions at McLaren is Gordon

Mercedes-engined McLaren sportscar appears but these have been restricted to date, probably because

Murray, the former Brabham FI designer, who now works at

the

future

when

the

Another man who is involved from

McLaren Cars. His experience and

Mercedes-Benz wants to promote its sporty image and McLaren fulfils that role McLaren was working closely with Mercedes irval BMW on the sportscar in the past.

Mercedes-Benz is, however, integi-ally involved with Ilmor Enginee ring, which builds the company’s VIO FI engines. Mercedes owns 25 percent of the Brixworth-based com pany which was established in the

irmovative thinking was, we under stand, important in the development of the MP4-13 suspension.

Design Department: Chief designer: Neil Oatley Chassis design: Matthew Jeffreys Transmission design: David North Suspension design: David Neilson Engine installation design: Mark Ingham

Research & Development Department:

Production Department: Production manager: Geoff Highley

ics for the three cars at each event.

There are around 10 other general staff who look after spares, subassembly, tyres and so on. The crew at each race also includes the staff of

Ilmor and Mercedes-Benz, with the Germans providing calculation

and Siemens, which has links with

Mercedes and supplies the team with its lap top computers.

In addition there are normal com

mercial suppliers provide both ser vices and money to the team while McLaren allows them to use the

McLaren image to sell their prod-

assistance and expertise in other areas such as combustion research, computer modelling and so on.

T. _ Adrian Newey marked a distinct

le arrival of technical chief

change in McLaren’s style of man-

Fabrication 9

Gearbox department 8 Paint shop 8 Stores 6 Production control 5

397

guests at all the Grands Prix and at tests. The company is planning to expand to cater for top-level non motor racing events in the future.

colours: two are used by the race team and two by the test team. In

managing-director of McLaren

ing only 16 but the race engineers generally do the testing as well and the motorhomes are present at the bigger tests.

addition there is a 40ft Ilmor

In addition to all the obvious

includes the two-storey team

departments McLaren boasts a Heritage Department which looks

motorhome (which cost around

Dennis is responsible for oversee ing not only the McLaren FI team, but all the TAG McLaren compa nies. At races, however, he rejoins the team and is its chief spokesman and also runs controls race strategy in collaboration with chief race engi

after all the team’s old Formula 1

er subsidiary companies which include West Competition Ltd run by former FI engineer David Brown.

there are technical links between

Pattern shop 16 Sub-assembly 10

cooks, hostesses and so on.

The test team is smaller, number

after political questions, attending

Cadence, another software company;

Composites 41

Total

most of the team meetings as McLaren’s representative.

According to our figures the team employs almost 400 people although

being used by other FI teams;

Test team 16

Inspection 3

Team co-ordinator: Jo Ramirez

Mercedes Indycar engines and then Formula 1 power units. Before the

In addition to the shareholding

Race team 26

General Operations 19

Vehicle technology 33 Drawing Office 29 Aerodynamics 21

Team manager: Dave Ryan

ager Dave Ryan. Dennis also looks

Sauber "VlOs names.

Heritage 4 Travel 3

Electrical 4

Race & Test Teams:

deal in which Chevrolet sold its share to Mercedes-Benz. Ilmor built

design progi'amme which is also now

'

Vehicle Engineering Department: Head of Vehicle Engineering: Steve Nichols Chief Race Engineer: Steve Hallam Race Engineers: Pat Fry, Mark Slade

TAG McLaren Group; the German software group SAP which has a big involvement with Mercedes-Benz; the Parametric Technology Coi-poration, which recently bought the

engines under the Ilmor VlOs and

Restaurant 16

Maintenance/Security 6 Legal Department 5

Special projects: Tyler Alexander

cars and earlier McLaren machinery such as Indycars, Formula 2s, CanAm and early sportscars. These will aU ultimately be housed in the plarmed McLaren Museum.

Mercedes deal Ilmor had arn its FI

Factory-based staff Cleaning 19

Head of Research & Development: Paddy Lowe Machine shop 25

the highly-successful Chevrolet

Computeiwision company, and sup plies the team with its Pro-Engineer

Commercial Department 36

Aerodynamics Department: Head of Aerodynamics: Henri Durand Aerodynamic design: Phil Adey Aerodynamic Development: Peter Prodromou

communications systems for the team; Computer Associates which supplies software skills to the enth'e

gi-amme ended Penske brokered a

Ron Dennis's office 5 Directors 4

for Ron Dennis to run evei-ything. In October 1997 he gave up his role as tions director Martin Whitmarsh.

Indycar engine. When that pro-

Reception 6

Technical Director: Adrian Newey

The McLaren FI team has four 40ft tractor-trailer units in team

neers Mario mien and Paul Morgan with financial backing from entre sold half that to Chevrolet.

The result was that Ilmor built

Financial director: Bob liman

the motorhomes, including drivers,

Intei-national to the team’s opera

owned 50 percent of the shares but

The individual departments Finance 14

Asgrown the TAG has it hasMcLaren become Group impossible

early ’80s by foiTner Cosworth engi preneur Roger Penske. Penske

Chairman: Ron Dennis (above)

directors. ’This attitude can be traced back to 1986 when John Barnard left

neer Steve Hallam and team man

it is believed that some of these are seconded to McLaren International from TAG Electronics which has a staff of 110 staff and TAG McLaren

Marketing.

The McLaren race team is made

up of 26 people, including 10 engi

'There are also a number of small

IKe team runs a two-car team in the

International F3000 Championship.

The team is used by McLaren as a means of training young drivers and has the long-term aim of developing mechanics and engineers as weU.

neers and technicians under Steve

Lydden Circuit Ltd is still owned

by McLaren and runs the Kentish

Hallam. Each car has a race engi

circuit, while Absolute Taste Ltd nm

neer, an assistant, a software engi neer, a data engineer and a systems engineer. There are 12 race mechan-

by Lindy Woodcock looks after the McLaren, West and West Competit ion motorhomes and caters for VIP

Engineering truck at each race and a smaller Mobil fuel truck. In addition the McLaren FI fleet

$1.6m to build), a similar one which is owned by the team’s title

sponsor West but is operated by McLaren,

and

a

smaller

motorhome which is owned by Mercedes-Benz and operates from Germany.

The team no longer has a private jet nor a helicopter but it should be noted that in the autumn of 1997 TAG Aeronautics took over the run

ning of the Famborough Aerodrome from Britain’s Ministry of Defence with the intention of developing it for private aviation.

The Famborough airfield is only 10 miles from the McLaren factory.

TAG also bought the Aeroleasing Group of Switzerland, a leading European jet charter company, and ordered $250m worth of aircraft from Bombardier. TAG McLaren is

never short of private jets...

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TYF

Prost Trulli a contender

By JOE SAWARD

THE final day of testing in Barcelona produced a sur prise result as Prost Grand Prix’s Jarno Trulli set the

fastest time of the winter, stopping the clocks at lm21.09s - a few hun dredths of a second faster than Mika Hakkinen’s best

lap the previous week.

It is interesting to note that despite the FIA’s intention to slow lap times with the new tyre regulations, Trulli’s lap was around 0.4s faster than

Mika Hakkinen’s best lap in the winter of 1997-98. Clearly the governing body will have to come up with more rule changes for the 2000 season if it wishes to keep the cars from lapping the tracks too quickly.

The Prost team - which has done a considerable amount of

Push me, pull you: These two drivers, Jarno Trulli (left) and Mika Hakkinen, may have broken their Prost and McLaren cars respectively but they set the fastest and second fastest Barcelona lap of the winter tests. That bloke with his hands on his hips sure did some pushing ... (Photos by Sutton Images)

another 750 miles last week

ended up the third fastest time of the week, the impression

thanks largely to the fact that

was that the McLaren could

it had two cars available for the first time. This allowed

his times at the end of the

testing this winter - completed

have gone a little quicker than

Trulli to do his own set-up work for the first time as up to now he has been running with Olivier Panis’s settings to help

week suggested.

Hakkinen’s quickest lap - a

the team learn about the new

test. Hakkinen and David Coulthard were back in action

AP02.

The test was not without dif ficulties and Trulli missed the

whole of the second day because of a rear wing prob lem. He then had to put up with engine problems on Friday which meant that he managed only 15 laps. But on

Saturday the car was running well and he completed a total of 50 laps and set his impres sive lap time.

We will have to wait until

qualifying in Melbourne to see whether the time is significant - teams do not have to run

their cars in legal configuration at tests - but there is no ques tion that it provided the Prost team will a welcome boost after months of hard work after the disastrous 1998 season.

Olivier Panis ran his AP02

for the last three days of the Barcelona testing, completing 160 laps and setting a best lap of lm21.63s. He could probably have gone quicker and is delighted with the car which, he says, inspires confidence.

But if Prost took most of the

limelight, there was another big surprise with Stewart set ting the second fastest time of the test. Rubens Barrichello

recorded a time which was just a few hundredths slower than

Trulli. The team’s early testing with the new Ford VIO engine was ruined by reliability prob lems but development work at Cosworth seems to have solved these dramas and the Stewart

team turned up for two days with three cars. Unfortunately on the second day Johnny Herbert had a sizeable accident

with one of the cars (see below).

In his two days of running Barrichello completed 55 laps with a best of lm21.14s, while Johnny Herbert’s test was interrupted after 47 laps with his accident. His best time was a lm23.22s.

McLaren has

dominated

most of the recent testing and although Mika Hakkinen

Williams sees off BAR

lm21.217s - was set late on

Sunday at the end of the first

again on Wednesday and added another 283 laps to the 85 they had done over the weekend, bringing the team’s total for the week to 368 laps - nearly 1100 miles. Coulthard was the faster of the two in the second

part of the test with a best of lm21.44s, while Hakkinen managed only lm22.00s.

Jordan Grand Prix was also

working on reliability testing and at the end of its four-day test had completed a remark able 415 laps (1225 miles) with two

cars.

Heinz-Harald

Frentzen completed 250 laps in his 199 and set a best lap of lm21.34s, while Damon Hill

did fewer laps but was still able to turn in a fastest lap of lm21.54s.

Ferrari was not present for the main part of the test, but Michael Schumacher finished of the team’s first Barcelona

test on Sunday by setting a best lap of lm21.690s after 125 laps. The team decided to work at Mugello for the rest of the week.

Sauber did not appear until midweek and had only one car available for Jean Alesi and Pedro Diniz. Alesi ran on the

first two days and completed around 100 laps with a best lap of lm21.71s on Wednesday.

By JOE SAWARD WILLIAMS

and

British

American Racing both had frus trating test sessions at the near Kyalami circuit.

Johannesburg, South Africa last week, but engineers on both sides reported that they had learned valuable lessons run

ning in hot temperatures.

The Kyalami test was attended by thousands of race fans on each of the five days, despite the fact that

only three cars were running.

Pedro Diniz then took over and

The lack of oars at the track was

did the same number of laps,

never properly cleaned and that

getting down to a lm22.59s.

meant that the circuit was much

Benetton finished off its test

more slippery than it might have

ing at Barcelona on Sunday, Giancarlo Fisichella having run a total of 93 laps during

be'en and this resulted in several

the weekend test - with a best of lm22.011s. The team then went to Silverstone later in the week with Alexander Wurz dri

off-track excursions, notably for Williams which had to cope with three accidents two for Alessandro Zanardi and one for Ralf Schumacher. Zanardi had to

sit out one day of the test while a nosebox was flown back to England,

ving.

Also missing the action in

repaired and returned to South

Barcelona were Williams and

Africa.

British American Racing. They finished testing at Kyalami on

The team admitted that it had underestimated the need for certain spare parts.

Wednesday and headed home.

Both teams are expected to be seen at Silverstone for final shakedown tests this week.

Does Michael have Brother written on his car? Schuey Two was quick at Kyalami but British American Racing had a few problems. They were 2s slower than Williams and unreliable: no wonder Jacques punched his car.

Ralf Schumacher ended up with a total of 116 laps of the track during his five days although he lost most

(PhoJos by Sutton)

of one day with electrical trouble.

test and did 80 laps with a best of

He set a best time of lm21.92s on

lm25.38s.

the last day. Zanardi missed the whole of Monday but still managed to clock up 122 miles with a best of lm22.03s.

British American Racing had only one car in action and in three days of running Jacques Villeneuve chipped away at his times. He com pleted 133 laps with a best of lm24.22s, while Ricardo Zonta took

over for the final two days of the

The BAR team ran into trouble

on the day when WiUiams was set ting its fastest times and so the gap would probably have been closer than it appears.

Having said that, after the test BAR aerodynamicist Willem Toet was spotted en route to the Reynard wind tunnel in Indianapolis for some last-minute development work.

lMs){]wcFSfi)(mO

26 February 1999

Ferrari goes for reliability

27

Badoer’s Minardi

By JOE SAWARD FONDMETAL Minardi Ford has announced that it will be

AFTER completing the first decent runs for the new F399 in Barcelona over the

running Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer this year alongside FI new boy Marc Gene.

weekend, the Ferrari team went into action last week at

The 28-year-old Italian will

Mugello, the Ferrari testing facility in the hills above

remain under contract to Ferrari and if the team needs him to stand in for either Michael Schumacher

Florence.

Michael Schumacher used the

or Eddie Jordan, Minardi will have

only available F399 chassis for three days, leaving Eddie Irvine to waste his time with 100 laps

to look for another driver. Minardi f

at the wheel of an old F300. It ■ ■

was only on Saturday that Schumacher flew off and let Irvine have his first taste of the

u

new car.

says that it will nominate a reserve driver shortly in case that happens.

Ferrari agreed to the idea because they felt it would be good for Badoer to have racing mileage just in case.

It will be Badoer’s second stint with Minardi. He had a disastrous

During his three days in action Schumacher concentrat

year with Scuderia Italia in 1993

ed on doing long-distance relia bility work and completed a total of 235 laps of the track nearly 700 miles of running.

and became Minardi test driver in

’94. He raced for the team in 1995 but then moved to Forti in 1996

although he was unemployed from

This meant that when he hand ed the car over to Irvine had

the mid-season after the team folded.

-JOE SAWARD

■’I

completed a total of 1,450 miles with the new car.

His best lap at Mugello was a lm26.704s. Irvine completed 45 laps in the new car on Saturday, with a best lap of

Ready for Melbourne: Michael Schumacher

lm27.804s.

Minardi was also in action at

spent a lot of

Mugello running Luca Badoer, Marc

Gene

and

time in the 399 and seems

Gastone

Mazzacane during its three days of running. Badoer set the

ready for Albert Park.

fastest time with a lm2&813s in

Back Again:

the course of his 120 laps.

Gene completed 55 laps over two days and recorded a best of

Luca Badoer

(right) returns to FI with Minardi.

lm31.204s while Mazzacane did

(Photos tv Sutton Images)

a six lap shakedown run.

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22

Queenslanc j r

After 35 years in the racing business, a magnificent career - the highligh Interview By

While Dick Johnson Racing will

perception used to be correct, but,

TONY GLYNN

continue under the Shell Helix

when you look at the people win ning races now, the changing of the guard is happening even in NASCAR, because its become so competitive,” Dick said.

“Your Richard Pettys and people of that calibre have all pulled the pin and you hardly ever see guys hke Bill Elhott winning races any

Racing Team banner, Johnson’s

STRALIAN motorsport is losing another of its highestprofile icons as Dick Johnson whose name has long been synonomous with Ford’s Touring Car success, is officially retiring from active competition.

efforts will now be directed towards

the running of the team itself and the fostering of a young driver pool which will obviously include his own long-term replacement.

But the retirement won’t be quite as traumatic for the Ford fans as

Brock’s was for the legions of his Commodore supporters, as

The 53 year-old Queenslander will now join

Johnson’s withdrawal from the

arch rival Peter Brock —

season, whereas Brock’s was far

sport will occur over a full racing abrupt, ving given his adoring fans y of advance notice, Johnson low be able to enjoy the ffenittentions of his fanatical fols as he contests the full 1999

and Shell Championship, plus

more - even Dale Earnhardt hasn’t

won a race for more than a year.

“But his name’s up there stUl and he’s always sort of there on the track, though he’s being ovetaken by the younger generation, such as Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett, the young guys who are really starting to smoke now.”

But, taking Dick at face value and accepting his view that the transition from cockpit to desk will

ustrahan Grand Prix and the

not be a difficult one, it’s nonethe

Coast Indycamival, in his alllU Ford Falcon V8 Supercar -

less surprising that the prospect of becoming a team-owner seems to be genuinely attractive.

“Well, I can tell you that it cer tainly is appeahng, as with Steven I can get the same elation out of watching him win a race, or the team win a race, as I can by win ning myself,” he stated.

“That’s about as good as it gets,

le final curtain will fall on the

ime Australian Champion’s ;ring driving career at arst, when he endeavours to ; first driver to win Australia’s famous motor race with his

er a 35-year career in motor

g, one could be forgiven for ing that there was no use-by for the high-speed humourist, still manages to figure promiy on the result sheets - but ever the pragmatist, could see ifriting on the wall and has ed in a timely and positive

as I don’t need to be the hero stand

ing up there with the wreath

around my neck and spraying champagne - I’ve been there and done that and, as long as I can get the personal enjoyment from seeing our team win. I’ll be more than

pleased.”

id the sport i awful lot of > and there still some

" things I to achieve, 1 I can’t do i I’m drihe ined.

so, for the lopment of jam, I think ;ot to bring ger people

^7 don suppose anybody would be completely satisfied with giving up something they enjoy very muchy but I think ifs time I gave it away as I want to develop the business further - and there are other opportunities out there.

yy

t and my son, Steven, I think, lut ready to fill my shoes, lon’t suppose anybody would tnpletely satisfied with giving omething they enjoy very , but I think it’s time I gave it as I want to develop the busi-

So, will stepping back from dri ving duties allow Dick more scope to indulge his other non-motorsport passions?

further - and there are other

“I’ll still be there when they go testing and I’ll certainly be at all the bloody race meetings, so I’ll still

tunities out there.”

jre has traditionally been a ption that any capable ‘good ol’ boy’ could race until his legs dropped off, so why is there now an overt

philosophical shift in the sport towards easing

V

norm and sponsorship was imheard of

“When I first started, motor rac ing was just an

ler.

ell. I’ve been

era when amateurism was the

older drivers out of the front line

and choosing significantly

“Not really, as I believe it will free me up to become more involved in other ways irght here,” he said.

be involved.

“But the retirement does allow

me to do other things, not so much on the leisure side, but on the pro motional side, which I’ve basically been wanting to do.

“There are other opportunities to pursue, but I will most definitely maintain an active motorsport presence for some time to come and irght now. I’d say until the bur ial stage!”

younger

replacements?

“Well,

that

Ford tin top figurehead Johnson

began his amazing career with, ironically, an FJ Holden in 1964, an

amateur sport and you weren’t even to allowed advertise on a he car,” exclaimed.

“It was a fun

thing to do and I used to race

my road car, which I drove

to work during the week.

‘But, during the years I’ve been in motor sport, boy, have I seen some changes - and probably more than you’ll see in the future.

I’d suggest, because I’ve seen the sport grow into something that’s becoming very professional and very competitive.

“But I don’t think that the sport is becoming very exclusive as it develops - in fact, the V8 Supercars are actually trying to keep the costs down to enable more people to par ticipate in it.

“Relatively speaking, it’s a lot cheaper to race a car today than what it was in the early days, using the wages I was getting then as a guide.

“But it’s a totally different way of thinking now, as you have sponsors involved, which is really a natural development of any sport.”

Johnson first came to public notice in 1970 with a sixth place in the Australian Touring Car Championship race at Lakeside in

DIM

26 Februery 1999

A

23

I's favourite son Ford touring car legend Dick Johnson reflects on ts, the fun drives and even the odd wood duck

We can rule the world: After thinking he'd ‘shot himself in the arse again’ after spitting the dummy at Andy Rouse, Johnson met the right people with good contacts and then went off and developed the fastest Sierra package in the world - stunning those at Silverston in '88. a Torana GTR - he then stepped up to a GTR XU-1 for the next five numerous claiming Queensland titles and also racked

years,

up several state Sports Sedan titles.

With backing from Bryan Byrt, Dick svritched marques to Ford and campaigned a Falcon V8, hitting

to get some sponsors like Palmer Tube Mills, sponsorship was very sparce - but, when we put a deal together with Shell in 1987, it really was a turning point.

“That was when we really domi nated racing and I won five Touring Car Championships in the eighties and a couple of Bathursts.”

the national headlines inl980 when

a rock dislodged by a spectator caused him to crash out of the lead at Bathurst.

The subsequent flood of sympa thy and donations put Dick on the map and, with substantial backing from Ford, his Palmer Tube Mills Falcon

showed

its

new-found

strength in the following season and emerged victorious at Bathurst

TheDickbirth of Group A in 1985 Mustang-mounted, but saw the real thriller machine in the eighties was still a couple of seasons away and it wasn’t until 1987 that Dick’s

team gave the turbocharged Shellsponsored Ford Sierra Cosworth

RS500 its world debut.

Now this was a

weapon that possessed phenomenal point and squirt capabilities in the hands of

most users, but Dick’s team persevered and actually made

the

red

Four 17s are 68: Johnson's professional career can be virtually followed in the display room of DJR's impressive new facility in Brisbane, from the XD and XE Falcons, to the potent Sierra Cosworth and the just superseeded EL. (Photo by Dirk Kiynsmith)

rocketships handle, taking out the 1988 Championship after winning eight races from nine starts - but Johnson and co-driver John Bowe

had to settle for runner-up status

at Bathurst that year.

“They were really good years and the RS500 was a fantastic motor car, which we got a handle on probably quicker than most.

says Dick enthusiastically.

“I’d had nothing to do with turbocharged cars prior to this, except Continued next page

Solid as a rock: Much to the delight of the many fans who financially contributed to his team following the infamous 'rock' incident at Bathurst the previous year, Johnson came back in 1981 and dominated, winning both the touring car series and the Bathurst 1000.

in 1981.

Dick also won the Australian

Touring Car Championship that year and followed it up with more titles in 1982 and 1984.

“I enjoyed all the motor racing I was involved in, though I suppose some times were better than others, as you can have good times and bad times,” Johnson reflected.

“The ’80s was an enormous 10

years for me, despite a dip in the middle because we didn’t have the

equipment that was capable of win ning races.

“But, once we got the equipment that was up to the task, we certain ly got back into winning an awful

amt

lot of races again.

“Funding was very much a limi tation in the early days of the eight ies and prior to that it was zilch.

“In the early ’80s, when I started

>● -

24

/Md0®17SUXo)[?0

26 February 1999 any irsks, where

end of the 1998 season.

as

“Now John was obviously a big asset to the team, although I don’t

we

have

to

over here, as it’s more competitive and we have less to work with and that’s where I the believe results come from.”

Nwork ow

team IS

everything in motor racing and Dick, who is no stranger to the concept, was quick to highlight

teamed with Bowe, led every lap at

mously during the years of both struggle and suc

ry at Mount Panorama - the duo then claimed victory in the

Queensland and one of my spon sors in the sev

“The foundations for our future

1987 to put these RS500 race cars together and I felt that, as we were 15,000 miles away from England, I

“He said he wouldn’t do it, so I really spat it and I walked out of there fuming, thinking I’d shot myself up the arse again and now had nowhere to go.

“I then went and saw a guy down at Ford Motorsport at Boreham, who put me onto a guy who dealt in Ford Motorsport parts and ulti mately became a really good friend

needed to be able to program our

during the years he was supplying

management systems myself, as it was obvious that I was paying 500 pounds a time for some wood duck over there to push a button that

us with equipment.

“I also met a guy at Boreham

success were actually laid when I went over to England to get bits for

the Sierra, as I was dealing with Andy Rouse, who was the guru at the time doing all the Ford stuff.

“I’d bought a lot of stuff off him in

produced only a very minor change.

“So I put it to him that I needed

the capability to change the system myself, but he wouldn’t let us do that.

“Then I went and saw the people who made the Zytek management system, but they said no and sent me back to Andy - so I said to him, ‘look mate. I’ve bought a lot of stuff

off you and I’m doing the right

who was under contract to Ford’s

incentive and we continued on with

rally program and he was responsi ble for the engine work on the

our own RS500 Sierra development and, when I felt we were ready, we packed everything up and took our

RS200 Escort and so on.

Sierra over there to Silverstone in

“We got on very well and I said to him that I was in a bit of very deep shit and that I didn’t want to go

1988 and absolutely blitzed them, making Andy Rouse and the rest of

back to Rouse, but I needed a man agement system.

“He said that they ran a Bosch system on their cars and that he

would, through Ford, get me the Bosch umit and teach me all about it.

them look bloody stupid,” Johnson laughed.

“You know, the failing with these guys is that they never dare to step outside the circle; they have a com fort zone they’re happy to work in and they’re not prepared to take

Waiting & watching: Johnson and his son Steven, below, teamed up for Bathurst in '98. Now he believes that it’s time for Steven to fill his shoes. (Photo by Marshall Cass)

enties,”

Bathurst to notch his second victo

Pukekohe 500 in New Zealand to

round off a very fhiitful season for

successful busi nessman here in

able to do it myself, otherwise I’ll have to go elsewhere.’

“He probably thinks he’s got that,

contributions he valued enor

Byrt, who was a

for a few roadgoing things that I built myself

and what it should be able to do.

Touring Car Championship in 1989 with six wins from eight starts and,

reminded of the words of Brian

“He was on his way to America for Pike’s Peak, but said that he would call by Australia on his way home to get the management sys tem hooked up to our dyno and show us how to use it, which sound ed pretty bloody good to me.

“Well, that’s exactly what hap pened and from there we went for ward in leaps and bounds.

“But, at Bathurst in ’87, where we were still learning to come to terms with these turboed cars, Eggenberger and company made us look like dills with their equipment.

“That provided a fair sort of

“On some occasions he used to get lost - the guy really used to like to try things, but I reckon you’ve got to have a reason for trying them and to have the reason you really need a good mechanical background to understand what you’re changing

a number of key players whose

lot of legends in our team, I can tell you and I’m

thing, but I need to progress our

way back...

the real worth of

“We’ve made a

cause a bit further and I want to be

in testing, as many outsiders believe, because people lose their way sometimes and when you lose your way it’s pretty hard to find a

but I don’t think he has.”

Johnson took his fifth Australian

cess.

Continued from page 23

think he was the be-all and end-all

Dick

elaborated.

“He said that if you want to be successful, surround yourself with successful people. You have to have the irght people around you.

“Neal Lowe, for example, was instrumental in his autocratic way in putting our whole program on an even keel.

“Initially, we needed to know what was required to win races and, once we got a little bit of expe rience with the cars, we were away - 1987 was a pretty crappy year for us while we were getting set up, but in ’88 and ’89 we really fired.

“In 1992, though, Neal left because he had run his race and

then along came the Stone broth ers, Ross and his brother, Jim they were basically instrumental in the development of the Falcons and were an integral part of the team.

“Just prior to Neal leaving, Wayne Cattach was another acqui sition for our team and that was

the Shell Sierras.

Despite his heavyDickTouring Car commitments, also man aged to indulge himself by squeez ing in a number of rogue events in a variety of interesting and exotic machinery from the mid-eighties onwards, though the rewards were markedly frugal when compared with his totally dominant Touring Car performances.

“As far as category choices went, I was always intent upon achieving my primaiy goals, rather than pur suing other avenues; so, yes, it was something of a surprise to many people to see me driving in such events,” Johnson explained.

The 1984 Sandown 1000 Group C World Endurance Championship round, for example - which drew a full field of WEC and IMSA projec tiles to the Melbourne track - saw Dick race Recar Alan Brown’s ex-

Bob Jane Chevrolet Monza, along with co-drivers Ron Harrop and Allan Grice.

