Motorsport News Issue 174 - 3-16 March 2000 by V8 Sleuth

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■ B r oo k« Talmell ■ Steve Ellery ■ Drag Nafienalis ■ Burns' Safari win

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3 March 2000

Pass the Cola *

Arrows signs Webber

MARK Webber will be named as the Arrows FI test driver when Tom Walkinshaw’s team unveils

its brand new sponsor and team livery - most likely here in Melbourne, next week. A scheduled official launch for the team on Monday was postponed after Walkinshaw sealed a major new sponsorship deal for the team last Friday, necessitating a whole sale redesign of livery, team uni forms, and all the paraphernalia that goes with it. “Tom rang me at 4.30 pm on Friday to tell me the news,“ Arrows PR Manager Ann Bradshaw told Motorsport News on Monday. ‘We’re making revised plans now, but it’s quite possible that our launch may now be out in Australia. There’s so much to do and vei-y little time...” While the identity of the all-new sponsor is a closely guarded secret (although we are told it is not linked to either of the team’s race di-ivers), the team has confirmed that Webber will be named as test driver for 2000. Two other contenders were, apparently, in the frame late in the' piece, both able to bring more per- Qet used to the sight: After impressive testing in F3000 (above) and FI over the winter,'Arrows has signed sonal backing to the role than Mark Webber as its test driver for the 2000 season. (Photo by Sutton-images) Webber, but the decision has gone the Australian’s way. a lot of proven F3000 experience but The other confirmation is that. I beljevp we are chipping away and German F3 champion Christjian narrowing the gap. We know where Albers has been signed as Webber’s we can improve further and we’ll be team-mate in the Arrows F3000 making the most of next month’s Junior Team. , tests at Imola and Silverstone. V The 20 year-old joined Webber at ‘But what I’m really waiting foi the latest F3000 test, at Valencia, ls qualifying at Imola in April last week. when we’ll really get to see where While Webber missed the best everyone’s at.” Webber’s team was due to conti'ack conditions on the second day while a differential was being duct a private test at Pembrey changed, he was happy with fouith today (Friday) before he hopped quickest on day one, seventh over- back on a plane to head to all, and second in the final session Melbourne for Grand Prix week of the test: and, it now seems, Ai-rows’ official “We’re making good progress,” he FI launch... -CHRIS LAMBDEN said. “The front-running teams have

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By PHIL BRANAGAN JUST when we thought the discussions regarding the legality of Larry Perkins’s new Castrol Commodore were over. the FIA has raised a potential question mark over the car. And, with other teams fol¬ lowing Perkins’ example. there could soon be up to 10 cars with what are now being referred to as ‘Perkins bars’ added to their roll cages. Holden Racing Team has already made modifications to their three VT race cars and to the new car being built for Craig Lowndes, and Motorsport News believes that Shell Helix Racing and other teams may have followed suit. CAMS’s delegate to the FIA’s Technical and Homologation Working Group Clyde Carstairs has been informed that the roll bar running across the Perkins VT’s windscreen area may not be acceptable.

New look: Mark Skaife’s Commodore now sports a black 'Larry Bar’. (Photo by pwi sranagan) The head of the FIA’s Technical Group, Jacques Berger, has told Carstairs that a resolution was made some time ago that such bracing may not be acceptable. But, somewhat embarassingly, Berger has said that such documentation could

not be immediately found, and his involvement in the Safari round of the FIA World Rally Championship last weekend has further delayed absolute resolution of the matter. CAMS’s Manager Technical Services Peter Lawrence, who inspected

the car prior to the season, had no new evidence to report to TEGA at Phillip Island two weeks ago, where the car was cleared again for racing. Perkins told Motorsport News this week that he was not impressed with the whole matter:

‘The FIA think they have a nile. “This is old-style CAMS. This is why TEGA was formed. If we left it up to CAMS, there would be no industry. It happens daily with other formulae who don’t have organisations like TEGA to protect them. “Any other teams wanting to put in a cage like mine, subject to having been gi-anted the right by CAMS to use the FIA fi-ee interpre tation of roll cage design, are perfectly entitled to do so. “We, and other leading teams, already have that right. The criteria is a per formance criteria, a safety criteria.” Whatever the outcome of the matter, the car raced by Russell Ingall, a new car being built by Perkins’s team for himself, and the other cars are likely to be log-booked by CAMS and permitted to race for the life of the cars, the newly-modified cars subject to routine inspection prior to their next race at Albei-t Park.’

Get the Max:Pepsi will sponsor the three Perkins Engineering Commodores at Albert Park. Dugal McDougall will run his VT in Pepsi colours, while Russell Ingall and Larry Perkins will carry Pepsi logos on their Castrol cars at the Lake circuit. The deal is for one race only at this stage, but it may continue after post race evaluation. ■ Global Machinery Company, GMC,has been signed as naming rights sponsor for the Canberra V8 Supercar street race in June. GMC holds a 30 percent share in the DIY market in Australia through stores which include Runnings, Mitre 10 and Home Hardware. The event has now been renamed the GMC 400, although it will retain its three-race format,the second segment of which, a ‘reverse grid 25 tapper, should produce fireworks... ■ Record corporate bookings have led ClipsaJ 500 GM Andrew Daniels to claim that the V8 street race will have more corporate guests per day than the Grand Prix in Melbourne. According to Mr Daniels, more than 21,000 corporate guests will attend the event over three days. Last year’s race provided a total economic benefit of$13.Im according to an independent review. At the same time,IMG has extended its contract for the event with the SA Motor Sport Board until 2003. ■ With just two weeks to go until the opening round at Eastern Creek,few details have emerged regarding the all-new V8 Lites series. As Motorsport News closed for press, a series sponsor announcement or entry list was yet to be sighted. However, we understand that the meeting is to proceed as planned, with supports including round two of the Formula Holden Gold Star Championship. ■ The Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks, will flag off a field of225 cal’s in the 2000 Dutton Grand Prix Rally from Shepparton on Saturday March 4. David Brabham is entered in a BMW Z3 2.8 roadster, and will be joined by four times winner Jim Richards(Porsche GT3)and Allan Moffat(Falcon GTHO)in the event. A number of Ford V8 Supercar drivers will make guest appearances in the rally during its five days, including Brad Jones, Glenn Seton and retired star Dick Johnson. ■ Steven Richards's new website features a competition. If you can pick 1, 2,3 of each SCS round you can win $200 worth of No Fear clothing. See the details on www.richosworld.au.nu ■ PROCAR has granted late eligibility to the forthcoming 300 kW HSV GTS Commodore and the 206kW Subaru Impreza WRX STi for the Centui-j' Batteries GTP series. The cars will compete for outright honours in the Autobai’n High Performance Class against the Mazda RX-7 SP, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V and the earlier Impreza WRX. Also, PROCAR expects around 25 cars for the first round ofthe GTProduction car series at Barbagallo and 50(which includes 27 GTP Nations Cup cal’s) for round two in Adelaide.

3 March 2000

■ The first of six jumbo jets carrying equipment for the digital television broadcast of the'Grand Prix to Europe landed on Tuesday night at Avalon Airport. The second and third planes on Wednesday also were carrying television equipment while three more jumbos will start arriving at the weekend, carrying the 22 cars for the opening race of the season: Two more plane loads of cars, spares and related equipment are due on Sunday, with a third on Monday. S Tony Newman will begin his 2000 season in his native New Zealand, the Peugeot 406 driver taldng part in the endurance series held there in March and April. The series of three hour races begins at Teratonga on March 19 before heading to Timaru and Ruapana. Meanwhile, the team has confirmed that their older 405 machine wiU be seen in 2000 with an ‘exSuper Touring driver who is getting back into the categoiy after a two year break fi-om driving’. Mark Zonrieveld is slated to run the team’s second 406, and while he is confident of gaining enough backing,is stiU negotiating with sponsors. 0 Swapping lenses for lead: Clay Cross may be known in motorsport circles as a photographer, but he has more than one string to his large bow. The Sydney shooter took silver in the men’s shotput at the Australian Track and Field Championships at Homebush last weekend, heaving the unit 18.33m. Justin Anlezark (whose photographic prowess is unknown)took the gold. 0 DAMS Cadillac has confii-med its Le Mans driver line-up. Ex-Panoz driver Eric Bernard wiU lead one car paired with Emmanual Collard whil Christophe Tinseau and Marc Goossens will drive the second car. DAMS’ F3000 drivers Franck Montagny and Kristian Kolby wiU also join the team. 1 Jan Lammers, Peter Kox and Tom Coronel will again form an all-Dutch team for Le Mans, driving a new Lola prepared by Konrad Motorsport. The car will be powered by Yates-tuned Ford engines. ■ Audi’s squad of nine for the 24-Hours has been confirmed: Allan McNish, Franlc Biela, Tom Kristensen, Emanuele Pirro, Rinaldo Capello, Laurent Aiello, Christian Abt, Michele Alboreto and Stephane Ortelli. The line up in each car is to be confirmed.

Bright's deal done JASON Bright has secured a ride in the US

Indy Lights Champion ship. The former V8 Supercar star will leave Australia on March 6 to join the defending Lights Champion team, Dorricott Racing. “I’m tempted to hang around for the Grand Prix, but I don’t think I’ll be able to now!” said a delighted Bright this week. Bright was due to start testing next week, but the team will now run Clinton Mears (son of Indycar legend Rick) and former motorcycle world champ Eddie Lawson to bed in parts for the season, to overcome the 18 day test hmit in the category. “Fm rapt. We’ve been work ing on this for a long time and we’re running with the cham● pionship-winning team. It doesn’t get any better than this,” said Bright. Bright wdl start testing as soon as possible, running road courses before the first round of the series on April 15/16. “We’ve got six days sched uled before Long Beach. It’s no problem starting on a road course. I’ve already tested on the oval and it doesn’t really bother me.” The Dorricott is taking on Goodbye Pirtek, hello Dorricott: Jason Bright. (Photo by afi) Bright on the basis of his suc-

cess in the USFF2000 series in 1996, the year before he won the Australian Drivers’ Championship. “We don’t have any spon sors to announce for the time being, the team’s sponsorship package is strong, but we’re still looking for support. It’s a pretty unique deal the team has put together, but we’re looking for more.” Dorricott Racing team owner Bob Dorricott is pleased to have the Aussie in his car. “Jason’s decision to run a full Indy Lights campaign with us bodes well for Dorricott Racing as we approach the beginning of the 2000 season,” Dorricott said. “He’s an ‘impact player’ who excels in a highly com petitive environment.” One thing that Bright is hoping to include in his US program is some Champ Car testing prior to, perhaps, run ning in the Honda Indy 300 on the Gold Coast. “It’s looking pretty good. Basically, things are happen ing but it’s a little early to talk about it. There will be an announcement soon, but I don’t want to pre-empt any thing.” Bright will be in America until he returns in time for the Gold Coast Indy in October.

HRT: No testing breach HRT Team Manager Jeff Grech has (denied that the team may have breached AVESCO testing rules. There had been suggestions that' Craig Lowndes and Mark Skaife ran their Commodore VTs at Lang Lang on February 16/17 in testing trim, but Grech explained that the two day session was purely a corpo rate ride day. “We had 40 guests to run around the track dmlng two lunchtimes, between 12 and 1:45,” said Grech this week. “The cars were doing one lap at a time, and there was not even a beacon there. Why would we download data? It was a drive day.” There had been suggestions that the team was using the Ride/Handhng course at Lang Lang in a ‘reverse’, anti-clock wise direction, which would breach the strict testing rules which limit teams to 12 test days on one of two approved tracks per team. Drive days are permitted under the regulations, provide ing no adjustments are made to the cars. Data gathering is included in those ‘adjust ments’. ‘We told TEGA;(team prin cipal) John (Crennan) wrote to (AVESCO CEO) Wayne Cattach and told them what were doing, and CAMS had an observer there.” -PHILBHANAGAN

Not Lola, Motorola: Eric Bernard gets comfy in the Cadiilac Northstar. (Photo by sutton-images) CADILLAC has confirmed that it will be heading to Adelaide for the Race of a Thousand Years.

... and, maybe, JB?

JOHN Bowe will climb aboard the Veskanda sportscar with which he Run by the French team, DAMS, enjoyed so much suc the American manufacturer’s cess in the mid-80s at assault on the American Le Mans Phillip Island’s major Series and the Le Mans 24-Hours historic meeting on wUl be spearheaded by ex-Formula March 4-5. 1 driver Eric Bernard with a twoThe car, built by K&A car team of the new prototype Engineering in Adelaide, Cadillac Northstar LMPs. will feature sponsorship Team principal Jean-Paul Driot from the Adelaide Le is eager to return to Adelaide after Mans Series event which visiting the Australian Grand Prix with former team-partner and exGrand Prix driver Rene Amoux. ‘We are only doing selected races in the Le Mans series this year but the choice to come to Adelaide was an easy one to make,” Driot said. ‘With the three different classes in the Le Mans series and racing at night, it wiU be very tough for aU of the drivers. Our boys wiU have to concentrate very hard to make sure they are there at the finish.”

will be held on December 29-31. ‘The Veskanda would have to be my favourite all-time racecar -1 can’t wait to get to drive it again,” said Bowe. “It really was state-ofthe-art for its time and we never lost a race in it.” And attention any ALMS teams: Bowe will be free on New Year’s Eve...

Get that grin off your face! Bowe still loves the Veskanda,

JXo.

Fairfax man buys into F1 By JOE SAWARD AFTER much speculation as to who would buy into GP racing, Formula One Holdings has sold 37.5 per cent of its interests to a company closely linked to Australian media power house, Fairfax. FI’s commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone has sold the share to jMnerican invest ment company Heilman & Friedman which has agreed to pay US$lbn ($1.6bn) for the stake in the company, which is managed by former Fairfax and Packer chief, Brian Powers. Heilman & Friedman has an outstanding investment record in the course of the last 16 years, having raised and managed US$4.8bn. It is currently placing its fourth fund, worth US$2.Ibn. The company has a share of the Australian media compa ny John Fairfax Holdings Ltd, which controls the Sydney Morning Herald, the Melbourne Age and the Australian Financial Review newspapers. For the last two years the San Francisco-based company has been managed by Powers, an American businessman who was managing-director of the Jardine Matheson empire in Hong Kong before heading Kerry Packer’s vast Pubhshing and Broadcasting company in Austraha. He joined Fairfax in 1998 and soon afterwards moved back to the United States, splitting his time between Fairfax and Heilman & Friedman. Powers visited the British Grand Prix last year in the company of Australian Grand Prix boss Ron Walker. This led to speculation that Fairfax might be interested in becoming involved in FI. deal The values Ecclestone’s company at US$2.6bn. Bernie wUl remain in control as his family trusts still own 50 percent of the company. The failure of Morgan GrenfeU to take up its option to buy the shares seems to have been caused by opposi tion from parent company Deutsche Bank to the Formula 1 involvement as MGPE’s initial investment in the Arrows team has not been a great success. There do not appear to have been any shortage of buyers for shares in For-mula One Holdings with at least seven potential investors identified by sources in the financial world. Interestingly, these are said to have includ ed Mansour Ojjeh ofTAG,the Benetton Fanuiys investment company 21 Investimenti and Ferrari sponsor Lawrence StroU, who runs the Tommy HUfiger company.

3 March 2000

agna V8 is go TICKFORD Managing Director David Flint has confirmed that, despite the company not proceeding with an ownership stake in Ford Tickford Racing, the day-to-day running of the leading V8 Supercar team remains essentially unaf fected. Following the story in our last issue revealing that Ford/Tickford had not pro ceeded with its plan, announced early in 1999, to take a 49 percent stake in its ‘factor/ team, Flint has clari fied a couple of points. The decision was taken, he told Motorsport News, because of the complexities involved in formalising the proposed partnership: “We expected that we could form the partnership fairly quickly and announced our intentions in January 1999. We quickly discovered that the process of forming the partnership would take the best part of a year and cost a considerable amount of time and money. “All parties being relaxed with each other and, in the luiowledge that the joint ven ture would have had a 5 year review period in it and that sponsorship dollars could equaf the proposed invest ment, they concurred that there was no pressing need to pursue the partnership in a legal sense. Ford World HQ was never involved. “The team will continue to be presented as the Ford team with both Ford and Tickford maintaining the naming rights. “Regarding the other teams: those around at the time were all briefed in the same man ner as the journalists. They did indeed understand that the FTR team would be a joint venture. We have not informed any of the teams that the partnership did not eventuate. Why? Because all significant aspects of the paiinership remained; naming rights, funding, longevity, business planning, loyalty and intent.” HE new Formula One season kicks into gear next week at Albert Park. After an off season where Arrows has shown pace and Jaguar and Prost have shown appalling reliability, there are many question marks over the 2000 season. Will the 17 race season prove to be another battle between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen - or, as some would have it, Schuey against McLaren design guru Adrian Newey? Will David Coulthard stand up when the going gets tough? Will Jaguar provide the next springboard for the remarkable career of Eddie Irvine? And, will BAR score points - or even, a single point? While the FIA is in town, it’s probably worth pointing out that they may be doing a great job with FI, the WRC, and many of the

A MAGNA V8? You’d like to see that? You can! Mitsubishi Magnas, Toyota Camrys and the yet-to-be launched Toyota Avalon are set to take on Holden and Ford V8s in an all-new moderate-cost V8 category. After a hesitant start in ‘Bathurst Tourer’ mode last (nee year, Octagon Advantage International) Motorsports has this week announced an all-new category, similar in concept to version 1, but allowing addi tional makes to participate. The category looks likely to achieve what it’s prede cessor could not - CAMS

sanctioning - with the widening of its regulations to include the additional marques removing compar isons with and objections from the V8 Supercar frater nity. In essence the Future Tourer formula will be a ‘Silhouette’ one, the cars very similar to those which raced at Bathurst last year. The inclusion of Magna, Camry, Avalon (or indeed any other family sedan man ufacturers and models) will be achieved by simply fitting a Holden-based generic V8 engine to the desired body shell. In time, it is planned that the entire category will

utilise a single, generic V8 engine in all cars, including Holden and Ford. While Mitsubishi and Toyota are not currently ‘officially’ involved in the new category, Mitsubishi has made a body shell avail able for the first prototype Magna to be built (see oiir exclusive feature on page 20) and will make race shells available on request via its competition arm Ralliart. CAMS Chief Executive Peter Hansen this week said: “We are pleased that the new category includes at least four manufacturers from the outset and that this is a strictly controlled cate gory with a control engine

and standard road version aerodynamics. “We are working our way through the technical regu lations and I will have a full recommendation to the Board of CAMS next week.” Future Tourers will con test an eight-round series alongside the BOC Gases Super Touring Championship, starting at Oran Park on May 28. Additionally, plans are well advanced for the category to race at the 2000 Macau GP meeting. Further informaion can be obtained from Craig Fletcher at Octagon - ph 03 9427 9655. See pages 20-21 for more.

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SAM Newman’s lack of V8 Supercar experience will be helped by two test days prior to next week’s AGP support races. Newman, who will make his class debut in the Hot Wheels Commodore VS at Albert Park, has been granted a special exemption to allow him to gain miles prior to the events. His testing will not be counted in Gibson Motorsport’s allo cation of 12 days for the season. The media identity will drive a car entered by Bob Forbes Racing, but which is prepared by Gibson’s. But the conditions on Newman’s testing will be strict; no other team driver will be allowed in the car, and any further outings for the VS during the season wiU be counted in the 12 days. Newman will be one of four wild cards in the races. Also gaining an invitation to the races will be Phillip Island race winner Craig Baird, Steve Elleiy and Brad Jones. It had been thought that Paul Morris would need a wildcard to race his Big Kev’s Commodore, but the points he scored in 1999 with HR'T, together with a number of ‘no-shows’ by drivers who were ahead of him, secured him a grid spot without the need to resort to a wildcard. -.PHIL BRANAGAN

Motorspot

other classes which are booming around the world at the moment. But our own boom class, V8 Supercars, could do with a little more scrutiny from the brains trust in Switzerland. Sure, Australia is a long way from Europe and we are just one of 160-plus nations under their umbrella. But, it seems, they cannot clear up one question.

BiRYAN Boss!and! Lex Devine are all Bred mp for the 2000 ; Qanfas Anistralian ! Formnla One Grand P'rix.. I Rossi,from Douglas | Park,NSW,and Devine, i from Algester, Qld, wiM ; be taking to the traek after whuung the‘Wui a ! Hot GP Lap with a Legend’conoipetition, i run jointly by the AGP | Corporation and ■ Motorsport News. Life-long Ford man Rossi will suit up with’ | Allan Moffat in a Ford | Falcon GTHO,while | Devine will hop abosud j Peter Brock’s Holden Tormia GTR MJ-1. j “I was at Baduu;:st i when Brockie had his last race,” said £ui excit- ; ed Devine when coni tacted. I ■You’ve made my | year.” For ah the thousmids | of readers who entered thainir you.

No-one say ‘you idiot’: Sam Newman.

The Head of the FIA’s Technical Group, Jacques Berger, has apparently deemed that the bracing on Russell Ingall’s Commodore VT may not be acceptable. It may be okay, but we don't know that because Monsieur Berger cannot put his hand to the ‘appropriate document’ which deals with the matter. CAMS’s Clyde Carstairs and Peter Lawrence have been left hanging in the breeze, waiting for the document to be located or, more likely, for M. Berger to clear his desk of the whole matter. Larry Perkins, understandably, has not taken this news weil. He is well cheesed off about the whole matter, and understandably so. M. Berger’s progress on the matter has been delayed by his role in the Safari WRC round in Kenya last week. As we went to press,

CAMS was still waiting for his return to action to clear up the whole mess. That’s just what it is; a mess. If there is any innuendo regarding the legality or otherwise of Perkins’s cars, the FIA should clear it up immediately. Having the bloke who cannot find the form doing something else is not good enough. Perkins deserves better than that. V8 Supercar racing sure as hell does. We all do. The FIA does a lot of good work during the season, but this sorry matter will not rank among their finest efforts for 2000. The sooner they fix this, the better. uring the almost 120 Motorsport News editions on which I have worked, one of the great pleasures in being in this

-PHILBRANAGAN madhouse has been working with Tony Glynn. As one of the founding directors of MN, and as Technical Editor for almost seven years, Tony’s work has been one of the features around which the whole magazine was structured. Now Tony has stepped out of the fortnightly grind of producing Australia’s leading motorsport publication, but his work will continue to be seen in these pages. His first ‘contribution’, the feature on the Mitsubishi Magna Future Tourer, is on pages 20/21. As ever, Tony will continue to stick his beak into the world of road racing, speedway, drag racing, karting, you name it. We’ll miss him around the office, but you won’t miss his writing, or his enthusiasm for the sport. At Motorsport News, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

■ Defending champion BMW has entered the Sebring 12-Hour with two BMWV12LMEsforJJ Lehto/Jorg Muller and Bill Auberlen/Jean-Marc Gounon/Steve Soper They join two works Panozs, four Cadillacs and two Audi R8s as the front runnning cars. The GTS class battle between the Chevrolet Corvette and Dodge Viper teams will resume after the two faught out a close finish at Daytona i-ecently. ■ FIA president Max Mosley will probably stand again for a third term when his present mandate ends in October 2001. Moisey has been in office since 1991 and last year said he would think carefiiUy about offering himselffor re-election. Mosley,59, says "If they want me,I will stay." ■ Lola's all-new B2K/10 sports prototype made an impressive track debut at Valencia in Spain last week, where it was put through its paces by Pierluigi Martini, Domenico Schiattarelia and Didier de Radiques. The shakedown was cut short when Schiattarelia ran off the circuit, but more testing is scheduled in preparation for this month's Sebring 12 hour race. ■ Dale Jarrett, Ward Biuton and Mike Skinner’s Ford, Pontiac and Chevrolet NASCARs were last week impounded for wind tunnel testing following the Daytona 500. NASCAR will factor the results of the tests with the on-track performances of the different marques at the smaller tracks and then evaluate any rules changes that need to be made to level the Winston Cup playing field. ■ While on the subject of Daytona, it’s worth noting that the race’s CBS telecast was down 12 percent on its viewers from the 1999 race. Fingers are being pointed at a number of areas at fault for the decline including an overexposure to the sport thanks to last year’s 50th anniversauy season. Still, just over nine million households in the US tuned in to the race, making the annual classic one of the most watched sporting events in America. ■ Ferraris are in favour in Grand Prix circles, at least when it comes to road cars. Mika Hakkinen is reported to have bought himself a Fen-ari 360 Modena and we hear that Jenson Button has bought one of the cars from MaraneUo as weU, although we hear that the WiUiams-BMW driver prefers bright yellow to the traditional Fen-ari red,

Dud

3 March 2000

■ Sir Frank Williams is not becoming any more forthcoming with information as he gets older. The BMW Williams FI team boss was asked last week by journalists how long is the contract between Williams and Jenson Button . “Quite a long time,” he said, adding “with renewable options” to be helpful. ■ BMW Williams FI technical director Patrick Head revealed last week that computer-modelling in Formula 1 has now reached a point at which there are programmes being developed to model the reactions of a driver in certain circumstances so that the computer models of cars can be made more accurate. Head says that each driver behaves differently when he is driving and so the computer-programmes need to be tailor-made to suit each one. 1 Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says that Michael Schumacher will be staying with Ferrari in 2001 whether he wins the World Championship or not. Montezemolo said that he no longer gets much enjoyment out of the Ferrari FI programme because of the constant pressure in Italy for the team to be successful. The team won the Constnictors’ Championship last season but has not won a Drivers’ title sinc'e 1979. IS There was a brief media circus last week in Europe when FIA President Max Mosley told pressmen that Jenson Button has yet to qualify for a Formula 1 “superlicence”. Having jumped into FI from Formula 3 without winning a national title. Button does not automatically have a right to one of the licences but he will be gi-anted one as soon as he completes a race distance at racing speeds to prove that he will not be a danger to other drivers. Minardi’s Gastone Mazzacane faces a similar test.

Irvine/Jaguar top final tests Teams fit in final test sessions before leaving for Melbourne By JOE SAWARD WITH the days ticking away before the opening round of the Formula 1 World Championship in Melbourne, Formula 1 testing activity has intensi fied with a major test at Jerez and other work being carried out at Barcelona, MugeUo and Fiorano. The Jerez test lasted for three days and the weather was good throughout, allow ing Eddie Irvine to set the fastest lap at lm23.240s. Team mate Johnny Herbert had some problems and did only 107 laps but his best was only slightly slower than Irvine at lm23.320s the Jaguar team completing nearly 700 miles. Third fastest was Giancarlo Fisichella’s Benetton-Supertec with the Italian lapping in lm23.41s. Alexander Wurz was only able to test for two days because of a gearbox prob lem, managing only 79 laps for a best of lm24.26s. Jordan had only one car ,and .Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jarno Trulli did a day and a half each. Frentzen completed 102 laps with a best of lm23.507s,-while Timlli was delayed by a gear,box problem'aiid did only 57 laps. His best lap was a lm23.710s, while the team completed only 435 miles. Williams had planned to run two cars on all three days of the test but Jenson Button’s injury and the fact

that Bruno Junqueira was involved in Formula 3000 testing at Valencia meant that Ralf Schumacher was by himself on the first day. Over the three days, Ralf completed over 120 laps with a best of lm23.890s. Junqueira ran the last two days, complet ing a best of lm24.460s. McLaren came armed for the tests but were clearly not interested in topping the time sheets. Mika Hakkinen completed 49 laps on day one and set a best of lm24.435s. Coulthard took over for the next two days and completed 123 laps with a best of lm24.00s. Olivier Panis did all three days for the team and ran over 140 laps, recording a best of lm23.98s - the team running over 860 miles. Sauber had only Pedro Diniz in action and he completed 140 laps to record a best of lm24.060s. He lost some time after a rear wing failure. Prost had one car and was trying to solve the electronic problems it has been having in recent weeks. Jean Alesi did two days while Nick Heidfeld did one - Alesi best ing with a lm25.90s, Heidfeld a lm24.39s. Bringing up the rear was BAR which ran only one car for three days. Ricardo Zonta did the first with a best lap of lm26.134s while Jacques Villeneuve did nearly 140 laps in two days with a best of lm24.75s. While being happy that the car was reli able, those with BAR were

Very fast cat: Eddie Irvine topped the final test session sheets at Jerez last week with his new Jaguar-Cosworth.

A Champion Team of Lions

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

worried that it wasn’t quick... Ferrari ran parallel tests at Mugello and Fiorano with Rubens Barrichello in action

on Thursday at Mugello in the second Fl-2000. The Brazilian did the inifial shakedown runs and then two good days of testing, completing nearly 500 miles with a best lap of lm24.997s. On Friday Michael Schumacher spent most of the day trying out starts at Fiorano before appearing at Mugello the next day for a few laps. He then went\ straight back to Fiorano and ' again ran the old F399! Arrows and Minardi were in Barcelona at the start of the week, finishing off the previous week’s testing. Both teams were happy with the progress made before head ing to Australia. Arrows were due to test again at Silverstone after MN went to HOLDEN has unveiled its ‘Team ofChampions^ press, while Minardi were expected to nm at Mugello. Third best: Benetton’s Giancarlo Fisichella.

featuring its squad of winning V8 Supercar drivers. Don’t miss our post-GrandPrix issue of Motorsport News which willfeature afull-size poster ofHolden’s ‘Team of Champions’.

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

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3 March 2000

Comrade Williams-based Mkhelin T-team Bernie? French tyre maker begins countdown to 2001 Grand Prix return THE Moscow City government has voted to build a Formula 1 standard racing circuit at Molzhaneyevsky, close to Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport to the north of the city. The facility, which will also include a golf course, will be located close to the Moscow-Leningrad motonway which is currently being upgraded. The US$300m project will feature special access roads to the circuit. The proposal to build a track was made late last year to the city’s building committee, which is headed by the mayor, Yuri Luzhov. The idea was approved and so the programme was passed on to the main city council. The project will depend on whether or not private investment can be found as the government is not planning to fund the entire project. The idea of a circuit in Moscow has been promoted by Oleg larovoy, who is First Vice President of the Centre Automotoclub of Russia the national sporting authority - and a member of the council of the Russian Automobile Federation. The news will come as a blow to rival projects in Tula and Leningrad, but the battle to host a Grand Prix in Russia is by no means over. Investment must be found and the circuit completed. And, after that, the Russians have to come up with the money to convince Formula 1 that it should visit the country. -JOE SAWARD

If they’re not on, they’re not on: Michelin is expected to begin testing its new, 2001 GP rubber with Williams within a month.

By JOE SAWARD MICHELIN will have a Formula 1 test team this year - and it could be in action within a month. The French tyre company is due to enter Grand Prix rac ing in 2001 with the BMW Williams team and the team’s tech nical director Patrick Head has confirmed that Michelin will use old Williams-BMW FW21B chassis for the development work. The FW21B is a modified version of the 1999 car but uses BMW engines rather than Supertec VlOs. The FW21B began testing at the end of September and was run by Williams throughout December and until the new FW22 was unveiled in January. .“An independent team is being set up,” said Head. “It will be a small separate team to look after the Michelin testing. It will be based in the old BMW Motorsport building next to the

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Williams factory. u Testing should begin in March or April and will take at FIAplace approved venues but not at the big organ ised tests - the team will go to European venues after the Grands Prix have been held.” There is no word yet on who will do the development work but it is possi ble that Jorg Muller will be retained. He did the testing work last year for the BMW test team, which used an old Williams FW20 to develop the BMW VIO engine. The crew of the Michelin test team is believed to be the same as the BMW test team, with Charlie Moody expected to be named as team man

Valencia begins FI bid

Track looks to future after gaining F1 testing licence

ager.

Round I '.-

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

Wktorim Motor ^ ffflf Championship .

