Motorsport News Issue 152 - 7-20 May 1999

Fremantle V8 rare? We show you where Issue 152

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Fitzgerald wins Targa Tasmania

Oran Park double

George Tatnell

Schumacher’s

Part 2

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Montoya breaks

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7 May 1999

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Webber’s great escape looming Court battle

MARK Webber has walked

be able to give them my best sug gestion as to what had happened -

away unhurt from a 330kph crash during prequalif3dng for

we were way over on the other side

of the track and it took them nearly an hour to get to the car through

the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The young Australian’s Mercedes CLR suffered a front right suspen sion breakage as he braked heavily

the forest.

“I was able to let them know

into the second chicane at the end

what bits were broken, but of

of the famous Mulsanne Straight early in last Sunday’s prequalifying day.

He managed to avoid a head-on collision with tyre barriers, the car spinning around as the right front wheel jammed up under the bulk head, backing into an armco barri er at speed.

Webber emerged without a

course not what had broken first...”

It was nearly four hours later before the car could be retrieved

and brought back to the pits for a preliminary examination. Both remaining cars contested the later, afternoon session.

“I was disappointed for the team,” Webber continued.

“The car was going so well. As it was exempt from prequalifying, we

scratch and was able to use a

were running full tanks, just work

mobile phone, thoughtfully carried in the car by the team, to report the details of the incident to the team,

ing on some set-up bits and pieces, not really going for a time. It felt

several kms away through the Le

sensational.

Mans forest.

“We had planned to go for a time later in the morning once the track had cleaned up, but I think we had been second quickest anyway up until the accident so I’m pretty con fident we’ll be okay when race week

The team immediately brought in its other car running in that session for extensive checks before it was allowed to continue.

Shaken, not stirred: Webber discusses the accident with Mercedes-

With just six weeks to the French sports car classic, the crash comes as a major blow to Mercedes’ prepa rations, following no less than three

ing laps, then stopped for some more changes - we were trying to

successful 24 hour tests over recent months.

going to get some laps in before we started our programme proper later

By Monday, already back in England, Webber was no closer to

knowing exactly what had caused the incident:

“The team is taking the car back

for a major investigation to see what happened,” Mark told Motorsport News as he related the details of the fastest accident df his motor racing career.

“It was still quite early in the day. The session had started at 7.30 in the morning, and the track was still very dusty and not very grippy, so we weren’t going for times at that stage.

“I’d been in the car, done 11 fly-

Benz team leader Bernd Schneider at Le Mans.

make the car comfortable to drive for the other two drivers who were

in the morning.

“I went out again at 8.42 and it

“I’d actually had a look around the track and knew that straight on meant head-on into a tyre wall if

started to turn a little to try and miss the wall...

the chicane...

“Fortunately, the other three brakes were working and that’s

“As soon as I lifted and hit the

brakes, something broke in the right front, “My first reaction was ‘what’s wrong here - we haven’t had a problem like this before!’ as I realised that we were going to go

straight on...

“It was a big shock for the team, though - remember, we’ve done three 24 hour-plus tests without a hint of a problem - but I know theyll be working non-stop now to sort out how and why it happened and make whatever changes are necessary.”

A remarkably calm Webber returned to the UK on Sunday

we went straight across the gravel trap and I didn’t really want to go there, so I was thinking how to minimise damage to the car and

aU happened on the second lap, into

“We’re braking from around 335kph at the 160metre mark down to a first gear chicane, around 85kph, so it’s a big stop, but the car was braking beautifully.

comes around.

what saved me. As soon as the car

hit the trap, the right-front wheel folded right under and it spun round and we hit the armco back

wards - there were no tyres there as no-one had figured that a car would come in at that angle... out and I felt fine.

OZZ:

route for the Fremantle street

race (below, in green) is reminis cent of the

Wellington race which last took

place in 1997. The main straight of the 3km track is right near the water,

while bridge under passes will be a feature.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

AVESCO believes it has the sole

rights to V8 touring car racing in Australia and is proceeding with plans for its own ‘detuned V8 Supercar’ category, for 2000.

As we closed for press, Motorsport News was unable to contact Steve Fraser

(Advantage) or Bruce Williams for comment.

The rumour mill is suggesting that the Advantage group may return to the idea of sanctioning its category via Bob Jane’s AUSCAR body, to overcome the prob lems CAMS has, particularly given its 10 percent stake in AVESCO itself...

■ Wayne Gardner has fin ished eighth in the second round of the All-Japan GT Championship at Fuji. Gardner’s Toyota Supra, which he shared with local Naoki Hideki, was a

lap behind winners Takahashi/ open-class win in their NSX.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

Fremantle getting closer Familiar concept: The proposed

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane has initiated legal pro ceedings against Advantage International, Bruce Williams, Ron Harrop et al with a view to stopping the junior category pro posed by the group.

lida, who took Honda’s first local

Webber’s Le Mans bid.

I spoke to the team on the phone and they were very keen for me to

News understands that

The team’s next scheduled, and final, test prior to the 24 Hours on June 12/13 is in two weeks time, at

Motorsport News will be at Le Mans for the big race. Don’t miss our following issue, on sale June 17, for the full inside story of

car did a great job. I was able to get

Junior/Future V8 touring car category moved into the litiga tion zone this week. Motorsport

afternoon.

Hockenheim.

“It hit with the left rear, but the

The battle to establish a

THE prospects for a Freemantle V8 Supercar street race were the talk of pit lane at last Sunday’s Wanneroo Shell series race meet

ing.

While nothing is yet set in concrete, a four-man consortium is taking with AVESCO about the project and is

reportedly meeting with the WA Government very shortly to take the process a stage further.

A handful of V8 team representatives were taken down to the proposed circuit

on Friday for an initial evaluation and reaction.

The planned circuit is based at Freemantle’s Victoria Quay and, in

plan, is quite reminiscent of the original Wellington wharfside circuit of a few years back.

The planned track meanders along Victoria Quay Road, before doubling back along Beach Street, which becomes Elder Place, then Phillimore Street,

before rejoining Victoria Wharf Road (see diagram).

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane

told Motorsport News that the prospects for the steet event were good and that the West Australian Sporting Car Club, which operates Wanneroo Raceway, would be “looked after” if WA’s V8 race

was to switch to the road layout: “Unlike Mallala, we have a contract

with and strong working relationship with the people here, so any deal to move the race to Fremantle would have

to include them,” he said.

■ Kevin Bell, who destroyed his Reynard Formula Holden at Adelaide (see last MN) has pur chased the ex-Paul Stephenson Reynard 91D. It was delivered to the Adelaide base of Birrana

Racing last week and Bell will be in action in the next Gold Star

race at Phillip Island on May 16.

■ The Australian Safari will

receive extensive TV coverage

this year. Apart from broadcasts during the eight day event, run ning from August 21-28, there will be a post-event package shown on Channel 7, fronted by MN’s own rally guru Jon Thomson. It will also be shown in Asia via cable network ESPN.

■ Simon Hardwidge will run two Formula 3s this season.

Chas Jacobsen and Paul

Stephenson will drive the TOMS-powered Dallara 396s in the series which starts at

Mallala on May 30.

■ Stone Brothers Racing has confirmed Jason Bright’s part ner for the Queensland 500/FAI 1000 endurance races. The kiwi

team owners have gone for one of their own - former Super Tourer star Craig Baird, who has also driven for DJR.

■ Arrows comes first! No, it

isn’t a racetrack coup, but one on the internet. Arrow pilots Pedro de la Rosa and Tiger Takagi took

part in an internet chat ‘cyber cast’ from the Imola track last

Saturday, talking to fans around the world via its

www.arrows.com website. The

chat will take place at other GPs during the season. It will be interesting to see if Takagi talks more on the ‘net than he does to

his engineers...

4

IM

7 May 1999 ■ Hill cheats death at

Brands! Not Damon, but Derek Hill, son of former world champ Phil, walked away from a 160kmh crash at Paddock Bend in the Brands round of the Formula Palmer Audi

championship. A brain scan in London revealed

nothing and the American is expected to race in a few weeks.

■ The Mitsubishi onemake series looks like

gaining ground. Word is that the 30-plus Mirage race cars are on their way to Australia by sea, mean ing that they should be Ozside in the next four weeks.

n Andre Pavicevic’s FIA Formula 3000

Championship career didn’t get off to a great start with the Sydney

racer not qualif^ng at the season opening race at Imola. Saturday’s race was won by McLaren

Mh)0®[78fJXD[?0

Lowndes licence recall WHILE the opposition is currently unable to peg back defending Shell Series champion Craig Lowndes, HRT’s ace may find himself in strife wdth

the sport’s governing body.

CAMS officials quietly retrieved Lowndes’ racing licence during last weekend’s Wanneroo V8 meeting, on the basis that his Adelaide

misdemeanour (although his race one result and points were reinstated, Lowndes was still found guilty of the driving charge) was his third conviction inside a year.

Under CAMS rules, the organisation’s administration is, under those circumstances.

obliged to recall his licence and to subsequently decide whether to call a Disciplinary Tribunal to adjudicate on whether furthar action should

be taken against the “threepeater”.

Potential penalties include fines and/or suspen sion.

Motorsport News under stands that

CAMS CEO

Gregg Swann is the man charged with making the decision on whether things go further. As we closed for press there was no inkling of an outcome.

A course of action is, how

ever, expected to be known before next week’s Phillip Island round of the Shell

Championship Series.

Resting on his laurels: Craig Lowndes may just have to do that if he is suspended by CAMS. (Photo by oaniei wiikins)

Junior Team driver Nick Heidfeld.

Expecta-Vect(r)a: Following a successful marketing foray into Super Touring with a ‘works’ Vectra at Bathurst last year, Holden appears set to go GTP racing. (Photoby oirkKiynsmith)

Holden set to enter GTP wars

H The New Zealand BSL 500 Grand Prix

Motorcycle team will be back on the circuit at the

Spanish GP this weekend after missing the Japanese GP due to tech nical problems with their prototype engine a fort night ago.

Immediately followign the Jerez race, the team

By CHRIS LAMBDEN

will hten head to the new Valencia track in north

ern Spain for testing prior to heading to Paul Ricard for the French GP.

■ Canberra’s own Rick

Bates, the reigning Australian Formula Two

Rally Champion, has withdrawn from his home

event - the Rally of Canberra - citing lack of budget.

“I have to conserve what little funds I have to do the next round of the

Australian Rally Championship in Queensland next month,” Bates said.

■ America’s ‘Tonight Show” host Jay Leno has been given the job of dri ving the official pace car at this year’s Indy 500 race.

Leno will lead the 83rd

running of the world’s

biggest annual sporting event on May 30 in a spe cially modified Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It isn’t Leno’s first taste of motor

racing, the antique and classic car collector also

drove US drag racing star Mark Pawuk’s l,300hp Pro Stocker two years ago.

■ The big rigs are back at Calder Park for the

first time in a couple of years vrith the first rovmd of the Australian

SuperTruck Nationals being held at the venue on May 23. After last year’s controversial end to the

series, the Calder opener shouW be great with Rodney Crick and kiwi

Inky Tiilloch going head to head.

Jarno for rrari Trulli?

RUMOURS from France

suggest that Ferrari’s

Jean Todt is considering making a bid for Jarno Trulli to join Michael Schumacher at Ferrari for the 2000 season.

is not likely he would be will ing to sign a contract to sup port Schumacher.

In addition, Ferrari’s per formance this year is disap pointing and Trulli seems to think that there is more

HOLDEN is poised to enter the GT-P fray with a pair of 2-litre

Stevenson were non-com-

mital about the project when we spoke to them this week, although

Motorsport’s Dandenong workshops, with the grapevine suggesting

Stevenson did concede

longer-term contract with Benetton, which is still run ning the Enstone team hav ing paid for his pre-Fl career in the German Formula 3

series, it looks likely that he will stay where he is.

Prost say that he intends to keep Jarno and is not interested in selling the con tract. The Prost chassis is

clearly very good this year and with Peugeot planning an all-new VIO engine next year, TruUi is hoping for suc cess at Prost.

It should be remembered that Trulli was on Frank

than with other teams.

He is under contract to

years ago and that Frank

Eddie Irvine.

Prost until the end of 2000,

also remains a big Trulh fan.

The 24-year-old Italian has impressed many people in FI

and, although he has a

-JOESAWARD

Wilhams’s shopping list two

with his speed and maturity and it is widely beheved that

their

suitability...”

Some formal announce ment

on

Holden

Motorsport’s plans for the Vectras is expected with in the next fortnight.

No word on drivers at

this stage, although Gibson Motorsport has a reasonably strong pool of talent to draw from...

Ambrose second at Thruxton MARCOS Ambrose boost ed his British FF

ner Ricardo Van Der Ende’s

Championship hopes by plac

Van Diemen.

ing second in the third round

Courtney’s result was his best to date, an incident tak ing him out of the second

of the series at Thruxton on

Sunday, while James Courtney finished a creditible sixth.

After qualifying fourth, Ambrose charged into second with his ‘works’ Ray, finish¬

ing within one-tenth of win

round a fortnight ago.

The next round of the

British FF Championship wfil be run at Brands Hatch

on May 16.

Harbntt quits of Howard Marsden to the role of General

Manager - Motor Racing, Ford have confirmed that Greg Harbutt, the man whose job Marsden assumed, will be leaving the company.

his belt he is ready for more competitive machinery.

The rumours make little sense however. Irvine has

Harbutt, Motorsports Manager at FoMoCo for the last five years, was transferred to the position of Light Commercial Vehicle Product Specialist and will fill that role until he leaves Ford in early June.

While at the helm of Ford’s motor racing pro grammes, Harbutt ovei-saw' the growth of the compa ny’s support of teams fi'om just Dick Johnson Racing

done a better job this season

than ever before, winning in Australia - even, for the first of

Schumacher in the World

Championship - but says that he will support the German’s challenge for the

to the five level one teams pi’esently being support ed, along with the launching of the official Ford

World title if it materialises.

The move to Ferrari along side Schumacher makes lit tle sense for Trulli because it

that “there is a pair of cars at Fred’s undergoing

evaluation as to

JUST two weeks after announcing the return

now he has a couple of sea sons of FI experience under

ahead

Holden Motorsport’s John

A pair of the two-litre Vectras is undergoing preparation at Gibson

potential at Prost Grand Prix

races.

Both Fred Gibson and

Vectras.

The Italian, who currently drives for Prost Grand Prix, is rumoured to be replacing

two

they could join the GT-P series as early as the Darwin round, in June.

I’m thinking about it: Rumours in Europe suggest that Jarno Trulli may step over to Ferrari next season. (suHon images)

Tickford Racing team in January of this year, although the delays in the development of the new AU Falcon for racing put him under intense pres sure prior to the beginning of the season.

7 May 1999

Stewart retains exclusive Ford supply

By JOE SAWARD THE

have to look elsewhere for

an engine deal.

“We are in racing to win, not just to compete,” said Ford’s Martin Whitaker, who also announced that Ford

will be giving Cosworth more support next year to concen

trate everything on Stewart Grand Prix.

The announcement

t

i

is

clearly designed to end specu lation that Ford is discussing a deal with Benetton.

It has not been successful, however, as there is still talk in FI circles that Ford will

By JOE SAWARD

exchange for the engines.

for some time

before the British GP in

the Cos worth VIO units as

that Minardi is

July!

Jaguar VlOs.

up for sale, but the problem' is

The announcement is bad news for Minardi which is

left with only two choices of engine for 2000 - Supertec or Ferrari. Both are very expen sive but would probably help the team improve its level of competitiveness.

The problem is that the

team cannot afford to pay the kind of money being asked and without results is strug gling to find sponsors. The only obvious solution, there fore, would be to agree a deal with Supertec’s Flavio

start of the year.

Maybin placed the wager on Stewart GP reaching the podium

There have been rumours

that Giancarlo

■ Drug testing in FI? It could just come into play

Minardi

IS

after Jackie Stewart

unwilling

to

implied his cars were ‘per formance enhanced’.

“Our chassis is the

sell his shares in the team unless the

Viagi-a of Formula One chassis ... because it’s so

buyer agrees to

stiff,” Stewart said in

leave the team Faenza.

Minardi is a

Imola last weekend!

in

big employer in the

town

-

where the fam

Briatore in which he would

ily has been based for gen

Something to celebrate: Prior to announcing that Ford would only supply Stewart Grand Prix engines next season. Ford’s Martin Whitaker joined with Jackie and Paul Stewart and Rubens Barrichello to celebrate

gain some of the team’s

erations.

the Brazilian’s success at Imola. (Photo by SuHon images)

than currently.

American

Racing could pull off one of the biggest coups in Formula 1 in recent years -

if the board of directors at the Honda Motor

Corporation in Japan gives its blessing to an engine supply deal for the next three seasons.

!

The deal would see BAR

using the factory Honda engines - the deal, apparent ly being landed through sup port from American Honda and Honda’s Motorsport

the contract will cost the team

the much-needed 12th team

US$16m, meaning that BAR

in the agreement.

The only obvious buyer, though, is Toyota and it

will have to invest US$36m next year if it is going to go ahead with a switch.

Our sources in Japan say that the BAR-Honda deal

has been agreed in principle, although it remains depen dent on the board of directors

of Honda voting it through the board is currently split on the question of FI racing.

Another problem for Honda is that its ‘team’ is

covered as a part of the Concorde Agreement as the ‘12th’ FI team and has com mitted itself to the series for the duration of the contract

ing investing around US$100m in its recentlyestablished Honda Racing Developments (HRD) opera tion, but the BAR offer

(10 years).

means that the Japanese car company now may want to

by Honda - Ecclestone likely to ask Honda for at least that

rid itself of HRD.

Jordan will retain a supply of Mugen Honda engines but these will not be the same

specification as those sup plied to BAR and will cost

around US$10m a year more

seU HRD to someone else - if

a buyer can be found - and this would give Ecclestone

that the brash new FI team

Honda had been consider

tinue with their original plan.

Honda could also agree to

Supertec VIO engines next year - Supertec boss Flavio Briatore says that breaking

Division, although the fact offered Honda US$60m for the deal, we understand, clinched the agreement.

richer thanks to a £100 bet at 200-1 before the

may agree to supply another team with Jaguar engines.

Although Jaguar is owned

by Ford, a separate structure might be set up to develop

BAR has a contract to use

BRITISH

Alan Maybin was £20,000

shares

BAR set for Honda coup?

l

s

Motor

Company has announced that it not be supply ing engines to other teams next year, which means that Minardi is going to

r

!

Ford

■ Rubens Barrichello’s number one mechanic

continue with Stewart but

m

doesn’t make sense for Honda to hand over its facto

ry and car to a rival.

One suggestion is that HRD could be sold to BAT and there could then be two

Honda-engined teams. This would solve most of Honda’s

problems and might be attrac tive to BAT given the mess of branding with the current twin-livery arrangement, enabling them to have two competitive teams with differ ent tobacco brands.

The drawback is that it

would require further invest

The alternative to commit

ment in FI and, with the

ting to the World Championship last year was

much to allow the company

banning of tobacco advertis ing looking increasingly like ly to come in 2002, the investment might be hard to justify unless BAT thought there might he someone to

to break its contract.

sell the teams to in 2002.

Ecclestone may simply refuse to allow Honda to go

This might explain why Adrian Reynard is rapidly Reynard positioning Motorsport as a future part

a payment of a US$25m bond

back on its commitment and

the company may be forced to accept that it is easier to con-

5

ner of General Motors...

Read all about It: Jacques Villeneuve tries to catch up on the BAR/Honda latest. (Sunons)

BMW grabs top BMW Motorsport has hired one of the top engine designers from Cosworth Racing’s team at Northampton. Alan Cowell was one of the

team working on the exciting Ford CR-1 VIO engine under chief designer Nick Hayes and while the men at Cosworth are keen to

play down just how important Cowell was in the programme, there is no doubt that he is a key figure.

The protot3T3e BMW VIO engine ran for the first time last week at the company’s Miramas test track in the back of a Williams FW20 chassis. The car was driven

by Jorg Muller and com pleted around 150km on its

first run without problems.

The test was carried out on a circuit on the infield of the old oval track and fur

ther tests are planned at the circuit in the next few weeks.

The BMW test team is based in Munich but is

being run by former March and Simtek team manager Charlie Moody, who has been working in touring car racing in recent years.

The engine currently being tested is the second engine design BMW has

■ Peter Milsom, man ager of Adelaide International Raceway for the last five years, has left the facility. Milsom, who recently oversaw the revamping of the facility, has been replaced as track manager by Caroline Milics.

■ Head west young man... Tickford engineer Steve Hoinville has heard the call of the CAT and headed to Perth to take

up a position with CAT Racing.

Hoinville, an engineer ing graduate specialising in suspension and chassis geometry at Tickford, made his debut with the CAT team for their home town race on the weekend.

■ Faster than a speed ing bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Look, on the track ... is it a bird?

is it a plane? No, it’s the latest excuse for a new line of collectable die-cast

models... yes, it’s Superman cars.

Yes, Superman cars, disguised as mild-man nered race cars for CART

champ Jimmy Vasser,

created and a third is due

NASCAR stars Jeff

to appear before the compa ny makes its FI debut with

Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Ron Homaday, Sprintcar legend Steve Ifinser and drag racing heroes John Force, Joe Amato, Warren Jolmson and Matt Hines, will hit

Williams at the start of

next year. Cowell is expect ed to have considerable involvement in the Phase

III engine.

-JOE SAWARD

BRDC impasse THE annual meeting of the British Racing Drivers Club last week failed to settle the issue of whether it wants to sell Silverstone to Brands Hatch Leisure.

The members of the club considered a restructuring

plan which would leave Silverstone independent but a 75 percent vote was needed for this to be accepted. We

the race tracks over the

coming months, all in the name of truth, justice and making a quick buck.

■ Cory McClenathan (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Allan Johnson (Pro Stock) were

the professional category winners at the rain-

delayed NHRA Pennzoil Nationals in Virginia com pleted Tuesday.

imderstand that a majority of members voted for the plan but the vote did not get the necessary percentage of votes to push ahead with the idea.

There is now expected to be a period of intensive lob

series leader. New Zealander Simon Wills,

bying of members in an attempt to get the plan through. At the same time Brands Hatch Leisure’s

for the Motorsport NZ Awards dinner, being held

Nicola Foidston is trying to organise another meeting to vote on her proposal to buy Silverstone. The BHL

in Wellington on Saturday night.

■ Current FHolden

will be home this weekend

deal is expected to be worth around US$100,000 to each BRDC member and would guarantee that the British Grand Prix stays at Silverstone. FI boss Bernie Ecclestone is supporting the Foulston bid and, to put

pressure on the BRDC membership, has said that if Foidston’s bid is xmsuccessful, the British GP will move to Brands Hatch in 2002. Foulston says she has the nec-

essaiy support to call a new meeting.

-JOESAWARD

■ The CAMS/Motor

Sport New Zealand TVans Tasman agreement has been expanded to now allow New Zealand his

toric racers to compete in Australia’s historic events

using a NZ licence.

6

7 May 1999

Indoor

oval for

Pittsburg AN American consortium

has announced plans to build what would be the

world’s first full-sized,

fully enclosed speedway.

The Brant Pittsburgh Auto Racing Complex (Brant PARC) would have an initial

seating capacity of 60,000 and a banked racetrack of up to one mile in length. It would be located on approxi mately 145 acres adjacent to Pittsburgh International Airport, accessible by airline, private aircraft and public transit.

Allegheny County current ly owns the land and has agreed to lease the site to Brant.

“I am delighted to bring more good news to Allegheny County,” Commisioner David Dawida said.

The proposed speedway is being designed jointly by Austin Company Designers of Cleveland, Ohio, which built the Skydome baseball and

football

stadium

in

Toronto, Canada.

Racing legend Cale Yarborough was among the speakers at the ceremony in Findlay Township.

“This is a great day for racing fans everywhere,” Yarborough said. “The rac ing world has never seen anything like this.”

Reynard consolidates

By JOE SAWARD

REYNARD Motorsport is quietly positioning itself to become the motorsport

partner of General Motors in the future, probably in the hope that the world’s biggest car manufacturer will eventually decide to enter Grand Prix racing in an effort to maintain its lead in the automotive

industry.

In recent days Reynard has concluded its negotia tions to buy the American

racing car constructor Riley & Scott Inc. from partners Bob Riley and Mark Scott for a total of US$10.4m

(A$14m). Riley & Scott made

a profit last year of US$1.8m on revenues of US$6.3m.

Reynard had agreed to pay US$4.4m in cash and the

remaining

US$6m

in

Reynard shares. Reynard will also go ahead with its acquisition of Gemini Transmissions with a split cash/equity deal. Reynard says that after its initial pub lic offering on Wall Street, it will have another US$13.5m

Scot with the lot: Dario Franchitti, being a wiley investor, may decide Reynard offers financial security as well. (Sutton images) to develop its sales in the

sportscar market (where the Riley & Scott Mk III has enjoyed considerable success) and in the Indy Racing League, where the Riley &

to spend and is looking for suitable targets. It is thought likely that the company is most likely to invest in com posite manufacturing in the

Reynard also admits that the purchase is designed to strengthen its relationship

US and in electronics.

with General Motors, as

Reynard says that it intends to use Riley & Scott

Riley & Scott is contracted to design and build Cadillac’s

Scott Mk V has not been suc cessful.

technical director of Renault

Le Mans 24 Hours racer, which is due to appear next

Sport in FI before handing over to Bernard Dudot in

season.

1980. He joined Chrysler when it bought the American Motor Company from

It is worth noting that Reynard intends to establish a design bureau in Detroit next year and that it has recently given Francois Castaing a seat on its board

cent partner in British American Racing, BAR now has its own design and man ufacturing team. BAR’s tech nical director Malcolm Oastler is committed to

Renault in 1988 and became Vice-President of Vehicle

working for BAR until the

Engineering under President Bob Lutz. Castaing is still very well-connected in

member of the Reynard staff.

In theory Reynard could split

technical adviser to Daimler-

Detroit.

Chrylser. A Frenchman, he spent his formative years as

It is worth noting that while Reynard is a 15 per-

and enter FI with Oastler and General Motors in 2002

of directors.

Castaing is 54 and is a

end of 2001 but he remains a

with BAR at the end of 2001

or 2003.

Three IRL spectators killed ●

FLYING debris killed three specta tors and injured a further dozen following a three car crash at the Indy Racing League’s VisionAire 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend - the race being redflagged and then cancelled shortly

*

1*.

afterwards.

In an incident similar to an acci

dent last July at Michigan International Speedway where three people were killed by flying debris after a crash at a CART race, witness

es sitting close to where the tragedy occurred said a tyre and suspension parts from the accident involving IRL drivers John Paul Jnr., Stan Wattles

and Scott Harrington on the 61st lap of the 208-lap race, flew high into the stands and struck the victims.

Spectator Joe Tiano, who was sitting about 150 feet away in a neighboring section of stands, said a wheel and sus pension parts flew into the seats.

“It came up here like a rocket and then started bouncing around,” Tiano said.

Authorities cleared the section of the

Danger: Charlotte’s IRL race was called off after three spectators lost their lives. (Sutton images)

\A/I N ● W ●

*7

stands and the race was red-flagged while emergency workers attended to

JV\aI ay

I

siarv

Within minutes of the crash, the three drivers were examined at the infield care center and released.

At the time of the accident, Greg Ray was leading the race.

“This is a terrible thing,” Charlotte boss “Humpy” Wheeler said. “It’s very regrettable. It’s something we’ll live with for a very, very long time.”

“We extend our sincerest condo lences to the families and friends of

the deceased and injured in the tragic incident during this evening’s race,” IRL chief Tony George said. “Our prayers and sympathies are with them during this difficult time.”

Following last year’s tragic CART race at Michigan, the facility increased the height of its safety catch fences by two and a half feet, to 17 feet, in an effort to prevent a recur rence.

Charlotte’s catch fences were raised

to 15 feet in 1997 in preparation for the

track getting its first IRL race - the track having been running NASCAR Winston Cup races since it opened in 1960.

FI Grand Prix

14-17 October 1999... from $999

A trip rOr Z I Mrtor Sport Tours ef, Australia WMe ● Enquiries/Bookings / First 200 bookings will have a chance to receive your tour FREE.

the injured. While medical personnel worked, track security employees stood around them holding up white sheets.

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IM

lNk)O®[f’0UXD[FO ARROWS

team

7MdyW99

boss

7

■ FIA VP (Promotions)

Prince Malik promised “a big surprise” from the team at Imola with the countdown on the side of

Bemie Ecclestone has pro posed a $117 million fiveyear package, incorporat ing an altered event for

the car coming to an end,

mat, to streamline the

but the announcement

FIA World Rally

sent few ripples of inter est through the FI pad-

Championship. TV cover- * age is central to the pro posal and Ecclestone says that all the European-

dock.

It seems that there is no

based WRC rounds would

big sponsor, nor a flotation

culminate in a final stage, broadcast live. FIA presi dent Max Mosley com mented “If the package

but rather “t-minus” is a

brand which MaUk hopes can be exploited commercially via the Internet.

The intention is to sell

rebranded consumer goods which will include clothing, high-energy drinks, moun tain bikes, Ducati motorcy cles and even, if anyone wants them, t-minus-branded Lamborghini road cars.

catches on, it should be as

big as Formula 1,” It has yet to be established how much support the reor ganisation would have ^

from the manufacturers involved in the WRC.

r.

Ecclestone says that, for the proposal to succeed, he would need a five year

Most of the deals seem to

have been put together by the team’s Italian marketing man Daniele Audetto, who used

to

be

head

commitment from them.

■ Indian driver Narain

of

Karthikeyan has become

Lamborghini Engineering.

It remains to be seen how this will fund the Arrows

team and paddock specula tion suggests that Malik’s real intention is actually to simply hold on to the team until a big manufacturer arrives to buy him out. 'There remains very little evidence that there is any money being pumped into Arrows apart from income from the TV fund, and sponsors Repsol and PIAA. 'Ibere are suggestions that the team is considering the purchase of the Bedford lowspeed windtunnel, which is

the first driver from his

country to win a race out side Asia. The 23-year-old

Branding exercise: soon you’ll be able to buy all sorts of things with the t-minus brand - except GP wins. (Photo by sutton images)

took out the Brands Hatch round of the British F3

Arrows t-minus $$$ currently owned by Britain’s

is imderstood to be one of the

nel at Glasgow University in

Defence

and

best in the world and can nm

Scotland. The team is also

Research Agency. Arrows has an option to use the windtunnel until the end of the year 2000 but wants to buy it before it is snapped up by another team. 'The facility

50 or even 60% models, Stewart Grand Prix is believed to be looking at a possible deal with the DERA although the team is also discussing using a windtun-

expanding its aerodynamic programme at Swift in San Clemente, California, with the intention of running the facility 24 hours a day.

Stewart has to share the

Evaluation

Attention GAMS Members

■ During the Brands meeting Halt’s new F3

Swift facility with Swift Engineering - which sup plies chassis to various

contender was close to the

pace of the winning Dallaras. Test driver got

CART teams - and with other Swift customers who

within 0.3s of current hotshot Jenson Button.

have bought space in the tunnel.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

-JOESAWARD

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/ju[l(o)9co)i7sm(o)[j’0

7 May 1999

V8 Supercars for w Watts and Tajima?

espite the trials and tribulations, I

e certainly didn’t expect to

D must pass on a note of thanks to

have the doors blown off our

Bargwanna was so hard in race two that the driver’s door actually jumped off its hinges.

I charged into the next corner after the impact, but the clash had shattered the right rear wheel and they tend not to hold too much air

my team who really did pull out an amazing job during the week.

The boys have done a couple of all-nighters to try to get the AU ready and many of them only had about four to five hours sleep - that’s for the whole week, not per night! It is a real credit to primary sponsor Kevin Otway and the way he has assembled such an amazing group of people.

We had some major engine dra mas during the week which didn’t help

like that.

our cause but Steve Renshaw and his

new Cat Racing AU Falcon on home soil but that’s literally what happened.

I had a solid run in the opening race but the contact with Jason

TWO recent interna

tional

visitors

may

retxuTi to Australia soon

to race V8 Supercars.

Super Touring driver Patrick

Watts

and

Japanese rally star ‘Monster* Tajima are both very impressed by what they have seen of the domestic 5-litre scene.

Watts, who finished on

the podium in three of his four BOC Gases Series

races, played his cards close

to his chest last

weekend at Oran Park, but it believed to have at least two offers from

front-running teams for the endurance races.

“I wouldn’t want to say much for fear of jeopar dising any talks we’ve had,” he said. “Suffice to say there will be more dis cussion when I get back home.”

Zealand. And he is famil iar with our most famous

motor racing mountain, Mt Panorama.

“Oooh, Crazy!” he

Bathurst.

said

in

Melbourne last week. “It

would be great to drive in a race like that, but Suzuki doesn’t build a 5litre V8...”

events

like

the

his

Suzuki hillclimb car down under to do an event similar to the

Queenstown Goldrush Hillclimb, which he

recently

won

in

New

soon run with Seton, Bright and Radisich who all have started to get their cars closer to HRT. But you don’t learn everything about a new car in 50 laps - we are a couple of races

electric windows in the car but the

of trouble.

behind the 8-ball and it will take a

same as the normal window winders.

The way the grids work by starting where you finished also means you have to be so careful in the opening race. You have to temper your enthu siasm to have a red hot go in the opening race because if things go bad, you end up battling from the rear of the grid which is really hard work.

The level of competition has risen so much that many of the so-called privateers are actually doing a great job and running at a pace that is not

couple more before we can bridge the

windows to suit.

The temperature inside the dri ver’s helmet wasn’t real flash at this

stage. It certainly wasn’t intentional on Jason’s part, but clashes like these can be a bit of a by-product of the close competition and, if you do get caught up in the mess, your

in the 1999 edition of Colorado’s famous ‘Race

to the Clouds’. Tajima,

in the event, a 3-litre, twin-turboed 'V6-engined weapon with approxi mately lOOOhp.

the new AU and confident we can

on the second row of the grid rather

set-up actually weighs about the It can help control the temperature in the car by raising and lowering the

In the meantime he has

drive the latest develop ment of Suzuki’s Specials

second, the Cat car could have been

Everybody is out to do well but if you can get a start in the first couple of rows, it is much easier to keep out

You might ask why we would have

other events to worry about, like taking on Toyota rival Rod Millen

ished second twice, will

bring

engine guys pulled out all stops to make sure we got back on track.

I’m delighted with the potential of

than the fourth row.

door on at the same time!

USA’s

hoping

to

It was hard work getting the car out of the sand trap, trying to steer the car, change gears and hold the

Pikes Peak, didn’t think that adjusting to a 600hp V8 Supercar would be a problem.

who had raced in the event since 1989 and fin

with John Bo we

wires for the electric windows.

Tajima, who heads Suzuki’s competition department, is not a noted road racer but, given his performances at

name is Nobuhiro - is

Tajima - his real first

The car spun off and the only thing that was holding the door on were the

gap.

Even though our weekend didn’t

quite go as planned, I was amazed at the response to our team on home soil.

I

Grand Prix and had a trouble free

Cat Racing has really become the motor racing equivalent of the West Coast Eagles. The number of race fans gathering around our truck was staggering and I reckon I ended up with writers cramp after the number of autograph hunters who swamped us.

To see that support is a great

have been able to find a tenth of a

weekend - a couple of rows back at Eastern Creek and Barbagello and things haven’t done as well.

well their efforts are being appreciat ed by a very loyal local following.

weekend can be ruined.

far off the front runners.

t can be a really fine line between having a sea of smiling faces in your crew or a bunch of frowns.

Qualifying was so close that if we

We qualified up the front at the

reward for the team who know full

McDonalds looks for FI program THERE have been some interesting

sponsorship and that means that there

er Jerry Forsythe is casting around -C11 jj 1 1 1 ● r 1.

next year - notably Williams, which

shareholding in a second Grand

this year. The team which best suits

rumours circulating in recent days 'are only really four current options which suggest that BAR sharehold- Arrows, Stewart, Sauber and Minardi the FI paddock looking to buy a

Prix team.

Forsythe runs two teams in CART

Benson & Hedges deal is understood to

last for another two seasons,

hamburger company. It is believed that

process of negotiating a deal with

McDonalds has decided that it wants to

McDonalds rival Burger King.

sales.

It is worth noting that in recent days it has been rumoured that the company is withdrawing from its deal with Bill Elliott in NASCAR racing.

The problem for Forsythe is that McDonalds does not want to be involved in a team which has tobacco

Benetton is rumoured to be in the

This makes a great deal of sense as Benetton subsidiary Autogrill recently agreed a deal for Burger King to have

restaurants at its motorway service sta

tions in Italy.

Burger King is also in the process of trying to create a completely new inter national image for itself so as to com pete more effectively with McDonalds.

-JOESAWARD

Peugeot gets serious

STAFF WANTEi ij

PSA Peugeot Citroen, the parent company of Peugeot, says it is stick ing to its policy of remaining inde

mould you like to work full-time in the motoring-general book

pendent, despite the consolidation

going on in the automobile industry.

Winner, loser? If Peugeot gets seri ous \«ill Panis be around to enjoy it?

(Photo by Dirk Klimsmith) _p-

dept at Technical Book Shop?

And the company seems to be gearing up to use success in motor sport as a spur to future sales.

V.

Way%tBUon rjL

The company chairman Jean-Martin

● ●

Folz says that cost-cutting, coupled with expansion in Latin America and Asia

’

the McDonalds image is Jordan but the

racing, one sponsored by BAT’S Players brand and the other by the McDonalds

be involved in Formula 1 as part of an international campaign to bolster its

Drive Thru this Reynard: McDonalds is in CART and NASCAR. Is F1 next? (Photo by suiton images)

others inay become available

V

will enable the company to survive. As a result the Peugeot Formula 1 pro gramme takes on a new importance as a marketing tool.

With the company planning a brand new small and light VIO engine for next season, it looks certain that the current

deal with Prost Grand Prix which run out at the end of 2000 will be extended.

At the same time Peugeot is accelerat-

flease send your resume to: Paul Radford

‘Technical Book Shop 295 Swanston Street

m.

ing its involvement in the World Rally

Championship with Francois Delecour

programme of events this year, Peugeot

Sport has managed to convince the FIA

and Gilles Panizzi driving the new

to

Peugeot 206 model.