Realistically, the modified Sports Sedan was not expected to knock off the World Championship-winning Porsche 956 of the late Stefan Belief

and his stunningly quick ground effects-era peers, such as Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell and the like - but

in typical Dick Johnson fashion, the Queenslander thought they would achieve a worthwhile level of suc

lacked in the field of business man

cess merely by running as hard as they could for as long as possible.

“It was something that was com pletely different and I enjoyed it immensely,” he recalled, “but it took a long time to get the car irght as they were chasing a problem which no-one could really put a fin

agement.

ger on.

probably the most important appointment we

ever

made,”

stressed Dick.

“That move certainly saved our bacon in the financial sense, as it gave us the expertise that we badly “Wayne is still with us and, to be quite honest, without him Dick Johnson Racing wouldn’t be here.

“There have been so many others, such as young Roger Higgins, who worked with us for quite a number

of years in our engine shop.

“But he eventually wanted to bet ter himself and so went overseas to

“In hindsight, the problem was that when the car was rebuilt there were two bars from the rear sus

pension to the top of the roll-cage and the top bolts were loose - the rear-end was walking all over the place, which made the car so bloody nervous that you could only use two fingers on the wheel at 150 mph.

“When you were driving, though, you were very focused, as it certain ly had your attention.

“But the worst part about those endurance races was that you were given a certain amount of fuel and there was no way known that this thirsty 6-litre V8 gas-guzzler was going to get anywhere near the right economy, so we had to press

become one of the head guys at Ilmor and is now responsible for Hakkinen’s engines - he’s a young guy with a very active mind, a good understanding of computers and is hungry to learn more.

“But probably one of the most unbelievable and easy-going gentle men that you could ever meet would have been John French,” Johnson said enthusiastically.

“He was an outstanding person and an outstanding driver, one who did very, very few laps but always

the right noise and certainly let everyone know it was out there.”

In 1988, Johnson again returned

had his head around it - and he

to Sandown for another endurance

knew when he’d had enough.

“Then there was John Bowe, who is a very tenacious guy and

this time running against a rather

was with us from 1988 until the

them while we could - and it made

clash, the Lucas 360 Supersprint, depleted World Sports Prototype Championship pack, as the title

DIM

26 February 1999

Da

own and show the Americans a

clean pair of heels in his Ford Thunderbird NASCAR - but that’s

not exactly how events transpired.

“Engines are big-time over there and you have to have really good engines, particularly if someone’s pulling 10 mph on you in a straight line,” Johnson elaborated.

“So we always struggled, like we did at Watkins Glen, although we always qualified within the top 15 cars.

Stan & Laurel, Dean & Jerry, the two Woodies, Dick & John: Johnson and Bowe were a formidable combina

tion, the pair winning three touring car titles, two Bathurst 1000s and a pair of Sandown 500s during their time together as team-mates.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

had already been decided.

But even Dick would have to

acknowledge that it was a tall order to beat the Sauber C9-88 drivers -

Jean Louis Schlesser, Jochen Mass, Mauro Baldi and Stefan Johannson

- and the Jaguar XJR-9 line-up Eddie Cheever, Martin Brundle, Jan Lammers Dumfries.

and

Johnnie

Undeterred, Johnson was teamed

“But when they made these changes, they turned the car into an absolute understeering pig - no matter what you did with the back, you could not get it to step out, but the front had veiy little grip.

“That was the only ground-effects car I ever experienced and it was quite exhihrating. It was more like driving a bloody go-kart than a Falcon, I can tell you.

“Now NASCAR was different, as it’s speedway-oriented and, because speedway cars go in only one direc tion, setting them up is very, very important,” said Dick.

“But, once you got the set-up right - and once, or twice, we fluked it - they’re a piece of cake to drive on the super speedways.

“Ray Evernham, the crew chief that Jeff Gordon has in the States,

with Bowe in the Australian-built

Veskanda - “another gas-guzzler” which clearly ranked as the Sports Car weapon of all time in Australia, the locally-built mid-engined V8 having won all fourteen races that it contested and cleaned up on the Championship front with Bowe at

I was always intent upon achieving my primary goals, rather than pursuing other avenues ((

●●●

“But at Sears Point, where we qualified 10th, people took a bit of notice and we ran very well in the race until we got a flat tyre - we got up as far as fifth, I think.

“Racing NASCAR over there was certainly very interesting, but we weren’t making any serious com mitments to super speedway rac ing, as this was only a limited pro gram for a couple of years.

“This was something that I did because I had a sponsor - Palmer Tube Mills - that wanted to get a message across via NASCAR about its acquisition of the Welded Tube Company, which was a great suc cess from their standpoint.

“It was never really intended to be a long-term effort, but if I’d been winning a million bucks over there for a race, well...

The Falconin V81993wasforback on the agenda Johnson’s team, following the introduction of the 5-litre V8-dedicated, Ford ver

sus Holden Touring Car category that ultimately spawned the cur rent V8 Supercar class.

1994 saw Johnson and Bowe

claim the double, building on their Sandown 500 win and emerging vic torious at Bathurst again, after the closest and most exciting enduro in Mount Panorama’s history.

It was Johnson’s third Bathurst

win, Bowe’s second and the first for a Ford Falcon at the Mount since

Dick’s victory in 1981.

Bowe then took out the 1995

the helm.

The Veskanda ran as high as fifth, before the fuel consumption issue forced a reduction of pace - in the end, a quick pit stop to illegally add 10 litres caused the car to be

disqualified when running eighth and six laps down on race winners Schlesser/Mass.

“But the biggest problem was

over there.

and I ended up with my knees up around my ears - once I got the thing into gear, I never used the clutch again.

“And the same thing happened to

“Gordon’s team obviously has no problem getting the car basically right for whichever track he’s on; they then spend the rest of the race fine-tuning the set-up so that its absolutely irght for the last 15 laps, which is why he’s won so many

“Bernie Van Elsen, who owned

me over in Western Australia when

the car and Harry Aust, the engi neer, decided to make it comply with the Group C Sports Car regu lations, which entailed quite a few modifications to the car’s ground

I drove Basil Ricciardello’s Alfa, which was also built by Harry Aust for a little guy of five foot two and wringing wet weighed around 50

effect tunnels and flat bottom,” recounted the Queenslander.

“I also had a few guest drives in rally cars and off-road vehicles, all of which were good fun - you see, it’s pretty hard for me not to take anything seriously if it’s got four

“I drove it at the Australian

Grand Prix meeting in Adelaide during a support event, as well and actually won that race.

was my crew chief when we raced

that it was built for a dwarf to sit in

kilos.

wheels!

races.

“Gordon’s never always irght at the front, but he keeps chipping away at the car all day and then, with 10 or 15 laps to go, he’s into it.”

When it came to the road courses

Touring Car Championship and joined Dick to take the winners’ laurels in the Shell-sponsored Falcon at the Sandown 500.

The d)mamic duo also claimed a brilliant victory that year with a Mazda RX-7 in the Eastern Creek 12-hour Production Car race.

Having amassed five Australian Touring Car Championships, three Bathurst 1000 wins and two Sandown 500 victories between

1981 and 1995, Dick and his team have experienced all the highs and lows of the tin top class during its sometimes painful evolution.

Stateside, the not imrealistic expec

So how does Dick - who was

tation was that Dick, with his

recognised in the 1997 Australia Day Honours list by being made a

tremendous depth of road racing experience, would come into his

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(AM) - view the category in its cur rent V8 Supercar iteration?

“It’s a close-knit group of people working together, I feel, to achieve the best not only for themselves, but for the category - if the catego ry fails, so do they,” he stated.

“So I think we’ve finally got it through the thick skuUs of some of

them that to be successful you must have a successful formula.

“And it most certainly is a suc cessful formula and it’s growing at an alarming rate; the number of cars this year is a significant increase over what it was last year and that’s basically because it has good management in place.

“To my own detriment, I probably think a lot more about the category than I do about my own future, but I believe that you can’t have any eggs without the chicken and that means that the chicken definitely needs to be properly maintained and I can tell you that this categoiy is being driven by people who are at least as motivated as myself.”

The ‘Dick Johnson Farewell Tour ’99’ kicks off at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on

March 4-7, when Dick debuts his all-new Shell Helix AU Ford Falcon and launches his swan

song season. From his adoring Ford fans’perspective, though, black arm bands may well be the order of the day for the fanatical Blue Oval brigade.

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26 February 1999

DIM

FRANK MATICH PART TWO

?■

^ 11

The Open Wheelers After dominating Australian sportscar racing in the 1960s Frank Matich went into the '70s looking for a new challenge. He found it with Formula 5000. In the final part of the story DAVID HASSALL profiles the success story that the Matich F5000s became.

o

f all the racing greats of the past, you get the feeling that

Frank Matich would have thrived in the modem era. He was

a perfectionist and took such an interest in the technical side of the

sport that, had he been bom 30 or 40 years later, he would have embraced telemetry and data-logging even more than anyone else today.

“Oh, shit yeah,” he smiles when asked if he would have loved

telemetry. “It’s fantastic. I would love that.

“But I would think that today there’s stiU a lot more of that ot go.

To be able to measure your ride height under all the road conditions and braking and relate that to the performance you felt or could mea sure like they can today would be extraordinary. That’s great, but I’m sure there is still a heU of a lot ot go.”

When wascountry building- and the best Matich cars in the arguably the best in the world - he was way ahead of everyone else in terms of testing and analysing per formance.

He was also innovative. As well

as constmction techniques like his Armacell composite materials described in the last edition of

Motorsport News, Matich was at the forefront of aerodynamic devel opments such as wings and ground effects.

The photo of his Lotus 19B sports car in the last issue clearly shows a rear wing he produced - a couple of years before they began to appear

pants off me. You just couldn’t do much with it.

“Anyway, one time I was looking in the mirror and I was sure that

the bodywork had more dome in it than when it was stationary. It was lifting. So I just screwed a piece of aluminium across the back to create

M Formula 1, Can Am and Indycar programs, so McLaren asked Matich to develop the F5000 and sent out the prototype MlOA, which was efiectively an M7A Formula 1 car with a fivelitre stock-block Chevrolet V8 in

place of the usual three-litre Ford Cosworth racing unit.

a dam and that worked like you

“Bruce ran out of time to do devel

wouldn’t believe. Then we made it

opment of the MlOA and it was suf fering for that reason, so he asked me ot take on the development of it.

with slots so that it could go up and down. That was the first aerofoil

you would ever have seen on a car.

“And slanting the radiator down and bringing the air out over the top ... that would have been the first car you would have seen that done on.

These were design innovations that would soon become common

place on racing cars around the world, both open-wheelers and

So the MlOA was sent out here.

“I drove it around and it scared

the pants off me with the Chevy in the back. It would have been the

first Formula 5000 with a rigid beUhousing ot carry the suspension and we found it was flejdng aU over the place. As a matter fact. I’ll never know how the bloody things didn’t fall off.

“We fixed all that up, then the

sports cars.

MlOB [the first of which Matich

Matich cars briefly raced in theFl-style early 1960s, when he used ot match it with the

big names of Grand Prix racing in

built entirely in-house] was a devel opment of that.

“It had a lot of improvements in the tub, was a fair bit lighter, we

Matich contested only the first two rounds, winning one andfinishing second in the othe.r At a time when he

was getting $25 for a win in Australia, Matich pocketed US$7000 ($11,000) in two races!

on Formula 1 cars.

“We used to do a lot of things that were not common,” says Matich.

“We found ways to measure the difference in pressures between above and below the wings. We were able ot measure the pressure under the car.

‘Tou know, I knew about getting the air out under the car. We had

holes in the floor to stop pressure build-ups. We were getting ground effects.

“You never saw a wing on a car before I used one on my Lotus 19.

At Warwick Farm there were a cou

Familiar sight: Matich receives another winner's gariand after winning a round of the Austraiian Drivers’ Championship at Caider in 1973.

ple of fast corners where now and again that car would scare the

reduced the surface skins down a lot

the Tasman Series, before returning to the big sports cars that were his

with different type of riveting, used

first love.

our famous little Armacell bulk

However, after the Americans

heads, 13-inch wheels versus 15-

killed off the awesome Matich SR4

inch, that type of thing.

“All that information was given to Trojan and that’s what they did for

and prevented him from racing in the Can Am series, Frank turned

back to open-wheelers after an approach from his friend Bruce

the MlOBs. I think we made the

McLaren.

With Formula 5000 booming in

What Matich fails to mention is that the MlOB went on to dominate

America and about to take off in

F5000 racing all around the world.

England and Australia, McLaren wanted to develop a car which would then be built and sold by Trojan, its customer company.

But the factory team was busy with its growing and highly success-

wheels here and the uprights.”

rank decided to race his own

FMlOB in the big American L&M

series in 1970 - fitted with the new

Repco-developed Holden engine. If he was out ot prove a point, he cer-

26 Februdry 1999

oY^

29

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ry

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Business as usual: Matich was dominant in what was perhaps the most competitive domestic open-wheeler series ever seen in Australia. Left, his A50 Repco has already built up a healthy lead early in the 1972 Sandown round of the Tasman series. Following are the Lolas of Bob Muir and Frank Gardner, with the Elfin MR5s of John McCormack and Garrie Cooper behind.

Another model, same result: The A53 was no less successful that its predecessors. Above, the car leads John Leffler’s Bowin in the Australian Grand Prix at Surfers Paradise. John Goss took out his only AGP in an identical car.

(Photos by Ian Smith and Ray Berghouse/Chevron)

ultimately solved, Frank and the team had terrible internal prob lems, much of it centring around crew chief Carroll Smith. Though highly respected as an engineer, Smith was noted by some as some thing of an eccentric ... and the

to keep it going. We could have, but...”

And that was basically the last the sport saw of one of its greatest ever dri

team suffered a succession of

vers and constructors.

At the age of 38, Frank Matich walked away from the sport to restore his own health, nurse his \vife back to health, help raise his three daughters and son

killed testing his latest sports car at Goodwood in England. Frank

engine failures which had nothing to do with mechanical problems.

After 13 engine changes in four races, the real culprit was foimd.

At the same time, Frank’s wife Joan, who organised the team of 13 people, fell seriously ill. With the series gone, there was no good rea son to stay so they came home after only five of the nine rounds.

“We were going to go back but with Joan sick it was just not possi ble. She had to have a spinal fusion operation and was in hospital for six months. With aU that going on, rac ing was not a high priority.”

was devastated and decided he did

Back home, Frank converted one

not wish to continue working for the company, deciding instead to

of the US cars into a side-radiator

tainly succeeded.

Matich contested only the first two roimds, winning one and finish ing second in the other. At a time

when he was getting $25 for a win in Australia, Matich pocketed US$7000 ($11,000) in two races!

Despite leading the series, Frank had no hesitation returning to Austraha.

“I could reaUy only stay away for a short time. You know, I had four kids, work, the race tyre distribu tion business. And, to be honest, they were very good races and

great facilities but they were not top drivers so it was no great chal lenge. The fields were huge, but many of the drivers were on dope r»

Soon after Matich returned to

Australia, Bruce McLaren was

build his own F5000 for the 1972 season.

The winner Matich out of A50the was box and another after a year of development - when the car became the A51 - Frank decid ed on a full US schedule in 1973

with three cars and a big team, but again the technical bugs bit hard.

Just as it did with the SR3, a prob lem with the Repco engine saw him down 125 horsepower and at a loss to find out why.

It turned out that the engines were ‘hydraulicing’. Because the Holden V8 block is narrower than

the Chevrolet used by everyone else, the oil was not draining out of the top of the valley at very high revs and the drag from that acted like a brake. It needed scavenge

model with a wedge nose. The A52 was raced once before being written off by guest driver Bob Muir, then Matich built two properly developed A53s for the Australian half of the

1974 Tasman Series (having desert ed the New Zealand leg becaiise of perceived rorts in the travel and prizemoney funds).

ButMatich. the worst to comeknow for Not was manyyetpeople this, but just before the first race he was horribly electrocuted on a boat.

For 11 minutes he lay slumped over the boat’s battery and at one stage he was dead. But, as the amps dropped in the battery it acted like a heart pacemaker and kept him ahve.

Frank was never the same after

that. Still with a hole in his chest, he ran three of the Tasman rounds

pumps to remove the build-up of oil.

but can hardly remember them.

But it took a long time to figure this out, by which time the series was gone and Frank was tearing his hair out. There are no high

Despite that, he somehow led his second-last race until a water pump packed up.

With Repco considering its future in racing because of the energy cri

speed circuits in Australia where the problem would have arisen and - because it showed up coming out of high speed corners - the team thought it was a chassis problem and wasted a lot of time making radical changes which did nothing to help.

Even when this problem was

sis at the time, Frank considered

phasing himself out of racing. He spoke to Vem Schuppan about dri ving for him, but the local promot ers didn’t want to pay anything to have an international driver. It was

all getting too hard.

“I talked to the family and the

rest of the crew and we decided it was too difficult

Kris

(who

later

raced

Formula Ford and now

works for Goodyear) and build up a thriving busi ness.

But it

was quite

a

remarkable ride while it lasted.

[23 Frank Matich will be one

of the special guest presenters at the MotorSport Awards in Melbourne on March 2.

Blue leader: Matich had almost as much to do with the development of the McLaren Ml OB as the McLaren team - and Trojan, which built the cars - did

themselves. Here he leads at Surfers Paradise in 1971. (Photo by Ray Berghouse/chevron)

dowi^to It: M^h leads the field

Getting at Sandown in-1973. This is during the

Gold-Star race. 9nd he is»driying the A51^ * :

-

30

lMo)O®[F0[JXDl7O

26 February 1999

Somewhere over

By Marrin D Clarl^ ■ Charlotte Motor Speedway is no more ... at least in name anyway.

CMS owners Speedway Motorsports Inc announced the sale of the naming rights to the track for the next 10 years last week to Lewes Home

Improvement warehouses for a

reputed US$35million!

Lowes Motor Speedway will possibly set a trend that has been seen in other professional US sports for many years and one that brings in extra revenue for stadium owners.

Lowes come on board after

losing it’s ‘Official Home Improvement Store of NASCAR’ to Home Depot this year.

Lowes also sponsors Mike Skinner, while Home Depot launched a deal with Tony Stewart this year.

second

■ It looks as though Chevrolet’s new Monte Carlo, which GM was

hoping to debut at Charlotte in May, will now probably be making its first appearance at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis in August.

NASCAR has yet to approve the body style, which was unveiled to the public in both race and road trim at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this month.

NASCAR has stressed that it is

not going to make a mistake similar to the one it made with

the Taui-us by allowing a car that is not in line with its rules of

parity. Approval for the new Monte Carlo will come once NASCAR has had further time to

study the car and any aerodynamic advantages that it may inherently possess.

■ Winston Cup ‘rookie’ Tony Stewart has confirmed that he

will attempt to mn both the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 at

Charlotte on May 30.

John Andretti is the only driver to have attempted and accomplished the feat to this point.

■ Bill France Jr, 66, announced on Februaiy 10 that he has

stepped down from the day to day mnning of NASCAR - he will, however, remain president.

Mike Helton has been

‘WONDERBOY’ Jeff Gordon,

hot off claiming his third Winston Cup title in his short career, began the 1999 season in fine style by winning his sec ond Daytona 500 in just three years - the race being labelled one of the most exciting 500s in the past decade.

Gordon, not content with having taken home literally US$10million in prizemoney last year, also claimed another of the Winston No Bull million dollar bonuses to take

home an amazing US$2,172,246 for the day - the largest-ever US motorsports payoff for one event!

125 Qualifying Races Race One

ToAmerican gain entry the have ‘Greatto Race’in you

biggest single purse ever

impressive at 194.553 mph.

Bobby Labonte, last year’s 500 pole-sitter, earned his first Daytona victory when he held off Gordon to the flag in the first qualifier.

Labonte took

Green was not so lucky, though.

Final result: B. Labonte, Gordon, J. Burton, Schrader, Martin, Spencer, M Waltrip, Pressley, Marlin, T Labonte.

the lead from

Gordon on lap 39 of 50 and held on for a 0.163-second advantage.

Just prior to the race, Labonte’s Gibbs team changed engines because they were disappointed with the performance during prac tice, the move obviously paying off.

A wreck on lap 1 was a major blow to four drivers - Wally Dallenbach came off turn 2 and put two wheels on the apron to pass a strong Kenny Wallace in the Andy Petree Chevy.

Dallenbach bumped Wallace and the result was a crash that also took out Jeff Green and John Andretti.

“I guess the guy (Dallenbach)

Race two

The second 125 race who was was all about Dale Earnhardt, looking for his tenth straight 125 win, so it was no surprise when he

passed Stewart for the point on lap eight and held on for the victory.

Dale Jarrett pursued Earnhardt for much of the race, but he was by passed by Jeremy Mayfield for the nmner-up slot before the chequered flag dropped.

The second race featured two

wrecks, the first on lap 26 when Dick Trickle ran into David Green, eliminating both from the big race, the second for rookie Glen Morgan, who spun out on the front stretch.

Stewart did a great job of rallying

qualify through one of two 125-mile

didn’t know the difference between

qualifying events held on February

the apron and the race track,”

11.

remarked Andretti, who used a

Gordon and rookie of the year candidate Tony Stewart were the only two drivers guaranteed to

back-up car for the big race, only to

out of the top ten at one point.

Final result: Earnhardt,

retire on lap 25 with engine prob

Mayfield, Jarrett, R. Wallace,

lems.

start in the 500, as the two fastest

“If there was anything good about it, at least we weren’t up to

Skinner, Stewart, Lepage, Hamilton, W. Buiton, Cope.

Sadly, 16 drivers failed to qualify

in regular timed qualifying always have that honour - Gordon was the

only driver to post a 195 mph speed

speed yet.”

Andretti,

at 195.067 mph, with Stewart in

Wallace would start the 500 thanks

his

to some fast qualifying speeds, but

Joe

Gibbs-owned Pontiac

Dallenbach

and

to a sixth place finish after falling

for the 500, both rookies and veter ans - several drivers got in by the

skin of their teeth by finishing within the top 15, some had not

posted fast enough speeds to fall back on and others had no car

owner provisional points.

Robert Pressley, Ricky Rudd, Ted Musgrave, Rick Mast, Geoffrey Bodine, Ricky Craven, Rich Bickle

and Derrike Cope were the eight that scraped in.

Daytona 500 earlier, the big A; acementioned was considered to have been one of the best races in the

last decade, with plenty of close

racing and situations where three cars were side by side into the

turns.

The final 10 laps were intense, Gordon having to fend off Earnhardt, who was ducking, div ing and trying everything in the book to make it to the front.

“If I could’ve just got to him in the corner ... but I couldn’t get there; I just got beat,” said Earnhardt.

All this was before Gordon had

already picked off Earnhardt and then set his sights on Wallace, Wallace having nipped Gordon to the apron.

Earnhardt gave Gordon the push he needed and Rusty was left in the middle of Gordon and Mike Skinner to be outdrafted and

bumped back to eighth place at the finish.

Hendrick was not in victory lane

“Keeping him (Earnhardt) behind me was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to do in a race car,” said Gordon, who finished just 0.128 of a second ahead of the ●defending event champion at the stripe.

“Late in a race like that, when you’re making a charge, you take every opportunity you can,”

at Daytona to celebrate his team’s win. Hendrick, who is recovering from a battle with a

but we sure would love to be there

promoted to senior vice president and wll oversee operations as France looks to his future retirement.

It will be the first time since the fomation of NASCAR that a France has not been at the helm.

H Jeff Gordon’s team owner Rick

Earnhardt countercommented.

“We were happy to get second,

virus and flew back home to watch the race on TV.

in victory lane.”

After the pair took the che quered flag, Earnhardt bumped

■ The often controversial Tim Brewer has been released from

the side of Gordon’s car, leaving a doughnut on the door for the year the car will stay on display at the

his duties as crew chief for David

track.

rare foi-rn of cancer, developed a

Green at Lany Hedrick Motorsports. Brewer will remain as a consultant on the team, while team manager Mike Hill will crew the car until a

replacement is found.

Continued next page Missed by that much;

Defending Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt followed Gordon’s

#24 across the line by just 0.12 of a second.

(Sutton Images)

R

aE(D(ko)[?sm®[70 The biggest wreck spurred cau tion three on lap 135, when Dale Jarrett, who was forging forward again, appeared to be hit from behind by his team mate, Kenny Irwin.

The nudge sent D.J. into a wild spin and roll, causing a massive and spectacular 13-car pile-up involving Jeff Burton, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin, Joe Nemechek, Terry Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Steve Park, Ricky Rudd, Ward Burton, Rich Bickle and for mer winner Geoffrey Bodine.

A hot under the collar Jarrett

was asked by reporters after the event if Irwin had hit him: “I’ve

said a hundred times, I don’t know

who hit me - don’t ask me again!”

Previous week’s Bud Shootout

winner Martin said he was waiting for the wreck to happen, his chance of a second Daytona win out the window.

The fourth caution on lap 174 aired when Bobby Hamilton turned head-on into the back

first time on lap 58, holding on through tour 121 and taking con trol again on lap 153, before Gordon muscled by with 10 to run.

Without question, Wallace defi nitely had a car strong enough to

of a million dollar bonus.

The Joe Gibbs team-mates, Bobby Labonte and Stewart, who grabbed two of the top three start ing spots, both suffered engine woes to finish 25th and 28th, respectively.

Surprisingly, they both suffered with broken welds on the intake manifolds where the restrictor

plate fits - the welds dropped into the engines in both cars.

Jimmy Spencer was another with bad luck and bad judgement.

While running up front, Spencer, in the #23 Winston Taurus, ran over some debris which he felt - but he chose not to

pit and ultimately cut a tyre and hit the wall to air caution two on

bling for pit strategy, with leader

lap 123, this coming after Kenny

Wallace and Penske team mate

Wallace stalled his car for the first

Jeremy Mayfield choosing not to pit and change tyres.

Wallace had led 104 laps to that point and he was partly responsi ble for the decision that ultimately

caution period on lap 96.

“Looking back on it, mpybe if I had a little more grip I might have been able to hold that bottom line a little better.”

wauan NASCMl

year of trying.

But his Penske stablemate, Mayfield, ran dry of fuel in the closing stages, ending his chance

Bill Elliott.

This incident left teams scram

“I didn’t think I’d get freighttrained that bad,” said Wallace.

31

win the race in his seventeenth

stretch wall as he dived to pass

cost him the race.

26 Februery 1999

Irwin finished a career-best

third, with Mike Skinner fourth,

though yet again no one would draft with him and his extremely strong Childress Chevrolet.

Michael Waltrip - driving for Mattei Motorsports, who switched from Ford to Chevy over the win ter - finished fifth, his first top five in over two years, after run ning in the top ten most of the day.

- MARTIN D. CLARK

Wallace grabbed the lead for the

Nice trophy, now where’s the cash: Jeff Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham were all smiles after another Daytona 500 victory. (Sution images)

aossr SINCE the cancellation of the February 13 super speedway round at the Calder Park Thunderdome there has been a tremendous

“The feeling among the competitors is good for the

amount of discussion throughout the industry about NASCAR racing and, using the less than happy competitors’ views as a guide, it appears that Australian NASCAR racing is now at the

Grand Prix next month and we should have some

crossroads.

The popular opinion is that this form of car racing is entertaining, fast and spectacular.

But Ken James, who made his super speedway

debut back in 1990, believes that NASCAR racing is at rock bottom.

