Motorsport News Issue 168 - 16-29 December 2000 by V8 Sleuth

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17 December 1999

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18 lives for CAT? Richards -

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n Allan Moffat and Peter Brock will fece-off at the Australian Grand Prix, but you can be in on the action two. Two lucky Motorsport News readers will be able to have a ride with

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Attention Kmart shoppers; This is the new iook Greg Murphy and Steven Richards will take into the 2000 Shell Championship Series.

Gibson Motorsport sold

Dumbrell buys team*Kmart and Castro!sponsorship * 2+1 cars By GERALD McDORNAN

CELEBRATING his 40th year in motor racing next year. Bathurst-winning team owner Fred Gibson has surprised the indus try by announcing he has sold Gibson Motorsport, Gibson, 58, sold the busi ness of GMS to Melbourne business entrepreneur Gary Dumbrell, the man who has supplied Gibson with the Wynn’s funding over the past two seasons. Dumbrell took over the business last Monday, the sale having been finalised the Thursday prior. Gibson told Motorsport News that the sale of the

business, formed in 1985 when he was approached by Nissan Australia to take over its motor racing pro gramme, comes after Dumbrell broached the sub ject earlier in the year. “We’ve spoken on and off about the subject a number of times during the year and, after Bathurst we came to.-a deal,” he said. / “Everything’s for sale at the right price...” Gibson was frank about the point that he believed Dumbrell could take the operation to the ‘next level’an ability which he consid ered necessary. Dumbrell sees the move as one which secures his future in the booming V8 category.

“The V8 Supercar category is growing into a substantial business,” he said on Monday. “The opportunity to buy into GMS is a significant com mercial investment for us.” Dumbrell said the opera tion would remain the same as present. “Eveiything remains as is regarding staffing and race programmes”, the team fielding cars in V8s, Formula Ford, Formula Holden and GT Production again in 2000. / While Dumbrell has pur chased the business, Gibson retains the property in which the team is housed in the outer Melbourne suburb of Dandenong and he will

continue to work as a consul tant to the new operation. The company will retain the Gitsbn Motorsport name.

push through their stores. A surprise move has come, though, with the annoimcement that oil giant Castrol will also back the team, replacing rival Valvoline in a ALONG with the surprise deal which is also linked with a retail deal. sale of GMS by Fred Gibson comes the news^ While the Wynn’s brand ing isn’t to be seen on the that the team’s two lead Kmart cars, it is believed a cars will be backed by third car to be run out of Kmart next season. GMS in 2000, said to be for The retailing giant, who New Zealander Simon Wills, have been major associate will retain the Wynn’s team backers of the team for the colours. past two seasons, move to The team will also field naming rights sponsors - a another car for media identi move not unexpected with ty Sam Newman at the AGP recent speculation having race in March, the former the company wanting to cap footballer having his first italise on the V8 category’s taste of V8s at Calder Park growth with a marketing in Melbourne last week.

0@eliaii retires Injuries end brilliant career

MICK Doohan has announced his retirement from racing. The 34-year-old has not recovered from injuries received from a crash in' Spain in May, despite a extensive rehabilitation program. "I had hoped to continue racing, but unfortunately it's not possible," said Doohan this week. "Since the crash I've had three operations and I've done everything I can to get back to full fitness. Now I've got to accept that my body is not up to racing a 500 again." Doohan said he would remain involved in grand prix racing in 2000, and his new role was expected to be announced by Honda Racing Corporation in January.

As predicted in Motorsport News in August, it is expected to be managing a three bike Shell Advance Racing team, with two 500s for Valentino Rossi and Torhu Ukawa. Honda is expected to confirm the deal in January. Doohan retires after one of the most successful GP careers in history. He made 137 starts in the 500CC world championship between 1989 to this year. He won 54 grands prix, second only to Italian Giacomo Agostini who had 68 victories, and also had 95 top-three podium finishes and 58 pole positions. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 1996, and was Australian Male Athlete of the Year in 1995-96-97.

We’ll miss you, Mick: Doohan’s Phillip Island farewell was his career swansong,(photo courtesy AGP Corp)

Rumour of the week; there could be a second CAT Falcon at the late-series rounds of the Shell Championship Series next season. The whole thing is dependent on sponsorship, and the team is staying tight-lipped at the moment, but look for a second At- in some of the endures.

the two legends, as winners of a competition run by MN and the Australian GP Corporation. Full details next issue. n There have been reports on the world wide web that the Adelaide race had featured a date change, with December 3 being mooted for the blast around the churches. But that date has been confirmed for the Malaysian round,so pen in the New Year’s Eve December 31 date for Adelaide. n Sam Newman has been named the ‘Most Improved Driver’ in the 1999 Century Batteries GT Production Championship. The Holden Vectra driver took the nod, and is expected to make his V8 Supercar debut at the Albert Park GP support race. n Ford moves; Brett Bull has joined Dick Johnson Racing. The former Tony Longhurst Racing team manager made the move to the Brisbane-based team at the end of November. In other moves Peter Turk has left the team and has moved to Colourscan Racing. n And. while other teams are designing their liveries for the new season (see the Kmart car, left] DJR will be running the Steven Johnson and Paud Radisich cars in the familiar yellow and red look that the AUs ran this season.

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n And,speaking of Longhurst, still no confirmation of any potential move to Stone Brothers Racing. Word around the traps is that the deal is just about done, but there is some sponsorship details to be finalised. Expect an announcement eaidy in the new year. Elio, ello: Look for Steve Ellery in Supercheap purple in 2000 and beyond.

SuperSteve Ellery By AARON NOONAN

STEVE Ellery will lead Super Cheap Auto Racing’s 2000 assault on the Shell Championship Series in a one car effort. Super Cheap Bob Thom,'who drove an EL Falcon as a Privateer during 1999, said he was thrilled to have Elleiy as the team’s driver. “The time is right to strike out on our own and build a more competitive and notable V8 team,” Thorn said. Ellery’s own team, who will run the car, have a new AU Falcon under construction. “We’re building an AU at the moment. It’s probably 45 percent down the track at the moment. It should be finished in about four weeks,” said Ellery this week. The ex-Larkham EL Falcon which the Queenslander used to great effect in select ed races in 1999 will be repaired (from its Indy shunt) and used as a spare car before a

new car is built halfway through next year. As the team had competed at eight rounds, it is still retains its misleading status as Level 3 but will run as a Professional outfit. The Super Cheap team was run by John Briggs Motorsport from Queensland in 1999, and was joined by CAT Racing in the same premises when Briggs purchased that team from Kevin Otway mid-year. The Super Cheap franchise reportedly has been sold to an mystery buyer. Ellery qualified on pole and finished sec ond at the Indy support races in his own car, and led the FAI 1000 with Paul Radisich for Dick Johnson Racing before retiring late in the race. His 1999 form was perhaps the revelation of the series. Thorn meanwhile plans to concentrate on the GTP championship in a Dodge Viper which he will share with Mark Trenoweth and expects to drive in the V8 enduro races.

n John Faulkner Racing is building a second Commodore VT. The car is expected to be ready for the first SCS round at PI on February 12, but no announcement of a driver - or sponsors for Faulkner’s familiar #46 VT - is due for a while. n Long-time motorsport photographer Mike Harding has passed away. Harding, who was a founding member of the Motor Racing Photographers’ Association in the 1970s, died after a long illness. n ’Tis the season to be jolly, but we’ll be working through the Christmas/New Year, taking only a brief one-hour break for Chrissy dinner. Look for the next issue on December 27, with the usual end-of-season review and the now infamous Almanac, plus all the latest news and ^^ews. In the meantime, have a Happy and Safe Christmas.

17 December 1999

n The pick of the motor racing around the nation this weekend would have to be the WAE Sprintcar Nationals at Western

BAR-Honda unveiled, testing By JOE SAWARD THE first BAR-Honda 02 ran for the first time last week at Silverstone

Auto Raceway, Bacchus Marsh. Easly indications are that around 45 of the

and, to the relief of all concerned, the new car

country’s best Sprintcar drivers andrj;eams wjll fi'ont to battle for the $10,000 winner’s cheque. As they say, be there. n Kiwi Simon Wills’s form in the recent FHolden Tasman Series attracted the attention of three leading Indy Lights teams, all offering the New Zealander drives next season at greatly reduced costs. It seems Wills’s defeating of Indy Lights race winner and standout Scott Dixon in three out of four races in the series did the trick. Wills, though,is staying in Australia in 2000. H Two blue-ovaled, blue-liveried teams are expected to be carrying significantly bigger signage for existing sponsors in 2000. Expect to see Glenn Seton’s FTR team with bigger Mobil signage after the oil company recently committed to a new deal and expect to see bigger Ford logos on the Stone Brothers Racing AUs. B Jason Bai-gwanna, as we reported in our last issue, has resigned with the Rogers Valvoline Cummins Race Team. The Victorian will be in the red, white and blue for another three years. B Chris Smerdon has purchased the Perkins Engineering-built VT Coke Commodore which Wayne Gardner and David Brabham drove at Bathurst. The car has only run Indy and Bathurst and the South Australian took delivery just over a week ago. Hills Industries will adorn the flanks of the VT in all of the east coast sprint rounds, as well as Darwin, Adelaide, Canbeira and Bathurst. n Formerly of CAT Racing, MN understands Tim Leahey is in line for a fulltime drive next year in' Formula Holden with Kevin Murphy. n And you thought they were young. Todd Kelly’s 16-year-old brother Rick recently tested at Eastern Creek in one of Fastlane V

Racing’s RF94s- and by all reports was very quick. Will Davison, younger brother of Alex, is another to be breathing down the older siblings neck, running fifth in the recent final round of the Victorian State Series at Phillip Island.

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New beginnings; Jacques Villeneuve ran in the new BAR-Honda 02 for the first time last week.

completed 35 laps with out a problem. The test, w’hich took place in cool and blustery conditions, proved very lit tle but it gave the team a much-needed boost and there was a large group of Honda personnel present as Jacques Villeneuve completed the shakedown runs. The car is due to reap pear in testing this week in Jerez and there will then be a better indication of its level of competitive ness. Honda says that the

new RAOOOE VIO engine produces “in excess of 800 bhp” and if this is the case it will be on a par with the top engines in 1999. Among those watching the test was Takefumi Hosaka, the head of the Honda FI project, and Kazutoshi Nishizawa the technical director of Honda R&D. “It was nice to have

everything working per fectly,” said Jacques Villeneuve. We hear that plans for a large number of Japanese media to be present for the test were cancelled at the last minute as EAR did not want any coverage of the event - a notable change in policy from the usually publicity-crazed team.

Bright’s options one Lighter... would help Bright with his JASON Bright flew out of 2000 budget. Australia last Sunday for It is also likely that Bright another Indy Lights test. will talk to several other But it will not be with his teams at Firebird about his team of first choice, plans for next season. PaeWest Racing. This time, Regardless, a crew from the Bright will test for the 10 Network is expected to Dorricott Racing team, which follow Bright’s progress in won the 1999 Lights title the USA and the results with Oriol Servia. should make good viewing Bright was due to test on on Sports Tonight. Tuesday, on the same Phoenix, Arizona Firebird track as his test with PaeWest two weeks ago. Bright had been talking to PaeWest about a third seat, but the team has signed 1999’s star rookie. Kiwi Scott Dixon. While time ran out for the PaeWest deal, it may also be a blessing in disguise for Bright. No figures are available, but it is likely that a Dorricott seat would be more affordable than a PaeWest drive, which Still hopeful: Jason Bright.(Kiynsmuh)

Toyota puts its money down

THE Toyota Motor Corporation is taking no risks with its plans to enter the Formula 1 World Championship and has lodged the $48m deposit demanded by the FIA. The rules allow for anyone who has paid the deposit to enter the sport up to two years after the payment, which means that the company could begin racing in either 2001 or 2002. We hear that the company has given a commitnient to be ready in 2001 and while this, may seem rather a rapid pro gramme it should be remembered that Team Toyota Europe hired Ligier technical director Andre de Cortanze at the start of 1997. Evidence in early ’98 proved the company was looking at engine options and later that year TTE was also hiring compos ite men and aerodynamicists. How advanced TTE are is anyone’s guess, but it is possible the company has engines ranning in secret at it’s headquar ters in Marsdorf, Germany and that a c’ar might be ready to test by summer. If Toyota appears in 2001 they will receive repayments (and interest) from the FIA. If they fail to appear they will have to write off 25% of the deposit... Toyota may just have decided that it is better spending $12m to secure an entry in 2002.

A dealfor AlexP

German Haze: When the heat haze settles, will Zanardi be in the US and Manning at W'illiams?

Nunn’s factory Benz CART team announced

By JOE SAWARD AN opportunity to race in the US has opened up for Williams driver Alex Zanardi, at the same time while our sources insist that Williams is negotiat ing with the Itahan to end his contract, despite list ing him on the FIA FI entry list last week. At the same time last week, respected engineer Mo Nunn announced the forma tion of Mo Nunn Racing, pro viding the two with the per fect opportunity... The 61-year-old Floridabased Englishman, who used to run the Ensign FI team in the ”70s and early ’80s, left Chip Ganassi’s CART opera tion at the end of this season and has gone into partner ship with PaeWest Racing boss Bruce McCaw and pub lic relations guru Rod Campbell to form a new team which will run factory Mercedes-Benz-engined Reynards. The team had been hoping to secure Helio Castro-Neves services but, following Greg Moore’s death, the Brazilian was signed by Roger Penske.

Zanardi and Nunn worked together for three seasons at Ganassi, winning two championships (1997/98) and the rookie of the year title in ’96. The only problem is that Zanardi may not want to

retm-n the US, leaving at the end of last year with the primary motivation of bringing his new child up in Europe, His wife Daniella was also not happy about Alex racing on the high-speed ovals...

The perfect opportunity for Darren Manning?

F3 star to test Williams this week WILLIAMS FJ is due to test Darren Manning this week in Jerez de la Frontera and,although the word is that Manning may only be in line for a test drive, we believe that if the test goes well the 24-yearold could be a candi date to replace Zanardi next year., Manning, who has tested for McLaren spent two years in Fonnula Vauxhall before graduating to F3 in 1996. He enjoyed some initial success but money was short and at

the end of’98 he went to Japan. This year has contest ed the Japanese Formula 3 and GT Championships with TOM’S Toyota, winning the F3 title with six wins in 10 races. He also won the Macau and Korean GPs. Also in the running for the Williams seat is Brsizilian Bruno Junqueira, who drives for the Petrobras Junior Team in Fonnula 3000. If Junqueira is promoted into FI we would expect to see Manning take his di-ive in F3000. -JOE SAWARD

17 December 1999

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Webber poised for Arrows test bertb

Jordan. In the end, the financial demands of this

Exclusive report by CHRIS LAMBDEN

y in Barcelona MARK Webber has staked his claim for a full-time FI test berth in 2000 after being rushed in at short notice to test with the Arrows Grand Prix team in Barcelona last week. The test followed rapidly on the heels of the announce ment of a collaborative arrangement between Tom Walkinshaw’s Arrows FI team and the European Motorsport F3000 team (owned by expat Australian aero industry millionaire Paul Stoddart) which Webber will lead next year, resulting in the renaming of the European team as the Aitows Junior Team. Webber joined Arrows reg ular Pedro De la Rosa for the four day test, undertaking crucial electronic systems testing for the team, the results of which will provide a vital element of the team’s all-new 2000 car, built to utilise Supertec (Renault) engines rather than the inhouse TWR engines used this past season. With on-track mileage kept to a number of two or three laps bursts betw'een extensive data analysis ses sions, Webber nevertheless managed to adapt to FI suf ficiently rapidly over the first

Virgin territory: Mark Webber’s first taste of FI has him wanting more. (Photo by sutton-images) ment of Webber’s contribu able^to overcome the gearbox tion and on Sunday evening electronics problem and give him more miles, but I were recommending to Walkinshaw (who wasn’t couldn’t let the car go out with any risk of failure. It present at the test) that he be re-called for this week’s was a safety issue. “However, we’ve now got three-day (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) follow-up two days to fix the problem test at the same Circuit de and we’ll be back next week.” Catalunya venue. And they are expected to “Mark did everything we run Webber again, with the asked of him,” Nielsen told call coming on Monday for Motorsport News.“It was vital the Aussie to do another for us to complete the electron three days starting yesterday ics wotk and as such there (Wednesday). Webber’s Arrows opportu was no pressm-e on Mark to go nity comes at the expense of super-fast at this stage. “It’s a shame we were not a mooted similar deal at

two days to match his experi enced colleague in full-fuel load, used rubber trim. Frustratingly for Webber, a persistent glitch in re-progi-amming his car’s comput er-controlled gearbox and clutch system kept his car in the garage for the finahtwo days of the test, nullifying any potential opportunity to go for a representative light fuel, fresh mbber time. However, newly appointed Arrows team manager Steve Nielsen and engineer Chris Dyer (ex HRT) were both very positive in their assess-

year’s number three con structor (said to be US$3 million for the full-time test driving berth) put the oppor tunity out of reach. It is understood that Czech F3000 runner Thomas Enge, with US$3 million of Pilsner money in his kit, will get the Jordan test driver role.. In putting together the relationship with Arrows, Stoddart has in fact with drawn European Airlines from a sponsorship relation ship with Jordan and believes the Arrows deal rep resents the best opportunity for Webber: “The money is still signifi cant (reputedly some US$1.5 million) but I think that Arrows will be a team on the way up in 2000 after the ter rible 1999 they’ve had with the old car and an engine that falls short. “There’s a lot to gain there, whereas I believe Jordan, while they are clearly a top five team, may have peaked in 1999...” The pressure is now on Webber’s Australian represen tatives to find the corporate backing to seal the test drive berth with Arrows for 2000. Our extensive and exclu sive on-the-spot coverage of Mark Webber’s FI debut begins on page 14. Editorial - page 8.

Brabham eyes Indy 500 David begins discussions with Treadway Racing By GARY WATKINS SPORTSCAR star David

(Photo courtesy Q|.eyjqn Publishing^

Mmpmood .ONE OE Australia’s least heralded yet most i respeeted Champions, Peter Hopwood died at his Sydney home on December 6. A vic tim of an'insidiomscancerj Peter had battled for life for about seven years, providing ^ mspiration for those who knew. l Peter was Australian Sports Caj- Champion in 1983 in Steve Webb’s Kaditcha and came within

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a whisker of being Australian Drivei-’s Champion ^ in the Ralt in 1986. During the same period he wowed the Appendix J fans with his lumbering Chev Impala. He had come into racing from yachting, where he was in demand for Sydney-Hobart events, his first car being an Austin Healey. He quickly pro gressed via a Lotus Elan and a Capri V6 to be seen as an aggi’essive competitor with a smile and kind word, well liked by all who knew him. The Amaroo tragedy when his Ralt flew into the crowd was effectively the end of his serious racing. HQ Holdens and Historic ears have been his main interest since that time The final fling at Bathurst in the Healey last year showed his courage. Despite disabilities brought about by his dis ease, lie showed in both the preparation of the car and that game final lap burst that he was still a driver to reckon with. To his wife Carol and son Kim we offer our condolences. -RAY BELL

Brabham is aiming to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother by contesting the Indy 500 next season. The Panoz driver is already talking to the crack Treadway Racing team about a one-off appearance in the centrepiece of the Indy Racing League next May. Brabham, 34, said: “It’s some thing I’ve wanted to do since watching my brother, Geoff, i-ace in CART in the ’80s. It would be a fantastic opportunity, and I think I could do a good job.” His father, three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jack, was the first driver to race a rear-engined car at the Brickyard when he finished ninth in a Cooper in 1961. Brabham said his drive with the Panoz mai-que, whose boss Don Panoz, owns IRL construc tor G-Force, would not guaran tee him a seat at Indy. He admitted, however, that negoti ations with Treadway, one of the leading users of the British chassis, were going well. Panoz is expected to re-sign its leading driver over the past three seasons for next year’s American Le Mans Series. A deal should be ihked before Christmas, although Brabham confirmed that he has been approached by BMW. “I feel I’d like to continue with Panoz next season,” he said. Brabham has lost the team mate with whom he came with-

in an ace of winning the ALMS this year. Frenchman Eric Bernard has left Panoz after three seasons to join DAMS full time. That means he will race one of Cadillac’s Northstar LMP prototypes for the French squad, which has been announced as

the US marque’s European development team. Brabham said: “Eric has done a fantastic job and is a very underrated driver. You can’t blame him for accepting a threeyear deal with a big manufacturer like Cadillac.”

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Like father... ALMS Panoz driver David Brabham wants to run next year’s Indy 500, following in his father’s footsteps. (Sutton)

Panoz arrives in Oz AMERICAN billionaire businessman Don Panoz . has arrived in Australia to finalise details for his American Le Mans Series event in Adelaide on New Years Eve 2000. Panoz was to meet with South Australian Premier, Mr John Olsen and SA Tourism Minister Joan Hall prior to formally announcing Adelaide’s ‘Race of 1000 years’. The six-hour race will over the former Grand Prix circuit, a 3.8 km course that

runs through the city and Victoria Park. Panoz has formed Motorsport Australia Pty Ltd to look after the race, appointing Dean Rainsford as Managing Director. Panoz’s discussions with the government will include the staging of next year’s race, along with options to continue following that. He will also meet with potential sponsors and participants during his stay. - GERALD McDORNAN

n Two Aussies may be teaming up for a crack at next year’s British GT Championship. Charlie Cox and Neil Cunningham are looking at the series, both expats considering the latest GT2 version of Dodge’s VIO Viper. Look for confirmation in the coming months. n Jeff Simmons has taken the second Indy Lights seat with Team Green.'The 23-year-old tested with Team KOOL Green last week and will line up alongside 1999 Rookie of the Year Jonny Kane. His brother Chris will be his race engineer, after the two had worked together in the Barber Dodge series. n With March apparently being outmanovered by Toyota for the 12th and valauble last FI‘franchise’, the company looks set to turn its attentions to an IRL programme. A March team is expected to be present for the third IRL race of.the 2000 season at Las Vegas over Easter with the famed marque making its j return to the Indy 500 just 30 days later. It is unclqar whether they will construct their own chassis, which have to be made available to any other interested teams at a set price, or whether they will purchase cars trom exisiting manufacturers. n Cody Crocker will campaign a new Group N Subaru Impreza WRX in the 2000 Australian Rally Championship. The Victorian, who has won the last two production class championships, wiU drive an ex-STi road car from Japan which is currently being prepared by Possum j Bourne Motor Sport in New Zealand. n Jos Verstappen is n favourite to get the vacant seat at Arrows in 2000, although negotiations are in limbo until Williams names a replacement for the dumped Alex Zanardi. Verstappen’s most recent role was with the still born'Honda team, coincidentally wdth recently appointed Arrows team manager Steve Nielsen. 1999 driver Tora Takagi and Tom Coronel are the other two contenders for the team. ■ McLaren, Jordan, Frost, Sauber, Arrows and Williams were all imnning last week in Barcelona. Da%dd Coulthard was fastest from Jordan’s Jamo TruUi on all three days. Points of interest included Thomas Enge driving a Jordan on two of the three days, Mark Webber in the Arrows and Jorg Muller in the Williams-BMW.

U December 1999

n Other teams present for the Barcelona test last week were McLaren (Coulthard/Panis), Sauber (Diniz), Frost(Alesi/ Heidfeld), Jordan (Trulli/ Enge)and Williams (Schumacher/Muller). Huge interest was creat ed by an apparently allnew lyiercedes engine being tested by recent test driver signing Olivier Fanis. A new 10 into 1 exhaust system plays its part in creating a stun ning new high-pitched whine unique to the new vmit, which reportedly revs at almost 20,000rpm... n Fit straight speeds suggest that BMW,how ever, could be in for a tough first year back in FI. The Williams-BMW was some lOkph slower than the McLaren/Jordan/Frost pace-setters, around the same as Arrows - which of course is about to replace its in-house engines with Supertec(Renault) units in its all-new car for 2000. Ralf Schumacher, howev er, has come out strongly in support of the new BMW engine which, he says, is already as good as the customer Supertec which Williams ran in 1999. n Germany’s mail ser vice Deutsche Fost AG is to become a sponsor of the Jordan Formula 1 team with its Focus brand. The cars will feature the horn logo of Deutsche Fost as part of the deal which is rumoured to be worth as much as $10m a year. n Movement in the automotive industry con tinues to cast shadows over Formula 1. Williams’s new partner BMW is under pressure because its owners - the Quandt Family- are unhappy about the losses at the Rover subsidiary in

Britain. The British gov

ernment wants to avoid

job losses and agreed last summer to support BMW with a grant of$243m of British taxpayers’ money. The European Union will announce this week that this grant is to be for mally investigated because of worries that it contravenes rules on state aid to industry... n Minardi’s new owner Telefonica’s interest in the South American markets will be highlighted at Jerez this week as the team runs tests for a group of young drivers. The first three (Giorgio Vinella, Fernando Alonso and Feter Sundberg) will be joined by Argentina’s Norberto Fontana and Brazil’s Max Wilson. The value of Telefonica’s shares continue to sky rocket with a 76% rise in the past seven weeks.

Seats filling for German series DRIVERS are starting to take their seats for the revived DTM

V8 touring car series next season Former Grand Frix drivers Bernd Schneider Fedro Lamy will race Mercedes-Benz CLKs in the champi onship. Former FIA GT champion Schneider is a confirmed starter for Mercedes-Benz in Germany’s new DTM2000 Touring Car series, for powerful, V8 engined, rear-drive ‘sil houette’ racecars. The German is a long-time Benz steerer, partnering Mark Webber in the company’s ill-fated Le Mans . effort this season. The Fortuguese is on the verge of extending the contract he signed to become part of the Three-Fointed Star’s Le Mans 24 Hours squad this year. Lamy, 27, said: “I’m sure I’ll end up doing a deal for next year. It’s not 100 percent yet, but I should be there. “I’m very excited about the oppor tunity. The DTM should be good Company car: Mercedes’ new DTM 2000 CLK will have some serious driving talent for 2000.(Photo by sution-images) championship.” Lamy has links with Mercedes and the factory AMG team that date back the best part of a decade. He first sampled one of the marque’s 190E DTM racers in 1991 and was given a try-out in a C-Class tin-top as part of his comeback from injuries sustained in FoiTnula 1 testing. By PHIL BRANAGAN Olivier Fanis, recently recruited as its Fonnula 1 test driver by McLaren FORMULA Ford may be moving International, is another intended to a one-make chassis formula in team member, and there are also time for the 2002 season. hints of a new Mercedes Junior Several competitors have contacted squad. Motorsport News during the week, The only other confirmed manufac expressing concern that their cmrent turer is Opel, which is to field its free-chassis, 1600cc Kent-engined Astra, whose drivers are likely to cars were about to become obsolete. include Manuel Reuter and Uwe But Ford Racing Manager,Howard Alzen. Marsden, was unable to either con The new series, to be administered firm or deny the possibility on ' by the ITR, is scheduled to start in Tuesday. May 2000, but will not become a full “I have contacted CAMS and asked championship until 2001. them to issue a note regarding the - GARY WATKINS/ future ofFonnula Ford,” he said. QUENTIN SPURRING ‘We intend to make a change. If the Formula Ford Association wants Ford Motor Company to continue to have investment in the categoiy, they have to make changes.” All change? Is this the end of spaceframe, Kents and wingless FFs? Speculation is high that the series had one order for a new (Spectrum) announce a major change for the cat will move to a single, monocoquecar, whereas I have had six or seven egory, they will have to act soon. The chassis formula, powered by a cur class is subject to a two-year stability in previous years. Whether the specu rent generation, multi-valve Ford lation that is around is responsible rule, meaning that the technical production engine.'The aim would be for that, or not,I don’t know.” specs for any new cars would have to to reduce costs and increase safety for be announced within two weeks. the drivers. IN the meantime. Ford Racing It is also likely that Ford would et “Safety is a prime considertion for has annormced a single make source cars, or perhaps components the category and one ofthe concerns I kart series named the Ford for cars, locally: have for Formula Ford is the safety “Tn Austraha,for Australia’is one issue,” Marsden said. Rotax Challenge. of our philosophies,” Mai'sden said. “(Economical motorsport)is the It will be operated in conjunction 'That would appear to indicate that objective in mind. At the moment dri with Drew Frice Engineering and is vers- and Marcos Ambrose in the the Australian extension of the local manufacturers, notably Borland Racing Developments, which make UK is a prime example - have to internationally respected Rotax Formula. Spectnun FFs in Melbourne, could be make the right choice ofchassis, oth involved. erwise they are uncompetitive. Our ’The Challenge will utihse a sealed Mike Borland was tight-lipped new karting initiative, with a single Rotax engine, Bridgestone control MERCEDES has denied that when contacted this week: chassis, single engine and single tyre tyres and a Drew Frice Engineeringfive-time World Motorcycle “I wouldn’t be in the position to -is a good example. The objective is prepared control chassis with one Champion Mick Doohan to find talented drivers, not the ones talk about what may or may not hap driver to be selected to take part in a could switch to four wheels pen,” he said. with the richest parents.” development program for Formula and join its DTM tin-top If Ford and the FFA was to Ford. “What I can say is that I have only squad for next season. The German press claimed that newly-retired SOOcc star Doohan, who is still recuperat ing from injuries sustained earli er this year, had started talks The dispute concerns a known, but Nation estimat- dispute, and it boils down PEP Boys will not be with Merc sports boss Norbert non-payment of contractual ed it to be “several million Haug, to the fact that they owe us back as the title sponsor dollars. money and won’t pay,” Haug, however, was quick to of the Indy Racing' obligations concerning the Nation said. title sponsorship signed by Pep Boys signed a fivedismiss the speculation. League next year. year contract wdth the IRL “We have a contract dis- Pep Boys according to IRL “Mick and I have built up a “Clearly that’s why we’re friendly relationship,” he said. vice-president of corporate on January of 1998, but it in court. Certainly they pute with Pep Boys that we Fred “He visited my office two weeks have been unable to resolve communications appears that the contract have breached their con Nation. will not be taken to comple tract by not paying. We ago, but he is not intending to despite discussion,” said tion. filed for what we believe The exact figure owed drive for us.” Paul Kelly, communica- GARY WATKINS was not immediately This is a contractual they owe us.' tions manager of the IRL.

All change for Formula Ford?

Single monocoque chassis and twin cams for 2002?

... but no CLK for Doohan We’re just really good friends” says Norbert Haug

Indy Racing League loses its Pep

17 December 1999

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Mookhey and Eddie A LITTLE nookhey with Yukta? The star of the show at this week's Autosport Awards - held by the British weekiy magazine at a swanky London hotel -was Eddid Irvine. The former Ferrari Formula 1 driver, who had been a judge in the tele vised 'Miss World' compe tition the previous evening, was interviewed on stage after receiving one of the reader awards. TV presenter Steve Rider asked, "Well, Eddie, 'Miss World' looked like fun last night!" So Eddie looks back across at his table and replies, "And I'm hoping she'll be even more fun tonight..." Whereupon he returns to the side of the new Miss World, 20-year-old Yukta Mookhey,from Bombay, and the couple soon depart to an unknown destination... - QUENTIM SPURRING

Wl©

which is expected to be the most advanced such facility in the world completed in the summer so that aerodynamic development for the 2001 McLaren-Mercedes MP416 can be done at the new $230m Paragon Technology Centre near n Woking. Work on the facility is advancing although most of building is hidden from view - two of the

t;.

three storeys are underground and the top floor will be screened by careful landscaping. The windtunnel is the first

n -caa Snow business like show business: Rubens Barrichello gets down and chilly at a cold Fiorano test track.(Photo by sutton-images) A few days later he high-profile and tradiRUBENS Banichello champion said about Williams in ’87. returned to run a prop Meanwhile, Ferrari tional introduction to Ferrari’s new signing. has no chance of win “Are they joking? number one Michael Ferrari at Maranello er session in better con ning the 2000 World ditions and - wait for it Let’s be sincere. Schumacher confirmed last week. Ch ampionship, Running on a track - broke the lap record). Ferrari are ver/good, that he did not expect That makes the according to Nelson but Barrichello has no to face a strong thi-eat which had been sjwept chance because he from Barrichello next because of snow, Brazilian about the Piquet. “Certain people have knows nothing about season, but added, “I Barrichello completed 33rd consecutive new asked me if Barrichello being in a top team.” think he wdl be a good six laps in front of the Ferrari driver to bust can challenge for the panting Italian media the mark first time out Piquet won two titles team player and win World Championship,” for Brabham in 1981 two or three races.” before facing the ques- at the traditional test the three-time world track... Barrichello had a tions. and ’83 and a third for

§#c©itd By JOE SAWARD THE sale of Minardi, for a ru.Tioured . US$50m ($7 7m), has yet to be offi cially confirmed by the new owner Telefonica. We hear that the company, which had been dithering for several months, had to move quickly to avoid the Italian team being bought by a sec ond bidder. There has been some specu lation as to who this may have been but there are a variety of different possibilities. Robin Flerd and Mike Earle’s plans to revive the March name is one possibili ty but we understand that there is still no major back ing for the project. Herd has been trying to raise money on the OTC share market in the USA having acquired a publicly-traded shell company called NEC Ih'operties. David Richards of Prodrive has raised around US$50m with his recent sale of equity in Prodrive but it is hard to^ see why he would chose to' buy Minardi, which has little to offer except the entry, as all the engineering side of the business would have to reconstituted in Britain and that would be expensive. Fritz Kaiser also has access to money after the sale of 24.5% of his shares in , Sauber but he does not seem to have been involved and there are signs that his Fritz Kaiser Group has some arrangement to continue working to market the Sauber team and is involved in the organisation of the 2000 Sauber launch in February.

n McLaren intends to have its new windtunnel -

Barrichello breaks record

BTCC return for Alfa Romeo?

Four hundred and sixty eight: Three Alfa 156s in Italy. (Photo by sunon-images)

Hoitda gets Special K

TOM Kristensen has taken himself out of the running for the second Williams seat by signing with the Honda BTCC team. The Dane will pai*tner long-time Honda man James Thompson in the 2000 champi onship. Kristensen has extensive experience

with Super Touring cars, mnning Accords in the German STW series for the last two seasons. Kristensen has also raced this season with the BMW factory sportscar team, and run in the All-Japan GT championship. He and Thompson are expected to start testing the Fosstech (UK)-built cai-s soon. SuHon-lmages

aft

‘fV

cut _

The Dane man: Kristensen (L) and Thompson,

AFTER a four year absence, Alfa Romeo may return to the British Touring Car Championship. Speculation in Europe suggests that a merg er between the Italian and German tin-top series may not happen in the face of opposition from the new DTM 2000 series, which will be supported by Mercedes and General Motors. It has just been confirmed that the series has TV rights, which could leave the merged Italian/Geiman Super Touring series with lit tle media coverage and no television. If that comes to fruition, it is believed Alfa could be among the first to re-enter the BTCC, which has a solid TV package in England through the BBC and a good deal in Europe. The Italian manufacturer quit the British series in 1995 after a bad season, but it domi nated the year before, winning the crown with ex-Fl man Gabriele Tarquini. A spokesman for TOCA, BTCC’s category manager body, said, “We would welcome any manufacturers with front-wheel drive cars. “And we would negotiate with any rearwheel-drive manufacturers, too.”