Championship points.

Although there will only be a limited

let

the

cars

score

World

-JOESAWARD

melboume Uic 3000 Fa»03 9663 2094

or email paul@)techbooks.com.au

7 May 1999

I

9

Aiello wants LAURENT Aiello had never before raced at

Thnixton, Britain’s quick est circuit, but the mercur ial Frenchman left the

Hampshire track with a

pair of winner’s trophies in his grasp.

The Nissan man won not

only the Sprint Race, fifth round of the Auto Trader

British Touring Car Championship, but also the double-length Feature Race.

In so doing the 29-year-old 1998 Le Mans winner acceler

ates into the joint lead of the BTCC drivers title race, shar

ing top spot with HondaOs James Thompson. Aiello is the first man so far this sea son to win more than one

round of Britain’s premier race series.

Aiello’s Sprint Race victory was a masterly display by the former champion of the German and French touring car series. It was a hard-won

success also, Aiello battling his Nissan team-mate David

Leslie and the reigning cham pion, Swede Rickard Rydell, all the way to the chequered flag.

Rydell set the pace initially, converting his and Volvo’s first pole position of the sea son into a slender early lead over Leslie, with Aiello beat

ing the Nissan of Independent hero Matt Neal to third on the opening lap. It

a failed attempt to pass on the sixth lap left his defences open to Aiello and the Frenchman was quick to take advantage.

Aiello learned from Leslie’s failed efforts and executed a

perfect overtaking manoeuvre on the Swede in the Complex on lap nine, Leslie following him through to make it a Nissan 1-2.

Alas for Leslie, his second

place evaporated half a lap later when his Nissan spun with a puncture, the tyre probably damaged by an ear lier collision with Rydell.

Leslie managed to make it back to the pits for a tyre change, finishing the race 11th.

Aiello was quick to pull out a handsome lead over Rydell, finishing six seconds clear at the flag to record his second BTCC victoiy of the year. Neal held off the Volvo of Vincent

Radermecker for third despite repeated attempts at passing by the Belgian, Matt collecting another Michelin Cup for Independents prize in the

across the run-off area, rejoin ing the track just in time to collect the Mondeo of the hap less Anthony Reid. Both men

placed Plato edged on to his rear bumper.

At the flag Rydell,

and Peter Kox claimed fifth

were out of the race.

crossed the line separated by

and sixth, with John Cleland

Rydell clung on to the lead until the 12th tour, Aiello div ing past the Volvo on the run up Woodham Hill. Rickard decided the moment was per fect to dive into the pits from second for his mandatory stop, the Volvo mechanics opting to change all four of his S40’s tyres. Aiello made for the pits three laps later and, Nissan opting to switch only a pair of his tyres, emerged on the track just

less than a second and a half,

process.

The Hondas of Thompson taking seventh after his Vauxhall team-mate Yvan

Muller exited five laps from the end after a punctureinduced spin.

The Feature Race began in the same frantic manner,

Silverstone winner Jason

Aiello’s Nissan once more

Plato, whose cars collided on

large in his mirrors. Leslie

was merciless, his Nissan

clearly enjoying a race-pace advantage over the Volvo.

Lap after lap he edged on to the S40’s rear bumper into the Club chicane only to drop back again. In the end it was the Scotsman’s attacks on the

lead which were his undoing;

(Photos by Bothwell Photographies)

Volvo team orders as fourth-

champion Alain Menu and the run up Woodham Hill and were despatched from the proceedings with irreparable damage.

Leslie’s pursuit of Rydell

£250,000 of his own.

Leslie was forced wide and

Rydell again leading away from the pole and with

was a short race for former

Pounds, Francs, anything: It appears that Nissan has

soon overcame Menu’s Ford

to set up another VolvoNissan-Nissan 1-2-3.

Club provided most of the action in the early laps, Aiello attempting to out-brake Rydell into the chicane on vir tually every lap and Leslie trying his hardest to find a way around his team-mate.

On the seventh lap, as the leaders attempted a threeabreast charge through the short sequence of bends.

99 BTCC ROUND 5 THRUXTON

sorted out its 1999 Primera and Laurent Aiello now wants

ahead of the Swede.

Aiello was back in front of the race - Plato and Bouillon

having led in the interim - on lap 17, in the meantime open ing up a five-second lead over Rydell which he never looked in danger of losing. Rydell, meanwhile, was coming imder extreme pressure from Radermecker, the Belgian appearing to care little for

Radermecker

and

Plato

with Kox profiting from Thompson’s late-race punc ture to claim fifth. Menu recovered from a drive-

through penalty for pit-lane speeding to take sixth ahead of Boullion and Thompson.

Cleland pinched ninth from leading Michelin Cup runner Lee Brookes two laps from home. Independents front

Race 1 (16 laps)

Race 2(32 laps)

1

Aiello

Nissan

21m 09.493s

1

Aiello

42m 51.245$

2

Rydell

Volvo

+6.199s

2

Rydell

+5.765$

3

Neal

Nissan

4

Radermecker Volvo

5

Thomp$on

Honda

Kox

Honda

7

Cleland

Vauxhall

3 4 5 6 7

Radermecker Plato Kox Menu Boullion

+15.115$

6

+8.309S +8.689S +15.21 is +15.699S +26.195$

8

Reid

Ford

+26.824S

8

Thompson

+32.689$

9

Boullion

Renault

Brookes

Honda

9 10

Cleland Brookes

+39.882$

10

+27.230$ +27.978$

+6.177S +7.112S +21.352$ +23.727$

+41.107s

BTCC unveils its future

runner Neal was another dri

ver to stop with tyre prob lems, having punctured after an off-track excursion.

Thruxton’s exciting doubleheader leaves Aiello not only at the top of the champi onship table but also half way to a quarter of a million pounds. TOCA has promised £250,000 to the first driver to win four races in a row, and the Frenchman already has

r

one hand on the cash... «aa National iZ>

Zandvoort still dreaming of F1

By JOE SAWARD ZANDVOORT, the home of the

Cut price racer: Ford’s Mondeo will be around for another couple of years with the new, revised rules.

Dutch Grand Prix between 1952

BTCC organisers TOCA

and 1985, is bidding for a race once again.

Ltd has unveiled its new

plan to cut costs in Super Touring racing.

The circuit, which came under attack from environmentalists, was

The new rules, which will

shortened in the early 1990s but the new circuit was not a success and in recent months work has been carried out to restore much of the old circuit in the sand dunes near the seaside resort of Zandvoort. Last week FIA

He concluded that the track is not

components:

● Standard bodyshells must be used. Currently BTCC cars are hand-welded

because the Zandvoort racing school

ing and so the necessary run-off area intends to build new grandstands and a new bid for an FI licence is expect ed next year.

● Only one variation of aero kits, per manufacturer, will be allowed per year. Currently different marques can allow multiple kits: a Holden, Vauxhall or Opel Vectra could

The rules will enforce teams to build new cars around a series of common

yet up to the standard necessary for Grand Prix racing because of a lack of run-off at the high-speed Bos Uit cor ner. This has been a problem

will be created. In addition the circuit

son, will allow existing teams to continue competing with

regulations.

which includes a completely new pit complex.

soon run out and the school is relocat

coolers.

manufacturers to the series must build cars to the new

visited the track to look at the work,

is in the way. The lease, however, will

be introduced in the 2001 sea

the current cars, but new

safety inspector Roland Bruynseraede

You’ll Nether, Nether know: Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk flags Jan Lammers

off at the reponening of the Zandvoort Grand Prix track in Holland. (Ph«oby suuon images) 2001 and China, the United States The granting of a licence is only a and South Africa have all been small step to getting a Grand Prix because of the current competition promised races. In addition Portugal is there is for new events. Most of the hoping for a race at the rebuilt Estoril current tracks have contracts until

circuit.

● Aerodynamic changes will reduce downforce by up to 50 percent. ● Front spoilers will not be allowed to carry water or oil

out of production-line componentsm, adding stiffness. ● The car’s maximum width will be increased to 1775mm. ● Front and rear fenders

will be allowed to be flared.

● The minimum weight will be 975kg.

all have different kits. ● Kevlar and carbon fibre will be banned.

● Engines will be similar to what is currently used but manufacturers may build a special racing engine, doing away with the current requirement to use a stan

dard engine block. There will be minimum weights for reci

procating components, like pistons and conrods, and cylinder head specs will be laid down.

World of Sport

Motor Raiing Calendar

Shell Championship Series V8 Supercars* May 16 .. .Phillip Island ... .Rd 4 June 6 .. .Hidden Valley .. .Rd 5 June 27

. .Sandown

July 11 .. .Willowbank

Rd 6 ,Rd7

,Rd8 July 25 .. .Calder Aug 8 ... .Symmons Plains .Rd 9

FIA Formula One World

Chamionship May 16 .. .Monaco

,Rd4

May 30 .. .Spain

,Rd5

June 13

..Canada

Rd6

June 27

. .France

,Rd7

July 11 .. .Great Britain

Rd 8

July 25 .. .Austria

,Rd9

FedEx CART

Championship Series*

I

■

June 12

..Portland..

,Rd8

Alex Zanardi won the last two

June 27

. .Cleveland

,Rd9

CART championships before mov ing back to Formula One, Montoya had only Brazilian Helio CastroNeves seriously challenge him in

May 23 .. .France ..

,Rd4 ,Rd5

June 20 ..Catalunya

,Rd6

June 26

Rd 7

July 4

. .Netherlands

Britain

,Rd8

World Superbike Series

^ May 16 .. .Spain

,Rd4

May 30 .. .Italy

,Rd5

June 13 ..Germany..

,Rd6

June 27

,Rd7

. .San Marino

® July 11 ...USA

As expected, there was little passing, the cars were slowed by CAKT’s mandate for smaller wings

P 1

coming into contact with PJ Jones,

Jones spinning and bringing out the third caution, Montoya again took the lead in the pits.

Tracy was satisfied to finish third this time, noting he escaped unscathed amid all the instability of the cars.

“It was better than walking away grass,” he said.

Michael Andretti was sixth while

Driving the Target-Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard-Honda in which

Castro-Neves passed Montoya on the 39th lap of the 225 lap race, but a faster pit stop 11 laps later, dur ing the second caution of the race, put the Colombian back in the lead.

The Brazilian again got by Montoya on lap 145 but, after twice

Filing in for third was “bad boy’ Paul Tracy, rookie Cristiano da Matta fourth with his Toyota-pow ered Reynard - the best ever finish for Toyota and Adrian Fernandez

from here with a mouthful of

which he took the lead in the series.

the race.

that reduced downforce.

was fifth.

“My guys won it more than me,” Montoya said, belying his reputa tion for being cocky.

“We practiced a lot on hitting the marks,” he said in reference to pit stops, a key to his dominant race in

,Rd7

June 6 .. .Italy

him was in traffic.”

race win.

.. .Milwaukee

,Rd3

looking for his first career victoiy.

“The only way I was going to get by

It was the second victory for Montoya in just four races on the CART circuit, although the Colombian has been quick to learn the “American/CART way” and was quick to credit his pit crew for the

June 6

Motorcycle C'Ship*

use that as an excuse while still

career start on a short oval.

,Rd6

May 9 ... .Spain ...

Nazareth

Montoya did it so well that virtu ally no one passed him at Nazareth and the 23-year-old Colombian, the 1997 F3000 champion, added another CART victory in his first

May 29 .. .Madison, II

SOOcc World Grand Prix

drove to a five-second lead. With

Now, the new sensation of the CART circuit, can deliver this mes sage: Been there, done that.

,Rd5

after the green flag waved.

Montoya got a huge jump when the race went green for the final time on lap 200, and immediately the cars spread out and lapped traf fic no longer an impediment, he had no competition thereafter leading Jones by 5.103 seconds.

“I could do without the spin in the infield,” said Jones, who didn’t

Nazareth.

May 15 .. .Brazil

July 11 .. .Elkhart Lake ...RdIO

!2

The full Montoya AFTER winning at Long Beach just two weeks ago, Juan Montoya was told to wait for his real rookie initiation, running on the tight tri-oval at

and lost a lap. He pitted under the caution he caused, came back out and hit the wall on the first lap

CART-wheeling: Juan Montoya has turned the Champ series upsidedown, winning two races on the trot. (Photo by Sunon images) Ganassi’s crew again made the difference, getting Montoya out of his pits in 12.2 seconds, CastroNeves’s stop over three seconds slower, putting him back in third

his first pit stop.

“The first time, I was sliding a bit, but after that the car ran great,” Montoya said. “But the guys got me

behind Jones.

“I’d be in the pits and hearing Chip [Ganassi] say, 'Go, go, go,’ and I wouldn’t see anybody in front of me.”

He led 210 laps in a race slowed five times for 56 laps - the average speed was 120.225 mph.

With 55 laps remaining, CastroNeves spun approaching the line

“I would have needed to use

another car as a pick to get by him,” Jones said of Montoya. “And even if I got up to him, it was so hard to pass.”

But Montoya said nothing came easily - particularly before making

back out there in front both times.

defending race champion Jimmy Vasser wound up 11th.

Greg Moore, who came into the Nazareth racing leading the series, fell to third by finishing 12th. But, like Tracy, he had something to be happy about.

“We didn’t have the right sentup, and the car was very, very loose,” said Moore, a severe critic of cart’s smaller-wings. “I’m sur prised I didn’t put it into the wall.”

A1 Unser, making his first appearance since breaking his aiikle in the season-opening race, crashed out on lap 45.

Points

after

four

races:

Montoya 45, Fernandez 43, Moore and Andretti 40, Franchitti 35, Fittipaldi 34.

ixon’s Light lead

,Rd8

Rookie Kiwi continues fine form with oval fourth FIA Formual 3000

International C'ship May 15 .. .Monaco

.Rd2

May 29 .. .Spain ..

,Rd3

June 26

,Rd4

.France .

July 10 .. .Great Britain

Rd 5

July 24 .. .Austria ..

,Rd6

July 31

Rd7

...Germany

HIS third top-four finish in three races has gained Scott Dixon the outright lead in the Indy Lights series, Dixon bring ing home his Johansson Motorsports Lola behind Brazil’s Airton Dare, pole-sitter Oriol Servia and Casey Hears.

Dare used traffic to his advan

1999 NHRA Winston

Drag Racing Series ^1

.4

May 16 .. .Atlanta

Rd7

May 23 .. .Englishtown

Rd 8

June 6 .. .Chicago

Rd7

tage to take the lead from Servia on

the 14th lap of the tight tri-oval and held it to the end to earn his

second career Indy Lights victory, Servia finishing .437 seconds behind.

May 7-9 . .Canberra*

Rd2

Jun 5-6 .. .Queensland

,Rd3

Dare averaged a record 122.107 I mph in his Forsythe Lola - the sec ond straight victory for the Forsjfthe team, Cristiano da Matta, who was in Dare’s pit -for the race, won there last year.

Jun 26-27 .Forest (WA)

,Rd4

The 100 lap race was slowed by

Australian Rally Championship

two caution periods, the first com

FIA World Rally Championship* May 9 ... .France

,Rd6

May 26 .. .Argentina

,Rd7

Jun 9

Rd8

Greece

Jul18 ....NZ

,Rd9

Check your local guides for screening times 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.

ing on the first race lap when Andy Boss spun in turn one but was able to continue without making contact.

The yellows came out again on lap 34 for 11 laps when Felipe Giaffone, pole-sitter at Long Beach two weeks ago, spun at turn two and hit the wall - Giaffone running third at the time.

The race was fairly uneventful for Dixon, who qualified sixth and maintained his position during the opening laps, although he had

dropped back to seventh on lap 33.

After Giaffone’s accident Dixon

moved forward and was then able

Dominguez, who

to pass British teammate Ben Collins for fourth, staying there for

came into the race tied for the lead with Dixon

the remainder of the race.

“The front [three] cars kind of

pulled away from us,” said Dixon.

“My car was pretty well balanced, but the tires started to go off in the middle part of the race. The biggest problem was with backmarkers and I think we burned up the tires try ing to get past them.

‘Towards the end of the race, the

but failed to score

any points Nazareth,

at IS

fourth (30).

The next race on

the Indy Lights schedule is June 6 at Milwaukee.

tires cooled down and we started to

gain on the leaders. I’m happy to be leading the standings, but at the same time. I’m kind of shocked because I didn’t think we would be

doing this well so early. Now we just have to keep scoring points.”

Dixon leads the series with 42

points, five ahead of Dare. Mears is third with 34 points and Mario

Flying kiwi: Scott Dixon’s fine form continued at

Nazareth, the

FHolden Champ finishing fourth.

(Photo by Sutton Images)

Besnard scores more Atlantic points DAVID Besnard fin ished 11th in the sec ond round of the

Toyota Atlantic Series at Nazareth, scoring two valuable series

points, despite start ing the race from the rear of the grid in his team’s back-up car.

In the morning warm¬

up Besnard recorded the fastest lap moments before losing control of his Hylton Motorsports machine and hitting the

and start at the back of the 19-car field. efforts Besnard's

weekend,” said Besnard.

impressed observers, having not tested on an

wall in turn four - the

oval in an Atlantic car before the weekend.

“While the accident in

\ictory, winning from the pole on the one-mile Nazareth layout, pulling away early and not being

accident severely damag ing the rear of the car.

The switch to the team’s

back-up

car

meant

Besnard had to forfeit his

fifth qualifying position

the warm-up was obvi ously very disappoint ing, we did get a lot of positive things from this

Lazzaro Anthony scored his sixth Atlantics

threatened until the last

lap when second-place finisher Kenny Wilden closed to within .244 sec onds at the finish.

DI.M

Toyota throws down challenge

e

... and Brabham and Panoz respond m i I

AUSTRALIAN David Brabham and Panoz have

emerged as the dark horse that could win the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hour.

Brundle/Collard'Sospiri

Toyota GT One

3:31.857

2

Brabham/Bernard

Panoz LMP

3:31.941

Brabham came out right at the end of the sessions to get

3

Muller/Lehto

BMWV12LMR

3:32.867

4

Boulsen/McNish

Toyota GT One

3:33.174

5

Schneider/Lagorce/Lamy

Mercedes CLR

3:33.864

6

Kristensen/Winkelhock

BMWV12LMR

3:34.493

7

Pirro/Biela

Audi R8R

3:36.390

8

Motoyama/Krumm/v d Poele

Nissan R391

3:36.955

9

Bouillon/Policand/Baldi

JB Ferrari 333SP

3:41.117

10

Bscher/Auberlen

BMWV12LM98

3:41.567

within 0.1s of provisional fastest driver, Martin Brundle.

Brundle’s Toyota GT-ONE lapped the legendary French track in 3.31.957s and looks

capable of breaking into the 3m20s bracket come qualifying

day by one of his co-drivers, for

the accident but, despite this,

“It was difficult to do a quick lap towards the end,” Brundle

mer race winner Yannick Dabnas.

U I went wide and hit the bar

lent showing next month.

said after the session. “The

rier. We missed a lot of today

for the race next month.

track was bumpy in the last part of the track, but now it’s really broken up.

Brabham was delighted with n

the form of his Panoz LMP

Spyder which, unlike the ‘sec ond yeaP Toyota, has competed in only one race.

I waited until the end because I knew we could do a u

after Yannick’s accident this

morning and we didn’t have much time to work on set-up.

Following Mark Webber’s crash in the morning (see sepa rate news story) Mercedes-Benz n

team leader Bernd Schnieder went out late in the session and broke into the 3m33s.

he is still confident of an excel Fastest time in the GTS class

went, inevitably, to one of the Chrysler Vipers, which record a 4m01 lap. Two other cars were in the 4m03s bracket, promising another good race between the huge American VlOs and the massed Porsches.

The third Australian seeking a start in the race, GTP com

quick time. It’s good for me to show people what I can do.

pre-seeded straight into the

petitor Ray Lintott, missed the cut in his privately-entered Viper.

June 12/13 race, lost around

See page 20 for more on the car

Third fastest driver was JJ

four hours of track time after

which will race at Le Mans.

n

2^

Le Mans PreQualifying 1

Webber’s car, which has been

Lehto, about Is back in the works BMW, despite a high

speed off during his actual fastest lap.

He also had to overcome a

lack of sorting time, following a bigger accident earlier in the

Fast guys:

Brundle (top) set fastest time for Toyota but Panoz’s response was stunning, getting within 0.1s of fastest time. BMW and Lehto

looked poised in their first run on the track with the 1999 car. AUdi

OOOO

battled for pace; this is Frank Biela’s R8R.

V

(Photosby SuttonImages)

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IN attrocious conditions at Japan’s new Motegi track, Kenny Roberts

Japanese irder eventually finishing third.

making a mistake,” fiorahan,

has-said j

suspension, but we know that we’ve got the speed to do it and we’ve got the men-

change its bme this^ar apa^^om the paintwork, said, Doohan’s teammate Alex Creville, who finished third at the JSrst race of i;he year

“We have got to do some work on the repeatedly tj^^o^h has dft^: little to

Junior led home Mick Doohan’s once-

dominant Repsol Honda to claim his and Suzuki’s second straight 500cc Motorcycle Grand Prix victory, Roberts claiming after the race that

tal edge now,” Roberts said after the vie-

tory. “We just want to carry this [form] on into Eimope,” he said.

Suzuki’s shock second win of the season

he and Suzuki now have “the mental

comes after three lean years, the team’s

edge” over the five-time World Champion.

After starting from his first career pole

last win coming at the German GP in 1995 with Daryl Beattie.

Following the race, Doohan again called on Honda to speed up development of its programme to ensure he remains competi

position, the 25 year old American led all

the way while Doohan again struggled on his 1998-spec machine, taking half the race

tive with the Suzuki and Yamaha irders.

to pass the Yamaha of Norifumi Abe, the

“I couldn’t get into a groove without

in Malaysia, finished foxuiih.

Doohan’s expected main rival for the title, four-time World Champion Max Biaggi again struggled, a distant ninth place being the best he could muster aboard the Marlboro Yamaha.

Temperamental American John Kocinski again started fi-om the fifth row but, like Malaysia, crashed out of the race.

Foggie & Eddie share it around Fogarty gets series break as tyre problems halt Corser’s run, Goddard high-sides it! * . Photo by John Morris/Mpix

By DARRYL FLACK

a distant sixth in race one.

“We’ve had some tyre prob-

CARL Fogarty (Ducati Performance) and Colin

Edwards (Castrol Honda)

took a win apiece at round two of the Superbike World Championship at Bonington Park on May 2.

After brushing aside pole-

lems all weekend, which is

not normal here for us, and it seemed that a small difference in track temperature changed things dramatically,” Corser said.

“I chose a softer rear for the second race and it was

the first non-Ducati victory so far in 1999.

“It feels great to win again,” said Edwards. “There must be more than 50,000 people here and the crowd seems to motivate me, like they did at Brands Hatch last year.”

After finishing third in the opening race, Aaron Slight’s title hopes were dealt a blow

Aprilia RSVIOOO developed clutch problems. “We chose a different construction rear

tyre from recommendation for race two,” Goddard explained.

“After a good start, I high sided on the first lap in the fast Coppice Corner. My

sitter Pierfranesco Chili in

then the front end started

the opening stages of race one, Fogarty’s win has kicked him out to a handy a

pushing and I had to ease the pace. Maybe I went too

second race only to remount

hard too soon and burnt it

speed and acceleration were similar to race one, but the construction of the rear tyre certainly did not match the suspension setting we were

23-point lead over team-mate Troy Corser.

and fall again, putting him

out, I don’t know.”

running. I had no warning

out of the race.

and no chance for correction.

Corser streaked away to a big lead in the second race

Australia’s Aprilia works rider Peter Goddard suffered

I will be okay for Albacete,"

before his tyre gave way,

a broken toe in his right foot

allowing Colin Edwards and

when he crashed on the

Fogarty to get by. Adding to his third placing in the first

opening lap of the second 25lap race. Earher he had been

race, the Texan soon took

forced to withdraw from first race after 23 laps when his

A previous happy-hunting ground

of

the

1996

Superbike World Champion, Corser experienced major tyre problems at Bonington which cost him a win in the second race after he finished

okay in the early stages but

control of the race, recording

I can see clearly now; Carl Fogarty now comfortably leads the

SBK World Superbike series. (Photo by Antonio G. Lynn)

after he crashed early in the

Goddard added.

Points after

three

rounds: Fogarty 135, Corser 112, Edwards 97, Slight 82, Yanagawa 66, Haga, 50, Romboni 44, Fujiwara 32, Chili 31.

^Go ’ goes at Laguna THE “Go Show” Anthony Gohert recorded his second AMA Superbike victory in 1999 aboard the Vance&Hines Ducati, after dominating the fifth round at Laguna Seca on May 2.

Starting from pole position, the former Australian Superbike

Champion beat home Mat Mladin (Yoshimura Suzuki), who now enjoys a comfortable lead in the overall standings, having

Resigned the fact that he to probably won’t be riding a SOOcc Grand Prix bike this year,

ing for a fuii season of

taken a win the previous week at Sears Point.

Run in favourable conditions after early rain, Gohert forged his way in to the lead and pulled out to a seven-second lead

racing, McCoy stated during his appearance

before the race was red-flagged owing to a crash down the field. Mladin again won the re-start, but Gohert soon took

aboard his HRC Honda

control to win by 2.72sec. Three-time AMA winner Doug

Garry McCoy made a sur-

CR 250 that he had some

prise appearance iast

hope of a few GP races

week at Oran Park.

this year with a view to

Chandler (Muzzy Kawasaki) finished third from team-mate Aaron Yates and Miguel DuHamel (Honda) fifth. Gobert’s team-mate, defending AMA champion Ben Bostrom was

re-estabiishing himself in

sixth.

Though

seemingiy

downcast at not prepar-

time for the 2000 season.

Points: Mladin 161, Bostrom 135, Pegram 124, Gohert 123, Chandler 122, DuHamel 115, Yates 113.

7Mayl999

13

1 Imola security, beryllium an'' things people never say

B

eing inside the Formula 1 paddock is the dream of

almost all the race fans around the world. You can see all

the glittery trucks and shiny motorhomes, look at the strutting

girls (if you can find them) and play l-Spy with drivers and people who appear in Hello magazine. It is the ultimate thing to tell your mates down at the pub about.

And where better to do it than

at the Autodromo Ferrari in Imola,

home of the tifosi, where the fans bubble like the local wine and you

can go to heaven on a pizza (although don’t try this at home unless you have parental guid ance).

Of course, a flying pizza might be the most effective way of actu ally getting into an F1 paddock because it seems that these days it is easy to get out of a high-security prison than it is to get into an F1 paddock. And at Imola it seems that every year it is a little

Why do people get their credentials checked every five feet at Imola?:

Hang on, Saward, I’ve just thought of a reason - or, more correctly, a couple of reasons.

(Photo by Sutton Images)

at a horse club. It is not much fun

until you feel you are a member of the group.

After two flyaway races, com ing back to Europe was rather pleasant and Imola, despite its bad associations, is a place where one always feels the fer vent passion that exists among racing fans. The paddock is back

level. This can be

increased with a different mix of aluminium and

boron but by the time that metal pie has been cooked the result is a

metal matrix composite which is much more

expensive than magne sium beryllium - which mean that, guess what, the costs have gone up

to its normal self and the teams

are no longer hiding away inside guarded garages while everyone mills around outside. Imola marks

rather than down.

This was one of the

bit more difficult than at the other race tracks.

The Italians seem to think that

stories which was circulat

one solves organisational prob lems by appointing 15 people to do one person’s job and that means that Imola always has more pass checks than any other

discussions turned to

giga-pascals, Ibegan to think about all the things

race track. Each one is carried out

one never hears in the

the return of the FI motorhomes and is the first time that one sees

the latest pantechnicon dreamed up by people in marketing depart ments with not enough to do and budgets which are too big.

This year the sensation of the paddock was the Benetton boun cy castle, a small ballroom sus pended between two trucks, in

ing in the paddock at Imola this year and, as my eyes glazed over as the

by a man who looks like he lost

Formula 1 paddocks

his razor at the bottom of his suit

around the world.

case because he was wearing

tance comes. It is not very differ ent from being a non-sailing per son at a yacht club or a non-rider

which has fewer gigathingys. The only problem is that boralyn is not quite at the right giga-thingy

which the team did its business

looking out through a shop win dow at the paddock passing by. It was impressive but you wonder if the money might have been bet ter spent on something else given the team’s performance in qualify-

“I wish I was as fast as

dark glasses when he got out of bed. Isaw one of these chaps

refusing entry to David Coulthard and Damon Hill on the grounds that they were riding on motor

my team mate today,” is not an expression which tumbles easily from the mouth of an FI driver.

You never hear them

scooters and thus did not go

say : “Here, take my car,”

through the pass machines. The

to their team mate or: “It

kerfuffle went on for 10 minutes

was my fault. The car is really good but Iscrewed up really badly. I’m an

with the man shouting into his radio a lot and Damon and David

becoming increasingly fed up with his inanity.

The is thatwhen theyyoualways verything excited point i

get

out to them that they are not being logical or ask them to explain why it is necessary to have four pass checks within five metres.

“I’m sorry,” you want to say.

“It’s a fair cop. I sneaked past all your friends here without a pass.

They couldn’t see me. They were wearing dark glasses. You must have really good eyesight to have

heard anyone say : “I think Max Mosley is doing a great job,” - although Mr Mosley may have said it himself at some point.

You never hear anyone say : “Here Bernie, can Ilend you a few quid. Your motorhome is looking a bit shoddy these days compared to these big flash new ones.”

Aconstant complaintis amongst the FI journalists that it is very difficult to make the drivers

made out of a special composite material. I’m a Stealth journalist.

Here, can Ilend you a razor...”

Of course, we never say what

into characters because they are so scared of saying something contentious that they never say anything interesting.

we want to say until we think of it

The fact is that there are some weird and wonderful characters

passed. And so we all pretend when telling the story that this what we said, when it is really only what we wished we had said. The

same is true of team owners. They

go to meetings and agree to all kinds of thing and then realise a few hours or days later that they have agreed to something daft and have to live with it for the next

British American Racing had a pair of trucks which telescoped upwards - like McLaren’s famous motorhome. They must have cost a king’s ransom. They looked great but maybe a little bit on the heavy side - and there are rules about how much weight you can truck around Europe. It does not

idiot.”

I don’t think I have ever

spotted me. You know my shirt is

15 minutes after the moment has

mg.

among the FI front-runners but they clam up whenever they know what they are saying is “on the record” for fear of upsetting their team boss, their sponsors, their country or whoever. Trying to turn them into interesting personalities in print is like asking Leonardo da Vinci to create the Mona Lisa with

felt tip pens.

It would be so refreshing to

take a brilliant mind to work out

performance parameters but Iam sure we will do better tomorrow.”

But that is not all. There are all

kinds of other things you do NOT hear in the paddock .

“Don’t worry. You don’t need a pass to get there.”

“I’ve had to sign a confidentiali ty agreement, but...”

“I was lying to you.”

“I have an audience with the

Pope in five minutes, but he can wait. 1 find your questions intriguing.”

around the world.

truths.

don’t ask me, Ihave no idea what

“My car handles like a soggy sandwich and my team are a

calibration of the windtunnel so

bunch of idiots,” would make a

the car was really dreadful all sea

great quote but instead we get some waffle like ; “At this moment

son long.”

“Are you all right ? That was a

in time we have not successfully maximised the potential of our

pretty big accident. Looks like the throttle stuck open. Oh, thanks for

they are). This was a great idea, they thought, because it meant that expensive stuff like aluminium beryllium would no longer be allowed. Instead everyone has to

buy some stuff called boralyn.

whole truth and nothing but the truth rather than a tissue of half-

“Do come into the garage.”

“You should have seen the

crash test results. The flywheel ended up in the next door county.’

‘The details of the prize

money? Sure, come down to the motorhome and we can go over the figures. Ican give you all the team budgets as well.”

“Sure, Iam nouveau riche.

What’s wrong with that ?”

Formula 1 racing is just like a village, with all the gossip which that entails. The only difference is that this particular village travels

cals per something or other (No,

hear a driver tell the truth, the

that ?”

“Please.”

“I did not really go to university but the PE college was just down the road from it and so I say Iwent to university because people are impressed by that.”

few years.

Recently they have all agreed to control fancy metal alloys in FI with a limit of so many giga-pas

bringing back the spanner, I was wondering what had happened to

“Actually we screwed up the

‘Thank you.”

From conclude all thisthatyouthemayFI paddock is an unfriendly place, but the funny thing is that that is not really the truth. A Formula 1

race is just like a village

with all the gossip which that entails. The only dif ference is that this particular vil

lage is not situated in a pic turesque valley called Bottom Wallop - or some other daft English place - but travels around the world, pitching its tents wher ever it goes.

Just like a village it is hard to become integrated. You have to serve your time before you are accepted - and it is best not to rock the boat before that accep-

that the extra weight means that the trucks can carry less cargo.

Still, if money is no object - and

you could never accuse BAR of being penny-pinchers - everything inside the truck is probably made of lightweight materials. here are no rules in Formula 1

Tas to how you should spend

your money - except perhaps that the team tends not to function very well when you are spending money that does not exist.

If there was a little more logic in FI, there would not be such machines. The race tracks would

build pit buildings with the neces

sary team facilities built in, to allow not only for VIP catering and view ing but also meeting rooms, inter view rooms, offices and so on.

Such permanent facilities would do away with the need for all the temporary accommodation , wiring and so on. It would also end the

protracted battles which go on over who can park which vehicle where.

A bit like the mad pass-check ers of Imola...

ED: There’s also expressions

magazine editors don’t like to hear, Saward, like ‘my computer

blew up in Italy’. This Box Seat represents a tecnnological miracle of its own. Well played...

14

7 May 1999

Mayday fonJBicliiiM and Volvo ● Richards, Volvo take Oran Park double ● Two seconds for Watts after

re-classification of Race 2 results

● Race 2 Safety Car period causes confusion ● Great Race 1 Richards/Watts/Morris battle

● Audis get results despite tyre problems ● Hills continues promising improvement

f^.: S.-S

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■"“"■'/U: ^r'"' ;.fa

Mr Unflappable: Morris pushed Richards had in both races but not even

9

his fast getaways could stop the Volvo S40 from racking up the first ‘double’ win for

I

the Swedish manufacturer.

/M

Here Jim sets up the win ning Race 1 move.

t

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c\

. >1.

.t

M

:

me

i,

(Photo by Melanie Brooker)

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Report by

r

;

Mi

PHIL BRANAGAN

D

on’t mess with Jim

Richards in May. That was the motto

left indelibly on the minds of the opposition after Round 2 of the BOC

Gases Super Touring Championship at Oran Park.

The

Qualifying

Iftheeveryone was expecting Watts-Peugeot quali

you have your helmet on sit ting in the car”.

fying show to keep running, they didn’t count Patrick or the team among their num

Jones swapped spots in the

ber. The tall Brit was still

learning the track when the cars rolled out to face the

veteran

was

in

unbeatable form, putting the let-down of not being able to compete in his favourite event, Targa Tasmania because of a date clash by taking two pole positions and Volvo’s first double victory to take the lead in the series.

After a rousing Race 1 scrap with Paul Morris and Patrick Watts, Richards was declared Race 2 winner after

initially just failing to catch Watts at the flag. A Safety Car period threw the race into chaos, stranding Richards in fourth, but the chase paid div idends in the end.

Watts was again impres sive in his last scheduled

race down under, the Starion Peugeot looking about a match for the Volvo, but it was not a great day for the Audis. Both Brad Jones and Matthew Coleman had to

overcome tyre problems in

clocks; he was, for instance, still a little line-shy of the flip-flop and, while he would give his best, he would fall short of pole - just.

Familiarity was no such problem for Richards. While

the car was still not 100 per cent dialled-in to local condi

tions Richo was, as usual, in fine fettle and, after secur ing the first pole with a 43.43s lap, went event faster under threatening skies in Q2 with 43.28s. Those two points, importantly, closed the gap to series leader Morris to two points.

two sessions. Morris has his

biggest problem on his very first lap on Thursday, a stuck throttle sending him off on his ‘out’ lap. The BMW was not badly dam aged though the lack of track time would hamper the NEMO team for qualify ing.

■s-.

X'

actually tested the FWD Audi Jones was disappoint ed. The second row was a

good position to be in but the team was not happy to be almost 0.5s off the pole

a

time in Q2, not a familiar

”>

spot on a sub-44 second lap.

As is becoming the norm, Matthew

Coleman

the Yokohama tyres, the

the car as much as the move

Jones and, while the Audi Sport Australia outfit fussed

onto 19 inch tyres since 1998 and the subsequent

second session. Other dri

vers reported that Jim was taking an odd line into the

first corner, necessitated by some racing line bumps but, otherwise, there was little news in S40 land.

the weekend.

onds, 0.03s back in Q1 and two-tenths behind in Q2. He

Ditto, Watts had two sec

OEAUEHTCAM

On a track where he had

his best within 0.25s of

goes,” JR shrugged after the

■

L

r

“The more we work with better and better the car

urn

On row two Morris and

impressed. In both sessions he qualified on row three,

the FAVD A4s, both salvaging some results and points from At one stage in Race 2 the Audis were split by the Peter Hills Mondeo, which is get ting better by the race.

I Feels like two hours when

with the set-up, the drivers looked forward to raceday.

A year ago Sydney driver John Henderson had his

best Super Touring result and now, with the exMcLean Vectra, he was look ing for better.

The Raytherm/APC Holden was still lacking track time but

improvement not down to

access to more modern rub ber.

his Mondeo, the small team reaching into their engine

because the team just ran out of time to get it on the

rebuilt budget earlier in the year than anticipated. He was happy with his car but missed the first session

track, David Auger led the rest in the ageing Alfa which, having picked up 1.5s since

Right behind the Holden in both sessions was a Ford.

Peter Hills Mondeo was run

ning like a clock (‘tick, tick’) and, encouragingly, so was

STYOKDHAMA ^

Dean Canto’s, the youngster putting his Lakeside DNS behind him to get within a

had sat out the first 20 min

Hendo ran around in the

half second in each session.

utes of the [thankfully dry] session which, he reported.