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Quick times: Stephane Sarrazin, running for West F3000, set the quickest time during the official F3000 test session at Valencia, Spain, last weekend. Sarrazin, who drove one race for Minardi in F1, will be partnered at West F3000 by Tomas Enge. (Photo by sutton-images) By JOE SAWARD SPAIN’S recent lyopened Valencia track, the Circnito Ricardo

25-26 Uarth 2

Tormo, has secured an FIA Formula 1 testing licence. The venue, which was opened in September, late last year hosted a round of the FIM World Motorcycle

Championship and will hold an FIA GT event in a few weeks from now. In December Minardi visited the track for some demonstration runs for

The company which is developing the track is head ed by Facundo Garcia de la Cuadra and he says that, while in the short term they would like the venue to

sponsor Telefonica, with suggestions that Telefonica will use the track as the

become a regular testing facility for FI teams, the ultimate aim is to host a Grand Prix. It has a lot to commend it. The 2.52-mile facility has three different track layouts and is located at Cheste, 20 miles west of Valencia and

headquarters for the team if they are relocated to Spain next year.

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just 200 miles from Madrid and Barcelona. By being further south than Barcelona, the Valencia circuit also experiences bet ter weather throughout the year. It is also much more acces sible than Jerez and may prove to have a less abrasive surface than Barcelona, which is famous for using up tyres quickly. With the cur rent FI tyre restrictions this is an important factor. Barcelona has been host ing the Spanish GP for the last 10 years and, in recent months, there have been suggestions the local govern ment is losing interesting and might be willing to sell the track - the event con tracted to Barcelona until 2001.

3 March 2000

Grand-Am Y2K bug hits 2KQ Reynard lightens up By PHIL MORRIS GRAND-AM have announced details of a new SportsRacer Lights class to comphment its GT-like SportsRacer cars in the Don Panoz/ALMS-iival Grand-Am Series. The SportsRacer Lights will compete in the same races as their larger GT counterparts, which are limited to non-works entries and costcontrolled, hut race for separate class awards and points. The new class has been closely aligned with the European-based SportsRacing World Cup, with a number of manufacturers, including Lucchini, Tampolli, Pilbeam and Lola, having already provided entrants with vehicles. , The new class does not allow turbocharging and engine capacity is limited to three litres and six cylinders while the chassis are price-capped at US$159,000, with engines not to exceed US$42,500. The leading SportsRacer GT cars are price-capped at US$650,000 each. One of the new category cars, a Pilbeam MP84/2, raced in the recent Rolex 24 Hour race at Daytona, the first event on the Grand-Am Series calendar, with several more cars being prepared for the remaining eight races. MEANWHILE, investors in th,e Grand American Road Racing Series Association, which was originally denied to have been owned part or wholly by NASCAR or it’s affiliate International Speedway Corporation, have been revealed with the list looking like a “Who’s Who” of American motor sport. Included amongst the list are NASCAR and ISC chief Bill France and sons Jim 'and Brian, current NASCAR head Mike Helton, and Roger Penske, who. is vice-chairman of ISC. Nearly all of the list of 24 investors in the Grand-Am series are directly linked to NASCAR or ISC.

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It’s got a bug in it: The new Reynard 2KQ is experiencing difficulties with Doran Racing switching to Ferrari. i .RICKA®© Rydell has signed with ! Ford to contest the British : fduring Car Champiionship fol: I'owinig ¥olv0’s withdrawal from i the series. The 19'97 BTGC ehamfion’s I aipipiointment to the team was j.aimoiuuGed i® Northamtonsbire o® ! Mo'Bdiay at the unveiling of Ford’s i team for the new season. RydieH, who joins Anthony leid [ and Alahi Menu in the Ford squad, ; got his first taste of the team’s new ; Mondeos when he joined West Surrey i EaGing for a two-day aerodymamiGS ; test session in Spain last week. j “It’s a big Ghange for me after six : years with Volvo,” Rydei said, “but

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after testing the ear last week I am ’ optimistie. The 2000 ear is a definite

^ ®

I improvement on the 1999 ear.” ! The WSR Ford team continued testing at Pembrey this week, with ; no testing allowed from March 1 : until the beginning of the season at Donington Park on March 26.

^ ^ g ^ Testing time: New Ford signing, Rickard Rydell, has already been out testing in the 2000 Mondeo.(Sutton-images)

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Major Australian V8 Supercar and GTP Teams have provided race condition data on driver A comfort and padding for the Cobra Evolution. Research from Mark Larkham and the Garry alvoline Team has been incorporatNew 2000 Evolution.

REYMARD’S new 2KQ sportscar is experiencing difficulties in racing and testing. The Mopar-powered car, which was launched among much hype late last season,is said to be experiencing difficulties with chassis stiffness, and has also suffered from gearbox problems. Doran Racing, which bought a Reynard before the start of the season, is so concerned that it has its car for sale before they even ran the car in anger. The team ran its older Ferrari 333SP at Daytona last month,team boss Kevin Doran citing more than 50 problems with the new car in the three months they have owned it. Stefan Johansson’s Johansson-Matthews Racing outfit, which ran a car at Daytona, is said to be pressing on with the Reynard, despite disappointing early results. Reynard’s problems appeared to have been magnified with the impressive form of Lola’s new ALMS oar, which has performed well in testing.

MEANWHILE Panoz’s new car is looking fast in testing. Jan Magnussen recently faced-off with Cadillac and Audi at Sebring, running up to 1.5s faster than the opposition. New Audi signing Alan McNish continued testing for the Audi team during the week.

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●Adelaide ●Ballarat ●Brisbane ●Cairns ●Canberra ● Central Coast ● Darwin ●Gold Coast ● Hobart ● Mackay ● Melbourne ● NewGastle ● Perth ●Sydney ●Sbinshine Coast ●Townsville ● Wollongong ● Auckland, MZ Prices are subjecHo change without notice. Freight may be added in some areas.

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THE future of New Zealand superbike star Aaron Slight remains unsure after he underwent brain Shell Championship Series V8 Supercars* ,Rd2 Mar 19 ...Wanneroo ,Rd3 Apr 8-9 .. .Adelaide . Apr 30 Eastern Creek ...Rd 4 May 21 .. .Hidden Valley ...Rd 5 World Superbike Championship* .South Africa Rd 1 Apr 2 . ,Rd2 Apr 23 Australia .Rd3 Apr 30 Japan May 14 . .Great Britain ....Rd4 FIA Formula One World

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Championship ,Rd1 'Mar 12 ...Melbourne ,Rd2 ^ ■ Mar26 ...Brazil .... ,Rd3 .San Marino . *T Apr 9 FIA Formula 3000

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Internationa) C'ship ,Rd 1 .San Marino Apr 9 ,Rd2 May 7 ... .Spain . . ,Rd3 June 3 ...Monaco FIA World Rally Championship* ,Rd4 Mar 19 ...Portugal ,Rd5 Apr 2 Spain ,Rd6 May 14 ...Argentina ,Rd7 Junll ...Acropilis

surgery two weeks ago in Sydney. The 34-year-old racer has been moved out of the intensive-care unit in the private Sydney hospital where he under went surgery on Friday last week. Slight was diagnosed as having an ‘arteriove nous malformation’ after a brain scan last Wednesday. Slight is believed to have complained about blurred vision during his first serious test of Honda’s V-twin at Phillip Island, which led to a pre cautionary scan which revealed the condition. Slight suffers from an hereditary condition which had created a

two-centimetre blood clot in his brain. Doctors removed the clot in a four-and-a-half hour operation in Sydney. His wife Megan, who had just joined him as he prepared to travel to Britain, was remaining by his side. Slight’s agent Ian Miles, said the rider’s recovery would be a ‘long slow slog’ with no guarantee of a return to racing. “There is an immensely long way to go, and it’s very slow progress... don’t know They whether he’ll be jumping around in two days, two weeks, two years,” Miles said. (( It’s far too early to contemplate a return to racing. There’s nothing to say that he couldn’t, but there’s nothing to ff say that he could either. -DARRYL FLACK

Future concerns: Kiwi Superbike ace Aaron Slight’s future is up in the air after the 34year-old underwent brain surgery in Sydney a fortnight ago.(Photo by slipstream Photographies)

Good hair day? More drivers

unite for GT Nations Cup

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Drag facing Series ,Rd3 Mar 19 ...Gainesville ,Rd4 Apr 9 Las Vegas ,Rd5 Apr 16 ...Houston

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Motorcycle C'Ship* Mar 19 . . .South Atrica Rd 1 ,Rd2 Apr 2 .Argentina Rd3 Apr 9 .Japan . . ,Rd4 Apr 30 . . . .Spain

Formula Holden Championship Mar 26 . . .Eastern Creek . . .Rd 2 1

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[motorsport^ All event dates in this calendar were correct at the time of printing. Please consult any individual tracks and/or associations lor date changes.

Series or events telecast on Network Ten are marked with an asterix. Check your local guides for screening details.

Certainly not fudging it: Price Attack’s potent new Saleen Mustang. Heffernan is confident the new HAIR-CARE retail group, Price Attack is doing what their name says, and going on the attack, having landed a brand-new, 2000 Saleen Mustang for Kevin Heffernan. Price Attack unveiled the new car, which is being aimed directly at the new GT Nations Cup cate gory, on the Gold Coast late last week.

car is a potential front runner against the mix of Ferraris, Vipers, Jaguars, Porsches and Lamborghinis. “It should have around 500 horse power and, with it weighting 1,425 kilos, it’s got to be a threat,” he said. “Nations Cup is a great category which gives our sponsors an excel lent TV package for exposure.

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EXPERIENCED overseas competitor, Ian Agnew, has returned to Australia and has joined the rapidly-expanding list of competitors intending to run the new GT Nations Cup. Agnew is believed to have acquired a Honda NSX and is currently fitting a Comptech supercharger and a Harrop brake and 18 inch wheel package allowable under the new regulations. Agnew is said to be looking for funding to run the entire Nations Cup schedule, which begins in Adelaide on April 9. It is believed around 25 of the exotic Nations Cup vehicles will enter in the season-opening

Adelaide race, with another 50 cars entered for the various Century Batteries GTP classes.

MONARCH Motors have landed a new Lamborghini Diablo SVR for Paul Stokell to race in this year’s Nations Cup. Stokell’s mount joins with a number of exotic European, Japanese and American cars which have been sourced for the new category, which series promoter Ross Palmer describes as “affordable GT racing”. Four new competition spec V10 Dodge Vipers are also believed to be under construction in the US, with two confirmed for former touring car drivers Rusty French and D’Arcy Russell.

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United Nations: NSXs, 355s. Diablos and a couple of these Vipers will be going head to head in Adelaide in April. (Photoby Suiion-imagcs)

(

3 March 2000

New Honda twin stars in test

Aprilia beats the Spice Girls

HONDA’S new VTRIOOOSPW has rocked the established

GIRRRLL Power has lost out to horsepower in a court battle. The Spice Girls have lost a court case against the Italian motorcycle manufacturers Aprilia, which they sued for $550,000 in unpaid fees from the company’s $1,3m sponsorship deal for the Spice Girls’ 1998 world tour. Justice Mary Arden (Justice Spice) dismissed the group’s claim and ordered it to pay dam ages and the company’s legal bills for the case, estimated at £1 million ($2.6 million). Aprilia had made a ‘Spice Sonic’ scooter with a silhouette of all five singers on it. That product flopped when Geri Halliwell left the group, the com pany said. Arden ruled that Aprilia would not have signed the agreement on May 5, 1998, had it known that Halliwell would depart at the end of the month. Aprilia said in a statement that the company was pleased it had prevailed and could now make a “substantial recovery’’ of its losses. Speaking for the group, 'Sporty Spice’ Melanie Chisholm said that “we were in the right and all I can say is if we’ve lost the case, then justice has not been done. We didn’t know that' Geri was going to leave.” Asked about the prospect of a £1m ($2.6m) bill, she responded: “Hey ho, life goes on!”

teams of the World Superbike Championship by setting con sistently quick times at Phillip Island. Long-time Honda man Shinichi Itoh pipped American Colin Edwards for fast time of the week, Itoh running lm33.194s aboard Honda’s new V-twin. Much to the delight of Suzuki fans, the closest challenger to the boomers was Japanese Pierfrancesco Chili, whose GSXE750 was almost 0.5s slower. Fourth fastest was World Champion Carl Fogarty, who debuted Ducati’s newest 996. The new Italian weapon featured a number of changes, including a two-sided swingarm and single injectors, which replaces the triple injectors oflast year’s bike. New team-mate Ben Bostrom struggled on his first trip to the Island, battling around in 14th. But he was faster than former world champ Troy Corser. The Aussie was suffering from illness during the test, running a lm35.499s lap during short stints for 17th fastest. Corser was the only Aprilia rider testing at the Island, riding a bike which was unchanged from the ver sion that Peter Goddard ran last season. It was also Corser’s first time on Dunlop tyres since 1994 when he raced in the USA. Aaron Slight was seventh for Honda before cutting short his run ning because of his illness (See sep arate story).

57 billion viewers watch FI FIFTY seven billion people watched Formula One racing last season. The FIA has issued the annual

A Honda’s what 1 want, what I really, really want: While Aprilia thrashed the Spice Girls in court, Troy Corser struggled in Island testing.

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FI viewing figures for the 1999 season, which reveal that a total of57,754,361,716 people in 206 countries saw something about Formula 1 on TV last year. This was an increase of two and a half billion viewings over the 1998 figures. There were a total of 1,338,272 minutes of TV cover age about FI in 68,782 broad casts. The figures have increased by 328 percent in the course of the last 10 years but they were up only five percent over the 1998 figm-es. Ofcourse, according to the US Department of Statisitcs, there are only six billion people in the world. The seemingly amazing fig ures come fi-om the method of counting viewers. Each time someone switches to watch FI, that counts as one person. So,if you channel surf during com mercial breaks 10 times, you count as 10 viewers.

12 3 March 2000 n PacWest Lights are yet to officially confirm Scott Dixon for the team’s second seat. The 19-year-old completed a two-day test with signed driver Tony Renna at Sebring and both drivers are scheduled to test one ofthe team’s Champ Cars at Homestead on March 10. n Ai-ie Luyendyk, Jr, son of two-time Indy 500 winner Arie, will make his U.S. Formula Ford 2000 debut at Phoenix in March. The 18 year-old began racing cars in 1998 and is eligible for the ‘Career Options Package’if he wins the title which includes an IRL rookie test with AJ Foyt Racing, a Mark Dismore set the fastest time at Phoenix during the week at the IRL’s Test in the West’ with Frenchman Stephan Gregoire(Dick Simon Racing)second quickest. Walker Racing debuted its new Riley & Scott chassis with Sarah Fisher. Fisher was seventh fastest on the second oftwo days but crashed. Defending champion Greg Ray was another to taste the concrete. Both drivers were miinjured. B Jimmy Kite, the smallest Indy cai- driver of the cuiTent breed (5”4’), has signed for Blueprint Racing in the IRL. The American replaces Swede Niclas Jonsson m the team, which has one win in the series (Jim Guthrie, Phoenix 1997).

Horne quits racing

STEVE Home has decided to take a sabbatical from

Champ Car racing. The President of Forsythe Championship Racing for merly known as Tasman Motorsports Group) called a meeting at his base in Ohio and made the decision, effec tive next month. The decision comes in the wake of some disappointing tests for the new Swift Oll-.c/Honda dri ven by the team’s new sign ing, Bryan Her-ta. “My heart’s just not in it,” said Horne, “and in this busi ness, to be effective, every body has to give 100 percent. 1 just don’t think I can do that right now, so it’s best to step aside. “There are many factors that weighed into this deci sion, and it’s not one 1 take lightly. “To be honest, the Lola debacle in ’97 (where the team struggled with a hope lessly outclassed chassis all year) took a lot out of me both emotionally and finan cially, and although I’ve recovered from the financial side of things, I just don’t think I can go through anoth er development curve. “I have no doubt that there are a lot of very talented peo ple at Swift - and at this

Last time around: Tony Kanaan’s ’99 Michigan win may be Horne’s last victory in Champ car racing.

(Photo by Sutton-images)

team. Together with Bryan, they have the capability to make the car a winner. But for me,it’s time to move on.”

establish Truesports Racing and success came quickly. Bobby Rahal won at Cleveland in his third CART start and finished second to Rick Mears in the title. Rahal won the 1986 Indianapolis 500 and Horne then continued to run the team as team manager, then part-owner, after Trueman died. He established his own operation (Tasman) in 1993 and won two Indy Lights series with Bryan Herta and Steve Robinson before step ping up to Champ Cars with Andre Ribero. Six race wins from Ribero, Adrian Fernandez and Tony Kanaan at last years’ US 500 followed with the team which was bought by Jerry Forsythe at the beginning of 1999, who brought McDonalds sponsor ship with him. Rumours have linked Horne to a role within the CART organisation, particu Home has established him- larly after confirming his self as one of the best exports intention to maintain an from New Zealand. He was involvement in the sport. -PHIL MORRIS hired'by Jim Trueman to '

■ Sarah Fisher will carry the #5 plate in the IRL this year for Walker Racing with support from Cummins. The number had been used by Aide Luyendyk for Treadway Racing in previous seasons but the IRL took it from the team who weren’t using it this season with Luyendyk retired and Sam Schmidt paralysed. -PHIL MORRIS

■ Portland-based heavy truck manufacturer Freightliner has been signed as the co-title spon sor ofthe Portland CART race, which will become the Freightliner/G.I Joe’s 200. ■ Further to our report last issue on Arciero Project Indy, the team will use Reynards and Mercedes-Benz power and will take delivery oftheir first car in early March. The car wUl carry the tra ditional Arciero #25 with Luiz Garcia, Jr as driver. ■ Budweiser is support ing its official sponsorship of CART with the new ‘Budweiser Hard Charger’ Award. The award and a cash prize will be present ed to the Champ Car dri ver who makes the great est improvement in track position from the begin ning to the end ofeach race. The driver with the greatest improvement in position for the entire sea son will win an additional cash award from Budweiser.

under a bus,... Chips, and beer cart’s leading team will return to the

B Extract the digit, er, tooth: Dr. Jack MUler is returning to the Indianapolis 500 as part of a two-car-team for Tri-Stai’ Motorspoils, the team partly owned by 1999 Winston Cup Rookie ofthe Year Tony Stewart. However Miller-won’t cany his regular- Crest toothpaste backing,instead he will drive the #21 Milk Chug machine, as team mate to Rookie of the Yearcontender Jeret Schroeder. 1 Indy legend Darrell Soppe has signed with Cahill Racing and wiU act as chief engineer for flonnie Beechler in the IRL. Soppe has an impressive resume. He worked for Penske Motorsports from 1975 to 1980, and he was pai-t of the team which helped Rick Mears win both the Indy 500 and the championship in 1979. He most recently helped guide Scott Harrington to the 1999 Rookie of the Yeaititle.

■ Mo Nunn’s new Hollywood-backed CAKT team has named Indy Lights driver Felipe Giaffbne as its test driver to back-up recently signed lead driver Tony I^aan. The Conquest Racing Indy Lights team for which he drives is also backed by Hollywood.

Indianapolis 500 in May for the first time since 1995, having \ not competed sifice the infamous CART/IRL split of 1996.

POP duo Bachelor Girl will be at the Qantas Australian Grand Prix next week. James Roche and Tania Doko, whose Waiting for the Day debut album went platinum, will sing the national anthem before the big race.

Schumacher Bernd loves in the reds? his new Benz WE may be able to buy wines from the estates of Michael Schumacher one day. According to German newspaper reports, Schumacher is considering a post-racing career as a viticulturalist - that’s a wine-maker to you and me. The Ferrari star is reportedly looking at buying vineyards in France and Italy. He will not be the first to pursue such a career. Jean Alesi already sells his own branded wines (mainly in Japan) while Mario Andretti has a vineyard in California. Maurice Trintignant produced a wine called Petoulet after he retired from FI in the early 1960s. Petoulet was his nickname in racing. It means "Rat Shit". Let’s hope Michael’s wine is a lit tle better than that... -JOESAWARD

MERCEDES-BENZ has tested its new DTM V8 touring car at Vallelunga in Italy. Bernd Schneider and Klaus Ludwig mainly focused on tyre testing and overall set-up during the session. “I am very impressed,” Schneider said. “The CLK is a spectacular race car. It is fast, has a great balance and a fantastic sound. It’s fun driving this car and I am sure it will be fun for the spectators to watch the races of the new DTM.” “The most important thing will be the co-operation of driver and engi neer to find a set-up not only for fast laps but which is also easy on the material over a full race distance. Being the last champion of the former DTM I hope to become the first cham pion of the new DTM.” Ludwig added that, “it handles almost like a sport prototype”.

As predicted by Motorsport News last issue, CART team owner Chip Now they’re allies: Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ganassi will field President Tony George (L) and CART Champion Juan Montoya will be on the same side in May. two cars for reg ular drivers “There’s a lot of emotion, a lot of Juan Montoya and Jimmy Vasser things were said. But, I think the one backed by Target with associate thing that is the most important is sponsorship for the one-off effort that personally I’ve missed racing at coming from Budweiser. the Indianapolis 500 a great deal.” The announcement means that Montoya, the current CART cham two CART owners will be at the pion, has never raced at the Brickyard, with Derrick Walker also Indianapolis Motor Speedway and running a car in the entire Northern has never won a 500 mile face. Light Indy Racing Series for rookie “The Indy 500 is a huge race,” said Sarah Fisher. Montoya. “I think it’s very special for “When CART left two weeks open us to be here. It’s a great challenge in the May schedule, we decided the and I think it’s going to be very good time was right to give our drivers, for us.” our team and our sponsors the Vasser has raced in the ‘500 four the times with a best finish of fomTh in chance to experience Indianapolis 500, the biggest auto 1994. However, Montoya has never race in the world,” Ganassi said. raced at the Speedway. Because of While many of Ganassi’s fellow his experience on ovals in CART, the CART team owners have investigat Colombian will not be required to ed purchasing equipment for a take the Rookie Orientation Program return to the race, they have elected but will retain his rookie status. not to run. Ganassi however said The team wiU use G-Force chassis’ that the opportunity and excitement and Oldsmobile Aurora V8 engines. outweighed the costs involved with Team manager for the Indy 500 four cars and 10-odd engines. effort will be new-hiree Andy Graves, “I can probably stand here for who joined the Ganassi organisation hours and talk about the five years late last year from the Hendrick or so that have passed since I raced Motorsports NASCAR operation. here last,” said Vasser. -PHIL MORRIS

3 March 2000

Seizing the moment o

have ever seen no leader at all, although I suppose one could argue that some team bosses over the last 15 years might as weii not have been there because they \were utteriy ineffectual. Whatever the case they were not successful ... The thing that worries me is that Jaguar may need someone to shout at the drivers this year. Eddie irvine and Johnny Herbert are not friends. I noticed their body ianguage at the launch when they were busy telling everyone that they were big boys now and would be fighting for the good of the team and not against one another. It was fishier that Billingsgate Market on a Friday, particularly when one studied the body language it was clear that something was going on between them. But what had caused this? I decided to investigate.

ne of the things I love about Formula 1 racing is that one event can alter the life of a team, or make or break a driver. You never know when something like that is going to happen and often at the time you do not always see the significance of the events. World Championship showdowns are the obvious dramatic moments but there are always others back through the field. This is why Formula 1 is always going to be stranger than fiction and why fiction about Formula 1 is Irvine had burst never very convincing. Imagine if you submitted a film script of the throughfrom ninth on 1999 season to a Hollywood studio. It would be rejected the grid. He was right immediately because no-one would ever believe the story. behind Johnny as they One of the problems which went into the braking afflicted Sylvester Stallone's plan to make a movie about Formula 1 area. And then he hit (and there were a lot of them) was him, Herbert was that he and his cigar-toting pals never really came up with a decent spun in front ofthe story. Stallone was too old to be playing a driver and so the story wholefield. The race had to revolve around him coaching a pretty young actor. was stopped. But Yawn, wake me up at the end. ' Of course. Sly and his pals Johnny had an old never bothered to ask any of the professional writers in FI what they 107C as Ms spare and thought would be a good idea; Film he would startfrom people are like that. They are like \ .' big tobacco companies and ' the pitlane. automobile makers from Bavaria. It destroyed the team. They always know better than everyone else.-If FI was not a difficult activity, why did a clever man like Ron Dennis have to have a team called Project 4 when he should have been in FI with Project One? Why, when you look up Frank Williams in the history books, do you find his name listed with Frank Williams (Racing Cars) Ltd, De Tomaso, Politoys, Iso-Marlboro and Wolf-Williams before Williams Grand Prix Engineering? Why is Tom Walkinshaw now struggling with his third FI team? Success in the sport is all about grasping the right moment and I was vyondering the other day if this is the right moment for Jaguar Racing. The team has had a pretty, meteoric rise to fame - and that, despite some pretty poor decisions along the way. Will it have what it takes to be successful in 2000? I ask the question because I know that there will be a lot of fuss about Jaguar in Australia and I cannot decide if it will be a success. The team is not Stewart Grand Prix but nor is it really Jaguar Racing and it does not seem to have a charismatic leader because the Ford Motor Company has chosen to leave the role of chief executive open. Obviously Ford has someone in mind for the job but they are not ready to join the team just yet. Successful Formula teams always have strong1 managers. Weak ones blow away like chaff in the wind. But, it’s the first time I

Aside from1, the years in Formula therecent pair had only been in the same series at the same time on one occasion. It was in Formula Ford in 1985. Both were driving less than competitive machinery with Herbert in a car called a Quest and Irvine in a Mondiale. I couldn’t find any references to a problem between them. The obvious clash would have been at the Formula Ford Festival, where careers are made and broken. I read the entire 1985 report but they were never even in the same race as far as 1 could understand. Herbert won a glorious victory and moved up and after that Irvine was always a step behind. Herbert made it to FI in 1989, Irvine did not arrive until 1993. So where was the problem? And then I remembered that after Johnny's time at Benetton in 1989 his F1 career took a dive and he spent 1990 in Japan. But that

was no good because Irvine did not get there until 1991 and by then Herbert has rejoined Team Lotus. Or had he? I remembered that Julian Bailey had done the first few races for Team Lotus in 1991 before Herbert took over. Where was Herbert? In Japan. Ah-ha! More investigation was needed. Yes, the books said, both men had done all races the Japanese Formula 3000 that year. But there were no mentions of any incidents. Herbert once finished second behind Irvine at a place called Mine. Nothing. I was beginning to give up on the idea and was willing to conclude that perhaps they were once both out chasing the same woman at some point and then I remembered Monza in 1994 and suddenly everything fell into place. Those the days Teamwere Lotus was stillwhen around

Famous faces: “Congratulations on your second world title, Mika.” “That was Hakkinen, Sly. But I loved you in the Terrninqtor movies.” “That was Schwarzenegger, Mika.” The best of, er... Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irvine get up close and personal at the Jaguar launch without managing to actually look at each other. (Photos by Sutton-lmagcs)

and it was a good team. They never had any money but they were good people and fun to be with. They had struggled all year, with debts mounting, and everything hinged on the arrival of the new Lotus-Mugen Honda 109 at Monza. The car was going to save the day. I recall that the Lotus Press Officer at the time declared, somewhat rashly, that she would perform Immoral acts on Johnny if he qualified the new device in the top five. There seemed to be little risk that she would lose any sleep, clothing or virtue but then Johnny blasted around Monza and grabbed fourth on the grid. I went to see him after the session and he had a huge smile until I mumbled: “Well, your press lady Is going to be very happy” at which point JH, who had obviously forgotten the agreement, went very pale and said: “Oh, no.” and began to hyper-ventilate. I left him leaning on a truck and wandered off to the motorhome to

find tfie PR lady in question. Her face made white look like a strong colour and she was incoherent with fear and embarrassment. “I wonder if there are any bike sheds around here, you and Johnny can nip behind,” I said gleefully. Being the gentleman that he is, I expect Johnny took a cash settlement because I never heard any more of the matter. On Sunday the whole team was pumped up. For weeks there had been rumours that Lotus was on the verge of disaster. It is hard, seven years later to remember just how powerful a name we used to think it was. Lotus was like Ferrari. It was part and parcel of Formula 1. But we knew the rumours were true and we knew that a big result was what was needed to save the day. And so, when the field set off down towards the first chicane at Monza,the Lotus fans in the paddock held their breath. The two Ferraris got away well with Jean Alesi leading Gerhard Berger down towards the chicane. Damon Hill and the others had been left behind but Irvine had burst through from ninth on the grid. He was right behind Johnny as they went into the braking area. And then he hit him. Herbert was spun in front of the whole field. The race was stopped. But Johnny had an old 107C as his spare and he would start from the pitlane. It destroyed the team. The next day Lotus protection from its sought creditors with an Administration Order. Tom Walkinshaw rang the administrator and offered money for Herbert’s contract. At the next race Herbert was driving a Ligier. Lotus was sold to a new owner but there was no money and the dream died during the winter. When you look back in Formula 1, you will always find such pivotal moments. A driver can make his career with one impressive manoeuvre, or he can kill himself. There are no second chances. Irvine was going nowhere in 1993 when Eddie Jordan decided to give him a run in the FI car. He was, if I remember correctly, the fifth driver that year to drive the second Jordan, following in the footsteps of Ivan Capelli, Thierry Boutsen, Marco Apicella and Emanuele Naspetti. He seized the moment and finished sixth, annoying Ayrton Senna to such an extent that the Brazilian went to see him after the race and boxed him around the ear. Herbert’s career has always been a matter of moments that were seized: he won the Formula Ford Festival, he finished fourth on his F1 debut in Brazil in 1989 when, he could barely walk, he has won' three Grands Prix but all of them were because he seized the moment. Irvine’s wins in 1999 were much the same. One wonders where the two will have their next moment- and who will seize it... Ever wonder if Joe Saward is as entertaining to iisten to as he is to read? You can catch our globe wandering F1 expert at the Grand Prix next week. Saward will be providing comments (for cash?) on 3AH?’s broadcast of the Albert Park extravaganza from Thursday through Sunday. Just tune your radio to 1278 on the AM dial.

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The Sshy Season is over - the cars are all launched, the drivers all signed and there's nowhere to hide. The 2000 Grand Prix year shapes up as another battle between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen, but with a stronger supporting cast than before. JOE SAWMRB is Jumping on a plane bound for Albert season

3 March 2000

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seasons.

t will be hard for Formula 1 to match 1999 for sheer

drama and the sport may suf fer a little as a result. People have come to expect that there will be a monkey swinging from the chandeliers and a naked lady popping out of a cake at every event. We were spoiled in 1999. Just as we were spoiled in the 1980s by hav ing so many charismatic star's at the same time. FI could use a little more charisma, as World Championship rivals Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen do not excite the public as Ayrton Senna or Nigel Mansell used to do. This is prdbably the best way to explain the enormous coverage that Williams received over the winter when they announced that they had signed up 20-year-old Jenson Button. People want something new and e.xciting. It would be new 'and exciting if Feirari could have a competitive car at the first race. Normally at this time of year, the Italian team is busy sticldng a new rear end on the back of a recalcitrant chassis or something similarly dramatic. In theory, the weak point this year should be the new VIO engine but everything seems to be going well. Michael Schumacher says he is fit and eager to win the World Charilpionship. The Silverstone acci dent has taken its toll on him. He looks a little older now, but we havfe

\ . ’

yet to see if it makes any difference to hjs speed. He’s a tough nut, but you never Imow. He looks like a man who has reached the top of his trajectory as a driver and is hovering there, as Ayrton Senna was in 1992-93. Another World Championship is def initely on the cards - if the car is

right. Rubens Barrichello’s announce ment that he was to join Schumacher at Ferrari was seen by many in FI as a suicide note. The Brazilian is very quick but in the past has shown himself to be weak under pressure. He struggled against Eddie Irvine in their final year at Jordan and he got flustered last year when Johnny Herbert Continued on page 16

FIA Racesuits

Capital C Contenders: In the silver corner, Mika Hakkinen. In the red corner, Michael Schumacher. And don’t forget the yellow corner; much is expected from Jordan, MugenHonda and Hein Harald Frentzen. (All photos by Sutton-lmages]

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3 March 2000

into each other.

