Motorsport News Issue 183 - July 6-19, 2000

OIO COLLECTOR'S FIRST 'NEW LOOK' ISSUE

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Ford stars under I pressure?

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Coulthard’s French GP

■ World Karting gets series ■ Full QR support coverage

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THE track:

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motorsport Issue 183

7-20 July 2000

INSIDE

News and Opinion

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11 21 27 28 100

HRT's not-so‘-secret driver BTCC star for Bathurst Ford drivers under threat?

Top team to bench stars?

Bright's US breakthrough Portland victory for Aussie Webber writes on F3000 Motor Mouth Nice - and fast- guys Box Seat Saward on French driving Talk Converter Readers' opinion

Features 30 36 62 75

Holden Statesman Larry Perkins opens up Inside Ferrari's 360 Italian brains and brawn Scotland the Brave The reborn David Coulthard GM's new weapon unveiled First look at '01 Chev Pro Stocker

Race Coverage

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COLLECTOR’S FIRST 'NEW LOOK’ ISSUE

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Regular Departments

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Brazilians! Brazilians! Brazilians!

CART from Portland, Cleveland Craig does Queensland HRT invincible at QR GTP/Nations Cup Porsche's revenge over Ferrari Formula Holden Wills and Murchison split wins Coulthard gets tough Formula One's new Enforcer?

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Photos: Cover, Bright, Perkins and Lowndes by Dirk Klynsmith: Schumacher and DC by Sutton-lmages: de Ferran by RaceAccess

24 68 70 74 79 82 88 94

Motorcycles Histories Rallying Drag Racing NASCAR Speedway National Scene Marketplace 5

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(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

moiorsport Bens

NEWS

AGP 4.3.2001 No long weekend date for Albert Park

by JOE SAWARD THE Australian Grand Prix will kick off the 2001 Grand Prix season as usual - but a week earlier than the Labour Day long weekend.

The FLA World Motor Sport Council met in Warsaw,Poland, last week and agreed a 17-race schedule for the 2001 Formula 1 World Championship.

There are no other surprises, with all the same races as this year although the order has been shuffled to make the calendar a httle more logical. This has resulted in the Malaysian GP being moved to the middle of March so that teams can go straight from Austraha to Kuala Lumpur. There are slight risks in the date as it falls at the end of the Spring monsoon season.

The British Grand Prix has been

moved back from its disastrous April date and will now take place in the middle of May, which means that the European GP at the Ninburgring can now be held at the end of June when the weather will be much better in the Eifel Mountains. The season will end in Japan on October 14, a week earlier than this year.

The only race which has been nominated provisionally is Silverstone which has to give details to the next World Council of how it intends to avoid the same kind of traffic problems and provide details about compensation for the fans who missed the action this year.

In addition the track must make a munher of safety changes. If these conditions are not met by the time of the next World Council meeting on October 4 the race will be dropped from the calendar.

2001 Formula One Grand Prix schedule

March 4 March 18 April 1 April T5 April 29 May 13 May 27 June 10 June 24 July 8 July 22 August 5 August 19 September 2 September 16 September 30 October 14

Australian GP Malaysian GP Brazilian GP San Marino GP Spanish GP British GP Monaco GP Canadian GP European GP French GP Austrian GP German GP Hungarian GP Belgian GP Italian GP United States GP Japanese GP

(Melbourne) (Kuala Lumpur) (Sao Paulo) (Imola) (Barcelona) (Silverstone) (Monte Carlo) (Montreal) (Nurburgring) (Magny-Cours) (Spielberg) (Hockenheim) (Hungaroring) (Spa) (Monza) (Indianapolis) (Suzuka)

Alex back to CART ALEX Zanardi could be back in a Champ Car in 10 days - at Toronto.

The two-time CART champion (left), who left Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of the 1998 season to drive in FI with Williams, has been linked to the Mo Nunn Racing Reynard-Mercedes entry which Bryan Herta has raced in the last two FedEx rounds.

The Italian’s name has also been linked to his old team. Latest versions of the ‘Juan Montoya Saga’suggest that the Colombian driver has agreed terms with Ganassi and Sir Frank Williams and will replace Jenson Button in the BMW-powered cars in 2001 and 2002.

Button’s name has been linked with Benetton in recent days(see separate story, page 10).

At the start of the season Williams was reported as saying that “The pressure is firmly on Button to keep Juan Pablo out of the team for 2001.”

Meanwhile Zanardi, who has been out of action all year, is believed to have agreed terms to test Nunn’s car at Sebring and perhaps race in Canada. Nunn engineered Zanardi during his three years with Ganassi, during which he finished third, first and first in the championship.

Nunn started his own team at the start of 2000, with backing from Mercedes-Benz and Hollywood.

Driver Tony Kanaan suffered a broken arm in an accident at Detroit, but he is expected to be back in the car in about a month.

-PfflL MORRIS

>age 47 for more dofails 7 Jill 2SI0

Craig for Ford?

Don’t bet on it...

Rumour of the week: Craig Lowndes for Ford. No, don't read too much into the story which may be reported elsewhere. Lowndes, who will be out of contract with HRT at the end of the season, said he was “99 percent likely” to stay where he is. FoMoCo President Geoff Polites has reportedly said that he would be pleased to see the Kid suit up in Ford blue, while the three teams which have apparently enquired as to Lowndes' contract status wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't ask the three-time Champ what he was doing next season. Lowndes is due to sit down with the HRT brass this month to discuss his future, but did add that if Ford had deep pockets “a million dollars might be tempting!” n Greg Ritter has been confirmed in the second Valvoline Cummins Commodore for the Queensland 500 and FA1 1000. Ritter drove for the team last year and finished ninth at Bathurst with Steve Owen. His partner is yet to be named, although expect a Formula Holden driver or two to be in the equation. n Also getting an enduro seat is Darren Hossack. The Victorian will drive the second Kmart Commodore VT alongside Terry Finnigan at Queensland Raceway and Bathurst. n The Aussie Porsche owned by Rohan Skea has been elevated to second in the GT class of the Le Mans 24 Hour after the class winning car of Bob Wollek/Lucas Luhr and Dirk Muller was excluded for having a fuel cell one litre over the 100-litre limit.

Qwner of the class winner, Dick Barbour, won't appeal, despite feeling that no advantage was gained. The likely reason for the occurrence was the expansion of the tank in the 41degree heat. n Stuart Kostera has withdrawn from the rest of the Australian Formula Ford Championship. The West Aussie needed to score maximum points on the weekend to keep his championship hopes alive.

However a misfire while leading race one saw him take him only 16 points and lose any hope of the title. "I'm not throwing the towel in. I don't want people to think I'm a bad loser but it's just financial constraints versus the maximum result possible," he said. n After a recent appeal against his initial 30-day race ban for testing positive to a banned substance was rejected, Noriyuki Haga has been banned for three weeks, meaning he will miss only the next round at Laguna Seca on July 9. The ban will expire before Haga competes in the upcoming Suzuka 8-Hour.

7

Heat on Stone drivers

STONE Brothers Racing could stand down one or both of its regular drivers - Craig Baird and Tony Longhurst-for one or more races as the leading Ford team battles to overcome a series ofinconsistent performances this year.

Sunday’s “home track’Shell series race at Queensland Raceway represented something of a watershed for the team, which was expected - along with other locallybased Ford teams -to present a strong threat to the HRT steamroller.

In the end,though,form shown in testing couldn’t be reproduced consistently when it mattered, leaving team boss Ross Stone visibly fhistrated.

While unable to confirm that ‘benching’a driver was an option being considered by the team, his measured comments, when Motorsport News spoke with him on Monday, hinted that it was being considered: “It’s been a season of missed opportxmities for us to date,” he admitted.

“Like any team, we constantly have to evaluate and measure all aspects of our team performance and the drivers are as much part of that process as anyone else.

“Certainly, we’re imhappy with the results, and as a team we have to address that- and soon.”

While Stone could add no further comment, his immediate options in terms of substitute drivers are obvious.

The team has recently tested both David Besnard and Formula Holden champion Simon Wills and was impressed with both.

Wills is about to be confirmed as 8

co-driver in the Pirtek car for the Queensland 500 and Bathurst, while Besnard will return from the States to debut a Caltex V8 Lites entry in August and is the obvious choice to slot into the Caltex Falcon with Longhurst for the long races.

Whether Stone is prepared to substitute one or both in the

immediate future is a big call and would be unprecedented in the modem V8 era.

But pressiure to perform in the current super-competitive V8 Supercar season - where himdredths of a second count- may well force his hand.

Watch this space.

Stoney and Tony: Ross Stone (above) wants results from Craig Baird and Tony Longhurst (above left).

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmilh)

Ingall unrepentan DESPITE a $10,000 and 20point fine for an incident which saw lapped backmarker Mike Imrie hit the main straight wall at Queensland Raceway, Russell Ingall has admitted "I'd do it again, if necessary."

In justifying an admonishing tap that went too far, Ingall has i pointed the finger at CAMS licensing standards as contributing, with "a few drivers out there who simply aren't qualified enough to do so.

"Look, I clearly didn't set out to spear Mike Imrie into the wall," the Enforcer told us on Monday, "but sure I wanted to give him a little rub, give him the bird, let him know that what he'd done was hopeless...

"But it shouldn't have come ' to that anyway. The buck has to stop with CAMS. He, and one or two others, shouldn't be racing in the top level category of Australian motor sport. CAMS gave them the Super Licence to

do it - the qualifications need to be far more stringent.

"Lapped drivers have to know what's going on; they've got to give racing room; they've got to be capable enough to do that.

Otherwise, they shouldn't be there.

"You wait 'til Bathurst - they all come out of the woodwork for that..."

Race Stewards took a dim view of Ingall's actions, fining

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him the maximum $10,000, plus 20 series points. Imrie too was penalised, with a suspended $1,000 fine.

Reaction among Ingall's peers to the outcome was in general a belief that he had got off lightly.

While acknowledging Ingall's right to be angry, Mark Skaife's reaction to the penalty was typical: "You're kidding..."

Mark Larkham, in the midst of his best ever Shell round, later commented that he was "surprised" to find Ingall on his grid spot for the next race; "To be honest, I was pretty sure he'd be starting at the back..."

Race winner Lowndes too wasn't sure that penalties were matching crimes: "In Adelaide we got a StopGo - ie put to the back of the field - for speeding in pit lane.

I'd have thought this was a little more serious than that."

For his part, Imrie was quite ■otoriBan inn

NEWS

CAMS and AVESCO head for the courts CAMS and V8 group AVESCO in which CAMS is itself a 10 percent shareholder via its commercial off-shoot, the Australian Motor Sports Commission - are to clash in the Supreme Court to settle differing views on who owns and/or controls the V8 Supercar category in Australia.

As AVESCO has sought increased autonomy in its day-today running of V8 Supercars, the two parties have failed to agree on the degree of that freedom despite extended mediation by former AMSC member Bob Forbes and thus CAMS lodged its proceedings in the Victorian Supreme Court last Wednesday.

According to a brief release from CAMS,it has taken the action “in order to protect the intellectual propei-ty of CAMS, which includes ownership of the rights in the Group 3A-V8 Supercar category.

philosophical when we spoke to him on Monday: "Going into turns four and five, the two double left handers, there's no real way you can get off the line.

"Lowndes and Skaife had passed down the inside with no problems. I saw Ingall and Larkham and thought I was better staying on line and then to the left down the straight.

Russell obviously misread it.

That was the problem and Larko jumped him.

"I don't mind if he gave me the finger, but he was completely out of line.

"I should be saying nasty things about Russell but that would be dragging it down to his level. His action after the first incident was blatant. It's like getting a sledgehammer and belting your car.

"If I'd kept to the inside between turns four and five there'd have been a bigger chance of me losing it. I'm annoyed at Russell for saying in the papers that anybody can get a licence to race a V8 Supercar. His bagging me in the press is his way of justifying his actions."

7 illy 2000

The legal proceedings will clarify numerous issues, including the period of the sub-licence under which AVESCO manages the Group 3A-V8 Supercar category.”

CAMS CEO Peter Hansen was overseas as the legal proceedings were announced, and the CAMS offrce has announced that no further statements will be made at this time.

While it seemingly has no desire to alter the day-to-day way in which Australia’s number one motor sport category is fundamentally run, CAMS’action is seen as a desire to re-assert its role as motor sport’s controlling body and thus its right to judge and influence AVESCO’s decisions in relation to their effect on motor sport in general.

A bargaining chip appears to be CAMS’assertion that its granting of management rights to the AMSC (and thus AVESCO),is subject to a five year agreement, which expires in December.

However,AVESCO’s early response, via Chairman Tony Cochrane, asserts that it was unaware ofthe alleged five year deal and that by being party to a number

ofcontractual agreements entered into by AVESCO for periods extending well beyond that time, CAMS has exhibited misleading and deceptive conduct,in breach ofthe Ti’ade Practices Act. Should the case get to court- a preliminary hearing is set down for July 28- it could be a lengthy, and costly fight.

Both parties have however confinned that it is “business as usual” in terms of the continued running of the 2000 Shell Series, until the matter is resolved.

Motorsport News has spoken to representatives from both AVESCO and CAMS in recent days and it is fair to say that both parties are strongly convinced that their respective arguments will win the day. A certain recipe for just one big winner -the legal profession.

Up for question, it follows, is CAMS’s ability to fund an extended and costly case. AVESCO,it seems, is well cashed-up.

A firm court decision particularly in CAMS’favour- may also not be the end ofthe matter.

Among the options being canvassed

by AVESCO,shoifld it lose, is a Super League-style breakaway body.

Who’s V\Aho in m01:0rsport: CAMS Limited (incorporated in 1997) (Formerly the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport, inaugurated in 1953).

Australia's National Sporting Authority(ASN) which administers motor racing in Australia under the auspices of the Federation Internationale de I'Automobile (FIA). It has 300+ member car clubs and 37,000+ members.

President: John Osborn Chief Executive: Peter Flansen Mission statement: "To manage motor sport in Australia to the highest level of professionalism, devising and enforcing regulations that maintain the sport's integrity and to keep motor sport fair, open and sate for competitors and motor sport club members of every level.

To make motor sport more attractive and rewarding to encourage greater involvement and participation to a wider

cross-section of the Australian community".

AVESCO The Australia Vee-Eight Supercar Company Chief Executive: Wayne Cattach Chairman: Tony Cochrane Shareholders: TEGA (67.5 percent) SEL (32.5 percent) AMSC (10 percent) TEGA The Touringcar Entrants' Group Australia (Represents the VSSupercar teams) Board: John Crennan (HRT), Dick Johnson, Mark Larkham, Larry Perkins Note: TEGA does not currently have a Chief Executive or General Manager, Last year the posts were filled by Garry Craft and Ken Potter respectively.

SEL Sports and Entertainment Limited

Gold Coast-based entertainment group.

Directors: James Erskine (40 percent shareholding) David Coe (40 percent) Tony Cochrane (15 percent) Basil Scaffidi (5 percent) AMSC The Australian Motor Sports Commission Limited (incorporated in 1995) An independent company, licensed by CAMS, to 'conduct, promote, manage and advance motor sport, and to maximise the business opportunities within the sport" (source: CAMS Manual of Motorsport).

Chairman: Byram Johnston Commisioners: Stephen Knox Terry Morris John Osborn Clare Power John Schaap

n As we closed for press Victorian Premier Steve Bracks was about to announce an extension of the contract to hold the Phillip Island SOOcc GP for a further five years.

M An incident between Rodney Forbes and Steve Ellery in race three at Canberra was investigated in Queensland, with inadequate evidence to support a breach of the driving regulations by both parties. n Craig Lowndes will be holding a charity golf day in conjunction with Eagers Holden in aid of the Queensland Variety Club at Windaroo Country Club on September T4. Packages are available with every player having the chance to win 2 new Commodores for a hole in one. For details contact Greg Brereton at Brereton Sports Marketing on 0418 195 912.

H Speaking of Junior, Lowndes has joined a list of prominent sportsmen and women to donate a pair of jeans to the 'Jeans for Genes' Day on Friday, August 4. Fellow V8 man Wayne Gardner, Mark Taylor, John Newcombe and Tony Lockett also anted up a pair of denims for the appeal. "It's good to be able to give something back to charities and help people, especially children," Lowndes said this week. ffl NRC Racing had an additional crew member over the weekend. 16year old Claire Young from Leongatha In Victoria wrote a letter requesting work experience with Arthur Abrahams' team and was on hand to help Christian Murchison get a round win. The young lady has impeccable timing because, not only did she head to Queensland for testing and then the race, but also joined the team on a five day holiday to Hamilton Island I la Former F2 rally champ Rick Bates will drive the Colourscan Falcon at the Shell Series round at Winton. It is likely that he will share the car with Brett Peters in the endurance races.

H Scott Goodyear has announced that he won't be back at the Pennzoil IRNLS team for 2001. The Canadian says that racing this season hasn't been fun. The team has already tested CART reject Alex Barron and current IRNLS driver Sam Hornish Jr as possible replacements. Goodyear tested one of the team's cars at Richmond, setting the track record at 143mph.

B Sarah Fisher has topped the timesheets in IRNLS testing at the new 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway. The new track was good for a 218,5mph lap from the Walker Racing driver. The only other front-runner at the test was Eddie Cheever. The IRNLS races at Kentucky on August 27, fl Formula Holden driver Tim Leahey has landed the backing of Boost, the pre-paid mobile phone company, for his Reynard 92D which is run by Greg Murphy Racing.

9

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motorsport] Shell Championship Series VS Supercars* Jul 16 ..Winton ... ,Rd 8 Jul 30 ., .Oran Pa* .

,Rd 9

Aug 20 . .Gaidar Park

,Rd 10

Sep 10 ..OLD 500 .,

,Rd 11

World Superbike Championship* Jul 9.. . .U.S.A Rd 9 Aug 6 .. .U.K.

,Rd 10

Aug 27 ..T.B.A.

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FIA Formula One World Championship Jul 16 .. .Austria . ,Rd 10 Jul 30 ...Germany

.Rd 11

Aug 13..Hungary

.Rd 12

Aug 27 . .Belgium .

Rd 13

FIA Formula 3000 International C'ship Jul 16 .. .Austria ....

■R d7 Jul 29 ...Hockenhelm

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Aug 12 . .Hungaroring

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Aug 26 . .Spa

.Rd 10

FIA World Rally Championship* Jul 16 . . .New Zealand . . . .Rd8 Aug 20 . .Finland

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Sep 10 . .China

Rd 10

NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series Jul 8 Bristol . .Rd 13 Jul 16 . . .Denver

.Rd 14

Jul 30 . . .Seattle

Rd 15

FedEx CART Championship Series* .Rd 10 Jul 16 . . .Toronto . .Michigan

.Rd 11

Jul 30 . . .Chicago

.Rd 12

Aug 13 . .Ohio . . .

.Rd 13

Jul 23

Aug 30 . .Road America . . .Rd 14 Australian Rally Championship* ,Rd5 Aug 27 .Melbourne Oct 8 . .Tasmania .Rd6 Nov 12 . .Rally Australia

Rd 7

SOOcc World Grand Prix Motorcycle C'Ship* .Rd9 Jul 10 . . .Donington . .RdIO Jul 23 . . .Germany . .

Aug 20 . .Czech Rep.

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Sep 3 . . .Portugal . .

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Holden Australian Drivers' Championship* Jul 16 . . .Winton . . ●Rd6 Jul 30 . . .Oran Park

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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 for date changes.

Series or events telecast on Network Ten are marked with an I

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asterix. Check your local guides for screening details.

Jaques e a Benettd future 1

Is Button Flavio-bdun Jb

OUR spies in the FI paddock suggest that Flavio Briatore is planning to shock the FI world hy announcing that he has signed Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button to drive for the Enstone team in 2001 and 2002.

It is believed that Jock Clear, Villenueve’s engineer at BAR, will also join Jacques at Benetton, with rumours also suggesting Pat Fry, David Coulthard’s engineer, also being courted.

In addition we hear that Benetton has won the struggle over the services of Ford’s Martin Whitaker who is expected to join the team as sporting director next season.

Villeneuve has been tipped as a possible Benetton driver for some time but the announcement that Honda is to supply factory engines to Jordan next year appears to have been the final straw for Jacques at BAR. He is said to have either signed or is about to sign a long-term deal with Benetton.

Button’s move is now expected following news from the US this week virtually confirming Juan Montoya’s signing with Williams for next year - Williams test driver Bruno Junqeira a possible replacement for Montoya at Ganassi’s Champ Car team.

It is said that Williams doesn’t want to miss the chance of running Montoya in FI, so the only choice now is to farm Button out for a couple of years and see how he develops. He will be retained by Williams until 2004 with any deal expected to include a clause that would see him return to Williams if needed.

The Benetton option makes sense for Renault which will have one of the hottest young properties in FI and may, if all goes well, be able to buy his contract from Williams. Although the team won’t be fully up to speed until Renault takes over in 2002, the deal could work well for Button too.

-JOESAWARD

Go-

ANTHONY Gobert will return to 500cc Grand Prix racing this weekend, the controversial Australian having signed with Kenny Roberts' Modenas team.

Gobert will ride the threecylinder bike at this weekend's British Grand Prix at Donington the venue suited to Roberts' developmental machine, (right).

Gobert, who lost his ride with the Bimota World Superbike team after it folded recently, is signed for just the one race but hopes the opportunity with

50© retirn Roberts will extend to include the remainder of the year.

The Australian rider was dumped by the Suzuki factory team in 1997 in a drugs furore but rode a couple of races late last year for the MuZ Weber 500cc team.

Michelin Oz feels the FI effect

MICHELETS entrance into Formula 1 is having an effect on Australian GT-P and Nations Cup racing.

“The guys who I’ve been dealing with are aware of the situation,” said Michelin 'IVres Australia Motorsport Manager Trevor Sheumack.

“Our supply and everywhere in the world for general competition tyres has been affected by the entry of the company into Formula 1.

“There’ll be no problems next year (once the FI program is up and running) but the demand in FI has been greater than they expected. I’m trying to do the right thing by the customers. We’ve done a lot of hard work and have to hand it over to the opposition

unfortunately.”

The main strain is on 16 and 17inch rubber, in particular the GT-P class and class front-runners such as Ric Shaw and Mark King.

Eighteen-inch tyres used in Nations Cup won’t be affected, Wayne Park in fact taking a win for the company on the weekend in his Ferrari against a more-tested car in Mark Noske’s version.

Sheumack said that Michelin’s rally program would be mildly affected and that the next three GT-P rounds would see supply seriously affected.

He sees no long term problems but couldn’t confirm for sure in regards to supply for Bathurst later in the year.

-AARON NOONAN ■oloripDit ■€«!

NEWS

Bright shower

n Adam Andretti, son of NASCAR's John and nephew of Mario, has won the inaugural event in the United States Formula 3 series at Hillett Motor Racing Circuit in a small field. n Antonio Pizzonia grabbed his fourth British F3 race win of the year at Donington on the weekend, stretching his championship lead to a whopping 45 points. Pizzonia continues a three day development program with Benetton at Siiverstone as we go to press. n CART racer Dario Franchitti is to test for Jaguar Racing later this year with the intention of getting a drive in Formula 1 in 2001. Franchitti is managed by the well-connected FI manager Julian Jakobi.

by PHIL BRANAGAN JASON Bright scored his first US Indy Lights victory at Portland when he took an allthe-way win in his Doiricott Racing Lola.

The former Bathurst winner withstood heavy pressure from team-mate Townsend Bell and overcame gearbox problems to hold on for a narrow win.

Bright cemented second place in the championship behind double race winner Scott Dixon.

The Kiwi youngster was delayed early and pitted for tyres before charging through to 13th at the

Don’t waste the plonk... Australian Jason Bright took great delight on reaching the top step on the podium in Portland -the win the Champ Car hopeful’s first in the series.

Giving ’em a Kane-ing: Bright’s rookie season in the series has been spectacular to date, the Aussie here leading Townsend Bell and Jonny Kane.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages)

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n McLaren boss Ron Dennis has been moved further up in the growing TAG McLaren empire. Dennis remains chairman and chief executive of the entire company but has relinquished the managing directorship of TAG McLaren Holdings to 44-year-old lawyer Nigel Carrington, who joins McLaren from the Baker & McKenzie law firm.

H Jean-Jacques His, who was one of the leading lights in Renault Sport's successful engine supply program in the 1990s is to return to Renault Sport to head the company's Formula 1 program in 2002. His has spent the last couple of years as the manager of the Renault production engine design division but it seems that he is keen to get back to the sport and will take over the role which was previously held by Bernard Dudot.

flag.

Bright also had to overcome a lack of grip on the hot, greasy Portland track.

“It was shocking,” he said after the win.

“We were running 1:05s in practice but the car was sliding around so much we couldn’t get much under 1:08s in the race.

“We were all suffering from understeer and, when I was able to get going,I was able to puU a Is gap on'Townsend but then he’d reel me in again.

“Then I started to have problems on the downchange, and I made two mistakes on the same comer but it was a good result after the disappointing outing at Detroit.”

Bright heads into the second half of the series in a confident mood.

n Brands Hatch Leisure has been granted planning permission to redevelop the Kentish racing circuit into a Formula 1 specification facility.

The Sevenoaks District Council voted 12 to six last week that the development should be allowed to go ahead so that the track will be ready to host the British Grand Prix in 2002.

BHL intends to spend around US$30m ($50m)on the work and says that everything will be ready within a year.

“PacWest did a good job at keeping Dixon on the lead lap at Portland but I feel we can beat him over the rest of the season. Every test we have been to we have been quicker.

PacWest weren’t strong at the Mid-Ohio test, where Dixon was only 13th. We were second to Jonny Kane after we spent a day and a half working on a low-downforce set-up. We only had a half day with hight downforce and even then, rain cost us the last hour. (i We didn’t get the best from it but Kane is struggling on the ovals and Scott is

struggling on the road courses, apart from winning at Long Beach. We’re looking all right.

Bright is also looking forward to getting into Carl Hogan’s Champ Car prior to running at the Honda Indy 300 in October.

“At the moment I’m not sure when I will be testing the car.

We only have the race at home at the moment and we will do two or three tests before then.

We’re still searching for sponsors to help us do the other races but, right now,it’s 99 just the Gold Coast.

n There has been a slight change in the management at BAR with the appointment of Martin Pople as team coordinator. He takes over the position previously held by Andrew Alsworth. There were constant rumours in France that current chief executive Craig Pollock will soon be moving on and there have also been suggestions that Rick Gome, who is currently involved in a developmental role is looking to either take over an existing customer car manufacturing firm or planning to start his own operation in competition with Reynard (his former employer) and Lola.

- JOE SAWARD 11

Jordan secures v

by JOE SAWARD

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THE Honda Motor Co has announced its intention to supply Jordan Grand Prix with its factory VI0 engines next season.

The news comes as a major blow to the ambitions of struggling British American Racing, which had been thought to have a three-year exclusive deal with Honda.In fact the exclusive deal was for a single season and BAR’S lack of performance this year meant that Honda felt the need to expand the supply to a second team.

Honda wiU supply identical specification works engines to both BAR and Jordan but will continue its chassis technology development program with BAR.It is widely expected that Honda will eventually take over BAR but at the moment the price being asked for the team by British American Tobacco is too high.

The loss of an exclusive engine deal with Honda and,in all probability, star driver Jacques ViUeneuve, wiU hit the team hard. It is expected that chief executive Craig Pollock, who also manages Villeneuve, will eventually leave BAR and will content himself with life as a driver manager.

BAT has made it clear that it will not continue spending without results. The company set aside US$250m in 1998 for the five-year program and our sources say that US$200m has already been spent - meaning only $50m is left for 2001/02, with the team, probably, needing to look elsewhere for sponsorship which won’t be easy to find without results.

BAT could sell the team to recoup some of it’s expenditure, and save itself $50m,but it is unlikely that there is a buyer willing to pay the required price.

The Honda deal is great news for Jordan,the team taking the next step towards becoming a fuUy factory-supported operation.

Honda still has plans to run its own team in El and could one day buy Jordan,although Eddie Jordan seems to be rather more keen on finding an exclusive deal with another manufacturer such as General Motors or Volkswagen.

Peugeot

ALTHOUGH it was not officially announcpd at the French Grand Prix we understand that Peugeot has decided that it is not going to be leaving Formula 1 as first thought.

It now appears that the French car manufacturer, which was expected to sell its FI technology to a third party, will instead buy an existing team and run the operation itself - our spies naturally suggesting Prost.

It is believed Peugeot has formed a partnership with the Vivendi company, which is currently transforming itself from a water company into Europe's biggest media and communications business.

Vivendi was taken over in 1995 by Jean-Marie Messier, who diversified the company into the media in 1998 - the company now holding shares in businesses such as mobile phone company Cegetal, TV channels Canal + and BSkyB, film distribution company UGC and internet firm AOL France.

Vivendi has just purchased Universal Studios for US$35m, giving it access to a large amount of content for its media operations, including music from the MCA and Polygram companies, movies such as Jurassic Park and ET and TV programming which includes Miami Vice, The A-Team and Magnum PI. The firm recently went into partnership with the mobile phone company Vodaphone AirTouch to establish a mobile

m

2002 - O

by JOE SAWARD TOYOTA held its annual shareholders meeting in Tokyo last week and it was confirmed that the company will not enter Formula 1 until 2002.

The company’s vice-president for technology and motorsport Shinichi Kato said that Toyota Botortport lews

1

iropks Hondas

now tipped to stay in FI

NEWS n Rising South African star Tomas Scheckter is expected to appear in the Formula 3000 race in Austria. Scheckter is the son of 1979 Formula 1 World Championship Jody Scheckter and is now racing in the British Formula 3 series where he is up against Benetton's test driver Giorgio Pantano. Scheckter is expected to have a test with Jaguar Racing later in the year. n Former Williams and McLaren commercial director Richard West is joining the European Arrows Formula 3000 team in Ledbury. The organisation'continues to expand and recently bought a couple of the dynos from Brian Hart Ltd’s factory in Harlow. Hart went out of business earlier this year although Tom Walkinshaw still has a supply of Hart's Arrows VI0 engines and may end up using them if he cannot find another engine for the 2001 season. n There have been suggestions that Arrows aerodynamicist Egbahl Hamidy is being targeted by a number of teams and the word in the paddock in Magny-Cours is that he may be on the shopping list of Jaguar Racing.

Arthur or Martha: At the moment it’s hard to know whether Peugeot are coming or going in F1 (Photo by sution-images) phone Internet portal called Vizzavi. This was launched just a few days ago and Vivendi is aiming to have as many as 80m people using it within a year.

Messier is believed to have concluded that Grand Prix racing would be the best way to advertise the new service.

Vivendi's major competitors in Europe are France Telecom (which recently bought Arrows

sponsor, the Orange mobile phone company) and Telefonica, which currently sponsors Minardi but which is expected to move to the new Renault team in 2001 or 2002.

Alain Prost has struggled with his team and he could stay on as a figurehead if the deal goes ahead, although it is more likely that Peugeot would prefer a clean break.

Prost says he intends to keep going, which might explain why Peugeot and Vivendi have also been talking to Arrows.

Tom Walkinshaw's team is believed to be discussing a deal with another potential investor in Formula 1, American millionaire Tony Johnson, who has also been talking to Minardi in recent weeks.

-JOE SAWARD

h, what a feeling for Toyota had hoped to enter FI in 2001 but had changed its mind when the FIA decided to ban V12 engines.

This means that the company had forfeited US$12m of the $48m it deposited with the FIA to become a signatory to the Concorde Agreement.

We hear that Toyota is in the process of reorganising its FI team and we expect there to be an announcement soon that a new iMizin

team manager has been appointed. There is no word as to who this might be but we believe it will be an Englishman who is currently employed with another FI team. He is expected to recruit a group of experienced FI people to run the racing team.

It is expected that in addition to test driver Allan McNish, Toyota will hire Mika Salo to do testing work for the new team

next season and the Finn will then lead the team when it enters the World Championship in 2002.

Salo is under contract to Sauber for 2001 but we understand that there are performance clauses in the contract which have not yet been met and so Salo will be free to leave within a few weeks unless he scores a major result. Mika is currently 11th in the World Championship with three points.

n Michelin tyres boss Pierre Dupasquier said at Magny-Cours that his company and Bridgestone have written to the FIA asking for more precise regulations about the depths of the grooves on modern FI tyres. Dupasquier said that unless the FIA made a ruling, the racing next year would take place on slicks because the tyre rules are so vague.

Michelin has continued with its development program in recent weeks, with Jorg Muller having taken over from Tom Kristensen. n Benetton's policy of testing young drivers is expected to be extended later in the year with French Formula 3 championship leader Ryu Fukuda of Japan testing for the team. It seems that BAR has also been showing some interest in the young Japanese driver. n Formula 1's ability to race with tobacco sponsorship is under threat in Brazil following the announcement last month that the country's Health Ministry was sending a draft law to Congress proposing that all tobacco advertising and sponsorship be banned. At the same time, a court in Brazil ruled last week that tobacco company Souza Cruz, a unit of British American Tobacco, must pay US$27,400 ($45,600) for the treatment of a cancer patient who claims smoking caused his disease.

- JOE SAWARD 13

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in a mere 5.4 seconds. Just as quickly, you’ll understand why AMG has

and perfectly matched to ensure the engine - and your head - will spin.

The same care lavished upon the CLK55’s engine also extends to its

become the official motorsport arm of Mercedes-Benz.

It takes AMG’s racing engineers 2 days to meticulously hand build

interior and suspension. It only takes a few seconds to appreciate AMG’s

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stability Programme (called ESP) and ABS with Brake Assist.

Regardless of conditions, the Mercedes CLK55 AMG will retain its composure. Although its performance may sometimes cause a driver to lose theirs.

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Ferrier set for V8 test

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AU^ FORMULA Ford championship contender Leanne Ferrier was scheduled to test a Garry Rogers Motorsport V8 Supercar this week.

Ferrier is just two points adrift of the championship lead in the Formula Ford series after last weekend’s Queensland Raceway round, and Rogers’team expects her to perform well in a V8.

Garry Rogers was nmable to he too specific about where the test would lead, except to say that “we are working on plans for Leanne’s future. She’s performing excellently in the Formula Ford and the run in the V8 is part of that planning for her future.”

Whether this involves a co-drive in the forthcoming long-distance races or, as rumours suggest, a possible Garry Rogers Motorsport V8 Lites entry in 2001, remains to be seen.

There’s a Ford in there: Changes are coming for the Commodore vs Falcon war in 2001. (Photo by Marshall Cass)

Parity aim !o V8 teams group TEGA is pressing on towards a target of full ‘technical’ parity between Ford and Holden, although its initial target for implementation -the start of next year - is looking optimistic.

Once that is achieved, the category is considering adoption of a German DTM-style weight penalty system for race winners in order to peg back dominance and spice up the sprint races - although it is likely that ‘all weights will be off’for major long distance races, such as Bathurst.

The group’s Technical Committee is in fundamental agreement that this is the preferred option for the V8 category and is currently identifying areas of potential

inequality to be addressed.

These include downforce and drag and even a common,specially-produced cylinder head for the Ford and Chev V8 engines. At this point, an adaption of the Ford head for common use seems to be the preferred option.

Adoption of a common front wishbone front suspension loosely or closely based on the Falcon system has also been on the agenda for some time.

While there will be ongoing discussion and niggling differences between the two ‘sides’ both Holden and Ford are in agreement that technical, rather than artificial, parity is the way to go.

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NEWS

Rick CROFT is one of the BTCC circuits which drivers hate.

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Ford and view: John Stevenson, Holden Motorsport: "We are very much in favour of it, in principle. There is certainly agreement on that and the tech committee is working through a number of areas to see if, in fact, we can achieve it.

"Other issues include managing the cost of changes so that Ford or Holden teams don't cop disproportionate expense and perhaps an extended 'non-compulsion' period for teams to make some of the changes."

Howard Marsden, Ford Racing; "I've always been in favour of what I prefer to call 'equalisation' (rather than parity). The concept of everyone having equal equipment and then being allowed to compete, rather than the artificial juggling that we have had, is in my view what motor sport is all about. " However, we do have to respond to the needs of our customers [spectators] who. I think, like a balance of results."

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of my control," said RydeU. The feature race had a lot more carnage, the Safety Car making two appearances and reducing the 30 lapper to a 10 lap sprint to the chequer.

The first SC appearance was for Vincent Radermecker who went off at the 200kph Barcroft comer, burying the Vectra into the tyre barriers on its side.

Only a lap after the restart Gabriele Tarquini and Plato clashed at the Complex, both hitting the fence, leaving RydeU to cmise home ahead of Menu and Reid. Kristensen had chaUenged the trio but suffered a broken steering arm and feU to 10th.

Swedish Forest? No, it’s England, where Ford and Rickard Rydell rules the BTCC. Jason Plato stuffed his Vauxhall Vectra (below) when he nosed the car into a wall at the Complex. (Photo by sothweii Photographic)

ARDC sells Bathurst pits ... and Seven Network confirms end of Great Race involvement THE ownership of the pit complex at Bathimst has changed hands following an agreement between the Australian Racing Drivers’ Club, Bathurst City CoimcU and Network Seven.

On June 20 Bathurst Mayor Cr Ian Macintosh announced the purchase of the complex, which will enable the continuation of motor racing and recreational pursuits at the Mount Panorama track.

The pit complex, which had been owned by the ARDC, was leased by Seven on a 10 year agreement but.

with the network confirming at the same time that there would be no touring car event this October, an agreement was quickly reached.

Seven’s Director of Sport and Olympics, Harold Anderson, said that the network was “satisfied with the competitive nature of the event, but it has proven to be a loss making venture with little chance of profit in the medium to long term”.

The sale was completed last Wednesday (June 28).

“Seven was extricated from the arrangement, we ended our

involvement in a positive position, from a financial point of view, and the Bathurst City Council can continue to plan events for the circuit,” said ARDC spokesman Chris Hones.

The other development from the settlement is that “The Bathurst 1000’ and "The Great Race’, which are registered trademarks owned jointly by the ARDC and BCC and which, presumably, are of some commercial value, may now be able to applied to other events, subject to negotiation...

-PHTLBRANAGAN 17

NEWS

Q

UEENSLAND

Raceway was always going to be a tough one for Ford Tickford Racing with all but one other of our Ford opponents based there and all testing at the circuit.

Quite surprisingly, we actually came away from the event with a solid result and I maintained my second position in the Shell Championship Series points standings and that has to be considered a bonus round for us. With the good form we've had in recent races, and considering the fact that we've come away from Queensland still in a solid position, you can't not be happy with the progress FTR is making.

“The surface at Queensland Raceway has been recently modified a little to provide a bit more grip and increase tyre life. This was done by "water blasting" certain sections of the track. Basically it's a high pressure water blast to lemove the soft and smooth top layer of bitumen and provide a more grained surface to give the tyres something to hold onto.

The new Bridgestone control tyre that was introduced in Adelaide this year came up trumps on the modified Queensland Raceway circuit, the tyres holding up very well to the surface and finishing the races with no real problems at all. From what I understand, almost all the teams recorded good tyre life - my FTR team mate Neil Crompton and I were quite happy. n a couple of weeks we're heading to Winton and, to tell you the truth, I really can't w'ait to get back there. We're going to be back on home turf the Winton track being one of our two nominated testing venues along with Phillip llsand-and I'm sure we're going to have a very, very good set-up for both qualifying and racing.

There again, most of the leading Holden teams HRT, GRM and Kmart- all test there too, along with Brad Jones' Ozemail outfit, so I can't expect everything to go all FTR's way. It's going to be a big battle, especially after you consider that the top three leaders in the championship are all on home turf. I'm excited but

Will lltll Stitl it's going to be hard.

Naturally, we all keep an eye on each other when we are there testing and we've all been really close with our times lately. In the heat of the battle, though, I'm sure we're all going to go faster. , our endurance drivers are Speaking of testing going very well. Neal Bates had another drive of the FTR Falcon at a recent test and really impressed with his speed and consistency.

Dean Canto took out the V8 Lites round at Oran Park recently and Wayne Gardner has been doing very well in Japan, so we're quite happy with our choices for the enduros.

It's certainly all looking very good.

Photo by Pifk K<ynamlih-|

"In a coupte of weeks we're HeatHiifl to Winton and,to ten you the truth. I realty can't wait to get back there

- Slem Setm

Nations Cup bunfight

A bunfight has broken out with the Nations Cup category following the CAMS Technical Committee's decision to charge Mark Noske's Prancing Horse team with presenting an ineligible car in Queensland on the weekend - the illegal part a radiator!

Noske's Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge used a Porsche GTS radiator in the second race following a first race incident with Peter

Fitzgerald's Porsche, the resulting damage destroying the Ferrari's left front radiator.

In an effort to make the second race, and in preference to taking the radiator from team mate Christian Jones' 360 and withdrawing it from competition. Prancing Horse's Paul Cruickshank accepted an offer from Porsche competitor Steve Webb for the use of a radiator from his stranded GTS. "It's all a bit strange to me and

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pretty disappointing, really," Noske offered on Tuesday.

"We ordered radiators from Ferrari four months ago and I hadn't even given them a second tought until I was told of CAMS' intentions on Sunday.

"Ferrari can't supply radiators, panels... nothing really, and we've made do with a radiator that was virtually the same shape, size and capacity as the stock unit. If they're going to rule us ineligible for that, then we're all in trouble..."

It is believed Darren Palmer's car, which also destroyed a radiator in an incident in Adelaide earlier this year, is also running a non-genuine radiator.

As a result, the Prancing Horse team have now filed protests against three cars -Palmer and team-mate Wayne Park's similar Ferraris, and series leader Jim Richards' Porsche, Palmer's car has been protested regarding the radiator and a non-

genuine ring gear, Park's for its new, custom-made non-genuine manual shifter and Richards'for a seam-welded bodyshell - the protest on Richards' car, apparently, dismissed on the day.

Nations Cup category manager, Steve Bettes, said PROCAR were aware of the radiator swap in Noske's car as it was taking place.

"Unfortunately, this is all turning fairly serious now,” Bettes said on Tuesday.

"PROCAR understands the competitor's predicament and we acknowledge that there is a major concern regarding the supply of genuine parts for the Ferrari 360.

"These protests have presented both PROCAR and CAMS'Technical Committee with an area that needs urgent attention."

CAMS will hear both the eligibility charge and the protests at the next roimd ofthe Nations Cup series at Oran Park later this month.

- GERALD McDORNAN motoiiDott aaw,

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lost one point to Mark Taylor.”

The next round is this weekend at Snetterton in Norfolk, the venue considered Courtney’s home track.

Chi a iDlt; Jarr.es Courtney is ensuring that he nn.a>ntains teao in :he Br+isti FF series by finishing each round.

Courtney continues Ambrose stops, quits French F3, tests for Docking and looks to US

JAMES Courtney settled for a point scoring third-place finish in the latest round of the British Formula Ford Championship at Croft, his eyes firmly on scoring the title rather than winning races.

He still leads the championship by 18 points.

Courtney started second on the

grid alongside Van Diemen factory teammate. Swede Robert Dahlgren, but the final result was a one-two for France and Mygale drivers Anthony Davidson and Mark Taylor.

“I’m not disappointed at aU ... I am concentrating on the title and there was no point trying anything too daring,” said Courtney.

“During the race I guess I didn’t push as hard as I should have. My concentration is on the championship rather than being a hero.

“I set the fastest lap of the race, which proves that I am still the quickest on the track. In the end, third is a good result.

“The final result hasn’t hurt my championship lead as I have only

Bernie's 100 year deal

BEEME Ecclestone has pulled off an amazing deal in securing the commercial rights to Formula 1 for the next 100 years.

Ecclestone is believed to have paid US$360m for the rights, with an up-front lump sum of$60m and yearly payments of$3m.

The FIA’s re-signing with Bemie will allow the governing body to reestabhsh itself in Paris, which it will do in the coming months, with the deal being accepted as a non profit organisation under French law. A recent settlement with the French goverment of a taxation dispute has also cleared the way for a return to France by the FLA. The 100-year deal for commercial rights to the World Championship has, apparently, been accepted by the European Commission Competition Directorate as it is so long a deal that it cannot be considered anti competitive as it is, in effect, the same as an outright sale.