44.4s for two sixth places, the team putting a lot of the

Aaron McGill was back in

Likewise in Ford land,

BOC GASES

^ GASES

;ases/ ^ INC ■II

.

'{■'-41

■'A

yt

Second and first, er, second: Patrick Watts headed back to the UK after four races in Australia which resulted in a DNS, a win and two seconds. After race two he and Richards were still confused but celebrated anyway (right). (Photos by Bob Pons)

■

07^

■

^

15

7 May 1999

BOC Gases Super Touring Championship - Qualifying Qualifying 1

Qualifying 2

1

Jim Richards

Volvo Australia Volvo S40

43.4327

1

Richards

43.2803

2

Patrick Watts

Starion Team Peugeot 406

43.4720

2

Watts

43.4910

3

Brad Jones

43.6686

3

Morris

43.6862

4

Paul Morris

Audi Sport Australia Audi A4 Versari Paper BMW 320i

43.6970

4

Jones

43.7387

5 6

Matthew Coleman John Henderson

44.0420

5

Coleman

43.9674

Henderson

44.4820

Peter Hills

44.4017 44.5757

6

7

Audi Sport Australia Audi A4 Raytherm APC Holden Vectra Signature Team Ford Mondeo

7

Hills

44.4838

8

Mark Williamson

Volvo Australia Volvo S40

44.5900

8

Williamson

44.5815

9

Dean Canto

9

Canto

45.0397

10 11 12

David Auger Tony Newman Anthony Robson

Signature Team Ford Mondeo 44.8728 Gun Racing Alfa Romeo 155TS 45.0668 45.1191 TC Racing Peugeot 406

10

Auger

45.1128

11

Townshend

45.2826

BMW318i

45.7761

12

Cornish

45.5384

13

Jim Cornish

■Visit Your Vet Nissan Primera

45.7783

13

Robson

45.6976

14 15 16

Roger Townshend Nigel Stones Milton Leslight

14

McGill

45.8303

15

Stones

49.5442

16

Elias

57.8712

17

Aaron McGill

17

Searle

No time

18

Claude Elias

18

Newman

No time

19

Troy Searle

45.9008 Honda Accord 47.4560 Hyundai Lantra 47.8000 aap Toyota Carina E Omega/Smeg OSI Ford Mondeo No time No time HUe Hyundai Lantra No time Roadchill/Hartge BMW 3181

19

Leslight

No time

(The) Hills are alive: Peter Hills is showing good form in his Ford Mondeo.

Audi’s pitstop (left) was the highlight of their weekend but Jones and Coleman salvaged good results from a tough weekend. Morris’s driveshaft failure left him with nothing to do but watch - and smell the flowers. (Photos by Meiania Brooker) Newman, Cornish, Stones,

out but the Pom held the

McGill and Elias.

Watts had said he was

position in second. The only casualty of the whole matter was a little paint on the S40’s front splitter.

Amazing.

looking forward to following Jim’s lines through the cor ners: on lap 2 his prayers were answered. The S40

Thereafter Richards was

knifed past the 406 at Recaro to start lap 3 in sec ond, quickly closing the gap to the leader, but dragging

untroubled, running to the flag with Watts in close com pany until the final few cor

Watts and Jones with him.

For the first half of the

journey, it was a stalemate.

Morris had excellent corner

entry speed and was protect ing his line at Recaro, Richards most obvious over

the year before, was at least ageing gracefully. He was in the thick of a mid-field qual ifying pack which, as usual, featured regular sparring partner Anthony Robson’s

The Hyundais

taking spot. While the front two were taking a tight turn 1 line Watts was hammering out a wide entry, leaving

of Nigel

Stones and Claude Elias

him vulnerable but still in

appeared for the first time this year while, in the other Peugeot Tony Newman was having a harder time than Watts, a slipping clutch dur ing Q1 restricting the car to

ners when he backed it off.

Morris was third from

Jones, while Coleman had

slowed with a delaminating right-front tyre. On the final lap, was passed by the feisty-looking Mondeo of an amazed Hills, whose consis tent times had carried him

clear of his pursuers.

Behind

Coleman

came

Canto, Henderson, Auger and Newman who had a good battle, Cornish, Robson and

Williams,

Honda Accord, despite the

45.11s.

was

front of Jones. Something had to give.

By lap 11 the front three had dropped Jones and set up their own battle. Jim speared over the flip-flop and ran down the unprotect

no-show of Jamie Wall. New

changed for the second ses

ed outside of Morris. Paul

lenge. The gap between the

Zealander Roger Townshend was making his class debut.

The kiwi’s experience was mostly in rallying though,

sion but the car wasn’t fin ished and he DNS’d the ses sion.

saw him coming but Richo jinked left, only to find Watts already there with half a wheel on the grass and not willing to yield. He was going to try to out-brake

front row starters wasn’t wide to start with and was sure to diminish as soon as

BMW.

Robson was not in the

with a series win in NZ’s

one-make Mazda RX-7, the jump into the Wall car was less than totally dramatic, even if he did not get the

The

unit

As did Milton Leslight in Q2. The Toyota Carina was stranded on the track with

the other two at the first

engine problems in Q1 and skipped the second while the crew fixed the problems.

corner.

“I needed another six feet

on turn-in,”' he rued later.

This looked like it was going

call to race the car until

Thursday night at 10:30pm Right behind Robson Jim Cornish, who suffered a bro ken driveshaft on Friday,

did a good job considering his first run on new tyres was on Saturday morning.

RSCG 1 (21 laps)

overnight

suspension

right. At the lights Morris

and Richards continued where he left off on

minimal laps to conserve tyres.

Richards, who pulled into line behind from Jones,

If the FWD drivers were

Coleman, Hills, Henderson,

Perfect conditions greeted Watts changes)wasandcontent Morris, towhile from the tyrethe field for the warm-up do boomed smokingawayPeugeot and

Saturday,

timesheets

(much

topping

the

from

Jones

concerned about the BMW’s

Auger,

happier

after

starting prowess, they were

Williamson, Robson, Canto,

to end in tears.

It didn’t. As Watts went across the front of the other

two, sorting out his moment, Richard seized the opportu nity and the lead. Morris sat it out with Watts on the way

Townshend,

McGill.

Race 2 (34 laps)

This around Morris had time a different chal

the cars started moving but Morris again got it right and squeezed through into the lead.

This time the Audis were

even slower away behind, allowing Hills to pass them and, at the first corner, the order was Morris, Richards, Watts, Hills, Jones, Coleman, Henderson, Robson, Auger, Canto, Townshend, Williamson, Cornish, Elias, Newman and Stones, who soon pulled off

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16

7Mayl999

BOC Gases Super Touring Championship - Results

■ A newIy-Akubra’d Watts, looking relaxed near the end of his ‘work

ing holiday, said that qualifying second was all part of his Cunning Plan:

Race 1 (21 laps) 1

Jim Richards

15:40.3481

44.0545

3

2

Patrick Watts

15:41.4638

43.8233

3

the hell I am going,” he

3

Paul Morris

15:41.7538

44.2451

3

4

Brad Jones

15:50.1237

44.3800

2

smiled after the sessions.

5

Peter Hills

15:53.3742

44.6674

2

“That’s why I’m second, so

6

Matthew Coleman

15:55.2428

44.1173

12

I can follow Jim.

7

Mark Williamson

16:00.3850

44.7643

8

8

Dean Canto

16:07.6958

44.9390

3

■ Jim Cornish had visit

9

John Henderson

16:10.7762

44.8848

2

ing representatives of his veterinary-based sponsors

10 11

David Auger Tony Newman

16:15.6936

45.3484

3

16:16.3060

45.4875

4

12

Jim Cornish

16:24.0608

45.4606

4

13

Anthony Robson

45.7235

4

14

Aaron McGill

46.1702

6

15 16

Nigel Stones RogerTownshend

20 laps 20 laps 20 laps 20 laps 7 laps

46.5294

3

“I still don’t know where

at the race. While the crit

AS. y. ■KC-k'Al^t

ter doctors left their pets at home there was, unfor tunately, no sign of stun ning 'TV vet Katrina Warren, with whom Dr Cornish graduated some years ago. Next time, please... ?

i

DNF Claude Elias

colours of the world-wide

home security specialists

Continued from page 15

Capt Nemo to the Bridge: Morris pushed Richards as hard as he could (Photo by John Morris/Mpix) for a three-year-old BMW.

with a small fire.

While the lead three cars

1

Jim Richards

31:27.6301

43.6141

24

2

Patrick Watts

31:27.8907

43.9775

21

3

Brad Jones

44.1470

13

4

Matthew Coleman

44.3942

19

5

Peter Hills

6

Mark Williamson

33 laps 33 laps 33 laps 33 laps 33 laps 33 laps 33 laps 33 laps 33 laps 32 laps 31 laps 24 laps 14 laps 1 lap 0 taps

7

Dean Canto

8

Aaron McGill

9

RogerTownshend

10

John Henderson

11

Jim Cornish

12 Tony Newman 13 David Auger DNF Anthony Robson DNF Paul Morris

chief vulnerable to attack

DNF Claude Elias

The tall Brit was stranded

from Henderson, who had passed Coleman. Jones set to nursing the car to the pit

DNF Nigel Stones DNS Milton Leslight DNS Troy Searle

UK-side when, after his

window.

■ It wasn’t sponsorship money which kept Jamie Wall away from Oran Park, it was travel bucks.

manager thought Wall had

2

Race 2 (34 laps)

pulled away, Jones was clearly in trouble. A tyre was going down, leaving the

for the rest of the season.

5

50.2229

DNS Milton Leslight DNS Troy Searle

■ Peter Hills and Dean

Canto have picked up sponsorship from Signature Security Systems. The two Mondeos (Mondeii?) will carry the

45.6571

44.9518

3

44.6600

25

45.1776

29

46.0573

23

45.4754

5

44.8623

3

45.4321

20

44.9620

13

45.8093

24

45.8129

6

44.0336

2

64.6345

1

DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS : Richards 55, Watts 40.

Morris 37, Jones 36, Coleman 27. Hills 23, Williamson 17, Wall

Richards had a couple of

8, Canto 7, Henderson 6. Auger 5, McGill 3. Townshend 2.

booked a return fare to Oz

looks at Morris over the first

and Wall thought viceversa, his only option was to fly down under first

four laps and almost ran

MANUFACTURERS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS : Volvo 60.

into the back of him over the

Audi 48.

class. A ‘fat’ seat London-

Sydney is around £4500 (that’s $11,000).

■ Oran Park has made

some substantial improve ments to its main building.

dogleg, which allowed Watts to close and sneak past into second but, two laps later, the S40 went by under heavy braking at turn 1.

Watts stayed right behind

■ Anthony Robson will be hoping that Jamie Wall arrives with a Nissan Primera for the next race.

His BMW’s 18 inch wheels were shod with what is believed to be the last suit

able Yokohama tyres, which left him with a 20s

‘non pitstop’ because he didn’t have new rubber to fit.

-PHILBRANAGAN

TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: Audi Sport Australia 86, Volvo Racing 83, Signature Security Systems Ford Mondeo 44.

Project Racing 29.

INDEPENDENTS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: Hills 51.

Watts 49, Auger 23, Henderson 23. Wall 22. Canto 20. Robson 14, Cornish 12. L. Searle 11, McGill 10, Newman 8, Leslight 6, Rea 6, Townshend 6, Stones 1.

him and the two started to close on the BMW.

The media room has had

its ‘balcony’ enclosed, giv ing better viewing of the track and more room, especially for the photog raphers and their armada of gear. No smoking on the new veranda, though...

Robson 1. L Searle 1.

A4 affirmation: Brad Jones was not as

After four laps he repeat

happy as he might be, but the FWD Audi A4 is coming along in its development phase.

ed the Watts manoeuvre

and started to build a prepitstop gap. In second Morris was under pressure from the 406 but wasn’t los

ing much ground until, sud denly, on lap 14 he slowed on the dog leg and lost a spot. A half shaft had snapped and, with one

wheel drive, Morris strug gled into the pits.

But the incident would

have bigger implications that just causing Morris’s DNF. The shaft was still

sitting on the track and it had

to

be

moved.

The

Safety Car was sent out to pick up the leader, and that’s where the trouble

(Photo by Bob Potts)

started. Richards had head

ed into the pits next time around, and Watts a lap later, delayed by a loose air hose.

The pitstop sequence had changed the order. Coleman was leading on the road, but he was waved past the Volvo CTO, as was Richards and Watts. The CTO driver

was, apparently, under instructions to pick up the leading Audi and was look ing for Jones. But it was Coleman who was ahead; in turn he was instructed to slow down and allow the

Safety Car to re-pass the A4. Watts was right behind him: Richards, despite hav ing a quicker stop than the Pug, was about five cars back in the queue.

Sound confusing? It sure was ...

At least when the Safety Car pulled off, there were a couple of certainties. Watts was going to get past Coleman - he did, after two laps - and Richards was going to come after him. He did; once past the traffic he closed at around 0.6s a lap and, on the final lap, was

close enough to challenge, falling just one car’s length going home to England a

next, both cars looking much better on fresh t3rres, even if they were classified a lap down in the results.

winner.

Then came Hills (what a

But, before the podium presentation, things changed. While Watts and Richo congratulated each other on the battle,

good weekend for the local), Williamson, Canto and

Richards was instated as

It’s getting common that, whatever the category, sending out a Safety Car is

short. Watts looked like

winner. Watts was magnan imous in the circumstances

though, if he had been shooting for the drivers’ title, things may have been slightly more tense.

Jones and Coleman were

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McGill.

Richards took the series lead for the first time

a ticket to disaster. The

racing at Oran Park was terrific; what a pity the

sheen was taken off pro ceedings.

iAk){}®l70[p®l7O

17

7Mayl999

By STEVE NORMOYLE

which

HE was Australian Sports Sedan Champion at the age of only 19 last year, and after the opening round of this year’s championship Tony Ricciardello looks set to make it a double.

The youngster from Western Australia dominated proceedings at Oran Park, claiming the 10 bonus points for taking pole position before

clean sweeping the two championship races. The Alfetta-Chev driver also

won Saturday’s heat, which deter mined grid position for the first title race.

In Sunday’s first encounter it was Ricciardello all the way. Holden Calibra driver Mark Stinson shadowed

the defending champ till the end, a final lap first corner challenge bring ing no success.

The lead pair finished well clear of Kerry Baily’s Honda Prelude-Chev and Ivan Mikac’s Mazda RX7 Rotary,

Can I please borrow the car? Tony Ricciardello looks strong for a repeat in 1999. (PhoiobyjohnMoms/Mpix)

was

followed

home

Peter

O’Brien’s Commodore VL-Chev, Phil Crompton’s Falcon, Stephen Lichtenberger’s RX7-Chev, Mick Monterosso’s Commodore VN-Chev and the wild V6 Holden EH of David»

Krause, the winner of an entertaining battle with Kevin Clark’s Mustang.

Krause started from pole for the final race (for which the first 10 grid posi tions were reversed) but was swamped at the first corner, Mikac going to an early lead. Stinson took over on lap two, but Ricciardello was soon up to second place and the Alfetta was through to the lead on lap six.

Stinson was put back to third by Baily, while Mikac was fourth from Lichtenberger, Bill Martin’s RX7, Monterosso, Krause, Grant Munday’s Commodore VN and Bruce DeBoo’s RX7.

Pointscore; Ricciardello 50; Baily, Stinson 45; Mikac 42; Lichtenberger 29; Monterosso 26; Monday 22; Jameson 21; DeBoo 20; O’Brien 17; Mogg, Clark 16.

Bradbury’s double But wait, there’s more express delivery ROH Commodore

Cup driver Tim Shaw has sig-

nailed to his rivals

By MARK HOLGATE

AUSTRALIAN Porsche Cup racer Peter Bradbury has cemented his place at the top of the ladder in the 1999 Pirelli series, following two strong wins at Oran Park.

In Class B, it was Mike Kilpatrick who again topped the score sheets also backing up a pair of class wins at Lakeside’s opening round with a second in the first of two races

behind Peter Bolton, and a first in the second

race. “I was just pushing as hard as I could,” Kilpatrick said after race two.

The battle for grid positions saw drivers go

aU out in both quali^dng sessions, with one

second covering the top five grid positions for both races. It was Bradbury who came out on top in both sessions, with lap times of 45.4055 and 45.4251 for race one and two.

Bradbury’s time for race one was enough to put him ahead of rival Martin Wagg, Simon Froude, Greg Keene and David Withers with Withers missing the Sunday morning warmup, after his Porsche suffered what the team would only describe as a technical hic cup. Qualifying for race two was also a close fought battle, with Bradbury holding out Wagg, ahead of Withers, Froude and Keene.

In race one, it was all Bradbury. Wagg spent much of the first race applying pres sure to the race leader, with Froude also

proving a tough opponent for the front run ners during the early stages of the race.

before running wide in the dirt on lap six and ending up back in 10th spot.

In the end, Wagg finished second ahead of Keene, with Withers holding down fourth place.

In the battle for class honours, Bolton put in an excellent performance to take Class B as well as holding down fifth spot outright.

In race two, Bradbury again won the run to the first corner, with Withers swamped on the line by Keene, Wagg and Froude. While the positions stayed the same throughout the race, the gap between the front runners, par ticularly between Wagg and Froude, stretched to as much as 200 metres.

Further down the field, and just outside the top five. Class B runners Kilpatrick and Bolton, and Peter McRae showed they were up to the challenge, putting on a good perfor mance for Porsche Cup fans.

Following race two, Bradbury said that while his race and qualifying performance made it look hke he was cruising to a win, it was not the case. “If you look at it from where I am sitting, there’s not much in it.”

He said Keene had posed a real threat to

his win throughout the second race. “Greg drove really well, I felt a bit more pressure there from him, than Martin Wagg.”

Bradbury said he had expected Wagg to be there on his tail in race two, and when he looked in the mirrors to find Keene looming large behind him, he knew he was in for a tough race.

that the race for

the championship is on in earnest, with wins in both races in Round Two of the national series.

Shaw had

already stamped his mark on the meet

ing with a 48.6587 qualifying record, and proved he was on the pace during race one, leading the field of 15 from start to finish. In a

solid drive, Shaw

squeezed his way in to first place in the

VVhat, no Demtel sponsorship? Tim Shaw was in control at Oran Park.

run to turn one, and

(Pholo by Dirk Klynsmith)

despite some spirit ed driving from rivals Christian D’Agostin, Geoff Emery and Wayne Wakefield

tie with Shaw,

D’Agostin and Emery.

In race two, it

was D’Agostin who was quicker of the mark, but by turn

was able to hold on

to his position throughout the race.

Strong qualifier

two it was Shaw’s

race once again, as

Maurie Platt, who

he moved into the

sat beside Shaw on the front row for race

lead for the remain der of the race.

Behind him there

one, was only able to manage fifth in

was no shortage of challengers for the top placings, with D’Agostin,

the race, after finish

ing worse for wear in the opening lap bat-

J

Raymond

event, but was

Sidebottom and

unable to get by.

Since changing engines during the latter stages of last

Wakefield putting up a good fight, with Emery’s race com ing to an early end,

season, Shaw

after he rear ended the wall at Recaro

believes his team has found the horse

Corner, just short of the main straight.

Wakefield put in a strong performance late in the piece, pegging back Sidebottom to pull alongside on lap eight of the 12 lap

power it lacked dur ing season 1998.

‘We’ve done a lot of

hard work, and we

were right on the money at the end of last year”.

-MARK HOLGATE

jss/a AUSTRALIA 30

YEARS

OF

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18

7 May 1999

One Porsche Fitz All Long-time circuit ace Peter Fitzgeraid picked up where Jim Richards ieft off by winning the 1999 Targa Tasmania for Porsche.

MICHAEL BROWNING was there to see the action.

PRODUCTION car champi on Peter Fitzgerald and fel low Victorian Michael Mansour cruised to an

easy victory in the Modern category of the 1999 Targa Tasmania on May 2, deliv ering Porsche its fifth out right result in eight Targas and notching up the fourth consecutive win for their ex-Jim Richards 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo.

The pair were headed only once in the five-day, 2050km event - on Day One - by triple Targa win ners Richards and Barry Oliver, who made a hit-and-

year he took out the Classic category in a Porsche 356 from the factory’s museum, but this year was without a drive until he suggested to

receiving the car just two days before the event.

Their glory came at the expense of Sydney’s Jeff

Melbourne shirt manufactur

Church and Brisbane’s Ross

ran without a service crew,

er Mansour that he buy

Dillon, who dropped out of

Richards” car. It was

contention on the final

Mansour’s first Targa and first experience as a naviga-

morning with brake prob

tor.

GTR V-Spec, after seeming

Their only ‘scare’ came from a failing gearbox,which jumped out of second gear on the Prologue and then lost third gear altogeth er on Day Two. However an overnight gearbox trans plant in Hobart with a trans

assured of a podium finish. performances, Queensland’s Guy Beddington and Peter Svensson brought their new Ultima Coupe home in fifth place, while Neal Bates and

Coral Taylor’s 7th outright in

Mansour’s normal road 911

the new Lexus IS 200 was

Carrera 4 to top the time

Turbo in Melbourne, cured

charts. However theirs was

their problems.

Following Fitzgerald

also outstanding.

Perhaps the greatest sacrifice of all was that of

/Mansour home 48 seconds

French endurance racing

adrift were once-a-year rac

veteran. Bob Wollek, who

ers Warwick Freemantle of Melbourne and Nick Watchorn of Tasmania in Freemantle’s new 1995-

Tasmania in a Porsche Museum 1983 model 911 SC

model Nissan GTR V-Spec N1 - his daily transport out side Targa duties.

the new Porsche GTS he will drive in next month’s Le Mans 24 Hour race.

gone, the Carrera was taken over by the director of the

The sensation of Modern

Germany. Klaus Bishof, who

Tasmanian Paul Stokell and Tasmanian Peter Roberts in

It was Wollek’s first rally since he competed in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1972, but he brought the 16 year

their completely standard

old Museum car home 11 th

88kW Lotus Elise, who

snatched third place on the final day. It was Stokell’s

first-ever rally drive and they

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RS rather than pre-qualify

category were ex-

Ruttger brought it home in a creditable 18th place out right in Modern.

It was Fitzgerald’s sec ond win in four Targas. Last

.m

opted to compete in Targa

Porsche Museum in with mechanic Hermann

■1*

4

In other notable ‘Modern’

mission taken from

role as series commentator.

With Richards/Oliver

■

lems in their 1995 Nissan

run attack in a standard lat est model Porsche 911

always intended to be a token challenge, with Richards heading to Oran Park on Day 2 for his Volvo Super Touring commitments and Oliver travelling to Perth for the V8 Supercars in his

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Picture Perfect: Peter Fitzgerald guides the winning Porsche over some typical Tassie Terrain.

Not so Perfect: Peter Brock and son Jamie had a great run until the Torana XU-1 understeered off on Mount Arrowsmith. Look for Jamie again in 2000, but by then Bev might be driving - on donuts. exemption as the result of Porsche’s 1 -2 victory in

Healey’s camshaft and robbed it of power as the

Tasmania appearance of Peter Brock driving with his

1998.

field headed for Bumie and

If the Modern category result was a little predictable, ‘Classic’ saw heated compe

their final overnight stop.

This left Henry and Roslyn Draper heading 130

son James in an XU-1 Torana.

tition and an uncertain result

other Classic entries as the field headed down the West

right up the very last stage, with Tasmanians Robert

Coast in uncharacteristically

White and Angus Macleod finally coming through in their V8-engined 1965 Sunbeam Tiger.

fine conditions. But their

Until then it had been a

four-cornered struggle amongst the Tiger, the inde cently fast 1961 Mini Minor of Henry and Roslyn Draper, the thundering 1958 Austin Healey BN4 of Paul and Christine Freestone and the

ubiquitous and spectacularly driven 1961 Volvo PV544 of

NSW pair Mike Batten and Kim Martin.

White and Macleod were

early front-runners in the cat egory before dropping to fifth on Day 3 after incurring a one minute penalty for jump ing the start on the Woodbridge Targa stage.

Meanwhile the Freestones were forced to

Local ‘import’: Open-wheeler ace Paul Stokell starred in his return home, yumping his Lotus Elise

Sport home to third outright alter only receiving the car a few days before the event.

surrender their newly-inherit ed lead on Day 4 after a bro ken rocker destroyed the

65HP, 998CC Mini with its top need only nudging 160km/h did not have the legs to hold off the challenge from the thundering ‘Tassie Tigef on the fast stages such as Rosebery, Strahan and the 50km-long Mt. Arrowsmith, and by New Norfolk they were 59 seconds in arrears.

The Drapers were disap pointed, but realistic in defeat. ‘They deserved to win,” said Henry. “Their jump start penalty should not have decided an event as long as this.

Third were the

Freestones, 15 seconds clear of the PV544 Volvo,

Built by James as a full time project over five months, the ‘Silk Cut Purple’ Torana with its potent 290HP Ian Tate-built six cylinder engine and sophisticated race-based suspension was a real eye-catcher whenever you were lucky enough to catch it clear of the inevitable swarm of Brock fans.

But even the best paid plans go astray and a broken clutch spigot on Day One cost them irretrievable time

and any real hope of Classic category victory.

Brock more than made up for this set-back at the

wheel, delivering a classic three wheel Torana pose on every opportunity during his storming drive back through the ranks.

By the time they reached the super-fast Mt.

with South Australia’s

Arrowsmith stage on Day 5

Jeremy Browne and

they were well within the

Victorian Ruth Williams fifth.

Classic top 10 and closing

This five-marque Classic struggle was not expectedly overshadowed throughout the event by the first Targa

fast on a potential podium position, but on a damp, sweeping right hander the unthinkable happened and

OFEICIAL TEAM MERCHANDISE viki.vin.mt

CUMMINS

.

‘Team Caps] I

VALCAP1

.

Godzilla lives - in Tasmania: Warwick Freemantle put in a big effort in his Nissan GT-R, running second and splitting Fitzgerald and Stokell after six days of hard driving in his daily driver, the Torana understeered off

the road and into a ditch,

Provisional Results 1999 Targa Tasmania

wedging itself against a clay

MODERN CATEGORY

cliff and the road. Brock’s

maiden Targa was over James was devastated

and sitting forelomly on the bonnet of his crumpled pro ject vowed that “no-one - not even Peter - will ever drive

one of my cars again!”. A not so perfect end to a fatherson ‘dream team’, but hey, didn’t it finally get Targa some coverage on the Australian mainland.

The new Targa Tasmania Touring Classic Category for cars built between 1947 and

1965 attracted only nine of the event’s 201 entries, but

produced excellent competi tion amongst a wide variety

In the end it was

Queensland’s Dan Bowden

and Rob van Wegen in their 1965 Porsche 356 Carrera

Speedster who triumphed over the Tasmania-entered

Austin Healey ‘Bug-Eye’ 1958 Austin-Healey Sprite of Philip Nichols and Philip Blake, with NSW’s Brian

t-shirt

1. Peter Fitzgerald (Vic)/Michael Mansour (Vic), 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo (9min. lOsec.) 2. Warwick Freemantle (Vic)/Nick Watchorn (Tas), 1995 Nissan GTR V-Spec N1 (9min. 58sec.) 3. Paul Stokell (Vic)/Peter Roberts (Tas), 1998 Lotus Elise (12min. 46sec.) 4. Garry Scott (NSW)/Richard Francke (NSW), 1995 Mazda RX7 SP (12min 58seo.) 5. Guy Beddington (Qld)/Peter Svensson (Old), 1999 Ultima Coupe (13min. 27sec.)

JBTB1

CLASSIC CATEGORY

1. Robert White (Tas)/Angus Macleod (Tas), 1965 Sunbeam Tiger (4min.

03sec.) 2. Flenry Draper/Roslyn Draper (Vic), 1961 Morris Mini Minor (5min.

02sec.) 3. Paul Freestone/Christine Freestone (Vic), 1958 Austin Healey BN4 (6min. 27sec.) 4. Mike Batten (NSW/)/Kim Martin (NSW), 1961 Volvo PV544 (6min. 42sec.) 5. Jeremy Browne (SA)/Ruth Williams (Vic), 1969 Lancia Fulvia 1.6HF(7min. 56sec.)

Bargwanna t-shirt JBTW1

CLASSIC TOURING CATEGORY

1. Dan Bowden (Qld)/Robvan Wegen (Old), 1956 Porsche 356 Carrera Speedster (1 Imin. 25sec.) 2. Philip Nichols (Tas)/Philip Bake (Tas), 1958 Austin Healey Sprite (12min. 14sec.) 3. Brian Titheradge (NSW)/John Shuttle (NSW), 1955 Jaguar XK140 FHC (17min. 48sec.)

SHANNONS HISTORIC

1. Leigh Mundy (Tas)/Guy Dunstan (Tas), 1926 Chrysler Van den Plas (23min.30sec.) 2. Martin Utber (Vic)/Nick Langford (Vic), 1930 Invicta S Type (36min. 34sec.) 3. John Felder (Vic)/John Shetland (Vic), 1930 Oakland 8-101 (55min. 01 sec.)

of makes over an easier

four-day course.

Jason

Bargwanni

ters and forcing them out of the event on Day 4 to drain and flush the engine in Bumie.

As this was under instruction from the event’s

officials, they were given an ‘allowable time which kept them on track for victory the following day.

Victorians Martin Utber

and Nick Langford had an even greater tale of woe in

behind the 1926 Chrysler Can den Plas of

Third in the Shannons

VCRTAN1

Crew

Felder and John Shorland of Victoria in a 1930 Oakland 8-101.

replica polo SB VCRTCREWP1

Now completing its sec ond year in its revised fourcategory format, Targa Tasmania is still going strong as it heads towards a new six-day format for the

wasn’t without incident. First

Shannon’s 1930 Low

Millennium event in 2000.

they lost their road book and time - when the passen ger’s door flew open on the Longford street stage on Day One; on Day Two they had a spectacular 160km/h ‘lose on Cranbrook Targa stage, from which they miraculously emerged unscathed; then a helpful friend accidentally filled the Porsche’s engine with SAE90 grade gearbox oil instead of engine oil in Hobart, clogging up the fil-

Chassis Invicta ‘S’ Type, they had built up a substan tial and seemingly uncatchable lead by the lunch break

This year a record 170 cars completed the course, while the event was marred by only one major accident,

at Queenstown on the final

when the 1967 Alfa Romeo

day, but then the wiring to the Invicta’s fuel pump burnt

Guilia Super sedan of Tasmanians Norman Henry and Anthony Stoner hit a pole on the Rana Targa stage on Day 4.

Both remain in hospital in

While they managed to get the car going by hot-wiring the pump using wiring from one of the headlights, it was all too late and they dropped into second place

Team IAnorak

Historic category were John

the Shannons Historic

out on Mt. Arrowsmith.

um

Tasmanians Leigh Mundy and Guy Dunstan.

Titheradge and John Shuttle third in their 1955 Jaguar XK140 Fixed Head Coupe.

The Porsche’s victory

Competition. Driving Robert

B

a serious, but stable condi

tion at the time of going to

I

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MAUTII*CAVU

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5

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■ 1

Holden Tee

Peter Gratz Tee

i GRMSLTN2

I

Rachelle Splatt Tee

PGTB1

RSTWl

Casual team polo

Holden Tee

VCRTCASPNl

GRMSLTN1

COMPETITION DETAIL): CO«liilioiiS Ol lain. Simply purcbau 2 iteim from thli ad (mm order $20 - temporary tanoos not included) and you will auto matically be placed in ilie draw lo win a day at an official testing session with the Valroline Cummins Aace Team, where you will have a minimum ol

2 hot laps with one of our drivers. Every additional item (over the 2 minimum) you purchase from the one ad will give you an extra entry in the 1999 racing season. II the winner comes from intersute their airfare will be paid. The winner

draw The test session will he held at the end of the wi

I be notified on 16 November 1999. HURRY. THERE CAN ONLT BE ONE WINNER. THE MORE tOU BUT, THE MORE CHANCES TOU HAVE TO WIN.

press.

PERSONAL OETAUS

ORDER

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Subitfti

Postcode

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Ph number afi

bh

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527

jBiai

Jason Bargwanna (black}

$27

cnwi

Garth Tander (white only)

$27

HSTW1

Rachelle Splan (white only) Peter Gtati (black only) Holden Slogan tees (navy only)

$27

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(IfstruetfcrereaflygaGodlbw; ‘cause Isaw him drivinga HoidenVBSupercar)

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Ptease indicate p3)(nent type (ptuu uci} □ Bankcvd

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Simply fill in your details and send.with payment to: Garry Rogers Motoispoit PO Box 222 Oakleigh Vic 3166 or fax your credit card order to: 03 9664 8033 Come in number 209: Paul and Christine Freestone had a ball in their Austin Healey.

FORM

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$25

$25 $22 $45

VCRTCASPNl

Casual Team polo (navy only)

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20

7M3yl999

Is this the Greatest Show on Earth?

By PHIL BRANAGAN AS Formula One’s TV ratings vary from race to race and America’s racing scene contin ues to be dominated by NASCAR racing what really is the greatest show on earth? Winston Cup? CART? Grands Prix?

It could be sportscar racing or, more particularly, the Le Mans 24 Hour. With just over five weeks to go to the twice-around-the-clock classic the buzz in the motor racing worid is that the 1999 race will be one of the best ever.

The late 1990s has seen interest

in sportscar racing boom to an unprecedented level. Even after Porsche’s withdrawal there will be

six works or works-supported teams (seven if you give Ford approval to Panoz); 19 of the dri vers entered have GP experience and another six are current or for

mer FI test drivers. Three tyre

rest, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota have improved versions of their 1998 weapons; Nissan has sliced the roof off iast year’s GT; and BMW has a brand-new, Williams-

built prototype to carry its hopes, backed up by last year’s version.

There are six-cylinder engines, eights, VI Os and VI 2s. Some are turbocharged, some are not.

And, just to top it all off, all the works teams could be topped by a Ferrari, a Riiey&Scott or a privatelyrun Lola. Wouldn’t that hurt...

Especially if financial estimates are accurate. Upwards of half a bil lion US dollars has and will be

spent in the pursuit of the 1999 race, and the reason is simpie. A Le Mans 24 Hour win gives a man ufacturer bragging rights over its rivals. Glance back to 1998; who won the World Championship?

Mika Hakkinen. Who won Le

Mans? Betcha say ’Porsche’.

(Extra points if you mentioned

manufacturers - Michelin, Bridgestone and Pirelli - will do

Alan McNish, Laurent Aiello and

battle for the outright win.

Drivers win in FI. Manufacturers win Le Mans.

And then there’s the cars. Over the last six months MN’s office has echoed to the sounds of the ‘WF’ the 'Wow Factor’. As first shots of each new car arrived down the edi

torial wire, jaws dropped.

And what diversity. Audi and Panoz are having an each way bet, running ’Spyders’ and GTs. Of the

Stephana Ortelli).

This year’s cars will be quicker than last year, but they still have a fair way to go to get down to the heady times of the last of the Group C supercars. When the rules were changed in 1994 to leave only GTs and open-topped prototypes in the field, the cars were around 35s off

The newest Silver Arrow: Mark Webber shakes down the new CLR at Hockenheim last month. The driving line-up

looks pretty strong (below): that’s ex-Fl hotshoe and MB newcomer Pedro Lamy on the left, (aii photos by suuon images)

the qualifying lap record. Last year they got within 15s of the 3m21.21 s record (from 1992). Expect 2m31s this year and, if this rate of develop ment keeps up, 29s in 2000.

■ ZAA

Of the contenders, most local interest wiii be in Mark Webber. The

Mercedes man takes a lead role in

his ‘own’ car this year and will share his new CLR with Jean-Marc

Gounon and Marcei Thiemann, both of whom drove for Persson

Motorsport last year. Both are good experienced drivers, but Webber

will be the one qualifying the car.

After last year’s tragic scenes. where both then-new CLK-LMs

ground to a halt within two hours of

the start of the race, M-B’s sporting department has left little to chance.

With no FIA GT Championship to distract them - though the team may take in a few post-Le Mans American races - Benz is putting Outrageous Fortune:

all its eggs into this basket.

New lads Audi have taken an

each way bet with its R8C (GT) and R8R (Le Mans Prototype, or ‘LMP’) cars. Both are all-new and built at

the marque’s English facility, which was acquired last year from TOMS. In testing the Coupe has been quite impressive, the Spyder less so, despite first-up third and fifth places at Sebring. Like Benz, Audi has left little to chance in its driving line-up,

Panoz’s two contenders look more

with Michele Alboreto, Stefan

outrageous than any other car in the

Johansson and Emanuele Pirro

race. A front-engined Spyder could

leading the troops.

Toyota almost won on debut with its GT-ONE last year and, for ’99,

win Le Mans? Takes me back to the

good old days of WO Bentley ...

have a refined version of the tur

And in Germany: Two questions dog BMW: will the car last 24 hours.

and will Jo Winkelhock go that long without lighting up?

bocharged V8-engined machine.

Once again, Martin Brundle leads the driving staff, with McNish and Raif Kelleners jumping on board

from Porsche and ex-FI hero Ukyo Katayama joining in.

BMW also have an excellent

line-up, with JJ Lehto, Tom

Kristensen and Jorg Muller running in the 6-iitre V12ed LMR, while

Nissan’s R391 (twin turbo, V8) has had a relativeiy short development period which could put it behind the eight-ball for the race.

The second contending Aussie, David Brabham, also has an excel

lent shot at winning. His new Panoz ran well in its debut at Road Atlanta

last month, despite running in a iowdownforce set-up on a high-downforce track. That bodes well for the

French race, as does having experi enced co-drivers in Eric Bernard

and Butch Leitzinger. In Panoz’s coupe Jan Magnussen heads the staff.

And, just when you think that it wiil be a works-only party, don’t for get the ‘Little guys’. DAMS will field the sole Lola in the field, the new

Dl/d

1999

21

t

The Lord ot the Rings?

Audi’s R8C (above, with

Perry McCarthy aboard) has been very fast in testing.

