Motorsport News Issue 154 - 4-17 June 1999

BAR snatches ; T

Honda FI deal $4.50 (NZ $5.95 IncI GST)

Crimpton speaks eel in drivini stannaris Someone's

ft

going to get hurt...

jj

^ Mans preview Mallala double CART win

●--■c

NEWS

4 June 1999

Battle for Bathurst

heats up

Rumour of the Week: We expect expand to a full two-car equip in 2000 (Mark Larkham’s Mitre 10 team has its own TEGA fran

Bathurst race with vehicles from

egory to take on the Super

two distinct sanctioning bodies in

have taken a couple of steps for ward in the past fortnight.

As we closed for press, both CEO Gregg Swann and Chairman of the

The category’s creation is part of a package designed to re-vamp the

Sydney, meeting with Channel 7

traditional Bathurst 1000 event,

which has run up significant losses for the Seven Network, which has promoted and broadcast the past two Super Tourer 1000s.

Newly appointed race promoter Advantage Intemational has by all accounts hammered out a final set

of category regulations for the pro posed New Millennium AUSCAR formula acceptable to both AUS CAR

chief

Bob

Jane

and

Advantage, which will see the cate

gory’s cars capable of racing at both circuit and Thunderdome events.

While one of the original movers of the Junior Tourer concept, Ron Harrop, has withdrawn from active participation in the project,

John

Osborne were

initely two cars. And with Kiwi Craig Baird set to share the existing Pirtek entry with Jason Bright in this year’s long dis tance races, you don’t need to look too far for a possible second

executives to resolve some issues

and gather information before that vote.

car candidate...

“We’re still assembling all the information we can and we needed to hear Channel Seven’s views

■ After all the hype, no fur ther action is to be taken against

directly,” Swann told Motorsport News on Tuesday.

“We’re still waiting for final tech nical and sporting regs from Advantage, and also an official application. I’d expect a decision

any of the ten drivers who

recently had their licences repos sessed by CAMS after recording three driving-related “convic tions” within the last 12 months.

next week.”

■ Hot Open Wheelers, a web site dedicated to providing news on Australian open-wheeler tal ent competing overseas, has

In the meantime V8 Supercar group AVESCO is maintaining its staunch opposition to the new cate gory and the concept of a CAMS permit for a dual-sanctioned Bathurst race (as per our last

been nominated for a 1999

Internet Sports All Pro site award. HOW’s address is

issue).

While no formal legal action has been initiated by any party, there has been a deal of posturing and behind-the-scenes pressure Motorsport News understands that Calder’s V8 Supercar round is at risk, although Bob Jane is

stood that they follow the original Bruce Williams/Ron Harrop concept quite closely, the main difference being the requirement for an AUSCAR-style roll cage.

'The basic philosophy of a moder ate-cost 400bhp V8 category, capa ble of matching the Super Tourers over the lOOOkms, remains.

expressed dismay at some of the statements being made by those seeking to can the proposed V8 for

The other crucial issue remains

No comment from team boss

Ross, but the vibe we hear is def

in

expressing reservations at the mod ifications to the original concept, the completed regulations and race plans were to be revealed to a gath ering of Victoria’s potential com petitors on Wednesday evening., Although Motorsport News was unable to sight a set of regulations prior to going to press, it is under

the vote by the Board of CAMS as to whether to issue a permit for the

chise and is thus a separate team in its own right).

the same race.

Board

Two SBRs for 2000 for Baird? the Stone Brothers team to

THE prospects for a new V8 cat Tourers at the Bathurst 1000

3

www.tgl.com.au/hotopenwheel ■ Andrej Pavicevic’s tough run in the European Formula 3000 series continued in Spain.

The Sydney driver failed to make the field for the third

straight race, while Fortec Motorsport off-sider Norberto

adamant he has a solid contract for his 1999 round and this week

mula:

“Frankly, I’m surprised that one or two of these people haven’t been advised by their own legal people of the Restriction of Trade implica tions of the things they’ve been claiming,” he told Motorsport News.

At the same time. Eastern Creek last week withdrew from its sched-

Typical Bathurst views: The track will be the same and Channel 7 will be there but what will the cars look like in October? (Photo by

uled round of the BOC Gases Super Touring Championship (which was potentially to host the first support ing event for the new V8 category).

“Commercial reasons” were cited

(see separate story).

Industry insiders expect the com bined Bathurst race to go ahead regardless of the decision by CAMS

Kiynsmiih)

on a race permit.

As Advantage’s Steve Frazer told us this week:

“I very much expect CAMS to issue a permit for the event. But if not. we have the option of running the whole event under an AUSCAR

permit...

“This event is going to happen...”

BTCC carnage at Oulton A DRIVER was killed and several others had lucky escapes at a wild weekend at Oulton Park in England.

Formula Ford driver Neil Shanahan lost his life on lap 4 of the FF Championship event when his Van Diemen plunged into barriers at Old Hall Corner.

Medical officers were on the scene immediately and treated the Irish teenager while the race was stopped but, despite being airlifted to the Countess of Chester hospi tal, Shanahan, who won the Irish FF title last season, had suffered major injuries. He died shortly after.

British Touring Car rookie Russell Spence suffered a huge accident in qualifying. Spence’s ex-works Renault Laguna was out on a wet track during qualifying when either the car's throttle stuck open or his brakes failed.

The car speared straight ahead and mounted a tyre wall, which launched it over an armco barrier and vaulted it over a two metre catch fence. With a dazed but mostly

uninjured Spence still aboard, the car ended up with its U1

r*

How did THIS get here? BTCC rookie Russell Spence got more than he bargained for when his Renault Laguna vaulted the armco during qualifying at Oulton Park. The car came to rest in a

spectator area, barely 3m from a catering stand. Spence was unhurt in the accident. (Boihwcii photo)

nose in the dirt and rear wheels tangled in the fence.

“The car was only 10 feet from a catering stand," said eyewitness, Motorsport News lensman Mark Bothwell, on Monday. “The only good thing about the incident was that Russell was okay and that it was qualifying, if it had happened on race day I don’t want to think about how many people would have been standing there...”

The chaos continued on raceday Monday, the Feature BTCC race getting as far as the first comer before John Cleland, Jason Plato and Alain Menu came together.

Cleland and Menu were out on the spot but behind them, the Hondas of Peter Kox and James Thompson collided.

Thompson’s car burst into flames, which were quickly extinguished.

Once again, no drivers were injured in the incidents.

Fontana ran 15th. German Nick Heidfeld took his second win

from three starts, 3s ahead of Monaco winner Gonzalo

Rodriguez and Portuguese Andre Couto. Next race is in France on June 26.

■ Another Davo! Will Davison,

16-year-old brother of current FF hotshot Alex, has tested the Wynns Racing Van Diemen at Calder with encouraging results.

The teenage son of 1980 F2 champ Richard has several major karting successes behind him already and Will may have a few outings in the RF95 at State level later in the year.

■ Kiwi FF gun LeRoy Stevenson was out of luck in the

NZ FF Festival at Taupo last weekend. In the final the

Invercargill driver clashed with Simon Gamble, forcing him back to third. Phil Hellebrekers won

the race, while Aussie Warren Luffjust got by veteran Kenny Smith for fifth.

■ Gold Star leader Simon

Wills had a tough baptism in the NZ Winter Cup at Taupo. ’The Birrana Racing team leader had his Holden Commodore punted off the track by a back marker while third in the 30-lap event.

Angus Fogg took the win in his Ford Telstar from Jason Richards’ BMW and Chris

Butler (Commodore).

■ Get some earplugs for that man! Former speedway competi tor Rocky Maxwell is sharing a car with Angry Anderson for the Konica Variety Bash which starts next month. The two will

share a 1965 Dodge truck which has been nicknamed Thomas

the Tank Engine’.

4

4 June 1999

Bernie

bags $2bn Bemie Ecclestone has

finally launched his Eurobond issue and

announced last Friday that the deal is the first step towards the future flota tion of his Formula One

Holdings company. The Eurobond plan has taken nearly eight months to come to finition but it has

gone ahead despite the fact that the Emnpean Commission’s Competition Directorate is still continu

ing its investigation into the way FI is run. This is a major coup for Ecclestone, who reportedly gains around US$1.4bn ($2bn) from the issue.

■ Tlie FIA has been

criticised recently by a Geelong engineering com pany which has been developing a new kind of safety barrier for Foimula 1 racing. Aiifence Safety Systems says that the goveiTiing body is refusing to install its shock-absorbing barriers on the grounds of cost. The Airfence system features plastic units which absorb shock by the rush of air from one cham ber to another. It costs

US$1000 a metre.

■ David Richards’s part ner in Prodrive Ian Pany was in Barcelona on a low-

profile fact-finding mission about Formula 1. prodrive has been looking a differ ent ways of breaking into Grand Prix racing and is currently running the Lukoil-sponsored Arden

h}S®9®ffSUXo)[f’0

GP stars slam rules FORMULA One racing needs a shake-up, according to some of the leading drivers in the world.

Now for something rea//y exciting; Damon Hill and Williams’ Patrick Head have lead the criticism of FI's

Drivers, etam owners and the media

regulations after a snore-test in Spain.

have called for a major shake-up of the category’s regulations after what has

(Photo by Sutton Images)

been described as “one of the most bor

ing races ever” at the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona last Sunday.

Damon Hill has said that the current

regulations, which mandate for narrow grooved tyres and smaller cars, had taken the sport “up a blind alley” and rendered overtaking obsolete.

“When 1 come here for the Grand

Prix the wind is blowing and my car is bloody impossible to drive. It’s just

two spots at the start, moving to third in his BAR-Supertec, which eventually stopped with mechanical failure.

Hill was himself involved in the other

when he forced his Jordan-Mugen/ Honda past Rubens Barrichello’s Stewart-Ford in the final stages of the race to take seventh.

Drivers have called for the return to

ridiculous.”

wider cars and wider, slick tyres, which

His former designer, Williams’ Patrick head, said in Spain that the rules had forced Bridgestone to make “lousy tyres”.

“These are not natural racing cars,” Head continued. “They are being stran gled because the wrong part of it is being attacked. We are chasing these cars to very narrow widths.”

David Coulthard, who finished sec

were banned at the start of last season

ond for McLaren behind team-mate

Mika Hakkinen, said that “the road we

are going down is not good”.

“In ‘95 1 used to be able to get on a straight five car lengths behind a car, get a good tow down the straight and get past it before the comer.

The overtaking manoeuvres that did happen at Barcelona were at the oppo site ends of the 65-lap race. Former champion Jacques Villeneuve grabbed

Formula 3000 team.

Romano crashos

in a bid to return overtaking to the class.

Another groove was added to front tyres this season to slow the cars fur ther but the net result has been that, while the designers have reclaimed some of the cars’ lost speed, they have

made them hyper-sensitive to aerody namics factors like ‘dirty air’ and wind changes.

Ironically, FIA President Max Mosley said in a recent media conference that

he thought that the mle makers were

heading in the irght direction to make the cars behave in the dry more like they do in the wet, where overtaking has been more common in the past.

But clearly, given the rare vocal out cry in Spain, the drivers and designers disagree with Mr Mosley.

PAUL Romano has escaped relatively lightly from a huge accident during testing at Lakeside last week.

Although the Siemens team is still assessing the wreckage of its VS Commodore, it seems likely that the young ster suffered a steering break age as he arrived at the 200kph kink in Lakeside’s front straight.

“He heard a clunk and it

An all-new VT Commodore

AUSCARs being a sticking point.

Hones said that “it came up, but we hadn’t seen anything regarding New Millennium AUSCAR. We made the

decision purely on commercial groimds. We don’t know where they (AUSCARs) are going with their new arrangement with Advantage International, hut that wasn’t the issue.”

.The matter has been discussed at

an Extraordinary General Meeting of the club and approved by the mem bers.

The new Oran Park race means

back in Milan.

-JOESA WARD

miss this

what those difficulties are.”

On the matter of Millennium

private jet shattered soon after the plane left Milan.

The window stayed in place and the plane made an emergency landing

last month when Internet stocks dived.

The team will

weekend’s Darwin race, but hopes to be back for Sandown

trying to hire a track for a national event, and I am not going to go into

■ Eddie Irvine had a bit of a shock last week in Milan when the wind screen on his Falcon 10

B The flotation of

“It does say a great deal for these modern cars,” Bap con tinued, “and he’s quite fit...”

is also under construction.

market. At the moment

Reynard Motorsport Inc on Street was delayed

home, albeit bruised and bat tered and with a stiff neck.

ground,” father Bap told us

there is no pay-per-view service in Britain, leaving ITV - which supplies the free-to-air coverage - in a monopoly situation.

expected to be considerably lighter than the current engine and will have an extra 15 horsepower. It is currently being developed by a design group led by engineer Pino d’Agostino.

pital, but was cleared to go

three weeks later.

TV irghts for the British

the British GP. 'Hiis is

Romano was taken to hos

went straight on, like someone had jacked it up off the

Broadcasting for the digital

B Fen-ari is rumom-ed to

The car hit the tyres almost head on.

OC series back to Oran Park

■ Tliere are stories cir

culating in Britain that Bemie Ecclestone is nego tiating with Rupert Miu-doch’s British Sky

have a completely new VIO engine in the pipeline which is due to appear at

this week.

But will Watts return? The BOG Gases Super Touring Championship is heading back to Oran Park. (Bob Potts photo)

THE BOG Gases Super Touring Championship has added an Oran Park race to replace the recently-cancelled Eastern Creek race.

The meeting will take place on the short circuit on July 18, the date recently ‘cancelled’ by the ARDC. The move comes about after a

series of negotiations between TOCA

Chief Executive Kelvin O’ReiUy and the club failed to permit the meeting to proceed.

venue for the four-day race weekend on July 18.

“I discussed various marketing matters with (ARDC’s) Chris Hones.

I put together an agreement and fol lowed with a phone conversation in which he said he was nervous what AVESCO would do if New Millennium AUSCARs ran on the

(support) program.”

O’Reilly says he wrote to the club, offering to excluded the NMA class

from the support program, and

decision on purely commercial grounds.

“It wasn’t going to be commercially viable,” he said.

He also says that the event has not

that, while Australian teams may still go to Macau’s November Guia race, it is not likely to be a champi onship event.

It was thought that one of the main problems with the event was that European teams would run on ‘free’ tyres while the Aussie cars would be restricted to Yokohama’s

been ‘cancelled’, it was never con

control tyre, which speculation at

firmed. When the calendar was issued in December 1998 it was sub

Mallala last weekend suggested would be up to 4s a lap slower that

ject to commercial arrangements with TOCA. There was never any guaranteed commercial arrange

the latest Michelins.

Rumours also suggested that Audi Sport Australia was likely to field

ment.”

two cars for Brad Jones and Frank

Hones said that the ARDC, which had previously hired both Amore

Biela in the event and had already secured a Michelin tyre deal. Neither

'This week O’Reilly pointed out that TOCA attempted to make alter

offered to hire the circuit but that the club advised that it had discussed the offers and declined on “commercial

Park and Eastern Creek to TOCA for

Brad nor team manager Kim Jones

BOC rounds, decided to do that

native arrangements with the club to

grounds”.

again.

would comment on the matter last weekend at Mallala.

hold the event, including hiring the

Hones says that the club made the

‘We have difficulties with anyone

-PHILBRANAGAN

S

Honda's F1 bombshell ● No Honda HRD team

By JOE SAWARD Honda

Company has announced that it will supply its new VIO engines to British American Racing for the next three seasons.

The decision means that

the planned Honda Racing Developments operation which employs 90 people at its factory in Bracknell, Berkshire - will be scrapped.

It remains to be seen what

will happen to HRD - there are a variety of rumours con cerning possible buyers for the team - but the Honda announcement has been

greeted with much discontent.

“I do not care who buys us,” said one HRD employee we spoke to, “as long as they are not Japanese.”

Honda’s move highlights a split in the company’s board of directors which has occurred since the retirement

of Honda president Nobuhiko Kawamoto

last

summer.

This split has resulted in an uncharacteristic

lack

of

this

weekend’s

races at Sandown.

asked to pay US$150m to Honda for a three year engine supply deal.

The Mobil-HRT endurance driver will drive John Faulkner

Honda could not turn down the deal and as a face

Racing’s Commodore VS at Sandown on June 27, Willowbank on July 11

saving exercise for Yoshino, it was announced that engi

and Calder two weeks

neers from Honda’s Research

later.

and Development company will be involved in the design

McConville’s car will

i-un in the colours of long time sponsors Mossimo

of the BAR chassis.

The deal is a great coup for BAR. The Honda VIO engine

and Warwick Fabrics,

is rumoured to be well ahead

with

of the current designs in terms of technology which should

Tattersalls. It will be the latest car to run with a

mean that the team will be

highly-competitive next year.

The danger is that BAR is too new a team to use the

engines effectively and opportunities will be wasted.

Even BAR bosses admit

that the operation is not yet

Photo by Sutton-images

Lucky, or just good? Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta will have Hondas in 2000.

Hondas (er, Mugens) for Eddie JORDAN Grand Prix last week con firmed that it will continue to use

a team and that it wiU take a

Mugen-Honda engines in 2000 and

couple more years to forge that kind of understanding

2001.

between team members.

It seems that there is cur

rently no end to the amount of money BAT is willing to

company.

The new team has spent vast amounts of money to buy Tyrrell, hire top engi neers and Jacques Villeneuve and build a new

then changed its mind. This is particularly embarrassing for Kawamoto’s replacement Hiroyuki Yoshino who

factory. Huge sums have been spent on the media to promote the team. In addi

announced in December that Honda would field its own FI

pay something in the region

team, building both the chas sis and the engines in England. Since then Yoshino has had to give way to pres

for breaking its contract for 2000 with Supertec. is around US$20m in debt at

sure from the board of direc

the moment but it seems that

tors to give up the idea, sav ing Honda an estimated US$500m (A$710m) of

BAT is happy to go on paying, although BAR Commercial

investment in FI.

Moser did say in Monaco that

The compromise has been provided by British American Racing which is under pres

the team does need to find

tion the team now has to

of US$10m in compensation There are rumours that BAR

Director (a BAT man) Tom

Tobacco to be more competi

additional backing.

Honda says that it is still looking at what to do with HRD. Having made legal

tive. In order to ensure better

commitments

results the team argued that it needed a better engine deal. The Supertec VlOs were

Ecclestone and the FIA,

sure from British American

Series rounds follow

ing

able to return to FI. BAT was

invest in FI to be successful.

ments to the FIA and FI boss Bemie Ecclestone - and

McConville

Shell Championship

little sign of Renault being

direction at the top of the The company set off down one path - giving commit

drives for

CAMERON McConviUe will drive in the three

not competitive and there was

Motor

JFR Shell

IlffR''

● BAR, Jordan get engines THE

5

4 June 1999

JXa

to

Bernie

Honda will no doubt have to

settle with both organise-

The team says that it will receive engines on what it calls an “equal specifi cation basis”. It is not clear exactly what this means although the implication is that the engines will be the same as those being supplied to British American Racing.

Splitting effort along these lines does not make much sense for Honda if it is

serious about winning races and paddock rumours suggest that Jordan’s deal is not for the new engine but for a development of the existing unit.

Having said that British American Racing did not announce an exclusive

tions and it is widely expect ed that as part of the settle ment HRD will be passed on

Honda engine deal and so it is possible that Jordan will get the same basic engines, although these will be prepared

by Mugen.

The relationship between Mugen and Honda has always been a complicated one.

Mugen is run by Hirotoshi Honda, the son of the late Soichiro Honda, who built the

Honda Motor Company into an industry giant. Mugen claims to be independent of Honda but there is no doubt that Honda has

been using the Mugen F1 programme as a way of keeping up-to-date with the latest F1 developments.

To confuse matters Hirotoshi - and his

mother - control around 40 percent of the shares of the Honda Motor Company and so have considerable influence on the

company’s decisions.

- JOE SAWARD

to Ecclestone. The team can

then convert the existing cars to use Supertec engines and would be ready to run

British American racing

The Swiss team’s current

both planning to dump Supertec next year, the

arrangement with Ferrari is expensive and not very suc

Williams

and

next season. The team could

company is looking for new

then be sold as a going con

business.

Benetton - which uses the

cern.

Sauber to a Supertec deal.

cessful but there is no guar antee that a Supertec deal will be any more competi tive.

engines under the Playlife name - would get another engine deal if one was avail

Sauber says it is looking for a partnership with an

with the old Renault engines

paddock agree that the team

to work hard to rebuild the

for another season.

reputation it had when it left the sport at the end of 1992.

There have been rumours in recent weeks linking

is simply holding on in the hope that Toyota will buy into the operation.

of direction has caused bad

feeling throughout FI and the company is going to have

from

‘split’ paint scheme, with a painted zipper down the middle.

“It will actually be my Shell Series debut,” said McConville

this

week.

“Even though I’ve driven a lot of cars at Bathurst

and so on, I’ve never actu ally started a Shell round.

“It will be good to get some race miles. I’ve done

a day with HRT and that was positive, but it will be good to do some race miles as well.”

McConville will test the

car in the next two weeks,

while he is expected to have at least one more

test day with HRT. - PHIL BRANAGAN

Bradley

... and what for Supertec? back to WITH

It is now a question of waiting to see if the Honda gamble pays off. The change

support

able but it looks as though ' engine manufacturer in the the team is going to be stuck future but most people in the

WILL THIS CHANGE TOYOTA’S FI PLANS?

Mitre 10 BRAD Jones will join Mitre 10 Racing for the and Willowbank Bathurst enduros this season.

Jones, who finished fourth in last year’s FAI 1000

Classic

at

Mt

Panorama, will drive the Stone Brothers-built Falcon AU with Mark Larkham.

“He did a good job for us last year and, equally important, are his team skill,” said Larkham.

By JOE SAWARD

HONDA’S decision to go back on its commitment to running its own Formula 1 team may have a dramatic effect on rival Toyota’s plans in Grand Prix racing.

rc I

Toyota is planning to enter its own oper ation on FI but with Honda having decided to revert to being simply an engine manu facturer, it is quite possible that Toyota may adopt a sirnilar approach, particularly if one the FI teams was able to offer the

Japanese giant a large sum of money for its engines.

I*-

JllH

Now hear this: Toyota President Mr Hiroshi Okuda announces the company’s FI plans last January. (Photo by su«on images)

lions of dollars and there wiU come a point at which it no longer makes financial sense to continue.

As British American Racing has now proved, a large sum of money from a team could very easily change Toyota’s mind. Such

a deal gives the company plenty of coverage while saving a lot of cash. This is very popu lar with the accountants.

The current dearth of FI engines is creat

“He fits into the team

very well; we’ve always clicked and we’ve always done so. We went close to

winning last year and we’re hoping to go better this year.”

The car was looking strong for a win last year until

Larkham

was

ing a situation in which well-connected

stranded on the track

teams such as Benetton and Sauber will look

briefly with an electrical

to their sponsors to pay car manufacturere to build engines for them, just as TAG McLaren did with Porsche in the early 1980s.

fault.

Porsche has often said that it would be

Larkham, forever prac tical, also pointed out that he

and Jones are

At the moment Toyota is planning to base its team in Cologne, Germany. If the entry which was going to Honda Racing Developments is taken up by someone else

happy to build a new Formula 1 engine if someone is willing to pay and others may fol

Toyota wUl not only have to invest heavily in its engine, chassis and personnel but it may also have to pay millions for an entry.

This is going to run into hundreds of mil¬

to convince Petronas to offer a large sum of money to Toyota for engines in the year 2001

have to go to all the trou ble of buying a new race-

or 2002...

suit ...”

low.

An obvious move now would be for Sauber

almost an exact fit physi cally, which means less hassle during pit stops.

“It also means we don’t

- PHIL BRANAGAN

6

4 June 1999

lKl®0®[FSffXo)[J’0

■ Jack Roush had two

great days last weekend, the former drag racing star turned enginebuilder and team owner

had one of his cars, dri

ven by Mark Martin, win the NASCAR Busch Grand National race at

Charlotte on Saturday night.

The 57-year-old Californian then followed

up the next day with a victory at the Brickyard when Kenny Brack won the Indy 500 with a Roush-built engine, and

CART/IRL make-up long way off I call it ‘May whine’,” is what Indy Racing executive League U

director Leo Mehl describes as the cur

rent calling for recon ciliation

between

CART and the IRL, echoing IRL boss

Tony George’s senti ments that there is lit tle chance of a com

Coca Cola 500, also at

promise in the wind and deflating the hopes of many believ ing a reconciliation is

Charlotte!

not far off.

another NASCAR win,

Jeff Burton driving his Taurus to a win in the

■ A media boycott on the Indy 500 was averted at the last minute follow

ing Indy boss Tony George’s decision to issue media credentials to

Sports Illustrated journo Ed Hinton.

Hinton had been denied credentials fol

lowing his stoiy about the Charlotte/IRL spec tator deaths titled “Fatal Attractions” - the article

being accompanied by a photo of covered-up vic tims of the incident.

The Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times had also announced they would follow Si’s deci sion not to cover the

event in support of Hinton.

Following

informal

talks between the two

groups George last week accused CART of fuelling reconciliation reports “in an effort to satisfy spon sors, distract attention

from the Indianapolis 500 and boost the price of CART stock”, which is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock

Exchange.

“They need to continue to give some glimmer of hope that something is in the offing to help keep their stock price where they want it to be,” George said.

Confirming that there had been a meeting with cart’s Andrew Craig, George added that there was no indication, as far

as he was concerned, that there is common ground and that a merging of the two series is a real possi bility.

“As long as we have dif ferent philosophies, we’re never going to strike any kind of accord. I can’t say I’m encouraged by any thing we talked about, said George.

“We’re not going to compromise ourselves just to get them back here,” he said.

“All we are attempting to do is to act in good

My

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faith for what we believe is in the best interest of

the sport and the fans. We have made no secret of the fact that all our teams would like to race in

Indianapolis,” said Craig in response to George’s comments.

But both George and Mehl made it clear that there would be no deal that would allow the CART teams to return to

the Indy 500 unless they also run the other 10 IRL races.

CART and IRL Brack together? Maybe not, says IRL boss Tony George.(Matthewstockman/ALLSPORD

but Penske still hopeful DESPITE

the

harsh

words, one of CART’s most power team owners Roger Penske, insists the harsh words

from the IRL’s Tony George doesn’t mean a reunification between

that have taken place. I’m sure there have been many by car owners and other people in Indianapolis, they’re genuine and they’re positive,” said Penske. “I just don’t know why that was said.

“I’m not sure that’s real

Whatever the talk, it seems unlikely that the two sides will patch up their differences anytime soon considering the hur dles they face, including dramatically different chassis and engine speci

the comments because I

you’re trying to bring something together, com ments by people that are key should be guarded so you work toward a solu

fications.

think the

tion

the rival open-wheel series’ is dead.

Penske

said

ly what Tony’s thinking, but I wasn’t there. When

that

he

believed George’s words were simply frustration.

“I was disappointed in conversations

and

not

drive

the

process further apart.”

“I think this is a tough time to be trying to negoti ate anything. Once Indy’s over, maybe both sides can have some positive discus sions. I think we should try to get to a conclusion here as quickly as we can.”

Penske said the catalyst for peace has to be George. “’There’s no question in my mind we can pull this thing back together,” Penske said.

“One man has to make that decision.”

Still holding out hope: Roger Penske is hopeful of seeing his cars again at Indy. (Race Access)

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GERMANY or Mexico will be the next to be

with the FLA following the

introduced to Indy car racing according to CART president Andrew Craig - although any new races won’t hap pened before 2001.

1991 prohibiting CART from racing on anything

“The biggest impediment is sticking with the num ber of races we have, so we’re having trouble find ing places on the sched ule,” Craig said this week.

“The teams are commit

ted and ready to go, but we’ve gone from 16 to 20 races in just a few years.”

Craig has long wanted to further internationalise

the series, mainly to satis fy sponsors who provide

CART up to US$430m per year, but the organisation is restricted in its desires to move outside North America - a deal struck

first Australian race in

but ovals outside North America.

For a potential German race, a new 1.5 mile oval -

the Lausitz Ring - is being constructed

south

of

Berlin and will be complet ed for 2001, suiting CART perfectly.

Although Europe is not accustomed to oval racing, Craig sees that as a posi tive.

“There is no point in looking like Formula One,”

the English-born Craig

look upon oval racing with disdain, that it’s just the business of turning left.”

“But

what

we

have

found, such as in Japan, is that once they experience it, once they see that there is not a bad seat, that they can see every car on every

lap, for the entire lap, atti tudes change rapidly.”

In

Mexico,

at

least,

Craig won’t have to jump that hurdle.

Being

on

the North

American continent, CART can stage a road race in

Mexico and repeat its foray into that market in

said. “We don’t want to

1980-81.

provide German race fans with something they’ve already got. We’ll bring something they haven’t

And that is likely what will happen if CART returns, says Craig, who says there are “a couple of tracks quite interested”

seen.”

“I think most Europeans

from Mexico.

7

4 June 1999

Sprintcar ace set fer V8sP Report by GERALD McDORNAN

THREE-TIME

Australian Sprintcar Champion Garry Brazier is believed to be target ting V8 Supercar racing

factory-backed drive on

News earlier this week.

“It’s true we have extend

ities and results have often outshone the contro

ed an offer for Garry to have

versies.

Pennzoil

World

While not being drawn to comment further, Weel is believed to again have an

in the near future with

prical irde in his Sprintcar,

agreement with rally star

abounding around speedway circles

but that’s as far as we’ve

Neal Bates to co-drive his

gone with it,” Paul Weel told Motorsport News this

new AU Falcon in the long distance enduros although that arrangement, due to Bates’ factory links with Toyota and their own sub sequent V8 plans, could be ended if Weel’s attempts to attract official Ford sup port come to fruition.

rumours

that

Brazier

will

be

teaming up with Queenslander Paul Weel

week.

and

Controversy has fol lowed the extremely tal ented Brazier everywhere he has been, including the

deal

US where he twice walked

between Brazier and Weel

out on a full-time Chrysler

at Bathurst Willowbank.

Reports

had

a

V8s irse from PI ashes for Darwin run, but Rogers remained

Supercars badly damaged at Phillip Island will be on the grid for this weekend’s Hidden Valley round,

of Jason Bargwanna and

unconcerned:

Garth Tander.

“We’ve rebuilt enough of these now for it to be fairly right straight away!”

the

near Darwin.

Lany Perkins’ Castrol car, rear-ended during early practice, has been rebuilt, as

“Garth’s was actually the worse of the two,” Garry Rogers told us this week, “but they both had damaged rads, so it’s been a lot of work.”

Neither car was complet ed in time for a shakedown

left foot in his home Gi'and Prix in Brazil in

■ GTP Class C leader

Ryan McLeod vdll make this weekend’s round of

the series in Darwin, thanks to the support of local Ford dealer, Ron Lindau.

Lindau will financially back McLeod’s Hidden

Valley campaign, along with also supplying work shop facilities, if needed, and two qualified mechan ics to the team.

“With competition this close, dropping even one round could make all the

difference and, if it wasn’t for the help of Lindau Ford. I wouldn’t have

even been going to Hidden Valley,” McLeod said ear lier this week.

have the two Valvoline cars

of

missed the last three

races after injuring his

the last two races, claim ing a solid eighth place in Barcelona last Sunday.

What do you do when you have two strong personalities, two liveries and only one show car? You BAR it...

Larry Perkins and Russell Ingall have come up with this great split-personality Castrol SLX/Castrol Racing show car. The car, which was airbnished and painted by custom paint specialists Warpaint in Melbourne, will make its first public appearances in Darwin this week.

V8

MOST

impressive debut at.

Albert Park in March, has

fit and will race at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Zonta’s return is bad news for Finn Mika Salo.

The former Aitow driver has subbed for Zonta in

of

new Queensland Raceway,

The Brazilian rookie,

April.

But Zonta is now fully

Outlaws tour, but his abil

a test drive in our car at the

and he’s offered me a reci-

Ingall split!

who made such an

pete at the next Grand Prix in Canada.

\

close to fruition, although Weel denied the story when contacted by Motorsport

the

Perkins &

■ BAR driver Ricardo Zonf a is certain to com

“Unfortunately the rain meant we couldn’t really try

The youngster’s Aloe Quench

it out at the Island...”

deemed a write-off and,

Neil Crompton’s FTR Falcon was quickly repaired

although he has concluded a deal to take over Wayne

Commodore

has

been

■ GT Radials have

is

and has since run at two

Gardner’s Coke Commodore,

hopeful of a repeat of its strong showing at Darwin last year:

Calder test days: “The car itself was totally square when the guys

it stiU needs repair work fol lowing its last race, in

signed a 12 month agree ment agreement \vith AVE to be naming-rights sponsor for their weekly motor racing programme, Speedweek.

“GT Radial is becoming

Adelaide.

one of Australia’s fastest

“We’d been to

checked it an hour after the

Winton prior to Phillip Island

race. The damage was, fortu nately, all superficial,” Crompton said this week.

Missing from the Darwin grid will be Dugal McDougal.

McDougal should be a starter for Sandown, while Gardner will get an all-new

growing tyre brands and through ongoing sponsor ships like this one, we’re set to achieve our goals,” GT Radial Group GM Dennis Rigon said at the

The

Valvoline team

and found some worthwhile

speed.”

Perkins VT for his next race, the IndyCar GP meeting in October.

announcement.

Development V8 plans continue

By CHRIS LAMBDEN

V8 Supercar group AVESCO is continuing to work on plans for its own supporting V8 cate gory, scheduled for introduc tion in 2000.

The second most famous Minogue is now reported to he goinp out with the second most famous Villeneuve. Dannii made an appearance with Jacques and his BAR in Barcelona. in.>io hysmi.'n imu-i, u

Board member Garry Rogers is heading a group working on pre liminary plans and he told us this week that progress is being made: “We’re heading towards some thing with basically the same rules as in V8 Supercar, but with some obvious restrictions — on

rev limits, diff ratios, valve lift and tyres — all of which should significantly reduce the costs of running a car.

We understand a 6,000rpm rev n

limit will be proposed, along with a Control tyre subject to tight quantity restriction.

“I’ve looked back at our own

team budgets and where we’ve spect most of our money in com ing up with these results,” Rogers said.

Race formats are also up for dis cussion.

■ Over 400 members of

Sydney’s drag racing com munity turned out at the Blacktown Civic Centre last week to hear a

progress report into the proposal to establish a dedicated drag racing facility on the property adjacent to Eastern Creek Raceway.

'The gathering heard reports trom proponents Jim Read and David

Cook, along with NSW Labor Party liaison Tony Beuk and civil engineer Larry Sullivan.

“We had our reserva

tions prior to the meeting, but the turnout’s given us renewed heart to keep on lobbying [the government for the track],” Cook said.

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4 June 1999

TOCA and First of the new ARDC head Saloon Cars for court

By PHIL BRANAGAN

AS

Motorsport

News

closed for press TOCA Australia was on the verge of commencing legal pro ceedings against the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club.

And the ARDC may counter-sue TOCA for expens es it says it is owed over the event - over $1 million.

TOCA is seeking $150,000 that it claims it is owed over the 1997 AMP Bathurst 1000

as payment for securing the field for the race.

TOCA’s papers were due to be lodged in the NSW District Court as we closed for press.

In a statement TOCA Chief

Executive Kelvin O’Reilly stated that the Super Touring promoter alleged that “the

TOCA invoiced the club for

obligations to reimburse cer tain expenses outlaid to

he would not elaborate on how much the club would

assemble the cars for the 1997 Bathurst 1000”.

seek, he did confirm it would

be “in seven figures”.

Three for Winton THERE will be a new format in the BOC Series at Winton - three races.

The move to a two Sprint/one Feature race format for Winton has been prompted, in part, by a suggestion by new broadcaster Network Seven.

“We’ve started to look at it because putting two 1 hour packages from one meeting is much harder than one 2 hour package,” O’Reilly said.

is also looking at running his Suggestions are that at least a dozen cars are cur

rently under construction and up to 20 are likely to appear on the grid before the first race early in 2000.

In the meantime any compe tition outings for the cars will be in combined Club Car

Ford thrills: Tlie new Falcon looks like being popular in the new Saloon Car class. (Phoio by Dirk Kiynsmiih)

line speed but we were able to over come that a little with our set-up..

on some cold and wet weather where

Darwin will be a different deal how ever. The track has a slowish corner

as Darwin this weekend will be exactly the opposite.

After topping the time sheets in our Cat Racing Falcon in the wet in the Saturday and Sunday morning warm ups at Phillip Island, you would think we would be praying for rain in the top

leading onto a really long main straight. Unlike Phillip Island, you don’t get the chance to really wind the car up coming onto the straight.

It is a real drag race, but if you are able to hold them off on the straight, there are very few other passing opportunities on the other parts of the track which are quite tight.

John Sidney has a new engine nearing completion which should be

end.

But despite all the team doing a bit of rain dance (and if you’ve ever seen any of our guys dance - it is not a good look!), Idon’t fancy our chance of getting wet.

We undertook a couple of days of testing after Phillip Island and were looking forward to the chance to get some dry laps under our belt.

But the rain clouds continued to fol

low us again. We only got about half a day in the dry which certainly wasn’t the ideal preparation.

approval. The teams that were at a meeting at Mallala and discussed said, ‘Let’s look at it’.

in the new car.

^^despite all the team doing a hit of rain dance I don Yfancy our chance of getting wet in Darwin

Wliether the longer race will feature a pitstop is still being

determined but it is possible, as Winton has a new, wide pit lane which makes entry and e.xit easy.

Darwin looks like is goingthanto last be even bigger and it better

SEVEN will start showing Super Touring racing on

year.

Sunday, June 13.

‘Start your Engines’, hosted by Mike Raymond, will screen from 12:30pm to 1:30pm.

The V8 Supercar circus was wel comed with open arms last year and the word from the Top End is the fans

With the transport industry playing

Triumpii, Austin Healey, MG, Lotus, Jaguar, Austin Healey Sprite, Morgan

Sonilay £ June

a fairly major role in the Darwin com

munity, I reckon the Cat car may be a bit of a favourite up North.

Our team will certainly make a bit of an impression when we role into

Brundle stars

only SID

McLAREN’S two seater ‘Project Adrenaline’ program has received the royal seal of approval from King Juan Carlos.

including access to competitors paddock area.

The Spanish monarch went for a blast in the billion-peseta machine at

Marque & Inter-marque Races & Regularity Events Admission

Barcelona

Seniors Card

on

the

weekend

and

emerged from the experience smiling.

“I must admit, even I was neiwous,”

Holders S5 Children under

14 years free.

Kiosk & bar

said Channel Nine commentator and

facilities on site.

regular chauffeur Martin Brundle. “He

Wakefield Park Goulburn HSW Braidwood Rd

(fofafi PROMOTIONS

town. The boys are travelling up the West coast of Australia through Broome with the race transporter hooked up in a road train format with another trailer painted up in the same colours.

Tel: 02 4822 2811 Fax: 02 4821 9305

E-mail: gofast@goulburn.net.au www.goulburn.net.au/~gofast

is the most important passenger I have ever had, by a long way. Also, as I live in Spain for three months of the year, I did not want to put a foot wrong.”

Now, if only we can get Martin to give a irde to Mr C. Skase of Majorca ...

ready for Sandown which should move us up the pack in the horsepow er stakes

Phillip Island also showed the amaz

ing advances that have been made in making V8 Supercars as a safe as possible.

Jason Bargwanna and Dougal McDougal had monumental crashes, but both were able to walk away.

But spare a thought for those guys.

Iwas able to walk away from a similar crash at Phillip Island a couple of years ago h but nobody walks away from those impacts without spending a couple of days feeling very sore.

It took me weeks to get over my crash which was undoubtedly the biggest of my career.

But at least we were able to walk

are keen for more.

mi ^ritisli Sports Har Race Meeting

events.

V8of Supercar certainly a life contrasts.racing PhillipisIsland turned

Maybe, those clouds will continue to chase us up to Darwin?

We have probably done more laps in the wet that what we have in the dry

“Obviously, I have to draft some regulations for CAMS’s

The first Commodore is

car at Mallala to back-toback the makes.

But he also pointed out that the legal proceedings had nothing to do with the

some fairly substantial losses from the ’97 event” and, while

V6s and Ford Falcons, is

being developed as a replacement for the longrunning and successful HQ Holden category.

first Holden in SA while Melbourne driver Les Morrell

further discussion of the mat ter.”

ARDC have not fulfilled their

The class, which will cater for both Commodore

prior to parity testing between the marques.

Lindsay Gates will have the

owed the money,” he said.

“It’s been going on for so long that there was no point in

Hones said that the club “would have a cross claim for

rolled the car out for viewing at Mallala last weekend.

before the end of the month,

“We’re the ones that are

being treated separately”.

ARDC spokesman Chris

Bruce Heinrich's team have built this Falcon EF and

expected to be completed

the expenses several times, the expiration date on the final invoice being Tuesday May 25.

O’Reilly said that the com- ■ pany had no alternative.

ARDC’s recent ‘cancellation’ of the Eastern Creek BOC Gases series round.

“The entire matter of the Eastern Creek round was

THIS is the first of the cars

that will compete in the new Saloon Car Racing class later this year.