The FLA General Assembly would not accept a deal to lease the entire World Championship to Ecclestone but agreed to extension ofthe commercial rights deal. As a result the governing body will continue to supply the 20

English centurian; Team bosses Flavio Briatore and Alain Frost talk (Photo by Sutton-lmages) with F1’s new 100 year man, Bernie Ecclestone, administrative and legislative services for Formula 1.

It remains to be seen how the deal will work with the Formula 1 teams as the current Concorde Agreement runs only until the end of 2007. At the moment the Concorde Agreement has 14 signatories; the FIA, Ecclestone and the 12 contracted teams. The FIA does not need to be involved in the future but Ecclestone will need to get the agreement of everyone else and the teams are likely to complain that they do not receive

enough of the income from the sale oftelevision rights - they currently get only 47% of the income.

Bernie’s problem is that the teams are being taken over by big motor manufacturers and they cannot be swayed as much as small teams and he may need to renegotiate the split. With the current agreement being relatively short he will probably need to get another,longer-term agreement before he can finally float Formula One Administration on the stock exchanges.

ON the other side of the Channel, Marcos Ambrose has called an early end to his French F3 season after yet another luacklustre performance at the Le Vigieant circuit.

Ambrose finished eighth and ninth in the two races and has split with the team due to the uncompetitiveness of the Renaultpowered Martini chassis.

“My career needs to keep moving forward and it is no longer possible with Mygale,” said Ambrose.

“Success was always going to be a challenge, but needless to say expectations at the beginning ofthe season were high and these expectations have not been reached.”

Ambrose is testing for Alan Docking Racing in Britain as we go to press and if the test goes well, may be in line for selected races in the British F3 series and Emopean Masters at Zandvoort in Holland on August 6.

He is also investigating a move to America and will head to Toronto for the CART round on July 13 to check out the racing, the Toyota Atlantic category in particular.

for Oz FF FORD Racing has publicly re asserted thatthe UK Ford Zetec engine is not part of its plans for Formula Ford in Australia.

2002 will see an all-new Formula Ford in this country, superseding the Kent enginepowered formula which has been in place for decades.

While competitor groups are pushing for the Zetec, Ford's motorsport manager Howard Marsden is adamant that the out-of-production unit is not the way to go.

"The success of the formula with the Kent engine was due to the fact that it was in production for much of the life of the old formula," he told Motorsport News this week.

"The Zetec is already out of production and so is not the right engine for the future.

Marsden is still in discussion with CAMS and the Formula Ford Association about the future of the category. f/

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>

NEWS

Will aifk wtifetr

T was very kind of the guys at Motorsport News to ask me to write a column for the first issue of the new-look magazine.

The newspaper version was always a very sharp and reliable source of information and 1 know that the few and very fortunate people in Europe who can get their hands on a copy, all said what a very good publication it is. I'm sure the new magazine-style format will be equally successful and congratulations to Chris and the boys (and Viv of course!) for taking this step. tend to end up writing columns like this in all sorts of odd places and usually somewhere on my travels.

At the moment, I'm writing this sitting in a very picturesque park in a little village just outside Magny Cours, having just watched a McLaren 1-2 and thinking just what I have to do to get the French tracks swing around for me!

The first time I raced in France, I

had a very comfortable margin in a sportscar race when, 12 laps from the chequered flag, I had a rim split in half which caused our retirement.

I tried to do my first Le Mans that same year but the engine broke, I tried to do my second Le Mans last year but this time the engine was too fast for the rest of the car (!)

This weekend at Magny Cours, I was sitting comfortably in fifth place behind the Safety Car but when the racing went back to green, I detected a alow deflating rear tyre which I had to stop and change, thus ending my chances of a top three finish.

Although it was very, very frustrating, I told to myself that I had to try and make something of the weekend and mustn't give up.

So. I pushed very hard for the next hour and in turn, when I got the chequered flag, I still felt some satisfaction from the weekend.

Of course, I didn't score any points but when you get carbon fibre debris on your tyres, it's something you can't control. Somehow, I'm still hanging on in third place in the championship despite not scoring in the last four rounds.

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was very sorry too, to wake up last Sunday morning to the news of John Dawson-Damer's tragic accident at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

I only met John once and that was back in 1995 in Australia when my Formula Ford engineer, Harry . Galloway, introduced us. Although I didn't know him very well, it's a real tragedy when something like this happens in the sport, but even more so vvhen it’s at an event like Goodwood, which is not an outright motor racing event but simply a very pleasant weekend commemorating the heritage of the sport.

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TTie last few weeks have been pretty sad for Australian motorsport, with the loss of both Mike Kable and John DawsonDamer.

Mike was always a great supporter of mine from my time in Australian Formula Ford and even when I moved over to Europe, he was constantly introducing me to people and making sure they knew all about me!

One of my fondest memories of Mike was at Hockenheim when he turned up at 6 o’clock one evening, just after Bemd Schneider and I had finished a long day's testing.

We were in the truck getting changed and Mike popped in just to

say hello, having driven across from Stuttgart! Bernd and I were still standing in our underwear an hour and a half later as Mike reeled off tale after tale about his long association with motorsport and his ●travels^..

I, along with a lot of other people in Australia and overseas, will miss Mike and the bags of enthusiasm with vvhich he did everything.

\ A /hat's nice is that there has V V been quite a lot of feedback from a number of people in Formula One who understand the score, and my situation, and now keep in touch on an almost weekly basis.

For sure, FI people can, and do, have very short memories but I feel as though I have a pretty solid base of contacts who are watching out.

The drive at the weekend certainly didn't do me any harm... ● I'm due to test the Arrows A21 car at Silverstone pretty much as

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most of you will be reading this- but I won’t believe it until I'm actually s/tt/ng in the carl There's no doubt the car has a lot of potential and Tm really hoping that I will get the chance to do it justice.

The boys in the team are very pumped up about the test-1 just hope we have some dry running.

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SUPERSUB has broken through - Roberto Moreno won bis first CART race in Cleveland.

The 41-year-old Brazilian, who made his first Champ Car start back in 1985, started from pole and led 91 of 100 laps to edge Kenny Brack and Cristiano da Matta and an overdue win.

“I'm happy. There have been many times in my career that only I believed in myself. Even people, my best friends, said 'Roberto are you sure that you are doing that?'And I said ‘Shut-up. Get away from me’.

“It's OK It's my love for the sport. It's what I do best in fife. As long as my family is secure and healthy, I dedicate my life 100% to this.”

With the win the veteran - who won the Austrahan GP at Calder 19 years ago - stretched his points lead in the championship.

The race itself, Moreno apart, was chaotic. CART officials placed a series of cones on the inside of the first comer ofthe track and warned that any driver striking a cone would be penahsed.

The outcome was a major shunt triggered when Biyan Herta clipped Oriol Servia, sending the Spaniard into Dario Franchitti and starting a chain reaction that knocked out Servia, Takuya Kurosawa and Tarso Marques on the spot and, ultimately, led to the retirements of Helio Castroneves, Michel Joiirdain, Jr. and Max Papis.

Moreno, Mauricio Gugehnin and Gil de Ferran emerged in the top three spots ahead of Michael Andretti,Adrian Fernandez, Tracy, Jimmy Vasser, Christian Fittipaldi and Brack. The restart saw Moreno gradually ease out to a 2.5sec lead over de Ferran, while Gugelmin tumbled down the order and Andretti headed the chase ofthe top two some five seconds adrift of the second place Marlboro HondaReynard.

Also moving through the field was Juan Montoya. Shuffled back

from sixth to 11th in the first comer rumble, he methodically worked his way to the front and latched onto Brack's gearbox soon after the Swede barged past Andretti in Turn One on Lap 62 to take over second and third place, respectively.

Much as he might have liked to take a run at reducing the 14.8 second gap to Moreno, Brack was forced to devote his efforts to fending-off Montoya while conserving fuel.

After making his final stop during a full course yellow caused

by Tagliani's spin on Lap 79, he resumed in seventh spot and, apart from passing Patrick Carpentier for sixth, was unable to make any headway.

The full course yellow negated what had been a nine-second led for Moreno over Brack. At the green flag on Lap 81, the Brazilian quickly began rebuilding a lead over Brack, with Andretti, Franchitti, da Matta, Carpentier

●American drivers in L MORRIS watched Gil ‘ [to Morendi^ke two races lii^row and Montoya in hot pursuit.

A little too hot for Andretti, as it turned out, whose broken exhaust header was in the process of cooking the rear bodywork on the Newman/Haas Ford^la, enabling first Franchitti then da Matta to get by the American.

Franchitti's snakebitten season was to take a turn for the worse when the KOOL Honda-Reynard began losing gears at a rapid rate, enabhng da Matta to get past on Lap 92 with Andretti and the rest following suit in the next few laps before the Scot pulled in to retire with only first gear at his disposal.

On Lap 96 the unthinkable nearly happened. Moreno sillowed himself to focus on celebrating the coming victory rather than the four laps between himself and the chequered flag.

“I started ciTing,” he said. ‘There was so much water in my eyes that I missed the turn (Turn One) and went wide. I said 'You better wake

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up!I” “It looked like we had a good lead to finish the race,” he continued.

“So I started to think about things you shouldn't. That gets to you and you can just imagine the emotion inside of me that came out...but I dried out and got going again.”

AT Portland, Moreno should have become the eighth different winner in as many but one mediocre pit stop and one dovraright poor pit stop tmdid all his good work.

Then countryman Castroneves also seemed to be in a position to win. The youngster qualified on pole and stretched out a lead of more than eight seconds before making his first pit stop on 36. But a tactical error by Penske’s Tim Cindric led to his downfall.

By contrast, team owner Roger Penske made precisely the right call for De Ferran. After the Brazilian was hampered in the early stages by a loose condition.

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CHAMP CARS Penske realised that his charge wouldn't be able to make it to the finish with only one more pit stop, so he decided to made a quick second pit visit in the hopes of vaulting de Ferran into the lead.

Then it was down to the driver.

“We made a few changes [to the car] at the second stop, and after that, the car was perfect,” declared de Ferran. “After Roger told me to go, I knew what to do. I went as fast as I could.”

De Ferran emerged from pit lane ahead of Castroneves, who,at that stage, was still pursuing a two-stop strategy. De Ferran turned up the wick, turning the fastest laps of the race until that stage, and quickly extended his advantage to more than 25 seconds. It wasn't enough to make his third and final pit stop, on lap 89, without losing the lead, but he resumed in fourth, secure in the knowledge that all three drivers in front of him - Castroneves, Cristiano da Matta and Michael Andretti- would have to stop again for fuel.

Sure enough, on lap 95,Andretti peeled oifinto the pit lane for fuel and tyres. Five laps later, da Matta followed suit. Castroneves stayed out until lap 105 and was stationary for only a couple of seconds, taking on merely a splash offuel. It wasn't enough. He ran out of gas coming out of Turn 11 on the final lap and fell from fourth to seventh at the chequered flag.

So it was that de Ferran regained the lead. Moreno,though, was hot on his heels, despite a lengthy delay on his second pit stop when the fuel nozzle inadvertently was knocked into the closed position moments before it was inserted into the fuel tank receptacle. Moreno gave valiant chase in the closing stages, and looked to be in a position to challenge for the win.

Sadly, he was denied the opportunity by Patrick Carpentier, who was on the tail end ofthe lead lap in his Player's/Forsythe Ford/Reynard and seemed detei-mined not to allow the leaders

easy passage. The FrenchCanadian later was fined $10,000

by CART Chief Steward Kirk Russell for failing to heed the blue flag.

De Ferran had to lock up his front brakes to avoid running into the back of Carpentier with two laps to go.

“I thought he was letting me go, said de Ferran,“but I guess he wasn't.”

Carpentier did move over later in the lap, but he did not extend the same courtesy to Moreno.

‘TJnfortunately, there was a blue car messing it up,” said Moreno with commendable restraint. otherwise [the result] might have been different. It spoiled a great finish, I believe.

Fittipaldi emerged in third after an excellent fight-back following an early delay, caused when he flatspotted his tyres while attempting to pass Moreno at the first comer.

Fittipaldi fell to the tail of the field when forced to make an early pit stop on lap 18.

Points after 9 rounds: Moreno 90, Andretti 68, de Ferran 67, Brack 63, IVacy, Vasser 59, Montoya 54, da Matta 49, Papis, Carpentier 47.

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Air Sweden now landing: With Penske and Moreno winning Brack is next on the ‘Due to win’ list.

Don’t Cry for me Brazil: Moreno has finally shaken off the mantle of ‘Super-Sub’ and had a sob afterwards (right).

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TT Legend Joey Dunlop killed in Estonian crash THE motorcycling world is in shock following the news that the winner of 26 Isle of Man TTs, Joey Dunlop QBE, was killed instantly in a street race accident in the Estonian capital of Tallinn on July 2.

After winning the 600 and 750cc events on Saturday, the 48-year-old Irish publican was competing in Sunday's 125cc race in heavy rain when it is believed he lost control at high-speed and hit a tree.

Just a month before the accident at the annual Isle of Man races, Dunlop was on a high after clinching his first TT hat-trick since 1988 on the way to his historic tally of 26 Tourist Trophies.

Reportedly to be considering retirement in recent times, Dunlop is survived by his wife Linda and five children.

- DARRYL FLACK

2001 MotoGP dates announced THE FIM has announced the dates for the 2001 MotoGP road racing championships.

The series will kick off at Suzuka in April, the Japanese GP reverting to its traditional spot after the South African event started the 2000 season.

Phillip Island will follow its usual date, with an October 28 weekend pencilled in for local action.

All marked (*) dates, which were announced at the Dutch TT, are subject to track homologation by the FIM. The dates are: 08 April, JAPAN Suzuka * 22 April, SOUTH AFRICA Welkom * 06 May, SPAIN Jerez * 20 May, FRANCE Le Mans * 03 June, ITALY Mugello 17 June, CATALAN Catalunya 30 June, HOLLAND Assen 15 July, BRITAIN Donington Park 29 July, GERMANY Sachsenring * 26 August, CZECH REP. Brno 09 September, PORTUGAL Estoril 23 September, VALENC Valencia* 07 October, BRAZIL Jacarepagua * 21 October, PACIFIC Motegi 28 October, AUSTRALIA Phillip Island * 04 November, MALAYSIA Sepang * * Homologation for these circuits to be confirmed.

24

Winner again: Dutch TT victor Alex Barros. (RaceAocess)

IT took a while - seven years, to be precise but Alex Barros finally took his second career 500 GP win in the Dutch TT at Assen.

After pole positions and DNFs at the past two races Barros won the aggregate two-part race after rain halted the first effort with just three laps on the board.

The event was restarted 30 minutes later on a drying track, some riders choosing slick tyres, others intermediates, others a combination of the two.

Barros duelled side by side with second-finisher Alex Criville to score his second 500 win and his first success since Jarama 1993.

T'd forgotten what champagne tasted like,” joked the Brazilian Honda rider.

“That was such a tough weekend, conditions changing all the time, but a fantastic end. I almost ran off the track soon after the restart, then tried as hard as I could as the conditions improved.

Alex was pusWng really hard, taking some risks, because he needed to get two seconds ahead to beat me on aggregate.”

Criville finished a close second, making amends for his crashes at the last two GPs. “This is very important for the championship,” said the Spaniard. “I just rode as fast as I could, while being careful at the same time.”

Loris Capirossi scored his first 500 pole, then crashed in the morning warm-up and injured his left hand. The Italian rode a hero's race for the

ec TROY Corser looks the man most likely to challenge Colin Edwards for the World Superbike Championship after taking a win and a fifth in Spain.

After following a bom-again Ben Bostrom(NCR Ducati)for half a lap the Australian speared away to take race one.

But Corser and Bostrom - and everyone else, for that matter - had to follow Noriyuki Haga home in race two, the Japanese finally sorting out his suspension problems which have hampered his mid season push.

The first race started in chaos when Robert Ulm, who shocked the establishment by qualifying on the front row, was clipped at the start and went down. While the drama was being sorted Corser, Bostrom and Haga stole the lead, the Aussie steahng a 3s win with some aggressive laps late in the race.

“I didn't get a good start and had to follow Ben into the first comer,” said Corser after the race.

“I wanted to get ahead as soon as

Reign in Spain: Corser closed the points lead to Edwards at Valencia, possible so a couple of turns later, I tried to get alongside, but Ben braked really deep and I couldn't make it. I could see he was going to run a strong race, so on the next turn I got past him safely, without ranning him off and got my head down. The bike was perfect and full

credit to the team.”

The other Troy, Bayliss, moved up to fourth after PierFrancesco Chili blew an engine early on. Haru Aoki(Bieffe Ducati) was catching Bayliss at the end of the race but ran out oflaps.

Peter Goddard was sixth on his moloripoft newt

NEWS last podiiim place. Like the other top four finishers, he chose an intermediate froniyslick rear combination.

Max Biaggi finished fourth, less than two seconds off his first podium finish of the season. His tyre choice proved perfect for the second part of the race and he came through strongly, crossing the line 2.5 seconds ahead of team mate Carlos Checa.

The race was a disaster for Kenny Roberts. The championship leader’s Suzuki was leading the race when he was high-sided over the bars. He hobbled away and was initially thought to have a broken ankle, but he has been cleared to ride in the next race.

Sources close to Suzuki suggest that the bike suffered a partial engine seizure.

Points; Roberts 125, Checa 111,Abe 91, Capirossi 89, CriviUe 79,Barros 77, Aoki 75, Rossi 67.

IN the 250 Grand Prix Ant West served the clearest notice yet that he will be a contender in GP racing hy leading half the rain-affected race.

Better yet, when the wet-shod West did lose the lead it was Shell Advance Honda team-mate Tohru Ukawa who took the win.

West, 18, took the lead on lap three and held on until lap 11

when the Japanese Honda rider steamed past. Ukawa was followed through by Yamaha’s Olivier Jacque and Shinya Nakano, but West, who started 22nd, still scored fourth, his best result in 24 starts.

The 13 points West scored lift him to 82, fifth in the championship, while Ukawa closed the gap to leader Nakano, 140-132.

“I was happy it rained because I knew I would be more competitive in the wet than I had been in qualifying,” said West later.

“I just wish it had kept raining and not started to dry toward the end.

“Once the track started to dry I had some problems. I just wanted to stay out in front for as long as possible. Then a dry line started through one section of the track I was really ripping it through there so then my 'wets'(tyres) had no grip through the wet parts of the circuit for the last few laps.”

Points: Nakano 144, Jacque 140, Ukawa 132, Katoh 128, West 82, Melandri 71, Waldmann 64, Battaini 55, Matsudo 47,Porto 42.

IN the 125 race Yuichi Ui won for Derbi after a dominant performance. Nobby Ueda took second on the last lap from Ui’s team-mate, Manuel Poggiali.

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In race two Haga(WSBK Yamaha), who had been struggling aU weekend with front fork chatter, overcame a slowish start to steal the lead from Bostrom and add another victory to his race tally.

Apriha made a mess of settings for race two and Corser could do no better than hmp home in fifth. Only Bayhss’s Infostrada Ducati joined Haga in making a fight for race two and he seemed to be in with a chance of catching the leaders, until he ran out ofrumble strip on a fast right-hander and almost lost the bike completely. He calmed down and came home third.

Bostrom and Colin Edwards led early with Corser a length behind and Juan Boija (Infostrada Ducati), Haga and Bayhss behind. On lap three Boija again went into the gravel trap and Bostrom started to pull away from Edwards.

That was Haga’s signal. He passed Corser on lap seven and two laps later caught Edwards. By lap 12 he was shadowing Bostrom, but it took three laps before he pulled a I Ml

two-wheel shde up the inside of Bostrom and into the lead. Haga pulled a slight gap to win by just over Is. Bayliss was riding aggressively as always and passed Edwards with nine laps to go. He started to close on Bostrom, but on lap 19 ran wide and offthe rumble strips into the dirt, the bike snaking and shaking as he struggled back into the track.

It cost him 1.5s and he had to settle for third place.

Edwards came home fourth ahead of Corser and Goddard.

“I thought I was going to be able to catch Ben, but I made that mistake and ran offthe track,” said Bayhss.

“That was the end ofit for me.

I'm looking forward to the next 2 races as I have spent a day at Laguna and I know Brands Hatch very well from the British championship. I hope to get good results at both tracks.”

Points after 8 rounds:Edwards 232, Corser 206, Haga 187, Chili 169, Bayliss 133,Yanagawa 130, Bostrom 124, Fujiwara 93, Slight 83, LavUla 71.

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IHalauiim FI GnmA P>iix The first Malaysian Grand Prix was a huge success - you can be there for this year's race on October 22 - courtesy of Motorsport News and Premium Sports Tours. Just correctly answer the questions in this and the next two issues of Motorsport News and you will be in the final draw to win: Return economy airfares for two from your capital city to Kuala Lumpur ^ 4 nights accommodation in a superior hotel, including all breakfasts, transfers from airport & track ^ General admission race tickets, F1 welcome party ^ Monogrammed polo shirt and cap HOW TO ENTER Just write the answers to the three questions (the answer to each one will be found in the issue in which the question is asked) on the back of an envelope and post it to us to arrive by 5 pm on Monday August 14. Good luck!

QUESTIOm 1 Oit wlud lap didVamd CmitHuvid fiodd Rwkiw ’BoHMdla tm^emd pkm in ih Tmch FI Gmtdffdx? (Answer is in this issue.)

nmm motorsport news

For further information on Malaysian GP packages and other motor sport tours, contact: Premium Sport Tours, Suite 4, 75 Mitcham Road Donvale Vic 3111. Ph 03 9874 7999 Freecall 1800 335 971 Fax: 03 9874 7599 Email; premium@sporttours.com.au Website; www.sporttours.com.au (Licence no 3i9i4 acn os9 13? 978) CONDITIONS OF ENTRY 1. Competition closes and entries must be received by 5 pm Monday August 14 and will be drawn at 10am on Tuesday August 15, 2000. 2 The winner will be drawn Irom all correct entries received 3. Entrants must correctly answer three questions, each published in consecutive issues of Australasian Motorsport News, commencing issue 183, July 7. 4. Entries must be on the back of an envelope, with entrant's contact details (including phone). 5. The prize is: airline travel and accommodation for two (four nights B&B), general admis sion for two, transfers etc to the 2000 Malaysian FI Grand Pnx, FI welcoming party, monogrammed polo shirt and cap. 6. A first prize winner under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult on the prize trip. 7. The judges decision is final. 8. Winner will be notified by phone and/or mail, and the result will be published in the August 18 edition of Motorsport News. 9. Staff of Motorsport News, Premium Sports Tours, their commercial partners and families are ineligible to enter 10. The promoter of the competition is Australasian Motorsport News Pty Ltd.

OPINION

Nice guys finish first

With Phil Branagan

No wonder he wants to come back: Cleveland winner Roberto Moreno may soon be facing Alex Zanardi (right).

A

MONG all the brouhaha about what happened in Formula One and V8 Supercars on the weekend it was good to see a genuine, feel-good story come out of the Cleveland round of the FedEx Champ Car senes.

At the ripe old age of 40 Roberto Moreno finally broke through to win his first race in a championship in which he has competed, on and off [mostly off], for 15 years. The Brazilian veteran swept aside the tag of ‘Super Sub’ which he acquired last year by, mostly, driving various race cars as fast or faster than their regular pilots before ending the year sitting on his butt and waiting for justice to be done.

Moreno’s justice is also a bonus of Pat Patrick. The long-time car owner put aside modern thinking and resisted the temptation to grab a young kiddie for 2000, preferring instead to go with the experience and enthusiasm of the man known as ‘Baix’ to his mates.

The word, which rhymes with ‘rush’, means ‘fox’ in Portuguese.

It’s a nickname which he’s had forever and is growing into as the years pass.

Moreno now enjoys a big lead in the series. He may ‘Rosberg’ his way to the title, employing the tactics used by Keke Rosberg in 1982 when he won one race and scored points in almost every other to pound the turbos into submission for the title that year.

Patrick must be laughing his head off. Yes, Ford lifted their game this season, allowing his men Moreno and Adrian Fernandez to feature at most of the races, but it would be 7 Ml 2B6I

genuinely satisfying for Pat to see Roberto winning.

Patrick made his fortune searching for oil -‘wildcatting’, the yanks call it. He’s used to taking risks. but he’s used to succeeding as well.

And Moreno? He didn’t even wait until the race was over before the waterworks started, having a quiet cry inside . the helmet four laps from the end and almost running off the road as a result. At the press conference aftenwards he was clearly emotional. Good to see, in a world where superhuman robots give perfect, 15-second media grabs.

Will Zanardi we be in seeing the future? more of Alex That’s the question being asked from the USA, with the news that the Italian will test Mo Nunn’s Reynard-Benz at Sebring soon with, perhaps, an eye on suiting up to take on the current guns in the Champ Car circus.

Personally, I hope he does it, but only for the right reasons. CART is one of the best series in the world and heading down to the first chicane at Surfers to watch the 900hp monsters blast the streets of the Gold Coast is always one of the best ways to clear out the motor racing ‘sinuses’ after a long season.

And Alex is one of the truly nice men in the game. I remember an incident at the race two years ago when Zanardi met up with our late and much-missed mate Mike Kable In the media centre after a conference. Kable knew Alex from

his Lotus FI days and, speaking that particular Kable brand of Italian, he started to chat to his old friend ... ... until Target/Ganassi’s PR bloke, a particularly obstructive fellow, called a halt to proceedings.

"You can’t just start talkin’ to Alex without checking first," he hurrumphed.

Kable, not known for taking a backward step, stood his ground.

"It’s all right, I know him," Mike said.

"He knows me," joined in Zanardi, smiling.

Nope,said the man. You have to go through channels, he affirmed.

Mike was livid, Alex bemused [perhaps he was used to this].

Then the PR man mentioned something about ‘‘small Australian publications”. A mistake.

"Have you ever heard of The Australian!" quizzed Kable.

"Nope."

"Then perhaps you’ve heard of Rupert Murdoch!"

If Mr PR hadn’t, Zanardi sure had. The conversation carried on without the aid of the PR guru.

We miss Kable. We miss Zanardi. We might get him back.

I

t’s been a big effort to get Motorsport News changed around into a magazine-style.

full colour format.

The reception we have had since we announced the changes has been huge. With one or two exceptions(who probabiy stiii believe the earth is fiat) it has been positive. The industry has been great and the people within the sport are, to a man or woman, behind it.

But, untii we actuaiiy got the first issue in our hot little hands, it was a leap of faith. Now that we have finished Issue 1 (actually. Issue 183) we weren’t sure what the new baby was going to look like. A lot has gone into this and we hope you like it.

And we stayed at $4.95, including GST, which means that Mr Howard's 10 percent aside, it costs the same. Phew.

As always, we want to know what you think. That’s what Talk Converter is for. Write, call, e-mail.

Let’s know what you think.

Why Motor mouth? mouth is not goingMotor to be the opportunity for the Editor of this esteemed journal to mouth off about whatever he feels like every issue.

It’s going to be a forum for people in the sport to vent their spleen [in a, hopefully, entertaining way]to give you, the reader, an insight into how the people in our sport think and operate.

At Motorsport News we enjoy a privileged insight into what makes the fast and the glorious tick, so we’ll hand the soap box over to the names of the sport every issue and see what they come up with.

To get the ball rolling, I get first go, especially since our intended ‘target’ got busy with Real Lite [whatever ‘Real Life’ is].

MN’s contributors and staff will get the odd blather as well from time to time. Maybe I’ll even have another go in the future.

But, right now, with the rest of the hard-working stormtroopers at M News, I need a nap ...

D 27

Bombing the backwater^ r

I

f you were a megalomaniac(and I have heard it suggested that there are such people in the Formula 1 paddock [Ed; and elsewhere]) and you were one day so annoyed that you decided that it would be a great idea to bomb the hell out of France, you would pin a map of the country on a wall and, when the bombers pilots arrived, you would jab a wild finger into the centre of the map.

You can be pretty sure if your pilots were any good that you would be bombing somewhere near the town of Nevers.

Being at the geographical centre of France is all very well but it is not very exciting. In fact it is pleasantly dull, a charming backwater where one can live a nice life if there is nothing which needs to be done at high speed.

When Francois Mitterand was President of France a few years ago he and his Prime Minister Pierre Beregovoy came up with the extraordinary idea to try to turn the region into the silicon valley of France of high technology precision engineering firms. It was a mad idea and was never going to work - but they did it anyway.

The result was a vast racing circuit

which was to be the central focus Despite the best efforts in of the of the development and would shinkansen engineers host the French Grand Prix.

Japan the French still hold the The problem with Magny-Cours World Railway Speed Record, is that it is not very glamourous, one of the impressive TGV even with Atlantiques Formula 1. It is establishing the hard to be rather glamourous frightening n when there are W target of: The motopways are safe munching cows, 320mph (on a clucking enough because everyone very straight chickens and stretch of track same not much else. near Tours. direction and so R Is The local Alas, the railway that takes one politicians think more diRicuR to have from the Gare that they are at head-on accidents, the epicentre of de Lyon in Paris France but to Nevers is although some of the rather less swift today, even the French, being an inventive and one has to local folk admit that the town is rattle along nation, still do manage ir in the middle of through the nowhere. countryside for two and a half Getting to and hours before from MagnyCours is easy enough if you have the train finally snakes and an executive jet but the majority of squeals into Nevers station. people in Formula 1 are still saving It is not very glamourous but it up for their first Lear jet or their is a lot more sensible than driving because the roads of France are first Falcon. This means that they take a commercial flight(oh, famously murderous, peopled by horror of horrors!) and drive down automotive Jack the Rippers who from Paris. Others take the train. drive too fast, are horribly selfish

Ha If

jJ

With Joe Saward and get over-excited and do stupid things like brake-testing those who have annoyed them.

The motorways are safe enough because everyone is going in the same direction and so it is more difficult to have head-on accidents, although some of the French, being an inventive nation, still do manage it. n the normal roads-the Routes Nationales-things

Still crazy after all these years: Jean Alesi seems to be winding down his GP career ingloriously at Prost GP. (Photos by Sutton-lmages)

i

insri Bcw:

FORMULA f

ad kill and the law ofEvin are frighteningly different. There are, to begin with, beautiful trees - usually vast plane trees which date back nearly two centuries.

They were planted on the orders of the Emperor Napoleon to create shaded roads on which his armies could march from one end of the country to the other.

Napoleon was a brilliant man in many respects but he was not visionary enough to imagine a day when there would be automobiles.

The French drivers are very fast but they regularly drive into the Emperor's trees at very high speed, bifurcating their automobiles and getting themselves on the front page of the local paper on the day before their funeral. As the FI circus struggled through the Silverstone-like traffic jams on Saturday morning, those coming from the south reported passing just such an accident scene with a burned-out and unrecognisable car wrapped around a tree - and a white sheet over the top.

There would be a number of empty seats in the grandstands on race day...

The French government recently did a very expensive survey to discover why it is that the nation has so many appalling road accidents. It took months of research and cost a fortune but it revealed that the problem was because the French have an attitude problem. I could have told them that in exchange for a big lunch in Paris.

The worst days of the year of public holidays. In 1998, for example, the French managed to slaughter 85 people on the May 1 weekend. This year, after a massive and very expensive advertising campaign to reduce the number of road accidents, the total on May 1 was 98. And over the Easter weekend there were another 90.

At Magny Cours FIA President Max Mosley and the French transport minister Jean-Claude Gayssot announced a new FIA road safety campaign called 'Formula Zero', a strategy for reducing fatalities and injuries on track and road. They might as well have set off to get rid of the Sahara Desert with a bucket and spade.

How can it be that the French have not learned from all this pain? iMfim

And whyproduce is it thatathe nation cannot top-level Formula 1 driver, the only useful job for fast lunatics?

France has the veteran Jean Ales! and the under-employed McLaren test driver Olivier Panis.

There are six Frenchmen in Formula 3000 but four of them have their careers going in the wrong direction. In Formula 3 the French Championship is being led by a Japanese driver.

Where did it all go wrong?

Where is the endless supply of Frenchmen called Eric which used to drip into Formula 1 at the rate of one a year?

There are two reasons why there is dearth of French talent in FI at the moment. The problem began in 1990 when a French politician called Claude Evin had the mad idea of banning all tobacco and alcohol advertising in the mistaken belief that this would stop the French smoking and drinking. He might as well have banned the advertising of garlic.

Evin's Law hit the statute The French connection: Nicolas Minassian won at home in F3000 but books in January 1993 and in the will we see the Frenchman in Formula One? space of a few weeks demolished most of France’s drinking less thanks to Evin. In Sarrazin this year and hired motorsport industry as Gauloises, fact road accident statistics show German Nick Heidfeld in the hope Marlboro and Camel were all that being nice to Germans would that alcohol is still a major factor forced to give up their motor result in an engine supply.. in a large percentage of crashes. racing activities and the young The cradle of world motorsport heroes of the day became a lost has been tipped over and the n Magny Cours there was a lot generation, scrambling around to of talk about Prost selling his babies thrown out. Nowadays get drives in shoddy sportscars at team and giving up in Formula 1. every time you look under a tool Le Mans.

He denied it but he looks like a box there is another Brazilian.

Driving sportscars at Le Mans man who is tired of fighting. He Even the British are producing helped to rid the modern says he will go on and that he has more racing stars. If the French generation of probably the best are not careful there will be more faced worse things in his racing rising star, Sebastien Enjolras Australians in FI than there are career but he is less convincing being killed in 1997 when the rear than once he was.

Frenchmen (Ed: bodywork of his Don't tell them The whispers in the paddock car flew off and are that the team will be taken that Saward, he lost control over by another French we're having of the car at "There are six Frenchmen organisation and that they will try enough trouble high speed. The in Fwimila 3000 but lour to chase the mad dream of a getting ONE).

21-year-old French national team. It is not the The only hope from of them have their is that car way to go motor racing and Alain Montpellier had careers gohig HI the manufacturers knows that, but it did not stop a record in Renault and him backing down when he was Formula wrong direction, hi faced by a mutiny amongst his Peugeot will Renault mriiHda 3 the Irench troops just before Monaco. They start pouring matched only delivered an ultimatum: either the money into a Championship is being led

by Alain Prost.

English technical director goes or new generation Two more by a Japanese driver" of racers but the we go. rising stars Alan Jenkins went out of the evidence to date Stephane Saiaz has been that door, taking a briefcase full of and Anthony Prost's credibility with him. they will spend Gheza died in One would forgive Jenks if he their money buying the fast guys the same road accident a year was down at the local bookshop rather than bringing on the ago. buying a big map of France and youngsters. Even Prost gave up The saddest thing is that the trying to find the telephone. on his young protege Stephane French are neither smoking nor i

Mobi

29

Larry Perkins

Holden Statesmai

Larry Perkins now finds himself the ‘senior chap'in V8 Supercar racing. And an increasing involvement in the running of the category and other interests, mainly mechanical, makes him busier than ever. And there's a technological invention which couldJust be huge.

Having a chat with LP is never boring. CHRIS LAMBDEN didJust that.

Motorsport News: Since we last interviewed you, Messrs Brock and Johnson have retired, Jim Richards is out of the V8 scene and you have inherited the 'elder statesman' role. Has that occurred to you?

Larry Perkins: Well, no, I haven't ever really thought about that.

Funnily enough, it doesn't seem like that long ago that I was the young bloke on the block...

MN: Over the same amount of time, Perkins Engineering has grown substantially. Twice as big?

LP: Easily twice as big in terms of turnover and staff and all those sorts of things. We also have double the space, with the shed [actually, hangar] next door...

30

MIM: Does the time involved in running the business and now your increased involvement as a Board member - of TEGA affect your role as a racing driver?

LP: Probably. 1 still run the business (I don't have a 'middle management' as such), I'm still the team manager, chief engineer, I do the TEGA stuff, and I do my own promotions. It is a lot and I think, sometimes, it does impact on my driving.

There's not the slightest doubt about it.

I remember Darwin - I don't think I spent two minutes adjusting my car. I'd be out of the car and straight into the politics of the industry ... whereas in Canberra I had no politics happening, I was able to focus on my car and work with moloriport aewt

lW*

INTERVIEW

#' Fly the Friendly Skies; Perkins gets to know his new toy, a Bell 47 helicopter, last week. my blokes. I'm sure there's a direct correlation there.

So you start to think about whether you should back out of some of these things - in fact I do have a 'general manager' starting in a week or two for the first time, which should help enormously.

MN: A big lump of time, recently at least, would seem to be that spent on TEGA matters?

LP: True. It takes up at least two and a half days of every week of my life - totally unpaid! - but I have no regrets about it because that's what's governing our racing.

The disappointing thing is that half of that time is spent putting out bush fires or kicking others into line who don't seem to understand that the issues of TEGA and AVESCO are quite large and the implications and the problems coming from decisions made can also be large. ]Ml rggo

MN; Parity, and the concept of technical (rather than artificial) parity have been high on your agenda it would seem...

LP: Technical parity was always intended way back in 1993, but we had a period in TEGA when I thought the performance of the Board was the most dismal I've ever seen and the plot was clearly lost.

The Board wasn't made up of team owners. It was a terrible state of affairs - team owners were kept in the dark about many things - but that has been addressed now. There are one or two blokes with their nose out of joint, but they've been reminded that TEGA was set up for its members.

We're getting there with technical parity. The hidden teams, Flolden car company and Ford motor company are in agreement that the level playing field, technically, is the answer.

MN: When the recent parity discussions were at their peak.

(Bell photos by Dirk Klynsmilh)

you at one stage threatened to take civil legal action to make your point. There are many who believe that civil law has no part in any sport...

LP: Certainly, most of the Ford guys who whinged, did so about that aspect of it. I only remind them, especially those in on the Board room, that if you follow the rules as they are clearly printed there would be no reason for anyone to go to a civil court.

Don't forget, you can only go to a civil court if you have got evidence on your side that something's gone wrong. You can't go there just because you don't like a decision.

The rules were not followed.

TEGA was at fault, aided and abetted by CAMS. At the end of the day they were willing to compromise as opposed to allowing their version of the facts to be tested by the big judge...

MN: There's no doubt that the V8 Supercar show is trucking along very well. As an original

team owner, does this mean that your operating income, if you like,from the show is up?

While the pie is bigger, it would seem there are increased team numbers taking a slice of the pie.

LP: True. Since AVESCO came on board, the gross revenue has clearly gone up - not the slightest doubt about it - but what's been overlooked is that the cost of doing business - ie running a team - has also gone up.

While some people would think that the Ford/Holden issue is the thing that's been dominating our efforts, the other 97 percent of issues, behind the scenes, are ones which have a far bigger impact - and this is one of them.

Certainly the size of the cake has gone up - well over two times as big, I might add - but the cost of business has gone up enormously. We have to address that.

It's not a dire situation, but it's a real situation. In other words, the gross benefits to each individual team haven't gone up as much as the cost of doing business.

For example the Adelaide meeting, due to the vision of AVESCO, was a huge success, but the cost per team is enormous. Every time we start these cars up they cost X and if we have to run them for a lot longer than we used to run them, it costs a lot more.

I might add that AVESCO has recognised that now and it is being addressed.

MN: Events like Canberra, Adelaide, NZ and so on are, and will be, very successful.

As a motor sports person, do you have any concern for the future of some of the permanent race tracks?

LP: The concern has always been there, and now it's highlighted because we aren't going to some of those race tracks.

But these race tracks that are missing out because of the new venues have had 20 years, some 30 years, to do things right and they still haven't. So I have no tears for them at all, because the writing was on the wall. They were reminded over many, many years that you cannot have a queue, be it to the toilet or the single hamburger stand that sold cold pies, 500 people long.

I think there were promoters continued on page 32 31

Larry Perkins

In the thick of things: Perkins can still serve it up on the track and off. At Canberra he got hit by Mark Larkham. Perkins looks up -sometimes literally -to HRT’s John Crennan (right), who is a fellow TEGA Board member. (Photos by John Morris/Mpix and Lynley Reid) continued from page 31 who took great joy out of seeing such lengths of queues, in such pathetic conditions, year after year and they didn't care what it did to the industry. And it hurt the industry very badly, in my opinion. CAMS wouldn't address it, the promoters association wouldn't address it. So it took AVESCO and a very clear set of guidelines for promoters to get their ducks in a row, up to the 21st century, if they wanted to retain their event.

This came as a shock to some.

Some have responded and done the right thing, some have missed out. They only missed out after many, many months and in some cases years of us saying "please, please do the right thing". They chose not to and are now wondering why they missed out.

MN: Back to racing. It's always been assumed that Larry Perkins' annual reason for living is Bathurst. Is that still the case?

LP: Yes. Without doubt.

MN: Is matching Brock's nine wins a motivation - although there are many more teams capable of winning there these days, which makes it quite a task?

LP: That comparison [with Brock] is only made by others.

I'm not interested in that comparison. I'm interested in my own personal success at Bathurst. That's the only thing I'm interested in.

The reality is, from the 90s and as each year goes by, the quantity of cars that technically and mathematically can win Bathurst is far greater, by a long, long shot, than ever it was in the 70s and 80s. That's the downside to success competition!

32

MN;So at this stage of 2000, the thoughts are already on Bathurst?

LP: Yes. I don't know if I use it as an excuse or not - probably a bit - but I do fry to win all these shorter races. I don't take them flippantly or casually - it just doesn't work out...

"Then last time, pouring with rain, on slicks, 390 kays down the Muisanne, and again,"why am I doing this - what made me do this?rr - Peikins rni racing at Le Mans

MIM; Bathurst aside, any other challenges left in motor sport for Larry Perkins? Le Mans again?

LP: No. Le Mans is the last thing I'd ever do again. Half way through the '88 race I asked myself "why am I doing this?"

Then last time, pouring with rain, on slicks, 390 kays down the Muisanne, and again, "why am I doing this - what made me do this?"

MN; Do you still see Bathurst as more of a technical exercise than a driving one?

LP: You cannot win Bathurst if you've done your homework wrong. We didn't win Bathurst last year or the year before and we had very clear, definable reasons - which were perfectly controllable from our end - as to why we didn't win, and somebody else won.

MN: Come the day that you step back from day-to-day driving to (presumably) run the team, will you be tempted to step in and drive Bathurst?

LP: Once I stop driving. I'll stop driving. You need a continuity of racing. Certainly a young bloke doesn't as much, but I wouldn't want to sit out the year's racing then front up for Bathurst - it'd be a disastrous move and I wouldn't do it.

If I ever seek to do it, talk me out of it, will you...

MN: There is a fitness issue these days too. Are you still into the gym stuff - you were sighted at the Mentone gym once...

LP: I tell everyone I do, but in reality the best I do is get out of bed every morning and vigorously think about exercise.

And that's about the extent of it!

MN: As a driver, do you set goals on an annual basis?

LP: You do. You don't necessarily write them down or tell people.

This year is no exception. I said to myself, "you had a disastrous last year, now you're really going to get it right this year."

So I go to Phillip Island, everything's right in practice, second row of the grid, a thousandth of a second slower than Mark Skaife - who's a good lad. So far so good.

Then the race turns to poo for whatever reason, again driver or team inflicted, and after two or three races you're saying "what happened to all this doing it all right!"

That's why you have winners and losers. The blokes who do it right win. I've been doing it wrong.

MN: From a bodily danger perspective?

LP: Absolutely. Directly related to bodily harm. I thought I must be on a death wish. The situation was at a maximum for potential danger - raining, slicks, high speed straight. I have no problem admitting that I said to myself, "if I survive this, I will never, ever hop in this thing again..."

MN: You'd empathise more than most with Mark Webber's experience last year,then...

LP: Sure. I could easily have pulled the pin half way through the race, no doubt about that. It was an option. I never considered doing that, though, but I was very relieved to hop out of the car intact.