Ferrari’s 333SP could cause

an upset, especially because a few of the cars have some

serious driving talent aboard.

car impressing in testing with its F1-based Judd V10

engine. And enough Ferraris should survive

Pre-Qualifying (see news pages for update) to make life interesting. JeanChristophe Bouillon, who starred at the Sarthe last

year, leads the driving strength.

UemuirK^ .'i Full range ol scales IntafccisP

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MSN152

Differing realities: The view for race fans of Craig Lowndes, right, and the view for his opposition, above.

And three makes 12 Lowndes steamroller continues

Stop-Go ruins Skaife’s weekend Seton, Bright main challengers Faulkner exhibits brilliant speed Shell and Castrol teams discover

late pace McLean pick of the Privateers Report by CHRIS LAMBDEN

DESPITE being unhappy with the race one handling of

his

Mobil

HRT

Commodore, Craig Lowndes completed his third

Wanneroo

A tiny forward creep on the race two startline is all that stopped an HRT 1-2, the subsequent Stop-Go penalty initiating a disastrous after noon for Mark Skaife, with a later

collision with Russell Ingall putting him well down the reckoning.

The closest thing to a challenge

clean

came from Ford duo Glenn Seton

sweep in three years as the

(who led a lap of race three!) and Jason Bright, while a rapid John Faulkner had an up-and-down series of races after qualifying very, very well.

Shell series went west last

Sunday, at the same time racking up HRT’s 12th win from 12 races this year.

The rest were extraordinarily close a quarter of a second covering ten cars in Qualifying, with the Shell duo finding some significant pace after a major Saturday night suspension revamp and the Castrol Commodore and Wynns duos also making progress.

Take out HRT and it’s just so close. But nobody has yet found the secret to their pace.

It was Lowndes, Lowndes, Lowndes...

Practice With race one scheduled for

Saturday afternoon, Saturday morning’s two practice sessions, fol

lowed by Qualifying, all happened in very short order, with precious little time for meaningful changes to cars to get the best out of a slip pery Wanneroo Raceway.

'Two things became clear early on: (a) rear tyres looked set to take a hammering and so finding a race set up to look after the rare commodity was going to be a key issue; and

(b) the mid-field was going to be

very, very close. Qualifying well, to get out of that ruck, would be crucial...

There were a couple of big sur prises too and the first came in the first 45 minute practice session.

Fastest time went to Faulkner.

...

John

The Betta/Cummins VT simply dropped straight into a very good set-up and the time (57.72) was no fluke. Faulkner was quietly ecstatic.

He would be hampered through the weekend by the re-occurrence of a muscle injury in his side (first incurred during one of Adelaide’s two hour ‘tests’). It would prove painful, but when you’re running at the front it doesn’t hurt quite so badly...

Bright, Seton and Bowe followed, before the first of the HRT duo, Lowndes, then Longhurst and Skaife.

Pit activity was feverish between this first session and the second,

interim.

Confusing the issue a little was the fact that some chose to sacrifice one set of fresh rubber in this ses

sion, to get a guide to fresh rubber

performance in the end. Qualifying would be the only real authoritative guide.

Early pace from Bowe’s all-new Cat AU looked promising, even though the team’s pre-event testing had been substantially disrupted by some engine problems. Similarly, Richards in the Wynns team’s lat

just an hour and a quarter away.

The issues were pretty common from team to team, summed up by

est VT Commodore looked comfort

Skaife:

Qualifying

“The track seems less

I

rather than third gear corners, wasn’t helping either.

The second, 30 minute session was going to be a little more indica tive of how things stacked up and again Faulkner shone.

In fact, JF repeated his earlier time, the only car quicker being that of Lowndes, who had a late run on fresh rubber for a 57.42, HRT having made significant spring/shock adjustments in the

grippy than last year, so we’ve got the classic understeer in, oversteer

out thing which is going to be tough on the rear tyres.

There won’t be many pris tine rears once this is over.

I’ll give you the tip...”

The fact that TEGA’s revised nominated diff

ratio produced several

high-in-the-powerband second gear corners.

able.

14 vital minutes to pretty much sort out the weekend order. Clearly it was going to be close, but just how close nobody could imagine.

You might be tempted to scoff at the Shell duo, who ended up 15th (Johnson) and 16th (Radisich) when

it was over, but that would be very harsh. They were only a quarter of a second off being fifth!

Yep, two and a half tenths cover ing 11 cars. Hundredths would be critical...

Right at the front there would be a little more air. Skaife had saved both his new sets and after the first

A force of hand:

runs was quickest, in the mid 57s,

Following a fairly dismal qualifying, Paul Radisich

but then Lowndes went out on his

made some dramatic

57.0427.

changes to the Shell

Skaife tried to respond, but improved marginally to be nearly

Helix AU. He forced his

way past Mark Noske on his way to third in the final

fresh set and put in a clean

four-tenths short.

race - Noske finished a creditable 10th in the final

That looked to be it until, with two minutes to go. Bright emerged with his second fresh set and put in

race after a tough day

two blinders. The first slotted him

earlier.

into third (held at the time by the

(Photo by Dirk Ktynsmith)

amazing Faulkner), the second

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ISLAND May

1999

Fora VS Hoiaen Shoot-out More than 40 V8 Supercars - Lowndes, Skaife, Ingall, Perkins and Tander against the Fords of Seton, Bright, Larkham and Bowe. Plus full Support Program including Formula Ford, Formula Holden, GT Production and Superbikes.

Grandstand and General Admission Tickets on sale

For general enquiries^ Corporate Packages and Weekend Pit Passes, contact Phillip Island Motor Sports Ph (03) 5952 2710

now through Ticketmaster

Visit our web site on www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

V

24

VUAIMIM

7M3yl999

i A 9

Kl

We have lift off: Larry Perkins launched the Castrol VT in Perth, although Garth Tander wished he hadn’t in race two. (Photo by John Moms/wpix) Continued from previous page ...

57.5077, good enough for fourth and a couple of tenths off the front row.

Suddenly the A teams became

McLean bags the points

interested in this session!

Forbes unlucky but grabs second privateer race win (58.85), Reed (59.06), Nash, to take to the sand then make Despite a Stop-Go penalty for a jumpe(d start in the Pretty and the rest. a quick stop to check the gold

move most of the stars back a slot.

Privateers own 15-lap race,

Cameron McLean came away from Perth a clear winner of the

overall privateer contest, thanks to three strong races in the main all-in Shell series heats.

It wasn’t that easy, though, for a close contest is emerg ing between McLean and Rodney Forbes for top priva teer honours and it was only Forbes’ misfortune in being an innocent victim in two other drivers’ accidents in races two and three which left

the way clear for McLean to take an big bag of Shell points home.

Forbes, however, heads the

Privateer

Drivers

Championship, courtesy of his second win (from 2) in the privateer-only Saturday race.

Nearest competition to this pair of new boys in the tencar privateer contest turned out to be Steve Reed and

Mick Donaher, the latter quali fying well, ahead of the more experienced Reed.

McLean had pole for the Privateer 15-lapper by virtue of his 57.98 qualifying time, shad ing Forbes (58.31), Donaher

The race, though, lost its interest courtesy of a Stop-Go for McLean, adjudged to have jumped the start.

He pulled in at the end of lap two, handing the lead to Forbes, who was unchal

en Commodore out, eventual

ly finishing a lap down.

Reid and Donaher were the

best of the rest, the latter

coming back well from a Heat 1 DNF.

Despite running a couple of con secutive 57.6s, LP couldn’t better

his earher time, but fourth spot did Further back, leading privateers Cameron McLean (57, 9892) and Rodney Forbes (58.3112) completed

Larkham’s tough day by demoting him to a grid 20 start, with McDougall, Donaher, Reed and Nash heading an out-of-sorts Romano, Pretty, local Kendrick, Brett Peters (subbing in the Colourscan car). Miller, Russell and the stmggling Heath.

31 cars in all the biggest grid that Perth has seen for many a long

lenged to reel off the laps, ahead of a battling Reed and Donaher, Kendrick, Pretty

McLean again impressed in race three, this time edging into the outright top ten for ninth at the finish, part of a

and Nash.

torrid late race contest involv

Race 1-20 laps

McLean’s charge back through provided the action,

ing Romano and Noske and some three-wide action at

As if anyone needed reminding, the start would be vital in all races,

but even that had its dramas.

turn one.

With a couple to go, the Greenfield

Falcon

dived

The Greenfield team is

surely destined for Pro status

inside Kendrick at Kolb, for fourth, but there was moder

sooner rather than later...

ately heavy contact and a subsequent Stewards hearing burdened McLean’s Visa by

caught in someone else’s dis agreement, emerging from a

$750...

Forbes won out in heat one

Poor Forbes was again turn

one

incident

with

Bargwanna with damaged steering and eventual retire

of the main event, holding McLean at bay for the dura

ment.

tion as the two harassed the Shell Falcon of Dick Johnson

ners-up spot, some seven

(14th outright), with Reed and Kendrick some seconds back.

Race two was a McLean

benefit, the Falcon a fine 11th

outright after Forbes became an innocent victim of the

Perkins/Tander clash, having

Reed again took the run

seconds away after 20 laps, with Pretty and Nash contest ing third in class to the finish.

year...

none more so than the first 20 lapper, run late on Saturday afternoon so that the remaining pair of races could be comfortably accommodated well before 3pm local time (5pm Eastern) on Sunday, for Channel Ten’s benefit.

Bright was well aware that, if he

couldn’t out-drag Lowndes, the pri ority would be to get across behind him if possible.

It didn’t work out like that.

Lowndes was a fraction slow

away, but Skaife despite an initial

baulk made a good one, glueing

Faulkner out of the last corner to

grab fourth. Faulkner had a big go back under brakes at the same cor

ner a lap later, but there wasn’t quite the room and he just man aged to pull it all up without turn ing it into an incident...

With the rubber stiU fresh there

was very little movement back

among the mid-field train, but up front eveiything was going accord ing to Plan A, the HRT duo just easing away from Bright. A tenth here and there, the gap quietly built up three seconds after eight laps. Under control.

Having already changed an engine prior to the race. Ingall was having a very unenjoyable time back in 13th, hanging on behind Tander and Longhurst. But even that got worse when, on lap 11, the Castrol car slowed and headed pitwards, with a second engine failure.

Noske too was out at about the

same time, pulling a smoky Commodore in after spending the early laps dicing with Johnson.

Almost unnoticed among these

smoky exits, Murphy also disap

himself to his team-mate’s rear as

peared

they turned into turn one.

Comer.

into the sand at Kolb

Wanneroo Qualifying

Privateer points after two rounds: Forbes 100; Donaher 88; McLean

Pos Driver

86; Nash 64; Reed 46; Pretty (Nathan) 42; Ashby 42; Smerdon 40.

H

Team

Time

2

Craig Lowndes Jason Bright

Mobil HRT Commodore VT Pirtek Falcon AU

3

Mark Skaife

.57.4150

4

Larry Perkins

Mobil HRT Commodore VT . ..

Castrol Perkins Commodore VT

5

John Faulkner

Betta/Cummins Commodore VT

57.7227

6

Neil Crompton

7

John Bowe

8

Greg Murphy

9

Glenn Seton

10 11 12 13

Tony Longhurst

Ford Tickford Racing Falcon EL/2 CAT Racing Falcon AU Wynn’s Racing Commodore VT Ford Tickford Racing Falcon AU ..

Castrol Longhurst Falcon AU

Jason Bargwanna Russell Ingall

14

Mark Noske

15

18

Steve Richards Dick Johnson Paul Radisich Cameron McLean

19

Rodney Forbes

20

1

16 17

Garth Tander

. ..

.57.0427 .57.3652 ,57.5077

57.7385 ,57.7413

57.7461 .57.7556 .57.7826

Valvoline Cummins Commodore VS Valvoiine Cummins Commodore VT Castrol Perkins Commodore VT

.57.8042

Holden Young Lions Commodore VS Wynn's Racing Commodore VT ....

... .57.8709

Shell Helix Falcon AU Shell Helix Falcon AU

.57.8361 .57.8401 .57.8917 .57.9592 ,57.9876 .57.9892

Mark Larkham

Greenfields Mowers Falcon EL/2 ...

Bob Forbes Commodore VS Mitre 10 Ford Falcon AU

21

Dugal McDougall

Perkins Engineering Commodore VS

.58.8516

22

Ultra Tune Commodore VS

.58.8590

25

Mick Donaher Steve Reed Rod Nash Paul Romano

26 27

23

,58.3295

.58.9449

Autopro/Bud Racing Commodore VS

.59.3968

Siemens Mobile Commodore VS . ..

.59.4100

Nathan Pretty

DeWalt Tools Commodore VS

59.8601

Kendrick Motorsports Commodore VS ... .60.2021

29

Geoff Kendrick Brett Peters Daniel Miller

30

Darcy Russell

31

Alan Heath

28

Lansvale Smash Commodore VS

.58.3112

..

24

elB priyateer entries, Kendrick

Bright, one out, had his work cut out to get around well enough to ensure third on the run through the esses ahead of Faulkner, Crompton, Perkins, Murphy, Bowe Seton, Bargs and the rest of the queue.

The opening lap was completed without incident, but with that omi nous body language from the two HRT cars which suggested they weren’t doing it hard.

Lap two and Crompton pulled off a good move, slipping inside

Colourscan Falcon EL/2

.60.5011

Miller Racing Commodore VR ...

Rod Smith Racing Commodore VS Alan Heath Racing Falcon EL/2 ..

.60.8198 .60.9438 .62.0060

7 May 1999

25

Briefly r

I

■ Perth’s local Sunday paper, The Sunday Times, really didn’t hit the mark with its race eve coverage. It was well hidden among the footy pages and featured a photo of Mark Skaife’s Mohil

Commodore and a caption which read “Fiery Competitor: Flames erupt from the turbo of Craig Lowndes’ car during

■Tsn

V

'Curmnins-

^

'kuiiica

● ●

practice yesterday at the Barbagallo Raceway.”

So now we know how HRT

does it - turbo power....

■ Officials were tough on the starts, the slightest creep earning a weekend-ruining Stop-Go penalty. Cameron

Bowe had got alongside on the run down the hill, the pair entering the comer abreast. There was con

tact and the Wynns car slid gracefiilly into the neatly ploughed sand.

Murphy sought out Bowe after

McLean, Mark Skaife and Formula Fordster Alex

Davison all paid the hefty price for the slightest move

wards to discuss the incident, but

the Stewards chose to not take any

ment...

action.

All this aside, the race was prov ing to be quite settled quiet in fact but as three-quarters distance approached one car started a burst from the pack.

Up front it was all over. Lowndes and Skaife were cruising, if you like. Looking after the rubber, still lapping in the 59s (the rest now

■ McLean also copped a

$750 fine for his brash passing move on local Geoff Kendrick as he recovered from that

Stop-Go during the Privateer race.

■ The lead-in to the Perth race and the debut of the all-

into the 60s as their rear rubber

started to squeal), with five seconds back to Bright.

But Seton was on the move. Of

all the chasing cars, his clearly was< looking after the mbber better than anyone. Past Perkins on lap 14, Faulkner into the final turn on lap 17, Crompton (who wasn’t going to resist) a lap later.

As they all slowed, the FTR Falcon kept powering on, mid 59s

even in tr^c.

With two to go, Bright, albeit with tyres less well than Seton’s, still felt secure in third. But the

poor Pirtek teamster hit two unco operative backmarkers in two laps, first the slow Heath, then - with Seton looming - Nash, all the way through the left-hand sweeper on the last lap...

That made it almost easy for Seton, who swept past for an extra ordinary third place.

The rest of the top ten had remained static, with Richards finally managing to slip by Longhurst for 11th.

In terms of the hot end of the

show, though, it was starting to look remarkably famihar....

Race 2-20 laps Saturday’s race allowed the teams to acquire some meaningful data for overnight changes to set

up none more so than the Shell crew.

“We went in a particular direc tion for Saturday, including Qualifying, and it clearly wasn’t working, so we made some funda mentally big changes overnight,” team newboy Radisich reported.

Fortunately for the Shell team, the change in direction worked sig nificantly. In Sunday morning’s warm-up, on a cool, just dry track, Radisich was matching his quahfy-

Dog day afternoon: Mark Skaife had a weekend of mixed results in the second MHRT VT. Skaife duelled with John Faulkner’s extremely quick Betta Electrical VT (above), after finding himself black flagged for jump ing the start of race two (top). Finally, it all went wrong in the third race, Skaife probably happy to get on the plane out of Perth. (Photos by Oirk Klynsmith and John Moms/Mpi*) ing times, in the 57.9s, third in the session, beaten only by the HRT duo.

Ingall similarly (“we just went hack to last year’s set and tings...”)

Queensland, for family rea sons. Having undertaken the bulk of the overseeing work on the new team and its new AU, Les appeared at the weekend with Mark Larkham’s Mitre 10 team.

looked to have found some of the Wanneroo secret...

■ Privateer Michael

Donaher didn’t have a great

Lowndes got away well enough to lead again, with Skaife slotting across to take up second spot, clear of Seton and Bright, news on the way for Skaife.

He’d been adjudged to have edged forward (then stopped) before the hghts and would cop a Stop-Go. In the meantime, there was may hem as the field filed through the esses for the first time, Bowe and Bargwanna coming off worse, the

former spearing off onto the infield dirt and retirement witht he righthand drivers door almost tom off,

Bargs pitting with a deflated left rear tyre.

The next lap provided an even bigger crunch at the same place.

Tander had got inside Perkins at

turn one and the two rode it out,

side by side, through the esses, but

as they approached the tum-in for

RACING PRODUCT8 mtapmAAroMvia

has decided to return to

in the 58.0 bracket,

a>.

«

■ Talking of Cat Racing, team manager Les Laidlaw

Romano. Both were

but there was bad

L'

PO Box 6330 Shepparton 3632 Ph/Fax: 03 5827 1359 Mobile; 014 406 980

Email: speedwerx(§diesel.net.au www.kartsport.com.au/akn/speedwerx.html

new Cat Racing AU Falcon proved difficult for John Bowe’s new equipe. The team’s brand spanker engine broke after just two laps, then the spare also failed. A series of all-nighters hy the team saw the car complete just 40 test laps on the Thursday before the race meeting started.

start to the weekend with the

Ultra Tune team’s transporter breaking down on the Nullabor on the way over the Perth.

Donaher’s VS didn’t arrive at

the long sweeper, Tander marginal ly ahead but on the outside, there was contact. TandeFs Valvoline car

slewed left across Perkins’ bows, tipping precariously as it spun around and back across the road, clouting the Castrol car in the side as it did so. LP was delayed, Tander was out on the spot. In the end, the Stewards took no action...

“Superficial damage,” Valvoline team boss Garry Rogers reported after the race, “but $15,000 worth of superficial...”

Up front, Lowndes was away, Skaife was in pit lane for his stop go, ^ and so Seton and Bright, , with

Crompton tagging along became

Behind them, a frantic four-car

contest was taking shape, involving Faulkner, Longhurst, the fastemerging Radisich and Richards, with Johnson and lead privateer McLean a short distance back.

Faulkner’s strong run was about to falter as he gradually slipped backwards:

I engineered the speed out of it,” he would confess later. “It wasn’t very good...”

Skaife had emerged in 13th place and set about clawing back as many points as he could in the remaining laps, As the race passed half distance, Lowndes was out to his usual three

the chasers.

ENGINE

OTHER

TOOLS

TOOLS

● Tube notcher

● Porting kits

● Tube bender

● Bore gauges

● Lap timers ● Pit canopies ● Exhaust gas

● Camber/caster gauges ● Spring rate testers

● Valve sprung testers

● Scales

● Height micrometers ● Ring compressors

● Stagger gauges ● Tyre pyrometers

● Burettes

● Durometers

● Micrometers

● Tyre pressure gauges

● Verniers

session.

■ The blue oval brigade are about to get an explosion in numbers with four new AU

Falcons expected to appear at the next round at Phillip Island.

Paul Weel, Anthony Tratt, John Briggs and Neil Crompton will all have new Falcons with the car count for

the new model Henry actually expected to be higher than the count of current model Holdens!

Continued page 28 ...

CHASSIS

● Oil filter cutters

the track until Friday - the professional teams allowing Donaher to make a special appearance in their practice

1 ft

\H Car'^L^

temp gauges ● Technical videos

● Drill sharpners ● Go-kart tools

Unit features a 321^ recall memory ‘

'99 Catalogue

and Includes the

now available

Irackside transmitter.

I

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28

WAIMIM

7 May 1999

Continued from page 25... second comfort zone. Seton was just starting to ease away from Bright, while Crompton, in a strong fourth.

Lowndes to slip, through and back

was about to come under the micro-

at its best, pulling 150 metres on

scope of Radisich, blazing along in the high 58s/low 59s, just a couple of tenths off Lowndes’ pace up front.

Longhurst too was trucking along strongly, ahead of Richards, Johnson (the #17 Shell car looking every bit as strong as its teammate), McLean, Ingall, the charging Skaife, Romano, then the strug gling Faulkner, Larkham, Murphy (from the back) and Noske.

This latter pair of former HRT team-mates wouldn’t see the race

out, an esses collision with three to

go would delay Noske and beach Murf, again, with a blown front

tyre. Some days, you shouldn’t get out of bed...

As Skaife squeezed inside Ingall, firmly, at Kolb Comer for ninth on lap 15, so Radisich made his move on Crompton, inside at the last cor

ner for fourth, with Bright probably too far away to consider catching for third.

into the lead.

His next nine-tenths of a lap was sensational. This was an HRT car

Seton, a second and a half clear as

same sand,

even worse,

AUJ^

Sights and sounds of Western Australia:

Garth Tander may have had the biggest cheer squad in the west,above left, though Craig Lowndes, above, had the most to be happy about, cleansweeping the Wanneroo round ... Tander teammate Jason Bargwanna, /eft,needn’t have been too deject ed, the VCRT VT Commodore showing increased speed, while John Bowe’s new CAT AU Falcon, below, showed promise, although it belched flames on a brand new engine in practice.

and

teetered around they outside of the tarmac, losing four spots as he gathered it up.

And then a lap later, Skaife and Ingall came to blows, the former rotating onto the infield after con

V

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmith and Daniel Wilkins)

i

tact from the Castrol car. Not turn-

ing out to be Skaife’s day either....

With Lowndes gone, the race

-j

action was for second, Seton under

attack from Bright and the on-fire Radisich, but there was a compli cating factor - Longhurst had rejoined a lap down, right in front of Seton and insisted on staying there.

He seemed to have the pace to do so, but Glenn could have done with out the distraction, which went on

was now aU over Seton.

Race 3-20 laps

too as the Pirtek car started to fall

Seton surprised even himself by outdragging Lowndes away from the start, with enough room to get

back through the field alarmingly.

It wasn’t just tyres - a plug lead had come off, so Bright was run ning a V7 for the duration.

It actually helped preserve the tyres!” he would laugh later...

IngaU and Richards would get by

“I was looking across, assuming I’d have to get across behind Craig and in front of Bright, but I couldn’t believe it,” he would smile post

●K

they completed the lap. Including the passing move, a 59.7 lap. The next was a 58.7 (fastest race lap).

Game, set, match. Over and out.

Behind him it was all happening.

Crompton, in fourth had hit the

And that’s pretty much how it ran out, Lowndes adding comfort ably to his points buffer, while Skaife got Johnson for eighth with a couple of laps to go to rescue some points at least...

across and claim the lead:

lMo)0®i78iv(3)[?o

for 10 laps before Tony pulled over, baulking Radisich in the process.

The Shell man had zeroed in on

Bright at turn one on lap five and Bright’s day was to deteriorate

u

before the finish.

.K

«.

t

CffllRPIlLAR

The big mover in the pack was actually Faulkner. With proven set tings restored, the BetWCummins car was flying Faulkner’s fastest race lap would only be a tenth slow er than Lowndes....

It would also come to naught in an unfortunate ending to both his and Crompton’s weekend.

Having just passed the FTR EL for sixth, Faulkner would be clob

bered from the rear by Crompton, who appeared to go in just a little hot at turn one with a couple of laps to go and lock his rears.

Two cars in the sand. Not delib

erate, but it wasn’t the right end for two very good performances.

While little changed up front,

there was much going on in the pack as this final race wound out.

Bowe had charged from the rear, along with Murphy (remember race 1?), the two swapping spots several times as part of a four-car dice (also involving Perkins and Larkham), which raged for several laps.

There were no tears this time.

Another four-car contest

McLean, Tander, Romano and Noske was only resolved after a hairy three-wide contest at turn

one, with a lap to go which saw

Romano inside McLean, in turn inside Noske.

It was Action Man stuff...

So, for the third time in a row, Wanneroo provided a clean sweep for Lowndes, a handy champi onship lead, 12 out of 12 for HRT this year and their ‘home’ track to come.

Somebody is going to have to step up soon. Thank goodness for the double points Queensland 500 and Bathurst races later this year - otherwise it could all be over by August...

race.

The joy was to be short-lived, though.

Back in the pack there was some mayhem, Longhurst and Johnson

colliding, leaving the Shell car fac ing the wrong way and Longest pitbound for a wheel change, while further back in the pack Russell and Bargwanna found themselves way out on the grass in avoidance.

'They cars were gone, but a deal of sand remained on the inside fine

as the leaders burst through to start their second lap.

And what a strange sight it was too not an HRT car in front, but

Seton’s Falcon, with Lowndes, and Bright close in tow, then Crompton (life in the old EL yet), Radisich, Skaife (another demon start). Ingall (on a relatively fresh set of Bridgestones thanks to the heat one DNF), Richards and the ' impressive McLean.

The leaders hit the turn one apex to find sand and debris. Seton slid wide and that was sufficient for

1999 Shell Championship Series - Round 3 Wanneroo, WA, May 1/2 Race 1 - 20 laps Driver

1

Craig Lowndes

2 3

Mark Skaife Gienn Selon

4 5

Jason Bright Neii Crompton

6

John Fauikner

7

Larry Perkins

8

John Bowe

9

Jason Bargwanna

10 11

Garth Tander Steve Richards

12

Tony Longhurst

13 14

Paul Radisich Dick Johnson

15

Rodney Forbes

16 17 18 19

Cameron McLean Paul Romano Mark Larkham Steve Reed

20

Dugal McDougall

21

Geoff Kendrick

22

Nathan Pretty

23 24 25 26

Daniel Miller Rod Nash Alan Heath Brett Peters

27

Darcy Russell

DNF Mick Donaher DNF Mark Noske

DNF Russell Ingall DNF Greg Murphy

Race 2-20 laps Race time 19:45.1123 19:45.8709 19:56.5209 19:57.5280 19:58.5605 19:59.1003 20:01.7048 20:01.9406 20:02.3632 20:03.1092 20:03.3846 20:04.0219 20:05.0560 20:07.7285 20:08.1947

20:09'.3513 20:09.9905 20:14.2750 20:15.8373 20:28.5879 20:46.4265

19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 18 laps 12 laps 11 laps 10 laps

F/lap

On

58.1301 58.2863 58.9625 58.6584 58.7280 58.5878 58.8988 58.9406 58.9320 58.81 58.9342 58.8816 58.8761 59.0058 59.0927 58.9866 59.1407 59.3973 59.2675 60.1954 60.7210 60.7497 60.8372 60.7065 61.7300 61.2348 61.8414 60.9010 59.0590 58.9821 58.7612

5 5 8 7 5 5 2 5 5

Driver

1

Craig Lowndes

2

Glenn Seton

3

Jason Bright

4

Paul Radisich

5 6

Neil Crompton Tony Longhurst

7 8 9

Steve Richards Mark Skaife Dick Johnson

5

10

Russell Ingall

6

11 12 13 14 15

Cameron McLean Paul Romano John Fauikner Mark Larkham Steve Reed

16

Larry Perkins

17

Mick Donaher

18

Dugal McDougall

19

Rod Nash

3 8 8 9 5 6 4

13 9

20

Nathan Pretty

8 7 8 9 3 13 3 8 7 3 5

21

Mark Noske

22

Rodney Forbes '

23 24

Darcy Russell Jason Bargwanna

25 26

Alan Heath Daniel Miller

DNF Greg Murphy DNF Geoff Kendrick DNF Garth Tander DNF Brett Peters DNF John Bowe

Race 3-20 laps Race time

F/lap

On

19:51.7108 19:53.3755 19:53.8598 19:58.4395 20:00.5716 20:05.4800 20:05.6150 20:06.5684 20:07.7702 20:09.4697 20:09.7712 20:10.3942 20:12.9449 20:13.3874 20:26.4189 20:36.3053 20:37.6585 20:40.6239 20:45.0167

58.1661 58.6485 58.5976 58.7260 58.8586 58.9242 59.0135 58.6008 59.1272

5 10 6 6 7 6 10 7 7

19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 16 laps 14 laps

Driver

Race time

F/lap

On

1

Craig Lowndes

2 3

Glenn Seton Paul Radisich

4

Russell Ingall

19:52.8120 19:55.9487 19:56.4103 19:57.0845 20:02.0301 20:10.3248 20:10.9290 20:12.2735 20:12.9641 20:13.1395 20:15.8837 20:16.2010 20:16.6590 20:16.8348 20:19.0787 20:21.5312 20:24.3544 20:35.3336

58.7200 59.0091 58.8620 58.8347 58.8293 59.0797 59.2403 59.2672 59.3296 59.3879 59.4524 59.3367 59.1607 59.3192 59.7102 59.4072 59.2891 60.7155

3 7 5 4 6 6 9 9 8 7 6 6 6 2 9 8 6 8

20:37.2641

60.1789 60.5069 58.9907 61.8481 61.2561 61.9289 58.8709 59.1264 62.7665 59.6201

5 7 5 13 3 10 5 6 4 3

5

Steve Richards

6

Jason Bright Garth Tander Paul Romano Cameron McLean Mark Noske

Larry Perkins

58.7339

5

7 8 9 10

59.1721

7

11

59.0340 59.5246 59.0078 59.8587 59.7764 60.2359 60.2305 60.3403 60.9127 58.9611 59.2285 61.5580 58.8608 61.9704

4 8 5 10 10 8 9 8 9 6 2 16 5 9

12

Mark Larkham

13

Greg Murphy

14 15

John Bowe Steve Reed

16

Jason Bargwanna

17

Mark Skaife

18

Nathan Pretty

19 20

Rod Nash Mick Donaher

61.9334 58.7633 60.6057 59.4688 62.2844

10 7 9 2 2

21

Tony Longhurst

22

Alan Heath

23 24

Dugal McDougall Darcy Russell

DNF John Faulkner

DNF Neil Crompton DNF Daniel Miller

DNF Rodney Forbes DNF Dick Johnson

20:54.1969 19 laps

19 laps 19 laps 19 laps 18 laps 18 laps

Points Lowndes Seton

Bright Ingall Murphy Richards Noske Perkins McLean Skaife Tander

Bargwanna Longhurst Bowe Johnson

Crompton Donaher Larkham Radisich Faulkner Forbes

McDougall Ashby Mezera

Romano Parsons Gardner Cotter

Ellery Smerdon Reed

590 474

452 426 388 338 316 308 304 302 290 282 238 234 220

196 182 180 146 124 124 110 102 100 96 93 88 77

70 66 52

7 May 1999

29 I

by CHRIS LAMBDEN PERTH rookie Stuart Kostera moved into second overall in the Australian Formula Ford

Championship with a strong pair of wins on his home circuit at the weekend.

A deflating tyre at the wrong time restricted the 22 year-old to a grid five start in the first heat, but he rapidly got to the front and held off pole man Greg Ritter for the

●-1

vv

duration of this heat and the sec

m

ond race to take a maximum points result.

Ritter was a consistent second on

nn]

i

both occasions, coping with an oil pressure problem in race two, while Kiwi Leroy Stevenson, Tyler Mecklem, Christian Murchison

(after struggling in qualifying) and, in race two, Leanne Ferrier squab bled over the remaining places.

Of the other expected contenders,

second qualifier Alex Davison was a trifle unlucky.

The young Melbournian was adjudged to have jumped the heat one start - it was a pretty tight call - and the resul tant Stop-Go was sufficient to take him out of the up-front equation for the rest of the weekend.

Kostera’s home run then actually sitting out the after

would share the second row, with Kostera fifth despite a deflating tyre, sharing row three with

together and diving into the neatly ploughed sand trap adjacent to the

set his time early in session one, a quarter of a second shy of Ritter, but also prepared to accept that the

Stewart McColl.

Control Tower...

Kostera was quickest in the (slower) PM session, sufficient to

inside Ritter to lead at turn one

hotter

was

convince the local that he would be

imlikely to change things.

Steve Owen (Spectrum) and the NZ champ Stevenson (Spectrum)

noon session to conserve rubber.

Qualifying

Alex Davison (Van Diemen) also

With temperatures likely to be up and thus speed down, Saturday’s first qualifying session was the crucial one.

Ritter did the business, the Mygale breaking the lap record on its second lap to grab pole (61.44),

afternoon

session

the Fastlane crew were confident

on.

between himself and Ritter, the lat

Ritter was by no means finished and stayed with the older Van Diemen all the way, constantly run ning up the outside into the final turn, never with quite enough

ter starting to suffer an oil pressure problem: “I was struggling to keep up with Stuart and because there was quite a gap back to third, I decided to ease off and make sure I got the points,” the Melbournian said later.

Ritter made a quite reasonable start to lead into turn one while

strange and unique birdseye view of polesitter Ritter(left)... but when it got serious, it was the local

knowledge and pace of Perth racer Kostera

which triumphed in the end,

although it was a close thing (top).

Photos; Dirk Klynsmith

Behind them an enormous scrap evolved for third - Murchison, Stevenson, Mecklem, Seward and season) - with Davison finding it difficult to make progress from his grid 13 spot, unable to squeeze past Owen for seventh until lap nine.

Now Kostera began to put air

Race 1-13 laps

takes a rather

the race.

on the pace.

Missing from the top ten was expected contender Murchison. His team struggled with an electrical problem in the morning session, leaving the driver in an unaccus tomed 12th grid position - although

one.

photographer

Up front, Davison had dived

The lead pair began to ease away from the rest, Ritter looking to tow past, but never quite making it as the pair wound out the first half of

(although it is conceivable that Ritter had seen Davo’s black flag and not resisted too much), which he held until heading up pit lane at the end of the seventh lap.

By this time, Kostera had got Ritter and was the driver challeng ing for the lead, which he now took

the problem was solved before race

HMMM ...Our

exiting the final corner locked

Davison, second, was judged to have crept early and would find himself viewing a black flag for some laps.

For a while, it seemed that

youthful impetuosity was going to see him ignore the unignorable, but after seven laps he bowed to the inevitable and came in for the StopGo...

Owen,

Kostera,

Stevenson,

Cotter, McColl. Mecklem, Kelly and Wade filed through behind this pair at the end of the opener, but already things were hotting up.

Owen was missing on the second lap, trailing through well down the field after a minor fracas, moving Kostera to

third.

McColl

had

slipped past Cotter, but the pair were to come to grief a lap later.

momentum to make it stick.

With two to go, he did make it -

Ferrier (the latter’s best race of the

inside at turn one - but the local

That settled the issue as far as

simply towed back past on the inside as they braked for the last comer. Nothing changed from this point and Kostera took a jubilant win. Stevenson was 50 metres away in third, while the big improver had

the top two spots went, but third was going to be a contest.

Lap 10 and it was Mecklem, Seward, Stevenson and Ferrier, with a desperately unlucky Murchison suddenly falling away -

been Murchison, who worked his way through for fourth, just holding Mecklem at bay, with Seward, Simon Wheeler, Ferrier, Christian Jory and Robert Jones completing the top ten.

headed for retirement with recur

ring engine problems.

Mecklem held on for the last

podium spot, with Stevenson get ting by Seward for fourth, Ferrier sixth, from a closing Davison and Owen.

Race 2-13 laps Kostera made no mistake from

pole and led Ritter and Stevenson into turn one, with Murchison, Mecklem, Seward and Wheeler in tow.

McColl (from grid 28!) and Cotter (29!) rounded out the top ten.

Points after Round 2: Ritter 54; Kostera 41; Mecklem 39; McCoU 32; Stevenson 27; Owen, Davison 24.

Steve Ellery Racing requires a

HEAD MECHANIC to prepare Ford V8 Supercar,

AVAILABLE IN MORE SIZES

Previous V8 experience would be advantageous though not essential.

Must be keen, diligent, hard working & a team player.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Please apply in writing to:

Steve Elllery Racing PO Box 175 Arundel Qld 4214

^ VIC: Stuckey Tyre Service

^

Ph: (03) 9386 5331

NSW: Stuckey Tyre Service

WA: Kostera's Tyre Service

Ph: (02) 9676 8655

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TAS: Bob's Speed Shop

Ph: (08) 8269 4100

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Ph: (03) 6273 7555 ft

30

7Mdyl999

IM

Red hot

Schuey But grey days for McLaren Report by JOE SAWARD Photos by SUTTON IMAGES

T was 16 years since Ferrari last won

at

San Marino. But, in the years since 1983, the Scuderia has rarely had a driver as determined and talented as Herr Michael Schumacher.

McLaren should have won

but it all went horribly wrong for the Woking team at Imola. Mika Hakldnen set

off at an impressive rate and looked bound for victory but then he dropped the baU and smashed into a wall. David

Coulthard took up the chal lenge but he could not hold back the Schumacher.

impressive

A combination of brilliant

driving, aggressive driving through traffic and good strategy gave Michael an unlikely victory. Show

it is also invisible to

the human eye. We discovered this on

the way down to Bologna because every

passenger

plane bound for the city was delayed at least 90 minutes because of air traf

The team with the one red Schu:

Ferrari had plenty to celebrate, taking its first Imola win in 16 years. Michael looked like Darryl Somers at the Logies but check out Coulthard’s post-race misery...

(Photos by Sutton Images)

fic congestion overItaly. And yet we never saw a single military aeroplane nipping over to dump another load bombs on Serbia...

Down at the cir cuit the real world of

was quickly forgot ten and everyone was gossiping about engine deals and the like. There was so much chatter than the words

“Ayrton

Senna”

Schumacher that there is a

chance of victory and he will grab the win with both

■ i

hands...

