Motorsport News Issue 171 - 28 January - 10 February 2000

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28 Januar/2000

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Perkins' new VT and Larry plans a two car enduro assault

By PH8L BRAMAGAN LARRY Perkins has unveiled his latest VT Commodore V8 Supercar - and there are a few tricks in store from the Melbourne-based team.

The car, which will be debuted by Russell Ingall in the opening round of the Shell Championship Series at Phillip Island on 12/13 February, features a radical ‘twin’ roll cage which greatly increases the rigidity ofthe car’s chassis.

Most notably, the interior of the car has a diagonal cross-member in front of the driver, running from the top right-hand corner of the cockpit to the bottom of the car’s Apillar.

While that in itself is reminiscent of the noted Holden Racing Team ‘Petty Bar’ Commodore VS of three years ago, Perkins expects no con troversy over his innovative design.

The car was expected by CAMS early this week, and passed its technical inspection with flying colours.

“It’s a standard process,” he said.

‘Tou have to meet certain strength requirements, and certain rules.

CAMS have had a look and there is nothing they are remotely worried about. I didn’t expect there to be.

“The fact that the car has two roll-over bars is just following the trends which have been followed in Europe for some years, and which HRT have continued here.”

Perkins, who will start the sea son in the VT he and Ingall ran at Bathurst last season prior to step ping into his own new car in April, will run two cars during the season and, for the first time, run two Castrol cars in the endurance races.

“There are up to six or seven younger drivers in Australia who are worthy candidates. They have demonstrated their skills in other classes, but we’re a way off picking drivers. I have a hst, but I haven’t approached anyone yet.”

Expect a lot of busy signals on Perkins’ phone in the next few weeks as young drivers scramble for a chance to drive for LP ...

For an exclusive look inside Perkins’ latest challenger, see pages 20/21.

Brown leaves QR STOP PRESS: Dennis Brown is now longer with Queensland Raceway. Following a meeting with the receivers on Tuesday afternoon, his 10-year contract was terminated. “Obviously, it’s disappointing,” he said,“I think the way the government has handled it is appalling.” See news story, page 5.

■ Latest rumour: John Faulkner will announce his sponsor soon. According to our source,JFR has bagged a “large American sponsor” for his Commodore VT,with a second, ‘Junior’ development program to take a yoimg driver into the USA racing scene. The team is staying tight-hpped but MN believes the driver will be FF hotshoe and former karting whiz, Nick Agland.

Now he’s the Reinforcer: Ingall’s new Castrol/Perkins Commodore VT sees the light of day for the first time at Perkins’s Moorabbin base. At least something with an engine can use the runways ... (Photo by Tony ciynn)

Kmart’s new look

■ Speaking of secrets: Brad Jones is due to announce his sponsor for his new V8 Supercar next week. No leaks have come out of the team [“I’m amazed it hasn’t got out,” said TM Kim Jones last week] but the tip is it’s non-automotive-related.

Let’s see; that lets out oil companies,tyres, retailers...

■ Sponsor rumour #3: There is expected to be an annoimcement at Phillip Island regai'ding the sponsor for the V8 lites series.

No-one is saying too much, but MN beheves that the sponsor will be one ofCUB’s Light beer brands, maybe Fosters Special Light.

V

■ Hot on the heels of Leanne Ferrier getting the Valvoline FF deal(see page 8) we hear that another fast female is moving up. Word is that Queenslander Rachel Smeaton will run in the GT production ranks this season in one of Honda’s mega-powered S2000 roadsters.

STEVEN Richards and Greg Murphy will be getting discounts on Castrol oil, Stanley Tools, Sony PlayStations, Meguiars Killer Shine and KTM motorbikes at their local Kmart this year. Their newly-liveried, Gibson Motorsportbuilt Commodore VTs were displayed on Tuesday and will race for the first time at Phillip Island on February 12/13.

Holden Racing Team sees Red

further advances in our commercial and technical activities.”

While taking the covers off its new look, HRT also unveiled its new range of merchandise, treating the awaiting media to a fashion parade - the annual sales, which total around $10 million per year, playing an increasingly bigger role of importance within the team.

By GERALD McDORNAN

HOLDEN Racing Team’s new look for 2000 has been unveiled and, as expected, the official launch revealed an increased commitment from the factory to the Tom Walkinshaw-owned, Clayton-based operation.

The prodominently red cars of series champion Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife will carry large Holden logos across the bonnet, while previous naming rights sponsor Mobil, having increased its commitment to the team for a further three years, takes a slightly smaller supporting role to Holden on the cars this year.

“The key ingredients in winning three of the past four Touring Car titles have been HRT’s staff, drivers and the business approach to motor racing,” HRT chief John Crennan said at the launch.

3

“It’s very satisfying to know that HRT has retained its staff, we have drivers the calibre of Craig

Lowndes and Mark Skaife defending the championship and believe that we now have made

HRT’s Young Lions team will continue in 2000 although at the launch of the senior team, team boss Crennan said the programme wouldn’t be finalised for another two weeks.

Todd Kelly will remain with the Young Lions in 2000, although the team will run as a single car team, Kelly driving the ex-Skaife VT. An announcement regarding sponsors of the Young Lions will be made in two weeks.

■ Legends, start your conversation; Frank Matich is a confirmed guest presenter for the Australian MotorSport Awards on February 10. The sportscar and open wheel legend of the ’60s and ’70s will hand out several gongs at the Melbourne Park Tennis Centre. There are still some tickets available; see page 19 for details.

■ Good news for Superbike fans: Phillip Island’s round of the World Superbike Championship is now going to feature a round of the Supersport Championship. The April 23 race will have a full field of the 600cc howlers. It’ll be interesting to see how much slower they are around the Island than the big beasties.

■ What’s French for “Stop this damn thing!”?: McLaren is bringing its fabulous two-seater MP4-98T FI car back to Albert Park. The heart attack for two is expected to feature on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and one lucky winner will be able to get the Ride of a Lifetime behind McLaren test pilot(and former Monaco winner) Olivier Panis just by buying a ticket to the race.'Ticketmaster(1800 677 438) has the details. Weight Watchers’ number is in the book.

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28Jdnuary2000

■ Both Larry Perkins and Greg Murphy have had their wings clipped thanks to the Mobil Avgas dramas rocking the aviation industry around the nation.

Peridns's Cessna 210 plane, which the six-time Bathurst winner uses to fly to most rounds ofthe SCS, used the contaminated fuel and has been grounded while Mobil finds a solution to the problem,as too have the planes which Murphy was using to obtain his pUofs license.

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Williams pushes Button

By JOE SAWARD

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■ Their was apparent confusion over an article published in the Queensland Times on Tuesday, January 25, headed “Anxious wait for Willowbank Raceway buyer”. The confusion stemmed from the fact that Willowbank Raceway is actually the name ofthe drag racing facility next door to the embattled Queensland Raceway, which was actually the subject of the article. The real Willowbank Raceway is not for sale and is far from being in financial trouble.

■ Having already signed former Gibson Motorsport team manager Alan Heaphy,Paul Romano has continued with the “theme’ by signing former Wynn’s Racing public relations representative Paul Burfitt to handle the team’s PR and marketing during the 2000 season.

Burfitt’s Adelaide-based Promoco organisation is already in negotiations with sponsors to bapk the team’s campaign this season.

■ Steven Richards fans look out because the dual Bathurst winner now has his own interactive website. Situated at www.richosworld.au.nu, Richo’s site includes aU of the latest news and gossip concerning the Kmart/Castrol Holden V8 Supercar driver.

■ Whispers have expanding oil Company Pennzoil taking a major role with Network Ten’s Trackside programme in 2000,the company jumping ship from Nine’s Grand Prix coverage where last year it played a similar role.

■ American Mark Dismore has signed communications company OnStar as major sponsor for his 2000IRL campaign.

OnStar combine global position technology and wireless communications to aid motorists. Dismore finished third in the 1999 IRL standings.

■ Calder Park Thunderdome’s co-Race Director, Lloyd Fletcher, has resigned from his position. Fletcher cited pressing family matters as his reason for leaving his position at the ’dome.

No announcement as to who will take his position has been made.

- GERALD McDORNAN

20-YEAR-OLD British sen sation Jenson Button has been confirmed as Ralf Schumacher’s'team-mate at the BMW.Williams FI team.

Button’s appointment to the team was announced at the launch of the Compaq Williams team in Barcelona on Monday night.

Benson won the drive follow ing a stunning run in Jerez on Sunday where the Brit startled and impressed the team with a lap just 1.5secs off David Coulthard’s lm24.25s best in his McLaren.

“In view ofthe limited mileage we’ve achieved over the past three days, Jenson settled into the car very quickly,” said BMW.Williams FI technical director Patrick Head - not a man to give compliments lightly.

Cop this: Jenson Button heads out at Jerez, his performance earning him a drive with the BMW.Williams ? team.(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

"1

“He is remarkably mature for a 20-year-old and is definitely a star of the future.”

A shootout between Button and Brazilian F3000 driver Bruno Junqueira had been organised although technical problems in testing meant that a comparison test between the two couldn’t be completed as neither driver could cover suffi cient laps.

German daily newspaper Bild reported last week that Button had already signed a deal to race for Williams in 2000, the contract including a two-year option, although Williams denied the report.

Button’s confirmation makes him the fourth youngest Grand Prix driver of all time behind Mike Thackwell, Ricardo Rodriguez and Chris Amon (ail of whom were 19). On his debut in Melbourne, Jenson will tie with Eddie Cheever on 20 years and 53 days.

Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello-is the only current driver who raced in FI at the age of 20, making his debut at the age of 20 years, 295 days.

Jos arrows in Hello Jenson, bye, bye Alex on M drive WILLIAMS and Alessandro Zanardi

The eyes have it: Jos Verstappen is reported to have signed with Arrows to partner Pedro de la Rosa.(Sutton-images) REPORTS in Holland the third time he has driven for Tom Walkinshaw in FI -r suggest that Jos as he drove for Benetton in Verstappen has now 1994 when the Scotsman was signed for Arrows - as we running that team. Jos has have been predicting for also driven for Simtek, some weeks.

Tyrrell, Stewart and most If the hews is confirmed recently for the Honda the Dutchman will partner Racing Developments test team.

Pedro de la Rosa.

We understand that If the news is confirmed it will be the second time that Verstappen has been able to raise around US$7.5m the 27-year-old will have dri ($11.5m) in Holland and this ven for the team - having has secured him the drive. spent a season with the team -JOE SAWARD in 1996. It will actually be

MinarM buys CmworA VIO THE Minardi Fondmetal

Rumi is believed to be plan-

i team has purcha.sed the right.s to the FordCosworth VIO engine it : used last season and will

ning to offset costs by sell ing versions of the Fondmetal VIO engine to compefitors m other forms notahlv of motor sport sportscar racing and hill climbing.

The team will continue to use Rumi’s Fondmetal

take over the develop ment ofthe programme.

The details are the aiTangement are not deal’ but it is rumoured that the team has purcha.sed ele ments of Cosworth Racing in Northampton and could move into Cosworth’s cur rent faciUtie.s as soon as Cosworth relocates.

Fondmetal boss Gabriele

Technologies facility in Italy where the Minardi M02 has been undergoing wind tunnel testing. The new car will he launched in mid-February.

- JOE SAWAED/STAFF

have finally confirmed that their rela tionship has come to an end.

The Italian joined the team at the start of last year on a two-year contract with an option to continue in 2001 but his perfor mances were very disappointing. He scored no points while his Williams team-mate Ralf Schumacher collected 35 points and finished sixth in the World Championship.

The settlement between the two parties is believed to be worth about $7m to Zanardi although it will mean that he will not be able to race this year.

The 33-year-old Italian is expected tjo take a year off to decide what to do in the future. Logic dictates that he will probably look for work in America, but Alex is under pressure from his family to stay in Europe and avoid racing on ovals.

It is possible that he will decide to retire. He has made a considerable amount of money in racing and so does not need to work.

Zanardi’s failure to shine in FI has been something of a mystery and although another Grand Prix team might take a risk and decide to give him another chance, this is not thdlight to be very like ly at the moment.

-JOE SAWARD

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Time for tfea: the now retired Alex Zanardi.

rrows buyout looks shakey

By JOE SAWARD PLANS for a consortium of European technology and media companies fronted by former Tyrrell marketing direc tor Rupert Mainwaring - to buy the Arrows team may require more money than the group currently has available.

Grenfell Morgan Private Equity Ltd wants to sell its share of the team but the problem is that MGPE owns only 45 percent of the shares.

Another 45 percent is Tom owned by Walkinshaw and the remaining 10 percent is owned by neither but con trolled by both.

This means that the Arrows team is a 50-50 part nership but Tom Walk inshaw is chairman and has the casting vote, giving him ultimate control.

The consortium wants to run its own operation and so will need to come up with an offer which will see Walkinshaw agree to sell his part of the team.

Walkinshaw currently has no reason to sell despite the fact that he has yet managed to come up with sufficient budget for the coming season.

Our sources say that Arrows is at least $20m short of the minimum required and that figure includes money from the yet-to-be-announced sec-

ond driver Jos Verstappen.

Not surprisingly, the Dutchman is not keen to commit himself until Arrows looks like having enough money to do a decentjob.

Walkinshaw is not look ing like a man who is plan ning to sell. Last week he launched a new corporate logo for the team in an effort to start building up a new image and we also hear that he has once again restructured the companies which run the Formula 1 operation mak ing any deal even more complicated.

If Walkinshaw decides to hold on to An’ows, the con sortium may have to turn its attention to a bid for Benetton.

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28 January 2000

Forbes Challenge to Wynn’s Parsons & Parsons out whileformer privateer ups the ante with GMS DAVID ‘Truckle’ Parsons will not be a starter in this years’ Shell Series, hut Rodney Forbes will tlriving the same car in W3mn’s Racing colours.

Parsons’ deal to drive the Gibson Motor sport Commodore VT fell through at the last step, with 1999 sponsor Challenge Recruitment electing to halve its orig inal funding amount.

Challenge’s original plan for 2000 was a two-car VT team run under the Gibson umbrella for Parsons and namesake ‘Skippy’ Parsons.

“I could have run all of the rounds, but with the bud get cut in half of the original amount, I’m just not pre pared to do it without the infrastructure behind me,” said Parsons.

“I was looking forward to racing this year. There’s no point going out there half-cocked and getting your doors sucked off and looking like a fool. So I’ve bitten the bul let and sold the car. It was a hard decision but you’ve got to make a decision. It’s a business thing, and the most practical thing to do,” he said.

It isn’t the first time this has happened to the Castlemaine-based transport operator. In 1996 he was forced to sell his VS Commodore when sponsors backed out, only returning to V8 Supercar full-time at the begin ning of 1999.

Former team owner Fred Gibson spoke to Bob Forbes, for whom he ran a Nissan GT-R in the early 1990s, and the deal was done with Wynn’s.

“It will be good to have another driver on board,” said Gibson. “Rodney has shown a fair bit of form and he’s looking foi-ward to getting into it.”

-AARON NOONAN

5

■ Daddy Kool: Paul Tracy is to be a father, again. The Toronto Sun reported last week that the Team Kool Green pilot and his wife Liisa (yep, two ‘i’s) are expecting a little Tracy in August. It will be their first, though Tracy has two kids Ironi his first marriage.

■ Stump Jonesy: VSSupercar fans with a penchant for stats should I check out ' httpV/v8spl0.nectar.com.a ; u/vesrix. The *Vee Eight Supercar Results and Information eXplorer’ has been compiled by MN’s man in Queensland, Mark Jones. The site features statistics and profiles of every driver to have driven a VSSupercar and is the definitive source of V8 statistical information.

1

■ Just check your mouth before the podiiun photo: CART has a rule in its Safety Regulations which states, “8.6.5.

Dentures. All drivers shall remove all dentures Bailing out: David ‘Truckle” Parsons has abandoned plans for a two-car attack on the SCS fol lowing sponsor Challenge Recruitment’s decision to halve his budget.(Photo by Marshall cass)

before driving a race car.”

But, what if you don’t wear dentures... ?

■ Doctors have told

Schuey cleaHy #1 Qld Raceway to SO much for Rubens

Barrichello beating Michael Schumach er this season.

Barely two weeks after Ferrari’s new boy came out and declared he would start the sea son on an equal foot ing with the German, Barrichello has been put back in his box by Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo.

Di Montezemolo told the website of the Itahan sports newspaper Gazzetta dello

Sport: “Die top driver remains Schumacher.

There is a number one and a number lA.

"We got Barrichello because he is very fast and I am very happy to have him alongside the world’s fastest driver.”

In past seasons Ferrari has named Schumacher as their number one driver and put a clause in his codriver’s contract forcing him to move aside to allow the German

former w'orld champi on through.

Montezem^lo was cautious about the team’s expectations for the new season.

“I think we already had a good (season) because in extremely difficult conditions we won a world title which, for (a team) like Ferrari that designs and builds real cars, is a very important fact,” he said.

-PfflL MORRIS

\ C

All the right parts: Cameron McConville has joined Rod Nash’s Autopro team.

Cam full-timing

V-

CAMERON McConville has landed a full-time V8 Supercar ride - with Rod Nash.

The 26-year-old, who drove for the Holden Racing Team at Queensland and Bathurst last year, will drive the Autopro Commodore VT at Phillip Island, and be joined by a second car for Nash later in the season.

McConville was looking like being a busy man in February. He was to drive a Porsche GT3R for the Skea Racing Team in the Daytona 24 Hour race the week before PI, but his full-time commitment to Nash’s team means that he has had to pass up the USA drive in favour of the SCS.

“I’m really pleased this has happened,” he said this week.

“Rod has shown that the team has been able to put a good car on the track.and I’m looking forward to getting into it.”

“Skea was looking for a full time commitment, but we could not do justice to both programs at once. I think I was able to prove with HRT - and with the sprint races I did last season - that I am able to get onto the pace in a Supercar pretty quickly.

“I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to string some races together and, hopefully, get some good results for the team.”

be liquidated Creditors vote to liquidate circuits assets and wind-up Motor sport Queensland

By MARK JONES THE future of

Corporation, Phillip Usher Constructions and a Shell sub Queensland Race sidiary, which was way has been placed further in doubt responsible for laying the track surface. after Monday’s deci The unsecured credsion to liquidate the itors, which include circuit’s operator, many businesses Motorsport Queens involved in the gener land. al motor sport sphere, A vote was taken at appear unlikely to a meeting of creditors, recoup debts incurred making the decision to during the race meet wind-up the non-profit ings conducted so far.

The future of the organisation which organised and built circuit is now in the the Ipswich circuit. hands of the appoint Expressions of ed receiver, Ferrier interest in the circuit’s Hodgson, and the future had been called State Government has for late last year, and issued a press release it is believed the cir which states that a cuit will be sold. One resolution is expected in March. of the interested par ties is a consortium The circuit remains led by Subaru GT- open for business, several V8 Production racer Gary with Deane, whose civil Supercar teams hav construction company ing tested there Gary Deane Con recently. structions built the Queensland circuit and remains Raceway has been one of MotorS'port beset with problems Queensland’s unse from the start. During cured creditors. its construction period At the meeting of there was a legal bat creditors, a proposal tle with a neighbour

by Deane todnstall ing mine and major new circuit manage flooding of the site ment garnered the caused by unseasonalsupport of the unse ly wet weather and cured creditors, but traffic chaos at the was declined by the Shell Championship secured creditors, sprint round in July, which are the which led to poor Queensland Treasury attendance at the

Queensland 500 (said to be as low as 7800 paying spectators despite claims of more than 20,000).

The involvement of the Queensland State Government was recently the subject of a feature in the Brisbane ‘Courier Mail’, which alleges the government made several questionable loans to fund comple tion of the circuit.

The then Sport Minister, Mr Bob Gibbs, has since taken a Queensland Gov ernment job in Los Angeles and is now being accused by the opposition of having misled parliament regarding the Gov ernment’s involve ment in the circuit.

AVESCO has still to confirm the location of the Queensland round of the Shell

injured IRL driver Sam Schmidt(see last issue) that he is not expected to be able to walk again.

Schmidt, 35, suffered a spinal cord injury at Walt Disney World last month and his condition is said to be “almost identical” to that suffered by actor Christopher Reeve, who was paralysed after falling from a horse five years ago.

■ Harri Rovanpera will drive a SEAT Sportentered Cordoba WRC E2 on the next round ofthe FIA World Rally Championship, the Swedish Rally(11-13 February). The 33-year old Finn will be co-driven by regular navigator Risto Pietilainen.

■ Not really ofinterest for locals, but Homestead’s annual ‘Spring Training’ test seems like pretty good value for fans. For not even $15- well, US$14.99 -fans can get in an see their favourite drivers howl around the 1.5 mile track. And they will get a 1(1 percent discount on ticket prices for the season opener on 26 March.

Hotiapwlthaiegenii fsee page 211

Championship Series on July 2 and the sub sequent V8 Lites series round and may not now decide until AVESCO members gather at Phillip Island for the Shell series opener.

Queensland’s other operational circuit.

Lakeside is also on the market.

Coupon No.3

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28 Jdnuaiy 2000

■ The final day of last week’s testing at Jerez gave David Coulthard the fastest lap time of the week with a lm24.344s recorded after 217 laps.

Ricardo Zonta was second quickest in his BARHonda after 106 laps. His best lap was a lm24.680s. Johnny Herbert did only 52 laps but recorded a lm24.785s while Jaguar test driver Luciano Burti was fourth with lm25.020s after 70 laps. This was slightly faster than Olivier Fanis’s best in the development McLaren, the Frenchman recording a lm25.08s after 71 laps.

Pedro Diniz gave the new Sauber an extensive run, completing 180 laps with a best of lm25.30s while Eddie Irvine’s lm25.31s in a Jaguar came after 80 laps. Williams struggled with engine troubles until the final with Jenson Button getting only 58 laps(33 of them on Sunday). He recorded an impressive lm25.69s.

Bruno Junqueira had only 22 laps in damp conditions and so his best time was an unrepresentative lm37.48s.

■ Reynard has, as , expected, expanded its racing involvement in the United States with its subsidiary Riley & Scott producing a new Indy Racing League car for the 2000 season. An Oldsmobile-engined version of the car will be run by Hemelgarn Racing for Buddy Lazier and a Nissan Infiniti-powered version will be used by Eddie Cheever. Riley & Scott has failed to produce a competitive car in IRL but Reynard input is expected to make the cars competitive with the Dallara and G Force machinery.

Williams German FW22 AFTER a false start at Munich earlier this month, when the team unveiled an old car in new paint and no second driver, BMW.WilliamsFl has unveiled its definitive 2000 race car, the FW22.

'The BMW-powered car, resplendent in the lively of new major sponsor Compaq computers, were shown to the media last Monday in Barcelona prior to being tested by Half Schumacher at the Catalunya circuit..

The team’s hopes, along with its new driver, spon sor and BMW engine, ride on the new FW22 chassis.

“I would say that this is a car which has some simi larities to last year’s FW21,” said technical director Patrick Head.

“We have worked to build on the strong points of that car and to eliminate its low points, namely its poor aerodynamic performance on high-downforce tracks.”

Ready for action: Williams finally had something new to show the press at In order to maximize the potential of the new Barcelona, starting with the FW22 itself BMW VIO engine, the new Williams is fitted after a false start in Munich earlier this with a seven-speed longitudinal gearbox rather month. The other.new thing was sponsor than the six-speed unit employed on last year’s Compaq.“Have some respect for your Supertec-powered car.. elders, Jenson”. ‘That’s everyone, Raify!”

Head also admitted that the team had experi enced quite a struggle over the past week trying to resolve oil system problems on the FW21B test car which Button and Junqueira had been testing. .

“It was' a problem which first reared its head in December,” he said. “But we have been getting to grips with it after a lot hf work.”

The problem was doubly f.' embarrassing, because Williams was undergoing a very public test session to determine Ralf Schumacher’s team-mate. Jenson Button got the nod (see page 4) and Brazilian Bruno Junqueira, who will race for the Wilhams Junior F3000 team this sea "A son, will be a test driver. :2 Last year the team fell behind Jordan in the Constructor’s Championship, vv. hampered by an- unbalanced chassis and a Supertec engine lacking horsepower.

-JORGE DELGADO

'ifelfISH AMtSICAN RALINC W HOHTDA -T

■ March Indy International has announced that it is joining forces with Stefan Johansson to run an Indy Racing League team this season. Johansson will be racing director of the new team and Robin Herd will be technical director. The team has yet to give any further details about its plans for 2000 but says it will make its first appearance in Las Vegas on April 22. The team hopes to win the Indianapolis 500 and then use that success as a springboard to raise money for an FI team.

We hear that actor

{Photos by SuttonImages)

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Second time Lucky

Change of Fortune; BAR has great hopes for its new car, which feature a single livery and, like Williams, a lower nose profile.

Anthony Edwards may also be involved...

■ Frost Grand Prix has confirmed the appointment of John Walton as its Sporting Director. Also joining the team are Patrizia Spinelli as head of communications and Pablo Reinoso as ‘artistic director’.

- JOE SAWARD

IXl

IN front of prac tically no-one, British American

Racing claimed it was making a ‘fresh start’ with the launch of its

2000 racecar on Monday morning.

The team, which has switched to Honda power for this season, unveiled the BAR Honda 002 at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London.

But, with the British press descending en masse to Barcelona, hot on the trail of the ‘Jenson Button for Williams’ story, there were few ears present to hear the rhetoric.

Team managing director Craig Pollock said; “Our distinctive new look shows that the 2000 season marks a fresh start as we embark on a very exciting partnership with Honda.”

What was apparent, and Pollock failed to mention, is that the team has finally buried its twin livery, which brought it so close to incurring the wrath of the

FIA this time last year.

For 2000, both BAR racecars will carry identical Lucky Strike livery, white with major sponsor British American Tobacco’s Lucky Strike logo. 555, which was on half the cars and crew last season, has gone, though it may appear on the drivers uniforms.

Team co-director Adrian Reynard said he was look ing forward to working with new engine supplier Honda.

“Honda knows and understands motorsport extremely well,” he said, “as we at Reynard are aware from our successful collaboration with them in Champ Car racing over the last five years.

Drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Ricardo Zonta were joined by new driver test Darren Manning, and ‘development driver’ Patrick Lemarie.

28 Januaiy 2000

Formula 3 for Cho?

■ Prost Grand Prix will reveal its new sponsorship package on February 2, but it is interesting to note that on last week’s press release there was no mention oflong-time sponsors Canal Plus and Alcatel- both of which were coming to the end of their three-year deals with the team.

ALAN Cho is looking at a busy program in 2000.

'The expat-West Austrahan will line up for another season in Korea’s F1800 series and may combine that champi onship with a Formula Three program in Japan.

Indigo Racing, the team with which Cho finished sec ond in the 1999 F1800 series, is determined to win this sea son and has retained the 29year-old for this year.

Cho drove in F3 for the first time this year, testing at Zandvoort before tacking the inaugural Korean Grand Prix at Changwon.

Despite having problems adapting to the street circuit, Cho’s team was pleased with his performance.

“I was racing some pretty talented drivers at Changwon, like Darren Manning and Jenson Button, and they were able to set their car up for the circuit much better than I was,” said Cho this week.

He is expected to return to Korea in early February, with the Indigo team hopefully moving to the more competi tive Hankook (it rh3rmes with hirngle’in Korean)tyre.

There is also a possibility that Hankook could develop an F3 tyre, and Cho’s Japanese-based F3 car could be ideally placed to conduct some testing.

7 I

■ Last week’s technical meetings resulted in some positive moves with engineers agreeing to reduce downforce but refusing to make the cars as wide as the FIA would like. The designers argue that while the FIA is trying to promote extra srfety its proposals would create extremely ungainly cars which would damage the image ofthe sport.

■ FIA President Max Mosley says that the governing body of motorsport is developing a new crash helmet to be used in motor racing. Part ofthe redesign is to come up with a solution to the problem of visors popping open during accidents.'The redesign of helmets will use information obtained fi-om the accident data recording devices now fitted to FI cars. Mosley confirmed that the FIA is also continuing to look at more effective ways of slowing down cars.

- JOESAWAHD

;1

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8

28 Jdnuary 2000

F1 chases techno $$

By JOE SAWARD

Toyota’s Grand Plan Porsche GTS when Ove Andersson’s Team Toyota Europe I i 41 i moved there from TOYOTA Brussels. The com Motorsport last pany has been V V week laid the built up to its cur foundation rent staff of 400 stones for its * ♦ and the original new Formula 1 factory has twice in facilities been extended.

TTE was bought Cologne. from Andersson The new factory will include a half by the Toyota Motor Corporation scale rolling-road in 1993 and windtunnel. became Toyota Toyota is commit Motorsport ted to entering FI in 2001 or 2002 GmbH, although the TTE name with its own chas continued to be sis and engines. used in rallying.

The ceremony was The team has attended by lead won 43 World ing local politi R a 1 1 y cians including the Minister President Championship of the North-Rhine victories, four Drivers’ titles (for Westphalia region Carlos Sainz in Wolfgang Clement 1990 and 1992, and the Mayor of ,Juha Kankkunen Cologne Harry in 1993 and Bilim.

Didier Auriol in The presence of All rou nd type: Is Martin Brundle going to head Clement is inter 1994) and three Manufacturers’ esting as a year Toyota’s Formula One team? (pnoto by sutton-images) ago his administration team and staff in Bracknell championships (1993, 1994 offered financial guarantees after Honda bosses decided and 1998).

The recent Le Mans 24 when Peter Zakowski - the to close it down. In the end boss of Zakspeed - tried to HRD broke up and the staff Hours programme did not result in success by a TTE buy the Arrows Formula 1 dispersed to other teams, team. At the time it was Although staying in car did finish second in the reported that Clement hoped Cologne may be a good idea French classic last year.

Toyota has confirmed that to create jobs in the region by from a financial point of helping to fund new indus- view, Toyota is going to its Formula 1 project leader tries. struggle to get the best engi- will be Frenchman Andre Toyota’s decision to base neers out of Britain and may Cortanze but has yet to its FI program outside of one day regret the decision name a team directori England is a curious one. We not to buy a cohesive and Rumours in FI circles sug understand that last year experienced FI operation, gest that former Grand Prix the company looked very Toyota’s motorsport activi- driver Martin Brundle is the seriously at acquiring the ties have, however, been man most likely to get that Honda Racing Developments based in Cologne since 1979 job.

By JOE SAWARD

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AS Grand Prix racing faces up to a future with out tobacco advertising, the sport seems to have found a new source of

income in the high tech nology worlds of telecom munications, information technology and computers.

Spain’s Telefonica is aim ing to become a big name in FI with the purchase of the Minardi FI team for a rumoured US$50m ($78m).

A consortium of high technol ogy European companies is currently trying to buy con trol of the Arrows FI team and Benetton last week unveiled a major deal from communications and IT giant Marconi pic.

Another communications company which is thinking along similar lines is Reuters, ' which has just signed a spon sorship agreement with BMW.Williams. The team has announced that it has signed a major sponsorship agreement with the giant US computer company Compaq and also has a deal with Canada’s Nortel Networks.

McLaren has already announced a deal with Deutsche Telekom’s T-Dl mobile phone network. This is Deutsche Telekom’s second FI deal as Benetton is sponsored

by T-Dl’s sister company D2.

The T-Dl logo is expected to appear on the McLaren dri vers’ overalls. The deal is an extension of a T-Dl advertis ing campaign last year with Mika Hakkinen. McLaren also has alliances with Siemens, Sun Microsystems and Computer Associates.

Jaguar Racing is to carry continued support from the MCI WorldCom telecommuni cations company while British American Racing has a size able sponsorship deal ongoing with Canada’s Teleglobe.

Frost Grand Prix has a sponsorship deal with telecommunications company Cegetal and may reveal new alliances when the new car is launched on February 1 while Ferrari - never known for its fast footwork in spon sorship deals - has a telecom munications sponsorship from TIM, the mobile phone service of Telecom Itaha.

10 gets Rusty GREG Rust will be Channel 10’s new voice in its Shell Series coverage this season.

The Network is expected to announce shortly that the Sydney reporter will take the spot on the commentary team vacated by the Europebound Leigh Diffey.

Rust has plenty of racing experience. He was a regular in 10’s coverage of Super Touring racing alongside Greg Murphy, and was heard regularly on Sydney radio stations 2GB/2CH. ‘Rusty’ will line up alongside 10 stalwarts Mark Oastler and Barry Sheene.

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JIM Richards is planning a double assault on the Austrahan GT Production Championship and the Porsche Cup this year.

Richards, who lost his Volvo drive when the Austrahan distributor pulled out of Super Touring earlier this month, will be busy dri ving one of his two GT3s in the races.

The six-time Bathurst win ner has obtained a second GT3 from Porsche Austraha, which has been stripped back to the shell for repairs after Porsche MD Michael Winkler crashed the car at Phillip Island late last year.

Richards will use one of the cars as a ‘ride’ car, demon strating the abilities of the car to sponsors and guests during the racing season.

Another event that Richo will be competing in this season is Targa Tasmania.

After missing the road rally in 1999 due to a clashing Super Touring race, the will winner four-time

resume his partnership with Barry Oliver, his long-stand ing . navigator who has already been out pace-noting new stages for the 2000 event.

“It would be really some thing to win this year,” Oliver said this week. “I don’t believe that two grand fathers have won before.”

Oliver already has a and granddaughter Richards’s daughter-in-law Angela is expecting her and Steven’s first child just before the TT kicks off.

-PHILBEANAGAN

Valvoline FF cash for Ferrier LEANNE Ferrier will be backed by Valvoline Cummins for this year’s'Ford Racing AustYalian Formula Ford Championship.

The 19-year old second year com merce student will continue to drive a Van Diemen pre pared by Brett Lupton’s Fastlane Racing team but will fly the red, white and blue colours which have previ ously been carried

by Steve Owen, Greg Ritter and Marcos Ambrose.

“I’m hoping to fin ish in the top three (in the champi onship),” said Ferrier Fast Lane Lady: Leanne Ferrier on Tuesday.

Bargwanna in the Valvohne “I think I’ll be really aim Cummins colours and retains ing for a win but a top three support from personal backer finish would be good - I’m Tutts-Tat Hong, the really excited and looking for Singapore-based importer of ward to PhiUip Island.”

Ferrier joins V8 drivers earth moving equipment.

-AARON NOONAN Garth Tander and Jason

Ultra Tune does Mkhelin's test team amazing things to my system Getting to work: Ralf Schumacher faces a stern season, sorting out BMW’s new engine, Wiliiams’s new FW22 chassis and that young whippersnapper, Jenson Button. (Sutton-images)

By JOE SAWARD

MICHELIN is looking at miming a test ing team this year.

The company’s motorsport boss Pierre Dupasquier attended the BMW Williams launch in Munich last week and confirmed that he would like to begin track testing in the Spring.

Initially these tests would be held at Michelin test facilities but the company would soon need to begin testing on FI cir cuits and,in an ideal world, against cars run ning on Bridgestone tyres.

Although FI teams have testing restric tions, a company running outside the World Championship with an old FI car is not cov-

ered by the agreements. Bridgestone will not want one of its contracted teams running on Michelin tyres but if the French tyremaker was to acquire a car and run it in Michelin colours there is no reason why there cannot be an intensive test programme in 2000.

Before entering FI, Bridgestone did exactly that, running 8000km with a Ligier-Mugen JS41 and an old Arrows. Honda was also able to run a test programme as it was not racing in the World Championship at the time.