I didn't let up on the driving because of those thoughts. If anything, I was probably going harder. 1 thought, "well, you're in the hands of fate at the moment, regardless of whether you back off or not, so you might as well keep the thing flat..." fflotorspon iowt

INTERVIBW Millenniutn man?

Perkins leads Seton, Longhurst and CO at Eastern Creek, 1999.

(Photo by Marshall Cass)

So, I very much enjoyed it - but I don't need that any more...

The thing I wanted to do most in my life, and it’s many years ago now, was Formula 1. I got in and desperately wanted to be successful as a Formula 1 driver, but that wasn't to be. I got over those withdrawal symptoms.

I gave it a good shot. 1 didn't take the 'King of the Kids’ route here - although I've ended up being here, not by design.

But, no regrets at all.

MN; Does the reduced importance of open-wheeler racing here since your day make it harder for young drivers to make it overseas?

Do they have to take the Webber/Courtney route and get out of Australia a.s.a.p?

Courtney hasn't raced here for over four years...

LP; The only thing that will ever guide a driver as to whether he wants to be in FI or King of the Kids here is his own desire, his faith in himself.

The guys who are willing to be

'unknown' here and to get over to Europe and jump in at the deep end are doing it the correct way and I admire them for it.

Our V8 racing is something of a distraction for anyone contemplating trying to make it overseas. If you do end up going the V8 route as a young bloke.

then you were never ever going to make it anyway, because you got distracted so easily and I can guarantee you would never have made it.

Russell is driving for me 'on the rebound.' I think that's the best way to find a V8 driver blokes who have given it a shot

and, some may say, failed. I don't consider it failure - just because they didn't get an FI drive doesn’t mean they don't have those abilities. They're just resigned to the fact that life has to go on. continued on page 34

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4

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Larry Parkins continued from page 33 I admire the Webbers and Courtneys who have stuck it out there and are trying to get on.

They have put everything on the

line.

MI\J; Talking about young guys, you're running a second Castrol car at Bathurst this year for the first time, and I understand you're looking at crewing it with youngsters?

LP: I haven’t decided on the drivers yet, but I do have a list.

They're all ringing up, which is great - that's what they've got to do. Young drivers have to let team owners know they want a drive, not sit quietly in the corner.

I may end up giving more than the two I require a run, but it won't be to see if they're fast enough. I won't have a process of "you're faster than the next guy" because I believe that's rubbish. Anyone who has a drive will, I believe, already have the skills.

I'll only be giving them a drive to see if they've got some of the other skills that are necessary - Do I think I'll get along with them? Is their personality going to be adequate for the job? Can they manoeuvre their way through the PR world, and so on?

I'm not going to put youngsters under the "I'll go quicker than you" pressure, because it means nothing at the end of the day.

I've yet to meet some of the guys I've got on my list. You can work it out, though. Anyone who is capable of running at the front of Formula Ford or Formula Holden has got the right stuff it's as simple as that.

Planes, tractors, automobiles; Perkins’ other passion is tractors, like this original from the family’s Cowangie estate. (Photo by Chris Lambden) MIM; You mentioned PR skills.

How things have changed. I remember the early days of Perkins Motorsport, when sponsors were almost an inconvenience...

LP: True. I have no trouble remembering that sponsorships were not what they are today when I started.

It hasn't been difficult, but through necessity I've had to alter my sights and recognise that nobody is going anywhere unless someone is going to pay the bills.

I don't have the money in my back pocket to pay the racing car bills, so it's got to come from somewhere, and therejs a price.

The price is to be a successful PR vehicle, no pun intended, for the industry.

That wasn't needed 15 years ago. Well it was - but I was slow in recognising it!

MN: Talking parity again, there does seem to be a certain disparity between Holden teams - we've had a

Larry Perkins and the ‘R’ word MN:We almost hate to mention the “R’ word,but it’s going to start happening to you more and more now that you’re the elder statesman.Has it or does it cross your mind?

LP: It’s not a taboo subject at aU. I have to be realistic about it. I can’t drive forever and I need to have someone who can do the job.

Russell’s contracted at the moment,but I’ll need someone else as well.

To be honest,I’d retire tomorrow ifI could put somebody in my car who I knew was able to do the job. It’s called hanging onto the strings’ or whatever, but I know my capabilities and it’s cheaper for me to drive than to hire someone!

MN:Is that moment far away? Have you given any thought to next year,for example?

LP; Oh, very much so. That thought’s crossed my mind.

But I like driving-1 very much enjoyed Canberra,for instance. But there are elements I dislike. I dislike it when I get snowed imder with the politics of trying to run the TEGA side of things.

The business itself is fine. I’ve got over 25 people here and I’ve got absolute faith and a good working relationship with all my blokes. That gives me great comfort as such.

34

control tyre for 18 months now and it's still pretty hard for any Holden team to match HRT on a regular basis. Why is that?

11

In reality the best I do Is get out of bed every morning and vigorously fftM about exercise.

And that's about the extent of it!n -Perkins’ training regime

LP: You can give a long answer and a short answer, but the short answer is that they're doing a better job.

MN: In what area?

LP: Both the drivers are driving well - you cannot take that away from them. The preparation of the car is done, on an average basis, better than the next teams. l Tander has been touching on being competitive, for the same reasons as HRT. This isn't an excuse, but they've had many years on Bridgestones and they've got their act together. They've got good data - they know what's going on.

Without a shadow of doubt, we other teams have had the Bridgestone long enough to be on top of it, but we still aren't good enough in these certain areas to be reliably on the pace.

That's the nature of the beast.

We have to be realistic enough to admit- not necessarily to the press as 1 am I - that as a package we're lacking. I believe we have the individuals and the tools to do it, but we don't get it all together.

MINI: Is spring/shock technology where the difference lies?

LP: That's the obvious area, but it’s not the only thing. You've got to give good feedback to your engineers and mechanics, you've got to make the right adjustments, and you've still got to drive it accurately and consistently - ie, if you can do the lap time once, why can't you„ do it twice.

A good example was Canberra - Larkham had provisional pole but, when it came to the Shootout, he dropped nearly a second a lap. Sorry, Mark, to single you out, but that ain't the mark of a winner...

MN: What do you enjoy doing away from racing? Most people know you have a small plane, but relatively few will know about the vintage tractors and even fewer will know about the latest acquisition...

LP: Collecting the tractors comes from when I grew up.

We had lots of old tractors and I progressively collected them since then. I just never was in a position to put them all under one roof. I've done that now.

They're not a big deal, not a financial thing like collecting rare stamps, it's just an interest thing.

When I stop racing I will recondition some of the ones I want to.

I've been interested in flying since I was a young bloke and have been flying for over 20 years now. I like flying. It's a relaxation - 1 don't just go out and fly round in circles, I tend to fly to races and so on.

The helicopter that I've just got is the best thing I've ever done. 1 should have done it years and years ago! Some might call it a toy, but I don't have boats and I don't have mansions in Toorak...

It's a 1960s Bell, reconditioned up to 'zero time'... Best thing I've ever done. It’s an unbelievable feeling just hovering...

MN: Can we expect to see you skimming over the trees into the paddock at Winton?

LP: I will use it to go to races for sure. Not the distant ones, because it's quite a slow thing to get somewhere...

Helicopters are crying out for various electronic devices on them. I'm already started on a monitoring program for the motorsport oewt

INTERVIEW

Ca|it. Larry rings the Bell

TO the general public, perhaps the most lasting impression of the Bell 47 helicopter comes from the opening scenes of the longrunning,now most-repeated television sitcom, MASH. The End: Not yet. There’s life in #11 yet. (Photo pwi wniiams)

engine, which I've got a connpany doing. I intend to capitalise on it and sell it.

This 60s helicopter is the same technology as the new ones of today - it's rubbish. I intend to fuel inject helicopters and make a commercial arm out of it. It's so antiquated some of it...

MN:This is what you call fun?

LP; I love tinkering and, you know, it's a self-funding exercise. I like doing things.

I've got a little project next door, my 'Stratified Engine' project, which hopefully you'll hear more about.

It's all to do with carbon monoxide and dioxide emissions and so on.

Over the past 18 months we've evolved this system which allows you to run an engine without an air throttle, which means you can have very high efficiencies, especially at what you would call low throttle openings. The chamber is full of air, there's no detonation.

It regulates the revs with fuel.

That's not been done successfully anywhere in the world so we reckon we're onto something...

MiM: Away from racing, technical things, what else do you like doing?

LP: I like touring around. I could happily spend the rest of my life touring around in my helicopter or my aeroplane or (linkin' around on my tractors! I don't want to travel to Switzerland or ski down the slopes at Aspen, or wherever they are...

;V

IVIN: Your youngster. Jack, is racing karts. Getting involved?

LP: My lad Jack pestered me for five years before he got his first kart - so it wasn't a flash in the pan.

He's had to run it himself and he does more work than I do for' his sponsors! Other than the purchase of the kart, I don't help him at all. He has to work out how he gets to races etc. I don't want to be a bloke who pushes his lad into racing. If he wants to do it, he can do it - but he'll have to do it.

I'll give him verbal assistance if he asks, but I'm not about to drag out the cheque book and give Jack Perkins a drive. I don't think that's the path to get a good driver...

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Ferrari 360

Ferrapi's 860 the THIS season marked the beginning ofa new era in Australian motor racing with the introduction of the Nations Cup GT Production Series. The idea for Nations Cup came from PROCAR owner Ross Palmer who, inspired by the GT racing he had witnessed in Europe, wanted to implement something similar, yet affordable, in Australia.

Nations Cup has created excitement amongst teams, drivers, fans, sponsors and manufacturers and it’s only natural that, when such excitement is created, you will have those interested in competing search for the best possible vehicle to achieve their desires.

Ferrari’s Formula 1inspired 360 appears to be that vehicle - the next generation in GT

THE 360 was designed to replace the F355 in the Ferrari Challenge Championship in Europe,the series having been implemented in 1993 for the 348, the F355 taking over from ’95.

The design brief was simple, develop a racing variant that would set higher performance levels than the previous F355.

While power output hasn’t really increased - lOhp extra, if any, coming from the 3.61tr 90-degree V8- a number of major technical advances in the total package have been made.

Most notable of the changes would be the transmission, with the previous standard-fare Ferrari unit having been replaced by an electro-hydraulic Fl-style box backed by a computer-driven manual clutch, with changes being made through steering wheelmounted paddles.

It’s ironic then that it is with the advanced ‘cog-swapper’that our Nations Cup competitors have the most problems -its operation not really suited to Australia’s standing starts.

“If you hit the throttle too hard, the engine freewheels. Then, when the clutch is activated, it produces tyre spin. Squeeze it too soft and it takes off like a ZL Fairlane and everyone just blows past- there’s a delay factor involved,” says Aaron KeOy,team manager for Ross Palmer’s RPM. Kelly works for Wayne Park Automotive, which prepare RPM’s cars for Park and Darren Palmer.

“It doesn’t matter how fast you are, if you’re third on the grid in qualifying, there’s a good chance you’ll be fifth at the first corner,” he says.

Nations Cup series leader Mark Noske agrees with Kelly’s comments.

“I believe if we could get our 360 off the line each time, we could probably win every race. They are that difficult to get off the line,” he says of his Prancing Horse Automobiles-backed and prepared Ferrari.

Despite the difficulties at the flash of green, Noske is quite content to leave the steering wheel-moimted shift system in place, something which Kelly and Park have agreed had to be changed, the yellow RPM Ferrari running at Queensland Raceway last weekend with a ‘stick’ shift and clutch pedal.

In contrast, Noske believes the advantages that are provided by the slick wheel-mounted shifters elsewhere overcome the problems of a slow start.

“The paddles give you an advantage, especially in places like Adelaide where the straights are short bursts. You can keep your hands on the wheel and shift quicker, a lot more ^ efficiently.”

Kelly helibves Park could have actually produced better first laps and retained position but it would have come at quite a cost.

“We could have had some better results in Canberra if we were prepared to suffer some panel damage but the guards, bonnets and bumpers on these things are just too expensive - up to $3500 for the front guard!- so we decided against that,” he says.

Supply of parts was also a consideration, the success of both the 360 road car and the 360 Modena Challenge racing variant around the world creating problems in numbers for both cars and parts.

‘We’re still getting a trickle of parts through to try and repair Darren [Palmer’s] car from a crash in Adelaide,” said Kelly.

Such has been the success for the racing 360s that factory sources suggest the original build order has already been extended from 100 to 125, with a further 75 360s expected to roll out the Maranello doors.

It should also be mentioned that the road-going variety has also been a huge

Generation-X: Mark Noske s Prancing Horse Ferrari 360 Modena Challenge is at the cutting-edge of technology production car-wise.

motorspori news

TECH FEATURE

electric horseman success with new buyers in Australia having to join a two year long queue...

Kelly says the mechanics of the 360, aside from the gearbox, are just evolutions of the 355,leading to the new generation production car racer being a very strong, reliable beast.

“Oh,they’re very strong cars and we have very little problems mechanically,” he says.

Kelly did acknowledge though that both the RPM and Prancing Horse are both experiencing some small problems, again related to the standing starts.

“We’re breaking engine mounts, gearbox mounts, things like those sorts of parts and Ferrari have acknowledged that our parts usage is a little higher than in the European series and they’re now requesting feedback from us to help with future development.”

He said the fact that both RPM and Prancing Horse have paid, professional drivers -Park and Noske - as opposed to, perhaps,the more gentlemanly drivers the European series has, and that their cars are maybe being pushed to

their limits more, probably contributing.

The improvements in the 360 continue with the suspension, brakes and aerodynamic packages - the mechanicals of the ABS braking package remaining the same wlfrle the electronics have switched to a Bosch system.

“Mechanically, the brakes on the 355 were fine but the electronics really didn’t work that well on the race track - we’d lose 40-50ft in the braking zones sometimes,” Kelly says.

“The new package is more rehable and efficient and gives the driver control over the rear, which the previous units didn’t.”

Naturally, the suspension package can be altered, with both teams looking at their damper and spring combinations to find the best possible ride for the various circuits although the Prancing Horse camp haven’t varied much from the standard combinations as yet.

If the Ferrari 360 is ‘flipped over’to reveal the underside, the aero improvements become quite. evident, the undertrays very much resembling a highly developed GT racer.

But, while the undertrays provide

some significant improvement, Kelly says the effects also make the car quite twitchy.

“These cars are getting towards being a doored formula car they’re very twitchy and easy to crash if you get them too much out of line,” he warns.“They don’t like being thrown around or driven sideways... you can’t bring it back from the edge if that’s where you’re visiting.”

Twitchiness aside, Kelly believes the potential for the Ferrari is almost unlimited and he’s excited by the prospects.

“They’re light years ahead of the 355 -just the way the whole car is put together and packaged - and I think, realistically, we’re not anywhere near finding the full potential out of the 360 yet.

“Both oimselves and Prancing Horse have been running fairly much stock cars up until this point and there is considerable development in them yet “We’re probably going to have to carry more than the 100kg ballast we’ve currently got - we understand PROCAR want an even series - and we’ll happily put it in when we find the extra speed which we know we will.”

Only time will tell, but early indications have the Ferrari becoming a ‘victim’ of the success

Whoa there: Brembo brakes are novy controlled by predictable Bosch ABS electronics.-,^ iiitt2oao

5

s-

Shifting positions: Noske’s 360 runs the ‘standard’ F1 -style paddle shifters on the steering wheel, top, while Park replaced the electronic unit with a more conventional ‘stick’ shift last weekend, above.

It wasn't meant to happen at of the Shell Championship Serli \

38

nintorspori novjs

niie' track, but it did. HRrs domination 5 continued with a vengeance...

39

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Qrim before Uie storm; This pretty rnuch typifies the viesm. most hacf Of Their opporrents ■Aho tjualrfieci in front on the i'reekerrd... :■:>

by CMFtlS LAMBDEN THE frightening efficiency of HRT was made abundantly apparent in Queensland last weekend.

Switching some of its testing to Winton allowed Holden’s leading team to arrive at Queensland Raceway with a set-up well-suited to a circuit which was its weak link in 1999.

Against an array of locallybased Ford teams expected to offer a strong challenge, some of whom underperformed when the moment arrived, the Holden duo turned the day into a ‘no contest’. In the end it was a virtually unchallenged 1-2, extending Mark Skaife’s championship lead to a massive 158 points and getting Craig Lowndes back in the hunt with a 120 point maximum for the defending champ.

Mark Larkham was the Ford contender to hold up the blue oval’s honour, earning his first ever Shell series podium after a consistent and worthy effort throughout the meeting.

Third, however, came at the expense of Russell Ingall.

While back on the pace and a clear third for most of the weekend, a ‘moment of madness’ at the end of race one cost The Enforcer 20 points and a cool $10,000...

Of the championship contenders. Garth Tander pulled what at one stage threatened to be a disaster out of the pan to run as high as fourth, closing the points gap to series second place man Glenn Seton, who was 40

OUTRKM

ROl

A polite round of applause: Does Skaifey look happy to you? Lowndes certainly enjoyed his win, especially after a tough two months.

(Photo by John Grate)

consigned to collecting points near the bottom of the top ten for most of the day.

Qualifying was perhaps the closest yet, in general terms, with hundredths, not tenths, of a second crucial.

That, allied with the sheer dominance of the HRT duo made it, well, one of the lessrivetting contests to date.

Bring on that race two reverse grid again - soon...

Practice & Qualifying The lead-up to this round of the Shell series focussed heavily on the “home-track’ advantage for a number of Ford teams based in Queensland - all the blue oval’s main men other than FTR using Queensland Raceway as their testing base.

As Russell Ingall cheekily quipped on local television the day before, “if they can’t win here, then the/re never going to...”

Since the last visit by the whole V8 circus, a couple of things had changed. Much of the work going into the latest Bridgestone control tyre had been aimed at stopping the blistering and cold graining which plagued this race last year, that, along with a ‘skimming of the race track surface (on the comers) would produce more constant grip, over time, and there were no reports of the rapid tyre degradation which ruined last year’s race.

However, with its proliferation of long right-handers, looking after the left rear would still be important.

Another characteristic of the Queensland track which would end up contributing to the day’s outcome would be its

Shell Championship Series Round 7 1-2 July 2000 changeability. While you’d think that local knowledge would help, in the end, there was as much head-scratching going on among the local, primarily Ford, teams as anywhere else...

Ford’s day got off to a reasonable start, with Tony Longhurst heading the time sheets after the first 45 minute session - although Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall were next, both within a couple of tenths of the Ford man’s 1:10.73.

The grapevine suggested that Longhurst and his Stone Brothers team-mate Craig Baird had been in the mid 1:10s during private testing, so this early time was close to the pace, but suggested that HRT and Ingall weren’t going to be working from a base that was too far off it either...

From here the day swung Holden’s way, Lowndes, Skaife and Ingall heading the times in the second 50 minute session and later in the day - the session that mattered. Qualifying.

This was HRT at its best.

Lowndes had a brand new car at his disposal - nothing radical, just a slightly tidier version of his earlier car - and the pair were right in the frame from the start of the day. The lessons from last year’s less-than-perfect Queensland round had been learned (see story, right).

Using set-up data gleaned from testing at Winton, the cars really moloriport dbws

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SHEIL CHAMPIONSHIP SiBItS

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only needed minor refining before the qualifying shootout. It was business as usual.

Similarly placed, but what a contrast with Canberra, was Ingall.

Much soul searching and some subsequent changes within Russell’s squad had followed the disappointing start to the season and, on the face of it, the results were immediate.

“You can’tjust turn up at a track with the same base set-up to start ((with any more,” Ingall mused.

The boys went through the car very closely, found a few dramas here and there, and we thought we’d try a slightly changed set-up for here. u » It’s good...

Larkham, Steven Richards (the Kmart cars having switched to Ohlins shock absorbers), Bowe(a slight understeer problem), Faulkner and Radisich made up the top ten in the second practice session and, on the face of it, would fight out the serious end of the grid.

Missing from this group, conspicuously, were FTR and the Valvoline team.

Seton and Crompton had been on the fringe in the earlier session, around the 1:11.3 mark, but dropped a tenth or two in the second as they fiddled with set-up at a circuit they expected to be one of their worst(Crompton: “It’s not bad,just not quite there...) but at Garry Rogers Motorsport, things were looking bleak.

Tander and Bargwanna teetered on the edge of the top 20 in the second session (although Bargs had gone a few tenths better in the earlier session), simply struggling - and not sme what to do about it.

The team which had provided the early season challenge to HRT for sheer speed was in trouble: (( It’s just sheer grip,” Bargwanna reported. We had a problem with the rear and,in fixing that, we got a problem with the front...”

Lowndes fired the first shot (1:10.89) when the first(top 50%) qualifying session got underway, but seconds later Longhurst went two-hundredths better. It wasn’t a perfect lap, but for a period, the Caltex Ford held pole.

Both Ingall and Skaife chose to sit out the first five or six minutes, emerging a hundred metres apart as the traffic cleared for their first runs.

Skaife's was a beauty- a clean

1:10.22 that would in fact remain as his best, beaten only by Lowndes, who emerged on his second set a few minutes later and went a tenth better.

Ingall’s was just okay, showing no real‘new tyre gain’ over his

7 Jsty 2086

continued next page

Vs

POS DRIVER

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Craig Lowndes Mark Skaife Russeil ingall Mark Larkham Tony Longhurst Craig Baird Larry Perkins Paul Radisich Glenn Seton Steven Richards John Bowe Garth Tander Rodney Porbes Steven Johnson Jason Bargwanna Neil Crompton PaulWeel Greg Murphy Steve Ellery Brad Jones John Faulkner Cameron McConville Paul Morris Tomas Mezera Dugal McDougall Cameron McLean Trevor Ashby Paul Romano Anthony Tratt Brett Peters Steve Reed Alan Heath Peter Gazzard Mike Imrie John Cotter

CAR HRT Commodore VT HRT Commodore VT Castrol Commodore VT Mitre 10 Falcon AU XR8 Caltex Havoline Falcon AU XR8 Pirtek Falcon AU XR8 Castrol Commodore VT Shell Helix Falcon AU XR8 FR Falcon AU XR8 Kmart Commodore VT CAT Falcon AU XR8 Valvoline Commodore VT Wynn's Commodore VT Shell Helix Falcon AU XR8 Valvoline Commodore VT FR Falcon AU XR8 K&J Thermal Falcon AU XR8 Kmart Commodore VT Supercheap Falcon AU XR8 OzEmail Falcon AU XR8 Asia Online Commodore VT Autopro Commodore VT Big Kev Commodore VS Densitron Commodore VT Pepsi Commodore VT Greenfield Falcon AU XR8 Optus/PPG Commodore VS Romano Commodore VS Toll Falcon AU XR8 Colourscan Falcon AU XR8 Optus/PPG Commodore VS Power Falcon AU XR8 E-wine Commodore VT Saabwreck Commodore VT Gatorade Commodore VT

TIME 1:10.1315 1:10.2215 1:10.2726 1:10.2768 1:10.3525 1:10.7975 1:10,8632 1:10.9113 1:10.9505 1:10.9609 1:11.0122 1:11.0187 1:11.0527 1:11.0586 1:11.1613 1:11.2059 1:11.2445 1:11.3216 1:11.3905 1:11.4270 1:11.5690 1:11.6215 1:11.6278 1:11.6305 1:11.7054 1:11.7313 1:12.0447 1:12.1130 1:12.2487 1:12.5441 1:12.6272 1:12.7026 1:13.3250 1:14.0104 1:14.0384

#SCSRounU7 QueenslancI R way

i.

'NiElfHEl Craig, Lowndes rot;Mark Skaife would;readiy have put money on an NiRT 1-2 in qualifying at Queensland Raceway.

A m.edioGFe tun at this, race last yeaF and''home traick' advantage to a number of Ford teams pointed to a tough battle , but m the end: it may as wet have:been :©ne'of HiRT's current 'home' tracks, > ! Winton in particular.

I With:two,test tracks available to each:team this year,,iNiRT took j the opportunity to plug a gap in its armoury, by nominating Winton. j "Darwin, Queensland- Raceway and,Winton,itself were ;Our worst [ tracks last year and, in many ways they are similar - similar I surfaces and'so’ on:," Jeff Gireeh, confirmed,, "so testingrat Winton i has been:good for us..."

I Mark Skaife agreed: "There are a couple of definite things we've ■: learned by testing at Winton which were directly applicable here and Darwin."' i However, both HRT drivers were still a little surprised to be on li the front row.

I "Yes, I guess so," shrugged iLowndes. "It is the home track for i several Ford teams, so it's a pleasant surprise for us."

I "The changeability of the track, which- you would think might act ; in favour of the locals, may just as easily work against them," ; Skaife added'. "®'ut f agree, I ’really thought one or two of them i would go a bit better..."

practice best, but his second - after a rear wing adjustment-fell only five hundredths short of Skaife and a front row start. Still, given

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On fire: HRT’s Skaife and Lowndes were simply stunning at Queensland Raceway, taking everything before them, (pnoio by Marshall cassi 41

Qld Ra€eway

what's a good time for unloading?

"OBVIOUSLY, I didn't intend to turn him around into the wall, but 1 was going to give him the bird, let him know...

"If I look back on it now, I should have'unloaded' him the corner before..."

Thus Russell Ingall summed up what became the controversial moment of the weekend, which resulted in lapped privateer Mike Imrie spearing into the main straight wall (subsequently almost being t-boned by - of all people Larry Perkins).

While Ten's cameras caught the contact between Ingall and Imrie from several angles, and the ensuing melee,the incident had started nearly half a lap earlier as Skaife, with Ingall closing rapidly as the HRT car's rears started to go, closed in to lap Imrie's Commodore.

It was the last lap, and Ingall could sense an opportunity.

Into the turn four left-hander and Skaife was through the lapped car on the inside ("I just wanted to get to the corner before he (Imrie) started to turn..." he would say later).

As soon as Skaife went through, Imrie held the inside line ("half the time at these Drivers' Briefings they tell us to just maintain our line and let the fast guys worry about passing it's safer...") and Ingall was well and truly boxed, with nowhere to go.

Through the next left-hander, still behind the Saabwreck car, Ingali's momentum was ruined and Larkham,from 30 metres back, was right on his tail.

Ingall finally dived inside Imrie into the final corner, but slid a fraction wide allowing not only imrie, but the opportunistic Larkham through.

The rest was clearly caught on TV, Ingall moving across to remonstrate with the backmarker; contact; spin.

The almost catastrophic sequel involved Perkins, who came over the finish line, looked in his mirrors, then up again to find a stationary Commodore just metres away.

"It was a panic stop from ISOkmh," a relieved LP reported later. It was also an instinctive flick turn - once he'd unlocked the front wheels - that Colin McRae would approve of...

What the $©''%#''!: Having not seen Imrie’s car stranded in the middle of pit straight, Perkins nearly collected the car and it was only quick (Photo by Dirk Ktynsmilh) reactions and skill that helped avoid a tragedy. continued from page 41 his year to date. Rusty was just glad to be back in the action.

Holdens 1-2-3. Not quite what the pundits had predicted.

Ford’s best, Larkham, also produced his best on the second set offresh rubber, tantalisingly just four-thousandths (gosh, these margins are getting infinitesimal) away from Ingall.

Longhurst too was a stronger performer on his second set, a further tenth away from Larkham.

In the end, a couple of tenths covered the top five. A mere blink.

In contrast, there was now a four-tenths gap to Baird, who led a group of nine, yes nine, cars within three-tenths...

While Baird had gained just four-tenths with fresh rubber, Perkins had found a solid eighttenths, which elevated him more than ten spots,from the second ‘slower 50%’session, to seventh outright.

Radisich (“the car suddenly developed understeer on the

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Commodorewreck: Imrie’s VT may have had $10,000 damage.

Ingall may have been fined $10,000. But who gets the money?

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Long time before drinks: It may have taken five seasons, but Mark Larkham finally made it to the podium at an SCS round -the Mitre 10 AU the first Ford home.

(Photo by Dir1< Klynsmith)

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Qld Hii€ewaY Gettin’ Shiggy without it Craig Lowndes' regular engineer Shigeru Kugimiya was absent from the team over the weekend. He was home with his wife expecting a baby so Young Lions man Eric Pender filled the gap as Todd Kelly wasn't racing. The Toddler in turn was helping little brother Rick and Peter Verheyen with Rick's winning Formula Ford. n Speaking of HRT, they had some support in the pits from 1500 metres swimming champ Grant Hackett.

Hackett is a dead keen Supercar fan who drives an HSV and was keeping watch over Lowndes and Skaife as they demolished the field. n Swapping shirts: Formerly Russell Ingall's engineer, Oscar Fiorinotto has left Perkins' and joined Kmart Racing. QR was his first meeting with the team. n Tyler Mecklem didn't make his V8 Supercar debut after two blown engines for the Ultra Tune TDK team.

After Canberra the car went to Perkins Engineering rather than Lansvale where it has been prepared this season. The team wasn't able to get a sump in time to suit its new engines. Melinda Price will drive the car in the endures while Mick Donaher/Mecklem are expected to update to a VT. Perkins, Rogers and Kmart all have cars due to be superseded by new ones. n This was the first V8 meeting all year that Craig Baird has qualified in the top 10. His previous best was 11ths at Barbargallo and Eastern Creek. On the other hand, Garth Tender's 12th was his first non-top ten qualifying session since the Sandown round of last year's Shell Series.

Nine lives: Bowe’s CAT car used up a life in the first race, the AU spearing through some advertising signs and collecting a tyre-safety barrier.

Starting off the rear in the second race, Bowe moved to 15th, then to 10th in the last race.

Good credit rating: Having qualified ninth, Seton finished 8th, 8th and 6th in the FTR AU, good enough to hold on to second place in the SCS points.

(Photos by Marshall Cass. Dirk Klynsmith and Marshall Cass)

n Rod Nash's second Autopro VT didn't debut as scheduled either after Nash's father Alex passed away on Tuesday of race week. It will debut instead at Winton. n Brett Peters made his first V8 start since Bathurst last year in the Colourscan Falcon and scored points in an impressive run. The deal with Josh McIntosh to run the car has fallen through. n Speaking of returnees it was nice to see John Cotter back behind the wheel of the Gatorade Commodore. The Sydney solicitor has been on crutches at the last few Shell rounds with a broken ankle sustained in Adelaide. At the same time, Peter Gazzard took the wheel of Chris Smerdon's Commodore while Smerdon's attention was on his IT business on the first weekend of the GST. The two will team up for the enduros.

-AARON NOONAN BoiotiDoit newi

^SHtll CHAMPIONSHIP SIBIES continued from page 42 second set”), Seton (into the 1:10s on his third run!) and Richards were separated by half a tenth.

Bowe was the disappointment virtually no new tyre gain consigning the CAT car to Best of the Rest, in 11th.

“We’ve overcome the understeer in, oversteer out on the slow comers - now it understeers on the quick ones...” he mused, “It’s in the shocks, but I’m really at a loss as to how to improve it. Our car is a bit heavy and I think that’s not helping.”

Tander came from the second session, having benefited from Bargwanna’s run in the first, to salvage 12th, while Forbes rocketed himself up the grid to 13th on his third run, before promptly locking all four and slipping into the sand, bringing out a red flag.

Steven Johnson was 14th.'Two tenths quicker would have been sixth... Bargwanna, Crompton, Weel, Murphy, Ellery, Jones completed the top 20 - each with their own tantalising tale of how a couple of tenths could have made such a difference.

It’s tough out there. 1.3 seconds from Jones in 20th to pole man Lowndes isn’t really that much...

Surprisingly, after his earlier pace, missing the top 20 was Faulkner. John had “had a fiddle’ between practice and qualifying and it had backfired.

“You have to keep trying to ge quicker!” was his sheepish offering.

Someone tie him up between practice and qualifying next time...

Race 1-17 laps Lowndes and Skaife, left the line as one, but Skaife chose to sit it out on the outside as the red pair wheeled through turns one and two, his better exit speed grabbing him the initiative down the back straight.

The pair quite quickly ‘gapped’ Ingall in third( a couple of seconds after five laps), but by mid-race it became apparent that Skaife was struggling to keep his team-mate at bay.

“The car wasn’t right and the

back tyres were starting to go,” he would confirm later, so it was no surprise when the #2 slid a bit wide exiting the final corner and Lowndes quite easily exited tight and won the drag race to the first turn on lap 12.

He now quite easily cleared away to a comfortable win, leaving Skaife to contend with Ingall, who loomed in as the last lap approached, having broken away from a tough little duel with Larkham over the opening laps.

With the pair rapidly closing on backmarker Mike Imrie(Saabwreck Commodore)the weekend was about to get controversial.

Imrie saw Skaife as they arrived at turn four for the last time, hut then slotted back in, completely ruining Ingall’s momentum. That in turn allowed Larkham to not only close right up, but slip inside the Enforcer as the Castrol car dived down the inside of the hapless Imrie at the final corner.

Ingall was clearly, and justifiably, angry as they swung out onto the straight, but what happened next stunned observers.

Ingall and Imrie clashed and the backmarker found himself slewing across the track, into the wall.

The Saabwreck car was classified as a finisher - it crossed the line going backwards!- but the ironic near miss that followed, as Larry Perkins all but cleaned n up the stationary car, could have had disastrous consequences.

It was just an instinctive flick turn which saved the day for Russell’s employer. He wasn’t impressed...

Radisich completed a relatively uneventful race in fifth, with Tander bursting back into contention with a super sixth.

He’d gained three spots off the start, then two more as Richards and Baird clashed on lap four, before tracking down and passing Longhurst into the final turn on lap 11. By race end, he had latched onto Radisich’s bumper. Good recovery...

Baird and Richards’clash was unnecessary. Baird’s clutch had slipped off the line and he found

-f.

The Great Escape GARTH Tander won the Shell round in Queensland last year, but for a while was looking like an also ran last weekend.

At lunchtime on Saturday, there were some furrowed brows in the Valvoline-Cummins-Repco {getting to be a mouthful) garage.

Prepared with settings from the last visit to Queensland Raceway, both VTs were well off the pace and, for a while, the team wasn't quite sure why.

"Whatever we seemed to do didn't make a lot of difference," Jason Bargwanna. said. "It was just a fundamental lack of grip."

As practice concluded, the duo were locked together in the 1 ;11.9 bracket - a second off the pace, 19th and 20th, both trying diverging set-up options. It vyas looking grim for the championship's third place man and his team-mate.

Qualifying improved things only marginally. Bargs gained seventenths on new rubber, Tander in the slower session (a firsti) ninetenths, but most of the serious guns also got a seven-tenths gain from fresh rubber.

Garth's time was a mere tenth quicker than Bargs, but in this field that meant three spots.

"I think we've got pretty good tyre life," Tander commented after Sunday morning's warm-up. At this point he wasn't confident of outright pace, but at least the consistency would be a boon.

A good start, ninth on the opening lap, pick off a couple more and - hey presto - you're back in the game. Sixth, Then fourth in race two, the same in the final sprint.

It was a points salvaging exercise that may well prove very important when the season comes to its end.

continued on page 46

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-goWiii^ GIRLING 45

Could be the start of something really, really big: Ingall was right on the tail of Skaife until the two hit some traffic. Ingall then, literally, hit some traffic...

(Pholo by Marshall Cass)

I continued from page 45 >■

I Woe is me... Baird qualified in the top 10 but didn’t get any results thanks to a slipping clutch, then a first race shunt. It didn’t get any better...

SM

Race 2-17 laps The drivers who had seen the video were still talking about the finish of the first race when the second gridded up. Not for some time has a Stewards outcome been so keenly awaited...

As it would transpire, that would be the most exciting thing

Sem far W Smrsats Bam

WintoB Motor Raceway IB July 1

|| ● Richards ● Murphy Tander ● Bargwanna ● Jones ● Johnson

m

● Lowndes ● Radisich ● Skaife ● Bowe ● Ingall ● Seton

i

himself bottled in behind the Kmart car over the opening laps.

An outside run on the back straight, converted to an inside run into the turn four left-hander. but the Falcon’s rears locked as Baird tried to back out of it, giving Richo a fair tap in the left-rear and spinning onto the outfield.

Richards had to pit to get the rear guard pulled off the tyre and Baird was to resume, but only for a 14th place finish. Two weekends effectively over.

Of the rest, Murf made his usual good race progress, from

18th to 11th, while Bowe’s weekend went awry at the end of the opening lap - a clash with the Kmart car seeing the CAT car scything along the infield grass, spectacularly shattering a Shell advertising board along the way.

The Stewards did nothing, reasoning that both had ‘veered’ a little...

JB began picking his way back through the field, but ended the race parked in the turn six sand.

Faulkner too had made good progress from his unrepresentative grid, up to 14th before parking the car with the electrical failure which would see the car fail to start the remaining two races.

Mingle with the V8 Supercar Stars in the V8 Supercar Paddock Area Winton Motor Raceway - where you n see all the on track action from Open Wheelers to V8 Supercars

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● The action packed events commencing at 9 am ● Free on-site parking ● Children under 15 free ● Full catering ● Camping available Pb Winton Motor Raceway Hotlioe no 46

B3S7BB423S for pre-race beeklass. Winton Mntor Raceway, Bill Home Highway, W kms norm of Benaiia.

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^SHILL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Analysis

THE one unescapable conclusion from the weekend's tight but moderately processional proceedings is that, Acts of God notwithstanding, Mark Skaife will win the 2000 Shell series.

This was a venue where HRT should have been at its most vulnerable, but as too clearly transpired, the team was at its relentless best.

"If you look at the times, I don't think we're any faster than a number of other cars," Mark Skaife offered at the end of the day.

"It's just that we can maintain the pace we do have very consistently."

Obsen/ers constantly scratch their head trying to identify the secret tweak that Jeff Grech's squad has up it's sleeve, but John Faulkner, who has had more contact than most with the team - having bought a car from them - has no doubt: "They follow the KISS thing, keeping it simple and doing it right. I used to ring them up with some tweaky idea and they'd look ^ at their records and say'we tried that, but honestly, we use the standard set-up...'

Also evident from the weekend - and this is the first circuit at which the change would become truly apparentwas that the 100mm shaved from the Holden undertrays hasn't changed the order of things much - if at all.

By race three the pattern was familiar - Holden, Holden, Holden, Holden. And that at Ford's adopted home track -for all but the FTR team.

This weekend's disappointment- Larkham's strong effort aside - will thus be doubly disappointing for Ford and there will be repercussions, for some of the pain was selfinflicted.

There are even hints of driver changes(see news pages).

The measure of a good team is its ability to handle adversity and to dig itself out of a hole.

Garry Rogers' equipe earned that sort of rating by doing just that and the progress of Tander and Bargwanna from the depths of despair on Saturday to a face saving effort on Sunday was illustration of just why the team is a genuine title challenger in 2000.

It's just that, as HRT demonstrated, the race is fundamentally now for second...

- CHRIS LAMBDEN 7 lalv 2800

about this second heat.

This time, Lowndes was marginally better away, enough to lead through the first two sweeps and then pull a second on Skaife over the first three laps.

Ingall, Tander(another super start), Larkham, Radisich, Longhurst, Bargwanna (his car now readjusted to match Tender’s), Seton and Johnson followed, and fundamentally -little happened.

Longhurst provided some entertainment by spinning himself down to 15th on lap four, then l charging back to 11th -lapping as quickly as the HRT duo up front in the later laps...

The real ‘drive of the race’this time came from Richards,from grid 24 after his race one drama up to 13th by lap foin-, gradually picking off Ellery, Johnson and Perkins to slot onto the tail ofteam-mate Murphy(9th)by race end.

Bowe and Forbes had a ‘moment’ at turn five, then Forbes had a spin of his own at the same spot a lap later - one of a number for the Wynns car through the day.

The rest was, well, quite processional, with the only late change coming courtesy of Steven Johnson, who lost three places in a couple oflaps - a tyre problem looked the culprit.

Both Baird and Faulkner didn’t even start. The Pirtek team undertook a clutch change after the race one slip offthe line, but ran out of time, while Faulkner’s electrical problem reappeared despite a changed crankshaft sensor and other ancillaries.

In the end,Lowndes cruised in some three and a halfseconds up oh Skaife, with IngaH, Tander,Larkham and Radisich spread equally out behind.A very static one...

Race 3-17 laps

This time, the pre-race pit-lane chat again centred on Ingall - the Stewards had just pronoimced his

penalty and his peers were ... unimpressed.

The start was again clean and Lowndes again got the initiative, from Ingall and Tander (these two running side-by-side onto the back straight) and Radisich, the Rat getting the better of Larkham at the start.

'The early action came at the tail, Forhes again involved,in a moment with Ellery, then Mezera bouncing off them and into the outside wall at the final turn.

Tomas’car would remain parked for the duration.

Richards excellent race two wasn’t to be repeated, the Kmart car offthe road at turn three.

Radisich too was soon gone gearbox failure.

This time, while Lowndes scampered away out front. Ingall and 'Tander hung onto Skaife’s rear - well, for a while.

By half distance, the race had settled into the same sort of procession as the second. The only real action was a brief scrap involving Longhurst, Bargwanna, Johnson and Murphy and some progress from the back by Baird up to mid-field by mid-race, of course on a set offresh rubber having missed the second heat.

And that, customers, was that.

Another comprehensive HRT drubbing. Tbugh and tight in behind, but with precious httle action.

The da^s headlines would belong to Ingall...

Points: Skaife 872, Seton 714, Tander 676, Lowndes 646, Radisich 581, Longhurst 493, Murphy 489, Ingall 474, Johnson 471, Larkham 458, Richards 446, Crompton 427, Bargwanna 385, Perkins 377, Bowe 365, Baird 321, Faulkner 279, Kelly 255, Morris 253, Jones 229, McDougall 198, Weel 194, Ellery 119, Ashby 105, Poole 103, McConvIlle 68, McLean 67, Reed 63, Forbes 54, Mezera 34, Donaher 19, n Tratt 14, Peters 5, Smerdon 4, Doulman 4, Romano 1, Heath 1.

Beat theour guest Winton round of the SHEll CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES on July 16 One lucky reader can win a double pass to Winton’s fabulous corporate Paddock Club, courtesy ofthe BenallaAuto Club and Motorsport News.