Benz's 20,000 rpm engine New ‘screamer^ no cam engine? MERCEDES-BENZ may be working on a new and revolution ary new Fonnula One engine. Speculation is high that a new Ilmor-developed VIO engine may fea ture electronic valve actuation and do away with camshafts altogether. What is known is that huge inter est was created by an'apparently allnew Mercedes engine being tested at Barcelona last week by McLaren test driver Olivier Panis. One thing that is certain is that the new unit features a new 10-into1 exhaust system, which produces a unique high-pitched whine. The engine reportedly revs at almost 20,000rpm... But FI insiders say that the man ufacturer is also working on sole noid-operated valves which, by themselves, would allow the engine to produce much more than the cur rent benchmark of around 800hp

which the Mercedes and, reportedly, the new Honda powerplants produce. If such an engine was built, it would be much smaller and lighter than current systems, aiding packag ing in modern FI cars. It could also allow valve timing changes to be made ‘on the run’ in a way similar to cmrent ignition mapping changes to engine management systems. An electronically controlled valve system could allow engine character istics to be changed not just from race to race but from corner to cor ner, allowing a engine to produce maximum horsepower high up in the rev range and driveability out of slower comers. While such a system does seem a little far-fetched, there is no doubt that several engine manufacturers are looking at ways of getting more and more horsepower that the cur rent 3-litre units produce.

building to have been completed and features twin walls and rubber mountings to avoid noise and vibration. n Prodrive boss David Richards was in the US last week amid speculation that he may be trying to do a deal for global motorsport activities with GM. Richards is believed to i

be trying to convince GM that it should let him run

any Formula 1, sportscar and touring car operations. n Benetton Formula is to lose its m^keting director David Warren. Warren is joining Paddy | McNally’s Geneva-based I AUspmrt Management which oversees all ofFI’s trackside signage and VIP hospitality activities. The former Olympic middle-distance runner will be replaced at Benetton by Brian Sims, who was a professional racing driver before ●' becoming involved in track management and then Lola - being involved in the abortive Chesterfield Lola-Ferrari team in 1993. ■ Another FI hopeful looks to be heading to the US having failed to secure a drive in Grand Prix racing. Laurent Redon, who has been test driver for Benetton in recent months, is aiming to land a drive in CART and has considerable financial backing from the familyowned “Z” and “Kickers” companies. Redon is due to test a Della Penna Racing Reynard-Toyota at Sebring this week. ■ Our spies in Italy tell us that Minardi technical director Gustav Brunner may be leaving the team at the end of the year and could be replaced by chief designer George Ryton. There have been suggestions that Brunner owns (or owned) shares in the company and may now retire after the sale of the team. Rumours also confirm that Minardi will use old. 1998 model Ford engines next year.

L&ki)0®[?8rp(DO^O

17 December 1999

Motorsport

I with Phil

USTRALIA’S newest Formula One driver, Mark Webber,... Gee, that sounds good, let me write it again; Australia’s newest Formula One driver, Mark Webber... Yep,feels good second time around, too. Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the last week, and unless someone tore the cover off this copy of Motorsport News, you will know by now that Mark Webber complet ed his first F1 test with Arrows at Barcelona last week and, if what people are saying is correct, he will be continuing with the team in Spain as MN goes on sale. It’s a good news story and, of course, we are run ning large with it in this issue. Chris Lambden was the only Aussie journo there to cover the test and, literal ly, learned all the ins and outs and whys and where fores of the test. His full report starts on page 14. Lap times? Not great, compared with the McLarens and Jordans, but that’s not the point. Webber was there to do develop ment work with Arrows and followed instructions to the letter. He did his job; the team are very, very pleased with him. Sometime soon, maybe, they will take fuel out of the car, introduce Mark to new tyres and ask him to have a red hot go. That Webber has got into an FI car at all is sig nificant; no, it’s more than that. That Webber has got into an FI car and Italians, Brazilians and Frenchmen - who have had God-knows how much more spent on their careers than he has -

is a bloody miracle. It just does not happen like that these days. Money talks; nice guys walk. Such is life in F1 in 1999/2000. There is credit due for his career so far; for Yellow Pages(who are not the biggest sponsor in the sport, but may be the best); Qantas; TAG-Heuer and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation. Apologies if I’ve left anyone out. This test proves one thing; Australia CAN have a GP driver in the near future. Webber is good enough and now the teams all know that. The steps that have taken Webber this far have been well-planned and expertly executed, but now he needs more. To get a testing role, then a race ride, Webber needs money. And he needs it NOW. Opportunity is knocking. The Australian corporate mentality that has prevailed up until now - to ignore our international racers until they make it to the top rung of the sport, THEN throw money at them - is not good enough. It will not work for Webber, or Marcos Ambrose, or David Besnard, or Jason Bright. Webber has done his job. His management and, supporters have done / theirs. He has completed his apprenticeship, with Honours. To corporate Australia; don’t complain about the Olympic ticketing fiasco. Or the ‘sponsorship soak’ of the 2000 Games. Homebush will be great, but what happens afterwards? Or the fact that Greg Norman doesn’t play in

Australia much any more. Or that Mick Doohan has retired. And don’t- DO NOT let your corporate guests sit back at Albert Park in March and complain about not having an Australian driver on the grid. We can have one. it takes commit ment. Webber has shown that he has the commitment to make the top of the sport. Now, he needs a similar commitment from the dollar men. And, if you want to play the game and need help with the rules, call for help. The AGP Corporation can explain them to you. So can Yellow Pages. So can we. Webber in a GP race? We’d like to see that. We NEED to see that.

etting coverage of Webber’s FI test has been a major undertaking for Motorsport News. With almost no notice, Lambden walked out the door and headed to Barcelona. Just like that. It was a coup. But it didn’t happen ‘just like that’. Many thanks are due; to Webber, his manag er Ann Neal and his sup porters. To Arrows. To Paul Stoddart and European Racing. To our mates at Lauda Air (and no, we didn’t cop a free airfare). To Sutton-images, who burned the midnight oil for our pic tures. And to everyone at MN for working above and beyond the call of duty for covering Lambden’s absence. Is it worth it? Absolutely. What else were we going to do? Celebrate Christmas?

Tyrrell in the courts THE Tyrrell Formula 1 team may have disappeared a year ago but business related to the operation is still being Mate, have 1 got us a deal: Keke Rosberg tells fellow world settled. champ Jody Schec.kter about a little deal in Oz... (Sutton-images) Last week Oxford Crown Court in England heard that Lebanese businessman Sulaiman Al-Kehaimi allegedly obtained $60,000 by falsely representing himself as a wealthy Arab sheikh with contacts in NO drivers have been McLarens, which domi the Saudi Arabian royal confirmed for the nated the era. family. Rosberg had his final Super-sports GT race In 1996 Al-Kehaimi is FI race in Adelaide in at the 2000 Qantas said to have offered to il986, leading the event in Australian GP, but a McLaren until retiring buy 51 percent of the rumours suggest that with a blown tyre. Since team for US$7.5m and to one driver who may then the Finn has had have promised the team suit up is Keke seasons in the world that he would find sportscar championship US$3-3m a year in Rosberg. The 1982 world (driving for Peugeot) and sponsorship for the team. champion is said to be the German D’TM and ITC Rupert Manwanng, considering an offer-to series. formerly commercial He will be in Australia, drive one of the bigdirector of Tyrrell, . as usual, in a number of banger sports cars at the roles, which includes his appeared in court and race. revealed that Al-Kehaimi There is expected to be management of double World Champ Mika convinced him by flying a large field of cars in the Hakkinen. the team to the event and, should the Keke in a 600hp sports- Hungarian GP that year race line up as expected, car? Gotta live that... in a rented Boeing 707. the majority of the cars - PHIL BRANAGAN - JOE SAWARD are expected to be

Keke fer AGP

Rosberg may suit up in GT support race at Albert Park

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REPORTS from Germany sug gest that Porsche and Audi may be working together on the development of a Formula 1 engine with Porsche engineers using their knowledge of VIO technology to help the Volkswagen subsidiary to devel op an engine for Grand Prix rac ing. For many Porsche engineers Formula 1 is unfinished business after the debacle in 1991 when the company produced a VI2 engine for the Footwork (Arrows) team. They would like to remind FI that the TAG turbo engines of the early 1980s broke all existing FI records with their success with McLaren. As recently as 1995 Porsche engineers at Weissach designed a prototype VIO'FI engine but the project was never developed.

Challenger: Bridgestone’s monopoly in F1 may soon end. (Oeraw Mcooman)

fVlichelin readies for FI FIA to be notified of2001 GP return IS

expected to inform the FIA within the next few days that it is intending to enter Grand Prix racing in 2001 but a public announcement is not expected until January. The current FI reg ulations mean that any company wishing to enter Grand Prix racing must give notice a year in advance. The move has been rumoured for a long time and as early as 1995 Michelin estab lished an FI research group in ClermontFerrand and the com pany’s

n Sao Paulo has secured the Brazilian GP for another four years although we understand that the new deal is conditional on the

Porsche aiding Audi's F1 engine programme?

VOl.VO

MICHELIN

competition

17 December 1999

S£®D@d^s[p®[fO

boss, Mr Pierre Dupasquier and other engineers have become regular visitors to FI races. Current .speculation suggests that Michelin is making a bid to sup ply Ferrari, Williams and Prost. The Italian team is believed to be asking for as much as US$12m a year for the privilege of supplying free tyres but such is Ferrari’s marketing power that Michelin may agree to the deal if the company can prove that its tyres will be competitive against Bridge-stone. Williams has been linked to a Michelin deal because of its new

association with BMW - BMW having worked closely with Michelin for its sportscar pro gramme. If it is confirmed, the arrival of Michelin in FI will be a chal lenge to Goodyear, which withdrew from FI at the end of 1998. Sources suggest that Goodyear’s market research revealed the need for an FI pro gramme but the weak ness of Goodyear’s share price recently has meant budget cuts./Goodyear’s rac ing/programmes have been slashed, the com pany withdrawing from both CART and IRL. -JOESAWARD

Interlagos circuit being upgraded to make it safer with US$2m being spent on new run-off areas, eliminating bumps and on a bigger paddock.

Audi has had a similar history of FI feasibility studies. The two companies have many links not least of which is that fact that its chairman Ferdinand Piech is the nephew of Ferry Porsche, who established the company in 1950. Piech was a Porsche engineer himself in the ’60s - specialising in motorsport before becoming techni cal director of Porsche’s Experimental Department at Zuffhausen. He has beer, withi( Volkswagen since 1972 and has run)

n The announcement that GM has bought 21 percent of Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries for $1.4bn, has increased pressure on DaimlerChiysler to reach an agreement with Honda - a

the company since ’93. ^ Porsche is already working clj|^^H with Audi on the development|||[^ sports utility vehicle for the US ket and that it was the com]^ intention to concentrate on ’^ 1

DaimlerChrysler bid could have dramatic effects in Formula 1. n Current French F3 Champion Sebastian Bourdais has been named as the second driver of Gauloises Formula Frost’s junior team, partnering Portugal’s Andre Couto. The team’s lead driver

engineering projects that w||| as the reason for the recentj drawal from sportscar racmcig - JOE

last year - Stephane Sarrazin - will remain as Frost’s test driver but will race for the West Competition Formula 3000 team - McLaren’s junior team. n Honda has become a major sponsor of the Canadian Grand Prix for the next three years.

Rings of confidence: Having ended its.Le Mans programme, Audi is said to be looking towards F1 as a potential marketing arena.(Photo by smton-images)

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Suzuki gets MoviStar MOVISTAR, the Spanish Mobile Phone Company, is to move from Team Honda Pons to Team Suzuki next season. Most fans never caught wind of this possible merger, but halfway through the 1999 season, MoviStar and Team Suzuki had already begun eyeing each other. According to Team Suzuki manag er Garry Taylor, nothing really happened until Argentina. And then it happened fast. Before Argentina, the chances of Team Suzuki signing MoviStar as a corporate sponsor looked slim. “Up until Argentina,” Taylor revealed, “we had only low. key contact with MoviStar. Telefonica, the parent company, and MoviStar were locked into having a Spanish rider on the team they sponsored, and we had already budgeted for only a two rider team in 2000, with Kenny (Roberts) and Nobu (Aoki). It looked like nothing was going to happen.” . And then came a meeting in Argentina and Garry Taylor’s vacation to Florida where he took his family to Disney World. “Let’s just say I spent a lot of time on the phone at Disney World,” Taylor laughed. “We had already put off our vacation for a week because of the MoviStar deal, and while I was in Florida, I did quite a bit of talking while standing in line for Small World with my daughter.” ^ Taylor then flew back to England, changed clothes, and flew on to Spain to finalise the deal. “I feel that MoviStar’s deci sion to go with Team Suzuki trply illustrates the international makeup of MoviStar,” Taylor continued. “Initially, everyone thought that the absence of a Spanish rider on our team would hurt the negotiations, but MoviStar has really shown their interest in Grand Prix racing and their interest in being an international company, not just a Spanish company, They have a strong presence in South America, and were the title sponsor in Brazil. MoviStar is a . young, aggressive company, and

Motorcycle C'Ship* Mar 19 . . .South Africa Rd 1 ,Rd2 Apr 2 .Argentina

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2000 Formula Holden

Getting mobile: Hi. You’ve reached Kenny Roberts. I can’t come to the phone now, so just leave a message. they want to win. Taylor feels his team’s efforts in 1999 helped pull MoviStar to Suzuki because the mobile phone company saw that Team Suzuki was capable of winning races at the highest level, “And just as important as winning,” he added, “MoviStar wants to be with a team that has direct factory involvement, and you can’t get more direct than Team Suzuki. MoviStar didn’t want to work with a satellite team.” Taylor wasn’t about to talk money in this deal. “I prefer not to mislead anyone about money,” he said, “because there are so many rumours flying about, but let’s just say that GP racing is an expensive business with large budgets. MoviStar is a major corporate sponsor.”-Taylor paused, then added, “I’m especially pleased with this partnership because MoviStar is making it clear that Grand Prix racing is very important to them, important enough to invest time and money in. And that’s good for all of us.”

Numbers up for 2000

THE FIA has published the first list of registered 2000 Formula 1 team names, dri vers and race numbers.

The 11 teams may nominate, and/or change, their drivers up until 4pm on Thursday. 9 March. Albert Park will host the opening round three days later.

BIITRIS 2000 WOMJ] fmm CHAMPIONSMP 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Mika HAKKINEN (SF) David COULTHARD (GB) Michael SCHUMACHER (D) Rubens BARRICHELLO (BR) Heinz-Harald FRENTZEN (D) Jarno TRULLI (I) Eddie IRVINE (GB) Johnny HERBERT (GB) Rail SCHUMACHER (D) Alessandro ZANARDI (I) Giancarlo FISICHELLA (I) Alexander WURZ (A) JeanALESI(F) Nick HEIDFELD (D) Pedro DINIZ (BR) MikaSALO(SF) TBA TBA Marc GENE (E) TBA Jacques VILLENEUVE (CDN) Ricardo ZONTA (BR)

West McLaren Mercedes West McLaren Mercedes Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro Benson & Hedges Jordan Benson & Hedges Jordan Jaguar Racing * Jaguar Racing BMW WilliamsFI Team BMW WilliamsFI Team Mild Seven Benetton Mild Seven Benetton Gauloises Prost Peugeot Gauloises Prost Peugeot Red Bull Sauber Petronas Red Bull Sauber Petronas Arrows Supertec Arrows Supertec Minardi Minardi Lucky Strike Reynard British American Racing Lucky Strike Reynard British American Racing

AMERICAN legend Mario Andretti has been named American

Diiver of the Century, based upon a mail-in vote conducted

Championship Feb13 Phillip Island . . . .Rd 1 Mar 26 . . .Eastern Creek . . .Rd 2 .Adelaide ,Rd3 Apr 9

Categories marked * are telecast by the Ten Network. Check your local guides for screening times All event dates In this calendar were correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks and/or associations for date changes. Series or events telecast on Network Ten are marked with an asterix. Check your local guides for screening details.

* ●"

Mario Andretti named Driver of the Century

SOOcc World Grand Prix

Apr 9 . . . . .Japan Apr 30 Spain

t l

among the readers of RACER magazine. Andretti’s resume is one of the most diverse among American racers, including a Formula 1 World Championship (1978), three USAC National Championships (’65-66, ’69), one CART championship (’84), one mOC championship (’79) and one USAC National Dirt Track Championship (’74), plus wins in the Indianapolis 500 (’69), Daytona 500 (’67) and the 12 Hours of Sebring (’67). He holds all-time records for Champ Car starts (407), poles (67) and laps led (7,857). He was

Still number 1: Mika Hakkinen. (Sutton)

MARIO ANDRETTI named Driver of the Year in ’67, ’78 and'’84 and Driver of the Quartpi--Century in “92. A.J. Foyt and Richard Petty tied for second place in the ballot ing, followed by Dan Gurney, Phil HUl, Mark Donohue, Rick Mears, Dale Earnhardt, A1 Unser and Don GarUts.

Two Cadillacs for DAMS

DAMS Motorsport will operate a pair of Cadillac Northstar LMP racecars in a selected race pro gramme taking in the American Le Mans Series and Sports Racing World Cup, as well as the Le Mans 24 Hours next June. Based in Paris, France, the team has been a regular front-runner in the SRWC with a Judd VIO powemd

Lola B98/10 in the hands of JeanMarc Gounon, Eric Bernard and Christophe Tinseau. DAMS has con firmed Gounon and Bernard, and says it will announce the Ml driver squad early next year. The official GM Cadillac factory effort will build up to Le Mans by contesting the Rolex Daytona 24 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours. - QUENTIN SPURRING

17 December 1999

VOTE

now

and get a year’s worth of Motorsport News It’s Kool to be black: Paul Tracy gets down to business in Kool’s new 2KI. He didn’t even have time to paint his helmet...

Santa visits CART teams TESTING has started in earnest for the 2000 FedEx CAET Champion ship. The first of Lola’s Champ Car chassis was delivered to the Newman/Haas Racing team last week, with Christian Fittipaldi due to undertake the B2K/00’s first shakedown at Sebring as Motorsport News closed for press. Fittipaldi gets the first shift in the Lola, while Michael Andretti is expected to take over the testing chores in January. At the same time, Lola has confirmed that Target/Chip Ganassi Racing, which has won four consecutive FedEx Championship Series titles with Honda-powered Reynards, has ordered a pair of new Lolas for its 2000 assault. According to Ganassi’s Ma.naging Director Tom Ano'erson, the order for Lola chassis was actually placed by Toyota, although he

admitted, “We may end up with one to test.” The first Toyota-engined Lola is due for delivery in January. Ganassi took delivery of its fii-st new Reynard 2KI last Monday and is scheduled to conduct its first test at Sebring next week. Defending series champion Juan Montoya and team mate Jimmy Vasser are both expected to drive the car on its maiden outing. / “We’re anxious to see /what we’ve got here. It will certain ly be good to get some testing in before the Christmas break,” Anderson admitted. “With limited testing and a limited amount of tyres, we have to make every day count. We’re not going to spend a bunch of days if we’re not productive.” Making time count will take on added importance next season as testing dates will be cut next year, in a move that is expected to save teams a good bit of cash.

Mark Webber was voted by readers in 1999 as the

Champ Car team owners agreed during a meeting of the CART board of directors last week to a further limitation on testing for next season. The teams recently announced that for 2000, two-car teams could conduct a maximum of 32 days of testing — 20 days prior to the first race and a further 12

during the course of the season. Two-car teams can now conduct a total of 28 days of testing, plus the traditional Spring Training pre-season test at Homestead and two of three more scheduled open tests at Mid-Ohio, Chicago and Laguna Seca. - PHIL MOKBIS

$Billion Cool Hand Luke heads Diane Holl Bernie on pole position

FORMULA One chief Bernie Ecclestone is the richest person in the UK, according to an interna tional report. A poll by EuroBusiness magazine (which Ecclestone owns) states the former Brabham boss is wealthi er than the Queen. The 69-year-old, who controls tiie interests of the sport, heads the list of rich Brits with £2.4bn ($6.4bn), compared to the Queen who has £2bn. On a world wide scale, Ecclestone, who has made provisional plans to float Formula One, is in 48th position. Also on the list was Micheal Schumacher “i. who, according to the reports, is worth $480. Sounds like an awful lot, for a brickie’s son. SEE BOX SEAT, P.13

Who will be this year’s

to Sebring - at 74

joins Della Penna and Hearn

Your vote could decide the ^ectr^

at the 2000 Australian IVlotorSpcrts Awards It’s the one major award voted by motor sport fans themselves -that’s you, the readers of Motorsport News, Six lucky voters will win a FREE year’s subscription to Motorsport News, simply by voting for their favourites! Just fill out the official voting coupon and mail it/them to us before the counting of votes on 18 January 2000. Remember, we’re looking for your view on the Australian motor sport PERSONALITY of the current year. Start voting now... You may submit more than one vote, but they must be on the officiai voting coupon (no photocopies). Coupons will appear in the foitowing two issues of Motorsport News.

RACE engineer Diane Holl, who has worked the with Tasman/ McDonald’s team for the

^y(eistiHi/iajn

past four years, will work instead with Della Penna

Blue eyes fixed: Paul Newman is heading to Sebring at 74. MOVIE legend Paul Newman could race in the Sebring 12 Hours sportscar classic in March at the age of 74. The long-time amateur racer has been linked to a drive in a Porsche 911 GT3-R entered by Dick Barbour, with whom Newman took second place in the 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours. Barbour, who is planning to enter two GT3-Rs in the American Le Mans Series, said: “Paul could be in one of our cars at Sebring. He wants to do a number of races with us, including Petit Le Mans in September.” , Newinan has enjoyed a successful sportscar career after taking up racing in his early 50s. Four years ago, he finished third overall and won his class in the Daytona 24 Hours. - GARY WATKINS

Motorsports for the 2000 FedEx Championship Series. “I am very grateful for the opportunity that Steve Horne gave me,” said the British-born Holl, who remains the only female race engineer in the FedEx Championship Series. “I learned a lot from him and all the guys, and I’m looking forward to applying that knowledge to John Della Penna’s team. “I have a great deal of respect for what John has achieved in the last couple of years and I’m looking for ward to working with Richie [Hearn], who has already shown he has what it takes to be successful at the high est level.”

My top three nominations are: /

2. ci Name; Address: Ph; Please enter me in the draw for one of six FREE subscriptions to Motorsport News Post to:

PO Box 1010 North Caulfield VIC 3161. Voting closes 18 January 2000

M]®0®[F8[p®[7D

17 December 1999

Walker Two-car CART/IRl split team fielded for Nakano

DERRICK Walker’s Indy car outfit has sprung the surprise of the year by announcing that it will again field two cars in 2000 but will split the entries between CART and the IRL. Having fielded a two-car Champ Car team for Gil de Ferran and Naoki Hattori in ’99, Walker will has signed Japanese driver Shinji Nakano for its CART campaign and 19-year-old speedway driver Sarah Fisher for the IRL. Nakano, who spent two seasons in FI driving for Frost and Minardi and was Jordan’s test driver this year, is expected to bring financial backing to the team. Walker having lost Valvoline. His relationship with Honda, engine suppliers to Walker Racing, will be ben eficial to the team who will be using the units for the fourth consecutive year. Fisher is expected to run the entire IRL season for Walker, depending on the resolution of a dispute with Team Pelfrey who she drove for at the season-ending IRL race in Texas. IRL equipment availabili ty is another area of con cern for Walker but he is working hard on sourcing the equipment and finalis ing plans for their IRL debut at Walt Disney World in Florida next month.

in CART, Sarah Fisher in IRL i

Photo by Sutlon-images

Who Dares wins: Airton Dare will run forTeamXtreme.

iRL’s extreme Dare

Leading Brazilian jumps CART shipfor Indy 500 chance

Happy san: Shinji Nakano has signed with Walker Racing.

PROMISING Brazilian series a promising new Indy Lights driver talent backed by three Airton Dare has solid years of Indy Lights ejqperience. jumped CART ship and a six-time Dare, signed to drive in the Brazilian jet-ski champi Indy Racing League on, moved to Indy Lights next year. in 1997, tying for fourth in Dare, who has twice ’98 before finishing ninth won on the Indy Lights this year. will trail, join The Brazilian won from TeamXtreme Racing in pole at Detroit last year, 2000 to partner John leading every lap, and Hollansworth in a two-car took his second win this GForce/Aurora effort. year at Nazareth. The move by Dare, Having already passed backed by Brazilian bank his IRL rookie test in Banestado, establishes October at the Texas the TeamXtreme opera Motor Speedway, Dare tion as one of the few full completed a two-day test time multi-car efforts in session at the Walt Disney the IRL. World Speedway in At just 21 years of age. Florida last weekend. Dare offers the team and -PHIL MORRIS

Kanaan’s moves Swiftly TONY Kanaan will be Swift’s sole representative in the FedEx Champ Car Series in 2000, with the announcement in the US last week that the Forsythe Racing’s McDonald’s team has formed a joint venture with the chassis manufacturer. Swiffs presence in the series was in doubt foHowing Newman-Haas’s resigning with Lola, Michael Andretti and Christian Fittipaldi both having won for the brand in '99. Patrick Racing, Della Penna and Team Gordon also used the Swifts this season, all having abandoned the cars in favour of others during the year. Kanaan’s Swift 011.c chassis will be powered by Honda and use Firestone tyres “If you look at the results, Swift has proven its competitiveness on the race track,” said team owner Jerry Forsythe. “To have full factory support from Swift combined with our continued relationship with'Honda, shows we have very strong potential,” -PHIL MORRIS

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17 December 1999

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Bernie Christmas Letter lAV WaAt Cc'fie'5 k VAST V'f

erry Christmas. Hullo. I started doing these Christmas Letters last year and everyone liked it so much - or at least they said they did -that I thought I might do the same again. I don’t believe in Christmas. It gets in the way of business, but I guess the kiddies- actually they are quite big girls now - like all that sort of stuff. Anyway, as many of you will know I have had a year of contrasts. I went from being very rich and became very, very rich. It was rather nice. But then I had some heart problems as well so I figured that the best thing to do would be to nip into the hospital and get it fixed. The best thing about it was that I was able to prove to all those doubters out there that I do actually have a heart. Professor Watkins found me a nice place to go up the East End and I spent.a few days having what ihey called a “routine” operation. They fixed the old heart. I didn’t even to buy a second-hand one... This caused the paperwork to build up a bit but I was soon back at the desk. Business has been good. In addition to making loads of money, I also became a publisher and launched a magazine called Eurobusinessyou may have seen the advertising dotted around the race tracks. I can’t say I know very much about publishing, but this bloke Tom Rubython seems to know what he’s doing, although he sometimes comes up with some strange things. One of the issues I read said that the European Union’s Competition Commissioner Karel Van Miert was “Europe’s Most Powerful Man”. I had to tell Max that and he was very upset because he thought that that was his job. Rubython was wrong on that one. Van Miert did not last very long at all, and I cannot say I was sad to see him go. I was always told never to trust a bloke with a girl’s name... although I do hate to see politicians in pain. Poor old Van Miert was not at ail happy when his whole mob was thrown out in disgrace.

I have just beenand reading latest Eurobusiness I wasthe amazed to discover that I am now the richest British person in the whole world. I shall have to have a word with that Rubython. People will think I have some influence over him. Anyway it says that I have a fortune worth £2.4bn. The poor old Queen has only got £2.0bn. f I must say that I did have a couple of windfall deals this year. Despite all those problems with Van Miert, I managed to convince this German bank to lend me £800m. It

hand but it seems a shame to leave them in warehouses. We might even have a Grand Prix at Paul Ricard again one day -if I can get the French to stop messing about with all their silly laws. Everyone though? I was going to buy Brands Hatch as well. I guess that’s logical. It’s in my part of the world and i grew up near there. In the end some other blokes bought it but I expect we’ll be taking the British Grand Prix there at some point or other. All the old boys up at Silverstone seem to be rather upset that I want to move the Grand Prix... We didn’t much else in the way of shopping this year, except that I bought a boat down in Greece. It’s a motor cruiser which is 165ft long and has a permanent crew of 20. It’ll befiice for knocking around the Mediterranean in the summer. Most of the F1 team bosses have got boats these days, but I wanted to make sure that they know their place in life. These multimillionaires do get ideas above their station sometimes. The bad thing about having a big boat is that all these harbour masters take liberties because you’re rich and try to charge you outrageous mooring fees. I think I’ll have to buy a Greek island and park the boat there. It’ll be cheaper in the long-term. Of course, I’d need an island with an airport...

took them quite a long time to make up their minds- but you know what these Suits are like. And then in November, I met some more nice bankers and they said they will give me another £800m for 50 percent of the company. I am still in charge and I’ve got another 50 percent to sell, so I guess that making £1.6bn in a year is not a bad deal when nothing has really changed that much. Actually, I don’t own a single share these days. It all belongs to the wife and the kids. I work for them. ItFormula has been aoff nice quiet year for 1the tracks anyway. It was very nice not having to fight all those team owners. Even that Craig Pollock shut up after a while. I think he had a few things on his mind when the cars started mnning - or not as the case may be. Anyway after the Spring he stopped trying to prove that he was more important than everyone else and since then it’s been all quiet. The other day I was reading the paper and I saw that NASCAR has just signed a big deal TV deal in the United States. They got , £1.5bn for six years. We are doing a bit less than that on a yearly basis- but the rates are going up all the time, so I am sure that we will be much better off six years from now.

We are still planning to make a movie about Formula 1 - if that Sylvester Stallone could make up his mind who should direct it. Funnily enough, I noticed that the NASCAR teams are only going to g^t about £390m between them over the six years-and there are about 40 of them -so I guess the 11 F1 teams getting about £100m a year between them every year is a pretty good deal. I don’t want to hear any whingeing... I was going to give them all the chance to blow some hot air in the summer and I invited everyone for a weekend at the Manoirdes Quatres Saisons hotel near Oxford -costs a bloody fortune that place-anyway we were going to have a bit of brainstorm at my expense (I even

invited that Pollock) so we could talk about the future of F1 but they were all too busy to turn up. Because of all the heart business, I didn’t go to as many races as usual this year, although I did nip off for a quick visit to Egypt and Dubai when the girls were on half term. The governments seemed very interested in giving me a load of money to put on FI races so they were very helpful. I do like a nice friendly government. Travelling is notjet so(or badthree) whenbut youI have a private must say that I do like having my own private airport as well. Your staff don’t get any hassle with the bags when they have to pick them up. Actually I’ve now got two airports: Biggin Hill - which I bought in 1996-and the one down at Paul Ricard. I also bought the racing circuit down there - it was a bargain at £6.5m - and we have big plans. I cannot tell you about them at the moment. All I will say is that one day it will be an amazing place and I will probably put my car collection there so that punters can come and have a look -for a small financial consideration, of course. Most of the cars are second-

hat with all these extra expenses. I’ve been looking at ways of increasing the revenue a bit - shareholders like that sort of thing - and so I may have to buy that Paddy McNally's company Allsport and charge all the VIPs a load more money for eating their lunch at the races. I’ve also been having a look at merchandising and 1 think there might be a few quid in that... We are still planning to make a movie about Formula 1 - if that Sylvester Stallone could make up his mind who should direct it. That would be very helpful as we go charging into the American market next year. I was looking at the United States the other day and I was rather humbled when I saw that Bill Gates of Microsoft is worth $18bn, or whatever it is. Now I am the richest man in Britain, I suppose I have to aim for him. I am glad to see he’s mn into trouble with the competition authorities - now he knows how I feel. Apart from the usual social events, I had a very nice dinner with that King Juan Carlos of Spain, but unfortunately I had to miss Dr Mahathir’s party in Malaysia. Being rich and famous can be a bit of a bore sometimes. People want my autograph nowadays. I have to keep my eyes open for robbers. I have this man who is always following me around and I tell people he must be a robberbecause he looks like a right cut throat- but actually he’s there to look after me. A sort of minder. You cannot be too careful these days... I expect he will be quite useful next time I go into the F1 paddock and that Craig Pollock wants to speak to me. Anyway, that’ll be next year. Merry Christmas- if you have to celebrate it.

mate? Its a lKk)0®[Fsm®i70

17 December 1999

Mark Webber's introduction to Fornu Exclusive report by CHRIS LAEU9BDEN in Barcelona en will Australia have Wsomeone in FI? It’s been the question asked whenever Mark Webber’s name has come up over the past two years. The contract with Mercedes looked to be lined with silver - until the horrendous events at Le Mans last June. Since then,it’s been a potential nightmare for the young man from Queanbeyan. Everything stopped dead at Mercedes and the intervening time has been frustrating. Extracting himselffrom Mercedes has been a delicate and time-consuming process. The stories oflinks with Jordan were true - but in the end, the high price tag at the glam end of pit lane proved unattainable by all those who tried on his behalf And then along came Paul Stoddart, the expat Australian owner ofEuropean Aviation and the European F3000 team. He too had links with Jordan, but in a series of rapid events, dropped that in favour of a more complex link with Tom WaUdnshaw’s Arrows team. And that’s how Mark Webber, at very short notice,found himself Barcelona-bound for his first taste of Formula 1. Ifthe remaining pieces ofthe puzzle come together correctly, he will be in contention for the fiiU-time test role in 2000. But that is another story. This is about Barcelona and one young Australian’s first taste ofthe complexities ofFormula 1. It is about getting so close to a dream that you can smeU it. So it was that I found myself aboard a Lauda Air 777 at short notice, flying to Spain via Malaysia and Vieima. I arrived in ‘Barca’ on Thursday evening, while Webber was in the middle of a one hour-plus debrief vdth Arrows engineers. So, as the only Australian media representative present,I got an exclusive insight into how it aU went...