Qualifyingfor Cat Racing. We ended Iis going to be vital in

Darwin f

up with some steady consistent results at Phillip Island due to a good set-up and strong corner speeds.

Our car is a little down in a straight

away. The improvements that have been made in roll cages, seat belts and belt mountings and the manufac ture, design and actual location within the car of the driver’s seat has played important roles in making our ‘office’ as safe as it can possibly be.

9

4 June 1999

FFords

a final shake-down run with all three race cars

before heading to Le Mans itself next week.

The drivers arrive there

return

to Indy Fords

returning

to

A rush for Heathrow airport to

head for Germany for the final build-up to the focal point of our

By PHIL BRANAGAN FORMULA

t last! As I write I’m about to

are

year - the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Paradise for the first time

Frankly, after all this time, all the testing, all the work, we simply can’t

in four years.

the better. I’ve been a hard boy to

Surfers

The leOOcc open-wheelers will take to the sunny streets on October 16/17 in at least

two races on the Indy car track.

The move is a boost for the

wait for the race to start. The sooner

be around for the last few months,

tions, is better than new.

of the FF series is at Oran

the first CLR built for test work, so

Park on September 5) the opportimity to run in fi-ont of the CART teams is clearly a big incentive for teams and

my race car has been prepared without time pressures.

The 1995 appearance of the

very good on fuel consumption.

'-i

The has also the team Norisring race entered on July for 3/4 and I’m looking forward to driving

Bernd’s car and, as we know, I didn’t get a lap in the race. This

this car on a street circuiti Bernd

time I’m the lead driver in my own car, so I’ll qualify and start the car and obviously have the bigger

car and he reckons its fabulous.

has raced there in an ITC touring In “sprint” configuration (there is one 100km race each day), our cars should have over 700bhp for

input into how we go.

It is an opportunity to show

that weekend. Now that could be

what I can do, but at the same

exciting...

time it is a 24 hour race and the

emphasis will be on strategy and the mental contest to be quick but not make a single mistake.

I can tell you that after all the preparation and testing, we’re pretty “up" for a result. As last

Allside thoughts FI week are onand onea for theofnext half, but then it’ll be very much on our minds. FI is entering its “silly" season and one way or the other, I hope to play my part in it...

The CLR has, of course, been

appeared in the colours of Yellow Pages, who have sup ported him ever since in British FF, F3 and ultimately with Mercedes-Benz’s GT pro

next two weeks.

This year is very different for me. Last year I was co-driving in

pen, but the Mercedes team is very well prepared...

built purely for Le Mans, unlike last year’s car which also had to con test the GT championship. So the aerodynamics are quite refined in low drag spec and the engine is

The Indy car organisers are expected to announce the rest of their support package .in the

respective cars in final race trim on Saturday and then we wait until 4pm for the race start.

In the interim. I’ve been using

cars at the race was the first time that Mark Webber

gramme.

year showed, anything can hap

because Ihaven’t been racing...

We are as well prepared as it’s possible to be. My car has been rebuilt comprehensively after the Prequalifying shunt and, with a couple of appropriate modifica

class. Despite the fact that the race will not count for champi onship points (the final round

drivers.

on Monday and there's two days of basically settling in, relaxing, a bit of pit-stop drill, a couple of team meetings, before the first of the two practice/qualifying sessions, on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.

Both start at 7pm and go for four hours. It’s kind of strange to arrive at the track at 5pm each day, but that’s Le Mans!

Friday is a day off. That’s golf day — a seven iron in the trees with Bernd (Schneider)... plus lots of carbohydrates, pasta, vegeta bles, for the long weekend ahead.

Bernd, myself and Nick Heidfeld will shake down our

The other big plus we have is the Bridgestones. As the race goes on and the track gets cleaner I have the feeling that conditions will favour our rubber in terms of

wear and consistent speed.

By the time you read this, we will have spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Hockenheim, doing

will soon be

V--: C®r man Mark Webber is confident

of a victory at Le Mans with the new Mercedes Benz CLR (Pboioh) Suiion Images)

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Michael ends the drought slammed hard into the wall and

Franchitti spim down the track and into the infield grass before gather ing up his car and continuing.

“I got a run on Paul out of Turn 2.

World of Sport

Motor R!mng Calendar

He came down across the track to

hold his line. I got alongside him

Shell Championship Series V8 Supercars*

and we turned into the comer which

didn’t allow much room, said

Franchitti. “There’s a big bump in Turn 3. The front of my car hit the bump and skipped up into his car.

After that I was just hanging on. I didn’t really want to go into the wall

June 6 .. .Hidden Valley .. .Rd 5 .Rd6

June 27

. .Sandown

July 11

.. .Q’land R'way ... .Rd 7 Rd8

July 25 .. .Calder

FIA Formula One World

because I wanted to finish the race.”

Championship

Franchitti was able to stay on the lead lap and pit with the rest of the leaders under a caution flag. He came out eighth and moved up through the field, nearly catching Castro-Neves in the waning laps.

June 13

..Canada

,Rd6

June 27

. .France

,Rd7

July 11 .. .Great Britain

Rd 8

July 25 .. .Austria

Rd9

Aug 1

“The car was fantastic. I have no

Rd 10

Germany —

FedEx CART

Championship Series* June 6

.. .Milwaukee

Rd7

June 12

..Portland..

,Rd8

June 27

. .Cleveland

Rd9

By PHIL MORRIS

July 11 .. .Elkhart Lake ...RdIO

PERSISTENCE paid off for

Rd 11

Michael Andretti when he won the sixth round of the FedEx

Jul 18

Toronto

SOOcc World Grand Prix

Motorcycle C'Ship* June 6 .. .Italy June 20 ..Catalunya .

June 26

Rd7

Andretti ended a 25 race drought (and he had had only two victories in the past 40 starts) but never

....

Rd8

doubted he still has what it takes to

July 18 .. .Germany ..

Rd9

Rd6

. .Netherlands

July 4 ... .Britain

World Superbike Series* June 13 ..Germany

,Rd6

Ij June 27 ..San Marino July 11

Rd 7

...USA

Aug 1

Rd8 !

Rd9 I

Europe FIA Formuol 3000

Intemotionol C'ship June 26

,Rd4

. .France

July 10 .. .Great Britain ... .Rd 5

“I was driving the hardest I’ve

Aug 14 .. .Hungary

,Rd8

Jun 13

.. .Columbus, OH

Jun 26

.. .Madison

smiled Andretti.

The tide turned for Andretti after

a magnificent pit stop on lap 190.

He went into the pits in fifth place,

,Rd7

took only fuel and drove back onto

..Rd 8

the 1.27-mile oval in first place. He held off the strong challenge for the next 46 laps of the 236 lap race

,Rd9

Aust Formula Holden

around the 1.27-mile oval.

Jul 11 ... .Q'land R’way ... .Rd 4

“My guys called a perfect race with their strategy,” the 36-year-old driver said, choking up a bit. “We didn’t take tyres on that last stop.

Jul 25 ... .Calder

We had to take a gamble to get

Championship* Jun 27

.. .Sandown

Rd3

Rd5

Australian Rally Championship* Jun 5-6 .. .Queensland

Rd 3

Jun 26-27 .Forest (WA)

Rd 4

Aug 14-15 Melbourne

Rd5

FIA World Rally Championship* Jun 9

Rd8

Hospital and later released after precautionary X-rays.

A1 Unser Jr. started 24th after

Rookie Juan Montoya of Colombia

started

fium pole and looked to be in line to win his

fourth straight race. He held the lead until the

first round of pit stops on lap 36. He got caught up in caution flags and emerged in eighth posi tion, a lap down, behind then leader Roberto

‘Don’t worry, there’s still a lot of race left.

The young Brazilian took the advice to heart and didn’t let the

mistake phase him. He pushed hard and gradually carved his way up through the field. Castro-Neves brought the crowd to its feet as he drove his Lola into second place on lap 203 and moved close behind Andretti. But try as he may, he just

Moreno and second place A1 Unser Jr. He managed to regain the lost lap but was never again a serious con tender for the lead. He ultimately fin ished in 11th position.

Dario Franchitti had a tough race, but managed to finish third despite an incident in which he tan gled with team-mate Paul Tracy on lap 148. Tracy tried to squeeze past

stmggling all weekend to find the key to his new Marlboro Team Penske Lola chassis. The team used

an out-of-sequence pit strategy to take the lead for 10 laps, and Unser eventually finished 12th.

“We had a good run. I’m glad we brought the car home in the points, led some laps, and ran aU day,” said Unser. “Overall, we’re pleased v(dth the Lola’s performance. While I didn’t have much time to develop it before this weekend, we were able

to make gains each day. The whole team did a great job, and gave it their all getting the car ready. I’m looking forward to running the Lola on the Milwaukee MUe to see how we do there.”

Points after 6 races: Montoya 69, Franchitti 65, Andretti 61, Moore and Fittipaldi 53, Fernandez 43, de

couldn’t get by the wily Ani-etti for

Franchitti in the third turn and the

Ferran 36

the win.

two

Next race: Milwaukee (oval) June 6.

banged

together.

Tracy

fying and gratifying moment. “I was thinking in my helmet, ‘This is

Rd9

Michael Andretti and this is me. He

Aug 22 .. .Finland

RdIO

has such great experience and we’re

Sep 19 .. .China

Rd 11

1

ten

J

Categories marked * are telecast by the Ten Network.

Check your local guides for screening times All event dates In this calendar were

racing together. I can’t believe we’re

racing together.’ Next one I’m going to get it.”

Things didn’t look good for Castro-Neves in the early part of the race. When the leaders pitted under yellow on lap 36, CastroNeves missed his pit box and was forced to continue without making the stop. This forced the Hogan Racing team to improvise a new pitstop strategy.

“I thought it was all over,” he

correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks and/or associations for date changes.

said. “I told [team owner] Carl

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

didn’t get mad. He just told me.

Check your local guides tor screening details.

(Photos by Sutton Images)

second, but for him it was an electri

Greece

L

wall. He was taken to St. Louis

Milwaukee next week...

track position, and my Firestones hung in there. I did a lot of praying.

I’ve been in that position a lot of times and didn’t get it done. I was just concentrating on every comer of every lap. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t give Helio a chance.”

Castro-Neves may have finished

Jul 18 ....NZ

r

Budweiser to get through before

Andretti to win. He narrowly edged Helio Castro-Neves for the win by the sUm margin of just over 0.3s. ever driven, right on the edge.

Everything went perfect for once,”

oval, brilliant pit strate gy giving him track position and experi ence doing the rest. He really enjoyed the champagne spray, and he also has all that

hard.”

Hard work is what it took for

,Rd7

June 6 .. .Chicago

MOTOI

would come if we just kept working

,Rd6

Drag Racing Series

a

we’ve been in. We knew the wins

July 24 .. .Austria .

form on the St Louis

'

enter victoiy circle.

“You just start questioning what’s going on,” Andretti said. “But you have to look at and dissect every race. Realistically, we’ve been very competitive in just about every race

July 31 .. .Germany

1999 NHRA Winston

♦

CART series at Gateway International Raceway.

Rd5

Swift by name: Andretti struck winning

words to say about how great a job the team did,” said Moreno. “It’s not just about driving, it’s pit stops and strategy, too. After we struggled a little in the morning, I didn’t think that we could be as competitive as we were today, but the guys did a great job of deciding when to stop and when to stay out. We took some gambles, and they paid off.”

Max Papis finished fifth ahead of Greg Moore, Tony Kanaan, PJ Jones, Christian Fittipaldi and Jimmy Vasser.

Rookie Tarso Marques was out on lap 31 after he spun and hit the

[Hogan], ‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry’ a hundred times. But he

Chassis pop quiz: Pay attention, this gets confusing. Penske Racing’s Tarso Marques and Al Unser Jr have swapped their Penskes-Benzes for Lola-Benzes (above). Della Penna is swapping to Reynard-Toyota from SwiftToyota. Robby Gordon is swapping his Reynard-Toyota for a Swift-Toyota. Helio Castro-Neves was second in a Lola which means Dario Franchitti won both the ‘Honda’ class and ‘Reynard’ class in one go. (Photo by HaoeAccess)

i

4 June 1999

11

Brack drinks

Bobby's milk

By PHIL MORRIS

SWEDISH driver Kenny Brack had

taken

an

emotional

Indianapolis 500 win for team owner AJ Foyt.

But while the relativelyunknown European and the ram bunctious Foyt celebrated their win there were many feeling a pang of sadness for Robby Gordon. After crossing the appar ent void that separates the CART and Indy Racing league series the Californian was lead

ing the race with a lap to go when his gamble to run the last 31 laps of the race without a splash of fuel failed, forcing him to pit on lap 199 and drop to fourth.

“We knew it was close,” said Gordon’s

team

owner John

Menard, “but it’s the Indy 500 and you’ve got to go for it. I’m sorry for Robby. We ran him out of fuel. I just feel hke crying.”

never really had the race car to run up front.”

Finishing second was journey

man Indy C2U" driver Jeff Ward.

He stayed within sight of the in the final laps.

“I would rather be where Kenny Brack is irght now,” said Ward. I was strong all day. We were struggling in the beginning. But, then the car got almost perfect. I got real loose trying to get by a lapped car and Kenny got a run on me.

“I didn’t want ot put it in the wall and I didn’t want to run out of

fuel. I’m happy with second.”

Rookie of the Race Robby McGehee finished fifth. Robbie

Buhl, in another A.J. Foyt entry was sixth followed by Buddy Lazier, Robby Unser, Tony Stewart and Hideshi Matsuda.

On a day when there was often more action in the pits than on the 2.5-mile oval, including an accident in which a crewman was

gotten a splash of fuel [during the last caution period],” said

critically injured, there were numerous disappointments.

Most of the pre-race favourites

Gordon. “The car said we had was one. We knew what it takes

fell out of the race because of their own mistakes or mechani

miserated, Brack and Foyt cele

cal problems.

Arie Luyendyk, Greg Ray and Eddie Cheever, three of the front-runners at the halfway point, were sidelined within min

brated.

utes of each other.

“I don’t know what kind of (fuel)

Sunday was the last ride for Luyendyk, the 45-year-old twotime Indy champion, who said he would retire after the chequered flag. But the Flying Dutchman didn’t go out the way he and many fans had hoped.

Leading the race, Luyendyk tried to make an inside pass on Tyce Carlson, lost control in Carlson’s

to win and we let it sUp away.

“We definitely had the car otday.

It was very, very good!”

While Gordon and Menard com

tank he had in there, but I didn’t think he could do more than 30

laps,” said Brack.

His win was only part of Sunday’s success story for the owner. Foyt drivers Billy Boat and Robbie Buhl finished third

and sixth, respectively.

“Overall, it’s obviously a great day for A.J. Foyt Racing - first and third,” said Boat. “We just

(Photos by Vincent Laforet and Matthew Stockman/Allsport)

leaders and ran second to Gordon

“We should have come in and

two gallons and all we needed

Have a sip, AJ: Foyt and Kenny Brack got to drink the milk but Robby Gordon (below) was the sentimental winner, running out of gas within a lap of winning.

wake and slammed into the wall.

He stepped out of the battered

car quickly and waved to the fans, but his frustration was apparent as he pulled off his dri ving gloves and banged them onto one of he safety trucks.

His 15th and last Indy 500 was

solidly in the hunt when his engine, one of only three Infinitis in the field, belched smoke and died on lap 140.

It was considered chancy for Cheever to switch this season

won every IRL race the past two years, to the non-winning Infitinis.

The engine started vibrating and that was it,” Cheever said.

“The Infiniti is definitely capable

over.

from Aurora engines, which have

of winning races.”

“Really, I feel stupid right now. I went underneath Tyce and I thought he would make room for me. He came down and when I

touched the brakes, it made me

Pos 1.

2.

3.

Driver

Car-Engine

Kenny Brack

Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora R&S-Aurora

Jeff Ward

better.”

5.

“I was having so much fun. It was the most fun Indy 500 I’ve ever had. The car was phenome nal. It’s going to be a long siunmer, thinking how it could have

6.

Robbie Buhl

7.

Buddy Lazier Robby Unser Tony Stewart

spin out. I should have known

Ray, who took over the lead when Luyendyk crashed, wound up just as disappointed moments later. Following a routine pit stop

under the caution flag, Ray dart ed out of his pit stall and banged into the side of Mark Dismore,

who was in the fast lane heading toward his pit.

and failed to add to his winning tally of two. (pnotoby vincentLaioret/Aiispon)

Results 1999 IncHanapc^lliS po Billy Boat Robby Gordon Robby McGehee

been.”

So long old warrior: Arie Luyendyk started his 15th and final Indy 500

X

should have known better than to race the traffic like that. I

4.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

Hideshi Matsuda

Davey Hamilton Raul Boesel

John Hollansworth Jr

Dallara-Aurora

Tyce Carlson

Dallara-Aurora

Jeret Schroeder Mark Dismore Stan Wattles

G Force-Infiniti Dallara-Aurora

Eddie Cheever Buzz Calkins Roberto Moreno

Dallara-Infiniti Dallara-Aurora G Force-Aurora Dallara-Aurora G Force-Aurora Dallara-Aurora G Force-Aurora G Force-Infiniti G Force-Aurora G Force-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora G Force-Aurora Dallara-Aurora Dallara-Aurora G Force-Aurora

Greg Ray Arie Luyendyk Wim Eyckmans Jimmy Kite

Dallara-Aurora

Ray immediately got out of his car and strode away, leaving his helmet on to keep anyone from seeing his emotion.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said, his voice still muffled by his helmet. “I was otld to go and another car came up and hit me. ... Ijust wantto cry.”

That left Cheever in charge, hop ing ot become the first driver ot win consecutive races at Indy

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

since A1 Unser Sr. in 1970-71. He

Average Speed: 153.176 mph.

Lead changes: 17 among 7 drivers

fell behind Brack, but was still

31.

32.

33.

Roberto Guerrero

Steve Knapp Scott Goodyear Scott Sharp Donnie Beechler Sam Schmidt Jack Miller

Johnny Unser Eliseo Salazar

Laps

Reason

200 200

200 199 199 199 198 197 196 196 196 195 192 190 175 168 147 139 133 122 120 117 113 110

105 104

fuel

engine crash engine

crash crash

mechanical crash

101

Time of race: 3 hours, 15 minutes, 51.182 seconds.

Margin of victory: 6.562 seconds.

83

mechanical

74

engine

62

crash

28 10

engine engine

7

crash

oXl.

r\

I

s cr

i

f

sfeEl ;AV

LJ

Decisive moments: Kenny Roberts pushed too hard chasing Alex Criville to regain the lead, later crashing out of the race.

Us groupies? Keke Rosberg and Wayne Gardner chat in the Paul Ricard pits, while Max Biaggi crashed out and joined them at his trailer soon after.

I’m a happy san: Tohru Ukawa and team celebrated

the Japanese rider’s first GP win.

Report by

Biaggi had started from pole

PHIL MORRIS

aboard the Marlboro Yamaha and

led early, but crashed out on the

ALEX Criville has pounced on the opportunity presented to him by Mick Doohan’s absence

from the tour by winning his second straight Grand Prix of the season, although the news out of France for Doohan was

all good, his Shell Advance Honda 250cc team rider Tohru

Ukawa winning his first ever GP and extending his lead in the championship.

Gold Coast teenager Anthony West also had his best result to date on the second Shell Advance

Honda, finishing ninth in a great weekend for the Doohan/Jeff Hardwick-owned team.

Criville’s win in France was

also his second straight French 500cc GP, the win enabling the Spaniard to open up a 26 point lead in the championship.

John Kocinski, finished second in France on another Honda, 11.4 seconds behind Criville, for his

first 500cc podium since 1994, while Tetsuya Harada notched the first podium of his career in the 500cc class with third on an

Aprilia.

Carlos Checa finished fifth on

his Yamaha, just behind the Honda V-twin of fellow Spaniard Sete Gibernau, Yamaha’s Norick Abe sixth.

Criville’s victory repeated his success at Paul Ricard last year and came as the men seen as his

main rivals for this year’s title,

Kenny Roberts and Max Biaggi, crashed out of the race - Roberts

just six laps from the finish while trying to regain the lead from Criville, having led for most of the race on his Suzuki.

“His bike was faster than mine

on the two long straights and I was having to ride really hard in the corners to make up for it,” Roberts said. “I thought if I stayed with him maybe some thing would happen on the last lap and I could get my third win of the year.

“Instead I pushed a bit too hard, the tyres slid, and that was that - a stupid mistake.

“I’ll be trying really hard in

Italy in two weeks also, only I won’t make any stupid mistakes there.”

third lap, dislocating a finger.

Criville, who had only qualified in fifth on the Repsol Honda, starting from the second row, said he had been under “enor

mous pressure” because be was already leading the championship going into the Paul Ricard race.

“Biaggi and Roberts both did great starts and rode really hard in the beginning,” Criville said. “I thought it would be a long race and it would perhaps be wiser to try to make up time slowly rather than risk everything in the early

laps. I feel I rode an intelligent race. Towards the end, when I saw how much of a lead I had, I thought, ‘You can tell that Mick is not racing today’.”

“The season is still long and I shouldn’t get carried away. More than ever. I’m now going to be the man everyone wants to beat.”

Fellow

The fortunes of Australia’s

Japanese

other current 500cc rider, Mark Willis, continued to be low, the 22 year old missing the race after suffering a frustrating run of engine seizures in practice with his Honda V-twin - the New

Zealand BSL team running the Honda while trying to get their own, radical three-cylinder bike up to speed.

New Zealander Simon Crafar also had another miserable week

end in France, suffering a chest infection and finishing well off the pace in 11th.

“More of the same (front-end

problems). I’m afraid,” Crafar

said.

Racer of the Year last season

his factory

before being signed by Doohan and Hardwick for both his and the

Nakano’s

team’s rookie seasons on the tour, was 14th in the season-opening Malaysian GP and tenth at the Japanese GP, but only 17th at the Spanish GP two weeks ago, trac tion problems slowing his race.

250cc championship standings are: Ukawa 85, Nakano 61, Capirossi 57, Rossi 45, Franco Battaini 35, Perugini 31.

record my first win as I have had many seconds,” Ukawa said. “It is

never count the points until the

something I have been working at

- Alex Criville

chequered flag,” Hardwick said.

“Both Tohru and Anthony rode extremely well and I’m very proud of the way the team has

every respect.”

With a quarter of the season

come together.”

Ukawa, who turned 26 in the

finished the points are: Criville 79, Roberts 53, Checa 47, Gibernau 46, Abe 37, Doohan 33.

UKAWA’S victory in the 250cc GP delighted team owner Hardwick, the Japanese rider blast-

ond in the first three rounds but

week leading up to the race, had already been leading the 250cc championship after finishing sec his French victory has stretched his gap from three to 24 points.

West, who was Australia’s Road

Yamaha,

“I thought we had to settle for second place again, but you can

out late in the race.

“I am very happy to finally

when I saw how much of a much better, but it lead I hady I thoughty ^You can tell didn’t happen. The tyres were very good that Mick^s not racing today but even they couldn’t

am not about to start blaming that. I’ve just got to get better in

ished sec ond aboard

Capirossi, while Stefano Perugini, aboard another Honda, was third,

I was hoping for so

chest infection, which has made me feel lousy all weekend, but I

Nakano fin

bike lengths and have to make it up in the back turns.”

ithin sight of the finish, world champion Loris Capirossi crashing

problems, same result.

the front.

“I have had a bad

my bike, as I’d lose about three

S h i n y a

result moving him to second in the championship ahead of

“Same

help the vagueness at

rider

ing past Valentino Rossi after the chain came off the Italian’s Aprilia w

West said. “The track’s long straights were a disadvantage for

for a very long time, and I hope it will be the springboard for the rest of the sea

EUROPEANS took the first three

son. The set-up of the bike together with the tyres worked very well, so

places in the 125cc GP in France, with 24 year old Aprilia rider Roberto Locatelli scoring his first win.

everything turned out perfect.”

Seventeen year-old West charged through the field from a lowly 19th starting position to score his second top-10 result of the season and his third world

championship points-scoring finish on the factory “kit” bike - a machine that is not nearly as advanced as that of his team-mate.

“I’m really happy to be in the top 10 again, but of course I would like to be placed higher,”

Locatelli finished 6.124 seconds ahead of Frenchman Arnaud

Vincent, also on an Aprilia, while Spaniard Emilio Alzamora was third on a Honda.

Italian Lucio Cecchinello start

ed from pole position on a Honda and was the early leader but crashed on the third lap.

Japan’s Masao Azuma finished fourth and still leads the champi onship with 88 points to Alzamora’s 68 points, while

Italian Aprilia rider Gianluigi Scalvini has 42 and Vincent 39.

Q.

4 June 1999

13

involved in an incident with

Reynolds and Steve Hislop at the Old Hairpin.

I started the second race

in ninth and managed to move through to seventh by one-third race distance after getting stuck behind Emmett and Hislop.

Unfortunately I had lost sight of the leading pack and had to continue on in

Well, I’ve just got home from

competing in the fifth round of the MCN British Superbike Championship at Donington Park on Monday - it was a public holi day over here - and I’m a lot hap pier with my results after scoring a fifth and a seventh in a couple of action-packed races. uring

the

week

before

D Donington I had more surgery on my injured left leg. I’d dam aged a shoulder and hand as well as my leg in a big qualifying tum ble at the opening round of the series at Brands Hatch and in

recent weeks my leg kept splitting open, so the medical specialists re-attached two parts of a dam aged muscle and re-stitched the

seventh position.

I moved up from tenth on the series points tally to eighth spot as a result of my weekend’s

efforts, which is great, but I’m now focused on learning the tracks and improving my champi onship hopes.

My Suzuki GSX-R750 handled better

after

we

made

some

changes following the first race and I’m really able to run compet itive times now without hurting the tyres or putting myself in danger.

And physically I felt the best I’ve ever felt in the championship to date ... injuries, obviously, aside. e’re off to the Isle of Man TT

W this week for four days, so I’ll

be able to do a little light training

Foggy doubles, Troy’s trouble

over there as well as watch the

By DARRYL FLACK

racers tear across the countryside

be on the podium twice today and didn’t visit it once.

... my leg kept splitting opeUy so the medical specialists re-attached two parts ... and re-stitched the leg up.

((

leg up - it’s a little tender at the moment, but every day it’s getting

through long thin lanes and

better and I’ll be able to start

lages they pass through.

Everyone over here reckons that the whole area turns into a big party town for the annual TT meet.

training again next week.

Since the fall

at Brands

I

haven’t been able to do any exer cises or training and I was actual

ly getting a bit tired ori the bike during the second race at Donington. I effectively had to re start my British Superbike chal lenge this weekend, so I was fair ly pleased with my consistent lap times that equalled my Clarion Suzuki

team-mate

James

around houses in the various vil

When weMan get I’llbackstepfromup the Isle of my training schedule so that the Poms will see the real Marty Cragill racing at Silverstone on June 26. Diane and I are looking forward to catching up the rest of the Aussie contingent that week

Haydon.

end. We take our caravan to each

James won out the onfirsttherace but just missed second,

of the rounds and camp at the cir cuit - it’s great for keeping in con tact with the team’s engineers and management, plus you get to

Ducati’s John Reynolds holding him out with the winning margin just 400ths of a second!

The win for James in the first race was the first for Suzuki for

the series, with Chris Walker

(Kawasaki), Neil Hodgson (Ducati), Sean Emmett (Ducati) and myself filling in behind.

Fellow Aussie Troy Bayliss, who was leading the series, failed to finish the event after getting

socialise with the other riders in the series.

There are five Aussies racing in the Supersport Championship here as well as Troy and Ion the Superbikes, so we tend to find out what’s happening at the Shell rounds back home.

Cheers,

j

TRIPLE Superbike World Champion Carl Fogarty pulled off a stiuming double victory at Monza last weekend to extend his lead in the 1999 title chase.

Fogarty beat home last year’s Monza victor Cohn Edwards in

two thrilling dices, the second of which was provisionally award ed

to

the

Texan

in

what

appeared to be a dead heat.

While Fogarty was ruing his close defeat on the slow-down lap, race officials reversed the deci

sion, sending the pink-bodied Poms dotted around the track in

to a frenzy after they learned their man had bettered Edwards

by just O.OOSsecs.

For Fogarty’s Ducati team-mate Aussie Troy Corser, it was yet another disappointing day after he led both races, dropping to distant fourths owing to a peculiar vibra tion problem. Following his double victory at Phillip Island in March, Corser has struggled in Europe, slipping to third in the standings.

“It was a disappointing weekend in the end and very frustrating,” said Corser, who qualified second fastest

behind

Edwards

“Everything seemed fine in both races, but then I felt a vibration,” he continued. “In the end it got so bad, I just couldn’t ride as hard as I wanted to. If I’d pushed harder, I would have ended up in the gravel.

The tyres seemed okay, so we’ll have to check the telemetry and engines and see what caused the problems.”

Pierfrancesco Chili made a wel

come return to the podium with the Suzuki - two fine third placings at a track where he won through ’95-’97 on Ducatis. After a disastrous start

to the year, the Italian was able to mix it with Fogarty and Edwards and actually led the final stages of race two, lacking the top-end zing to claim a memorable victory.

“I was so close to a victory,” a happy yet disappointed Chili said.

“Although I’m pleased to be on the podium twice, just a tiny, tiny bit more power and we would have done it. I really wanted to win here

start, Slight claims he didn’t see the instruction that was presented on lap two and was black flagged on lap five.

Video replays suggest that Slight, who started from the inside of the sec

ond ixiw, was very hai'dly done by after he barely inched ahead on the grid.

“If I jumped the start I know I have to come into the pits,” said Slight who had quietened down after engaging in an animated dis cussion with race officials. “I’m very disappointed and wondering how worse this year can get.”

After claiming ninth in the first race, Goddard appeared to jump the start of race two, finishing a cred itable 11th after his stop-go penalty.

“The start of the second race was a

bit of a mess. The red lights went off, but the green lights never went on so everyone just dropped the clutch anyway. They gave me a ‘stop-go’ penalty. The bike is working much better and more to how I like it.”

Points after five rounds: Fogarty 217, Edwards 162, Corser 157, Yanagawa 126, Slight 115, Haga 95, Chili 85, Lavilla 58, Fujiwara 55, Romboni 44, Goddard 33.

so bad. I do know that we will win - and soon!”

While Edwards has emerged as perhaps the only man standing between Fogarty and his fomth title, his team-mate Aaron Slight faced

vV

another disastrous weekend. The

in

once formidable Kiwi qualified ninth

Superpole. “We found a good bike set up and good tyres, made good starts, led both races and then nothing! Well, a pair of fourths is not nothing, but I was expecting to

and claimed a distant fifth in race one

before being controversially blackflagged in the second leg. Along with Peter Goddard, who was called in for a stop-go penalty for jumping the

Out of puff: Honda’s Colin Edwards

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My heart goes boom, boom, boom: James Thompson’s Honda went up in flames Six from 10: Laurent Aiello has been masterful in the Nissan,

winning all but four races in ‘99.

Aiello, Aiello LAURENT Aiello took a

Leslie alongside at the first

huge stride towards the

corner, but Aiello held his

1999 BTCC title at Oulton

Park with two blistering drives from pole position to take a brace of victories in his Nissan Primera.

nerve and the inside line

Thompson, Jules Bouillon and Yvan Muller. But a lap 7 engine failure to Jason Plato

through Old Hall and there

left oil on the track at Druids

after was never headed.

Alain Menu started third

and the field spent three tours bunching up behind the Safety Car. At the restart the two Primeras eased away to win by nearly 10s, their

Frenchman did not make the

on the grid, alongside Mondeo colleague Anthony Reid, but despite making a cleaner get-away than the front-row Nissans, Menu thought better of trying a dart up the middle.

Rickard Rydell lost four spots on the opening lap to

best of starts,

team-mate

With six win in 10 races, Aiello has established a 48

point lead and is still the only driver with more than one

success to his name this year.

In the Sprint race the allowing

Nissan team-mate David

Radermecker,

Vincent James

third 1-2 finish of the season.

Menu’s challenge had suf fered a major set back on lap 18 when his Mondeo lost

sixth gear, but the Swiss star managed to hold third place, largely thanks to the protec tion of Reid who withstood

Move over old man: Independent Matt Neal’s pushes past veteran John Cleland.

the rampaging Radermecker to hang on to fourth place.

Aiello won the start of the

Feature race but, behind him

was carnage. John Cleland, Jason Plato and Alain Menu

set about proving the theory that three-into-one does not

go at Old Hall. Cleland and Menu departed the action, debating the origin of the ini tial impact, but Plato was able to continue.

The effects of this coming

together were felt through

Rydell managed to keep pace with the leaders until pitting on lap 13. Aiello stopped on lap 20, rejoining fourth and allowing team mate Leslie through for the extra point.

Radermecker picked up an extra point for leading, but

Leslie’s luck, however, ran

of the field.

The former French and

out on lap 23. Pitting from the lead, the Scot was on course for a second consecu

tive podium finish, but disas ter struck as the RML mechanics could not raise his

Kox

and

the

Volvo

driver

stopped for fresh rubber, Aiello was restored to his

customary place at the head German champion, who has made such an astounding impact in his first season in the BTCC, was never threat ened, and he coasted home in comfort.

and unable to recover. He

and Reid, while Bouillon, Kox, Leslie and Blair were the only other finishers.

finished eighth.

Back

James

Thompson in particular both suffering extensive damage.

Kox was able to pit and con tinue, albeit in last place, but Thompson’s race was run.

The Safety Car made its second appearance of the day, circulating for four laps.

The green flags signalled Nissan’s chance to pull away, but the now third-placed

when

Primera to change the tyres.

By the time the on-board air jacks had finally sprung into life, Leslie was a lap down

out the field, the Hondas of Peter

(Photos by Bothweli Photographies)

up

front.

Neal completed the Nissan 1-2 from Muller (from 10th

on the grid), Radermecker

British Touring Car Championship - Oulton Park ROUND 9 (23 laps)

ROUND 10 (44 laps) 24m 39.114s +1.777S

1

Aiello

Nissan

48m 15.210s

2

Neal

Nissan

+13.692S

Ford

+9.929S

3

Muller

Vauxhall

+17.869s

Reid

Ford

+10.699S

5 6

R'mecker Boullion

Volvo Renault

+12.010S +12.533S

4 5

R'mecker Reid

Volvo Ford

+31.641s

6

Boullion

Renault

+31.976s

7

Rydell

Volvo

+13.031S

7

Kox

Honda

+35.079S

8

Muller

Vauxhall

+13.630s

+14.221S +14.460s

Leslie Blair

Nissan Vauxhall

+58.388S

Honda

8 9

1

Aiello

2

Leslie

Nissan Nissan

3

Menu

4

9 Kox 10 Neal

Nissan

+24.107s

41 laps

I

New lap record: Rydell. 59.389s, 100.26mph

Courtney and Ambrose earn Oulton Park FFord points JAMES Courtney and Marcos Ambrose were amongst the points at the

fifth

round

of the

British

Formula Ford Championship at Oulton Park on Monday.

Courtney finished fifth in his works Van Diemen, Ambrose filing in behind in his Ray, the race having to be stopped after the first three laps due to an acci dent which claimed the life of Irish works Van Diemen driver Neil Shanahan.

“It was crazy at the re-start, Courtney said. “I was held up and n

dropped back from the leading group just by keeping out of trouble.”

“In the last four laps the car was going really well but it was a bit too late to catch up with the fi-ont runners. If the race had been over the full distance I

might have been in with a chance of a podium result.”

The race was won by Ricardo Van der Ende, Courtney’s Van Diemen team mate. However the team’s celebrations

were severely marred due to the tragic death of Shanahan who was air lifted to

hospital but succumbed to his ipjuries.

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4 June 1999

15

Trains, planes, autom and medical magic I

went to Spain by train. It was the doctor’s fault. Icould have swanned into Barcelona on a

plane as usual with the rest of the Formula 1 jetset, but Dr Sejourne said "Non”.

Regular readers of this column will know that some years ago I gave up the high-pressure life of big city dwelling in London and

moved to a life of bucolic bliss in the middle of nowhere in France.

With modern technology a Formula 1 reporter can live anywhere if you don’t mind a little extra travelling to get to and from races.

The day before I was due to head for Spain I somehow picked up a lung infection. Iwas a bit short of breath but figured that when I got into Barcelona, I would go and see F1 ’s doctor Professor Sid Watkins and he would pre scribe the usual - whisky and an aspirin a day - and it would go away. But by the late afternoon,

does not need translation. Nor did the firmness with which he said it.

where F1 media men have become a little blase. We have all seen so

And so I gave in. Iwas given a cocktail of pills that would have

many races that we do not see the great spectacle. We are used to the revving of engines just before the start and rather than soaking up the noise, the vibration, the vio

made John Belushi drool and I

spent the night with a chemical war going on inside me. In the morn ing, armed with anti-this and antithat, Iset off to the train station,

following the doctor’s orders.

It costs half the price to go to Barcelona by train but from my house to the hotel at Montmelo

took about twice as long as it would have down with the plane. It was fairly chaotic as well with missing reservations, seats dou ble-booked or only free in the smoking section - which is great if you have lung troubles - but as the hours ticked by I learned one thing.

WeraceF1 fans peopleputhave it easy.

The up with a great

more than 30 feet without needing to pause for breath, I knew that I would have to go to my GP before going to the GP. "You cannot fly,” he said in

deal more pain and stress to get to races than we can even imagine.

We may have done the same in the past but we have forgotten. And they pay to do it as well. We whinge about late flights or over crowded lounges and we have for gotten what it is like to be in the

French.

real world.

when I found that I could not walk

Race fans go racing for love not for money and Imust say that by

“It would take forever.J have to

the time the train screeched and rattled into Barcelona I had found

be there tomorrow morning.”

“What do you think Iam?” he said. “A magician?”

Being a good doctor he tried to recruit my wife to his cause.

“I don’t care if you fly,” she said - carefully finding a no man’s land between her husband and the doc

tor . “The life insurance is good and the house gets paid for if you die so Ican have as many horses as Iwant for the rest of my days.”

Frustrated, Dr Sejourne switched to English - which he speaks when he needs to - as if to push the point.

“It is dangerous for you to fly,” he said.

“I have to go.”

He paused for a moment.

“J’insiste,” he said. The phrase ;; ?

the trip to be a source of remark able inspiration - a breath of fresh air for tired lungs.

The FIA President Max Mosley may say that the sport is not for the enthusiasts and, outrageous though that sounds, Iunderstand what he is trying to say, but the fact remains that the TV viewers do not fill the

grandstands, although from the people on the train Ifigure that quite a lot were curious TV viewers rather than

hard-line race tans,

going along to get a taste of the sport at first hand.

This is another area

course, that the circus has so

much money swilling around

want to hear it or not - that the

decision to supply engines to British American Racing, rather than continue with the plan to start up their own team has had disas trous repercussions for the com pany within the F1 community.

When Honda quit F1 in 1992 it

ness. For weeks afterwards he was

talking about the sheer impact that

Hur.

the F1 cars had had on him. It did not matter that there was no circus

the train was a real boost for my

act, no multiple overtaking

own enthusiasm which has been

manoeuvres.

battered in recent weeks by the politics of the paddock and, in particular, what has been going on with Honda. It is typical FI

The spectacle was enough. He was hooked - and he began to learn the finer points to look for, which keeps enthusiasts happy even though most people think they are seeing a boring race.

There is no such thing as a boring race because there is always something happening somewhere down the field, there are intricate You cannot see all that on TV.

The drivers complain that F1 cars should be easier to drive but if they were the best drivers would not

shine as now they do. The best dri ver in the world will always get

The enthusiasm of the fans on

business - cut throat stuff - but

usually the victims are only over preened and over-rich team boss es with whom no-one has much

sympathy. A few ego-dents tends to do them good.

But the Honda story was differ ent. There are nearly 100 normal people about to lose their jobs because Honda has gone back on its commitment to setting up its own team. That’s 100 families.

And that leaves a bad taste in the

mouth in a small community like

more out of a difficult car than his

FI.

rivals. Watching Michael

When you talk to the people employed at Honda Racing Developments you appreciate the

Schumacher at Monaco was a bit

like that. It is a pleasure to watch geniuses at work.

bitterness that exists towards Honda.

“I don’t care

There are nearly 100 normal people about the lose their jobs because Honda has gone hack on its commitment to setting up its own team. Thafs 100

families.

By Joe S award

inside it but there are times when

you want to kick all the marke teers out and get back to racing.

Cut the crap and get back to Ben

strategies to appreciate.

‘I have to go,” I wheezed.

'You can go by train,” he retorted.

lence and spectacle of it ^ll, we are too busy looking at the little details: Who is going to get the best start?

Who is going which way? We fail to see the splendour of the sport.

Iremember a few years ago a French neighbour of mine was invited to Magny-Cours by a com pany with which he did some busi

The only problem is that the

geniuses are a little too PRtrained these days. They are not ■allowed to say what they really think and so they seem to be a pretty bland bunch - which is not really the case when you get to know them better. They are being stifled by the power of money and politics in the sport.