Theabout totally the brilliant Northropthing B2 Stealth bomber is that not

only is it invisible on radar.

When Champions attack:

Jackie Stewart caught up with Jody Schecketer, present to help out ITV.

Barrichello (below) ensured thatJackie had plenty to smile about.

The King of Jordan: Heinz-Harald Frentzen may be joined by Eddie Irvine next season but, in 1999’s San Marino GP, he was caught out by the Irishman’s engine oil.

7 May 1999 31 merry Spring atmosphere always brings out the enthu siasm for the sport.

You cannot help yourself.

Everyone

is

excited.

the strengths and weakness

Admittedly, this is because they are labouring under the mistaken impression that Ferrari might do something spectacular and beat the grey men at McLaren but it does not really matter.

es of the individual cars.

Even Ferrari’s Ross Brawn admitted that the team was

this may have been due to a

the two McLarens 1-

2 on the grid as we have to expect but

vidual car company. In many ways it is no different to the German passion for Michael

characteristic of the cir cuit...”

The fact was that here we had Michael Schumacher back within a tenth of the

Schumacher or Britain’s Mansell Mania.

McLarens. He was close, but he was not close enough and

There was little to give the tifosi hope on Friday but on Saturday - as often happens

as usual the battle for pole

bility would again ruin the day. The

was fought out between

McLaren men have

Mika Hakkinen and David

at the Italian FI races -

Coulthard. It was an exciting battle too with David looking the stronger of the two, as he was at Imola last year. But in the dying moments of the session his luck was not very good. He was on a flying run

been working night and day to try and ferret out the grem

of

with

Ferrari

3-4

there was still hope for the Italian fans that McLaren relia

lins

but

one

can

never really tell if everything is all right until the cars have been proven in

with Hakkinen behind him.

the races.

“I knew David could go quicker, said Mika, “what I

“

“i

c

h

a

e

1

did not know was how much

M;Schumacher

be the first time in the histo

quicker so I went out just

seemed a little happi

ry of the sport that such a thing has happened...

Having said that in testing Ferrari had clearly made some progress as Stewart wa§ no longer really a threat,

behind him. He did an amaz

er about life this weekend and said he

the white and tartan cars

For Mika the pole position was something special.

more punters. It would not

proving to be rather difficult

ing run. The moment I saw him disappearing into the distance I thought he was going to do a quicker lap but I could not”.

was optimistic, which it must be said is not unusual. It has to be said however that

give Michael third on the grid and he is often a player in the

will

to handle over the kerbs - an

“It was an incredible emo

always be associated with

essential element in getting a good lap time at a track hke Imola which, these days,

tion,” he said. “The times are

race so the McLaren

all so close, it is amazing.”

David was a little disap pointed.

boys were looking

Hockenheim

which

Jim Clark’s death or Zolder

which will always be the where Gilles place Villeneuve died, Imola’s

is little more than a series of

straights and chicanes.

LB

“I knew I had car that was

R

is'am

Still, it would look

motor racing passion.

It is symbol more

The cynics in the paddock will tell you that miracles like this do not happen and that obviously Ferrari was up to some tricks to bring in

brooding

“We have closed the gap to

good on the Ty with

Schumacher within a tenth of the McLaren times.

but the FI world has defi

be.

&

for one of the BAR cars at the first of the two Rivazza corners.

The data shows that I lost about threetenths.”

McLaren,” he admitted, ibut

something magic happened and suddenly we had

nitely moved on.

Unlike the

probably not as close to McLaren as it appeared to

capable of taking pole position,” he said, “but this time it slipped away. I had to slow considerably

Ferrari is the vehicle of

nationahsm than of an indi

were hardly mentioned.

This may have been Imola five years after Imola 1994

In the past the layout of Imola has tended to squeeze the grid up, whereas a track like Melbourne wdll highlight

Continued over page

Let’s get Fisico: Fisichella and Wurz had a nightmare weekend in the Benettons. Both struggled and, at Imola, Ford announced they would not get their V10 engines in 2000. Ouch ...

O

C

K

How many people can race for thirty years, get in a car at their last race, at a track they love, drive around there and be in front in that race, their last race.... it

M.

Collector’s Limited Edition of500 only — approx. 300 remain for public sale!

f Printed in ful colour on heavy-weight 30 year

To secure yours simply complete the order form below and send with payment to:

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archival art paper (actual size 900mm x 450mm rYESI Please send. unframed), each is individually numbered with II Deliver to: ‘Certificate of Authenticity’ and personally I Name: autographed by Peter Brock.

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32

7 May 1999

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Raify tries: The lack of Supertec horsepower is getting to be a problem for Williams. Perhaps Sir Frank is asking BMW’s Gerhard Berger to hurry with their new engine: or perhaps they are discussing the marital arrangements of Supertec head honcho Flavio Briatore and his new wife, supermodel (Supertecmodel?) Naomi Campbell.

●'r

T7-

f'itJ

better in the race...

Continued from page 31 over their shoulders.

Michael said that he might have gone faster but hit a kerb very hard in Rivazza and lost a couple of tenths.

Eddie Irvine was nearly

The fifth row of the grid was shared by the two Williams drivers with Ralf Schumacher four-tenths

quicker than Alessandro Zanardi.

It was rather depressing

half a second behind Michael

for the team as Ralf felt that

- which is about right - and reckoned that he might have made up a bit but for yellow flags but that he was pretty

he had got everything there was to get out of the car.

much on the limit of what the car would do. Fourth was

said.

nonetheless a good result for the World Championship leader.

“I am sure we could not

have done any better,” he For Alex Zanardi it was, at least, a solid showing after two frustrating races in which he has not been able

Fifth on the grid was a big surprise after the disasters

to show what he can really

which befell the team in

“I am happy,” he said.

“Finally we have had a much

Brazil. Jacques Villeneuve in his BAR-Supertec. Before qualifying the team was not too confident because like all new teams it has not been

able to do as much develop ment work as it had hoped.

In the qualifying session Jacques played the traffic well and got a clear run. He was confident in the car and

it held together. You can say that there is not much differ

ence in time these days between fifth and 15th but

the fact is that Jacques was up there and it was a good effort.

Life was not quite so easy for Mika Salo - standing in for the injured Ricardo Zonta.

He

suffered

a

hydraulic problem which meant that he was only 19th on the gi-id, two seconds off Villeneuve’s pace. He said he would do better in the race.

Rubens Barrichello was

sixth quickest in his Stewart but the chirpy Brazilian was not very happy with his per formance and reckoned that without traffic he would have

do.

better day. Actually we had some problems in the free

practice this morning but qualifying was quite satisfying.

Eleventh and 14th on the

grid was a very disappoint ing result for Frost Grand Prix drivers Olivier Fanis

and Jarno Trulli. The prob lem is that the team is using a heavy old engine and this means that in qualifying trim there is not much bal last which can be moved around inside the car and so

the AP02 tends to be very skittery, particularly when running over the kerbs - and that means that the cars are fated to start further down

the grid than they really should be.

In the races they are always quick but qualifying is half of the game. The team is waiting eagerly for the allnew Peugeot engine next year. Things were not helped on this occasion by the fact that Fanis had an engine failure and Tmlli had throt

Picture of class; Michael Schumacher was just too solid. tory of the team has there

Badoer. The Italian was

been such a poor qualifying

using a new long wheelbase car but he had problems with a driveshaft in qualifying and did only a few laps, which enabled the Spaniard to get ahead.

session: Giancarlo Fisichella was 16th and Alexander Wurz 17th. The fact that the

two were together - as they always are - suggests that

the time was about as good as the car was capable of doing - and that is a worry because being 2.3s off the pace of the McLarens is not good news.

The car lacked grip, suf fered from understeer and

there were problems with the brakes and unpredictability

beaten Villeneuve. Johnny Herbert was a disappointed 12th having struggled with

tle problems which spoiled

the set-up of the car but he

There was disappointment

was a disaster...

The rest of the field was

too down at Sauber with Jean Alesi 13th and Pedro

the two Arrows cars 18th

reckoned that in the race he

too would be much stronger.

Theenthtwoand Jordans wereon sev eighth the grid, which was a little dis appointing. Heinz-Harald Frentzen suffered a broken

rear suspension when he hit one of the kerbs too hard and Damon Hill went off on his

final run, pushing too hard.

In keeping with most of the rest of the grid both drivers said they felt they would do

his nms.

Diniz 15th on the grid. Both reported that the cars han

dled very strangely which meant that they could not put together a good lap.

Peter Sauber admitted that

development of the chassis is necessary.

But if Prost and Sauber

were having bad time it was

nothing compared to the dis appointments within the

over the bumps. All in all it pretty much as expected with and 20th, Pedro de la Rosa once again out-qualifying Tora Takagi, after the Japanese driver went off into a barriers in the morning session and had to use the T

car in qualifying. With the team announcing its new “tminus” branding idea it was probably a case of t-minus performance...

Minardi brought up the

Benetton “Bouncy Castle”

rear as usual with Marc

motorhome. Never in the his-

Gene out-qualifying Luca

Race (74 laps)

The weather central Italyforecasters are not parin ticularly good at their job and the promised rain which would have helped Schumacher - never did

materialise. Sunday morning was very pleasant and in the cool of the morning session Coulthard was quickest with Irvine and Hakkinen behind him.

The crowd swelled as the

temperatures rose and as the start approached. Could Ferrari pull off a miracle

result? Ferrari fans always believe that such things are possible but no-one else seemed to give it much

thought. It was going to be a McLaren cakewalk if the

cars held together.

It was not going to be bar’s day. When the lights went

out

for

the

start

Jacques Villeneuve’s car did not move. Fortunately those behind him were able to

Hakkinen had decided on a

two-stop strategy and Coulthard was going for one

swerve out of the way, although Ohvier Fanis had a really close call with the

stop.

back end of the BAR. The result of this was that the midfield was rather

he could - and it was not

bunched as everyone rushed down towards the first chi

cane. This is a classic recipe for disaster in modern FI.

Too many cars tried to go through the corner at the same time and the result

was that Trulli was tipped into a spin by Mika Salo. A frustrated Trulli was out of his home race.

Hakkinen and Coulthard made similar starts but it was Mika who was ahead at the first comer. As he bolted

down the straight towards Tosa, it was as though Mika lit up the after-burners of the

All

Michael

Schumacher could do was to

hang on to Coulthard as best that good. He was almost five seconds down when David made a small mistake a ran one wheel over the dirt in Rivazza. After that the

gap began to extend again.

While this was happening Hakkinen’s lead had grown to 13.4s but at the end of lap 17 it all went horribly wrong.

As Mika accelerated out of the final comer the McLaren

rode up over the kerb as it had done at the end of every previous lap. Mika was push ing hard. This time the car

suddenly lurched unexpect edly

and

not

even

Hakkinen’s lightning reflex es could stop the car going

McLaren.

out of control and into the

Bang! He was off and away. At the end of the lap

wan on the outside.

he was 1.7s ahead of David.

admitted. Mika declined to

On lap two it was 2.2s, then 2.9s, 3.2s, 4.2s, 4.7s, 5.4s,

reveal what his strategy

6.5s and so on.

fairly clear that he had been going for two stops. This

It was fairly clear that

“It was a driver error,” he would have been but it was

" - ."Vc >‘i if

«

.

-i.2^-:‘

4.

Business as usual; While Hakkinen was running he looked unstoppable. He took the start and pulled away from the pack with ease, and the McLaren seemed set for another easy win. Which must make the driving error that put him into the wall and out of the race even harder to swallow. Here he slews past In/ine.

1999 San Marino Grand Prlx

Imola, Italy, May 1/2 - Results M.Schumacher Coulthard

Ferrari

2,

3.

Barrichello

Stewart Ford

4.

Hill

1.

The Ferrari brains began to figure out what to do.

Michael could go for either one stop or two and to win

he was going to have to work the traffic and really go for it.

The word went out to

r

when David pitted on lap 35, he emerged just over five seconds behind the Ferrari.

down but it was still around

four seconds when they got to the chequered flag. It was a great victory for Schumacher, a clear exam ple of how to win races with

heavier weather of the traf-

fic than did Michael, strug-

gling particularly behind Fisichella and Panis.

out of the backmarkers the

In the end Ron Dennis

gap fluctuated but, as always, Schumacher made the best of it. The gap came

went marching down to see Alain Prost to get him to radio Olivier to get out of the way. The Frenchman

quick stop and he was on his way before third-placed Eddie Irvine arrived on the

pit straight.

For the next 14 laps we were treated to some vin

tage Schumacher laps and some lurid moments as he

sliced his way through the traffic. At one point he was nearly taken out when Pedro Diniz tried to spin in front of him.

Coulthard did his best

but gaps do not open for him as they do for Michael.

Perhaps the others are afraid of Michael and get out of his way when they see him in their mirrors, hatever the

case

WMichael was flying and

struggled to bring the gap

The McLaren men knew

ly go for it. He who hesitates is lost. As they dived in and

Then on lap 31 Michael came into the pits. It was a

ahead of the Scotsman.

It was all over. Coulthard

that Michael would probably have to stop again and so the battle was not lost but once again David made

Michael. It was time to real-

down from four seconds to around two and a half

into the pits and get out

did as

he

was

told

but

Coulthard then blew it by sliding off the track again

and losing the place again.

After the race McLaren boss Ron Dennis blamed the

other teams for not getting their drivers out of the way.

This was a fair complaint but there is no getting away from the fact that Coulthard

did no help his own cause.

Later he would be seriously held up by Diniz as well: sometimes, when you are having a bad day, it just can’t help getting worse.

The upshot of this was that in nine laps Schumacher was able to

build up an extra 15s over Hakkinen and, combined with the five seconds he had

gained before Coulthard stopped, he was able to go

a car which should not have done it.

Ferrari would have got third place as well if Eddie

Hill finished fourth, prof iting from the departure of those ahead. In the early laps he ran eighth but with Hakkinen, Ralf Schuma cher, Irvine, and Frentzen all disappearing he finished

Fisichella

6.

Alesi

Sauber Petronas

7.

Salo Badoer

BAR Supertec

10.

Gene Herbert

Minardi Ford Stewart Ford

11.

Zanardi

Williams Supertec

12.

Diniz

Sauber Petronas

13.

Panis

Prost Peugeot

14.

Irvine

Ferrari

15.

Frentzen

Jordan Mugen-Honda

16.

Takagi

Arrows TWR

17.

R.Schumacher

Williams Supertec

18.

Hakkinen

McLaren Mercedes

19.

De La Rosa

Arrows TWR

20.

Wurz

21.

Trulli

22.

Villeneuve

Benetton Playlife Prost Peugeot BAR Supertec

far behind Herbert when

went

the Stewart-Ford blew up.

Fisichella managed to avoid going off but Alex had no such luck and ended up in the gravel. Otherwise he would have scored a point.

Eddie

him...

This meant that third

place was inherited by Barrichello. He had run

Contractors points: Ferrari 28, McLaren 16, Jordan 13, Williams 7, Stewart 6, Benetton 5, Sauber/Arrows/Prost 1.

Jean Alesi who chose an

but on lap 47 his Ferrari VIO and

Drivers Points: M. Schumacher 16, Irvine 12, Hakkinen and Frentzen 10, R. Schumacher 7, Coulthard and Barrichello 6, Fisichella 5, Hill 3, Alesi/de la Rosa/Panis 1.

the end of the story.

The last point went to

Irvine had finished the race

“Boom”

BEST LAP : M.SCHUMACHER 1'28"547

Rosa’s Arrows and that was

Alex Zanardi had a simi

Ralf Schumacher had simi lar bad luck and retired

unusual three stop strategy and spent the afternoon dri ving with his foot to the

Badoer ran the last laps with only three gears,

noon came when he went off

while Gene survived a col

at Piratella at high speed.

He kept his foot in it and pulled off a magical recov ery, avoiding a nasty crash

lision

threat

amused...

shut and he lost time. Then

came under serious threat from Hill but he held off the

challenge to score the team’s first big result in two years. Herbert would have made it in the points as well but his engine blew up on lap 59 when he was running fifth and he was out of the game.

as he did so.

he began to experience elec 11

this

meant

that

A Fisichella ended up fifth which was remarkable

given the fact that he had qualified 16th. The team adopted a one-stop strategy and by the time he pitted Fisico was up to seventh.

He dropped back to 10th and survived a collision

with Panis to get to the flag. Alexander Wurz had no such luck. On lap six he tangled with Pedro de la

ment did not actually mat-

mouth - just as he likes it.

The high point of the after

Pedro Diniz was going all right until his first pit stop when the fuel flap stayed

behind.

far behind that his retire ter.

from fifth place just after his first pit stop with an engine fire. Ralf was not

from

seventh when his engine died. He crept into the pits but had done enough to be classified in that position, the two Minardis being so

floor and his heart in his

fifth in the early laps but was never really in a posi tion to challenge the cars ahead and not really under Hakkinen’s retirement put him up to fourth and Irvine’s smoky departure bumped him up to third.

In the closing laps he

1 lap(s) 1 lap(s) 1 lap(s) 1 lap(s) 3 lap(s) 3 lap(s) 3 lap(s) 4 lap(s) 4 lap(s) 13lap(s) 14lap{s) 16 lap(s) 16lap(s) 33 lap(s) 34 lap{s) 45 lap(s) 57 lap(s) 57 lap(s) 62 lap(s) 62 lap(s)

WINNER’S AVERAGE SPEED: 195.330 km/h

been caught on Irvine’s oil, which caused him to spin lar story because he was fighting with Fisichella not

departed like a fighter pilot, with smoke trailing behind

Minardi Ford

fourth. Frentzen would have been there if he had not

out.

+ 0’04’’265

5.

9.

meant that Coulthard was

1h33’44”792

McLaren Mercedes

Jordan Mugen-Honda Benetton Playlife

8.

on a one-stop strategy.

■'

tronic trouble and had to

pit for a change of steering wheel. Finally on lap 50 he spun off After Villeneuve’s early departure, BAR’s hopes of a good result did not look good but Mika Salo made a good start only to have engine troubles which dropped him back in the early laps.

He kept going, survived a spin and was running

with

Takagi’s

Arrows to finish ninth.

Arrows had a poor day with de la Rosa’s early retirement followed by Takagi’s stop-go penalty for repeatedly ignoring waved blue flags which was followed by a hydraulic failure.

Prost also had a poor day with Trulli’s early retirement and a series of

adventures

for

Panis,

including a spin, a colli sion with Fisichella which

meant a pit stop for checks and ultimately retirement with an engine failure.

Despite his problems Olivier recorded the fifth

fastest lap of the race, which shows what might have been...

0

DALE Earnhardt returned to

<

victory lane at Talladega on April 25 for his first win since

the 1998 Da^ona 500 and his

72nd career victory - it was also

Earnhardt’s ninth restrictor

plate

By Martin D

win

and

eighth

at

Talladega, both records.

I

■ Triad Motorsports is to close its doors in the near future -

Gary Bradberry was to run the full schedule with the team and Hut Stricklin as the team man

ager, but both sponsors pulled the plug on backing after Daytona. Stricklin was seen at Martinsville making it known to other owners that he is available for a return to the drivers seat.

■ Tony Stewart tested at Richmond April 26 in readiness for the upcoming May 15 event and blistered off an unofficial

126.227 mph lap - this compares with Jeff Gordon’s 125.558 mph set one year ago. Steve Park was also at the track to test and he

ran 124.309 mph.

■ Apparently Reebok and Nike are looking at becoming more involved in NASCAR racing, either by stepping up their pres ence with teams, or by becoming the official shoe supplier of NASCAR.

Nike is already involved with Hendrick Motorsports, supplying their shoes and, prior to that, they supplied Penske South with footwear - it would, however, be a new venture for Reebok.

■ Jack Roush has spoken with NASCAR about the recent wind

tunnel test the governing body carried out, which showed Jeff Gordon’s Monte Carlo to have

considerably less drag than the Taurus.

Gary Nelson countered that the horsepower advantage shown by the Fords on NASCAR’s dyno tests made up for the drag which they carry.

■ Crew chiefs Jimmy Eledge, Tommy Morgan and Bobby Leslie were all fined $2,000 each after rule infractions at

Earnhardt, who turned 48 four days later, hung around the front all day, heading the most laps and rallying from 16th to the front in the final 50 tours to hold off Dale

Jarrett, Mark Martin and Bobby Labonte in the final 14 laps.

Martin was working with Labonte, Jarrett and Tony Stewart late in the going to make a charge on The Intimidator, but Stewart’s drafting inexperience kept them from making the right moves and Earnhardt was left to an advantage of 0.137 seconds at the finish line.

As always, fans were waiting for the infamous restrictor plate wreck and they were not disappointed but, thankfully, no-one was injured and the wreck was less damaging than it could have been, unless you were Jeff Gordon, or Rusty Wallace.

The trouble started when Tony Stewart tried to pass Mike Skinner on lap 49 of 188 - both were run ning up front and had led laps.

Skinner blocked Stewart’s move

and dropped down to the apron on the backstretch, Stewart following, but Skinner kept going lower imtil he hit the grass.

Realising his mistake, he moved up the track, but Stewart was just

under his rear quarter and the pair touched, sending Skinner into a spin in the path of Gordon and the champ spun out of control.

Gordon was hit by the oncoming Rusty Wallace, who slammed the passenger side of Gordon’s Chevy at almost 200 mph - Chad Little, Ernie Irvan, Kenny Irwin and Brett Bodine were also involved. Gordon and Wallace returned to the track

for a few laps after substantial repairs, just to gain extra points.

Earnhardt made the big gain in the points standings post-wreck, jumping six positions to tie with his Childress team-mate, Skinner, for ninth, while Gordon dropped a posi tion and Wallace stayed stale in sixth, with Stewart now six points in arrears.

“I really don’t know who caused

Martinsville, where holes were

the accident; it was just a matter of

found drilled in the cross mem

time,” remarked ’Wallace. “I was hoping NASCAR would throw a caution just to calm everyone down, because they were just totally out of control. You really can’t blame any

bers of the Kenny Wallace, Kevin Lepage and Johnny Benson cars.

■ Dale Earnhardt Jr has with

drawn his Winston Cup entry for Talladega on October 17 - he will instead compete at Richmond on September 11.

‘Little E’ will compete in his first US Cup race at Charlotte on May 30, following this with New

Hampshire, Daytona, Michigan

and Atlanta - just by entering

these six races, he will retain his rookie of the year status in the

body, it’s just restrictor plate rac ing.”

Both Skinner and crew chief

Lany McReynolds received a toast ing from NASCAR post-race.

McReynolds, who was already mad due to his driver’s on-track

actions, pushed away a wrecker dri ver - “he jumps on top of the radia tor and then on top of the engine.

We had a tore-up race car and we

year 2000.

didn’t need to tear it worse, or put ourselves in any more jeopardy,”

■ It looks possible Hendrick Motorsports may dissolve its

remarked McReynolds.

NASCAR truck series team and form a fourth Winston Cup team, or its first Busch series operation.

Skinner did return to the track to

complete just over 100 laps, keep ing in the points running - “it was a little too early to be doing what he did,” said McReynolds.

1

but a smoky Jeff Burton retains points lead <

-

> -

Stewart remarked that he and

Skinner were going to team up and start their own lawn cutting ser

Stewart suffered no damage during his altercation with Skinner and, although he led no more than ten

vice.

circuits before the wreck, he was a

Only two other cautions flew all day, one when Terry Labonte, who had been suffering from rear axle problems, spun on lap 133 and the third when Robert Pressley got together with Bobby Hamilton on lap 170.

Ken Schrader won pole with a 197.765 mph lap, last year’s polesitter Bobby Labonte to his outside Schrader, who lost his clutch, only headed two tours at lap 112,

factor in the closing stages to once again score his third top ten of the season in fifth.

Jerry Nadeau, in the Melling Cartoon Network Taurus, chalked up his first career top ten.

Before the green flag fell, points leader Jeff Burton looked in trouble when his Roush Taurus billowed

smoke from the exhausts - but, under inspection and under speed, nothing was found.

It turned out to be machining on

Labonte leading from the green for four laps, hut no more during the

the cylinder heads that had gone

race to finish fourth.

Labonte’s Gibbs

epoxied failed under low power

i

too far and a hole that had been team-mate

when the oU was not moving round the dry sump system - Burton fin ished 11th and held his points lead.

Kevin Lepage and Rich Bickle posted their best results of the year in 12th and 14th, respectively.

Final positions: Earnhardt (Chevy), 163.395 mph, Jarrett (Ford), Martin (Ford), B Labonte (Pontiac), Stewart (Pontiac), Schrader (Chevy), K Wallace (Chevy), Nadeau (Ford), Andretti (Pontiac), Elliott (Ford).

Points standings: J Burton 1369, Jarrett 1329, Martin 1285, B Labonte 1220, Gordon 1159, R Wallace 1087, Stewart 1082, T Labonte 1074, Earnhardt 1054, Skinner 1054.

- MARTIN D CLARK

nother for Gordon

JEFF (Gordon led 151 of 250 laps to emerge vic torious at the California 500 at Fontana on May 2 after holding out race-long challenger Jeff Burton, the reigning NASCAR Champion rack ing up his third win in the 10 races conducted so far this season.

Bobby Labonte was third, ahead of rookie Tony Stewart and Dale Jarrett, who was hampered by an ill-handling car and a tyre failure.

Mark Martin lost a certain second-place finish when his engine failed with just over 50 laps to go and was credited with a lowly 38th placing.

With the starting line-up determined by owner points after rain washed out Friday’s qualifying.

Burton started on pole - but it only took Gordon 13 laps to grab the lead, ahead of Labonte, Burton and Martin, the rest of the race a battle between these four protagonists.

Martin got past Gordon in the second half of the

race and was leading when the next yellow flew on lap 156, while Jarrett had had a tyre failure - fortunately for Jarrett, the self-induced caution kept him from going a lap down again.

This was the final caution and it set up a 90-lap green-flag run to the chequer.

It took Gordon four laps to regain the lead and Martin seemed to be the only one who could keep

Gordon in his sights, at least until his engine failed on lap 196.

Stewart got credit for leading a single lap during the final round of green-flag pit stops, which came just past the 200-lap mark, but Gordon emerged with a five-second lead over Labonte, about double the lead

he had before the pit stops.

Burton was in third, another three seconds back

and gradually reeled in Labonte and passed him for second with 15 laps to go.

Burton was then able to close to within four seconds

of Gordon, but the triple champion had everything under control and cruised home the \ictor.

Joe Gibbs team-mates Bobby Labonte and Stewart finished third and fourth, the best-placed Pontiac dri vers.

Burton continues to lead the Winston Cup points standings with 1544 points to Jarrett’s 1489, while Martin dropped two places to fifth (1339), with Labonte moving up to third (1390) and Gordon to fourth, 200 points behind Burton.

Stewart was the highest-finishing rookie for the ninth time this year and his fourth-place finish bet tered his career-best finish fifth-place in the Winston Cup series at Talladega last week - he moved up one place to sixth in the Winston Cup points standings and extended his lead in the rookie title race to 120

points over EDiott Sadler’s 98.

1999 WINSTON CUP SERIES RESULTS CALIFORNIA 500, California Speedway 2/5/99 I. Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Finishes Chevrolet MCarlo 2. Jeff Burton, #99 Exide Batteries Ford Taurus 3. Bobby Labonte #18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac

4. Tony Stewart, #20 Home Depot Pontiac Grand Prix 5. Dale Jarrett, #88 Quality Care Ford Taurus 6. Ward Burton, #22Caterpillar Pontiac Grand Prix 7. Jeremy Mayfield, #12 Mobil I Ford Taurus 8. Wally Dallenbach, #25 Budweiser Chevrolet MCarlo 9. Terry Labonte, #5Kellogg's Chevrolet Monte Carlo 10. Mike Skinner, #31 Lowe’s Chevrolet Monte Carlo

I I. Rusty Wallace, #2 Miller Lite Ford Taurus 12. Dale Earnhardt, #3 Goodwrench Chevrolet MCarlo 13. Kenny Irwin, #28 Texaco Havoline Ford Taurus 14. Ken Schrader, #33 Skoal Chevrolet Monte Carlo

15. Darrell Waltrip, #66 Big Kmart/Route 66 16. Sterling Marlin, #40 Coors Light Chevrolet 17. John Andretti, #43 STP Pontiac Grand Prix 18. Kevin Lepage, #16 TV Guide/Primestar Ford 19. Bill Elliott, #94 McDonald’sFord Taurus 20. Jerry Nadeau, #9TBS/Movie Ford Taurus

r/

NASm

r

iL J Points to May 2, 1999 I. Jeff Burton, Ford 2. Dale Jarrett, Pontiac 3. Bobby Labonte, Pontiac 4. Jeff Gordon, Chev 5. Mark Martin, Ford

IS44

1489 1390 1344 1339

6. Tony Stewart, Chev ...

7. Terry Labonte, Chev .., 7. Rusty Wallace, Ford ..,

1247

9. Ward Burton, Pontiac .,

1196

10. Mike Skinner, Chev

1193

...

1217 1217

!

7 May 1999

35

Virginia is for lovers of 200 mph Pro Stockers Report and photos by DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

the elite Speed-Pro 200-MPH Club.

On Friday Allan Johnson’s Dodge (200.56), two-time Winston Pro

THE record books, especially in Pro Stock and Pro Stock Truck, took a massive beating at the Pennzoil Nationals with only a postponement to eliminations due to racing, forcing a late Monday (Tuesday afternoon Australian time) conclusion, bringing an end to the onslaught.

Stock

Champion

Jim

Yates

(200.11), former Warren Johnson

crew chief Greg Anderson (200.11) and Richie Stevens (200.08) broke

the magic barrier. Then on Saturday, Mike Thomas (200.35), Mark Pawuk (200.08) and Troy Coughlin (200.47) joined the group, leaving only five more spots in the exclusive club available.

National records fell as well, with

One round of the Professional

the et mark being set and re-set

classes was completed and the first pair of cars in round two of Top Fuel crossed the finish line before

three times before the rains came.

Stevens was the first to establish a new mark with a second session

the skies opened up, cancelling action for the remainder of the day.

'The cool temperatures and overcast skies provided perfect conditions for the “factory hot rods”, but the fuel classes fought to get their carsj down the track under full power, with the exception of a few. ■ The Pro Stock racing in Virginia was the best in history with seven drivers topping 200 for the first

6.843 second pass, also resetting the speed mark at 202.24 - the fastest run in Pro Stock history.

Not to be outdone, WJ’s son Kurt, in round one, backed up his earlier top qualifying 6.840 - the quickest run in Pro Stock history - to hold the provisional record, at least until racing resumed on Monday.

The record quick field ranged

time, thus becoming members of

OMPULVW

6.861, but WJ broke that with his

from KJ’s 6.84 to Steve Schmidt’s 6.911. A record thirteen cars ran in the 6.80’s and seven cars

ran quicker than the previous all time quick field (Houston ‘98) and were forced to

watch the first

round, failing to make the tough cut.

The

first

Reaching to the Summit: Greg Anderson drove Mark Pawuk’s second car into the 200

mph club ... luckily boss Pawuk made it in the #1 car!

Wot, me worry?

Troy Coughlin looks concerned, but a 200.47 mph time card for the Jeg’s Olds took care of that.

round

found all of the top cars qualified advancing with the exception of WJ, who, in a shock loss. shook the tires early

in Top Fuel at 4.494/321.12 - just the second ever 4.4 second pass but was dealt a blow in round one

when Doug Herbert holeshot his way to a win, 4.80/282 to 4.79/298.

John

Joe Amato was also ousted in the

Nobile, 6.95/198 to

opening round (the third time in ’99) by Doug Kalitta.

Cory McClenathan, the second qualifier at a distant 4.593,

and

lost

to

7.07/200.

Gary Scelzi, hot off his big win in Dallas, was the low qualifier

advanced

in

his

first

round

Where do I sign: Gary Scelzi signed his name into the “four-40 club” with a 4.49 top qualifying run. Scelzi again lost in round one.

Easy care, easy going: Jim Epier qualified the only Corvette in the Funny Car field on the pole with a 4.93/304. b,

1fc

TROY CO match with Randy Parks at 4.71/313 and was the only winner in round two on Sunday when his 4.62 defeated Kalitta. The rains

came while Herbert and Kenny Bernstein backed up following their round two burnouts and the

.lA

●

pair were shut off In other round two action, Tony Schumacher would face Larry Dixon and Eddie Hill would square off with Mike Dunn.

Jim Epier and his Eckler’s/Easy Care Corvette was the surprise low qualifier in Funny Car at 4.93/304, followed

by Cruz Pedregon (4.94), John

Force (4.99) and Tim Wilkerson

(5.02). Epier won his first round match with Dale Creasy Jr. and will

face Phil Burkhart in round

two. Other round two pairings find Tim Wilkerson and Tony Pedregon, Cruz Pedregon and Cory Lee, while Force faces Whit Bazemore.

Jerry Haas set a new National et record at 7.505 seconds to qual ify number one in Pro Stock Truck but lost in the opening round on a huge holeshot to Jeff Lukovich.

The Pro Stock Trucks also

established an all time quick field with a record bump spot of 7.616 seconds.

36

IMo)0®I7S[J)®[F0

7 May 1999

Mopar Pro controversy... again

■ Top Fuel Bike racer Brett Stevens is almost ready to make his four-wheeled debut, taking delivery last week of his Studebaker Top Doorslammer from Murray Anderson’s Melbourne workshops.

Stevens is hoping the Jack Daniel’s Stude will be ready for

Factory teams withdrawn ‘indefinitely' by Chrysler following technical dispute

the Wintemationals at

Willowbank Raceway next month.

■ While they still don’t have championship drag racing running on the quarter mile.

Eastern Creek Raceway’s off-

CHRYSLER’S factory-backed Pro Stock teams are again embroiled in controversy, all four Mopar-supported cars being withdrawn prior to last weekend’s race by the factory from competition following a “technical dispute” with the

recently placed a cut-off date for the units, requesting that Mopar either use a true Chrysler block or, at least, assign the blocks official fac tory part numbers.

A further race-by-race approval was granted, NHRA’s tech depart ment apparently withdrawing any

six years, the curse apparently con tinuing.

Team driver, three-time Pro Stock Champion Darrell Alderman, was linked with using cocaine six years ago, while the then Wayne County factory team

further allowances after the Dallas

NHRA.

nitrous-oxide rumour/actual shop

race.

The dispute centres around the engine blocks the factory-backed teams had been using, believed to be aftermarket GM-design imits.

street meetings continue to grow unabated, spectator numbers

trebling in the last three years.

Such is the growth of the

An agreement with the NHRA

Eastern Creek off-street events

allowed the teams to use the ‘gener ic’ block - Chrysler’s much-talked about “Pontiac-style” Pro Stock cylinder heads fitting the GM blocks - had been in place, although it is believed that the NHRA Technical Department

that the venue has negotiated a deal for each one to be covered on

SBS and Fox Sports’ weekly motor sports programme Speedweek!

■ Queensland chassis builder Ken Lowe is proposing a World Drag Racing Championship for

in a statement on the weekend.

“Based on this approval, in the fall of 1998, we have moved forward

in planning and implementing our NHRA motorsports operations for 1999. Now the NHRA Technical

Department has

DYO cars.

reversed

Anyone interested in the concept can contact Ken via

approval, leaving

its

us no choice but to

park our Mopar Dodge Avengers indefinitely.”

The Mopar

■ European Top Fuel racer Jens Nybo has sold his operation to Jonny Nilsson and a Danish partner, with Europe’s “first in the fours” driver Kent Persson

was later to become embroiled in a

pulls pin at

break-in scandal.

“Since February ‘98, Team Mopar’s factory-backed teams have been approved by the NHRA Technical Department to use a generic block.” said Mopar Motorsports boss Lou Patane said

email at kenlo we@onthenet.com.au.

Wood

After the shop break-in drama and the subsequent lacklustre per formances, the factoiy backing was then moved from Wayne County to Dale Eicke, Eicke then losing the backing late last year to the Nickens Brothers.

The factory have also added Larry Morgan and basketball star Larry Nance to their team, although the results for all drivers (including Alderman and Geoffrion) have been anything but good, qualifying being a rarity.

To further rub salt into Mopar’s wounds, Allan Johnson’s now non

ANDRA

By GERALD McDORNAN

factory-backed efforts - having

ANDRA marketing consul

been ‘delisted’ last year as well -

tant Vic Wood will not renew

teams have been

have continued to impress, Johnson qualifying at every race this year

dogged by contro versy over the last

and also joining the 200 mph ‘club’ at Virginia last weekend.

his contract with the drag racing sanctioning body at its conclusion next month. Wood having been appointed to head up US aftermarket

Not another holiday: If Darrell Alderman’s career hasn’t been controversial enough ...

signed to drive for the new team.

Driving Peter Lantz’s Optima Batteries entry, Persson ran Europe’s first four second pass two seasons ago - Nilsson and Lantz having been team partners in the past.

association Australasian office.

The Other Dodge: No problems for Allan Johnson’s 200 mile per hour Avenger. (Photos by Keith Surgan)

Wood will take up his new position with SEMA on July 1, spending a couple of weeks in the US becoming further acquainted with the organisa tion before opening an office in

■ English fuel Harley racer Ben Beneke has aimounced his

Adelaide.

Wood has been with ANDRA

i

intentions of racing at the American Drag Bike

since mid-1992, running its con tingency sponsorship pro gramme along with also estab lishing a number of fan, sponsor and media programmes, includ ing ANDRA’s range of merchan

R

Association’s World Finals at

Sandown next February.

Beneke is currently trying to secure sponsorship for the English Full Force Racing

I

team’s assault on the FIM

dise and internet web site.

ANDRA

Supertwins category, a top four spot there giving them a shot at a place in the ADBA’s World Championship event.

new car following his accident with his “Northern Flame” jet Funny Car at the Main Event at

Mr

Tony

some great work for ANDRA and the sport of Drag Racing and we are certainly sony to see

debut in US for Schwab

to the track this season with a

CEO

Thornton said: “Vic has done

Not so funny nitro F/C

■ English jet Funny Car racer Roger Goring will be returning

SEMA’s

him leave. ANDRA has been a member of SEMA for in excess of

20 years, and we are pleased at the importance they are placing on the region and Vic Wood’s role in that.”