Good guys wear black: And orange, and white. Webber takes the Arrows out on his first laps in a Formula One car at Barcelona last Thursday. (Photos by Sutton-lmages)

I if

n the end he had two days’ notice. Arrows were headed to the fourday test at Barcelona and, with only 1999 driver Pedro de la Rosa confirmed for 2000,the opportunitj- had come. This was going to be no high-profile, go-for-it, himdreds oflaps test, but a critical test of new electronics systems destined for the all-new Arrows, due in January, which it is hoped will

Stealth Bomber: Sometimes, taking the

opportunity to drive an

F1 car means you do it almost in the dark, Webber running late in the fading afternoon sun. (Photo by Sutton-lmaqes)

boost the fortunes ofa team which has struggled through 1999 with an out-dated car and an engine not up to the task. It would require a driver with the discipline to resist the need to impress instantly. It could be finstrating-short on-track bursts followed by extensive data analysis sessions-but it would be laps in an FI car. And that’s what mattered. Webber had to complete two days ofPR with long-time backers Yellow Pages Australia in Monaco on the eve of his biggest day in motor sport. Late in the piece, he confided to Chief Operating Officer and longtime supporter Bob Copp and the assembled senior managers that he’d be heading to Barcelona that nightto drive an FI car for the first time. Grown men almost cried with happiness. Yellow Pages has been with Webber from his Formula Ford days, through thick and thin. It was news they could hardly take in... Arrows had over 50 people at the Circuit de Catalunya,20 kms north of Barcelona,for what would be a crucial exercise. While De la Rosa would concentrate on gearbox durabihty runs, Webber was assigned the remaining car, fitted with two complete electronics systems- adding some 15kgs to the weight ofthe car. Why? Arrows is switching from TAG to Pi electronics in 2000 and thus needed to programme the new system. It would be a painstaking, detailed process, during which Webber would complete just three laps at a time, then wait(for up to two hours)as the boffins programmed an additional element into the R system, which controls and monitors everything on the car bar the engine.

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Not the very best way to ease your way into an FI cai', but a test- a big test of discipline- nevertheless. Webber arrived to find that former HRT engineer Chris Dyer, these days a respected race engineer with Arrows, had been assigned to his car. Overseeing the whole process would be newly-appointed team manager Steve Nielsen, ex-Tyrrell, ex-Honda (the Honda team withdrew from its projected entry into FI mid-year in favour ofsimply supplying engines to BAR). Both stressed their needs. No heroics. Consistency. An ‘off could seriously affect a vital part ofthe team’s preparation for the debut of the new car and would not be appreciated... Fortunately, Barcelona been the scene for Webber’shad successful

two-day test with the Arrows Junior (nee European)F3000 team just two weeks earlier, so the track was at least familiar. And although he was prepared for the ferocious 700bhp tlmist ofthe FI car, it was stOl a heart-stopping moment as he powered down pit lane for the first time, as he recalled later that evening over a quiet orange juice: “I remember looking up just before I went out of the garage and Alesi went past in the Frost and it registered,“hey there’s Alesi....’ “That was just for a moment, because then you have to concentrate and get on with it. Even getting out of the garage was something. The clutch, the clutch on the steering wheel, was like nothing I’ve felt before. “This wasn’t a shakedown run. It was a case of getting straight into it and providing some consistency. “Tlien, on the installation lap. Half Schumacher came rocketing up behind and disappeared up the road. Sharing the track with those guys was a buzz, but you have to get over that pretty quickly and get on with the job. “Even getting out of pit lane. You could easily get on the throttle too hard and spit yourselfinto the pit wall...” The Arrows is, obviously, a very different car to the F3000 he had driven two weeles earlier: “The left-foot braking was one thing. You have no choice. I was

happy and relieved to get on top of that fairly quickly... “The car is actually quite violentwhen you brake it really does knock it out of you. The down-shifting happens so quick... “You’ve really got to be looking a long way down the road - because it’s coming up pretty quickly... “The acceleration ofthe car is really, really special. Out ofthe slow stuff, up to fifth gear, it’s over in a blur- seven-tenths between some gearchanges... The car is so fight and nimble. In the slow stuffit’s so pointy, so direct. “But, apart from the power,the big thing is the grip. Even oht ofthe slow stuff, but at high speed the grip is phenomenal. It’s really impressive to be sitting in it.” The times have been reported elsewhere for the record, but it’s worth recording how absolutely irrelevant they were on this occasion. Even,funnily enough, when compared with team-mate De la Rosa. As AJ constantly says on the TV, “it’s how you go against your team mate that matters,” and in general he’s right-if this had been a developmental,speed-seeking test. But it wasn’t. The Spaniard may as well have been driving a different car altogether as both Arrows were in very different spec. And depending

Role player; Webber is ready for Formula 3000,and Formula One?

What next? JUST one thing now appears to stand 5n the way of Mark Webber’s enfey Into FI via a full time test role with Arrows money. While Webber will contest the 2000 F3000 championship with Paul Stoddart’s Arrows Junior Team and that link with Tom Walldnshaw’s F1 team has created the F1 testing possibility, the door will dose if appropriate sponsorship cant be found to fund it. “It’s the price of admission to the world of F1 Stoddart told us in Barcelona last Friday. “It’s a significant investment, but one that will repay itself many many times over when Mark graduates from the test role to that of a full-time FI race driver. “If Australia does want someone in FI, then this is the moment to

stand up and be counted. He needs the support now. The time for talking about it is over. “We re talking to a number of the obvious people and It would just be a great shame if we can’t find that funding to clear the final hurdle. “In my view Mark nas got what it takes - he’s proven himself. If Australian business can’t do this now, it’ll be another five years before another opportunity remotely comes along. "With that test role and the 2000 season racing in F3000, Mark will be in the prime spot to make the final step. “All it takes is an injury or something like that to a driver and he could quite easily make his FI race debut some time during 2000...”

Continued on page 16

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-4

Continued from page 15 upon fuel load,freshness of nibber and the time of day, there could be up to three seconds a lap variation in the same car. It’s an awkward situation for someone in Webber’s position, needing desperately to impress the people who matter. The times are there in black and white and,in a lot ofcases out there in the world-atlarge, they are taken as the definitive guide to performance. But there’s a whole lot more to it than that. V

FI different testing from 1999-style how itiswas light inyears AJ’s day, substantially different even than it was for David Brabham (Simtek)in 1994. The sophistication of data acquisition,the complexity of the electronics throughout the ear and the amount of data the team is seeking means that for a great proportion of the time it’s very much a stop-start affair: “There’s no such thing as ‘warming up’ to it,” Webber reported. “Once you’re out of pit lane and heading for turn one,that’s it. You’ve got to brake at the same spot you did on your last lap,last stint. You’ve got to be ‘on it’ straight away. No laps are wasted. “Two or three laps and you’re back in and they’re into the data...” The first two days were very' much like this, track time from 9am to 5pm producingjust 12 laps(8 complete, timed laps) on Thursday, 18(8 timed)on Friday. Not a lot oflaps to learn about FI and make an impression! In between,the team worked imtil 2am making substantial changes to the electronics for day two.

The Verdict Steve Nielsen (Arrows team manager): It was vital for us to complete as much of the Pi svstem progi-amming work as possible this week, to give us a head start with the new car in the New Year. It’s not too glamorous work and the last thing we wanted was someone spearing off, knocking the car around. It would have been a set back and. frankly, if he’d done that I'd probably have taken liini out of the car. It’s probably been a

little fmstrating for him, but he’s done the job we asked for. It has, however, allowed him to acclimatise to an FI car without too much pressure and will stand him in good stead. I hope we can run him again in the neaifutui-e, but that's up to Tom (Walkinshawi. Chris Dyer(Race engineer): We had no expectations of Mark in terms of putting in a quick lap time. It wasn't what we set out to do. We needed someone

who would get in the car, do exactly as they were told in terms of technical testing-just going out, driving the car, coming back in. We weren’t particularly needing a great deal of feedback. It was primarily a data-getting exercise, so in some senses it is quite an easy introduction for Mai-k. There was no need or pressure to perform, but we'll get the oppoitunity later on to do some lap.s and for him to build up pace. Mark's done exactly what was required.

Get out, Mark, please? Webber was determined to get into a Formula One car and, once he was in there, he took a power of shifting ... iPhoio by suiion-imagesi

17 December 1999

'Tsm

The Can-Do man Aussie Paul Stoddart has made millions by gazing into the sky. Now he’s applying the same Can-Do philosophy to getting an Australian into F1. CHRIS LAMBDEN spoke to him in Spain. ft

Short circuit: Much of the session was spent out, lap, in, out again. (Photo by sutton-images) Friday was a good day. Throttle sensor electronics were switched to Pi, successfully, and Mark got to do his first practice start: “Nought to a hundred in 3.4 seconds,” he reported gleefully, having smoked away at his first attempt. “3.1 is the guru time...” The team then set to to prepare for a major, major switch, setting up the gearbox electronics for the new system. There were a few complications. They worked late into the night, through the morning. By lunchtime it was clear that any running on Saturday at all would be touch and go. There wasn’t any. Fven the mechanics began to show some fhistration - waiting around while the electronics boffins worked on their codes.'Timeconsuming but vital programming work. “It would have been nice to have got a lot of this done before we came down, but we simply ran out of time,” engineer Dyer reported. “It’s probably a bit fhistrating for Mark, but this is vital and it’s putting us so far ahead in terms of preparing for the new car.” If it was frustrating for Mark,it was equally so for father Alan and Manager Ann Neal, who’d only been able to fly in the night before. It was going to be a big moment for both when they saw Mark in an FI car for the first time - but it

would have to wait until Sunday... The break provided plenty of time for reflection. How had Webber performed to date? The only real judgement would come from the data, from the engineers. They and they alone knew who’d had what at their disposal at any one time. In summary (see panel) the team was very happy. The overlays, where Driver A’s performance data can be directly matched with Driver B’s told the story. Without the benefit of the ‘active’ differential fitted to De la Rosa’s car and with the extra electronics equipment as unwanted ballast, Webber was matching, surpassing the Spaniard under brakes. That made him feel good. Through the slow corners too, there was a match. His relative ‘newness’ to it all showed, predictably, in the fast elements where the Spaniard, with a season’s racing behind him, had a small edge. “I’m happy,” Mark confessed. “It has been so important not to throw it off the road, but I’m growing in confidence in the car every time out.” In the end, you’d have to say that on similar rubber, similar full-tank fuel, the ' times were identical. This early, it was very encouraging. “Right now. I’d have been happy to have been within half a second,”

W||

You’ll have to excuse him, he’s from Barcelona: Local lad Pedro de la Rosa watches the session times with an Arrows engineer.(RaceAccess)

Webber confessed. Unsaid were a number of things. De la Rosa brings the Repsol millions to the team, but frankly is seen as a journe3rman. For Webber to nevertheless effectively match him after no more than 20 full-on timed laps confirms that in time he is going to deliver the goods. Sunday too proved to be an anti-climax. The installation of the gearbox programrne had proven to be far, far more complex and time-consuming than anyone had imagined. The team had worked late into the night two nights’ running. Complex isn’t the word... The computer glitches continued and the team was not happy enough to let the car out again. That was it. The computer boffins would fix the problem, but that would be back at the Leafield, UK HQ. So after all that work, Ann Neal and Alan Webber wouldn’t get to see Webber drive a Formula 1 car. But the team want Webber back for more testing this week(see news pages). While it would have been revealing to see some longer runs, some full-on effort, Webber did what he was asked, secure in the knowledge that there is more personally rewarding testing to come. The team was scheduled to stay on for three more days at Barcelona this week, running just one car, with the prospect of the driving being shared. A far better benchmark. And the vibe among those who matter suggests that, budget permitting, Webber will get that test role next year. It’s the perfect s^t-up: F3000 racing, FI testing. There’s an air of optimism at Arrows. As Dyer said,“It’s been pretty depressing sharing the back two rows all year, but it’s now an old car in design terms and clearly we’re missing some horsepower.” New car. Supertec engines.'There’s plenty of room for optimism there. And our man could well be part of it. Hello corporate Australia, are you there?...

times a year on prime time...” Champion to follow on from You can sense a natural Alan Jones?’ “If the answer is salesmanship happening here yes, then this is the best thafs probably played its part opportunity that they’re going in makmg Stoddart a wealthy to have - but like everythirtg in man. life it comes at a price and that Paul Stoddart was bom price, I’m afraid, is many, and bred in the Melbourne many, many dollars. “It’s not insumiountabie. suburb of Coburg, did an engineering apprenticeship, We’ve got him the first breakthen went into the motor trade, we’ve got him in an F3000 car car auctions, and so on, next year and I fully expect him to win races before the before getting involved in small aircraft and leasing. year is out. “With limited success, but it “Mark himself can only do gave me the aviation bug...” so much,though. He’s got ail he says. .the qualities and he’s definitely the best prospect I’ve seen for He also ^t hooked into motorsport in 1979, running a a long, long time. He just Torana SLR in State race needs the support-and thats meetings. going to have to come from Stoddart moved to the UK Australia... in 1986 and “didn’t know “Now is the time. He needs which way I wanted to gothe support now. There’s no cars or aviation - until 1989." point in saying in a year or two Then along came one of *whatever happened to Mark Webber?’ those deals. Something that made that decision for him. “He needs the backing. It’s A contact told him about just like any other sport, the Australian Government i except ifs a little more selling off the RAAFs VIP fleet I prestigious, it’s a little bit more -at the time, two BA 1-11 expensive- but at the end of aircraft and three Falcon 20s. the day ifs ttie most watched sport outside of the Olympics “We acquired those and, amazingly, all ^e spares to and the World Cup. And they only happen once every four support them and it set us up years and two years for everything that was going to grow from it. We never respectively- not 16 or 17 looked back.” (( Today, European Aviation has 41 planes, having recently sold two 747s to concentrate on the 100-130 seater market ' (737s and 1-11s make up 35 of the fleet). There’s also a 50 seater fy all First Class luxury transport(“which we’ll be Stoddart on his 50 percent flying the Arrows team windtuimel around in next year...”) and a 200,000 square foot, 12.5 acre maintenance site. At the same time, European has a motor sport facility at Ledbuiy (near Gloucester) which is | already the envy of some of the lesser FI teams. Stoddart bought everything (other than the FOCA entry, which was taken over by BAR) when Tyrrell called it quits and, n apart from a fleet of Tyrrell FI cars, there is now a fully operational motor sport production facility, which fundamentally enables European to not only maintain FI cars, but potentially build them from scratch. There’s most things needed to run an F1 team, including a planned 50% wind tunnel, for which the foundations have already been poured... “Like the investment ir Mark, it’s for the future...” European’s partnership with TWR/Arrows is multi faceted. Apart from the flight sendees, European will take on fabrication and manufacturing work on an ‘overflow’ basis. And there’s ^z s.the Arrows Junior Team tag for the F3000 team, which will be led by Webber in 2000. A lot has happened In a The titans of the sport: Paul Stoddart, Webber,European Racing relatively short time. Can do? Sure. team manager Richard Salisbury and MN’s leader Chris Lambden.

MELBOURNE-born selfmade millionaire businessman Paul Stoddart is the man who could well play a major role in Mark Webber’s final drive towards a full-time FI drive. The British-based expat Australian has parlayed a successful lease, charter and spare parts aviation empire into a growing motor sport interest which now includes an F3000 team and, quite possibly down the road, his own FI team. For now,though, he has forged links with Tom Walkinshaw’s TWR/Arrows team as a technical partner and flightservices provider, an additional deal sees what was the European Motorsport F3000 team re-badged as the Arrows Junior Team (with Webber confirmed as lead. driver for 2000)and quite simply, he wants Webber to get his F1 chance. He’s prepared to (and has) put a fair wedge of his own fortune into the pot, but is adamant that if Australia actually wants its own contender in F1, then corporate Australia has to step up to the plate - now. “Mark’s proven himself this week,” he said last Friday as he watched his man settle into the Arrows,“ but we need some serious backing from Australia if he is going to have the chance to make it in F1. “He’s had some great support from Yellow Pages and we’re obviously talking to many people, but we need people out there to say ‘Do we want another Australian World

Like the investment in Mark, ifsfor thefuture...

18 17 December 1999

lEil(D9(D[F8fp®[?0

What does that mean? EVERY year, it seems that quotes from drivers become more and more familiar But what do the drivers realty mean? After 12 years in the motorsport media PHIL BRANAGAN thinks he has got to the real truth behind the lines... I’m happy with our handling. There’s no straight-line speed. It’s a good, all-round package. The tyres won’t last and the brakes are stuffed. I’m confident. I’m shitting myself. We got some interesting data from the windtunnel. The wings don’t work. We tried a low-downforce set-up this morning. There’s no horsepower, either. The team has a really good Titmosphere. If that ,'?%*!! mechanic perves at my girlfriend again. I’ll go him. I’m just happy to have a drive. I’m not qualified to go and get a real job. Supertec engines show a lot of potential. Honda wouldn’t return my calls. It’s not about the money. It’s about the money. I delighted to have signed an Australian/American/ British driver. All the rich Brazilians were already under contract. Motorsport News is always welcome in our garage. I’ve been waiting two hours

for Mark Oastler to arrive with a TV crew. The sport is heading in the right direction. I’ve just told our sponsor that the sport is heading in the right direction. It’s innovative. I’ll never know how the car passed scrutineering.

Rivetting: Heinz-Harald Frentzen explains that he is happy with his package and pleased to be here.(Photo by Suuon-images)

We couldn’t get a clear lap in qualifying. On my only clear lap, I flatspotted the tyres.

I’m delighted to be on the Safety Committee. The other drivers nominated me when I Wasn’t there.

I’m a little tired. One of the promotional girls got drunk last night and I got lucky.

Parity is what it’s all about. I started 19th and finished 18th.

1 want to spend more time with my family. My #%*!! team-mate is doing all the testing.

This is the car that will allow us to break through this season. We have a new paint scheme.

It’s great to see such a huge crowd here today. I have tear gas in case the car stops on the top of the mountain.

Control tyres are good for the category. Dunlop used to give me golf clubs and shoes.

I’m just pleased to be in a Holden. Howard Marsden must have lost that business card I gave him.

He’s a wily old veteran. What doesn’t that son-of-abitch just retire? I’m here for the fans. I’m 23rd on the grid.

We had a great dice. I punted him out of the way.

I need to work on my fitness. My team-mate is 15 years younger than me.

I lost control. He punted me out of the way.

1 can’t see that the IRL/CART split is doing anyone any good. The Indy 500 pays $1.5 million for the win.

We need to do something about driving standards. He punted me out of the way twice.

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Stock car racing is where i want to be. Four CART teams have sacked me in the last two years. Gastroenteritis Hangover.

I paid £50,000 for the test. I got the drive on merit. Dad’s just sold 100,000 AT&T shares. We’re long-time rivals. We’ve hated each other since we were in karts.

Electrical fault. Crankshaft through the block. I made a great save. I missed a downchange. 1 never drink the night before a big race. None of the restaurants in Bathurst has a decent wine list. I’m Just pleased for our sponsors. I’m hiring a van and heading to No Fear tomorrow. This is a life-long dream. My parents tried everything to stop me from starting in motor racing. The test went really well. T paid £30,000 for the test. The test went really well and the team has offered me a contract.

1 can’t figure out how Craig goes so fast on cold tyres. When Craig lapped me on lap 8, his tyres were up to temperature. 1 can see a bright future for this class. I’ve just imported the car that won the British championship. In winter testing, the new model was 0.5s a lap quicker. They fitted a cheater engine. 1 have no problem being beaten by a woman. I wonder if she’d sleep with me? We’re running on a tight budget. I just blew my third engine this weekend.

They’re doorhandle to doorhandle! The monitor’s gone off and I can’t see who’s leading. What a great battle! Whothe#%*!! is in front? This young unknown is showing a lot of ticker. I’ve never heard of this guy. The performance of this car is a credit to his crew. Is it a V8, a six or a rotary"^ This driver has just appeared from nowhere. He lives four blocks from the commentator. It’s hard to say what the weather wifi do. It’s raining on the spectators, but we can’t see that from the dry, warm commentary box. Would / lie to you? I am lying to you. Trust me. Please believe me, even though I’m lying through my teeth. The end. The end.

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He p Jordan?

along nicely: Heinz-Harald Frentzen may have left Williams under a cloud, but his performances in the JordanHeinz-Harald Frentzen won two Buzzing Mugen/Hofida made everyone sit up and take notice. He starts 2000 with a real shot at his first world title. (Phoios by Sunon-imjges) Grands Prix this season and turned himself and Jordan into a championship contender With Honda behind him, can he win the 2000 title? MN: How much did you mentally stronger from the people at Jordan were third place in Brazil, that learn from the Williams very flexible. As soon as I met brought my position more those two years? ADAM COOPER asked. stable in the team. experience? HHF; Not only mentally, also them I felt it was the right

HHF; I think first of all I came from the Sauber team, where I did learn quite a lot already. But the Williams team was a step for me,a new situation, new circumstances. It was 100 percent English language,the way of working was a little bit different, and also I came in with a lot of respect for the Williams team, because this had been the most successful team of previous years. I wanted to learn as much as possible, I wanted to realise how things worked. By the end I did understand more and more about racing. Two years at Williams gave me a lot of experience.

MN: Were the expectations too high at Williams? HHF: All the circumstances were new -like realising how to adapt the car to my driving style. And by the time I did I was stuck into this situation where I had to drive for Jacques to win the World Championship. All thi^ was new for me. The second chance was never there to improve the year after, because the car was handling so poorly. At this stage we had a lot of work to do to realise what the problem was. There wasn’t any easy way to get out of the situation. Certainly the morale has changed now. Even for Williams it was a character building year! For everybody ifs been hard. MN: Did you emerge

in practical terms, I had a lot of experience. It’s still a top team, even if the results are not there. Williams has very big resources and a lot of experience in building a racing car. There are a lot of things to learn for a driver, and a lot of things you can do wrong. So in these two years tried to open my eyes as much as possible.

thing to do.

MN: Why did you feel so comfortable? HHF: It’s a situation that you can’t explain in words. But your position in the team, your situation, you have to fight for it. Ifs not like you amVe and it’s like this the whole year. It gets developed over time. For example, at Jordan when I started, one thing was

Tm not the kind ofperson who blames situations. Ifyou have a bad season, you have a bad season yy

MN: What were your expectations at the start of 1999 with Jordan? HHF; I was very optimistic, seeing the team very motivated. It was a very happy team, as they were fourth in the constmctors’ championship. I could feel immediately the atmosphere, and as well was myself was getting very motivated. It was a character building year at Williams, as English people say! I regard it as that. I really saw in Jordan a new opportunity, a great opportunity for myself to find another step of motivation. Everything was looking in the right direction. The support of Mugen Honda for the team was a big help, and as well

that people were motivated, and I was motivated. But that didn’t mean that the atmosphere was right and very positive. Everybody was expecting a performance from each other. We had some friction in the team. Not bad friction, but we were clashing sometimes. It was a controversial situation occasionally between me and the team or the engineer, hot to set the car up this way or do things in this direction. But it never went negative, because we always made progress. My start at Melbourne was a positive approach, that was the first result. To start in a team with a second place, for us it was a great push and a big help for me,and continuing with

IViNl: Did you realise that you had to get good results straight away? HHF: It wasn’t planned like that. I knew the car was going to be better than average, and we were going to have a good chance, but it didn’t mean really that we put ourselves under pressure to finish on the podium in the first two races. But I felt that with the potential inside the team,and the motivation we had, we could achieve right from the beginning good results. The reliability of the car was right there from the beginning. I never had such an uncomplioated testing session in the winter like I had at Jordan- we did a lot of running and made a lot of progress with it. And it cwrtinued like that in the season. MN:What the French GP like from where you were sitting? HHF: In Magny-Cours we stili had more or less the car that we started the season with, but nevertheless it was very good in the rain, been wfith high fuel. Nobo^ realises how hard it is to drive a car which has got 30kgs more of fuel on board. The car was handling pretty well for the amount I had. We beat them on the track, it was only David who stopped in the race. It wasn’t like someone was giving it to us as a present. We fought for it and we won it.

pccsn-'*

Trophy time: HHF and Jordan celebrate at the end of the season, people too much of an MN: Did you understand impression that all of a straight away that the sudden the Jordan team is strategy was to get the car to the finish? as strong as the McLaren HHF: When we started it was team or is as strong as the Ferrari team. It’s nice to get quite difficult to keep the car pushed on the same level as on the road in heavy rain. them. What we achieved this But I knew what the team year is a success that we was doing because I never have to be very proud of, but felt a pit stop that long the unbridgeable step before, and I knew basically between us and McLaren what was going on. The guy and Ferrari was a bit with the fuel hose was unrealistic. Standing as long as if I was The realistic move back to refuelling my own private car! earth was in Malaysia, when we realised this is the Idnd of It was a nice victory, and track the car doesn’t like. it’s nice to win with a team which is basically an That was a good move for us, to realise that we still had underdog team for the to improve the car. championship. It’s always a nice victory, and I had a really good party after the MN: How disappointing was Nurburgring? race - we had a very good HHF; These are the shitty reason for celebrating. things that happen MN: What was Monza like? sometimes! It was a very sad HHF: We won it in a special situation, especially as it way. We showed people that finished the chances of wi were performing and we winning the championship. We should have won that were doing a good job. Even in non-wet conditions, we race, but you should never could win races. say should or would. It’s something that you must MN: Did you suddenly accept. This kind of situation realise you had a chance happens to everybody in of the title? their motor racing career. You have to take it like that. HHF; Certainly it did change some of the logistic thinking MN: How much did the in our team. Suddenly we Montreal accident affect realised we are very close to the top runners, and there is you? a little chance of winning the HHF: After Montreal the only championship. We wouldn’t moment I felt funny was the have considered that. All the first two laps in Magnylogistic planning during the Cours. My leg was still sore. I can’t remember much of season was about saving pennies. the impact, I can only remember it took me at least Also for me, it was a bit difficult for me to realise we an hour to realise what were having a World happened after the crash, i Championship chance, while was very broken, you know! on the other side not giving It must have been a big bang

Trading Places: HHF and Ralf Schumacher swapped rides at the end of ’98 and both have thrived since. Italian battalion: The Monza win was significant because it proved that, after two wet wins,Jordan was a contender in the dry as well.

/ on my head. But that wasn’t a problem. the problem was the day after when I tried to walk, I had a very funny feeling in my leg. There was a nerve which was injured. The neck wasn’t a problem, and also mentally I didn’t have any trouble at all, it was only when I was getting to the Gforces again in the comers that my leg was hurting a bit, bouncing from left to right. The nice thing about racing is that even if you have pain, after one or two laps you are fully focused on driving, and you don’t feel any pain any more. Only when you jump out of the car you feel,‘That hurts!’ MN: Do you think you have proved a point this year after you got a lot of criticism in the media in 1998? HHF: I’m not the kind of -

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person who blames situations. If you have a bad season, you have a bad season. Everybody has a different opinion. You can’t comment about it to justify yourself. The only way to prove things is to really do it in actions. That’s why I never really liked to talk about if I felt I’d had unjustified press. It’s difficult for anybody to find out what is the truth behind things, why things are happening and why not. Journalists have very different opinions. The only thing that counts is the results.

MN: What about next year? HHF' We know as a team that ifs our chance now, and we have to take it. Eddie Jordan knows ifs our chance, I know ifs my chance. We know that we achieved third place this year, and ifs the right time for us to go a step forward. I think Eddie thinks about retiring he wants to win the World Championship one day. And I’ve got the same motivation. We have to go for the next step, we have no choice. MN: You got married in secret in Thailand after Malaysia, and you also have

a baby coming. How does it feel to have such big changes in your life away from racing? HHF; Ifs nice. I have a lot of things coming to me- my child, my family, ifs a new era for me. But in the end not much has changed. I’ve been together with Tanya for five years, and the marriage didn't hurt at all. No difference! It was great lying in the pool half an hour before the ceremony started. We weren’t sure about it, but afterwards we realised it was the right thing to do. Only the two mums were there!

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By PHIL BRANAGAN AFTER being a part player in Australian motor racing for the l^t three seasons Craig Baird moves into the 2000 season with a drive with the crack Stone Brothers Ford team. For a man who announced his retirement at the start of the 1998 season,it represents a big turnaround for the 29year-old New Zealander. “I’m extremely happy,” said Baird last week.“It’s an opportunity that came a little bit earlier than I thought it would have. Baird’s emergence into toplevel Australian motorsport comes after a long career around the world. After racing for BMW in New Zealand and South Africa, he joined the Diet Coke BMW team in 1997, only to be relegated to “the bench’ after the team continued to run with contracted drivers Paul Morris and GeoffBrabham. “When I came back from South Africa,I had a contract given to me to race in Australia. That’s why I cancelled the one in South

Africa.

“Then one thing led to another and Geoffstayed because he still had a year left on his contract. I hadn’t been in the car for ages and, when I hopped in the car for the first time, I won two of the support races and lost one to Jimmy [Richards]in the wet. That sort ofthing proves your form. “Then I had the third car in the team. We dominated. At Lakeside,I was in a support role, because Audi was a threat. I had to qualify third and run third in the races, which was very frustrating. Then we went to Amaroo and we qualified on pole position.” From there, Baird teamed up with Morris for Bathurst. The result has been welldocumented, the pair taking the chequered flag but losing the race to Geoffand David Brabham after Baird [staying in the car during the final pitstop] exceeded the time limit for a driving stint. But, as the fastest man on the track in the final stages of the race, Baird impressed enough people to snare a works Ford drive in the foUovting year’s British Touring Car Championship. Despite the potential ofthe team,that also ended badly. Ford’s Reynard-built car was

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Ready for action:‘New Boy’ Craig Baird is raring to go for the 2000 V8 Supercar season in the Stone Brothers Falcon AU.(Photo by Phii wniiams)

Baird moon Rising

late and, when it did arrive just before the first race, it was the worst works car in the series. On top ofthat. Ford’s PR department appeared to be more interested in putting the media-friendly Nigel Mansell in the car than supporting Will Hoy and Baird. Adding to that was a series ofresource-draining crashes throughout the season and, at the end ofthe year, changes were made. Ford moved thenworks team to Prodrive and cleared the decks. Baird was out of a drive. “I came back from a pretty testing time in England, and I thought that, with motor racing, you’re only as good as your last race an^ in that race, you’re only as good as the car that is underneath you. “I really had a hard time in England;I was learning front-wheel drive along with [Gianni] Morbidelh. Eveiyone else also had to learn that, but they had learned it six years earlier- and they were all learning together. Morbidelli and I were the

only ones in a very competitive field that were learning.” “In my own mind...I had spoken to Paul Radisich

about it. We were using a different engine to what everyone else was using, and it was an engine which was probably at the end ofits development. I knew that it wasn’t going to change overnight. I knew that Radisich had struggled with' it, and Will Hoy the year before that. “At the end of the day,I still left with a positive mindset, but it was never really to be.” He also feels he left the team with his reputation intact. “I did. I think that everyone who was involved with the project knew that the car was

not competitive. At WiUiams, Will Hoy was beating Alain Menu,but now he was at the back ofthe grid with me! “It’s no different with Radisich; he was two-times World Cup champion and really struggled with the Mondeo. Michael Schumacher can drive a Minardi but he won’t be at the front ofthe pack.” ‘Tt[the ’99 Mondeo]won races last year, but it struggled pretty well the rest ofthe time. Seamd to last on the grid ... I think there was times ... Hoy won a race and I led 70 percent ofa race. At Knockhill, the car was a little more suited to the track

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Just a couple of NZers: Baird and Ross Stone could make a formidable combination.

because ofthe engine characteristics ofthe car. But they got the car moving in the right direction this year; good on them. But they have a new team, new drivers and a new engine development program. That’s what it is aU about,” After a bad season Baird was expected to be in demand for Australian racing. But, with most ofthe prime seats secured for the season, he had few opportunities to race full time. He decided to consolidate and announced his retirement from full-time racing. “When I came back finm England,I was trying to build up a httle bit more stability

We're definitely looking for race wins, there’s no two ways about it I’ve had a good run in anything I’ve jumped into before, whether it’s been here or in Europe. 9$

17 December 1999 0.

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by estabhshing a business in Australia. It’s come a little bit sooner and it’s probably a better opportunity than I thought would become availalJle. I’m extremely excited about it and I’m looking forward to getting into the testiftg duties first and getting into the first round.” But, while Baird concedes his took time to get up to full speed in the Mondeo, he feels much more optimistic about the future with SBR. “With Supercars; that’s the kind of car I am used to driving. It’s a powerful car, real-wheel drive and I enjoy driving that. I’ve been competitive in these cars pretty well straight out of the box.” Like most idle racing drivers, Baird didn’t make a good spectator during his lay off. Did he expect it to be difficult? “Initially, I thought no. Then I sat down and started watching the television on the weekend and it became harder and harder. “When I did get back into the car and started testing with Stones it became quite obvious that I was missing it more than I ever expected and was certainly enjoying missing it more. Straight out of the box I could run in the top 10; and that was just running in a support role, not pushing the car hard. There was no need to push; I wasn’t going to qualify the car. I just wanted to be strong in the support role. I knew that if we had gooo results in'the endurance u

races, he [Jason Bright] was going to have a chance of winning the championship.” Are racing drivers cranky spectators? “Yeah, we are. It always looks easy from the outside, it’s like watching golf on TV, but the cold hai'd facts are it’s a lot harder when you are pushing it youi’self.” If his most recent experience with a full-time Ford drive was not pleasant Baird harbours no doubts aboutjoining Stone Brothers for 2000. The form of the Pirtek Falcon with Jason bright at the wheel has been right at the pointy end of the Ford queue and he is looking forward to getting his teeth into a full season. “I rate the Stone Brothers team extremely highly. Thenstrength is the motivation that the whole team has; there’s not one person in that team that I wouldn’t say was 100 percent committed to winning races, and that’s from the people who are driving the truck to the people owning the team. It’s just a fantastic group of people. “Tlie Stones keep everyone very motivated. At the end of the day, there’s no bullshit; you know exactly where you stand and you know what to expect. Evei-ything is laid on the table and I think that gives everyone a great deal of confidence. “It’s a one year deal but, obviously, I want to sort something out for 2001. It lets you get into it, get some testing going and go from there.

With motor racing, you're oniy as good as your last race and, in that race, you're only as good as the car that is underneath you.