Just put your name, address and phone number on the back of, or In an envelope and mall It to:

Winton Motor Raceway “Be our guest” Competition PO Box 249 Benaiia Vic 3671 Entrloa cloao Wodneaday 12 July 2000

SOS Round 7 Q lanil R wav Racal—maps Pos Driver 1 Lowndes 2 Skaife 3 Larkham 4 Ingall 5 Radisich 6 Tander 7 Longhurst 8 Seton 9 Perkins 10 Johnson 11 Murphy 12 Bargwanna 13 Weel 14 Baird 15 Ellery 16 McOougall 17 Ashby 18 Peters 19 Crompton 20 Tratt 21 Jones 22 Romano 23 Forbes 24 Richards 25 Gazzard 26 Mezera 27 Imrie 28 McConville DNF Reed DNF Faulkner DNF Bowe DNF Cotter DNF McLean DNF Morris DNF Heath Race2 —maps 1 Lowndes 2 Skaife 3 Ingall 4 Tander 5 Larkham 6 Radisich 7 Bargwanna 8 Seton 9 Murphy 10 Richards 11 Longhurst 12 Johnson 13 Perkins 14 Weel 15 Bowe 16 Jones 17 Crompton 18 Ashby 19 McConville 20 Peters 21 McDougall 22 Reed 23 Romano 24 Morris 25 Gazzard 26 Tratt 27 Forbes DNF Ellery DNF McLean DNF Mezera

Races —mats

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Lowndes Skaife Ingall Tander Larkham Seton Murphy Johnson 9 Longhurst 10 Bowe 11 Perkins 12 Crompton 13 Richards 14 Weel 15 Baird 16 McConville 17 Morris 18 Jones 19 Bargwanna 20 Ashby 21 McDougall 22 Peters 23 Tratt 24 McLean 25 Gazzard 26 Ellery 27 Forbes 28 Heath 29 Cotter NC Reed DNF Romano DNF Radisich DNF Fauikner DNF Mezera

Race time Fastest lap 20:30.6002 20:33.7263 20:35.6123 20:36.6125 20:38.6603 20:39.3167 20:39.8670 20:43.9072 20:47.3045 20:47.4876 20:49.0077 20:49.7355 20:58.0068 20:58.4015 21:00.3440 21:00.6950 21:02.2645 21:05.5210 21:05.8562 21:11.2559 21:13.9208 21:14.1657 21:14.6980 21:14.8153 21:38.9738 21:39.8998 16 laps 16 laps 16 laps 12 laps 11 laps 10 laps 0 laps 0 laps 0 laps

1:11.3552 1:11.5283 1:11.4816 1:11.5063 1:11.8324 1:11.6668 1:11.5843 1:12.3145 1:12.3278 1:12.2712 1:12.3685 1:12.4040 1:12.4791 1:12.2220 1:12.7448 1:12.7052 1:12.8663 1:12.9446 1:12.3270 1:13.0619 1:12.6814 1:13.0231 1:12.4898 1:11.4616 1:13.2338 1:12.8341 1:15.1656 1:12.6697 1:13.1007 1:12.3023 1:12.0551 1:15.1107

20:21.2619 20:24.8406 20:28.7943 20:30.1810 20:33.4633 20:35.8880 20:41.9105 20:44.3793 20:45.0313 20:46.7235 20:47.1617 20:49.7077 20:54.1631 20:54.5785 20:54.8823 20:58.0834 21:01.4607 21:02.5219 21:02.7260 21:08.4629 21:09.6100 21:12.5979 21:13.5174 21:13.7355 21:20.4623 21:23,2817 21:23.4473 13 laps 11 laps 5 laps

1:11.2159 1:11.4732 1:11.6585 1:11.7203 1:11.7682 1:11.7135 1:12.1347 1:12.2333 1:12.0987 1:11.9255 1:11.7974 1:12.1985 1:12.2303 1:12.7081 1:12.1247 1:12.8173 1:12.5695 1:13.1691 1:12.9225 1:13,3029 1:12.7336 1:13.0895 1:13,3657 1:12.4038 1:13.4522 1:13.1899 1:12.9457 1:12.4891 1:12.3565 1:13.5464

20:21.4763 20:25.0573 20:26.4244 20:31.5384 20:32.1215 20:33,1766 20:39.3535 20:40.1559 20:40.9999 20:41.4921 20:45.6522 20:46.6770 20:48.5324 20:48.8958 20:49,3398 20:51.0842 20:51.5486 20:51.8869 20:56.6333 20:57.9694 20:58,0878 21:02.3266 21:04.3278 21:04.7473 21:08.7036 21:11.5390 21:12.0786 21:14.5436 16 laps 3 laps 12 laps 3 laps 1 lap 0 laps

1:11.0495 1:11.3172 1:11,5048 1:11.6470 1:11.6568 1:11.7499 1:12.0373 1:11.8212 1:11.3822 1:11.9850 1:12.3305 1:12.3995 1:11.7898 1:12.3362 1:11.8149 1:12.4425 1:12.7137 1:12.3171 1:12.0043 1:12.7137 1:12.1972 1:12.9842 1:12.9096 1:12.2769 1:13.2745 1:11.8379 1:12,5855 1:13.3116 1:15,3278 1:15,7936 1:13,2408 1:12.3638

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Honours oven Two man FHolden war continues in Queensiand

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The reds versus the blues: Murchison, left, and Wills, above, shared the race victories at Queensland Raceway, leaving the points gap between the two the same.(Pholos by John Gmte and Marshall Cass)

by AARON NOONAN HONOURS were shared at Queensland Raceway in Formula Holden between NRC young gun Christian Murchison and Birrana Racing’s Simon Wills, the pair taking a win and a second each.

The two were the class of the field and were never threatened throughout the weekend. Their main challenger Tim Leahey had another shocking weekend as the rehability of his Reynard 92D again left a lot to be desired.

Steve Owen was again impressive in his second run for Chris Hooking’s team,finishing third overall, despite an oil leakinduced spin.

After testing the week prior at QR, Murchison was perhaps favourite to take pole but Wills was fractionally quicker.

Murchison trailed by just 0.02s and he may have just been on pole had the session not finished 20 seconds earlier than it was scheduled to.

Matthew Halliday(Empower Reynard) was third quickest. The Ralt Australia team was a little down on manpower with Halliday’s regular mechanic Richard Kemey missing from action with a punctured lung. There was no data either for the team to work from after their computer had been stolen but nevertheless the Kiwi

was only two-tenths off pole.

Leahey was fourth and missed a shot at going quicker when he encountered an oil slick on the circuit. Dale Brede was fifth and looking threatening ahead of Chris Staff with Paul Dumbrell seventh and having some gearbox dramas.

Both Hocking cars of Owen and Andy Booth had engine problems which left them in the pits for the majority of the session. Owen’s car spat a water belt but fortunately he shut down the engine before any major damage could be done.

Wills stamped his mark in the warm-up, going two-tenths quicker than his pole position time, setting the stage for two close races.

Race one was close, if only between Wills, Murchison and Leahey.

While ‘Murch’ won the start from Wills and Leahey, Halliday bounced his way off the road on the exit of turn two and rejoined at the tail of the field. Fifth and fastest lap of the race proved the speed he possesses.

While the top three were covered by just six-tenths after five laps, Murchison started to inch away from the ‘Blue Meanie’.

The third car in the train, Leahey, slowed on lap eight and parked the M-ONE-11 machine with a serious engine problem which couldn’t be fixed in time for the second race. Needless to say, Leahey was a very gutted man.

That elevated Owen into third ahead of Brede while Wills finally snagged the NEC driver on the outside at turn four by braking a fraction later.

The Kiwi was never headed and the points were vital as he considered QR the track on which he would struggle.

Murchison was a delayed second (having had to stop and reverse when a lapped car spun in front of him)ahead of Owen and Brede, Halliday, Leroy Stevenson and Dumbrell.

Staff slowed in the later stages having lost third, then second gear and hobbled to 11th.

The sky threatened race two but it never struck. The field was reduced before the start, Dumbrell sufifering a diff failure.

Murchison again jumped away but the surprise was Owen who charged through into second. It didn’t take Wills long to regain second and set off after Murchison, but the race was over.

The latter held Wills in check all the way to win but the battle was behind, for third. Brede and Stevenson were duking it out and things got a little tight heading down the back straight. The Canberra-based driver grazed the wall after a trip through the grass while the Kiwi continued.

The Safety Car made an appearance, allowing Murchison to

recharge his resolve and hold out Wills. If there was a drive of the race, though,it was Owen’s.

He’d found the car a real nightmare in its handling and couldn’t figure out why. Despite a spin he was still fifth in the race and third overall.When the car pulled up after the race, all became clear, or rather oiled - an oil leak had been the culprit.

Stevenson was third ahead of Staff, Owen, Booth and Mark Ellis.

Points: Murchison 149, Wilis 142, Halliday 87, Staff 63, Stevenson 62, Dumbrell 60, Leahey 54, Brede 44, Booth 43, Owen 27,

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Wait for me: Dale Brede, right, is still in the shadow of Murchison but is on the improve. moloripori newt

FORMULA HOLDEN/FOKD

The Infant strikes

by AARON NOONAN WHILE Rick Kelly gained his first round win in the Ford Racing Australian Formula Ford Championship,Leanne Ferrier ate into the series lead of Luke Youlden at Queensland Raceway with the margin now just two points with three rounds remaining, promising yet another tight title chase.

Both races were not clear cut.

West Aussie Stuart Kostera finally found his luck swinging.

grabbing pole position after being at the top of most of the timesheets in practice and then qualifying with a lml5.7521s,two-tenths quicker than Spectrum driver Nick Agland.

“We’ve had a string of bad luck,” said Kostera. “The car’s exactly the same - all we’ve done is freshen the engine and general maintenance.”

One thing he did not have for the roimd was the on-board camera though...

Which coifld have had something to do with the luck reversal.

Youlden had the camera and was eighth on the grid after being a lowly 10th in practice.[Note to FFord drivers; if‘Trackside’ ofter you the on-board, think twice ...]

Ferrier lined up in fifth, glad to now have a fully straight car(the chassis had been cracked after the Eastern Creek qualifying crash), behind Stewart McColl and R.Kelly who filled the second row.

McColl joked that he’d had his crash for the weekend after the wall-bangers at Eastern Creek and Phillip Island, dropping a pizza on

with Kelly right on his gearbox.

Kostera didn’t exactly run away, eking out a gap which swayed below and above one second by a matter of hundredths.

Behind the Agland and Kelly dice was McColl - and the Kmart man was going shopping. He reported later that he didn’t get the tyres up to temperature until about lap five and that’s when his charge began.

Kelly clawed in both Agland and then Kostera, the latter eventually

slowing with a misfire after he and Kelly had passed one another a handfiil of times on the one lap, crawling to the line in 12th.

While Kostera and Kelly seemed the combatants, McColl was forgotten about. Until turn three on the final lap that was, where he braked hard and deep around the outside and rounded the pair of them up to score his first 2000 win.

Kelly and Agland filled the podium with Perrier fourth in a points-scoring drive. Owen Kelly was fifth despite having to pump the brake pedal with his left foot to get retardation, ahead of Youlden, Steve Grocl, Will Power and Kiwi Phil Hellebrekers.

Race two was a typical Formula Ford fight. Tracking every passing move was impossible.

It was Kelly’s race though, the Mildura driver taking the lead around the outside through turns one and two on lap one and leading when it mattered at the flag.

Ferrier pushed all the way and was third behind Kostera(who had driven well all weekend) with Power moving to fourth.

Power though would have his points packet docked to the value offour for passing Youlden under yellow flags.

Youlden, who had been chasing set-up all weekend, finally got things right for race two and was in the lead pack to take sixth behind an understeering McColl.

Oran Park will host round six on July 30,the venue of Perrier’s best FF finish before this season. The Valvoline driver has the momentum but Youlden has two points in hand ...

Points: Youlden 120, Ferrier 118, Agiand 92, R.Kelly 86, Power 74, Kostera 65, O.Kelly 64, McColl 56, Davison 54, Hanger 41.

Friday night!

In the first race it all seemed clear after turn one. Kostera jumped away to lead from the green with Agland charging around the outside to force Kostera into a back straight drag race. The Stealth won it and crept away from the rest of the pack which was led by Agland, 1 lily 2000

What’s not quite right about this picture? Ty Hanger and Justin Cotter both found the beach in Queensland. How did Ty end up sitting back {Photo by Marshall Cass) wards in Cotter’s car though ...

49

Count the titles; Stokell has three Gold Stars. Richards has won in tourers, proddies, NASCARs, Targa, ...

by MARK JONES LOCAL hero Wayne Park claimed the Nations Cup round win in Queensland, with a first and a third in the two relatively uneventful races aboard the Poolrite Ferrari F360.

Park split the wins with Lamborghini Diablo driver Paul Stokell who also claimed a third, but the extra championship point for Park's pole position made the difference overall.

While the Italians were squabbling over the chequers, two second places to Jim Richards {OAMPS Porsche GTS) allowed him to take the series lead from Mark Noske (Prancing Horse Ferrari F360) who had a wretched weekend.

Early in practice it became apparent that Queensland Raceway would be a Ferrarifriendly circuit, with Park and Noske well clear on the time sheets.

Despite being a local, Park's experience of Queensland

Raceway was limited to three test days prior to the weekend.

In the qualifying session Park recorded a 1 ml4.5543s to be less than a tenth clear of Noske.

Noske was having understeering problems and was a little disappointed with his time but heartened to be over a second clear of title rival Richards.

Third fastest was Peter Fitzgerald (Falken Porsche GT3) who only did three laps in qualifying as the Porsches struggled by comparison to the

(Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

other cars at QR. Stokell was fourth ahead of Christian Jones, having his first race in 20 months in the Warwick Fabrics Ferrari.

A pessimistic Richards was next ahead of Peter Bradbury (TNT Porsche), Darren Palmer (Poolrite Ferrari), Mark Williamson (Davnet Porsche) and Geoff Morgan (monster.com Dodge Viper).

Steve Webb spun during qualifying and the team were looking into the engine to blame. Valves were the

The King of

What is this, a rally? Mitsubishi Lancer Evo was the weapon to have at QR. (Photo Dirk Kiynsmim) 58

MARK King(Mitsubishi Lancer Evo V)closed the gap to Ric Shaw (Mazda RX7)in the GT-P Championship chase with a pair of wins at King's home track.

Graham Alexander(Lancer Evo V) picked up two seconds while series leader Shaw had to do it tough, picking up a fourth and fifth.

In the first race Gary Deane(Subaru Impreza WEX)spun away second place at turn two, prompting the Safety Car. Shaw won the re-start but then had an incident -with Bob Hughes(Lancer Evo V)resulting in them spinning off at turn four and letting King waltz off into the distance.

The battle between Graham Alexander(Lancer Evo V)and Wayne Wakefield(Mazda RX7)took centre stage, becoming the battle for second after Shaw’s spin. After an entertaining fight they finished ahead of the Shaw Mazda, which recovered to fourth.

Porsche Cup refugee Ed Aitken(HSV Commodore GTS-R)finished sixth in an impressive showing for the new 300kW V8.

Race two saw the three Evo Lancers leap away and pull a gap on Wakefield, while Shaw was having mechanical problems that related to the race one incident. As King gradually pulled away to win Hughes clouted the wall at turn three after leaving his braking too late.

Wakefield was third again ahead ofAitken and ■oloruorl aBwi

NATIONS eUP/GTP suspected culprit. He missed the start of the first race.

In race one Park got a good start in the manual Ferrari to lead the field into turn one. Just behind, the run into turn three became interesting as Stokell and Noske dived towards Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald grabbed the wrong gear and the compression lock spun the car around.

On the inside Noske had nowhere to go and collected the green Porsche with the left front corner. Fitzgerald was out on the spot as the over-rev blew the clutch apart while Noske limped back to the pits where the crash would have consequences later...

With Stokell caught out wide in avoidance, Richards was able to sneak through to second and the order across the line was Park, Richards, Stokell, Jones, Palmer, Bradbury, Morgan, Williamson, Takeshi Nakamaru, Kevin Heffernan, Murray Carter and Steve Harburg.

Richards and Stokell settled into a gap of around a second while Park was a further five seconds up the road. Park had developed a problem though with fifth gear in the manual shifter and was only using the cog on the two longer straights.

Bradbury was starting to struggle for pace in the Porsche as the right rear tyre slowly

u

AM go: Park and Stokell lead the field away in Race 1. (Photo: Dirk Kiynsmith)

deflated with Morgan's Viper closing in. The two orange cars drew level down the straight on lap seven and Morgan was through.

Despite the suspect gear shift. Park was able to cruise to victory with Richards holding out the Lamborghini.

Jones was a very lonely fourth from Morgan, Bradbury and Williamson. Palmer, who was pinged for a jump start and forced in for a stop-go penalt/, recovered to eighth ahead of Steve Harburg and Nakamura.

The Mustang of Heffernan would be the only other finisher in 11th.

For race two Noske rejoined the field at the back but

Fitzgerald (damage) and Carter (brake problems) didn't, leaving the already thin entry looking that bit thinner.

Richards bolted away from the front row from Park initially, until Stokell moved into second at turn one.

Park soon ran out of fifth gear again, wrecking the ear in the H pattern on the tallest gear.

Richards led across the line ahead of Stokell, but the black monster was quickly up the inside of Richards down the back straight and outbraked the

surveys

Porsche into turn three to take the lead for good.

Behind were Park, Morgan, Bradbury, Palmer, Jones, Williamson, Noske (already up to ninth), Harburg, Nakamaru and Heffernan.

By the end of lap four Noske had charged his way through to fifth position and Morgan in the Viper would only hold out another lap. Closing in on Park would take longer.

Into turn three on lap 12 Noske outbraked himself and speared off dropping behind Morgan and Jones in the process, but Jones was caught before the next corner.

Stokell gradually pulled out a two second lead to win from Richards and Park. Morgan, Noske, Jones, Bradbury, Williamson, Palmer, Harburg and Nakamaru completed the finishers.

After the race, the unfortunate Noske was charged with presenting an illegal car, due to the Prancing Horse team having to make do with a non-standard Porsche radiator in making repairsafter the race one accident (see news pages).

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Shopping trolley class: Thomas won the Class E wars. (Marshall cass) Shaw while Deane stormed from the back to seventh with a great drive.

On the last lap the mice definitely got into the machinery, with Sue Hughes (Mazda MX5), Wayne Russell (BMW 323i) and Ross DiUon (HSV Commodore R8) aU pulling off and retiring at once.

In the classes David Wood (Honda Integra Type R) and RusseU had a fierce battle for Class 1 111) 2181

B, taking a win each. James Phillip (Ford Falcon AU XR8)won both Class C races and Daryl Coon (Ford Falcon AU XR6)had a superb meeting to collect two Class D trophies.

Nathan Thomas(Suzuki Swift) won both Class E in a very strong battle with Carol Jackson(Honda Civic) and Warren Luff(Peugeot 306).

-MARK JONES

Strap yourself in the passenger seat of one of the Perkins Race Cars v Burn rubber in one of Larry's cars at Eastern Creek and get a photo to prove it personaiiy signed by the driver <● Rub shouiders with I/S Supercar drivers Larry, RusseU and Dugai in the Pepsi hot laps corporate entertainment faciiity v 3laps for $975 v Lunch with the Perkins Racing Team v Tour the racing facilities Limited positions available DUGAL McDOUGALL MOTORSPORT^

Castro!

For bookingsph 03 9217 8933 or fax 03 9217 8958 ifaisJia-'i.r - ILesiisv S'a Juivy '- GuBaieiami' - ''luisdsv ^'2 Sept 51

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Doing it by hand: Schumacher and Coulthard got close at the hairpin, the Scot letting him know - he wasn’t well pleased - twice ...(Phoio sequence by sutton images)

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David CoulOiard left France with 10 points and, presumably, renewed respect from Michael Schumacher.

JOE SAWARD Qualifying reports

avid Coulthard dominated the French Grand Prix in his McLaren-Mercedes. He led home Mika Hakkinen to a dominant McLaren 1-2 ftnish.

But this race was more important than that. David showed that he is now the McLaren team leader and that he has no fear of Michael Schumacher and is willing to risk as much as Michael is to win races. It is a message which Schumacher will not want to hear. He is used to his rivals backing down...

Cours in 1960 it was called When they opened Magny-

54

the Circuit Jean Behra, named after France's best racer of the 1950s who had been killed the previous year. It was one of those lovely racing tracks which someone with a lot of money had built because they had a lot of money.

That original track was only just over a mile in length although success in the early years resulted in the length being doubled in 1971, a few months before the track's founder Jean Bernigaud died and the track was handed on to the local motor club - the ASA Nivernais.

It remained an unimportant sort of place until the middle of the 1980s when the local authorities bought it and piled in so much money that people thought that something odd was going on and,

after lots of political moves, the French Grand Prix left its home in Paul Ricard and headed to Nevers where there were none of the delights that made the FI world like Paul Ricard so much. And 10 years later the race is still here and will go on now until 2004 by which time, perhaps, Paul Ricard will have been rebuilt and we can go back to the beaches.

Magny-Cours is the quietest race of the year because no-one really wants to go there. There are not enough hotels and people have to drive for hours to get to the area and, because the roads near the circuit are not much better than those at Silverstone, there is then the prospect of queuing to get in. continued on page 56 Moifrsport news

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Anything they can do: Irvine and Button decided to get in on the act at the Adelaide Hairpin, giving it a bit of biffo DC/Michael style.

Go Canada; Jacques may be leaving BAR-Honda at the wrong time ...

(Photos by Sutton-lmages and RaceAccess)

f,

POS DRIVER 1 Michael Schumacher 2 David Coulthard 3 Rubees Barrichello 4 Mika Hakkinen 5 Ralf Schumacher 6 Eddie Irvine 7 8 9 10

Jacques Villeneuve Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jarno Trulli Jenson Button

T1 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Johnny Herbert MikaSalo Pedro de la Rosa GiancarloFisichella Pedro Diniz NickHeidfeid AlexanderWurz JeanAlesi Ricardo Zonta

20 21 22

Jos Verstappen Marc Gene Gaston Mazzacane

CAR Marlboro Ferrari WestMcLaren-Mercedes Marlboro Ferrari WestMcLaren-Mercedes Compaq BMW.Williams Jaguar-Cosworth Lucky Strike BAR-Honda B&H Jordan-Mugen/Honda B&H Jordan-Mugen/Honda Compaq BMW.Williams Jaguar-Cosworth Red Bull Sauber-Petronas Grange Arrows-Supertec Mild Seven Benetton-Supertec Red Bull Sauber-Petronas Gauloises Prost-Peugeot Mild Seven Benetton-Supertec Gauloises Prost-Peugeot Lucky Strike BAR-Honda Orange Arrows-Supertec Telefonica Minardi-Ford Telefonica Minardi-Ford

continued from page 55 The helicopters are used heavily, of course, but that is only for the beautiful people. So the normal folk come to Magny-Cours in camper vans and tents and stay at the track, drinking, barbecuing and having a nice time at the start of the European holiday season.

There is not much to do once you have walked around the circuit, visited the go kart tracks and had a quick look around the Ligier museum and so everyone gets together and has a good time and it seems that most folk enjoy themselves.

But in the paddock it is not a favourite. It is quiet.

The race track is one which has grown in stature over the years because it is one of the very few places left where there is a corner where one really can overtake.

The Adelaide Hairpin was copied from the track of that name and it works and that means that qualifying is not as important as it is at tracks where overtaking has become impossible. But being on pole is still an advantage of eight metres and that is an important in Formula 1 today.

For most of practice it looked as though Coulthard was going to be on pole position and he probably should have been. But the qualifying session was a disaster for the McLaren team as David went through a string of technical problems.

“I feel particularly for the poor mechanics because they have had to work under pressure while at the same time checking things while rebuilding the car,” said David.

TIME 1:15:632 1:15.734 1:16.047 1:16.050 1:16.291 1:16.399 1:16.653 1:16.658 1:16.669 1:16.905 1:17.176 1:17.223 1:17.279 1:17.317 1:17.361 1:17.374 1:17.408 1:17.569 1:17.668 1:17.933 1:18,302 1:18.130

“Every time they have changed one part it has run fine... until the next part has broken.”

It is not the ideal preparation for qualifying. First there was a cracked oil tank and then an air valve glitch. David could not remember what the next one was.

He was in the spare and then back in his own car. He had a spin and then he had Ralf Schumacher pull out in front of him. The result of all this was that David missed pole position by a tenth and allowed Michael Schumacher to put his Ferrari ahead.

Michael did not seem to be as buoyant as usual and one got the impression that he realised that had it all gone well for McLaren he would not have been on pole.

“We don't know how things would have been if David had started in his race car,” said Michael, making it very clear that he had a very good idea of what would have happened.

Still, you do not look a gift horse in the mouth. A pole position is a pole position and Michael Schumacher is not too proud to accept a gift from a rival team.

Third on the grid went to Rubens Barrichello who reckoned he would have done better if he had not taken a risk and changed his set-up early in the session. It did not work and by the time things had been changed back the track was hotter and so he did not achieve the maximum possible.

Mika Hakkinen was fourth fastest and everyone was mystified. This was not the Mika Hakkinen we know and everyone is confused as to what is going on in the mind of the Finn at the BOtoriDon newt

FORMULA I Murray Walker misses out - is this the beginning of the end?

Italy versus France: France may have won the European Cup in football but their ‘national’ F1 team is turning into a loud, slow joke. Alesi (right) and Fleidfeld had shockers while Schumacher had a rare engine failure.

(Photos by RaceAcoess and Sutton-lmages)

moment. Given that Coulthard had gone through a number of flaming hoops to achieve his time, Hakkinen's effort was really not that good.

Those around him say that Hakkinen has no problems and all is well and that he is just having a little trouble with technical stuffbut it is hard to believe. The members of the McLaren team don't want to say anything and so they merely shrug. You would have to be a blind man not to have noticed that all is not well and Mika is a shadow of his former self in the racing car.

Fifth fastest was a good performance from Ralf Schumacher although the German admitted that he was a little surprised about how well things had gone. He grabbed the place from Eddie Irvine in the final moments of the session. Jenson Button continued to show well, although such are the elevated expectations these days that some people seemed to think this was not much good. Seven-tenths slower than Schumacher was a bit of a gap but Jenson is still learning at each and every track.

The team was happy with 10th on the grid.

Irvine's showing was a good performance given the disappointing showing of the team in recent events. Irvine was back where he was at the start of the 7 III* 2690

year, sixth or seventh on the grid.

It was better than in recent races but one has to ask whether things should be better than that.

Johnny Herbert was 11th on the grid, eight-tenths slower than Irvine and disappointed.

“I think today's performance is a more accurate reflection of where we stand in the overall order,” said Jaguar technical

"We don't know how things would have been if David had started in his race car" -polesitter Michael Schumacher

director Gary Anderson.

“We came here with a much more deliberate strategy for the weekend and, so far, it has paid dividends.”

Jacques Villeneuve was seventh on the grid which was a good effort in the troublesome BARHonda. The result was largely down to Jacques's skill and commitment rather than the new aerodynamic package on the car (although it probably helped a bit). Villeneuve delivered the

goods. This will be a useful talent next year when he drives elsewhere.

Ricardo Zonta was 19th on the grid. He was not helped by a major engine blow-up early in the session. The spare car did not have the same parts fitted as the race cars and so was not as quick.

The two Jordans were a disappointment with HeinzHarald Frentzen eighth and Jarno Trulli ninth. A few tenths would have bounced them up to fifth. Frentzen reckoned that the team did not get everything together and Trulli admitted that he had made a mistake which cost him a lot.

Things were looking a little better for Sauber with Mika Salo 12th on the grid and Pedro Diniz 15th. The team had a new version of the Ferrari-based engine. Diniz had to go to the spare when his own car developed gearbox trouble and as this was set up for Salo and so it was not perfect.

Pedro de la Rosa was 13th in his Arrows which was about what you

MURRAY Walker missed his first Grand Prix in ages last weekend when he was forced out of the French Grand Prix on doctor's orders.

The 75-year-old ITV and Channel Nine commentator suffered a dislocated hip in the aftermath of last month's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Walker competed in the event on a Rudge motorcycle which had been raced before WWII by his father Graham but was injured in a seemingly innocuous incident back at his hotel. Walker was leaning over to brush something off his shoe when he felt his hip dislocate.

The long-time commentator was adamant he was fit enough to travel to MagnyCours but acceded to doctor’s orders and rested during the weekend.

In his place ITV promoted pit lane reporter James Allen to share the commentary mike with regular voice Martin Brundle. Allen's name has been mentioned in connection with taking Walker's role full-time and sources at Nine suggest that ITV informed Allen earlier in the season that he would take the role over in 2001.

Allen, an experienced FI journalist, did a good job 'subbing' for the veteran.

Maybe we better get used to him ...

ITV’s Murray Walker; Will we see him in Oz again? (Cass)

continued on page 58 51

continued from page 57 would expect from the car, despite the fact that he had switched into the spare car after his own developed electrical trouble.

Jos Verstappen was a very disappointing 20th, complaining that the car was not handling well.

“It just all felt wrong,” he said.

Benetton was disappointing with 14th and 17th places on the grid for Giancarlo Ksichella and Alexander Wurz. The Benetton chassis continues to be good at some tracks and terrible at others.

This is the second team of designers to have worked for Benetton in recent years and so one must conclude that the problem is more fundamental.

Perhaps the windtunnel is misleading them. Whatever the case it is odd.

The performance of Prost with the much-heralded new Peugeot evolution engine is barely worthy of comment. Nick Heidfeld was 16th on the grid and Jean Alesi 18th. When there is a car that Jean Alesi cannot drive fast there must be a problem. Jean said that he had handling and engine problems.

For Alain Prost it was the latest in a series of hard blows particularly as the team had shown rather well in pre-race testing at Magny-Cours.

The Minardis were at the back and there is nothing new in that.

RESULTS 2000 FRENCH GRAND PRIK JULY 2 69 laps/300.-|Km PBS

BRISEB

1 Coulthard 2 Hakkinen 3 Barrichello 4 Villeneuve 5 R. Schumacher 6 Trulli 7 Frentzen 8 Button 9 Rsichella 10 Salo 11 Diniz 12 Heidfeld 14 Alesi 15 Gene REIIBEHEHTS

BBBE nut MSTEST UP 1:38:05:538 1:19.479 1:38:20:286 1:19.746 1:38:37.947 1:20.225 1:39:06.860 130.857 1:39:09.519 1:20.908 1:39.21.143 1:21.071 71 laps 1:2U55 71 laps 1:21.151 71 laps 1:20.958 1:21.725 71 laps 1:21.753 71 laps 1:21.115 70 laps 1:22.293 70 laps 1:21420

M.Schumacher 58 laps (engine) de la Rosa 45 laps(gearbox) Wurz 34 laps(spun off) Mazzacane 31 laps(spun off) Verstappen . 25 laps(gearbox) Herbert 20 laps(gearbox) Zonta 16 laps (brakes)

Best of the rest; After qualifying a season-best fifth Half Schumacher drove another smart race and coliected another two points for the BMW.Williams teat.

(Photo by RaceAccess)

Race(72 laps) On Sunday morning Hakkinen was fastest in the warm-up and everyone was confused once again. Had Mika shrugged off his current lethargy?

It was hot and humid on race morning when French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin flew in to be part of the FI show. He is a socialist and so a visit to the sociahst monument of MagnyCours was acceptable behaviour.

There were gaggles of government ' ministers wandering about as the morning wore on and the temperature rose. It was going to be a day when engines would sufier.

There was, so they said, a 40 percent chance of rain in the middle of the afternoon and after a massive downpour on Saturday afternoon, everyone was aware that it could turn into a wet and dry event.

But the weather was nice

enough at the start. Michael Schumacher was slightly slower off the line that one would anticipate and Coulthard began to creep up on him. As is now the established behaviour, the man ahead moves across and blocks his rival. Michael did it. David was forced to lift off the power, to avoid hitting the Ferrari, and switched to the right to try to pass Michael on the other side. As he came across the road, so Barrichello appeared on the very piece of tarmac that David was planning to use. He had to lift again.

“I didn't try to run Rubens off the circuit,” David said. “I gave him the room that I thought he deserved to have. We battled it through the corner and he won it.

That's how it should be, it should be done in a sporting way, not in a 'You lift, otherwise you will crash' sort of way.”

So there were two Ferraris ahead with Coulthard third and Hakkinen fourth. We expected to

1:19.656 1:21506 1:22.481 1:22.639 1:22.498 1:21.901 1:21563

FUTEST UP Coulthard 1:19.479 on lap 28 BIIIIEBSP9IITS M.Schumacher 56, Coulthard 44, Hakkinen 38, Barrichello 32, Fisichella 18, R. Schumacher 14, Villeneuve 8, Trulli 6, Frentzen 5, Irvine, Salo and Button 3, Verstappen 2,Zonta and de la Rosa 1. eausTBiieTnsPBUlTS Ferrari 88, McLaren Mercedes 81 Benetton 18, BMW Williams 17, Jordan Mugen-Honda 11, BAR Honda 9, Jaguar 3, Sauber Petronas 3 and Arrows 3.

SB

In the top 10: Mika Salo showed speed in the improved Sauber and cracked the top 10. (PholobySulton-lmages)

see Michael disappear off into the distance with Barrichello holding up the two McLarens but the rate of progress was not as dramatic as one would have expected. The race was not over by any means.

Coulthard could do nothing about Barrichello early on but as the fuel load began to go down, David found the car handling better and so began to pressure Rubens. Even so it took until lap 22 before he passed Rubens for second place with a lovely manoeuvre at the Adelaide hairpin. He went in wide and so came out faster and as Rubens did the gentlemanly thing and did not swerve into him David was able to pull alongside and take the place at the fast right-hand kink which follows. It was just how motor racing should be. Clean but hard.

In the laps which followed Coulthard closed in on Schumacher and it was very clear that there was nothing that Michael could do to react to David's charge.

“The tyres on the car seemed to suffer a drop in performance earlier than the others,” Michael explained. “It was worst after the first pit stop. At first I could control the situation but then the t3ues went off and I tried to look after them,knowing that there were still a lot oflaps to go.”

It took until lap 34 before David was close enough to have a try at passing the Ferrari for the lead.

David concluded that the best way to chaJlenge was around the outside at Adelaide which, when you are dealing with Michael Schumacher is perhaps not such a good idea. Michael has slightly different views than others on what moioriport news

FORMULA I Honda coming: Jordan will drop the ‘Mugen’ from Mugen-Honda next season - but they struggled to beat BAR in France. {Photo by Sutton-lmages)

is permissible and what is not.

David was alongside the Ferrari as they went into the corner and Michael let his car drift out as we knew he would. Coulthard had to hft off to avoid an accident. He was not amused and made a series of irate gestm-es.

A few laps later David dived for the inside at the same comer. This time Schumacher could do nothing.

David made it very clear that he was not going to lift off and he was ahead as they exited the corner.

Michael was refusing to lift off and eventually, as the road ran out, Michael's right front wheel came into contact with the front of David's left rear.

Here we had the makings of a dreaded wheel-over-wheel accident. When two spinning tyres hit one another the result is totally unpredictable. Either car could be launched skywards into a series of somersaults. Both could spin. On this occasion the impact merely skipped the McLaren slightly across the road.

It may not have looked much on the television but in that moment

RACEWEAR CREWS CLOTHING STEERING WHEELS STRUT BRACES HARNESSES HELMETS SEATS BOOTS PEDAL SETS GEAR KNOBS GLOVES KART I Jity 2080

David Coulthard sent Michael Schumacher a very clear message.

He is ready to stand up to Michael and he is not afraid of what will happen if Michael does not lift. If Michael is going to do it to others he must be willing to accept that someone is willing to do it to him.

More often than not the others back down. A few years ago at Monaco Wurz stood up to Schumacher is a similar way and had a huge accident a few laps later when his suspension failed as a result of the contact between the two cars. Wurz has never been the same driver since that day.

“I have to apologise for my hand gestures,” said Coulthard later.

“My emotions were running high. I knew that I needed to win in order to be in a position to battle for the championship. That is what I am trying to get done and I felt that I had a clean run on Michael on the outside. I felt that he drove me wide. Now you might say that

he had a right to do that because he had the track position but it made me very angiy. I just don't think that Michael is sporting in the way he drives on the track.

“I know there will be those who say that there is an element of sour grapes and that is the way a driver has to win these days. But there are set rules about the way you drive on the track, and to try to drive an opponent off the road is not within those rules.

“A driver must be able to trust the people against whom he is racing because he is risking his life. I want to win badly, and it will come to the point where the only option for someone to learn will be not to lift. Then there wiU be a collision and what happens after that will be in the hands of the gods.”

David's overtaking manoeuvre had shown that he is wilhng to trust his fate to the gods. He was in a

In that moment David Coulthard sent Michael Schumacher a very clear message

plane crash a few weeks ago and it has affected his view of the world...

There may not have been many who appreciated the message but Michael Schumacher knows that the next time he goes wheel to wheel with David there will be no prisoners. Coulthard is not going to back down and so if he keeps his foot down he is going to be risking it all; wife, family, money and all the rest of it. We shall have to see how he reacts to that but the message has been sent. Michael will have flown home on Simday night with a new respect for Coulthard.

Once he was ahead Coulthard was gone and he duly won as he pleased. It was a splendid victory and after Schumacher went out with an engine failure it became the perfect result: a McLaren 1-2 with Schumacher failing to score.

Hakkinen was happy to be second which is a curious concept to grasp but he really did seem to be content. Perhaps he is happy that he is no longer the one under the pressure of being the World Championship challenger. Who knows?

Hakkinen moved to third when Barrichello had a less than swift pit stop on lap 25. Later Rubens would have a disastrous stop which cost him an extra 10 seconds when a front right wheel nut stuck on the car. He was able to close up because the fading Schumacher was holding up Hakkinen but once Michael was gone Rubens was no threat. He finished third.

Fourth place was fought over in the closing laps by Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher. Ralf had made a bad start while Jacques had blasted himselfforwards as he so continued on page 60

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WHAT THEY SAID Higiliiglits

the pest-race press conference

David Coulthard: I am delighted to have won this Grand Prix and today's result puts us back where we were after Monaco - right in the championship fight.

The limited amount of running which I achieved on Friday and Saturday makes the victory even more satisfying. I knew that we had a quick car and that once I settled into the race I would find an opportunity to pass Michael. It has been a tiring weekend but my mechanics, engineers and everyone on the pitwall did a great job thank you.

IVIika Hakkinen: I am really happy about today's result. It was fantastic for David, fantastic for the team and fantastic for me.

We worked on my set up overnight and the car's balance was much more to my liking in the warm up. I made a really good start but I got to the first corner and there were already two cars there! This meant I had to slot into fourth place at the first corner.

As the race went on I knew I had the pace to pass Michael, and I was just waiting for the right opportunity which finally presented itself on lap 59. 1 really appreciate the efforts that my engineers and mechanics went to make my car so competitive today.

Rubens Barrichello: After I got past Coulthard at the start, I was just settling into my race and not pushing too hard as I wanted to look after my tyres.

I thought I could keep the others behind me quite easily.

Then after about 10 or 15 laps, my tyres suffered some give-up. This surprised me because the car had been good in the warm-up.

Coulthard was very fast on the 60

straight and putting me under pressure under braking and eventually he got past me when I ran wide at turn three.

At the second pit stop, there was a problem with my front right wheel which cost me ten seconds. It was a shame, because I heard that Hakkinen had a so-so stop as well. Maybe I could have passed him.

After Michael had his problem the team told me to slow down as I had a big lead over fourth place. I am sorry he did not finish the race.

Jacques Villeneuve: I am very happy to finish fourth here, especially on a track where we didn't expect to be particularly strong.

The start was so good that I even surprised myself I I settled into fifth and was also surprised that the first four did not pull away from us. We were running throughout the race with more fuel than was necessary to give us flexibility over when to make our stops, i had a good battle with Ralf towards the end. He was better in the corners, but I was quicker on the straights.

The only problem was when we came up to lap Diniz. I backed off and braked early to avoid any possible incident.

Ralf Schumacher: At the start, I lost two positions to Villeneuve and Frentzen. I had the feeling that I could have been faster than Heinz-Harald but it was impossible to overtake him.

Luckily, the team had a good pit stop strategy so that I could overtake H-H after the first stop. Later I managed to overtake Trulli and got close to Villeneuve but I did not want to risk too much in the last laps and I slowed down a bit to save the two points which are very valuable for the team.

continued from page 59 often has in recent months. He went from seventh on the grid to fifth. He was not under any serious threat from sixth-placed Frentzen and was unable to keep up with the cars ahead and so he had a lonely time until the closing stages when Schumacher caught him and tried eveiything to get ahead.

“He was better in the comers,” said Jacques,“but I was quicker on the straights.”

In the end Ralf backed off a little to guarantee two points to Williams. He might have challenged but after their recent crash in Canada, Jacques must seem rather an unpredictable adversary for Ralf and so he decided not to risk too much.

Villeneuve's team mate Zonta went OS'early with a brake problem and bumped into a tyre barrier.

Button did a very good job after a poor start which dropped him behind a fast-starting Salo. He overtook Irvine's Jaguar on lap 12 and Salo on lap 13 and then chased after the two Jordans and Ralf Schumacher. The order was scrambled at the first stops and Button found himself beWnd Frentzen and Raft. He looked to be stronger than both of them but he could not overtake and so he pitted early(a mistake)and while Ralf got ahead of Frentzen at his stop, Jenson was stuck behind HeinzHarald all the way to the flag.

“It was a bit annoying,” Jenson admitted later.

Trulh's fast work at the pit stops netted him sixth place while Frentzen was seventh and Button eighth. Behind the Williams was Fisichella's Benetton.

This was not a bad result for the Italian given that he had qualified 14th and then made a bad start to

drop to 16th. A sensible strategy and some hard driving dragged him back up into the top 10.

Wurz's race was another disaster. He dropped from 17th on the grid to 20th at the end of the first lap. In the mid-race he was running 16th when he locked up his brakes and went off at the final corner.

Sale and Diniz finished 10th and 11th after a hard race. They were fighting their cars all the way.

Twelfth place went to Heidfeld and withi^esi 14th Frost Grand Prix could at least claim to have finished two cars. There was nothing else to claim. It had been a horrible weekend,the crowning moment being in the race when Heidfeld tried to outbrake Fisichella and overshot, tipping Alesi into a spin. A chapter best closed, The same was true of Jaguar Racing. Herbert went out with (another)gearbox failure while Irvine dropped from sixth on the grid to 10th at the end of the first lap. This was hardly a good start and from there it was backwards all the way as he fell behind Button. During the pit stop he had trouble with the front left wheel nut and by the time that had been fixed he was as last as last can be.

He hurried along making up time but it was always a hopeless task although he did set the third fastest lap of the race.

Marc(iene was 15th and spent most of the afternoon battling with Alesi. They collided and spun at one point but ended the afternoon haft a second apart.

Gaston Mazzacane spun off in the middle of the race.

The only team not to get a car home was Arrows. The two cars went out with gearbox failures in the mid race.

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There’s a Lion in there: Alesi smokes it up in the Prost-Peugeot, turning (Photo Sutlon-Images) in front of the Arrows of Jos Verstappen. notorsport dbws

FORMULA 3000

France's wins continue France 2, Italy 1 in the soccer-and France 1-2 in F3000 as Mark Webber and Bruno Junqueira struggle, JOESAWARD reports f n ^he Magny Cours Formula I 3000 event was not a classic. There was little in the way of excitement after the start and Nicolas Minassian was able to close the gap on championship leader Bruno Junqueira on a day when the Brazilian was making mistakes.

Mark Webber looked to be threatening but an early-race puncture left him with nothing to do except charge hard at the tail of the field. Setting fastest lap was httle consolation. It was doubly fhistrating as David Saelens also closed on Webber in the points standings.

After Formula a month 1 circus off when was in the Canada,the Formula 3000 teams were back in action in France with the local drivers doing particularly well in qualifying. Pole position went to Gauloises Formula driver Sebastien Bourdais, who had been on the front row in Monaco. He was joined on the front row by fellow countiyman Minassian(Super Nova).

Thhd fastest was an impressive Fernando Alonso in his Team Astromega entry, completely overshadowing his more experienced team mate Fabrice Walfisch(who had a new chassis for the Magny Cours race). Walfisch was 16th.

Fourth on the grid was Belgian Saelens in the second Super Nova car ahead of Mario Haberfeld, returning to action with Fortec for the first time since his accident in

Spain. Franck Montagny(DAMS) was sixth just ahead ofAustraha's Mark Webber in his European Arrows car.

British star Darren Manning was eighth in his Arden Team Russia entry with championship leader Junqueira a disappointing ninth in his Petrobras Junior Team entry.

Completing the top 10 was Tomas Enge of the McLaren-run Mysap.com team, the Czech racer again overshadowing his team leader Stephane Sarrazin, who was 15th on the grid.

At the start Minassian made an exceptional start to jump into the lead from Bourdais, Saelens, and the fast-starting Montagny and Webber who had both overtaken Haberfeld and Alonso. The first lap passed without any major incident but halfway through lap two Jaime Melo (Petrobras Junior Team) tipped Ricardo Mauricio (Red Bull Junior Team)into a spin.

This resulted in Andre Couto (Gauloises Junior) damaging a front wing and both World Racing Team cars, driven by Britain's Marc Hynes and Indonesia's Ananda Mikola spinning in avoidance.

Hynes's car stalled and could not be restarted and so it was decided that a Safety Car should be sent out.

At the restart Alonso began to charge and overtook Junqueira.

The Brazilian then had to spin to avoid a slowing Webber and so dropped to the back of the field.

Webber had a puncture. It was a disaster for the Australian.

“That lost us a podium finish,” he said. “I think we would have

Le Belle France: Minassian and Bourdais ceiebrate with Saeiens.