Crash & burn won Y deter Schwab - immediate rebuild planned

Santa Pod last year. Goring has had a new car built in the US, the car arriving on English soil

EXPAT-Australian Robert

in the last week, with a debut expected for late this month.

Schwab has had a tough introduction to nitro Funny Cars, crashing his new Camaro fuel coupe while license testing at Rocky Mountain Raceway in Utah

■ Swedish Pro Stock racers

Michael Malmgren and Jacob Ferrer have formed a two-car team. ‘The main reason is the

benefit of doubling your database during qualifying and, of course, developing an engine

last week. known for his efforts on 7.5 sec

ond Californian Independent Funny Car Association circuit,

has raced on the NHRA tour in

the US, said. “Our fans will hopefully see the results in the championship this year.”

Lisa said this week.

Schwab was knocked uncon

scious in the impact, the car then travelling down track in flames before coming to a stop at the bottom end of the track, the dazed Australian emerging from the car as safety crews arrived on the scene.

The quiet achieving Schwab,

programme,” Malmgren, who

ty barriers.

had an oil Line spht on the step of the throttle, sending the Camaro into the concrete safe¬

He was airlifted to hospital with bums to his left hand, leg and foot - skin grafts being applied two days later.

“Robert’s doing fine and he’s eager to get out of hospital get back out there again,” wife

“He’s already talking about building two cars, having one for a spare, and the crew are already looking around for replacement bodies.”

Schwab, who resides near Salt Lake City in Utah, was planning to debut with his self-funded team on the NHRA

circuit at Denver in July, with a match-race booking at Phoenix next month now being cancelled. It is expected that Schwab

will return to the

track around September.

- GERALD McDORNAN

“It is both a sad but exciting time for me at the moment, the time to move on is appropriate, with the outstanding changes to the ANDRA structure of recent months there is much to look for

ward in the next two years and I will

continue to take a keen

interest in the development of ANDRA and the sport of Drag Racing,” said Wood.

“ANDRA is in sound manage ment hands with Tony Thornton at the helm and I have

thoroughly enjoyed my working relationship with him and the staff at the ANDRA office,” he added.

1999 WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AT 30 APRIL 1999 1999 Winston Top Fuel Championship 1. Mike Dunn, Mopar Performance Parts 2. Tony Schumacher, Exide Batteries

A®

%

3. Doug Herbert, Snap-on Tools 4, Larry Dixon, Miller Lite Beer

.346

1999 Winston Funny Car Championship .528 1. John Force, Castrol GTX ’99 Mustang .454 2. Tony Pedregon, Castrol '99 Mustang..

3. XJruz Pedregon, I'state Batt. ’99 Pontiac....314

.324

4. Whit Bazemore, Kendall Oil ’99 Chev Z28 ..299

4. Jim Yates, Peak’99 Pontiac Trans Am ....287

5.

6, 7.

8.

Dean Skuza, Mateo Tools ’98 Dodge... .293 Cory Lee, Pioneer ’98 Dodge Avenger, .259 Frank Pedregon, Penthouse ’99 Pontiac ..243 .239 Gary Densham, NEC ’99 Pontiac

5. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jeg’s '97 Oldsmobile ....284

9.

Del Worsham, CSK’99 Pontiac Trans Am,...225

399 .349

5. Kenny Bernstein, Budweiser King Racing 311 6. Cory McClenathan, MBNA/Gibbs Racing..282 7. Joe Amato, Walker Industries

.254

8. Doug Kalitta, American Int. Airlines

,245

9. Bob Vandergriff, Jeerzees Leisurewear ..,.243 .229 10. Gary SceIzi, Winston No Bull

10. Jerry Toliver, WWF ’99 Pontiac Trans Am ..223

1999 Winston Pro Stock Championship 1. Kurt Johnson, ACDelco ’99 Chev 228 .

2.

.484

Warren Johnson. Goodwrench ’99 Pontiac

.450

3. Troy Coughlin, Jeg’s ’97 Oldsmobile ...

.298

6.

Mike Edwards, DEWCO ’99 Chev 228,

,214

7. Mike Trumble, Sherman Racing ’99 Pontiac ....204 .200 8. Allen Johnson, Amoco ’98 Dodge 189 9. George Marnell, Dynomax ’99 Pontiac, 10. Steve Schmidt, Dynagear ’99 Pontiac , 180

7 May 1999

37

■ Top Fuel racer Tony Schumacher donated a

US$2,500 bonus for being the fastest qualifier during Friday night’s

qualif^ng session at the Castrol Nationals in

Dallas a week ago to the Columbine High School, the Littleton, Colorado school at the centre of a

horrible mass shooting two weeks ago.

“What happened (in Littleton) was devastating to a lot of good people,” said Schumacher. “We

stay in Littleton [when we race in Denver] and it’s an

Show me

All-American town with

All-American people.

We’re going to do our best for them.”

■ Is this spooky or what? On the day when NASCAR legend Dale

the money

By DAVE OSTASZEWSKI

for me all weekend. We were

Pedregon

FUNNY Car driver Tony Pedregon became the sec-

on fire Friday, then I had to watch my brothers race.

Then, I was pretty emotional

remained in second in the

ond driver in two weeks to

coUect a US$100,000 bonus from senes sponsor Winston when he took out the Castrol Nationals at the

Texas Motorplex last week.

Pedregon, driving the Castrol Ford Syntec Mustang for team owner John Force, took home a record US$140,000 for the

after that semi-final round

win over Cruz. It was a good clean race against Cruz.

“Then I had to get ready for Skuza ... I feel a lot better now that the race is over. I

have learned to enjoy these because they are few and far between.”

behind leader who Force,

nearly failed to qualify, but earned number

the one

It brings the powerful John Force-owned Castrol

son - downing Dean Skuza’s Mateo Tools Dodge Avenger in the final round,

win this season.

four-time Pro Stock

Champion Warren Johnson won his 74th

Winston Drag Racing No Bull;

event in Dallas - with

Tony Pedregon’s win in Funny Car with the Castrol Mustang guaranteed him a

both drivers wearing the colours of sponsor GM

Force, a winner of three straight national events entering this event, lost in the second round to the Tom

tie bit of success we’re hav-

Johnson and Antron Brown were also winners in their

ing,” Pedregon said. “But we’re not going to let it go to

Fuel final.

4.56/319 in

professional categories at this, the fifth of 22 event on the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series tour.

“It’s a tough business to control your emotions when

our heads. Someone asked me if this was better than ‘96

Winston dragster, crossing the finish line just in front of

and I said ‘no way’ because

Kalitta’s 4.58/318.

“This was a do or die situa

you have $100,000 on the line,” Pedregon said after taking hold of the winner’s bonus. “You say to yourself that you’ll go a few rounds and then think about it.

Then, before you know it, you’re in the semi-finals star ing at that big bag of money.

You try to forget about it and the

announcers

are

always telling you you’re one step closer to winning it ... I tell you, I was about to throw up there a few times!”

Pedregon, who rebounded from a fire in qualifying on

Friday, says finishing the weekend with his seventh

career victory was sweet.

“I’ve never been so anxious

to win a race,” Pedregon said.

“It was just a roller coaster

we dominated back then.

This year there’s several guys who are right on the edge of running better than we are. They’ve just had some problems.”

Pedregon, who became eli gible for the bonus through a pre-race, lottery-style draw ing, joined Top Fuel racer Doug Herbert as the only racers to have collected the No Bull bonuses so far.

“The money is going to come in handy,” Pedregon said. “We’re running.these cars hard and it’s costing us.

You go over and look in our pit area and we’ve got some dead ‘soldiers’ lying around.

It costs money. As long as we can keep winning these things and getting these bonuses, I think we’re going to be pretty healthy and able to stay after it.”

fered three first round losses

and one DNQ to start the new season. “We knew if we didn’t

turn things around right away, we could kiss the Winston championship good bye. I really put a lot of pres sure on myself to win this race and it was a big relief to do it.

When I saw the win light come on it was a big lift.”

The race against Kalitta’s fueller was a side-by-side bam-bumer, that needed the track’s timing computers to determine the winner.

“I knew that Doug was going to be tough in the final,” Scelzi said. “They’ve been running good and we were ready for them. It was a heck of a race. What a great feeling to win it and get this thing turned around.”

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a race real soon cloaked in

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Scelzi moves into 10th in

the Winston point standings, while Mike Dunn remains in the lead over Exide Batteries

think will show dividends on down the road.”

The win was Johnson’s

- Brown’s Team 23 Suzuki

second of the season, and

“I almost cried at the other end. I’ve wanted this for a

74th

“The Professor” Warren Johnson scored his second

NHRA’s second-winningest pro driver ever.

“You always enjoy win ning,” Johnson said. “It’s the losing that gets to you

long time. I can’t thank Vance & Hines enough for giving me great horsepower to get this bike down the

Edwards in the final round.

because that means some

Johnson ran 6.94/198 in his

thing went wrong, whether

He was ready for a tough race with Seeling, winner of

GM

Goodwrench Pontiac

it’s with the driver or the

Firebird, while,Edwards was slightly off the pace, running

car set-up. As a team we pride ourselves on getting everything right and win ning races.”

Pro Stock victory of the sea son, defeating defending event champion Mike

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of

are able to do with it,” Johnson said. “With the way we’re running it, we’ve found

Brown

that we can get aggressive last year and now we’re run ning the car completely dif ferently with gearing and the clutch set-up. The car is showing some stuff that I

career Pro Stock Motorcycle victory when Star Racing’s Angelle Seeling red-lighted on her Team Winston Suzuki

WA

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Car's & Engines

the Gatornationals earlier this season.

“Every time I race Angelle we both push the tree real hard and get after it,” Brown said. “If you don’t, the race is gone, especially with the way she’s riding and her bike is performing. I thought she got a jump on me but then I saw I had the win light. I was so happy I almost hit the guard rail at the end there because I knew I won.”

Brown moved into second

in the Winston standings, 45 points behind leader Seeling.

● Parente

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Johnson remains in second

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“I’m stoked,” said Brown.

driver Tony Schumacher.

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Scelzi ran his Team

tion,” said Scelzi, who has suf

ur

Goodguys wear white: WJ took his 74th NHRA win,

a 4.88/321.

Mustang running a 4.98/309 to a tyre-smoking Skuza.

Gary Scelzi, Warren

‘It’s nice to be in a position to take advantage of the lit-

■ Scotty Cannon’s Oakley Nitro Mater is expected to be tronting at

US$100,000 bonus.

Hoover’s Pioneer Dodge Avenger driven by Cory Lee. Defending Top Fuel champion Scelzi ended his early season slump by defeating Doug Kalitta in a close Top

the

Goodwrench Service Plus.

(Photos by Dave Ostaszewski)

spot in the final qualifying session with

team’s victory total to a clean sweep in 1999, as either Pedregon or Force have claimed every Funny Car

win - his second of the sea-

Winston point standings, 74

Earnhardt took his 72nd

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38

7 May 1999 Curtain falls: Parramatta

While Tatnell’s love of Speedcars grew, so too did his love of Sprintcars,

As mentioned earlier, he drove for several owners, the most suc cessful being Sid Moore.

Tatnell and Moore raced along the East Coast and were, at times, very successful, especially when

crowds saluted George Tatnell at his last outing a couple of weekends ago In son Brooke’s Shell Hellx/Phantom Comics

Schnee Sprintcar.

they campaigned the #96 Super Modified affectionately known as the ‘Tamale Wagon.’

The car was fast on both dirt and

pavement and Tatnell won in both disciplines.

Eventually, he ran an Edmunds Sprintcar for Moore and finished a strong third in the 1978 Australian Sprintcar Championship at Bunbury in WA. Following that performance, Tatnell started looking a little harder at running a Sprintcar for himself, but it would be several

years before he finally made the move.

After the much-lamented demise of his beloved Wedge

Speedcar, Tatnell searched

around for a new mount and even

tually settled on the ex-McClure, ex-Mel Kenyon Edmunds VW. Towards the late ’70s, the VW powerplant had started to make an impact in Australia, after dominat ing in the US for over five years.

The engines were lightweight and powerful and, coupled with the sleek Edmunds design, were a must have for any Speedcar driver who wanted to remain competitive.

Tatnell was just one of many who made the move to strap into one of the American wonder cars.

“Yeah, those VWs were a good thing,” Tatnell insisted.” We won an Australian title in one during the ’77/78 season when they ran the titles over four rounds.

“Johnny Fenton from Perth had won the two previous years before I took MY title back! In fact, I remember saying to the media two years before that I had only loaned him the title and I reckon I felt so

sorry for him I let him have it for another...

“See, I am a nice bloke!”

f I "^he Edmunds may have taken

I him to an Australian title, but

it also nearly took him to an early grave - on two occasions.

During the 1977/78 season at Liverpool, Tatnell made national news when

he rode a Ronnie

Mackay wheel going onto the main straight and immediately flipped at near supersonic speed, taking out a light fixture and leaving the pilot with a concussion which necessitat ed his first-ever ambulance ride to

hospital.

Two seasons later, another cata strophe took place, but this time at

Newcastle during the running of that year’s Australian title, which was a joint venture between

Newcastle on the Friday night and Liverpool on the pavement the fol lowing night.

The accident, or accidents, still make Tatnell, who is long accus tomed to grinding wrecks, wince to this day.

“We were right up there in the points and in with a big chance to take out title number four,” he elab orated. “Midway through the Newcastle main, I was moving to the front when I rode Ronnie

Mackay’s wheel again and took off.

In the flip, I hurt my arm although I didn’t know how bad at the time - and I also broke a shock absorber. That was all.

“During the stoppage, my broth er, Joe, noticed the broken shock.

,^ Part Two of speedw took off his shoe lace and tied the shock to the chassis. The car was

lifting wheels off the deck in the turns, but we started pulling in eventual champ Barry Pinchbeck near the end of the race.

“On the last lap while racing for the line, Barry and I got tangled up and I took off again. This time it really hurt me. It really knocked me around, thanks to the violence

of that last flip.”

The culmination of the two inci

dents had done more damage to Tatnell and his self-confessed gor geous looks than he realised - he

had suffered severe bruising around the face and chest region, which had virtually left him unrecognisable.

In fact, so violent was his batter

ing and subsequent bruising, he rang his wife, Val, to tell her to run

him a bath when he got home, but stressed that ‘whatever you do, don’t turn the lights on!’ He figured that the last thing his attractive wife wanted to see was a remake of the Frankenstein monster at 2.30

in the morning!”

But, to everyone’s amazement and despite his painful injuries, he had already made up his mind to run the next night in the hope of winning back his national title.

Or so he thought...

“In the morning, my doctor came over and took me to the local hospi tal, where he found out that I had actually broken my arm,” Tatnell said, with a rather painful look in his eyes.

“So he placed a special fiberglass cast over my arm, in the hope I might be able to nurse the arm while I was racing. But, at around

3.30 that arvo, I went into shock

and that was it. There was no way I could race.

“Other than that, I think we could have won it...”

Yes, same old George, y the early 1980s, Sprintcar racing in Australia had really hit the top of the tree and Tatnell was swept along with the

B

wave.

During early 1981, he had pur chased a Stanton Sprintcar, a Stanton Speedcar and a Howe Camaro, or a taxi cab, as Tatnell jokingly refers to race cars with doors - and, as can be imagined, the next few years were busy indeed.

Speedcar racing was rocked in 1981 when Liverpool ceased run

ning the class on the black top, but

Hot stuff: Success was the norm for Tatnell in Sid Moore’s “Tamale Wagon” Super Modified.

continued to pack ‘em in with the Late Model Sedans on the pave ment - and the Showground had fallen right by the wayside.

But a new American-styled clay track built in Sydney four seasons earlier by former Super Modified ace Sid Hopping and friend Bert Wilder was making a huge impact on both the local Sprintcar and Speedcar scenes and there was more racing than ever for Winfield Team Tatnell.

Thanks to the endless resources

(at the time) of Winfield brand ciga rettes and with the backing of TAA (now Australian Airlines), Tatnell and his team - headed by Joe raced at every major venue throughout the country, week in, week out, during the summer rac ing season.

To assist with the long, arduous journeys interstate, the team had purchased an Isuzu enclosed pan tech to transport their race cars and, coupled with their state of the art equipment and the big money on offer - especially with the Sprintcar - Tatnell became one of

the division’s real stars and a major contender everywhere he raced.

While Tatnell’s popularity hadn’t

waned at all, concentrating on his Sprintcar activities meant his Speedcar racing in the early to mid dle eighties certainly had.

It wasn’t the fact that he didn’t

enjoy racing Speedcars - he did but the Sprintcar circus had become so big that it took all his attention to continue to stay on top of the tree.

It was more a question of eco nomics, really, so a tough decision was made and, with one final race

at PCR during the 1985/86 season, an era was ended, one which had made Tatnell one of Australia’s

most successful and flamboyant Speedcar stars ever.

But did he regret the decision to leave Speedcars?

“No... no, not really. You see, there was just too much going on and, with my son, Brooke, looking at competing in the next few years, I had to prepare for his racing future,” Tatnell explained.

“He was doing well in karts and I had kept our Nance Sprintcar for him when he was ready to run.

“Also, Speedcars had really dropped off - they had grown

DIM

7 May 1999

wings, which I didn’t really like and, as I’ve said, the Sprintcar scene was really where it was at.

Top team: Speedcar ace George and a very young Brooke are backed up by Bob Priest (left rear), Bill

“But I do miss them now and

maybe I should’ve stayed a little longer, but it just wasn’t feasible.”

Harmer, Joe Tatnell, Grahame Watson, Les McGahy and

As for those taxi cabs, the team

did enjoy some success and won several features, culminating in Tatnell almost winning Liverpool

Speedway’s

$10,000

to

39

Bill Furcher.

win

Marlboro Grand National event, up to then Australia’s richest sedan event.

“We nearly won that race,” Tatnell recalled excitedly.

“I was leading on lap 90 when I dropped a valve, which put us out.

It was my fault really, ’cause I had run the Sprintcar and Speedcar at Parramatta the night before and I screwed up through not thinking right and put in the wrong gear.

“Unfortunately, that hurt the engine, but later that night a real good racer named Peter Logue asked if I’d sell the car. I said

‘maybe’ and we talked until 2.30 am that morning.

“Eventually, I said ‘I’m going home, call me if you change your mind.’ Then, at about 6.00 am, he

rings me up and says ‘I’m halfway to Mittagong and I’m coming back to get that car.’

“That was the end of my career in At the opening of the 1985 season, the Sprintcars finally returned (they hadn’t raced at the venue for over six seasons) and instantly they were a hit with both the promotion

the taxi cabs”.

ith the Speedcar and sedan out of the road, Tatnell now concentrated solely on winning the Australian Sprintcar.

Championship, a win that had so far eluded him, but one he was determined to grab hold of Tatnell purchased an Australianbuilt OTR Sprintcar after selling his tried and trusty Stanton car however, he wasn’t entirely happy with the Australian-made product.

w

and fans.

The cars loved the fast, highbanked track and right from the outset George - and later Brooke tasted success there.

Later that season, American

stars Steve, Randy, Kelly and Mark Kinser were imported by the Liverpool promotion in John Player all cars.

Special-sponsored wrenched by leading constructor

An American Nance was then

purchased and then, nearly two seasons later, a high-bar Gambler was added to his racing stable.

A year or so earlier, son Brooke had also entered the Sprintcar ranks

The team looked superb in black and gold machines and, except for Rush, Brazier and Tatnell, the

and in 1986 secured his first-ever A-

American foursome would have

Main win at Parramatta City Raceway in his blue #8 Nance, a

tion.

and mechanic Karl Kinser.

made a mockery of the local opposi

moment Tatnell senior considers “the

But, while Tatnell, Rush and Brazier looked the goods on many occasions, it was Tatnell who really impressed many observers.

Placings and wins in major

proudest moment of his racing life.”

In 1984, the Liverpool promotion had decided that the pavement wasn’t a viable concern any longer and, with fields in all categories thinning out, the step was taken to rip up the blacktop and create a clay racing surface.

events continued and culminated

when Tatnell finally claimed that elusive Australian Sprintcar Championship in 1988, the same

More glory: Lap of honour for Tatnell in Grand National Camaro “taxi cab” at Liverpool in 1982.

year he also claimed the inaugural Winfield-sponsored World Series Sprintcars championship.

The results in ’88 came about no

doubt thanks to an amalgamation between Tatnell and leading engine builder and set-up man Allan Felsch and it’s a partnership which continues to this day with both

George and Brooke - “Allan has really made a difference to our rac ing. For too long,-! looked after most of the preparation myself, but in the end it was just getting too hard,” Tatnell said.

“That first year we raced togeth er, we won 28 features, the first six at PGR alone. Allan’s helped

Brooke become one of the greats of Australian Sprintcar racing and I’m sure it will keep going in the future.”

After racing the likes of the

Kinsers, Jimmy Sills, Jack Hewitt, Jac Haudenschild, Danny Smith and so many other

Americans and a host of talented

, , jf.'V-.-.ir . Big-time Midget: Mighty Stanton ●

Speedcar in George’s hands proved to be an absolute weapon at tracks such as Newcastle - a

grimy Tatnell is pictured in full flight at the NSW venue during the 1981/82 season.

Despite all his successes in the non-winged projectiles, 1985/86 saw George reluctantly move away from the class and make the move into the V8-powered Sprintcar category, never to return.

second generation locals through out the ’80s and into the early ’90s, Tatnell started to race less and less, particularly after his 21-year part nership with Rothmans was sadly terminated - not directly by Rothmans, though, but by the vari ous State governments which sup ported the anti-smoking laws in the early ’90s; its a subject which still angers Tatnell.

‘We didn’t want to sever our rela

tionship with Winfield, but we were forced to,” stated Tatnell.

“The Federal government of the

day had put so much pressure on State governments to extinguish tobacco sponsorship that Brooke and I found it almost impossible to race without having to deface our cars and cover up the signs.

“In the end, we just weren’t allowed to enter the various states

without deleting our Winfield signs - so, with two years to go of our sponsorship, we had no choice but to give it up.

‘Thankfully, Shell came on board soon after and they’ve been fantas tic also. There isn’t as much money in it like there was with Rothmans, \

-

but we’re hoping things will change in the future.”

Conliniied on next page

40

7Mdyl999

Goodbye Gorgeous George Continued from previous page

Watching Brooke race was

becoming more a pleasure than actually competing for Tatnell and, after less than two years under the Shell banner, George’s appearances were becom ing few and far between.

For instance, during the 1994/95 World Series rounds in Perth, George offered his car to Brooke after the latter’s engine expired during hot laps at Claremont.

Due mostly to lack of funds and, in some cases, interest, George virtual ly sat out the remainder of the year.

“Watching Brooke and seeing how well he’s done more than made

up for me not racing,” he said. “I get just as much fun out of watching him do well as any father who watches a son race and, while I felt I could still get the job done and give these young blokes a bit of a run, I know I can’t let my mind write cheques my body can’t cash.

“So far on this farewell tour we’ve

done pretty good and I won a heat at PGR only recently, which brought the house down, but I reck oned I could still produce a win or two before I’m done.”

Tatnell paused for a minute. It was late at night and his eyes said he was due for some sleep, but as always he wouldn’t give up until he’d spoken his mind.

“I’ve really had an amazing career. My brother, Joe - who has been my left and right hand and feet throughout my career - my family and I have all had a lot of fun, met a lot of people and I guess, yeah, we’ve made some ene mies along the way, especially since

become

I’ve

SCCA

(Sprintcar Control Council of

Classy line-up: American tourist Randy Kinser (left), with George Tatnell and Garry Rush at Liverpool Sprintcar outing in 1986.

No more: Cigarette sponsorships were good news for competitors such as Tatnell (right).

George Tatnell is - and has always been - about.

“But I’ve always said this and I’ll stick by it no matter what - if 50% of the crowd cheer you and the other 50% of the crowd boo you, then at least you’ve succeeded in attracting 100% of the crowd’s

It’s about being a showman and making the crowds take notice by creating an image which fans and the media can support or ridicule. yet never allowing his name to be out of the public’s eye while accepting both good and bad publicity.

So far, there’s been very few like

attention.

him - and I doubt if there will ever

“I wish more thought like that, as I’m sure the sport would be going better than it currently is. But that’s another subject for another day.”

be a driver quite like “Georgeous George Tatnell - so be glad that

Australia) President.

And that in a nutshell is what

you made the effort to catch one

last glimpse of an absolute speedway legend.

Tulsa

the drop of the green, with Wright demoting Mark Kinser with the help of lapped traffic.

Tatnell set up a six lap dash to the flag when he stopped on track

■ Danny Lasoski did his chances of winning his first Outlaws

Championship no harm by winning the A-Feature event at Tulsa, along the way spoiling an other\vise sparkling debut by Kevin

with mechanical ailments.

Gobrecht in the #93 Amoco J&J.

Gobrecht, taking over the ride from Dale Blaney (see last news item this column), timed 14th fastest of the 45 cars entered, then

Passes were being attempted

eveiywhere, with Smith at^g to pass Mark Kinser and Mark

Kinser trying to pass Lasoski as

won his heat and the Channellock dash to start the main event from

the race drew to a close.

Mark Kinser held second from

pole.

Smith, Gobrecht, Gary Wright, Tyler Walker, Andy Hillenburg,

Gobrecht burst into the lead and

Donnie Crawford passed Mark Kinser for second place, before Mark Kinser retook the position just prior to Crawford spinning a complete 360 - while Crawford

continued, Craig Dollansky, Jimmy

Sammy Swindell, Crawford and Johnny Herrera,

Brooke Tatnell had a tough night, timing 29th and then run ning seventh in his heat, before fin ishing eighth in the B-Main.

Carr, Tim Shaffer and Joe Gaerte

all crashed and rolled trying to avoid Crawford.

Soon after another restart, Mark

Kinser took over the lead on lap 6, while Crawford, Stevie Smith and

Devils Bowl ■ The following night at Devils Bowl was catch up night, as the first event was the completion,

from lap 9, of the 26th Spring

Lasoski all worked their way past

NationMs.

Gobrecht - first Smith then Lasoski demoted Crawford.

Lasoski soon made his move on

Lasoski was leading that event earlier in the year when it was

Smith for second, which Smith then countered.

Eventually, Lasoski made his

This proved to be fortuitous for Lasoski, who had run out of tearoffs and was able to replenish his supply - he went on to record a comfortable win over Wright, Mark Kinser, Herrera, Sammy Swindell, Frankie Kerr, Steve Kinser, Carr, Hillenburg and Stevie Smith.

Next up was the full program from the 25th Winter Nationals,

Kinser, Herrera, Lasoski, Stevie Smith, Walker, Donny Schatz and Jeff Swindell.

The State Fair Event scheduled

for Okalahoma City the following night (April 26) was cancelled due to continuing rain.

Dale Blaney sacked ■ Hylton/Blaney Motorsports has sacked driver Dale Blaney - the brother of team co-owner Dave

Blaney - and replaced him with Pennsylvanian hot-shoe Kevin Gobrecht.

carried over from last October.

Mark Kinser set a new lap record on his way to vraming his fifth Vivarin fast time award of the season.

Hillenburg, the ’94 Champion, started from pole after winning the dash ahead of Sammy Swindell.

“I’ve always wanted a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series irde,” said Gobrecht, who won eight races in 20 starts in Pennsylvania this year.

“It’s a shame to leave Zemco

Racing after we’ve been doing so well, but I know where I want my career to go and that’s with the

World of Outlaws. I’m really happy for the opportunity to drive the Amoco car for Hylton/Blaney Motorsports.”

“Dale Blaney is a great talent and (crew chief) Kenny Woodruff is one of our sport’s top mechanical minds, but they seemed to be going in different directions in terms of how they wanted the cars,” explained team co-owner Keith Hylton.

“We’ve been struggling,” Blaney admitted.

“We struggled some last year, too, so something needed to hap pen. The easiest thing to do is to change drivers. I’m not saying that’s the irght or wrong decision,

These two raced wheel to wheel

down the front straight, with

Sammy Swindell using the high line to grab a lead he would never relinquish.

Wright’s race ended on lap 3 and Tatnell’s race concluded on lap 11.

but that’s what we did.”

Blaney said he was going to return to Tim Hughes’ #94 car,

stopped for rain after eight laps had been completed.

Lasoski picked up where he left

Mark Kinser passed Hillenburg briefly for second, but Hillenburg

which he drove to All-Stars Circuit

soon returned the favour.

1996.

off, leading the remaining 22 laps

Sammy Swindell ran away to a ten car-length win and the US$10,000 prize, ahead of

Dale added. “We’ll still race with the World of Outlaws and with the

move stick and started to close in

to record his third A-Feature win of

on Mark Kinser, taking the lead early on lap 20.

the season.

He went to an immediate lead at

Hillenburg, Mark Kinser, Steve

of Champions 'Titles in 1995 and

“We’re going to stay around,” Ousted: Dale Blaney (Mattin d. cianj pic)

All-Stars and in Pennsylvania.”

7Mayl999

41

Western Auto brains 'em!

12,000J

^oar as Max Dumesny .claims VIC

Sprintca

itle at stunmft-g new Vlc]^o^n track

\

1 ■

<i

.»

.

if,:

V

Report by BRETT SWANSON

IN the movie Field of Dreams, the statement “build it and they will come” was made - well, that statement now rings true for speedway venues and base ball stadiums alike, as over.

12,000 people came to be part of history when Victoria’s newest speedway, Western Auto Raceway, Bacchus Marsh, offi cially opened it’s doors for rac ing on April 24.

succeeded in driving the car harder into the wall, severely bending the

heat eight and Brazier won the last heat to be level with Murcott as top

ex-Phil March chassis.

pointscorers.

Murcott, though, was having no trouble and won the opening heat by over half a lap in the Ainpol/Reynolds Body Tech Schnee.

Dual and defending titleholder

Darren Walsh jumped the front row starters in his Hussey Performance JSR on his way to win ning the B-Main, ahead of Garry Luttrell’s Challenge Motors Johnboy, Steve Knight’s Flocon Engineering Foster and Wayne Milburn’s Sign-force JSR - Geoff Clifford, Barry Caldwell, Bob

David Anderson was on fire as he

launched his Wagga Mobile Cranes Foster from eighth to the lead in less than half a lap.

Unluckily for him, a two-car spin halted proceedings, but it wasn’t long after the restart that Anderson was back in the lead and taking the win.

While there were a few new track

problems, the racing was generally first class, with the 1998/99 Victorian Sprintcar championship climaxing the evening’s racing entertainment, David Murcott, Garry Brazier and Max Dumesny crossing the line three-wide to com mence the last lap.

Dumesny, who had just been passed for the lead by both Brazier and Murcott, charged into turn 1, held his breath, picked a minuscule do or die gap between slower cars and emerged in the lead to take yet another Victorian crown.

Brazier and Murcott hadn’t given up and tried hard to catch Dumesny, but Dumesny’s last pass ing move had proved crucial and left the latter two to fight out the minor placings. Brazier taking sec ond marginally ahead of Murcott.

33 drivers arrived at the impres sive new venue and all were eager to write their names into the record

books as the first race winner, but

it was Craig Lawless in the Zeon Neon Signs JSR who upstaged the field by being the first driver to up end his machine.

With the track 30 metres wide aU

the way around and with everyone running the low line through the turns, it was something of an

Dumesny and Brazier were head to

head

heat

Forbes, Chris Evans, Rod Matthews, Jeff Drew and Ron Dalton all experi

enced spins or incidents.

Murcott and Brazier lined up on the front row of the 18-car grid for the 25-lap title event, with

pass, eased the throttle slightly as Dumesny swept around the outside of both cars and into the lead.

Dumesny then opened a gap before the only caution period of the race occurred when Downing slowed and stopped on the track.

Brazier never had a chance to

jump Dumesny on the restart, but as the race wore on the top trio closed up to the point that Murcott jumped from third to first on the penultimate lap, with Brazier sec ond.

after starting 16th - Judd, Barlee, Chippindall, Scott, Milbum, Shiels and Walsh completed the race, with Knight and Downing the only non finishers.

“It’s great to win the Victorian Sprintcar Title and the first A-Main race at this magnificent new venue,” Dumesny said.

“To be able to race three-wide at

full throttle without being close to the wall is great.

“We’re touching just on 120 mph down the straights as we start to slide into the turns - this most cer

As they thundered across the fin-

in

three,

tainly is one fast race track and it will provide plenty of excitement for the fans and the drivers in the future.”

which saw the Valvoline J&J

Adrian Maher recorded a win

“Any one of the three of us could have taken out tonight’s race,” explained Brazier. Max (Dumesny) got the advantage as we started to lap several back-markers in the closing stage of the race.

“I’m looking forward to returning here later in the year to give them all a whipping - everybody had bet ter watch out next time, as we’ll be running hard and fast.”

■ In the Super Sedan division, it

in the Eagle

was former Aussie #1 and current

One

South Australian champion Mick Nicola who took a clean sweep.

Nicola won the opening 25-lap race, then followed that up with a win in the 15-lapper and another in the 10-lap final.

of Dumesny take the win over the PWR of Schnee

1

Brazier, who held

second

despite a last lap spin.

Sydney’s

Twister

in heat four,

downing Murcott

as

many of the locals trouble

had with

South Australian Bill Miller in

the slickening

Top trio: David Murcott, VIC Title winner Max Dumesny and runner-up Garry Brazier. track.

Anderson’s luck turned sour in Dumesny, Maher, Rankin, Gerard ish line to conclude lap 24, heat five, when Troy Shiels got sideways on the opening lap as Anderson was attempting his patented outside blast on the open ing lap - Anderson clipped Shiels and rolled, damaging the rear-end.

Numerous spins occurred as Rob

Boult, Garry Chippindall, Tim McCubbin, Allan Barlee, Jetf Judd, Shiels, Anderson, Darryl Downing, Ray Scott, Walsh, Luttrell, Knight

wall and roll midway between turns 3-4.

“The car was pushing and I

Dumesny in heat six and then Murcott did the same to Maher in

Murcott and set out after Brazier

thought I’d bury the foot and drive it out of the push,” explained

heat seven, despite a power steer ing problem.

Rankin grabbed another win in

and running a line that was about a

Max Dumesny Motorsport

and Murcott.

car width wider than the one

Brazier was using turned out to be

in turn 1 and was left mid-track,

upside down, while the race contin ued to the chequered flag when it should have been red flagged Knight’s stricken car was subse quently hit by Luttrell, who also flipped.

On the good side, Rankin had put in a sterling effort to run fourth in such good company ahead of Maher

the pink Pontiac ran second in each event, with Michael Briscoe in an ageing and overweight ex-Trewin Camaro posting a pair of thirds.

All 20 cars were started in each

race, making for a big, colourful spectacle and plenty of incidents.

■ The AMCA Nationals proved popular, with current Australia #2 Chris Campbell taking the first two heat wins over reigning Aussie #1 Les Feltham and Mark Weaver,

respectively, before Kevin Peachey won the third heat from Jason Feltham.

Les Feltham then took out the

feature event from Campbell, Weaver, Bob Furlong and Peachey.

1999 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SERIES POINTS SCORE

Australian Distributors for

POINTS STANDING TO MAY 2, 1999 Danny Lasoski 2.

^ ^ RACING TIRE

Dumesny made the decisive move going into turn 1 that would bring him ultimate victory over Brazier Just behind them, Knight rolled

and Milbum next.

Rankin took the win in the Barwon 'Timber J&J. Brazier reversed the tables on

Lawless - unfortunately, that only

and McCubbin. Anderson was next,

but a lap down, with Luttrell eighth

Brazier, committed to an inside

As expected, the fight would be between the first thre. Brazier get ting the jump at the drop of the green and leading Murcott, Dumesny and the rest of the pack.

Dumesny worked his way past

achievement for Lawless to hit the

an advantage as they came upon a slower car in turn 4.

i

For more information on Hoosier Drag and Speedway Tyres call:

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3.

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8.

9.

10.

Mark Kinser Steve Kinser

Johnny Herrera Sammy Swindell Stevie Smith

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1983 1972 1932 1929 1900

11. Daryn Pittman 12. Tim Shaffer

13. Joe Gaerte 14. Craig Dollansky

15. jimmy Carr 16. Travis Whitney 17. Brooke Tatnell

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Frankie Kerr

1833 1831 1785 1749 1710 1517 1501 1475 1460 1435

KNOXVILLE R’WAY - APRIL 10 I I. Donny Schatz I. Danny Lasoski 12. Terry McCarl 2. Johnny Herrera 3. Stevie Smith 13. Skip Jackson 4. Mark Kinser 14. Sammy Swindell 5. Steve Kinser 15. Larry Pinegar II 16. Joe Gaerte 6. Tyler Walker 7. Frankie Kerr I7.jac Haudenschild 18. Chris Walraven 8. Jeff Swindell 19. Craig Dollansky 9. Andy Hillenburg 20. Daryn Pittman 10. Travis Whitney

42

IMdO(D[FS[Jxd[K!‘

7 May 1999 With Gerd Riss, Robert Barth

By Tony Millard^

Former World Long Track

Champion and speedway Grand Prix rider Simon Wigg could

be

set

for

England’s

a

role

as

’Speedway

Ambassador.'

Wigg, who collapsed

last

November and was forced to miss

and Mathias Kroger representing the home country, they scored 68 points to finish ahead of Denmark (59), Hungary (51), Sweden (48), Italy (33) and Austria (9).

Riss totalled a staggering 29 points, but probably the rider of the day was Italy’s Armando Castagna, with 24 of his team’s 33 point return.

The Speedway in the Czech Republic season started on the last Wednesday in March, but the second leg of a challenge match between AMK Pardubice and Polish club Rawicz drew a crowd

of just 50 - there was good rea son, though, as the fixture was arranged at short notice and then

a season riding in Australia - and then collapsed at the airport when returning to England after a holi day Down Under - has been forced to retire from the sport.

But he is set to take up a post

Pardubice won the meeting 4644, but had lost the ‘away’ leg in

with the British ACU as official

Rawicz 60-29.

track racing coach and would attend all European and World Championship grasstrack and Longtrack meetings in his new

The named the first two wildFIM cardhas riders for the

role.

started at 3.00 in the afternoon!