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Time and motion study: Baird’s 1998 season was spent in the British Touring Car Championship, running one of Ford’s disappointing Mondeo V6s. Home turf: Baird is very popular across the Tasman and currently leads the TranzAm series. Don’t look too closely at the Mobil and Enzed-clad Chevrolet. (Mondeo pic by Ford Media; all other photos by Dirk Klynsmith)

“We were doing some drive day running at Queensland Raceway and dipping into the 12s on old, grained-up tyres. I felt that it was so easy to do it when it is your own car and you’re the one. Your name is on the side and it comes a lot easier than just being a support driver.” He is also confident that he wOl be a contender in the Shell Championship Series. “We’re definitely looking for race wins, there’s no two ways about it. I’ve had a good run in anything I’ve jumped into before, whether it’s been here or in Europe. “When I first went to America and raced with Julian Bailey; he’s an exFormula One driver in the IMSA GT championship. They said that the car had 700 horsepower. I’d never fit in. I’d never driven a closed car before and I was against Alan McNish, who went on to win Le Mans for Porsche. I broke the lap record at Pikes Peak, so I feel I can adapt pretty quickly to these cars. “I probably did adapt quickly to front-wheel drive, but not in the right car to be adapting with. “In a Supercar, I can just jump in it and feel like'^ it’s part of me straight away. I feel really confident under brakes and it feels good. And, obviously, it’s one of the better cars in the field that tends to give you a lot more confidence in the car.” This is turning into a transTasman se'ries. Greg Murphy and Steven Richards battled Paul Radisich for the FAI 1000 win, and now Craig Baird has joined the fray. There is almost certain to be a race in Kiwi-land in 2001 but we may need our black and silver flags ready long before then...

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Report by TONY GLYNN THE Birrana Engineering juggernaut swept aside its competition on December 5 at Christchurch’s Ruapuna Park when an unstoppable Simon Wills took out both

Thrill Wills; Simon Wills (top, and above tasting the trophy) added his name to the dis tinguished list of New Zealand GP win ners. Close tussle: One of the battles of the meeting was between Wills’ Birrana team-mate Brenton Ramsay, who locked horns (and almost wheels) with Christian Murchison (right).

rounds of the Tasman Cup series and absolutely domi nated the latter 34-lapper, Man to beat in 2000? which was run conjointly as Murchison (right, below) was the find the 1999 New Zealand of the weekend, and looks like adding Grand Prix. Formula Holden form to his FF record “I was pacing myself next season. against Scott [Dixon] and felt that the GP was a hard race (Photos by Dirk Klynsmith) I cerainly wasn’t able to take it easy at any stage,” Wills said. “There were only a few little things that went wrong, later inland excursion after but nothing worth talking dredths of a second. about.” Dixon was quickest in qual being shunted off by Wills was quickest in the ifier one, with Wills right Christian Murchison - and a main event, his Birrana behind him, but he slumped slipping clutch and no third Beaurepaires Dunlop 94D to fourth after the CV disas gear were further handicaps carding a 1:16.584 best on lap ter and watched grimly from to overcome in his 94D. 13, a time unbeaten on the the sidelines as the session Running under the Ralt day by his opposition, but wound down. Wills again Australia Graham Watson well outside Scott Dixon’s emerging at the top of the banner. Matt Halliday had a track record of 1:15.810. time sheets. successful outing in his Mobil In the NZGP feature race 1 Challenge Recruitment 95D The expected challenge by Wills’ nemesis, Dbcon, failed (roimd 4 of the Tasman Cup), and made both podiums in to materialise in the opening, Dixon fared better, though he third place - despite splitting 18-lapper (round 3 of the six- was unfortunately hamstrung his front wing in the GP after round series) after Dixon performancewise by the reap hitting a kerb - which is more went off at turn 1 on the first pearance of the electrical than could be said for his lap, then subsequently punc-. problem that had ruined his illustrious team-mate, Craig tured twice and was forced to outing the previous weekend Lowndes, who experienced a pit twice, the crestfallen at Teretonga. DNF in race one and came dynamo ultimately coming As a consequence, runner- home eighth in the GP. home a lowly eleventh - the up to Wills was a better than The oil pump on the only good news was his expected result, the V6 Lowndes Mobil 1 Challenge 1:16.734 fastest lap. engine in Dixon’s aero up- Recruitment Rick Armstrong The young champion had specced Turners Auctions Motors 92D failed two laps been under real pressure dur Reynard 92D prone to cutting into the first practice session ing the lead up to the GP, but out completely in low-speed on Friday, the time lost dur was holding his own until the comers. ing the subsequent engine second qualifier, where a con Speaking of runners-up. change robbing Lowndes of stant velocity joint failure Birrana Engineering’s valuable development miles cost him the session. Brenton Ramsay impressed for the day and guaranteeing Up till that moment, he mightily after claiming the that he would be playing had been quickest ahead of number two spot as the che catch up for the rest of the the omnipresent Wills in two quer fell for the first race, the weekend. of Friday’s three practice ses result adding further lustre to Despite the best efforts of sions, Wills being quickest in his pair of thirds collected the the team, Lowndes had to session one (1:15.453) ahead weekend previously. contend with a major under of Dixon and the margin in In the Grand Prix, though, steer problem all weekend session three between their Ramsay slipped down to fifth and, when really pushed to times a mere three hun- following an early spin and a the limit, the car would snap-

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oversteer with spectacular consequences, Lowndes spin ning in the first qualifying session on the shppery track. Watson held the view that Lowndes was driving the Formula Holden in much the same manner as a V8 Supercar. “He’s used to cars with a lot more power, where you drive right up to the corner, stand on the brakes, turn the car around the corner and belt the accelerator,” Watson explained. “That’s not the quick way to drive these cars and he still has to adapt his driving tech¬

nique to get the best out of his car.” Given the different driving styles of Halliday and Lowndes, there was no chance of the former’s very acceptable settings being transferred to the Lowndes machine, so it was up to Craig to knuckle down and make as much progress as was possible in the limited time available. After the second qualifier, Watson decided to look at some major front-end revi sions for Lowndes for the Sunday morning warm-up (or scrub-up, in EnZed parlance).

the officially untimed outing resolving the understeer problem to an extent and at least establishing some sort of workable baseline for the first race, which would then deter mine the ultimate set-up for the Grand Prix itself. But race one didn’t go exactly to plan, Lowndes misshifting on lap 13 and momentarily upsetting the car, which oversteered off at the entry onto the main straight and broke the fixint wing in half. “The car was better, but still understeering,” said Lowndes, “the whole set-up a

17 December 1999

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legacy of missing those Friday sessions. “In the Grand Prix itself, the car was very loose in the rear, as the replacement nose box wasn’t quite the equal of the old one and produced much more giip at the front and less at the rear - that meant that the car wanted to snap-oversteer even more! “We thought the nose boxes were the same, but there was enough of a difference to be a problem.” Fourth home in both races was Jason Liefting in the more successful of the brace of Arthur Abrahams NRC International Racing Team entries. Liefting’s efforts in his Theta Cockpit 88 95D over shadowed n the results achieved by team-mate Murchison, who had a trou bled outing, managing to crash his 94D on the opening lap and DNF in race one and come home ninth in the GP after being blackflagged for reportedly making “a suicidal passing move on Brenton Ramsay.” Incidentally, Liefting was incorrect, according to engine builder Shane Wilson, when he stated the pi'evious week end that Murchison’s engine blew up and needed to be replaced for the second race at Teretonga. A pair of sixth-placings was as good as could be expected, thought Paul Dumbrell, who never really came to terms with the handling of his Wynn’s 94D during the week end, though mechanical prob lems were also an issue in the GP. “The clutch was slipping badly off the line around 5,000 rpm,” Dumbrell said. “The slip then worsened as the race went on and I even tually stopped using the clutch at all.

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Summer Halliday: Matthew Halliday (top) completed a good weekend for the locals. Whichever way you look at it; Gold Star and now NZGP winner Wills was just too fast from any angle.

“But, as the laps wound down, the clutch came back and the car was able to do some serious motoring. “Overall, I’m happy with the car, though the understeer that has plagued the car all year is still apparent. “We increased the shock rebound for the GP and tried to stay out of trouble and be consistent. So, under the circumstances, sixth is okay it’s all experience.” Following Dumbrell home in the Grand Prix was Ian Peters, the pair having had a racelong struggle for supremacy which was ultimately resolved in Dumbrell’s favour as his clutch recovered. Peters, who finished eighth in last year’s NZGP, was comfortably holding down seventh earher in race one until losing two positions after being hit in the rear by Peter Hill, who outbraked himself at turn 3 and punted Peters into the gi-ass. Peters, who had recorded his best-ever tiroes at the demanding 3.44 km circuit, was extremely lucky to make the flag, as Hill’s front endplate had badly cut the Camtech E-Commerce 91D’s

rear Dunlop, which miraculously did not deflate, Hill went on to claim eighth spot behind Les Crampton, the latter also rounding out the top ten in the GP results in his 3M JustLites 91D. Surprisingly, the opening 18-lapper quicldy degenerated into more of a race for sheep stations than a display of ultimate driving skills, the attrition rate being absurdly high and the number of incidents resulting in many postrace discussions up and down the very impressive, brandnew pit lane, the postmortems characterised by much finger pointing, The Hill car, owned and run by Kevin Murphy Motorsport, was the centre of attention during Friday morning’s first practice session, when Bathurst winner Greg Murphy broke his comprehensive media schedule and, unannounced, jumped into the cockpit of his dad’s 92D to try and set a competifive time, The personal goal for Mm-phy was a 1:15 and, if he could stop the clocks in that ultra-competitive zone, he would take over the car and

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compete for the weekend - if not, he vvould forget the whole show. Well, he carded a 1:16.054, a time good enough for third behind Wills and Dixon, but not good enough for Murph, who immediately pulled the pin and disappeared back to NZ media land (probably much to Hill’s rehef). Looking very promising throughout practice and qual ifying were the Chris Hocking entries driven by Yudaii Igarashi and Andrev/ Booth. But Booth was destined to stumble in his 96D and DNF in both races, while Igarashi was to finish an impressive fifth in race one in his 94D, but then succumb in the GP and also retfre. “The track was as slippery as hell and Andrew just fell off the track in race one,” said Hocking, “while Yudai drove very, very well for a particu larly good result. “In the Grand Prix, though. Booth’s engine blew, which was tragic, as he was up to fourth and may have improved further and then the fuel pump in Yudai’s car shit itself, which is just rmbelievable. I’m in shock! “Booth’s fuel pump shit

itself on Friday, which meant we couldn’t do any set-ups for him at all, so we were behind the eight-ball right from day one. “Andy tlirows the car aroimd a lot and has a differ ent driving style from Yudai, so we can’t transfer settings, hut we put stiffer springs in for the second qualifier to stop the car falling over and have been playing catch up ever since. “And, after all that, we lost another fuel pump on Yudai’s car in the GP and then Andy’s engine really let go when he was obviously going to get a really good result - I’ve had better weekends, I can tell you.” Daynom Templeman’s 92D broke a gearbox selector fork in race one and was stranded on the circuit, but the car was good for 11th spot in the GP, ahead of Stan Redman’s Flexoplas Packaging 92D and the Auckland Raceway 91D of Jim Turnbull. The latter entry caused a fair amount of upset when he

Points: Wills 75, Ramsay 47, Halliday 42, Dixon 41, Liefting 30, Lowndes 21, Igarashi 18, Dumbrell 14, Booth 12, Peters 6, Crampton 5, Hill 4, Murchison 4, Bell 3, Templeman 1.

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Bent, not broken: Kevin Bell had a big accident in his Reynard.

propped in second spot behind the pace car in race one when it was quite appar ent to all and sundry that he had been lapped and was well out of position. Despite thq volume of hys terical protests lodged, Turnbull was allowed to keep chugging along and, when the race went to green, pre dictably made his contribu tion to the turn 1 free-for-all that quickly developed. Roger Oakeshott was the final competitor to take the NZGP flag, his Lola T93/50 having caught fire in the warm-up after brake fluid leaked onto the hot discs and then failed to start in race one - he finished the GP on five cylinders and also left plenty of oil in his wake. Dean Cockerton broke a CV joint in race one and spun to a halt, the problem being rec tified for the GP - but he had also taken a tooth off the crownwheel and the outcome was another DNF. Kevin Bell was earher feel ing good about life and had qualified 12th for race one and ninth for the GP in his Enzed Hose Fittings 91D, but unexpectedly managed to remove three corners and tear out the gearbox during Sunday morning’s warm-up in spectacular fashion and was obhged to call it quits for the day.

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Hie long-tei

Itexciting certainly is interesting times for Fred and Gibson. Having lost the extremely lucrative Winfield tobacco money at the end of 1995, Gibson’s once-dominant Gibson Motorsport operation struggled, spending a couple of seasons in the wilderness. An extreme shortfall in budget saw many members of the team leave, seeking greener pastures elsewhere, including stalwart Mark Skaife. In late '97 Gibson hooked onto a lifeline in the form of Wynn’s Racing boss Gary Dumbrell, the Melbourne entrepreneur wanting to run his endurance campaign out of Gibson’s impressive Dandenong facility. The partnership went well, with the two expanding the relationship into a two-car deal for drivers Darren Hossack and Darren Pate the following year. Despite struggling with two / green drivers and uncompetitive tyres, the seed was sown for a stronger relationship. Now,following a season that saw the team sign Bathurst winners Steven Richards and Greg Murphy to replace the Hossack/Pate combo, update to the newer VT Commodores and, after a season that

produced an incredible high with a win at Mount Panorama last month, Gibson has announced that he is selling up shop. GERALD McDORNAN spoke with Fred Gibson this week and learnt more about his past, Bathurst and future with the now Dumbrell-owneo Gibson Motorsport operation...

t’s all about long-term thinking. Planning constantly through the good times and tough times. That’s what Fred Gibson says about his motor racing and it’s probably a damn good reason why 2000 sees him celebrating his 40th year in the sport. Gibson uses the long-term thinking approach to everything he does with Gibson Motorsport and it’s proved to be quite successful, thank you very much. It was Gibson’s involvement with the Japanese, during his 15 years with Nissan, that helped him evolve into the person he is today and very much set him up on an even greater path to success. 'The Japanese trained me to be a long-term thinker,” he says. “You just can’t win tomorrow if you haven’t put the work in, in the past, not just yesterday.” The long-term thinking plan was very much evident when Gibson set about rebuilding his team and reaching the lofty

heights of the tobacco-financed, factory-backed Nissan years. When the Dumbrell/Wynn’s commitment came, giving the opportunity to rise again, Gibson looked to his former Nissan accomplice Alan Heaphy for a helping hand. “What I said to Alan [Heaphy] when he came down here 18 months ago was ‘we haven’t got the biggest budget in the world and we haven’t got the best drivers in the VS, but there’s a couple of things we must do present ourselves unbelievably well, be reliable and get whatever results we can get.’ “That’s the criteria we set and that worked very well for us.” It must have worked well as Dumbrell and Wynn’s committed to an even greater campaign in 1999 and Gibson and Dumbrell n set about securing a long-term future of success with the rebuilding of critical driver personnel... Regarding season ’99, Gibson, like always, is quite frank about the team’s initial plans, its drivers and results. “I don’t think people understand where we started at the beginning of the year and how difficult it all was,” he says. “We started with two green drivers, two VTs that we knew nothing about and are totally different to the VSs, and control

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Bridgestone tyres, which were totally different to the Yokohamas... “This year had to be pretty much the same as ’98 - present ourselves well, work hard and try bring the car up to speed, along with also giving the drivers miles and also see what the year brings...”

ibson had always targeted the longer distance races for the team’s strong showing of the year, along the way developing a package that would make them more than competitive. “I said at the beginning of the year that if we managed to qualify in the top 10 occasionally it would be good, if we managed a win along the way it would be fantastic - but watch us and see how we go in the long distance races.” They did, they did and they were... “You have to give Steven and Greg a lot of credit for this year - Steven hadn’t done a lot of driving or racing with his commitments with Nissan and Greg really had been in the wilderness for over a year.” Gibson expressed his keenness to get Murphy aboard the team, although he- soon realised that the former HRT frontman wasn’t quite as knowledgeable about the cars as he thought... “We found out Greg is not that analytical about the cars - he knew what the car was doing on the track, but didn’t know a lot about how to fix it...” Like with everyone else, Gibson was more than prepared to work with Murph and teach him the ways and is happy with the progress they’ve made.

ibson prides himself on having a solid record of employing young people and training them in a way which has made them hot property elsewhere - not only with

driving staff, such as Seton, Skaife, Richards and Murphy, but, perhaps more importantly, also with engineering staff in the business. Gibson sees this as being vital as he believes there is a major need to bring new blood into what is, obviously, a prosperous sport and business. “I’m not one of these people who recruits staff from other teams, I’d rather employ young, fresh people and train them the way I want things done,” he says. “Also, our industry is so small and we keep recycling people and that’s bad after a

Nissan Motorsport in 1985 and if you’ve got members like that, it heips you everywhere, especiaiiy training new peopie as you can then bring young peopie in and bring them along in the business. “Other teams get staff in that have got bad habits inbedded in their brains and that’s not good for business.” It gets back to the fact that Gibson is aii about iongterm thinking... “I put young people on thinking in 12 months they’ll provide us with the goods. You have to put up with

told Gary[DumbrellWynnes boss]that we were only going to run one car in the enduros and he obviously wasn'Y listening... Gibson on his authority... while. “We need to create something with colleges to bring new blood into our sport...” Gibson’s desire to set those he has trained on the right path, though, has been to the detriment of his own team when it went through some tough, lean times after Winfield departed in ’96. “We probably lost 80 percent of our good, young staff to HRT. People say we’ve serviced them with people, which is probably true, but that’s okay.” Gibson points out that a rightly large number of his 20-odd staff are long time members of the team and that in itself provides benefits with young talent. ‘The senior staff have been here a long-time, some of them since 1 came down from Sydney to take over

them for 12 months to train them and bring them up to your speed - and with no bad habits.” You could almost Gibson’s trainingsay even extends to sponsors with Gibson many times in the past expressing to them that, despite their wishes for certain things, if it involved the race cars and racing, he rules the roost. Even this year it happened... “1 told Gary [Dumbrell Wynn's boss and now the owner of Gibson Motorsport] at the beginning of the year we were only going to mn one car in the endurance races,” he says. It’s all getting back to that long-term thinking deal again... “He obviously wasn’t listening, as when I told him I’d sold the second car to the

Ticked-off-Ford and everyone else: Gibson knew that, if his 1 team went to Bathurst with just one Wynn’s car and the Riehards/Murphy pairing, they had more than a chance to win. He was right... Media performer: Gibson has always been comfortable in the media spotlight,saying what he thinks, when he thinks it needs to be said. 4

z, %

(Photos by Dirk Kiynsmith)

Challenge team (which Gibson subsequently ran for the David Parsons/David Parsons duo), he had to make further arrangements with John Faulkner to please his sponsors.” It’s not an angry or boastful Gibson telling this story, it’s one who has 39 years of experience to count on and one who makes calculated and well thought decisions. “I run the race team, I make the decisions and, with Bathurst, I thought we had the best driving pairing, bar none. “With Skaife and Lowndes split, no pairing was better than Richards and Murphy and it was silly to do anything else but concentrate on doing the best job we could with them.” It’s all too easy to say the rest is history, but it is... The firmness that Gibson stood by his decision with is the same as when he told Nissan’s marketing

department that Mark Skaife would debut the new GTR and not Jim Richards, as they so desired. As Gibson feared, the car failed on debut and Richards, embroiled in a championship battle, luckily, continued on in the older HR31. It was a decision that Nissan’s marketing department would later thank him dearly for.

umbrell, too, would thank Gibson for his decision making, the pair celebrating after the last piece of equipment had been stored in the trailers after the Wynn’s #7 crossed the line first after 1,000 gruelling kilometres at Mount Panorama. There was obviously no harm done and the association between the two has grown to the point that Gibson, now 58,finally relented to Dumbrell’s offers to buy his burgeoning business.

“Everything’s for sale at a price,” he says frankly. “Gary was talking to me about buying from early in the year and it got to the point where I thought,‘why not?’” But, even more importantly, when talking with pride about the great legacy he will leave the sport, Gibson says “Gary can take Gibson Motorsport to the next level” and that’s something he’s extremely happy with.

ibson won’t go missing in the short-term, though, with Dumbrell signing him to, at least, a 12 month contract that will see him continue to impart his knowledge and help grow the team. After that, who knows but for the moment he says “I can’t see myself going anywhere.” Fred’s obviously still going to be there for the long-term - at least that’s what he’s thinking...

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30 17 December 1999 r A n

Adam Constable fn strife during hot laps.(Swanson pics) DONNY Schatz continued to steamroU the opposition with his fifth straight victory in his WSS championship chase. Starting from pole in the 30-lap final at Avalon on December 11, Schatz was never headed, although triple and defending champion Skip Jackson chased hard and was never far away. “At least we gat a trophy for a change,” stated Skip after a frustrating run so far. “We just have to tiy a little bit harder.” Brooke Tatnell had a fierce dice with young Queenslander Drew Kruck for many laps before finally shaking him off, but not before he clipped both Chas Calandro and the front stretch wall,janing his back in the process. Kruck maintained fourth from Trevor Green and Max Dumesny, who would have been pleased with the result after

Schatz makes it five exiting an earlier heat in spectacular fashion after a huge double flip with Aussie #1 Phil March. “He just drove over the front of me,” explained an angry Dumesny about the incident. “I passed him (March) down there(turn 4)and he just drove into me up here (turn 1).” The action started with hot laps when Adam Constable did a wall of death act in turn 1 - then, in time trails. Dean McComb spim on the front straight. On current form, Schatz from pole was obviously going to

win the feature, unless he got caught up in an incident, or made a mistake. Jackson would start alongside from Brazier, Kruck, Green, Tatnell, Pete Murphy, David Anderson, Nathan MacDonald, Dumesny, Darren Jensen, Reed, Peter Smith, Calandro, Van Bremen and Reuter. At the chequer, Schatz recorded yet another win, this time from Jackson, Tatnell, Kruck, Green, and Dumesny. -BRETT SWANSON

then six!

l Carri.erpnGessner checks - outihe ArCherfield skyline. .ffooy Lqxley pic)

American charger takes Brooke’s WSS win record at Warrnam'bool DONNY Schatz has done it again, although a record sixth WSS A-Feature victory in suc cession proved hard-fought for the Minot, North Dakota, 22 year-old at Round 6 of the 17race national series at Warmambool’s rain-affected

Waoiess wins risbane TODD Wanless thought he’d flattened an entire regiment of Chinamen in Brisbane on December 6 - and with good reason, too. Midway through his first heat of round five of the 1999/2000 Queensland Sprintcar Summer Shoot-out, Wanless’ engine cried enough and, while he still managed to finish the race, his engine was too badly damaged to continue. Yet the Gods smiled upon Wanless after Kathy Kelly, who had been driving Dean Wanless’ #56 EWT Wreckers machine, kind ly stepped aside, allowing him the chance to capitilise on his points chase for the QSSS crown. i-This sporting gesture proved to be enough to lift his flagging spir its, Wanless storming from the front row in the 25-lap A-Main on his way to a popular victory from a barnstorming Garry Brazier and the rapidly improving Cameron Gessner. Naturally, Wanless was ecstatic with the result. “Our front row starting position made it very easy for me tonight, although towards the end of the race my power steering gave out.

which meant that if like someone Brazier or McComb had challenged me. well, I wouldn’t have been able to hold them off,” he said. In the first of the four ten-lap heats. Ricky Mitchell led all the way to win Todd Wanless: QSSS- Rd 5 winner.(Tony Loxiey) narrowly from Dean McComb and John * was split between both drivers. Kelly. In the,A-Main, Brazier and The second and third heats were McComb started tenth and twelfth, the races of the night, however, respectively. Clem Hoffmans and Steve Wanless rocketed away and was Mortimer racing hard in both victorious, while McComb was heats. Hoffmans held out Mortimer quick to attack, up to third by the in heat two, while the tables were first comer. reversed in heat three. Ultimately, though, McComb Garry Brazier dominated the Would end up fourth, behind fourth heat, winning in a new 10- Wanless, Brazier, and Gessner. lap record time and heading home The lead quartet was followed Kelly and McComb. home by Kelly, Tony Bridge, John With $2500 prize money on offer, Shore, Sherri Schaffer and the 3x3 Shoot-out was a closely Hoffmans. fought affair. QSSS pointscore: McComb 273, Brazier and McComb ended up Brazier 229, Gessner 228, Wanless equal on points after both scored a 228, Hodges 213, Schaffer 211, first, second, and third place finish in Kruck 202, Mitchell 193, Bridge 191, John Kelly 190. each of the heats - the prizemoney

Premier Speedway on December 12. On a night chock full of rain, records and wrecks, the 1997 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year came from behind to pass defending triple WSS Champ Skip Jackson in a manoeuvre which led the American to later explain that “aggression got the better of me; I apologised to Skip.” The overcast evening, fi-equently interrupted by persistent light showers, commenced with Jackson and Trevor Green both eclipsing the one-lap track record in time tri als, the Pennzoil/Skilled JohnBoy driver creating a new record of 10.671 secs for a circulation of the quarter-mile banked clay oval. Later, during preliminary heat races, Peter Murphy undercut the 10-lap race distance, then followed that up with a stirring win in the Goodyear Eagle 'Trophy Dash after Schatz had again drawn a six inversion for the six-lap sprint. Drama ensued before the start of the 30-lap feature, when Brooke Tatnell pulled infield during the four-wide formation lap when the ‘wing tree (bracket)” broke on his Shell Helix Avenger. As on the previous night, an offi cial’s belt was seconded to tie up the offending item, but at the expense of a rear offield start. “I got lucky when Brooke’s wing broke, as I moved up a row to start from third,” Schatz later admitted. Jackson jumped ahead of Murphy at the start, followed by Dean McComb, Schatz, Garry Brazier and Trevor Green, while Tatnell was quickly making an impression from the rear. The American’s Bunbury Toyota Maxim was up to second spot by lap 10, while wholesale changes occurred over third position

between Brazier, McComb, Murphy and Green. Nearing the end of lap 17, Schatz made an aggressive move, making contact with Jackson in the process as he took the lead. “Donny raises the level of compe tition here, which is fine; we have to raise our level. He raced me tough and hard and that’s just the way it is,” Skip later commented. Lap 19 brought about the demise of Geelong’s Rob Rankin when his Buckley’s Gaming Foster flipped in turn 3. Two laps later, Murphy got hung up behind a slower car and inadver tently tapped the wall while mak ing avoidance, the consequence being a broken driveline and a cau tion to clear the stricken Sydney Overnight Maxim. From the restart, Schatz shot away from Jackson to race to an unprecedented sixth successive win, eclipsing Tatnell’s previous record. Brazier hung onto third, despite the close attentions of Green, who in turn was being hounded by an astounding Tatnell, who had taken advantage of Rankin’s wreck to repair his top wing. Brooke’s burst from 15th to fifth was, however, insufficient to pre vent Green from regaining second in the point standings, behind run away leader Schatz. Brazier, who was limping around on crutches outside the car after suffering bums to his right foot at Avalon, was happy to finish third under the circumstances. Results: A-Feature (30 laps) ; 1. Schatz, 2. Jackson, 3. Brazier, 4. Green,5. Tatnell, 6. Dean McComb, 7. Andrew Scheuerle, 8. Nathan MacDonald, 9. Jamie Maiolo, 10. Chas Calandro, 11. Kelly Linigen, 12. Peter Smith, 13. Mike Van Bremen, 14. Mark Reuter, 15. Murphy, 16. Rankin Pointscore: ; 1. Schatz (6000), 2. Green (3390), 3. Tatnell (3310), 4. Jackson (3000), 5. Max Dumesny (2830), 6. Drew Kruck (2320), 7. Ron Krikke (1650), 8. Darren Jensen (1295), 9. Calandro (1280), 10. Scheuerle(1165).

1 ^

17 December 1999

Brazier tops WAR zone IF not for the fact that it was in Victoria at Western Auto Raceway, Bacchus Marsh, you would be excused for thinldng it was yet another round of the QSSS series when Queensland-based Garry Brazier and Dean McComb fought out the final of the Flocon Engineering Fireball Derby for Sprintcars last Friday ni^t. “I owed Dean that one after he beat me at the (Sprintcar) Masters in Adelaide,” said Brazier - the triple Australian Champion - as he accepted the $5,000 winner’s cheque on behalf of the recently formed Lawrence/Brazier team. Ominously for his rivals. Brazier also admitted that over the past couple of years he hasn’t been par ticularly motivated, but with the forming of this new alliance, the hunger was back. “I can’t wait until next weekend (for the WAR Nationals) here, when those World Series guys are here also,” stated a confident winner. McComb had been quick from the word go and led the initial laps after top qualifying. Brazier and Peter Murphy were never far away, with the race lead changing as the lead pair encoun tered a lapped car. Brazier went the inside route and emerged in the lead and started to open a handy gap. With 22 cars starting the feature, the traffic was constant and, on lap 16, the race’s second caution occuiTed when B-Main winner Ian Thomsen rode a wheel and backed his Apex Trusses maxim into the turn 2 wall. With a five lap dash to the flag, McComb applied the pressure, but was unsuccessful in retaking the

lead, crossing the line a car length adrift of Brazier - Murphy main tained third, ahead of David Anderson and Nathan MacDonald. A top-class field of 30 cars assem bled for the third round of the Brown & Skinner Transport Sprintcar series, despite many top names being told not to race by the NASR-controlled World Series organisers. And the field was truly interna tional, American Phil Gressmaiv making his Australian season debut driving for BC Motorsport. West Australian tyro Jamie Maiolo was also making his east coast debut, but things went awiy Let’s go: Garry Brazier (above)squared the ledger at Western Auto Raceway with Dean McComb.(Loxiey pic) in the opening heat when his car McComb repelled Murphy’s car, Rob Farrer hit the wall, top half of the track and ’Thomsen jumped out of gear twice. Gressman cut a tyre and Shore jumped from sixth to first and ran advances when the race started, Adam Constable showed impres with Brazier third from Constable away from the field. sive speed by coming from 11th to stop. In.fact, Thomsen was on the bade of 'The race was stopped on la^ 2, (Pressman’s car was pushed into pass polesitter MacDonald to take however, when Vogels rode Swayn’s the lead, with Chris Evans in third. the pits to change the tyre, instead the pack of Shore, Maiolo and Rod right rear and flipped the Total of changing it on the infield - once Mat&evra, who crossed the line togeth Following a restart, MacDonald made a better start and retook the in the pits, the gate was shut and er,taking second to fourth places. Dairy Service Jenkins. The race resumed, with McComb Shore kept the fans excited with lead as Evans Was extremely slow the race restarted. minus Gressman. a huge plume of sparks flying off holding sway as the lead drivers away and dropped to third last in the 15-car field. MacDonald went on A couple more spins occurred as the rear brakes of the Havoline sliced their way through the ever to record the win from Constable, Anderson went on to record the Eagle, the magnesium pads looking present traffic, until McComb and with Matthew Reed third. win, despite spinning when he saw like they were exploding as he Brazier closed in on Peter Kmght, who was about to rbtire infield. crossed the line. Three times Tim McCubbin a stranded Shore sitting in his path McComb and Brazier went either Thomsen’s start was seen to be swept around the outside of the - Mike Van Bremen and Garry too good and he was relegated a side of the Flocon Foster, with Chippindall were next. pack in turn 1 in heat two to be sec ond beliind Gressman - and three McComb taking the high road back The last heat had some spins, position, giving the win to Shore. times the race was restarted. to second place. McComb had top-scored from including Constable after contact Gressman from Pole led the race McCubbin pulled infield at this with Murphy, who won the heat Murphy, Anderson, Brazier, from McComb and Brazier until the from Brazier and McComb. MacDonald, Constable, Reed, Van point and Gressman was about to Ramsdale, be lapped. last lap, when he ran up the back of The reprofiled track was watered Bremen, Frank Ron Dalton. Lap 16 saw the final stoppage, following the heats and then a Chippindall, McCubbin, David Gressman was momentarily strange thing happened, the water Swayn, Steve Knight, John Vogels, but Brazier was able to hold on stuck on Dalton and almost flipped, already in the track rising back up Harold Brennan Jnr, Peter Knight, over the final sprint, taking a nar but managed to bring the car back to the top and making the track Gressman, Bob Forbes, Shore, row win from McComb, Murphy, Thomsen, Maiolo and Matthews. Anderson, MacDonald, Constable, down to earth, still in second place,, extremely greasy. with Brazier and John Shore next. The field was given hot laps prior Mike Van Bremen, Chippindall, Support classes struggled and so Gressman’s luck was even worse too did the field for the B-Main, to the race and Murphy actually Ramsdale, Gressman, Maiolo, in heat three, when a lap one inci peeled off into the pits, but rejoined Reed, Shore, Matthews and Steve except for Thomsen. -BRETT SWANSON The field was forced to use the in time for the race without penalty. Knight. dent saw a front wing tom off one

VERSATILE Sydney Sprintcar driver JJ Mineeff came within a whisker of winning the Goodyear-sponsored main event at Parramatta City Raceway on December 4, but a last lap mistake cost him dearly. Opportunist Peter Murphy swooped on the hapless Mineeff as he gathered the #14 Isuzuwreck Grizzly back up out of turn 2 and ran off with the money with only half a lap to complete. It was a disappointing way to end what had been a pretty positive night for Sydney money market dealer Mineeff. Starting the 30-lap main event on pole posi tion, he raced away and rarely looked troubled in only his second drive this season, after uni versity and work commitments delayed his 1999/2000 racing program. In between time, he’d been working on the NASR World of Speedway program, offering technical insight to the Sprintcar segments on the show. His season debut one week earlier had also shown promise, Mineeff winning a heat and placing in the top six for the main event. Mineeff can consider himself unlucky on two

Mineeff on the money, Mills victory until Murphy swooped

Troy Jenkins heads PCR pointscore coimts, really, given that Peter Murphy shouldm't have even been there. Opting to stay home rather than take in the Adelaide round of World Series, Murphy want ed to sort out his engine dramas in the Barry Lewis #11 Scotts Transport machine. The promotable yoimg Aussie, who has been living and racing in California for the past two years, relished the opportunity to race back at PCR on all cylinders and lay in waiting for any mistake the leader may offer. . When all appeared lost, that mistake came with only seconds to spare. ' In victory lane, he was a gracious winner.

Max Dumesny Motorsport

^^ RACING TIRE

Mildura’s 'Timmis Speedway last weekend. Racing the Dunkley’s Panels VR Commodore, Mills (currently Australia 2)took two firsts and a second in his heats, twice driving the outside line from the rear to move into one of the top two posi tions on the track. As the chequer fell. Mills led home Darren Cockerill, Paul Salau, Chris Waters, Garlick, Darren Pottage, Ron Watts, Graham West, Mark Deckert and Jason McKinnell. -SUE HOBSON

1999-2000 SPRINTCAR SERIES POINTS SCORE

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offering that Mineeff in fact had deserved the win, but he had been there at the end and took the opportunity when it came up. Jamie Jones made an impressive impact on only his second PCR meeting this year, driving the new-look #36 Danny Jones Body Builders Gambler - the pint-sized bundle of dynamite and sometime kick boxer raced the family Gambler to third behind Mineeff in a drive that belied his limited track time this summer. Pointscore: Troy Jenkins 68,Ian Black 68,Dean Eden 39, Craig Brady 36, Andrew Wright 34, Brett Morris 34, Jason Gates 32, Chris Gallagher 29, Grant Draney 28,Chris Stewart 21.