In all probabihty, Michelin will acquire the Williams-BMW FW21D which is being run at the moment and will run a team out of Clermont Ferrand in much the same way as BMW acquired a Williams FW20 and ran it this year in tests with Jorg Muller driving.

■ an

MICK Donaher is returning to the newly re-named Ultra Tune/TDK Racing team for an assault on the Shell Championship Series.

Donaher left the team late last year, but returns to drive the same ex-Tander VS Commodore in which he impressed many onlookers in 1999.

Former Formula Fordster 'Tyler Mecklem brings the TDK support and will act as test driver before joining Donaher for the endures. The team has purchased a new transporter and while the car will still be prepared by the Ultra Tune team on race weekends, the Lansvale Smash Repairs team will take over the preparation of the car during the week, with Rodney Forbes (whose car they prepared last year) now moving on to the Wynn’s team.

— AARON NOONAN

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28 January 2000

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9

VS Lites set to boom

By AARON NOONAN

open to Level 3 franchise holders in AVESCO, however Level 1 and 2 teams can enter cars provided that they pay a Level 3 annual fee per car, don’t have a primary driver dri ving (eg. HRT entering a car for Craig Lowndes) and the car is not competing, or intended to compete, in the Shell Championship. These rules stop Shell Series front runners from gaining extra testing outside of their 12-day testing allowance.

Many of the Lites runners are keen to imn the hig endurance races in the Shell Series calendar, howev er there will he limits imposed, with on-track results rewarded The top four in the Lites pointscore after round one are eligi ble to enter the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, while the top four after the second round at Sandown will

INTEREST levels in the new V8 Lites series continues to grow with a number of drivers and teams committing to the series for 2000.

As we reported last issue.

Commodore Cup champ Tim Shaw and former AUSCAR champ Terry Wyhoon are already committed to the series, while a number of other teams are planning attacks on the five-round series, phone calls to teams from drivers and prospective entrants about the availability of cars out of control.

Dean Canto is looking like one of the drivers who will fly the Ford flag high, having recently pur chased the ex-FTR Falcon EL. Glenn Seton recently shook the car down at Calder before it headed to Sydney.

As opposed to the Shell Series in recent years, where Holdens have outnumbered Fords, the blue oval appears at this early stage to be well represented.

Queenslander Craig Harris will contest the full series in his exBright/Richards Pirtek ’98 Bathurst-winning EL, and is look ing at updating to an AU in time for Bathurst, while Garry Willmington will run two cars in the series - an ex-Longhurst EL for Garry Holt (the car which qualified on the front row at Bathurst ’98) and the exRyman, ex-Seton EL for truck racer Bill Sieders.

Willmington himself intends to

And they’re coming from everywhere, Barry! The V8 Lites Series iooks like a growth industry in 2000. pilot an ex-Pirtek EL in selected rounds of the Shell Series, depen dent on funding, while he also has the ex-Paul Weel EL which was severely bent at Albert Park last year.

The Gearbox Motorsport team of Neil Schembri and Gary Quartly are another team set for the series, Schembri currently slated to run three rounds and Quartly two in their VS Commodore, while Victorian HQ racer Tim Rowse, who debuted at the FAI 1000,intends on running in the series in his elderly ex-Morcom Commodore VP. Speaking of intending, Wayne Wakefield’s Graphic Skills team is attempting to repair the exHeffernan Commodore which

crashed heavily at Bathurst. If it can be fixed, then Wakefield will be a Lites runner.

Brian Walden’s Commodore has found a home in Queensland with young karter Daniel Natoli, while Phillip Scifleet is reportedly work ing on a lease deal for a Commodore for the series. Scifleet’s overseas program has come to a halt with a lack of funding and he is believed to be talking to Terry Finnigan about leasing his VS Commodore which will otherwise sit idle this season while Finnigan concentrates on business.

Mark Williams has purchased the ex-Colourscan EL which he drove at Bathurst, while we hear a number of Level 1 Ford teams in

Queensland have had enquiries from prospective drivers, teams and entrants as to the availabilty of superceeded equipment which is eli gible for the Lites series.

With the V8 car count now over 100, there will be no shortage of equipment for Lites teams to use, particularly with the constant flow of good, strong older cars from Shell Series teams.

VT Commodores and AU Falcons are not eligible for the series, just another measure introduced by AVESCO to discourage Shell Series teams from ‘cherry-picking’ the prizemoney and valuable television exposure which the series offers.

The series, which begins at Eastern Creek on March 26, is only

he eligible for the National Capital 100 in Canberra.

The top eight scorers in the bythen finished championship will be automatically eligible for the Queensland 500, while the top fif teen point scorers in the Lites series will be automatically eligible for the FAJ 1000, and if a competitor eligi ble for entry into the race decline it, then the next-placed,point scorer may be invited instead.

The incentives are in the Lites series as well as the Shell Series AVESCO will award a cash prize to competitors who run all five rounds, while the top three at every round will be awarded tyre money.

Network Ten’s ‘Trackside’ pro gram will telecast the series.

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Lightest weight cam lock |r available (179g) tested 7 and operational to over ' 150,000 opening cycles. % The webbing pattern prevents the straps from tangling. It also provides optimum load spreading during crash conditions due to its “memory effect”, a device which keeps the webbing flat.

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Here comes the V8 judge World of Sport

Motor Raiing Calendar 2000 Shell Championship Series V8 Sopercars* Feb 13 .. .Philip Island Rd 1 Mar 19 ...Wanneroo Rd 2 ,Rd3 Apr 8-9 ...Adelaide 2000 FIA Formula One World Championship Rd 1 Mar 12 ...Melbourne Rd2 Mar 26 .. .Brazil Rd3 ●San Marino Apr 9 2000 FIA Formula 3000 International C'ship Rd 1 San Marino Apr 9 Rd2 May? Spain Rd3 June 3 . . .Monaco 2000 FIA World Rally Championship* Jan 23 . . .Monte Carlo Rd 1 ,Rd2 Feb 13 . . .Sweden, ,Rd3 Feb 27 . . .Kenya . . ^

2000 NHRA Winston D rag Racing Series ,Rd1 Feb 6 Pomona . . ,Rd2 Feb 27 . . .Phoenix . . .' .Rd 3 Mar 19 . . .Gainesville

2000 Fedex Cart Championship Mar 26 . . .Homestead . . . .Rd 1 Rd2 .Nazareth Apr 9 Rd3 Apr 16 . . . .Long Beach

V8 Supercar drivers face an all-new judicial sys tem, aimed at ‘instant justice’ when they line up for the 2000 Shell Championship Series.

The new system was designed by Brisbane-based CAMS Steward (and retired Barrister) Peter Svensson and, following approval from both CAMS and the AVESCO Board, was dis tributed to teams last week as part of a new “one-stop” V8 Supercar reference book.

Central to the AVESCO Judicial system is the intro duction of a Driving Standards Observer.

Following his previous similar role with Super Touring, former driver Colin Bond has accepted this role.

Justice will, time permitting'between races on any one day, be relatively swift, with Bond and any offending driver giving evidence

which penalties and to what maximum are applic able in each case.

For example, “Deliberate Culpable Driving” could attract a fine of up to $15,000, a loss of 50 series points, a 4 minute race penalty, or exclusion from race. relevant the

Hurt? This is going to costa lot...AVESCO’s new judicial system will hit drivers from all directions, from fines to loss of points and to exclusions from races or meetings. to Stewards who will hand out one of a range of new specific penalties for specific offences “on the spot”.

Any post-race hearings not completed by 8pm of race-day, will continue at 9am on Monday morning.

The range of penalties now available to Stewards

Watson/ FTR split

includes; reprimand; exclusion from a session, race or meeting; rear-of-field start fOr following race(s); the addition of penalty time to a practice/qualifying session or race; deduction of series points; monetary fines or a combination of all ofthem;

In addition, the Stop-Go penalty remains, at the discretion of the Race Director, with the option for a selection of the above penalties to be added to the relevant driver’s woes post-race, A full schedule of offences in AVESCO’s new Category Regulations spells out

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Disobeying a yellow flag could cost the transgressor $5,000,10 points, a minute, or possible exclusion.

While it is expected that most will “cop it sweet” under the new regime, the option remains for disgrun tled drivers to appeal any decision through the exist ing CAMS appeal process.

The new system has met with initial approval from virtually all teams contact ed by Motorsport News and will be in force when the Shell series kicks off at Phillip Island in two weeks.

- CHRIS LAMBDEN

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2000 Australian Rally Championship* Apr 2 Forest W.A Rd 1 Rd2 May 5 Canberra . .

Rd3 Jun 4 . . . .Queensland Jun 25 . . .Coffs Harbour . . .Rd 4

IN both Melbourne and London last week Australian Grand Prix sponsor Qantas unveiled the world’s fastest and most powerful FI machine! The “City of Melbourne” Boeing 747-400 has had a 22 metre long Ferrari FI painted on its sides in celebration of Qantas ’ involvement in the March race.

SOOcc World Grand Prix

‘King” Richard to

Motorcycle C'Ship* .Rdl Mar 19 . . .South Africa Rd2 Apr 2 .Argentina .Rd3 Apr 9 Japan .Rd4 Apr 30 Spain 2000 Formula Holden Championship Febi 3 . . . .Phillip Island . . . .Rd 1 Mar 26 . . .Eastern Creek . . .Rd 2 Rd3 .Adelaide Apr 9 World Superbike Championship Rdl Apr 2 South Africa Rd2 Apr 23 Australia Rd3 Apr 30 Japan

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

Check your local guides for screening details.

Let’s split man: Noel Watson has split with FTR. NOEL Watson, the man behind the rebirth of Glenn Seton Racing and the consequent birth of the official factory-backed Ford Tickford Racing team, has left the Dandenong-based team.

Watson’s role within the FTR organisation’s racing department was reduced following Bathurst to the point where the man who orchestrated Ford’s official return to racing would, in future, only be involved in the team’s merchandising arm - Watson believed to own a major shareholding in that separate company.

While he was believed not to have been overly happy with the decision to move him away from the racing operations, Watson, apparently, accepted the decision.

It is believed Watson was contacted by management within Ford on Christmas Eve notifying him of their deci sion to end their arrangement with the merchandising arm of FTR, therefore ending his association with the team.

Sources close to the team say FTR’s merchandise sales have proven to be quite lucrative and, while not expect ed to top rival HRT’s expected $10 million in sales, they were expected tcTgrow considerably over 1999.

When contacted by Motorsport News last week Watson wouldn’t be drawn to comment on the split.

- GERALD MCDORNAN

FOLLOWING on from a GM marketing ploy that floated an idea about the

Richard, Kyle and Adam to run in the race.

According to sources, DC

The link with DC comes through the much-anticipated announcement that

Earnhardts running in a third Corvette C5-R in the PI 9A Viv VQ/.0 Qf ● 1 1 Daytona, Da^erCl^sler has reportedly decided to add a third Viper through Team Orica for three generations of Pettys -

director of motorsports, Lou Patane has approved the a third chassis is currently being prepared.

Richard, it will he his first appearance in a race car since he retired from Winston Cup racing in 1992.

Petty Enterprises will switch its Winston Cup operation from Pontiac to Dodge in 2001, so don’t be surprised to see a Petty Blue #43 Team Oreca Viper GTS-R on the grid at Daytona next week, -PHIL MORRIS

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28 Jdnuary 2000

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PAUL Morris has won the prestigious BMW Sports Trophy, as well as the prize of $54,263 that goes with it.

The German car maker makes the award annually for the most successful non-works BMW driver in worldwide touring car racing.

Morris is the second successive Australian driver to win the trophy, after Cameron McLean won it for his 1998 efforts.

Tony Longhurst and Jim Richards have also received the award in previous years.

“It’s a big honour to win this award because there are so many good drivers racing BMWs in various championships around the world,” said Morris.

“We made a decision to set up a new team at the start of the ’99 season, and that made the results we achieved even more satisfying.”

Morris won the award after a super-successful 1999, where he not only took his third BOC Gases Championship in his NEMO Racing BMW 320i by overcoming the works Audi and Volvo teams, but also won a rain-affected Bob Jane T-Marts Bathurst 500 and finished first and second in the two Ghia touring car races at Macau.

However, Morris will be unable to receive his prize in person at the annual BMW Motorsport awards in the Austrian alpine resort of Kitzbuhel later this month because he will be busy preparing for his 2000 racing commitments.

PHIL morris in, iinnr»Tni .

DARREN Turner will drive for MercedesB enz in the new DTM 2000 German Touring

speaking th( Autosport International show at Birmingham's Mercedes NEC, spokesman Wolfgang Schlattllng welcomed his

Championship.

The 25-year-old, who visited Australia last year as driver of McLaren's two-seater FI

new driver to the team and predicted an exciting championship for 2000.

"D- should be an efficient and spectacular

“P starting grid as ^ member of the Mercedes-Benz works team is a great honour for me - and a huge challenge."

series. All drivers will have equal equipment," Schlattllng said.

Turner joins Bernd Schneider, Pedro Lamy, Klaus Ludwig, Marcel Tiemann and Christian Albers in the Mercedes Benz DTM squad.

The first round of the championship will take place in April at Hockenheim.

Welcome aboard: Peter Dumbreck welcomes Darren Turner to the MBenz DTM 2000 squad.

- . /

7

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

NASCAR offers US$10m!

TV

NASCAR and sponsor RJ Reynolds have doubled the Winston Cup points fund purse for the new season to an amaz

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Jewel drive: Winkelhock’s magnificent 2000 ride, (opei wspon)

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Jo-pel Winkelhock leaves BMW

for OpeVs DTM programme AN era has ended; Jo Winkelhock has left BMW and will drive an Opel in the new DTM2000 series in Germany.

Winkelhock, who won the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hour with BMW last June, severed his long-standing ties with the company last week, prior to Opel's announcement that he

would drive one of the factory's V8-powered Astra coupes in the eight round series.

The 39-year-old has had a distinguished career with the Munich marque, wirming the British Car Touring Championship in 1993.

Opel is expected to finalise its driver line-up next month.

-PHIL MORRIS

Racing to the cheque: NASCAR’s points fund has doubled in 2000 to US$10 million.(Photo by Sutlon-lmages)

ing US$10,000,000.

RJR announced the prize pool last week, the new fund meaning that the 2000 Winston Cup champion will take home a bonus of US$3,000,000, while the series runner-up will receive US$1,050,000.

“That is a number that everyone involved with the sport, can be proud of, and a number that is absolutely worthy of everything that goes on in NASCAR,’’ said NASCAR vice-presi dent Mike Helton.

“Obviously NASCAR is grateful for the relationship we’ve had with RJR, and we’re thankful for all of the elements that have helped Winston Cup grow to the level it has reached now.”

First established in 1971, the Winston points fund originally offered a bonus of $100,000, enough money to now days buy little more than one engine, but it was a figure that provided an incentive for teams to shoot for. ^ Reigning champion Dale Jarrett said at the ^announcement in Charlotte, that the new fund was vital for teams wishing to remain at the top of the sport.

“It just shows where our sport is going and what it takes to keep our people - that kind of increase is nec essary,” Jai-rett said.

“It takes all of this to put together a championship team.”

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12 28 Jdnuary 2000

Rahal: No 5m BOBBY Rahal has announced that his team will not compete in the Indianapolis 500 this year.

Rahal, who was one of the first CART team owners to investigate a return to the race, announced last week that the team would not have the budget to run in the May classic.

Rahal’s announcement means that Kenny Brack, who won the 1999 race for team owner A.J. Foyt, will not be able to defend his title.

“To put it bluntly, given the cost that it takes to go there, it’s not worth it,” Rahal said.

“If you go, you have to go to win. Just to buy the cars and the engines, you’re talking well over US$1 million

(A$1.55m for a two-driver team), and that’s not includ ing the time and money for testing,” Rahal said.

CART had overhauled its 2000 schedule to avoid any conflicting dates during the last two weekends in May, allowing its teams to race at Indy.

Presently, the only CART teams that appear headed to the race are Target Chip Ganassi and Walker Racing, which is trying to compete this season in CART, and IRL with rookie Sarah Fisher.

CART teams have not competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since IMS boss Tony George made it the feature race of his new Indy Racing League in 1996.

-PHIL MORRIS

L-O-L-A, F-O-R-D Andretti flies in first pre-season test

V’

Family meeting: Michael and Mario Andretti may start their own team in the future. Christian Fittipaldi’s family started a Formula 1 team, but it was not a success ...(Phoio by Suuon-imagcs)

Team Andpetti?

Letterman’s mate: Bobby Rahal. (Photo bysuHon-images)

t well Letter DAVID

Letterman

is

recovering from quintuple heart bypass surgery.

The co-owner of Team Rahal underwent the proce dure after a routine angiogram to test for high cholesterol revealed one artery about 90 percent blocked.

As soon as facilities became available the American TV star was operated on hy Dr. 0. Wayne Isom.

While Letterman recovers - an eight week process, according to doctors - his ‘Late Night with David

Letterman’ program (seen locally on Nine) will have repeats of previous episodes.

During his final “five’ show, Letterman joked with guest Regis Philbin (a New York version of Bert Newton)about his condition. Philbin asked if he could visit him in the hos pital, to which Letterman quipped, “I’m having it done at Home Depot (a hardware chain).”

The 52-year-old CBS celebrity has been a co-owner of Bobby Rahal’s team since 1996.

-PHDL MORRIS

SuperTourer

RUMOURS in the USA suggest that Mario and Michaei Andretti may be starting their own ChampCar team perhaps in 2001.

Two years ago similar rumours were around, fuelled by the duo opening a Toyota dealership in Pennsylvania, but its appears that that is now not an option, following Toyota’s substantial backing of Chip Ganassi’s team.

Currently, Mario Andretti has promotion contracts with Texaco, TRW, Market Scan, Pacific Bell, Northwest Airlines, Vignette Corporatiori, Toyota and

many others. Major backing for the team is expected to come from at least of these sponsors.

In the USA Mario recently said that a bespoke team was “likely in the not too distant future”.

MEANWHILE, Mario has been linked to both Audi and Panoz in his bid to drive in the 2000 Le Mans 24 Hour.

Andretti, who turns 60 next month, would not comment further to his recent statement that he had spoken to at least two teams about the French classic.

- PHIL MORRIS

CART Champions Ganassi Racing are impressed with Lola’s new B2K/00 after testing the car for the first time.

Juan Montoya and Jimmy Vasser had their first drive during a two-day test at Sebring, starting the session with a Toyota-powered Reynard 2KI, but by the end of the second day, are looking likely to switch to Lolas for to the first race at Homestead on 27 March.

But cart’s new testing regulations, which state that the team would ‘lose’

‘We need to be careful we don’t use up all our test days,” said team manager Mike Hull.

should be very competitive.All spares,too many to list. Everything included in the package. (nothing to spend for 12 months).

Will consider trade or payment program.

$65,000 Ph:0418644 217

Green Reynard-Honda, was impressed with the new Handford-designed rear wing.

“The new wing is very ‘draggy’,” the Canadian said.

“It slows you down in a straight line and when you get off the gas, the car decel erates really fast. It requires a different set-up and we’re still honing in on that, but overall, the car has the same basic feel as last year. I’m very pleased.”

AT Sebring, Richie Hearn ran some impressive times in his new Toyota RV8E-powered Reynard.

While pleased, Hearn refused to take all the credit, saying that new team engi neer Diane HoU played a big part.

“We had a good run on both days,” Hearn said. “We learned quite a bit about the car. This was my first real opportunity to work with Diane and was extremely impressed. She’s very bright and easy to work with. The method that Diane approach es her job with is efficient and effective, so we really get a lot accomplished in a short amoimt oftime.”

Also at Sebring was new lad Tony Renna in his PacWest Reynard-Mercedes, testing in place of the absent Mark Blundell.

“Mercedes has made great strides in driveability without sacrificing anything in terms of horsepower,” said the young American.

“We ran all day without any problems, and I think that the team is entering the 2000 season with a great powerplant.”

-PHIL MORRIS

Ganassi love their lolas, too

one of their allocated test days by run ning the cars back-to-back in the same test.

TOM'S factory car.This car in the right hands

IT looks like a good year for Lola, and Ford, in the 2000 FedEx Champion ship.

After Christian Fittipaldi set some impressive preChristmas times, Michael Andretti’s first acquaintance with the new combination was the best of all the drivers having their first oval test of the new' season at Homestead.

After the test, Andretti was very optimistic.

“Pre-season times don’t mean anything once the sea son starts but it definitely feels good to run well out of the box,” said the former champion.

“The new Ford XF was great. The power is good. It is everything I have heard about it and more.”

Andretti set a time of 26.20s, almost 2s slower than the qualifying record which was set with an older, lowerdrag rear wing.

Second fastest was new boy Kenny Bfack, also Ford-pow ered in his Team Rahal Reynard. Formula One refugee Shinji Nakano was third fastest in his Honda jfroin Patrick Carpentier and his "new team-mate Alex Tagliani.

‘T was pleasantly surprised by how quickly I was able to adapt to the driving style for an oval track, and I’m encour aged to see that the times I clocked compare favourably to those put up by the veterans in the series,” said Tagliani, whose fastest lap came in at 26.79s.

Paul Tracy, who clocked a 27 dead in his Team Kool

‘We had a good day today. We concen trated on the Lola. We kind of made a decision yesterday afternoon that we didn’t want to give up any more test days running with the Reynard, because we’re pretty comfortable with it and we know where we stand. We want to learn more about the Lola at this stage.”

Montoya had a best of 50.9s before over-revving the engine on his final run.

With a fresh Phase VI Toyota unit, Vasser took over the testing duties and worked his way down to 51.1s by the end ofthe afternoon.

While there are no back-to-back times

available, both times are thought to be slightly quicker than either driver had managed previously in the Reynard.

‘We had a few little teething problems with the [Lola] on the first day, but noth ing serious,” continued Hull. “Once we got up and running, it responded well to changes. The car certainly has a lot of potential,just hke the Reynard does.

“Out of the box it’s a good car. It’s a nice piece. I think [the Lola engineers have] done a good joh. We’re just trying to decide, with our [engine] package, what works best for us. We need to make a decision quite quickly and carry on.

“We’re fortunate enough to have an owner that’s willing to let us do that.”

Straight after the test, the team returned to its Indianapohs base to con vert the cars into oval track trim for a test at Phoenix’s 1-mile oval.

By Saturday morning, the team’s transporter was already back at its base in Indianapolis, and the crew was busily converting the Lola to oval-track specifi cation in time for another test at Phoenix.

Vasser and Montoya are both expected to drive at PIR, along with fellow Lola team Newman/Haas Racing, the Reynards of Marlboro Team Penske, Team KOOL Green, Patrick Racing and Team Rahal, and McDonald’s Swift/Honda.

-PHBL MORRIS

All Change? Can Juan go from Honda Reynard to Toyota-Lola and win?

13

28 Janudry 2000

TWai*fciM7!!.’CNr

Herta’s Forsythe Saga

Michelin?

Le Mans entry for Adelaide ALMS winner THE winners of this

Non, mere!

year’s Adelaide Race of Thousand Years will be guaranteed direct entry to the Le Mans 24-Hour.

Race winners in the Prototype, GTS and GT classes will be guranteed grid positions as well as the outright winner.

American Le Mans Series founder Don Panoz said that the race in Adelaide will be only one of three races which guarantee a place in the field at Le Mans 2001, joining the Petit Le Mans event at Road Atlanta and the newly announced Nurburgring 1000km race as the third qualifying race.

“If you have a problem on the pre-qualif^ng weekend and miss the 24 horn-, your entire program can be ruined,” said Panoz.

“No matter what

No French rubber until CART and IRL merge FIRESTONE’S

THE

McDonald’s

Championship Racing Team has confinned that Biyan Herta has signed to drive their Honda/S-wift in the 2000 CART FedEx Championship Series.

Herta (above) started test ing for the team at Laguna Seca, running 50 miles (just under CARTs testing mileage guidelines) at the damp California track last week.

As expected, Herta’s sign ing came about after team owner Jerry Forsythe agreed to release Tony Kanaan from his contract with the McDonald’s team.

“I was very pleased with Tony’s performance last year, and I feel we developed a good relationship during that short time,” said Forsythe.

“Tony expressed a desire to pursue other opportunities, and we have agreed to release him from his contract. We wish him the best.”

Herta’s first experience vrith the Honda engine, after running Mercedes and Fords at Team Rahal, was a favourable one.

“In terms of the engine, the Honda is quite smooth. It has a nice, wide power band. I’m really impressed with that,” he conunented.

“It’s been a remarkable effort by everyone at Swift to get this car on the track in a very short period of time. I said before if it runs half as good as it looks, then we’re really going to have some thing to work with. I think we have something to work with.”

For more on Herta’s move to Forsythe, see page 24.

tyre

monopoly of CART and the Indy Racing League will continue, with the news that Michelin will not sup ply teams in either series.

Herb Johnson, Michelin’s director of North American Motorsport, has said that the company they will not supply tyres until CART and the IRL merge.

Last month, there were reports in the USA that the French manufacturer was looking at the open-wheel series as a possible target to expand its North American profile, but Johnson’s announcement has put paid to the idea, at least in the short term.

Michelin is reportedly con cerned that, with the IRL’s emphasis on oval track events

and cart’s oval/road course/street course combina tion, it would take too much effort to develop specialist tyres with characteristics for each discipline.

Clearly, with Michelin about to mount a major effort to return to Formula One which will take them to Indianapolis for the USGP in 2001 - and the increasing international profile of the American Le Mans series, in which it is heavily involved, there is little potential return for an awful lot of outlay in CART or IRL. -PHIL MORRIS

happens in pre-qualifying, you know you will be on the grid for the main event. It certainly makes life easier for teams for planning, sponsorship and logistics.”

No Michelin, man: The French tyre powerhouse is staying out of the CART versus IRL war until a truce is called.

(Photo by Michelin Media Service)

Dissent over future CART engines

By PHIL MORRIS

THERE appears to be a fair bit of dissent among ChampCar engine manufacturers about the future direction of the category’s regula tions.

While CART mooted in 1998 that the next generation of motors would be 1.8 litre, turbocharged V8s, it seems that there is also a fair degree of political support within CART to run 3.5 litre, normally aspirated engines - similar to the Indy Racing league’s new-for-2000 rules.

While such a move would have some merit, it seems that Ford, Toyota and Mercedes do not support the idea after investing millions of dollars developing the current-gener ation 2.65 litre, methanol-fuelled turbo V8s.

One propo_sal being discussed among the manufacturers is to fur ther reduce boost pressure from the current 40 inches to'35. Series man ager CART is showing signs of con-

\ Hot Stuff: Ford’s new XF engine is hitting 16,000rpm. (Photo by Ford)

'\ cern about the level of performance from the current engines. Ford’s new XF engine reported spins to 16,000rpm and produces 60 more horsepower than the XD it replaces, a massivejump for one year..

While the Ford’s main feature is said to be its driveability, CART is concerned that the engines may over-

power the circuits.

When Mauricio Gugelmin set a world record 240mph average qualifying lap at Fontana in 1998, his Reynard-Mercedes hit 247mph on the straight.. There are reports that, assisted by a draft, ope of the new Fords beat that by 10 mph in practice last October, despite mnning a high-

drag‘Handford Device’ rear wing.

There is also resistance within CART’S engine community to be seen to bowing to the IRL and Tony George. If CART was to adapt an IRL-style 3.5 litre NA engine, it would also mean that Oldsmobile and Nissan would have a segue into CART racing for a fraction of the cost expended already by Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Honda and Toyota.

So, what-will happen? The four engine suppliers have a fair amount of clout in the decision-making process and CART would not want to rock the boat.

Unlike the IRL, all four CART engine manufacturers have Formula One projects running and, if they were displeased by any decision Andrew Craig may make, they could take their bat and ball and concen trate on FI - and get to race at Indianapolis in the USGP. Bet on the manufacturers winning, CART backing down - and less boost for turbo engines in 2001.

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Du&

28Janudty2000

0

BMW for Benson heads GM's ALMS BMW Motorsport has confirmed that the V12 LMR sports-prototype will continue its track racing career in 2000 in the American Le Mans Series.

A two-car team, directed

by Schnitzer's Charly Lamm, will contest the full series, and JJ Lehto, Jorg Muller and Bill Auberlen have been engaged to drive.

BMW's Mario Theissen noted, "We are focused on our Formula 1 project, but the VI2 will be modified to a moderate extent. We can now prepare ourselves specifically for the demands of the American races, where the emphasis lies on high downforce and winding tracks."

The Le Mans winning BMW V12 LMR only contested six of the eight ALMS races in 2000, and lost the Manufacturers title to Panoz.

BMW has also confirmed that its veteran driver, HansJoachim Stuck will again race an M3 for BMW Team PTG in the GT category of the ALMS. The series will cross to Europe for the first time this year, with visits to Silverstbne (500km) on Saturday 13 May and the Nurburgring (1000km) on Sunday 9 July.

-QUENTIN SPURRING

le Mans engine project

By TONY GLYNN

MELBOURNE engine builder Rob Benson is heading Stateside to take up a position with Hendrick Motorsports to oversee GM’s factory Corvette C5-R GT2 engine development program for Le Mans in 2001-2002.

The Charlotte-based Hendrick organisation has been asked by GM to take over the Le Mans engine project - which had been the domain of Katech Inc for the last two years - and produce an ultracompetitive race version of its fuelinjected Chevrolet LSI V8 during the 2000 season.

Keen to dominate in the GT2 cat egory and determined to see the Corvette on the winners rostrum, See Five: Chevrolet’s C5-R Corvette is about to get a dose of Australian horsepower from Rob Benson,(sutton) GM decided to move on from its less ing scene, Benson’s expertise with and then made the introductions for “I have an open book as far as than successful current Katech six fuel injection and management sys me,” Benson explained. funding and ideas are concerned. litre V8 and has designated its new tems is highly regarded within the “Hendrick’s Randy Dorten then GM paying Hendiick for whatever Benson-developed LSI engine as GM racing fraternity and his famil made contact and a couple of days the LSI project costs.” the factory competition powerplant iarity with the Mo'TeC system will later I was heading back to Benson, who first worked in the in 2001 and 2002. almost certainly result in a Benson- Charlotte and left with a three-year USA in 1988-89 and then went back The three-year GM plan is to be MoTeC manifold and management contract in my hand. in 1991 when the Chevrolet engine put into place immediately and system replacing the current “The Hendrick Motorsport organi- was adopted in Austraha for touring Benson leaves for the US next Hilborn/GM system hardware on sation has about 300 employees and car competition, oversaw the engine Monday to attend the Rolex 24 the C5-R engine in the next few its set-up is as good as kn^ Formula development work for the Aston Daytona event as an observer with months.

One team I’ve ever seen.

Martin Group C Sports Car and the the factory-backed Corvette teams, “I exhibited one of my current V8 “I will be based in their stand- twin-turbo, 1200 horsepower which ultimately will be supplied Supercar manifolds at the PRI alone engine shop facility with a Callaway “Sledgehammer” with the race motors yet to be devel Show where one of the guys I used dyno dedicated to this engine project Corvette, still the world’s fastest oped in-house by Hendrick. to work with at Callaway and who and head a development team which road-registered car with a 256 mph No stranger to the American rac- now works at Hendrick saw the unit includes three other personnel. top-end.

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28 January 2000

15

Fake Welshmen y Darwin Awards and stupidity in the FI paddock Welshman, but I have never Tino Belli says is aago believed him. he Years Belli used to w/ork for the Larrousse F1 team (while pretending to be Welsh) but more recently he has been in America making piles of money and convincing people that if Dario Franchitti can be a Scotsman, there is no reason why Tino Belli cannot be Welsh.

If he worked in Formula 3000, 1 am sure Tino would use the example of Brian Smith - who sounds like he comes from a dreary suburb of London but is actually an Argentine who speaks not one word of English.

But the major reason I don’t believe Belli is because every year he sends out the results of the latest Darwin Awards to e-mail , numbers all over the world and, somehow or other, I always end up with a copy. The stories are so absurd that our fake Welsh friend must be making them up.

The Darwin Awards were created to reward those who help to ensure that human intelligence is kept at a decent level by killing themselves in the dumbest possible way. They are, if you like, the Oscars of Stupidity.

The ultimate Darwin Award winner was the man who in 1996 attached a booster rocket from a Boeing B52 Stratofortress to the top of his Chevrolet. No-one knows what he was thinking when he hit a cliff 150ft above the road he had been travelling on - at an estimated 750mph...

For some reason, the automobile seems to bring out the worst in those who seek to win a Darwin - although they rarely seem to know they are candidates. This year was no exception, despite the best efforts of idiotic sledgers, marksmen and thieves.

One of the runners-up this year was a fellow in California who decided to go sledging with pals at three o’clock one morning. Not having a sledge available they removed some of the yellow foam protection which the ski lift operator had put around the base of the lift towers in an attempt to protect errant skiers. Our hero whizzed down the mountain and straight into the tower from where he had removed the protection ...

He did not survive.

Another runner-up was a man from St Louis, Missouri, who stole a hot dog from a store by ramming it into his mouth and walking out without paying. Alas, his getaway failed when he collapsed and died on the pavement, having choked to death on the stolen sausage ...

A Spanish poacher was another runner-up, having shot a huge stag he spotted standing above him on an overhanging rock. He was a good shot and the stag was killed instantly. It fell ... and, oops, one flattened poacher.

T

he winners, however, had to rely on the good old fashioned automobile to do themselves in.

John Pernicky and Sal Hawkins gentlemen of the great state of Washington - had downed 18 beers between them when they decided that they wanted to go a concert. They had no tickets but decided to climb over the wall at

Eddie Jordan is completely - but rather charmingly - barking, a fact that only emerges when you look at the silly pairs of glasses he wears and the daft beards he grows. We will gloss quickly over the likes of Rocco Benetton, Craig Pollock, Tom Walkinshaw and Jackie Stewart (sorry JYS, it’s the trousers that give you away).

Normally, the sanest and most sensible team boss has always been Frank Williams - which is probably why he is a ‘Sir’ and the rest of them are ‘Mr’. In recent weeks, however, I have been hearing all kinds of people mumbling that Frank has gone barmy because he intends to sign Spot the loony: Jackie Stewart, left up a 20-year-old racing driver who with wife Helen and son Paul, only finished third in the British appears to be now doing his own Formula 3 series last year... catering. The sartorial Eddie Jordan The only person I have heard seems to be holding hands and gazing supporting Frank is Sir Stirling into Supertec’s Flavio Briatore’s eyes Moss (and it is obvious that these ... And (bottom) Sir Frank Williams is knights must stick together). just coo-ool. So is his wife. Lady Well, I think Frank is right.

Jenson Button is a star in the Ginny, while Chip Ganassi just watches - and refuses to sell Juan making and really great talents (Photos by Suifon-Images) only come along once in a blue Montoya. moon. There is always a chance that the driver will fall on his face remember Stefano Modena?- but when you are in Frank’s situation, you have nothing to lose.

The Williams-BMW combination is not going to a huge success this year. The engine is just not good enough, but having a new star will keep the team in the newspapers and on TV.

the local amphitheatre '■'Vs to get in.'

They reversed their pick-up truck up to a nine foot fence and Pernicky hopped over- without looking. He fell about 25 ft before his shorts became caught up in the branches of a tree. He had broken his arm but, suspended in mid-air, decided that he would have a soft landing on a bush below him. He managed to get out a pocket-knife and cut through his shorts.