“It can’t go any lower, so there is only one way that it can go and, if a few people get their act together, it may only be the dark before the dawn,” James said.

“My sponsor Revell has stated that it will remain with me next year with whatever category I go with at this stage, it will probably be with NASCAR. “I believe we had our opportunities back in the mid-nineties and blew it - most of the competitors believe this is the last chance. We can’t afford to have

our sponsors bruised anymore and we don’t want our racing equipment devalued any further, so the cate gory has to go up.”

James believes that the economy is not the prob lem, “because the V8 Supercar category has gone from oblivion to heaven in the past three years, so the money is there if you have a good marketable prod uct; as we stand today, we don’t have a product like that.

“When you walk into AVESCO’s office [the organi sation running the V8 Supercar category], there are three copies of The NASCAR Way’ on their shelf and I’m told that the book is compulsory reading for any one that works with their company - everyone at Calder Park should be made to read it.

“They must lift their game, or themselves, to a pro fessional high and, if they can’t do it, or won’t do it, the sport needs to employ an outside promotional company.

“We need an American NASCAR person over here assisting with the running of the series,” James added.

“Jane Sewell, the marketing manager at Calder Park Raceway, is in the US watching the NASCAR racing and she is in for a huge culture shock.

“We are dealing with a bunch of people, apart from Bob Jane, that has not witnessed a Winston Cup NASCAR meeting. They haven’t experienced what it’s like to part of the Speedweek at Daytona, or been to the Coca-Cola 600, or been with 135,000 fans at

^._a±a X

- r'i

Bristol, so they have no comprehension of what hap pens at these meetings. Some of them have only seen parts of the NASCAR races that are shown on Foxtel.

“I had a meeting with AVESCO to find out why they have become a juggernaut in the motorsport industry, leaving everyone in their wake,” James explained.

“It was a fact-finding trip and not to be seen as a move to break away. I won’t support a move to break away at this stage, or probably never. It was a fact

1

thing like 29 cars there - plus, after the recent teamowners meeting, I believe that 20 to 22 cars will be

lining up at the scheduled April 3 meeting at the 'Thunderdome.

“The NASCAR teams are going to donate $1000 each from their prizemoney to help other competitors to get there - the core group voted on it and it was unanimous, so we should have three more cars out

there on the track in April. There is a lot of good feel ing among the teams, but they are a loyal and dedi cated group that can only go so far.”

Fellow team owner Scott Williams believes that the

category is going through a tough patch, but is sure

that, with more races on a variety of tracks inter state, the sport will flourish once again.

“Jon Davison, the promoter of Sandown International Motor Raceway, is looking at the possi bility of running the NASCARs at his venue and I believe he will be talking to Bob when he returns from America,” said Williams.

“He asked me about the feasibility of running the NASCARs for 500 kms around there. He also men

tioned that some of the other promoters are looking for other categories to run and we are being consid ered.

“NASCAR driver Barry Blake seems to have man aged to put a package together and we’ll be racing our cars in Indonesia and Malaysia, providing the sanctioning is approved. After two years of negotiat ing, Blake appears to have a $300,000 prizemoney package arranged and that would be another option for the teams - but we’ll have to wait until he talks to

Bob more about the project.”

In the meantime, Williams is hoping to raise extra funds for the final round of the series in April.

“One of my major sponsors was coming out from China to watch the February round of the series at the Thunderdome. But, when the event was can celled, they tightened the purse strings, so I’m look ing for additional finances to ensure Russell Ingall races our The Fireworks KingA^ision/No Fear Chevrolet at the series grand final.”

Preparing one of his Shell Helix Racing Ford Thunderbirds for the Qantas Australian Formula One Grand Prix support event is Gene Cook, who has adopted a generally positive standpoint.

“The Grand Prix field for our cars will be just under 30, but who knows really, as some guys just don’t turn up - but the entry list looks to have 25 to 26 reasonable cars on it,” stated Cook.

“At the car-owners meeting, we decided to rally around and help each other so we could come up with some reasonable grid numbers and, hopefully, we’ll have around two dozen cars at the April event.

“The meeting was positive. Lots of people have dif ferent ideas and there are a million and one rumours

money.

flying around, but there is no breakaway group, or anything like that.

“It’s a case of dig in and help get our own sport going. We all like the oval style of racing, but if we have to go road racing occasionally to keep everything together, so be it. Actually, I’m looking forw'ard to the Grand Prix races. If we can go back to the IndyCar

“Its time for all of the crap to stop. I have a lot of respect for Bob Jane, but none of us are going to fall for the carrot-dangling anymore; we have had too

event, plus race at Bathurst and Albert Park, along with some oval track meetings, we’ll have a good series that will be attractive to our coiporate suppoi1>

much of it.

ers.

finding mission so that we can present something to Bob [Jane]. We want to work with Bob, to perhaps save Bob some money and possibly make him some

r

there is any category that would have the investment that the NASCAR teams have.

“I’m all for a Japanese and South Pacific Series, but we must not forget the domestic side of things, as the fans are here. We must get them back to Calder Park with good fields and good racing. There are 35 good cars in the country, so we’re well-equipped as a group and, outside the V8 Supercars, I don’t believe

“Once the team owners representatives have met with Bob Jane and the Calder Park management

team, many believe that, as a united group, they will be able to move the NASCAR category and the super

speedway support classes back into prominence.”

-GRANT NICHOLAS

1998/99 AUSTRALIAN SUPERSPEEDWAY SERIES AUSCAR

NASCAR I. Z 3.

4 5.

6.

7.

8 9.

10.

A70 TenyWVhooi^#25BPCa-CareFDtdThtd KimJane,#27BohjaneT.marts/GoodyearChev645 MardGlBrewer,#8PemzoK3gweld4astrad<Chev.j63l Risd^#34Yi9onAlaTTWFrewot1<sKr«Chev.524 Neville Lance,#!4 Autopro Ford ThutKierbird ..606 553 Terry Byers, #26 Byers Motorsport Chev Boh Middleton, #95 Whiteline Transport Chev. 531 RocheyJane,#3BohJaneTelec]ommLncations Chev 530 GeneCook,#4l Shell Helix FordThunderbird ..444 .443 Ken James, #01 Revell/Wet Paint Chev

I. 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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8.

9.

Leigh Waddns, #47 Wadons Radng Falcon S20 MaOhewVVIite,#28hfax>Oi»Fie^terCdore 505 Nathan Pretty, #2 Dewah/GoodycarCdore —495 TonyMalley,#l6TfamstopGardenCtrCdore .470 DarenMtDordd,avisti»i HoldenCdore .454 Anthony Leitch, #66 Auit Heavy HaiiageCdore ..X35 Nicole Pretty, #3 Dewah/GoodyearCdore 422 Shane Houlahan, Houlahan Racing Cdore J94 Leigh Moran, Sheen Panel Service Hastings ....J9I

la

Edwad Woods,#S5 Head Stud Devd. Cdore

389

r

mmii

i SPORTSMAN

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Andrew G9espie,M>9PennzoVB&A Auto S20 Graeme GiB9and,#l8 Repco/G&G Engineering .478

3.

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RonSavas,<A0BaInarringPanels ....

Gerry Ralci^#a PPG Solar Warrior

.469

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Tony Howlett. #02 Pedders Suspensions

.452

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Sam hWton, #42 Chris MStonEngncD'mcnts...447 .438 John Umseher,#89 Union Steel

.461

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LeanneRoss,#l BobJaneT-marts....

412

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Chris Robmson, #54 Tyre Seal Dallas Crane, #30 Dalas Crane Racing

.41 398

32

26 fehmiy 1999

0,

Krikke claims WA Title he took out the

WA

●»#

Sprintcar Championship at Claremont Speedway on February 19.

And win he did on February 20. Jackson taking the honours from Jamie Jones, Marty Perovich, Kelly Linigen, Bob Jackson, Peter Attard, Garry Rush Jr, Warren Ferguson, George Tatnell, JJ Mineef, John

successive crown, with Krikke back in second.

But, with two laps remaining of the 25-lap feature. Wells had a bit

Walsh, Adrian Maher and Brett Leadsman.

of a ride on the wild side when a

rear tyre let go, sending him spin ning down the back straight and then nearly into the path of three approaching cars.

Fortunately for Wells, he wasn’t collected by the hard-charging bunch and was able to escape to the infield and out of harm’s way.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to finish the race and could only hide the disappointment behind his hel

■ PREMIER Speedway was host to the Victorian Super Sedan State Title last week

end, when Gippsland’s Peter Logue took out the event for the fifth consecutive year Sue Hobson’s report will be in the next issue of Motorsport

met, as I^kke survived the restart

benchmark, when he won from Pino Priolo and Sharon Marriott.

Krikke won the first heat from

John Shore in 1994.

Wells upped the ante even fur ther in the second heat, shaving another three seconds

off the

News.

Ron Krikke, new WA Champion. (Daniel Wilkins pic)

to win his first title since back to back wins in ’83/84 and ’84/85.

A new format was trialled on the

Ray Geneve and Gavin Migro and carved just over two seconds from the 12-lap record set by NSW’s

Championships - he wanted to win his last appearance at Parramatta City Raceway for the season.

After a strong night of racing that saw Krikke start on pole alongside Mark Wells, it looked like Wells was going to win his third

night that saw each driver compete in two heat races, followed by a pole shuffle for the top eight and then a pole scramble for the top four.

■ SKIP Jackson had one last

goal before leaving Australia for his shot at three consecu tive Knoxville Track

RON Krikke proved that to fin ish first, first you have to finish, when

Late News

ble, seeing each driver starting out on pole.

Haynes pulled up on the back straight with 17 remaining, bring ing on the orange lights and bunch

Migro won the first round of the pole shuffle when he defeated Allan Haynes, but his run was shortlived

row starts into wins, vrith the third

ing up the field.

round going to Geneve and the

as Marriott won the next round.

fourth to Wells.

Ant Kinley made a welcome return to racing, winning rounds over Marriott, Priolo and Geneve, before having his colours lowered

by Wells.

In the final bout, it was Krikke who completed the two laps first.

Geneve, Kinley, Wells and

After claiming a third and a sec ond and seeing Wells with three seconds and a win, the points were

At this stage, it was Wells from Krikke, Geneve, Priolo, Kinley, Farrell, Barry Bradford and Migro.

Farrell moved up another two spots in the next two laps and con

tied, but Krikke was award pole on

tinued his run forward.

a countback.

Wells got the jump in the feature, followed by Krikke, Geneve and Priolo and they cleared away from

Krikke then advanced to the four

Bradford and Migro enjoyed a great battle further hack, but it was Migro that moved through and started to clear away with 12 laps

the rest of the field.

remammg.

rounds of three laps in the scram¬

But there were plenty of exciting battles back in the pack that kept

With five laps to go. Wells led from Krikke, Geneve, Farrell, Priolo, Kinley and Migro and man aged to maintain a healthy lead when passing slower cars.

But it all came to nothing on lap 23, with bits of rubber flying in all directions on the #21 Murphy.

More gold for Fig MORE drama than you could poke a stick at and plenty of spec tacular crashes summed up the running of the WA 360ci Sprintcar Championship at Bunbury City and Regional Raceway on February 20.

The title went the way of Mike Figliomeni from Barry Bradford and Rocka Zemunik, but the crash two laps from home between front run ners Keith Giles and Jamie Maiolo was the talking point of the night.

Giles was leading from Maiolo and Fighomeni when he came onto the main straight and launched his #18 Speedtorque J&J big time off the back of Allan Nash’s slowing car and literally flew, before coming to land on Maiolo’s Maxim just before the turn.

It was a heavy crash and one that saw much of the barwork on Giles’

car twisted, especially around the left hand side of the cockpit.

While both drivers were lucky to escape injuiy, their cars were out of the picture and race fans were robbed of an exciting finish between the two Sprintcar guns.

Maiolo, who was defending his title, has spent most of the season rac ing Open Sprintcars and when he does, it is Giles who is his crew chief-

Krikke converted his two front

race fans on their toes.

Ryan Farrell, who many expected to win the event, struggled -with the car all night, saying prior to the feature race that the car wasn’t

allowing him to drive it properly.

But the Kendrick team appeared to find the irght set-up in the main event and, with three laps down, had already moved up from ninth

the lead from Farrell, Priolo, Kinley, Geneve and Migro and that’s the way they finished the

to sixth.

1999 title.

SECOND generation Lismore driver Mark Robinson survived

an early collision to snatch a

last gasp win in the 20-lap Dirt Modified

feature

event

at

Speedway

on

Archerfield February 20.

“It’s disappointing to finish hke that,” Figliomeni said after the event.

“But, in the end, it turned out to be a good result for us.”

Rooster Chev) looked to have the

Figliomeni had endured dramas early in the night when a shock absorber from the irght side of the car flew up into one of the lights,

putting the back half of the track into darkness and seeing some hasty

welding on the #76 Gambler in the pits.

The double Australian Speedcar champion said he had made amends for not winning back to back titles last year.

“Last year, we had an unfortunate end to the race in the Steve and

Shelley Coyle car. In the end, tonight, we got the result we came here for.”

Prior to the incident, Giles and Maiolo, who started on the front row,

had swapped the lead a number of times in an exciting race.

The night will also be remembered for two other big crashes.

The first was Peter Johnson, who received a tap coming out of turn 4, sending him into the fence, before tipping over.

The red fights came on, but seconds later Rod Howe came charging around and nearly collected the upside down car, before sneaking

between the wreck and the fence.

It was then Howe’s turn, in almost the same spot, as he ran his car through a big dust cloud left by a spinning car.

Howe slowed up and went wide in case there was a car on the track and, as he went back looking for a race line, he was clipped by Maiolo, sending the #63 Avenger tumbling for more than 50 metres.

A heated Howe stepped out of the wreck and charged towards Maiolo, remonstrating with the driver and crew before storming off to the pits.

-DARREN ODEA

some serious inroads into

Steven Graham’s lead in the

Richard Petty Driving Experience $100,000 Speedcar Super Series, with only two rounds remaining in the fourstate, seven-round tour.

After annexing his second Australian Speedcar Grand Prix only a fortnight prior, Jenkins turned his attention to the SSS

round at Charlton Speedway in Toowoomba and took a small win - Dave Lambert was second in

the 30-lap O’Brien Aluminium feature, ahead of Graham, Darren Jenkins Hamilton.

and

Rob

Pointscore: Graham 4790, Ti-oy Jenkins 4490, Lambert 3550.

Darren Jenkins 3480, Adam

Clarke 2780, Glenn Cox 2410, Adam Baines 2050, Gerard Burke 1945, Peter Bourke 1865, Mark Brown 1505.

-DARREN ODEA

Robinson^s thriller

and he will be the man that has to repair the car he landed on!

Figliomeni, who won the title two years ago, had little trouble winning

the race in an anti-climax.

On the restart, Krikke inherited

■ TROY Jenkins is making

Toowoomba’s Ray Klarich (Super race wrapped up after assuming the lead on lap 3, only to have Robinson slip through the inside as the pair encountered lapped traffic on the final lap.

Exiting turn 4 to greet the white flag, Klarich opted for an outside pass around the dicing Ian Bilston and Jeff Butcher, which enabled Robinson to draw alongside.

Remaining up near the fence through turn 1 on the final lap,

Klarich was powerless to sto'p Robinson moving through to assume the front running with the chequer in sight.

Robinson’s race looked over as

early as lap 2, when Ian Vickery spun in turn 1 and was hit hard by both Robinson and Australian

champ Stuart Heme.

Heme was forced out with a flat

tyre, but Robinson resumed in

From this point, Robinson quick ly progressed through the field and slotted into second spot on lap 7.

Ayers spluttering across the fine in

Shawn Mortimer (Craftsman Homes DSR-Chev) collected third

ical attention after he was forced

place, ahead of Rob Schofield and early leader Wayne Reynolds.

Mark Owen, polesitter Dave Conlin, Shane Malt, Peter Hfll and Bilston completed the top ten.

Owen was a comfortable winner

third spot.

Dave Donaldson required med into the turn 2 wall on lap 6 by Peter Campbell, who was sent to the rear for his actions.

Terry Laffin flipped out of con tention on lap 8 and Campbell, charging back through the field, also finished upside down a lap

of both B-grade heats and the Agrade qualifiers were taken out by

later.

Heme and Robinson.

duced a field in excess of 20 cars

The only major incident through out the preliminaries occurred when Gary Wathen slammed the turn 2 concrete in the opening heat.

■ Litre Sprintcars were out in force, with 20 cars in attendance on

and put on some great racing.

The two preliminaries were won

by Steve Swingler and Julie Vine, both of whom executed last lap passes to secure victory.

The B-Main was a corker, with

a track that had developed some

Darren Dillon edging out Brad

deep mts, less than ideal conditions for these lightweight machines.

Brace Ayers (2), Peter Campbell

Hilder, Geoff Goebell and Brad

and Patrick Moroney, returning to the fold after a brief foray into the Sprintcar ranks, took out the heats.

Ayers moved from position nine to the lead in the feature after just two laps and looked set to finish the night undefeated, until a series of stoppages resulted in him running

out of fuel with just two laps

eighth position, despite extensive damage to the side of his immacu

remaining.

late Valvoline Soward-Ford.

win ahead of Damien Emery, with

Peter Nankervis inherited the

■ Compact Speedcars also pro

Sloan after a race-long scrap.

The first attempted start in the 15-lap feature was aborted when Hilder and Goebell spun to avoid an airborne Frank Cox.

Once underway, the race ran without interruption, as Swingler sliced through from position 12 to grab the lead as early as lap 5.

Rod Singleton flew home in the closing stages to snare the runnerup spot, ahead of Goebell, Vine, Scott Aldred and Darren Bamier.

-CHRIS METCALF

26Februdry 1999

0x5

33

Third AGP

for Troy Jenkins narrowly defeats Clarke and Morris at Speedcar Grand Prix IN winning the 1999 Australian Speedcar Grand Prix at Wynns Newcastle Speedway on February 6, Troy Jenkins joins an illustrious group of multi crown winners to have claimed more than two AGPs.

In narrowly defeating Adam Clarke in the 49th running of the great race, the 27 year-old supervi

winners list, “but it’s pretty cool to be up there with names hke Revell, McGavin and Tattersall.”

Jenkins overcame a class field and a red hot race to win at

Newcastle, though it was far from an easy ride.

Driving the #6 Dominator Engines Fontana Jackson, the most consistent driver in NSW had to

“It’s not something I think about a lot,” Troy said when quizzed

work very hard to dislodge early race leader Clayton Pyne.

Pyne, the son of Cessnock Super Sedan driver Ron, is just 16 years of age and shows remarkable matu rity and race craft for a “kid” so

about his induction into the multi

young.

sor with BOC Gases from Mortdale

(NSW) now has three AGP trophies to his name.

Top trio: Runner-up Adam Clarke, AGP winner Troy Jenkins and third-placed Brett Morris. (David Lamont) Driving for Bob Woods and Steve Smith in the car dubbed “the Smith and Woods Saturday night special,” Clayton has barely ten races to his name but is already knocking on the door for his first main event win.

Pyne led early, but after Jenkins

sizzled past on the outside in turn 2, the teenager was shortly relegated to third courtesy of Adam Clarke and then back to fourth with thanks to Brett Morris, Morris, who always looks sharp at Newcastle, continued his long list of top three placings at the Hunter Valley cir-

Triple prize: Australian Speedcar Grand Prix winner Jenkins moves around fourth-placed #11 Clayton Pyne. (David Lamont)

win by a car length from Clarke, with Morris gun-fighting his way to third over Pyne.

Luck can be such a deciding fac tor in racing.

Just ask Steven Graham.

pristine #17 Mini

The 30 year-old QANTAS aircraft mechanic had been braining the field in rounds of the $100,000 Speedcar Super Series and also domestic NSW racing in recent

Pickers Fontana-

weeks.

powered

Just the night before the AGP, he was in Perth, racing at Claremont

cuit, driving his Harris

car.

Clarke was quite inspirational, com ing from the back

in (what critics say) was the race of

of the field with Steven Graham to

Though he finished second in Perth, Steven was pleased with the

eventually thread his way to second.

With a lap to go, the Hunter Valley

result.

Hurricane whittled

Jenkins’

or

the decade \vith Neville Lance.

Using his spare car (which car is actually the spare in the Graham two-Stealth inventory we don’t

had

know) at Newcastle, Steven was

away

dazzling in his heats and looked to

lead

to

half a car length and, coming up on lapped traffic with a lap to go, it was make time.

for the West Australian State Title

break

be the man to beat in the main.

Unfortunately, while forging for ward to the top six, he tangled with Les Porter in the #33 KHP Fontana

and rolled heavily in turn 2.

Miraculously, the #41 Gaerte restarted and Steven went to the

he saw the familiar

rear, a place he wouldn’t be spend ing any real time at in the next lap.

Sizzling back to third, a stoppage brought out the yellows and put

bright

Graham back to fourth.

Heavy traffic

lapped slowed

Jenkins, but, when green

shades of Clarke’s the front-end, leader knew it was

Back at the greens, it looked like a huge comeback was on the cards, until he noticed a growing vibration

time to push the pedal that little bit

ultimately sideline him with a bent

harder.

Troy took the

in the rear of the car that would differential as a result of the crash.

-WADEAUNGER

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34

26 Febaiafy 1999 80

(j"

r5

.

New Champ: Mod Prod Title winner #30 Stephen Laidlaw rounds up AUS#1 Greg Worling. (D.G. Photos)

fi

i.'

1 I

MADSEN SIGNS OFF WITH A WIN - It was Kerry Madsen’s last race in Australia this season, so the gusto with which he suc cessfully attacked the main event at Parramatta City Raceway on February 13 was hardly surprising.

He was looking to back up the runner-up spot in the National title at Warmambool the weekend before with a convincing win at PCR and, in the end, that’s exactly what he got. (Swanson pic) - WADE AUNGER

REIGNING Australian champi on Mick Nicola, racing the Traralgon Car City Camaro, is leading the Super Sedan Southern National Series after

the first two rounds - sponsored

by Traralgon Auto Repairs and Lucas Oils, Nicola’s Chev-powered IROC Camaro took two

wins over the two series nights held at Rosedale and Mildura.

Victorian State

venue.

Titles

for

the Modified

Production class held at Wangaratta City Raceway on February 12-13.

Max Carlin filled in behind Laidlaw for second with

In the Standard Saloon class, Peter Patton led

home the field, with Bayden Stuart and Tony Alderidge taking the remaining places on the podium.

Commodore, came home third.

High 18-second lap times were recorded for the

Brian Delarue won the VSC Sports Sedans class, crossing the line ahead of David Pronk and Brian McKee, while the VSC Modified Sprinters saw Ken

Modified Production class around the Wangaratta track, with many of the large crowd on hand com-

Comeluis.

his TE Cortina, while Trevor Mills, also driving a VK

Nolan take the win, ahead of Mike Giffin and Terry

crowd to a fiery display as the two raced together down the back straight, Trewin looping the Toyota Soarer as they came three-wide into the turn with Daly on the

As the laps wound down, Logue, who had pulled out a fair lead, spun himself in turns 3-4, thus finding himself relegated rear of field for

Milbrae Quarries VR Commodore, with one heat win each going to Nicola, Greg Wilkins and Steve

the restart.

inside.

This put Nicola in the lead when racing resumed, Higgins and West dicing for second and Higgins dri ving under West to take the posi tion as they crossed the line Whittle crossed fourth, followed by

Once again, Logue took the lead when the green flag fell in the fea ture event, but a snapped fan belt saw him retire with oMy seven laps

Logue maintained the lead as racing resumed, the field working itself out as the laps were put on

wins from three starts in the heats.

Other heat wins went to Mark

the board.

Trewin (Western Autos) treated the

menting that the action for both nights’ racing was some of the tightest and best they had seen at the

Champ Nkola leads series

The Repco Motorsports Camaro of Peter Logue qualified pole for the Rosedale feature, after taking three Smith (Hussey Performance), Darren Shaw (Dark Zone), George Napier, John Kamilowlcz, Col Warren and Rhett Daly.

Logue took the lead when the green flag fell in the final, but the caution was triggered with only one lap completed - Smith and Geoff

ROSEDALE club member Stephen Laidlaw took his VK Commodore to victory lane at the

Lionel West (Central Springs Inn Daylesford) came under Bill Higgins (Aquatek Sportsfield Drainage) to take over third behind Nicola with 10 laps down, while at half race distance Scott Whittle

(IPTA Fibreglass) was awarded rear of field after coming together with Ian Page (Page Transport), Page maintaining fifth position.

Debbie

Reddecliffe

(M

&

J

Wreckers), George Courtot (Daylesford Truck Sales & Wreckers), Mick Kiraly (Du Pont) and Page.

■ Logue took two heat wins for Mildura’s second round of the

series, as did Lucas Roberts (Ultra

Steel) and Wayne Aylett in the

EUis (D.C.I. Painters).

on the board.

Racing continued and, although several further restarts were effect

ed, the top two positions remained unchanged for the remainder of the race, with Nicola taking the che quered flag, followed by Aylett and Andrew Keen.

Higgins (who drove a strong race) made a lunge across the line to take

Nicola then took over the lead,

fourth from the Motion Autobam

with Steve Stewart (West Torrens

Dyno) in second.

Unfortunately, Stewart received

Falcon of Paul Tindal, with Roberts crossing in sixth, followed by Wilkins, Whittle and Darren

a rear of field when he came in too

Hickman.

hard, Stewart looping the Camaro and triggering the yellow. This put Roberts into second, although, after racing resumed, Aylett moved under Roberts to take the position.

Nicola had pulled out almost half a lap on second spot when a pile-up in turn 2 saw the yellow out again.

With bonus points for promo tions, the top 10 pointscorers after two nights of the series are: Nicola 672, Logue 610, D. Reddechfie 540, Tindal 397, I. Giles 377, Trewin 365, Higgins 352, Kiraly 326, Courtot 312, West 297.

-SUE HOBSON

Ik

: OHIO’S Phil Gressman, driving the BC ;Motorsports Gambler, is the 1999 King of Mt Gambier after leading all 25 laps of this year’s Kings Challenge on January 28-29.

Gressman, the Eldora- track champion who shared the front row with Sydney’s Skip Jackson, blasted off the line at the

start and was never headed, despite the best

O’Neill finds form LISMORE Super Sedan pilot

'

Paul O’Neill continued his

recent winning form when he took

;

!

efforts of the triple World Series Champion.

10

of the

Coastline Vehicle Transport Super Series at Archerfield Speedway on January 30.

In front of another bumper Nissan Camaro from position four in the 30-lap feature, moved into the lead on lap 10 and kept series leader John Leslight (American Truck Parts Camaro) at bay to col

saucer.

While the 1999 running will be remem bered for Gressman’s win, it will also be

lect his second feature race win in

remembered for a couple of other reasons, one being the contentious points structure which had many drivers unhappy and, sec

as many weeks, along with a new track record.

In a New South Wales trifecta,

ondly, for the unbelievable decision not to have any comer marshals with radio com munication to the chief steward, which

Tania Smith (Shell/NBN Camaro)

snatched third place in the last cor ner with an aggressive move beneath early leader John

meant that most of the passing occun-ed on the infield not on the race track.

McGeorge (AS Concrete Pumping

Also, with the absence of names like

Pontiac).

Dumesny, Tatnell, Brazier and Hannagan, the event lost a bit of atmosphere.