COROWA’S Trevor Mills took out the second round of the Smith’s Trucks Victorian Modified Production Series at

W.S.S STANDINGS,12112199 Q.S.S.S STANDINGS,9912000

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6000 I. Donny Schatz. 2. Trevor Green. 3390 3. Brooke Tatnell 3310 3000 4. Skip Jackson .. 2830 5. Max Dumesny. 6. Drew Kruck .. 2320 7. Ron Krikke ... I6S0 1295 8. Darren Jensen. 9. Chas Calandro 1280 10. Andrew Scheuerie... 116S

I. Dean McComb .. 2. Garry Brazier ... 3. Cameron Gessner 4. Todd Wanless ... 5. Darrell Hodges .. 6. Sherri Schaffer 7. Drew Kruck 8. Ricky Mitchell ... 9. Tony Bridge 10. John Kelly

273 229 228 228 213 211 202 193 191 190

WESTERN AUTO RACEWAY RESULTS 10/12/99 I. Garry Brazier 2. Dean McComb

9. Francis Ramsdale 10. Phil Gressman

3. Peter Murphy 4. David Anderson 5. Nathan McDonald 6. Adam Constable

11. Jamie Maiolo 12. Mathew Reed 13. Mike Vanbremem 14. Rod Matthews

7. John Shore 8. Gary Chippindall

15. Steve Knight 16. Harold Bremen Jnr

U December 1999

IN another night of firsts, Kelly Linigen took her maiden Sprintcar feature win (pun intended) at Parramatta City Raceway and Peter Attard scored two more victories at the triple feature meeting on November 20. Murphy, back home from his American stint drivng Barry Lewis’ #11 machine won the non-qualifiers race easily - Bob Beattie rolled out of therace on lap three. Results (10 laps): 1 Murphy, 2 Adam Constable, 3 Craig Morrison, 4 Darren Saillard, 5 Clay Laneyrie. In the first feature of the night, Linigen worked her way from eighth to the front, methodically picking off those ahead of her. Mark Bertacco led early, but was passed by Linigen on lap 10 and, with just three laps left. Bob Jackson pushed Bertacco back another place. Results (20 laps): 1 Linigen, 2 Jackson, 3 Bertacco, 4 Kevin Burton,5 Peter Attard. Jackson’s momentum was halted on the opening lap of the second feature when he rolled and caused a pile up. Attard, who’d started on the fi-ont row alongside Mark Blyton, led all 15 laps, winning from Linigen and Murphy. Constable exited the race with

wmm

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Sprintcars

Speedcars

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PETER Logue took out the first round of the VSSA senes at Wangaratta City Raceway on December 4, controversially defeating Mick Nicola after they came together in the last comer on the last lap. Logue spinning- out. After tense discussions between the stewards and racers, Logue was awarded the victory and series lead - Steve Stewart came home third,

ui.

* iafter 4 of 13 rounds) .3 00 ■ Wayne Cover.... .2 90 ■ .Jimmy Fleming,. .2 30 ; "Scott Glazebiaok Mark Glazebroo'k ^ . :,..190 - - Joe Little...rjS:.-r.A-!a;;H’;170 .-.170 ■ ■;Steven Doyle....-;. Tom Watson Sm' .:...,..;.120’ 110 Am’on Holswich .90 ■ Graham Jones .. .-..90 I Neville Lance ...-.

Junior Sedans

(after 2 of 6-rounds) Veronica McCann . ,200

just nudging out Bill Miller in a classic battle. ■ The AMCA National cars pro vided a night of spectacular racing, the final being no exception, with six different cars sharing the lead

[ofi

two laps to go after riding a wheel and rolling. Results (15 laps): lAttard, 2 Linigen, 3 Murphy, 4 Trevor Shields, 5 Burton.. The final feature saw Attard off pole, leading from'Murphy and Linigen until a stoppage on the opening lap. '

Linigen then held second from Murphy, who retired soon after. Linigen was then unable to any thing about Attard, who took the race easily in record time. Results (15 laps): 1 Attard, 2 Linigen, 3 Jackson, 4 Burton, 5 Brett Leadsman, -BRETT SWANSON

MImIseiires

(after 4 of 14 rounds) . 270 j PinoPriolo 24ft R on iKiikke ;..21ft '^'-^iatn ,Nash , 200 , ■ lamie'.Maiol'o . 180 I '■ PhilPack , ;.. ' .●Gavin Migro 170 ISO ' ‘■-.fi^arkWeis '■’i Jeremy'Wan-en 100 .50 Josh Downes... .50 Wayne Russell

Opener Super win by Logue

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(after 4 of 11 rounds) 360 Brad Blake 200 Rody Schroyer USA 190 DeiTol Crane... 170 Todd Schroyer USA 160 Brad Ludlow 150 Bruce Trenaman 120 Ivor Lad wig 110 Phil Richards Ben Lulow — 90 80 John Cardy

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Ray Hale Darren Newmarch., Mark Freer Michael Rickerby.... Steve Lai’son Warren Higgs

Modified Sedans

(after 2 of 9 rounds) 180 Greg Freeman 160 Ben Ellement 140 Troy Brook ,90 Km Williams ,80 Brian Moyle 70 Peter Kiox 70 Ron Tomerini

Formula 500s

(after 4 of 14 )-ouo,ds > 250 Graham Higgs 240 Bill Broadwood 200 Brad Chapman , 200 Bryan Mullings 190 Robbie Brown 160 Craig Ockley 150 Brett Jansen 140 Mark Sarill 120 Russel Taylor 90 Phil Crofts

throughout the race. After a couple of spectacular crashes, which resulted in three cars exiting, Chris Campbell finally took the win ahead of Kevin Peachy and Rob Lindsay. n Albury’s Butch Hope drove an excellent race to finish first in the Victorian Sports Sedans- after bat tling all night with Craig Harrison and John Baker, Hope held on to take victory. n The Standard Saloon final was a physical affair with the yellow flag flying numerous times - after a close race, Peter Patton eventually won, ahead of Tony Aldridge and Trevor Evens.

Hannagan and Furr for PCR’s $50,000 show

CALIFORNIAN dynamic duo Randy Hannagan and Brad Furr are the first two American drivers to nominate

for the Gough and Gilmour CAT 50,000 at Parramatta City Raceway. The pair will race at Claremont Speedway and Bunbury City and Regional Raceway in Western Australia for the annual Speedweek Series in early January, then head East for vari ous commitments, including the Grand Annual Classic at Warrnambool in Victoria. “We were originally going back to. California the weekend after the Classic,” said Hannagan over the phone this week, “but, with $50,000 to win on offer at Parramatta, it seemed pointless to go home without that money too.” Hannagan has no problem run ning up the front at Parramatta. Fans will long remember his intense championship-deciding scrap with Skip Jackson on a rainsodden, rut-ridden PCR circuit last January. “I like Parramatta,” Hannagan said. “I’ve only run there twice and one time the track was really tom up from the rain, but I know we can win there and $50,000 gives you more than enough moti vation,” he continued.

What Brad Furr lacks in experi ence at PCR, hell more than make up for in equipment. “It’s taken me six years of com ing down to Australia to build up the equipment I have,in stock, and they’ve (the Furrs) brought the equivalent down in one container,” Hannagan laughed. No less than eight Americans will have raced in Australia in the weeks leading up to February 1112 event. In addition to Furr and Hannagan, Brent, Tim and Bud Kaeding, Phil Gressman, Donny Schatz and Daimy Smith may also consider running in Australia’s single richest pay to ’vin event in 2000. “Donny has commitments back in the States for February 5, but we’re definitely weighing up our options to bring him back for the fifty grand at Parramatta,” con ceded Schatz’s Australian car owner, Shane Krikke. Reserved seating continues to sell quickly for the two-night event. Bookings can be made by phoning Simon Lander, or Ken Jenkins, at Parramatta City Raceway on (02) 9637 0411. The official venue for accommo dation over the Gough and Gilmour CAT 50,000 weekend is the Mercure Hotel Parramatta.

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17 December 1999

MO,

IT’S been a less than memo rable start to the 1999/2000 season for Robbie Farr. Driving once again for the O’Brien Aluminium Sprintcar Team and subbing when time allows in the Bob Woods Fontana Speedcar, the hard-charging Milperra-based racer had two dis appointing DNFs to his name going into the Goiigh and Gilmour Select event at Parramatta City Raceway on December 11. He was involved in a soul and cai’ destroying wreck at Speedway City for the Masters in November and then, unfortunately, got tied up in a Speedcar wreck at PCR two weeks ago. Little wonder, then, that he was a relieved Sprintcar main event winner at PCR last weekend. Farr took the #3 O’Brien Aluminium new Quick Race Parts Avenger to a confidence-building win in the 10-lap dash event that concludes the radical “Select” con cept that adopts a 20-lap, 15-lap then another 15-lap feature race system. Kerry Madsen blasted the radi cal-looking #29 Motorup Grizzly to the non-qualifiers win after start ing from position #12. Darren Saillard placed second, American Phil Gressman took third and John Shore was fourth, Farr and Steven Graham (making his debut with the awesome #40 Fox Sports Stealth) rounding out the six cars that would advance to the 20lapper from positions #15 to #20, respectively. Mark Bertacco and Jamie Jones the first of two 15-lap events. , shared the front row in the 20-lap Jamie Jones took full toll of his opener, but it was JJ Mineeff who third row start to blast by stormed from position #7 to the Gressman on two occasions, evenlead and subsequent win in the tually taking the win in the #36 Isuzuwreck #14 Grizzly. Danny Jones Body Builders Pino Priolo had one of his best Gambler. Gressman took the #2 nights at PCR to date, taking the machine to second, with Adrian #?/ Yale Forklifts machine to second Maher hauling the #77 Eagle One ahead of Gressman in the USA#2 Twister into the top three. BC Motorsports entry. To his credit, Mineeff again Robbie Fan- stripped the gears in passed several cars to claim fourth, the Avenger and was credited with followed by Farr (who came from 14th position as they progressed to position #16), Peter Attard, Priolo,

Timely result

Saillard, Bertacco, Shore, Brett Loadsman, Trevor Shields, Burton, Danny Hart, Graham, David Hall and Louise Genner. Where you finish in the first 15lap event is where you start the second one. This gaveJones pole and made Gressman his dance partner, Farr blasted from position five to the lead by five laps remaining and rarely looked in trouble, as Jones and Peter Attard duked it out for the top three. - WADE AUNGER

Number two for Super Luke NOT even rain could dampen V8 Super Sedan rookie Luke Pyne’s spirits at the Wynn’s Newcastle Speedway. ’ The fact that the entire feature race for the $27,000 Gough and Gilmour V8 Super Sedan Series third roimd was conducted in rain couldn’t stop the determined 18 year-old from getting his second career win in as many races. Luke started the main event from pole after narrowly defeating his 17 year-old cousin,(llayton and fellow 18 year-old, David Robertson, in the preliminary final. The results in that event created history, as teenagers filled the first three positions. In fact, at one point it looked like being a 1-2-3-4 result for teenagers in the prelim final, until 19,year-old second generation racer Joel Carrig (who held down third place in the race) spun the #11 Wallsend

Automotive Pontiac coming out of turn 2 with only a handful of laps remaining. Luke’s victory was his second so far this season and his second in the series. He and Robertson now have two wins apiece, with Clayton Pyne claiming a PCR victory and ageing 32 year-old Steven Lynch winning the fust Newcastle main ofthe season. Luke’s #91 Diesel Engines R Us Pontiac rarely looked troubled, even with Keith Sims providing some close attention in second place - at one point, he even grabbed the lead going into turn 1. Pyne stabbed the brakes and dived back to the bottom as Sims floated through on the inside, effecting a pass as they raced down the back straight. “Our car was tight in places, but really good in others,” said Luke. “We were having a bit of trouble

getting into tirm 1 and that’s where Keith made his pass. I knew he’d wheelspin down there for a bit, though, so I shot back before he could get his line back.” It’s amazing that Sims even fin ished the event, as the hat from his left front spring came off, laying the #80 VT Commodore over at an imcomfortable angle. Third across the line, though it was nearly second, was Clayton Pyne in dad Ron’s #1 Shell Helix Pontiac Firebird. “I thought we could have got sec ond tonight and maybe even had something for Luke, but it’s my inexperience in the early laps that cost us ground,” Clayton said. “The car was very tight in the first few laps and it took me quite a while to settle back in. I could see Keith -was in trouble, but he defended his line and I couldn’t quite get by.”

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n The Queensland Saloon Car Association has confirmed that a new series for Modified Productions will be run through out the 1999/2000 racing season. The Withcott Seedlings Modified Production Challenge which is long overdue for a catego ry that always produces good rac ing, but has lacked any coordinat ed appro&h to their activities will comprise seven events at a variety of circuits throughout Queensland and New South Wales. The format of each event will comprise three rounds of eight lap heats to determine the starting order for the 20-lap feature race, with the highest pointscorer quali fying on pole position. A prize pool of$25,000 is on offer for contestants, with cash bonuses to be paid to the top five overall at the completion of the series, in addition to the increased prizemoi^ey payable at each event. The opening round of competi tion was scheduled for Bundaberg’s Carina Speedway on November 27. The series then moves to Gympie’s Mothar Mountain Speedway on December 11, before a lengthy break over the tradition ally busy Christmas-New Year period. Hostilities resume at Gladstone Speedway on February 19,followed by events at Toowoomba’s Charlton Raceway on March 4 and Kingaroy Showgrounds on March 25. Joining Withcott Seedlings with sponsorship support are Western Auto Wreckers,Petro Fuels, Pearson Drilling, Cooloola Smallgoods and Cooroy Auto Wreckers. n Brett Barron and Russell Bonsey were the big winners at Kingaroy Speedway recently when AMCA Nationals and Modified Productions shared the spotlight at the picturesque .showground venue. In the AMCA Nationals feature, Bonsey started from the outside front row and was untroubled in taking the 16-lap event ahead of Queensland champ Bob Dennis. Australian champion Jim Knight started from pole position, but dropped back as the race pro gressed to eventually finish in third spot, ahead of Keith Duggan and Jamie Ross. There were no surprises in the preliminaries, with Bonsey, Dennis and Knight snaring a heat win each. Modified Production numbers were well down and Barron was untroubled in taking out the 15lap feature event aboard his South Burnett Transport Commodore. After being hampered by a flat tyre in his opening heat, Barron bounced back to win his next two starts to qualify on pole position for the main event. Troy Brittle, who also recorded a heat win, annexed second spot in advance ofPaul Geritz, Danny Hurt and Peter Campbell. The Street Sedan feature race was a family affair, with Neil

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Harm downing state champ Craig Harm in the 15-lapper. Young Mark Raymont advanced fium sixth !.. third, with Travis Barron ano Greg Raymont round ing out the first five. David Barbeler, Lester Wilcox and Andrew Dascombe were the standout performers in Super Street Sedan competition, collect ing a heat -win apiece and then fihing the first three placings in the 15-lap feature. Wilcox started fi’om pole posi tion, but it was Barbeler who dom inated the race, leading home Wilcox, Dascombe,Peter Baguley and David Brown. Robert White won all three Junior Sedan heats, but was upstaged in the feature event by Aiden Raymont. White finished in second spot, followed by Travis Hutchison, Chantelle Barbeler and Gavin Pates. n Australian Dirt Modified cham pion Stuart Heme was in vintage form and enjoyed an effortless run to victory in the inaugural Cane Toad Classic at Toowoomba’s Charlton Raceway on November 20. Starting from pole position in I the 20-lap feature event. Heme : took his Hazelton Airlines DSR\ Chev to the front when the race commenced and expanded his lead steadily as the laps wound down. Hometown favourite Ray Klarich, the primary sponsor and organiser of this charity event, piloted his Super Rooster Chev into a solid second place finish ahead of Mark Robinson (Valvoline Ford)and Victorian hotshoe Tim Morse, who finished a lap down in fourth spot. The race was held in honor of local lad David Hack, who recently lost his battle with leukemia. In a terrific gesture, Klarich boosted the prizemoney by a con siderable margin and also made a sizeable donation to the Leukemia Foundation. I The four preliminary heats were won by Klarich (2), Morse and Heme,who also clocked a new 10lap record. The first attempt to get the fea ture underway ended abruptly when heavy contact between E^ins and Owen in turn 2 result ed in the latter finishing upside down. Ashen and Wathen were also casualties, leaving just ten cars for the restart.

When the chequer appeared, Heme had expanded the mai^n to almost half a lap over Klarich, with third-placed Robinson the only other car on the lead lap. Morse was the best ofthe rest, followed by Eggins,Paul Booker, , Craig Burgess and Byrne.

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17 December 1999 Series victors: Andrew Cleave/ Dave Power on the outside of Darrin Treloar/ Alan Griffiths in Heat 11 of the Clean Team Sidecar Super Prix Series final at Speedway City. Cleave went on to win this heat and Treloar took out the A-Final, but Cleave/Power were the overall series winners. (Frank Midgley pic)

NkHugh blitzes Supers A?

Full-time: Aussie Darren Groves will ride with Workington.(Mike Patrick) n Despite having finished atop the British Elite League averages last season, Jason Crump could find himself in a shock move. The restriction on aggregate averages for seven rider teams imposed by the Promoters Association means grand slam champions Peterborough will have to reduce their team strength. As a result, rival team promoter John Perrin (Belle Vue)has made an eat'ly enquiry of Crump. n Adelaide rider Shane Parker is returning to race for Kings Lynn next season, having spent a year at Hull. Parker has recovered from a foot injury that sidelined him towards the end of the season. He will join fellow Aussies Leigh Adams and Travis McGowan,the team having lost World Champion Tony Rickardsson. n Aussie Darren Groves has picked up a full-time spot with, Workington, promoter Ian Thomas clinching Groves to a contract that runs to the end of 2000. n Perth’s Frank Smart, who missed the later stages of the British season due to injury, will be racing in the special Millennium meeting at Newport on January 2. Smart has been negotiating for a ride in the Swedish League next season, as well as Newport. B Joe Screen, the Grand Prix rider reckoned to be England’s top all round track rider, will arrive in Australia for the International 500 series with a new British League contract in his pocket. Screen has agreed to ride for South Coast club Eastbourne, hav ing decided to leave Hull after his year on loan. Screen is ‘owned’ by the former Bradford promotion, which had been hoping to open in Sheffield, but that deal looks set to remain on ice for at least a year. n Mildura’s Jason Hawkes will not be returning to Belle Vue next season, although fellow Aussie Kevin Doolan has been offered a ride again. Promoter John Perrin said “Jason is a smashing lad who won a few races, but I decided we can’t have two inexperienced riders at the bottom end of the team Doolan has a very big future.”

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n Craig Watson is now back in Sydney and the 23 year-old is still undecided about his British League future. Watson has had talks with a number of Elite League clubs and, with a strong British League aver age, he is a prime target for at least four clubs- Eastbourne, Peterborough, King Lynn and Wolverhampton are known to be interested in signing him. n Former Glasgow stalwart Mick Powell, who was sacked by the Scottish club midway through the season, could find a permanent home with border club Berwick. Berwick agreed a loan deal with Glasgow and now promoter Peter Waite is keen to make the move more than temporary. n Melbourne’s Adrian Newman has no problems fitting into the British speedway scene, his Devon ancestry ensuring he needs no work permit. The 26 year-old, who is now back home, has ridden in the Conference League for St Austell with some success this year Having also spent the last northern hemisphere winter rac ing the American indoor ice racing circuits, Newman will return to England next year with a regular place on the Exeter Premier League team. B Grand Prix rider Jimmy Nilsen is set to race for Oxford next sea son, where he wiU form a double spearhead with Aussie Todd Wiltshire. Nilsen raced this year for Belle Vue,but only on a loan basis and believes racing at Sandy Lanes will make things much easier for him. He also races regularly in the Swedish League, as well as in the World Championship Grand Prix series. Nilsen’s decision now makes it almost certain Aussies Craig Boyce and Steve Johnston may seek pastures new - Johnston could be a Belle Vue target.

MS n No messin’ about: Round 5 winner #23 Jamie McHugh rounds up Graeme Lehmann.(Graham Jordan pic) IN what was the best race of the season so far, Gold Coast hotshoe Jamie McHugh bhtzed the field with a stunning perfor mance during round five of the Coastline Vehicle Transport Super Sedan Series at Charlton Raceway on November 20. On a superbly prepared track, McHugh was able to blast his Miami Smash Repairs Camaro around the field to assume the lead after start ing from the outside ofrow three. Once in front, McHugh cleared away to clinch his first win for the season. ALLAN Nash, driving the #51 DiCandilo and Sons Gambler, claimed the 20-lap feature at Claremont Speedway on November 19 and smashed the old lap record of 5.16.12, setting a new time of 5.07.98 - this was just one of six track records set on the night. Nash actually started the feature race on the second row alongside Jeremy Warren, the winner of the last Sprintcar feature at Claremont. The front row was occupied by Pino Priolo and Gavin Migro, but the leading duo failed to finish the race. In fact, Migro’s race was over just as soon as it began, Gavin- pulling the Speed Torque J&J infield with an disconnected plug lead - Priolo, after leading for most of the race, pulled in with over heating prob lems in the Yale-backed Maxim. In the latter stages, Nash enjoyed a healthy gap back to Warren and Phillip Johnson and that’s the way they crossed the fin ish line. n Most of the record-breaking action on this particular night was in the Super Sedan heat races. The old benchmark of 2.30.02 for the eight lap journey, held by Ben Ludlow since March 15, 1996, was lowered in the second heat of the

The racing back in the pack also produced plenty of action, with posi tional changes galore before Ian Marshall secured the runner-up slot, ahead of Paul Geary, Blair Granger and newcomer Mark O’Brien. McHugh made his intentions clear from the outset when he blitzed the field in the opening heat to win by more than half a lap, demolishing the 10-lap track record in the process. The remaining preliminaries were taken out by Geoff Phillips (Caloundra City Autos Pontiac), John Leslight(Hi-Tec Oils Camaro) and Kelvin Hamilton.

The record breaking continued in the Westhens Finance Top Ten Shootout when McHugh clocked 14.395 seconds for a lap of the cir cuit, outpacing Hamilton, Leshght, Marshall and Granger. McHugh drew number six in the pre-race lottery and inverted the first three rows of the feature race grid, putting Blair Granger on pole for the 30-lapper. Sixth home in the feature was Phillips, ahead of Brian Missen and Hamilton, with the Commodoremounted duo of Lehmann and Domjahn completing the top ten. -CHRIS METCALF

Records shattered by Nash ’n Brook at Claremont... Cover tops Fleming in Speedcars

night, Peter Brook setting the new time of 2.29.52. This was short-lived, though, Tony Giahcola lowering the mark to 2.28.84 in the very next heat. But Brook wasn’t content with that and, the next time out, the mark dropped again to 2.28.41. Giancola went on to win the fea ture from Brook and James Holland. B Another competitive field of Speedcars hit the historic Claremont track and honours on the night went to Wayne Cover, who won the feature from Jim Fleming and Tom Watson. Cover’s win will go into the record books for a number of rea sons. Firstly, he set a new 20-lap record of 5.42.84, lowering his old mark of 5.43.26, set on January 16, 1998.

Secondly, he ended Fleming’s dominant early-season run, with the young driver looking for a hattrick of feature wins on the night. n Adam OSullivan won the first Smarter than Smoking Junior Sedan Series heat race of the night from Andrew Thomas and Stephen Hunter. But it was crowd favourite and defending champion Veronica McCann who finished out in front next time around, winning from Todd Waddell-Richards and Thomas. In this heat, she set a new six lap record of 2.00.51, reducing the old mark of 2.22.65. And McCann, who claimed the first feature win of the season, showed the field the way in the allimportant feature, winning from O’Sullivan and'Thomas. -DARREN ODEA

17 December 1999

Adventures in paradise Report and photos by GRAHAM-RUCKERT

THE Sunshine Coast had another taste of club motorsport at its best on the weekend of November 20/21, with the running of the second Historic Noosa Hillclimb. Once again, jointly organ ised by the Historic Racing Car Club of Queensland and the Noosa Beach Classic Car Club, this event is shaping up to be the favourite on the Queensland historic scene. The course is located in the Tewantin State Forest, and Climbs a section of the old Tewantin-Cooroy Road. With a record entry of 178 cars (up from 136 at the inaugural event) and near perfect weather, the week end was a success for all involved. Improvements had been made for competitors and spectators alike, includ ing rearranging the course so that the pit area was at the start, and making the main spectator entry at the top of the hill. To achieve this, the course was length ened to 1500 metres by locating the start further down the hill. There, a five acre pit area had been cleared to allow pai'king for up to 180 cars and their support vehicles. Track conditions have alsobeen improved with some re surfacing work being com pleted and by the addition of another 120 concrete blocks to line some of the more daunting stretches. However, the slippery con ditions caught a few drivers unawares and certainly kept the spectators entertained. Pre-1965 cars were well represented in the record field, with 11 Group J and K pre-war cars and 22 cars in

Leo Geoghegan? Nope. John English drove David Barkle/s E49 Charger for the weekend, and was one of the lucky ones to get in a quick time in the cool of Saturday evening. Seven,the hard way: John Chippendall laever fails to impress with his immaculate supercharged 1929 Austin 7. Groups L, Na, Sb and M. A large contingent of Nc, Sb and Marque sports made up the bulk of the remainder of the field, together with a variety of others, including Groups C, Q and Sc, hillclimb specials, Geminis and HQs, Sports 1300s, and vari ous invited sports, touring and rally cars. Saturday’s runs were mainly quite uneventful, as everyone was still feeling their way around the new sections of the course and discretion ruled. The invited rally cars put on a good show, and it was

very entertaining to watch the different driving styles and car set-ups compared to the rest of the runners. Bruce Dummett in the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 3 played with different tyre combinations over the week end, and by Sunday was fly ing up the hill in four wheel drifts through every comer. The Datsun 1600 of Raymond Curtis and the Ford Escort of Danny Mischok kept up surprising ly well, and were certainly doing their best to entertain

Eeeehl-type: The 1969 Series 2 Jaguar E Type of Peter Walsh gets sideways. Tighe my Kaditcha dowin,_ sport: Event patron Ivan Tighe in the Kaditcha pulled out all stops on his last run on Sunday to clinch fastest time of the day and the outright trophy.

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the crowd through the twisty bits! A number of competitors had mechanical misfortunes that curtailed their activities earlier than expected, and there were also the inevitable excursions into the scenery. The track has so far proved to be safe in that all of these episodes have only bent panels and egos, but it is veiy unforgiving in places with concrete barriers in place to prevent cars from damaging the trees! While at the time it must feel dis heartening, smacking the concrete is a much better alternative to collecting a tree or going down a chff! Sunday dawned fine and warm, and stayed that way except for the obligatory shower around lunchtime. Fortimately, this only affect ed a few competitors, as the track dried quickly. As most of these cars had been the ones that got the fast times in the previous evening, everything turned out about equal. FTD which was set by Ivan Tighe in the Kaditcha late on Sunday after a close tussle all weekend with John Boyce in his Kaditcha VW. 'The organising commit tees of both clubs should be congratulated for the efforts they have made to make this event a success. The Department of the Environment has given per mission for the permanent use of the new pit area and this should help guarantee good attendance in future years. Further improvements in spectator access and safety will no doubt also be made over the next twelve months to make Noosa a fitting finale to the Queensland Historic Racing Calendar.

Big Cats out in force

THE Big Cats were out in force at Sandown for the Jaguar Car Club of Victoria’s Concours d’Elegance and track Day on December-5,and one of the highlights was the appearance of several rare and very desirable SSI00s. The original SSI00s first appeared in 1936, and the ‘100’ designation was a guarantee the car could achieve lOOmph (160km/h). Now an all-time classic, the SSI00 is keenly sought after only by enthusiasts with elastic sided budgets. Yet the original price was 445 pounds ($890). The SSI00s at Sarnlown took part in Historic parade laps of the circuit, and were part of a splendid concours which also included Graeme Longmore’s D-type Replica and a rare XJ220 belonging to Lindsay Fox. Another car to attract plenty of attention was the XJS of Shane Slatter, which is a faithful copy of the 1985 Bathurst winning TWR car of John Goss and Armin Hahne- even down to the Aussie and German flags alongside the driver’s names.

The on-track action saw Mike Roddy’s seven-Ktre XJS fastest for the day with a best lap of 1-21.57s. Another top competitor was Bill Hemming in his potent XK150. It was also the final round of the XJ-Sprint Series and the overall winnei for 1999 was Brian Wheeler. A totaf of 50 cars took part in the sprints, with another 15 in the Historic parade laps. Club patron Bob Jane was hoping to be at Sandown with hrs recently restored Mk2 Jaguar, but was unfortunately delayed on a flight from China. Jane won the very first race at the opening meeting of Sandown Park back in 1962 in his famous white Jag, and the Decembers gathering was an opportunity to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Jaguar Mk2 model. The Jaguar Club now plans to make ttie Concour^ and Track Day an annual event, and wiffi Jaguar now into Formula One is hoping I to negotiate a promotiori day prior to the 2000 AGP. -BRIAN REED

Rod Roy 1999

ROB Roy’s eighth Historic and Classic meeting on November 27-28 (“the last hillclimb in the 20th cen

time driven by Philip Bradey. The third championship winner was the ex-John Crouch Cooper Mk5 which took the title in 1952, again at Rob Roy. At the November ’99 meeting it was driven in fine style by Mark Dymond l in fact Dymond was one sec ond quicker than the winning 1952 time. It should be point ed out, however, that quite a lot has changed both with the track and the car over this 47-year period! for A new record

tury”) attracted strong fields in the various class es and was run in ideal conditions. It also included three previ ous Australian hillclimb championship winning cars inclufhng Sir Jack Brabham’s speedcar that took the title in 1951. The famous bright yellow Twin Special Speedcar with Production Sports Cars ‘Jack Brabham’ on the side (1970-77) was set by Jim has been meticulously Irvine in his Datsun 240Z restored by NSW engineer with an excellent time of Donald Halliday and is driven 25.46s. these days by his son Andrew. Surprise winner of the Back in 1949 John Anciens Conducteurs trophy Barraclough was joint winner was Ian Rankine in The of the title at Rob Roy (along Woltri s/c. He had the right with Frank Kleinig’s Hudson recipe of age and speed to win at Hawkesbury, NSW), when narrowly from “always the he scored in his MG K3. The bridesmaid and never the famous supercharged MG bride” Trevor Cole in his was back at Rob Roy, this Austin 7.

Results invited & Classic Categories UptolSOOcc Mark Splekman (Datsun 10CK)) 25.82s 1501-2000CC John Hardy (Alpine Renault A110) 25.81s 2001-3000CC Peter Riseborough(MG 6) 25.44s Over 3000CC Bill Thompson(BMW)27.32s Clubman Sports Kevin Guihenneuc (Nota)25.33s Vintage Sports & Racing Pre 1931 Sports under ISOOcc Doug Bumip (Austin 7 s/c) 37.23s Sports over 1500cc Michael Hipkins (VauxhaN 30/98)35.63s Racing - ail capacities Geoff Russeii(Russell Morris s/c) 27.69s Post Vintage Sports & Racing 1931 -'40 Sports under ISOOcc Adam Berryman (MG K3 s/c) 31.95s Sports over 1500cc Richard Bell (Railton) 31.56s Racing- all capacities Ian

Rankine(The Woltri s/c) 27.50s Sports & Racing Cars 1941 -’60 Sports under ISOOcc Paul Skewes(MGTC)27.81s Sports over ISOOcc Nigel Gray (Singer Le Mans Spl) 29.78s Racing under ISOOcc Mark Dymond (Cooper Mk5) 25.24s Racing over 1500cc Lou Molina Jnr.(MG TC) 24.60s Production Touring Cars 1940-72 Up to 2000CC Colin Gleeson (Mini Cooper) 25.91s Over 2000CC Ray Hamment(Ford Falcon XY GT)25.33s Production Sports Cars (1941-’60) Barry Llltey (MG A)32.78s (1961-'69) Des Holt(MG Midget) 27.52s 1970-'77)Jim Irvine (Datsun 240Z)25.46s Group M to 2000CC Stephen Lunn (Elfin Mono)24.44s Groups O & Q Leo Bates (Lobito F3) 22.83s.

Bill Leech Trofrfry Geoff Russel!(Russeii Morris s/c) Arthur Wylie Trophy Ian Rankine(The Woltri s/c) Bruce Walton Trophy Lou Molina Jnr.(MG TC) Nonn Beechey Trophy Ray Hamment(Falcon XY GT) Harry Firth Trophy Jim Irvine (Datsun 240Z) Tony Gaze Trophy Peter Riseborough(MGBMkI) R.G.Wigtev Trophy Lou Molina(MG TA sfc) 27.96s Oerrv George Trophy Adam Berryman(MG K3 s/c) Diana Davison/Gaze Plate Sue Scott(Datsun 240Z) 26.16s Tom Synott Encouragement Award Paul Latham(MG P) Fastest Austin 7) Glen Bishop 28.01s Three Hills Pre-War Trophy John FeWer (Oakland) Top Six Shootout Trophy Leo Bates (Lobito F3) 23.83s Fastest Trme of Day Leo Botes (Lobito F3)22.83s.

36 17 December 1999

DRS points shortfall again

n Following our report in our last issue, due to unforeseen medical comi^licatiohs, Rachelle Splatt’s recent pregnancy has sadly ended. Her final season of Top Fuel racing will continue as planned. Our best wishes to Rachelle...

-Read & DiFilippo make TFfinal

ANDRA’ s Australian Drag Series Racing will pointscore

n Andrew and John Cowin made an appearance at Calder Park last weekend. Hot off their US Top Fuel tour, the Cowin brothers sat amongst the crowd and watched the action...

again reflect an unfinished meet ing with the sec ond round of the the series,

n Americans Chuck Haynes and Leland Blee will tour Australia with their jet dragsters in the new year. Haynes,from Montana, has toured three times before with his Gravity Storm dragster while Texan Blee has been here once, with Haynes in 1996... H Calder’s second proam bracket attack meeting, scheduled for November 28, was unexpectedly cancelled... El Victor Bray’s recent 232 mph world record run in his Castrol Chevy Top Doorslammer was performed with Hoosier rear tyres. Bray bought the tyres from Hoosier distributor, sprintcar king, Max Dumesny... N The first official NHRA pre-season testing session will happen in Tucson, Arizona on January 20-23, PRO has announced. For the first time the PRO - the Professional Racers Owners Organisation - event will be open to aU nitro competitors, unlike previous years when membership of PRO was mandatory... ■ Cory McClenathan has signed a two year extension to his current contract with Joe Gibbs Racing and his MBNAbacked Top Fuel team. “I even got a raise,” McClenathan, a four-time runner-up in the NHRA series, said. Former team Funny Car crew chief Wes Cemy lead the team this season, the majority of the Funny Car st^ replacing Coiy Mac’s previous crew... ■ Warren Johnson has confirmed he will be supplying 21-year-old Richie Stevens with motors in the 2000 season. “We’ve more motors than Kurt and I need and it seems silly to let them just sit there when they can be earning money,” Johnson said. “Racing is my business. I’m not out there to pump up my ego.” Stevens has used Mike Thomas’s FinishLine engines for the past two years, the future potential of those engines now in question with a number of key staff leaving FinishLine recently...