He landed - with a yelp - in a large holly bush. This was very painful and it did not help that in the course of the fall he had managed to stab himself in the thigh with his pocket- through the fence and down the knife. cliff. Alas, Hawkins was ejected from the cab and killed.

Up above Hawkins decided that The police arrived to clear up his pal needed help and threw the mess and were somewhat down a rope. Pernicky attached one end to himself and Hawkins surprised when they moved the pick-up truck to find a dead man, attached the other end to the pick half-naked with a rope around his up truck...

Then he rushed to the cab, waist and a knife in his thigh, climbed in, and drove it backwards squashed beneath the vehicle ...

I The am all for a bit of are change current mob so in FI. hopelessly,overshadowed by Michael Schumacher that we need new blood. It is great to have Jaguar in F1 and we all. expect a lot from Honda. Toyota is out there and BMW,too. It has all the makings of an exciting season.

And yet, there are some changes which cannot be explained. This year, the FI paddock will be missing V? something. There will be another generation of silly double-decker gin palaces but the paddock will lack its heart.‘Mum and Dad’ will not be there.

Stuart and Di Spires have been running motorhomes in F1 since 1978. In that time they have looked after VIPs, drivers, mechanics and journalists. If you have a problem,‘Mum and Dad’ were always there to help. It did not matter whether you were the chairman of the Ford Motor Company or a terrified young reporter, there was always somewhere where you felt welcomed by down-to-earth, sensible people.

The folk at the Ford Motor Company - who have retained Stuart and Di for the last 10 years - knew that they had an incredible asset as the FI paddock became a less and less friendly place.

But - when Jaguar came here was a time - before the wandering in to FI like drunks on Darwin Awards came along the way to a concert -some twerp when I thought Grand Prix drivers with a clipboard decided that the were bonkers. Nowadays, I think paddock no longer needed they are a fairly sane bunch of parents. With a stroke of a biro people.

Jaguar has demoiished the If anything the team bosses are goodwill of hundreds of people. a madder bunch than the men in Perhaps there should be an the helmets. Ron Dennis is insane award for extreme stupidity in about cleanliness (and admits it).

Formula 1 racing ...

1)^ the smest md most earn boss h&s always - which is is a ^Sir^ and qf them are

T

r.

■ NXERVI

16 28 January 2000

W

Being the son of Australian motor racing legend Dick Johnson hasn’t been easy for Steven.

But the 25-year-old has ridden the ups and downs of life while waiting patiently in the wings for his shot at the Shell Championship Series. Steven Johnson’s time has arrived and GERALD McDORNAN spoke with him on the eve of his debut full-time drive with DJR. around. Thanks to Dad and others like Shell, I’ve been able to have a drive here and there but Dad hasn’t been in a position to be able to give me a full-time drive here at DJR, or put me into a Formula Ford.

We did it the hard way and we bought a fairly cheap sports sedan and I raced that for a little while, I did a few races here and there in a Trans Am, and that was great, but it’s just a matter of

the team and lifted them to the level where they’ve been since.

I don’t think there was ever a question that I wasn’t going to be a race driver and it definitely helps having been brought up around the sport. If you look around you’ll find that all of the drivers have been in some form of racing or another from an early age - you won’t find a champion who has star1;ed racing at 25-30

year when I substituted for Dad, finishing fifth. It’s going to be a different story this year, i think it will take me two or three races at the start of the year to get my eye in. i have a new mechanic and engineer on my car and it wiil take a little while to build a relationship with those guys.

Paul [Radisich] has already got a 12 month rela tionship with his guys but I think it showed at the start of

Steven Johnson - A+: Junior Johnson has received accolades for his limited efforts but has been (Photo by AFl) patient in waiting for a full-time ride. The patience has now paid off.

As smooth as: Johnson and Johnson ran smoothly all day in the Queensland 500,finishing seventh (Photo by Bob Potts) before going on to improve to fourth at Bathurst.

Slants''

getting the right opportunity.

A lot of the guys got their opportunities a lot earlier than what I have but I wouldn’t hold that against anybody. Now that mine has arrived, I’m going to make the most of it...

MOTORSPORT NEWS: Three weeks away from your official, full-time debut with DJR, how are you feeling?

STEVEN JOHNSON: It’s pretty exciting for me. A few people have asked me whether I’m nervous but I’m not, I’m just extremely excited about the whole year and I just can’t wait to get in the car and go. It’s probably the keenest 1 have ever been about anything, which is understandable.

MN: For want of calling your previous experience an ‘apprenticeship’, it’s been a fairly long one...

SJ: I guess so, it’s been a fair while since I’ve done quite a few rounds of the championship. I did five or six rounds in ‘98 and a few rounds here and there, plus Bathurst but that’s it. It’s really a good thing now that I’m going to be there full time, every race and, to be in the car regularly, is going to benefit me even more.,I’ve struggled in the past because you can’t drive the car twice a year and expect to blow off the guys who’ve done 15 races. I think you’ll see a different Steve Johnson come Bathurst... definitely.

MN: A lot of observers have said that Steve Johnson has been more than ready in the past for a full-time seat. Has it been frustrating for you to sit back and watch, probably knowing within yourself that you were more than ready to have a drive?

SJ: I guess it has been hard in a way but it’s also been good for me. I’m probably one of the most patient people you could meet and that’s thanks to this situation.

Despite what people think. Dad’s not rolling in money and that’s what motor racing revolves

MN: Do you feel having been brought up around racing and DJR will benefit the team and yourself?

Craig Lowndes was brought up in a not identical but similar situation and that appears to have helped his career.

SJ: Definitely. If you look at HRT back in '96, Craig’s first year, they weren’t the dominant team they are today. They’d won races, but not a championship. Craig got the ride, a bit of new blood mixed with Brock’s experience and it revitalised the team. I think that benefited both himself and

years old... someone that it’s not in their blood. I’ve been around the sport a long time and, while Dad’s never pressured me to race, I chose racing and I’ll put my mind towards being the best I can within the motor racing industry.

last year, when he was new to the team and series, that it was tough. Towards the end of the year it all hap pened for him.

I think it will be a little the same for me although I believe you won’t see both of us far from the pointy end of the field at most meetings.

MN: What are the goals for Steve Johnson this year?

SJ; I’ve set a few reasonable goals for myself, considering how I went at Calder last

MN: What’s your relationship like with Paul and how will you work together within the team?

“Fve struggled in the past ^cause you canH drive these cars twice a year and expect to blow offthe guys who have done 15 races but,come Bathurst,I think youll see a different Steve Johnson, - Steven Johnson

SJ; I’ve known Paul since I was eight years old and we’ve been very good friends for a long time.

We get along really well, we socialise a lot and train together outside motor racing. Paul’s a really nice, quiet guy and a lot of people who just meet him don’t see the real Paul.

He’s helped me a lot in the past and he’s going to continue doing that. If I can help him I will and viceversa.

■ Paul said to me after Caider that he was privileged to see how I could drive now and he said he would try and help me and bring me along.

To come from someone as good as Paul, that means a lot.

He’s not scared of me beating him and I’m not scared of him beating me.

You’ve got to have a certain rivalry between yourselves but it can’t consist of hiding information to the detriment

of the team. The best driver will win on the day and that’s the way it’s going to be.

MN: Paul’s goals would be fairly simple - nothing short of the championship.

SJ: Certainly. He’s done his first year, learnt a hell of a lot. By the end of the year he was really on the pace and surprised a lot of people. He’s definitely looking for the championship and if I can help him win it I will.

At the end of the year we’ll see how we’re both lying in the championship and work out whether we run the long distance races together or in separate cars.

Depending on how we’ve gone during the season, we’ll look at giving ourselves the best chance in the championship and/or the two major races at the end of the year.

Handing over the reigns: Dick Johnson hands over the famous #17 to son Steven at Bathurst, the pair finishing fourth.

Around racing for life: Junior Johnson raced a limited campaign in ’98 with support from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Johnson impressed, here at Mallala leading regulars Bright, Bargwanna and Faulkner.

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmiih)

MN: What about the AU Falcon? Bathurst showed the team had come a long way from the beginning of the year when the new car debuted but how much more potential is there for the AU to improve?

SJ: The car is really starting to make sense to us now.

It was really hard at the beginning. To Paul’s defence, early in the year he had to change his driving style a fair bit to suit the-car.

At the beginning of ’99 it wasn’t a very good car to drive and Paul and the team

EARL’S

worked hard to get it to where it is now. It’s probably the best car I’ve driven and it just goes to show the team we’ve got never gives up ■ and it’s a credit to them.

The team were disappointed at the start of the year but they kept working hard throughout the year trying to make sense

that, there appears to be a fair amount of stability within DJR...

SJ: Most of the people here MN: The team has had a ■ have been here for a long time. The only new guys are few changes over the past 12 months with John really Dave Stewart who’s come from the Ducati Bowe moving on, your Superbike team and will Dad retiring, Wayne Cattach heading to engineer my car, and AVESCO but, other than Continued next page... and they were all extremely happy when we were up front at Bathurst.

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18 28 Jdnuary 2000

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Flamin’ good friend: Paul Radisich is keen to help Junior in his first season.(Photo by Oirk Klynsmith)

Lending a helping hand WHILE Steven Johnson begins his first full time VSSupercar season with a lot of expecta tions riding upon his shoulders, he won’t be without his fair share of advisors.

Team mate Paul Radisich knows the rookie feeling - 1999 was his first full-time V8 season.

In 2000 the duo will team up and, with Radisich as well as his father there for advice, the Kiwi believes that ‘Junior’ Johnson will be at home almost imme diately. ' .

“I think he’s got more people to give him advice than he needs!” Radisich said this week.

“I think he’s going to settle in very well. He’s proven he has got the pace - I think he just needs to kick back and develop his owm style. As long as he does go out there and fill Dad’s shoes and comes up with his own style, he’s going to be great.

“The whole thing is to run as a team effort and I need Steve to be right there and at the same pace as me so we both benefit. ^ “Steve has a better understanding of telemetry and his style of driving is similar to mine so there will be more cross-over of information.

“Obviously he’ll want to stick his flag in the ground and start building his own career. He’ll be trying his best to beat me and that’s what it’s all about.”

-AARON NOONAN

Form form: DJR’s Shell Helix AU Falcons were unbelievably quick all weekend at Bathurst with both running strongly at the pointy end of the field all week. Only a mishap with a back-marker kept Radisich from a possible win.(Phoio by Lynicy Reid)

another guy in the fabrication shop.

The guys in the workshop are probably the keenest I’ve ever seen them. We gave them four weeks off over Christmas and they’ve had a really good break and are back refreshed and raring to go, coming in early getting everything ready for the start of the year.

Dad’s also extremely keen for the start of the year and he’s taken over a lot of the management jobs while he’s still searching for the right person to replace Wayne.

We're 100 percent up on the same time last year and, hopefully, the racing results will show.

Irt you looking or Sponsorship?

MN: You mentioned you and Paul are training.

What sort of programme are you undertaking and do you see fitness as an important part to your success?

SJ: I’m actually shifting down to the Gold Coast at the moment and I’ll be undertaking various programmes - squash, volleyball, tennis, swimming every morning with Dad and a lot of bike riding. Not too much gym as I don’t need size - if I get any larger I wouldn’t be able to fit in the car! I need a lot of endurance so I’m doing a lot of cardio.

I’ve been training with a

group of triathletes but, with moving to'the Gold Coast, I won’t be doing much of that but they’ve designed a schedule for me.

MN: Your Dad and yourself had a great result at Bathurst. Being his last race, how did you handle the extra attention with the fans and media?

SJ: Obviously there’s always been a lot of attention with Dad and with me driving with him in the past, so Bathurst really didh’t^bother me at all.

A couple'of times I missed the press conferences as I had to get through the data and work ^out what we were doing with

the car, but that wasn’t being selfish - it was just that I have to remain focused on the job and my number one job is to race and win. If we don’t win, we don’t get the attention.

MN: Can you see having Dick Johnson as your Dad being an advantage to your career from the view that, as he’s seen so much as Shell’s public face, he can take a lot of the sponsor pressures away from you and allow you to concentrate on racing, at least over the first few years?

SJ; I can but I’ve also heard in the past that I’m only

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Legs,11: Johnson and girlfriend Rebel at Bathurst.(Photo by afi)

^^Being Dick Johnson^s son has had its positives and negatives ~ to be honesty probably more negatives than positives.

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- Steven Johnson there because of who I am, so it places other pressures on you.

Being Dick Johnson’s son 'has had its positives and negatives - to be honest, probably more negatives than positives. I’ve had a lot of chances in the past, especially from ’96 onwards to drive tor other teams but when it’s come down to the crunch the reason I wasn’t chosen was because I was Dick Johnson’s son. For them to judge me on who my Dad is was wrong.

If I had driven for HRT there was no way known we would have ever conversed about racing as I would wanted to have beaten him just as much as he would have wanted to beat me but those drives haven’t eventuated because that’s what people were thinking.

Having said that, the positives and advantages of being Dick Johnson’s son is that it did give me the opportunity at the start of getting my first drive in a touring car which was easier than had I been someone eise’s son.

But once I got in the car, if I couldn’t have done the job Shell and Dad wanted, I wouldn’t be signed up for the next two years.

Being Dick Johnson’s son was an advantage early but if I can’t do the job they’ll be looking seriously at why not...

I have to bring the results to give them a return on their time and investment.

MN: People within the industry wouldn’t begrudge you the drive though, would they?

SJ: Probably not now but I know a few years ago there was a lot of that going around. It didn’t bother me as I’d had that since I was in school.

Up until I finished school I’d get flack put on me by everyone if Dad had a crash but the next day, if he won, the whole school was my best friend. I’ve had it my whole life so the best thing I can do is to go out and show them I can do the job.

I think Calder last year was the best answer to all that where I jumped into a car that I hadn’t driven.

r

showed I was competitive, beat Paul who’d been in the car since the start of the year and finished fifth. I think that showed a few people...

MN: The advantage with your Dad, though, would be that he’ll be able to take a number of the pressures of dealing with the corporate commitments, allowing you to concentrate on driving, studying your data and working out set-ups.

SJ: Absolutely. That’s probably the biggest hindrance to Dad over the last couple of years- not being able to sit down, study the data and work out what was happening with the car.

On his day..^ have a look at Bathurst- weTjualified with identical times'and we both raced with pretty much identical times. His time was taken for the top 10 and getting into the top 10 at somewhere like Bathurst when you’re 54-years-old is no mean feat.

At most races as soon as Dad was out of the car he was taking care of his Shell or Ford commitments.

Data has.become extremely important and, unlike the past where you drove by the seat of your pants, in such a competitive category, you have to be on top of what is really happening in the car.

I’ve always had data systems and understand the benefits and I think that’s why you saw a big change in Dad’s performances at the two endurance races- Dad was looking after his commitments and I got to look at the data and it worked extremely well for all of us.

This year will be different and I’ve still got commitments to fulfil with our sponsors which I’m really looking forward to but certainly not as much as Dad in the past.

That’s definitely going to be a benefit for the team as we’ll have two cars running up the front. Dad will be doing most of the corporate commitments, which people love him doing, and I can only see it getting better for the team.

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Homage to the triangle: Larry Perkins’ new VT Commodore - chassis no: 036 - incorporates a structure that resolves the safety and torsional rigidity issues. (Tony Giynn pics)

■m

By TONY GLYNN ^^^^ontinuing the'team’s new :■ design approach, the latest evolution of the Gasti’ol VT Commodore to emerge from the Perkins Eng7.neering workshop reflects the prime focus on the handling benefits to be derived from massively increased levels of chassis rigidity.

After swapping from Dunlop rub ber to the Bridgestone control tyre and clearly struggling to quickly come to terms with the latter dur ing the last season, Perkins was reluctantly obliged to reappraise the intrinsic .worth of his longstand ing chassis technology.

Despite the resounding successes achieved on his beloved Dunlops in the past, the six-times Bathurst winner found the transition to the V8 Supercar control rubber a frustratingly unrewarding experience and the less than satisfying results achieved in the first half of 1999 precipitated a fundamental rethink in the chassis department.

The result was the vastly more complex and better performing PE 035 chassis that emerged prior to Queensland’s IndyCar event and, in the hands of the team’s lead driver, Russell Ingall, the on-board data logger q'uickly began to deliver some long-awaited good news.

“We decided to have a good look at chassis stiffness, as we had a lot of trouble getting the Bridgestone control tyre dialled-in last year,” Perkins explained.

“We thought we had a chassis that was stiff enough, but other teams had a chassis that was a lot stiffer, reflecting the design effort put in over the last three, or four, years.

“After considering the issue, we decided that maybe this was the way to go, in light of the fact that we were struggling to get on top of the Bridgestone tyre.

“So we went all out to improve our position and I believe, in fact, that we’ve done so.

“The reality is that we were proba bly behind the eight ball for the last few years in terms of chassis stiffness and we need not have been there.

“It’s not really a tyre thing and maybe the Dunlop tyre would also have performed better on a stiffer chassis.

“You shouldn’t ignore the fact that, from year one, race car

Stiffer, safer... quicker Tired of being behind the eight ball, a barred-up Larry Perkins has a stunningly different new VT for 2000

designers have been trying to make their cars as stiffer and it’s a fact that we went for a few years there without trying to make our cars stiffer.

“In hindsight, that was probably an error, but we reckon we’ve caught up now and, by mixing that small area of proportional gain with all the other areas where we hope to see gains, maybe we’ll be able to lap quicker.”

Torsional rigidity of the previous Perkins designs that happily garnered a plethora of major successes and put the Moorabbin-based team on the map was in the 9-10,000 pounds per degree zone three, or four, years ago.

But that figure rose to the mid 20s for the 035 Bathurst car and has now hit the 30,000 pounds per degree mark with the very latest design, the stunningly different,

have, so we’ve chosen to err very much on the side of safety.

“We’ve triedrfo make sure that the structure will not collapse around the driver under any cir cumstances. ● U In the past, our roll hoop has not run a cross-brace, as we always welded the roll hoop to the B-pillar and, as that’s where the driver sat, we couldn’t employ that form of bracing.

Stiffer’s better: A and B-pillar treatments make a major contribution to vehicle rigidity. (Tony Glynn pic) ■p eflecting that new approach to XVchassis design, Perkins was encouraged to find that there was indeed a significant increase in per formance due to the newly-config ured stiffer 035 chassis, clearly the most radical V8 Supercar shell to emerge from the Perkins Engineering workshop to date, both Perkins and Ingall then sharing driving duties in the torsionally superior VT Commodore at the Bathurst enduro.

twin roll-hoop 036 chassis that will be driven by Ingall at the season opening round at Phillip Island.

“There’s been a very big gain in both torsional rigidity and massive strength in terms of a crash, the lat ter issue addressing the needs of a driver in terms of the crushability and survivability of the car in a high-speed rollover,” Perkins stated.

“We’re now a lot stronger than we should be, but we can’t predict what kind of a crash we’re going to

“So we decided to leave tha t Bpillar hoop in place with the newest design, but add another one a foot further back that employs the cross-bracing, the result being an umbelievably strong bulkhead in the middle of the car that also fur ther protects the driver.

“The actual seating position is only about an inch further back than in the previous car, which is not a big de^, as we’re still not as far back as some others and, at this

stage, we don’t need to have an extension of the gear lever.”

The 036 another first, as car it’s represents the first shell sup plied by Holden to Perkins Engineering that was devoid of all the usual production-line sound deadening material and so forth, Gibson Motorsport having contract ed to actually assemble a kit of bare panels in a jig for race teams.

“It’s a quick turnaround from when you order one from Freddie Gibson to the actual dehvery and it saves a tremendous amount of time and money at this end - it’s a welcome evolution in the sport that had to come,” said Perkins.

“Nowadays, some teams do build their cage on a floor-pan and then weld the roof on afterwards, but we get a complete shell from Gibson’s and then construct our vehicle in the traditional way - it’s really a personal choice as to which method of construction you employ.”

In terms of the structure itself, the apparent dray-load of extra tub ing has not resulted in an adverse increase in vehicle weight over pre vious Perkins Engineering cre ations, the 036 VT still hovering around the minumium weight requirement for the class.

“In the past, if we’ve been a bit hght, we’ve made that spare weight into strength and produced a stronger structure to conform with the weight rules and that’s still the case with the newest car - after all, that’s what a rollcage is all about, to make the car strong enough to survive a big crash,” Perkins added.

“I’ve run a vertical windscreen brace for many years and I now see some of the other competitors doing the same, but there was still a weak link there and I have strong memories of Dick Johnson nearly having a spoiler go through his windscreen at Phillip Island - so I’ve elected to address the issue in this way with the new ear, as it enhances the driver’s protection in that area enormously.

,

21

28 January 2000 :ti \ I

Better footprint: Roll-cage design guarantees better rear coil-over control. (Tony Glynn pics)

“There’s not the slightest impediment to the driver’s vision, othervrise it wouldn’t be there - remember, the first 250mm of windscreen height we paint black, you can have cameras intruding and the rear vision mirror takes up an enormous area, so the bracing is not an issue at all.”

The twin-hoop cell that conferssurvival so much stiffness to the 036 Commo dore also guarantees a high er level of predictable control over the behaviour of the front and rear suspensions.

The eye-catching diagonal A-pillar over-dash bracing and comprehensive under dash cage design protect not only the driver’s compart ment, but also massively heightens the rigidity of the tied-in front strut towers.

In similar fashion to the front-end structural consid erations, the shock towers and suspension arm boxes for the four-link rear suspen sion elements are also rigidly

integrated into the heavily triangulated spaceframe structure.

“As I said before, we thought for some time,that we may be deficient in the chassis rigidity area and that’s what got us into catch up mode,” Perkins elaborated.

“The issue at.^the end of the day is cornering speed and it was clear that HRT had worked this area over the best several years ago with their stiffer chassis designs.

“Five years ago, we couldn’t have dreamed of running the shockers with their refinements we run today, but the stiffer chassis and its better suspension con trol has made that possible.

“Last year,'we didn’t run identical suspensions on our two cars, but this' year both cars will be absolutely the same in all suspension com ponentry,” he added.

“I’d lost so many points early in the last season through stuff-ups and so on that it wasn’t worth the

money to try and keep in the points, but we’ll be starting the new season on an even keel and all the latest tech nology we’ve developed will be in my car, as well.”

And who will be driving exactly which car this sea son?

“Fm going to run the Bathurst car and Russell is the designated driver for the newest car in the short-term.

“But we are going to con struct two more new cars for this season that will mirror in many respects the advances we’ve made with our latest cars - almost cer tainly, though, they’ll contin ue down the evolutionary path and differ in detail in relevant areas.

“The stories circulating late last season about my retirement were premature indeed and I want to get seri ous this year - and, bearing in mind our current approach,to cage design and rigidity, I think we now have the cars to do the job proper ly,” Perkins concluded.

mm

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Benetton used to be a player in the race for Formula One titles but the last few seasons have been tough for the team from Enstone, despite good drivers and a strong budget Will the new B200 be the car that re-launches the marque into the winners’circle?

JORGE DELGADO profiles the team with big hopes for the new season.

Mill Benetton still have te Blues BENETTON took their first only? - victory of 2000 when they became the first team to officially launch their 2000 Formula One challenger in Barcelona.

After dropping to sixth place in last year’s World Championship standings, Benetton recognise that this year is vital. They enjoy a tremendous relationship with Renault, who once again is supply ing the customer Mecachrome-maintained VIO engine, but considerably modified and tailor-made for Benetton.

“I think the engine could surprise a few people,” says technical director Pat Symonds.

The team itself has gone back to basics with the design of the new car.

“I’m very happy with this year’s car partially because I didn’t use a lot of the ‘toys’ that we had on the car last year,” says driver Alexander Wurz who once again teams up with Giancarlo Fisichella.

“I was a bit confused by them. But this car is a return to basics. I’m quite happy with what they’ve done.

For instance, they’ve worked hard on the aerodynamics after we had problems last year and they seem to have solved those problems although I can’t say for sure until I drive the car tomorrow.”

Most significant are several new details concerning what Benetton now call the Playlife FB02 engine, nee Renault, Mecachrome then Supertec. While the engine is based on last year’s unit, it is interesting that Benetton says Renault has pro vided a bigger budget for develop ment than at any time in its Formula One history.

However, there is now an entirely new engine block with modified

cylinder head design. The layout of the anciUaries is changed to reduce weight, giving a lower centre of gravity, while “a significant power increase is claimed.”

The engine in the B200 is tailormade for the car and there are more developments to come.

There have been several staff changes over the last year, including the loss of commercial manager David Warren, team co-ordinator Joan Villadelprat and chief designer Nick Wirth. The latter has been replaced by Tim Densham, most recently with the still-born Honda efibrt, and the design of the car is a combination of his work and that of Wirth. However, its completion was actually delayed to allow his input.

Rocco Benetton, the team’s 30year old chief executive, admits that the changes have made him “more optimistic about the future. The company is now very stable and very comfortable and everybody knows the way that I want to go and where they want to go.

“At this point, commercially, we are stronger than ever. Benetton Formula has never been as strong as now. All of our sponsors have con firmed their faith m the team but we also have new major sponsors such as Marconi Communications.

“I think everything seems to be in good shape. Now all we need are the results but we aren’t going to find out about those imtil the beginning ofthe season.”

So what can expected from this year? Alexander Wurz says “I want to win races but realistically, I expect that you have to sit in a red or silver car to be able to do that.

But our highest target is to finish third in the Constractors champi onship, which is extremely difficult.

“I think the battle between teams

for third to seventh places will be extremely hard, but I like that chal lenge. With the car being good for me now, I feel that I’m in very good shape and I’m hungry for it.”

The team has also announced a new test driver, Japan’s Hidetoshi Mitsusada, who brings with him MTCI sponsorship and who will combine his Formula One duties with a Formula 3000 season.

The clock is ticking; Alex Wurz was looked on as the Next Big Thing a few years ago, but time 1s starting to tell. He’s in his fourth season with a team, and still just one podium finish...

Hill, Street, Blues: Benetton launched its new B200 in Barcelona and then got straight down to work at the track. Drivers Alex Wurz and Giancarlo Fisichella were joined by team boss Rocco Benetton for the launch. (PholosbySutton-lmages)

28Janudiy2000

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23

KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid Benetton Technical Director Pay Symonds hopes his B200 wiii be better than last year's car which was a disaster. And, as he tells JORGE DELGADO, he is man enough to admit it.

Motorsport News; What was the design philosophy of the new Benetton B200?

Pat Symonds: It’s a very different design philosophy this year. Last year, we had a stated intention that we needed to make up for certain deficiencies by being innovative. Unfortunately - and I’m not scared to admit it - it didn’t work.

Some of our new designs were really very troublesome -things like FTT. We found that when we went from the prototype to do the production versions -1 use the word production loosely - we simply couldn’t reproduce the results that we were getting earlier.

The same thing with the twin clutch gearbox, we couldn’t get it to the state that we felt it should be at.

A lot of our resources had gone into those innovations and perhaps some of the fundamentals had suffered as a result.

On top of that, we had a huge aerodynamic problem. So this year, we’ve been concentrating more on the fundamentals and making sure that the basic car is good. What I mean by that is ensuring that we get the weight down,so that we can use ballast to get the right weight distribution, making sure that the stiffnesses are all correct.

And I guess above everything, we needed to make sure that we had a stable aerodynamic platform, something that is good, whatever the conditions. We have quite a large aerodynamic department now that we are running our own wind tunnel.

MN: What was the matter with the aerodynamics?

PS: Well, during the season, we could identify the problem, but we couldn’t reproduce it in the wind tunnel. We could measure it on the circuit, but we weren’t successful at curing it during the season. We were able to do a damage limitation exercise.

Under certain conditions, we could minimise the effect of it but we could never get rid of it. But right at the end of the season, and into the early part of the winter, we were able to reproduce it in the wind tunnel, we were able to understand it and I’m glad to say that we were able to eliminate it.

1

Getting down to Wurz: The Austrian driver was impressed with his first run in the B200,setting good times at Barcelona.(Photoby smton-images)

MN: Who actually designed this year? Nick Wirth was the chief designer, so presumabiy he started it, but he has since left and Tim Densham has taken over.

PS: The chronology of design is that you start with your aerodynamic layout in May, something like that, which dictates that you have to do your basic layout at the same time. Through the summer you’re developing your ideas on that basic layout.

Tim Densham then joined us at the beginning of the summer. Now it would have been stupid to have hired someone like that and then put them to pne side for a year, so I made a decision then that we would delay the new car.

We had decided originally around Easter-that we would bring out the B200 in December and try and run it before Christmas. But with Tim’s arrival, that wasn’t an intelligent thing to do, so we aimed for mid-January and put the launch back a month.

That in itself isn’t enough to have a huge influence.

So t had to go to our design group and say ‘right guys, we’re going to have work harder’ and they responded magnificently. The whole design group have really worked hard this winter and we’ve

f

incorporated an awful lot of Tim’s ideas. In fact we’ve made some major revisions to the layout based on Tim’s suggestions.

And I think we’ve maximised the potential of having him there.

There was a very good transition between Nick and Tim. They worked together for a good few months before Nick left and I can’t really say what each of them did. The car’s design evolved. It was a joint effort by them initially, with Tim playing a more and more dominant role.

MN: You’ve mentioned Renault rather than Supertec or anything else; why?

PS: I’m proud of our association with Renault. The name on the cam cover can be anything but I feel it’s still very much Renault.

I believe this year’s engine is going to surprise a few people. I haven’t yet seen the full power curves because all the development hasn’t been completed yet, but what I know of it so far, in terms of the power curve, I believe it’s still a good step forward. It’s still a first generation engine, it’s still maybe 20 kilos heavier than some of the second generation engines, but in terms of power, it’s still a step forward.

MN: Do you see Renault coming back?

PS: I would love to see that relationship re-established. I think they’ve virtually stated that they are coming back. The nucleus of Renault Sport is still hard at work, on this engine, and also on next year’s engine.

How they will re-enter is their business. I would love to think it’s with Benetton. I thoroughly enjoy working with Renault. I have a great deal of respect for them and they have been the most successful engine supplier of modem years.

MN: Have you been promised engine developments this season? Have you seen their plan of action?

PS: Yes I have. Last ye'ar, their development was very strong.

There was some criticism from teams in ’98 that their engine didn’t develop. That criticism couldn’t be levelled in ’99. We certainly saw good improvements.

They set themselves certain targets for the beginning of the year 2000. At this early stage in January they have exceeded those'targets.

They have a very clear-cut idea of where they are going through 2000, and work for 2001 is already starting. The future is good.

MN: Does that a pply to Benetton too?

PS: Yes, it does. We’ve been through changes, particularly with the technical staff.

It’s very difficult these days to win races, let alone championships, without the support of a major manufacturer.

I feel that my job is to ensure that I get the team technically into a position where, if the opportunity comes along to get involved with a major manufacturer, that the rest of the team is ready to win.

That is the philosophy that I have been working on: that we have the facilities, the people, etc, ready to take advantage of whatever may come our way.

Of course, we’ve done it before, but kdon’t believe that you can take something from the past and make it work again.

Times change.

Formula One is a business that develops rapidly. I feel that my job is very much to look to the future, to decide which technologies need to be employed, to make sure that we are on top of those technologies. and when the final pieces of the jigsaw puzzle come together, that the picture that is on that jigsaw is the correct one.

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Out of his Shell

IT S been a tough off-season for Bryan Herta. After leaving Team Rahal, and looking to have a deal set with first Dan Gurney then Mo Nunn’s new team, the American has found himself with McDonald’s team for 2000.

On top of all the professional upheavals in his life, Herta has moved himself and his family from his Columbus, Ohio base, to resume residence in California.

After running the Reynard-Ford combination to a race win a Laguna and three front-row starts at the end of 1999, Herta faces a completely new combination this year, running a Honda-powered Swift for Gerry Forsythe and Steve Horne.

Despite the big changes in his race package, Herta is looking forward to 2000.

Certainly, going in, the Swift is. you know, a question mark for everybody right now,just because we haven’t driven it,” he said last week.

“We’ve seen the new Reynard on the track, and the new Swift hasn’t been out yet.

“Certainly, with the way the CART testing rules are, it’s going to hurt us or make it a little tougher for us more than probably most people because we’re limited now to 12 pre-season test days and I think like six days during the season, where a two-car team would get a little bit more.”

Another of the changes Herta has to deal with is the change from a two-car set-up with Team Rahal to Forsythe’s one car team.

“Certainly, if we expand to a two-car team at some point, that would be an advantage.

“But having said that, there’s a certain advantage too, in the fact

Out of the shadows: Herta blasts out the tunnel at Vancouver in 1996, when his Team Rahal Reynard was Mercedes-powered.

The thoughtful American, an economics graduate, is looking forward to 2000, Swift, Honda and lots of Big Macs. {Photos by David Taylor/Allsport)

that this is a very focused program, obviously, and the [Swift]factory is working very specifically and very closely with the team to develop the car in a way that’s probably unique in CART racing more -1 would liken it more to like a Formula 1-style program more so than probably we’ve seen, at least other than the way maybe Penske has done it in the past.

“There’s certain advantages in being able to have that close relationship and being able to work that closely with the manufacturer; that we’ll be able to turn things over very quickly. I expect to see a lot of development pieces throughout the season.

Because we don’t have to produce 20, 30 of them; they can produce two if they are good and continue the development program.”

“I think there’s definitely been discussion [about having a two car team], I actually had been in contact with the team initially, talking to them about the possibility of a second car as a team-mate to Tony [Kanaan]. So my relationship with Gerry Forsythe and his organisation really started there where they were looking at going to a second car; and so we had been in contact about the possibility of that happening.

1f the Swift runs half as good as it looks, then I think we’re really going to have something “But really, I think right now, we’ve got plenty on our plate as a one-car team to get up and running. I don’t think that you want to rush in expanding to a two-car team until you can at least feel like you’ve got your feet on the ground with the first car.

“For the long term, I think that’s the goal of the team. And for me, that’s definitely the direction that I think would be good for us to go

long term, to help develop the combination.

One thing that Herta is confident about is resuming his relationship with Steve Home,the New Zealander with whom he won the Indy Lights title in 1993.

“That’s something I’m definitely looking forward to. You almost can’t really say it’s the team I won the Indy Lights Championship with because it’s gone through so

many changes since I was there.

A couple of the very important key players are - Steve Horne is still there and Steve Ragan, as well as a few others.

“So it’s nice because it’s not an unfamiliar place to me, and I certainly have a tremendous respect and confidence in the abilities of Steve Home and - he’s just got such a no-nonsense approach to racing, and he’s able to really eliminate the BS so effectively, that I think in the development program he’s absolutely the right guy to be steering the ship because he understands as much as anybody how easy it is to start heading off in a wrong direction.”

“And now it’s really going to be down to us making the most of the

28 Januaiy 2000 package, making the most of the car that.

Swift gives us. And I’m looking forward, of course, to working with Honda again, as well.”

Herta was close to doing a deal with Gurney’s All-American Racers team, to run a Lola-Ford. But a lack of funding ended the drive before pre-season testing started.

“I think on an emotional level, it came very close to coming together. I would definitely say that I was fortunate to spend time with Dan Gurney and to - we talked a lot about the possibility of working together.

“In reality, I don’t know how close we ever were because it all hinged on money. That was the only stumbling block. If the money had been there, it would have been a done deal instantly, and it just didn’t work out that way.

“Regardless of whether I’m there or not, I really do think it’s a shame that Dan is, at least in the short term, not going to be able to participate. And I certainly hope we’ll see him back.