Continued from page 15 began to beat him at Stevvart. Marching up to Schumacher is like attempting to climb the Mount Everest of FI. It is-going to be a rocky, cold and lonely path and one has to worry that Rubens will be swept away.

Mika Hakkinen looked decidedly wobbly at times last year but. in the finest traditions ofthe cinema, he came through the firefight, slaughtered the bad guys and got the girl. That would have worn out even Bruce Willis and so, over the winter, Mika has been relaxing. He says that his target is to win three World titles in a row, some-

thing which has not been achieved since Juan-Manuel Fangio managed it in 1956. It would be an extraordi nary achievement and one must hope that the self-proclaimed superprofessional McLaren team will not get involved in the amateui- dramat ics we saw on occasion last year. If they are to beat Schumacher in a competitive Ferrari, the Woking team is going to have to deliver the goods. David Coulthard is faced with a similar need to prove himself The Scotsman has been at McLaren for four seasons and the time has come for him to deliver the goods or ship out. David is a winner and he has been toughened,up mentally during his time at McLaren. Now he must take the fight to Hakkinen and stop making mistakes. If he does not give Hakkinen a harder fime in 2000 it is in every one’s interest that he moves along to Jaguar Racing, his most likely desti nation.

stood up. Rumours suggest that the job is being left open for Ferrari’s technical mastermind Ross Brawn in 2001. The Ford Motor Company will be pushing hard for success but it is hard to imagine that the cars will be challenging for the World Championship just yet. There seem

The new a green team will certaioly attract lot of interest, but one cannot help but conclude that it is a halfway house between Stewart Grand Prix and a full-blown Jaguar effort. Jackie Stewart has stood down as team boss but no-one has Age old question: Trulli (above, left) gets a chance to win at Jordan. The oncecoming man of FI is already looking old (isn’t everyone?) next to Williams’s rookie, Jenson Button (left). Silver and black: Is Coulthard on his last chance at McLaren? Both he and Hakkinen are popular, but have less fan club members than Arrows’s Jos Verstappen (above, right).

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3 Mdrch 2000

D® to be too many loose ends. What will be fascinating will be the fight between Johnny Herbert and Eddie Irvine. The pair do not form a mutual admiration society and Herbert knows that unless he does something exceptional this year, he will be following Damon Hill out to pasture at the end of the year. Irvine may have finished second in the World Championship but his period as Ferrari team leader was not very convincing and there are many in the paddock who feel that Ford has made a big mistake. Eddie will be out to prove them wrong.

There be similar fun be and gamescould at Jordan, which will a two-car team again this year with the anival of Jamo Trulli as HeinzHarald Frentzen’s team mate. The Italian has been promising for long enough and now has to prove that he has what he takes. Frentzen’s reaction will be interesting. He was brilhant last year but under pressure from Jacques Villeneuve at Williams in 1998, he was very disappointing. The big question mark at Jordan is the Mugen Honda VIO engine. Honda has arrived in FI in its own right and it is hard to judge what the inscrutable chaps from Tokyo are planning. British American Racing spent a lot of time on the ropes last year and is beginning to show signs of learning them, but it may be too early for Honda to strangle the Mugen project. Ultimately however, it will be iced and Eddie Jordan must either wench the works Honda deal from BAR or find another cai’ manufacturer.

wait for the bump, or jump else where. The sad thing is that the team has great drivers - and too many of them. Ralf Schumacher looks hke a chip off the block from which his brother was hewn. Juan-Pablo Montoya is lurking in America and new boy Jenson Button is the man of the moment. Beating Schumacher will be a major achievement for Button. He is quick and he is mature but he is going to need to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground.

The Benetton team has of had a fair ly major clean-out staff in recent months. Nick Wirth was pushed out but others left and the only top managers left standing are technical director Pat Symmonds and team boss Rocco Benetton. This year’s package should be OK but it will not be great. The Supertec engine is pretty good - if you can afford it - but it is not a Ferrari or a Mercedes. Nor for that matter is it a Cosworth or a Mugen or a Honda. Do you get the picture? Giancarlo Fisichella’s tendency to

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Continued on page 18 The Professor and the Pupil: Nick Heidfeld is obviously being groomed for big things. Alain Prost may be his boss now, but expect Nick the jQuick to be in McLaren silver soon.

Wf,

ile Jordan stares decisions in th e face, Williams is chin-tochin with problems. 'The team has its usual hard exterior but this year it seems more like a creme brulee than a block of mai'ble. This is not tfie fault of the team but rather because there seems to have been a n^sty outbreak of Bavarian arrogance at BMW Motorsport in Munich. Those with long memories will.remember the unholy mess that Porsche made of FI in 1991 because the engineers thought they knew better than any¬ one else. One gets the very distinct impres¬ sion that something similar- has been happening in Munich, as the company has conti-ived to lose a good FI engine designer after just a few weeks on the job. Frank WilUams and Patrick Head are not men who like to finish sec¬ ond, let along fifth or sixth. The plan to slide gracefully from success with Renault to success with BMW has just gone over a large bump and they are in the air. There are two choices available: gi-it the teeth, stick with BMW and

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Under Pressure: BMW engine chief Dr. Mario Theissen and BAR’S Craig Pollock will feel the heat this season if they get blown away. Zonta (bottom) expects - and deserves - better results with Honda.

RACIM-

’Ullo John, got a new motor? JOHNNY Herbert and Eddie Irvine go into the 2000 season with not a just new team Jaguar Racing - and new colours but with the lightest engine in Formula One racing. German motorsport magazine Sport Auto has researched the 10 engines being used in F1 this season and come up with some revelationary figures. According to the story, the new Cosworth-Jaguar which will power the R1 at Albert Park has followed Mercedes-Benz’s new F0110J V10 through the 100kg barrier, weighing in at 97 kilos. This is really something. When Renault unveilecUts_new engine in 1992 (the unit which powered Nigel Mansell to the world title) the opposition was aghast that they had brought the weight down to 130kg. That was considered a landmark: now, even the heaviest of the 2000 engines is lighter than that. Even the new BMW, which has been widely reported as backward because of its weight, is only 120kg. Sure, engine displacement in the current units is about 15 percent less than the 3.5 litre units in use a decade ago, but the VIO configuration is similar. And horsepower has zoomed. The last of Cosworth’s venerable DFV-based V8s was tapped out at around 600 horsepower, and the Renault had about 700 noddies. The current generation is led, by most estimates, by Benz, Ferrari and Honda, each reckoned to be producing just over SOObhp. About 820 seems possible by the end of the season.

The advantages of low weight are obvious. The heavier the engine, the less movable ballast the team has to tune the handling, given that all the cars are underweight without ballast. Ancillaries are lighter, too. All teams now roll their exhaust pipes as well as bending them, allowing fewer ‘hot spots’ on the inside curves, which allows the use of thinner (and lighter) metal. Rumours persist about the next breakthrough, llmor was thought to be testing a new ‘cam-less’ engine at Barcelona last November, but McLaren Tech Head Adrian Newey has explained the new engine’s highpitched scream as being due to running the exhausts through the diffuser in a new fashion. Whatever, listen to Hakkinen and Coulthard’s VI 2-like symphony at Albert Park next week. Here is a list of the engines in order, with weight in kilos and pounds; Cosworth-Jaguar Mercedes-Benz Ferrari Peugeot Honda-BAR Ferrari-Petronas Mugen-Honda Renault-Supertec BMW Cosworth-Fondmetal

97/213.9 98/216.1 100/220.5 109/240.3 110/242.6 114/251.3 115/253.6 118/260.2 120/264.6' 122/269.0

If you see a Formula One mechanic walking around with an engine under his arm, don’t be too shocked... - PHIL BRANAGAN

I*-,

More grunt, less calories: Mercedes-Benz’s 2000 engine is all-new.

3 March 2000

Continued from page 17 come apart under pressure - as hap pened at the Nurburgring last year is worrying if the Italian still has dreams of being a real FI star, while Alexander Wurz seems to have many ofthe skills necessary to be a top dri ver but appears to lack the ultimate pace of his team mate. The team should produce solid results but what is needed is a new engine package if Benetton is ever going to get back in Victory Lane,

auber is another team which needs a : proper engine. Secondhand Ferrari VlOs are never going to make the team a winning force. The team has been stuck on the same plateau for the last three seasons and now needs to move on. There are many folk in the FI paddock who feel that you cannot hope for success if you base yourself in Switzerland because you cannot attract the top engineers. Peter Sauber disagrees although he lost his partner Fritz Kaiser last year over this ai’gument. This year is vital for Sauber because the Petronas deal is up for gi’abs at the end of the year and if you stand outside the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur over the next few months you will see all the marketing men from rival teams going to have a look at the impres sive architecture. Mika Salo and Pedro Diniz make up a good solid driver line-up, which tells you how much the Brazilian rich kid has come on in recent years.

What can oneupsetting say about Arrows without Tom Walkinshaw? Not much. To give the squat Scot credit, he has got together a bunch of very good engineers and has signed a deal to run Supertec engines but, whether he likes it or not, Tom has to face the fact that someone has to pay for all this and the team has been singularly unsuc cessful in spearing cheques while out hunting money. The other \veak point (whether Tom agrees or not) is that he is too busy ranning his other businesses to do the FI job properly and we have yet to see liim put someone in chai-ge who can do it. Winning in FI is all about having all the elements together at the same time. Tom has some but it is not enough. Pedro de la Rosa and Jos Verstappen are extremely good paydrivers, both capable of producing results with the right machinery.

under control. He has good engi neers. The problem is that he has a Peugeot engine. Peugeot Sport has never been a very convincing force in Formula 1 and now, with a World Rally Championship programme becoming successful, there is a perfect opportu nity for the French company to slip out ofthe rotating door at the back of the grid without too many people pointing and laughing at the failure. But a failure it has been and there is no sign that the new engine is much better than the old ones. Prost smiles his resigned smile and says all the right things, but you can hear his brain whirring in the back ground. His future has got to be as a second Mercedes-Benz team. Latin passion: Rocco Benetton will be hoping, rather than planning, for results from Alex Wurz. Gene (below) shows signs of speed and reliability in the Minardi-Cosworth.

As usual, there is plenty to see and do at the Qantas Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix. Here is a list oftrack events.

31 makon He is looking to 2001 and 2002 rather than wonying about this year. Jean Alesi is colourful and quick (and sometimes forgets to stop for fuel) and Nick Heidfeld is rather dull and in Formula 3000 has shown that he has some odd ideas about overtak ing manoeuvres. However, he is Gennan and a Mercedes-Benz protegesso he fits the bill. There may be a few points for Prost this year but do not expect victory parades in Paris.

Tronically, money is not the pr-oblem J-for Alain Prost. He has the mar keting side of the business well

inardi survives. Marc Gene is obviously quite a useful driver while no-one knows much about Gastone Mazzacane except that he had some pretty spectacular acci dents in Formula 3000 in 1998. The team’s sponsor Telefonica needs to make up its mind what it wants to do with the team. Until then Minardi will be a team of sportsmen. A dinosam-.

where

AR arrived in FI like a great big circus. In the course of the year the lion-tamer was eaten, the swordswallower cut his throat and the fireeater went out in a blaze of glory. This year the team has adopted a low-key approach so there should be an improvement this year. A lot of FI people are betting that Adrian Reynard will eventually arrange for Craig Pollock to exit FI with a dirty boot mark on the bottom of his chinos, but others think the opposite wUl happen. And there is the problem. Teams which are split by internal politics do not win races. The car has not shown very much in the way of speed in testing but with Jacques Villeneuve driving there could be fireworks. Ricardo Zonta will be wise to keep a nice low profile, matching or even beating Villeneuve if he can. Let the battle commence...

THURSDAY 0930 Formula Ford Practice 1010 NASCAR Practice 1050 Supersport Cup Practice 1130 V8 Supercar Practice 1215 Formula Ford Qualifying 1250 NASCAR Qualifying 1445 Supersports Cup Qualifying 1535 V8 Supercar Qualifying 1645 Formula Ford Race 1 1740 NASCAR Race 1

(25 mins) (25 mins) (25 mins) (30 mins) (20 mins) (25 mins) (25 mins) (30 mins) (8 laps) (8 laps)

FRIDAY 1100 Formula One Practice 1 1300 Formula One Practice 2 1420 Supersporl Cup Race 1 1500 BMW Celebrity Challenge Practice 1540 V8 Supercar Race 1 1615 Brock VS Moffat Challenge Race 1 1645 NASCAR Race 2 1725 Formula Ford Race 2

(60 mins) (60 mins) (8 laps) (15 mins) (10 laps) (2 laps) (8 laps) (8 laps)

SATURDAY 0900 Formula One Practice 3 1015 Formula One Practice 4 1300 Formula One Quaiifying 1420 V8 Supercar Race 2 1505 NASCAR Race 3 1545 Supersport Cup Race 2 1620 BMIAFCelebrity Challenge Qualifying 1655 Brock Vs Moffat Challenge Race 2 1725 Formula Ford Race 3

(45 mins) (45 mins) (60 mins) (12 laps) (8 laps) (8 laps) (20 mins) (2 laps) (8 laps)

SUNDAY ■0930 Formula Qne Warm-Up 1037 Supersport Cup Race 3 1140 BMW Celebrity Challenge 1215 V8 Supercar Race 3

(30 mins) (8 laps) (5 laps) (6 laps)

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i It’s about opportunities: Peter Brock,always one for letting people ‘have a go’ at something, has been a strong proponent of the Future Tourer concept with Ron Harrop and Williams, right.

pick-up points. That means its a true ‘silhouette’ formula, where the external appearance is very much standard, apart from the minor sports body kits appearing on, for example, such models as the XR8 Falcon, the SS Commodore and the Magna Sport. ‘The cars will thus appear to be very standard, though they’ll be nice and low and run wider ROH wheels. ‘The aim is to have the four Australian manufacturers’ products quite clearly appearing in WITH the Future Tourers concept finally appearing to be getting off the ground after months of this class,’ Williams explained, “but the protracted negotiations and many disappointments for its originator Bruce Williams, Motorsport regulations have been structured in such a way News’ TONY GLYNN takes a behind-the-scenes look at the class, it’s intended technical that, providing a vehicle fits within the basic wheelbase specifications and the introduction of two more Australian manufacturer’s products-including and track dimensions, other Mitsubishi with its Magna Sports, the first prototype of which is currently under construction... brands not already specified race track. can also compete within the suspension package. ‘That’s due to the “While Mitsubishi and Bruce intended Williams the Future had always soon modelbe Commodores able to see current and category. “Something like a 5category’s mechanical Toyota certainly aren’t Falcons (with allowances Tourers category - the ' series BMW,therefore, brainchild of himself, Peter officially involved in the class specifications, which sees being made for the previous would fit within the - and neither is Ford, or suspension pick-up points VS and EL models) being Brock and Ron Harrop - to be a rear wheel drive class guidelines, as would the Holden, for that matterbeing determined by a joined on the track by the Nissan Maxima. common datum on all cars. what we have come up with that embraced, not only Ford Magna Sport and both “But we would have to be ‘The front double is a silhouette category and Holden’s respective AU Toyota’s current Camry and Falcon and VT Commodore its soon-to-be-introduced, wishbone suspension, shock very careful that someone which allows a diversity of doesn’t introduce a vehicle VT/AU-sized Avalon. absorber mounting locations models, but also other manufacturers’ products to and the five-link, live axle that’s aerodynamically The brand-new, compete on a level playing family-sized vehicles on the rear-end are all based on '' superior to everything else,” field in an environment of silhouette class is aimed Australian market in a true, Williams added. silhouette formula. the same datum, which complete parity,” said an primarily at Australian-built, enthusiastic Williams. “If the Cars all weigh the late-model, four-door effectively means that you Now the category, which can take a standard “We’re able to same, have the same production body shells is about to be presented to accommodate such a wide the CAMS board for final engine performance, production bodyshell, modified for racing with a regardless of its brand name transmission and common suspension and range of vehicle brands approval, appears to be on suspension specifications because they are all and then modify it to accept its final journey and endurance-spec V8 racing and the same wheel and Australian race fans should the common suspension basically identical on the engine, transmission and

'ord vehicles will run the 302/5 litre Windsor-based V8 engine and Holdens the 308/5 litre Holden V8, while the Magna, Camry and Avalon will be powered by a Future Tourers-spec engine based around the Holden, but devoid of any obvious factory branding - all engines will run control items, such as a MoTeC fuel injection and engine management system, Yella Terra alloy heads and Wade camshafts.

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tyre combination, the only real difference will be in the aerodynamics. ‘That’s why we’ve been looking at vehicles that are roughly the same size and shape, but if one brand of vehicle has a higher performance level, we can adjust that inexpensively by reducing the engine performance, or adding a bit of weight. 'These are areas that don’t involve spending any money and we’ve been at pains to not make the performance parity mistake of bringing everyone else up to the level of the highest performing, dominant vehicle at the time. “Instead, rather than enter that upward cost spiral, we’ve elected to peg back the dominant one, an approach which has the least financial impact on the other competitors,”

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One of many: There is already a multitude of VT Commodores and AU Falcons being constructed in readiness for the Future Tourer category’s green light.(Photo by Tony oiynn)

Surprisingly, converting the front wheel drive, six cylinder Magna body shell to a front-mounted V8, rear wheel drive configuration has proven to be comparatively simple. The first Magna bodyshell was recently delivered to Peter Muir at Bond Roil Bars in Sydney after the South Australia-based car manufacturer responded enthusiastically to Williams’ advances, the Mitsubishi plant breaking its production schedule to send a shell down the line and deliver it to Muir devoid of sounddeadening material and welded joint filler, etc. Muir immediateiy set to and, two days after the bodyshell arrived at his workshop a fortnight ago, the Magna was well on its way to being caged and propped for the necessary front and rear engine bay and suspension mods. As the Magna and the Toyota Camry both have . quite large engine bays to accommodate the production enginetransmission packages, the transformation to V8powered Future Tourers specs involves only some minor modifications to the firewall to clear'the new bell housing and exhaust system, along with the incorporation of a suitable transmission tunnel and modifications at the rear involving the suspension pick-up points and the relocation of the shock absorber mounts. Realistically, there was not a lot more work involved than what is already required to modify a Ford, or a Holden, to meet the

regulations. The Falcon has proved to be less complex to modify in some areas than the Commodore, while in other areas the latter vehicle is considered to be fairly simple to adapt. For example, the rearend of the Commodore uses the standard shock location and standard wheel tubs, the real focus of attention for the fabricator being the rear arms and the Watts linkage mounting - in the case of the Falcon, though, the shock absorber mounts have to be relocated. Muir will assume control of the Mitsubishi project and be fully responsible for the fabrication work on the Raiiiart-supplied shells, Magna customers placing orders with Bond Roll Bars and ultimately taking delivery of a finished product ready for the engine, transmission and rear-end to be fitted for a startlingiy low $12,500-$14,000 allinclusive purchase price. At the same time, Auscraft Engineering principal Russell Caddy is flat out at Harrop Engineering in Melbourne, working in conjunction with prime control componentry supplier Ron Harrop to transform the category’s AU Falcon and VT Commodore common suspension working drawings into readily available, costeffective hardware. As is the case with Muir, Bacchus Marsh-based Caddy wili be able to supply fully-caged Ford and Holcien shells ready to have their drivetrains and suspensions fitted.

illiams is adamant that “these cars will, in their external appearance, be virtually identical to the production line versions on the road, as they won’t have big wings and air dams and will be running with standard body panels, which should open up the class to sponsorship support from interested dealers. “This class is about competitive motor racing for cars at the upper edge of adhesion, which is one of the reasons why we haven’t gone for huge tyres,” he continued. “We’ve gone for a Dunlop tyre that’s very durable and, during testing, it’s proven to be able to go 100 laps of Calder Park with consistent wear - and it’s not too big,* which means the cars do develop some attitude, particularly as these vehicles do not have tOo much aerodynamic downforce. “We’ve gone a different route with this new class, developing a V8 category with 400 horsepower, virtually standard aerodynamios, a 1300-plus kilos minimum weight and a durable, hard, reasonably narrow tyre which will guarantee reasonably spectacular racing. “Without the aerodynamic grip, but with Harrop’s phenomenally effective big brakes, there should be plenty of opportunities for passing and, with the inclusion of the variety of approved vehicle types in the Future Tourers category, the racing should be very, very exciting. ‘Technically speaking," Williams continued, “the Mitsubishi and other brands have basically the same

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track and wheelbase dimensions as the VS Commodore, while the VT Commodore and AU Falcon are a bit bigger, which obviously means they’ll incur weight penalties, etc. Overall, I believe that the Magna will be a pretty good car to have,” he added,“as it’s certainly aerodynamically vbry pleasing to look at and has already indicated during the initial construction stage that it has the potential to be an excellent race car. “People now have a choice about marques to race and it’s no longer necessary to automatically look at a Ford or a Holden, whioh should make for a very interesting six to 12 months in the gestation of the Future Tourers category. “As far as a racing schedule goes, we’re locked into the TOGA Super Touring program, which is currently undergoing a rebuild with the introduction of the Super Production class and we believe that, with our V8 Future Tourers category prominently placed on the schedule, there should be some very interesting weekends of racing ahead for the fans,” Williams concluded.

Stock control; With cost control at the heart of the Future Tourers concept, Williams has chosen a vast number of control components,known for their long-term reliability,for the class. Included is the Motec throttle-body fuel injection unit, above, and the Harrop brake package and Bilstein shocks.(Photos by Tony oiynn)

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New look: After almost a decade in racing Steve Ellery carries a mixture of youth and experience into 2000, driving Super Cheap’s Falcon AU.

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Stewe ESBery has been a Longhurst driver, a DJR driver, a Young Lien and a battier He'smlm@st won,and finished third, at Bathurst And he's still only 25.PHIL BHMHMGMH spoke to him. Motorsport News: Do you realise that this is you TENTH year of car racing? Steve Ellery: Nol I’d never sat dowmand thought about it. I knew it had been a while, but I didn’tj'ealise that, to tell you the truth! WiN: It was the end of 1990 when you bought Russell Ingall’s Formula Ford. SE: Yep, it is. WIN: You’re 25,and I don’t know any other race drivers of that age who have raced so many cars. How many are you up to now? SE: Let’s see; I was in Formula Ford for three years, so I had three cars there, two different 2-litre Touring Carsthe Glenn Seton Sierra and the BMW and the ex-Longhurst car I raced in ’95-the Pinnacle Commodore V8 I raced at Sandown in ’95, 1 drove with Phil Ward in the V8 the year before that, then the Longhurst Falcon ... how many cars is that so far? Then I was with Longhurst in ’96, in ’971 had the Konica Falcon, then I drove the Wynns Commodore at the end of '97 at Sandown and Bathurst, then the Young Lions Commodore in ’98, then with Romano at the end of ’98 at Sandown and Bathurst, then last year the EL, obviously, and the Johnson AU. MN:That’s about a dozen cars... SE:There’s been a fewl I’ve driven a lot of cars and had a lot of experience. MN: A LOT of experience. And you had some good results, maybe more than people give you credit for.

SE: I think so. It’s been a little on and off. I’ve been fairly inconsistent and I’m willing to admit that. I’d never say that people have had things that I haven’t but I fegl that things never really fell my way, compared to people that I grew up with. In '96, when I finished third at Bathurst, the future was looking pretty bright and I was starting to think that it was starting to happen for Steve Ellery and there was not going to be any looking back. It’s been a bloody hard road to get to where we are now. At one stage, at the end of ’98, it was starting to look like my career was finished. Half way through last year, even though we were'getting results, without a sponsor there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. It still seemed that we were doing it all for nothing. But we kept in there and kept struggling and things finally fell our way. MN:Is that the hardest thing in this business-coming back from setbacks when something you thought would last a long time falls over? SE: I think it is. In ’97 when the Longhurst deal finished it was looking like we would find it hard to find a drive anywhere else. That was very difficult. All the things that happened with Tony-which I’m not going to go into - it left us with a bitter taste for Motorsport. But we managed to hold onto the sponsor and kept Konica for ’98. Then that fell over for’98 and it seemed the two years of work we had put in was over. It was hard to look beyond

that. It looked like nothing positive would come of it. I thought 1 was finished. MN: What happened with you and Tony has been written about, documented. Looking back now from a distance, what positives did you take from the experience? SE: Definitely a lot. Tony taught me a lot and I’d never sit here and say he didn’t. He taught me a hell of a lot. One thing that he has never publicly been given credit for was that there were a lot of people telling him not to put me in the car for the distance races in ’96 and he went against them all and put me in the car. I don’t know the reasons behind the decision, though everyone knows Tony, and knows that he wants to win races. I guess he saw something in me that no-one else could see and he gave me an opportunity, and I was fortunate enough to go there and do the job. For that, 1 can thank him. Sure, there were a lot of negatives, but there were a lot of positives as well. He showed me a fair bit about fitness-everyone knows how fit Tony is-and I picked up a lot of things about the running of his team. There are some things I wouldn’t do with mine, and 1 picked up a lot of things that I would do with mine. Over those 18 months I learned a lot about motorsport and especially about V8 Supercar racing. MN:You said that some people overlooked some things in your career,and you’re right-that was Continued on page 24

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24 3 March 2000 Continued from page 23 happening even when you were in Formula Ford. SE: Even in karts. I used to race against Craig Lowndes and Mark Noske and Steven Richards-even Steven White. There were quite a few of us who grew up racing karts together and we all moved to Formula Ford together. In 1991, when we went into Formuia Ford, a lot of people were looking at the future drivers. But I didn’t take it that seriously; I enjoyed it but I never really saw myself going any further with it. MN:You didn’t want to be a professional driver? SE: I thought I did, but I didn’t know what it took. I thought I could go to a party on Friday night and show up on Saturday and race. I look back now and see the way I used to treat motorsport and I was just never committed. I think that’s why I was inconsistent. Eastern Creek in 1993 [when Eliery won both FF races] proved to me what I should have been doing for a few years before that. That was the turning point; I started to get my act together. I thought, there could be a career in this for me, but I have to make it happen’. All in all, I got my head together and decided what I wanted to do. MN: At what stage did you think you had what it took to be a professional driver? SE: After that. Two-litre racing was good for me, because I got to race touring cars up the front. Without putting down 2-litre racing, we could run an ordinary car up the front without a lot of money or experience. I knew there could be something for me, but I could also see that 2-litres weren’t going anywhere and we were concerned we were in a sport going nowhere. We went V8. At Bathurst in 1996, when I stood on the podium and looked at all the people, I thought, ‘If 1 really want to make something out of this, now is the time’. The Konica sponsorship the following year showed the truth in that; I finally had myself a full-time drive and could compete at the top level. MN:That must have been a heady experience for you;

you were 21, you led at Bathurst and finished third. Any expectations of doing any of those things before that race? SE: In my upbringing, I was never a petrol head. I always preferred to go and watch football or cricket, but I’d never miss a Bathurst on TV. But the fortunate thing for me was that there was someone else on the podium my age. Two of them, and they won the race. That took away a little from what I’d done, but they did a great job. I can’t take anirthing away from them. MN: In concert with Peter Brock and Dick Johnson retiring, what Lowndes and Murphy achieved that year opened the sport up for young drivers. SE: Definitely. That year, out of the six drivers on the podium, three of us were under 25. We were the future. And since then, Brighty, Steve Richards and Murphy again. That year,’96, was definitely the turning point for young touring car drivers. MN: You mentioned what you learned from Tony,and you’ve also driven with HRFs Young Lions and Dick Johnson’s team. Have those ultra-competitive environments taught you about being a race driver? SE: Of course. Growing up, 1 knew I could drive cars fast and I thought that was all that was important; if you could drive fast, people would want you. But ifs a lot more than just driving a car fast. It’s a whole picture. If you want people to get behind you, you’ve got to be a sellable item. Being in a big team, with big budgets and a lot of media focus on you certainly teaches you to polish yourself properly, how to handle yourself with people and how to look after your sponsors. Tha media; that’s hard - I’ve never had anyone take me aside and teach me how to talk properly to the media. I’ve really had to do it myself... MN:You do alright... SE: I try my best! The professional teams are hard work. There’s a lot of politics in bigger teams and I’ve enjoyed every experience I’ve had. If 1 had to do it again, 1 don’t think I would change it.

Scene of success, struggle: Ellery is determined to win at Bathurst one day - maybe this year. He came close in 1999, sharing the Helix/DJR comet with Paul Radisich. Two years earlier it was Holden, Wynns and a bit of biffo with Gibson Motorsport. (Photos by Phil Williams and Marshall Cass)

MN:Is the weight shifting now? I look at your operation and someone like Cameron McLean’s and the smaller teams have to potential to run with the Pros on their terms. SE: I think so. Hook at last year and we managed that on occasions.

Ross and Jim Stone were unbelievably supportive. Words can’t describe how good they were to us last year. They sold us a car and did our engines and they told us if we had our act together, we could win

races. We didn’t do that, but we got bloody close! As the year went on we actually got quicker. That got our confidence going and got us the sponsorship for this year, which is a completely

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different story now. We don’t have something which was a developed package like the EL, we have an AD which we built ourselves. That’s where the challenge comes in. Phillip Island was a test of that and we have a lot to learn. We never really got on the ball but we got a bit caught out. We were at Phillip Island but we weren’t quite there, if you ktjpw what I mean... We weren’t ready for the race meeting. We know the challenge is ahead and we know what to do. Hopefully we can engineer this car into something close to the EL. Give us a few races. I think that, by the time Adelaide comes around, we’ll have it together.

MN:Is it a bit unrealistic to expect your team to go fast first time out at Phillip Island, which is‘home track’ for some of the bigbudget teams? SE: I don’t think so. Last year we did a 1 m32.7s in qualifying seventh, or something close to that, and it’s a circuit that I love. I’ve been there in Formula Fords and Super Tourers as well as the V8, done a million miles there and I love the place. For me it’s right up there with Bathurst for being a great track and I want to go back there and win someday. I want to conquer it one day. But HRT test there, and Seton, and that makes then the ones to beat.

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mrch2000 MN: What was apparent last year was the form you showed at circuits where no-one tests, like Albert Park, Darwin the Indy Car race. SE: A lot of people picked up on that. The fact is we had a great car which was set-up really well and we didn't play with it much. We did our homework and made the right choices. ● The Grand Prix took us by surprise, standing on the podium. Quite unbelievable after the hole I was in at the end of 1998,That restored what I like about motorsport and set us up for the year. MN; What was it like getting the call from DJR last year? SE: Pretty good! It was a bit of a shock. Dad and I were talking about Bathurst and we realised that the budget was a problem. We were looking at our options and Dad said,‘Should we approach DJR?’ We still wanted to work towards getting the sponsorship for our car, but I also didn’t want to miss out. 1 have no idea what happened behind the scenes, but out of the blue,[then DJR General Manager]Wayne Cattach sat down with me at Phillip Island and asked if I was available to drive. I told him I would have to think about it for a little while, but I didn’t take long to take up my mind. To drive with DJR, at Bathurst, with Paul Radisich was an awesome opportunity. When I look at the opportunity Craig Lowndes got with HRT in 1995, he took that opportunity. So did Steve

Richards with the Vaivoline team, and with winning Bathurst with the Pirtek team. I iooked at it and thought, ‘this is my opportunity’. So I accepted the offer and took the drive -and it bioody nearly came off for us! TOR

MN: Maybe the populous at large was a little surprised but the industry almost expected you and Paul to win the race. SE: I suppose so. At Surfers, for instance. I’d spent a fair bit of time in the Shell car and Paul and I were getting on very, very well. We just seemed to slip into another gear,for some funny reason. I cannot say enough good things about Paul Radisich. His attitude and approach to motor racing inspired me. He’s won everything there is to win in touring car racing around the world and he’s the most downto-earth character that I’ve ever come across in the sport. I felt that there was a friendship there right from the start and, when I went to races after we started testing, I had a different attitude. I was very relaxed and more professional and some of that must have rubbed off Paul. We went to Indy and went 1-2 in qualifying and 1-2 in two of the races because we were focussing towards our goal. We were peaking by working together. We were the form pairing for Bathurst. But the tyre thing got us at Bathurst. For 142 laps, we were the kings of the world, no-one could touch us. I think people were saying to

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themselves, ‘If that car doesn’t break, we are racing for second’. That’s the way it was; DJR had prepared an awesome race car that made our jobs easy. Paul did a brilliant job, starting fourth and leading into the first corner. We just took it from there; we didn’t panic in the pits, even if a couple of stops were a little slow. We made position on the track and, with 19 laps to go, about ready to pop the champagne, the tyre goes. I know exactly how Glenn Seton felt, even if he was closer than we were. Maybe we could have managed a podium finish before the engine went. But, after what we had achieved, I don’t think we really wanted a third after knowing where we should have been. After the engine went, in a funny sort of way, I walked away happy that we didn’t finish.