King of drag racing: Jim Read ran top speed of the meet in the Gregory’s fueller with a 293 mph charge in qualifying. Venomnous bite: Darrpn DiFilippo’s Redback Exhausts fueller ran 4.88 to top qualify - a final round finish guaranteeing his retains the points lead.

ing to DiFilippo. Despite the low numbers in Group One,the attraction of ANDRA’s series was evident with over 200 vehicles entering to contest the Group Two, Three and Four brackets.

Again only five Top Fuel cars entered the event, Darren DiFilippo top qualifjdng with a solid 4.88/289 in the Redback Perfor mance Exhausts

dragster ahead of Jim Read’s 4.93/293 Victorian Drag in the Gregory’s Automotive Publi Racing Champion cations fueller. ships at Calder The racing was in Park effected by constant Melbourne, falling rain interruptions victim to raim. with both Read and Headlined by the DiFilippo advancing second round of the to the final rounds Top Fuel series, the after both taking Vic Champs attract advantage of a seed ed an extremely ed bye in the previ crowd ous rounds. mediocre over the event’s two Rachelle Splatt and Steve Read both days, Friday’s fig lost in the first ures hardly register round of racing ing while Saturday’s n while reigning seemed considerably Robin lower than previous champion rain effected events. Kirby advanced to the semi-finals, ios-

Highlights from the brackets includ ed Peter Kapiris’s return to form with the Kapiris Brothers Stndebaker Top Doorslammer, run ning a 6.44/218 after a year of struggles; Xerakis’s Nick 8.53/155 run in his Northern Dynamics G/Gas Ford Probe and Wayne Robson’s 9.5 second pass in the Robsontough A/MS Mayhew Camaro. -GERALD McDORNAN

■c

Eyes on the title: Robin Kirby was looking for a better Calder result, although a semi-final loss was an advancement over Adelaide.

PENUZPIL

(Photo by John Winkler/ Thunderpics)

Cowins robbed

Theft of tools in US causes 2000 campaign problems

THE Cowin famil/s 2000 US NHRA campaign has received a major setback with the team’s trans porter being broken into over the recent Thanksgiving holiday period in the US. The transporter, stored outside at the team’s work shops on sponsor K&N ' Filters property in Riverside, California, was ransacked and vandalised, causing, at early indications, in excess of ● US$100,000 damage. The thieves took vital tools and electrical equipment, team uniforms, computer, radios, a television, video.

microwave and Andrew Cowin’s safety equipment, including the helmet he wore at the US Nationals.

They also vandalised the lounge area of the trailer and cabin of the prime mover. “This is a bit of a setback that we really didn’t need,” team owner Graeme Cowin told Motorsport News from his base at Itecket Industries in Sydney. “Most of the tools were given to us as a part of our Snap-on Tools sponsorship in Australia so they’ll be hard to replace and, for a lot'of them, you won’t realise they’re gone until you need them.

“There’s probably over $60,000 in tools alone gone missing.” Cowin said the loss of son Andrew’s multi-coloured helmet was particularly dis appointing. “That was something that we all wanted to keep for ever - helmets have become the signatures of each driver and, Andrew having worn that when we made the final at the US Nationals, really made it something to cherish.' 'Thanks to the robbeiy, the team’s 2000 schedule is nOw undecided. - GERALD McDORNAN

POWSR

High standing: Wayne Robson’s potent A/MS Camaro

Truck Driver Required

Must have Semi-Trailer License, Current Passport and be available to stay abroad for extended periods. Racing experience would be an advantage and the ability to maintain the truck/trailer is a must. This is a challenging

Time to unload the trailer: The Cowin family’s 2000 campaign received a set back when their transporter, left, was broken into in the US on Thanksgiving weekend.

position and can be extremely demanding. If you feel you can handle the pressures of NHRA Championship Drag Racing, can work well in a team environment and enjoy the satisfaction of achievement - contact Shane Place:

Cowin Family Motorsports (02) 9678 9977

17 December 1999 0

TXl

Read plays trump card

$25 million immediately available for WSM,release ofland only requirement WESTERN Sydney Motorplex pro

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White let his feelings known about no championship drag racing in Sydney at Eastern Creek on December 4. Trump card; WSM head Jim Read (Photos by John Morris/Mpix)

ponent, veteran racer Jim Read has played a $25 million trump card in the battle for a stand-alone drag racing facility in Sydney by confirming that he has in place the backing to build the $15.6 million drag racing facility, plus another $10 million for a new dirt track speedway to be accommodated at the complex. Read announced the backing just a week after being notified by the New South Wales Premier’s Department that they were to again commission a study into the feasibility of establish ing a purpose-built track within the current Eastern Creek complex. A previous study mid-year concluded that such an option wasn't viable and a stand-alone facility was required. The government's move was seen as a delaying tactic while still trying to accommodate the facility which they commissioned, and the current leasees of the facility, the ARDC. It is believed the lease between the government and ARDC required that championship drag racing continue at the facility, although the ARDC haven't been able to accommodate the sport on a professional level since October 1997. Since then, on ANDRA estimations, over $25 million of championship drag racing vehicles and equipment has been sitting idle within the state. It has been suggested that the ARDC, who lost over $30,000 running

Eastern Creek rejection Just 20 carsfront at Pro-Am while over 100 stage protest outside track. WITH just 20 cars, few of those actual champi onship-level race cars, a finishing time around 8 pm and only a few hun dred spectators, the ARDC’s pro-am event at Eastern Creek on December 4 was a com plete rejection of the venue and its operators from the sport and its supporters, according to Western Sydney Motorplex propo nent Jim Read. Read told Motorsport News that the sport’s com petitors, supporters and industry had voted with their absence and it was now, time for the NSW govern ment to support his WSM proposal. “There were more racers, fans and cars outside the gates than inside,” Read said of the peaceful demonstra tion held outside Eastern Creek. Over 100 current ANDRA V license holders protested out the front of the venue, including current Australian Champions, many with their race vehicles present. Strangely, the ARDC’s Chris Hones said the event, “the first for championship level cars held at Eastern Creek in two and a half years has proven the track’s suit-

ability as a top class drag venue.” Hones labelled the protest ers as a “small group of dissi dents” and proudly boosted the fact that Eastern Creek had attracted “around a quarter of a million dollars worth” of vehicles racing - some $22.75 million below the value of vehicles estimat ed by ANDRA to be laying idle in the state since the last championship race at Eastern Creek in October ’97. - GERALD McDORNAN

the Eastern Creek venue.last year, made substantial profits though the running of legal, ofiF-street drag racing events and some within the Department of Sport and Recreation are mindful of protecting the venue's life line. To counter the concern, in making his announcement Read said the fund

Progess being made on new full quarter-mile regional track

PROGRESS is being made on the proposed international standard quarter-mile drag racing strip in Dubbo with a feasibility study, business plan and noise assessment having all been completed recently. ' Proponents of the track, the Dubbo City Car Club are now In negotiations with the city council trying to purchase the 125 acres of council-owned land on which they hope to construct the track. “These things take time but we are on the downhill run and, hopefully, we will be in a position to begin construction next year,” Pam Walker, secretary of the DCCC said. Dubbo has a population of 38,000 with a surrounding population of 130,000 - the DCCC believing a drag racing facility is more than viable, along with also being able to provide an immense social and economic impact in the region. - GERALD McDORNAN

n ESPN2’sRPM2Night has ranked John Force 10th in its Top 50 North American Drivers of the 20th Century. The list, headed by AJ Foyt, also included Kenny Bernstein (12), Don Garhts(14), Don Prudhomme (34), Shirley Muldowney(31)and 10time World Pro Stock Champion Bob Glidden (48)... n In stark contrast to RPM2Night’s greatest driver list, American RACER magazine’s top 10 list of greatest American drivers had former FI and Indy Car Champion Mario Andretti first with Don Garlits in 10th...

ing for a stand-alone venue was offered while giving the ARD(, exclu sive rights to continue with their cur rent events. "We will be creating a multi-purpose venue that will benefit everyone," n Speaking of“Big Read said.'There would be no impact Daddy, how would you on the existing Eastern Creek like to join the drag racing Raceway as we have offered to grant legend on a cruise in the the ARDC exclusive rights to the limit Barhamas? The (jarlits ed form of drag racing they have been three day cruise takes running in the past." place from February 10-13 The exclusivity to street meets has and only 50 spots are been offered until the ARDC decide to available. Call Stacy at cease running them. Norwalk Travel on 00111 The requirement now of the WSM 880 260 5321 for more proposal is that the government information... release the land, currently used as waste land, to the proponents for con n The NHRA is struction to begin. believed to have sought And, with the project said to create bids from all major fuel or sustain approximately 1,000 jobs companies to be their while pumping up to $40 million annu exclusive supplier oi ally into the region, there appears to racing fuel for the Pro be little or no option for the govern Stock, Pro Stock Truck ment to do than go along with what and Pro Stock Motorcycle appears to be a positive proposal for j categories. all concerned - the professional sport I The move is seen as an of drag racing, the ARDC and Eastern end to the “rocket fuel Creek and the community atlarge. wars” of the past season... - GERALD McDORNAN

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38 17 December W99

New Top Fuel Mail order king takes Ridgeway in final, Stevens wins Top Bike in Adelaide rules 1 IN answer to the recent spate of major engines explosions, both the NHRA and HfflA have

Cugnetto orders first win Koop’s Upset <c

3i S « ff A ff

Despite dnq, Koop takesfirst doorslammer series event win

moved fast to suggest mile changes to prevent a continuation of the problem. PRO head Mike Lewis circulated a letter to his members saying correspondence from the NHRA was suggesting an 85 percent nitro limit next season - the lower

HJLMm

Modesty is the best policy: Bruno Cugnetto drove to his first Pro Stock victory, downing Peter Ridgeway.

fuel percentage suggesting that, while it may present a solution for some time, higher compression ratios employed by teams as compensation may create similar performances and problems. IHRA owner Bill Bader has also recently circulated a discussion paper amongst his sanctioning body’s Top Fuel racers, the letter suggesting a number of changes including: Fuel pump and vol'vme restrictions At track flow-bench

Report & photos by STEVEN WHITE THE Summer Series of Drag Racing at Adelaide International Raceway continued with rormd two of the ANDRA Pro Stock and round three of the

testing and fuel pump sealing A sump pan pressure shutoff switch which will cut the engine’s ignition if the pressure exceeds 14 psi. Considerable financial penalties for n those caught not adhering to the rules. Both the PRO and BHRA letters also address the concerns about the Top Fuel category’s current oil down problems with breed’s tuners apparently more than ready to sacrifice engine components while chasing round wins. Bader has proposed that restrictions or fines may be applied to racers who drop liquids on the track, necessitating a clean-up.

Bike ANDRA Top on Championships December 4. Having set the Adelaide track alight at the recent Springnationals with the quickest Pro Stock run ever, mail order king Bruno Cugnetto returned to AIR on and produced a gutsy, first up win in the series with his VPW Mail Order Olds Cutlass. Coming into the event, Peter Ridgeway’s form was unquestionable, having won the opening round of the series in Melbourne along with also top qualifying, set ting low et and top speeds of the meet but AIR wasn’t to provide him with a repeat Cugnetto’s run in the final preventing another cleansweep. Cugnetto’s electric .402 reaction time, coupled to liis 7.79/176 was more than enough to take the win, Ridgeway’s John Williams Auto Sales/No Fear Cutlass running off song after having earlier run a 7.65. The field of six cars for Pro Stock - Cugnetto, Ridgeway,

04n

Tectaloy Camaro when his chutes literally ripped from the back of the car. In the final qualifying ses sion, and at the end of a solid pass, Baines found himself in trouble as he continued down track at high speed - the Bruce Leake, Joe Polito, Camaro coming to a stop in Gerry Parents and Rob the safety net after having Tucker - was small, but the passed through the kitty litter. While the car was dam quality of the show more than made up for quantity. aged extensively, Baines Brett Stevens’s decision to emerged uninjured. run in Adelaide with his There was plenty more Jack Daniels Harley, as action Comp with some great opposed to the Top numbers being run. Doorslammer round in Perth Sav Ali continues to with his Studebaker, was improve in his and son Michael’s B/Altered. vindicated with a strong win in Top Bike. Paul Greghini made a In the final round Stevens heap of progress in the Spray went one better than his Chief AA/AP, running a best Melbourne and Perth run of 6.85/211. ner-ups, winning over Ian The quiet achiever was Ashelford’s 7.49 with a solid Mick Utting, the silent but 7.22. deadly racer winning through Another fuel bike of note at to his third final in succession. Victorian Rod Rainford the meeting was Jay Upton’s wild looking Triumph, the spoiled Utting’s day, down stunning, full-bodied bike ing the South Australia in a la5dng down some solid half" close final, Wayne Robson stunned track passes, but not featur with his A/MS Camaro, run ing in the results. In Competition Eliminator ning as quick as 9.45 before Danny Baines badly dam- downing Tony Ceravolo in aged the front end of the the final. Two wheels, no wheels? Jay Upton continued with development of his Triumph streamliner while Sam Scerri debuted Trevor Birrell’s new Pro Bike.

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ADELAIDE’S Dave Koop provided the upset of the year by winning the sec ond round of the Australian Top Doorslammer at Championship Ravenswood in Perth on December 4. The event was run in extreme heat with tempera tures topping 40 degrees. The high temperatures, along with various mechan ical problems, restricted performances of the doorslammers - the round producing just two six sec ond qualifiers and only two solid side-by-side runs in eliminations. Koop, who failed to quali fy for the eight car field in his Tectaloy ‘55 Chevy and only got a start when Perth’s Peter Hamilton withdrew prior to elimina tions, lucked his way past top qualifier Victor Bray in the first round, the four Doorslammer time Champion’s Castrol ‘57 Che\y breaking a vital igni tion wire and cutting its power. Koop’s final round oppo nent, local Robin Judd, also lucked his way through to the final; first round oppo nent Les Winter unable to start his‘55 Chevy and semi final opponent Dave

World beater: Perth’s Grant O’Rourke won Top Comp.

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Simpson backfiring the blow er in the burnout, Judd solo ing to the win both times. In the final Koop, having not run better than a 7.35s et all day - running that best while downing Les Murray in the semis - pro duced a 6.88 to down Judd’s 7.0s et. Bray’s top qualifying 6.53 stood for lo w et of the meet while Simpson’s 222.22 mph charge in the first round, while defeating Peter Kapiris, earned top speed of the meet points. The win gives Koop a 12 point lead in the series over Bray - the WA round offer ing a 50 percent bonus over eastern state rounds. Local star Grant O’Rourke continued on with his domi nation of the Top Comp bracket at Ravenswood, downing Wayne Keys’s new blown hemi-powered. Murray Anderson-built BMW in the final. O’Rourke has stunned this season with his revamped blown small block Torana, running as quick and fast as 6.58/210, making it the quickest and fastest small block-powered doorslammer in the world. O’Rourke’s wife and team partner, Debbie continued with her licensing in the car during qualifying, run ning a 7.1s best.

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Saturday E7 Dec 1999

Consistency was the key to Tony Schumacker’s stellar effort in capturing this year’s NHRA Top Fuel title. His ability to qualify at every event this year, one of only eight cars to do so in Top Fuel, and continually go rounds with the Exide Batteries car allowed him to take the title even though he won just one event, compared to Amato’s five. Never the less, it was an exciting season for everybody, with no one denying Schumaker the title after he finally locked it up by qualifying for the Finals at Pomona last month.

Like every out there, the other John team Mitchell Racing team tried to get a grip on that consistency situation, but we came up a little short. Even though we don’t R»ii the full tour, our philosophy is to run the car as hard as possible and try and win. We can qualify consistently but we seemed to always come up short in the first round of racing this year. When we hit Topeka in October (that’s normally the end of our season), we decided we’d try get a little further in the money rounds by backing the car down and not n beating ourselves. Unfortunately qualifying turned out to be a struggle in itself, we only just snuck in the field with a 4.77. For eliminations we actually thought we had a handle on the car and the clutch - a new batch of clutch discs we bought in August had really thrown us a curve ball - but we went out and the Montana Express Top Fueller just blew the tyres straight off. > Out we went again... When was heading backI to Montana in . the truck on the Monday after the event John [Mitchell] called me with a few ideas on the clutch problems and suggested

17 December 1999

JXo.

Honda goes drag racing

we turn around and head to Memphis. As with any racer keen to get in more laps, we U-turned the truck as quick as we could... John’s ideas worked a treat and we managed to run a 4.570 to top qualifyour best ever run and result-even though the track was extremely cold. To give you an idea just how cold it was, the temperature was the same as when they ran last year’s final there at 4;30am! The track was awesome although most didn’t take advantage of the great traction, including us as, thinking of the pre-Topeka deal, we backed the car down too much,shook the tyres and went out in round one, again...

Underdahl launches NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle campaign Hines’s Byron Freedom Motorsports shop in Colorado will undertake develop ment ofthe engine. The experienced Underdahl, who will reide the team’s bike, said at first he

HONDA will enter the NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle category next year with Greg Underdahl and partner Dennis Mirante annoimcing they have begun construction of a new bike based on a Honda GBR llOOOXX Blackbird. Mirante, who has complet ed the Drag Racing School’s Pro Bike course with George Bryce, said his move into the category had to com with ‘something different’. “I believe the sport will be much more successful if there is brand diversity,” Mirante said last week. Kosman are currently building the first Honda chassis for Mirante while Trac Dynamics is preparing a mould for the one-of-a-kind Blackbird.

With our qualifying performance still fresh in our minds, John decided we should run the last few races although, as he was already committed back in Montana, he hired Bob Brandt as crew chief for the two Texas events. We came up short with our last ditch 4.82 and, after such a high in Memphis, it was hard to believe what happened... Unfortunately it didn’t take too long to feel the same as it happened again in Houston, this time a 4.86 leaving us a long way out of the field. Come on California... John came back to tune the car for the final race at Pomona but the problems persisted. We never really got in a baseline pass until the third session Saturday and it came with the saying 'too soft, too late’.

thought the move to Honda was crazy. “After giving it all a little thought,I turned to Byron (Hines) for his great advice,” Underdahl said. “He looked at the Superbikes: Honda’s arrival may challenge Suzuki’s dominance, port in the early-mid ’90s goiy, the class currently domi the potential is there for the nated by the pre-1984 design but, despite mild success, the Honda to be competitive. program ended prematurely, Suzuki GSllOO engine. l^e team expects to debut “If Byron thinks the bike Pro Stock Motorcycle has the bike at the season-open can run, that’s good enough veiy much been the domain for me.” of Suzuki with small efforts ing event for the category in Gainsville, Florida nest The Honda’s engine will be firom Harley and Kawasaki The Vance&Hines team March. the first late model production - GERALD McDORNAN engine to be used in the cate- gained official Yamaha supengine and cylinder heads and he believes

Scan runs 7.13P/SM

KURT Johnson has belted

e didn’t finish the season on a high note but we can take heart that during the year we did run consistently quicker than ‘98. We just weren’t consistent, thanks very much to the dreaded clutch problems. It seems like the window to tune these cars has become a lot narrower and the new clutch discs seem to be throwing us a few curves. That’s something that we are giving a great deal of thought to, and hopefully we’ll have that problem licked by the time we start testing in January. Finding money to race the full tour is our immeadiate goal, so right now my job is chasing sponsorship for next year. With a bit of luck, we might be able to find a J backer and help us run the entire tour Cheers, DAVE.

PRO Stock Motorcycle pro Geno Seal! and power maker for the champions, Greg Cope, have signalled their intentions for the 2000 NHRA crown with a

out the quickest Pro Stock run in history with a 6.77 second lap being recorded in testing at Montgomery Motorsports Park in Alabama last week. I’he Johnson family were in Alabama to run a series of sus pension and shock absorber ideas in readines.s for the 2000 season over a marathon three day test se.ssion, the original plan to nm only to half track overlooked after steady progress was made. “After we worked on the shocks and four-link, the car felt so good that I ran it all the way to the finish line,” Johnson said after. “The 6.77-second run was as smooth as silk, butI had no idea that it was that quick. We made another suspension adjustment and my Camaro ran 6.80 on back-to-back passes. “Obviously the atmospheric and track conditions were exceptional, and that certain ly helped the car’s perfor-^ mance,” he said. Father and team b Warren Johnson, said objective of the tests wei to run fast. , “We were here to gal data to make sure we’re li ed in the right direction ’ our chassis program,” the time Pro Stock champion s “Given the power levi the engine we were using quite pleased with results.” - GERALD McDORI

stunning, debut 7.13 second/lbB mph lap at the season-ending AMA/ProStar World Finals at Gainsville, Florida on November 14. The pair have teamed with financial backer Doug Johnson to form the new Jonco Motorsports team with its express interest in racing for the NHRA Championship next year - their first appear ance ringing a warning bell to the competition. “God has answered my prayers,” said ScaJi after the quickest Pro Bike run in history. “The lap felt the bike perfect launched hard, 1 hit all the shift points right... 1 could tell it was a reaUy quick lap.” Before Scali landed the full-time ride. Cope and Johnson interviewed other riders, hoth male and female, from the US, Europe and Australia -just which riders frmn Australia haven’t been devulged. “For once I can say we have a bike that will con tend and win races,” he said.“Fm so excited right now I can’t stand it.”

1999/2000 ANDRA DRAG RACING SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP Top Fuel 1 .Darren DiFillippo, 2.Rachelle Splatt, . 3.Jim Read, 4.Steve Read 5 Robin Kirby

185 130 125 100 100

Top Door Slammer

190 1. Dave Koop, ,178 2. Victor Bray .158 3. David Simpson 120 4. Robin Judd 100 5. Les Winter, 100 6. Peter Kapiris 100 7. Andrew Searie .80 8. Marcus Chambers, 9. Brett Stevens, Studebaker, 60 .40 10. Ben Gatt, Ford Falcon,

Pro Stock 1.Peter Ridgeway, . 2.Bruno Cugnetto, . 3.Bruce Leake 4.Joe Polito, 5.John Andriopoulos, 6.Rob Tucker, 7.John O’Kearney B.Gerry Parents

,200 140 120 80 ,60 .60 .40 ,40

Top Bike 1. Jeff Smith 2. Brett Stevens, 3, Ian Ashelford, 4. Joe Edmunds, 5. Jay Upton, 6. Brett Jonas 7. Steve Kitchen. 8. Mark Connor. 9. Craig MePhee, iO Steve Little,

.330 ,310 .175 160 140 140 ■00 100 .90 .60

17 December 1999

999 was all about Dale Jarrett, someone who, a few years ago when driving for Joe Gibbs, many had written off as another one of those non-drivers - “nah, he ain’t no racer!” Well, now the year has ended and those doubters are hiding, as Jarrett has proved to all he is a worthy champion, even though it took 15 years and 388 races to do so. He became, along with his father, Ned, the second father-son combination to win the championship - Lee and Richard Petty were the first- Ned having won in 1961 and 1965. Jarrett won four races in the 34-event schedule, the first coming at the Richmond short track in May and with that win he took hold of the points lead and never let it slip from his grasp. The Todd Parrott/Robert Yates-led bunch also took the spoils at Michigan in Juno, won again under lights at Daytona in July and then dusted things off with their second win at the Brickyard in August. Jarrett won the races and title without winning a pole, something no-one has done for many years. Jarrett started the season off on the wrong foot, stable-mate Kenny Irwin making con tact with Jarrett in the season-opening Daytona 500 and Jarrett winding up 38th after spending time on his roof - but, as he put it, his team never lost it’s-focus. “We set out to win the championship and that’s what we intended doing this year,” he sai4 - and the $3,608,829 he pocketed was just a bonus! Bobby Labonte had a gi-eat season and only has to make one more step to be the elusive Winston Cup champion.

Bobby L scored five wins, 23 top five and 26 top tens, an impressive showing of consis tency - his wins came at Pocono, Charlotte, Dover, Michigan and Atlanta. If Labonte had not cracked his shoulder in a Busch Series practice wreck at Darlington in March, who knows, he could have the tro phy in his hands. Mark Martin had by most people’s stan dards a good year, finishing third in the standings - Martin came so close, but was still too far from winning his first title. He suffered throughout the year with back problems that have since been operated on and broke his leg at Daytona in a practice wreck, just like Lahonte - more ifs, ifs that Jarrett did not have. The hero of 1999 had to he ‘rookie’ of the year champ, Tony Stewart, who won three races in his first full season, something no other rookie has achieved. He won the second Richmond event in September, his 25th race and followed that with back to back wins at Phoenix and Miami-Homestead. Stewart’s success was all about chemistry with his Joe Gibbs-owned team and rookie crew chief Greg ‘Zippo’ Zippadeli. The chemistry started in his first race, the season-opening Daytona 500, where sat in the outside pole alongside defending champ Jeff Gordon. “We set two realistic goals at the beginmng of tbe season,” said Stewart - “to try and qualify for each race and to try and finish as many laps as possible. We definitely exceeded those goals and everything else has been like icing on the cake for us this year.” Stewart has to work on his fiery attitude for 2000, as he’s lashed out at (Jordon on

Bewdy: 1999

Winston Cup Champion Dale Jarrett. (MDCIark pic)

more than one occasion and his chasing of good early season before personal problems Kenny Irwin was embarrassing for him, but appeared to affect his on-track performance. £ji(j add spice to a somewhat dull season, With five top five and 12 top 10 finishes, Jeff Burton edged Jeff Gordon for fifth in his best result came at Darlington in March, points with six wins, but a lack of consistency along with another third later in the year at caused the RousbTFrank Stoddard-led crew to Indianapolis and the same placing in Atlanta fall back in the standings - qualifying was in November. Terry Labonte had a bad year, but salvaged the main problem and resulted in poor finish a 12th placing just hy being aroimd - one top es, five outside the top 30. Gordon had a lacklustre year by the five and seven top 10 finishes were recorded, Rainbow Warriors’ standards, but won the not the typical Texan’s performance; maybe with old crew chief Gary DeHart returning most races, seven and the most poles, six, next year, things will change. “We don’t want to get complacent with Aside from T Labonte, only two people won this,” he said, following the awards banquet held in New York City recently. races and yet finished outside the top 10 His mentor, Ray Evemham, wms obviously John Andretti and Joe Nemechek. Andretti scored a lone win at Martinsville not happy in the Hendrick camp and they parted ways in October for encounters of the in April, a thrilling spin and win victory fol Dodge kind in 2001, Evemham forming his lowing a two-tyre stop at the flat half-miler. own factory-backed team. Andretti rounded out the year 17th, while Dale Earnhardt had a reasonable year, early on he was a contender for a top 10 fin winning his usual restrictor plate events ish, his constant involvement in wrecks tak twice at Talladega, plus the very controver ing those chances away. Nemechek was the second first-time win sial Bristol night race, where he took out race leader Terry Labonte in a last lap biunp and ner in 1999, Joe winning at New Hampshire run effort. in September, just after he announced he Many thought the result should have been would be leaving Team SABCO at year’s end. taken from the penultimate lap - and even Known for starting up front, with three Jimmy Spencer thought it was rough driving, poles, he needs to improve his finishes - 30th but he did finish second and stood to win if place in points will hopefully change when he Earnhardt was disqualified; NASCAR moves to Andy Petree Racing in 2000. deemed the race official. 1999 also marked the year of Ernie Irvan’s Rusty Wallace had a bad year, no excuses - retirement- and rightly so. There comes a time when a driver has so he won the spring Bristol event and that was it. Like Earnhardt, he only recorded seven many bad accidents that you have to ask, is top five resxilts, but finished outside the top someone trying to tell him something? 30 eight times. Thankfully, Ernie listened and he will now On most occasions, Wallace would start be a stock car mentor to Robby Gordon. Bobby Hamilton (who finished 13th)f somewhere near the front, but past the halfway point of most races he would drop off Mayfield and Ricky Rudd were the only dri vers not to win races in ’99 after having won the pace and out of contention, usually with in ’98, Rudd ending a record streak of 16 hanging woes. W^d Burton was the only driver not with years with at least one win - amazingly, Rick a multi-car operation to finish in the top 10 Mast in the Yarborough Ford was the only standings. driver to not record a single DNF during the His Bill Davis-owned team, now with year. major financial help from CAT, performed Just two drivers won races after taking NASCAR’s provisional starting slots at the like winners, but just failed to end up in vic tory lane. Ward finishing bridesmaid to his rear of the field - Jeff Burton, who started younger brother on three occasions. 38th in New Hampshire and B Labonte, who His relationship and chemistry with 1999 started 37th in Atlanta, the season final. crew chief Tom Baldwin Jr has grown and How big is Winston Cup racing becoming? the seeds have been set for a run at the top Sales of NASCAR merchandise is up 1,100 three in 2000. percent since 1990, with almost US$1.1 bilMike Skinner had a good season for a still- hon in sales for the year. newish Cup talent, though that first win still Thirty-eight drivers won more than a mil eluded him - but five top fives and 14 top 10 lion bucks in 1999- and that’s before the new results don’t come without hard work and TV contracts come into effect in 2001, when crew chief Larry McReynolds and owner purses will increase significantly. Richard Childress know alTabout that. Now, where’s my driving suit - if I could Of those who finished just shy of the top just qualify for one race, I could pay off that -MAR-IIND CLARK 10, Jeremy Mayfield finished 11th, having a mortgage!

U December 1999

0(0

-j

garage sale

fflJE'iHde feas fealy gone out on Ricky Rudd’s IFerfomtiance Motorsports operation,,December 1 F-seejag the Winston Onp star auction off all of his pg'GLiuipment before making the move to Robert i'lSate^ Racmg: a’S a paid #PiveriHaving signed with RYR to drive the #28 car in |20,0.9.after hawng lost long-time sponsor Tide, Rudd rcouildn'’t come to terms with a buyer for the complete f;o,peration, so he decided to offer items individually.

. _

Included among the items in a tliree-day sale were 18 NASCAR chassis, including the car Rudd raced at the season-ending Atlanta event (complete with a transGeorgia asphalt still clinging to the tyresi porter, merchandise trailers, engines, tools, office equipement and his wife’s Jaguar XJ-S V12! While keeping two cars to ease his transition into RYR, Rudd won’t have far to travel, the #28 team being located at his own shop.

BILL France’s International Speedway Corporation has expanded again with the acqui sition of Richmond International Raceway in Virginia, ISC pur chasing the facility from the owning Sawyer family, opera tors of the track smcel953. ISC announced the US$215 mil lion purchase of the three-quarter mile oval track in the US last week. The move by the Sawyers was seen as no-choice alternative, the business environment created by NASCAR’s massive expansion in recent years providing the independant owners with two choices:join or die. The Sawyer family will remain as executives, founder Paul Sawyer,

Frame snaps up Richmond

83, as chairman and older son Wayne as president. “I’ve said for years that[the race way] wasn’t for sale, but time changes everything,” Paul Sawyer

said.

“We had some calls from some other [buyers], but I wasn’t inter-

yrf s-

( AMID fiufrlours of KtiGhael Kranefuss selling out his share in I'Renske-Rranefuss Racing, the team "is now operating almost sepjafately from Penske South Racing and drivers Jeremy Mayfield i and Rusty Wallace no longer exchange race, or quailing, inforI matioh. I The problem apparently started when the two drivers decided they . would not work with the same chassis builder - Wallace prefers the [Hopkins-built frame and Majdield the in-house chassis. Due to chassis differences, setting up the cars in the same manner is , nearly impossible. Since the ‘split,’ Wallace has not shown much strength, while Mayfield has posted some favoui-ahle results as his team and personal problems - MARTIN D CLARK ; get behind him.

ested in talking,” he added. Bruton ■Smith’s Speedway Motorsports Incorporated company was also believed to have made offers on the facility. “When Bruton called, I just turned him over to Wayne and let him talk to him - my patience gets thin sometimes,” Sawyer said. “But an independent, familyowned race track is like a single-car operation - it’s going to be hard to attract major sponsorship and dol lars and that’s what makes this all work,” Sawyer said of his decision to sell. Richmond has a ticket waiting list of 36,000 for its Winston Cup dates and plans_are now in place to expand seating at the venue from its current 100,000 to 150,000. ISC now controls 10 Winston Cup venues and has interests in three others, while Smith’s SMI controls six of the 21 tracks on the Winston Cup schedule.

n Shock news came through on December 7 that Robbie Looifiis, long-time crew chieffor Petty Enterprises and more recently dri ver John Andretti, has quit to become crew chieffor Jeff Gordon, effective immediately, Brian Whitesell was named cre'^ chief for Gordon in September, By Martin Clari<,tf^A replacing the departed Ray Evernham. Sources told Motorsport Niws earlier in the year that Whitesell had turned down the crew chief position. But when Evernham quit, he was forced to take the position; he now moves to team manager for Gordon. Loomis has been with the Pettys since 1989, when he joined as a chas sis specialist from Kyle Pettys Wood Brothers team. Loomis moved to the crew chief role for ‘King” Richard in 1991 after being the chief mechanic in 1990. Kyle Pettis crew chief at Petty Enterprises, Doug Hewitt recently moved to the project manager position and this left Loomis’ head wrench Greg Steadman to take Hewit’s position. Who will replace Loomis at this time is unknown. n Mark Martin is recovering well,following a much-needed operation on his two crushed lower vertebrae. “I’m getting bored,” the bed-ridden Martin said - he will not sit in a car again until Daytona in February, missing winter testing. S.

n Rusty Wallace has a new book on the shelves. ‘Rusty Wallace: The Decision To Win’is co-written with Bob Zeller, and tells of Wallace’s rise through the ranks to be one ofNASCAR’s top gims. n Bill Elliott has been again voted the most popular driver among NASCAR fans in the aimual poU -it marks the 14th time in 16 years Elhott has received the award. n Speedway Motorsports stock dropped dramatically during the third quarter, due to bad attendances at Texas and Atlanta for the IRL events and rain at Bristol for the NHRA races and the starting up ofan oil treatment company and internet selling site. The earnings were about $6 million below expectations for the multitrack owner and another loss is expected in the final quarter, n Adam Petty is expected to run five Winston Cup events for sponsor Sprint in 2000, The 19 year-old will also continue his Busch Series racing, becoming the first fourth generation driver in NASCAR history to do so, following liis great grandfather, Lee, grandfather Richard and father Kyle. The three-year deal also allows for Adam to move full-time into Winston Cup in 2001, or 2002. n Mattei Motorsports has announced new sponsorship from Nations Rent for three years starting in 2000, Michael Waltrip wifi continue to drive the SABCO-sponsored Chevys, as the US largest equipment rental company takes over from Phillips as the primary backer. n NASCAR has signed a multi-year deal with two network TV compa nies that wall carry tube coverage to millions of US households tlirough the coming year of growth. Contracts have been signed with Fox Sports and NBC-Tumer 1 Broadcasting for over $2.8 billion, with Fox carrying races in the first half of the 2001 season and NBC the second half- the networks will then switch the follovsdng year, with NBC kicking the season off. The move will boost NASCAR’s current contracts set by each track from $100 million per year to more than four times that annually. The move leaves NASCAR stalwarts Disney-owned ESPN and CBSTNN out in the cold, although some specialised progi’amming will con tinue -the new deal also commits the two new networks to pre-race shows currently aired by ESPN. The debut of NBC at Homestead Miami drew the worst TV ratings for Winston Cup since records started in 1996- not a very good start.