After disappointing oval racing form last season, especially compared to team-mate Max Papis, Herta is not out to prove anything to Team Rahal.

“I certainly don’t feel like I’m going out this week to test or approaching the season because I want to prove Team Rahal anything. I think, as I said, I think all I can do is drive the car to the maximum of my ability all the time, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may.”

Swifts have won races before.

Michael Andretti has two career wins for the marque, and Christian Fittipaldi broke his duck at Road America last year. But all the successes so far have come via Nevraian-Haas’s Ford-powered cars.

How win a Swift-Honda perform?

“I can’t really predict that at the moment, because, you know it’s an all-new car and we have a slightly new set of aerodynamic changes,” says Herta.

“The indications are very good.

25

swapped Kanaan for

Herta, is that an ‘'Regardless of whether I'm American driver will now be the front man in there or not I really do think their promotional program. Herta sees a ifs a shame that Dan bright future.

“I think this it’s Gurney is, at least in the nothing but positive.

And because the deal short term, not going to be has come together, really, in an extremely short amount of time able to participate. although, there’s been about it for a period And I certainly hope well talk of time, I would say the n wheels really went into see him back motion early last week.

and the thing I would say at this point is having spent four days down at the factory now,I’m extremely impressed with the quality of the car and the quality of the work that’s gone into the car.

“And ifit runs half as good as it looks, then I think we’re really going to have something- we’re going to have something to work with.”

Despite all the toings and froings in the off-season, there was never a stage where Herta looked like sitting out the 2000 season.

“There’s always things going on behind the scenes. And I would say it was a very interesting ride throughout the winter here.

“Because of the way things progressed, I was always in contact with good people and there was always interest. So, you know, as long as that’s there, then I felt quite good. And I did have some offers and some interest from in other areas, some sports cars and some IRL teams.

“So, you know,I guess as a - as a business or as a commodity, there was still some interest; there was still a demand for my driving services, and that was quite comforting. I felt very strongly that this was going to work out one way OK^another. And if you’d asked me two months ago if this was the way it was going to work out, I might not have believed it, but I’m glad this is the way it has gone.”

One advantage for sponsor McDonald’s, which has essentially

“Though it’s been less than a week, really, since this thing started. I haven’t had an opportunity to meet with the folks from McDonald’s and a lot of the other players involved yet. I’ve met a lot of them, but I haven’t met others.

So, you know, we’re still in the getto-know-you phase. But certainly.

I’m very excited to be able to work with them.”

One advantage Herta may have in re-establishing his oval track form is the fact that all the cars will be running a new aerodynamic package this year. He is a little unsure what the results will be.

“Well, I haven’t driven the new wings yet so - so I can’t say from personal experience yet. But I would say that the couple of drivers that I have talked to, Michael Andretti and the couple of others who have driven them had some fairly positive comments to say; that at least at the Homestead configuration, it seems the car has a very similar feel on the corners to what we had last year.

“Although, it’s slower down the straights because of the drag from the new wing. So it’s kind of slowed the top-end speed down and kept a similar corner speed to last year, which was still significantly down from the old wings. So in theory, I think it sounds like a great idea, and I think it will be very good.

“But until -1 think until we really race it for the first time and see how it works in practice with traffic, and, you know passing situations, we won’t know for sure.”

Revenge is best served cold: Herta was involved in one of the most memorable moments in ChampCar his tory at Laguna’s Corkscrew when Alex Zanardi got by on the last lap in 1997. But he’s won twice there since ...

Wet, wet, wet: Herta celebrates his Laguna win in 1999, one of only two ‘American’ wins from the 20 races last season.(Phmo by Robert Labcrgc/Aiispon)

Where have all the American drivers gone?

FORGET about American dri vers making the grade in Formula One -they are current ly struggling to keep their seats in CART’S ChampCar series.

With the announcement that Bryan Herta will drive for the McDonalds team this season, there will be an all-time iow of four yanks in North America’s premier open-wheel category in 2000. Herta wiil be joined for the Stars ’n’ Stripes by Michael Andretti, .Jimmy Vasser and Richie Hearn.

The series has lost six American drivers in the off-sea son; Scott Pruett and Robby Gordon to the apparently all-con quering Winston Cup NASCAR series, Al Unser Jr to the IRL, PJ Jones to Busch Grand National and Dennis Vitolo and Alex Barron to nowhere in particular.

Compare that list to 1990. Ten years ago a total of 15 drivers started all 16 races and 10 of those were from the USA. And ifs not like the ranks of the 'foreign legion’ are being swelled by ex-Formula One drivers; only eight drivers come from FI, and two of those (Shinji Nakano and Mimmo Schiateralla) were paying lightweights.

Most of the international dri vers who are getting seats now appear to target the CART series early in the their careers, whereas 10 years ago it was still looked at a somewhere you could earn a dollar if Grand Prix racing didn’t work out.

This season there will be eight Brazilians, which is now a laydown misere for the Nations’ Cup title, and three Canadians making the grade.

And while many of them come through CART’s preferred system of Indy Lights and Formula Atlantic, armed to the teeth with money which comes from either side of the USA borders, it appears that those two categories seem to be failing the test when it comes to developing locals.

And, the worst part is ... no-one looks likely to correct matters soon. The 2000 Indy Lights series is shaping up as a fight between Ireland’s Jonny Kane and New Zealander Scott Dixon, while FAtlantic appears to have no stand-out locals.

Americans like to see Americans winning. Everyone loves their own. Please, send us Yanks who can drive...

- PHIL MORRIS

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28 28 Janudiy 2000 ■ VALE: Lee Cohon.

Well known American drag racing identity Lee Cohon passed away last week. Cohen is best known to Australians as a supplier of engine components to most of this counti^’s fuel racers, including Jim Read and the DiFilippo family.

■ Ray Heggie, ANDRA’s chiefsteward in Queensland and Willowbank board member, recently resigned from all his drag racing positions.

One ofthe most respected ANDRA officials, Heggie cited work commitments for his decision.

0 Three new members were appointed to the board of Willowbank Raceway late last year.

Racer Steve Reed,former Calder Park manager Steve Bettes and Willowbank track announcer Paul Casos replace Heggie, Steve Kitchen and Kelvin Bell who all stood down due to varying reasons recently.

■ Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Maurice Allen has just published his first all colour newsletter and the document, which contains news about his racing season, plans and results, is sure to impress any potential sponsors.

■ Apparently US Top Fuel debutant Melanie Troxel’s sponsorship with west coast fast food chain In-N-Out has fallen over at the last minute, thanks to a death in the family that owms the company.

The death is believed to have caused a review on the venture within the company with a corporate bean counter deciding to pull the pin on the deal.

Team owner Jerry Darien, who has two new McKinney cars, six new engines, spares and a new transporter, has committed to running four of the first five races and will re-access the financial situation after that.

B As it’s almost certain he won’t race at all in 2000, Eddie Hill looks set to come back for a farewell tour next year.

The 65-year-old Texan apparently has had some indications that he may be able to find a backer for a final season of racing.

■ Veteran drag racer, team owner and crew chief Ray Alley has been appointed as the NHRA’s director of Top Fuel and Funny Car racing. Aley will be responsible for working directly with the nitro teams to enhance the'quality of the ‘show’ and enforce the new fuel rules outUned late last year. Aley has had a 30 year association with Kenny Bernstein and last season was crew chief for Bob VandergrifPa JerZee’s Top Fuel team.

%

Top Fuel series hit with visa dramas Two international champion riders denied entty to “protect Australia THE ADBA Easyrider Top Fuel World Championship, of which the first of three rounds takes place at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne this Saturday, has been rocked by controversy following the deci sion of the Australian

best served if Ron Houniet was refused a visa to enter Australia ^ ai” truly embarrassed to be an Australian if this action is what’s needed to protect us.

“The series has nothing to do with any motorcycle club; it is an international sporting event and I can now not see how Australia can be considered for future interna

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4

Immigration Department not to provide visas for two of the tional events if participants are international competitors. treated in this way. I bet they Canadian Ron Houniet and an won’t do this for the Olympics.” unnamed European racer have On a positive note Salmon said both been denied entry visas due reaction to the first of three to their association with the Hell’s rounds, held over consecutive Angels motorcycle club, the deci weekends at Calder Park, sion by the Immigration Willowbank and Adelaide Department angering event organ International Raceways, had been iser Peter Salmon.

“The Easyrider Top Fuel World extremely strong and he believed will validate therrWorld ^ Championship is a world first the racing , i i that’s been brought to Australia Championship title being offered.

“We’ve got the very best racers and the drag racing community in from around the world who have this country has been extremely embarrassed by the Immigration earned their right to be here and Department’s actions,” Salmon you can be sure that we will see some stunning performances,” said on Monday.

“They believe the protection of - Salmon said.

World champ in the making: The legendary Jim McClure has won a wildcard - GERALD McDORNAN Australia’s community would be entry into the ADBA’s Easyrider Top Fuel World Championship.(Dave ostaszewski)

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irubnic’s full year Aussie Top Fuel pilot commits to entire NHRA tour ■ AUSTRALIAN David Grubnic received a late Christmas present on his return to the US from a month-long visit home to Brisbane with the news that his Top Fuel team owner, John Mitchell, has made the decision to run the entire NHRA tour in 2000.

Mitchell has also hired renowned tuner Jim Brissette ,as a technical advisor to the team, strengthening the Montana Express’ arsenal.

“John felt like if there was ever a time to go for it and run the whole season, now would be that time," a delighted Grubnic said upon hearing the news last week.

‘The decision was made due to a combination of factors.

First, we feel that the 90-percent nitro rule will help tighten the field while, at the same time, extend the life of

the engines we use.

“Second, we were able to add Jim to the team -that’s a big plus for us - and, finally, because we have just taken delivery of a brand new Hadman car.

“I’m confident we would have finished in the top 10 had we run the whole season in the past but we believe we now have all the pieces in place to be competitive with the top teams for the whole season.”

Grubnio received further good news later last week with the commitment of Kendall Oil as a major associate backer for the team.

“With the addition of Jim Brissette, Kendall and John’s commitment to run the entire tour, I know we’re just a win waiting to happen.”

-PHIL MORRIS

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PIOMEEiRING onlsipe dirag racimg repoirter Ed : Dykes was killed last week when' he erashed ; his private plane on ronte to visit his parents in \ Louisvilie, Kentnekey.

Dykes,45, pioneered ‘online’reporting of drag racing j events in the early ‘90s, first reporting for i I Compnserve’s Racing Mformation Services and later for performance msdl-order Sinnmit Racing’s FastNews ; Network website and NHRA Online. | His detailed, nin-by-rnn reporting and insightful j comments entertained race fans aronnd the world for ; years. j Dykes, along witb fellow reportrer, programimer ■ and race fan Larry SuiMvan, who designed the soft ware used for the online racing coverage, were bon- ; oured by the editors of Car Craft magazine for their ' efforts in 1996. | Dykes also accepted the NEPtA’s national media award that year.

Dykes is snrviived by bis parents and brother, i Randy. ' - GERALD McDORNAN

Nitro rules defined What is an oildown and where thefines go...

THE NHRA has redefined the new nitro rules hand

Hey,Skip: Australian David Grubnic.

Ashley returns to Pro M ●I*

One of the original pioneers of the IHRA’s popular Pro Modified class, Mike Ashley, is set to return to the Summit tour in the US in 2000 with this new, multi-hued, nitrousinjected ’57 Chevy. In the late ’80s Ashley was the first doorslammer to exceed 210 mph with his potent Trans Am.

research and experimentation with technology to resolve ed down late last month, issues related to oildowns, specifying to competitors safety and quality ofshow.

“It goes without saying what constitutes an oilthat all monies raised dovm and the allocation of through these new penalties money collected from the will be put directly back into fines implemented. the sport to make it better In addition, NHRA revised and more exciting for fans, the 90 percent nitromethane sponsors and participants,” rule to incorporate more said Compton. than one supplier.

The NHRA has defined “Consistent with our plan that the oildown rule applies to closely monitor the new to the track surface, from rules and based on driver where a vehicle enters to feedback, testing results last where it exits the racetrack.

A violation is defined as weekend, and discussions within NHRA, we have any incident requiring the refined those rules and pro use of the track cleaning vided further definition to tractors, trucks or sweepers their consequences,” said Tom to clean up an oil spill. The Compton, president of NHRA. penalties don’t apply if a spill Fines of US$500 will be can be cleaned by hand.

Teams can now continue to levied for oildowns during qualifying while US$1,000 source their nitromethane will apply for breaches com from preferred suppliers, mitted in eliminations. although the NHRA will con Competitors will lose 10 stantly check as to whether championship points for an the 90 percent limit was oildown in eliminations, but adhered to. If the 90 percent limit is exceeded on a run, none during qualifying.

Monies collected from the the pass will be disqualified. fines will be directed to further -PHIL MORRIS

28 Jdnuary 2000

NHRA Pre-season begins Nitro racers try new 90% nitro combinations in Phoenix and Tuscan JOHN Force and Gary Scelzi’s championshipwinning teams have taken little time to become accustomed to the new nitro restric tions with both setting the quickest elapsed times in their respec tive categories during spring training in Tucson last weekend.

Force unleased a final day 4.98 second blast in Ms Castrol Mustang, the burst also registering a 317 mph terminal speed, while Scelzi’s Alan Johnson-owned Winston dragster ran a string of low 4.6s runs, two topping 321 mph during the course of the three day event.

New Winston Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher also ran a 4.66/314 with the new 90 percent rule.

Tommy Johnson, sub bing for Kenny Bernstein

in the Bud King, posted a Sunday best of 4.70/309 while Don Lampus and Joe Hartley ran 4.79/303 and 4.80/306 bests.

Joining Force in the Funny Car four second zone in Tucson were Whit Bazemore (4.99), Dean Skuza (4.94) and Bruce Sarver, Sarver’s 4.96/305 coming on just his fifth run behind the wheel of Alan Johnson’s new emoola.com-backed

The Pro Stock catego ry’s official spring train ing pre-season testing event takes place this weekend in Houston with around 80 Pro Stock and Pro Stock Trucks expect ed to run.

■ Mike Smith, son a fuel racer Paul, has signed on as co-crew chief of Del Worsham’s two-car Checker-Shuck’s-Kragen Pontiac Funny Car team.

The 34-year-old, who was co-crew chief with Glenn Mikres on Jim Epler’s Funny Car last year,joins Chuck and Del Worsham and Dave Fletcher as the brains trust in the team.

■ Warren Johnson has surprised everyone with the disclosure that he has built a Pro Stock version of Pontiac’s Grand Am vehicle. WJ has yet to determine when he’ll ● debut the car in competi tion, but it has already been tested.

“It showed indications it will be smoother down the track, but we won’t race it until it has been devel oped to the point where it’s better than what we have now,” he said.

Pontiac Funny Car. The Tucson event came just a week after the first pre-season test session was held at Firebird Raceway in Phoenix, with a similar number of teams being present for that event.

29

Hired hand: Veteran Al Hofmann took his first ride in Jim Dunn’s Mooneyes Pontiac in Phoenix. The Firebird is a ’99 model, the team expected to debut the radical 2000 version in Pomona next week.

(Photo by Auto imagery;

Check it out: Bruce Sarver checks out his new ride in Alan Johnson’s e-moola.com Funny Car. (Photo by Auto imagery)

■ WJ has also come out in agreeance with NHRA’s new spec fuel rule which has been implemented for the 2000 season.

“I would say that with everybody not worrying about the fuel factor this year they can concentrate on their ownjDrogi-ams, and that will tighten things up,” he said.

“About 99 percent of my runs over 200 mph were with the VP C-25 gas(this year’s fuel), so we should be in pretty good shape.”

VetilomoMe.Ta^u® Performance Performance^ Torque ‘^Your (Torque Video BVIagazine Fly like an eagle: Dean Skuza’s Mateo Tools Dodge Avenger takes on a new look in 2000 is Australia’s - Skuza being the Mopar factory’s lone Funny Car representative this year. (Photo by Auto imagery) first monthly Now you see them, now you don't, now you do...

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30 28Jdnuary2000

Hicina

Hangin’ out the laundry: Troy Critchley (right) has quickly adapted to the difficult conditions on the IHRA’s Pro Mod tour, taking Johnny Rocca’s Ironhorse ’49 Mercury (above) to a win at the Mopar Pro Mod Shootout along with also setting the national elapsed time record to 6.227 seconds - the first time an Australian has ever held a professional racing record in the US. (Photos by Don Gillespie)

9

'■WELD RACING

Aussie Troy Critchley has settled into racing quite nicely, thank you very much. On making his racing debut at the wheel of Victor Bray's number two Top Doorslammer back in 1996, Critchley won the prestigious Wintemationals first time out and served notice that this one-time mechanic was someone to be reckoned with.

In 1999, Critchley again made a debut, this time in the US at the wheel of Johnny Rocca’s wild “Ironhorse” ’49 Mercury on the tough IHRA Pro Mod tour. Critchley’s experience at home held him in good stead and by the season’s end the young Queenslander hadfinished in the top 10 and set the elapsed time record to 6.22 seconds.. GERALD McDORNAN caught up with Troy on a recent trip back home to celebrate Christmas and talked with him about his burgeoning US career, his goals and his future

i Choo, chooooo: With Troy Critchley at the wheel, native American Indian Johnny Rocca’s “Ironhorse” ’49 Mercury sets off on another 220-plus mph run. (Photo by Troy Critchley)

MOTORSPORT NEWS: Troy, you had an impressive first year in th e US, finishing ninth in the IHRA’s Pro Modified Championship points and you set the national elapsed time record. How

y®®'

m the big time ?

TROY CRITCHLEY: It was enlightening. I found myself being a little too concerned for the first couple of meetings about being in the ‘big time’ as you say. I was physically nervous but after a few meetings, and when I got to know a few people, it all came together. At the end of the year I was pretty confident in the car, confident with where I was and how we were going.

MN: When you were racing against the ‘names’ of Pro Modified with the Shannon Jenkinses, the Jim Oddys/Fred Hahns, Tim Mauneys, were nervous to start with?

TC: Absolutely. Even [team owner] Johnny [Rocca] came up to me and said ‘why are you nervous?’, but I’d come from Australia and now all of a sudden I’m racing against the guys I’d been reading about for years. After a while it all came good. I think a lot of them now have respect for me and it’s good with them chasing me.

MN: The highlights of the year - obviously your first win in the special shootout and the national record?

TC: The win in the Mopar Pro Mod Shootout was go^ - it was good to finally win something. We just snuck into the points for that in eighth (Ed: points''ac§ based on qualifying efforts and are different from the series total).

Also, our aim was to finish in the top 10 in the championship and I was really happy we made it into ninth.

The e.t. record was probably the best thing that’s always a plus for any racer. You’re always trying to go quicker and faster and to get your name into the record books is a big deal it is for me, anyway.

MN: We hear about 40-60 Pro Modified cars consistentiy turn up at each event to try and qualify for the 16 car field.

How many of those are really a threat to win?

TC: All of them - there’s really more than 20 that could win at any time.

There’s been 16 car fields covered by less than a tenth of a second and it's just so close.

You can never predict who is going to win. Jenkins only won three meetings and won the championship - it wasn’t the domination like Cannon used to have.

Also, if you do qualify and you can’t run .450 lights, you’re not going to win anything and you’re just going to continue going home early.

MN: With Cannon gone to race nitro Funny Cars the season appeared to be better - less predictable, less controversial, tighter competition...

TC: There wasn’t that one person dominating, but the controversies were still there with the blowers versus the nitrous cars, especially with us getting the et record later in the season.

Because it is so competitive, you’ve got to be

on kill every run and running 6.2s with a Chevy is really stretching it.

We go to each meeting with four engines and it’s not unusual to swap an engine between rounds, Qualifying is probably tougher than the racing, as there’s 50-60 cars and no one wants to go home early .

MN: You’re driving for Johnny Rocca and he seems happy with his decision to step out of the seat and let you do your own thing. Is that the plan again in 2000?

TC; Yes. I’ll continue working on the car full time between events with, the other crew members, Billy and Dave, making sure we get the car to the races on time an with the right preparation.

Johnny and I have another 12 months to run on our contract, but after that I don’t really know. It’s up to Johnny and whether he wants to continue racing and investing rather than retire.

In the future, I want the whole deal, my own team whether it’s in the US or back at home.

For now. I’ll just do the best I can and try and get into the top five this year.

Whether we do it all again next year in the same situation, I don’t know.

MN; How is the reaction to an Australian racing in the US, especially with the IHRA being very much a southern-based series where the pro-USA thing is so prominent?

TC: To start with they were a little wary, but once I’d got a few laps under my belt and showed I could make the right driving decisions at the right time, I earned a lot of respect. 1 also earned a fair bit of respect with a lot of them over a lot of beers, too!

One Pro Mod racer, Quain Stott, said to me over a beer before I headed home for Christmas that he’d enjoyed racing me during the year, but it wouldn’t upset him if I didn’t come back!

? -J

i?2

28Jdnuary2000

Payday for AJ: Critchley’s 2000 campaign will be helped along by new Alan Johnson Chevy-headed engines. Initial testing has showed the new unit has a number of benefits over the previous Chev units.

(Photo by Don Gillespie)

Really, they were all good and people are still intrigued by the Australian and the native American Indian, which Johnny is, working together.

MN: VUith three people working full-time on the car, obviously there must be enough racing for the car to pay the bills and, hopefully for Johnny who’s employing you all, to make some money.

TC: We did the 11 race IHRA series and then another 12 match races so, as long as you don’t blow too much equipment up, you can get by and make some money.

You won’t become a millionaire by any means, but you can get by.

It’s a lot of work, just like when I worked with Victor; you’re married to the car.

MN: What sort of budget Is required to run in Pro Mod competitively?

TC: You won’t get any change out of US$130,000 when you build a car and then, with spares, wages, running costs, servicing, you’re going to spend US$250,000 plus without any dramas.

You’ve got to allow for being hard on the parts as there’s 50 other people you’re racing against who have a say in how successful you’re going to be at each meeting.

MN: How have you found the IHRA? With Bill Bader taking over the organisation prior to last season, they seem to have undergone a big transformation and what appears to be an incredible surge in popularity, both with spectators and sponsors.

TC: Absolutely. I’ve only been over there just over a year, but it’s just like being in a big family, like you’re at the Winternationals at Willowbank every weekend.

There’s usually between 800-1,200 competitors every weekend and Bill [Bader] talks to every one of them - he’s great for the sport and the results are showing that.

MN: What about the presence of the IHRA - Bader has organised

what appears to be a decidedly better television package for the teams for the coming season.

TC: They’ve got TNN this year, so it will be huge. In the past the coverage was good, but it was on at odd hours and it was really only drag racing fans watching it.

The NHRA seemed to have a far better presence on TV, but I’ve got no doubt that the new package will be great for us all.

MN: The better coverage also must help your programme financially and personally with your own recognition?

A Mercury at DeSoto: Critchley won two post-’99 season events in December.,the Snowbird Nationals in FJorida and another at DeSoto drag strip.

The Tin Indian: Team owner Johnny Rocca now concentrates on the vital fuel system,his decision to step out of the seat in favour of Critchley appearing to be the right one,the partnership working well.

(Riotos by Don Gillespie)

types of engines, you’re not going to have everyone happy all the time, although I should say that, even with my experience here, it still took me a year to work everything out over there... see what was really happening with the engine.

Early in the year we had to rebuild the valve train on our engine every run - it would kick it apart and we’d have the heads off, the lifters out and we’d wreck cams and valve springs... we’d tear it all up and it wasn’t fun at all. We’ve got

to the stage after working closely with Eagle Engines where the engine lives longer...

MN: Is Pro Mod still the attraction for IHRA as opposed to its Top-Fuel class?

TC: Yeah, 1 think so, but the nitro cars are always a big attraction whereever you go.

The IHRA’s Top Fuel is similar to Australia’s, with

MN: Do you consider yourself a chance?

TC: I think so. If I can get myself together, get my reactions better, then who knows? My reactions depend on the clutch and also my moods. As I said earlier, if you can’t run .450

We ran 226.4 mph but we need to stej^it up to catch Victor 232.1 reckon I could do it once butFd have to scrape the engine offthe track afterwards

MN: What’s happened with the controversies of Pro Mod,the nitrous versus blower car problems of the past? It seems to have died down a little, watching from Australia...

TC: You’re always going to have arguing, just like we did here in Australia when the screw-type superchargers were allowed in and the overdrive arguments happened.

When you’re running two

most of the IHRA guys having similar budgets to here.

There’s one guy over there, Bobby Lagana, who takes his Top Fuel car to the track on the back of a ramp truck. You should see it, here’s this fueller coming up the road with the front stuck way up in the air! The team sleeps under the back of the truck, but they just want to go Top Fuel racing.

Bobby’s a really nice guy and he does great with what he’s got.

MN: Do you miss being at home in Australia much?

TC: Oh yeah, absolutely. there’s really no place like home. I get Motorsport News sent to home and I see the photos of Willowbank and I get homesick.

I talk to Victor and Murray Anderson a fair bit, along with my family and friends, so that helps a lot.

But, I really want to race for the championship this year, so I’ve got to put afair amount of that homesickness out of my rnind and get on with the job.

u

TC: I think it’s going to be great. The IHRA’s doing some great things and we’re going to get some fabulous coverage. Even the alcohol Funny Car guys will get great coverage, far better than the NHRA guys and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of them heading over to the IHRA to race simply because they’ll have a great TV package to offer sponsors.

It’s all going to encourage more sponsors and, because Pro Modified is unique to IHRA, it’s especially going to be great for our team and the category - especially with some more controversy!

Wouldn’t that make for some great viewing.

31

lights you’re not going to win. I have to get better, practice and, if we can keep the hot rod together...

We tested ogr new Alan Johnson engine before Christmas and it was. promising. It has better valve train geometry and seems to stay together better with less maintenance. The first full run it ran 6.26/222, then it ran 6.26/224.

We also ran a 226.4 legal Pro Mod run, but we need to step it up to catch Victor’s 232. 1 reckon I could do it once, but I’d have to scrap the engine off the track afterwards!

MN: Good luck- you’ve gotThe chance to create a fair amount of history if you do actually win the title.

TC: Thanks. I’m pretty mindful of the job that I’ve got to do and what it could actually mean to everyone, both in the US and here.

I love racing at home and I love racing in the US. It’s been great to see the Cowins, the Russos and the Harkers doing what they’ve been doing and, hopefully, we can all create our own bits of history.

We’ll have it hotted up to win and we will if we can...

Those were the days: Critchley’s driving career began at the wheel of Victor Bray’s Castrol Customline in 1996.(Brisbane Motorsport photography)

32 28Jmdry2000 ■ TheNHRAhas launched its first ever national advertising campaign, the multi million campaign aimed at building awareness to the sport in the US and driving up viewership numbers of their telecasts.

Titled "We Have Ignition", the campaign will run nationwide in the US in print and broadcast, the series of advertisements highlighting the speed, personalities, performances and racing ofthe Winston Drag Racing Series.

Q Dual Australian Top Fuel Champion Glenn Mikres will drive Louie Cavalieri’s Top Fuel dragster in IHRA competition this year. At this stage, Mikres is unsure whether the team will run the entire season or selected events.

■ Alan Pittman,former crew chieffor Scotty Cannon, will drive Ken Westbrook’s ’41 Willys in IHRA Pro Mod this year.

Pittman runs CP Rade Cars in partnership with Cannon, constructing ^ identical Pro Mod chassis to the revolutionary swing-arm Studebaker that Australian Muiray Anderson built for Cannon in 1998. Pittman will run the entire IHRA tour-.

■ The 15-year-old son of four-time International Drag Bike Association champion Scott Grigaliimas and his wife Becky was last week charged with his parents murder.

The couple were found shot dead in their Ohio home last October, their son Brandon at school at the time of their discovery.

Grigaliunas won four IDBA titles, two of those last year in separate categories, and he was twice voted rider of the year by the association’s 1,500 members.

'VU(A

Harker destroys alky flopper Australian season finished and US schedule now brought forward for Queenslander Report by STEVEN WHITE GARY Phillips and Sam Scerri took the early points leads with convincing wins in the first round of the Top Alcohol and Pro Stock senes in Adelaide on January 15, but it was the accident of alcohol Funny Car star Steve Harker that made all the news.

Harker, fresh from his suc cessful racing trip to the US where he made the final round of the NHRA's Memphis national event, crashed in spectacular fash ion in qualifying - the acci dent totally destroying his Harker Transport/Spectra Thermo King Dodge Avenger.

After suffering severe tyre shake Harker's car turned hard right, crossed the track and slammed into the con crete barriers.

Harker was transported to hospital but later released, his car suffering a far worse fate.

"I'm not quite sure why it turned right so hard, but I tried to bring it back and that's why it hit the wall side-on," Harker said later.

"The chassis and body are write-offs, so we'll just have to go home and re-evaluate what we'll do. That's it for us here for the year and we'll now just work out when we start our US season - it'll probably be at the Winternationals next month now instead of May." The US Jet Dragsters of Chuck Haynes and Leland Blee were the feature of the night and the were as popu lar as always.

The jets'-all weren't just show either, plenty of go from each producing three great runs - Haynes win ning on the night with a 5.70/274 best.

"It's great to be back in Australia and putting on a show for all the fans," Haynes, who is touring Australia for the fourth time,-

said. "I don't know who gets Defending series champion a bigger thrill out of this - Jason Lee defeated Maurice the fans who get to see a Allen in the first round, great show, or Leland and although a broken crank myself who get to drive the ended his night early.

Mick Utting continued his car and then get to meet the in season fans afterwards." amazing Mark Brew led the Top Competition Eliminator, Alcohol field after qualifying, with partner Reg Lee reach the former Steve Read digger ing another final and, yes, running a stout 5.831 to winning again.

Local Paul Greghini head Gary Phillips in second opposed Utting with his blown and Wayne Newby.

Newby burst a blower Statesman but, after high six panel in the first round, but second passes earlier in the Phillips and Brew advanced day, an off-pace 7.20/197 was to the final round - Brew enough to catch Utting.

Super Stock was again red having won the semi-final hot, more red than hot with a with the low elapsed time of spate of red lights left on the the event and a personal tree by.over anxious drivers. best, 5.79/239.

Joe Ceravolo top qualified In the final Phillips' Lucas in the Ceravolo Brothers Oils Products dragster was C/MS but Bob Sherry and never headed after taking a Brendan Donaldson made holeshot advantage at the the final - another red light, start, taking the win with a this time by Donaldson, giv 5.84/240 over Brew's 5.94/234. ing the win to the former Top "^We came here with a job Fuel pilot. to do and it was accom Three of Sherry's wins in plished," Phillips said after the four rounds came from the win. "You need consisten opponents red lighting, his cy to win races and, despite second round win coming us not being quickest on the courtesy of a bye! day, we did what we had to Other winners on the do to win." night were Geoff Dell in Scerri dominated the Pro Modified, Paul Cocker in Bike field, top qualifying Super Sedan, Dale Clothier with a 7.78 aboard Trevor (Supercharged Outlaws), Bin-ell's Suzuki and advanc George Tipouikidis (Super ing to the final where he Street), Terry Emery downed Pro Stock Motorcycle (Modified Bike), Pat Carbone debutante Chris Godeassi (Super Gas) and Bradley 7.78/172 to 7.97/161.

Allen (Junior Dragster). 't ; . ii^’^ a-.

i Adelaid r Bar-b-que: American Chuck Haynes thrilled the large crowd with his flame-throwing Jet Dragster.

The story remains the same: Seven-time Australian Champion Gary Phillips took the opening points in Adelaide.

(Photos by Steven White)

■ Renowned Chev small block engine builder John Lingenfelter will wheel a Summit Racingbacked GMC Sonoma pick-up in the NHRA’s Pro Stock class this year, switching from Chevy’s S10. Lingenfelter finished second in the points in ’98, but had a disappointing year last year with a 12th placed finish.

- GERALD MCDORNAN /DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

Coonan crashes Willowbank rainout brings disaster THE rain at Willowbank on January 15 unfortunately didn’t come soon enough for Top Comp racer Tom Coonan with the Queenslander destroying his blown Ford LTD doorsiammer in a wild accident that sent 180 mph racer over the concrete safety barriers.

Coonan was knocked unconcious in the incident but sustained no serious injuries. The car is a com plete write-off.

(Photos by Brisbane Wlotorsport Photography)

Phillips again Seven-time champion wins at Calder; event doesn't finish Report by GERALD McDORNAN GARY Phillips continued with his domination of the Aus-tralian Top Alcohol Championship, taking the second round of the series at Calder Park Raceway in Melbourne on Saturday night.

Like in Adelaide the previ ous week, Phillips’s perfor mance advantages of the past were challenged with Mark Brew again setting low elapsed time and top speed of the meet but the seven-time champion again crossed the finishline first in the final and lit the win light.

“Mark’s been coming on strong but you still have to light that win light,” Phillips said after the event.

“Thankfully we’ve had the numbers and luck when we need it and the Lucas Oil Products dragster continues to be consistent. That’s what’s needed to win races.”

Brew has teamed with Romac’s Bob Brackham and utilising Brackham’s hemi engine along with Steve Read’s Meyer-built chassis.

Defending Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion Jason Lee rebounding from a crankshaft-breaking first round win in Adelaide the previous week by taking the

title in Melbourne aboard Dale Gilbert’s D&D Industries Suzuki, Lee defeating Paul Andrews’s Motorsport Trailers Suzuki.

Adelaide winner Sam Scerri red-lighted in the first round.

For the second time in three events at Calder Park this season, the event failed to run to completion with most brackets left hanging with quarter-finals or semi finals still to run...

Highlights of the uncom pleted portion of the event included Peter Kapiris’s string of low 6.4/high 6.3 sec ond passes in the Kapiris Brothers Top Doorsiammer' Studebaker, Kapiris also running over 220 mph for the first time, and a string of sub-index and record passes in both Comp and Super Stock.

Melbourne Super Stock racer Nick Xerakis recorded the quickest ever G/Gas pass in the country, running an 8.52 in the Northern Dynamics/Dominator Ford Probe while defeating top qualifier Les Heintz.

Xerakis and A/MS runner Wayne Robson were highly favoured to take out the Andrew Rowe Memorial race although Athol Burns, run ning his and partner Shane Cable’s A/MS Camaro, also bombed the class index.

1999/200© ANDRA AUSTRALIAN DRAG RACING SiRliS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS Austrulian Top Fuel Scries 185 1 Darren DiFillippo Redback Performance Exhausts/Hadman

2 Rachdle Splatt

130

3 Jim Read

,125

■Valvoiine Cummins/Hansen

. .Gregory's Automotive Publications/Uychara

4 Steve Read

.100

.Santo’s Crancs/Hi-Tec Oils/McKinney

5 Robin Kirby

100 .Pemuoil/VDO/Swindahl

Austrulian Top Doorsiammer Series 1 Dave Koop,Koop Dc Ville ...190 2 Victor Bray, Castrol Chevy ...178 3 David Sunpson.Simpson Racing ..158 4 Robin Judd,Studebaker Racing .120 5 Les Whiter,Winter Smash Repaire ..100 6 Peter Kapiris, Kapiris Bros. ...100 7 Andrew Searle,ACME Fglass ...100 8 Marcus Chambers ,80 ,60 9 Brett Stevens, Jack Daniels lOBen Gatt,Super Flow Heads .. .40

Australian Top Alcohol Series .200 1 Gary Phillips, QLD . .