Speedway Grand Prix of the sea son in Prague.

The home rider, Bohumil Brhel

Champion Tony W orld Rickardsson is at the centre

of a big row following his nonappearance at a League meeting for his club. Kings Lynn.

Rickardsson missed Lynn’s meeting at Coventry on Easter Monday and rode instead for his Polish club, Gdansk.

Rickardsson has been sus

and

former

World

Under-21

Champion Piotr Protasiewicz from Poland will complete the field.

There are only two wild cards named for each meeting this year, as former World Champion Billy Hamill, injured in the final GP last year, has been seeded directly into the line-up for all this sea

British Promoters’ Association

Adelaide PrixhisstarPolish Ryan SullivanGrand opened

acted wrongly - they knew

League campaign with a disap pointing display for his club, Bydgoszcz, at home to Gdansk.

Sullivan totalled just 6 points,

Rickardsson has the Gdansk

with fellow Aussie Shane Parker

commitment when he was signed and gave an undertaking that it

faring even worse - he failed to score - as Bydgoszcz went down 56-33 in front of a 12,000 home

Western, believes the BSPA has

would be dealt with.

crowd.

xford boss Colin Meredith has

O tipped Sydney rider Craig Boyce for stardom during the British League season.

Boyce, who has moved from

Leigh Adams had better luck for his club, Leszno - he scored

11 and Jason Lyons 7 as they beat Gorzow in front of another

12,000 crowd.

Poole to Oxford, has shown some

Adams topscored with 14 at

good early form.

‘To have a great character as your skipper is as important as having a world class rider and, in my opinion," Meredith said, “Craig can fit into both categories by the

Torun, as Leszno lost 50-40 a

week later - Lyons scored just 3.

Speedway crowds in Poland have started at amazing levels for the start of the season, with the sport outstripping football in terms

end of the season."

With Todd Wiltshire and Steve

of attendance figures.

Johnston as his teamates, it is very much ‘Aussieland’ at the

Todd Wiltshireclub, fromLandshut, Sydney ledto his German

University City’s Sandy Lane

victory in their opening German Superliga meeting at Wittstock.

Wiltshire topscored alongside

track.

won the traditional G ermany Easter international meeting

teamate Robert Barth with 12 in

at the former Grand Prix venue of

Gustrow(36), Wittstock(27) and Stalund(15).

Pocking.

„

Hustler ,3P Hotshot

PETER Attard,“The flying chicken farmer from Eastern

Creek,” is the 1999 Hustler Hotshot Series winner.

The charismatic 36 year-old pro prietor of Supreme Poultry in Eastern Creek finished just one point clear of a fast-finishing Wayne Skipper in the O’Brien

Aluminium-sponsored Gambler.

Going into the final roimd of the series, Attard had a slender two point lead up his sleeve over Grant Tunks and Skipper.

Unless either of those two could

do something spectacular, Attard

Rising star: Sydney’s Peter Attard gets some air. (Brett Swanson pic) wide open for a takeover bid.

could win a heat race on the final

But Tunks was not able to crack

night and put himself beyond the reach of any legitimate challenge.

a top three place in the Peter Vella Electrical-sponsored Johnboy and Skipper only managed third in his

It was far from smooth sailing from there, though.

final heat.

Attard’s #53 J&J broke a differential in the first heat and he was

That edged Skipper to within one point of the lead, but no closer and Attard was awarded the series win by a single, solitary point.

It’s been a great year for us this

unable to register a top three fin ish in his second appearance.

That left Skipper and Tunks

season and to win the Hustler Series means a lot to me. It’s some-

thing different for Sprintcar racing and I’m all for it. I can’t wait to polish up the car and get it ready for the photos,” laughed Attard excitedly - the prize for this year’s inaugural event is a photo shoot in Hustler Magazine, with Attard’s race car featured as a centre-piece for the female model.

son’s events.

pended for one meeting by the and Kings Lynn has been fined approximately $1200 dollars.

The club’s promoter, Mike

Attard

Landshut’s total of 42, ahead of

Vine's second crown Gordon Cardwell runner-up at Compact Speedcar Title DARREN Vine clinched his second Australian

Compact Speedcar Championship when he out lasted a strong field of contenders over two days at Archerfield Speedway on April 3-4.

A puzzling qualifying format that put the highest pointscorer from position 9 in the 30-lap final saw Vine start his Mike Vine Turbo’s Suzuki from position 7 in the 25-car field.

The 20 year-old apprentice fitter and turner soon found himself in front of the pack on his home track, though, when a restart on lap 9 enabled him to catch and pass Victorian veteran Gordon Cardwell.

Cardwell started from pole position aboard his Caltex Suzuki and bolted clear of the field in the open

ing laps, but had to ultimately settle for a nmner-up finish behind the talented youngster.

In a strong result for the Victorian contingent, Craig Hume (TRC Nissan) annexed third spot ahead of defending champion Ken Thomas (Castrol Suzuki).

A 40-car line-up fronted for Saturday night qualify ing, with heat wins falling to Tony Abson (2), Brad Hilder, Peter Robotham, Steve Swingler, Gordon Cardwell, Jim Stirling and Rod Singleton.

The 15-lap prehminary feature race was abandoned when rain swept across the circuit as the field awaited

the start. With rain persisting into Sunday and causing

several cancellations and postponements throughout the region over the weekend, it was no surprise that the afternoon’s activities were also interrupted, forcing organisers to drop one round of heats.

The four heats that were contested were taken out

by Vine, Paul Raynes, Darren Bamier and Brad Sloan.

Robin Hilder put his wealth of experience to good use in winning the 12-lap repechage, downing Alan Wilkins, Toni Kruck and Mark Maczek, all of whom progressed to the main event.

Twenty-five cars gridded for the Centenary Real Estate Australian Compact Speedcar Championship final, with top qualifier Abson back on the fifth row.

When the green flag flew, Gordon Cardwell cleared away and established a substantial lead as Vine start

ed working his way through the field.

A stoppage on lap 9 negated Cardwell’s advantage and enabled Vine, who has also been dabbling in Sprintcar competition this season, to start his victory charge - once in front, Vine was never seriously threat ened and completed the distance without incident to collect his second crown.

Cardwell, Hume and Thomas were next in line, fol lowed by Swingler, Bamier, Geoff Goebell and Hilder Wilkins (the best-placed NSW competitor) and the improving Gavin McDonald completed the top ten.

- CHRIS METCALF

WA Late Model numbers on rise New Champion Brad Blake to race Stateside after dominating in impressive debut season MORE cars are tipped to nomi nate for the Late Model Racing Australia’s third season of rac

ing on the West Coast next summer.

After two summers of racing, the

The other rounds went to Ben

year.

(Bunbury) and Derrol Crane (Esperance).

Blake in the final show at Bunbury.

Blake’s success in Late Models was no accident.

car count is on the increase and the

Prior to racing Sprintcars, he was

division has produced two different

the Australian Street Stock cham

champions, with Brad Blake taking over the mantle from inaugural

pion and also drove with profession alism in Modified Production and

champion Alan Nylander.

Blake, driving a Nylander-built car (AJN), easily made the switch from 360ci Sprintcars to the lefthand drive tin tops - of the nine

Super Sedans.

rounds, he won six, Blake taking

own toys.

Second in the series went to

victories at Kalgoorlie, Claremont (twice), Bunbury, Geraldton and Esperance.

threat to the championship next

Ludlow (Claremont), John Cardy

For his efforts, Blake won a trip to the USA where he has been booked for a number of drives

against the good ol’ boys in their Esperance driver Crane, who showed he would be a definite

Crane also finished second to

No doubt, with more technical

work with brother Chris, the Cardy car will be a force to be reckoned

with later this year.

He showed that he was extremely

Two of the nicest cars on the

fast at both Claremont and at

track last season were fielded by Ben Ludlow Racing, with Ben and son Brad driving the #9 and #10 cars, respectively. Smoking engines were a trademark of their racing but, even with this setback, the

Manjimup and he is well-equipped to tackle the rest of the big guns head-on next summer.

Cardy was third in the champi onship, following on from his sec ond in the inaugural season.

One of the stalwarts of WA sedan

racing, Cardy, who was second overall in the inaugural series, started the new season off with his

engine going up in steam, but fol lowed this up with a win at Bunbury.

cars were like rockets.

One of the season’s highlights was when Ben slipped by Blake in a Claremont round and proved that Blake’s raw talent was not always going to win over Ludlow’s experi ence and track craft.

There were many highlights to

the division that fielded 19 differ ent drivers last summer - the cars’

first appearance at Claremont cer tainly created talking points and no

doubt the new boys on the speed way block will be keen to keep that chit chat going a little bit longer.

Points; Brad Blake 516, Derrol

Crane 459, John Cardy 411, Ivor Ladwig 387, Rob MacGregor 375, Ben Ludlow 369, Brad Ludlow 324, Ryan Halliday 321, Kevin Bell 291, Luke Halliday 279, Phil Richards

264, Bruce Trenamen 237, Ray Godsey 99, Rob Whittington 81, Mike Bignal 66, Joe Godsey 54, Paul De Lacey 51, Peter Gilbertson 21 and Willy Powell 15.

- DARREN O’DEA

7 May 1999

By

43

Series is GO!

SEAN HENSHELWOOD

BILLED as the greatest karting event of the year, the 1999 Wynn’s Series for the interna tional FMK classes will again be spectacular, particularly if the level of excitement and com

petitiveness witnessed during last year’s championship was anything to go by.

This season, soaring entrant lev els are further evidence of the good health currently being enjoyed by the FMK classes.

At the close of the 1997 champi

onship, entry numbers had dropped to

new

lows,

the

Junior

Intercontinental A (JICA) class

attracting a mere seven entries.

Encouragingly, though, during 1998 entry numbers had risen to the mid-twenties and, for 1999, the first round of the Wynn’s Series scheduled for Bolivar Raceway in Adelaide this weekend (May 9) has a record entry in the junior catego ry of just under 30 drivers.

Formula A This

is

the

elite

class

of

TULA Uceania Ghamp#e-14-« Adam Graham, iHensheiwooQ pkU

Wynn’s Australian Championship Series kicks off Championships behind Finland’s Toni Vilander, narrowly defeating Clark.

Australian karting and the class which saw Sydney’s James Courtney dominate the 1997 World Championship.

Entries for 1999 are impressive

While talking past Champions, reigning ICA Champ Jamie Whincup steps up to Formula A as the lead Tecno driver, as does the

and include some of Australia’s best

1997

drivers - in fact, the 1999 entry list includes up to 20 drivers, all of whom would be likely race winners.

Over four rounds, this will be one class to keep a close eye on and the

American Junior Inter A champ

After demolishing his opposition at the Oceania Championships in Januaiy, Kosmic driver Alan Gungoes into Bolivar as the red-hot favourite.

A

champion Clint Cathcart, who will

Champion will be more than wor thy of the title as Australia’s best

take over the reins from Nick

One driver sure to be pressuring Gurr from the outset, though, will be 1998 Austrahan JICA Champion NeU McFadyen, who has made the move to seniors with the speed and style we have come to recognise fi-om him in the junior classes.

His pole position at Oceania sounded a clear warning to his senior counterparts that he was

Agland as the leading Arrow driver.

going to be a major threat in ICA -

1999

Australian

Formula

Australian

and

North

and Tony Kart Top Gun, Michael Caruso.

Another ICA driver stepping up to Formula A is former Victorian

Victorian Open, his first major event with an international reed

engine.

At that race meeting. Small was regularly pushed by the best in the country - Winterbottom, Clark, McLeod and Caruso - passing and repassing these drivers on his way to the front and ultimately claiming a top five finish in the final.

Other juniors making their move up are James Harrigan (Tony Kart), Cameron Thorpe (CRG), Joshua Townsend (Azzurro) and Jamie Carter (Gold).

The other drivers in this impres-

karter.

Leading the charge will be reign ing Champion Ryan Wlodzinski,

’97 ICA champion Troy Hunt leads Gary Dann, who has moved to Tony Kart

the PCR driver looking for back to back titles - but it will be a difficult

,Sea:i He.-'srie'ittocAl i>cl

mission.

With two race wins last year,

including victory in the final round, Wlodzinski only took a narrow championship victory over 1997 champion David Clark.

Clark

(CRG)

led

the

future champions led by the Oceania Champion, Tony Kart’s Adam Graham.

Graham was a sensation at Oceania in an incredible race with

Perth’s Daniel Elliott (Tecno),

Regan Payne (PCR) and Wade Lanham (TibiKart).

Wynn’s driver Elliott has just come

off

the

National

Championships at Easter with four titles - the best result ever record

ed by a junior driver - and he is sure to push Graham throughout the championship.

Payne’s pole position at Oceania and subsequent whitewash of the heats will see him again as a threat, as will be Lanham, who dur ing 1998 competed with a three year-old chassis and six year-old engines - his move to 1998/99 equipment at Oceania saw him immediately a threat and we can expect the same during the Wynn’s Series.

Joining the fray for the first time are a string of front-running Yamaha drivers, including Jace Lindstrom (Arrow), Troy Woolston (Arrow), Glenn Powles (Monza GP)

1998

pointscore going into the last round and was ahead on points in the final when a rare engine failure cost him valuable points in the race and ultimately the title.

But Clark is out for revenge and,

and James Gurr (Kosmic), the lat

ter the younger brother of ICA Oceania Champion Alan and him self an Australian champion.

With a Victorian Championship

together with Wlodzinski, is one of the red-hot favourites.

The only other driver in the

weekend,

under

his

belt

in

Junior

series to have taken a race win in

Agland moving on to Formula Ford.

that performance, together with the

sive entry list to keep an eye out for

International, Tony D’Alberto will

the past two seasons is local Adelaide boy Gary Dann, who

Making a return to the class is 1993 Australian Formula A cham

knowledge of Top Kart team owner and former Australian champion Tim Craig and team-mate 'Troy

will be Brendan May (Tony Kart), Luke Skinner (Dino), Matt Wall (CRG), Chris Gilmour (CRG), Trent Rogers (Tony Kart), Matthew Muller (PCR), Simon Richardson (PCR), former Victorian ICA cham

provide a regular headache, as will Max DeMeyrick, the Adelaide Junior following team leader Gary

force the issue a number of times

pion Daniel Richert (Mike Wilson)

to watch at Adelaide.

throughout 1998 in the JICA class

and Canberra’s Blake Curtis.

makes the move to Tony Kart this season after campaigning PCR and Tecno in the last two seasons.

His local knowledge of Bolivar, together with the strength and knowledge of the Tony Kart team,

pion Richie McLeod (Azzurro) , while reigning Australian Yamaha Champion Mark Winterbottom

One driver who did manage to

moves to the Kosmic team.

Intercontinental A

will make Dann a formidable force.

The Intercontinental A (ICA)

Other drivers to keep an eye on will be another local in Tyson

class is the biggest field in FMK history in this country, with 36 entries for the opening Bolivar

Pearce (Omega), Queensland gun William Yarwood (CRG), Speedway star Clayton Pyne (Tony Kart) and 1997 Intercontinental A Champion Troy Hunt (Top Kart).

Hunt was the leading Australian driver

at the

recent Oceania

Hunt, will see McFadyen irght at the pointy end of the field all year.

was Melbourne’s James Small.

round - this is four more than is

Small joins the Wynn’s team for 1999, alongside Elliott and Cathcart, but remains in the Drew Price Engineering-supported Arrow

allowed under the rules, meaning

team.

that for the first time we will be

Small’s debut in senior competi tion has also been remarkable, the

running qualifying elimination heats and four drivers will miss the

Sunday finals.

talented teenager running immedi ately at the front of the 1999

Round

THE 1999

Intercontinental A

A The class that breeds the superstars of tomorrow. Junior Inter is

gaining strength all over the coun try and this year, like the senior class, has record entries.

Leading the charge is a group of

1

May 8/9 Bolivar Raceway, Formula A ●

Junior Intercontinental

Adelaide,

● Junior

SA

Intercontinental A

step into the drivers seat Televised on

SERIES

SBS

'Speedweek'

and Optus Vision

May

16,23

'Chequered Flag'

4:30pm

Dann from Tecno to Tony Kart -

DeMeyrick is fast and, with local knowledge on his side, will be one After leading races at Oceania, New Zealand’s Wade Cunningham (CRG) has decided that he can show the Aussies a thing or two and makes the trip across the Tasman for at least the opening

round - along with Sydney’s Peter Hamilton, he will be a strong threat, though Hamilton is con

vinced he has the speed to take the title in his Mike Wilson chassis.

L

44

7 May 1999

Brian Stockman. (Mpix)

“EXCITEMENT” summed up round

three

of

the

NSW

Superkart Cluh Championships at Oran Park on April 12, dra mas including a sudden down pour, red flag incidents and leaders disappearing when vic tory seemed imminent - even Brian Stockman got into the act, with a race four spin which nearly cost him victory on a day when the spectators received

Malcolm Cancian also looped after hitting water, while Sharyn

the final and took third for the day

Battle and Ross Hansen drove cau

tiously mid-pack for most of the

Stocky was unlucky not to win the final outright, after harrying the

race.

250 of Holdforth for most of the

Anthony Zulian established an

early lead and appeared headed for victory, only to be caught by Ross with two laps remaining.

Troy returned strongly to win the next two heats, while Ross strug gled to finish race three with a slowing machine.

true value for their investment.

Paul Curren suffered extensive

Amidst the action, four perfor

damage to his machine in race two when a three-kart crash brought out the red flag at turn 1 - Robbie Trimmer explained that he locked up trying to avoid a sideways Battle and was tapped from behind

by Curren, who was then hit hard

by Robert O’Brien; while Trimmer and O’Brien were able to continue, Curren’s machine may be a write-

mances stood out, Dave Holdforth

repeating his Phillip Island form by winning the 250cc Nationals, Peter Young and Brian Stockman grab bing a perfect five in 125s and, dare we mention it, Slammin’ Sam Zavaglia turning the tables on the master, Pelli, by winning the 250 Inter category.

100cc non gear box Finally losing his ‘P’ status.

Young continued on his winning way with five wins, though he was fortunate that Don Collyer suffered a mechanical failure in sight of a heat win.

Behind him developed an intense struggle for the minor placings, with Bill Nelson, Peter Loprieato, Daniel Greenway and Andrew Davison all sharing the spoils.

A dnf in race one ended Davison’s

claim, while Nelson suffered a simi

lar outcome with problems sidelin ing him in the last two.

Final placings were Young, Loprietao and Greenway.

80cc The first race saw many caught out in the unexpectedly wet condi tions, with Troy Byron looking more like a figure skater than superkarter - by his own reckon ing, Troy spun some six times in five laps.

off.

Byron then struck trouble in the

final, a broken exhaust ending his day and ensuring Hansen would be the victor, with Battle second and

Cancian again coming home third.

125CC Run with the 250 Nationals, a small field of five 125s entered, Stockman returning to his normal mount after Charlie Lambous win the Victorian Title.

Stockman again dominated with five wins, though he was extremely fortunate that his race four spin was compensated by a red flag inci dent which brought about a restart - Dave Smith again fought hard, but eventually saw the now famil

iar sight of the red #43’s rear wing.

Nathan Shearman appeared set for a great second place in the final when a irght steering arm snapped exiting the dogleg and put him into the wall on the entry to MomoRecaro.

Peter Pollock inherited third in

behind Stockman and Smith -

race.

250CC National Holdforth has once again broken the Michael Crossland dominance

of the class with his second victoiy in the past month.

Through a combination of cau tious driving, a reliable Rotax motor and new Dunlop tyres, Holdforth was able to stay on track and finish each race to claim victo

ry - but he must have had fears of double vision as he battled the team entries of Crossland and

Stockman all day.

250cc International John Pellicano owes an apology to 250 International competitors everywhere because, as with Dr Frankenstein, Pelli thought it would be a great idea to experiment with Sam Zavaglia and a 250 Inter - but the scheme has backfired, ‘Frankensam’ defeating his own master.

In all seriousness, Zavaglia has learnt well and very quickly over the three race meetings he has con tested, breathing new life into the sport.

Pellicano dominated the day with wins in all preliminary races, while Zavaglia, Eric Hayes, Mario Todarello, Denis Pana and Viv

Coady shared the minor spoils.

Hayes broke through for a win in the final when Pelli broke down less than one kilometre from the

finish, while Zavaglia drove back through the field in pursuit of the leaders.

So Zavaglia won the day from team-mate Pellicano, with Hayes claiming third for the day.

-JOHN MORRIS

Dream ride: Karting benefactor Peter Crawford (right) with Crawford Cup Mygale Formula Ford aspirant Kevin Stray

Crawford Cup FFord drive A test drive in a Mygale Formula Ford awaits the winner of the inaugural Crawford Cup for Clubman Light and Heavy and all Formula Yamaha Light and Heavy drivers.

Instigated by Victorian competitor Peter Crawford, the VKA-approved Crawford Cup merely requires interested parties to register their names (along with a nominal fee of $50 per class entered) before the second round of the 1999 Star Series, which will be held at Ballarat on May 9.

At the end of the series, the lucky finalists will be given a test drive in a Mygale Foraiula Ford at Calder Park Raceway, the winner earning an actual race in the Formula Ford State Series.

A test drive, if arranged privately, would cost in the vicinity of $4800 per day, that figure including track hire, car hire, ambulance, transport, mechanic, race tyres, fuel, driving suit and helmet - but, if you enter the Crawford Cup by May 9, the opportunity exists to w-in a test drive and a race drive in a Mygale for a mere $50.

And even non-finalists can still be winners, as a VKA official will draw three names out of a hat at the conclusion of the Star Series, two of

whom will be in the observer’s seat for a hot lap wdth Dugal McDougall in his V8 Supercar during a sponsors day at one of the Victorian rounds of the Shell Australian Touring Car Championship.

The third winner will receive a free ticket to the 2000 Australian Formula One Grand Prix in Melbourne.

For more information and to lodge an entry, contact VKA Secretary Pam Arnett, PO Maiden Gullv VIC 3551, or your Race Secretan- before May 9.

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7 May 1999

Schuppan comes home

Formula Atlantic resulted in a FI

test drive with Tyrrell and he became a reserve driver for BRM.

He lost his place to a young Austrian called Niki Lauda.

An offer to join John Wyer’s Gulf sports car team saw Schuppan and Howard Ganley take second place in the 1000km race at Spa. After winning the Macau GP in 1974, Schuppan signed with Teddy Yip’s Theodore Racing for the Rothmans F5000 series and also had a lack-lustre

FI -chance with Ensign. Later FI outings with Hill and Surtees were equally unproductive, so he focused on a career in sports cars and F5000, joining Gurney’s Eagle

until Schuppan took the wheel in 1989.

lucky I was just to turn up with my overalls and helmet and drive someone else’s car until I owned

my own cars. It’s very stressful.

Driving is easy compared with try ing to find the money and operate your own team,” he said.

Schuppan was then contracted by a local company to build 50 streetlegal Le Mans Porsche 962s.

Schuppan’s operation engaged 80 employees and the future looked rosy. Eight cars were adready built when things took a sudden tirm for the worse - the Japanese reneged on the contract. They didn’t pull the pin completely, but now refrsed to

With 400 companies supplying

parts, $lm worth of engines from Porsche, carbon fibre chasses, a

1976 was a great year for the South Australian. Schuppan was

large wages bUl to meet each week, and given 14 days to repay his £5m loan, Schuppan’s company became

of

the

Year’

at

Indianapolis, he won the F5000

insolvent.

drive a Ford at Bathurst with Allan Moffat where he broke the

ers in court.

lap record.

Schuppan scored an impressive third in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, but began concentrating on endurance sports car races. After some fine podium finishes at Le

cars and some aeroplanes,” he said.

“I sold them to pay for my legal fees over the next two years because I believed what the Japanese were doing was wrong. Eventually I couldn’t fight them any longer. They got everything,” he said mefully.

As to whether he had any desire

Vem Schuppan is a fighter, and series in Australia, the Macau GP ! he decided to fight his former back again, and came to Australia to co

Mans, he won the 24-hour classic

in 1983 for Porsche. Schuppan was awarded an AM Order of Australia

in the 1984 Queen’s honours list for his contributions to the sport of motor racing.

He then turned his attention to

the lucrative sports car scene in Japan....

In 1987 Vern Schuppan launched his own race team using a Porsche 962 which he had pur chased from the factory as a wreck.

It was rebuilt, and Geoff Brabham and Derek Bell were signed as dri vers. Vem himself had been racing successfully in Japan since 1983 and now found he was driving in direct opposition to his own team!

The 962 ran with other drivers

Veteran (Pre 1918) C. Davies (Dodge Speedster) 21.56s.

Vintage (Pre 1931) Racing W. Bonning (Gipsy Special s/c) 14.82s.

Post-Vintage (1931-40) Sports 17.66s.

R. Bell (Rallton) Group K (Post Vintage) Racing J. Russell (Ford Spl.) 15.32s.

Group Lb Sports - up to ISOOcc W. Sayers (GTS Elfin) 16.02s.

Group Lb Sports - over 1500cc M. Russo (Carter Corvette) 14.55s.

Group Lb Racing - up to lOOOcc P. Schiiling (Austin 7) 18.13s.

Group Lb Racing - 1011 to ISOOcc R. James (Cooper Butler) 15.26s.

Group Lb Racing - over ISOOcc S. Powell (Faux Pas) 13.30s.

Group Sa (Prod. Sports) - up to 1000 G. Forbes (Austin Flealey Sprite)

said “I never ever realised how

team in 1975.

‘Rookie

Results:

When asked if he preferred man aging a team to driving, Schuppan

take the cars until customers were found for them - a subtle difference!

“I had a beautiful collection of

to

build

cars

in the future,

Schuppan said “Tlone whatsoever. I absolutely hated it. It’s a thrill to create a good looking car, but....

Porsche (Germany) originally sup ported the project and supplied the blueprints for the carbon fibre chas sis to be built in England.

“Porsche then announced they were going to build their own street-legal 962s but then got terri bly scared about the possibility of big lawsuits if these cars were bought by the wrong sorts of people who would write themselves off.

They eventually objected to the pro ject and went from supplying engines to opposing it totally.”

from a number of invited clubs

pion and gearbox guru Peter Holinger scored Fastest Time of Day in his Repco Holinger with a blistering time of 11.05s.

caught up with the 1983 Le Mans winner.

After driving karts locaUy, Vem Schuppan’s first big move was to go to England in 1969 to race Formula Ford. A successful step up to

annual Mangalore Sprints on Sunday, April 18 at the famous WW2 airfield and 80 competitors

times Australian hillclimb cham

around Adelaide’s famous streets. BRIAN REED

and dives in life than most.

The VHRR conducted the 14th

took part.

Coming out of retirement for the first time in 10 years, four

Aussie international Vern Schuppan came home to South Australia recently to drive an historic F1 car

THE boy from Booleroo, S.A. has experienced more quantum leaps

45

Gold for the Australian! Schuppan enjoyed his trip back to Adelaide, but who wouldn’t if they got to drive a Gold Leaf Lotus? (Photo by oiik Kiynsmith) These days, Vern Schuppan is back involved in the sport he loves, and in partnership with former FI driver Stefan Johansson he now

runs an Indy Lights team. “My love has always been with single seater racing,” he said.

“The sports cars I never felt were a serious thing, even though I fin ished up only driving them.”

Regarding the Indy Lights team, promising young New Zealander Scott Dixon has been placed on “a long term contract” on the recom mendation of fellow countryman Ken Smith. Dixon won the Formula

Holden title last year and was sin gled out from about 50 applicants for a test drive at Sebring.

“He impressed the hell out of us,” said Schuppan. “You feel you’re talk ing to a guy of 30, and he’s only 18 then he’s been racing for eleven years. He’s absolutely brilliant and he’s also very confident. He knows he’s better than all the other guys, m say ‘What do you think of those other guys?’ and he’ll say they’re just a bimch of schcwlgirls, and he’s actu ally talking about some fairly good drivers!”

see all those little things in Scott which make somebody special. I might be proven wrong, but so far we’re impressed.”

As for the future, the Schuppan/ Johansson combine hopes to move into CART racing later this year.

When asked about his own return

to racing at the Sensational Adelaide 500 meeting, the Australian star said the deal to mn

the Lotus 49B Cosworth was only finalised three weeks earlier, and he was “a bit rusty.”

“I was surprised when Dean Rainsford phoned to say the Chapman family had agreed to lend the car. I had hoped to come out earlier for the Classic Adelaide but

a car couldn’t be arranged. I want ed to be part of the Sensational Adelaide meeting and have a bit of a drive. I hadn’t even thought about the competition. I was just happy to have a drive,” he said.

As for wife Jenny’s reaction, Vem said “She’s terrified. She was very happy when I wasn’t racing any more and didn’t even come to the

track yesterday.”

There really wasn’t anything to worry about as South Australia’s greatest international driver

Dixon has already shown what he is capable of by scoring a podium finish in his first oval race recently.

“He’s intelligent and he listens,”

took him to the top back in the ’60s,

said his team boss and mentor. We

’70s and ’80s.

showed he hasn’t lost the skills that

Impressive Targa roll-up

17.21s.

Sa Prod. Sports - 1001 to 2000cc T. Sully (Sunbeam Alpine) 16.13s.

Sa Prod. Sports f61-69) - up to 2000 16.02s.

M. Briede (MG B) Sb Prod. Sports - over 2000 R. Sprague (AMC AMX) 13.90s.

Sc Prod. Sports - over 2000cc J. Irvine (Datsun 240Z) 15.09s.

Group M Sports - up to 2000cc J. Partridge (Elfin Streamliner) 14.94sebs.

Group M Formula Junior 14.32s.

J. Best (MRD) Group M Clubman R. Da Costa (Minda) 14.61s.

Group M Racing 0 up to ISOOcc P. Matthews (KJC Peugeot)14.16s.

Group O Racing - up to 2000cc R. Grundy (Elfin Mono) 12.78s.

Group Q - Formula Ford 13.61s.

A. Makin (Palliser) Group R - Racing & Sports J. Pike (Allgel Mk3) 14.85s.

Formula Libre

P. Holinger (Holinger Repco)11.05s.

Group N Prod. Touring E. Gorr (Alfa Romeo) 17.07s.

Group Nc Prod. Touring G. Cox (Holden Monaro GTS) 16.44s.

Marque Sports - up to lOOOcc C. Porter (Berkeley) 17.51s.

Marque Sports 1001-2000cc J. Dunkley (Datsun Fairlady)17.35s.

Marque Sports 2001-2500cc D. Duff (Datsun 240Z) 14.34s.

Marque Sports - over 2500cc J. Reark (Ferrari Dino) 14.58s.

Marque Sports - Clubmans 14.59s.

T. Boreham (PRB) Road Registered 1 B. Prowse (Alfa Romeo Spyder) 16.63s.

Road Registered 2 J. Kelly (Nissan Skyline Turbo)15.56s.

Road Registered 3

AN encouraging sign in Targa Tasmania was the growing inter

P. Chilianis (Austin Healey)13.40s.

est in the Shannons Historic cat

■ The Tom Flood Sports Centre in Bendigo was the venue

egory.

This year there were six cars in the competition section (up to

for the 1999 National Concours

of the Mustang Owners Club of Australia, and 300 magnificant Mustangs from all parts of Australia graced the oval on Easter Sunday.

1946) and a further nine which took part in the Touring Classic category for vehicles built between 1947 and 1965.

Flag car this year was John Lawson’s 1938 Alfa Romeo Mille

The Victorian Branch hosted

Miglia Spyder, a gem of a car and described by the Targa organis ers as “very rare and absolutely impeccable.” Crewing the Alfa

the gathering, and the tradition al big crowds in Bendigo at Easter were generous in thenpraise of the event.

with John were son Andrew and

The 1999 National Concours

daughter Linda.

Sponsor of the Historic cate gory, Robert Shannon was back

was also used as an opportunity to raise money for the Make- aWish Foundation, and Mike Hodges from Brisbane kindly loaned his Mustang to be used for ftmd raising along the way.

with his well-used 1930 Invicta S-

Type, and other cars taking part included a Jaguar Mk 1V and a 1928 Chevrolet National road ster.

Finest moment... Schuppan took out the 1983 Le Mans 24 Hour in Porsche’s works 956, sharing the winning car with the late Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood in a dramatic finish.

-BRIAN REED

46

ffiico)9®[?su^[F{}

7 May 1999

Two wheels beats four PHILIPPE Bugalski became the first driver to take a two-wheel-

drive car to victory in 11 years when he took his Citroen Xsara

kit car to victory on the 35th Rallye Catalunya, Round 5 of the World Rally Championship.

Bugalski and co-driver Jean Paul Chiaroni’s front-wheel drive, nonturbocharged Citroen Xsara Kit Car profited from the weight advantage of their car through the flowing stages of the Catalan mountains, to stay clear of the World Rally Cars which are up to 300 kg heavier.

Bugalski won six of the 19 stages on the rally, to score his and Citro'n’s first ever world champi onship win. Citroen led the rally from start to finish, first with Spaniard Jesus Puras, whose engine failed to fire up in pare ferme at the start of Leg Tv/o.

Second was Toyota’s Didier

Tajima wins again ■ Nobuhiro TWlonster’ Tajima won the second Queenstown Goldrush Hillclimb in New

Zealand after both his major rivals struck problems.

The Suzuki driver, who also won the inaugural event last year, only had expatriate Kiwi Rod Millen to beat in the final,

but Millen’s 1000 horsepower Toyota Celica GT-Four suffered a puncture not far into the final run and could not post a time.

The expected challenge from former World Champion Stig Blomqvist in a highly modified Group B Ford RS200 didn’t materialise, the Swedish star

having to retire before the final with engine problems.

Auriol while third fell to Tommi

Possum Bourne took second

Makinen, who improved his pace as the rally progressed and succeeded in maintaining his drivers’ champi onship lead.

Colin McRae, already a double winner in ’99, received a 30s penal ty after a turbo problem stopped him on Day 1, thereafter using the event for testing for the next event,

place in his 1998 Australian Championship-winning Subaru Impreza WRX. Bug’s no Bunny: Philippe Bugalski (left) was too fast for the 4WDs in Spain, taking Citroen’s first WRC win in his Xsara kit car. (Photos by sutton images) Carlos Strains: Sainz’s Toyota Corolla banged the scenery and DNFed.

course.

Thethefirst stage wasnumber cancelled due to enormous of specta

Defending triple Asia Pacific Rally Champion Tajima will be competing at the FAI Rally of

tors who had crowded into the area.

Puras wasted no time, taking fastest on stage two by 2.6s Sainz in third, Makinen

fourth and Bugalski.

And the dominance con

tinued, with Puras out front

at the end of the day from the flying Bugalski, Auriol (who won a stage), Sainz and Makinen with Loix in sixth. Richard Burns was

:,

Catalunya Rally - WRC Rd 5 1 Bugalski/Chiaroni

Citroen Xsara

4:13:45.6

2 Auriol/Giraudet

Toyota Corolla

4:14:17.4

3 Makinen/Mannisenmaki Mitsubishi Lancer

4:16:06.7

4 Loix/Smeets

Mitsubishi Carisma

4:16:21.0

5 Bums/Reid

4:17:47.5

9 Climent/Roman

Subaru Impreza Subaai Impreza Subaai Impreza Renault Megane Subanj Impreza

10 Liatti/Cassina

Seat Cordoba \A/RC 4:20:53.0

6 Kankkunen/Repo 7 Thiry/Prevot 8 Gomez/Juli'

struggling for Subaru, hav ing increasing problems with the Pirelli rubber on the hot and diffi

cult stages.

One of the surprises was Armin Schwarz in the Skoda Octavia who

had the car up into eighth ahead of the F2 Peugeot 306 of Adruzillo Lopes and Bruno Thiry in the other Subaru rounding out the top 10.

Gustavo Trelles was leading group N was in a dominant position in the production car class with a 1 min 3 sec lead over Hamed A1 Wahaibi with Giovanni Manfiinato in third all three in Mitsubishi

Bugalski chose the wrong tyres on the opening stage of the final day but, with just three stages remaining, but was still setting quick times and building rather than just defending his lead. Sainz suffered a puncture on the first stage, falling down the order to fifth

Graham Gambold and Chris Randall outlasted the field to win

the opening round of the Victorian Rally Championship the WIN TV Rally in the Valley on April 10-11.

The Truth is out here

a fastest time, putting himself all on the final stage but it was too lit line 28.8 seconds ahead, with

“It is a fabulous feeling to have won my first world championship event,” said the Frenchman. “We have shown that we are to be

counted for good results on the other two asphalt event we will enter, the Tour de Corse and the I Rally Sanremo.”

Mitsubishi filled the first four

Oman’s Hamed A1 Wahaibi leading home Italian Giovanni Manfrinato

and triple world champion Gustavo Trelles of Uruguay. Michael Guest was the first non-Mitsubishi in the

Production car class taking a solid fifth place picking up his first points for the year.

Makinen continues to lead the

Gustavo Trelles lost his lead in

drivers title on 26, three clear of

the Group N class on the final stage

Auriol on 23 while McRae is third on 20 and Sainz fourth on 16. In

of the day and A1 Waihabi finished on top ahead of Manifranto with

the Manufacturers title Toyota is

Trelles in third and Guest moving

on top on 43,11 clear of Mitsubishi, with Ford four points back in third.

up during the day to be sixth.

■ Experienced campaigners

but out of reach. Auriol was fastest

places of Group N category, with

power steering and the gear selec tor was jumping out of gear.

sprinters

*91:.

OnBugalski the penultimate blitzed the fieldstage with

anything,” said the Spaniard.

Bugalski immediately took up the challenge, trumping the 4WDs on the opening stage of the day.

Ford was having more problems. lems on the Focus which had no

■

as a result.

car, but we have not been able to do

Simon Jean-Joesph was suffering from intermittent hydraulic prob

XV

4:20:14.4

Makinen third and Loix fourth.

“I am very disappointed! I really wanted to obtain a good result! We have tried everything to start the

Gambold outlasts

4:18:46.9

looking to ensure a finish.

Day 2 and was forced to retire after being unable to restart his car this morning after the overnight halt.

IB:.-:

£BE! t- -J

4:19:34.3

tle too late, Bugalski going to the

Disaster struck for Puras at the

Canberra this weekend.