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n December 1999

Forest RalSy change n The,first round of the 2000 Australian Rally Championship, the Respect Yourself Forest Rally, will be base^ in Bussleton, three hours south 6f Perth. To be held on April 1-2, the Forest Rally has previously been based in Perth and run in and around the Mundaring area, north east of the city. However, the WA Water Corporation has deemed that the event cannot run in this area and a move south was the West Australian Car Club’s only option. An excessive build up offloating dust, which was a major problem at Rally Australia in November,is thought to cause the dangerous blue green algae. Last year’s Forest Rally received approval to run in the Mimdaring area just three weeks before the event. But, according to event media haison officer Neil Blackboum, the move south won’t be a bad thing. “Busselton is the holiday centre of the south and the roads in the area are, I believe, the best in the state,” Blackboum said. “Some of the stages were used in Rally Australia back in 1994 and the Lewana Stages WA state roimd uses that area -the drivers love it,” he said. The main service area for the Forest Rally will be based at Nannup.

Max in Focus B FIA President Max Mosley made a flying-visit to the Cumbrian-based Ford Martini Wf/^ld Rally team on November 25. He came to view its new £10 million headquarters at Dovenby Hall and to experience a ride alongside Cohn McRae in the Ford Focus WRC,before sliding into the driving seat and sampling the 130 mph turbocharged rally car for himself. His visit was hosted by European Director of Ford Racing Martin Whitaker and Team Director Malcolm Wilson. “Undoubtedly, this was one of the best days of my year,” com mented Mosley. “It was fascinating and it’s always good to have the opportu nity to sit and talk to people like Colin and Malcolm - you leam such a lot. “But, above all, to have a ride in one of the latest rally cars on a proper rally stage with a top dri ver was a rich experience. And then he was brave enough to sit alongside while I drove rather slowly myself. “I don’t get to spend enough time now at ralhes, so it’s really good to see the rally cars and talk to team members. It’s been very helpful and I haven’t had so much fun in ages.” Before trying his hand at dri ving the Focus, Mosley was taken for a high-speed ride by McRae through the 8km Lowther Forest stage. “It wasjust wonderful,” Max enthused.“It gives you an impres sion of what top drivers do and you soon realise that they are in another league from ordinary peo ple.”

More Mo titSes n Mohammed bin Sulayem rewrote the record books when he clinched his 12th success in the Dubai International Rally, the final round of the 1999 FIA Middle East Rally Championship. The event also earned the Dubai driver his 11th regional title, his

By Peter Wtiitt :cli:or - AhStraiia.fi feilyspo.1 50th international rally success and the fourth win for the new Msport Ford Focus WRC,a world record milestone. Sulayem led the two-day, 14stage event from start to finish and had built up a crashing 10 minute advantage at the finish. Only a troublesome alternator wire and a brush with an errant branch(which cracked the wind screen)threatened to mar his domination. A fascinating battle developed between Michel Saleh and Andreas Tsouloftas for second place, but Saleh held his rival off once the Cypriot lost 40 seconds after straying off the defined route in the desert. Sharjah’s Abdullah al Qassimi won the Group N section in his Lancer Evo 6 and Nicholas Mandrides was a delighted fifth after his first showing in a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer. The 2000 season gets underway with the Abu Dhabi-based UAE International Rally at the start of February. Final championship standings: 1. Mohammed bin Sulayem 80 points, 2. Nizar al Shaiifari 44, 3. Andreas Tsouloftas 44.

Promising: Toni Gardemeister (above and right) tests the SEAT Cordoba WRC E2 in Kail, northern Sweden.

First E2 test for Auriol

DIDIER Auriol successfully completed his first days of testing the SEAT Cordoba WRC E2 recently. The Frenchman drove in Espinelves, one of the favourite Spanish stages for all the manufacturers and drivers to set up a rally car on asphalt. Co-driven by Denis Giraudet. Auriol worked to improve the set up of the SEAT for next year’s FIA World Rally Championship, which starts on asphalt in Monte Carlo in January. “This was my first contact with the SEAT Cordoba on asphalt and it was a very positive sensation,” Auriol

said. “Of course, there’s a lot of work to do, but we are all very motivated and nothing is impossible. “The set-up of the car for the fast comers is good, but we have to improve in the slow comers. The Cordoba has improved since we started testing.” Jaime Puig, SEAT Sport Team Director, said that “Didier is very motivated and to work with him is fan tastic. “He knows what he wants and I’m confident that the SEAT Cordoba will benefit from his experience. All the team is veiy happy and aiming to work hard.” -PETER WHITTEN

£i Possum Bourne, victor again.

Possum’s Singapore

n Possum Bourne won his final rally ofthe year in Singapore on November 14, maintaining his unbeaten record in Asian events this season. With local co-driver Ivan Chua, Bourne’s Subaru Impreza WRX finished 38 seconds ahead of his nearest rival on the all tarmac event, held within the confines of the 40 acre car park of Singapore’s national sports stadium. For the first four stages. Bourne had to see of a strong challenge from fellow Subaru driver Ian Lee, who then crashed out ofthe rally. Over the second half of the rally. Bourne was able to ease away from Australian Jeff Beaumont to take a convincing win. “It makes up a little bit for the disappointment of Rally Australia,” Bourne said. “It’s cer tainly finished the season on a high note. I didn’t want the memo ry of Rally Australia to be the end of 1999.” This was Bourne’s second win in the two Singapore tarmac series events he competed in this year he also won two rounds of the Malaysian rally championship in more conventional terrain on plan tation roads and tracks.

Focus has great potential Sainz happy with test

“EVEN after just a few hours in the car, I can sense the Focus has great potential and the first impressions are quite positive” - those were the words of Carlos Sainz after his first drive of the Ford Focus World Rally Car in preparation for next year’s World Championship. “The chassis feels very good and the car seems well balanced,” Sainz said.' “I spent quite a lot of time mak ing small adjustments to see exact ly how’ they affected the car’s behaviour at speed. It’s vital to learn how various modifications affect the handling to establish a base from which to work. “I’m happy to be back with Ford. I already know the team, many of the mechanics and most of the engi neers. “I’ll try my best to help Ford win the manufacturers’ title and we’ll also try to win both titles next year. “It’s not going to be easy, but I’m here to help and the commitment is there. Ford is going back to the top,” said Sainz. M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson, who worked with Sainz at Ford in 1996 and 1997, was impressed with Sainz’s contribution. “After only a few runs over the

test stage on the first day, Carlos was providing excellent feedback for our engineers to work on,” Wilson said. “His initial feelings about the Focus were very positive. He felt that the engine needed more power, but we had a 1999-specification unit in the car, so that was not

unexpected. We will have a 2000 engine instaUed for our next test in Sweden.” Ford’s pre-season programme was scheduled to continue with Sainz and team-mate Colin McRae testing in Sweden from December 13-17 and then a nine-day test in France in January. -P WHITTEN

Impressed: Champ Carlos Sainz likes the Focus, but wants more grunt.

17 December 1999

By JON THOMSON HE may share his name wit?i the mythical charac ter in that famed Who rock musical of the 1960s, but Tommi Makinen is no deaf, dumb and blind kid, despite the fact that at times you might believe he drives by intuition. Tommi is the Rally Wizard, though and only one other driver has won as many World Championships, but even that man - his one time mentor, Juha Kankkunen - couldn’t win four in a row. It took Kankkunen the best part of ten years to achieve his quadrella, but Makinen has done it in four. So, what now for the man who can arguably lay claim to the title of the best rally driver of all time? Well, for a start, Makinen may not stick around in ral lying for much longer. “I don’t have too much else to prove; maybe it is time to start looking at some other challenges soon,” Makinen told Motorsport News at the conclusion of Rally Australia in Perth last month, where he tied up the fourth title. “Maybe another two sea sons and that could be it,” Makinen declared. The determined look on Makinen’s face tells you that he is not kidding and that his statement is no idle threat. Makinen is a boots and all driver, able to combine con sistency with sheer unadul terated pace. He is the sort of driver who amasses titles by finishing consistently, but his winning record is also impressive. Makinen is the only driver to have won more than half the World Championship ral lies in a season. He is third in the list of world rally winners, with 19 victories to his credit in little more than five years and his ratio of wins to rally starts is also superior to any other driver’s. He may only be the son of a farmer from Puuppola, a tiny village in the heart of the country that plays host to the 1000 Lakes Rally of Finland, but Makinen is ranked alongside Mika Hakinnen as Finland’s gi-eatest sporting hero of the moment.

Mpix photo

f “That is not so important at all. Everything comes automatically, so long as you are fast enough and_you try to win - then you get some success. I have never been following these things at all,” said Makinen. “ Just one day, I realised that I have already won 19 rallies and I felt as though I had won about 10 rallies! Everything just comes,” he said. But, while his record may indicate fllH otherwise, the rapid Mitsubishi lead dri ver believes that he is not necessarily in a class of his own. He is, in a strangely confident way, a quite modest and self-effacing person, too modest - and too shrewd - to fool himself that his rivals are easily beaten. H “There are maybe **= five, or six, drivers now who are on the same level and who are very hard to beat. I mean, there is Colin (McRae), Carlos (Sainz), Richard (Burns), Didier ( (Auriol) and, of course, Juha (Kankkunen)- they can all win rallies and they are all able to win the World Championship,” he said.

“It is a question of good luck, hard work and then more hard work. It’s quite tight at the moment- it’s not so clear that I just go and

A.\

win somewhere. I don’t want to say whether I am the best driver.” Makinen finds it difficult to explain how he summons the willpower and the speed to turn impossible situations in his favour. “It’s always difficult. For example, in 1998 we had a very bad start. We had how

any hint of weakness in a rival. From all reports, he can not stand being beaten and he brings that ruthless com petitive instinct to every thing he does, from riding a trials bike, or a snowmobile, for fun, to playing golf. “I am a very competitive person. You know that is the way I am and, if I wasn’t, mavbe I wouldn’t have won World four Rally Championship in a row,” Makinen stated. But he believes that one of the keys to his success is the team with whom he has won all four titles, Mitsubishi Ralhart. Under the control of Scottish legend Andrew Cowan, Ralliart has simply been the most consistent and fastest team as a result of the machinery it serves up and the man who extracts the most from it. Makinen is quick to pay tribute to Ralliart, which he believes has been the corner¬ stone of his success. “Winning would be much many retirements, five? We cult to drive, even if in some harder work in any other had all kinds of stupid prob- conditions it is a little bit team,” he explained. “The team is well' run and lems and we were already a faster, I am sure the final result is worse. it has the right systems set long way behind, but it’s “You have to try to find the up for testing and develop good to see how you can find ment, something that not all best compromise. It the teams can boast - the is a question of how Pensive^lkpimi Makinen confident you are results are there, so tell me, has four tKiQk to back where is a better team? with the car.” titles - ilUtofiter While other makIf he does complete two five lS|hiing more seasons and then for 2000? ers have gone for the World Rally Car retires, as he threatened at solution, Mitsubishi the end of Rally Australia, has stuck to a road Makinen will still be, in rally car-based Group A terms, a very young man. ♦ “You know, rallying is very solution, something that Makinen is intense these days and there ambivalent about. is just no time for a proper “It doesn’t matter rest,” he said. “I want to be able to have too much if the car is time to do more things, to Group A, or World Rally Car, so long as spend time with my family the specification is and have more fun. “With 14 rallies in a sea right and the team son, there is just no time off; can work on develop ing it constantly. we get maybe a week, or two, Maybe we have to following Britain and then it switch to WRC is straight back into testing n sometime down the for Monte Carlo in January I track, but for now you know, it is just too H the Group A car is much.” Makinen conceded that the H working fine,” said " Makinen. challenge of 1999 and his some extra effort to win Makinen isn’t perfect, of fourth straight title had drained him - but, by the when you really need it, like course - letting Frenchman last year when everything Didier Auriol back into the time January rolls around, started working in Finland, title race by crashing on the it’s a safe bet that he will be then San Remo and China Rally is a good exam- ready and raring to defend Australia. That was excel¬ pie - but he doesn’t make the Championship once lent,” he explained. many errors and he exploits again. “Also, the Mitsubishi is very easy to drive. “It is our main weapon: if you make a car that is diffi-

LLI

: With another two years of raci^ahead of him, can Makinen upllhis tally of World ChamplQij^1|>$.to six?(Sutton Images)

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]7 December 1999

n After six rounds,the New Zealand Pro Series for FMK Classes (Intercontinental A and Inter A Junior) has come to a conclu sion, with Bevan Hai’e taking Inter A and Adam Boote Junior ICA. ' n The four-round Toyota-supported NSW State Championships came to a close at Nevixastle, with the following results. Junior Light- Robert Hunt, Junior Heavy - Simon Roberts, Yamaha Junior - Brett Robinson, Senior Light - Anthony Petrilli, Senior Heavy - Michael Clark, Yamaha Light- Neil McFadyen, Yamaha Heavy - Damien Meyer, Yamaha Super Heavy - Jeff Cooper, Piston Port- Jason Burns, Formula 100 - Steve Moylan. n Coiufesy of a resounding victory in the 1999 Pettaras Press Resa Cup,Series winner Kris Laue has been offered a drive with the Australian PCR team for the 2000 FMIC Australian Championships. I,aue, a fonner Haase team driver, makes the move as part of the prize for winning the Wynn’s Series support class. n Canberra’s very own karting star Blake Curtis has announced his move to the all-conquering Swiss Hutless team for an attack on the Intercontinental A title in 2000. The Swiss team that dominated the European Championships in both Formula A and Super A in 1999 is making a major push in Australia through importer IKD in 2000, with reigning Australian Junior Champion Adam Graham in FoiTQula A and Curtis moving from the Birel team in ICA. n Newly-crowned Wynn’s Series Fonnula A Champion Jamie Whincup, who aims to join the national Formula Ford Series in 2001,is already setting tongues wagging after a strong debut meeting in Melbourne last month. Running on P-plates, Whincup qualified with a time that would have put him on the second row of the grid for the national round meeting held at Calder Park months before, while a strong nin through a mixed bag of cars including sports cars in a club day saw him take an easy victory after starting rear of field.

McFadyen third in Japan Inter A Report by SEAN HENSHELWOOD REIGNING Australian Inter continental A Champion Neil McFadyen took a strong third ‘place in the Ayrton Senna Memorial Trophy at Suzuka Circuit on November 28 against a strong field of Japanese drivers and Austrahan arch-rivals' Alan Gurr and Andrew Tomhnson. Australia was also represented by multiple national champion Mark Winterbottom and Brendan Dive in Formula A - unfortunately, though, as has been the norm in this class in the past, neither driver managed to qualify for the final.

Intercontinentai A

n The dates for the 2000 FMK Australian Karting Championships have been officially scheduled, with only one major alteration, the move to Victoria as the host state for the final round, competitors citing lousy Victorian weather in August as the reason. Round 1 May 6-7 Bolivar Raceway, Adelaide Round 2 June 17-18 Ipswich Raceway, Brisbane Round 3 August 19-20 Eastern Creek Karting Raceway, Sydney Round 4 October 21-22 Geelong Kartway, Geelong

Things started well for the Australians, all three drivers well ; on the pace. By close of qualifying, though, it was reigning Oceania Champion

B Only weeks after the World Karting Championships had been run at Belgium’s Mariembourg circuit, the leading drivers were offered test drives in Dr Jonathon Palmer’s Audi-powered open wheel series. Interestingly, Trulli kart driver and sometime F3 driver Giorgio Pantano was lightning fast, as was Australian Ryan Briscoe. More interesting, though, was the accommodation arranged for the test, which saw the two Ronnies paired together in one room - Quintarelli and Bremer. 'These were the two drivers who came together heavily two coi-ners fi-om home in the Super A World Titles, costing both of them victoi-y - to save excessive repair bills, the hotels manage - SEAN HENSHELWOOD ment found them separate rooms!

Nuriootpa on December 5. Results: Midgets - Fast Qual Nicholas Pavan, 1 Jake Wignall, 2 Nicholas Pavan, 3 Jason Taylor. Rookies - Fast Qual James Emmerson, 1 Eddie Wignall, 2 'Thomas Robinson, 3 Jason Emmerson. Junior National

ON a hot and sunny afternoon on November 28, the annual One Hour Endurance Race for Superkarts took place at Winton as part of round 8 of the Victorian Superkarts Series. The enduro is the highlight at the end of the season and is taken very seriously, the smaller capacity classes going as hard as possible and waiting for the 250cc karts to break. This year, a driver change was not compulsory, hut a pit stop was. The pace car led the field around for the start and Mario Todarello’s 250cc Inter problems started imme diately, a rear brake disc carrier shattering. After a quick stop for an inspec tion, Mike Crossland (250cc Inter) was in the driver’s seat and sent on his way to join the field for the start. The early pace was fast, with Sam Zavaglia in John Pellicano’s kart leading the way. Peter Woodgate and Tony Rath (250cc Inter) lost a few laps with a carby problem, while Darren Dunn and Peter Windhager (80cc) drove as hard as possible. The heat and fuel tank capacities were influencing the race and sev eral early retirements occurred, Rob Canuti seizing an engine when some internal teflon parts melted and went through the motor. At about half-distance, the pit stops started, some karts arriving

n THE Go Kart Club of South Australia hosted the 1999 South Australian Closed Titles at

Light - Fast Qual Rocco Ventra, 1 Jake Wigley, 2 Matthew Hall, 3 Clint Cox. Junior National Heavy - Fast Qual Andrew Hobby, 1 Andrew Hobby, 2 Paul Tinga, 3 Adam

Gurr who made the best of it, quali fying second (48.922) behind the incredibly fast Imada. McFadyen grabbed fifth (49.266), with Tomlinson 12th (49.507). In the heats, Gurr had a DNF while in the top three when an engine suddenly went off-song - in his second hept, he led early before being taken by his former team mate McFadyen by mid-race. McFadyen added a seventh in his second heat, while Tomlinson made an excellent run in the first of his two heats, taking eight places for fourth, then suffering a barrage of Japanese assaults in his second heat to be forced back to 14th. McFadyen lined up.on grid two for the pre-final behind Imada, with Tomlinson 12th and Gurr 16th. McFadyen took fourth in the prefinal, while Gurr was a strong eighth as he started the last lap, only to suffer a chain failure which left him in 28th starting position for the final.

Dunn went past feathering the throttle to nurse one more lap out of his empty fuel tank, successfully taking the flag before stopping at turn 1. Winner Todarello crossed the line

with 39 laps completed (and a huge smile on his face'), ahead of Dunn (37 laps) and third-placed Pellicano (also 37 laps). Sciarra, on 36 laps, was fourth and the first NGB.

n Jason McIntyre and Ben Castles enjoyed close races in the heats of lOOcc NGB Light, with Tim Macrow, Rod Prickett, Colin McIntyre and John Sciarra forming a close-knit group fighting for third place - McIntyre J won from Castles, with McIntyre C third. In the Heavy class, Gary Pegoraro had three wins to take overall honours, while Rod Clarke with three seconds was next. Several drivers fought over third, ■Ricky Setterfield just sneaking in by one point over Doug Brumby. NSW’s Drew Hillman, still on P plates and a second-generation karter, drove well against some stiff opposition to sneak into third overall in the Junior class. Luke May, also a second-generation karter, won all races, with 'Ti’ent McIntosh slotting into second. In 80cc, Robi Canuti set the pace with three straight wins, leaving

Tomlinson took a steady approach through the pre-final to conserve rubber for the final, com ing home in 12th place. Tomlinson’s plan worked for ali of two corners, before a kamikaze move by a local driver saw him taken permanently from the circuit. By this stage, the locals had swamped McFadyen, who was back in seventh, while Gurr was forcing his way through the field, half way through in 14th by lap seven. At this stage, McFadyen was through the pack and in pursuit of the two leaders, setting the fastest lap on the way (49.297). Gurr, meantime, had met his match in some of the Japanese drivers and the further he got through the field, the harder they were to pass. “Some of them just wouldn’t let you through,” Gurr said. “We were second fastest on the circuit in the pre-final and passed a lot of karts, but they just made >it too hard. Some of them would line you up and just drive into you.”

South Oz Closed Titles and NSW Titles results Rypers. Junior Clubman - Fast Qua Richard Davis, 1 Jake Wigley, 2 Daniel lannotti, 3 Blake Mooney. Senior National Light - Fast Qual Jeff Boyd, 1 Stewart Camphell, 2 Dwayne Blee, 3 Brad Fox. Senior National Heavy - Fast Qual Stephen Blee, 1 Matthew Frith. 2 Stephen Blee, 3 Lee Hanatschek. Clubman Light Fast Qual Sean Wyatt, 1 Ben Hall,

Todarello’s One Hour, Pelli’s 250 Inter victory with fuel tanks virtually empty and the heat taking its toll on some dri vers. Zavaglia handed over to Pellicano and Todarello climbed into his kart for the run to the end. Dunn took over from Windhager and the Tim Macrow/John Sciarra lOOcc NGB was still in contention. With about fifteen minutes to go, Pellicano’s kart sounded a bit rough, forcing a stop for a quick carby check and a change of plugs, the team losing two laps before rejoining and taking some of the pressure off Todarello. On what was to be the last lap, the dramas started in earnest, a couple of karts running out of fuel and stopping and Pellicano having a big moment when a rear tyre deflated exiting the esses - hut it did not stop him completing the last lap, in typical never say die fashion.

Darren Dunn, Peter Windhager and Russell Field (having a guest drive after several years away from the sport) racing for the minor placings. Dunn just held Windhager out of second and Peter Cooke just took the win from Frank Kessels in the Restricted class. David Barker was another driver to win all heats to finish ahead of Peter Hageman in the 125cc class, Mick Bakker getting rid of his gi-emlins at last to finish third. A few early casualties in the 250cc National class took the pressure off Clarke Todd as he went on to win.

A strong field of 250cc Inters fronted up, with John Pellicano setting the pace early. But, by the third heat, Tony Rath, Sam Zavaglia and Stuart Lord had picked up the pace and the four karts raced closely together, swapping places right up to the flag, Pellicano got the win. Rath tak ing second from a consistent Mark Brundell. - GRAEME BURNS

2 Shane Wright, 3 Jamie Carter. Clubman Heavy - Fast Qual 1 Stuart Stuart Morrison Morrison, 2 Terry Squiers, 3 Keith Bartlett. Clubman Super Heavy - Fast Qual Jason Holding, 1 Jason Holding, 2 Terry Squiers, 3 Peter Kwiatkowski. Clubman Over 40s - Fast Qual Keith Bartlett, 1 Keith Bartlett, 2 Brian Rayner, 3 Tony Martini. Formula Rotax - Fast Qual James Tinga, 1 Travis Murphy, 2 James Tinga, 3 Lee Hanatschek.

n THE North Shore Kart Club hosted the 1999 New South Wales Titles at Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway on December 5. Results: Midgets - 1 Joshua Scott, 2 Steel Gulliana, 3 Richard Rapa. Rookies - 1 Keith Ford, 2 Ben McCasHney, 3 Paul Laskazeski. Junior Clubman - 1 James Gurr, 2 Brett Robinson, 3 Matt CheiTy. Junior Piston Port - 1 Regan Payne, 2 Peter Hamilton, 3 Glen Saville. Resa Light - 1 Tim Macrow, 2 Peter Lawler, 3 Jack Lynch. Resa Heavy - 1 William Yarwood, 2 David Knight, 3 Phillip Blaney. Clubman Light - 1 Mark Winterbottom, 2 Wesley May, 3 Michael Caniso. Clubman Heavy - 1 William Yarwood, 2 Damien Meyer, 3 Cid Maroun. Clubman Super Heavy - 1 Steve Cosson, 2 Brian Czuczi, 3 Benjamin Schippers. PRD Light - 1 Steve Bell, 2 Barton Mawer, 3 Jason Varley. PRD Heavy - 1 William Yarwood, 2 John Mostyn, 3 Grant Ashby, Clubman Over 40s - 1 Jim Clews. 2 Ray Gajewski,3 John Hoswell. Results yet to be confirmed in Resa Heavy, PRD Heavy, Clubman Heavy and Rookies. - SEAN HENSHELWOOD

17 December 1999

lIh\(D[}®m\p®n'^ 4.

In the end he was forced to pit on lap 15 with his nose cone rubbing on his front wheels. McFadyen’s run back through the field netted him third place at the flag, just over a second shy of the leaders, Shibata leading home pole-sitter Imada.

Formula A

This was both Mark Winterbottom and Brendan Dive’s first trip to the World Cup. Thirty first position in qualifying for Dive (49.356) and 50th for Winterbottom (50.071) was not a great representation of their abili ty, both drivers having to come to terms with the high level of grip and the immense experience of the European teams. Dive was behind the eight ball immediately with two heat DNFs, one from an engine sadly lacking in compression, the other from a rollaround accident prior to the start. Winterbottom didn’t fare rnuch better, losing out in an accident with a local driver in the first heat after making up fifteen positions, then suffering a broken chain from an altercation with a ripple strip in the second - both drivers were forced to start in the repechage. Dive started brilliantly to move from 17th to 10th in the early laps, before again suffering at the hands of the locals. Winterbottom, like Dive, drove well in the early laps to be tenth by mid-race (from 24th) before losing out at the hands of one of the

British drivers.

“It was funny,” Winterbottom said. “The drivers were all very nice at the start of the race, then they’d crash you out and come over and say sorry... We’d he banned over nere if we-did some of the things they allow.”

9, 10.

Patrick Pilet Tony KaiWortex/Bridgestone Takahide Sugiyama Tony KartA^ortex/Bridgestone Oliver Jams Tony KarWortex/Bridgestone S, Matsunaga Swiss Hutless/Italsistem/ Bridgestone Jose Maria Lopez CRG/CRG/Bridgestone 0. Tami TibiKaidyVortex/Bridgestone S. Yamamoto

Tony Kart/ltalsistem/ Bridgestone dnq Brendan Dive Birel/Italsistem/Bridgestone dnq Mark Winterbottom Kosmic/Parilla/Bridgestone Intercontinental A Y. Shibata Alpha/IAME/Bridgestone S. Imada 2. Birel/Rotax/Dunlop 3. Neil McFadyen Top Kart/Comer/Bridgestone M,Hosoda 4. Birel/Italsistem'Bridgestone R. Adachi 5. Tecno/Rotax/Dunlop Y. Satoh 6. Tony Kart/Italsistenn' Bridgestone 7. T. Wakabayashi Swiss Hutless/Italsistem/ Bridgestone T. Satoh 8. Birel/Italsistem/Bridgestone 9. S. Yamada , Birel/Italsistem/Bridgestone 10. S. Satoh Tony Kart/V ortex/Dunlop 27. Alan Gurr Kosmic/Ttalsistem/ Bridgestone 31. Andrew Tomlinson Tony Kart/Vortex/ Bridgestone 1.

Formula Super A Reigning Italian Champion Ryan Briscoe was having his last run on Vega tyres under his current con tract and, like fellow Aussie Ben Horstman, was under no illusions about where they would be on the circuit, which tvas notoriously a Bridgestone track (unless it rained and the Dunlop wet proved three seconds a lap faster, as in 1998). Still, Briscoe managed to qualify 13th (48.458) and Horstman 18th 148.646) behind pole-sitter Bhnio Gandolfi(48.060). Heat results (9/16/20) saw Briscoe with a 16th place start for the final, while Horstman managed a 22nd-placed start for the pre final, courtesy of his heat results (15/21/25). The final saw Horstman place

15th, with Briscoe just'over a sec ond behind him in 16th. the now Briscoe ]oms Bridgestone team again for 2000, alongside reigning World Champ Danilo Rossi in CRG, while Horstman lines up for his second year with Biesse/Fox, again on Vega tyres.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Results Formula Super A Vitantonio Liuzzi CRG/CRG/Bridgestone Ennio Gandolfi BRM/Italsistem/Bridgestone Kazushi Sano Ital Corse/Italsistem/ Bridgestone Danilo Rossi CRG/CRG/Dunlop Toni Vilander PCR/PCR/Dunlop

Max Orsini Birel/Italsistem/Dunlop 7. T. Kataoka Yamaha/Rotax/Bridgestone 8. Mario Siegers V, Tony Kart/Vortex/Bridgestone 9. Takao Matsuya Yamaha/Rotax/D unlop 10. T. Saito CRG/CRG/Bridgestone 15. Ben Hortsman Biesse/Fox/Bridgestone 16. Ryan Briscoe CRG/CRG/Vega 1.

2. 3.

Formula A Julien Poncelet Swiss Hutless/Italsistem/ Bridgestone Augusto Dos Santos CRG/CRG/Bridgestone Franck Perera Tony Kajf/Vortex/Bridgestone

The Australian Karting Asseciation Inc

The Australian fiarling Ass@ciati®n ine

Tyre Tenders to controlled Classes

Tyre testing contractor for the Australian Karting Association Inc

Oontract period from 1 Januaiif 2061 to 31 Decemher 2003 Tyre importers/distributors are invited to register their interest in supplying tyres on a restricted basis to the following Australian Karting Association Inc classes for the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2003 Class groupings for tyre compounds are as follows: (i) Category A - Formula 100, 200cc Super, 200cc Clubman, Gearbox; (ii) Category B - Piston Port, Formula Australia, PRD; (iii) Category C - Clubman, Atlas; and (iv) Category D - National, Rookies and Midgets. As part of the tender, requirements must be met by 1st February 2000, any party considering a tender should request tender documents from: . Chief Executive Officer Mr Bob Edyvean Australian Karting Association Inc PO Box 554 Ipswich Qld 4605 Ph 07 3282 9962 Fax 07 3282 9963

The AKA invites expressions of interest from persons who may be interested in conducting a tyre testing program to be carried out between February and May 2000. The tyre testing procedure follows a strict program formulated by the AKA as part of the selection criteria to determine performance and durability of the tyres submitted for the contract period from 1st January 2001 to 31st December 2003. ●^Applicants will be required to state their fees and charges for the service and compliance to the AKA Tyre Testing contract. Applicants will need a background in kart competition and be independent of any bias to kart tyre manufacturers and/or importers. For further information regarding testing procedures and responsibilities please contact: Chief Executive Officer Mr Bob Edyvean Australian Karting Association inc PO Box 554 Ipswich Qld 4605 Ph 07 3282 9962 Fax 07 3282 9963

INI

46 20 November 1998

V8supmaR csuicmitam The signa ture card dri vers include

The Official 1998 Shell ATCC

Collector

Card

Series is a must for the V8

sport fan would have to be a Mick Doohan Cut-Out. In 1997, Lombard The Paper People produced a lim ited edition Mick Doohan

Reed. "If

people

Champion Craig LawnOss

quickly, they still can

Craig Lowndes collector card features HRT Commodore (front view) and driver head shot with 1998 ATCC trophy (rear view).

receive their cards in time

photo of the car in action on the front. The reverse side contains the driver’s 1998

for Xmas," Brace said.

results, round by round,

i398SheUATTC

'I ,

i/'

Cut-Out has been produced in 199.9 and, once again, these arelindividually num bered and limited to 1,000

V8 Supercar Cards, con tact Bruce

been signed by the driver. "At least one in ten packs contains a signature card,’’ Bruce Linford of Linford

Linford

copies. The Cut-Out, near life-

by on

Craig Lowndes 932ficdntf

phone 0418 710 609 or ah 07 32 88 22 09.

Sport Ai-t said, “so there is a good chance of recieving these much sought-after cards."

size, stands approximately 1.5 metres high and features the famous "Mick vrith flag"

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For orders, or i'or more details on the

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Produced by Linford Sport Art - and endorsed by AVESCO - each card has a

ill

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Dick Johnson,

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CojUd

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CLASSIFIEDS

Motorsport News Classifieds are FREE for private sales. Classifieds from motor sport traders are accepted (marked with a ●) and must be prepaid, at the following per issue rates: $5 per 10 words (min $10 per ad), photo $10. Further enquiries to our advertising department.