180 2 MaikBicw.QLD 1 20 3 Dean Oakey, NSW .. .80 4 Frank Intini. SA .... .80 5 Tom Easton, VIC ... .60 6 Matthew Featon, VIC .40 7 Wayne Newby,NSW .. .40 8 Steve Harker,QLD ... .40 9 Steven Reed,QLD ..

.Australian Pro-Stock Bike Series 1 Jason Lee,SA 170 150 2 Sam Scerri, S.A ....

3 Paul Andrews. VIC . ,140 4 Chris Godeassi. VIC 140 .100 5 David Hinds,SA ... ,80 6 Maurice Allen. QLD .60 7 Neville Langley,SA .40 8 Angelo Ganitis, VIC .40 9 Colin Linney, NSW .40 10 Brian Lennon, VIC .

28 January 2000

33

Dodge’s bold new world Intrepid stockcar unveiled to world at Detroit Motor Show

Surely,it couldn’t be oil surge problems: Dodge’s Intrepid stockcar had a smokey unveiling.(DaiinicrChrjr.sicr)

has unveiled its

Evernham said.

“The Intrepid’s dramatic roofline and stockcar, the flagship of shortened rear deck the company’s return to Winston Cup racing after make for a very sleek a 15 year absence. profile. More important The Evernham Motorto racing, however, it sports-built flame red gives us a low Intrepid was unveiled at coefficient of drag that’s the North American Inter on par with the most national Auto Show in aerodynamic production cars in the world. It’s as Detroit last week, its design specifics being if the Intrepid was bom to race.” clearly met.

While the racecar is “The car, we’re proud slightly narrower than to say, will clearly be the production car (five recognized as a Dodge centimetres), the rules Intrepid,” said Ray have allowed the racing Evernham,the former Jeff Gordon crew chief version to be lengthed in the body by 12.5 cm.The who, along with Richard wheelbase has been Petty, will spearhead . shortened, along with Dodge’s stockcar the roof height. campaign.

The company is “It maintains the bold currently undertaking Dodge design while development of an alladhering to NASCAR’s new 358 cubic inch strict sheetmetal engine, although its guidelines.” power potential, as with Evernham believes the car’s aerodynamic the car is extremely potential, will be closely Suitable for Winston Cup plotted by NASCAR. racing.

On-track testing is Even before we set expected to begin in out to design the race March with the final body car we had a lot going design hoped to be for us because the finalised by April for design of the Intrepid NASCAR’s approval production car is very soon after. conducive to NASCAR - GERALD MCDORNAN Winston Cup racing,”

Dodge new Intrepid I R/T

in its raw, untested state, has been unveiled, the com GERALD McDORNAN DAIMLERCHRYSLER pany is yet to show its mechanical wares with has signalled that it has Wildberger saying that an serious intentions of being entirely new 358 cubic inch just more than competi engine is in the process of tive on the Dodge brand’s being designed, the company return to Winston Cup electing not to use a spin-off of its Craftsman Truck racing in 2001.

While unveiling the first Series powerplant.

Intrepid stock car, built by Evernham and company former Jeff Gordon crew engineers are already testing chief Ray Evernham, Dodge’s third-scale clay models of the Motorsport Director, Bob Intrepid in a fixed-groundWildberger, indicated that it plane wind tunnel at the would field three multi-car Chrysler Technical Centre in teams in the series - Michigan, one baseline test Evernham’s two-car opera of the basic sha,pe of the car tion expected to be joined by having already be^ complet Richard Petty’s three-car ed, with the first full-scale team along with another, test with a steel car now yet-to-be-revealed operation being set for mid-February.

“NASCAR has assigned a - along with up to four single task force to monitor the car teams.

Sources from within Dodge approval process: somebody on the engine side and some say the company has com mitted up to US$50 million body on the aero side,” to fully support its return to Evernham said last week Winston Cup following a 15- - NASCAR concerned about parity between the manufac year hiatus from the sport.

Evernham’s operation will turers.

“NASCAR will be involved perform all of the initial development work with both with some of our wind tunnel the designated Intrepid tests and some of our track model and the 5.7 Mtre, cant- tests for the duration of the ed-valve engine for Dodge, programme.”

Dodge’s participation in with Evernham having the series comes back to one already secured an experi enced staff currently main factor and that is to totalling 12 to undertake the shift new cars from the showroom floors so retention work.

Evernham already has a of the Intrepid model’s iden chassis and research and tity is extremely important development shop up and to the company and running with former Evernham is aware of that.

“We’re trying to build the Hendrick Motorsports mem ber Butch Lameroux acting best car we can within the as manager while Bill Dees, NASCAR rules and yet keep another former associate of it looking like a Dodge Evernham at Hendrick’s, is Intrepid.

“It’s very important to lead fabricator at the facility.

Plans call for a 42,000 Dodge and to the Dodge deal square feet race shop to ers that people who see the begin construction in the car on the racetrack see that next few months. it’s a Dodge Intrepid. We’re Also included amongst the trying to retain certain dis staff is chief engine builder tinguishing features and characteristics of the nose Ron Vicarro, the man respon sible for Alan Kulwicki’s and the rear.” championship powerplants With the company’s in 1992. Vicarro has worked design ideals in place, the for various teams and engine current plan calls for builders in Winston Cup, the Evernham to present the last four years with engine- completed race design of the guru Ernie Elliott.

Intrepid to NASCAR for While the Intrepid model. approval mid-year, the

Ram home the advantage; Dodge’s commitment to its Winston Cup return in 2001 is serious if the unveiling of its Intrepid stock car one year early is any indication. Already the company is testing scale versions in the wind tunnel and they will begin on track testing in March. Once approved, Ray Evernham’s team will begin construction of 28 race cars (yep, 28!), with each driver having 14 cars at his disposal!

shape being finalised after track-testing at Atlanta has been completed.

NASCAR will undertake its own wind tunnel testing of Dodge’s final car and, pro vided the numbers compare favourably with the Fords, Chevys and Pontiacs, the sanctioning body will make the final body templates and approve the car for racing.

Evernham sees NASCAR’s approval as just the begin ning for his team and Dodge with the company having a plan to reach the top in the extremely competitive series.

“All I can say is that we plan to be competitive, and we plan to get better every week,” he said. “When I began work on the #24 car with Jeff Gordon, we had a plan to try win a champi onship within five years.

With the Dodge team, we’ll work to get competitive and then worry about winning.”

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34

A

28 January 2000

Looking good for Y2K Closer competition and challengers aplentyfor the Old Guard Y2K WINSTON CUP PREVIEW THE year 2000 in Winston Cup competition holds the promise of being the most competitive for many years, with a good crop of veteran drivers and a sophomore in Tony Stewart to battle for the series title and the recently announced US$10 mil lion points fund.

An increasing number of new teams and drivers from open wheel divisions is now competing in the USA’s most prominent form of motor sport.

This year’s rookie crop is probably the most talented in many years from the Busch Series comes twice champ Dale Earnhardt Jr, driving for his father and an equally impres sive Matt Kenseth in a Roush Taurus, along with Jeff Fuller.

Scott Pruett from the CART ranks will pilot the Cal Wells Tide ride and Robby Gordon is back from CART in a self-owned Ford team.

Woild of Outlaws Sprintcar star Dave Blaney, who has completed two improving years in Busch com petition, is to team up with Ward Burton and Mike Bliss driving for AJ Foyt Pontiac - Bliss is from the NASCAR Truck series and formerly raced USAC Sprinters.

There weren’t too many rule changes in 1999, but no-one really knows how the new Taurus and Monte Carlo will perform and whether NASCAR will have to mandate any aerodynamic penal ties to Pontiac in the wake of their late ’99 season charge.

One thing is for certain, though, if either marque has an advantage, you can expect Gary Nelson to make spoiler changes to level the playing field.

2000 will be Darrell Waltrip’s last in his Victory Tour and NASCAR fans would love to see the

Jeff Burton’s #99 Roush Exide Ford Taurus and Kenny Wallace’s #55 Petree Square D Chevy Monte Carlo. elder statesman take a trip to victo ry lane - but come on, Darrell, even Yates engines can’t perform mira cles.

Waltrip will also have a new crew chief, his fifth in a year; “I want to win,” Waltrip said recently. “That’s what it’s all about”- no kidding!

I think we can still look to the usual top guns in the series to bat tle for the championship, the list including Jarrett, Martin, Earnhardt, Gordon, Stewart, both the Labontes and both the Burtons.

With Terry getting back his crew chief and friend Gary DeHart and Ward getting a team-mate in Dave Blaney, you can look for things to improve for both drivers. Ward especially.

Stewart will win more than three and the recent re-up of his contract has the Gibbs organisation really pumped.

Gordon and Jarrett have new pit members, something that could improve Jarrett’s pit efforts and hinder Gordon’s - not!

Handsome: Valvoline Ford Taurus of Mark Martin. (Martin o ciark pics) Robbie Loomis, as Gordon’s new chief, can only help his short track performances, something that has not been up to par by Gordon’s standards.

And don’t rule out Jarrett’s new Yates stable-mate, veteran Ricky Rudd - expect more than one win and a run at the top three in points from the likeable Virginian.

Never count out Dale Earnhardt and Mark Martin - their back prob¬

J Multiple Champion; Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick DuPont Monte Carlo is a definite title contender. (Martin o ciark) Podium return: #5 Hendrick Monte Carlo of Terry Labonte (right) will again threaten in 2000 season, while Kyle Petty will have to prove him self in the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac Grand Prix. (Martin d ciark pics)

lems are now behind them - as, although they are older than the newer breed of nineties driver, occasionally that experience helps; both legends think they have a good 2000 ahead of them, but expect Martin to perform the better of the two.

Rusty Wallace has had a lean two years, with only two wins in that time, but he and Penske team mate Jeremy Mayfield are now communicating again, so maybe things will improve - but don’t be surprised if Mayfield is the stronger horse.

One thing is for certain, with this many drivers having a stab at the full schedule, you can expect some wellknown names to go home on a regular basis - the likes of Pruett may be okay at Daytona, but what about race two at Rockingham, or in March at the Bristol bull ring?

There will be some disappointed drivers, owners and, more impor tantly, sponsors come mid-season so look for the silly season to start early and, with more money on the line, you can be sure that the poli tics will begin before the Daytona 500 flag drops on February 20.

- MARTIN D CLARK

■ Bruton Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports that start ed it’s racing empire with the Charlotte and Atlanta Motor Speedways, has hit out at NASCAR. “One word covers it all ... greed,” said Smith recently - he also added that NASCAR is cloning the drivers.

“Personalities will build any sport; you have to have it. You need somebody who can talk to you and give you a comment worth printing, not a driver who can’t tell you this, or that, because he’s afraid he can’t get through inspection - let him say whatever he wants to say.”

Smith has in the past talked of starting his own series to com pete with NASCAR and, with six Winston Cup tracks under his wing, he could do it.

He also wants to see the series spht in two -“my suggestion didn’t go over too well,” he said. “I think we could have an American and national league -that would be a giant step.”

Humpy Wheeler,the president of Lowes Motor Speedway, Charlotte, also made it known how concerned he was about the lack of competition in Winston Cup racing.

Smith is also still expecting a second date for his Texas track, “m never give up hope on that, because it’s been promised and, when someone makes a promise, you expect that to be fulfilled,” he stated.

Smith cites that when he bought North Wilkesboro speed way for one date at his Texas facility, it was not the race NASCAR had promised him.

■ Ford teams completed their winter testing at Daytona on January 21 and rookie Stacy Compton- driving a Melling Ford with Ernie Elliott power was the fastest ofthe blue oval brigade at 187.911 mph.

That speed compares with Sterling Marlin, the fastest Chevrolet earher in the week at 187.153 mph.

Ricky Rudd and Scott Pruett, both with Yates engines were sec ond and third at 187.699 and 187.465, respectively, followed by Bill Elhott with the flu, Robert Pressley and Dale Jarrett at 186.966 mph.

Darrell Waltrip, also with a Yates powerplant, posted tenth, but Rusty Wallace could only muster 186.227 around the two and a half mile super speedway.

“We haven’t won anything for so long that winning practice is a great accomplishment,” said Waltrip, following a session of drafting in which he was the fastest on the track.

He also commented on the shock rule, saying the drivers that are complaining about the new rule are the ones that had a bag of tricks.

“This gives the poor boys a chance to get up there and be competitive,” he stated.

■ Starting in 2001,rookie drivers will be able to enter seven races in one year and still be ehgible to run for rookie ofthe year during another season.

28 Jdnudry 2000

35

lasoski heads USA retold Classit entry THE international profile of the 28th Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic is soaring, following a record numher of American entries for this year’s January 29-30 event at Warmambool’s

Time out: Donny Schatz gave his Bunbury Toyota Parker Stores Maxim a belting in the heats.(John Morris)

Brooke's WSS Title Schatz wins PCR’s WSS Grand Final DONNY Schatz brought about an end to a barren winless streak of 10 races when he led all 30 laps of the World Series Sprintcars Grand Final at Parramatta City Raceway on January 22.

Having set an unprecedented streak of six consecutive wins to start the 17-round series, Schatz had only one other podium (runnerup at Horsham’s Blue Ribbon Raceway)imtil the PGR victory.

“Well, we finally won another one,” exclaimed the obviously relieved 22 year-old Outlaws ace.

“We’ve had our bad luck, domi nated some races and given Brooke (Tatnell)four wins. It is time for me to pick my tempo up before going home.”

Having opened the night setting fast time, Schatz crashed hard in his first heat, his Bunbury Toyota Parker Stores Maxim needing immediate surgery to replace “the rear-end, torsion arms, shock absorbers, torque tube, driveline, top wing and right rear wheel!”

When highest qualifier Kerry Madsen drew a six to invert the Dash field, Schatz started outside the front row and sped to victory to set up his feature win.

Schatz and outgoing WSS cham-

pion Skip Jackson led newlycrowned titleholder Tatnell away from the start and the trio ran a closely fought non-stop 30-lap race in front of a huge audience.

Such was the pace of the event, Schatz slashed 16 seconds from the previous Garry Brazier record.

Jackson had one fleeting moment ahead of his American rival, tem porarily putting his PennzoilSkilled Jackson past while negoti ating lapped traffic at mid-race however, this seemed to spur on Schatz.

“I thought I had a shot at Doimy, but I didn’t,quite pull it off in turn 3,” said Skip.

“I’m disappointed I didn’t win, but with the ups and downs we’ve had this season I’ll settle for sec ond. I’m not disillusioned, as we’re running pretty good and everyone on this team is giving it 100 per cent effort.”

Tatnell tried repeatedly to come to terms with the duo ahead, but, with 10 laps remaining, admitted, “I ran ,out of tear-offs trying to get around Skip. I backed off to try and get a run at him, but wasted my opportunity. I don’t want to be greedy!”

Madsen’s Motor Up Grizzly was tantalisingly close to the trio ahead.

but was also unable to offer a challenge.

“We were chasing the track all night and weren’t very good, anyway,” Kerry said. “The full six inversion hurt, but, consid ering those ahead of us, we all seemed to be set up loose over the bumps.”

Max Dumesny worked his Valvoline J&J up from 10th start ing position to fifth, pronouncing “the car was nice - pretty good, in fact. I got caught up in the midfield ruck and, by the time I passed them and got up top on the highfine, I had left my run too late. The race went so fast I couldn’t believe it when the fireworks went off to signify the end of the 30 laps.”

A-Feature results : 1 Schatz, 2 Jackson, 3 Tatnell, 4 Madsen, 5 Dumesny, 6 Garry Rush, 7 Peter Murphy, 8 Danny Smith, 9 Drew Kruck, 10 Phil Gressman, 11 Steven Graham, 12 John Shore, 13 Mark Blyton, 14 Mick Turner, 15 Brad Heywood, 16 Kelly Linigen.

WSS pointscore (after 17 rounds): 1 Tatnell 12840, 2 Schatz 10350, 3 Jackson 8705, 4 Dumesny 8270, 5 Brazier 5000, 6 Andrew Scheuerle 4420, 7 Kruck 4235, 8 Darren Jensen 3935, 9 Nathan MacDonald 3880,10 Trevor Green 3680.

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Premier Speedway Club manager Graeme Hose announced eight US drivers were confirmed starters for the race, with the “very strong pos sibility” of another two lodging late entries - previously, the biggest number of Americans to ever con test the two-day event was four.

There have been 58 entries already received for the prestigious event, but Hose believed the num ber would swell beyond last year’s record of66 by race day.

“I’m absolutley rapt with the response to this year’s race from the American drivers and -it just goes to show the importance they place on the classic... it’s really great for us as a club,” Hose said.

The US drivers are expected to attract a larger crowd than the 12,000 spectators which attended last year’s two-day event.

This year’s stars and stripes con tingent will consist of Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz, Randy Hannagan, Danny Smith, Chad Kemenah, Bill Bailey, Brad Furr and Cris Eash.

Not to he forgotten are the Australians, who will be led by the newly-crowned World Series Sprintcars Champion and last year’s Grand Annual Classic win ner, Brooke Tatnell.

Other notable Aussies to enter include Garry Brazier, Kerry Madsen, Skip Jackson, Max Dumesny, Phil March, Trevor Green, Robert Farr, Dean McComb, Drew Kruck and Todd Wanless.

Australian-American rivalries run deep in Classic history, with US drivers winning 10 of the 27 finals decided - but no American has finished on the podium since 1996.

Danny Smith, who has won the event six times, is the most success ful American in the race - compa triots Jimmy Sills (1978), Jac Haudenschild (1981, ’82) and Jack Hewitt(1991)have also triumphed.

- GEOFF ROUNDS

Another mn^ opgr at

§

Chippindall makes the SRA R^siei DE JA VU - that was the feeling at the conclusion of round foi^j of the SRA Hoosier Series at Western Auto Rpeway'ofi-January; 22 when David Mureott,. Chad' Kementdi andf Gariy’“Chip,pi^ls^i once again stood atop the victory dais at theinoncihsieh hf.the! non-stop 20-lap Sprintcar feature event. ' j The difference this time was that Kemenah, from Ohio' had staifted j from pole alongside Murcott, instead of being forced to drive a different \ car and qualify out ofthe B-Main. !

Mm-cott and Kemenah put on a thriling race, with Murcott leading all i but one portion of the event when Kemenah ranged alongside- to momeni-j! tarily take the lead down the back straight.

■ yj Lapped traffic was the influencing factor on the outcome and'the size j of the victory, the gap between the two depending on \vho got the better J mm - in the end, it was Murcott who got a break when a lappdd car slid up behind Murcott as he passed and inadvertently baulked Kemenah, ● ^BRETT SWANSDN who actually clipped the slower car.

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sM

28 January 2000

a

Wins again ADELAIDE teenage driving sensation Luke Dillon has continued to impress after sweeping to the lead of the national Tucker Time Formida 500 Series after the recent rounds at Warrnambool and Bacchus Marsh.

The 18 year-oM has dominated the last two rounds of racing at Western Auto.Raceway and Premier Speedway to hold a slender four point lead iU'the national series.

Billon, driving the successful Kenser-built chassis powered by a Rotax engine, placed first at both these venues and won from Western Australian champion Brad Chapman.

Dillon on 196 points leads from Trevor Harding (192), Kane Cruse (180), Barryl Willsher (158), Ken Sartori (129)^ Brad Chapman (123), Michael Wise fl0!7), Ian Burrows (102), Viv Rockliff (101), Lindsay Trotte]^(98■), John Pearson (67)i Damian Lee (38), Paul McDonough (36).

Darren Mollenoyux (33).

The next rounds of the series will be held at Newcastle (Feb 26), Gouibum iFeb 2f)i Hamilton (Mar 11) and Horsham (Mar 12).

Drivers and their crews will then converge on Newcastle Speedway for the running of the 2000 Australian Formula 500 Championships, sched-GEOFFROUNDS uled to be held on April 21-23.

Farr flies, but Brazier brilliant in Showdown GARRY Brazier showed his continuing affinity with Adelaide’s Speedway City with a convincing win in' the grandly-named Spectacular Sprintcar Showdown on January 22 and promptly declared he would return in a fortni^t to reclaim the Australian title.

It was a commanding performance from the triple national titleholder over the 27-car entry, as he downed Californian Bfhd Furr and Sydney’s Robbie Farr in a 30-lap race that lasted half an hour - indeed, it took 15 minutes to run the opening lap.

The American pair of Furr and Randy Hannagan were in the top three time triallists, split by Brazier whose 12.49 lap was bettered marginally

by Furr with a 12.32 quick time - Darryn Maggs pulled a surprise with a brilliant 12.56 to finish fourth in timed trials.

Dave McFadden and Hannagan were victims of separate rollovers, Hannagan’s being a particularly vicious dump in his second heat.

He tangled with South Australia’s Darryl Wright and rolled heavily six times, tearing almost everything off the chassis - however, in an effort reminiscent of the Grand Annual Classic a couple of years ago, his crew performed rapid micro-surgei-y to have the Califomian remobilised in time for the feature.

- DAVID McNABB

Graham Lehmann and his peers thrilled the Archerfieid crowd. ! (Tony Loxley pi i

ujyinin*

THE inaugural All Star Super Sedan Series moved into top gear for round two at Archerfieid Speedway on January 3 vyith a fantastic night of racing that culminated in a stunning win by Gold Coast ace Jamie McHugh.

On a perfect racing surface that enabled passing both inside and COROWA’S Trevor Mills took out the third round of the Smith’s Trucks Victorian Modified Production Series at Rosedale Speedway.

Racing the Corowa Glass VR Commodore, Mills (currently AUS 2) figured prominently in the heats, taking a win and a second, with local drivers Darren Pottage (Wholesale Automatics) and Ashley Parkinson (Skybeam Antennas) both taking a double with two heat wins each.

Bendigo’s Paul Salau (BT Performance), who recently took out the SA Title, also scored a heat win.

takes flag WMM ¥S€t&r rjf in ms Reichstein at Riverview j

^

j

Wiltshire holds out Holtafor runner-up VICTORIA’S Leigh Adams emerged victorious with an increased series lead after win ning the feature at Round 7 of the Skilled International Speedway Masters Series at Western Auto Raceway on January 14.

It was an historically significant win, as it was the first time that the 500cc bikes had run on the daunting Bacchus Marsh circuit.

Adams left Victoria bound for South Australia with a 19-point lead over “Bullet” Billy Hamill, having gained seven more points than the American, who could only manage fifth in the final.

It was a good night for the Aussies, with Todd Wiltshire scor ing second, ahead of Rune Holta, BFinal winner Antonin Svab, Hamill and Sam Ermolenko.

Adams had started from gate one when top qualifier Norwegian Holta elected to start from gate two Adams and Wiltshire had both been tied for second place and couldn’t be split on a countback, so the toss of a coin obliged Adams to take second choice in starting gates.

Wiltshire elected to start from the extreme outside (gate six), Ennolenko, Hamill and Svab start ing from gates three to five, respec tively.

“I got some grip out of gate one and made a fantastic start,” Adams stated later - and that, in a nut shell, was it.

Adams’ great start saw him lead the pack into turn 1 and he was never headed, Wiltshire sweeping

around the outside to take up posi tion behind Holta.

Adams proceeded to pull away as Holta and Wiltshire battled for sec ond, the Aussie eventually getting the upper hand.

Svab had been something of a surprise, having won. the B-Final from Nigel Sadler, Travis McGowan, Steve Johnstone and Slovenian Matej Feijan.

The sole Czech rider in the field looked right at home on the huge track, something which he wasn’t expected to do, considering his lack of experience on tracks of this size.

The biggest disappointments of the night were the English pair of Joe Screen and Andy Smith.

Screen battled through his first two heats with a hand injuiy before withdrawing, while Smith was sadly out of form, finishing last in the C-Final, which was won by Brett Woodifield from Ronnie Corry and Kevin Doolan.

Holta had top qualified with 19 points from three heat wins and a third, while Adams and Wiltshire both had two wins and two seconds - Hamill scored two heat wins and Johnstone, Svab and Ermolenko scored single heat wins.

■ The supporting Sidecar “demonstrations” were the domain of the Rick Wason/Glen Walsh out fit, which won every, race fairly .con vincingly.

Bill King and Chris Ewen were second inall events but one, where positions were swapped with the Matt CrudwelVRon Curren team.

-BRETT SWANSON

THE large crowd of nearly 6000 fans that crammed into the new-look Riverview Speedway at Murray Bridge for Round 12 of World Series Sprintcars were treated to a full-on support pro gram of Super Sedans and V6 Mitsubishi Sprints.

Newly crowned Tri-City Sedan champion Steve Vaughan was among the 14 sedan nominations, but he had to eat the dust of Steve Murphy, Andrew Keen and Bill Miller in heat 1.

This trio was set to share the honours in heat 2, until an eightcar pile-up decimated the field.

Miller eventually won the restart from Mui-phy and Gil Worthley.

Nine survivors contested the feature, with Murray Bridge regular Noel Reichstein taking the flag, ahead of Steve Johnson, Miller and Murphy.

Fifteen V6 Sprints fought out two hectic heats and a feature, the entries including lady driver Jamie Jenkins from Bordertown.

The Agars brothers, Steve and Scott, controlled the opening race, finishing in race record time ahead of Mike Buxallen, who snatched third place on the final lap.

Adam Baines in the Max Monk racecar was among the entries in heat 2, but a disintegrating wing forced the youngster infield.

Craig Forrester won from Ben Wiese and Steve Agars, while Forrester continued his impressive form to claim the feature, ahead of Agars, Craig van der Steldt and 79 year-old Dud Lambert.

-DAVID McNABB

out, the 30-lap event featured plen ty of positional changes through the field and produced a fabulous spec tacle for the big crowd. , Starting from the outside front row, McHugh took his ,Miami Smash Repairs Camaro'straight to the front and set a blistering pace to clear away from his rivals and establish a half-lap lead.

The action back in the pack was

very intense, with John Leslight (American Truck Parts Camaro) and Nick Girdlestone (Bandag Monte Carlo) charging through the field to claim the remaining podium positions.

Lismore’s Paul O’Neill dominated qualifying, but then fell victim to the format before salvaging a fourth place finish ahead of Mick Doblo.

- CHRIS METCALF

Mod Prod Mills tops Pottage at Rosedale

There were 18 starters-in the 25lap feature, Parkinson the top pointscorer and Pottage on outside pole, with Mills in third and Salau fourth.

When the green flag fell, Parkinson and Pottage were racing for the lead, with Salau taking over third.

Two laps in, Mills, who was hold ing down fourth, made a forceful inside pass on Salau for third.

Salau backed out to give Mills room, but a kiss from behind speared Salau’s Commodore down the track in front of the field, trig gering a caution.

When racing resumed, Parkinson and Pottage led the field away, the two leapfrogging for the lead over the next 10 laps. Mills following a cautious distance behind.

At just over half race distance, Parkinson pulled infield, a loose battery lead shorting the exhaust

system and showering the track with sparks - this gave Pottage a three car-length lead over Mills.

Meanwhile, Salau was making a charge from the rear, taking over fourth before working on Darren CockeriU in third.

Mills started closing in on Pottage, the two engaging in a dog fight for the lead. Mills holding down the front position with two laps remaining.

Pottage, mounting a last gasp effort on the final lap, stalled the VK Commodore, wasting precious seconds getting the engine restart ed, but still managing to cross the line in fi’ont of Salau.

Mills took the win from Pottage, with Salau third, followed by CockeriU and Laidlaw - the win ' was Mills’ second of the three rounds run so far.

The next round is at WAR on - SUE HOBSON February 5.

Speedweek gold for Hannagan & Krikke

AMERICAN driver Randy Hannagan took the lead after the first tv70 rounds of the USA V 'WA Sprintcar Speedweek, contested at Claremont and

Bunbury speedways on January 7-8.

Hannagan claimed round one at Claremont, ahead of fellow American driver Brad Furr and Perth’s Mike Figliomeni.

Then, on Saturday night at Bunbury City and Regional Raceway, it was home talent Ron Kiikke who took the popular win in front of a big crowd from Geraldton’s Mark Wells and Hannagan.

The results put Hannagan on top with 198 points, from Fuit on 196 and Figliomeni on 193.

Myalup’s Jamie Maiolo has enjoyed consistent runs in the first two legs to be fourth on 192, from Eaton driver Jamie Moon on 185.

They are fbllowed by Pino Priolo

185, Grant Bevan 182, Rob Holmes 178, Ron Krikke 175, Mark Wells 174, Danny Lasoski 172, Allan Nash 169, Luch Monte 164, Kevin Couzens 162, Mick Goode 150, Phil Pack 94, Ryan Farrell 93, Jeremy Warren 92, Martin Horobin 89, Wayne Russell 86 and Gavin Migro, Todd Kenworthy, Peter Sinagra and Damian Tempeiton on 75 each.

It was Krikke’s first win of the season and afterwards he com mented that he would take any win he could at the moment, after a lean start to the summer.

After Speedweek, he is only scheduled for one more show at Bunbury in the #95 Maxim chas sis, the Kj'ikke Memorial at the end of the season - this event pays tribute to his son, Darryl and nephew Jason, who were killed in a road accident on the way home from Claremont Speedway a cou ple of seasons ago.

- DARREN O’DEA

28 Jdnudry 2000

37

fi

Miach's

Racin' Jason Modified Champ RACIN’ Jason Richards took a convincing win in the Tasmanian Modified Championship on January 8 at Cranes Combined Carrick Speeedway to regain the title he had won some five years earher.

Midget Classic

Poleman Craig “Smiley” Williams, pre-race favourite and the early race leader in the 30-lap final, was eventually sidelined with a broken distributor drive as second-placed Jason McPherson was being harried

by Richards at the halfway point.

Richards put in some big laps and then took the lead and, although newcomer McPherson was able to close the gap on the Commodore of Richards, he was unable to mount a serious challenge and came home second, ahead of Marco Taurian - it was the biggest field of Modifieds to be seen this season.

- ALLAN ROAEK

US defeat in NZ SHANE Alach took out the

Vaughan takes Super Tri-City Australia’s Steve the track to cross in fifth while Vaughan has taken victory in Logue parked infield - Merchant came home sixth. the 1999/2000 Tri-City Series In the Mt Gambier 25-lap fea for Super Sedans. ture, not one lap was completed Rain prevented the Hamilton before the first restart was effected round from being run, although both the Warrnambool and Mt after a major pile-up in turn 2.

Nicola, on the outside, hooked a Gambler meetings showed some rut, spearing the Pontiac down the fast and tough racing. track and leaving no room for Vaughan, racing the Performance NIGEL SADLER,on his way to winning the South Australian Solo Techniques Pontiac, was fourth Logue, who was sideways on the track and repeatedly tee-boned as Championship for the first time at Gillman on January 7- see overall after night one, taking the report page 40.(Frank Midgley pic) feature win at Mt Gambier to take the cars piled up behind.

Extensive damage was sustained, out the series. with those towed off including Reigning Victorian Champion Peter Logue was afflicted with Logue, Gartner (damaged new diff), Murphy (flat right rear) and Nicols. problems and, unable to dial in the When racing resumed, McCarthy VICTORIA top-scored at the SA With ten laps on the board, Penrite Z28 Camaro at Modified Production Title at took up the challenge again and Warrnambool and qualifying in Nicola pulled infield (a water leak Tohner Speedway, Bordertown, began moving through the field to the cause of his retirement), cross second behind Salau when the ninth position for the feature, he after taking all three podium putting Miller to the front. become a non-finisher when he chequered flag fell - however, positions.

Vaughan moved up to challenge McCarthy was penalised two placpulled infield on the final lap.

Bendigo’s Paul Salau (Eagle Auto Miller, the two vying for the lead in Logue’s bad luck continued over ings, the Stewards deeming that, a very close, but clean, display of Exhausts) took the victory in the the second night, when he was during McCarthy’s charge to the driving, Vaughan taking over the feature after qualifying on equal front, he gained two positions by caught up in the same incident as top points with SA’s Peter Mason Gartner Dave (Casparini lead with only eight laps remainpassing under the pole line.

(Kaesler Kar Kare). ing.

Transport) in the final, Logue Although the severity of this Salau, who started from two on Final placings were Vaughan, receiving injuries which included decision was disputed - why was two broken ribs and two fractures Miller, Stewart, SA’s Greg Wilkins the grid for the 25-lap final, took McCarthy not penalised during an and Andrew Keen (Ronnoc the outside run to lead the field into in his right hand. earlier restart - no alteration was Transport), with Belk being the turn 1.

When the green flag fell in the made and the decision still held.

Mason, initially holding second, top-placed Victorian.

25-lap feature at Warrnambool, it Neil Watson (Mills Racing Wilkins crossed next, followed by began dropping back through the was SA’s Steve Stewart (West Steve Reddecliffe (M6StJ Wreckers), field, triggering a caution when he Engines) was credited with second Torrens Dyno) who led them into after completing the race, on five the first turn - Tasmanian Dave Justin Pearson, Darren Clarke spun infield and collected Paul Sheen (Sheen Automotive) and Rod cylinders, with Max Carlin (Vickery (Clarkey’s Car Carrier), Debbie Nicols (Carrick Inn Camaro) took Brady, all failing to line up for the Bros.Groundspread)in third.

Reddecliffe (Acoolah Hats) and the lead on the back straight, Mick restart.

■ Gilgandra saw the running of Gary Courtot(Daylesford Trucks).

Nicola (current AUS 3, VIC 2 and When the green,flag flew again. the NSW Modified Title on the The top placings in the series SA 1 in his new Lucas Oil Products were likewise dominated by SA, Spider McCarthy (Ron Sullivan same night, Lismore’s Jason Jolly Chev-powered Pontiac Grand Am) with overall Tri-City Series’ plac Autos) threw out the challenge to in his John Chant, Motors VS following through to take over sec Commodore taking the victory and ings being Vaughan, Stewart, Salau. ond.

Struggling for track position, second going to Bendigo’s Trevor Miller, Nicola, Nicols, Wilkins and With three laps remaining, howevpr, McCarthy turned Salau Mills, piloting the Corowa Auto leader Nicols took a low line and Robby Merchant(C&S Wear Parts Wreckers VR Commodore. and was ultimately rewarded with Corvette).

Nicola a high line pass around - SUE HOBSON - SUE HOBSON rear of field.

Micallef and Wayne Belk (Pan ■ The Production Sedan class had its first run ofthe Abrasives Dodge), who were having ■ The West Australian Junior Sedan State Title mn their own race. season at Claremont Speedway recently and put on a recently at Albany Speedway is still being decided, as Nicola took the lead as they came very good show with 16 cai's. The star ofthe night was first placegetter Veronica McCann was disqualified into turn 1, Nicols continuing to to Gary Sutton, who broke a left front tie-rod end with due to engine irregularities detected by officials at the challenge until they greeted the event. three laps to go in the feature and continued on to win chequered flag.

McCann won all three of her heats and started on with the wheel flapping in the breeze.

Unfortunately for Bill Miller pole in the final alongside Shane Brittian.

(Blair Athol), Logue hooked onto McCann won the final convinci-ngly from Matthew ■ Narrogin-hased Super Sedan driver Steve Hancock his front guard as he made an Noakes, Darren Johnson and Chris'Telenta, who finhas received a boost with new sponsorship from for attempt to pass around the outside ; ished in fourth. mer Australian champion John Singleton. Singo, who of Miller on the final lap.