There are advantages, of

who buys this team,” one said to me the other

day, “so long as they are not Japanese.”

It is a shame that it has had to come to this. But the fact is -

whether the peo ple at Honda

f

was revered. It had achieved an

extraordinary domination and the

FI team chiefs respected and lis tened when Honda President Nobuhiko Kawamoto had some

thing to say. Now Kawamoto has gone and the new management has thrown it all away.

Worse still, Honda made a commitment to the FIA and to FI

racing’s boss Bernie Ecclestone.

There were some, like McLaren’s

Ron Dennis, who argued that the sport should not make an excep tion for Honda but he was over ruled. That decision shows the

respect that existed for Honda. If the company said it would come into Grand Prix racing with its own team then the FI bosses were

willing to trust the company to do as it said it would.

hile one can understand the

W reasons why Honda decid

ed to change its mind - a vast pile of money is a very powerful tool in decision-making - there is no getting away from the fact that there is now very little goodwill towards Honda among the peo ple that matter in the FI paddock. At best, they think that Honda is in a muddle. At worst

they feel betrayed.

Either way Honda has made a big mistake. And it is not a good time for a car manufacturer to be

showing such weakness. There is a major consolidation going on in the automobile industry and Honda is one of the companies which is most exposed to the risk of being gobbled up by one of the industry giants.

To reveal that the manage ment of this company is divided on anything or in a muddle is like waving a big chunk of raw meat in the direction of hungry lions.

We will have to see what hap

pens in the months ahead but one thing which is for certain is that Honda is going to have be very clever with its public rela tions in the years ahead if it wants to rebuild the respect that existed previously in FI circles.

That was built on years of great engineering, honesty and good results. In a few short months it has been thrown away.

It is going to take a magician to rebuild that kind of damage.

Maybe Ishould put them in contact with Dr Sejourne...

...except he won’t be avail able because he’s going to

Those were the days, my friend... when Honda drivers decided world championships by driving into each other. Senna and Frost get personal, Suzuka, 1989.

Barcelona by train shortly. I’m treating him for a change...

in <old ● Morris beats Richards in 2 close battles ● Coleman takes two thirds for Audi

● Jones struggles for competitiveness ● Adderton up to speed in Volvo ● Henderson, Hills share Independent wins ● Wild weather plays havoc with teams Throw everything at him:

the fact that no-one could

Jim Richards’ Volvo was

recall a single session when Morris had spun so much.

rarely more than 50m behind Morris’ BMW but,

despite his best efforts, the two-time champion never flinched and took two wins.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

been.

story. In drying conditions,

job. But it was a battle; he

Adderton was right there when the track began to dry in the first session, pitting to preserve his tyres for the race. Right thing to do? In theory, yes. But while he was cooling his heels pitside he was gazumped back to ninth. It was a lost oppor tunity. ... which he made up for in

went off at the Northern

the second session. With

Hairpin four times, such

everyone on wets all session Addo was right on the pace, running in the top five for

he waited until the end of the first session to record a

lml2.3120s and in Q2 a lml6.7784s effort did the

was

the

putting

effort

he

was

in

see

off

to

Richards’ Volvo.

It wasn’t mechanically induced or, really, even dri ving errors causing the dra mas.

Report by PHIL BRANAGAN

first corner of the race.

Morris’ BMW was fastest

away in both heats and, JIM Richards threw

while

everything he had at

matched the 320i in every department the experi

Paul Morris in round three of the BOC Gases

Super Touring Champ ionship at Mallala last Sunday.

After a 16-lap and a 25lap heat the difference between the two cars and drivers came down to

where they were at the

the

Volvo

S40

to be between the two.

Matthew Coleman led the Audi effort ahead of

Queenslander

Brad Jones, the defending Champion having a poor weekend, ‘lowlighted’ by a transmission problem

didn’t flinch under the

which left him 10th on the

pressure.

grid for race 2.

enced

Morris’ two wins close

John Henderson took

the gap to Richards in

his first Independents’ win

the series to 10 points

for the season in race 1

and, with a three race

before spinning in the sec ond, aUowing Peter Hill to

format in place for Winton’s next round, the race for the title seems

^

stretch his lead in the

Independents’ category.

itotiveGeor V

S;

r

“The guys said that I had to pick up three tenths,” he explained later. “I knew that I couldn’t go any faster in the corners, so I had to try and pick it up under brak ing. I just got one (lap) in ...”

Richards even had a fluffy moment himself in ‘pursuit’

Qualifying

Audi’s A4 quattro usedthat love Mallala - but to

was then, and this is now.

Paul Morris loved Mallala

on Saturday and, even if his Versari Paper BMW is get ting a little long in the tooth, it didn’t show in qual ifying.

Morris took two pole posi tions, and the two points that went along with them, but that was only part of the

If second was a good result

for Volvo Oz, third was a delight. Well, it would have New

lad

almost all of the session until a Im 18.5099s secured on third the grid.

Impressive, especially given his lack of track time in the

car (see breakout).

Matthew Coleman had an

up-and-down day. Not on the ttack; twice he out-qual ified Brad Jones in the Audi

camp, lining his A4 up in a strong third in Q1 (one up on Brad) and fifth in Q2. His biggest problem was that he

of Morris. The two drivers

clouted his head on the roll

swapped the lead half-a-

cage getting out of the car after the first session, injur ing his bonce. The rookie didn’t make a big deal of things, but it was a nuisance

dozen times in each session and Jim was told on the

radio that he had pole twice - only to have the crew come back a minute later and break the bad news that PM

had gone quicker. Later both drivers cheerfully dis cussed the ‘battle’, which

was staged around half a lap apart each time. Neither had much to report in the way of problems, aside from

he didn’t need.

If he was banging his head against the car, Jones was banging his against the wall. In Q1 he was right there but the Audi let him

down in the second session, a transmission problem

stranding him in a career-

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77

4 June 1999

JXo.

%

A for Autumn: Matthew Coleman came to terms with the

wet and windy conditions at Mallala with aplomb, bagging two third places on raceday.

Gone with the wind: During qualifying the weather was at its worst; so much so that the spectators resorted to wets at the same time as the cars did ...

Cable news: Henderson’s run in race 2 was halted by a broken accelerator cable. {Photos by Dirk Ktynsmith)

worst 10th after only two laps. The crew tried every thing they could during the session but to no avail; unsure even whether it was

a clutch or diff failure, they yanked out the transmission after the session, not a small task

in the north-south

engined Audi.

Adderton’s effort was all

but matched by Hills. If any one doubted the value of

control tyres, it isn’t the Team Mondeo lads. The smooth Cosworth V& was

working well in the damp conditions and Hills spent much of Q2 swapping spots with the second Volvo.

The news was less good in the first session. On full wet

settings both cars ran well in the first session. Dean Canto third in the wettest part of the track time until water in

A Peugeot was sixth and, with Patrick Watts still

back in the UK, it must have been Tony Newman’s.

The Kiwi was delighted; he put the improvement down to a now-reliable engine allowing him to make set-up changes to the ’97 406.

“I’ve had more track time in the car in the last two

days than in the last two seasons,” he said cheerfully.

“The engine feels strong and the engine man is confident that it will run 1500km before a rebuild.”

Also in the mix was John

a rebuild more

lem

trouble-free

11th

and

an

r

●

than he

understeer than he felt like.

an

Marbo €'.\-

might have liked the Vectra was going strongly, taking to the grass in the wet going but causing the Sydney dri ver no real concern, though he had more slow-speed

the electrics prompted a mis fire. He had lost set-up time with a wheel bearing prob so

ra-mium

Henderson. Despite feeling that his engine was wanting

Aaron McGill was having a

eighth was the best he could do in the circumstances.

run

in

his

Continued over page

BOC Gases Super Touring Championship Round 3 - Mallala Qualifying Results Qualifying 1

Qualifying 2

1

Paul Morris

Versari Paper BMW 320i

1m12.3120

1

Morris

1 ml 6.7784

2

Jim Richards

Volvo Australia Volvo S40

1m12.8298

2

Richards

1m16.9895

1m13.1415

3

Adderton

1 ml 8.5099

1m13.6053

4

Hills

1m18.6683

1m15.0501

5

Coleman

1m18.7177

1m15.1152

6

Newman

1m18.7715

1m15.3113

7

Henderson

1 ml 8.8788

Canto

1m20.2787

3

Matthew Coleman

4

Brad Jones

5 6

Anthony Robson Tony Newman

7

John Henderson

Audi Sport Australia Audi A4 Audi Sport Australia Audi A4 Honda Accord TC Racing Peugeot 406 Raythern APC Holden Vectra

8

Mark Adderton

Volvo Australia Volvo S40

1m15.6431

8

9

Aaron McGill

1m16.1307 1m16.3214

Robson

1m20.5471

David Auger

10

Jones

1m20.9337

11

Dean Canto

1m19.4734

11

McGill

1m21.4588

12

Peter Hills

Omega/Smeg OSI Ford Mondeo Gun Racing Alfa Romeo 155TS Signature Team Ford Mondeo Signature Team Ford Mondeo

9

10

1 ml 9.8053

12

Cornish

1m22.1472

13

Jim Cornish

Visit Your Vet Nissan Primera

1m21.5038

13

1m24.2195

14 15

Milton Leslight Troy Searle

aap Toyota Carina E

1m25.9028

14

Auger Leslight

No time

15

Searle

SAE BMW318i

I

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Email: speedwerx@diesel.net.au www.kartsport.com.au/akn/speedwerx.html

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Road, chill, express: Troy Searle's spiffy new SAE-sponsored paint scheme looked the goods but brake problems caused him some grief on race day. (Photo by oirk Kiynsmith)

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/

18

4 June 1999

practice makes perfect

Photo by

LED testing to go fast in a Super

morning and said, ‘would you like to

urer? You’d think so but, with the

drive the car at Mallala this week?'. I

rformances of Mark Adderton

said, ‘YEAH’ and that was that.

d Anthony Robson at Mallala,

iybe you’d have cause to think

“It's great. You just can't believe it. The car is fantastic. You just can’t

ain.

believe it...“

Richards/Adderton/Wall Honda

Accord but Adderton’s appearance, prompted by a lack of sponsorship from previous driver Mark Williamson, was a shock to every one, including Adderton. “(Volvo Motorsport Manager) John Cotter rang me on Wednesday

:'

ble series winner Paul Morris. ‘The Dude’ has

announced his engagement to the lovely Michelle (above) and plans are afoot for July nuptials. The newly quaffed Morris (is that GREY, Paul?) will pre sumably have a different colour for the ceremony.

■ The Searles have picked up new sponsorship for their BMW. The newly-liveried black car will now be sup ported by SAE College and Studios 301 in Sydney, the second oldest sound record

ing facility in the world.

■

usual pre-race ‘meet the dri vers’ session was cancelled

because of wind. The feeling was that, with a 70kmh or

so gale blowing, the tables and posters would have ended up in Mount Gambier so it was called off. Let’s

hope Winton is more kind.

/V IN?

jr ^ V

V f.

- It

7i ●

V

J

t

f

gratefully received...

^4 rr^vcBsawg:

■ Oooops. The Mallala round was heavily promoted on Adelaide FM radio, but a

little editing was in order.

The ad started with news that Patrick Watts would be

taking on the locals (that was never on) and also men

tioned round four, one over the odds. Next time, be

Of his own Accord: Anthony Robson and Mark Adderton learn thir cars, the track and the weather at Mallala. (Phoio by Dirk Kiynsmith)

there!

Mondeo, actually taking Ford class honours in the

RaC6 1 (16 ISpS)

■ Jones qualifying transmis sion problem was a rare fail

first session while, right behind, David Auger was struggling with lack of set up time, the Alfa 155 having

Itwere was rolling dry when out the but cars the

Australia team. The last time a mechanical failure stranded a Jones brothers

car was three years ago when an engine went ‘bang’ at Lakeside.

a

driveshaft

failure

on

Friday which restricted drytrack running.

Jim Cornish was kicking himself for being 13th and

12th in the sessions, his lack

■ Henderson just made it to the flag in Race 1 to take his first Indy win of the season. said, “and then started cut ting out on comers. I turned

off the lights and the wipers and it kept going.” But it was close; the Vectra conked

out on the victory lap. A new battery was installed for race two.

wind was roaring. Everyone was on slicks and, as they set off on their warm-up laps, it

started raining - then teeming. The ‘Delayed Start’ sign vvas posted and everyone pitted for wets.

When they returned, it

progress while, in the case of Milton Leslight, it was a lack

forward

about 30cm and

stopped, then did it again, before lurching off. Luckily,

of ‘go’ in Q2 which kept him

he was mobile before the rest

at the back. The Toyota

of the field filed past, mean-

Carina ground to an electri cal-induced halt after one lap

ing he could take up pole

on the second session, caus ing the session to be red-

“I let out the clutch and

flagged for four minutes

again.

nothing

explained,

happened,”

“I gave it a few (kicks, pre-

Round 3 Mallala, South Australia 29/30 May I

Race 2 (25 laps) Race time

F/Lap

On

Pos

Driver

Paul Morris

21:07.0370

1:18.0341

13

1

Paul Morris

Race time F/Lap 30:30.9740 1:12.4595

On 9

2

Jim Richards

21:14.5850

1:17.8334

10

2

Jim Richards

30:31.4220 1:12.5265

13

3

Matthew Coleman 21:23.0096 1:18.9254

10

3

Matthew Coleman 30:36.912? 1:12.5366

8

4

John Henderson

21:31.9403 1:19.5356

13

4

Brad Jones

30:38.1651

1:12.6929

7

5

Peter Hills

21:38.5501

1:19.1098

14

5

Peter Hills

30:46.9341

1:13.1373

16

6

David Auger

21:56.4336 1:20.4105

14

6

Mark Adderton

30:53.2068 1:13.3164

16

7

Brad Jones

21:59.1545 1:19.6925

7

7

Dean Canto

30:59.1028 1:13.4529

2

Auger, Cornish, Searle and McGill (who had to be pushstarted by officials). Canto didn’t even get away, pushed off the grid at the start when the fire went out in the V6.

Henderson was under

pressure from Richards and, despite being out-gunned for

zero in. Coleman would have

a lonely race from there (“good for me, lousy for TV”, he confessed) but the two leaders would not. Richards

probed at almost every cor ner; Morris defended stoutly.

It was stalemate.

On the last lap Jim had the big lunge at the Northern hairpin and went off. “I was

10

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Aaron McGill

22:09.6078 1:20.2801

12

22:09.9415

1:20.2822

3

8 9

Tony Newman David Auger

30:59.8639 1:13.0480

Tony Newman Milton Leslight

31:40.9367 1:14.8242

14

Jim Cornish

31:46.3550 1:14.9340

22

Jim Cornish

10

12 DNF

Troy Searle Anthony Robson

14

11 12 13

Anthony Robson Troy Searle Milton Leslight

DNF

Mark Adderton

1:27.8553 1:21.1598 1:22.6671 1:19.8868 1:19.3537

10

11

14 laps 14 laps 13 laps 14 laps 14 laps

13

10

14

Aaron McGill

DNF

Dean Canto

DNF

John Henderson

3

ahead of Jones, Newman, Adderton, Hills, Robson,

We offer:

9 10

1:15.2159 1:14.7499 1:16.4174 1:14.6206 1:12.8842

went

At Smiths

BOC Gases Super Touring Championship

24 laps 24 laps 24 laps 23 laps 8 laps

he

Jones

On lap four Richards slipped by Coleman at Bridgestone and started to

Coleman,

wet/FWD standards) and

his

when

12th.

corners),

Morris. The car staggered

hampering

two

two

ex-Steven Richards Nissan

Primera

the lap. Now he chased down Coleman, whose responsibili ties increased 10-fold on lap

Morris (almost Is clear after

Henderson (a blinder by

disaster

slid into third at the end of

wheels. He would be fourth into the first corner behind

for

almost

pace, fought hard before Jim

straight on at the Northern Hairpin. The brake balance had been out and, by the time he got back on, he was

was

while the aap car was recov

Race 1 (16 laps)

sumably) and then it got going for the race. I was okay for the start, then I didn’t touch it again.”

If Morris’ start was okay, lets see a good one. He belted off pole while Richo stayed there spinning the front

of wet-track running in the

ered.

1

- PHIL BRANAGAN

i -r

svx...

unmarked bills would be

to drive his racecar on the

Driver

dence; they ran off on the same piece of race track.

i

I fc >rsj I >-y

roadworthy. The driver shall remain nameless, though a brovm envelope full of

highway. It was technically legal; the car was registered, but slicks ai-e not really

Pos

Come Sunday, Adderton and Robson would share another coinci-

S5!

V

“The car was misfiring,” he ■ Spmng! After his trans porter broke down on the trip west a certain Porsche Cup competitor was forced

“But Ijust need more time in the car.

ssr

«'

ure for the Audi Sport ■ Weather-induced first; the

a bonus.

Robson was in the same boat. He

/ -

■ Congrats to former dou

(Wali),’’ he grinned. “It’s a real bene fit to have more grunt. To drive down the straights and not have too many cars pull away like they usually do is

had planned to step into the Honda (from his older 18 inch-wheeled

^ I

A batchelor’s life no more

about three feet shorter than Jamie

Adderton - or ‘Mark IT (he was still wearing Williamson's racesuit) was pushing hard in qualifying but returned the ‘97 spec S40 without a scratch, just what the team wanted.

All this without having even sat in the car before Thursday practice.

Robson headed to SA fully expecting to drive the ex-Steven

i

BMW) and was still coming to terms with the newer weapon.

“My biggest problem is that I’m

6 4

DRIVERS POINTS:

MANUFACTURERS POINTS:

INDEPENDENTS POINTS: Hills 79,

Richards 79, Morris 69. Jones 48, Coleman 47, Walls 40, Hills 35,

Volvo 90, Audi 72

Walls 49, Henderson 39, Auger 42.

Williamson 17. Henderson 15. Auger

TEAMS POINTS:

12. Canloll.Wall 8, Newman 5, Adderlon 5, McGill 3, Townshend 3, Cornish 2, Robson 1, L. Searle 1, Lesligh11.

Audi Sport Australia 128, Volvo Racing 119, Signature Security Systems Ford Mondeo 67, Pro|ect Racing 42.

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i

lMs)0®[78[p(o)Di} three lengths behind, it was the last lap and I had to do something,” he said later.

Such was the gap to

Mondeos, and five laps to clear Henderson, who ran

third for the first part of the race and, at one stage, was threatening to join the

Coleman that Jim recovered still in second.

Behind Coleman came

Morris/Richard& lead battle.

But, as the rubber went away, Jones closed. At the

the steady Henderson, Hills, Auger and Jones, at least salvaging something from a bad outing with sev

flag, he fell 1.1s short.

Coleman is getting more impressive by the race; when the team gets a han dle of the cars, he will bear watching, if he stops bump ing his head on things ...

enth.

There was plenty going on back in the pack.

Cornish had a rear bumper trailing after Searle (who was having brake problems

This time Henderson’s

luck ran out, with a broken

of his own) clouted him in

throttle cable happening right in front of Hills on lap eight. The Vectra was spun

the backside. Newman and Adderton’s battle ended

with the Volvo spun the Pug around that the Northern Hairpin, getting into his front for good mea sure. Adderton later apolo gised for the faux pas.

Then he and Robson surfed on at the Northern

Hairpin with a lap to go.

onto the infield where it

same time and ended up in the boonies.

Race 2 (25 laps)

was second on a staggered grid; that was not. He didn’t expect to beat Morris

his was the most spectacu lar start of the season, maybe all seasons. He sat there for five seconds, bang

ing the engine against the snorting for the exhaust. At the green he was gone and that, folks, was the race.

Jim followed him through

him. Four times they came through the esses onto the main straight side-by-side, with Richards on the out

side. At least twice, they banged panels. There was no quarter asked, or given.

And there was no change, either. At the flag Richards

lead was down to 10 points.

Behind, there was more

But the Queenslander

were never more than half-

order. Coleman and Jones

was less certain. He had

a-second apart. It was a replay of the end of race one, Morris defending while

had differed on set-up for the dry and, in the first half of the race the youngster comfortably led the Boss, even if they did take a lap or two to get past both (!)

not had time to get the clutch cylinder replaced; it was bled and he was hoping for the best.

Not that you could tell;

around

Canto just managed to hold out Newman’s repaired Peugeot after a great battle, from Auger and Cornish,

Richo

reached

into

the

data-bank built up in the last 30 years to dislodge

WET

much more at home on a

'0

dry track.

Unfortunately, the lap chart made the races look

boring, which is far from the truth. Morris made the

best of his poles and starts and deserved to win, while there was plenty happening

was 0.5s behind and his

turn one in second and, for the rest of the race, the two

to the first corner.

Adderton was sixth after

a quieter race this time

(Photos by Phil Williams)

rev limiter with flames

Itnews was dry; for Richards. that was good He

stayed for the rest of the race, leaving Hills to fifth and top Indy award.

Bad weekend, good weekend: Dean Canto lost his chance to exel in the murk when his Mondeo stopped at the start of Race 2. But Peter Hills took Race 2 Independent honours to restore some pride to the team. > Obvious Department: It was wet at Mallala...

Contact? No, they just both locked their fronts at the

19

4 June 1999

in his mirrors.

At Winton, things may get 50 percent worse; there are tlire starts for everyone to try and beat the BMW away. On the other hand, that gives everyone 50 per cent more practice starts, as well ...

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B

lKI(o)9®[rsm®[rO Motorsport News: How is the transition from Gienn Seton

Racing into Ford Tickford Racing going?

Neil Crompton: It’s going very well - just look at Glenn’s champi onship position and the proximity

L’ser-friendly: Crompton has found the new .AU Falcon a far

more predictable car than the previous EL

of his car to HRT, who are the benchmark at the moment.

You’d have to say things are

going pretty well. The challenge for us now is to multiply that by two.

Since the FIR announcement

was made right at the end of December, it’s been a mad scram ble to do a couple of things: one, to get a two-car programme operating with the EL and the AU, which in

itself was quite an awkward thing to do and, then, simultaneously to build a new car.

Now that we’re out of that man

ufacturing process, things can set

-

tle down. Even in this last two

weeks, between Phillip Island and Darwin, we’ve had the chance to

\

take the cars out for two succes

sive weeks and already it feels like we’re gaining a bit of momentum.

We can relax a bit and concen

trate on the real issues, which are

speed and reliability.

MN: It seems you have, at last, found a home?...

NC: Yes, it does. FTR is a team that has its aims and a realistic

plan as to how to achieve them.

It has the full support of Ford and Tickford and so you’d have to say that there’s a stability which will allow us to get to where we want to be.

On top of that, Glenn is a terrific guy. No pretence, what you see is what you get. There are some egos around motor sport, but in those terms he’s a/mosf normal!

MN: You were able to get all you needed in terms of the right personnel for the expanded team?

NC: That question’s probably best directed at Glenn, but yes I think so. From where I sit, and I

don’t hold a management position, it’s coming along.

Whenever you do anything like this, whether you run a magazine or a race team and try and double the size of the business in the

i

space of a week, which is literally what happened, it’s not an easy thing to do.

I think everyone’s now starting to feel that they know what their job is and what’s expected of them and what we realistically can and can’t do.

We’ve actually taken time out in the last month or so to do a bit of

navei gazing of our own, to evalu ate our skills and where we want to

go, what we want to be, how we want to do it - ail that kind of stuff.

leutenant Neil Crompton has wandered the world looking for his niche in motor sport. Suddenly, at Ford TicJford Racing, he seems to have found it. The broadcaster-tumed-racer has slotted in to the new Fordfactory team like it was always meant to be. At last, there’s a worthwhile mountain to climb, there are no personality clashes and the budget isn Y likely to run out. As Neil told CHRIS LAMBDEN, it’s a new but welcome scenario....

We’ve got some good people there. Peter Ryan’s the team man ager and Peter’s very good at dot ting i’s and crossing t’s and he’s helping get a lot of work off Glenn’s desk so that he can concentrate on

being a better race driver.

MN: You’ve now had a couple of test sessions with the AU. In

what areas is it or potentially is it a better car than the EL? NC: I don’t know whether it was

a GSR problem or an inherent EL problem, but it seemed to be very pin-point ‘knife-edge’ when it came to set-up.

I had a coupie of classic exam ples of it. I remember Glenn com plaining about it last year and in particular it was that last car that he built, where one week you had a McLaren and the next week a

Minardi and you couldn’t really understand why!

What seems to be the case with the AU is that it has a much wider

operating window and - as far as my experience goes - it seems to

Photos: Graeme Neander Coventry Studios

respond more logically to a sequence of logical changes. Over the years you come to learn that when you do this to the roll centre or that to a spring you get this out come and I’d say the AU is far more like that than the EL was.

I

The EL was quite a puzzling thing. Half the battle in our series at the moment is to drop the car out of the truck onto the road and

to quickly get to where you want to take it without sitting there with your head in your hands going “oh no, how do I fix this in 45 minutes,

30 minutes and then qualifying!”

You need to be able to put the car on the track and simply fine tune it. In my limited experience with the AU, it’s a far better car in

that respect.

It feels a lot better. The very first laps Idid, in Glenn’s car, before the AGP, I went “wow...”

MN: Is it better in any specific area - turn-in, corner speed, straight line speed?

NC: For some reason the car seems to take and hold a “sef bet

ter than our EL. When you turn the car in you just get a more stable platform throughout the radius of the comer and you can more reiiably lean on the car, without mak ing any odd transition in either the front or the rear.

There could be a number of rea

sons for that - the trailing arms are a different iength, obviously there’s some stiffness issues in the chas

sis and obviously there’s some aero issues as well. Which one of

those Icouidn’t pinpoint, but the nett result is that it’s a nicer car to drive.

MN: You mentioned HRT as the current benchmark. Where

do they have a margin? Some stats we put together suggest they are very, very good on their cold tyre opening laps...

NC: That’s very true. I think there’s a couple of reasons. They were the first people to get on with the VT programme and then get it working. That happened from the mid-way point last season, so they went into Christmas with two cars

built and another on the way.

They were well in front of the

game and went into the ’99 season

I

i

with good VT knowledge and good Bridgestone knowledge. Couple that with good drivers, good fund ing, good everything and I think everyone else has been in a catch up phase.

I agree about HRTs superb first lap speed. We don’t know why.

The challenge is there for us and others to find out what the key to the correct set-up is in terms of qualifying and from the green light to the end of the first lap.

They are very, very good at that and they have a formula that works at the moment.

Their cars are clearly quickly adjustable. For example, in Perth, they weren’t particularly great cars in the first session, but they then got them working very well very quickly.

And then, same old story - they qualify well, then start well and race well for the first lap. After that it’s pretty much all over...

The wierd thing is, you look at

they’re getting tyre temperature and making the tyres work instan taneously. That’s the challenge that’s there for us, and that’s

something we have been working on over the last two weeks.

Apart from a car that’s good when everything is warm, you need something that you can drive out of pit lane, stand on it, and it gives you security...

pretty big issue on these cars.

MN: Driving standards have been in the spotlight lately. Do you believe that this is an area that eventually ‘self-polices’ itself, or should the relevant offi

cials be taking a harder line?

NC: I think there should be a lot

more stringency attached to it.

From what Ihave seen going on around me in the races this

MN: Several races now on

Bridgestone control rubber. Has that change achieved its aims?

year, there’s a huge amount of stuff that just goes through to the keeper, that no-one knows about

sorts of stuff unfolding...

There may not be action taken on some things, but there’s a lot of stuff going on which should at least be reported and discussed.

People should at least be put on notice that they’re being watched.

I’m not going to go into detail there’s already been discussion about drivers “lalking out of school" - but there are things that happen which go straight through, and I can’t believe that people are sug gesting that they don’t see it...

NC: Yes, I

MN: At a rough

think so. It’s done

a couple of things.

It’s stopped the whingeing, which is great, because that has a nega tive effect for the

count, we reckon

‘^There are way too many

you’ve driven,

blokes out there who use their

seven major or factory teams, including Super

over time, for

cars as a weapon - and someone^s going to get hurt...

sport when it leaks through the TV speakers all the time - you know, the only reason so-and-so is winning is

except the guys that participated in

because....

it.

Tourer and Production yj

(Mazda). Putting aside your current team, FTR, was

sort of mid-race times as the lead

It’s meant, for a lot of teams,

ers. So it was all sorted out by qualifying and by the opening lap or two when all that tripping over is going on.

finding the money to buy the tyres, but the good thing is that if you and

out there, who shall remain un named, who use their cars as a

I wanted to start a race team

weapon - and someone’s going to get hurt eventually if we’re not

there any one which stood out as a really good operation?

NC: Yes, Tasman - and by such a long margin that it’s amazing.

That’s why it was such a shame when it came to an end through no fault of either Steve (Home) or my

careful.

own.

It seems to be a complete mys tery to the administration, and self policing isn’t the answer at all.

It’s something which, to me, falls squarely within the CAMS regime and we des perately need a situa

Although we didn’t necessarily have a great deal of money to run my (Super Tourer) project, my act there was part of a much greater structure, so the resources you had at your finger tips, in any area,

all the other Level 1 cars in the

field and you’ll find that, say, whoeveris in tenth is doing the same

The bloke in 10th loses a mas

sive amount of time over the open ing lap or two with all the concerti na and jostling...

So, don’t ask me why they (HRT) have that advantage. I’d say

tomorrow, you know that that’s an area where you won’t be starting with your hands tied behind your back.

There may be a hundred other areas where you do, but that’s an area where you don’t - and it’s a

There are way too many blokes

tion where there is

some qualified observers accurately reporting what’s going on throughout the field, because you can’t blink now between one and 15

and anywhere within that first 15 there’s all

from travel to shock absorbers,

was just amazing.

At it’s peak there was an IndyCar test team, four IndyCars, an Indy Lights team and a touring car - eight racing cars in the build ing and something like 80 people.

There were some pretty talent ed people around, masterminded

by Steve Horne - the coolest oper ator I’ve ever had any association with.

He knows what it takes to win, Tas-maniac:

Crompton tasted suc

cess in the US Super Tourer series in 1997,

winning seven races in Tasman Motorsport’s Honda Accord.

has a very straightforward view of it, very cool, calm, a good coach. A really good bloke to have inside your brain to get you through the nightmare of motor racing...

MN: Do you see a long term future with FTR. Or do you still

have ambitions for your own team one day perhaps?

NC; Not today, now. Maybe down the track. Right now. I’ve got a really fantastic opportunity with Glenn. It’s unfulfilled at this stage for no other reason than we are

brand new and we’re just getting past the ‘tripping up’ stages.

It’s going to turn into a very good thing and I’d like to think, and I’m sure Glenn thinks this way as well, that we’ve got a good, strong, long term future together.

Quite what that means in days, months, years. I’ve got no idea, but the way the whole category is escalating I’m not so sure that being an owner/driver is a particu larly flash idea any more.

There’s just so much to do now, the responsibilities are so great in each department, that Ithink you need to be focussed on as few

tasks as possible. There’s so much to do as a driver these days that I don’t think you need to be worrying about running the business as well.

It’s different for different people - I’m talking about what Icould handle as an individual.

Maybe, well down the track, when the driving is finished it’s something I’d think about. It’s a

long, long, long way away at the moment and not something I’m thinking about.

MN: You still retain some

media commitments - specifi cally Channel 10. What’s a typi cal week for Neil Crompton?

NC: Recent weeks haven’t been

very typical, because it’s been a bit scrambly, but there’ve been two, three, four days a week in Melbourne on FTR-related issues.

Then there’s time back in my office

here in Sydney to do my Channel 10 tasks, then there are some per

sonal sponsorship issues with Winscreens O’Brien and Bendix

Brakes, some speaking engage ments to businesses around the

country.

FTR occupies most of the time and I try and squeeze the other stuff around it, while trying to make sure that I’m not over-stretched and there’s time to be fit and relaxed.

When you combine that togeth er there’s not much spare time...

22

S

4 June 1999

Mika's train

jk r--

-—i-

in Spam Decisive victory puts Hakkinen back in the race

while poor starts and BAR hold back Ferrari V

Three in a row... are you Juan Montoya? No Mika, it’s King Juan, who enjoyed three laps in McLaren's two-seater with Martin Brundle.

Hakkinen himself, stopped Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher from claiming his third straight GP, with a dominating performance in the McLarenMercedes. (Photos by Sutton Images)

BOftS

WARyfElNFy north of the city. The only nice thing you can say about Montmelo is that it is on its way to France and that the race track is easily spotted from the motorway because the exit is located next to a vast

By JOE SAWARD

I

T was not a great Spanish Grand Prix. The cars were

loud and spectacular as always and Mika Hakkinen and

David Coulthard made the most of them to score a McLaren1-2.

Michael Mercedes Schumacher was stuck behind

Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR in the early laps and that wiped out any chance he might have had.

If the Spanish GP did anything, it alerted the FI world to the fact that even at a track where overtak

ing is usually possible, there wasn’t any. The Formula 3000 event was more exciting, so you cannot blame the circuit.

Um, maybe it’s the cars...

In the paddock in Barcelona everyone was talking about soccer.

Football is big business in Europe and there are many fans of the sport in Grand Prix racing. The match

had

been

between

an

English team and a German one.

Such a fixture always sets the blood a-mshing through the rival AngloSaxon veins and for some reason is

thought to be important. Something to do with past rivalries and nation al pride. The English team won in dramatic fashion and so the trendy

A lot of the Germans stayed on to see if The Great Schumacher could

revive Germany’s dented pride and the Enghsh stayed on to drink, eat seafood and then drink some more.

Damon Hill’s chances of victory were not the major talking point.

The venue for the next showdown

between the Anglo-Saxon nations was not as glamourous as the Nou Camp stadium but rather at the Circuit

de

Catalunya, which

with happy Englishman and sad

is located in a less than salubrious industrial zone in

Germans.

the valleys to the

boulevards of Barcelona were fiUed

Still struggling; Damon Hill continues to have a tough year, finishing just out of the points, while Jean Alesi’s Sauber-Petronas ended its day on the 27th lap, gearbox problems being the cause. (Photos by Race Access and Sutton Images)

pair of industrial gas domes which stand proud, like a monument to Dolly Parton.

Otherwise the neighbourhood is a dump, with a scrap metal mash ing business here and a rubbish dump there. The dusty little towns which have been swallowed

up by the industrial sprawl are nice enough when you find your way to their middle but it is not as glamourous as downtown

and forth to glitzy downtown hotels.

That said, the Circuit de Catalunya is the best of the modem generation of FI tracks. It has an interesting mixture of comers and changes of elevation and even possi bilities for overtaking with certain cars. This is thanks to that obvious

but little-used concept of having a fast comer on to a long straight, fol lowed by a slow corner. The only problem is that the modem FI cars even have problems overtaking vnth such a layout because they are so aerodynamically sensitive. During the practice days there was much talk of the need for the cars or the

Barcelona.

tyres to be changed to make over taking easier - or even possible.

The FI workers stay in the indus trial estates and the VIPs go back

The Barcelona circuit layout is one that tests the Flengines - they

Not the view he

wanted: Schumacher

could do nothing but look at the tail of the McLarens in

Barcelona, Irvine

getting the view of Schuey intended for McLaren.

The view he wanted

was waiting for Schuey in pit lane following qualifying.

(Photos by Race Access/Sutton)

that meant that strategy changed from being a thing for Sunday only and it became an issue for the whole weekend.

run wide open for more than half the lap - but it also checks out the efficiency of the chassis. That should mean that cars will line up with team-mates alongside one another on each row of the grid but it doesn’t work like that because Barcelona is a track where there is

always a little whimsy, thanks to a gusting wind which has the habit of changing direction or suddenly dying away. It can make a big dif ference. When the wind blows down

the main straight gear ratios need to be shortened. If it blows behind

the cars you need a longer sixth gear and the difference can be as much as SOOrpm. ’This means that often it is best to leave the decisions to the final minute.

There is also the question of tyres and on this occasion there was an

appreciable difference between the speed of the Bridgestone medium tyres and the softer versions. And

Reflection: McLaren-Mercedes outshone Ferrari. (Photo by sutton images)

Decisive moments: Coupled with team-mate Eddie Irvine’s poor start Schumacher being caught behind Villeneuve’s BAR in the early stages, without a major McLaren mishap, put paid to a Ferrari win on the high speed Barcelona track. (Photo by Sutton images) Everything looked very good for the race. The only worry was that Irvine would get ahead at the start. running on light tanks and then bottle up the silver cars until Schumacher was ready to challenge

The softer tyres would help a lot in qualifying but might be a problem

them. This would sacrifice Eddie’s

in the race if the weather

that

race but would give Ferrari the chance of victory - clearly showing Ferrari

knew

that

the

was hot and the perfor mance dropped off. It was a question of watching the long-term weather forecast and gambling on what would be happening by Sunday.

The problem with late decisions

McLaren’s would be too quick around Barcelona to beat them any other way. Ferrari’s only real hope was reliability and imaginative strategies.

Hakkinen was happy with his

is that one cannot concentrate on

situation while Coulthard must have lost a httle bit of confidence on

one or other tyre compound and so inevitably there is a little too much compromise involved, unless you make an early decision and risk getting it wrong for race day.

Saturday morning when his car suffered a rear suspension failure, sending him into a high-speed spin.

Ferrari was moderately satisfied

With all these variables the

with the situation and Irvine even

results from the practice sessions can sometimes be confusing and misleading and so no-one knew quite what to make of Eddie Irvine being fastest on Friday. Heinz-

talked of perhaps taking pole if he had not fallen off in the Saturday morning session and lost half an hour of setting-up time. He also admitted to a mistake on his fastest lap.

If Michael being beaten by Eddie was a big surprise, the fifth placed man on the grid was almost a shock because one is not used to seeing a Sauber up at the front. The Swiss team has worked hard trying to fix its handling problems and had pro duced a new underbody for Barcelona, clearly a big improve

Harald Frentzen was second and Michael Schumacher third but then Alex Zanardi was fifth in his

Williams, so what did it all prove?

The final decision on tyres has to be taken by midday on Saturday before qualifying - and in Barcelona it looked like Michael Schumacher made a late decision to switch from medium to soft rubber.

As a result he paid for it in qualify ing, struggling to find a good set-up and not able to keep up with Irvine who had been concentrating on soft rubber throughout. Both McLarens were on hard tyres.

Qualifying

The battle was not great one. for Forpole a while Jeana Alesi (on soft rubber) was quickest but he was soon bounced back by Jacques Villeneuve (soft) and then

by Michael Schumacher. After half an hour Coulthard came out and

sneaked ahead only to lose out to Irvine a few minutes later. On his

third run Hakkinen put everyone into the shade and the final runs

unusually produced no last-minute upsets.

ment.

“Fifth on the grid is a dream,” said an excited Jean Alesi.”The car

felt balanced on a knife-edge and we knew that even a small change the wrong way could destroy its efficiency, so we tuned it by mil limetres and it paid off.”

The improved showing of the Sauber was mirrored by the perfor mance of Pedro Diniz, showing that Jean’s showing was not down to his brilliance nor to a fluke. Pedro quali fied 12th and reckoned that he

would be going for points on Sunday.

Sixth went to Villeneuve’s BAE

and that was an encouraging effort as well for the team. Jacques was using soft tyres but the perfor mance shows that the BAR engi neers are beginning to get the hang of the chassis on a more regular basis - even if reliability still

And so it was that Hakkinen and Coulthard were first and third on

remains a problem. Jacques lost

the

sion because of a fuel feed problem

grid

using

hard

tyres.

most of the Saturday morning ses

and then made a mess on his

fastest lap so he could have done even better, but sixth was good.

Mika Salo also had mechanical

troubles and his decision to go for the harder tyres made him seem a little off Villeneuve's pace, down in 16th. He was disappointed as he reckoned that he could have been as

high as 10th if he had not had his fastest time taken away because of a yellow flag infringement.

There was a time not so long ago when seventh on the grid would have sent the Stewart team into a

tartan whirl, but these days expec tations are higher and so Rubens Barrichello was actually disap pointed with the position. He had to switch to his spare in the middle of the session when he felt a vibration and later went back to his own car

so the session was very disrupted.

Rubens chose the harder tyres and so, if anything, was looking good for the race.

Johnny Herbert was a disap pointed 14th on the grid, never managing to get all his fastest sec tor times together in the same lap and stumbling on yellow flags on his last flying lap. Having chosen soft tyres he found himself in a rather compromised situation for the race.

It was also a disappointing day for Jordan with Frentzen eighth and Hill 11th. Both Jordan drivers

went for hard tyres, hoping that Sunday would be hot.

“We will have a great deal of work to do tomorrow to make up the lost places,” said Hill, “but we will be running at an advantage.”

Frost was quite pleased with Jamo Trulli’s ninth, although the team had been aiming for seventh as at Monaco - both Frost drivers

going for soft tyres.

Trulli was only three-tenths faster than Olivier Fanis but that made the difference between ninth

and 15th, Fanis having a lot of work to do on Sunday.

Half Schumacher qualified 10th, which was not a great result, but having gone for the hard compound, it was not altogether surprising.

Ralf felt he couldn’t have got any more out of the car but reckoned

that he would be a lot stronger in the race.