Bruno battles: Like Webber Junqueira finished out of the points. (Sutton)

.● 'a

murdered them today if it hadn't been for the puncture.”

When he rejoined, Mark was lapping remarkably quickly but it mattered not at aU. His chances had gone.

In the laps that followed Bourdais pressured Minassian at the front but the Supernova driver held of the challenge and eventually Bouradais's efforts began to have an effect on his tyres and he dropped back. It was a similar story for Saelens who at one point was running nose to tail with the other leaders but eventually fell back with a spin on lap 25.

Elsewhere in the field Walfisch's horrible season continued with a spin which dropped him to 22nd. It remains to be seen whether he Charging: After an early delay Webber was the fastest man at Magny-Cours.

I iltl 2M«

will be at Astromega in the races ahead as the team will soon have to start worrying about points as it has failed to score this year and needs points to guarantee a place in the series next year.

The team's hopes took another dive a few laps later when Alonso went out with mechanical trouble.

Alonso's retirement meant that Sarrazin and Enge moved into the top six. Further back Christjian Albers (European Arrows) was doing a very good job to climb to eighth.

Sarrazin blew his hopes of a score by spinning in the final laps. Enge got ahead of his team mate and Soheil Ayari (Coloni). Ayari then ran into the back of SaiTazin and had to pit for repairs which dropped him out of the running.

As rain threatened the race came to a close with Minassian winning from Bourdais and Saelens.

Junqueira remains at the head of the championship table with 38 points, 10 ahead of Minassian while Webber is third with 14 points, under pressure from Saelens who now has 12.

61

David Coulfhard Motorsport News: Austria will be your 100th Grand Prix. How do you feel about it?

David Coulthard: I'm really quite excited about that. I never really pay attention to statistics, but it's got a nice sound to it. One hundred Grands Prixl Jackie Stewart only did 99, so I guess I am the Scottish record holder.

I like the Al-Ring, although it reminds me of a little kart track.

Nevertheless it's a fun little track and usually creates good racing and lots of overtaking. I enjoyed 1998 when I came through from last to finish second. Austria is a nice place. The countryside is very like Scotland, so I feel at home there.

,-Benz

Dm

Z:

MN: What stands out most in your mind so far?

DC: Obviously the wins have been fantastic, but I've had so many mechanical problems when leading Grands Prix. I haven't worked out the statistics but I would guess, if you look at Mika and Michael, I've had more genuine mechanical problems when leading Grands Prix.

To win a race when people drop out, like in Monaco, is nice.

But it's not like leading from the start on the first lap. A lot of the wins I've had have been proper wins. My first win in Portugal in 1995, I beat Michael and Damon. They were standing either side of me. There I was in, my 20th Grand Prix beating the top two guys. That was fantastic.

The biggest disappointment I've had in my career has been reliability, which has been shit, especially in my time at McLaren.

MN: What about the highlights?

DC: Winning Monaco concluded what I consider a series of races which are the best races - Spa. Silverstone, Monza and Monaco.

I don't think there are any better tracks than those in terms of

atmosphere and history and all that sort of thing. To have won those four I feel is an achievement in my career.

MN: Do you think this season everything is as going as well as it ever has for you?

DC: It's going as well as it ever has done. But if you look at my year, I've been disqualified from Brazil, I've been to Paris to a tribunal, I've been in a plane crash. I've been lapped at Nurburgring... A lot's happened already this year. Incredible really.

"I think with age you mature. Young guys can he quick, no question.

But very rarely do you get a young guy winning a championship" - Coulthard MN: Did you get any satisfaction from the Canadian GP, or was it just all a misery?

DC: A miseryl It was nice to finish the race. There's always some satisfaction form finishing a Grand Prix. But otherwise no satisfaction. I just made a mistake at the start, made a bad call on tyres, had a spin with Verstappen, it was just one of those days where everything goes wrong.

MN; Did you know you were going to get a penalty?

DC: I wasn't sure how close it was. I thought I might have got away with it.

MN: Do you feel that you've been driving better than ever before?

DC; Winning Monaco was great, because I felt so strong. Of course we all have high opinions of ourselves, but I really think I could have battled hard with

Michael. And no matter how fast he was driving I think I could have driven that fast at Monaco.

And it would have just been great for FI if we'd seen that battle. It didn't happen.

MN;The balance swung in Mika's favour when he won his first GP at Jerez in 1997.

Do you think it's now come back in your direction?

DC: Yes, the cards are falling my way. And that's what you need.

I've always maintained that. I've never walked around saying, "I'm the best driver in the world.

I'm going to beat everyone". I've never said that. I obviously have confidence that I can win races.

And I acknowledge that Michael and Mika are the two guys to beat. They are the two double World Champions, and they are very consistent. But I've said that give me a competitive car, give me an equal opportunity, and then I can grow as a driver.

And I think I am growing, I am improving. People have doubted that. I haven't. It's satisfying to get a result so the doubters have to shut up for a while.

MN: You've always said yourself there are some tracks where you've traditionally struggled. Is solving that one of the keys to success?

DC: The key circuits where I was bad at before, like Brazil, just a few tracks where each year I didn't go well. I've worked hard on that.

I haven't just been going around FI being a superstar, taking the money, and going off partying. I've been trying to focus, trying to work hard, to do a good job for me and a good job for the team. And I believe you're seeing the results of that.

I'm improving, and there's still much more I can do.

MN: Can you explain how you are improving?

ScoUand the Brave 62

Three wins In England, Menace and France have not been the only talking points for David Coulthard this season. After surviving a fatal plane crash In May the Scot has a new lease on life and he is driving hotter than ever. By ADAM CDOPER

Bolertport bbwi

IHTERVIEW Making himself at home; This season Coulthard won at Monaco,where he lives, for the first time.

!

(Photos by Sutlon-lmages)

DC: It's better preparation, just improving your life, getting rid of the distractions. When you come from being an F3000 driver to suddenly being an FI driver, and suddenly being paid a lot of money, there's a lot of things that you have to attend to. It's like when you get married. There will be a period of adjustment.

No matter how long you're with someone, it's different. I live like a married man, but I'm not yet.

When I am married, it's going to be different, I'm sure. I'm sure Fleidi's demands will change!

And I think with age as well you mature. Young guys can be quick, no question. But very rarely do you get a young guy winning a championship. It takes time. Even for Michael.

And I think that's happening with me.

MN: What do you think about criticism in the press?

DC: I pay less attention to that than I used to. All I pay attention to is if I give somebody my time, not that my time is more important than anyone else's, but I use time which I could be working with the engineers.

I don't mind criticism. For you to sit there and tell me I'm not as quick as Mika Flakkinen, fair enough, that's your opinion. And the results to date show that to be the case. But if you take something I say and completely turn it around...

There was a guy this year, just to give you an example, who did an interview with me. Fie asked me what I felt about Jenson Button getting a lot of publicity in Britain. I said it's normal. He's young, he's colourful, he's exciting, people want to know lots of things about him. This guy took that, and wrote in his article "publicly he doesn't have a problem with Jenson Button.

Privately he's seething."

I went to the guy and said, look that's not what I said. I didn't say to you,'Between you and I. I'm not happy.'"

That's the only thing from a media point of view that upsets me now. If my office tells me that someone's done that. I'll want to go and say, just so you know, we're not having an interview one-on-one again.

I Ml im

kri*

When i am married, it's going to be different, i'm sure, i'm sure Heidi's rr demands wiii changel - DC on his coming marriage because you can't be trusted.

If he had said quite accurately, "he appears not to be bothered by the Jenson hype", and then went onto say my personal opinion is Jenson Button is not good enough, I wouldn't have gone to him and said "why are you saying I'm not good enough." It's his opinion, and it's not a problem. But if I give something and you turn it. I'm not happy.

MN: We heard at the start of this year that you had a new approach of ‘no more Mr Nice Guy'. In fact now you are going well you seem more relaxed than ever. What's the real story?

DC: It's not that I didn't want to be nice, I just wanted to refocus how I did my job.

In the past, because we know

each other, if you'd said to me, 'Have I got five minutes?' I would have said 'Yes.' But if I'm halfway to the engineers' office, and I give you five minutes, it means I'm not with them. Now the difference is that I'd say you have to organise it with the PR people. I just want to spend my time either talking with my engineers, or sitting relaxed looking at the sky, or with my girlfriend.

I think that's a more professional way to spend my time than giving five minutes to every single person. There used to be a time when I would sign every autograph request. Now I don't. It's not being disrespectful to the people who are asking for autographs, you've just got to get on with your life.

Signing autographs doesn't win you races. Winning races comes from working with the engineers, going to the gym, and getting your mind in the right place. Before I was embarrassed to say to people I don't have the time. If we're away from the track, it would be different.

COULTHARD ON THAT ACCIDENT MN; How much has life changed since the aircraft accident on May 27 DC: In terms of what I'm doing day to day, it's the same. In the way I look at my life and the people around me, it has changed. ' There's no way you can go through something like that - and we all go through things in life, whether it's losing a loved one, or being involved in an accident that doesn't change the way you see things. And it's definitely changed the way I look on my ^ private life and personal life, and the way I view people and some emotions I might feel towards those people.

A lot of the negative emotions I would feel towards certain people have gone. Now I think well, maybe those people piss me off, but I'm not going to let it bother my life.

MN: Did you draw strength from the way family and friends reacted to the accident?

DC: In any incident it's always I nice to see your family and I friends and people who care for I you. It's always nice to feel loved I and wanted. The most I uncomfortable thing for me out of j all that is that because of my job, ' j in front of the media, it became a I very publicised event. ! There are whole families who j I lost a husband, a father... one of j i the ladies was expecting a child.

I It would have been traumatic for them anyway. It's even more traumatic for them because of the publicity. They turn on the TV, it's in the newspapers. It must be much more difficult for them, because of the situation.

Plus, every time they now hear my name in a Grand Prix, they think of their husband. I think normally in that situation you could probably deal with the loss and get on with the rest of your life.

MN: Have you had contact with them?

DC: I haven't had verbal contact with them, but 1 have written to them, and the team has been in contact with them to help them.

I have to say that McLaren, and Martin Whitmarsh especially, the way he co-ordinated the handling of that whole thing, has just been fantastic - to help the families as much as possible, and to help me \ as well.

63

Performance Wholesale AUSTRALIA’S NO. 1 FOR HARD CORE RACE ENGINE PARTS

y>

3 X 1 X 2 X 1 X

Note: The Brodix Heads below are all complete packages assembled with stainless V*ai comp, valves, roller cam springs, retainers & locks, screw in studs & guide plates. -SJI BR-Tl SB CHEV TRACK 1, MOST POPUUR SB CHEV ALLOY HEAD. TAKES REPLACEMENT ROLLER ROCKERS ETC BR-n-X AS ABOVE BUT MAKES 50HP MORE THAN TRACK 1, NEEDS OFFSET SHAFT MOUNTED ROCKERS BB-2 BB CHEV ALLOY, SUIT 427-510 CIN, MOST POPUUR HEAD, FLOWS 660HP STOCK BB-2-PLUS AS ABOVE, BUT MADE FOR 510 CIN AND LARGER, FLOWS WITH MINOR PORT, 770HP ABOVE BRODIX HEADS ARE COMPLETE ASSEMBLIES - SEE ABOVE

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PR $1,850 IRON EAGLE SB CHEV CAST IRON HEAD, 215CC INTAKE RUNNER, 64CC CHAMBER, SUIT 2.055" INT & 1.6" EXH VALVES, FULLY ASSEMBLED WITH SCREW IN STUDS, GUIDE PLATES & ROLLER SPRINGS EA$ 760 IRON EAGLE BB CHEV CAST IRON BARE HEADS, 345CC INT RUNNER, SUIT 2.25" INT & 1.88" EXH VALVES PR $1,730

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PR $1,695 PR $1,040

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MANIFOLDS

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2 X HV-1007 1 X HV-1801

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1 X M14001

SB CHEV SINGLE PUNE ONE PIECE MANIFOLD TO SUIT PRO 140 ALUMINIUM & CAST IRON HEADS

4 X 2104

SB CHEV PERFORMER 4B MANIFOLD, SUIT 1987-95 MODEL CAST IRON HEADS (WITH CENTRE BOLT HOLE & ROCKER COVERS) & DIFFERENT INTAKE BOLT PAHERN ,EA $220 $320 SB FORD PERFORMER 4B MANIFOLD, SUIT 289-302 FORD ,$338 ROVER V8 PERFORMER 4B MANIFOLD, SUIT ROVER 3500 OR SOME BUICKS & OLDSMOBILES BB CHEV DUAL PUNE MANIFOLD, SUIT DOMINATOR HOLLEY CARBY “EARLY MUSCLE STYLE" MANIFOLD, SUIT RECT. PORT HI-PERF. HEADS . . . .$250 ■VICTOR" STYLE MANIFOLD TO FIT FORD 351 USING C302B OR EARLY A3 HEADS ON A 351C BLOCK OR 9.2" SVO BLOCK, 4500-8500 RPM. . . .$390 ,EA $296 SB CHEV PERFORMER RPM MANIFOLD (1500-6500 RPM), SUIT HOLLEY CARBY .$296 SB CHEV PERFORMER RPM MANIFOLD (1500-6500 RPM), SUIT Q-JET CARBY SB FORD PERFORMER 5.0, SUIT MUSTANG & FORD 5.0 LITRE EFI ENGINE, EDELBROCK REPUCEMENT FOR OEM, MAKES 37HP OVER STOCK MANIFOLD $740

1 1 1 1 2 1 1

X X X X X X X

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1 4 2 3 4 1 1

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SB CHEV 4340 BILLET SUPERUGHT CRANK, 3.562" STROKE, 350 MAIN, 6" ROD, EXCELLENT BOAT OR SUPER SEDAN CRANK ABSOLUTE BARGAIN! .$2,995 SB FORD 320W, 347 CIN, CAST STEEL STROKES CRANK, 3.4" STROKE, SB CHEV B/END ...$ 860 SB FORD 302W, 347 CIN, CAST STEEL STROKES CRANK, 3.4" STROKE, SB FORD B/END .EA$ 860 SB FORD 351W, 408 CIN, CAST STEEL STROKES CRANK, 4" STROKE X 6" SB CHEV ROD X 351W MAINS ... .

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SB CHEV 4340 PRO SERIES CRANK, 4.00" STROKE, 350 MAINS SUIT 6" RODS .

BB CHEV 4340 RACER SERIES, 4" STROKE

.EA $2,100 . . .$2,250 . . .$2,795 . . .$2,795 . . .$3,050

PISTONS QTY

1SET(8) 1SET(8) 1SET(8) ISET(IO)

pm#

103757 124076 130151 170031

DfEAD

SB CHEV 502 CHEV SB CHEV SB CHEV

BOOE

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STROKE I«»)

3.750" 4.00" 3 9A6" 3.400"

6" 6135" 5.7' 6"

CMR

13.5 8.8 a5 9.5

^

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1 X 11200

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1 X 12001

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1SET(8) 1311J2S6

SB CHEV

23*

4.060'

3.48'

5.7'

1SET(8) 139477 1SET(8) 142991

BBCHEV BBCHEV

GM GM

4.280" 4.310"

4.00" 425"

1645" 6135" FA 6.385" 1025 1270'

FA

1550"

LIGHTWEIGHT

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INCL PINS SLOCKS ....$750 INCL PINS SLOCKS ....$850

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MILODON VALVES

Mi 2 SETS(8) 93451 1SET(8) 97751

SBCHEV SB CHEV

23" 23"

4.060' 4125"

3.48" 3.W

5.7' 5.7'

12.5 12.5

1568' 1433"

INCL PINS INCL PINS

.(SET) $500 .$300

ROSS CUSTOM PISTONS-All NEW BUT HAVE BEEN INCORRECTLY OR OVER SUPPUED BY ROSS. 18" 4.062" 3.48/3.5" 6" DOME 1245" NO PINS/LOCKS .$790 1 SET (10) 12-20-RB2 SB CHEV NO PINSAOCKS .$400 1SET(4) 63-21-SK HYUNDAI 2LD0HC 82MM 93.5HM STD DOME 1220' NOPINSAOCKS 23" 4.080" 3 9A6" 5.7' 13.5 1515" .$500 1SET(8) I2-20-5Q3 SB CHEV NOPINSAOCKS STD 4.030 3.50" 6.00" FA 1446" .$500 1SET(8) 19-10-RD 351C DOME 1760" NOPINSAOCKS .$200 1SET(8) 14-20-CHD TOYOTA V8 OHC 3298" FA 1780" NOPINSAOCKS .$400 1SET(6) 66-U-KB HOLDEN 6 STD 3.705" DOME 1635" GAS PORTED ..

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16 X 45662

SYSTEMS INC

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ALL i»AR¥S ARE NEW AND PRICES INCLUDE GST*

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CON RODS 1 SET

X B93900B

1 SET

X B93205B

SCAT 1 SET X 3506000R 2 SETS X 4546135R 2 SETS X 4S463gSR

SB FORD BILLET 5.400" CONRODS,^ S/J CHEV B/END & FORD WIDTH . . .

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DRAG RACE SPRINGS Equivalent to a Competition Cam .$1,500 $800

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8 SETS X PNR-948 II 1.640" OD,.635" ID, 330 lbs @ 2.100 f 950 lbs @ 1.200"(16 per set)

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$300 SET

ENTERPRISES 1 SET

X LA6250-UL

:SB CHEV 4340 H/BEAM BILLET RODS, ULTRALITE, 6.25" LONG ,$2,500

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D

D

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Authentic: When you see an ex-Emerson Fittipaldi Lotus 72 at Goodwood you know it’s Emmo himself driving (inset).

It’s Frentzen! No Murray, it’s Damon Hill, while Jordan designer Mike Gascoyne had a drive as well (below), (au photos by sutton-irrujos)

if"

Taking to the Max: Max Angelleli demoed the ex-Brack G Force-Aurora IRL car.

Alan Jones: “I raced against Jack O’Malley in one of these Alfas at Calder 20 years ago.

Bruno Giacomelli: “That was me, Meester Jones”.

And it’s Sheene! No Murray, it’s you! Walker rode the Rudge his father Graham raced at the Isle of Man in 1930.

It was this big: Le Mans legends Jacky Ickx and Derek Bell.

68

n

HISTORKS John Dawson-Damer 1940- 2000

Baby blues; Roger Levett’s Sunbeam Harrington Alpine. (Photo by Brian Reed)

Fresh as Alpine

by BRIAN REED

THE 24th National Sunbeam Rally was held in Bendigo over the Queen's Birthday Weekend and was hosted by the Sunbeam Car Club of Victoria Inc. A total of 60 sparkling Sunbeams from the 1920s through to the last of the Tiger V8s took part in a range of social and sporting events, including two rare Sunbeam Harrington Le Mans coupes.

Back in 1961, the Rootes Group entered two Sunbeam Alpines(a Harrington coupe and a hardtop) in the 1301-1600cc class of the Le Mans 24-hour race, a class that was dominated by Porsche.

When the Masson/Amagnac D.B. retired the Arbaths took over as leaders of the Indices of Performance and Efficiency, but just before noon the Sunbeam Harrington Alpine of Harper and Proctor displaced the Thermal Efficiency leader.

In a race that boasted no fewer than 11 Ferraris in the entry list.

Harper and Proctor went on to finish 16th outright and win the Thermal Efficiency Cup by covering 3,488kms at an average of almost 146km/h, achieving

ISmpg. for the 24 hours. Of the 250 Harrington Le Mans cars built to commemorate the success, only 40 remain in the world and five of these are in Australia.

Bendigo had two of the five participating in this year's national rally, these cars belonging to Mike Bartlett from Victoria and Roger Levett from NSW. The cars were built by Harrington Motor Bodies(Thomas Harrington Ltd.)in Sussex, England and use fibreglass for the roof, back panel and the swept ' back rear hatch. Apart from the distinctive body, the Harrington Le Mans differ from the more common Alpine in the engine department, with a lightened fl3rwheel and fully balanced and blue printed motor with the option of running twin Webers.

No two Harringtons are identical as all were built to customer specifications. They are fitted with Milrocell bucket seats, foot and arm rests, map pockets, Crypton electronic rev counter and a Carlotti wood-rimmed steering wheel, and three stages of tune were offered to customers.

Of the five Harrington Le Mans in Australia, none were delivered new - all have been privately imported.

Flying Fortress?

No, the other B29

ONE of Australia's top young Historic competitors, Sean Whelan from Adelaide, has purchased a new weapon which should prove a headache for the opposition.

Sean has just taken over the I laly 2gn

JOHN Dawson-Damer,the Formula One Race of Legends Chairman of the CAMS events at the Clipsal 500 meeting Historic Commission,has in Adelaide - a Lotus 49B(which been tragically killed in a he drove)and a Lotus 39 Climax for Paul Hamilton. racing accident at Goodwood.

Dawson-Damer,59, was “He was always a cautious driving his 1969 4-WD Lotus 63 driver,” said Hamilton.“He in the Festival of Speed's timed believed that to take part was the hillclimb when he lost control of most important thing, and he'd his car and crashed into the say “We're just going out there to i exercise them’.” gantry at the end ofthe climb.

The two CAMS Historic Sadly two officials were struck by Commission officials had met for . the car, one also losing his life and, at the time of writing, the lunch the day before Dawsonother sustaining life-threatening Damer left for England to work injuries. on the agenda for the next The Hon. John Dawson-Damer meeting of the Commission which was the second son of the former was planned for July 8,soon after Earl of Portarlington who was John's return from:(Joodwood. killed during World War 2. John The meeting will sjal be held. emigrated to Australia some 30 Speaking of his position on the ; Historic Commission Hamilton years ago, and after Mving in Perth later moved to Sydney. For said,“We have a big set ofshoes ^ almost 20 years he had headed to fill. We're really going to miss him.” the CAMS Historic Commission and was Australia's delegate to _ 'A&5'thSi‘'trib.ute was deliv«rj^^i the FIA Commission. at the VHRR's annual generad He will be remembered for his meeting on June-27 by former ; achievements in rallying, winning CAMS officerJohn B^son. the Australian Rally ‘“JDp? was unquestionably a Championship navigator's title gentleman and a thorough with (jreg Carr and the-Ford Historic eiithusiast,” he.said.

“As chairman ofthe Historic team in 1978. During the '70s he teamed with rally champion Colin Commission he would find ways Bond and in more recent years to resolution of difficult issues, they competed together in Targa and he was one of the most liked , Tasmania. . and respected people in' motor ; Deputy Chairman of the CAMS sportlfoth here and overseas. The !

Historic Commission, Paul lEstoric movement wouj'iffi'tfbe as J●;.

■i Hamilton said, “I have the Strong today had it not bee n for. highest praise for the work he John-, Md he was responsible for l| did, and most people don't know enabling many Austrians- tp'.. the extent of the contribution he compete iii'Historic events overseas.” made to Historic motorsport in A minute's silence was then ' this country. John was also highly observed in bis honoun respected intemationally on the FIA.” The Historic racing fraternity '; mourns the sad loss of John Dawson-Damer was a great lover of Lotus racing cars and had Dawson-Damer and we all join in i collected a stable of significant expressing our sincere examples of the marque over the sympathies to John's wife Ashley, ■ years. Only two months ago he his family and fiiends. had two cars entered for the -BRIAN REED

■■■

Chevron B29 sports car formerly campaigned by Melbourne veteran Brian Sampson. It's a quick car and should cause the Group Q chaps to sit up and take notice once he comes to grips with it.

-BRIAN REED

Tragedy: Emergency crews attend the accident scene. (Phoiobysution-imagos) 69

I remember how to do this: Ordynski put a tough season behind him to not only take Group N honours but theiOverall win in Goffs.

(Photo by Sport the Ubrary)

The All Ordynski index

by JON THOMSON

Y

'ou went and won one and I wasn’t in the car!” was Mark Stacey’s statement to former rally partner Ed Ordynski as the Mitsubishi driver celebrated his victory in HaUy New South Wales at Goffs Harbour.

Ordynski sealed the surprise overall win with co-driver Iain Stewart after taking a third and a second in the two heats aboard his Ralliart Group N Lancer EvoVI. He had finally closed the gap on Group N rival Cody Crocker and benefited fi-om the misfortune ofthe WRC cars of Neal Bates in heat one and Possum Bourne in heat two.

Stacey, now co-driving for Bourne, was clearly pleased for his old partner, despite a day which had seen the Subaru lead car encounter plenty of problems.

Bates sparred with Bourne

10

throughout day one until had luck again robbed him of a finish.

Both factory Subarus feU foul of problems on Sunday with Bates taking the second heat and some valuable points.

Bourne combined the first heat win Tough weeken d for the marsupial: Bourne went 1-DNF in the two stages. with sixth in heat two and was “Itjust doesn’t feel quite right at stage proves little apart from bumped to third overall for the rally the moment so the boys are playing entertaining the thousands of behind Stewart Reid in his around with the settings,” said spectators.

Mitsubishi Lancer who had a fourth Bourne.

Out in the forest the ledger and a second.

The Group N battle this time started to tip quickly in Bourne’s around would be much closer favour taking a 10s advantage after between Crocker and Ordynski. the first four stages.

Crocker has so far enjoyed the upper Bourne, despite his advantage, hand this year but now Ordynski claimed to be suffering minor The traditiond rally opened half-kilometre with the now dash appeared to be more comfortable handling problems with the WRC around the showgrounds but the with the Ralliart machine.

Impreza.

Day 1

inoloiiDort aewi

"1

RAUY There was a tremendous battle behind the factoiy cars as the leading privateers fought for supremacy. Stewart Reid, Dean Herridge and Brett Middleton were all in a tight fight, with Reid absolutely flying to be in fifth place ahead of MiMeton and Herridge.

Herridge had a close shave on SS3 when he hit a sign post while cutting a comer,spinning the Impreza down the road at more than lOOkph. Miraculously the car hit nothing in the wild ride.

Over the final four stages Bates attacked Bourne until less than a kilometre from the end ofthe test.

A shght dip offthe end of a bridge launched the CoroUa onto its nose, cnishing the radiator upwards into the engine. Keen to avoid destroying the engine. Bates was forced to pull out handing the day to Bourne.

Ironically Bourne had got away ■with just a cracked fibreglass bumper moments before at the same place...

The focus then turned to the Group N battle. The Crocker/Ordynski fight was extremely close with Crocker stretching the gap to 6s by the end of stage six. Ordynski pegged it back two on the next before Crocker got him by one on the final test, the

Rally NSW results HEAT 1 RESULTS Subaru 1. Boume/Stacey Subaru 2. Crockar/Foletta 3, Ordynski/Stewart Mitsubishi Mitsubishi 4. Reid/Murphy 5. Herridge/Macneall Subaru Subaru 6. Sandy/Bruty 7. Boaden/Cheers Mitsubishi 8. Lowndes/Randell Mitsubishi

47.37 49,24 49.29 50.42 50.51 51.08 51.33 51.41

HEAT 2 RESULTS Toyota 1 Bates/Taylor 2 0rdynski/SStewart Mitsubishi Mitsubishi 3 Reid/Murphy Subaru =4 Lintott/Jackson =4 Lowdnes/Randell Mitsubishi

47.25 48.54 49.25 50.08 50.08

DRIVERS POINTS OUTRIGHT Bourne 104, Bates 88, Ordynski 78, Crocker 77,

Herridge 30.

margin just 5s over the day.

The privateer battle was intense, with Reid and Middleton fighting for fourth until Middleton left the road, rolling and landing on his roof Despite only minor panel damage the Subaru was out for Sunday.

Middleton’s demise gave Reid fourth, 9s ahead of Herridge who had battled an understeer problem aUday.

In Formula Two Peter Anderson had run close with Lee Peterson’s Nissan Sunny all day until he came to grief on SS7 rolling the former Rick Bates Daihatsu Charade.

In the Proton Rally Trophy, Ashlea James continued to stretch his lead, easily claiming the ■win and 34th outright ahead of the similar Proton Satrias of Joe Lombardo and joumo Michael Taylor.

In the Aussie Car Class Peter Menzies (Ford XR8) beat brother Ian’s XR6.

Day 2 ates’ team worked until the 2am pare ferme deadline repairing the Corolla for heat two and, with rain and blustery ■wind aU night, the nature of the stages had changed dramatically.

Bourne had the upper hand in the opening three tests to lead by 6s going into Arrawarra.

Bourne was trying to get the gap to seal the rally on the long stage but lost it aU with a spin as the stage entered the banana plantations. The spin into a bank cost about 30 seconds and the resultant bent lower control arm and broken driveshaft cost another three minutes as he battled the 17 kms to the finish.

Bates caught and passed the Umping Subaru, streaking into the lead ahead of Ordynski.

The Subaru team’s problems continued. Crocker had a puncture on the second stage, forcing him to

Aussie Accent?

Photo by Sutton-lmages

I Miy 2000

f 4

drive out of the stage on the flat, destroying the wheel arch and an electrical harness.

At the same time the Subaru had also lost third gear and the team elected to change it in a 10 minute service. The mechanics completed it in 20 minutes costing over a minute in penalties and stage time, pushing him back to 14th.

The fight for third place outright was on, Reid leading the charge ahead of Spencer Lowndes and Lintott.

Herridge had been ha^ving a shocker of a heat and he made it worse when he put the Subaru on its side and was forced out.

Bates was now well clear of Ordynski but the Mitsubishi was under attack from Reid. Bates had too big a gap though and was finally able to benefit from some good luck rather than pondering the luck of Bourne.

‘Points are points no matter how you earn them and we really need as many as we can get our hands on heading into the final two rounds in Melbourne and Tasmania,” said Bates.

Reid maintained third outright ahead of Lowndes in fourth and Martin Lintott who tied for fourth.

Bourne grabbed sixth and Crocker eighth, the pair separated

by John Mitchell.

In F2 Lee Peterson backed up his Heat 1 result by taking Heat 2 in his Nissan. Peter Menzies also repeated in the Aussie Car Class ahead of Paul Pyyvara and Andrew Murdoch.

In the Proton Rally Trophy James continues to go from strength to strength cleaning up ahead of Lombardo and Taylor.

The Super Series now heads south to The Rally of Melbourne on the 26th and 27th August ■with Bates less than 10 points behind Bourne and the series dehcately poised.

AN interesting adornment at the Pacific Bay Resort HQ for Rally NSW was the Hyundai Accent World Rally Car mock up on display throughout the rally.

The presence of the car fuelled speculation that perhaps Hyundai nnay be poised to enter the ARC perhaps with a 'passive ' WRC Accent for leading privateer Stewart Reid.

Reid is already closely associated with the Korean nnarque as one of the lead drivers in the Hyundai Precision Driving Team and is one of the few drivers in this country who could extract the maximum from a WRC car.

Reid gave a wry smile when quizzed about the rumour during the Coffs rally saying that he

Green light for Super 1600s THE FIA World Council has formally approved the rules for the Super 1600 junior class and confirmed that it will form part of the World Championship in 2001.

The new category takes up where F2 left off but at a much lower cost than the 2-litre class, and with a number of strict controls to keep prices down.

The FIA confirmed that the category will be for “Group A kit cars with a normally aspirated engine, a cylinder capacity of 1600cc, front-wheel drive and a maximum price ready to race of 100,000 Euros (about $160,000 Australian) before tax” and revealed a six-round calendar for the inaugural series, run entirely in Europe.

F2 cars were costing up to $400,000 brand new with even second hand machines fetching a quarter of a million dollars.

The six events in next year’s Super 1600 series are the Catalonia, Acropolis, Finland and Sanremo, along with the Tour of Corsica and the Rally of Great Britain.

Already a number of manufacturers have indicated they will be producing cars for the category, including Peugeot with its 106 Maxi. Ford with its Puma kit car. Fiat with its Punto 1600, VW's Polo, Citroen's Saxo and Proton's Satria.

There is one condition still to be fulfilled; a minimum of 10 drivers must enter the new championship before February 1, 2001.

- JON THOMSON couldn't comment.

However the presence of the kit car replica and the apparent push by local importer Astre Automotive to acknowledge the marque's burgeoning rally program adds fuel to the speculation.

New press adds for the Accent feature the Castrol-liveried rally car (left) while former Ford executive and now Hyundai PR chief Richard Power is known to have a predisposition to rallying.

With the possibility that ARCom will rule in favour of introducing passive WRCar restrictions to Australia from next year, it may be the right time for Hyundai to enter the fray.

-JONTHOMSON 71

RALLY GST shock: Protons cost less!

DRIVERS still thinking about taking the plunge and entering the Proton Trophy in 2001 will be glad to hear that the GST has done them a huge favour.

The price of the base Satria for rally competitors has been reduced by $1000. The car will now sell for just $8800.

Interested competitors should contact Robynne Hall at Proton Cars Australia.

PRIVATEER rally teams from outside WA have until September 11 to apply for Competitor Assistance Packages worth up to $4000 to contest Telstra Rally Australia.

Privateers are deemed to be those not receiving substantial commercial support.

Successful applicants can receive up to $3000 in Qantas air travel and up to $1000 in accommodation at an official Rally Australia hotel.

- PETER WHITTEIM

Dissent over ARC future

by JON THOMSON THE Australian Eally Commission(ARCOM) has called together the leading manufacturers with a stake or potential stake in local rallying to see how the future of the burgeoning series can be secured.

With strong TV coverage on the Ten Network,the ARC Super Series has drawn big fields with a brace of new cars for privateers but a diminishing number of manufacturer teams involved in the series.

It is beheved the meeting was called to determine how to keep Toyota in the series and to potentially attract other makers at the top WRC/GroupAlevel,

Focus in Oz? Could we see Ford in the ARC? including Ford and

Mitsubishi.

It is believed that Ford through motorsport boss Howard Marsden told the meeting that the blue oval could enter a Focus WRC in the ARC if rules to outlaw active differentials were imposed and horsepower could be limited.

Commodore, Saab for Pike's Peak

Mitsubishi, through Ralliart Australia chief Bob Riley, also could be interested in running a Lancer Evo VI Group A car if the competition ran passive transmissions.

Neal Bates’ team chief Peter Reynolds said that moving to a passive differential scenario could be the difference between

Ibyota staying in the series or going.

“Whether we win or lose, coming second in a group offour cars is better than coming second in a group of two and if you happen to win in a bigger field it makes the achievement even more significant, so we would like to see more makers involved,” Reynolds said.

It is believed Subaru is opposed to the passive differential move.

Possum Bourne’s crew chief Simon Currie telling the meeting that messing with the rules and taking them away from full WRC parity would be a bad move in the long run.

The group is expected to meet again in mid July with a resolution by late August.

Tommies brand new gun

WORLD Champion Tommi Makinen will have a new toy to play with at the Rally Finland next month.

Makinen and team-mate Freddy Loix will drive Mitsubishi’s Ralliart-developed Evolution version of the Lancer/Carisma GT, which will be fighter than the version the pair have raced this season.

The new car, which will be around 25kg fighter than the ’00 Evo VI, also features revised suspension, as well as new

computer software and hardware for its 4WD driveline.

“I feel very confident after the test,” said Makinen after driving the car for the first time.

“The diffs ... are much stronger and (the) reduction in weight make the car much better to drive.

“The new electronics make a big difference as well; the control unit’s response time is much sharper and means the car reacts quicker, and I can drive in a more committed manner.”

. }

THERE wiU be some interesting cars at the annual “Race to the Clouds’ at Pikes Peak this year - including a Holden Commodore.

The July Fourth weekend event was due to feature for the first time an ASA class, using the same cars seen 20 weekends a year as part of the ASA ACDelco Series.

Cars in the exhibition class will showcase the Vortec ASA 5700 engines, the spec engine of the ASA ACDelco Series used by all competitors in the 2000 season.

It is the first fuel-injected engine to be used in short track stock car racing and is based on the Gen III unit now available in Holden’s Commodore.

JZ

Appropriately, two cars to be fielded by Herzog Motor Sports will feature Holden Commodore bodies.

The rest of the field will be made up of the usual Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Saab will also nm a car in the event for the first time. Reigning European Rallycross Champion Per Eklund will strap into a 9-3 Viggen Coupe (above), powered by a turbocharged 2-litre fourcylinder engine which produces 515kW (700hp) and an impressive 800Nm of torque.

Eklund’s weapon will accelerate to lOOkph in 2.5s, but will face stiff opposition in the Open Class from Rod Millen (Toyota Tacoma) and “Monster’Tajima in his all-singing, all-dancing 750kW Suzuki Vitara.

Flying Finn: Makinen had a ride in a Finnish airforce F18 Hornet last month and was almost lost for words at the experience.

“That was an incredible performance - it was really something,” he said. “We could borrow a few horsepower! It's impossible to tell you exactly what it is. I went up to 7.5g.” (Photo by RaceAccess; words by Peter Whitten) molorinott newt

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ANDRA dates announced

by KEN FERGUSON

QJ

ANDRA has released the schedule for its 2000/01 Australian Drag Racing Series with Willowbank’s new two-day Castrol Summer Championships the only real news amongst the list of dates.

The 2000/01 ADRS will run over seven rounds, with the series visiting Willowbank twice, Calder twice, Adelaide once, the new Kwinana facihty in Perth once and Palmyra in North Queensland once.

The Group One professional categories will again run their own rounds either in-conjunction or

separately to the ADRS rounds, with Top Fuel, Top Alcohol and Pro Stock all receiving five rounds, while Top Doorslammer will again have eight rounds in its series.

The running of the Nationals at Calder Park in Pehruary has again drawn criticism from a number of competitors, with many considering the time of year too hot to run the country’s premier event - most preferring a late-March date.

Top Fuel’s series ofjust five rounds has also drawn flack, with most teams concerned with the lack of track time and the resulting ability to produce a ‘show’that consists of reliability.

Perhaps giving the teams some

Eye surgery outs Amato

grace next season will be the acceptance of the 90 percent nitro rule used in the US this year.

The 2000/01 ANDRA drag racing dates are as follows: ADRS: Nov 17/18 Adelaide, Dec 1/2 Calder, Dec 28/29 Willowbank, Feb 22-24 Calder, Mar 3/4 Kwinana, Apr 14/15 Palmyra, Jun 7-9 Willowbank.

TOP FUEL: Nov 17/18 Adelaide, Dec 1/2 Calder, Dec 28/29 Willowbank, Feb 22-24 Calder, Jun 7-9 Willowbank.

TOP DOORSLAMMER: Nov 4 Calder, Dec 2 Kwinana, Dec 9 Adelaide, Dec 28/29 Willowbank, Feb 22-24 Calder, Mar 3/4 Kwinana, Apr 14 Willowbank, Jun 7-9 Willowbank.

PRO STOCK: Dec 1/2 Calder, Dec 28/29 Willowbank, Feb 3 Adelaide, Feb 22-24 Calder, Jun 7-9 Willowbank.

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Oh, Magoo: Amato avoided a potentially disasterous eye problem,

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FIVE-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Joe Amato has had emergency laser surgery to correct similar eye injuries to what ended the driving career of the legendary ‘Big Daddy’ Don Garlits.

After experiencing vision problems at the recent St Louis round of the NHRA Winston series, Amato visited his doctor the day following the event, his doctor immediately referring him to a specialist.

“The next thing I know I’m lying on a table and he’s got a laser in my eye like a TIG welder,” Amato said last week.

The specialist repaired two holes and two pulls in the

retina, and recommended a three-week recovery period.

Subsequently,Amato has vacated the seat of his car for this weekend’s Winston Showdown, with Mike Dunn scheduled to take his place.

“I called Garlits and compared notes,” said Amato.

“I don’t open two parachutes at the same time [which Garlits said led to his problems],so it’s hard to say whether it’s related to Garlits’injury.

I think it will be okay.I’m definitely going to pay more attention to the way I open the chute and maybe even try squinting a little when I open it to give the eye some more support.I’m going to evaluate aU this with the doctor.”

BILL Bader’s IHRAhas sprung a surprise on rival NHRA by annoimcing a national event will take place at the until-now sanctioned Virginia Motorsports Park track near Richmond, Virginia.

Bader’s announcement adds to another surprise he pulled just two weeks ago when he announced a second IHRA national event will be held in Canada next year - an event at an entirely new facility being built near Niagra Falls in Ontario.

It is believed Bader, who took over the once-struggling IHRA at the beginning of 1999, isn’t yet finished, with a number of other major changes to his sanctioning body’s 2001 calendar expected to be announced soon.

The NHRA were expected to announce its 2001 dates next week, although some major reshulfling may take place to cover the removal of VMP’s April date before the schedule will be made public.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI notorsport oews

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First look: Chevrolet’s Cavalier Z24 is the first of the full carbon fibre-bodied 2001 generation Pro Stockers to break cover. The Z24, which will replace the Camaro in Pro Stock, has undergone extensive wind tunnel testing.

by GERALD McDORNAN THIS is the first ever picture seen of one of the new generation all carbon fibre bodied 2001 Pro Stock cars.

General Motors has, extensively developed the Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, seen in this exclusive pictiue, for the NHRA Pro Stock class, with the composite-bodied racer having spent considerable time in the companys Detroit wind tunnel.

While nothing has yet been announced publicly, the NHRA has mandated that all new models being introduced into the Pro Stock class must be homologated by the manufacturers, with the bodies being sourced from one common supplier.

The sanctioning body have re written the class rules due to a number of major problems arising where individual chassis builders, some with the assistance of the manufacturers, were pushing the current rules to the absolute limits aerodynamically.

Controversy erupted at the 1999 Winternationals in Pomona, California where some cars were targeted by the NHRA, with teams instructed by officials to modify the bodies before the vehicles were allowed to race five-time Winston Champion Warren Johnson amongst those affected.

While body templates, like those used in NASCAR, weren’t available at the time, the development of the new rules will allow the sanctioning body to be

able to effectively measure and control the shapes and variants of all cars competing in the class.

GM has developed the Chev Z24 to meet the new rules alongside its Pontiac cousin, the Grand Am, while it is believed Ford has undertaken similar work with its Mustangs and Cougars and Dodge with the Avenger and Neon.

Sources within GM have actually suggested that the Z24 shown here was the ‘original’ version produced with the subsequent car having been ‘slowed’ down. It is believed the Chev’s aerodynamic figures were far superior to the Pontiac’s and senior management, mindful of Pontiac’s significant investment in drag racing, requested the Z24 be slowed to match the Grand Am’s figures.

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Sydney meeting grows

TIUGE’ is the reply to questions about the response the calling of a public meeting next week to discuss the future of drag racing in Sydney.

David Cook, publisher of Dragster Australia and co-proponent if the Western Sydney Motorplex, said he has been overwhelmed with the reaction to the meeting, which wiU take place in Bowman HaU at the Blacktown Community Centre on July 12.

“TThe response from the drag racing public, and those in the Western Sydney region, has been tremendous and it looks as though half of Sydney will be there,” Cook said on Monday.

Federal Minister for Sport and Tourism, Jackie Kelly has confirmed her appearance at the meeting, as has Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones, Jones again last week attacking the NSW State government’s handling of the WSM/Eastem Creek/drag racing problems on his radio program.

NSW Premier Bob Carr has notified Cook that I Ml 2018

he will not be able to attend the meeting, although a representative of the Premier’s department will be present.

Cook said the hall would hold up to 1500 people and space within the hall maybe limited so attendance before the 8pm start is encouraged.

“Garry Rush, who is proposing a speedway track within the WSM complex, has been encouraging all of the Sydney speedway community to attend as well so, there is no doubt the meeting will be well attended.

“A lot of people are annoyed with what’s happened to drag racing in Sydney and the state and this event gives those affected the opportunity to express to both the federal and state governments that they are sick of being shoved around and want a positive outcome,” Cook said.

- GERALD McDORNAN

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Bray bags another award Victor Bray has been named 'Outstanding Motorsports Person of the Year' and 'Drag Racer of the Year' by the Queensland Times the awards being presented at a gala dinner held in Ipswich last Thursday. Bray also won the 'Motorsports Person of the Year’ Award in 1997, while having also been named 'Drag Racer of the Year' at the Australian MotorSport Awards twice. n Whispers around the traps have yet another Top Doorslammer planned to begin construction soon.