The McCann clan has appealed the decision, which owns Ron Mitchell Motors, offered Steve the deal This created an opportunity for is set down for hearing soon - this is a sad end to after he recognised Hancock’s potential and wanted to Vaughan to take over fourth. Miller what was a very good title. see him continue in the sport. - DABEEN SUTTON managing to keep the Pontiac on SOUTH

VlCs dominate SA Mod Prod Title

Max Oymesnir Motorsport

1999-2000 S.R.A. SERIES POINTS SCORE

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Rd 4 Results, Western Auto 22III2000

I. David Murcott 2. Chad Kemenah 3. Gary Chippendall 4. Tim McCubbin 5. David Swayn 6. Rob Rankin For more information on Hoosier Drag and Speedway Tyres call: 7. John Vogels NSW: 02 9679 1990 Fax 02 9679 1187 8. Steve Knight 03 933f 6477 Fax 03 9331 7444 9. Mike Van Brennem 10. Blair Jones

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50-lap Midget Classic at Western Springs in new Zealand on January 8.

The Classic saw the final appearance of the travelling Americans who were defeated in the recent Tip Top International Midget Series.

The event has an unusual for mat, the 35-car field split into four groups based on their racing ability.

The top nine cars, which included the NZ team of Graham Standring, Jason Insley, Michael Kendall, Matt Thompson and Lance Beale and the Americans, Jerry Coons Jnr, Clay Klepper, Jay Drake and Marc DeBeaumont, only had one race in which to qualify for grid posi tions 16 to 24.

The next nine cars raced for positions 7 to 15 and the final two groups raced^ for positions 1 to 6, with the top three cars from each group making the main.

Buckley, Grace and Oudney qualified into positions 1, 3 and 5 from qualifying race 1 and American Brice Kenyon, McKenzie and Earl qualified into positions 2, 4 and 6 from qualify ing race 2.

Boere, Baughan and Worboys topped heat 1, with Baughan, Harper and Worboys taking slots 7,8 and 9 after their shootout.

Heat 2 fell to Klepper, DeBeaumont and Insley, but Klepper, Drake and Coons secured.^slots 16, 17 and 18 fol lowing their heat shootout.

The consolation race was won

by Keene, from Shanley and Clark.

After a four-wide salute to the crowd, the cars lined up single file for the start, which saw Kenyon jump into the lead.

By lap 12, Kevin Hyde had moved from 14th to second.

Standring, who’d started 22nd, hit the lead by mid-race, but suc cumbed to overheating with five laps left to run.

Kenyon also suffered with five to go, steering failure forcing the only red hght for the race.

Beale retired with overheating and Kendall, who’d been in the thick of other peoples incidents, had used up his quota of allow able push-starts.

With five laps to go, only 12 cai’s i-emained, Shane Alach tak ing the win from Insley and Hyde - Coons and Drake completed the top five.

-BRETT SWANSON

08 8332 0800 Fax 08 8364 0296

PoBfit Standings At January 22, 2000 I. Rob Rankin, Vic 60 2. David Swayn, Vic 20 ....

3. Francis Ramsdale, Vic 21 4. David Murcott, Vic 71 ..

5. Chad Kemenah, Vic 57 .

6. Francis Ramsdale, Vic 21 7. Rod Mathews, Vic 9 8. John Vogels, Vic 70 9. Jeff Judd, Vic II 10. Ian Smith, Vic 57

I 154 1038 1004 .992 .895 ,798 .758 ,750 .702 ,684

A-FEATURE LAPS LEAD

LAPS

David Murcott, Vic 71 ...

Rob Rankin, Vic 60

.45 ,25

David Swayn, Vic 20 ....

Mike Van Bremen Vic 6 .

18

DASH WINS David Swayn, Vic 20

,7 WINS I

David Murcott, Vic 71 ● ● ●

I

David Swayn, Vic 20

I

38

28 Jdnuary 2000

Farr's Valvoline Sorinttar GP I MILPERRA Sprintcar driver Robbie Farr won a nail-biting 35-lap Valvoline Australian Grand Prix at Parramatta City Raceway on Boxing Day, edging out a fast-finishing Brooke Tatnell and JJ Mineeff.

Farr blasted his way to the front from the second row, taking the lead from American Tim Kaeding on lap 11 and staying there despite the best intentions of Tatnell, who at one point nearly passed for the lead with only five laps remaining.

Despite inclement weather condi tions, over 4,000 people came to see the final Sprintcar race of the 1900s at PCR. Tatnell broke his own long-stand ing one-lap teack record earlier in the night by lowering it to a new standard of 12.25 seconds, besting his four yeai’-old record of 12.397 in doing so, Tatnell claimed the $900 Goodyear bounty for breaking the record, making it a perfect leadup to his first main event at PCR since January 20.

It was a night where red lights unfortunately reigned supreme in the main event - Kelly Linigen was taken to hospital after injuring her shoulder in a painful roll-over on the first lap of the feature, Peter Attard flipped the #53 car on a restart in turn 1, Kerry Madsen flipped down the back straight and Mark Bertacco crashed hard into the wall in turn 2 when a steering arm broke.

Linigen, who had started on the front row and announced a new

sponsor in the form of CASE Tractors that evening, flipped the #25 machine coming out of turn 4 and brought on the reds after con tact with Farr’s O’Brien Aluminium Avenger.

Kelly was treated at the scene and then taken to Westmead Hospital for suspected back injuries, but was later released to go home - the next morning, it was unclear when she would race again on the World Series, or domestic scene.

California teenager Tim Kaeding was the star import, driving the #56 EWT Wreckers Stealth under the watchful eye of Todd Wanless.

Though it took Tim a while to hook up in the heat racing, he qual ified bn pole for the main (after Madsen inverted the field from #12) and led for the first ten laps, before a half-lose tangled him with a lapped car coming out of turn 2.

Contact betwe'eri the two saw Kaeding strip a left side torsion stop and grind to a halt on the main straight, bringing on tbe yel lows.

Heat races went to Brooke TatneU (2) Kerry Madsen (2) Peter Attard and Craig Morrison.

Brooke Tatnell won the six-lap Stein Stars Dash event and broke Kelly Linigen’s track record in the process.

Andrew Martin won the AMCA National feature race, with Bemie Gordon in second and Gary Edwin third.

-WADEAUNGER

CASHED UP:Kerry Madsen (left) very happily receives a cheqne from Allen IMer,Spiinteai* spon sor Motor Up’s Manager Special Projects. Madsen will be racing in Australia until February 12 and then heads Stateside for a full Knoxville season.(Tony Loxley pio VICTORIAN Daniel Barton, driving the Bomb Disposals XF Falcon, bested 70 other competi tors to win the 1999/2000 Bomb

Disposals Australian Street Stock Championship at Mt Buninyong’s (Ballarat) Redline Raceway on January 14-15.

The Bomb Disposals team was denied a clean sweep of the top two places when veteran Peter Lincoln held onto second in his XF Falcon from the first and only Commodore home of Barton team-mate Mick Dann.

Both Dann and fourth placegetter Jamie Jennings in the SA #15 XF Falcon put in big drives, Jennings starting dead last (20th) and Dann working his way up from 18th.

A top quality field assembled for the opening night’s racing, includ NEWCASTLE teenager Luke free run to snare the trophy in front ing defending and Tasmanian of a large crowd.

Pyne led from start to finish champion Todd Auton, SA #1 With a one-lane race track result Steven Heinrich, WA #1 Brad aboard his Critical Components Pontiac to score the biggest win ing in just four genuine positional Kennedy, VIC #1 Rob Gorman, NT changes during the event, John #1 Darren Job and former national of his short career with victory Leslight and Paul O’Neill eventual and multiple state champion Mark in an incident-packed 50-lap ly took the only option available to Jennings.

Super Sedan International them and muscled their way past With all the qualifying heats Firecracker at Archerfield Pyne Snr with four laps to run. completed. Barton, Lloyd Wallace Speedway on January 8.

With just seven of the 18 starters (Commodore), Job, Robbie Faux After a very lacklustre qualifying still mobile when the chequer (XF Falcon), Brad McClure, performance, the youngster was appeared, it was Leslight Gorman, Lincoln, Scott Campbell, handed pole position for the event (American Truck Parts Camaro) Barry Edwards, Rob Gray, D when Rod Gough inverted the first who annexed the runner-up slot, Giacometti, Daniel Scott, Damien five rows of the grid. ahead of O’Neill (Lismore Nissan Murley (in the sole Cortina), Mark With his father, former Camaro), with John Pyne finishing Donegan, Rick Sankey, Kennedy, Australian champion John Pyne, fourth.

Auton, Dann (Commodore), Len running in- second spot and adopt A very disappointing field of just Bates Jnr and Jamie Jennings had ing a defensive strategy that kept 18 cars was in attendance for the made the 20-car cut in their the field at bay for most of the race, rich two-night event.

Falcons Peter Watts and - CHRIS METCALF #Heinrich were the reserves. the youngster completed a mistakeGiacometti proved he had good ■ Kevin Purton led away from the start to take a strong win ahead of car-speed when he utilised the pole Grant Russell, who passed third-placed Craig Lockwood in the early shuffle to push himselffrom 11th to stages of the Supreme Cakes Super Sedan Sizzler at Cranes Combined the pole position. Barton being his CazTick Speedway in Tasmania on December 28,the event providing a last victim. local form guide for the Australian Titles on January 22-23.

At the drop of the green, Giacometti led away until the first ■ In the Colourworld Modified Cup at the same event, it was reigning caution after just three laps, when State champion Craig “Smiley” Williams who took the win, ahead of a Campbell and Scott collided and very close Jason McPherson - Jason Richards was third, after a superb both retired. drive from the back row.- ALI.AN ROARK Soon after. Barton probably

Firecracker Luke Pyne

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Street Stock Champ Barton Redline hosts Australian Title thought he’d blown his chance when he half-spun and dropped back to seventh - Wallace and Edwards both retired early and Dann had a spin avoiding someone else’s incident.

Meanwhile, Giacometti had held a good lead each time the race was halted.

The first red light of the event occurred when Gray rolled out of the race.

Barton was now flying and was hauling in Giacometti, whose tyres had passed their use-by date, the race-long leader throwing in a spin, which allowed Barton to take the lead.

Dann was also flying by now and was hustling Lincoln with just a few laps left to run and was probing the VK Commodore’s nose up the inside of Lincoln’s Falcon, but to no avail, the wily veteran maintaining second position.

Jamie Jennings claimed fourth, a great result for his crew, which had put in a mammoth effort just to get the car to the race on Saturday, let alone qualify for the feature and then come from last to fourth.

Notable spectators included some of the drivers who competed the last time Redline held an Australian Championship event, the 1968/69 Australian Production Car Championship.

Ian “Shifty” Clarkson (Valiant R), Wayne Cooper (FJ Holden), Phil Page (Mini Cooper), Ern Overall (Holden), Kev Parkinson (FJ Holden), Ross Prictor (Holden) and Peter Timberlake (EH Holden) were all seen indulging in some serious bench racing late into the night and would like to hear from others of the era who may be inter ested in a get-together - contact Ian Clarkson on (03)9728 1187.

-BRETT SWANSON

Kane heads Smith and Aylett in Tasmanian DARREN Kane claimed victory in the Auto One New Millennium ; Cup for Super Sedans at Premier Number One Speedway in; Tasmania on January 2. j Steve Howells started from pole, alongside reigning state champion Phil Townsend, the pair coming together in turn 1 at the start and Howells unable to continue and Townsend being sent rear of field - this moved veteran driver Peter Aylett up to pole, alongside Kane. | Aylett kept Kane at bay until just after lap 10, when Kane saw am i opening down low and moved into the lead. !

Aylett then had his hands full with cuiTent lap record holder John j -ALLANROARK i Smith, who went through to second spot.

AUSTRALIAN SPRINTCAR CALENDAR VICTORIA S.R,A, Western Auto ...

Bendigo 360 Series Mount Gambler ..

Warnambool ....

Western Auto ...

Western Auto .,.

Western Auto ...

Avalon Western Auto ...

.Jan 22 .Jan 23 .Jan 28 .Jan 29 .Feb 12 .Feb 19 .Feb 26 .Mar 4 .Mar i I

SPEEDWAY CITY S.A. Sprintcar Spectacular ...jam 22 Australian S/car Title ...Feb S All-Star Show Feb 12 S.A. Sprintcar Title .....Feb 26 All-Star Show Mar 4 Sprintcar Gold Cup .....Mar 11 Mar 18 Bum Out Comp Aus. S/Car Stampede ...Mar 25

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Feb 12

Archerfield

,Mar 11

Toowoomba

Mar 18

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May 27

28 Jdnudry 2000 Report by BRETT SWANSON LOCAL Hero Rob Rankin wrote his name into the record books alongside such greats as Steve Dumesny when he won the 25lap Presidents Cup at Avalon International Raceway on January 15.

Rankin, who started from the front row alongside poleman American Chad Kemenah, led all 25 laps as he headed a four-car bullet train that left the rest of the pack behind.

Mike Van Bremen worked his way from sixth to second, while Kemenah struggled on without brakes to finish third, after a slight tap from then third-placed David Murcott forced the American infield and back two places.

Unfortunately, the latest ninning of the prestigious Presidents Cup which was also round three of the SRA Hoosier Series - turned into a crash-fest, many of the 27 competitors going home with damaged, or ailing, machinery.

Paul Bastow and Rod Matthews both rode out wild flips without injury, while the scariest moment was when Matthews’ top wing flew over both fences and landed in the spectator areas.

Luckily no-one had been standing where the wing landed, but it just goes to show why they are called wings - because they do fly.

A notable inclusion in the 27-car field was Adelaide Speedcar ace Adam Baines, steering the David Vears-owned car run previously by Gerard Boult.

Heats TTie opening heat was a straight forward affair and was as good as it was going to get for winner Daryn Maggs, who defeated Matthew Reed and Jeff Judd in a time of 1:50.58.

Mike Van Bremen scorched to the win in heat two over Rankin and David Swayn, while Ian Thomsen dropped out of second place on the last lap with an engine malady - no time was recorded, due to a mid race stoppage when the muffler came off Dan-en Russell’s car.

Murcott downed Kemenah in heat three, the American already experiencing brake troubles as he

Citp '■

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Kinser, Garry Rush and Max

Local Hem proves to beat at

came to terms with the tight con fines of the circuit.

Team-mate Steve Knight was next and the race time was over eight seconds quicker, as the track was coming in, at 1:42.09.

In heat four, the first crash occurred when Judd looped it in turn 1 and was hit hard by Knight, who was then hit by Murcott Murcott was able to restart, the other two were out.

Rob Fairer led the opening three laps before Frank Ramsdale took over. Murcott was flying and was soon onto Ramsdale’s tail, but couldn’t find a way past and took a close second, with Tony Bartlett next (the time was 1:49.18).

Front-row starter Bastow raced away a lap too early in heat five and so was actually half a lap behind when the field was waved away - Tim McCubbin ran away to win in a -time of 1:45.68 from Matthews and Kemenah.

Rankin then scored in heat six, beating Swayn and Mike Van Bremen.

Trophy Dash Rankin, by virtue of his passing points, had top qualified from Murcott, Kemenah, McCuhbin,

Ramsdale and Mike Van Bremen, but the American drew position one for the dash followed by Ramsdale, McCubbin, Rankin, Van Bremen and Murcott.

Kemenah led from go to whoa in the six-lap event, with Rankin and Murcott working through to second and third from Ramsdale, McCubbin and Van Bremen in a time of 1:18.24.

B-Maio The carnage rate stepped up a couple of notches in the B-Main, which saw Peter Telford on pole from Ian Smith, Blair Jones, Allan Pitcher, Judd, Knight, Farrer, Butch Hunter, David Van Bremen, Bastow, Ron Dalton, Ashley Scott, Baines and Thomsen.

On the opening lap, David Van Bremen got sideways and was hit

by Dalton as Thomsen spun to avoid it all.

David Van Bremen and Dalton continued until the back straight, where Dalton drove into the side of David’s ailing car and the two became locked together.

Russell had failed to start, due to a lack of power steering and was quickly joined on the infield by Hunter and Pitcher.

At the next start, things turned really wild when Smith got out of shape shghtly and got off the throttle.

Knight was steaming up behind and hit Smith before his car turned hard right into the front straight wall, tweaking the frame; In the ensuing melee, Bastow rode a wheel and executed a series of lightning-fast baiTel rolls.

'The reduced field of six cars then set off on a reduced to eight-lap race, which was won by Telford from Judd, Jones, Smith, Baines (despite a spin), Dalton and Scott.

Presidents Cup A few heavy drops of rain started falling as Kemenah, Rankin, Murcott, Ramsdale, McCubbin, Mike Van Bremen, Swayn, Maggs, Reed, Matthews, Bartlett, John Vogels, Telford, Judd, Jones and Smith formed up for the feature.

Kemenah was not comfortable starting on the inside with a lack of brakes - “It’s tight down there,” was his comment later.

As such, Rankin ran in a bit deeper and took the lead with an outside line, Murcott looking threatening in third, but also look ing slightly loose. \ McCubbin’s unreliability frustra-

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39

How sweet it is: Avalon victor Rob Rankin took his Barwon Timber Sprinter to an all the way win in a hard-fought 2000 Presidents Cup.(Brett Swanson pic) tions crept in when he pulled out on lap 2 - “I had the foot buried right to the floor out of turn 4 and they all just drove away from me,” he explained to his father on the infield - and, as the tacho showed that the car had pulled 8900 revs, something was certainly amiss with the normally ultra-reliable team.

On lap 3, Kemenah hiked in turn 2 and Murcott did likewise - mean while, down in turn 4, Bartlett slowed momentarily and Maggs rode his wheel and rolled.

“He (Bartlett) just hobbled in front of me and that was that,” explained a frustrated Maggs.

McCubbin rejoined, albeit a lap down, but just as Kemenah ran high in turns 1-2 and was passed

by Murcott, McCubbin’s car stopped on the fence, temporarily saving the American’s bacon.

Still with 22 laps to run, the race restarted and got to turn 1, where Swayn’s rear-end dropped (he’d hit the wall avoiding Maggs’ crash) as he slowed suddenly, Judd hit him and was then hit by Matthews.

The race then settled down and, by lap 10, the top four cars of Rankin, Kemenah, Murcott and Mick Van Bremen were running nose to tail.

On lap 15, Judd and another car (possibly Smith) made contact in turn 1 and a recovering Judd was then hit by Matthews again, who flipped hard, sending’ his top wing over the fences.

Nine cars were left to complete 11 laps and, soon after the restart, Murcott lightly tapped Kemenah.

This was enough to point the USA#14 car towards the infield, which allowed both Murcott and Van Bremen to slide past.

Two laps later, though, Murcott’s run ended after he pulled a big wheelstand and damaged the car on landing.

Murcott rolled around the fence for a fewTaps before pulling in, Rankin going on to score a popular win from. Mick Van Bremen, Kemenah Reed, Ramsdale, Bartlett, Judd and Smith.

With the win, Rankin edged away in the SRA Hoosier championship chase over Mick Van Bremen.

t-r '

40

28 Jdnudry 2000

Sadler's second SA Solo Title NIGEL Sadler claimed his sec ond South Australian Solo Championship at Gillman’s Heni Becker Park on January 7 in front of the largest crowd ever seen at the venue.

The event was also the first meeting to be held under lights since the track was established over three years ago.

Sadler was unbeaten throughout the five rounds of heats and quali fied as a clear favourite for the final.

Nathan Simpson, who finished third in the event last season, qual ified for the final as the second highest pointscorer with 13, having been defeated by Sadler and Brett Woodifield in earlier heats.

The remaning two spots for the final were decided by a sudden death run-off between Woodifield, Rusty Harrison and Tony Primmer, who had all finished the night’s rac ing on 12 points - Woodifield emerged with the win, ahead of Hanison and Primmer.

On lap two of the Quality Value Shopfitters final, Woodifield fell in turn 4 while in second place and Harrison was left with nowhere to go, other than straight over the fall en bike which catapulted him over the tyre barrier.

Woodifield was subsequently disqualified and Hamson sustained a leg injury that prevented him from rejoining the restart.

From then on, it was all Sadler who led the entire four-lap journey to win comfortably from Sjmpson, the only other finisher.

II Sidecars were also invited to contest the Docteur Desmo Sidecar Shootout and the racing produced some of the best seen on the tight 200-metre dolomite track.

The final produced an upset all the way win for Sam Harrison/Nick Warnest over Jim Irwin/Les Bremner, with Anthony Collins/ Adrian Smith back in third. . -PHILMICHELL

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QSSS Round 7date change ROUND 7 of the QSSS - scheduled to be run at NBN Lismore Speedway on February 12- will now be run on Api-il 8.

Performance Wholesale’s Bill Mann and Archerfield Speedway have also confii-med that another Sprintcar show will also be run at Archerfield on April 15, the event a special show for all QSSS competi tors.

There is also a possibility of several interstate drivers being imported for a proposed state versus state event- more details will be released in the next few weeks.

-TONYLOXLEY

World retard lee for Jason Crump As predicted in the last issue of Motorsport News, Jason Crump has become the first rider to be transferred for a new world

Brian Griffin.

“I am sure our fans will be equal ly overjoyed with the news and, with Jason joining Leigh Adams at the top of our line-up, we have the niost powerful spearhead of any Elite League side.”

Co-promoter Nigel Wagstaff stat ed that “Jason is a personal friend of mine and I believe he will become world champion, sooner rather than later.”

Crump has completed a deal that will see him exclusively riding Jawa machinery this year - in a

Big bucks: Jason Crump. (Patrick) further piece of irony, Jawa backed reigning World Champion Tony Rickardsson, who Crump has replaced at Kings Lynn for next season.

With former Aussie skipper Craig Boyce loaned to Kings Lynn from his parent club, Poole and Adelaide’s Shane Parker joining the Mildura pair of Adams and young ster Travis McGowan, there will be five Australians racing regularly for Kings Lynn - no British club has ever had as many at one time since the sport started seventy -TONY MILLARD years ago!

Sole Chanti

Watson was in trouble with gearing and clutch settings, his two bikes so unlike his British Premier League mounts that he was struggling - but a win and two seconds earned him a place in the A-Final.

Platt has always been a consistent performer at Gosford, his local experience enabling him to beat Wiltshire in the heats and also get a couple of second placings to line up for the final.

■ A crippling financial situation is affecting the future of two British Elite League clubs.

With Oxford already in danger of closing after losing its sponsor, Hull Vikings has now expressed a serious doubt as to whether it can compete at the highest level and co-promoter Graham Jones has resigned -if both wfere to opt out of top racing, the Ehte'League would run with just eight clubs.

The BSPA anticipates Oxford will run, but Hull looks doubtful.

■ Craig Watson now seems cer tain to join British Elite League runners-up Poole, but the club has become resigned to losing the services of world Under-21 Champion Lee Richardson for the new season in Britain.

It looks as if the youngster will join the American pair of ex-World Champions Billy Hamill and Greg Hancock at Coventry.

Poole’s aggregate averages would be too high to accommodate the youngster, with top men Gary Havelock, Scott Nichols and Mark Loram already certain starters, along with the return of Lars Gunnestad - but Richardson may only leave on loan.

It has opened the door for a serious bid for 23 year-old Watson and the Poole promotion has already had preliminary discussions with

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Premier League club Newport,for whom Watson has ridden during the last three seasons.

Matej Feijan, the Slovenian Champion who rode for Poole last season, has signed for rival Ipswich.

■ Swedish ace Peter NaWin has joined Belle Vue on loan.

Nahlin, a Poole asset, was sur plus to requirements at the South Coast club and the Manchester club’s promoter, John Perrin, was quick to move in to boost his squad, having lost the battle to get Matej Feijan back to the club.

■ Swedish Grand Prix star Mikael Karlsson has shocked Wolverhampton with the news that he will not be riding in England this year.

Karlsson, who will be concen trating on his GP commitments, will race in the Swedish Elite League on Tuesdays and in the Polish League for Rybnik on Smidays.

Wolves have already agreed terms with American Ronnie Correy, Nicki Pedersen, Jesper Jensen and emerging Polish rider Adam Skomicki.

■ Grand Prix rider Stefan Darmo from Sweden will be racing in England again this year, having missed out last season to concen trate on his Grand Prix commit ments and League racing in Sweden.

But he will not be at Eastbourne, where he rode previously emd is likely to go on loan to another track, with Wolverhampton and Oxford among the prime targets.

■ Queensland rider Brent Collyer is, after all, returning to race for Eastbourne.

The 25 year-old from Brisbane will race at reserve and his inclu sion leaves the Sussex club with one more rider to sign.

Top Finnish rider Petri Kokko has also agreed to join Eastbourne, which has also re signed England international Mar-tin Dugard and the club now has an all-international top five of Joe Screen, Martin Dugard,David Norris, Dean Barker and Kokko.

James claims SA AMCA honours from pole

TQDD Wiltshire is the new NSW Solo Champion after dominating the starting gate at Gosford on Boxing Day. The final consisted of defending champion Mick Poole, Wiltshii-e, Craig Watson and Ty Platt.

Poole had a relatively smooth run to the final, but was tested in two heats, coming from behind to beat Chris Szauter in his first heat and then doing the same later to FIM Gold MedallistWiltshire.

■ Mark Lemon is set to rejoin Hull Vikings, where he raced on loan last season.

Former world champion Sam Ermblenko is the only other con firmed starter for Hull, so far.

With Jason Lyons back at Belle Vue and set for a testimonial sea son, most of the top Aussie riders have completed their plans for the coming European season, many of them also racing in the Swedish and Polish League, as well as hon ouring their British commitments.

record fee of $100,000.

Crump has completed a move from British Elite League champions Peterborough to near neighhours Kings Lynn - ironically, when joining Peterborough from Poole four years ago, he set the pre vious record with a fee around $85,000.

We are absolutely delighted that weeks of negotiations have finally been concluded and we are all thrilled that we have captured the signature of probably the most exciting rider in the world right now,” said Kings Lynn co-promoter

■ Todd Wiltshire and Steve Johnston both face an anxious wait concerning the future oftheir British club, Oxford.

Wiltshire had been cofirmed as a contracted rider at the Sandy Lane circuit for this year and Johnston had been hoping to negotiate a new deal, but the withdrawal of club sponsor Gresham Oils has thrown the immediate future of Oxford into the melting pot.

Promoter Steve Purchase says he is working towards a replace ment deal, but nothing has yet been concluded - he is not pre pared to pour his own money down the drain, if the club cannot be made self-financing.

GARY James won the South Australian AMCA National

^ ''OCR When the tapes went up, Wiltshire made the best start from gate two, followed by Poole from one, Platt from four and Watson, The troublesome clutch and handling problems still dogged Watson, who fell behind, The leaders were locked together for the opening lap gnd Platt’s fans cheered him on As he attacked Poole - but disaster struck on the second lap when Platt’s engine cut out due to a suspected fouled plug and he fell going into turn 3.

Watson now inherited third, but was too far back to challenge for the lead.

Poole attacked Wiltshire and drew level out of turn 2 on lap three, but the Australian champion was too fast down the back straight and went into the next turns half a length ahead.

The pattern was repeated on the final lap, Wiltshire holding on for a close and thrilling win over Poole, Watson cruising home for third.

- DAVID LAMONT

State Championship run at Speedway City on January 15, following the trend of interstate drivers dominating these AMCA State Title shows.

The former Street Stocker from Newcastle had covered the furthest distanceto compete and, as highest pointscorer with a heat win and runner-up, started the 25-lap title race from pole.

James was untroubled in the AMain, although traffic around mid race allowed the Melbourne pair of Chris Campbell and Rob Lindsay to get within striking distance.

The Victorians followed James to the flag, local rookie Michael Miller and pre-meeting favorite Brett Chadwick next over the line.

Chadwick and his brother, Brian, have dominated SA AMCA racing over the past two years, but title night blues struck early when Brett damaged his car’s chassis during hot laps and Brian trailered with oil pressure problems.

Rob Lindsay set a new 10-lap record in his second heat, after the Cheltenham di-iver was pressed by Brett Chadwick during the local’s only competitive outing.

“We hadn’t had time to bolt the car together properly after fixing the hot lap damage, so I just circulated to gain points,” said Chadwick, referring to his slow performance in the opening preliminary.

Heat winners from the 22-car entry were Campbell, Lindsay, James and Neil Peachey.

- DAVID McNABB

0,

sJOl

28 January 2000

41

Intercontinental A Oceania Champion Alan Gurr is going Formula Ford for 2000.

SEAN HENSHELWOOD reviews the 18 year-old star’s rise to the top of his ciass.

w

ithout doubt, 18 year-old Sydneysider Alan Gurr is _ . one of Australia’s most talented karters and anyone who saw his run in this year’s Victorian Intercontinental A Championships from rear of field (32nd) to third can attest to that.

Twelve months ago, though, it was a very different picture - and a picture that could so very easily have ended a career.

But here’s where young Alan dis covered maturity, a factor missing in so many of Australia’s top young drivers.

Coming off a season that was dominated by poor results, he was marked by critics as a star of the past, rather than a star in the makmg.

But, like so many true sporting talents, he ignored the gossip-mon gers and returned with a vengeance, taking out the first major meeting in 1999 with style, the Oceania Championships against the cream of Australian karting talent.

He was well and truly on the road to recovery.

A move to Top Kart from Tony Kart in 1996 for the Junior Intercontinental A Championships netted almost instant results against the then dominant Ryan Briscoe, Australia’s own interna tional karting superstar and 1999 Italian Formula A Champion.

More success followed in 1997, Alan taking back to back NSW JICA Championships after beating title favourite Michael Caruso (Tony Kart).

Caruso, however, gained the upper hand in the title chase, leav ing Gurr as bridesmaid.

When Alan took over the seat vacated by Troy Hunt at the start of the 1998 Intercontinental A series, you could have been forgiven for thinking he’d have a relatively trouble-free run to the title - but it wasn’t to be.

Tim Craig had moulded the Top Kart team into the HRT of Australian Karting.

They had the chassis, Colin Hurst’s finely tuned Rotax reed valve engines and Bridgestone tyres, without doubt the combina tion to beat.

So what went wrong?

The Adelaide’s opening Bolivar 1998 circuit roundsaw at Alan regularly among the top ten, but not at the end that was expect ed, eventually taking fifth in the final.

Things improved in qualifying for the second round, Alan taking posi tion three on the grid, mere centemetres behind emerging favourite Jamie Whincup, again fifth and fourth in the Series after two roimds.

After qualifying on the front row in Melbourne, a heat win ahead of Whincup on Whincup’s home cir-

cuit looked ominous, but so did a fifth place finish in the final - it was just going to be one of those years.

And so to Eastern Creek for the final round and Alan’s home track sadly, it was the worst result of the year.

Qualifying in the changeable con ditions could net only tenth and, while heat results were reasonable, seventh was the final outcome, with consistency netting third overall in the Championship.

A period of contemplation over the 1998 Christmas break saw a change in tack for 1999.

The move back to Jim camp with the new Morton’s Kosmic team for 1999 saw instant results.

“After the disappointment of 1998, it was nice to get back into a kart and be comfortable and be right on the pace with the minimum of effort,” Alan said.

Magic moment: Claiming the Eastern Creek gold was a major victory for Oceania Champion Alan Gurr. the announcement that his replace ment would be long-time rival Neil McFadyen.

The two drivers had been head to head on many occasions during their junior careers and were now going to go head to head in the toughest class in the country.

McFadyen won round one with a strong pole position, ahead of Whincup and Gurr.

Alan took sixth, twentieth (lost a wheel in the wet while third) and second in the heats.

Round two went to Gurr, who took victory in the pre-final from McFadyen and he repeated the dose in the final, driving away from the field in the opening laps before

Alan did manage to salvage third in the final and dehvered a knock out blow in Ipswich by taking a strong victory over the field in the final, after taking pole position and two heat wins.

McFadyen clawed back to fifth in the final, the two drivers neck and neck in the points after two rounds -the fight was well and truly on.

Gurr took the early advantage at Geelong with grid three, McFadyen fifth. Alan took a third in the first heat, a DNF in the second and a fourth, McFadyen regaining the advantage with pole for the pre final, Alan off grid eleven.

Disaster struck for the pre-final when Alan was forced off the track

Maiden victory: A return to form at the 1999 Oceania Championships saw Gurr win his first race for Kosmic.

“It was pretty clear that, unlike Troy (Hunt) and Neil (McFadyen), the Top Kart just didn’t suit my dri ving style, whereas the Kosmic was just like wearing a comfortable pair of old shoes.”

Alan’s first run in the Kosmic came only weeks before the Oceania Championships to be held at Sydney’s high-profile Eastern Creek circuit in front of a national television audience and a crowd of over 2000 fans.

“The pressure was fairly heavy, but I had the feeling we could do it,” he continued. “From opening practice through to the start of the final, I just knew we had the pack age.”

To make things more interesting, after Alan’s move to Kosmic was

allowing them to close up in the final.

Victory was sweet.

It was the first major victory in Alan’s career and it came in front of a huge audience.

Kosmic was pleased, Alan was pleased and Alan’s father Richard was lost.

It seems Alan decided he needed a lucky charm before the final and knocked off a pair of his father’s bright pink socks - they’re now a major part of Alan’s racing kit.

McFadyen regained the upper hand in the opening round of the Wynn’s Series after Alan was attacked by a virus, spending the week leading up to the event bedridden.

when the engine failed to start, a fouled plug the culprit.

Fortunately, he was able to start the final, though, after a rule change early in the year turned over the previous ruling that banned anybody who didn’t com plete at least one lap of the pre final from starting the final-lucky, if you could call starting rear of a 32-strong field lucky.

His drive through the field was nothing short of spectacular - last to third among some of the most aggressive drivers in Australia, dri vers who make overtaking, in a word, DIFFICULT. Alan wasn’t fussed, but to make the podium was going to take a marathon effort and a little bit of help from his friends.

Fortunately, when you are one of the cleanest drivers in the field, people tend to move over to let you through.

In a race vfith high ^attrition and multiple accidents, Alan came through completely unscathed, almost catching second place-getter James Small in the final lap.

The knockers were now well and truly silenced - in fact, some com mentators called it the race of the year, others suggesting it was the best drive since the notorious Formula A final at Raleigh in 1997.

Alan third, McFadyen first, the points advantage now well and truly McFadyen’s, with only Eastern Creek to go.

Dark horse going into the event was Queensland’s Barclay Holden, debuting the new Azzurro Z3 chas sis - and he was immediately on the pace.

Behind him, McFadyen took grid three for the heats, Alan grid six.

Alan took the first heat clear of Holden, third behind Holden and McFadyen and second in the final heat, again behind Holden.

McFadyen, at this stage, was ninth for the pre-final, after a DNF in heat one.

It wasn’t over yet...

Holden grabbed the lead fi-om the fall of the flag, with Gurr in hot pursuit.

McFadyen was swamped early, but regained composure mid-race to be third in the closing laps.

This was the way they would greet the chequered flag, McFadyen ultimately claiming the title only twelve points clear of Alan.

For 2000, though, a new direction “after comes nine years in karts, it’s going to be very different getting into cars,” Alan said last week.

“We’ve just done a deal with Chris Dell to run his old Van Diemen Formula Ford in the NSW State Championships and selected rounds ofthe National Series.

“I’d like to keep karting but, unfortunately, the time has come where we must move on and the Formula Ford events are going to clash with the dates for this year’s FMK Championships.”

And his parting words to all those aspiring karting champions “never give up - you can achieve your goals if you are really committed.

“Karting is a fantastic sport, full of camaraderie. I have developed what I am sure will be lifelong friendships with people from all over Australia through karting - it is a fabulous sport.”