Continued next page

24

Dl/d

4 June 1999

T

lakW(inencj

It’s all in the numbers: Jacques Villeneuve and engineer Jock Clear discuss the behaviour of his BAR. I’m tollin’ ya, Skaifey didn’t jump the start: Barry Sheene and Mika Hakkinen met up in Barcelona.

(Photos by Sutton Images)

Continued from page 23...

After his brief moment of glory on Friday Alex Zanardi was strug gling again, down in 17th after what he described as “a disastrous

day”.

Of the Supertec users, Benetton was once again the least impressive and, given that Gianfranco Fisichella was using soft tyres, his 13th on the grid did not look good at all. Both

Fisichella and Wurz

complained about a lack of grip and understeer, saying the car does not react to changes. Wurz - on hard tyres - was 18th and described the qualifying session as “terrible”.

The 10th row was monopolised by the two Arrows with Pedro de la Rosa once again outrunning Tora Takagi, although the Japanese dri ver went for harder tyres.

The back row belonged to Minardi - as ever - and local hero Marc Gene was faster than Luca

Badoer despite going off on his fastest lap.

So the grid was set and it was down to the weather. What would it

do? The Sunday morning warm-up was cool but that did not stop BAR having problems with both Salo

everyone knew how vital the open ing seconds of the race were going to be. Overtaking is simply too difficult unless you have a massive horse power advantage and while the Mercedes VlOs are very powerful their advantage is not all that big.

At the start the two McLarens,

Schumacher and Villeneuve all got away well. Irvine was slower and that meant that Michael had to

brake to avoid his team-mate, giv ing Villeneuve the chance to go around both Ferraris ... he went for it and made it.

“I could have caught him in turn five on the first lap,” Schumacher said later, “but would have involved a lot of risk. I thought to myself: ‘Don’t do it, wait for the later stages’.”

It would turn out to be a costly piece of caution.

Hakkinen took off like a cannon

ball leading Coulthard and Then came Villeneuve, Schumacher and Irvine, a fast starting Trulli - up from ninth to sixth - Alesi and Ralf, who’d blast

ed through from 10th to eighth.

The big loser was Barrichello, bouncing from seventh to 10th, behind Frentzen.

It was fairly clear, even in those early laps, that Jacques was going to have to work very hard to keep the Ferraris behind him, but there was nothing that Schumacher could do. He simply had to hope that Jacques would make a mistake.

Irvine’s poor start had put Ferrari into the nightmare scenario. Any dreams of a fancy strategic victory had evaporated. Villeneuve locked brakes here and there but he held

Michael setting his sights on

it together and Schumacher had to watch as the two McLarens disap peared over the horizon.

By lap 10 Hakkinen was 16s ahead and by lap 20 it was 26s, almost enough to stop and still stay

Coulthard who was 17s ahead.

Fourth-placed Irvine was the first of the major runners to stop on lap 22 - and he was quickly fol lowed by Hakkinen (23), and

to tell my crew,” explained David.

“They made an adjustment to the pressures of the second set of tyres.

That gave me understeer in the high speed comers while I still had

Villeneuve and Schumacher (24).

Coulthard came in on lap 26, slight ly overshot his pit marks and lost

oversteer in the slower comers ... it

about six seconds.

hard.”

“I’ve only finished one race this year,” he explained, “and so I’ve only done one pit stop...”

It was a costly error but he was still far enough ahead of

And so the gap came down from 17s on lap 27 to 0.8s 15 laps later partially thanks to the tyres along

Race - 65 Laps

better drilled at pitstops than BAR,

There was approached much excitement as the start because

fortable but was still able to build a lead of three seconds over Villeneuve.

Villeneuve,

while

the

“With the first set I seemed to

have a bit of oversteer, so I called in

Schumacher to be second when the

and

conditions.

ahead of Michael.

Hakkinen was right on it imme diately, pulling out 1.2secs on the first lap and then building a lead of three seconds by the fifth.

Coulthard was not quite as com

McLarens were a serene 1-2...

David was not having it easy on his second set of tyres, the pres sures not being quite right for the

pits stop stagger had unwound. But Hakkinen was suddenly twice as far ahead.

As one would expect, Ferrari are

made it very difficult for me to push

with the traffic. Whatever the case

it looked as though Michael would be getting ahead of David during the second pit stop sequence.

Michael pitted on lap 43 but luck was not on his side., Tora Takagi pitting at the same time.

Michael later

criticised

the

so both Schumacher and Irvine

Japanese driver for being on “a cof

were able to get ahead of Jacques,

fee break” but that was a little

unfair. Tora was doing his own thing, Michael was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The timesheets reveal that he

lost a tenth or two compared to his first stop, no more.

Coulthard’s second stop (lap 45) saw him emerge just ahead of Michael, but it was enough and, as the track temperatures had risen

suddenly,'David found that his

tyres were working better Schumacher’s tyres were no longer as effective and fate having decided that Michael’s change to the softer rubber on Saturday had been a mistake.

And that was how it ended.

Hakkinen sailed on imperiously to his 11th victory.

“I guess it’s never easy, although sometimes it looks as though it is,” he said. “You need enormous con

centration all the way, especially when you’re in the lead. I had a big advantage over David and Michael through the race, which made it dif ficult to maintain maximum con centration.”

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25

4 June 1999

0.

● V

Reliability: Tora Takagi again finished in the Arrows, a lap behind team-mate Pedro de la Rosa, proving that while they may not have speed, at least the Arrows finish.

Supertec v Playlife: With power on his side (?) Salo tended off Fisichella’s Benetton, earning his first finish in the BAR. (Photos by su«on) “Things can happen at any time through the race and when you are in the lead you have to double your concentration.”

But he won and revived his

World Championship hopes.

Coulthard came home second for

a solid handful of points while Schiunacher and Irvine - who had

a very lonely race - gave Ferrari a dull 3-4 result.

“I wish I had had my stereo in the car to keep me amused,” he cracked later.

Behind them there was a mon

Sale’s result gave BAR some consolation, if only from a reliabil ity standpoint. But that is some thing. The sad thing is that every one has forgotten that here was a new team, running a car third in a

start from the pits one lap down.

When he came in for his first pit stop his gearbox failed.

Seventh weiit to Hill, thanks to a neat piece of opportunism in the closing laps when Barrichello

bad result for Williams after start

ing 10th. Ralf drove a good solid race and profited from the demise of those ahead of him_. He was eighth on the first lap, moved to seventh when Alesi disappeared the demise of

Villeneuve. A good second stop enabled Ralf to get clear of Trulli.

Zanardi’s race was rather less

successful. He had moved up to 13th by the time he he pitted.

“I selected first gear but I heard a strange noise,” Alex explained.

“When I released the clutch nothing happened.” It was the end of anoth er unhappy chapter in Zanardi’s Williams career. Things can only get better.

Trulli was able to claim the final

point despite clearly struggling with his soft tyres in the later stages of the race. His great start made the result possible and a good set-up enabled him to keep his rivals bottled up behind him, despite coming under extreme pres sure from Barrichello and HiU.

“The final laps were veiy hot for me,” he admitted later, “but we suc ceeded in preserving my tyres and keeping the position.”

Panis had no such luck. He

valiant effort...

Badoer’s race was little better.

had not built so many castles in the sky in the last 12 months, everyone would have been raving at the performance. But in the paddock no-one made much men

lap him, Hill taking the advantage to grab the place.

Frentzen spent much of the early part of the race battling with Ralf and would therefore have scored a

He hobbled around at the back and eventually retired with gearbox trouble.

All rather dull really...

Barceionit

Barcelona, Spain, May 30 .^Results -M 65 Laps/307.196 kms

tion of it.

There is moral in all this about

36 with a differential failure. No

building up false images...

points for Jordan.

The Stewart team had a right to be a little disappointed given Barrichello’s good qualifying perfor mance. The poor start made diffi cult but he looked strong in the closing laps behind Trulli. The loss of seventh place to Hill was testa ment to Rubens being too nice a guy. Later he was excluded from the results for a technical infringe ment, ending the weekend on a poor note for the team.

Herbert’s made a great start to run 11th, just behind Barrichello.

He started on a three-stop strategy but changed to a two-stop plan to

The two Benettons finished 10th and 11th. Both drivers chose

misbehave and that was that - his

fifth straight non-finish.

Ninth went to Salo - scoring bar’s first finish - but it was hardly

Team

McLaren-Mercedes McLaren-Mercedes Ferrari Ferrari

3 4

unless the team starts to make

11

progress , no-one is going to bother doing that...

Trolling around at the back were the two Arrows, proving to be reli able once again. The team called it

12 13

T. Takagi

bunch but there are times when

the result the team had dreamed of

Driver

1 2

three-stop strategies and both had to push so hard that they each had minor incidents costing them places. The strategy was wrong and it was not a day which will fig ure highly when someone writes a history of the Benetton team. And

stances it probably was. What the team now needs is some money so that the engineers can do the job properly. They are a talented

his stop Johnny’s gearbox began to

Pos

M.Hakkinen D. Coulthard M.Schumacher E.Irvine R. Schumacher J.Trulli D. Hill R.Barrichello M. Salo G. Fisichella A. Wurz P. de la Rosa

“a valiant effort”. In the circum

suit the circumstances. Just before

when Villeneuve was running third early. After losing out to both Ferrari’s at the first pit stop, Jacques was by himself when one of the rear wing flaps broke forcing him to pit unexpectedly a few laps before planned. The crew made a bit of a meal of the stop and then, as Jacques tried to accelerate away, first gear broke. New team problems.

revving until the engine died. A

few Spaniards applauded this

Grand Prix. If the team bosses

moved over to allow Schumacher to

point - but he dropped out on lap

strous gap of nearly a minute back to fifth-placed Ralf, which was not a

and sixth with

stalled at the start and so had to

5 6 7 8 9 10

Time/Laps 1h34m13.665s

1h34m19.903s 1h34m24.510s 1h34m43.847s 1h35m40.873s

Williams-Supertec Prost-Peugeot Jordan-Mugen-Honda

64 laps 64 laps 64 laps 64 laps 64 laps 64 laps 63 laps 62 laps

Stewart-Ford

BAR-Supertec Benetton- Supertec Benetton-Supertec Arrows

Arrows

FASTEST LAP: Schumacher lap 29 1m 24.982 s 200.287 kph.

LAP LEADERS: Lap 1-23, Hakkinen, Lap 24-26, Coulthard; Lap 27- 44 Hakkinen, Lap 45, Coulthard, Lap 46-65, Hakkinen.

Retirements: M. Gene Lap 0 Lap 24 O. Panis Lap 24 A. Zanardi Lap 27 J. Alesi Lap 35 H.H. Frentzen Lap 39 J. Herbert Lap 40 J. Villeneuve Lap 40 P.Diniz Lap 50 L. Badoer

Minardi-Ford

Prost - Peugeot Williams-Supertec

Transmission

Hydraulic Pressure to Box

Arrows

Jordan-Mugen-Honda

Transmission Gearbox Differential Transmission Gearbox Gearbox Gearbox

the talking has to stop and the money has to appear.

Sauber had a bad day. Alesi’s gearbox failed while trailing Trulli, while Diniz was running around with Barrichello early, but

Drivers World Championship points Standings: M.Schumacher 30,

he too hit transmission trouble and retired.

Hakkinen 24, Irvine 21, Frentzen 13, Coulthard 12, Schumacher 9, Fisichella 7, Barrichello 6, Hill 3, De la Rosa/Panis/Alesi/Wurz/Trulli 1.

For the Spanish fans the biggest disappointment was prob ably the demise of Marc Gene.

The Minardi failed to get a gear

Constructors’ World Championship points standings: Scuderia Ferrari 51, McLaren-Mercedes 36, Jordan-Mugen-Honda 16, Williams-Superte c 9, Benetton-Supertec 8, Stewart-Ford 6, Prost-Peugeot 2, Arrows and Sauber-

at the start and Gene sat there

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HONDA WARS

EPISODE 3 THE MENACE RETURNS Not a long time ago, and not far away, Honda dominated Formula One

racing. After a false start with its own team the Japanese giant is returning in 2000 with British American

Racing. JOE SAWARD details the wakening menace ...

Pholo by Pascal Rondeau Allspon

Honda has just announced that it is to supply its ew Formula 1 engines to British American Racing between 2000-2002.

It is a decision based on a large

payment from BAR but it doesn’t make much sense in the overall

scheme of things. Honda has a mission in FI and that cannot be

achieved with BAR, unless at some

point in the future, the bright new team is transformed into an all-

Honda operation. The aim is to win the World Championship with a Honda car, powered by a Honda engine.

It1962 is an when ambitionHonda that goes back to engineers began to push for a Grand Prix racing programme. The company had dominated the 1961 and 1962 World

●

/

■/ ●

-A.

Memories of another era: If the words 'Powered by Honda’ don't put the fear into rival F1 teams, nothing will. Honda’s engineers were almost fanatically meticulous with their standards of preparation.

Motorcycling Championships and were selling millions of motorbikes.

The company was just beginning to build cars. The FI project would be a training ground for engineers but would also publicise Honda’s auto mobile operations.

First reports of the FI plan leaked out in the autumn of 1962.

Early the following year the first engine designs were completed and by the summer of 1963 an engine was running on the test beds in Japan. It was not long before a prototype chassis appeared.

The goal of the engineers involved was to build a car capable of 270kph (170mph) and so that first car was named RA270. This would never be raced but the team was soon build

ing its successor RA271. At the same time Honda decided it woidd be wise to take advice from

European engineers, who under stood FI chassis technology. The project leader Yoshio Nakamura went to Europe and visited Brabham, .Cooper, Lotus and Cosworth (which was considering building chassis at the time).

A deal was struck with Lotus and

a dummy engine was sent to Britain in December 1963. In Januaiy 1964

the company annoimced its plans to enter Grand Prix racing but a month later Lotus unexpectedly informed Honda that it could not work with them because of a rela

tionship it had with Jaguar Cars. It had to use Coventry Climax

engines. The Japanese were left in

is this the best rod E

LEVEN years ago, Grand Prix racing was a very dif

ferent environment to what it is now. There were different

names, both drivers and teams, and the FI worid was on the

verge of the most fundamental changes in the sport’s history.

Constnjctors prize by a mammoth 61 points.

But the writing was on the wall 1988 would be better.

Ferrari were showing signs of resistance. For the last two GPs of

last tor the turbocharged, 1.5 litre for mula. From the 1200hp qualifying behemoths of the early ’80s the FIA had regulated the performance out of the flame-spitting beasts by means of fuel limits. For 1988 engine manufac

1997, they had set the pace.

Gerhard Berger took pole and won

restrictions ever.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder: Ayrton Senna was in untouchable form during his first season with McLaren-

Williams-Honda won the

The 1998 season was to be the

turers would face the most draconian

Prioto by Pascal Honcieau^A>'.'spg^^»;*y

odd glitch. They finished 1 -2 in the championship and, with 137 points,

And the writing was on the wall that Honda would finally fall from its perch. Sure, Alain Frost’s 1986 championship win for McLaren-TAG was a fillip for the 'enemies' but. in reality, he had snatched the win from under the noses of Honda men Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet.

The following year the Brazilian and the Brit staged their own sea son-long war. interrupted only by the

at both Suzuka and Adelaide, where

he was backed up in second by team-mate Michele Aiboreto.

There was more.

World champ Piquet had left for Lotus, where he would get unchal lenged number one status. Ayrton Senna and Honda joined McLaren alongside Prost. a combination that wouid surely take time to gel.

The now-Honda-less Williams

were going normally-aspirated with Judd, which looked like a good investment in 1989.

And with normal-aspiration mandatory tor '89. surely the teams would just update their '97 engines

4 June 1999

5

27

Through the years

First winner: Kckc Rosbcrg look Williiims-Honchrs lirsl win al Dallas

That’s the Spirit: it is, too. Stefan Johansson had a bad race at Silverstone in 1983 but the Spirit-Honda’s debut was very significant. The car, based on a Formula 2 chassis, was powered by Honda’s first turbocharged V6 engine. Spirit soon disappeared but, with Williams, Honda was winning a year later... (Photo by sutton images) the lurch.

It was too late for Brabham to

build a car for 1964 - although designer Ron Tauaranac did begin work on a secret Honda design on a drawing board in the spare room of his house in Pyrford, Surrey, with

In the race Bucknum went out

Honda would have to start all over

with a steering failure which result

again.

Honda decided to adapt its Formula 2 engine for the new for

ed in a sizeable accident from which

garage as a point of reference.

In the end, there was simply not

the driver emerged needing four stitches. With only one car based in Europe, Honda had to miss the

Honda’s choice of driver was a

I

Ginther won and formula Bucknum finished fifth. It was a

the Honda engine sitting in his enough time. Honda had no choice but to go ahead with its own chassis.

I

the team had turned up without an oil trap fitted in the engine. They were compulsory and so the Honda engineers improvised, modifying a Coca-Cola tin to do the job...

source of incredulity in Formula 1 circles. The company had tried to hire the 1961 World Champion Phil

Austrian GP. It was, at best, an

inauspicious start. The car reap peared on several occasions in 1964 but scored no results.

For 1965 Honda hired another

Hill. It was keen to get an American

American to partner Bucknum.

driver because of the importance of

Ritchie Ginther was a little better known in FI circles. He had never won a Grand Prix but bad finished

the United States market to the

Honda company. Hill was not avail able. Honda thus decided that it would be best to find an unknown

so that the driver would not get the credit for any success - and, it should be added, could be blamed for any failure.

Honda North America was asked

to supply names of young drivers with potential and they came up

second on eight different occasions during his years with Ferrari and BRM. Perhaps he wasn’t the fastest driver but he was a good develop ment driver and that was exactly what Honda needed.

During the winter Bucknum suf fered another steering failure and crashed at high speed, breaking his

with 10. Ronnie Bucknum - a littleknown driver of MGBs in America was the man chosen. 'The car was

leg badly but as 1965 developed so

unveiled at Zandvoort in July and made its debut 10 days later at the German GP at the old Nurburgring, Bucknum starting at the back of the

grid. The major talking point was not that Honda had arrived but that

or their final season while develop-

ig new units for the following year?

So there was genuine optimism

hat the 1988 season would be one 'f the closest on record...

While the opposition was fine-

uning engines to the new fuel regu-

over the weight limit. Surtees pre ferred to use the older engine.

Soichiro Honda had by now

City - the last race of the 1.5-litre

become obsessed with the idea of an

the chicane Senna, as committed as

ever, dived inside at warp speed.

Schlesser turned in, the McLaren

bounced high in the air and the Grand Slam was, suddenly, out of reach.

Jonza. When Mansell got sick late n the summer Williams roped in i^artin Brundie for Spa and Jean-

-ouis Schlesser for Monza.

Senna v^as leading late in the race vhen, on lap 50, he came up to lap

he Williams at the first chicane.

The MF4 had a small but telling

ead over Berger and the Brazilian

a Scuderia 1-2 on home soil.

Adelaide when he was running godknows-what boost, the McLarens were headed only once, for 100m at Suzuka when Ivan Capelli’s March nosed ahead before Frost blasted back in front.

And, if anyone had any hopes of Honda dropping the ball with their 1989 normally-aspirated VI2, they were to be disappointed.

Another 10 wins came. Frost and

Senna running 1-2 in the champi onship and McLaren-Honda winning the title by 64 points...

- PHIL BRANAGAN

Johnnv B Patient: Lotus's final sca.son was.with Mugen-Honda.

Lola to design a new chassis to go with the engine. The project was completed in just six weeks and Surtees gave the RA300 a remark able debut victory at Monza in September.

Towards the end of the year there was a new engine and in Mexico

It was a stunning year. In real terms, apart from Berger leading 13 laps at Silverstone and 12 at

The ‘Grand Slam’ was missed

mid-season Honda decided to ask

race at Silverstone.

senna and Frost scored ten 1 -2s in

>nly because of a Senna accident at

Ginther and Bucknum left the

team. Honda signed up John Surtees and he spent most of the 1967 season developing the RA273.

It was not good enough and in the

year Honda prepared a new engine

ter, if you’re Italian - Berger led home

xjints from Frost on 87: third-placed

fourth place in Mexico.

At the end of the year both

Spa to score Hondi’s first World Championship point and led the

mgine.

The results were staggering:

lerger was on a paltry 41.

appear until the Italian GP in the autumn of 1966. The car was power ful but very heavy. On its debut Ginther suffered a tyre failure and crashed, breaking his collarbone. He recovered and ended the year with a

The RA300 saw out the rest of the

was in no mood to lose time lapping the Frenchman. As the approached

Lotu.s po.sition: Nelson Piquet ‘derended’ his tide in Louis in 1988.

mula but the new RA273 did not

1967 season but for the following

To make matters worse - or bet-

Senna won the title with 90

formula would begin in 1966 and

reliable. Ginther fir ished sixth at

ation Honda produced an all-new

aces, and 12 in qualifying. Senna jrabbed 13 poles, Frost 2, the rest Berger, in Britain) 1.

that it was too late. A new 3-litre

the cars became quicker and more

ng <ar EVER built?

P

great triumph but the reality was

and as a result the RA301 was well

air-cooled FI engine and as a result the RA302 was produced in the summer of 1968. It was unlike any other FI car. Built of magnesium -

What signage'?: Jean Alesi's Tyrrell Mugen-Honda lacked dcvelopinenl.

to reduce weight - it was tested by Surtees at Silverstone. He said it

was not ready to race but Honda wanted to push ahead and so the car was given to French veteran Jo

' r^TOTTO

Schlesser for the French GP at

Rouen. In the famous fast sweepers

going downhill at Rouen Schlesser lost control of the car. It hit a bank,

overturned

and

caught

fire.

Schlesser was killed.

The accident marked the end of Honda’s first FI adventure. The team went on until the end of the

season but then Honda pulled out of Grand Prix racing. It had been decided that it was better to concen

trate on production cars. Many of the Honda FI engineers of the era went on to work on the design of the Honda Civic, one of the great mod em mass -production cars.

The 1970s saw Honda’s rise as a car manufacturer with the Civic

appearing in 1972. The following year Soichiro Honda retired and Kiyoshi Kawashima became President of the company. In 1976 the Honda Accord followed and in 1978 came the Prelude. These mod-

Continued over page

f

T

1

! * - T»

C*

■wsm

I

Surprise winner: Prost Mugen-Honda's Olivier Panis took Monaco in '96.

28

4 June 1999

0,

Continued from page 27 els established the company as a force in the world’s car markets and

in 1977 Kawashima quietly gave the go-ahead for new racing activities.

After the problems with the chas sis in the 1960s, it was decided that this time Honda would be only an

engine supplier. FI chassis technol ogy was not relevant to production

f.

cars.

The programme began with a Formula 2 engine which Honda sup plied to Ron Tauranac’s Ralt organi sation. The engines were to be ser viced in Britain by Engine Developments, a company jointly owned by John Judd and Jack Brabham - an old friend of Honda.

The engine was developed in

Mexican Wave: Ritchie Ginther is welcomed back into

r?'

pit lane after winning the 1965 Mexican Grand Prix, Honda's first Formula One Win.(Pholo courtesy Goodyear)

1980 and in 1981 Geoff Lees won

the European F2 title in a RaltHonda.

The following year was not as successful. Ralt was busy producing

Photo by StJtion Imagfjs

customer Formula 3 cars and so

Clash if the Titans: Ayrton Senna’s McLaren-Honda and Nigel Mansell’s WilliamsRenault go wheel-to-wheel into the first corner at the 1991 Spanish GP at Barcelona.

Get a Jos: Verstappen tested last week but is now looking for a new ride.

Honda expanded the supply to a new organisation called Spirit, founded by former March men Gordon Coppuck and John Wickham. Ralt had no desire to go to FI but Spirit was ambitious.

In Japan Honda engineers had already built the first turbocharged FI prototypes and by August 1982 Spirit was sent a dummy FI engine.

The first Honda engine ran in a Spirit F2 chassis in November that year. An FI car was built for 1983 but by then Spirit knew that Honda

HONDA FI FACTS ● Honda has contested 186 GPs.

Mugen-Honda has contested 120. ● Honda has won 6 world titles for

Contructors(1986, ’87, ’88, 89, 90, 91) and five for Drivers (1987 - 91)

● Honda has taken pole position 74

was close to a deal with Williams for 1984.

times.

The Spirit-Honda was driven by Stefan Johansson and the emphasis was very definitely on engine devel opment. There were no startling results. As expected the WilliamsHonda deal was agreed and

● Honda has won 71 GPs, and Mugen-

announced at the German GP and

by tbe autumn Williams was run ning a car with a Honda engine and the team debuted the Honda at the South African GP at the end of the

time with a series of engine failures but in Dallas in July - in debilitat ing heat - Keke Rosberg survived to win as others suffered failures or crashed. It was Honda’s first tur

average speed of 160.925mph. At the end of the year the Williams-

year.

Hondas won the last three races:

But the learning process was coming to an end. Honda was throwing more resources and more people at the project and the results improved. At Silverstone Rosberg produced an extraordinary qualify ing lap to take pole position at an

two wins for Nigel Mansell and the third for Rosberg.

At the end of the year Rosberg moved to McLaren and Williams

turned to Nelson Piquet.

The 1986 season would belong to

Williams and Honda with Mansell

Senna was headed for victory when he stumbled upon the Williams of Grand Prix debutant Jean-Louis

Schlesser, nephew of Jo Schlesser.

There was a misunderstanding

● While it took Honda only 11 races to take its first GP win, it took Mugen-Honda

was ruined. Senna won the title.

a worst-ever 71 races, one more than Matra.

fell out but the McLaren-Honda combination continued to dominat

● Ayrton Senna leads the list of GPs wins for Honda with 32. Nigel Mansell is sec

ed Prost rammed Senna off the track to win the title. He left the

Honda.

Honda and it was not repeated that

failure to win came at Monza where

and Senna went off. Honda’s clean

follows Nelson Piquet (7), Keke Rosberg (3) and Richie Ginther and John Surtees (1 each). Olivier Panis and Damon Hill have each won a single race for Mugen-

The 1984 season was a difficult

But the WiUiams-Honda domina

tion was nothing compared to what was coming. In 1988 McLaren’s Prost and Senna blitzed the opposi tion - winning 15 of 16 races in their McLaren-Hondas. The only

Honda 2.

ond with 15 from Alain Prost on 11. Then

year.

bocharged victory - and the first of many which would follow. No-one expected it, not even the bosses at

Lotus-Honda alongside Nakajima. Piquet won the title.

to

nine times. The team won the Constructors’ title but Alain Prost was able to sneak through to win the Drivers’ title in a thrilling

Lotus was willing to give the sec ond seat to Honda protege Satoru Nakajima.

The 1987 season was once again a battle between the two Williams drivers but the Williams-Honda

sweep of the World Championship The following year the two drivers

ed, winning 10 victories. A frustrat team at the end of the year.

In 1990 Senna won as he pleased and he did the same in 1991 and the

McLaren-Honda relationship con tinued until the end of 1992 when

Honda announced unexpectedly that it was pulling out of FI once again. The job had been done. It was time to concentrate on the

important business of selling cars.

But, in the minds of the engineers at Honda, the job has not really been done. Honda has yet to win the World Championship with its own

showdown race in Adelaide. It also resulted in the announcement that

relationship was becoming strained.

At Silverstone British crowds

chassis. That was the intention

Honda would supply its engines to

thrilled to the sight of Mansell sweeping imperiously past Piquet in the closing laps but in the paddock Honda was not happy.

when the company announced it was returning to FI in 2000.

Lotus in 1987, in order to have

Ayrton Senna driving one of its cars.

1988. Senna would be Prost’s team-

mate and Kquet would transferring

back in the autumn of 1962...

It wanted to have more control over the team and have Mansell

play a supporting role to Pquet to ensure that the ittle went to Honda.

Frank Williams was not going to be bullied. It was his team.

At Monza it was announced that

Honda would be joining McLaren in

In rain, hail or shine: Before landing in FI, Honda dominated F2. Thierry Boutsen and Stefan Johansson lead the field through the murk at Spa-Francorchamps in 1982. And the company has hardly been sitting on its hands since, having won three straight CART titles and threatening again with Juan Montoya (right).

The announcement that Honda

has decided to supply its engines to British American Racing for the next three years is a curious one. Honda is going back to fight battles which it has already won. Who knows what will happen in the longer-term?

Perhaps written into the contracts are options for Honda to buy the team - and so achieve the goal which Soichiro Honda set the company

R)iI(2.

4 June 1999

oYo

29

Keene, Bradbury top Porsches Wagg was restricted by running a standard gear

was fourth before he got back on. That promoted Keene to the lead, which he just held from Bradbury at the flag.

In Race 2 Wagg pulled off before the start, leav ing Simon Froude to take the lead from Bradbury, Keene (who would spin twice at Motrex), Trevor

box in his car after his

John and McRae.

competition unit failed in qualifying, and failed to

By lap 4 Bradbury was through the lead but mid race rain upset the order.

John pulled off at Clubhouse, while Keene’s adventures kept him back

GREG Keene and Peter

Bradbury shared the spoils in the Pirelli Porsche Cup events at Mallala, hut it was Martin Wagg who looked the fastest in SA.

even start the second race

after the spin the first.

Wagg took pole for the first race and led away easily in the drizzle from Keene and Bradbury, but the judges pinged the TNT Porsche for a jump and he pitted after lap 2, resuming in seventh.

Wagg cleared away until lap 7 when he spim at Shell. The blue 911

to

fourth

behind

Bradbury, Froude and McRae.

Mike Tankard took out Race 1 Class B honours in

the neat 928, while it was

Mike Ealpatrick who took the honours in the second race.

briefly caught fire and he

-PHILBRANAGAN

First comer blues: Martin Wagg leads race winners Greg Keene and Peter Bradbury into the first corner. (Photo by oirk Kiynsmiih)

m

Made in Japan, er, itaiy: Paul Stephenson’s ex-AII Japan F3 series Dallara was right on the pace. (DirkKiynsmith)

It’s on for young and old PAUL Stephenson and Chas Jacobsen have shared the hon ours in the first “Formula Three” race in Austraha.

Pressure time: D’Agostin and Wakefield are getting to be the best double act in motor racing after two great Mallala races, tuirk KiynMniihi CHRiSTIAN D’Agostin lived up to his fast-improving reputation in the ROH Commodore Cup at Maliaia.

The Melbourne drivers, a rookie

Eleven of the 2-litre Formula 3s

and a veteran, took a win each at

appeared in the AF2 race, which also

tion for the two races and

Mallala, both driving 1996 model Dallaras after Stephenson qualified

catered for the earlier carburetted (1600cc) Formula 2 cars,

split the wins with Queenslander Wayne

on pole position by a full second.

D’Agostin took poie posi-

Wakefieid in the two events.

“I’m surprised at how much he’s stepped up: I’m having to put a lot^more

effort into this thatithought si was going to,” said an impressed Wakefield after the second race.

-PHILBRANAGAN

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30

4 June 1999

Report by JON THOMSON

JUHA Kankkunen ended a five-

year drought by taking victory in the Rally of Argentina on May 22-25, the seventh round of the World Rally Championship.

Kankkunen’s victoiy came on the very last stage, when he pipped Subaru team-mate Richard Burns

by just 2.4 seconds to retake the title of the winningest World Rally Championship driver of all time, Kankkunen going one clear of Carlos Sainz with the Argentinian win and making it 22 victories for the veteran Finn.

The victory revitalises the Subaru team, currently weathering the leanest patch in its recent histo ry and came after intensive testing and new tyres from Pirelli.

Didier Auriol tried hard through out the rally, but the Frenchman found that the Toyota Corolla couldn’t match the Subarus, the Frenchman bringing his car home in third, 37.2 seconds behind Bums.

Leg One The rally started in front of close to 100,000 people at a three at a time Super Special stage around the Cordoba Exhibition grounds and, in a thrilling battle, Sainz took the lead with fastest time by 1.1 secs from Makinen.

crowds on the stage.

Bums went to the lead on special stage five, topping Sainz and

The lone 4km stage was all that drivers faced on the opening day, with an overnight halt coming prior to the rest of leg one, played out in

strewn race down the mountain -

wheels, had broken the front sus

Kankkunen on the 24 km test and

the foohills of the Andes.

pension.

leaving Makinen to ponder more gearbox problems with the Mitsubishi, after it had suffered similar problems on the past three rounds - this time around, third and fourth were lost, requiring a box change.

It was from this point on that the Subarus really took command.

The famous El Condor stage was the first of the day and Colin McRae grabbed a slight advantage with fastest time over Auriol, Sainz, Kankkunen and Radstrom.

But McRae’s hopes were shat tered on the next stage when he hit a massive rock amidst the boulder-

McRae tipped the car on its side and, despite getting it back on its Sainz then started to suffer sus

pension problems, leaving team mate Auriol in the lead into the

town of Mina Clavero, home of

Argentine rally hero Jorge Recalde.

Auriol maintained his lead after

special stage four, but both he and Tommi Makinen complained of the

ADVANTAGE Australia, the high-pro file sports marketing and management group which has taken over the organi sation and promotion of the Australian Safari cross country rally, has gone to great lengths to ensure that all the building blocks are in place to guarantee a successful international event on

August 21-28 during the 14th running of the eight-day off-road enduro.

For example. Bob Carpenter, who has been involved in the event from day one, is contracted to be the Clerk of Course - and

he’s regarded as the master when it comes to gaining access to heavily restricted roads, a consequence of his pivotal, long-term rapport with the aboriginal owners.

“That latter point is particularly signifi cant, now that the Safari is wholly based in

the Northern Territory,” said Advantage International’s Craig Fletcher.

“And that situation is the result of initia

tives by the newly-formed Northern Territory Major Events Group, which is the

event division of the Northern Territoiy gov ernment and the major sponsor of the event.

“Marshall Perron, the former Chief Minister for the Northern Territory, is the chairman of that Major Events team, while Paul Cattermole is the General Manager and Robyn Darben the Events Manager.

“That small, but very effective company, which was formed to produce the Hidden Valley round of the Shell V8 Supercar series in Darwin last year, will be running the Safari for the next five years.

“That was the company’s first foray into promoting its own events, the government

realising that if they wanted events of signif icance they had to get behind them - as a result, the Major Events Group was formed and it veiy successfully promoted the first

Shell touring car round in the Territory.

“It was obvious that the Territorians liked

big events and particularly motorsports and, building upon the success of that event, they made the decision to expand and embrace

Kankkunen taking fastest on the final three stages of the day, with Bums and Auriol vying for second on the remaining stages.

By the time the cars arrived back in Cordoba, Kankkunen held a 1.1-sec lead over Bums, with Auriol another 2.4 secs further back in third and Sainz 42.1 seconds behind in fourth.

race and Advantage International is also expected to have a promotional role in that gruelling event.

“We want to marry the two events in the future,” Fletcher continued, “but the Finke in June will remain a stand-alone event.

“It’s been very successfully running for 24 years and is handled by a basically volunteer group which does an extraordinary job, con sidering the number of people involved - but they feel that it’s now ready to go to the next level and would like to see us involved so that it becomes a sister event to the Australian Safari.

“We’re also considering ways of structur ing feeder events that would lead to the Safari,” Fletcher elaborated, “with one each in Victoria, Queensland.

New

South

Wales

and

“These would be weekend events, with the

Safari becoming the culmination of that par ticular year’s racing schedule.

“They would be timetabled to dovetail in

with the Australian Off-Road Championship calendar and other notable events and would

Makinen said.

FIM for the Safari to become a round of the

Motorcycle World Cup in 2000 - the World Cup has commenced this year with four scheduled rounds.

“The entry for such events wordwide is usually a ratio of two bikes per car and, highlighting that point, so far we already have 15 Japanese motorcycle entries for this year’s Safari, along with a couple from the UK,” Fletcher continued “and that early level of support obviously reinforces the worth of our World Cup initiative.

A top priority issue which Advantage International has already addressed is meet ing the crucial immediate and post-event needs of the media in all its iterations.

“From a domestic point of view, we’ve appointed Thomson Productions to travel with the event,” explained Fletcher “and, as part of their exclusive contract with Advantage, they’ll do the daily news packag ing for both the television and print media so that it’s there in time for that evening’s and the next morning’s news updates nation wide.

“On top of that, their responsibility is also to gather the footage for the documentary we’ll be putting together - and we’ll have that as a retail sale video, which will also be aired post-event on one of the Australian television networks.

Australian Safari.”

the USA with his Isuzu Vehi-CROSS and a

Australian Safari is an FIA-sanctioned event

and an application has been made to the

His compatriot, Makinen, was not so happy after a day fraught with problems.

“It’s been a very difficult day, but !● am sure we can make it up

was flying the Ford flag in sixth.

be for both cars and bikes, the ultimate out come being a huge gathering for the

From an international standpoint, the

ence,” said Kankkunen.

tomorrow. I think it wiU be better

bases fully covered ment is also involved in is the Finke desert

Pirellis have made a hell of a differ

Makinen was holding down fifth, 29.1 secs off Sainz, while Radstrom

Australian Safari the Australian Safari, an event which we’re looking to grow and expand over the next five years, or so.”

Another NT-based event which the govern

“The car is much, much better;

we have been doing a lot of work on differential settings and the new

“We also have Bob Land coming over from

team of 12 people, which will lead to Speedvision showing the Safari on television each day irght across America.

for us not going first on the road,”

“This group will also be putting together its own documentary in conjunction with our own film crew, the final product to be aired post-event in the USA. “BTQ Channel Seven out of Brisbane is going to travel with the Safari event and wiU be supplying its own helicopter and satellite news gatherer (SNG) and will make that SNG available if Thomson Productions wants to make use of it to disseminate news

information to all the networks - clearly, that’s an extremely valuable tool which we fully intend to exploit.

“Overall, I believe we can safely say that we’ve pretty well got the media covered for this event and, importantly. Thomson Productions has all the right connections to ensure that pre-event, event and post-event coverage is picked up as a matter of course by the global news networks, such as AAP and Reuters.”

Fletcher views 1999 as something of a rebuilding year for the Australian Safari, the new format a significant departure from that of previous years.

“The Safari has never been run totally in the Northern Territory before and the norm was for competitors to head off each day with a semitrailer full of spares and then camp overnight in the middle of the desert, which which was a negative aspect, as there was no spectator or community involvement and it made it extremely difficult for the media,” said Fletcher.

“When Advantage took over, the communi ty-friendly elements of the Round Australia foimat were utilised so that the competitors now come back to a town each night and develop a relationship with that community, a situation that clearly addresses all the pre\ious pitfalls.

“From both the tourism and economic

standpoints for those communities, this is a much better approach to the whole exercise as it will deliver calculable benefits - and it's also one that better meets the needs of the

all-important media.”

-TONY GLYNN

4 June 1999

Surprise leader in Group N was the Mitsubishi Lancer of local Daniel Preto, 17.9 secs ahead of Uruguyan Gustavo Trelles, while Recalde, also in a Lancer, was third Argentinian Walter Suriani was leading F2 in his Renault Megane Maxi, while Welshman Gwyndaf Evans was second and struggling in the SEAT Ibiza kit car.

Leg Two After what was the toughest leg of the rally through the Andean foothills west of Cordoba the previous day, it would be a relatively easy second leg north of the city on

His F2 team-mate, Evans, was

also out on the opening stage of the day with mechanical problems.

Evans’ retirement should have handed Suriani’s Renault the class

on a platter, but he would go out in a big rollover on stage 19, the Argentinian airlifted to hospital for observation, Makinen was also on a charge, closing in on Sainz and posting fastest on stage 20 as the drivers went into the loop of stages for the second time - the Finn was only 1.4 secs behind Sainz, whose car was still not quite right, Bums was still leading, but only

day two.

But second-placed Bums suffered gearbox problems leaving pare ferme - the car wouldn’t change gear and, despite his crew managing to change the Subam gearbox in service in just 19 minutes, he would arrive at the first special stage one minute late, taking a ten second road penalty.

Despite taking fastest on the opening stage on wet and slippery roads. Burns saw the lead slip to Auriol, the Frenchman 2.2 seconds clear of Bums, Kankkxmen slipping

6.3 secs in front of Kankkunen,

back to third.

than five seconds at a time.

This meant that Kankkunen

Auriol again topped the times just 0.2 seconds ahead of Bums - at the Super Special stage at Colonia Caroya, while Sainz continued to stmggle with niggling problems in the Corolla, including a puncture, which cost time with poor handling, despite the mousse doing its job the Spaniard was still in fourth, though, Makinen lurking just 16.5

with Auriol slipping to 21 seconds in arrears, Kankkunen was fastest on the penultimate stage, closing the gap to Bums to just 1.2 seconds, while Auriol was slipping back in third, Makinen assuming fourth from Sainz, who was now suffering gearbox problems.

All was set for a grandstand finish, but Burns was now having problems, an electronics fault preventing him from revving the Subaru to full throttle for more posted fastest by 3.6 seconds on the final test to grab the win by 2.4 seconds, upsetting Burns’ hopes of winning, Auriol would take third, 18.3 sec-

onds behind, with Makinen salvaging fourth place, another 59.5 seconds back,

Bums was continuing to stmggle

For Kankkimen, the elation was all too apparent.

He was back - and back with a

with a problem gearbox, but was stiU able to retake the lead on stage 13, Auriol complaining of the wrong tyre choice after plumping for a Michehn that was simply too soft.