Word has it that the new mount will be one of the class' best looking 'slammers yet, with the term 'lead sled' being used to describe it.

Sources are suggesting that the owner is far from broke and the new car will be equipped with the best of everything when it debuts... n Pro Stock racers Tony Wedlock and Rod Ware will both be out testing in their Pontiac Trans Ams at Willowbank Raceway’s Winter Smash Repairs season finals later this month. Wedlock qualified at the recently rained-out Winternationals with a 7.78, Ware with a 7.86. n Pro Stock Champion Peter Ridgeway's John William Auto Sales/No Fear Olds Cutlass will be equipped with a 'stick shift' at the re run of the Winternats in October.

Ridgeway is currently the number one qualifier with a quickesVfastest ever 7.61/179 and he will now use the remaining two qualifiers and eliminations to test out the soon-tobe mandatory manual shifter on his new WJ2000 G-Force five speed. n NHRA have appointed veteran drag racer Len Imbrogno as its director of sportsman racing and member tracks. Imbrogno has campaigned cars in virtually every category from Super Stock to nitro Funny Car and has recently spent time managing teams in CART and NASCAR, two for Kenny Bernstein.

ANDRA rethinks Controversial Pro Stock body rules dropped

ANDRA has bowed to pressure from the Pro Stock owners group -Pro Stock Drag Racing Australia - and deferred the recently announced body regulations that would have seen all US-bodied vehicles penalised an additional 251b in weight each season for the next four years.

ANDBA announced the new rules, designed to encourage the use of more Australian-bodied vehicles in the category,just two months ago.

The initial annoimcement came in contrast to an understanding the PSDRA had with ANDRA’s national executive which recognised the need for the move to Australian-bodied vehicles, hut gave the current crop of US cars an 10-year expected competitive life.

The change will now see the current body regulations remain in place at least until 2004, while the originally announced engine/minimum weight formula would be introduced as planned.

“The body issue is not off the agenda, but we accept that the teams deserve an easier schedule and we’ll look at things again officially in 2004,” said ANDRA CEO Tony Thornton last week.

Y.

Gotta be worth something: The market value of vehicle’s like Craig Hastead’s CragarThunderbird would have dropped considerably had (Photo by Nix Pix) ANDRA’s controversial rules been implemented.

“The NCC is anxious to maintain the modem image of Pro Stock and see it relate more to the Australian market.”

PSDRA president John O’Keamey, who had been disappointed at ANDRA’s originEd ruling after agreeing to the group’s schedule and pro-active approach to the promotional foresight with the category, said the re-think was welcome.

Out like Flynn

n The NHRA have kept the changes coming with the appointment of Robert Wagner as its vice president of sales and business development. Wagner has spent the last 16 years working for organisations such as the Anaheim Angels major league baseball team, and the National Flockey League's Mighty Ducks. n Federal Mogul have extended their sponsorship of the NHRA's sportsman series through to the end of 2003. The performance parts giant have also upped the payout ante by 45 percent.

- STAFF/DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 76

“Australian cars are being considered by a number of racers, and I think we’ll start to see more of them in the category anyway,” he said.

“We’ll continue to work closely with ANDRA in the future to make sure the category maintains its strong position and the PSDRA continues to be pro-active in its approach to the needs of all concerned.”

e-termination payout.com: Sarver crew chief Flynn has been sacked.

(Photo by David Ostaszewski)

ROB Fljum,crew chieffor Alan Johnson’s Bruce Sarverdriven Funny Car on the NHRA tom-, has become the latest victim of poor performances,Flymi being reheved of his duties last week.

It seemed quite an intriguing decision by Johnson as, after struggling badly over the first half ofthe season, Flynn appeared to have the e-moola.com Pontiac on track, a fifth qualifying spot in St Louis last week strong indication ofjust that.

“It was a difficult decision to release Rob from the team, and we all wish him the very best as he moves on,” Johnson said last week of his decision.

“If we’re going to have an impact on the battle for the Winston championship during the second half of the season, we all need to take the same approach and employ the same philosophy.”

Replacing Flynn on the car will be Richard Hogan, best known to Australians as a former leading hand for “Big Dadd/ Don Garhts and as consultant for the K&N FUters/Auto Meter fueller of Andrew Cowin, Cowin earning his US Nationals runner-up spot with Hogan in his camp.

Joining Flynn on the ‘out of moola’tour will be Chris Cunningham,Flynn’s assistant also leaving the team.

It is believed the pair will not take long to find jobs, together having wrenched the WWF’s Jerry Toliver to his first win in Funny Car late last year, along with Whit Bazemore to a number of national event victories.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI motorspon BBWi

1

DRAG RACING

The Eagle has landed

by DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

RON Krisher has taken on a new roll as the NHRA Pro Stock class’top performer. The Eagle One Pontiac driver had not even advanced into a final round before this year began but in the past three events has racked up two wins and a runner-up finish.

Krisher dominated the action in Madison, quahfying in the top spot and recording the low elapsed time in every round. In the final round against Greg Anderson, Krisher even carded a perfect .400 reaction time, winning with a 6.90sec/198mph to 6.98/196 pass.

“I was one thousandth of a second away from being an idiot,” said Krisher. “I knew I needed a good light against Greg and I got the best one I could get.

“My team gave me a great car with great power and they don’t beat up on me when I do something wrong.”

Krisher and crew chief Mike Edwards bulldozed their way through eliminations with the victory vaulting the duo past five time Winston Champion Warren Johnson and into second in the point standings.

Point leader Jeg Coughlin still has a 210 advantage over Krisher, although he lost to Tom Martino in the first round.

With whispers of another fuel controversy raising its ugly head, the NHRA tech department responded quickly by demanding all teams drain their cars’tanks just prior to the first round and replace the fuel with NHRA supplied stock.

'The officials also made sure that any suspected non-detectable additives couldn’t get through by also demanding teams drain the carburettor bowls!

Gary Scelzi’s domination of Gateway International Raceway and the NHRA tour continued as “Big Red” notched it’s third win in four tries at the facihty - Scelzi

i

Scelzi’s ‘Big Red’: Gary Scelzi won his fourth race out of the last five.

i

(Photos by David Ostaszewski)

also having racked up four wins out of the past five events.

This time Scelzi dropped Kenny Bernstein in a traction-less. smoke-filled final round, 5.89/284 to 6.01/307.

Scelzi also increased his lead in the points to 95 over his nearest pursuer, Tony Schumacher, who dropped a second round match to eventual runner-up, Bernstein.

“This has got to be my favourite track,” Scelzi said.“We thought we had a safe tune-up for the finals but I saw both Funny Cars smoke the tyres and I was kind of expecting something crazy to happen.

“I had my hand on the brake lever and the minute the tyres started to spin I yanked on the handle so hard I thought it would come off in my hand. I kept expecting to see Kenny fly past but I got to the finish line and saw the win light come on before it happened.”

Jerry Toliver also padded his Funny Car point lead over John

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Slamdown: Dean Skuza made the Funny Car final, only to fall to Toliver’s WWF Camaro.

Force to 54 with a final round victory over Dean Skuza.

In the final, both cars left the line and lost traction, struggling to get to the finish line under power.

Toliver’s 6.77/186 was enough for the win as Skuza crossed the centre line just past half-track.

“It’s good to win again.” exclaimed Toliver. “The year started so good for us that I was thinking,‘this is eas/. Then it really hit us in Gainesville and since then I’ve come to realise how valuable a win really is.”

Enroute to taking his third win of the season in six final rounds, Toliver overcame an horrendous .736 reaction time in the opening frame, posting a 5.03/297 to stop Scott Weis, who slowed to a 6.42/145.

I

WWF crew chief Dale Armstrong, while being interviewed after the round, commented;‘He better open his eyes”.

In the second round Del Worsham was right alongside Toliver to half track before his blower burst panel let go, allovring Toliver to squeeze a 5.41/220 win.

In the semis Toliver ousted Force with a 4.96/304 when Force lost traction after catching and passing “The Rock” Camaro.

“Let me tell you, I love John Force,” Toliver said. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to drag racing and there’s no hidden pleasure in beating him. The thing is that he’s the best, so when you beat him or gain points on him, you’ve really accomplished something.”

2000 WINSTON DRAG RACING SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS AT JUNE 24 Winston Top Fuel I Gary Scelzi 2Tony Schumacher 3 Larry Dixon 4 Kenny Bernstein 5 Joe Amato 6 Doug Kalitta 7 Cory McClenathan 8 Doug Herbert 9 David Grubnic 10 Don Lampus

991 896 864 772 699 553 538 492 413 410

Winston Funny Car I JerryTolive 2 John Force 3 Ron Capps 4Tony Pedregon 5 Jim EpIer 6 Dean Skuza 7 Scotty Cannon 8 Del Worsham 9 Al Hofmann 10 Bob Gilbertson

955 90 1 765 740 61 1 537 49 1 469 453 44 1

Winston Pro Stock I Jeg Coughlin 2 Ron Krisher 3 Warren Johnson 4 Mark Pawuk S Troy Coughlin 6 Kurt Johnson 7 Richie Stevens 8 Jim Yates 9Tom Martino 10 Bruce Ailen

973 763 726 634 614 563 539 532 503 500 77

Drag racing’s remember when THE second round of the Australian Nostalgia Racers Series kicks off at the Sunset Strip at Miidura on the August 19/20 weekend.

Qualifying and eliminations will take place on Sunday, August 20, while Saturday's proceedings will include a test and tune.

"The August event marks the second time the Australian Nostalgia Racers have visited the Sunraysia Drag Racing Association's facility, which opened in August last year," SDRA official Steve Pendock said this week.

"The first nostalgia racer drew incredible interest from far and wide, so it only seemed natural that we continue with the event on our annual calendar."

"The ANRS is being contested over four events in 2000 and we're glad to be heading back to the Sunset Strip for our next event," ADR president Norm Longfield said.

"Our series came of age last year at Miidura and we're excited about returning.

"The 2000 nostalgia series opened at Calder, with many new competitors participating for the first time and the nostalgia theme appears to be catching on.

"Racers seem to like the 'no politics' policy and the fact that they're all there to enjoy themselves and put on a show for the other racers and fans," Longfield added.

Legendary racer 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits is sponsoring the pointscore series, with the top award being known as the 'Don Garlits Nostalgia Racer of the Year'.

For more information, call the ANR on 02 9639 8000.

■ While remembering the 'good old days' of drag racing, the ANR have also thought about the future and have included brackets for Junior Dragsters at each of its four rounds in 2000.

Racer Hugo DiGianvincenzo has stepped up to sponsor the category at the remaining rounds of the series through his business, Race Glides the series to be known as the 'Race Glides Junior Racers Pointscore'.

"My heart lies in the future of our sport and being on the ground level for these kids is just fantastic," DiGianvincenzo said this week. "For the enjoyment that they have in following their own personal heroes down the track, (the sponsorship] is the least I could do."

An overall winners trophy will be presented at the end of the series, as will trophies for second to fourth and awards for other achievements.

- STEVE TURNER 78

I should be so lucky: Del Worsham has escaped without serious injury from a BOOmph crash.

(Ostaszewski)

Worsham’s lucky escape

by DAVID OSTASZEWSKI FUNNY Car racer Del Worsham was shaken, dazed and bruised, but otherwise escaped xminjured from a fiery, 300 mile per hour accident last weekend.

Worsham, who was taking part in a match race in Norwalk, Ohio, lost control of his Funny Car when the right rear tyre blew about 200 feet from the finish line. The blown tyre shredded the carbon fibre Pontiac body while the car turned violently into the concrete safety barriers atfull speed.

After hitting the wall, the car careered across the track and impacted with the opposing barrier before skidding to a stop.

Worsham was knocked unconcious by the impact, while also suffering a bruised knee and strained shoulder but, after being examined by medical officials, was released.

Tm OK,just sore right now,” Worsham said afterwards.

“I really don’t remember much except the start of the run, and then looking up and seeing all these people around me.

“I’ve seen video of the crash from three different angles now and it was very violent. I’m really

Blower cars to have less puff

FOLLOWING recent performances that have left the nitrous-injected cars in thenwake, the IHRA’s supercharged Pro Mods have been hit with rule changes by BiU Bader’s sanctioning body in an attempt to achieve parity between the two types of vehicles.

The blown Pro Modifieds have been the dominant performers in the category this season, with nitrous stalwart Tommy Mauney recently changing combinations in the belief that that was where the advantage lies in the class.

Effective July 13, all blown Pro Modifieds will have to tip the scales at 2,7001b, raising the nostalgia car weight by 501b - the more aerodynamic, modem day cars have always had to weight in 501b heavier than the nostalgia variety - while the nitrousmotored cars will drop 501b to 2,4001b.

The blower cars will now also be

restricted to just a three-speed transmission, while a mandatory 4.57:1 rear end ratio has also been implemented.

While there has previously been no rules regarding the number of ratios a transmission has used previously, it is believed the record-setting Summit-backed ’53 Corvette of Jim Oddy and driver Fred Hahn has been ranning a four-speed transmission of late, so any change here could effect their 6.179sec combination.

It is believed the IHRA technical department will continue to closely monitor performances between the mechanically and chemically supercharged vehicles, with new, more equitable rules expected to be implemented in time for the 2001 season.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

lucky to only have some sore spots.

I’ve been on fire a number of times but that’s the first real crash I’ve had in my 10-year career.”

Luckily for Worsham, while the team was using its primary race chassis, a 1999 Pontiac Trans Am body was draped over the car, the team’s new, aerodynamicallyenhanced 2000 version sitting atop a spare chassis in the trailer.

“We hurt the 2000 body last weekend in St. Louis. We repaired it, repainted it, and had it ready to run. But, for some reason my dad and I decided to run this match race with one of the old bodies. That is one of the silver linings.”

stop Press HAVING just announced it championship calendar a fortnight ago,ANDRA looks set to make major changes following the confirmation of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix on March 4, 2001 a week earlier than expected.

The new GP date falls just one week after the 2001 Nationals at Calder Park and on the same date as the Westemationals at the new Kwinana Motorplex in Perth.

Both tracks are now working with ANDRA to reschedule the dates.

Peter Bridge, motor sport manager for Calder Park said; Sunday’s announcement was totally unexpected. The Nationals is a strong event,but in finding the ideal date we have to consider a number of issues,some outside the state.

It is hoped the Nationals wiU know move to a late March date, one which had proved to be successful previously.

-MICHAEL HARRIS Boloripiitt ■>»

NASCAn

Daytona Lights Up Who’s your daddy? Burton and wife Kim add up how many victories he has scored this year.

by MARTIN D CLARK

made a late two-tyre pit stop.

“I stayed in his way enough to be a nuisance and that was real important, that was the race,” remarked Burton of his second 2000 win in the Exide Batteries/Jack Roush Ford Taurus.

Jarrett, who shared the front row with his Yates team mate Ricky Rudd after qualifying, dominated the race early, leading the first 53 laps, but dropped to 27th on the final pit stop when a wheel nut got stuck in an air wrench.

“Burton did a great job,” said Jarrett. “He blocked the race track like he should and I couldn’t get anyone to give me the push I needed to get around him.”

Despite finishing third. Rusty Wallace again had his problems...

Having qualified 12th, Wallace had moved to fifth by the first stops and came out of the pits in second thanks to the pit work.

But, all the effort was for nought when Wallace was caught speeding exiting pit row and sent to the end of the longest line restarting in 40th!

“I made it back from 40th to third,” remarked Wallace. “It was a fun night although after I got past [Jeff] Gordon it got a little hairy with those freight-trains.”

The racing was too crazy for it to last too long without some one getting bumped. And, sure enough, Mike Skinner nudged a strong running and early leading Bill Elliott in the side to trigger a multi-car incident that could have ended far worse than it actually did.

Furious at the result, Elliott waited for Skinner’s #31 to come

around the track again and motioned to him, although he was rather non-committal afterwards - his actions speaking loud, though.

There was one other ‘big one’ earlier in the race when Terry Labonte got loose entering the front stretch on lap 81 - the ‘Iceman’ collecting Michael Waltrip and Jeremy Mayfield Jerry Nadeau and Scott Pruett also sustaining some damage.

Two-time Winston Cup champion Labonte was knocked unconscious in the accident, albeit briefly, and was taken to hospital for precautionary CAT scans. He was later released.

Like the Daytona 500 in February, Johnny Benson had a strong run, finishing 13th after leading the race earlier. Benson was among the two-tyre takers during the final stops with 55 laps to go, along with Gordon, Wallace and Jimmy Spencer, Spencer setting up the final fourlap dash when he spun six laps from home.

Wallace held on for third followed by Martin and Rudd the first non-Ford car home,the 'Pontiac of Tony Stewart.

In the points race Earnhardt, who finished eighth after getting shuffled back on the final restart, and Jarrett both gained ground on leader Bobby Labonte - the second Joe Gibbs car finishing 12th.

IT was a little bit of deja-vu, but in reverse to the Daytona 500 when Jeff Burton turned the tables on Dale Jarrett Results; Burton (Ford) 148.576 mph, when the Winston Cup tour Jarrett (Ford), R Wallace (Ford), returned to the famous Martin (Ford), Rudd (Ford), Stewart Daytona Beach track in (Pontiac), W Burton (Pontiac), Florida last weekend for the Earnhardt (Chevy), Skinner (Chevy), Pepsi 400.

Gordon (Chevy).

Burton, who started the night Points; B Labonte 2400, Earnhardt race at the beach in July in ninth, 2333, Jarrett 2271, W Burton 2196, J gingerly held off a charging Burton 2134, Rudd 2130, Martin Jarrett over the final 39 tours of 2123, Stewart 2115, R Wallace 2089, Gordon 2059. the 2.5 mile oval after having Have you driven a Ford lately?: Rudd finished fifth, while Schrader and Andretti finished down the order.

Martin will stand tall in 2001 Mark Martin's Roush #6 team won’t be hard up for cash next season with Pfizer, makers of Viagra, confirming at Daytona that they wiil sponsor the team in 2001.

The deai is said to be one of the largest in NASCAR history, rumoured to be between US$1215,000,000 per year.

With his back problems resurfacing, Martin actually looks as though he could do with some of Pfizer's other products - the veteran saying he’s doing it a little tougher in the last few weeks.

Martin's Roush contract ends in 2005 and he has made it known that he would hang up his helmet or cut back to a limited schedule at that point... n Jeff Gordon announced this week that he will not run any Busch series races in 2001 with his GEM Busch series sponsors, Pepsi, pulling the pin on their deal. The soft drink company will continue to sponsor the three-time champion in Winston Cup and will take over the #24 for two races next year.

Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky, will drive the car on a partial Busch schedule next year with sponsorship from General Motors Automotive Financing - Gordon saying he would prefer to concentrate on the premier Winston Cup division. n Brad Parrott, younger brother of Dale Jarrett's crew chief Todd, has been hired to crew chief the Scott Pruett-driven PPI Tide Fords.

Parrott, who was previously car chief on the Yates-owned Jarrett Taurus, replaces Joe Garone, who will move back to the position of team manager at PPI. Garone was interim chief following the firing of Doug Richert earlier in the year. n Kyle Petty is still uncertain whether he will race at New Hampshire next weekend - the track the venue where his son, Adam, was tragically killed recently, 'When I get up in the morning I look to the afternoon. When I get to the afternoon, I look to the night. I'm not that far ahead of where I'm going yet," a remorseful Petty remarked on the weekend.

'It's all just where I'm going tomorrow..." n Scott Pruett and his Winston Cup team were fined US$50,000 and docked 50 championship points by NASCAR at Sears Point last week after their Tide-backed Taurus was found to have an illegal brake cooling system. Despite the team's protests that the system wasn't connected and had been used only while testing, NASCAR fined the team the Winston Cup rule book clearly stating that such units - either working or inoperative - are banned.

79

Rusty’s private parts on display THE big news in Sears Point concerned Rusty Wallace's great pole qualifying effort, with the engine from the #2 Miller Lite Ford Taurus being stripped down by NASCAR officials, NASCAR seized Wallace’s car after taking the pole at the last moment from sentimental favourite Kyle Petty, with NASCAR showing its open book policy by stripping the engine in public view.

Several rival team owners and engine builders gathered around, Robert Yates amongst them, but the reigning Winston Cup champion team owner said he was not happy with the ‘invasion of privacy'.

Although the Penske engine again checked clean, NASCAR are considering outlawing some of the parts used, although they wouldn't say which ones.

Earnhardt angry

n

Open for inspection: Wallace's crew ready for an engine swap. n AFTER 28 years and four Winston Cup Championships, STP’s primary backing of NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his team has come to an end.

Last week's Sears Point race marked the last time one of Petty's famed #43 cars would wear the company's colours, bringing an end to an association that started in 1972 - Petty winning at the now defunct Riverside, California race that weekend.

Sadly, Petty's hopes for a fitting finale came to an end early when his driver, John Andretti, was caught up in a concertina-type wreck, the STP #43 suffering heavy front damage and an ensuing fire.

"1 looked at the burned car and all I could think of was Atlanta, the King's last race," Andretti said, referring to Petty's last race in 1992 where his Pontiac burst into flames after wrecking.

"I thought, well at least you're going out in style, but that's not the style you want to go out in."

- MARTIN D CLARK 80

A real Speedweek: Dale Earnhardt wants restrictor plates removed and (Photo by Martin D Clark) the speeds at Talladega and Daytona to rise.

DALE Earnhardt has lashed out a drivers asking for speeds to again he reduced at super speedways such as Daytona and Talladega - the seven-time Winston Cup champion wanting to separate the men from the boys.

“Get the hell home... if you’re not a race car driver and not a racer, stay home,” he said after last weekend’s thrilling Pepsi 400 at Daytona -the race averaging 149mph for its entire distance.

“Don’t come here and grumble about going too fast.”

The man known simply as the ‘Intimidator’ said he believed the restrictor plates, used to cut air to the engine and, subsequently, cut horsepower and speeds, should be removed - the increased speeds increasing the competition.

“Are the insurance companies going to withdraw their insurance if we run over 200mph?” he questioned.

“They do it in CAET,in the IRL, in drag racing. We are one of the only sports that ties the hands of the competitors trying to go faster and from being a more competitive sport,” he said.

“I’m not pointing a finger at NASCAR,I’m just saying that we need to grow up here and decide if we’re going to race or what we’re going to do.

“Right now we’re not racing, we’re just existing together. I don’t think anyone is happy doing what we’re doing.”

- MARTIN D CLARK

Gordon’s Sears Point

JEFF Gordon did what was expected at Sears Point and retiumed to victory lane - the win his second in a lacklustre year. But, having won filve straight races on the road courses,if Gordon hadn't won, the fingers woidd have been pointed in his direction.

"It's been a character building year for me but we know we should run well here," Gordon said before the event. There were questions whether Gordon's #24 Hendrick/Dupont Chev would go the distance on the fuel it had left but the team's gamble paid off, Gordon leading home Sterling Marlin by four seconds.

"It was so hard to pass and it's such hard racing when you're going for it in every corner. It certainly wasn't a gimmie win today, we had to work for it," Gordon said.

Winner: Jeff Gordon Marlin's run to the flag was an all-out drag race with Mark Martin, Marlin just holding out after his lead was shortened thanks to his tyres going off.

"My tyres were really worn out, I couldn't get through turn 11 for nothing. It was a dead heat drag race," Marlin said.

Pole-sitter Rusty Wallace led the first 10 laps before getting out of pit sequence. After troubles he dropped back to eventually finish 26th.

This years two shinning rookies Earnhardt Jr and Matt Kenseth showed their lack of experience on the circuits finishing 24th and 32nd respectively, top rookie of the day was Mike Bliss in the Viagra Pontiac.

Circuit specialists Robby Gordon and Jerry Nadeau had good days, both recording top 10 finishes, while Scott Pruett a winner at the California track in the Trans-Am series was not so fortunate, finishing 36th.

Points leader Bobby Labonte edged away from Dale Earnhardt slightly in the standings, finishing fourth with 'The Intimidator' sixth and Dale Jarrett seventh.

- MARTIN D CLARK nolartaon ntHt

NASCAR

Pound of flesh

by MARTIN D CLARK

WIN or loose, NASCAR drivers cannot do right in the eyes of their well-informed fans. Win too much and you’re sure to be booed. Lose too much,or comment on others and the treatment is pretty much the same. StiU, the fans love their NASCAR racing and want to get as close as they can to their stars.'They want their pound of

flesh...

As Ibny Stewart climbs the Winston Cup ladder to stardom, he has been openly finstrated about his lack of privacy and constant attention from the fans and the resulting news hungry media.

“Fve learned a big lesson in life,” said Stewart recently. “I thought that once I got to this level I’d have eveiything I wanted.I thought I’d be as happy as I could ever be, and at times I’ve been happier than I ever thought I could be.

“But there have been times in the last year and half when I have been more miserable than I have ever been.”

Stewart was feeling the pressure ofthe big-time league and comments he’d made about the fans and media didn’t do much for his cause. A lack lustre start to the 2000 season didn’t help either and the pressure was on even more.

But the 1999‘Rookie ofthe Year’s’ win in Michigan - his second ofthe season - started to silenced the critics and hft some ofthe pressures.

Further relief came from a pubhc apology to those he’d offended - an apology given in a press conference organised by team owner Joe Gibbs - with the cheers, not boos from the stands following his victories certain indication Stewart was back on track.

‘That’s much better than the money and the trophy in my eyes,” he said.‘Having those people stand up and cheer knowing you have the people supporting you.”

It seems as though it’s a situation he’s beginning to understand.

Stewart’s comments had not only been hurtful to the fans but also Gibbs’ pockets - word has it that his remarks about Goodyear’s new breed of radial t3rres cost the team US$300,000 in free rubbers for the year.

His on-track altercation and subsequent pit dramas with long time Sprintcar rival Kenny Irwin, where he first threw a heat shield at I iHy 2800

Irwin’s car then tried to punch him after having been planted m the wall by his rival also continue to hurt.

Teople still hold that against me,” he says.

Stewart recently raced at the new Charlotte dirt track in a development mini-roadsters during the venue’s ‘10 days of speed’.

“Eighteen thousand people booed me,but who am I to decided whether it was justified,” he said.

“1 don’t know if it’s fair or not, but I don’t hke it. I’m a human being just like they are. Ifthey make a mistake does everyone boo them the next day when they go to work?

“Have I made mistakes in my personal hfe, have I made mistakes at the race track? Absolutely. We all do at one time or smother. I care a bunch about NASCAR,about Joe Gibbs Racing, Home Depot and most definitely the fans.

Tony Stewart has found the rise to the top in Winston Cup tough. A lack of privacy constant media demands and ability to say w&a^ he itmks-andget himselfinto trouble have all contributed to his problems. ., Stewart is learning and his future looks brighter than ever... ~

"\ thought that once I got to this level I'd have everything and be as happy as I csuld ever be" - Tony Stewart “I’ve said things but it wasn’t,the whole story and it didn’t paint the big picture accurately.'The big picture is I do care about the fans, probably more than anybody else.”

Jeff Gordon’s rapid rise to instant success- still yoimg,three championships, a good looking wife on his arm - have given him the honour of receiving more boos than anyone. It’s a situation, which Stewart is learning greatly from.

“I tell you what,eveiy day that he has to get booed I get more and more respect for him because I get embarrassed when I get booed,” said Stewart of Gordon.

“I don’t know ifI can deal with it like he does, he stays calm and goes on.'Ib go to bed and not feel good about what you did that day, that’s a pretty bad feeling.

“At the end ofthe day,I feel hke I’m not doing myjob if I don’t give people honest answers,” he concluded.

All the press and the fans can hope for is that Stewart continues in his current manor- straight to the point, no bull. In the same mould as Jimmy Spencer and Dale Earnhardt, whether the fans know it or not, Tony Stewart gives them their pound offlesh, and more.

"rake a-number: Despite upsetting Stewart stili is one of Winston Cup's major stars.

Fast comeback: After a lacklustre start to the season, Stewart’s two recent wins in the #20 now has him up to seventh in the points.

(Photos by Sutlon-lmages)

81

Van Der Genner gets new gear

Step Up

SOUTH Australian Craig Van Der Stelt is the latest driver to make the step up to Sprintcar racing having now purchased the ex-Matthew Reed Tiner chassis.

Van Der Stelt, who last year competed in the SAbased V6 Sprints category, has purchased the complete package from Reed and will run under the new 360ci rules introduced by Sprintcar Action of SA during the winter in the upcoming 2000/2001 season.

He will run a limited schedule to give the team time to build up a spare parts inventory as well as complete a team truck.

Van Der Stelt has piloted cars owned by Peter Smith and, more recently, Joel Knott’s Ultimate Sprintcar Experience Gambler during private test sessions at Speedway City.

Support for the Van Der Stelt racing team continues from long time sponsors in South Coast Viewer, Reynelia Variety Meats, Auto Power Motor Radiators, Universal Engineering Supplies and Aldom Motor Bodies.

Van Der Stelt is hopeful of securing more sponsors to help with the added costs of Sprintcar racing.

Van Der Stelt’s V6 Sprint has also yet to be sold, although the Murphy chassis qualified on the front row at the last South Australian title and proving to be a consistent front runner at all other events.

DESPITE being struck down by glandular fever last season, Louise Genner is importing a new Johnboy Stacktube chassis for her return to Sprintcar racing.

After seven months of illness she is still recovering but has not lost any of her enthusiasm for speedway and, although she is still sick at the moment, is hopeful of a return to racing next season.

Genner will use the same engine in the new chassis as last year and her plans include the full Parramatta City Raceway program as well as the Easter Trail which she had hoped to ran last season before she became ill.

- JULIE PEAKCE

Live TV for Grand

m

by GEOFF ROUNDS

THE international focus of the prestigious Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic may again be lifted by a live television broacast of next year’s event.

Club manager Graeme Hose has confirmed that the club was “investigating the likelihood” of worldwide and national,television coverage through international network Fox Sports and domestic sports channel C7 Sport.

“At the moment it is not outside the realms of possibility at this stage, that’s for sure,” Hose said.

“As a club, we would be mad not to at least have the event on television.

“We are in serious discussions at the moment with both Fox and C7 and I would say that things are looking pretty good for at least a delayed telecast or a livecross for the entire meeting on the Sunday night of the classic.”

C7 broke new ground in the televising of speedway racing this season when they hosted the live broadcast of the Gough & Gilmour $50,000-to-win Sprintcar event.

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Louise Genner; Getting ready to return to racing. (Photo by Tony Loxiey)

Lights, cameras, Sprintcar action: TV coverage could be on the way for the Grand Annual Classic in Warrnambool. (Photo by Tony uoxiey) “If things can’t come to fruition before next year’s race then I would nearly be sure that the meeting would be hosted live the year after,” Hose said.

Premier Speedway’s international profile will be further enhanced at this year’s $A833,000 Knoxville Nationals.

Record sponsorship has seen the American-leg of the Kele World Challenge Dash lift to $A57,000 with a record $A17,000 to the winner of next month’s 16lap race during what is virtually

known as the world titles for Sprintcars.

The event is decided on the best performed driver at the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic and Knoxville Nationals. The challenge aims to attract two-way traffic between Australia and the US. The challenge was an initiative of Knoxville Speedway Hall of Fame executive director Tom Schmeh. Previous winners are Max Dumesny, Skip Jackson and Brooke Tatnell.

2000 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SERIES POINTS SCORE Route 66 Raceway 30 June 2000

Point Standings To 29 June 2000 I. Steve Kinser ...

2. Mark Kinser ...

3.Sammy Swindell 4.Stevie Smith ...

5. Danny Lasoski 6. Dale Blaney....

7.Andy Hillenburg 8.Joey Saldana ...

9.Johnny Herrera 10. Jac Haudenschild

4546 4377 4342 4328

11. Daryn Pittman 12. Tim Shaffer ..

13. Donny Schatz .

14. Danny Wood ..

15. Lance Blevins .

4242 4125 4096 40M 3897

16. Greg Hodnett.

17. Brooke Tatnell 18. Paul McMahan. , 19. Brian Paulus...

3871

20. Craig Dollansky.

3799 3726 3725 3712 3678 3349 3293 2759 2586 2409

I. Steve Kinser

11. Lance Blevins

2. Sammy Swindell 3. Dale Blaney 4.Andy Hillenburg 5. Danny Wood 6. Craig Dollansky 7.Johnny Herrera 8. Stevie Smith

12. Donny Schatz I3.jac Haudenschild 14. Brooke Tatnell IS.Tim Shaffer 16. Paul McMahan

9.Joey Saldana 10. Danny Lasoski

19. Daryn Pittman 20. Kurt Winker

17. Dean Jacobs 18. Mark Kinser

motorsport Demi

SPEEDWAY

Jamie Maclime

Speedway Briefs SPEEDCAR followers will be pleased to know that there is now an Australian based web site dedicated to their category. www.speedcarworld.com.au covers all aspects of the 'Mighty Midgets' with the latest news from Australia and New Zealand. The site features driver profiles with action and driver shots as well as a comprehensive links page.

JAMIE McHugh continued his superb end-of-season form when he powered his Miami Smash Bepairs Gamaro to victory in the final round of the Australian Garages Super Sedan Series at Gympie’s Mothar Mountain Speedway on June 17.

The popular Gold Coast-based pdot started from seventh and steadily worked his way through the field to settle behind the leading duo ofTim O’Shea and Bob Domjahn, before assuming the lead on lap 19 when Domjahn’s supercharged V6 Commodore crunched the wall.

Once in front, McHugh was untroubled and cleared away from the field to record yet another victory on a track that he enjoys and drives particularly well.

The minor placings weren’t decided until the closing stages when Rockhampton’s Chris Ede (Repco Corvette) slipped underneath local lad Don Birt (Mitre 10/Pennzoil Falcon)to snatch a runner-up finish in a continuation of his recent good results.

Swindell under probatien

On the same program, Darren White outpaced and outlasted a strong field of challengers to win the Queensland Super Street Sedan Championship.

- CHRIS METCALF

PENNZOIL World of Outlaws Series officials have notified Sammy Swindell that he is under probation for the remainder of the 2000 season.

The three-time WoO champion broke rules and his disorderly conduct was detrimental to the running of the O'Reilly's Auto Parts Sunflower Shootout at Heartland Park Topeka's Martin Cat-Power Speedway on June 17.

The Pennzoil World of Outlaws

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n The Northwest Litre Sprintcar Racing Association (NSW) held its presentation dinner on June 24.'A Grade and Ciub Champion Andrew Wright was presented with his awards while Graham McColm was second and Brian Kibble third. Craig Moodie picked up the 'B' Grade Championship while Wayne Green won the Rookie of the Year award.

S The SA Super Sedan Association 'gongs' were handed out recently. Steven Vaughan picked up Best Presented Car & Crew and Gill Wortherly the Most Improved Driver.

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Series will suspend Swindell for at least three events for any subsequent rules violations or disruptive behaviour this year.

This is not the first time Swindell has nm foul of WoO officials this season.

As we reported last issue, Svidndell took exception to being set back during a heat race at the inaugural Channellock Challenge, triggering a shouting match and other actions which led to a $A17,000 fine.

n The West Australian Speedcar Drivers Association held its Annual General Meeting on June 26. Special mentions were given for the retiring Ron Chell, who has been the WASDA's Chief Machine Examiner for over 30 years, as well as Wayne Cover (Senior Vice President and Treasurer) and Wendy Cover (Handicapper).

Office bearers for the 2000/2001 season are; President: Ron Glazebrook, Senior Vice President: Keith McAllan, Vice President: Rod Pettit, Secretary: Mandy Glazebrook, Assistant Secretary: Fran Shugg.

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Riding

Aussies stru

I

H

by TONY MILLARD AFTER the euphoria of the Grand Prix four weeks earlier in Sweden, Wroclaw in Poland provided disappointment for Aussie riders Jason Crump, Todd Wiltshire, Leigh Adams and Ryan Sullivan.

All remain in world title contention with Crump just 13 points behind joint leaders Mark Loram of England and current World Champion Tony Rickardsson.

Best placed Aussie rider was Leigh Adams who made the AFinal despite having to battle through the early stages.

A third place in the B-Final was the best Crump could do behind Tomasz Gollob and Loram.

Sullivan was knocked out in the final eliminator before the semi finals while Wiltshire also came so near and yet so far, but joined Sullivan in going out within sight of the semi-finals.

A tremendous final saw Tony Rickardsson, hold off the American Billy Hamill, England captain Chris Louis and Adams.

It meant Rickardsson becomes the joint leader overall in defence of his title with the next event at Coventry in England on July 29.

Adams and Crump are both set to start after heat ten at Coventry having ensured a top eight placings and seeding through at the British Finals.

Aussies struggled: Leigh Adams and Jason Crump both couldn’t replicate their form from Sweden into the Polish GP. (Photo by Mike Patrick) All fom:Aussie riders started in the main event which meant no action before heat 11 following their brilliant performance at Liking, when all four made it to the semi-finals.

An engine failure at the tapes cost Adams dearly and he was excluded under the two minute rule by British referee Tony Steele from heat 17.

The Mildura man did well to battle back with a second place behind Louis to gain a semi-final

place via the back door.

Crump had no such problem, he won heat 18 with some ease ahead of Billy Hamill with Ryan Sullivan trailing in last.

Sullivan had won heat 12, his first race, with some confidence but his ‘fast-track’ to the semis was blocked as he came last in heat 18 behind Crump, Hamill and Louis.

When the Adelaide rider came third behind Danno and Rickardsson he was out of the meeting.

The same fate befell Sydney rider Todd Wiltshire who’d managed just a third place in heat 13. As a result he had to go again in heat 15 but a win ahead of Peter Karlsson, Joe Screen and the injured Jimmy Nilsen took him to heat 19.

Sadly his night ended when trailing in last in heat 19.

Points: Rickardsson, Loram 55, Hamill 51, Gollob, Louis 43, Crump 42, Wiltshire 41, Adams 32, Sullivan 28,1

Lasoski keeps busy

WHILE Danny Lasoski spends more than ninth months of his year racing with the World of Outlaws, totalling some 94 events, he managed to find time to compete in the WoO major support series - The Gumout Steve KInser: The ‘King of the Outlaws’ continues on his winning ways in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws series In the United States. The Quaker State driver leads the series comfortably as the trail begins a big (Photo by Martin D Clark) week of racing.

84

Racing Series.

Lasoski raced at

Craig DoUanksy.

Lasoski closed the gap on DoUanksy after the latter had burst into the

lead in the opening laps, and grabbed the lead position on lap 14 of the 30 lap race.

“I figure I can take a break when I’m old and

Davenport Speedway in Iowa and started from the front row with

gray and can’t walk,” Lasoski explained in Victory Lane.

“I want to race as

feUow WoO regular

many races as I can.

wherever I can, and in whatever car I can.I

love this sport, and this sport’s heen good to me.”

Lasoski will now turn his attention hack to the Pennzoil World of Outlaws series as it resumes for a tour of five races in five days, heading fi-om Route 66 Raceway in Joliet to Knoxville for the Iowa Ethanol Classis during the tour.

■oloriport Mwt

SPEEDWAY

Bacchus Marsh and SRA explore options FOLLOWING the disastrous season at Western Auto Raceway which saw a number of divisions lose money,the owners of Bacchus Marsh Motor Sports PL(the venue owners - not the previous promoters) have realised that they need to have speedway’s premier division, Sprintcars, on the program if the venue is to be viable proposition.

However, there is a fair degree of angry sentiment aimed at the track hy members of the Sprintcar Racing Association(SRA)who believe the track owners should make good the debts of the previous promotors before Sprintcars race there again.

To end this, BMMS P/L has put forward a number of propositions to the SRA aimed at resolving any problems and enabling the SRA to recoup some of its losses.

The first proposal is to grant the

SRA the right to conduct(promote) two shows at the speedway- one in each of the 2000-20001 and 2001-2002 seasons. The SRA will pay a nominal rental fee and retain any profits.

The second option involves the SRA being given a small shareholding in BMMS P/L. An additional proposal put to the SRA,in principle, was the free use of the track prior to the commencement of each season whereby the club can promote itself and its members by entertaining sponsors, guests and so on.

Roger Leask and Robert Gee from BMMS P/L attended an SRA club meeting recently to clarify and explain the options.

The club, however, has yet to make a decision on whether to accept one or any of the options being proposed.

- BRETT SWANSON

Options, options, options: Time will tell when the SRA and Sprintcars will return to Bacchus Marsh.

(Photo by Brett Swanson)

Heathcote for SRA races?

WHILE Bacchus Marsh Motor Sport P/L has forwarded a proposal to the SRA to selfpromote meetings to recoup previous losses, Heathcote Park Raceway has also put forward an offer for the club to promote Sprintcar racing at the currently dormant venue.

Since the construction ofthe speedway adjoining the drag strip, the track has spent more time idle than in use. The offer from owner/manager Russell Clarke

could see the venue in action on a semi-regular basis with the 360ci Sprintcar group expressing interest in using it as their home track.

The progressive thinking members of the SRA see this as an excellent opportunity for the club to progress financially.

Currently the venue is used by the Bendigo Motorcycle club.

Wayne Pearce has also made enquiries on behalf of the Victorian Speedcar Drivers Association.

-BRETT SWANSON

lit .

By BRETT SWANSON IN the last issue of Motorsport News,our report from the Queen’s Cup meeting from Bendigo for Modified Productions stated the positions as the cars crossed the iine in the feature, but also stated that there was some dispute about the final result.

final result \nras piat j Trevor Mills was exirudedibf 1 splhnlhg;Paul:Salau, However,,later evldanoeA showed/that saiau/Had ijtfefa!i?|- i cut his.tyre oh Mills’fub rail. j and that had causedHhlmr^p ''1 spin.

Not withstanding :that,the offlCiaii results were Ashiay Parkinson from Salau,IParren Cockerill and Neil Watson.

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Vic Mod Prod Awards OVER 100 guests attended the annual Victorian Modified Production Associations presentation dinner at Bendigo on June 17.

The highlight of the highiy successful evening was the now-traditional Brownlow-style countdown to crown the Smith’s Trucks Pointscore Series Champion for 1999/2000.

A reflection of the associations growing professionalism was the way the count was displayed electronically onto a big screen for all in attendance.

In the end it was Trevor Mills who left with the silverware and the Di Watson Perpetual Trophy, as well as a cheque for $1600.

Mills had taken a narrow victory after topping the points in three of the six rounds.

Darren Cockerill was the runner-up but was the winner of the Sportsman Trophy (which is essentially the best and fairest award), judged by the track commentator at each round on a three-two-one system.

Current Australian Champion Ashley Parkinson (one round win) was third ahead of Neil Watson (widower of the series instigator and designer, the late Dianne Watson), Darren Pottage, Paul Salau, Ron Watts, Peter McCarthy (two round wins) and Craig Garlick.

A raffle and an auction were held on the night, thanks to the generosity of Autopro Warragul and Pitstop Racing. The money raised helped to offset the loss incurred by the association due to the financial woes at Western Auto Raceway.

Prior to the evenings festivities the VMPA held their AGM where Grant Bird was re-elected as President. He will be assisted by Carol Grist (Secretary) and by committee members Jason McKinnell, Phil and Darren Pottage, Darren Cockerill, Steven Laidlaw and Chris Clark. Neil Watson and Lee-Anne Taylor will take care of the PR duties.

Changes to the series’ race format were discussed at the AGM but it was decided to leave things as they are, as the series is working well and providing good racing.

The series will again be made up of six rounds with the difficulty being to decide which of the 13 tracks that want a round will actually get one.

- BRETT SWANSON 86

360ci Sprintcars building momentum

by BRETT SWANSON

A GROUP of interested owner/drivers of 360ci Sprintcars met recently in Bendigo to discuss their future direction and to plan the development of a new Sprintcar group that will compete under the SCCA 360 specifications.

The meeting was home partially out offrustration with the Sprintcar Racing Association and mainstream Victorian promoters who have failed to identify them as a separate class or to promote them as a stand-edone group, and partially from the need to control their own destiny.