With continuing complaints from drivers and spectators about the irdiculous loading of points towards time trials, the Mt Gambier club needs to look seriously at the

The four qualifying heats were taken out by O’Neill, Smith, Ross Brims (SEQ Fuels Pontiac) and Rod Gough (American Truck Parts Pontiac).

point structure used if they want the name

drivers to attend and to compete throughout -BRE'TT SWANSON

round

crowd, O’Neill started his Lismore

Completing the top three finishers was Queensland's Andrew Scheuerle, who seems to have taken a liking to the Borderline

the event.

out

Victor: Phil Gressman (left) and Skip Jackson. (Swanson)

The Westhens Finance Top Ten Shootout saw O’Neill cut the quick est lap, before drawing a four inver sion in the pre-race lottery.

Gough was second quickest, ahead of Leslight, McGeorge, Brims, Michael Gee and Smith, who was far from impressed with a blunder by series officials that resulted in her taking her run against the clock much earlier in the order than she should have.

■ The inaugural Weatherall Prestige Autobody East Coast Formula 500 Classic was also on

the program and attracted a very strong 30-car field.

Queensland champion Laurence Quagliata (Shell Advance Rotax) was in scintillating form and blitzed the field in the 15-lap fea ture event, lapping everyone out side the top five placegetters.

Bundaberg’s Mick Pronger, who led the opening stanza of the event until Quaghata went to the front on lap 5, finished in second place.

The New South Wales duo of Roy Urpeth and Tony Prior were next best, ahead of Kris Finglas, who

lowered the one-lap record during hot laps, Chris Alcorn and Eddie Schwehla.

16 year-old Aaron Finglas looked to have a top five finish secured, until he flipped out of contention with just two laps remaining.

-CHRIS METCALF

PENHZOIL

35

AD'VER.TISEM ETsTT

Pennzoil-Quaker State

merger complete HOUSTON, Tx: Last month

Pennzoil Company and Quaker State Corporation announced the completion of a major restructuring, including the spin off of Pennzoil's Products

Group, that combines the mar keting, manufacturing and fast oil change businesses of Pennzoil with all of Quaker State.

The

combined

company,

Pennzoil-Quaker State Company,

trades on the New York

Stock

Exchange with the symbol PZL. Pennzoil Company has been

renamed PennzEnergy Company and

continues to be one of the largest U.S.

based independent exploration and production companies.

The merger brings together prod

uct lines from two companies long recognized for quality and value.

With annual revenues of US$3.2

billion, Pennzoil-Quaker State is

the world's biggest automotive con sumer products company.

It has more than 1,300 products that are number one brands, most notably the number one and num ber two selling brands of motor oils in the US market - Pennzoil and Quaker State.

Houston, we have lift-off: With the Pennzoil-Quaker State merg

er now complete, the company's motorsports efforts, such as Mike Thomas' NHRA Pro Stock team, are all systems go. (Burgan photo)

The company also owns the num

ber one and number two fast oil

chanqe operations. Jiffy Lube and Q-Lube. Major brand automotive consumer products marketed by the oint company include Slick 50,

lain-X, Blue Coral, Medo, Gumout, Classic Car Wax, Axius and a host of others.

fifty years since the Formula

Mechanic of the Month Tim Gleeson - Skip Jackson Racing After gaining his inden

tures he moved further a

in all of the A Mains we ran - that's what leads to titles."

field to the US, teaming up with a selection of dri

Summer Gleeson will be

Braeside.

Sprintcars and last month

with them and, a fair amount of the time, beat

vers that had raced on

major goals in life when Skip Jackson scored his

them."

Australian tracks during

Series Sprintcor title at the

like Sid Moore, Max

their winter breaks.

"I learnt that you have to finish races before you

the

During this US Fall and

travelling with Brooke Tat-

nell as the young Sydney

racer challenges for the

1999 Pennzoi World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year Award.

Gleeson will be basing

Pennzoil/Skilled Engineer

himself out of Tatnell's

ing sprinter.

Memphis raceshop during his fact finding trip.

"If I'm going to keep ahead of the visiting US

In late '97 Gleeson oined the Jackson fami-

y's team as their crewchief, the team going on to win the '97/'98 WSS

drivers and also the

title plus a host of other A-

teams, Ineed to spend some time visiting the Out

Main Features.

other major shows to gain more experience and

was so successful, and the

comradeship amongst the

knowledge," Gleeson said.

team so good, that it

"The knowledge and

ensured Gleeson would remain with the team for another successful WSS assault.

Speedway and over the

years Iwatched all of the best Sprintcor teams and drivers race there," said

Gleeson.

'The Americans used to

come to town and virtually

ocal

laws races and some of the

The change to Gleeson

Warrnambool's Premier

experience you gain by

being with tne top 50 so Sprintcor teams in the world will definitely help me prepare for Skip's next

or

Extremely skilled: Skip Jackson was able to win his third straight WSS title thanks to a great crew, including crew chief Tim Gleeson. (swanson photo)

Dumesny and Brett Lacey along with a host of other local drivers as he completed his motor mechanic apprenticeship at Triple Diamond Automotive in

mmSi

Jackson now retuns to the Unit ed States to contest the Knoxville

A

Chris Borschman, the Managing Director of Pennzoil Australia, out

lining the company's marketing and sales plans for the year.

"This is the company's first time on television in Australia and we

track championship - a series he has won for the past two seasons - and he's hoping the team can make it three in a row.

Good luck Skip!

■ Pennzoil's Top Doorslammer driver Peter Kapiris heads to Perth's Ravenswood International

Raceway on Saturday February 27th with his sleek Studebaker

Champion for the seventh round of the 1999 ANDRA Australian

During the sixteen Formula One telecasts Pennzoil branding will be

Formula One telecasts, prior to Mr.

"I grew up close to

commented a delighted Jackson.

Nine's Melbourne studio. Formula comed Pennzoil's involvement in the

of

"It was great to win our final Australian race of the season,"

PENNZOIL

Pennzoil is sponsoring Nine's live coverage of the entire 1999 Formu

One presenter Darrell Eastlake wel

wheel

entries.

looking forward to running in Perth this weekend," Kapiris said.

"If we have good weather and

la One Grand Prix season.

Earlier last week at Channel

third successive World

that attracted approximately 40

Studebaker and we're really

Wide World of Sports team.

As a teenager Gleeson helped Sprintcor legends

and a fourth in the earlier heats

"Pennzoil protects engines from the stress of stop-and-go driving, which makes up the majority of dri ving that Australians do, and that is the message we will be delivering to

commercial via Channel Nine's

he achieved one of his

JL

his

Borschman.

launching their new television

with the preparation of

strengths will lead to accelerated worldwide growth, increased finan cial and strategic flexibility plus strengthened merchandising.

used

will be launching a sensational 30second commercial, plus a billboard and pull-through that will feature in

the fans and Pennzoil will be

seat time in their cars.

"Now were able to run

Jackson

Pennzoil/Skilled Engineering sprinter to good effect in the 30lap A Main Feature after starting from position 16, scoring a third

Top Doorslammer Champi onship.

of open-wheeler evolution and innovation will be presented to

wanted to be involved

USA.

Pennzoil all the Nines for GPs launched at the famous Silverstone circuit in Great Britain. On March 4 - 7 at Albert Park those five decades

whip the Aussies 'cause they all had much more

another season of racing in the

business mix and geographic

One World Championship was

Since he was 14 years old Tim Gleeson always

tralian summer before he-returns to Knoxville next month for

Pennzoil-Quaker State's unique

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18: It's

■ skip Jackson won the Ports Plus Sprintcor Stampede at Syd ney's Parramatta City Raceway on February 20, his final appear ance during the '98/'99 Aus

win them and collect championship series points is most important, During this season's WSS series Skip's car completed every lap run

WSS title defence.

"Hey, Iwould dearly like to notch up three titles in a row and provide Skip with his fourth champi onship win."

the Formula One telecasts," said Mr.

the Australian consumers."

featured in Nine's Wide World of

Sports studio where Eastlake and 1980 World Formula One Champi on Alan Jones will provide the view ers with updates and all of the latest news related to this exciting motorsporting series.

"We've made considerable

progress with our new Pennzoil

track conditions, and Perth's

known for being pretty good, we'll run hard and with the best of them in the bracket."

The Pennzoil Studebaker

Champion is powered by a 518 cubic-inch (8.49 litre) super charged Keith Black powerplant that consumes in the region of 29 litres of methanol fuel every time that Kapiris completes a 6.5-second / 220-rmph pass.

Product

.

Highlight Pennzoil Street Machine 25W-

50 Motor Oil is a premium

recommended.,

Pennzoil Street.Machine 25W-

quolity, higher viscosity multi- 50 Motor Oil is SH rated for petrol. grade oil designed for use in engines, and exceeds the

high performance and street performance requ^emente of petrol

applications, particular y 6

^1

and 8 cylinder big block

owner's manual for

motors.

Street Machine 25W-50 is

ffie recommended viscosity choice before use.

formulated with Pennz-7 Molecular

Technology and is designed to

- '.f

retain excellent oil pressure and l|^

film strength in large capacity performance engines.

Pennzoil Street Machine 25W-

50 provides better cold temperature flow properties than mono-grade SAE 50 or SAE 60

I

rated lubricants. This means easier

cold starting while still maintaining high temperature performance.

Street Machine

25W-50

is

particularly suitable if the engine or rings are worn or if oil consumption is a problem when using lighter viscosity grades.

For methanol

or nitro-methane

fuelled engines, Pennzoil GT Performance Racing Oils are

STRSET MACHINE 3SW-S0«/»

sums

36

26 Februaiy 1999

mmrm k

. By Brett Swanson Tatnell tackles Outlaws ■ Brooke Tatnell is currently in

.

America preparing for the biggest challenge of his Sprintcar racing career as he sets himself up for an attempt at winning the presti gious World of Outlaws Rookie of

\

the Year title.

Tatnell left Australia on the

Wednesday immediately following the Australian Title, heading to his Memphis base along with Tim

S’

“Moth” Gleeson, the World Series

Sprintcars Championship-win ning Crew Chief of Skip Jackson’s PennzoiiySkilled J&J.

“I’ve got seven cars and four motors that we’re leasing from Roger Johnson, who I drove for last season in the States,” Tatnell explained, shortly after winning his second Grand Annual

Sprintcar Classic.

“There’s four J&Js and three

kits and, along with Moth and Peg from Andrew Scheuerle’s crew, we will also be assisted by Michael Johnson. The whole deal

will be backed by Kele & Associates and we’re looking to do some different things with it from a marketing point of view.”

Tatnell makes up a group of Memphis-based drivers known as the Kele Gang, which includes Sammy Swindell, Jeff Swindell, Greg Hodnett and Tatnell.

Tatnell believes that, after

twelve years of racing Sprintcars at the top level in Australia and the USA, he has the experience it takes to compete on the gruelling World of Outlaws tour.

You can keep up with Tatnell on the Kele Gang web site at httpy/www.kele.com/kelegang.

NAPA turns up heat ■ Support for the 1999 Outlaws season continues to grow, with the huge National Auto Parts Association (NAPA) chain throw

ing its support behind the series as sponsors of the heat races NAPA will now also become the Series’ official Auto Parts Store.

“We’re thrilled to have NAPA

come on board with us,” World of Outlaws president Ted Johnson

said. “We look forward to a long, successful relationship with this fine company.”

Steve Handschuh, president of NAPA, was equally excited about the agi-eement.

“NAPA is pleased to become the official Auto Parts Store of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws

\

Winner John Leshght. (Graham Jordan pic) \

Brooke Tatnell: WoO rookie,

in air flow management and per formance gains in all areas of motorsport, including NASCAR and all fuel-injected categories.

Smith , whose father Steve Smith won the Channellock

Mechanic of the Year award, drove his Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit to 13 feature wins last sea

son, but a run of engine failures in May killed the team’s chances of a series championship.

ParkerStores for Schatz ■ Donny Schatz, who recently completed his first tour of the West Coast of Australia, has secured support for his 1999 Outlaws campaign fi-om Parker Hannifin and the Fluid

Connectors Group.

Schatz, the 1997 Outlaws Rookie of the Year, will feature signage on his car from ParkerStores.

“We’re confident Donny will do a great job representing ParkerStores,” said Jeff Sloan, Marketing Projects Manager.

“We’re looking forward to an exciting partnership.”

Schatz has been racing competi tively for eleven years and is expected to be a front-runner dur ing the Pennzoil World of Outlaws

Series’ 1999 season - you can fol low his progress on

httpy/www.parker.com/racing.

Carr’s return ■ 1991 Rookie of the year Jim Can- will return to drive the Joe

Blevins-owned Up Front Phone Cards J&J.

Last season, the driving was shared between Blevin’s son

Lance and Danyn Pittman.

Series,” Handschuh said. “The

Blevins is confident that Carr’s

series has developed into one of the strongest racing series in the United States in terms of expo sure and racing excitement. This

return as a driver will be success-

addition is a natural fit to our more than 6000 NAPA stores across the nation and fills a void

geographically in our present motorsports line-up. We are truly excited about the 1999 season.”

More Smith support

■ Stevie Smith, the winningest

driver of last year’s Outlaws sea

son, has secured additional sup port for his 1999 campaign from a joint collaboration between Wix Filtration Products and Kool

Racing Products.

The two companies have devel oped a new filtration system for Sprintcars, Speedcars and Modifieds that has proven results

fill.

Hillenburg’s streak continues ■ Andy Hillenburg, the man with the longest streak of qualifying for World of Outlaws Series fea

ture events (457), will be endeav ouring to continue that streak,

which dates back to May 29,1992.

That task should be made easi

er for Hillenburg, thanks to the backing of Luxaire for his previ ously basically unsponsored J&Js.

Dollansky’s Gambler house car ■ Craig Dollanksy, whose up and down rookie season netted him

the Vivarin Perseverance Award, will hit the trail in his own

JOHN Leslight took advantage of a lapscoring mix-up to take out another controversial Super Sedan feature event with victo

ry in round 11 of the Coastline Vehicle Transport Super Series at

Toowoomba’s

Charlton

Speedway on February 6.

Blair

Granger

(Racers

Warehouse Pontiac) looked set to record his maiden feature race win

after taking the lead from United States test team captain John Soares on lap 17, only to spin with five laps remaining and trigger the

restart that enabled Leslight to inherit the lead.

Jamie McHugh, whose Miami Suspension Camaro was without brakes for most of the race, finished in third spot.

Kelvin Hamilton was the stand

out performer throughout qualify ing, recording the fastest time in hot laps, topscoring from the heats and then lowering the track record

when he cut the quickest lap in time trials.

Unfortunately, the talented youngster fell victim to the format when he inverted the top six for the feature, relegating himself to the

steering, Hamilton withstood a late charge from McHugh to narrowly win heat three, with Brian Missen (ABS Camaro) almost half a lap back in third spot.

'The final heat was a straightfor ward affair, with Leslight

had managed to keep Leslight at bay throughout this series of stop pages, untH Leslight finally slipped underneath immediately after pass ing the back straight restart mark-

(American Truck Parts Camaro)

plete that lap, McHugh dived beneath Granger and the latter went spinning infield, prompting

untroubled from the front row in

downing Soares and Granger.

The Westhens Finance Top Ten Shootout saw Hamilton, who is des perately in need of sponsorship, scorch his way to a new lap record time of 14.903 seconds.

McHugh, who also went under the previous record, was next best, ahead of Leslight, Shelton, Soares and Granger, who found himself on pole position when Hamilton drew the six inversion.

turn 3 wall after contact with

Beaurepaires Camaro.

Ross Brims (SEQ Fuels Pontiac) outpaced the field in heat two, fin ishing ahead of Soares and Leslight.

Despite an absence of power r

ish.

Commodore), Bruce Marshall (Federal Tyres Commodore) and

opening stanza.

Graeme Lehmann (Wynns Commodore), who was making his first appearance since his frighten ing accident at this venue on Boxing Night.

Shirley, Corey Brough, Geoff

The first stoppage came on lap 14, when Newcastle visitor Allan

Shirley spun his Kurri Fabs Camaro in turn 2.

similar incidents.

Chris Stacey was transported to hospital after he slammed into the

Stewards ruled a ‘racing incident’ and reinstated Granger to the lead, due to the fact that a lap was yet to be completed since the resumption.

After a lengthy delay, Leslight stopped to remonstrate with offi cials and was then promoted to the lead for a four- lap sprint to the fin-

to lead Granger, Leslight, Shelton, Hamilton and McHugh through the

from his extensively damaged

Don Shelton (Pennzoil Camaro).

another restart.

launched from the outside front row

Newcastle’s Alan Shirley.

Knocked unconscious on impact, a lengthy delay ensued while ambulance personnel extracted him

McHugh put his new powerplant to good use in the opening heat, downing Hamilton and California’s

Back in turn 4 and about to com

Granger remained in second posi tion when the chequer appeared, followed by McHugh, Missen, Shelton, Paul Geary (Infinity

When the green flag flew to get the 30-lapper underway, Soares

Upon resumption, Shelton took third from Leslight briefly, until the latter regained the spot with an outside pass.

The next stoppage came on lap 18 when Shane Milburn spun in turn 4, as an overheating Hamilton headed infield in a disappointing end to his challenge.

Further interruptions came on lap 24 and 25 when Shelton and Soares, making their final appear ance this season, spun in turn 2 in

outside of row three.

er.

O’Keeffe

(Caloundra

Exhaust

Falcon) and Milbum completed the finishers.

- CHRIS METCALF

SRA cancels its Redline round ROUND 7 of the SRA Series scheduled for Ballarat’s Redline on Speedway

February 20 was cancelled

due to a lack of hghting.

Both Americans were banished to

The venue uses portable light

the back, although Soares opted to park his Pennzoil Camaro rather

ing for its night meetings, but the hire company was unable to sup ply the required lights, as the Avalon airshow had already

than continue.

Persisting with his use of the

high part of the circuit. Granger

secured all available units.

sm ri IVICA Title to Jason Feltham A

r

i

JASON Feltham convincingly claimed the hon ours at Speedway City early February when the inaugural SA State title was run for AMCA Nationals.

Roimding Out a Victorian trifecta, Feltham’s father

Les, 54, the current Australian champion, snatched runner-up ahead of Footscray’s Chris Best, after the leading locals suffered reliability problems.

One of the prime movers in establishing the AMCA division in Australia, Dale Matthews, was on hand to help officiate at the largest assembly in Adelaide of these V8 racers since their introduction two years ago.

A 15-car line-up fronted and the Felthams ran off

with early honours, placing one-two in the opening heat and revelling in the greasy track which shcked off nicely later in the program.

Adelaide’s Brett Chadwick comfortably won the remaining two heats, the placegetters being Aust#2 Bob Furlong from Scoresby and Jason Feltham.

As highest pointscorer, Chadwick started the 20-lap final from pole and quickly opened a gap on the 12-car

grid - the local seemed assured of taking the honours imtil his engine went off around the halfway mark.

Chadwick was gradually reeled in by the pack and was passed first by Feltham Jnr on lap 12 and, a lap later, by Les Feltham, whose Westland Body Repairs car made contact as he slipped under the local’s ailing mount.

A consistently performing Best helped himself to third place on the last lap, leaving a disappointed Chadwick to salvage fourth, ahead of Furlong and Mick Reidy from Mt Macedon.

The program also featured the Speedway City Super Sedan Cup, which was left wide open after last year’s winner Peter Drew was unable to front, having not quite finished repairs to his Pontiac after a huge 'TriCity crash earlier this season.

Both Rocky Caruso and Steve Stewart visited victory

lane when the 20-car entry contested four hectic heats, but the 15-lap feature eventually went to Stewart over Caruso and Steve Murphy, the result a repeat of the - DAVID McNABB placings from two years ago.

26 Febmry 1999 37

Shock end to

Tesar, Swede Jan Andersson and

British teenager David Howe.

American Biliy Hamiii and Aussies Leigh Adams and Mark

rTf:

Wigg's career Speedway and Longtrack leg-

end Simon Wigg is over.

The former World Longtrack Champion originally suffered a

He had intended to ride during the Aussie summer, but these

plans were abandoned after the surprise collapse.

However, a holiday in Australia

had left him feeling fit and well but he collapsed while checking in at the airport to return to England.

REIGNING

Australian

Formula 500 Champion and Tucker Time King of Wings Series sponsor Trevor Harding finally won back some of his own money when he claimed round five of the series at

Hamilton’s Western Speedway on February 13.

Despite the fact that he has failed to win a round so far this sea

son, multiple and defending series champion Ken Willsher still heads the points chase narrowly from

Boyce is joining fellow Aussies

Wigg said “ I don’t know what I next,” Wigg said.

Todd

South Australian sensation Luke

DiUon, who has won two rounds.

Harding, who does a lot of racing on the east coast despite being based in West Australia, started out of position three in his Aus#l Tucker Time Murphy and was never headed for the remainder of

the event, leading home Dillon and West

Australian

team-mate

Anthony Chitty.

Willsher grabbed the points lead with a fourth place finish.

Harding signalled his intent from the opening heat as he led all the way, despite stoppages for firstly Grant Sealey, who hit the wall and

sidered also signing ruled this out.

Adams’ hopes of joining Hull club signed former World Champion Sam Ermolenko to join Joe Screen and Aussie

international riders has been

organised for Wigg at Oxford on March 28.

-TONY MILLARD

Photo by .Mike P.ntrick

Tucker Time

for Harding Stallard

and

Darren

Aussie 1-2.

Willsher held onto third from

Dillon, while John Williams was just beaten into fifth by Troy Anderson’s ABS Rotax Kenser.

Hogan led heat three through

to Belle Vue, following the depar ture of Sam Tesar back to his par ent club, Peterborough.

The Kansas-born Californian missed the last British season

having ridden in Australia the pre vious few months, but he’s keen to return to Britain.

“I would prefer to go back to Belie Vue,” he said, “but, if not, I would like to join another Elite League club.”

evaporated when the East Coast

A testimonial day involving top

Disbuiys Castrol car.

Darryl Willsher led them all in heat two in his DW Motorcycles Rotax Kenser, until a slip up on the last lap saw both Chitty and Harding slip underneath for a West

Leigh

Adams, but points restrictions

house to be nearer all facilities,

Rotax

Steve

has ridden for the last ten years.

The Oxford promoter had con

because I can’t drive.”

Willsher was working the Suzuki Kenser hard and grabbed second before the finish, with Danny Hogan’s Motorola Stallard third, ahead of Graham Mollenoyux’s

and

transfer listed by Poole where he

know what I shall do for a living and I will probably have to move

Rotax Harris.

Wiltshire

Johnston at Oxford, having been

.

then Jason Loveday, who rolled his

American is hoping to Chris make Manchester a shock return

Ascolumn, exclusively forecast this Sydney star inCraig

was allowed to fly home,

blackout at his Buckinghamshire f^ home in England back in what the bottom of this and find out is causing the attacks. I don’t

November.

places.

By Tony M i

After two days in hospital, he

THE track career of English

Lemon are other possible targets for the Peterborough top three

second from Ian Burrows (Motorola

Stallard) and Darryl Willsher.

Chitty was leading heat four in his Suzuki Murphy from Garry Bruce (Don Bruce Toyota Stallard), Anderson and Harding, when Dillon’s car rolled to a stop with a blown engine.

Chitty went on to take a big win, with Bruce falling back to fourth.

Ken Willsher led away the final heat, until his cousin, Darryl, wrested away the lead by taking the low line.

Ken Willsher and Chitty both threw out hard challenges at Darryl Willsher, but were unable to him

from the lead Anderson was fourth.

In the champi onship points chase, that dropped heat proved costly for Dillon, as he fell six points behind Ken Willsher

(270

have become the first club to con

firm their line-up for the season.

to

rider Mick Powell is set season at

Glasgow in the Premier League, although he’s yet to put pen to paper.

The 29 year-old has spent part of his break from Britain back home.

“It was great to get back to Australia to see my family,” he

Frank Smart, the 29Champion year-old Western Australian who had become a near perma

cautions for Paul Campbell and then Disbury - Ken Willsher was

unseat

Shane Parker as their top three.

Paul Thorp, Ray Morton, Garry Stead and Lee Dicken complete Hull’s seven-man team - and they

for I Sydney another

said. “I had not been home for

two years.

nent fixture at Exeter, has joined

“I’ve not done any racing, but I watched a couple of meetings -

rivals Newport to race in the

the Aussie Under-21 final and a

British Premier League.

At Newport, he’ll join Sydney rider Craig Watson, who he met

round of the Dave Tapp series.

"Since getting back to

up with at the Aussie final in

ting back into a routine and also looking for a new sponsor.”

Mildura.

With his best bikes already on the way to England, Smart

Scotland, it’s been a case of get

Britain’s TV deal has, at long-awaited last, been concluded

regarded the Aussie final almost as a duty, despite the expense incurred on the round trip from

and the contract only awaits the signing by the British Promoters’

Perth.

Chairman, Chris van Straaten.

“It’s an expensive deal that I doubt I’d do again, but as State

match will be shown

Champion I thought I should go and give it a shot,” he said.

Jason Crump has finally agreed terms

to

return

to

Peterborough, newcomers to the British Elite League - last season, he rode on loan at Oxford.

Fellow Aussie Nigel Sadler will also be in the Peterborough team, stepping up from racing last year for the club in the lesser Premier

League.

It is looking unlikely that Brett

It means a British Elite League live on

Satellite TV each week from early May until mid-September by Sky Sports.

The pictures will also be

beamed live to Poland and nego tiations are taking place for a highlights package to be shown throughout the world.

All being well, it will mean the likes of Jason Crump, Craig Boyce, Steve Johnston, Todd Wiltshire, Brett Colyer and many more will be seen on screens

across Australia throughout the

Woodifield will be able to reclaim

winter !

his place at the East of England Showground, as Peterborough has already signed Czech Sam

be shown live and these should also reach Australia.

All six Grand Prix meetings will

Dillon’s 264) - Darryl Willsher is third on

254, followed by Harding (241) and fellow West Aussie

Classic & Vintage

Ken Sartori (202).

The next round of the Tucker Time

King of Wings Series will be held in Tasmania at Carrick’s Cranes

Combined Speedway on February 28.

-BSWANSON

Top dog: Pointscore leader Ken Willsher heads Paul

McDonough’s F500.

Max Dumesny Motorsport

THE Victorian Classic and Vintage Speedway Club is gathering at Maribymong Reserve, Raleigh Road, Maribyrnong (Melway 28 B7) on Saturday, March 27.

Meet some of the legendary irders and drivers from the golden age of speedway, before competitors were hidden away behind fibreglass and aluminium billboards.

Lovingly restored bikes and cars will be on display and tall tales will be told from mid-day onwards.

In true Traceys Speedway tradition, all proceeds from the afternoon will be passed on to the Royal Children’s Hospital (Jood Friday Appeal.

For more information, call Max Miller on 03 9560 8883, or Ken Izzard on 03 9370 5942.

1998/99 VICTORIAN SRA SPRINTCAR SERIES

Australian Distributors for

Xoo$irr 1

POINTS STANDINGS TO JAN 24TH. I. 2.

3.

i

4.

For more information on Hooaer Drag and Speedway Tyres call:

6.

^ ^ RACING TIRE

Tracey’s annual Good Friday show

NSW: 02 9679 1990 Fax 02 9679 1187 VIC: 03 9331 6477 Fax 03 933 / 7444 SA: 08 8332 0800 Fax 08 8364 0296

5.

7.

8.

9.

10.

TimMcCubbin 1475 Mike Van Bremen ... .1474 1297 jeffjudd Ron Rankin ...

1227 1223 Phil Johnson — 1072 Stephen Bell .. ,974 Bob Forbes ...