Sedciws/Silorts Ccrs

Triden Historic Group Lb, early Holden engine, gear box, diff. Triumph 1800 roadster chassis. Fibreglass body. Full history log book. Cert description. $12,500 Ph Ian Gear 08 8370 2773. 1C9

Porsche 944 Turbo, '87 model, 1990 series look, out standing A1 condition, British import, white colour and while interior, all electric, climate co^trol, ABS bra1<es, elec sun roof, excellent service history and all invoices, engine right now is under total rebuild. $35,000 or swap for trans porter, race car or other attractive offers to the same value. Ph: 07 3325 1613 or0417 775 507. m Escort Mk.ll, race/rally, 5 link, turrets, roll cage, flares, fibreglass panels, Bilsteins, 4W discs, 4 spots, balance bar, LSD, 2L, twin Webers, h/d clutch, World Cup cross member & struts. Much more, $7,600. Ph: 07 5597 2404. \m

LJ Torana, currently logged as a Club Car, or easy con version to NC. Plenty of spares, diff ratios, wheels etc. $9,900neg. Ph: 02 9671 1042. 1 Subaru WRX/GTP. Second in Class B, 'Bathurst 3Hr 98: 2nd Class B Oran Park 99: 2nd Class B Gold Coast Indy 99: fastest qualifier Indy 99. Many extras & spares. Ph: 02 9672 7530. 0413 879 879,

PRB Clubman. Highly developed, best of everything. Quarff: .jearbox. Quaife diff, MoTeC etc. Fresh engine. '95bhp, Greai value at $29,000ono Ph: 0414 801 699. m Jaguar E Type. Production Sports. Highly developed. 325bhp. Great value at $33,000. Ph 0414 801699. ●» Porsche 911 RSCS. Black, 1998 GTP ohamp.onshjp car. Rebuilt German factory engine. Ph: 03 9836 1519. NASCAR sale. 2 Chev Luminas. rolling chassis, plus 38ft two-car transporter and Mercedes Benz 1418 prime mover. $50,000the lot. Ph: 07 5532 9880. .ee TF Cortina Club Car. 4.1 crossflow, 350hp, top loader gearbox. Falcon running gear. Well presented, very quick Over 3 L car 0/P 50s. Priced to sell. $12,000 Ph Ken 0412 820 741. m

Super Tourer Toyota, TOM'S factory car. This car in the right hands should be very competitive. All spares, too many to list. Will consider trade or payment program. $65,000. Ph: 0418 644 217. .69

Mazda RX7, would make ideal Club Car, aero body kit, red 2 pac, 13B, 5 speed, heavy duty clutch, 15 inch Simmons, sports suspension, Koni & Bilstein shocks. $10,500 ono. Ph: 07 4045 2541 (AH) .69

Escort Mk.l Coupe, Sports Sedan, Ford OHC 2lt, locked .diff, 4 link, alloy fuel cell, 6 point cage, Harrop front callipers, Volvo rears, 2 diff ratios, 2 gearboxes, 15x10 alloy wheels, adjustable susp. Unfinished project. Must sell. $2,600. Ph: 03 5975 6815. ,69 VS Commodore, Sports Sedan chassis. Push Rod sus pension, quickchange diff, 2 body kits, big brakes, unfin ished project, ail parts to iinish are supplied. $10,000. Ph. 03 6330 1881. .69

1990 Chevrolet Cl 500, S/S 454ci, limited edition, one owner, private import, all options, 42,000 miles. $45,000. Ph: 0417 240 101. .69

1995 Trans Am Coupe, red with black leather interior LT1, 4 speed auto, RHD, drives like new. Very good cond. Draive away price, $45,000. Ph: 07 5598 5086. .ee Mitsubishi Galant VR4, 4WD, turbo boost controller, Rally Pack. Can be road reg. Looks like new. $17,500 Ph 0413 595 507. .ee

Mazda RX7. Just built, mid-mounted 20B Adjustable everything, big brakes, 8pt roll cage. Mazdaspeed colours. Professionally built, very quick car and handles. Too much to list. A steal at $20,000. Genuine enquiries only Ph. 07 5570 4135. -66

HQ Thunderdome car no. 80. New motor, two-way radra, spare rims & tyres, spare body shell, plenty of spare'parts. Ready to race, must sell. $6,500, Ph: 03 9317 8460. XF Falcon AUSCAR Sportsman, runner up 1998/9 season. Front-running Ford. Record time of 32.68 sec. Spares inci: flat track set-up, spare shell painted & caged. Ideal Club Car.Price neg. Ph: Andrew 03 5367 1866 (BH), 03 5369 2271 (AH)

Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V GTP. Immaculate car. finished 5th outright in Bathurst 500 against Super Tourers. Brembos. Bond cage, Autronic. Momo seat & steering wheel, radio, Speedline wheels etc. $67,000 ono Ph: Rod Salmon 02 98981111,0418 444 443. .ee Holden Torana LJ XU1 Appendix J. Fresh molor, M21 box. Detroit locker diff, steel cage. Race ready. Spares avail. $15,000. Ph: 02 4647 2350, 0419 489 465. .k HQ race car, SA#4, ready to race. Lots of spares Quality parts throughout. Bargain for new driver. $4,000. All rea sonable offers will be considered. Ph: 0417 882 781

Nissan Pulsar GTiR, immaculate condition, 280bhp at 171b, cage etc. Spares. $26,000. Ph: 0418 126 450. .es

LJ Torana Sports Sedan - fresh engine, 202, alloy head, 300hp, l/r Muncie box, 4 adjustable shocks, 4 wheel disc brakes, fine spline axles. Fabricated front end. Ready to race. $8,500. Tandem trailer 19x6x6 $2,800. Ph: John 03 9350 1728 (AH), 018 311 320. lee BMW 323i JPS black on black. Sun roof, reg Nov 00. Fabulous cond. $13,500. Ph: 02 6360 0822. 168 Fiat 124 Sports Coupe CC Sports Sedan. 1800TC. twin carbs, half cage, some spares, reliable racing, good cond. $3,500ono. Ph: 02 4271 4945, 0418 497 569. lee

Toyota Levin AE92, 4AGE engine, 2 doors, roll cage, fully imported for racing only. Suitable for club race. $4,500 ono. Ph: 0413 717 826 or 03 9877 9652, 169

The Hume Rotary Mini, fully sorted and straight 450kg roller. Ideal 2 litre Sports Sedan. Adjustable wishbone susp front & rear. Lt.wt, detachable glass body front and rear. Complete, $14,000 ono, Ph: 03 9742 5277. ra

Holden HQ race car, high HP motor, CAMS 99 log 'feook, cage, tandem trailer with electric brakes & electric winch. HQ $3,900 or $1,500 roller, trailer $1,800. All up $5,600. Ph: 07 3325 1613 or 0417 775 507,

1991 Chevrolet K2500, 454ci, 4WD, one owner, all options, private import. 63,000 miles, $45,000. Ph: 0417

240 101. 169

Cortina GT Mk.l, 4 door, excellent condition, very origi nal, needs paint. RWC, $4,800. Ph: 02 9484 6127 (AH) or 02 9484 6640 (BH). i69

1966 MG Midget, Historic Sb log book. Completely restored and ready to race. Some spares. Quick and reli able. New C/R gearbox. Simpson 5 point harness. $12,000. Ph: 03 9470 4270 (AH) or Fax 03 9471 4407 is. Bluebird SSS, '94 turbo 4WD. Aust. compliance, rare manual, low k's, 2,5" exhaust, Reg until Mar 2000. Ph: 0418 737966. 168

Commodore Sports Sedan, roller Setup for mid mount Chev, HDT flares, spoilers, f/g boot & bonnet, new NASCAR extractors, Detroit locker, floating axles, 2 sets mounted composites etc. $4,800. Ph:Rod 02 6562 7762. isa Superminis, #1 Ironhead Supermini and 'trailer, fairly fresh engine & very competitive. #2 Turbo Supermini & trail er, spaceframed body with turbo engine, heaps of'potential. Plus huge spares list, race suit, helmet etr^ $10,500 ONO. Ph: 02 9773 1909. lee BMW M3 GTR, Yellow '94 model. Fully adjustable sus pension, Recaro interior. A T. raoingbrakes, full roll cage, immaculate car. Full service history. $95,000 ONO. Ph: 03 9398 8582 (AH), 03 9681 6310 (BH) les Mini Sports Sedan, winner 1997 NSW Super Mini series, consistent front running car. Complete with trailer, wets & spares. $5,500ono. Ph: 02 6352 4290 (BH), 02 6351 4363 (AH). ! Falcon XR8 AUSCAR rolling chassis, with Bilstein susp fire system. Autometer dash, diff, g/box, 2 sets of wheels fuel churn, jack etc. $14,500. Ph:Jamey 0414 952 601. 166 Ford Escort twin cam. Lotus, Genuine car. Minilites, Konis. Needs restoration. $4,800. Ph: 03 5156 2521. tee VL Commodore Sportsman/AUSCAR. Top 5 car, JFR built & prepared. Spares. No expense spared. Make and offer $$ or trade car or lease. Ph: Ken or Darren 03 9551 6585.'168 HQ race car (wilh CAMS log book) plus spare guards, bonnet, doors, front end. Will sell car and race engine sep arate if negotiated. Price on inspection. Must sell due to other race commitments. Ph: 02 4821 3040 (BH). 02 4822 3358 (AH). 168 Toyota GT4 turbo 4WD. Jap import, ready for rally/race, no dents. $9,500, Ph: 0413 595 507. 168

Peugeot 405 Super Tourer, fresh engine and gear box, large spares inventory. $19,800. Re-advertised due to time-waters. Ph: 0414 623 251, m 1985 Subaru RX turbo Group A. Road reg 5/2000. Roll cage, Halda, 5 point harnesses, Recaro seats. 8 Compomotive rims, driving lights. $6.500ono. Ph: John Sullivan 02 9712 3177, 0419 712 317, 168 HQ Race Car: ideal first car, all control items. Stop being on the other side of the fence. Cheapest way to go racing. Fresh paint, log book, spares. $2.500ono. Ph: 02 6765 4277. 168

i 1971 Aston Martin V8 Special. 500hp, Motec efi, BBS wheels, big brakes, rebuilt back to front by KVA in SA. Huge range of spares, manuals, 'ASTON' rego plate. Only . needs pair)k'$80,000ono. Ph/fax: 08 8294 1329. i6s HQ #60. Reliable and fast, perfect for beginner. Log book, new paint, strong engine. Worth a look. Melbourne. $4,800. Ph: 0419 139 303 m Torana LJ GTR. Very good cond. 12 months rego. $7,000neg. Must sell. Ph: 02 9818 4474, 0419 631 005. i6s Club Sport/Rally/Road car, Mazda 121. Upgraded suspension, roll cage, race seats, only 16,000km. As new tyres, perf body & mech cond. Reg'd, RWC. An excellent cheap runabout for budget motorsport fun at weekends. $7,500ono. Ph: 0418 551 660. lea

1982 HDT SS Group Three. Rare 4.2 litre 4 speed, red, a/c, p/s, ail Group 3 options. 160,000km. Build #628. Log books, vgc throughout. $15,500ono. Ph: 07 5577 1982. 'ee Group C Capri hatchback. Ex Colin Bond/ Masterton Homes car. All original Grp C running gear incI log book. Best offer around $15,000. Ph: Glynn^'07 3290 2064 (BH), 07 3208 8945 (AH). 160

Datsun 1600 Club Car. 2 litre, twin 45 Webers, Dat Rally Parts, 6 point cage, 2 racing seats and harnesses plus heaps of spares, and tandem trailer. $6,200. Ph: 0412

756 172. 168

Honda Rrelude VTi-R, '97, 56,000 kms. Car is dark green, in immaculate condition, with rear spoiler, carpets. 10 stack CD etc. Never thrashed, raced etc, terrific road car. $34,900ono. Ph Chris 03 9527 '744, 0418 580 700 (Melbourne) HQ Holden race car. Fresh BRE engine, only done Bathurst. New Autotrac exhaust, fresh tyres, brakes, gear box etc. Race winner. Plenty of spares. $7,000ono. Ph: 02 6765 4277 (BH). lee

U December 1999

H'£®0®[fsu)®d’0 Porsche 993, 94 model with log book. RSCS brakes & suspension, and wheels. Full carbon GT2 body kit, carbon Recaro seats. Road reg, low kms. Spare 18" wheels & slicks. UKfa competitive Club Car. $150,000ono. Ph: Wayne 02 9498 7435,0414 941 380. iia Mitsubishi Lancer EVO BS. Ex-Jeff Beaumont. Fully seam-welded, tower to tower cage, DMS 50mm suspension, Ralliart bushes, R'ajliart computer, extensive underbody pro tection, Total harnesses, OMP seats, Rallymasler, light pods, new clutch, 12 mths rally rego, ready to rally. Excellent condi tion with some spares. $24,000. Ph: 02 6585 3766 lee

Formula Ford, '86 Van Diemen. Comes with spares set of wheels and gear ratios etc. $9,900. Ph: Kevin 02 9679 7022 or 0413 047 163. les Historic Open Wheeler Gr Q, fresh motor, gearbox, new tyres. Bargain at only $17,500. Ph: 03 5443 8257(AH) or 03 5441 4208(BH) ica

Parts Holden titanium valves, inlet 2.10 $650. 1.60 exhaust $650. Cleveland titanium valves exhaust $700. Ph: 0419 Monaco GP2 tOOcc Superkart, raced this year, LNT clutch, Dunlop SL4 tyres, temp gauge, new nose cone. Plus spares, stand, trolley & fully end 2-kart trailer. All exc cond. $5,500ono. Ph: 03 5995 6403. m Balt BT4 Formula Atlantic, 1982. Complete, minus motor. Chassis plate no. 292. A$25,000. Also, Ralt RT4 Formula Atlantic, 1986. Complete minus motor. Chassis plate no. 594. A$25,000. Ph: Ken Smith 00 11 649 274 8646, fax 00 11 649 274 8642. (NZ). m

QLD Limited Sprintcar, Gambler frame, Sprintcar P/S box with numerous spares, unwanted protect plus trailer, $4,200 ono. Ph: 07 3269 7108 or 0413 925 669, 169

Winters quick change diff, 4 aluminium beed lock rims, ready to race. Less engine and gearbox. $9,900. Ph: 0418 134 174or035176 1352. wo Litre Sprintcar. 94 high bar, Halibrand quick change diff, fresh paint, complete racer. Spare tyres, wings etc. With reg trailer. $6,200. Ph: 02 4647 8531. .ea

Formula Two CBD 852 Will be eligible for Group R, fresh Ford Engine, Hewland Gearbox, Current Log Book, full history available, race ready, spare suspension, ratios, engine part6 wings, wets on wheels. $14500ono. Ph: BH 0417 851/716, AH (03) 9878 951598 .ea Scorpion Formula Vee. Successful ex McConville, Daniel Orr, Bill Burford, Richard Chamberlain. Race winner in 1999. Top hp Elliot engine, just rebuilt. Ready to win again. $12,000. Ph: 03 9804 7642, 03 9884 5675. w Spectrum 06B, race ready, Top Lamer engine, raced by Christian Jory, 8 meetings old. 1/nmaculately presented and maintained. Spares inci wheels, tyres, nose etc. Complete $35,000. Ph: Tony Jory 03 6326 5555, 0418 130 133. .ea Bacchus Clubman. First raced 1965. BMC B series engine, road reg. $12,000. Ph; 08 9447 2410, 08 9240 2558. .68

Mini Sprinter: new motor, car 99% rebuilt, new paint (purple), .comes with lots ol spares, trailer to suit. $8,000neg. Ph: 03 5336 4221. ,m

0418 130 133. ,68

CAE cageless Sprinter, with 'Halibrand quick change, Schroder Steering box. Knock off hubs, Chevy with Hilbourne Injection. Would suit vintage speedway enthusi ast. Ph Paul on 07 5443 2348, ,6a

1994 DAP tOOcc Clubman Superkart. Yamaha clutch. Very quick and competitive. Trophy winner at Lakeside_in 1998 Old series, inc spares & end trailer. $3,000. Ph; Matt 07 5525 2043,0412 242 437. ,6e Kart, KT100, just set up, very quick, includes spares, etc. Must sell. $1500 ono. PH 07 5570 4135. i6s Super Sedan Falcon, new frankland quickchange, new Brinn transmission, new rack, fuel tank, ohar-lynn, ready to race with heaps of spares, 10 wheels with new tyres, less engine. Ph: 03 6340 1884. 160

©pew Wheelers Kart, Merlin MRC5. Used once, 'Tolling chassis with data logger, lots of spare wheels, nose cones plus more. Must sell, will separate logger and karl. $2,200. Ph: 02 9542 1038. ,69

Van Diemen RF90, complete ready to race. Finished 3rd in both Vic State Series and CAMS Vic championship. Round winner, race winner, 2 fastest laps during '99. $18,000. Ph: Rob or Jason Webster 03 9467 4044. 169 Formula Ford, Swift SC94. Only 18 races since new. Black 2-pac paint. Immaculate condition throughout. Ready to race. $22,000 ono rolling chassis. Ph: 02 9544 2734. .ea

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Formula Holden 92D, good hp engine, competitive car, Tickford 500 winner, spares & trailer available. Make an offer. Contact Owen Osborne on 0417 320 866. 168

655 701 169

Hewland FT200, with XTrac LSD, excellent condition. $18,500 orio. Ph: 03 9742 5277. ic9 Intercooler, ex Fred Gibson HRS I Skyline Group A, ca-e size 355H x 520Wx 60th. Ex condition, $900, 2 12"1x1.r cross drilled. Vented air rotors, new $500 pair. Ph: Michael 0418 805 131 169 Wheels, 4 Performance Superlights 15x8, 4 Neg offset, suit Group Nc Mustang or Falcon. New, never run $1200 ono. Ph: 03 5981 4044 (BH) w Super Sedan parts, 350 Chev, 12.5 4 bolt steel crank. $1800. 750 Methanol carby $400. Pace makers $350 and Zail Sumos $250 each. Ph: 0419 184 85§. 1C8 Space frame to suit VP Commodore, & CNC Billet Allow hubs/bearings & handmade steel knuckle. VGC, $1200. Ph: 07 5527 4713. les VW, IE(S,Beetle Type gearbox, Billett steel hemisphere (American), 4 Stargear diff, 25mm alloy ribbed sideplate, 4.125 crown/pinion, Hollinger third & fourth gears 1.58/1.14. $700 ONO. Ph: 07 3351 3506 lee Holden 308 crankshaft, knife-edged, cross-drilled and indexed, $400: Roller rocker Yella Terra 5020 new, suit Holden V8, $600; Holden B cast heads, complete, with s/s 1 piece valves, $500; Flywheel,'suit Holden V8, Yella Terra billet, $100. Ph: 0417 558 452. 163 Race wheels and lyres: 4 x 16x8 ROH Reflex'wheels in vgc (Commodore Cup), with Dunlop slicks, $600; 2 x Dunlop Formula R D93J 225x50x16, one third worn. $100 ea. 2 X Dunlop D73J, 225x50x16, half worn $50 ea. 4 x D93J 245x45x17, one third worn $100ea. Ph: 0418 517 600, 03 9432 5454 (AH), les Yokohama A008, 4 x 235/60 VR 15. Never used, as new, $550. Ph; 03 9884 9441,0416 215 151. tee Hawk brake pads to suit Willwood superlight calipers HB 101 - black or blue, $200/set. Dynalite calipers, black or blue, $100 set. Ph: 03 9435 5407 after 7pm. tte Sierra BS500 17" BBS centrelock wheels, front strut inserts, 5 gall dry sump tank, wheelnuls new & used, hubs. 14" disc hats, drive shafts, tail shaft assy, new springs 14001b to ?200lb. Lots more. Ph; 03 9359 6066. .68 Tilton clutch plate to suit 7.25" clutch and Escort/Cortina twin cam gearbox. Brand new, in box. $180. Ph: 02 9526 8436. tee Halda - single line, all mechanical. $80. Ph: 0419 139 303 tee Porsche AUS rims, 17x8s, polished with ailoy caps. Brand new Pirelli P700 tyres. 245x45 senes, never used. Top class show rims. $2,800. Ph: 02 6655 5715, 0409 125 965. 168

Kaditcha F2 Group Q Historic. All steel twin cam, 2 sets wheels, wings, ratios. Historic log book, cert of description. Stored for 10 years, had little use. Four wheel end trailer included. $38,000. Ph: 07 3800 5903. wa Swift SC93F. Christian Jory offers for sale, ready to race, heaps of spares. Top finishes Nat & State series. All set-up data. Lamer engine. $20,000. Ph: Tony Jory 03 6326 5555,

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Semi enclosed dual axle trailer. Ramps, brakes etc. Never used. Built for open wheeler, but could take Sports car Ph: Terry Wade 03 9830 4976. les 45tt Kentucky race trailer. Alloy wheels. $45,000ono. Ph. 0407 825 426. les 33« triaxie trailer, 8ft ■//C-. 7Jt high, elec brakes, living & w/shop area. Will carry 2 F/rords or sedan. Plus 84 FIDO LWB 4X4, 351, 4 sp, on gas & fuel. Complete, $30,000 will separate. Ph: Tony Jory 03 6326 5555, 0418 130 1-33. m

2274 168

Speedway

tubes, Wade cams, TRD injectors, Cosworth pistons, super charged crank bridged mains, 100kW head, ported S pol ished, plus, plus. $2,000. Ph'02 9604 7725. 166 Holden 186 race engine, roller cam, Miiodon roller rockers, 12 port superflow head, triple DelOrfos on methanol. Many extras, fully rebuilt ready to race. Ph: 02 6492 3869. ise Holden VT 5.7 auto pattern short motor, c/w heads, rock er covers, sump, roller lifters, push rods»& gasket set. All parts still in box. Genuine enquiries, $5,000. Ph: 03 9781

Brakes, NASCAR 12.25x1.25 discs, hats & 4 spot alloy calipers, suit Commodore, Holden; 12'x1" discs with hats & 4 spot Harrops, $1250 & $1100. 6 16x10 Rebel Wheels. $110 ea, Ford/Holden, Ph: 0418 425 426. lee Detroit locker - new, to suit N/C Torana, Ph- 02 4573

1 set Brodix, 10 Alum Chev heads, complete with Rollercam, lipters, Jessel Rockers, VJ manifold $2500 the lot. 1 BG Alcohol 750 carb, 1 Vertex mag, 1 Alum radiator, 2-9 inch Alum spools. Ph: 03 5446 2221 (AH) or 03 5434 5098 (BH) ,68 Mazda rotary engine with Wade supercharger (just run in). Professionally built, 3" drive belt, spare pulleys, performance engine. Dollars spent. $3,500. Ph: 07 5570 4135. ,68

Formula Ford race engine, complete with many new components, bargain at $3500. Also, Dorian Data-1 timing transponder with tray, perfect cond, $300. Ph: Stuart 07 5575 5001,0414 744 700. 168 Sprintcar engine. 372ci steel block Chev, Brodix heads, Hilborn injection, Pro crank, Carillo rods, Gambler dry sump system etc. 98/99 SRA series winning engine. $12,000. Ph; 03 5593 3409 (AH), 0407 041 481 (BH). .ea Ford AUSCAR engine, dyno and set-up sheets, 380hp, $2,800. Ph: Jamey 0414 952 601. .es Toyota twin cam 4AGE, quad throttle bodies, ram

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W Tow vehicle. Coaster with 400 Chev motor. Turbo 400 auto. Dana 60 diff. 230 litre LPG. club lounge; fridge, stove. Roofrack, alloy bulibar & bumper. Tinted windows. $30,000. Ph; 03 9877 6995, 0408 541 960. lea

Wdifteii Early Bathurst Programs, In good condition. Also want other race programs from 1976 to 1980. Ph 07 4982 6260. .68

Any used old racing, off-road, rally gloves S, be-.is. Don't throw away, just send them to this address. My size is 8 to 9: B Taylor, P.O. Box 526 Hervey Bay, Old 4655. 1« Tyres; 4 Yokohama A008s, 225/60 x 14, new of old, nor dead! Ph: Nathan 0416 007 533. ,68 Official V8 Bathurst posters wanted - need 1997 in vgc and any Before 1976 Please phone Rod, 07 4982 6260, Anglia racing car. Ph: 03 9889 1149. les 1986 Australian Stock Saloon Championship videos Urgent buyer. Will pay $15 to $25 for 1 or 2 hour tapes Ph 02 9820 1616 10am-6pm weekdays. .66 Suzuki Stockman or Sierra or Holden Drover ufe. Any considered. Ph: Gail 03 5334 6364 (AH). ifiB Simmons Wheels, 13x8 or 13x7. Will pay good money for set of 4, stud pattern to suit Escort or any 4 stud pattern, Ph: 02 4736 1675. ,c8 To buy, small Melbourne-based business in motor sport or high performance. Or buy into active partnership. Ph: 0419 388 075. ,m Superflow SOO flowbench. Ph: 03 5250 1183. na NASCAR, to lease, tor the first round of the series. Must be strong and reliable, prefer Melbourne-based team. Ph: Darren 03 9583 9103, 0419 674 256. i66 Dick Johnson memorabilia, posters, model cars (Sierra, XD, XE, EB). wall hangings, anything. Ph: Ryan 08 8852 1370 ,68

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6418. 168

Wheels - Subaru/Celica, 15" with Dunlop D98J 205x55 tyres. Wheels as new, will separate. $950 the lot. Ph. 02 9524 7849, ica 'VW brand new 2 litre heads, 48x38, s/s Manley valves, Chevy double springs. Suit speedway, off-road or perfor mance VW. $1,000, Plus other performance goodies Ph: 02 6655 5715,0409 125 965. ,sa Coil-over Spax with springs $250, Torana Hatsch body shell. Sports Sedan $500; Victor Jnr Chev manifold 750 DP $350; Koni adjustable, suit A9X.iHolden $300, Ph; Mark 0418 425 426, 02 4236 0263. ,es

Transperfers/Trniiers

Eitaimes Ford 367 stroked, Cleveland Venolia 13.5:1 pistons 4mab Crower billet steel rods, 4V heads extensive porting titanium valves, retainers. Yella Terra rockers, crane girdle, Romac, active inlet 600-i-hp. $8,900. Ph: 0419 655 701 169 Front running. Formula Ford engine, top HP Lamer. Latest mods, must sell. $5,000. Ph: 02 9542 1038. .69 Rotary/tresh Selectmaz 13B, 320hp. Ceramic seals, It.wt rotors. $6,200 ono. .69 350 Chev Alloy, heads, roller cam, Coswprth crank, Carrillo rods, Cosworth pistons, dry sump, triple plate clutch, Haltec EFi fuel inject system. Top engine $12,000 ono. Ph: 03 6330 1881. .eg

Transporter. 28' x 10' Hino Diesel 700, winch, 240 volts, belly lockers, fridge, tyre rack, shelving and storage boxes, good, reliable, serviced and maintained, side access, will consider trade. $23,500. Ph: 0418 644 217. 162

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Other "All Ford Day", car show - Geelong racecourse Sun 20th Feb 2000. Over 600 Ford showcars - John Bowe, Anthony Tratt, Glenn Seton and more. Corporate hospitality and Toll All Ford Day Dinner. Enquiries 03 5251 3818. .ee Motorola two-way radios, 4 hand held. 1 in-car, with cabling and 3 hand-held radios with 3 aviation head sets, desk top charger can charge 5 radios at once in 1 hour, 4 spare batteries. S2,900ono. Ph: Jamey 0414 952 601. .es Magazines - Autosport 53-73 (approx 300 issues), SCW 57-64, plus some early RCN and others. Priced to sell. Ph: Glenn 0418 609 320, 02 9482 3787. .es The Great Race books, complete set of 18, Aust Competition Yearbook nos 1 to 8. Offers. Ph; 03 9397 6750. .es Storage space available in Melbourne for race cars, trailers, equipment etc. 15 min from Dandenong. Ph: Keith 0408 066 106. tea Race suit - Flamecrusher triple layer nomex, size Large, white and royal blue with red stripes, perfect cond, $400ono. Also, size 10 Emmerson race boots blue suede, $50. Ph: 03 9836 7331 (AH). ,68

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Chev Crew Cab. Dually 1990 model. 454 auto, central locking, cruise control, bucket seats, cloth trim, excellent condition. RHD. Vin, IGTHR33NZLF703850. $38,000, Ph: 0418 134 174 or 03 5176 1352. ,69 Transporter. Jayco Racing. 25' ft Hino FF177. Full taillift, split level, tyre racks, a/con, p/steer, 10-speed, roller door, will consider road car/van. Part trade. $29,000. Ph: 03 9775 0775 or 03 9587 6909 ,69 Ford F150XLT. 1990, customised, one of the best. Two tone, white/burgundy, 351 auto, air cond, canopy, 300 litre gas tank, custom seat. Tinted windows, CD. Bull bar, towbar, alloy wheels, alarm, rubber matting, brand new tyres. RWC. Complete service history. Heaps of extras. $32,000ono. Ph; Andrew 03 5367 1866 (BH). 03 5369 2271 (AH). ,68

Official 1999 Target/Ganassi, Indy photos. Montoya and Vasser. 15 to choose from. Top quality. Ph: 07 3298 5522 (evenings). .63

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Torana ASX and 1978 Holden Dealer Team posters. Full colour and laminated. 420x290mm. Clean cond Price incI postage Aust wide. $27. Ph: 07 4639 3308. re Books; collectors set 1 to 18 (1981-1998) Hardie Ferodo / The Great Race and 1&2 Bathurst books. All perfect cond Cost $1050. Offers Plus Bathurst 1982-1988. plus many mofe ass. motoring books, posters etc. Ph: 07 4159 2882. -k

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\1 December 1999 %n’

rnptmspj^ Editorial

Editor Phil Branagasu Teciinicai Editor Tony Siyiraini Assistant Editor Gerald McDornain <5rap}iics Co-ordinator Viv BraamSsy

Advertising Advertising Manager Brendon SSneridani

Administration Managing Director Chris Hamtoden

Contacts 89 Orrong Crescent Caulfield North VIC 3161 (PO Box 10 i 0 North Caulfield 3161) Phone: 03 9527 7744 Fax. 03 9527 7766 Email: msnews@ozemaiI.com.au

CompuServe: ioo237,ii6s

Contributors General: Aaron Noonan, Brian Reed, Grant Nicholas, Darryl Flack, Jon Thomson, Mike Kable F); Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe; Quentin Spurring US: Phil Morris NZ: John Hawkins Speedway: Brett Swanson, Dennis Newlyn, Sue Hobson, Geoff Rounds, Tony Millard (UK), Rally: Peter Whitten, Jon Thomson Drr a Racing: Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Steven White, Ken Ferguson Super Speedway: Martin Clark (USA) Karts; Sean Henshelwood, Graeme Burns, Frank Viola, John Morris Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Neil Hammond, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Tony Glynn, Thunder-Pics, Marshall Cass, Mike Harding, John Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, John Bosher, Phil Williams, Mike Patrick (UK), Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent, Peter French Artist: Bernie Walsh Cartoonist; Allan Schofield

Short Memory Dear Sir, I’ve just received my issue No 167 here in Saudi Arabia and I must comment on what seems a short memory that Mick Muscat must have. It seems he forgets that a Holden last year was holding a substantial lead, only to be foiled by a flat tyre that made a Ford look good on the day. The other Aussies over here agreed, after watching the video, that it was bad luck, but I seem to remember what Peter Brock says about his lose in 1973,‘that’s motor racing and everyone has a hard luck story at Bathurst. It just wasn’t meant to be.’ I hope for one - and I am a Holden supporter - that they leave the cars alone. The Fords have struggled with a new car this year, but have done the hard yards to catch up to the Holdens. Its up to each team to work a bit harder to meet the standard being set by other teams. Lastly, thanks for the great mag, it gives us out here a little sanity every fortnight. Greg Effield IGiamis Mushayt,-Saudi Arabia

A canny Scot Dear Sir, ^ I write in regard to comments made by John Cleland at this year’s FAI 1000 Race. I must admit that I agree in full with him about the slower drivers that were evident this year. Please don’t think that I would like to see them kept out of the Great Race, but there definitely needs to be some restrictions on qualifying for entry into our premier motor sport event. While I realise that a driver needs only a C5 licence to enter, experience and speed are something which must also be taken into account. To make it a little more fair for all concerned, perhaps more participation should be in order: 1) The car/driver entry must have competed at least three Sprint rounds of the SCS.

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Send letters td Talk Converter ^ po Box 1010 Nsm otosm ^ii|i, ^~or tax to 03 9527 7766.

Name withheld by request Glenbrook, NSW ED; Mate, you need to calm down a tad! We ran a major interview with Dick earlier in the year when he announced his withdrawal from driving duties beyond this season. We had also scheduled a good yarn with Dick for the pre-Bathurst V8 Supercar issue, but he could not be contacted as he’d gone on a serious fishing outing, so that was that. It should also be noted that Dick has not retired from the sport, but only from the Ford’s cockpit, while Brock has actually closed the door on his Ford vs Holden activities. I’m sure there are still many more Dick stories to come . stay calm and keep reading.

i.: f:-.. Racing icon: Dick Johnson still has his devoted fans.(Sutton images) 2) The same car/driver entry must compete in one of the following endurance races Sensational Adelaide 500, or Queensland 500. 3) As Mr Cleland suggested, perhaps qualifying within a certain percentage of pole, as well. While this might sound a bit steep, please remember that many of the faster teams/cars are a business and livelihood, with hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in this sport, whereas some of the others are there for a once-only weekend outing, I am a keen observer in V8 Supercars and I’m currently working toward a drive myself, but the closing speeds involved and lack of professionalism of some of the badonarkers in this year’s race left me wondering how long it will be before a serious accident will bring about some much-needed changes, Witness the poor sportsmanship of some in the 3-hour the day

small article and pictures. You also had an article about Larry Perkins NOT retiring! With Brock, you also had, on the front cover, in big letters “Peter Brock’s final "arewell” - why didn’t you do that with Dick? Why don’t you get your act together? There are probably lots of people out there who would agree with me.

before, who were several laps down but held up faster drivers “because they had the racing line.” My congratulations to Steve Richards and Greg Murphy for their great win and commiserations to Paul Radisich and Steven Ellery - a fantastic effort to lead most ofthe day, but, thanks to a backmarker, well; we can only wait for next year. Rod Pearce Email <falcon87@mpx.com.au>

Dick fan frenzy Dear Sir, I was pissed off when I read Motorsport News issue 166 - you hardly had anything about Dick Johnson and it was his last race. You had nothing on the cover about him, not even a picture. What tj'pe of magazine are you? Why don’t you just call yourselves Holden Motorsport News? When Brock retired, you had a big article and pictures. With Dick,

Love going to WAR Dear Sir, Just a short note to congratulate Geoff Trewin and all at Western Auto Raceway. * My family and I have attended a few of the Sprintcar rounds during this season and have been impressed with the facilities, the racing and the entertainment. The facility is one of the best, food isn’t outrageously expensive (like other paved speedways) and the track encourages some strong racing in all of the categories. The on-track commentar}'crew of Aaron Noonan and Brett Swanson is a good combination which keeps the fans entertained and informed. Keep it up, guys. The WAR Nationals will be a fantastic event. I’ll be there and won’t be made poor by admittance prices, either. Steve Carter Melton, VIC

Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd ACN No 060 I 79 928 Directors- C lambden (Managingl. A Glynn Publisher: C Lambden Printed by; Wilke Color 37-49 Browns Rd Clayton 3168 Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted. Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd or its staff.

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Subscriptions (I year - 26 issues) Australia $I 12.75* Overseas (Air Mail): V New Zealand, PNG A$I70 AS 180 Malaysia, Indonesia AS 190 Phillipines, HK, Japan US, Canada AS200 .AS2I0 Europe Post or fax to address above. Bankcard, VISA, Mastercard, Amex accepted

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* GST(Australia) Australian publishers are now required to charge 10% GST on the portion of new magazine subscriptions which falls after June 30, 2000, when a GST will be introduced in Australia. The subscription rate quoted is thus made up of the base SI 10 cost plus GST applying to the postJune 30 portion at this time.

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