1

42 28 Jenuary 2000

S^®o®D=sm®[FO

*e1

Bairnsdale Street GP back on track

Warmambool makes its debut Andersonfamily double at longawaited new ^ctorianfacility

the OVER recent years Bairnsdale Street Grand Prix had lost a lot of its gloss - in fact, last year there was even nimour that the event wordd be cancelled from the karting cal endar for good because of a lack of entries; but, thankfully, all that has changed.

After a lacklustre race in 1999, local identity Les Tokolyi made the offer to the club to step in and help them with their profile.

Since that point, the event has gained a great following among barters and the local Bairnsdale community and, come May 21 this year, it will all come to fruition in a splash of sound and colour.

Where competitors in the past have been forced to contend with so many classes that they find them selves with up to eight hours to kill between heats, they now will have longer races and fewer classes to contend with.

Following the trend set by the Portland Street Grand Piix and the Wollongong Lighthouse events, Bairnsdale will run a Grand Prix class as the major attraction for the event.

Suited to Formula 100.Light, the aim is to attract Australia’s top FMK stars from the elite Wynn’s Series.

The event now has the full sup port of the Bairnsdale business community and features an $8000 prize pool.

2000 event sponsors include Myer, Blackwood, Shell and the Indycarnival on the Gold Coast, which have all committed prizes to the ‘Do it in the Streets’ Lottery.

Prizes include a trip for two to the 2000 Honda Indy 300 on the Gold Coast.

The glitz starts on the Friday night prior to the event with a wel coming party at the freshly refur bished Bairnsdale RSL Club and another on the Saturday night, with special guest singers Lisa Bade and the Chantoozies.

- SEAN HENSHELWOOD

Crook luck: New Tony Kart signing Ryan Briscoe had barely arrived in Italy to prepare for his 2000 European and World Championships cam paign in Formula Super A when he contracted chicken pox.

Fortunately for the young Italian-based Sydneysider, the malady , quickly passed and his European season schedulers now back in action.

Incidentally, there was an error with the spelling of the Christian name of Biiscoe’s mother, Marianne,in the last issue of Motorsport News -for the record, this issue’s attempt is correct!

FIVIK dates ri AFTER a'rtniserable weekend for the third round of the 1999 Wynn’s Series at Geelong in changeable conditions, both competitors and officials alike voted against holding another round in a Victorian winter.

The vote was to hold the final round in October in Geelong and move Eastern Creek to the venue for the third of the four rounds.

2000 FMK Calendar Round 1 May 6-7 Bolivar Adelaide, SA June 17-18 Round 2 Willowbank Ipswich, QLD Round 3 Aug 19-20 Eastern Creek Sydney, NSW Oct 21-22 Round 4 Corio Raceway Geelong, VIC

!

little piece ofFrance

Eastern Creek’s Garry Holt plans ELF La Filiere school to develop OZsuper stars KARTING promoter extraordi naire Garry Holt (aka promoter of Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway) continues to amaze the karting world with his proactive efforts with pro moting Australian karting.

Next on his agenda post-Oceania ’99, the Champion of Champions and his all-out effort in rolling his Subaru Imprezza in front of the massed media at the recent Honda Indy event, comes the news of his own karting school.

Formed around the principle of the Elf La Filiere school in France run by multiple Le Mans winner Henri Pescoralo - Holt is hoping to develop Australia’s future motor

Mzzwo's Z3

Show-stopper: Barelay Holden put the new Azzurro FMK chassis on the map at the Wynn’s Series ; final by blitzing ! his opposition.

New chassis rangefor all major classes

1;.,(Sean Henahelwood)

\

AUSTRALIAN manufacturer Azzurro Karts has developed a new range of chassis for the Australian market - labelled the Z3, models include Rookie, Junior, Clubman, Clubman Super Heavy and FMK. The FMK model debuted in the hands of Richard McLeod (Formula A) and Barclay Holden (Inter A) at the final round of the 1999 Wynn’s Series with great effect.

McLeod ran strongly as he had all year, but suffered from tyre wear, while Holden turned on the display of the weekend, smoking his opposition in ICA. Team patron and chief designer John McCleverty, himself a handy man behind the wheel, was rapt

with the result and promptly set about the release of an addition to the range, the Z3 MAX to suit the growing Rotax 125 MAX class.

The chassis themselves are pre dominantly 28 and 32mm bars, while the FMK chassis uses 32 and 35mm front rails!

All chassis utilise billet alumini um, running components in gold setting off the traditionally blue chassis - Azzurro in Italian means blue.

The MAX chassis is a variation of the FMK kart and utilises 28.6mm cross rails in front of and behind the seat “...to soften up the rear a bit and allow- the back of the kart to unload a bit more.”

-SEAN HENSHELWOOD

THE first official race meeting run by Warrnambool Kart Club on , January 16 at Lake Gillear in western Victoria was an historic ^ event a decade in the making and attracted strong support from ^ drivers and spectators alike.

It began under threatening skies and finished in briJhant sunshine, a| fitting metaphor for the club’s long search for a suitable track venue.

Club president Jamie Richardson, who doubled as a trainee stewasi4, acknowledged the positive attitude generated by the occasion. i “It was great as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “Eveiyone was happy ; just to see the karts out there. Thei-e were no complaints, which is a good i sign.”

Portland driver Nicholas Johnstone claimed the honour of winning the ^ first race on the new WKC cii’cuit, a Rookies event.

The Clubman Heavy class, which attracted the largest entry of 15, was won by Jeremy Anderson, of Allansford - his sister, Carly, made it a family double with overall victory in the Senior National Light class. ; Jeremy gave the track surface a good review after setting a fastest lap time of 35.40 seconds on the 745-metre ckcuit - “It was very good,” he said. “I didnT hear any bad comments about it.”

Richardson said the WKC’s next priority was to improve upon and : build more amenities at the track, although he declined to put a time: frame on the projects.

Club events will be held on the last Sunday of every month the next -GEOiFFiROlJNDS open meeting is scheduled for August 23.

sport super stars with his latest ini tiative.

Holt plans to back some of the country’s young karting talent, then test the cream of them in a testing role for either Formula Ford, GTP, or the new V8 Supercar Lites programme in which Holt has become an entrant.

Holt’s involvement in V8s has come about after his Bathurst debut last November.

The likeable entrepeneur has joined forces with long-time V8 stalwart Garry Wilmington and for mer truck racer Bill Sieders, enter ing a two-car team for the Lites Series.

A third car is currently being dis cussed as the reward car for the

leading karter entered in Holt’s programme.

From Lites, the succesful candi date will be given the opportunity to expand his, or her, career in either a Level One Supercar team, or with a drive in either Europe, or the United States.

A number of events prompted Holt’s move, namely Troy Hunt’s result in an entrance race for the La Filiere school in Japan, where he took victory over a number of name Japanese drivers.

Holt has backed Hunt as one of Australia’s future stars and is instrumental in opening doors for the young Sydney driver’s future.

Watch this space...

- SEAN HENSHELWOOD

II^®0®I7SU)®[F0 ByJON THOMSON TOMMI Makinen has started 2000 the way he started his 1999 Championship campaign, with a victory in the open ing round of the Monte Carlo Rally.

time ran out and he was out.

It was later revealed that the problem was totally down to Bm-ns, the English driver flooding the engine by turning on both fuel pumps together rather than one at a time.

Ooppss...

After the FIA ran the cars through SS6 in single file (see breakout) Makinen consoli dated to a 2m lead, from Sainz (who was coming to grips with the Focus) and the i Seat of impressive Gardermeister.

The World Champion was using tyre choice to dominate, running fewer studs than his opposition and making the

The ice-cool Finn was m a class of his own virtually from the start of the three day rally through the Alpes Maratime in the South of France, coming home lm24s ahead of Carlos Sainz in a Ford Focus.

Makinen took the lead on the fourth special stage and had his victory virtually sealed when both of his main opponents, Richard Burns and Gilles Panizzi, failed to start the second leg in Gap on Friday morning. With a lead of over two minutes, Makinen was able to dictate play with the others doing the chasing in the treacherous conditions on patchy ice.

Juha Kankkunen flew the Subaru flag after Burns demise and took a fine third place ahead of Toni Gardermeister in the rapidly improving SEAT. Day 1 of the rally was marked by treacherous ice on the final two stages and only the brave or foohsh went flat out as night fell along with the temperatures.

Makinen did not get off to a great start when he suffered most of the patchy, icy condi tyre vibrations for 10km dur tions. He stretched the lead by ing the first stage, caused by winning the two opening the anti-deflation mousse. stages of the final day before Burns took the early lead knocking it off to win by for Subaru in the unseason lm24.9s. ably dry conditions, holding “It’s excellent. I’m very Makinen out until Stage 3 happy!” said a delighted when the Finn blasted past in Makinen. the colder conditions.

“The pressure was off after Those two and Panizzi, who the various retirements, and starred in a private WRX last the weather conditions have year, were enjoying their own made things easief, but even private battle at the head of so it is a good start to what is the field, splitting all six going to be a very hard sea stages between them. Just son. over 30s covered the trio at ‘We made some very good the end of the day, with tyre decisions from the infor fourth-placed Carlos Sainz mation we received from the already more than a minute Michelin engineers and our adrift of this battle for the ice crew, and this helped us a podium. lot. Now I’m looking forward Sainz’s Ford team-mate to going to Sweden where we Cohn McRae survived a scare have also taken victory in the when the steering rack of the last two years.”

Ford Racing Focus came loose Second was a great result on stage 3. for Ford debutant Sainz.

“I didn’t tell (navigator) “This is more than I could Nicky (Grist) in case it scared him! I don’t think he even have hoped for on my first rally with the Focus and I can noticed,” said McRae. confirm that what everyone Bums’s challenged ended on told me about the potential of the second morning. His Subaru refused to fire in Parc the Focus as a rally car is true,” he grinned.

Ferme and, despite his efforts and those of the Prodrive crew.

“My only disappointment is

Tommi Gun! ■tCTTK-

No baloney: Toni Gardermeister was on the pace, taking his Seat WRC to fourth.

Haven’t we done this before? Makinen and Mannisenmaki are familiar with the “Win in Monte Carlo” pose by now Have you been in Focus ... lately? Sainz’s first drive since his return to Ford netted him a second. (Photos by sution-images)

for Colin. I know personally how difficult retirement is to take when you are so close to the finish and in such a good position.”

Skoda, Skoda: Two of Skoda’s Octavium finished in the top 10. This is Luis Climent.

After flying on the final day, McRae was just 15s behind Sainz and closing, before retiring 20km from the finish with a blown engine.

That - and a fastest time on the final day - elevated Kankkimen to third ahead of Gardermeister, who went off the road at the notorious Sisteron stage.

“I was very happy to set so many good times, and our per formance on the first two legs was the first time the Cordoba had been really competitive on dry asphalt,” he said.

For Seat, it was not ALL good news. New-boy Didier Auriol was in the top 10 on Day 1 but, on the find stage, he spun and stalled his engine. Trying to restart the car he managed to hit a but ton on the dashboard that altered the differential set tings and made the car impos sible to drive. He retired just 7km into the penultimate with engine problems.

Food poisoning problems for Delecour were the least of Peugeot’s problems. At the start of Day 2, the cars of Panizzi and Delecour both failed to start, and Marcus Gronholm’s 206 stopped dead after a minute start. Despite much histrionics and plenty of Gallic swearing, all three were out on the spot (see breakout).

Bruno Thiry was fifth in his ‘semi-works’ Toyota Corolla

ahead of Mitsubishi’s Freddy Loix and Armin Schwarz, who capped a great day for Skoda in seventh. Team-mate Luis Chmint was 10th.

Following the retirement of German driver Uwe Nittel from the lead of Group N after SS9, the Production Cup cate gory passed into the hands of Manfred, Stohl with Gianluigi Galli second and four-times World Champion Gustavo Trelles third.

World Rally Championship Rd 1, Monte Carlo 1. T. MakinerVR. Mannisenmaki 2. C. Sainz/L. Moya 3. J. Kankkunen/J. Repo 4. T. Gardemeister/P. Lukander 5. B. Thiry/S. Prevot 6. F. Loix/S. Smeets 7. A. Schwarz/M. Hiemer 8.0. Burri/C. Hofmann 9. M. Stohl/P. Muller 10. L Climent/A. Romani

Mitsubishi Lancer Ford Focus Subaru impreza Seat Cordoba Toyota Coroiia Mitsubishi Lancer Skoda Octavia Toyota Coroiia Mitsubishi Lancer Skoda Octavia

4h23m35.8 4:25:00.7 4:26:57.2 4:27:20,9 4:28:24.2 4:30:39.9 4:33:24.1 4:34:17.2 4:44:17,6 4:44:25.3

Drivers Championship: Makinen 10, Sainz 6, Kankkunen 4, Gardemelster 3, Thiry 2, F, Loix 1.

Manufactuers Championship: Mitsubishi 12, Ford 6, Subaru 4, Seat 3, Skoda 1.

r 44 28Jdnuary 2000

lXZ

Dead Peugeot Society

PEUGEOT hit rock bottom on the second day of the Monte Carlo Rally when all three of its 206 WRC cars struck trouble at the same time.

Before the first stage of the day,the cars ofPanizzi(then in third) and Delecour (fifth) both failed to fire,and Marcus Gronholm’s 206 stopped dead a minute after starting.

According to team insiders, aU three 206s had been struck with mysterious engine mapping problems.

There were red faces and Gallic shrugs all around at ‘Ecosse Png’: “We have tested the cars in temperatures dovra to minus 14 degrees in Sweden and also in a ‘cold chamber’in France,” Team Director Corrado Provera said.

“We can’t yet understand why the problem should occur at much higher temperatures.”

At the end ofthe rally Peugeot Sport still claimed not to know

the cause ofthe problem,but promised “a full technical explanation”.

Ofthe dramas he added: “Maybe this is not so bad for Peugeot in some ways.The French press expected us to win this event easily but this is not the 1980s and this is not the 205T16.”

THE sandhills and dusty tracks in the deserts of the Middle East have beck oned NSW Central Coast driver Ron Cremen back

He’s right there. The 205 was reliable, and fast-and won...

There is good news and bad news: Frankie Delecour was in fine form on Day One, despite having food poisoning.

He was in fifth place when ...

This is the Dead Car Park (aka 'Parc Ferme) on Friday morning.

Notice how since the first shot, the photographers managed to get the 206s perfectly in focus ... because they weren’t moving. ●

\ ‘(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

chlesser’s Dakar 555 times 2for LIVING up to its reputa tion for adventure and challenge, the ParisDakar-Cairo Rally has been taken out for the sec ond year by Jean-Louis Schlesser.

The former FI driver domi nated the second half of the event, taking a 1-2-3 for France and leading' home Stephane Peterhansel’s Mitsubishi-powered Mega Desert.

As usual, the unfortunate parts of the event attracted the most media interest. The raid stopped for five days’ enforced rest in Niger after the French Foreign Ministry advised the organisers not to proceed due to possible terror ist activity.

Up to 350 rebels were rumoured to be planning to disrupt the rally, forcing

organisers to take drastic measures to allow the rally to proceed.

Three giant Russian Antonov aircraft, similar to those used to airlift cars in the London-Sydney Marathon, wei-e flown in to airlift the 368 trucks, 143 cars, 14 press vehicles and numerous motor bikes to the re-start in Libya.

The three planes crossed the desert 20 times to ferry the vehicles to Sabha in Libya. The excercise is said to have cost more than A$3 milhon.

On resuming, Portuguese diiver Caiios Souza and navi gator Manuel Luz were seri ously injured in a four-car crash in Libya. Six other com petitors were injured when four cars hit a sand dune, but Souza and Luz were in a criti cal condition.

It was the 661km Libyan

Cremen of Arabia Returns

desert leg of the event thatsaw a complete change in the leaderboard as cool conditions and fast, hard surfaces played into the hands of the buggies with their high top speeds.

Early leaders, Mitsubishi’s Kenjiro Shinozuka of Japan and Dominique Serieys of France, dropped back as Schlesser grabbed the lead he would stretch until the end.

They eventually retired after a crash in Egypt.

While Souza and Shinozuka were having prob lems, there was some good news for Mitsubishi, with Jean-Pierre Fontenay taking third and Jutta Kleinschmidt fifth after winning a stage early in the event, a first for a woman.

Frenchman Richard Sainct dominated the bike competi tion,leading a BMW 1-2-3-4.

-PETER WHITTEN

|-

Girls just wanna have fun: The KleinschmidtAThorner Mitsubishi Pajero. (Photo by Mitsubishi)

Possum Bourne POSSUM Bourne is look ing to extend his stable to two Subaru WRXs this ™ ; . . ,.

The four-time Austrahan Rally Champion is believed to be getting another 1998spec Prodrive-built car, and is planning to drive in Subaru’s assault on the AsiaPacific Rally Championship.

Like Bourne’s regular ARC mount (which is owned by Austraha) the second car will to be prepared across the Tasman in NZ and‘comto local events.

The first round of the Australian “ “ Rally Championship, the Forest Rally in Perth, starts on April 2.

-PAUL COVER

Opdynsld's Evo VI? THE battle for this year’s Group N title in the Australian rally Championship will have further spice added this year, with Ed Ordynski and the Ralliart team confirming they will again be in the battle against Cody Crocker and his new Subaru.

Ordynski told Motorsport News that his program has been confirmed or 2000 with the plan to tackle the full ARC, the APAC Rally of Canberra and WRC Rally Australia.

“My contract with Mitsubishi Motors Australia has been renewed for three years, and that means promotional duties as well as driving in rallies.”

The question however remains exactly what level of Lancer will Ord3mski be driving. Despite rumours to the contrary the team has riot sold the Evo V Lancer he ran in 1999 but the speculation is that he will have a newer Evo VI machine in which he can expect to be on an even footing with Crocker’s new Impreza.

“The Evo 5 Group N can be sold, not like the Group A cars we have had in the past’ said Ed “The fact is Ralliart in Sydney certainly have received many enquiries about it after it’s superb showing on Rally Oz, and it is still for sale,“ he said.

Ordynski will again be paired with Brisbane based co-dri ver Iain Stewart in the Ralliart backed team and the battle with Crocker in Perth at the opening roimd of the ARC will be well worth watching.

-JON THOMSON

after a break of one year.

The Mitsubishi driver will be making another tilt at the tough championship in a two car team this year, starting with round two in March.

After contesting the 1999 ARC, Cremen will return to the Middle Eastern Rally Championship in a two car team, running identical Group N Lancer Evolution IVs for himself and former Kuwaiti Champion Mahamed A1 Sarraf.

Cremen flew out last week to spectate at the first round of the series, the UAE Rally, last weekend. He will contest the remaining seven rounds, starting with the Qatar Rally on the 9 March.

A1 Sarraf contested the opening round, but will only be competing in five events this year due to other clashes.

Cremen is aiming to reclaim the Group N title in the Championship, a goal he thinks is achievable despite missing the opener.

“It’s great to be heading back the Middle Eastern Championship,” he told Motorsport News.

“We were preparing at the end of last year to upgrade my car to PRC (specs) and contest the Australian Championship again, but I’ve been contracted by sponsors to run the Arab team of A1 Sarraf for 2000 and with Ralliart support I’ll be com peting as well!”

He will be partnered for the first time by multi Austrahan and Asia-Pacific Champion co-driver Fred Gocentas.

“Freddy has so much expe rience, it’ll be great to have someone of his ability around the team; he’ll add another perspective to the team and that can only help us out,” said Ron. Co-driver for 1999 Linda Long has decided to remain in Sydney to focus on family and career.

“I spoke with Linda about joining me in the Middle East but she has a young family to look after and the cost to trav el back and forth would build up substantially throughout the year,” Cremen said.

It is unhkely that Cremen wiU contest any ARC rounds this year however he could return at the end of the sea son to compete in Rally Australia.

One at a time. One at a time!

MONTE Carlo Rally organisers have blasted motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, for cancelling Stage six of the event on Friday morning.

A statement released by the Automobile Club de Monaco on Friday afternoon read:

The Automobile Club’s clerks of the course have haft the regret to cancel, following a request from Mr Jacek Bartos, helicopter lifted FIA’s Permanent Safety Delegate, Special Stage No.6.

“The Automobile Club does not approve this decision, judging that,

contrary to the Observer’s assessment, the size and alleged unruly behaviour of the crowd, usual at the start, tends as experience has shown to normalise itself once the first car is running.

“Everyone will understand that considering that the hasty decision

from the Observer was made pub- accepted anymore.” lie, the Automobile Club could not The first stage of the rally was take on itself any risk whatsoever cancelled, and the cars sent in that stage. through in single file, after Bartos “The sporting management is report ‘unruly spectators’ on the therefore becoming difficult to road in the stage, an not-unusual assume, once'this notion of risk, ’ occurrence. which is part of motor racing, is not - JON THOMSON

28 Jenuary 2000

Targa Tns celebration of 75 years of MG,sort of

By BRiAN REED .

ORGANISERS of Targa Tasmania 2000 will cele

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brate 75 years of the famous MG marque - a date that is somewhat obscure, given that the MG Car Company was not officially formed until 1928.

However, Cecil Kimber, Director of Morris Garages had built several bodies attached to Morris chassis going back as early as 1923 to which the name ‘MG’ was attached (the well known abbreviation of Morris Garages).

The early ‘Kimber Special’ MG got the marque off to a - flying start in competition, finishing amongst the prize winners in the 1923 LondonLand’s End Trial. The impressive result also attract ed newspaper attention at the time because trials of this type were a peculiarly British form of competition based on ■ the all round performance of the car rather than on just speed and acceleration.

Perhaps 1925 was the mile stone year for Kimber because by now he was turn ing his attention to building sports cars from the ground up and the first road test of one of his cars in the May 25, 1925 edition of Autocar gave MG a great boost. About the same time the interest expressed by Motor and Motor Sport magazines also contributed to the growing reputation ofthe company.

So it seems the year 2000 is a reasonable choice for the 75th anniversary celebrations of the famous ‘G’i A special display of MGs will be staged at the start of Targa Tasmania at the Country Club Casino in Launceston and it is likely the show car for the foyer of the Country Club this year will be a fine example of the marque.

Tradition or mathematics: MG is such a part of motorsport history that we will let them cele brate 75 years a little early. Tim Harland leads Mark Hester, Wanneroo, 1993. (Photo by Ron Nobie)

Elfins, not Coopers: Max Stewart pushes John McCormack in MR5s in 1973. (Photo by Autopix)

Hour Bfin became Bfin

HISTORIC racing enthusiast Roger James from Melbourne is the proud owner of the Cooper Butler.

Roger has just been invited to take part in the Historic demonstration runs at this year’s Qantas Australian Grand Prix, and knowing Roger, the Cooper Butler will be in pristine condition for the occasion.

The Cooper Butler was one of the late Garrie Cooper’s first attempts at building his own racing cars and dates back to 1956. It was sold to his close friend Norm

Butler, and the pair then fitted an attractive two-seater body to the car. Later it also

ran lights and cycle guards, making it legal for use on public roads.

Because the Cooper name was already well and truly accounted for in racing car circles by Charles and John Cooper in England, Garrie Cooper had to come up with another name for his creations. One

of Garrie's hobbies as a youngster was fly ing model aircraft, and an engine he used . to power his planes was called ‘Elfin.’ , He liked this, and so began a line of some 270 sports and racing cars that put Australia on the map as a source of top class, competitive racers.- BRIAN REED

The Goad of the Old West ;96; w

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FRANK Goad, winner of the 1960 Armstrong 500 at Phillip Island, will be at Winton for the Australian Historic

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Th© Goad Code: Frank Goad will roll out a replica of his famous Armstrong 500-winning Vauxhall Cresta at Winton’s Historic Motorfest in April.

Motorfest on April 1-2.

Goad will compete in his Vauxhall Cresta, a faithful recreation of the car he drove to victory with the late John Roxburgh in the inaugural ‘Great Race.’

Frank Goad and his wife Zena certainly get some use out of their Gresta, and have just returned from Mount Gambier where they took part in the 25th National Rally of the Vauxhall Owners’ Glub of Australia.

The event which attracted 69 entries from all parts of Australia was held from January 6-11, and was organised by the South Australian branch of the club. Two visitors from the UK and two from New Zealand also attended.

What made the trip all the more worth while for the Goads was an unexpected tro phy win in the F and P Series class for Victors, Velox and Grestas built between 1958 and 1966.

-BRIAN REED

45

Briefly Historic There’s an interesting story about a Vauxhall which has become part of the folklore of the Mount Gambler region.

The story involves one of the last 30/98s built in 1927 (chassis number OE297) which was advertised for sale in The Motor and Autocar around 1930 in England.

The advertisements attracted the attention of Mr. John Dutton from Anlaby Station, South Australia, who was studying at Oxford University at the time.

Apart from his prowess as a sportsman (he rowed in the first eight for Magdalene College on the Henley in 1928), Dutton was also an intrepid motorist and he subsequently purchased the 30/98 and a supercharged Monliery MG for the sum of £300.

He finished 10th in the 1936 Australian Grand Prix at Victor Harbour driving his MG M s/c, and captured the national Class C speed record over one mile at Sellick’s Beach on February 2, 1935 in the Vauxhall 30/98. His speed was 92.34mph (148km/h).

The 30/98 was campaigned extensively in competition at Sellick’s Beach and also the Pewsey Vale hillclimbs, and doubled as Dutton’s daily transport.

Linton Morris, who purchased the car in 1993 recounts the story of an evening in February 1936 when “the car was involved in an accident, which caused its near fatal plunge into the Blue Lake at Mount Gambler.

John Dutton was thrown clear of the car as it rolled some 300 feet down the very steep wall of the lake, and he survived because his body was caught by a lone thorn bush which stopped him following the car into the water. He sustained severe injuries and was not expected to live.

This incident triggered what was probably one of the very early medical rescues by aircraft. A biplane was flown from Parafield, landed at Anlaby to pick up Emily and Dick Dutton and later fly them to Mount Gambler, transporting John Dutton to hospital in Adelaide. He was many months recovering from spinal and internal injuries.”

A letter from Geoffrey Dutton, the youngest brother of John gives perhaps the most accurate account of the incident; “John told me that it was a wet night and he was going back to his property ‘Burleigh.’ The vet, drunk,(apparently a not infrequent state for the local identity!) came around the bend on the wrong side of the road and forced John over the

edge. Fortunately the Vauxhall had no hood and John was thrown out.

Apparently the vet went on to Mount Gambler and had a couple more drinks at Jens Hotel before mentioning that John had gone over the edge.”

Geoffrey Dutton also described how his brother John watched as the car sank into the waters of the lake and rotated with its headlights still on, leaving an eerie lemon light before the battery failed and it plunged into the depths in darkness.

When the car was recovered from the lake in March, 1937 it was noted that the clock had stopped at 2:40 am, and “it is assumed this established the time of its descent into the lake with absolute accuracy.”

Following the salvage of the car, it passed through many hands and has a continuous racing history in western NSW and in Victoria. Linton Morris has subsequently restored the 30/98 back to its original specifications including the fabrication of an ash frame which has been covered in a handformed aluminium body.

Thanks to Geoffrey Dutton and Robert Hood it is even painted in the authentic colours - the original car was nicknamed ‘Bloody Mary’ as the main body was blood red with contrasting .black mudguards.

■ Supplementary regs. arid entry forms are now available for the AllHistoric Adelaide Speedweek 2000 to be held from April 11 to 16.

A great program of social and sporting events has been scheduled, and the meeting will celebrate 50 years of the Australian Grand Prix that was held at Nuriootpa, SA. The race was won by Doug Whiteford in his Ford V8 Special known as ‘Black Bess.’

The celebrations will start with a dinner at the Sporting Car Club of SA on Tuesday, April 11, with a hillclimb at Collingrove the following day.

On April 13, the Sporting Gar Club library (one of the very best anywhere) will be open, to be followed by a bus'tour, and then on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 will be main feature - racing for Historic cars and motorcycles at Mallala.

Cars may be scrutineered on Friday 14th at Mallala and private practice can be arranged by phoning Clem Smith on 018 819 483.

The All-Historic Adelaide Speedweek 2000 is organised by the Historic Racing Register of the see ofSA Inc., and for further enquiries and entry forms phone (08) 8373 4899.

- BRIAN REED

V

46 28Januaiy 1998

£

30 Years in a Millenium 30 BILSTEIN is celebrating years of Motorsport with the release of a calender for the year 2000. of success in This large calender is packed with full colour quality photos cele brating motor sport from around i the world.

Bilstein have covered most forms of motorsport with champi ons from each discipline.

Rally fans are treated to some great action shots ranging from Richard Burns in his WRX to Walter Rohrl in 1973 driving a Opel Ascona.

Formula One is represented by greats such as Aryton Senna and Niki Lauda. Cars featured include Mclaren, Ferrari and Benetton. w ith Bilstein into the neUT; Many other marques have been featured including the leg endary Porsches from LeMans, BMW and Jaguar.

With the great quality photo's and history represented this cal ender is sure to become a col * lectors item. !

62-04 tntropW Street Berwick 0806 Tel.:(03)9769 90SO Faj:(03)0760 9555 For only $30 these are sure ' to sell quick. If you would like a copy for your wall, contact QuadrantTreat.yourself ... with the Bilstein calendar featuring quality action shots month after Suspensions on 03 9769 9666 or by email on month after month. motorsport@quadrantsuspensions.com.au.

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Podium Finish SPEEDZONE have intro duced a new glove to their extensive range.

The new "Podium" range of of gloves are flame-resistant and feature a double layer back and sure grip leather palms. The extended cuff features a velcro adjustment to ensure a comfortable and secure fit.

The gloves carry the ISO6940 specification label and are suitable for all cir cuit racing.

The new "Podium" range is available in red, blue and black and come in sizes rang ing from small to X-large.

Priced at only $59.00 the range is affordable and should prove popular at all levels of motorsport through out AustrEiha.

For further details call into any Speedzone outlet around Australia-, or you can contact R & R Speedsports on 02 9709 4655.

Jet-Hot Direct ET-HOT have released a new range of exhaust headers, which are pre coated and can be shipped direct to the customer any where in Australia.

For a number of years' now Jet-Hot has protected exhaust headers and other components with the appli cation of a metalic-ceramic coating.

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Jet-Hot now have a range of exhaust headers pre-coated and ready to send. The "Jet-Hot Direct" service is designed to save the customer time and money.

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48 28 JanuBiy 2000

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.

Sedams/Sports Cars

RX2 Club Car, BB, 5 speed. Current log book, big brakes , adjustable struts with Bilsteins. New 14‘ 8Rs. Tagged cage, Kevlar seat. $7,800. Ph: 0418 554 829. 172 HQ Monaro, 2 door, most parts to complete. VGC, original GTS guards, suit Group No. POA. Ph: 03 9725 3234 or 0418 389 438. 172 HQ Race car, top 5 runner. POA. Ph: 03 9725 3234 or 3418 389 438. 172

AUSCAR Sportsman Commodore, championship winning engine , very competitive, always finished in top ten. Car comes with fuil range of spares. This car cannot be described in 30 words. $10,000. Ph: 0410 640 644. 172 Escort rally project, comes with heaps of parts to help finish. All hard work done, all the good stuff (Bilstein, Brembo, Fierra.) $5,740. 1 have spent a thousand more! Ph: 0412 372 678. m NASCAR, Terry Wyhoon Aussie Ford Thunderbird. Race ready for Melb Grand Prix with many spares. Ph: Terry 0408 555 821.POA. w2 1994 Cbevy Camaro, red with red & grey interior, removable smoked glass targa trips. Personally imported 2 years ago. Returning to live in America. $30,000 obo, Ph: 03 5529 2579. ,72

Porsche 911 RS/CS, oar like new, ready to race seriously or at fun Targa/club events. Range of spares/wheels. all set-up info. Reg'oed, only done 10,000km since new. just repainted. $160,000 neg with or without spares. Ph: Jim Richards 03 9876 1960 or 0418 320 726. 172 1968 Mini Cooper 'S', Group Nc 1330cc. Comes with spare motor, wheels, top much to list. Have to make room for new race car. Sell $14,000 ono. Ph: 02 9747 6100 AH or 0411 878 886 BH 172 HQ Race car, competitive, reliable Bathurst winning car. ideal for entry level or serious contender, includes complete spare car, wheels, tyres, etc. Priced to sell $5,000.00 ono. Call Paul Taylor for further details on (02) 9898 1111 or

Escort 2 litre Sports'Sedan, Ford SOHC, RS2000 box, Quaife LSD, discs all-round, adj suspension, 15x8 wheels with slicks. Ring tor full details. Retiring, must sell.

Bargain at $6,500 ono with trailer.'Ph: Trev on 02 6247 6989. 172 V8 Supercar EL, ex-Glenn Seton, GSR 7. Ready to race, spare engine and spares package. $180,000. Ph: 0418 449139. m V8 Supercar VS, ex-HRT. Holden engine plus lots of spares with spare engine. $75,000. Ph: 0418 449 139. 172 HQ Monaro Sports Sedan, was Hewland rear, will sup ply with Harrop diff front/rear brakes etc. Some body moulds, no engine or box. $7500. Ph: 0412 156 766 anytime. 172

U Torana Sports Sedan, fresh engine 202, Irving head, mid mounted. New tyres, 300hp, CR Muncie box, 4 adjustable shocks, 4 wheel disc brakes, fine springs, axles.

Log book, range of spares. Ready to race. Ph: 03 9350 1728. 172 Nissan Skyline 2 door coupe HR31, lightweight Nismo body shell. 2.5 litre 6 cylinder 24 valve twin cam EFi. AP rotors front and rear, Harrop 4 spot calipers, new and partly used Dunlop slicks, wets and intermediates. All you need for an extremely competitive club car or sports sedan. Needs assembly, paint and roll cage. Total value $40K+. will take $19,000 nnn. Ph: 07 4791 .5833

Commodore Cup 44, new front suspension, still in box, diff & gearbox just reconditioned, needs short to run, heaps of spares including painted panels. Urgent sale. $14,500.

Ph: 02 9772 8454 BH or 02 9528 8392 AH. 172 Camaro Z2S '96, damaged front, perfect from wind screen back, immaculate interior, top base stereo, turbo 700, electric everything.,No engine. Good GTP project or repair and register. $5,500. Ph: 0412 156 766 anytime. 172 Datsun 280Z, mechanically sound, neat new Bridgestone radials, gold hotwire mags, neat interior, all gauges work, immobiliser, FM radio/cassette, reasonable body, registered until June. $1,690 ono. Ph: 08 9361 9906. 172 NASCAR Pontiac Grand Prix, new body, 18‘ Chev engine, fast and consistent car complete with pit equipment, flat track set up, Jerico gearbox, alcon brakes etc.

Subaru Brumby, intercooled Easi turbo. Wolf computer, 5 speed constant 4WD. A/C, power steering, 15x6 mags.

Reg Jan 2001. Much more, $16,000. Will seperate motor g/box etc. $4,490. Good autooross/hillclimb car. Ph: 07 4162 6495. 172 Holden HQ Racer, CAMS log book, good paint, fnany new parts, spare rims and tyres. $1,800 ono. Must sell (Sydney). Ph: 0418 625 004, 172 Genuine Savanah/RX3 Coupe, alum foam tank, turbo 12A, MicroTech computer injec, vent 4 spots, cambered rear end, race susp, Simmons, new ,tyres (2 sets) RWC Reg. Immaculate. $10,500. Ph: 03 6394 3541. 172 Gemini Club car, twin cam engine, 5 speed gearbox, locked diff, steel roll cage, Yokohama tyres, log book. $5,500. Ph: 07 3382 0636. 172 VW Golf GTi, 16V 3 door, c/r gearbox, traction control, out performs VR6, service records, 1 of less than 5 cars in Oz. Tornado red, excellent condition. $22,500. Ph: 08 8278 5988 AH or 08 8204 8869 BH. 172

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:r

i/ly.