Burns pushed a little further

vengeance, after an enormous amount of testing and development work to get Subaru back on the pace.

“The work has paid off; I had lots of doubts over the past year, but

ahead over the next two stages,

Kankkunen moving into second with the Auriol tyre problems,

now it is all back together and we still have a shot at the title,” said Kankkunen.

while Sainz consolidated fourth

It was also the first World

seconds behind in fifth.

ahead of Makinen.

The disappointing SEAT WRCs saw Rovanpera suffer a blown turbo and retire at the end of stagel 14, team-mate Piero Liatti battling hydraulic problems.

At the end of the leg after 16 special stages. Bums had the lead by 14. 8 seconds over Auriol, who had grabbed back second from Kankkunen on the final stage of the day, thanks to harder tyres.

Sainz was fourth, just 17.9 seconds clear of Makinen, but almost a minute behind Kankkunen, while Radstrom had the Focus in sixth, Liatti in the SEAT was seventh,

Loix eighth and Trelles was ahead in Group N and up to ninth.

Leg Three

After two days of overcast and unpleasant weather, the sun shone

Championship win for Juha Repo, Kankkunen’s co-driver, Trelles sealed Group N ahead of Recalde and Clauio Menzi in a Subam, while the most extraordi nary result was F2, where local Ricardo Bissio, driving an ageing Renault 18 GTX, was victorious.

Auriol’s third place and Makkinen’s fourth meant that those two jointly assumed the leadership in the drivers title on 32 points heading to the next round in Greece next weekend, Rally Argentina- May 22-25 Results Juha kankkunen/

1.

Juha Repo Subaru WRC 4hrl7minl5.4 Richard Bums/ Robert Reid Subam WRC 4hr 17min 17.8 Didier Auriol/ Denis Giraudet

2.

on the final day as the cars headed south to a loop of three stages,

each of which would be completed

3.

twice.

Toyota Corolla WRC

With Kankkunen chasing second from Auriol, the Finn was driving

with a fire in his belly and took

4.

the day.

Auriol had a pimcture on the sec

moving him up to second.

Loix had a big roUover on special stage 17, losing a rear wheel that saw him triple roll the Mitsubishi, luckily without injury.

Stage 19, the third of the day,

■^1 »#●

Tomas Radstrom/

Fred GaUagher Ford Focus 4hr 22min7.3secs

Championship points: Tonuni Makinen 32, Didier Auriol 32, Colin McRae 23, Carlos Sainz

23, Phillipe Bugalski 20, Juha

heavy landing, which saw him lose the sump guard and break the oil

Kankkunen 18, Richard Bums 13.

Manufacturers points: Toyota 67, Mitsubishi 41, Subam 36.

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NZ flyer: Bruce Herbert’s potent Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI enroute to the Otago winners podium.

Overall victory by Herbert at Otago Green takes points lead in NZ Rally Championship ish,” said Herbert. “Twice I’ve had

BRUCE Herbert made up for the disappointment of crashing

4.

new cars (and) I’ve crashed them the first time out.”

out of the first round of the

With a fourth place on Saturday and a third the following day, fel

Subaru New Zealand Rally Championship by finishing fifth on the Saturday heat and first on the Sunday section, giving him overall victory on the Otago Rally, held north of Dunedin on May 15-16.

low Palmerston North driver Brian Green has taken the lead in the

rally championship in his Ford Escort WRC with 36 points, one point in front of last year’s champi on Geoff Argyle, driving a

It was Herbert’s first win at

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. Overall Results

national level, although he has won a couple of regional rallies in

1.

the North Island.

The Palmerston North driver led

5.

6.

7.

8.

B Herbert/R Ryan 74 mins 23 secs

from the Sunday start in his

2.

brand-new Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI to finish 39 seconds in front of the Lancer Evo III of Timaru’s Chris West.

3.

“I just wanted to get to the fin-

M HotchinAV Penning Subam Impreza WRX 76.45 M Turfus/M Budd Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV 76.55 L Scott/J Black Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IV 76.56 G Gilmour/A Gilmour Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III 77.53

L Summerfield/D Pettigrew Subam Impreza WRX 78.14

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI C West/G Cowan Mitsubishi Lancer Evo HI 75.02 B Green/J Robb Ford Escort WRC97

9.

G Argyle/S Smith

10.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI 79.02 1 Marsron/J Hewlett

Subam Impreza WRX 79.32

- GEOFF BIDDER

75.09

Top tally: Ford Escort WRC97 of new pointscore leader Brian Green/J Robb. (Geoff Ridder/Unear Photographies)

r' A-.

£

\

I

4hrl9min33.5secs

6.

saw Liatti retire the SEAT after a

radiator and pump, putting the Itahan out of the rally.

'"-j

IS;

Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya Toyota CoroUa WRC

5.

its job, this cost him some time and

gave Kankkunen the advantage,

mt

■31 "22EE

4hr 17min 53.0 Tommi Makinen/ Risto Mannisenmaki Mitsubishi EvoVI 4hrl8minl4.4

fastest on the second and third of

ond stage after nudging a bank and, despite the Michelin mousse doing

31

^

it

32

4 June 1999

A

jy^

Resistance as WRC calendar ■19^

.V,

shake-up looms A major shakeup is on the horizon for

the World

Rally Championship cal endar, with the fate of some events in the bal

ance and others likely to be moved in a radical

change to the complexion of the series.

Cruel luck: The superb Bates/Taylor Corolla WRC was bested by a stick. (Tony Glynn pic) haven’t been able to talk

Last year, rolled our Didier Corolla Auriol WRC

anyone into it yet!

at a Toyota Media Launch finally, in February this year, our repaired body

We’ve coped with aover few disappointments the last couple of years, but the Rally of Canberra would probably rate as one of the bigger ones.

If you throw the car off

shell returned from TTE.

Consequently, the work shop flew into a flurry of activity as, alongside rebuilding the Corolla tor this year’s championship, we were also preparing two

the road, or make an error

in a rally, you can live with the consequences.

of the new Lexus IS200s for

Targa Tasmania.

As is

often the case in motor-

sport, it never rains, but it pours!

with our gearbox - or rather, gearboxes!

Despite a gearbox change in an allocated 15

But, when a stick holes

the radiator at the very beginning of a three-day international

event and

Word in Argentina at last week’s round of the World

Rally Championship was that Rally Australia was lob bying hard to become the final round of the World

series each year, with the Rally of Great Britain mov ing to a date in either the european autunrn, or spring.

The big sticking point with the plan is a full-scale resis tance to the moves by the British

RAC,

which

is

opposed to moving away from the prestigious and tra ditional slot at the end of the year.

Part of the plan would be to also move the rally of New

And then, North in April,to the we travelled

quently being able to gain

you’re out, just like that, it’s pretty frustrating.

the lead, we suffered a sec

I think I sat on the floor

Zealand to late October from

opening round of the Championship in Coffs Harbour - and pour it did.

ond gearbox failure and had to limp through the final two stages with only first to third

of the service truck looking

its current slot in July, an idea which is being pushed by the Kiwi organisers who

Bucketloads!

gears.

minute service and subse

It’s

been

some years since we’ve competed is such wet and slippery conditions.

Recce saw it’s fair share

The super shift has a clutch imput on first, second and third gears and doesn’t use any clutch imput on

of cars sliding off the road and one stage became impassible for 2wd cars.

fourth, fifth, or sixth, which

Twice we hooked onto a

there was too much wheel-

tow rope to make it up a particularly slippery hill -

spin in third, which caused a problem with the dogs changing into fourth.

At the end of leg service, we decided to go back to

that wasn’t so bad, but

standing in the mud, hook ing and unhooking the tow rope, wasn’t that much fun.

has always worked perfect ly - but in those conditions,

manual shift for Heat 2 and

I was covered in mud

we were looking forward to

and rather wet. Coral, on the other hand, looked

Sunday without any prob

warm and dry - it’s a co-driver’s trait to suddenly be busy writing and fixing up notes when the option is laying in the mud.

Testing on probablyhappened the only dry day Coffs enjoyed during April and it is astounding how quickly the roads do dry out, given a little sun shine.

Initially, the road was

lems.

A further two inches of

rain overnight, though, meant Heat 2 was can celled and the Coffs

forlorn for a few moments and the cost to rebuild the

engine was just the final sting.

Congratulations, though, to the FAI Rally of Canberra organisers for a superb rally.

Retiring so early from the rally allowed me to see the event from the other side of the fence and also to see

the huge crowds that ven

required, as the tyres worked incredibly well in the conditions

and

I

was

amazed.

Unfortunately, though, the conditions played havoc

appearing off the World Championship.

Currently, teams are not keen on the rally, because it means big expenses in extra shipping, extra suspension set-ups for both wet and dry conditions and a lack of

major marketing opportuni ties in a countiy with such a small population.

If the ideas do come to

fruition, it would mean the

Championship year would potentially end with a sweep

Commission.

One thing that will further complicate the plans is the increasing likelihood that the World Championship Series will see a round back in the

USA as early as 2001.

It is increasingly likely that the Rally of the USA will be based in Denver,

Colorado, with a strong input from Rally Australia and Connolly, who already con sult to the Rally of China and who have in the past consulted to the Rally of Jndonesia.

-JON THOMSON

Raiiy of Baii A round of the Asia Pacific Championship could be heading back to Indonesia, fol lowing plans for an all-tarmac event to be held on the hohday island of Bah later this year.

The rally is being organised by Indrajit Sardjono, the man who put together the highly successful Rally of Indonesia, taking it from a round of the Asia Pacific to World

We haven’t competed in

really looking forward to our

Rally’s cancelled second

Targa Tasmania for a couple of years, so we were

The

Coffs

Harbour

heat leaves only half points

roads.

The Lexus IS200 is a

from the opening round and

normally aspirated 2 litre,

makes it the rally most likely

“It could be like a southern hemisphere Tour de Corse,” Sardjono said.

The ambitious rally organiser was adamant that the Rally of Indonesia would not be revived, the financial backing behind that event now gone and little chance of it being able to be put back together.

With Sardjono no longer a part of the Rally of Indonesia, he says his full focus is now on -JON THOMSON the Rally of Bali.

return to the event.

Considering the compa

obvious the caution wasn’t

save New Zealand from dis

had been openly floated recently in the FIA Rallies

Super Series and, really, the Championship all begins in Queensland.

nity to test the Michelin wet weather tyre prior to the

Two stages in, it was

flagged in Motorsport News in July last year, could be the only thing that could

confirm that the scenarios

Championship status, before it fell off the calendar in the aftermath of the civil unrest and economic chaos that overtook the country last year.

Sardjano told Motorsport News at the recent Rally of Canberra that the Rally of Bali would see its first running in September this year, with the view to it becoming an Asia Pacific round sometime in the year 2000.

Bali offers some enormous advantages in terms of accommodation and in airhne and fi-eight movements, as well as having some potentially very chaUenging tarmac mountain

that count - the FAI Rally of

again "set in and I started

the New Zealand event, first

Commission meetings in Europe, would not be drawn on the speculation, except to

the second round of the

to be dropped from the

the event rather cautiously.

Chandler is factored in.

The move to October for

obsen-er and who had trav elled over from Rallies

premature end.

owever, for now we

heading for outright con tention, rather aiming at a

started, the rain had once

Rally Commission force Britain to change its mind, particularly if the strong FIA voting block controlled by Kiwi FIA delegate Maurie

Rally Australia clerk of course Garry Connolly, who was in Argentina as an FIA

H head to Queensland for

2WD car, so we weren’t

By the time the rally

Zealand could make the FIA

Perth in November.

Harbour rally had come to a

damp; however, by day’s end, we were throwing up some dust. Consequently, we hadn’t had the opportu event.

the year.

A big push from Rally Australia and Rally of New

through the region starting in China in September, mov ing to New Zealand in October and finishing in

2000Asia Pacific tarmac round for

tured out into the forest and that’s not to mention

the 20-odd thousand people that attended three days at the Epic Super Special Stage.

I’m looking forward to actually making it to the Epic Stage next year!

are keen to escape the often unpredictable weather in the Shaky Isles at this time of

top ten position. \

’best four of five rounds’ Canberra wasn’t a round of

the

Super

Series,

so

ny we kept around us Porsche 4WD Twin Turbo, GTR Skyines and Mazda

Queensland is where it’s all

RX7s - we were extremely

ing planned and, as Iwrite,

happy to finish seventh out right and only three sec onds off sixth place after a

the weather has been pretty

final day battle with Lyn Rattray and Tony Jackson

er, Rally Queensland looks

in their RX7.

muddy one.

Cheers,

The IS200 is a fantastic

vehicle, a great handling car. I really liked it - I want one as road car, but I

happening.

We have two days test wet up there. Unless we have a week of fine weath

like being a slippery and

New naming rights Rally Australia sponsor ORGANISERS of Rally Australia are expected to announce the identity of a new naming rights sponsor for the

ensure API’s new parent fulfilled the contractual ohligations of the sponsor agreement, it was clear the rally had to seek out a

event sometime in the next few weeks.

new sponsor to replace what was clearly a

Rally Australia lost its last naming rights sponsor, Australian Power Industries, when that company was taken over hy another

company that no longer wanted to be a part of the deal,

last year.

Despite the fact that court action was apparently initiated by Rally Australia to

An agreement has apparently been made vrith the new company, but the contracts are still to be signed, -JONmOMSON

33

4 June 1999

How Pete got number 11

By BRIAN REED

AMERICAN ‘Pete’ Lovely made a lasting impression in the Race of Legends Historic events at the Sensational Adelaide 500 carni

val. How he acquired the car he drove so successfully his Lotus 49B Cosworth is a story with a happy ending....

Lovely drove about 10 Grands Prix, his first in 1959 in a notorious

ly unreliable fhint-engined Lotus 16 for Colin Chapman. Although in later years he managed to finish 7th in the Canadian GP and 9th in

Two Lotus Guys: Pete Lovely and Vern Schuppan compare notes on driving their Lotus 49s at the recent Adelaide 500 meeting. (Photo by snan Reed)

John & John’s day out he Richard Seaman

T Memorial Trophy Day

Mexico, life was never easy for the struggling privateer. “In those early days I usually qualified 27th fastest for the 26-car grid,” he said.

Because of his previous associa tions with Colin Chapman, ‘Pete’ Lovely approached the Lotus boss about the possibility of buying one of the DFV Cosworth-powered 49Bs which were soon to be replaced by

me. What’s available? “What num

meeting of the

name’s Nevele (which is ‘eleven’

Australian Historic Formula Junior Association held after

spelt backwards), so I said “How about 11?” Chapman said “That’s

Wakefield Park meet

available!”

For all the intervening years ‘Pete’ Lovely was under the impression that his Lotus 49B was 5 renum

bered to 11 until about a year ago when he received a phone call from an author in England who is writing a book on the history of the 49s.

“He was researching all the cars and trying to track them down and straighten everything out,” said Lovely. “Obviously there were a few mbc-ups here and there.”

According to the American, the researcher was asking “all these dumb questions,” like “Where is the fuel filler located? Can you see it?” It was a long discussion, at the end of which the Englishman said “I have to tell you something. I believe you

the new Lotus 72.

renumbered to 11. 1 think you have

champion John Surtees enjoyed a blast in

“Sure,” said Chapman. “Which one do you want?” As Lovely had been Graham Hill’s partner at Lotus in those earlier days, he asked for Hill’s car, to which Chapman replied

Mercedes-Benz’s Ml 54,

“OK, that will be number 5.”

John Watson was reunited

A deposit was paid, and some months later when Lovely returned to settle the balance. Chapman said “We’re going to have to borrow your

out. While former world

with Penske, in this case the

il993 PC23 in which Emerson Fittipaldi won his second Indianapolis 500.

car for Mario Andretti to run in the South African Grand Prix in late

You can almost see ‘Wattle’

smiling under the helmet...

February. We’ll convert it to the 1969 specifications, and you’ll be all tuned up for whatever you might

(Photos by Sutton Images)

want to do with it.”

As the negotiations continued, the wily Chapman said “Because we’re changing these things on the car, would you like it to be renumbered?”

When Lovely said “Why would I want to do that?,” Chapman’s answer was “Later on you might want to sell it and if you had a newer number on it people might think you had a more modem car and it might give you a better resale.”

The somewhat startled American

said “Well OK, that sounds logical to

an earlier chassis.”

“Oh, geez, Colin’s done it to me again!” was Lovely’s retort, to which the researcher said “You might not mind too much because the car you have is chassis number two, and that was Jimmy Clark’s car that won the first race ever for the DFV

engine in a Lotus 49 at Zandvoort.”

Following the first-up Dutch GP success, Clark went on to win the British GP at Silverstone and the

USA Grand Pri.x, and then brought the car to Australia where it suc

cessfully contested the Tasman Series. Undoubtedly the American enthusiast finished up with a far better deal as owner of the more suc

The first car David Jones

involved in sponsorship of

competed in was a Triumph TR2 which Harry Firth had prepared in 1954. “It had eight forward gears (overdrive

tence.

on all)” recalled Jones. “It

owner has a photo of the

even had reverse!”

on

Prince in the car taken after

In 1956 Jones completed the gruelling Mobilgas Round

the 1930 Targa Florio. It also competed in the Mille Miglia (it will be taking part in the

Historic the Demonstrations at the

Qantas AGP at Albert Park, it was handy to have one of its chiefs right at the coal face to assess its effec tiveness.

TattersaUs executive David

Jones (who also happens to be one of five members of the

AGP Corporation Board), doesn’t just watch what is going on at the Grand Prix but actually takes part.

overdrive

Australia trial in a Ford

Zephyr, and over the years has had “an interesting time” competing in club events and rallies such as the Dutton

Grand Prix Rally. He likes to

Alfa

eran is still as enthusiastic about his

racing as ever and his tmsty Lotus 49B Cosworth looks just as good as it did in its heyday. 'The only differ ence is, as Lovely clearly demon strated at Adelaide, he’s now run ning at the front of the field.

the English 204 com pound Dunlop “L” pro file tyre Japanese “L” profile tyres will be inel igible.

Currently the Association is negotiat ing with Dunlop’s Russell Stuckey to bring in a supply of 450 13" and 550 13" tyres which are the only 204 compound “L” tyres manu factured.

Meanwhile, the Australian Historic Formula Junior Association is embark

ing on some proactive measmes in order to lift

the profile of the catego ry. Given that Formula

ered is a Formula 1

Historic Junior support race with international

participation. Also the Association is backing attempts to have an

in 2000 because of the

Olympic Games.

If you are currently restoring a Junior, or are interested in help ing resiuTcct the Formula, Gary Ryan of the Victorian Register would like to hear from

you. Gary’s phone num ber is 03 9540 0066

(work), 03 9540 0077 (fax), and his address is

c/o 13 Normanby Road Notting Hill VIC 3150.

By the way. Formula 3 cars built in 1964 and

’65 can also be signed up and are eligible to run

aged to compete on equal terms with

the fifties when he associated

models that were made.

David Jones 1750cc 6-cylinder

In 1952 Paul England imported the Alfa to Australia, and about three years later it was sold to Dave Roberts. David Jones acquired the car some five years ago from Alfa enthusiast Terry Valmorbida, and at Albert Park this year race fans had the opportunity to see and hear this great car from yes

non-supercharged car is one of

teryear.

body. Alfa built only four with this configuration, and the

cars to be fitted with

his prize possessions is a placegetteFs medal from this

of only 25 right hand drive

Alfa Romeo with a Brianza

example, that Group M profile tyres will he acceptable for this interim period.

Thereafter, the Association will require

as an associate class.

Owners will be encour

a long way to the great days of

taught mechanic, he has a S3Tnpathy with cars (especial ly the older ones) and enjoys “pla)dng around” with them.

ments. This means, for

ing as a result of the HSRCA losing its Eastern Creek meeting

Park in Ireland in 1932 where

event, but Jones isn’t sure

rare 1930 short chassis sports

a 12 month moratorium

on meeting FIA require

Alfas finished 1-2-3. Amongst

what position his car filled!

toy was even more special, a

However, in an

attempt to help those who are currently get ting cars ready, it was agreed there should he

Historic Bathurst meet

Mille re-run in two years time), and ran at Phoenix

these, such as his Dino 246 or his 12-cylinder 330 GTC, one

Historic Demonstrations, his

adopt the FIA ruling on Fonmda Juniors.

totally international Historic classes, one proposal being consid

'Thirty years on the American vet

belonged to Prince Alberto Mugnelli and the present

trot out his Ferrari stable for

At this year’s TattersaUs

ing, it was decided to

Junior is one of the few

originally

His links with motor racing and with Albert Park go back

with Bib Stillwell, Doug Whiteford, Stan Jones and others, and actually worked on some of the cars. Although he confesses to being a self-

the running of the

cessful (and more valuable) ex-Clark

only two that remains in exis The

,

car!

There's no other driver like WHEN TattersaUs became

AT the second annual

ber would you like” was the quick reply. “I looked at my wife and her

don’t have chassis number five

was recently held at Donington and the big names of the sport came

Bringing up Junior

DJ: TattersaUs chief and Historic race enthusiast David

Jones gets set for a demonstration run around Albert Park in his rare 1930 Brianza-bodied Alfa Romeo. (Photo by snan Reed) Another event David Jones

The TattersaUs Historic

is looking forward to soon is a 12-day rally in Ireland for Silver Ghosts. Amongst his collection is a 1920 20hp tourer, a smaller ‘Roller’ that is

Demonstrations and a visit to the tent where the cars are housed are now established as major support attractions at the Qantas AGP carnival,

“pretty quick and very reli

thanks in no small part to the

able.” His is one of 58 cars

enthusiasm

coming from all over the

David Jones,

world for this special event.

and drive of -BRIAN REED

Formula Juniors for all

trophies apart fi-om the annual Leo Geoghegan

FJ Perpetual Trophy.

Round 2 of the AFJA series is scheduled for the Historic Winton

meeting on May 29-30 with following rounds at Eastern Creek

(September 18-19) and Sandown (October 16-17).

-BRIAN REED

The nose have it: Controversy has followed Gratz’s Dodge Daytona since it hit the track late last year, although the car’s appearance adds to the wild Top Doorslammer class. their results, each particular

mile per hour ... not very

I run requiring their ovm tun-

good bracket racing,” Gratz laughs at the moment he became a recognised force.

“ ing input to suit the condiI tions, along with performing

I crucial pre-race mainte-

one of the unsun^wBKKfr 71 drag racing. GERALD McDORNAN dput what has helped Gratz, with little fanfare Wm )mtion, achieve what he has with what he has.

NEVER let the truth

get in the way of a good story is how Peter u

Yahoo

n

Gratz

describes the early reportings of his Top Doorslammer career.

The stories floating around the press and in the pits had an ex-Tasmanian plumber now enjoying the sunshine of Queensland’s Gold Coast, strolling up to the hero of Australian drag racing, Victor Bray and asking ‘If money was no object, what engine would you buy?’ and ‘If you were building a new

car, who would you have build it?’ and then coming back later with the same

equipment suggested.

“That’s not quite how it happen, in fact that made me sound like some rich boy, which I’m certainly not,” Gratz says.

“I had a great bit of advice early and that was to find someone good in the class you’re targeting and go and speak to them, listen and learn.”

Gratz did just that, seeking out Bray and, perhaps, more importantly Top Alcohol king Gary Phillips for advice on

Quite fc^ontep?i Gratz Is

\wheVe lie^nio^/lsi entrench^jo'.tjie

’ vaiveiine

Cui a

I

I

i

his career and the rest, as they say, is history.

Two wins at the most pres tigious race of them all, the Nationals - including the first ever official Top Doorslammer title - along with two Winternationals and two Grand Finals

crowns being amongst an impressive list of credits.

Couple that list to a best run of 6.28 seconds, numer ous speeds 220 miles per hour - ranking Gratz in the top half-dozen doorslammer

nance.

went 6.63 and I think it

n

“We do all the maintenance on our car and when it

showed that, if you do your homework right and talk to the right people, you can run

Gratz

has

rarely done an3Tthing silly, even from the first time he fronted at a

meeting with his new Keith Black hemi-

powered ’57 Chevy, he has written the specialist press headlines.

“We hadn’t had the chance

to run the car much [at the

the advice he sought, helping

licence.”

“We’d

While the advice may have

Super

Sedan and, with the run being late at night and the track ‘dewy’, I pedalled it and it still ran 7.6 at 168.”

“Even though I’d run Super Sedan with my old 10second FJ I really didn’t

fanfare, Gratz has created

officiakliraedJPx

his own controversies along the way and, at times, been most spectacular.

“I’d been advised to go and talk to Gary [Phillips] and

know what to do so I dialledin for the first round with a 7.75.”

that was the best advice I’d

the track and ran 7.12 at 210

“I

don’t

ask

him

his

secrets, though, ’cause no man’s ever going to give it to you ... “ he adds.

Gratz and his dedicated

volunteer team haven’t just solely relied on Phillips for

Winternationals and Grand

Finals - having won each twice, perhaps the most memorable being when Gratz won the first Nationals Top Doorslammer title in 1996.

That first Nats victory was

world records] is more impor-

tant than winning races, I guess, although consistency pays off ... just look at what we’ve

done

“The thing just went down

and

what

[Andrew] Searle has done

lately.”

“We never go out there to try and move the earth, we go out there to try and win races whether we’re

racing Victor or

someone

else.”

“We don’t

also have

many spares

to

always thought to have belonged to Victor Bray, con sidered to be the protagonist behind the formation of the

heads-up Top Doorslammer class - on this particular occasion Gratz demonstrat

entered

RacingijTearrfs

ever received,” Gratz says of the Queenslander who pushed him towards the bur geoning Top Doorslammer class instead of Tpp Alcohol that he originally targeted.

“I owe a lot to Gary,” Gratz says frankly.

“When you come into a sport as this no one really knows anything about it and you really have to rely on someone else’s advice to get going.”

“After we bought an engine off him originally that we bought with a com plete tune-up, which was crucial - he’s been there, giv ing us those few little tips and hints to help us along the way.”

close knit team race at the big three events - the Nationals,

said about us that aren^t true.

to achieve the results he has

been well used and his results have come with little

Gratz has, perhaps never more so than when he and his

Fve got a lot of respect for Victor [Bray]... although I do get shitty with him when I read things he^s

’94 Winternats] and, on the last qualifier, I got my

heeded.

with the best of them.”

Run with the best of them

really true.”

The way Bray attacks his racing too, isn’t what Gratz currently sees as being the ideal way to race.

“Victor’s always going out there trying to move the earth, but that’s his prerogative. He thinks that [setting

((

racers in the world - and it isn’t hard to understand that

with little fanfare, was well

said about us that aren’t

“The very next meeting, it

s

comes to making decisions about each particular run, we still have that input.”

“But, once you get that basic knowledge - provided you listen and don’t go out getting second, third and fourth opinions and mixing it all up - you’re on your way.”

“Although, when the car hasn’t done something that Gary said it would, it’s usual ly been because I’ve stuffed up or done something silly.”

him, although I do get a bit shitty with him when I read [in magazines] things he’s

ing that no matter who you are, racing is a tough busi ness and you have to grab all the glory you can when it’s presented for the taking.

Gratz, though, has forged a great rivalry and friend ship with Bray, although there are times when the

tomato farmer pushes his patience.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Victor and I really do like

back

us

up, so we always have to try and be ready for the next round - and that’s the most

important thing for our spon sors, getting them more expo sure - so we’ve always got to look after what we’ve got.”

“In the end I just put it down to he’s got his ideas on how he wants to play things and we’ve got ours.”

Gratz, though, would dear ly love to attack a race as Bray does and put his name next to a world record.

“If we had the parts and money behind us we’d love to go out there and break the world record,” he says.

“We’ve gone 6.28 in legal

Street Car Shoutout Sunday 13 June 1999 Pro Street

Gates open at 9.30 am Racing at 3.30 pm

Modified Street

Test and Tune 10.30 am

True Street

$60 to race Enter on the day

● DYO

Spectators $15

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[jL^9®cFmxo)[?o

4 June 1999 Whatever it takes: Peter Gratz

destroyed his Valvoline Chevy while taking out another

Winternats crown.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

and parts life pro grammes,

some

thing that, future incidents aside, will further add to

their competitive ness.

The second inci

doorslammer and I’m only running percent [overdrive] on the Whipple [supercharger]. I’d love to run it at percent over and pull some weight out -1 know it’d run a ‘teen’, but the thing is we might hurt it and then not be back for our sponsors.”

“We’ve just got to be happy and

destroying incidents were nothing but low lights in his career, almost bringing it to premature conclusion.

“If my crew and Valvoline hadn’t stayed with me and stepped up, I would have been out, quite simple,” Gratz says at the seriousness of the

do the best we can with what we’ve

“That’s how close I’d pushed my racing ... every cent I earn and every little bit of prize money and sponsorship goes straight into run ning the car.”

“And while I’d been putting away money to back us up with fresh parts those incidents drained us, not only emotionally, but financially too.”

“Luckily after the fire Garry Rogers [Valvoline’s motor sport

got and just hope that we’ll be there in the final round.”

Their ideologies on how to race aside, Gratz admires what Bray has achieved and believes he is the benchmark for the class.

“I’m not jealous of Victor, he deserves everything he’s got and he’s a great ambassador for the sport.”

“I’d love to be doing what he does and have the budget that he does, but I couldn’t think of anyone else who deserves what he’s got more than Victor.”

“Although ... there are guys other than Victor out there racing,” Gratz adds wryly, perhaps a little peeved that he, along with a few others in the sport, don’t get the coverage they fiilly deserve.

Like Bray, Gratz too has been the centre of incredible national coverage with a couple of his efforts, although they were not really what he’d hoped for - the Nationals wins hardly rat

ing a mention next to these.

A huge fire while testing for the upcoming Scotty Cannon tour at a meeting at Willowbank in late ’97 and a big crash in the final round of the ’98 Winternationals provided spectacular highlights of the sport for TV viewers around the country.

Unfortunately for Gratz, the car-

aftermath of those two incidents.

boss] and Valvoline backed us with

some more money and that allowed us to get back on the track.”

“And my crew, who is just there all the time working their butts off, was wonderful, working harder to get us out racing.”

“The sad part about those inci dents, though, is that we couldn’t even blame ourselves for those as it

was just fatigue on parts that were totally worn out - that’s how hard we’d been pushing everything financially.”

“With the fire, it started when the whole bottom of the engine just tore away ... it just crumbled in a heap and that was it.”

“We’d saved for a new engine and had a new block on order, but the old one ran out of time before we got it.”

The incidents Gratz puts down to

great learning experiences, helping them plan their future maintenance Break-out: Car builder

Murray Anderson was the first to congratulate Gratz vercorn-

1 ’94 - a

rhe only i was

dent just one short year ago led to the dramatic change in Gratz’s Valvoline/Cummins doorslammer, the ’57 Chevy being re-cloaked in Dodge’s wild ’69 Daytona panelling - a move that set the tongues wag ging, had officialdom doing U-tums and almost ended up in court.

“I hate the politics in the sport and if I’d known that [building the Daytona] was going to create such a shit-fight, I wouldn’t have built it.”

“But I approached ANDRA and they said it was fine, so I did.”

“I knew it was going to stir up a little bit of shit, but I didn’t expect what I got. A few of them had been whinging about me anyhow, but I thought Til give them something to really whinge about now’.”

The Daytona has come under close scrutiny in two areas, the 52 inches of frontal overhang and the rear wing - wings previously banned from the class.

Calls were made for the overhang to be either cut or raised, and the rear wing to be chopped, although Gratz would have none of that.

“I’d been saving money to buy parts, but when they started saying I was going to have to shorten this, get rid of that, I got angiy and thought “hang on, if ANDRA are going to do this, why didn’t they say that before I built it in the first place?’

“They let me build the car and I was prepared to fight it and, although I don’t usually believe in going to court to fight battles, in this instance, I was prepared to do just that - fight for what they had already approved.”

The fight over the rear wing had begun when Gratz first fronted at Willowbank with the Daytona,

AUSTRALIAN drag racing leg end “Pommie Peter” Allen is to return to the seat of John next week’s Winternationals.

Allen, the second most win-

ningest racer in Australian history, is making his return to the sport after retiring 12 months ago.

“I’ni looking forward to racing with ‘Fat Cat’ [Hoskins] again,” Allen told Motorsport News this week.

“We had a great partnership together and he’s got the best bike

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“Getting the wing approved was the foot in the door for the other

guys that wanted to have wings on their cars - someone had to get through the door first and it just happened to be me.”

Ifyou want a $100 pay rise, you ask for $150

((

● ●●

Read all about 300 ■ Jim Read and the

Gregory’s Automotive Top Fuel team are going to hit the Winternats running, if rumours of Read’s buying trip to the US are correct.

Read is reportedly ready to drive through the 300 mph barrier, having received the latest advice, along with new, bigger valve Brad Anderson cylinder heads and the new BAE block.

Having never really been one for setting speed marks in the past, letting his victories speak for themselves. Read’s chances of creating history next week with the reborn

Gregory’s team are looking decidedfiy good.

■ Will Vic Baker make his

Top Fuel debut at next week’s Winternats? If all comes to

plan for the former alky Funny Car race, he may just be there, sponsorship signings the only thing between debuting next week or next season.

There is no doubt, though, that the debate will continue to rage, especially with the frontal overhang of the Dodge that is considerably longer than any other car in the class and provides an advantage on the track due to the peculiarities of drag racing’s timing systems.

For the immediate future Gratz

is just looking to put the controver sies behind him and go race, believ ing the class has plenty to offer race tracks, fans and sponsors.

“I love Top Doorslammer and, being a team effort, if my crew and my sponsors want to stay with me, I want to stay in for a lot longer yet,” he says.

“It does become a bit dim when it

comes to the politics, but with the shit behind us I’m just happy to go out racing putting on a show for everyone, remaining a thorn in Victor’s side, and everyone else’s, for many years to come.”

thought we’d get together and see how we’d go.”

“I received my licence in the mail from ANDRA last week and 1 can’t

wait to get back on the bike again.

I’m not nervous, or overly excited at this stage, hut next week ...” Allen said.

The Allen and Hoskins duo was

one of the most potent combination Australian drag racing has pro duced, dominating the nitro bike category for over a decade.

The duo split four seasons ago when an opportunity to ride at more events with the Partytime

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“I didn’t go to Willowbank tr3dng : to create havoc I just wanted to go there with a little up my sleeve so I had something to bargain with.”

After negotiations with all con cerned, the wing Gratz wanted was approved, a move that he sees has

(with a shoulder problem), so we

))

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come down to what you wanted first,” he explains it away.

current rider] is still out of action

“Bluey [Howard - John Hoskins’

.Equipment

$100 a week pay rise, you don’t go in asking for $100, you ask for $150, knowing that they’ll probably

team presented itself - Allen stay ing with them until his retirement last year.

I’ve ever ridden.”

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you want to get your workers a

Pommie Pete returns Hoskins’ Top Fuel motorcycle at

nr

ANDRA’s CEO Tony Thornton, whom was present at the event, like many, being stunned at the full Top Alcohol dragster wing adorning the back of the Valvoline Dodge.

The wing, quite different to the even-radical Daytona’s standard design, was a well-calculated ploy by Gratz to get exactly what he wanted.

“If you’re a union delegate and

35

■ Speaking of Baker, a few wild rumours have been floating about regarding his running at the Winters.

One was that Glenn Mikres would return to Australia to run

and, perhaps even drive the car - that changed with Mikres’ signing as Jim Epler’s crew chief in the US - the other that Funny Car racer Ron Atholwood may even find himself in the seat for one event!

■ ANDRA Australian Drag Racing Series championship trophies for this year’s winners will be presented in front of race fans at the conclusion of next week's Winternationals.

A presentation dinner had been announced by ANDRA but will now not go ahead due to most competitors having confirmed their travel

arrangements prior to the dinner announcement.

■ ANDRA have announced

that Auto Meter Competition Instruments will back its

membership promotion at next week's Winternationals.

New ANDRA members joining at the special ANDRA

membership promotion booth at the season-ending event will be automatically be entered into a draw for an Auto Meter Pro Comp

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Kenny Bernstein he’s not: Bruce Sarver felt hard done by starter Rick Stewart and NHRA’s Graham Light in Virginia.

All aboard: After having bailed out of PRO a couple years back, Kenny Bernstein has jumped back in the seat. local newspaper man left.

“Unfortunately, the doctor on the scene with the Safety Safari gave us the wrong spelling of the name and also the wrong hospital where the patient was taken, so therefore. the information we’d received had

All the news that fits

By JON ASHER

PRO REORGANISES

Former vice president Lewis, NHRA most recently the PR Mike per son for the Tony Schumacher-dri ven Exide Batteries Top Fuel car, has been appointed Executive Director of the Professional Racers

Owner’s Organisation.

With his appointment, the board of directors has also been re

organised, with Whit Bazemore resigning. Etchells, engine supplier Brad Anderson, Darrell Gwynn’s father Jerry and team owner Mike Peek all remain on the board along with Barry Mano.

Replacing Bazemore on the board will be former PRO leader

Kenny Bernstein, who had resigned from the organisation two years ago after allegations of a “private” souvenir deal with the NHRA were levelled against him.

Already disenchanted with the has sles of trying to run the group, Bernstein packed his briefcase and walked out of a meeting in Houston, never to be seen at another - until now.

Major issues confronting the PRO continue to be broken down

into three general areas: Racer, track safety and rules, purses and the control of the increasingly lucrative souvenir marketplace.

Don Prudhomme is another for mer PRO member who decided

some time ago to quit the organisa tion, but we’ve heard that late last

Funny Car driver William, was hit by a head stud from Romine’s car and was immediately transported to a local hospital.

Since this incident took place less than 24 hours after three

spectators were killed during the running of the Indy Racing League event in Charlotte, it’s readily understood that both the track and

NHRA would have been extremely sensitive to the situation.

It’s bad enough when there are competitor injuries, but spectator injuries raise the bar considerably.

Historically, drag racing has often been less than co-operative with the media in such situations.

During the sport’s early years there would be little in the way of a pub lic acknowledgement of such injuries.

In fact, there were instances

when the media department would stonewall any questions about injuries of any kind It was a time

when a car could practically come apart at the finish line, and within

Fulford

had

taken out of the Intensive Care Unit

by the time we’d left Richmond.”

According to an article that appeared in the Richmond timesDispatch, Fulford underwent three hours of surgery, from which he merged with some temporary vision problems, which the doctors expect him to recover from.

An article in the same publica tion under the by-line of Paul Woody that appeared on May 4 was less than positive for drag rac ing, which may have come about at least partially as a result of the pub lication’s feeling that NHRA was stonewalling them about informa tion on the incident.

Members of the enthusiast

media attending the event also felt that NHRA had been less than candid with their news dissemina

tion, but their explanation does appear to have validity.

THE SHOT THAT

The first round of Top inFuelVirginia at the Pennzoil Nationals

resentative John Ewert, as soon as

being informed by the NHRA med ical director of the injured specta

In what would have normally been a straight-up race, controver sy again reared its ugly head -

tor’s name and where he had been

Dunn won the race with what would

transported, he passed that infor mation along to the media.

Unfortunately, that information

be the second quickest elapsed time 'Of the day (4.67/282), while

didn’t reach the media room until

There’s not much dispute about what physically took place, but the actions of the various parties involved has made this one single Top Fuel race potentially the most important and controversial of the

If he, too, should return to the

came down so late,” said Ewert, “Is

that Fulford was transported to three separate hospitals and we were also waiting to get the appro priate information, because he had to go into surgery.

“We weren’t withholding infor mation, we just didn’t have the information clear at the time to put

Romine’s dragster suffered an engine failure that resulted in a spectator injury.

Russell Fulford, the son of alky

that

STARTED THE WAR?

fold, along with one or two others who have also quit in recent years, the organisation could finally have the strength in numbers and una nimity that they’ve lacked for so long.

During Top Fuel’sNationals first roundPaulat the Pennzoil

know

already been transported to anoth er facility.

“Our information is that (Fulford) was going to be released and that he’d been talking to the nurses and doctors and was joking about the incident, and that he was up and moving and had already been

moments the PA announcer would

very late Sunday afternoon, long after the event had been post

THAT WASN’T...

didn’t

be saying that the driver was okay, and walking around inspecting the wreckage, when we all knew better!

According to NHRA media rep

fall ‘The Snake” may have opened up and expressed serious reserva tions about the way souvenir sales are handled by Sports Service.

THE COVER-UP

been incorrect, so we put that out by mistake.

“The Safety Safari also gave us the wrong hospital, because they

poned due to rain.

“The reason that information

out a release. We had stated to the media that there had been an inci

dent that was being handled by the NHRA safety department, and we would have information as soon as it became available.

“When it became available

about 5.00pm there was only one

had Mike Dunn facing off against Bruce San/er.

San/er’s car never left the start line.

‘99 season.

As Sarver’s car rolled into the

staging beams the timing system malfunctioned, with both the pre stage and staging lights coming on.

Event director Graham Light and

light turned green.”

As you might be expect, though, Sarver sees things entirely differently.

“I did my burnout, backed up and got ready to go forward,” he says. “I looked up and both lights were already on. I’m lookjng at it, Stewart’s looking at it, and I kept pointing at it.