Past times, fun times: Ellery’s Super Touring racing taught him a lot. His ex-Longhurst BMW 318 was competitive, taking him to second in the Privateers’ title in 1994. He had some strong allies, like engineer Campbell Little, now with Stone Bros Racing. Yippee: There’s time for fun, too, here racing Adrian Fernandez down a Gold Coast water slide.

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28 3 March 2000

Dodge confirms Pettys NO surprises were sprung at Daytona on February 19 when Dodge announced Petty Enterprises and Bill Davis Racing,would campaign Dodge Intrepids in the 2001 Winston Cup series. Petty Enterprises will field three cars for Kyle and Adam Petty, along with John Andretti, while Davis’s stable will again run Ward Burton and Dave Blaney. Seven cars have now been confirmed for Dodge’s return, including Ray Evernham’s original two, with Bill Elliott rumoured to have signed with Evernham to drive his lead car. With his father, “King Richard” and grandfather, Lee, having helped Dodge win 160 NASCAR races from the ‘50s through 70s, Kyle Petty Is looking fonward to the Dodge association. “From a family standpoint, it’s great to come back, this is a huge program and it’s serious business,” he said. - MARTIN D CLARK

; VETERAI^

NASCAR

iracer Geoff Bodine an<d nixiie spectators were ioi-ured m ^ , : Sipectacular 13 truck pile-up at Baytona a fortnight ago. fhe whole front clip of Bodine’s truck, including the engine, was ripped off as he

barrel rolled 11 times, while seGtioHS of the frorat stretch spectator fence were torn down during the Craftsman ’Fnick Series'first appearance at the famous track. Bodine suffered a fractured vertebra and wrist, mild concussion, along with some burns and facial cuts in the accident.

Bobby Labonte rock solid with first win for2000 NASCAR’s technical department has been thrown into another round of head-scratching and wind tunnel testing following Bobby Labonte’s win at Rockingham - the top four cars either Pontiacs or Chevrolet with the nearest Ford, Daytona winner Dale Jarrett, a lap down in fifth. Jarrett and Ford’s expected domi nation follow-on from Daytona was topped in its tracks, although

Jarrett’s fifth placing was enough to help him maintain his points lead over Labonte, by five. Dale Earnhardt finished second to Labonte, the “Intimidator” working out early in the race that his Chevrolet was better on long nms if he babied the sticker tyres for a dozen or so laps after a pit stop. Earnhardt proved his theory almost perfectly correct when he reeled Labonte in after theft final stops on lap 330 - Labonte having pulled out

to a six second lead quickly and then holding his breath as Earnhardt’s Monte Carlo methodically pulled him in heading to the chequer. Ward Burton and Labonte team mate Tony Stewart were the only other two drivers, both in Pontiacs, to finish on the lead lap with Labonte and Earnhardt. The Rockingham race proved to be a typical, tyre-eating dual at the North Carolina Motor Speedway, winning crew chief, Jimmy Makar

summing it up later: “You pretty much had three different races going out here at one time - you had a third of the cars on new tyres, a third on half old tyres and a third of ‘em were on worn out tyres. That made for a lot of interesting things happen ing on the racetrack.” As for the NASCAR technical team, they’ll be back in he wind timnel this week with Labonte, Earnhardt and Jarrett’s respective cars for more testing.

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■ Daytona radio shows were filled with irate callers following the Twin 125 qualifying races, mostly agreeing with Dale Earnhardt’s comments that NASCAR have gone too far with the new mandated spring and shock rule for the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega. Aside from saying the racing was the worst he’d seen at Daytona, Earnhardt went on to say, “They took the good racing and turned it into this-it’s a joke.”

Jarretfs Stea JUDGING by the earlier Speedweek events at Daytona, NASCAR’s season-beginning superbowl, -n„ j. „ coo the Daytona 500 on February 20. looked as

Daytona 500 trophy. Now I have three of them... it’s incredible!” problems with Martin, Jarrett s win , .’ .„

though it would be any- gj-ash during happy hour the thing but excitable, but it previous night is considered, turned out to be the com- ^ith the team needing to fly plete opposite and could in shop fabricators to work long be remembered as on the car and prepare it for the race. ‘the big steal’. “I guess if I’d have been The enthralling 200 lap race was highlighted by Dale smart I just wouldn’t have Jarrett passing Johnny been out there to start with,” Benson just prior to the final Jarrett said of the incident caution with three laps that also involved Mike Bliss, remaining to take his third Jeff Gordon and Bill Elliott, win in the classic - the win“We were about done, just ning move raising the ire of trying one last thing and I Mark Martin. wanted to see what it was “I got lied to. I had a car going to do behind other that could win the race and I cars..." had a chance, and that’s all I The Ford Credit #88 led 89 really asked for,” Martin . laps of stockcar’s classic race, said, referring to a deal his ensuring the second generation and Jarretfs spotters had racer his third Daytona 500. made about drafting past Jarretfs new RYR team Benson on the high side - mate, the reborn- Ricky Jarrett instead electing to go Rudd, led the first lap from low when the time came. , the outside'pole before Mike The move brought Jarrett Skinner and then Jarrett and team owner Robert took up the running through Yates a ^cheque for over lap 33 when Jeff Gordon US$2,275 rnillion, a record dumped oil on the track and Daytona purse which includ- aired the first yellow for the ed a US$1 rnillion Winston race - a broken oil fitting the No Bull bonus. apparent cause, Gordon fin“Mark went high and I went ishing 34th,five laps down, high with every intention of When the pit stops fingoing with Mark, but I saw ished, Jarrett headed every[Jefl] Burton going low and, at one off the pit lane and conthat point, I’ve got to protect tinned to lead through to lap my position. I wasn’t trying to 91, when scheduled stops set him up,” said Jarrett ofthe took place. Jarrett retired after race dr-ama. from the front of the pack While, according to until when it counted most... Jarrett, he wasn’t setting Elliott, having started Martin up, the move proved third, had a great run and to be a winning one, with finished in the same place his best result since June ‘97. kfartin left high and diy... I don’t know when I’ve “When I got involved in Winston Cup racing, I had , raced this hard - it was a the dream that everybody tough race,” Elliott said else does, of one day having a afterwards.

Immediate cash loans: Dale Jarrett won his third Daytona 500 in a race being described as ‘the Big Steal’. After winning US$2,275

million, Jarrett, naturally celebrated in victory lane. (Photos by Sutton-lmages/Ford media)

Benson, who was leading up to the death knock, was freight trained back to 12th on the final restart, his disappointment at not winning Daytona over-ridden by his signing of race sponsor Lycos for-the remainder ofthe season. J knew the Ford’s were going to gang up on me. whether we stayed green or not - I did everything I could, all but to vireck us,” he , said after the finish. Joe Gibbs’s two Pontiac teams had rough days, ones which they’re more likely to want to forget than remember. Bobby Labonte’s Interstate Batteries team let a tyre roll across pit road and incurred a Labonte finished sixth and draft with me, not even my stop and go penalty, while Stewart 17th after repairs to Dad,” he said later. “YVe had a Stewart’s Home Depot Pontiac the front end... \ real fast car and I thought Dad hit Labonte’s stray tyre, push Martin prodigy, Matt ^would be the first one to help, ing in his front spoiler. Kenseth, was the top rookie, but he was the last one who If things couldn’t get any storming from 24th to ulti- wanted to stay behind me.” Junior finished his day in worse, they did when, on the mately finish 10th. final pit stop, Stewart hit “I’m a little surprised, I 13th while his father fin tyre changer Mike didn’t expect to run-that ished on the lead lap in 21st. Final results: Dale Jarrett Lingerfelt, breaking his leg. good, but I’m real happy with Lingerfelt went to move what we did,” he remarked (Ford) 155.669 mph, Jeff Burton (Ford), Bill Elliott another Labonte tyre block- post race, ing Stewart’s pit, Stewart Kenseth’s Busch series (Ford), Rusty Wallace (Ford), backed up to miss the tyre sparring partner. Dale Mark Martin (Ford), Bobby and then shot forwaud appar- Earnhardt Jr, who has also Labonte (Pontiac), Terry ently not seeing Lingerfelt. joined the Winston Cup Labonte (Chevy), Ward “It’s hard to really think series full time this year, Burton (Pontiac), Ken about the race when you’ve didn’t fair so well at the end Schrader (Chevy), Matt Kenseth (Chevy). of the race. got a crew guy that’s hurt, -MARTIN D.CLARK said Stewart. “I couldn’t get anyone to

NOB€>Dy

■ The #88 Ford Credit Ford Taurus that Dale Jarrett used to win this year’s Daytona 500, and claim a No Bull US$1,000,000 bonus,is also the same car Jarrett won another ofthe million dollar bonuses at Talladega last year. As with any Daytona 500 winning car, Jarrett has lost the use of the Taurus for the next 12 months, the car now on display at the track for the remainder of the yeai% ■ Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon met with NASCAR officials following their pushing match in the garage area. No fines were levied at the drivers, but one of Stewart’s crew members, Jason Shapiro, was fined US$2,000 for hitting Stewart. Shapiro was also placed on probation imtil

June 30. ■ Northern Light, an internet search engine, made an appearance as the primary sponsor for Kevin Lepage’s car during the Daytona 500. NL is an associate backer on the other Roush team cars, although they are not expected to support Lepage’s campaign past the 500. ■ HiUs Brothers Coffee and the Sara Lee Corporation have signed on with Junie Donlavey Racing to sponsor rookie Ed Berrier for the full 2000 season, after the team made the field for the Daytona 500. -MARTIN D.CLARK

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■ Calder’s schedule for this year’s Nationals was a strange one with not one qualifying session for Group One included on Thursday and a final session set for Saturday afternoon, hot long before the first round of eliminations. While many understood that the track was trying to give more to the race day crowd, most were extremely critical that the schedule wasn’t available until they arrived at the track - a number saying they’d wasted time by arriving at the track prepared to run Thursday. They were also critical of the Saturday qualifying run, with Top Fuel scheduled for 1.45pm, only three hours before then first round. 11 The Hoosier tyres, used by Victor Bray on his world record-breaking 232 mph run back in November, ai-e gaining popularity again with many alcohol and doorslammer racer’s mounts wearing the boots. Amongst those with the independant’s black hoops on the back, purchased from Sprintcar king and Hoosier importer Max Dumesny were Top Doorslammer winner Peter Kapiris, Top Alcohol runner-up Gary Phillips and Competition Eliminator winner. Rod Rainford. H Speakpag of tyres... having again'been signed by the Australian Grand Prix Coi-poration to thrill the spectators with his burnout special; this year in conjunction with Brett Stevens, doorslammer king Victor Bray has just landed $22,000 in tyres for the GP weekend!

Heavenly victory: Roy Smith and partner Mick Atholwood used one of the unique Sainty engines the only one in the field - to take a long hoped-for win in Top Fuel.

S Australian Top Bike Champion Jeff Smith was a little peeved that he wasn’t included amongst Australia’s

representatives for the recent ADBA world series - believed due to not

You snooze, you lose: Hot weather and a lot of oil contributed meant a lot of work for the clean-up crews. While their reactions, at times, were far from good, they did an excellent job in a no-win situation, and continued to provide a good racing surface.

paying an ADBA membership fee - and, apparently, vented his feelings quite publically. A number ofthose involved were annoyed by his complaints struck back, their bikes for the series wearing ‘Stop your bloody whining Smith’ decals, much to the angst of the Queenslander. . However,they say those who laugh last, laugh loudest, and Smith’s victory cheers at this year’s Nationals was testament to that. And,just to get even more of a laugh, Smith’s bike actually carried one of the offending decals, although altered to read ‘Stop your bloody WINNING Smith’!

That’s what they feel like: Sainty engine constructor Terry Sainty, felt the power of a ‘normal’ hemi fuel engine for the first time. Sainty was beaten by his family’s own engine in the final round.

>. g

Report by GERALD McDORNAN HOT. It was simply too hot to be more than enjoyable, with the searing 40-plus degree heat causing a great deal of discomfort for the hard working race and track crews, and the spectators, but the 34th annual Australian Drag Racing Championships was a great success from the racing side of things. Despite the temperatui’e, this year’s Nationals again showed that, to the racers, the event can not be surpassed for prestige and the want to win from each and every racer that fills in the entry form. The Nationals means just that much., And, perhaps this year’s final results showed that more than ever, with ANDRA’s gold Christmas trees going to a number who have, for consider able time, chased the dream, never to have pre viously realised it. Upsets were the norm and the results sheets showed just what the Nationals does mean to some, the knowledge of a win sending some grown men into tears.

While the heat proved to be too much for many, sur¬ prisingly, performances weren’t effected greatly with a number of national records being set in various classes, along with many personal bests and some excellent side-by-side racing. The only bracket that really struggled was Top Fuel with performances way, way off what has come to be expected. Low elapsed time for the weekend sat at just a 5.15, Darren DiFilippo’s run also producing the top speed of the meet at 281 mph - a long way short of taking the $100,000 bonus again offered by promoter Bob Jane. Unfortunately, major oil downs were a-plenty in Top Fuel and, while this writer fully understands the intri¬ cacies of the class, it begs a number of questions as to what the track and sport can do to improve what was a seriously troubled show. The intricate nature of the nitro beasts provides even the most experienced tuners with problems and, with Australian teams scheduled. this season, to run only five times, and months apart, getting a handle on a tuneup is a major concern. The NHRA’s move to a 90 percent maximum nitro percentage is a distinct possibility, although it again comes at a great cost to cornpetitors. And, while it worked exceptionally well in the US just a couple of weeks ago, the real test -will be in a few months time when teams lean on the equipment harder. A definite area for improvement is the clean-up crews. The reaction times of Calder’s crew was too slow for such a major event, with one oil down taking in excess of one hour to clean. Not good if you’d paid full price to be there. Having said that. the crews did have an incredibly hard task in the extreme heat and one could only feel sorry for them and thank them for their efforts. Another major disappoint ment for the event, and caus ing serious concern for the two-wheeled brigade and ANDRA, was the failure of the Competition Bike brack et to attract the six mini mum entries. The result was the bracket was cancelled, not a fault of the promoter, leaving the paltry three entrants stranded. It’s hard to put a finger on the problem, especially knowing that over the last few seasons Comp Bike has

or) (0

3 March 2000

J)Co_

■ WithANDRArul^ Garry McGrath ineligible to compete at the Nationals without the appropriate Top Fuel licence(McGrath is licensed to drive a Funny Car), the Melbourne racer approached US Nationals runner-up Andrew Cowin on the Tuesday before the event. Cowin dechned, while Terry Sainty accept¬ ed. struggled with numbers, but a solution must be found. Sadly, the two-wheeled Group Two racers joined the nitro Funny Cars on the ‘notcontested’ list and the event and the sport were still the poorer for it. Undoubtedly, the highlight brackets of the weekend were Top Doorslammer, Top Alcohol and Pro Stock, the latter two producing the rac¬ ing we’ve come to expect. while the former - a bracket many were against allowing to begin with - just keeps getting stronger, along with proving its worth to promot¬ ers as a viable, stand-alone. crowd-drawing category. The biggest of the upsets occurred in the sport’s leading class. Top Fuel, where youth, enthusiasm, speed. and blinding quick ets either were absent or didn’t count for anything with near 57year-old Roy Smith taking his first Nationals win in a shock result over Terry Sainty. For Queenslander Smith and crew chief, fuel system guru Mick Atholwood, the win in Top Fuel was a dream come true - for Atholwood, it was 40 years in the making. The final produced a great story in itself with the veteran pair., with their unique. three-valve, billet Saintypowered dragster, matched against the engine’s builder, Teriy Sainty - he having his first drive of a ‘normal’ hemipowered digger. Even with a gauge showing no oil pressure after the burnout for the final couldn’t stop them, Atholwood signailing to Smith to ignore it and race for the win. ‘Terry and his father. Stan, produce a great engine with a lot of potential, although it was a little funny ■ running them for the win,” Smith said afterwards.

vrai

Mr. Exciteabie: Peter Kapiris was over the top when he found his opponent, Robin Judd, had crossed the centreline in the final round. It was Kapiris’s second Nationals win. Going like a blur; Rod Rainford scored his second Nationals crown, putting in a dominating performance in his Motivator Racing Engines C/A Bantam in Comp Eliminator. 'u

We had'no oil pressure

but Mick just told me to go for it and I did - I can’t believe this, it’s a dream come true.” For Sainty, the experience in Garry McGrath’s fueller, which came about due to McGrath not having an appropriate Top Fuel licence prior to the event, was a worthwhile one. The more favoured racers in DiFilippo, Jim Read, Steve Read - who had two-time Nationals and Australian Top Fuel Champion, American Glenn Mikres in his camp trying to sort out the combo - RacheUe Splatt, Robin Kirby and Romeo Capitanio, it was all for nought. Continued next page...

Paratrooper: There was no stopping Mark Brew in the Top Alcohol final round, a holeshot victory over Gary Phillips giving him his first Nationals win. (Photo by Marshall cass)

■ Reigning Nationals Super Stock champions, the Sammut Brothers, hadn’t raced at all during the shortened Melbourne season due to business commitments, but it didn’t take long for the pair to show they hadn’t lost any of their touch. With Peter Sammut again at the wheel oftheir Nissan Genuine Partssponsored DD/Gas 300ZX, the former Australian champions produced an offthe-trailer 8.04/173,some ■25s under the class index. A red light ended their run at back-to-back crowns in the second round. ■ Les Heintz’s victory in Super Stock was, perhaps, one of the highlights of this year’s event with the veteran of the sport every experienced watcher’s sentimental favourite. Heintz, not knowing opponent Xerakis had redlighted in the semi-finals, thought as though he’d spoiled his chances by bombing the C/MP index by over four-tenths, but, thankfully, the colourful Camaro had enough left for the final round against Ray Caruana. “I really am lost for words,” Heintz said later. “T took 180 lb of ballast out for the semis, to bring the car down to legal weight as I needed every bit of perfonnance I could get. I didn’t know he redlighted and when he said ‘congratulations, you won’ I nearly died. I thought ‘what have I done?’ “Thankfully, everything worked out for myself. Matt and the team. This has been 25 years in the making...”

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32 3Mdrch2000 <%■

Continued from page 31 Redback DiFilippo’s Exhausts/ Performance Sidchrome Proto fueller fell to a fuel system leak in the semi-finals, allowing Sainty to solo for the finals berth. while Read’s Gregory’s Automotive Publication was plagued with mechanical woes all weekend - a popped blower in the semis giving Smith his finals spot. Splatt’s last Nationals wasn’t as appearance rewarding as her first, the demure lady lifting off the throttle in the Valvoline/ Cummins/Dragway dragster just that fraction too early. giving Sainty’s campaign another life.

■ Having reached the final round of last year’s Nationals, only to fall to a red-light, Nick Xerakis, came out blazing at this yeai’’s premier event. Electing to miss Thursday’s qualifier, Xerakis unldaded his G/Gas Noiihern Dynamics/Dominator Ford Probe and unleased a number one qualifying 8.55/157 during Friday morning’s first session quite impressive considering the temperature was already 34 degrees. Despite making just the one qualifier, Xerakis remained in the number

“I couldn’t tell who won... I think I may have lifted [off the throttle] too early, but that’s racing. That’s what excites us all,” she graciously said afterwards. Kirby’s first round exit against Jim Read was as spectacular as Top Fuel could ever be, the two nitro diggers blowing the tyres off early in the run, before pedailing throttles determined the outcome. Read just survived, while Kii-bys loss also signalled his second engine demise of the weekend, and a blown tyre for the Pennzoil team. Steve Read’s weekend? Well, it couldn’t really have gotten much worse after having popped a blower on a

one spot for eliminations. ■ Speaking of Xerakis, the colourful chai-acter was fined $100 and made to make a public apology by ANDRA after dropping the ‘C’ word on the track pa on Friday night. Xerakis’s clanger came during a verbal stoush with radio personality Guido Hatsis, Xerakis having copped a barrage of abuse and insults from the self-proclaimed Greek adonis. But, while being extremely apologetic for saying the magic word, Xerakis wasn’t too impressed about the fine. “I’m going to send Calder Park the bill,” he said later. “Ifithey can pay Guido and 'Triple M (radio station) $3,500 for him to come out here as a promotion and call me a dickhead, they can pay the $100 fine as well.” Seems fair to us...

2ZS

Qualifying

1 Darren Di Filippo, Vic - Redback Exhausts 2 Steve Read, NSW - Santos Cranes 3 Jim Read, NSW - Gregory’s Publications 4 Rachelle Splatt, Vic - Valvoline/Cummins 5 Terry Sainty, NSW-PitstopA/alvoline/United . . . 6 Robip Kirby, Vic - PennzoilA/DO/Sidchrome 7 Roy Smith, Old-Champion/Hi-TecOils 8 Romeo Capitanio, Vic - Industrial Thermocouples

,5.157 .5.236 .5,272 .5.294 .5.481 .5.871 .6.155 .7.395

281.95 272.89 266.74 262.00 248.96 177.79 234.13 117.87

Eliminations - Round 1 W Darren Di Filippo Romeo Capitanio W Roy Smith Steve Read . . . . W Jim Read Robin Kirby . . . . W Terry Sainty ... Rachelle Splatt. .

1 Gary Phillips, Old - Lucas Oil Products/Aussie Bananas . . . .5.754 .5.754 2 Mark Brew, Old - Pro-Force/Romac .5.758 3 Wayne Newby, NSW - Newby Superchargers . . . .5.936 4 Dean Oakey, NSW - American Auto Parts .5.997 5 Paul Shackleton, Old - Shackleton Racing/Castrol .6.015 6 Steven Reed, Old - Reed Transport .6.304 7 Matthew Featon, Vic - Snapes Removals .6.344 8 Robert Ambruosi, Vic - R&N Automotive DNO: Frank Intini (6.358/210.23), Thomas Easton (6.439/217.54)

.49 3 .65 8 .55 1 .65 8 .53 4 .55 0 .51 8 .54 8

5.600 5.512 5.922 12.484 5.825 5.865 5.510 5.506

247.86 254.95 247.79 94.04 242.91 189.27 266.50 246.55

Eiiminations - Round 1 W Gary Phillips .. . Robert Ambruosi W Mark Brew Matthew Featon . W Wayne Newby . . Steven Reed , . . W Paul Shackleton Dean Oakey , . .

.561 .510 .641 ,480 .480 .500 .474 .643

.52 6 .48 9 .47 7

5.807 7.494 6.233

247.11 106.85 149.57

Semi Finals W Gary Phillips ... Paul Shackleton . W Mark Brew Wayne Newby . .

Semi Final W Roy Smith Jim Read W Terry Sainty . .. Darren DiFilippo .

broke

Final W

Roy Smith . Terry Sainty

.530 ,523

5.784 5.869

247.93 266.35

244.29 242.84 245.03 235.54 234.25 238.72 195.86 220.26

.6.377 219.35 1 Peter Kapiris, Vic - Kapiris/Pennzoil '53 Studebaker .6.398 229.00 2 Victor Bray, Old - Castrol '57 Chevy .6.436 218.97 3 Robin Judd, WA - Moonshine '53 Studebaker . . . .6.531 220.15 4 David Simpson, WA - Simpson Racing '97 Falcon .6.531 215.51 5 Brett Stevens, Old - Jack Daniels '53 Studebaker 6 Andrew Searle, Old - ACME F’glass '56 Customline . . .6.547 213.21 7 Peter Gratz, Old - Valvoline'70 Dodge Daytona 6.555 221.40 6.583 220.21 8 Dave Koop, SA-Tectaloy'55 Chevy DNO: Leslie Winter (6.629/212.06), Colin Will (6.667/211.36), Steve Stanic (6.784/185.18), Luigi Raschella (6.817/208.96), Alt Sorbello (6.944/198.15), Marcus Chambers (7.015/202.88), Cameron Brooks (12.956/65.12)

5.804 6.253 5.883 6.721 5.882 6.090 5.902 5.968

238.85 255.73 240.70 186.87 239.74 235.23 221.13 234.61

Eliminations - Round 1 W Brett Stevens David Simpson W Peter Kapiris . Dave Koop . . W Peter Gratz . . Victor Bray . . W Robin Judd . Andrew Searle

.561 .473 ..458 .508

5.804 9.141 5.802 8.405

238.85 94.34 242.52 103.54

Semi Finals W Peter Kapiris Brett Stevens , W Robin Judd . Peter Gratz .

.445 .499

5.749 5.732

243.70 242.06

Final W

.623 ,535 .490

215.72 215.00 225.22

,511 .450

6.515 6.723 6.500 broke 6.733 broke 6.481 6.854

.495 .578 .504 .458

6.468 6.573 6.468 6.889

219.72 213.67 219.72 204.82

.496 .475

6.316 6.310

201.65 221.23

.578

204.59 215.36 205.52

Final

Mark Brew . Gary Phillips

Peter Kapiris Robin Judd . .

1999/2000 ANDRA AUSTRALIAN DRAG RACING SiRiiS CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS 1

Australian Top Fuel Scries ,255 Darren Di Filippo

2 3 4

Australian Pro Stock Series .290

Australian Top Bike Series .440

1. Jeff Smith, Harley

1. Dave Koop, Koop De Ville . .330

1. Peter Ridgeway, PR

Redback Performance Exhausts/Hadman

2. Robin Judd, Studebaker Racing 280

2. Bruno Cugnetto, vpw Mail Order 240

2. Brett Stevens, Harley

370

Jim Read

185

3. Peter Kapiris, Kapiris Bros. . .275

3. Bruce Leake, Thuema/Leake . 180

3. Ian Asheiford, Harley

.Valvoline Cummins/Hansen

4. Victor Bray, Castrol Chevy . .263

23.5 180

,170

5. Dave Simpson, Simpson Racing238

4. Joe Polito, Polito Racing . . . .120

4. Jay Upton, Triumph 5, Brett Jonas, Harley

. . . .Gregory's AutomotivePublications

6. Andrew Searle, ACME Fglassl80 7. Brett Stevens, Jack Daniels . .180

5. John Andriopoulos, PRE

6. Paul Edmunds. Harley

Rachelle Splatt Steve Read

.76

. .Santo's Cranes/ Hi-Tec Oils/Mckinney

Australian Top Door Slammer Series

Robiti Kirbyl

.54

.Pcnnzoil/VDO/Swindahl

8. LCS Winter, winter Smash Repairs 120 120 9. Marcus Chambers, . . 100 lO.Peter Gratz, Valvoline

100

180

7. John O'Keamey, Three Amigos .60

160 140 7. Steve Little, Harley 8. Steve Kitchen, Kawasaki . .100

8.Jerry Perente.ParenteE'prises .60

9, Mark Connor, Harley

6. Rob Tucker, Three Amigos . . .60

10. Craig McPhee, Yamaha

100 . . .90

Way out west: Robin Judd’s Studebaker went on walkabout in the Top Doorslammer final, clipping the lights and handing the win to Peter Kapiris’s similar Anderson-built Stude. Stop your bloody winning Smith: Jeff Smith bounced back at the Nationals, taking the win over Steve Little’s Penrite-backed Thor’s Hammer Harley. (Photos by chris carter) warm-up, but it did. The three-time Nationals winner lost to Smith in the first round when another blower went away on the line. Enough said for the hard working Santo Crane’s team. Defending champion Capitanio wasn’t too fussed with his first round loss, the colourful Melbourne racer making his first appearance with the Industrial Thermocouples team since last year’s Wintemationals. “The conditions are tough and you can’t win them all,” he said afterwards. “Financially, we’re proba bly better off. We’ve only done two runs and we get $5,000. There’s already been a lot of equipment destroyed here and more’s going to go tonight, so who’s worse off?” While Romeo can be extreme, his words again made sense... Top Doorslammer was simply incredible and, with the fuellers and nitro Funny Cars, can provide the pro moters with a viable, stand alone product to entice pun ters through the turnstiles. The Nationals heralded the quickest ever field, bumped at just 6.58 seconds, with the slowest speed of the eight qualifiers recorded at 213 mph. Fifteen cars attended, with just two not recording six second ets, although Marcus Chambers’s Monaro was close with a 7.01 and Cameron Brooks’s stunning

new Corvette only hit the track for one quick squirt. Local Peter Kapiris and Western Australian Robin Judd ran together in a stunning 6.33-6.35 race in Adelaide the previous week and the two Studebaker owners were matched similarly all weekend. It seemed appropriate that, having advanced to the final, lane choice would be determined by mph as both had recorded 6.418s ets in the semis! The final produced what had been hoped for, another brilliant race. But, sadly for Judd, it was decided wheny the white Stude clipping the centre line at the finish line, disqualifying his run. Kapiris, while disappointed for Judd, reacted as only he knows how, by going wild! I can not believe we' won. It was close, but I thought he had me. I knew he was just that little bit in front, but I didn’t know he’d touched the centre Ijne. Something came flying across my car. I thought it was a bit of his car, but, obviously, it was the foam timing blocks,” he said, all without taking a breath. Kapiris’s win in the Pennzoil Studebaker was his second at the Nationals, ironically coming after the Melbourne fruit and vege king had warned his first gold Christmas tree he was bringing someone else home tonight. “I pushed the other trophy

to the side of the mantelpiece this morning and I said ‘honey. I’m going to bring you home some company tonight, so I have to make room’.” Victor Bray’s Nationals campaign, having qualified second with a 6.39/228, again, came to a sad end in the first round with the loveable Queenslander’s Castrol Chevy falling to a broken throttle - a new piece having replaced a 12-month-old cable just a week prior. Bray could take some heart out of the weekend as the man standing between him and a fifth straight doorslammer title. South Australian Dave Koop, also lost in the first round. Having said that, Kapiris’s and Judd’s results jettisoned them ahead of Bray in the points... A notable performance in Top Doorslammer, along with Top Bike, came from Brett Stevens, with the Jack Daniels racer making the semi-finals in both brackets, Stevens has made an immediate and impressive impact in the doorslammer ranks, having competed at just three events, but mak ing the semis each time. The upsets continued in both Top Alcohol and Pro Stock where the highly fancied Gary Phillips and Peter Ridgeway both fell in their respective classes to final round holeshots. Phillips has dominated Top Alcohol for the last four

flow to win friends and influence people

THE sport of drag racing has long struggled to gain acceptance by those who don’t fully understand the sport and, for too long, many of those have been critical of the quarter-mile sport’s participants. In fact, the term ‘rock ape’ is still bandied about by one well-known benefactor of the sport. But, in a true sense, the sport and its participants have come a long way from illegal street racing of its infancy to a multi million, professional circus. Sure, like the V8 Supercars at Bathurst, or even the Grand Prix at Albert Park, drag racing events such as the Nationals attracts Its share of, shall we say, ‘interesting’ people, but on a whole those involved in the sport are quite impressive people with strong, professional, business backgrounds. Former Calder Park meeting director and ANDRA Chairman of Honour, Ian Smith, is just one of those impressive people. Smith’s arrival at this year’s Nationals was delayed by two days as the former production manager for Channel 7 Melbourne was in a conference in Sydney with the top 15 television executives involved in the world broadcast of the Sydney Olympics, including SOBO chief, Spaniard Mando Romero. Smith is one of six broadcast venue

managers looking after the world’s biggest ever special event telecast. His delay in reaching Calder meant that Smith missed watching son, Warren - one of Channel 7’s top football and sport video editors - from competing in Super Gas in their Chev Beretta by mere minutes. Smith was back in Sydney by lunch time Sunday meeting with executives from US broadcasting giant, NBC, about their Sydney Olympic commitments. Super Stock champion Peter Sammut was in a similar position, being delayed through business from attending any other event at Calder during the season. Sammut, who campaigns his recordsetting DD/G Nissan Genuine Parts 300ZX with brother John, is the project manager for the $500 million Princes Highway extension between Melbourne and Geelong. Couple these two with others such as bakery entrepreneur Wayne Price, who, when not racing in Super Gas was driving around the track in his brand new convertible Ferrari, and fruit and vege king Peter Kapiris, along with the many, many other successful business people involved with the sport and its easy to see that those involved are just as professional or capable as participants in any other form of motor sport. - GERALD McDORNAN

years at the Nationals and was gunning for his fifth suc cessive title. Mark Brew was to deny him that privilege, perhaps fittingly after producing such strong performances in the Proforce dragster in Melbourne and Adelaide recently. The final reflected the standard of competition we’ve come to expect from these two lately. Brew’s win ning 5.74/243 just holding out the Lucas Oil Products machine’s quicker 5.73/242. - a winning margin of just 37-thousandths of a second. “We’ve come on strong over the last few months and I

can’t thank Bob Brackham and the crew enough for their efforts,” Brew said after claiming the gold. “Gary’s the best, but we were confident we could do the job this time. Thankfully, we did, and we’re honoured to win.” For Brew, after losing twice to Phillips in two final rounds this season, it was a case of‘third time fitting and deserving’. Phillips, having been to the top so many times, knows that you can’t win them all, although he tried his hardest. ‘We’ve had another strong Nationals, so we can’t comContinued next page...

jMACEAY’s Palmyra: ! Dragway has been ^o- ; ! Gated:the 2000 Sumstate ! Nationals, the sixth j romad of the Anstrahain| Drag Eacing Series. ; The event was originally scheduled for Townsville, j ! but has been moved to the I Mackay track and| rescheduled one week ear- !