968 Rod Matthews . ,936 Ian Thomsen .. ,931 Wayne Milburn

SIMPSON -JAN 23RD. I. 2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Mike Van Bremen Ron Rankin Tim McCubbin Gerard Boult

Daryn Maggs Bob Forbes Rod Matthews

Wayne Milburn Ron Dalton Frank Ransdale

38

lMo)9®[PSfj)®[79

26 Februdry 1999

Bucks down; Andrew Searle

■ Calder Park’s round of the Top Doorslammer, Alcohol and Bike Series’ last weekend played host

gave an impressive display in defeating his more fancied opposition with his self-funded Ford Customline, top qualifying at the event & going on to win over Victor Bray in the final.

to a number of international

guests.

Swedish nitrous Pro Mod

racer Jorgen Johnsson was seen walking through the pits as was Craig Morrison, son of well-

(Photo by Chris Carter)

Phillips and the rest of the field.

Philhps, however, still had almost

known American chassis builder

Art Morrison and US Superbike

two-tenths on the field and had

star Colin Edwards.

Fellow American Mark

seen some signs that he was on top of the changes he had made to the

Connor actually competed at the event, riding to a win aboard the Xcessive Force nitro Harley in Top Bike.

Connor left Australia - along

Lucas Oils raO over the break.

keep the revs down to a sensible

with his ANDRA Christmas tree

level where things will live,” com

- last Monday, while both

mented the parts-conscious Phillips.

“Since we made those changes we have lost our top end. The 242 mph speed we ran in qualifying 1 think shows that we’ve cured that prob lem - we’ve got the top end back.”

Those gains almost came to nought in the first round against

“We have changed the gear ratios in the transmission and the rear end from last season in order to

Johnsson and Monison will con

tinue to holiday in Australia for the next couple of months.

Edwards, meanwhile, will con tinue on with his testing sched ule for the Castrol Honda

Superbike team at Phillip Island for the next couple of weeks.

the VDO altered of Tom Easton.

B While no official word has

come through as yet, we believe the ’99 Nationals will benefit fi-om the cancellation of the

February 13 round of the NASCAR, with Nationals taking over the NASCAR event’s tv

dates.

What that means is that the Nationals will have two onehour slots on Channel 10 with

the first show being broadcast the very next day, March 21st!

The second show will appar ently appear just one week later.

B Continuing on with the Nationals theme, word from within Calder has the competitor

entry fee for the event at $180 a far cry from the rumoured

$400 that has, apparently, sent many teams into a spin. Entry forms have yet to be sent out, but are expected soon.

CALDER PARK’S biggest meet ing of the year, apart from the Nationals, gave the large crowd on hand a taste of what is to come in four weeks time as the

Top Alcohol, Top Doorslammer and Top Bike racers did battle in the respective roimds of their championships.

The Top Alcohol brigade turned in the performances of the meet as, firstly, Gary Phillips blasted out a fine 5.79/242 in order to qualify at the head of the field.

Steve Harker then waited until

the last run of the night before unleashing a 5.78/243.24 mph that scooped the points for both top speed and low et, as well as do\vn-

ing Phillips in the process.

It made Harker the first Aussie alcohol FC into the 5.70s and also marked the first occasion that a

Funny Car had won a national event in Top Alcohol since Steve Reed won at Calder back in 1996.

While Harker and Phillips were slugging it out, Victor Bray was busy fighting off the challenges from aU quarters.

Andrew Searle and Peter Gratz

sent out the message in qualifying that they were here to play hard ball as they both qualified in the 6.50s while Bray struggled a bit to make third with a traction-troubled 6.66.

The final boiled down to a Bray v Searle affair and it turned to be a

Seventies heaven; Steve Harker ran an historic 5.78/243 while taking

the final in Top Alcohol over friend Gary Phillips. (Photo by Winkier/Thunderpics)

Cinderella story for the low-buck Queenslander, as Bray over-pow ered the track and crossed the cen

treline, while Searle took his first ever win in Top Doorslammer with

a safe and sohd 6.60/206 mph.

The Top Bike field was basically dominated by American Mark Connors, as he ran several low

seven-second passes in eliminations en route to a strong victory for the Xcessive Force team.

Brett Stevens overcame some

problems in qualifying in order to pose a threat to the visiting Texan in the final, but the Jack Daniels

Harley fell just short in the final of one of the tightest rounds of Top

The non-ANDRA sanctioned

block rail up to click off a 6.03, while the rest either shook the tyres or just couldn’t produce the power.

Steve Reed provided some sup port for fellow Funny Car racer

events are held twice a month, on Wednesdays, with the cost to

run at the events being just $30.

Racing starts at 5pm.

For more information, contact Eastern Creek Raceway on 02

Harker when he nailed a 5.97 at

240 mph in the second session to narrow the gap marginally between

9672 1000.

He elected to just stage and take the win hght rather than test the track, putting him into his third consecutive final round of the

championship.

The quest to put a Funny Car winning card when both Reed and

other runners coiild break into the fives let alone threaten the 5.7’s.

Harker’s 6.01 was the nearest and Mark Brew wound his small-

in both competitor and spectator

Brew.

into the wiimer’s circle was dealt a

His off-the-trailer 5.79 seemed to

numbers.

Phillips then had the luxury of a solo run in the semi after Wayne Newby was unable to front after dropping valves in winning over

Going into the third round of the Top Alcohol series, Phillips had built a commanding points lead after securing two wins and gaining bonus

almost break the back of the oppo sition, particularly as none of the

racing meetings continue to be a great success with recent events experiencing a dramatic increase

7.51/120.

Bike seen for some time.

performance points along the way.

B Eastern Creek’s off-street di-ag

Easton, who had qualified in eighth position with a 6.62/211, knew he had to get out first but went way too early with a .246 foul.

Had he waited for a clean green he may well have made it to the semis as PhiUips’ mount shook the tyres and almost crossed the cen treline, forcing him to back off to a

Harker won their first round races

on the opposite side of the ladder to Philhps.

Harker had stepped up to a 5.89 in the opening round, but his 5.94 was only just able to get around

Reed’s 6.00 after the Oldsmobile got the jump on the green.

“That was a very close race,” commented a disappointed Reed afterwards.

“I had softened the car up so that it wouldn’t shake the tyres on that run, but the air came in and it

made more power than we thought it would.

“I was ahead when it started to

shake late in second gear and, when my vision came back, he was about

three quarters of a car length ahead.”

● GP Hydros^^1

● Oz Hyrdros

● Oz Displacements L

liaiidS

.dke Glenmaggie DIG 28 February \m

Bound 4 GP Hydros - Paynesuille DIG, Easter 1888 For more details phone Ray on 08 8522 4808 or 0411 044 083

GRANS

* Oz Lites

J

THE 1

PRIX ^BOAT'S

26 February 1999 Harker and his Spectra Thermo King team have recently acquired a computer in order to gather data from each run and it was a pivotal piece of equipment in their final round victory.

His tough 5.78/243.24 thrashed Phillips’ valiant out-of-shape 6.45/205 that saw the Lucas Oils

rail use up all of it’s lane.

“This was our third meeting with the computer on the car. You think that you know what’s happening in one of these cars but, without one of these, you are really only guessing,” said Harker afterwards.

“We were able to keep it really rich and still go 243 mph because of the information it gave us. The cylinder temperatures were down by about 100 degrees and the caps are still on all of the plugs.”

While Harker has been a force to

be reckoned with in Top Alcohol for several years now, Andrew Searle is a relative newcomer to Top Doorslammer and may well be the epitome of the “bucks-down” racer who is aiming to achieve at the highest levels in the sport.

In just his second year of racing in the Group One bracket, Searle is on his way to developing a cult fol lowing just like Victor Bray enjoys.

The down-to-earth racer hauls his Ford Customline around on a crew-

cab tray truck that reflects where his priorities he - his race car.

The fact that the young crew travel the long miles in this style and then camp - rather than stay in motels - further adds to his image as a “racer’s racer.”

“We don’t have the stuff that some of the others have to race

with,” admitted a proud Searle as he loaded the Cusso up after his ground-breaking win.

“We’ve got a pair of ancient heads and we’ve only got the one magne to,” he said, in reference to many of his opposition, who run the latest in fat heads, screw blowers and dual maggies [magnetos].

“The old Rootes blower does us

quite well - we can’t afford to move to a screw blower, anyway.”

Searle and his crew were almost

happy to pack up and go home after they finished qualifying at the head of the field, his 6.51 putting him ahead of Peter Gratz’s 6.57.

It was almost a confirmation for

them that they belonged at this level of racing, despite the fact that their operation lacked the 18 wheelers found elsewhere through out the pits.

39

The man who Searle faced off

against in the final needed no intro duction - Victor Bray is one of the most popular racers in any form of motorsport in the country, and his fans number in the thousands in Melbourne alone.

The Castrol driver hadn’t had a

happy day as the ’57 Chev was overpowering the track on every occasion it left the startline, but his

experience behind the wheel had enabled him to produce a thirdquahfying 6.66, despite shaking the tyres.

A 6.46/213 against the beautiful ’55 Chev of Dave Koop in the first round looked to say “Beware of Victor” to rest of the field, but it

came at a cost - a dropped valve on the top end forced a thrash in the Castrol camp in order to get things ready for the semis.

The pressure on Bray was sud denly released in the semis when opponent Peter Gratz was forced to shut down with a fuel leak.

Bray eased it off the line for a 6.63/212 in order to make it to yet another final round and extend his

already-significant points lead.

A dream came true for Searle in

the final when, after getting a bet ter reaction off the line, the Ford ran straight and true to a 6.60/206 to down Bray who crossed the cen treline, getting out of shape after shaking the tyres on the launch.

Texan Mark Connors took over the helm of the “New York Minute’

Harley of the Xcessive Force team and immediately stamped his authority on proceedings by run ning a wheel-carrying, tyre-smok ing 7.22/185 that saw him roll off the throttle momentarily to settle the awesome mount down.

With team-mate Murray Johnson punting the “Nu-Kid’N-Town’ cycle to a 7.31/187 for second, the Adelaide-based team seemed set to

at least get one bike into the final.

While Connors may not have been a reahstic threat to the cham

pionship, given that this was the fourth round, he was certainly able to make sure that others didn’t get the points that they wanted easily.

Brett Stevens, a crowd favourite with his tyre-shredding burnouts

He came, he rode, he kicked butt: American Mark Connors was brilliant aboard Peter Salmon’s Xcessive

Force Harley, top qualifying, setting low et and taking out a win on his Aussie debut. (Photo by John winWer/Thunderpics ) Full boar party animal: Brett Steven returned to form on the Jack Daniels Harley, giving the American Connors a great run in the final and closing him in on Craig McPhee's championship lead. (Photo by Chris Carter) pace with a stout 7.36/184 which was more than enough for a laterleaving 7.45.

With that confidence booster

behind them, the JD team managed to step the pace up another notch in the semis when Stevens went 7.25/188 to oust the V-twin of Steve

Little, putting him in the final.

However, the American went just that one better by thrashing a breaking Craig McPhee with a tough 7.13/189.

Connors had experienced prob lems throughout qualifying and the first round of eliminations getting off the line without smoking the slick, but the team managed to match the bike’s power to the track’s ability to provide traction from thereon in.

Connors’ own ability to tame the Harley was never in question as he delivered an impressive display on

aboard his Jack Daniels-backed

how to take control of a two

Harley, had fuel and ignition sys tem woes hamper him during quahfying before he overcame them in

wheeled nitro monster, wheeling it to a very strong 7.07/186 effort in

time for the first round.

It was a reversal of form which

ly for a 7.28/190 losing effort, recording the top speed in the

enabled him to drop Johnson in the very first round after picking up the

process.

the final as Stevens chased valiant

-GREG WARD

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40

26 Februaty 1999

THE 1999 West End Festival

State Championships held at Adelaide International Raceway on February 13 saw six-time Australian Top Alcohol Champion Gaiy Phillips extend his series points lead with a convincing win over a smaller than expected field, while local boy Danny Baines thrilled the

,

car coaoi

d r-

1 V

CQXf

i V

1

crowd with some unbelievable rims in his BB/Gas Camaro.

Quite the opposite to Phillips and Baines, though, was Top Bike rider Bill Curry, who crashed his nitro bike heavily and suffered serious injuries.

Over 150 entrants competed in the 11 eliminators and five national

records were reset, while a crowd of nearly 12,000 witnessed the action.

Round two of the alky series attracted just seven runners from around the country and qualifying produced fairly predictable results, with the class’ most experienced

.Jiome^h'6 advanjagei^S^^Illp

Phillips parties in the Festival State

campaigners leading the field.

Gary Phillips was cn top with the Lucas Oils dragster, having record ed a 5.90 to place himself ahead of the Spectra-Thermo King Avenger Funny Car of Steve Harker (5.96).

Former champion Steve Reed drove into third place with a 6.38, followed by Tom Easton (6.64), Mark Brew (6.66), Scott Ferguson

AIR win extends championship lead, McPhee takes Top Bike

(6.85) and a troubled Frank Intini.

Off the start line Phillips was first away and he maintained his advantage, going through to the

his Jack Daniels Harley into top

final with a 5.92/223 over Reed’s

second with a 7.77. Perth’s Ian

6.03/226.

Ashford recorded a 7.89 for third, with Craig McPhee in fourth with a 7.90. Rounding out the field were

Mechanical troubles bestowed

themselves upon Brew and Intini, with both racers pulling out from eliminations, further reducing the

to his second career final round, the

budget-racer electing to ‘stage and save’ his way into the final.

Naturally, with two old sparring partners going head-to-head, Phillips and Reed fought it out hard for the remaining finals berth.

Ferguson, who had won the

field.

The opening round saw Phillips take the earned bye run, recording a solid 5.87/233. Reed was too good for Easton, recording the win with a 6.05/225 to a 6.72/206.

Adelaide alky round last year, was hoping for a repeat dose of luck, although the six-time Australian champion had his own ideas and the Lucas Oils digger was ready for

The parochial South Australian crowd was brought to its feet when local hero Ferguson performed one

the final round.

of his trademark long, strong

Phillips’ sleepy .612, although the younger challengers’ charge ended at half track with a puff of smoke, Phillips driving by for the win and

burnouts.

They had plenty more to cheer

about, too, with Ferguson downing

Ferguson was like a bullet out the blocks with a .420 r.t. to

the more favoured Harker, thanks to the Queenslander’s big .009 red light.

Thanks to the luck of the draw,

run helped Phillips to fully capi talise on the points on offer and

Ferguson earned a bye run through

Sadly for the tightly-funded

low e.t. of the event (5.77/239); the

extend his series lead.

Elstrek joins jetset Will attempt women's land speed

Ferguson team the final proved to be costly, with their only engine fin ishing with two holes in the block.

As usual, though, Ferguson had a smile on his face and was thinking about the next meeting.

In Top Bike Brett Stevens rode spot with a 7.40, with fellow

Queenslander Jeff Smith earning

In the opening round while run ning Ashford, Curry’s bike pro duced a puff of smoke just prior to the traps, then it quickly moved right and left the racing surface.

Once in the dirt, Curry was thrown from the bike, tumbling heavUy and sustaining serious injuries. Curry was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

MPH

Driver/Vehicle

198.67

the bike, either, it crashing heavily

B/MP

9.07

156.27

and destroying itself.

In the other pairings, McPhee surprisingly downed the reigning Champ Smith while Stevens

A/S

David Baines (SA), Camaro/Chev Les Heintz (Vic), Camaro/Chev Simon Butterworth (SA), C’dore/Holden

accounted for Edmunds.

Stevens then byed into the final while McPhee ousted Ashford for the

remaining place in the final round.

ster which he demonstrates at drag

to the North Queenslander McPhee

to attempt to break the world land speed record for women.

strips around the country,

after Stevens was unable to make

Kitty O’Neill in the USA in 1976, with his

Mirage

jet-powered

Aussie Invader III LSR car.

The attempt by Elstrek is planned for Lake MacKay in Western Australia as

part of McGlashan’s own upcoming world

land speed record bid.

the call.

There

were

17

entrants

in

Competition, but one real stand out - Danny Baines

Baines stunned everyone, per haps except himself and his father David, when, in qualifying, he recorded an unbelievable BB/Gas

7.021 - that’s .559 under the 7.58 class index!

And the Tectaloy team didn’t stop there, recording 7.07/196, 7.05/197,

7.04/197

and

Elstrek’s bid on the

record.

drove

his

A/S

Commodore into second spot (10.21), the Ceravolo Brothers qual ified third, while Enzo Demizio

roimded out the quick half Heintz, Butterworth, Demizio and seventh qualifier Brendan Donaldson contested the semis, Demizio advancing Butterworth after red lighting. Donaldson

showed he was on the ball, cutting

(10.21 index).

Winners in other brackets at the

Festival State Champions were Jason Lee, who won the final over

Sam Scerri in Comp Bike, Guy Birch (Modified), Dave Addams (Super Sedan), Mick Yfantidis

(Super Street), 'Toni Keating (Mod Bike), Pat Carbone (Super Gas) and

Raymond (Jould in Junior Dragster.

-S’TEVEN WHITE

Deo gratias: Both Bill Curry and his Top Bike ended up the worse for wear following a top end tumble - sadly, the bike didn’t survive. t

decimating the field on his way to With the good night air, a hot track and head wrench champion racer dad David all in his camp, a

night. Still, 7.0s and 198 mph from

womens

Butterworth

a perfect .400 light and running his best times of the day, but Heintz still got home first.

Heintz continued his winning way - a 9.07/156 on a 9.22 index gave him a Festival State title, Butterworth carding a 10.19/127

winning the event.

Australian land speed In preparation for

final round in Comp with the Tectaloy AA/AP Thunderbird, although Will was unable to match the Camaro’s performance in an all Tectaloy-sponsored race.

Les Heintz top qualified in Super Stock with a 9.143 card, Simon

a

six second/200 mph pass looked possible, but it wasn’t to be on the

500 mph four years ago.

135.99

7.092/198.01 in eliminations while

McGlashan set the record to in excess of

Five new ANDRA national records were set at the Festival State Championships meeting held at Adelaide International Raceway on Fehmary 13. The new national records, certified by ANDRA are: 7.02

Paula Elstrek has been invited

current mark of 512

Records fall at AIR ET

toU on the field and the final went

miles per hour (825 kmh) set by American

t.-.

BB/G

drive his Aussie Invader I jet drag-

attempt to break the

(Pic by Steven White)

Class

and hillclimbing champion

land speed record hold

ends of the ANDRA BB/G national records.

Not much better could be said for

As with the Top Alcohol competi tors, mechanical damage took its

er Rosco McGlashan has invited Elstrek to

Danny Baines set both

and newcomer Brett Jonas.

McGlashan has also invited her to

- GERALD McDORNAN

Setting the pace: |

Curry (7.99), Joe Edmund (8.65)

LEADING female circuit racer

Current Australian

●> >

Q>

this 332 cubed ‘Bionic Chev IF is

still stunningly tough - perhaps the team

is

a good bet

5>

for the

Nationals.

Colin Will made it through to the

.o

a.

26 February 1999

Read signs major sponsor Universal Press itpped to be announced next week FOLLOWING the announce

ment just prior to the new year that he would be contesting the final four rounds of this season’s

Top Fuel 15-time Championship, Austrahan Champion Jim Read is all set to announce a corporate sponsorship deal that vrill enable Australian

him to return to the level of rac

ing that he so long enjoyed with his long-time sponsor Winfield.

While rumours were abounding

in drag racing circles that Read had signed a deal with Yellow Pages, sources from within the publishing industry indicate that Read has, in fact, signed a deal with Universal Press - publishers of the Gregory’s and

UBD

street

directories

amongst many other varied publi cations.

It is believed that the deal will run to the end of the 1999/2000 rac

ing season.

When contacted by Motorsport News, Read wouldn’t confirm either the signing or the identity of any

prospective sponsors, although he did say that he was confident he would soon be in a position to

that attends drag racing events and we believe we might be able to announce an agreement soon.

announce a backer.

“It’s a brilliant sport and, hopeful

“We’ve been talking to a number of companies ever since Winfield were forced by government legisla tion to stop their association with us, and we’re beginning to make

some ground,” Read said.

'

“Currently, we are speaking with a company whose target market is, demographically, the exact audience

ly, we can convince them of that.”

●Read would confirm, though, that he was not negotiating a sponsor ship with YeUow Pages.

Since the disappearance of Winfield, Read has contested just one full Top Fuel series, the 1995/96 series which he won.

- GERALD MCDORNAN

Power of the Universe: Australian Top Fuel legend Jim Read.

41

■ The largest field of interstate drag racing teams since the ’90 Nationals will compete at

Perth’s Ravenswood Raceway this weekend at the 28th Annual Westemationals.

The event features the ‘ seventh round of the ’98/’99

Australian Top Doorslammer Series, with series leader Victor

Bray making another trip to the west with the Castrol Chevy along with Melbourne’s Peter Kapiris, who will be making his first ever appearance in Perth with his new Pennzoil Studebaker.

There will also be no less than 17 cuiTent Australian record holders and three cuiTent

Australian champions.

Qualifying for the event takes place this Saturday, while eliminations begin on Sunday.

■ Queensland race fans, and those around the country who subscribe to pay-tv prorider Foxtel, will have a busy time watching all the quarter-mile

I

action over the next few weeks.

Willowbank’s Wreckers

Hotline drag racing progi-am will screen three one hour episodes statewide from the Castrol New

Year Series on Queensland’s Seven Network, with the shows then being replayed nationally on Fox.

i

Check your local or pay-tv guides for details.

■ Melbourne racer Michael Trahar debuted his new Pontiac

headed, 705-cubed, nitrous-

injected ’53 Studebaker Top Doorslammer at Calder Park last weekend.

The new Stude, which is

supported by Gold Eagle - an American company which produces a range of auto additives and is about to launch

(Photo by John Bosher)

1 (Photo by Keith Burgan)

Cool Cannon Crashes

By GERALD McDORNAN SCOTTY Cannon suffered a

major setback in his quest to quickly rise to the top of the Funny Car ranks when, while testing at Firebird Raceway in

Thankfully, Cannon emerged from the wreckage unscathed and, after taking stock of the situation, put plans in place to immediately transport the team’s spare car to the

track

from

their

South

Carolina base and recommence

Arizona last week, he crashed

their testing program the next day.

his Oakley-backed fuel coupe.

Another bonus to come out of

Cannon’s car moved right towards the concrete wall immediately after launching, but the sixtime World Pro Modified Champion was unable to keep it from avoiding the safety barrier.

After clipping the wall, Cannon’s mount veered left across the track and hit the opposite wall, vaulting it over the fence

the crash was that the team had been using a ‘testing’ body and not the radical actual Oakley ‘shoe’ race body that was debuted at the Winternationals - the good Pontiac race body, complete with custom paint, being safely tucked away in the trailer and ready for racing. The team will contest next week’s second round of the NHRA

before coming to a rest.

series at the same venue.

Critchely tops

witnessed it.

The car is a rainbow of

IHRA tests

half track on two occassions, Trahar, who is hunting to i-un the first carbied six second e.t., wll debut the car in competition

AUSTRALIAN racer Troy Critchley may have captured all of the early attention at the IHRA’s annual pre-season Groundhog warm-up at Darlington Raceway on the weekend, it was fellow Pro Mod

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days of testing, besting with a 6.39/217 pass.

It is believed the Queenslander, who moved to the US early last year following a spectacular and successful stint driving for Victor Bray, will campaign Rocca’s car on the entire IHRA tour this year.

Both drivers were not hurt in the

incident, although Brinsfield’s car was a total loss.

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Brinsfield and

of the groove and into Hood’s lane Hood not being able to avoid clip ping Brinsfield’s car and sending it spinning out of control into the guardrail.

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Reports of the crash indicate that

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regroup and try to make a come back for the beginning of the actual

Brinsfield’s ’63 Corvette drifted out

CI4

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can do in an instance like this is

Ronnie Hood who grabbed all of the attention in spectacular fashion on the event’s final day.

CI4 plus

.Equipment

“You always hate that something like this happens, but unfortunate ly it does,” Brinsfield said. “All we

“I’m just truly glad the neither Ronnie, nor myself were injured.”

Critchley, at the wheel of former Australian tourist Johnny Rocca’s new ’49 Mercury, led the field of

racers Dale

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- GERALD MCDORNAN

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42

26 febmafy 1999

Briefly Historic ■ Motor racing legend Peter Brock has accepted the invitation to be patron of the 10th anniversary Phillip Island Classic to be held on February 27 and 28, urging fans to come along "and watch the circuit come

Regularity, so Caffin has used his powers of persua sion to convince George Spanos he should run his rare Elfin GT in the scratch

races instead. Wayne

Sayers will be driving the' Elfin - it will be the first

alive to the glorious sounds

time since the early 1970s

associated with our motor

that the car has raced at the Island.

sport history."

'Brocky' will be driving his famous Torana A9X V8 in which he won Bathurst

in 1979, and will be joined by two other 'greats' of Australian V8 racing, John Haivey and Terry Wyhoon.

'Harvs' will also by A9Xmounted, his car being the one he drove to victory in the inaugural Oran Park 500 in 1978. As for Teny Wyhoon, he has drawn the short straw and will show

how a thundei-ing V8 NASCAR handles the going at Phillip Island.

Other significant cars taking part in the Phillip

By BRIAN REED

IT seems that hillclimbing is enjoying some sort of rejuvenation, if Round 1 of the

1999

Victorian

Hillclimb Championship at Mt. Leura, Camperdown is anything to go by.

Close to 60 competitors journeyed to the picturesque Western District venue for

Island Classic include the ex-Mike Hawthorn Ferrari 212 Barchetta to be driven

contested

by international Peter Giddings, the Repco

Historic categories.

Fastest among these class

Brabham of Bib Stillwell and the Lotus 49 of John Dawson Darner.

An action-packed pro gram of events has been scheduled, and on both days a special parade of V8s will take place featuring many of the greats of Australian motor sport.

But V8 fans are in for

other thrills as weU, and will enjoy the sights and sounds of many other race cars built around these famous powerplants. The awesome FSOOOs of Noel Robson, Bob Harborow, Mike Glynn and Max Floreani, plus the ex-

Hillclimbing on the way up

■ An interesting idea is being introduced by the

the February 7 meeting including a keen band who several

of the

es was the current Historic

, hillclimb champion Leo Bates who scorched up the short but tricky Mt. Leura course in 32.57secs. Bates was driving his Lobito, a car he built in 1964 to compete in the Formula 3 series. His time

not only won the combined M(r), 0 & Q class, but scored an impressive 4th fastest out right on the day.

Finishing 2nd and 3rd

HSRCA in NSW at its third Wakefield Park Pre-1961

behind Bates was the father

meeting to be held on

Adam da Costa in the Minda

March 27-28.

Clubman - and just like at the Geelong Speed Trials,

A special invitation event

and son team of Ray and

U2 can have a car like this: Roy Williams had a ball at Mt Leura. His U2 Clubman is for sale, cars

was

John

Pitman's

supercharged MG which recorded a time of40.85secs.

The N(b) class was a closely fought affair with only .5sec separating the first three cars. Finally it was Stephen

Schmidt who emerged the Ron Grundy (39.10secs) and Rob Stone who improved on every run to finish with a 39.19 in his Morris Cooper S. Grundy has recently acquired the ex-Chas

will be held to cater for own

father had to settle for the

Jacobsen Elfin Mono and is

ers of racing and sports/rac

quickly coming to grips with the openwheeler. He was see

Conunodore and the exAllan Moffat VL Commodore which he raced

General Competition licence in the past.

The organisers will also

at Spa, Belgium wOl set the pulse racing.