A prepared media release stated that the participants at the meeting, which was chaired by Rob Richardson, discussed a wide range ofissues including management structures, event and series marketing, race scheduling and the possible development of an interstate challenge series.

An implementation committee made up of Harold Brennan, Darryl Bottams, Dave Argus, Dennis Burford, and David Smith has been set up to manage the activities of the group.

The final structure of the group is yet to be determined. However, all options will be investigated to ensure the ongoing success of the group.

These options may include representation on the SRA executive, an SRA sub-committee, or a company structure which

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Getting involved: Darryl Bottoms (Victoria) is one of the members of the implementation committee for 360ci machines. (Photo by Paris Charles) would compliment the existing SCCA structure.

The class, which will be rebadged to differentiate it from previous ‘Limited/360’classes has the support of27 cars from SA, Victoria and NSW.It also has the support of eight tracks across the three states.

The group is looking at organizing an eight to 10 round series in both Victoria and SA, as well as seeking the introduction of their own race officials.

Expected prize/tow money of about $7000 per round is the anticipated figure with no tyre rule.'The group has also not discounted the possibility of promoting their own meetings.

“The vibe from the majority of

people at the meeting was very positive,” said Bottoms.

“The question now will be the SRA’s attitude - whether they work with us or whether we go it alone. Quick Race Parts has already donated $1000 towards a fund and there are a number of other sponsors in the wings at the moment.”

The group has come up with a unique way of distributing the available prize pool to encourage the “battlers’ to continue racing and support any series that is created, and is also considering handicapping should any one competitor appear to have a definite advantage.

Interested parties can contact Darryl Bottams on (03)5021 5368.

Gosford gives out the gongs

THE Gosford. Speedway Competitors & Supporters held their fourth aimual presentation night at Old Sydney Town recently.

Glen Innes was the guest of honour and his exploits on a sidecar were recounted for the audience.

Glen’s career was just starting when the Sydney Showground trakc went into decline and eventually closed. At the time Glen broke the race record, the experts said it would not be broken.

Glen recounted that a week later he equalled his new record and believed that he could have gone even faster had it not been for going offline.

Work commitments kept Glen from travelling to other tracks and so he enjoyed only a brief reign at the top of sidecar racing.

Outgoing Gosford Speedway promoter Terry Poole and his wife Lorraine were the recipients of presentations from the club and also from Dave and

Gail Mills.

Terry has put a huge effort and a lot of money into the sport over the last eight years trying to keep speedway going and everyone present were lavish in their praise and thanks to Terry and Lorraine.

'Trophy winners on the night included Solo A Grade Scratch winner Mick Poole and Solo B Grade Scratch winner Ben Shields Other winners were Chris Pym and Grant Bond/Thomas Kruse, who shared the Sidecar Scratch honours.

A special award was presented to sidecar racer Mick Farrell.

He has quietly given assistance to many people in sidecar racing, lending them frames and engines and travelling many kilometres. His help was instrumental in assisting fellow club member Justin Plaisted to success in the Australian Sidecars Pairs.

- DAVID LAMONT ■eloriporl

SPEEDWAY Grandview Speedway and Mother Nature washed the show out as I sat on pole,

0

ur next night of racing was on Tuesday at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville where I was fifth quickest in time trials before finishing fourth in the AMain.

At the moment I'm driving Selinsgrove Speedway forto race seven of the eight round Keystone Pretzels Pennsylvania Sprintcar Speedweek and I'm third in points tally behind Don Kreitz Jr and Fred Rahmer.

All of the Keystone Pretzel features carry a minimum of US$4,000-to-win purse, several post $5,000 for the winner.

The Speedweek commenced at Lincoln Speedway at Abbottstown on June 24, where I time trailed 12th quickest and entered the AMain via the B-Main.

After a steady race I managed to finish seventh as regular Oz visitor Rahmer won the round from Steve Siegel and Don Kreitz Jr. The next night we were at

During Wednesday we prepared the car for the fourth round at Silver Spring Speedway at Mechanicsburg, where I couldn't run quick during the time trials - putting me 12th.

I won the third heat over six laps, which helped me move into the A-Main where I racked up another seventh placing as Rahmer scored his second series victory from Keith Kauffman and Kreitz Jr. On Friday we installed a Don Ott engine which featured different cylinder heads and i immediately noticed the performance gain during the time trial that evening at Williams Grove Speedway, also at Mechanicsburg.

Paul Felsch, who used to

crew for me in Australia, works at Don Ott's engine shop.

I was fourth fastest while team owner Shawn Keen was back in 29th spot in a sister car.

I scored another seventh in the A-Main as Kreitz Jr. held out Rahmer and Billy Pauch for the win - Shawn finished 16th.

Ato huge crowd Port Royalwelcomed Speedwayus on July 1, for round six and we were a top five contender all night and that is where we finished after Rahmer got past in the closing stages.

The racing to date has been great and I'm gaining more experience as well as learning a host more dirt tracks. 1 feel certain that we're about to get our first major win of the season shortly.

I'm proud to say too that 1 have an additional supporter back in Sydney; my brother Paul and his wife Rae now have a little daughter Ellen.

Speaking of Paul, he has two of my Shaver engines for sale.

For details ph: 02 9829 7229.

Late Models pushing onwards

THE push to introduce Late Models Sedans is gaining increasing momentum following simultaneous meetings in Brisbane and Melbourne which were attended by over 20 interested parties.

Further enquiries from Tasmania, South Australia and Wollongong have shown that whilst many didn’t know of the meetings t^ng place, there is plenty of interest in the class.

The proponents of the class, Australian/American Late Models (AALM), are going ahead with plans to hold a $10,000-to-win race at Bacchus Marsh in December 2000 or January 2001.

It is also known that Late Model star Wendle Wallace and Joe Garrison from GRT chassis will be in Australia during that period and it is planned to have Wallace driving a local car.

While the race will be titled “The Winner Takes It All Stakes’ there will be prize money paid back throughout the feature grid.

“It’s surprising how many Late Models there are in the country,” Julie Stafford told Motorsport News. “In Wollongong alone we’re told there’s six cars and hopefully by putting up good money we’ll drag some of the cars out of Western Austraha.”

Barry Pearce in Queensland is 11lly 2Q00

What a body: Super Sedan drivers will be able to put a Late Model-style body on their existing chassis to get the class up and running.

(Photo by Brett Swanson)

also trying to organise a USA v Australia match racing series and is talking about bringing out guns the calibre of Scott Bloomquist and Steve Francis. Final details are still to be settled but a roimd of the series will be run in Victoria.

In a concession to current Super Sedan drivers, AALM have allowed a two year phase out period for competitors to use existing Super Sedan chassis with a Late Model body on them.

“The American Late Model rules.

which we run to, don’t actually specify that the cars must be left hand drive, so if competitors want to put a Late Model-style body on their Super Sedan chassis, we’ll allow them to run with us for the first two years as we get the class off the ground over here,” Stafford said.

For more information on the $10,000-to-win show or Late Models in general, e-mail dart@primus.com.au or phone 03 5367 7020.

-BRETT SWANSON

Pagel aginst the odds IN an against-the-odds performance, Gympie’s Gary Pagel clinched his third consecutive Queensland Modified Production Championship at Bundaberg’s Carina Speedway on June 24.

Having detonated the engine in his own Commodore several weeks earlier, Pagel secured a drive with car owner Dennis Kay for his title defense and the partnership proved an outstanding success.

Pagel was sensational throughout qualifying and was not beaten by any of his rivals on the night. His only ‘defeat’came at the hands of the race stewards when he was excluded from his third preliminary in very dubious circumstances.

Having been washed out as a two-night fixture a fortnight earlier, a fine, sunny day greeted competitors on this occasion for what was to be a very busy night with 16 heats to determine the feature race field.

The only disappointing aspect on the night was a series of atrocious stewarding decisions that had a major impact on the title aspirations of several fancied contenders.

Pagel’s title defense suffered a setback in heat eleven when he was somehow deemed responsible when Greg Raymont stopped in turn four on the opening lap. This decision, which defied logic and was a blatant error, ultimately prevented Pagel from securing a front row start for the main event.

Mark Pagel, the 1997 champion and the cousin of the race winner, topped qualifying aboard his Speed Shop Commodore,started from pole position and led for more than half the race until a gearbox failure sent him to the infield.

Yet another Gympie-based driver in Brian Learoyd advanced his Corvette Queensland Commodore through the field from 16th to clinch a fine second place with a perfectly executed outside pass on the final lap.

Matt Pascoe, who started from the outside front row, occupied third spot for much of the race and then looked set to duplicate his runner-up result from last year until his Boettcher Motors Mazda RX7 slowed in the closing laps.

Steve Jordan (Western Auto Wreckers Cortina) was another big mover through the field, progressing from 14th into fourth before failing narrowly in a lastgasp effort to demote Pascoe from third.

- CHRIS METCALF 81

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national

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Aaron Noonan

Froude ties it all u PORSCHE CUP

VICTOEIAN Simon Fronde scored his first Pirelli Porsche Cup round and is now tied for the lead in the 2000 series after a torrid day’s racing at Oran Park Raceway in support to the Konica V8 Lites meeting on June 18.

Froude, who scored a third and a first place in his 911 GTS in the two 14-lap races, won the round by just one point from the SportsMed SA 911 GTS of Adelaide surgeon Greg Keene, who posted two seconds on the day.

Martin Wagg revived his series hopes by heading both qualifying sessions and winning race one in his 911 Supercup. However, a brush with a wall early in race two cost him a potential podium position and he is now third in points.

Queensland’s David Scaysbrook continued his dominance of Class B in his 911RS Carrera,finishing eighth and 11th outright respectively in both races.

After missing the opening round of the series in Darwin with a blown engine, Wagg was in sparkling form in qualifying, snatching pole position in the first session with a time of lml3.7067s, fi’om Keene with Froude just marginally slower.

Fastest in Class B was Sydney lawyer Ross Seller (911)from the 911 RS Carrera of current class leader David Scaysbrook. Nate Agnew was third in class.

Sellers, who also encountered mechanical problems in Darwin, was dehghted with the time, particularly considering that his engine rebuild was only completed two days earlier.

Wagg was also on top for the second qualifying session, setting the pole time of lml3.3788s from Froude with Keene heading the second row.

Seller was again fastest of the Class B runners,followed by Agnew £md then Azim Sahu-Khan in the Porsche Centre Parramatta 911RS CS.

Race One Twenty Porsches lined up for race one with Froude getting a 88

great start from the second row and inside Wagg heading into turn one. However Wagg was able to hold his position and lead the field followed by Froude, Steve Webb, Keene and Chris Stannard.

A huge amount of smoke from Wa3me Cooper’s 9HRS CS(sixth on the grid) obliterated the start for all following vehicles, while adding to the confusion, Class B polesitter, Ross Sellers, was left stranded on the line with a broken gear selector.

Keene passed Webb on lap three and finally found his way around Froude with one lap remaining.

Race Two Froude bolted from the start of race two and was never really challenged, although Wagg, Keene and Webb drew closer at periods throughout their race-long scrap for the minor positions.

Wagg’s luck deserted him on the last turn oflap three when he touched the wall and then suffered from handling problems.

Class B pointsleader David Scaysbrook stormed through from the rear of the grid, making up five places by the end of the first lap. He continued to progress through the field, securing his third straight victory in the Porsche Cars Australia Drivers’ Award for Class B and C competitors.

Froude took the chequered flag after 14 laps from Keene, Webb and Wagg, giving him the Oran Park round win and making him the third different Pirelli Porsche Cup winner in each ofthis year’s three rounds.

Pirelli Porsche Cup Results: Race 1: 1. Martin Wagg (911 Supercup), 2. Greg Keene (911 GT3), 3. Simon Froude (911 GTS), 4. Chris Stannard (911 GT2), 5. Wayne Cooper (911 RSCS).

Race 2: 1. Froude, 2. Keene, 3. Steve Webb (911 GTS), 4. Wagg, 5. Cooper.

Series Points (Outright): Keene, Froude 103, Wagg 79, Stannard 66, Webb 52. Class B - Scaysbrook 137, Agnew 93, Tryhorn 79,

We all live in a yellow GT3: Simon Froude squared the Pirelli Porsche Cup series at Oran Park. (Photo by John Moms/Mpix)

Just like Grant: Peter Hackett swam away from the field at Oran Park in the 1500m ...oops, Formula 3 race. (PhoiabyjohnMorris/Mpix)

Hackett downs Stephenson PETER Hackett took two wins in the fourth round of the Australian Formula 3 series at Oran Park on June 18.

The Dallara driver grabbed pole position by over six-tenths of a second from defending Champion Paul Stephenson’s 1996-model Dallara and the 1998 version of series newcomer Darren Palmer.

Hackett’s lm04.980s lap was 3.42s under the existing lap

record, with the entire top 10 underneath the existing record in a 15 car field.

Hackett was never headed in the first race, with Stephenson second and Palmer third, while race two saw another Hackett domination and the podium positions the same as race one.

Round five is at Mallala on July 9, with Stephenson leading the championship and Hackett second and catching. moiorsponnews

NATIONAL BOC GASES LAKESIDE SUPPORTS

No Dilley for Tilley NEW South Welshman Cameron Tilley picked up two wins in round three of the Roman Autotek Group N series at Oran Park on June 18.

The Valiant driver led the Ford Mustang of Ross Donnelly across the tine in both races.

Grant Elliott (Holden Torana) was third in race one while John Lustri (Ford XY GT) grabbed the final podium spot in the second race.

Results: Race One. 1. Cameron Tilley (Valiant S), 2. Ross Donnelly (Ford Mustang), 3. Grant Elliott (Holden Torana), 4, John Lustri (Ford XY GT), 5. Vince Macri (Holden Torana).

Race Two. 1, Tilley, 2. Donnelly, 3.

Lustri, 4. Rodney Stait (Ford XY Falcon), 5. Andrew Bergan (Austin Cooper S).

American muscle: Don Thallon’s Chevrolet Corvette (#11) pulls clear of William Pye’s nimble Lotus Elise, which was ideal for the wet conditions on Saturday. On Sunday though the weather was dry ... (Photo by Dirk Klynsmith)

by MARK JONES PRODUCTION Sports, Formula Vee, Geminis and HQ Holdens played support to the BOC Gases Super Touring Championship and the ROH Wheels Commodore Cup at Lakeside on June 18, with some fearsome racing throughout the categories.

Production Sports

A large field of New South Wales-based cars travelled north to Lakeside to join the locals.

The wet first race caught out quite a few cars who didn’t have wet tyres, so they sat out the race, including the two front row sitters.

William Pye’s pretty little Lotus Elise exploded from the new pole and pulled away from the field.

Second home was the Mazda MX5 of Bob van Zeggeren ahead of John Gilmore’s Porsche Carrera.

The second race on Sunday saw the return of the top qualifiers in Darren Dunn (Porsche 911) and Don Thallon (Chevrolet Corvette) from the back of the grid with a dramatic charge through the field.

Pye’s Lotus again won the start and disappeared into the distance, but Thallon and the big'V8 caught him with a lap to go to take the lead. Dunn just failed to catch Pye in the dash to the flag.

The top three were well clear of Paul Murra/s Mazda RX7 in fourth.

The third race was a straight fight between Thallon and Dunn with the Chevy coming out on top.

7miy2000

Mun-ay claimed third from Pye early in the race and held it to the flag.

HQ Holden Gary Bonwick won the wet start from pole sitter Jake Camilleri and gradually pulled clear of Camilleri and Robert Rubis.

Rubis got through on the last lap to claim second over Camilleri with some distance separating Craig Yates in fourth. Several cars spun in the damp conditions, with two clouting the wall on the descent towards Hungry. Both suffered cosmetic damage.

The second race saw Bonwick prevail in a close battle with Camilleri over the tussle between Rubis and Yates.The trophy race was won by Camilleri from Rubis and Allan Smith, after Bonwick struck trouble.

Gemini The first Gemini race (in the wet)saw Scott Nicholas lead across the line after one lap until Ron Lange passed at the Kink.

Lange and David Wood then gradually went away from the field and provided an excellent dice for the lead.

Wood took the lead with a lap to go, only for Lange to retake it into the Karrussel the last time.

Nicholas was a distant third.

Rally man Bruce Dummet explored the limits of his car in rally style and had several spins, while the best race of the day saw Scott Nicholas, Cameron Wilson and Ron Lange blast away from

the field early, staging a breathtaking race-long dice around the circuit in race two.

Nicholas had a huge slide offthe circuit at the Kink but recovered, only losing two car-lengths. This amounted to nought when he then put the car until the Karrussel sandtrap on lap eight.

Wilson took the win from Lange, l with Wood heading a fierce battle for third.

The trophy race saw Wilson and Lange take up where they left off with Wilson claiming the win from Lange.

Dummett was a fairly lonely third ahead of Colin Smith and Wood.

Formula Vee Gerhard Newman(Phoenix) won the race one start in damp conditions but poleman Shane Hart(Jabiru)soon had the lead and was never seriously threatened, pulling away at two to three seconds per lap.

Nick Leotsinis(Elfin) picked his way through the field into second ahead of the Phoenix of Muthanna Mapangada.

Race two saw Hart again lead every lap, coming home ahead of Newman with Leotsinis getting the better of Mapangada for third.

The trophy race again saw Hart lead every lap, streeting the Formula Vee field.

The battle for second was close however, with Glenn Gilbert (Jacer) getting to the line in second ahead of Leotsinis, Mapangada, and Ben Pledger.

Oops, I did it again: Colin Higgins heads for the beach.

(Photo by John Morris/Mpix)

Brown’s Griffith 500 ANDY Brown, driving a Class One Cougar buggy, has won the second round of the Australian Off-Road Championship, the Griffith 500.

Brown led home current National Champion Terry Rose (Class One Raceco buggy) and 46 other competitors in the gruelling event.

Outright winner of the first round at Ipswich, Fabio Zarfati, started the event in sixth place in his 3000GT-engined 510bhp MWB modified Pajero, and had moved to third within striking distance of Rose until drama struck.

A clutch failure was suspected to have brought the Mitsubishi machine to a halt.

Local hero Les Siviour took third outright in his LWB Nissan Patrol.

The third round of the championship will be the Kempsey Powerhouse 500 on July 22 and 23, with round four in Mildura on August 27.

89

Karting Briefs THERE was much discussion at a recent CiK meeting regarding slowing the Junior Intercontinental A class by around 30 percent as of 1 January 2001 for safety reasons.

Carburettor size, different tyres and fixed gearing on engine and axles sprockets were methods being considered. n The Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Karting Association, Queensland's Bob Edyvean, has announced his intention to retire from the position at the end of the year. Edyvean has given the AKA six months notice to allow the National Karting Council time to find a suitable replacement. n Australia could be leading the way with the tuning of water cooled kart engines. While many water cooled karts use an external pump driven off the rear axle, a couple of inventive souls have 'pioneered' an electric water pump which, obviously, draws no power from the engine. And it works, Anthony Higgs winning the Nationals in Clubman Super Heavy while Kip Foster placed a close second in Clubman Heavy after qualifying on pole. n Round one of the three round Pro Series 2000 kicks off this weekend at Newcastle. A $12,000 Daewoo Matiz is up for grabs in the Senior Clubman class with $5000 cash on offer for the 'Outlaw' reed and rotary valve engine class. n Fifteen-year-old Queenslander Josh Hunt has been appointed Junior Indy Ambassador for this year's Honda indy 300.

Hunt, who competes in the APS Racing Series in Junior Intercontinental A, said he will be attending several official functions and media events.

-MARK WICKS n As we closed for press came disturbing news concerning the theft of the complete trailer and karts belonging to Australian lOOcc NGB Light champ Jason McIntyre and his brother Colin, while returning from a race last Sunday at Oran Park.

With their $20,000-plus equipment uninsured and gone, the devastated family is out of racing if it can't be located.

The trailer disappeared from near La Porchetta restaurant in Campbeiltown, NSW. Anyone with any information is urged to contact Campbeiltown Police. n STOP PRESS: Neil McFadyen has won the second round of the Ford Max Rotax Challenge at Eastern Creek last Sunday. William Yarwood was second with Mark Winterbottom third. Full report next issue.

Graham out of APS

Withdrawing: Adam Graham will not be seen at the remaining rounds of the APS Racing CIK Australian Championships. (Photo by sean Hensheiwood)

REIGNING Australian Junior Intercontinental A Champion Adam Graham has withdrawn from the final two rounds of the APS Racing CIK Australian Championships.

The reason for Graham’s withdrawal has been put down to finances and the strain on the family-mn aftermarket performance auto parts business.

The talented teenager had been the benchmark in Juniors last year, winning the 1999 Wynn’s Series and Oceania Championship in JICA. The move to Seniors, coupled with a switch of teams, had produced mixed results. Graham, unlike many, had elected to move directly into the super competitive Formula A class rather than do a season of Intercontinental A. A crash in the formation laps at the AKA Nationals, where Adam was innocently run into by another driver, eliminated him from the event and set the scene for his season so far.

Despite this he was becoming more competitive with every outing but 13th at the opening APS round,followed by a DNF at round two after a first corner altercation effectively wrote off his 2000 campaign.

-MARK WICKS

Four strokes to EMU in Australis the fore or four?

KARTING is now officially in the process of switching from the ‘traditional’ two-stroke engine to four-stroke with the announcement that the Formula Super A class will be exclusively for four-stroke engines from 2004.

Other classes will follow suit in the following years. In Europe a complete switch to four-stroke is expected by 2007.

Just how this impacts the Australian karting scene is yet to be seen, however in the short term no changes are expected and the matter should be discussed at the National conference in August.

Four-stoke has long been popular in the United States and with recreational ‘arrive and drive’rental circuits, but has never been viewed as a serious competition option in Europe or Australia.

The major manufacturers of kart racing engines have in fact been reluctant to embrace four-stroke technology, primarily due to cost.

However the decision to switch to four-stroke engines was inevitable given tighter environmental laws worldwide which continue to restrict the use of two-stroke engines.

This is one of the reasons why FIM is allowing foim-stoke engines in the World Motorcycle Championships as of 2002.

It is expected the changes will take some time to reach Australia where two-stroke engines are universally used.

As recently as last year Briggs and Stratton have attempted, but so far failed, to get their four-stroke Raptor engine approved for competition in Australia.

The new generation of kart engines are expected to be around 170cc and rev to 16,000rpm. They will incorporate multiple valves and overhead camshaft concepts and technology that is foreign to many of our current engine tuners.

- MARK WICKS

DEFINITIVE Racing has just announced that they are the Australian importer of the Italian BRM range of chassis.

Definitive's Steve Pettaras, who sponsors the Pettaras Press Formula A class in the APS Racing series, has been out of Australia for the last six weeks, taking in rounds of the European Championships and sealing the deal with BRM. For a relatively small manufacturer, BRM have been impressing many with their speed, Italy’s Ennio Gandolfi qualifying pole and winning a heat at the opening round of the European Formula C Championship.

BRM was also competitive at last year’s World Super A Title where Gandolfi put one of the karts on the second row of the grid for the final.

It is anticipated a local BRM team will soon be assembled prior to the factory team attending our Oceania Championship in November.

- MARK WICKS motorsporinews

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NATIONAL

No more one-race World Karting Championships

By MAKE WICKS

THE World Karting Championship wiE take on a new look in 2001.

For the first time it will be contested over a series of races rather than a stand alone event.

A five round Championship will feature three roxmds in Europe, one in America and one in Japan.

The decision was confirmed at a World Motor Sport Council meeting in Warsaw last month.

The World Championship is exclusively for Formula Super A karts meaning that Formula A and Formula C no longer have World Championship status.

As in Formula One,there will be two Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors.

Tomlinson switches teams SYDNEY teenager Andrew Tomlinson has switched teams for the remaining two rounds of the APS Racing Series.

Having driven for Tony Kart in the opening two rounds, Tomhnson will now drive Top Kart for the Kart One Racing estabhshment and joins their lead driver and series leader Neil McFadyen in Formula A. The move came as a surprise to many as Tomlinson has worked hard at establishing links with the Tony Kart factory by racing in Europe earlier in the year with the Koene Racing Team.

-MARK WICKS

Further stipulations also mirror FI,such as drivers and teams having to commit to all rounds of the Championship, a deposit guaranteeing this to be payable at the time of entry.

Each team will comprise two drivers with a possible third ‘reserve’ driver, one of which must be under 22 years of age.

While these changes are

exciting and forward development for international karting, it also means the cost and logistics of a World Championship campaign will increase significantly, handing further power to the big teams with big budget drivers.

The last ‘one off’World Championship is at Braga, Portugal this September.

IN another shock move, reigning Formula A Champion Jamie Whincup has withdrawn from the APS Racing series.

Having originally planned to not race karts this year and concentrate on Formula Ford, . the Whincups have admitted to spreading themselves “a bit thin”.

Racing in Formula Ford, the APS Series and the Ford Max Challenge has stretched the effort too far and, after a poor showing at Ipswich last month,

Whincup has decided to withdraw from the series and part company with the Remo Racing/Tecno team.

With a burgeoning career in cars, Whincup wants to concentrate on Formula Ford, but will continue to compete in the remaining rounds of the Ford Max Challenge as a number of sponsors have committed to the cause.

There is a possibility of a drive in the Geelong APS round.

- MARK WICKS

n

we already know the next and

Craig lowndes

Garth Tander

wvifw.kaiioz.coiii.au

kartoz magazine - subscription and advertising enquiries phone 03 5831 1910, fax 03 5831 1908 email info@apdm.com.au 71b)«2000

31

The Cup of Commodore The ROH Wheels Commodore Cup has been one of the success stories of Australian motorsport over the past few seasons, becoming a breeding ground for the touring car stars of tomorrow.

AARON NOONAN takes a closer look at the Commodore Cup category.

THE Holden Commodore has become somewhat of an Australian institution, both on and off the race track.

On track it has become the weapon of choice in VSSupercar in its current VT form, and in its earlier guises claimed success on the Mountain many times in the hands of names such as Brock, Grice, Perkins, and Harvey.

They were all the established stars of the day, but the same model Commodores which carried them to their success at the height of Group C racing are now being used to foster interest in motorsport and help produce some stars of tomorrow. Now it forms the basis of the Commodore Cup. Beginning in 1994 as a category and expanding in 1995 to a national series, the class has filled the void which existed between HQ/Club racing and the bottom end of the professional sphere of the sport.

David Gittus, along with Peter Janssen and Maurie Platt, had raced HQs and taken the step up to production cars only to encounter a far more expensive way of going racing.

So Janssen pulled out the HQ rule book, changed ‘HQ’to ‘Commodore’, changed the engine

and associated running gear and the Conunodore Cup was bom for VB, VC and VH model Commodores.

Along the way there have been some changes and refinements in the overall package. This year, for instance, the category has adopted a Dunlop radial tyre afer using Hoosiers since the category’s inception. The wear rate is far better and the cost involved in changing suspension geometry to suit the new tyre is made up by the reduced tyre purchase price.

As engine development moved from 240bhp up to 280bhp, it became apparent that the Toyota Supra 5-speed gearbox wasn’t quite able to cope and instead a Super TIO unit was phased in.

That’s another of the beauties of the class. Changes are phased in slowly with the competitors in mind, the competitiors mnning the category through a committee made up of themselves.

After five seasons the Commodores are now the leading support category to the BOC Gases Super'Iburing series, but the opening two rormds of the series at Oran Park and Lakeside have seen small fields, something Gittus sees as changing in later rounds ofthe title.

“The weekend before Lakeside

V

●V'-

CoRmt

Chartering the waters; Queenslander Greg Waters leads the ROH Wheels Commodore Cup after two rounds.-(Photo:bybi?RKiynsmiih) we had a Victorian State Title round at Phillip Island with some 16 cars.

“We always knew it would hurt us (the State Series),” he said.

The introduction of a Victorian title has taken away from the national series with drivers wishing to preserve budgets and focus on local events, however a number of drivers running the series this year are intending on a national assault in 2001.

“I suppose we want a core group of about 15 cars who go to all the rounds, topped up by half a dozen to a dozen local cars to make a healthy grid,” Gittus said.

“Another of our problems is that every car that comes on the market is being bought by Victorians so the concentration of cars is in Victoria!”

A long term issue for the category is that of updates in chassis. Having had 10 year old cars when the category began, the Commodore Racing Association of Australia is well advanced in plans to upgrade to VEWS models.

“We’ve already got the framework,” said Gittus.

“The VRAIS would use the same engine and gearbox and has the same floorpan (as the existing cars). We’d have to alter diffs and fit new front suspension, so altogether an update would be about $10-12,000.

“It’s something we’ve shelved at the moment but it’s ready to pull out when the time is right. We’ve got 65 cars out there at the moment, we’ve just got to get them out there.

“It’s a two-edged sword.

Stepping stone; Wayne Wakefield and Tim Shaw have used the class as a stepping stone to bigger things. (Photo byOirkKIynsmith)

92

Bringing in the new cars may attract new people to the class but it also may put some off who would have to update their equipment.”

Gittus expects fields to pick up in the ensuring rounds and is confident of a 40 car grid at the Sandown round in January.

With no series registration and a two-day race meeting format which reduces costs, the Commodore Cup is beginning to move back towards the 25-plus grids which first brought it to our attention.

The 2000 series has been keenly faught too, with Greg Waters holding a nine-point margin over Geoff Emeiy going into this weekend’s round at Oran Park.

Gittus’ team mate, and JFR V8 Supercar enduro driver Christian D’Agostin is a close third in the series which is receiving regular air play on the Seven Network’s ‘Super Touring 2000’ programs. \^ere else can you run a full season on one engine, too?

ROH Wheels Commodore Cup Pointscore 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Greg Waters Geoff Emery Christian D’Agostin David Gittus Geoff Parker Tim Pearce Brett Holdsworth Murray Walker Mark Papendell Steven Carless David Marshall Phonsy Mullan John Vernon Stuart Gagg

187 178 174 144 140 137 130 129 121 83 66 63 62 58 RMtortninDam

1

INDUSTHY

Here come the Judge

Locked Up

CARRYBOY and AccessoriesCanopies have launched a new range of security toolboxes.

The new high quality security toolboxes are designed to suit most utes and pickups on the Australian market. Carryboy have even coloured matched to suit the most popular models.

"Our extensive range of security toolboxes have been extremely well received by trades-people as well as recreational-users as they can easily store their expensive tools, motorcross gear, fishing rods and tackle, camping

equipment or other goods from prying eyes," said Con Tsoutsouras, Director of Carryboy Canopies and Accessories Pty Ltd. The full range range of Carryboy products includes side step units, rear and front nudge bars, sports bars, body kits plus other aftermarket accessories. These are all available nationally from automotive dealers, ARB outlets outside Victoria. For more details contact Carryboy on 03 9898 0566, or visit them on their website at www.carryboy.com.au

DURING the recent Eastemats be used for other applications. held annually at Sandown Park It is for these and many more Raceway in Victoria, a street reasons why race teams such as legal VS Holden Ute owned hy Nismo, NASCAR team Hendrick Todd Wilkes recorded an Racing,TRD US and workshops in Austraha and worldwide are incredible 800 hp at the wheels.

This sort of power is impressive relying on the Dynapack Dyno. enough, however could only be V8 Supercar-team John recorded due to the unique design Faulkner Racing has recently and toughness of the Dynapack taken delivery of a D3uiapack Dyno.

Dyno.

“We were very impressed with the Designed and manufactured in Dynapack accuracy and New Zealand the Dynapack is now repeatabihty - the abihty to available in Australia. interface with our Motec data With a capability of logging equipment makes this dyno withstanding up to 1,100 HP 2WD a vital part of our equipment” said owner and lead driver John and 2200 hp 41TO the Dynapack is Faulkner ideal for any performance work For further information on the including street or racing.

The Dynapack Dyno cormects Dynapack Dyno contact Dynopack direct to the axle hub. This system Australia on 03 9311 0588,fax 03 makes the readings extremely 9311 3722,email accurate and 'will measure changes sales@dynapack.com, or visit www.melfab.com.au of less than 0.5% reliably, as the variations of tyre klerniiSKij Dyacxaartat (10 Ua pressure and roller inertia is eliminated. i The Dynapack mu— Dyno is dso easily metransported as there S % are no large rollers and structure to move 39i:>~ I /I -in fact in the work "tt3»*; shop when the Dynapack Dyno is c&s UB ft not being used, it can be stored out of the way, allowing 800 horses. The Judge shows 800hp at the valuable floor space to wheels on a Dynapack Dyno.

/:zt tfM

Yokohama launches new A539

YOKOHAMA has released its new all-roumd sports tyre, the A539.

The tyre, which carries on the success of the A509, was launched at Queensland’s Darlington Park motor racing facility last month.

More than 40 joumahsts from throughout Australia and SouthEast Asia tested the tyre on a wide range of vehicles and through differing conditions.

“The A539 is the result of the full weight of Yokohama’s extensive research and development resources, and is designed to sit below the flagship AVS Sport V102 in Yokohama’s performance tyre range,” said Yokohama 'I^re and Rubber’s director Mr Takashi Sugimoto.

The A539 combines excellent dry and wet-road grip with low noise characteristics, which was one of the strengths of the A509 it replaces. It features an asymmetrical tread pattern (meaning the tyre is uniI Ml 2090

direction^) and is the second Yokohama tyre to use the patented Zeruma processing agent in its manufacturing process.

Zeruma was developed to allow the even dispersion of silica throughout the tyre compound.

What does all this mean in the real world? After driving on 509s

over the past year (and yes, I bought the tyres myself) it was obvious that the 539 had a considerable benchmark to meet and exceed.

During testing at, and around, Darlington the 539 impressed with its quietness in on-road situations on a test Mitsubishi Magna 3.5 V6.

The tyre handled the rutted country roads with aplomb and displayed no ‘tram-tracking’ at freeways speeds.

Two Volkswagen Boras were provided on a combined wefrdiy skid pad; one fitted with 539s and one with 509s. The 539 showed superior grip and better lateral stability that the 509-shod V5engined VW. On the racetrack the new tyre gave great feedback. On Proton Satria GTis, the tyre may have lacked the ultimate performance of that provided by the AVS V102 but the hdgh level of information from the grip department never left the driver in any doubt what the car was doing and where the limit was.

The good news is that, even with the dreaded GST, the A539 will he only a few bucks more than the A509. The new tyre comes in 33 different sizes, from 12 inch to 17 inch diameter, and will be available from tyre retailers next month.

-PHILBRANAGAN 93

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Datsun 1600 rally car, 1800 engine dyno at 185hp, twin 45mm Delautos, 5 spd box, 5:1 locker diff, KYB rear shocks, CAMS log book, good club rally car. $7000 ono. Ph Steve 07 4979 0550. m

\

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Lotus Escort Twin Cam, Mkl 1970. Rust free, English type 49, round headlights, FIA steel cage, FIA seats, LSD, ventilated discs. World Cup Bilstein struts. $17,500. Ph 07 3849 8511 bh or 07 3398 4307 ah. .64 Torana S/S, mid-mounted 202, dry sump, Weber forged pistons, triple plate BB. Slicks & wets, greta hillclimb or circuit car ready to go. Sale due to new project. $8000 neg. Ph David 08 8565 6273 or 0428 831 912. .84 V8 Supercar Commodore, ready to race. Also Chev engine. Pantec transporter with annex, 17in wheels, centrelocks. Ph Terry Finnigan 02 9681 1561 or 0412 704 075. .84 1995 Porsche 993 RS Touring, LHD race car, fully rebuilt from bare shell, RSCS suspension.

Pro Flex shocks & RSCS close ratio gearbox, 310hp 3.6 rebuilt fresh. Twin Porsche oil coolers, front mounted Simpson oil tank, most parts brand new. Lightweight, suitable Class A or B Porsche Cup, Marque Sports, Sports Sedan. $115,000 neg.Ph 07 3368 2727 or 0418 753 256. .84

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Mazda RX3, Sports Sedan, 13B race turbo 300+hp, Needham 5spd, four wheel discs, 10x125 wheels, LSD, new slicks, very quick $9900. Ph 0413 383 102. .84

Ex-Glenn Seton, EL Falcon, ready to race $110,000. Spare engine $35,000. Plus spares about $15,000. Ph Simon 02 9618 7133. .83 Race car, VS Commodore $70,000. Ex-HRT Holden engine, 6 spd gearbox, spare engine and spares. Two car transporter for $25,000. Ph Simon 02 9618 7133. .83 HQ Sedan Belmont, 202 Auto, One Owner.

97000 Original Miles. Complete, unmodified.

Very Straight. NSW Rego 09/00 COI 498. $4500 ono. Ph 02 9955 3623. .83

HQ race car, blue/purple, new tyres, suspension.

Roll cage, complete less seat and harness. $2500 ono. Ph 03 9510 4159. .84 1990 Nissan Patrol, 4WD, 4.2 turbo diesel wagon, white, reconditioned injectors, new springs and shocks, set up to tow 22 ft enclosed trailer. $25,000 ono. Ph 07 3368 2727 or 0418 753 256. .84

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glass panels, mid mounted Toyota 3SG with cus tom built fuel injection and throttle bodies.

Comes with all moulds, mounted wets, Dorian, trailer. Current QRDA 2 litre pointscore leader. $28,500 ono the lot. Ph Stuart 0412 008 443 or 07 3285 4871 ah. .b4 Porsche Cup car, '96/'97/'98 national class cham pionship car. Lap record holder at Winton, Mallala & Eastern Creek. Spare set wheels. Wets, many slicks, some new and one meet old. Ph 0412 337 227. .84 1993 BMW 325i, 2 dr coupe. Calypso, M3 wheels, ABS, air bag, 6 stack CD. $37,000 ono. Ph 07 3368 2727 or 0418 753 256. .84

A)

HQ race car #33, built '99, log book, Sparco seat, autometer gauges, new Bond alloy cage, very well balanced car, too much to list, heaps of spares,

Sierra Cosworth, moonstone blue, Recaro trim, twin cam turbo, 5sp 4WDB, LSD, ABS, complianced, HP! checked EC, reg RWC $35,000 ono.

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with engine $7000, without $5000. Ph 07 5577 2550. .84

Alfa Sprint Sports Sedan, spaceframe construc tion, 13B PP rotary engine. Mazda factory hous ings, fuel injected by MoTec, 5 spd Getrag with Holinger gears, AP t/plate clutch, alloy flywheel, independent rear end, alloy diff, AP 4 spot brakes front & rear on 14" rotors. Centrelock hubs, Simmons wheels 10.5x17", spares, models the lot. $28,000. Ph 07 5594 1706. .84 r ^

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Offers over $60,000. Ph 0411 195 937. .83

Sports Sedan Datsun 1000, brand new top HP PP rotary. New purple/green paint. New front & rear spoilers, gauges, seat, harness. Low 57s at Lakeside. Log booked with trailer. $13,000. Ph 07 4635 0272. .84 Jaguar Sports Sedan, VUE Type-based, uncom pleted project near final ssembly. Huge number of spares, sensible offers. Ph 03 5251 3685 AH or 03 5222 1300 BH. .83

Alfasud '79 Tl rally, 100% finisher, 2 owner his tory, class win or place in major classics inci Targa 2000, professionally maintained, safe sorted, ready to go, registered, inspect and make an offer.

Ph 02 9802 2255. .83 Torana U Sports Sedan, lightweight, 4 spots, 15x10s, fully adj susp. Marsh seat, Luke har ness, less eng/g/box. $5400 ono. Ph 03 9764 1571. .83

Falcon XY Grp N, everything new, current State championship holder, car has been built using only the best parts. Big HP, gold trak, pedal box etc.

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4

Datsun 1600, 2 litre Sports Sedan. Built original ly for Attard brothers and raced by Steven Johnson. Space frame chassis with front struts and Nissan Z car LSD. Carbon fibre/kevlar & fibre-

Up. New Heads, As new gearbox, Penske Shocks.

Assorted spares. No work necessary. $115,000 Phone 0413 046 318. is3

Historic Raliye Imp, Group N, ex-Rootes Group factory car driven by Rosemary Smith. Fresh engine, new Hoosier tyres, 2 sets genuine Minilites, lots of spares, on tilt trailer. $6000 ono.

HQ, race setup. 1st Queensland Raceway, 3rd Indy, 4th Bathurst. Complete with spare rolling shell, 2 new engines, heaps spares. $12,000 ono. Ph Andrew 0407 723 055 or 07 5572 3055. .84

Holden FJ Sports Sedan, blue Holden six, Toyota gearbox, LSD, plenty of engine and body spares.

Has won many rounds of NSW Hillclimb Chps. $4500 ono. Ph 02 6644 9411 ah or 0428 661 284

96

180B Sports Sedan, fuel injected L28, Aultronic management system, wets and slicks, 260hp, some spare parts with car, log book, red in colour. $7000 ono. Ph 0414 334 579. is4 Commodore Cup car, '99 spec, good condition, heaps of spares, inc body shell and engine. All realistic offers considered. Ph 03 5149 2379 or 0412 243 184. .83

Super Competitive V8 Supercar, ready to race.

Raced by Rodney Forbes and Wayne Gardner. 1st Privateer 1999 FAI 1000.1999 Shell Series Rookie of the Year. 1999 Privateer Championship Runner

Nissan Pulsar GTIR, silver 1993 model, 2 litre turbo 4WD, 106km, air, power steer, mags, ABS, rally rego, log book, eng no SR20437387A. $10,500 ono. Ph 07 3209 2073 or 0414 645 755. .83 Mazda RX7 Series 6, upgraded to SP. Haltech, Simmons wheels, low km, excel cond. $55,000 ono. Ph 02 9732 3033 BH or 0417 207 192. .83 Porsche 911 1971, red, later model bumpers, resprayed, retrimmed, bigger cross drilled & ventillated brakes (front), 2.4L, 5 speed, Sony CD player, carbys just rebuilt, good clean condi tion. New clutch. $33,000 ono. Ph 02 4774 2267. .83 HQ racer, QLD top 10, spare diff, box, suspension, brakes, two pak paint. Urgent sale. $5300. Ph 07 5520 4855. .83 Gemini Coupe Sports Sedan, roller, eight 16" wheels & tyres, big brakes $3500. New steel AP four spots $150 each. Ph/fax 02 6734 2259. .83 BMW 2-litre Super Tourer, 1998 ex-Winkelhock works car, maintained by Schnitzer, capable of winning Aust series, never crashed, race ready. $US85,000. Spares package (inc engine) available.

Ph 0417 755 747. .83 inolotigort newi

Marketplace BMW 635 CSi, ex-Frank Sytner UK, LHD BMW factory built, chassis no E24RAI-22, complete with spare Alpina engine & spares. $59,000. Ph 0064 9 274 8646. iS2

Transponers/Traiiers

Future Tourer Commodore VS, as raced at Bathurst. Big Harrop brakes, Tilton pedal assembly, top Hp engine, HM latest spec exhaust, Harrop sway bar, wheels & nut retainers, fire bomb, Bilstein shocks Bathurst spec. TIO, cambered diff.

This car was 3rd fastest on the Saturday & was capable of being fastest. Car capable of running top 5 as is. Engine has 500km since reco. Ph 0417 558 452. 182 Morris Cooper S Mkll, genuine 4/69, mags, cage, race seats, 1310cc, comes with Weber or SUs. White body, burgandy roof. $8000. Ph 03 5470 5563. ,82 HQ racer, new motor, #1 1998, #2 1999, consis tent front runner tor 5 years. Very well prepared & presented, log book & lots of spares. $7500. Ph 08 9405 2265 AH. ,82 Escort Sports Sedan, 13BPP rotary, 5 speed, c/ratio gAox, E2200 full floating r/end, new AP front 4 spot brakes, very fast Club race car, spares include 4 spd g/box, wheels, siciks & wets (near new)full set body moulds etc. $18,500 ono. Ph 02 4721 8125 or 0417 401 658. 182

Custom car trailer, 2mx4.7m hydraulic tilt bed.