Pro S^oa

lier to Easter Sunday, j : Aprill 23. The event will run all j ' ANDRA categories in j Groups Two, Three and| ! Four where a minimium of I six entries are luceived. Competiton and Super i Stock will be combined if either bracket fails to pro- ; , duce the minimum ; entries.

Qualifying .7.707 17 8.04 1 Peter Ridgeway, Vic - No Fear Olds Cutlass . ,7.782 174.58 2 Tony Wedlock, Old - Ultimate Financial Pontiac 3 Craig Hasted, Old - Cragar Performance Ford Third . .7.818 171.52 4 Bruce Leake, NSW - Theuma & Leake Olds Cutlass . .7.840 176.12 ,7.862 173.84 5 Joe Polito, NSW - Truckmate Ford Probe .7.913 175.74 6 Bruno Cugnetto, Vic - VPW Olds Cutlass 7 Nick Moutsos, Vic - American Pert. Imports Chev Z24 .7.925 172.94 ,7.933 174.82 8 Jon Andriopoulos, NSW - Auto Concepts Lumina DNQ: John O'Kearney (7.951/174.48V, Gerry Parente (7.954/172.64) Eliminations - Round 1 W Nick Moutsos Tony Wedlock W Bruno Cugnetto Craig Hasted W Bruce Leake . Joe Polito W Peter Ridgeway Jon Andriopoulos

.475 .517 .472 .547 .533 .509 .618 .521

7.996 10.183 7.798 7.858 7.823 7.850 7.760 10.670

172.74 95.63 175.78 173.27 175.64 173.44 177.20 86.73

Semi Finals W Bruno Cugnetto Nick Moutsos W Peter Ridgeway Bruce Leake

.522 .455 ..546 .509

7.781 8.066 7.725 7.825

176.50 166.26 177.27 175.54

Final W Bruno Cugnetto Peter Ridgeway .

.425 .472

7.763 7.722

176.09 177.72

“The Palmyra Drag j : Racing Clufe is delighted I ; that ANDRA has made ; I the decision to aliocate the { : Sunstate Nationals to our ! : track.” commented P®@C i : Vice President Julie ; Lamb. “We’re looking for-| ; ward to hosting the event j and we know that all the i I people who make the trap I ;■ to Mackay over Easter wiR j have a great time.” '

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34 3 March 2000 ■ Super Super Gas, that’s the only description that could label the headsup,9.90 bracket after another strong performance at the Nationals. A record 34 cars entered the bracket with two not qualifying for the'32 car field. Qualifying was highlighted by Sydneysider Pat Carbone’s spot-on 9.900s run and with 23 of the 32 qualifiers running in the 9.90s. “This bracket just keeps getting tougher to run in and the fans are obviously appreciating the show we’re putting on,” eventual winner, Colin Griffin, said on the night. “The cars are so close and a lot of the runs are separated by thousandths of seconds... if you’re off just that little, you’re not going to win.” Griffin’s victory was his second Nationals crown in three final rounds,the win in his High Energy Oil Pans and Roll Cages Celica coming after last year’s runner-up effort to Graeme Spencer. 11 While many understand the importance that the Junior Dragster class plays in the future of drag racing, a number of competitors- both in the professional Group One and dyo Group Three ranks - were annoyed that the juniors were given special pitting treatment. “They’re supposed to be treated like any other drag racers, but they put them amongst our pits and not where they belong,” one prominent pro racer said.‘IHow can I justify to my sponsors the extra costs involved with being here, marquees, etc and then have them arrive and find that the kids have an even better spot?” The main grumblings from the Group Three ai-ea concerned the juniors being amongst the main group of racers in the centrefield pits while they were ‘stuck’ out by themselves. H Calder Park’s chief starter, Peter Singles, flicked the switch for the final time at this year’s Nationals- the green light in the Top Fuel final signalling his retirement after 20 years of service at the track. Singles has been the chief starter ofthe Nationals since it moved to Calder Park in 1992, having also performed the same task at Heathcote’s two Nationals events. ■ Singles isn’t the only Calder Park official to have resigned after the Nationals with another 12 experienced staff believed to have pulled the pin on the venue. ■ Weekend at Bemies? That’s what the sign read on Sydney Modified racer Peter Wilson’s altered, he and the team enjoying ‘one with the boys’ at fellow Mod racer, Bernie McGrath’s house for the Nationals. Apparently, it was a bam-burner with McGrath backing up the following weekend at Wilson’s in Sydney!

Do-it-yourself manuals: Jim Read’s crew had all the Gregory’s manuals out, searching for a hot weather tune-up. (Photo by John Morris/Mpix)

It s a new car: Albury’s Cameron Brooks briefly debuted his ’63 splitwindow Corvette Top Doorslammer under the watchful eye of constructor Murray Anderson. (Photo by Marshall Cass)

eration Oakey drove his American Auto Parts drag ster to its first five second

The long and short of it all: Super Gas winner Colin Griffin’s crew, Buff and Foxy, kept an eye on proceedings. (Photo by Chris Carter)

Continued from page 33 plain,” he said. “I always said it isn’t over until the big lady sings and this year she sung a little before I got there!” “The five-in-a-row deal would have been nice, but we’ll just have to bring the Lucas Oil Products dragster back next year and try start all over again.” Once a champion, always a champion...

Of note were the performances of Wayne Newby and Dean Oakey, the two Sydney alky dragster pilots record ing some strong runs. Newby qualified right on the tail of Brew and Phillips with the Newby Super chargers, Bob Meyer-built dragster, and set a new mph national record for the alky diggers at over 245 mph in the process, while third-gen-

Top Bike W Jeff Smith, Old (Harley 180) Steve Little, Vic (Harley 114)

.489 .427

7.360 192.30 7.736 174.31

Pro Stock Motorcycle .....537 W Sam Scerri, SA (Suzuki 1327) 424' Colin Linney, NSW (Suzuki 1295) . ,.

7.758 7.965

Competition Eliminator W Rod Rainford, Vic(C/A Bantam 355)..8.35 .515 Jeff Gatt, NSW (C/A T-bucket 377)...8.41 .418

8.052 163.45 8.349 158.33

Super Stock W Les Heintz, Vic(C/MP Camaro 296).9.33 .461 Ray Caruana, Vic(A/S C’dore 314) .. .10.20 .415

9.125 139.34 10.129 135.21

Modified Eliminator W Scott Fitzpatrick, Vic(Dragster 355) Richard Vergelius, SA (Dragster 355)

8.745 8.626

,435 .505

elapsed times. Pro Stock was a similar story with Ridgeway losing a stunningly-close final round by just six-thousandths of a second to mail order king. Bruno Cugnetto. Cugnetto’s event was a fairy tale, the national record-holder sitting outside the eight car field until the last qualifying run, and look ing as though he would be a spectator come race day. He rallied with the team to produce the goods during Saturday’s last ditch effort, qualifying sixth before advancing to the final. “The weather has made things so difficult and we have struggled all weekend, but we dug down deep and worked hard, and this is a great reward for our efforts,” a flu-ridden Cugnetto said., “I thought we were gone, but sometimes you have a bit of luck and you come away with a win, which we did.” For Cugnetto it was a victory in which he overcame the talk about his own abilities as a driver, using a hole shot to light the win light. And, coming off the back of his first ever Pro Stock series round win in Adelaide in December, it, perhaps,

showed that he has finally arrived as a true champi onship threat this season. Ridgeway, like Phillips, has been there and done that and, while disappointed at not winning, it wasn’t the end of his world. “To run as fast as we have and to go this far is a gi-eat achievement in itself and I can only thank my No Fear Oldsmobile team. We didn’t win, but we’ll be back and try again and, I’m sure, another Nationals win won’t be too far away,” he said. Joe Polito, who had won the Pro Stock crown at the Nationals for the previous three years, was given onethousandths of a second deficit for each of his titles in the first round - Polito’s Truckmate Ford Probe losing by three-thousandths to for mer Australian Champion, Bruce Leake. Australian Reigning Champion, Craig Hastead, was also one to commit him self to watching proceedings after the first round, the Cragar Performance/Phil Uskej Constructions Ford Thunderbird losing to even tual winner, Cugnetto. Jeff Smith returned to Calder Park after his historic 202mph charges last November with his Creative Spraying nitro Harley and claimed his second Nationals win in three years. The Queenslander, who wasn’t included amongst Australia’s representatives in the recent ADBA world series, rebounded from the disappointment to take a win over the Penrite Oils Harley of upset-minded Victorian Steve Little.

Little, who did represent Australia with the Penrite machine and, in fact, earned the first Aussie round win in the ADBA series, tried as valiantly as he could, although it wasn’t possible to defeat Smith’s run for revenge. “We came here to win this event and I’m proud to say we have, again,” Smith said aftei-wards. “I was fairly con fident of running over 200 mph again, although that wasn’t to be, but a win will certainly be a great reason to celebrate tonight.” Pro Stock Motorcycle saw Sam Scerri win his first, and bike owner Trevor Birrell’s fifth. Nationals crown. Sydney’s Colin Linney, like Little in Top Bike, was upset minded heading into the final round, but the 10Tenths Suzuki really needed 11-tenths to down the Ditch Master Suzuki’s dominant power. Scerri, who lucked out at Calder just last month, had tm-ned the tables on reigning champion, Jason Lee, in the earlier semi-finals, with the Pro Bike championship look ing like it will go right to the wire. “Trevor and I love racing Jason and [team owner] Dale Gilbert - they’re our friends and we work closely togeth er, although it’s tough when one has to go home early,” Scerri said. “Winning the Nationals, though, that’s something new for me and I really can’t think about what it all means at the moment... I know it’s big!” The Nationals is big...

168.53 164.05

151.66 149,32

Super Sedan W Jamie Knight, Vic(HK Holden Premier 454) ..444 10.132 132.91 Daniel Tamasi, Vic (Holden Gemini 400) 393 11.093 133.27 Modified Bike .438 11.476 111.08 W Chris Porter, NSW (Harley 80) Darren Mason, Vic (Suzuki Katana 1074) ....345 9.668 136.50 Super Street W Sebastian Gallanit, Vic(HQ Monaro 377)...410 11.077 121.34 .392 11.093 121.14 John Trinder, NSW (LC Torana 350) .. . Junior Dragster W Bradley Allen, Vic (Dragster 210) Raymond Gould, Vic (Dragster 210) , .

.457 .484

10.499 9.428

61.21 65.96

Super Gas W Colin Griffin, Vic(Toyota Celica 485). Neil Roberts, Vic(Chev Camaro 380) ..

.424 ,464

9.927 9.888

139.66 136.09

Standing Premier: Jamie Knight’s big block-powered HK Premier prevailed over the 87 car Super Sedan field, defeating a red-lighting Daniel Tamasi in the final. (Photo by Marshall cass)

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36 3 March 2000 ■ One for the trivia fans: Doug Herbert became the first fuel racer to be penalised for an oildown during eliminations after a rod-kicking fire resulted in a US$500 fine and 10 point penalty. Things got worse for Herbert as the Snap-On driver lost another US$1000 and 10 points for a second infHngement. ■ Top Fuel runner-up Bob Vandergriff also made a deposit of$1500 and had 10 of his accumulated points stripped for two oil-down infringements. In all, six oildowns cost the nitro teams at Phoenix US$6000 and 60 points. B Bruce Litton, who spends most of his time on the IHRA circuit qualified his WIX Filters-backed dragster ninth - his second straight NHRA qualifying effort - with a career best 4.69/314. On Sunday, Litton lost a first round tyre-smoking contest with Kenny Bernstein, having to give up chase when the blower drive belt shredded. ■ A number of other high profile IHRA Top Fuel teams invaded Phoenix with most qualifying in the top 16. Rhonda Hartman (4.720),‘99 Champion Don Lampus(4.722) and Jim Bailey, in Doug Herbert’s second Snap-on car(4.725), all qualified, although former IHRA champ Paiil Romine failed to make the cut. 1 Jim Head has announced he will contest the IHRA’s 10 event schedule in 2000, instead of the NHRA’s 24 event tour. Head joins with Shirley Muldowney in nominating the US’s ‘other’ sanctioning body. a Doug Kalitta was a surpiise non-qualifier in Phoenix with ‘Uncle’ Connie’s MGM Grandbacked dragster succumbing to tyre-smoke on all runs, his 5.91/174 best well short of the field. B Following an impressive semi-final round debut in Pomona, Bruce Saiwer failed to qualify Alan Johnson’s emoola.com Pontiac flopper in Phoenix - a 5.25/222 well short of the 5.194 bubble. ■ Kurt Johnson recorded Phoenix’s first 200 mph Pro Stock pass during qualifying, taking the top spot at 6.890/200.38. His joy was short-lived as the defending event champion fell in round one to Jamie Yates when the tires on the AC Delco Camaro bounced like basketballs on the launch. -DAVE OSTASZEWSKI

Tour doForce uegins 82nd NHRA national event win moves Funny Car champ closer to Glidden's 85 Report by DAVID OSTASZEWSKI JOHN Force has moved within three wins of sur passing Bob Glidden’s record 85 NHRA national event victories, the nine time Funny Car Champion taking his first win of the 2000 season in Phoenix on Sunday. Force was joined in the winner’s circle by fellow Winston Champion Tony Schumacher and Jeg Coughlin - Coughlin taking his third win in a row (including the ‘99 seasonending Finals and the Winternationals at Pomona three weeks ago). “We’re back in the run ning,” exclaimed Force. “It was important for us to not let the WWF guys (Pomona winner Jerry Toliver and team mate Jim Epler), Capps or anyone else get off to a huge start. “Those WWF guys are tough - their attitude is ‘Kill the enemy’ and they don’t mess around, so we had to answer back,” he said of his final round victory over Ron Capps, a huge bounce-back from his ^early exit in .Pomona. In a battle between the one and two qualifiers, Capps^rilled Force on the starting line, but boiled the hides on the US Tobacco Camaro 200 feet out and fell to the Castrol GTX Mustang’s strong 4.93/313. Force had qualified second (4.90 to Capps’s 4.85), then topped Johnny Gray in round one with a 4.97/309. In round two, Scotty Cannon left with Force but hazed the tyres, pedalled and banged the motor with a flash, allowing Force to take a 4.96/308 win. In the semis Force knocked off Toliver and his “Stone Cold” Camaro with a 5.10/293 - Toliver having led the race until half track, where his tyres broke loose. Force dedicated the win, his 82nd, to former Funny Car driver, and Phoenix native, Tripp Shumake, who was killed in a hit-run accident late last year, and he donated the trophy to Shumake’s children. “I had a special friend with me today,” said Force, pointing to a picture of Shumake. “A guy gave me this earlier today and it made me think about how lucky I am and how I should value every day. It motivated me." Capps, who hasn’t won since October ‘98, enjoyed his best outing for some time with the Don Prudhomme-owned, Ed ‘the Ace’ McCulloch-tuned

stormed through Top Fuel eliminations to secure a tyre-smoking final round over Bob victory Vandergriff, 5.09/289 to 5.42/243 - the ninth straight final round Vandergriff has lost. The ‘Super Shoe’ qualified fourth and then downed Don ihra champion Lampus in the first round before overcoming a Melanie Troxel by .017s to advance to the semi-finals. In the semis Schuey faced arch-rival Gary Scelzi in a fight to see who would leave Phoenix with the points lead, the Exide car having enough power to defeat Scelzi’s 4.73/305 with a quicker 4.68/312. Despite losing, Scelzi’s Alan Johnson-owned and tuned team sent out an omi¬ nous warning by qualifying first with the first 90 per cent 4.5s run - a 4.579..^ “We’re anticipating the Three steps away: John Force now needs just three more wins to topple Bob Glidden’s points battle to be a year NHRA record of 85 national event victories following his Phoenix triumph over Ron Capps. long deal,” said Schumacher No fluke: Tony Schumacher backed-up his Pomona runner-up with a final round Phoenix afterwards. ● win over Bob Vandergriff. The Super Shoe also defeated championship rival, Gary Scelzi “I think Scelzi and I will be in the semi-finals, giving him the early-season points lead. (Phoios by Dave Kommei/Auto-imagery) swapping back and forth . every race. It felt just as good to beat him in the semis as it did to win the final. “It’s important to me to start the season well - we want to dominate and show that we deserved the cham pionship last year.” Coughlin is showing the Pro Stock ranks that he and Dick Maskin are serious about the 2000 Pro Stock crown as he drove his deg’s Mail Order Oldsmobile to a final round, 6.96/198 to 7.08/195 victory over Mark Pawuk and his Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac in a battle of mail order parts companies. After downing the lone Dodge of Larry Morgan in round one, Coughlin produced a surprise, comefrom-behind win over Warren Johnson in the second round before finishing off Ron Krisher in the semis. NHRA Three-time Champion Rick Santos unleashed a barrage of 5.3s runs to win Top Alcohol Dragster, his 5.37/258 too good for a motor-breaking 9.19/96 from David Baca in the final. Santos qualified his Oakwood Homes dragster on the pole with a stunning 5.31 and recorded further runs of 5.33, 5.35 and 5.38 seconds, Pat Austin defeated Lou Gasparelli in the final round of Top Alcohol Funny Car, 5.86/247 to 5.85/235. Both cars had been in the 5.60’s during the event, but suffered tyre shake in the final and it became a drivers race.

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McCubbin gets first WAR win while Reed fights off injury a week eariier By BRETT SWANSON TIM McCubbin, after promising so much at Western Auto Raceway this season, finally delivered last weekend with a masterly drive in the family owned PPG Auto Refinishers/ Specialised Bodyworks J&J to record his sec ond feature win. McCubbin Following across the line in second place was Rob Rankin who increased his points lead in the . Hoosier SRA Championship. Third place, after another consistent but unrewarded effort (no brakes) was Matthew Reed. Missing from the line-up Chad was American Kemehah. After his crash a week earlier, the Knight team would have been push ing time to get the car repaired and so Chad joined girlfriend Tracey on a flight back to Ohio on Tuesday. Garry Chippindall scorched away to an easy win in the first heat, lapping all bar second placed Ron Dalton. However, if the race had have been one lap longer, “Chippa” would have lapped the entire field such was his pace. Pre-event favourite David Murcott failed to start the heat in the Ranbuild Industrial buildings JohnBoy due to suspected fuel prob lems. AMCA FTationals cam paigner Steve Prowse made his Sprintcar debut in Fred Edwards’ JSR and finished a creditable sixth behind fel low rookie Mark Barlee. McCubbin scored a win in heat two but wasn’t as domi nant as Chippindall had been. Reed and Allan Barlee chased him home. Murcott made amends for missing the first heat by win ning heat three from Allan Barlee and Reed while Rankin capitalised on an error from Mike Van Bremen to take the lead and the win in heat four with Steve Knight third. In the dash Barlee drew the number one slot and went on to score pole in the feature from Chippindall, Rankin, McCubbin, Reed and Dalton. At the start of the fea ture, Chippindall jumped into the lead with both Rankin and McCubbin working past Barlee, who had Reed and Knight on his tail. McCubbin was showing his hand as he took over second place, Murcott up to fifth after six laps. With eight laps completed, Paul Bastow spun in turn four bringing out the yellows. Bastow was having a horror night, earlier stripping the spline from a brand new wheel and damaging the

What goes around: Tim McCubbin (above) bounced back - in the best way possible at Western Auto Raceway with a feature race win, while Rob Rankin (left) continued to build upon his lead in the SRA Hoosier Series with a solid sec¬ (Photos by Brett Swanson) ond-placed finish. A

week

earlier. Matthew Reed fought off injury to claim his first feature race win at the ‘Warzone.’ The battle between David Murcott and Burgeon Ohio’s Chad Kemenah was broken off prematurely on February 19, ,_when both cars were involved in. a turn one incident that claimed Murcott and others. Kemenah resumed and charged towards the front until he too rolled out of the event after being inadvertently taken into the wall by young rookie Mark Barlee. That left Matthew Reed an unlikely winner in the KatoAVholesale Automatic splines on the brand new diff in the process. Allan Barlee’s front wing came off forcing the yellows on once more after (Charles Hunter had stopped. Barlee went to the rear until next time around John Knight spun. With still 12 laps left to run, Murcott continued his run to the front and was looking ominous in third place. Lap 13 was unlucky for the leader, who was passed by McCubbin (in the #13 car). while Murcott’s charge started to stall on lap 15 when the car started to lose its edge allowing Rankin, Reed, Knight and Van Bremen to get past before the final stoppage occurred. Chippindall, still in sec ond, slammed the wall after contacting a lapped Ian Smith. In the two lap sprint to the flag McCubbin

held on from Rankin, Reed, Knight, Van Bremen, Murcott, David Swayn, John Vogels, Barlee, Smith, Dalton, John Knight and Prowse. “We were disappointed with what happened last week, but tonight we proved’ we had the fastest car and we’re going to cel ebrate,” said a happy and relieved McCubbin. “My arms a lot better tonight, about 85% right,” Reed related. “It was always going to be difficult to repeat last week’s result especially as we had no brakes for most of the night. “Congratulations to Tim (McCubbin) I know how hard they’ve worked and they deserved the win.” The next round of the SRA Hoosier series is March 4 at Avalon.

Transmissions Tiner. Reed arrived at the race track with his right arm in a sling and wasn’t even sure whether he would be able to drive the car at all, let alone win the feature. The race — which was declai’ed after a stoppage on lap 15 — was bittersweet for Tim McCubbin. The Victoiian was making a second half chai’ge to the front when the race was declared. To rub salt into the wound McCubbin, despite crossing the line second, was relegated to third behind Allan Barlee because the results were taken from the previously fully completed lap which had Barlee ahead of McCubbin.

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Rockin all over the world BROOKE Tatnell goes into the new season with a lot to think about-ajuU program on the World ofOutlaws trail to add to his 1999100 World Series Sprintcar title, JUIIEPEARCE spoke to Tatnell the night before he left Australia, Motorsport News: Third in the Son of a Gun: World Series Final at Parramatta, Tatnell,seen here first in the World Series, are you duking it out on the satisfied with that result or would WSS trail with Pete you have preferred to win the Murphy, is looking for final round as well? big things in the WoO Brooke Tatnell: You always series in the USA. prefer to win, you don’t ever prefer (Photos by Brett Swanson) to run second or third or anything else, but no, we’re happy with it. The calibre of the people you’re national title? running against, third is no disgrace BT:J think it’s a and I think that it’s the dedication of great spectator facility our team to come off with the I' 'and it provides some Championship win. great racing and that’s MN: How does winning the World the most important thing. We’re not just a series here compare with the sport any more, this is World of Outlaws series in motorsport, this is America, given that there’s a lot entertainment and one more races over there? of the biggest things is BT: It’s pretty hard now, you that we have to can’t compare the two. There’s provide facilities for absolutely no comparison. the spectators and Basically, for the amount of provide good racing racing we do here, we’re a big fish and that track certainly in a small pond over here. We go to does but I look at America and we’re fighting for every race track the credibility over there so there’s just same. no comparison, I think the Outlaws I don’t believe in thing is a lot more important. having favourites. If you have a favourite, WIN: So if you had to make a it’s always the next choice, you’d choose to win the World of Outlaws? track you’re going to. BT: Oh yeah, I’d choose it over MN: You mentioned earlier that anything. Something I’ve dreamed you felt you had matured in your about for years on end. Something time in America - did you mean as I’ve worked for. I’ve been going a driver or as a person as well? back to America for seven years, BT: When I was in America I had put every penny that I’ve earned to run a race team. I was running into motor racing in America and I’ve gone through injuries over there against teams with three quarters of a million dollars sponsorship, I was and everything, so the sacrifices running a team on three hundred you make will pay off and I’d give thousand so I had to run a almost anything to win a World of business, I had to economise. Outlaws championship, I’d give up You’re away from home -family, every victory that I’ve ever had in Australia. friends, girlfriend -for nine months of the year, so I was thrown in at the deep end. People just don’t MN: It’s your heart’s dream? understand what the World of BT: Oh, it is. You don’t keep Outlaws is all about until you’ve bashing your head against a brick really been there and experienced a wall unless you’re chasing something, and that’s something I’m small part of it. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, so yes, I’ve chasing. matured as a driver and I’ve Everyone knows what the matured as a person, I’d be stupid Australian title means to me, and I to say that I didn’t. would put a World of Outlaws feature race victory, at this present MN; From the outside, would it moment in time, as highly as the Australian title. be fair to comment that your attitude has changed since you’ve been to America, that MN: What did you think of your attitude here in Australia is Adelaide as a race track,for the

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respect these vehicles and anyone that ever thinks that they^re the boss ofa race car is kidding themselves different, that your attitude is more professional? Do you think that you would agree with that? BT: No, I don’t. I don’t think that we’ve changed one little bit. Probably more relaxed, if anything. We’ve always been the most professional outfit out here. The biggest thing is that it’s only a slogan that goes with our name that says ‘World of Outlaws’. A lot of people give me a lot more credit than they did previously because it says ‘World of Outlaws’. I’ve asked my family and friends whether I’ve changed. I don’t think I

have. We’ve always been one of the last drivers to finish signing autographs, we can always try to give something back. I always try to promote our race team, our sponsors. For years I’ve gone to schools and tried to give lectures on safe driving and promote speedway, so in that aspect I don’t think that anything’s really changed.

MN: A very disappointing way to finish the Gough & Gilmour CAT 50,000 with the weather. How do you feel you would have gone if the final had been run? BT: We all think we would have won it, but I think that we had a good car. We proved that in the ‘scramble’, it was just unfortunate that the first start was stopped Brazier stopped in the back straight (Brooke had jumped straight to the lead at the first start, but couldn’t repeat it at the restart) but it’s just one of those things. We ran third, I think that we had a very competitive car and I think we were capable of doing the job. MN: You mentioned earlier that you had injuries in America, do you have any problem with the injuries that you received over there? BT: I’m still going to struggle with the compressed vertebras, collapsed spine from accidents both here and over there so I still suffer with it every day, I’m going to suffer with it for the rest of my life - it’s never going to go away but it doesn’t affect my racing. Even when I’ve been injured, the adrenaline just overrides pain, it’s not too much of a problem. MN: Does Brooke Tatnell ever think of what life is going to be

like when he’s older? BT: Yeah. I’ll still be racing. MN: So you don’t actually fear injury when you’re racing? What about when you’re not in the race car? Does it ever pop into your mind then? BT: No. I think there’s a difference between fear and respect, and I respect these vehicles and anyone that ever thinks that they’re the boss of a race car is kidding themselves. I know that I respect it, I know that that car can seriously hurt me, but in the same respect, I’m not worried about getting hurt in a race car. MN: What’s the actual schedule over there? Do you spend a month or so setting up and getting the team organised or do you go straight into racing? BT; We go into racing. I get there tomorrow, I’ve got a 24 hour round trip. Once I get to Iowa I pick up stuff and pick up some motors and then about another seven days work and then we’ve got a three day drive back across so we’re just straight into it. We haven’t got any time for messing about. MN: Now that you’re racing all year round, do you ever tire of racing? BT: I’m worn out right now, I’d be happy to have two weeks off. Donny Schatz has been here and has just done this one year, like racing 12 months a year, and is starting to wohdef how Skip and guys like myself have done it for so long. But yeah. I’m pretty tired right now but it’s not affecting my driving so give us a day or two off and then we’ll be okay. MN: Does it affect your will to win? BT: No. Nothing would affect that, no matter how bad things get. Nothing will ever change in that aspect. MN: Finally, you got engaged a short time ago, have you got any definite plans for a wedding date yet? BT: Towards the end of January or February, 2001.