Other great V8s taking part include a rare 1966 Le

trial the new CAMS-initiat-

minor placing. Adam's time of 35.99secs was just enough to pip his father's best run of 36.16secs. Unfortunately clutch trouble only allowed a couple of runs each although the Minda was probably glad of a reprieve!

Mans Bizzarini now owned

ed 'Come and Try' events.

These are for anyone with a pre-1961 car of any type who would like some laps of

Fourth in class was the

evergreen Graham Hoinville

in

earnest

debate

with

Graham Hoinville during the meeting, no doubt getting some advice on setting it up.

Although called a 'prac tice day' February 14 was conducted just like a race meeting, which gave newer Historic racing is ail about.

The

cars

were

scruti-

Victorian

neered, a driver's briefing

Hillclimb Championships will

was held and all on-course

The

1999

be contested over 7 rounds

Roy Williams, who holds

throughout the year. Round 2

the class record at Mt. Leui-a

Andrew Newman's V8

new enthusiasts as well as

took out the L(b) class in his

speed car special, Colin Kirkpatrick's supercharged Amilcar Ford and Tony

will be held at Morwell on March 14 - Morwell has also secured the Australian

biing back to the fold a

lively Mallock U2 with a best

number of those who have

run of 38.33secs - 3 litres

Hillclimb Championships

Osborne's 1956 CWM V8

strayed.

For enquiries phone/fax

Special.

supercharged versus 1030cc!

As Roy said afterwards "It's

the event secretary Robyn

the first time I've owned a car

There are more than 40 entries in the Post-War

Snape on (02) 6945 3199.

that handled!"

Next quickest of the L(b)

ahead.

members a taste of what

tion to Historic motor sport.

Both are great initiatives and will hopefully attract

-BRIAN REED

Victorian Historic Racing annual Register's Practice Day, and 90 members took advantage of the occasion to psyche-up for the season

The N(c) class went to

who recorded a best time of 37.32secs in his Elfin Mono.

in the Sabrina (38.14secs),

CALDER Park Raceway was the scene for the

Peter Weymouth who took his Mini up the hill in 39.33secs.

by Teny Healey, the leg endary Carter Corvette with the ageless Mun-ay Carter behind the wheel,

the circuit as an introduc

By BRIAN REED

winner (38.71secs), ahead of

Brock '87 Bathurst winning Commodore of Peter Angus, the ex-Bob Jane Group A VL

ing cars with or without a logbook who have held a

Great practice day at Calder

later this year.

Anyone requiring further information about hillclimbing should contact Brian Timms

(03) 5222 3137 or Daryl McHugh (0418) 564 175.

hits the Century

THE year 1999 marks the 100th anniversary of the gi'eat Italian mar que FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana

safety and rescue services were on standby.

The participants were graded according to cate gory and potential perfor mance of their vehicles -

ration for the forthcoming Phillip Island Classic meet ing on Feb. 27-28.

Amongst those taking part

in this exercise was 16-year old Matthew White behind the wheel of an Austin 7.

With these events so popu lar nowadays organisers recognise the importance of participants having reached a suitable level of compe tence

and

experience

before venturing onto the track.

Only casuality at the Calder Practice Day was the Healey Sprite of Stan

quick work by the officials,

the old hands, the practice day also attracted some cars not seen for years

Gorr which rolled on the

substantial roll bar and

Gorr escaped injury although the Sprite will need quite a bit of panel

including an interesting

work before it is back on

rear-engined sports car that

course again.

The day finished with the usual VHRR hospitality,

has been hidden away gathering dust in a Brighton garage.

and thanks are due to Brian

Known as the 'Allget' (that's a story in itself!) it is

Simpson, Noel Robson and their helpers for a well

The saviour of other famous names

sure. There's a bit of work

ahead, but at least it is up and running and David Doubtfire was able to settle

umbrella it could be said that FIAT

Regularity events the opportunity to undertake a training program in prepa

groove again. As well as

such as Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, these great marques under the one

A smart idea was to allow newcomers to

warm-up lap after hitting a ripple strip. Thanks to a

based on a Rennmax chas

Lancia and Maserati, Fiat has retained

ment.

(there was everything from Berkeleys to Bentleys) and everyone had plenty of laps to get back in the

sis with a 10A rotary engine. Elfin uprights and some Kaditcha body panels thrown in for good mea

Automobili Torino), a company steeped in motor racing tradition.

things down in readiness for some further develop

organised and efficiently run Practice Day. It's a great idea, and obviously very popular with the VHRR. Maybe other Historic groups around Australia could give thought to planning similar days in their respective states.

today is the Italian car industi-y.

Under the guidance of former cavalry officer Giovanni Agnelli (the Agnelli name still reigns supreme today), the FIAT company 100 years ago blended the best aristocratic and sporting tradi tions of Turin's nobility and gentry with

the technical aptitudes of a highly advanced woiidng class.

From the outset motor sport was con

sidered an important activity for the fledgling company to engage in, although it never really adopted a long term pro gram of involvement. But when it did

take part it was a dominant force, and one of the greatest years was 1907 when

FIAT won three major events - the French Grand Piix, the Kaiserpreis and

the Targa Florio.

The company attracted some of the greatest engineers of the time - Cavalli,

Becchia, Bertaiione, Cappa, Massimino and Zerba to name a few, but even in

held a 100th anniversary celebration at its annual Concours d'Elegance and

those days poaching took place and most of its highly sldlled technical people were

Display at Como Park on Sunday, February 21.

FIATs dominance.

For further information on the Fiat Car Club of Victoria contact the club

lured to other companies. Such was

To mark the achievements of FIAT, the Fiat Car Club of Victoria (which is

celebrating its own 40th anniversary)

president Peter Bartold on (03) 9722 1526.

-BRIAN REED

John Major? John Callaway used the VHRR Practice Day at Calder to good effect in his Nota Major. (Brian Reed pic)

/2flbCte/7g/p®/?g

26 Februsry 1999

Tommi takes Sw

By JON THOMSON TOMMI Makinen created more records with his win

in the Swedish Rally, The World triple Champion boosted his perfect start to the campaign for a fourth crown with an 18 sec

ond victory over Carlos Sainz, once more depriving the Spaniard of his chance to become the first nonScandinavian to win the

Swedish Rally.

With Ford’s $16 million star Colin McRae out of the

r L

would trigger engine prob lems the next day.

Kankkunen in the Subaru

was really struggling with the Pirelli tyres, as too was team-mates Richard Bums in

sixth and Bruno Thiry, who was battling to stay in the top 10.

Kankkunen went off on

SS6, but managed to extract himself, the off letting Bums through into fifth place.

Sainz made the most of

Makinen’s early caution and was on a charge, winning six of the day’s eight special

event on the second day, local Thomas Radstrom had to fly the Ford flag, bringing his

stages. over the first half dozen

Focus home another 21 sec

TH^NTEifN^iONi

stages of the first day, Sainz keeping his Finnish adver sary under pressure.

He won the opening stage,

' SWEMSHpALLYi

onds behind Sainz and just ahead of Didier Auriol, who

gave Toyota a strong points showing in the manufactur er’s title.

After the tumultuous start

to the World Championship in

Rally Monte

Carlo last month, it was clear

that round two would provide equally close and unpre dictable competition.

From the word ‘go,’ the bat tle was on between the Makinen Mitsubishi and Sainz’s Corolla.

Makinen and Sainz battled

each other throughout the day, many drivers comment ing on how slippery the stages were - “of course it is slippery; it usually is in the winter time!” Radstrom said.

Virtually every top driver complained about lack of traction - with tyre and stud choice critical with a shortage of snow in some areas, a few

The pair swapped the lead

Results - 1999 Swedish Rally (WRC round 2)

then Makinen took the next

1

Makinen/Mannisenmaki

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI

3:29:15.6

two, before the Spaniard

2 3

Sainz/Moya Radstrom/Gallagher

Toyota Corolla WRC

3:29:33.7

Ford Focus WRC

3:29:53.4

4

Auriol/Giraudet

3:29:55.9

fastest time on SS5 and Sainz on SS6.

5

Burns/Reid

6

Kankkunen/Repo

Toyota Corolla WRC Subaru Impreza WRC 99 Subaru Impreza WRC 99

Didier Auriol was playing rear gunner in fourth place, sitting behind Radstrom and making sure of the manufac turers’ points.

Drivers points: Makinen 20, Kankkunen/Auriol 7, Sainz 6, Radstrom 4, Delecour 3, Thiry/Burns 2, Liatti 1.

Manufacturers points (revised after Ford DQ at Monte Carlo): Mitsubishi 20, Toyota 13, Subaru 10, Seat 5, Ford 4.

Next WRC event: Kenya Feb 28.

Radstrom stalled the car on the start line three times

Bruno Thiry also added gearbox problems to his day and he was penalised 50s after a gearbox change to his

third stage of the day and

Subaru.

Sainz on the fourth, with

It was a bad day for the McRaes, with Alister joining Colin on the sidelines, also retiring with engine failure in his Hyundai on SS12.

Sainz was fastest by just 0.6s on the penultimate stage of the day, but Makinen negated that by beating Sainz by the same margin on the final stage.

The Finn ended the day with a 30 second advantage over Sainz, with just five stages and 102kms of stages to run on the final day.

the Frenchman grabbing

came back to win SS4.

'#*S

Radstrom grabbed the

during the opening day, as

well as losing a drivesh^ on special SS3 and going off in SS4 - but, despite all of that trouble, he still managed to have the Ford in third place.

McRae lost one minute in

SS4 after going off, the Scot still learning about the new Focus and its Michelin tyres.

SEAT was having a shock ing first day. The engine in

Blomqvist went off the road in SS3 and out of the rally in his Ford Puma.

"010 battle for Group N was a local fight, Gustavo 'Trelles opting out of the icy rally and leaving the production car class to Stig-Olav Walfridsson in a Mitsubishi Evo IV, lead ing the similar car of Finnish driver Jouko Puhakka.

sions, but with thankfully

WRC gave up after SSI and

arrived back in Karlstad at

few retirements.

Radstrom went off in SS3

he was forced to retire.

at ISOkmh, doing some dam age to the front end of the Focus, while Sebastian

Rovanpera suffered fuel pres sure problems and did SS2 with a maximum speed of

the end of the first leg, Makinen had grabbed a nar row lead from Sainz, going to the overnight halt with a 1.7s advantage.

Lindholm retired on the same

60km/h - the crew fixed the

stage after ripping a wheel and suspension out of his

problem, but he was well out

broke the windscreen and then went into a ditch on the

next stage.

SWEnSRMUY

Number five is alive: Mitsubishi took its fifth straight WRC win in Sweden and Tommi Makkinen is now well-placed for the 1999 World Rally Championship. (Phoios by PaceAccess)

. >

Marcus Gronholm’s SEAT

McRae was having a little trouble on special stage four when he hit a snow pole and

’

' I

drivers had off road excur

Ford Escort.

43

As well as that, Harri

of contention.

In Formula 2, Hyundai’s Kenneth Eriksson had a solid 36s lead from local driver Per

Svan in his Opel Astra kit car and Hyundai team-mate Alister McRae was another 9s back in third.

Only later would Ford

Meanwhile, seven times

mechanics realise the off

Swedish Rally winner Stig

By the time the cars

Radstrom was third, anoth er 20 seconds behind, with Auriol fourth, another 13.5 second behind and with a comfortable buffer over

McRae in fifth, over a minute back.

Day 2

IfdayMakinen waswas quickevenon one, he quicker on day two, winning the first four special stages and opening up the gap on Sainz, as the Spaniard had little answer for the pace of the Mitsubishi.

Not so for Colin McRae, out

Ford.

“We were about 7km into

the stage when the engine began to lose water,” explained McRae. “We con tinued for a while, until all

the compression went.”

Makinen was just 0.9s

faster on the first stage of the day, getting progressively quicker as the day went on.

Sainz faltered on the sec

ond stage as Makinen made the most of the advantage.

Makinen took

Makinen.

“Although we have had no real problems today, it is dis appointing to have lost this

2.2s

off

Day 3

S both the hard chargers ainz and Auriol

were

on the final day, Sainz try ing to catch Makinen and

time to Tommi and for sure

Auriol after Radstrom.

it will be a tough job to catch him,” said Sainz.

“One major problem incurred was gravel in the stages, which meant we had

“I feel safe with my 30 seconds,” said Makinen and indeed he was, with Sainz only able to catch up 12 seconds, although Tommi was taking it easy.

Auriol also made up over 10s on Radstrom, but it wasn’t enough.

“I cannot go any faster,” said Radstom, as he came under increasing pressure

to slow down to save the

studs in the tyres,” Sainz added.

Makinen was happy with his performance, as he put a safe distance between him

on the first stage of the day with a failed engine in his

Back in Focus: Colin McRae showed speed but an engine problem stopped him. At least the water pump worked...

Radstrom and the Ford dri

ver was on a charge, Sainz dropping 8.2s to Makinen.

Makinen picked up anoth er 6.4s on his Spanish rival on the third stage of the day, Radstrom again taking sec ond fastest, 4.2s off the Finn.

The day’s stages included the rally’s longest stage, SS12, the fourth of the day over 47.65km, which would prove pivotal in the result of the rally.

Makinen absolutely flew on the long stage, never putting a foot wrong and grabbing a massive advantage of 12.1s over Sainz, Auriol taking sec ond fastest, 7.2s behind

self and the opposition.

“The car is good and I am driving well. We have to get

through the final day, but with a good gap now we do not have to drive 100%,” he said.

The Subarus continued to

have difficulties with tyres, the marque using the new range of Rrellis.

“This morning we used the Pirelli tyres that the team used in Sweden last year, but they didn’t work. I am driving as fast as I can, sometimes a bit faster,” said Subaru pilot Richard Burns.

from the French driver.

“So many risks and only a few seconds to Radstrom,”

said Auriol, as he pushed harder than he had for some time.

Makinen won one special stage, while the two Toyota pilots grabbed two special stages a piece.

Makinen won the opening

stage of the day taking three seconds off Sainz, with the

Spaniard fighting back on the second stage of the day to be fastest ahead of team

3:35:04.9

3:35:10.0.

mate Auriol, with Makinen third and over 5s down.

Auriol was fastest on the

fastest on the final.

Realising that the Spaniard could not catch him, Makinen eased off, despite his protests to the contrary - “it was much harder this year than last,” said Makinen after the fin

ish. “I’m quite tired. It was flat-out all the way.”

Makinen’s margin over Sainz was 18s, giving him his fifth win in the last six

WRC events and giving Mitsubishi its sixth straight WRC win, beating Lancia’s record of almost 10 years.

Radstrom

took

third

another 19.6s back and just 2.5s ahead of Auriol in the

second Toyota.

Burns finished a credible

fifth and was happy to be in front of Kankkunen, but was five minutes behind Auriol.

It did mean there were four manufacturers in the

top five finishers.

Bruno Thiry moved up to 10th on

the second last

stage of the day, finishing just behind Freddy Loix in the second Mitsubishi.

Rising young Finnish star Jouko Puhakka won Group N in his Mitsubishi, over taking Walfridsson on the

final leg, while another Finn, Passonen, completed the Grp N Mitsubishi trio, finishing third in the pro duction car class.

And it was disaster for Kenneth Eriksson in the

Hyundai Coupe - on the last stage, he had engine failure while leading Formula 2 - Per Svan won

in an Opel Astra Kit Car.

44

26 February 1999

DIM

Winwood to contest RC in AU Falcon

Safari Focus: Ford’s spectacular new Focus rally car in its Kenyan guise for the Safari

Rally. Unfortunately, a broken leg means that designated driver Thomas Radstrom will not

be behind the wheel, but

replacement Fetter Solberg is set for a memorable

debut. (Sutton Images) i

i

FIVE times winner of the Aussie car class in the

finances this season.

ARC, Steve Winwood is returning to the forest in

“My other business is Ride on the Wild Side, which is set up for corporate ride days

a new AU Falcon XR8.

and entertainment, so I need

The

South

Australian

opted out of rallying last year after a fracas over the level of support he was receiving from Ford and the requirement for a TV levy to be paid by the manufacturer.

Winwood, who contested

a new XR8 Falcon not only to win the class in the ARC, but

to give me the most up to date vehicle to use on drive

days.”

Win wood is being joined by top Canberra co-driver Lyndall Drake for his attack

the GT-P three hour race at

on the Aussie Car Class and

Bathurst last year and may

hopes to fight it out with the 1998 class winner, former

well do some more circuit

racing, says his heart is in the sport of rallying and that he wants to get back on the dirt to try and win back the

circuit racer Geoff Full in his Commodore V8.

“Geoff had the class to

Aussie Car Class crown that

reckon he’ll welcome the

he conceded last year.

competition with us return ing to the fray,” Winwood

Winwood views the AU

Falcon as a better prospect for rallying, with its improved suspension and the ability to put the power to the ground better.

“I have bought the car and we’re building it here in Adelaide at the moment,” said Winwood.

“There won’t be any argu ments about

whether it’s a

factory team this time around; I have paid all the bills so far, although I am hopeful of picking up some sponsorship to help my

himself a bit last year and I

added.

The Ford driver is set to announce new sponsors m

the next couple of weeks in the lead up to the opening round of the Australian Rally Championship in Goffs Harbour on April 10-11.

“I can’t tell you who the sponsors are just yet, but I can tell you Ford is not one of them - and I hope that ARCOM gets that message loud and clear,” Winwood concluded.

-JON THOMSON

LAST weekend’s Bog-A-Duck Trial conducted in the Alexandria region by the Melbourne University Car Club saw popular rally driver Steve Poore lose his life

Radstrom breaks leg Fordjunior driver Fetter Solberg to now make his race debut in Focus in super-tough Safari Rally this weekend A broken leg has sidelined Martini Ford world rally dri ver Thomas Radstrom, who will miss the Safari Rally this weekend (February 25-28).

Radstrom was injured when he slipped and fell on some steps in a Nairobi hotel last week, the Swede having just arrived in Kenya to begin preparations for the Safari event.

He was flown back to Sweden for further medical treatment

and the initial report was that he had sustained two breaks to his lower left leg.

'The accident occurred just two days after Radstrom’s terrif ic performance in the Swedish Rally, where he took his Ford Focus to third overall, holding off the determined Didier Auriol.

Team boss Malcolm Wilson expressed his sympathy for the Swede, who was just beginning his first season as a works WRC driver.

“It’s very unfortunate that this should happen to Thomas after such a superb drive in Sweden and we wish him a speedy recovery,” said Wilson.

The team’s junior driver Fetter Solberg will now drive the

\

second Focus on the Safari event, but no decision will be

made on Ford’s second driver for the following Rally of Portugal until the severity of Radstrom’s injuries is known.

The Ford junior driver this season, Solberg was originally due to contest several events in the Focus as a third driver

later this year.

Instead, he will now make his debut in Kenya, one of the toughest rounds of the championship.

Although he won last season’s Norweigan championship, Solberg has only started three WRC events, including the Swedish Rally last weekend, where he finished 11th in a Ford Escort WRC.

But team boss Malcolm Wilson believes the 24 year-old will do a good job in the circumstances.

“Fetter drove with great maturity in Sweden, tempering his pace to ensure that he finished the rally. I’m sure he will do a similarly good job for the team in Kenya,” said Wilson.

“This is a great opportunity for him at this stage of his career and I’m confident that he will prove to be a very capa -JON'raOMSON ble replacement for Thomas.”

Kilbride to run Evans F2 Corolla

after crasWg his Subaru ,Liberty-R during one of the

competitive stages..

The accident took place on Saturday night, Febniary 20, on the Blue Range Road between Rubicon and'Thornton, navigator Matt Birchall being transported to the Alexandra hospital for observation overnight - he was released the fol lowing afternoon.

As.a result of the ti'agedy, the event was terminated late on Saturday night by the organisers.

The fatality was the third to occur on the day, two rally enthusiasts losing their lives earlier while competing in Rally Tasmania.

o

Q

- GRANT NICHOLAS

O

o

5

Australian Rally Championship 1999 Schedule ● April

10-11

Coffs Harbour

● IMay

7-9

Canberra

Asia-Pacific Series round ● June

5-6

Queensland

● June

26-27

Forest (Western Australia)

● Aug

14-15

Melbourne

●Sept

18-19

Tasmania

● Nov

4-7

Rally Australia

Worid Raliy Championship round

CO

CL

THE Queensland-based Australian

will

Rally Championship crew of Jeff and Donna Kilbride has acquired

Australian Rally Championship Super

lies of both Donna and Jeff, Service

Series Round in Coffs Harbour on

Manager Matt Becker, W'ajme McKay, John Hyslop, “Sparrow,” Fonz and stand-in co-driver and publicity spe cialist John Hayden.

The Kilbrides are delighted that all of the above will remain as integral parts of Silverstone Rally Team

the ex-Simon Evans Formula 2

Toyota Corolla.

The car was to be prepared for the opening round of the QRC, which was scheduled for March 13.

However, due to the substantial

rainfall and subsequent effect on the forests concerned, that event has been postponed, allowing a more leisurely

rebuild program.

It is anticipated that the Corolla

face

the

1

start

of the

first

April 10.

Continuing their involvement with the team are long-term sponsors

Silverstone International Motorsport and High Ferformance Tyres, Neta Tyre and Automotive (Queensland), Sparco Tyres (Tasmania), 3K Colour Copy Centre (QLD) and Bargain Car

achieve, include the respective fami

Australia.

Individuals without whose support the success of this high profile team

Earlier this month, Peter Garbett joined the team - Peter, who has been involved in various facets of rallying since 1974, is to handle media promo

would have been far more difficult to

tion of the Kilbride effort.

Rentals (TAS).

i

lI!&o){}®[Fsm(o)[FO

26 February 1999 45

mf^

Thegt

mil

f

life for Ryan

A bruised and battered Ryan Briscoe was glad to walk away relatively unscathed after a rather rough initiation to European Super A racing in the season-opening

Winter Cup at Lonato, the Lake Garda track at Desenzano in northern Italy.

Briscoe, in his third season with the CRG works team located at Desenzano, was in good form in the bleak wintry conditions after an earlier shakedown at Ugento.

He was a mere 9/lOOOths of a second off pole position in qualifying and led the first heat for eight laps, before his Vega tyres started to lose their grip and dropped him to fifth.

He secured the same place in the second heat, started sixth in the pre-final and finished third.

It took Briscoe just three laps to snatch the lead in the final, with a swarm of Tony Kart drivers in hot pursuit of the Australian.

He managed to hold them off until one of his rivals succumbed to the notorious red mist,

tee-boned Briscoe and rode up over the top of the CRG, leaving tyre marks on Ryan’s driving gear and helmet.

His consolation was setting the fastest lap of the race, won by Roni Quinterelli from reign ing world Super A champion Davide Fore, with Gianluca Beggio third and Brazil’s 1998

The Portland Kart Club hosted the third annual Street Grand Prix on the

Chris Weitzel, Chris Ulhorn, Chris Porter and Steve Kwiatkowski.

'The final was marred a bit

waterfront in Portland, Victoria, on February 13.

Junior

Clubman

when Shanan Sidebottom, after working his way up to start third on the grid and de Meyrick came together in turn 1 on lap 1, which broke the field up.

and

Formula 100 Light - the fastest junior and senior classes - were run as the 1999 Portland Street Grand

Kwiatkowski made the

Prix Championship to the usual championship format, while the remaining classes

most of it and came away with a handy gap over Occhipinti, Porter, Jake Wigley and Weitzel.

were run over three heats

with aU points counting.

Junior Clubman was a ‘

Ulhorn left the circuit on

tight battle in the heats

lap 2 and the rest settled

between Maximilliah de Meyrick, Ricky Occhipinti,

after Weitzel moved up to fourth.

With six of the 15 laps to go, Weitzel had moved up to third ahead of Wigley, while Taz Douglas was attacking Wigley for fourth.

It all went wrong with the last lap board out when Douglas was spat out of his kart and flung down the track, bringing out the red flag - the race was declared, with Kwiatkowski first from

Occhipinti and Weitzel.

Formula 100 Light had a class field for the 15-lap final, with Luke Skinner, Remo Luciani, Mark Hester, Danny Richert, Tyson Pearce and Ben Kennedy all start ing up the front.

world Formula A champion Rubens Carrapatoso fourth.

Keke Rosberg, the 1982 FI world champion, winner of the inaugural 1985 FI Australian Grand Prix and, in more recent years, new FI world champion Mika Hakkinen’s manager, was there to cheer on his son, Nico, who placed eighth in the Junior category for CRG. The Rosbergs were also barracking for Briscoe, who had been their guest for the best part of a month in Monaco - where he received his trophy for winning last year’s Junior A North American Championship - and Austria, where they have a ski lodge.

It was a holiday of a lifetime, with Briscoe attending a surprise 50th birthday party for Rosberg at Hakkinen’s apartment in Monaco, meeting Gerhard Berger and being flown to Austria, then to Ugento, in the Rosberg’s private plane. Wow! -MIKEKABLE

The first corner was very

and went past when Domaschenz left his braking

Heavy Division 1), Adrian

Jason Domaschenz muscling his way up from the rear to

a bit late at turn 1.

Pearce was looming up

Division 2), Will Davidson (Clubman Light), Geordie

be third on the exit.

Skinner had the lead when

behind Domaschenz and, on the last lap, made his move

Medium), Remo Luciani

they

and finished third behind Skinner and Luciani.

Other Portland Street Grand Prix winners: Tim

messy as the bunch arrived,

settled,

ahead

Kennedy.

Lap 3 and Domaschenz made a big move under brakes at turn 1 and took

Francis (Senior National

Wicks

(Senior

National

(Formula 100 Heavy), Murray Harvey (Clubman Over

40),

Brett

Arnett

(Senior National Heavy), Tim Weitzel (RESA), Mark

Luciani moved in on the rear of Domaschenz with

Light), Chris Skinner (Clubman Super Heavy), Troy Woolston (Junior National Heavy), Takeshi Kitagawa (Formula Rotax

(Clubman Medium Division 2) and David Buschkeuhl (Clubman Twin).

only a handful of laps to go

125), Dane Bobart (Clubman

- GRAEME BURNS

over second, while Pearce

had moved up to fourth.

Star Series Rd 1 THE first round of the Star Series for

of

Luciani, Domaschenz and

Rossetto (Clubman Heavy

Hester (Clubman Medium

Division 1), Ben Savage

COMING EVENTS

in KARTING

Justin Dowers settled for second, while

1999 at Oakleigh attracted a large entry Stephen McFarland was third, spread over 18 classes in a marathon Formula Rotax Heavy for the

event, with the shadows long by the end ,125cc watercooled, electric start-engined

of the day karts was won by Rob Maori, with Richard The balloted draws made for some inter""“'"a esting racing in the first two heats as some of the faster drivers had to come through from towards the rear.

Clubman Light saw Nick Stray eventual ly take the win from a hard-charging Kevin Stray, with Lee Uhlhorn chasing close behind.

Brendan Turner was the highest points scorer in Midgets, with Rick Pringle next,

(Jabe Goode was looking good for a placing in Senior National Light, until a DNF in

Rick Kelly had the measure of the field in

in Clubman Over 40s, with Peter Gooch

Clubman Heavy settled into a pattern early and Matthew Tate came out the winner from Mai Asker and Marcus Zukanovic.

^ ,

„

,

,

, .

, „

,

the final. while Formula Yamaha Heavy was won by No such maladies for Liam Gretrix, who the wily George Sera, ahead of John Ippolito won the day from John Thom, with Travis and Tony Pugliese after a spirited drive.

Bockman third.

Peter Rowsell got back on the winners list Junior Clubman, although Peter McNiven second and Harley Maxwell third, applied plenty of pressure during the day to

finish second, with Nicholas Parker third.