Slideout ramps, front enclosed, freshly painted, light truck tyres, 20001b winch, electric brakes, 12 months rego. $4000. Ph 02 6331 2966 bh or 02 6332 4936 ah. ,83 Tandem trailer, suit small race car, Datsun 1600 etc. 4 almost new light truck tyres, mounted garage jack, easy to tow. $1500. Ph 03 9552 4268. ,84 Enclosed race car trailer, 22 ftx8x6, new springs, fully decked out with aiuminium floor.cupboards, work bench, electric winch, tyre racks, fold down ramp/door, new tyres. $7500. Ph 07 3368 2727 or 0418 753 256. ,84

VL Sportsman AUSCAR, JFR built & race pre pared. Front running car, no expense spared.

Best offer, will trade. Urgent sale. Ph 03 9551 6585. ,82

1980 Isuzu SBR 422, 4 ton 18" pan, barn doors, 1500kg tail gate loader, Honda air compressor, tool box, 240v power, electric winch. Ph 07 5491 1260. ,84

Toyota Sprinter '83, twin cam, white/blue trim, air con, disc brake rear end, Koni shocks, 15x7 wheels. $4500. Ph 07 3216 7780. 182

Isuzu 82 model, good condition, 22ft pan, electric tailgate, 230hp turbo intercooled, long range fuel tank, too much to mention. $25,000. Ph 03 5275 2567. ,84

HQ Holden race car, 8 meetings old, ready to race, plenty of spares, comes with Dorian timer &2nd HQ sedan. $4000 ono. Ph 0407 144 796. ,82 Off Road Class 4 VW Baha, Nissan CA18 fuel injected turbo engine. Bilstein shocks with coils, SAAS seat, quick & reliable, NSW class champion last 3 years, ready to race $9000 ono. Ph 02 4832 1321. ,82 Club Car TF Cortina, 4.1 6 cyl, 350hp, Top Loader, car has been developed and is strong, quick and relaible. Ready to race comes with spares and trailer. $10,000 neg. Ph Ken 0403 011 924. ,82 Cortina GT 2 door Gp Nb, red/white, full cage, Koni suspension, sealed engine, SCCR g/box, Quaiffe LSD, 2 sets wheels, 1st in class '99 AGP, excellent condition. $18,000. Ph 03 9265 5038 BH or 0419 552 875. ,S2 Holden HG GTS 350 Monaro, race car. New sus pension, Wilwood, 4 spot brakes, front-rear, 15x8 Superlites, A008Rs, full cage, Sparco seats, Memo, 9" diff, needs engine, gearbox. May separate. $7000. Ph 08 8270 5921. ,82 Group C Gemini, with logbook, Haltech injected DOHC, Konis, AP brakes, Detroit locker. Watts linkage & more. Immaculate condition inc spare engines, wheels & more. Close to Grp.C trim or ideal Club Car/Sports Sedan. $9500 ono. Ph 0414 943 987 or 03 9706 1279. ,82 Commodore Brock Calais Sport, no 4076.

Group A spec, 304, factory sunroof, full Brock optioned with books and build sheets. Very clean $17,800 ono. Ph 08 8270 5921. ,82 1980 Ford Escort, 2lt in reasonable condition, comes with spare motor and gearbox. $3500. Ph 03 5134 6126 after 7pm. ,82 Ford GTD 40 1991, 302 Mustang, Renault 24 transaxle, full factory kit inci air con & Connelly hide leather, stunning & immaculate. 4,500 miles. $NZ65,000. Ph 0064 9 5220887, ,82 EB/EL Ford Falcon, sports sedan project. Welded 16-point roll cage, 9" diff with 4-link, huge 4 spot calipers, pedal box with bias, Bilstein suspension fully rose-jointed. Johnson 120-litre bladder tank.

80% complete roller. $4000. Will separate. Ph 02 4578 3434. ,82

Brand new purpose built, dual axle, elec brakes, reg, flat white aluminium sliding, front office area & seating. Tie down hooks, aluminium ramps, rear door, gas struts, 21x7x8, FHolden or FFord. $8000.

Ph Craig 0412 895 560, ,82 Pantec purpose built dual axle, electric brakes, aluminium checkaplate floor, drop tail door, side doors, tyre rack & 240 volt light setup. Suit small Sports Sedan, karts, motor bikes, Speedcar. $4,000. Ph 0409 125 965. ,82 Transporter, 8x2.5x3, electric brakes plus break away, aluminium cladded, wired with full lighting and powerpoints, superwinch, work bench, cup boards, aluminium checkerplate floor. Full length enclosed awning. $14,800. Ph 0414 248 855 or 02 9528 3168. ,82 Isuzu SBR Dualcab, updated drivetrain, new Pantech, checkerplate, rear ramp door, Duratorque tow bar, electric brakes, tyre rack, just passed RTA inspection, low kms very clean. Just serviced. $16,500. Ph 0414 248 855 or 02 9528 3168. 182

chev Crew Cab. Dually 1990 model. 454 auto, central locking, cruise control, bucket seats, doth trim, excellent condition.

RHD. Vin. IGTHR33NZLF703850. $38,000. Ph: 0418 134 174 or 03 5176 1352. ,83

Chev '89 Silverado Crewcab, '94 upgrade, 5.7L auto, pure white, maroon int, (6 seater), fully loaded, ideal tow vehicles, ask for fax sheet. $35,000. Ph 02 9879 6555 BH or 0408 369 070. ,82

Open Wheelers

Go kart, PCR, 6 months old, KTIOOS, just rebuilt, tyres only 1 meeting old. Suit junior or clubman. $3800 ono. KT100J also available for $800. Ph 07 5465 7729. ,84

Formula Libre, 12A rotary, twin distributor, engine needs seals. VW front and rear ends. Heas of engine spares. Easily returned to Formula Vee. Ideal hillclimb or club car. $2500. Ph 03 9799 0053. ,84 Merlin Formula Vee, chassis, professionally nar rowed, almost complete roller, most parts, log booked $1000. Ph 0401 187 850 or 03 9722 9315. ,84

Fully enclosed, dual axle trailer 25' long, electric breakaway brakes, large annex, fold down tailgate and ramps, 240/12v, storage shelves, tyre racks, suit large Sports Sedan. Ph 03 9543 6869 or 0408 543 808. ,83 Dodge V8 Twin Cab, dual fuel beaver back with elec winch, demountable tool & access, contain er converts to flat tray. RWC $9500 ono.

Optional three car tent. $1500. Ph 03 9742 5277. ,82

Chevron B29, Formula Atlantic 1975 Group Q Historic with COD Cosworth BDD fresh engine.

New mounted wets. Ex-Albert Poon, race ready, spares. $50,000. Ph Geoff Wieland 0412 333 332 or 03 9816 4639. ,84 Formula Ford '91, with enclosed trailer plus parts $16,500. Ph 07 3806 1465 ah

KCM, lOOcc NGB or sprint, wets on rims, com plete engine spares, too many spares to list, com pletely overhauled. $3500. Enclosed lock-up trail er with mags $2000. Ph 02 4365 2522 or 0427 41 1 232. ,84 Go kart. Excell with MRC rotary engine, mem ory tacho and some spares. Ph 02 4933 4637. ,84

Formula Ford RF96/97, Van Diemen rolling chassis with '97 upgrade and body shell. Very low race miles, immaculate condition. Some spares available. $POA. Ph NZ 6357 3642 or 2196 2976. ,84

Historic 1967, GWG Group 0 F3, CAMS certifi cate of description, motor fully rebuilt, 4 spd Hollinger g/box, full history. $33,000. Ph 03 5428 2583. ,84

Superkart, Peter Worrell's 250cc Kawasaki national full body. Carbon fibre wing, rack and pinion steering, programmable ignition plus computer, fueltronics dash, spare cylin ders, pipes, engine parts $5500. Ph 02 9824 7350. ,84

Birrana 276 Formula 2, Eligible Historic, chassis #20, last built. Isuzu-Hewland Mk9, spare ratios, engine parts, nose wing, wets etc. Little use.

Excellent condition. $17,750 ono. Ph 02 4930 6277. ,84 Formula Ford, Van Diemen RF89. Winner QLD c'ship 98/99, top condition, never chassis dam aged, fresh Speedtech engine, 2 sets spare wheels, Dorian, $14,500. Enclosed trailer $2500 or $16,000 the lot. Ph 0418 184 456. ,84

Go karts, AX5, 3 bearing, 30mm axle, little use, good condition, Dino 101. 3 bearing 30mm axle with Tillett seat. Rebuilt and very fast J. Trolley & stand. $3000 ono the lot. Ph 0408 202 337. ,S4 250cc International Super Kart, Yamaha engine. Zip chassis, Kelgate brakes, all com pletely rebuilt. $2750. Ph Barry 03 9796 4588 bh. ,84

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Transporter, 25' elec brakes, 240v/12v, benches, cupboards & kitchen stove, sink, fridge etc, 6x5 fully enclosed annex, ask for fax sheet. $13,000.

Ph 02 9879 6555 BH or 0408 369 070. ,82

Ford F350, Banana back transporter. Low access, reco 351 C6, RWC, top condition, LPG, big winch, custom American look. $22,000 ono. Ph 0408 370 699. ,84

Tow Truck, F350 Banana Back 17ft tray, 351c, auto, air, p/s, LPG, USA flashers, Warne winch, Telma retarder, 10 stack CD player, will not dis appoint. $34,000 ono. Ph 0412 300 506. ,83

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Formula Ford Spectrum 06, complete with top HP Fastlane engine, just 1 race meet new. 3 sets wheels, huge list of spares, 28 sets gear ratios, Dorian, maintained by Jamie Gard. With MoTec dash & data $34,500, without MoTec $27,500 and very good Peter Lamer engine $2900. Also available, custom made front & rear jacks, car stands and engine fitting. Ph 08 9377 2999. .82

Royale FF 1973 RP16, eligible Historic. Recently restored, little use since. Comes with fresh Lamer Engine, Certificate of Description and some gears.

Offers invited around $25,000. Contact Dave on 03 95580140 or 0428 682 628 .84

Formula Vee, chassis. Narrowed with Sabre body kit to suit monoshock rear end & front end $1200. Brand new FVee engine, not started $1000. Short ratio gearbox $500. Ph 03 9722 9315. 18Z Formula Vee, chassis. Narrowed with Sabre body kit to suit monoshock rear end & front end $1200.

Brand new F Vee engine, not started $ 1000. Short ratio gearbox $500. Ph 03 9722 9315. ibz Formula Vee Elliot 01, top HP Elliot Bond engine. Ex-Mark White 1996 pointscore winner, fresh paint & nose cone. Comes with Pi, gearbox, trailer & spares. $9000. Ph 03 9308 7663 or 0416 210 778.182 Formula Ford, Historic Van Diemen 1976, fresh Lowndes engine, properly prepared, ready to race, additional tyres & ratios available. CAMS cert, offers Invited round $18,000. Ph 03 9742 5277. .82

Parts Porsche 993, turbo/C4S wide body shell.

Undamaged, complete turbo 4WD drivetrain, big red brakes. Ph Wayne 07 5449 0055. .84 Fuel tank, 16 gallon foam filled. New. $200. Ph 03 9306 9839. .84

Go Kart, CRG/Parilla. Last raced Singapore 1998.

Rebuilt ground up Auckland 1999. Receipts. Not run since. Spare wheels/slicks, some parts. Trolley, must be sold. Best offer around $2000. Ph 0412 251 221. .83

Reynard 913 F3, Golf 16V, 26mm. $40,000.

Large spares package & trailer available. Serious inquiries please. Ph 03 5881 4411 BH or 03 5881 1506 AH. .83 Go Kart, PCR Jaguar Sprint, 6 months old, KTIOOS, just rebuilt, race suit, helmet, boots, tyres (only 1 meeting old), spares available at extra cost: $4000 ono. Ph 07 5465 7729. .83 F3 racing slicks, Dunlop, 190/535/R13 front, 230/570/R13 rear. Good seiertion available, all sets used one meeting and one practice only. $600 per set. Ph Bronte Rundle 08 8332 5585 or Ian Richards 08 8363 5657. .b3 Formula Ford Vector TF94, not raced since compete rebuild. Similar to car which won last year's NSW State Championship. Priced to sell. $17,000 ono. Ph 03 9791 6599 or 0419 353 Oil. .83 Formula Ford Reynard 90F, rolling chassis, spare corners, ratios, 94 update, spare 90F bodywork, 3rd '98 NSW Championship, spare radiators, good first car or hillclimb. May consider with engine. $15,500 ono. Ph 02 4774 2267 or 0412 043 605. .83 Historic Formula Ford, 1972 Bowin. Complete recent rebuild, engine 3 meetings old. Additional gear sets, spare wheels and tyres. $25,000. Ph 0413 051 454. las

HQ chassis, with front end $100. Four platform scales on wheels for weighing cars $1200. 202+60 motor + block 202 + 60 & crank rods etc $100. Ph 02 4572 5949. .84 Formula Vee, gearbox, complete drum to drum with new brakes, bearings and seals. Tagged. $500. Ph 03 9722 9315 or 0401 187 850. .84 FT200 gears, 20/28, 20/24, 30/16, 34/14, 46/14, 28/18, 17/30, 7 dog rings 2 1/2", clutch disc 10 spline 1 "x7 1/4" $750. .84 Rotary PP, racing plugs. Champion N80 and N555Q, equivalent to NGK BIO EGV and B9 EGV. $7 each if you buy all. .84 Huge range of, Weber parts to suit 40-45mm DCOE, IJA D/D GTC Inc chokes, ram tubes, jets, gaskets, banjos, floats, levers, links, n/valves etc.

Will not separate. Ph 03 9802 7064 or 03 9887 8380. .84 Supertrapps, 2x stainless steel 2.5" inlet, 5" out let, 19" long Supertrapp muffler and two optional Supertrapp mounting kits. All parts new, sell well below cost $850. Ph 03 5265 1240 AH or'0416 099 727. .84 Chev small block, Dynagear dual idler gear drive (same as Pete Jackson). Brand new $310. Ph 03 5265 1240 AH or 0416 099 727 AH. .S4 Chev small block, Pete Jackson'front drive distrib utor kit, allows distributor to be fitted to front of Chev engine. New. $675. Ph 03 5265 1240 AH or 0416 099 727 AH. .84

Chevrolet/Ford, 8 lug polished alloys. Dress up your tow vehicle. 17x8" concept neepers $1500 the set. 16x8" Ultra Claws $1300 the set. Ph 07 4779 5009. .84 Avon ACB10, 6.0/21.0-13 $100. Collect Sydney.

Ph 0409 544 100. ib4

style 80L $400, Super TIO Z ratio complete to fit 308 $2500, Ph 03 9432 9482 or 0418 500 287. .84 Group C A9X Torana spares, 15x10 Rebel wheels with mounted Avon wets $1500.

15x10 Hotwires with 8-10 slicks $1500, Super TIO with Hurst shifter (not used since com

some spares, laps Wlnton short circuit 58.82s.

Make a reasonable offer. Ph 03 5881 4411 BH or 03 5881 1506. .83 Class 1 Bullet, 3.8 V6, Porsche box, coilover Bllsteins, 85L tank, tandem trailer, spares, no expense spared, will separate motor, box, trailer.

Ph 03 6265 3369. .82 98

Suzuki GTi Swift, factory computer, '88 model $200. Ph Warren 0412 561 447. 184

plete overhaul) $2000. Harrop full-floating diff. 10 bolt Salisbury housing Including hats, rotors, axles (no diff centre or brake callipers) $2200. Twin split 2 1/2" side pipe exhaust system (complete except headers) $500. Ph 02 6557 2679 or 0412 670 422. .84 M21 gearbox, 4 spd, bell housing, flywheel, clutch, pressure plate, gear stick. Suit 253 or 308 Holden. $650 ono. Ph 02 4421 6779. .S4

l Oil coolers - heat exchangers, Earls, Setrab, Serck, 6-70 row, new/used, also used water to oil heat exchangers, over 100 in stock. Ph 0418 925 767. .83 l Racecar parts, vbrake parts, chassis stands, diff oil pumps, exhaust collectors, fuel cell acces sories, oil filters, quicklift jacks, ratio boxes, radi ator caps, springs, spoilers, wings etc. Ph 0418 925 767. .83

Ex race, front spoiler. VL Group A, will fit road car. Finished undercoat $500. Ph 03 9735 3906. .84

l Uprights, fabricated/cast, fronts/rears, various sizes, new/used, also CVs, driveshafts, wishbones, rockers, pushrods, all top quality, exc condition. Ph 0418 925 767. .83

l Air jacks, new/used, large range, most applica tions, quick release handles available, top quality.

Ph 0418 925 767. .83

l Radiators, aluminium, new/used, single/dual pass, top quality, large range, various sizes, suit all ●« applications, from $300. Ph 0418 925 767. .83

Renmax wheels, Mildren yellow submarine.

1x13x10 and 1x13x14. $1000. Ph 07 4636 3567 AH. .83 l Clutches, 7.25, 5.5, 5.0 single, twin, triple plate, sintered or carbon, AP-Tilton-QM, new/used. Spare covers, rings, plates also avail able. Ph 0418 925 767. .83 Mazda RX7 S IV/V springs, set of 4 coils, 1 inch lowered, suit stock struts, 50km use only. Cost $520, sell $400. Ph 0412 296 750. .83 l Brake calipers, discs, pads. Mega range, new/used, exc condition - AP, Alcon, Brembo, Outlaw, Willwood. Overnight delivery. Ph 0418 925 767. .83 Rotary PP, racing plugs. Champion N80 & N555Q, equivilent to NGK BIO EGV and 59EGV. $7 each if you buy all. Ph 08 8357 2319. .83 FT200 gears, 20/28, 20/24, 30/16, 34/14, 46/14, 28/18, 17/30, 7 dog rings 2 1/2" clutch disc, 10 spline 1 X 7 1/4" $750. Champion N80 and N555G $10 each. Ph 08 8357 2319. is3 l Pedals, brake/clutch, floor mount/hanging, new/sued. Also available, bias valves, bias cables, master cylinders, reservoirs etc. Ph 0418 925 767. .83 Quad 48mm, IDF Webers on Holden V8 manifold with links. $2500 ono. Excellent cond. Ph 0419 947 971. .83

Speedwaw Super Sedan chassis, with 90 mod Pontiac body never damaged. No running gear. $2000. Ph 02 4572 5949. .84 Sprintcar chassis, 91JSR Hi bar, straight & square, complete with f/glass panels, tall tank, engine plates, brake lines, floorpan and radiator, $2000.

29" torsion bars, some near new in various weights, 6 pin t/R $280. Ph 03 5335 5196 or 0418 851 080. .84 Speedcars Q59/Q95, 1-OTR/Stealth updates, Duggan engine, Carrera/Pro, weld, Durallte, KSE $18,000. 2-Gardner/Fontana Carrera/Pro, weld, Lee, Sanders, alloy hiems etc. $25,000. Ph 0417 784 997 or 07 5498 9818. .84 Holden Commodore, Standard Saloon, V8 auto, won many features throughout the season, rarely unplaced. Complete ready to race, 10 spare rims & tyres, diffs, panels, bumpers, new 5 point 3" harness. Neat car $3000. Ph 03 5686 2568. .84 Super Sedan, fresh 350 Chev on methanol, quick change diff & spare gears, various other spares, com plete & ready to race. POA. Ph 0408 565 077. .84

VS Sports Sedan, parts inci carbon panels, 350 exhaust system. Rose joints, alloy radiator, big brake system complete, independent rear, alloy fuel tank, coil overs, gauges, quick release wheel, windows. Ph 03 6330 1881. .ss Brodix, 12 cyl head package, reco ready to race.

Includes 2 1/2 Kinsler injector, Jessel rockers, Isky camshaft, offset lifters, pushrods, air filters, rocker covers, high HP. Bargain $9900 ono. Ph 03 5594 3288. .83 Kart trolley, $80. Ph 07 3465 7729. .83 Litre Sprintcar, quick change LE Hane diff.

Damaged $500. ideal for classic or vintage speed way car. Ph 07 5475 4356. .83 Gearbox, straight cut close ratio 4 speed Tranex.

Small Ford to approx 300hp. Totally rebuilt with new gear & not run. $2000. Ph 0419 335 670 or 03 9696 9147. .83 MoTec MB engine management, system $2500. Momo volante steering wheel 25cm new $100. New Simmons 18" Porsche wheels 8" front 10" rear with new slicks. Best offer. Ph 0413 943 425. .83

Harrop brake kit, complete to bolt on to Commodore VB to VN $2500. Fuel cell Auscar

Kaditcha F2 1979, Mk 9 with ratios, Golf engine,

Escort RS1600, works Atlas, full floating axle assembly, alloy hubs, 2 piece large spline axles, 53" tubes, 2F LSD centre, set up for coll overs.

Very rare $3150. Ph 08 8278 5988. .as Gearbox, straight cut, dose ratio, 4 spd, Tranex small Ford to approx 300hp. Totally rebuit with new gears & not run. $2000. Ph 0419 335 670 or 03 9696 9147. .8s

Tyres, Dunlop wets 265x590x16", brand new $350 each. Ph 0402 021 362. .83 l Hewland, DGB, 5 speed transaxle, top condi tion, new 9:31 CWP, ratio choices and spares avail able, $14K ratios, over 300 in stock to suit DGB, GFGB, TPT, FT200. Ph 0418 925 767. .as Quaife 2000E S/C, C/R 'Pro' gearbox. $1950.

Cosworth BDA narrow journal rods $895, 2400 Holbay stroker kit new $6500, Cosworth YB Sierra Group A cams (BD14) $950. Ph 08 8278 5988 home after 6pm. .as Fuel safety cell, complete with Dry Break Filler system ex-GTP race car. Ex cond $750 the lot. Ph Bob 0419 130 671 or 08 8449 9196, .83 Roll cage, suit EA to ED Falcon, all steel, de mountable type by Bond Roll Cages, CAMS approved, $500 complete with all bolts and plates. Ph Bob 0419 130 671 or 08 8449 9196. .83 Seats, ex-Falcon EB SS, limited edition with belts and all fastenings, never used, excellent cond, front $500 pr, rear $ 150. Ph Bob 0419 130 671 or 08 8449 9196. .83 Extractors, suit Falcon EA to ED, specially tuned construction by D&T Performance. $250. Ph Bob 0419 130 671 or 08 8449 9196 las

Production Sedan Torana U, 3.3 (James race eng) Holley power steering, Toyota 5 sp, 15" Ford wheels, EL radiator & fans, adjustable suspension, very competitive & reliable, heaps of spares. $5500 ono. Ph 03 5358 2526 or 0428 519 311. .83 Go Karts x2, Benson chassis, lOOJ motor VGC, tacho, new chain, gears. Arrow AX5 rolling chas sis, C/W stand & trolley, many spares $1600 ono or swap for standard speedway saloon car. Ph 03 9836 9901 or 0419 500 168. .83 Modified Production TE Cortina, fresh engine, 4 speed gearbox, adj suspension, p/s & reduction. Plenty of spares, competitive car, must sell $6300 ono. Ph 03 5978 7679or 0419 388 192. .83 Modified Rod, brand new 350, 500hp, Q/C diff, Powerglide with tap, heaps of spares, never raced, genuine reason for sale. $10,000 ono. Ph 0419 101 139 or 03 5996 7087. .83 Super Sedan chassis new, Afco upper and lower control arms, wide 5 hubs, Afco rear left springs, alloy tank, pedals and master cylinders. $3200 ono. Ph 0416 241 006. .83

AMCA racing team, car and trailer plus all spares including 3 spare engines, 4 gear boxes, 3 diffs, 4 spare wheels, etc. Car is a proven winner and holds all track records at Speedway City plus other tracks. Must sell to race Sprintcars next season. $17,500 Ph Brett 0418 586 022 .83 '96 J8(J Sprintcar, complete roller. Winters diff, Willwood brakes, KSE steering, braided line, Sanders bars, new body, fresh powder coated chassis, ready for engine. $11,000. Ph 03 9735 1307. .63 nolotiport ■>»!

1

Marketplace Formula 500, Vic 27. Foster chassis, 4l 30 chrome moly, torsion bar, reverse arm front. 494 Rotax, Bewley two-speed, singl &twin pipes. Lots of spares, fully enclosed trailer. POA, Ph 03 5566 2207. las M n 'ar

Holden 308 V8, turbo stud pattern, Std bore, runs fine but needs a freshen up rings & bearings $1000 ono. Plus M20 V8 4spd gearbox $500 ono.

Ph 03 5686 2568. is4

Mobile engine hoist, heavy duty up to 50001b lift, extendable arm & legs, hydraulic Jib, brand new, sacrifice $800. Ph Dave 03 9598 3658 or 0417 164 809. ,84

Porsche 993, 3.6, complete engine, exhaust, cat, ECU, loom, flywheel. $17,950. Ph Wayne 07 5449 0055. .84

Collector badges, mint cond, 'Searoads' Princess of Tasmania, 1956 Olympic Games, Herald Sun Touring, Goodwill 'Colac' etc. Ph 03 6394 3541 or 0407 543 006. is4

Ford Escort, F/F long motor 1600cc + spare comp head, all brand new from Ford, never used. $2500. Ph 02 9742 5652. .84 Sierra RS500 Cosworth, block. Small Welsh plug Group A type $2500. RS500 harmonic balancer Super Sedan Corvette, quick change, Bert box, 4 bar susp, Chev motor, Brodix aluminium

with pulleys (3). Ex-Harrop Engineering, 5 groove belt $550. Ph 08 8278 5988. 184

heads, full roller motor, heaps of spares, very competitive. Also full Pantec trailer with elec winch, discs brakes, the lot $20,000. Ph 08 8570 1050. .83

372ci Sprintcar engine, steel block, Weldtech-12 heads, 2 1/2" Kinsler injector, Jessel, rockers.

Vertex mag. Cola crank, LA billet rods, KSE water pump, just refreshened, $16,000. Ph Mike 03 9723 3906 ah. .84 Escort RS200, twin IDF downdraught manifold $275, Kent HTI x drilled camshaft (new) $395, Crane H322 x drilled cam $425, Cosworth steel Sierra crank $525. Ph 08 8278 5988. .84

Super Sedan, Rayburn copy chassis, Camaro body, Quickchange diff, aluminium hubs and radi ator, Ivan Wariker race engine, ready to race. $25,000 will separate. Ph Jason 0418 861 224 or Mathew 0417 065 066. is3 '97 High Bar Gambler Sprintcar, complete roller, new chassis & body, Sanders wheels. Winters diff, JKSE steering, Sanders bars, Willwood brakes, braided lines, complete ready for engine. $16,000.

Ph 03 9735 1307. .83 Microsprint, chrome moly hi-bar, Gardner front end, splined rear weld wheels. Pro & Carrera shock, Schroder steering box, Kirkey seat, Simpson belts, Kawasaki 550 engine plus spares $14,000.

Ph 07 3207 5436. .83

Super Sedan Commodore, Dave Best chassis.

Winters quick change diff, 4 aluminium beed lock rims, ready to race. Less engine and gearbox. $9,900. Ph: 0418 134 174 or 03 5176 1352. 183

Engines Porsche 993, twin turbo 3.6. Engine complete, intercooler turbos, loom, ECU, cats, mufflers, fly wheel. $43,500. Ph Wayne 07 5449 0055. .84 1300CC 3K Toyota Corolla, racing engine. 12:8 to 1 compression ratio, offset/oversize 42mm titani um inlet valves, dry sumped W/-2 rotor gear scav enge pump. Special Tighe Engineering camshaftm forged Wiseco pistons. Fully rebuilt, ready to run in.

Ideal for Sports 1300 or Historic Formula 3. $5750.

Ph 07 3205 3165 bh or 07 3351 3872 ah. is4 Suzuki single camshaft, racing cylinder head.

Brand new head, fully ported & race prepared by Peter Liddle Engineering. No camshaft, suit any 1300/1600 Suzuki racing engine. $750. Ph 07 3205 3165 bh or 07 3351 3872 ah. .84 Brand new, Holley blue fuel pump with Holley fuel pressure regulator. Ph 07 3205 3165 bh or 07 3351 3872 ah. .84 Aluminium 18 deg, Chev heads, Jessel rockers, Bowtie manifold $7500. Aluminium track 1 heads, brand new $2600. MoTec fuel injection suit small block Chev. $2800. Ph 0418 514 444. .84 Holden 308 engine parts. Dash 3 alloy heads $1800 complete. Shipmaster manifold $450. 300A cam and lifters new $200. Alloy flywheel $150.

Other parts also. Ph 02 6242 6675 ah for details. is4 Chev bowtie block, dart 18 deg aluminium heads, TSD rockers, Crower crank, Oliver 6" rods, JE pistons, strong 650hp, recoed. $17,500. Ph 0418 514 444. .84

Escort exhaust manifolds, genuine Lotus T/C $350. ERS2000 Group 1 cast manifold/downpipes $450, Group 2 RS2000 3 piece 1 7/8" primary $425, custom Pinto pipes FF2000. Ph 08 8278 5988. .84 Ford SOHC 2L, GPl, alloy sump German block & BV head, 520xX cam. Vernier wheel, electronic ignition, Mahle pistons etc. $2200. Ph 03 9546 8342 or 0417 239 641. .84 KT100J, with header & pipe,just rebuilt and run in $900. Ph 07 3465 7729. 183 Donovan Sprintcar engine, complete, JE pis tons, Weld Tech heads, Kinsler inj, Barnes pump aluminium sump, Jessel rockers, built by John Sidney, not yet been run, ready for dyno. POA, Ph 03 9735 1307. 183 MoTec M8 engine management system $2500.

Momo volante steering wheel 25cm new $100.

New Simmons 18" Porsche wheels 8" front 10" rear with new slicks. Best offer. Ph 0413 943 425. 183

Workshop manuals, and auto engineering books, all genuine factory Chev, Ford, Vauxhall, Bedford etc. Ph 03 6394 3541. .84 Suzuki GSX 1100EF, 1200cc, 360 cams, ported head, h/duto clutch, HPC coated exhausts, runs easy 10.8s @ 127mph. Registered, $3000. Ph 03 9741 9526. .84

l Superflow, SFl 10 flowbench with V8 adaptor, carburettor adaptor and extra manometer $4500.

Also Audie Cam Pro $1500 an dynomation engine simulator $500. Ph Mark 03 9647 2099 or Ray 03 9725 2255. m 1988 Camaro, complete less engine, has Lenco 4 spd, struts, US Pro diff, M.W Autometer, Koni, chute, cell, Lexan glass, BB Headers, tube chassis.

1080kg W/BB welds. $AUS20,000 obo. Ph 0064 04 938 5426. .84

omer The Great Race books. Nos 14-17.(1994-1997).

In perfect condition, will be sought after books in years to come for complete set of TGR books.

Offers. Ph 0417 163 193. 184 Double layer, Nomex driving suit, Fastman size 8 $150. Bell 7 1/2 M2 helmet, white, full face, extended coverage $250. RPM nomex underwear natural size M $ 150. All excellent condition. Ph 02 9969 6936. .84 Exhaust tube bender, 3 phase binnie, computer controlled, as new condition. $10,500. Can inspect in Castlemaine, Vic. Ph 03 5472 4116,fax 03 5470 6966, e-mail farrell@laccess.com.au .84 Automobile Quarterly, over 100 copies, will sell separately. Ph John 08 8252 3414 or 0418 819 759. .84

97 Chev LT1 350, a/c, ps, 6 spd trans, complete package new from GM $9500. Ex-Frank Gardner F5000 race engine, fresh with all the good parts. $8500. Ph 08 9305 8763. .82

Great Race books, no 5(85), no 6(86), no 7(87), no 8 (88) also original Great Race book (19601980). Excellent condition. Ph Anthony 08 8351 4801 AH. .84

Holden 6 cyl methanol, 3.3 Itr blue Jack Bros built, roller rockers & cam. Sacks clutch, HQ racing pistons, 7 litre sump, power steering pump & pul leys, Romac balancer, holley & manifold, excellent HP. Quick sale, cheap at $4000. Ph 07 4954 5225 or 0427 969 876. m

Go-Power dyno, brand new, never been used, comes complete with all gauges, stand, coolant tank, adaptors etc. Rating SOOhp x 10,000 rpm. $20,000 ono. Ph Andrew 0417 188 977 or 02 9975 3881. .s4 Ferrari, 1/18 set of 4 models Alesi/Berger/irvine/Schumacher. Last two with Marlboro decals. Very rare models with original boxes from Minichamps. $950 free postage. Ph 02 9804 7223 before 5pm. .84 Old genuine, workshop manuals. Eg. Chev, Bedford, Vauxhall, Chrysler etc. Also 1949 Auto Engineering, suit all makes, 3 volumes, best offers.

Ph 03 6394 3541 or 0407 543 006.. .84

Mazda 208 rotary, twin turbo, import with all accessories, low kms & good compression. $4800.

Ph 03 9782 5998. .82 Lotus TVvin Cam, all steel, Brian Hart-built 1600CC, slide injection, full orig, very rare engine. $15,000. Ph 0064 9 274 8646. .82 Toyota 4AG, Formula Atlantic 1600cc all steel Bertils USA, complete rebuild including pistons, not used since. $14,000. Ph 0064 9 274 8646. .82 Power Dyne supercharger,8 psi unit, complete.

VS/VT EcoTech V6 Holden, done 3000kms. $5000.

Ph 07 3374 2149. .82 Chevy 4, Historic Speedcar motor, just rebuilt, not run. Spare engine parts, also header pipes and injection with trumpets. Ph Allan 08 8342 4433 BH. .82 Nissan FJ20 turbo engines, ex-Carling, x2 long motors, different specs, one fully rebuilt, one suit rebuild. All custom internal parts, big plenum/throttle body, extractors etc. Best offer. Ph 02 6231 1144 or 08 8527 2266. 182

Drag street machine, 1954 Chrysler Desoto sedan.

Completre car has extensively modified body, chassis, suspension, interior and driveline. A new car with less than 200km since completion.

Painted 'Happy Days' yellow, 600hp 502cu in alu minium head Chev engine. Voted 5th in Street Machine of the Year. Full 12 months NSW rego.

Gas 454 plates included. $42,000 ono. Ph 02 9728 6183. .82

Video tapes. Beta & 2 video recorders. Touring cats.

Grand Prix, Indycars, Speedway, Drag Racing, Motorbikes and NASCAR. Over 400 tapes. $1500. Ph Rob 0412 000438. las

'Longford: Fast Track Back' book, now out. 184 pages, 87 photos, also results Index. $35 pre-GST. Ph 07 4661 5196. .83 Momocorse boots, size 45(11) worn once $100.

RPM Indy boots fize 9, worn once $50. Ph 0419 895 692. .83 l New Generators, 450 watt portable generator $610. 680 watt generator $730. Prices include sales tax. Ph Engineered Products Group 03 9312 7999.

Helmet, Shoei, small size (kids), good cond, 3 visors. $150 ono. Ph 02 9670 4091 AH. lar Helmet, Simpson Size 60, Super Speedway shark, never used, cost $1500, sell $1000. Ph 0412 895 560.. 182 Motoring books & magazines, large run of Autosport 1988-1998. Full set Sports Car World 1957-, set of Modern Motor. Ph 08 9279 7003 or Fax 08 9377 3939. .62 Alfa Romeo showroom sales brochures, vari ous models - Giulietta Sprint, Alfa Sud, GTV Alfa 75, 33 16v. $3 each plus postage, glossy, exc con dition. Ph Gall 03 5334 6364 AH. .82

Wanted Books, Autocourse, Automobile Year, Rallycourse, World Rallying. Any cond or quantity. Ph Mike 0412 904 638, email speedsigns@interact.com.au im Speedway, fan wants like-minded people to cor respond with. Write to Danielle Clements, PO BOX 205, Newstead Tas 7250. .84 Irving, or Duggan alloy head to suit 6 cyl Holden.

Ph 0411 707 075. .84 1 set of, computerised wheel scales In good con dition with pads etc. Ph 0418 510 633. ib4 Pit crew for Sports Sedan, voluntary, expenses paid, must be enthusiastic, preferably with mechanical skills but not essential. Car based at Mittagong, mostly Sydney racing. Ph Glenn 02 4861 4906. .83 Quickchange diff, to suit Super Sedan. Ph 07 3267 8192 or 0419 382 769. .83 VW Passat/Golf 74-77 1500, twin Weber inlet manifold or fuel injection, extractors and any information on tuning & setup. Ph 0407 364 543 or 07 3391 3022 AH. .83 Ford 1500 Cortina engine, to Volkswagen Type 3 gearbox adaptor, 2 l/2"-4" deep, alloy or magne sium. Ph 0407 364 543 or 07 3391 3022 AH. .83

93 Ford F150 Flareside, 351 EFi overdrive automat ic, every option, lowered, fibreglass lid, tow package, HD cooling package, ideal tow vehicle, full compli ance, faultless 60,000mls, only one in Australia. $45,000 ono. Delivery. Ph 07 4779 5009..m Helmet, Navy Simpson open face LX8, size 71/4 (white) inci visor $350. Ph 08 8266 7066. .84 Formula 1 Diecast Collection, Stewart 1:43 '91 & '92 X 5 cars, Nigel Mansell 1:43 '89 to '95 X 11 cars, 1:20 '92 X 1. Ayrton Senna 1:18 '88 to '94 X 6 cars,1:24 '94 X 1, 1:43 '93 & '94 X 3 cars. Jordan Collection 1:43 '91 to '98 x 31 cars. Also signed and framed pit crew shirts, '92 and '93 Nigel Mansell shirts in one framed box. 184

Bandsaw, horiztontal-vertical, industrial heavy duty, 3 ph, 2hp. Cap 200x350mm, 3 speeds, USA MDFG, ideal for fabricators, brand new in crate.

Cost $6000, sacrifice $4000. Ph Dave 03 9598 3658 or 0417 164 809. .84

Sponsors for V8 Lites series, QLD 500 and Bathurst. Packages to suit any budget. Ph 07 5428 6369. .83 Holden aluminium cylinder head, Phil Irving or Duggan. Would consider complete engine, must be in good condition. Ph 02 9531 0151 AH. .83 VBSupercar co-driver for Bathurst, must have suitable budget. Please send expressions of inter est to 5c Industrial Ave, Cabolpture QLD 4510 or Ph 07 5495 6920, attn: T.C.M. .83 Oval Track 253/308 sump, rear of motor, urgent ly. Ph 02 9745 3881. IBJ Mini Cooper S, photos & information of car raced

by Ern Abbott 1964-65, Greg McEwin and Les Jesser 1966-69. Ph 08 8336 3498 AH or e-mail memtech@camtech.net.au. .82 Sponsorship, needed for 2001 Formula Holden team. If interested please contact Benn Anthony 02 4388 1582 Rally junior champion at NAMS level for 1998 & 99. ib2

MOTORSPORT NEWS FREE CLASSIFIEDS - THE WAY TO SELL 1 Mr 2690

99

OPINION Let’s parity like it’s 2000 ... and 99 EDITORIAL STAFF Editor: Phil Branagan Assistant Editor: Gerald McDornan Staff Journalist: Aaron Noonan PRODUCTION Adv & Graphics Co-ordinator: Viv Brumby ADVERTISING Advertising Manager: Brendon Sheridan ADMINISTRATION Managing Director: Chris Lambden CONTACTS 89 Orrong Crescent NorthCaulfield Vic 3161 .

(PO Box 1010 North Caulfield Vic3161) Ph: 03 9527 7744 Fax: 03 9527 7766 Email: msnews@ozemail.com.au eONTRIDDTORS General: Grant Nicholas, Darryl Flack, Tony Glynn, Mark Jones, Jon Thomson F1: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring, Gary Watkins US: Phil Morris NZ: John Hawkins Speedway: Brett Swanson, Dennis Newlyn, Sue Hobson, Geoff Rounds,Tony Millard (UK), Rally: Peter Whitten, Jon Thomson Histories: Brian Reed Drag Racing: Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Steven White, Ken Ferguson Super Speedway: Martin Clark (USA) Karts: Sean Hensheiwood, Graeme Burns, Frank Viola, John Morris, Mark Wicks Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, Tony Glynn, AF1 Images, Neil Hammond, Slipstream Photographic, ThunderPics, Phil Williams, Allsport, John Morrls/Mpix, Frank Midgley, John Bosher, Lynley Reid, Mike Patrick (UK), Daniel Wilkins, Wayne Nugent, Peter French, Chris Carter Artist: Bernie Walsh Cartoonist:Allan Schofield Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News - ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden Printed by: Wilke Color 37-49 Browns Road Clayton 3168.

Distributed by: NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted.

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I wish the word 'parity' never existed. What type of world do we live in where the winners get penalised for winning? In my mind it is a load of bollocks!

The V8 Supercar sport is going to end up like Formula One,ie the passing is only done when in the pits or if someone makes a mistake and/or crashes out.

Bugger the parity, I say, let's have one set(a bloody BIG set) of rules and leave it at that.

Whoever wins, wins, whether it be by luck or by the fact that some teams have done their homework (or by the fact that a team is given a definite advantage by choosing a Bridgestone control tyre).

If rules are to be changed then wait until the end of the season, announce the rule changes early and then let the teams get to work.

Finally, if Ford's rear wing doesn't work, or front spoiler doesn't provide enough downforce, or whatever the case, why should Holden be penalised for it?

Ford needs to do more work on their car to make it faster and handle better.

Think of it this way, you're sitting at work and the bloke/woman next to you works really slow, so the boss says that because you work faster, your PC is going to be reduced to something infinitely smaller to slow you down and bring you into line with the person next to you!

Doesn't make sense does it?

In case you are wondering, I am a keen Ford supporter, always have been, always will be.

Mr Branagan shouldn't have mistaken the fact Moses was actually on a motorcycle.

Otherwise, how would he have 'rode forth on his triumph'?

Colin Russell Airport West, Vic

convertei outcome may have been very different. It may be appropriate to do it at Calder, but Queensland Raceway? No! Recently I read in your great mag letters supporting the Canberra reverse grid format and points system.

I agree. It should be implemented as soon as possible as the sprint rounds of the ShelFHRT Championship are becoming processional and really boring.

If the current format continues at the spintrint rounds, my friends and I will be staying home.

Trent Morgan, Liverpool, NSW

ED;Sorry about that, Colin.

I was wrong. Barry Sheene told me he was driving a Ferrari that‘Goes like the wind’...

The Enforcer responds In response to Jamie Purcell’s let ter las); issue.

To clarify your totally inaccurate letter, I was black-flagged in Canberra for cutting through a -f' chicane at the back of the circuit when I was returning to the pits with a flat rear tyre.

The chicane you refer to in the start of race 2 was to avoid cars stopped on the circuit and, since no advantage was gained, the officials took no further action.

Get your facts straight before you write a letter in, Jamie. Barry Sheene’s comments were made after checking his facts, something of which you should take note.

Anthony Heinemann, Morwell, Victoria

Change the format I have just been to the V8 Supercars and round seven at Queensland Raceway.

This is the first time that my mates and I have left before the end of race three.

The new system (since Lowndes’ famous Calder incident) of spacing the grids is making the sprint races unexciting and boring.

The winner can only come from the front row as third and fourth on the grid actally start from fifth and sixth spots.

If Larkham, Ingall and Tander had their corret positions, the

I

Send vov letters ti

Photo by John MmrisL

He of the Castro! Holden clan responds to reader Jamie Purcell's letter from last issue about Barry, black flags and chicane jumping...

Triumphant Moses win I am writing to you concerning Phil Branagan's comments regarding team orders in motor racing(MN #182, pg 42).

Unfortunately, Mr Branagan was seriously ill-informed when he stated 'team orders in motor racing have been around since Moses drove in the Palestine Grand Prix'.

Barry actually is quite astute about motor racing and being an ex-racer himself, knows what the driver is thinking and doing.

I don’t usually respond to letters, but since this one was accusing someone else of“being out of their league,” felt pen needed to be put to paper.

Russell Ingall Castrol Perkins Racing

Talk Converter at Motorsport News,POBox 1010, North Caulfield Vic 3161, email to msnews@ozemail.eom.au or fax to 03 9527 7766.

Please try to keep letters to a maximum of200 words.

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