3 March 2000 :

Brazier burns them Murcott cleans in SA Sprintcar title up at heme

. GARRY Bra2der added the The Brash One; Garry Brazier’s Mopar Maxim was SA State Sprintcar title to unstoppable at Speedway City, even despite the carnage ●●his steadily increasing and Max Biaggi impressions! (Pholo by Ftank Midgely ) tally with a convincing double rollover when both powered away, his charge to win at Speedway City on the chequer only being inter Darryl Downing and Ray Februaiy 26. Scott inveited their Maxims, rupted lor a yellow on lap 24 The recently crowned when Dennis Burford and sidelining both diivers. national champion survived Marty Perovich tangled on Defending champion a carnage-filled 30 lap fi nal the exit to turn four. David Anderson’s Wagga to lead home Robbie Farr, Mobile Cranes/Foster was Farr drove well for run Mark Reuter and last yeai-’s damaged during this inci ner-up ahead of Reuter nmner-up Pete Smith in a dent after tangling with whose personal-best third challenging race which took Phil March and right rear tliree quarters of an hour to placing “made it worthwhile; suspension problems were complete. after a shocking year...” Brazier’s first SA title win to sideline the Albuiy ace. Last year’s runner-up Within five laps of the Smith was also comfortable completed his hat-trick, as restai't Brazier was hitting the Sydney star has now with his fourth place on the traffic as an absorbing four taken out all three major eve of retiring. A busy way scrap for the load sprintcar shows run recent Brazier revealed to the quickly developed between ly at the Adelaide racetrack. crowd that he was flying to Brazier, Farr, March and The 18-car entry could not Queensland the next morn Max Dumesny. match Brazier’s pace when ing to contest their. State Brazier and Farr swapped : he time trialled fastest by in the team’ s title the lead several times before .lowering his own lap record Lawrence-owned car. “I’ll be -to 11.94 seconds and finisto^ a solid red was pulled at the sorrv to see this car return halfway stage when ing on high points. to America soon,” Brazie r Dumesny’s Maxim made He also won the pole shuf said, referring to the potent ambitious contact with sec fle in his.Mopar Maxim, Mopar Maxim which took ond-placed March’s Los although fellow front row him to his fourth national March Autos Maxim on the . occupant Farr advanced the crown three weeks earlier. turn two exit. Both cars bar^raost positions, winning four Finishers behind Smith tShuffie contests in the rel rolled violently with SA’s were Darryn Maggs, Pino Chris Evans also rolling. O’Brien Aluminium Avenger. Priolo, Burford, Perovich, Sixteen laps remained for ' The heat racing was the restart but with half of McFadden and Tony devoid of any incidents, but Bartlett. : the opening lap of the feahis main opposition now elim- DAVID MCNABB ' ture produced a spectacular inated, Brazier effortlessly

orcnanni iJJlJi t U. 11/

By Chris Metcalf T was business as usual in round 12 of the Coastline Vehicle Transport Super Sedan Series at Archerfield Speedway on Saturday, February 26 with series leader John Leslight collecting another feature race win aboard his American Truck Parts Camaro. Leslight enjoyed some good fortune on his way to victory in an

exciting non-stop 30 lap feature event against a strong field of locals. Des Korn started his Bandag Monte Carlo from pole position and looked to have the race safely in his keeping until a lack of brakes forced him out of contention and handed the lead to Leslight with just tO laps remaining. Gold Coast hotshoe Nick Girdlestone, teammate to Korn aboard an identical Bandag Monte Carlo, chased Leslight over the latter stages of the race but was unable to effect a pass and had to be content with a runner-up finish. Lismore’s Paul O’Neill, who inverted the first two rows of the grid after cutting the quickest lap

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VENTURING back to his home state of Tasmania for the weekend proved fruit ful for Victorian domi ciled Sprintcar ace David Murcott on Saturday February 12. Murcott, running Phil Coates’ Sprintcar, downed all challengers to walk away with the Austar 2000 Tasmanian Sprintcar Championship. Murcott was a surprise entry in the #3 AGIP Oils car and was a welcome addition to the small field of only nine cars. The opening heat saw a couple of retirements when firstly the front end fell out of Anthony Johns’ car and then later Tony Smith flipped after hitting the wall. Phil Chilcott scored the win from Tim Hutchins and Murcott who’d started sixth. Smith was absent from heat two, still effecting repairs and Hutchins’ car refused to fire. Murcott blasted to the front and was running

A RECORD number of entries have registered for the Penrite Australian Midget Speedcar Title meeting at Western Auto Raceway on March 10/11. The event also features the Victorian Sprintcar and Hot Rod Titles plus demonstrations for Historic Midget Speedcars. The Midget Speedcar entry is approaching 70, with Darwin-based fourtime National titleholder Warrenne Ekins, plus dual-champ Michael Figliomeni, expecting opposition from Michael Kendall and Colorado star Keith Rauch. Rauch, a Rocky Mountain Midget Speedcar Champion and USAC National feature winner, will be appearing at Western Auto Raceway this Saturday (March 4) to race in the Victorian Midget Speedcar Title. "A tremendous amount of the interstate competitors are arriving a week early to race in the Victorian Title," said speedway’s promoter Geoff Trewin.

Herrera wins, Aussies struggle

THE 2000 Pennzoil World of Outlaws

Championship kicked off on February 25 at Kings Speedway in California. Johnny Herrera, who’d been fast but unlucky down in Florida during the week prior, turned his luck around to lead all 20 laps of the feature event and earn a US$10,000 start to his Outlaws year. “The Dude”, Danny Lasoski, ran second with Paul McMahbn, Mark Kinser, Greg Hodnett and “The Kin^’,'Steve Kinser, next. “Wildchild” Jac Haudenschild charged from second in the B-main behind Jeff Shepard to finish sixth in the “A”. Herrera had timed in at eighth fastest behind quick man Joey Saldana and then pro duced a win in the fourth heat before finishing second in his dash to advance to the A-main. In the A-main, lap two claimed hot World

in time trials, steered his Lismore Nissan Camaro into third place ahead of Ian Marshall and Rod Gough.

near record laps as he took the win from Jason Dawkins and Geoff Lette. To further mix up the results it was Robin Dawkins who took the final heat from Murcott and Smith, while Murcott had set a new single lap record in his pursuit of Dawkins. Murcott and Robin Dawkins shared the front row for the fea ture and Dawkins won the start only to have Johns pull infield and force a restart. Dawkins again beat Murcott off the line but it was only temporary as Murcott took the lead on lap two. Murcott was showing the benefit of living and racing on the mainland as he scorched away from the pack lapping Smith, Chilcott, McCausland and Johns. Robin Dawkins could do nothing about Murcott and had to be content with second ahead of Lette in third. - BRETT SWANSON

USAC National Midget winner for Oz Titles

n 18-car field fronted for competition, including no less than threetwo-car teams and the debut appearance of Peter Warren’s immaculate new LDI Signs Monte Carlo. The four qualifying heast were won by Leslight, Girdlestone, Tania Smith (NBN Pontiac) and Wayne Randall (Boettcher Motors Commodore). The Westhens Finance Top Ten Shootout saw clock the quickest lap with his 14.72s circulation proving considerably quicker than anybody else.

Series Sprintcai's runner Donnie Schatz, who crashed with Daivyn Pittman. This pair were then hit by Brian Coelho and both Coelho and Pittman rolled. Lasoski caught up to Herrera during the race but, despite Herrera doing his best to invert his car, Lasoski was unable to get past or maintain his pace which saw Hen-ai- take a seven car length win. Brian Paulus rolled out of the event late in the going while placed thii-d. The two Aussies in the field, Brooke Tatnell and Pete Murphy, didn’t make the start that they had wished for. Neither driver made it out of the B-Main where Tatnell finished fifth, after timing 31st and running 11th in his heat, and Murphy finished 12th, after timing 25th and then fin ishing tenth in his heat.

Girdlestone was next quickest ahead, of Leslight and Korn, who inherited a pole start when O’Neill drew position four in the pre-race grid draw.

When the green flew to get the main eventflag underway, Korn went straight to the front as Leslight slowed momentarily and baulked the following pack before slipping into second spot ahead of Girdlestone, O’Neill and Marshall (Federal Tyres Commodore). The race developed into two separate battles with the leading quartet edging clear of a fierce scrap involving Marshall, Michael Gee and Gough that continued until the end.

orn maintained his lead and was driving superbly until brake problems forced him to run wide in turn two on lap 20 and drop to third, with O’Neill also moving ahead of on lap 23. hen Korn headed to the infield with just one lap remaining, Marshall advanced to fourth after an exciting, and physical, duel with fifth placed Gough and Gee. Rockhampton’s Mick Doblo (Adnought Camaro) was the big mover through the field, advancing from 15th to finish seventh ahead of Smith and the rookie duo of Matt Pascoe (Boettcher Motors Mazda RX7) and Wayne Brims.

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Farrell breaks through for WA Sprintcar Title win RYAN Farrell finally broke through to win the WA Sprintcar Champion at Claremont ship Speedway on Friday February 18. After several years of frustrating results, Farrell held it together in the #24 Maxim chassis to win from a determined Jamie Maiolo and former winner Mark Wells, Farrell has been so close in recent years while run ning for the high-profile Kendrick Racing outfit, only to see him plagued by mechanical bad luck. After team owner Geoff Kendrick decided to take a break from racing last year, Farrell went shopping for a new ride and linked up with Steve Woods from WA Racing Supplies and despite a limited programme, has still been quick. Interestingly in recent races, including the state title, Kendrick was seen helping out Farrell and the team and no doubt his expe rience in car set-up was a vital factor. Maiolo, fresh from racing in the eastern states record ed the fastest time of 14.25 seconds, with Pino Priolo the next quickest with a 14.28. Unfortunately the powerplant in Priolo’s immacu lately prepared #8 Maxim didn’t want to play the game in the second lap, opting for an early night after srnoking a piston. Fortunately Priolo was able to drop his points in tri als and resume in his spare

heat race. Unfortunately they were specially-made pistons imported from America and the 59-year-old had to ship in some more parts. Then after going through a rebuild, having minor can cer and hernia operations, Geneve and his stunning red Gambler chassis were ready for another attack. But unfortunately he had piston problems again early in the night and the car was parked up. The team has undergone SIS. extensive research and Ray Geneve, who, along development in the car and with Krikke is retiring at chassis, seeing it producing the end of the season, also ample horsepower and had piston problems early in being a lot lighter. the night and was forced to The very last meeting at park the #40 Gambler chas- Claremont Speedway on sis. March 31, also signals the But on a brighter note the end of Geneve’s illustrious racing career. 59-year-old speedway veter an was inducted into the ‘There will certainly be a Claremont Speedway Hall of tinge of sadness there, but when I think about it the Fame during the interval. The showground track,has best part is I will be there to been operating for just over see the end of Claremont,” 70 years and Geneve has Geneve said. been roaring around the , “I have been liicky to see the bulk of the racing there. clay for 43 of these. But sprintcar fans would I’ve been going all my life have been hard-pressed to because my dad used to ride see the Osborne Park busi solos and my mum used to nessman-in action this sum push me in my pram. “So it’s like a second home mer. to me.” He has only raced twice and it hasn’t been memo Mike Figliomeni out classed a crack field to win rable. In the first night of the the 12th Annual Laurie USA V WA Sprintcar Matthews Speedcar Classic. The field included visiting Speedweek series in early January, Geneve’s power drivers Steven Graham, Lambert, Mark plant had a blocked injector Dave that leaned the car out to Cooper, Troy Jenkins and seven cylinders and burnt a Craig Brady who all headed West a week earlier to pre hole in a piston. This was after just one pare for the 50th Australian

car, that was to be driven by Ken Riseham who didn’t make it to the race track in time. Defending champion Ron Krikke, who was looking for his fourth title win, deliv ered a consistent 14.31 while eventual winner Farrell clocked 14.34. Krikke didn’t have the sort of night he was after and his night ended after clipping a spinning Luch Monte in the heats, seeing him rolling over and landing hard in the #95 Maxim chas-

By KEVIN EMMERSON

Speedcar Grand Prix. Figliomeni, who only the week before won the WA championship for a sixth time, won from Jimmy Fleming and Toby Gibb. Graham appeared to be the biggest threat in the feature race, starting on the front row of the feature, alongside Figliomeni. The two were locked in a great tussle through traffic, the whole time Figliomeni just having his nose in front. In the latter stages Graham went a bit hard entering the main straight and clipped the wall, spin ning his car around. Fortunately he was able to get a restart, to start at the rear of the field. Craig Brady and Troy Jenkins didn’t even make it to the feature race. Dean Merrylees spun out on the back straight three laps into the third heat, see ing Jenkins run out of rac ing room, crashing into the side of the parked car before rolling. Three laps later and Brady’s night was over when he attempted to go around the outside of Joe Little, riding his wheel in pits bend and flipping a number of times. Unfortunately the new #7 chassis that Brady was run ning for the first time was junked. Cooper and Lambert both qualified for the main event but were swamped by the locals and finished well back. - DARREN O’DEA

Western Auto Raceway, youthful Adelaide midget ace Adam Baines turned on

Baines started his campaign with an impressive debut in winning heat one from Darren Hossack (at last shedding the hoodoo which has dogged him of late) and Harley Bishop with Peter Ghent fourth. Ekins, in his second run at the ‘WAR Zone’, blasted to victory in heat two from Ray Bishop, Paul Farrell and Gates. Farrell was pedalling the aging Rob Brown Mazda rotary which

logue still dominant PETER Logue took out Ms third South Australian Super Sedan ChampionsMp at Riverview Speedway on Februaiy 12 on a track he claimed to be one of the best he has ever driven on. It was the fii-st time the track had hosted the event, which attracted a record entry for the cate-gory at the Murray Bridge track. Throughout the three rounds of heats, the Victorian’s Camaro was unbeaten and set a new 12 lap record in his opening heat, lowering the old mark by nearly 12s. His main rival was fel low Victorian Mick Nicola, who won two heats and was only denied a third by Riverland veteran Noel keichstein after the heat was declai-ed with Nicola making rapid progress toward the front. The other three heat wins fell to Mount Gambier’s Gavin

McEachem who claimed two wins and Adelaide’s Kym Cottrell in his recently rebuilt Camaro. The two B-Main trans fers went to Nev Hall, who won convincingly with, another Victorian visitor - Darren Clarke in second. Mick Nicola jumped straight into the lead on the first comer of the 30lap Adelaide Special Vehicles-sponsored event, but was quickly passed by Logue on lap two who then began to open up a large lead over the fi:eld while Nicola and McEachem battled for second. This result was not decided until the final lap when Nicola reclaimed secondfinm McEachem. Steve Stewart, who is the last South Australian to win this event, grabbed a well deserved fourth ahead of Bill Miller, Keichstein, Cottrell, Steve Steve Johnson, Reddicliffe and Dave Cartner, who rounded out the top 10. -PHELMICHELL

takes WAR midget main

IN his first look at the

his best performance in a VSDA-sanctioned midget auto racing appearance to score the 20 lap feature win on Februaiy 19. Also on the card were interestate drivers Warrenne Ekins (the Northern Territory’s four times for mer national champ), Jason Gates (NSW), and Steve Monks (SA) in a warm-up for the upcoming Victorian titles on March 4 and the Australian titles on March 10 and 11.

Chequered Logue: Peter Logue was unstoppable and beat home a record field. (Photo by Frank Mtdgley)

I Testing the waters: With the Victorian and Australian titles approach ing, Adam Baines’ form at Western Auto Raceway could see him as one of the real contenders. (Photo by Kevin Emmerson) hasn’t spun a wheel in competition in two seasons, due to their potent Fontana/Stealth being sidelined with engine troubles. The rotary was the very first JSR midget chas-

sis off the John Sidney assembly line in 1985 and was the ride that Mark Brown took to the 1995 Victorian Championship, In heat three. Gates finally

expelled the gremlins from his Esslinger motor to win ahead of Ekins, who brought the crowd to their feet when he ‘washed’ badly in turn one at a fast rate of knots, looking odds on to slap the wall. Darren Power was right behind him and ‘threw’ his car in anticipa tion, only to see Ekins avoid the disaster. Harley Bishop brought up an inside pass on father Ray to take third. The four fastest midgets lined up for a special three lap Match Race with Baines (SA) and Ray Bishop (Vic) on row one and Ekins (NT) and Gates(NSW)on row two. From the green Bishop jumped to the front, hammering down his authori ty to win from Baines and Ekins to an enthusiastic response from the crowd for the home state driver’s victory. The 20 lap main event turned out to be a race of attrition with the field of 17 mightly midgets being whittled down dramatically. Ian Lewis and Troy Jordan were out before the green flag. On the gt-een, Hossack out of gi-id six shot to the front down the back straight and was stretching his

lead when the first caution slowed the race on lap three due to Colin Patterson spinning and gi-inding to a halt with a ventilated engine. The single file re-start s.aw-. Baines (from grid ten), eventually take up the fi-ont running. A few laps later, Ekins and Gates got by Hossack, but soon after Gates withdrew with more grem lins, giving Hossack back third spot. The hot pace was taking its toll as cars dropped out with vary ing problems. Fan-ell had moved the underpow ered rotary up to fourth from his grid nine starting spot as Craig Smith joined brother Shane on the sidelines. Hossack was still driving well in third but was unlucky to ride over Monks’ rear wheel when making an inside pass to put a lap on him, spinning to a halt and being rele gated to the rear with only three to go. On the restart, Baines continued his brilliant display and went on to win well irom Ekins, with Farrell in third from Hossack fourth and Ghent at last having his first fea ture finish in 18 starts, the last car home in fifth.

3 March 2000

KnoKO's Parramalta SATURDAY night, February 19, saw the return of both sprintcars and speedcars to Parramatta City raceway under perfect weather conditions, with a field of 30 sprintcars and 22 speedcars in the pits. Rookies Grant Beasley, Benny Sorrenti (cousin of comedian Vince) and Damien Abbott did a good job on the night, keeping out of harm’s way and not impeding the faster cars. Abbott finished a very creditable third in heat six, against drivers like Marty Perovich and Robert Jackson. The #94 car, was scheduled to be driven by Jason Begg, but after he arrived at the racetrack, a phone call sent him rushing to the hospital where he became the proud father of a baby boy. Jason’s dad, Les Begg, then took the wheel for the night. Mick Turner, evergreen Trevor Shields, Perovich, Justin Mineef, Kevin Burton FINA LLY: The trip from W.A. was well and Brett Leadsman were worth it for Pino Priolo, his first PCR heat winners in the feature win after a long time trying. Sprintcars, while Speedcar' (Photo by Daniel Wilkins) heat wins were shared by with no four wide salute or Adam Clarke (#76) and Steven Graham (#41), each winning two formation lap. heats. After three minor stoppages The Sprintcar Stars Dash was ( caused by cars that had spun, on won by Perovich, on the comeback what should have been a lap 29 re trail after a big accident in West start at 10.25pm, it was announced that the race had been shortened Australia last year. by 10 laps and the re-start was Perovich clocked 12.854 ^ seconds in the one lap track actually lap 20! attack, as opposed to Brooke With an 11.00 pm curfew, it Tatrrell’s record of 12.198 seconds. seemed unnecessary to cut the distance at this time... The Sprintcar B-Main went to Priolo then led the race to his Warren Ferguson, followed by Ashley Anthony and Darrell historic first main event win. Kelly Hodges. Linigen finished second, while Kevin Burton finished third. The Speedcar main event was marred by several stoppages, Altogether, there were seven including a dramatic visit to the stoppages in the race. infield by Matthew Thomas (#12) Special mention must be made with the brakes on fire. of the remarkable performance by After quite a battle, the race was Graham. After competing in West won by Graham in the Foxsports Australia on Friday night, he flew car - a record 28th main event win back to Sydney and, with only three at Parramatta. hours sleep, competed in both the Robbie Farr put up a great fight Sprintcar and Speedcar races. for the lead, but had to settle for “We’re just absolutely second with Peter Bourke third. delighted!” said Priolo. Clarke failed to start after “You know, we set a goal here leaving the track prior to the race. three years ago, to be the first West Australian to win here at Clark attempted to rejoin from the Parramatta. pits during a stoppage, but track “It’s taken me a while to do it. officials were quick to send him back... We’ve had a lot of bad luck on the There was controversy in the way, but we’ve got the job done we’ve succeeded. That’s the most Sprintcar A-main. Programmed for 25 laps, officials changed the important part of life is to set goals distance to 30 laps when the and make sure that you achieve them.” program appeared to be running -JULIE HODGES early. The start was then rushed.

Max Oymesnf ll/lot©rsport

■'

War Cry: Steve Johnston (below) will be in charge of psyching up Oxford before each race while Todd Wiltshire (right) remains club captain. Both will be looking to wave the Australian flag above the British Elite League in season 2000.

”

By feny M/ilfan ■ It really is all Aussies at the helm for British Elite Club Oxford. Steve Johnston (no, not THAT *Steve Johnson... it’s Johnston, okay!) has been apponted team captain with responsibility for motivating his colleagues on race nights. Sydneysider Todd Wiltshire is to remain club captain. Both riders will be locally based with home and workshop facilities nearby.

(Photos by Mike Patrick)

H Two Aussies will race along side a Russian in British domestic racint his year. Roman Povashny has signed for Elite League Club Oxford where he will join up with the Aussie pair of Todd Wiltshire and Steve Johnston and the Swedish star Jimmy Nilsen. Povashny became the first Russian to race regualrly in the British League last year when he rode for Eastbourne but he has effectively swapped clubs with British star Paul Hurry who has joined Eastbourne. They now have five England internationals as Hurry joins Joe Screen, Martin Dugard, Dean Ba/ker and David Norris. The Finn Petri Kokko and Aussie Brent Collyer complete the Eastbourne line-up. ■ Any hopes Mildura rider Jason Hawkes had of returning to Belle Viie were finally quashed when the club signed the 25 yearold Swedish rider Dalle Andersson. He formerly rode at Cradley and Glasgow before injury sidelined him two years ago. Jason Lyons and teenager Kevin Doohan will be the only Aussies at the Manchester track where the Finn Kai Laukkanen, Swede Peter Nahlin and Dane John Jorgensen will join the two Aussies and British Grand Prix rider Andy Smith. ■ Malcolm Simmons, the former British captain who is now 54 years-old is considering a come back to Elite League speedway. Simmons is a regular grasstrack rider and keeps fit by regular ridmg. His old average has been offi cially reduced to 3.50 and a top club could easily fit him in at reserve in time for the start of the season if prepared to take a risk. He enjoyed a 27-year-career before retiring but made a short comeback in 1993 when he rode eight meetings for Kings Lynn. “I don’t care what people may say, what I want to do is to keep riding, I would not carry on if I was making a mug of myself. I wil be doing grasstracks anyway but

if someone will take a chance I will ride speedway again,” he said. ■ With the British Elite League now reduced to nine clubs, teams will only be racing 16 matches at home and 16 away in the League. A knock-out Cup adds at least one match home and away but the BSPA is considering a play-off sys tem to keep the season alive based loosely on British Rugby league whereby the top club gets effective seeding. Many clubs are currently opting not to race on Grand Prix week ends so that they always have their star names available. ■ The Grand Prix dates and venues have at last been finalised for this year.

There’s considerable Australian interest in this year’s Championship with Jason Crump already being installed as favourite alongside the Polish rider Tomasz Gollob. With Ryan Sulivan, Leigh Adams and Todd Wiltshire also taking pai-t, there must be a good chance of at least one making the rostrum top three. The Czech event starts the series in Prague on May 6, with the rest of the calendar as follows: Sweden, at Linkopping on June 3, July 1 takes them to Wroclaw in Poland, the British Grand Prix is at Coventry on July 29, 'V’ojens stages the Danish GP on September 2 and the finale is at Bydgoscz in Poland on September 23.

1999-2000 S.R.A. SERIES POINTS SCORE

Australian Distributors for

Rd 6 Results, Western Auto Raceway 26/2/00

Xoo$ier 1

^ ^ RACING TIRE

I.Tim McCubbin, Vic 13 2. Rob Rankin, Vic 60 3. Mathew Reed, Vic 92

For more information on Hoosier Drag and Speedway Tyres call:

NSW: 02 9679 1990 Fax 02 9679 1187 VIC: 03 933 ^ 6477 Fax 03 9331 7444 SA: OB 8332 0800 Fax 08 8364 0296

(Br«tt Swanson ptcj

Point Standings At February 28, 2000 I. Rob Rankin, Vic 60 ... 2. Mike Van Bremen, Vic 6 3. David Swayn, Vic 20 ... 4. John Vogels, Vic 70 .... 5. Tim McCubbin Vic 13 . 6. David Murcott Vic 71 .. 7. Ian Smith, Vic 57 8. Matthew Reed Vic 92 .. 9. Jeff Judd, Vic 11 10. Chad Kemenah Vic 14

1809 1576 1535 1269 1269 1237 1116 1039 926 .895

A-FEATURE LAPS LEAD Rob Rankin, Vic 60 . . . . . .

LAPS 50

David Murcott, Vic 71

.45

David Swayn, Vic 20

Garry Chippendale Vic 43 DASH WINS Chad Kemenah Vic 14

13 WINS

...

David Swayn, Vic 20 David Murcott, Vic 71 ... .

I I

42 3 March 2000

iXo.

Panizzi *!●

PEUGEOT di-iverGilles and co-diiver brother Herve Panizzi had a blow dealt to their bank balance after the first leg of the Safari when Stewards fined them US$50,000 for starting a fight with another competitor. After being delayed on the first stage of the rally the Panizzis were running well down the field. On the third section they caught a slower car and were held up in the dust for some 20 kms. During this period they went off the road and badly damaged the rear suspension of the 206, but made it to the finish. At the control the French brothel’s apparently leapt from their car and attacked the driver of the slower car, Roberto Sanchez, attempting to drag him from his Group N Mitsubishi. Argentinean Sanchez had had no idea that the Peugeot was behind. Mai’shals intei’vened and reported the incident to the stewards who imposed the penalty. Peugeot Team Director Con-ado Pi’overa said: “Panizzi lost his self control - it’s a pity for him and for us. It’s true he had been held up in the dust for 201ons but Sanchez could not see him and he didn’t have his own helicopter to warn him. It’s a great pity. “It’s a lack of experience, but I don’t thinlc Marcus (Gronholm) would have done that.”

RICHARD Bums has won

HP Co

IT was a fi-ustrating rally for any team nmning Michelins, with countless tyi’e failm’es dming the Safari. Not so for Pirelli, with both Bm-ns and Kanldamen registering not a single puncture thr’oughout the event. One of the dilemmas was that this event is not suited to the anti-deflation mousse that is used on every other event. Caiios Sainz openly criticised Michelin prior to the evetft and his fear-s were realised as the prmctures on the official Forcis reached double figures on the opening two stages. “The tyres were overheating and didn’t get any better,” said a fi-ustrated Colin McRae. Notably, the top three placings on the rally were taken on Pu-elli tyres. “Every year’ we come here we ask Michelin to make stronger tyres and still they haven’t done what we asked,” said Tommi Makinen, who had three punctures on one stage which led to suspension failure and, in turn, caused an electrical coimection to fail and put the world champion out of the rally. -JON THOMSON

The Mighty Blues: Subaru and Richard Burns dominated the Safari, heading a 1-2 with Juha Kankkunen. (Photosby suKon-images)

he suffered two punctures on the 112 kms opening stage, and his French team-mate 8h33m13s 1 Richard Burns/Robert Reid Subaru Impreza Gilles Panizzi damaged the 8h37m50s 2 Juha Kankkunen/Juha Repo Subaru Impreza SEAT Cordoba 8h55m57s 3 Didier Auriol/Denis Giraudet rear of his car after spinning Ford Focus 9h01m31s 4 Carlos Sainz/Luis Moya and limping into the serwce Ford Focus 9h04m40s 5 Petter Solberg/Phil Mills park almost 30 minutes off 9h18m06s Subaru Impreza 6 Toshihiro Arai/Roger Freeman the pace. 9h32m11s 7 Armin Schwarz/Manfred Heimer' Skoda Octavia Makinen was 'forced out of Skoda Octavia 9h51m13s 8 Luis Climent/Alex Romani the rally on stage two after a Drivers Championship points: series of problems with tyres. Makinen 16. Bums 12, Kankkunen 11, Marcus Gronholm 10. Sainz 9. Auriol 4. C. McRae 4. Gardemeister 3. Thomas Radstrom 3, Solberg/Bruno Thiry 2, Freddy Loix/Arai 1. “We didn’t go off the road Manufacturers points: but had a front left puncture Subaru 25, Mitsubishi 18, Ford 13, Peugeot 11, SEAT 7, Skoda 4. 30 kilometres from the end of the section,” he said. lems compared with the of the first day. A steady and “We stopped to change this Pirelli teams (see separate measured run by Toshihiro Arai saw him an amazing and then got a right rear ' stoi’y). Toni Gardemeister comsixth in his Group A Subaru. puncture - the tyre complete Burns continued his pace ly exploded, so we had to stop pleted stage two with the driand dominance on day two, again. Then, after another ver’s door missing from his three kilometres with a brand SEAT. He damaged it and it winning the opening stage by wouldn’t close so the young 37s from Kankkunen, while new tyre, that also exploded. “From this, the right rear Finn wrenched the door off ^ Auriol was bumped back to suspension was damaged and and continued with dust foui’th behind McRae after a puncture. at the end of the stage the car pouring into the cai’. On the second stage of the Sainz was struggling with just stopped - there was no day through Eldama Ravine power at all and we couldn’t his Focus after a suspension (where Burns retired from failure forced him .to limp to go any further.” sei-vice, the Ford driver now the lead last year) he eased Burns won the stage to talce the overall lead ahead of back to 10th place. off to ensure no repeat perfor Burns was comfortable Auriol and Kankkunen. mance, letting Sainz t^e his first fastest time of the rally. The Kenyan roads were extending his lead over But Burns’s caution didn’t taking their toll. Auriol Kankkunen, while Ford’s affect his lead, now more smashed a rear wheel on a third driver, Norwegian mins over than four rock but wasn’t as badly off Petter Solberg, moved to Kankkunen, with McRae as Michelin runners, who fourth ahead of McRae and almost another 10 minutes were having enormous prob- just behind Auriol at the end back. Burns had a hiccup on the penultimate stage when the temperature of the Subaru rocketed. He managed to nurse the car to service where mechanics overhauled the cooling system, changing the radiator and getting the lead car back out on time to complete the eighth and final stage of the leg. It was here that the Subarus virtually sealed the win. McRae was on a charge to make time on Kankkunen, but local fans had dammed a ered on the long river to make a water cross Championship. data and experi The Skodas out ence after a shock and rugged Safari ing more spectacular. The lasted many of the ing first season. will give the Skoda Ford plunged into the river more fancied run While still ulti team plenty of heart and flooded the engine, ners and teams as for the season mately not as fast McRae lurching out with a as the leading WRC ahead, slowiy the fledgling dead engine, his hopes of a -JON THOMSON cars the data gathoperation gains podium finish dashed.

the Safari Rally for the second time in three years, with a masterful display of control and speed in his Subaru Impreza. He took the lead on stage two and controlled the rally 'throughout to win by 3m47s from his Subaru team-mate Juha Kankkunen, with Didier Auriol a surprise third in his best effort yet'for his new team SEAT. Bums is now second in the series, just four points behind leader Tommi Makinen. A sign of the speed and toughness of this year’s Safari was that Makinen and another 33 of the 51 starters failed to make it back to Nairobi. Auriol grabbed the lead on stage one (the first time a SEAT has led a WRC round) heading Makinen by 14s, while Burns was another sec ond behind. Wandering animals v/ere causing problems during the early stages, Kankkunen damaging the front right cor ner of his Subai-u after collid ing with a cow. Marcus Gronholm lost more than 10 minutes after

Safari Rally 2000 WRC Round 3

CZECH MATES SCORE THE two works Skodas of Armin Schwarz and Luis Climent (right) were the surprise performers in the Safari, with the Czech maker’s WRC car in the top 10 for the first time. Pavel Janeba, Skoda’s motorsport manager was delighted. “We came to get as much data as pos sible about the cars and conditions for our first full

The stage also spelled the end of the event for Marcus Gronholm’s Peugeot, side lined with electrical failure. All this meant Bums still led at the end of the second leg by 5m44s from Kanidcunen. The amazing fact was that the Subara pair had enjoyed a second puncture-free day an extraordinarily unusual situation on the rough and tumble of the Safari. McRae’s demise promoted Auriol back to third ahead of Sainz and Solberg. Auriol was fastest on the opening stage of the final day but it wasn’t without drama. “We came over a crest and suddenly there was dust and we hit a rock in fifth gear and were bounced off the road, narrowly missing some trees. It was very hairy,” he said. His cause was helped by Sainz who had to struggle through the 112km stage without any power steering, losing 10 minutes and drop ping behind Solberg. One of the most remarkable efforts was that of Skoda. On the Czech team’s first time in Africa, Armin Schwarz and Luis Climent came in seventh and eighth respectively. Burns was able to cruise home to claim the win by 4m37s from Kankkimen, the 1-2 moving Subaru into the lead of the manufacturers championship. Auriol took third ahead of Sainz and Solberg. Ai-ai was the first non-works driver in sixth in his Group A Subaru. driver Argentinean Claudio Menzi in a Mitsubishi, from the ‘Cordoba Team’ started his WRC campaign with a fi ne drive to Group N honours from his fellow countryman Roberto Sanchez in a Subaru. The experienced Manfred Stohl was well beat en in third.