■

4:18:32.9

Lancers .Michael Guest was taking it steady back in eighth in the class start of the first liaison stage of

driver was keen to follow Bourne

up the mountain, because the Kiwi’s flamboyant driving style was dragging rocks onto the

the Tour de Corse.

from Auriol with Carlos

Bourne ran as last car in the

final, after Millen requested to go ahead of the Subaru - the Toyota

-JON THOMSON

NO, it’s not the latest in lunar landing craft, a model from the upcoming Star Wars collection or one of those things that keep Agents Scully

International San Felipe 250 in the Baja desert in California and Mexico, will bring 24 of his closest personal friends to the event to maintain the Isuzu

and Mulder up nights.

in Australia.

It’s American Bob Land and his Isuzu Vehi-

CROSS, which is soon to head down under to take

part in the 1999 Australian Safari.

Land, pictured here bouncing through the wilds of lower North American in the SCORE

The Safari, which will run from August 21 to 28, will start in Alice Springs and finish in Danwin.

1999 Australian Safari entries are available from

Advantage International on (03) 9427 9655 and close on July 23.

9m April 1999

47

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48

IFI

7 May 1999

5) MS

%

CLASSIFIEDS Sedaits/Sporfs Cars

Mazda MX-5, 90 model, race, rally, Targa car. Raced in 1995 Targa Tasmania. Brilliant red, rmmac cond. 1600cc twin cam, eli, 5 speed, LSD. $12,500ono. Will trade, swap etc. Ph: 0418 137

alarm, car bra and more. Immaculate condltbn. $11,500 ono.

XW Falcon Wagon, 6 cylinder, column shift manual, 6 seater, good tyres, 115,000 miles, starlight blue, needs repaint Chrome, panels all good. 3 months rego. $2,000 Ph: 02 4341

264. lu

Ph: 08 8370 2216 or 0418 831 317. isi

2273.153

Falcon EA SVO, red, 5 speed, front and rear spoilers, Recaro seats, 16" wheels, SVO suspension, Momo wheel, remote

Two XF Falcon Sportsmans, as raced by Leanne Ross.

Sedond place in 1997/8 champiorehip. Has run 33.2 laps. One car complete and very competitive, spare car complete less engine and all spares, $20,000. Ph: 08 82501903 after hours, m V8 Commodore Club Car, 253 engine, only driven 6 times and raced only twice. $7,000. Ph: Peter 02 4227 5874,0415 287

Mazda RX4 Club Car. SfSedan project, floater diff, watts link rear, trailing arms, disc brakes, peddle box, custom roll cage,

IIIIIIIIIIIIIC

too much to mention. $3,500 ono, Ph: 0419 191 612 or 03 9354 0417.152

753. 153

AUSCAR Sportsman #54 Falcon, winner ifnal round at Calder,

winner Adelaide 98. Highly competitive car, ready to race, new Nizpro engine, heaps of spares, can assist new driver. Genuine 1971 Camaro SS, 454, auto, power steering, power windows, central locking, air cond, billet star wheels. Ground up restaation, immaculate cond. Great Cruise car, genuine shew winner, 5 1st prizes, 1 2nd prize. Best Camaro in SA $37,500ono. Ph: 08 8528

w

sale, $9,000neg. Will separate. Ph: 03 5964 8405,

Mk II Ford Escort, rallycar. Completely fitted out and ready to rally. Top 3 stage times in 1998 VRC. $6,700 neg. Ph: 03 9360 0268ah, 03 93992255bh. 152

5370,0414828322. lu

LC Torana Group N, completely rebuilt, adjustable camber front end, cambered diff, lowered, heavy duty King Springs, adjustable Konis, new Bridgestone/Dunlop tyres, full interior. Less motor & gearbox. $3,000ono.Ph: 07 5534 8206. iso Falcon XY Sedan, ideal for restoring, fitted with SAAS seats, harnesses. Mechanically sound. Some body rust, needs repaint ing, Wide wheels, lowbar, new springsn & shocks, saddle, bush

Toyota Corolla, Levin Coupe 1992, 1600cc, 4AGZE twincam EFI supercharged engine. Extractors, 5-speed, ABS, 4 wheel discs, mags, roll cage, imported for rally/race use.

Serious performer. Suit Targa type events. $15,000 ono. Ph: 0419886544. 152

Escort 1970 Twin Cam, white/black trim, ideal fa Classic

es etc. Ph: Max Cairns 4045 4281. 153

Adelaide, Lactos etc. Must be sold, cleaning out garage, some

Bluebird, 1975cc L-series, forged pistons, shot-peened bottom end, stainless valves, close ratio 5speed, LSD, Hilux diff, 48mm Webers. Great toy. No time wasters. $5,tXX). Ph: 0411 209080. 153 Toyota KE25 Cub Car, Twin cam, fully rebuilt car, new Sparco seat, new harness, rebuilt 5speed, RPM clutch, Liteace diff, new club tyres, 99 CAMS logged. With trailer, ready to race. $9,000ono.Ph: 029661 3507,0418292349. 153 «a'

Porsche 934 replica. 3.3ltr turbo engine, G50 close ratio g/box, both just rebuilt la 99 season. Body in exc cond. Has good history, selling due to new one on the way. Some spares, $65,000ono. Also, other spares package, $5,000ono. Ph: 0418 323 004,03 9842 4332 (AH). 153 NASCAR Pontiac Grand Prix. Complete car, ready to race, plus spates S pit gear. $25,000. Ph: 02 9605 7013,0413 075 219. 153 Mazda RX-7 Club Car, Bond roll cage, half finished project, MoTeC ecu series 3, rear axle, Momo setas, $9,000. Hdinga 5 speed touring car gearbox, ratios to suit RX-7, $10,000. Ph: 0414

spares available. $8,000. Ph: 03 9499 3088 a 0418 367 004.

152

Stan Adler’s Porsche 964 replica, 3.5 litre, 330bhp engine fitted with MoTeC, 915 close-ratio gearbox, big brakes, Bilstein coilover suspension. Some spares. $80,000ono. Ph: 02 9873 3793. isi

235007. 153

Mazda R100 sports sedan 13B Bridgeport, very good condi tion. Lakeside 59.5 sec. Spares. $6500. Ph Don 07 5561 8210 152 Evo II Mitsubishi Larxier duty paid ready to rally, neva bent, lull spares kit, done only six rallies, 2rxJ 0/R Rally of Canberra 95 as driven by Marty Beckton. $35,000. Ph 0418 104 853 a 03

LJ Torana Sports Sedan, mid mount 302 Windsa top loada, saleable less motor and gearbox. As a roller $5,000, complete $10,000. Fresh paint work, rebuilt mota with only 10 minutes running time. Ph: 0418 354 723. 152

5248 5518 NBV 732. 152

HOT VC Brock Commodore. Build no 332, 308 V8, 4-spd manual, p/steer, air con, immac original condition, with books

T

i I ,I ’ ' . ●

and ddrvety papers. Reluctant laced sale. DH0493 $14,500.

Ph 0418 133 274

I^'

Open Wheelers

153

V8 Supcrcar, ex-HRT VS. 6 speed Holnga, complete spares package, as prepared fa Bathurst. Very competitive car, see rac ing at Phillip Island May 16. Sell complete - open to proposals.

Mazda Motorsport RX7 SP twin turbo. 12 Hour winner, driven by Johnson & Bowe. In immaculate race ready cond. Suit serious competita a collecta. $105,000. Ph: 02 9554 1080. 151

a»iriUV«MM4

I

il ‘V

Ph: 02 9618 7133,0408 289 261. 153

Commodore VL, Group A shell. Fad 9" diff, modofied Aussie

4 speed. Rebuilt 308 with 320bhp. Excellent cond, ready to race, $10,500. Ph: 02 4942 6233 (BH)

Cortina Mk1 GT two-door, Group N /Vppendix J, with red Historic log book Body good, interia excellent, mota not run ning. Lots of spares. $9,000. Ph: Don 07 5462 2415 (AH). 152 Prince Skyline GT. BE3 1966 model. Original equipment includes triple Webers, five speed LSD. Long range, chum fill tank, genuine 32000 miles with books. $12,000 firm. Ph: 02 4274 4498. 152

HQ Circuit Car. new mota, suspension and tyres, cams red.

$4,500. Thunderdome fuel cell and 3 sets of suspension. $1,000. Ph: 0418 500 287 a 03 9432 9482.

152

Mazda RX3 Coupe 13B. Not rusty, good trim. Runs well, needs small amount of work. Unreg. $3000. Genuine buyer

Porsche 964 (C2) RSR replica. 3.6ltr - comp exhaust, l/w fly

Terry Wyhoon’s Thinderfaird NASCAR, race ready with current race engine in Thunderdome a circuit set-up. $50,000.

Sports car. Monocoque tub, Subaru 1600cc maa and gear

Ph:018555821a0356581177. 152

box, uncompleted fibreglass body. New 3" 5-point Sabelt and Momo quick release steering wheel. $4,800. Ph: 02 6734 2259,

only. Ph: 02 4274 4498 bh. 152 Thunderdome HQ rollers x2, both alomst complete, one needs re-shell, includes almost new cage, harness, seats, fuel

0267323353. 153

Historic EHai Matw Group M, CAMS logbook and certificate of description. Features: Lotus twin cam motor, Hewland 5 speed box. new Goodyears. Immaculate condition. Ph: 03 5475

cell, chambered diff etc. $2,000 the ott ono. Ph: 0418 320 673 a

wheel, Motronic, kevlar clutch, 915 box with close ratios, LSD, Turbo brakes, dual cylinder with in car bias, Pagid pads, adjustable bars, coil overs. 2 sets 3 piece wheeb, IM Momo seate & harnesses. Road reg, carpet, powa windows, staeo & lull steel cage (FIA). CXiick Club, Dutton, Targa etc. Ph: Wayne 02 9524

Ford Sierra Group A RS500, brake nstors 12", 13" and 14". centrelock rear hubs and carriers, centretock socket and han dle, Turbo Cosworth pistons, “200" and "205" blocks, dry sump

1199. 153

head, tailshafts, driveshafts and more. Ph: 02 4367 6734 or

Commodore V8, sports exhaust system. Pedders suspension.

Dragway wheels. Group C flares, front & rear spoilers, tinted win dows, velour interia, sports steering wheel. Clarion stereo, reg

0412676 734. 152

03 9743 0083 ah. 152

2852. isj

Formula Ford Van Diemen RF95, new engine, immaculate cond, spares $35,000. Ph: Mike 08 8241 1777. 153

Van Diemen RF94, complete with Ritter engine, 95 body

pan, ponp and lines, brake pads, doors and panels, ^inda

1099. $7.400ono.Ph: 03 6381 1391,0419582218. 153

panels, spare set of wheels and a selection of ratios, someother

BMW 2800,6 cyl, twin carbie model. Manual trans circa 1970, straight tidy car, red cloth trim, heaps of wood. Ideal road car a

/mf,

suit Historic conversion. $3,000. Ph: 02 6494 9338.

spares. Complete package $29,000. Abo. enclosed trailer with annex, $5,000. Ph: 03 5174 5666 (BH) a 03 5174 5647 (AH). 153 Peter Worrall’s 125cc Australian Championship winning Superkart. 97 Stockman chassb with full bodywork, 94 Honda RS125 engine, just rebuilt. $5500 Ph 02 9824 7350 152

151

B

Datsun 1000 coupe, would make great 2L Sports Sedan.

Plus many spare panels and new laminated windscreen. $500ono. Ph: 02 4646 1513. 151 I

Jr

r^><

'

196^Holden EH Wagon. Reg until Dec '99, 4 speet.

IJ

$7000 ONO. Ph: 0413 871 556, (03) 5331 6148 ah. 152 KE20 Corolla. 4AGE, 5 speed LSD/4WD, cage, race seat,

Historic Sports Racing car. Has had only one event since total restoration. Rotary powered ex Group A sports car with Hewland gearbox. Built with best components including Renmax/Kadilcha chassis/body units. $42,000ono. Ph: David

sealed box, can be test driven befae sale. $1,000. Ph: 03 9563

0409603749. 153

harness, adjustable coilover front end. Balance bar. Original body, no rust. Log book. $4,990. Ph: 0409 997 911 a 03 9527 9606 ah. 152 '.

Thunderdome HQ. All otg books, new sealed mota (as new) 7072.152

Group C A9X sedan. Bob Morris Channel 7 Bathurst car.

¥ 'VT

Current road rego, recent restaation, complete history including tog books. Original L34 race eng. Super T10, 4 spots etc. Best

Torana Ul, club car a sports sedan. Marlbao colours, 192 blue prinl and balanced, 5 speed, 4 sport brakes, 9 inch diff.

Koni adjustables, full cage, excellent condition inside and out.

Ready to race. $4,100ono.Ph:0416217405. IS?

Ralt MkS - Hbtoric Group Lb. otg book, built 1959 by Ron and Austin Taaanac. $18,000 a swap fa Clubman a S(xxte Car. Ph: 02 9638 6300. 151

91 Reynard

ex factory works car. Comes with new Benson

engine, gear ratios, spare wheels & wings. Excellent condition.

Need to sell to finance new project. $62,500ono. Ph. 03 9570 3683 (AH). 0418172 889. 151

offer. May separate. Ph: 02 6242 6675.

●I

ROH Commodore Cup Car #29, 1999 spec Ready to race, only ran 7 race meetings from new. New engine. Very competitive, no expense spared. $23,000 neg. Ph: 02 4573 6418. 152

HQ Holden, NSW Div 1 car, 8 times top 10 a top 5 Bathurst.

Ultra reliable and fast. C&B motor. Autometres & lots more.

Professionally built car. $6,500ono. Ph: 02 4577 2615. 153

Mustang “69 Fastback, 351 auto, front and rear spoilers, rear factory window louvre, genuine 12 slot wheels, lull rego, in good condition. VHE 592. $20,500 ono. Ph: 02 9579 3212.152

FIDO 1972 model, 460 V8 auto transmission, power steer ing, B&M shifter, 4 wheel disc brakes, woodgrain steering wheel, bench bucket seat, otwaed, excellent tow vehicle. FKB 375. Ph: 03 9776 1694 a 0414 874410.152

Sports 1300 U2 Toyota, ultra reliable racing a hiclimb car, 3 sets of tyres, absolutely nothing to spend, cuskxn built tee tered traitor, great car. $15,000. Ph: 02 4721 5060. 152

1

7Mdy1999

SilM

Kart -CRG Kali, just t^prayed, excellent cond. Has not been on sisnce rebuild. Some spares. Rolling chassis. $1.400ono. Ph: 0412397177. isa

Staler Sedan: Commodae, Dave Best chassis. Winters quick change diff, 4 aluminium bead-lock rims. Ready to race less engine & gearbox. $9,900. Ph: Peter 03 5176 1352, 0418 134 174.

153

good HP, Autometer gauges, many new and used tyres, $9,000 ono.Ph: 03 5024 2194.

Super Sedan Brisbane #11, Ford EL, Thunderbird nose, competitive oar, ready to race. Winters rear, bert box, altoy radi ator, brodlock wheels, new brakes, all good gear. $25,000. Ph:

49

Transporter, 42ft, hydraulic tail lift, shower, basin, hot water ser vice, 4 bunks, room for 2 cars, plenty storage space. $45,000neg.

Ph: 02 9605 7013,0413 075 219. .53

2 kart trailer. Low profile side access door, 3600x3600 pit tent, 2 kart troileys, $2,650 the lot. SArego. Ph: 0418 854 323. 153

0418 753010. la

Engines Small block Chev, built by JSR, Brodix heads, roller Isky valve train. Grower rods, JE pistons, Brodix intake, BG carby, MSD dist, dry sump, 4 stage, 600hp, 500tq. Complete engine from air cleaner to sump-starter. All parts brand new, Ihr run ning in time only. Cost $30,000, sell $16,500. Must sell, business

0^ ’ ^ -

Tekora Clubman 1965, 948cc, BMC running gear, Needham SCCR, CAMS log book, eligible Histories, new brakes, tyres, 12 months rego OOB 294. $11,000 obo. Ph: 03 5261 3337. ,52

VK/VL Commodore 3 litre. Very competitive car, currently Vic#. Winner Mid Western zone championships last 2 seasons.

Neat and well presented car with spares, as racing. $7,900. Ph: 03 95320972,0418106 797. 153 Sprintcar and parts as used by Skip Jackson: 1 x complete rolling chassis, 1998 Jackson; 2 x Shaver engines, both 372 cubic inch; plus many spares. POA. Will separate. Ph: Paul 02 9829 7229 (AH) 155

commitments. Ph: 03 9580 0790. ta

Bow-tie block, siamesed Borgs, $3,500ono. Bow-tie 18 degree heads, late model, $4,000ono. Bow-tie manifold for 18 degree heads, $750ono;Ph: 0419 275 479. 153 Nissan V6 (1995) all alloy 24 valve quad cam. $1000. Ph Steve 0738149082

Chrysler 265 Hemi short eng, 4 inch bore, Romac blancer.

Billet cam modified block, spent over $3000. Sell $2300. Ph 07 32067604

Must sell Mazda T3500 serviceAow bus. Reg NIN-599. It's a 351 V8 on gas with 300 Itr tank. 5 speed with split shift, b/bar, t/bar, elec brakes, air con, fully fitted out racks, took box, hot water, work lights etc. Priced to sell quickly as eng not mnning.

Ph Graeme 03 5987 1500 .52

,32

Chev SB, high performance 355ci, manifold to sump, 12.5 to 1 comp, roller valve train, 4 bolt bottom end, approx 420-450 hp, can supply thicker head gaskets to make more streetable. Only quality brand names ised inside engine. Ring for more details. $5,700ono. Ph: 02 9604 8910 or 0417 253324.

152

Chew 60 degree VG, aluminium heads, roller motor,

all bowtie internals, 300-fhp. Including LJ Torana, fibreglass front, kevlar bonnet, 3/4 chassis, mini tubs, 9" diff etc. All ready for completion. $6,000 ono. Ph: 0412 008 290 or 0417 282 764.

Super sedan 351 Methanol mota, spare wheels, panels and much rrore. Ready to race. $5000. Ph Mark 014 617 716 or 02 9627 6864 ah 152

.52

Hemi 265 Turbo, dry sump, T04 turbo, 351 injectors, inject computer, will seperate, someparts. $2,500 ring for parts break down or $3,500 the lot ono. Ph: 03 5784 3105 ah.

152

$19,000. Ph 0418 327 408 ,52

Ford big block, 438ci, BG carb, roller cam, Stelfs pan, CSI starter, 600hp on avgas, complete race ready.

Must sell. Ph: 07 3281 1852 bh. 07 5594 1977 ah. 152

Westfield SE, Vifide 95 3000K's, 4AGE A008R's Superlites, Tonneau BRG yellow nose. Nov reg 039592 1542. $23,500. Ph: 039592 1542. 152

Race Car Trailer, 1992 build. 29 ft fully enclosed rear load ramp accom, power, water at front, tri-axle, electric brakes all wheels.Suit FormulaFord or similar.$6,200.Ph:03 9758 7904 152 Bus/Motorhome 6 berth, new tyres, new brakes, new paint job, new fitout inside. /Visair body. Ford 300cub.in. petrol motor.

350 Chev, Hilborn injected motor, dart heads, 4 bolt block, steel conrods and crank, roller cam, 3/8 pushrods, Barnes dry sump, tall alloy v/cover wiseo pis tons. May extras, $15,000 ono. Ph: 02 9663 4217. 152

Trailer Caravan, Iri-axle, HD coupling, beautifully appointed van. Large D.bed, 80L water tank. Suit Super Sedan, excellent condition. Must be sold. Auction on site Sat April 24. Long reg.

Likely around $4000-$5000. Ph: 02 9655 1530. .52 Ford 1976 D-series, set up for Super Sedan, good condition, air tank, tool boxes and tyre rack. $2,000. Ph: 07 3200 0652 ah or 07 3806 9900 bh. 152

Wanted

Parts Super Sedan QC, diff, alloy rims, alloy radiator, Carrera stxxrks, alloy fuel tank, torque link, qubk rack, power head less engine geartxix. $11,000 orx). Ph 03 5447 7530 ah or 03 5442

Datsun 1600 parts: LSD difi, R180 Detroit locker, 4.1:1, $900; 2 X Bridgestone RE71RS 195/60/14 soft compound, as new tread, $320 pr. Sydney. Ph: 0413 572 319. 153

5111

Chev Grp A S.OItr steel crank, $2,800 new. Prim & sec exhaust (VT), $2,500 new, VS $1,400s/hand. Camshafts $400, Roller rockers $600, dry sump $300, roller lifters $200, head stud kit $80. Ph: 03 95876199. 153

152

Reynard 893, in showroom condition. Current Australian Formula Two Champion, multiple lap record holder. Top horse power engine with short stroke billet crank. Masses of spares,

cages, brakes etc $2200 ono. Ph Chris 03 6331 2846 bh, 03

$39,000. Ph: 03 5279 5916 bh. 03 5244 1025 ah. 152

63341385ah,0419335531 mob is:

Drive available- Formula Ford for Bathurst, Indy and QLD championship rounds and some DTE. From $950 per day all

SprBiti:ar chassis, OTR highbar, with all panels, bonnett, seat,

inclusive. Ph: 07 5446 7611 Fax: 07 5446 7480. 152

birdcages, Nerls and much more. $3000 ono. Ph Chris 03 6331

How much will this car be worth when Webber hits FI? Van

2846bh,03 6334 1385 ah, 0419 335531 mob is:

Sprintcar parts - 2 front ends complete aluminium stubs and hubs. $1400 ea. /Vso Halibrand rear end complete with bid-

radiator bladder, tank, bars, arms, radius rods, Jacobs ladder,

035457 2224. is:

Super Seilan. Very competitive and proven race car. Best of everyfhing, some spares, complete ready to race. For more info, Ph: Peter 0412 399 020 or Daryl 0412 146 555. 151 T

)

t

ok iiilli -

Brabham, 1964 BT16 F2. 998cc Cosworth SCA, Hewland Mk 7 6 speed, FIA papers, green/silver. Perfect, race ready condi tion. $75,000. Ph: 0011 6494128512. 151

—

G

LV

aOcc Elanmator Supericart, YZ80 engine, blueprinted and

Speedway

TRD components, gearboxes FWD, RWD, difis (LSD), engines/heads etc. Ph: 0409 997 911 or 03 9527 9606.152 TE30 BMW M3, guards (flares) roof, spoiler, wind splitters etc. Chrome bumper model. For sale gen E30 BMW mags 14" with now G-Grid tyres, set of lour $550. Ri: 03 6394 3541 or 0407 543 006. is:

Media PR position in motorsport or race team. 20 years media experience. Good contacts, flexible hard worker, keen and now based in Melbourne. All offers considered. Ph: Ewan

Female members for 'The V8 Super Social Club" lor meeting up with others at race meetings or just to correspond with about motorsport. For further info write to Sue West, 5 Vernon Road, Wangaratta VIC 3677 or phone 03 5722 3488. 152

0412487 771. 153

Position Wanted with V8 race car team based in S.E. OLD

Hewland DG30O 1960-70 vintage gear sets, various, offers.

on volunteer, part time basis. Would be able to drive transporter

Ph: 03 9587 6199. 153

Ford: 289 Windsor Cariito con rods (set of 8) at fraction of cost, $1,400. Gearbox, top loader (Ford) inci linkages, 2.7 first gear,

Holden 308 road and race cams, roller rockers, stell & cast

etc. Phone Mike07 3801 1117ahor0413 994 960 152

Hollinger, Group A 5-speed gearbox. Call Ian on 0417 441 395.152

Weber caifaies, pair DCOE, 48 on 50 with number ending in 13 or 9. Ph: 03 9646 4296 a 03 9499 6701 ah. 152 ●

Alloy wheels 13" x 6.5" to 8" wide suite Triumph GT6, Spitfire TR7 or Lotus (3.75" PCD). Also, any competitbn parts suit GT6 and sibks suit above wheels. Ph Terry 07 3814 3762 ah or email esp@hypenmax.net.au 152

03 9587 6199. .53 >3

ported, close rafo gearbox, 125 clutch, Kelgate brakes. Some spares. $2,800. Ph: 0408 170365. 151

Motoring MrxJel. /Ipparel, Game & Video Shopfront Sales and Mail Order business in the ACT. Genuine opportunity lor under standing person. Ph: 0410 423 243. 153

Holden VS V8 cyl heads, brand new, in boxes, bare. $700prono.Ph: 02 6242 6675. ih Drag: B/B Chev blower manifold with port nozzles and burst panel. Ideal for boat or Wild Bunch, Blown Comp. $800. Ph:

cranks, headers, valve springs double & triple, VL V8 bellhous ing, M21 bellhousing, VL Grp A con rods. Ph: 03 9587 6199. 153 Speedway Quicktrak diff centre, QC-531A, new, $500. Ph:

-

153

Person or persons to invest in new. Unique Motorsport &

0408 143426 a 03 9587 9446 152

9482 2470. 153

sell. No reasonable offer refused. Ph: 03 9705 2791, 0417 369

2446.

6199. 153

$500. LSD Detroit locker, suit Ford 8 or 9 inch, $800. Ph: 02

7~T

engine. Many spares, full set ratios and jets. Wets & dries. Must 996. 151

03 9432 5454. 153

Speedway: Super Sedan set-up. Holley competition 750 methanol carby with spacer plate and Victor Jr tall manifold.

Latest design & all new. $1,000. Ph: 0412 487 771. lu BDA Cosworth distributor, cam buckets, pistons (s/h), llywheel, head gaskets, rings, valve guide seals. Ph: 03 9587

Diemen RF95 rolling chassis, excellent cond, suit collector or serious competitor. $25,000 or best offer. Ph: 0419 895 692 a

Supericart 80cc, Mac Minarelli chassis. 4w brakes, Yamaha

Ex HRT VP Grcxqi A body kit in absolutely immaculate condition, comprising carbon front air dam and brake ducts, skirts, drxx spats, rear wing and bcotlkJ. $1,500ono. Phone Brett

Ron Hay Honda 800 Clubman. Car built from Honda S800 wreck, had Renmax cast alloy wheels. Candy apple red in cobur. Featured in Sports Car World, October '74. Ph: 03 5255

LJ Torana, 3 litre, John Sidney engine, fully adjustable rear

end, Ro shocks, 5 near new Hoosier tyres, 2 sp^ gearbox,

ram clutch, assorted spare parts. $6,000. Ph: 03 5241 1087. 152 Moefified Production TE Cortma, ready to race, 6 cylinder methanol engine with 3 speed gearbox. Registered power steering, rear adjustable suspension, new gauges, new alumini um seat, loads of spares. $6,800 ono. Ph: Craig 0418 158 308 or 07 4634 0208. 152

4 only Cosworth 5.230, narrow journal, steel conrods, $1,000. 1 only 48DCOE Weber carb. $350. Ph: 08 8370 8595 (AH), or 018 082 256. 153 V6 Formuta Holden steel crank ACL $2,500, Rston (1 only) $200, fuel rails, alternator, dry sump, camshafts, water pump, roller rockers and studs, timing chain sets, gasket set. Ph: 03 95876199. 153

EH Hoklen Group N car parts: foam-filled fuel tank, $150;

full Bond roll cage $300; Lovells front/rear spring kit $200. Call Dean 0411749959. 153

Mercedes Benz 190E 2.6 16 valve fuel injection system com plete $15,000. Als exhaust manifold $500. Ph 03 6331 2849 bh,

Super Sedan, Pontiac Firebird, complete roller ino bert box, quick change, all /\FCO mnning gear, car holds track record,

03 6334 1385 ah, 0419 335531

$15,000. Ph: 07 3200 0652 ah, 07 3806 9900bh

Dart heads SBC full port and polich. Comp cams SS valves,

other Damon HilPs seat from 97 /Vrows, used at 97 AGP. Photos of

authenticity, great investment for Damon Ian. $700ono. Ph: 02 95401910,0412397177. 153

Model Car Swapmeet. All types ol models. Touring Cars, NASCARs, GP, Rally, plus motor racing art & lots more lor the motorsport enthusiast. Monday May 17,9.30am - 2.00pm. Baptist Youth Centre, enr Rothesay Ave S Dorene Street, St Marys, SA. Ph: 08 8276 5649. 153

Number plates, Victorian "REDRX7". Best reasonable offer. Ph: 0394654621.152

Moroso covers, iVctor Jnr heads brand new. $2500 Ph 07 3206

Motor books, thirty years ol Bathurst programmes, Aust Motoring Yr (9 volumes) The Great Race Volumes 1-16, Aust Competition (Motoring) Yr Bk Vote 1-25, Various videos, other books and posters. Sold sepaately or all together. Prices nego

7604

tiable. Ph: 02 43221190 or 0418 488 368.152

152

152

tyres, spare wheels & tyres. Very clean car. $10,000. Ph: 07

Memo 4 spoke, woodgrain steering wheel. Brand new, never used, bought $400, sell $200 ono. EL GT suspension, front starts and springs, rear springs, swaybar $250 ono. Bundodra.

Cast Iron Stands, previously used with engine dynamometer.

Multi adjustable, very strong, could be used lor heavy machinety/vehicles or just about anything. $60 each. Eight avail

5494 5240,0412656 763. 153

Ph: 03 9434 1059. 152

able. Ph: 03 52441025 ah or 03 5279 5916 bh. 152

97 Johnboy, ex-Skip Jackson USA car, complete less

Koni, double adjustable coil over shock absorbers. Only 3

engine, NSW9, splined wheels, wings. Winters long spline diff,

races old then vehicle sold. One pair 8211 1305 B3, 213 to 303mm length, another pair 8211 1322 B2. 258 to 393mm length. Ph: 03 5244 1025. 152 Ford Sierra, 5 speed gearbox $520. 2.0 Ford injection mani fold, complete $350. 2.0 “205" SOHC motor $650. Ph: 02 4367

V8 Supercar, team has space in Pantec for Fomnula Ford, Formula Holden, GTP or V8 Supercar, local and interstate rounds.

Ph: D'aroy Russell 0418 313 482.152

Staler Sedan, 73 Camaro, good straight chassis, strong 327 Chev, 2 speed Muncie g/box, Ro coli over shocks, McReary

Sanders driveline, radiator. All good gear, some spares. $17,500. Ph: 019981 572. 153

Datsun 200B, 4 cyl Rocket class Archerfield. Ready to race. $300 ono. Top mnner in class. Ph: 07 5573 6063 or 0414 559 775152

6734 152

Ford Escort, twin cam, interior trims. Watts linkage, aluminium anti-dive kit, sway bar, wiring loom, struts, steering rack and col umn,

new cam chain, hoses, gearbox etc. Ph: 02 4367 6734.152

Tkansporters/T^ailers

Super Sedan Corvette, 4 bar suspension, PSCF approved, rebuilt Halibrand, 0/C, new extractors & exhaust, bert box & bell

housing, full set of moulds, plenty spares. Less motor. Holds track records. $9,000ono.Ph: 08 8570 1050. la

ModHied Production, Telton clutch, power head, roller earn.

Transporter, 30', 4 axles, elec brakes, Stanfast annex 27x15', sleeps four. HWS, shewer, stove, 2 way, fridge. Excellent condi tion, 12 months rego. $10,500ono. Ph: 02 4942 6233. 153

Motorsport News Classifieds work...

See coupon on page 47

,

50

/]E®0(D[PS[fXo)[FO

7Mdy1999

r.i

roots level and promote the thing.

After all, one look around the car parks of any shopping centre will

tormport m

NEWS

confirm the look of this decade in

Editorial Editor

street cars is, undoubtedly. Super Touring - even HSV is copying it!

Do the so-called promoters include the various car clubs, Volvo, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, BMW,

rr)ri\/prrpil

Phil Branagan Technical Editor

Tony Glynn

Talk

Assistant Editor Gerald McDornan

Graphics Co-ordinator VIv Brumby

Attitude is everything Dear Sir,

Advertising

Lowndes got his 100 points back?

Advertising Manager

What does he have to do to get

Brendon Sheridan

penalised? Kill somebody?

He better not whinge when some body knocks him off the track.

And the arrogance displayed by Mark Skaife when queried about the rule changes disadvantaging the privateers was just unbeliev

Administration Managing Director Chris Lambden

Contacts

able.

89 Orrong Crescent Caulfield North VIC 3161

(PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161) Phone: 03 95Z7 7744 Fax: 03 9527 7766

Email: msnews@corpllnk.com.au CompuServe: ioo237,ii6S

Contributors General: Mike Kable, Jon Thomson,

Brian Reed, Darryl Flack, David

HRT might be the most profes sional team on the grid but their attitudes to other teams is just the pits.

US: Phil Morris NZ: John Ffawkins

Speedway: Brett Swanson, Dennis Newlyn, Sue Flobson, Tony Millard (UK), Rally: Peter Whitten, Jon Thomson Drag Racing: Gerald McDornan, Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Steven White,

Ken Ferguson, Scott Jug Super Speedway: Martin Clark (USA), Brett Swanson, Grant Nicholas Karts: Allan Roark, Sean Henshelwood Graeme Burns

Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Neil Hammond, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett,

Tony Glynn, Thunder-Pics, Marshall Cass, Mike Harding, Brisbane Motorsport, Frank Midgley, John Bosher, Phil Williams,

azine did not consider either race

worthy of a race report (you’re not on your own, neither did the “other”

Mike Patrick (UK), Tony Loxley, Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent

paper).

Artist; Bernie Walsh

times the content in Commodore

Tourers in the one race. No wonder

Cochrane is already spitting the dummy.

What was wrong with last year’s idea of Group N and/or under 2-

I personally think there is 100

Cup over the so-called “race cars” you seem to be able to find a full page for - ie: the home-made spe cials doing the motorkhanas and hill climbs.

Honestly concerned.

litre GTPs?

Noosa Junction, QLD

course by this publication.

of the 40 or so HQs, thank you.

Two’s better than one

No CAMS conspiracy

Bob Smith

Dear Sir, Why was there no information on the opening round of the Super

Dear Sir,

North Blackburn, VIC

Super Tourer promotion sorely lacking

watching.

Do you still want to get rid of the HQs boys? Ask the fans at the track and you’ll get your answer.

I am disappointed that your mag

As for Junior Tourers - good idea, but please, not with Super

John Johnson via fax

To both winners and the drivers

Dear Sir,

CAMS were still at the track and

I’ve seen.

motorkhanas and hill climbs are not covered as a matter of

Russell.

To Mike Drewer and all the peo ple associated with the running of this event, my congratulations. I’ll be back next year.

On the programme were two events for HQ Holdens - one being run on Friday night, the other on Saturday morning. Both races were exceptional.

I though I had seen everything that motor sport could offer, but HQs racing at night on a street cir cuit ... bloody magic!

I hope the deep thinkers from

some of the most talented drivers

etc? That’s got to be a thousand punters in each state for starters.

Peter Dutkowsi

Real racers rate, too

Adelaide 500.

Commodore Cup is a national class which provides some of the closest racing in the country, with

ED: Frankly, Johnson, I think you’re on the wrong tram, as

For those interested, Peter Holmes beat Neville Haley on Friday night by 0.17s.

In Saturday’s race, Haley beat Holmes by about the same margin.

like to stick his backside in a HQ. That’s where real racers race,

others, attended the Sensational

FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring

paper as reference and all I get is under a quarter of a page and one picture. Come on!

But, why wait until Bathurst.

Bolster fields now, otherwise this truly will be the last year of Super Touring.

PS: Perhaps Russell Ingall would

R. Miljko Endeavour Hills, VIC

I, along with many thousands of

Flassall, Aaron Noonan

Does not a winning margin of 0.17 seconds get your people excited enough to put pen to paper.

Channel 10 could not even put in five minutes of highlights. Not ask ing too much, is it?

There is more to motor racing than V8 Supercars.

often find it hard to get to any interstate rounds, so I turn to your

Dear Sir,

Well, first round of the Super Tourers has come and gone and hardly a soul would be aware of the fact!

Where was the TV broadcaster

announcement, the previews, etc?

With limited Brisbane-only TV advertising, it’s no wonder the crowd was thin.

Pity, really, as the racing was great. Pretty good field as well,

Toiuing Championship?

Why was there no information on the teams, their cars and driver profiles - especially on the two young drivers, four Audis and Volvos and the independent teams

without goggles, gloves, etc, the call comes from trackside marshals, such as flaggies, observers and the

which are the backbone of the

like.

championship?

In closing, I think the current sit uation in the sport is crazy.

Why can’t we have the choice to watch what we want, other than Ford and Holden battles?

Hopefully, some commonsense will prevail.

Why can’t we have two of the best championships in this country?

For the sake of motor sport, it’s time all parties put aside their dif ferences with each other and work

even if four or five cas sat in the pit garages and didn’t come out to play.

together.

And Henderson in the Vectra will be one to watch when he comes to

C. Addison

grips with the thing.

Super Touring is technically advanced and can be exciting (Bathurst ’97 & ’98), but needs some decent promotion.

Instead of trying to bag AVESCO’s Australian version of

NASCAR, get out there at grass

In reply to Lomas Wilson’s letter (MN151), I can assure all your

Engadine, NSW

Reality dose needed Dear Sir, I am writing to you with concern

readers that there is no CAMS con

spiracy amongst us.

If a driver is seen on the track

Usually the Clerk of Course is then informed and the driver is

black flagged and brought into pitlane and told of the problem and how to fix it.

The scrutineers (also volunteers) have little to do with it.

If Lomas spent more time at the race track and less in front of a

typewriter, he/she would realise this!

In my five years or so as a volun teer fire marshal, I have not taken part in any CAMS cover up, buried any alien bodies, or have been

involved in sinister plots against Australian motorsport!

Wait a minute, I DID see a suspi cious cigarette-smoking man lurk ing around pit-lane at Lakeside last year though. Trouble was, it was John Bowe! All the best John.

about how little your paper reports on Commodore Cup. Being based in Melbourne, I

John Zyzniewski Rochedale South, QLD

Cartoonist; Allan Schofield MOTORSPORT HEWS is published by Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd ACN No 060 179 928 Directors C Linibden (Managing). A Glynn

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