“I guess Dunn thought I was pulling a fast one on him, because he knows that if you’re not staged and the other guy goes in, Rick’ll red-light you.”

In answer to the question, “Were you up close enough to have turned on the lights?”, Sarver replied, “Shit no, I wasn’t even near ’em ... Iwas five feet away, if not farther.

“Dunn went in, naturally, and got ready to race and then Stewart’s trying to wave me up ... I kept pointing up at the lights, trying to tell him the lights were wrong, I wasn’t moving anywhere, but he kept trying to wave me up there.

What was he going to do, line me up even, or something?

“Then he got all frustrated ‘cause Dunn was ‘on the clutch,’

ready to go ... so he just throws the switch. I just sat there then rolled forward and shut off. I actually rolled past the tree, and the lights were still on, even when I went

past the tree!

motioned him forward ... over and over again.

“I was watching my stopwatch and I was also watching to see if the car moved forward, and if the

lights flickered as it did.

“I kept waving my arm to have him pull forward and he wouldn’t move. I was running out of time for (Dunn), and I couldn’t do a thing unless he’d move the car. He just sat there and wouldn’t follow my directions.

“If Sarver would have followed

my instructions I could have easily diagnosed the problem after that, but because he didn’t, I didn’t know

if the problem was because his (car’s) nose was too low or it was something else.

“Once the car rolled forward,

and I saw the lights were still on, I knew it wasn’t the nose of the car,

but by then it was too late ...”

Stewart says that he never saw Sarver waving from the cockpit because he was concentrating on the-nose of the car, although he did admit he said over the radio, “It

looks like we’ve got a light prob lem. Damn, I hope this isn’t going to be a re-run”.

“I bit my lip for saying that, 'cause talking over that radio is like talking over the PA.” Stewart consulted with Light, who ultimately made the decision that

‘To be brief. I’m not Bernstein or

there wouldn’t be a re-run. “I’m

anyone else like that, so, you know, they made a bad, bad call.”

heartsick about it [the decision],” Stewart adds. “I think he’s done just

Sarver said he believed Stewart knew what was

an

going on,

To be briefy I’m not Bernstein or anyone else like that, so, you know, they made a bad,

“but pan

bad call.” - Bruce Sarver

a

icked and freaked ouf. He should have shut us both

off,” he said.

“I heard him on the radio in the

shut down area telling people that we need to re-run the race, that was not a race, and so-on.

out

standing job with limited

funds, but when the chief starter

walks up to you at

a national event and tells you to do something. - right, wrong or indiffer ent - I think you ought to do what the man says.”

Light agrees with his starter and that’s why Sarver didn’t get a re-run.

“That’s what I thought was gonna happen, but 15 minutes later Light said Dunn won.

“How can you win when there

tions. Had he done that, we very likely could have detemnined what the problem was. It was just a bad

was never a race? I asked him, but

deal, and it wouldn’t have been fair

he just said, he’d made his decision.

to either of them.”

“It was a bad deal then and it’s still a bad deal now.”

Light admits, though, that, theo retically, the points Dunn won could

According to Sarver, NHRA’s top officials, including “all the top players - (Dallas) Gardner, (Tom) Compton - are livid about it all.

“They can’t believe Light made the decision, but they don’t know

NHRA starter Rick Stewart both

what to do about it.”

Stewart’s recollection of what

agree that the Tree definitely mal

happened is clear. “Sarver pulled

functioned.

It’s how the situation was han

in with the front wheel about 10-12

dled, by all parties involved, that’s causing the controversy...

For all intents and purposes, Dunn really had nothing to do with what took place. As Light says, “Dunn did nothing wrong. He staged correctly, and left when the

When he stuck the nose of the car

inches behind the staging beam.

into the pre-stage and staging area, both lights came on, some thing I’ve seen happen quite often.

“I saw where he was ‘parked’ and saw that both lights were on, so I went to the front of his car and

“He didn’t follow Rick’s instruc

affect the Winston championship.

“You make a call, and you stick with it - it was a no win situation.

There may be a situation some time down the road when a re-run

will be justified.”

In ‘92 Cory Mac lost the Top Fuel championship by just 92 points, less than what he would have received -100 - had he entered the one race

he elected to skip.

It’s conceivable that this year’s championship could come down to the same slim margin. Dunn, or some other driver, could have his

championship hopes dashed by this incident. Stay tuned, as this one’s potentially far from over.

[Ek)9®n‘8[j)®n^

Reign, reign, go away Report & photo by DAVE OSTASZEWSKI

EVEN rain couldn’t stop John Force’s reign in Funny Car at last week’s Mopar Parts Nationals at Englishtown, New Jersey.

The semi-finals and:finals were

delayed two days due to poor weather, but Force returned to down Cruz Pedregon on a holeshot in the final round stunner 4.87/309

to a blower banging 4.87/300.

Joining Force in the winner’s cir cle were Joe Amato, Richie Stevens,

Angelle Seeling and Mike Coughlin at this, the eighth race of the 22 event NHRA Drag Racing Series.

“That was a good old run,” Force said after the final. “We had lane-

told Cruz that if he ever leaves his

to have all three of the brothers

(Cruz, Tony and Frank) drive for me when I retire.”

Little did Force know what would

come of Pedregon following his defeat...

Either Force or his teammate

Tony Pedregon has been in every final round this season.

commitments at the end of

1997, had to travel to

The rain actually proved to be helpful for Amato.

“We got a good break Sunday,”

■ Cristen Powell completed her Funny Car licensing process at Atlanta Drag\vay on May 17, the day following the NHRA

we went to warm

our car after we won the second

round, the motor was bad and we would have been

Southern Nationals.

hard pressed to get it back together to

petitive full pass, ran Del

run Bernstein in

door on her first attempt, post ing a 5.37s run at 274 mph.

Powell, who needed one com Worsham's Pontiac out the back

that round.

^Who’ll,Stop the reign: John Force w^n yet

“The rain helped

blessing in disguise, although hang ing around for two days isn’t my idea of fun, but when it can be a winner, we’ll stick around as long

“That was my first and the broth er’s last,” said Coughlin. Each of the other three brothers, Jeg, Troy and John have all won in the past.”

Coughlin had a better reaction at the starting line, which enabled

6.95/198

to

defeat

hometown

favourite Tom Martino, whose iden tical run of 6.95/198 was not

enough to overcome Stevens’ quick

him to visit the winner’s circle for

“It was a perfect pass,” said Stevens. ‘We had lane choice which

I didn’t think really mattered too much and I knew I had a good light. The car has been running good all weekend. We got the win light and it was great. It made the two-day wait worth it.”

Stevens was making his third straight appearance in the final round.

“It came at a good time for us,” said Stevens. “Everyone kept say ing that the third time is a charm -

“I hate to beat Tommy on his home track but we’ll take a win

who slowed to a 7.97/126.

defeat an eight car field in the longest running indepen dent Pro Stock drag

making when it appeared that WJ got out of the groove on his

race m the US.

burnout and didn’t

an interim driver for next week’s

event in Chicago, while Tommy

with an 6.86/200,

hot rubber in which

season.

resetting both ends

to launch, but Johnson allayed all those fears when he, again, blasted down

Yates in the final round.

chain, qualified sec

Johnson used a

Yates fans sensed another Pro stock

string of 6.80s at over 200 mph to

season, is expected to be named as

ond (6.90/197).

Open title in the

Rumour has it that Gibbs is

desperately trying to sign Mike Dunn for 2000 and beyond -

Coach: Team owner Joe Gibbs

The shake-ups in the Gibbs camp didn’t end with Pedregon, though, as Mike Green, crew chief of Cory McClenathan’s Joe Gibbs-owned

Top Fuel dragster, is also out with Funny Car crew chief Wes Cerny now taking over responsibilities for both cars.

“We will, move on and I am confi-

dent that our teams, under the

owner Darrell Gwynn’s sponsor

Mopar Parts at the conclusion of this season, apparently, making

changes.

the announcement of the team - GERALD MCDORNAN

the deal likely.

following the recent Englishtown race, the team's hot and cold performances con tributing to his departure.

■ Mike Kloeber has also

Gordie" Bonin will drive British

record 6.86/200

6.91/197 coming up a car length short.

is believed to have left the team

Top Fuel racer Barry Sheavills'

leadership of Wes Cemy, will con tinue their strong presence on the NHRA circuit,” Gibbs, who has owned the teams since ’95, said at

withdrawal of his current team

Mateo Tools Funny Car team, is apparently on the outer.

Swearingen, who worked with Lance Larsen on Skuza's Dodge,

■ Motoring News magazine in the UK recently reported that US drag racing star "240

Funny Car well known and the

with a Yates’

■ Ronnie Swearingen, co crew chief for Dean Skuza’s

tion in time for E-town.

the strip and equalled his track

Dunn’s desire to return to a

"I'm sure she felt a ton of pres sure, but she drove our car like she's been doing it for 500 years."

moment, the long-time Jim

wins - the last happening at Englishtown just last week, where he again lost on a holeshot in the

America at the conclusion of the ’98

Worsham said after the run.

Epler crew chief leaving the Easy Care Funny Car team prior to Englishtown.

Kloeber, who tuned Epler to the sport's first 300 mph Funny Car run, has been replaced by two-time Australian Top Fuel Champion Glenn Mikres - the Californian taking up his posi

mances which have cost the Interstate Batteries team event

Randy Anderson, who parked his own Funny Car operation after the withdrawal of sponsor Parts

Christen drove my car, the whole drag racing world was standing there at the starting line watching her," Del

departed the scene for the

Pedregon, the 1992 NHRA World Funny Car Champion, was dumped by the team, believed to be due to a number of poor driving perfor

seem to have ample

his Yates Auto Parts

little bit better light, but the truck did its job.”

“It’s pretty neat,” Coughlin said.

“I have always wanted it, and this is my fourteenth year in NHRA rac ing and I’ve been trying for a win at least that long. This is something I’ve always dreamed of... now I got a victory.”

CRUZ Pedregon is out and Randy Anderson is in, tem porarily at least, following a major shake-up of the Joe Gibhs Racing camp late last week.

WJ led qualifying

of the track record

“It figured out on paper at less than a thousandth of a second at the end of the race track. I had a

Cruz dumped Gibbs shake-up

Johnson Junior is rumoured to then be instated in the Interstate Batteries for the remainder of this

while Yates, the event sponsor with

"Unlike the first time the first time.

final round to John Force.

WJ's Silver Anniversary

Raceway on the Wednesday night to prior Englishtwon, Jim defeating

7.61/175 - the numbers adding up

Stevens, 20, earned his first Pro Stock victory of the season with a

to make it down the track success-

International

7.63/174 held off Tim Freeman’s to an actual dead heat.

and is well on his way towards his ninth NHRA championship.

Amato was the only fuel dragster

anniversary US Pro Stock Open at Maryland

Mike Coughlin drove his Pro Stock Truck to his first ever victory.

Coughlin’s quicker reaction and a

as it takes.”

anytime we can get it.”

Seeling equalled last season’s vic tory total with her third Pro Stock Motorcycle win of the year.

Following her impressive qualify ing runs. Seeling used a 7.29/186 to defeat Greg Underdahl in the final

Force now has 76 career victories

‘

Amato said. “When

that was the truth!

“It’s one of them days,” Force said. “I’m really glad the weather is over and done so we can regroup and get organised. It’s really excit ing for me to get a win here.”

Chicago race, the 34 year old replacing his father Connie.

Indianapolis last week to re licence after the NHRA appar ently refused to allow him to race at Englishtown the previ ous weekend! An easy 4.66 did the job nicely ...

er reaction time.

team. I’m going to fight to get a third car and put him in it. I’d love

the driver's seat at next week's

traction.

trouble,” Force said. “He spun out

Prophetically, Force offered “I

Kalitta, will make a return to

Herbert, who lost

me. It was like a

but he was OK and he walked over to me.”

■ Dual NHRA Winston Top Fuel World Champion, Scott

Kalitta, who "semi-retired" from driving due to business

fully on Tuesday, running a 4.61/313 to defeat Doug

choice and we knew Pedregon’s crew chief, (Wes) Cemy was going to step on it and try to run with us.

So (Austin) Coil, Bernie (Federly) and (John) Medlen decided to step on it and try and run a 4.80 because we really thought they could, and that’s what they did.”

“When I shut off Cruz flew by me right in the lights and his car smoked sideways and I went after him because I thought he was in

WARREN Johnson won the silver

37

4 June 1999

1998 FIA Championship-win ning car during '99.

Sheavills has a new, ex-Joe Amato car for his title defence,

with "240" receiving backing from Prolong to make his Euro campaign possible.

■ Apparently the FIA, who now sanction the leading

European drag racing champi onships, are a little uncomfort able with the word "alcohol" and

have officially changed the Funny Car and Dragster classes to Top Methanol Funny Car and Top Methanol Dragster from this season on.

1999 WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AT JUNE 1 1999 1999 Winston Funny Car Championship

1999 Winston Top Fuei Championship

.877

1999 Winston Pro Stock Championship 1. Warren Johnson, Goodwrench Pontiac ....643

1. Mike Dunn, Team Mopar

601

1. John Force, Castrol Ford Mustang

2. Doug Herbert, Snap-On Tools 3, Kenny Bernstein, Budweiser King 4, Tony Schumacher, Exide Batteries

525

493

2. Tony Pedregon, Castrol Ford Mustang ....699 3. Cruz Pedregon, I’state Batteries Pontiac ..542

491

4. Whit Bazemore, Kendall Chev Camaro ....502

5. Larry Dixon, Miller Lite 6. Cory McClenathan, MBNA Dragster 7. Gary Sceizi, Team Winston

489

5. Dean Skuza, Mateo Tools Dodge Avenger366

462

6. Frank Pedregon, Penthouse Pontiac ..

.357

459

7. Del Worsham, CSK Pontiac Firebird ..

.340

Richie Stevens, Vaispar Pontiac Firebird ..486 Jim Yates, Spiitfire/Peak Pontiac Firebird 426 Aiien Johnson, Amoco Dodge Avenger ....399 Jeg Coughiin Jr., Jeg's Maii Order Oids....378 .372 7. Troy Coughiin, Jeg's Maii Order Olds.

8. Joe Amato, Tenneco Automotive

458

8. Cory Lee, Pioneer Dodge Avenger

.332

8. Mike Edwards, Dewco Chev Camaro.

9. Doug Kalitta, Kitty Hawk 10. Eddie Hill, Texas, Pennzoil

444

9. Tim Wilkerson, JCIT Pontiac Firebird..

.319

385

10. Gary Densham, NEC Pontiac Firebird

,312

9. Steve Schmidt, Schmidt Racing Pontiac ..338 .330 10. Mark Pawuk, Summit Racing Pontiac

2. Kurt Johnson, AC Deico Chev Camaro ....623

3.

4.

5.

6.

.355

38

4 June 1999

ELEVEN years to the day after winning The Winston, Terry Labonte, in his Kellogg’s Hendrick Monte Carlo, repeated the feat and came up trumps again under lights on May 22 at Lowes Motor Speedway, Charlotte.

The event, open to winners only, was as spectacular as always, this year a big crash taking out many of the front runners - but Labonte,

who was not fast in practice, elect ed for a four-tyre stop before the final segment and drove around Tony Stewart for the win and a $207,500 pay day.

“We adjusted on the car all night and hoped that the track would come to us and it did,” Labonte

said. “Our car was only between 11th and 15th in practice and, when there’s only 20 cars, that’s not a good sign.”

The two 25-lap Winston Open qualifying races for non-winners proved to be snoozers, with run away victories by Mike Skinner and Tony Stewart, while Bobby Labonte blitzed the other 19 qualifiers for The Winston.

Labonte completed three laps and a two-tyre pit stop 1.5 seconds ahead of Jeff Gordon for the pole in the 15th running of the event Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace and Dale Earnhardt were the fastest five.

The Winston Open had 30 entries from the qualifiers, only the winner advancing to The Winston.

Stewart and Skinner led the fray, the latter dropping back and leav ing Jimmy Spencer to try to mount a challenge on Stewart, but to no avail.

“I don’t care if this gets me in trouble, but I just didn’t have the power. I am just fed up with not having the horsepower to run with these guys,” remarked Spencer on not qualifying for his sponsor’s

David Green also had some harsh

On the restart, B Labonte, who

words, but not for his engine

under caution had noticed an oil

builder.

pressure problem, did not come up to speed on the backstretch, which, along with Ernie Irvan, who got sideways coming off turn 2, result ed in a destruction derby - Mark Martin, Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Irvan all got wiped out, John Andretti, Ward Burton and Kyle Petty also sustaining damage.

“I don’t give a shit that he (Steve Park) said he didn’t hit me; I know he did,” remarked Green, following his departure from the Winston Open into the wall.

B Labonte started from the pole of the first 30-lap segment of The Winston, Gordon to his outside and taking the lead, but soon finding himself in second as B Labonte cruised around his outside.

The field slowed for a rain cau

Stewart, who started at the rear

of that segment, skilfully navigated his way through the carnage, while Gordon went on to pick up the fifty grand, holding off Sterling Marlin,

tion and then, on lap 11, Dale Jarrett “got hit in the left rear Jeremy Mayfield, Dale Earnhardt going into the corner,” apparently and Geoffrey Bodine.

by Bobby Hamilton - DJ spun into Following a 15 minute break for the crews to work on their cars, the wall, with some major damage, also taking out Jeff Burton and segment two had the first six dri race. vers of the 14 that remained from Ricky Rudd.

Just missed: An impressively resurgent Dale Earnhardt was bumped down to fourth spot. (Martin d ciark pic)

the track in turn 1 - but Labonte’s

segment one inverted - i.e. Gordon started sixth and sixth-placed T Labonte was on pole.

Labonte headed the way for nine tours, Gordon making easy work of

remarked Stewart later. “I know

‘The Iceman’ for the win and anoth

he’s (T Labonte) mad at me, ’cause

fresh rubber gave him the upper hand to pull away by 1.229 seconds.

“I didn’t let off for anything,”

er fifty thou, Stewart also passing

he flipped me off coming down the

Labonte for second - Marlin and

back stretch, but I just went in

Bodine rounded out the top five.

there and pushed (understeered). I was just racing him hard. I didn’t wanna’ give it to him.”

Stewart had team-mate Bobby Labonte test his car during the

The caution waved to start the

third 10-lap segment, everybody heading down pit road, Stewart pit ting in the first stall, Gordon the last.

Stewart’s Gibbs team elected to

fit right-side tyres only - seeing Stewart as the major competition, Gordon’s Hendrick operation did the same, all the other teams elect ing for four, including T Labonte, who started third.

Stewart drove around the pre ferred outside line of Gordon at the

start and pulled away from Gordon’s special Superman paint scheme Monte Carlo.

With five to run, T Labonte dived under Stewart, only for the ‘rookie’ to battle back and move Labonte up

afternoon

while

he

was

at

Indianapolis, Stewart himself only getting two laps of practice in the car before winning the Open.

Gordon finished a disappointing, for him,' third - “Terry came out of nowhere,” he said. “I didn’t realise he took on four tyres.”

Final result: T Labonte (Chevy), Stewart (Pontiac), Gordon (Chevy), Earnhardt (Chevy), Mayfield (Ford), G Bodine (Ford), Marlin (Chevy), M Waltrip (Chevy), Elliott (Ford), Andretti (Pontiac), D

Waltrip (Pontiac).

- MARTIN D CLARK

Bewdy, Tone: Owner Joe Gibbs and driver Tony Stewart. (Martin d Clark)

Made the podium: When it counted, Gordon (below) couldn’t handle runner-up Stewart. (Martin d ciark pic)

4 June 1999

Day Into Night win

by Jeff Burton

■ Kevin Schwantz entered the Charlotte Busch Grand National

event on May 29 with a fine 12thplaced qualifying effort in a Mklll Motorsports Monte Carlo.

“The driver screwed up, we could have had the pole, or close to it,” remarked Schwantz pre-race.

Unfortunately for Schwantz, luck was not on his side and he was cut from his car after a hard lick with the outside and inside

Winston winner Teriy Labonte, along with Sterling Marlin, Chad Little, Wally Dallenbach, Kevin Lepage, Johnny Benson and Joe Nemechek all took provisionals.

How good are the multi-car

■ Paul Andrews has been fired as

teams?

crew chief for Jeremy Mayfield’s

If you look at the provisional starters, they are all from the big operations - there are two Hendrick cars, three Roush and

Peter Sospenzo, the previous crew chief, has taken Andrews’ place.

Andrews, who has been with the team since December, 1996, was completely surprised by the deci sion and somewhat upset.

He was hired later the same day to replace Phillipe Lopez, released days earlier from the Dale Earnhardt-owned Steve Park team.

Lopez, meanwhile, has been picked up by Carter-Haas Motorsports for veteran Darrell Waltrip.

Lopez had worked with Waltrip when he was subbing for the injured Park last year, that combi nation rejuvenating Waltrip’s career.

■ NASCAR competition director Gaiy Nelson was showing teams a new tether that could possibly be attached to hubs of Winston Cup cars.

JEFF Burton won the longest race on the Winston Cup schedule, the Coca-Cola Day Into Night 600-miler at the Lowes Motor Speedway, Charlotte, on May 30.

Burton lead 199 of the 400 tours to dominate the event and take home a one million dollar Winston *No Bull’ bonus to boot.

“To race Bobby Labonte at Charlotte, that’s racing the best,” said Burton.

“The pit crew won this race. The #18 (Labonte) car was a little faster there at the end, but we got out there in front of them and that’s what won the race.

“This was a great race for us guys - if nothing else, we got our kids’ college education paid for!”

Burton’s win shaved some points off Dale Jarrett’s advantage in the table, the points leader finishing fifth.

Although Burton dominated, the race was by no means boring, Bobby Labonte, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart all being contenders.

Stewart was especially impressive and, after flying in from Indianapolis, he led laps after starting 43rd due to missing the drivers meeting, moved into 16th by lap 40 and into the top ten 20 laps later - he was hand ed nutritional bars during pit stops, but still had to be stretchered off after the race, looking veiy exhausted and dehydrated.

One major talking point of the race was Jeff Gordon’s misfortune on lap 121 - a broken power steering pump dropped him to eighth in the points after a lengthy spell in the garage area and, with a 39th race placing, his chance of a fourth Winston Cup title now looks extremely less likely.

Labonte won pole with a record 185.230 mph lap and was, along with Mike Skinner, Gordon, Ward Burton and J Burton, eligible for the one million dollar bonus if

The first caution aired on lap 3, when Rich Bickle looped it around coming off turn 4, Kyle Petty also spinning to avoid the errant Pontiac.

Tour 105 and Burton closed in on Rusty Wallace and Geoffrey Bodine to lap the pair, who appeared to be running side by side purposely to hold up the leader

The third new team, driven by Jeff Green, did not make the cut.

■ Harry Melling, owner of Melling Tool and for 20 years Melling Racing, died on May 29 in Michigan of a heart attack at a golf resort he owned - Melling was 54.

He owned cars in which Bill

Elliott won 34 of his 40 victories, including the Daytona 500, Southern 500 and the first Winston million Dollar bonus.

■ Matt Kenseth, 27, announced at

Charlotte on May 30 that he will run a full Winston Cup schedule in 2000 and a limited schedule

this season, with backing from his

Busch Series sponsor, DeWalt Tools.

The car will be owned by Jack

The move comes following the

Roush and Mark Martin, with

loss of three lives at a recent IRL

Martin taking over majority own ership when he retires.

race in Charlotte, in which a stray wheel killed three spectators.

■ Dave Charpentier, an engineer with Hendrick Motorsports’ Budweiser team (driven by Wally

ing, or handling, of the car.

Charlotte garage area after an argument with crew chief Tony

They ran that way for three laps, until Bodine slipped in turn 4, taking Wallace into a synchronised

■ Ford teams are apparently one month away from testing the new

Furr.

spin, the pair knocked out of contention.

Jarrett and Jeremy Mayfield managed to get a lap back in the scramble on the restart when Bodine again

2000 Taurus.

chief with Butch Mock.

Monte Carlo was used as the pace

hit the wall to air the caution again.

car at Charlotte.

and not lose a lap.

Steve Park had the best showing of his career, lead ing Burton, Martin and Labonte up to the halfway mark of 200 laps, but unfortunately crashing out short ly after when a car came off the apron while Park was running alongside Jeremy Mayfield.

The final laps were intense, Stewart, J Burton and Labonte all fighting for the lead, before Burton and Stewart took to pit road for the final time.

Labonte waited until 25 laps were remaining before pitting - “the last set of tyres just got real loose on me for the first five laps and I just couldn’t catch Jeff (Burton) after that,” remarked Labonte.

‘Little E,’ Dale Earnhardt Jr, made his Winston Cup

debut and did not disgrace himself, qualifying eighth and finishing 16th, three laps off the pace in a race

Dallenbach) walked out of the

Charpentier was formerly crew

Meanwhile, the new 2000

■ Butch Mock Motorsports is to lose backing from Remington Arms at season’s end, following a four season association with Mock

and this year’s driver, Ted Musgrave.

Remington is expected to announce plans to stay within NASCAR, although in what capac ity is not yet known.

■ Rookie Dan Pardus has been released as the driver of the Mid

West Transit racing team, while retired driver Lake Speed has been retained as general manager - either Hut Stricklin, or Steve Grissom, will drive the car at

Daytona in July, the teams’ next race.

■ Dale Earnhardt Inc will enter a Monte Carlo in the Busch Series

■ USAC Sprintcar driver Jason Leffler apparently has an agree

for its truck series champ, Ron Hornaday Jr, in 2000.

NAPA \vill sponsor the car now driven by Dale Jr, AC Delco mov

ment with Joe Gibbs Racing to

ing to a team to be announced

that doubled the distance of his normal Busch Series

compete in selected Busch Grand

events.

National events in 1999 - if the

later in the year.

With Hendrick also looking at

youngster sRows well, a full sched

closing their truck operation, the

Final result: J Burton (Ford), B Labonte (Pontiac),

they won.

Labonte led the early going, before Burton took over

at lap 15 and opened up a healthy advantage, lapping

Labonte 1437.

ule will run in 2000.

series will lose it’s two major con tenders.

■ Derrike Cope, Jeff Green, Dick Trickle, Dave Marcis, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie were

■ The US Post Office has been

among nine drivers that did not

selling NASCAR-themed postage stamps, featuring art from the

make the Charlotte field.

1950s.

- MARTIN D CLARK

cars with ease.

"IViml ta tee tite Motorsport holidays to all NASCAR races now available.

Call us now for our full brochure.

PO Box 1509 East Doncaster Suit 4,75 Mitcham Road Domale Vk 3U1 Fax 03 9874 7599 Ptione 03 9874 7999

Freecall 1800 335 971 PREinium Enui: preinui)esp«ttiws.c«iLai Wehsite: in(w.s|io(1tours.cofluu r fl L

two of the three SABCO entries.

Rookie driver Elliott Sadler drove his Wood Brothers Ford with the tethers attached and noticed no difference in the steer

Martin (Ford), Stewart (Pontiac), Jarrett (Ford), Earnhardt (Chevy), Schrader (Chevy), W Burton (Pontiac), Skinner (Chevy), Mayfield (Ford).

Points standings: Jarrett 1824, J Burton 1791, B Labonte 1735, Martin 1684, Stewart 1530, W Burton 1481, Earnhardt 1478, Gordon 1470, R Wallace 1442, T

f O H /

I MUl

By Martin D Clar

retaining walls.

He was airlifted to hospital and diagnosed with a broken pelvis and bruising to his brain.

Penske Kranefuss Ford team -

Triple treat; Winner Jeff Burton (top), Steve Park and Mark Martin in very close company. (Martin d Clark pic)

39

R '<

ToxI >(Wl Lmm ]HM m OSf III m

1999 WINSTON CUP SERIES RESULTS Lowe’s Motor Speedway 16/5/99 I. Terry Labonte #5 Kellogg's Chevrolet 2. Tony Stewart #20 The Home Depot Pontiac 3. Jeff Gordon #24 DuPont Auto Finishes Chevrolet 4. Dale Earnhardt #3 Wrangler/Goodwrench Chevrolet 5. Jeremy Mayfield #12 Mobil I Ford 6. Geoffrey Bodine #60 Power Team Chevrolet 7. Sterling Marlin #40 Coors Light Chevrolet 8. Michael Waltrip #7 Klausner Furniture Chevrolet 9. Bill Elliott #94 McDonald’s Ford

lO.John Andrett#43 STP Pontiac

r i

Points to 20 May 1999 I. Dale Jarrett ...

1669

2. Jeff Burton ...

3. Bobby Labonte

1606

l4.Ward Burton #22 Caterpillar Pontiac

4. Mark Martin

..

1514

IS.Bobby Labonte #18 Interstate Pontiac l6.Mark Martin #6 Eagle One Ford 17.Rusty Wallace #2 Miller Lite Ford

5. Jeff Gordon ...

6. Rusty Wallace 7. Tony Stewart .

1419

l8.Ernie Irvan #36 M&M’s Pontiac

8. Ward Burton

.

1339

19.Dale Jarrett #88 Quality Care/Ford Credit Ford 20.Jeff Burton #99 Exide Batteries Ford

9. Dale Earnhardt

1328

lO.Terry Labonte

1302

11 .Darrell Waltrip #66 Big Kmart/Rte. 66 Ford 12.Bobby Hamilton #4 Kodak Chevrolet 13.Kyle Petty #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac

I860

1372 1365

40

JM

4 June 1999

Control tyres mooted for WA divisions THE decision-makers will sit down soon and evaluate the proposals

that have been received on the proposed control tyres for the major divisions in WA speedway.

Promoters Con Migro and Des Ferris have floated the idea of the control tyre in an attempt to put a lid on many of the high costs.

A “Request for Proposals” was recently sent to the major players in the racing tyre industry, seeking information on running an exclusive racing tyre size and compound rule for competitors in a number of divisions.

Specifically, the proposal centred on Sprintcars (being open, 360 and limited cars), Speedcars, Formula 500s, Super Sedans, Late Models and Modified Sedans.

The aim of the arrangement is to save competitors costs in purchasing tyres and provide greater security and certainty of supply to the industry so they can play better.

Migro pointed out that, by putting up the proposal, it didn’t necessarily mean there would be any change to what is happening at the moment.

“If nothing goes ahead, then we haven’t lost anything have we,” he said, when pitching the idea.

But if it does go ahead, the arrangement will be in place for the 1999/2000 and the 2000/2001 seasons.

As part of the deal, retailers will sell tyres direct to the competitors at agreed and contracted prices, except where approved otherwise in writing with the tracks.

The concept also includes a seasons points fund to encourage drivers to compete at all races meetings at nominated tracks.

The promoters also believe it will assist the industry in guaranteeing the supply of racing tyres and reduce the risk of holding onto tyre compounds and sizes that may not be sold.

An evaluation panel, consisting of representatives from each racing cate gory and constructors and engineers, will join the promoters to see if the idea is feasible.

An outcome is not expected prior to June.

-DARREN O’DEA

Krikke dominates

Crew and the winner of the Bonza

Bradford Memorial trophy.

won many feature races around the

state and won the overall champi onship in the Alan Nylander car.

He was presented with the championship trophy, with runner-

By Darren 0*D

Racing rules also came under

tions regarding their futures.

instruction

cials have been elected.

to

World

Series

Sprintcars (WSS) that all members and clubs have voted this way - the point was made that owners and drivers demand and expect the right to control rules and specifica¬

A stewards school is to be con

ducted in late September after offi Lack of exposure and sponsors led to the executive investigating which marketing firm or PR people to employ for future marketing and direction. 1

competitors

the long haul to all the rounds, was rewarded with the Best Presented

Enterprises logo

Car and Crew award, while Rookie

on their car for the dui'ation of the contest.

of the Year went to Phil Richards and the Chief Executive Officer’s

award went to Rob MacGregor for everything he did for the division this year.

“Winning the prize \rill give

McCann Sprintcar

it is like to drive

Junior Sedan Series title.

McCann won the title last sum

mer at Claremont Speedway, despite a nimiber of big crashes and a torrid time from her male

counterparts.

Just recently, she had a test drive in one of the Sean’s

to John Cardy.

Enterprises Sprintcars and, if she wins the title next year, will get to

ness from Esperance and makes

limit has now been set for the class.

would feature a Sean’s

up going to Derrol Crane and third

Crane, who runs a trucking busi

In further news, cost considera tions have led to traction control, data logging and computers being banned, while a minimum weight

scrutiny and the SCCA rule book was voted as the accepted rules for all Sprintcar competition, with

Speedway to pro

regular racer in Sprintcars in com ing years, but for tbe time being she has to concentrate on trying to defend her Smarter than Smoking

In his rookie season with the

Sprintcar Championship, to be held on February 3-5, 2000.

vide the test to the winner of the series.

Carren said all

■ VERONICA McCann could be a

left-hand drive Late Models, Blake

been awarded the Australian

SCCA Conference

has teamed up

Similarly, Brad Blake was the

Model Racing Australia’s presenta tion night.

Sprintcar Control Council of Australia (SCCA) Conference, Speedway City in Adelaide has

with Claremont

Claremont in the 1998/99 summer. most mentioned name at the Late

FOLLOWING the recent 1999

- BARRY MARSHALL

winged machines

Krikke had won 14 races in total

(including heat races) at

Powered by a 1400cc OHV vee-twin JAP, the car won the 1949 Australian Title, the ’49 and ’51 South Australian Titles and the ’51 Australian Hillclimb Championship.

- Sean Carren

■ RON Krikke collected most of

the hardware at the Sprintcar Association of WA’s awards night recently - and to top it all off, he was presented with life member ship.

This was the icing on the cake for one of WA’s favourite speedway sons, who shares one of the highest profiles in the sport in the state.

On the night, he was presented as the Open Division Feature Race Champion, the Driver with the Most Feature Race Wins, the Achievement award, the Open State Title Winner, Best Presented

CLASSIC JAP: Among the desirable hardware at the Classic Speedway Nationals at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds on May 8 was the ex-Jack Brabham 1947 Midget of Andrew HaUiday.

have a full test in one of the

them a chance to

experience what a Sprintcar,” Carren said “and

we’ve got to foster TOP EFFORT: Ron Krikke was WA’s standout Sprintcar performer. (Peter French pic) the up and com WA Sedan Racing Club. taken for the Shark Bay Far ing drivers to look at different Albany is tipped to host the Western Championships, to be con ways to get new people into Junior Sedans, while the tested on July 10.

Sprintcar racing.

Production Sedans could be head Divisions running at this meet ‘The juniors are important, as ing include Juniors, Junior Street ing to Augusta/Margaret River, they are most definitely the future Modifieds to Collie, Street Stocks Stock, Production, Modified, Super of our sport.” !

Sedans, Sprintcars, Womens and to Narrogin, division two Super Mechanics.

WA State Titles Sedans to Manjimup and division For further information on the one Super Sedans to Carnarv'on.

■ ALTHOUGH yet to be con event, contact Lynn Purser on 0899 firmed, a number of tracks have been earmarked to host state titles 481 239, or John Standring on Shark Bay Champs 0899 481 352.

■ NOMINATIONS are now being for the respective divisions in the

SPEEDWAY SWAP MEET AND TRADE SHOW ita Cljv Raceway - Sunday 20th June, 1999 - 10am t

I

I

●SPRINTCaRS ● SPEEDCARS ● MODIFIEDS ● SEDANS ● ENGINE PARTS ● COLLECTARIES ETC

a m 40 cars on Oisplay plus .

1

VINTAGE SPEEDCAR a MODIFIED ON TRACK DEMOS AT 3PM

«c

forfurtOer informatiOB caH Colin Farr on 0414 395 266

h[^(kD{78fp®[T0

4 June 1999

41 O

By

Q.

GRANT NICHOLAS

>>

O

I

ast month, Victorian motor-

O

sport fans headed to Western JAuto Raceway near Bacchus

Marsh on the western outskirts of

Melbourne for the inaugural race meeting at Australia’s latest dirttrack speedway - and, after watch ing Max Dumesny snatch the Victorian Sprintcar Title from Garry Brazier and David Murcott on the last lap, the gob-smacked afficionados left the venue praising the vision of race promoter Geoff Trewin.

On that historic evening, some 12,000 spectators sat spellbound on the multi-tiered viewing mound watching Sprintcar, Super Sedan, Speedcar and AMCA events, all the while endeavouring to come to terms with the fact that Victorians

finally have what is believed to be the best dirt-track complex in the country.

The inside racing line measures 530 metres and the sand-clay racing surface is 30 metres wide, providing five-wide, high-speed action - and, later this month, two mammoth 30 metre towers will be installed on

the infield to support one hundred and twenty sports lights.

The highly-motivated Trewin grew up in Simpson, in the south west of Victoria, watching his father

“So, thanks to his support,” Trewin continued, “we have gone on to build the finest venue in the land, remembering that only 50% of the work has been completed to this

race Stock Cars and Sedans on the

stage.

dirt-tracks in the area through the seventies and eighties.

He eventually left home and ven

“We are installing another twelve lock-up garages in the paddock area

tured down to Melbourne to com mence several business ventures

or casual, basis, plus we plan to have ten corporate boxes and a sep arate media/hospitality area com pleted prior to the next racing sea

himself and, a short time later, he

commenced racing the V8-powered sedans on a regular basis in the local scene.

He also spent time in spectator areas at various tracks and-decided

that the sport needed a first class venue that addressed the needs of

the racers, spectators, media and corporate supporters.

“Dirt-track racing was not moving ahead like other sports and we needed to progress up several lev els,” commented Trewin.

“In the late eighties, I attempted to build another speedway after the demise of the Speed Bowl at North Laverton. But, after spending con siderable money and time trying to get a track constructed at Campbellfield and another at the Docklands with no success, I returned to racing in the Super Sedan ranks.

“Roger Leask then came and met with me, asking me to come and have a look at a property that he had near Bacchus Marsh that had a

small speedway on it and all of the permits that are required to run a motorsport complex.

“His track was a replica of Mount Gambier’s Borderline Speedway and was quite quaint, but it didn’t interest me as it was basically the

for race teams to rent on an annual,

the caterers were run off their feet

son, which commences in October

and runs through to late April,

“I learnt a tremendous amount

2000.

that night, but we ran too late and I

“Each corporate box will be selfcontained, with its own toilet, kitchen and refreshment refrigera tion, plus open viewing deck - this is something new for Australian speedways.

“I think we have used only two

would like to see all future race

meetings finish at approximately 10.30pm.

‘No-one wants to be heading to the paddock area as midnight is approaching - after all, our future is with the young ones and they want

local ideas in the construction of

to touch a race car and talk to the

this race facility, as

Trewin elaborated.

suspension fi-oin racing after having

“Adding to the day will be a series of races for the youngsters’ mothers, sisters, or female partners.

Everyone tends to forget the loyal female supporters in the teams, so we’re going to allow them to get a one-day licence and experience the thrill of participation on the track.

“Unfortunately, the fathers and

an altercation with an official earli

uncles, or male friends will miss out on this occasion, but I’m certain

that they will get the opportunity to tear around our track in their kids’ sedans on another date!”

T

he ever-innovative Trewin is

currently assembling a fleet of ten AMCA Modifieds, tubechassis machines running Holden running gear and 253 cubic inch Holden V8 powerplants, the fleet to be permanently housed at the track.

Corporate companies, clubs and groups of family

all the rest have

members and friends will be able race the cars after

... our particular aim at Western Auto Raceway is to provide the “Currently, they’re tearing up commercial opportunities to make their asphalt tracks Stateside and lay ing down dirt racing some of these youngsters our future surfaces, as that’s what the fans on state and national champions. the spectator ter been gleaned from

the tracks.

((

American

racing want to see and, as a result, the action is far more exciting.”

“Unless we could carve some more dirt out of the hills and make

it bigger, with a host of features

of which have been addressed at

that would cater for the future, I was not interested in participating in the project.

post-event meetings.

“We were caught out by the num ber of spectators that arrived,”

same as some other tracks around

crowd estimates, it turned out that we had not built a big enough carpark area and, for good measure,

with the huge demand.

“But, having now addressed all these issues and also begun the con creting of the viewing areas, we believe the facility will cater perfect ly for next season’s spectators.

rewin thought that the specta tors attending the Western Auto Speedway opening night were fantastic and was hugely impressed by the support from the racers, who patiently obliged race officials and the venue’s manage ment as they came to terms with some initial teething problems, all

the country.

Trewin explained. “They were lined up for over half a kilometre, waiting patiently to get in. Also, despite our carefully considered pre-event

T

Max Dumesny Motorsport

have

tutored

in

been the

skills of speedway racing.

“We’re planning on providing a wide range of entertaining expe riences for anyone that comes to our

stars at a sensible hour.”

Wales can compete head to head.

“This is an excellent opportunity for the youngsters to race cars on our large track, which is extremely

complex and the interest in the hir ing of the AMCAs has been tremen dous,” explained Trewin.

“We’re putting a series of pack ages together where a company can have a sales-incentive day, or semi nar, with us and enjoy any amount of team racing on weekdays.

“On the weekends, we’ll be cater ing for the friends market, where a group of them wants to have a race away from our highways, or local streets - and, as we’re all well aware, the safest place for speed is

wide and safe for them to have some

on a race track.