3 March 2000

Tomini slams(alendar By JON THOMSON

been for some time about the packed calendar of events, testing and promo tional activities.

Sutton-lmaoes

MITSUBISHI’S four times World

“I have always felt that we don’t get enough rest between events. “With all the promotional work and testing we have to do, we get very little time to prepare ourselves for each event,” said Makinen. “It is a hectic schedule and it makes it hard to get time for yourself and with your family.” Grist says that going straight from Sweden to the Safari Rally was unfair on competitors. “With 12 months to play with why do we only get one day off between the events in Sweden and Kenya? “The drivers must have more time to acclimatise from a winter rally to the most difficult event held in searing heat.”

Champion Tommi Makinen and Colin McRae’s Ford co-driver Nicky Grist have both lashed out in the past few days over the increasingly hectic schedule for the World Rally Championship and the fact that it is putting too much strain on teams. Makinen and Grist, who finished sec ond and third respectively in the Swedish Rally, were commenting ahead of the dash to Kenya to start recce for the Safari Rally. Grist said that drivers and crew members were not given enough time to acclimatise from the cold weather condi tions of Scandinavia to the heat of the tropics for the Safari Rally. Makinen was quite vocal as he has

FpeiiGlimen bow to Hoo MilRCIIS GRONHOLIH IS TOP DOG AT PEUGEOT 1^ '

VICTORY on the Swedish Rally has effectively elevated Finn Marcus Gronholm to lead driver status with Peugeot and casts him as their best bet for the drivers’ world title. Neither of his team-mates, Francois Delecour and Gilles Panizzi, have scored World Championship points this season and unlike Gronholm, neither of them is contesting all of the first four rounds of the series. In theory, Gronholm will be rested for the next tarmac rally, the fifth round in Catalonia, but Peugeot will be under considerable pressure to run

'a £ Via

him in a third 206. Gronholm has been promised a mini mum of 11 rallies this year, consisting of all the loose-surface events. The Finn has however insisted that it is far too early for him to think in terms of a World Championship bid. There are four rounds of the series he’s never contested before, which could be a severe handicap with ever-tighter restrictions on practising, even if Peugeot does expand his program. “We have to see after some rallies. Obviously the rallies I know, like Portugal, I think I can win, but we see,” he commented.

Despite yet more mechanical trouble for Delecour, rivals beheve that Peugeot’s Swedish triumph - its first World Championship rally win since the 1986 RAC Rally - establishes the French team as a serious championship force. “I’m sm-e Marcus could have been even faster if necessary. The car seems to"be very fast at the moment. We will see when we go to Safari,” World Champion Tommi Makinen stated. “Up to now it’s been a bit inconsistent, but it looks as though they might have that sorted out now as well,” commented Ford driver Colin McRae. -JON THOMSON

CtlEB ,^

— ~ Starting out; Proton’s one-make series looks like a winner.

Start your Protons By JON THOMSON

A NEW one-make rally series running in conjunction with the ARC this year is being proposed by Malaysian car maker Proton. Proton Cars Australia has made a fleet of Satria GLs available at a special rally competitors price of just $9700 for those interested in taking part in the series. Arrangements are under way for the winner of the inaugural series to receive a trip to the Rally of Great Britain in November to drive a Proton Dealer Team Satria in the final round of the World Rally Championship. A control suspension package has been arranged with Pedders which will use the series to help launch its new Pedders Extreme suspension range. The complete Pedders control suspension package will cost approximately $3600. Similarly, a control tyre will be provided by Yokohama and a control alloy wheel by OZ racing. Costs will be kept low and all companies involved have come on board to put money back into the -.ptomotion of the series and potentially to boost prize money on a round by round basis. A control specification for roll cage and sump guard has also been drawn up and will be published with the series rules, while the remainder of the car which will be FIA homologated will adhere to Group N rules. Proton estimates the

cost to put a brand new Satria on the road ready to rally will be approximately $20,000. The 1.3 litre fuel injected hatch weighs less than 10OOkgs and combines precise steering response (including passive rear wheel steering) with nimble handling and excellent stopping power. The company has also put arrangements in place for TV coverage within the ARC programs produced by The Project Group for telecast on Network 10. The series will receive at least 20 minutes national coverage across the series ensuring each team’s sponsors will receive good exposure throughout the series. Currently there are 22 competitors who have ordered cars for the series promising strong competition across the series. The series will be run at all of the major East Coast rallies starting in Canberra in May and then at Queensland, Coffs Harbour, Melbourne, Tasmania before the final round at Telstra Rally Australia. It is planned that the best five results from the rallies contested will count toward the series. Proton is planning to subsidise transport of the vehicles to Perth for Rally Australia to ensure a strong showing at the final round. Further details about the series and for vehicle purchase can be obtained from Proton Cars Australia’s National Marketing Manager Robynne Hall on 02 9751 8700.

e Monte Carlo crumble?

THE Monte Carlo Rally could be axed from the World Rally Championship and maybe even the struck off the international calendai'.

‘if. .--.

1 ijj

Alliteration: Mightn’t Makinen’s Mitsubishi make more Mohte magic? (Photo by Mutton-images)

FIA president Mosley has confirmed that the FIA’s Rallies Commission has rec ommended that one of the oldest rallies in the World and the traditional WRC sea son opener be scrapped from the international calendar. The Monte Carlo organis ers criticised FIA safety dele gate Jacek Bartos after he demanded the cancellation of the sixth stage on this year’s Monte, because of the risk of an accident involving specta-

tors at the stage start. More damaging still for the Monte, Mosley said that the FIA has evidence that the Safety Delegate had already prevented a number of potentially lethal acci World dents on Championship rallies. “Bartos goes down the stage in his helicopter, assuming it’s light,” Mosley said. ‘Tf he sees sometliing, if he sees people standing where they shouldn’t be standing, he will then try to move them and we’ve now got at least three cases where we’ve got a video ofa crowd that he moved and a subsequent rideo later in the stage of a car somer-

saulting through that area. There’s at least three occa sions where that’s happened, “I understand with Monaco that he (Bartos) and various other people spent 20 minutes trying to put the sit uation right on stage six without success and he then took the decision to recom mend cancellation. “But exactly what the cir cumstances are, what the other side of the story is, I don’t know, and until one knows that we really can’t take a position. But as a gen eral rule, we are absolutely determined to see the rallies run as safely as it’s humanly possible to do.” -JON THOMSON

44 3 March 2000

Oakleigh kicks off Vic season Guts, glffipy Australian 100ccwon NonJASON McIntyre the Gearbox Light Trtles at Mallala Iasi September and recently picked up his trophy at the Australian MotorSport Awards night. So what? you might say, so too did a lot of other drivers. True. But they didn’t have to get out of their hospital bed to do it. McIntyre, 22, suffers from a stomach problem which has seen him in hospital on a regular basis and undergoing 18 operations since he was 12. Jason was admitted to hospital on Australia Day and left his sick bed to attend the awards dinner before going back to hospital- but not before also collecting his apprenticeship award in Civil Construction. After debuting in sprint karting at Oakleigh at age nine, Jason has now been Superkarting for three years running a converted DAP sprint kart chassis. McIntyre is keen to get back on the track and go racing again, and while he has ambitions to go on and do Formula Ford, his current wish is to get better. "He just wants to be fixed and be normal,” says his mum. — MARK WICKS

THE Bridgestone 2000 Victorian Sprint Kart Championships were held at the demanding Oakleigh kart circuit last weekend,

Bottoms Up; Mark Winterbottom kicked off the 2000 series in good form at Oakleigh.

25-27 Februa^. Friday’s quali^g was interrapted by rain, however all pre finals and finals were held in sunny and fine conditions. Steve Owen came off grid four in the pre-final of Clubman Light to win and therefore start pole for the final, but Chnt Cathcart made a fantastic start to take the lead into turn one from Owen and Mark Winterbottom. Owen and Winterbottom worked their way past Cathcart and were joined by Bart Place in a four way bat tle. Winterbottom pressured Owen for the first part of the race before Price took over sec ond and Reif Corbett third. Owen held on to take a tight win over Price and Winterbottom. George Sera totally domi nated a small field of Clubman Over Forties, Bemie Kelly and Glen Chadwick taking second and thii’d. Sydney’s Michael Clark made his trip south worth while by winning Senior National Heavy from Brett Arnett and local Andrew Bua. Arnett pressured Clark for most of the race, however Arnett lost pace and cruised home safely in second. The Rookies put on some of the best racing witnessed all weekend. James Reid quali fied fastest, he and Jordie Lindstrom sharing,the heat wins, Trent James'winning the pre final.^ Lindstrom even tually went on to win from James and Reid with Ben

made a move to lead all the way to the flag. Luke Skinner claimed third from Linden Lumbewe and Carl Gibson. Michael Rosenblatt took vic tory in Senior National Light. Early leader Nicholas Parker claimed second m a close pack ahead of pre final winner Adam Klunyk and Liam Gretgrix. Junior Clubman winner Taz Douglas qualified fastest for Junior Piston Port but never recovered from a tuning prob lem in the pre final. On the other hand, Queenslands Ryal Harris continued to get better as the meeting went on. Harris jumped to the lead from Luke May and Andre Morgan to take an easy victo ry. Morgan moved to second while pre final winner Tony DAlbeito took third. Jess Douglas made a clean sweep of Clubman Heavy hav ing to withstand enormous pressure fi-om Ben Savage in both the pre final and final. Remo Luciani held third before Scott Ferguson and Damien Meyer both got by, Meyer and Luciani had a close battle all race, eventually resolved in favour ofLuciani. Shane Price turned up the pace for the final of Junior National light to vrin ahead of Justin Dowers and Anthony Contarino. After trading the lead with Dowers on several occasions in the pre final, Price was able to break away from Dowers who in turn broke from Contarino. — MARK WICKS

(Photo by Sean Henshelwood)

"etf0 McCashney right behind. Brothers Chris and Peter McNiven ran one-two in the opening laps of Junior National Heavy, Matthew Blanchard not far behind until crashing on the back straight while Chris McNiven held on for the win from McFarland and Pringle. Tim Macrow qualified fastest for Re-Sa, but it was Jason Hryniuk who was in control, running second in the pre final before putting a move on Macrow for the win. The final was a re-run, Macrow again winning the start as Hryniuk bided his time before getting by. These two cleared out from Andrew Karabatsakis who took third. Rob Macri, took a clean sweep of Clubman Super Heavy winning comfortably. Macri went straight to the lead at the start from John Gleeson, National Champion Jeff Cooper and Liam Myers, Gleeson DNFd after contact at the hairpin. After poor heat

results. Cooper fought back to final and went straight to the finish second ahead of Craig lead from Jace Lindstrom. A Masterson who started off the nudge then saw Douglas cut back of the grid with Murray across the grass and rejoin the Edgar after the two crashed circuit further up the track, still in the lead. out ofthe pre final. Like the Rookies, Midgets Lindstrom closed the gap back to Douglas and sat with also put on a fantastic demon stration of class racing. On in inches of his rear bumper. Douglas remained in the lead paper Jonathon Taylor domi nated the class, but battles in going into the last lap when the lead group were always Lindstrom made his move on close. South Australias Scott the infield, leading for a couple Pye slotted in to second behind of corners, before Douglas Taylor at the start, but was claimed it back at the hairpin punted off the track and re-, and holding on to the chequer. joined in eight place. Fastest qualifier Michael His pursuit of the leaders Caruso won the pre final of Formula 100 which only was inspiring picking off posi attracted 11 entries. Luke tions one by one before slip streaming his way to second in Skinner made an excellent the final flat out comer, dis move from grid two however placing David Stevenson - contact between Caruso and who had been swapping the David Clark at the next comer lead with Taylor - and Robert caused an accident taking out several midfield runners and Munnerley. A large field of Junior requiring a red flag for atten Clubmen produced entertain- tion to Ricky Occhipinti. The remaining six made the ing and at times desperate racing. Fastest qualifier Taz restart, Caruso leading from Douglas sat on pole for the pole before Mark Winterbottom

rbottom, Douglas'street' Portland

By GRAEME BURNS

WhatMonaco a weekend the WOW! look out! foui-th annual Portland Street Grand Prix turned out to be. From the 350 plus entries, to Robert Jones the motorcycle stunt rider giving many perfor mances and the Portland Brass Band, the event again had a tremendous atmosphere with yachts racing on the bay only metres away from the track. Being the fastest senior and junior classes respectively, the Formula 100 Light and Junior Clubman classes were run, as the Portland Street Grand Prix cham pionships run to the champi onship formula.

Formula 100 Light

eat one saw Mark Winterbottom make the best of an ordinary start and drive away into the distance. Remo Luciano was the big mover, coming from back on the grid, he worked his way up, passing Steve Owen and Wade Truman to slot into third behind Tyson Pearce. Heat two was much different with Winterbottom coming from near- the back, doing the chasing instead this time. Cameron Thorpe led the field with Matt Wall close behind with a small gap to Luciano and Ricky Occhipinti. Winterbottom was charging and with three laps to go, Thorpe went off, handing the lead to Wall. Luciano,

Winterbottom, Occhipinti and Daniel Elliott on his tail as they crossed the line. The pre-final saw Winterbottom take the lead from the start again with the rest streaming along behind until the race was declared with a red flag when Tnunan hit the tyres hard going down the ramp. Truman was OK but a bit sore and missed a start in the final. With Luciano and Winterbottom off the fi’ont row, and WaU and Owen next, it promised to be a great race. Luciano got the start with Owen slot ting into second ahead of Winterbottom. Owen got into the front before the line for the fu-st time around and on the next lap Winterbottom dropped Luciano back to third with Wall on

his tail in fourth. On the next lap Winterbottom took the lead and it settled for a few laps until Luciano was bumped going up the hiU which spread the field. Luciano and WaU were missing next lap with Winterbottom puOing away from Owen with Elliott charging. Elliott caught and passed Owen for second as the laps ran down but could not catch Winterbottom out in fi-ont.

JunioB" Clubman In heat one,and Rhys got the start right ledArcher the pack away followed by Adam Toffolon as the rest formed up behind them. Cameron Farr made his move to second on lap three with the field still jostling for space behind getting physical on the

hill. Farr set off after Archer, who had pulled away, and did well timing his move until the last lap to sneak past

for the win. Anthony Mrhar was third and Brent Rose fo\arth. Heat two saw Taz Douglas, Mark Henry, Rose and Fan- running at the front with Chris Uhlhom and Mi’har not far behind as they went across the line. Henry got a good start in the pre final, he and Douglas slowly pulling away from the field. Rose and Mrhar were left to fight for the minor posi tions. Henry, Douglas, Rose and Mrhailed away the final with Rose moving up a spot on lap two and another on the next lap. Henry went missing next lap and Mrhar moved up to sec ond for a couple of laps before Rose took it back. Douglas too advantage of the scrap behind him to open up a good lead as Farr and Uhlhom were working at the gap. The pair caught Rose late in the race but Rose held on for third behind Douglas and Rose.

hi Uie otiiep categopies, the podiuii positioiis were as foflows:

Who needs Monaco? Gavin Walker, far left, (#1) was faced with some work in the Formula Rotax class, which he went on to win. (photo by Graeme Bums)

Rookies; Trent James, Meson Merrett, Jason Taylor, Senior National Medium; Aaron Rintoul, Peter Hay, Brett Arnett. Clubman Superheavy: Anthony Higgs, Craig Masterton, Graham Hill. Formula Australia; Will Pristel, Jade Hogan, Darren Glee Junior National Heavy; Blake Mooney, Chris Gardner, Ben Phillips. Formula Rotax Light; Gavin Walker, Bart Price, Doc Pearson.

Clubman Heavy Dlv.1: Jason Stania, Marc Duvoisin, Tony Pugliese. Clubman Heavy Div. 2: Ben Savage, Kane Rose, Gregory O'Brien. Junior National Light; Shane Price, Matthew Hall, Derek Collins. Clubman Light Div. 1: Clint Cathcart,Will Pristel, Matt Wall. Clubman Light Div. 2: Daniel Elliott, Joshua Arandt, Lee Uhlhom. Senior National Light: Aaron Rintoul, Bradley

Anderson, Brad Farnsworth. Clubman Over 40; Wayne Fames. Jex Talbot, Peter Hallett. Senior National Heavy: Brett Arnett, Peter Hay. Leigh Tanaskovic. RESA: Timothy Karmiste, Timm Weitzel, Craig Shillito. Clubman Heavy: Ben Savage. Tony Pugliesse, Matt Adams. Formula Rotax Heavy; Gavin Walker, Jex Talbot, Brett Davidson.

3Mdrch2mo

DUd.

Briefly Historic Porsche’s chief designer, Harm Lagaay has phoned from Stuttgart to get the low-down on^Albert Park. He is one of25 overseas competitors taking part in the Shannons Supersport Cup and will be bringing out his impressive one-off Elfin ME5 for the event. As his is a 5-litre car,the Elfin is in Class B -the real thunderers are in Class A where up to eight litres are the order ofthe day! But the biggest threat, according to Lagaay will be the two-litre cars. From other races overseas,the tiddlers are better able to handle the tighter courses and he expects the winner to come firom their ranks. Sounds like we’re in for one helluva spoils car race at the Park! When Legend meets Legend: Kevin Bartlett will drive Dave Bowden’s Ford GT40 at Albert Park.

di*ive for Bartlett

By BRIAN REED THE

■ The Victorian Classic & Vintage Speedway Club has been invited to take part this weekend in demonsti'ation runs at the first speed car title meeting ofthe new year to be held at the Western becoming part of American Harley Auto Raceway, Bacchus Cluxton’s collection. Next owner was Marsh on Saturday March 4. Sam Walton, where #1034 shared a The state titles will then garage with the dual Le Mans winning be Mowed by heats of the Gulf GT40(chassis #1075) before changAustrahan championships on March 10 with the finals address again. From GT40 devotee Stauffer, #1034 moved on to the following day, Saturday German bom Peter Rossler in 1995, and March 11. the GT40 became a prominent entry at It is hoped that upwards Historic meetings around Europe. of 100‘uncaged vintage It successfully contested the GTM speed cars’ will take part Series, winning last time out at the and the meetings will Grand Prix of Stuttgart meeting held at ~ include a street parade Hockenheim. during the week and a social In July 1999, Historic touring car gathering at the track for enthusiast David Bowden acquired past and present diivers. #1034 at the Silverstone Historic race First reply to the meeting in England. Since returning to invitation came from Allan Australia last August, the GT40 has Timms in Queensland who appeared at many different events will be bringing south his including the Leyburn Historic Sprints, 1967 ex-Terry Wanless Noosa Beach Concours (winning Best Q50. It’s hoped there will be Competition Car), and the Queensland plenty ofinterstate interest All-Ford Day (winning three awards to follow Allan’s lead. including Car of the Show). ^ For further details contact It was also a feature car at thethe president Harry Dagg Ipswich 500 V8 Supercar race meeting (9726 6679 or mobile 0428 in October where Kevin Bartlett turned 107 685)or the secretary in laps of l-19s - only seconds off the BarTy Barker(9726 6940). race times of the V8 Supercars. Not bad for road tyres and a relatively rusty KB! ■ As weU as the impact of The Bowden GT40 will join a grid of the GST on CAMS hcences 34 sports cars for the Shannons which has been clearly International Supersports Cup at the enunciated by now,there is Qantas AGP carnival. Qualifying will be a suggestion from the on Thursday, Mai’ch 9, and there will be Historic Eligibility races on all three following days.

Australian

Grand

Prix

Finally Weldon’s persistence paid off, but Fielding agreed only to part with the GT40 in exchange for a particular Rolls

Corporation has accepted an Royce. Desperate to own #1034, Weldon eleventh hour entry from began a frantic search and eventually Queensland’s David Bowden to enable him to run his stunning Ford Tx 1 Royce was only prepared to sell the Rolls GT40 m the Shannons International part of a package which included a Supersports Cup events at this Ferrari 330GT. Weldon duly bought the year’s Qantas AGP carnival. pair, exchanging the Rolls with Fielding Piloting the GT40 will be one. of and realising his long-time ambition. Australia’s former ‘greats’, dual Weldon owned the car for three years. Australian Gold Star champion and win- often using it on the road as Fielding ner of the 1974 Hardie Ferodo 1000, had done previously. During 1973 he Kevin Bai'tlett. also entered and won a concours event ‘Big Rev Kev’ drove the GT40 in the at Brands Hatch, demonstrated the car Adelaide Classic Rally last November, in the pre-race parade at Le Mans and and thanks to CAMS, has been able tq ■ used it in the GT40 team in a six-hour acquire the necessary licence to compete relay race at Silverstone. at Albert Park. In mid-1974 Weldon acquired the The Bowden car (chassis No.1034) Mirage MlOOOl from Anthony Hutton, was built in 1965 and was originally handing over #1034 in part exchange, ownecf by James Fielding of Gloucester. Shortly afterwards, an Australian It was the first road car version of the George Parlby came across the GT40 GT40 delivered in the UK, and records during a visit to the UK, bought the car show it was fitted with various creatm-e and had it shipped to Australia, Parlby raced the car in Australian comforts such as heated windscreen, events until 1982 when he retired it reversing lights and electric clock. While in Fielding’s ownership, a from the track. It was then resprayed in young Paul Weldon would stay with rel- the familiar JWA/Gulf colours of light atives whose house adjoined the blue and marigold, and reappeared at Fielding’s property, and he was treated the inaugural Australian FI Grand Prix to occasional glimpses of the car. He meeting in Adelaide in 1985, having had vowed that one day he would own #1034 a complete engine overhaul for the occaand asked Fielding for first refusal if sion. ever he decided to sell. #1034 then found its way to the USA,

Committee ofthe possibility of charging a fee for owners to have their cars inspected as a requirement for the issue of an Historic logbook and Certificate of Description. ■ As reported in the minutes ofthe November meeting ofthe HEC,this is to help offset “the substantial costs associated with being an eligibility officer.” The suggestion of“funding for the eligibility process” is likely to be discussed further at the next Historic Ehgibihty Committee meeting. ■ Round One ofthe hillclimb multi-club challenge was staged at Rob Roy on February 13 and attracted a strong field of96 starters. Apart from a lengthy delay at the start due to the non-arrival ofthe ambulance,the meeting ran without incident, and competition amongst the competing clubs was keen. Fin^y it was the host club, the MG Cai- Club of Victoria that took the points with 31 followed by Porsche(24), Fiat(22)and Renault(16). A total of 12 clubs took pail in the competition, and the MG participants look the ones to beat afer taking the honours in 1999.

Results Class 1 (up to 1300cc) Piers Dudley-Bateman(MG Midget) 25.80s Class 2(1301-1600CC) John Black (Fiat XI/9) 25.66s Class 3(1601-2000CC) Cameron Young (Datsun 1000) 25.33s Class 4(2001-3000CC) Paul Stuart(Porsche 911) 24.29s Class 5(Over 3000cc) Peter Riseborough (Subaru WRX) 22.88s(FTD) Class6(Clubman) Leo Bates 24.26s (Lobito Super 7) Class 7(Pre-1960 Racing) Anthony Molina(MG TC) 24.75s Fastest Female Driver Margaret Sherry (Morris Cooper) 27.99s. -BRIAN REED

AGP ride ORGANISERS of the TattersalFs Historic Demonstration runs at this year’s Qantas Australian Grand Prix can breathe a little easier — a suitable car has been found for Sir Stirling Moss to drive! The British ace will line up on the gi'id behind the wheel of a red HWM Jaguar monoposto. Moss is no newcomer to HWMs. They were the cars in which he first began his road racing career in Europe back in 1950, and he claims he learned more about racing in HWMs than virtually all his other cars put together. -BRIAN REED Knight, rider; Sir Stirling Moss, here seen in a BRM at Silverstone, will compete at the AGP in an (Photo by Sutton-lmages) HWM Jaguar.

2-6 April 2000 For all details:

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48 3 March 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.

Speedway

Do You Want to Win The V8 Lites? Then this is the car for you. Prepared by Wally Storey. Raced by Rodney Forbes and Wayne Gardner. 1st Privateer 1999 FAI 1000. 1999 Shell Series Rookie of the Year. 1999 Privateer

VSSupercar, ideal for V8 Lites/Shell Series, ex-Perkins Bathurst winning car. Chev engine, 6 sp Flollinger, Konis (F) & Ohiins (R) fully adjust. PI dash & laptop. Pit equip ment, spares package, also comes with franchise! $90,000 neg. Will consider trade. Ready to go racing, gen uine inquiries only. Ph: Owen Parkinson 0418 133 274. 175

Championship Runner Up. New Pleads, As new gearbox, Penske Shocks. Assorted spares. No work necessary. Ready to race at Eastern Creek. Available after FI GP. POA. Ph 0413 046 318. E-mail: RForbes@macquarie.com.au. 175

Honda Prelude ' 93 ,Vtec, auto, sunroof, rear spoiler, alloys. Climate control air, 6 stack CD, all power opp, 68km, burgandy. VGC. $23,950. Ph: 0404 160 415. ,75 HQ Race car, competitive car, log book, 6 spare wheels, spare panels & numerous other parts. Urgent sale. $3,000 ono. Ph: 0410 498 094,75 HQ Monaro, 2 door, most parts to complete, VGC, origi nal GTS guards, suit Group Ncl POA. Ph: 03 9725 3234 or 0418 389 438. 175

2 Litre Sports Sedan, race ready, fresh motor, twin Webers, adj Koni suspension, Tilton brakes, 2 sets of alloy race wheels with slicks, 1 set of wets (new), heaps of spares, fast & reliable, 3rd in '99 championship. TrSiler if required. $7,500. Ph: 07 3886 7504 or 0417 610 712. 175 X Pack Mk2 Escort, roling bodyshell in primer, round headlights & grill, front 1/4 bumper, 8x13 wheels with A001 Yokohama 225/60/13 tyres, 6-point rollcage. $2,500. Ph: 08 8349 4588. .75

\'' i.'Se,- rtriiri Lotus Turbo Esprit, 1984 red with black leather, 60,000km since engine/gearbox rebuild. Reliable, afford able supercar. Most major components overhauled. Reduced to sell. $33,000. Ph: 02 9676 5684. 175

HDT VC Brock Commodore. Build no 332, 308 V8, 4-spd manual, p/steer, air con, immac original condition, with books and delivery papers. Reluctant forced sale. DFI0493. $13,900 neg. Ph 0418133 274 .75 HQ race car, top five runner. POA. Ph: 03 9725 3234 or 0418 389 438. ,75 MG Midget Marque Sports, ex-Trevethan, Latham, Reid. New 1330 engine EN40B crank Mahal pistons unstarted, factory close ratio gears, slicks (2 races, spare rims, total refurbish. $12,900 ono. Ph: 03 9787 3050. 175 AUSCAR Sportsman VL Commodore, minimal work needed to be race ready, rebuilt motor, urgent sale. $2,500 ono, Ph 03 9720 9026. 175 lob Jane XHJ-11 V8, original log book, plus spares. $35,000. Ph: 0418 144 783. 175

VL 5 Itr, Detroit locker, 9", excellent club car, never smashed, nothing to spend, ready to race. Owner retired. Car is capable of high 48s OP South, only ever used for Supersprints. $12,000. Ph: 0418 642 612. 175 Mustang Sports Sedan, 351, top loader, Harrop diff, Bilsteins, AP brakes, dry sumped, BBS wheels, spare wets, some spares. $28,000 ono. Ph: 02 4782 1145. 175 Commodore Sports Sedan, uncompleted project, all hard work done, brand new aircraft rose joints. Pedal ass, front end in-board suspension, 9” diff, all total space frame, quick release steering, alum radiator, currently set up with twin turbo all alloy V6. Will separate. Ph: 03 5762 5541. .75 Gemini 84 model, 2L twin cam, ready to race, 3J/2D fresh rebuild, nothing to spend, Detroit diff, 4-wheel discs, brake bias, rev limiter, remote cooler. $8,500. Ph: 02 9638 1155 or 0414 382 705. 175

Toyota Trueno, 4AGE engine, TRD gearbox & diff, Bilstein suspension. Sparco seats, fully welded cage, car'bon fibre interior. Terratrip, terraphone, spares package. 1998 NSW P2 Clubman winning car. $11,000. Ph: 02 4754 3465 or 0410 543 463. ,75 Mitsubishi VR4 ‘90 model, 3" stainless steel exhaust system from turbo. Stage 2 ball bearing turbo. Fligh pres sure fuel pump (can afford SOOhp) fuel control computer. Water spray intercooler with pipe. $18,000. Ph: 03 9894 2998 or 0407 959 818. ,75 Sports Sedan RX7, PP rotary, alloy mags, 10" fronts, 12" rears, 5-speed, Flollinger g/box, LSD, Volvo brakes, big exhaust, flares, log book. $9,999. Ph: 03 9792 9526 or 03 9792 4696. ,75 Genuine SawanaWRX3 Coupe, alum foam tank, turbo 12A, MioroTech computer injec, vent 4 spots, camberered rear end, race susp, Simmons, new tyres (2 sets) RWC, Reg, immaculate. $10,500. Ph: 03 6394 3541. ,75

Nissan Silvia, compare this price. 1.8 auto, sunroof, head up display, all power opp, 54km only. $9,500. Ph: 0404 160 415. 175 Torana Gen L34, red, original end, needs body work. Comes with new original interior, new rubbers, flares, 10 bolt LSD, Super T10 box, twin Webers, car not running and in pieces. $9,000. Ph: Joe 02 9632 0202 or 0418 293 330. 17 SE QLB EA Touring Car, 202 Holden, Phil Irving headm, triple Webers, top loader, quick change diff, space frame chassis. Ph: 0418 764 450 or 07 4634 7180. 175

Speedcar, Stealth Pontiac. All genuine USA running gear KSE, Weld, MPD, QCS, Carrera shocks, drilled bolt kit, just been freshened up. Plenty of spares on offer as well, will sell rolling chassis and motor. POA. Ph: 02 9624 6428. 175 Litre, fresh AI5, McGee insection, Barry Powers quickchange, Gardner bars, arms, stops, auto meter gauges, as new Vortex. Very quick oar, all springs & retrail er. $11,000 Neg. Must sell. Ph: 0414 557 056. 175 Street Stock, ASCF reg till 6/00. XE Falcon Sedan $3500 eng value. All the best suspension, ready to race, $4000 ono. Ph: 0410 517 126 or 03 5281 1499. 175

V8 Birt Modified, Batmobile #23, minus engine, with bert trans, winters rear, sanders front weld wheels, plus spares if req. $10,000 ono. Ph: 02 4959 2185 or 0414 686 East Coast Modified Hot Rod, recently re-built, 350 Chev motor, shortened Ftolden gearbox, full race running gear, small Dyna diff, M20 transmission, sev eral spare tyres and parts. Ready to race. Ph: 02 4933

●111" Mazda RX7 Sports Sedan, 13B PP motor, 4 sp c/r gearbox, comes with spare motor, gearbox and wheels. Trailer included. $11,500 ono. Ph: 02 4262 8934 AH. 175 Sports Sedan VL Commodore, space frame, new 350 Chev, T10 box, 9" floater rear end, selling oar for price of motor. Moulds and spares included. $18,000. Ph: 02 4736 7826. 175

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Super Tourer, TOM'S factory car. In the right hands, this car would be very competitive. All spares included. 2 motors etc.'Will consider trade/lease or payment program. $65,000 ono. Ph: 0418 644 217. its