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280Z Datsun, triple Webers, Hollinger gearbox, R180 LSD with 4.6 ratio, strong body & steel cage, Bilstein sus pension. NSW rally rego, Teratrip and teraphone. $11,000.

Ph: Steve 02 4721 0357 BH or 02 4751 4620 AH. 172

Mk.l Cortina Sedan, '66 auto, very clean, straight, origi nal vehicle always kept maintained, 56,000 genuine miles, driven daily. 3 owners since new, regrettable sale, need bigger car due to additional family member. $2,500. Long reg and RWC. Ph: 03 9511 4205. .71 Itsi

Nissan Skyline 2 door coupe HR31, gunmetal grey, 08/95 Australian compliance, RB20 intercooled turbo with performance pop off valve. Kenwood sound system, RWC, reg 05/00. VGC $11,750. Ph: 07 4691 5833. 172 Corolla KE10 Club Car, 3rd 0-1600 '97 State Champs, 5 spd, LSD, 4WD brakes, new suspension, full cage, win dow net, Dorian, never bent in 30 years, original log books, reliable & immaculate, spare body plus parts. Genuine" Lotus 7 Mk.3, fully restored with 1600 cross flow engine, applicants only. $10,500. Ph: 02 4736 3882. 172 130 bhp. Ford running gear. BRG paintwork, concourse condition. $38,000 ono. Ph: 03 9682 2466. t7l

Historic Group R Sports Car, T.R.E. 1981. Roller, good condition, log book, needs 1600cc Ford engine. $5,500 ono. Ph: 03 9742 5277 or 0412 308 788. 171 ttxiaARS h fituaaiR

0419 440 973. 172 Cl ub Car Cortina, good HP engine, competitive car, 0/P 50s. Ready to race with spares and trailer. Priced for quick sale at $10,000. Call Ken on 0412 820 741. ,7.

Datsun 1200 Coupe Club Racer, A-1400 motor, Webers, 4-spot front discs, 4.8 Nissmo LSD rear-end. 5speed 'box, full cage & many spares. $5,200 ono. Ph: 0408 592 273 or 03 9735 4679. ,71

Torana GTR XU-1, Group Nc race car. 3rd 1999 NSW State Championship. $10,500, trade-in considered, Ph:

Historic Group R Sports Car, Kaditch bodied ex Group A, rotary powered, Mk9 Hewland gearbox, AR calipers, Elfin rack, all fully restored. $30,000 ono. Ph: 03 9682 2466. 171 Torana LJ XU-1, wrecking 2 door. V8, reg, LSD diffs, axles f/ends. Lightweight (ex-HDT) doors, Sprintmaster mags, gearboxes, 2x worked 186s, RX7 5-speed, triple 45mm Webers. Many more parts (Vic rego number LOT 980). Ph: 0428 535 245. 171

Porsche 911 1972, turbo body, 2 4 Itr 40 IDA Webers, half roll-cage, F&R Koni adj, cross drilled rotors, F&R adj sway bars, strut brace, Simmons wheels, Yok A008P. Reg 2/2000. Ideal for Marque racing. $25,000. Ph: 07 3266 6001 or 0414 901 612. m Subaru WRX/GTP '98, Second in Class B, Bathurst 3 Hr 98; 2nd Class B Oran Park 99; 2nd Class B Gold Coast Indy 99; fastest qualifier Indy 99. New engine, many spares and extras. Ph: 02 9672 7530 or 0413 879 879. 171 Lotus Cortina '65, Group Nc log book, eight wheels & tyres, Cobra seats. Bond alloy cage, CR box, L block, immaculate, road rego N/T. $20,000. Ph: 02 9599 3726. 171

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HOTLAP WITH THE LEGENDS Terms and Conditions of Entry (see competition advertisement elsewhere) LJ Torana, currently logged as a Club Car, or easy con version to NC. Plenty of spares, diff ratios, wheels etc. $9,900 neg. Ph: 02 9671 1042. 172 FaBcon XR8 AUSCAR, rolling chassis with Bilstein susp, fire system, autometer dash, diff, gearbox, 2 sets of wheels, fuel churn, jack etc. $14,500. Phone Jamey 0414 952 601. 172 Porsche Cup B Class winner 96/97/98, Trust Bank Porsche. In immaculate condition, fully maintained to high est level. Lap record holder @ Winton, Mallala, E. Creek etc. Race at the V8 rounds in Porsche Cup or locally in Marque Sports. Extra wheels, tyres etc. $85,000. Ph: 0412 337 227. 172

Formula Vee, Scorpion 2 Torpedo" 1998 build no.1, exKeith Poole. Penske front shocks, in-oar adjustable single Penske shock rear, Memo 'batman' wheel, Willans harness es, braided lines. Spare nose cone, gearbox, wheels etc.

Finished 6th at Bathurst 1999 out of 58 cars and tenth at Nationals, in hands of first year driver. Recent engine rebuild with receipts. Must sell due to new project. $14,500.

Ph: Matt 0418 373 938. 172

1. The Promoter is Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd, PO Box 1010 North Caulfield.

Vic. 3161.

2. Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these conditions of entry.

3. Entry is only open to residents of Australia.

Employees and their immediate families of the Promoter. Ticketmaster 7 Australia Pty Ltd, General Travel Group Pty Ltd, Singleton Ogiivy & Mather, Australian Grand Prix Corporation and their agencies associated with this promo tion are ineligible to enter. To enter, con sumers must purchase Motorsport News between 30/12/99 and 17/2/2000 and complete the official entry form and enclose four official competition images of Allan Moffat and/or Peter Brock and nominate either Allan Moffat or Peter Brock as their preferred driver on the [entry form and send entry to PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161. Multiple entries accept ed but each entry must be on a separate entry form and in a separate envelope. All entry forms and competition images must be origi nals and no photocopies will be accepted. No responsibility accepted for late, tost or misdi rected mail.

4. Promotion commences 30/12/99. Entries close 5pm 20/2/2000. The draw will take place at 11am at 61 Christie Street St Leonards NSW 2065-6ri '23/2/00. The winners will be notified by hnail and their names will be pub lished in Motorsport News on 2/3/2000.

5. "Hotlap with the Legends Prize". The first valid entry drawn which nominates Allan Moffat as the entrants preferred driver and the first valid entry drawn which nominates Peter Brock

as the entrants preferred driver will each win a trip for 2 people to Melbourne valued at up to $5,000 depending on point of departure, including return economy airfares from the win ners nearest capital city to Melbourne (if nec essary), 2 four-day grandstand tickets to attend the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix and 4 nights twin share accommodation. The prize also includes the opportunity for each winner to be driven around the Albert Park circuit with their preferred driver in the vehicle the relevant driver will drive at the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix. The prize must be taken to coin cide with the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix from 9/3/2000 to 12/3/2000 and the lap around the Albert Park circuit must be taken on the date and at the time determined by the Promoter in its absolute discretion and the win ners must be available to take the prize at this time. The prizes are subject to booking and flight availability and flights may not be changed once the tickets are purchased.

Flights are on Qantas Airways Limited only and not its subsidiary airlines (ie Sunstate, Eastern Australian, Southern Airlines and Airlink) and flights do not accrue frequent flyer points.

Upgrades cannot be purchased either with cash or frequent flyer points.

6. The winners of the Hotlap with the Legends Prize must comply with all directions of the Promoter, the driver and race officials at all times. The winners must wear all safety equip ment and passenger restraining equipment as requested. The Promoter reserves the right to refuse to allow a winner to take part in any or all aspects of the prize, if the Promoter deter¬

mines, in its absolute discretion, that the win ner is not in the mental or physical condition necessary to safely participate in the prize. As a condition of accepting the prize, the winners must sign a waiver of liability and indemnity form as required by the Promoter.

Notwithstanding any other conditions set out herein, the Promoter and the Australian Grand Prix Coiporation at ail times reserve the right to prevent any individual from participating in the Hotlap with the Legends Prizes for any reason whatsoever.

7. In the event of the unavailability of the Hotlap with the Legends Prizes for any reason outside the control of the Promoter the winner will be granted 2 x syndicated (shared) Pit Exit Suite hospitality tickets (the ‘Ticket Prize') to the 2000 Qantas Australian Gr^d Prix from 912 March 2000 valued at up to $3,190. Airfares and accommodation are not included in the Ticket Prize and the Ticket Prize must be taken to coincide with the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix held from 9/3/00 to 12/3/00.

8. Spending money, meals, transport to and from departure point, transfers and all other ancillary costs incurred as a result of taking a prize is the responsibility of the winners. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any vari ation in the prize values. Prizes are not trans ferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash.

9. All prizewinners and their companions attending the 2000 Qantas Australian Grand Prix agree to comply with the Conditions of Entry to the event.

10. TTie prizewinners acknowledge and accept

that motor racing and related activities are dan gerous and accidents can happen, and that participation in any prize has a degree of dan ger. To the extent permitted by law, the prize winners exclude, release and forever dis charge the Promoter and the Australian Grand Prix and their respective personnel from all lia bility for claims, loss, damage, costs or expenses (whether arising under statute, from negligence, personal Injury, death, property damage infringement of third party rights or otherwise) arising from or in connection with the participation in the relevant prize or atten dance at the event or otherwise howsoever arising.

11. All entries become the property of the Promoter. All entries will be entered into a database and the Promoter (or any third party nominated by the Promoter) may use entrants’ names, addresses and the winners image and their comments relating to the prize for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes in any media worldwide without notice and without any fee being paid.

12. If the winner is under the age of 18 years, the prize will be awarded to a member of the winnerts immediate famify (as nominated by the winner) provided such person is 18 years of age or over and such person complies with all of the conditions set out above in relation to the prize.

NSW Penmit No. TC99/11483,.Vic. Permit No.99/3939 issued on 16/12/99, A.C.T. Peimit No. TP99/2264, N.T. 99/3626, S.A.T99/4280

I

28Jdnudiy2000 Escort Mk1 ®T, project with 1700 Twin Cam bullet gearbox, V6 Capri brakes plus much more. For complete details phone 0418 140 652 or fax 03 6423 5222. 171 V8 Supercar Commodore, competitive, reliable car set up & ready to race, includes comprehensive pit equip ment & spares package, ideal for Lites or Shell Series. $105,000 ono. Call Rod Salmon or Paul Taylor for detailed specification 02 9898 1111 or 0419 285 248 email: rsalmon@showtech.com.au 171 Holden Torana LJI XU-I, Appendix J, fresh motor.

M21 box, Detroit locker diff, steel cage, race ready, spares available. $15,000. Ph: 02 9792 4779 or 0419 489 465. 171

Super Sedan Camaro. Ex-Australia One. Heaps of spares. Roller ready to race less motor. Engine parts avail able. $7000 neg. Ph: 035447 1232 or 0417 106 711. 172

0412 156 766 anytime, ua Ford AUSCAR engine, dyno and set up sheets 380hp. $2,800. Phone Jamey 0414 952 601. m Chev 18 degree motor, dart aluminium heads, bow tie block, T&D shaft rockers. Grower crank, Oliver 6‘ rods. JE pistons. Fully reooed by Rob Benson, 650hp. Sell $17,500.

Ph:0418514444or03 5176 2257. m Leyland V8 race engine, roller cam, quad Webers, dry sump pan, extractors, engine plate etc. $4,000. Ph: 0412 156 766 anytime. \n Race engine Hume rotary Mini, new from Selectmaz.

Few races. 13B PP, It.wt rotors, ceramic seals, 320 hp. $5,500 ono. Ph: 03 9742 5277 or 0412 308788. in Fomiula Holden V6, race engine. Not raced since thor ough rebuild. $8,000. Ph:0411 724 297. in Chew 366, 600 hp Super Sedan engine, track 1 alloy heads. Cola crank, full roller c&s carb veltex magneto, com plete engine by Jack Bros. Cost $45,000, sell $15,000. Ph: 07 3888 5934 or 0417 789 053. m Computer - Inject EM3, top of the range, no lap top required for tuning, just serviced, $1,100 ono and injected 3K 1500CC race motor, Kombi adaptor and flywheel $900 ono. Ph: 0407 983 143. in

Open Wheelers

rebuilt 2-litre Nova motor. Outright winner Leyburn, class wins in record time Mt.Cotton and Noosa Hillclimbs. Spares including wets. Excellent condition. $42,000. Ph:0733961624. 171 Formula Ford Van Diemen RF86. Competitive Victorian State Series oar complete and ready to race.

Lamer engine, 2 sets of wheels and tyres, ratios for all Victorian tracks, quick lift and alignment bars. Set up data and assistance available. $11,000. Ph Michael Weber 039850 8677 171 Azzurro 1999 model,“M6H" 40mm axle. Fox Reed valve engine.$2,450 or will separate. Ph:035275 2305. 171 Spectrum 06, Formula Ford available to lease for the Vic State Race Series 2000. Call to (discuss packages. Ph: Keith 0408 066 106 171

Parts Hawk carbon metallic brake pads, suit Wilwood superlite & dynalite calipers. Black and blue compound. $100 a set. Ph:03 9435 5407 after 7:00 pm. 172 Quaife gear set, suit Ford, bullet box, brand new. $2,500. Ph: 03 9782 4144. 172 Mercedes Benz 190E, intercooled A.I.T. turbo kit.

ExcetetqiBgy kt, brand new,never been Sited.$2950.Fh0412366157. m Chev titanium exhaust valves, 1.60 -n200 $650, Flolden titanium exhaust valves $600. Yates titanium valves 2.10 and 1.60 $1,200 a set. Ph: 0419 655 701. 172 1 Group A 2stage *y sump,oil tank, hardly used with mod ify oil stick and breather outlets. $500 ono. Ph:0409125 965. 172 Torana A9X Parts, orig hot L34 heads, as new full hatchback interior (orig), orig black carpet - new, top A9X wishbones - new. Best offers. Ph: 0408 912160. 172

Super Sedan Camaro, built by Danny Smith. Aust 1 1998, two seasons old, fast car, too much to mention. Sell complete. Ph: 03 5176 1355 or 018 514 444. 172

Super Sedan, Pontiac Firebird as driven by Blair Granger. Girdlestone built 600 hp 366 Chev, woodward rack, all AFCO suspension. Complete competitive car which is ready to race. $30,000 or sell less engine $15,000.

Ph: 07 3888 5934 or 0417 789 053. 171 Sprintcar chassis, Drake Hi-bar USA. VGC, $600. Ph: 03 9728 4839 or 0410 493 242. 171 Speedcar, Gardner hi bar, very quick and reliable Nissan FJ20, heaps of spares plus fully enclosed tandem axle trailer. The btfor$19,000orwill separate. Ph:073824 7339or 0411479821. 171 TE Cortina, "A’ modified. 250 nav ring bearing, 350 Holley Avgas, 12 tyres, mag wheels, spares, reg 99/00 with trailer. Will Seperate. $6,000 ono. Ph:03 5221 6135. 171

Eiigiiies 308 B Cast heads, flat tops, Harrop crank and rods, -r 40. $3,000. Ph: 03 9725 3234 or 0418 389 438. 172 Lotus Twin Cam, 1760cc fully rebuilt, not started. $5,000. Ph: 03 9782 4144. 172 Cosworth all steel 1760cc, Ford crossflow built by Mass Engines UK. Complete exhaust to oarbys roller rock ers, double chain, steel caps, fully rebuilt, not started. $8,000. Ph: 03 9782 4144. 172 Cosworth BDC t700, large valve, all steel, fully rebuilt, not started. $16,000. Ph:03 9782 4144. 172 Cosworth BDM 1600, large valve, all steel, fully rebuilt, not started. $16,000. Ph:03 9782 4144. 172 Chev SB, high performance 355ci carby to sump. 12.5:1 comp, Roller valve train, 4 bolt bottom end, approx 420-' 450hp, can supply thicker head gaskets to make more streetable. Only quality brand names used inside engine.

Will separate heads, carby, manifold from bottom end.$6,500 ono. Ph:029604 8910 or 0417253324.172 Nissan SR20 race motor, 2.0 It, MoTec throttle bodies, Motiss cams,flowed head,forged pistons, dry sump, alloy flywheel, just rebuilt and dyno rurvin. 220-i- hp,eM 5speed gearbox.$6,000.

MoTec M4 computer e/w loom.$2,000. Ph:0408720 560.172 366 Chev, complete Super Sedan engine bow tie, brodix, full roller, dry sumped, Bowlaw's carb & belt drive pump, sweet p/s pump,K&N filter and accel Pro limiter. $12,000, Ph:0413079817.172 Rochester Carby, A9X - brand new in box, or will suit any Holden V8. Best reasonable offer. Ph: 0408 912 160. 172 i Comer 1999 mode!, ICAS piston port engine. Comes with clutch, carby and muffler. $2,400. Ph: 03 5250 2994 ah or 03 5275 2305 BH. 171 Ford 367 stroked Cleveland, Venolia 13.5:1 pistons, 4mab Grower billet steel rods, 4V heads extensive porting titanium valves, retainers. Yella Terra rockers, crane girdle, Romac, active inlet 600-r hp. $8,900. Ph: 0419 655 701. 172 Leyland V8, 305 bhp, 320 lb torque. Ivan Walker heads, roller rockers, Dave Mawer sump, custom inlet with 500 Holley, custom elec ignition clutch & 4 speed. $2,200. Ph.

Formula Two CRD 852. Will be eligible tor Group R, fresh Ford Engine, Hewland Gearbox, Current Log Book, full history available, race ready, spare suspension, ratios, engine parts wings, wets on wheels. $14,500 ono. Ph: BH 0417 851 716, AH 03 9878 9515. 172

Clubman/Sports 1300. SHW Corolla, Hollinger o/r, mounted wets, registered trailer, 2nd NSW Championship 95, 96. 3rd 91, 97. Easy convert Suzuki or Historic. $12,750. Ph: 02 9918 8735. .72 Swift SC93 F. Christian Jory offers for sale ready to race.

Heaps of spares, top finishes in nat & state series. Lamer engine, $18,000. Contact Tony Jory Ph:036326 5555 or 0418130153..72 Formula Holden Reynard 94D, for sale or lease.

Immaculate condition. Ready to race. Extremely compre hensive spares package available to purchaser. Also ..available brand new Treg trailer, electronic scales and all pit'and set up equipment. Contact Steve on 08 8297 9741 or 0407 397 622. 172 Elfin 600E F2. Group Q Historic log book. Chassis num ber 7126. Lotus 1600 twin cam. the best available, nothing to spend. $39,900. Contact l^an Clencie. Ph: BH 03 9761 6622 or AH 03 9762 1732. 172

Historic Formula Ford, '83 Reynard. Recent chassis up rebuild, 2 meetings since engine rebuild. Excellent race record, maintained by Brook Motor Sport. Ph: Stephen on 024572 8886 m 250cc National Superkart, Zip Eagle. '92 Yamaha YZ 250, heaps of spares, new tyres, excellent condition, ready to race. Must see. $5,000. Ph: 02 9820 1673. .72 Arrow AX6, Midget/Rookie Go-Kart rolling chassis. New fuel lines, new floor tray. Only 1 and a half years old, as good as new.$1,750 ono. Ph:03 9598 5293. 172 Formula Ford SJ97 Mygale, rolling chassis. 2 sets of wheels, spare nose cone. Exc cond. Priced to sell. Ph: 0413 585 359 or 03 9369 4812. 172

Torana GTR XU-1, original race wheels 13 x 9(2 rims), 13X8(2 rims)with Dunlop VGC slicks. Best offer. Ph:0408912160. m Simmons wheels, and Dunlop tyres. Two 'OM' Simmons 17‘ x 7.5', two "OM’ Simmons 17" x 8.5" plus Dunlop Formula R 235/45 ZR 17', all as new $2,200 ono for theloLPh: 0418 230 018. 172 Aifab Gemini pilot, with cable and gearbox to suit Renault 16TS. $100 ono. Ph:07 5537 9780 or 0418 784 992. m Porsche AVS rims, 17 x 8s, polished with alloy caps, brand new Pirelli P700 tyres 245 x 45 series, never used.

Top class show rims. $2,200. Ph: 0409 125 965. 172 VW Brand New, 2 litre heads. 48 x 38, Chevy double springs, suit Speedway, off road or performance VW. $1,000. Plus other performance goodies. Ph:0409 125 965. 172 Parts clearance, Lakewood bell housing $220, Flarrop 14‘ discs and calipers $1600. Rear brakes $1000. Sierra dry sump pan $220. Borg/Beck twin plate race clutch $500.

Ph: 0412 156 766. 172 Metering unit, Lucas mech P.l. 8 cyl 5 litre elect + mech HP pumps included. Ph: 02 997 8072. 172 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 that can charge 5 radios at once in one hour and 4 spare batteries. $2,900 ono. Phone Jamey 0414 952 601. itp Terratrip 202 plus, used once, as new. Excellent for club meets and rally. $200 ono. Ph: 0418 230 018. m Harrop Full Floater, 9" just spent $600 on true up and new bearings. Set up for Sports Sedan. 4 link, $1,200 or with Harrop brakes, $2,100. Ph: 0412 156 766. 172 Falken race tyres, RX06GB 9 x 205/60 R14. From $75 each. Ph: 03 9435 5407 after 7:00 pm. 172 Escort Twin Cam, brand new genuine Ford front guards. $1,200 set. Ph: 03 9499 3088 or 0418 867 004, 172 Simpson race helmet, size 60. Super speedway Shark with spoilers, never used. Cost $1,500, sell for $1,000. Ph: Craig 0412 895 560. 172 4 X Triple Adjustable, Ohiins shock absorbers, set up for Formula Holden. $8,000. Ph: 0412 895 560. 172 Tyres Michelin wets, 210/650/19x4 new $500 the set.

Ph:03 9872 4522. 171 Falken race tyres, all used once or twice.4 - 235/40 ZR18 RX 04GB $200 each. 4 - 235/45 ZR17 RX04GRB $150 each. 4 - 255/40 ZR17 RX04GRB $200 each. 4 235/45 ZR17 Azenis $150 each. 4 - 255/40 ZR17 Azenis $200 each. 4 - 195/60 HR 14 Azenis $80 each. Contact Chris on 0409 258 371. 171 Datsun L16 Carillo Rods, new in box $1,000. Arias 12.6/1 forged racing pistons, new in box 86mm, $1,000.

Ph: 07 5446 6145, 171 New/Used Hewland FT200 ratios, new dog rings, nav selecta forks-(set)- rod ends etc, Call 0882348688for details. 171 Tyres Dunlop wets, 215/645/18x2 260/655/18x2 fair condition, $500 the set. 230/640/18x2 260/655/18x2, scuffed only $1,000 the set. Ph: 03 9872 4522. 171 Tyres Pirelli slicks, sizes range from 15" to 19' select ed stock reduced to clear. Wets & P-Zero-c also available in limited sizes. POA. Ph: 03 9872 4522. m MSD Promag, ten times more output than conventional magneto, built-in rev limiter. LI new. $2,350. Ph: 03 5176 2257 or 0418 514 444. 171

Chevron B34 1976, with Historic logbook. Recently

Group A VP body kit, racing styie with large rear wing used only on promotional oar, $1,000. Ph: 02 6355 5995 171 Hewland FT 200, with XTrac LSD, mated to rotary 13B

t Category. □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers □ Speedway □ Drag □ Parts □ Engines □ Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other

PP. May separate, all excellent condition. $23,500 com plete. Ph: 03 9742 5277 or 0412 308 788. in Group A rims, 4 BBS aluminium rims, five stud pattern. $2,000. Ph: 02 6355 5995. 171 Donovan alloy block, 350-r, all main caps, head studs and nuts, good bore, good cam bearings and all plugs and caps. Cracked bearing tunnel repairable. $800. Ph: 03 9728 4834 or 0410 493 242. in Sprintcar parts, rear end parts, lower shafts, 10-10 couplers,inboardcaliper,tailshafts.Fh:0397284834a0410493242. m

Tgnmsperters/Tffsiiieffs Trailer, brand new purpose built, dual axle, elec brakes, registered. Flat white aluminium sliding. Front office area and seating. Tie down hooks, alum ramps, rear door gas struts. 21ft X 7ft X 7ft. Suitable for Formula Holden/Formula Ford. $10,000. Ph: Craig 0412 895 560. 172 33ft Tri-axle trailer. 8ft wide, 7ft high, electric brakes.

Living and workshop area, will carry 2 FFords or sedan & ‘84 F100 LWB 4x4 351 4 speed on gas and fuel. Complete $30,000, will separate. Contact Tony Jory 03 6326 5555 or 0418 130 133, 172 Tri-axle trailer/motorhome, vehicle storage area, liv ing insulated, sleeps five, main bedroom with separate access to bathroom. On board 6.5 kw generajor, 32kg LPG storage, kitchen area, hotwater, TV & video and much, much more. A bargain at $50,000. Ph: 0417 512 425. 172 Leyland bus, more than half work done to make super car transporter. 6 cylinder diesel, 4 speed auto, new tyres, new battery, new electric winch and full length side annex.

All clean for any inspection, only requires rear door and paint. Will pass roadworthy. Ph:035472 4629 or 0354722110. m Tandem Trailer, Purpose built for Commodore race car.

Almost new. low beaver back tail, tyre rack, jockey wheel, brakes, hollow base, hotwire wheels, jerry can holders, great to tow. $2,800 ono. Ph: 0409 565 012. 172 Fully enclosed, tandem trailer with annex, tyre rack. Suit Formula Vee/Ford/Holden. Internal dimensions: 4820(-r)L 1920W 1020H. $2,500 ono. Ph: 0411 724 297. 171

Dodge Prime Mover, and Pantec. 1970. New (not reconditioned) 318 motor. 5-speed, air conditioned, three spares. Registered URT 903. Takes large sedan or 2 open wheelers. $15,500. Ph: 08 8252 3414 or 0418 819 759. m

V8 Supercar Team for 2000, needed by pitcrew member with experience and very good knowledge. Please ring Mark on 02 9622 6509 or 0418 252 260. 172 Reynard 93D, gearbox parts. In particular'selector mech anism,oil pumps, shafts.Phone day Peter Brown 0297430411.(72 1:18 scale model Ferrari 93A, Alesi or Berger by Minichamps. Ph: 02 9874 0248 during the day. 172 Motorsport books wanted, 1977 Bathurst program.

The Great Race 1991 No.tl.-The Great Race 1993 No.13, other Bathurst 1000 memorabilia also considered. Good prices paid. Private collector. Phone David AH 0249681407.172 Wanted to know, does anyone know of Jayco Racing transporter that was advertised in December 1999 edition with incorrect phone numbers? Please phone 035472 2853. 172 Wanted to buy, enclosed transporter with rear lift, capa ble of handling 3 tons, prepared to pay for the right vehicle.

Ph: 03 5472 4629 or 03 5472 2110. 172 Historic Group Q Racing Gar, prefer Elfin/March/Chevron/Ralt, any condition but must be com plete, Ph: David 03 9682 2466. 71 Cortina Mkl Remote gear shifter, Ph:03 9799 1683. (n Pit crew, wanted for all GTP races. OLD based, must have a lot of time(free everything but no pay)Ph:0732634906. 171

Positions available, we at DMA need 1 fabricator, 2 mechanics, with Subaru experience preferred. Send C.V. to: DMA Motorsport, PO BOX 8037 Oakleigh East 3166. 172 Racing car magazines for sale, Racing Car News 1970s to 1991, Australian Motor Racing 1980-1985, one off publications and Lakeside/Surfers/Balhurst programmes available. Also limited 1960's titles. Approx over 240 mags in total. Best offers ask for Tony. Ph: 07 3256 9505 AH. 172 Bell Sport II, full face helmet. SA95 approved, Nomex lined, tinted visor, perfect cond, used only once, still in box.

New(xsf$675&$115 for visor, sell $500ono. Ph:0412 511957.172 Engine dyno, go-power 800hp. Full instruments, auto & manual loading includes all extras. Complete unit, inspec tion invited. $26,000. Ph: 02 6762 3636. 172 Magazines, Autosport - 190 of from 1976-83. Cars and Car Conversions - 126 of from 1976-87, S.C.W - 24 of from 1976-90 Cffers.Ph: 03 9397 6750. 17.

Send us your classified ads* and we’ll run them for FREE Yes! Motorsport News Clas^eds are absolutely free for readers' private car&equipmentsales^mplypostorfaxymjradtous&we’llnmttfor

Descrsptiorj;

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Name: Address:

Ph( Please keep ads to no more than 30 words, plus a photo if required.

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NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Please use the form provided and print dearly. Please note we are unable to return photographs used in classified ads. Ads will appear as soon as possible after receipt. ‘FREE Classifieds are for the sale of private goods and vehicles only, not business advertising (Trade advertisers see Oassifieds header for rates) Photos marked "proof" will not be used.

50 28 Janudiy 2000 ,

olUfo.

Fact... or fiction?

Motorsport ■

NEWS

Editorial Editor Phil Branagan TechnieaJ Editor Tony Glynn Assistant Editor Gerald McDornan Staff Journalist Aaron Noonan Graphics Co-ordinator Viv Brumby

Advertising Advertising Manager Brendon Sheridan

Administration Managing Director Chris Lambden

Contacts 89 Orrong Crescent ' Caulfield North VIC 3161 (PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161) Phone: 03 9527 7744 Fax. 03 9527 7766 Email: msnews@ozemail.coni.au

CompuServe: 100237,116S

Contributors General; Brian Reed, Grant Nicholas, Darryl Flack, Jon Thomson, Mike Kable, Mark Jones FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurting, Gary Watkins US: Phil Morris NZ: John Hawkins Speedway: Brett Swanson, Dennis Newlyn, Sue Hobson, Geoff Rounds, Tony Millard (UK), Rally; Peter Whitten, Jon Thomson Drag 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, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Tony Glynn, API Images, Neil Hammond, Slipstream Photographic, Thunder-Pics, Phil Williams, Allsport, John Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, John Bosher, Lynley Reid, Mike Patrick (UK), Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent, Peter French, Chris Carter Artist: Bernie Walsh Cartoonist: Allan Schofield

This is particularly true here in

Dear Sir, What is happening with race tracks when they have to revert to apparently misleading advertising to attract paying spectators to an event.

Four times in a little over a month, I’ve seen advertising for events in Melbourne that hardly reflect what has truly been offered.

'The last two were quite annoying and I now simply have to question whether I would support these venues again.

They were; 1. Avalon Speedway’s radio and television adverts for the President’s Cup Sprintcar race.

They used Steve Einser’s footage and name in the ads, giving myself and a number of other friends the impression that Kinser would appear.

He didn’t.

2. Calder Park’s ads for last weekend’s event.

While the sound on the TV said the US jets, the commercial showed repeated Top Fuel runs, again giving me the impressions the fuellers would play support.

If you weren’t listening, you would have never known.

Being a nitro buff, I went and was again disappointed.

This disappointment comes on top of Calder’s two-day Victorian Champs drag meet, where they advertised an entry cost of $30 when, in fact, a two-day pass was $45.

I’m a committed motor racing fan, yet a number of tracks have seriously disappointed me recently, to the point where I will seriously consider any events I may attend in the future.

Please don’t do it again guys...

Joe Marasco Craigiebum, VIC

Fantasy... or reality?

Dear Sir, I have just read Greg Downes’s comment on V8 Supercars on the Thunderdome - wow, can you imagine a field of 40-plus V8s on that track!

It would be sensational- the cars

10 ^ the United States, where Autoweek and the others are, shall we say, disappointing at best.

I consider your publication to be the best of its kind that I’ve ever seen. From the graphics to the depth of your coverage, MN is way ahead of the crowd and I sincerely hope you all become millionaires as a result of yoxir efforts.

I won’t say that I read every word, because I simply don’t have the time, but what I do peruse is well written, well edited and presented in a “reader-friendly” manner.

Gripping stuff: Reader Chasen reckons it would be major crowd-puller if the V8 Supercars raced on the Thunderdome.(Dirk Kiimsmith pic) go quick, they handle OK and they stop well, so you would not have to do too much to them for a 30 or 40 lap sprint race.

Well, Bob and Tony, maybe the time has come to sit down over a cup of tea and start moving and shaking!

One thing is for sure, if this plan ever comes together, you would see a crowd of 30,000-plus back at Thunderdome.

But, to top it all off, full marks to Garth Tander for setting the Supercar lap record at Queensland Raceway in 1997, two years before the circuit was built! And to think that even with bitumen, no Supercar driver has broken his time yet...

I can hardly wait to get into the Specifications for Automobiles, etc - I’m sure there will be a few surprises there, too.

Paul Overell Corinda, QLD

Stan Chasen Templestowe, VIC

Praise indeed Life’s tough Dear Sir, I have been perusing the latest CAMS manual and I am amazed at what you can learn from it.

I knew Lakeside was considering earthworks, but they must have really put in a big effort as the layout of the circuit in the manual looks incredibly like Symmons Plains!

Not to be outdone, Symmons Plains also have expended effort their layout now resembles the old Lakeside circuit.

fi ?A>)K9 ASAiK -

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Motorsport News is pubiistied by Australasian Motorsport t^ews Pty Ltd ACNN0O6O 179 928 Directors: C Lambden (Managing), A Glynn Publisher; C Lambden

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Dear Sir, I’ve been a motorsports photojournalist for 36 years and over the course of my career I’ve been exposed to every type of publication you can possibly imagine, from Street Machine publications with naked babes on the cover to sophisticated titles hke Racecar Engineering from the UK During all of that time, the one thing that’s been consistently lacking is a regular weekly, bi weekly, or even monthly pubhcation that truly covers motor sports.

Your photography is also exceptional and I am absolutely positive the readers enjoy the significant sizing of the photos.

As a photographer, I can attest that no-one likes postage stamp sized shots in print!

My only regret is that your circulation here in the US is so small and I wish there was some way that I could help expand it for you.

I sincerely believe that if more people were exposed to the quality of your efforts, your circulation would increase proportionally.

Continued good fortune.

Warmest regards from America.

Jon Asher

By E-mail

Y2K Byg bites?

Dear Sir, Where’s Allan Moffat’s fax number? Who forgot to put coupon #2 of Allan Moffat in the Lap with a Legend competition?

Noonan? Branagan the editor?

McDoman the proof reader? Or was it Lambden the boss?

Great magazine, still.

I really enjoyed the Adrian Newey article - keep it coming.

At the end of the day, there has to be a first mistake for the new millennium!

Leigh Edwards Via fax Assist Ed: Dnh. Eead the instructions carefuHy and you’ll see that you can collect Moffat OR Brock coupons, in any combination, as long as there are four on your entry!

hap H#5e-Je«s

Printed by; Wilke Color 37-49 Browns Rd Clayton 3168 Distributed by; NDD Ltd Is^aterial published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission ot the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken. Australasian li/lotorsport News Pty Ltd does not accept responsibility for damage or ioss of material submitted.

Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd or its staff.

iiCTijAATg:".

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try laaking him in the eyes.

Jason “Mad Dog” Bargwanna V8 Supercar

Face your fears. Live your dreams.