With 25 race meetings already on the proposed 1999-2000 Western Auto Raceway calendar, Trewin is already indicating his lateral think ing by introducing a Family Festival Day on Sunday, June 13, where young sedan drivers from the age of 12 years from all over Victoria and southern New South

serious races and a lot of fun,”

“I’m currently on a twelve month

none for

excitement and entertain

ment seven days a week, all year round.”

“During the next racing season, our first full season of racing, we’ll be promoting events that feature Sprintcars, Speedcars, Solo bikes.

Sidecars and a wide range of Sedan categories,” Trewin continued.

“A tremendous advantage that will be enjoyed by these race teams will be the ability to test their machines prior to and during the summer months, as we’re open eveiy day of the week.

“Interestingly, some of more geo graphically disadvantaged teams are planning to leave their cars in the lock-up garages and then dis play them at the race meetings which do not cater for their class, rather than maintain the usual gru elling travel schedule all over the state and have to bear the atten dant costs.

“I believe that there’s a tremen

dous future for this facility, as we’re only a short distance outside Melbourne and the Western Auto

Raceway is thus ideally placed to draw crowds not only from the vast metropolitan sprawl of Victoria’s capital city, but also from Geelong, Ballarat, Sunbury, Gisborne, Melton and the surrounding dis tricts where regional speedway activities are conducted.

“Remember, there are over 160

regional speedways throughout Australia and just over thirty of those tracks are actually in Victoria - so this is a great breeding ground for new up and coming speedway racers and our particular aim at Western Auto Raceway is to provide the com mercial opportunities to make some of these youngsters our future state and national champions.”

1999 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SERIES POINTS SCORE

Australian Distributors for

Xoo$ifr 1

^ ^ RACING TIRE

they

er this year, so now the majority of my energies are being spent in achieving my goal of developing this complex to where it is second to

S

For more informatiort on Hoosier Drag and Speedway Tyres call:

NSW: 02 9679 1990 Fax 02 9679 1187 03 9331 6477 Fax 03 9331 7444 Via SA: 08 8332 0800 Fax 08 8364 0296

HAGERSTOWN SPEEDWAY, MAY 29

POINTS STANDING TO MAY 30, 1999 I. Mark Kinser

3651

11. Daryn Pittman

2. Danny Lasoski

3597 3562 3442 3430 3417 3386 3286 3266 3250

12. Tim Shaffer

3. Steve Kinser

4. Donny Schatz 5. Stevie Smith

6. Johnny Herrera 7. Sammy Swindell 8. Andy Hillenburg 9. Tyler Walker 10. Jeff Swindell

13. Joe Gaerte 14. Craig Dollansky

3066 3046 2938

17. Brooke Tatnell 18. Frankie Kerr

2853 2708 2610 2536 2005

19. Terry McCarl 20. Joey Saldana

1845 1713

15. Jimmy Carr 16. Travis Whitney

'I. Stevie Smith

11. Mark Kinser

2. Danny Lasoski 3. Greg Hodnett 4. Jeff Shepard 5. Donny Schatz

12. Dale Blaney

6. Kevin Gobrecht

9. Steve Kinser

16. Ed Lynch, Jr. 17. Jeff Swindell 18. Don Kreitz, Jr. 19. Daryn Pittman

10. Tyler Walker

20. Brooke Tatnell

7. Andy Hillenburg 8. Johnny Herrera

13. Tim Shaffer

14. Jac Haudenschild IS. Lance Blevins

42

4 June 1999

SKIP Jackson’s run of success

at the famed Knoxville raceway continued when he took his

third regular season feature race win in a row in his quest for a third track championship.

The only open feature event the Australian hasn’t won so far this season Stateside was the Outlaws race held between his first and sec ond wins.

Once again, Terry McCarl outqualified the pack with a time of 15.292 seconds - Jackson was sev

enth fastest on 15.795, with Jaymie

Moyle 15th on 16.010 seconds.

Heat wins went to Tony Norem, Don Droud Jnr and Moyle, with

McCarl and Jackson finishing third

and fifth in the opening heat, respectively.

Jackson started the 20-lap fea ture from the second row and chal

lenged early leader Larry Pinegar II for the first six laps before taking the lead.

Skip's third Knoxville win Lapped traffic enabled McCarl to close the gap, but Jackson’s Hallett Enterprise/Jenson Construction machine was working well and he was able to maintain at least one car between himself and McCarl as

they negotiated traffic.

In the end, Jackson went on to record a ten car-length victory, the 15th of his career, over McCarl, Pinegar II, Dennis Moore Jnr and

and first Husets the following day, where the team kept their winning run going, recording their first win at the speedway this season.

After timing in as fifth quickest, Jackson ran second in his heat race

after an encouraging charge to run down winner Randy Anderson.

Jackson’s Knoxville nemisis

Terry McCarl has been the form man at Husets this season and the

the cars were about to head off for

never headed again, despite several

May 29 and at

the A-Main on Saturday, May 22.

As a result, the Jensen

cautions.

Des Moines on

May 30.

Construction team headed off to

tom,” Jackson commented.

Brown.

Current Australian, Queensland and New South Wales champion Gary Pagel was involved in a spec tacular accident on opening night when he flipped his (Ilommodore in turn 1 - although he did return to competition, another incident in the feature event forced him out of contention.

After a DNF in his opening heat, Raymont bounced back to collect three heat wins to qualify on the outside front row for the feature.

The remaining preliminaries were taken out by Mark Pagel (2), Jordan (2), Geppert, Todd Doyle and Andrew Whittaker.

■ TOOWOOMBA’S Ray Klarich continued his good form when he edged out Mark Owen and Australian champ Stuart Heme to win the Bill Millard Memorial Dirt Modified feature race at

Archerfield Speedway on May 1.

Owen was leading the 20-lap event until the final corner, when Klarich and Herne drew alongside in a three-wide sprint to the che quer.

Klarich got the nod from officials to score his second feature race win

in as many weeks, along with a new track record for the distance.

Grafton promoter Greg Coombes was next best, ahead of Ian Vickei7, Sam O’Connor and Mick McNamara.

Speedcars were lacking in num bers yet again, with just 10 cars taking part in the 20-lap feature event.

When a lap 4 pile-up eliminated Barrie Valentino, Barrie Wixted

and kiwi Mark Cooper, Grant Draney was untroubled in defeat ing John Davidson, Paul Smith, rookie Dean Tighe and Chad Wheeler.

Adrian O’Connell took out the

NoKlhem

to

race

at

Knoxville

on

■ BUNDABERG’S Mick Pronger annihilated the field to win the

Limited Sprintcar feature, downing former Stock Rod pilot Dean Hawkins, teenager David Rodgie,

Australian Microsprint Championship at Archerfield Speedway on May 8.

Having won both his qualifying heats with ridiculous ease, Pronger blitzed his rivals in the 20-lap final to win by over half a lap, despite a restart with five laps remaining - a

E

r

-BRETT SWANSON

Sydney’s Rhys Marchant com pleted the top five, followed by Ron McDonnell and defending champi on Mark Bilby.

Mark Raymont, over Robert White and Ty Home.

y

result for the whole team.”

Jackson is

Jackson was in the lead and was

South Dakota’s Husets Speedway

i

chequer, it was a good

second row.

tact with the Aussie.

Brisbane’s Steve Jordan finished

which seemed to make the difference.

I When crossed the

■ Jackson’s winning run at Knoxville in their regular season features was interupted by rain as

Two laps after the race started,

Skip Jackson (Loxiey) ^

good choices,

pair started the feature from the

“We had a great start and a great car -1 could run the top, or the bot

in second position, ahead of veter an Peter Doyle, Andy Geppert, Todd Doyle, Glenn Pagel and Gary

crew some

JeffMitrisin.

A caution immediately after they’d crossed the line put McCarl on Jackson’s tail as they battled for the lead - McCarl was trying differ ent lines to pass Jackson, but on lap 12 he drifted wide and lost con

■ MARK Pagel stole the limelight from his all-conquering cousin when he took out the 1999 City of Gjonpie Modified Production Championship at Gympie’s Mothar Mountain Speedway over two nights on May 1-2.

Starting from pole position in the 30-lap final on a slick track, Pagel (Speed Shop Commodore) enjoyed an unchallenged run to the che quer once Greg Raymont headed infield with a flat tyre on lap 4.

“The made

■ MARK Pagel leads the Autobam Modified Production Series

pointscore with seven rounds com pleted.

Pagel has amassed 1271 points thus far and leads national champ Gaiy Pagel by 93 points.

Greg Raymont (1084 points)

The event featured a hand

picked field of contestants from throughout New South Wales and Queensland.

On an extremely rough racing surface, due to the large volume of rain throughout the region in recent months, McHugh piloted his Miami Suspension Camaro to vic tory in the 15-lap final.

In his first-ever appearance at the venue, McHugh topped qualify ing with two wins from his four starts and started from pole posi

David Andrews and Rob Ziebells.

tion.

Despite a big field of Compact Speedcars, nobody could stop Steve Swingler from lapping the entire field in the feature in a blistering performance.

Australian champ Darren Vine finished in second spot, followed by

In front a ver>- large crowd, for mer national champ Paul O’Neill finished in second spot, ahead of Ross Brims.

■ MORANBAH Speedway in North Queensland will host a big dollar Super Sedan event on June

Geoff Goebell, Brad Sloan and Gavin McDonald.

19. Several southern-based com

Dave Fanning was the undisput ed star of the Formula 500 events, winning all three heats and the feature in fine style.

The minor placings in the main

petitors have already indicated that they will be in attendance and a big field is expected with $2000 on offer for the feature win ner.

event went to Geoff Bancroft, Ken Murray, John Willmott and Des

■ THE Elva Crowther Memorial

Carsburg.

SiCNSONf

■ THE Queensland Litre Sprintcar Championship was hijacked by NSW hotshoe Andrew Wright at Maryborough Speedway on May 8.

Starting from position 4 in the 25-lap championship finale, Wright avenged his disappointment from last year’s event at the same

feature event with a last comer

pass beneath Graham Bing to win the 20-lap event.

Havill, in just his third meeting in the division, adapted to the slick conditions veiy well to progress his Commodore from ninth on the grid.

The luckless Bing had to settle for the runner-up position, with Danny Moscardini finishing third.

In the 30-lap Super Street

venue, when he was crashed out

while in a winning position.

Wright, who has also been dab bling in Speedcar competition this season, made no mistake on this

occasion in securing the crown.

Patrick Maroney annexed the 1 runner-up spot, ahead of defending champion Andrew Shilletto and polesitter Wayne Moller.

Kerrin Lenz, who started along side Moller on the front row, estab lished a big lead in the early stages, before dropping through the field as the laps wound down.

Jon Rachow upstaged his more experienced rivals to take out the Street Sedan feature, finishing

ahead of Paul Hussey and Chris Elliott.

The Super Street Sedan feature saw Brian Zelinski lead all the way from pole position to defeat Jamie Harmsworth, Neil Harm and Russell Baldry.

The Junior Street Sedan feature

resulted in yet another win for

meeting was conducted at Collinsville Speedway over two nights on May 1-2.

Jeff Havill snatched a last gasp victorj' in the Modified Production

Sedan feature, Chris Jensen bounced back from a blown head

gasket on opening night to score an unlikely win, ahead of Ian Nimmo and Myles Gilroy.

Super Sedan Shootout winner, Jamie McHugh. (Graham Jordan pic) regular competitor in the Formula 500 division, Pronger was making his debut appearance in the rapid ly expanding Microsprint ranks.

Geoff McDonnell and former

champ Brian Schrader, the only others to visit victory lane during qualifying, finished second and third, respectively.

Another Formula 500 regular in Peter Clauss annexed fourth posi tion after a mighty drive from posi tion 16 on the grid.

occupies third spot at the moment, ahead of Brock Clifford (867), Todd Doyle (772), Glenn Pagel (681) and Andy Geppert (604).

Troy Brittle (594), Steve Jordan

■ THE Queensland Super Sedan scene is set for changes next sea son, with several competitors preparing to update their equip ment this winter.

Nick Girdlestone, Des Kom,

(591) and rookie Dustin Home

Michael (]lee, Kelvin Hamilton and

(568) complete the top ten with two

Wa>Tie Randall will all have new

events remaining.

cars for the 1999/2000 season.

■ JAMIE McHugh bounced his way to victory in the invitationonly Super Sedan Shootout at Grafton Speedway on May 8.

Randall will actually have two cars at his disposal, with the team’s existing Mazda RX7 being retained for service at those venues

suited to the rotary powerplant.

/i^9®[F8UXo)[PO

Premier bade in the blade Warrnambool club on the road to recovery after successful Easter Sprintcar Trail wipes out theft-related debt Speedway

kick in the backside and it’s

Club has recovered from

good to be able to turn that

the greatest setback in its 27-year history to finish

around.

PREMIER

for its key race meetings.

Its only washout was a round of the Tri-City Super Sedan Series scheduled for December 26.

Sprintcar Trail would help

*We will never get over the loss of that money, but I think we are heading in the right direction again.”

Hose praised committee and club members, drivers and supporters for getting behind the organisation in

the club record a modest

its time of need.

profit, Premier Speedway having started the season in

“Everyone who supported Premier Speedway can lift their heads and be proud,”

speedway’s operations meant it could not operate for

the 1998-99 season in the black.

Club president Graeme Hose said a well-supported round

debt

of

after

the

the

Easter

theft

of

$174,000 at its 1998 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic meeting.

Hose said a final balance would not be known until

he said.

“From a personal point of view. I’d just say I’m so pleased and proud of the

support that has been shown fered quite a blow.

“To have those people

sented to members at its

come forward when it was

upcoming annual meeting in August.

required to get us heading in the right direction is quite gratifying.

“The club has a very loyal band of supporters and some

the scale around a bit, but

there’s a long way to go yet,” he said.

i

“I think people still have to keep it in perspective. If that had happened to a business, they would be gone.

“Last year was a complete

spectators on Easter Sunday night, was the first unaffect ed by rain in five years.

Hose said the size of the

another season without a

professional administrator.

“It is a reasonable size

proceeds from the Easter meeting were tallied and then a report would be pre

“We’ve been able to turn

The Easter meeting, which this season attracted 4500

out there to a club which suf

business and needs a manag er,” Hose added.

The best gate receipts came from the 28th Grand

Annual Sprintcar Classic on January 30-31, which attracted capacity crowds on both nights. But a partial washout of the prestigious Australian two-day Sprintcar Championship dis counted what could have

of those came to every meet ing.”

After a frustrating series of rain interruptions and cancellations. Premier was

been a double bonus - how

blessed with good weather

- GEOFF ROUNDS

ever, other feature Sprintcar meetings were well patron ised, ensuring the success of a pivotal season for the club.

Pointscore winner: Sydney fireball Robbie Farr (above) topped the NSW Sprintcar Association’s Track Pointscore, heading Robert Jackson and Kerry Madsen. (Tony Loxiey)

Honours to Robert Jackson NSW Sprintcar Awards success also enjoyed by Farr ROBERT Jackson took out the Club

Pointscore award at the annual pre sentation banquet on May 23, Sydneysider Jackson heading Peter Attard, Kerry Madsen, Robbie Farr and John Shore.

Kelly Linigen took out the Internet Driver of the Year, Mark Bertacco the Battlers award and Louise Genner the

Mineeff claimed Best Presented Car and the Best Presented Crew went to the #80

car line-up, including Adam, Ray, Allan, James, Martina, Nick and Peter.

The PCR awards went to Peter Craft

(Outstanding Contribution to speedway)..

Kelly Linigen (Most Popular Driver), Attard (PCR Medal), Wayne Baines (Official of the Year) and Brian Linigen .

Encouragement award, while Stephen Grassmayer won Most Promising Driver, David Hall Most Improved Driver and WaiTen Ferguson was Rookie of the Year.

Farr topped the Track Pointscore, ahead

(Club Member of the Year).

of Jackson and Madsen, while Justin

Aunger.

Awards were also made to four retirees

this season - George Tatnell, Bob Tunks,

orary membership was awarded to Wade j

Dominant: WA Late Model Sedan

Champion Brad Blake won fea >

k

BUNBURY.

Cl

Holland, Des Alfirevich),

and Dai'iyl Haythornthwaite),

Carnarvon Speedway.

club's best, with a lot of new

ideas being put forward to help

Geoff Green will head the team as Chairman and wife Julie

Green will remain as club

Secretary - Julie Dale will carry on as Treasurer.

The rest of the committee will

be made up of )’eprcsentatives from each Sedan .section -

Division one Super Sedans (Petei'

to Narrogin Speedway, Division 2

Modified Sedans (Darren Sutton

season is going to be one of the

ing.

to Collie Speedway, Street Stocks Super Sedans to Manjimup Speedway and Super Sedans to

Production Sedans (Michael Clune and Brad Mitchell).

Geoff Green said that “this

its election of office bearers meet

state. (Peter French pic)

amium

Brook and Stephen Dale), Division Two Super Sedans (Jim

■ THE Speedway Sedan Racing Club, which is the largest speed way sedan o)-ganisation in Western Au.sti'alia recently had

tures all around the

/

II

take sedans into the next centui-y-

■ THE West Australian Sedan Car Federation had a .state meet

ing last week with all affiliated

speedway clubs to allocate the

■ PER'TH’S two major track pro moters, Con Migro and Des Ferris, also attended the meeting to give some of their views on cur rent problems between the ASPA and the ASCF, the coming season and NASR - once the discussion

turned to NASR, the cluhs pre sent appeared not to want NASR and were in favour of the pending WA Speedway Commission, which will he up and running in

.

Peter Craft and Bob Blacklaw. An hon- j

Farrell

tops in VIC Speedcars A new venue and a new way of integrating the awards presenta tion

between

the

Victorian

Speedcar Club and the Victorian Compact Speedcar Club saw a much more enjoyable night had by all who attended the gala night at the North Melbourne ■ BERT Vosbergen is building a new car - he has been so encouraged with the speed of his car last .sea.son that he

believes he can go even quicker this coming season with a lighter and different design chassis.

■ A source not to be named said

la.st week that Kingsley Jones

might race this coming season, if he doesn’t sell the car. Hopefully, he won’t dispo.se of it and will be among it once again.

■ THIS coming .season will also see the introduction of a season’s

Club Championship for Modified

Football Club on May 15.

From all reports, the night was a vast improvement in many respects over the last few banquets, with a more united format.

In another big change from years

past, club veteran Ray “Noddy” Bishop didn’t feature in the awards, which saw Paul Farrell the victor in

the Open Championship, from veter ans Ian Lewis and John Mills.

The Division 1 Championship fell

to Troy Jordan, from Colin Lamb and Shane Smith.

Peter

Ghent

won

the

Best

Presented award, with the Rookie of

the Year going to V8 Supercar dis card Darren Hossack.

Ian Lewis won the award for Most

state title for the coming year.

Junior Sedans will go to Albany

the next month, or .so.

Speedway and Production Sedans to Augusta/Margaret River, who

■ FRANK Does has moved from the Modified .Sedan ranks into

were very happy, as it is the fii-.st

Super Sedans for the coming .sea

time a state title will be hold at their club.

Modified Sedans \vere allocated

son - Does won the Modified

will be involved in the deal, which

of the Year award and all drivers

Sedan .season pointscore and has

will he a major drawcard for all

decided that its time to move on.

Modified Sedan drivers.

received a club medallion.

- BRETT SWANSON

Sedans, with rounds being con ducted at selected tracks around the State.

Several contingency sponsors

Feature Wins and Scott Memery was

awarded the Encouragement trophy.

Hard-working Kelly Hunter

received the prestigious Club Person

44

lMo)9®[?sfmo'G

4 June 1999

In-form Kinsers THANKS to a short break and

some hard work by his crew, The King of the Outlaws, Steve Kinser, hit back with his fourth A-Feature win of the season

after leading all 35 laps of the main

event

at

Lernerville

Speedway when the Outlaws kicked off their annual swing through Pennsylvania.

“Scott (Gerken, Kinser’s crew

chieO got the motors on the dyno and tuned and tuned, and the Quaker State Maxim felt pretty good tonight,” Kinser told the sell out crowd. “This is a good way to start this Eastern swing.”

Over the last couple of laps, Steve went on to win by just over a second, with Donny Schatz third and Jac Haudenschild fourth Stevie Smith finished fifth.

Sole Aussie rep Brooke Tatnell had a rough night, timing 22nd and then only managing seventh in his heat - seventh in the B-Main was as far as he went.

On to the famed Williams Grove

speedway for the Channellock Spring Classic and it was still Kinsers in victory lane, Mark win ning the preliminary feature on opening night and Steve winning the main event just to underline the fact that he’s back on track.

-BRETT SWANSON

ULTIMATE ADRENALIN EXPERI

ENCE; Construction of Wayne Milburn’s unique two-seat Sprintcar is now well advanced, the Victorian driver expecting to debut the sensational machine in July at Western Auto Raceway in Bacchus Marsh.

As revealed in the last issue of Motorsport

News, the tandem WMR two-seater utilises a JSR chassis, with the passenger strapped into a fully-protected structure behind the driver - the tail tank has been deleted and fuel will now be carried over the front axle.

Designed to carry a passenger weighing some 85 kilos and powered by a full-race engine, the

fully-loaded Ultimate Adrenalin Experience machine will actually retain a normal single seat Sprintcar weight distribution, effectively allowing the driver to run right on the ragged edge of performance and give the paying pas senger a real insight into full-bore, opposite lock speedway racing - and something to remember for a long, long time!

State Fair Motor

Tatnell continues to achieve

was a fresh event, with the second

place start, Steve Kinser holding

Speedway

some impressive results consider ing the company he’s keeping, which on the night included a 24th

part being held over from April 14.

Mark Kinser once again set fast

onto third from Smith and Jeff

■ The King, Steve Kinser, backed up his first A-Feature win of the season at Route 66 on May 9 with

By Brett Swanson

the State Fair Motor Speedway on

Feature at Tri-City Speedway but, while Walker led all 30 laps to

May 14.

Kinser had been involved with

record his second career A-Feature

arch-rival Sammy Swindell, who led the first 27 laps before running out of fuel, handing the lead and

win with the Outlaws, it was far from an easy win.

After winning the second heat,

the $8,000 cheque to Kinser.

Things hadn’t gone all Kinser’s way when the second fastest quali fier collided with Daryn Pittman early in the dash - his crew repaired the car and he came back to finish third.

Donny Schatz had qualified on pole and, despite racing wheel to wheel with Swindell on the open ing lap, couldn’t gain the lead.

Stoppages for flat tyres enabled Kinser to throw out a challenge on Swindell, who maintained the lead until he ran out of fuel.

Swindell, now I'cfuelled, rejoined at the rear and, when Mark Kinser

stopped on the track, the red flag was waved for a fuel stop, just to mb salt into Swindell’s wounds.

Steve Kinser then sprinted away with the win from Johnny Heiuera, Tyler Walker, fast qualifier and new lap record holder Danny Lasoski and Andy Hillenburg.

Australia was represented by Brooke Tatnell and Robert

Jackson, who timed 19th and 21st.

Tatnell’s sixth put him into the A-Feature, while Jackson was forced into the B-Feature after mn-

ning seventh in his heat.

He then finished fifth in the B, which was won by Lasoski, from where he finished 21st in the AFeature - Tatnell finished a cred itable 13th.

Tri-City Speedway

■ Walker carried over his confi

dence from a top three finish the night prior to record the win in the

Tatnell 27th.

Steve Kinser and Tatnell missed

fastest time trial, followed up by a

his second consecutive A-Feature when he was handed the win at

third place in his heat behind Hillenburg and Steve Rinser.

Unfortunately, for the second night in a row, Tatnell inverted the car in the feature, this time after

Smith, Mark Kinser, Schatz, and Herrera.

Tatnell finished 15th and

Jackson, who spun and was hit by Herrera on lap 24, finished 18th.

Lasoski’s 19th place finish, only his second time out of the top ten all season, cost him the points lead to Mark Kinser.

Tri-State Speedway

■ The following night at Tri-State Speedway, it was Mark Kinser back in the winners circle, consoli

dating his points lead and happy to be back winning in his home state.

Kinser set the quickest qualify ing time, marginally ahead of Walker.

Herrera’s car stopped abruptly in

the line in the B-Feature, while

front of him - Tatnell was credited

Tatnell finished eighth.

Haudenschild won the dash from

Jimmy Carr, with Swindell third.

sixth to second in the dash, then dicing with polesitter Hillenbimg

Haudenschild and Carr raced wheel to wheel from the start of

from the drop of the green flag.

Spins were the nature of the race in the early going and, following a

the feature, with Swindell passing Carr following an early stoppage.

caution for one of these. Walker

tage was swallowed up by lapped traffic, with Swindell moving into the lead on lap 21.

Mark Kinser and Herrera joined the fight for the lead two laps later, until Herrera jumped the cushion and lost four places.

Haudenschild’s hard-won advan

made his move, diving low under Hillenburg but washing out, allow ing Mark Kinser to slip into sec ond.

Following Tatnell’s crash, which also claimed Travis Whitney, Kinser was inches away from Hillenburg as they hit lapped traf¬

resumed the race in the lead.

lead and the win from Stevie

won heat four.

Kinser followed Pittman across

Walker was flying, jumping from

On the opening lap of the fea ture, Tatnell flipped down the main straight - fortunately, they repaired the car and Tatnell rejoined.

After blazing off into the lead.

Walker then narrowly avoided a crashing Kevin Gobrecht on the fourth lap of the Feature, before stopping with an oil leak - with the red flag flying. Walker’s crew was able to effect repairs and he Through numerous stoppages.

Walker held his lead, while Swindell worked his smoking car to second before blowing the engine on lap 24.

Walker’s car was also smoking by now, but he was able to hold the

a transfer in heat three, finishing sixth and ninth, while Swindell

with 18th position.

he beat Stevie Smith to the win in the dash.

Swindell recorded a comfortable win over Mark Kinser in feature

fic.

#1, with Schatz, Hillenburg and Smith next.

He made his move and started to

In Feature #2, the make-up race from April 14, all the qualifying and heats had been run, with Steve

pull away, leaving Hillenburg to dice with Wblker and Steve Kinser.

Smith joined the battle and pro ceeded to work his way into second. .

Kinser and Haudenschild off the front row - Swindell was fourth.

Mark Kinser had a scare when

he narrowly avoided Tim Shaffer, who’d hit the wall on the penulti mate lap.

Kinser easily won the sprint to the line from Smith, Hillenburg, Steve Kinser and Walker.

Bloomington ■ Bloomington speedway is Kinser country, but on May 19, it was Swindell who dominated proceed ings, winning both A-Features in a double-header program - the dou ble feature sweep made him the second driver in series history to win two main events in one day at the same track, following brother Jeffs efforts at Rolling Wheels on October 8,1994.

The first part of the program

Swindell. i

time, with Swindell fourth and

Craig Dollansky won the CFeature and Joey Saldana won the B-Feature, where Tatnell finished ■

12th.

Gobrecht had taken over the

Hylton/Blaney #93 a week after the postponed event, but Dale Blaney had already qualified the car into the A-Feature, where Gobrecht fin ished 18th.

Haudenschild blasted off, leaving Steve Kinser behind as the green flag flew.

Swindell passed The King on lap 4, then battled Haudenschild for the next seven laps before replicat ing his pass from race one and tak ing the lead again.

Lasoski was on the move, work ing up to second from his fifth

Terre Haute ■ ITie first night of the two-night Winged Thunder program at Indiana’s Terre Haute Action Track was cancelled due to rain -

but, fortunately, Saturday night’s program played out to a packed house, which saw Mark Kinser take his sixth A-Feature of the sea

son and extend his points lead to 38 points.

Stevie Smith is at last showing a resurgence of the form that saw him win the most A-Features last

season, battling with Kinser and leading the race on a couple of occasions.

Kinser, though, was the class of the field, slicing .301 seconds off Jac Haudenschild’s prevdous one

lap record and then wanning the opening heat.

His crew then changed the Mopar engine before the dash, where he followed Lasoski and Smith across the line.

Lasoski got the initial jump in the main event, but Smith took the

lead late on the opening lap.

Kinser moved to second on lap 2, then set out after Smith, passing him on lap 6.

A caution for Walker, who’d hit the wall and stopped, allowed Smith to resume the battle, Kinser retaking the lead on lap 7.

Unlucky lap 13 saw Smith break the water pump, losing momentum and the lead to Kinser.

Smith struggled on in second, with Lasoski third from Swindell and Herrera.

Tatnell was joined again by Robert Jackson, with Tatnell out-

qualifying Jackson, 22nd to 28th and outracing him in the heats, fifth to eighth.

Jackson finished seventh in the

B-Feature, just one place shy of making the A W'here Tatnell fin ished 18th.

S

4 June 1999

45

Mam and BrundeU tied at Winton

South Aussie John Goodacre runs with the 80cc Gearbox leaders a lap

before a turn 1 excursion destroyed his #76 nose cone. (Graeme Bums pic) Report by GRAEME BURNS

ROUND two of the Victorian

Superkart Series held at Winton on May 16 saw some very close racing in several classes, with only a handful of points separating the placings.

Mark Vella and John Goodacre

made the trek across from South

Australia for the weekend to mix it with the local 80cc drivers.

After the frost melted, practice got imderway, several karts leaving the slippery circuit with varying degrees of damage done.

John Sciarra had an early excur sion, giving him a fair amount of work to cobble up and missing the first two heats of lOOcc Light.

The racing at the front of the pack was very close all day, Jason

McIntyre finally emerging the win ner from Ben Castles by a mere four points.

The race for third between Colin

McIntyre and Rodney Reynolds ended in a tie, McIntyre getting the nod and Lee Barabasz and Nicholas

Higgins not very far behind.

No-one really dominated lOOcc Heavy, the field getting a bit split up in heat one when Darren Spencer left the circuit.

Follow me: 250cc driver Chris Mann leads 125cc newcomer David Barker through the esses. (Graeme Burns)

Rod Clarke won heat three nar

The 125cc class looked healthy,

rowly from a bunch of karts close behind, while in the final Michael Bramich made a passing move on

with Neil Smart back in a new kart and David Barker and Simon

Dean Roberts in the esses on the

total of seven karts.

final lap.

Roberts still won the day from Ken Knight, who was never far away, with Bramich only three points further back in third.

Pete Carter and Peter Hageman had a bad heat each and pushed

Adam and Trent McIntosh made

their debuts in Junior lOOcc, but

Travis Grigg drove well to take the win from Ulrich Deyssing, with Adam edging into third.

The 80cc Gearbox class broke

iit-.

into little groups in heat one. South Australian Goodacre finding the edge of the bitumen and destroying his nose cone exiting turn 1.

Roby Canuti got faster as the day went on and set the pace up front.

Vella, the other South Aussie,

was never far away and, along with Peter Windhager, Goodacre, Darren Dunn and Tony lapozzuto, fought out the minor placings.

Canuti

tjn\

took

the

win,

with

Windhager second and Vella one point behind in third, while only three points separated the next

* t

Tailgating: #28 Frank Kessels heads winner Peter Cooke in Restricted 80cc class. (Graeme Burns pics)

three drivers.

The Restricted 80cc class is grow ing, Peter Cooke taking the win from Frank Kessels and Greg Bass, the latter a close third.

Neville joining the ranks to make a

each other hard in the rest. Carter coming out the victor by a small margin - David Barker, in his first drive in a Superkart after coming off speedway, edged Smart out of third place by four points.

Mick Bakker had the only 250cc National entry, but an 0-ring seal failed to keep the water in and he retired for the day.

The 250cc International was very fast up front, with Tony Rath having his first run for the year and Robert Erlenwein putting a gap on the field.

Erlenwein nipped an engine late in the day and Rath had a problem in heat two.

Robert Clinch got on the pace for a heat win, but a small problem sidelined him later in the day.

No such problems for Chris Mann and Mark Brundell, though, who finished the day tied on points, Mann taking the win while Rath was one point behind in third.

The next round of the Victorian

Superkart Series will be at Winton on June 13.

Junior 100cc: Ulrich Dreyssing shows Trent McIntosh the way.

46

4 June 1999

Shell Helix turns

Bleeder kit

SHELL has expanded its range of Helix oil products

for singles

from three to nine.

The Helix range now includes five new specialist oils designed for specific use.

Whether your car is the lat

When bleeding

your brake fluid you need two people. right?

Wrong I With the Air-Boy

est AU Falcon, 4wd or dual

fuel you will find an oil to meet your specific needs

Brake Bieeder and access to an air

within the new Helix range.

Michael Tate, Shell Consumer

compressor, bleed ing of the brake system fluids can

Lubricants

Marketing Manager says “Customers can now easily identify which oil provides the best protection for their

be carried out by one person in around ten minutes.

car’s needs.”

“No matter what the model

HIUX

or age of the vehicle or dri ving conditions. Shell Helix can take care of all engines,” said Michael. “In fact. Shell’s customers now have the same choice as mechanics.”

Shell Helix Ultra is a fully synthetic oil which is recom mended for high perfor mance prestige cars and has been officially endorsed by FeiTari. It is suitable for use

in both turbo charged and normally aspirated engines.

New to the range is Helix B V8 Supercar drivers Glenn Seton and John

Bowe joined over 250 motoring enthusiasts on Wednesday May 19 for the official Launch of the Tickford Zone Service

Centre in Caulfield, Victoria.

The Tickford Zone

Service Centre is a dedi cated centre for all Fords

with a specialty expertise in XR6 and XR8. The staff have been trained in all

aspects of the ford vehi cles.

For more information contact Andrew Gilbert at

New Oak Ford on (03) 9569 3444.

competition 50. A premuim high quality racing oil which has been proven in NASCAR racing.

A high viscosity oil, suit able for ‘big’ six and eight cylinder engines, it is ideal for heavy towing or condi tions where your engine is placed under stress.

castings, that are much stronger than regular iron,and will resist crack ing in the heaviest bal ancers. Contact Precision

Parts on (02) 69215126 or visit their website

www.procisionparts.com.au

■ Ford Tickford Racing has opened a show room displaying their latest range of merchandise. So if you are unable to make it to the track you can still

pick up the latest gear.

The showroom is located

at 371 Clarendon St, South Melbourne, Vic. or call (03) 9690 1111.

for use in vehicles where

provide improved engine effi ciency. Suitable for the mod

higher temperatures, low carbon deposits and dry con ditions are experienced.

Helix Plus 5 utilises the

em Falcon and Commodore.

See your local SheU service station for more details.

racewear with a series of

high-tech driver cooling sys tems designed to reduce body temperatures in enclosed competition vehicles.

and service providers nationally throughout Australia.

Companies such as AVO, Centreline Suspension, Race Brakes,

Mechanlx

$5.00 from Motorvated.

See your Latest CAMS

Racing Tyres all provide dis-

more details.

Griffiths on (03) 9759 6800 for

Bell’s latest now here BELL has released its lat est advance in helmet

ment the extensive range of

technology, the K1 Sports,

Ideally suited for karting and other open wheeler cate gories, the K1 Sports con

been introduced to comple¬

Bell helmets now available.

forms to the Snell SA95 stan dard.

Compact and light weight, the new helmet features

advanced aero-dynamic fea tures, including the “duck bill” front chin spoiler to reduce wind buffeting and helmet lift.

For more details contact

Revolution Racegear on (03) 9873 8700.

ABS

systems.

The

Air-Boy

Brake

Bleeder is ideal for race,

brake hose.

The flow of fluid is con

workshop and the home mechanic and is used by most of the top race teams.

The Air-Boy Brake

trolled by the operator with the squeeze trigger.

Bleeder is available from Raven Distributors for

The clear hose allows

$120.00. For more informa

locks or blockages in the

you to see when bleeding

tion call (03) 9818 7601.

RPM Kuool

Developed by Kuool Products in conjuction with Revolution Racegear for the motor racing industry, the

report, or contact .Steve

The new high tech Formula 1 style helmet has

new

panies is in the latest CAMS Report. If you are not a mem

Performance Exhausts, GP Sportscars, and Mansons

in Australia.

The

Fresh Air helmet systems can be used together or seperately to reduce driver body temperatures, therefore aiding comfort and concen

Directories are available for

all

Jacket, Polar Vest and the

Directory and now all CAMS members. Discounts range from product giveaways to 10% off retail prices.

A full list of the growing number of partidpating com

ber of CAMS you oan still redeve the discounts by join ing Motorvated directly.

for

of athletes in all types of competition has proved time and again that keep ing body temperatures down is a major aid to performance and stamina.

Products Pty Ltd produces

counts exclusive to members of Motorvated Performance

ensures there are no air

Suitable

equipped , standard and braided hose type braking

SPORTS Medicine studies

the

National Parts and

there is no dangerous and messy spills on the work shop floor.

Operation is simple and

is complete.

Keep Your Cool Revolution Racegear has added to its range of RPM

muim automotive retailers

new S.G. (nodular) iron

flow and lower friction to

engines that require rapid oil

Motorvated Promotional

The discounts are avail

their Powerbond brand.

Manufactured from all

It is specially formulated

preparation.

able from over 100 pre

mance dampers under

that caters for the latest

Pty Ltd have combined to

bership fee.

turer has released a range of bonded street perfor

latest in oil technology creat ing an extra-low viscosity oil

Shell has launched Helix LPG.

provide members great savings on their race car

members at no additional

monic balancer manufac

cars on LPG or dual fuel.

CAMS Promotional and Motorvated Products

cost to their annual mem

Australia’s leading har

For those who run their

CAMS Gets Motorvated

Performance Directory, which is full of companies in the automotive industry offering exclusive dis

Solo Effort. The Air-Boy Brake Bleeder allows one person operation.

The brake fluid is sucked into a container so

'W£

counts to subscribers.

These discounts are now available to all Cams

■ Precision Parts,

The bleeding is done safely, cleanly and efficiently.

HtUl

tration levels.

new Kuool Jacket is worn

under a driving suit. It utilis es water-retaining crystals that swell when immersed in

water, to effectivly form a temperature-reducing ‘sec ond skin’ around the driver.

RPM claim wearing the jack et can keep the driver up to 10 degrees cooler over a peri od of 90 minutes.

Designed in Australia, the concept was first used in the horse racing industry and has quickly spread to other

sports including AFL football and now motor racing.

Revolution worked closeoly

Drivers including John Bowe, Steve Johnson, Glenn

with the manufacturer to

develop a product especially

Steve Ellery all tested the jacket under real race condi

for the needs of the motor

tions.

sport industry.

The RPM Kuool jacket was tested successfully last year by several leading drivers in

please contact your near est Revolution Racegear store or phone (03) 9873

the annual Bathurst Classic.

8700

Seton, John Faulkiner and

For more information

New Porsche 911 GTS PORSCHE Australia has announced that the latest 911 will be available in

Australia in September.

The fastest 911 in this market, the GTS will reach 100 km/h in just 4.3 seconds.

Retail price is expected to be around $225,000.00.

4 June 1999

47

Motorsport News'

SHOP gives you the opportunity to promote your products and services to the widest possible range of motorsport competitors and enthusiasts. Advertising in ivV i: SHOP costs as little as $50 per issue! Call Brendon Sheridan on 03 9527 7744 now!

When you want to find an Australian automotive site on the Internet, see

CUSTOM /KL.UMINIUM

www.ozcar.com

/\LUivmyimvi

Have you wasted hours and hours searching for Australian automotive based info on the

RADIATORS, INTERCOOLERS & OIL COOLERS

net? There is just too much to wade through. So don’t waste time, go straight to

● Offroad cars ● Motorbikes ● Boats ●Hot Rods ● Street Cars ● Circuit Cars Contact Paul Weel on 07 55 981 499 or

www.ozcar.com

Fax drawings to 07 55 981 980

I .t /

We’ve done ail the hard work for you.

HANDBUILT AND ALL AUSTRALIAN MADE

eiumrCAMS

g^RAIME Lrnams NSW: (02) 9678 9977

QLD: (07) 3808 1986

* Computer Camshaft Packages * Hydraulic, Solid or Roller Camshafts * Valve Train Components

VIC: (03) 9794 5177

WA: (08) 9353 1155

* Performance Headen & Exhausts

State Distributors

Australian importer and distributor:

€

CRANE

TECHNOLOGIES PTY. LTD.

Ph: (08) 8363 5566 Fax: (08) 8363 5633

For your nearest distributor

I

Ph 03 9357 0778 or Fax 03 9357 0001

BOB ROMANO PERF0RA»ANCE PTY LTD

● Aftermarket computer enhancement chips ● Race Car preparation ● Distributor re-calibration and overhauls * Holly S Weber carburettor tuning and application specialist

63 Secam Street Mansfield Qld 4122 Ph 07 3849 2866 ● Fax 07 3849 2161

>3 bolt irbbed housing. ■ 3000 series 4 piston 12800 series 4 piston differential size

■ 2000 series 4 piston ■ 1000 series 2 piston

piston bores, tainless steel pistons

■ Brake bias valves I Quick release hubs

I Brake rotors I Titanium pistons

COMPCTmON

^Ph 02 98915088 Fax: 02 9891 5082

WAREHCXSE__

Email; sydcomp@rocketmail.com

SYDNEY^—

CARBON

COMPOSITES

. N I

Jtevlar/Carbon fibre composite and fibreglass (GRP).