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EL Falcon V8Supercar, as raced at Bathurst '98. 300kms on new engine. Plus spare engine, gearbox, wheels, spindles, axles and a whole truck load of spares. Also two-car 42ft Pantec race transporter. $215,000 the lot. Ph: Mark McLaughlin 07 3881 2379 or 0418 738 404. 175 AUSCAR Commodore, not raced since'96. Harrop front end, big brakes, suit conversion to Bathurst Tourer. Aluminium heads, 308 block for rebuild, lull floater rear end, two sets wheels, call for more info. Best offer. Ph: 0408 066 106. 175 Peugeot 405 Super Tourer, fresh motor, clutch & gearbox (6-speed XTrac non-sequential) 18-inoh centrelock wheels, AP brakes, suitable for 2-litre Sports Sedan with spares. $18,000. Ph: 0414 735 512. 175

Retiremeni sale, Super Sedan EL Falcon. Six meetings old, 366 18 degree engine, best of everything. $30,000, complete or will separate. Complete roller less engine & gearbox. $11,000. Motor, Burt box and other parts TOA. Ring Frank 02 4572 5949. 175 Sprintcars, 3 available, 2 Maxims, 1 Eagle priced from $16,500. 372 cui Donovan aluminium engine. $30,000. Ph: Chris Calandro 0418 831 282. its Super Sedan, new quick change, new Brinn trans, new brakes and rack, heaps of spares, very competitive with or without engine. Consider trade Flarley Davidson or boat. Ph 03 6340

Honda Prelude '93 Vtec, 5sp, sunroof, performance chip, s/s exhaust, lowered, CD player, all power opp. $10,900. Not for Australian rego. Ph: 0404 160 415. 175 VH Commodore Sports Sedan, full space frame chassis with mid-mount engine. Brand new 570hp 350 Chev, dry sumped, independent rear, Spax coil overs, AP front callipers, 2 sets of rims, lots of extras, disassembled ready to paint. $22,000. Ph: 0418 134 948 or 03 9776 4224. 175 Commodore Group C, 1 rolling shell, 1 complete turn key ready toace with log books. Ph: 0418.144 783.175 Toyota KE20 Club Car, 1998 U/2L championship win ner, no motor & gearbox, TRD LSD, 6 point cage, 4 wheels discs, adj suspension, all set up for 4AGE. Loads more. $3,800 ono. Ph: 02 9692 8440. its Trinovin Ford Mondeo Super Tourer, make a name for yourself. '94 model. Ford works oar as driven by Paul Radisich in '94 & '95 BTCC. Car has raced in Australia since '97. Engine is strong (285 bhp) and car is straight & pre sentable. Car comes with spare wheels, spare bumpers & splitters, various other parts, set-up data etc. Full assistance. $40,000. Ph: Aaron McGill 02 4872 2622 or 0419 406 760. 175 RX7, ex-Murray Carter Group C race car. 2 sels Simmons wheels, plenly spares & trailer. $15,500. Hi: 035825 3125 or 0412624130. its Bathurst Tourer shell, ex Auscar VS Comm, prof oonv with cage, doors, lights & dash fitted, fuel sys, fire ext, p/steer, wiring, brake sys and Tilton fittings. Ready for paint. $7000. Ph 0417 322 093. 174 Mazda RX4 Club Car, unfinished project, has log book, peddle box, 4WD brakes, floater diff, race auto meter guages etc. $1,500obo. Ph 0409 191 612 or 03 9354 0417. 174

Lotus 23 (1962), raced Asia early 1960's by Albert Poon, winner Macau, Johore, Singapore Grand Prixs. Fabulous history! Ken Sparkes raced mid 80's, Rob Tweedie 1999. Winner Frank Matich Trophy (Eastern Creek Historic). Cert of description, sale includes 4 wheel enclosed trailer, spare body, wheels/tyres, spares etc. Consider interesting trade. $110,000. Ph 0408 162 762. 174 Holden Torana LJ XlJ-1 Appendix J, fresh motor, M21 box, Detroit locker diff, steel cage, race ready, spares avail. $13,000. Ph 02 9792 4779 or 0419 489 465. 174 Cortina TE Club Car, 4.1 Ford crossflow 350hp, 4speed top loader, HQ, XB front brakes, XF rear end, adjustable shocks, 3rd place in NSW 0/3L state series. Ready to race in 2000, priced for quick sale. $10,000 with trailer. Ph Ken 0403 011 924. 174

Street Stock, brand new XF Falcon, ready to race. Full fibreglass sides, boot, bonnet, nose. Alloy seat, quick release wheel. Bilstein shocks. Reoo gearbox with reg. $4,000 ono. Ph: 03 5275 2567. m

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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. 174 Hi Bar Sprintcar. All you need is a motor. Lots of spares, good gear. Must sell $12,000. Ph: 03 5282 2792 173

Super Sedan, Camaro body, brand new Winters Alloy tube diff, power steer, torque link alloy wheels, radiator, ome spares. $9,500. Ph 07 3888 3232. 17a Super Sedan Pontiac Firebird, Vic 19, engine built by Engines Unlimited in USA. All good gear, alloy wheels, fuel cell, new body, complete, ready to race, registered, heaps of spares. $24,500. Ph 0412 599 103 or 03 5241 4224. 174

Westfield SE, '98 built (factory), 4AG Toyota motor, used 1 season, all sorted, quick oar. With trailer cost $30,000, sell $19,500. Ph 0419 900 990 bh or 03 9787 6177 ah. 174 Bathurst Tourer shell, ex Auscar VS Comm, prof conv with cage, doors, lights & dash fitted, fuel sys, fire ext, p/steer, wiring, brake sys and Tilton fittings. Ready for paint. $7000. Ph 0417 322 093. 174 AUSCAR, Commodore shell with cage, never raced. $1,200. Ph 0417 322 093. m

Super Stock VK Commodore LH steer, chrome moly chassis, Lamb struts & rack, weighs 1950lbs. MSD 7AL3, Barry Grant fuel system, on-board computer, autometer gauges, alum diff centre, Mark Williams rear end. Must sell $22,000. Ph: 07 3299 61418H or 07 5501 5853 AH. 175

1990 Z28 Camaro, MP fitted with 351 T.R.E. Buick and glide. 825hp & 535lb torque. Dyno sheets available. 20 passes since built. Sell car complete with spares for cost of engine. $35,000. May separate or trade. Ph 02 9837 1569 or 0413 483 496. its

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Chev powered S2 RX7, ANDRA tech, 350 CHev, TH350 box, slicks, ladder bars, coil over shocks, only driven week ends & short distances. $9,600. Ph:03 5345 8045. 175

Ew^iBiaes Cosworth BDP Special, 2.1 L, 314 hp. Complete rebuild by Les Nixon, Auckland for details and history. Ph Les 09 838 7488. $13,000. 175 SB Chev, Bowtie block, BRC light weight crank, 6' Bill Miller rods, Weisco pistons, dry sump, Buick heads by Jim Bell, Jessel belt, crank trigger, sheet metal manifold, 2 x 1050 Holleys. Must sell $18,000. Ph: 07 3299 6141 BH or 07 5501 5853 AH. 175 Boss 302 motor, 351ci 4 bolt block. STO Carricos, accel dist, dry sump pump, alloy bell housing. EFi suit 302 W coil over springs. Ph:02 4782 1145. 17s Chev Pontiac heads, 637hp flow sheets available. $2,700. Ph: 0418 144 783. 175 Alfa Romeo, Guila Super 1600cc motor, complete from Weber carbies to flywheel. Engine no AR 00526 55839 $550. Ph: 02 9686 6331. 175 Ford crossflow 1300cc, all steel, new Webers, dry sump & pump flywheel. Ready to race. Dyno time only. $6,000. Ph: 02 9211 2854. 175 Brabham, wheels, early pattern. 13x12, VGC. $2,400. Ph: 02 9211 2854. 175 350 Chew nickel, 4 bolt studded block. $1,000 Ph: 0418 144 783. 175

Donovan, small block, Buick heads, Kingsler magnesium injection, dry sump, no expenses spared. Dave Riolio sup plied & built. $25,000. Ph: 03 5722 3810 or 0407 223 817. 175 Twin Turbo V6 Sleath, quad cam, multi valve, twin 60mm trottle bodies on thin 70mm induction with 50mm primmaries. Super large intercooler, bellhousing to lake Super T10. All complete, HP unlimited. $7,000 sacrificed. Ph: 0418 144 783. 175 Chev 18 degree, 366 motor less carburetor & magneto. Bow tie heads by Weldteck, C&C ported Del West titanium valves. Cola 9/16 ultra lite crank. Too much gear to men tion. $17,000. Ph: 02 4572 5949. 17s Engine parts, S/S exhaust valves 1.60 $550, 308.crank std size $100, A9L conrOds $300,'Ford roller lifters $300, 308 mains stud kit $50, Crane roller rockers 1.71 7/16 $200, Ford 9-inch 4-11 gears $200, Chev roller cam $400, Chev roller lifters $300, valve springs, titanium retainers $180, Yella Terra lightened flywheel (308)$150, pair Sabelt 4-point harness $200, 308 chrome molly push rods $130. Ph 0401 158 193. 171 ' ' Bathurst Tourer/AUSCAR, engine. Just spent $9000 on Shane Lowe rebuild top HP, light crank, good pistons, , new everything includes clutch. $12,000. Ph 0417 322 093 174

Ford Twin Cam Engine, complete'Twin cam engine. 1600 CO good horsepower. Cosworth crank, Argo rods, forged pis tons, Kent LI cams, big valves. Twin 45 Webers, Dry sump pump. Receipts for all parts. $17,500 Ph 02 9440 0950 ah. 174 Mini race engines. Cooper S short engine, also 1380,105bhp at wheels, 4x6" split rim Spectrums with Avon road tyres. Mini Cooper race car championship winning car. Ph 07 5474 9578. 174 Cortina Mk.l GT, 120E engine, suit App. J or historic. Ph 0411 744 049. 173 BDA 1600CC Cosworth race engine. Historic three bolt head. As new condition built by Peter Lamer. Twin Cam Escort shell (rolling) as new condition. $22,000 the lot. Ph 03 9439 4029. ,73 Suzuki Katana motor S50, turbo charged 4 cyl. Would suit person with need for speed. $2,250ono. Ph: 03 9435 1516. 173

Ford SVO 364. Ex.Scott Blomquist 99 engine. Best of everything, built by Jack Cornett CNC porting by Chapman, run for 2 meetings in a-Super Sedan. Dynosheets available. $32,000, consider normal road car as trade - money either way. Ph: 07 3806 9900. 173 Off road racing, 2L VW Golf engine. Comes complete with USA adapter, flywheel, extractors, baffled sump, MoTeo Grp2-3D ECU, crank trigger ign, & complete wiring loom. Quick sale at $2,400ono. Ph 0414 367 997. 173

PCR Kart F5, Italian 3 bearing chassis, clubman motor, recent rebuild, hydraulic brakes, extender hubs, quick release axle, nose cone, upholstered seat, stand, spares.

rarely used, never raced. Immaculate $2,300. Ph: 02 9823 7919 or 0416 183 762. 175 250cc International Super Kart, Yamaha engine. Zip chassis, Kelgate brakes, all completely rebuilt. $2,750. Ph: 03 9796 4588 BH. ,75 Formula Holden 92D Reynard, ex-Todd Kelly, 2nd '98 championship, race prepared for 2000 season. Complete with spares, including ratios, computer, set up data, trailer and all assistance. Ph: 07 3286 1667. 175 Formula Vee, 1972 Stag. Good condition, new belts and new battery, great entry to open wheel racing. $5,500ono & fully enclosed trailer. Ph 08 8278 3562. 174 Go-kart, Tony Kart Esprit 1995 + Sirio Reed engine 1994. 1997 Geelong club champion, 1998 runner-up. Very fast setup with spares & support. $2,500 ono. Ph 03 9570 7589. 17,1 Cheetah Mk VI Rolling Chassis, complete rolling chassis with body panels. Better than new. Onboard extin guisher, two sets of wheels Four spot callipers and historic certificate of description, $15,000 Ph 029440 0950 ah 174

Historic Lotus 23 Replica, Group 0 1968 Renault running gear, glass body, 95% complete, spare engines and gearboxes. New trailer to suit. Paper work ready for CAMS. A rare opportunity. $16,000. Ph 07 3848 2614 ah. 174

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Race or street suspension, WRX adjustable coll over shocks by Zoro Motorsport Japan. $2,000. RX7 ser 4-5 fully adjustable Tein coil overs. All with bearing platforms.-$2,000. Ph: 0404 160 415. 175 Quickchange, strengthened case, offset axle, one piece birdcages, hubs, brakes, four sets of gears $600 ono. Ph: 0414 557 056. 175

Turbocharger, VL Commodore RB30, unused turbo & dumpvalve plus water inlet & outlet pipes. New $1,000 ono. Ph: 03 9787 3050. 175 Chev 350 lightened flywheel, 7 1/4 inch Tilton twin plate clutch, quartermaster hydraulic throw out bearing, all exc cond, new reduction starter. $1,000. Ph:036424 4544. 175 Escort LSD, as new suit Banjo $800. Exhaust manifold suit NA Cosworth $400. AJS Strut tops suit MK11 $150. e-mail moorey1@telstra.easymail.com.au 175 Ford Escort Twin Cam parts, mechanical and body parts available. Ph: Tony 02 9546 1097. 175 Haltech F9 fuel injection kit, complete with 4-cyl loom to fit injectors. Computer with easy wire diagrams. Still in box, some sensors. $900. Ph: 0418 951 072. 175 1 Group A 2 stage, dry sump oil tank, hardly used with modify oil stick and breather outlets. $500 ono. Ph: 0409 125 965. 175 Porsche AVS rims, 17x8s, polished with alloy caps, brand new Pirelli P700 tyres, 245x45 series never used. Top class show rims. $2,200. Ph: 0409 125 965. 175 Honda 89-93 Civic, CRX suspension, 3 sets hieght adjustable susp with coils, for Group A rape or street use. $800 each set ono. Ph: 0413 717 826. 175 Set Lotus T/Cam forged pistons. 83.5mm $850. Pair 45mm Webers, all linkages, on Ford 2L alloy manifold $750. Ph: 02 9211 2854. 175 Carbie & manifolds, 4x48mm Delortos on 75mm Wedges with fluid pressure gauge. Trumps, linkages, braided hoses, set-up on Chev big port manifolds. As new $1,700. Ph: 041.8 144 783. 175 Group A rims, to suit Commodore, 5 stud pattern, four only. BBS alloy $2,000. Ph: 02 4736 7826. its Yates, titanium vales inlet 2.10 $650. Exhaust $650. Ph: 0419 655 701. m Gearbox, (2), Super T10 Borg Warner second design, fine spline hurst shifter. $1,600. Ph: 02 9632 0202 or 0418 293 330. 175 Torana L34 dizzy, of Brook's 1975 race car. Best offer. L34 heads, ported, screw in studs. $400. Ph: 02 9632 0202 or 0418 293 330. 175 Holley race carburetor, Blake 750cfm, suit 5-6 litre engine $1250. Ford 351 4V cyl heads complete $1200 pr. 4-wheel aligner FMC-5000. Perfect condition $4500. Ph 03 9800 3299 or 03 9873 5586 ah. 174 Twin 40mm, side draught Dellorto DHLA carburettors

$350. Ph/fax 02 6862 4100 or 0412 262 411. 17. Rennmax Wheels, complete set of hand made Rennmax wheels. 2 x 13" x 10’ and 2 x 13' x 14' very rare. $3,000 Ph 02 9440 0950 ah. 174 Hart 418B Cam Cover, hard to find cam cover to suit Ford T/C. $1,000 Ph 02 9440 0950 ah. 174 Lucas Fuel Injection, complete system to suit Ford T/C.6 mm lines and completely reconditioned. $2,000 Ph 02 9440 0950 ah. 17. Ford T/C Head, in good condition. Gas flowed and com plete with big valves. $3,000(AFf)02 9440 0950 17. Assorted parts, Cortina GT console $150, stainless 4door Cortina GT strips $25, $50 each. 2 door Cortina - flo through body ‘65, excellent gaps, primed, rust and dent free $2,000. Mark 2 Lotus/GT gearbox, remote shifter $600. Ph/fax 02 6862 4100 or 0412 262 411. 174 Autometer Sport-comp water temp gauge, $120. Autometer sport comp oil pressure gauge $100. Pro-shift lite with 7000rpm chip kit $90. All brand new and unused. Ph Steve 03 9722 1745 or 0419 138 017. im Air conditioning, hose complete. Suit XD, XE, ZJ, ZK V8. Brand new, plastic electric gear to suit above. All never used. $65 ono. Ph 03 5261 9721. i7< Bathurst Tourer/AUSCAB gear. New Sacchs clutch $1700, Super T10 gearbox $2500, diffs T/Dome & flat track 3.08 & 3.7 f/floaters $1200 each. Harrop brakes, good condi tion Inc hubs, s/rotor. OK on BT $2500, AUSCAR alum seats $300 each, tailshaft $300, Bilstein shocks (8) $1000, Commodore p/steer rack $100, Auscar rims(9)$450,f/end 2 comp crack tested & box of spares $400. AUSCAR/NASCAR fuel churns(2) all fit $500. Ph 0417 322 093. 174 Complete range equipment. Intercomp scales, optical alignment gear, Dunlop camber/caster gauge, Dorian, quicklifts, chassis stands, spring rater. Bell AFX helmet (L), Momo boots (II) much more. Bargain prices. Ph 0419 895 692. 174 Twin choke side draft SU carb, ex C/Climax. $150 ono. Ph 07 5537 9780 or 0418 784 992. 174 Pi Dash 2+2, with loom and sensors. $3,500. Ph Rodney 03 9587 6199 or Fax 03 9587 6807. 173

frawsparteffs/Tfalieffs Fully enclosed, trailer to suit FFord to FHolden. Has liv ing quarters in front secion, bed, stove, fridge, cupboards etc. Plenty of storage area in rear. Tandem axles with disc brakes with reg. $6,000. Ph: 0408 066 106. 175 Nissan Urban, fully setup pop top annex, water tank, fridge, stove, bed. Towed Sports Sedan RX7, used at track as motor home. Excelfent condition. Ph:039792 9526. its Brand new purpose built, dual axle, elec brakes, reg. Flat white aluminium siding, fronPoffice area & seating. Tie down hooks, aluminium ramps^ rear door, gas struts, 21ft x 7ft x 8ft, suit FHolden or FFord. $10,000. Ph: Craig 0412895 560. 175 40ft Pantec, two oars, aluminium ramps, 240v light & power. Huge storage boxes. Got married, kids and mort gage. She says sell. Help and tow away for $5,500. Ph: 0408 503 366. .75 Chev Blazer, 4WD, full convertible hard top, 350, 4speed, new tyres, new radiator, very nice condition. $10,500. Ph:02 9745 3881. 175 Fully enclosed, tandem axle trailer 4.5m x 1.8m x 1.8m steel chassis, aluminium body, electric brakes, ramps, work bench, shelves, tyre rack, side door, fully enclosed annex. $3,300. Ph: 02 9872 1660. ,75 Pantec, 5.3 metres, Isuzu 1995 FSR550, 7.1-litre engine, 6-speed, air con, good condition throughout. Ideal trans porter. $33,990. Ph: 0413 056-351. 175 ACCO duel cab, 80,000km, new paint, immaculate con dition, 392 inter Allison auto. First to see will buy. $14,000 ono. Ph: 03 5275 2567. 175 Bedford race car transporter, 6 cyl diesel, 5 spd, winch, benchs, cupboards, seats 8 comfortably, new tyres, brakes, batteries. $]0,000. Ph: 02 4959 2185 or 0414 686 929. 175

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Mazda T3S00 Bus. Professionally renovated by Car Trek with large rear door (1500x1300). Suit rally service or kart transporter. Good condition. POA. Ph 03 9386 5331. 174 2 X 48’ race car trailers, no 1 not yet completed. 14.6m X 4.3m x 2.5m. Carry 3 oars, elevator rear door, air bag suspension, Alcoa rims etc. $50,000 down, $30,000 on completion. Total $80,000. No 2 also carries 3 cars and has everything. Full bathroom, lounge, TV, stereo etc. Total $185,000. Ph 03 5248 7377. 174 Race car transporter, 42' Panteo with 3 car capacity, electric winch, mAvave, fridge, plus '87 Mitsubishi prime mover, 15 speed roadranger. Low K's, perfect cond. $78,000 will seperate. Must sell. Ph 03 9589 7357 or 0417 996 928 or fax 03 9589 7353 or e-mail - mpdracing@bigpond.com. 173 Enclosed Lightweight Trailer, suitable for open wheeler. Fully enclosed secure trailer built with steel chas sis with aluminium body. Single axel and brakes. $3,000 Ph 02 9440 0950 ah. 174 ■1989 FSB 500 Isuzu, 6.5-litre diesel, 6-speed, crew cab, 48" sleeper, electric brake controller, trailer air brakes, inverted 50mm king pin. $18,000. Ph 03 5248 7377. 174

m United Expressiine Trailer, 20ft fully enclosed, cus tom built in USA, integral generator & air compressor, new electric brakes & tyres, lined interior, workbench, cup boards etc. $15,000. Ph 0407 926 214. 17. Ghev 79 C20 Silverado, 350ci, manual box, dual fuelgas. electric trailer brakes, engineered tow hitch, dual exhaust, sun roof, large radiator. $12,000 ono. Ph 0415 242 157 or 02 9821 3688. 174 Chev 91 Cl500 extra cab, 454ci, T400, air bags, fully loaded, engineered tow hitch, security system, electric trail er brakes, CB radio. Side skirts etc. $44,000 ono. Ph 0415 242 157 or 02 9821 3688. .7.

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Fully enclosed trl axle, tri electric brakes, new 1999, 32ft long, 25ft by 8ft by 6.4pt enclosed 24ft by 16ft annex, no sides. Cost $12,000, sell $9,500 neg. Ph 0415 846 719 or 08 8284 8087. in

Wanted Minichamps, 1:18 scale model of Damon Hil’s 1996 Williams in GC. Ph: 0407 280 263. 17s EFD Quad throttle bodies, for Toyota 4AG 16 valve wanted. Will buy with competition head or motor. Ph: 02 9872 2558 or 0416 306 055. 175 One Bridgestone Potenza, RE520S 205/50 x 15 one or pair. Ph: 03 9889 1149. 175 Ron Hay Honda S800 Clubman, desperately seeking this classic. Built NSW 1960s, super charged S800 motor, Renmax wheels, someone must know its whereabouts. Any info most appreciated. Ph:03 5255 2446. 175 Holden 253, reco motor, short or long plus oval track oil pan suit 253, 308. Ph:02 9745 3881. its Halt RT4, 1981 to 1987 rolling chassis with spares. Chassis must be sound and come with traceable history and logbook. Ph: 07 3256 9505 AH or 0418 736 869 BH. 175 Cosworth 2.1 BBP engine, in good condition. Must have history or proof of recent rebuilds. Willing to look at 2-litre engines also. Ph:07 3256 9505 AH or 0418 736 869 BH. m Automobile Year Annuals, Nos 1-6, pref good condi tion, private collector. Ph Tony, Auckland NZ Ph 09 415 3959 or 09 410 9425. m Fabricator, must have roll cage manufacture experi ence, for sub-contract position. Ph Rod Smith Racing on 03 5988 6266. 17+ 113" 3 piece wheels, or just rims Need 7" or wider. Anything considered. Ph Terry on 07 3814 3762 or e-mail esp@hypermax.net.au 174

©filler Targa Tasmania, 2000 confirmed, fully paid Classic entry. Fax offers to 03 9723 9033. its Position tfacant, electronic fuel injection technician. Applicant must have experience & knowledge in the O.E.M. and aftermarket fuel injection industry, custom wiring and general wiring skills. If you possess these skills and are a qualified tradesperson please forward your resume to: Castle Auto - Electrics, PO Box 713, Castlemaine, Vic 3450. 175 Weil established, Snap-On Tools franchise business in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Ph: Paul 0413 756 616. 175 Simpson Size 60 helmet, Super Speedway Shark, never used. Cost $1,500, sell $1,000. Ph: Craig 0412 895 560. .75 Sensational Adelaide 500 tickets, 2 pit straight grandstand tickets opposite start/finish line. 7/8/9 trackside accomodation 4 star Flag Motel. Tickets $120 ea. Motel $120/night. Ph: BH 03 5824 1038 or AH 03 5856 1630. its Sparco racing suit, no 834, red, near new $275. VDO gauges, six in all, inc. tacho, oil press, temp, volts, complete $250 the lot. Ph: 03 9890 2570. 175 Senna TAG Heuer, 6000 ladies watch. No 553 of 1000. Never worn. Phone details. Ph: 0408 733 478. 175 Shock absorbers, 4 Ohiins, triple adjustable for FHolden. $8,000. Ph: Craig 0412 895 560. 175 Books, Australian Motor Racing Year Nos 16 & 17 $40 each. Great race books complete set, offers. Magazines — Autosport, CCC, SCW, total of 380 $170. Bathurst books (5) the other one, offers. Ph 03 9397 6750. 174 AGP tickets, 3 tickets, Fangio stand. Section L — 19,20,21 plus extras. $650 the lot. Ph: 07 5571 5101. 174 Race suits, 2 x Emerso n size L & XL, CAMS approved, double layer. Only worn twice. $250 each ono. Ph 02 9546 1685or0418116 113. 174

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Editorial Editor Phil Bras^agaiT! Assistant Editor Gerald WldBornan Staff Journalist Aaron ffoonaiTB Graphics Co-ordinator Viv BrumSsiy

Advertising Advertising l^anager Brendon Sheradasii

Dear Sir, If Mark Webber is struggling to get adequate sponsorship from corporate Australia it is probably due to a lack of exposui’e that F3000 gets in Australia that makes business think twice

Managing Director Chris B-amrabden

CART 00 Ten or not?

(PO Box 1010 North Caulfield 3161) Phone: 03 9527 7744 Fax: 03 9527 7766 Email: msnews@ozemail.com.au

rrjnvprrp Send your letters to PO Box 1010 North Caulfield Vic 3161, fax to 03 9527 7766, or email to us at msnews@ozemail.co^au The staff of Motorspoit News does not necessarily agree with opinions express Ay readers.

it cost money to show a series like that but sponsorship is a game of I can do this for you and you can do this for me. Stuart Email <Stuartl@vision.net.au>

89 Orrong Crescent Caulfield North VIC 3161

Why doesnt the Nine Network (Mark has done things for them) get behind him by putting logos on Marks car in exchange for televising the F3000 series in Australia.! know

Administration

Contacts

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Deutsche Post

Friday practice: Reader Hamilton wants to see AGP coverage on Friday, which would give everyone more opportunity to see new drivers, cars and (Photo: Sutton Images) colours, like H-HF’s Jordan-Mugen/Honda EJ10.

The view from my vantage point

track layout, the race itself was very processional, and the crowd looked no larger than those of the 1997 and 1998 Sandown 500s which were both

Dear Sh, A number of observations from Issue #173: □ 2x45 mins races: Better than

affected by atrocious weather. It is good to see QR in so much strife. H change Formula Ford to single chassis category? Why? It is still the most successful open wheel formula and its numbers are hardly in decline. So why change? What are the benefits? The only change FF needs to make is to align itself with the overseas FF and ditch the old Kent engine for the Zetec powerplant.

Leon Wittner

Contributors

Bundaberg, QLD Asst Ed: Mike Audcent,Head of

General: Brian Reed, Grant Nicholas,

Sport at Ten assures us that the CART races remain on Ten this

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, Mark Wicks Photographers: Sutton Motorsport . Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Tony Qlynn, API Images, Neil Hammorid, Slipstream Photographic, Thunder-Pics, Phil Williams, Allspoit, John Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, John Bosh'er, Lynley Reid, Mike Patrick (UK)„ Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent, Peter French, Chris Carter Artist: Bernie Walsh Cartoonist: Allan Schofield

year.

Think about the kids Dear Sir, Hooray, at last, someone who caters for children. On Saturday we took the FAMILY to the Drag Racing Nationals. Not only were the kids (under 13) both free (both admission and pit access) but they had a GREAT time and can’t wait to go back next year. After not going to Phillip Island for the touring car racing because of the exceptionally high price for a fa^nily, I thought maybe they should take a leaf out of Drag Racing’s book. After all, today’s free children are tomorrow’s paying adults... Joy Bullock Rye, NS

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Opinions expressed in Motorsport News are not necessarily those of Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd or its staff.

Subscriptions (I year - 26 issues) Australia SI 17.30* Overseas (Air Mail): New Zealand, PNG AS 170 AS 180 Malaysia, Indonesia AS 190 Phillipines, HK, Japan US, Canada AS200 AS2I0 Europe Post or fax to address above. Bankcard, VISA Mastercard, Amex accepted * GST (Australia) Australian publishers are now required to charge 10% GST on the portion of new magazine subscriptions which falls after June 30, 2000, when a GST will be introduced in Australia. The subscription rate quoted is thus made up of the base S 1 10 cost plus GST applying to the postJune 30 portion at this time.

'each for passing under red flags, but Bowe fined $1500 for same offence. And Osborne fined $750 for passing under waved yellows, which is a less serious offence than passing under red fl ags. The same penalties should apply to aU. a Chance of Sandown 500 retm-ning as warm up to Bathurst? Fantastic! Taking the 500 away from Sandown was dumb, the Queensland Raceway was the dumbest and most unimaginative

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3x20 mins, however not held on two days. I (and from what can be see from the small Sunday crowd, others as well) am only willing to turn up on Sunday to watch touring car races. The exception to the rule is the 500k and 1000k enduros. Let’s hope this is the fi rst and only time this happens for a sprint round. H Parity in racing but not in fines: Holden drivers Bargwanna, Richards and Donaher fined $500

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Motorsport News is published by

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Friday on my mind Deal- Sir, After several checks of the TV guide for Friday, 10th March, I was shocked to see that Nine refuses to show the highlights from the first day of practice. Like many FI fans, I find this to he something of an integral part of the broadcast. It's a chance to see the new cars in their liveries on the track, and to catch up with the day's events, certainly something that cannot be crammed into the

World Net Dear Sir, Can you advise who is televising the CAET races this year? Channel 10 here in Bubdaberg do not know if they are or not! Austar TV (cable)say they don’t know as well.

CompuServe: 100237,1165

Darryl Flack, Tony Glynn, Mike Kable, Mark Jones, Jon Thomson FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring, Gary Watkins US: Phil Morris NZ: John Hawkins

would keep an eye on what’s up OS. And Howard Marsden has never said he will abandon Kent

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WlTvi'PATvii'J IfeAK- ilAAv! WAT MV Bl)TT-Cq6eK:T<7g^

horse-racing riddled telecast on the Saturday (someone should remind the programmer that more horsepower means more cars and not horses, it's only one of the two days in the year that FI fans can get a fair deal). So FI fans, those that can't make it to Melbourne for that magical weekend (and those that can but take pity on those that can't turn up), please let Nine know yom-, and om-, feelings. There's no point crying when it's too late. Heck, this year perhaps we'll be getting the post-race interviews too. Stuart Hamilton E-mail <chemeng@iinet.net.au>

Please sir, if you don’t mind==.

committing the 500 to Queensland Raceway for the three remaining years of its contract.

Dear Sir, I am writing to you to inform you of a mistake in your stoiy concerning the Super Rods in issue #173. The story was con-ect in all ai-eas, except one - you stated the State title ran at Hamilton Speedway, but it actually was at the Blue Ribbon Raceway, Horsham. I am not having a dig at MN, as your information was, obviously, wrong. I read Motorsport News every fortnight and it’s a great mag for coverage of just about every form of motor sport.

F/Ford: They are already looking at changes for the UK and it’s natural that Ford Oz

Ron Burlinson, Dimboola, Vic

Robert MOjko Endeavour Hills VIC ED: Phillip Island management and AVESCO’s Tony Cochrane have already confirmed that both PI races will be on Sunday in 2001. Sandown: Tony Cochrane has ruled out a i-eturn to Sandown,

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