Nar7

and Dion Gretrix.

The Rookies had a great day of racing, with plenty of passing at the head of the field, the final result finding Shane Price on top, ahead of Ben Small and David Sera.

Formula Yamaha Junior driver Rick Kelly emerged victor in his class, leading home Tony D’Alberto and Adam Bullas,

while Jordie Lindstrom snuck into third.

Club Day

The new class produced a little bit of drama, with the second heat being redflagged when Doc Pearson and Chris Wishart tangled heavily.

There was nothing between the top four karts in Senior National Heavy, with Brett Arnett taking the win from Adam Hickey

Har 12-14

Australian F1 GP Albert Park Melbourne

Victorian Country Series Rd 1 Eastern Region Kart, club

Clut^Day Tr -

1

Bryce Godfrey made the trip from Baimsdale worthwhile when he won Junior

I

The RESA class had a strong entry and National Heavy, with Simon Leech from Marcel Fabris made up for a bad race in the Gippsland second and local boy Scott Younes Victorian Closed Titles by winning the day.

Shane Fewster improved during the day for second, with the diminutive Barbara

Agrimi third.

The Formula Yamaha Light had to be split into two because of the entry size.

In division one. Will Davison, James Small

third.

o

Formula Rotax Light was won by Doc Pearson in an incident-packed series of heats

_ Gavin Walker, although only young. showed his talents by coming second, while

Vince Santoro was third.

Formula Yamaha Super Heavy was

and Kane Rose had a great battle to finish in good racing to watch, with a strong field,

that order, with Tony Pugliese on their tails.

Jason Stania coming through the pack to

In division two, Bart Price came from in

win, with Chris Skinner next and the irre-

the pack to win from a consistent Nick Stray, pressible Murray Edgar third. with Corey Chivers third.

Dean Foster was the boy to beat in Junior National Light and, despite a good drive.

z

The next round of the Star Series is May 10 at Todd Rd. - GRAEME BURNS

V

VVCTORXMA KMaXMG ^SSOCV^TVOH (viea. eatU^ y Ph 03 5449 6342 or 03 9362 1144 Our Web site is: www.kartguide.com.au/vka.htm Our Email address is: vka@bl40.aone.net.au Victorian Karting Association Inc Registered No: A13837D

46

26 February 1999

1.

KARTING received the ulti mate accolade from none other

than Sir Jack Brabham, the foremost VIP spectator at the recent

FMK-FIA

Oceania

Oceania the best!

Championships.

worth.

His comment, after watching the action from an excellent vantage point overlooking the undulating track at Sydney’s Eastern Creek and presenting the trophies was characteristically brief and to the point.

They’ll come back for more or the same - and bring their friends.

All this prompted me to say to Jason Bright (one of the betterknown karting graduates, after his marvellous against the odds win with Steven Richards in last year’s

“This is better than Formula

FAI 1000 at Bathurst) that the V8

One,” he grinned.

It wasn’t a throwaway line.

Insincerity doesn’t have a place in Jack Brabham’s make-up.

Supercar show had a hard act to follow this year. He smilingly agreed with that observation.

Jason was there as a guest of Tony Kart Australia team chief Jim Morton, who had Bright as a works driver in 1991-92, when he was running DAP karts.

The elder statesman of world

motor racing meant what he said.

Sir Jack is no stranger to motorsport’s best-kept secret.

Back in the 1980s, he served as

Another familiar face was that of

chief mechanic to David, the

Phillip Scifleet, who drove for

youngest of his three sons, when he took up karting.

The distinguished triple FI world champion has never been averse to getting grease under his fingernails - and his spell on the sidelines took him back to his own motorsport ori gins of speedway racing in the late

Morton in 1991-92-93 and dominat

ed the Category B division of last year’s British Formula Three cham pionship, scoring nine wins from 10 starts.

As for the North Shore Kart

Club, its members deserve a bou quet for running the show successfiilly.

1940s.

It’s been a while, though, since Sir Jack attended a kart meeting.

By a happy coincidence, he saw what the sport’s old hands described as some of the most stir

ring cut and thrust competition in their experience.

The championships may have been a bit short on international

entries for reasons including its proximity to the start of the European season - just one week before the Winter Cup at Lonato in Italy - but it was big on entertain ment.

The standard of racing, especially in the Junior Intercontinental A

and Formula A finals and their pre liminaries, surpassed what I had seen last September in the 1998 FMK-FLA World Championships at Ugento, Italy.

I’m a very recent convert to kart ing, after devoting more years, time and effort than I care to remember to numerous other two and four-

Embellishments

Big success: Promoter Garry Holt is flanked by Toni Vilander (left) and David Clark. (Sean Henshelwood) offering to sub-lease a sizeable area of land at the Raceway’s eastern extremity to anyone who was pre pared to build a decent kart track.

Garry Holt accepted that chal

lenge and his $3.5 million invest ment is a credit to his entrepre neurial vision.

He also had the good sense to ask Bill O’Gorman to become his righthand man, helping in various areas such as public relations.

O’Gorman is an ideas man, whose everlasting achievement was a suggestion in the early 1980s to mark the sesqui-centenary (150th anniversary) of South Australia with a round in Adelaide of the FI

World Championship.

His dream became a reality in 1985 on a fabulous street circuit in

wheeled forms of motorsport, here

the City of Churches.

What followed were 11 great years of FI racing in Adelaide,

and overseas.

before the Australian Grand Prix

My interest was stirred by the international exploits of one James Courtney and the establishment last year of a proper kart racing facility at Eastern Creek Raceway.

It’s a circuit I did my best to sup port - via reams of words in The

Australian newspaper - from the time it was conceived by Sydney businessman Laurie O’Neill, with enthusiastic backing from Sir Jack, who had recommended Eastern Creek as an ideal location after

spotting the site from an aircraft.

It’s history now that the multi million dollar complex was involved in a political bunfight after the fastforward button was pressed on its construction in the early 1990s when the NSW Government led by the then-Premier, Nick Greiner, saw an opportunity to snatch Australia’s round of the World

Motorcycle Championships from Victoria’s Phillip Island circuit, which had hosted the classic in 1989-90.

Frankly, in the ensuing rush, some things could have been better done.

But in the big picture, Sydney at least gained a world-class motor sport facility, which did at least

have the honour and glory of stag ing the motorcycle championships for several years, before the two-

wheel circus returned to Phillip Island.

Ultimately, the circuit came

under the control of the long-estab lished Australian Racing Drivers Club, which wasted no time in

there was plenty of fast-moving action - involving lots of overtaking - in the heats, pre-finals and finals.

No spectator would have left Eastern Creek thinking that he, or she, had not had their money’s

moved on to Melbourne after some

This is how the 1999 Oceania

behind the scenes manoeuvrings endorsed by that headline-making

Championships eventuated, a little

man,

Victorian

Premier

Jeff

Kennett.

Holt and O’Gorman have set

themselves the challenge of making karting a popular spectator sport, through promotable events such as the Oceania Championships, which the enterprising Holt secured by jetting off to Ugento and convincing karting’s long-time supremo, FMK President Ernest Buser, that

Eastern Creek was a worthy place to stage the titles as a prelude to a really big international meeting next year with possible recognition from the International Olympic Committee.

Moves are afoot to give Olympic status to karting, so the concept of having a high profile meeting on either side of the Sydney 2000 Olympics appealed to Buser.

more than three months after Holt

staged the Australian Titles for the first time.

It helped that the Australian Sports Commission tipped in

$20,000 towards the running costs - and that Volvo Australia spon sored the Formula A category, in a continuing and very commendable commitment to karting.

The championships amounted to a thorough test of the main 1.2km track and the North Shore Kart

Club’s organisational abilities - they both passed with flying colours.

The track proved to be a superb equaliser with its long (by karting standards) main straight and steep rise and fall following the central twisty bits.

What some drivers gained by way of gearing on the straight, they lost on the uphill section. As a result.

included

tors alike.

The atmosphere is enhanced by swards of green grass, an abun dance of trees, first-rate facilities and amenities, a state of the art

control tower and adequate parkmg.

Last, but not least, it’s a place where everyone is made to feel welcome.

They’re all good reasons - along with the friendly family nature of the sport and its refreshing spirit of camaraderie among the competitors - why karting’s popularity is on the up-and-up.

Roll

on

the

next

Oceania

Championships!

-MIKEKABLE

Monaco date for 1 /tarn Graham r

i r

ADAM Graham collected more than a huge trophy and a lot of pats on the back for winning the hard-fought Junior Intercontinental A title.

The imassuming young Tony Kart works driver from Keerrong, near Lismore, NSW, was a surprised recipient at the post-race party of an invitation to represent Australia at the Monaco Kart Cup from September 30 to October 3.

His airfares and accommodation will be paid by the FMK controlling body of world karting, which selects the top juniors from all the affiliated countries to compete in the Monaco classic, which started in 1996.

It’s a similar arrangement to the annual Formula Ford World Festival at Britain’s Brand Hatch circuit, that brings all the various national FF champions together.

Mark Webber won the final three years ago in atrocious wet-weather conditions; a victory that confirmed his prodigious talent and did not pass unnoticed by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport chief Norbert Haug.

The Monaco karting track utilises the tiny Principality’s glamorous Formula 1 street circuit’s pit lane and part of its famous harbour front section, which weaves past the swimming pool in a series of left and

right-hand sweeps.

The twisty bits finish at the tight right-hand La Rascasse hairpin, named after the long-established restaurant located at its apex.

A gradual right-hand sweep leads the drivers back to pit lane - and the extension which takes them back to the harbour front, past a clutch of

His father, Kel, who is also his chief mechanic, his mother Jannelle and

his elder sister, Kristie, who is also heavily into karting, aim to make the visit a family affair.

If he makes the Junior Intercontinental A final, Adam vrill be one of 34

drivers in the race. That’s the maximum track density at Monaco.

It could be a turning point in his career, provided the Italian Tony Kart team gives him the tools to do the job - a thoroughly competitive kart.

The signs are promising in this respect.

The team’s chief mechanic, Giacomo Aliprandi, on hand to prepare the luckless Michael Caruso’s machine, was mightily impressed by Graham’s win - he didn’t get it easily, after losing his pole position advantage at the start.

Michael Schumacher was a winner at the inaugural meeting, in a works-prepared Tony Kart and his delight at taking the chequered flag

Daniel Elliott, Wayne Lanham and a fast-finishing Regan Payne - who was a close runner-up - saw to that.

But the decisive way in which Graham recaptured the lead at the start of the uphill section - passing first Elliott on the outside, then Lanham on

was just as great as if he had won an FI Grand Prix.

the inside, had to be seen to be believed.

outdoor cafes.

It’s eveiyone’s dream to race at Monaco - and the richly talented Adam Graham is no exception.

He could scarcely believe his good fortune when the bonus prize was announced.

It was a sixth-sense manoeuvre, the only one of its kind performed at that particular place during the day, which was reminiscent of Courtney and Ryan Briscoe at their best - the kind of thing we’ve come to expect of Schumacher in the heat of FI battle.

a

colourful drivers parade and pre sentation featuring flags of the par ticipating countries and a marching girls display.

Apart from the track. Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway has a pleasant environ ment, for competitors and specta

-MIKEKABLE

26 February 1999

iXo

%

47

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IMo)0(o)[?su)®[fO

26 February 1999

CLASSIFIEDS Historic racing car 1965 Nota Clubman. CAMS log book.

Eligible Group M. ISOOcc Ford nx)ta. Rebuilt chassis, and all parts to complete rebuild. Can be registered. $13,000 ono.

Bendigo 0417 546 973 i« Ford TBird, 1956 original 312 automatic. Black exterior, red and white interior. Both hard and soft tops. Immaculate frame off

Sedans/Sports Cars

Chev Nova 1965, competitive car, fresh 327, Muncie. Ready to race. $20,000. Ph 08 9249 1499.

U7

HQ race car. Well-presented, straight car with sealed motor and g/box. Ideal car to race and develop. $3,200. Ph: 0415 881 800,0398745566. ur

restoration, RHD. $59,000. Ph 07 5537 7289

Toyota Supra twin turbo. Fully sorted, ready to race. Motec engine management, dry break fuel system, spare unraced engine. Numerous spare parts, wheels and tyres. $69,000 plus spares. Ph John Briggs 07 3252 39331«

1971 Corolla KE20, 4AGZE Supercharged twin cam.

Microtech inj, 5-speed, 3.9 LSD, 4WDB, adj camber, front Konis. Grig body, little rust. EC, RWC, 6 mths reg. $6800. Ph 03

HQ race car. Very good condition. Complete car $3800. Will sell as complete roller minus engine tor $1800. Ideal conversion to Group Nc. Assistance given to new owner. Ph Mark 0417 431

9777 0314 ,a

I

XD Ute - 5 litre injected HO Mustang 93, Simmons wheels, top load & 9" dW, DBA disc brakes (4 way), Koni adj susp, CD and amp, custom interior, fully restored (all new panels). Must see.

Spent $30,000+ must sell due to GT-P racing. $17,500ono. Ph:

A

Toyota Stariet factory GT turbo's, fully option, 5 speed 15 inch mags, 107kw motor, plenty of potential. 12 mths reg and warranty. From $15,000. Ph 02 4721 5060 bh. ,4a

Alfa 2ltr sports sedan roller. REady to race. Just needs motor and gearbox. Engine mid-mounted. 9' diff. Complete with new seat, harness, radiator, tyres and gauges. Aluminium fuel tank.

0414 831707.

XD Falcon drag car. Less motor, current ANDRA tech, CIO stage 3, 5000 rpm stall convertor, 9", 4:11’s, MT slicks. Auto meter dash, mega-shifter, roll cage. Freshly built, may trade. $10,000 ono. Ph 03 9408 9796 bh, 03 9462 0050 ah or 0414 338 270. le

$5500 ono. Ph 019 331 845 i4e

$22,000ono. Ph 0417818 872. 147

HQ arce car NSW Division winner. $3000. REady to race or make an otter. Urgent sale. Ph 0408 022 233 or 0419 287 150

HQ racer (Old), No 8. Sealed motor & box, heaps of spares.

Pregnancy sale, urgenti $4,200 or $2,000 as roller. Ph 07 5530 31 llbh,07 55936368ah.

NSW 143

Porsche RSCS 1995, LHD, suitable for GT-P and/or

Porsche Cup categories. All set-up information and spare wheels included. Price $168,000 ono. Ph Bob or Rodney Forbes 02 94502100. ,43

Group C XE Falcon with C/\MS log book, absolutely original, never converted to another oategory, never damaged, built by Fred Gibson lor King George Tavern, last raced 1984 James Hardie 1000, then rebuilt and housed in BathurstMotor Racing Museum ever since. Runs and sounds great. $35,000. Ph or fax 026331 7995,48

147

Historic racing car Hartey-Norton special built by Ron Ewing 1955. competed at Bathurst, Orange, Castlereagh, Silverdale, Tamworth, Warwick Farm. CAMS LB log book for 500cc Norton Single. 1340cc Hariey-Norton V Twin and 1340cc Harley-Norton V Twin supercharged. A compete and potential woridbeater. $12,000 ono. Bendigo 0417 546 973. ,48 Historic racing car Porsche special built by alan Hamilton in 1965. Competed at Lakeland and Templestowe. Won 1965 Victorian Sporlscar Hillclimb Championship. CAMS log book.

Higible Group M. 1720 cc mid mount 356 Porsche motor, VW gearbox. 2 sealer Clubman type body. Can be registered. $13,000 ono. Bendigo 0417 546 973 ,4a Brock Commodore VC black, manual, no 429. Factory fitted Grp 3 engine. Very rare car. 12 mth reg. $19,000. Ph 02 6679

Open Wheelers Rotax Max 125 kart engine 6 weeks old $2600. Kali Indy rolling ohassis with spares exc condition. $1000. Kali Epoch fully rebuilt as new chassis, new Tillet seat, brakes, disc etc. $1600.

Gemini race car. Very competitive oar, has race wins and fastest laps. Koni suspension, new lyres, brake and HP engine.

Four spare wheels and tyres. Heaps of spares. $5000. Ph 07

Sports sedan Escort Mkl Leyland D76 motor, Borg Warner 4-speed, 4 link, Torana disc brake rear end with watts link.

Formula Ford wish bone type, front end. Needs rollcage, Shooks, body work, engine rebuild for completion. $1600 ono.

Ph 0418423 007 or 02 9585 1817,43

Austin Healey Sprite, Mk2a, 1 lOOcc engine, Weber, extrac tors, all steel body, superlights, RE510's, watts link rear, spares.

Group C A9X log books, detailed history, recent restoration, current road registration, perfect Targa car or return to race track. $32,000 OT will sell incomplete to suit any budget. Ph 02

Sean English offers for sale his title winning Escort 2 litre sports sedan. Sapres package includes new 3 piece wheels,

62426675 ,43

wets, gearbox, pads, axles, motor. Contender for 99 title, with low running costs. $9500 ono. Ph 0418 736 619 or 07 3826 4111 bh .to haggle ,48

Nissan Pulsar GTiR. Group N rally oar. Ex Dean Tighe 1997 QRC champion. Ready to race. $25,000. For more info ph Andrew Theo 07 3883 3133 Brisb. Inspection will not disap point. ,48

Nissan Skyline GTR 12/1995 R33 unfinished projeot 95 per

AUSCAR Sportsman XF Falcon. Brand new, season ago.

Professionally built. Never bent. $10,000. Spare race engine, wheels and spares. Also small truck and enclosed trailer avail

Ph 03 6362 2683,48

51954095 ,48

7117,48

Fun club car or suit histories. $8000. Ph 03 9569 8306 ,48

cent complete. Needs paint and very little parts to finish, ^t door jams end engine bay painted in saffron pearl (Volvo C70).

17,000 kms. Suit race car compliance. $49,500. Ph 02 4271

U7

1984 Vk V8 Commodore. Midnight blue, sports steering wheel, Aerotech Interior, Group 3 spoiler kit, touring car rear spoiler, Holley 750 double pumper, 2500 stall converter, 6 months rego. $10,000 Ph 02 6023 2887. 147 VH Commodore Cup complete lightweight shell, with all hanging panels, lights, dash etc. Good cage. No major acci dents. Would also suit Club Car, rally etc. Spoilers available.

Elfin 600,1969 Group 0 Formula 2 historic. This car has sig nificant history and comes with CAMS certificate of description.

Spares include original fuel injection system, gear ratios etc.

Carr will be sold to genuine buyer with or without engine for real istic offer. Also Bowin P6b requiring restoration - offers. Ph 0417 336 189 Melb. ,48 f

Jaguar Mk2, original 3.8 manual, triple SUs, synchro box, o/d, uprated brakes/susp. Konis, Motalita, Haldas, period comp seats. Long Club comp history. Grey/burgundy int. $35,000. Ph: 08 9399 7644 (Perth). 147 Daihatsu Charade GT+i, rally car, 1992 model. Very quick, reli able, in exc cond (just finished overhaul). DMS suspension, 2.5' exhaust. Protech roll cage. Marsh seats, Simpson harnesses, eto. Good spares. $13,500. Ph 02 6241 2349,0419 348 562. 147

able. Ph 0413 709 981 or 08 8263 2159,43

Elfin 700 1976 Group Q. 1600 oc Ford. Immaculate condF 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. ,48

7341 or 0416 283 194 ,48

KE20 Corolla 2TG and spare engine. Celica 5 speed and diff. Alloy cage, race seal harness. A008R's 13' x T rims. L34 Hares. Perplex windows, new front starts (adjustable) 2 spare shells. $2800 ono. Ph 0408 659 659 123 Tamworth. ,48 *

61 o

■ *

Subaru WRX Impreza GTP car 1996. Full Proflex suspension, Yokohama slicks, Dunlop wets. $35000. Ph Trevor 0412 057

Celica GT-Four, 1991 turbo 4WD, 5 spd,- traction control, ABS, air con, central locking, elec windows, factory mags, red duoo, 32,000km, serviced every 5,000km. Immac cond, older

295 or 03 9763 2856,48

owner. $28,000. Ph 07 3393 4355.

two complete and one short motor, 12 wheels, 12 near new

JiJ

BMW 318i super tourer ex-Longhurst-MoLean 6-speed sequential adjustable shocks,12x BBS wheels, spares include spoilers diffs ratios panels, brakes, shocks, uprights.driveshaf ts eto. Would consider lease or purchase complete $64,000. Ph

147

Holden HQ arce/street prepared. Roll cage, fibreglass bonnet & scoop, mags, gun metal grey, 9 inch diff. Less motor, gearbox. $1,500ono. Ph 0419 225 403. 147

02 9709 4655 or 018 868 306 ,48

Off-road buggy class 1, Southern Cross, Buick, V6 turbo,

Porsche 930 trans, Saco steering, Fox-Bilstein shocks.

Centreline wheels, intercom, spares done. Little work. $16,000.

Ph 08 8633 2300 OT 08 8633 2232 ah ,48

Mazda RX7 series IV. Ex 97 Targa Tas Terratrip, Wolf comput er, series 5 engine and gearbox, Simmons wheels, mounted slicks, cage, adj suspension inci Konis. Lots of spares. Road

reg. Lakeside 63's. Tidy quick road car. $19,900. Ph 02 6622 1147 bh ,48

Super Sedan IROC Camaro V43 quick change diff. Six meet ings old, 600hp motor oomplete and registered. Ready to race.

Comes with heaps of spares. Good car. $12,500 complete a $14,500 with good trailer built to carry super sedans with spares underneathcar in trailer.Ph 03 5975 1666 or 03 59756116 ,48

Thunderdome HQ all log books, new sealed motor (as new) sealed box can be test driver before sale. $4500 ono. Ph 03 9563 7072. ,48

Thunderdome HQ rollers x 2. Both almost oomplete. One needs re-shell includes almost new oage. Harness, seats, fuel cell, chambered diff etc. $2450 the lot ono. Ph 03 9743 0083 or 0418320673,48

AUSCAR Sportsman XF Falcon. One season old. Never bent, fresh motor, heaps of spares. Regretful sale. Moving o/s. Lease option available. $8000. Ph 0413 743 573 or 03 9874 4345. 148 Bob Wright offers for sale his front oinning HQ #13 circuit race car new engine very competitive all tracks with spares, rims, panels, gearbox, diff etc. K500. Ph 03 9758 7433 or 03 97295526 ,4a

ROH Commodore Cup car, ex-Crosswell 1997 series win ner, consistentfront-runner98 series with rookieMatt Coleman.

Pole final round. Ready ot race, many spares including engine. $24,000. Ph Matthew 0412 553 455. 147

Gemini 2lt Sports Sedan, Fresh engine, twin 45mm Webers, T5g/box, 4.1 diff, adjustable Konis, adjustable bias, adjustable sway bars, new button clutch, new slicks, 8 point alloy cage, braided hoses, ready ot race, heaps of spares. $7,500. Ph 02 62931802.

147

1978 Corolla Coupe rolling chassis, with steel roll cage.

Less engine, g/box and interior. Ideal for Qld short circuit. Sports Sedan, Club car. $750 ono. Ph 07 3888 0081. ,47

HQ Holden - 13th fastest at FA11000 '98. 2 race engines, 2 seats, 2 sets wheels. Very comp, package, ready to race,

Super Kart or gokart AX5 KT110S, Horsman clutch suede steering wheel tacho, digital temp, wet weather tyre, starter ma, spare Kartech seat, log book, many spares $2200.2 kart trailer $1000. Ph 03 5331 4073 148

Go kart engine. 1998 KT 100s, Barrel and crankcase ported

by Lightning Karts. Only run 4 time.s Very competitive. $1000. also stainless steel power pipe $150. Ph 08 8339 4703 148

$5,000. Ph Chris 02 9629 6217,0419 801 385. ,47

Ford Escort Mkl club car. Twin Webbers, Pedders suspen sion, full roll cage, race seat, very good paint job, Yokohama A008RS tyres, 1600, Tighe cam, very competitive. $7500 with trailer. Ph 03 5127 8247 or 0415 860 256 148

Ford Falcon Ed GLi 1994,4.0, 5-spd, 16x8 AMG wheels, rear spoiler, track-tuned suspension package, Monxi, tow-pack, air-

AUSCAR Falcon last season rookie winning car. With a spare set of wheels, fuel chum, jack etc. $22,500 ono. Will lease if

con, p/steering. $14,990. Ph 018 231 014 or 02 6562 7762 148

required at a reasonable rate. Ph Jason 0412 779 999 147

Group Q Historic F2 car 1973 Dolphin 732. Ex Chris Farrell.

Original Brabham BT36 chassis. Only 3 races since full restora tion including R200 and new Hart spec twincam. Ph 02 9526 8436 ,47

26 February 1999 49

DlrCE Si^Mrkart 80cc. David Wade's Victorian championship win ning kart, Mac minnereli chassis. 4 wheel brakes, top HP Yamaha engine. Kart maintained by Roby Canuti. Ratios, wets and drys rrxxjnted. Many spares. $4250 ono. Ph Geotf 0417

TE Cortina street sedan. Alloy head, 38 mm, roll cage.

Production barwork, stainless steel fuel tank, big 4 core radiator, ready to race. $4000 ono. Ph 07 4164 3133 bh a 07 4162 4629

Ford X-flow race engine, 1760cc with Hepolite pistons, twin 45mm Webers, A3 cam, big head, extractors, Cosworth tappet cover, lightened flywheel. Just rebuilt, $1,800. Ph Rod 02

ah. te

65627762.

147

369 996 or 03 9705 27911«

Parts

^ A

0419 846 374 Adelaide, w

Ford Boss 302 bkxk, STD bae, genuine transam, C8FE cast ing, very rare. $1750. 351 Cleveland rods, shotpeened, pol ished, bronze brushed, SPS bolts, resized ready to run. $^.

Ph 03 9387 41461«

Datsun 1600 parts doors, struts, hubcaps, diff, harness, seats, tail light, head light, gear box, 1800 motor carbies, bumper bar, roll cage, boot lid. Priced from $5. Ph Ross 03

\ uu

5334 6364 ah Ballarat. i«

VH Sedan 6 cly 3sp on Methand. 500 Flolley superflow head, blue crank, red black, starfire rod, HQ race piston race tyres 13" plus spare. W/inning car from last season in its division. Will sell

Supefkart: Peter Worrall's 125cc Australian Championship winning kart. 97 Stockman chassis with full bodywork, 94 RS125 Honda engine just rebuilt. $6000. Ph 02 9824 7350 147

car trailer and spares. $5500. Ph 02 6881 8879.

Sigma modified production 2.6 metharxil engine. 15” race mbber (1/2 to 3/4). Highly competitive, power steering, would make perfect super street sedan with minimal work. $3500 ono. Ph 07 41643133bhor0741624629ah. i«

Sigma Speedway Sedan, /\SCF or Board car. Has all the good fmit. Feature wins, fresh drive line, many spares, ready to race and win. Ph: 02 6963 6367

1962 Anglia sedan. Sandblaseted shell full fibreglass front and mould, 4 link rear end unfinished project. $500 Ph 07 5578 3652

Crankshaft Nissan steel, ground to suit Ford 1600 cross flow on to make stocker twin cam. Complete with steel flywheel (10 bolt) and bearings. All new. Just completed. $1600. Ph 03 9W6 4296 or 03 9499 6701 ah. i«

Two-ways complete set. As new. Antenna-helmet mike and relay - Scanner/two pit crew sets/one spotter set, chargers to suit, Dorian timer. All in own carry case. $5000. Ph 02 9636 4447 OT0418637454..«

Pontiac 23' heads with manifold - r/rockers stud/girde-rocker covers. $4000.23' Chev dash 10 heads with manifold r/rockers

- stud/girdle - rocker covers $3000 or both sets $7000. Ph 02 9636 4447 or 0418 637 454.