Repairs also available.

356 LYGON STREET EAST BRUNSWICK 3057

Phone: (03) 9388 2808 (03)9388 2806 Fax: (03)9388 2804

7/21 Mahrtm St

Steven Niesner

HIGGINS

Race Cylinder Heads

19000 series 4 piston ■ 4000 series 4 piston

^Billet alloy housing,

AND

● Full Workshop Facilities ● Specialising in Competition Car Preparation and Parts Supply ● Call us for your Road-Race Needs

NATHAN

DISC BRAKES

AERODVNAIIICB

MOTORSPORT

● Aftermarket computer programming (ej Motec and Haltech) & custom installations ● 30 yean of experience of successful race and performance tuning

OESiONEO

V8 Supercar race aero body kits available in

ms

● EFI service, repain and modifications

-

Race & Retail Centres

RACE

and manifold matching

03 9739 6333 www.hypcrsfJm.com

STIA\lll.ilTOir

c:^f>SPORTSCARS

S. &M.

* Step by step tuning, carb re-jetting, exhaust

Kits from $795

HYIMilK

Biyswatar 3153 Pll/FnB3 9738 15U

RaSHSiI]: Ciistoin Refinishing

6/^ years Level 1 Y8 Supercar experience.

Specialising in high performance cylinder heads including motorcycles.

Plus latest flow bench technology.

● Custom helmet designs ● Carbonfibre & fibreglass repairs ● Paint scheme design ● Repaints & repairs

Ph 03 9773 0869 or 0417 302 423

Ph 02 9680 4469

Unit D5 2A Victoria Avenue

Castle Hill NSW 2154

Email; info@procolour.com.au Web: www.pro-colour.com.au

2

Race, lUaftbl(e() & HeMte

i

Air Boy Brake Bleeder For one person operation, the most efficient way to bleeci hydraulic brake systems.

Suitable for

DiSTRiBiiTen ay

obs, braided

RAVEN

and standard

hose types.

OISTRIBUTION

Phone 03 9818 7601 Fax 03 9819 5323

BECOME A RACING DRIVER Obtain your CAMS General Competition Licence (Race Level 3) at my 2-day Racing Drivers Course at Oran Park (north and south circuits).

You will use your own car. Courses are held each month and include the CAMS Lecture and ObservaUon Test.

FORMULA FORD TEST DRIVES 40 laps at Oran Park and Wakefield park in my Formula Fords.Road licence only required. Makes a great present. Gift certificates available.

For free brochures, dates and assistance with your licencing requirements call me now:

●

● ●

N

T

Tel 02

»SV3 a.VZ3 Fax 02 98711018

Visit our Website on: www.finlays.coni.au or e-mail: petei@finlays.com.au

E

<1'

NEIL TRAMA vV

ENGINEERING

V-'

A

High performance multi-valve engine builder: eg Rick Bates 98 ARC F2 winning Daihatsu Engine machining to competition standards General engineering

^

1S%

.

A

‘ iMcaeAse ^ Iff USABLE ‘ TOROUE

ISIH

homepage: www.actonline.com.au/lrama/mspoit2.html HARROP ENGINEERING AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 349 Oarebtn Road Thornbury VIC 3071

Unit .V4I .Aurora .Avenue Queanbevan NSV\' 2020 Ph/Fax 02 6299 6255 .Mobile 0417 656 943

amsiumi

\

1

♦ FULLY ADJUSTABLE STAND

* SUITABLE FOR MOST STEERING WHEEL AND PEDAL BRANDS * FOLDS FOR STORAGE ;4

TO ORDER Ph:

02 6291 3892

!)99

FIVEASH

+PP STAND ONLY

INTERNATIONAL RACING DRIVER'S SCHOOL

IntematiDnal Racing Driver's School 40 Northam Drive North Rocks NSW 2151

IharropI

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PROVISIONAL PATENT

Telephone (03) 9499 7433 Fax (03) 9497 4789

l!lUil!HNipnitirii!iiiiJOliMillilii Makes the A pleluree whole lot eloaror for your

eustotnors^

48

U^O(o)[F0[JXD[J^

4 June 1999

CLASSIFIEDS Sedans/Sporfs Cars

Open Wheelers

Ford Mustang GT Sports Sedan. 351 Ford, dry sump, top

loader. Harrop 9" floater, big 4 spot brakes all round. Bilsteins.

BBS wheels. Zakspeed suspension. Sabelt harness, wets on rims. Plenty spares. Oran Park 44.2. $32.000ono. Ph: Kevin 02 47821145.0414822427. ,ss

1998 Subaru WRX Club spec EVOII sedan. Prodrive blue, excellent cond. low kms. HKS blow off valve, big exhaust. $38.500ono.Ph: 0414838 911, A

Toyota Camry Stgier Tourer. Complete package including all spares. Ph: Mike Quinn 018 242 093. 15.

Renault Spider #69. Factory built works racing car. one of 80 ever built. Raced by german Renault works team 94-96, 6 spd sequential gearbox, aluminium chassis, fibreglass body.

Me Nurburgring 24 hr race 1998. Flas had complete rebuild

Lotus Elan 1965 race car. 26R replica. All steel twin cam. dog box. rose jointed front arxJ rear. Very quick, superb handling.

Full details on request $55,000. Ph: 0011 649 412 8500. 1M VK Commodore AUSCAR Sportsman. Ready to race, spare set of wheels, set up for Thunderdome. $7,000. Ph: 03

before shipping to NZ. Will trade Super Touring car or sell. PCA. Ph: 00 11 643 377 9678, fax 00 11 643 377 9677, mobile 00 11 64212115720. .»

HQ Holden - the Boral car, NSW. one of the best presented cars in Australia. Needs no work, race ready. NSWRRC lap recrxd Cran Park, laps Hidden Valley 31 sec bracket Top 5 out right Indy 97. If you want to be up there, this si the car. Includes bulk spares package and timer. $6.500oro. Ph: Dave Cameron

Rally car Toyota Corolla twin cam, with 45 Webers, Aries pis tons, Proflex suspension, 4 pot calipers, 4.8TRD LSD. Call for complete list of components. Immaculately presented. $10,000orx3 plus spares. Ph: 0414 448 236,02 4945 5384. 156

97522333. is.

Vee.Ph: 03 9792 0887. .ss

Reynard 92D Formula Holden. Ex Macrow, two third places at Eastern Creek in March. Fresh engine, ready to race.

Tons of spares incl gearbox ratios, wings, nose etc. $75k the lot, or $60k car -I- $15k spares. Ph: Adam 03 9563 8283 (BH), 018 532094. 155

Van Diemen Multisport, 1989 model. Ford 1600cc XR3i:

engine, Bosch K-Jetronic inj. Extremely rare and unique, build no 21, excellentcond, never raced in Australia.$15,000.Ph: 02

0418 492302.024754 2666. «

42280659.

.V.

Datsun 240Z, 1973, 2.8ltr race engine with triple Webers, 5 speed. Bond half cage, race seats with harness, button clutch, ventilated discs with 4 spot calipers, 15x7 ROH Reflex, 14x7 wheels with Potenza 610s. Ready to race in Marque Sports.

.sSV

250CC International Superkart. Chassis $9,500 Separate comprehensive spares package incl PC. Pi, data logger, engine $4,500. Will consider all serious offers or swap for top Formula

Gemini Coupe, mid nnounted engine, Sports Sedan. Rolling chassis with spare irms and tyres $3,800. Rus Hemi competition motor, with triple Del Ortos, extractotrs and Super T10 g/box, dual plate clutch, lightened flywheel, special bell housing, roller rockers. $2,900ono. Will separate. Ph: 0418 636 920. i5<

$8.900.Ph:0295220763,017 106 390. is6

.56

Formula Vee: 1998 Mantis MV1-001 chassis & body, new car with most parts, needs engine/gearbox, wheels & tyres etc. $5,500. Ph: Mark 0418 531 797 (BH), 03 9720 7249 (AH). .55 Elfin 600E FZ, Histone Group Q log book. C/N 7126. 1600 Ford twin cam, HewlandMk9. Immaculate.The best 600 avail able. Complete with spares, jigs, moulds and fully enclosed tan dem trailer. $45,000ono. Ph: Ivan Clencie 03 9726 7166 (BH), 03 9762 1732 (AH). 155 Superkart: 250 International Anderson Mirage lightweight fac tory chassis. Rotax pewered. Complete Kelgate spec, with all Kelgate running gear. 3 sets wheels, mounted wets & other spares. As new unit, set up ready to go. $18,000 neg. Ph: Ivor 03 9437 1239,0419236233. 155

Honda Civic Club Can rear-mounted Integra 1600 twin cam. DelOrto carbs, Kevlar comp seat. Opt harness, altoy fuel lank. Holley red pump. Ready to race, $3,000. Ph: 03 5253 1105 Geelong (AH). 155

Formula Libre. Cooper Honda, 1998 NSW Hillclimb champi onship class winner. Bulletproof Honda CBR1000 engine, Avon slicks 3 meetings old, excellent cond. Also, fully enci trailer, 11 months rego, excellent order. Bargain at $6,900 the lot. Must

TT7

sell. Ph: 0410 544 629. 155 66

Celica 78 Sports Sedan. 3.51 Rover alum V8 motor, Celica 5 spd g/box. four wheel disc brakes, reg dual axle trailer. $6,500ono. Ph: 02 6559 4002.

154

Suzuki Swift GTi 1987, currently set up for Production Car/Street Sedan. Very competitive and fully developed car, as raced. Exc cond. $4,500ono. Ph: 02 4920 7072. i5< L

Mazda RX7 Club Car, 13B, 5 spd. LSD, cage, race harness.

Ready to race, very good car. owner retiring from racing. Ph: 03 5721 9313.0418 578 970

Statesman 1974 Caprice. Motor & trans rebuilt, 308 &turbo 400, King springs, Monrrje gas shocks. New power steering & vinyl roof, Reg to Nov 99. $6,000. Ph: 03 6265 8900. 156

■

ROH Commodore Cup car #81, 1999 spec, rebuilt Bottomley Racing engine.. Must sell due to business commit ments $17,000. Ph: Steve 02 9820 4531 (BH), 0413 300 650 156

Unique Half Datsun 1600. 1800 motor, automatic gearbox, fiddle brake, seats, belts and roll cage. Ideal motorkhana/khanacross car. $800ono. Ph: 02 4982 9320.

isi

Datsun 180B Sports Sedan. 280Z engine, 260bhp, slicks and wets, spares, log book. $8,000. Ph: 03 9305 7123, 0414 Toyota L/Cruiser SWB. 6 cyl, 4 spd, soft top. New paint,

334 579. 15.

new sports seats, race harness, extractors & dual exhaust, fibre

Mazda 121 sedan 4dr, 5 speed. Perfect cond, low kms. regd and RWC. Full cage & ext. Ideal for club rallies and/or runabout.

Spare alloy wheelsAyres. $8,500ono. Ph: 0418551 660. 15.

Super Mini, 1400CC, iron head, twin split Webers, new LCB extractors, new harness, spare fibreglass front, spare bonnet, spare LSD, $6,000neg.Ph: 02 4774 2267. ,5.

glass guards & bonneL new shocks, new wheels & tyres, 12/99 rego Ph: 0416 007 609

Commodore Cup #44, 99 spec, new front end. reco g/box and diff. Needs short motor. Heaps of spares, with heavy duty car trailer. $21,000 neg. Ph: 02 9528 8392,0416 166 843. Ibs Works Escort RSI800 BDA. 1977 English factory Boreham built. Colin Bond owned, Greg Carr driven. lYK 000. Winner

Reynard 92D - ex David Coulthard, Penske shocks, engine 2 meetings old, spare rims & ratios. Competitive car, $65,000neg.

Ph: Darren 0408 800 988. 15.

I

1978 ARC, 1978/9 Castrol internationals. Full restoration.

Immaculate, Rare works Cosworth BDG alloy 2L. works ZF 5speed, Colin Bond 5.1 locker, AP Racing works brakes/clutch, Bilsteins. Historic/Targa. Forced sale. $45,000. Ph: 07 5529 7146.

Formula Vee, Kestrel. Best of everything, Momo, Spax, Willans etc. Immaculate car. Trailer arxJ spares. $9,000oro. Ph: Steve 08 8337 2592 (AH), 08 8362 1977 (BH),

.55

Porsche Cup 911 C2 turbo. Huge torque. MoTeC with dash, K&A engineered. Fully rebuilt, no expense Spared.

Dogbox, Penske shocks, 3 sets wheels. $99,000ono. Ph: 08 8130 1229 (BH),

2 litre Club Car. 1980 RA40 GT Celica. Supra 5 speed, adj suspension, half cage. All new components, raced only otx:e.

Toyota Club Car. 2 It DOHC (Yamaha head), twin sidedratt carbies, new Veto seat, 4pt harness. Competed in hillclimbs + Khanacross series with great success. Heaps of spares.

Reluctant sale. $2,600ono. Ph: David 02 6652 4817 (AH), w Lotus Cortina 1965. Extensively modified for racing. Fuel injected twin cam, four speed dog box. Fully adjustable front suspension, four link with coil overs at rear. $kl,000. Ph: 00 11 6494128500. .5.

Sports 1300 twin cam. BulanI Mk7 - Suzuki twin cam, con

Many spares. Ph: Shane 0417 454 676,02 9604 2150. 155 ’

trol cams, spare set of Avon A45 &A40 tyres and wheels. Fully enclosed trailer, dual axles, close ratio g/box, many spares.

Group A VR/VS Commodore. Ex HRT car, Rob Benson

$16,000. Ph: 07 3272 0640. 15.

Chev V8. 5 speed Holinger, $65,000. Complete car less gear box $57,000. Roller only, $25,000. Ph: 03 9684 4914 (BH). 03 9795 2102 (AH), 0407 847 873,

BMW E30; 2.8 engine, remote alarm, Recaro seats, M3 racing adj rear spoiler, Bilstein sports otwreed suspension, reg Jan 99.

Sports exhaust system plus more. $14,700. Ph: 03 9295 3357 (BH).

MGB fuel injected V8 with MoTeC. MG workshops main tained regardless of cost. CAMS otg book. May club reg. Easy to drive, ready to race. $26,000neg. Ph: 03 9591 0068. 155

Peugeot 405 Super Tourer. Fresh engine/gearbox (6 speed), fiP brakes. Mass slide injection, ready to race. $22,000.

Spares incl. Ph: 02 4628 8322 (AH). 15*

1S4

HQ Holden, former top NSW car now undergoing rebuild.

Good paint, assistance given to new owner, available erto June.

Race or make to hillclimb, club racer. Cheap to run. Ph: 0408 712 949 after 6pm.

15*

Leitch Super Seven, 1989. 1600xftow. Well sorted factory (NZ) built car. Full road equipment. $20,000 ovno. Spares and enclosed trailer available. Ph: 03 5781 1779. is*

Fomiula Vee, 91 model, ready to race, including Stan Bobjoy engine, never raced. Excellent condition, $5,200. Ph: 02 4362 7187,0416112932. 15.

lH&pO^O^SfJXDITO

4 June 1999

Sale/Lease: Mygale SJ95, complete inci spare wheels, sus pension, bodywork. Also fresh Lamer engine. Car avail for lease Slate/National events. POA. Ph: AlarvCameron Shearer 02 6922 5387,0408 481 653,0418 572 679. » Brabham 1964 BT16 F2. 998cc Cosworth SCA, Hewland

MitsiMshi Sigma Production ASCF or Board Sedarr. 2.6 Astron, 5 speed, has all the go-fast parts and feature wins.

Comes ready, springs, gearboxes, trailer 14x7. $5,000. Ph: 02

Lotus Cortina SPV racing clutch and special balanced steel flywheel, new ring gear. Cost $1,800 to set up, will sell complete

Ford F350, 76,351, man, air cond, hyd 16' tilt tray, PTO, 80001b hyd winch, LPG, heaps more included, $18,500ono, Ph: Rob 03

for $1,100ono. Ph: 03 5244 1339.

93364522. 154

6963 6367. «

Shocks - Spax coil over, adj. Six off, new units, suit Jag or Cobra replica, or similar. $160 ea neg. Ph: Ivor 03 9437 1239,

Isuxu 6 speed, 200+hp turbo, reg, long range tank, nose cone, sleeping area, lighting, shelves, belly lockers, 1800kg tail lift, 22ft

0419236233. iss

long. Too much to mention. $25,000. Ph: 03 5275 2567,

Mk7 6 speed. RA papers, Green/silver. Perfect, race ready con

Sigief Sedan: Pontiac Rrebird. Latest Wilwood steering rack, power steering, too much gear to mention. Four meetings old.

dition. $75,000. Ph: 00 11 649 412 8500, fax 00 11 649 412

$14,500. Ph: 02 4572 5949.

8512. 154

98 lowbar Gambler chassis. Panels, motor plates, master cylinder, brake lines, 2 shows old, $4,700. Winters rear end, Wilwood brakes, $2,700. 2 x Fueisafe tanks, ultralight

Class 9 Bazco buggy, 2.6 Mitsubishi, G50 5 speed Porsche gearbox, M4 MoTeC injection with controller, LIMP p/steering, Bilstein SUSP, Albins hubs. Race ready. $20,000ono. Ph: 02 4933 1549. 154

Bo win P6 Formula Ford. Reconditioned Hewland type gear box. Rest of car requires full restoration. Log book and some history. Be quick! $8,500. Car in Sydney. Ph: 0417 336 189. 154

154

bladder/baffle, $1,250ea. 2 x Afco double row alum radiators,

$350 ea. Ph: Marty 02 9829 8328,0411 393 898. im Super Sedan - VS Commodore. V66, complete ready to race, 6 cyl turbo, 550hp, Quickchange diff. Comes with spares. $16,000. Ph: 03 5626 6382. 154

LH Torana Super Street Sedan. Worked 202, 4 speed, new radiata, battery, paint, 4 new tyres etc. Very tidy car, reg and ready to race. $2,400ono. Ph: 07 4786 3979. 154 Super Sedan parts. Complete QC Mag diff, alloy tubes, GD axles, brakes, 1 season old. $4,000. QC Mag with alloy tubes, $2,000. Quickrack new $600. Alloy tubes s/h $200ea. Ph: 08

Speedway

94522808.

Standard Saloon LH & LX Sedan & hatchback, less

engines; 308 balanced & complete; M21 4 speed; 253 com plete; 3 speed V8 gearbox, 3 V8 radiators. Everything is "make an offer”. Ph: 03 5157 5695.

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. \A/ill separate. Ph: Paul 02 9829 7229 (AH) .55

narrower Racing offers: 1 x Std arm J&J roller, extensive spares; 1 x 30 degree J&J roller; 1 freshened Donovan 372; 1 x rev arm Maxim with freshened 360 F/l. Ph; )3 5446 1688. 155 Super Sedan, XR8 Falcon body, Wilwood brakes, Chevy 3 speed, quickchange diff, al radiator, new al seat. Currently reg istered, many spares, engine needs work. Must sell $6,000.

Fully enclosed trailer car/Super Sedan, $2,000. Ph: 07 5593 5588,0418710 120. 155 Parts: FBI 27 gallon tank, suit Sprintcar, with bladder; Duralite wheels, all sizes, offsets, left & right; Winters rear end suit Speedcar. Ph; Terry King 02 9681 3462. IS VB Commodore, roller with redline cage, new rack, spare body, 2 seats. Currently raced as Super Street Sedan. $1,500ono. Ph; 07 4786 1088 (BH). 156 Super Sedan, 98 Pontiac, iess engine/trans. Go racing at a realistic price. All quality gear, 2 meebngs oid. Franklin Q/C, alu minium radiator, new seat, spares, tyres/rims. Ph; 02 6238 2778 (AH), 015 265 048.

Drag Racing

*

*

X

JL

3 BBS 19" Snake Tongue touring car rims, centre lock nut style, with Michelin slicks. Worth $6,000, sell for $1,000ono. Ph; 02 66555715,0409125 965. m Brand new VW 2 iitre heads, 48x38 titanium stainless valves, Chev double springs. Suit motor with 105mm pistons and 105 barrels to suit. $1,000. Plus other VW performance goodies.

Ph; 02 6655 5715,0409 125 965. 155

9” Ford fuli floater, brand new, 31 spline axles, hubs, no cen tre. Suit Grp C, Nb, Sports Sedan or road car. $1,900. Ph: 07 5441 7700. 155

Chev small block: 5/8 Cola crank, just been reground, $1,500; alloy Childs & /Mbert 5.7 con rods, still in box, $700; altoy air flow Research heads, complete, still in boxes, flow 590hp, $3,200; Gaerte/Brodix dash II heads complete with match ported mani fold & Pacemaker exhausts, 630hp, $3,500 the ott. Ph; 07 3888

5934,04^7 789 053

. 155

Bond roll cage (6 pt) to suit Commodore to VL, $375; Walkinshaw VL Group A camshaft, as new, $85. Ph: Ken 02 9604 8088 (BH), 02 9622 0699 (AH). 155 Mini race parts off race-winning Club Car (ex Group N). Ph: Bob Page 07 5448 1266 (BH), 07 5474 9578 (AH). 155 VN Groigi A twin throttle bodies, camshaft, lifters, double valve springs, injectors, rocker covers, hoses, air box. Complete kit for conversion. $3,650ono.Ph: 03 9551 1684 (AH). 0413 420 953. ar

cost $575, sell for $300. Ph: 08 9881 2377.

HQ GTS Monaro Super Stock D/MP or F/Gas. Current tech inspection, four link, full cage 312ci Chev. Runs in the 10s @134mph. $26,000 or less engine & box $13,000. Ph; jim Rowley 02 9637 3435

154

Ford Escort 1600 fuel injection manifold with Bosch 50hp injectors, trumpets, unifilters. Haltech ECU moose no. F-7 to suit 4 cyl. 4 Ultralights wheel rims 13x8 to suit Escort Mkl or Mk2, $1600ono. Ph: Mark 02 9634 1299 (BH), 02 9686 8596 (AH), 0417475409. im

1 X Speedway engine rack, good cond. $500. Ph: 03 5275 2567. iM

Tyres: new & used, all priced to sell, slicks & wets, 13"-19", some sets, some singles. Various brands, sizes and com pounds. Fax 02 9817 5558 with requirements & details. 154 Porsche 911 Cool Cutter magnesium irm, as new, never used, 15x8". $600 ifrm. Ph: Peter 0418120 441,03 6248 7077 (AH). 154 Hewland Mk 9,5 speed. Inboard caliper mounts & CV output.

Includes Ford adaptor plate, $3,800. AIsp AP twin plate clutch & steel flywheel, suit 6 bolt Ford crank. Ph: 0417 336 189. 164

'

OOMES

El.

9027. 155

Edelbrock Victor Jnr intake manifdd to suit Windsor 351, new

-a

n fiC

Datsm A series option 1 gearbox, in excellent cond. Suit A12-A15 or Sports 1300. Great competition box. Ph: 07 3288

Toyota, Mitsubishi, $450. Also slicks, ail 13in, 8 to lOin wide, Avon & Dunlop, new to half worn. $50 ea. Ph: 0418 207 130. 1&4 Koni alloy coil-over double adj competition shocks. 3 meetings dd, 2x12” open 3.5 stroke, 2x10 open 2.5 stroke. Suit F5000, Sports Sedan, Sports car etc, $2,500. Ph: 07 5441 7700 (BH), 07 5448 5569 (AH). 154

.n

■4

.

1SS

Wheels: 2 x 13x8.5, 2 x 13x7, 2 x 13x5.5. All to lit Datsun,

ia

pmm

Transporters/Trailers .X.

Ex Super Sedan A9X. Very strong fresh 308. P/steer, alloy tank, Rayburn leaf rear end, Carrera coil-overs, 5th arm.

Adjustable brakes, drilled & ventialted rotors. New Mcrearys, heaps spares. Race ready. $9,500. Ph: 07 5449 0045,0408 730

Chev Elcamno, suit any class, weighs 2750lbs, 1200kgs. Lighter than nxEt small cars, still in show condition. Turn key $45,000 a

rolling $20,000. Will consider swap. Ph: 02 97112218. i5<

r

o; l-^l

m:

Super Sedan - Commodore, complete or roller. Q/change diff, coilover, lots of spares, fresh Chev 350, JE psitons. Manly rods, 4 bolt block, Brodix heads. Ph: Jason 08 8261 6672. 164

Kendrick Racing offers complete team for sale.

Transporter - International prime mover, 46ft trailer, set up for two cars. One new, two used Sprintcars complete or kit, plus all spares new and used. Wheels, wings etc - everything priced to sell. Plus, eight fully rebuilt race motors, all altoy, 700-r-hp, 580-

600fpt. Ph: 08 9242 1313 (BUS), 0417 916 886. 154 Sigier Sedan LH Hatchback, turbo 202, q/change, gear sets, alloy wheels, lots of spares, ready to go. Ph: 03 5473 3334. 154 Fontana Speedcar engine. As raced in SSS by Dave Lambert. Engine is fresh and ready to race. Comes complete inc magneto, injection & exhaust headers. Ph: Allen King 02 9601 7000 (BH), 02 4684 1340 (AH).

151

Speedcar - NSW20. Esslinger 166 CID, Alack (NZ) frame. Weld wheels (spindle fit). Winters rear, Carrera shocks, front running car, all best equip. $36,000 oar only, $41,000 car, trailer & spares. Ph: 0418 117 428 (BH), 02 9834 4298 (AH). 164 Stg>er Sedan - VS Commodore, 366d Mike Blacker engine, QC diff, 2 speed auto, trick krt, close 5 hubs. Spare rims, tyres S parts.

Tested only, urgent sale. $13,000. Ph; Col 07 54413789. im

Wanted Botg Warner cfff, 4 pinion centre, LSD (clutch pack) to suit LX Hatchback.3.08 ratio or close. Rus chassiskit to suit as well. Ph: 03 93301172. M

Looking for a *ive - new to Aust, 97, 98 Nissan M'sport South Africa Prodxtion car driver. Vast sprint & endurance experience. Ph: Steve 0414542 612. 156

Escort parts - twin side draught manifold to suit Escort 2 litre engine, alloy drop lank, anb-dive kit. Ri: Geoff 0417 369 996, or 03 9705 2791 (AH). 156 Motorspoct books: The Great Race - 1990 (No. 10), 1991 (No. 11), 1993 (No. 13). Other Bathurst memaabilia also considered.

Good prices paid, private collector. Ph: David 02 49681407 (AH), la.

Race mechanic, Fornxila Ford. Referably with open wheeF er experience to race engineer our second car (RF95 Van Diemen) at selected National and Slate race meetings. Fax resumeto 03 9899 2399, or Ph: MichaelRitter 03 9899 3183, 0418306313. is6

Brewer Racing is looking to lease a Suzuki Swill to race in the new millenium. Any teams available with a competitive vehicle looking for a driver who has ambitions, phone David 08 8255 4142. 156

Experience as a volunteer race car engineer/mechanic.

Currently employed as a Reject Engineer with a burning passion to work within the motorsport industry. /\ny formula, in Victoria, Melbourne. Ph: 03 9852 8910 (AH), 03 9460 6844 (BH). 156 Sports Sedan rolling chassis, short wheelbase, suit hillclimb. To take Chev. Monza or Gemini pref. Also, dual axle trailer.

Ph/fax; 02 6646 0158. 15b

Weber caifays, 2 off, model 45DCOE side draft. Right hand rod linkage preferred. Ph: Ken 02 9604 8088 (BH), 02 9622 0699 (AH), fax 02 9725 4759. 155 Expressiotrs of interest for the purchase of Australian Fuel Bladder Supplies Ply Ltd. Manufacturers of Custom & Controlled Fuel Cells and Fuel Systems. Ph: 0412 651 1368 (BH). 07 5530 2578 (AH). 156 Co-drfve for GTP Bathurst race by current Old F/Ford champion with budget. 25 years various race and rallying including previous F/FordBathurst.Ph: Peter0418 184 456. is6 BMW E21 John Player Special, racing pics.car specs, video footage, parts, any information at all about car. Ph: Laurence Gleeson 03 97021063. » 5208. 16.

Engines SSewsBrTiigh'peTaSSci, manifoidlTsumpnzsToTcom^ roller valve train, 4 bolt bottom end, 420-450hp. Can supply thicker head gaskets to make more streetable. Ph: 02 9604 8910,0417253324.

155 RoDer 202, Bath 9000 head. Billet YT rockers. Ceramic pistons, new 500 dm Holley, extractors, alloy valve cover, forged push rods, alloy flywheel, RPM clutch. $4,000. Ph: 07 47861088 (BH). 155 Kart engines: Ital System rotaries, one 4 meetings old, one run on dyno only. Original bore with pipes and engine mounts. $1,750 each. Various carbies. Ph: 014 911 156. 155

Engine Building Service. Have your Club Car, Targa, Hillclimb etc engines built professionally and honestly. Very rea sonable rates, 4 cyl and 6 cyl Jap, normally aspirated or turbo. Ph: Tony Leslie 02 4261 7009, email lesliec@fishintemet.com.au iss Chev 18 degree motor, Cola 9/16 ultra light, 3D 6” rods, Ross pistons, bowtie Weld Teck heads, complete from Zail sump to manifold. 4 Speedway meetings since rebuild. $17,500.Ph: 02 45725949. 151 Cosworth 1800 BDD. Fully recon head, big valves.

Complete incI dry sump & pump, 2 x 50mm Webers, racing car exhaust, flywheel. Stripped for inspection. $15,000. Ph: Peter Finlay 02 9873 1773, fax 02 9871 1018, e-mail peter@finlays.com.au 154 Chev 350, JE pistons, Manley rods, Brodix heads, roller cam, ARP studs, 4 bolt block, Victor Jnr roller lifters, revkit. All new

parts, approx 580hp. $16,000ono. Ph: Jason 08 8261 6672.

Sprintcar parts clearance: Sanders alum driveline, com plete current style front axle, diffs, radiators, bars, shocks, fuel tanks, wheels and high bar chassis. Ph: 08 8251 3096 (AH), 018 844 841. 151

International Crew Cab, seats 5 in comfort, power steering, reco Turtx) 4CX) auto. New brakes, universals and tyres on Sunraysia wheels, air shocks, dual fuel, radio. Very tidy, powerful and fast tow vehicle.curTenttySAreg.$8.700neg.Ph:0418394543. im

82/83 edition of The Great Race, by Bill Tuckey. Ph: 02 6922

704. 155

Modified Production - V8 Commodore, 202, 3 spd, 3.55 locked rear end, mags and spares, well built cage, looks good, ready to race. $2,500. Ph: 02 9584 3484. 155

49

154

Parts Toyota Celica GT4 1988 ST165 front half cut only, to repair dam aged car or suit conversion, all complete. 3SG-T engine, turbo, intercooler, 5sp, 4Vt/D, p/s, a/c. $2,000. Ph: 0412146 555. ar Brownfield 227 23 degree heads, brand new, complete with 2.08 - 1.65 valves, ex US professional race team, $4,700. Bowtie 18 degree Vt/ilson intake manifold, had 675 bhp, $550. Ph; 07 5441 7700. 156

Twin SU manifold to suit 1600CC Ford. 13"x7" alloy wheels, two required, any pattern, suit Escort. Ph: Steve 02 6766 5977. 151 Yokohama 008 tyres, 205x14 and 205x15. Ph: Derek 03 98891149. 15.

Alloy wheels, 15x7 suit front drive 4 stud 4.5" PCD. Only need 2 but consider full set. Ph: 07 3814 3762. im

Hewland gearbox, FT200, FG400 or similar, any cond. Ph: Transporter/camper; Converted 1982 Bedford bus, Perkins

041312 1717. 154

diesel, long range tanks etc. Lots of goodies. Ideal safe Classic

Rally car lor Classic Adelaide. Datsun 1600 or 240Z or Mk 1 Escort. Must be in good cond. Ph; Robin Lowe 03 5144 7582

Car transport or Around Aust. $50,000 - $63,000 depending on equipment level. Ph: 08 9647 1101. 155

(AH). 151

Other Videos - GP, Indy, tourers etc. Motorsport News & AA mags. All havetogo.Ph:Brendon0243920404. m Rally intercom "Terra Phone”, only used orce, $150. Ph: 0417 515927. »

Drive available for V8 Bathurst. Successful & experienced V8 Supercar team has a position for right driver with budget. No dreamers. Ph: 0298175558. i»

Ford FIDO XLT 1986, 460 V8, C6 auto, ideal towing vehicle,

dual fuel, tray liner, canopy, electric brakes, Hayman Reeses tow pack. $22,500. Ph: Gavjn 0419 474 140, 08 8725 6355 (BH). 155 Isuzu pantech: air cond, otng range tanks, tyre racks, bull bar, work bench, elec winch. Nothing to spend. $28,500. Ph: 02 94284188,0411359 990. 155

CoiTvnodore with fifth wheel trailer. Long wheelbase, dual fuel, auto, p/steer, a/c. Trailer 28ft long, 20ft floor space. 6'6" wide X 5'10" tall, tailgate, ramp, side doa, annex, electric brakes, cupboards, workbench. Economical, practical transporter, $27,500, Ph: 02 9715 1735 (AH). 02 9709 5884 (BH), 0418 403 744. 156

Trailer, fully enclosed, 6m otng. Brand new all over. Immaculate presentation. $7,500. Ph: Steve or Chad 02 9610 4444. 164

Driving suit, RPM triple layer, medium, white over black. Used once. Size 5 driving boots, pair small glcves, Aral helmet medium, carry bag. Over $1.500 worth $750 the lot. Ph: 03 9432 4994. 156 Autosport magazines, four complete years, 92-95. Too good tothrcwout.$120.Ph:0294174558. i»

My collection of Autosport magazines is for sale. Most issues from Jan 98 to present. Also. 15 issues Motorsport News all in great cond. Will separate - make an offer. Ph: Ashley 03 9789 2343 after 3pm or email crawf_@yahoo.com 154 Driving sial - RPM Mondial, medium. Boots, gloves, balaclava & socks.Brandnf?wcond.Usedonlyonce.$700.Fh:0298765443. iw RPM race surt, size large, single layer, exc cond, 1 season old. $140. Ph: 0882663214. im

Rare Adelaide FI, Gold Coast Indy posters and promo materi al too numerous to list Also some mid-70s FI posters. Ph: /Vithony 0754791049. im

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50

21 May 1999

MMotoi‘sp@rt Editorial

Dear Sir,

R Gales

I agree with Pierce Dorff (MN

Editor

#153). Cameron McLean seems to

Phil Branagan

get a lot of TV time. What about the other guys?

Technical Editor

via email <gargoyle@one.net.au>

H Making plans for NASCAR

Talk

I am a new fan to the V8s after

Tony Glynn Assistant Editor Gerald McDornan

Graphics Co-ordinator Viv Brumby

Advertising Advertising Manager Brendon Sheridan

Administration Managing Director Chris Lambden

attending the media day at Eastern Creek earher this year.

I have started following Rodney Forbes and look forward to seeing the

races

on

Channel

10

Dear Sir, With the introduction of the New

Millennium AUSCARs , I believe the time is right to get AUSCARs

on

Sundays. I try to see where and how Rod is placed, but all we seem to see are the big boys and Cameron McLean. Even in the pri vateers race you don’t get to see all the boys go around and since Rod is leading the championship, it would be nice to see him go ‘round the

Australia with the help of the Super Tourers.

With the AUSCARs now running with the Super Tourers at the AMP 1000 this vsdll be a good chance to

track for a while.

AMP 1000.

and NASCARs back on track in

showcase the new AUSCARs and to

get some crowd support back to the

Even on Trackside (May 23), who did we see for most of the race?

None other than Cameron McLean.

I know he led the race from start

Contacts 89 Orrong Crescent Caulfield North VIC 3161

(PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161) Phone: 03 9527 7744 Fax

thought about the lack of action for Ingall’s tap on Mark - or is it just racing when it happens to HRT.

Our McLeans are showing

03 9527 7766

Email: msnews@oxemall.com.au

CompuServe: iooz37,ii6s

to finish, only because four guys were late and had to start from pit

Up there, Cazaly: McLean has been getting too much coverage, writes Diane Rapiey. Here’s more, CamMac splitting the Pros... (Photo by Dirk Kiynsmitn)

lane, but still Rod and Steve Reed did come up through the pack to

the complain about officials’ deci

finish sixth and seventh. I think we

saw one quick glance just as they went around one corner.

How about Channel 10 show

Contributors General: Mike Kable. Jon Thomson,

Brian Reed, Grant Nicholas, Darryl Flack, David Flassall, Aaron Noonan,

FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring

more of the other guys instead of just the big boys who are lucky enough to have a lot of sponsorship and backing behind them. Give the privateers a bit more coverage.

US: Phil Morris

NZ: John Hawkins

Speedway: Brett Swanson, Dennis Newlyn, Sue Hobson, 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) Karts: Sean Henshelwood,

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,

Diane Rapiey

Skaife was right and the officials were not only wrong, but lied to cover up.

But instead, on the next edition of the show Channel 10 runs a PR

story telling us how hard a job the Excuse my scepticism, but it

Dubbo, NSW

looks (repeat: looks) like CAMS got at Skaife and Channel 10 to avoid

ED: It would be fair to say that,

the possibility of the charges

since McLean is the fastest

against it being proved true.

Privateer this season, he gets most of the coverage. And follow ing the leader all race is more than just a Ch 10 problem...

Skaife gets to head an enquiry into the judicial process and doesn’t face having his licence reviewed.

Dear Sir,

Mark Skaife gets penalised for jumping the start. He says he didn’t

and wants to see the video tape.

The officials say it’s been erased, so that’s it.

Then they start threatening dri

Mike Patrick (UK), Tony Loxley, Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent,

Barry Sheene says on Channel 10 that he’s got a copy of that suppos edly ‘erased’ tape that’ll prove

officials have.

Skaife, lies and videotape

Graeme Burns, Allan Roark, Frank Viola, John Morris

Gales warning

sions.

vers with reviews of their licences if

And Channel 10 silenced Sheene.

We don’t expect CAMS to be per fect. Being an official is hard and they will get it wrong sometimes, but the one thing worse than CAMS being incompetent is its own actions creating the impression that it is not only incompetent but also uses its commercial and coer

cive powers to cover it up.

Dear Sir,

The time is also right to start a new Touring Car series with all three classes at most rounds, each having separate sprint races (NASCARs may have fewer rounds).

Take the Touring Car series around Australia as AUSCAR and NASCAR in their current form

need to get out of Melbourne if they are to survive in Australia. Keep the Superspeedway program over the summer months, then change

I am dehghted to discover that there are people in Australia who have never had a bad day and then had to try and be pleasant to peo ple.

I wish I had a life like you and

the AUSCARs and NASCARs set

I’m sure Mark Skaife does as well. I

1000.

have to say that if a privateer had just crashed into me I would be a little bitter towards them. And it

isn’t as if Mark wasn’t having money problems just like them not too long ago. Of course it wasn’t the most pohtically sound thing to say,

but we’re all o^y human.

For my part Mark has always been the most approachable of the drivers, with maybe the exception of Peter Brock, and is always will ing to talk to the fans.

Anyway the privateers com plaints about saving their cars seemed to miss the fact that drivers

like Greg Murphy and Mark Noske looked after their cars on Saturday

ups to go circuit racing with the Super Tourers though out the win ter months leading up to the AMP With good marketing and TV cov erage (this is a great way for Channel Seven to prove that they are still good at covering motor sport), I think you would be looking at some veiy healthy grids and a lot of very happy fans coming out to support a good blend of technology and brute horse power.

PS:

To

Bob

Sunday even after the rule changes.

It would be interesting to know what our two happy friends

Ultimo NSW

Supercars.

Adam Simpson Fairy Meadow, NSW

Peter French

Cartoonist; Allan Schofield

_ f-

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AUSTRALIAN

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The 1g^9 Australian Safari will b§ tha §4th

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international

Cross ©buntfy Rall^ renowned ^ dne crfThe ^oalie^nio|oi^^

adventures in the world. CpnduQtod entirely ig the Norths from the authentic Outback of the Rod 4

Territory

tb the trogibal paradise of

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

Parwin. Overnight stops will be taken at Aljoe Springs (3 nights), Uluru (Ayers Rock Resort), Tennant Creek, Kalkaringi and Katherine en-route to Darwin.

Dimsions

● T1 Series Production Cross Country vehicles ● T2 Improved Cross Country vehicles ● T3 Prototype Cross Country vehicles ● T3A ‘Formula Four’ vehicles

w NmimALmmo ● Group A Improved Production 4WD Passenger vehicles & utilities ● Group B 2WD vehicles ● Group C Prototype 4WD (& more) vehicles

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W m MOTORCYCLES ● M1 Marathon Motorcycles ● M2 Production Motorcycles ● M3 Super Production Motorcycles

Advantage Inietnatiional Pty Ltd PO Box 3297 North Burntey Vic 3121 r^-

PhD3942796Si Fax 03 94291591 Email advanint@ozemait.com.au \

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m Advantage INTERNATIONAL

MOTORCYCLING

Advl62387.KLHS39

AUSTRALIA 5^;

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