J

Winter quick change diff. New crown wheel or pinion and all bearings with gears and axels and steel diff tubes offset like

Reynard 92D. Very competitive car, good hp engine. Spares

new. $2500. Ph 07 5494 8962 ah. xa LT Torana 9 inch diff with stud pattern to suit U Torana. 6/3 diff gears with mini spool. Excellent corxJition. $900. Ph 07 5594

& trailer available. $78,000ono. Ph Owen Osborne 0417 320 866. 147

8962 ah.,«

Super Sedan, Open, VN Commodore. Rayburn chassis, new 6cy, Toyota diff, X quicksteer, spare wheels, engine parts and gearboxes. Auto meter insttuments, too much to mention. 7'x15’ tandem trailer, just rebuilt. $10,000 the lot. Ph: 02 6352 2773. 147 Super Sedan, less motor. Wnters diff, alloy centre, hollow axles, thin discs. Wide 5 all round. Z series Bert Box, Weld

Stgierkart - /Videtson chassis, 250cc Rotax twin engine, completety rebuilt. Spares include wheels, tyres, fibreglass, carburet tors, jets, sprockets, exhaust pipes, barrels, pistons, rods etc. $15,000ono.Ph:0353335738(BH)a0353316116(AH). ,47

deadlock wheels, power steering, latest Wllwood steering rack. $15,000. Ph: Frank 02 4572 5949. 147 Speedwat Midget, Gardner low bar chassis, Halibrand

quick change, bladder tail, Schnoeder power steering & pump, coil over front axle with Halibrand hubs, full set magnesium

wheels. Complete roller. $3,500. Ph: 07 5493 9233.

147

Drag Rear engine dragster. 250 inch chassis. Pro built on jig.

Brand new, takes big a small block. Comes with engine plates, diff housing, axles and steering rac. $3200. Ph 02 9730 2262 140 For Lease: /Vex Davison Van Diemen RF95. Fully prepared drive fa 1999 season, includes: all prepar;ation (by Michael Ritta), transport, pit crew and equipment, dedicated snr race engineer at all meetings; 10 races plus ample testing; engines (optional), tyres and all rxxisumables; championship-winning (ex Tanda) car, best RF95 in country. Genuine enquiries with suitable budgets only. Ph: Richard Davison 03 9427 8224,0417 313652aMichaelRitta0398993183,0418306313.

147 Sigietkart - 250cc, 94 Kawasaki KX250 stogie as raced by Steve Tapper and Chris Staff. Lap record-holder Lakeside, Winton, Mallala Wakefield Park, Eastern Creek. $5,250ono. Ph: 07 3890 1212 (BH). 147

91D ReynaiTi FormiAa HoMen. Championship-winning car is available immediately, complete, rebuilt, ready to race.

Perkins engine (1500km to next rebuild). Pi System 2. 2 sets wheels, full set-up data. Car won 96 (Stoke#) and 97 (Bright) Championship. Don't waste a season learning the ropes proven package. $70k. Ph Malcolm Ramsey, 0419 846 374 Adelaide. 147

Van Diemen RF95, immaculate condition, fresh Lamer

engine, Penske shock. Proven chassis, must sell now. $25,000 ono. Ph 0419 895 692,03 5457 2224. 147

Foimula Vee - ready to race with fresh engine. Ideal begin ner's car, very reliable and with lightweight traitor. $3,300 Must sell. Ph 0415 881 800,03 9874 1566. .47

Spectnan 06B Fomiula Ford. Very little use, with many spares inci nose boxes, nose-cone, spare set of wheels and tyres, springs, bars, new gauges, ratios etc. Log book and all paperwork, 2 F/Ford race engines. 1 fresh, second with little use. Complete package, ready to race. $43,000. Ph 07 3266 2183 bh, 07 3263 6919 ah.

Engines Chev Brodix track 1 alum heads, studs and spare springs.

Near new. $2750. AP 7 1/4 triple plate clutch with flywh^ suit Chev. $750. Willwood 4 spot calipers, rotas, hats and hubs $750. Ph 08 8388 9110 148 350 - 4 bolt block, steel aank, alloy Brooks rods, faged speed pro pistons, Isky roller cam. Dart cylinder heads, stainless valves, dual valve springs. Milodon roltor rockers, chrome rrxily retainers. $10,000 ono. Ph 0414 821 526 WA i4s Chev 364 - Steel stroker crank. Dash 8 Hi Port heads, 6' Carillo rods, Ross pistons, Summerss Bros gear drive, roller

Speedwinf U Torana speedway ca. 192 engine 350 Holly, full fibreglass body, ready to race. Good reliable ca. Complete with trailer and all spaes. $2500 ono. Ph Garry 03 5345 1070 146

1300CC11,000 rpmcam. $6500ono. Save heaps. Ph 029632 1090 bh a 02 9888 2305 ah. .«

V8 Supercar Chev. Top hp, ex HRT/Benson. Complete with wiring, manifold to sump, including pulleys, flywheel, clutch, pumps etc. Fast, reliable, professionally maintained. $32,500

7,

Porsche alloy rims, 15x7, 40 off in very good condition.

Black centre with polished outer rim. Standard wheels, as sup plied on 1984 Model 944 and 911S. $400 ono. Ph: John 0411 525 695 Sydney. 147 Brocfix-10 alloy heads, brand new in box. bare. No time wasters $3,500. Ph: 0412 599103.

147

5555. 147

Ford 130OCC Cosworth conrods and flat top pistons. 711 M block and crank. $900 ono. PfVfac 08 8278 5298. i4»

VDO nstnanents. 11.OOOrpm x-tremetacho (P. No. 333937)

and shift light (P.No. 600895), $480 pr. Exhaust temp gauge (#310 306) $170. Many other gauges available. All items brand new, still in boxes.Ph: 03 9499 1347. 147 Chewy bigbore inlet manifold. Multi-point fuel injection.

Includes front-mounted twin 50mm throttle body with throttle position sensor and idle speed control. Fa engines up to 750 hp. $850. Ph: Phil 03 9338 4133,0414 338 413. 147 Driving lights - Cibie super Oscar driving lights (6x spread beam and 2x spot beam). All lights brarxJ new, still in Ixixes.

internally with cupboards and sink. 12v & 240v. Fold down bunks.$6000.Ph 08 8633 2300a 08 86332232ah ,48 1976 Toyota Coaster Bus. 5/R near new. Reco engine, 4 speed gearbox, tyres nea new, good mechanically, 5 speed box spare, stripped for motor/home conversion. No rust, no rego. $3950 ono. Must sell. Ph Peta 03 5275 4904 .<8 Open car traila, electric brakes. 4m x 1.7m. Suit Escort, Datto etc. $2400.Ph 02 9526 8436,48 1973 International dual cab and crew cab seats II plus equipment. 13ft tray, LP gas petrol electric winch and ramps.

Henty of spaes, long rego. $7500 ono. $6500 less winch. Ph 02

Gemini twbo motor, twin 45mm Del Ortos, Garrett turbo, oil

coda + lines, cross-drilled knife-edged orank, big sump, supa flow head, billet cam, 3 in exhaust, efi fuel pump + reg turbo

regulata, Oriwa block, copper head gasket. /VI fresh, ready to assemble. Will sepaate. Ph Paul 02 6242 6638 ah, 0412 273 113. ,47

Super sedan Camao complete. Ready to win. Strong engine.

600hp. $15,000. Ph 02 6582 1154148 Formida 500 rebuilt twin 250,fotwad mota. Ready to race.

With spaes. $4000 ono. Ph 03 6452 2036 w NASCAR Pontiac Grand prix. Complete ca, ready to race, plus spaes and pit gea ca. $30,000. Ph 02 9605 7013 a 0413

Z01 Escort engine, lightened and balanced pistons, light ened, balanced, crack-tested, shd-peened rods; lightened fly wheel, lage cam and much head work. Ready lor assembly. $700 ono. Ph 07 38880081 ah. ,47 Holden 204 tuilM engine. /Vloy 12 port head. Caillo rods, steel crank, rdler cam and rockers. /\PEP pistons, T04 turbo, Weber carbie with ram tube and air box. Genuine 550hp.

075219 148

$13,000 ono. Ph 03 5626 6382. m

Medium irgid licence minimum. Ph David Gittus 03 9701 5559 bh. H7

Mechanic/Manager (and crew) for Group A team. Manager: experienced + good attitude vital, excellent remuneration. Crew: Must have enthusiasm and be reliable, no know-alls please.

Confidential enquiries to Western Sydney Motorsport, PO Box 100, St Marys South NSW 2760. 147

&75 inch LSD, suit Escort, GC. Cost $2,000, sell $800ono.

Alloy half cage, suit European Escort. $275 ono. Ph: 07 3888 0081 (AH). 147

Cosworth MAE engine, not run since pro rebuild, new down draught head, new block, 40mm DD Webers, all steel, dry sump, 1300cc, ll.OOOrpm cam. $6,500ono. Save heaps.

,47

at any quantity. /Vso VS. VR Group A rear wing complete. Ph Danny 03 6330 1881 ah, 03 6331 2624 bh. 147 Truck driver/mechanic for Commodore Cup team.

Volunteer basis, all expenses paid. Melbourne based preferred.

988. 147

Lucar Panteoh 7.8m x 2.1h x 2.4w. Side access doa. Uned

5738.

Richard 03 5480 7137. i«

8 Bosch 803 injectors, 8 Hilbom 2.25" ram tubes. Will look

Minilite wheels, 15x8, 15x9.5 etc suit Ford or any pattern.

Frank 02 4572 5949. .47

period 5 Road Race, $1,000ono. 1992«3 Yamaha TZ250 (fac tory engine), plus exhaust pipes, $2,500ono. Rotax 130 (12to), quickest 125 Rotax in Australia. Includes carby & exhaust pipe, spare banel, engine & axle sprockets, $3,500ono. Ph 03 5333

Grand Prix on video, pre 1987 for sale, swap or loan. Ph:

3299 bh. 1.7

Fad adapta, $300. Ph: Rod 02 6562 7762. 147 .

Kart engines: 1982 Rotax 250cc twin. Excellent cases. Suit

Ph 02 4948 4472 i«

Escort/Cordna 3.9 <Sff artio in carrier, $350. 4.1 diff ratio, $350. 711M 1600 crank, $100. Ph: 02 9488 7886 or 0418 188

Chev small block stainless steel extractors, complete with

bowtie heads by Weltec, titanium valves, magneto, latest C&S carb. Crane rockers, Lunafn cam, Zale sump, fluid dampa. 3 meetings since rebuild, $17,000, a $18,500 with Bert Box. Ph:

147

Datsun 'A' series information on PRL Sumy. Eg car and/or equipment. Injection and suspensbn components. Close ratio 'Cseries,gearbox.Ph07 47793320or0414527291. i« Model cars Tamiya FI kit. Wold VRI model box Ferrari 250 GTO no 8404 and 8444. Bang no 7083, 7095, 1015, 7141. Also fire engines. FI books, sports car videos. FI Racing first issue.

degree). Ex NASCAR. $600. Ph 0417 014 383. u7

072 148

Keith Black OMsmobile arcing engine, 557ci, hat to pan, still as new, the best example of a Wild Bunch engine in the country. Ph: 0412 487 771 (BH), 02 6297 5895 (AH). 147 Chev 366 18 degree motor, Ultralite crank, 3D rods,

box, $450. Ph John 0412 445 737.

Wanted

stainless steel collectors to suit aluminium Pontiac heads (23

Haltech F9 programmable fuel injeefon computer. Still in box.

4 cyl harness included and sensors. This can also control your ignition timing etc. As new. $1000 firm. Ph Tete Travis 0418 951

Cost $165 ea, sell $110 ea. Can deliva. Ph: 03 94991347.

Corolla 4AGE twin cam 16V. Fully reconditioned, bal anced, blueprinted. Like new. 115kW+. Suit road car a PRB Clubman. Includes wiring and computer, $4,990.5 speed gear

Mitsubishi FK415 arce car transporter. Fast economical solution for up to 2 F/Hddens (or FF). Diesel, rigid pan dual cab, hydraulic rear tail lift, alloy bull bar, revised final drive for highway cruising. Plenty of room for spares. Well maintained etc. Seats 6. $50k Ph Malcolm Ramsey 0419 846 374 Adelaide, 147 isuni Dual Cab, FSR, 6 tonne, 22x8'x7' alloy pan, drop deck, cruises 100ks+, electric winch, methand tank, air compressor, sink, cupboards, $22,000 neg. Ph 03 5241 4224,0412 599103. 147

1965 to now - road racing, drag and speedway. Compiling a book, need help. Bob Wlliamson PO Box 289 Riverstone 2765, ph 02 9627 3799 bh. 1.7 Cosworth Speedway engine BDP (heavy type), complete going engine or senriceable block, head assy & belt drive assy.

Ph Clive 02 9997 8072,7am-7pm. 147 Australian Grand Prix port - 1993, 4, 5. WII trade for vari ous other years, many available. Ph 03 9873 5586 ah, 03 9800

fronts 17x9, rears 17x11, Ford stud pattern, ideal for Sports Sedan, sports car, hot rod. Ph: Tony 0418 130 133, 03 6326

draft head, new block, 40 mm DD Webers, all steel, dry sump,

6919 ah. 1.7

Genuine minilite wheels. 15 x 18. Suit Porsche. Set of 4 with nuts. $600. Ph 03 9720 9975 i4a

Castlemain 0417 380 897148

Escort 1300 crossplan Ritter engine, Dyrx) time only all stee, 42mm Webers, dry sump comp clutch sand end exhausts. Suit group Q, Clubman, F3. $7500. Ph 02 9211 2854.48 Cosworth Mae engine. Not run since praebuikj. New down

147

Fully enclosed trailer, 22ft long, 8 ft wide, dual axle with large annex, 240v power with lights. Fully lockable, workbench, tyre rack.

Very light and easy to tow. $5,700. Ph 07 3266 2183 bh or 07 3263

95226671. 147

Chev 307 CV in blue printed. Trix powaglide. 9" LSD. /VI out of HR Holden. $3000 the lot. Will separate. Hear running.

heads etc, $16,000. Ph 02 6297 2818 a 0418 630 408 ah. .48

455,

Chew small block exhaust steel headers, stainless secondaries, suit 18' Chev and VT chassis. $2500 new. Ph 03 9587 6199 U8

$8,000. Ph: 0419 724 685. 147 BBS 17 inch rims and tyres, as new, Pirelli P zero tyres,

372 Rodeck sprintcar engine. Cola orank. Eagle-rods, Wisco pistons, Peterson dry sump, 2 7/16 Hilbom injection, Brodix

International ACCO 1710 transporter, suitable Commottore etc. Tyre racks, storage lockers, electric winch, annex, refrigerator, stove etc, gas a petrol, tuns well. $12,000. Ph Matthew 0412 553

Any videos of Nigel Mansell winning any FI race. Ph 02

148

0790.46

cam and lifters. Rev ki splayed caps. $15,000. Chev 355 bot tom end steel aank, pink rods. TRW pistons $2800. Ph 03 5996

Ph 02 9632 1090 bh, 02 9888 2305 ah. .47

Astral 1981 Tourmaster motorhome. 692T 350hp. Jake 7 speed limited cmise control, air bag, suspension aiginal air condition. 2 3/4hp ducted electric air conditioning, watercooled, Supa silent Genset professional fitout 1995. Has the woks. Top condition. Beds 2-6. $110,000. Ph 02 65821154 ,4b

V8 booster- new$250. Ph 02 6242 66751..

Kinsler fuel injection. 57mm butterflies 10 1/2 inch tubes.

Complete with fuel rails and linkages. $1800 new. Ph 03 9587

Series 6 RX7 front brakes, 4 spot calipers, rotors and stub axles. Ideal lor Sports Sedan or Club Car. $450ono. Ph: 07 3888 0081 (AH). 147 Holinger 6 speed: Holinger helical internals, vgc, lots of spares, $7,500. Holinger 6 speed: Modena Eng internals, vgc,

firm. Ph: 018 449 414. .47

147

Holden parts. Brand new VS heads $800 pr. EFI manifold and throttle body $150. Various new EH hyd cams from $100. LH/X

6199.

wheel transporters, will transport up to 2 F/Hddens (or F/F) and 6 people in luxury, comfort & style. 7.51 EFIV8, auto, o/drive, tow pack, a/c, cruise control etc. Custom Birrana trailer provides easy unlcading with hydraulc tail lift. Prof finished throughout. Reluctant sale due to pantech upgrade. Total package $80k. Ph Malcolm Ramsey

147

Dry sump pump, 2 stage. $580. Ford Non Xflow 85mm Mahle pistons, new, $200 set. Twin plate clutch, older spring

type, $^. Cosworth 2L dry sump pan, new, $300. Hewland

Transporters/Trailers

Photos and info on Mustangs that raced in Aust & NZ.

Ph: Bob 02 9627 3799,018160291. 1.7

Other Kincrome 400 PCE took kit. Seven drawer roller cab with

nine and three roltor bearing draw add ons. Brand new still in boxes. Cost $5200. Sell $3400 ono. Can deliva in iVc Ph 03 59840929 140 Alfa Romeo showroom sales brochures. Various models from

early 70's Giuletta Sprint /Vfasud, 1980's GTV /Vfa 75 to 1990 model 33 16v. /VI brochures exc condition. Ph Gail ah 03 5334 6364 Baltorat. 14a

Race suit fa sate. 1 single laya blue nomex, 1 double layer nomex. Good condition. Urgent sate - best offers. Ph Craig 02 98942609.18

Autosport magazine. 1974 to Jan 1999. /Vmost every issue.

Boxe and mint. $5000 the lot. Buyer collects or pays freight.

Mae than 1200 mags. Ph Patrick 02 4967 3679 ah a 02 4969 1299 bh 148

Red 'Clubmans' RPM racesuit size large $125. Black 'Indy' race boots size large $100. Underwear 2 piece size large $80.

Two arm harness black $50. /VI gear brand new. Neva used.

Must sell. Ph 03 9799 3289. i4s

Limited edition prints 'donouts' signed by /Vex Zamardi and Chip Ganassi. Sold out in USA. $350. Emerson Fittipaldi last win signed $300. Mario Andretti JPS Lotus signed $300. Ph Grant 0411 239 585 a 03 9704 6536 ah 148

Mallock V2 MK2. Group LB race winning car. 105E fitted Cosworth parts, Hollinga gear box. A factory built ca interna tionally known complete with spares arxJ new traitor. $ 28,500.

Ph Roy Wiliams 03 5229 3375 ..e GP tickets (2). /Van Jones stand. Row B. $400 each Ph 0419 103 526,4.

Set of 43 original TR/\X cas FJ, EH, Monaros, GT Falcons.

Most unboxed but perfect condition. Reluctant sale. WII not separate, $3500 ono. Ph 07 3888 0081. .48 Stewart-Ford fan seeking Stewart posters and/a photos 9799 and also like to know if thae is a Stewart-Fad fan club. Ph Josh 02 4323 1299. .48

RPM arce gear - 2 full sets, Nomex III suit, size M; gloves, shoes, size 8; blueMhite. 2 Bell full face helmets SR-PRC size 7

1/4. Hardly used, vgc, cost over $4,000, sell fa $2,200 or will sell sets sepaately. Why buy new gea, this is as new! Ph 07 5577 3077 ah 07 55321400 bh.

147

29 issues of Autosport magazine, between June 97 and August 98. 8 issues of Motorsport News between May 98 and Novemba 98. $10 the lot. Ph Ashley 03 9789 2343. 147 Snap-On tool chest, 7 drawer rollcab, model KRA 3027.

4365 2210.48

Tamper-free lock. Brand new, still in box. Cost $2,000, sell

Transporter 40 ft hydraulic tail lift, shower basin, 4 bunks, room for 2 oars, plenty of storage space. $5500.

$1,500, Ph 02 9888 6982. ,47

Ph 02 9605 7013 or 0413 075 219 ,4a

Super Touring drives available fa person with a budget, starting at Oran Park's 1st round of the championship, Ph 02

F350 XLT1992 tow vehicle & traitor. The Rolls Royce of fifth

9684 1999 a 0419 287 150. ,47

Motorepoit News FREE Classified Advertising seiis.

See page 47 for booking coupon

50

26 February 1999

sM

a regular basis.

Would it not be better to drop all tbe hideously boring warm-ups on Sunday morning and run them

Smoke and mirrors?

ll NEWS

Thanks for the great off-season FI coverage. From where I sit,

Editorial Editor

we’re headed for the most interest

Phil Branagan

ing GP season for many years - and a great deal of the questions will be

TcchnicaB Editor

then?

Just about every category now spends 10, or 15, minutes aimlessly

answered at the Melbourne GP.

Tony Glynn

Vic 3161. our E-mail address, or fax to 03 9527 7766.

yet-to-race Honda team, Stewart,

Gerald McDornan

the new BAT team etc have seemed

Graphics Co-ordinator

to go well in testing. They have even topped the time sheets at

VIv Brumby

some of the tests.

Advertising Enquiries

Yet they, Stewart in particular, are coming from a long way back when you look at their 1998 perfor

Chris Lambden

mances.

Advertising

Administration Managing Director Chris Lambden

circulating around and around.

Warm-ups are not essential. All these categories manage to survive quite well during the AGP without warm-ups - true?

Send letters to Talk Converter to PO Box 1010 North Caulfield

At various times, teams like the

Assistant Editor '

Dear Sir,

The staff of Motorsport News does not necessarily agree with readers.

must be looked at, but most of the teams are already struggling to make ends meet and this will only

Clark.

send more teams to the wall.

1965:

Thunderdome meetings have pro

Either a number of teams have

vided the finest and the most excit

made a lot of progress and it’s going to be quite a year, or the old favourites have been foxing - I guess Melbourne will answer that.

I have one question. Why is it that teams such as Minardi end up with no-name drivers of question able background, when there are obviously talented drivers left on

ing races in all categories and most drivers in the sport are there because they want to run on the Thunderdome and not on the road circuits.

So why not, instead of a 50 mil lion dollar hole in the ground, have more racing at the Dome, not less

I

Matich never at any stage beat

They raced together four times in Warwick Farm - Clark first and Matich third Sandown - Clark second and Matich dnf

Longford - Clark fifth and Matich dnf Lakeside

Clark

first

People want entertainment, not

an excuse to take a nap.

For $25-$30, I want to see more than just a handful of races! And they wonder why they can’t attract the Melbourne public ...

What

would

be

clever

for

AVESCO to do is to take up Jon Davison’s innovative idea of allow-

ing free admission to school groups

to Frida/s practice?

Instead of a low-key day, you

and

would have hundreds of kids run-

Matich not classified, although he

(PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161)

the sidelines?

ning around getting autographs, etc. This will hopefully turn them into our future motor racing fans.

They may even convince parents to take them that Sunday. Dollars!

Phone: 03 9527 7744

How is it that people like our own, obviously talented, Mark

Damien Jones

Contacts 89 Orrong Crescent Caulfield North VIC 3161

Fax 03 9527 7766

Email, msnews@corplink.com.au

did lead for a while.

Matich’s record in the 1964 and

Webber are over-looked?

Thomastown, VIC

Steven Vasilikov

Pushing it uphill?

CompuServe: iooz37,ii6s

Contributors General: Mike Kable. Jon Thomson.

Brian Reed. Darryl Flack, David Hassall, Aaron Noonan, Allan Schofield

FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring US: Phil Morris NZ: 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),

Keilor, VIC

ASST ED: In a word, money.

Dear Sir,

Underfunded

Am I missing something, or is Ford having some serious problems

teams

like

Minardi need money more than talent and their drivers buy their way in. That simple.

Could you please advise where I can obtain a copy of the photo of Bright & Jackson which appears on page 10 of your issue No # 142 dated 18-31/12/98 ?

David Goodman

Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell

Save the Dome

Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Brad

Dear Sir,

I am unable to accept Calder Park’s view that for the good of NASCAR racing and the sport of super speedway racing that we must have less racing on the

(UK), Tony Loxley, Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent noTORSPORT NEWS is published by Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd ACN No 060 179 928 Directors C Lambden (Managingl. A Glynn Publisher: C Lambden

Printed by;

Wilke Color 37-49 Browns Rd Clayton 3168 Distributed 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

Difficult times: Ford has been obliged to carry over the existing EL aerokit, albeit in a modified form, to its all-new AU Falcon. It’s actually the front

air dam that's the major problem, though, not the rear appendages. and give all categories more prize

1965 Tasman Series (when it was

money.

for 2.5 litres) was really very poor -

Thunderdome and more road racmg.

Also, over the last few years the cuts in prize money have not helped the sport.

I believe the cuts in prize money and less racing at the Dome auto matically means fewer teams, less

the end of the Thunderdome alto

gether.

I acknowledge that the cost factor

mences.

Is it simply a case of production delays, or a case of race teams run ning late, as is often the case?

to new teams and then more cars -

Michael Tremaine Indoroopilly, QLD

dnf s and one non-classified.

ASST ED: Production of Ford’s

then, as a result, more action, then

I agree he was tremendously quick and was certainly offered dri-

aero-kit has run late, but the problems started before that

Would it not be great to see super speedway racing the way it should

ves overseas, but it is results that

when Ford and TEGA had a dis

be, 40-odd NASCARs and full fields

count. They didn’t come until

agreement over what Ford

F5000.

could indeed change for the AU. In the end. Ford was compelled

in all other categories under lights.

Surely six or seven Thunderdome meetings a year is not too much to

Anyway, it was great to read about him, particularly his current status.

to stick with a modified version of the EL Falcon aero-kit.

Neil Nicoll,

History in the un-making

ask for.

Long live the Thunderdome!!!

Regards from a very dedicated, loyal, but disheartened fan.

address supplied

Relieve the tedium

Dear Sir, Very sad to see the Sandown 500

Dear Sir,

go - yet again the forces of commer cialism in sport have over-run his-

Dean Laurens, VIC

Get it right, matey

action!

The result - the sport will fall further into disarray.

In the end, less fans and maybe

at Calder last year, but from what I read of production delays with the Ford aero-kit, Seton, Johnson and Co are not going to get much test ing at all before the racing com

nine starts for two third places, six

More prize money could only lead more fans.

Steele, Tony Glynn, Thunder-Pics, Marshall Cass, Mike Harding, Brisbane Motorsport, Frank Midgley, John Bosher, Phil Williams, Mike Patrick

the VT Commodore made its debut

Dear Sir,

Karts: Allan Roark, Sean Henshelwood Graeme Burns

Photographic, Neil Hammond, Nigel

car going?

If I recall correctly, the Holden teams had plenty of testing before

Preserving the moment

daveg@skilled.com.au ASST ED: Tony Loxley took the pic, Goodman and he’ll make contact with you pronto.

Brett Swanson, Grant Nicholas

in getting its new AU Falcon race

Dear Sir, It was great to read your article about Frank Matich, but I am afraid your journalist allowed hyperbole to win over facts and reality.

Is it a good idea for AVESCO to

run support races on the Saturday of V8Supercar race meetings?

I don’t think it will attract many

extra people on the Saturday,

because only dyed in the wool

enthusiasts are going to devote an entire weekend to motor racing on

tory and tradition,

I suppose it’s a fact in the mod em world, but I for one bemoan the

■loss of so much of our motor racing

history,

David Priestly, Mount Waverley, VIC 1

submitted.

Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd or its staff.

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